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Levi didn’t like chocolate, but recently he had been spending all his days off into this one little chocolate store named Liberté. He had a good reason for going there, though if anyone asked him, he would deny the whole thing. He knew he was being pathetic and also probably a little creepy, but he just couldn’t help himself.
He had to see him.
The first time he came across the store was a little over a month ago. He had been out to search for a gift for Hanji’s birthday which was the next day, with no particular idea in mind. Levi had known them for such a long time that it was hard for him to find new ideas and thus not buy something he had already given them before. Besides, he had never been one to be very creative when it came to presents, so it didn’t help his situation.
Just as he had thought he would be going back home empty handed, the warm lights of a shop window caught his attention, as well as the short but unusual name of the store: Liberté. Levi had learned French at school, so he was immediately intrigued by the curious name. Who would call their shop ‘Freedom’? What kind of place would be called like this? As he had come closer to see inside the mysterious store, he had been even more surprised to find out that it was a chocolate store.
Odd, he had thought, but then an idea had suddenly crossed his mind. Hanji loved chocolate – or anything that was sweet to be honest – so it would be the perfect gift for their birthday. Levi thanked his lucky star as he passed the threshold, the tinkling sound of a bell announcing his presence.
The first thing he noticed upon entering the store was the minimalist yet elegant interior. The walls were painted in an immaculate white, dark wood panels covering them here and there to add some contrast. Pictures of flying birds completed the decor, with gold-plated frames which made them look sophisticated. In one corner of the shop there was a big, complicated-looking flower arrangement in a beautiful white vase. Unlike other chocolate shops he had seen before, there was no shelves packed with goods nor tables presenting their stocks, there were only two glass counters where various chocolates were presented on one side, and more complicated chocolate creations on the other. Sound of chatter caught his attention on the upper part of the store, where a lounge seemed to have been organized on an open floor, connected to the rest of the shop with a spiral staircase.
This store had a completely different aura than Levi would have expected from a place which sold chocolate; he felt immediately at ease. It wasn’t packed, the soft music that could be heard in the background wasn’t overbearing. The only word that came to his mind as he finished his inspection was cozy. And in a way, the store lived up to his name. Whereas it was the bird pictures or the way the whole store was organized, with nothing enclosed and everything connected together in an efficient way, Levi could get it. It was even possible to see the kitchen behind the counters, where people were silently doing their job, in a way that was almost entrancing. Some clients seemed captivated by it, standing to the side to look at the chocolatiers operating their magic.
“Can I help you, sir?” a voice pulled Levi out of his thoughts and made him realize he had been standing in front of the counter without doing nor saying anything for a while now.
The raven mentally slapped himself to get his head back together and to reply to the person who had addressed him when he found himself staring into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They were a vibrant green with specks of blue around the pupil, and if Levi hadn’t known better, he would have thought this was the result of some sophisticated lenses; yet, he knew it wasn’t. The person’s face -or more so man, now that Levi was looking at him better- was as entrancing as his eyes, tanned and chiseled like a stone statute, yet with a soft expression. His lips were full and pink, which made Levi unconsciously lick his own, and parted in a dazzling smile. The man had long, silky brown hair tied in a bun, with some shorter strands falling on his temples. His work uniform consisted of a white jacket with transparent buttons in the middle, black pants as well as a black apron tied only around his waist, and there was also a red-looking tie around his neck, which stopped just above his collarbones. The uniform didn’t look tight in the slightest, but still Levi noticed that the man had really broad shoulders and arms, as well as narrow hips. The apron was hiding his thighs, but if they were anything like the rest of his body, Levi could only imagine how muscular they would be.
“Sir?” the same voice snapped Levi out of his daze and he immediately cursed himself. What had gotten into him? Checking someone out like this wasn’t in his habits and for a second he felt ashamed of himself, his face becoming hot.
“Um, yes I—Uh…” Levi cleared his throat awkwardly, not even remembering what the man had asked him in the first place. He probably looked like a creep or a complete idiot, and he wouldn’t put past the guy to ignore him and go deal with another customer.
“Do you need help or are you just looking around?” the man asked once again, his smile never flattering; he was a true professional.
“Yes. I mean, I need help. Please,” Levi rambled, still a little dazed from being addressed by such a gorgeous man. Sue his weak little gay heart.
“Sure! Is it for yourself or to offer?” The brunet, who had been standing next to him when he had called out to him, was now standing behind the counter.
“Offer. My friend’s birthday,” Levi had always been a man of a few words, and being in the man’s presence wasn’t helping his case at all.
(Levi quickly glanced at the man’s chest in the hope of finding a name tag but was only disappointed when he saw none.)
“Alright! We have already packed chocolate boxes or we can make one together,” Bright-Eyes -Levi decided it would be his name from now on- explained. “That way you can be sure it only contains things that your friend likes, and it is also a bit more personal.”
Levi had barely been listening to what he had said, or more like he had been more focused on the sound of his voice rather than the actual words, but he nodded nonetheless. Whatever made him stay the longest in Bright-Eyes’ company.
“Custom chocolate box?” Bright-Eyes asked for confirmation, and then smiled when Levi nodded once again. “We have small, medium or big boxes. Small contains nine chocolates, medium twelve, and big ones twenty. Which sizes would you prefer, sir?”
Levi had to replay his words a few times in his head to make sense of them before he blurted out “Medium”. He really couldn’t think straight when in the brunet’s presence; his mind was completely clouded.
“Medium it is!” Bright-Eyes said in an excited voice before he took a box and opened it carefully. Levi then watched his long and slender fingers open the sliding window protecting the chocolates and take a pair of steel tongs. “Do you know what your friend likes?” Levi looked back at him with the same expression as if he had talked in a foreign language. “For example, do they prefer black, white or milk chocolate? Do they like when there are fruits inside?”
Bright-Eyes gave a few examples and once again Levi berated himself for being so stupid. While it was true he didn’t like nor ate chocolate often, he still knew a few things about it. He should have understood the question.
“The sweeter the better,” Levi replied. “I don’t know about fruits, but they like it when it’s, uh… crunchy.”
“Noted! No black chocolate then, and some with almonds or nuts would surely be perfect!” Bright-Eyes offered him another dazzling smile, and at this point Levi was considering closing his eyes in order not to be blinded by the man’s brightness – okay now he was turning into a sappy idiot.
“Just, uh, put whatever is good,” Levi said after looking at the multiple chocolates the man was showing him. Even if there was less to choose from than before, Levi still had no inkling as to what would be best. He trusted the brunet’s judgment over his own on this; it was his job and field of expertise after all.
Bright-Eyes laughed a little, the sound piercing Levi’s chest and making his heart do back-flips, before he started picking chocolates one after the other and arranging them neatly inside the box. The chocolates he chose all looked like a piece of art, differentiating in shapes and colors, some carved with lines and others ornated with nuts. Levi wondered if the brunet had been the one making them before he realized he wasn’t going to eat them anyway, so it was a pointless thought.
“Here we go! My colleague is going to wrap it while I ring you up, okay?”
Levi nodded, not trusting his voice nor his brain to say something coherent. He paid what was due without talking more than necessary, his gaze stubbornly focused on his wallet and hands in order not to end up staring at the man in front of him for the umpteenth time; he had already made a fool out of himself enough for one day.
“Here is your purchase!” Bright-Eyes said as he handed Levi the bag containing a beautifully wrapped box of chocolates. He had to admit, he was pleasantly surprised by the professionalism and meticulousness of this shop.
“Thank you.”
Levi cleared his throat when he felt his hand brush against the man’s, his body igniting by the mere contact of his skin. Bright-Eyes’ smile only brightened as he joined his hands in front of his apron, not at all bothered. Levi envied his ability to stay unfazed; he was normally very good at keeping a calm endeavor but it seemed impossible in the man’s presence.
“Thank you for your purchase!”
Levi left the store with his heart still doing back flips in his chest, his grip on the handle of the bag way too strong, his nails digging into his palm. As he made his way back to his car, the man’s face was burned inside his retina and he couldn’t stop thinking about him. When he sat down in the driver’s seat, taking the time to take several deep breaths and think back on what had happened, the realization that he had left the store without knowing the man’s name made him frustrated. He should have asked, even if that would have made him look even more like a creep; now he would spend his time wondering.
At the same time this thought passed in his mind, something else came to Levi’s attention which made him freeze in his seat. He had been ogling a man he had only just met, been an awkward mess, couldn’t stop thinking about his face nor his voice, he was upset about not knowing his name…
Oh shit.
Levi had a crush on the bright-eyed chocolatier.
The next day, Levi gave the chocolates to an overexcited Hanji. He was glad to see them enjoying his gift, praising the chocolates while they were still in their mouth – Levi was used to such behaviors but it didn’t make it less disgusting – but still he could feel something heavy in the pit of his stomach. Seeing the box only made him think back about the gorgeous chocolatier who had specifically picked the chocolates for him, and with that came a crashing wave of longing. Levi had spent the entire evening belittling himself for being such a pathetic excuse of a person, crushing on someone he had met only once and talked to for merely ten minutes of his whole existence, but now faced with the undeniable truth, he accepted his fate. It would probably go away on its own if he didn’t pay it any attention anyway.
Levi had underestimated the willpower of his mind to torture him with flashes of brown hair and sparkling green eyes.
Not even a week after Hanji’s birthday, Levi’s feet brought him back to the peculiar store. This time he had no reason to buy chocolate, there was no upcoming birthday, but still he had to go inside. Accepting his fate had also made him embrace the fact that he was one of those creeps who went to their crush’s place of work just to be able to see their face and hear their voice. Whatever, his life had already been turned upside down the moment he had laid eyes on the bright-eyed chocolatier. He had no idea what he wanted exactly to come out of this silly crush, which was also one of the reasons he had come back to Liberté. He wanted to understand his feelings better.
The tinkling sound of the bell echoed in the well-kept shop as Levi stepped inside, a cheery voice welcoming him in, but he paid them no mind. His eyes were already looking at every employee, searching for the one his heart longed to see. The disappointment that washed over him when he found no tan skin and shining green eyes was almost overwhelming. Bright-Eyes didn’t seem to be working today. Levi let out a small sigh and pretended looking at the chocolate cakes, but in fact he was busy examining the kitchen, his last hope of finding the brunet.
His eyes opened wider when he finally saw the familiar face he had been looking for, eyebrows knitted in concentration as he was working on a batch of chocolate. Levi glanced at him a few times, mesmerized by the fluid movements which made what he was doing look like the easiest thing in the world, before he eventually looked away. It took him another minute of convincing himself that he wouldn’t be able to talk with Bright-Eyes before he eventually left the shop empty-handed, his heart heavy.
The third time Levi entered the chocolate store, he was delighted to see the chocolatier welcoming him in. It was impossible for him to know if the brunet remembered him or not, but Levi dismissed the thought as quickly as it came; they had only seen each other once almost two weeks ago, there was no way he did.
Bright-Eyes looked as dazzling as before, smiling with pointy, white teeth, his voice melody to Levi’s ears, and if the way the raven was stuttering or losing his words in his presence was any indication, he hadn’t gotten over his crush. Levi didn’t know what he had expected from meeting him again, whether it was realizing the man wasn’t as mesmerizing as he had thought the first time, or having a clear answer as to what the fluttering feeling in his chest was, but nothing of the sort happened. His heart was beating faster, his eyes kept going back to the man’s face no matter how many times he tried to look away, and his throat felt like he had just run a marathon and couldn’t breathe.
Levi had no idea what it meant exactly other than he was very well and truly fucked.
“What would it be today?” Bright-Eyes asked, and for a second Levi had forgotten in what kind of store he was. Right. Chocolate.
This time, Levi wanted to buy some for himself. While it was true he didn’t like chocolate very much, he hadn’t tried some in a very long time. Maybe his taste had changed, or maybe this time it’d be different. Explaining to the brunet what he generally liked -not overly sweet, bitter is good- Levi once again watched him carefully pick chocolates one by one. The fact that Bright-Eyes was choosing them specifically according to his own taste made Levi’s stomach erupt in thousands of butterflies. He truly was pathetic.
“Did you make them?” Levi found himself asking as the brunet was closing the box after placing the last chocolate. He looked up at him surprised, his smile gone for a second before it was back at full force, blinding Levi with its brightness.
Bright-Eyes explained to him that some probably were, but since there were several chocolatiers working in the kitchen to make them on a daily basis, it was hard to tell. He then showed him one particular chocolate still on display, explaining he knew for certain he had made that one because he was the only one placing almonds just a tiny bit to the side on top of chocolates.
“Can I have that one?” Levi blurted out before he realized what he had asked, his cheeks becoming too hot for him to doubt that he was blushing like an idiot.
To his surprise, Bright-Eyes erupted in a fit of giggles, not at all disturbed by his request, before he swapped the chocolate he had already put inside the box for the one he had made himself. Levi awkwardly returned his smile as he handed him the box after he had paid for it, their hands once again brushing for a brief moment. The brunet opened his mouth to say something before he was interrupted by a voice coming from the kitchen.
“Eren! Get your ass back in here!”
The brunet looked embarrassed and angry at the same time, but he gave Levi another genuine smile nonetheless before rushing where he was needed. Levi couldn’t be mad at the interruption, even though he was curious as to what the chocolatier had been about to say, because he finally knew Bright-Eyes’ name.
Eren. It had a really nice ring to it.
(In the end, Levi was comforted in his idea of not liking chocolate, even though he had to admit that one chocolate with the almond on the top had been particularly tasty.)
It became a habit for Levi to go to Liberté every week on Wednesday, his day off. He was always welcomed by Eren, a bright smile on his lips and his voice almost singing as he said “Welcome back!” to him, as if he had been waiting for his return – Levi liked the idea but knew it was only wishful thinking. Levi had started to become a bit more confident in the brunet’s presence -even though his heart was always on the verge of exploding- which allowed him to have interesting conversation with Eren.
Levi learned that the store had only opened a few months ago, and that Eren was the owner along with his best friend, the perky blond man who always seemed to work at the register. While his friend was working more on the management side of the store, Eren was the one in charge of the kitchen and all the confections they were selling. Levi was quite impressed to learn that every chocolate was the result of the brunet’s ideas, and the smile he got after telling him just that had him blushing for the rest of the day.
Since Levi couldn’t possibly go to the store only to talk with the chocolatier, he always ended up buying a box of chocolates, for which Eren was always the one choosing carefully each piece put inside. Levi was more than delighted to support Eren by buying him chocolates, especially since it always made him smile like Levi had told him he had won the lottery, but he couldn’t possibly be the one eating them. In order not to let them go to waste, Levi always ended up bringing them to work with him the next day, confusing his colleagues as to why he had brought chocolates. The first few times he had been able to come up with lies like someone giving them to him, but as time passed on and Levi continued bringing chocolate boxes on every Thursday without a fault, they started to get suspicious – or more so, Hanji was, the others were only happy to have something to eat during their breaks.
Levi couldn’t even remember the number of times Hanji had pestered him to come clean and tell them the truth, creating many scenarios as to why their colleague who claimed to hate chocolate was now bringing some every week, from the same place every time nonetheless. They never got a clear answer though, because Levi never relented. He wanted to keep Eren a secret, first because he was pathetic in that way, wanting to keep the brunet to himself, but also because he knew he would never hear the end of it if he admitted on having a crush on a 25-year-old talented chocolatier. He could also imagine Hanji bursting into Liberté in order to get a good look at Levi’s new love interest, exposing his little secret and make it impossible for him to go back without dying of embarrassment. He was extremely lucky that Hanji was working on Wednesdays and thus couldn’t follow him.
It had been now over three months since Levi first entered the chocolate store and had laid eyes on the gorgeous chocolatier. Going to see Eren and buying chocolates every week was starting to take a toll on his bank account, and Levi grimaced as he looked on his phone at all the money he had spent to entertain his crush. Could it still be called crush at this point? While it was true Levi had only met Eren a short while back, he felt like he was starting to know him little by little. With every new visit came new information, and the more Levi learned about the chocolatier, the more he felt himself falling deeper and deeper for him.
Levi let out a long sigh as he passed a hand on his face and then in his hair. What had his life become? Spending mounts and mounts of money on something he didn’t even like just to be able to see the man he harbored feeling for. It was ridiculous and pathetic, but Levi couldn’t help himself; he had to see him.
With another sigh of frustration, Levi looked over the information of his next patient, his eyebrows furrowing as he realized it was someone who had never come to the practice before. It wasn’t unusual, especially for young adults, but it meant no past history, which in turn meant more questions to be asked. Levi prided himself on being always on time, unlike many other general physicians like himself (mainly Hanji), so dealing with new patients definitely wasn’t what he preferred.
Leaving his office in order to call his next patient from the waiting room, Levi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he read the name written on the paper he held in his hand:
“Eren Jaeger?”
While it was true Levi had never met anyone with that name before, it couldn’t be that it was the Eren he knew, right? What would be the odds?
The odds weren’t in his favor apparently – or were they? – as Levi looked up to find familiar eyes gazing back at him. The doctor’s face betrayed his surprise for a second before he switched it back to his usual, professional expression. During the time it took for Eren to realize he had been called, tuck his phone back into his pocket and stand up from his seat, Levi discreetly stared at him, enjoying the change in his appearance. Unlike all the times Levi had seen him his hair was untied and falling on his shoulders, letting the raven know just how long they really were – he had often wondered about that. His clothes were casual – dark blue jeans, a burgundy shirt with a V-neck and a black, long cardigan – a stark contrast to the neat uniform Levi was now used to.
He looked even more attractive, if that was possible.
“I’m Dr. Levi Ackerman,” Levi presented himself while he shook Eren’s hand, trying his best to ignore the heat building in his chest at the contact. “Follow me, please.”
He led the brunet to his office, where he asked him to sit down on a chair situated on one side of his desk while he sat on the other, in front of a computer. Eren looked a little nervous, his smile shy and almost uncomfortable.
“What brings you here, Mr. Jaeger?” Levi asked, trying his best to act as if he was dealing with any other patient.
“Please, call me Eren. Mr. Jaeger is my dad,” Eren huffed, both amused and embarrassed. Levi nodded but said nothing, waiting for him to reply to his question. “Um, I- I moved here a few months ago so I thought I should find a new attending physician, in case I would hurt myself at work or get sick or something. Besides, it’s been a while since I didn’t do a medical checkup, so I thought it would be a good opportunity. And then, uh…” Eren took a break to regain his breath before he showed his right hand where Levi could see a band-aid on one finger. “A few days ago I did hurt myself, so I guess that’s a good timing.”
Levi listened carefully to Eren, in order to get why he had come to see him, but he couldn’t help but notice how different his attitude was from when he would see him at Liberté. All the confidence and gentle aura he had was gone, replaced by a nervous stance and bashfulness which Levi found endearing. Maybe Eren didn’t like going to a doctor office – but then, who did?
“I see,” Levi said in a calm voice. “Well, I’ll ask you a few questions to know your past history a little better and I’ll also do a full checkup, but first let’s take a look at your wound. What happened?”
“I burned myself while cooking.”
Levi stood up from his desk and motioned for Eren to follow him to the examination table, where he told him to sit down on. After putting on a pair of gloves, Levi delicately took Eren’s hand and removed the band-aid. The brunet hissed a little at the action, but Levi stayed focused on the finger he was examining.
“I put it under cold water as soon as I could,” Eren explained, “and then I bandaged it so I could continue working, but it stings from time to time, like it’s pulsing or something. And then I got this blister, I wasn’t sure if I could do something or not.”
Levi hummed as he continued his examination, noticing indeed the small blister on his finger and the red area around it. It was a clean burn, so the doctor wasn’t worried at all; it only needed time to heal.
“Well, first, what you can do is not touch the blister. It might be tempting to burst it, but it would be the shittiest decision ever. You’ll be more subject to infections that way.”
“Why would I do that?” Eren huffed.
“You’ll be surprised at how stupid people can be sometimes,” Levi shrugged.
The doctor then proceeded to give more instruction to his patient, explaining what to do if the blister did burst, and also showing him how to properly bandage it. The most he could do besides waiting was to put some ointment in order to reduce the stinging, but otherwise, there was no other cure than patience and time.
“Just no sticking bandages, sterile gauze bandages are better. And then maybe stay away from hot surfaces and put some gloves on. Wouldn’t want to get chocolate all over it.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Eren chuckled, amused, before his expression changed to confusion. “Wait… How do you know about chocolate?”
Shit, Levi cringed. He had tried his best to be as professional as possible, especially since it didn’t look like Eren had recognized him, and then he had to say something like that. Trying to feign calm and confidence when you were internally screaming was the stupidest thing ever.
“Um, I—”
“Ah! I knew it!” Eren suddenly shouted, his face lighting up in recognition. “I knew I had seen you somewhere, but I couldn’t quite place it, and— You’re chocolate box guy!”
Levi blinked in confusion at the sudden outburst before he felt butterflies in his stomach at the thought Eren had recognized him, and also had a nickname for him.
“You look so different with your hair slicked back, your glasses and white coat, I thought I was imagining it!” The smile Levi had gotten used to by now was plastered on Eren’s face, his eyes shining with glee, and Levi had to look away for a second to prevent his face from turning bright red.
“’Chocolate box guy’?” Levi asked, both confused and delighted.
“Oh, um, yeah. I– I never asked your name, so…” Eren trailed off before letting out a small laugh. “I never would have thought you were a doctor!” At Levi’s raised eyebrow, Eren quickly added, “I mean, not that you don’t look like one! Just, um… I’m surprised to see you here, that’s all.”
“I was surprised too,” Levi hummed.
“Well, at least now we know each other’s name,” Eren said with a bright smile, knocking all air out of Levi’s lungs. How could this man affect him so much? It was maddening.
“I already knew yours,” Levi mumbled before clearing his throat in front of Eren’s inquisitive look. “Well, now that this is taken care of, should we continue?”
Levi put himself back in work mode, asking Eren questions while making some notes for his medical record, before he continued with a regular and full check-up. It was some kind of torture for the raven, having to touch Eren, seeing more skin than he was used to, and all while having to remain entirely professional. All he wanted was to pin the brunet on the examination table and kiss him senseless, or be hugged by his broad arms and nest himself against his hard chest. He was really the worst doctor ever, lusting after one of his patients.
When Levi was finally done with the check-up he was slightly sweating, his heart pounding in his ears and his jaw hurting from how hard he had been gritting his teeth. He let out a long breath as he sat down in front of his computer, starting to type the new information he had collected while Eren was putting his shoes back on. All there was left to do was giving the man a prescription for his burn and make him pay for the consult and he would be free.
He had managed to endure it until now, he could survive another five minutes.
“Thank you, Dr. Ackerman,” Eren said as he stood near the door of Levi’s office. “I’ll be careful with my burn.”
“I hope so,” Levi scoffed, and before he could overthink it, he added: “And it’s Levi.”
Eren looked confused for a moment before his face lit up, a big smile stretching his lips.
“I’ll see you soon at Liberté, Levi.”
And with that, Eren was gone.
The next Wednesday after Eren came to Levi’s office, Levi went back to Liberté, as was his new weekly habit. This time was different though. For once, Levi didn’t come to buy chocolate he wouldn’t eat just to be able to talk to the chocolatier. No, today was the day he would finally act upon his feelings and ask Eren out. He was determined, had gathered all the courage he would need to go through with this. He would do it.
There were many reasons which had pushed him to make up his mind and confess. The first one was money. He wasn’t someone who cared a lot about money, but he still had some limit, and buying something he didn’t need every week was crossing it. While it was nice to buy something for his colleagues from time to time, making it a weekly occurrence was another story. The second one was that Levi needed to do something about this crush of his. It wasn’t good for his mental state to spend his time thinking about someone so far out of his reach; he needed to know if he had a chance with Eren. Whatever would come out of his confession, he would deal with it head on. He couldn’t continue thinking of ‘what-if’s’ and having disillusions about someone he barely knew – but badly wanted to know better.
The final reason was his unexpected meeting with Eren the previous week. Maybe Levi was reading too much into it, maybe he was being delusional once again, but he couldn’t stop thinking about some tiny details. Eren had recognized him. Eren had a nickname for him, had wanted to ask for his name. Eren was anticipating seeing Levi again – okay, that one was a very big stretch on his part, the brunet had only said ‘see you soon’. Levi had thought again and again about their meeting, about how Eren’s demeanor had changed the moment he had realized who Levi was, genuine smiles replacing uncomfortable ones, and after going through the memory for the hundredth time, he had decided.
Next Wednesday would be the day.
The familiar sound of the bell made goosebumps erupt all over Levi’s body, a wave of nervousness washing over him. He only took a few steps forward before a voice disrupted his thoughts, the words catching his attention.
“Eren! Your favorite customer is here!”
“Armin, shut up!” a more distant but familiar one replied.
Levi couldn’t help the blush that took over his face, his stomach erupting in thousands of tiny butterflies. Did the blond man say ‘favorite’?
“Welcome back!” Eren greeted him with a big smile on his face once out of the kitchen and behind the counters, a small blush present on his face too.
Levi smiled back at him and came closer to the counter, his head spinning from the realization of what he was about to do. You can do this, he chanted in his head. You got this.
“So, what kind of chocolate will it be today?” Eren asked with a light chuckle, the sound of it making Levi’s heart beating faster.
“Um, I—” Levi cleared his throat rather loudly, cursing in his head. He was stuttering not even ten seconds in the man’s presence, he needed to get a better grip on himself. He had this. “I’m not here to buy chocolate.”
The confused look that took over Eren’s usual brightness made Levi’s heart stop for a second, and he started second guessing his entire life in that moment. How had he even thought it was a good idea to do this? It was clearly a terrible one. Stupid Levi.
“Why are you here for then?” Eren asked, still looking confused.
Any confidence Levi might have had before entering the store was completely and entirely gone, leaving his body and mind a nervous mess. His throat was unbearably dry, he could feel himself sweating, and his heart was trying to break the record of how many times it could beat in one minute.
This is a bad idea, Levi kept chanting in his head.
“I—Uh—” Levi needed to come up with an excuse right the fuck now, “—wanted to know how you were doing,” Levi finished lamely. Eren was looking surprised now, so he quickly added, “Your burn, I mean. How’s your finger?”
“Oh!” Eren’s face lit up in understanding before his usual smile came back on his lips.
For a second there had been something else in his eyes, but Levi must have imagined it. Why would Eren look disappointed?
“It’s mostly fine now!” He showed his finger for emphasis, any bandages gone, the burn having healed nicely. “I put the ointment you prescribed me, it made the ache better. No blister anymore, it’s almost healed! I’m being careful with anything that is hot – not that I wasn’t before but I’m even more careful now. Oh, and I’m still using gloves for now, just in case, since it’s not completely healed yet, but sometimes it’s hard to—”
“Have dinner with me,” Levi blurted out suddenly, surprising both himself and Eren. Fuck, shit.
“Uh—I—” Eren looked completely taken aback, his smile gone and his lips trying to form words that seemed blocked inside his throat.
Fuck this, Levi thought. Now that he had said it, there was no backing out. Even if he was probably digging his own grave, he would go through with this, no matter how awkward the situation was.
“I mean… Would you have dinner with me?” Levi tried again. Eren still looked like a fish freshly out of water, trying to breath in an environment it wasn’t used to. “I—shit, I’m bad at this. To be completely honest with you, I don’t even like chocolate.”
Wrong way to woo the man, Levi cringed internally. However, at this point, if he was going to sink, he would do it spectacularly. If this was his last time talking to the gorgeous chocolatier, he might as well come clean about the whole situation. Eren was probably trying to come up with a way to turn him down gently anyway.
“Why do you come here then?” Eren asked, confused, but his lips were twitching upwards. Was he trying to refrain himself from laughing at his pathetic and awkward approach?
“Fuck… Do I really have to say it?” Levi groaned while scratching his undercut, embarrassed beyond words and a nervous mess.
“Yes,” Eren chuckled, making Levi curse again. This guy was trying to kill him. “Yes, I’ll have dinner with you, I mean.”
Levi did a double take at that, looking straight into those green eyes he loved so much, his heart stopping at the look of delight on Eren’s face. Had Eren, the guy Levi had been crushing on for months on end, the man haunting his every waking moment and dreams, this Eren, really accepted to go on a date with him? Well, fuck.
“Oh,” Levi sighed in relief, happy not to have to explain himself further. “Oh! Um, yeah. G-good.”
Eren chuckled at his reaction, the sound making Levi blush even more than he thought was possible, before he scooted closer to Levi, his arms spread out on the counter.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret of mine, since you told me yours,” Eren said in a low voice, a mischievous smile on his lips. “I normally never leave the kitchen except for storing the new chocolates.”
Levi’s eyes widened at the information, his heart beating loudly in his ears. It might have been the happiness he was overwhelmed with which was muddling his thoughts, because there was no way Eren had just implied he worked behind the counters only for him, right? But then Eren winked at him and every doubt Levi might have had was gone.
“My shift ends at 6p.m, call me later?” Eren said with a big, dazzling smile, handing Levi a piece of paper with his number scrambled on it.
Levi took it with a nod, his mouth hanging open from the surprise and his mind in a daze. Had Levi known it would be this easy, he would have tried this a long time ago. But then, maybe Eren wouldn’t have come to his office if he had, and no matter how awkward the moment had been, Levi cherished it.
Still walking on cloud nine, Levi left the shop, Eren’s number in his possession. Later that day, he sent a message to the gorgeous chocolatier, and just like that Levi finally went on the date he had been dreaming about with the guy he had been pining after for months.
Levi would have never thought that stepping into a chocolate store many months ago would have changed his life so drastically. He still went to Liberté on every Wednesday, like an old habit he couldn’t quite shake off, though he didn’t buy chocolate boxes anymore. Instead, he would sit in the kitchen and watch the gorgeous green-eyed chocolatier work his magic, daydreaming about the moment he could hold him in his arms again and kiss those pink lips which always seemed to taste like sugar.