chapter one / bright beets

if there was one word to describe the colour of Hange's passion, it would be beet-red. the vivid and bright colour perfectly matching to the intensity that is wondrous Hange.

The window showing the outdoors was a midnight black. She leaned her hands on the wooden desk that was given exclusively to her for the experiments she would conduct there. Such experiments like examining titan fingernails, the thickness of a strand of hair, or just looking at basic anatomy comparisons. Hange sighed as she blankly stared at the stale parchment that layer at the center of the mess. Her attire was lazy, thick grey sweatpants and and oversized shirt were just perfect for a late night brainstorm session. The glasses adorned on her drowsy face were beginning to slip off as a loud knock erupted from her office door. Hange quickly, and quite messily, tousled her hair before reaching out for the door knob. When she peeled through the crack, she was surprised to see Levi standing just outside. His face looked a little irritated, if not pained. She noticed he was fully dressed in his uniform. Hange opened the door without a second thought and let him inside.

"Oh, hey, Levi. I wasn't expecting to see you here so late at night. What are you doing up?"

His steely eyed gaze held her simple brown ones for a fraction of a moment.

"I couldn't sleep. I thought that listening to you work would put my mind at ease for a few hours."

Hange smiled sadly at him. She knew that he'd always had trouble sleeping, and she was actually glad to see that he'd rather spend his night with her than alone in his own room.

"Of course. I'm not doing anything exciting, though. Just shifting through some drawings and unfinished paperwork. Maybe I'll do a sketch later."

Levi only nodded his head in response.

"I'm happy with whatever background noise you have tonight. Just make sure you don't break any glass. You've already shattered two of your beakers and a flask in the last week."

Hange laughed. It was full and made her feel relaxed. Levi then handed her a small bag. When she opened it, it was filled with all sorts of foods. There were potatoes, beets, radishes, and even a small loaf of bread. She looked at him and saw that his face had a pink tint to it. Especially in the cheeks.

"Oh my gosh, Levi! You didn't have to get all of this! Thank you so much."

Levi merely said,

"You haven't eaten anything in the past couple of days. Don't forget to think about yourself too."

His ears turned a shade darker than beetroot red, and he strutted over to the chair he always sits in. Hange laughed again, loudly and with a small snort. She set the bag of goods onto the side of her desk and began flipping through all the work she still had to finish. There were diagrams and charts that she had just finished, but probably needed updating. Other sheets had experiences of expeditions and trips far beyond the walls. She had enjoyed writing those one, especially. The fluttering of the papers was easily soothing to ears fortunate enough to listen to the sound. It was rhythmic and varied in tone and pitch. The more you listened, the deeper it put you in your trance. Levi was almost completely dozed off before he snapped himself awake with the surreal nightmares that played before his dreary eyes. He sighed and looked over at Hange. She was focused and in control of the information that was all gathered in her hands. She was so intelligent, and Levi trusted she always made the best decisions for the better. Humanity was always first on her mind. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Levi then stood up and strutted over to her desk and pulled up a wooden stool that stood nearby. Hange glances up and Levi for a moment and set down her papers in a way that he could read what she had recently written. She opened the second drawer of her desk and took out a fresh sheet of parchment and layed it out so she could sketch the latest titan formations and anatomy. Her hands were skilled and quick, evenly calculated and experienced. These moments were Hange's favourites.

Levi took a long moment looking over the new data and set his mind elsewhere. He drifted off and eventually fell asleep.

Hange noticed that Levi fell asleep in the stool, and quietly stood up from her chair. She walked over to the sleeping boy and lifted him into her arms. She was careful not to break anything as she headed towards the door of her office. Her movements were thoughtful as she walked to Levi's room. She wasn't worried of making any noise in the halls because she didn't wear any shoes to stomp in. Her feet touched the cool grounds, and made their way to the door. When she opened it, she was greeted with the warm scents of pine needles. Hange herself still smelled like ink and parchment, but it was a nice compound. It smelled like a lot of sleepless nights. Levi's bed was neatly made before she laid him down. His skin was soft and youthful, still flawless after hours in the relentless sun. Hange took a few moments to just look at how peaceful he looked. His expression was soothed and relaxed, and his body wasn't tense either. Levi looked as though he was free from all the troubles that he had. Hange yawned and climbed into his bed with him. He was warm and cozy. Hange fell asleep almost instantly.