Chapter One

"You Look Like You Need This"

Eren hadn't been watching where he was going. He had been too busy juggling (almost literally) all of his text books and notebooks. He had rounded a corner and smashed into a hard figure and everything fell—raining papers and pencils onto the sidewalk. He looked up, shocked and tried to stutter out an apology, but it died on his lips as he met the eyes of the man in front of him.

They were cold eyes, with steely grey-blue irises. Narrow, but that may have been the glare the man was directing at him.

Eren swallowed and tried again.

"S-sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"I can see that, brat." The man's voice was as cold as his eyes, Eren thought. He gave Eren a once-over, only to shake his head and move on. "Watch where you're going."

Eren numbly watched the man leave, but a paper fluttering down the sidewalk caught his attention. With a yelp, he immediately dropped to his knees and attempted to gather his dropped things.

Maybe he shouldn't carry so much junk around with him next time... That ass had been amazing.

Levi rubbed his temples as he sat at a coffee shop. It was a rare moment where he could sit and relax and not be bothered by work. Erwin was running him ragged lately and Hange was just impossible. There was no telling what was going on in Hange's head lately, but whatever it was, Levi wanted noting to do with it.

After the fiasco where they'd covered his apartment in glitter for "an experiment", he honestly didn't want to test his luck with them any more than he had to.

Sitting in that crowded coffee shop, Levi couldn't help but think about that kid from earlier. He'd had the strangest colored eyes he'd ever seen—sea green, like the ocean. Ignore the fact that he'd been ridiculously good looking; clean tan skin, broad shoulders. He looked like he worked out a bit. Either that, or he had toned up by carrying all those text books (Levi remembered those days).

Why was he even thinking of that kid? It had been a moment where they'd run into each other and the kid had stuttered and blushed. It had been kind of adorable, Levi guessed. It wasn't likely that they'd meet again.

Levi finished off his tea before standing up and heading to the door. His lunch break was almost over, as much as he didn't want to go back to that stuffy office filled with in competent fuckheads.

The door opened just as he reached it and, for the second time that day, he found a hard body colliding with his. He bit back a retort when he realized he was, once again, looking into Caribbean blue-green eyes.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

When the kid threw his head back and began laughing, Levi knew he was fucked then.

Eren couldn't help it: he laughed. He stood in the doorway of the coffee shop and laughed his head off. It maybe shouldn't have been as funny as it was, but that didn't stop him. He couldn't stop.

He'd only just been thinking, "It'd be funny as hell if that guy was in here!" and bam! There he was! Eren had run right into him again for the second time that day!

He quirked an eyebrow at Eren, arms crossed over his chest (they were both ignoring the people who had turned to look at what was going on).

"It isn't that funny, kid."

Eren caught his breath and reached a hand up to wipe away the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes—he'd laughed so hard he'd started crying.

"I run into you twice, and you don't think it's funny?" Eren couldn't stop the grin if he'd wanted to. The man's face was schooled into a perfect mask of indifference; Eren couldn't tell if he was amused or not, or, well, anything. He just stared right at Eren, in a way that made Eren feel kind of exposed.

It was kind of thrilling, in a weird way.

"Lemme buy you a drink, to apologize." Eren moved toward the counter; the man didn't follow. Instead, he reached for the door and started out.

"I was just leaving. Thanks, but no thanks."

Eren reached for his arm without thinking. He stopped when he saw the man recoil away from his touch (that was weird; was he one of those germophobes?). "Can I at least give you my number?"

The man stopped and turned to give Eren a look (at least, his expression looked a little bit different from the indifference from a bit ago, so Eren counted that as a win). "I don't even know your name, brat."

"It's Eren," he answered, not missing a beat. "I'm Eren Jaeger. And you're...?"

"Late for work." Eren was disappointed with the answer. It probably showed on his face, because the man sighed and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a business card and held it out. "I may regret this later," Eren caught him grumble beneath his breath. Louder, he added, "Levi."

"Levi..." He took the card and looked at it. "I'll call you."

Levi looked unconvinced for a moment, then shrugged and turned back to the door. "See you around, Jaeger."

Levi should have known better. The kid probably wasn't even twenty yet and he'd given him his personal cell number.

There had just been something infectious about that laugh, about the kid's smile; and his fucking kicked-puppy face when Levi had tried to leave without giving his name, that had to have been illegal. What the hell had that been about? They'd literally ran into each other twice. That didn't mean it was fate, or whatever (not that Levi believed in that shit).

(There was something else, too. The kid's name, Jaeger, sounded really fucking familiar... Where had he heard it before?)

Why had he given the kid his number, then?

He didn't really expect Eren to text him or call him. He was surprised (pleasantly so, but he'd never admit it outloud) when his phone buzzed in his pocket with a text from a number he didn't recognize.

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:03, September 17)

I hope I didnt get you in trouble at work?

Levi snorted as he put his phone back down. It buzzed (obnoxiously loud, now that it was on his desk and not in his pocket) again with a second text. He snatched it up and glared.

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:05, September 17)

Ps, its Eren

As if Levi hadn't guessed as much. He rolled his eyes and put his phone down again. He turned back to his paper work. Another buzz on the desk nearly made him jump.

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:10, September 17)

O good Im glad I was kinda worried

Levi wondered what the fuck the kid was talking about for a second, only to belatedly realized he had subconsciously replied to his second text. How had he done that? He toyed with the idea of not answering, of dropping the conversation there, but his fingers had other plans.

(xxx-xxx-0921, sent at 18:14, September 17)

You don't even know me. Why were you worried?

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:15, September 17)

I want to know you n I can worry if I want to its a free country

Levi couldn't help but find his atrocious grammar endearing. Wait, "endearing"? Really? No. It wasn't endearing. It was annoying. Obnoxious. The kid was an idiot. Before he could add on to that thought, his phone buzzed again.

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:20, September 17)

If Im botherin you I can leave you alone

(xxx-xxx-0921, sent at 18:22, September 17)

I didn't say you were bothering me, brat.

Levi put his phone in his pocket and sighed. There was no help for it; there was no way he could focus on his work now. It was probably for the best; everyone else had gone home twenty minutes ago.

Erwin poked his head into the room just as Levi was filing his paperwork and grabbing his keys.

"I knew you'd still be here. Haven't you been working too much lately?"

Levi shrugged into his coat. "I'm leaving now."

"On time, for once." The chuckle in Erwin's voice did not go unnoticed. "Take tomorrow off. You deserve a break and we've got the Jaeger case under control."

Jaeger. Levi paused as he was buttoning his coat. Jaeger. He turned to Erwin with a frown. "Doctor Jaeger." He'd been staring at the name all day and it hadn't clicked until just then. Grisha Jaeger was a doctor who was charged with the "accidental" killing of a patient. Levi and Erwin both agreed it was foul play, but not on Jaeger's part. Someone was out to make Grisha look bad and they were pretty fucking sure they knew who it was.

"Yeah? You've been working on the case all day. Is there something going on?"

Levi's phone buzzed in his pocket again.

"No. It's fine."

Erwin didn't look convinced, but he also knew Levi well enough to know that Levi wasn't going to divulge information that he didn't think Erwin needed to know. He shrugged.

"Enjoy your day off tomorrow. If I need you, I'll call you."

Levi didn't answer as he walked past his friend and down the hall. He didn't pull his phone out of his pocket until he was in the elevator going doing to the parking garage.

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:25, September 17)

Thats cool Im glad

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:30, September 17)

Are you busy tomarrow?

Levi actually flinched at Eren's spelling. Fuck, that was atrocious.

(xxx-xxx-0921, sent at 18:32, September 17)

Why? Are you asking me out?

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:30, September 17)

yea

Levi had to admit, the kid was honest. He liked that.

(xxx-xxx-0921, sent at 18:33, September 17)

I'm free tomorrow. Meet me at Sina Coffee at eleven.

(xxx-xxx-2344, received at 18:34, September 17)

Ill see you there!

Levi had a feeling he might regret this decision, but, at the same time, who the hell cared? It'd been far too long since he'd gone out with anyone. At least the kid was cute.

He just couldn't tell Erwin that he was related to their current client.