By Your Side - EreRi (ErenxLevi)

Chapter 10 - Recovery Part 1

Eren's POV

I awoke in the morning to darkness and only the faint orange glow of the torches. My tired eyes shifted to the warmth in which I was laying on. Looking up I was met with Levi's chin and realized that I was indeed laying on the Corporal's chest. I felt the warmth in my cheeks as I lifted my head up more to get a perfectly clear look of his sleeping face.

But with every shift I made, the arms that were wrapped around me tightened in a protective manner. I watched the Corporal's face slightly contort into what resembled worry or maybe even stubbornness. His brows would furrow slightly and his lips would curl into a displeased frown with each movement I made.

I couldn't help but feeling unsure, or even pity for my superior officer. After all he had me to deal with, I was his burden.

In a way I almost feel as if I've scared him. When I look into the coldness of his silky grey eyes I don't see the strong willed Captain I once did. For that I feel ashamed.

As gently as I could I attempted to slip out of his arms. My frail, unhealthy body had become more sore and stiff. With every move I made it felt like a dagger being dug into my bones. I removed his arms from their grasp of my thin torso and softly pulled the sheets off. My arms shook in pain with the movement of me attempting to shift myself away.

What have I done to myself? I thought.

I looked down at my mortifyingly pale body. Just from looking at my hands I could tell that the rest of me must resemble something nothing much different from a skeleton. Hell, as if I didn't feel like one from the excruciating fatigue and achenes.

I had managed to completely shift myself off of the Corporal in spite of how clumsily I did it. But not shortly after I felt myself once again being tugged onto his warm chest. My breath hitched at the sudden movement from him and I retracted my arms to my chest.

"Brat, what are you doing awake?"

His deep, husky voice lightly startled me, I had not realized he was awake. I tilted my head up to be met with his grey gaze. Within his colorless orbs I saw worry but then something that shifted to relaxation. As I was about to speak I noticed how in fact dry my throat was and the first noises that were emitted from it were hoarse groans in attempt to speak.

Levi looked at me in slight confusion before lifting himself up slowly to lean against the headboard. I remained on his chest, now leaning and trying to clear my dry throat.

"Dry throat eh?", he asked before I had noticed he had been gently rubbing my back in to reassure.

In response I nodded, feeling the warmth briefly rush to my cheeks. I rubbed my throat and brought my elbow to my face before coughing into it with a slight wheeze. At this Levi frowned and slightly furrowed his thin brows.

"Let me get you some water okay, I won't be long alright", he said this with a tone of somewhat distrust and anxiety.

For a moment I was confused, my brain had to catch up with everything, even my eyes had yet to adjust. The Corporal sat up straight and shifted his hands to my hips. From there he gently moved my frail figure off of him and laid me down on the bed. I felt my cheeks tingle again at this, his tenderness made me feel warm and comfortable. I couldn't help but crack a weak smile from my chapped lips.

He propped my head and back against some pillows and looked at me. "Stay here and relax, I'll be right back."

With a serious look the Corporal left the cold dungeon to get me something to drink. I looked down at my hands and at the moment my mind was empty of all thought. I ran my cold, rough fingers against the white silk of the sheets.