Chapter Text
When the hell did it get so fucking cold?
It wasn’t even December yet. What good was fall if it didn’t hold off the bitter bitch of winter with some sense of pride? But no, that’s not really what fall is, is it? Fall’s more of a slow collapse, giving in inch by inch until there’s nothing left to defend from snow and crunch and cold. Well, the least it could do is pretend it was trying.
Levi got inside a hour ago and he’s still leaning into the steamer a little more than necessary, holding longer onto the cups he’s passing over to the “patrons” than he probably should. He’s still careful to put the mugs and to-go cups down on the end of the counter and then push them towards the customers so there isn’t any chance of then reaching out with their greedy little hands and actually touching him when they tug it away. People’s hands always seem sticker around this time for year for some reason.
He leans back against the counter, crossing his arms tight over his apron and giving the place a good look.
Pretty much the same as always: small, cozy, maybe a little cramped during the holidays but never cluttered. There’s more depth to it than width, so there’s a few seat in the window and then the place hollows in, worn wooden floors scattered with armchairs and one couch in the corner, circle tables with smaller sterner wooden seats covering the rest of the space, waiting for the less leisurely of the patrons.
Hanji’s already decorated for the season, nailing a great big wreath up on one wall and wrapping paper chains of green and red along the low ceiling beams. Levi’s already planning the quickest way he can rip each and every bit of it down as soon as it hits New Years.
Well, at least it’s not busy. It’s just about 8AM, so the bigger morning group hasn’t filed through yet, and it’s pretty much just the regulars. There’s that group of exchange students that always sits in the corner and goes over their homework together: the blonde girl looking at the world like she wasn’t buy anything it was selling, the tall guy trying to get his legs under the table and weirdly getting worse at it every day, and the other one who gets black coffee and looks like some escaped crossbreed between a gorilla and a swedish underwear model.
Snuggled down into her scarf is the asian girl who always sits by the window and reads for half an hour before her minions get there. Brothers, friends, he’s never been totally sure exactly what they are.
There’s the bald guy who hangs out in an armchair that’s so big it makes him look like some fucked up doll from a cult classic. He’s usually got the Book Review and there’s a chessboard waiting for whoever he feels like hustling into getting his next Americano that morning.
“Not here yet?” A bright voice sounds behind him and Levi can’t help wincing.
He’s never exactly sure how the hell she can be so fucking bubbly at 8AM. He’s starting to think she doesn’t even sleep, just plugs into some recharging station down in the basement at night.
“Who?” Levi feigns, easily ignoring her and turning to wipe down the counter.
Hanji raises her eyebrow at him like she’s knows exactly what he’s doing, and the worst part is she totally does. That’s probably why he likes her.
“Fine, fine, play it cool,” She says, moving past him to pull her apron on and tie it behind her back. “But he’s a little late isn’t he?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Levi says cooly, tucking the cleaning cloth securely in it’s proper place on the hook under the counter. It will probably be the last time he can find it there all day. For a “prodigy” Hanji has an obscenely hard time remember the proper hygienic places to keep their cleaning supplies.
The bell on the door gives a light ring and Levi looks up a bit too fast. Hanji grins at him like a fucking jackal and he looks away instantly, focusing instead on wiping down the steamer spout with new vigor.
He hears steps approaching the counter and then stopping. There’s a soft shift of fabric as if someone’s put their hands in the pockets of their coat.
“Levi,” Hanji sing-songs from where she’s bent over tugging out more french roast, “Customer.”
Levi sighs, staring down at the shining metal for a half a second an imagining at least three ways to kill her before finally turning.
“Good morning.” The man smiles.
He was right, he does have his hands in his pockets. Which is strange… yesterday he had light brown leather gloves on. Maybe he forgot them today.
Levi grumbles something that’s probably passable as an acknowledgment.
The man steps a little closer, running his eyes over the menu like he doesn’t see it every morning.
His cheeks are red from the cold outside. Ears too. Idiot. Who the fuck walks around without a hat when it’s 28 degrees outside? His pushed back blonde hair isn’t long enough to even reach his ears.
At least he has a scarf, tartan, cashmere if Levi had to guess. His coat looks about as warm as those stupid business coats ever do, wool with a tweed-style look to it, the grey collar of his suit jacket underneath peaking out on the edges.
Green tie. Strange. He usually wears that Fridays.
“What do you think?” The man asks, eyes still tracing the board. “Any recommendations?”
Levi looks up at him, a little higher than he has to look to glare at most people.
“Fuck if I know.” He grumbles.
The man smiles, glancing down again. “No favorites?”
Hanji makes a snorting noise behind the counter. Levi reminds himself to accidentally drop something on her later.
“Double shot latte.” The man says smoothly.
“As usual.” Levi notes before he can stop himself.
“Apparently I’m guilty of habit.” The man slips his hand into his pocket, removing a thin brown leather wallet and sliding a crisp five dollar bill out. He doesn’t hand it to him, rather places it down on the counter and slides it across so Levi doesn’t have to take it from him directly.
Levi frowns as he pulls it off the counter with the tips of his fingers.
“I thought baristas liked people to pay in cash.” The man notes, eyeing the way he’s handling it.
“Dirty.” Levi says, slipping it into the register. “I don’t know how many strippers thongs have been snapped around this.”
The man smiles, a small slant to his thick eyebrows. “None that I’m aware of. Does that help?”
“No.” Levi says, shutting the register.
“Keep the change. If you’d like.” He says.
Levi grunts and carefully drops the excess into the jar, turning to deal with the order.
The man paces softly in front of the counter, eyeing the people waiting around inside. His hand is in his pocket again, probably around his phone. He always looks at it right after he leaves the counter, but never while he’s there, not even while he’s just waiting with nothing better to do. Levi focuses on the machine, giving Hanji a short kick as she giggles where she’s kneeling next to him.
“You sound like a hyena on crack.” Levi snipes.
“Watch the foam,” She grins.
Levi grumbles turning back and polishing off the drink. Oh wait—
“For here.” The voice comes, answering before he can ask.
Levi glances at him shortly, looking down again to pour carefully into a mug, and sliding it onto the counter.
The man waits for him to put it down and then reaches out an pulls it into his hand. “Thank you.”
Levi nods.
Hanji pops up next to him and Levi can’t help groaning under his breath.
“You’re a little later this morning.” She smiles at the man as he takes a small sip.
“Aren’t you observant.” He notes.
“Only to our best customers.” She returns cheerily. “Isn’t that right Levi?” She wraps an arm around his thin shoulders and tugs him close.
One day, he’s actually going to poison her.
“Early meeting.” The man says, taking a small sip.
“Oh yeah, when’s it start?”
“Just finished.”
“Wow,” Hanji laughs. “Demanding job, huh?”
“Satisfying.” He answers. He glances at Levi again with a small smile. “Thank you.”
And then he’s moving off to his seat, back in the corner of the room where he can scan the rest of the place whenever he glances up from his phone or his latte.
“Excellent,” Levi mutters, turning away and moving to continue tidying. “Why don’t you just take personal bios at the counter? It would really make all the customers feel more comfortable, very respectful. A+ service.”
“Just taking an interest.” She answers lightly, pushing her glasses back up her nose. “People like interest.”
“Not from you.” Levi says, cleaning off the spouts. “You’re a creep.”
“Persistent creep,” Hanji smiles, “Give me a few weeks and I’ll know if he’s single.”
“He’s single.” Levi mutters.
“Oh, really?” Hanji whispers, slipping closer. “And how do you know that?”
“Please,” Levi rolls his eyes in her direction. “No one with a stick that massive up their ass needs a boyfriend.”
“Ah, who says he’s even gay?” Hanji notes.
Levi rolls his eyes. “Have you not see the fucking bolo tie?”
“So? Cowboy’s wear bolo ties.”
Levi stares at her levelly. “And your point its…?”
“I think it’s a nice bolo tie.”
“I think it’s a piece of shit.”
“Is that right?” Hanji teases. “And here I thought you liked him.”
“I don’t ‘like’ anyone.” Levi says, finishing on the steamer and heading back to the counter.
“Oh right, of course,” She rolls her eyes, “Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean people don’t like you.”
“Like I said, you’re a weirdo. How many times did you get dropped as a child anyways?”
“Yeah, not talking about me.” Hanji grins, lowering her glasses with one finger and sweeping her eyes in the direction of the cafe corner.
Levi doesn’t look. “Bullshit.”
“Hmm,”
Levi glances over his shoulder. Hanji’s tapping her finger against her lip with a little smile.
“What?” Levi frowns.
“Nothing, nothing,” She says, brushing her bangs out of her face.
“Don’t bullshit me,” Levi glares. “I know that face.”
“What? I don’t have a face.”
“Yeah, you do.” He insists. “That’s the: ‘let’s mix the expresso and mocha together before the drip, what could possibly go wrong?’ face.”
“Well, maybe I was just thinking…”
She trails off, which really means he should turn around and ignore her because it’s exactly what she doesn’t want him to do. But apparently he’s not quite that clever.
“What?” Levi sighs.
“Well, if you’re so sure that’s not going to happen, maybe you want to push your luck?”
Levi narrows his eyes. “And what the fuck does that mean?”
“Maybe you want to make it a little more interesting.”
“Quit the cryptic shit.”
“A bet.” Hanji concludes, snapping her hands down to her hips.
Levi frowns. “What kind of bet?”
“I bet: he asks you out. Within a week.”
“… Are you kidding me?”
“If you’re so sure he’s out of the question why not try and get something out of it?”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” Levi snorts. “You’re as broke as I am.”
“I seem to remember you getting scheduled for the holiday rush this year. I know how much you love getting coffee for those shoppers. I think you had one Saturday last year. I seem to have a vivid memory of a woman trying to change her baby on the counter because the bathrooms were too full…”
Levi sighs, leaning back and crossing his arms firmly. Holidays. Who the fuck invented that?
“How do you know I won’t sabotage this?” He asks, rolling his head to one side to eye her.
“Oh, I just have a feeling.” Hanji says, “And maybe I trust your honor.”
Levi glances up towards the corner of the room. He’s settled into his usual seat, one leg crossed over his knee. He takes a small sip and runs a hand back through his hair. Levi looks away.
“Fine. You’re on. One week.”
“One week.”