Work Text:
Levi Ackerman was discharged from the Survey Corps service on a chilly Monday morning, leaving with just his left eye, a nasty scar across his face, and only 8 fingers remaining in total. Erwin, who had been discharged four years earlier, immediately contacted him about a job offer, likely knowing that Levi would go stir crazy after months in the hospital.
He would know, given that he himself was missing an arm.
However, even with these… disabilities, Erwin still wanted Levi (and Levi himself too, he guessed) to do a manual labour job, especially since Levi himself had no qualifications, not even elementary school- he grew up with the scum back in Paradis’ poorest district, the Underground. Education wasn’t a basic human right, it had been a luxury . Unfortunately, Levi wasn’t one of those rich bastards and his usage of knives for his survival eventually got him caught.
He was given a choice. To serve on the front lines or to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Levi chose the one he would regret the least.
And now, a free man, Levi opened up shop again, expecting yet another laborious, yet fulfilling day.
Then, an angel walked in.
Levi hadn’t really paid much attention first as a black Nissan rolled in with a sputtering engine, but then he saw the owner of that car opening the door.
Levi didn’t know he had been staring until the same guy had opened his mouth. Leaning to his right, the tall guy had his long dark hair in a messy bun, beautiful green eye that looked at Levi whose mouth was suddenly dry.
Then it looked away and Levi felt disappointed as the man scratched his neck. However, he understands that his stares could be intense and the guy could be shy with his bandaged eye and now that Levi realises, a missing left leg.
“So, um… my history teacher recommended this store.”
Levi could have given Erwin a big bear hug. Because he was definitely sure that even Erwin knew the car was only having this issue due to not having a regular oil change. And yet, he’s sent this student here. Damn that man, he’s going to be owing favours to him for the rest of his life.
They were all going to hell, and Levi was going to drag this student down with him.
Too bad he’s shit with his words.
So he does the only thing his mind could think of at this moment: he changes Eren’s oil, but also does a full inspection of the car, charging Eren only a quarter of the price.
He shouldn’t have charged anything at all, as he carefully pulled a piston just slightly out of place, so that in a week’s time Eren was back at his garage, only exchanging a couple of words before paying 10% of the actual cost and going away.
Yet, with that second visit, Levi bugged his whole garage with cameras and recording instruments. Now he has 4k images of Eren Jaeger from each profile. And that man was gorgeous. Eyes scarred, with tear-like marks running down his left- hair either in a bun or hanging straight down to his shoulders- ears pierced , ass fine as hell- pants sometimes cut at the knee or tied at that point, other times just hanging loose. Most days Eren is covered in shades of black and white. Some days he sees a little green.
Well, what did he mean by most days? If he had to tell the truth, he’s gotten his name and number due to some bullshit paperwork he made him do. Not to mention age, home address, school, and allergies. (In case Levi uses a chemical Eren’s allergic to, you know? Not because he wants to take him out for dinner or anything.)
Naturally, staking out certain areas has become his new hobby. If anyone asks, he’ll just reply with ‘bird-watching’, and hope they aren’t an expert to realise that Levis was using a pair of military grade binoculars- not just standard issue, but with several customisations from the black ops and black market.
And maybe Levi’s also bugged Eren’s car, and he’s been hearing worrying things from Eren’s friends, telling him how his car shop seemed like a scam.
“Did you know that Nissan ranks at 13 out of 26 car brands? It’s more reliable than Audi, yet still not as reliable as Toyota,” Levi comments. “How about you buy a student package deal? Since this car’s probably going to break down every other week.”
His target frowns. “...should I maybe get another car instead?”
“Can you afford that?” Levi retorts immediately. “Don’t worry, my prices are much cheaper than other places. Especially for someone like you.”
“What about someone like me?” Eren snaps back, hands drawing into a defensive position. Shit, this is why they were on week 3 of this goddamned charade.
“It means that I know you’ve been a soldier, Jaeger.” Levi gambles. He gambled harder than he’s ever had, but he’s felt good about his calculations. Eren stood firmly, and even in civilian settings, his body was tense like a spring, eyes on the lookout. “How did you-”
“10 years in the Survey Corps, and I got blown up by a thunder spear. I’ve lost my eye, two fingers, and my pride.” Levi states firmly. “What about you?”
“...First day, deployment at Trost, 4 years ago. I was the suicidal blockhead that blocked up the barricades and lost my leg to that and almost my hand. I hadn’t even gotten to the Survey Corps yet, so I deserted my hospital stay and infiltrated Marley.-”
What the fuck was this kid , Levi thought to himself hysterically. Looks like he was going to have to stick his dick in crazy.”
“-I spent so much time there as a spy, but my friends had finally caught back up to me, leading to the… accident in Liberio that cost me my left eye. In short, I was court martialed.”
“Consider this a veteran’s discount, Jaeger,” Levi said, mind still processing the information. Maybe he’s been a hermit for too long, because he didn’t remember Eren Jaeger looking like this. He had been part of the infiltration, to get one of their spies back- to only find out that their spy wasn’t authorised to be a spy at all. Levi had been pissed, but he wonders why Eren doesn’t remember. And he feels stupid to not have recognised the brat, but more than just his hair length had changed- the look in his eyes has become so unrecognisable that Levi couldn’t tell his subordinate apart from a stranger.
“I… that’s what I heard, anyway. Because along with my eye, it damages my brain, so I don’t… I don’t remember anything,” Eren confessed, and Levi felt his heart break whilst filling it with hope. So Eren hadn’t been ignoring him, because he genuinely didn’t know. And this meant… that they could start over again.
Well, better than their first meeting. Levi’s been in charge of Eren’s court martial twice, because no one had bothered to remind him that captain Levi had kicked the shit out of him in court as punishment for being braver than all the older generation in the court combined. Still aware that this scheme he was running likely has to end before someone gets hurt, Levi tries to push his way into Eren’s current life.
“So what’s it like being Eren Jaeger now? Is Erwin a good teacher?”
Eren paused, face in contemplation, before hearing the second question. “Yeah, Mr Smith is a really good teacher, but that’s not the reason why I wanna study history.”
“Oh? Do tell.” Levi prodded, genuinely curious. 15-year-old Eren had been a hot headed brat who cared not for his life nor for knowledge.
“I wanna know why we fight, and who we fight, sir,” Eren stated, as if daring the world to strike him down. And Levi’s breath was taken away from him again, with determined green eyes. “So you’re still going to fight? Count me impressed, cadet.”
“I know that I can’t throw my life away anyhow, sir. That’s why I need to fight smarter, not harder. To ensure the lives of our fellow countrymen.” Eren told him, and Levi swooned . “Keep fighting the good fight, soldier.”
He should have told him how he felt, the truth, anything- because the week after that, Eren didn’t come back. Not even with Levi having punctured an extremely small hole in Eren’s tire, knowing that it’d take a week until Eren would notice any difference. Did he get into trouble? Fingers trembling, Levi shot a couple of texts to the phone number Eren gave him, feeling relieved when they were finally delivered and read, but not getting any responses.
Hey Eren, are you alright?
Your car should be facing an issue at around this time, why aren’t you here?
Was he too desperate? Levi didn’t know, so he tried looking for answers on foot, knowing that he should have bugged Eren’s entire house instead of trying to give the brat and his family and friends some privacy from Levi’s obsession . He sees Eren still hanging around at the places he knows he’ll be at, with a smoothly running car and a changed tire. Maybe the brat finally had enough of spending half his Saturday at the garage and actually looked up shit online.
Levi feels a pang in his heart, body moving on autopilot until the next Saturday rolled around, as Eren dropped in with a familiar, beat up black Nissan. Levi was too overwhelmed with feelings of relief that Eren had beat him to the conversation first.
“You’ve been lying to me,” Eren accuses, thrusting a finger to Levi’s chest. And every word that Levi had died at the tip of his tongue.
Because of his inability to communicate like a normal fucking person, Levi has dug his own grave.
“You’ve been sabotaging my car, and to what? Take advantage of a disabled, amnesiac, and broke college student?”
Gods, did Levi miss Eren’s rage. He’s just never been on the end of it, though, Eren having either too much respect or fear to properly dish him what he deserved. And he lets Eren fly off his handle, because he really deserves it, and not for this measly thing. In the end, Eren had been looking out for other customers as well, even his history teacher that recommended him- “My sister Mikasa owns a bike, and she saw through your bullshit! So tell me, why-”
“I’m in love with you, Eren,” Levi confesses, having no words to say but the truth. Because of all this stupid deception, just because he couldn’t man up and take this golden opportunity given to him, Levi’s shot himself in the foot so many times that he now requires a crutch, too. This froze up the other man, so Levi took this chance to say everything , before Eren was taken away from him again.
“I love your passion, Eren. Your eyes burn with the force of a thousand suns, not back when you were 15- now, where you want to help Paradis through greater means and even standing up for Strangers to me because you care . I love how pretty you are, too. And when we talk, you make me feel at home . I haven’t felt this peaceful in decades, if at all. But I’m a shitty old man, and I’m shit at feelings, so I’m sorry. Sorry to have caused issues in your car, taking advantage of your trust and time. I’ll reimburse you fully, with interests even. And I swear on my life, that I only did those things to you, no one else.”
Forcing himself bare and open (as legally as possible), Levi lets Eren’s gaze wash across him, likely judging this short, scarred, tiny old man. And braces himself for a rejection. of any kind- a slap, a shout, just silence and walking away.
Because that was what he deserved- he knows he’s shit at being human, so why would Eren reciprocate?
Well, Eren never did enjoy being told what to do, think or feel.
Levi feels Eren gently tugging his left eye open, searching his face as he cradles his cheeks.
“Do you really mean that?” A hushed whisper. Levi nods, opening his mouth to answer, before he’s pulled into a kiss that had their noses bumped against each other and their teeth clicked. Yet, it was one of the best kiss he’s ever had in this life.
Pulling away, Eren flushes head to toe in a shade of sunset red.
“Sorry… that was my first kiss. I guess… you feel like freedom to me, when I’m with you. That’s why I came back here, because I didn’t want to believe what Mikasa was saying about you. I thought that you’d never do such things, or that you wouldn’t do them for such a petty reason.”
Looking back at him, green eyes staring into grey, Eren graces Levi with more than he deserved. “I’m glad we met- even if it’s again, for you.”
Pulling Eren’s head down and pressing their lips together again, Levi finds his own slice of heaven on Paradis island.