Whispers & Wildflowers {Levi Ackerman} {AoT/SnK} ~Book One~

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five
War Within Your Eyes

After bandaging up Abigail and giving her enough pain medication to knock out a fully-grown horse, Levi and Hange left the infirmary. "Are you sure you want to leave, Levi? You looked pretty content watching over her." Hange hinted with teasing eyes and a loopy smile. Levi cleared his throat and scratched his nose, trying to cover his pink-tinted face.

Even now, he could still feel Abigail's warm body against his. Her cuddled-up body hugging against his own, settling into his stiff curves and melting against his thin frame. Her salty tears spilling into the collar of his uniform and tinting his grey shirt a shade darker. Abigail never once pulled away from his calloused hands. Instead, she seemed to yearn for his touch when he withdrew from her. That was a new reaction he wasn't used to seeing from people.

Levi refused to admit it to anyone, much less himself, but he undoubtedly missed Abigail's touch now that she wasn't next to him. Especially in her current state of distress. He dreaded leaving her alone in the hospital wing. He felt a sense of guilt when he had no choice but to say goodbye to her for the evening. Levi had gotten used to her presence, and just very recently, the light caress of her fingertips.

"Stick to what you're good at, Four-Eyes. Studying Titans and annoying the hell out of me." Levi scolded, looking up at his counterpart with his signature scowl. Hange gave him a side smirk but left the conversation at that. She knew Levi good and well now after their years in the Corps that something inside that hospital room had changed him. Something about seeing Abigail in such a shattered state really irked Levi and he would stop at nothing to determine the cause.

The Captain and Scout had been spending so much time together the past few weeks, it was only a matter of time that he would become protective of her, like he did with all his other soldiers. They were his responsibility. And when something happened to them, he took the blame for it every single time, regardless of if it was out of his control or not. Hange understood the sentiment, but at the same time, this current accident was completely out of Levi's control. And Hange wished Levi would give himself a break and not hold onto such a burden.

But Hange had a feeling this was something entirely different. She saw the worry in Levi's eyes when Petra stormed into the Commander's office that afternoon. It was only visible for a split second, but it was there. Hange couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt it in her gut. She wanted to pry it out of Levi, make him sweat it out like she did the other soldiers when she wanted information. Make him confess to every ungodly thing he ever thought about the subject. What he thought about HER. But Hange knew this wasn't the time nor the place. Especially seeing how exhausted Levi looked now. He looked about ready to collapse. Hange knew there would be a later time to torture the information out of Levi. But for now, she would leave it alone.

However, with Levi, he wanted answers. And now. While caring for Abigail, he instructed Hange to tell Petra to retrieve Abigail's gear and take it to his office. Something was definitely wrong with what his squad was telling him, and it just didn't add up. Not with how severe Abigail's wounds were. Erwin was already made aware of Abigail's condition by the hospital staff, and he wasn't pleased. Not only because a soldier was injured inside the confinement of the walls. But because of the possibility that the news of a noble nearly being killed while secretly serving could be leaked to news outlets. And Erwin didn't have to explain to anyone how detrimental that was to the Scout Regiment and their funding. The Commander was already in hot water with not only the higher-ups due to the low progression against the Titans, but with the Wall's citizens as well. He was the sole reason why so many Scouts lost their lives. And he had absolutely nothing to show for it. This news would surely be the nail in his coffin. And because of that, Levi needed to find answers. And soon.