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Eren sat at a table in the back of the small café. He’d been there for a few hours already and was now on his third cup of coffee. Spread before him on the table was a mass of loose paper, notebooks, various textbooks, and a collection of pens and highlighters. The boy looked as if he hadn’t slept in days, his hair was a crumpled mess and he blankly stared down at his notes with bloodshot eyes. Occasionally he would mutter something about “horrible professors not teaching a damn thing” or how “goddamn fucking conjugation makes no sense” and scribble something in a notebook that sat in his lap. He finally became so frustrated at the books in front him he slammed down his pen, which then bounced off the table and hit another patron of the café in the head. Eren froze and watched as the man turned back to find where the pen and come from.
“Shit,” he said quietly to himself, trying to gather his things quickly. Unfortunately he was a mess and he couldn’t accomplish the task before the black haired man stalked towards him.
“Oi, kid,” the man was now standing in front of Eren, holding the flung pen up in front of him and glaring. There was ice in his words as he spoke again. “Is this your fucking pen?”
“I’m not a kid. And yeah that’s my fucking pen. Look I’m sorry, it was accident. You don’t have to be so rude.”
“Excuse me? I’m the one who was hit with your shitty pen, brat.” He tossed the pen onto the table. “Watch where you decide to fling your shit next time.” He then walked away from Eren and went back to his table where he grabbed his coat and briefcase and left the café.
Eren tried not to let the man affect him, but he was already angry. Groaning he sat back in his chair and let his head hang back. He’d have to give up studying for tonight. He sat up, shoved his papers into his backpack, and left the café to walk home.
The next day Eren returned to the café. He still had to study for his German final that was in two weeks and the café was open late to cater to the many students in the area. He hauled his backpack to the same spot as yesterday and settled in. Just as he’d pulled out all of his material the bell above the door chimed, signaling the arrival of another customer. Eren looked up at the sound only to be met with an icy stare from the same man from the previous night.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
The man spun and marched towards him. “Excuse you?”
What Eren had thought he’d said in his head he’d accidentally said out loud. “U-Um nothing. Just uh…this stuff,” Eren motioned to the table at his stacks of notes.
“You lying shit. You were looking right at me when you said that. I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“Look, I’m sorry okay? About yesterday too. The pen thing was an accident and I could have sworn I said that in my head. I’m just tired and frustrated so can you leave me alone, man?”
“Tch. Whatever, kid.” He made to turn away but his coat caught on a stack of papers and they scattered on the floor.
“Fuck! Are you fucking kidding me?” Eren stared down at the mess on the floor.
“Well don’t just sit there fuckwit. Help me pick this up.” The man had set down his briefcase and was kneeling on the floor collecting the papers.
“Uh right,” Eren sank down to the floor and together they collected the papers. “I’m Eren, by the way.”
“That’s nice.”
“Well what’s yours? Geez.”
“Why the fuck should I tell you?”
“Oh come on, get in the Christmas spirit and be nice. Just tell me your fucking name okay?”
“I don’t think you can demand someone’s name and say be nice at the same time. But fuck it. I’m Levi. Now I’m leaving.”
“Wait!”
“Jesus, what?”
“Uh…Sit with me! I’ll buy you a coffee.”
“Why the fuck should I do that?”
“Just do it. It’d be nice to have some company.”
Levi stared at Eren for a moment before taking off his jacket and resting it on the chair opposite Eren’s. “Fine. I’ll sit with you. Now, an Americano please.”
Eren grinned down at the man who had now taken a seat and went off to get his coffee. He didn’t quite know what possessed him to ask the grumpy man to sit with him, but he would appreciate the company in his tedious study session. They sat quietly for the most part, each attending to their own business. Eren would still mutter occasionally to himself and glare at his notes and textbooks and Levi would tell him to stop talking to himself.
“Well it’s been fun,” Levi said, pushing back his chair. “But, it’s late and I’m tired.” He stood and gathered his things.
Eren’s head shot up and he looked up at Levi. “Wait! Are you going to be here tomorrow because if you are will you sit with me again?”
“Fuck it. Sure kid. Why not. Later.” And with that Levi took his leave from the café.
Eren set down the pen - gently this time - he’d been using and thought back on the man he had spent the past couple of hours with. He had been dressed neatly in slacks and a button down shirt. His coat seemed to dwarf him when he was wearing it. He was clearly a business man of some sort and Eren wondered what he did. Eren smiled as he remembered the man’s eyes. He thought they were interesting. He didn’t see many people with grey eyes, and Levi’s seemed to shine lightly even when he had glared at Eren. There was a passion in his eyes that gave them a subtle light. His eyes stood out from the rest of him. His hair was dark, his clothing was dark, and as far as Eren had seen – which honestly wasn’t much to go on – nine times out of ten his expression was dark. Sighing, Eren rested his head on his hand. Maybe Levi wasn’t what most people would call attractive and he was a little rude, but Eren could feel himself growing a small crush on the man.
“Fucking Christ. Don’t you have work to do or something?” Levi had been interrupted by Eren for the fifth time now with a random German word.
“I do. But I don’t want to do it right now. I’ve been working for an hour already, but for right now I’m taking a break.”
“Well I have work to do, so leave me alone, kid.”
“Oh come on. Take a break. Let’s talk!”
Levi groaned loudly. “Fine. What do you want to talk about?”
“Yes! What do you do?”
“I’m a supervisor at Survey Corp. In the finance division. Do you have a job?”
“Oh that sounds cool. Yeah, I do. It’s boring. I work at the Student Center at my school. It’s boring, all I do is sit there and answer questions and occasionally I do things. But I get to do homework so it’s alright.”
“What exactly have you been studying so much, by the way?”
“German! I’m a senior and this is all for my major. I’m studying the actual language right now though. My final is in a couple weeks and then I’ll be done with this semester. Thank God.”
“Huh. Seems hard.” Levi picked up one of the random sheets of paper of the table. His brow furrowed as he scanned the sheet of paper. “Why are you studying this?”
Eren visibly perked up at the question. “Languages are amazing. German is my favorite though. It’s hard to explain. I want to study it because it’s fascinating to me. Languages help you reach people in different ways. It’s one thing to speak English to someone who understands you, but that isn’t their first language, but once you understand their language you can communicate with them on a whole different level. It’s amazing. You gain such a different and awesome perspective on everything when you know another language. And like I said, German is my favorite. I think it’s really nice. So I chose to study it.”
“Wow. That’s actually pretty amazing, kid. You’ve put a lot of thought into this. More than I actually expected when I asked that question.”
The pair continued talking about whatever they could think of. The conversation flowed naturally and they talked easily. Levi was more expressive than Eren had initially though; he just showed it in smaller ways. He even got the man to laugh a few times. Eren observed that he had a nice laugh that he’d like to hear more of. This wasn’t the only night that after a while Eren and Levi would simply give up what they were doing and talk. Every night they met at the café and sat at the same table and worked in silence which soon dissolved into discussion.
The day of Eren’s final he arrived late to the café to see Levi sitting at their usual table already. There were two coffees on the table.
“Here.” Levi held out the second cup to Eren as he approached the table.
“Thanks! Ah it’s still warm too! You’re the best,” Eren laughed lightly as he sat down.
“So? Are you going to tell me how the damn test went?”
“Eh, maybe. Do you really care?”
“Damn brat. I asked didn’t I?”
“Fine, fine,” Eren laughed. He was in high spirits that evening. “It went great! I feel good about it. And now I’m free for a whole month. Man I can’t wait until Christmas! Do you have any plans?”
“That’s really great, kid. Hm, no. I don’t really do much. I’ll probably buy myself a wine bottle and that’s about it. Hanji usually comes over, but she’s busy this year with her new husband so we’re not doing anything on Christmas and we’re celebrating my birthday before she leaves. You?”
“Your birthday…? Wait. When is your birthday?”
“Christmas… Why?”
“Levi!”
“What? Fuck, no need to shout.”
“You should have told me! Okay. I’m treating you to a Christmas birthday dinner. You’re coming over to my apartment and I’m cooking you food and you’re not going to sit at home alone. I won’t let you. I’ll find you. Say yes.”
“Are you kidding me? No.”
“Levi you have to. I’m doing it anyway. And you’ll have to come over. I’m a good cook I swear. And plus if you don’t I’ll be alone too, so if you come over neither of us will have to be alone.”
“What about those friends of yours? Huh?”
“Out of town. Some romantic thing Armin planned for the both of them. So I’m alone, but now you’re coming over so it’s going to be okay!” Eren was grinning broadly now. “You can’t say no. I won’t let you.”
“If I say yes, will you stop harassing me?”
“Yup!”
“Fine. I’ll come over. Give me your address and your number. You better not be lying about your cooking skills or so help me I will hurt you.
“Fuck yeah!” Eren scribbled his address and number on a napkin and handed it Levi. “Don’t worry, my cooking skills are awesome. Just you wait.”
“Whatever. I’m bringing wine.”
“Fine with me. You should come by at around…hm five o’clock.”
“Fine. I have to go now. Oh, also I forgot to tell you. I’ll be out of town a few days and then spending time with Hanji. So the next time I’ll see you…will be Christmas.”
“Okay. That gives me time to get presents! And I’ll be with Mikasa and Armin anyway before they leave. I’ll see you at Christmas then, at my place right?”
“Yes, you little shit. I already said I’d be there. Have a good week. Bye.”
“Bye Levi!”
It was now Christmas day and Eren had spent a good portion of his day cooking. His small apartment filled with the smell of good food. He stirred the pot he was currently watching over one last time before wiping off his hands on a towel and going to quickly inspect the rest of his apartment. There wasn’t much in the way of decoration but he did have a tree up with an odd assortment of decorations that he’d put up with his friends. Under the tree he’d placed two poorly wrapped boxes that were his gifts to Levi. A sudden knock at the door startled him.
“Levi!” He said throwing the door open.
“He-“ Levi stopped, starring at Eren. “What in the hell are you wearing?”
Eren looked down at his clothing. He was wearing a bright red sweater with a large Christmas tree on the front. The tree was adorned with pompoms and made to look like it was decorated.
“My sweater? Oh wait! You haven’t seen the best part yet!”
“I can promise you there is nothing that would be ‘the best’ about that sweater,” Levi said as Eren fiddled with a switch on the inside of his sweater.
“Ta-da!” Suddenly twinkling lights appeared on his sweater.
“Are you shitting me? That thing lights up? What if you get electrocuted, dumbass?”
“Aw, you’re no fun Levi. This sweater is awesome. Shut up. Now come in. It’s cold outside. Also I have presents for you!”
“Why?”
“Because it’s Christmas and your birthday that’s why. Go sit on the sofa and I’ll get your presents. You have to open them now, okay?”
“Fine, fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Levi made his way to the low sofa across the room and sat. Eren grinned and rushed to the tree to grab the two boxes. He handed them to Levi and sat across from him on the other end of the sofa.
“Okay open the top one first.”
“Did you wrap these with your eyes closed?”
“Shut up and open the box, Levi.”
Levi tore through the paper and tape and managed to pull out the white box. Lifting the lid he found a black, leather journal.
“Wow. This is really nice,” he said turning it over in his hand. “Thanks.” Levi smiled up at Eren, who then returned his smile.
“Okay, now open the next one. Quick.”
“Alright, alright. Give me a minute.”
Levi grabbed the other lumpy package and tore through the wrapping finding another white box. Only this time when he lifted the lid he let out a loud groan.
“What the fuck is this? Please tell me it’s not what I think it is.”
He pulled out a large lump of red fabric. Unfolding it he saw the same sweater that Eren was currently wearing.
“Levi. You have to put it on.”
“Fuck. No.”
“Levi,” Eren drew out the I at the end in an almost whine.
“No, Eren.”
“Please, Levi! I went out and bought us matching sweaters. You have to wear it. Please.” Eren looked up at Levi with puppy dog eyes. He was using everything in him to try and get the older man to put on the sweater.
“You little shit. Don’t pull that. Stop looking at me. You know what. Fuck you. Fine. I’ll put on the damn sweater. Happy?”
“Yes!”
Levi slipped on the sweater over his shirt.
“God this is awful. Come here, you fucking shit.”
Eren scooted towards Levi. Levi met him half way and surprised him by gently placing his lips against Eren’s and giving him a soft kiss.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while now,” he said breaking the kiss. “Thanks for the stupid sweater, kid.”