Two Weeks Later

Eren's POV

I woke with a start when Jean's alarm clock went off, beeping insistently for what I swear was a full two minutes before Jean actually woke up and got up to turn it off. Grateful that Jean had finally gotten his lazy butt out of bed to stop the annoying sound, I slid out of bed, stopping at my dresser to grab a towel and some clothes before going into the bathroom and turning the shower on.

Normally, I would try my best to go back to sleep after Jean's alarm had gone off, but today was the first day that either of us actually had to be awake for something: today was the day that classes started. Since I didn't have to be at my class for two hours (I didn't want to set my own alarm; it was easier to just use Jean's), I found myself with a bit of free time, and elected to go to a coffee shop that I'd seen on my way to the school after I'd finished my shower. I ended my shower swiftly, since Jean still needed to get ready for his class (which started a lot earlier than mine), quickly getting dressed and grabbing my backpack that was full of all of my textbooks (which I'd only bought last week) and heading out the door of the dorm without telling Jean where I was going. It wasn't like he would care anyway.

The drive to the coffee shop was quick, considering how close it was to the dorm. Once I'd arrived, I walked up to the counter, only to see that the barista was none other than Marco Bott, Jean's freckled friend whom I'd met on the day I'd moved in.

He offered a small wave in greeting, and then, for no apparent reason, spoke to me in Spanish. "¡Hola, Eren! ¿Cómo estas?" Then, with a chuckle, he added, "¿Te gusta beber la café, hm?"

For a moment I recalled Jean calling Marco a Mexican, and I briefly took note of the fact that that was, in fact, true.

All I could understand of what he'd said was "Hola, Eren," and my confusion at the rest was apparently visible on my face, because Marco was grinning and had a hand by his mouth to stifle his laughter if need be. "Shut up, Marco, it's not funny."

"Yeah, then why are you smiling?"

I fake-scowled, still smiling just like he'd said I was. "Shut up and make me my coffee, Freckles."

"Yeah, okay. What do you want?"He was still grinning, and I could tell that he would be for a little while.

"French vanilla latte, please."

Marco burst out laughing, using one hand to clutch his stomach and the other to hold himself up via the counter. Eventually he composed himself again and wiped his eye with the back of his hand. "Dude, that's like, the white-girliest drink ever. Aside from pumpkin spice, that is."

I crossed my arms and fake-pouted, chuckling. "Fuck you, Marco."

"Okay, okay." He put his hands up defensively, typing in my order and chuckling lightly. "I'm sorry for laughing at you. But on another note, you're a friend, and you pretty much just made my day-"

"But I didn't do anything!"

"I don't care, you made my day better anyway. So, as I was saying, you made my day, so I'll pay for half the cost of your drink.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to do that, Marco."

"Yeah, I know." He nodded. "But I'm doing it anyway. I'm also going to take a break, since there's no one else here, ad you and I are gonna have coffee together." He looked up at me and saw the shocked look on my face, chuckling again before saying, "no, not like that. Sure, you're a friend and all, but I don't want to date you." He looked down at the counter, his cheeks turning a bit pink as he continued. "There is someone, though..."

"Oh my gosh, Marco." I knew I probably sounded like a white teenage girl, but I honestly didn't care. White girl voice to go with my white girl drink, I supposed. "Hurry up, make the coffees get your ass to a table, because you're telling me all about this."

He chuckled. "No, I'm not. But anyway, go pick a table." Gesturing around the empty room he added, "there's plenty to choose from."

"Yeah, alright, I'm going." I shrugged my backpack higher onto my shoulder and turned away from the counter, choosing a table in an area of the shop that seemed quiet (well, really, the whole place was quiet, but seeing as Marco and I were the only ones here, but still. It seemed quiet in that corner), setting my bag on an empty chair and sitting down to wait for Marco, who eventually showed up with our drinks and sat across from me.

"Here you go, Miss." Marco snickered as he handed me my drink, and I could tell from the look on his face that he thought he was the smartest motherfucker to ever walk the Earth for coming up with that one.

I smiled and rolled my eyes, taking the cup. "Ha ha, very funny, Marco."

Marco, in reply, smirked and put a hand to his chest. "I know."

I laughed again. Damn, what was it with this freckled kid and making me laugh so much? Whatever it was, it didn't matter. I was on a mission (which I would probably give up on very easily). A mission to find out who Marco liked.

Holy shit that sounded lame.

Oh well.

I took my drink and thanked him, setting it off to the side for a moment and leaning forward, placing my elbows on the table and resting my chin on my hands. "So," I asked with a smirk and a curious tone. "Who is it?"

"Uhh... who is who?" Marco leaned back in his seat, pretending to not know what I was talking about as his face turned slightly pink and he shifted his eyes from side to side.

"Oh, come on, Freckles. You know what I mean. Who do you like?"

"Somebody."

"Who?" I leaned forward on my elbows.

Marco crossed his arms defiantly, turning his head to the side and angling his chin up slightly. "I'm not telling."

"Okay." I shrugged.

Marco uncrossed his arms and looked back at me. "Wait, really? You're going to give up that easily?"

I shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Oh, okay. So, Eren. why'd you decide to come to the shop today?"

"Because I wanted my morning latte? Why does anyone go to coffee shops?" I moved my chin off of my hands, crossing my arms on the table.

"True, true."

A short silence stretched between us before I spoke again. "So, who's your roommate? What're they like?"

"My roommate? His name is Armin Arlert. He's blonde, and he kind of resembles a coconut? He plays a lot of video games, but it's all stuff like Mario and Zelda. But he's really smart too, don't get me wrong. That kid's a like a fucking genius."

I took a long sip of my coffee before replying. "He sounds cool."

Marco nodded. "He really is." Then, his smile widening, he added, I'd ask you about your roommate, but I already know him pretty well."

I laughed. "Yeah, you do."

We talked for a while longer, and I learned that Marco was born in Mexico (he spoke fluent Spanish, but had no trace whatsoever of an accent when he spoke in English, which he was fluent in as well), his parents still lived there, and once he graduated from college, he hoped to go back to Mexico to be an English teacher (profesor de ingles, he called it) at a high school. He also told me that he was getting a teaching degree in math too, just in case English didn't work out. I also felt like I'd gotten extremely close to making him accidentally blurt out the name of who he liked, but he never did.

At this point, my coffee was about halfway gone.

"You know, Eren, you haven't said much about yourself."

I shrugged. "There isn't much to say. I was born in the U.S., never planned to leave it-and I still don't," I took a moment to think about what to say before continuing. "I'm never going to move back in with my parents if possible. I'm majoring in biology, and I think that I want to be a teacher, too. My sister Mikasa, who's three years older than me, also goes here and holy shit is she overprotective."

"Oh come on, there's gotta be more than that."

"No, not really."

Marco opened his mouth to say something in protest, but was cut off by the sound of a bell as the door of the shop opened and a group of students came inside. Considering how quiet it had been before they'd entered, I could hear their conversation fairly clearly.

"But come on, it'll be so much fun!" A woman with brown hair and glasses that looked like goggles was pestering one of her companions, a short, raven-haired man who wore an almost bored expression on his face.

"Hanji, I've told you already. I'm not going."

I didn't know what they were talking about, and I didn't get to hear any more, because Marco stood up and said, "Well, I'd better go help them. I'll see you around, okay, Eren?"

"Yeah, sure thing, Marco." I waved at him as he walked back towards the counter.

I sat quietly where I was while the group ordered and got their drinks, trying to decide on a table after they had. I grimaced when I saw one of them, a tall blonde with outrageously thick eyebrows, point at a table directly beside the one where I was. I saw the rest of the them nod in agreement (save for the man from before, he seemed pretty apathetic), and then the entire group of the five students began waling my direction On the way to the table, one of them tripped, catching himself before he could make it to the floor, but biting his tongue when he did, ending up falling to the floor anyway. He was followed down by a petite girl with strawberry-blonde hair, who knelt beside him to try and help him.

I could hear her speaking to him. "Oluo! Oh god, not again! Are you okay?"

The one who's name was apparently Oluo opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly closed it again when a small trickle of blood fell from between his lips.

The short one spoke when it had been made apparent that Oluo wasn't going to. "Tch. How disgusting. He's fine Petra, leave him be." The small girl looked up at him with concern in her eyes.

"But Levi-"

Levi, the aforementioned short one, cut her off through gritted teeth. "He's fine, Petra. He's only bitten his tongue again. Erwin," he turned and looked up at Eyebrows, "take him to the restroom so he can clean himself up."

"Sure, Levi." Erwin helped Oluo back onto his feet and led him to a bathroom, and the other three went back on their way towards me, only to stop again when Levi raised a hand to stop them and looked directly at me with narrowed eyes.

I felt myself shrink back into my seat when he spoke. "What're you looking at, brat?"

"N-nothing." I stood up, slinging my backpack strap over my shoulder and picking up my coffee. "I was just leaving."

None of them said anything as I walked away through the shop, and their attention was (thankfully) taken off of me when Erwin and Oluo came back out of the bathroom. I could only hope that none of them remembered I was there as I made my exit. To my dismay, however, I could feel a pair of eyes following me. By the time I'd made it to the door, I'd become very curious as to who it was, so I stole a quick glance over my shoulder. I saw that the smaller girl, Petra, was sitting beside Oluo, and from the expression on her face I could tell she was speaking to him in a concerned tone. Hanji and Eyebrows (his name had escaped me at the time) seemed to be having a deep, meaningful conversation, and Levi wasn't speaking to any of them.

He was staring directly at me.

Our eyes met for a moment, and for some reason, I felt me face heat up a bit as I turned away and exited the shop.

I briefly wondered why he hadn't been talking with his friends, but ultimately decided that I didn't care and that it wasn't my business. Even if I wanted to know, I would likely never find out; judging from how he'd spoken to me earlier, Levi didn't like when people stuck their noses in other people's business. Walking away from the small shop, I got into my car and drove to the building where I had my first class of the day.

Listening to a lecture would certainly take my mind off of him.

Woo, chapter 3!

And Eren and Levi meet.

And Eren likes French Vanilla lattes.

And Marco is a Mexican.

That's what I get for writing during Spanish class.

Translation of stuff that Marco said:

¡hola, Eren! ¿cómo estas?: "Hi, Eren! how are you?

¿te gusta beber la café, hm?: you like to drink coffe, hm?

profesor de ingles: english teacher

sorry if my Spanish isn't perfect, I'm not fluent. All I know is what I've learned from my Spanish 1 class at school.

(*cough*atleastididntusegoogletranslate*cough*)

actually I shouldn't say that, cause I'm probably going to use it later.

Oops.

It sure would be nice if there was someone who could speak French that would be willing to help me *wink wink nudge nudge*