Prompt: Modern AU – Mikasa is allergic to flowers and won't stop sneezing. Levi snaps. Fluff.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the published stories or characters I write about in my own work, nor do I make any profit from my writing.
Another tickle entered her nose and for the twenty-seventh time in the last few hours, she sneezed – a rather violent one too. It earned her a scowl from Levi, who was currently looking very exasperated and annoyed.
"It's these god-awful flowers," Mikasa returned the frown, knowing her face must look a hideous shade of pink and puffy.
"You have medication, why don't you bloody use it?" Levi didn't look up from the newspaper he was reading, delicately turning each page. He sighed after a few moments of silence. "Here." Reaching into the inside pocket of his blazer, he withdrew a handkerchief and offered it to the young woman.
Mikasa smirked, desperately trying to hide the fact that another sneeze was threatening to erupt. "Ah, em, no thank you. I don't want to…AH–" The sneeze forced its way from her throat and out of her nose, the sensation becoming quickly unbearable.
"Just take it," Levi snapped, his nerves finally igniting. "I'm getting a little vexed that you've refused to help yourself out of this predicament. We could have at least sat inside, Mikasa."
"Unnecessary. It's a gorgeous day outside–"
"For crying out loud woman–"
"–and we needed to get some fresh air anyway–"
"You're so damn stubborn–"
"–since Erwin's been beating us into the ground with all that paperwork–"
"Mikasa–"
"AH-CHOO!" Mikasa's head jerked forward and Levi had to fling out a hand to steady her lest she tumble from her chair.
Levi sighed, now thoroughly peeved at her obstinacy and refusal to at least listen to him. "I have had it." He muttered and stood up, tucking the paper beneath an arm, and hauled her up from her place across from him. "We're going inside, away from these garish pollen-infested sacs you like to call flowers."
Mikasa didn't object and let Levi drag her into the restaurant. She snatched the handkerchief from his hand and covered her mouth, hiding the smile growing on her lips as he brusquely ordered a server to prepare them a table away from the garish pollen-infested sacs.
The tickle that had been lingering in her nose for the past hour faded instantly as she breathed in the moist air-conditioned drafts of the restaurant. Though she would never admit it to him, Levi was right: she did feel a whole lot better.
"You could say thank you." Levi sipped his tea and crossed his legs, the tip of his polished shoe nudging her leg gently under the table.
"Yes, I could." Mikasa responded, sarcasm littering her inflections. "But that would be the polite thing to do." She smiled cheerfully at him.
"Stubborn brat." The corners of his lips curled.
"Says the one who's calling me names." Mikasa shoved him back with her heel and brought it up to rest on his knee.
Levi pursed his lips. "I just had these pressed, and your filthy shoe is on them."
"Why thank you for notifying me! I wasn't aware of where my own foot is." She shifted her heel on his knee, perusing her menu and not bothering to make eye contact.
"I hope you didn't completely ruin my handkerchief."
"Not at all." Mikasa held it up, eyes still on the lunch items.
"Sure. It's just that it looks like a snail decided to crawl all over it and raise a family or two on the embroidery." Levi drawled, unsure of whether he cared about it anymore. He was becoming slightly more amused than usual with today's banter.
"I guess I'll keep it then."
"Do whatever you want. It's probably infected now anyway."
Mikasa smiled into the menu. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine, eh Levi?
The tickle was slowly making its way back into her throat and she looked up in horror. Levi, however, wasn't paying any more attention to her now, and she shoved her face back behind the safety of the tall menu. She could feel it returning to her nose and she clutched the handkerchief tightly, ready.
"Ah…AH–"
At that moment, Levi decided to look up, his smirk fading away to weary dismay. "You have got to be bloody joking–"
"AH-CHOO!"
Levi stared at her, the irritation on his face reducing to a low chuckle. "Doing it to just agitate me now, eh Ackerman?"
Mikasa smiled sheepishly.