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One...Two...Three...A tap of a shoe sole hitting the wooden floor, spread in every direction, faintly repeating as the sound hit the empty walls, that reflected it back. Then, instead of a fourth tap, a series of chords filled the space, the acoustics of the barren area, the only thing they could secure for their rehearsals, making it seem like there were more instruments crying out than a single, lone violin.
Maybe this was more due to how pale finger fervently gripped the thin wood of the bow, and how that force transferred over gentle, white hairs onto metal strings, producing a sound, a bit too harsh to be called a melody.
It was no use. Levi stopped his playing and lowered his violin, puffing out a small gust of air containing his frustrations, through his nose. What was even the point of that counting at the start, he thought clicking his tongue, when I had no one I needed to sync too, anyway. A force of habit.
“Where the hell is that stupid idiot?” Narrow, grey eyes searched the snow covered parking lot, for what must’ve been the tenth time, looking through a row of windows covering almost the entire length and width of the right wall.
This was supposed to be their first attempt at playing together, despite knowing each other for so long. Despite attending the same school, and being next door neighbours since forever. He and a green eyed, brown haired moron, that played the piano. At least that’s what he should have been doing right now, but for some reason Eren, his...
You're soooo, totally boyfriends.
Hanji’s voice piped up inside of Levi’s head. An annoying, squeaky sound...But nevertheless he was still interested in hearing more from it.
You think so? He asked, and Hanji only laughed.
I guess...Levi thought, not realizing his lips silently forming a smile. I guess we are huh...He...
“He is well over 20 minutes late!” Levi shook his head, as he said the words out loud, remembering to be mad again. “What the hell is he doing?”.
Not picking up his phone, was one of the answers and Levi, being sick of waiting had tried to start the piece without him. But each attempt was met with his attention being nowhere near the task at hand, invisible fingers catching him by the chin and pulling his gaze away from the notes and over to the glassy area on his right, through which he was hoping too see a bright-red, puff-ball beanie bounce towards the building. Add the crystal green eyes too the picture and the dark brown coat and Eren truly looked like a human incarnation of Christmas. Ridiculous.
But even after 30 minutes, there was still no sign of him. With a long sigh, Levi detached himself from his instrument once again, letting both that and the bow sway loosely by his side’s, as he made his way to the table where he left his black case.
This was supposed to be fun...He murmured under his breath, packing the violin safely away. “It was also important.” He said more loudly, masking his disappointment, by being pissed off instead. Not only did they have so little time before the Christmas concert, the one that was to happen on the intimidatingly grandiose podium of the Town Hall, but this was an opportunity for them to spend time together, that involved more than just lying half dead on his or Eren’s sofa, pressing buttons but not really even playing the game, the hardships of their end year high school lives getting to them, as soon as they dared to assume any kind of resting position. Levi was the one who pushed for this, a space where he could have Eren for himself, no parents, no teachers, no classmates...No one else but them indulging in the very thing that started their friendship so so many years ago. The closed-off French kid, with a permanent scowl-face, and the local, way too loud brat with the huge eyes, both carrying bags with music sheets down the same street for many many months, before Eren finally gathered the courage to speak to the angry boy. Well, speak was the wrong way to describe it, as the tousle-haired bastard had the audacity to start humming the first tritones of Danse Macabre...
It’s about Death...Playing the violin...His giggles disconnected his attempt to explain the joke...And awakening other dead people from their gra...
But he stopped speaking, seeing as Levi only stared at him with a horrified expression, before narrowing his eyes and running away. What was that supposed to mean? Levi remembered thinking and recalling how he felt offended. He didn't need the airhead neighbor to explain the story of Danse Macabre to him, or why that joke was aimed at him. It was hard enough to be the new foreign kid in the school, he didn’t need people to pick on his appearance too.
But Eren profusely apologized the next day, and the next day, and everyday until Levi finally acknowledge his presence and talked to him. Even after that, it took years for the dark haired, pale boy to warm up to this forever smiling asshole, to find his close proximity comfortable and non-invading, not because of the silly joke, which he understood later to have no malice, or because Eren was an unpleasant company, but because of Levi being the way he was, shy and needing time and patience to develop friendships, things that Eren, luckily seemed to have had plenty of.
Levi could not say when exactly did this friendship of theirs, started feeling like something more. It was natural for them to touch, to lean on and into each other, to be close physically and mentally. It seemed as equally as natural of an occurrence, to have Eren’s stupidly long hands fly into the air, making the brunet slide across the ice ring and trip forward, nailing Levi onto the wall, and leaving him out of breath, as Eren’s body collided with his. It was a second of no thoughts present, when their lips met, just briefly, as quick as it took Levi to blink, the long 'ooooh' sound coming from all around them, after which Eren just smiled, and pushed himself away on his skates. That was 10 days ago, and although neither of them addressed the issue, Levi couldn’t help but notice the way Eren regarded him since, how he did not hesitate to scoop Levi’s hands into his, no matter the teasing from their classmates, not even waiting for any opportunities, how he ran his fingers through Levi’s hair, when they parted at Levi’s house...How those green eyes looked at him...So...
A squeaking sound of rubber, pulled him out of his thoughts and much too similar to the scene from his mind, his arms flew up, swinging the violin case in the air, the mere proximity of the hood of a nearby car, saving him from landing butt first in the snow.
I even put these fucking things on...He furrowed his brows, cursing himself for wearing lacquered shoes, in a blizzard-like weather.
Eren better be dead, or else Levi would kill him.
*******
A half an hour drive through densely distributed snowflakes, and the tires of the cab, Levi was currently sulking in, slid slowly into a familiar street. He got out, making comically careful steps over the ice, before finding balance in the metal pole of the gate, standing still for a moment and only then proceeding to walk through it, praying to make it in one piece to his front door. Opening it ever so silently, not to alert anyone in his house, he planted the violin on the hallway wall, and equally delicately closed the door a moment after, turning around, and taking a few long steps, his impatience getting to him, until he was by the part of the fence that framed the right side of his home.
“This is just plain suicide...” He stared up at the tall ladder, conveniently placed to lead right onto the small roof of the house next door, above which a window would allow him to get a view of the person, who was to blame if Levi happens to fall to his death in a few seconds. He knew it by heart though. It felt like he could have climbed this distance even with his eyes closed. Everything about Eren felt that way. Gripping the wooden side rails so strongly he thought he might break them, he made his way to the top, and then carefully crawled over the small horizontal roof leading to the window of Eren’s room. If he had his violin bow with himself, now would’ve been the time for him to rip the hairs out of it, and strangle a certain sleeping beauty with it. Yes. Sleeping. This absolute bastard was sleeping. He was about to knock as loudly and obnoxiously as his frozen fingers would have allowed him, despite knowing Eren never locked his windows, hoping to give the brunet a rude awakening, but an odd thing caught his eye, and he stopped, wiping the window down with his glows to see better. A small piece of folded cloth, was hanging halfway down Eren’s forehead. There was also a glass of water and what looked like a medicine packaging, sitting on his night stand. Without being aware of it, Levi’s tense expression softened, and thin fingers moved on their own, lifting the wooden frame, as he quietly made his way inside.
Why didn’t he call or text that he wasn’t feeling good? Levi wondered, but before he could think anything of it, the sheets shifted and green eyes appeared behind long eyelashes.
“Levi...” Eren mumbled in a tired voice, before his eyes widened, “Wha-what time is it?” He jumped straight up into a sitting position.
Levi walked over, pulling his sweater sleeves over his own hands, not wanting to touch Eren with freezing hands, as he placed the soft material on the boys burning cheeks. He spoke in a whispery voice, “It’s around eight, you missed the rehearsal so I came to see if everything is all right.” The pale boy smiled underneath tender, grey eyes, wanting to make sure it’s clear he was not mad. Well not anymore.
“I-Im so sorry Levi...I wasn’t feeling too well and I wanted to try and sleep it if before rehearsal, but...My alarm...I didn’t...” Eren picked up his phone, making an even more distressed expression. “You called... I’m...”
“Hey, hey...” Levi’s sweatered hand stroked the top of Eren’s head, “It’s fine...I had no idea...Uh...How are you feeling?”
“Like you awakened my from the dead.” Eren managed a smile, before sliding back down under the covers. “I’m cold and I’m sweating...How is that even possible?” He complained and Levi’s lips pressed together.
“Let’s see...” The dark haired boy stepped away from the bed and towards the wooden cabinet on the right wall. There was an electrical water heater on it, probably a courtesy of Carla, Eren’s mother. Levi glanced over the cardboard boxes of various tea flavors and just frowned at them with disgust. “Boxed tea tastes awful.” He remarked, reaching his hand to the handle of the first drawer and pulling it open quite clumsily. A moment of silence followed, as they both listened if anyone was disturbed by their little rackety gathering. Luckily no movement had made itself known, so Levi proceeded to pull out a plastic bag of dried herbs, before attempting to close the drawer and deciding to just fuckin leave it a second later, as it was completely refusing to cooperate.
“Now this...” This was his gift to Eren...Or that’s what he masked it as, but more precisely it was a solution for his wish to drink tea that didn’t taste like chemicals in a paper bag, whenever he was over here. Cinnamon spiked black tea. Eren still teased him about this whole ordeal.
“Did you ever even taste this?” Levi questioned with a joking tone.
A wide smile stretched over a sleepy face. “Nope. That’s the tea belonging to your Highness. How could have I...”
“Shut up...” Levi warned glancing back, as he prepared the concoction. It took a good ten minutes for the tea to be drinkable, after which Levi brought it over to the bedridden patient and prompted him to drink it.
“Oh...What an honour...” Eren tried to joke again, but a thin, raised eyebrow had him giggling. “No honey?” He added after the first sip.
“Is that your reaction??” Levi asked, accidentally getting louder than he wanted to be. “This is...It’s a shame to spoil this taste with...Ok fine...” Silvery irises rolled at the pleading smile of the brunet.
“You should go...” Eren said, a bit hesitantly.
“I should...” Levi agreed, before pausing and looking up. “But I kind of don’t want to...”
Eren rubbed his eyes, almost spilling the contents of his mug. “Ok, where is Levi, and what did you do to him?” He laughed heartily after Levi made a “what?” face, as a response. “Don’t you dare give me that look, Mister I sneezed once in your general direction, and you avoided me for three days”
The brunet got gently pushed to the side, and a tuft of dark hair had planted itself right next to him. It shifted around until it was under the cover as well. “You keep to your side, and I’ll keep to mine...” Levi ordered, trying to pull of a serious voice. “And I hope you’re ready to babysit me like this next week, when you inevitably give me the plague.”
There was a dull sound of ceramics meeting with wood, before more cloth shifting filled the room. “Understood. “ Eren mumbled, blanketed up to his eyes, as he watched the surreal scene of having Levi in his bed. Maybe he was just having a fever dream.
“What are you laughing at? Your way to cheery for a sick person you know?” Levi reprimanded, speaking now with his back to the brunet.
“It’s really rude to talk to someone and not look them in the eyes.” Eren’s strategy was always to fight an attack with an attack.
“Yes...It even more ruder to breathe germs into someone's face when your sick.” Levi bit back, not even controlling his own movements, as it seemed like he just turned around without even thinking about what he was doing. A warm body welcomed the action, and Levi found himself with arms full of Eren a second later. After a short panic-induced fumbling, his limbs finally seemed to find their place, one open palm on the back of Eren’s head, who currently used his chest as a pillow, the other wrapped around the opposite side, resting on the boy’s upper back. No other word was uttered after that.
*******
The morning caught Levi by surprise, as he had not truly planned to stay with Eren throughout the whole night. He just wanted to make sure the brunet had fallen asleep all right, after being awakened by him, and then sneak out back home, but daylight hit his face in a weird angle and Levi knew that he was in fact, a 100% not in his own room. Well that, and the scorching hot fingers that rested under his shirt, splayed over his belly. Ironically, they made his whole body freeze up. He quickly scrambled out of the sheets.
“No breakfast in bed for the poor wounded soldier?” A sleepy, hoarse voice piped up.
“You have a mild fever, you drama queen.” Levi responded, the fake annoyance on his face being betrayed by a small grin. Even sick, with dark circles under his eyes, a snotty nose and burning red cheeks, Eren was still too cute, for Levi to be able to directly look at him, without smiling.
Tying up the last bit of his fancy footwear, he put his coat on and grabbed the window handle.
“Bye... Don’t call me till your fully recovered,” Levi joked, as he was about to step out.
“Levi!” Eren’s voice reversed his movements.
“I uh, I’m really sorry that I missed our rehearsal. I know you looked forward to it a lot.” The boy said in a sad voice, making Levi fully back out of the window.
“I told you, it’s fine...” Levi reassured, taking a few more bold steps forward, until he was by Eren’s bed again. Extending his arm, he placed his open palm on a burning cheek, guiding it up, until their lips met. The kiss was very soft, like he was afraid he might break Eren with his touch. “Here...Will this make you shut up about it?”
Eren’s eyes lit up like candlelight. “Just don’t really get sick and we’ll manage that piece in time!” He said, Levi only laughing , as he passed the window seal and found himself in a cold winter morning.
*******
Faith had of course, planned things a bit differently for the two of them, and no matter the amount of vitamin C tablets, the combination of the time he spent in the blizzard and his willing exposure to the plague, had Levi wrapped up in a blanket on his sofa, coughing, as he watched with a salty expression, the live streaming of the event they were supposed to be a part off. Eren was right there by his side, as promised, holding a pack of tissues for Levi to grab one whenever he needed it. Two women sat on each of their sides.
The performers went one after the other, on and off stage, beautiful gowns and suits, on an overtly decorated Christmas podium. The sound of thundering applause filled the room every few minutes. Levi hated the pompousness of it all, to the core, yet he longed to be a part of it. With Eren. Just because it would’ve been with Eren. He imagined delicately wrapping his fingers around his boyfriend’s, as they bowed after their successful performance, he imagined that mesmerising scent of Eren’s cologne, the one he only used on special occasions, he imagined both of them smiling at each other as they walked off stage...Maybe they would’ve totally fucked up the performance...The truth was it didn’t matter. He only wanted to have an experience with Eren, that was only theirs. Silver eyes glanced over to green, as a gentle piano reached their ears from the TV set. As he watched how Eren’s face instinctively turned to meet his, the female singer started her aria. Eren smiled at him. Things might have not turned out to be that bad after all. Although he sure would have preferred having the ability to breathe through his nostrils.
“What is she singing about?” Eren asked, catching Levi by surprise, as the raven stopped to listen to the song, that appeared to be in French. Immediately after, his face turned into a crimson red, to the tip of his ears. Everybody pretended they hadn’t noticed.
“Let’s see...” His mother jumped in to save him. “Something about...” She listened a bit more before speaking again. “If you love me....the way I think you love me....and I’ve heard that you do truly love me, then not even the happiness of a king is equal to mine...” She finished, raising an eyebrow at her son.
“Oh that sound really beautiful,” Carla chided.
Two coy glances were exchanged, between youthful eyes, and two more drew a line above them, signifying motherly understanding. Once again, everyone pretended that they hadn’t noticed.