Thea paced the hallway outside the classroom, her brown business suit impeccably pressed, her notes clutched tightly in her hand. Her heart raced as she anxiously glanced at the clock. She had spent the entire morning rehearsing her points, ensuring everything was perfect. But one thing was out of her control: Levi. Where in the god-given earth was he?

Levi burst through the door with only five minutes to spare before their presentation, his black business suit looked perfectly pressed and ironed making his biceps and shoulder fill the suit out with ease.

"Sorry, I'm late. My dry cleaning arrived late," his breath came in short gasps as he tried to compose himself.

"You made me worry, Levi!"

Before Levi could respond, the professor walked in, signalling the start of the presentations. Thea and Levi took their seats, Levi listening intently to the other presentations while Thea continued to revise her points, her fingers nervously fidgeting with her notes.

Finally, it was their turn. They stood at the front of the room, Levi offering a reassuring smile, "Let's do this" which she returned with a nod, "Right."

The projector cast a warm glow on the screen behind them, and Thea started the presentation with confidence, starting with an overview of their project. Levi seamlessly picked up, elaborating on their innovative use of sustainable materials and aesthetic design.

Thea stated by gesturing to the slides, "Our design focuses on both functionality and beauty. We've incorporated sustainable materials to future-proof the structure."

"As you can see, the design incorporates a green roof, which not only provides insulation but also promotes biodiversity. Additionally, we've used reclaimed wood for the structure, reducing the overall carbon footprint" Levi backed the point.

They moved seamlessly through their slides, explaining their concepts with clarity and passion. The professor watched with an appreciative nod, occasionally jotting down notes. Thea could feel her confidence growing with each word, each slide.

As they wrapped up, the professor gave them an approving nod and a praise of "Excellent work, both of you."

Thea's heart swelled with pride. As they left the room, both of them were buzzing with excitement.

"We did it, Thea! We nailed it!" he grinned at her

"Oh my god, We did it! That went so well!" she exclaimed with her arms raised.

Both of them were bouncing on their feet with smiles so wide, their gums were on full display.

In his excitement, Levi pulled her into a hug. She was caught off guard, feeling his broad shoulders under her hands, his vanilla-patchouli cologne filling her senses. His once-tamed curls, now slightly unruly, tickled her cheek. Her heart raced, and moments later, she found herself reciprocating the hug, latching onto his broad shoulder. Damn, those shoulders that could make the Grand Canyon look like a narrow alley.

She could feel his thumb drawing back and forth on her neck, his hot breath spotting a burning patch behind her ears and their torso fitting so perfectly, she felt like a flower pressed and preserved delicately.

Nothing as juvenile as a hug had ever made her feel it could cleave herself into two, and cache themselves inside her in such a precious way. It's so fucking strange.

Just as they separated, Levi looked at her with a mix of childlike innocence and teenage shyness. His green eyes sparkled like a lush garden after a spring rain. She strived for her garden to be as green as his eyes one day.

She could see him moving his lips and tilting his head with eyes full of giggle, asking her something but she was too busy spiraling to whatever happened mere moments ago.

"If I had known a hug could silence you, I'd have tried this earlier."

"Don't push your luck." She blinked and retorted with an eye roll and punched his very unattractive and human-plow shoulder.

As she turned to leave, Levi called out to her. "Hey, how about we celebrate with dinner tonight?"

"Dinner?" Her brows furrowed in suspicion.

"Yeah, to celebrate our victory. And to prove that I can be on time for something, maybe." he nodded with slightly pleading eyes.

She hesitated, but his hopeful expression and the way he was touching his shoulder where she had punched him with such care made her insides tremble like leaves in a storm.

"Uhh....Alright, fine."

"Jesus, Dora, Don't look so excited, spare some of that for dinner."

"Fuck you, Levi" she singsonged.

"Oh very much hoping so." His cheeky reply came instantly.

As she walked away, she could still feel the remnants of him, but mostly his scent that accompanied her every step away from him – vanilla and warm sugar and a burst of something her father puts in his baked treats.

Oh, it smells like....

She was so screwed.