Based off a role play with KiwiFruit07
Levi/Hanji: Break Time
The bell rang, dismissing students to the cafeteria, an empty classroom (most likely with their significant other), or their favorite teacher's room, while teachers were dismissed to the staff room, lunchroom patrol duty, or their desks to grade papers. Two teachers- Ms. Zoe and Mr. Levi, however, did none of the above. Levi remained in his classroom, but not to do work: simply to, well, remain in his classroom. What a pain it was, trying to get the difference between "c'est" and "ce" across to a bunch of inattentive brats… He needed to be alone for a while, with just his thoughts and his favorite spinning wheeled office chair. Closing his eyes, he pushed himself away from his supremely-organized desk, stopped just before bumping into the wall, then pushed himself back to the desk, and repeated the process again. Yes, this was-
"Bonjour~!" The door to the French classroom suddenly swung open. Levi froze; who had seen him sitting at his desk, rolling back and forth in his chair like an absent-minded child? It was hardly necessary to think about that, for there was only one person that ever dared to enter his classroom so rowdily, and her name was Hanji Zoe.
"What do you want, shitty four-eyes." Hanji ignored the dehumanizing nickname; Levi had called her it so many times that she came to interpret it as a term of endearment. She simply continued to grin brightly and sat herself on his desk, crossing her legs and twisting her upper body around in order to face him.
"What, I can't just drop by to chat?"
Just the slightest twitch occurred in the corner of Levi's eye. "No. I couldn't care less about whatever the hell you learned from dissecting a lizard today," he told her, his voice completely drenched in sarcasm.
"For one, they're salamanders. Not lizards. And we don't dissect them, just observe how they're affected by different conditions and diets!" Hanji corrected him, shaking a finger in his face. Levi's shoulders slumped and he stared blankly into her face.
"…you're actually experimenting on lizards."
"Salamanders."
Levi ignored that. "Changing their food and habitats seems too basic for you. What else are you doing to them?"
Hanji grinned mischievously and winked at him. "If I told you that, you'd tattle to Principal Irvin and get me arrested."
The tiniest bit of concern flashed across Levi's face. Well, not so much concern as it was questioning of his coworker's sanity. "I wouldn't."
"Oh, puh-lease. I know you and Mr. Smith have a special connection. You'd throw me under the bus in a heartbeat if it meant impressing him." She winked again, though this time it was suggestively.
A blush threatened on Levi's apathetic face; most likely more out of anger than embarrassment. Or perhaps the other way around… "That was years ago. Only an affair from when we were wild teenagers," he insisted. Hanji snorted/giggled.
"I highly doubt you were ever a 'wild teen,'" she snickered. Levi narrowed his eyes and sat back in his chair, crossing his legs and arms.
"I'll have you know I was, as the kids call it these days, a 'thug.' A dangerous, well-renowned one at that."
"Oh, yes, and before I became a scientist I was a part-time ninja warrior! Completely true story," Hanji mused, grinning in hilarity. Suddenly, that grin faded from her face, and she tilted her head curiously. The smile then returned more gently, showing affection instead of amusement this time. "But say you were a hooligan. That means you reverted from your life of crime and took to educating children instead! Oh Levi, you're such a sweetie!" She covered her mouth with both hands, closing her eyes tightly, and squealed. Levi remained speechless; no point in wasting his breath on her idiocy.
"Anyhoo, speaking of wild teenagers…" Hanji continued, already completely recovered from her moment of awe. "The chemistry amongst this batch of teens is so exciting. Toughies-falling-for-honor-students seems to be trending this year. Armin Arlert and Eren Jaeger… Jean Kirschstein and Marco Bodt… Ooh, and that scary Ymir girl and Christa Renz! Love is such a fascinating science," she sighed happily, her eyes glistening behind her glasses. Levi continued to stare at her with a completely indifferent expression.
"I hope you realize I have no interest in anyof this. They'll all just brats, I couldn't exactly care less about their love lives."
Hanji whined. "Aw, c'mon, I know you care about the students! They're not brats! …although, some of them…" Her demeanor darkened drastically. "I'm not sure who. I haven't yet pinpointed their identity yet, but someone murdered my two favorite salamanders…"
"…murdered?" Levi didn't particularly care, but seeing how suddenly distressed Hanji was, he figured he might as well display some sort of interest. Hanji nodded gravely.
"Sonny and Bean, I named those salamanders. They were the largest, friendliest specimens I found… Only bit me twice each! I admit, I spoiled them… Adjusted all their diets and lighting in ways that I was certain would make them healthier. Then, one weekend… I came back to school… And someone had intensified their cage lighting. Th-they weren't used to the change in heat, and…!" She buried her face in hand and made a dry sobbing sound. Then all of a sudden her sobs produced real tears, and she was sniveling like a child that just had their blankie ripped away from them.
Levi sat there awkwardly as Hanji bawled over the loss of her favorite science experiments. Slowly, he reached across his desk and grabbed a box of tissues. He offered it out to her; she peeked out between her fingers, sniffled, and took a tissue, blowing noisily. As she attempted to even her breathing and lessen her sobs, Levi decided to occupy himself by spinning casually in his chair.
Hanji finally calmed down enough to dab at her eyes and mostly regain her usual posture. Levi continued to spin nonetheless, beginning to get dizzy but not minding at all, as Hanji removed her glasses and wiped the lenses off on her shirt. He was still spinning when she placed them back on her nose, and she grinned. "You know, Levi, you're really an interesting man." Now he stuck a foot out to stop himself and looked at Hanji to better listen to her. "You act so heartless, and always look like you hate everyone and everything. But… You're actually very sweet. How complex…"
There was a moment of silence as Levi absorbed Hanji's words. "You're decent yourself," he said eventually. Hanji's eyes widened behind her spectacles; that was perhaps the nicest thing Levi had ever said to her directly, though she knew he was capable of more. She had seen him around students he harbored a soft spot for, coworkers going through difficult times… Under his cold exterior, he was actually a compassionate man. And Hanji absolutely adored that. She tilted her head slightly, and then nodded to herself.
"It's about time I follow the advice the girls in the staff room keep telling me," she decided under her breath. Levi raised his eyebrows slightly. Hanji closed her eyes tightly for a moment; when she opened them, they twinkled with determination, and she seemed to give off an air of fortitude. "Levi, be my boyfriend!"
Now, Levi wasn't a man to easily be startled, but that caught him off guard. A downpour of emotions he couldn't remember ever experiencing suddenly poured into his brain and chest, and for a moment his usually apathetic eyes were wide. Then as quickly as this uprising of feeling had come, he had it under control, and regained his cool composure with just a quiet clearing of his throat. He leaned back in his chair, casually draping one arm over the back, and crossed his legs again. "We're pretty old to start doing something like that. But of course my answer is yes."
Hanji's moment of euphoria had also faded quickly, leaving her aura to resemble a deflated balloon as she realized the full impact of her demand. Yet, Levi's response… Was she hearing correctly? He said yes… He actually agreed to dating her… She wanted to grin, and squeal with joy, but she was simply too baffled to display a reaction other than one of shock.
"Hello, Earth to four-eyes… Did you hear me? I said yes." Levi reached out and tucked one of the many stray strands of hair sticking away from Hanji's head back into her messy high ponytail. His eyes gazed into hers, flickering with more emotion than was normal for him. "I figured that would be the natural response to someone you're in love with."
A combination of a shriek and a gasp arose in Hanji's throat. "Wha-?! In love with?! But Levi-! I-! You-! We've been coworkers for years, and…!"
"And I've always enjoyed your presence. Sure, half the time you just piss me off. …but I can't say I dislike you. At all." Now he stood and brought himself face-to-face with Hanji as she sat rigidly on the desk. "Looks like my type of woman is a shitty four-eyes. How unappealing." In one combined motion, he cupped her face into his hand, pulled her down to his level, and kissed her, his body language calm but the kiss itself passionate. Hanji sat there stunned for a moment, until her brain started functioning again and she hastened to close her eyes, wrap her arms around Levi's back, and kiss him in return.
Their noses remained touching when they pulled away, and Hanji squealed like a lovestruck teenage girl. "Oh, Levi… I love you too! Even if you're grumpy all the time. You're adorable!" She brought her hand from the top of Levi's head to her face, demonstrating their height difference; he narrowed his eyes, and she giggled. "Okay, handsome is a better word." She kissed him on the nose, and his glare faded. In fact, a tinysmile formed at the corner of his mouth. Hanji missed it, however, because she had pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, bending down in order to smother her face in his shoulder. "Love is such a complicated chemistry…" she murmured. Levi wrapped one arm around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"We'll have to arrange a date." He raised his voice: "That is, when there aren't students listening outside the door…." He aimed a hard glare over Hanji's head at the classroom door, where a few teenagers were spying through its small window. They froze in terror for a moment, and then scrambled off cursing and snickering. Hanji laughed airily, keeping her arms around Levi and her cheek against his shoulder.
"I need to be getting back to my classroom, anyway… Check on some beakers before they boil over." She stood up straight and ran her hands up and down his biceps. "I'll see you around, Levi." Her voice was absolutely seaming with affection. Levi trailed his hand down her waist as she pecked him on the cheek, smiled lovingly at him, and turned to head on to her classroom. She opened the door and started to step out…
"…but seriously. What the hell are you doing to the lizards."
"Salamanders."