The Experiment (Attack on Titan // LeviHan) (Part 1)

Just an Itch

The next time Zoë woke up, she was no longer in Levi's arms but on some soft, wide bed. She felt like shit. There was a taste in her mouth like a mixture of ash and dung. Her stomach burnt with acid, her limbs were heavy and shaking from weakness and her thoughts were jumbled and sluggish.

And she was goddamn thirsty, like she could empty an entire pond.

When she turned her head, she noticed a glass of water next to her on a small bedside table but even though the urge was great she would rather die of thirst than touch that. Being poisoned once was enough for the remainder of their sojourn here, if not for life.

The only thing of importance in this room seemed to be the bed. There was a large mirror above her on the ceiling, showing her the reflection of a pale-faced woman with messy hair in a bed with dark red linens. It looked like she was lying in a pool of her own blood.

Where was she?

There were voices nearby. Women, chattering away excitedly in the adjacent room, with lots of pearly giggles in between. Women among themselves, around four to five of them? It had been a very long time since Zoë had experienced being with women only. In the military, gender played no role as all squads were mixed. But she missed having female friends, she suddenly realized.

"... and then he scowled like so..."

Giggles.

"... and looked at me like I'm vermin and still my fanny went to mush."

More giggles and a few exclamations. Zoë grinned. What else should they be discussing but men?

"You're just a sucker for pain!"

"Ah, no! I hear he's very gentle."

"From whom!" The excitement in the room next door seemed to surge. Zoë heard that porcelain cups were set into saucers, clang-clang-clang, as if everyone present wanted their full attention on the speaker and even holding a teacup was too much of a diversion.

"Clara said so."

"How would she know?" someone shouted. "I call bullshit!"

"Well, I guess she slept with him?"

"She's a liar! I know for a fact he has a very strict rule to stay away from us!"

"He thinks he's better, that's why. He looks down at everyone!" Ah, the man in question had a critic too. Good.

"No. It's because of his mother! She was one of us but died when he was a little boy. He blames the customers. He swore never to be like them."

There was cooing and awwing now. Zoë added some coos and awws in her head. It sounded like they were discussing a very nice man. He was also smart if he made himself scarce, it made his desirability increase tenfold.

Outside, she heard that a door was opened and the cooing, awwing, giggling and chattering stopped so abruptly, Zoë thought the women had all left the room together. But no. A disapproving voice she happened to know very well snapped: "What are all of you doing here?"

"Just talking," one of the women answered innocently.

"You have nothing better to do?"

"Depends... are you offering to entertain us? We're all very keen."

An explosion of laughter followed Levi as he entered the room she was in with one of his trademark scowls. He slammed the door shut so hard that Zoë yelped.

"You're awake?" he asked sourly.

"Obviously," she smiled and pushed herself into an upright position with a bit of effort. It was good to see him and his eternally displeased face.