His shoe tapped against the uneven paving in no particular rhythm. He shifted, the coarse stone rim of the long dried-up fountain that was currently his temporary seat, not all too comfortable.
Dragging a hand through his hair, he grimaced, rolled his shoulders, and he shifted again.
Goddamnit.
Why did he feel all giddy? Levi lifted his face to the clear blue sky and scowled at it. It was just flowers he was giving her. Regardless, he could not stop the nervous thrill across his spine or the bounce of his leg while sitting there waiting for her. Levi huffed. She was damn late too.
Giving each other presents was nothing new, few as the occasion had been back then. However- and Levi swallowed, fingers flitting over his bad knee. Maybe, in a way, this was something new- the implication of the gesture. He rubbed his temple. Back then, they had simply no time for anything else aside from trying to survive whatever crisis after crisis came hurling their way. Aside from the occasional nights out after a successful expedition, there had been no time, for- well, for this.
Yes. Levi remembered all too clearly Hange nearly throwing up over his shoes when he tried to drag her drunken ass back to her sleeping quarters. He recalled the loudness and the filth of the taverns. A too-small space with too many bodies pressed together.
He shuddered.
Fucking disgusting.
Levi remembered the smiles of his friends and comrades. Smiles of relief of having survived another day - of having secured a victory despite the enormous odds they faced. And tears, he remembered those also all too well.
The tears and the raw grief over losing loved ones - despair, stifled in an alleyway or behind closed doors or in corners of empty hallways.
Levi squinted up at the sky, the back of his neck disgustingly damp. Tch. The sun was too bright today.
000
"Oi, shit glasses."
"Hmmm?" Hange's head lolled against him while he dragged her with him toward her sleeping quarters, the scent of sweat and cheap booze in his nose.
"If you fucking dare to nearly throw up over me again, I will leave you here to fetch for yourself. You hear me?"
"Sorryyy, Leviii."
Words slurred, wobbly legs, his own head pounding from the strain of it all. And before he knew it, she unexpectedly turned and launched herself at him. He moved back, feverishly trying to dodge whatever she was planning this time around, but it was too late. Levi stumbled a step backward when her weight fell against him. "Fucking hell what- Oi, get off!"
Her fingers dug into his back. "Nooo, I'm huugginh you."
"Hange, shit, I swear-"
And she only clung harder, and Levi was slowly beginning to contemplate the act of murder.
Hange's face was pressed into his shoulder, hands grasping the back of his jacket furiously, mumbling drunkenly sorry's into his shoulder.
God, they were in the middle of the street, people waving around them to avoid them. He tossed them murderous glares when they dared as much as a stare while he made attempts to get Hange off of him. He grimaced. She had not even bathed, probably. No fuck, screw that, he knew for sure that she had not done that before coming here. The sharp scent of alcohol and disgusting titan filth in his nose, combined with his waning sanity, the throbbing in his head increased a notch.
Fuck this. Levi couldn't do this. The expedition had been long, and he was tired, and there were still heaps of paperwork waiting on him. Levi had not enough patience in him to deal with Hange and her drunken shit tonight. He was going to leave her here on the streets right now this instant.
Really.
Right-the-fuck-now.
He didn't, though, and cursing himself and the woman still clinging to him, he hauled Hange to her quarters, dumping her on her bed, then turning around and stomping toward the kitchen to fetch water, in the process scaring some unsuspecting, poor occupants there. Grumbling under his breath, he made his way back to her room, grabbing Hange a clean shirt and a toothbrush and toothpaste.
He fetched some painkillers too. Not only for Hange, though. God knew he needed them too.
000
He let out a long sigh when he spotted her coming his way, weaving through the small crowd and smiling and waving at him, her white blouse fluttering in the mild breeze.
"Here." He proffered her the bouquet when she was sufficiently close, not waiting for any greeting. Tch. She was already late enough.
"For me?" A blush spread across Hange's cheeks as she glanced down at the flowers. They were Peruvian lilies, a brilliant yellow, red, and white.
Levi found that he could not look away.
"Yes. For you." He tried to swallow, mouth suddenly parched when she took them from him carefully, and he willed away the anxious, jittery feeling dancing around in his stomach.
"They are beautiful." Hange looked back up at him, a smile still brightening her face. And he waited, observing her expression, and-
Hange bent down, drawing nearer, her free hand settling on his shoulder, fingers curving. "As a thank you." The murmur was hot against his skin, raising tiny goosebumps across his arms. His stomach flipping, he pushed down a shiver, his fingers finding the side of her face. Then her lips met his own softly. And for a moment, Levi almost forgot how to breathe.
Peruvian lily color meanings:
Red: Passion, romantic love, strength, life force, good health, wealth, growth, and new beginnings.
Yellow: Warmth, reassurance, healing, hope, fresh starts, youthfulness, and health.
White: Purity, innocence, new life, grief and loss, reverence, respect, and healing.