Hanji x Levi (Staying Strong Till The End)

Struggle

*Hanji's pov*

The next morning I woke up early, I could hear the birds singing outside the window. I looked around and the room was empty, I couldn't even hear anyone outside. That was odd I thought to myself. I slowly moved the covers off me and pulled my top up so I could see the stitches. They were lumpy and sore looking, they were also hurting a fair amount. I sighed and pushed my top back down over them. I was still in my uniform and it had blood stains still present in the cloth. The blood was now dried and had stuck to my skin, I really wanted to get changed as this felt horrible and crispy.
I tried to sit up but it pulled on the stitches and I had to lie down again, my bones still hurt and so did my head. But I was thirsty and I felt like I was useless just lying around, they all needed me. Still I couldn't hear anyone outside my room so I was going to have to get up to get something to drink. Last time hurt, when I tried to get up I was in so much pain, but I was going to do this. With shaky arms I began to push myself up, it took every ounce of strength to get me fully sat up. I then I tried to stand, my legs trembled under my own weight but I push on. My eyes closed tightly as I pulled on the stitches it hurt so bad, it almost burned.
Before I knew it I was standing up again on my own two feet. I felt around and found my glasses and put them over my eyes so I could see. The floor was cold under my bare feet as I slowly made my way over to the tap. I used the wall as a way to support myself as I stumbled towards my well deserved drink.

I think that was the best drink I had ever had in my whole life because I had to work so hard in order to get to it. Once I was up and moving the pain was subsiding and I was finding it okay to walk. I just couldn't move to fast.

I walked around the room doing bits and pieces for a few hours until there came a knock at my door. I made my way over to it and opened it to see Petra standing there. "Oh Squad Leader your up" she almost sounded shocked.
"Come in" I invited her. She came in and I closed the door behind her.
She smiled at me and then handed me a pile of clothing "Levi sent me to give this to you"
"Thanks" I said as I took the clothing from her.
"How are you feeling?" She asked me.
"Better just sore that's all" I told her as I began to unfold the clothing. I then went to try and undo my top but it pulled too much on my stitches.
"Do you want me to help you with that?" Asked Petra.
I looked at her a little disheartened as I couldn't even get dressed by myself "yes please" I sighed.
"It's okay don't worry I think that's why Levi sent me just incase, I mean we are both girls here,  anyway you will be back to normal soon" she smiled at me as she began to help me out of my blood stained cloths. She examined my stitches to make sure they were still intact and hadn't ripped my skin.

I didn't take long to get me dressed fully, at first I was uncomfortable with her seeing me practaly naked but then I realiesed she had probably seen it all before. I mean she had stayed with me through everything and I trusted her. This whole experience had brought me and her closer together, before we never really talked. "There we go you're all blood drenched clothing free" she smiled at me.
"Thank you" I smiled back at her.
There was a few moments silence and Petra broke it by saying "If you want to come down to see everyone, then I can help you, you must be lonely up here"
I thought about it for a second before replying "I would like that"
"Okay come on then" she smiled as she got up and pulled my arm around her shoulders. I was quite a bit taller than her so this didn't really work but having her support I was able to walk.

Getting downstairs was the worst but once that was over it was fairly straight forward. We hobbled down the corridor towards the hall were everyone had gathered for lunch. I was going to make my first impression on these cadets and I was going to show them how we always tried to pull through titan encounters.

We opened the doors and I felt everyones gaze fall to me and Petra as we hobbled in. Eld and Gunther saw there small ginger team mate being crushed by me and came to take me from her. They each took one of my arms and helped me walk, whilst Petra escaped. I felt bad for using her as a leaning post but she was of great use to me. The pair of them helped me walk up to the top of the hall were my seat was waiting for me to join Erwin and Levi at the table. Neither Erwin or Levi were sat there but Mike and Molblit were both sat chatting. I akwardly sat down in and uncomfortable position as to not rip the stitches. "Thanks guys" I said to both Eld and Gunther. They both just bowed their heads before they left to re join Oluo and Petra.
"How are you feeling?" asked Molblit.
"Honesty I've been alot better but things seem to be improving" I told him as cheerfully as I could.
Mike sniffed the air before saying "You smell very strongly of blood"
"That's not really a surprise I have been sat in blood stained cloths for the majority of a day" I told him.
"Did you hear about the titan shifter?" Molblit asked.
"Yes" I plainly said as I had forgotten all about him, I had to meet him. "Where is he?" I asked.
"With Levi and Erwin currently and the rest of his graduation class" Mike told me. I wondered what they were doing as they should be here for lunch.

About half an hour of general conversation followed and only then did Levi and Erwin come in with a group of around 15 cadets to come and get some food. Levi looked shocked to see me downstairs in the hall. "What are you doing down here?" He snapped at me "You are surpose to be resting"
"I was lonely and I wanted to see everyone again" I told him cheerfully.  Levi went to snap at me again but Erwin got in first "She knows how she feels and if she feels capable to walk then she can"
Levi gave me a glare of disapproval before coming over to me and whispering "me and you need a chat in private once everyone has gone"
I gulped and nodded my head as a responce. He got up and went over to sit down next to Erwin. Eventhough I was his higher up I did sometimes feel intimated by him.

After lunch I stayed sat in my chair whilst everyone else bare Levi left to carry on todays training. Once the room had been evacuated Levi approached me and sat on the chair next to me. "What are you doing, Four-eyes?" He asked.
"I just wanted company and I feel useless lying down upstairs whilst you all work you arses off down here" I told him. I could feel my own hand trembling as they went to hold one another under the table.
"Hanji I care about you and you're not going to get better if you keep pushing yourself to get back to normal, you have been badly injered and need the rest so your body can heal" he said, he almost sounded sympathetic.
"I've tried but there's something that tells me to keep going and if I rest I can't fulfill this urge to be useful" I told him.
"Tch, fine I'll help you back upstairs and bring everyone to you so you can carry on like normal but also rest cause your not going to give in are you?" he sighed.
"Never" I told him.

He helped me climb back upstairs and back into bed before he left and brought back some of the new cadets. "Here are all the twerps we have to look after starting from the left we have Mikasa, Eren, Armin, Sasha, Connie, Reiner, Bertholt, Krista, Ymir and Jean" Levi introduced me "Cadets this is Squad Leader Hanji, you are to respect her like you respect me even whilst she's in this state" he shouted at them.
They all remained silent and looked down at me, I wasnt sure how I felt about them yet I was going to have to get to know them. From first impressions they all seemed fine, and finally I had met the titan shifter.  He was going to help with my experiments and push man kind forward.