Redemption Song | Levi & Eren

Chapter 22: Paint It, Black

      She mocked him whenever he hissed in pain. Levi's hand rested in Hanji's lap as the woman put her basic medical skills to the test.

A gash on his hand created from the smashing of a bottle bled furiously. She dabbed it with toilet paper when it ran down his palm and resumed stitching.

She insisted on Levi going to the hospital but the veteran refused adamantly. She used his large wound and possible hypothermia as important reasons to get an evaluation from a medical professional but Levi rejected the notion.

The two friends, clad in fewer clothes than usual, seated themselves on Levi's old sofa. Hanji managed to drag Levi out of the tub, the officer struggled to regain his strength as cold water and wet clothes stuck to his body, restricted his movements.

She'd stripped him of his ailing clothes and threw as many towels as he owned around him.

Levi's body stopped shivering after half the day had passed. His strength returned slowly, eventually, he yielded enough strength for him to operate on his own.

He'd thrown on a thick hoodie and plain joggers. Hanji ordered him to keep a towel on his head as water stained his locks.

Levi was against the hair dryer. It was too loud for his ears to handle. Hanji respected his decision despite wanting to use it on her hair herself. She'd removed her soaked shirt. Luckily, her trousers came out unscathed from the battle.

If it had been Erwin, she'd have stolen one of his shirts or hoodies, unfortunately, there was a notable sized difference between Erwin and Levi.

The two sat, Levi with a towel over his head and Hanji with a towel around her neck after she'd taken it out of its messy bun, letting it fall over her shoulders.

In jeans and a bra, she sewed the skin on Levi's palm back together, the man occasionally grimacing at the sharp pain. Their wet clothes dried on Levi's radiators.

"At some point, you're going to have to tell me what happened." Hanji broke the silence.

Levi held onto the peace and quiet for as long as he could.

"I don't know what's been going on with you but I know something's up," she revealed. "Erwin's going grey shouting about you and we both know he's not allowed to talk about affairs at work with me, well, not in detail anyway... He told me he suspended you and a detective for fighting."

"She fought me. I did nothing." Levi replied.

Hanji snorted, offending Levi. "I doubt it. There've been plenty of times you've done 'nothing' and I've wanted to hit you."

Levi looked away. "I said somethings I shouldn't-watch it!-...shouldn't have."

"Now that I do believe," she said, pulling the curved suture needle through his flesh via a pair of tweezers.

"Tch." Levi noised.

She patted the leaking blood from his cut skin again. She'd run out of tissue paper. She wiped his blood on one of her bra cups, disgusting him. Hanji's cleanliness and self-respect left a lot to be desired.

Levi imagined Erwin taking care of chores when he wasn't working instead of her doing them. Levi didn't see Hanji as a woman, more as a frustration he could always rely on, possibly more so than Erwin. Hanji had more free time than her partner, leaving her available more often.

"Why are you here?" he asked, realising she'd arrived out of the blue. "How'd you get in?"

She stared at him quizzically behind thin-rimmed glasses. "Your door was unlocked." Levi pulled a face. "Clearly, you didn't know that. You're lucky I showed up at all. God knows what would have happened to you if I hadn't. What did happen, exactly?"