Broken Bodies, Severed Feelings (Erwin x OC)

|16| Confession

She could tell she was on a bed. The pillows were comfortably set beneath her head, and the mattress was soft beneath her. Nathalie opened her eyes, allowing the morning sunlight in. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light. She almost felt like he had been stepped on by a carriage. She let out a wince and her hand reached for her head, burying her fingers in her hair and rubbing her forehead. What the hell happened? All she knew was that they had just finished a successful experiment and that she was coming up with such important information that she was writing down and then nothing. Absolutely nothing. What happened?

"Nathalie,"

A familiar, strong voice came, and she pulled her hand away and looked up. Her vision, blurry, but it cleared out after a few times that she blinked. It was Erwin. He was sitting on a chair, beside her bed. But he stood up, and settled by the edge of her bed, closer to her. His hand reached for her own. His fingers were rough, but warm, and his palm could wrap around her wrist twice. His large thumb pressed down on the pulse beneath her wrist, and he let out a sigh of relief when he spotted a rhythmic beat beneath her skin. Admittedly, he had done the same thing so many times the previous night. He seemed tired. He always seemed tired to her. She was the only one who could tell what he was feeling or going through.

He was in a white shirt. Probably the same shirt he had put on yesterday morning before the experiment. He hadn't gotten the chance to change. He spent twenty-four hours by her side. There was a small table beside her and three piles of paperwork were set there with a lamp, a pen, and a pot of ink. Did Erwin move his workplace here? He brought his paperwork and a lamp and a chair. He worked on that small desk to be there for her. How long was I out?

"Half of them are Levi's..." Erwin noticed she had been staring at the paperwork that stood on the small, wooden desk beside her. "...the other half is mine," He chuckled. "He's quite the stubborn man,"

He couldn't help remembering of all the fights he and Levi had on who was going to spend more time beside her. It was almost ridiculous to think about it. In the end, they just both stood there, and made themselves comfortable on the small desk. Now Levi was off to train some young recruits, finally giving Erwin some peace to be with her.

Nathalie chuckled. She couldn't believe Erwin would move his work here. He couldn't be with her because of the paperwork, but what if he brought the paperwork to her? She smiled at him tiredly.

"You didn't have to... move here," Her hand reached for his own and he took her hand in his, and she allowed her fingers to sink in his huge palm.

"I'm afraid I had to," Erwin grinned. "Last time I wasn't there for you, you wouldn't talk to me for months,"

She let out a soft laugh. It was after the Expedition where her entire squad was wiped and almost, she herself died, and spent a week in a hospital and he'd have no time to visit her. She had almost resigned from the Scouts that day. Her pettiness knew no end.

"Mm, 'm sorry about that," Nathalie closed her eyes as a wave of exhaustion washed over her and she nuzzled her nose in her pillow.

"Are you tired?" Erwin asked worriedly. His fingers slightly tightened around her own.

"I'm exhausted somehow," Nathalie looked at him with half-lidded eyes. "What happened to me?"

Erwin bit the inside of his cheek. "You had three seizures,"

Her eyes widened. "Three?! In a day?!" Oh shit. This would explain the spasms for which she was strangely conscious about. "I'm going to make me epileptic if I keep this up,"

"This is exactly why you won't keep this up," Erwin said. "I know you can figure out more than the truth. More than what we need to know what we're up against, but I don't want that knowledge if it is at the expense of you," He laced their fingers together. "Is that understood?"