It had been a little over a week since I'd met Levi for the first time, and I was still excited to see him every single time I went out to get some ice cream, which was every day. Yep, I might be hopelessly obvious with my intentions, but it was not like I could stop. I'd tried to stay home one day, and that had only led to me turning into a nervous wreck. So I'd taken Zeke and gone to visit him in the ice cream truck every day of the week. Today was no different. As soon as I heard the ice cream bell, I shot out of bed and to my feet. So did Zeke. And no, we had not been waiting for this very bell all day. Definitely not.

I rushed downstairs and tossed a few of Zeke's toys out of the way to get his leash. I managed to put him on the leash, slip into my shoes and be out the front door in one fluid movement that would have made Trost High's soccer club panting to have me as a player.

As soon as we were outside in the blinding sun, Zeke seemed to know where we were headed, and he began to pull the leash in the ice cream truck's direction. I was a smiling mess. Even though I might still be struggling to admit it, Levi had been on my mind more or less all week. Granted, maybe I was jumping on him because he was the only thing making this summer a little more bearable. But even if this was a convenient excuse I should probably pounce on, deep down I knew it wasn't the case.

I was interested in him.

If that interest went outside the envelope of a simple friendship, I wasn't sure yet. All I knew was that I wanted to be around him, and for me, that was enough of a reason for the time being.

When the familiar truck came into view, my heart sped into overdrive. My stomach fluttered with something that could have been butterflies, if I'd dared to admit as much. There were a few people gathered at the front, waiting to get their ice cream. I lingered back, and to my delight, the line didn't grow any longer for now. After the last customers had filed away, full cones in hand, I bent down to Zeke's level and lifted his floppy ear to whisper conspiratorially into it.

"Okay partner, here's the deal," I said as if we were on a top-secret mission. "We'll surprise Levi, okay? So to do that, we have to be very quiet, which means no barking or whining. Is that clear, soldier?"

He looked up at me with wide, amber eyes, his tongue hanging out in anticipation. His tail was flopping excitedly up and down, but he kept quiet. I stroked his back and fed him one of his favorite treats. Then I held the leash short and stalked over to the truck's window. When I drew closer, I heard Levi rumble inside the truck and had to bite my lip to hold back a giddy laugh. I ducked under the window and let my hand creep upwards until my fingers rolled over the window frame.

"Leviiiii—" I groaned like a not entirely bad rendition of a zombie, "Feed meeee."

Inside the truck, Levi dropped something and the thudding sound was followed by a harsh gasp.

Hah, got you!

I jumped to my full height in front of the window and held onto the opening, squeezing my arms and head inside while I rolled my eyes up in my head and let my tongue dangle out.

"Mmmmh, Levi—You smell so good. Let me eat you," I groaned.

Levi bonked me right on the head with his fist, his eyes wide and more than a little shocked, a stunned "f-fuck!" on his lips.

I exploded with laughter then, unable to keep up my show any longer. He looked so adorably startled, it was too good. Zeke began to jump up at me and bark happily. I pulled his considerable weight into my arms and spun around a few times.

"You're such a damn brat! Both of you!" Levi yelled at us, crossing his arms with obvious indignation. But there was a small smile playing around his lips, which told me he was trying to suppress his own mirth.

I set Zeke down and grinned up at Levi. God, did he grow more attractive every damn minute? He was wearing a different ensemble today, instead of a navy uniform with white stripes, he had on a white one with light blue stripes. And when had I ever thought his hat looked ridiculous? Because it sure as hell didn't. It was the cutest thing ever, especially when it sat on top of his silky black hair.

"Very well done, Zeke," I petted the dog and gave him another treat. "Mission accomplished."

"You're working together now to fry my fucking nerves? Fabulous," Levi groaned.

I laughed and blew him a kiss. When I realized what I'd just done, I wanted to grab it from the air and shove it back into my mouth. Why in the world had I done that?

Levi's cheeks grew warm with color and he turned away to shuffle through a few boxes. He wasn't the only one blushing now, though. Fantastic, I'd just made this awkward for the both of us.

Just then, Zeke threw himself against the front of the truck and tried to reach the window with his tiny paws. I smiled at him. He was just as eager to see Levi as I was.

"Hey, do you have a minute?" I asked, leaning on the window frame. "Zeke wants a kiss."

Levi smirked and sighed, but he was quick to walk to the back of the truck and climb out of the rear. As soon as his feet hit the floor, Zeke was a cloud of dust with the speed he put up to dash in Levi's direction.

"Zeke!" I scolded. I didn't want him to knock Levi over a second time, but when did that dog ever listen?

He ran straight against Levi's legs, making him wobble precariously. Then he jumped up at him and spread the drool Levi was so fond of all over his pants.

Great, Zeke. Way to go.

But to my surprise, Levi didn't seem to mind this time around. He was smiling happily down at Zeke and petted his fur all over. The dog was almost blinking out of existence with excitement at all of Levi's attention. I could relate.

"How are you?" I asked. "Work okay?"

"Mh, it probably would have been if I didn't have a total nutcase and his partner in crime scare the living daylights out of me," he snarked.

"Hah! So you were scared!" I jabbed a victorious finger at him.

He smiled again, shaking his head, "No way in hell. You're ten years too early to scare me."

Zeke watched our exchange, giving a short bark at Levi.

"Shh, don't worry, Ze," I said to the puppy behind my palm. "He was totally scared."

"I was not!" Levi shrieked and punched my arm.

I laughed again and wiggled my eyebrows at him, "uh huh"-ing just to rile him up some more.

"Anyways, I've come to settle important business with you," I said earnestly.

Levi's playful expression dropped from his face to be replaced by a cautious one when he asked, "About what?"

"Well, so far," I began, "You haven't given me the chocolate-dipped cone once. I want it. Now."

He rolled his eyes and shoved me away, his lips curling up at the corners. Suddenly, I wanted to make it my top priority to make him smile in any way I could.

He climbed back into the truck and walked up to the counter. I hurried over to the window to watch him with a big smile. Levi looked at me, and when he saw my shit-eating grin, he slipped into one of his own.

"Stop grinning like that," he said, even though he was pretty close to grinning himself. "You'd rather tell me what flavor you want, brat."

I scrunched up my nose and played the insulted one.

"I'll have you know that I'm a very honorable customer of yours. You better be on your best behavior," I said. The smile was tugging on my lips, and I knew for a fact I failed at keeping it from my face.

He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Dear shitty customer," he said in a tone that was an incredible mix of sweet and sultry and made my heart miss a beat or two. "What can I get your lame ass today?"

"Tch." I leaned in super fast and pinched his arm until he mewled and swatted me away. "You seriously have to work on your customer relationship skills, mister."

"I'm a real sailor, these are the only customer relationship skills we have," he joked.

I looked at him, and he looked at me. Time stood still for one tiny moment, and then we both burst into laughter. I felt actual tears prick the corners of my eyes, and I still couldn't stop.

God, he was so... I didn't know. Perfect, maybe?

Levi was still grinning when I looked back up at him, and our eyes met and locked. We weren't even touching—not even close enough to—but I still felt as if his hands were brushing over my skin, leaving a burning hot trail of wildfire in their wake. Suddenly, there was not enough air in my lungs to breathe evenly. I had to look away to break the spell, but I couldn't. I was utterly caught in those exquisite gray eyes, and all I wanted to do was stay exactly where I was. I watched him as he licked his lips and raised a hand to brush over his undercut. Damn, I wanted to touch his hair too. I wanted to touch every inch of him.

He was the first to look away, clearing his throat in embarrassment. "Uhm..."

I knew then that I was hopelessly hooked on him, and no amount of his snark or my excuses would be enough to drive me away.

My eyes never left his hands, which placed one scoop of lemon, followed by one of raspberry into the cone rimmed with chocolate and almonds I'd been eyeing. I was already reaching out to take it, my eyes huge and my mouth watering at the sight, when Levi gave me a little slap on my hand and shook his head.

"Give me a sec."

I waited patiently, following each of his movements with my eyes. He took a tiny spatula out of one of the counter's drawers and got to work on the scoop. His eyes were narrowed, and there was a little wrinkle of concentration between his eyebrows. I couldn't look away for the life of me. Even more, I wanted to reach out and smooth out the the crease with the tips of my fingers.

After a few minutes of mysterious carving, he finally offered me the finished product. It only took one good look to make me gasp. This was most definitely not a lame ice cream anymore, but much more along the lines of an honest-to-goodness piece of art.

"Woah, that's amazing! Thank you!" I squealed as I turned the cone every which way.

He'd carved the scoop out to look just like a rose, complete with gorgeous petals and a few gracile leafs.

He shrugged with a small smile before he quietly added, "You're welcome."

I gazed at him, utterly awed by his skills.

"I can't possibly eat this, Levi. I mean, look at it! It's a masterpiece!"

"You can and you will," he commanded. "I'll punch you if you don't. I made this for you, after all. Now shut up and eat!"

I threw him a wide grin before I pulled out my phone to take at least six pictures of the beauty he called mere ice cream, all of them from different angles. Then, I sighed and took a tentative lick across the sugary rose petals.

"Mhh, oh god. Do you see this?" I asked him, pointing to my face. "This is my o-face."

He blushed profusely, which was joined by a genuine laugh soon after. "Ew, gross."

The smile stuck close to his lips while he watched me enjoy each lick with reverence. Levi had taken the time and effort to do this just for me, and having that certainty at the back of my mind made the treat taste all the better.

"You don't have to hold back, idiot," Levi smirked, watching me. "If you're that into it, I can make you more. I have a few other carving tricks up my sleeve."

The soft smile that accompanied his words made me fall for him, so fast and hard that my head wouldn't stop spinning. Before I could realize what I was doing, I had stepped as close to the small opening as I could, pressing my front up against the car's side. My hand swept through the window by itself, heading straight for his which was clutching the counter.

"Thank you. I'd like that."

When I took his hand in mine and interlaced his graceful fingers with my own, he did neither protest nor pull away. Only then did I realize I'd been holding my breath, nervous about how he'd react to my rather bold move. My eyes fell closed and I sucked a deep breath of hot air into my lungs. Finally, I was touching him. And his hand felt so perfect in mine, his skin so smooth and cool on my heated one. The feeling was indescribable. Holding hands had never felt so good. His touch had every reasonable thought popping out of my head like soap bubbles, which was why my next words were chosen by instinct rather than rationality.

"Levi," I breathed, "Are you free tonight?"

"Uhm... I...," he broke off before finishing the sentence. I'd have never thought I'd see him this beautifully at a loss for words. My thumb began to draw slow circles on his soft skin, and I watched as his breath caught with the touch.

"Why?" He asked breathlessly.

I smiled and squeezed his hand.

"I want to see you. Outside of work."

"I— I don't want to go on a stupid date with you," he said. I'd picked up on his cute, little stutter at the beginning though. Maybe he did want to, after all.

"It's not a date, silly," I replied, even though I wouldn't exactly be opposed to labeling it as one. "I just want to return the favor."

"What favor?" He asked, before licking his lips again.

God, he really had to stop doing that or else I couldn't be held accountable for what I might do to those glossy lips of his.

"Well," I said slowly. "You've fed me the most delicious dessert, so it's only fair if I pay you back with homemade dinner, isn't it?"

His eyes dropped to my fingers on his, and his gaze turned half-lidded and heavy.

"Mh, I don't know," he said, before adding quietly, "Maybe... Maybe you're right. I deserve dinner at least."

My heart did a quadruple flip inside my chest, and I had serious trouble believing my ears. He'd just agreed to have dinner with me, hadn't he? I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so positively giddy over someone agreeing to spend time with me.

"Oh, fuck, yes," I squealed while my mouth was taken over by the widest smile in the history of smiles. "I don't know if it's weird to thank you but... Thank you."

He squeezed my hand back, a small smile dancing over his lips at my obvious joy. I didn't even feel embarrassed, though I probably should. It was just that I was so overly happy he'd agreed to meet me, that I'd get to see him outside of this small window we were usually conversing through, that I was incapable of not letting it show.

"When do you get off work? Can you meet Zeke and me here after?"

The words were tumbling out of me without a pause. I had so much to do, I had to decide on what to do for dinner, shop for the ingredients and prepare everything before I picked him up.

"Seven-thirty," he said. "And yes, I can come back here."

"Perfect," I grinned. "Any requests for dinner?"

I had no idea what he liked. I didn't even know if he ate meat or not.

"Hm, surprise me," he smiled.

Those were the exact same words I'd said to him when we first met, but coming from his lips, they sounded one thousand times better and twelve thousand times sexier.

I smiled and lifted our joined hands to my lips to place a quick peck on his knuckles. The small gesture drove a fresh blush to his cheeks.

"I will."

Maybe, just maybe, I should have considered inviting someone I was hoping to have chances with over for dinner when I couldn't cook. Well, I could cook, it was just that I had no hopes of whipping up the five-star menu I'd made myself believe wasn't that hard to prepare. After coming back to earth while I stood in the supermarket, going over the impossible recipe I'd pulled up on my phone, I decided to drop it and go with something simple and delicious rather than high-class and inedible. So I settled for a Caprese salad as a starter and cheese-filled ravioli with homemade tomato sauce as a main. It was a safe choice. I had no desire to stand there with a meat-filled menu if it turned out he was a vegetarian in the end. While I was shuffling through the checkout, I sent a quick prayer to whatever deity might listen that Levi liked Italian.

When I got home, it was a little after five. I fed Zeke and got started on dinner. While I washed the salad and began cutting the cheese, I wondered how Levi felt about being in my home. I'd told him my parents were away on summer vacation, and that we'd have the house to ourselves. He didn't back out after hearing we'd be all alone, which—honestly—I'd almost expected him to. Levi didn't really know me all that well, and yet I'd made it kind of clear that I was interested in a little more than just his friendship. I still didn't know how he felt about me, but I hoped he wouldn't agree to have dinner (alone) with someone he disliked. So... Where did that leave us, exactly? I had no clue, but I was determined to find out.

By ten past seven, everything was as good as ready. I'd set the table, only to take everything off and set it again when I realized that the way I'd done it really looked like a full-blown date (what with the candles and all). I didn't want Levi to get the impression I was rushing anything. So I set it like I usually did, but left the nice napkins and a single candle in the center. Then, I'd run around the entire house in a power cleaning session to get everything as shiny as I could manage in the short amount of time I had to work with. I'd breezed into the shower after that, only giving myself fifteen minutes tops to get all cleaned up and ready.

Now, the only thing missing was Levi. For the first time tonight, I was glad for the little time I'd had for preparations. If I'd had more time on my hands, I'd have gone crazy with nerves. Levi would come over, to my house, to eat dinner with me, just the two of us. If there was a way to stay calm about all of those things, I sure as hell wasn't aware of it.

Would he like my cooking? My home? Me?

I was secretly hoping—wishing—he'd stay for a while after we had finished dinner. I'd love to catch a movie or sit back out on the patio and talk with him until the sun came up. Somehow, I was one hundred percent sure I'd never, ever tire of his company. There was still everything about him to find out, and all I wanted was to know him. The real him; the one who couldn't help smiling at my stupid jokes, who'd blush at the simplest of touches and who didn't hold back when it came to handing me my ass.

I was dying to get to know all sides of him.

Zeke was already panting and barking by the front door, as if he knew exactly who'd come visit us today. I took a deep breath and put him on his leash. I'd been to dates before, but somehow, this felt different. Maybe because it wasn't even a date, I mean we hadn't specified it as one, but I'd never felt so exhilarated with nervous excitement before. I already knew that I wanted to see him again after this, which meant tonight had to run perfectly for him to want the same.

I walked down the street, biting my lip all the while. I got this. No need to panic now. When we reached the corner, I saw that the ice cream truck's regular spot was empty. No Levi anywhere. Immediately, the fear of being ditched shot up in me with vicious intensity. I checked the time on my phone and realized I'd come early, so I walked a few rounds with Zeke while we waited. Trying not to let my nerves get the best of me was beyond hard. My heart was beating ridiculously fast, and I felt the pulse speeding through my veins.

After we'd strolled another walk around the block, Zeke barked and fell into his familiar gallop. I knew it had to be Levi, but the knowledge did nothing to diminish the hopeless thrill washing over me when I laid eyes on him. It was the first time I saw him out of his work clothes, and damn.

He really was getting more attractive by the minute.

He was wearing black skinny jeans, which were ripped on the knees—okay, kill me now—and an oversized white t-shirt. The tight denim went just shy of his slender, pale ankles. I'd never been a leg fetishist, but those legs made me want to sign up for the president position of the Levi Leg Appreciation Club straight away.

"Hey," I said, my voice coming out strangely out of breath.

"Hey," he replied while he bent down to pet Zeke's head.

The weirdest urge to touch Levi flared up inside my chest, and I thought fuck it. There was no way I'd be successful at keeping my hands off of him all evening, so now was as good a time as any to start and gauge his reaction.

Levi was momentarily distracted by Zeke, and once again, his long bangs fell into his eyes. I took a good, long breath and then reached out to tuck his hair behind his ear.

God, I'd been dying to do this, and now that I had, it felt so much better than I'd anticipated. If he got mad and forbid me to ever touch him again after that, it would have been at least worth it. The softness of his hair was still whispering over my fingertips, even long after I'd pulled back.

He looked up at me, his cheeks adorned with the most gorgeous shade of pink. His eyes were wide and shining and so expectant, his lips slightly open. Before I had the chance to re-think it, I stepped closer and did the same to the hair on the other side of his face. My breath caught in my throat when I felt him again, and the sound seemed embarrassingly loud in the quietness around us.

My hand lingered on his cheek, feeling his warmth with my palm, and then Levi nuzzled into my touch. I was sure I'd known how breathing worked just a few seconds ago, but that ability was lost now as I had trouble to come to terms with how adorably he'd just reacted to my caress. Feeling bold, I closed the distance, pressing my chest up to his and pulling him into a tight hug. My arms slipped around his shoulders as if they were made to rest on the soft curve of his neck. My nose sunk in his hair and I inhaled faint traces of vanilla on the silky strands. He was stiff against me at first, but after a few moments, he tentatively hugged me back. I felt his fingers on my hips and sighed involuntarily into the crook of his neck.

"That tickles," he said into my shirt, his voice cutely muffled by the fabric.

"Ah, I'm sorry," I chuckled and lingered for another moment before pulling back.

His blush had deepened to a scarlet by now, and he was playing with a crease in his shirt. He was so adorable, I really had to devise a strategy to keep from eating him up.

I flicked the tip of his nose and listened to his squeal. He punched my chest and pouted.

"I hope you're hungry?"

"A bit," he said shyly.

Levi eyed the leash with a happily panting Zeke at its end, biting his lip.

"Do you want to take him?"

Levi's gray eyes snapped to me with an enthusiastic twinkle in them as he asked, "Can I?"

"Of course you can," I said and pushed the leash in his hand. "Trust me, you're his favorite human at the moment. He'll be delighted."

As if to agree with me, Zeke gave an excited woof as soon as his leash had changed its owner. Soon after, he began strutting in the direction of my house, proudly showing off his new dog walker. I trailed behind them for a bit, at least until I figured out this position would give me way too much leeway to check out Levi's backside. Doing that was tempting as hell, but I didn't have to challenge the arousal which was simmering just beneath my controlled surface ever since I'd seen Levi in those tight jeans.

"How was the rest of your shift?" I asked when I'd caught up with them.

"Boring," he sighed. "It's always the same. And it's fucking annoying to be nice all the time."

"You must be the grumpiest ice cream guy ever," I chuckled and nudged him in the side to let him know I was only being half-serious. "How did you even get this job?"

"Good contacts," he smirked and nudged me back.

"Uh-huh, right. That's what you think, but let me tell you one thing. The reason you got the job is because you look positively dazzling in this sailor uniform of yours. No one else could pull that off," I smiled blissfully.

He came to a sudden halt. I lifted a questioning eyebrow at him, and when he looked up at me, he was all blush again.

"Don't fuck with me, Eren," he said.

"But I'm not, Levi."

He took a step closer and brushed a finger down my bare arm, looking me straight in the eye. All the blood in my body rushed to my cheeks at his sudden proximity.

"So you like the uniform?" He asked, his tone slow and smooth.

I took a deep breath and then another one.

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"It's more than simple like. I might have developed a little obsession with it. But only if you're the one wearing it," I confessed.

He tilted his head up to my face, and suddenly I became very aware of how close we stood. If I angled my head just right, I could actually—

Okay, stop. Do not finish that thought.

His hand dropped to the hem of my shirt and began to play with the cotton.

"So... An obsession, huh?" He smirked belligerently.

"Yep. It's embarrassing but true."

"Good to know," he said before slipping beneath my shirt and pinching the bare skin just above the waistband of my jeans. I squealed and cupped his hand with mine to prolong his touch. Then I sighed and ran my knuckle over his cheek. I had a feeling he'd stored the knowledge of my little sailor kink carefully away for now.

A few minutes later, we reached my house and I led Levi through the front gate. The air was still hot outside, the sun only beginning to set in the distance.

I took Levi's hand in my own, lacing our fingers together as I unlocked the door and held it open for him to enter.

Everything was possible tonight and as I met Levi's sparkling gray eyes, I knew he felt it too.