THE PROMISE YOU MADE|| {Levi x Furlan x OC Fem}

9. Underground walk *

A/N: Fluff chapter

The next day didn't pass fast for Ella. As usual, Furlan knocked on her door to deliver breakfast and said goodbye before leaving but something was off, he didn't seem to have the same humour as always, in fact, he seemed a bit down, or even worried. When she asked what was wrong, he simply answered back saying everything was fine with a nice smile; she didn't believe him though. Before leaving the room he turned around to tell her that he hadn't forgotten about their walk after his return, thus he promised her to be back soon. That made Ella happy, so since the moment he left, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Hours didn't seem to pass by, and Ella was falling into despair not knowing what else to do until his return. For some reason, she couldn't wait for him to come back and have a nice time outside the house she had been living in for the last few days.

"I am back!" An enthusiastic Furlan announced from downstairs. Ella who had patiently waited for his arrival tried to hide her excitement. She was really looking forward to their walk together, she was already prepared to go and waiting for him in front of the bedroom door so when Furlan opened it, he got surprised to find her just there.

"Hi! I'm glad you are back." Ella welcomed him nicely. 

"Hello. I see you are ready to go. How are you?" Ella told him about her day without mentioning all the times she checked the time until his return. Furlan told her how the day with Levi went and, how he managed to come back earlier. He was wearing a long brown cloak covering his legs up to his knees, in order to cover the OMD gear that was attached to his body. He showed the equipment quickly to Ella and winked his eye, explaining that Levi shouldn't know about him using the equipment for "leisure purposes".

"Are you willing to risk it for a walk?" She asked, rising her brow sceptical.

"It will only be a risk if he finds out, but I am not planning to tell him." He smirked cheekily, making Ella giggle. "Well then, are you ready to fly the skies of the Underground?" He said while offering his hand to Ella. She nodded confidently and took his hand softly.

Once they both reached the streets of the Underground Ella felt happy. It was her first time out in almost a week, and for those who had never been outside that trap, the Underground was just enough. She even felt satisfied breathing the polluted air that wrapped the city. Ella still struggled while walking, so they took a short walk around the neighbourhood. Strangers were staring at them, Ella didn't notice but Furlan was always alert for any upcoming danger. He knew he was walking next to a beautiful woman, and that would mean that other men around would see her as a trophy to win... or to steal.

"I think from here we are getting a shortcut." He said showing the ODM gear slightly. "Remember what I told you the first time? Hold on tight." 

Ella obeyed him and wrapped her arms around him, she closed her eyes and within seconds, they were flying over the Underground's streets. When she opened her eyes again, the height impressions made her grab herself even tighter to her companion, but the feeling of freedom of the moment made her laugh out loud. She was not scared at all, in fact, she was happy and full.

"Yoo-hoo!" Furlan yelled loudly, joining Ella. After minutes of flying around, he landed on a wide roof not too far from where he found her days ago. They both sat next to each other looking at the sea of houses under their feet. They kept silent for some time, simply immersed in the moment.

"I used to live not too far from here." Ella said nostalgically while hugging her knees. Furlan looked at her quietly. The spot he chose was not a coincidence. Because of his conversation with Levi the night before, he decided to bring her here on purpose to see what was her reaction but now he was regretting it. Ella didn't seem to notice anything, so she continued talking.

"That was, of course, before everything was taken from me..." She was trying to hide it, but Furlan realised she was starting to cry. Doubtful, he got closer to her and passed his arm around her shoulder, hoping that could reassure her. "The only thing he didn't take was my life, and that is thanks to you because if you wouldn't have found me, they would have killed me under his orders." She finally added. Furlan was listening intently to everything she was saying. 

"I am sorry I haven't told you this yet... I had this silly thought that if I wouldn't talk about it, it would be less real." Ella said with tears in her eyes. "Hours before we met, I saw my mother being killed by her partner in what used to be our home. I always knew he wasn't a good man. Many times, I wondered if my mother actually loved him. I wasn't supposed to see it, but I was there, and I couldn't contain my voice when I saw my mother covered in her own blood." She sobbed quietly and wiped her eyes while Furlan looked at her confused, and then he started to pet her hair softly. "He saw me and looked at me with his devil bloody eyes, so he started coming towards me slowly. I was really scared so I just left as fast as possible. I thought I lost him but then I heard his men running after me. That was right before you appeared." Ella said this last thing why a sad smile, but Furlan noticed certain relief in it too.

"His men also took from me my mother's brooch. I was wearing it proudly since the day she put it on me. I still remember how happy I was the day she gave it to me. We were not a wealthy household or anything like that, but that crimson brooch was in our family for generations and now it's on his power, like everything else we had." Ella now was starting to sound angrier. She wasn't crying anymore in fact, her facial expression had changed. Now that she had shared a bit more of her history with Furlan, hermemories were more real than ever, and so was her stepfather and for the firsttime in her life, she wished for revenge.

"I know living here can be really tough and I am sorry that you had to experience all this by yourself. But I have to admit that I am happy I found you that day." Furlan spoke. They looked at each other deeply, and Furlan regretted his choice of words. To his surprise, Ella smiled at him, it was a genuine smile. She was beautiful and now that they were getting to know each other a bit more, the feeling he experience when he first saw Ella was intensifying. Whenever she smiled, he could feel his heart warming up in a very pleasant way that made him feel calm and happy.

"I am glad you found me too, Furlan. I owe you my life." Ella replied, cupping his cheek with her hand gently. Furlan's heart stop beating for an instance when he heard those words coming out of her lips. With no hesitation, Furlan got a bit closer to her, his hand was still on her shoulder, and he dragged her towards him slowly. Their faces almost touched and they could feel the breath of each other in their faces,  their eyes closed when their lips almost met. Suddenly, the old church's bell that informed the Underground citizens about the new hour interrupted abruptly their sweet moment. They both stepped back shyly, pretending that never happened. They had never been this close to each other but for some reason, neither of them felt uncomfortable. Instead, Ella smiled shyly and bit her bottom lip. They were so close. 

"It's getting late. I think we should come back now..." Furlan said passing his hand through his hair timidly. Ella nodded at him, and they both got ready, leaving behind that kiss that didn't happen, but both wished for.