If the world wasn't ending || LeviHan

》Chapter 8《

PoV: Hange

My eyelids flickered open as a bright sunlight hit me straight in the face and woke me up from the dream I had perfectly planned out before falling asleep. I closed them again, willing the carousel to return, for my mind to tumble back to dreams, but it didn't work any longer.
I was awake and there was no retreat.

I repeatedly opened my eyes a slight bit, stealing a glance at Levi who I just realized was holding me close even though I was convinced I made sure I would be giving him enough personal space to sleep.

Feeling the fabric of my cape along my shoulders and the touch of Levi's arm around me, a feeling of safety and maybe even hope spread inside of me.
The world was brutal and cruel, here it was like all of this wasn't even real.

A light flush spread across my cheeks, causing me to feel warmer in general as it usual happened whenever there was more blood flow to an area of skin and the blood vessels enlarged to compensate...-
Urgh..

With the slight shaking of my head, I decided against moving myself up just yet.
I wasn't even sure what exactly it was that held me back. He was alive, we were pretty much safe, but... we also abandoned our comrades with deciding this. I didn't know if I was going to regret this. Hopefully not.

I couldn't help but imagine what it could be like to never come back at all.
Just once live for ourselves and not for the rest or humanity with an almost unbearable burden on the shoulders.

No, I shouldn't think that way. I am still commander over the scouts, I have a duty to fulfill sooner or later.
Why am I like this? It's not the time to get weak... Right?

"Hange?" I suddenly heard Levi say quietly, my eyes finding his almost by nothing but accident as we were still lying pretty close to one another.
"Good morning!" I responded while trying my hardest not to let him hear the worry and bit of embarrassment in my voice, looking away a little.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with just pulling you onto the blanket instead of letting you lie in the dirty and wet grass." He blurted out almost immediate, not facing me at all while doing so, but instead taking his hand back and looking up to the treetops.

My face heated up again as I was trying to think of an understandable response but only came up with trashy excuses.
"You didn't." I ended up saying after clearing my throat, sitting up eventually a couple of seconds later and causing the cape to fall onto the ground.
"Okay." Levi responded before raising his hand where he lost two of his fingers.

I glanced at him, then at his hand.
"Does it still hurt?"
He looked back at me sadly before turning away and replying rather quietly.
"It's fine."

"I'll go and search for the lake from before, if something is wrong, yell for me, alright?" I stood up with a sigh, dried blood still seemingly glued onto my shirt from the day before. I felt disgusting, but here was nothing else to change into. Maybe I could find something to wash it with on the way.
As I was about to turn around, my companion spoke up again.

"Hange," he looked at me, the same weak expression like before in his eyes.
"Don't... die.." He paused, glancing up to the treetops again.
"..Please."