A/N: Since I've already apologized in advance for the upcoming sporadic updates, I'm not going to apologize again because no one wants to hear me whine about the story of my life. At least I'm consistently inconsistent, give me that, geez!
Well, here we are, chapter 8 already. Wow. Thanks a million to all my readers, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. To those who followed and favorited, thanks a BILLION! And a SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT to my reviewers (you know who you are sweeties). The support is great and I hope the story continues to uhm...make you feel whatever it was making you feel up until this point (especially if it's addiction).
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own SNK, its characters or any other brands mentioned in this story. I wish.
Enjoy.
The day after a binge drinking spree was always exceptionally painful for Eren, and this Saturday was no different. Luckily he had no commitments for the day, unlike the last time he'd had a rough night out; he shuddered at the memory of the pain he suffered enduring that godawful exam in a state similar to this. Today, however, Eren decided to just waste his day in bed recovering. As he drifted in and out of sleep, the brunette tried to fill in the few blanks in his memory. The sporadic lapses of memory didn't bother the brunette since he knew that it was Reiner that had put him to bed, which was the most important thing in his mind: as long as he could remember how he got home and who put him in bed, Eren was satisfied that he hadn't gone too far overboard. And clearly remembering Reiner's mothering from the night before, or rather from the ungodly hours of this morning, Eren didn't bother much with the other details of the night. Aside from his cadet recruiter encouraging him to consume an unhealthy amount of shooters, nothing about the night seemed out of the ordinary.
After sleeping most of the day away, Eren woke feeling moderately better. He fixed himself a massive, strangely healthy sandwich and wolfed it down before heading to the shower. A cool shower usually did wonders to his state after a night out. While undressing, Eren found his mind wandering to Levi for some or other unknown reason. Too groggy to truly ponder why or even be disturbed by the fact that he was thinking about the egotistical douchebag while getting naked, Eren let his thoughts wander. The thoughts swam through Eren's mind as he stepped into the shower and leaned against the cold wall, letting the cool water rain down on him to wash away the filth of inebriation.
What is Levi doing today? Is he hung over or is he one of those people who don't get hangovers? He doesn't look like the type to get hangovers…lucky him. I wonder if he likes hot or cold showers. He looked like he likes them cold. Everything about him looks cold. I wonder why he's like that? He's so…weird. Something is seriously off about him. What does he do for a living anyway? I bet he's a coroner…
The teen finally caught up with his mind, and when he realized he'd been thinking of Levi while in the shower, he snapped himself upright, nearly falling to the ground because of the sudden movement, and immediately busied himself. With an unimpressed and humorless laugh, Eren promptly set to washing himself, eager to get his mind busy lest he continue wondering about the strange man that had showed up in his life so suddenly.
Is there any other way to show up in someone's life?
Once he looked, smelt and felt human again, Eren headed to the airport to visit the control tower. He vaguely remembered Hanji mentioning that she would be at work today, and even if she wasn't, Eren would rather spend the day watching and listening to air traffic than risking his mind wandering again. If not Levi then Eren was sure his mind would wander to what had brought the man into his life in the first place – his accident. The last thing he wanted to do today was think about how he managed to write off a perfectly functional aircraft.
Just as Eren had hoped, Hanji was indeed on duty. After climbing dozens of stairs to reach the top of the tallest building on the massive airport property, Hanji was quick to buzz Eren in and greet him with the same singing tune she always used when she called his name. Her eyes were sparkling and full of life as she welcomed Eren into her domain, her energetic demeanor giving absolutely no indication that she'd been out drinking the night before.
How does she do that? Eren wondered. He could have six beers and he'd wake up groggy and in a mood that would chase Satan off. After the amount Hanji had drunk last night, Eren was surprised the woman was even alive.
"Eren!" Hanji scolded. "You look so tired!"
"Yeah, I was pretty wasted last night," Eren admitted with a smile. He sat himself down on the seat the ground controller, Moblit, would usually occupy and looked around. Hanji was alone today, which wasn't uncommon on weekends when the air traffic flow was low. "I don't know how you're functioning right now. Since when have you been on duty?"
"Since twelve," Hanji said. Eren knew it was nearly five so Hanji would probably be working until the airport closed at eight. "And as for how I can function, I've come up with a little concoction that reduces the alcohol in the bloodstream and simultaneously re-hydrates a person, thus eliminating the possibility of a hangover."
"Came up with?" Eren questioned.
"Yip!" Hanji beamed. "I made it all by myself. Granted, it tastes a bit foul but it's still a prototype. I'm sure I can make it more palatable."
Eren laughed. How one woman could be so dedicated to her work and her love for science and still have endless amounts of energy was truly beyond the teen. But as baffling as it was, it was truly inspiring. Hanji was living proof that regardless of one's career, there will always be time for hobbies and the likes. And with the enthusiasm and energy that tackled both her career and her blooming passion for all things science related, the woman was nothing short of an idol for Eren. Granted, the teen had once or twice suspected Hanji's energy reserved to be in constant credit due to cocaine, but the brunette knew Hanji better; the woman wouldn't come within ten miles of any drug if she could help it.
Just then, a familiar beating sound crackled through the radio as a pilot on the frequency depressed their PTT button. Eren's jaw clenched – the thing he hated most about helicopters was the poor quality of their transmissions: most of the time, the rotor blades could be heard beating away in the background, muffling the pilot's voice to the extent that some transmissions weren't even readable. And those idiots wondered why fixed-wing pilots hated them so.
"Karanese, Lima Alpha Hotel."
Eren's breath caught at the sound of that familiar voice. His undivided attention was on the radio now, keen to hear more of that velvety baritone.
"Lima Alpha Hotel, go ahead."
A small smiled played on the brunette's lips as he watched Hanji search the skies to the north through binoculars. It amazed him how she could switch from mad, rambling scientist to professional air traffic controller in the blink of an eye. Eren wouldn't deny that it often made him wonder if the woman was not perhaps schizophrenic, but he didn't dare ask lest he be thrust into a conversation about psychological disorders that would never come to an end. He got more than enough medical talk when around Armin, he didn't need that noise to follow him to his sanctuary as well.
"Hanji, I want to land."
Hanji laughed before responding. "How the hell do you have a radio licence, Levi? You're cleared inbound four thousand six hundred feet or below, QNH is the same as when you left. Report ready to cross the active."
Levi clicked his PTT button twice in acknowledgement of his instructions, causing Hanji to laugh again. She turned to Eren and said, "This man is unbelievable, isn't he?"
"Bloody arrogant is what he is!" Eren snapped. Unbelievable and arrogant but…kind of cool. Eren would never have the guts to talk over the radio like that in controlled airspace. Even in uncontrolled airspace, he kept his broadcasts professional just as he was taught when still training.
Hanji cried out in laughter. "Well, he did almost kidnap you last night so why are we even surprised by this?"
"K-kidnap?"
The teen's mind immediately began a frantic attempt to fill in the little blanks that had been left behind because of his inebriated state. But the only things he came up with were the exact same things he had remembered when he first pieced his night together – serving Hanji's table, getting roped into their night out, too many shots to count and fun and laughter all around. When and how had the chopper pilot almost kidnapped him? And more importantly, how the hell had his brain omitted this vital piece of information?
"You don't remember?" Eren shook his head, his face devoid of all emotion. "Oh! Well after we got pretty drunk, you started craving macaroni and he was going to take you to his house to give you some."
"To his house?" Eren choked out. He could not believe what he was hearing.
"Yip!" Hanji sang. She shot Eren a frighteningly ecstatic glare. "It's kind of sweet, if you're into creepy."
"Uh…I'm not into any…" Eren started, but Hanji cut him off.
"Your massive rhino of a friend literally wrestled you out of Levi's arms. Shorty was not impressed with that."
"Reiner?"
"I think so. He refused to believe that you were going willingly. Granted, Levi did carry you to the car, but you did get in by yourself. So…technically, I don't think it's kidnapping. Or is it?"
Mortified could not even begin to describe how Eren felt. How had he almost gone home with a strange man, a rich, egotistical douchebag nonetheless, while drunk? How damn desperate must he have been for that macaroni to put himself in that sort of danger? He decided then and there to buy Reiner a case of beer to thank his friend for saving him from…Eren didn't even want to think about what could've happened if Reiner hadn't gotten to him on time. For all he knows, Levi could be a serial killer with a nasty fetish for picking up young men and dismembering them while alive, flying all over the country in his helicopter and dropping body parts to the ground every twenty miles to avoid being caught.
Eren shuddered at the thought of what excruciating pain one would be in while being dismembered alive.
"Ready to cross."
"Lima Aplha Hotel, cleared to cross runway two-niner, report safe on the ground." Hanji groaned and rubbed her temples. "I really hate the way he talks on the radio. I bet he won't even report safe."
"Why not report him?" Eren snapped. Oh how he wished he had that authority.
"He's my friend," Hanji replied. Eren scoffed at the idea of anyone wanting to be friends with that man. But then again, he wouldn't really put it passed Hanji to be friends with a serial killer. "He's really not so bad. I promise this is the first time he's ever tried to kidnap someone."
That you know of, Eren added mentally.
What a fuck up, Levi thought for the hundredth time today as he walked across the apron back to the terminal. He still couldn't get over the fact that he'd been so damn close to taking Eren home, only to be cock-blocked by that idiotic rhino that claimed to be the brunette's friend. And he definitely couldn't get over the fact that Erwin had not only let the brute take Eren away, but also that the man had managed to guilt-trip Levi into submission yet again. Levi wondered if he'd ever escape the hold Erwin had over him, but quickly realized that his life without that sort of restraint and direction would be no life at all. Erwin had instilled an odd but powerful sense of respect in Levi, one Levi would most likely never turn on. Despite the moments where he hated the mental gag-order, truth be told, he would forever be indebted to the man. He'd saved Levi's life, so Levi owed him unquestionable loyalty and utmost respect.
If only that fucking brat would think the same way, Levi thought. Fucking ungrateful little shit.
Because he was unable to relieve the sexual frustration that had been compounding all week, and since that very same frustration dramatically escalated the night before when what he thought was a sure lay was yanked from him, Levi resorted to the next best form of stress relief: a flight to the spa to get a full body massage. As much as he hated people touching him, he desperately needed to wind down. He could physically feel his muscles knotting as his frustration translated into tension in his muscles. But who was he kidding? A man like himself could never feel relaxed because of something as mundane as getting rubbed down from head to toe. And now after wasting thousands of dollars on a flight he never planned to undertake and hundreds of dollars on a massage that did absolutely nothing to his state, Levi was in a worse mood than he was when he woke up at five AM thanks to his neighbor's house-alarm that wouldn't shut up.
As he powered his way to the terminal at a brisk pace that most people a foot taller than him wouldn't be able to maintain, his mind wondered to Eren, not for the first time that day. What would've happened if he had managed to get Eren to his house? Would Eren have accepted his advances or would the teen have freaked out and run off? Levi wasn't even sure about the brunette's sexual orientation but for the most part didn't care, simply because he knew how to get what he hadn't seriously thought of the possibility of Eren actually rejecting his advances. While Levi reasoned that Eren was probably drunk enough to give into whatever would make him feel good, Levi couldn't be sure just what level of restraint the teen had. Although that would qualify as taking advantage of Eren, Levi dismissed it as thinking anything would be taking advantage of Eren based purely on the boy's age.
"Ugh," Levi groaned, clenching his fists. "I don't care! I want him and I will get him."
With nothing better to do with the rest of his afternoon, Levi decided to visit Hanji. Maybe the woman knew someone decent that he could sleep with, just to get a little of the edge off. Now that he was no longer in the mood to go out, he couldn't fathom expending energy on finding someone to bed. And the last thing he wanted to do was call someone he'd already been with, because all Levi wanted to do was fuck – no conversation, no names, not even a hello if possible. He wanted to stick it in someone and fuck the hell out of them, pretending to fuck Eren, and then move on with his life.
Hanji was quick to answer the intercom and delighted when she heard Levi's voice demand that she open the door. He deftly made way up the dozens of stairs, his fit body ghosting up the incline as if it were level ground. At the second security gate, he was about to push the buzzer but paused when he heard a familiar yet strained voice coming from the tower.
"…hang out with other pilots, okay!" a very familiar voice said. "It's making me…"
"Jealous?" Hanji tried.
"Yeah. I don't like that I can't fly right now. I don't like that I might never be able to fly again."
Not caring to hear anymore, and keen to see the pretty face of the owner of that sweet voice, Levi buzzed the buzzer. The gate immediately unlocked and he swung it open only to be met with those breath-taking oceanic eyes with more sadness in them than a little girl orphaned in war. A lump formed in Levi's throat at the sight of the teen's depressed eyes as Eren stood before him, awkwardly seeking permission to slip past and leave. Eren only waited a second and when Levi didn't move, he pushed passed Levi before bolting down the stairs, his long legs easily taking four at a time.
"What the fuck was that all about?" Levi asked, popping his head around the corner to see Hanji staring at the door with sad eyes.
"Poor thing," Hanji said. "He was just telling me about the crash investigation. If he's found guilty as the cause of the accident he could lose his licence."
Without another word, Levi turned on his heel and bolted down the stairs in much the same fashion as Eren had, but instead of four steps, he could only manage three at a time. He ignored Hanji calling after him, his sole focus now on getting to Eren before Eren disappeared again. Levi didn't know if he would be able to handle not communicating with the brat at all again, especially knowing Eren had his number and just didn't want to call. He had to get Eren to call, or at least get the teen's number. The odds of another chance encounter were slim, and Levi was not about to let this precious opportunity slip through his fingers.
Levi found Eren in the airport's small parking lot straddling a small but beautiful black and green Suzuku 250cc motorbike. The plain black helmet sat atop the fuel tank as Eren's crossed arms held it in place, his head face-down against his forearms. The brunette was motionless as he lay against his helmet, oblivious to Levi's advance.
"Oi," Levi called when he was near enough. Eren's head snapped up and sad oceanic eyes met with stormy grey ones. "What the fuck was that all about?"
"Why do you care?" Eren muttered.
The raven came to a standstill two meters in front of Eren and crossed his arms impatiently, glaring at the teen. That answered one of Eren's questions from earlier: no, Levi was not hung over today. The man looked fresh as can be and meaner than ever. In other words, he looked normal.
"You almost crushed me against a wall and threw me down a dozen stairs," Levi said. "I want to know why some brat almost paralyzed me."
With a huff of annoyance and not a stitch of remorse, Eren muttered something that sounded like an apology. Levi smirked internally at the simple victory; first he'd gotten Eren to thank him and now he'd gotten the teen to say sorry. The next thing he wanted coming out of that boy's mouth is his name. In breathless ecstasy.
"So?" Levi prompted when Eren said nothing else.
"It's none of your business," Eren mumbled.
"Tch. Maybe you should take Hanji up on the offer for a psychologist."
"What?" Eren hissed.
How sexy when mad. How beautiful when sad. Levi loved how full of expression the teen was. Those bright eyes couldn't hide a single emotion even if the teen tried. They were like wide-open gates straight into his emotional mind, allowing all who was willing to pry to read him like an open book. And oh how Levi loved to read. He loved stripping down a person layer by layer, laying them bare before him so that he could see the deepest parts of their souls. Yet with Eren that wouldn't be necessary; the teen would lay himself bare for Levi, and Levi would simply devour the intricacies of the brunette's emotional mind.
Levi sighed. "You're grounded, right?" A look of shock and then shame came across Eren's features, but ultimately defeat held its place. He averted his eyes and nodded slowly. Pity surged through Levi but it didn't show on his features or in his bored voice. "Come fly with me."
"Huh?" Eren's head snapped up and he saw the man staring at him impassively. "Say again?"
"Come fly with me."
"No thanks."
Levi glared at Eren, annoyed by the blunt rejection. Heat shimmered beneath his skin as he fought the urge to kick the ungrateful brat to the ground and give him a piece of his mind, but of course, he held himself still. As much as he wanted to thrust his clenched fist into the teen's obnoxious, thick skull, Levi cringed at the mere thought of Eren's beautiful face swollen and bruised. The brat was damn lucky that Levi was such a shallow bastard.
In an even and quite voice, Levi said, "You're grounded and it's obviously bothering you. If you want to fly, I can take you. Name the time and place."
Did that sound desperate or creepy? Levi wondered.
Neither, apparently, because Eren simply snorted, that familiar glint of defiance returning to his eyes. "I miss flying, sure, but I have my pride."
The raven's eyes narrowed into slits and he took a step closer to Eren. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, you shitty brat?"
Eren visibly flinched at the harsh tone in Levi's voice, which pleased the man. But it did not please him nearly enough to douse the sting of the insult. And to add salt to the wound, the boy had the audacity to elaborate, clearly misunderstanding the implication of the question being rhetorical.
"I'd rather be grounded than fly that piece of shit Robinson again," Eren stated. His words were strong but his voice wasn't.
If Levi weren't so insulted, he'd have laughed at the brat's poor attempt at defiance. No one could stand up to Levi without cowering, except Erwin, and perhaps Hanji but that was because that woman was too insane to care about the consequences of pissing Levi off. While Levi wanted to give kudos to the teen for trying, the insult left a bitter taste in Levi's mouth and now the urge to floor the kid and beat him to within an inch of death reared strongly within Levi.
"You're an ungrateful piece of shit, you know that?" Levi hissed. To hell with not stooping down to a teenager's level to argue. This teenager just crossed the line. Nobody calls his multi-million dollar plaything a 'piece of shit'. "Didn't your mother ever teach you fucking manners?"
Something in Eren changed, and Levi immediately noticed it. The boy's posture when rigid and his eyes lost all defiance and before it was replaced with a perfect void, pain as deep as the black of a starless and moonless night flashed in his eyes for just a fraction of a second. Eren immediately dropped his head, slipped his helmet on and started his motorbike. Levi stepped back, shocked into silence as he watched Eren start up his bike and drive off without so much as another word.
Eren didn't say what he wanted to say before driving off. If my mother could've, I'm sure she would've. He had no energy left to argue, no desire to fight. He wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of knowing he was riled up and emotional because of a few nasty words. Because it wasn't just a few nasty words that had Eren riled up and on the verge of tears. It was the possibility that his career, his life, was over before it even began. It was knowing that he was in this alone because no one was there to support him. His best friends were too busy with their own lives to be able to help him work through this, and even Marco, his partner in the crash, was unavailable to support Eren. His father probably didn't even know he'd been in an accident in the first place and his mother…well. She was dead.
He hadn't thought about it until now but Eren realized just how alone he really was in this fiasco. No one understood and no one could possibly understand how he was feeling. Maybe Levi was right, maybe he really should consider taking Hanji up on that offer.
As Erwin had promised himself, he got Levi out for drinks. No one in the isolated raven's life had a clue what was going on with the man, in fact, no one even realised something was different about the man, but Erwin had noticed and it was time he confronted Levi about it. About Eren. And Levi knew this. Levi was acutely aware that Erwin had the capability of reading him like a book – much to his annoyance – so there was no use in avoiding the topic any longer. Levi had seen this talk coming from that first time he asked about Eren two weeks ago. Has it really only been two weeks?
Only two weeks and already the man couldn't imagine life without a boy who wanted nothing to do with him.
"Get to the point, Smith," Levi demanded. He didn't want to meet Erwin knowing what it would entail, but the blonde had the patience of a saint and would undoubtedly bide his time to breach the topic. And if there's one thing Levi hated, it's procrastinating. Best get it over with.
Erwin sighed heavily. There really was no beating around the bush with Levi.
"It's happening again, isn't it?" Erwin said. "With Eren."
Levi knew exactly what Erwin meant by 'it'. It: obsession, desire, infatuation, the need to own, to possess, to claim.
"So?" Levi said. "What's the problem?"
"The problem, Levi, is that you assaulted a complete stranger because you wanted to take a drunk teenager home with you."
The raven flinched at the blonde's words. They were the perfect summary of what had happened on Friday, but at the same time they made everything sound so much worse. Those words made Levi sound like an aggressive pedophile.
"He's legal," Levi reminded Erwin.
Regret suddenly filled Erwin's blue eyes. He should never have encouraged Levi to pursue Eren. At the time, Erwin had no way of knowing that Levi's infatuation was actually obsession. But even if he hadn't encouraged his friend, fate would've still brought them together, wouldn't it? Their chance encounter in Shiganshina had nothing to do with Erwin's encouragement. Levi would've still found the crash site and inevitably become obsessed with the teen either way.
"Levi, you have to be careful," Erwin said softly. "I don't want to see you go through the same thing as with…"
"Don't!" Levi growled, interrupting Erwin. Erwin froze. "Don't say her name. Do. Not. Not ever."
Erwin nodded in understanding. He knew Levi would never truly get over her and what she did. Her disappearance tore the man apart and Levi had become so closed up that it was nearly impossible for him to even maintain healthy friendships. This was the prime reason Erwin was both surprised by and afraid of Levi's sudden intense feelings for Eren. He never thought his friend had it in him to want another human being like that again, and he was deathly afraid of what would happen if this entire situation turned out to be an encore of the last time. This time, Erwin feared, Levi wouldn't survive.
"So," Erwin pried in attempt to lighten the mood, "why Eren? What is it about my cadet that makes you want to claim him?"
A ghost of a smile tickled Levi's mouth and Erwin couldn't help but smile at this. It was pathetic, really, that such a powerful business man could be reduced to a hormonal and emotional mess because of a teenager he hardly knew, but just as it was pathetic, it was endearing. Many people claimed they could list Levi's human qualities on one hand and still have an excess of fingers, but this sort of behavior proved to Erwin that Levi was just as human as himself and that Levi was capable of being a mess as well.
"Those eyes," Levi simply said. His eyes didn't have the dreamy look of a high school girl in love, but they most certainly had a faraway look in them. "They're so honest. I don't know him at all but I feel like every time I look at him I know everything about him. And every time he looks at me, there's intrigue. He wants to know me. He wants me. He just doesn't know it yet."
"Hmm." Erwin crossed his arms on the table between them and he eyed Levi's contemplative face for a moment before speaking. "I must admit, I could see the intrigue in Eren's eyes when he looked at you on Friday." This caught Levi's attention. He focused his gaze on Erwin and nodded for the man to continue. "When he was serving us, he was constantly assessing your reactions towards him. He cares what you think. So, yes, I saw the intrigue…and fear and intimidation and irritation and a hint of hostility as well…but intrigue nonetheless."
Levi snorted at this. Erwin was not wrong. Eren didn't particularly favor Levi…no, no use in being politically correct about it. Eren hated Levi's guts. And why? Simply because Levi liked to have his engine on top of him and not in front of or beside him. It was childish and downright stupid to be able to hate someone so much that you won't even offer to take them out for drinks to say 'thanks for saving my life' simply because they fly a different type of machine than you. But Eren's childishness is what gave him his feistiness and the teen's feistiness is one of the things Levi liked most.
"He's so fucking frustrating," Levi growled, running his fingers through his feathery hair. Just thinking about Eren and the boy's feelings towards him made him want to chew his tongue off. "He hates me so fucking much and I can't understand why! We've only met twice, and one of those times I saved his ass, mind you."
Erwin bit back the snotty response of 'you wanted to do more to his ass' opting to be mature while Levi ranted. Snapping snide comments would only lead to Levi becoming hostile or closing up and then the situation would just escalate from there. While Levi mostly liked the sound of his own voice, it was extremely rare that the man ranted like this, especially about his feelings. It was extremely rare and Erwin was not going to pass up the opportunity to hear Levi's innermost thought.
"He flew with me for two hours," Levi continued, "and the next time I saw him we were all drunk and having a good time. For the love of god can someone just tell me where I fucked up?"
"You really want this kid to be yours…"
Levi sighed in resignation. "You know that the only other time I've felt this way was over…her." Erwin nodded in agreement. "It's the same as that time, Erwin. But worse. It's so much fucking stronger that it's driving me insane. I don't want the kid, I fucking need him. He has to be mine, Erwin. Eren Jaeger is mine."
Erwin let Levi's words sink in, pondering what his friend had said. In the same breath, Levi had both stated that he wants to own Eren and that Eren is already his…this was definitely a point of concern for Erwin. While Levi seemed to be aware that he was nowhere near where he wanted to be with the boy, he was still behaving and thinking as if the boy were already his property…his altercation with Eren's friend was proof enough of that. It was too late to try and talk sense into Levi, and Erwin knew this. The least he could do is offer support to his friend.
"How are you going to pull this off? It isn't as simple as 'boy meets girl, boy courts girl, girl falls in love'. Eren is a man, and you have to take that into consideration. More likely than not, he's not even sexually interested in men. Add that to the feelings he already has for you…"
"Tch, I know. But what about the intrigue we saw? What the fuck was that, huh?"
Erwin took a deep breath, rubbing his temples with his thumb and middle finger as he gathered his thoughts. While Levi was already acting inappropriately possessive, at least the man still had enough common sense to take Eren's feelings into account. He may be latching on what he saw in Eren on Friday, but Erwin couldn't deny that the boy did look interested in Levi, if not as a lover than as a person at least. He couldn't blame Levi for feeling so frustrated.
"What are you going to do now?" Erwin simply asked. He was in no position to give advice, and to be honest, he didn't want to. Levi wouldn't accept it and would most likely insult him for interfering, and Erwin simply wasn't up for name calling today. He'd simply let Levi make his own decision and support his friend as best he could.
"I have to win him over somehow," Levi whispered more to himself than to Erwin. He lifted his eyes to Erwin then and said, "I offered to take him flying since he's grounded."
"Oh, that's good. What did he say?"
"He practically told me to shove my chopper up my ass."
Erwin couldn't help but chuckle. The Eren that Levi continuously described was nothing like the Eren he'd come to know in the few months he'd been in charge of the teen's flying. He knew Eren as a kind, warm and polite young man, not a stubborn, foul-mouthed and hateful teen. Then again, when he'd seen Eren drunk for the first time on Friday, Erwin saw parts of Eren he never would have in a professional environment. Every person had multiple faces, and Levi was obsessed with a face Erwin didn't know.
"Levi. You've already set your mind to getting Eren. There is nothing I or anyone can say or do to deter you from your chosen path. He can tell you to shove Lexy up your ass a thousand times and you'll still…"
"You're really sticking to that ridiculous name?" Levi interrupted. Lexy was the name Hanji had given Levi's helicopter when he bought it, stating it was a combination of 'Levi' and 'Sexy'. Levi hated the name and ignored its existence, but when it came up in conversations now and then he couldn't help but get distracted by it.
The blonde smiled. "As I was saying…"
Just as Erwin was going to continue his speech, Levi's phone rang. It vibrated on the table between them as an unknown caller phoned. Ordinarily, Levi would ignore calls from unknown callers on weekends, but since he gave his number to Eren, he had been answering every single call coming to his phone, even calls from blocked numbers, which he never did under any circumstances. Erwin raised a brow as Levi answered the call, perfectly aware of the raven's phone habits.
"Hello?"
"Uh…hi is this…Levi Ackerman?"
A maniacal smile exploded on Levi's face as the strong voice of a certain oceanic-eyed brunette graced his ear. Erwin sat back in his chair, curious, but also disturbed by the awkward set of Levi's facial features.
"Speaking."
Now it was Erwin's time to smile, or chuckle rather. Despite Levi's obvious excitement, he still maintained a perfect monotone, sounding entirely disinterested in the call. Within a second, Levi's smile had faltered, his face set neutrally again.
"It's Eren. Uhm…look about yesterday…"
"Eren?" Levi trailed off, pretending not to remember. Erwin's eyes almost fell out of their sockets and the man was on the edge of his seat, leaning against the table and staring at Levi in disbelief.
A minute ago, Levi couldn't quit ranting about how desperately he wanted Eren and wondering how he could make the teen hate him less, yet here he sat acting as if he didn't know the teen at all when the teen had finally called him. It was an unbelievable display of pure douchery that even Erwin would not deny. He knew his friend was egotistical but even this was going a bit far.
"Jaeger. Eren Jaeger."
"Ah, Eren, I remember now." Sexy as hell, tight fuckable ass, lips made for blowjobs, hands that'll look perfect on my…
"Look I just wanted to say sorry about yesterday, you know, for being so rude," Eren sighed in irritation. This was definitely scripted. Levi strained to hear better and could actually hear someone in the background whispering to Eren in what sounded like frustration. The voice was female. "Ugh. Uhm, yeah. Also…is that offer still standing?"
"Which offer?" To come to my place? Definitely. "You need to be specific, Jaeger."
"To f-f-fly with you." The way the brat stuttered made Levi think he was going to say 'fuck' instead of 'fly'. Either way, the answer would've been the same.
"Sure. Name the time and place."
A chuckle slipped through Erwin's lips and the man shook his head, sitting back once again and crossing his arms over his chest. Unbelievable, he thought, as he watched his friend secure a date with the very brunette who wanted nothing to do with the raven. To say Erwin was impressed would be putting it very mildly. Barely a minute ago Levi was at wits end because the kid wanted nothing to do with him, and here Levi was in the process of organizing a date. Levi clearly never exaggerates when he boasts that he always gets what he wants.
What a legend, Erwin thought.
"Tell me when you're going again," Eren said. "I don't have much going on in the day so I'm pretty much always available."
"I'll be in touch."
Without waiting or even uttering a goodbye, Levi hung up and placed his phone back on the table. When his eyes met with Erwin's he couldn't help but smirk at the utter shock in those deep, blue orbs and the tiny smile playing on the man't lips. After being insulted and rejected, the brunette had finally agreed to spend time with him. Levi could only hope the teen would be civil, but at this point in time he didn't care: as long as he was alone with Eren, the teen could be as rude as he bloody wants and Levi would still be satisfied.
"Care to explain?" Erwin asked.
"I have a date with Eren Jaeger," Levi said proudly. His smirk turned devious as he continued, "And Lexy."
Wooh! So the boys have made some progress. A little is better than nothing, right?
Thanks for reading :) Stay tuned for the next episode.
Which, incidentally, MIGHT come out sooner rather than later. A few days? Let's see.
