He was just some brat. Honestly. Just a random boy that didn't even look old enough to have graduated high school. It was rare enough for Levi to give more than a glare, but he actually looked up from his feet as he was put off balance from someone bumping into him. An irritated and intimidated expression was completely wiped off of his face when he saw green.
Green. That was it. He was surprised he even realized that the brunette's stumbling, pathetic attempt at English was some form of an apology. When Levi realized he couldn't find it in himself to look away, he tried instead to regain his usual expression of indifference, but he got no further than crinkling his eyebrows together in confusion at his reaction to this one boy.
Apparently, this boy with the green eyes couldn't get himself to shut up long enough for Levi to interject with a word or two, although the small man's focus was still scattered enough for Levi to wonder if he would even be able to get in a word or two if the one across from him would stop talking. Finally, when Levi deemed that enough of himself had been regained, he simply cut the boy off. He had a foggy, insignificant idea of what the tall, tan boy was saying; something along the lines of how he missed the bus and really had to be somewhere.
"Don't worry about it, kid. Just get to school."
The other's eyes flickered with something close to confusion and a little bit of insult. "I'm not a high school student. I'm on my way to my job."
Levi barely kept his eyebrows from shooting up. He almost commented on how young the other looked, but but decided (and this was virtually unheard of from Levi) he didn't want to insult the green-eyed boy any further. The stoic man didn't understand what was going on with him at the moment; he shouldn't care about this kid. But, he still found his mouth moving on it's own, asking questions that should be insignificant.
"What's your job?"
Green eyes lit up, and Levi found his composure slipping away from him. The effect those eyes had on him had just been starting to wear off until he pulled that stunt, and Levi cursed himself as he realized just how expressive the brat was.
"I'm in a band that plays for anything that will take us, pretty much."
"Doesn't sound like much of a job to me," Levi deadpanned. He watched with interest as the boy's expression turned into one close to fear.
"No! I mean, yes, it is. Sort of." He struggled with words as he did his best to explain himself. "We play Thursdays through Sundays at Bar Maria."
"Are you even old enough to be in there?" Levi realized a second too late that he was asking another question about his age, and wondered if he would get offended again. And then Levi realized that his question wasn't even serious; he was teasing the kid. And at that point Levi was questioning his mental health.
His eyes changed, again, and Levi forgot what he had been worried about. This time, the were indignant, maybe even annoyed. "I'm about to turn twenty-one!"
Cold, grey eyes passed over the other again, taking him in in a new light. The only thing he caught that was evident to the brat's age was his height, which towered over Levi's. It was strange how he hadn't even compared their heights, especially since Levi could be a little touchy over such things. Leaning a little toward lanky with a childish, round face, Levi realized that yes, he still looked like a fucking teenager. But the vibe he got from this kid went deeper than just his appearance.
He wondered just what could make this kid so innocent, with the way his eyes were so expressive and anyone with common sense could read him like a book. For a moment, he considered the option that the boy was a liar about his age. No, he realized. His expressions were too real, his reactions to his age too sincere. Then it hit him.
This boy, standing right in front of him, with his green eyes and messy hair who was quick to jump to anger, was a virgin.
And Levi found this realization hilarious.
Suddenly, the entire situation was hilarious. This boy had bumped into him, seemingly in a rush to get to his "job" after missing the bus, caught Levi completely off guard, and then had forgotten his actual job in place of defending his age.
Ocean emerald eyes sparkled with interest and confusion at the older man trying to hold in a smile before flaring up with anger again.
"Look, I know I may look young, but I'm not a fucking high school student, and it's nothing to - "
"What's your name?" Levi cut off, a smile still dominating his face.
The boy's expression changed again (of course) to uncertainty, his head tilted slightly. "What?"
"I said," Levi paused, wiping off his earlier expression of amusement to his usual apathetic gaze. "What's your name?"
He hesitated for a moment before answering: "Eren Jaeger."
Levi lifted an amused eyebrow. "Well, Jaeger, aren't you supposed to be in a rush for work?"
"Oh shit - !" Eren almost made a dash for it, but Levi grabbed a hold of his wrist and effectively yanked him back a couple of feet before he could get away.
"Hold your fucking horses, kid." He moved instead of letting Eren make a comment on the "kid". "I'll drive you to work, since I kept you here."
Levi had expected some amount of refusal at being offered a ride from a practical stranger, but he must have really been a simple-minded, naive idiot (*cough* virgin), because his eyes gained a hopefulness at the idea. "Really? That would be great!" Eren's expression faltered, taking in Levi's suit. "But, how far away is your car? Wouldn't it be too much trouble?"
Snatching his keys out of his pocket, Levi pressed the lock button, resulting in a beeping not twenty feet away. "Come on," he said, gesturing to his car as he walked toward the smooth, black model. After Levi had stepped into the driver's seat, the sharp sound of a car door being shut followed Eren's entrance to the passenger's seat. Levi didn't see Eren gawking as he observed the leather seats and how there seemingly wasn't a speck of dust in the thing, but he heard the awed voice exclaiming, "Your car is really new."
Levi scoffed as he pulled out of the public parking. "I've had this thing for three years. It's not new."
"So, you're a clean freak?"
Levi's eyes flared up in irritation. A few minutes of meeting him, and Eren is already pressing at his buttons. "How about I just take care of my fucking car?" Sure, some people would agree with Eren's observation, but Levi saw it that others should live up to his standards, not the other way around.
The idiot didn't even notice that Levi was pissed off. "So, what about your job? It's past noon."
"Think, kid." When he received no response, he rolled his eyes. "Lunch break."
Levi had assumed the conversation was somewhat over as he flicked on his blinker to switch lanes until Eren pouted, "I'm not a kid."
Levi couldn't help it - he let out a small laugh before glancing over at Eren, amusement in his eyes. "Is that really your pet peeve, Jaeger? Being called young?" He turned his eyes back to the road. "Give me fucking directions already, I'm just going where you were before you ran into me."
"Oh. Um, turn right on Cyrus in a few blocks." He glanced over at Levi. "How old are you?"
Levi grunted. "Old enough to sit at a bar, that's for sure." He slowed down as he neared a red light, only for it to turn green before he had the chance to completely stop. "Why do you care?"
Eren blushed, fumbling with his words. "Because you keep going on about my age, calling me a kid!"
"Anyone under the age of twenty-five is a kid to me, brat."
Eren slumped into the car seat as he sulked. Apparently, brat wasn't much better.
As Levi made the directed right turn, he realized something. "Oh, yeah. My name is Levi."
"No last name?"
"You want my address, too?" Levi sighed, then smirked. "I'm not stupid enough to give out my full name to strangers, Jaeger." Eren's cheeks filled with color as he realized Levi was teasing him. "Actually, is that even your name? A fucking beer? And give me directions already, you shitty brat." Levi didn't like driving so slow as under the speed limit, especially when on a road where everyone was driving ten above, but he had no idea where he was going, since he didn't go to any bar that he wasn't dragged out to.
Eren reluctantly looked from Levi to in front of him, panic eventually replaced by sheepish nervousness. "Uh… we sort of passed it."
Levi refrained from muttering about how incompetent the brat was before pulling into a gas station and turning around. Honestly, he hates having to turn around in his car, because he feels like an idiot when he does. So instead, he lets out a frustrated sigh. "I offered you a ride; at least take the offer graciously instead of wasting my time."
"Sorry," Eren muttered, sounding like a scolded child caught red-handed. Levi almost rolled his eyes, but actually felt a little bad for lashing out at him. "It's there, on the right."
Levi pulled up to the car and wondered aloud, "Are bars even open this early?"
Eren shrugged. "This one is. It's mostly a pub, I guess." There was a pause as the driver adjusted the A/C, wondering why Eren wasn't getting out yet. He turned to find the other with a shit-eating grin on his face.
"You should come watch."
Levi had to take time to process the question. "You want me to watch you preform in front of drunk idiots at noon?"
Eren was a little insulted, as Levi could tell in his expression. "Well, yeah, I guess." He rushed to explain himself as Levi's expression turned sour. "It would prove to you that it really is a solid job! I make a decent salary, and Bar Maria is a nice place."
He looked over at Eren, skeptical. He glanced at his watch before meeting the pleading eyes again. "You realize I'd only be able to go inside for about five minutes?"
Eren nodded, eager. "Yeah! It's fine, just come inside!"
Levi didn't understand why this was such a big deal to the kid, but he realized there wasn't much point in asking, since he wouldn't actually get the question and say something like, "It's a good job." Instead, he resigned to a sigh and opened the car door, Eren jumping after him like some puppy.
Levi made his way in first, and as soon as Eren walked in afterwards, he was bombarded by cheers from customers.
A lot of customers, actually. Levi wasn't expecting as much as a dozen of people, maybe, because who has time out of a Thursday to go to a bar at noon? Half of the people had a drink or food in their hand, and the other half seemed to be there for a reason other than refreshments.
Out of the screaming fans (seemingly the ages varied from mid-teen to adults well into their thirties), a single girl with short, shining, black hair and a cross expression on her face burst from the crowd.
"Eren! We were supposed to start playing twenty minutes ago!" She mad a grab for his ear before tugging him away and scolding him, saying that he can't take care of himself and acts like a child without his mother.
After finding a spot where he could lean against the wall, Levi looked up to find a stage already prepared; drums in the back, a keyboard on the side, two guitars, a bass, and a microphone. Out of the six pieces of equipment, the drums were occupied by a girl who looked almost as if she didn't want to be there, hair in a tight bun and expression sharp. The keyboard was occupied by a blonde who's hair really needed a cut, and one of the guitars were taken up by a freckled brunette with a kind face, who was talking animatedly to said pianist. One of the guitars and the bass were still propped up on their stands, stuck being momentarily useless along with the microphone, just standing at the front center stage with no one near it.
Soon enough, however, yelling and screaming filled the room as the girl form before and Eren scooped up their individual instruments, the girl getting the bass and Eren picking up the guitar before stepping up to the microphone.
Levi raised an eyebrow. He should have guessed that Eren would be the lead singer. Green eyes searched the room before they lit up as they met with Levi's cold, stormy ones, accompanied by a bright smile. Dammit, the older man thought. He had begun to think that he was immune to those eyes, especially after making it through the car ride without crashing, but he melted a bit and forgot to keep his eyes stony as they softened.
Luckily, Eren still sucked at reading people. He failed to notice Levi's change in expression, and instead waited for for the signal to start the song, which turned out to be four measured snaps of drumsticks being thwacked together.
The song* began with the freckled boy on the guitar playing some drawn out chords before being accompanied by the whole band, Eren playing the rhythm guitar. After a moment, he began to sing.
She sits up high surrounded by the sun
One million branches and she loves every one
Levi couldn't exactly say he was impressed, because he was never exactly impressed. But he respected the way Eren and his band members owned the stage. Honestly, he was just glad it wasn't some shitty song from the radio he'd heard the first few seconds of countless times before switching it.
Mom and dad, did you search for me?
I've been up here so long, I'm going crazy!
Not to say Eren wasn't an excellent singer, but he wasn't necessarily the focus of the group. The blonde girl in the back was rather impressive at the drums, and that brunette on lead guitar really knew what he was doing, along with the bark-haired girl from before who wasn't even looking down at her hands. Hell, even the blonde on the keyboard had a complicated switch of his hands or two. But with Eren's eyes boring into his, it was hard for Levi to look away.
And as the sun went down
We ended up on the ground
I heard the train shake the windows
You screamed over the sound
Surprisingly, Levi was actually enjoying the song. He had been expecting some half-assed band in a half-assed bar (and they both probably had been at one point), but this group of kids had seemingly made their place here known. Actually, the song was the kind of one that Levi and his old -
Nope, let's not go there. He shakes the thought away in exchange for listening to the song.
And as we own this night
I put your body to the test with mine
This love was out of control
Three, two, one, where did it go?
The song takes a turn in tune as it gets more intense and everyone seems to simultaneously pick up the pace.
Now, don't be crazy!
Yes now, of course you can stay here
Been in a touring band for going on ten years
"Big deal," she said
"I guess you're official"
I only said it 'cause I know what it's like to feel
Burnt out!
Levi was a little surprised that Eren could muster up a scream like that. He handn't thought the kid had it in him. People would do it wrong, and it always seemed to put him off, but this was an exception. Maybe because the crowd was vibrating with energy, or because of the bass running through floor and up into his shoes, or because of everyone on the stage who was bouncing on the balls of their feet as if they wanted to run around and dance like the rest.
Or maybe it was those Caribbean eyes.
It gets you down
We've all been there sometimes
But tonight
I'll make you feel beautiful once again
And as the sun went down
We ended up on the ground
I heard the train shake the windows
You screamed over the sound
The entire place was quite literally bursting with energy at this point. In front of Levi, a swarm of people were pressing against the stage and practically climbing up with the performers, and the back (where he was) was the only place you could stand without someone's elbow digging into your side.
Even if Eren couldn't dance with the rest of them, he was doing a pretty good job of trying. The back of his left foot moved up and down in time with the beat, and he was swinging the neck of his guitar around as if it was a baseball bat.
And as we own this night
I put your body to the test with mine
This love was out of control
Three, two, one, where did it go?
The band moved together as they kept the beat intact and slowed back down to what Levi could only assume was the bridge. Even the crowd's energy met that of the slow, sweet music.
If I were you I'd put that away
See, you're just wasted and
Thinking 'bout the past again
Darling, you'll be okay
And she said
Eren made room for the Asian on the bass as she stepped up to the microphone, demeanor rivaling that of Eren's as she kept calm and collected throughout the ordeal. Eren took a break from staring at Levi and instead watched his fingers run over his instrument as he played.
Her voice stretched out the right syllables and somehow kept in time with an out of time melody.
If you were me, you'd do the same
'Cause I can't take anymore
I'll draw the shades and close the door
Everything's not alright
And I would rather
The music built up before bursting into a music intermission, and Levi momentarily considered his hearing as the crowd exploded in enthusiasm and cheered for their beloved band at this unknown pub. The freckled brunette on the guitar got his time to shine as he took up a complicated note procedure and put it into action with ease, accompanied by a fast banging of drums before the lyrics started up again.
The music seemingly took a breath before combusting again, and Levi's breath was taken away as he saw green for a second time.
And as the sun went down
We ended up on the ground
I heard the train shake the windows
You screamed over the sound
And as we own this night
I put your body to the test with mine
This love was out of control!
Tell me, where did it go?
There was a brief, somewhat bittersweet ending to the song before it came to a stop for the first and final time as the audience erupted in cheers.
Eren had that giant, idiotic grin on his face again. His eyes finally met Levi's after combing thorough the crowd and reveling in their satisfaction. Even across the room, Levi could still see that those green orbs held expectation. But the older man just held up his watch before tapping it with the other hand, not letting any of his emotions cross his face simply because that was second nature to him.
Caribbean eyes were confused before he seemingly remembered the conditions Levi had announced before walking into the place. Levi cocked an eyebrow at Eren's fallen expression before the boy nodded, as if giving his approval. Levi parted the cub with a half-wave before cranking up his clean, black car and heading over to work.
The song*=Hold On Till May (feat. Lindsey Stamey), Pierce the Veil
This is my first story on this account, but I'm not new to the site and this isn't my first story, so there's no need to go easy on me with the reviews. I am, however, new to this fandom. The only stories I've posted before were for Soul Eater, and I've actually been turning to another site when it comes to reading stories for SNK simply because there are more of them there.
I realized proofreading this thing that it almost sounds like a one shot. Almost. I can assure you that it isn't, and there will be more chapters. Speaking of which, the next chapter has a lot of Hange. A lot. (She is so fun to write.) Also, warning: I have no idea how to write Erwin. So.
There is one concern I have, and that is if the whole band AU thing is working out or if you think it's too overdone. It won't be the focus of the story; I just couldn't get the image of Eren singing this song out of my head. And you might want to keep that part where Levi was thinking about something before cutting off in mind, because what you think I'm implying is probably what I was implying. Hopefully you didn't roll your eyes when you read that.
Anyways, this is long enough. Please provide me with feedback, as right now my idea of the story is more abstract than anything. Oh, and seeing as this is an AU it already is pretty implied, but there won't be any spoilers in this fic. I always like to know before I read, since I can't seem to get a hold on the manga series.
Finally, if you see any typos, please let me know because those things annoy the shit out of me. Aaaand I'm done.