Remembrance: Present [ERERI/RIREN]

3 || Leaning Against You, I Cried ||

"Thank you... so, so much!" I felt warm liquid soak the bandage that covered my eyes, running down my pale cheeks like an overflowing waterfall - they weren't tears of sadness; they were tears of joy. "Words can't express how happy I feel right now... thank you, thank you! Levi, thank you."

"Alright, alright, I get it. No need to say it so many damn times." I laughed, smiling for the first time in what felt like forever. And no, this isn't a reference to Frozen.

Even though Levi tried to hide it, I knew I made him embarrassed by thanking him so many times; I was just glad that I got some emotion out of him as he seemed like a person who didn't let down his walls for anyone - not even his closest friends.

I wanted to break down those walls - to see what was hidden underneath his tough façade. I wanted to know everything about him - what his favourite type of tea was, if he even liked tea, what did he look like, what colour were his eyes? Oh, especially the eyes, for they say that the eyes are the window to a person's soul - too bad I don't have my own.

He intrigued me to the point where I wanted to be with him everywhere he went, just so I could learn every little thing about him.

I had never been so interested in a person before; it was almost... terrifying.

Almost.

"Sorry about that. It's just that... that nobody's ever given me something this nice before." I scratched the back of my head, smiling wryly.

"I understand." was all he replied with.

There was a moment of comfortable silence of me running my fingers over the covers before I decided to put the book aside and pushed the blanket of off me and moved my body so I was fully facing Levi. It was difficult seeing as I couldn't move my legs; I had to use my hands to grip onto my legs to lift them up only put them down again on the edge of the bed.

I assumed Levi understood what I was doing as he helped me pick up my legs to move them to the side of the bed. I sat up straight, facing Levi, or where I thought he was, "Hey, Levi?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you help me?" I asked politely, "Could you help me get on a wheelchair? I want to show you something that means a lot to me."

"Of course, Eren."

I felt a pair of arms around me, picking me up by my knees and back; I assumed we were in that bridal position. You know? The one that's seen in movies all the time. At least, I think so.

I felt the air brush against my cheeks as he carried my body across the room, towards where my wheelchair should be. All too soon, he placed me down onto a soft but hard surface - presumably said wheelchair, "Thank you, Levi." I whispered as he set me down on the moveable chair.

"You're welcome." He responded, going around to behind the moveable chair to push said chair out of the room. If it were someone else, I'd tell them to 'screw off' and say that 'I can push myself' but Levi... he was different.

I didn't like to show my weaknesses to others; I didn't want anyone to think that I was weak and couldn't do anything because of my disabilities. But I felt as though I could trust Levi and show him my weaknesses; who I really am. I felt as if I could let him in my life and tell him all my secrets and desires.

As he pushed me out of the room, I heard him ask, "Where would you like to go?"

"The garden." I responded without hesitation, "The one with all the flowers."

I knew that it wasn't a good description for where I wanted to go because every garden had flowers in it but as I opened my mouth to describe the garden more, Levi pushed the wheelchair ahead, seemingly knowing which garden I meant.

There were only three gardens in Maria Hospital; one was in the East Wing, one in the West and one in the North - the Wing where I was currently staying at. The garden I wanted to go to was in the East Wing; it wasn't too far away but it took about 15 minutes to get there on foot.

During that time, a silence enveloped us; it wasn't awkward like our ones in the past but it was peaceful and comfortable. I liked his company; it was soothing. It wasn't hot like lava but it wasn't as cold as ice; it was warm, and if I had to describe it as an object, it would be a fortress of blankets piling on top of you on a cold, winter's night.

Maria Hospital: East Wing Garden
19th Of September XX14
03:16 pm

I felt the cold, autumn breeze blow through my untamed hair as Levi pushed the wheelchair - that I was sitting on - to the outside world, that was concealed with by a mere door.

I hadn't been outside of my enclosed, white space for a very long time; I couldn't remember the last time I breathed in air as fresh as the one in the garden I had learned to love. I was grateful for Levi who had been with me at that moment - even though he didn't know it, he encouraged me to take a leap of faith and fly.

Metaphorically, of course.

The garden smelt of the sweet scent of many different types of plants such as flowers and trees. It was bittersweet; bitter because everything is all going to wither away someday, their scent carried away by the wind, eventually becoming rotten, and sweet because even though their scent will become rotten one day, it will stay forever beautiful, it's original scent staying with us til the end of time.

Despite the fact that I had lost my sense of sight, I could still imagine what everything in the East Garden looked like - the Roses, Dandelions,Lilies on top of lily pads, orchards and so much more, but what was special about this particular garden - and what I remembered most - was the willow tree that stood, proud and tall, in the centre of it all.

"Doesn't it look amazing?" I inquired, a soft smile upon my lips as I sighed lovingly through my nose.

"Yes... yes, it looks absolutely beautiful." I heard Levi's voice answer, flowing against the soft howls of the low breeze.

I felt the wheelchair move again, leaning left then right, then straight ahead until it completely stopped. I felt a pair of arms around me, picking me up the same way they did back in my hospital room. They set me down again, this time on what seemed to be a wooden bench.

"Which part of the garden are we at?" I asked, feeling the bench slightly sink down due to another weight being pushed against it.

"Underneath the willow tree." He replied from right beside me.

We sat in comfortable silence after that until I felt a hand over my own and Levi's gaze staring right through me, "Levi...?"

"Hmm?" He hummed in question.

I entwined our fingers together, feeling his warmth radiate through me by the simple touch of his smooth hand, "How did you know I wanted to go to this garden and not the other ones?"

He was silent for a moment, as if he was finding the right words to say, "I just do." His tone was sad - and if words could cry, his would be weeping.

I leaned against him, my head resting on top of his own, our fingers still entwined, never wanting to untangle from the man who sat beside me, whispering to myself as I single tear slid down my cold cheek, "Who would ever guess that...

"That I'd be leaning against a heap of sorrow."