Chapter Twelve: I Only Realized it Now
It was getting hot in the tuck as they drove on. They drove straight through from breakfast till the late afternoon, till Levi finally decided to take a break. He pulled down a small dirt road towards a lake "Ouu! A lake!" Hanji exclaimed "Yeah, its getting way too hot..I thought we could go cool off" Levi replied as he pulled over at the end of the road and cut the engine "You brought a swimsuit right?" Levi asked suspiciously "Yeah! Of course" Hanji yelled as she got out of the tuck and grabbed her bag from the back "Ill go change over here, no peeking!" She yelled with a blush as she ran into the trees to the left of the truck. "Yeah yeah.. Ill change over here" Levi said grabbing his bag and began walking in the other direction.
When Levi came back through the trees he saw Hanji already splashing around in the lake "I beat ya!" Hanji yelled when she spotted him in the trees "Come swim with me!" Hanji yelled waving her arms in the air. Levi laughed and sat down on the ground "Hmm..I don't know if i will..." He said with a evil grin "Ugh! I'm going to make you!" Hanji yelled running out of the water towards him. She grabbed his arm and tried pulling him towards the shore, while Levi sat there laughing, after about a minute of her trying she sat down on the ground beside him "You win.." She muttered with a scowl. Levi instantly got up without a word and tossed her over his shoulder "AHH!" Hanji yelled with a laugh. Levi walked over to the edge of the lake and tossed her in. Hanji landed with a splash "You are pretty light" Levi said with a smirk "Oh so funny!" Hanji yelled as she splashed him with water "Oh you are asking for it now!" Levi replied diving into the water tickling her feet below the surface, while Hanji kicked and laughed trying to get away. When Levi came up for a breath she jumped on him. "Lets race!" She said excitedly "You know i'm going to win" Levi said confidently "Not with those short legs! I'm built like a swimmer ill have you know" Hanji replied with twice as much confidence "If you say so" Levi muttered.
"READY, SET, GOO!" Hanji yelled and they began to swim to the dock across the small lake. At first Hanji and Levi were head and head then half way across the lake Levi sped up and was suddenly going twice the speed of Hanji. When he reached the dock he climbed up and sat dangling his legs over the edge. When Hanji reached the dock she was out of breath "How?-so-fast!" Hanji gasped in between breaths "Whoa, take a breather" Levi replied grabbing her elbow helping her onto the dock "I was on the swim team all through High School and College" Levi answered "I had no idea" Hanji replied once she had caught her breath "You weren't too bad yourself" Levi insisted "Yeah" Hanji said quietly as she rested her head on his shoulder. They sat there enjoying the view.. the lily pads were in bloom and the birds were singing as the sun shone bright over their heads "I love you" Hanji whispered quietly in his ear "You what?" Levi asked in disbelief "Nothing.. i said your face is burning up." Hanji said with bright pink cheeks "Lets go get you some aloe" Hanji said before jumping back into the lake swimming towards the other side. Levi sat there with his face flushed.. -Did i hear her correctly?- Levi shook his head and jumped in after her.
When Hanji reached the shore line she climbed into the back of the truck she searched her bag- Im sure i packed some Aloe..somewhere in here... oh my goodness i did not just tell him i loved him..he didn't even say it back! Did he even hear me?! Ugh.. Here it is- Hanji grabbed the tube of lotion and sat in the truck waiting for him, soon after Levi got into the back of the truck. I think i burnt more than just my face.." Levi replied looking discouraged "I should have put on sunscreen." Levi muttered "Sit down" Hanji replied quietly applying it to his back, she felt him shiver when she applied the cold cream to his back. Her face blushing bright pink as she rubbed in the lotion on into his bright red skin. She is acting weird... she did say what i thought she said... She loves me?- Levi thought, but suddenly he realized.
He turned to face her, he lightly grabbed her waist pulling her centimeters away from him, he looked deep into her auburn eyes "Hanji, i love you" he whispered before pulling her in for a soft kiss, but Hanji grabbed him and kissed him more, then pulled away to look into his piecing gray eyes "I love you too" she whispered. They sat in the back of the truck in silence just leaned against the tail gate cuddled close -I know all the reasons i love her, she is beautiful and a disaster all at once, she can decipher my every word, i love her for the way her eyes sparkle when she talks about something she is passionate about, i love they way she laughs and can instantly calm my worries with a kiss on a cheek or a smile. She has changed my life entirely in only a few months. I have never been this happy. That is why i love her so much, and i only realized it now.- Levi thought as he too drifted off.
