The Path Back to You | Levi x OC

Chapter 6 - Stitches and Bruises

Anastasya

Anya awoke early the next morning beside Levi. The nightmares that so often hounded her had at last shown some mercy and given her a reprieve and, as a consequence, she'd enjoyed the best night's sleep she'd had since leaving the safety of the walls. However, she knew that it was only a matter of time before the dark dreams returned to haunt her. She glanced up at the window and drank in the warm, golden light of dawn, allowing it to dispel her angst for a while. She stretched slowly and luxuriously, and Levi stirred, cracking open an eye to watch her.
"Morning," she said.
"Did you sleep okay?" he murmured, his black hair tousled from sleep.
"I did."
She'd forgotten how privileged she felt at being able to see Levi in a way that no-one else did, beneath his cold, blunt exterior, and she realised just how much she had missed the small things like waking up next to him and going for a drink together in the city. She reached down and brushed her lips across his cheek, earning her a drowsy smirk. She smiled and got up, before scratched her head and yawning.
"I suppose I should go to the doctor, or else Erwin will pester me all day. You should come with me and get your ankle and leg checked."
Levi rolled onto his back and covered his eyes with his forearm, sighing.
"I'd forgotten about that."
"It's a good job I reminded you before you stood on it, then. Need any help?"
"No, it's okay."
She watched as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and gently placed his feet on the floor, testing his weight. He stood up, hissing through clenched teeth, and took a few steps.
"I'll live."
"I'm glad," she teased. She went over to the wardrobe and retrieved Hange's clothes. "I'm going to wash."
She closed the door of the bathroom behind her and quickly bathed, before twisting her hair up into a knot and dressing. She went back into the bedroom and sighed.
"Today's going to be busy."
Levi looked up from where he sat stretching on the floor.
"It is," he agreed.
He got up and disappeared into the bathroom whilst Anya gazed out of the window, lost in her thoughts. She jumped slightly when Levi placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Yeah."
She put her arms around him, suddenly needing to feel him and his warmth, to make sure that he was real and not just another figment of her cruel imagination.
"I'm not going to disappear," he murmured into her ear, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking. "I promise."
She pulled back with wry smile.
"I can't believe I'm back, standing right here with you."
"Me neither," he confessed, searching her eyes. "It's going to take a while for you to feel at home again."
"Not when I'm with you," she said. "As for everything else, though... I don't know. I need routine, I guess. I suppose the fact that I've been in the Scouts for over ten years will help."
He nodded and then pressed his lips to hers, as though he, too, needed to check that she was real. Desire surged within her, but she wasn't ready to go further. Not yet. They broke apart, and took his hand in hers.
"I missed you," she told him. "So much."
"Me, too. Every second of every day."
She cringed as the rumble of her stomach interrupted the moment, and Levi's smirk tugged at his lips.
"Come on," he said, leading her from the room. "Infirmary first, breakfast second."
She followed him downstairs without protest, and was pleased to see two doctors with whom she was familiar; Sade and Felix, she thought they were called.
"Captain Anastasya! We'd heard you were back!" said Sade.
"I've come to your excellent hands to give me the once over," she said. "Erwin's orders. Captain Levi here needs his ankle and leg seen to."
Felix beckoned Levi over to a bed, whilst Sade took Anya to the one next to it.
"None of us can believe you managed to survive beyond the wall for so long," she remarked.
"Me neither," she replied.
"It really is a miracle." Sade prepared her kit and gestured to Anya's head. "I'm going to do a full examination, if that's all right with you. Wasn't your hair brown before?"
"Mm." She held up a white strand. "I think the stress of everything has affected it."
Sade searched through her pale tresses.
"Maybe... I don't know if it will return to its normal colour, but it suits you. You'll be pleased to know it's healthy and lice-free."
"Thank god," Levi muttered.
Anya rolled her eyes, before having them inspected next.
"Eye health is excellent... Oral health is fantastic."
"Huh?" said Levi, a puzzled look on his face.
Anya raised an eyebrow at his shock.
"You don't think I just neglected myself for all these months, do you? I used maple twigs to brush my teeth with twice a day."
She could see he was at a loss for words and smirked. Sade next pulled the privacy screen across and asked her to remove her clothes. She watched carefully as the doctor's expression became concerned.
"I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, but you're too thin. You need to start eating three meals a day again, and then slowly ease back into exercise. What did you eat...out there?"
"Whatever I could find. Winter was tough."
"I can imagine. Not to worry, though; it's nothing that can't be reversed, and you've maintained a lot of your strength. This bruise here is quite deep, so every night, rub witch hazel into it to try and speed up the healing." Sade gently pressed her torso. "All good here."
"It is now. I'm convinced I broke a few ribs out there," she said, grimacing as she remembered the agony.
"It's quite possible." Sade next looked at the wound on her leg. "This seems to be doing well, but I'm going to stitch it for good measure, all right?"
She nodded and waited patiently as the doctor threaded the needle and gave her seven stitches, before dressing the wound with a fresh bandage. Finally, she checked her feet.
"Other than the blisters, your feet are in good condition too, though it seems you might've had a few breaks in both. The main things are that wound on your leg, the bruise, and your weight."
Sade waited until Anya had put her clothes back on before pulling the screen back, where Levi now waited, perched on the other bed with his arms crossed.
"Thank you, Sade," she said.
"You remembered my name?!"
"Of course I did. Have a good day."
She left with Levi and headed straight to the dining hall.
"Turning on the charm so soon?" he asked her.
"Of course; Erwin said people need a distraction, something to cheer them up after yesterday. I fully intend to do just that."
"Just take it easy," he warned.
"What's the verdict on your leg?"
"A bad sprain, as I thought, and a severe tear in the muscle. I'll be out of action for at least a week."
"Thank god the ankle's not broken."
The dining hall was full of recruits, most of whom she didn't recognise, and once again, she experienced the sensation that she didn't belong there anymore. She beelined for the table where Erwin, Hange and the other senior officers who had arrived earlier that morning sat, ignoring the curious stares from the newcomers.
"Welcome back," said Miche, grinning. "We missed you."
"Thanks," she replied, returning his smile. "I missed you lot, too."
"Did you go to get checked out?" Erwin asked, holding his cutlery in either hand.
"I did. Doc said I've done well, all things considered; just got to build my weight back up."
"Eh, with your appetite, that shouldn't be too difficult," Hange teased her.
She laughed and got started on the food in front of her, grateful for the tea that Levi poured. She allowed herself to start readjusting, though she'd been alone for so long that being back amongst a group of people was making her feel disorientated and overwhelmed. Levi seemed to notice, as did Erwin, and they drew the attention away from her and onto other matters so that she could eat in relative peace, much to her gratitude.

***

Levi

Levi knew Anya had been uncomfortable at breakfast. He watched, from the window of Erwin's office, as she left the castle with Hange to go into the city.
"How did she sleep?" Erwin asked from where he sat at his desk, poring over reports.
"How do you know she didn't sleep in her own room?"
"You wouldn't have let her, even if she'd wanted to."
Levi sighed and turned to face his friend, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.
"She slept like a log. I don't think it'll be like that for long, though. Sooner or later, everything is going to catch up with her."
Erwin nodded solemnly.
"I agree. How's the leg?"
"Sore."
"We've officially been summoned to the capital. We're to go in two days. They want to take custody of Eren."
"The appearance of the Female Titan has scared those bastards too much to let us keep him, then," he said, unimpressed.
"Yes. Tonight, we'll tell Eren our suspicions concerning the Female Titan's identity and then I'll go through the plan to capture her once and for all."
"We're not going to just hand him over, then."
"No. He's still our best chance at reclaiming Wall Maria," said Erwin, brow furrowed.
"Good."
Levi knew that he had to say something, now that Anya was back. Ever since the day they'd lost her, things had been strained between him and Erwin, despite the fact that his friend had been in just as much pain as him. Perhaps even more so.
"Erwin. I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time back then."
"So am I," he said, glancing down at his desk. "I didn't want to leave her, even if she turned out to be dead. I wanted to bring her-"
He held out a hand to stop him.
"Hey, hey, hey. You don't have to explain yourself to me. You did what was right, and I shouldn't have taken it all out on you."
Erwin hesitated.
"Do you really think I made the right decision knowing, now, that she's been alive all this time?"
"Take your own advice," he said. "Don't regret or dwell on your past decisions. Use them to inform the next ones."
His friend smiled and huffed a laugh.
"The pair of you have been reminding me of that advice for years."
Levi shrugged, knowing that just like that, their friendship had been restored.
"Must be good advice."