#impressed?

Lungs burning, each of Hange’s muscles ached with tension. They remembered Oluo’s earlier quip about preparing them a grave. Had he been serious after all?

“Fuck…”

The silence fell heavily upon the empty room. And then there came the crunch of boots beneath the window. Hange saw the light sweep past, out of sight. The torchbearer was circling the house, attempting access from the porch.

“Fuck!” Hange hissed again, paralysed by indecision. They snatched out options from a tangle of panicked thoughts, holding up each one. Run upstairs? Throw themself under one of the beds and wait to be found? Squeeze inside one of the wardrobes and bury themselves amongst crisp coats and uniforms? 

Outside, a slow, heavy tread creaked the wooden slats of the porch. It was too late. The metallic rattling of the door handle came before Hange could act.

Instead, they stood flat against the wall, eyes squeezed shut. In moments, the intruder would be inside the room. There was no time to run. Trembling, Hange reached for the dresser, their knuckles knocking against one of the cups. They flailed in the shadows until their hand closed on a heavier object; a teapot? A vase? Wrapping their fingers around the handle, Hange lifted it into the air.

“Don’t. Just don’t…” they muttered as the scrape of wood sounded. “Please don’t. Fuck off. Just fuck off…”

The door closed with a click. Hange’s grip on the handle tightened.

“Please… no…”

Footsteps approached. They were in the room.

“No!”

With a strangled gasp, Hange brought the teapot down with all their might.

For a moment the trespasser’s torch blinded Hange to all but the figure’s silhouette. Then a vice-like grip stilled their arm, causing them to howl at the strength of the fingers clutching their wrist. 

Torchlight shone on the whites of Hange’s eyes; it caught upon a tear as it spilled down their cheek. Their mouth hung open, trembling. Helpless. Taken aback, Levi lowered his other arm.

“Idiot,” he seethed. The suddenness of his assailant’s brutal attack had reduced him to as breathless a state as Hange, whose chest was still heaving in the darkness. They gazed at one another. Levi’s hand remained closed around their wrist, their pulse throbbing beneath the pad of his thumb.