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"I heard from a friend of a friend that Moblit has been keeping his eye on y/n for some time now," Levi says. His back is pressed against the wall as he sits on Erwin's bed, his legs are crossed while he continues to take a few bites of his bowl of noodles.
Hanji, who is sitting by the computer, lets out a long and pained sigh. They bring their hands to their eyes, lifting their glasses above their forehead and rubbing their eyes in the process. "A friend of a friend, really?"
The black-haired man carefully wipes the corner of his mouth with a napkin, placing the bowl on his lap. Once he makes sure it's secure, he lifts his eyes to meet Hanji's face, realizing there is more than a subtle hint of hurt behind it.
"He told me during Criminal Justice class that he had a plan to ask her out," he says, his voice is now gentler than before, carrying with it almost a bit of pity. "He says he has been in love with her since the moment they met in Psychology class last semester. He's been trying to get with her but she might be a bit clueless about his crush or something."
Hanji's eyes sting with unwashed tears, frustration filling their body. This isn't the first time a situation like this has occurred, nor the second, or third. It has happened more times than they could count on one hand. They will fall in love with a girl, befriend her and, as they are about to confess their crush, they find out Moblit has already talked to them and they have planned a date or have already made out.
They know he isn't doing it on purpose, after all, they had never really talked to him about the entire situation. But when it came to you, things were different. They had been expressing their interest in you for the longest time, loud and clearly enough for anyone around to notice. Well, except for the object of their affection.
Just the mere mention of your name was enough to make their heart soar higher than a passenger plane, looking at you was like being mesmerized by the sunset at the beach and the sound of your voice could only be compared to the most beautiful melody ever composed by a human being.
"He knows how I feel about her," Hanji whispers, burying their face in their hands, slumping their body forward over their knees on the chair. It's a pathetic sight, but they can't help but feel pathetic in this moment.
Erwin, who exits the bathroom with his shorts on and a towel shuffling around his hair, has been listening in to their conversation while drying off from his shower and he can't help but sigh. He places his hand on Hanji's back, tenderly moving it up and down.
"I'm sorry," he says, his voice filled with guilt, "I tried to dissuade him. I tried to tell him to just let you have this one, but he said he was really in love this time and he was willing to fight for her."
He can tell something is brewing within their friend's chest so he looks at Levi, who in response nods and tosses a pillow at the blonde man. He proceeds to hand the object to Hanji and they nod thankfully before burying their face in the soft surface, allowing an ear-piercing scream to exit their lungs. If it weren't for the pillow, one might think it was loud enough to shatter the dorm's windows.
In the meantime, you find yourself outside one of your classrooms, a very nervous Moblit making his way towards you with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. His face is sweatier and redder than usual, his breathing is quickening and you can tell his hands are trembling.
Though worried, you flash him the usual smile, walking in his direction. "Hi Moblit, are you alright? I didn't think you had class in this building today and this is pretty far away from your dorm, or any other of your classes, really."
"Y/N..." He begins, his voice slightly faltering so he clears his throat, "I have been thinking for a while and I wanted to talk to you about something!"
His words catch you by surprise, a bad feeling forming in the pit of your stomach. The flowers, his face, everything about his posture is screaming exactly what he wants to tell you and you sigh, clutching your books tighter against your chest. You lift your eyes to meet his while tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, paying close attention to what he says while already thinking of the best way to reject him.
"I have had a crush on you since last semester and I am pretty sure I am fully in love with you and I really want to know if you would be interested in going on a date and maybe kissing and becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, I promise I can make you so happy, please!" He says, all in one breath. For a second there, his eyes go slightly crossed and you are afraid he's going to pass out. Your jaw tightens and you awkwardly shift around, licking your lips while still thinking about what to say.
"Moblit, I'm -" You begin, quickly being interrupted by his trembling hands as he hands you the flowers. You smile uncomfortably and nod, "Thank you. Look, we're good friends and I know you are a sweet guy but... There is someone else in my heart right now. Someone I have been flirting with over these past few weeks and, even if they don't seem to realize it yet."
You can nearly hear the moment his heart breaks, his face dropping slightly and, if you look hard enough, it seems like he is on the verge of tears. He takes a deep breath, "Thank you for letting me know. I... A-Appreciate your honesty and I... Wish you... Luck."
The scene is truly pathetic and you can't help but feel a pang of guilt in your heart as you look at him. With a sigh and a smile, you wrap your arms around him, pulling him close for a hug. He doesn't even dare to wrap his arms around his waist, but he is grateful for the chance to be this close to you, even if just this once, even if just for a minute.
"We can still be friends if that's okay with you," you whisper softly as you pull away, your hands resting on his shoulders as you take a good look at his defeated expression. He nods somewhat excitedly.
"If that's ok with you," He sniffles, an embarrassed chuckle making its way past his lips, "Oh man, and I almost let Hanji dissuade me from confessing today. Maybe I should have listened to them, for once."
You pause, pulling your hand away. Your heart is now beating a thousand miles per hour and the fear of God has been struck into you, Moblit's words echoing in your brain repeatedly as you look at him.
"I almost let Hanji dissuade me."
That meant that Hanji was aware that Moblit had a crush on you. That also explained why every time you smiled at them, or tried to flirt even in the slightest, they would only return the affection for a second before locking eyes with him and returning back to a sadder version of themselves.
You look back on all the study sessions the two of you had by yourselves, where their bubbly personality came out. All of the times they playfully tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and when they would hold and wiggle the pencil in a certain way to make it seem like it was made out of rubber.
"Hanji knows you have a crush on me?" You whisper, goosebumps rising through your skin. You don't want them to think you like Moblit back, you like them! You can't help but be terrified of the idea of your chances being destroyed over a mistake that wasn't yours.
"Yeah, we usually get crushes on the same girls but this is actually the first time I've lost to them," Moblit says, still handing you the flowers regardless. They are sunflowers, the one specific kind that has always reminded you of Hanji. "Here, to whoever owns that special place in your heart. Give it to them."
His words hit you like a truck and you realize that this entire time, your feelings have been reciprocated. Hanji has had a crush on you for just as long as you have had a crush on them.
You clutch the books closer to your chest as you take the flowers, "Where's Hanji right now?"
Moblit looks at the watch on his wrist and, after some quick thinking, he is finally able to provide you with an answer. "Well, they didn't have their last class today since the professor lost the lecture's PowerPoint so I'm pretty sure they are just hanging out at Erwin and Levi's dorm."
You kiss his cheek as a token of your appreciation before bolting in the direction of your friends' room. On your way there, you try to think of what to say when you are talking to them. When you look at those coffee-colored eyes, will you be able to pour out your feelings? Or will you be too much of a scaredy cat?
It doesn't matter, nothing else matters. You need to tell them. So you continue to run, bumping against people and mumbling out half-assed apologies, your lungs burning as you try to breathe during your sprints.
Hanji now finds themselves lying on the floor with their headphones in, staring at the ceiling while blaring "All By Myself - Celine Dion". The song has been playing on a loop for the past twenty minutes and, even with the buds in their ears, every word of the lyrics can be clearly heard by anyone within a twenty-mile radius (or so Levi believes.)
"I can't do this anymore," he clutches the pillow over his own face, grunting loudly. He pulls away only to stare at the surface, a bit of a murderous look in his eyes.
"No," Erwin responds in a calm tone, though a bit of an assumed subtext to his word. Levi grunts once more, allowing his body to fall backward on the blonde's bed.
"I could make it super quick, they would not feel a thing."
"You're not killing Hanji."
Before they can continue going back and forth with Levi's decision, they hear footsteps running across the hallway and stopping right before their door, followed by a quiet and polite knock.
"It's open," Erwin furrows his brows, stopping in the middle of a complex equation and putting the pencil down. It takes a few seconds for you to gather yourself enough to open the door, your eyes quickly scanning the room around you.
One side is extremely tidy, not a single piece of paper out of place. The skin products are organized in order of usage, cleaning products are neatly stocked inside a basket under the desk and you can see a detailed schedule on the board above the bed dictating chores and what days they need to be completed by.
The other one is organized in its own way. Though seemingly a mess to some, you can tell there is a method to the madness. There are calculators in the open drawer, organized by the complexity of the buttons and the size. There are piles of paper on the ground, but they are somewhat color-coded, and many half-eaten snacks sit on each side of the notebooks, almost like he allows himself a "reward bite" out of his favorite candy for every equation he correctly solves.
Hanji's head rolls back slightly on the ground and their eyes make their way up your body, from your sneakers to your jean shorts with hearts on the pockets, your pink blouse, and finally, your face. You've got sweat dripping down your face but, as soon as your eyes meet, they gasp, pulling their headphones out of their ears.
"Y/N!" They sit up, their cheeks blushing as they smile at the mere sight of you. Their joy silently dies down as they remember you probably scheduled a date with Moblit and are there just to deliver the news that you don't have any interest in them at all.
"Hanji... Can... We... Talk...?" You say breathlessly, your lungs feel like you are breathing in fire. They don't want to, they are terrified of what you have to say but the idea of being alone with you, that up close, was enough to make them shiver.
They stand up and nod, gesturing towards the outside of the room before closing the door behind them. You can almost hear the exact moment Levi and Erwin press their ears to the surface, desperate to get the information straight from the source.
"Are you alright? Can I get you anything?" They look down at the sunflowers in your hand and offer you a sad smile, "Those are really pretty."
"They are for you!" Your voice goes higher than you ever thought it was possible. Hanji's eyes widen as you hand them the flowers, their fingers carefully brushing against yours, so gently that it could only be compared to the flapping wings of a butterfly in the wind.
"I don't understand..."
"Can I kiss you?" You ask bluntly. During your run, you realized there was no way you would be able to find the words you wanted to say without making a fool out of yourself. So you made the ultimate decision that actions speak louder than words. You want to kiss them badly, but you need to hear them say yes first.
"Fucking, please!" They carefully drop the flowers to the ground, hands immediately coming to grasp your waist while you cup their face.
After all the nights you had spent dreaming about this moment, you focus on the small details about them. Their lips are softer than you thought they would be, while their hands are a bit rougher from all the mechanical work they do for their projects. Their nose bumps against yours as your tongues dance together to a melody of their own, a rhythm not known by any other living soul on Earth besides the two of you.
Their breath has a hit of caramel to it and you know it came from their coffee order before class. Their messy hair falls against your fingers and you can tell by how smooth their curls feel that they have recently washed it.
A few other residents and students walk by, some whistling, some grunting in annoyance, but most are unphased by the gesture. It is a college campus, after all.
When you finally pull away, you place your forehead against theirs, your thumbs gently caressing their cheeks as you smile, unable to help yourself from continuing to pepper their lips in small kisses.
"I don't understand," they whisper, their grip on your tightening, "I thought Moblit asked you out."
"Oh, he did," you confirm and when a puzzled expression takes over their face, you continue, "But I have been hoping maybe you and I could go on a date instead?"
At that moment, it was the happiest Hanji had ever felt. For the first time, a girl had chosen them instead of their best friend, and, most of all, it was the most beautiful girl they had ever seen. They could not have gotten more lucky.