❝Paint me with your words, draw on me like a blank canvas. Mark me with your deepest, darkest thoughts and don't ever let me go.❞ Hanji told the raven haired painter.
Hanji Zoe is a college student struggling to finish her final project. Levi Ackerm...
A/N: Pls don't say anything about the time zones on the screenshot, I literally get my best ideas around the early morning lmao.
LEVI's POV:
It had been a week since our encounter, I hadn't texted her after that day. My eyes roamed my clean apartment immediately locking onto Hanji's journal that I had stolen that day on the bus.
I hadn't gotten very far in the book, especially not after that day. After finishing our food, we went back to looking for that damn book until eventually Hanji gave up. It was sort of saddening to see her reluctantly buy a new notebook, maybe if I wasn't an ass and just gave it back to her.
But there was something inside that was nagging at me to keep it going, and at this point, I was pushing it aside. For a California afternoon, it was eerily dead. My attention was pulled to my phone ringing as I dug inside my pockets.
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I sighed heavily before sliding to accept. Petra Ral was one of my closest partners, her eye for photography has helped with most of my exhibitions. Once we had gotten closer, she fought me on what her contact photo should be. I was okay with having it blank, but Petra wouldn't have it.
She sent me her best photos and told me to pick one out of all of them. She said, and I quote, "I don't want to be another blank contact."
"What is it, Petra?"
"A hello would suffice." She replied, "So how's your portfolio coming along?"
At that, I turned and glanced back at my art. It hasn't been touched since that day in the park, the wrapping began to droop. Wet spots decorated around it from the rain and the paint. My hand reached out to touch it, but I didn't dare to ruin it. The last person to touch it was Hanji, her little error in my work seemed to have made a drastic change in my appearance.
"Almost done." The lie rolled easily off my tongue, "Why? Is there a change in the date?"
There was a pause as I heard papers shuffling on the other side of the line, "No, just wanted to hear how long the process would be." Her tone light as a bell, Petra was a quiet woman, nothing like Hanji. She was the exact opposite of that woman.
The tea sat in front of me, steam rolling off it. It could easily be compared to dark storm clouds rushing in a clear, sunny day. The ominous feeling as if in that moment, you can feel the energy in your bones. The heat and humidity clinging to your skin as if a baby held on for dear life to be in their mothers arms.
I sighed, and delicately picked up the cup. Petra's voice could still be heard, rambling on about something new. I'd be lying if I said I was listening, but there was a surge in my body as I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to look inside Hanji's notebook.
"Yea, Petra, I'm gonna have to let you go. I'll call you later." I warned, her protests coming in from the other side of the line but I didn't care. I still proceeded to hang up anyways.
The notebook laid on my end table, yearning to be opened. Everything seemed to have been in a blur, in that moment I stood before her notebook and a feeling of dread washed over me. It was suffocating, it pulled me under like the ocean and held me there until I wanted to scream for air.
I grabbed it.
It felt like a curse to have in my home.
As if nothing good could come from this. And I knew exactly what to do.
•••
"Alright, come again, soon!" A familiar voice shouted as I walked into the shop. Looking around the place, I realized it was the perfect place for a writer.
"Hello, welcome to Barne's and Noble, Shorty!"
I internally cringed at the nickname this wretched woman had given me. Employees seemed to have gaped in horror and customers went out of their way to see who this woman was talking to.
"Oi, Shittyglasses, I need to talk to you for a moment." I beckoned my head to the seating area outside her store. Hanji nodded as she turned to her coworkers to tell them that she'll be back shortly.
Her hand gestured to me at that last part, and giggles were heard. Was this woman a one trick pony? Surely she had more up her sleeve.
We sat nearest to the building out of everyone's view, her hand fanning herself, "So what'd you need me for?"
My hand instinctively reached down my bag, maybe this guilt would be gone once I do this.
"Four-eyes, don't interrupt me. Please, for the love of god." I started, "So you know how I said that I didn't know where your notebook was? Well, I apologize for that inconvenience."
I grabbed my bag and set it in my lap, ready to hand her back the notebook she "lost" a week ago.
"I'm sorry, but I had-"
"Oh Levi!" She interrupted, pulling out her notebook, "Look at how far I've gotten!"
Hesitantly, I reached for the notebook as if she would bite my hand off. The pages were already worn out as I flipped through it, Hanji had already gotten farther in this notebook than in the one I stole.
A twinge of guilt picked at me, this was an inconvenience for her. Fate didn't play into this at all, I craved the feeling of adventure thinking she could give it to me. Thinking she could lead me to inspiration, instead all I did was waste our time.
"That's good, Hanji." I mumbled, standing up as I went to leave. Her hand reached out to me, her face confused as if I was a puzzle she was trying to piece together.
"What did you come here for? You hardly gave me a warning when you texted."
I glanced forward before turning to look at her, "It's nothing, I was going to ask if you wanted to keep looking for your wretched book."
Her brown eyes squinted, before widening quickly as if she had just figured something out. A smile grew across her face as she pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail.
'Was her hair down the entire time? Or was I too busy looking at her face?' I asked myself.
"Sure." She sang, "Of course I'll keep looking for my notebook with you."
"What? Why the hell are you doing air quotes?"
Hanji pulled her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "Levi, you should've just asked if I wanted to go on a date with you."
"What?"
"Text me the details later, I gotta get back to work. See ya Shorty!"
I was left standing there all by myself as an elderly woman chastised me for having my mouth open. Saying that I'll catch flies, I clicked my tongue in annoyance at her words.
My efforts were put into something else right now, and that was how I managed to somehow get a date with the worlds most annoying woman.
Fanart by: dreamxxdream [TUMBLR] Instagram: levihansociety Published: 01/16/2021 Word Count: 1,227 words
