Levi is sharp. He has a good track record for arrests, extensive knowledge of the narcotics business, and can think on his feet. He's constantly praised for his work in the field and knows Erwin wouldn't have chosen just anyone for the undercover assignment in Shiganshina. Erwin believes in him more than anyone ever has.
Levi never planned on joining the police force. He served in the military because he had nowhere else to go, came back with severe PTSD for a time, but then what?
Cue Erwin, his actual knight in shining armor. He offered him a job on a fateful day, wanted him to work in his narcotics team as long as he passed the police entrance exam. Levi's extensive military experience made up for the lack of training at the academy. When Levi first joined the force, he was motivated by survival; he had no other realistic options at the time. It's strange, though, how a sense of justice now overtakes him. He's seen what drugs can do to a person. Maybe it's his purpose in life to rid the world of it.
Five years after Erwin's job offer, Levi is standing on a pier in a city hours from his station, his identity compromised on the second day of the job. Even if Erwin favors him, the operation would be a bust and he would probably fire him. Levi is already tired of the salty air and the endless squawking of seagulls, but he knows better than to give up here. He can get out of this.
So he wears his best blank expression, rests his calloused hand at the jutting curve of his hip bone, and claims, "Dunno who that is. I just want some crank, fuckhead. Can you do that for me, please? Or connect me with someone else?"
Eren narrows his eyes. Just like Levi, Eren is sharp. Amusement lights up in his features, as if he's wondering if he should play Levi's game with him. He opens his mouth just slightly, a flash of pink flesh wetting his lips as he toys with his response. "I don't have any. Ran out, sorry. Try Reiner again."
"Hm."
Levi's critical stare slides up and down Eren's face. He analyzes it, searching for cracks in Eren's calm demeanor but unfortunately, there are none. Eren nods his head to Levi, swiveling on his heel to leave the situation. Levi's ears ring because goddammit, this kid is his only lead. He won't let Eren be the obstacle between him and taking down the Shiganshina drug operation.
"Your name is all over the police databases for this case. Work with me and you get full immunity for the drug dealing when we make convictions. Or, I can arrest you right now on reasonable suspicion." Levi averts his gaze to the tattered black backpack hanging loosely off of Eren's right shoulder. He cocks an eyebrow, feeling quite proud with himself. It's a simple threat– one that Auruo probably used at some point.
What's your move now, Jaeger?
Eren crosses his arms, thin lips curling into a deep frown. He steps forward and, for a moment, the only sound Levi can hear is the crunching sound of Eren's soles rubbing against gravel and the adrenaline thrumming through his veins. Levi notes the height difference between them, especially with the inch added from the bottom of Eren's dirty sneakers.
"You think I'm scared of prison? Honestly? A decent bed every night, meals, maybe some cable?"
Eren's reply sounds like a taunt. But Levi detects the subtle way Eren's voice lilts curiously, as if he's asking what Levi knows about him so far. Levi knows enough. He spent a considerable amount of time researching Eren in the database, reports, and on the internet.
Eren has absolutely nothing good to his name. He's an orphan who was in and out of juvie for years since he was 15. Levi remembers reading Eren's missing person's report from the fifth foster family he left. Eren is a nobody, a pawn, a small fish to fry in the grand scheme of things.
But right now, he's the most vital piece on the board.
"Truthfully," Levi says, word rolling off his tongue carefully, "Probably not. You're probably so preoccupied wondering where you're gonna sleep tonight, whether it's at -fuck if I know- the train station or the damn alley by the convenience store, that you can't possibly process what 10 years in prison, at minimum, is like. And for a kid of your caliber, you bet your ass you should be worried. Your literal ass."
"My caliber?" Eren echoes with a doubtful raise of his eyebrows.
"You seem smart. Too smart for this crap life you live. But selling as much crank as you do and whatever the fuck else warrants a federal punishment. You're gonna live with murderers, arsonists, child molesters, rapists– take your pick." Levi shrugs his shoulders, stifling a satisfied smirk when Eren remains silent as he ruminates over Levi's words.
After a minute, Eren clenches his fists and meets Levi's stoic gaze. "Auruo was my friend but... I let him go in too deep. He knew he was going to die. He told me that if he ever got a replacement, it would be you. He showed me pictures and stuff." Eren looks away guiltily, intriguing Levi.
"I didn't say anything about Auruo," Levi quietly interjects.
"That's what you want, right? Information." Eren briefly shuts his eyes. "Well, Auruo wanted that too and two weeks ago, his body was found dismembered in a ditch four blocks from here, half eaten by vultures. You can't convince me that you'll be able to protect yourself, let alone me. Go home, dude. There's nothing for you here."
"I can." Levi's gaze never wavers and it briefly reminds Eren of a doll, eternally staring, a striking emptiness in his eyes.
"What?"
"Protect you. If that's what you need, then I'll do my best. I'm better, stronger, and smarter than Auruo. I can take whatever the fuck this city throws at me."
Eren's eyes widen and he steps backward in confusion. He scans Levi's expression for any indication of a lie, but Levi doesn't budge. He's absolutely serious.
"What's your name again?" Eren breaks the silence, eyeing Levi cautiously.
"Levi."
"Well then, Levi," Eren tests his name out like he's tasting it. It feels flat and awkward on his tongue. He pulls the dangling backpack strap over his shoulder. "Give me a home and then I'll think about it. You can't protect my literal ass if I'm sleeping on the streets."
Eren's eyes blaze mightily like fire. He stares Levi down, as if he's challenging Levi to refuse.
Levi makes quick decisions all the time. He tries his best to make sound judgements, of course, but the nature of his work calls for such quick decision-making. Some of his colleagues have been held at gunpoint and knife– their futures rested on their ability to make a snap decision. Some made the wrong decisions and found themselves in a casket a little while later. His time fighting in war zones and serving on the police force meant he had to do the same, just like in this moment.
What's the choice he'll regret the least?
Finally, "You snore?"
Eren shakes his head.
Levi raises his brow. "Use your product?"
"Do I look like I do? It's just business."
Levi hums in satisfaction and folds his arms. "Everything you see, do, and hear, you report to me. You are my eyes and ears. At some point, when the time is right, you introduce me as your bodyguard or another dealer, but for now…" Levi pauses to gauge Eren's reaction. He hangs onto every word, nodding along the way.
"For now, I own you." Levi carefully extends his right arm. "Deal?"
It only takes a split second for Eren to reach for Levi's arm and give it a curt, confident shake.
"Deal."
Working undercover is by all means a shitty job. Thrilling, yes. But super fucking risky? Also yes. Only the crazy bastards who want to live their lives on the edge would accept this kind of job. Unfortunately, Levi is one of them. He's going into this operation blind, and that thought deeply unsettles him.
It's not like he's not used to just being thrown into the fray. It's what he's good at, but it doesn't mean he has to like every second of it. And now, he's invited a meth dealer into his home– one that has ties to Auruo's murderer (he makes a mental note to interrogate Eren about it later).
The entire walk back to Levi's apartment was silent, with Levi occasionally looking over his shoulder to 1) make sure Eren was following and wouldn't shank him out of nowhere and 2) check if they were being followed. He made sure to twist and turn here and there, walk around the block a few times, stop by a cafe for a drink, and walk past his apartment before circling back to it. Even Eren was confused about the actual location of his apartment.
Levi sets his drink down on the kitchen counter. It's a cup of black coffee and Levi actually managed to get a few sips in before deciding it's no longer worth the trouble. He grimaces at the sensation of the hot liquid simmering on his tongue. He'd probably enjoy his drink a little more if he were alone.
He instinctively glances at Eren in contempt as he settles down onto the couch, his body sinking into the cushy fabric.
"Ground rules," Levi says first, standing over Eren in front of the couch. It's an authoritative position, one that'll psychologically taunt Eren into submission. He can't have a young drug dealer running loose and ruining this whole operation. He doesn't have a concrete plan, anyway, and needs to feel back in control of the situation.
Eren hunches his back, resting his elbows on his thighs. Levi resists the incredible urge to snort. Eren already looks so comfortable in Levi's apartment.
"Sure," Eren prompts with a long yawn.
"This couch," Levi wiggles his finger to gesture to the couch, "is your bed."
Eren shrugs his shoulders. "I assumed so."
Levi ignores him and continues, "Don't enter my bedroom. At all. Period."
"Okay."
"And don't be a slob. I hate the mess. If you don't clean up after yourself, I'm throwing you out."
Eren nods.
"And…" Levi's eyes slide over to Eren's backpack, "No deals in here. No drug use. No women."
"And men?" Eren asks, lips quirking upward into a cheeky smile.
Eren's attitude almost makes Levi laugh, but it also drives him crazy. He's only known him for half an hour and he's ready to throw the brat out the door. "Nobody sets foot inside or outside this property, Jaeger," Levi says sternly.
"Yeah, alright, I get it." Eren stretches his long limbs as he gets to his feet. He tugs his hair out from his bun in one sweeping motion. "Anything else, Boss Man?"
Levi shakes his head, forehead wrinkling into tight folds as he debates whether he should kick Eren out now or later.
"Cool. I'm gonna shower now."
As Eren heads toward the bathroom, taking his backpack with him, Levi rolls his eyes. "This is the last time I invite a brat into my apartment."
Levi rakes his hand through his hair and reaches for the phone in his pocket. He waits until he hears the loud beat of the shower, and then a few more seconds after that before he opens his phone, calling the only contact the device contains. Within seconds, Hange answers in her signature bubbly voice that annoys Levi to no end.
"Talk to me!"
Levi hears faint chatter in the background, presumably Hange's colleagues at the police station. He knows Hange is sitting in front of a computer, ready to take notes, already recording their conversation to add to the case file.
"I made contact with Jaeger."
Hange's breath hitches audibly on the other end of the phone. "That quickly?"
"Yeah," Levi replies with a dry laugh, "Found him yesterday fighting with his supplier, Reiner. Seems they cut his pay. I think Reiner's gonna be my way in."
"Okay, this is good news. You're already making progress."
"Yeah, so I went searching for Jaeger today, found him at a pier. He made me out just like that, said Auruo mentioned me, the dumbass."
"What, really?! Is the operation compromised?"
"No, fuck, no. I convinced him to help me out, be my eyes and ears. On one condition-"
"This can't be good," Hange mumbles to herself.
"He's living with me now. Not sure how long this arrangement's gonna take. Maybe for a few weeks until I get my foot in the door."
"That's really dangerous, Levi. I hope you have a plan."
Levi presses his temple and says in a gruff voice, "Fuck if I know. Auruo worked on this for two months and I don't know shit. This brat is my only lead and he seems to know something about Auruo's death."
Images of Auruo's mangled, dismembered body flicker through his mind. He remembers the first picture he saw of the crime scene: remnants of a bare leg, foot grimy with dirt in between the toes. It was pale and ashy, brutally sawed through, the cuts ragged and confident. Auruo's detached head was beaten and bruised nearly beyond recognition, his matted light brown hair tangled with blood and tiny chunks of pink flesh. Somewhere, someone was walking around with pieces of Auruo's brain stuck underneath their shoe like an incessant lump of wet gravel.
It was an obvious threat to the police, one that didn't go unnoticed by Levi's Narcotics Team. Auruo's body parts were tossed around the ditch haphazardly, but it was glaring; whoever murdered him wanted him to be found and speculated over. The ditch is only a block from a police station. It's as good a sign as any.
Hange speaks up, prying Levi from his thoughts, "You think Eren Jaeger will get you somewhere?"
"He knows more than we think. I have good reason to believe he's in line for a promotion soon."
"What's the reason?"
"Reiner trusts him. Plus, he's been dealing consistently for months and if you look at his client base, they're not just nobodies. He's been making profit."
That's enough to satisfy Hange. "You trust him?"
Levi pauses, lips pursing into a deep, thin line. "That's a strong word but yeah, I think so."
"That's reasonable. Anything else to report?"
"No. Listen Four-Eyes, I can't risk frequent calls– not with this kid under my roof. Too damn risky."
Hange laughs into the receiver, "No problem. Stay safe, Levi."
Levi hangs up. He stares at the screen, his reflection blankly staring back at him. He lets out the breath he's been unknowingly holding. He decides to distract himself by reviewing his case notes on the Shiganshina drug ring. He fishes a thick folder and pen out from his book bag and places it onto the coffee table while sitting on the couch. The pages are worn and creased along the edges from Levi's constant touch. He narrows his eyes upon viewing the shot of Eren at the top of the stack before setting it in the back.
Finally, he settles on the map he's made of known associates of the Shiganshina drug ring.
He glances at the very top of the map: a scribble of the word "Boss?" A rung under that is a picture of Reiner, then Eren and a handful of other dealers underneath. Eren's branch extends to a few notable clients, including Dot Pixis, a shady CEO suspected multiple times for embezzling funds.
Levi's eyes run over "Boss" repeatedly, as if something will come to him if he stares hard enough. He knows he's missing multiple rungs and branches in the map and makes it a mental goal to fill the map out as much as he can.
"'Boss.' That's Zeke," Eren's voice unexpectedly fills the silent living room. Levi turns his head to see Eren peering curiously over his shoulder, damp towel draped over his shoulders and dark hair dripping onto the couch's armrest. He's wearing a different t-shirt and slacks, still slightly damp from the mediocre laundry machines at the nearby homeless shelter.
"Dry your hair, punk," Levi says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You said 'Zeke'? Why didn't you tell Auruo?"
Eren frowns and obediently pulls the towel over his head, rubbing it against his hair. "I didn't know him 'til a few days ago. Reiner invited me to a meeting, said his boss Zeke was gonna be there and I should make a good impression if I want better job prospects."
"A… meeting?" Levi asks as he jots down Zeke's name under "Boss".
"Tomorrow night. I just need to report profits, losses, the like. Give insight into how to make the… business better," Eren scrunches his face uncomfortably.
Levi raises his brow but chooses to ignore Eren's expression. "Who else is gonna be there?"
"Let's see…" Eren's gaze travels upward as he thinks, "I don't know too many people outside my immediate circle. People are pretty tight-lipped and they don't trust me enough with that information. Well… not until now. We'll take it as we go, yeah?"
Eren flashes Levi a casual grin as he walks to the kitchen for a glass of water. Levi resists the urge to groan at Eren's casualness and instead rests his forehead in his palm. "You ready for tomorrow, then? Where's the meeting?"
"I'm ready. It's at a warehouse not too far from here. I'll show you later." Eren sips his water.
"Eren," Levi says his name without thinking. When Eren looks back at him expectantly, Levi struggles with his words. He's not sure what kind of relationship he's supposed to have with Eren and frankly, he feels bad for him. He's using him– but so is Eren. It's a mutual symbiotic relationship, Levi hopes.
"I can't go with you. It's too risky for now but report every single detail back to me."
Eren nods. "I think they'll actually have my head if I brought you. Maybe send it in a package on your doorstep for dramatic effect. You're an outsider."
"Yeah, well, not for long," Levi mutters under his breath. "Can't exactly keep my word if I'm always over here waiting for you to report."
Eren's eyes crinkle with a sincere smile. "Thanks, Levi. I know I technically blackmailed you into letting me stay but thanks anyway."
There it is again. Levi's name sounds awkward in Eren's mouth, but he doesn't shy away from it. Levi nods in response. He decides not to bother Eren about anything else for now.
"Wow, you don't look half-bad. I can't even tell you were a feisty brat living on the streets just yesterday," Levi remarks with a sip of his tea, the piping hot liquid scorching his tongue and throat. A crumpled newspaper is in his other hand, the headline something about a politician running for re-election. The day was spent rather awkwardly, with the pair mostly trying not to bump into each other. Levi woke up to Eren sorely trying to make scrambled eggs (and failing because Levi woke up to the smoke alarm beeping incessantly) until Levi stepped in and made them both breakfast. For a few hours, Levi was alone in his apartment as Eren left to see his friend, Armin.
Now, it's 5:30pm, just a half-hour from Eren's meeting with Zeke and Reiner. Eren stands in front of him, palms hastily patting his suit down. It's an obviously cheap black pinstripe suit with the shoulders a bit too wide and the pants an inch too high. Nonetheless, Eren looks good. His hair rests above his shoulders in a middle-part and he's clean-shaven.
"Thanks," he mutters as he wipes down his loafers with a paper towel. "I got it from the nearby shelter. I told them I had a job interview."
"Well," Levi clicks his tongue, "That's exactly what this is. Impress Zeke, bump your status, make connections, take me in as a dealer, and I'll take it from there. That's the plan. Right now it's too risky to wiretap you so just report everything. If you don't make it back in 3 hours, I'm going to assume you're dead." Levi instantly regrets adding that last point once he sees fear flash in Eren's eyes. Curse his morbid, realistic self. "I'm… kidding. It's just a meeting. You'll be fine."
"I know, I know," Eren sighs almost petulantly having heard Levi's words repeatedly over the past 24 hours. "Okay, I'm leaving. Can't be late."
"Don't forget to-"
"Do the secret knock, yeah, I know ," Eren interjects with a small smile.
Levi purses his lips. "Okay, you're ready. Go."
"See ya."
Eren waves half-heartedly to Levi before disappearing behind the door. Levi watches the door swing to a close with a loud creak, his gut curling inward.