FRAGILE

Chapter 17: Proud of Him

Levi floated in a haze, the warmth of the bath lulling him into a state of fragile peace. It was a strange sensation, this gentleness, this care. He had never known anything like it. His body had grown used to cold, harsh environments—pain, punishment, and rigid obedience. This bath, this kindness from Maximus, felt like a distant dream, one he didn't quite know how to exist in.

But as much as Levi longed to stay in the warmth, Maximus eventually lifted him out of the tub with careful hands. The sudden chill of the air bit at his skin, and Levi shivered as the comfort of the water was stripped away. Maximus, always gentle, wrapped a large towel around him, cocooning him in its softness. The feel of the towel—so soft and clean against his skin—felt foreign, and Levi's mind struggled to accept that this wasn't a trick or some strange test. The kindness was disorienting, making him question whether this was real.

Levi let himself be led, his mind spinning in confusion and uncertainty as Maximus guided him out of the bathroom. He felt like a puppet, moving without thinking, too overwhelmed to make sense of what was happening. Maximus's firm hand on his shoulder kept him grounded, but the buzzing in his mind wouldn't stop.

They reached the kitchen, and the smells hit Levi before anything else. The rich scent of roasted meat filled the air, mingling with something earthy and warm, and his stomach clenched painfully. It wasn't the gnawing hunger he had grown used to—it was something deeper. A fear, a resistance. This food wasn't like the scraps he was used to. It wasn't the raw, cold meat he had been fed like an animal. This was... something else entirely.

Maximus gently led him to the large table, guiding him into a chair as though Levi might break if handled too roughly. The plate set in front of him was filled with food—real food. Meat, potatoes, vegetables, all cooked and prepared with care. The sight alone made Levi's stomach churn.

"You need to eat," Maximus said, his voice steady but filled with that same warmth Levi still couldn't fully understand. "It will help you heal."

Levi stared at the plate in front of him, his mind reeling. It was too much. Everything was too much. The kindness, the gentleness, the abundance of food... none of it fit with the world he had known. He wasn't used to being treated like this, wasn't used to being offered more than the bare minimum to survive. This meal in front of him felt like a luxury he hadn't earned, and the weight of that realization sat heavily in his chest.

He reached for the fork, his hand trembling slightly as he forced himself to take a bite. The roasted meat, tender and flavorful, hit his tongue, and for a moment, the taste was overwhelming. It was rich, so much richer than the scraps he had been given in his past life. But the moment of enjoyment was fleeting.

As soon as he swallowed, Levi's stomach twisted violently. His body, so used to starvation and poor-quality food, rejected the richness immediately. He barely had time to react before his body lurched, and he doubled over, retching. The food came up almost as quickly as it had gone down, splattering onto the floor as Levi's chest heaved, his body convulsing with nausea.

Levi's vision blurred with the sting of tears as he gasped for breath, his body trembling from the violent rejection. Shame coursed through him, hot and suffocating. He had failed. Again. He couldn't even do something as simple as eating right. His mind spiraled, falling back into the familiar pit of self-blame, the instinct to submit and apologize overwhelming him.

"I... I'm sorry, Master," Levi whispered, his voice trembling as he bowed his head low, his entire body tense with the fear of punishment. "I didn't mean to... I failed..."

Maximus was beside him in an instant, his large hands gently pulling Levi upright. "No, you didn't fail, Levi," Maximus murmured, his voice filled with understanding. "It's okay. You're not in trouble."

The words barely made sense to Levi. Not in trouble? How could that be? He had failed. He had messed up. His body shook as he tried to understand what was happening. Was this a trick? Was Maximus testing him, waiting for him to admit his weakness so the punishment could follow?

But Maximus didn't let him fall into that spiral. His hand remained firm on Levi's shoulder, guiding him back into the chair, keeping him grounded. The Alpha's calm, steady presence stopped the panic from consuming him completely.

"You're just not used to this kind of food," Maximus said softly, crouching beside him to meet Levi's gaze. "We'll take it slow, okay? I'll get you something lighter—some broth. It's not your fault."

Levi nodded weakly, his body still trembling, his mind still in turmoil. His chest ached with the weight of shame, but Maximus's words—it's not your fault—lingered in the air. They didn't make sense, but the firmness of Maximus's voice was enough to keep Levi from sinking further.

After cleaning up the mess, Maximus placed a comforting hand on Levi's back. "We need to visit the clinic now," he said, his tone gentle but with a firmness that Levi had started to recognize. "The doctor will check you over, make sure everything is healing."

At the mention of the doctor, Levi froze. His heart stuttered in his chest, and cold panic gripped him immediately. The word doctor sent a rush of fear coursing through his veins, memories of past doctors—cold, unfeeling hands, cruel experiments, and the sterile smell of clinics—flooding his mind. The doctors he had known had never helped him. They had hurt him, broken him, treated him like something to be dissected.

Levi's breath hitched, his body tensing as fear clawed at him. "No... no, please," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I... I don't want to..."

Maximus, sensing the shift in Levi's energy, immediately knelt down in front of him again, cupping Levi's face in his hands. "Levi, look at me," he said softly, his voice steady and calm. "I'm with you. I won't let anyone hurt you. You're safe."

Levi's wide, frightened eyes searched Maximus's face, and for a moment, the fear wavered. The sincerity in Maximus's gaze was undeniable. Slowly, Levi nodded, though the fear still coiled tightly in his chest.

Maximus stood, guiding Levi out of the kitchen and down to the clinic. The sterile smell of the clinic hit Levi as soon as they stepped inside, and his stomach churned. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his body tensing as memories of past horrors resurfaced.

The doctor entered, his presence calm but clinical, and Levi flinched instinctively. His entire body recoiled, his mind screaming at him to run, to escape. But Maximus was there, his hand firm on Levi's back, guiding him down onto the floor beside him.

"Down, love," Maximus commanded, his voice low and authoritative, but with a gentleness that Levi clung to. "Sit here. Good boy."

The command cut through the chaos in Levi's mind, giving him something to hold onto. Levi obeyed immediately, dropping into the crouched position Maximus had indicated, his body relaxing just slightly as the familiar structure of obedience calmed him. Maximus's hand remained on him, steady and grounding, and Levi found himself clinging to that touch, focusing on it to block out the fear.

The doctor approached, beginning the examination. Every touch of the doctor's cold hands made Levi's skin crawl, but Maximus's voice, low and reassuring, kept him steady. Levi focused on the warmth of Maximus's hand, the steady rhythm of his own breathing, and the clear commands Maximus gave him.

"Stay still. You're doing well, Levi," Maximus murmured as the doctor worked. "Just breathe. I'm here."

The examination felt like it lasted forever, but finally, it was over. The doctor stepped back, giving Maximus a brief report before leaving the room. Levi's body sagged with relief, his head spinning from the ordeal. Maximus gently pulled him up from the floor, his strong arms steadying him as he guided Levi out of the clinic and back into the hallway.

"You did well," Maximus said, his voice full of warmth and approval. "I'm proud of you."

Levi blinked up at him, still dazed from the experience, but the words proud of you echoed in his mind, settling deep in his chest. He had done well? He had pleased his Master?

Slowly, Levi allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he hadn't failed this time. And for the first time in a long while, the weight of that fear began to lift, replaced by a small glimmer of something unfamiliar.

Hope.