Aftercare

Firelight flickered on the walls of the large sitting room back at the Scouting Regiment's headquarters, illuminating the room in a dim, warm glow. It was late into the night after the Corps had returned from their expedition, and most soldiers had elected to retire to their beds as soon as they shuffled through the doors, feeling weary and disheartened at the heavy casualties they had suffered and their usual lack of progress against the Titans. The sitting room was empty now, save for the two forms planted on the plush rug by the fireplace.

A low hiss filled the air as Levi inhaled sharply through gritted teeth, scowling at the floor.

"Watch it, brat!" he snarled.

Ella flinched back, her hands pausing in their work at his shoulder. "S-sorry... Sir." she stammered, waiting for the man's tense, rigid muscles to relax a bit before she continued. Or, at least as relaxed as they could get, given the current circumstances.

He clicked his tongue in response. "Tch. There's no need for this anyway."

The woman frowned, green eyes narrowing indignantly. "Yes, there is."

Levi's brow twitched in annoyance. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

The auburn-haired girl's simple statement only irritated him further, and he moved to turn around to face her. "Oi - "

A sharp stinging in the gash at his shoulder halted him as Ella pressed an alcohol-soaked rag into the gaping wound.

He hissed again, drawing in a breath through his teeth with a snarl.

"See? You're hurt." Ella sighed, her voice a little gentler now as she gingerly dabbed at his seething flesh, encrusted with dried blood from earlier that afternoon, as well as some fresh. The red liquid seeped into the cloth, prompting her to rinse it out in the bowl of water she had prepared at her side on the rug.

Slate-colored eyes narrowing, the man clamped his jaw shut, allowing her to treat his injury, at least for the moment. Since he had brushed it off during the expedition, the woman had relentlessly insisted he visit the infirmary as soon as they arrived back at the castle, despite his stoic, if not stubborn, refusals. Seeing as everyone had damn near shambled down to the barracks to crash in their beds upon their return, her concerned fussing had become incessant, and the subtle grating on Levi's nerves had earned him a headache. He finally relented, agreeing to let her treat him, if only to placate her pestering, and she had all but dragged him to sit by the fireplace in the large solar, as it would be their best source of light and heat this late into the night.

Hands working delicately now to clean his wound, Ella quieted as she surveyed the rather deep gash on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

Although it was a mere whisper, Levi didn't miss the undertones of regret laced into her voice. He clicked his tongue, glancing sidelong at her from over his shoulder with his steely, gunmetal irises.

"Tch. I already told you, brat. What's done is done. There's no use in apologizing."

Ella stopped suddenly, her small hands trembling as they hovered over the man's skin. "I-I know, I just..." she trailed off, hanging her head down so that a dark shadow hung over her eyes, her profile illuminated only by the dim glow of the crackling fireplace. "I just can't help but think... If I had been faster, or stronger, then maybe I could've... I could have - "

"No. You couldn't."

At her small gasp, the man averted his gaze back to the flickering flames, a somber expression overtaking his features.

They both fell into a tense silence for a moment, before he abruptly moved, craning his head around to peer at her over his shoulder.

"Do you regret your actions today?" His voice was calm. Even.

Breath catching in her throat, Ella stared at him with wide, olive-green orbs. "I-I..." Tears prickled at her eyes yet again that day, and she hung her head, unable to meet his scrutinizing gaze. "I just wish I weren't such a burden on everyone."

She clenched her hands into fists on her thighs, several tiny droplets of tears dripping from her lashes to land on the backs of her knuckles with a soft platter. "Owen is dead because of me. Because of my weakness... And because of me, Captain, y-your shoulder - "

Levi interrupted her with an irritated click of his tongue. "Is that what you think?"

"Wha...?" She looked up to meet his intense steel gaze, the tears still spilling over her lashes.

"It wasn't your fault." he stated simply, breaking the eye contact to look once more at the dancing flames beside them. "No matter what happened, there's no way to change it now. You're too late."

She swallowed hard, soaking in his seemingly harsh words. "R-right..."

"So," he began, returning his gaze back around to the auburn-haired woman, "what are you going to do?"

She blinked at him with glassy eyes, not following his question. "S-sir?"

"Are you going to give up, just because one mission went awry?"

The breath caught in her throat, and she sat there, frozen in place.

"Or will you work hard to become stronger so that it won't happen again?"

Ella stared dumbfoundedly at his form, suddenly feeling very foolish.

"Well?" He raised a dark, delicate brow at her.

"I..." A light dusting of pink rose to her cheeks as she met his eyes. "I'm going to become stronger!" she declared, an unusual sense of determination pooling up in her chest, igniting her green irises.

The corner of his mouth twitched, a satisfied smirk almost making its way to his thin lips. Almost.

"Good." he stated, turning to face forward again. "Now, will you hurry up and finish taking care of this damn injury already? I have some sleeping to pretend to get to before morning."

"Y-yes sir!" Blush deepening, Ella nodded, hastily returning her attention to the wide gash on his shoulder while a faint, contented smile settled on her features.

"Brat." Levi muttered, though there was no contempt to his voice as her fingers delicately worked at cleaning out and disinfecting his wound once more.

A comfortable silence settled over them, both soldiers content to dwell in their thoughts for the time being, until several minutes later, when Ella paused suddenly in her ministrations.

"Are you done?"

"E-er," She rubbed the back of her neck in a somewhat sheepish manner as the man glanced sidelong at her expectantly. "I-it's just that..."

"Spit it out." he growled, growing impatient.

Cheeks flushing a deep crimson, the petite woman looked down at the bloodstained and ripped white button-up hanging loosely off of his shoulder to allow her access to his wound. "I-I need to wrap it," she stuttered, blush deepening. "Y-your shirt is..."

She trailed off, but the man understood what it was that she needed.

"Tch. What a pain." He sighed, shifting to unbutton the rest of his shirt, not wincing at the pang from his shoulder the movement caused him.

Ella stiffened, averting her gaze shyly as the thin fabric slid off his arms, revealing the taut muscles of his back and shoulders.

"You don't have to hide, brat." Levi commented flatly, raising a thin brow as he eyed her hands, which had moved to cover her flushed face.

She gave him a hesitant nod, slowly removing her small, wavering hands to meet his impassive, steel gaze. "Right. S-sorry, Captain."

He sighed, fixing his gaze ahead again as she tentatively began to wrap his wound, winding the gauze around his shoulder with noticeably trembling fingers.

"Levi." he said suddenly, voice soft.

"W-what?"

"Call me Levi."

Ella paused, her hammering heart skipping a beat. After she regained the breath caught in her lungs, she replied timidly. "Y-yes, s- er, L-Levi..."

The two were silent for a moment while Ella resumed wrapping his injury, moving at a slow, careful pace so as not to aggravate him or the wound. Her fingers, trembling now more than ever, accidentally brushed against the smooth skin of his back, and she flinched, quickly drawing back her hand, heart pounding against her ribs so hard it echoed in her eardrums.

"Are you afraid of me, Ella?"

His voice was quiet - barely above a whisper - but clear. Ella blinked at him in surprise. "Afraid?"

He sent her a brief glance out of the corner of his eye, waiting expectantly for her to reply.

"I... No." she murmured finally after a moment of consideration.

He let out a quick rasp of air, the sound resembling something like a chuckle or a scoff. "You sound hesitant."

Her fingertips hovered over his shoulder, briefly flitting against his warm, pale skin. Shuddering at the accidental contact, she drew in a sharp breath. "I-I'm not - "

"Ella."

Levi's hand darted up to enclose around her own over his shoulder, holding it to him with a firm grasp. Air hitching in her lungs, the woman's olive-green eyes widened.

"C-Captain?"

His grip tightened for a brief moment.

A light sigh.

He clicked his tongue.

"It's nothing."

Like a ghost, his hand vanished in the blink of an eye, returning to disappear from her sight at his lap. Ella swallowed the lump in her throat, letting out the shaky breath she didn't know she had been holding. She withdrew her hands from his back, resisting the urge to reach out and hold his suddenly somber form.

"I-I'm finished," she whispered, her voice hoarse, "wrapping your wound."

"Ah... Right." he murmured curtly, not looking at her.

Clenching her fists, the small woman looked down. "I should go." She stood abruptly, trying to keep her shaky legs from buckling at the knees. "G-goodnight... Captain."

Levi said nothing, silver orbs transfixed on the dancing flames in the fireplace.

Once he could no longer hear her hastily retreating footsteps down the long corridor, he let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his ebony locks.

"Jeez..." His gunmetal eyes closed wearily for a brief moment.

What's with me?