Warning:
This story is containing spoilers up to chapter 70 from the manga. It´s highly recommended not to read this Levi x Hanji fic if you didn´t reached up to this chapter yet. Unless you aren´t bothered by spoilers.
Please enjoy!
The sun was about to set soon, the weather was warm a soft wind was blowing. Children were running cheerfully around playing outside on the grassy field while Levi leaned with his arms propped up against a wooden fence observing everything from the distance.
Two months after the events, rescuing Eren and Historia, finding out over his heritage and his connection with the serial killer "Kenny the ripper" or in other words "Kenny Ackerman", obtaining a unknown Titan serum which contents are still up to this point a complete mystery for everyone, Levi found himself taking a short break from the up pilling amount of work they had to deal with now due to being a high ranked veteran soldier.
Since the monarchy was just for display with the new queen Historia being mostly a mascot to keep the civilians in the Wall under control and prevent inner chaos. Most of the work was handled by the corps making the military the true rulers behind the scenes.
With the new heavy burden lasting on Levi´s shoulders he let out a long tired sigh.
He was tired.. so very tired...
Not just physically due to his new work but emotionally as well.
Even after two month he still wasn´t sure how to emotionally handle the whole informations he got out of Kenny or should he better say his uncle?
The fact all these years he had a family, an uncle.. the uncle who saved him, trained him, teached him how to survive on this harsh cruel world... who in the end betrayed and left him... And the even more confusion thing to know now, his last name... "Ackerman".
His deep thoughts got interrupted as someone with quick footsteps approached him. That´s right he didn´t came here alone. Someone else got rewarded with a much needed break.
"Don´t come near me with your in dirt and grass stains covered clothes, shitty glasses" he spoke turning his gaze away from the children to look at the mess now infront of him.
"Come on, cleanfreak. At least I entertained the kids instead of just watching them from afar like an old fart" The woman teased him flashing him a playful grin, with her back leaning herself next to Levi against the fence.
Levi only gave her a grunt as reply, dismissing her teasing now eyeing her a little bit closer.
She was wearing one of her normal white shirts, beneath a long down to her ankles almost light red skirt, something he almost never saw her wearing with some black boots. Her clothes were a bit distorted covered in brown and green stains. Her brown hair was up in her usual messy ponytail, only messier now with some leaves of grass sticking out being entangeled in her hair. Also her glasses were slightly crooked on her nose.
Standing next to him with her untidy unusual appearance, giving him one of her brightful smiles he found himself almost thinking she was cute. But only almost. In the end it´s too flithy.
Still he was glad she was here with him. Still here with him even after he told her everything, that on top of the fact that he still blamed himself for being unable to safe her squad back then, that now the one who killed them was even a relative of him.
He had feared she would start blaming him and dislike him, now that the truth was out, but instead she was there for him and stood by his side and supported him in his time of needs. Giving him a shoulder to lean on and helping him cope up with everything. He wouldn´t be here probably if not for her.
Not only with her physical form being there for him she also supported him with her mind.
It was her idea to use the shinning stones with it´s unknown titan material from the vast underground cave as light sources. Now it supported industrial areas to improve productivity and the citiziens above and below ground. The underground district, the dark forgotten world finally got some light shine upon them. Thanks to this Levi with the help of Historia improved their situations even more. Their lives finally looked at least a bit better all thanks to her in the end.
"A question. For how long will you continue staring at me Levi?" Hanji asked after a while amused.
Up until now Levi didn´t even notice for how long he was actually staring at her. Iggnoring her question he leaned closer and reached out to her with his left hand, which took Hanji by surprise making her cheeks slightly turn pink as she felt him pulling something out of her hair.
"You ended up looking like a bigger mess than those children" he spoke as he backed away again, having now some leaves which were still stuck in her hair up until now in his hands.
"Ohh, they must have been getting stuck on me as I tried to leap forward to catch that little girl with the two braids and ended up falling down face first into the grass" she laughed rembering her failure to catch the little girl, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"Talking about shitty brats we should probably soon send them all inside. The sun is starting to set already." Levi muttered.
"Right"
Even so Hanji continued leaning against the fence, quietly gazing at the orange, yellow colored sunset for a little bit longer until she spoke again. "You´re pretty amazing Levi."
Levi stopped looking at the sunset giving her a confused look.
"Look at this all Levi." She spread her arms out to make a point what she meant. "This orphanage here wouldn´t be standing without your help. All these poor children from the underground now have a place to live, a home, food to eat and clean water to drink." She almost sounded excited, turning back to him. "Thanks to you they don´t have to undergo the same hardships you had to in you childhood. You came back to your old people instead of discarding them after you made it outside Levi."
Her kind words left Levi in complete shock, staring at her with wide eyes. He didn´t know how to handle this, He wasn´t good when people praised him. And even more not if those were such kind words coming from someone he trusted this much.
Looking at him Hanji gave him an earnest honest smile. "Isabel and Farlan would be proud of you. They made it outside together with everyone else now. They didn´t die in vain. You did well Levi."
Levi didn´t know what was happening next to him. Confused as he felt something wet running down his face he touched his left cheek only to notice those were tears. His tears. He was crying. He couldn´t even fully digest why he was crying as someone pulled him close and he found himself in a close embrace, burried in Hanji´s chest.
It was warm and comfortable. Levi didn´t even found himself to care anymore if her clothes were a bit dirty instead letting himself getting consumed by her gentleness feeling one hand rub his back tenderly, the other was entangled in his soft black hair caressing his undercut area while he cried silently.
"It´s ok Levi. You can let all your emotions out. You don´t need to be humanity strongest next to me" she whispered quietly so only he would be able to hear her. It wasn´t the first time she saw him cry but it´s the first time she saw him cry out of joy and not out of grief.
Hanji didn´t know how much time had past exactly. Even after Levi stopped crying he would not make any move to let go from her, continuing to let himself get hugged being burried in her chest.
"Onee-san? Are you two dating?"
A childs voice made Hanji look to the side only to face four kids probably not older than six - nine years old standing at the other side from the fence. Hanji quickly recognized the girl she was chasing earlier with another girl and two boys. She played with all of them today already.
Hanji felt her cheeks turning red now wondering for how long those kids were watching them standing like this.
"That´s a bit, uhm.. we were just- L-levi come help m-"
"Hanji." Levi interrupted her after he found his voice again and pushed himself away from her.
"Y-yes?"
"Thank you."
"Ehh, Why ar-!?"
She felt herself getting pulled down, a hand entangled in her ponytail and soon after her lips were trapped by Levi´s own lips into a gentle short kiss.
A small smile was placed on his face as he pulled away, letting her stand there in her confusion with her bright red face while he turned away jumping over the fence to the children.
"What are you guys still standing around outside stalking adults? Time to get inside brats. Dinner should be already ready from those nannies taking care of you."
The children only giggled not scared over Levi´s rather harsh tone running inside while Levi watched them making sure they did not trick him.
Some of the orphans who were now living here knew Levi from his time in the underground so they were used of the behavior of their ex leader.
Hanji watched him, touching her lips quietly, wondering now just as those children what they were exactly for each other. They were past simple friends for a while now. She knew that but never did she gave their currient relationship a name. Was this love?
"Are you coming now or not four eyes?" His voice snapped her back to reality and out of her thoughts.
Seeing he had stopped in his tracks, waiting for her to come while he was offering her a hand to take.
"Sorry, sorry. Coming." apologizing she quickly and completly unladylike climbed over the fence walking up to him which resulted in Levi clicking his tongue what made her snicker.
But whatever their currient relationship in the end was it wasn´t that bad at all Hanji thought, as she took Levi´s hand in hers and they went back inside as well. Enjoying the remaining free time they had until they would have to return back to headquarters the following day.
Authors Note:
I want to add that it´s my pure headcanon that Hanji was the one having the idea with the light sources. It was unconfirmed in the manga who actually had the idea. But Hanji developed and researched a lot of stuff during chapter 70 so my guess is Hanji was the one as well having the idea to use the stones from the cave as light sources. Not many knew even such a cave existed. Counting the few soldiers, merely Levi´s new squad, Levi himself and Hanji being the only people who were down there and survived it makes it highly logical and possible for Hanji being the one who did it.