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"Didn't we pass this tree already?"
"No, I'm pretty sure we didn't..."
Levi sighed. They've been walking through the forest for hours now.
"I think it was this way..."
Hange took a tentative step forward, eyes darting nervously between the trees and the darkening sky above them. Levi trailed silently behind.
It started out just like any of their escapades. Hange would sneak out of their house through their bedroom window and knock on Levi's door to invite him out to play in the fields. He'd help carry their specimens while they wield their net to catch some new insect to observe. When the sun sets, they'd come back to Levi's house for dinner. They'd trek mud on his doorstep and he'd nag at them to wash themselves off.
At least, that would be the case if Hange hadn't insisted on chasing that butterfly into the forest. Levi had to run just to keep up with them leaping through the forest floor, and in his haste had forgotten to pay attention to his surroundings. Hange, who continued to chase the winged insect deeper into the forest until it disappeared among the trees, obviously didn't look where they were going either. Before they knew it, they were lost.
"That's strange, I could have sworn that I passed through here..."
He would have to be blind not to notice their shaking in their shoes. For all their weird bravery when it comes to touching gross insects and bugs, Hange has always been scared of the dark.
("It's probably all those bedtime stories." They had admitted sheepishly, their voice hushed when he let them under his blanket during the power outage that night. "Mom used to talk about these scary monsters in the shadows, eating naughty children at night."
He scoffed. "That's probably her trying to prevent you from running off on your own in the middle of the night to catch some weird frog."
They laughed. Levi remembers internally cursing the dark for the first time that night for preventing him from seeing the toothy smile on their face. Although, he suppose it did do a great job hiding his dopey grin, too.)
Hange let out a yell of frustration, kicking the bark of a tree. Tears of frustration welled up in their eyes, visible even under their thick glasses.
"Dammit, why do all these roads look the same?! I've passed this stupid tree five times already!"
"Hange," Levi called out. "Let's take a break for now."
They huffed, but relented and slumped underneath the tree.
"I'm sorry... If I didn't run off earlier..."
Hange sniffled. Levi knelt awkwardly beside them, patting them on their back.
"Hey, don't start crying now, Four-Eyes..."
This only made them sob harder.
"We're never gonna make it home..."
(Levi remembered the night the power went out. He wasn't too surprised—ever since the electricity bill went up, the blackouts have been happening more often. No, what surprised him was the sight of his best friend, crumpled on the floor beside him and trembling.
Levi had never been one for irrational fears. Yet Hange looked so small and fragile, and for a moment he too thought the darkness would swallow Hange whole.)
Suddenly, Levi grabbed Hange's face between his hands. Forced to look up, they met Levi's eyes, steeled with determination.
"Then let's just live here together."
Hange blinked through their tears. "What?"
"I know how to cook. We can build a house right here, in the middle of the forest. I can keep the house clean, and you can catch the animals here with your traps."
Hange stared at Levi, dumbfounded. Is he mad? How would they even build a house out of nowhere? Does he even realize how hard building a house from scratch is? Hange opened their mouth to argue, but was cut off by Levi pulling them into his arms.
He squeezed their arm, and Hange sensed a hint of nervousness in his grasp. Play along for now. They decided there's still much time to discuss the logistics of thatching a roof later.
"You won't need to worry about getting lost in the forest anymore," Levi continued, embarrassment evident in his voice. "You don't need to worry about the dark, either. I can protect you."
"My hero," Hange chuckled. Even in the dark, they could see the tips of his ears turn colour.
"We can also have a garden," Levi muttered awkwardly. "You can grow some plants and study them all you like. Maybe you can find those shitty worms you like so much in the ground."
Hange snickered. "You'd always nag at me to shower afterwards, won't you?"
"How else am I going to keep the house clean?"
Hange let out a bright laugh. They nestled their head on his shoulder, pulling him tighter against them.
"You'd be like an annoying housewife."
"And you'd be like a slobbish husband."
"You'd still let me stay even then?"
Hange turned to look at Levi. In his arms, Hange wondered how they had ever been afraid.
"...Yeah," he smiled. "I would."
Even when the flashlights in their parents' hands guided the way to their house, Hange had spared one last look at the forest. And while Hange loves the comfort of the light, a traitorous voice in their mind wondered if they were going the right way home.
Hange quickly learned that blackouts are just as, if not more, common in the city than in the countryside. Although maybe that also has to do with the fact that they always forget to pay for their electricity bills.
(And okay, they may have had their electricity cut off once or twice after they used it to power up those robots they built that one time, but how else were they supposed to boot up the engine for Sawney and Bean?)
The power outage today was not their fault, though. The electrical tower broke down this morning, causing the entire city to lose power. With the heavy rain pouring outside, it would probably take more than a day or two for the power to come back.
They had been reading the plant encyclopedia Nanaba had gifted them for their birthday when the lights went out. Undeterred, they moved to their bed and read by the minimal light of the window. That is, until Levi plucked the book unceremoniously from their hands and tucked it into the bookshelf.
"Are you planning to worsen your eyes even more, Four-Eyes? You can read them more when it's not dark as shit," he chastised.
"You're no fun," Hange grumbled, burying their face in a pillow. Levi scoffed.
Although Hange has long outgrown their fear of monsters in the dark (honestly, how had their younger self believed in something so unscientific?), Levi still insists on checking up on them during these power outages, whether it be listening to their scientific rambles or just accompanying them silently. Hange found his concern sweet, despite his insisting that he just happened to be in the area and had nothing better to do.
(He isn't fooling anyone, really. Hange knows that every time he does this, he would opt out of taking the quicker ride home by train to stop by the nearest convenience store and buy their favourite snacks. And that taking the detour of going to their apartment in itself would cost him an extra hour to his place.
Hange always makes sure to offer their place to stay for the night. He always refuses, but he never leaves until they are asleep.)
"Do you still remember that forest we went to as a kid?"
Hange looked up. Levi was sitting at the edge of the bed, a brown folder in his hand.
"I don't think I could if I tried." Hange sat up, a teasing grin on their face. "It's not every day Mr. Grump gets all defensive and soft over me," they cooed.
They took a pillow to the face. "Fuck off," he growled. "Forget it, I shouldn't have asked anyway."
"Aw, come on!" They pouted, hugging the pillow tightly. "Tell me! What is it?"
Levi hesitated before handing Hange the folder. They opened it gingerly, only to find detailed sketches of a floor plan for a single-floor cabin, littered with the tidy, small letters of Levi's handwriting. Hange looked at Levi, inquisitive.
"It definitely took a while, but I did learn how to build a roof..." he muttered, looking to the side. "If you're still up to the offer. You know. If you want to."
Hange put the papers back in the folder and set them aside carefully. They scooted over to the edge of the bed, gently linking their fingers to Levi's.
"You sure? I'd make a terrible partner. I'll trek mud all over your floors."
"If it takes being a terrible husband to throw you into the bathtub myself, so be it."
Hange laughed. They turned to face him, hand cupping around his face.
"So you'll stay?"
Levi pulled them close. His lips felt warm against theirs.
"Yeah," he breathed. "I will."