Through the Vent

Levi carried the last box into his new apartment. He had signed the rent contract just the week previous and hadn't wanted to wait any longer than what he had to move in.

His previous living arrangements had been less than satisfactory, in his opinion. Levi had been in another apartment complex just across town. His neighbors were loud and there was always some sort of unpleasant smell permeating from under one door or another. The carpets in the hallways were dingy and disgusting. He had no idea the last time any of them had been cleaned, but Levi doubted it had been in the last decade. He decided he couldn't stay there any longer when the plaster on his bedroom wall cracked from waist height to the ceiling with the force of one of his neighbor's fucking one night. He started the hunt for a new apartment the next morning and had found one quickly. That was a week and a half ago.

It had taken Levi just a few short days to get approved for this new apartment and he couldn't have been happier with the looks of the place. The hallway carpets were a nice, clean gray color. The hallway walls were a fresh cream color that brightened everything up. Inside the apartment was just as nice. The living room and bedroom both had clean, cream-colored carpeting while the kitchen and bathroom had the same simple tile floor. The kitchen walls were a soothing pastel red and the bathroom was a light tan. The tile in the small shower was a minty green that complemented the tan nicely. The bathroom in general was small, but Levi didn't need anything very large. The size it was would be just fine for him.

In the kitchen, which was on the far right of the apartment, had a small pantry area in the back corner, which Levi liked very much. He decided he had better start putting away the food he had brought from the old place and immediately started in on that task. He noticed the vent at the bottom of the wall in the small space, but paid it no mind. It was probably for air conditioning and heating, anyway.

It didn't take him long to get his meager supply of food situated. He'd need to go grocery shopping soon.

He settled the rest of his new home, immensely satisfied with how his furniture and décor fit perfectly in the apartment. His room was situated, with his bed made and dresser filled with his clothing. His bathroom was kitted out with his bathing equipment – bath mats, shower curtain, and toiletries. Levi actually felt at home, and the entire time he hadn't heard a peep from his neighbors.

It was late when he finally decided to find something to eat. He stood in the pantry, hands skimming over the cans and bags and boxes in there, trying to decide exactly what sounded good to his gurgling stomach. He was holding a bag of rice and glancing around to find something to go with it when he heard it.

He stood stock still, feeling the dread creep up on him and he realized he might have another loud neighbor. As he continued listening, however, he realized that whatever he was hearing wasn't unpleasant. In fact, his brain told him it might actually be a very pleasant sound.

He strained his ears for a moment, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. He crept toward the back of the pantry, discovering that the sound was actually coming from the vent at the bottom of the wall. He knelt down to get closer, almost pressing his ear to it before he realized he could hear whatever the noise was almost perfectly. It was music.

Levi could hear soft piano and a smooth voice, humming. He recognized the song. It had been playing on the radio that morning and Levi had liked it.

He flinched slightly when the voice sang, almost angrily, "And still I never say what I want to say."

The music stopped abruptly, but picked up a few second later. This time on an acoustic guitar. Whoever it was on the other side of the vent must have been some sort of musician.

The new song wasn't one that Levi recognized. The strumming on the guitar sounded rough, and when the person on the other side of the vent sang, his voice was even rougher. His voice was gritty and sensual. It was a complete change from the love song he had just been singing.

"I don't know who you are now..."

Levi knew it was probably some rock song that he'd never heard. Rock wasn't something he typically listened to. It gave him a headache sometimes. This person on the other side of the vent, though, he could listen to him sing it any time of the day probably. He didn't know why, but he loved listening to the man on the other side of the vent.

The bridge of the song came a second time and Levi almost sighed, closing his eyes.

"I hear the thunder thumpin' and my heart starts jumpin' and that's when I spin on the pole..."

The voice practically growled the lyrics about seduction. Levi knew he wouldn't be able to not listen to the guy on the other side of the vent again. He hoped he played and sang frequently.

It was quiet after that song, so Levi stood to finally make his dinner.

It was another week before he heard Vent Musician – that's what he decided to call him since any visitors his musical neighbor had never spoke loud enough for him to hear a name – play again. Levi had settled into his new apartment nicely. He was gone most of the day at work and would come home around eight in the evening. He would stand in his pantry every night with his uncooked dinner in his hands, waiting for any sounds other than his quiet breathing. He was disappointed every night, figuring that he just played during the day when he wasn't home.

Levi was standing in his pantry with a box of pasta noodles when he heard him. There was no instrument, just humming. It was upbeat and fast-paced, and Levi found that he liked it. He could hear shuffling and soft thumps, almost like the Vent Musician was dancing and Levi couldn't help the smile that crawled across his face. The smile stayed firmly in place as Levi heard him sing out loud.

"Oh, I think that I've found myself a cheerleader! She is always right there when I need her."

The humming picked up again and Levi sat back and leaned against the vent to listen. He soon found himself leaning his head back against the wall and humming along to the songs he knew, or the songs that were long and repetitive enough for him to pick up on.

There was a pause in the singing when the Vent Musician realized that he was no longer alone in his music. When the Vent Musician continued his songs it was louder, like he was closer to the vent. Levi realized that this was probably the case and felt a blossoming of warmth in his chest. The Vent Musician wanted to be closer to him while he sang his songs, and that made Levi happy for some reason.

Levi and the Vent Musician carried on that way for a month after that. Levi would come home from work and wait in his pantry for his musical friend to come and sing so he could hum along. They never met each other face to face, or learned the others name. They would both just come home to their own apartment and sit by their vents. One would sing and the other would hum.

Sometimes, the Vent Musician would sing a particularly funny song and Levi could hear him huffing through the lyrics like he was trying to stifle laughter while he sang. Levi laughed quietly to himself during this song with the Vent Musician. Sometimes when he was sitting quietly by himself, he could hear the guitar and the Vent Musicians low voice huffing through the song.

"Because when Craig's in sight, we'll party all damn night! I don't turn water into wine, but into cold Coors Light! I'm not my brother, I know, don't walk on H2O, but I got hydroponic shit that me and Judas grow! I'm fuckin' Craig! I'm fuckin' Craig! Craig Christ..."

Craig Christ was one of Levi's favorites and he often found himself humming it to himself, even when he wasn't in the pantry.

But now Levi had been in the apartment for a little over a month and hadn't heard from the Vent Musician in 2 weeks. He wondered where he was, and if he was okay. Levi quickly brushed off his own concerns, however. He didn't actually know the man on the other side of the vent. They were just neighbors. They sang and hummed together, but that was it. Levi didn't even know his name, for fuck's sake. He shouldn't be worried about the Vent Musician.

Levi was sitting at his kitchen table, going through paper work with a cup of water next to him when he heard the Vent Musician's front door open and close. It was nearing midnight. He stayed sitting, waiting to hear if he would do anything or just go to bed. What he heard was unexpected.

There were slams, and crashing. Something glass shattered and a door slammed. There was more slamming and crashing, things clattering to the floor and against the walls. Levi hurried into the pantry to the vent, suddenly scared that something was happening to his Vent Musician or to his home.

It grew quiet suddenly, and through the vent, Levi could hear heavy, hitching breaths. Periodically there was a sniffle and a particularly harsh hitch, as if someone was trying to hold back sobs. There was another heavy thud by the vent and Levi could hear the sobs that had been bottled for the past few minutes. They were harsh and violent, almost angry. These were sobs of complete anguish, and they wrenched at Levi's heart.

He searched around in his head, his eyes swiveling to the left as he tried to think of what to do to soothe his Vent Musician. The only thing he could think of was music and singing. Would that help? It was the only thing he could think of, so he went with it.

Before he could hesitate and become self conscious, he let out the first song his brain produced. It was a catchy song, hardly appropriate for the situation, but it was all he could think of.

"'Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.' I said, 'You're holding back!' She said, 'Shut up and dance with me!"'This woman is my destiny. She said, 'Oo woo hoo! Shut up and dance with me...'"

Levi paused for a second, trying to listen and decide if he was helping any. He couldn't be completely sure, but it sounded like the sobs on the other side of the vent were less harsh, more hicupping, like they were dying down. He continued his song, just in case. He sang strongly so that he was sure his Vent Musician heard him.

"We were victims of the night, the chemical, physical, kryptonite! Helpless to the bass and the fading light. Oh, we were bound to get together, bound to get together! She took my arm, I don't know how it happened. We took the floor and she said..."

Levi paused again, listening to the quiet on the other side of the vent. Had his Vent Musician fallen asleep? Or was he just listening to Levi's song? Levi didn't know, so he just continued, slightly quieter than before.

"'Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.' I said, 'You're holding back.' She said, 'Shut up and dance with me!' This woman is my destiny! She said, 'Oo woo hoo! Shut up and dance with me!' A backless dress and some beat up sneaks, my discotheque, Juliet, teenage dream! I felt in my chest as she looked at me. I knew we were bound to be together, bound to be together..."

Levi's voice singing grew so quiet, he was almost whispering through the vent and he realized that his Vent Musician was singing along with him, just slightly louder than he was. With that, Levi's determination to sing, to do something, to help his Vent Musician feel better returned. He sang louder, finishing the song. Nearly to the end, something changed with Levi's Vent Musician and they were both singing equally as strong. They finished the last chorus off together, switching off parts like they were singing to each other.

"Don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me!" Levi sang.

"I said, 'You're holding back!'" Levi's Vent Musician sang back.

"She said, 'Oo woo hoo! Shut up and dance with me!"

In unison, with voices so strong it almost hurt their ears they belted, "This woman is my destiny! She said, 'Oo woo hoo! Shut up and dance with me!'"

They both sat for a moment, listening to each other breathing. Levi had his hands pressed to the vent as if he meant to reach through and place them on his Vent Musician's shoulders. They were both silent for a long while. They were silent for so long, in fact, that Levi nearly jumped out of his skin when his Vent Musician actually spoke to him.

"Thank you," the voice on the other side said. Levi had to admit that it was a nice voice, though it did sound young. Not teenager young, but he was definitely younger than 30. His voice wasn't very deep, but deeper than Levi's own voice, and smooth. Lord, it was smooth. No wonder his Vent Musician could sing so well.

"You're welcome," Levi told him simply. He waited, hoping that the person on the other side of the vent would say something else. He wasn't disappointed.

"I'm sorry I made so much noise when I came home," Vent Musician told him.

"It's fine." Levi thought for a split second, wondering if what he was about to ask was inappropriate. He decided he didn't care. "Would you like to talk about it?"

There was a moment filled with a bitter laugh. "You don't even know my name."

That was true. Now was as good as any to learn, though. "My name is Levi."

Another beat of silence and then, "Eren."

Levi didn't know how to ask if Eren wanted to talk about what had upset him so badly again. His mouth opened for a second and then closed. He opened it again and before he could say anything, Eren's voice rang out through the vent.

"My mother died today."

Levi's eyes closed. Such a misfortune was hard to cope with, Levi knew. He had destroyed half of his home that he had shared with his mother when she had died. He was barely 20 when it happened.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Levi told Eren simply. He knew he could offer nothing that would ease the pain.

There was a sniffle from the other side of the vent as Eren started crying again. A garbled, "Thank you," was the reply Levi received. He heard Eren shuffling around again through the vent and then it was quiet again for a long time. He figured there would be no more socializing that night, and stood up to leave and go to bed. A muffled, "Goodnight!" was called through the vent. Levi paused.

"Goodnight," he called back.

When Levi came home after work the next evening, he could see Eren's lights on underneath his door. It was odd, because Eren normally came home at least half an hour after he did. Levi shrugged it off as nothing. Eren had just lost his mother. It was to be expected that his routine would be altered in some way.

As Levi scoured his pantry for something to make for dinner, he had an idea. He had never met Eren besides through the vent. What did Eren look like? Was he tall and broad? Thin and lanky? Or was he more like Levi? Short in stature and filled out with a medium build? Did he have dark or light hair, or something in between? What color were his eyes? Was he pale or dark? Was he clean and tidy or a complete mess?

Levi needed to know.

He didn't hesitate before he walked out his front door and over to Eren's. He wouldn't be messing about with the vents today. He was going to invite Eren over to his for dinner and he was going to meet him face to face finally.

It didn't take Eren long to answer his door after Levi's firm knock. Eren wasn't anything Levi had been expecting. He was young, like he thought he would be. He couldn't have been more than 22. He was on the tall side, with a decent build. He wasn't too thin, but he also wasn't very bulky. He could tell that Eren was muscular, though. His hair was dark, but not as dark as Levi's, and he had a nice tan. His eyes, however, were the most striking feature Eren possessed. They were an expressive and bold turquoise color. Levi almost got lost in them before he remembered why he came. Eren had a confused look on his face.

"I'm Levi," Levi told him, watching his eyes light up in recognition before they clouded over in insecurity and his shoulders appeared to hunch, making him seem smaller.

"What?" Eren asked cautiously.

"I want to invite you over for dinner."

This seemed to surprise the turquoise-eyed musician. His shoulder unhunched and he tilted his head to the side. Levi couldn't help the flicker of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Eren was definitely a cute one.

"Um..." Eren seemed incredibly unsure.

"I'm making mashed potatoes and chicken with baby carrots," Levi offered, hoping to persuade him. It worked.

"Oh, uh, okay then. What time do you want me over?" Eren asked hesitantly. Levi almost smiled again.

"Now is fine. Dinner should be ready within the hour."

Eren nodded. "Okay, just, uh, give me a minute to grab my keys and stuff."

Levi nodded, stepping back and turned to his door to wait for Eren. It only took a few seconds before he was back out in the hall, looking around uncertainly while he closed the door behind him.

"Alright," Levi murmured, walking back over to his apartment, waiting for Eren to walk in before closing the door again.

Dinner prep was simple and easy for Levi. Eren offered to help, but Levi declined. Instead, he asked Eren to pick out what he wanted to drink and had him sit in his living and watch television. Levi periodically went between the kitchen and living room, checking on Eren. He was completely immersed in a documentary on mermaids every time he went to check. The sight made Levi crack a small smile. Eren really was cute.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Eren complimented his cooking and they asked each other questions. Levi found out that Eren was actually just nineteen and that the apartment next door was his first place to himself. He was going to university, studying Archaeology with his best friend Armin. They wanted to be able to travel the world, view sites they'd never be able to see otherwise. Eren was surprised when he found out that Levi was 11 years his senior and had been in the military. He nodded in understanding when told that he had been discharged due to finishing his service and now worked an office job in military communications. He was still military, but no longer active duty.

Levi almost found himself surprised while laughing at one of the jokes Eren made. He liked laughing, and he especially liked watching Eren laugh, though it was a foreign feeling to him. Eren's eyes crinkled, and he tilted his head back slightly, raising his shoulders and lifting his hands to shoulder height, wrists limp. Eren was beautiful when he laughed, and Levi had no problems admitting it.

He liked Eren even more now that he had met him and had dinner with him. He was kind and he was funny and he was attractive. Levi hoped he could talk him into coming over again and spending time with him. Maybe he could bring his guitar some time and they could sing together again. Levi would like that very much.

When it came time for Eren to go back to his apartment for bed, Levi was drawn into a tight hug. He stiffened for a moment before returning the embrace. He hadn't expected any physical contact.

"Thank you for inviting me over," Eren murmured into the top of Levi's head. He relaxed even more into the hug, tightening his arms around Eren's waist and resting his cheek against his shoulder.

"I enjoyed having you over," Levi replied. He pulled back slightly to look up into Eren's face. "You're welcome to come back when you'd like."

Eren released Levi from the hug and stepped back, nodding.

"I'd like that."

And then he left. The two exchanged goodnight's and went to their own apartments. Levi went to sleep that night feeling amazingly happy.

They created a new routine that night. Levi would come home from work and get started on dinner. When Eren came home, he would come over to Levi's apartment. He let himself in – Levi left the door unlocked for him until he came over – and locked the door behind him almost every night. He helped with groceries occasionally, since Levi was feeding him dinner frequently. They grew incredibly close.

Nobody commented on Levi being at Eren's mother's funeral the week after their first dinner together other than to ask who Eren's new friend was. Levi held Eren's trembling hand in his own as the casket was lowered into the ground.

Eren introduced Levi to Armin there, as well as Armin's girlfriend, Mikasa. They all got along well and they sometimes came over with Eren for dinner. Those times were few, which Levi appreciated. He liked his alone time with Eren.

It was another six months before they had their first kiss. Eren initiated it and Levi was sure someone had lit off fireworks in his living room. He felt as if someone had sucked all the air from his lungs and all he could do was sit there for a moment before he kissed back enthusiastically.

He hadn't wanted to pressure Eren into anything he wasn't ready for, being so much younger. He was ecstatic that Eren had finally kissed him. Levi had wanted to kiss Eren for at least 3 months and had begun to despair that Eren actually wasn't into him in that way.

The kiss lasted a long time and they fell asleep together there on Levi's sofa before the end of the movie they had been watching. Levi woke in the middle of the night to Eren's strong, wiry arms wrapped firmly around his middle, his nose buried in the hair right above his ear. He reached out for the remote and turned the television off.

Eren was making breakfast when he woke the next morning.

Song Selection (In order of appearance):

Sam Smith - Good Thing

Beautiful Danger - Slash and Fergie

Cheerleader - Omi

Craig Christ - Stephen Lynch

Shut up and Dance - Walk the Moon

Thank you for reading. This is going to remain a oneshot (unless I have enough people requesting a full chapter fic out of it, which is unlikely). I feel like I left this in a good place, but would love some constructive criticism. Please shoot me a review and let me know how you feel about this! It's my first SnK fic, so forgive me if it was complete shit. I know that Levi was somewhat OOC and I apologize. I was going for a more tame, less battle hardened Levi, though. This doesn't take place in the actual SnK universe. It takes place in a modern setting, where Levi would have a completely different background to his canon background.

Anyhow, thank you again for reading. Please leave me a review and let me know how you feel!

-Primary.