{LEVIHAN} Always

Chapter 9: Falling

Levi's POV

Hours went by, and I still couldn't sleep. Hanji, finally, fell limp and slept into the night. The words that I told her before she slept... that still haunt me now. I thought words were just words when it came to these... confessions. Now, I can see why people get emotional when they say those words. Even though I said them in a monotone voice, I felt my fragile heart pounding. Everything began to hit me...

Whenever I walked down those halls, I never knew what they meant by those words. It's more than just losing a friend... it's someone you can trust with your entire life. Someone willing to die for...

I guess we were both like that. 

I can't recall a moment where Hanji and I... I can't recall when she would leave me to die. She could've told the truth about me... she could've not sewn my wounds back together. She wouldn't let me die. Why couldn't I save her? I should've told her how I felt... but then again, she saved me. She saved everyone with her last breath.

With that memory, I pulled Hanji closer to me. She made a small squeak, and I had to loosen my grip. I don't want to lose her again...

"E-Eh...?" She murmurs, squirming as the sun began to rise. "L-Levi, is something wrong...?"

"No, nothing's wrong... just scared you would disappear."

She chuckles a bit, groaning in her sleep. "How many times do I have to say it? I won't disappear again. I promise to stay here... I promise to stay with you here. I will always stay with you. There's nothing to change my mind about that."

"I... just have to know for sure." I kissed her cheek, nuzzling my nose into her back. "You can't disappear... not again... not now."

"What's with the kiss?"

"Are you that stupid?" I scoffed, caressing her cheek with my thumb. "I think I'm in love with you..."

"Didn't you say that earlier?"

I sighed, reaching out for her hand. Once I found it, I clasped my good hand with hers. "Yes..."

Hanji gives another chuckled, tightening her grip with mine. "I know, I'm just joking with you. Sometimes, we need some sort of good spirit in this cabin. Otherwise, the two of us are just going to get tired of all this... dreariness."

"I wonder how we can if we keep talking about the same thing about our past. We practically know each other inside and out."

"We can probably start with a walk in the woods. You can lean on me again as we walk. Besides, you need the exercise."

"It's... surprising."

"Surprising? How so?"

"I've been walking for countless years, it's surprising to see how hard it is to walk again."

"Your nerves must've been damaged badly... and as the doctor said, you can't walk properly. But you need to walk- otherwise, your legs will become shriveled up and become bone-like." I definitely don't want that... in the Underground, everyone had those sort of limbs. It was creepy to me, but it's something we couldn't control. "Oh, but first- breakfast. We're running quite low on bread... I'll make a list for Onyankonpon..." Hanji went on and on as she crawled out of bed.

Sometimes I don't interrupt her because I love hearing her talk. The way she rambles and sometimes, she'll go off-topic. I'm hoping for her to start rambling about cows or something from bread. Maybe even the sunset...

*   *   *

The day went slowly as usual. The usual breakfast, the same path to walk on, somewhat different lunch, another walk, before dinner: stew. Hanji decided to make a list to Onyankonpon about what else we would need- multiple cooking books were on the list. As well as screens for the windows- Hanji said that spring was ending soon.

As I took my medication before bed, I forgot about it yesterday, Hanji was busy looking through one of the books that were here when we got here. I think it was a fantasy book and not one of those research books that the Military Police confiscated to hide the truth outside of our now fallen walls.

I always thought that her face when she reads something not based on real-life... I thought it was cute. My head began to spin as she quickly wraps up her chapter and puts the book back on the shelf. Her caramel eyes caught mine, and her eyes soon fell to this worrisome face.

"Levi... are you okay?"

"I'm... hot..." I murmured, trying to take off my shirt. 

She quickly strips me of my shirt, feeling my forehead. "You look hot like that..."

Yeah, no shit... I'm beginning to sweat. 

"Levi, are you okay?"

I want to tell you that I love you...

As I reached out for her face with my right hand, it fell limp as I felt something rise in my throat. It felt like... foam...? My limbs began to shake and I fell off the bed. Hanji screamed out for me, trying to help me. She kept telling me to not leave her... but everything went... black...