Chapter Text
“Back again, Levi?”
“Shut it, Jaeger.”
“But this is the third time today.”
“So?”
“So? Most people don’t even come by three times a month.”
“Do I look like most people?”
Eren gives Levi a sheepish smile. He, in fact, doesn’t look like most people, if only for the fact that he always dresses like he’s going to a funeral. And that’s not even an exaggeration - he always looks like somebody’s just died, with his dark pants and his dark hair and his dark shirts and his dark everything. The only thing about him that isn’t dark is his, admittedly, stunningly pale skin.
Today, he bears a tight shirt - black, of course - that reveals even the most rigid of muscles on his upper body. Beneath that, low on his hips, are rich ebony denim trousers that tuck neatly into his fucking black combat boots, boots that reach only just above his ankles. His hair is set in its usual position, charcoal-shaded bangs that fall a little higher than his eyes, parted closer to the left rather than in the center.
Honestly, what with his depressing - albeit, badass - outfit, Levi looks intimidating. Almost as if he could so easily reel his leg back and slam his foot into Eren’s skull and smash him to pieces - which, he probably could, if he wanted to. Levi’s not a bad person, however. For as long as Eren's known him, he hasn't so much as hurt a butterfly.
“I guess not,” Eren shrugs in response to Levi’s rhetorical question. “So what did you bring me, this time?”
“Who says that I brought you anything?”
“Mm, nobody, but it’s just, you brought me stuff the other two times that you walked in here today.” Eren nudges his head to the right, indicating the pile of things that sits on the counter beside him - it’s a small lavender rose, and alongside it is a much larger white rose. Levi hadn’t done more than merely set the purple one down before leaving - which left Eren confused as hell and wondering if that was supposed to be some sort of tip - but Levi had actually bothered to give Eren the white one by hand.
Levi lets out a huff of air. “That’s true.”
“So? What is it?”
“Pink.”
Levi shifts his weight onto his right foot, and he reaches into his left pocket, pulling out a beaten up rose. It’s a light coral, and as Eren takes it into his fingers, he sees that it’s wilting. The edges are browned, the stem stunted, the aroma nonexistent.
“Why are you bringing me all the-”
“Hey, princess,” Levi interrupts, eyeing the display case that Eren sits behind, “Any chance I can buy a loaf of bread before I head out?”
“'Princess?'” Eren mocks with an eyebrow raise and a smile working its way onto his lips. Levi gives him a smirk in response.
Eren stands up, setting the pink rose down next to its purple and white friends. He pulls a key out from where it was hiding in his shirt, and he kneels down behind the counter, unlocking the glass door that separates him from the pastries. He pulls it open, and - using a paper bag that he'd grabbed from where a stack of them lie just next to Eren’s new flowers - he slips a small loaf of bread in, wraps it up, and hands it over to Levi.
“For you,” Eren says with a wink, “For free.”
“Free?”
“Mhm. Payback for all the flowers.”
“Payback, huh?” Levi says, “Meaning that you don’t appreciate them?”
“I- No, I never said that,” Eren defends, “I just meant, ah, I meant payback in a good way, you know?”
“No, I don’t know. Care to explain?”
“Well-”
“I’m kidding. Please don’t explain. If you’re going to explain something, tell me why you’re here in this old bakery all alone.”
“Huh? Oh,” Eren waves him off passively, “My sister, Mikasa, went out with my mom to buy decorations.”
“Decorations?”
“Yeah. Since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, they want to, uh, spiffy up the bakery.”
And it’s true - early this morning, Eren had trudged out of his bedroom upstairs to find that Mikasa and his mother were all dressed up, ready to head out. He’d questioned them, but they didn’t stick around long enough for Eren to get any specific details out of them. They’ve been gone all day thus far, though Eren doesn’t truly mind - he likes running their family bakery all by himself, especially considering that most of their customers are friends and neighbors of his. When Mikasa’s around, she doesn’t appreciate it when Eren holds up the line by chatting with his buddies about this or that. So it’s a breath of fresh air, to be allowed to sit and talk for hours on end with people like Levi.
Levi, himself, is Eren’s neighbor - his house is about three doors down from the bakery, and Eren’s passed by it on plenty of occasions. Levi’s usually sitting out on his front steps, or he’s just heading out of his house when they wave and say hello to each other. Eren, of course, is usually a lot more cheerful with his greetings, but that could just be because Eren never really hangs around in Levi’s front lawn long enough to spark a debate with him.
Levi, for whatever reason, has recently taken a liking to coming by Eren’s bakery every day. He usually walks in, one hand behind his back, and he comes straight up to Eren, delivering a little gift to him. They’re small gifts, but Eren loves them - flowers, candies, necklaces, bracelets. One time, Levi even bought him a little teddy bear. Needless to say, Eren likes to keep said teddy bear on his bedside table upstairs, right next to his alarm clock.
Eren straightens himself out once more, and he moves out from behind the display case to set himself right in front of Levi. It’d be impossible to miss the way that Levi’s eyes shoot up and down his body, examining his appearance - but Eren’s grown used to it. Not because Levi always does this, but because everyone always does this. Eren doesn’t exactly dress conventionally.
As of right now, he’s wearing a light denim shirt, reminiscent of a crop top. It has two straps that hang on the shoulders to keep the shirt up, and it’s buttoned down the middle. It’s a little tight, but Eren likes it because, not only is it cute, but it also helps to accentuate the curves of his upper body - if he’s allowed to flatter himself like so, of course.
Beneath his crop top sits a bright, pastel pink skirt that just barely reaches mid-thigh, pattern on it like sheep wool. On his neck sits the key, hanging off of a makeshift string, and on his feet are matching heels - they don’t add too much height to him, but they’re enough so that he has to be careful while walking or he’ll fall over and probably die.
“Isn’t it a little cold outside to be wearing something like that?” Levi asks, meeting Eren’s eyes. He looks genuinely concerned, his eyebrows knit together and worry tainting his gray pupils.
“Isn’t it a little cold to be wearing that?” Eren points to Levi’s bare arms.
“At least I’m wearing pants.”
“Well, I’m not going outside,” Eren sighs, placing a hand on the display case to his side and leaning on it. He’s not supposed to do such, but it hasn’t broken yet, which is likely a good sign.
“Maybe not. Just don’t want you catching a cold, you know?”
“I’ll be fine. Haven’t gotten sick since I was twelve.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! My mom’s an expert at all that medical stuff.”
“Medical stuff, huh?” Levi smirks, “Very articulate, aren’t you?”
“You can’t scare me with those big words of yours.”
Levi mimics Eren, leaning over onto the display case and stepping forward, closing much of the distance that separates him and the severely underdressed boy. “And you can’t scare me with that hefty immune system you’ve got.”
“Ha, ha. You’re so funny.” Eren rolls his eyes.
“Is that any way to treat someone who just brought you three roses? In one day?”
“But I’ve already paid you back for all of those. Remember? Free bread?” Eren nudges the bag in Levi’s hand.
“I guess you’re right. Speaking of which, I’ve gotta go now.”
“Huh? Levi, where are you going?”
“Home. Gotta drop off this bread before it gets too cold.”
Levi starts heading towards the door, though he keeps himself facing Eren as he walks away. He watches Eren, waiting for him to speak again, his steps slow and fingers lightly clutching the bag of bread that he holds.
“Are you coming back tomorrow?” Eren asks, removing himself from the display case. He reaches down and tugs on his skirt - it’s pretty and all, but it’s a little uncomfortable how short it is. It’s either so high up his waist that merely sitting down entails flashing his ass to everyone within thirty miles, or it’s so low on his hips that a little too much of his abdomen is exposed. He doesn’t necessarily mind wearing so little clothing, but Mikasa does, as she’s always telling him to pull up his shirt and to close his legs, she can see up his dress.
“‘Course,” Levi says, “And I’ll bring you a jacket. I don’t give a shit how long it’s been since your last cold, no princess of mine is going to fall ill. You’re too pretty for sickness.”
Eren can feel himself blushing, and he stutters as he says, “I- Ah, wait, who said that I was your princess?”
“Why? You already got a boyfriend?”
“Uh, no, but-”
“So for now, you’re my princess. And I’m bringing you a jacket tomorrow. I’ll be over around noon, so be ready,” Levi waves off with a salute, finally exiting through the glass doors of the bakery and out into the lawn. A cold breeze brushes past Eren, and he has to admit, he’d freeze if he dared to leave the warm clutches of the bakery in this outfit. It might be cute, but it’s definitely not winter material.
Eren watches through the glass windows as Levi does, in fact, go in the direction of his house. It isn’t until Levi’s finally out of sight does Eren work up the strength to turn around and eye his gifts once more - the flowers, they might not be perfect, but they feel perfect.
Eren holds a hand out, picking up the lavender rose. It’s starting to grow old, it’s petals soft and falling off - as he picked it up, two of them had fallen to the floor. One petal had brushed over his ankle before hitting the tile, the trail of its touch sending shivers throughout Eren’s body.
Eren can’t help but wonder if there’s a meaning behind these flowers, and that Levi didn’t just happen to know that, given enough flowers, he’d be able to take a product from the bakery for free.
But, then again, Levi has given Eren so many other gifts as well. Maybe the flowers are just that, just little additions to Eren’s ever increasing pile of presents received from Levi.
Eren, though, feels a little hopeful - he hadn’t thought too much, of the bear, of the chocolates, even of the jewelry that Levi’s bought for him. But these, these flowers, Eren can dig a little deeper into that.
It’s that which drives Eren into rushing over to stand behind the front counter display case once more, finding his phone on a table pushed against the wall. He picks it up, and in several small movements does he find himself searching for the meaning of pink, white, and purple roses.
Pink carries with it the connotation of grace and elegance, as well as sweetness and poetic romance. Dark pink roses are symbolic of gratitude and appreciation, and are a traditional way to say thanks. Light pink roses are associated with gentleness and admiration, and can also be used as an expression of sympathy.
Eren glances back at the pink rose, still on the display case. It’s a soft color, pleasing to the eyes. But gentleness and admiration?
White roses are a sign of purity, innocence, sympathy, and spirituality. Early tradition used white roses as a symbol for true love, an association which would later become the hallmark of the red rose. Also known as the bridal rose, the white rose is a traditional wedding flower.
Purity? True love? Wedding flower?
The lavender rose is often a sign of enchantment and love at first sight. Those who have been enraptured by feelings of love and adoration have used lavender roses to express their romantic feelings and intentions. The color purple also has a traditional association with royalty.
Eren looks down at the rose in his fingers, his breath hitching as the words settle in.
This has to be a coincidence. Why would Levi be in love with him?
But, Eren hasn’t seen Levi give presents to anyone else. Mikasa doesn’t get gifts from Levi. His mother doesn’t receive little roses from him. And Levi calls Eren his princess.
Eren’s overthinking this. Levi probably just saw the flowers and plucked them from the ground, little regard to whether or not there’s a deeper meaning behind their hues.
It’s the only thought that makes sense. Levi doesn’t seem like the type who would spend more than a second looking over the meanings of flowers, and to go out of his way to find the specific flower? For Eren? Eren hasn't done more than give Levi free bread.
Eren sighs, and he twists around to collect the little roses from the countertop. It’ll be pointless, trying to save the already wilting flowers, but he’ll give it a shot - he’ll head upstairs, he’ll find a thin cup and fill it with water, and he’ll try to salvage the roses.
They might not have any real meaning behind them, but Eren would like to think that maybe someone likes him well enough to bring him the rose of love at first sight. It’s a soothing thought. It’d be the perfect thing to wake up to - usually, the first thing he sees in the morning is his alarm clock and, behind it, the bear that Levi had brought him. But to have flowers to wake up to, as well?
It’s a beautiful thought. Almost as beautiful as the clothing he has picked out for tomorrow.
Eren likes to plan his outfits out in advance.
~|~
“So, I came up with a plan-”
“A plan?” Levi scoffs, “Hanji, we don’t plan things. Things just happen.”
“But it’s called ‘organized crime’ for a reason, Levi.”
Levi wipes off the slight smirk that was working itself onto his face. She does have a point.
Hanji, deciding that his frown is her cue to continue, does a quick jog so that she’s walking beside him rather than where she’d been a step behind. She immediately delves into a ramble about new weapons and better disguises and Levi swears he hears something about a tea party somewhere in there.
Levi keeps his head low as he walks, his sights trained on the sidewalk before him. Hanji does quite the opposite - it's like she's talking to the clouds, with how high she holds her head.
“Hey, Hanji?” he interrupts, looking out at her from the corners of his eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“You just did.”
“Fair point. Do you think that Eren would like it if I-”
“Who’s Eren?”
“You know. Guy I was telling you about yesterday. Wears cute skirts.”
“Huh- Oh. Oh! Okay, go on.”
Levi grunts, clearing his throat. He looks ahead, because he knows that Hanji’s probably going to burst into some sort of fit of laughter at his nervousness. “Do you think that Eren would like it if I bought him a pair of shoes?”
“Shoes? Do you even know what size he wears?”
“No, not really,” Levi sighs, genuinely disappointed over his lack of knowledge. “What about a choker?”
“Those tight necklaces? I don’t know,” she says, “Has he ever worn one around you?”
“Once, I think. It was black.”
She laughs at that, but it doesn’t surprise Levi. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“He’s just cute, is all.”
“Sure. I’m sure that’s all there is to this.”
“What would you know?” Levi barks, knitting his eyebrows together and glaring at her. “All you’ve ever been in love with is bothering me.”
“Not true. I also like interrogating people.”
“That’s a lovely thought.”
“Are you buying him a choker, then?”
“Maybe,” Levi idly runs a hand through his hair, “For now, I’ll just give him another flower. Last one I gave him was shit.”
“Do you think he knows?”
“Knows what?”
“That you like him so much.”
“I don’t like him ‘so much.’ I like him a little.”
“Liar.”
“Fuck you.”
“You know, it’d just be easier if you asked him out now.”
“And who said that I wanted to ask him out?”
“You did. By giving him flowers.”
Levi stops moving, and he shoves Hanji out of the way to get a good look at the selection before him - he’s stopped himself in front of a flower shop, the same place where he’d gotten the last few roses for Eren.
“Hanji, give me some of the money from last night.”
“How much?”
“I don’t care. Twenty, maybe?”
“How many flowers are you buying him?!” she exclaims, but she looks in the pocket of her jacket, sorting through cards and small papers before finding enough money for Levi.
“Only one,” he sighs, “But you know how it is. Shit’s expensive.”
“Are they real flowers?”
“Of course. Why would I buy fake flowers?”
“Other people do it all the time.”
Hanji hands the money over to Levi, and he sorts through it, making sure that she’d given him the right amount. He nods to her, and he briefly tells her to wait outside for him - she groans about always having to wait for him, but he just brushes it off by replying with a promise of returning quickly.
As soon as he’s inside the flower shop, he swipes his hand to the side and picks up the familiar pamphlet that hangs off the side of the wall on a shelf. He wastes no time, opening it up and looking through the list of flowers and their supposed purpose.
Thus far, Levi’s already given Eren roses. One was purple, one was pink, and what was the other one?
White. It was white.
Levi stands off to the side, engrossed in the paper in his hands. He could so easily just buy Eren another rose, maybe a red one - except, no, because that would be too obvious. Everybody buys red roses for their lover. Levi doesn’t want to come off too strongly.
Although, he crossed that line a long time ago, when he’d bought Eren that stuffed bear. He didn’t actually buy it, per se, but it sounds better than saying that he’d mugged it from some guy on the street. The guy was asking for it, though - he’d insulted Levi’s new haircut. But, then again, if the guy was carrying around a teddy bear, he couldn’t have been much of a threat.
Needless to say, Levi made sure to scrub the bear clean of any sort of imperfection before daring to hand it over to Eren. Eren seemed ecstatic when he got it, but Levi couldn’t really focus too much on Eren’s facial expression at the time, because Eren was wearing the cutest dress that Levi's ever seen. Levi remembers it clear as day - he may have mentally declared it as one of his favorite things that he’s seen Eren wear.
It was a short dress that reached just above Eren’s knees, thank fucking god, with a layered skirt and fucking hell, it had a see-through top. The upper half of the dress was a muted sort of light blue color, whereas the lower half had a more pink hue to it, a fancy pattern embroidered into the fabric. The top and bottom half of the dress were separated by a band of flowers, fake flowers albeit fairly well-made flowers. It was a pretty enough dress on it’s own, but to be blessed enough to be worn by such an angel as Eren is? If it weren’t Eren in the dress, Levi wouldn’t dare to look twice at it.
But it was Eren in the dress, and Eren is quite honestly probably most definitely the most beautiful thing that Levi’s ever laid his eyes on.
Levi finds it hard, now, to concentrate on the shitty pamphlet in his hands - Hanji is right. He should just tell him that he likes him, Eren’s a sweetheart. He wouldn’t turn him down. And if he did, well, fuck it. Levi will still bring him flowers and bears and anything that his cute little heart desires. Eren did admit to not having a boyfriend, so Levi really doesn’t have anything to lose, does he? Levi's a man. He can take whatever Eren says in stride.
A red rose. A red rose. A red rose is the ultimate symbol of love, isn’t it? The stupid pamphlet in Levi’s hands says that a bright red rose symbolizes love. And everybody, in one way or another, knows that red roses are the embodiment of “I love you.”
Maybe Levi’s officially lost his mind, but he’ll do it. He’ll buy Eren the brightest rose that he can find. Hanji’s sure as hell going to laugh at him for it, but he can deal with it. She’s never malicious in her fits of giggles, more so she just likes to tease him.
Levi tosses the pamphlet of flowers and their meanings off to the side, and with the slightest of hops in his steps, he heads over towards the heart of the shop in search of the perfect rose.
Eren would be beautiful, holding a rose picked out by Levi. He’d be beautiful, even if he didn’t have a rose, but the idea of having Eren hold something given to him from Levi and immediately understanding the premise behind it would easily send Levi’s heart into a faster rate than it usually is around Eren. Which is to say, though, just Eren’s mere presence is enough to make Levi melt.
It’s a nice break in the monotony that is the rest of his life - sometimes, he gets tired of fighting and threatening and having to maintain a stoic posture around everyone. He can be different around Eren, he can offer up little gifts and spout meaningless comments to him about how he’s not dressed appropriately for the weather outside.
Levi might be a little excited to see what Eren’s wearing today. Just a little.
~|~
The door to the bakery opens, and Eren whips his head up so fast that his neck threatens to snap.
He sits in his usual spot behind the display case at the back of the room, the staircase that leads upstairs to his right and to his left, the table that he’d had his phone set on the previous day. Today, his phone sits in the very same place, for no reason other than the fact that the outfits that he likes to wear either have no pockets, or the pockets aren’t ever big enough to hold more than a dime.
His clothing might not be practical, but hell if they aren’t cute.
He’d had difficulty choosing the outfit that he wears now - he'd picked out what he wanted to wear last night, but he'd started questioning himself all morning, his head filled with Levi and doubts about his intentions versus hope that maybe Eren has somehow stolen the heart of his hard-to-read neighbor.
“Hey, princess,” Levi greets, walking into the bakery with long strides. “All alone, again?”
“Mom and Mikasa are out shopping again.”
“You know,” Levi says, finally reaching Eren. He stands on the other side of the counter, leaning on it with his forearm to prop himself up. “It’s dangerous for someone like you to be here all alone.”
“‘Someone like me?’”
“Yeah. Little dresses and nobody around to protect you.”
“I can protect myself.”
“Can you?”
“Mhm. I’m wearing heels, Levi.”
“So?”
“So? Imagine having one of them pounded into your eye.”
“Ah.” Levi thinks for a moment before saying, “Alright, but what if I grabbed your leg?”
“Then I’ll use the other one to hurt you.”
“And let’s say that I just so happened to be able to grab that leg, too. Now what?”
“I have fists.”
“But do you have strength?”
“I lift boxes around here all the time, so, yeah.”
“Boxes of what?” Levi sneers, “Bread?”
Eren groans in frustration, throwing his head back briefly. He then glares at Levi, furrowing his eyebrows and putting on the best angry face that he can, despite the smile trying to fight its way onto his face.
“Still not dressed for the weather, huh?” Levi tsks, shaking his head as he suddenly changes the subject.
“It’s better than yesterday.”
“Hardly.”
Levi’s not wrong. Eren’s in one of his favorite dresses today, though much like everything else he wears, it’s not practical. It’s an ocean blue color, no sleeves and a sheer collar. Across the fabric are little designs of what looks to be flowers, and the dress is completed only by the pink band that stretches across his waist. On his feet are the heels he’d just bragged to Levi about, a color to match his dress and tall enough to leave a mark if one were to get kicked by them.
Eren can’t help but love the fact that Levi has never once questioned Eren’s choice in attire. The first time Eren had met Levi had been a while ago, and the most that Levi had done was look him over and then turn around to go about his business once more. And ever since then, the most that he’s ever said about his clothing has been about how Eren might catch a cold, wearing something so thin.
“I did tell you that I was going to give you my jacket, didn’t I?” Levi muses, backing away from the counter and standing up straight. He reaches for his waist, and it’s only then that Eren realizes the coat he’d had tied around himself - Levi undoes the knot, and he shakes the jacket out to rid it of any wrinkles. He holds it out for Eren to take, but changes his mind halfway, deciding to instead walk around to Eren’s side of the display case and drape the coat over Eren’s shoulders himself.
The coat, much like everything else that Levi wears, is a dull black. It falls over Eren in a heavy heap, weighing down his bare shoulders - it’s soft, admittedly, a sort of silky material. It smells good, too, almost like Windex.
“There,” Levi says, patting Eren’s back as he admires his work, “Now, you won’t catch a cold.”
“I don’t think a jacket is going to stop me from getting sick, Levi.”
“Maybe not. But now you can’t say that I didn’t try to help you.”
Levi lingers, and instead of doing what any other normal being would do - which would be to walk back over to his proper spot on the other side of the front counter - he takes the chance to place his hands on Eren’s shoulders and rub over the fabric of his dress and the jacket, standing behind Eren and putting his head so close to him that they might as well be touching cheeks.
“I brought you another flower,” Levi says after a minute of just feeling him. His hands never wander beyond the sheer collar of Eren’s dress, never quite touching skin but never quite touching the actual dress.
“Really? Funny, because I made you more bread.”
“I was actually hoping for some cake today.”
“I have that, too.”
“Huh. Any chance you might have tea, as well?”
“Why, are you staying a while?”
“If you don’t mind. Can’t let my princess get hurt, right?”
“But you left yesterday.”
“I wasn’t thinking."
Eren slides out of his seat with a laugh, turning around to face Levi. Levi peers up at him, putting his hands in his pockets - he, as per the usual, is dressed in all black, although Eren actually finds himself liking it rather than just thinking about it being odd.
“What kind of tea?” Eren asks, crossing his arms and standing back.
“Any kind’s fine with me. I’m not picky.”
“Not picky, huh? Is that why you always come here?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s probably not healthy to eat bread and cake every day.”
“Maybe not,” Levi shrugs, and, using the seat that Eren had previously occupied, he lifts his leg and props it up. He leans it forward, and out of the back of his shoe, with the petals hanging out, he pulls up a bright red rose. He lowers his foot back to the floor, and he holds out the flower for Eren, using his other hand to straighten his shirt out in the process.
“Huh?” Eren utters in reference to Levi’s offering.
“The flower,” Levi clarifies, “I said I brought you another one today. So here it is.”
Eren takes it gently, admiring it in his hands. It’s far more alive than the other flowers he’d received - this one has no signs of wilting yet, and it’s such a bright color that it contrasts even against Eren’s tanned skin.
Eren looks back at Levi, only to find that he is, in fact, smirking over Eren’s surprise. Eren hadn’t intended to look like he couldn’t believe his eyes, but it just sort of happened that his eyebrows became knit together and his jaw dropped open.
Eren clears his face, and he steps past Levi, heading towards the staircase. Levi stops him, though, grabbing onto his wrist and whirling him around with his own disbelief spreading across his face.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“Huh?”
“The flower,” Levi nods his head at the rose in Eren’s fingers, “Well?”
“What?”
“It’s- nevermind.”
“No, tell me.”
“I said, nevermind.”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Please?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Levi.”
“It’s just- You don’t get flowers every day, do you, Eren?”
“No, why?”
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“Fucking hell, Eren. I’m trying to tell you that I like you.”
“Hah? Oh, I like you, too, Levi, but you didn’t have to get me flowers.”
“I didn’t?”
“No. If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t let you buy any brea-”
“Damn it, Eren, I meant that I really like you. Not as friends.”
“Not as- Oh.”
Eren’s silent for a minute, not because he doesn’t appreciate Levi’s confession - quite the opposite, in fact. Eren’s silent because it’s hard to speak through the blush that forces its way onto his face, heating himself up into a toasty temperature despite how little clothing he’s in. Levi still has a hold on Eren’s wrist, and all it does is add a burning to Eren’s already hot skin.
Eren did have a feeling that this was coming, but to hear that he was right this whole time? That he was right, in starting to suspect that the little gifts are more than just little gifts, in thinking that his new nickname of princess has a deeper meaning behind it than just something that Levi calls everyone. Eren might not know who else Levi hangs out with, but he highly doubts that he’s the kind of guy who just walks around calling everyone a cute nickname.
Eren, growing weary under Levi’s expectant face, tightens his hold around the rose in his hand and flashes Levi his brightest smile, saying, “I really like you, too, Levi.”
“Really?”
“Mhm.”
Levi looks relieved at that, and he immediately goes in for a hug - he wraps his arms around Eren’s waist, one hand going dangerously close to Eren’s ass while the other clutches the back of his dress tightly. Levi buries his face in Eren’s collar, taking deep breaths and leaving Eren stunned.
He hadn’t expected this - to be hugged by the one guy who walks in every day looking like he’s one snide remark away from committing murder? To be given flowers by the very same guy, and to be told that said guy likes him?
In all honesty, Levi seems to be a giant teddy bear under his cold exterior. Eren’s not going to say that out loud, though - Eren might lift boxes, and he might have killer heels on, but he’d rather not have to start a fight in his family bakery. Things are fragile around here.
“Hey, Eren?”
“Yeah?”
“What time do you close shop?”
“Usually around five, why?”
Levi buries his nose further into Eren’s collarbones as he says, “I’d like to take you out tonight, if you don’t mind.”
“Where?”
“My house.”
“Your- Oh, I get it.”
“Hm?”
Eren backs away from Levi just enough so that he can meet eyes with the man. “You just want to play with me, and then you’re going to leave me.”
“Ah, yes, you’ve caught onto me. Because, you know,” Levi says with a little attitude, “I always bring all of my one night stands gifts every day for months only to give them up after a few hours.”
“Shit.”
“Why, were you hoping that I wouldn’t want to stick around?” Levi raises his eyebrows, “You don’t have to date me if you don’t want to, Eren.”
“No, I do, it’s just. Why are you taking me to your house, of all places?”
Levi gives a little shrug. “First place that came to mind. I’m thinking on the spot here, Eren.”
“Do you do that a lot?” Eren laughs.
“Maybe. Sometimes. Aren’t you supposed to be making me some coffee?”
Eren smiles, and Levi drops his arms from around Eren. His hands find his pockets, and he leans back on his heels momentarily as Eren takes the few steps over to the staircase. He stops at the bottom, though, and turns around to say, “I can still kick your ass, you know.”
“Yeah,” Levi admits, “But why would you?”
“Just because I wear dresses doesn’t mean that I have to make your meals for you.”
“No, I don’t guess so. But you work here.”
“That’s true.”
“Well?” Levi leans back against the edge of the front counter, “Coffee?”
Eren gives him a look, shooting him the middle finger. Levi throws his head back and gives off a little chortle. It’s a sound that makes Eren flush, and his fingers start shaking around the flower in his hands.
Eren has a boyfriend now. A boyfriend who brings him flowers and wears black clothing. A boyfriend who likes Eren’s dresses and offers him his jacket. A boyfriend who appreciates bread and cakes and teases Eren in the right way.
“Actually, Levi,” Eren calls, starting on his way upstairs, “You asked for tea, not coffee.”
“Oh.”
~|~
“Are you ready yet, Eren?”
“Yeah,” Levi hears him call, “Just give me, like, thirty more seconds.”
Levi waits, his arms crossed as he idly taps his fingers against his abdomen. He looks upstairs to try and catch sight of Eren, but Eren’s still off doing whatever the hell it is he went up to his bedroom for.
Levi might have spent the entire day thus far hanging out with Eren, refusing to leave for so much as a bathroom break ever since Eren had come down with his tea so many hours ago.
Eren had pulled out a chair, and the two of them sat, mindlessly chitchatting, as the day wore on. Very few people had come into the bakery, and the few that did were probably scared off by Levi’s glare. He doesn’t have a particularly friendly neutral face, and it wasn’t until a little kid started nudging his mother and chose to point at Levi did Levi realize that he, in fact, was the reason nobody stuck around to have a conversation with Eren and him.
Eren didn’t seem to care, though. Every single time they were interrupted, he stood up with a smile and sat right back down with an even cuter grin as soon as the customer had gone. Levi, without a doubt, did find some sort of joy in having his and Eren’s time together occasionally interrupted - his smile is beautiful, of course, and every time that Eren’s moved to sit back down, he’d run his hands over the back of his dress to make sure that he was about to be seated on it properly.
Levi’s not entirely sure why he likes that so much. Maybe it’s because Eren looks so fucking attractive while doing it, or maybe it’s because Levi gets a little glimpse at the contours of Eren’s ass when he flattens the fabric to the shape of himself, but either way, Levi loves it.
“Any minute now,” Levi shouts, earning a frustrated groan from Eren. Even his groans make Levi shudder with a sort of lust and anticipation.
Levi, still peering up the stairs, watches as Eren finally makes his appearance again, holding something tightly in one hand and gripping the railing on the wall with the other. He rushes down the stairs, his pretty little dress fluttering with each movement of his long, tanned legs. He hurries down the stairs rather impressively, for some who’s wearing heels that could easily smash someone like Levi to bits with their size and stature.
“Sorry,” Eren breathes as he reaches the bottom of the staircase, “Your jacket kept falling off my back, so I decided to, uh, actually put it on.”
It’s true - Eren’s once-bare arms are now covered in a pitch black fabric. The coat, as it turns out, is a little too large for Eren, bunching up at his wrists and falling just past his hips. Levi hadn’t thought that he’d be so much bigger than Eren, but that’s not to say that Levi minds. No, he loves it - he’d love to see Eren in some of his other clothing, too, and hell, he’d strip right now if it meant that Eren would be willing to try on his shirt and pants for him.
“You look nice,” Levi nods with a quick glance over Eren’s dress.
“Thank you. That’s, um, that’s actually why I brought these out.”
Eren holds out his hand, and in it are all of the roses that Levi had given him - the wilting pink one, the small purple one, the bright red one, and the large white one.
“Hah?”
“Well,” Eren explains, “Your clothing is kind of dark, isn’t it? So I thought, maybe I could help you stand out a little more.”
“I’m sorry?”
Eren moves over and pulls a chair close to Levi. “Put your leg up here.”
Levi gives Eren a questioning look, but he lifts his foot and places it on the seat of the chair. Eren sets down the flowers beside him, and he picks up the pink rose first. He unties Levi’s laces, and he positions the stem at the very top of his shoe before sliding it down between the laces and setting to work weaving the stem and the laces together.
“Are you tying the flowers into my shoes?”
“I am,” Eren says, picking up the white one next and doing the same as he’d done with the pink. “Like I said. You need a little color in your outfit.”
“I think it looks just fine.”
“You don’t want the flowers?”
“I- But these are supposed to be your flowers, Eren.”
“If they’re mine, then I get to do what I want with them. And I want to put them in your shoes. Let me see the other one, now.”
Levi backs off of the seat, and he sets his other foot up, watching as Eren laces together the purple and red roses into his dark boots. Levi’s eyes glue onto Eren and his hands as he works, his fingers working nimbly to slide the stems through Levi’s ankle boots.
Levi finds himself loving how quickly Eren moves, how determined he looks with his eyebrows set and his tongue poking out between his teeth. His hair and skin look so soft, they practically beckon for Levi to run his fingers through and over, and maybe kiss and scratch and holy fuck, the things he could do to Eren’s pretty little body.
Eren stands up straight again, looking down at Levi’s shoes with pride. Levi removes himself once more from the chair, and like Eren, he looks down at what’s been done to his clothing - on one shoe, the pink and white roses have been banded together with Levi’s laces, and on the other, the red and purple sit closely knitted.
Levi has a strong urge to push Eren down against the display case behind him and fuck the living daylights out of him. That, or hug him until he can’t breathe, and obviously one option is more likely to happen than the other.
"You're too cute, Eren."
"So are your shoes, now."
Levi settles on a half-hug, going over to Eren and resting his arm low on his waist. He pulls Eren close to himself, allowing himself the pleasure of feeling Eren’s abdomen press to his and, every now and then, the brush of their legs together as Levi pulls Eren along until they’re outside.
Eren’s sister and mother haven’t returned yet - Eren had mentioned that they might not come back until late, though, due to their desperation to find the perfect Valentine’s decorations. Levi’s silently glad for this, too - he likes his alone time with Eren. And he’s certain that if any of Eren’s relatives caught him eyeing his ass as he so often subconsciously does, Levi would get decapitated before he could dare to try to defend himself.
For it only being a little past five in the evening, it’s pretty fucking dark outside. Levi wraps his arm further around Eren, because he’d rather have hell freeze over three times before he’d even consider letting Eren get hurt tonight. Levi might only be taking Eren home, but knowing who he is and what he does, there’s a good possibility that a mere walk from Eren’s bakery to Levi’s home could be life threatening.
Levi feels conflicted, rushing Eren along at such a speed that Eren actually almost trips over his own feet. Levi tries to keep himself watching their surroundings for any signs of trouble, but he also can’t keep his eyes off of Eren and his perfect brown hair, his golden skin, his even shoulders, and holy fucking freshly bought Windex bottles, are those little freckles just below Eren’s neck? Fucking mother of all things fucked, Levi needs to find out if he’s right, and if he is right, he needs Eren in his bed as soon as is humanly possible.
Much to Levi’s delight, he and Eren make it up Levi’s front steps without any issue. Levi pulls out a key from his back pocket, and he unlocks the door, allowing Eren to enter ahead of him. For no real reason other than to catch sight of those legs, Levi can’t get enough of those long legs.
Levi closes the door behind himself, and he takes Eren’s wrist to lead him down the hall and into the living room. Eren makes no comments about his house, but Levi doesn’t care. All he really wants right now is to touch Eren in some sort of way, whether it be as simple as petting his hair or as complex as getting those golden godsends for legs wrapped around his neck.
How is Eren not freezing? It’s not only cold outside, but Levi keeps his house fairly chilled on the inside too. Maybe Eren really is a lot stronger than Levi gave him credit for.
“Why don’t you turn on the lights?” Eren asks, squinting his eyes. Levi finds the sight to be cute as well as funny, and he guides Eren through the familiar surroundings until the two of them are sitting on a couch together in Levi's living room.
“I like to keep my house as dark as my clothing.”
“So are you saying that I’m the one who has to turn on the lights?”
“Huh?”
“I had to put the flowers in your shoes. So, if your house is like your shoes, I’d be the one who has to turn on the lights, right?”
Levi cocks an eyebrow, though he’s not sure if Eren can see it. Levi’s used to the lack of lighting, having always arrived home and never bothered to put the fancy light bulbs in his house to good use, but Eren, on the other hand, likely isn’t used to having to see in the dark.
“You’re cute, Eren.”
“I’d say that you’re cute, as well, but I can’t see you.”
Levi mutters, teasingly, about Eren being a little shit, and he tackles Eren down, a yelp sounding from Eren as he gets pushed into the cushions of the couch. Levi’s arms go around his body, one around his upper back while the other roams just a little lower. Eren puts his own hands on Levi, and Levi almost wants to throw up in his excitement.
Eren laughs underneath him as Levi squeezes the air out of him, humming as he shoves his nose against Eren’s neck. He really should turn on the lights, if for no reason other than to see Eren’s figure in better view and find out if he does have those freckles that send Levi’s heart into overdrive.
Levi wastes no time, unwrapping his arms from around Eren’s body and clutching the jacket on Eren’s body. He shoves the core of it down, exposing Eren’s shoulders and much of his biceps, his collarbones showing through as rough edges on his otherwise smooth skin. Levi attacks him with kisses, his lips leaving trails over Eren’s body at a quick pace, his tongue occasionally making an appearance, as well as his teeth when he reaches the area just below Eren’s ear.
Levi keeps his hands on Eren’s waist, finding it hard to move them to the places that he’d like to touch. It feels like his fingers have been frozen, out of his nerves and out of his absolute passion - he’s going to treat Eren right. He won’t touch him until Eren says that he wants to be touched.
Eren, though, doesn’t seem to have any issue with touching Levi. His hands dance over Levi’s upper back, his nails digging into skin as well as the dark cloth of Levi’s shirt, Eren’s legs rubbing against Levi’s body. Levi can’t get enough of it, too, he wants more, he wants all of Eren that he possibly can get. He almost feels like he needs more, like he’d die on the spot if he lost the feeling of Eren’s warm skin against his so suddenly.
Levi couldn’t be luckier, to have Eren say yes to his offering of love. Eren happily accepted all of his gifts without so much as an odd look, how could Levi have ever doubted whether Eren would go out with him? He’s wasted his precious hours away, pining over someone so beautiful, when all he had to do was bring him a rose and ask for his hand.
But now, Levi can make all of those hours spent admiring worth it. Here and now and a million times over, with each kiss he lays on Eren’s silky skin, with each little gasp he earns from Eren’s lips.
Levi moves his arms so that they’re holding onto Eren’s hips, and he lifts him up just enough to connect their abdomens - it makes Levi’s throat dry under the bliss of touching so much of Eren, but he refuses to end his tirade of smooches against Eren’s body. Eren’s eliciting little moans as Levi touches him, and his indulgent eyes are half-lidded, his body smelling like cinnamon.
Eren tries to kiss Levi back, going so far as to grip Levi’s cheeks and force him to be still long enough for Eren to peck his jaw. Levi, as much as he loves Eren’s kisses and as much as he practically melts under the feeling of Eren’s soft mouth, can’t seem to stop peppering Eren’s skin long enough for a real kiss, lips to lips, like what it feels like Eren’s going for. Levi would probably die if Eren gave him a mouth-to-mouth kiss. In a good way, of course.
There’s so much that Levi has to do with Eren, how is he ever going to have enough time for it? Even something as simple as kissing, Levi could spend forever like this, Eren’s back arching up and his fingers touching Levi’s shoulders. But Levi doesn’t have forever, and the thought that his time with Eren is limited is actually frightening.
“Uhn, Levi?”
“Mm?” Levi sounds from where he’d been attaching his lips to a spot just above one of Eren’s collarbones.
“I-”
Eren jumps a little underneath him, and Levi feels the urgent need to punch someone in the face. Someone other than Eren, of course.
There’s a knocking at his door, a loud knocking that can only belong to Hanji - nobody else would be so impatient and noisy, especially at this hour. Levi’s heard her knock at least a million times before, and never does it cease to annoy the ever-living fuck out of him.
Levi slowly removes himself from above Eren, muttering an apology and placing one last kiss to his chin. It hurts to leave Eren like that, his arms feel so utterly empty without him as he jogs back down the hallway and further away from his new lover.
“The hell do you want?” Levi grunts, swinging the door open to, in fact, reveal Hanji. “I’m busy.”
“You- Busy? You’re busy? What’re you doing?” she asks, taking up the entire doorway as she leans against the frame with her elbow.
“It’s none of your business.”
“Oh, don’t tell me,” she teases, waving a finger around, “You’re hiding a certain someone, a certain Eren somewhere in here, aren’t you, Levi? It's about time."
“Don’t be so loud.”
“So I’m right.”
“Doesn’t give you permission to let the entire neighborhood hear.”
“But I’m right?”
“Why did you even come here, Hanji?”
“I- Oh, right,” she says with a small sigh, “I was trying to make a deal with some guys from an opposing mafia, right? They had these really advanced weapons, and you know I can’t say no to an offer like that, so I brought them some money. A lot of money. They, uh, they took the money and left, and I tried to get them but they run faster than me.”
“Did they shoot?”
“No.”
“Are you hurt?”
“Not really.”
“Not even a little?”
“Nope.”
“Alrighty,” Levi breathes, “Do you know where they went?”
“Yeah. After they ran away, I lingered around for a while, because they’d taken a lot of money, right?” Hanji explains, “And I walked around for about an hour. I eventually saw one of the guys standing outside a building not too far away from here, so I’m betting that’s where they are.”
“Huh.”
“So?”
“Give me two minutes and we’ll go,” Levi decides, leaving the door open for Hanji as he treks back into the living room. Eren’s waiting for him, lying on the couch with his arm to prop himself up.
Levi hurries over to him, and he crouches down by the couch, running his fingers through Eren’s hair and pulling it back. Eren smiles at that, and Levi feels extremely guilty for having to leave him like this so suddenly.
“Eren?”
“Mhm?”
“I have to go,” Levi murmurs, “I’ll be ba-”
“Where are you going?”
Levi blinks, and he then shakes his head. “It’s not important.”
“Can I come with you then?”
“Hell no.”
“Why not?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“So?”
“So?” Levi mocks, “I’ll be damned if my princess gets even a cut on his finger.”
“I told you, Levi. I can protect myself.”
Levi considers this for a moment, his eyes wandering down to Eren’s heels. He shouldn’t be thinking about it, he shouldn’t even let the thought cross his mind to bring Eren with him, but Eren could be useful. The more people, the better, right?
“Eren?”
“Yeah?”
“If you come, you have to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid. And you have to listen to everything that I tell you.”
“I promise.”
Levi holds out his pinky for him, and Eren stares at it for a moment before laughing and realizing what Levi wants. He holds his hand up, then, and interlocks his own pinky with his.
“Pinky promise?” Eren says with the slightest of eyebrow raises.
“Pinky promise.”
~|~
Eren feels like an idiot.
How could he have missed this? The dark clothing, the rough exterior - it screams danger.
Eren struggles to keep pace with Levi, having to walk quickly behind him as they charge through the streets. Eren’s zipped up the jacket around him, not only for his own health benefit - as well as Levi’s, because Levi practically begged that he keep himself warm - but also so that he’s harder to spot. It wouldn’t exactly be hard to see a tanned boy out in the middle of the dark wearing a bright blue dress. It’s no wonder that Levi and his friend, Hanji, are wearing all black. It makes them nearly invisible, out here like this.
Eren hadn’t had much time to be introduced to Hanji. Levi briefly gave him the rundown of who she is and his relationship to her, but Levi insisted that they save the talking for later and head out now.
Hanji leads the way, while Levi and Eren trail not too far behind her. Levi had given Eren a basics of the issue at hand, telling him little more than the fact that the three of them are off to go get some money back from a couple of bastards. Eren doesn’t try to get more information out of him, though - he can tell that Levi’s nervous, and even though Eren clutches onto his shoulder tightly to reassure him that he’s still there, Levi still sends glances back at Eren every few seconds.
Levi’s a part of a mafia.
Eren almost feels ignorant, for not realizing this sooner. But then again, how could he have? All he does all day is sit around and give out bread to people. Not exactly a very adventurous job.
Eren’s head buzzes with questions, from how long has Levi been a part of this, to why? Why is he doing this? Is it fun? Maybe this is all a joke. The sweet, caring Levi who’d kissed him up and down, a part of a mafia? There’s just no way.
But as more time passes, reality becomes clearer and clearer. Eren is in danger, by coming with Levi. He’s likely an even bigger target than either Levi or Hanji, due to being less experienced at this as well as the poofy little dress he has on.
Eren’s ready, though. If Levi’s been doing this for as long as Eren suspects he has, then Eren can at least last one night. What are the chances of getting shot, anyways? Levi had muttered something to him about thinking that the enemy has just been fucking with them, and that their weapons aren’t even highly advanced at all and that they’re too gutless to try to do anything to them.
Eren just hopes that Levi’s right. Eren’s trying hard to look tough right now, but if he’s being honest, his chest aches with worry and anxiety. He could die tonight, and then what? He didn’t even get to say goodbye to his mother, of all people.
“We’re here,” Hanji stops them.
Eren peers over Levi’s shoulder. They’re in a dark alleyway type of area, the only illumination coming from a lamp perched on the outer wall of the brick building in front of them. There isn’t anybody outside the door, and the only sign that anybody had been around is an empty soda can that lies near the steps.
Hanji takes the initiative, bouncing up to the porch. She places her head by the door - it must be a back door, by the looks of things - listening in for any sounds.
Eren gives Levi’s shoulder a loving squeeze. Levi places his fingers over Eren’s, tying their hands together for a brief moment. It helps to calm Eren, a light blush spreading over his cheeks as Levi confirms that he is thinking of Eren, that he's taking his feelings into consideration and he cares about the way that Eren feels. All proven, in the simple squeeze of their hands together.
“Fuck it, Hanji,” Levi says under his breath after watching her listen in on the building for a solid five minutes. He pushes his way past her and swings the door open, revealing a dimly lit room and the sudden quiet as several voices hush themselves.
Hanji walks in first, followed by Levi - who drags Eren inside - and it’s hard for Eren to process exactly what’s going on. In the room, there are only two guys, one with short blond hair and one with slightly longer brown hair. They sit on the floor, counting money - if Eren’s right in his assumption, it must be the money that they’d stolen from Hanji.
“Hey,” Levi calls, as if this were just a casual greeting between buddies.
“Hey?” says the blond with an eyebrow raise. Him and his partner both watch Levi with suspicious glares on their faces.
“Ah, Hanji,” Levi sighs rather loudly, “These are the guys you let steal money from you? They look about as tough as my grandmother.”
Blondie stands up, sudden rage seething through his eyes. He drops the dollars he’d been holding, and he holds his fists up, as if it were meant to deter Levi, Hanji, and Eren. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but you’d better get the fuck outta here.”
“Maybe if you give us our money back,” Levi says, looking utterly bored.
“Or,” says the brunet, standing up beside his blond partner, “You could just leave so that we won’t have to hurt you.”
“Do it.”
Neither the blond or brunet respond.
“Do it,” Levi repeats. “Hurt me. Or are you afraid? Or, even worse, are all of those supposed weapons that you own fake? Where are they? I don’t see them around here.”
“That’s none of your fucking business,” barks blondie, “Why are you here? You’re not getting your money back.”
“Mm, and that’s where you’re wrong.” Levi takes a step towards the pair, his face lacking emotion.
The brunet’s eyes wander down to Levi’s shoes, and he bursts into laughter suddenly, ruining the tense atmosphere and sending Eren’s heart into top speed at the noise.
“What’s this?” he laughs, “Why the hell are there flowers in your shoes? Aw, don’t tell me. Your little bitch put them in there, didn’t they? Tell me, which one is it? Is it the one with glasses over there, or is it the one with the dress on?”
Levi doesn’t answer him. Eren, being the idiot that he is, bears his teeth and steps up beside Levi. Hanji hesitantly follows up last.
“It’s the dolled up one, isn’t it?” the brunet laughs again, still facing Levi, “Fucking pussy, aren’t ‘cha? I could show your bitch what it’s like to be with a real ma-”
Eren slams his foot into the man’s stomach, digging his heel into his skin as roughly as he can. The man falls to the floor, and Eren wastes no time in moving to stand over him and pound his flesh into the floor with his shoe.
Hanji, using the moment of shock, grabs the blondie and rams his head into the nearest wall. He falls to the floor, too, almost taking Hanji down with him if it weren’t for Levi slamming his foot into the guy’s face, sending his head into the wall.
As soon as blondie’s knocked out, Levi comes over and helps Eren from where the brunet was slowing gaining the strength to grab Eren. Levi, just like he’d done with the blond, mashes his heel into the guy’s face, making him go unconscious.
There’s a moment of silence as Eren backs away from the limp body on the floor, his heart racing and his mind blank. He looks up at Levi, who gives him a reassuring nod after making sure that the men aren't stirring.
“Did good, princess,” Levi says. “That was too easy, though. Hanji, get the money and let’s get the hell out of here. Look through their pockets, too, take anything they’re got.”
“What about the weapons?”
“If you find them, take them. If not, break their fingers.”
Hanji lets out a cheerful yelp at that, and she rushes over to the part of the room where the money lies. Levi steps over the limp brunet, over to Eren, looking down at his shoes in the process - Eren can’t see them too well, but they’re scuffed around the bottoms and the flowers hang loose on top of the tongue.
“Tch,” Levi mutters, “Fucker got blood all over me. Filthy.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. More importantly, are you?”
“Yeah,” Eren says, flashing Levi a smile, “Actually, that was kind of fun.”
“Fun?”
“Yeah! Like, it was scary, but it felt so good to hurt someone like that.”
“You’re a little frightening, aren’t you, princess?” Levi says with a chuckle, wrapping his hand around Eren’s wrist and pulling him outside, “You did good, though. Felt really nice to see you hit that guy like you did, too. You are a lot stronger than I’d thought you were.”
“He made me mad,” Eren shrugs, rubbing his fingers over his clothed arms as the two of them walk outside. Hanji’s still running around the room inside, giving off victory shouts at everything she finds.
“Yeah, I guessed so. It's good, though, because I forgot to bring any weapons with me. I'm shit at planning these things out. But that reminds me, Eren?”
“Mhm?”
“Do you like choker necklaces?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Thought about buying you one.”
“Levi," Eren gasps, "I’d love it. But you don’t have to buy me so many gifts if you don’t want to.”
“I want to,” Levi reassures him, “It’s cute seeing your face every time I give you something. You always look like you’ve never seen anything better in your entire life.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m complimenting you, Eren.”
“Shut up. You’re such a loser.”
“I’m a loser?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s nice.”
Eren laughs, releasing all of his nerves into the words that he speaks. It’s almost funny, to have seen such a different side of Levi - if that’s how Levi talks to everyone else, showing very little emotion and being utterly inexpressive, Eren feels a little special. Levi shows emotion around him. Levi acts like a giant loser teddy bear around Eren.
Levi might have at least two sides to him, but Eren loves it.
“Hey, Levi?”
“Huh?”
“Maybe now isn’t the best time, but, ah, can you kiss me?”
Levi stares at him for a moment, his face completely blank. His hair moves gently over his face as the wind hits him, and he blinks several times before pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows.
“Do you really have to ask? The princess always gets a kiss, don’t they?”
Levi removes his arm from around Eren’s wrist, and he moves his hand up to Eren’s face, where he runs his thumb over his cheek and holds onto his jaw with his fingertips. He caresses Eren for just a moment, before leaning forward and attaching their lips together, Levi’s cold skin chilling Eren’s.
Eren’s blushing harder than he’s ever blushed before. It’s overwhelming, having Levi and his rich aroma of Windex so close, his fingers grazing Eren’s face as Levi takes control of the kiss, moving his mouth against Eren’s and pausing for breaths every so often. Eren’s chest aches with the passion, his hands twitching with a desire to pull Levi as close as he can.
Eren feels Levi’s other hand grip onto his body, a few inches under his arm. His fingers tighten around the jacket that Eren has on, and it’s Levi who closes the distance between the two, moving his hand from Eren’s cheek up into his hair and bringing his body close. Eren could die right now and be perfectly fine with it, because Levi’s kiss fills him with such ecstasy, such utter emotion, Eren can’t think of anything but Levi, Levi, Levi.
“Hey, Lev- Oh. Nevermind.”
Levi suddenly drops his hands from around Eren, their lips separating, and Eren backs away, trying to hide his flushed cheeks. He could lie and say that it’s a result of the wind, but it’s probably really obvious as to the true reason why Eren’s as red as the blood that Levi had said was on his clothing.
“The hell do you want, Hanji?” Levi says, his voice deep as it cuts through the otherwise silent air.
“I was just going to ask if you want to do anything with the bodies.”
“They aren’t dead, are they?”
“No.”
“Just leave ‘em, then. Unless you want to kill them.”
“Levi!”
“I’m kidding. Like I said, just leave them.”
“Fine.”
Hanji rushes back into the room from where she’d been hanging out the door, interrupting the bliss that was Levi’s lips on Eren’s. Eren looks at Levi with a sheepish smile, and Levi moves himself back over to Eren until their arms are touching.
“Say, Eren?”
“Hm?”
“It doesn’t bother you even a little?” Levi asks, “That I fight people. And that I could die any day, as part of a mafia.”
“No, it does bother me.”
“Then why aren’t you running away from me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Anybody else would see all of that and get as far away from me as possible.”
“Like I said. You’re a loser.”
Levi gives Eren a little grin at that. “Then you must be a loser, too, huh? Losers date losers.”
“I’m a loser, then,” Eren throws up his hands in defeat.
Eren lies his head down on Levi’s shoulder, burying his nose into Levi’s neck. It’s a little painful to have to bend down so far, considering Levi’s actually a few good inches shorter than Eren is, but it’s worth it. Eren can smell the Windex better in this position, and it’s a refreshing smell. Eren never thought that he’d love the way that Windex smells, and yet, here he is, inhaling deeply and filling his nose with Levi’s fragrance.
If Eren is Levi’s princess, then that easily makes Levi into Eren’s prince. His knight in dull, colorless armor. His hero who happily wears flowers in his boots.
Eren’s family is going to kill him if they ever find out about what Levi does in his spare time.
But Eren doesn’t even care that Levi’s probably killed people before. Levi’s just a giant loser teddy bear, isn’t he?
A giant loser teddy bear with a rough exterior.
~|~
“Who’s the guy with the mustache?” Eren whispers, leaning towards Levi.
“Mike Zacharius. He’s weird, so stay away from him.”
“I can hear you,” Mike barks, looking up from where he’d been playing cards with Hanji on the floor of Levi's living room.
Eren smiles, amused. “What about the girl over there?”
Levi follows Eren’s finger to where he points at a girl snoozing on the chair opposite of him and Eren, a girl with strawberry blonde hair and boots that reach her thighs. “Petra. She’s weird, too.”
“You’re all a little weird, aren’t you?” Eren laughs, “You all wear black and drink orange juice like it’s going out of style.”
“At least we don’t try to add flowers to everything.”
“You started it, though.”
“All I did was give you the flowers. I didn’t tell you to make me a crown out of them.”
Eren laughs even harder than that, his eyes on Levi’s hair - he’d bought Eren a bouquet of roses not too long ago as an early Valentine’s gift, as the day approaches faster and faster, and he later walked into his kitchen to find Eren hard at work weaving the flowers in a little crown. He’d explained that his mother taught him how to make them when he was little, though Levi’s the first one to be blessed with one of his creations.
Ever since Eren first placed the crown on his head and called it finished, Levi’s been a little reluctant to take it off. It’s made of beautiful rose flowers, and it’s light on his head, so much so that he hardly even notices that it’s there. Certain people - Hanji - tease him for it, but Levi couldn’t care less. He loves it. It matches his shoes - which, Eren makes sure to replace the flowers in every few days so that Levi's not walking around with dead roses in his boots.
Eren stands, picking up Levi’s cup from where it’d been placed on the table beside the couch. He tells him about his plans to give him a refill on orange juice, and Levi watches him as he walks away - he’s wearing what has to be Levi’s favorite outfit thus far. It’s a delightfully short pink skirt that stretches from Eren’s upper thighs to his midriff, a light checkered design on the fabric. He wears a fuzzy purple sweater with it, a sweater that’s much too big for him - it hangs off of one shoulder, exposing his collarbones, and yep, he most definitely has freckles below his neck.
On his legs are thigh highs that stop just below where the skirt starts, white stockings that contrast beautifully with Eren’s perfect skin. He doesn’t wear any shoes right now, as he’s inside and happens to like being able to slide across the hardwood floors, if he’s been truthful in all the times that he’s mentioned it to Levi. Eren’s fallen down a few too many times for his own good, though.
Levi did manage to get Eren a choker, as well - Eren wears it right now, a purple necklace that presses tightly to his skin, a sheer ribbon in the center with a little lavender charm hanging off of it. It’s beautiful, and the second that Levi saw Eren in it, Levi nearly had a heart attack from his immense joy.
The other members of Levi’s mafia seem to have taken a liking to Eren. Hanji, especially, but also Petra and Mike and everyone else who’s been introduced to Eren thus far. Eren’s having a little trouble remembering the names of everybody, but he seems to like them, as well. He’s actually ecstatic, every time Levi mentions that someone else from his gang of organized crime is going to come by for a visit.
Levi’s met Eren’s relatives, too, though he doubts that they have any idea about the activities that Levi participates in. Eren’s mother nearly bowed down to him when they met, and Levi was thrust with all sorts of cakes and teas and pastries - Eren’s sister, Mikasa, was a little less enthusiastic, but Levi didn’t spend much time talking to her. She’d been putting up the decorations that Eren told Levi she’d gone out for, so long ago.
Eren walks with a slight wave in his hips, a wave that’s interrupted only by Mike fucking Zacharius, who tugs on Eren’s skirt to stop him in his path.
“Can you get me some more juice, too, mom?”
Eren stares at him for a moment, and Mike, having just realized what he says, holds his cup idly in the air as he stares right back at Eren, frozen in place with wide eyes. Hanji, too, has wide eyes, and if Petra were awake, she’d probably be the same way. Levi himself can’t seem to maintain a neutral expression.
“Mom?” Eren repeats, as if he really needs clarification.
“I- Uh, it was an accident-”
Eren laughs, and he picks up Mike’s cup from his hands, a genuine smile stretching over his features. “I can do that.”
Eren truly is a sweetheart.
Mike’s face couldn’t be any redder. Hanji joins in with Eren’s laughter, keeling over and clutching her stomach as she tries to form words for Mike’s embarrassment. Mike buries his head in his hands.
Petra stirs, the laughter likely disturbing her slumber. It’s only a second before Eren’s walking into the room again, and he hands Mike - who refuses to look at Eren - his drink before making his way back over to Levi.
Levi takes his cup, setting it down on the table beside him. He grabs Eren’s wrist and pulls him down into lap, taking a moment to shift so that Eren’s sitting up properly rather than splayed out across the top of him.
Hanji’s still laughing, and she’s laughing hard. Her breaths come out choked, and Mike starts yelling at her to cut it out. Which only makes Hanji laugh even more.
“You just going to let him talk to you like that?” Levi asks, brushing his hand over Eren’s thigh and hooking his thumb over the top of his leg coverings. Eren leans back against him, his head resting by Levi’s.
“Talk to me like what?”
“He just called you ‘mom.’”
“Is that bad?”
“No, I guess not,” Levi sighs, “Just a little weird, is all.”
“Mm.”
Levi watches as Hanji finally regains control of herself, sitting up straight and fumbling with her cards before attempting to continue her game with Mike. Mike looks like he wants nothing more than to just die right now.
“Levi?” Eren murmurs, his voice low and soft.
“Yeah?”
“If I’m the mommy of your little mafia group, doesn’t that make you the daddy?”
Eren’s going to be the death of Levi. His heart skips a beat at Eren’s words, because not only do they imply that he and Eren are a serious thing, but also, daddy? Hearing the word come out of Eren’s mouth in reference to Levi sends Levi’s mind off into sick fantasies that would surely earn him a slap if Eren could read minds.
Luckily, though, Eren can’t read minds. He might be able to feel Levi’s dick hard against his ass, but he can’t read minds.
Eren’s cheeky. He knows exactly what he’s just said, so Levi gives him a thump to his arm in response. Eren bursts into laughter at Levi’s frustration.
Levi leans his head down, pressing a kiss to Eren’s bare shoulder. It’s a shame, how light his freckles are - they’re completely unnoticeable, at a distance. Levi would like to see Eren’s freckles all of the time, but then again, maybe it’s good that they’re a muted shade. It’s like his little secret - Levi’s one of the few people who knows of Eren’s freckles, and thus he’ll treasure them and run his fingers over Eren’s skin as often as he possibly can.
It also helps that right now is one of the few times that Levi’s bothered to turn on the lights. Or, well, it was Eren who turned them on, because he’s “getting tired of tripping over the floor because he can’t see it.”
Eren sits back, his mouth close to Levi’s ear. Levi tilts his head towards him, ready for whatever it is that Eren has to say.
“Remember when we went out shopping last week," Eren murmurs, "And I forced you to wait outside of the Victoria’s Secret?”
“That’s the lingerie store, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Go on.”
“Well, while I was in there,” Eren continues, his voice hushed, “I bought a little something.”
“Oh?”
“Mhm. It’s a pair of lace panties. Black, because I know you like the color so much.”
“I- I never said that I liked the color black,” Levi chokes out, trying to seem unfazed by the thought of Eren in beautiful underwear, Eren sitting around the house in tight underclothing and one of his cute sweaters, Eren in bed with him while wearing the underwear, fucking hell, Levi has to see Eren in his new lingerie. As soon as possible. “Are you wearing them?”
“What, right now? Maybe. That’s for you to find out later.”
Levi’s not going to be killed from his mafia activities. He’s not going to get shot, he’s not going to get beaten up, he’s not going to be gutted with a knife – no, Levi’s going to die long before anyone has the chance to do any of that stuff to him.
Because Eren’s going to be the death of Levi. And Levi loves it more than anything else.
"So why exactly are you a part of a mafia?"
"Like you said a while ago, princess," Levi states, "It's, uh, fun. And sometimes it pays well."
"You guys are a bunch of huge dorks, you know."
"Shut it, Jaeger."