You see there was this man and he just appeared out of the blue. To Eren's surprise, he was the same kind of person as him, he had the same kind of eyes, at first sight, he realized he wasn't a solitary existence in this world. He was happy. That's right, until he met him he was alone in the world, he had not a soul with whom to share the scenery before his eyes, and not a soul to share the music in his ears.

But it saddened him, because the moment he saw him he knew deep down they were never meant to be, yes, that man had refused to side with him. He rejected Eren - the only person who could see the same scenery.


ONE DAY EARLIER

The car ride home felt like an eternity, Eren only wished he could pinpoint why he felt so uncomfortable. He pulled the gold embroidered card from his pocket, staring at it blankly from the back of the taxi. He felt drawn to it, moved by the name written on the front.

'Ah, there's a phone number here, maybe I should save it in my phone so I don't lose it.' He pulled out his phone, dialing the number. While he meant to save it to contacts he accidentally hit the call button. "Shit!" He cursed forgetting momentarily about the taxi driver ahead of him. "Sorry, sorry."

"Hello?" He heard a voice echo on the other end of the line.

Eren paused for a moment before his words found him. "Ah... hello! This is Eren... I was saving your number in my phone and I just kinda accidentally called it." He felt embarrassed, he wasn't even sure if the card belonged to the owner of the apartment he woke up in.

"I see. I hope you made it home safely."

"I have! Err well i'm on my way home now anyway." At least that confirmed he was speaking with the right person.

"I'm at work now so please don't use this number for casual calls. Have a nice afternoon."

He heard the line disconnect. 'What a jerk.' He thought bitterly. At least hearing his voice brought back some hazy memories of the previous night. He suddenly felt the blood rush to his face with embarrassment as he recalled being pinned down on the couch.

"We're arriving at your destination." The taxi driver broke his thoughts. Eren hastily grabbed his wallet out to pay the fee and exit the vehicle. He hated to admit it but it was a little nice being back in the countryside where his surroundings were very quiet. Well, would have been quiet; he could already hear Armin shouting his name before he could close the car door.

Eren groaned as he made his way into the house, Armin was already steps behind him. "Eren, what happened? Where did you go? We were worried sick and you couldn't even call us."

"Look i'm really sorry, I was a little drunk and I had my phone turned off at the bar to preserve the battery."

"But why did you leave the bar?"

Eren couldn't exactly say he left the bar with a complete stranger - a man at that. "I thought I saw someone I knew... but my memory is a little foggy honestly, i'm fine. I found a hotel near the bar and I came right home. I won't worry you like that again I promise."

He could tell by looking at his friends face that he was still concerned but he somehow seemed to accept his story. It's not like he was really lying, his memory was a bit foggy.

"Eren, I'm just glad you're safe. It's not me you need to sa..." Armin was abruptly cut off mid sentence as Mikasa stormed into the living room. Without warning she gripped his shirt collar, staring at his face for a moment.

Eren closed his eyes, preparing to be hit, but it never came. Instead she relaxed her grip, letting out a small sigh before speaking.

"We were just really worried. Please don't do that to us again. I'm going to lay down because I haven't slept yet..."

He felt a twinge of guilt, he never intended to make them worry so much. Mikasa turned and left the room. Her and Eren shared the house since his parents passed, she was practically like his adopted sister since they grew up together.

"I'm going to head home and get some rest too." Armin scratched the back of his head, giving Eren a small smile.

"Yea, thanks Armin."

"By the way, Eren, where did you get that shirt from?"

Eren froze for a moment, he put his shirt on over the one he woke up in so it showed through. "I uhh... don't exactly remember." He laughed nervously. He hated Armin's keen observation skills at times. Thankfully his friend left with no further questions so he could finally relax.

Unfortunately relaxing was the last thing he could do that day as the hours went by agonizingly slow. By the time it was evening he found himself laying in bed staring at the small business card once more. He wondered why someone would give him a place to stay the night but then sound so cold over the phone. After a lot of debating he finally made up his mind to try texting the number, against his better judgment.

EREN
You told me not to call so can I text you instead?

"Ah, I sent it!" He shouted. Somehow he was excited, he stared at his phone while waiting anxiously for a response. Minutes felt like hours before he heard his phone ping.

LEVI
Even if I said no you probably won't listen.

EREN
I want to know more about you.

After that his phone fell silent. After getting no replies he let out a long sigh, forcing himself out of bed to go to the kitchen. "Mikasa!" He yelled.

"Yes?" Eren jumped at the voice behind him.

"Sorry I didn't know you were right there. Do you want food? I'm going to heat up some leftovers."

"Sure." She sat at the table, staring at him with a blank expression.

"Mikasa... do you believe in fate? Like a fated encounter?"

She sat quietly for a while as if thinking, "Not sure. Did you meet somebody?"

"Just speaking hypothetically, forget it though." As he pulled the leftover food from the refrigerator to heat it he heard the familiar ping of his phone. His face lit up as he skipped over to the counter where he set it down. He had no way of seeing the suspicious glare from Mikasa from the table.

LEVI
There's a small cafe next to the bar where I met you. Can you meet me there tomorrow at 3pm?

Eren nearly dropped the plate that he still held in his other hand as he read the message. Thankfully Mikasa jumped up to take it from him before he could. "Ah thanks Mikasa, sorry I gotta reply to this, do you mind heating up the food?"

He didn't wait for her reply as he ran full speed to his room, closing the door behind him. 'Calm down, calm down.' His heart felt like it was racing out of his chest as he debated on how to respond.

EREN
I'll be there! I can't wait to see you again.

The next day came quickly. Eren knew he couldn't be completely honest with Mikasa about going to meet with someone in the city, he debated all night what he should tell her. Thankfully she was in her room as he was getting dressed to leave. He opted to leave her a note on the table saying he had gone out to run errands. He never really went anywhere without Mikasa and his best friend Armin so he hoped she wouldn't suspect anything.

He walked up the road and out of site of his house before calling a taxi to pick him up. He felt his heart racing the entire ride. He wondered what kind of person Levi might be, he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask. He found the cafe easily, it was small yet cozy. He looked anxiously around, it was still fifteen minutes before their meeting time but he was still hopeful that Levi would be there. He didn't see him so he sat himself down by the front window so he could watch outside.

He settled in and ordered himself a cappuccino. When he checked the clock again it was five minutes past their meeting time. He found it a bit strange, he didn't pin Levi as the kind of person who would be late but then again city traffic was awful.

An hour after their meeting time, he felt a knot in his throat. He pushed his frustrations aside and left enough cash on the table to pay for his coffee and tip the waitress as he finally stood up to leave. Just as he was walking out he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. The name displayed was 'Levi'. He hesitated momentarily before answering.

"Hello, Eren? Did you stop by the cafe?" His voice sounded just as monotone as it had the day prior.

"Yea, I'm actually leaving now since you didn't show up." He tried his best to hide the irritation in his voice.

"Ah I am sorry, I'm calling because I had to fill in for a sick co worker. I should have called sooner but I got caught up, i'm leaving the office now. Can you meet me in front of the Survey Corps building? It's not far, i'll send you the address."

Eren felt his heart fluttering, he was relieved he wasn't stood up. "Yea, i'll be there." He practically ran through the city streets to find the address given. Thankfully it wasn't far but he was surprised at how nice the company building was. It appeared to be one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city, towering above the rest. The lettering on the front door indicated it was a medical building. 'So this is the kind of place he works at...'

"Eren." He heard his name and spun around on his heel. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes met with steel blue ones.

"L-Levi" He stuttered, scratching the back of his head. It was certainly strange seeing him during the day time, completely sober. This was definitely real. Something about him was captivating.

"Did you eat at the cafe?"

"Uh no not really, I only had a cup of coffee."

"Let me take you somewhere then. I'm parked nearby."

"Alright, let me just call my friend, we live together so I don't want her to worry." Eren was oblivious to the questionable look that Levi glanced his way as he pulled out his phone to call Mikasa. Thankfully for him she didn't answer so he left a brief message explaining he'd be out late after running into someone he knew.

Eren's eyes lit up once more as he jumped into the passenger seat of Levi's car. 'So nice!' He thought. He definitely was not used to anything fancy or new. His excitement faltered as he realized they weren't pulling out of the parking spot but rather just sitting there in silence. He glanced at Levi's face but couldn't quite read it.

"Something the matter?" Eren asked. Levi sat quietly for a little longer before finally looking over at him.

"Why did you say you want to get to know me?"

The question caught him off guard. As he tried to think of a good answer Levi leaned over him, hitting a switch on the passenger seat it suddenly flew back with a 'thud'. He felt his heartbeat loudly in his chest as his mind flashed back to the night on the couch. His words were caught in his throat but he did his best to speak anyway.

"You seemed like a good person... say, do you believe in fate?"

Levi paused, still leaning over Eren. He averted his gaze. "Not really."

Eren felt a burning in his throat, Levi was close enough that he could feel his warm breath against his lips. Before he could react Levi suddenly pulled away, retreating back to his own seat. Eren sat back up quietly, thoughts flooding his head as he looked over at the other man.

'It was almost as if he was going to kiss me...' His eyes wandered down to Levi's hands which were once again covered up by white gloves. "Hey... why do you wear those?" His voice was low and soft. He watched Levi shift uncomfortably in his seat before getting a response.

"Let's go eat at my place. We can talk there."

To the point as always, Eren pulled the lever on his seat to sit it back up as he nodded his head to agree. He would not admit it but he was a little excited to go back to Levi's apartment. He realized he wanted to know more about him, how he lived, what his dreams were. Even though Levi was very blunt and rude he also had a kind side to him, he even walked around the car to open the door for Eren.

As they entered the apartment Levi asked, "Do you like curry?"

"I love it! Not too spicy though." Eren watched Levi remove his shoes and did the same. "Can I help you cook?"

"I'd prefer if you don't touch anything."

Eren frowned as he took a seat on a bar stool next to the kitchen.

"I guess I should explain..." Levi began to speak as he pulled food out of the refrigerator to begin cooking. "I have mysophobia."

"Miso...?" Eren furrowed his eyebrows.

"It's a fear of bacteria. To put it plainly, I find it disgusting to touch anything."

Suddenly things became more clear to Eren, it explained why his apartment was so emaculate anyway, and why he always wore white leather gloves. If that was the case, he thought, maybe he was disgusted earlier when they were so close in the car. Eren thought carefully before replying. "Have you ever tried to get counseling or any kind of help?"

"Hm... not really. It doesn't interfere with my work since my boss is aware of my phobia."

Something seemed off to Eren, though Levi spoke as if he didn't really want to change he could not understand why he would go out of his way to invite a stranger into his home, take care of him while he was drunk and get so close to him in the car. He had nearly kissed him after all... right? "Why did you seem like you wanted to touch me earlier then?"

He saw Levi pause at the question as if debating how to answer him. Eren resolved himself to stand up and approach him. He knew at that moment what he wanted, he absolutely wanted to kiss him. He felt as if his heart was going to tear through his chest it was beating so quickly. Levi took a step back, pinned against the counter.

It was in that moment Eren realized just how much pleasure he took from watching Levi's expression change. Up until then he was calm and composed. It was subtle but his cheeks flushed red. He almost looked startled, it sent chills down Eren's spine. He leaned in closer, his knee pressed between Levi's legs. Eren suddenly felt cool leather against his lips as Levi's hand shot up to cover his mouth, blocking his advance.

Eren let out a sigh against his gloved hand before pulling back. "Sorry." he whispered. 'Ah I knew it, he's extremely cute! No wait wait, what am I thinking? With this man?' His face flushed red as he took a few steps back. He was shocked to see Levi's face remain slightly startled as the older man spun quickly around to hide his expression.

An awkward silence fell over the kitchen the rest of the afternoon. The day seemed to end as quickly as it began. "I should get going." Eren spoke up. "My roommate will worry if I disappear another night."

As Eren glanced up his eyes met briefly with cold blue ones. 'I wonder what he likes.' He thought silently. 'What makes him happy or delighted even.'

"I'll walk you out then." Levi replied.

He watched as Levi stood up, delicately picking up both of their plates to take them to the sink before turning back around to see him out the door. 'I wonder...' He thought as they walked side by side to the apartment elevator. 'How he smiles.'

"Do you need a ride home?"

Though Eren was delighted at the offer he politely declined, "I live a little far away, I can take the train back."

He watched as Levi contemplated, glancing around the streets and they walked out of the large apartment building. "I don't mind, besides it's getting dark, I don't like the subway at night."

Eren laughed softly. "I guess I can't say no then. Thank you... and thanks for the meal, it was really amazing you could get so much depth in the curry."

Levi didn't reply and Eren had a difficult time reading his expression since it didn't change much. Not that he minded, he could tell Levi seemed like a good person despite his temperament. Eren could feel his heart face the entire ride home, he couldn't seem to calm himself. Maybe it was from the recent memory of being pinned to the passenger seat.

He glanced down at Levi's gloved hand that rested gently on the car shifter. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of response he could get if he touched his hand. At the very least he had leather gloves so it's not like they would be directly touching. Eren let out a breath before reaching over and gently placing his hand on top of Levi's. He felt Levi flinch at the touch and expected him to pull away but he didn't.

The older man shifted in his seat but said nothing. 'I want to touch him. I want to see his composure break.' Eren finally spoke up, his voice hushed. "This is my house, just up here." He pointed. 'I have to convey my feelings.' Eren's heart raced even faster as they approached the house.

He saw Mikasa step out onto the front porch, watching as they approached. She most likely heard the car coming since they didn't live near anyone. "You can let me out here." They were still far enough from the house that Mikasa couldn't hear if they spoke. He saw Levi glance at Mikasa and pull his hand away as he pulled over.

"Don't worry, she's just my annoying roommate." Eren sighed. He wasn't very good at reading the current situation, but he knew what he had to say. He leaned over close enough to whisper into Levi's ear. "Thank you for the ride. Also... I will make you fall for me... is that alright?"

Levi's face turned a light shade of pink and he turned his head away. "You're welcome." His voice was soft this time.

"Well then, good night." Eren stepped out of the car. It took everything in his power not to break down right there in a mixture of embarrassment and joy. As he walked down towards the house he could see Mikasa raising an eyebrow at him. He knew she was too far to have seen or heard anything but he could not hide how flushed his face was.

"Hey Eren, who was that?" She questioned him before he could even get to the porch.

"Yo Mikasa. N-No one just a friend I guess!" He half shouted. "Gotta run, bathroom, sorry!" He sprinted past her into the house, running as fast as he could to his room and slammed the door behind him. He slumped his back against the door, sliding to the floor.

To like someone, nonetheless a man, and one that he can't even touch at that. He didn't know how to handle such conflicting emotions. The only thing he was sure of was that he felt he was being pulled in by fate.


Hello there! Phew thank you for being patient for me to post this chapter, my work load has been killing me...

On the positive side Eren was able to portray some of his feelings, the next chapter will be more centered around Levi's POV.

As always, please feel free to leave a review~