"Ugh, thank God..." Eren huffed as they walked through the door of the art store and into the warm. He sighed in relief and rubbed his numb red nose. "It's November in a few days, I think we've just about finished Autumn..."

"Mmhmm." Levi mumbled, flattening his windswept hair.

"Nooo, don't do that! It looks really good messy!" Eren protested with a pout as he watched Levi smooth it down with his hand.

"No Eren." He said firmly. He looked around at the small art store. "So... what are we doing in here...?" He mumbled in question. Eren shrugged.

"It's got really nice stuff and I knew it would be really warm. Come on." He beckoned Levi and started to walk off. Levi groaned and followed after him. The shopkeeper saw Levi before he saw Eren and frowned. He had come over to keep an eye on him because he looked suspicious wearing his hoodie with his hands in his pockets, looking moody. He saw that he was with Eren and immediately forgot his previous worries.

"Eren!" He said with a smile. He was a middle aged man with a short crop of brown hair and stubble, with bright blue eyes. He beamed at the teen. He was about Eren's height and Levi shifted uncomfortably as he was suddenly sandwiched between the two in the small aisle they were in. Eren smiled in return.

"Hello Sir!"

"How are you? Who's your friend?"

"I'm fine, how are you? Oh, this is Levi. We're room-mates." Eren said, gesturing at Levi who grunted in agreement.

"I'm fine thank you Eren. Hello Levi." They stood in silence and Eren watched Levi expectantly.

"Oh, hi..." Levi murmured after a short while.

"Nice to meet you." The man offered him his hand. It was covered in peeling dried paint. Levi grimaced ever so slightly but it was barely noticeable and gingerly took his hand, shaking it. He hastily pulled his hand back when the man let it go and he turned to Eren with a grimace. He didn't put his hand back in his pocket. The man saw the face Levi pulled and didn't look very impressed but kept quiet about it.

"Were you just looking or are you buying anything today?"

"We just came to look and get warm, it's really cold outside." Eren said. Levi looked really uncomfortable being around someone he didn't know, now ith much on his hand, so Eren moved to the side slightly. "Um, I know you needed some... paints, Levi. I'll meet you there in a sec?" Eren looked at Levi and his eyes flashed slightly to show he should play along.

"Yeah... I'd better go do that, how could I forget." Levi glared at him before heading past him and going round the corner. The man watched him go a bit worriedly.

"He won't steal anything will he...?" He asked Eren quietly. He didn't like the way Levi seemed to behave and he was quite a paranoid person when it came to younger people. He trusted Eren though, he'd known him since Eren was 8. He had been friends with Eren's parents and always said hello to Eren when he came to look at the art supplies. Sometimes if Eren had been lonely when he was about 12 and was allowed out on his own, Eren would just come here to be with him and Eren would draw behind the counter with him. Not many customers came in here so they would paint together and the man (His name was Mr Freudenberger but that was a bit of a mouthful so Eren just called him Sir) would serve people when he needed to. Even when he was alone he would paint behind the counter, hence the paint on his hands Levi was so reluctant to touch. Eren shook his head.

"No, don't worry, he's just a bit moody." He said quietly.

"A bit?" The man murmured, that was obviously an understatement. "Is he always like that? He was quite rude..."

"Yeah don't worry about it, that was actually polite by his standards, he doesn't like people acting like they're... 'friends'. He er... He doesn't like to talk about it." He mumbled and the man nodded in understanding.

"Alright then... Well he's probably waiting for you, I'll see you later lad. Maybe pop in one day when you're free?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" Eren smiled at him. "See you later, I might buy some things but I might not, that goes the same for Levi." Eren made sure he added so that he didn't get suspicious when he left with Levi and no paint having been bought. The man gave him a smile and then turned to go back to the counter. Eren headed to go and find Levi, hoping he wasn't too annoyed. Mr Freudenberger was a father-like figure to Eren and he hadn't wanted to ignore him, so he'd just spoken to him for a minute. He looked around and found Levi in a random isle, wiping his hand on some fabric. Eren rolled his eyes.

"Lee, what are you doing?"

"Lee-vi, and I've trying to get that filthy paint off..."

"Levi, it was dry, there's nothing there, it didn't wipe off."

"Still..." Levi grumbled and gave his clean hand one last wipe before putting it back in his pocket. Eren sucked his teeth and straightened the fabric.

"Levi, someone's going to buy this..." He mumbled, trying to made it nice again. Levi watched him as he did so.

"Oh well... Like you said, my hands were clean." His eyes flashed and Eren growled.

"Come on moody, I need to go find some stuff..." Eren said, taking Levi's hand back out of his pocket again to pull him to another isle.

"You know, you really need some more clothes..." Levi wrinkled his nose as Eren towed him through the store.
"Oh?"

"You only have a few and they are old... And this?" Levi pinged the sleeve of Eren's hoodie. "Is far too big... Even if it is rather cute." He admitted and blushed. He had just spoken his thoughts outloud and he inwardly cursed himself. It was bad to think that of another boy! Eren smiled at what Levi said. Levi was starting to open up to him. He had been denying him as anything but an acquaintance but what he said to him seemed to have made him open up a bit. He was happy that he had, he liked Levi even more.

They didn't buy anything from the art store, Eren just waved at the shopkeeper before they left and this time Levi had been the one to pull Eren to another shop. He had steered him into a clothes shop. "Right. You're getting some clothes, you wear them for far too many days in a row, it's disgusting." Eren pouted.

"But I don't have much money..."

"It's fine, we don't have to buy anything really fancy, and we can put our money together." He muttered, letting go of Eren's cold, hoodie covered hand. He picked up a basket and shoved it into Eren's hands.

"But I can't take your money again, I have taken far too much."

"We may not need to but either way, it's fine. Come on." Levi put his hands in his pockets, waiting for Eren to lead the way. Eren sighed and started to head to the t-shirts.

"You should wear something more colourful... Because this," Eren pinged his hoodie sleeve on his bicep. "Is black the same as the rest of all you wear... Even if it is rather cute." He repeated what Levi said and stuck his tongue out, knowing it would piss the shorter male off. Levi rolled his eyes and punched Eren in the shoulder gently but firmly. Eren found one cheap plain dark-green t-shirt that he liked and pulled out a red one for Levi who shook his head adamantly.
"No. It's not a dark colour."

"That's the point!" Eren shoved his t-shirt into his basket and reluctantly put the red one back. "Come on, there must be something here that you like that isn't black..." He sighed, looking around. He kept thrusting t-shirts in his face, but Levi turned down each and every one. "Fine, be that way. But I WILL be getting you something that isn't black for Christmas, whether you like it or not." Eren said and Levi glared at him.

"That doesn't mean I'll wear it."

"But we both know you'd feel bad about me spending money on you... So you would want to wear it for me."
"Oh shut it Jaeger..." He snapped, looking away.

"Exactly. Right, let's get out of here." Eren led him to the self service checkouts and he bought his t-shirt and a pair of navy skinny jeans. The price was only £6.98 in total and Eren had enough so he didn't need Levi's money to his relief. They headed out of the store and out onto the street. "What time is it?" Eren asked Levi, who checked his phone.

"It's coming up to 11, where are you meeting your friends?"

"At the park." Eren replied. "Are you going to go back to the college? Or are you going to stay?" He asked hopefully.

"I'll go back." Levi said and Eren sighed sadly, his long messy hair falling in his eyes. He shouldn't complain, Levi had been with him for 2 and a half hours. They'd never done that before... But now he knew what spending time with Levi was like, he didn't want to stop.

"Oi, be glad I came with you at all." Levi muttered in annoyance.

"Yeah, I am... Thanks Levi. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"Yes. I am." Levi said firmly, looking up at Eren. "Tch... and get this hair cut." He said, flicking Eren's errant locks out of his eyes. Eren smiled at the act as watched Levi as he put his hand back into his pocket to hide it from the cold. "Come on then."

"Wait what?" Eren frowned as Levi started heading in the way of the park. "The college is that way!"

"I know, I'm not stupid brat. I just don't want you to go there on your own." Eren rolled his eyes at that but didn't object to spending more time with Levi.

"God Levi, you're like an overprotective mother." He said, stepping up beside him. "But you're cute so it's ok." Levi blushed at that as they walked through the street. Yet again, he held Eren's sleeve when they crossed the road and pulled him across when it was safe. When they got to the park, Levi turned to face Eren.

"Right, I'll see you later then brat." Levi huffed and Eren looked at him sadly, really not wanting him to go, but he sighed in defeat.

"Yeah, see you later. Thanks for coming with me." Eren said with a small sad smile.

"It's fine... Have a good time with them and be safe you brat..."
"Yes mum." Eren grumbled and Levi glared at him.

"Normally I would have knocked you out for saying that... But you're cute, so it's ok." Levi deliberately copied Eren. It sort of just came out of his mouth, he didn't mean to say these things. He wasn't having a bad day so he wouldn't punish himself for it probab;y buthe probab;y would another day... He walked past him to go and Eren felt a grin lift his mouth and he couldn't help but spin round and grab Levi, pulling him into a hug.

"Mm...!" Levi's muffled voice cried out from Eren's chest as he was shoved into it. Eren gave him a squeeze before releasing a flustered looking Levi. He stumbled back a couple of steps and cleared his throat, straightening his messed up hair, his face crimson. "Er... y-yeah..."

"Sorry but I had to... See you later!" Eren turned and ran off, too embarrassed to stay, but he had a smile on his face all the same. He hoped he'd managed to cheer Levi up because he'd certainly managed to cheer Eren up. The corner of Levi's mouth twitched into a small smile as he watched his room-mate run off and sighed, turning on his heel to go.

(A/N:) Thanks for reading! Hopefully you will forgive me for not uploading much this week and stuff because it's nearly Christmas and stuff so I don't expect anyone to be reading anyway lol but still. Glad you are enjoying my fic, thanksss! :D