"Don't forget; next lesson your sketchbooks need to be submitted, with at least two pages completed to a high standard. Find something inspiring and capture it."
The words from Eren's lecturer were practically burned into his mind; the instructions whirling around to only cause more frustration and annoyance. The brunette usually just doodled Armin's face when the other wasn't looking, or focused on inanimate objects. He'd never felt the need to be inspired by something that's beauty could only be captured on paper.
Sighing loudly, he ran a hand through messy locks checking his phone for any new messages. None. Since Kirschstein had appeared in Armin's life, the boys best friend was spending less and less time with him; obviously preferring to spend the time with his boyfriend. The words dripped of Eren's tongue thickly – the term of address to his soccer nemesis still unfamiliar. There was nothing appealing about horse boy that Eren could see – so why was Armin head over heels in love with him? He grumbled slightly under his breath as he entered his favourite coffee shop; seeing the familiar blonde mop of hair at the counter. Scanning his eyes briefly over the café he was a little surprised to not see Kirschstein. Maybe they weren't working out…? Previously hope would have surged through him, but instead his throat felt dry as the thought of it being his fault crept into his mind. No. If any problems between the two were Eren's fault then obviously they weren't meant to be together. Simple.
Strolling over to the counter, he waved briefly at Armin who disappeared to the back, struggling to carry the trays left from previous customers. Instead: he was faced with Sasha, her eyes wide with excitement at the prospect of serving the food. Browsing, he hummed lightly before ordering a simple hot chocolate. Usually Armin gave him a discount but anyone else would make him pay full charge so there was no point buying anything extra. Grabbing his drink, the brunette walked over to a spare table, pulling out his art equipment in the process just in case anything caught his attention. Curling into the plush leather armchair, he drunk the chocolaty goodness quickly browsing over how menial everything was. Every day the same people came to the same place to order the same thing. It was all so repetitious. But Eren liked that. He liked to have some structure in his life. Closing his eyes he sighed softly, leaning back to just take in the world through his senses, the coffee scent strong but comforting.
The doorbell jingled, the golden bells ringing against each other in a chorus of welcome. Eren focussed on the light footsteps of whoever entered the shop, imagining what sort of person they were. The shoes were relatively noiseless unless you were specifically focussing on them, suggesting the person moved in a lithe manner and were small enough to travel gracefully.
"Large macchiato." A strong voice cut through Eren's mental processes, the voice quiet yet authoritive as if used to being listened to without trying. Green orbs flicked open, travelling instinctively to the counter to see who the new arrival was. Dressed in fitted leather trousers, an oversized black sweater and ankle boots, Eren's eyebrow arched curiously; apparently having never noticed this person before. Said person reached out for their beverage, turning round to also look for a place to sit. Black hair parted expertly, as tired eyes scanned the room, briefly meeting Eren's staring gaze. Grey eyes quickly looked away – instead moving towards a spare chair, the stranger sitting down eloquently. Eren felt his eyes get dragged with every movement of the other – realising he was being rude but not caring. This guy was…weird. Blinking, the brunette noticed the dark haired boy unzipping a bag, pulling out a golden acoustic guitar in the process. Interest captured him and he subconsciously leaned forward to get a better look, feeling his heart speed up in the process. Was this was inspiration felt like? Instinctively he grabbed his sketchbook, turning the rough pages quickly to copy the soft movements on the other – lead scratching the paper. As Eren glared at the paper in pure concentration, a small smile teased the end of the other boy's lips who plugged in headphones, aimlessly plucking at the strings of his instrument.
A good hour later, Eren sat up straighter, his back clicking in protest in the process. Groaning, he stretched feeling the muscles pop from having been strained for so long in such a precarious position. Glancing down at the piece of paper – he felt a surge of pride travel through his chest at the sketch of the mysterious boy, the light pencil marks tracing his lithe and gentle physique as he stroked the guitar fondly. It was better than any sketch of Armin for sure! A grin made its way to Eren's face, feeling giddy at having created such a different and interesting drawing.
A low attention seeking cough was heard and Eren's head snapped up – eyes immediately connecting with those of narrow steel grey. An outstretched hand pressed the coffee cup firmly against the brunette's chest as his model stood before him.
"Next time I'll charge you."
With that, the boy swiftly turned around – a cold breeze rushing through the shop as he left. Eren's mouth had opened slightly, confusion taking over him. Looking down at what was placed in his hand, a shiver of excitement spread through his stomach at the paper cup belonging to the other boy, a number decorating the scrawled handwriting of Sasha's ordering skills. Levi, huh?
Extending back, Eren rested gratefully against the headboard of his bed – a deep sigh emitting its way from the depths of his lungs. Having arrived back not much had happened. Armin had locked himself away in his bedroom for one reason or another – which Mikasa was currently looking into. Probably boyfriend problems, or whatever. Which led him onto the thought of the Levi guy from earlier. There was something captivating about his presence which drew Eren to him; wanting to discover what secrets lay beneath the surface. And he really was chuffed at the quick sketch of the other – eager to find out what other masterpieces he could create when given more time and more materials to work with.
Nonchalantly he messed around with his cell phone, a crappy piece of technology that could just about receive calls and send text messages. He really needed to invest in a better one but working was effort and something Eren was altogether not interested in. Of course he'd have to get a job eventually but currently he was happy enough just sitting there and thinking about what possible life events could occur to set him on his path in life. The cup was like the elephant in the room, something unimportant and menial yet something he couldn't stop thinking about. His gaze kept getting dragged across the numbers until he was sure he'd most likely memorised them – yet something deep inside him holding him back. What is Levi was only messing around with him? What if Eren did ask for him to be his model for Art, but the guy rejected him? Then his once in a life inspiration would be knocked down and the brunette would have no idea how to tackle his project.
Huffing loudly, the boy rolled over; squeezing the pillow tightly against his face. Why was he being such a loser? Determination surged through his body as he exhaled deeply, before sitting up abruptly. Grabbing his phone he quickly typed in the numbers, pressing the phone against his ear nervously. The phone rang a couple of times – the repetitious noise increasing the worry building up in his chest. What if Levi hadn't even given him the right number?
"Hello." A cool voice slid through the receiver making Eren jump, his voice catching slightly.
"H-Hi! Levi...?"
Silence just filled the response, before a quiet snicker was heard.
"You that shitty brat from the coffee shop?"
The brunette gulped slightly, before nodding – momentarily forgetting that the other couldn't see his actions.
"Uh...yeah? I'm Eren. Sorry about earlier...I just...you were really distracting." The brunette internally punched himself in the face for sounding like such a creeper, biting his lip slightly awaiting the response.
"Hm. Meet me tomorrow outside Costa – my lecture ends at 4pm."
And with that the phone clicked shut – Levi having hung up. Eren blinked a couple of times, glancing at the phone in slight confusion. So...did that mean he had agreed? Or at least wanted to know what Eren was doing? The brunette sighed loudly, the other's cold and blunt attitude intriguing him too much. Groaning, he rolled over – pulling his duvet over his head in an attempt to block out the world and cry at how miserably pathetic he was being over everything.
The screeching of an high pitch alarm clock made Eren wake up abruptly, wiping the drool off his cheek quickly as bleary eyes attempted to recognise his surroundings – the wisps of sleep dragging him back to his fantasy world. Clamping a hand down roughly on the shrilling machine, he yawned loudly, scratching the back of his hair messily feeling the morning grogginess return. Well, if you could call it morning. It was already 11am – one of Eren's favourite days off meaning he had hours before he had to do anything. Technically, he guessed he really should have been practicing soccer but ehh – he was good already and their team only beat Kirstein's anyway. To that coward of a team they seemed like freakin' demons, yet in comparison to the more professional neighbouring teams – they were just prey.
Crawling out of bed, the brunette stretched again, the sudden cold air causing goose bumps to appear on his exposed flesh, dressed only in boxers. Knowing everyone would be out anyway, Eren made his way to the kitchen; browsing the cupboards for any form of breakfast. Contented with some toast, the boy turned on the television, lounging on the sofa languidly brushing any crumbs onto the floor. Mikasa got really stress whenever she found the boys leaving food around the house of furniture. He hummed softly, flicking over to some reality show content with just lying there and focussing on whatever celebrity lifestyles these individuals had.
Hours passed by and soon enough the brunette was fresh out of the shower, attempting to control his messy locks as best he could. Dressed in simply denim jeans and a hoodie, Eren locked up slightly nervous with his official meeting with Levi. His sketchbook and pencils were jammed into a rucksack and they bounced slightly every time he moved; the skip in his step apparent. Checking his cell, he swore lightly as he realised he was behind schedule. His pace quickened up, the soft chill of the winter air slowly travelled up his limbs making him walk stiffly. The cafe was in sight and the brunette furrowed his eyebrows, seeing a small figure hunched up by the neighbouring wall – was that Levi? Hurrying over he saw his suspicions were confirmed, the dark haired boy standing there stiffly, arms crossed tightly as a scarf covered his lower face. Grey eyes flicked up at the appearance of Eren, and the brunette felt a goofy smile cover his face that the other actually turned up. Levi straightened up immediately, nodding towards the door.
"Get in. It's fuckin' freezing out here."
Eren's brows rose slightly but he didn't argue, instead opening the door and entering, eyes scanning around to the new coffee shop he'd never visited before. Despite primarily selling the same items – it had a completely different layout compared to Armin's; the walls a soft cream with a contrasting deep ochre skirting board and wooden panelled floor. A sharp pain spread through the brunette's shoulders and he hissed loudly, turning to glare at the owner of the travelling fist, before his eyes widened. Levi was really short. He'd never noticed it before, seeing as he'd been sitting the last time they met. But with the other male standing behind him, he couldn't help but notice how much he had to look down at the other to connect their gazes. Levi, glared back – sensing something had changed in the other before barging past going up to the counter instead, mumbling something incoherent under his breath. Eren just watched him, slightly offended at the other's attitude. Didn't Levi want to meet him in the first place? Why was he being such a bitch about it?
Like a puppy to his master, Eren dutifully followed Levi down to the seating area, the coffee shop giving off a rustic feel as soft music played from speakers – the quiet chatter of the customers not overwhelming like Armin's. He could understand why people like Levi preferred it. Sitting down, he looked up at Levi who extended the chair more gracefully, sitting down before crossing his legs eloquently, taking a sip of the piping hot coffee without flinching. The other's eyes flicked up from behind the mug; the gaze almost challenging. Feeling his throat get dry, Eren licked his lips, removing his gaze quickly feeling uncomfortable. The silence fed between the awkward atmosphere created between the two before finally the black haired male placed his mug down, the resounding crack of the porcelain on the table making Eren jump.
"So what were you doing yesterday?" The older male looked to the side, in a failed attempt to look uninterested as he unconsciously bit his lip. Eren just perked up at the instigated conversation, quickly pulling out his sketchbook to show the other.
"I'm studying Art and I'm meant to be getting inspiration from a person to draw. But I sort of suck and I need to get my grades good this year because otherwise I'm in serious trouble of getting chucked off the course entirely and-"
"I didn't ask for your fucking life story, cut to the chase."
The bluntness of the other's voice made Eren recoil, hurt flashing across his eyes from the comment. He was only answering the question, Jesus! Hesitating slightly, the brunette instead pushed his sketchbook across, hoping the drawing itself would get across his message.
"You were interesting and I drew you."
Levi's slender fingers pulled the book towards him, eyes scanning across the drawing of himself, eyebrows furrowing slightly as he took in his appearance. Eren just stayed silent in the process, not wanting to make the other angry before he stated his proposition. A few minutes later the male handed back the book, eyes meeting those of Eren's, nodding firmly in appreciation.
"It's good."
Appreciation surged through the brunette's chest, the warmth travelling up his neck to produce a cute little smile, the sudden reaction making Levi's face frown in confusion. It had simply been a compliment. Feeling flustered, Levi quickly covered his face with hands, staring hard at the ground in an attempt to not let his emotions get through. Eren meanwhile just grinned like a doofus, leaning forward excitedly.
"So, so! You like? I've never drawn something so good y'know? So I was wondering – do you want to be my model for this project? It would just consist of you sitting or something and letting me draw you, but you're just really...aaaah."
Levi glanced up at this, eyebrow arching at the suggestion. Uncrossing his legs, he allowed the information to process, Eren staring keenly up at him. If it were possible – he'd seen a tail practically wagging from that boy. Tch.
"Sure. Just don't make me look ugly. I don't care if I look ugly in real life; butter me up brat. Otherwise I'm not wasting my time with you." He sighed softly; meeting Eren's eyes gently, the threat not serious. The brunette just nodded eagerly, quickly scribbling down some information on a napkin and handing it over.
"So I have to fill at least two pages by Friday. That's okay because I've already done one page and if you've got the time, I can squeeze in another. But this semester is about inspiration in general so I'm going to need you long term. Is that okay? I wouldn't make you do anything weird, like nudes, unless you want to do nudes but then, uh I've never done life drawing before so..." Eren's cheeks reddened at the prospect, his words catching on each other at seeing the other naked. Levi just smirked in return, his words sneaking out like a low drawl.
"Cute. I bet you're still a virgin. I don't usually go for your type but you're amusing."
"Wh-What?" The sudden comment put the brunette off-guard, emerald eyes reflecting Levi's lewd smirk. His heart beat increased and his palms suddenly felt sweaty – as if he was a piece of meat the other was eyeing up.
"Now was much as I'd like to make fun of your non-existence sex life, I'm free this evening if you want to come over for some practice. My course is pretty much full time and I have a lot of coursework to be doing; so don't expect me to be playing around waiting for you. You have to work around my schedule. I also work part-time, so don't bother me when I'm busy. I'm a senior by the way. And from looking at your clothes and the fact you're already falling behind on work: I can securely guess you're a freshman who spends all his time going to parties and getting shit-faced. Well tough luck brat, I'm older than you so do what I say." And with that, Levi stood up, his white jeans darkening in the low light of the afternoon as he prepared to leave. As he made his way to the door, he glanced over his shoulder, silently summoning the other to follow him. Eren quickly rushed up, nearly tripping over in the process as he followed his senior.