Autumn Secrets ✓

F i f t e e n

~ E l s a ~

"Oh c'mon tell me!"

"Why?" Dennis asked without moving his concentration from the painting he was currently working on.

"Uh, he told me to bring him lunch today?" I lied.

"That's not true," He continued his work as if I wasn't even in the room.

I sighed, "Yeah, it isn't."

"It's been almost six months since you've been working here, and now you want to know where Levi works?"

"Woah," I said, impressed.

"What?" He asked with a glare.

"I think that was the longest sentence I've ever heard from you or maybe, the longest you've ever - "

He cut me off, "Lincoln Street, third block from the right." He finally gave in.

It took me a moment to realise that he had told me the address.

Didn't expect it to be this easy. . .

My eyes lit up it victory, "Thank you, thank you so much, Dennis!"

"She's making it so obvious," He mumbled under his breath, but I was doing my little happy dance in my mind, so I didn't actually decipher what he said.

"You're so sweet," I tip-toed and gently pulled his cheeks, catching him completely off-guard.

"Ok, that's enough," He stepped back, making me smile at his antics.

"Sorry," I shrugged, not feeling the slightest bit apologetic.

He shook his head as if he were done with me, but I saw a smile hiding behind his façade.

"Get going," He ruffled my hair.

"Aye aye, captain!" I saluted and proceeded to leave him to his comfortable solitude.

I heard his voice when I was outside the room.

"And don't barge into my painting room again!"

.

*

.

"So you work at his house, you mean like a maid?"

"Not a maid but more like a cook, yeah," I awkwardly answered this man named Felix who claimed to be Levi's co-worker.

"Hmm, then why -"

"What are you doing here?!" Levi approached me a surprised expression.

I knew this would happen.

"Uhm, to repair my car?" I asked unsurely.

Felix looked at me, perplexed, "Hey, that's not what you said -"

"Yeah, I was just kidding," I waved him off, trying to play it cool, "I came here to give him lunch."

"My oh my," Felix exclaimed and nudged Levi by his elbow while Levi looked too shocked to respond.

Felix cleared his throat, "Levi, I have something to do, so I'm leaving."

"So may I know who told you to bring me lunch?" Levi sarcastically asked after Felix had left.

I was a little offended, but I didn't show it, "Nobody."

"Then why?"

"Because I felt like it," I shrugged.

His eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

I huffed exasperatedly, "It's only lunch after all. C'mon, don't be so dramatic," I looked at him with puppy eyes.

He sighed in defeat, "Don't look at me like that."

"Huh, why not -"

He interrupted me, "Just give me the lunchbox already."

I smiled at his sudden transition in demeanor, "Sure," I gave the box to him.

"You brought two boxes?" He asked me suspiciously.

I shrugged, "Well, I'm hungry too."

"Fine then." He lead the way.

.

*
.

"Let's go for a walk," Levi announced out of the blue after we had finished eating.

"Oh, okay, but you don't have work to do?" I asked out of concern. I really didn't want to meddle with his important work.

"We have an hour break after lunch, so it's fine." He looked at me hopefully, "So you comin'?"

I gulped, "Y-Yeah, sure."

I think I like the cold Levi better than the unpredictable Levi.

We had walked for almost five minutes, but it felt like an hour already due to the tense silence.

Finally, he spoke up, "I used to walk a lot like this with Hannah." He chuckled bitterly, "If I had known that she had a short life then... I would've communicated better with her."

I understood that he wanted me to listen, so I didn't speak.

"I would've laughed more with her, cried more with her, bickered more with her, and I would've done anything so that I wouldn't have to live with this regret like I do every day."

I hesitantly put my hand on his shoulder, "Levi."

He turned towards me with glossy eyes, "And that is why I don't want to regret anymore."

I kept listening.

"You're an amazing person, and I hope you know that. I might cringe tomorrow for saying all these, but at least it would be better than regretting not saying this."

All of a sudden, I started to feel nervous.

"Look, I'm not very good with words," He fiddled with his fingers as if contemplating his words carefully, "I just want to you know that I'm grateful for what you've done for me, for us."

He stepped forward.

"So..." He gently lifted my jaw and kissed on my right cheek while I froze to the ground, "Thank you for everything, Elsa."

And for the first time, he called me by my name.