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thexanwillshine · 1 year

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Yeah, okay, sure, because why not? This turned out to be a lot longer than I expected, so HAHAHA have some teacher!gray and student!juvia. This is what happens when I’m inspired.

The first time she saw him was inside the busy lines of the midnight train.

Juvia Lockser believed she was nothing special, and went about living her life with that sentiment in mind. She was a silent girl, keeping to herself most of the time and talking only when absolutely needed. Her life was a series of boring and repeated events, a mixture of dull routines and reoccurring nightmares.

She felt as if she was stuck in a void, a dark place where no one could reach her. Not a single soul dared to approach her, for some unknown reason, and the constant alone-ness caused her to look as if there was a cloud above her head, spouting storms and raining above her every single day. The darkness, though unbearable, was somehow a savior, and she found herself embracing her gloominess far more than necessary, the non existent rain cloud above her head pouring over her like an endless bucket.

Juvia sighed inaudibly as she entered her card into the slot, the object popping out on the other side like toasted bread. She grabbed it with practiced ease, shoving it in her pocket and heading on towards the train. The clock read 11:11, and the girl couldn’t help but mutter a silent wish at the thought of an old myth.

Please. Her eyes were empty as she watched the train approach, the blinding white lights a stark contrast to the darkness. She will accept any miracle. Just please. The lights were approaching, and she clutched the bag she was holding tighter, as if the action would make her wish come true. Juvia wants the rain to go away.

Suddenly everything was a blur, and the next thing she knew, her dark blue hair was flying around her, her eyes wide as she watched the train pass in front of her, the painted colors resembling rainbows and butterflies and sunshine and happiness. Who painted trains like that these days?

“Are you crazy?”

She could feel her heart pounding on her chest, and she blinked, noticing that her back had hit something soft, and that a pair of arms were around her—she was absolutely horrified when she thought she wanted to stay like that forever. Her bag hung on her wrist, and she pushed it backwards, letting it settle on the area above her elbows. Her hands were turned into fists, and she appeared to be gripping the sleeves of whoever wrapped their arms around her. She could feel her lip trembling in fear, and she quivered when the train came to an abrupt stop.

She uncurled her fists, letting go of the sleeve that she had previously clung onto. She looked back to face whoever had grabbed her, only to meet a pair of dark eyes glaring back at her stare. Dark bangs fell forth his face, and she resisted the urge to push them a little bit further up, to get a better view of his features.

The train doors opened, and she soon found herself being pushed inside by the man none-too-gently. There were very few people, and a little later she was already seated on a bench, in the middle of an old lady and a very drunk-looking man, across the man who had apparently just prevented her from needing plastic surgery.

He looked older than her, with shaggy dark hair and a scar on his forehead, a little above his left eyebrow. He was wearing a suit, the first three buttons undone, his tie hanging loosely on his neck. A briefcase was settled beside him, as was a plastic envelope filled with various papers inside. His eyes were still set in a glare as he looked at her, studying her.

There was no one beside him, and she sucked in a breath as the train closed its doors, ready to head on to the next stop. She had wished for a miracle. For some reason, faith had decided to give her a glaring man with some sort of stripping problem. Her heart was thundering in her chest, and she knew that her cheeks were reddening as she sat, what with the heat she could feel radiating off of them. Releasing the breath she had been holding, she gathered her courage and strengthened herself.

With hesitant legs and shaking hands, she walked over to the man, sitting beside him and trying to act as nonchalant as possible when he flashed her a questioning glance. “Thank you,” she whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

“Are you crazy?” He had repeated his previous statement, and had she not been nervous, she would have reprimanded him for his rudeness. She shook her head, looking away as she blushed.

“Juvia was… Watching the train’s lights,” she explained weakly, playing with the straps of her bag. “It just seemed so entrancing, and she—“

“You could have died, you know,” the man told her, and she returned her gaze to him, seeing him leaning on the window, watching the passing lights outside it. “You’re lucky.”

“Juvia was also wishing for a miracle,” she added in, feeling the need to say why exactly she was so out of it.

“A miracle?” He echoed, and she flinched at the way he spat it out as if the mere word disgusted him.

“Yes. A miracle,” she confirmed, nodding her head. “My name is Juvia Lockser.”

“We are now at Magnolia station. Please take care of your belongings. Next stop, Rainfell station. We are now at Magnolia station. Please take care of your belongings. Next stop, Rainfell Station.”

“This is my stop,” the man said, and he grabbed his briefcase, glancing back at the blue haired girl. “Nice meeting you.”

And with those words, he was gone, and she was left alone, her hand outstretched.

The train doors closed, and the passing of street lights resumed. The darkness was eating away from the outside, and the train’s boarders were quieter than before.

“Juvia still hadn’t learned your name.”

She had accompanied Gajeel to their school.

Her uniform was a beautiful fit, and the royal blue worked incredibly well with her hair. Despite the dull and somewhat nun-like appearance of the outfit, she was strangely contented, and was comfortable with parading around wearing her school’s emblem on her chest.

“Think about it Gajeel-kun, you’re going to be my teacher!” She grinned at him, only to receive an eye roll from the man. “PE will never be boring for Juvia! She will support you! Redfox-sensei!”

The dark haired man bit back the urge to vomit at the term, and he glared at Juvia, his red eyes glinting with malice. “Five years. That’s our age gap. You don’t need to call me teacher. Don’t even think about calling me that in fucking public.”

“But Gajeel-kun, it wouldn’t really seem right for Juvia to be calling you ‘Gajeel-kun’ when all the other students who are her age are calling him Redfox-sensei,” she remarked teasingly. She then tried to steer away from the original topic, perfectly “I’m sure Miss Levy Mcgarden will need your assistance as always.”

“She’s a student, get your mind out of the gutter,” he told her, resisting the urge to punch the crap out of his only friend. “That shrimp’s all talk and no bite, completely worthless at sports.”

“Yes, but she’s still the best at academics, so you can’t insult her there,” Juvia stated, glancing as Gajeel “pfft”ed. “You give her passing grades in Physical Education even though you say she sucks at everything you tell us to do, and you—“

“Get to class,” Gajeel interrupted gruffly, shoving her inside her classroom. She hadn’t even realized they had already arrived, and she watched as her tall friend went the opposite direction, obviously headed to the faculty. A few students cowered as he passed, and Juvia smiled at the thought of the big, bad, scary teacher falling head over heels for the academic queen.

The blue haired girl placed her bag on her desk, pulling back her chair as she sat. There were already a few students in, such as Laki Olietta, who seemed entranced with her wooden sculptures, Bisca Mulan, who was with her boyfriend Alzack Connell, and Lucy Heartfilia, who was seated right beside her.

The class soon slowly filled with students, and the noise and chatter rose as more and more people entered. Juvia played with the edge of her pencil, running her thumb over the teru teru bozu doll she had attached at the tip, playing with the stitches.

She was tired, and incredibly bored with her life.

The miracle from long ago had long since passed, and she was once again forced to deal with the pathetic short comings of her dull, every day life. This was going to be another hell of a school year, but she would, as usual be facing it without luster, without joy, and only a mean teacher as some sort of friend. Juvia sighed, closing her eyes and placing her head on the table, the smooth wood meeting her forehead.

She kept her eyes closed even when the chatter died down, and the door opened and closed to reveal the entrance of the teacher.

“Fullbuster.” She knew that voice. Juvia sat straight up in surprise, her blue locks bouncing over her shoulders at the sudden movement, her eyes as wide as saucers. “Gray Fullbuster.”

His hair was as messy as ever, and his eyes were set in a glare like always. His suit was now buttoned, and his tie was tied around his neck properly like it should have been, but his fingers were playing with the edge of his collars, tugging as if he wanted his clothing off.

Here was the boy who had saved her, standing in front of her like some sort of prince.

And he was her teacher.

Suddenly it was like that fateful night again, for her heart was pounding just as quick as it had the very first time she met him, and her stomach fluttered with joy and a feeling she couldn’t place. She knew that he would recognize her if he saw her (crazy girl who was about to lose her nose to a train because she was wishing for a miracle was probably what he thought of her, no doubt), yet she felt no need to hide her face like she normally would.

He was speaking, talking about schedules and subjects and seminars, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to listen, and was entranced by the way his hair hung just above his eyes. She loved the way his fingers would make their way to his collar, before he would put them down again, and would proceed on drumming the edges of his table as he spoke. She loved his voice, the way he talked, and the way his hair fell just around his face, framing it.

She was so transfixed with just staring at him that she didn’t even realize that said person was now looking at her directly, his face contorted in surprise. She didn’t even hear him say “dismissed,” and she couldn’t even feel the hustle and bustle that followed his previous statement. Soon, the students that had previously been sitting next, in front, beside and behind her were out the door, in their rush to get to their next class.

“You’re still here,” he said then, and Juvia snapped out of her trance, blinking as she did so.

“Gray-sama,” she whispered, pushing her notebook in her bag and looking at the man in awe. “You’re Juvia’s savior.”

He looked a little irritated, with the way he glared at her and his mouth set in a grim line. “Fullbuster-sensei to you,” he told her, shoving papers inside his briefcase. “Juvia, right?”

She nearly jumped out of her seat as he said her name, her heart leaping in joy. “Yes, Gray-sama!” She replied, nodding fervently. “It’s been so long since she’s last seen you!”

“Two months isn’t that long,” he stated dryly, locking the object in his hand and heaving it upward, allowing his arm to hang on the side of his body, the briefcase in hand. “You should get to class. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Again, he was gone.

Juvia stood in the empty classroom, blinking as though she was trying to wake herself up from a dream. Students from the next class were now filing in, and she forced herself to get out, pushing her body out the door, her eyes magnetically searching for the person who made her heart pound the way it did.

“She’s finally learned your name,” she whispered, and her mouth stretched out into a smile. “And you remembered hers.”

Gray groaned as he looked up at the persistent girl in front of him. “Juvia, for the millionth time,” he sharpened his tone. “It’s Fullbuster-sensei. Get it right or I swear I’ll kick you out of my class the next time I see you.”

She giggled, and he could feel a vein throb in his head. “You always say that,” she told him, smiling as she did so. “You never kicked me out of any of your classes, Gray-sama.” With surprising ease, she lifted up a lunchbox in front of his face, practically shoving it. “Juvia made this for you,” she said, a light blush tinting her cheeks.

“Look, I appreciate it, really.” He glanced at the marvelous lunch in front of him, his stomach grumbling as he eyed the contents. “But I don’t accept gifts from students. Please.”

Juvia sighed, and lowered the box down as she stared at the closed door. Every single lunch time, she would make her way to Gray’s classroom and find him sitting there, countless amounts of artworks piling his desk. After a few days of stalki—observing, the girl finally mustered up the courage to talk to him, and make him a lunchbox to at least make up for her intrusions. She’d try to coax him into eating something, but he would always refuse, with the excuse of being far busier than he looked. Surprisingly enough, he wouldn’t complain about her presence, but he did reject her advances.

“You don’t do much at lunch, do you?”

Juvia’s head snapped back at the sound of Gray’s voice, only to see him grading another paper. “Juvia is a rain woman,” she answered. “She doesn’t really have any friends, aside from Gajeel-kun, but he’s always busy. No one wants to make friends with a rain woman.”

He looked as if he wanted to say something, but the man closed his mouth, resuming his gaze at the countless amounts of paper laid out in front of him. “So you choose to pester me here?”

“Is Juvia being a bother to you?” She asked, and he noticed the slight fear that passed her blue eyes. “She’s sorry. Maybe she should leave now—“

“Help me grade,” he interrupted, kicking the chair beside him in her direction. “Make some use of that presence of yours.”

Gray pretended not to notice the way her eyes lit up at his words, and the way she grinned like an idiot and ran to sit beside him, joy evident on her face. “She’d be happy to help!” She proclaimed, grabbing a stack of papers and pulling put a pen from her pocket. He pretended not to notice the look on her face when she stated her next words, “Thank you, Gray-sama.”

“Hm.”

“Love rival,” Juvia hissed as Lucy made her way to Gray’s desk, an artwork in her hands. She watched as the blonde grinned at the teacher, before handing him the paper. Gray took it immediately, mentioning a few errors, and gave it back to her. Lucy nodded, and headed back to her seat.

“Hey, Juvia,” she said, showing the paper to the blue-haired girl. “You’re amazing at arts,” the blonde continued honestly,, and Juvia felt her anger ebb a little at the compliment. “Please tell me how I can fix this!” She begged, tugging on the girl’s sleeve. “Natsu ruined it for me last night when he dropped by my apartment.”

“Well, love rival.” Juvia ignored the way Lucy flinched and echoed her nickname for her. “If you added a little bit of orange to the yellow, you’ll be able to achieve the perfect glow. The palette you should be using are the colors red, yellow, orange, white, and just a bit of black. Does that make sense, somehow?”

“Love rival, though?” Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. “Who do you love, Juvia?”

“Gray-sama is Juvia’s,” she blurted out immediately, before her cheeks reddened in embarrassment at her boldness. She looked at her lap, fiddling with her thumbs and curling and uncurling her fists in slight shame. “She means—uhh—“

“Gray?” Lucy repeated, and the blonde cast a glance at the man sitting behind the desk, watching the students with that stern gaze of his. “You mean Fullbuster-sensei? That’s his first name, right?”

Juvia nodded slowly, her cheeks still searing with heat when she placed her palms over them to cool it. “He… .saved Juvia,” she told the girl with all honesty, the thought of his arms around her passing her mind, and she reddened even more. “He’s Juvia’s miracle.”

“Ohoho,” Lucy chuckled, her brain immediately working its gears. “I’d love to see how that story turned out. Come on, tell me.”

So she did. She told her how they first met, watching as Lucy’s eyes sparkled with delight. She told her how she usually helped the man grade papers, and how she made him lunch every single day (although he’d reject it just as often). She told her how Gray made her heart flutter, how he made butterflies appear in her stomach, and how he made her fingers tremble at a mere glance.

By the end of her tale, Lucy was smiling at her like an idiot, and the girl took two of Juvia’s hands in hers, clasping them tightly as her grin widened. “That was amazing!” She said, surprised at the quiet, blue-haired girl’s story. “I promise I’ll be cheering you on. I’m sure you’ll be able to melt that ice cold heart of his! You’ve been trying so hard, after all.”

“Ice cold heart?” Juvia echoed, and Lucy nodded.

“Yeah, that man’s a mean one,” the blonde confirmed, and Juvia couldn’t help but chuckle at her comment. “You know who can help? My best friend, Levy Mcgarden! I’m sure she’ll be able to teach you some,” Lucy cleared her throat, a mischievous look gracing her beautiful face, “tips to get the teacher you’re in love with around your little finger.”

“Gajeel-kun is head over heels for her,” Juvia inserted, and the look of joy that filled Lucy’s face was priceless. “But don’t tell her I told you that, because if you do, Juvia’s mangled remains will be found plastered on the tree outside.”

“I won’t,” Lucy nodded, giving her word.

“Class dismissed,” Gray’s deep tone interrupted the noisy chatter, and Juvia stood up, handing her artwork over to the president to be passed. She looked at Lucy, who grinned at her and invited her for lunch.

The blue haired girl nodded, following the yellow-haired girl outside.

Unaware of the pair of dark eyes following her out, a frown on the owner’s face.

“Yes?” Erza Scarlet pushed her glasses up her nose as she spoke, looking at the blunette in front of her. “Juvia Lockser, correct?”

“Yes ma’am,” Juvia said, confirming her identity. “I just wanted to get something from Gajeel-kun—I mean, Redfox-sensei’s table,” the blue haired girl reddened at her mistake. “Please.”

“Juvia,” Erza interrupted, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder, concern prominent in her tone. The blue haired girl looked at her teacher, blinking in confusion. Erza shook her head. “Never mind,” she said, smiling. “Come in,” she continued, moving so the girl could enter the faculty room. “His table is at the end of the room. You know where he sits, right?”

“Yes, thank you,,” Juvia said politely. A part of her mind couldn’t help but wonder what Erza had to say, but she shook it off, hoping that it really was nothing.

She made her way inside, heading towards the familiar table filled with nothing but scrap iron and a few papers. Second drawer to the right, Gajeel had told her. That’s where he left his whistle.

When the girl had retrieved the item exactly where the man had instructed, she turned to leave—but stopped abruptly when Gray Fullbuster’s sleeping face caught her eye.

He was leaning on a large chair, both arms over the armrests and legs spread out, taking up all the space they could. His buttons were undone, his tie tossed over his desk haphazardly. the girl couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the sight, but immediately clamped a hand over her mouth when the man stirred in his sleep.

She continued to watch him, nearing his face as she tried to view more of his peaceful face. His messy hair fell just a little over his eyes, and she brushed the locks up gently, marveling at how soft they were. In her trance, she began to slowly run a hand over his hair.

What she didn’t expect was for the man to nuzzle his head into her hand, as if begging her to touch it more. She gave into his desire, playing with his dark locks and twirling it around her fingers, rolling and unrolling strands using her thumb and forefinger.

He sighed in his sleep, and a blush touched her pale cheeks. Juvia immediately let go of his hair, placing both hands over her mouth in surprise and backing away at what she had just done.

She had just played with his hair! And he let her do it!

Well, there was the fact that he didn’t know she was the one who did it—the thought saddened her a bit, so she tried not to dwell on it too much. A breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding escaped her mouth, and she watched as Gray turned his head in the other direction, muttering words in his sleep.

Adorable!

“Ahem.”

Juvia’s eyes immediately snapped out of their reverie, and she looked at the owner of the voice with horror. Standing in front of her was Erza Scarlet, her glasses placed on top of her coat, a smirk growing on her face.

“It’s not what it looks like?” Juvia offered weakly, attempting a smile. The redhead shook her head, her smirk turning into a gentle smile. Her eyes softened, but Juvia couldn’t help but hear the blood pounding in her ears as her heart thundered wildly in her chest. She just had to be caught—by Erza, no less. “I’m sorry,” the blue haired girl said sincerely, looking down at the ground, pocketing Gajeel’s whistle.

“Don’t apologize, dear,” Erza said gently, patting Juvia’s head and keeping her hand there as she spoke. “I understand. You like him, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Juvia answered honestly, her voice not above a whisper. She looked up at the redhead, only to see the latter smiling brightly at her, an expression she rarely saw from the terror teacher.

“Then I understand,” Erza told her, nodding. “I won’t tell him if you promise me that you will be the one to tell him someday.” When Juvia didn’t reply, she continued, “I can see it in your eyes, Juvia.” The student blinked in confusion. “You love him very much.”

“Juvia promises,” she looked at the ground, then returned her gaze to Erza, determination starting to bubble up inside of her. “Juvia will tell him… But she supposes he already knows.” The girl giggled. “Juvia was being so obvious.”

Erza removed her hand from atop the girl’s head, flashing her a smile. “Then he must understand, if he still tolerates your presence. Now, go on ahead. Gajeel’s looking for you.”

Juvia nodded, turning to leave. “Thank you, Scarlet-sensei.”

“No problem,” the teacher replied. She watched as Juvia walked towards the door, glancing back at her before exiting. Her mind flew to thoughts of a blue-haired man, far away from where she was—a memory of a love she herself experienced.

“Why are you taking the midnight train?” Gray asked, turning his head to look at his companion. “You take classes in the morning, yet you’re leaving so late at night…”

“Juvia’s going to be a marine biologist,” she replied, tilting her head to the side as she tried to catch a glimpse of the train’s headlights. “So she takes classes in the evening as well.”

“Why are you taking my class?” He blurted in surprise, his eyes widening at her response. “It’s arts! You’re not going to use arts in marine biology. You don’t look like you need extra credits or classes to pass either.”

“Juvia loves drawing,” she told him simply, staring off in the distance. “And she’s learning how to draw marine organisms, so it’s not really a complete loss and waste.”

“How much sleep do you even get every day?” Gray questioned. “If you take classes in the morning, and you take classes at night, and you spend every lunch time with me—how the fuck do you sleep, woman?”

“Juvia sleeps for six hours, it’s completely normal, Gray-sama,” she answered, looking at him with slight annoyance. “Why are you even asking Juvia questions?”

“Erza,” he said, sighing. “She mentioned something about you taking way too many classes for your major. Hell, is what you’re doing even allowed?”

“You know, Gray-sama, you tend to swear a lot when there aren’t any students around,” Juvia commented, steering the topic away from their original conversation. “It’s kinda funny.”

“You’re a student, and I swear around you,” he retaliated, then realized what he had just implied. “Wait, okay, forget I said that.” He waved his hand over his face, shaking his head.

He didn’t even consider her a student anymore! Looking at the blue haired damsel beside him, he had just realized that he had been treating her as an equal, as a colleague. She was not supposed to be treated as such—hell, if the principal knew about it, he was pretty sure he was going to be in pretty big trouble. Favoritism was a problem, and here he was, talking and conversing and cursing around Juvia as if she was Cana or Erza or Mira.

Except he wasn’t treating her as a favorite student. Her was treating her as if she was a friend, and the way he thought of her was never in the way of how he graded her. She was an amazing artist already, she didn’t need to woo him just to get good grades—and now that she had just revealed her true major, she didn’t even need his grades!

“Gray-sama, the train’s here!” Juvia said, and the dark haired man immediately snapped out of his thoughts, watching as the bustling vehicle passed by the both of them, leaving a strong gust of air in its midst.

“Juvia loves you, you know.”

The fact was tossed out so suddenly, without as much as a hint or a warning. He paused in his paperwork, glancing at the blue haired girl beside him, who was working as if she had said nothing of importance.

“What?” Gray asked in surprise.

“Juvia knows you heard her,” she said, stapling some documents together. “She doesn’t need to repeat it. She would just like you to know.”

“Know…?”

She sighed in frustration. “Juvia loves you.” Her cheeks were red, a large contrast to her blue hair, and she was utterly focused on the task at hand.

He could feel his heart beating just a little faster in his chest, but he ignored it, and he resumed his duties. “You know that’s not allowed, right?” He told her. “You’re a student, and I’m a teacher. You shouldn’t like me in that way.”

“Juvia knows,” she said, sighing for the second time. “She just wanted to let you know.”

“Oh.”

When Gajeel told him that Juvia had been involved in some sort of accident, he freaked. It was lunch time when the aforementioned incident had been relayed to him, and he immediately left all of his paperwork in favour of visiting his student in the infirmary. His tie was still half undone when he left the classroom, and he found himself messily buttoning his suit as he headed to his destination, muttering apologies to the students he had accidentally bumped into or passed.

“Juvia!” he said as he entered, panting slightly as he pushed the door open.

The sight of the blue haired woman lying on the bed with her eyes closed made his stomach churn uncomfortably, but he pushed the feeling down as he walked over to the girl.

“It’s my fault!”

Gray raised an eyebrow as a pink-haired girl stood up from beside Juvia, her hair tied in a pretty bun and her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Fullbuster-sensei, it’s all my fault,” she confessed, biting her lip. “I was about to get hit by a baseball bat, and she pushed me out of the way!”

“What’s your name?” He asked her then, trying to sound more professional than he looked.

“Meredy,” she told him, sniffling. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Gray said, in an attempt to comfort the crying girl. He grabbed a nearby chair, placing it beside the slumbering (he really hoped she was just sleeping) girl and sitting on it, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning forward, getting a better look of Juvia’s face. “So she got hit by a bat?”

“Yes,” Meredy answered, sitting down on Juvia’s bed. “Behind the head. Polyusica-san said it was nothing serious, and she’ll only be suffering minor injuries, like a bump. She stepped out for awhile, but she said it was only the shock that knocked her unconscious, and apparently her body isn’t in very good shape.”

“What do you mean?”

“She hasn’t been sleeping much lately, and has been for a while now. I saw her in the library the other day, studying like a maniac. Apparently her classes are taking a toll on her health as well.”

“You stupid, stupid girl,” Gray told the sleeping figure, shaking his head at the pink-haired girl’s words. “You thought you could do all those things, didn’t you?”

He realized that Juvia hadn’t been around much to irk him every lunch time. He found the lack of her presence somewhat—boring, dare he admit it. He figured it was because of her confession and his (somewhat) rejection. Thinking back, it was a selfish thought. She was probably busy with other things, like essays and thesis that needed to be passed.His pride refused to allow him to seek out his regular companion, and he chose to stay in his dull and boring classroom, grading papers alone in the dark.

“Uhh—sensei, I just wanted to ask you,” Meredy interrupted, and he looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

Gray’s cheeks heated at the question, and he looked away, staring at the white ceiling. Damn, he must’ve looked like an idiot! A teacher racing to the clinic just because a student, who he had no relationship with (familial relationship—he did kind of begrudgingly accept her as his friend), got hit by a baseball bat? Trying to avoid glaring at the girl in front of him, he muttered, “it’s none of your business.”

The girl between them stirred, and Meredy immediately shot up, a smile spreading on her lips. “Juvia! Are you okay now?” She whispered, minding her voice. “Does anywhere hurt?”

“Meredy?” Juvia asked, blinking and covering her eyes with her fingers at the sudden light. “What are you doing here? Where am I?”

“You’re in the infirmary,” Meredy explained gently, taking one of Juvia’s hands and placing it between two of her own. “You saved me from a baseball bat, remember? I’m so glad you’re awake! Does your head still hurt?”

“Yes,” Juvia admitted, feeling the throbbing pain at the center of the back of her head. “I’ll live, though,” she continued, grinning.

“That’s great!” Meredy said, and a mischievous glint passed her eye. She leaned in closer, whispering, “I’ll give you two some alone time.”

Juvia could do nothing but stare at her questioningly, before nodding blankly and whispering “okay?” Back.

It was only when Meredy stood up to leave that Juvia noticed the dark-haired man sitting beside her, a slightly worried expression present on his face. “Gray-sama!” She said in surprise, before noticing that Meredy hadn’t exited yet. “I mean, Fullbuster-sensei! What are you doing here?”

She tried to push herself up to sit, but her arms ached a little and her body seemed to crave the comfort of the bed. Forgetting the pain, she placed her hands on the sheets, pushing her body upward and struggling—only to be stopped by a pair of hands that pushed her back down gently.

“Rest,” Gray grunted, looking at Juvia sternly. “You selfless, selfless girl. So selfless yet so utterly stupid.”

Juvia blushed, trying to avoid his gaze. “Well, Meredy was about to get hit and Juvia thought that she would not like to see her get hurt.”

“I’m fucking angry with you right now, you know that?” He told her. “Don’t do stupid things like that again! You know it could have been worse. If it had hit a sensitive part of your brain, and you would have died—“

“But Juvia didn’t die,” Juvia interrupted, blinking. “She’s okay—a little bit tired, but—“

“And you know what? Maybe you should just drop my class.”

“What?” Juvia stared at him in surprise. “What has that got to do with anything?”

“Juvia, your body can’t take much more stress. You’ve got essays and other shit to do. You’re tiring yourself out!”

“But Juvia wants to take your class!” She said in protest, sitting straight up and wincing at the pain at the back of her head. He was about to scold her, but she interrupted him. “Going to your class or not is my decision, not yours. You’re not the only reason Juvia goes.”

“I’ll give you the grade you deserve,” he muttered sharply, glaring daggers at her. “You’re a proficient student. If you don’t just go because of me, fine. But you’re dropping my class whether you like it or not.”

“Please don’t tell me what to do!” She begged, grabbing the edge of his sleeve. “I’m not tired because of your class! There are other reasons as to why Juvia is exhausted, and being your student is not one of it!”

“Listen to me, you idiot, and calm down,” he said, removing her grip on him and placing her hand back down on the bed. “This is for you. Rest. Do your shit. When you’re done, you can come back to my class.”

“Juvia told you, it’s not your class or you that’s stressing me out!” She practically shouted at him, and he clamped his mouth shut, a little taken aback at his normally calm companion’s outburst. She was so close to tears, and his heart tugged a little at the sight. “Things are—happening. Not good things. Juvia can handle it.” She looked at him with those huge, expressive eyes of hers, and he averted his gaze, trying not think about the guilt eating at him from inside. “Just please, Gray-sama—Fullbuster-sensei,” her tears were flowing freely on her cheeks, “Juvia won’t bother you at lunch anymore. She promises she’ll call you Fullbuster-sensei both in private and public,” she hiccuped, and he frowned as her sullen expression imbedded itself into his mind, “just please. Please. Don’t let me leave the one place I can be at peace.”

She was openly crying now, and he stared at her awkwardly, his hands hanging at the side of his body. He didn’t know what to do, or what to say—and the feeling that burned in his throat seemed to singe him from the inside. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I didn’t know.”

“Juvia forgives you,” she told him, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “She will always forgive you.”

His heart jumped in his chest, and it scared him just a little bit to think that maybe, he was falling for her too.

It’s been weeks since she had last talked to him.

They would pass each other in the hallway, each to their own business, but there was no greeting exchanged between the both of them. She would look at him expectantly, trying to get him to talk to her—but he would avert his gaze and move away, as if she had the plague.

To say that his actions didn’t hurt her was an understatement.

Lucy had been asking why she looked so tired, and she had—uncharacteristically, indeed—snapped at Gajeel a few days back. He looked surprised and a lot taken aback, before he asked bluntly, “did something happen between you and the stripper?”

She told her best friend everything, unable to take the information in any longer. She was devastated, and from his tale—Gray wasn’t exactly doing well either.

He was a lot stricter in class, and could barely tolerate noise and unnecessary chatter. The class soon realized that an angry Fullbuster-sensei was not to be messed with, and every Arts class was spent in silence, a deadly cold aura in the room as he watched them sketch and draw. The students would leave soon after, wondering what the hell happened to the teacher who was perfectly okay with shouting and chair kicking and other rambunctious behavior.

Juvia thought nothing of it, thinking that he had encountered something that could have pissed him off the past few days. It was selfish to think that he was mad just because the two of them weren’t in friendly terms.

She did obey her word. She never dropped by his classroom at lunch time, and she never felt the need to call him Gray-sama, or Fullbuster sensei—because they never did talk—the need never rose. She obeyed his wishes, did her thesis, her countless amount of essays, every report that needed to be done—but she did keep on attending his class.

She wouldn’t look up at him, choosing to listen only to his voice when he spoke—for fear of breaking down in front of him. It would be embarrassing, not only for her, but for him as well, and she couldn’t risk the shame she would impose had she cried in the middle of the class.

She should have looked.

The class never noticed it, but Lucy Heartfilia sure did.

The dark haired teacher would glance at the girl every so often as he spoke, eyeing her head of hair before looking forward once more. Lucy would frown whenever he did so (because her friend didn’t even know that the person she adored looked her way, and it kind of pissed her off), and by the amount of times she scrunched her face up, well, the blonde could say that it was a lot of times.

He looked so fucking irritated every single day, and Juvia looked like she had just suffered all the misfortunes of the heavens and the earth. Lucy was tempted to ask her what happened sometimes, but she considered it rude and a little too forward.

Gray Fullbuster was in shambles.

He had snapped at Erza earlier in the day, and if there was something one should never do—it was to snap at Erza Scarlet. God knows what kind of punishment awaited those who even dared.

But he forgot the said consequences and shouted back at the redhead, glaring at her before stalking away, leaving the woman standing there in slight shock, amusement, and irritation. When the woman confronted him about it later, he sighed.“Look, Erza, I’m sorry,” he said honestly, slamming his hands into his desk. “My head just hurts and I feel pissed out of my mind. Sorry.”

“I know,” Erza replied, staring down at him. “I noticed. Now, what’s got you hotheaded? You’re losing your cool, Gray.”

“I know, I know,” the man repeated, running a hand through his dark locks. “Actually, never mind, I don’t know. Wait, what?”

“What happened?” Erza’s features softened, and she took a seat on Gajeel’s chair, right beside Gray. “Tell me. Not as a fellow teacher,” she placed a hand on Gray’s shoulder. “As an older sister.”

Gray frowned at her expression, and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. “I don’t know,” he told her honestly, staring at the ceiling before sighing for the second time. “It’s just—there’s—“

“Are you having girl problems?” Erza speculated her eyes nearly bulging out of her sockets. “Who’s the lucky woman?”

“I’m not!” Gray snapped at her for the second time that day, and Erza raised an eyebrow in warning. “Well, no, but—“

“Then what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Juvia—she’s—“

“Juvia? Juvia Lockser? She’s the reason why you’re acting like such a terror to every one you see?”

“Well, kind of, but—“

Erza glared at him sharply, and he immediately shut his mouth, fearing the redhead’s temper. “You do know of how she feels for you, right?”

He sucked in a breath, before exhaling. “Yes.”

“Why don’t you be a little more resolute?” She asked him, crossing her legs and leaning her elbow on his table, her features softening. “The girl loves you, for goodness’ sake.”

“She’s a student,” he admitted then, relenting. “It’s… Wrong.”

“Love is never wrong.” Erz smiled softly. “I’ll tell you something that’s supposed to be a secret,” Erza said, and by the mischievous look that sparkled in her eyes, Gray could tell that it involved him. “A few weeks back, Juvia entered the faculty room because she had to take something of Gajeel’s.”

Gray narrowed his eyes. “She could have just asked me—“

“Shut up and let me finish,” Erza said, cutting him off. “Now, she took whatever she needed—but she stopped.” Gray stared at her curiously, his eyes set in confusion. “She saw you sleeping.” Gray opened his mouth to speak, his cheeks reddening, but she interrupted him again. “I think she found you cute. She kind of played with your hair, and you were letting her do it. And you were nuzzling your head into her palm,” Erza snickered. “Like a little kitten.”

“You mean that wasn’t a dream?”

Juvia stood in front of the classroom, a hand placed over her chest. She was done with everything she needed to do, and she wasn’t as busy as she had been the past few weeks. It was time for her to come back.

She knocked on the door. Upon hearing his grunt, she pushed the door open. He raised his head to look at her, and his jaw nearly fell open as he took in the person standing on the other side.

“Juvia,” he whispered, pushing his chair back. “What can I do for you?”

She swallowed, inhaling before she spoke. “Juvia,” she raised a lunchbox to her chest, displaying its contents. “Made this for you,” she continued.

There was silence in the air, and Gray leaned his back on his chair, smirking. “Bring it here, let’s eat.”

The smile on her face was priceless.

“Juvia’s ex boyfriend came back,” the girl said out of nowhere, and Gray paused his sketching to gawk at her. She ignored him, continuing. “That was the reason why Juvia was exhausted. It was never really school. She can handle the stress.”

“You had an ex-boyfriend?” Gray asked, trying to ignore the twinge of jealousy burning at the back of his mind. “Who?”

“His name was Bora.” She stuck her tongue out somewhat immaturely. “He was disgusting. He hated how Juvia was so gloomy.”

“I don’t find you gloomy,” he said.

“Thank you, but Juvia admits that she was gloomy as well.” The girl laughed, and he could feel his heart swell at the sound. “Juvia used to live in the orphanage, and all the kids hated her there. It was a long time ago, before she met Gray-sama. He took away Juvia’s rain. That’s why she loves him. You were my miracle.”

He kept his silence, before resuming his task. He let her confession slip past him again. “My parents died when I was a child,” he felt the need to tell her. After all, she had revealed a little bit of her past. “Then i was adopted by a woman named Ur.” The tip of the pencil he was holding snapped in two, and he closed his eyes. “She died too.”

“I’m sorry,” Juvia said, and he glanced at her, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes. “Don’t worry, they’re in better places,” she added, smiling.

“Yeah,” he agreed, nodding. “I guess I am, too.”

It was the day of her graduation, and the blunette stood with the rest of her classmates, beaming as she held her diploma up for the world to see. A few more years, and she was to be the greatest marine biologist ever!

Her joy couldn’t be contained, and she even let loose a little as she squealed with Lucy and Levy, the latter jingling with all the medals that hung around her neck.

“We did it!” Lucy said, giggling. “We’re outta here!”

Juvia grinned, and Levy laughed along with Lucy. “Hey, Juvia,” her fellow blunette said, before nudging her head in the direction behind her. “Someone’s here to see you.”

“What?” Juvia said, raising an eyebrow. She turned around—

And came face to face with a very awkward looking Gray Fullbuster, dressed in a tuxedo, blushing and avoiding her eyes.

Her two companions soon left her, and she stood there with her teacher, her toga long since gone, leaving her in the very pretty dress Lucy had helped her pick out not too long ago.

“Gray-sama!” She exclaimed, a smile forming on her face as she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was probably allowed to do that now, considering she wasn’t his student anymore. “You came!” She whispered into his ear.

“Yeah,” was his simple reply. She could feel the faint touch of his hand on her back, and she clutched him tighter, refusing to let go. She would probably never get another chance like this in a lifetime! “I’m a teacher, in case you’ve forgotten. I’m required to attend.”

“Right,” Juvia said, hesitantly removing her arms around him slowly. “You look very handsome.”

“You look,” he bit his lip, forcing himself to say the next word without shame. “Beautiful.”

And he was right. She looked—refreshed.

“Come on,” he took her wrist in his, tugging her forward. “I have to tell you something.”

The halls were quiet, but Juvia could hear nothing but her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Her feet were trembling, and she was a little thankful that Gray never did let go of her wrist. She didn’t dare ask where they were going, or what he wanted to say.

Perhaps he was officially going to reject her. Her face fell at the thought. Yes, that was probably it. He thought that now that she wasn’t a student, he could reject her without hesitation.

It was to her great surprise when Gray shoved her into the classroom and closed the door after him, locking it for measure. “Gray-sama?” She whispered, eyeing the empty classroom. There were no more chairs, and the desk that had once been front-center was gone. “What did you—“

“I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” he said, walking towards her, and she resisted the urge to back away. “Juvia.”

“Y-yes?”

He said no words, but he did grasp her hands in one of his and pinned her against the door, slamming her back against it and placing his lips over hers. She gasped in surprise, before closing her eyes and returning the gesture wholeheartedly, kissing him back with just as much passion.

His tongue slipped in when she opened her mouth, and she couldn’t help but let out a moan as the sweet velvet explored her caverns, battling her own tongue for domination.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, and his hands fell to her waist, and she had wrapped her arms around his neck.

They broke apart, both panting heavily. “A long time?” Juvia was the one who broke the silence, a smile breaking out on her face.

He nodded, blushing. “A long time,” he repeated, before taking the blue-haired woman into his arms and burying his face into her neck. She smelled like sunshine and spring, and he breathed into her scent, relishing in her presence. “God, I should have done this earlier.”

“I love you, Gray-sama,” she whispered happily, closing her eyes.

“I—oh, fuck it, I love you too.”

478 notes · View notes

thexanwillshine · 2 years

Text

remember me

Author: thexanwillshine (twitter, ao3) Pairings: Levi x Hange Cross-Postings: AO3 Chapter: 2/3 of synchronicity Notes: part of the remember me when the stars align trilogy

Hange’s first interaction with Moblit was weird, to say the least.

He was introduced to her along with a woman named Nifa, and they had both looked incredibly thrilled to see her. Hange understood the enthusiasm, because for a reason she could not place, seeing both their faces—happy, healthy, and very much alive— made her really happy too.

“My name is Moblit Berner, at your service!” The man said, his face contorted into what looked like a nervous smile.

Hange responded with just as much enthusiasm, taking two of Moblit’s hands between her own and saying, “I’m grateful for your service!” in delight.

Nifa, on the other hand, had stared at her with wide eyes, excitedly giggling as she took Hange’s hand in between her own and shook it with vigor. She said that she was a student taking her master’s degree in Criminology. Moblit, on the other hand, smiled at her gently, eyes softening as he shook Hange’s hand in a manner that was both gentle and firm. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in forensic science, Moblit was incredibly interested in Hange's new research.

Two weeks later found Moblit at her aid while she was hard at work. Hange couldn’t help but feel as if everything was as it should be.

“Hey Hange,” Moblit greeted as he entered her office, a pack of sandwiches in one hand and paperwork in the other. “I bet you haven’t eaten,” he added, laying the food in front of her in an attempt to tempt the professor from her work.

Hange looked up at him from her thick-rimmed glasses, blinking twice as she scrutinized the sandwiches. “You thought right,” she said, chuckling. “I must have forgotten.”

Moblit sighed, exasperated—as if she had caused him the same frustration ten times over at that point in time. “You need to eat, Hange,” he told her, shaking his head. “I know how important your research is, but don’t you think your health is pretty important too?”

Hange laughed then, the sense of motherly worry emanating from Moblit too familiar to brush off.

“I guess so,” Hange replied, shrugging as she leaned back on her swivel chair, closing her eyes. “Can’t go to a Christmas party if I’m sick, right?”

“Definitely,” Moblit replied, nodding. The man was happy that he was able to get through to her, even just a little bit. “I have to ask though, what makes this party so special to you? I took you as a partying type, but . . .”

Hange hummed, tapping her finger on her chin in thought. The glow from her laptop screen bounced off the lenses of her glasses, effectively hiding her eyes from Moblit. She settled for an answer soon enough, “I don’t know. But a good friend of mine is hosting it and I want to be there.”

“I see,” Moblit said, nodding. He noticed the way Hange’s eyes drifted from the computer to a random spot on the wall, a clear sign that she was already lost in thought. Normally, Moblit didn’t have a clue as to what went on inside his superior’s head, but he had a slight inkling for now.

He pretended not to notice, at first, but it’s not easy to ignore the way Hange’s face lights up whenever she would talk about a certain coffee shop owner from down the street.

A snide grin grew on Moblit’s face when he asked, “Is he more than a friend?”

Hange, as per usual, was oblivious to his teasing. She nodded her head in response enthusiastically, beaming. “Yeah! He’s a really good friend!”

Moblit chuckled then, not really expecting a serious reply from the professor. “That’s great,” he encouraged. “You should eat and get back to work then, so that you can go to his party.”

“You’re right, Moblit!” Hange said loudly, grabbing a sandwich and shoving it in her mouth. “Aamf GonFfa Gfof to da Pawfty!”

Moblit’s attempts to tell her “Okay, Hange, take it easy,” as well as “Hange, don’t overdo it” were immediately lost as Hange shoved her face in front of the computer eagerly while absently chewing on her sandwich. Moblit sighed before grabbing a seat next to the professor.

Might as well help her finish so that she could go to that Christmas party with her really good friend.

“I fail to understand how Eren could make such a deadly mistake twice,” Mikasa said deadpandly, her right eye twitching. “In two of his lives. I just don’t get it.”

Levi, who had been wiping the counter, raised an eyebrow at his younger cousin before following her line of vision to see an elated Hange explaining the workings of her new research proposal to an extremely flabbergasted Eren.

“Didn’t you warn him?” he asked Mikasa as he put the dirty cloth away.

“I thought I didn’t need to,” Mikasa replied in light amusement. “This is like a personal brand of torture. Here you go, Armin.”

The blonde chuckled, taking his frappuccino from Mikasa’s outstretched hand. “He was having fun at first though. Professor Hange still radiates the same excitement and energy, so Eren got really hyped.”

As he positioned himself in front of the cash register, pretending to be indifferent, Levi stole a glance at the gleeful scientist. Hange is beaming, her eyes practically sparkling as she waved her hands around animatedly. Her voice came in varying octaves, the occasional “It’s so interesting!” floating into his ears. As clouds began to shift, and the light of the sun hit the rims of her glasses and shined against her hair, Levi forced his gaze down at the cash register, tapping in his code before listening to its familiar ding .

Mikasa smirked knowingly. “This fuckin’ simp.”

“So, you’re not coming here for Christmas?” Isabel said, annoyance laced in her tone.

Farlan shoved his elbow against the younger girl’s ribs none too gently; a silent warning to be nice. Isabel frowned in response, shoving him back.

“Sorry,” Hange told the two siblings honestly. She leaned back against her headboard as she removed her glasses from her face, opening and closing her eyes in a sorry attempt to hide her tiredness.

Sleep was already beckoning Hange to its sweet embrace. Her lids were already starting to droop, but the idea that Isabel and Farlan missed her warmed her heart by a lot. “But it’s okay! I can celebrate with some of my friends here. You guys don’t have to worry about me.”

“That’s good,” Farlan said, taking the phone from Isabel who looked like she would have started whining in protest. “Maybe next time you can come visit us again.”

Strings tugged in Hange’s heart as she looked at the two fondly. Isabel was pouting visibly, eyes averted from the camera as she sulked. Farlan, on the other hand, was holding the camera with a small smile on his face,

“She would’ve been able to visit us this year if she just allowed us to treat her!” Isabel shouted from the other side of the camera.

Farlan laughed awkwardly, running a hand through his auburn hair. “Honestly, Hange, I’m just glad you’re having fun. Isabel’s just feeling a little jealous that you have friends there.”

“I miss you guys so much,” she told Farlan honestly, blinking back the sleep that threatened to take her to her own dreamland. “We’ll see each other soon, I know it!”

Farlan smiled, finally allowing a pouting Isabel the chance to see Hange on camera. “Yeah, we will. Right, Isabel?”

Isabel gave a brief ‘hmph’ before nodding. “You’re lucky we love you,” she told Hange, rolling her eyes. “This is a betrayal, I tell you!”

Hange laughed heartily, knowing full well that Isabel was merely joking. “I’ll look forward to earning your trust back.”

Isabel replied smoothly, her usual wit flowing, “I bet that whoever your new friends are, they won’t be half as cool as us.”

“Mother,” Levi whispered, his breath almost taken away at the sight of Kuchel Ackerman. “Welcome home.”

Kuchel put down her bags and the hat that nestled on the top of her dark hair as she glanced at the sight of her son. “Hello dear,” she greeted casually, shrugging off the coat on her shoulders. “How have you been?”

Levi buried her nails deep into his fingers, trying to act normal to the best of his abilities. “Great,” he said, voice controlled. “How have you been?”

Kuchel could already sense that there was something Levi was not telling her, despite the fact that he kept his silence. “The trip was fine, dear,” she told him softly, before walking over to the young man. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” he muttered under his breath, eyes staring at the floor as he willed himself not to cry at the sight of his own mother. The knowledge of his past life and the pain he felt at the death of his own mother—the weight that heaved into his heart and plagued his mind—dissipated at the sight of her smiling at him, eyes gentle and features as soft as he remembered it. “It was just different without you around. Mikasa’s become more rebellious.”

Kuchel raised an eyebrow. “Really now?” the woman said playfully, her eyes glinting in mischief. “You old man, just because you weren’t the same way when you were younger doesn’t mean Mikasa’s rebellious.”

Levi scoffed, and Kuchel laughed heartily. “On a more serious note; my son, I know when something is bothering you. Now, do tell what’s wrong.”

How is one supposed to explain to their mother that the memory of a past life wherein she wasn’t alive resided in his mind?

“Levi,” Kuchel said, gently placing her palm on Levi’s cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Levi closed his eyes and sighed, resting his cheek against his mother’s loving touch. “Nothing. I guess I’ve just been really stressed lately,” he responded, lying between his teeth. “With the holidays coming and everything.”

“Oh darling,” Kuchel whispered, bringing him into a hug. Normally, Levi would’ve reluctantly entered the warmth of his mother’s arms, or gently patted her back in return. This time though, he held her close to him as she muttered, “You’re lying, Levi. But no matter, I’ll be here for you whenever you’re ready.”

Of course, he thought, a small smile making its way to his lips. His mother is carved from patience and built by grace, her kindness permeating the air like the sweet breeze of summer.

“Thank you,” he told her in return, and she tightened her hug.

Mikasa glared at Levi as he shoved the cookie dough in her direction.

“Fix your face,” he told her nonchalantly without even a glance at her direction. Mikasa scoffed as her cousin effortlessly cracked a pair of eggs into a bowl. “You’re ruining the Christmas spirit.”

“Like you care about the Christmas spirit,” she responded snarkily, dipping her fingers into the dough and rolling it into tiny balls.

“It was your idea to invite people over.”

“And it was your idea to cook. Why couldn’t we just order food?”

“Are you paying?”

“. . . No.”

“Exactly.”

Silence filled the kitchen as Mikasa succumbed to

The day had been relatively uneventful. They had opened the cafe for Christmas day, but only for about four hours. It was a way for them to give their customers the bulk orders they had ordered the days before Christmas itself. For Levi, it was also a day to distribute Christmas bonuses for his dedicated team.

With the cafe closed by noon, the Ackermans found themselves waving goodbye to their co-employees and heading home to get ready for the night’s celebration.

Mikasa broke the silence with a question. “What cookies are these again?”

“Chocolate chip,” Levi answered shortly.

He fired up the stove before placing the chopped garlic and onions into a large pot, drizzling the entire thing with olive oil. With a spatula, he moved the chunks of food around, and the smell of garlic and onion filled the kitchen. Mikasa took a satisfied whiff before turning on the hood. The light smoke that filled the air was immediately absorbed by the machine, so Mikasa went back to working on the dough.

She broke the silence a second time. “Is it because Hange’s always loved chocolate?”

“You’re being awfully talkative today,” Levi commented, tossing a bit of salt on the sizzling aromatics.

“And you’re being awfully avoidant,” Mikasa countered, shaking her head. “Just answer the question, captain.”

He poured the pasta sauce into the pot before responding. “You can’t go wrong with chocolate chip, brat, ” Levi said. “As far as I know, everyone loves chocolate.”

“Especially Hange.”

“Shut up.”

While placing the balls of dough on the pan, Mikasa smirked, the familiar feeling of victory boosting her ego by a tiny bit.

Unfortunately, her win is short-lived as Levi spoke. “Aren’t you gonna prepare something special for your boyfriend?”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Someone’s a sore loser.”

Mikasa immediately shot Levi a glare as the man raised an eyebrow at her in triumph, challenging the young girl to even dare contradict his statement. As Mikasa narrowed her eyes at Levi, ready to grab a chunk of cookie dough to throw—

“Well, this is a fun show!” a bright voice interrupted. Hange leaned over the counter, placing her chin on the palms of her hand. Immediately, the cousins break out of their silent battle to stare at her in surprise. She beamed at the two of them, unfazed. “Well, don’t let me distract you both from this lovely argument.”

“Hange,” Levi said in what seemed to be a greeting. Mikasa rolled her eyes at him, preventing the urge to stick her tongue out immaturely. “You’re early.”

Hange bounced giddily on her seat as if she were a child before giving Levi a thumbs up. The sleeves of her (hideous) red sweater nearly covered the ends of her fingertips. “Yeah! I was so excited that I couldn’t wait. Hope you don’t mind me dropping by this early!” She told them both loudly, waving frantically at the two of them. “I met Aunt Kuchel by the way, she’s lovely.”

The moment his mother’s name is mentioned, Levi caught a glimpse of Kuchel peeking at them from behind the wall, a smirk on her face. She was looking in their direction, a teasing glint in her eye as she snickered at him . Levi narrowed his eyes at his mother’s antics before focusing on Hange once more.

Her gaze met his own the moment he yielded from his mother’s teasing. Hange had a wistful look in her eyes, a small, longing smile on her face as she stared at him. He blinked back at her in confusion, raising a thin eyebrow in inquiry, but she immediately shrugged off the melancholy etched on her face with ease.

“Googly eyes, can we continue baking the cookies now? Eren and the others are going to come by soon,” said Mikasa as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, the flour from her hands lightly dusting the front of her apron. Levi glared at her in response, and she narrowed her eyes at him, as if daring her older cousin to fight her.

Reluctantly, Levi relented, but he kept his icy gaze on Mikasa as he grabbed the bag of flour. Hange chuckled.

“Maybe I can help?” she asked loudly. “I haven’t really tried cooking the way you guys do, but I’m pretty good at chemistry! I’m sure that counts for something.”

A small smirk slowly made its way to Mikasa’s lips as an idea popped into her head. “Yes, professor,” the young girl replied, without even attempting to hide her malintent from her older cousin. “But would it be alright for you to take my place for now? I also need to get ready for the party, I haven’t really taken a shower yet.”

Hange nodded enthusiastically before reaching out and patting Mikasa’s shoulder. “Of course! I’d be happy to help.” The professor then grinned as she held out her hand. “Give me your apron.”

Levi watched the entire exchange, his left eye slightly twitching at the antics of his own younger cousin. Of course he knew what she was up to. He had kicked her shin lightly the moment she started talking; he was perfectly aware that Mikasa wanted to weasel her way out of cooking.

(on a separate, completely unrelated note—that Levi would never admit—he was also, ever-so-slightly, kind of, maybe, a bit, sort of, a little? grateful—yes, that’s the word—because mikasa was trying to give him time with Hange, which, you know, he missed. because Hange was busy the entire week prior finishing up her research proposal, and he barely got to see her.)

As Levi contemplated whether or not the gift he chose for Mikasa for Christmas was worth it, Hange slipped behind the kitchen counter to stand beside him.

“I don’t know how to cook,” she whispered as she tied Mikasa’s apron around her waist.

Almost absent-mindedly, Levi brushed off the flour that had settled on Hange’s shoulder. “You didn’t even tie it properly, four-eyes,” he told her, shaking his head. “Turn around properly, I’ll do it for you.”

Hange laughed before turning around. “Thanks, Levi.”

He hummed in response as he took the clumsily-knotted strands between his fingertips, lacing them in a manner that came with years of practice. His fingers brushed against the cloth of Hange’s sweater, and he grimaced.

“Aren’t you worried that your outfit’s gonna get soiled?”

“Oh, this?” Hange asked, pulling on her sweater. “This is just something I made recently, because I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit. Do you like it?”

“It’s ugly,” Levi answered honestly.

“Then it’s perfect,” Hange said in response, nodding her head in approval. “Ugly Christmas sweater is now officially checked off my bucket list! Now, how do you bake cookies?”

Forty minutes later, Levi came to the conclusion that Hange is somewhat decent at baking cookies, and that they have made significant cooking progress in the time that they had spent together. Their dynamic was the same— familiar, even—which was something that Levi found nice. The rhythm that they formed from all those years of training seemed to translate well even in the kitchen, as he handed her dough to roll into balls before placing in the oven.

Granted, it was a relatively easy task that was very hard to fuck up, but Levi liked the idea of having their dynamic maintained even in the new world.

He liked this, Levi thought. He hung onto every word she said, no matter how needless it seemed. She talked about Moblit and Nifa, her occasional run-ins with Nanaba and her husband (who Levi assumed, and hoped, was Miche), and her distant friends who became sad because she didn’t fly back to them that Christmas.

“They’re probably mad because I flaked on the sleepover we usually have,” Hange told him, chuckling. “Who was I to pass up an opportunity to be with my new friends? Besides, I’ve never been invited to a Christmas party before. What do you usually do at Christmas parties?”

Levi shrugged, removing the plastic gloves from his hands and wiping his fingers on a clean rug. “Eat. Talk. Watch movies, I guess. Most of the time I just clean. Mikasa and her friends always make a mess.”

Mikasa’s ears perked up immediately at the sound of her name, immediately glaring at Levi from the dining table where she was currently setting up the plates. Hange waved in her direction, lightly alleviating the young girl’s annoyance over her cousin.

“You’re such a big brother,” Hange told Levi as she leaned on the kitchen counter. “To Mikasa, I mean. I know the two of you are cousins, but your relationship radiates big sibling energy.”

Levi rolled his eyes at her compliment (was it even one?) as he focused on taking the lasagna out from the oven. The smell wafted through the air immediately, so Hange inhaled in satisfaction before releasing the air in a contented sigh.

“That smells nice,” she told him offhandedly, and Levi nodded. “I’ve always wanted siblings,” Hange continued, watching him. “When I was young, I’ve always had this feeling that there was something missing.”

Levi’s eyes snapped wider then, as he caught a glimpse of the longing expression on her face. “It was as if I was always waiting for something to happen, you know?” she said quietly. Her fingers tightly gripped the table as a light smile grew on her lips. “It’s like there was some kind of hole that I couldn’t quite fill, no matter how hard I tried.”

Yes, he thought, I know, I understand, it’s because— Levi put down the lasagna on the table and looked at her directly, decisively. Unfortunately for him, the words that formed at the edges of his throat died at his lips, and he stood there staring at Hange as she tilted her head at him in curiosity.

“Is something wrong, Levi? Sorry, did I—”

“No,” he interrupted, shaking his head.

He had completely forgotten.

The threads of fate won’t allow him to interfere with its design, no matter how much he wanted to tell Hange about the forgotten past that (he knew) lingered in the back of her mind.

Armin arrived with Eren and his mother in tow an hour later, the lot of them bundled in thick coats and scarves. Kuchel greeted them all with great enthusiasm, fussing over their appearance and urging the new arrivals to approach the fireplace and get warm before dinner.

Eren perked up the moment he saw Hange fiddling with the pipe for the cookies’ cream.

“Professor Hange!” he greeted, waving his hand towards the professor. “You’re here!”

“Yeah, Levi invited me! Right Levi?”

Heat bloomed on Levi’s cheeks as Eren directed his inquisitive glance towards him. In response, he glared at the young adult, who put his hands up automatically in defense.

“Well, I got stuck with your annoying ass because of Erwin,” Levi responded smoothly.

Hange giggled, obviously unfazed. “Awww,” she crooned teasingly. “Are you sure you just didn’t want to spend time with little old me?”

Levi kept his eyes down on the final batch of dough he was kneading, purposely avoiding Hange’s own gaze. “Quite sure.”

“Are you reaaaaaallly sure?”

“Yes.”

“Really really?”

“Damn it, four-eyes, shut up.”

Hange laughed before winking at Eren, who flashed her a worried look in return. He of all people would know not to get in Levi’s bad side (mostly because he was Eren’s boss, but also due to the fact that Levi was just a scary person in general; Eren had, after all, seen the way Levi would glare at the people who made Armin burst into tears when they were still children). However, the way Hange laughed beside him, teasing him without fear in her smile or a quiver in her tone, it almost seemed as if they knew each other all their lives.

“I’ll head on to the dining table, Professor,” Eren told her gently. The two seemed to be enjoying themselves in their small kitchen bubble, he didn’t want to intrude.

Hange nodded at him, waving her hand goodbye. “See you there, Eren!”

As Eren walked away, Hange turned her attention back to Levi, who was shoving the cookies inside the oven before shutting it close. She watched as he sighed in relief before wiping the sweat on his brow. The flour from his gloves dusted his face, falling like snow on the edges of his hair and his forehead.

“Hey,” Hange said, walking towards him. “You got some flour on your face.”

Levi cocked an eyebrow at her and swiped at his forehead, getting most of the white dust off. “Is it gone?”

“Not quite,” Hange replied. Almost mechanically, her hand moved closer to his face. “May I?”

He shrugged as a form of consent, and she gently swiped the dust from his eyebrows off, her thumb gently running over his skin. “There,” she declared. “You’re all clean!”

“Unlike you,” Levi responded, shaking his head. He only had a bit of flour on his forehead, but Hange was caked in the powder. Her grey apron was almost pale from the flour that she had spilled earlier, and strands of her hair were still dusted white.

Levi removed his gloves and washed his hands before gesturing for Hange to approach him. She tilted her head to the side in confusion, but went to him nonetheless.

“What’s up?” she asked, leaning on the sink counter beside him.

“Your hair,” he replied simply, and Hange automatically understood what he meant.

“Oh!” she gasped, taking the strands in between her fingertips. The flour dust had already settled, so Hange smiled sheepishly. “Woops.”

Levi rolled his eyes automatically. “C’mere,” he said, reaching out to her. Automatically, she bowed her head so that the strands of her hair could meet his outstretched hand.

It seemed almost routine. Levi ran dry fingers through her hair, gently removing the powder away from her dark strands. Her locks were soft, surprisingly, and it was easy to swipe away the particles that had gathered from her bangs to the strands that hung just a little above her shoulder.

Hange closed her eyes, allowing him to thread his fingers through her hair. His touch was familiar, almost as if she had felt his skin against hers a hundred times more than she knew.

‘Dedicate your heart.’

Hange’s eyes flashed open, her head jolting upwards just as quickly. Levi retracted his hand quickly as if he had been burned, concern written all over his face. He raised his eyebrow in inquiry as Hange blinked at him in confusion.

“Did you say something?” Hange asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Levi shook his head.

“Oh,” was all Hange could say as before she sighed. “Sorry, I was probably hearing things. You can continue.”

“Must be from all that sugar you’ve been eating,” Levi told her as he resumed dusting the specks of powder away from her hair.

She laughed at him heartily, trying to ignore the sudden ache that had formed in her chest. “Yeah, I should’ve listened to you when you told me to lay off the cookie dough,” she affirmed, smiling.

Levi could sense that something was off with the professor—after all, he knew her both from his past and current life—and it is this knowledge that stopped him from prying as to what had bothered her. She would tell him when she’s ready, he thinks, as Hange isn’t the type to open up during such an occasion. She would hate to be a burden, even though she wasn’t.

Instead, he continues patting the strands of her hair and threading his fingers through them, satisfied at the serene look on his previous commander’s face.

“Ehem.”

Hange and Levi jumped about a foot apart from each other. Mikasa and Kuchel stood in front of both of them. The former had a knowing smirk playing on her lips while the latter grinned in pride, eyes sparkling in excitement.

“I hate to ruin the moment,” Kuchel told them, trying to hold in her laughter, “but the cookies are already done and dinner is about to begin.”

A red tint was slowly starting to make its way on Levi’s face. He looked away, shoving his hands inside his pockets and trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

Hange wasn’t as discreet. “Right,” she said sheepishly. “Sorry, auntie.”

“Oh honey, with the way things are going, you might as well be calling me mom.”

The table itself is filled with food. Mashed potatoes, lasagna, fried chicken, and cake were spread out, allowing its partakers to pass around the food when necessary. Armin is talking animatedly with Carla, the sound of his laughter filling his surroundings with warmth. Eren placed a healthy serving of mashed potato on Mikasa’s plate, urging her to eat more because it was her favourite. She stared at him blankly, but flashed him a small smile when he grinned at her.

The redness on Levi’s face is masked by the light of the candle in front of him. Kuchel, who sat at the table’s head, insisted that Hange sit beside her. Levi focused all of his attention on the food laid out in front of him, actively avoiding the suggestive glances his own mother was giving him.

“So Hange, you’re a professor?” asked Kuchel excitedly.

“Yes ma’am,” Hange replied politely, taking a bite out of the (very delicious) lasagna on her plate. “But I’m mostly a scientist.”

“That’s lovely, what do you specialize in?”

“Biology,” she exclaimed, beaming, “I’ve recently submitted a research proposal for an experiment I’ve been wanting to work on for years. It involves the genetic modification of eggplants so that they can withstand harsh conditions.”

To Kuchel’s credit, the woman looked absolutely enthralled at the idea. Levi listened as the two gushed over plants (his mother had recently taken a liking to growing cacti and other forms of succulents), food, and occasionally, him.

“Levi’s such a quiet child,” Kuchel lamented, dramatically placing the back of her hand on her forehead. “He was never really one to talk to a lot of people. Bless his workers for putting up with him.”

Levi’s glare caught the teasing glint in Kuchel’s eyes the very moment he raised his head from his plate.

“Levi’s really funny, though!” Hange said in his defense, grinning. He directed his icy stare at her, but she continued on, unfazed. “He’s one of the sassiest people I know.”

“Oh really now?” Kuchel asked in encouragement. “Please, do tell me more.”

The night continues like that, the gentle hum of conversation and glorious scent from the feast effectively filling the air with Christmas cheer.

Annie arrived at around eleven in the evening. Armin greeted her excitedly, holding her hands between his own while grinning widely. There is snow on her hair, which Armin brushes off with such care. Afterwards, he dragged her towards the table, where the feast was still available for anyone who wished to eat once more.

A full Eren was sprawled on the sofa next to Mikasa. Both of them were watching a random show on Netflix. Mikasa’s eyes were already drooping, her head dangerously close to falling on Eren’s shoulder. Levi almost sneered at the sight as the thought of taking pictures and blackmailing Mikasa crossed his mind.

He, along with Carla, Kuchel, and Hange, share a bottle of wine as Hange updates them about the recent developments in the university. She told them about Eren’s improving grades, Armin’s (naturally) stellar ones, and Mikasa’s deep interest in biology. Levi informed Carla that Eren was doing better at work, infinitely more than his first day, to the point that he could be relied on to close up the shop and take charge of the cash register. Carla smiles softly, the pride on her face evident as she glanced at her son, who was wrapping a scarf around an already asleep Mikasa.

“Aunt Kuchel, we’re still expecting guests. I hope that’s okay,” Armin requested as he passed by. Behind him, Annie stood with a plate of food. She politely nodded at the adults before hiding her eyes behind her bangs once more.

Kuchel waved her hand nonchalantly. “Of course it’s okay! The more, the merrier, right? Besides, we have so much food. I wouldn’t want us to keep eating leftovers for the next few days, so it’s better to just finish them all now.”

Armin smiled immediately in response. “Thank you Auntie Kuchel!”

Hange watched her two students stalk off in a spot relatively far from Eren and Mikasa. She assumed that it was because the blonde couple didn’t want to disturb the pair, both of whom were already being called by the gentle serenade of sleep.

She stole a glance at Levi, who was slowly sipping on his wine. He held the glass by its rims, which would’ve been peculiar for some, but for Hange it seemed almost familiar. Unfortunately for Hange, he looked up from his drink to meet her pressing stare. She gave him a small, assuring smile, but he raised an eyebrow at her in response.

Just as Hange opened her mouth to speak, the sound of a chime filled the lull of silence. From the distance, Armin stood up, gently patting Annie’s shoulder as he got ready to welcome the new guests.

Probably his classmates, Hange thought as she trails the blond, who was now walking towards the door. She observed as he reached out for the knob and opened it.

“Thanks for coming!” she heard him say.

“No, we should be thanking you for allowing us to come here,” responded the voice from outside the window.

Hange froze, the wine glass in her hand suddenly feeling cold to the touch. Had she been looking at Levi, she would’ve seen the confusion on his face, which spoke of the shock that had run through his spine.

No way, Hange thought, her eyes narrowing as she watched Armin move aside to allow the guests inside. She was already standing halfway through her seat, her wine glass placed on the table, forgotten. No freaking way.

“Hange, are you gonna keep gawking at us like that or am I finally gonna receive a hug from you?”

A laugh burst from Hange’s lips as tears began to well in her eyes, and she launched herself towards the two people that had just entered the room.

“Isabel! Farlan!”

Levi feels numb.

For a moment, everything was a blur. He remembered seeing Armin open the door to receive guests. He remembered Hange swiftly standing up in order to hug Isabel and Farlan, both of whom were very much alive.

He remembered seeing a decapitated head and a mangled body.

Suddenly he is standing in the middle of the falling rain, his chest bursting with a pain that ripped through his own body. It was as if a barrage of pins and needles were running through his skin, the sharp tips breaking through his muscles and seeping into the flesh covering his heart. Hot and cold intertwine as the cold raindrops pierce his fingertips and the heat from his veins burn through his skin.

He is pulled from his own memories to Hange’s touch, and he absent-mindedly stares at the hand on his arm before tracing its length to see the gentle look on Hange’s face. “Levi?” she asked softly, as if trying to contain her own excitement. “I want to introduce you to my friends!”

There is warmth spreading out from his back to his shoulders, a gentle weight of a hand placed on the top of his head and fingers caressing his bloodied face. Her glasses are askew, hair drenched with a mixture of sweat and rain. There is concern written all over her face hidden underneath the titan blood evaporating into the air.

“Levi?” Hange whispered hesitantly.

Levi shifts his gaze from Hange to that of Isabel and Farlan. There are exuberant smiles on their faces and ugly Christmas sweaters on their bodies. He caught a glance of his mother’s approving look.

Then, he looks at Hange once more. “Okay.”

She beams at him and tugs on his sleeve, urging him to stand and meet the two people that were standing in the middle of his living room.

“You look familiar,” Isabel told Levi bluntly, tilting her head to the side. “Do I know you from somewhere? Are you famous?”

Levi shook his head and rolled his eyes. Hange nudged his side, and he shot her a look that was almost apologetic.

“I’m Farlan,” the taller boy said, extending his hand in greeting. Levi shook it promptly. The warmth of Farlan’s hand transferred to his own, reminding Levi that Farlan is alive and not mangled by a titan.

The moment Levi detached his hand from Farlan, the young girl piped in. “And I’m Isabel! We’re Hange’s parents and we demand that you ask for our blessing before the marriage.”

“Isabel, it’s not like that,” Hange told her, grabbing the young girl by the arm and giving her a noogie. “We are two mature adults who happen to be friends!”

“Whatever you say, Levi lover!” Isabel teased amidst her attempts to escape from Hange’s hold. “Stop it, Hange, dammit, are you eight years old?”

It was at this moment that Levi realized that he had yet to introduce himself, but it appeared that he didn’t need to because Isabel and Farlan seemed to know his name already.

Nevertheless, he makes an attempt to converse effectively and says, “I’m Levi.”

Farlan laughed and patted him on the back. “We know. Hange would not shut up about you. At some point, we thought you guys were together or something.”

“Hange probably just likes mooching off of your coffee!” Isabel said loudly, but was met with another round of noogies. “Oh, stop it Hange!”

“What brings you here?” Hange asked then, finally letting go of a protesting Isabel. The young girl frowned at Hange, and she apologized by helping Isabel fix her hair.

“It’s ��cause you wouldn’t fly out to see us!” Isabel replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “And we had the money to bring you on a round trip, but you just wouldn’t let your stupid pride borrow money from us.”

Hange laughed sheepishly, running a hand through her amber locks. “Well, that’s because it’s your money not mine! You should choose well on how you spend it.”

“Doesn’t seem very credible coming from you,” Levi commented, shaking his head.

“Hey!” Hange exclaimed, pouting. “I thought you were on my side!”

“Aha, that means he’s on our side!” Isabel interjected, laughing. “Sorry Hange, you’re outnumbered.”

The pout on Hange’s face shifted into a smile. She, along with Isabel and Farlan, laugh almost simultaneously.

“Thank you for coming here,” Hange told them afterwards. “I really appreciate it. I can’t believe you guys managed to surprise me. How’d you even know to go here?”

“It was easy,” Isabel replied, waving her hand in dismissal. Farlan nodded in agreement. “We just stalked you and found Armin, who was very eager to let us go. So we came.”

“We were supposed to talk to you,” Farlan continued, looking at Levi, “but we wanted to meet you in person and not online because we wanted a genuine first impression of you.”

“We did stalk you though,” Isabel added, and Farlan glared at her. “What?” she said defensively, glaring at the taller boy, “I’m just being honest! Gotta make sure our Hange isn’t fraternizing with some bad guy. Right?”

She turned to Levi then. He nodded, thinking it best not to contradict the two. Even in another life, Farlan and Isabel remained the same.

As they were talking, Hange had already stalked off to Kuchel. She was telling her about her friends and how they flew in just to meet her. Kuchel stood up from her seat elegantly, walking towards them with such poise that Isabel began to change her lazy stance into a more formal one.

“Thank you for having us, ma’am,” Isabel said politely. “We really appreciate it, and we apologize for the trouble.”

“Nonsense,” Kuchel responded warmly. “You are all welcome here. Any friend of Hange is a friend of mine.” She winked at Hange then, and the professor giggled. “And there’s no need to be so formal! You can call me Aunt Kuchel, if you’d like.”

The two newcomers grinned at the lady, a mixture of relief and excitement written all over their face. “Thank you so much,” they said in unison.

“It’s no problem, dears.”

The rest of the night is spent in cheer. Eren and Mikasa eventually woke up from their slumber with the noise that had erupted from the living room. They chose a new movie to watch, and they were soon joined by Armin and Annie, both of whom were wrapped up in a single blanket that Armin probably took the liberty of bringing.

Carla had decided to retire in one of the guest rooms, as she wasn’t used to staying up late at night. Kuchel followed soon after, bidding everyone goodbye and putting Levi in charge of making sure everyone was okay.

Hange, Levi, Isabel, and Farlan maintain light conversation. Levi hangs on to every word, trying to gather many snippets from their current lives as much as possible. He found out that Isabel was working as a veterinarian and that Farlan worked for a non-governmental organization that specializes in helping child delinquents. It was a fitting role for their personalities, and Levi almost felt like a proud big brother at what they have accomplished.

Witnessing them alive was enough for him, but seeing them happy was another level of joy.

He also found out that Hange constantly mentioned him to the two. While he was a consistent presence in Hange’s life, he didn’t know that he held that much relevance to her day-to-day life. Inwardly, he is thankful, because even though he would never admit it, he wants to be part of the stories that she would tell to the world.

When the clock struck four, Hange yawned in the middle of their conversation, and Levi decided it was time for all of them to retire. Normally, Eren would sleep with his mother in the guest room, but since Armin and Annie were staying over, the four of them decided to have a sleepover in Mikasa’s room.

“You should stay the night,” Levi told Hange, Isabel, and Farlan. “You can take my room.”

Isabel shook her head. “Sorry Levi, but we’re kind of looking forward to the breakfast buffet our hotel has to offer.”

“Haven’t you eaten enough?” Farlan asked snarkily, and Isabel glared at him. He continued, “But I do agree that we have to stay at the hotel. We paid for the night, after all.”

“Would you need any help getting there?” Hange asked. “I could drive you.”

“No need,” Isabel said. “We’re going to take a cab. It’s surprisingly easy to request one here, so we’ll just take our chances. You should stay though, Hange. It’s dangerous for you to drive out alone at this time.”

Hange hummed. “I guess so.” She nodded in agreement. “Levi, mind if I borrow the couch for tonight?”

Isabel snickered. “Or you can sleep beside him on his bed.”

The comment earned her a glare from Levi and a nudge from Hange, but the young girl looked unfazed. “It was a legit suggestion!” she said in defense.

“Either way, we should go,” Farlan interrupted, looking at his watch. “The cab I ordered is arriving in two minutes.”

“Told you it was fast,” Isabel told Levi triumphantly, and he nodded his head in acknowledgment.

“Thank you for tonight,” Farlan said, smiling. “Hange, we should hang out tomorrow.”

Hange nodded. “Definitely. I’ll free my schedule so that we can spend the whole day together!”

“You can come too if you’d like,” Farlan added, glancing at Levi. “As Aunt Kuchel said, any friend of Hange’s is a friend of ours.”

“Well damn, I have a lot of friends,” Hange interjected, poking Farlan’s cheek. “That means you have a lot of friends too.”

“Yeah yeah, Hange’s famous or whu-eh-vah.” Isabel made air quotes with her fingertips at the mention of the word famous, mocking the professor right in front of her. Hange laughed nonetheless.

“Aren’t you glad to be friends with a famous person like me?” Hange teased.

“Oh, shut up.”

The silence that followed the Christmas cheer was almost deafening, but Hange was feeling extremely overjoyed even as she began to lie down on the couch. From her position, she heard Levi lock the doors. She sighed in relief, the happiness from the night still very much alive in her sleepy body.

“Oi,” Levi said, nudging her leg from the sofa. “Four-eyes, wake up, you can take my bed.”

“I don’t wannaaaa,” Hange whined, shaking her head and turning to her side. “It’s your bed. I’m fine with the couch.”

Levi rolled his eyes at Hange but tossed a pillow in her direction anyways. She caught it with her face, ungracefully, and pouted at him in annoyance.

“Boo,” she groaned, slumping into the couch.

A small smile made its way to Levi’s face as he turned off the lights, allowing the Commander to drift into a blissful slumber.

There is blood dripping from her fingers and she knows it’s not her own.

She grips the shaking body closer to her, praying that the warmth emanating from his form would not leave him anytime soon.

She pulls him gently to the shore, dragging her own beaten and battered body away from the water. Her lips were quivering as she whispered, “You better not die on me. Please,” she almost begs, “don’t die on me.”

She repeats these words like a mantra, over and over again, until the body’s bleeding stops and the blood dries from her fingers.

The ground underneath her palm feels rough. Occasionally, she checks on him, observing as the covers rise and fall with his breathing.

She sighs. “What if we run away?” she asks, desperation laced in her tone. “What if we stay in the forest and live here forever, Levi?”

She says these words as if there is no war. As if she wasn’t on a one-way trip to her death. She’s desperate, she knows, but there would be no point in living in a world without her friends, no world without Levi . . .

She blinks, and suddenly she is surrounded by a mountain range of rubble. There is a pressure against her chest.

“Dedicate your heart,” she hears, and tears begin to well from the edges of her eyes.

There is silence, and the sound of footsteps lingers in her ears before she decides to turn around to see him one last time.

“This is the first time I’ve ever heard you say that, Levi!” she shouts in an attempt to leave him a memory of her happy moments before her inevitable death.

She is zipping through the air once more, the gear around her waist heavy. There is steam all around her, excreting a heat that seemed to penetrate into her skin like needles.

As she takes one last look at the towering titans below her, she smiles.

“Titans really are . . . beautiful.”

“Hange!”

She awoke with a start, her forehead lined with sweat and tears in her eyes. Suddenly everything is clear; she didn’t rely on one eye to see. Hange could hear her rapid breathing, her loud heartbeat against her ears, and the ache in her chest. She looks around frantically, trying to locate where she was.

“You okay?”

Levi was kneeling beside her in concern, his hand holding one of her own in a tight grip. As if she would disappear from in front of him should he let go.

Her lips were still shaking, the sweat on her skin almost cold to the touch. She shivered briefly, before closing her eyes once more and allowing the tears to flow free.

It had all felt so real. The fire that scorched her clothes, eating her alive. The burns that ran so deep she became numb to the pain. The feeling of life leaving her tortured body.

She’s brought back to reality with Levi’s gentle whisper. “Hange?” he said softly, as he wiped her tears with his thumb gently, his touch soothing against her face.

He knows, she thought, stealing a glance from his face. He is patient, merely waiting for her to speak once she gets over her own grief.

“Levi?” she finally dared to say, reaching out to hold his face in between her palms. “Is it really you?”

“Yes,” he replied, placing his hands over hers and staring straight into her eyes. “It’s me.”

“I thought I was—you were—”

“No,” he interrupted her, shaking his head. “You’re alive,” he told her.

Hange sobbed immediately, her hands shaking as she began to let go of him. The warmth of the room is nowhere near searing, the gentle light that streamed into the sofa was not a blaze of fire, and Levi—

Levi is alive and well, face free from suffering and eyes glistening with hope.

He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her face to the crook of his neck and holding her tight. Hange cried into him, her lips whispering “I’m alive” over and over against his skin. He held her tighter in response, burying his fingers into her hair and running a hand over her back to soothe her tears.

They stayed like that until dawn finally broke, paving the way for the rise of the morning sun, as the stars disappeared from the orange sky and the birds sang their morning hymns.

#levihan #levihan fic #levihan fanfiction #xanfics #levi x hange #levi x hanji #hange x levi #levi x hange fanfic

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