Chapter Text
8:32 a.m.
August 29th, 2015
Sunday
Public transport was Levi's kryptonite. Germ-ridden seats that were occupied by pedestrians who lacked any sense of chivalry or direction. Crying babies, business men speaking at the loudest volume into their Blackberries, and hooded teenagers with their headphones in. The driver always slammed onto the breaks at the last second, enforcing several incidents between Levi's coffee and his pristine, white collared-shirts. However, he was never late for work, except for just once. The bus had broken down and he ended up walking to work in the bitter cold. That was probably the worst aspect of the bus.
There was one perk of the bus however. Second stop, 8:13 a.m. on every weekday, he was there. This teal eyed, exotic skinned boy. He always sat on the second seat on the left hand side with a book in his hand. He stood once, letting an elderly woman have his seat. No words were exchanged; she stepped onto the crowded bus and he removed himself from the seat, his eyes not leaving his page once.
He got off on Shiganshina Street and walked into a three-story tall Barnes and Noble, opening the door for whoever was coming or going. Every weekday at 5:33, he would get on the bus, a bit fatigued and out of touch. A new book would be in his hand and would be gone by the next morning. He never spoke on the phone loudly or talked to anyone for that matter. The collared green employee shirt didn't have a name tag. A lanyard with a key and a small badge hung from his neck, loosely tucked into his shirt. A name was illegible.
But on this Sunday morning, things were different. The bus was packed with church -goers and teenagers on their way into the city. Levi was perusal heading to the office to review the brief given to him Friday evening. He hadn't bothered to dress up, a pair of black slacks, a white t-shirt, and a black blazer doing the job. Clutching his briefcase to his chest, he gazed out the window. He found himself thinking of those bright eyes. His bright eyes.
Suddenly, the seat sunk a bit and a person graced his company. He turned his head instantly and found himself staring at book boy. Those teal eyes were lost within the pages of a thickly bind book, his mouth twitching as he whispered the words internally. Levi was at a lose of words, confused to as to why the boy was here. It was a weekend and this wasn't the second seat on the left side of the bus. It was the seventh on the right side.
The younger boy was reading The Shining by Stephen King and Levi smiled to himself. A classic in his opinion. "That's a good book." His words caught in his throat and sounded masculine as they left his mouth. Was talking to this kid even a good idea? Was he even listening? Could he speak English? Maybe he's mute or deaf. What if he's a brat? No, he's too gorgeous to be a brat.
"Yes. It is. This is my fourth time reading it. I forget to get a new book on Saturday so I'm going to Barnes and Noble to get a new one." The words sounded robotic and programmed. Not once did he look up or smile. He simply turned the page and skimmed the first sentence before slipping a bookmark into the crevice between pages. "I'm Eren. You ride the bus every weekday. You usually wear a suit and have a briefcase with you." He paused, looking down to Levi's feet. "You have the brief case, but you don't have a suit on."
There eyes met. Eren's sea colored once fixated onto Levi's steel eyes and the world seemed to disappear. The air got warmer, the surrounding people got a bit happier, and traffic dispersed. "I'm just going to the office to look over some papers. Are you some kind of stalker or something?" His words were snarkier then anticipated and he immediately regretted the chosen tone. Eren's eyes broke away from Levi's and down to his feet.
"I notice things. Like how a strand of hair always falls into your eyes on the way back from the city and you blow it back to it's rightful place. And how you always look in my general direction and how you watch me get off the bus." Eren looked at the back of his book, fiddling with the tip of the bookmark. 'I'm sorry that I look at you when you aren't looking back. You're very attractive."
His last words were quiet and filled with sorrow, almost like paying Levi a compliment was reciting a eulogy. "Don't apologize kid, it's not like I don’t do the same." His reply was good enough, hoping Eren would understand that he wasn't mad at him or anything. Their gazes met once more and a smile found its self on Eren's lips. "I'm Levi by the way."
Eren offered a hand to shake, his fingers long and paper cut ridden. Levi placed his hand in Eren's and shook firmly, his job as a lawyer giving him practice at the perfect shake. Their hands separated and fell to their sides. "Um, Levi, if you are available this upcoming Friday night, I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me." Eren said, his eyes glued to the back of the seat ahead of them.
"That would be nice kid. Let me see your phone." Eren turned to face him, an eyebrow raised in question. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and handed it to Levi. Levi opened the contacts app and typed in his number, handing it back to Eren. He noticed that his phone background was a picture of Eren at a younger age holding a medium sized German shepherd. The image stuck with Levi the rest of the day. "Text me so we can work out the details."
Eren nodded and the bus stopped. It was his stop; the bookstore which was crowded. He stood and smiled at Levi, his book placed in his left hand. "I'll see you tomorrow. But I'll be sitting on the second seat on the left. You may join me, but I am not going to give up my routine seat." He waved lightly and walked to the front of the bus, looking over his shoulder before exiting. Levi watched him go and open the door for a small family and then go in himself.
The bus started once more and Levi was alone. He sat in silence for about five minutes when his phone went off.
8:58, August 29th
From: Unknown Number
Message: Levi? It's Eren. Just wanted to make sure the number was legit.
Levi smiled to himself and added a contact name, "Bright Eyes Eren". He reread the message before deciding on an appropriate response.
8:59, August 29th
To: Bright Eyes Eren
Message: You caught me, this is a fake number. Now would I ever lie to you, kid?
He waited eagerly for the answer and his heart fluttered when his phone buzzed.
9:01, August 29th
From: Bright Eyes Eren
Message: I don't know you well enough to answer that. I have to go for now, but text me when you're done with work so we can set our plans. TTYL
After googling what TTYL meant, Levi chuckled to himself and closed his phone. He laid his head against the seat and found himself drifting off into thought as the bus neared his work place. His thoughts were consumed by Eren and how he had fallen in love in seat seven, right side.