Just to check

Levihan 3

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  Hanji gave a sigh when Levi finally signaled for them to camp for the day. Ever since she agreed to join them nearly a week before, it had been steady, constant traveling. It was nice, however, that she had help when it came to her broken arm, as she could hardly do anything. Her most often performed task was collecting firewood, since she could just tuck the sticks under her splinted arm. But she couldn't help with pitching the tents, cooking, or tying the horses, so in that regard, she felt like a burden.

  She was glad for Isabel and Farlan as company, she didn't know if she could stay cheerful without them. They were a rather comedic pair, always joking and causing her to laugh at dinnertime. Levi, however, was still avoiding her for the most part, but she did find he had warmed up to her, if only just slightly. She assumed so, at least, as he wasn't staring at her so often, and he'd sometimes help her if she was struggling. Especially when it came down to cleanliness and organization. Isabel was correct in saying he was a clean freak, she wondered if he had a condition she had read about in her studies. Recalling the name was difficult, but she had finally remembered it to be germophobia. Hanji halted her horse, tugging lightly on Chance's reins and shifting to move out of the saddle.

  Dismounting was difficult, especially with one arm, but during the past week she had figured out how to manage it without breaking any new bones. She leaned forward and swung her left leg over the saddle, balancing in the right stirrup as she prepared to step down. Her left foot touched the dirt and she moved to pull her right foot out. At that moment, Chance decided to move forward to eat some nearby grass. Hanji yelped as she lost her balance and tipped backwards, her right foot still stuck in the stirrup.

  Her anticipated fall never happened though, and she opened her closed eyes as strong, steady arms propped her back on her feet. "Careful." Levi said, turning to tie her horse without a second glance.

  "Th-Thanks." Hanji murmured, though she doubted he heard. She supposed he did have a soft side. Well, she already knew that, but so far he seemed to primarily demonstrate it to Isabel and Farlan. It was an interesting experience, feeling him hold her like that. His grip was so solid, steady, it felt completely reliable. She was certain she needn't ever fear falling over if the Shorty was around. Her lip twitched upward at the thought of her private nickname for the raven-haired man. She knew he'd probably kill her if she ever said it aloud, but that was the thrill she supposed.

  "Hanji!" the sound of her faux name caused her to jump in fright. Isabel ran up to the startled girl and tugged on her good arm, "Come! Come here! Quick!" she said urgently, no hint of a smile on her face. Hanji blinked, wondering what could be wrong to make her so frantic, and followed along carefully.

  "What is it, Isabel?" she asked as the woman pulled her into the (very recently pitched) bigger tent, sitting her down and peeking outside as if she were trying to spy on somebody.

  "Today is wash day." Isabel murmured.

  "Wash day?" Hanji blinked, that didn't seem like anything important, "So?"

  Isabel looked at her with crazed and frantic eyes, "I've gotta warn you." she said as she sat down close to the confused girl. "Levi hates anything to do with being dirty. On wash day, we all take baths. And basically, if you don't clean yourself well enough, you'll regret it. Our previous wash days got skipped because we weren't near a river. No doubt Levi is losing his mind over how dirty we all are." the redhead snickered and peeked outside the tent again.

  "That doesn't seem so bad. Just take a bath right?" Hanji shrugged. This didn't seem like a big deal. If anything, it seemed to her like Isabel was just over-exaggerating this as a joke, it fit her personality anyway. Besides, what could Levi possibly do if they didn't clean themselves well enough?

  "I suppose that's true." Isabel sighed, moving to shuffle through her new clothes. Hanji had spent some of the money she had gotten from pawning off her jewelry to buy both herself and her fellow woman some more clothing. A well appreciated gesture, as washing both their clothing and themselves at the same time would be a rather embarrassing matter. "I just hope you can manage with that broken arm." Isabel murmured to herself.

  "What was that?"

  "Hmm? Oh nothing."

•

•

  Hanji furrowed her brow and stared at the soap bar, contemplating her next move. Getting undressed had been difficult enough with one hand in a splint. Granted it had been easier after removing the sling, but nonetheless, it was still quite a job. Now she wondered how she would manage washing herself with just one hand? She shifted her fingers around the slippery bar of soap and dipped a toe in the river, testing its temperature.

  "Shit!" she hissed, pulling her foot back in her surprise. The chilly water would certainly need some adjusting to, if only just to take a few steps. Her colorful language was something she had picked up after being in the company of Isabel and Levi for almost a week. They were rather foul-mouthed, and it easily rubbed off on her after a couple days.

  Hanji sighed and steeled herself, walking three steps in before she stopped to stiffen. She had only ever had warm baths as a Lady in the Titania household, and the inns had warm baths as well. This was her first time ever bathing in a freezing river, though she assumed, what with her running away and all, that it was bound to happen one day.

  She bent over to dip the soap in the water and then proceeded to rub it against her skin until it frothed. It slipped from her hands a good many times, and she spent most of her bath floundering about, knee-deep in the water as she retrieved the bar. By the time she got out, she was certain she might have caught a cold. Hanji shivered and pressed her jaw tightly together as her teeth chattered.

  She toweled herself off and pulled on her clothing, piece by agonizing piece, then proceeded to walk back to camp. Isabel gave her a scrutinizing look upon her return, and she wasn't alone, Farlan and Levi gave the same glare. However, Farlan and Isabel's glares soon morphed into smiles, and they continued with their daily chores. Levi wasn't so forgiving, though, and she felt his icy gaze on her for the better part of the day.

  She couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't met his standards. Not that she cared, there really wasn't anything he could do that came to mind.

•

•

  Hanji heard muffled voices and opened one eye to assess her situation. It had been a day or so since her bathing experience, and she was rather looking forward to spending her next bath at an inn. At least, she hoped they'd reach an inn tomorrow. Levi had said they would, but she couldn't help but feel nervous over it, she hated that cold river, and bathing in it was ten times worse. She honestly wondered how peasants coped in those conditions? Maybe they were used to it, but still, it was horrid, she didn't think she'd ever get used to it.

  As for today, it was another typical day of travel, they woke up, ate breakfast, rode, stopped for lunch, rode again, and made camp. Dinner was a rare treat, as Isabel had caught some fish, and Farlan had a new, fascinating tale of their previous travels to tell. Hanji had gone to bed early though, as she was exhausted from their early mornings and long days of riding. Isabel and Farlan had only just gotten into bed. Their accommodations weren't the best, as they had yet to procure a private tent for Hanji. Until then, she was sharing the bigger tent with them. The one that Isabel and Farlan originally slept in alone.

  The voices belonged to none other than the ones she was sharing with, and she quieted her breath to hear what they were saying. "-so he says we'll be going early tomorrow to see Lord Cedric. We need to collect before we go home." Farlan was saying.

  Isabel shuffled, "I see. What about Hanji? Are we just going to leave her alone while we go?"

  "No, Levi wants you to stay and guard the camp. I'm sure you can manage it, at least until we get back." Farlan replied with a sigh. "I can't wait until we don't have to do this anymore. I'm sick of travel, I want to settle down...maybe start a family."

  Isabel chuckled briefly, "We all feel the same, Farlan. That day will come, we just need to be patient."

  "I know."

  "I just hope I'll be able to handle Hanji's questions tomorrow. She's a curious thing, and I find it hard to resist her big, brown, puppy eyes." the red haired woman sighed with a light giggle.

Hanji smiled briefly, but Isabel was right, she was full of questions. Who was Lord Cedric? Why were they meeting him? Did it have something to do with her? Or was it a part of their mercenary affairs?

  "Well, we aren't going to wake easily if we stay up and talk now are we?" Farlan yawned.

  "Mmhm." Isabel hummed in agreement, and Hanji heard them shuffle around a good deal before they settled and gave tired sighs.

  Hanji stared at the tent, her heart thumping wildly from her nerves as she considered all the possibilities of their visit to this Lord Cedric. From how they spoke, it sounded like simple, mercenary work. But she had a growing seed of paranoia in her mind, and she suddenly didn't feel sleepy anymore. She waited until her company was asleep before she stood and went outside, clumsily wrapping a coat around her shoulders.

  The nights weren't too chilly, as summer was only just starting to cool for the impending coming of autumn, but a light coat was sometimes necessary. Hanji went to sit by the warm embers of the dying fire and sighed, breathing deeply to calm her racing heart. She didn't like this type of fear, the one where you never know if you are truly justified in fearing something. She was scared, but she knew there was only a slim chance that her companions knew who she was. A very slim chance, as she'd had ample opportunity to determine whether or not her disappearance was known.

  From her vague questions to curious investigating in the towns they came across (which were few and far between), she could find no evidence that anyone was looking for her. Naturally she was far more open with Isabel after she had confirmed that she wasn't on any wanted or missing posters. Though, that did cause Hanji to wonder yet again: did her father even search? And if he did, had he already given up?

  That made her angry, for some reason she couldn't discern. That fact that it seemed her father wasn't even looking. But then again why should he? He never cared enough to go looking for her even when she lived under his very roof.

  "Some father you were..." she muttered bitterly, gently tossing a log onto the fire to keep it burning. "It's as if you really want me back." she sighed sarcastically, looking up at the stars. They were especially bright tonight, or maybe she was just seeing them differently than she did before. Looking at them brought memories of her astronomy classes back to her. Her mother had known she loved stargazing, so she hired an old astronomer to teach her about the stars.

  Hanji loved learning, it was rare for a Lady to have such an extensive education. Most women of noble blood were simply meant to be a man's toy, only kept around for the purpose of heirs and "stress relief". But Hanji's mother never seemed to mind.

  And even though she didn't understand at the time, she had overheard her mother explain to the maids that her father was kind to her in that regard. She had still only been married to him for the purpose of money, but she was content, and Hanji felt somewhat guilty over the fact that she had shunned a life her mother had embraced. She often wondered if her mother would be disappointed or proud of her. But she could never know, not until she met up with her on the other side.

  If there was a heaven that is, she had been taught that there was a higher being watching over them, but she sometimes wondered if it was true. Perhaps she'd know in the future, but that was a thought for another day...

  "What are you doing?"

  Hanji gasped and pressed her good hand to her startled heart, Levi stood just outside his tent with his arms crossed, gazing nonchalantly at her with an inquisitive brow raised. "Don't sneak up on people, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Hanji hissed, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin upon one.

  "I didn't sneak up on you, I've been standing here for a full minute. You were distracted." Levi stated matter-of-factly, moving to sit on a log across from the fire. "And that doesn't answer my question."

  Hanji narrowed her eyes at him, 'Irritating shorty...' she accused in her head, "I couldn't sleep."

  Levi's brow raised yet again, but he seemed to accept her answer, "I see."

  Hanji expected him to say more, but the silence dragged on indefinitely, and she found herself drifting into thought again. He wasn't exactly looking at her, and she snuck a peek at the boring young man. She only then realized that he hadn't buttoned his shirt all the way, and his chiseled chest was in plain sight. Her eyes couldn't help but sweep the entirety of his torso, appreciating the sight.

  She could feel her cheeks redden as she attempted to peer lower, and she quickly glanced away from him. Ever since they met he easily flustered her, but she assumed that was only because he had walked in on her practically naked. Of course she was easily embarrassed!

  At least that's what she told herself.

  She could definitely not deny that he was a most handsome man, and she would have loved to get to know him better, but his personality threw her off. He was too quiet, too judgmental, and too much of a clean freak. She just didn't like it. Though that might have been just because his startling, dark grey eyes always made her feel like she was an open book. "What are you staring at? Do I have something on my face?" he asked in his usual, emotionless tone.

  Hanji jumped, realizing she had been studying his face without her own permission, "Sorry, I was daydreaming...or...sorry." she blushed, realizing she already apologized.

  "Tch..." Levi scoffed, tossing a twig into the fire. "You should go to bed, we have a good five hours to ride tomorrow." he said, glancing up at her to see if she'd actually listen.

  Hanji sighed, "Right." she stood and brushed off her pants, tugging her coat tighter around her shoulders. "Goodnight, sorry I woke you." she muttered as she went back into the larger tent. Levi didn't respond, at least that she could hear. And she didn't bother scolding his bad manners in her mind. She was too tired for it.

  Hanji lay her head down and tugged her blanket up to her chin, closing her eyes and allowing herself to fall asleep. Her worries over tomorrow were temporarily put to rest, (thankfully), and her sleep was nothing if not peaceful.

*

•

*

  Levi didn't like castles, they were too big, too many rooms and too much dust. One couldn't possibly keep a castle clean, at least according to his standards. Even with the maids there always seemed to be leftover dust somewhere. But what was worse about castles was their stereotypical occupants. The Lords, Dukes, and sometimes Kings, that inhabited them were often arrogant and self-centered. However, they were responsible for filling his belly, along with those of his sisters and his brother-in-law, so he couldn't hold a grudge against them.

  He and Farlan had awoken just after sunrise and mounted their horses, leaving camp with only Isabel awake and aware. As far as he knew, the young lady they had decided to chauffeur around was probably still snoring and drooling on her pillow. "Tch..." the thought made him scoff lightly, the girl would likely deny it, but he saw how nasty her sleeping habits were as they cared for her during her fever. He honestly didn't have much of a good opinion of her. Hanji was awkward, clumsy, and uncomfortably quiet. But maybe he wouldn't mind her presence so much if she didn't smell? He rather hoped she would start bathing properly soon before he was forced to do something drastic.

  They had arrived at the castle only minutes before, and a guard was leading Levi and Farlan to see Lord Cedric. Levi had only met the man once, during which he had accepted his simple request to retrieve an item from his brother. An "old friend" as the man had put it. He didn't like Cedric either, but at least, compared to Hanji, her faults were far less than the Lord's.

  The man was typical, arrogant, and stood astride his high horse, as if the world revolved around him. It was also clear that the man was twisted and cruel, considering the surrounding farmland was less than well-cared for. Along with those discredits to the Lord's name, Levi had spotted a few harlots scurrying about the castle during both visits. As far as he knew, the Lord was a married man, so one could possibly count "dishonorable" and "disloyal" among his labels. But when it came to Lords, that was often a given.

  Levi and Farlan were led into a large room, the walls were filled with shelves and books, and the solitary desk gave the impression that it was a private study. Lord Cedric sat upon the chair behind the polished desk and scribbled on paper, not noticing, or simply just ignoring their arrival. But Levi knew to wait, angering a Lord was not on his schedule for the day, and he'd rather not have a repeat of that incident with Lord Ragúe....

  Lord Cedric finished scribbling and put his pen down with a sigh before he looked up to acknowledge the men before him. "Good morning, gentlemen. I trust you were able to retrieve it?" he stood and skirted around his desk, walking towards them.

  Levi reached into a bag he had slung around his shoulder and pulled out a tiny, ornate box, handing it to the Lord. Farlan spoke for him, as Levi preferred not to speak if he could avoid it, he wasn't a very social person after all. "We found the box you described." Farlan said quietly.

  Cedric smirked and placed the box on his desk, not opening it even if only to satisfy their curiosity as to what exactly they had stolen. "No doubt, there was some difficulty, I apologize if my brother might have caused trouble."

  Farlan shrugged, "We managed, as we always do."

  Cedric nodded, "I shall compensate you for any damages, along with the promised payment."

  Farlan shook his head, "It isn't necessary, there was nothing we couldn't handle, we only need what was promised."

  Cedric smiled at that, "Ahh, I see, if you insist. Well, in that case, I shall send you on your way." he moved to grab a small chest and handed it to the two, who opened it and checked the contents before they accepted it.

  Farlan and Levi bowed and moved to leave, "Oh, Ackerman?" Cedric stopped the shorter man, who turned with a questioning brow raised. Farlan looked back, but left the room, as their employers often wanted to have an afterword with Levi. Cedric pulled a small parchment from his desk and walked toward Levi. "I thought I should let you know, as the reward is substantial."

  Levi took the offered paper and examined it, his eyes narrowing at the contents. It was a Hunting Bounty, as he called them, but in this particular scenario the subject was wanted alive. That in itself was rare, but apparently the bounty's maker was an extremely wealthy Lord from the Mercian country. "Why would you have this?" Levi asked, curious as to why one Lord would help another for seemingly no reason.

  Cedric rubbed at the back of his neck, "Zoë Titania, the girl in the bounty, was to marry my son." he explained, "But apparently she's been kidnapped, and, as her future father-in-law, I assumed I should aid in her rescue."

  Levi raised a brow again, looking down at the paper. Titania? The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. That reward was tantalizing though, more than his little trio had made in three years. The Lord obviously really wanted his daughter back. "Well, I'll keep this in mind, and if I find a Zoë Titania during my travels, rest assured I'll attempt to bring her back. I cannot promise anything." Levi folded the parchment and slipped it inside his jacket, taking his leave once more.

  "Thank you, Ackerman." Cedric said as he left.

  Levi met up with Farlan again and continued to the stables, mounting his horse and making for their camp. In honesty, he felt like he should remember something, like his mind contained pieces of a puzzle, and he had misplaced some of them. Titania. The name was so familiar, and yet, so foreign, where on earth had he heard it before?

•

•

  Hanji didn't ask any questions, not a single one, about where Levi and Farlan had gone. That alone bothered Isabel. She had figured she might be relieved, but the fact made her suspicious. It wasn't only her lack of curiosity, Hanji seemed sad, distracted, and tired. The girl looked as if she weren't even there, Isabel noted, as the brunette precariously hung some clothes to dry. Her arm gave her some trouble, but it was a job she could accomplish at least.

  Isabel observed her with pursed lips, determining that it seemed time for a heart-to-heart chat with her. "Hanji?" she called, and the girl blinked before turning to look at her. "Come. Come here, sweetheart." she pat the log she sat on, gesturing for the girl to sit.

  Hanji dropped what she was doing and walked over to sit down, twiddling the linen of her splint between her fingers, "Is something wrong?"

  Isabel shook her head, reaching out to gently rub a comforting circle on the younger woman's back, "Hanji, what's making you so morose today?" Hanji looked at her in surprise, her mouth opening without sound to express her protestation. "Don't look at me like that. I've had the same, general feeling before, multiple times. I think I can recognize it in another person." Isabel chuckled.

  Hanji closed her lips and pursed them with a sigh, "Well..." she drawled. The real her, the Zoë Titania she had locked away to make room for her new persona, was never a very open or extroverted person. She had difficulty expressing her feelings in most regards. So, opening up to Isabel, after only having known her for about a week, and growing to trust her, was hard, to say the least. "It's my birthday." she muttered.

  Isabel smiled briefly, before she thought it over and her face fell in realization, "And that makes you sad?" she prodded.

  Hanji nodded, instead of the truth, she did have to bend this one. The true reasoning for her melancholy was the fact that her mother's death had also occurred on her sixth birthday. She didn't like lying, not one bit, it wasn't in her character. But it needed to be done. "I was abandoned as a newborn, barely a day old. So, every birthday just feels like a reminder that my parents didn't want me."

  Isabel sighed, "I see. I'm sorry Hanji." Hanji flinched internally when she accepted her fib. And she shifted uncomfortably under the older woman's gaze. "But you don't need to be sad anymore. You have friends now, friends who are growing to see you as one of their own. That's how I feel at least. And I know I don't want you to feel sad." Isabel said with a soft smile, "How about, to cheer you up, you and I go and shop when we get to town? Just the two of us, doing girl stuff and having a little fun?"

  Hanji blinked, "Girl stuff?" she repeated, not necessarily sure of what Isabel meant.

  Isabel scoffed good-naturedly, "Don't you like to look at clothes and just peruse the shops every now and then?" she asked.

  Hanji thought about it for a moment. The last time she went shopping, just for fun, was with her mother, over twelve years ago. She still distinctly remembered a small, silky, powder blue dress that her mother bought her. She wore it every day she could, until she wore out the material that is. "That sounds good." she murmured, looking up at the redhead with a small smile, it was the least she could muster anyway.

  "There we go!" Isabel exclaimed, "That's what I've been waiting to see." she stood with a sigh and brushed off her pants.

  "What have you been waiting to see?" a new voice rang out and Isabel spun around in surprise when Farlan and Levi walked into the camp.

  "You're back!" Isabel jumped to her feet and practically skipped over to Farlan to give him a hug and a purposefully exaggerated kiss.

  Levi cringed away from the couple and scoffed, "Alright, save your mushy shit for later. We need to pack up." he muttered.

  Isabel chuckled along with Farlan and followed his instructions, immediately setting out to deconstruct the camp. Hanji pursed her lips and looked at the laundry she had just hung, blinking in realization, "Oi, wait just a second!" she exclaimed without thinking, and her cheeks felt like they were suddenly on fire when the three of them stopped and looked at her with raised brows. "Damnit...!" she murmured under her breath, "Sorry, I...um, just put the laundry up to dry. It needs about an hour." she looked down at her feet and twirled her good hand in her hair bashfully, still feeling their intense gazes.

  There was a long, drawn out moment of silence. And she felt like her face was going to burn off out of embarrassment. What possessed her to give them orders like that? She was their guest, or resident invalid, whichever they preferred. Not their superior. Breaking herself out of her old title was going to be difficult, of that she was certain. After all, she was used to giving orders, it was a nasty habit.

  The silence was broken by a loud, obnoxious laugh that made her jump.

  "Ahhh....a woman after your own heart, Levi!" Farlan chuckled, earning a sharp glare from said person, his head turned so sharply Hanji thought he might have given himself whiplash. "And to think you of all people were going to pack up without waiting for the laundry. Shame on you!" he was blatantly teasing now, despite the shorter man's narrowed gaze and disapproving expression.

  "Tch..." Levi scoffed and put the tent pole he was extracting back neatly. "Fine. We'll stay a few hours." he conceded.

  Hanji bit her lip and approached the man hesitantly, "Thank you." she whispered, glancing up through her eyelashes.

  "For what?" he raised that stupid, thin eyebrow yet again.

  Hanji gaped and stared for a moment. "For...for not..." she stuttered, '-for not being angry at me.' After all, she had given this man orders in his own camp, he had a right to be upset with her. She didn't finish her sentence aloud, however, and his expression morphed into one of boredom.

  At that she finally felt her ever-tightening restraint snap. He was seriously getting on her nerves! After two weeks with him (well, three if she counted her unconscious time with them), she was getting more irritated every time she spoke to him. She was trying to be nice and he acted as though she was crazy for attempting to speak.

  Hanji didn't want to blow her top, so she resolved to run a hand through her hair and sigh, "You know what? Nevermind." she huffed and walked away, sitting down rather grumpily on the nearest log. 'I don't know why I even want to be nice to him, but that's the last time I try.' she complained in her head, fixing the young man in question with a secret glare every now and again.

•

•

  They arrived at the nearest inn later that day, much later than they had planned, but it was still light out. And they sent Farlan to rent their rooms. One with separate beds for Hanji and Levi (they both had a few complaints about that in the beginning. However they had both resolved to silently resent the choice, this being the second inn they would be staying in). And one room for Isabel and Farlan himself.

  "Hanji has been rather moody today." Isabel said when she finally had Levi alone. Hanji gently brushed Chance with her good arm on the far end of the stables, having just removed the tack from his body.

  "Why should I care?" he asked, clearly uninterested.

  "Well, because I think you are the cause. That's why." Isabel explained.

  "What did I do?" Levi sighed as he turned to her with a questioning look on his face. He honestly did not care if the girl was irked by him. He was used to it, and he didn't really care what a lot of people thought of him. But when it came to Isabel, he didn't want to upset or disappoint her, so he felt the least he could do was listen to her now.

  "You haven't been very nice." Isabel scolded, he rolled his eyes at that, "And I think she likes you." she added.

  "What?" Levi exclaimed in disbelief.

  "Not like that." she blew a raspberry as if to show he was silly for thinking that. "I've never really seen anybody try to instigate a friendship with you, so I can't be sure, but I think she just wants to be approved of. Maybe even be your friend. Like I said, I don't know for sure." Isabel shrugged.

  Levi scowled, "Hmm." was all he said in reply. It wasn't as if he truly disliked the girl, but as he had told himself before, her personality just didn't sit well with him. His gaze flickered over to her just as she pressed a kiss to her gelding's nose. "Gross..." he muttered, too quietly for Isabel to hear beside him. Hanji looked his way, and as soon as she realized he was looking at her-her brows furrowed. He watched in silent, un-showing amusement as her demeanor changed from calm and gentle to tense and angry.

  He didn't understand women all that much, then again, he never really cared to try in the first place. Earlier she had thanked him, for what he had no idea. Women had rather complicated thought-processes after all. His ignorance seemed to be the cause of her mood change around him. After thinking about it, he supposed it had something to do with her blatant orders earlier that day. If she thought he cared, he really didn't. After all, it was just laundry, and he was not one to impose when it came to hygienic matters.

  Isabel suddenly pushed off from the wall with a sigh, "When Farlan gets back, tell him I went into town. Okay?" she said, walking away without waiting for Levi's answer.

  Levi rolled his eyes, watching as Isabel laid a hand on Hanji's shoulder and said something that made the girl break out in a grin. She then linked arms with her younger friend and they walked out of the stables, talking all the way. "Tch..." he scoffed.

•

~

•

  Hanji felt quite uplifted, in honesty. She hadn't felt so happy since the day she ran away little over a month ago. Isabel was a loud, obnoxious, mischievous young woman, but she also had a good eye when it came to merchandise. Though they didn't buy anything like the dresses and jewelry her mother used to procure for her. They didn't have the money or luxury to. They actually spent most of their time in a blacksmith's shop, admiring weapons. Isabel would grab a random weapon and explain its purpose, letting Hanji hold it if it wasn't too heavy.

  "When your arm gets better-" she began after holding up a bow, "-I'll teach you how to shoot one. You've got a good build for archery, and the mechanics are fairly easy on your left hand." she explained.

  Hanji examined the smooth, recurve wood and smiled, "I'd like that." she placed the weapon back and began to walk off.

  "No, no, no!" Isabel grabbed the bow back up and jogged to keep up with her. "We're buying this one. It's perfect for you."

  Hanji stopped in her tracks, "Well, you don't need to-"

  "Best have one before your arm is better. Who knows? We could be miles away from a shop when you're finally rid of the splint." Isabel interrupted. "And besides! We are supposed to be shopping, and we haven't bought anything. Might as well."

  Hanji bit her lip and hummed in agreement, "I suppose. Thank you, Isabel. We didn't have to buy anything for me to have a good time. I kind of feel like you are the sister I never had." she murmured.

  Isabel grinned widely at that, and moved to purchase the lovely bow from the blacksmith. "I may already have a sister-" she began as they left the shop, "-but I am starting to see you in the same light." she linked her arm through Hanji's again and they began to walk back to the inn.

•

•

  She was back in Levi's presence now, so all her good feelings went out the window. Sharing a room was rather risqué in her opinion. It was to save on money. It least, that's what Isabel told her, but she still preferred her own room. She didn't like the fact that this particular inn had the tub hidden behind a simple dressing screen. And the shorty was insisting she bathe first!

  "Heaven knows you need it!" Levi huffed. "Has anyone ever taught you how to clean yourself? You always smell like sweat and bodily excrement!" he accused, tossing a complimentary towel at her face.

  "Fine, I'll take a fucking bath!" Hanji snapped. She could feel the hair on her neck bristling and her teeth were grit in her efforts to restrain herself from attempting to strangle him. And besides his insults, he had gotten her to curse yet again. She had never cursed so blatantly before until she met this man.

  "Thank you." he said, sitting on his bed and laying back. He gave her this expectant look that made her roll her eyes.

  "Don't peek or I'll kill you." she warned before she went behind the screen.

  "With that arm?" he quipped.

  She stepped back into view and scowled, "I'll use my teeth." she hissed, returning to the tub behind the screen and failing to spot his following amused smirk. She mumbled curses and insults at him all the while as she stripped and stepped into the prepared water. She kept her bad arm propped on the tub wall while she scrubbed herself to the best of her ability.

  In honesty there wasn't much she could do with just one arm, and no matter how much she scrubbed there was always a spot she couldn't reach. Like on her back for example. She didn't pay it any heed though, and rinsed her frothy hair before she stood and stepped out of the tub. She toweled herself off and shimmied into the clean clothes she had draped on the dressing screen. Cringing as she placed her arm back into the sling.

  "There! I'm done, happy now?" she asked, rather childish in her demeanor as she left the screen and sat on her designated bed, pulling her knees up to her chest in a pout.

  Levi stood without a word and grabbed his own clothing to change into. He went behind the screen and she shuffled deeper into her cushions with a sigh. How infuriating could a man be? She didn't think she'd ever come to think of him as anything more than a nuisance.

  "Hanji." his voice rang out, and she started, sitting up and furrowing her brow. It was the first time she could think of that he'd ever said her name.

  "Yes?" she called back.

  "Come here." he said.

  She groaned and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, walking towards the dressing screen. "What is it?" she asked. A second later her eyes were wide and she would later be scolding herself for her reaction. He wasn't naked, thank God, but he had taken his shirt off already. She went silent as her eyes instinctively admired the hard ridges and curves of muscle on his carefully toned body.

  Hanji hadn't really seen many men without their shirts. And she couldn't deny she was very much attracted to the sight before her. Her eyes were especially drawn to his waist, where his pants hung low on his hips. She really couldn't believe that this was always hidden so well beneath his usual outfits. And the darker, less innocent portion of her mind had her curious as to what might lay below his waist...

  "Ahem?" Levi cleared his throat, attempting to get her attention.

  "Huh?" she blinked and looked up at him, trying to keep her gaze on his steely, grey eyes rather than his abdomen.

  "You left your clothes." he pointed to the floor, and her face went from pleasantly awestruck to an irritated scowl yet again.

  "Right." Hanji muttered, brushing past him to pick them up. She brushed past him again on her way out, and she was certain she had felt his arms against her own and at least a bit of his pectoral. Oh God, now she was blushing! Heaven help her! Levi didn't seem to care that she saw him like that, he was rather nonchalant about it. As if it didn't matter to him or something. The bastard!

  Hanji sat upon her bed and dropped her dirty clothing into a haphazard pile on the side. She only now registered that her heart was pounding and her head was light. She pressed a palm to her forehead and lay back, closing her tired eyes with a sigh. She wasn't going to admit it to anyone, especially Levi, but in that moment she came to realize that she was rather attracted to the infuriating shorty. A fact that irked her immensely. "Of all the people..." she muttered to herself.

  It's not as if she would ever act on such feelings. Besides, one could be attracted to someone without liking them. Couldn't they?

  "Fold the clothes..." he suddenly said from behind the screen.

  "I'll fold them in the morning!" she retorted, blush renewing when she heard the water slosh around in the tub as he got out. He was just rubbing it in now, intentionally or not. Looking at the screen dos her no favors, as it was slightly sheer, at least enough to see his silhouette, and she bit her lip with a inward groan at her own ridiculously raunchy thoughts.

  "No you won't." he said, coming out from behind the screen with just his pants on....again. She focused her gaze on the sheets beneath her to keep from peeking. "You'll just toss them into your bag again." he sighed, walking over and bending to pick up her clothing and starting to fold it.

  "It's just going to be washed anyways." she deadpanned, sitting up and frowning pointedly at him while he placed her clothing in a neat pile on her bed.

  He paused and glanced at her, raising a brow, and then he slowly finished folding the shirt, maintaining eye contact while he finished his task. "It only takes a second." he finally said as he moved back to his bed.

  "Stubborn." she muttered under her breath.

  "I could say the same for you." he said, pulling his shirt over his head.

  "Fuck you." she hissed, tugging the blankets aside and shuffling beneath them.

  "No thanks." he retorted.

  'Son of a bitch.'