It was the summer of 1985. Both Hange and Levi were on cleaning duty at their orphanage, which was also where they attended high school. 
"This sucks," Hange said, wiping sweat off her brow. 
"It's not that bad," Levi uttered, as he swept the roof and lowered the cloth around his face. 
"We should be out making summer memories!" she exclaimed. 
Levi chuckled dryly. 
"If we get the job done, I'll take you to buy peach iced tea," he said, leaning against his broom. Hange gasped, her eyes lighting up at the thought of peach iced tea. She began sweeping quickly, her brown hair glittering under the sun. Levi took this opportunity to steal a glance at her from the side. How her eyes looked like pools of honey in the light, and how she furrowed her eyebrows as she worked. He looked away after a moment, focussing on his patch of the roof. 

When they were done, the pair of them signed out at the reception and as promised, Levi bought Hange her favourite cool drink. They took their drinks to-go and went to the nearby park - their go-to place whenever they needed to vent. 

They sat on the grass, using their jumpers as picnic blankets, although Levi protested against this, his OCD kicking in. 
"Just sit your ass down," Hange said, pulling him down by his wrist. 
"This place is a shit-hole, Rivi," she continued. 
"I told you not to call me that outside, four-eyes." 
"Why? Your name is Rivaille isn't it?" 
He grumbled, taking  a sip of his iced tea as he looked up at the trees. 

"Why do you hold the cup like that?"
"Like what?" 
"Like that," she said, pointing at his hand. 
Levi looked down at his cup. His hand was arched around the top of the cup, rather than held by the handle. 
"Once, when I was drinking tea, the handle broke, and the hot shit spilt all over my trousers and everything. And tea is a bitch to wash out, so I'm not making that mistake again." Hange giggled.

"Anyway, you were saying this place is a shit-hole. Were you going anywhere with that?"
"Right. Yeah, it's a shit hole. I just want out."
"It's not that easy." 
"Who said it isn't? I mean all you really have to do is find your place in the city." 
"I guess so...but even if we were to leave, we have no money. We'd be homeless. And sleeping on the street does not sound hygienic." Hange chuckled. 
"We're not getting any younger, Rivi. The chances of two sixteen-year-olds finding families, is probably a foreign thought." 
"We can stick it out for two more years and then leave for good." 
"I don't wanna be in that run-down place for two more years." 
She gazed at the little children in the park, who were playing with their parents and friends. A father pushed his little girl on the park swings - she looked so happy and...free. Her eyes were closed and her grin was wide. 

Hange smiled softly, looking down at her drink.
"We've missed out on a lot, Levi." 
"What can we do about it? It's not our fault our parents are dead."
"You're right...maybe I'm just being stupid." 
They basked in a comfortable silence, as they finished what was left of their drinks. 

"We should head back," Hange suggested. 
"No...let's take a stroll. Summer nights are long. We might catch a sunset if we're lucky." Levi held his hand out, for her to take. Hange took it, but ended up gripping onto his shoulder instead.
They walked through the streets, occasionally seeing kids playing in their front yards. The two of them ended up on the rickety rooftop of some abandoned building, gazing at the sky. By now, the sky was a million shades of pink, streaks of a rare red forming neat rivers in the clouds. Orange hues looked hazy against the inky blue, which was beginning to take over. Hange rested her head on Levi's shoulder. 
"You're so short." 
"Fuck off." 
She snickered, as they both watched the sunset fade into darkness. 

"Hey four-eyes." 
"Hmm?"
"You still awake?" 
"Barely," she said with a yawn. 
"We should probably be getting back before we get our ears chewed off by Mrs Howard."
"Okay," she said, stretching.

They climbed down from the roof and Hange rubbed her eyes. 
"Get on." 
"Hmm?" 
"Get on my back, you idiot. I'll carry you." 
"I'm pretty heavy," she said, wiping her glasses on the fold of her shirt. Levi shrugged, so she clambered onto his back, as he hoisted her firmly from her legs. 
"Shit, you're heavier than I thought," he said under his breath. 
"Can't say I didn't tell you so," she said, burying her head into his shirt. 
He smelt nice, like cedarwood and tea. The pair trudged back 'home', with the same thoughts on their mind - how warm their best friend felt, and the fluttery feeling of being close to each other. But it was probably just the summer heat getting to them.

*****

A/N: Hope you're all having a nice day, wherever you are in the world. Stay safe, and feel free to vote and comment. ;)