We do not own Attack on Titan or it's characters.
Chapter One- Eren
The constant vibration of my phone was driving me insane and I was just before flinging it across my room. Trying to sleep wasn't working out for me this morning at all. Well, it was late afternoon now, but I hadn't been sleeping more than a few hours and Jean had been calling me nonstop for the past hour at least. I'd thought after ignoring his endless calls, he would give up but when I realized he wouldn't, I finally answered the phone.
I was surprised that it was regarding a job. The night club he worked at needed an extra hand behind the bar, which wasn't necessarily something I'd ever been interested in, but I was good at staying up all night. I did need to make some money too so I told him I'd go out tonight to see about the job. He sounded excited about it but I only rolled my eyes at his enthusiasm, cut my phone off and went back to sleep.
The club opened at eight, though I didn't show up until ten. I wasn't too sure about this whole bartending gig. I couldn't even come close to matching Jean's excitement when he saw me walk in the door, having to push my way through a small crowd to do so. I was waved through by Jean and he left his desk to meet me inside the club. The music was loud, but I went out a fair amount so I was used to it. Jean had to lean into me so I could hear him though.
"Hanji is behind the bar, go ahead and meet her, she'll get you settled. She's the one with the glasses."
I nodded and left Jean to walk towards the bar. I spotted the Hanji woman quickly enough, she was loud and laughing as she served a drink to a customer. There was a nice amount of people for it to be a Monday night, but this place always did have a good many customers. It was chill and comfortable and the workers were cool. One of the only reasons I was considering working here.
When I stopped by the bar, Hanji spotted me and came bouncing over. "Hey, I'm Eren." I introduced myself with a half smile.
"I'm Hanji." She greeted and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, love bug."
Love bug? "Yeah, you too." I said, trying not to cringe at the unwelcomed nickname. "So, what do I need to do?"
"Ooo, eager to learn. I like that." She grinned. "You'll be shadowing me all night and I'll show you the ropes. Do you have any experience in this line of work?"
I shrugged. "I drink a lot."
"Me too! Looks at us, getting along already." She said and opened the side door of the bar, gesturing for me to come in.
It felt strange even being behind the bar, but not in a bad way. My eyes wandered around at all the drinks and then beyond the counter to the customers. This would definitely be new, but it could be exciting.
"Have you worked here long?" I asked curiously as I followed her towards a waiting customer.
"Oh, I've been here since the beginning." She told me and tapped the tip of her nose. "You won't find another person who knows more about this place than me. Just stay under my wing, baby bird, and you'll be flying before you know it. Now, every bartender has their own style around here, a way they pour drinks and interact with the customers."
"Oh yeah, what's your style?" I asked, smiling at her.
Hanji was practically beaming with energy. "I'm so glad you asked. Watch and learn my protege." She said before picking up a clean glass and began mixing a drink. "Wot woot! Liquor!' She yelled and the people around the bar raised their glasses to cheer. She hadn't even asked the customer what he wanted, but had gone right ahead and made him a drink. "Bottoms up, there better not be a drop left." She said as she slid the drink over, having made it in record time.
She seemed rather silly, but in a fun way. It was obvious she knew what she was doing, so I knew I could definitely learn a thing or two from her. "You must really like it here." I commented as she went about showing me where everything was.
"Nightlife is the only life." She said seriously. "And while it's fun, it can be a lot more challenging than you think. Being able to size someone up, already knowing what they want before they do, that's where the real skill comes in. I can promise you it won't be dull and the things you learn will help you outside of this job." She said confidently and then added, "But the best part . . . we get to drink as much as we want! Say goodbye to your liver and hello to sweet, sweet intoxication!"
My brows rose at this and I cleared my throat before asking, "But aren't we supposed to be sober on the job?"
"Oh, love bug." She sighed as if she was pitying me. "That's only a suggestion. I assure you that I have never been sober in my life."
Whoa. "Alright." I laughed, but had no intention of getting drunk on the job. A drink here or there might not be bad, but I'd need to function properly to keep up. I'd been to this place on busy nights and there was no way I could keep up if I was drinking like I would usually.
"Since it's a slow night, I'll have you be hands on while I talk you through it. I'm not throwing you into the ocean and expecting you to swim, but in my experience having trainees do rather than watch the whole time is more beneficial." She explained and rested her hands on her hips. "I'll pour a drink for a customer, you'll pour a drink for a customer, I'll pour a drink for myself and so on."
Laughing again, I shook my head at her, having a feeling that I was going to be able to get along with her just fine. "Sounds good to me."
Though I soon found out that Hanji wasn't joking about the drinks she had while working, it never once interfered in her work. She even trained me, making sure I was as hands on as I could be. I didn't know everything when it came to drinks, not by a longshot. But I was a quick learner anyway and I had a good memory. Sometimes things would be a little hectic, but I was confident in my ability to do the job well and I was happy that Hanji had taken such a liking to me.
After a few hours, she was just hanging back watching me and most of my work revolved around one customer who sat at the bar, a guy with a shaved head who'd asked me to keep the drinks coming ever since the first one he'd ordered—hours before. I swear the guy, Connie, was dead set on telling me his entire life story and for a while, I felt bad for him. Eventually though, it got annoying.
The guy could hold his liquor and never stopped drinking, never left the bar either, except to run to the bathroom and back. It was busier than I expected it to be for a weeknight and I felt like I would enjoy this job. The music alone pumped me up, even if I wasn't getting drunk as I usually would when I was here. I couldn't help dancing behind the bar as I mixed drink after drink and joked with Hanji.
Towards the end of the night, she gave me a list of drinks to go over and several branded T-shirt's to wear while I worked. I couldn't deny that I was actually excited about this job and couldn't wait for my second shift. They needed me every day, however Hanji explained that I wasn't required to work every day if I didn't want to or couldn't. I was fine with working, at least for now. It gave me something to do.
There was a time when I had my life together—two loving parents who kept me on the right track and a girl who would have done anything to make me happy. Everything had changed for me when I finally got the nerve to come out. I'd never regret coming out and openly being who I was, but my parents never accepted it. They both passed away in a tragic boating accident without ever accepting it and the girl, well she'd been in love with me, so of course she didn't want to believe I was gay either.
Over time, I'd lost the will to do anything other than drink. Putting effort into things just wasn't for me, so I'd dropped out of college and hadn't bothered trying to meet someone since I had no urge to get close to anyone. Jean was my friend, but things had felt awkward between us since one night when he'd given me a ride home from the bar and things happened. We hadn't talked about it and I didn't want to talk about it. I just knew I never wanted it to happen again.
As the doorman, Jean would be busy the majority of time, but I wasn't surprised when it got close to closing time and he was able to leave his station, choosing to come check in on me. I'd had an interesting night, mostly from making so many drinks but also from having to introduce myself to so many people. Hanji made sure I met all the bouncers who were working, the two who'd left the biggest impression were Reiner and Erwin. They were big, serious and a little scary—and I could remember Reiner carrying me out over his shoulder on one particular night when I got in a fight with some guy I didn't know.
The bouncers actually seemed like nice guys, they just had a reputation to uphold on the job and it was understandable. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to socialize with guys like them… I definitely wasn't attracted to them, no, they scared me off. There was such a thing as too much muscle and those two fell into that category. Hanji kept me close to her side the whole time and praised me on doing a great job once we closed. Cleanup wasn't bad, most of the work had been done before the last customers were made to leave and after that, I was quick to move to the bar for cleaning. I did like things nice and tidy.
"So?" I looked up at the familiar voice speaking to me from across the bar, continuing my cleaning without a hitch. "You like it?" Jean pressed when I said nothing.
"Actually yes." I admitted, thinking that this sort of job was fitting for me.
"I thought you would." He grinned and I shooed him away to wipe the bar where he was leaning.
Hanji came over, splitting the tips we'd made and I was surprised at how much it was. We'd get paid our checks on Fridays, but she claimed the tips were always good, especially on busier days. I was excited to see how this job went and hoped I would get to work with Hanji as much as possible, though she did tell me about the other bartenders who worked here as well and they didn't sound like they'd be too bad.
Once everything was done and Hanji told me to go home and get some rest, I gathered my things and left from behind the bar. Jean was quick to meet me, walking with me on my way out. We'd been friends for so long, so I hated that I had this uncomfortable feeling with him. But I didn't want to be more than friends—not even friends with benefits and I couldn't say the same for him.
"Wanna go to my place and drink until we pass out?" He asked as we exited the bar and I inwardly sighed.
You'd like that wouldn't you? "No, I'm just going to go home and crash."
Jean scoffed and crossed his arms as he walked me to my car. "That's boring. I mean, damn Eren, it doesn't even feel like we're friends anymore."
"We're friends." I promised, because that's all we were. "If you want, we can go grab some breakfast together."
His face lit up at that and he nodded happily. "Yeah, I'm starving."
I didn't want to lose Jean's friendship over what had happened, but I didn't want him thinking it could happen again either, so I was in a bit of a pickle when it came to hanging out with him. Breakfast went smoothly though, we talked about work and his dog and nothing more. Jean knew I wasn't comfortable with what happened, because I'd told him as much. Waking up, naked, in his bed that following morning had been the most mortifying experience for me. Sometimes I still wondered how I let that shit happen.
We went our separate ways after breakfast and I wasn't home more than a few moments before I flipped on my bed and went to sleep. I was looking forward to my next day of work, learning more and seeing how things would go from here.
The uniform T-shirt's were pretty cool. All black aside from the clubs name Rivaille's which was written across the back in multicolor, signifying the pride of all LGBTQ people and the front was bare aside from the multicolored R on the left chest area. I wasn't usually one for T-shirt's, but I'd always secretly wanted one so to be able to have my own and wear them to work, I was excited.
I wore jeans and my black sneakers with my shirt, and my second night was even more interesting than my first. It was a little busier and I'd managed to get my own groove going since Hanji let me do things however I wanted. I'd studied the drink list and found that I remembered most of them. Making drinks was fun, so was interacting with the customers because most of the time they were all feeling good and happy to be out. There had only been a couple times so far that I'd witnessed someone acting out and seeing them ushered out of the club.
The other two bartenders were nice, Sasha and Historia. I hadn't worked with either of them yet, but they'd come out Wednesday night to drink and had happily welcomed me to the crew. I felt at ease with everyone and the job itself. I was happy. Then Thursday came.
I didn't wake up until early evening and I stuffed my face before taking a long shower and getting ready for the night ahead. I chose a pair of my light colored skinny jeans to wear with my T-shirt and same black sneakers. As usual, I wore my favorite cologne, tucked my necklace into my shirt and pulled my long hair back into a bun. It had gotten so long now and I really needed to cut it. For a while, I'd let myself go, not really caring about anything but I did manage to keep my face shaved at all times at least.
Making it to the club just fifteen minutes before we would open, I made my way inside, being stopped by Jean who was already at the door getting his books ready.
"Hey, Eren." He greeted me with a smile. "Ready for thirsty Thursday? It's gonna be busy as hell."
I shrugged and walked through the small room to the door leading into the club. "Guess we'll see."
Hanji was already behind the bar and she pulled me into a hug the instant I met her back there. We talked about what the night ahead would bring while we stocked everything and got ready. She explained as well that the owner would make an appearance at some point, but didn't say more than that. I did assume that she would cut back on her drinking if that was the case, but instead it seemed as if she was drinking more.
Every time she offered me a drink, I declined politely. I did like the job and the money was good so I didn't want to get fired when I could drink on my own time. Things were pretty chill for the first few hours but as a regular club goer, I knew things wouldn't get crazy until after midnight. I had yet to meet the owner and didn't have much time to think of such things anyway, what with constantly having someone needing a drink. When it was busy as it was tonight, everything was fast paced and time was flying by. I still enjoyed myself and had a good time listening to the music and couldn't help the way my body moved to the beat as I worked.
Shots shots shots. After midnight, things got crazy. It was just so busy, it became hard to interact with the customers more than asking what they wanted to drink and then taking their money. Some customers did try to get me to linger, wanting to talk to me for whatever reason, but it wasn't hard to brush them off. I wanted to be efficient in my work, so I didn't have time to stand around and chat—at least not while it was so busy.
This was my attitude up until I approached one particular waiting customer. He'd waited more patiently than any of the others, leaning on the bar with an impassive expression. I hadn't seen him yet so I assumed he'd just arrived. He was the kind of sexy that attracted me instantly—my type if I ever had one. Calm and cool, black hair styled in an undercut and blue-grey eyes that were stunning in spite of the blank stare he had. His black button up shirt was very fitting for him and my eyes couldn't help but notice how the top few buttons were undone.
I wished this guy would try and talk to me, until I realized I was staring and I had work to do. He's not that great. "What can I get for you?" I asked when I leaned forward over the bar so he could hear me and vice versa.
His attention turned to me and he paused before answering, "Bourbon. No ice."
His choice of drink was unexpected and somehow interested me more. I fixed it for him and passed it over, waiting for him to pay me for it quietly. He swirled the drink for a second and then took a few sips.
"Have Hanji put it on my tab." He told me and glanced over at her. She was taking a shot and he scowled. "Damn woman, she's asking to be fired."
I laughed nervously and left to go over to Hanji, chiding her softly. "Hey if you're going to drink don't let the customers see you!" I huffed and gestured over my shoulder in the direction of the bourbon guy. "This guy got a bourbon and said for you to put it on his tab?"
"Hm?" She hummed and looked over. "Oh! Short stack!" Hanji squealed and dashed over to him.
Short stack? I feared more than ever for her getting herself into trouble, but decided to mind my own business and get back to work. I happened to overhear some of their conversation when I was waiting on someone near them.
"Stop wasting product you gluten." The bourbon guy said and Hanji just laughed.
"You've been saying that for a long time now and have yet to do anything about it." She boldly taunted. "Besides, we both know I can't function without my liquor."
"You can't function at all." The guy grumbled. "Though I expect nothing less from some creature of the night."
Hanji flashed him a smile. "Careful, flattery will get you somewhere."
He shook his head. "Go give your existence some meaning and pour some drinks." He said and added, "If you call me short stack again, I will kill you."
"You got it, shortcake!" She said and quickly fled when he growled at her.
I could only assume that they were close friends or maybe he was a regular who hadn't been around since I started. There was no sense in me thinking about it, even though I couldn't help but want to know who the guy was. Deciding it was best if I forgot all about it, I concentrated solely on my work. There were several people calling out to me at once and I was running around to the point I feared breaking a sweat.
Hanji and Sasha were helping get the drinks out, but the demand was high and Hanji kept having to have a drink of her own—though at least she was quick about it. Meanwhile, I didn't even have a chance to get a sip of water and I was parched. I tried not to think about that either, since I had to keep an eye out on everyone around the bar. It wasn't long before I noticed the bourbon guy had drained his glass and for some reason I hesitated in walking over to him. I didn't have a chance to make a decision before he pulled the door and stepped behind the bar.
What the hell. I nudged Hanji, unsure what to do about the situation and the guy didn't have a care in the world as he found the bourbon and poured himself a fresh drink.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" She exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing?"
The guy sipped his drink without sparing her a glance. "What does it look like?"
"It looks like you just got behind the bar and you know what that means." She said, a smirk on her lips.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue and downed the rest of his drink. Then he began taking orders and serving customers as if he belonged there, seeming to know where everything was.
"He'll help us out while we're slammed." Hanji said to me. "Rule number one, if you're behind the bar you better be working. Boss's orders."
"Does that mean anyone can work back here?" I asked in surprise.
She giggled and waved her hand in front of her face. "Oh no no no, love bug. But he's a special case. Ignore him for now though and let's get some drinks out, we've got thirsty people on our hands!"
"Right." I nodded and went back to work, because truly there was a lot of thirsty people and it seemed like the more time that went by, the more drinks the people wanted.
Time was flying by and before I knew it, things started to calm down. It was already nearing four in the morning which I couldn't believe and we were supposed to close at four but Hanji said if the crowd was still hanging around that we would stay open. At least it had calmed down enough for me to get a glass of water and take a breath. I leaned against the cooler behind me, making quick work of my water and wanting another glass. Hanji and Sasha were cutting up with a group of customers and I wasn't needed for the moment, so I planned to enjoy the small break.
"The club." Bourbon guy said to my left, gaze on the glass he was cleaning. "What do you think about it?"
He's talking to me? "Oh well… I think it's great. Don't you?"
"It does well." He mused and asked another question. "And the staff?"
"Everyone is nice and works hard. I like the job a lot." I smiled and walked over to fix myself some more water. "What do you think?"
He set the glass down and hummed. "They're a strong team. You have to watch Hanji though, she likes to cause chaos."
"Oh I've already figured her out." I laughed and then had a sip of my water. "She does her job well though."
He looked at me curiously, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the bar. "Perhaps."
"What's your name?" I asked, wanting to know and not having the restraint to stop myself.
"Levi."
Levi… "It's nice to meet you, Levi." I smiled. "I'm Eren."
He gave me a smirk. "I know."
He knows? "Oh." This surprised me but I tried to feign indifference as I sipped my water.
"It'll pick up any second now." He said, moving out from behind the bar. "Let's see if you three can handle it. I'm expecting great things from you, Eren."
I didn't know what that was supposed to mean or why my face heated, but I raised my cold glass to my hot cheek as I watched him disappear into the crowd. Right after I finished my water, I had to get back to work and things got crazy again until after five that morning. Little by little the customers started to leave and we did a last call at five thirty. By six, everyone was out and I was exhausted and wishing I could get drunk or pass out, one or the other.
There was still cleanup to do and I wasn't feeling it, but I was eager to get it done so I got to work, not wasting any time. Everybody was either dragging by now, or working on a third wind. While they worked and chatted, I concentrated on wiping everything clean and then grabbed the broom to sweep behind the bar.
"Are you settled in?" I glanced up at the question to see Erwin.
He gave me the creeps and I feared him tackling me onto the hard floor or carrying me out of here like the brute he obviously was. I could tell he wasn't a bad guy, but I still tried to steer clear of him.
"O-oh yeah, I'm all settled." I laughed nervously and started sweeping faster.
"That's good." He nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. If you ever have any trouble, just wave me or Reiner over. We take care of our own. Although given how much Hanji gushes about you, I'm sure she would be the first to your rescue." He chuckled.
The last person I'd be calling was Reiner. "Oh you think so?" I forced a laugh, sweeping everything into a pile and sweeping it into the dustpan.
"Of course. I'm confident in saying you're her favorite." He told me.
"Leave the new kid alone." Levi ordered as he made an appearance.
Erwin turned towards him with a smile. "I'm only welcoming him."
"That's not necessary. Go home." He said and Erwin raised his hands, shrugging his shoulders before he walked away.
Thank god. I was anxious as I hurried to put the broom away, trying to avoid Levi. He didn't make any move to stop me or catch my attention, but he looked around to examine the floor. This had me hurrying to get the mop, wanting him to know that I wasn't done. He watched me like a hawk as I went about mopping the floor. I didn't know why he was still here and keeping an eye on me, but I focused on getting my work done so I could go home. He gave me a curt nod of approval once I was finished and Hanji came over to see what was going on.
"Ooo, Levi letting someone else clean without lecturing them on how it's done? It seems like I'm not the only one noticing my love bug's skills." She said and Levi rolled his eyes.
"Bite me."
Hanji grinned. "You like him, I can tell. I told you he was perfect."
"As if I take anything you say at face value." He said with a pointed look in her direction. "Regardless, he'll fit in just fine."
She clapped her hands excitedly. "Hear that, baby bird? You've got the boss's approval! I'm so proud."
The boss?! "What?" I squeaked, remembering how long I stood around on that break earlier. He was the boss? What did that even mean?
"That's right!" Hanji confirmed. "Levi Ackerman, the boss man. Head honcho, leader of the party animals and owner of Rivaille's. He's shorter than you expected, huh?" She asked and Levi glared at her.
"N-no!" I stammered, waving my hands as a means to get her to hush. "Just… nobody told me."
"I wanted to see what you were like normally, not because you were in front of the owner." Levi explained shortly. "Don't worry about it. You did well tonight. Unlike Hanji who will mysteriously disappear in a few hours, never to be seen again."
"I will do my best." I said quietly, nervous and anxious and trying to figure out what else I needed to do to get away from here. Hopefully I wouldn't have to be under his supervision often.
Hanji noticed how uncomfortable I was. "Levi, stop making death threats you're scaring him!" She scolded and came over to me, shielding me in her embrace. "You're so mean."
Levi sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out his keys. "Make sure you lock up, Hanji. Goodnight, Eren."
"Um g-goodnight." I half waved and watched him go before turning to Hanji. "What else do I need to do?"
"Everything is done, love bug." She smiled softly. "You can go home now and get some sleep."
"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to leave her if she needed me.
"Yep! Levi already did all the paperwork and a lot of cleaning in the back. We're all set." She assured and linked her arm with mine. "Come on, you can walk me out and make me feel all important."
"That sounds nice." I laughed and led the way. "You and Levi must be close huh?"
"Oh yeah, we go way back." She said. "Since middle school and he was even smaller then." She laughed. "Though he was just as feisty. It can be hard to warm up to him, but he's a good man and an even better boss. Can't say I'd find anyone else who would let me drink like he does."
"That's probably true." I laughed with her as we made it outside and then I stopped. "Wait, you have to lock up and the guys are still in there."
Hanji looked back at the club, pushing up her glasses. "Troublesome." She went back over to the door, holding it open but not going inside. "Get your asses out here, it's almost daylight and my skin will melt off!"
Oh my. I couldn't help but laugh as I waited for her and it was mere seconds before everyone started filing out and bidding their farewells. Then Hanji locked the door and I walked her to her car, but I wasn't sure about her driving—she had been drinking all night.
"Should I just give you a ride?" I asked, fearful of her getting in an accident.
She shook her head. "Don't worry, no one can hold liquor better than me, though Annie is a close second." She said. "I'll be just fine."
"Okay. Please be careful." I said, giving her a quick hug.
After she left I walked to my car, nearly dragging my feet. It had been the longest and most tiresome shift I'd worked, it was nothing like when I was in the club drinking all night. I did like the job, and I did like the boss, but it wasn't easy by a long shot. Still, I wanted to do well and I would strive to do my best always. I was excited to learn more—about the job and about Levi too.
A/N:
A KanaTyy collaboration XD