After what seemed like an eternity, you both finally returned to your small cabin in the woods, tucked away among the dense trees. It was far from the ruined city and the still-roaming zombies in the aftermath of the outbreak a year ago.

Levi let out a small grunt as he set his bag down on the table with a dull thud. He quickly unzipped it, tugging the zipper harshly as he rummaged through the contents. Canned foods hit the table in a series of soft thuds, and you followed suit, shrugging your bag off your shoulder and placing it beside his. You reached for the canned goods, gathering them in your arms before turning to the kitchen. Setting them down on the countertop, as you opened a creaking cabinet door, and started stacking the cans inside.

While your back was turned, Levi couldn’t stop himself from staring at the wrapped chocolate bar in his hand. His exhausted gaze lingered on it. He had found it at one of the sites you two had scavenged, and he had sneakily hidden it in his bag. Glancing over his shoulder, he took a moment to admire you as you moved along, organizing the supplies. His steel blue eyes softened, and he couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh.

He knew it wasn’t fair to feel this way about giving you a mere unexpired chocolate bar.

He loved you, really, really loved you… and to him, you were worth everything. Though he rarely showed it with his grumpy, cold demeanor, he found small ways to express how much he appreciated and adored you. But no matter what he did—whether it was finding sweets, or even flowers—it never felt like enough. You deserved more than trivial things like that. Something priceless. And he hated himself for not being able to give you that.

He pursed his lips, unsure if he should wait or just hand it to you. After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head lightly, clearing the doubts as a few strands of his black hair grazed his brows. Finally, he cleared his throat to catch your attention.

“Here…” he muttered, holding out the chocolate bar to you.