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Levi thinks he has a wonderful excuse. Starving and alone in the streets as a kid? Definitely a good excuse. And it’s not like anyone stopped him from stacking a mountain on his plate in the corps. Nope, no one would stop humanity’s strongest from getting his damn lunch. So what was really going to change now?
Nothing, that’s what.
He shoves another strawberry on a skewer and puts it under the chocolate fountain, only withdrawing it when it’s dripping precariously. He holds his napkin under his treasure and manages to manoeuvre it into his mouth without getting chocolate on his shirt.
“That was actually quite impressive,” Isabel pipes up from the other side of the table. He gives her only a shrug and a small smirk.
“Food,” he explains.
“Well stop eating it, you’re terrible,” she scolds and whips the skewer out of his hand. “Wait for the guests to arrive or it’ll all be gone.” Levi gives his best scowl in response but Isabel’s mouth just twitches up at the corner. “That’s just not scary now that your cheeks are round lil’ bro,” she snickers at his expense.
“Whatever, I’m not the fattest here,” he raises his brows and looks pointedly down at her stomach.
“Levi, I’m eight months pregnant! This is my baby shower!” He shrugs, admitting defeat and turning away to perch himself on her plush sofa. He gives her an innocent smile as she struggles to sit gracefully, legs spread in the least flattering way and holding her stomach like it might fall off if she sits down too hard.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have waited this long to have the baby shower,” he comments when her ass finally meets the cushion.
“You know I wanted to wait so Aunt Carla could be here,” she flicks her hand dismissively. “And I haven’t seen Aaron in years.”
“Aaron?”
“Yeah, my cousin. I last saw him when I was five years old,” she pulls out her phone. “I’ll find a picture.”
“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Levi points out. “This is your family and your baby shower, I’m just here for the food,” Isabel scoffs at that.
“Whatever you say lil’ bro,” she turns her phone to face him. “This is an old photo, I’m sure he looks different now. When I knew him he was just a baby…” Levi takes the phone from her hands, tuning her out as he inspects the screen. He looks so- familiar- he zooms in.
“This is Eren,” he interrupts whatever Isabel was prattling on about.
“Yeah, Aaron.”
“No, Eren.”
“That’s what I said,” Isabel tries to pry the phone back off of him.
“No, that’s not what you said,” he stands, holding the phone out of her reach and pacing on the other side of the coffee table.
“Ugh, Levi don’t make me get up,” she whines.
“You aren’t getting it,” he point to the screen. “This, this is someone from before.”
“Like, before-before?”
“Yes!”
“Who?” She jumps up at that, waddling faster than Levi’s seen her move in at least a month. He looks back down at the image, it’s definitely Eren staring back at him. He’s smiling in the photo, his arm around the woman he vaguely recognises as Aunt Carla. He looks good, really good. He’s still got that youthful pudge in his cheeks combined with a killer jawline. His eyes are still unnervingly green. Levi can feel his cheeks heating the longer he stares.
“I’ve changed more than he has,” he mutters in place of a straight answer.
“Oh? What’s this?” Isabel pinches his cheek. “Was he your boyfriend?”
“You think I could get a guy like that?” Levi asks her with an incredulous glance.
“Uh, yeah, I remember your abs.”
“Issy- I don’t know if you noticed but I don’t have abs anymore,” she waves her hand, dismissive.
“Whatever, your ass is fantastic now-”
“Issy!”
“And he’ll love it, I promise,” she squeezes him encouragingly.
“It doesn’t really matter. We weren’t- we didn’t ever- there was a lot going on! We didn’t have time- it was just too complicated, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” Levi asks, finally pulling his eyes away from the picture. Isabel is looking at him with that gentle smile that’s official proof she’s going to be an amazing mother.
“I believe you. He wasn’t your boyfriend,” she shrugs, “but you did have a raging crush on him-”
“Oi-”
“There’s nothing wrong with that!” She shifts to stand in front of him, placing her hands on his shoulders. “But just think, maybe you could be with him now. Maybe it doesn’t have to be just a crush,” Levi does think about it. Regularly. Has thought about it for a long time. But there’s no guarantee there would be anything to like about each other anymore. Levi is different. Therefore Eren is probably different too. He shakes his head.
“There isn’t even a guarantee that he remembers,” he reminds her, sceptical.
“But Farlan does remember,” she shoots back, huffing at the low blow. “You’ve seen him do it, he remembers things we did together before but he sees them as part of our lives now, in these clothes and in these bodies. When I first found him he said that cliche shit about feeling like he’s known me forever,” she rolls her eyes, letting go of Levi’s shoulders to throw her hands in the air. “We haven’t actually found anyone that doesn’t remember in some capacity,” she reminds him after she’s finished scoffing.
“Even if he does, it’s not like things are the same,” Levi says. This time he helps Issy sit down before sinking into the cushion beside her with a sigh. “He might have someone else,” he mutters.
“Maybe,” she agrees, “but do you care?” Levi can’t seem to stop himself from smiling at that. The doorbell rings, breaking his train of thought.
“Fuck! I only just sat down!”
Much to Levi’s dismay, he’s not the one who answers the door to Eren. In fact he doesn’t even see him walk in, he’s too busy helping Petra and Nifa move the gift pile so there’s more room for seats. Isabel is one of the most popular women in her social circle, so all of her work mates have turned up too. It’s a flock of women that Levi’s, frankly, not very comfortable being around. Especially when they all start cooing and asking to touch up his sister’s belly.
He retreats to the kitchen to busy himself with pouring champagne for the guests as soon as they’ve managed to arrange more seating. Thirty two plastic champagne flutes later with Petra ferrying them out to the crowd and he's officially looking for an excuse to stay away a little longer.
He eyes the chocolate fountain.
Liquid courage can be chocolate, right? Right. He skewers himself a marshmallow and douses it under the fountain. It’s a big marshmallow but it doesn’t take too much convincing to stuff it into his mouth. Which is how Eren finds him, hamster-cheeked with chocolate on his lip. Levi recoils automatically, covering his mouth and taking a step backwards.
“U-uhm-” he stutters once he’s swallowed it down, finally holding Eren’s gaze. He’s stood near the doorway, still with one hand on the frame, as though he forgot he left it there. Levi’s mouth goes dry. The way Eren is looking at him- well- his eyes haven’t changed in the slightest. They’re just as intense. They still make Levi feel like he’s looking right through him.
But Eren is older, older than even the photo Isabel showed him. Levi hadn’t lived to see Eren age like this before, if he’d even lived that long in Levi’s absence. He doesn’t even have his pudgy cheeks anymore and he looks- he looks- Levi’s stomach feels like it’s dropped through the floor. He looks like a walking wet dream. A wet dream that must be nearing thirty.
Older than Levi.
Older than Levi.
That snaps him out of it. “W-what are you staring at, brat?” Eren’s jaw drops, all the intensity leaving him for the most incredulous look Levi has ever seen him wear.
“Levi, I’m-” he doesn’t finish the sentence, instead drops his hand from the doorframe and strides across the kitchen. Across the kitchen and directly into Levi’s personal space. To his credit, Levi doesn’t step back this time. But he does fist his hands at his sides and gulp. He’s not a fighter anymore, that’s for sure. “You’re so- I can’t believe you- it’s just like last time- you- you- ugh!” Eren grabs his face, tilting his head back and looking him over intently. “You-” he tries again, all the heat gone from his voice. “You- have chocolate on your face,” he ends up muttering. Levi’s face is suddenly very hot.
“Well let me get it off then,” he says. He tries to pull away but Eren holds firm.
“Let me-” Eren’s thumb moves and Levi feels as the chocolate only smears further across his lip. “Fuck,” Eren breathes, voice guttural and completely wrecked. Levi finds himself agreeing inwardly.
He feels Eren’s tongue on his mouth before he registers they’ve moved, licking a hot stripe across his lower lip and taking the chocolate with him. Levi’s breath shudders from his chest. He ignores the surprised squeak and footsteps scurrying away from the kitchen door because this- this is Eren. His Eren. Eren is here .
Then he’s fisting his hands in Eren’s shirt, pulling him down and slotting their lips together. The whole world shifts. Levi might’ve been embarrassed about the pathetic whine that escaped his throat if Eren hadn’t whimpered just as helplessly. Eren paws at him mindlessly as their lips slide against each other, tongues meeting and turning Levi to jelly.
When they break away from each other they’re both panting, every inch of Levi’s front is pressed up against Eren, and at some point he’s been pinned against the counter with Eren’s hands the only barrier between Levi’s ass and the wooden cupboard. “I missed you,” Eren mumbles, face still close enough that they’re sharing breaths. For once, Levi abandons his worry, decides to deal with it another day. He won’t let it spoil this moment because it’s- perfect. So perfect.
“I missed you too.” Eren hums at this response, mouth quirking into a smug smile.
“You’re cute,” he informs Levi with a firm nuzzle.
“Don’t be stupid.”
“No really, have you seen this ass?” Eren digs his fingers into the flesh to remind Levi exactly where his hands are.
“Uh, yeah, it’s fat,” Levi deflates.
“It’s huge ,” Eren says, reverent. Levi punches him in the ribs. Maybe he has a little fight left in him after all.