For the past few days, Levi and Thea had been working diligently on their project. Their meetings took place in the library, the study hall, and even the campus café. Despite Levi's occasional poking, they managed to make significant progress. He admired Thea's focus and especially admired the slight crease between her eyebrows and the tightening of her lips when she was concentrating on her plan on how to slow murder him or on their project – could be both.

Today, they were in the study hall, a spacious room with large windows that offered a view of the rain pouring outside. Levi had brought spicy dumplings and hot chocolate from a nearby restaurant, knowing Dorathea's love for spicy food. When he handed them to her, she looked at him with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"You got my favourite," she said, her voice tinged with suspicion.

Levi grinned, settling into his seat across from her. "Of course. Even Dorothy needs her favourite food to keep her going."

She rolled her eyes at his joke, but he noticed a small smile tugging at her lips. She wore ripped wide-leg jeans, a band t-shirt, Vans, and a leather jacket—her usual grungy, don't fuck with me style. Levi, on the other hand, sported a white t-shirt with a cartoon of Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" on it, just to tease her.

As they dug into their work, the conversation soon turned into a heated debate about the direction of their project.

"Levi, we need to focus on what's achievable, not just what's creative," Thea insisted, her tone sharp while chewing off a large piece of dumpling.

"But creativity is what sets firms apart, Dorathea. We can't just stick to the basics," Levi retorted, leaning forward.

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "This isn't a fantasy world, Levi. We need solid, practical solutions."

Levi felt a flare of frustration. "You always play it so safe. Why not take a risk for once?"

Thea's eyes flashed. "You think I don't take risks? You think I don't care about this project?"

"Sometimes it feels like you don't trust my ideas," Levi shot back, his voice rising.

Thea's jaw tightened. "It's hard to trust someone who doesn't take their work seriously."

Levi blinked, taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I mean," she snapped. "Like during freshman year, our first group project. You bailed on me on the day of the presentation."

Levi's heart sank. "Thea, I had a rea—"

She cut him off. "I don't care about your excuses. You left me to handle everything. And now you want me to believe you're committed? Give me a break, Levi."

The room fell silent, the only sound of the rain tapping against the windows. Levi stared at Thea, a deep frown creasing his forehead. Her words stung, and he realised with a jolt that she truly resented him for that incident.

He took a deep breath, his voice softer. "Thea, I thought we were always just teasing each other for fun. Do you really hate me?"

She didn't reply, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and something else—disappointment, perhaps. She stood up abruptly, grabbing her bag.

"I'm done for today," she said, her voice cold as she walked away.

Levi watched her leave, feeling a pang of sadness and hurt. He had always thought their banter was just playful, but now he saw how deeply his actions had affected her.

As he packed up his things, he realised it was time to show Dorathea that he was serious—not just about their project. And if it took a bit of charm and sacrifice to his ego to do that, he was more than up for the challenge.

With a sigh, he muttered to himself, "Maybe I should give her a 'serious Levi' action figure to show I can be that serious."