A/N Thank you as always! :)
His Neighbor's Girlfriend
Chapter 8
As expected, general cleaning is soothing.
Levi heaves a satisfied sigh as he observes his shining, shimmering, splendidly cleaned, and spotless apartment. He takes off his bandana and decides to take a bath. The busier he is, the more he'll be able to push her out of his thoughts. But there come those idle moments where his brain is stubborn as a mule.
He learned from Erwin, who managed to discreetly squeeze the information he greatly denies he wanted to acquire from Hange, that Mikasa is indeed that resident doctor she kept babbling about during their lunch out. They have the same surname. And when Erwin did a research about her, they found out that they are not related in any way. Her family came from Hizuru, a country from the Eastern continent. Aside from finding out that the girl used to be a child prodigy who suddenly left the spotlight to venture on science, they found nothing else. The girl is still a mystery. The articles about her never mentioned her past, elaborate details of her family, why she suddenly disappeared or what she did after. Only the awards she has won all throughout her childhood – which is quite impressive, if Levi must say. Her IQ is 197, it says. He finds this hard to believe, for the girl sometimes acts like she lacks cognizance.
As the sun gets ready to set, he takes out his canvases and paint sets on the balcony. He intends to capture the glowing skies of autumn until dusk. The most spectacular hues blooming with pinks, reds and oranges until the color of her eyes eats them away.
If Levi is holding a paintbrush and facing a blank canvas, he gets so absorbed that no one can take his attention until he's done. No one – except one girl who slides his neighbor's balcony door close in full force, it almost breaks, and he feels the floor shake, then beats the poor clothes rack into ruins with her bare hands.
"Stupid Eren." She groans over and over until she's mollified. It takes a few more minutes before she notices his presence.
Their balconies are separated by iron bars with spaces in between because their apartments are clustered together. So, there's not much privacy in their part. In fact, this is where Eren used to show him his drawings and sketches. Sometimes, Eren watches him paint. He doesn't care, his focus is superb. But he starts to question that claim now.
As realization dawns on her, the expression of absolute shame that slowly crept across her features makes his heart skip a bit or two. It takes all his strength to resist the urge to show her how amused he is, but she seems to catch the restrained twitching of the corners of his lips. His hand is left holding the paint brush suspended in the air as she covers her now flustered face with her arms. "You've seen my uncool side again, huh."
Levi blinks dumbly and finally places his paint brush down, swirling the bristles in the can of water, washing the tint as it lightens and the water colors. He recollects himself and turns his head back to his canvas. "It's cute."
There is an unwelcomed awkwardness in the air. And Levi isn't sure how he looks but his ears feel hot, it burns. He emphases his attention into his canvas, occasionally gazing at the sky. He feels her move, quietly pulling a chair. He assumes she decided to stay.
And it is weird. Because Levi is the kind of artist who is impossible to distract. Even Hange at the peak of her energy to annoy the fuck out of him, can't even get through his immense concentration when in front of a canvas. But why is his chest drumming so hard, it is deafening. He turns to look at her and she immediately turns her head to glance at the sky, avoiding his eyes.
The outline of her face as she tilts her head up slightly, reflecting the spectacular colors of the sunset sky, made him swallow thickly and unconsciously, he holds his breath. "Would you like some tea?" He spouts, surprising her as she finally meets his gaze.
"S-sure?" She stammers. She doesn't really sound sure, a bit more confused.
Levi stands and turns, breathing heavily as he enters his apartment. He must recompose himself. After a few minutes, he returns with a cup of tea and hands her in between the railings. She gratefully accepts.
"Mikasa," he reluctantly says, unable to control himself. His heart is beating so fast. "That's your name, right?"
She almost chokes, then she coughs, covering her mouth with a hand. "Yes." She manages to reply.
"Would you like to model for me? I'll pay you."