(I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin! ouo)

After the whole storm incident, in the middle of which Levi ended up cradling Eren until it passed.

Levi was a thunder buddy now. I wonder how this happened. He simply shook it off.

The storm may have rolled in slowly, but it went quicker than it came, and Eren apologized for clinging to Levi like a koala about a thousand and one times.

The duo still held their position within the cafe, now in silence. It became kind of awkward for the two, but not as awkward and embarassing as it had been for Eren. Said teenager was mortified when he realized that he probably made Levi very uncomfortable, and acting so weak in front of the silver-eyed male.

That, and Levi didn't seem like the kind of person who preferred to cuddle often. In truth, it actually appeared to be the complete opposite, seeing as Levi avoided everyone else he spoke to.

Eren never wondered why he himself was an exception to Levi.

"So." Eren jumped, being torn away from his thoughts as said person spoke up, shattering the silence. He could practically hear his train of thought crash into the inner wall of his skull. (Nothing intended or referenced. ouo)

"Hm?" Eren hummed, a light blush spreading across his cheek for letting someone catch him off guard and startle him to the point of him jumping.

"Jumpy much? Anyway, I know this is something weird or even personal to ask you, butdo you have any clue as to why you're afraid of storms? I mean, at the base of every fear must be a cause. " Levi knew it was an awkward, unusual question to ask anyone, but he didn't want to sit there in silence and let the poor kid embarass himself to death with his own thoughts.

It was pretty darned obvious that Eren was ashamed of letting himself appear weak in front of someone he just recently met not even a month ago, let alone spoken to more than about four times.

Though, at this 'unusual question', Eren visibly paled. Levi had struck a nerve with the boy and had no clue about it, thereon cursing himself for being careless. It was the little voice in the back of his head that had to reassure him that he couldn't have known that it was a touchy subject with Eren, mostly because it wasn't a question anyone would ask anyone else often.

It just happened to be a touchy subject, and a coincidence that Levi had reached that. A coincidence purely because Levi simply wanted to break the awkward silence apart.

"W-well.." Eren had cleared his throat, turning his attention outside. "Uh... I guess it was just really scary to me as a kid." Eren lied through his teeth, and it was extremely obvious to the other.

But Levi merely nodded and took a sip of his drink. "I see." He replied to Eren's answer, aware of the lie but not willing to push the subject even further; Eren seemed like an honest person. For him to lie about something such as a fear, it must have been even worse than a fear for the reason he was.

"Are you afraid of anything, Levi?" Eren got his color back a bit as he changed the subject, and clearly shook the horrifying thoughts from his head. Besides, it would be nice to know what Levi was afraid of, now that Eren made one of his fears clear to the other.

"Hm." Levi hummed, clearly thinking as he stared into his cup. He took a moment to look Eren dead in the eye and say, "I have a fear of being alone."

"Really? But you seem to push people away so much." Eren pointed out. Levi cocked an eyebrow at the other.

"I don't want to get close to anyone that I know that I can't trust. I've had something such as that happen to me in the past, and I would prefer it if it wouldn't happen again." Eren's eyes opened at this piece of information; Levi used to befriend people at one point on purpose?

This made Eren slightly angry, the flames of hatred sparking in Eren's eyes. Levi noted this, but knew it wouldn't be a threat to him. Eren wasn't angry at Levi, but the one who betrayed his trust, and caused him to shut out the world from him.

"That's horrible." Eren whispered, venom lacing every letter of both words.

"But it just goes to show how many people you can actually trust. As long as you wait to trust someone, then you're sure to stay safe." Levi replied smoothly, downing the rest of his drink.

"Huh." Eren looked down at his thumbs, which he found he absentmindedly began to twiddle as he was thinking. "Hey, Levi?"

"What is it?" Came a short and bitter reply.

"Do you have any friends?"

Levi was silent for a moment, before speaking again, "Yeah. I have two. I had a few more than that, but they..." Levi trailed off, and it became clear to Eren that Levi became uncomfortable.

"Can I ask one more question?" Eren asked to tear Levi away from his uncomfort.

"You just did, brat." Levi replied, and in turn, Eren made a face. Levi flashed him a ghost of a smile before speaking once again. "Go ahead."

"Am I considered your friend?" Eren asked quietly, finding that it was more embarassing to say it out loud. It sounded just fine in his head; he couldn't, for the life of him, think of why it came out as him sounding like an awkward love confession. Of which this was far from.

"... I suppose, yeah." Levi stated, hesitantly. It wasn't really that often that he could find someone he could actually truly call a friend.

Eren's face lit up at these three words. "Really?! That's great!" He cheered, fist pumping.

"Tch, don't act like it's an achievement you can get in a videogame, brat."

Eren chuckled at this. "Sorry, it just makes me happy that you have another person to confide in. Even if it is me." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Levi had to force back a grin, because Eren was nothing but right about this one. It made Levi happy too, though he wouldn't ever let it show upon his nearly moonlight-pale face. Speaking of which, I think Eren's the first person I've ever accepted as a friend on my own. Hanji and Erwin forced me to communicate with them, and after some time, I suppose I could've called them acquaintences. Levi thought, and it took everything he had not to let surprise cross his features at this new discovery. Ah yes; not to mention that I've only spoken to Eren a number of times, and I've already accepted him. Ugh. Levi thought to himself.

Lost in his thoughts, Levi never noticed Eren leaning on his arm again, and grinning at the other. Eren wasn't particularly thinking of anything, but taking in Levi's features.

"Wow, your eyes are a pretty silver, huh?" Eren accidentally let his thought slip which brought Levi away from his own.

"Uh."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be awkward." Eren said, in a rush.

"No, it's fine. Besides, your eyes are... pretty too, I guess."

"Really?"

"Mmm, they confuse me."

"They.. confuse you?" Eren questioned, confused.

"Yeah, the color."

"The color." Eren repeated.

"Did I f*cking stutter?" Levi shot back, bitterly.

"N-no, it's just.. how?"

"Well." Levi started, brushing of the fact that this was reaaally awkward for him.

"They're... kind of blue, kind of green. And when you get angry, they turn a little gold."

Eren stared at him blankly. "My eyes really are confusing, aren't they?"

Levi nodded silently.

He leaned forward to inspect Eren's eyes, trying to finally figure out the color. Eren leaned in to inspect Levi's, finding joy in the little specks of blue he would find in the light silver.

They became really close...

Reaaalllllyyy cloooseee...

And then the two pulled away, just as they realized what they were doing.

The two blushed, whether one was a deep red and the other's was a faint pink, it was still a blush.

Since when did I become infatuated with his eyes? He's a dude, so why do I even care?

The two thought simultenously.

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