He Told Me to Live

36 | Human

"Took you guys long enough." Levi muttered when he saw us approaching. "I thought you guys were killed." His eyes travelled to me. "Actually, that was a dumb thought." He hopped off the cart and stood in front of me. "Are you hurt? Why are you the only one covered in blood?"

I shook my head, with the final shake making blood fall from my forehead. "I feel filthy." I muttered low enough so only Levi could hear.

"Why is she the only one covered in blood?"

I put my hands on Levi's shoulder and shook my head again, a silent indication to say not to get aggravated. His tensed muscles relaxed and he took off his jacket. "Take that. We're no where near a place you could wash your clothes."

I took off my jacket and replaced it with Levi's. It was small, its sleeves stopping a few inches before my wrist and the hem barely under my breast. Instead, I put it over my shoulders.

"Where's Zeke?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Cut and burnt in the wagon."

When I peered inside, there was Zeke Jaeger, tied up and with a thunder spear pierced through his stomach and attached to his neck.

"When he wakes up, we have to question him about whether or not that wine was spread throughout the rest of the military!" Another soldier proclaimed, to which Levi shook his head. "No. It was distributed. A lot of people drank it."

I thought back to Grisha Jaeger's diary and sighed. It takes one broken past to make millions of other ones, I guess.

Sensing the smell of rain, I put Levi's jacket over his shoulders and went to the horses, as I was instructed on the way here.

"Seems like it's going to rain." Levi let out an aggravated sigh. "I'll head back with Zeke."

"Why, captain?"

"Somebody's gotta eat him. There's no way this piece of shit is staying around much longer." He went to the horses and patted my back. "I'll go alone. The rest of you go ahead without me, since the cart will slow us down. Try and find Hange and tell her about the wine if she doesn't know already. You got that, Y/N?"

I nodded and brought my hands to my mouth. A shrill whistle brought our horses running towards us, save for the ones that were either crushed by titans or weren't trained enough to follow my whistle yet.

Some soldiers paired up while I mounted my horse, giving Levi an unsure look as he took his place on the wagon.

I wanted to ask him if he was sure it was safe for him to be alone with Zeke, but I never did. Orders were orders.

We separated from Levi and made our way towards the walls.

"Captain... I know that you never have actually spoken to us but, you and Captain Levi seem close. Aren't you a little worried?"

"A little" could never be used to describe how terrified I was. Every step our horses took was another step away from Levi. And the monster that killed hundreds of my comrades, including Erwin.

I didn't say anything in response.

I felt a raindrop on the back of my hand, the some patter on my back. The clouds came rolling in and started a downpour.

"Let's hurry, captain." Someone behind me said.

I sped up a bit, hoping that my senses wouldn't be obscured by the rain. I was reminded of the day Isa and Furlan died, when I left them with someone incapable of protecting them, and all I could hear to prove that they were in danger was a faint thumping amongst the patter of rain.