A.N.:
- For nerumi-i (Tumblr) ! I wish you a very happy birthday, and I hope you like it!
- And for other Eruri fans! :) Maybe my writers block is broken? Who knows? ;)
- Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no kyojin or Attack on titan. I'm only borrowing the characters. I'm not making money with this!
- I was inspired by this Eruri artwork:
post/53914115931/5-20
If ffnet doesn't like the link, just ask me in message, or look for this story on ao3 – I put it up there, too!
Made by this person:
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and also by a movie called Sliding doors (1998, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah). There are only vague similarities with the movie, and I will not continue the storyline with the movie's storyline. (It is only an okay movie for me though XD)
- I do not own the rights to G.R.R.M.'s Songs of Ice and Fire series, nor Game of thrones, nor the movie Sliding doors, etc. etc.
- I'm not a native English speaker, so sorry for mistakes or typos, or punctuation errors. OR IF I USE WEIRD / NOT EXISTING WORDS! I don't have beta, I just spell checked it. Feel free to message me, so I can fix things like this. Thank you for reading this, and my story. Enjoy!
Levi had a bad day. Another job interview – another rejection. „Yes, we can see your qualities-„ „However, we need official certifications…" „ You know how it works…" „We are really sorry…"
At least today's interviewers were honest enough to tell him right away that he's not considered. The worst was the „We'll contact you soon." Yeah, soon, after the world ends.
Levi got out of the building as soon as he could, and tried not looking at the pleasant, clean interior of the place. I could've worked here…
He checked the application on his mobile for the next departure time of his bus- and started sprinting immediately.
Fuck, I don't want to wait for the next one…
The bust stop wasn't very far, but he only got two minutes left, if the bus wasn't coming late.
He ran past a lot of people, nearly pushing over some of them, and he heard cries of „Watch out!" „Woah there!" and „Damn kids these days!". If he hadn't been so determined to reach the bus in time, he would've turned around to glare at them and shout „I'm not a fucking kid!", but instead he just put it next to the other things bothering him that day. I'll go home and let it out on the punching bag.
He turned a corner, saw the bus stop – and his bus, driving away. He broke his sprint, panted heavily, and after he caught his breath…
„Fuck. Shit. Fuck, shit, fuck!"
The passer-bys watched him with disapproving expressions on their faces – a grandmother covered the ears of her granddaughter, when they approached him.
Levi didn't care. Damn hypocrites – swearing is probably the best way to relieve tension… well, second best after the punching bag.
But swearing only helped little this time… there were fifteen minutes until the next bus arrived. Levi slumped to the wall of the building near the bus stop, and sighed resignedly, pulling out his earphones from his shoulder bag. No surprise they still think I'm a kid – I need to buy a new bag soon. I wonder if the job interview would've gone better if I don't look like a teenager…
He put in the earphones and tapped the screen of his phone. Music started playing – and Levi switched to another track. And to another. And to another…
„Fuck…" He stopped the music player and went to see if there's something good on the radio… he should've known better. The forcefully excited voice of the radio hosts and the poorly selected music of various radio channels were even more irritating than the music on his mobile. It seemed everything irritated him this morning.
He pulled the earphones out and dropped the mobile into his bag, after checking the time. Only five minutes passed. He sighed again and pulled out the third book of the Song of Ice and Fire series. He wasn't so keen on reading it because he left it in the middle of a boring chapter – he couldn't read past it for days. The black-haired man opened the book anyway on the page marked with the little piece of paper he used as a bookmarker and started reading. After a while his interest got picked, and he got lost in the world the writer created. He almost didn't notice the bus pulling in. That would be the cherry on top…
Levi got on the vehicle and tried to push himself towards the far end of it, but he only got to the middle. He was surrounded by people larger and taller than him, and he hated it. He tried not to touch anybody – even accidently – but he still felt a kid's backpack pressing into the small of his back, and a woman's handbag hitting him in the arm as the bus started off. He tried to concentrate on the reading as with one hand, he was grasping the rail, and with the other, he balanced the book between his fingers. But with each stop, there were more and more people around him, and soon, he didn't even have enough place to open his book. Or enough place to put it away in his bag. Levi sighed for it seemed like the hundredth time today and tried to get himself even smaller (which was something he never imagined he'd want to do).
He was just staring out of the window, thinking about nothing (it was better than thinking about things which irritated him), when suddenly, the bus driver stepped on the break, giving a full stop of the vehicle and causing a couple of passengers to have a fall. Levi would've fallen too, if it weren't for the guy standing next to him. The HUGE guy, who got hold of him, when he lost his balance. After Levi gathered himself together along with the other misadventurous passangers, muttering a „Sorry", he looked up and the sight almost caused him to fall for real this time. The bus started again and Levi haven't got hold on anything. The man he was staring at was tall, well-built, and blond- with the brightest blue eyes Levi had ever seen. The face of the man which was a little concerned before, now bloomed with an astonishingly beautiful smile. Before Levi could've done anything, the blond reached out, got a hold on Levi's hand and brought it up to the rail. Levi stared, and only when the smile of the stranger transformed into a light smirk, did he notice that his mouth was open and his fingers were clutching the rail with not nearly enough force. He closed his mouth, tightened his hold and tore his eyes away from the man. This thankfully got him out of his stupor, for he realized the book wasn't in his hands anymore. It must have slipped through my fingers. He cursed and searched the floor, but he saw nothing. He was about to crouch down, even if the crowd wouldn't have supported his idea, when the familiar green cover of the book came in his sight – it was held by a large, strong hand, with nails cut short.
„Are you looking for this?"
The blond guy. His voice was deep- but tall men usually had deep voices. Levi looked up, nodded as a thank you and took back the Storm of Swords, before turning back to the window. Three stops left – Levi just really wanted to get off this damn bus. He glanced down and saw that fortunately, the book wasn't damaged, and that was when he realized the blond was speaking to him.
„…great book. I've finished all of them… well at least which are published for now. I plan to read the sixth book too, even though the fourth and the fifth were a bit disappointing…"
Levi was stunned. What the hell? What kind of guy is talking to complete strangers? The blond wasn't even looking at him, one hand on the rail, the other holding the band of his bag – a shoulderbag like Levi's. It was in an odd contradiction with his clothes- he wore a white shirt and expensive looking pants and shoes. Well, this means I'm not the only one who should buy a new bag… But Levi had to admit that the guy couldn't have been mistook for a teenager.
„… the series. I haven't watched season three yet, I've heard it's good…"
In the meantime, they arrived at a big road junction, where a lot of people got off the bus, but before Levi could've escaped his unwanted companion, almost the same amount of passangers got on. The only advantage was that finally he could open his book again. Levi thought that maybe if he ignored the man, he would eventually shut up. But he wasn't that lucky. The blond shifted beside him, but Levi kept staring at the pages stubbornly. Two more stops…
„Have you seen the series? Do you know what I like the most? The action scenes. They are filmed perfectly in my opinion… and they get better and better, as the makers get more and more money…"
Levi brought the book closer to his face because he really didn't know how to let the other know he didn't want to engage in the conversation. If we can call this a conversation. So he kept staring at his book, his irritation growing second by second. The blond didn't seem to be bothered by his silence, and even changed the subject.
„It's funny that nobody talks on public transport, isn't it? I don't really use it myself, but… I mean, confined places, everybody shuts down… Why is that? Maybe everyone's thinking the person next to them is a potential psychopath, or a drunk waiting for the right moment to attack." he let out a soft laugh. Levi suddenly felt that the blond man leaned towards him. „So we close down and… pretend to read a book or something…"
Levi looked up and saw a huge smirk and a glint in the blue eyes.
„So you're not deaf then? Good. I wasn't really good at sign language when I had to take up that class at the uni…"
Levi opened his mouth, staring, then closed it again.
I can't believe this man.
Levi decided that the situation needed a more direct approach.
„Listen, I don't want to be rude or anything-"
„Sadly, the people who say this can be really rude sometimes, even if they don't mean it." interrupted the blond, faking seriousness.
Levi snapped.
„Hey I'm just coming from a failed job interview and I really just want to read my book, okay?"
That shut him up.
Levi turned towards the window again, and fixed his eyes on his book.
His peace didn't last for long, as it seemed the guy wanted to make up for his chatty mouth.
„I apologize. I didn't want to cause uncomfort in any way… I'm terribly sorry, really. Just that… I really liked that book and you seemed like you needed some cheering up…"
Levi found himself answering.
„No, it's okay."
„No, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean any offense…"
„I said it's okay. You didn't know."
Levi turned towards the man, who now wore a guilty expression, which was… quite endearing… What?
„I just… You are going to job interviews? I wouldn't have thought…"
Ah. That again. Always, always, always.
„I'm not a teenager." He said, and was about to end the conversation when he heard the other let out a short laugh.
„No, I didn't mean it like that… I meant that I thought you already had a job."
„I have a job."
The confused look on the blond's face was so amusing that Levi almost laughed.
Meanwhile, they arrived at Levi's stop. He didn't have time to say anything else to the man, because he needed to make his way through the crowd if he didn't want to stuck up on the bus. And that was the last thing he wanted.
The bus drove away, and Levi was rummaging in his bag to make place for his book. When he looked up, he found the guy from the bus standing beside him. He was busy looking at the bus schedule. Levi quirked his eyebrows and crossed his arms across his chest.
I wonder...
The blond turned around and when his eyes found Levi, a horrified expression run through his face.
„Oh, no! I'm not following you! I'm not a nutcase, I just… I need to exchange vehicles here! Here, look: Line 322!"
Levi couldn't help the smirk coming on his face, but that made the tall man even more desperate.
„You have to believe me! Oh gods, I'm not a weirdo, I swear!"
Levi stopped smirking.
„What did you say?"
„That I'm not a weirdo-„
„No, did you just say, oh gods?"
The blond stared at him for a moment. Then…
„I told you I love those books."
Levi burst out laughing.
„You really are a weirdo!"
„No, I'm not!" Levi knew that his fellow passanger only pretended to be hurt, if he had to guess by the relieved look on him when he laughed.
„I'm guessing you are really following me. Same bus stop, what a coincidence..."
The smile seemed to be constant on Levi's face now. This guy was entertaining.
„My bus is really coming." He said with a serious face. „If you don't believe me, you can wait for it with me and see me get up on it."
And the next moment, there was again that mischievious smile. Mischievieus and gorgeus.
What the hell am I thinking? Get yourself together, man.
„Maybe I will." Levi heard himself saying.
„Very well."
Silence came and Levi looked away, then back again to his strange companion. He was tall. And muscular. And he had the most beautiful eyes and impeccable clothing and that blond hair of his, and those cheekbones… But the most curious about him were his eyebrows. It was bushy, but at the same time it seemed they were plucked… Levi needed to think of something fast if he didn't want the other to notice his leering.
„So you always talk to everybody on public transport?" He managed to get out.
The blond smiled.
„Not always. Just when I feel like it. This time, my main motivation was that there was somebody from my age group who read the books… You know, that they are so long, and people are easily scared away by that…"
„Same age group?" Levi asked, surprised. „How old are you?"
„Twenty-six."
Levi was amazed that the other guessed right – they were about the same age group.
„Oh. You look older."
„Thanks."
Levi lifted one of his eyebrows.
„It wasn't a compliment."
„I know." The man grinned.
Levi huffed incredibly. This man is quite something.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Even if you get up on that bus, maybe you just get off in the next stop, because you really were following me."
The grin on the blond's face just became wider.
"Then perhaps you should come with me to check if I'm telling the truth."
That was the moment Levi's mobile rang. He turned away, fished out his phone and answered the call.
„What do you want, Hanji?"
„Levi! Where are you?"
„In the bus stop. Ten minutes and I'll be home." Levi started to pace between the road and the wall of a building.
„Would you be so kind to bring me coffee from the store? I'm out of it, and I neeeed it-"
„Stop whining. Why would I do that?"
„Because you are the sweetest neighbour of all time, of course!"
„I bet you say that to every one of your neighbours." Levi grinned.
„Nooo, I swear you're the only one for me!"
He snorted.
„We'll see about that… What kind of coffee do you need?"
While Hanji explained the exact brand, and type of the coffee she wanted („That's the best brand, but if there isn't Extra Large pack, then buy Extra Large from the other brand, if it's a smaller pack, that won't survive for a week…"), Levi turned around and saw the blond fumbling with the zip of his bag – he just closed it. He looked up and smiled innocently at Levi, who rolled his eyes and turned around again to try to hurry along his conversation with Hanji.
„Okay, I get, it I get it. Don't worry. But I still don't know why do you drink that crap. Tea is much better."
„No it isn't, I'll have you know…"
„Maybe I'll consider talking about this when I'm home. Now I'll hang up." Levi already regretted bringing up the coffee vs. tea debate.
„Okay, thanks again… Wait, Levi!"
„Yeah?"
„How was the interview?"
„Crap, as always."
„Oh. How do you know?"
„Yes, we can see your qualities-„ „However, we need official certifications…" imitated Levi the voice of his interviewers.
„Oh, I'm sorry, Levi-„
„Yeah, yeah. Talk to you when I'm home."
And with that, Levi quit the call, and put away his phone.
He turned back to the guy, who was busy scrolling through his phone, but as he noticed that Levi finished talking, he smiled and reached out his hand.
There was a piece of paper in it.
„Your bookmark. It fell down when you dropped the book."
Levi suddenly became strangely embarrassed.
„My neighbour called. She wanted me to bring her some coffee." Levi wasn't sure why he needed to say that.
„Not a fond of coffee, are you?"
„I'm more of a tea-lover."
„I love both."
„That's totally imaginable if it comes to you."
„Why?"
„Because you are a weirdo." Levi was enjoying himself too much. But the tall man wasn't as easy as he thought. He just smiled and asked an odd question out of nowhere.
„Is she pretty?"
„Who?" Levi asked back, confused.
„Your neighbour."
„Why do you ask? You want more people to creep out?" the teasing smile didn't seem to leave Levi's face.
„Why do you think I only want to creep out pretty people?"
Levi was about to answer something witty back when the meaning of the question dawned on him, and for his utter shock, he felt his face growing warm.
Fortunately, the guy seemed to notice his discomfort and to his immense relief, changed the subject:
„So, you don't like your job, that's why you want an other?"
Levi shook his head.
„No. I like my job. I don't like the way we're treated."
The blond nodded.
„What do you do?"
Well, I'm sure as hell not going to tell you. Levi didn't want to see disappointment on his face, and at the same time he was weirded out because of his urge to meet this man's expectations.
He was about to make up some lie, when the bus arrived. The tall man checked his phone for the time, probably, and smiled apologetically.
„Sorry, I need to go. It was nice meeting you…" and he started walking towards the front door of the bus.
There was a line in front of the bus, and as the blond walked farther away from him Levi felt a sort of impulse. He long since learned to trust his instincts, so he called after him:
„Wait!"
The man turned back.
„I'm… I'm sorry." said Levi genuinely. „On the bus… I didn't mean to be rude… I- I'm just…" Now he was getting embarrassed again. „I'm not- not really good at… you know, at…um…"
„Constructing sentences?"
Again, that huge smirk on that sinfully handsome face. Levi rolled his eyes.
„Talking to people who I don't know."
„Then, perhaps, you should get to know them." The blond nodded towards Levi's hands, while getting his first foot on the first step.
„It was a pleasure." and with a smile, he disappeared inside the bus.
Levi stared after him, then opened his hands clutching the piece of paper. It was folded in half, as originally, but…
He opened it.
Levi saw a series of numbers, with a short message.
Erwin, a.k.a. the annoying blond from the bus. Call me if you want to be more annoyed. ;)
Levi looked up, but the bus already left.
Levi almost forgot to buy the coffee for Hanji, because his head was all around the man called Erwin. When he knocked at Hanji's, she came out, took sight of the goods in Levi's hands and gave him an unneeded hug.
After escaping her embrance, he got tugged into the kitchen, where she gave Levi the price of the coffee, and set to prepare one immediately.
She was talking to him, but he didn't really pay her attention – the blond from the bus took that entirely and he was amazed at how a simple interaction can make this effect on him. He didn't like it at all.
And the stranger – Erwin – was giving him his phone number… did he somehow… know that he was…? But how? And that he was…? Levi had these thoughts spiralling in his head non-stop, so eventually, even Hanji noticed his unnatural silence.
„Something happened?" she asked. „You look so weird… Oh the interview, I'm so dumb! Should've ask you about it first!"
Levi snapped out of his haze and waved his hand as if he could shoo away Hanji's concerned look.
„No, I'm fine." He was always at ease in Hanji's house, but now he felt more like being alone, so he said goodbye and simply walked out.
„Wait, you didn't even drink your coffee!" Hanji called after him, but he didn't hear it.
When at home, Levi ate something, then sat down in front of his computer, did some browsing job ads, writing some emails and when he was done, he did some cleaning. All day through, the piece of paper with Erwin's number was on the kitchen table where he put it. Levi did everything half-heartedly. Even the cleaning, and that made him uneasy. I'm just not used to attention - he told himself. Soon, I'm not gonna remember this at all. But that seemed unlikely. Now that he was in the possession of the phone number, it gave him possibilities – and he simply couldn't let those possibilities go.
He sighed and did something he didn't do for a long time – he watched TV. Well, at least the TV was on, and he was changing the channels. Nothing interested him, as expected. He was about to give up and go to bed, when on one of the channels, he saw something familiar…
No way.
That face. That hair. Those eyes.
Erwin was on TV. But Levi wasn't really sure it was him.
Compared to the smiling stranger he met that morning, this man was only alike in appearance- and even that changed.
The man on the screen was wearing an elegant black suit, with all things necessary: necktie, nice shoes, all those things.
His whole comportment was different from that morning. He sit with a straight back around a table with three other man. His face was serious, his blue eyes glinting – but this time not with mischief, but attention and intelligence. Now he definitely looked older than twenty-six.
Levi stared at him for a while before he managed to get a look of the other men, and had time to guess what was he watching exactly. It was some kind of political broadcast. No surprise Levi haven't seen it before- he was so fed up with politics, he couldn't bear talking about them for a minute- why would he want to watch other people talk about it?
But now he suddenly was very interested. The men were talking about one of today's topic, as it was shown in the top right corner of the screen. If Levi guessed right, it was the second topic of the three. Employement issues.
The three other men were having an argument it seemed – they were practically shouting, only Erwin stayed silent. The others looked much older than the blond – one even had grey hair.
Levi suddenly realized they were having an argument with Erwin – who simply didn't want to answer them until they let him speak alone. Levi felt his mouth coming into a smirk.
When they finally let Erwin answer, the camera showed only him, and at the bottom of the screen, they displayed his data. Erwin Smith, 26, political analyst.
Levi had a slight suspicion that showing his age was a poor attempt at making his arguments look weaker – poor attempt because… this man could definitely speak. Even Levi could see that. While the others were red-faced and uncomposed, Erwin was calm, and his phrases came out perfectly measured, having a certain kind of strength.
Anyone watching this could tell which party of the arguments was the dominant one.
Levi found himself agreeing with most things Erwin said. He was so immersed in the broadcast that he was surprised when the host closed the second topic and the third immediately started. After a short introduction of the problem, it was allowed to start the argumenting part. This time, Erwin started speaking. Whenever the camera showed him and only him, Levi studied his face, and every time, he had to confirm to himself that he was indeed that charming weirdo he met that morning. But that charming weirdo was now doing his job. And he did his job well, even if his arguments were unwelcomed.
Levi watched all of the transmission which included Erwin. When it was over, he turned off the TV, amazed.
He went to the kitchen to eat something light before bed, when his eyes fell on the piece of paper on the table.
Erwin Smith. A strange man who talked to people he didn't even know without a second thought or a serious political analyst? Which was the real Erwin? Levi didn't know, but as he twirled the phone number between his fingers, he thought he had the opportunity to find it out.
A.N.:
Aww, thanks for reading it! I hope you liked it. Kudos, Reviews, Comments would mean a lot to me, constructive criticism is highly welcomed!
Awww this ending really feels like it's a first chapter XD Haha you decide it, readers :D
Nerumi-i, I hope you liked it! ^^ *sings* Happy birthday to youuu, happy birthday to youuu… *gets booed off* okay, okay…
You can ask me to write prompts, and if I have enough inspiration and time, I will do them :)
Message me, if you'd like :) Have a good day / night!