Chapter Text
Levi was having an especially shitty day. His days were usually pretty awful but this was a new low.
He started the day in a pretty good mood, he woke up early and everything seemed fine until he got to the kitchen of his small shared apartment. Not only was his favorite cereal empty but the milk was two weeks past expired.
"Erwin you shitty bastard," he grumbled. His dumbass roommate ate all of his his cereal, and then had the nerve to forget that it was his week to go grocery shopping.
Levi frowned before inspecting the fridge. There was only two eggs a glazed chocolate donut and a package of hotdogs. His cupboards yielded three packages of chicken flavored ramen and a pop tart. He sighed and grabbed the noodles, somehow he knew that it was going to be a very long day.
Levi quickly started a pot of water and threw in the noodles and chicken flavor. He opened the fridge and grabbed the hotdogs and eggs. He would have to make his specialty, poor freshman's ramen. He chopped up the hotdogs and tossed them into the boiling water. Levi grabbed the eggs, and cracked them into a small bowl adding, salt and pepper before whisking them, and stirring them into the soup. He turned off the fire and muttered a sarcastic 'bon appetite' before digging in.
"What the fuck was I on freshman year?" Levi groaned to himself. He remembered thinking it was delicious in his first year but it just tasted like shitty 99¢ ramen and bland hotdogs.
After eating Levi figured he should probably head to class early just in case traffic was bad, it was only a fourteen minute drive, but he didn't want to push his luck.
Levi's ancient Toyota was an extremely moody car that seemed to pick the worst times to malfunction just to spite Levi, so it came as no surprise to him when it decided to die. It was no surprise, but that doesn't mean Levi didn't get pissed off.
"You stupid piece of shit car!" Levi spewed profanities at his car in frustration before pulling out his phone and sighing. He had 28 minutes until his first class, he could make it if he hurried.
Levi speed walked all the way to campus in about 22 minutes leaving him breathless and sweaty. His literature professor gave a long lecture about who know what before dismissing the class with a new assignment, a 5,000 word essay due the next class.
Levi was free the rest of the day so he decided to start the essay. He walked to the library and headed to the back computers. He took the one farthest away from the other people and turned it on. Levi fished in his bag for his USB stick, grabbed it and attempted to put it into the hole only to find that there was already one there.
"What the fuck?" Levi looked around but everyone around him sat at their own computers and no one seemed to be looking for anything. He debated whether to look into the persons files or not and then clicked files. He figured whatever was on the USB couldn't be that important if the person forgot it.
The first few folders did little to help Levi determine who the hell the USB belonged to. They were filled with admittedly good photos of nature and drawings.
"Jeez what kind of sappy art student is this," Levi said as he looked at the photos in a folder called summer 2014. He scanned through photo after photo of bonfires, fireworks, beaches, and people before he saw a familiar face.
In a picture towards the bottom were three kids at a beach, Armin Arlert, a freshman acquaintance of his in his advanced comp class, a grinning brunette with green eyes who was holding the camera, and a pretty Asian girl who frowned at the camera.
Levi couldn't help but smile at the photo. The three kids reminded him of himself and his best friends Erwin and Hanji when they were younger. Hanji would always take pictures of the the of them in which Hanji would grin cheesily, Erwin would smile warmly, and Levi would try his hardest to look like he hated them but would always look as if he was only slightly irritated by them. He started to reminisce before he realized what he was doing.
Levi pulled himself out of his memories and pulled out his phone. He was pretty sure he had Armin's number. He quickly scrolled through his contacts and reached Armin. He clicked compose text and sent a message.
Levi: Hey Armin, can you meet me @ the Trost café in about 15.
A minute later a text came in.
Armin: I can't. My friend misplaced his usb and i said i'd help him find it. (-_-) sorry
Levi grinned.
Levi: I think I might have already found it.
...
Eren was seriously debating whether or not to kill Jean Kirstien. Sure they had been friends since eighth grade, and he was Eren's only friend in Classic Literature, but Eren was pretty sure he could live without him.
The reason Eren was contemplating murder was because Jean was being a total asshole. When Eren explained his USB dilemma to him and Armin, Jean had the nerve to laugh.
"What kind of dumbass forgets to grab a USB that not only has all his art on it, but his Lit. report that's due next class too!" Jean howled.
"I'm the dumbass? You're the one who didn't even know we had a report due until a few minutes ago."
"At least I can still do mine. You don't even have a spare USB you idiot!" Jean retorted. Eren was five seconds away from punching him in the face when Armin rolled his eyes and spoke up.
"You two are both irresponsible idiots so neither of you can talk," he frowned at the two of them, "Honestly it's a miracle that you two have managed to survive college this long."
Eren and Jean pouted. "We aren't that stupid," they said in unison.
"Not stupid just idiotic," Armin said, "Luckily for you Eren, I am not an idiot and I may have just saved your dumb ass," Armin grinned at his phone screen
"Why do you say that? Did you find it?" Eren's expression went from angry and distressed to relieved in a split second, "oh my god Armin you are a life saver!"
"I didn't find it," Armin explained, " my friend Levi did, he said he'll meet us at Trost Café in fifteen minutes."
"Thank you Armin," Eren shouted, "I could kiss you right now!" He tackled Armin into a huge bear hug.
"You better not Jaeger," Jean growled pushing Eren away and wrapping an arm around Armin.
"Relax horseface I'm not gonna steal your boyfriend, it's just a metaphor." Eren smirked whilst standing up.
"Its an expression dummy," Armin corrected rolling his eyes at his best friend.
"Same difference Armin," Eren laughed before skipping out of the dorm room door.
...
The ride to Trost was relatively uneventful. The most interesting event being Jean calling an old lady an asshole out of anger.
When they arrived at the small café Jean ran to the door and chivalrously held it open for Armin, and then slammed it in Eren's face just to irritate him.
Armin led the trio to the back of the warmly lit café, and approached a table where a small raven haired man sat.
"Hey Levi," Armin greeted the man who held his teacup by the top, " this is my boyfriend, Jean, and my friend, Eren." Armin pointed to the two who were arguing about something stupid.
"Nice to meet you," Levi said starting at them emotionlessly. He turned to Eren and pulled out a USB stick, "I assume this is yours."
"How did you know?" Eren asked curiously.
"There was picture with you, Armin and some girl on it."
"Thanks." Eren reached out and grabbed his USB. 'Levi is like some kind of leprechaun,' he thought staring at the man in front of him.
"Is that a short joke, brat?" Levi glared at Eren and Jean snickered.
"Oh um no," Eren winced at Levi's cold tone, "I just meant your like a lucky charm or something."
"I'm sorry, Eren can be an idiot sometimes," Armin said.
"It's okay," Levi said with a small smile, "I figured that when I found his USB."
"Hey you aren't supposed to agree," Eren complained. When he realized he was talking to Levi his eyes widened. Then Levi did something that surprised him, he laughed.
"You remind me of an old friend of mine," he said to Eren.
Armin stared at Levi in disbelief, " Holy shit!"
"What," Levi snapped.
"Nothing," Armin said grinning. Just then a waitress arrived with a plate of strawberry cake in her hands.
"Would you guys like anything," she asked setting the cake in front of Levi. She looked up and smiled before she realized her customers were Eren, Jean and Armin. "Hey guys," she grinned.
"Oh hey Sasha," Eren smiled up at the pretty brunette, "I'll have my regular."
"One cinnamon caramel hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and mocha drizzle," she mumbled while scribbling the order on her notepad, "and for you two?"
"A vanilla milkshake and a pumpkin pie latte."
"Alright," she said walking away with a grin," I'll be back in a second."
Levi looked at his watch and sighed, "well I better get going," he stood up, and Eren could help but to think that he was shorter than he originally thought.
"Wait do you want to hang out, we could give you a ride," Armin offered.
"No thanks, I wouldn't want to intrude," Levi said, leaving some cash on the table and walking away. "
"Is he usually that frigid," Jean asked as soon as Levi was out of earshot.
"He warms up to you the more time you spend with him," Armin replied.Eren wasn't convinced.