Weekly Challenge 1!
Eren works as a barista at Rose Coffee Shop which is owned by Annie Leonhart's parents. He is working there as he needs money. Annie is his College friend together with Armin, Mikasa, Jean, Marco, Reiner, Bertolt, Connie and Sasha.
Eren was working his usual shift at the counter taking commands when a young woman with ginger hair came to the counter ordering two coffees.
"Right away!" said Eren getting to his usual work of filling the cups with coffee. He hadn't noticed the short man behind the woman. As he turned back to give the coffee to the customer, her phone rang and she went to take it on the side telling the short man who was standing behind her to take the order. Therefore Eren gave the coffee to the man who had his head bent, his hair covering his face as he was taking out the money. Finding it, the man lifted his head to give the money.
It was then that their eyes met; Steel staring at Emerald. Eren felt like a bolt of current running through him at the eye contact. For one second, he felt as if he was in another world, another lifetime and for the first time seeing the same man, wearing a green cape with the embroidery of two wings overlapping; the Wings of Freedom, and in the other second, Eren found himself back in the coffee shop, standing at the counter, still staring at that man. Why did he feel as if he knew that man? It was as if he had already met the grey-eyed man before, in another lifetime? Few minutes may have passed, but it felt like they have been staring at each other for hours.
"Levi, let's go. Erwin is waiting for us," came the voice of the ginger-haired woman who took the money from the short man's hand and put it on the counter. Taking the coffee cups in one hand and grabbing the man's arms with the other, dragging him out of the Coffee Shop, saying "keep the change," to Eren, but Eren's eyes kept following the pair off grey ones towards the door. At the same time, Armin's voice came from the kitchen behind him, "Eren, can you please put these cupcakes in the display case?"
Eren turned around to acknowledge Armin, but when he looked back to the door, the ginger-haired woman and the grey-eyed man were already gone. Frowning, Eren took the tray of cupcakes from Armin.
"Suicidal bastard, what's wrong? Did you piss off Mikasa again?" asked Jean, his co-worker who was working at the second counter. Barking him that everything was fine, and that no, he did not piss Mikasa, yet, Eren got back to serving the other customers. Shaking off the weird feelings those grey eyes had brought, Eren tried focusing on his work, which was near impossible.
That night, in bed, as Eren closed his eyes, he saw those grey eyes again. His eyes snapped open as the image of that man in another lifetime came back. Staring at the ceiling, Eren tried to decipher the mystery of those grey eyes.
"Levi!" Eren eyes widened as that name came out of his mouth involuntarily. It was the name the ginger woman had called the raven haired man. Eren couldn't understand the strange sensation he was feeling in his chest. His heart was beating fast as he thought of that man; Levi! Eren eyes widened more as realisation dawned upon him; could it be that Levi had been part of his previous life in the 9th century?
At the age of 15, Eren had strange dreams of another lifetime where he was living with his mother, father and Mikasa whose parents were dead, which is (fortunately) not the case this time. He also dreamt of monsters named 'Titans' who ate humans, of the fall of Wall Maria, of his house being destroyed, of his mother being eaten by a titan, of his oath of destroying every single titan on earth, of training with the 104th Trainee Squad and of wanting to join the Survey Corps, but his memories stopped at when he graduated as a cadet.
Memories? Yes, memories! Eren did realise that these were not dreams but, memories of his previous life, a lifetime nobody remembers of.
Maybe Levi was present in his previous life, in the part he didn't remember of! Eren sat up as he realised an extremely important detail; The Wings of Freedom, that embroidery on the green cape that Levi was wearing in that fragment of his memory, it was the emblem of the Survey Corps. Then… it means that Levi WAS present in his previous lifetime.
Eren kept tossing and turning all night long as more flashes of his previous life kept coming to him in his dreams and in each fragment of his memories, the grey-eyed man, Levi was there.
The next morning, when Eren woke up, he was a bit disoriented. As he hopped into the shower, Eren thought of his dreams, the fragments of his previous life. In each of them Levi was present. Eren concluded that Levi formed a big part of his life in the Survey Corps. Levi was a really strong soldier. He had killed so many titans. He was worth a whole unit. He remembered idolising Levi, but still there was something, a weird kind of feeling that he couldn't get hold of. Ah! Fuck his brain! Why couldn't he just put on a name on what he was feeling!
Finishing his shower, he dressed himself and went downstairs to have breakfast. Pushing all the memories to the back of his head, he went to the kitchen to greet his mother. He could not describe how happy he was that his mother was still alive in this lifetime. He does treasure his mother a lot now and does everything to make her happy as he realised the worth of a mother. He even lets his mother baby him to her heart's content.
Eren had just started his shift when the first customers came in. Eren was surprised at his first customer. Those grey eyes; it was him; Levi! Eren stared at him for a few moments before he realised that he was supposed to be working. "G-Good morning Sir! What would you like?" asked Eren like he usually greets his customers.
"A cup of Coffee. Black and without Sugar!' his command was simple and to the point, but hearing his voice made Eren's heart skip a beat.
"Ri-right away, Sir!" Eren stuttered again. As he turned to make the coffee, Jean came to him and whispered into his ears, "Got a crush on him Jaeger?"
"W-what?" Eren stuttered, again.
"This is the first time I've ever seen you stutter with a customer," Jean replied smirking.
"Shut up stupid horse!" Eren retorted, flustered.
Jean couldn't retort back as there was a customer at his counter. Turning around he flashed a smile at Levi, giving him his coffee. "Here you go, sir! Anything else?" Eren asked to which Levi said no, paid for his coffee and left. Eren's eyes trailed his retreating figure till he disappeared through the door.
This kept going on for two entire weeks. Not once could Eren strike a conversation with Levi, but there was one thing Eren realised; the horse was right; He did have a crush on Levi.
It was Valentine's Day and the coffee shop was going to close early as the staff also needed to celebrate with their lovers. Eren had been preparing for a few days for it. That morning, as usual Levi came in as the first customer and Eren turned to make his usual black coffee. Eren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Come on Eren! You can do it!" he told himself under his breath. Taking the small decorated bag together with the coffee, he turned around, put it on the counter and smiled at Levi. Levi raised an eyebrow at the small bag, "What is this?" he asked.
"A small gift! It's on the house as…as you are our first customer for the day," Eren replied, biting his lips in nervousness. He surely didn't miss the way Levi was eyeing his lips. If that didn't tell him that Levi was interested in him, then he didn't know what would.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Eren said flashing his eye-blinding smile that he reserved especially for Levi.
"Umm…Thank you!" Levi said a bit hesitant. Was that a blush that Eren saw dusting Levi's cheeks as he left the Coffee Shop? Eren smiled like a giddy-school-girl as he tried to imagine Levi's face when he will open the bag.
As the coffee shop closed in the afternoon by 1 pm, Eren said goodbye to his friends and headed out first. He froze at the sight of Levi by the staff door. Did he clearly see Levi heading towards him? Looking around, Eren realised he was the only one there. Levi sopped in front of him. Steel staring at Emerald, again!
"Hi!" Eren greeted him to which Levi greeted by a hesitant, "Hi!"
"Liked it?" Eren asked referring to the gift bag.
"Huh?" Levi was confused at first as he was staring at Eren's lips, but then realised what Eren was talking about. "Uh, Yeah! I came to talk about this," Levi replied.
"And what about it?" Eren asked. Levi opened the bag and took the cupcake out. Pointing to it, Levi asked, "What does this mean, Eren?"
"How… How do you know my name?" Eren asked shocked.
"Your co-workers called you that a few times," he replied. "Now you tell me how you know mine?" Levi asked pointing to his name written on top of the cupcake with liquid chocolate.
Eren blushed and said, "Your friend called you that the first time you came."
"Oh…" he said looking a bit… disappointed? "So… does this mean what I think it means?" Levi asked.
"Umm… and what do you think it means?" Eren asked unsure.
"Are you asking me out with a cupcake?" Levi asked bluntly.
"Maybe yes. Look, I do like you a lot, Levi!" Eren replied. Did he just see Levi shiver when he said his name? "I don't know if you feel the same, but I feel like I know you since forever, like from another lifetime," Eren said.
Eren was struck at the smile on Levi's face. "I know how you feel Eren," Levi replied making Eren smile.
"So, will go on a date with me Levi?" Eren asked directly, seeing no need to beat around the bush.
"Yes!" Levi replied without hesitation.
"Then let's go," Eren said.
"Now?" Levi asked.
"Yes, now! Any problem?" Eren asked.
"No problem," Levi replied smiling as Eren led the way to their date location for their very first date.
END NOTE:
This is part of me and my best friend, Sharlyn's Weekly challenge based on prompts we give each other! ^_^
Do read her story also, which is "The words I always meant for you to know", and then tell us which one you appreciated better! :P
You are very much welcome to give us Reviews and favourites! ^^
I was thinking of doing a chapter on Levi's side; How much does he actually remember, if he actually does remember something?
What do you guys think? :D
We post our stories on AO3 also, so some of you may have already seen this story there! ^_^