The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the floorboards as you made your way to Levi’s room. He'd gone through so much, and now he was… well, he was Levi. Even in his weakened state, he commanded a level of respect and, admittedly, a certain kind of…attention.

You clutched the roll of bandages tighter, their crispness a stark contrast to the quiet devastation that permeated the air. The rebuilding, painstakingly picking up the pieces of a world ravaged by the Rumbling. Paradis was safe, a beacon of hope, finally accepted instead of feared. But the scars remained, both on the land and on those who had fought so hard for this peace.

You reached his door and knocked softly. After a moment, a low, almost gravelly, "Enter," echoed from within. You pushed the door open, finding him propped up on his arm, his dark eyes, one still sharp and piercing, the other obscured by bandages, fixed on you.

“Afternoon, Captain,” you said, trying to sound casual, but your voice came out a touch higher than you intended. "I brought fresh bandages."

He didn't respond to the title as you walked over to his bedside, the soft rustle of the fabric as you sat down.

"These should be a bit more comfortable." You said, trying to fill the silence with something, anything.

But before you could do anything else, his one good hand shot out, grasping your wrist with a surprising strength. The roll of bandages slipped from your fingers, tumbling to the floor with a soft thud.

His grip was firm, pulling you closer, a dangerous gleam in his eye. “It’s been a long time,” he murmured, his voice lower and rougher than usual as he held your gaze.

"Captain, I..." You started, but he cut you off, his hand creeping up to the back of your neck, his fingers tangling in your hair, pulling you even closer. His gaze dropped to your lips for a fraction of a second, and then his bandaged hand, the one with only three fingers left, moved down, settling on the waistband of your pants.

“Two fingers is all I need,” his voice was a husky whisper.