This was it, this was the moment Levi was finally going to explain why he has been acting strange. Eren knew something was going on, and he was about to find out.
They slide into a booth, Eren reaches out and takes Levi's hand once more across the table.
"Take your time," Eren reassures.
Levi tuts at him, "I'm simply trying to think of the right words,"
Eren grins at him, even when Levi is about to share something that is a huge deal, he can still be a snarky git.
"I don't know how to explain this, I've never had to really." Levi begins, "So, I'll come out and say it...I'm an empath." There he's said it. It's out there, no taking it back. It is out of his hands now, it is up to Eren how he deals with this information. No use worrying about. Yet, his stomach had dropped and he felt sick, the only thing keeping him from spiralling was his hand in Eren's. Eren grounded him.
Eren was silent, however, Levi could tell he was contemplating what he had said and not purposely ignoring him.
"An empath?" Eren questions confused, he didn't know what that was.
Levi massages his brow with his free hand, "That's what Hanji calls it. I...I can feel other peoples emotions, usually, they have to be very strong, whether positive or negative, I feel them."
Eren's eyebrows furrow further, "Feel them how?" he asks. He believes Levi, no question about that, but he needed to understand.
"I can feel whatever they are feeling, I have learned to know what are my emotions and what ones are foreign." He looks at Eren glumly, "Take when we met for example," he offers, "As soon as you stood behind me in the queue at the bank, I could sense that the person behind me was feeling some intense emotions. It hit me like a brick wall. That's why you thought I was having a heart attack, your emotions knocked me for six."
"Sorry," Eren apologises.
It was Levi's turn to frown now, "You don't have to feel sorry for me," he snaps.
Eren squeezes Levi's hand to settle him, "No, I didn't mean that. I meant I'm sorry that my emotions affected you so much that day." He felt bad for causing Levi such sorrow.
"Idiot," Levi cannot help but chastise him, "I told you I'm an empath and alls you can say is sorry you caused me to experience your emotions."
Eren shrugs, "I was a mess that day,"
"I know," Levi confirms, "Empath remember," he looks away from Eren, "It's a curse,"
Eren places his other hand over their clasped hands, "It bought us together, if you weren't an empath, I would have stood in that line, gotten my money, and...and...who knows I may have committed suicide..." he admits.
Levi places his other hand on top of Eren's, "I'm glad I was there that day."
"Me too," Eren admits.
"Is that why you get bad headaches? I feared you had a terminal illness." He admits, feeling overwhelmed, "I wish I can help you,"
Eren has no clue about how much he does help, "Yeah, the headaches are a result of intense emotions bombarding me, sensory overload. No terminal illness, thankfully, but this...being an empath is permanent. And, you help more than you could ever know." Levi responds.
"How so?" Eren pushes.
"I can't explain it, when I'm around you everything else becomes dormant, and..."
"And what?"
"And, when I have physical contact with you, everything vanishes and I feel a sense of calm settle over me. Almost like you have a healing touch, it sounds ridiculous I know, but it is what it is." Levi had never been so frank and open before, but he may as well admit it all.
"Healing touch, huh?" Eren remarks to himself, lifting a hand and examining it as if he would see something on his palm.
"Maybe," Levi is unsure, he only knows what Eren does for him, not the effect he has on others. Although, he can tell Eren's personality is infectious and the people surrounding Eren become happier when he's around.
They remain silent for a moment, Eren digesting the enormity of the situation, and Levi trying to convince himself he made the right decision by confessing to Eren.
"Fuck, all those times..." Eren blurted thinking back to the occasions where Levi had a sudden intense headache when the cafe was crowded, or when that woman was arguing with her partner, and Annie, fuck Annie.
"Oh Levi," Eren whispers, caressing his thumb over Levi's hand.
Levi glares at him, "I said I don't want you to feel sorry for me, for your sympathy or pity." He tries to pull his hand away.
Eren does not allow him to do so, pulling back to the centre of the table, "I'm not feeling sorry for you, I'm merely going back over the past events and aligning them in light of this new information."
"You hide it well," Eren comments, meaning Levi's demeanour, his blank face and cool exterior.
"Years of practice, and solitude," Levi reveals.
"Not anymore,"
"What?" Levi asks puzzled.
"You being alone, being in solitude, not anymore. I'm here now." Eren declares with such certainty Levi can feel the truth wash over him.
"If I have a healing touch, then I will be here. I'll gladly touch you..."
Levi smirks and releases a much-needed chuckle, "Really,"
"Shut up, I was trying to...to...I don't know, let you know if you ever feel overwhelmed, reach for me and I'll be there to take your hand." Eren confesses, he was sure he was blushing.
Levi had never had someone he could rely on to take his hand when he was the one who needed support when he was the one who had too much emotional baggage and needed comforting. It felt nice, it felt right.
"Thanks," he quietly responded, feeling a bit exposed he joked, "Although, I do hope that when you gladly touch me, you do more than take my hand." He arched an eyebrow at Eren.
Levi was pleased to note Eren's blush flared up again, "Levi," Eren rebuked, feeling embarrassed.
"Does that mean you like me as more than a...a acquaintance, more than a friend? Those moments where we flirted, I didn't imagine that you were flirting too." Eren needed validation, reassurance that Levi liked him.
Levi leaned forward across the table, his face close to Eren's, "I meant every almost kiss. Oh, how I wanted to close the gap," he moved closer as he said this, "and kiss you." He moved forward as Eren moved too, their lips met and they kissed.
It was bliss. Pure bliss. Levi did not feel a single shred of worry, anxiety, intense emotion, other than that of pure bliss. It was heavenly.
"Wow," Eren breathed out as they broke apart.
"You can say that again," Levi remarked, for once feeling at a loss and letting his cool mask slip, as he sat there feeling dazed. It was like Eren's lips were made for his.
"Wow," Eren declares again.
More silence.
"Now what?" Eren asks eventually.
Levi does not have the answer, he shrugs.
Eren fidgets in his seat, he nervously strokes the hair at the back of his head, he avoids making eye contact and mumbles, "Are we...you know...together?"
Levi has forgotten what together feels like, he has no idea how to be in a relationship. He suddenly fears that he will fuck this up somehow.
"I'm willing to give it a go," Levi admits, "I can't promise this will be smooth sailing, I...I don't know how to be in a relationship. I'm used to keeping things to myself and being on my own, but, I want to be around you...with you."
Eren raises his head at Levi's words and meets his eyes, "Yeah," he says around a smile, full of hope.
"Yes, you dork."
Eren sends him a lopsided smile at that, "Me too, I'm willing to give this a try."
Silence falls on them once more, until Eren asks, "Are you going to kiss me again, or do I have to do all the work, around here?"
Levi stretches across the table and captures his lips in a searing kiss, effectively silencing Eren.