Chapter 1

"Eren, holy crap. Who is that creeper dude moving in next door?" Armin has always noticed everything around him before anyone else. Like the fact that we now have a new neighbor.

"He doesn't look that creepy, Armin." But I was lying and we both knew it. This mystery man glared at his surroundings as if they would jump out him. His steel eyes fixed each leaf and blade of grass in place letting them know he wouldn't stand for any of their shit.

Armin's gold bangs fell deep over his brow as he cocked his head in my direction. "Pfft. Guy's a total basket case." That's my best friend.

/

As the days crept by, I kept a more attentive eye on the house next door. Empty for the better part of 4 years since Armin's grandfather's passing, the illuminated windows felt out of place at night. I was just glad Armin's room faced the other direction.

Each evening, under the pretense of completing homework, I'd study the back of my neighbor's head as he watched the news. His undercut rested just above the back of the couch. Either he was short as fuck, or the couch was big as fuck. Whatever.

His shoulders looked strong though. I wondered how the rest of him compared. Of course, this was strictly for observational purposes.

Around 8:50 he'd head up to his room, right across from mine, then exit with something in his arms. The lights would go out, house reverting back to its normal resting state. No noise, no nothing, every night by 9PM. Like fucking clockwork.

"Who the hell goes to bed at 9 EVERY NIGHT?" I raised my hands in exasperation one morning at the breakfast table. Armin shrugged his shoulders like it was normal. Or he didn't give a shit. I wasn't sure.

We came to figure out Mr. Crazy's name: Levi Ackerman. Ok, we didn't so much 'figure it out'. But if one were to pass by a piece of mail sticking out from one's neighbor's mailbox, it was only kind to place it fully inside for them, right? We definitely were not spying.

"Eren, be reasonable. It's only been 5 days since Levi's moved into in that house. You don't know how tiring moving is. I want you boys to go over there after school and invite Mr. Ackerman over for dinner this evening." My mom couldn't see Armin's reaction to her words. But I watched in understanding as his wet, blue eyes fell to the table. 'That house'. No one spoke, but Armin's lips trembled and I knew he was murmuring 'my house' in that cute little head.

/

"Armin, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to." I knew it would be hard on him having to walk up the same pathway, to the same porch, just to knock like a stranger on the same door that used to belong to him.

"Thanks, Eren. I'd rather wait over here and get started on my paper for Mr. Smith's class." That was as close to the truth as it would get, even if he didn't face me while he spoke.

As I strode up to Levi's heavy oak door, flashbacks of my childhood flooded my mind. That's where I fell out of the tree and broke my arm when I was 6. That's where Armin and I sat, watching the stars and discussing any philosophical topic young teens could dream up. This is where the paramedics rolled Armin's grandfather out to the ambulance. So far, Levi had changed nothing outside. This'd be hell for Armin if I was barely handling it.

Convinced Levi was bat-shit, I kept out of arm's reach from the threshold, you know, in case he viewed me with the same malice as he did everything else around him. Knocking took all the courage I could muster. Why the hell does my mom want this guy in our house? He is definitely, 100%, going to murder us all.

The door swung slowly outward and one grey eye peered out under the bolt chain. "The fuck do you want, brat?" The bass of his voice caught me off guard and I completely forgot how questions worked. Was it my turn to speak? Did he just call me a brat? "You the one that's been watching me through your bedroom window?" SHIT! Well, had I been? Yes. Should I admit that? Fuck no.

"I, uh… well, my mom wanted me to come invite you over for dinner." Even though I thought it an insane idea.

"Why?" I'VE BEEN ASKING MYSELF THE SAME DAMN THING.

"You being new to the neighborhood? I don't know, Levi. You don't have to. I'll, um, just, you know, go now." Smartest idea I'd had in the past 10 hours. But, as I made ready to run back to safety, I heard the chain unlatch and the door swing further out. Goodbye, quick escape.

"Oi! Wait one fucking minute, you little bastard." That's me, huh? The bratty bastard next door?

"I'm not a brat, you asshole. I turned 18 last month!" Heat burned behind my eyes. My mind must have registered that my fists were balled because I felt my nails digging into my palms, but I couldn't manage to calm down.

"That's something a brat would say."

"My name is Eren, OK?!" I shouted, but remained in place, facing the sidewalk I should have been taking back to my own house.

"Listen, I don't give a fuck WHAT your name is. I want to know how YOU know MY name!" I'm pretty sure everyone in the neighborhood heard the danger in his voice.

Cue suicidal Eren. I turned around to face the jerk. "Oh my god. You're fucking hot." Self preservation be damned. There he was, evening sunset coloring his pale skin rose, shirtless. Angry is a good look on him, all his muscles corded, ready to strike. To strike me? Fuck this guy. No, don't fuck this guy. Why would I fuck this guy? His voice, maybe. His eyes, yes. His abs, rippling with each pissed off breath, hell yea. But the rest of him… well, the rest of him could go to hell. Still, I was convinced I could get the situation back under control.

"I'm sorry." I raised my palms up in surrender but his eyes continued glowing through the shadow of his furrowed brows. I added an innocent grin. "It's not every day my half naked, hot neighbor confronts me."

"Answer my question, you shitty fucking kid." This was not going well.

"I, aha, I accidentally saw a piece of your mail is all." I had to force myself not to rub the back of my neck out of embarrassment.

Apparently, this explanation satisfied him. Levi visibly relaxed and fixed me with a more curious expression. "You are the one that's been watching me." It was not a question. Not that I could or would have denied it at this point. But he didn't seem offended so I figured I should pretend I was offended.

"My desk just so happens to face this direction. I'm not changing my room around just because you moved in and watch TV shirtless. It's not creepy or anything. Close your curtains if you don't want anyone to happen to see you, weirdo." But I didn't really want this mysterious, bipolar, sex god of a man to start closing his curtains.

He mockingly scoffed. "Yet here the peeping tom is, coming to my door while I'm half dressed, calling me hot, inviting me to dinner, and then admitting to going through my mail." At this, he stepped not two inches from me and whispered in my ear, "I'd say that's creeper level: Stalker." Levi surrounded me with the smell of man and tea. I didn't even know tea could be manly. "Do you have your cell on you, Eren?" Fuck, he drawled my name out like sex.

"No! I mean, yes, I have my phone. But no I'm not a peeping tom! You're taking everything out of context, Levi! That's not fair." An even though I tried to keep the small whine out of my voice, I knew he heard it. I felt like I needed to whine; like my body ached to submit to his overwhelming scent and voice of command.

"OH, the indignity! Tch. Just put my number in your phone and text me when it's time for dinner."