—

"Can I get you something? You've been gawking at the menu list for hours. If you're not going to order, then take a goddamn hike."

Startled, Mikasa glanced up at the man behind the counter. "Something is missing from your menu.." Is all she says.

"No, everything is there. I assure you. Assuming I've been in this business for years. Again, are you going to order or not?" He asked, agitated.

"Happiness."

"Excuse me?"

She just slammed her head against the counter and groaned in what seemed like, disappointment—or perhaps resentment. A mixture of the two, he assumed.

"You're missing a cup of happiness." She grumbled, eyes darting towards the list again. "Because that's all I need right now."

Levi just stared at her, cold and hard.

Maybe it was the familiarity in her face or the certain details that caught his attention. Whatever the reason it may be, he suddenly found himself pouring a cup of his famous(signature)hot chocolate— making sure the temperature was just slightly above warm to his liking.

Finishing it up with an added mixture of marshmallows, he brought himself back to the counter. "Here, " he pushed the cup towards her, emotionless. "It's not a cup of happiness, but it's pretty damn close to it." He eyed her coolly.

She popped her head back up and gulped. The sweet aroma reaching her nostrils and prompting her to no ends. "This is free right?"

"Does my service look free? 5 dollars. Give it here."

"But I—"

"Joking." He cut her off. "It's on the house. So consider yourself lucky." He turned his body back around.

She crinkled her nose and lifted the brim of the porcelain cup towards the parting of her lips.

At first, she was hesitant—realizing that anything free always had some sort of bad luck to it. But then she completely disregarded her thoughts—knowing that it was a waste to leave something so, so very good untouched.

Without wasting another second, she gulped down the liquid in a fluid moment.

Levi watched from the corner of his eyes, taking note of her expressions.

One..

Two..

Three..

"It's alright," She commented, making a face.

And that's all it really took for Levi to lose his temper. Again. For the nth time in his life.

"Just alright? Are you fucking with me? I made sure to even out the temperature just so you didn't burn your pretty little mouth, but all you can say is just, alright?" He snapped, slamming his palms down against the counter top.

She blinked a couple of times, surprised. "I didn't get to fin—"

"Try another." He growled, already reaching for another cup. "I won't let you leave until you're satisfied."

"Wait but—"

"Not another word."

She sat there dumbfounded.

Good, he thought. This would be a way to prove his skills as a Barista.

He was going to make as many cups as it took. Two. Three. Four. Whatever the amount—he was bound to hear an approval from her mouth by the time the shop would close.

Determined? Certainly.

This was the challenge he's been waiting for.

—

One hour later.

"How was it?"

"So-so."

"You're joking."

"Not quite. This cup lacked something. Perhaps the marshmallows?"

"You told me to take out the marshmallows on the fourth cup woman."

"Oh yeah."

Dear God.

This was taking longer than he'd expected. And his patience was already wearing thin.

Either she had abnormal taste buds or she had a lot of loose screws in her head—which suddenly reminded him. He didn't even know her name, yet he recognized her somehow.

Was she a regular? No that can't be.

He would have remembered.

Judging from her appearance, she seemed to attend high school near this area, (another youngin' to his distaste) assuming the uniform didn't give her away, that is.

It was just the matter of who she was that piqued his interest.

"Say," he narrowed his eyes at her, "what's your name?"

She glanced up from her seat and pointed at herself, looking around.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, you."

"Mikasa." She replied in a flat tone. "No need for last names."

"Wasn't interested in knowing."

She stifled a laugh. "Yours?"

He glanced down and pointed at his name tag. "Rivaille. But I prefer Levi."

"Rivaille." Mikasa spoke, letting the name roll off the tip of her tongue.

Onyx eyes met clear blue.

And somehow, it gave him chills down his spine, strangely enough. The sound of his name in her mouth.

But him being him, he quickly disregarded it and sighed.

"Alright kid, so how long are you going to make me wait?"

"I wasn't aware that you were waiting."

"Jokes don't suit you."

"I could say the same to you Levi."

"Is that so?"

"I see it that way."

Both stared intently into each other's eyes—neither of the two daring to speak another word.

It was as if the whole coffee shop turned into their own enviorment— both completely engulfed with the tension sparking between them.

Levi leaned in closer, feeling his body being prompted by those enticing, onyx eyes—to which made it very, very dangerous for a man like him to be doing. Considering her age and his own.

But at this moment, the hot chocolate, those perfect eyes, and the mood that surrounded them completely—he no longer gave a damn.

His face was now just inches away. Her warm breath brushing, ever so slightly, against his cheeks.

Close.

So, damn cl—

"Excuse me?"

Levi popped his head up, startled.

Damn.

There goes the long awaited moment.

It was likely that they were going to be interrupted anyways.

Sighing, he retreated towards the customer and greeted them in irritation.

Talk about ruining the mood.

—

After dealing with what seemed like an abundant amount of customers(which came from God knows where), he made his way towards Mikasa again—only to find her seat vacant and unoccupied.

Oh.

She got tired of waiting, he supposed. Disappointment sank in the pit of his stomach.

It wasn't like he was expecting anything from her—dating or sex or whatever men did with woman these days. Neither of those things really crossed his mind. He just merely enjoyed her subtle company, for the hours she had spent here. It was nice and relaxing. Even if it ended too soon for him.

He grabbed the empty cups—5 or 6, he counted, surprised and almost amused by the amount of sugar she had gulped down. Even after drinking so many, he still didn't get to hear her approval or any sort of appraisal in the end. Well, not that it really mattered anymore, he thought.

Thud.

Knitting his brows, Levi glanced down and noticed a piece of paper folded into an origami on the surface of the hard floor. "Hn?" He quickly bent down and picked it up with the slim of his fingers.

Opening it, a small smile formed at the edges of his lips.

Well, he supposed he didn't care for an approval. He was fine with just this.

Talking with you was the cup of happiness I needed. Thank you.

—M

[Fin]