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Eren's eyes flutter open and Levi's breath catches in his throat. He's okay, he's awake. It's fine, Eren is fine. Of course he is, the nurses promised and yet Levi worried until he couldn't sleep or eat.
Green eyes focus on their surroundings, scanning the machines that fill the curtained cubicle, eyebrows furrowing deeply in confusion. Levi watches as Eren comes back to the world, he lifts the hand fitted with a cannula and carefully examines the heart monitor clipped onto his finger. The nurses had mentioned that Eren may feel unsure of anything that had happened after the accident, what with shock and the concoction of drugs he's on.
A bandage wraps around his head, holding gauze in place against stitches. A purple bruise reaches across his face, and a few minor scrapes mark the skin. Despite all this, Eren probably looks the most beautiful he has ever looked to Levi.
He's alive, Eren is safe.
Groggy eyes finally find Levi and Eren opens his mouth to speak, but he only coughs dryly.
"Crap, yeah, you want to sit? The nurses said it would be okay, where's the shitting button," Levi says, looking for the control panel to tilt Eren upwards. "Ah, there, got the little fucker."
The bed moves painfully slow, yet eventually, Eren is sitting in bed. The expression he fixes Levi with is strange and even after knowing Eren for years, he can't quite place that look.
Searching for his water bottle, Levi unscrews the lid, pressing the bottle into Eren's hands. His hands are clumsy in their movements, but Eren takes tentative sips.
"Drink as much as you can manage," Levi urges, taking in how dry Eren's lips look, "Are you hungry? You must be fucking starving, there must be a shop somewhere in this infection pool of an institution."
"I -" Eren clears his throat and tries to speak again, "Not hungry, I feel weird though… What happened? My head feels… Something."
"What do you mean? It doesn't hurt does it?" Without thinking, Levi's hands leap to cradle Eren's face, tracing the lines of his jaw soothingly. "Do you want me to call the nurse, they can give you more pain relief."
Eren shakes his head slowly, his words are slightly slurred, "No, its… I think I'm floating. Is this a cloud?"
Levi can't help the soft laugh that leaves him, Eren is so high. He's alive and he's drugged to the heavens. "The nurses said that you might be a little confused, it's just the medications you're on at the moment. You're sure you don't want me to call them?"
"So, you're not a nurse?" Eren queries, his speech slightly clearer as his senses return to him a little, "Makes sense, haven't ever heard a nurse swear like a sailor."
At first Levi's heart drops, as heavy as lead it aches in his chest - Eren can't remember him. Levi reminds himself it's nothing personal or permanent in any way, memory and self awareness will come with the reduction of the drugs Eren is on.
"Nurses aren't ever this sexy either," Eren concludes, giving Levi the best seductive look he can muster while looking like he's been beaten half to death with a frying pan. "Please tell me we're fucking, because if we're not I'm severely disappointed in myself."
Laughter rips itself from Levi's chest, a strange mixture of relief and amusement bubbling up inside him. High as a fucking kite.
"Check your hands," Levi suggests, gesturing to Eren's ring finger. A gold band sits prettily around tan skin, glinting in the harsh white lights of the hospital ward.
It takes a second for the information to sink in and when Eren finally realises, his eyes widen comically, a crooked grin plastering itself on his lips.
"I'm a married man?" Another few seconds pass and Eren leans in closer to Levi, conspiracy lacing his words, "If my husband shows up, let's just keep this between us, 'kay?"
Levi can't help but tease Eren, suppressing the grin making it way to his lips, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Eren looks at Levi, as if he's a puzzle, but he can't quite find the final piece to complete the picture. "You know him? Because you should probably let him know that I'm awake. Still not sure how I ended up here but he's probably worried… Is he as gorgeous as you?"
"Hm, I know him better than most," Levi smooths a hand over Eren's head, the gentlest of touches so as to avoid contact with any injuries. "He knows you're awake. And, yes, he's been anxious out of his mind. No sleep, no appetite. Be sure to pay him back after all this is over."
Eren nods along with Levi's comments, taking it all in, Levi watches him begin to chew his bottom lip anxiously, he must be on so many pain killers he doesn't realise it was already split from the accident.
"Hey, stop," Levi encourages, cupping Eren's jaw and using his thumb to remove the blood pooling at his lips in a gentle swipe.
"Tastes bad," Eren mutters, his tongue tinted red with his own blood.
Heart taking on that now familiar heaviness, Levi digs around in his pocket a moment before revealing a clean tissue that he holds against the freshly reopened cut. "Here, let me help."
Eren studies Levi intently, his eyes wide and staring unashamedly. The fluorescent lighting brightens the green of his irses, however, Levi can't help but notice the way it washes away Eren's usual tanned glow. He wants nothing more than to take Eren home, hold him as close as possible and never let go. Levi hates the hospital, it makes his skin crawl to think Eren could be here any longer than he already has been.
"I think it's stopping, take another sip of water," Levi suggests, placing the bottle back into Eren's waiting hands. "Wash away the taste."
"Thank you," Eren says, his eyes still fixed to Levi's face as if he's continuously working on that identity puzzle. "It's better…"
"What else can I do? To make it better.."
Slowly, Levi watches as things fall into place in Eren's mind. He scrunches his face up as if he's just realised that Levi has been playing with him this whole time. His broken lip so quickly forgotten, Eren pouts, "You can show me your ring hand to start!"
Grinning slyly, Levi presents his hand, placing it into Eren's demanding palm. His skin is warm, as always, and Levi cannot keep the lovesick smile from reaching his lips.
A gold band, just like Eren's own, sits proudly on his finger and Eren breaks out into his perfect cackle of laughter. The blush that had been slowly building throughout their exchange turns Eren's face bright red, and Levi is glad, this way his bruises don't stand out as much.
"You took advantage of my confused state!" Eren accuses, his voice indignant while tackling laughter. "Fuck, I hit the husband jackpot! How long have we been married?"
"Two years, partners for five. If you pull anything like this again, count yourself in for a divorce," Levi scolds, heart still aching with the thought of that initial phone call. His voice softer, "I know it wasn't your fault, just… never do this again. I don't think my heart could take it."
Levi rubs the pads of his fingers against Eren's knuckles, lingering on the smooth wedding band.
Eren nods, and Levi realises he still hasn't explained what happened. He's being scolded for something without any knowledge of it even happening, other than the bandaged stitches across his forehead. "All I remember is lights, and then nothing."
"It's okay, don't try to remember for now. You're okay, you're high on pain meds but you're okay," Levi says it firmly, almost to confirm the situation to himself. Focus on what's happening now, the years ahead of them, because Eren is fine.
"I'm okay," Eren repeats, a sleepy smile curving his lips, "My sexy husband has soft hands and kind eyes - we really should fuck when we get home. Please."
Rolling his eyes as he chuckles, Levi indulges Eren by nodding, "Maybe you should keep your voice down, I think the old lady in the cubicle next door is of a fragile disposition."
"Let her hear… I have a sexy husband!" Eren declares before lowering his voice to a purr, "Hey, ever had a hospital role-playing fantasy?"
Levi cannot believe what he's hearing, he scoffs, "Don't you need to sleep? I can see your eyes closing right now."
"You got me there," Eren agrees, stifling a yawn behind his hand, "I could give up even sleep for you.."
Laughing softly, Levi finds the button to lay Eren back down, so that he can fall asleep comfortably.
"That's unlikely," Levi reasons, leaning forward to kiss the dressing on Eren's head. "Close your eyes, get the rest your body needs."
Eren's eyes slip shut, and Levi's heart takes a second to relax. However, within the next minute they open again and he reaches for Levi's ring hand. "Do you know what I need?"
"What?" Levi humours, gripping Eren's hand gently. Drugged Eren is as cute as he comes, apparently.
"Pringles…" he moans tiredly, yet decisive and firm, "I need Pringles so badly."
Levi snorts, typical, "I'll get you some for when you wake up."
"Make sure you eat too," Eren requests, squeezing Levi's fingers in his, "Sleep. Take care of yourself. Hold my hand though, until I'm asleep… Please"
Levi's chest feels full to brimming with affection, he repeats his earlier gesture and strokes Eren's face with his free hand. "I won't let go until you're asleep, would you like me to count sheep for you?"
Eren's eyes have already closed but he still replies, "Yes, please.. My Mum used to count me sheep…"
Levi smiles, he knows. Its routine on any bad days that Eren might have, it helps to distract his mind from thoughts long enough to help him sleep soundly. Levi begins to count, voice soft and filled with fondnes, "One sheep, two sheep, three sheep.."
Soon, the only sounds filling the cubicle is the beeping of Eren's heart monitor and his slow breaths, both so steady and strong.