pairing: eren ო levi

setting: non canonverse, modern!au, teenage!eren and levi

notes: happy valentine's day!

disclaimer: own nothing

.

'cause if i want you, i gotta have that

.

Eren Jaeger doesn't do nervous. He does friendly, cocky, maybe reckless, and just fucking awesome in general, but not nervous. No, he is cool and cool kids don't do that kind of stupid emotion. But, if he isn't nervous than what is he? Because, these knots and butterflies in his stomach are tightening and doing loop-de-loops, and he thinks he's going to be sick.

He wipes the backs of his sweaty palms on his jeans and attempts to swallow the lump in his throat. It doesn't work very well, so he tries to focus his attention on something else. His forest green eyes land on the sickeningly in love couple sitting a few rows down from him. Their public display of PDA makes him cringe and so he diverts his eyes, searching for a new distraction.

He ends up watching the passing scenery out the window—although it isn't much, considering he's riding the subway. The train clacks and screeches, and his eyes are focused on the pitch black walls and occasional yellowish lights in the tunnel.

Eren's lips turn upward into a smile as he rests his chin in his palm. Levi never takes the subway, and he's pretty sure the guy would rather walk twenty-two blocks rather than taking advantage of public transportation. Eren sympathizes—really, he does. But despite the obvious concern of cleanliness and personal hygiene that other people who take the subway seem to lack, he has to take the train because he doesn't have a car.

And for two good reasons, because a) he doesn't have the money and b) Mikasa would worry over him so much it would indirectly kill him. Probably in his sleep, and that's no way to go.

His eyes trail back over to the loving couple just in time to see the man hand the woman a bouquet of roses. They're wilting because of a lack of water, and Eren raises a brow. Because, handing a dying bouquet of flowers to your girlfriend on the public subway? Wow, romantic much.

There's another coupe holding hands—teenagers this time, like him—and beside the girl is a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Eren rolls his eyes and turns back to the window, thinking that if he didn't already know it's Valentine's Day, he wouldn't have any problem being reminded.

'You're being hypocritical.' a little voice in the back of his head that sounds alarming like Jean Kirchstein admonishes. 'Don't you have something too?'

Eren's fist tightens around the small brown paper bag in his hand. It's inconspicuous that way—because it's not red or pink and decorated with endless hearts, lace, and naked, fat, little babies with wings. No one would know what is inside unless they opened it.

Chocolates.

More specifically, chocolates that he made on his own to present to his crush on Valentine's Day. It's a cheesy—not to mention, girly—way of confessing, and suddenly Eren want to high tail it out of the subway and as far away from his destination as possible.

More commonly known as, Levi's apartment.

Eren gulps as the train pulls to a halt, and the stop is announced. Then, he weighs his options. Either ride the train for the rest of the day until it finally returns to his station, or get off and go to Levi's where he will present his chocolate and maybe profess his love.

He chooses the latter just because he doesn't want to ride the train for the remainder of his day, and also because he is not a coward.

Soon, he finds himself standing outside of Levi's door, staring at the apartment number and praying that the older teen doesn't answer. His wishes are not granted however, because after three knocks Levi opens the door.

"You look like shit."

Are his first words, and Eren forces a smile. Levi raises a brow and observes him suspiciously, and the brunet realizes he must look pretty unnatural.

Levi opens the door and steps aside. "Well, are you going to come in or not? I don't have all day."

Eren snaps out of whatever funk he was in and nods, before removing his shoes and stepping inside. If Levi is anything, it's a clean freak, and things are already not going according to Eren's plans—he doesn't need to accidentally stain Levi's carpet and incur his wrath.

"What are you doing here, Jaeger." Levi deadpans, looking him in the eyes.

The brunet gulps, and just decides to wing it. Might as well get it out and over with rather than suffer anymore. Besides, if he doesn't say it now, he's not sure he'll have the courage to do it later.

So, he shoves the paper bag into Levi's arms, surprising the older teen.

"These are for you!" he all but frantically shouts.

Levi blinks, then his gaze turns downward, to the bag in his hands. Slowly, he opens the paper and peers inside. Then—

"What the hell is this?"

Eren can feel his face burning, and he swears steam is rolling off it in waves. "U-uh, j-just—y'know…"

"Why the fuck did you bring me a bag of coal?" Levi questions, tone a little hostile. "What type of burning inferno did you dig this out of?"

By this time, Eren is ready to bail. Just—run for the hills and become a monk, never looking back on his life and instead meditating and maybe writing a few letters to Mikasa. Because if he just disappears she will worry herself to death. But he has never been more embarrassed in his life.

He tried, okay. They say that it's the thought (and effort) that counts. And apparently Marco says that too, because after he'd completely decimated the chocolates he had so painstakingly made, that's what his friend had said to him. He'd also given Eren a patient smile and a pat on the back, along with a 'let's try again, okay?', and the brunet is pretty sure that Marco Bodt is an angel among men because there are just not many people out there like him these days.

He'd spent the better half (more like all of) the day yesterday helping the poor soul of Eren Jaeger to make chocolates, and he hadn't spoken a word of complaint. He'd taken Eren's desperate, last-minute plea in a stride, and he'd even let the other teen use his kitchen.

"Hey, Jaeger, I asked you a question."

Eren blinks and coughs, looking away. "They're…they're chocolates. I uh, made them and everything. Y'know, Jaeger Chocolates, copyright act applied."

He knows that he's rambling, and he wants to slam his head against the wall.

Levi raises a brow and looks back down at the bag. "They don't look like chocolates."

"I know." Eren admits, miserably. "I know. They suck—and those were the fourth batch. I completely destroyed the first ones I made. Did you know that when you melt the chocolate, you have to stir it? 'Cause I sure didn't, and it evaporated. All of it. And it burned. Holy shit, it smelled terrible. We thought something was on fire—which it was, but. And the second batch—they were like frickin' rocks. Marco bit into one to test it and I thought I was going to have to take him to the dentist. I'm not even going to get started on my third attempt, because those were a nightmare."

He stops his mindless spiel suddenly, blinking in surprise when he hears Levi laugh.

"Damn Jaeger, you can't cook shit."

Eren grins. "Screw you—I could have totally nailed it the fifth time."

Levi slips his hand into the bag and the brunet's eyes widen. "W-what are you—?"

"You worked hard on these right? I'm assuming that it also involved blood and guts, and that you had to go through a lot of shit, didn't you?"

Eren's heart just kind of…has a spazz attack, and holy crap, is Levi actually being fairly nice?

"So I guess I'd better try one of these things."

He just called them coal like, five minutes ago and now he's going to eat one? Wait, wait, wait. Levi is actually going to eat one?!

"WAIT NO!" Eren cries, and flings himself at Levi. "DON'T EAT THAT! IT MIGHT KILL YOU!"

Levi freezes. "What."

"I-I mean," Eren stutters, awkwardly snatching the bag away, "it's the thought that counts right? So could you just…"

Levi stares at him with an unreadable expression. "Why do I tolerate you?"

"Because you love me?" Eren jokes, but Levi tenses and suddenly the brunet realizes what he'd just said. "I mean!"

"Was it really that obvious?" Levi questions.

Eren chokes on his spit. "Pardon? I thought I was the one who loved you, not the other way around."

Time just stops.

"Oh," the brunet laughs nervously while backing up, "look at the time. I have to go because there was this movie Mikasa wanted me to watch with her and you know how sisters are!"

He turns and bolts out the door, completely forgetting his shoes.

Levi isn't far behind.

"GET BACK HERE YOU SHITTY BRAT!"

end notes: i worked on this for two hours and i am still not happy with it. yeah eremika is my otp, but levi and eren are like this side fling i have going. and levi and eren are probably out of character but i have things to do, so.