Author Note:

Hello~

So, this is going to be my second multichapter fic for Ereri/Riren/whatever you want to call it. I'm really hoping everyone likes it as much as my other one. ^^

So to start off, I'm going to give you a key for some of the acronyms that you'll come across in this chapter.

PT - Physical Training (Just in case someone doesn't know that already)
ACU - Army Combat Uniform
MEDDAC - Medical Department Activity (Basically Army hosipitals' company, each base has a hospital so every soldier working for their respective hospital is part of MEDDAC, that doesn't mean they will always be a part of MEDDAC though. They switch company's depending on where they get stationed and where the Army needs them.)
NCO - Non-commissioned Officer (Usually soldiers call their squad leaders this, it usually refers to Sergeants)
PC - patrol cap
PX - Post Exchange (basically the post's shopping center)
AWOL - Absent Without Leave (it means a soldier left their duty station without permission)

Now that that's all out of the way. I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter.

Edit: Crap, I totally forgot to put a warning on here, so everyone who has already read it, I AM SO SO SORRY. But yeah, there are manga spoilers, specifically Levi's last name. If you're caught up, then you're good to go. That's really going to be the only spoilers in this, but if you aren't caught up, it'll confuse the hell out of you.

There's a saying that if you run into someone three times in a day, it's destiny.

Levi stretched out within the confines of his blanket, trying to remain in the pocket of warmth for as long as possible. It didn't help that the barracks were unnaturally cold to compensate for the heat outside and as soon as he moved an inch from his blanket he was shivering down to the bone. The only reason he was even awake at this moment was his phone's annoying attempt to remind him that it was indeed four thirty in the morning.

With one last stretch and a loud groan, he sat up in his bed and looked around for his phone. He must have tossed and turned last night, because he remembered setting it beside his pillow before passing out yet it wasn't there. Levi mentally kicked himself for letting Hange convince him to stay up to watch some movie about fate and the supernatural. It messed with his sleeping pattern and probably gave him some weird ass dreams that he was glad he couldn't remember.

Where is my fucking phone?

Levi snatched up his blanket and proceeded to cuss out loud as said device whipped up and clocked him in the forehead.

"Holy shit, are you fucking kidding me? God damn piece of shit!"

Levi rubbed at the sore spot with one hand as he picked up his phone with the other and swiped his thumb across the screen to turn off the alarm. He tossed it to the side in annoyance and didn't bother watching where it landed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. His feet touched the ground and he cringed at how cold the tile was against his skin. There wasn't much he could do about it though, because he couldn't afford to be late. So he stood up and went straight to his dresser, opening a drawer to reveal all of his PT clothes. He reached in and grabbed a neatly folded grey shirt with the words "ARMY" across the front in big black letters. Then black nylon shorts with "ARMY" in white on the left leg and a pair of white socks. Levi hurriedly stripped out of the clothes he wore to bed and slipped on the shirt, shorts, and socks. He tucked the shirt into his shorts and grabbed the yellow reflective belt from the top of his dresser to put around his waist.

Levi wasted no time slipping on his shoes and grabbing his keys and phone. He stopped to check his appearance in the mirror, straightening out a few stray hairs, before stepping out of his room into the hallway. He wasn't the only one dressed in the same attire and rushing to get to where they needed to be. It was a small reassurance. He hurriedly took the stairs down to the front of the building and exited through the main door.

The air outside was warm with a slight humidity to it, where the moisture seemed to stick to his skin. Levi wasn't going to lie that he didn't find it slightly annoying and gross, but there wasn't much a person could do when they're in the south close to the gulf. So instead of standing there bitching about it, he made his way to the parking lot.

He pressed the unlock button on his keys and watched his car's lights flash as he walked over. It was a 2014 Dodge Challenger with a granite gray coat and he was not ashamed to call it his baby. Especially because it cost him a pretty penny. Levi opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, putting the key in to start it up. Levi didn't really have the time to sit there and admire the car's purr, like he usually did, so he backed out of his parking spot and tried his best not to hit other soldiers as he made his way out of the parking lot.

The drive to the field was quiet, probably because it was five in the morning and virtually no one else was up unless they were going to PT. For some reason the Army hospital saw it fit to have its soldiers go to PT earlier than some of the other companies. Luckily today it was just a company run and then he could go back to his barracks, get a hot shower, and maybe catch two hours of sleep before he had to head into work.

Levi pulled up to the field where the track started and parked in the next available spot, making sure to give his car enough room so no one had a chance to scratch it up. I dare someone to fuck up and scratch this car. There's plenty of swamps around here to hide a body.

"Le-vi!"

Levi tensed and cursed quietly before turning around to face the source of the noise. Hange was pretty tall, though maybe Levi just felt that way because he was abnormally short, and always had her long, brown hair up in a messy ponytail. The only time her hair was tamed was while in uniform and even then it always ended up a mess by the end of the day. She was also one of Levi's closest friends, who he has known since high school. How in the hell we both ended up at the same duty station is fucking beyond me.

Levi grunted in acknowledgement and turned back around to close and lock his door. A person could never be too careful, even on a fucking military base. When he was sure the doors were locked, he faced Hange once again and walked past her to the middle of the field where other soldiers in the company were gathered.

"Is someone grumpy this morning? Cheer up, Levi! We're going on a run, it's your favorite thing to do." Hange sounded way too cheerful for this time of day and Levi could only glare at her.

"Fuck off, shitty four-eyes. You kept me up too late last night."

Levi rolled his eyes as Hange cackled loudly, no doubt drawing looks from some of the soldiers who haven't had the benefit of meeting her yet. Levi stood around with everyone else, listening to Hange babble, before they were all called to start their run. Luckily it wasn't as humid as it had been for the past couple of weeks, so Levi relished the burn in his legs and lungs as he pushed himself. He had always been one of the fastest in the company and that wasn't him being conceited. A lot of people joked about him cheating, because he was one of the shortest, but he could care less what other people said. He had the proof to back it up and proved it every time when he was head to head with Commander Pixis during a company run.

Once the run was over, Levi was covered in sweat, the back of his shirt sticking to his skin and grossing him out. This was the only downside of running, especially in this humid environment. He tried his hardest not to fidget as they were called into formation for a safety briefing, which was the same old, same old. Don't do this, don't do that, make sure you do this, and safety first. A bunch of shit that Levi otherwise ignored. Once they were dismissed, Levi hurried off to his car before Hange could call out to him and hold him from his shower any longer.

The drive back to his barracks was slightly busier. People were either going to PT or going back to their respective living quarters from PT. Of course there were the few civilians going to their jobs on and off post, but as it was only six in the morning it wasn't as bad as it could be. Levi pulled into the parking lot of his barracks and quickly got of his car making sure to lock it before running up to his room. He stripped off the offending clothes, grabbed a towel and headed to the shower to scrub off the sweat and moisture from the air that stuck to his skin.

Soldiers were trained to shower within five minutes, because when they're in a hostile environment five minutes might be all you have. However, Levi thought that was a load of shit. He took his time massaging his shampoo into his scalp, running his fingers through the sparse amount of hair on his head. It made him miss his undercut, but because it wasn't appropriate according to Army regulation, he had to go with a high and tight haircut. It certainly made his hair easier to clean, but it still wasn't the haircut he'd worn for years. Oh fucking well, this is the life I chose.

He rinsed off the shampoo and went straight to scrubbing down his body. He ran a washcloth along every inch, over tattoos and scars, until he was satisfied with the result. Levi washed off the suds and stepped out of the shower reluctantly, wrapping his towel around his waist. He tried not to shiver as he walked over to his dresser to grab a tan shirt and boxers. Levi had a good hour or so before he had to get to work, so he decided to just take a cat nap to hopefully get rid of some of this lingering fatigue.

Levi almost made the same mistake as this morning when he was startled awake by the loud noise of his phone's alarm. Luckily he hadn't tossed and turned like he did last night and his phone was still lying next to him. After turning the alarm off, Levi got out of bed and went to his closet to grab his ACU jacket and pants. This was probably the least favorite part of his daily routine, but it couldn't be helped. It was almost a mindless task by now, but it was still tedious. Levi pulled on his army green socks, then his pants and tucked in his shirt before fastening the belt. Next was his combat boots, which he slipped on, tightened and tied the laces before tucking them in the sides of the boots. Levi could admit one thing as he quietly slipped on his ACU jacket that was decorated with his last name, rank, and unit. He wasn't narcissistic, but he could acknowledge the fact that he looked good in uniform.

It didn't take him long before he was on the road to his work. Even though he was part of MEDDAC, his building was separate from the hospital. Actually, it was about fifteen to twenty minutes away from the hospital and was affectionately named the Red Roof Inn, due to its red roof. They did a variety of tests, such as hearing and STD, as well as health information briefings. His job was a bit different, though. Levi's job was basically equivalent to the civilian job of a health inspector. He went around post and inspected the food court, the multiple places that served food on post, and containers, called Buffalos, that held water to be transported to soldiers that were overseas. During the summer, they routinely caught mosquitos and bled chickens to check for the West Nile Virus. Sometimes he would be called to do short classes on sanitation and food service, usually for units or family readiness groups that are considering selling food and drinks to raise money.

When Levi finally got to the clinic, he hurriedly got out and ran inside. He returned the greetings from the receptionists as he walked past and hurried to his office in the back to grab a few forms so he could go do his monthly inspections. Levi was hurrying to avoid his NCO, because the guy was weird and a friend of friend who had wormed himself into Levi's friends. At last, to no avail, a sniffing noise could be heard on the right side of Levi and made him turn around to acknowledge his squad leader.

"Hello, Sergeant. I see you're as weird as ever."

The tall blond in front of him laughed and patted Levi on the shoulder with a heavy hand, "And I see you're as grumpy as ever, Ackerman."

Levi rolled his eyes and turned back to his papers that needed to be organized before he could head out. "So, what is it that I could do for you, sir?"

Mike, or Sergeant Zacharius while they were working, was a good guy. He had this weird habit of sniffing people that creeped the fuck out of Levi, especially when the guy would sneak up on him and do it. Other than that, he was a good squad leader and helped Levi out where he could, seeing as Levi was the only soldier under him at the moment.

"I need you to go inspect Patriot Inn. Erwin mentioned that it needed to be inspected, something about the eggs making him sick. Is that okay?"

Levi sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck in frustration. Leave it to Erwin to pull this shit when I have a million other things to do. "Yeah, I'll go do that right now. Afterwards, I'll be inspecting Blimpie, Hickory, and the Hut. I also need to go refill the liquid nitrogen for Brad."

Another heavy pat on his shoulder, a quick thanks, and Mike was off to do his own duties. Levi finished getting his clipboard together with all the necessary papers and made his way back to his car. God, I hope today doesn't turn into complete shit. It's Friday, please let me start the weekend on a good note.

Levi climbed into his car as his phone rang with an annoying ringtone that belonged to only one maniac. "God damnit, Hange."

He answered the phone with a growl, "What, Hange? I'm busy so make it quick."

"Levi! Someone still sounds grumpy. So, I was thinking that you can join me and Erwin, along with a couple of our other friends, at Paradise tonight! So, what do you say? Hm?"

Levi groaned and slammed the back of his head against the headrest. Already today. Why does the universe hate me?

He heard Hange's concern over the phone, "Levi, are you okay? What was that noise?"

Levi sighed for what seemed like the millionth time today and it wasn't even nine o'clock. "It was just me trying to beat myself to death to avoid life's responsibilities. Obviously, it didn't work, so I will see about going out tonight. It really depends on how shitty today is going to be."

Hange's laugh was just as piercing over the phone as it was in person and made Levi wince while he pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Okay, Levi. We'll pick you up later!"

"Oi, shitty glasses, I didn't say I was-"

Hange had hung up before Levi could even finish his sentence and Levi knew that if he didn't go of his own free will, Hange would come and drag him out. There was no point in arguing with the brunette when she was determined to make something happen. So Levi resigned himself to a night of being surrounded by drunk soldiers and inevitable contact with filthy people, which was enough to make him want to drink.

Eventually, Levi found himself parked in the parking lot of the Patriot Inn, which was the 10th Mountain's cafeteria. He grabbed his clipboard and his ACU cap before locking his car. He slipped the cap onto his head before he made his way for the front door. Why the fuck do I have to wear this cap when I'm literally going to have to take it off in less than 20 seconds? Who made up these rules, holy fuck.

Levi was so caught up in his thoughts that when he reached for the door handle to go inside and taking off his cap with his other hand which was holding his clipboard, he didn't realize someone else was already pushing the door open from the inside. The impact made Levi drop his clipboard, cap, and grab his forehead.

"HOLY FUCK. Are you fucking serious?!" Levi hissed as he felt the throbbing pain in his forehead where it had met the door. Twice today. Fucking twice today in the same fucking spot. I swear to god, I don't fucking care what rank this asshole is. "Are you fucking stupid, asshole?"

Levi finally looked at the person at the other end of his verbal attack and let the cussing fade away. A boy, at least he looked like a boy, was standing there like a deer caught in the headlights, his mismatched eyes wide with shock. He was absolutely mortified and the look was almost comical if Levi couldn't feel the accompanying headache coming on.

"I'm so sorry! Oh my god. I didn't see you on the other side. Oh fuck, I'm so sorry. Let me buy you breakfast as an apology." The boy was holding up his hands as if he was trying to calm a wild animal. It probably looked that way with Levi's glare.

Levi glanced at the boy's name tag on his ACUs and the rank before bending to pick up his fallen items. Luckily all his papers had been securely placed on his clipboard so none of them fell out. He straightened back up and gave the boy another look. "I'm not here to eat. Just watch where you're going next time, Private."

Levi left the boy, with the tan skin and brown hair styled in a crew cut, outside as he went into the building to do his job. He wasn't about to admit that it was partly his fault, as well. He hadn't been paying attention at all or else the incident would have been easily avoided. Oh fucking well. Maybe the kid will learn to be more self-aware now.

Levi was exhausted and it was only noon. Dealing with idiots for even a few hours could tire him out quicker than any physical work could. The Patriot Inn's workers weren't labeling their foods properly, which was why Erwin probably got sick from the eggs. Levi made sure to firmly remind them that if they continue to do this, he would have no choice but to fail them. He was able to squeeze in Blimpie and Hickory Smokehouse before lunch, which was a relief. They had been a bit better, though there was always room for improvement.

Levi decided he was going to grab some Subway in the main Post Exchange before he headed off to Pizza Hut and grabbed the liquid nitrogen for one of the guys that did a lot of the testing at the Red Roof. He pulled into the Post Exchange's parking lot, searched for a parking spot, and began his trek to the food court side.

The step into the building was a dream come true. The cool air from the air conditioning blew down on Levi as he entered and it felt amazing compared to the blazing Louisiana heat outside. Of course, his mood didn't stay happy as he looked onto the mass of civilians and soldiers that had the same idea as him about lunch. He made his way past uniformed soldiers, moms with crying kids, and PX employees. He joined the long line for Subway, which had already gone past the drink machine and almost to the restrooms.

Levi had expected this. It was a normal for it being right after payday and especially at lunch time when everyone had money to blow on a foot long sub. He was minding his business and waiting for the line to slowly go down when someone bumped into him from behind.

"Armin, you dick! You made me bump into somebody!" Levi had already turned around when he recognized the voice, so when the boy turned to apologize he wasn't surprised by the same mortified expression from earlier this morning. "Oh god. I'm so sorry. My friend pushed me and I lost my balance. That's twice today. At least let me buy you lunch as an apology, because I couldn't do it this morning."

Levi perked an eyebrow and turned back around to face the line that was dwindling down. "Suit yourself, Jaeger."

He chose to ignore the chatter behind him. At least, he tried to but it was hard to when the boy's voice was so loud.

"So, Staff Sergeant Smith told me that we could be deploying next year. He couldn't give me specifics, but our schedule after Christmas is going to be full of weeks in the field."

"Eren, aren't you scared?"

"Well, of course, I mean I could die. I try not to think about it too much though, because that risk comes with the job. I want to serve my country and possibly dying is part of that."

The kid who was with him, that Levi could only assume was Armin, let out a long sigh. "You know Mikasa is going to try to follow you, right?"

Levi could hear the annoyance in Eren's voice as he replied, "She can't follow me unless her unit is going at the same time. She would literally have to go AWOL to do that and she wouldn't even get far. She's just going to have to deal with it."

Levi didn't know who this Mikasa chick was, but she sounded like some kind of crazy stalker girlfriend and it almost made him feel bad for the kid. Almost. The asshole did run into me twice today and I'm lucky I don't have a massive bruise on my forehead.

When it finally got to Levi's turn he told the Subway worker exactly what he wanted. "Six inch wheat, Turkey, Provolone, not toasted."

He shuffled to the side to let the kid, Eren is what the blondie said, order his sub. When it was Levi's turn for the vegetables, he told them everything but lettuce, jalapenos, and onions. "Just a little mustard and that's it."

He waited for his turn to pay and he was pulling out his wallet when he got to the cash register before Eren leaned in to give the cashier his card, "Remember, I'm paying."

Levi sighed, looking away, and waited for the cashier to ring it up. Eren was invading his personal space and normally he would make a quip about it, but the boy's scent was something intoxicating and not absolutely disgusting like he had expected. It was a smell that he could only equate with the forest and it made him wonder if it was a type of cologne or deodorant that Eren was wearing. Oh god, I'm turning into Mike. I'm going fucking insane.

As soon as Levi's sub was paid, he gave Eren a short thanks and escaped the building as fast as he could. Levi decided he would eat in his office while going over paperwork so he could avoid human contact for at least thirty minutes.

The rest of the day went as smoothly as possible. Levi got his inspections done and ran a few errands for some of the civilian workers at the Red Roof. Overall, Levi was feeling a great deal better than he had for the first half of the day. Mike let him leave on time and Levi was currently stripping out of his uniform in his room. He was going to take a nice long shower to rid himself of his own dried sweat and maybe even take a bit of a nap before Hange came to drag him out for the night.

He lined his boots up against the wall with rest of his footwear, tossed his uniform in the dirty clothes basket, and grabbed himself a clean towel. Once again he was under the pounding spray of hot water, letting it run over his body while he basked in the heavenly feeling of water and steam. He just stood there for the first few minutes, not wanting to move to begin cleaning himself, and thought about today's events.

What was that saying in that stupid movie? Oh yeah. "If you run into someone three times in a day, it's destiny." How fucking stupid. It was a miracle on its own that I ran into that brat twice. Correction, he ran into me. What would be the odds of running into someone three times in one day? Next to fucking impossible. Man, that kid's eyes though. I have never seen heterochromia in person before. One blue, one green, like one of those huskies. He does seem like a puppy, overeager to boot.

He shook his head to rid himself of stupid thoughts and began to clean himself off. The last thing he needed to be thinking about is some kid he's only met twice while he's in shower. In no time, he was clean, dressed, and resting on his bed. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head while he stared at the ceiling. Levi was preparing himself mentally for the disaster that was undoubtedly going to happen tonight. It was inevitable when Hange was there.

He didn't realize he had passed out until he heard a pounding at his door followed by a "Le-vi!" He groaned and slid out of his nice and cozy bed.

"Fuck you, four eyes. Go away." He opened the door to glare at the bane of his existence. Instead of being intimidated, Hange squealed and latched herself onto him, effectively pushing him a few steps back. Levi glanced over her shoulder to see her partner in crime, Erwin, chuckling at Levi's misfortune.

"Hello, Levi. I'm guessing you're joining us tonight?" The blond was smiling as if he wasn't also the cause of Levi's growing headache.

"Like I have a fucking choice, dickbag." Levi huffed as he pushed the leech off of him. "Just stand out there while I get dressed. Try to contain this maniac while you're at it."

Levi pushed a pouting Hange out of his room and firmly closed the door, making sure to lock it in the process. Levi walked over to his dresser to grab a nice pair of black jeans and some black socks. Fortunately, he had knocked out with just a tank and boxers on, so he quickly pulled on the socks and pants before heading to his closet.

Levi would never in a million years claim to know fashion and it was probably apparent with his choice of clothing. Most of his civilian clothes were dark colors, mostly black and varying shades of grey. Maybe it was because of his past as a thug before he joined the Army. Dark clothing helped hide a person better in alleys than flamboyant colors. It literally could have been a matter of life or death and so dark clothing was always Levi's preferred choice. That being said, it wouldn't be a shock to his friends when Levi showed up with a black button up and sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Certainly not getting too dressed up for some small ass bar in Sleazeville, Louisiana.

Levi slipped in his gauges, labret, industrial, and tragus jewelry and made sure all of the balls were tight and secure. Levi then pulled on his black Doc Martens and grabbed his phone and keys before finally heading out the door. Hange and Erwin were leaning against the wall across the hall, chatting quietly, but straightened up as Levi came out and locked the door behind him.

"So, who's driving and who's the DD?" Levi began walking down the hallway to the stairs, knowing the two would follow him.

Hange piped up to answer his question, "Erwin is driving and the DD. We're pretty sure some of his soldiers are going to be there, so he might have to drive some of them back to their barracks if they get stupid."

Levi snorted and took the steps by two. "When are they not stupid? No offense, Erwin, but your soldiers aren't the brightest bulbs in the box."

A deep chuckle was heard behind him and no further comments were made. They reached Erwin's black 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe and climbed in. The drive to the bar was about twenty minutes, give or take, and there was already a line outside. Thankfully the heat had gone down a bit, so it wasn't absolutely miserable as they waited to get inside. After they were carded and let past the front desk, or whatever the fuck this makeshift thing is supposed to be, Hange immediately went to get them some drinks while Erwin and Levi claimed a table in the corner.

It was crowded. Levi's least favorite situation, because that meant unhygienic bodies against other unhygienic bodies against tables and any other surface. It made his skin crawl and he was grateful when Hange finally shoved a beer into his hand.

Hange yelled over the noise of the people and the music. "I made sure it didn't touch the counter, so you're good to go!"

Levi grunted and nodded in acknowledgement before pressing the beer bottle to his lips and taking a drink. The taste of beer is absolutely disgusting. It was his least favorite alcohol simply because it tasted like someone made it with toilet water. Yet here I am, drinking this shit. He took another sip and looked around at the other people drinking, chatting, and dancing. He noticed their other friends Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther getting drinks at the bar. He had to laugh as he watched Oluo bite his tongue when he was trying to order and Petra sigh as if she was completely fed up with her husband. Both of them were pharmacists in the hospital, while Eld and Gunther were in radiology. He felt sorry for them, because they were always in the same building as Hange and they never knew when she was going to pop up and talk their ears off about the human psyche.

Levi was so lost in thought that when someone stumbled into his chair, he almost didn't care to say anything. However, a voice that was becoming way too familiar today brought him back to reality.

"Fucking horseface, watch what you're doing and go somewhere else. There's Pegahoes down the street." Levi waited for Eren to turn around to apologize, because he knew it was inevitable. "Shit, sorry, dude. My friend is a dick and-"

"Jaeger, I would think that after two times today, you would have learned to be more aware of your surroundings." Levi leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms, and gave the brunette a pointed look.

Levi saw the red spreading across Eren's face as the boy became flustered. "Shit, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I keep bumping into you, it's really weird. I swear it's not on purpose."

Levi snorted and took another sip of his beer before he gave Eren a smirk. "It's fine. Stop freaking out. Just try not to make it a habit."

Levi watched as Eren mumbled another apology and hurried off to his group of friends. Erwin leaned over once the boy was gone and gave Levi a side glance. "So, how do you know Jaeger?"

Levi turned his attention from the still flustered Eren, who was arguing with some guy with two-toned hair and a long face, and gave Erwin a shrug. "He ran into me twice earlier today. This would make it the third time. You should really teach your soldiers how to be more self-aware."

Erwin's chuckle was interrupted as Hange slid into the chair next to Levi with a mischievous grin on her face. "What was that about 'third time'? You bumped into that cutie three times today? You remember what that movie said, right?"

Levi shoved her away and rolled his eyes. "You're delusional. That movie was a crock of shit. If it is destiny, I would like a refund. I'd prefer to not be randomly ran over by a complete dunce."

"Uh huh. I don't think I'm the delusional one." Hange cackled and ran away before Levi could retort. She successfully pulled Petra away from Oluo and drug her out to the dance floor with that stupid grin still on her face.

Eventually Levi was alone at the table while everyone else was out on the dance floor. Levi sipped idly at his beer as he watched Oluo make a fool of himself and drunk Hange attempt to dance. He couldn't help but notice a certain brunette who was dancing by himself. He looked absolutely lost in his own little world and Levi had to stop himself from smiling. Levi looked away and focused on everything else until his friends finally joined him again.

It was absolutely ridiculous, the notion of fate, and Levi wasn't going to think anything differently. He didn't care how much Hange tried to sprinkle some sort of hope into the whole thing. He wasn't going to get his hopes up that maybe the universe would work in his favor. That just wasn't plausible and even being as buzzed as he was it didn't make him believe it would change.

So when Hange squealed right next to his ear out of nowhere, Levi didn't think much of it. It was Hange after all and she was absolutely drunk. It wasn't until he actually paid attention to what she was squealing and pointing about that made him realize that he did have some sliver of hope. Standing in front of their table was an embarrassed brunette with mismatched eyes, who was staring at Hange as if she had two heads. He looked about ready to dart until Levi spoke up and got his attention.

"What's up, kid? Don't mind her, she's crazy and drunk."

Eren laughed nervously and scratched at the back of neck, which Levi found kind of endearing. "Oh, okay. So, um, I was wondering if you would dance with me."

Levi sat up a little straighter. "Is this some sort of dare between you and your friends?"

It was almost comical how big Eren's eyes got before he was waving his hands out in front of him. "No, no, no. Well, uh, kind of, but not because they're making fun of me or you. It's just that I wasn't sure you would want to after I've practically ran you over three times today, but they kind of coerced me into growing a set. Plus, it's not exactly normal for a guy to ask another guy to dance. I'm so sorry if I-"

Levi rolled his eyes and smirked. "Calm down, brat. I'll dance with you."

After another squeal from Hange, who almost toppled onto the floor, and a command to Erwin to watch his drink, Levi joined Eren out on the dance floor. The music was some sort of techno version of some rap song that Levi always heard on the radio. It wasn't his cup of tea, but he wasn't going to complain. Not when he had this bumbling idiot trying his hardest not to invade Levi's personal space. It made Levi want to roll his eyes for the hundredth time today before he gave up on being subtle and grabbed the boy's waist.

If he wasn't gay, Levi probably would have done it anyway, because the color of red on the kid's face was priceless. Levi pulled Eren down by his shirt, so that Levi could talk to him without having to yell over the loud music. "Calm down. You wanted to dance with me, right? So dance."

Levi watched Eren nod his head before releasing his shirt. He felt a hand on his hip and smirked as the boy moved closer so that they were almost pressed up against each other. Levi's arms had found their way to the taller male's shoulders and pretty soon both of them were swaying to the music. Levi wasn't much for dancing and normally he never danced when they went out. But this is nice. I could get used to this foresty smell and background noise.

After a while, it seemed like they had both gotten lost in this little world where it was just the two of them and forgot there were people around them. Of course, who else but Hange would interrupt the odd tranquility of it all. "Levi! It's time to goooooo! Kiss your lover boy and come on!"

Eren pulled away so quick, stammering in protest, that Levi had to laugh. It was literally impossible not to. Which meant that it stopped Eren's protest midsentence and the bewildered look made Levi laugh even harder.

"Oh god, your face. Your face is priceless."

Eren huffed indignantly. "Yeah, well I didn't know you were capable of laughing. Excuse me for being startled."

Levi straightened up from his laughing and flicked Eren off. "So sorry for ruining your expectations, brat. Don't worry, I won't kiss you unless you go brush your teeth. I'm sure your breath stinks."

Levi snorted as Eren got this offended look on his face. "How the hell does that make sense? Your breath smells like beer, so that would make you a hypocrite."

"Point taken." Levi once again grabbed the other's shirt and pulled him down for a quick kiss. It wasn't the best, both of their mouths tasted bitter from the alcohol, but it was enticing enough that Levi wanted more. However, he had more self-control than that, so he broke it off and let Eren go. "See you later, lover boy."

Levi made his way off of the dance floor before Eren could even recover. Hange and Erwin had already left the bar and were waiting for him outside, so Levi gulped down the last of his beer and left the bar as well. Hange was barely hanging on and Erwin was practically carrying her, so they made their way to the Tahoe as carefully as they could without getting ran over by other people leaving.

Levi didn't make it far, though. As soon as he heard his name called out from behind him, he was turned around and facing the bar, waiting for Eren to catch up. He shifted his weight to lean more on his right foot and slid his hands into his pockets as Eren walked up. "What's up?"

Eren did that endearing thing again, with the scratching and the nervous laughter, before he looked off to the side. "So, um, I was wondering if maybe I could have your number? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I just think it's pretty weird that we ran into each other three times today, you know? I mean, what's the odds of that even happening? I could understand three times in a couple of days or weeks, but three times in twenty four hours seems a bit unusual."

"Kid. Kid, you're rambling again."

Eren groaned and rubbed at his face, like he was trying to rub the embarrassment away. "Fuck, sorry. I'm just nervous."

Levi chuckled and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. He unlocked it and went straight to his contacts before he handed it to Eren. "Go ahead and put it in there. Let me see yours."

Eren blushed and Levi almost had to smack himself in the head. Holy fuck, my choice of wording is absolute shit when I'm dealing with a hormonal male who is slightly inebriated. "Get your head out of the gutter, Jaeger. You knew what I meant."

Eren laughed, dug out his phone, and handed it to Levi. Levi promptly entered in his phone number and name before handing it back to the boy. Eren finally gave Levi's phone back, but frowned when he looked down at his own. Levi looked at him questioningly before he finally spoke up. "Is your last name really Ackerman?"

Levi tilted his head to side slightly, wondering what Eren was getting at. "Yeah, so what?"

Eren shook his head and shrugged. "My sister's last name is Ackerman. I just didn't think it was a common last name."

Levi returned the shrug before he started backing up to leave. "Small world. I'll talk to you later, Eren. Don't blow up my phone or I'll block you. Night!"

Levi heard Eren tell him goodnight as he walked back towards the Tahoe where Erwin was patiently waiting. He climbed into the front passenger seat, because Hange was sprawled out in the back and completely passed out. It was mostly a silent ride back on post, occasionally interrupted by a groan from the back seat. Erwin and Levi had to shake Hange awake long enough for her to sit up and buckle herself in before they got to the gate. Luckily it didn't take much effort and they made it onto the base with no problem. Erwin dropped Levi off at his barracks with a quick reminder to drink plenty of water and a goodnight.

It wasn't until Levi collapsed onto his bed that he thought about the past day's events. It was almost wild to say the least and Levi couldn't help but stare at his phone with bold letters that said "Eren Jaeger" and a bunch of numbers that was the brat's phone number. He locked his phone and plugged it in to charge before laying it next to his pillow.

The last thing Levi remembered before he passed out was a set of mismatched eyes and that stupid movie about destiny.

End Note:

So, I hope this was okay. It's actually way longer than I'm used to writing, so I can not guarantee an almost 7k chapter each time.

I'm not particularly sure when I'll be getting chapter 2 out, simply because I've got classes, but I'm going to try my best not to make it too long of a wait.

If you have any questions, leave a review or shoot me a message to my tumblr (hanjisbitch).

Thanks for reading~