{LeviHan} Childhood Love

Chapter 12: Unchanged Habits

Hanji's POV

My shadow... my childhood bully... how could this get any worse for me? We were sitting in English class... and already... Carlo was tossing broken paper pieces into my hair. I didn't see it, but I could hear his snickering behind me. When I turned to Levi for confirmation, he growled and just stared at Carlo with a deathly stare. And I knew it had to be true... he was still bullying me.

When the teacher said for us to pair up for our reading assessments, Levi walked over to me with a scowl visible on his face. "I will punch him for you, Hanji."

"No... don't. You'll get in trouble. Wait for him to mess up and hit you... then you have practically every right to hit him back. Promise me you won't punch him or anything else? Pretty please?" I began to beg him as my eyes darted to Carlo. 

Levi was hesitant to my pleads, but he agreed. His head nodded and took my hand gently as we walked over to Carlo. Carlo... so many things I cannot forget back then...

*   *   *

"Look at her broken glasses!" I fell hard to the ground, trying my best to hold the tears in. Everything was blurry, but I could see a figure staring down at me with my glasses. "What a four-eyes..." And he breaks it in half.

"Hey!" Levi's voice rang as he rammed into the figure. The figure fell beside me, yelping in pain. And almost immediately, Levi grabbed me and looked at me with his gently eyes. "Hanji, are you okay?"

I nod, despite not being able to see. I felt a scratch on my leg, but it didn't matter. "Y-Yes..."

"Leave her alone!" Levi yells at the figure, taking my hand and beginning to drag me away from everything. We all wanted to run away and into the tree-house... away from our homes... "I got you, Hanji... I got you..." He repeated over and over to me. Just listening to his voice calms me down. 

I smile gently to him, running at the same speed as him... running away from the bullies. Running and feeling the wind blow against me... running away from the pain and into a temporary place of peace. A place where we can be ourselves and never be hurt by others. But it never really changes anything...

*   *   *

The next day, my glasses was repaired with some glue and tape wrapped around it. I shivered, not liking the stares that everyone gave to me. Smirking and laughing at me... the veil of horror shrouded around me. But Levi was always there, holding me close as their laughing faded away. All I had to do was listen to his voice.

"I got you, Hanji..." He chuckles, holding me. "I got you."

Even when we had to be separated into classes, I let his words echo in my head... even when the bully kept tossing some torn up paper into my hair. I didn't let it get to me... not as long as Levi's voice helped me through it all. Eventually, Levi became someone who always supported me... always my best friend...

*   *   *

I sighed heavily, sitting across of Carlo and next to Levi. I stared down at him... ready to face the fear that I couldn't last time. Quickly, Levi and I finished our work... but we left Carlo be. Once we were done with our work, I looked to Carlo and tried to smooth things out. If things didn't go my way... Levi would've protected me. Just like before... except this time, Levi's my boyfriend.

"Carlo..." I slowly began to speak, but he cuts me off.

"So... you two... dating? Like... finally..." I began to growl at him. "I'm surprised you only noticed it now. Stuck in your books instead of looking around. Jeez, he was basically in your face- almost begging for your attention. But you being you, you ignored the whole thing. Even a guy like me would notice something like that."

I continued to quietly growl at him. I know I didn't pay attention to feelings back then, but I always hid it from everyone- even myself. But now, the past didn't matter to me. Especially the past about Levi and my relationship. It didn't bother me... because we're together now.

"Such a numbskull..."

"Hey!" Levi rose his voice and slammed his hands against the desks. Everyone turned to him, staring with their jaws opened with curiosity. The teacher didn't bother to stop and scold Levi... which is a good thing then. "Call her that one more. Go ahead, I dare you..." It felt like Levi had claws, and was ready scratch anyone's eyes out.

With a smirk on his face, Carlo dared him... "She's a numbskull... and so are you."

I didn't have to read Levi's face to understand the anger he had built up in him. He wasn't the kind of person to allow someone to call them names and let the others go without a consequence. That's a good thing of him... no mercy when they didn't deserve it. But I did tell him to hold back... to not hit him unless Carlo hit him first.

"Wow... you changed, Levi. You used to beat up anyone who called either you or her names. Now... you're letting it happen?" Carlo rose to his feet, chuckling as he circled around Levi. "Holding back? I see... hit me. Hit me and I want to see how much anger you have building up inside of you. Go on! Hit me!"

Instead of retaliating, Levi chuckled, staring up at me. "You gotta do better than that, pretty boy. It's not working on me. Because a coward's words would never work on anyone- especially not on me."

How the tables had turn... Carlo was the first one to strike. One hit straight to Levi- striking him in the chest. Carlo's punches kept coming, and Levi endured it. After his last and final punch, fear began to fill his eyes when he saw Levi unmoved. "B-But... but how...? You're just a puppy!"

"A puppy? More like a dog..." Levi smirked grabbing Carlo's arm and pulling him close- close enough to deliver a blow fiercely into his chest. Carlo was then knocked to the ground, and I? I was standing on my feet, standing away from the commotion. Inside of my heart, I rooted for Levi... wanted him to win. Levi then hovered over Carlo, smirking a bit. "Well well well... that's quite enough, am I right? Now... leave her alone. Otherwise you'll get more than a kick. Got it? Got it?!"

"Yes, yes!" He squealed in fear.

Levi walked over to me, holding my hands. "I got you, Hanji... I always got you..."