Author's Note: It seems like my past few stories have been sad, so I wanted to write one that was more lighthearted. Enjoy!
"Again, Captain Levi?" you asked with raised eyebrows.
Once more, Humanity's Strongest Soldier sat at your station in the infirmary. He had been in here after the past three expeditions, usually with multiple injuries. Somehow, you were the one who always ended up attending to him.
In addition to being a soldier in the Scout Regiment, you were also captain of its medical squad. You rode with the Scouts on expeditions (usually in the well-protected center ranks), treated wounds in the field whenever possible, and patched up all other injuries upon the regiment's return to base.
Today, only a handful of soldiers had needed to visit the infirmary, thank God. Most of them had already been taken care of. Besides you and Levi, the sole other occupants were your lieutenant and a cadet with a broken arm, both of whom occupied a station at the opposite end of the long room.
"If you wanted to see me so badly, you could have just asked," you quipped with a wink.
"Tch." Levi blushed and looked away. Walls, it was fun to tease him. Who would've thought that the stone-cold Captain Levi could be so shy? He definitely wasn't like this the first time you treated him, but since then, it had gradually become easier to get him flustered. You couldn't imagine why, though.
"Well," you sighed, getting back to business, "what seems to be the problem this time?"
"My leg," he replied.
You looked down at his right thigh, which was wrapped in bandages above his uniform pants. "No other injuries?"
"None," he answered curtly.
"Alright, then. Lie down, please." While Levi laid himself back on the bed, you grabbed the privacy curtain and started to pull it around.
Halfway through, your eyes landed on your subordinate, who was waving at you from across the room. The cadet was nowhere to be seen. "I'm all done, Captain!" she said cheerfully.
"You're dismissed, then. Get some rest," you told her.
After saluting, your lieutenant quit the room, leaving you alone with Levi.
You finished closing the privacy curtain, just in case anyone else came wandering in. Then you turned back to Levi and started peeling the bandages from his leg. "How did this happen?" you asked.
"I landed wrong. A blade nicked me."
"While saving someone, no doubt," you said with a knowing smile.
Again, Levi glanced away from you, proving you right. He did everything he could to protect his comrades, to the point of putting himself at risk. He didn't like to talk about it, though. He didn't want to be hailed as a hero. Somehow, that just made you admire him more.
You continued, "How badly does it hurt?"
"Not bad," he mumbled.
As you removed the last of the bandages, you raised your eyebrows incredulously. He didn't consider this bad? The angry red gash ran from halfway up his thigh all the way to the top of his leg. There, it disappeared beneath the fabric of his pants, which were stained with blood. It looked like the blade had gone up and under the fabric.
"You'll have to remove your pants," you informed him. "Or if it's too painful, I can cut them off."
"I can do it," he snapped.
You only allowed yourself to smile at his bashfulness after you had turned around, giving him some privacy while he undressed. You stayed facing the curtain until the sounds of his movement stopped.
When you turned back around and looked at the full extent of the cut, your suspicions were confirmed. It ran all the way up to his hip bone. "Thankfully, the blade seems to have missed any major arteries," you observed. "You'll have to remove your underwear, too, so I can stitch this up."
You didn't allow yourself to glance at his face, to see if he blushed. You tossed him a towel before turning around. "You can cover yourself with that, if it makes you more comfortable."
This kind of thing wasn't awkward for you. As a doctor, you had seen countless naked bodies, both male and female. You had quickly gotten over it. However, for your patients' sake, you tried to keep them covered as much as possible. They usually found exposure awkward, even if it was to treat their injuries.
This time, you added the extra courtesy of asking if Levi was ready before you turned around. Only when he affirmed did you face him again.
You had seen countless bodies, but none were as perfect as his. You forced yourself to remain professional, to not ogle the magnificently sculpted muscles that were now fully exposed to you. That endeavor was slightly easier than it would have been, since you had mentally prepared yourself beforehand. After all, you had seen his god-like torso when he came in last time with three broken ribs, so you figured his legs couldn't be too far off.
They weren't.
You took a warm washcloth and cleaned the area around the cut. "I'm going to apply antiseptic now," you explained. "If the pain becomes too much, tell me, and I can get you something."
Levi grunted in acknowledgement.
You applied antiseptic to a fresh cloth and dabbed at the wound. Levi hissed when it first came into contact, but said nothing. Trying to distract him from the pain, you asked, "What's your horse's name, Levi?" Then you froze, shocked at your absentmindedness in addressing him informally.
Levi didn't seem to care, though. He hissed again before answering through his teeth, "Khan."
"That's fitting," you remarked, regaining your composure as you worked. "I've seen him a few times. He's beautiful." You pulled the cloth away and dropped it on the table. "Alright, that part's done. Now, I just have to stitch you up." You looked him in the eye as you asked the next question. "Are you sure you don't want anything to take the edge off?"
"I'll be fine," he answered flatly. You weren't surprised. After treating Levi several times, you learned that the man had a remarkable tolerance for pain.
"Alright, then." You prepared the stitches and situated yourself next to his leg. Just before you started, you tried to get him talking again. "Why don't you tell me more about your horse? How old is he?"
"Why do you care so much about my horse?" Levi growled as you wove the needle through his skin. Although you knew he must have been in pain, his face remained stoic.
"I've always loved animals," you replied.
It had been like this every time with Levi. You would ask him questions to distract from the pain. At first, he would refuse to answer. You got the sense that this was how he acted around everyone, that he naturally pushed people away. However, eventually he would open up to you. Whether he was compelled by your determination, or the pain, or both, you didn't know.
The first few times, you had just been going through the motions of a doctor trying to ease her patient's discomfort. However, recently, you found that you were actually interested in Levi's answers. Even more strangely, you had started to feel happy when he would share the small details of his life with you. You tried not to think about what that meant as you repeated, "So, how old is he?"
"Tch," Levi scoffed at your persistence. "Eight."
"Do you like him?"
Levi was silent for a moment. Then, "Yes. He's been a good horse. He never spooks or runs away, even when things get rough."
"Like someone else I know," you smirked, meeting Levi's gaze out of the corner of your eye.
The blush returned to his cheeks, and Levi quickly looked away. "Well...he's also stubborn as hell, like someone else I know."
You chuckled as you finished his stitches. "I guess we're both like Khan in that respect."
"I'm not nearly as stubborn as you, (f/n)," he snapped. "You and your annoying questions..."
For some reason, the sound of your first name on Levi's lips made your face heat. You quickly twisted away, not wanting to seem unprofessional as your cheeks turned red.
"I...I didn't mean..." he began softly, misinterpreting your behavior.
"Oh, no!" You faced him again, waving him off with a smile. "It's fine. You're right – I do ask a lot of questions."
Levi still looked uncertain, but you weren't about to tell him the real reason you hid your face.
You grabbed a roll of bandages off the table. "I just have to wrap you up, and then you'll be good to go." You focused all your energy on not blushing as you lifted his leg with your palm and swathed it in gauze. You had to use dressings and adhesives for the top portion of stitches, since it would have been too difficult to keep a wrap around his hip. Throughout the process, you were careful to not brush any of his more...personal areas. To not let your gaze linger on the parts of him covered by the towel.
Walls, it was like treating Adonis.
When you were done, you gave Levi a spare pair of pants from the infirmary's stock, since his were ruined. The new ones were a little long, but he only needed them to get back to his room.
You waited outside the privacy curtain while Levi got dressed. A minute later, you heard the scrape of metal as the curtain was pulled back a fraction, and Levi slipped out.
"Well, you're all set," you declared. Though you didn't want to admit it, you felt disappointed to see him go. "Take it easy. Try not to tear your stitches. You should heal up just fine."
Levi nodded. He looked like he was about to leave, but then he stopped. "(F/n)..." he began softly, "you ask all those questions just to distract me, right?" His eyes met yours with a tentative openness that you had never imagined coming from him.
Your breath caught in your throat. "Well, yes, but..." you paused, debating whether you should actually finish the sentence. In the end, you decided to be honest. "I do also want to get to know you, Levi."
"Oh." He stood silently for a moment, averting his gaze. "In that case...do you want to...eat breakfast t-together, or something?" His eyes hesitantly returned to yours.
Butterflies fluttered in your stomach. Smiling softly, you replied, "I would like that."
Levi's eyes widened slightly, as if he couldn't believe you said yes. Honestly, it was adorable, and it made the butterflies in your stomach flutter a little faster.
You cleared your throat, trying to keep your giddiness under control as you chimed, "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Captain." You winked after voicing his title, and it definitely had the desired effect. That blush that you enjoyed so much once again graced his cheeks.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he mumbled, turning to go. "Oh...and thank you," he said over his shoulder, "for patching me up."
You smiled, no longer playful, but genuine. "Anytime."