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Achoo!
“Bless you,” a voice behind you said, startling you and making you drop the duster. It was a familiar voice, at least, you were not getting attacked while you cleaned the windowsill.
“Captain,” you said. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to know your technique is worse than I remember,” he joked. “You have been cleaning the same dust for half an hour now.”
“Oh,” you hadn't realized. “Apologies, captain, I-”
“Call me Levi,” he sat on one of the chairs nearby, pointing to another one and inviting you to sit next to him. “At least for this conversation.”
You swallowed, perceiving that you had the mouth so dry that nothing went down your throat. You looked at the duster on the floor, something told you that, for once, Levi wouldn't mind if you left it there. You sat on the chair next to him without picking it up.
The captain was looking ahead, just like you, he didn't really like eye contact, which you were grateful for at the moment. You didn't know if you could bear to look at someone's face right now.
“So,” he started. “Tell me, what's been eating you?”
You opened your mouth to say nothing, but he interrupted you: “If you say nothing I'm demoting you,” was he joking?
You let out an awkward laugh. “I've just… been thinking…”
He raises an eyebrow. “Thinking about what?”
“Just,” you shrug. “Thinking.”
There was a moment of silence, you couldn't tell if it was uncomfortable or not.
“Look,” Levi said. “I can't have my soldiers in such a state. Especially not you-” He closed his mouth as if he was a puppet.
“Why not me?” You proded, confused.
He remained silent, his leg starting to bounce.
“Captain,” you insisted. “Levi.”
“Because,” he looked embarrassed. “I care about my team, I care about… you. You are… important to me.”
You felt your face heat up. What was he saying? Of course he cared about his soldiers, but the way he phrased that… it made it look like you were more important than the others in his eyes! Which was preposterous, to say the least, and unprofessional. Then why were your lips forming a smile?
“Levi,” you said softly. “You, I mean, you are also important to me.”
“As a captain?” He murmured so softly that you almost forgot who was the one comforting the other.
You shook your head, but then you realized that he wasn't looking at you, so you spoke. “No, as- well, as something else.”
Silence reigned between you two, but it was a comfortable silence, one that you wanted to pick up with gloves so as to not stain it, so you could hide it deep inside you so no one could take it away.
After a few minutes he coughed. “This room is still filthy,” he said without heat, standing up. “I trust you will finish cleaning it by dinner time?”
You stood up, a stupid smile on your face that you couldn't seem to wipe off. “Yes, captain.”
“Good, get to it,” he started leaving. “Oh, and soldier?”
“Yes?”
“If you ever need to not be alone while your head controls you like that again… Look for me, would you?” He coughed again, looking to his side. “Can't have you distracted.”
“Right,” you said, biting your lip so the smile was less prominent.
“Right,” he said as he finally left.
And so you started cleaning, mind still muddy but with a stronger anchor to stop you from drifting away. It wasn't perfect, not even a little bit, but it was yours.
And that had to count for something.