Fang

Choices

True to his word, Forrest wasn't waiting in my room for me when I got back.

With my heart still hammering in my chest, I slowly pushed my door shut behind me and leaned against the wood. I waited as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, drinking it in.

My sheets were still tossed to the side from this morning, Forrest's shirt on the floor in a heap. My mouth still felt dry. Alistair.

Why had he shared his name with me?

My eyes drifted over to the window, almost hoping to see him out in the night walking. He wasn't.

An ache in my side reminded me there were more important things. Pushing myself away from the door, I slowly stripped down, kicking my clothes to the floor.

Stovall had been in my room, leaving behind medicine and fresh bandages. My reflection greeted me as I stepped in front of the mirror, eyes drawn immediately to the bandages that wrapped around my side.

The once white bandage was stained a dark red with my blood, too much movements causing my stitches to bleed.

Peeling them off, I grimaced at the sight in the mirror. A row of stitches were going down my side, the skin around it black with bruises and caved in. Blood had crusted on the stitches, flaking around them. Another scar to add to the collection.

My thoughts drifted to Javenson. Like him, our skin had been cut open, our ribs pulled and ripped away.

Stovall had advised against cleaning the stitches just yet. Instead, I reached down, grabbing a fresh bandage while clutching that side. My skin pulled against the stitches as I moved, feeling as if they'd rip open.

Carefully, I wrapped the area, my bruised skin protesting against the pressure.

Without warning my door opened, light drifting in from the hallway before disappearing as Forrest walked in and shut the door.

"Don't scare me like that," I hissed at him. Despite not being able to see his face where he stood in the dark, I knew he was smirking.

"I didn't know you'd be standing here naked," he stepped closer to me, his face becoming more visible. "Were you expecting me?"

"No, you said you weren't coming to my room tonight." Tearing my eyes from him, I glanced back at my reflection, making sure I had applied the bandage correctly.

"I never explicitly said that."

I snorted, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "Right. Then what did you say not tonight to?"

"Nothing sexual tonight," he responded. "I saw the way you were looking at me. The entire meeting, actually."

"And what way is that?"

"Samantha," he tsked. "I said not tonight, don't play innocent." His eyes drifted to the soiled bandage still held in my other hand, examining the blood on the cloth. Forrest took another step closer, now looming above me.

With gentle fingers, he brushed over the cloth, his fingers tracing where he knew the stitches were. "How are you feeling?" He questioned, voice softer than before.

"I'm alright," I muttered, placing my hand over his to halt his movement.

"You were moving too much today," he murmured. "You need to rest tomorrow."

"Don't coddle me, Forrest. If it were Beta Eren you wouldn't be asking him to rest. I'm Gamma." He didn't seem to be listening to me, his brows furrowed as his eyes took in the bruises. "Are you listening to me?"