Eren was thankful that the café was within walking distance of the office building; because by the time he arrived in front his destination, out of breath and with aching feet (his work shoes were not meant to be athletic by any means) it was 12:00 on the dot and Levi was waiting patiently for him out front. He looked nearly identical to how he had that morning, sleeves rolled up on his white shirt, black tie straight and business jacket slung over his shoulder. The bags under his eyes seemed to have dissipated a bit, although judging by his posture and the yawns he kept suppressing he still looked rather exhausted. This time, however, there was no cigarette in sight.
The front of the restaurant was decorated much like the stereotypical French cafes one would see on television or in movies, complete with outdoor seating with adorable pink umbrellas poking out from the middle of the table to shield its inhabitants from the harsh rays of the sun. Pink and white striped awnings hung around the edge of the building, and an erasable menu board was propped out front advertising the day's specials. Eren didn't have the slightest clue what a coq au vin was, but it was half price until 6 p.m. A few rose bushes of varying colors and shades were planted around the entrance, giving the place a romantic feel.
The name Maria & Sina's was in bold, pink cursive letters above the door, and Eren couldn't help but feel a little out of place at such a…cute little café.
Eren huffed and bent over, attempting to catch his breath, ashamed that he looked like he'd been rushing to be on time (he had, but he didn't really want Levi to know that). Luckily, his boss didn't seem to mind too much, face impassive as usual as he approached, breathing finally returning to normal. When he felt like he could speak without panting he decided to break the ice between them.
"Good afternoon sir, how are you today?"
It sounded incredibly formal and cheesy, but polite nonetheless. Levi regarded him with an indifferent stare, shifting his weight on his feet and cocking his hip a bit.
"Hungry. Let's go inside and order before the lunch rush beats us to it," Levi's reply was rather cut and dry as he turned away from Eren and opened the door to the café, gesturing for the brunette to follow. Eren let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and followed the older male inside, catching a whiff of delicious smelling food on the way in. Upon entering the brunette could see that the exterior paled in comparison in cuteness to the inside; tiny two person tables were scattered about the large dining room, each with an unlit oil lamp and a vase of red and pink roses in the middle atop a pink and white tablecloth. The floor was composed of rosy pink tiles and the walls were decorated with white and pink striped wallpaper. The place was bustling, nearly every table already full with couples and groups of friends chatting over tea and adorable little pastries. Eren couldn't help but notice that nearly all of them were neatly dressed in business attire.
Directly in front of the door was the hostess' station, behind which a formally dressed woman stood, smiling brightly as they approached.
"Good afternoon sirs, welcome to Maria and Sina's, will it be just the two of you today?" She asked, perhaps adding a bit too much cheer to her voice and coming off as more sarcastic than friendly. Eren felt his cheeks heat a bit at the question, feeling that it implied that the two of them were there for some kind of romantic meal instead of a business proposition. Levi apparently didn't mind, more focused on filling his stomach than anything else.
"Yes, we'll take a table outside please," Levi requested, his voice smoother than Eren had ever heard it sound, and the brunette was stunned to see the corners of the older male's mouth curve upwards into a polite smile. The hostess flushed bright pink at the gesture, taken off guard by the raven haired male's charms.
"Ah yes, um, well we normally only seat those with reservations outside due to limited availability, but since there's an empty table for two and the inside is almost full I suppose I can make an exception," she sputtered, her voice higher pitched than normal as she fidgeted with the menus in her hands. Levi's dashing smile widened and he bowed slightly in gratitude, eliciting a squeak and another blush from the flustered hostess.
"I appreciate it, miss…" Levi leaned in slightly to read her name badge, "Hannah. What a lovely name," the older male added, and Eren felt bad for the poor girl who looked like she was going to pass out at any moment.
"T-thank you, s-sir, if you'll just follow me, I'll take you to your table," Hannah blurted out hastily before practically running out of the front door. Eren couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the abnormal politeness and shameless flirting coming from his boss. Levi followed the embarrassed girl, looking rather pleased with himself and Eren really wished that the older male hadn't chosen to sit outside. What if someone saw them sitting together at some cutesy café and got the wrong impression? He would never hear the end of it if someone like Jean happened to walk by and see such a spectacle.
As Eren stepped outside he noticed for the first time that day that the weather was perfect for being outdoors. It was pleasantly cool, yet not enough to warrant wearing a jacket, and there didn't appear to be a single cloud in the sky. A few leaves littered the sidewalk and crunched under the brunette's feet as they were led to their table on the patio surrounded by an intricately molded and decorative black gate and latticework entangled with some kind of pink flower. Levi quickly seated himself and took the menu from the hostess, perusing it with mild interest as Eren reluctantly sat across from him and attempted to make himself comfortable.
"Your waitress will be with you shortly. Enjoy your meal!" Without another word the flustered girl immediately darted back inside the café, leaving the two of them alone once more. Eren shifted uncomfortably in the cushioned pink chair as he picked up the menu and attempted to find something, anything remotely resembling what he ate on a regular basis. Much to his dismay, nearly all the dishes were classic French cuisine, and the things listed on it were dishes he'd only heard of on cooking shows. The only dish he recognized readily was the crepe, and although it sounded delicious, he was uncertain if Levi would berate him for ordering something like that for lunch.
"So many choices, I'm not sure what to pick," Eren decided to bring it up casually, hoping that Levi would maybe make some recommendations to point him in the right direction. The older male folded his menu and set it aside before turning his attention to the brunette, a bored look on his face.
"This menu is actually rather small compared to some places I've been to," Levi stated, leaning back and folding his arms as he became more relaxed. Eren was dismayed that the older male hadn't caught on to the fact that his employee was generally clueless as to what to eat. So, he decided to try a more direct approach.
"Well, um…what are you going to order, sir?" he asked casually, trying to play his question off as mere curiosity.
"Crème brûlée. Normally I only come here for their pastries and a cup of coffee, but today I figured I might as well order something extravagant, since this is a somewhat special occasion."
Eren flinched at the reply for some reason, not entirely sure what his boss was implying.
Oh man, what does he mean by special occasion? Is he going to make a spectacle of firing me or something?
Eren looked down, chest tightening with worry as he busied himself with searching through the menu, attempting to find the dish in question, but before he could locate it and read its description, their waitress appeared. She was a petite blonde with eyes the color of sapphire, her hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it out of her way. Eren had to do a double take, because at first he hadn't noticed that she was wearing a rather revealing version of a classic French maid outfit, complete with headband, choker, black stockings and white gloves. On her feet she wore simple black heels that slightly boosted her natural height and clicked on the cement patio as she approached their table.
"G-good afternoon, m-monsieurs…" she greeted them shyly, voice timid and small as the girl it belonged to. Eren usually wasn't one for cheesy roleplaying, but he felt his cheeks redden a bit at the sight. He certainly wasn't expecting to see perverted cosplay at such an establishment. In the back of his mind he wondered if this was part of the reason that Levi was a regular…
"Bon après-midi, ma petite fleur," Levi replied fluently, voice smooth as silk, smiling gently and causing the waitress to flush furiously and Eren to go slack jawed. He had no clue that his boss spoke another language, and was rather good at it by the sound of things.
"L-levi? Is that you? I haven't seen you in ages," the girl practically squeaked out her words in surprise, but from the sound of things they were at least acquaintances. Eren wasn't all that surprised, considering Levi frequented the café, and he wondered if perhaps there was something going on between them. The older male nodded and gave her the same dashing smile he'd used with the hostess. The brunette wondered whether this was a habit of his, flirting with girls until they were turned into flustered messes.
"Yes, it's me, and it has been quite a while. How have you been doing, Krista?" Levi replied, returning to standard English as he crossed his legs and focused on the girl before him. Eren couldn't help but notice that she constantly fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, tugging on it as if doing so would magically make it grow in length.
"Oh, um…I've been doing just fine, I've been promoted to head waitress, so I get priority on tables…" she trailed off, pulling out a small notebook from her apron and preparing to take their order. Levi, however, didn't seem to be satisfied with ending the conversation there.
"No more incidents then, I assume?" the older male asked, and Eren felt more like a third wheel by the second, having absolutely no idea what either of them were talking about and remaining politely silent while staring at his menu. The blonde girl blushed an even darker shade of crimson and looked away, shaking her head.
"N-no…"
"Oi! Quit harassing my Krista, you old fart! I'll not have you ruining her innocence!" a deeper, yet still distinctly feminine voice called out from behind the blushing waitress, and Eren looked up from his menu to see a tall, freckled brunette approaching them clad in a black pantsuit with her hair tied into a short ponytail. Upon arriving at their table she promptly threw her arm around the petite waitress's neck and pulled her close, shooting Levi a glare that would send even the bravest men running for the hills.
The raven haired male looked unperturbed, however, as he gazed up at her with his usual impassive expression.
"Hello, Ymir, it's good to see you as well." The reply was dry and sarcastic, but the brunette woman chuckled in response, loosening her grip on Krista and smiling playfully. Eren, who was feeling rather invisible at the moment, was pondering the implications of the woman called Ymir claiming Krista as her own. Perhaps he'd been too quick to judge what kind of relationship Levi had with the blonde girl.
"Sup, Levi? Haven't seen your mug around here in a while, where the hell ya been?" She further draped herself across Krista and put a hand on her hip, looking rather unprofessional.
"Work has kept me rather busy as of late, I apologize for not stopping by but I've been getting home late nearly every single day this month. Glad to see this place hasn't changed," he focused his silver eyes on the petite blonde as he spoke, and her cheeks colored pink once more. Ymir scowled when she noticed the exchange, but it was more of a playful rivalry than anything serious.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of being ignored, Eren received some attention from Ymir, whose eyes drifted over to him and looked him over as if he were some kind of research specimen. After a moment she smiled slyly and looked back at Levi, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, and who is this, Levi? He's cute, in a rough, boyish sort of way."
"This is Eren, he's my employee. The company was sponsoring lunch for coworkers today, and so here we are," Levi replied casually, cutting his eyes to the brunette in question and then back to Ymir, and for some inexplicable reason Eren felt his face heat up under the older male's gaze and he quickly looked away to avoid eye contact. He hoped that his boss would interpret his bashfulness as a result of Ymir's compliment instead of simply being looked at by him.
The brunette looked at Eren once more, a playful smile crossing her lips. He wasn't entirely sure he liked like the smirk she was wearing.
"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Eren. You're really lucky, you know, to be able to drag your boss outside of that stuffy office on a beautiful day like this and make him take time from his oh so busy schedule to sit down and chat. He must think rather highly of you," she gave Levi a sly wink, and he responded with a roll of his eyes and a glance at the rather expensive looking watch adorning his wrist. Eren pondered Ymir's words, and if it was really all that rare for Levi to meet with an employee outside of the office. If so, why was he the exception?
"As much as I'd love to catch up, Eren and I have a limited amount of time for our lunch break and neither of our orders have been taken," he stated bluntly, tapping his foot subtly under the table. Krista made a distressed sound and immediately rushed over to them, poised and waiting to serve.
"Yeah okay, avoid the question. I'll let Krista take care of you guys then," Ymir subtly (but not subtly enough for Eren to miss it) pinched Krista's behind playfully before taking her leave, waving behind her in farewell. The poor bashful blonde was fighting back yet another blush as she spoke.
"What can I get for you to drink, sirs?" she asked in a timid voice, hand shaking a bit as she hovered her pen over the pad of paper she held in her other hand.
"Just a cup of coffee please, black, and a glass of water, and for food I'd like an order of your crème brulee," Levi ordered before looking expectantly at Eren to follow suit.
"Ah, um…do you have any soda?" it was a stupid question, and it made Eren feel like a peasant for asking, but he simply didn't drink tea or coffee often enough to really say he enjoyed them. Krista nodded, a slight smile tugging at the sides of her mouth.
"Yes, we do. The strawberry soda we have is really good, I mean, usually everyone who comes here orders tea or coffee, but a lot of people have complimented us on it. Would you like to try it?"
The brunette's face lit up at the suggestion, and he immediately jumped on the opportunity to order something he was familiar with.
"That sounds great, and I'll take a strawberry banana crepe to go with it," Eren said perhaps a little too enthusiastically. He was just happy that they actually carried drinks that he liked. Luckily for him Levi made no judgment on his order as he handed their menus to Krista.
"Okay, I'll get your order put in and be right back with your drinks," the petite blonde bowed slightly and took her leave, and soon Eren found himself alone once more with his boss. He almost wished that Ymir would reappear, if only to take away some of the tension he was feeling. He hardly knew the woman, but she seemed like the kind of person that could diffuse any situation with some well-placed humor.
"Well, now that all that is out of the way, how about you tell me the real reason why you came to my office yesterday, Eren?" Levi asked, skipping all the personal rapport and focusing on the real issue. The brunette was taken off-guard; he hadn't expected to have to jump straight to the subject, and he swallowed hard as he felt a lump grow in his throat and his chest tighten from anxiety.
"Oh, that…um…well…"
Come on, Eren, you can do this. Do it for Armin's sake, he deserves the best.
Levi was looking at him expectantly, head resting in his hands and clearly focusing on the brunette in front of him, and Eren knew that now, when he had his bosses' undivided attention, was the time to strike. He exhaled through his nose before taking a deep, relaxing breath and willing himself to speak clearly and with at least a little bit of confidence.
"I came to you because…well, I've been with the company for a few years now, and I am an exceptionally hard worker, and I sincerely believe that it's time for me to move on from my current position…"
Levi caught on quickly enough, having dealt with employees asking for things for as long as he'd worked at that office.
"You want a promotion then, I assume?"
The question was not sarcastic, or incredulous, simply genuinely curious, and that was as much as Eren dared hope for. A new surge of confidence swelled within him, and the brunette sat up a little straighter and dared to look right into Levi's captivating silver eyes.
"Yes, sir."
Levi leaned back a bit, folding his hands neatly in front of him and contemplating for a moment. Time seemed to come to a standstill as Eren waiting for some kind of response, teetering on the edge between elation and despair, depending on the answer that the raven haired male would give. Every second that ticked by made him more of a nervous wreck, and he was glad that he had remembered to put deodorant on that morning, because he was sweating up a storm. After what seemed like an eternity, Levi replied, sitting up straight in his seat and trying to appear at least somewhat professional in such an atmosphere.
"I've watched you work, and it is true that you put much more time and effort into your career than most, that much is certain. Your request is not unreasonable, and I don't see why I couldn't pull some strings to bump you up the ladder. However, I must inform you that once you've been promoted to an Agent, you will need to find yourself a client to sponsor within one month or you will be demoted back to talent scout. The bad news is, with the shortage of actual talented models recently, I'm not entirely sure that's possible. Not only could you lose your job, you could make our entire company look unprofessional. However, if you are up for the challenge, then I will give you a chance. Sound good?"
Eren felt a whirlwind of emotions in that moment; elation at the prospect of moving up in his career, excitement at the new challenges it would bring, but also fear of the unknown factor; what if he couldn't find a model to sponsor? He will have failed himself as well as Armin, and that would be devastating. However, what was life without a bit of risk every now and then? If he never tried, how would be know if he would fail? It was new and frightening, yes, but also potentially life changing. Plus, models were generally much more fun to work with than designers, and much less grouchy.
"That sounds awesome!" Eren jumped up from his chair and without thinking grabbed Levi's hand and shook it rigorously, clasping it between both of his own hands as pure joy overtook him. For the first time since Eren had met him, Levi looked genuinely surprised, eyes widened slightly as the brunette beamed at him, smile brighter than the afternoon sun shining down on them.
"Thank you so much, sir! You won't regret this, I promise!" he had gotten so excited that his voice was practically booming, and the way he almost broke Levi's arm by shaking his hand so vigorously had attracted the attention of a couple seated a few feet away them; it was only when Eren saw their confused stares that he finally released his grip on Levi's hands and quietly sat back down, turning red at his almost childlike exuberance. Levi's silver eyes had shrunken back down to their normal size, although he still looked rather taken aback at his employee's sudden outburst.
"Sorry, I guess I got a little too excited there…" Eren chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, looking down at his feet. Luckily, before Levi could respond, Krista returned with their drinks; a steaming cup of coffee in a pink mug and a clear glass of water for Levi, and a strawberry soda served in a tall glass with a pink and white striped straw and a strawberry slice perched on the side for Eren. The blonde laughed lightly when she saw the embarrassed expression on Eren's face. It was a soft, airy sound, quiet and demure much like the girl it belonged to.
"Did something good happen, Eren? You looked so excited just now," she commented as she placed the drinks in front of their respective customer, pulling out a couple of rose printed coasters before planting the glasses on top. The brunette really wished that she hadn't taken their menus already so that he had something to hide behind. Not wanting to be rude, he nodded slightly and fought back a blush.
"Yeah, actually, I got promoted to Agent, so now I have to find someone to sponsor. Know anyone talented in modeling or designing?"
Krista rested her head in her hand, looking pensive. After a moment it looked as if a light bulb clicked on inside her head. She fidgeted a bit, shifting her weight from one leg to another as she spoke.
"Um, well, I can sew…but um…I usually just use patterns...I haven't really tried making my own design yet…so, I know that I'm not exactly what you're looking for, but if you ever need someone to put an outfit together…" she trailed off, looking down at her feet and playing with a ring on her finger. Suddenly Eren remembered the discovery he'd made the previous day.
Oh! The ring! I guess I should ask Levi if he knows who it belongs to before I give up and turn it in to lost and found…
He fingered the small golden band inside of his pocket as he smiled gently at the blonde girl, hoping to put her more at ease. She seemed to be the type of person who would open up once they felt comfortable enough to do so.
"I'll keep you in mind, Krista. I'm sure once we head towards the busy holiday months some seamstress positions will open up."
Almost instantaneously Krista's face lit up and she smiled genuinely, and Eren couldn't help but be taken aback at how much more attractive the blonde became when she was smiling. It was almost as if she was an entirely different person. In fact, the roses growing around the restaurant would be hard pressed to complete with her beauty.
"Thank you so much, Eren! I'll be back soon with your food!" Soon she was heading back into the restaurant, leaving the brunette alone with his boss once again, who was currently staring at him with an amused look. Eren looked back at him after a moment, not realizing that he'd been watching Krista long after she'd departed from their table.
"Um…why are you looking at me like that, sir?" Eren asked genuinely confused as to why his boss looked as if he'd heard some kind of priceless joke that he hadn't been privy to. Levi leaned back in his chair, arms remaining folded as he continued to look rather smug.
"Sorry to break it to you kid, but Krista is already taken, so I'd forget about pursuing that particular interest unless you want to get your ass kicked by a certain tall, freckled she wolf…" the raven haired male stated bluntly, and for the millionth time that day Eren turned beet red and shook his head vigorously to emphasize that he had not been thinking those kind of thoughts.
"T-that's not…I wasn't going to try anything…she's not really my type, anyway…" he was mumbling by the time he finished his sentence, and he was sure that he sounded less than convincing. Levi rose a thin eyebrow at his answer, intrigued that anyone could possibly consider passing up a chance to court such a fair damsel, had they the chance.
"Oh, and what is your type, then?"
It was a simple question, probably not meant to imply anything, and yet Eren couldn't help but think that it was somewhat unusual, maybe even inappropriate, for a boss to ask his employee such a thing.
"Um, I don't really know…I haven't really thought about it that much…" It was true, usually he was too busy with work or making sure that he and Armin had enough money to eat and keep the roof over their heads to think about dating. In fact, he'd only been involved in one miserable failure of a relationship in his entire life, and out of fear of not wanting to repeat the incident, he'd just steered clear of romance altogether. Levi didn't need to know that part, though.
"I see…" Levi wanted to point out that if Eren didn't know what he found attractive, then how did he know Krista wasn't his type? Obviously he'd made the kid uncomfortable already, judging by the way he was squirming in his seat, and so he decided to leave it at that.
"Anyway…" Eren quickly changed the subject before Levi could ask any more personal questions, "I wanted to ask you, um, I found this in the elevator the other day," he pulled out the small golden band from his pocket and placed it gently on the table, pushing it within Levi's reach so that he could inspect it, "any idea whose ring this might be?"
Up until that moment, Levi had been in what Eren had deemed a fair mood for his boss, smiling occasionally and even cracking a joke or two. The moment his silver eyes swept over the table to glimpse the small golden band, however, it was as if he'd seen something vile, something malicious that he looked upon with scorn, and although he hadn't uttered a word, Eren could see from the unsettled expression on his bosses' face that something was wrong. He seemed to be frozen to the spot, staring down at the piece of jewwlry with distaste.
Confused about the unexpected reaction, Eren decided to speak up, becoming uncomfortable at watching Levi be uncomfortable.
"Um…did I do something wrong, sir? If this is yours I'm sorry that I picked it up, I just didn't want it to stay lost forever…"
"It's not mine. I've never seen it before." It was an almost immediate response, and Eren found it highly suspicious that Levi hadn't even so much as picked up the ring to examine it before denying that it belonged to him. Perhaps it was from an ex? The brunette was dying to investigate further, however before he had a chance Krista returned with their food, and he snatched the ring up and shoved it back into his pocket to avoid awkward questions from the petite blonde as she placed Eren's crepe in front of him.
The rest of their lunch went rather smoothly considering Levi's random mood swing, and the food had been incredibly delicious and well worth the price. Eren paid with a voucher, and after a bit of small talk while they finished their drinks, Levi left a generous tip and walked back to the office building with Eren. Most of the way was spent talking about their dining experience, and the brunette was fine with that, because although there were so many things he was curious to know about the mysterious raven haired male, he'd ultimately gotten what he'd been after in the first place.
As they entered the sliding glass doors into the main lobby, Eren absentmindedly fingered the golden band in his pocket, and although he knew it was probably best to turn it into lost and found, a part of him was absolutely certain that despite his denial, it belonged to Levi, and some way or another, he would return it to him, if only to put his conscience to rest.
Eren pressed the button to summon the elevator, and the two of them entered the small space as soon as the doors slid open, both of them pressing the number of their respective floors. Eren really, really hated awkward silences, and so he felt obligated to say something to break the tension as the doors slid closed behind them.
"I had fun…I'm glad you recommended that place, it was really good…" Eren tried his best to start a conversation, although by the way Levi was nodding and looking off in a random direction it seemed futile.
"Mmhmm."
Eren sighed. He really probably should just shut up now, but considering they still had a few floors to go, he pushed to make the ride at least somewhat comfortable.
"Um…and thanks for the promotion, I really appreciate it…you giving me a chance that is…I can't wait to go home and tell my brother the good news. He's the one who pushed me to work harder and gave me the courage to ask you," he said, smiling fondly as he pictured the look on Armin's face when he would tell him that he'd finally done it, that things were going to start looking up for them.
Levi took notice of the contented look on Eren's face, and when he thought back to all the times he'd ever seen the brunette, he couldn't recall a single instance when he had looked so genuinely happy. For some strange reason, seeing his employee in such a good mood seemed to lift his own spirits, although it didn't show outwardly. Not one to talk about family since he had no close relatives to speak of, he avoided to subject and instead reminded Eren of his new obligations as an Agent.
"Just remember, you need to find someone to sponsor within the next month…"
The brunette didn't seem perturbed in the slightest, in fact he seemed rather sure of himself.
"No problem! I've got a talent for finding other people's talent. It's one of the few things I'm actually good at," Eren chuckled lightly, and just then the elevator came to a halt, arriving on the brunette's floor. He stepped out, holding a hand over the doors to keep them from closing as he turned to face the older male once again.
"See you tomorrow, sir!" he said cheerfully as he departed, smiling brightly and waving his goodbye, and before Levi had a chance to reply, the elevator doors slid closed, and he was alone once more. A strange, fluttering sensation began in his chest, and Levi hadn't realized until that moment that he'd been smiling.
Damn that brat, infecting me with his annoyingly cheerful attitude.
When he finally arrived on his floor, Levi's expression returned to its neutral state, and when he stepped out of the elevator and onto the shiny black surface of the lobby floor, he immediately noticed the absence of his nosy secretary Hanji, which was highly unusual, because she rarely left the office for lunch, instead usually bringing a cup of instant ramen and streaming different television shows on her phone during the break.
It was eerily silent as Levi made his way down the hall towards his office, peeking into the small makeshift kitchen that housed the floor's refrigerator to see if maybe Hanji had stowed away in there for some reason. It was empty, in fact it seemed as though the entire floor was abandoned. Levi began to feel uneasy as he fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door to his office, completely taken off guard when he saw that the lights inside were on, although he distinctly remembered switching them off when he left…
"There you are, Levi. Might I ask where you've been?"
The sound of another voice, deep and masculine, made him jump, and his attention was immediately turned in the direction of the sound. There, behind his very own work desk, sat a tall, muscular blonde with sky blue eyes fixated on him. His head rested on his hands, fingers intertwined as he stared at Levi almost judgmentally.
"Erwin. What are you doing here?" he tried to keep the trembling of being surprised out of his voice, and although he was largely successful, he still felt as if he was on trial as the blonde rose from his seat, hands behind his back and expensive dress shoes clicking on the smooth tile floor. He was dressed in what had to have been a few thousand dollar business suit, sleek and black with a matching tie. He was intimidating to say the least.
He slowly approached the shorter male, closing in on him as if he were a predator surveying its prey.
"I came to visit you, of course. It isn't very often that I get to take time away from my busy schedule to see you these days, Levi. I'm a little hurt that you forgot that I was going to be stopping by today," the blonde said in an accusatory tone, a hint of anger tinting his words. Levi instinctively backed up when he sensed an aura of danger begin to emanate from the taller male, but Erwin followed him step for step until he felt his back hit the smooth surface of the wall, effectively pinning him down.
"I was meeting with an employee…I texted you about it…" Levi swallowed hard as he attempted to talk his way out of being cornered. He felt his own anger rise within him at being interrogated in his own office, although he felt powerless to act on it. Erwin drew closer to him until only a few inches remained between the two, and the blonde shook his head, feigning sadness.
"You know I can't check my phone when I'm working, Levi. Imagine my dismay when I received your message after I arrived. Do you know how upset I was to find an empty office after coming all this way?" A calloused hand stroked Levi's cheek almost too gently, and the raven haired male attempted to pull away from the touch, not keen on public displays of affection.
It was the wrong move, only serving to fuel the blonde's rising anger, and before he had time to react Levi felt his hair being pulled back roughly as Erwin grabbed a handful of the raven locks and tugged until the shorter male winced in pain, choking back a curse. Tears of pain formed in the corners of his eyes, and Levi bit his lip harshly to distract himself.
"You have no right to deny me, Levi. Don't forget who handed you this position on a silver platter. Do you know how many qualified men and women I had to turn down to ensure that you got hired? The tabloids had a field day speculating on why a nobody like you suddenly became important overnight. I paid a hefty sum to shut them up. I had reporters in my face everyday for a month. You owe me everything, Levi, and I won't let you forget it."
As if to spare him from whatever was coming next, Levi heard the distinct chipper voice of Hanji come from the end of the hallway, and he was thankful that he hadn't had time to close the door behind him because Erwin immediately loosened his grip on the shorter male's hair when he heard the annoying secretary call for Levi. He sighed and looked into Levi's eyes, sky blue meeting silver in a heated gaze.
"I apologize for acting so rashly. You know I don't enjoy hurting you, right Levi?"
The raven haired male was not convinced in the slightest, yet he nodded anyway to avoid further confrontation. Erwin smiled brightly, a huge contrast to the dangerous behavior he'd displayed only seconds before.
"Good. I'll always take care of you, Levi, so stop pushing me away and let me do it."
"…" Levi remained silent as he looked away, wishing that he were just about anywhere else right now…
"I'll see you this weekend at the usual place. Until then," he leaned in close until his breath was hot against Levi's ear, keeping one eye open and wary of Hanji slowly approaching the office, "think of me and only me."
With that Erwin took his leave, cheerfully greeting Hanji when they met in the hallway, and Levi quickly smoothed a hand through his hair to get rid of the disheveled look the blonde had impressed on him. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and the tightness in his chest relaxed a bit at the blonde's absence. He'd tried so many things, so many different ways to cope with Erwin's unwanted advances, and none of them had yet to work. Trying to distance himself failed miserably when the taller male had such a commanding presence, and actually trying to enjoy the attention was out of the question.
He had to tolerate it, but he didn't have to enjoy it. Although he'd been present enough in mind to pull away from his touch, nearly the entire time the blonde had interacted with him Levi's mind had been elsewhere. Perhaps it was a new form of escapism on his part, but he'd found himself thinking back to his lunchtime spent with Eren; the somewhat relaxed atmosphere, the way the brunette hadn't expected anything of him, hadn't made him do anything except engage in conversation. It had been one of the rare occasions that he'd actually felt willing to stay grounded, to be present and pay attention to what someone else had to say without drifting off into his own thoughts and worries.
Although it had been for a very short while, Eren had made him forget how miserable he was, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to repay him for it. Lost in thought, he hardly noticed when Hanji popped in to check on him, apologizing for being absent because she had to pick up more ramen from the local convenience store.
"Oh! I'm really sorry I forgot to tell you that Mr. Smith arrived early, but I couldn't reach you. It kept going straight to voicemail." She pushed her glasses up her nose and gave him an apologetic look as she balanced a handful of folders in her hands.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. Go ahead and finish whatever you were doing," he tried not to sound too dismissive, but he was in no mood to chat, and Hanji took the hint, bowing slightly and closing the door behind her, careful not to slam it.
Days of stress and nights of troubled sleep finally seemed to catch up to him then, and he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as he begrudgingly walked over to his desk and plopped down into his cushy office chair, breaking his own rules and propping his feet up on the smooth varnished surface of his desktop. His hand seemed to move of its own accord as he fished a tiny key out of his pocket and used it to unlock the bottom drawer of his desk. Once the lock clicked open he pulled the drawer out and looked down at its contents with a frown.
Among a pile of outdated paperwork sat a silver flask, gleaming in the artificial incandescence of the office lights. Levi hesitated a moment before letting his withdrawal symptoms get the best of him and grabbing the small metal object, relieved when he felt liquid sloshing around inside. Wasting no time he popped open the lid and inhaled the familiar scent of whiskey, harsh and distinct yet oddly comforting.
He brought the flask to his lips and tilted it, opening his mouth and bracing himself as the bitter liquid washed over his tongue, burning his throat as he swallowed. It wasn't enough to get him drunk since he had to drive home, but it certainly did help to take the edge off his anxiety. He exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his chair, studying the ceiling and cursing the almost sterile whiteness of the walls.
If only annoyingly upbeat brats came in a bottle.
"Armin! I'm home!" Eren called out as he crossed the threshold into the house, scratching Annie behind the ears when she jumped up to greet him. When he heard no response, Eren deduced that Armin must be shut up in his room, reading or taking a nap as he often did on his days off. The brunette could barely contain his excitement over the good news, and he'd been in an amazingly good mood ever since he'd parted with Levi on the elevator. He'd even caught himself singing along to a few songs on the radio during the drive home. He dropped his messenger bag on the floor beside the door and kicked off his shoes before ascending the stairs, Annie on his heels. When he arrived on the second floor he heard Armin's muffled voice coming from behind his closed door, and although he wasn't one to pry, he couldn't help but listen in. He quietly tip toed over to the door, resting his ear against it in an attempt to hear better.
"You're so cute…I'm really glad that I found you before anyone else did…"
It was faint, as if the blonde was trying to keep his voice hushed, and Eren wondered just who in the world Armin was talking to, and with a confused look on his face he continued to listen, hoping against hope that the blonde hadn't invited some girl over while he was gone…
"You want to play, don't you? I'm sorry, I don't really have any toys, so I guess my fingers will have to do."
Eren's face heated and he flushed bright red, the implications of Armin's statement sinking in, and suddenly he wondered if he really should be listening to this…
"Ow! Hey! No biting! I know you're feisty but geeze…"
Although no one was looking, Eren buried his face in his hands out of sheer embarrassment. Not only was his practically little brother fooling around with someone, they were getting kinky about it! Annie had grown bored and plopped down in front of Eren's door, head between her paws as she drifted off to sleep.
"Let's move to the bed, my knees are starting to hurt from kneeling on this hard wood floor."
Shit, should I do something? I mean, I know he's a teenager and all and that this was inevitable but still…
Eren heard the distinct sound of someone climbing onto the bed as the frame creaked, and he was practically sweating from the implications…
"Finished already? Geeze, we just started. I guess you can sleep on me if you really want to, though."
That was it, Eren couldn't have whoever had sullied Armin's innocence to take a nap in his house, under his roof. With a new found conviction, Eren knocked on the door, the sound resounding throughout the hallway.
"Armin, I need to talk to you, right now!" it came out angrier than he'd intended, but damn it, he wasn't about to let whoever laid hands on his precious little brother get away scot free. He heard a rustling of blankets and few hushed words that sounded like instructions to stay there and hide before footsteps sounded on the other side and Armin hesitantly opened the door, cracking it wide enough to show his face but not wide enough to be inviting.
"Oh! Eren! You're home early…" he sounded rather nervous, and Eren looked him over in search of any evidence of foul play. The blonde must have been rather good at hiding things, because although he stared at Armin for a good minute, he couldn't find a hair out of place. The brunette furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms, giving Armin a less than pleased look.
"Spare me the small talk, Armin, I know you're hiding something, I heard everything just now!"
The blonde turned white as a sheet at the statement and his sapphire blue eyes widened in surprise. Despite the obvious signs that he was lying, he denied any involvement.
"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not hiding anything…" before he could say anything else, Eren pushed open the door and brushed the blonde aside. He headed straight for twin sized bed, which was usually neatly made, eying the messed up sheets and blankets with suspicion.
"What are you doing?! Stop!" Armin protested as Eren approached the bed, grabbing a handful of the sheets and pulling them back. Before he could reveal whatever lie beneath them, however, Armin grabbed his wrist in an attempt to stop him. It didn't work, however, and the brunette pulled away from him with ease, intent on seeing for himself what the lump beneath the covers was.
"I'm going to find out who's been in here with you and make them pay…" he quickly pulled back all the layers of blankets to reveal the being that had dared to touch his little brother….
Only to find a small, extremely adorable grey kitten staring up at him with big blue eyes.
"What the…" he stared in shock at the tiny creature, still unable to comprehend why he'd found a feline instead of a human being in his brother's bed. After a moment of staring down at the kitten he turned to look at Armin, who was practically in tears.
"I knew you wouldn't want me to keep him, because he's another mouth to feed, but…I just couldn't leave him all alone…I found him under the porch..." a few warm, salty tears began to stream down the blonde's face, and Eren's previously pissed off expression softened into one of understanding as he pulled Armin into a gentle embrace.
"I'm sorry, Armin. I didn't know you were just hiding a kitten in here. I know you love animals way too much to abandon him. I guess I don't really mind if you keep him, as long as you clean his litter box," he patted Armin's head and broke away from the hug to give him a gentle smile, and the blonde immediately brightened up, eyes shining with excitement.
"Really? You're the best, Eren!" he squeezed Eren tightly once more before running over to the bed and scooping up the kitten in arms, nuzzling his face into the soft grey fur.
"Did you hear that, kitty? You get to stay here with us!"
Eren smiled as he watched his adopted little brother lavish the kitten with attention, and now that he was calm enough to think, he decided that now would be the time to share the good news with Armin. Before he could speak, however, the blonde turned to him, sitting on the edge of the bed as he cradled the tiny feline in his arms. His eyebrows furrowed in consternation as the brunette's earlier implications finally sunk in.
"Wait a minute, what do you mean you didn't know I was just hiding a kitten? What in the world did you think I was…" blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he glimpsed the slight pink flush on Eren's cheeks, and he himself turned bright red with embarrassment at just what the brunette had assumed he'd been doing behind closed doors.
"Eren! Get your mind out of the gutter! I'd never do anything like that…at least not when I knew you were coming home soon…"
As much as Eren wanted to pick on the blonde for the "at least" part, he figured that he'd probably put Armin through enough embarrassment for one day. The brunette rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and decided that if there were ever a time for a change of subject, now would be ideal.
"Sorry…anyway! Something really awesome happened at work today!" he said, excitement building in his voice as he leaned forward, green eyes practically sparkling. Armin normally wouldn't have let his brother off for accusing him of doing perverted things so easily, but the way the brunette was looking at him now had him intrigued. He stroked the sleeping kitten in his lap, the tiny feline's purring reverberating across his skin.
"Really? What? Tell me!" he exclaimed, immediately lowering his voice when the kitten stirred in its slumber.
Eren puffed his chest out proudly and put his hands on his hips in an almost heroic pose.
"I got promoted to Agent!"
Armin's eyes immediately lit up and he smiled wide, ecstatic that Eren had finally gotten the acknowledgment he deserved. He silently congratulated himself as well for prompting the brunette to take action.
"That's great, Eren! Congratulations! I take it your lunch meeting went well, then?"
"Yeah, it was pretty fun, actually. Levi's a pretty nice guy once you get to know him a little," he smiled fondly as he remembered his boss opening up little by little, smiling and telling jokes as if he were a completely different person.
"That's good, I'm glad you guys are getting along. Hey! I know! We should celebrate by ordering pizza and playing video games all night!" Armin exclaimed, jumping up and placing the kitten gently down onto the bed before fishing out his cellphone to dial the number to their favorite pizza parlor.
"Sounds great! Let's go to the gas station and get some soda while we wait!" Eren said excitedly, already heading to his room to get changed into casual clothes for the rest of the evening. Things were finally looking up for the two of them, who had basically started from scratch to build a comfortable family life, and Eren swore to himself that somehow, someway, he would share the happiness he felt with Levi, who seemed like he could use it most of all.
I promise I'll make it up to you, Levi, just wait!
