Chapter Text
The third. It’s been the third bouquet he bought in five days.
In the past two months this mysterious and angry looking guy in an overly expensive suit had been coming to Hange’s shop almost daily. And every time he bought a bouquet, asking Hange to ensemble the rarest flowers her shop had. When he came for the first time, he had bought a simple and almost boring bouquet – red roses. However, he returned two days later and asked for lilies, which, yes, was a slightly better choice, but still boring and quite predictable.
When he came for the third time, though, that’s when things started to get interesting.
The enigmatic man came as usual, quietly opening and closing the door, if there wasn’t a door chime, Hange would never have noticed his entry, too engrossed in her book. However, as she heard a familiar sound, she raised her head and smiled, recognizing the man, who had already come here twice this week.
“Good day!” she said loudly, excited to see him. Today’s shift had been slow and Hange was glad to see a customer. She was especially glad to see that customer, Hange couldn’t lie to herself, the stranger had intrigued her. He had intrigued her a lot. Even with his seemingly cold demeanor and emotionless eyes, there was something in him that sparkled Hange’s curiosity. And she could never resist a good riddle.
“What flowers do you want this time?” she asked, regarding the man in front of her.
“Tulips.” The man replied in a deep and husky voice, which Hange totally didn’t find insanely attractive. She did not. “Um, variegated if you have them?”
“We do!” Hange exclaimed before she walked to the back of the shop to get them.
As she came back and started to wrap the flowers, she kept stealing small glances at the man. His choice of flowers was very peculiar and Hange couldn’t stop herself from asking.
“You bought roses on your first day and then you came back for lilies. Now tulips,” she stared at the man, who was looking back at her with annoyance. “Why such a sudden change?”
“You’ve remembered my first two visits?” the man asked quietly. Then he shook his head, as though the question wasn’t important and gave Hange a very impressive glare. Especially for such short man. “It’s none of your business what flowers I buy, just do your job already and give me that shitty bouquet!”
“Oi, that wasn’t very nice,” Hange chided him. As she returned to her wrapping, a thought suddenly occurred to her. “You know what variegated tulips mean in the flower language? They are a symbol for beautiful eyes.”
When Hange turned to look at the man, he was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Yes,” he said finally. “I do know that.”
Hange expected him to elaborate on that or to tell her to hurry up, but the man just continued to look at her. Feeling suddenly shy, she returned to the bouquet, unsure what so say to fill the awkward silence.
When she was finished, she handed the bouquet to the man with a smile. However, before he was able to take it from her hand, she quickly withdrew it.
“Tell me your name!” she said, holding the bouquet out of the man’s reach.
Hange could swear she heard the man growl. He tried to snatch the bouquet out of her hands, but Hange raised it high above her head and looked at him expectantly.
“Why do I have to tell you anything? I’m paying for those shitty flowers.”
“Please?” Hange made her best attempt at puppy eyes. She wasn’t sure if that actually worked or the man just got tired of her.
“It’s Levi.” He grumbled and outstretched his hand, waiting to take his bouquet.
“See, it wasn’t so hard,” Hange smiled at him, handing the flowers. She turned around to get back to her book, expecting the man to leave. As she was ready to disappear in the back of the shop, she heard Levi’s voice.
“Oi, four-eyes,” he huffed annoyingly. “You still haven’t told me your name.”
Hange looked at him in surprise. “Hange, my name is Hange.”
“Hange,” Levi said it slowly, as though tasting her name on his lips. “They really are beautiful.”
And then he was gone, leaving Hange staring confusedly after him and wondering just what exactly he had meant by those words.
The next time he came, which was a few days later, he asked for bouquet of coreopsises. A symbol of cheerfulness, Hange thought with a smile. As she was assembling the bouquet, she couldn’t help but admire the bright colors.
“Good choice,” she commented as she gave Levi the flowers. “You must love your girlfriend very much.”
Levi stared at her dumbfounded. “My who?”
“Eh, your girlfriend? You buy all these flowers for her, right?”
“No.”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Hange slapped her forehead. “It’s for your boyfriend then?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Levi told her and Hange thought she saw a vein popping on his forehead. “Or a boyfriend.” He added hastily.
“Huh?” Hange stared at Levi with her mouth hung open. She was completely lost. “So who do you buy them for?”
“Er…” Levi’s eyes darted from Hange to the flowers in his hands. “They… they are for my boss.” He told her finally.
“Oh, so you’re trying to court your boss, how cute!” Hange clasped her hands in delight.
In front of her, Levi sneered.
“He asks me to buy them,” he gritted through his teeth. “Probably for his girlfriend, or something.”
“Oh…” Hange was a little disappointed to hear this. “So it’s not you who comes up with all these bizarre flowers?”
“Oi, of course it’s me,” Levi huffed. “Erwin would never think of something so considerate.”
Hange’s lips curved into a radiant smile. “Well, I have to admit then, your choice of flowers and knowledge of flower language is admirable,” she winked at him. “Keep up the good work.”
Levi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”
Before he could turn around and leave the shop, Hange grabbed his jacket to stop him once again.
“Wait,” she smiled sheepishly, when he glared at her. “I have another question.”
“What is this, four-eyes? Are you interrogating me?”
Hange threw her head back and laughed. “Of course, I’m not!” she exclaimed, waving her hand at him. “I’m just… curious.”
Levi narrowed his eyes. “You’re an extremely curious woman, Hange.”
“I am.” Hange replied confidently. Then she sighed deeply and sitting down, she put a hand under her chin. She looked at Levi with a pout on her face. “Of course, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…”
Levi cursed under his breath, taking a step towards Hange, so he wouldn’t need to raise his voice, trying to talk to her. He put his flowers down on the counter and placed his hands next to the bouquet, glaring at Hange. “If I wouldn’t answer your stupid question, you probably won’t lay off my ass and will ask me the same thing when I come back.”
“Probably,” Hange smiled up at him. Because she was sitting down, Levi was looming over her, but Hange wasn’t fazed by this. “But you don’t have to come back here,” she reminded him. “You can always find another shop.”
“Tch,” Levi shook his head. “That would be too much of a hassle. So, tell me your stupid question already.”
Hange perked up and grinned widely. She got to her feet, standing right in front of Levi, the counter separating them. “Where do you work?”
“Eh?” Levi’s usual frown deepened. “What kind of question is that?”
“An easy one,” Hange countered. To be honest, she had been thinking about it for a while. Her shop wasn’t the cheapest one in their neighborhood, but Levi was buying flowers there two times a week. Hange was sure she couldn’t be able to afford such expenses and she was working two jobs!
Levi sighed. “I’m the vice president of a pharmaceutical company.” He crossed his hands on his chest. “Are you happy now?”
“Ecstatic,” Hange winked at him. “Wait, you’re so young and already a vice president?”
“Oi, I’m not young,” Levi grumbled. “How old do you think I am?”
Hange cocked her head to the side, studying Levi closely. “Twenty-five?”
“Fuck you,” Levi growled. “I’m thirty four.”
“Oh, so you’re a big man!” Hange grinned.
“Shut up, four-eyes. How old are you?”
“I’m thirty one!”
“Hm.” Was all that Levi had said to her. He was already turning around again, thinking their conversation was over. Hange had a different opinion.
“Wait, I still have one question left!”
Levi looked at her incredulously. “Really? What else do you want to know?”
“Well, you’ve said you’re a vice president but you’re buying flowers for your boss. Doesn’t he have anyone else who can do it for him? Someone less important?”
“Ah, well, he just trusts me a lot.” Hange wasn’t sure but was Levi flustered? Either way, there was something weird about his explanation, something that wasn’t adding up. And Hange was determined to find it out. Although, she would do it some other time. Levi was obviously fed up with her prodding today.
“Are your curiosity sated now?” Levi asked.
“Yes, for today it is. You may go now to do your important vice president stuff.” She waved her hand with a smile. “Goodbye!”
Levi grabbed his flowers and headed to the exit. He stopped in front of the door and turned around to give Hange a little, awkward wave.
Hange smiled at the gesture and she thought she saw a small smile on Levi’s lips as well. Before she could take a good look on him, though, he disappeared behind the door.
The first time Hange saw an angry Levi was during his next visit to her shop. She hadn’t seen him for more than a week and, truth be told, she started to get a little worried. Had she overstepped some line? Was Levi weirded out by her insistence? She started to actually miss him, she liked their banter and she was always excited to find out what flowers Levi would choose next. Without him, her shifts had become dull and boring.
During one of those shifts, which Hange spent buried in a book she wasn’t really interested in, she heard the familiar sound of a door opening. She raised her head, ready to put up a slightly fake smile and greet the customer. However, when her eyes landed on the customer, a sincere, wide smile graced her lips.
“Levi!” she exclaimed happily. She was so glad to see him that she barely resisted the urge to walk up to him and give him a tight hug. That would definitely weird Levi out and then he probably would never visit Hange’s shop ever again.
Levi didn’t seem to have the same giddy feelings as Hange, because his expression was even sorer than usual. Levi wasn’t the most expressive person, but Hange could see that he was angry.
Before she could ask him what happened, he closed the distance between them in a few short strides. He stopped in front of the counter, glaring at Hange.
“You weren’t here yesterday,” he almost growled.
Hange was taken aback. Was that… was that the reason why Levi looked so furious? She awkwardly scratched her head and laughed. “I wasn’t?” she meant to confirm his words, but her voice was so unsure, it came out like a question.
“You weren’t,” Levi said, still glaring at her intensively. “I came yesterday for another bouquet, but instead of you, there was some guy.”
“That was Moblit. Usually he comes here in the morning to deliver the flowers, but sometimes he stays to assist me with the customers. I asked him to cover my shift, since I was too busy at the lab.”
Levi continued to look at her. His glare lessened a bit as his gaze became a little confused. “What were you doing at the lab?”
“Um, I work there?”
“No, you work here, at the shop.”
Hange chuckled. “I do,” she confirmed. “During the day I work here and in the evenings I go to work at my lab.”
Levi narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t tell me you have another job.”
“Because you’ve never asked!” Hange threw her hands in the air. People usually call her weird or eccentric, but her current exchange with Levi was a little too bizarre even for her.
“So you work here and then spend your evenings in the laboratory?”
“Yep,” Hange nodded.
“And what do you do there?”
“Well, I am a botanist. I study flowers.”
“So you’re a scientist?”
“Well, yeah. I even have a PhD, but I don’t usually teach students.”
Levi raised his eyebrow. “Why not?”
“For starters, I like working here. And,” Hange shrugged. “Students think I am too ‘intense’.”
Levi nodded in understanding. “I can sympathize with them.”
“Oi, that’s rude!” she punched Levi on the arm, grinning from ear to ear. She had missed him so much. “What flowers do you want this time?”
Levi looked at her for a moment, as though he had completely forgotten the reason he came here. Hange’s heart started beating a little faster at that thought.
Before he had a chance to reply, though, his phone started ringing. He looked at Hange apologetically, but she waved him off, indicating that he could pick up the phone. Levi’s frown deepened when he looked at the name of the caller. He walked to the back of the shop to have some privacy. Hange quietly followed after him, hiding behind the flower stalls.
“What do you want, Erwin?” she heard Levi’s displeased voice. “I’m still on a break.”
There was some silence, as Levi listened to whatever was said on the other end of the line. His face changed slightly and he became almost embarrassed as he uttered his next words. “I’m in a flower shop. Yes, I’m in that flower shop.”
It got quiet for a few moments again and then Levi sighed. “Fine, I’ll come back to the office immediately.”
As he was finishing his call, Hange hurried to return to her place behind the counter. She really hoped Levi didn’t notice her eavesdropping on him. She knew it was bad, but sometimes she was too curious for her own good. Her friend, Moblit, constantly reminded her of that.
“I’m sorry,” Levi said and his gaze was actually disappointed. “I have an urgent meeting. I’ll come back tomorrow. You will be there, right?” he asked with some hesitation.
“Of course,” Hange smiled and no, she didn’t find it cute that Levi obviously didn’t want to leave her shop just yet. And her pulse definitely did not fasten.
As Levi left the shop, Hange had to remind herself that Levi was probably disappointed that he couldn’t buy the flowers for whoever he was buying them for. Because Hange was almost sure he wasn’t buying them for his boss. His boss wouldn’t ask him to return to the office so quickly, if the flowers were for his girlfriend, right? And Levi probably wouldn’t sound so ashamed at the fact that he came to her shop once again.
“I need a bouquet with petunias.” It was the first thing Levi said to her, when he came back the following day.
“Well, hello to you, too,” Hange chuckled. She wanted to tease Levi more, but as she turned to look at him, she saw the dark circles under his eyes and the almost unhealthy whiteness of his face.
So instead of going to fetch another bouquet, Hange walked up to Levi. She laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently.
“Say, Levi,” she began and Levi looked up at her with wide eyes. He probably didn’t expect Hange to get so close to him. Trying not to pay attention to how stiff his body became under her touch, Hange continued. “Do you like tea? I’ve brought an exceptionally good tea with me today, do you want me to brew you a cup?”
Levi stared at her, clearly contemplating his answer. After a long minute of silence, he nodded slightly. “I would really appreciate that.” He whispered so quietly, Hange had to strain her ears to actually hear him.
Hange smiled and before she disappeared into a backroom, she brought Levi a chair and sat him down on it. While Hange was busy preparing the tea, she thought about Levi’s choice of flowers for today. He asked for something with petunias and Hange knew two meanings for these flowers. They were a symbol of resentment and hatred, but they also had another meaning – your presence soothes me. And judging by Levi’s state today, Hange wasn’t sure which one he preferred.
When she came back with two cups of steaming liquid, she sat next to Levi and thrusted the cup into his hands. He muttered a quiet ‘thanks’ and then took a small sip.
Hange watched in bewilderment at the way Levi drank his tea.
“What?” Levi asked irritatingly, as he lowered his cup.
“Nothing, it’s just… you have a very, um, unique way of drinking tea.”
“I’m making sure I won’t break the handle, so the cup won’t smash to pieces.”
What Levi just said to her made almost no sense. A thought suddenly occurred to Hange and she bumped her shoulder against Levi’s with a soft smile.
“Geez, you’re a weirdo just like me.” She told him with way too much fondness in her voice.
To Hange’s surprise, Levi didn’t call her stupid or roll his eyes on her. His gaze softened as he looked back at Hange. “Maybe.” He said, as he continued to drink his tea in the same bizarre manner.
Not a word was exchanged between them as they both drank their tea. And, surprisingly, Hange liked that. The calm atmosphere soothed and relaxed her. She hoped Levi felt the same.
“We don’t use petunias in the bouquets,” Hange told him when they were finished with their drinks and after she took the now empty cups back. “But we have some flowers in a pot, if that suits you?”
“Yes, that will do, thank you,” Levi said and Hange was relieved to see that he didn’t look so exhausted anymore.
As she handed him the flower, she couldn’t help but ask. “Did you know that in flower language petunias have two meanings? Which one do you prefer?”
“Your presence soothes me,” Levi replied, looking deeply into her eyes.
There was something in his gaze that Hange couldn’t quite decipher. But before she could ask him another question, Levi walked out of the shop, leaving her alone with her very confusing feelings.
The next time Levi came to Hange’s flower shop, he walked in with a cup of coffee. He put the cup in front of Hange and then looked expectantly at her.
“Um, Levi?” Hange blinked and then her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What’s this?”
“When was the last time you’ve cleaned your shitty glasses, four-eyes? It’s a cup of coffee.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Hange huffed. “But what is it doing here?”
Levi shook his head. “Don’t be an idiot, Hange. I brought it for you.”
Hange gasped in surprise and then her lips slowly curved into a smile. She took the cup into her hands, pressing it tightly to her chest. “Wow, Levi, thank you!”
Levi rolled his eyes. “Just drink it already.”
Hange put the cup to her lips, taking a tentative sip. Her eyes widened when she realized it was latte, made with just enough sugar and cream. Just as she liked!
“Levi! It’s delicious! How did you find out how I take my coffee?”
Levi smirked, pleased by her reaction. “I guessed.”
“Thank you, Levi, really. I appreciate it a lot.”
Levi waved her off. “Forget it. You’ve made tea for me and I just wanted to return the gesture.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I know. But I wanted to.”
Hange’s smile grew wider at his words. A warm feeling blossomed inside her chest. She stared at Levi fondly for a moment, before hastily turning around. “What flowers do you want this time?”
“Yellow tulips.”
“Ah, a sunshine in your smile?” Hange asked. “That’s a good choice.”
“Yes,” Levi agreed. “It fits her.”
“Your boss’ girlfriend must be a real beauty then,” Hange noted with a smirk.
For a slightest moment, Levi became confused. He hesitated for less than a second. But it was enough for Hange to notice. She grinned victoriously at Levi and he lowered his head in defeat.
“Fine, you’ve found out my secret. The flowers are not for my boss.”
“Wow, what a revelation,” Hange deadpanned.
For a long minute, silence hang around them, as Levi’s eyes darted from ceiling to walls, refusing to meet Hange’s gaze.
“Are you going to finally tell me who are you buying them for?” Hange asked.
“No,” Levi said and despite his harsh refusal, his voice was soft. He looked at Hange almost apologetically. “I…I will tell you one day, I promise. But I’m not ready to do it just yet.”
Hange waved her hand at him with a gentle smile. “It’s fine. You don’t have to tell me anything if you are not comfortable with it. I understand.”
“I will tell you,” Levi repeated stubbornly. “You just have to wait for a while.”
“Alright,” Hange shrugged. “I’ll wait then.”
Levi gave her a nod, and Hange went to get him his flowers. She retrieved the flowers and wrapped them nicely. She handed them to Levi. As he was taking them from her hands, their fingers brushed and Hange’s breath quickened. Even if they touched for just a briefest of moments, Hange felt how warm and soft Levi’s fingers were. She missed the contact already, and she realized with a start that she really wanted to hold Levi’s hand, to feel his palm press against hers and to have their fingers intertwine tightly. As she looked at Levi, she felt her cheeks warm up. He also stared at her with wide eyes, holding the bouquet awkwardly in his hand.
Hange gave an embarrassed laugh and turned away from Levi. “I’m sorry, I just remembered I… I need to, um, to water the plants. Have a nice day!” She waved at him, still facing away from Levi, too shy to look him in the eyes.
“Yes, goodbye, Hange. I… I’ll see you soon.”
Thankfully, Levi’s next visit wasn’t even half as awkward as their last encounter. As he visited Hange’s shop again and again, buying more and more flowers, they slowly started to get to know each other better. They talked more and sometimes they would get so engrossed in their conversation or playful banter that Levi would not notice that his break had ended and his boss would need to call and remind him to return to the office. In those occasions, Levi left the shop without buying anything. And maybe, Hange thought in those moments, maybe Levi wasn’t coming to her shop only to get flowers, maybe he was also seeking her company and maybe he was enjoying the time, they spent together, as much as she did.
During one of his many visits, Levi found out that Hange usually skipped lunch and didn’t eat anything, until she came home after her work in the lab. When he came next time, he brought her a meal from a nearby extremely expensive restaurants and a sort of routine had begun. Now each time Levi would visit her shop, he would bring Hange something to eat, she would brew some tea and they would enjoy their food together. A few times Levi brought her a homemade food, which he prepared himself and to Hange it tasted better than any food from the fancy restaurants.
Little by little, Levi opened up to Hange, telling her more about his job and life. He still didn’t reveal to whom he was buying all these flowers, and, surprisingly, Hange was more than okay with it. Because the more she got to know Levi and the more time she spent with him, the harder it was for her to ignore her growing feelings to him. When she was around Levi, Hange felt happier than she did in years. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so interested in someone, usually she was so busy with her work and research, she hardly noticed other people. But Levi was different, from the first time she saw him, he intrigued her. Despite their different and contrasting personalities, it was easy for Hange to understand Levi and with him she never felt like she was too weird or crazy. And sometimes, when Levi stared at her for too long or when he showed her one of his rare smiles, Hange felt like maybe, just maybe, Levi felt the same way about her.
That’s why Hange didn’t want to learn about the person, who was receiving gifts from Levi. That way, it was easier for her to pretend there actually was something going on between them. But the moment, Levi would tell her the truth, that illusion would be shuttered and Hange was sure her heart would break into a thousand pieces.
But despite herself, Hange couldn’t help but wonder who was the person that was clearly so dear to Levi. When she laid in her bed at night, unable to sleep and without anything else to occupy her mind, she often thought what kind of person would be able to capture Levi’s heart. She wondered if they were tall or short, what color their hair was, what clothes they liked to wear and what personality they had. And in her contemplations, Hange always came to the same conclusion: whoever Levi liked, they definitely were the polar opposite of Hange. She was messy and Levi liked cleanliness, she was loud and Levi enjoyed the silence, Levi protected his personal space and Hange constantly tried to invade it. There was no way, Levi would ever fall in love with her, Hange knew that, but she still couldn’t help it when her heart started beating faster anytime Levi was too close to her or when he looked at her with that unreadable gaze of his.
She tried to ignore her annoying feelings, tried to enjoy the great friendship that she had with Levi, and she did enjoy it, a lot! Even if Levi’s humor was dry and his jokes consisted of mostly insults, Hange still found him extremely funny. And despite his seemingly cold attitude, he was a kind and caring friend. But still, Hange couldn’t help but dream about something more, she dreamed of becoming much closer to Levi than she already was.
One day, Hange was busy cleaning the shop, when she saw a very familiar face in the window. She came closer, partially hidden by flower stalls and confirmed that it indeed was Levi. He was right in front of her shop, pacing back and forth nervously. Hange cocked her to the side, wondering why he wasn’t coming in. And then she noticed that Levi wasn’t alone, a tall blonde man was standing right beside him. He was saying something to Levi with an encouraging smile, but Levi didn’t seem to listen to him, as he continued to walk around.
And then Hange saw that Levi was clutching something tightly in his hands. A large bouquet of flowers. Hange was confused and a little hurt too. Had Levi bought those flowers in another shop? Had he… had he grown bored of her? Did that mean that he would stop visiting her?
Before Hange could do something stupid, like lock herself in the backroom of the shop so she could cry her eyes out, at the other side of the door Levi stopped pacing and straightened. He gave a nod to his friend and then pushed the door open and finally walked in.
“I don’t think you can come to the flower shop with your own flowers,” Hange tried to joke, but her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears.
Levi ignored her words and quickly made his way towards her, coming to stand right in front of her.
“I came to tell you the truth.” He said, looking deeply in her eyes.
Hange swallowed and nodded. “I’m all ears then.” As she stared back at Levi, she could feel the acute pain in her chest. The tears started gathering in her eyes and Hange had to blink a few times to stop them from spilling onto her cheeks. No matter how hard it would be to listen to Levi’s words, no matter how much her broken heart would hurt, she wouldn’t cry. At least, not in front of Levi.
However, instead of saying something, Levi just silently handed her the bouquet. Hange didn’t make a move and stared at him in slight bewilderment.
As she continued to gape at Levi like a complete idiot, he cursed and took a step closer. “Just take them already, Hange.”
“Huh? I… I don’t understand, Levi.”
Levi signed. “What is there not to understand? Take the flowers. They are for you.”
Hange wasn’t sure she heard him right. And if she did, then she had probably misinterpreted something. She looked at Levi’s annoyed face for another moment, before it finally dawned on her.
“Oh, you want me to fix them for you, right?”
It was Levi’s turn to be confused. “What? No!” then his gaze darted from Hange to flowers then back to her. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Is there something wrong with them?”
“No! They are very lovely!” In fact, the bouquet was perfect. Hange looked closely at it and marveled at the variety of the flowers. There were pink and red camellias, red carnations, red chrysanthemums, orchids and primroses. Hange smiled slightly as she noticed even a few daffodils. All of these lovely flowers had a similar meaning and that meaning was love. Whoever would receive this bouquet, Levi surely cared about them a lot. Hange envied them.
“If you like them, then you should take them.”
Hange took a step back and her back hit the wall behind her. She helplessly stared at Levi, not knowing what to make of his words.
A moment later, Levi growled and closed the distance between them once again. He took Hange’s hands into his and then closed her palms around the bouquet. Then he let go of her hands and looked up at her, waiting for her reaction.
Hange lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes anymore. There was some unusual intensity in Levi’s eyes, a fierceness Hange had never seen before. She didn’t know what to make of his gaze, she didn’t know what to make of this situation as the whole.
“I still don’t understand you, Levi,” she whispered softly.
Levi sighed. “You really are making me spell this out for you, huh?”
“If you would be so kind,” Hange gave a bitter laugh.
“Those flowers,” Levi gestured to the bouquet in Hange’s hands. “And all the others, every goddamn bouquet I have bought… they were all for you, Hange.”
Hange’s head snap to stare at Levi. Had he lost his mind? What kind of nonsense was he saying?
“Levi, are you alright?” Hange’s hand went to touch Levi’s forehead but he quickly intersected it, grabbing her wrist. He held her tightly, but gently.
“Of course, I’m not alright!” Levi raised his voice. “I’ve been meaning to tell you the truth for a really long time, and now that I’ve finally gathered enough courage to do it, you keep playing dumb!”
“I am not playing dumb!” Hange shouted in reply. “You are the one who is trying to make me look dumb! I know you were buying those flowers for someone special, then why the fuck are you telling me they were meant for me?”
“Because you are my special someone, Hange! I was buying the flowers because I needed a reason to come into this shop so I could keep seeing you!”
“Huh?” Hange stared at Levi with her mouth wide open. She probably, no, definitely, looked like an idiot, but she didn’t care about that now. She didn’t care about anything else except Levi’s words. “Levi, are you serious?” she asked slowly. She held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“Of course, I am serious, four-eyes,” Levi’s gaze softened as he saw how nervous Hange looked.
“So all these flowers and their meanings…”
“That’s the things I think about you.” Levi finished softly.
Hange ran a hand through her hair, making it look even more messy than usual. She briefly glanced at Levi and then shook her head, still in disbelief.
“I… I need some time to think this over,” she admitted.
“I can leave, if you want.”
Before Levi could take a step away from Hange, she grabbed his hand, holding it tightly.
“No, no, you are not going anywhere,” she told him. “If you leave now, I would have a hard time believing that this exchange was real and not one of my dreams.”
“Alright,” Levi nodded. “I’ll stay for as long as you need me.”
Hange tried very hard to ignore Levi’s words, his fond words, spoken with such affection, made it hard for her to concentrate. Her eyes darted from the bouquet to Levi’s calm face and then back to the flowers. She chuckled softly. “I still don’t understand, Levi, I mean… How?”
“How what? How did I fall in love with you, Hange? That’s a question I don’t know the answer for.”
“What?!” Hange exclaimed. That was too much for her and her poor heart. “You’re in love with me?”
“Of course,” Levi said as though it was the easiest thing in the world. Hange wanted to bang her head against the wall.
“You are in love with me?” Hange repeated her question, not believing she had actually heard it right. “And there is no one else?”
“No one.”
“So all those flowers? They were for me?”
“Yes,” Levi was slowly losing his patience. He knew that confessing to Hange was going to be difficult, but he could never guess it would be that hard.
“How… how did that even happen?”
Levi sighed, accepting his fate. He didn’t want to tell Hange the whole story, seeing as it was too embarrassing and it would surely do an unrepairable damage to his cool persona.
“When I first came into your shop,” Levi began, pointedly not looking at Hange. He already could feel a blush appearing on his cheeks. “I actually needed to buy flowers for a work event, but then I saw you… and there was something about you. Something that made me come here again and again. And then, when we actually started talking to each other and I got to know you, I realized… well, I realized I’m in love with you. And here we are.”
“Here we are,” Hange repeated softly.
She crouched to carefully put her flowers down. When she returned to her previous position, she softly touched Levi’s arms. Her feather-like touch traveled along his arms until her hands reached his shoulders. She moved further until she held Levi’s face in her palms. She raised his face to make him look at her, smiling softly when their eyes met. She leaned in, bumping their foreheads against each other.
“I really want to kiss you,” she whispered right into his lips.
“Then you should do it.”
Hange nodded slightly and then closed the remaining distance between them. She touched Levi’s lips with hers gently, enjoying Levi’s closeness and the warmth, emanating from his body. Levi put his one hand on her waist and another one tangled in her hair, bringing Hange even closer to him.
When they broke apart and Hange saw Levi’s flushed face, she grinned mischievously. “I could never guess you’re such a romantic, Levi.”
Levi rolled his eyes. “Shut it, four-eyes. By the way, you owe me for all that humiliation you just put me through.”
“Oh?” Hange arched her eyebrow. “And how should I repay you?”
“You can have a date with me.”
“Well, I guess I can do that,” she told him, still grinning from ear to ear. Theirs faces were still close to each other, and it was very hard for Hange to resist kissing Levi again. “Will that cover your emotional trauma?”
“Of course, not. Although, if you kiss me again, I can think about forgiving you.”
Hange smirked. “Well if you insist.” She said before giving Levi another kiss.
Not many things have changed since Hange started dating Levi. He still came to her flower shop, although now his visits became even more frequent, as he was spending his every lunch break in the backroom of the shop, enjoying his tea and occasionally stealing kisses from Hange.
And in the evenings Hange still worked in the lab. But now after her shifts, Levi would be waiting for her, ready to take her to another expansive restaurant or to his apartment, where a warm and delicious meal was already prepared for her.
And he still bought a lot of flowers with ridiculously cheesy meanings, however now he was openly giving them to Hange. Now he could witness Hange’s reaction and he enjoyed it immensely. Every time he gifted Hange with another bouquet, her eyes lightened up and a big, happy smile appeared on her lips. Levi loved that smile, he loved looking at it and knowing it was him who made Hange smile like that. And even more than looking at it, he enjoyed pressing his lips to that smile, tasting Hange’s happiness on his tongue.