His Wounded Heart Beats For One (Levi x Reader Fanfiction)

5: Denying Needed Help

One minute passes. You smooth out your dress and fix your sleeves. The conversation on the other side of the door is awfully quiet, leaving you nothing to pick up on. Not that you're trying to eavesdrop, but a curious mind must be satiated every now and then.

After two minutes, you're mindlessly watching nurses pass and growing quite bored. Maybe you could sneak in a quick visit with Lotte while you wait.

Three minutes. Better not take the risk. Whenever Levi comes back out, you want to be ready to escort him outside. He doesn't need to be poking around any longer.

On minute four, the door to Erwin's room swings open with powerful force. Levi steps out, letting it slam shut behind him. He looks ahead, then to his side, finding you.

You're staring, and you know it, but you don't know what to say. Questions flood your mind, biting at the gates of self-restraint that are holding them back.

"I'm finished." He faces you and holds out his hands, as if presenting his Erwin-free self. "Are you happy?"

"Thank you," is all you say.

He huffs as he breaks eye contact, skimming the hallway. There's nothing more for him here. "I'll be leaving now."

He passes you, and you watch, clutching your gown as tightly as before. There's next to no chance you'll see him again, you tell yourself. This man has seeded himself in your mind as a peculiarity, and you want to learn just a bit more about this abnormal human before he's gone for good.

"Hold on," you call, and he stops.

He glances over his shoulder. "What?"

You don't know what, and you won't be able to hold his attention for long. You must wedge yourself into his interest in the few seconds he's giving you. "How?"

"...What?" His body pivots so his profile barely faces you.

"Um, how? How..." Dammit, the question isn't coming out easily. It's not coming out at all. You try a different approach. "What happened?"

"Excuse me?" His eyes thin, piercing you with cautious hostility.

"Out there. Um. Beyond the Walls. You...what happened to you?"

He stiffens, a sharp exhale leaving his nose.

"How," you finally reattempt to ask. "Did you survive?"

Time stops as he stares you down, brewing thoughts you can't interpret behind his expression. There's no response, and hardly a reaction to your question. You're gripping your clothes with excessive anxiety, tension he must surely notice. You can't relax no matter how hard you try, feeling as though you've treaded too far into the lion's den.

"That," he begins finally. "Is not your fucking business."

No, it's not, and you curse yourself for trying. "I'm sorry," you apologize quietly, failing to find any reason to justify yourself.

There's several different snarky retorts he wants to say, but he stops any of them from spilling out. "I'm leaving," he says, and you can't do anything but watch him do just that.

He's gone. He's disappeared around the corner and when you eventually find the strength to follow, he's already left the hospital. You stand alone in the bustling hospital, staring at the doors the mystery had just exited through. It's frustrating, this hole of knowledge in your head. You don't typically take such an interest in unusual matters, but there's something enticing about this undefinable man.

"Dearie." Gretel pulls you out of thought yet again, sitting perched at her desk. "You've still got a job to do. Our supervisor is pretty worthless if she just gawks at doors all day."