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“Levi.”
The voice sounded far away and muted, as if he were hearing it through water. And yet it was a voice as familiar as his very own, unsurprising in its tenor and intensity.
“Levi. Levilevilevilevilevi-”
He felt something tapping him on the shoulder. No, not tapping- poking him. Rather forcefully, at that, certainly enough to be bloody annoying.
Humanity's Strongest groaned into his pillow and dragged his mind off of the realm of sleep and into reality, although at the moment he wished to do anything but.
“What,” he muttered, face pressed against soft, warm linen.
Next to him, Hange bounced on the mattress. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it from the way the whole bed frame shook and the hinges squealed with the force ofntheir excitement.
“Wake up!”
“I am awake, not in the least because I wanted to be.” He turned his face to look at them, taking them in; they did look quite fetching in the morning light that came streaming in from their bedroom window, chestnut hair haloed and glowing in it, and silvery scars thrown into sharp relief. Ugh- how could someone look so good while being such a nuisance at the same time, Levi would never understand. “Is there any reason while you're making such a fuss? Did you think up a new weird recipe again or something?”
“What? No! No, nothing like that.” Hange grinned down at him, exhibiting no guilt whatsoever over the fact that they had so rudely woken him up. Figures. “It's snowing. There's snow outside, Levi!”
He blinked, for a moment confused. “There's snow every year around this time. What's the big deal?”
Hange pouted at him, clearly disappointed in the fact that he didn't seem to understand something that, to them, was clear as crystal.
“It's our first year of peace! It's special! Our first peaceful snowfall!”
Oh.
“I see,” he replied, blinking residual sleep out of his eyes and sitting up with a decisive oomph, now that it was becoming apparent that falling back asleep was completely out of the question. “I take it you want to go outside, then?”
“Yes. With you,” Hange pointed out -literally pointed out, seeing as they poked at his shoulder again with their index finger to drive the point home. Levi rolled his eyes- as if there had ever been any doubt.
“Yes, I gathered. Am I at least allowed some breakfast first, or do you want me to freeze my arse off on an empty stomach?”
“Of course we'll have breakfast! I already made coffee and toast. Come, come!”
They sprang off the bed before Levi was given a chance to weigh in on the matter, and he was left with no option but to sigh wearily and follow.
Hange had bounded eagerly down the stairs, already dressed for the unforgiving cold outside in woolen leggings and a fluffy sweater (a birthday gift he'd gotten them a few years ago, which of course they still kept despite it showing signs of wear). Levi lingered a little, pulling on a similarly warm pair of trousers, socks, a woolen turtleneck and a knit sweater for good measure. Only then did he make his way downstairs, slowly, both because one had to be careful when descending a staircase with the aid of a cane, and because he wished to prolong his stay in the warm, cozy indoors as much as possible.
The delicious smell of freshly brewed coffee was the first thing that greeted him before he even set foot on the ground floor of their little cabin. Underneath it, he could detect a hint of toasted bread, and when he stepped into the kitchen, he saw Hange already slathering butter and jam on a piece of toast and shoving it into their mouth all at once as if they were afraid someone was going to grab it off their hands. Levi snorted.
“The snow isn't going anywhere, you know,” he remarked as he settled on a chair and poured himself some coffee, privately delighting in its strong, earthly smell. Already he felt a little more awake, although nowhere near awake enough to face the surely arctic temperatues outside.
(Alright, maybe he was being just a little bit overdramatic but, who could blame him?)
Hange swallowed their mouthful of toast noisily, coughed a little (the Rumbling hadn't killed them, but at this rate, a poorly chewed piece of toast might be the thing that did them in, and it wouldn't surprise Levi in the slightest), chased it down with a generous gulp of scalding-hot coffee, and sighed happily.
“Oh, I know. But I am so excited! Aren't you, Levi? We've never been able to enjoy the snow so freely before. It was always something- titans, patrols, research. But now we just… have so much time ahead of us. We can do whatever we want.” Their bright, excited smile faltered a little at the edges as they surely thought back to all the friends they'd lost, all those who would never have the chance to feel the same freedom that they did.
“I just… want to know what it feels like. I mean, we've been feeling it for a while but… it's special. This time of the year, the snow, everything.”
This wasn't just the mask Hange put up with most people, that of the easily distracted mad scientist, the researcher, not even the careless warrior who rushed selflessly into action to protect those under their charge. No, this was… different. It was a side of them few were privy to, a side which Levi considered a honour to be able to witness. There was so much anguish and heartbreak wrapped under Hange's smiles, so much more than a spur of the moment decision. There was a lust for life and an ever-burning spark of curiosity, but Levi knew it wasn't just for themselves. Experiencing life and freedom fully was Hange's way of honouring their comrades’ sacrifice. They lived life to the fullest, for those that were no longer able to do the same.
It was admirable. And lovely. And you wouldn't catch Levi dead admitting that out loud, of course, but… he'd do anything for them. He supposed that, compared to fighting titans, braving the cold for a few hours was a small price to pay if it made Hange happy.
“I know. I get it,” he replied after a few moments of thoughtful silence, and took a slow sip of coffee. It was delicious, as usuall- Hange always brewed it just right. “I suppose I'm… curious, too.”
He couldn't say excited, or course, because that would be a lie, and he despised lying to Hange. But maybe this wasn't the worst thing in the world. Sure, he hated the cold, and snow left him indifferent at best… but it wasn't about what he'd be doing, or where. It was who he'd be doing it with.
He'd almost lost Hange. He'd thought them dead for weeks after the war. He supposed that he truly was grateful, then, that he could spend this snowy day with them.
His admittance brought a renewed smile to Hange’s face, chasing away their somber mood.
“See, that's the spirit! Now, less talking, more eating. The snow won't go anywhere, but your coffee will get cold, and I know how pissy you get when that happens.”
They truly knew Levi too well.
Less than half an hour later, Levi found himself standing on their porch and overlooking the field that sprawled from the edge of the forest where they lived, towards the line where Wall Sina once stood. Now there was nothing left to obstruct their view of the outskirts of Shiganshina, and the newly built houses there. They stood starkly dark against the snow, so near and so far at the same time.
Hange might have chosen the location of their new home, but Levi loved that view, too.
He looked at Hange, who was already skipping around in the calf-deep snow that blanketed their little garden (and likely killing his plants, Levi thought darkly, but he supposed he could always replant them come spring. Maybe Hange was right- maybe he should just relax and enjoy the day).
“Come, Levi! Don't worry about the cane- if you trip and fall, I'll catch you!”
It sounded absurdly romantic, even when they were laughing as they said it. Levi rolled his eyes.
“Fine, coming…”
He left his cane propped up against the outer wall of the cabin and, leaning on the wooden bannister, limped down the three short steps that it took to get off the porch and on the ground. Normally it was four, but the last one had been completely submerged under the deceptively fluffy-looking snow. He hissed when he felt its cold surround his legs, but took another brave step into it and towards Hange.
Levi limped his way, slow without the aid of the bannister, further into the snow. Hange hopped over to meet him and wrap an arm around his shoulders, steadying him with a grin and-
“Shit!”
Suddenly, Levi found himself looking up at the silvery cloudy sky, snow soft and freezing underneath his back. Beside him, Hange was positively cackling.
“Gotcha, shorty!” They wheezed, kicking their legs up in the air and driving up a small flurry of snow. Levi turned his face to glare at them, regretting it only slightly when wet coldness pressed into his exposed cheek.
“Seriously?” He asked, voice dripping frustrated disbelief. It only caused another burst of laughter to erupt from Hange.
“Let's make a snow angel!” They exclaimed and spread their arms out, one of them hitting Levi on the side as they flailed all four limbs. He rolled his eyes.
“This is stupid-”
“Pleaaaaase! C'mon, Levi! For me?”
He sighed- really, how could anyone expect him to refuse that?
“Fine...”
In the end, he found himself following Hange's movement with more rigour than he ever thought himself capable of when it came to such a childish, mundane task. Later, after Hange had helped him up and they sat together on the porch, Levi decided that their snow angels looked more like a bull had taken a nosedive into the snow and haphazardly rolled around in it, than actual angels, but he didn't say. Not when he could see how eagerly Hange looked at the imprints and pointed out wings and gowns that he couldn't even discern, but they could, and to him, that was what mattered.
They were happy, and Levi was happy too, even if he didn't exactly know why he was happy or how to properly express it. Perhaps because seeing Hange in such good spirits did something for him, too.
Perhaps this was freedom.
Hange bent down suddenly and planted a long kiss onto Levi's cheek, their lips warm and soft against his frozen skin.
“Love you, Levi,” they said simply, one arm slung around his shoulders to keep him close. Levi snorted, and leaned against their side.
“Love you, too, four-eyes.”
Perhaps he could truly get used to freedom, if all of it felt like this.