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There were some things that Eren was sure he’d never hear in his near future, such as a sports teacher congratulating him for a job well done in P.E., someone calling him a model lookalike and so on. A confession had been a part of the same list, which seemed to get longer as time went by and the boy learned just how the other kids seemed to act towards chubby ones like him, who had a bit too much hanging over the belt and whose tummy jiggled too much when running. And he was fine with it - if he wasn’t liked the way nature had made him, then Eren didn’t need a person like that in his life.
Mikasa always said he was the warmest out of all of her friends, the softest when it came to falling asleep on someone. Armin often used him as a heated pillow of sorts, when all three of them gathered for a movie night at one of their houses. The few more friends he had gotten close to during middle school years seemed to not mind his chub as well, often calling him cute and giving the boy some candy when he was acting to be angry with them.
But, that aside, Eren really hadn’t thought that he’d be confessed to. Asked to date, actually. Especially not by Mikasa’s twin brother, the one who always seemed to attract attention, no matter where he went and what he did. A picture perfect model figure, bad boy attitude on life and the ability to make any clothes he wore look good made Levi the center of attention. One of the cool kids, if one could call him that. The exact opposite of Eren - in all the ways possible.
“W-what?” Eren blinked once, not entirely sure that he had heard right, fingers twisting his knitted sweater between them. It seemed like a prank of sorts. But, Levi had never seemed like someone who’d do something like that.
“I said, go out with me. Like, be boyfriends and shit.” Levi walked closer to the boy before him, but not enough to make Eren feel like he was trapped. Just enough to be in comfortable talking distance and they could hear each other over the cars driving past them. “And before you blabber on about something dumb, it’s because you are cute as fuck. Been like that since fuck knows when.” A small grin tugged at the corners of Levi’s lips then, when he added, “Your chub is bloody adorable.”
Eren felt like he could just pass out right here, right now. Which he sort of did.
…
“But I don--… I don’t understand.” Eren spoke into the pillow, laying face down on Mikasa’s bed. An empty container of chocolate ice cream and just as empty pizza box decorated the girl’s desk after Eren had finished with those. There was still an unopened bag of chips and a bottle of coca cola. In case the boy still needed some stress food.
Mikasa, who was making her chair spin slowly in circles, sighed for the god-knows-which-time that day before blinking at her ceiling. “And I don’t understand you. At least lay on your back, I heard you can choke yourself like that.”
The boy rolled over with a small groan, his face the perfect image of confusion. “I just don’t---… I mean, look at me and look at him. Just… why would he even want this? I really… Miiii, help me, please.” He looked over to his best friend, the only person in the whole world who might actually have an idea of why this was happening.
Because he had never thought he’ll get a hot boyfriend. A hot boyfriend who was also Mikasa’s twin brother, with the best butt Eren had seen ever (the boy was a butt man and proud of it). These things just didn’t happen with him. Not like this, at least. And even if they did, it certainly wasn’t the hot character asking him out. Maybe the other way around and with less hot people involved and not so good of an ending.
“Because you’re adorable.” Mikasa deadpanned before she looked over at Eren and smacked her lips. “So, you two kiss yet or what?”
Eren could practically feel his face getting redder, his mouth hanged open and the only sound he could produce was a high-pitched squeak. Moments later he hid his face in the girl’s pillow once more, “How could you? Oh my god! I trusted you.” Most of what he said was muffled and unintelligible, but Mikasa had already gotten used to this and knew what her friend was going on about.
“You are such a teenage girl. I am so done with you.” She just sighs and starts to spin around in a circle again. “I am more amazed how Levi managed to wait this long. He’s been jacking off to you for a long time. And you’ve been crushing on him since forever ago.”
…
After getting over the initial shock of having a boyfriend and the aftershock, and almost a small panic attack about being seen in public and attempting holding hands with Levi, he finally starts to think that this is real and not some prank. They talk more, about everyday things and homework, about their friends and a little about feelings as well. Eren finally doesn’t feel awkward around Levi, starts acting like his usual self when they are along together.
It’s the first time he is in Levi’s room though. The two of them are the only ones home (Mikasa had to leave for her boxing practice and had threatened her own brother with bodily harm if he does anything to her friend) and it feels all kinds of strange. There’s a weird kind of excitement bubbling inside of him, a certain dose of anxiety and the ‘what if’s floating around his head. He’s scared and unsure of himself, the old discomfort about his body once again making him close up and become restless, glancing around the room in a nervousness that is in no way the good kind.
Levi picks up on it fast, the second the door to his room closes, and pulls Eren in his lap, both now sitting on the boy’s bed. “Shhhh. Deep breaths.” He whispers, chin placed on Eren’s shoulder. “I won’t do anything you don’t want. And didn’t I already tell you that you’re cute. No need to worry.”
Eren stops breathing for a moment all together – Levi’s voice is so close to his ear, he can feel his boyfriend’s (and it still feels weird and unreal when he calls the other like that) breath ticking his skin. His palms go sweaty and gross; his heart beats a bit faster. Before he can say anything, not that Eren thinks he’d be able to anyway, Levi’s chest rumbles in quiet laughter against his back and then he feels a kiss being placed on the side of his head.
“Now you have something better to worry about.” Levi smirks and pulls them both down on the bed, his arms holding Eren tightly against his chest and one leg thrown over the boy’s thighs. “Damn, you’re warm as hell.”
They spend the whole time alone napping after that, Eren’s nerves no longer being a problem.
…
“So, have you kissed now?” Mikasa asks during her Pokemon duel with Armin, glancing away from her DS long enough to smirk at the flaming blush that was now covering the whole of Eren’s face.
“Mikasa! You can’t just ask something like that! I mean, I just… Oh, god.” The boy throws a pillow at her, missing by a mile. Eren then turns to give Armin a glare, which looks more like a pout than anything else, when he hears quiet snickering, even though the blond was losing pretty badly at his game.
Mikasa just rolls her eyes and frees one hand to flip her best friend off. “You act like I’m asking about how you have sex. You’re a prude. Armin, what the actual fuck, you used a Magikarp?” She stares at her other friend in a mix of disbelief and utter confusion. No one used Magikarp. Ever.
“Shut up, I was busy laughing at Eren and chose the wrong one.” Armin then turns back to Eren, not even mad that he’s lost one more round to Mikasa. “Have you, kissed Levi yet? I don’t think you have. Levi is too careful about not rushing it with you. It’s a creepy kind of adorable.” He turns back to his own DS just in time to see his pokemon lose, together with the whole duel.
Eren is still pouting, one finger continuously poking his thigh in embarrassment. “You both already know, why are you still asking? We do cuddle a lot and he calls me adorable.” That last part he mutters so quietly that the other two almost don’t catch it at all. It was embarrassing to talk about, even just remembering the way Levi would hold his hand tightly and lean close to remind Eren once more just how cute or good-looking he was, is enough to make the boy’s face color red.
“Whatever. You seem happy, Levi has been less of an asshole lately, so whatever the hell you two are doing together must be good. Never thought my own brother was willing to cuddle, though. Just imagining that is creepy.” Mikasa grins at Armin while speaking, having invited the blond to another duel. She wants to get her Victini’s experience up a little more. And just beat Armin again in a game.
With a dejected sigh Armin accepts the duel. “Even Levi cuddles sometimes, Mikasa. Everyone cuddles. It’s basic human nature. Especially if Eren is involved, since he is so soft, warm and cuddle-friendly. By the way, did you really have to start with a Gengar? Like, really?” The boy wasn’t sure if his Jolteon will be able to win this.
Eren throws his last pillow at Armin this time, small smile on his face. He wasn’t yet over the tingles in his fingers whenever Levi held his hands and the butterflies in his stomach from finally being able to quietly tell the other just how long he’d have the crush and the almost breathless state he achieved whenever Levi laughed. He was still awkward around Levi at times, messing up words, or managing to trip over nothing. But Eren wasn’t bothered unlike how it was before. In fact, he wasn’t afraid to mess up when he was with Levi, since he knew that the other won’t make for of him for it.
Only when Armin whines again about how unfair it was that Mikasa used an Espurr when she knew how much Armin was afraid of that one Eren stops daydreaming and joins the two on the floor. The blond was now quietly muttering about how his Spritzee did not deserve that kind of treatment. Eren laughs before trying to somehow help him not to lose that badly.
…
Eren sits almost at the very edge of the seat, cannot look away from Levi acting on the stage. He got mixed up with the names of the characters a while ago, barely remembers the role that his boyfriend plays, but follows everything as closely as he can.
There is a scene where Levi seems to speak to himself, but has turned against the public and eyes the people seated with a contemplating look, small smirk on his lips as he recites his feelings and plans as if taking notes, and meets Eren’s gaze briefly. It suddenly feels too hot in the room for the boy, his cheeks color pink and all Eren can do is thank every god he knows that only the stage and actors have the spotlight of the lamps on them, not the viewers.
Mikasa keeps poking Eren in the side with her elbow every time her brother does something sexy, as she puts it. The girl accompanies this with whispered suggestions on how to get Levi to do that expression and get that tone of voice again, in case Eren wanted to see or hear them one more time. At some moments they take a lightly sexual note and Mikasa ends up pulling away with barely concealed giggles at the faces that Eren makes.
Once the play reaches the end and the actors come forth to bow Eren feels like getting up and running over to hug his boyfriend. His own eyes meet Levi’s and Eren smiles, a little shy. Levi then looks at Mikasa, rolls his eyes at the hand gestures his sister is making – all in some way connected with Eren, since she keeps on poking the boy’s shoulder ever now and then.
When curtains close Mikasa leans in before she speaks to Eren, the crowds getting up and leaving loudly enough to make it impossible for normal conversation. “He needs to take the costume home for washing, so you better use that chance fully. I saw you almost getting a boner when Levi bent down and those pants stretched out a bit; you can’t hide anything from me.” She then ruffles Eren’s hair and starts to walk away, leaving her thoroughly flustered friend behind.
…
He finds Levi in a crowded hallway, where both the parents of the drama club members and the members’ friends congratulate them for a job well done and retell the places they liked most. The first thing Eren does is give his boyfriend a hug and a quiet ‘you were amazing’ whispered in Levi’s shoulder.
“Thanks.” Levi takes Eren’s hand in his own, tightens his fingers around the other’s for a moment. “We had problems with the lights during the last repetition today, before the actual show. Someone had fucked up the wiring yesterday, we think it was one of the guys who did the props.” He looks the pleased kind of tired when talking, proud of how everything had turned out.
The two of them start to move towards the dressing rooms since Levi wanted to get out of the costume. It was getting too hot in it. As they move slowly towards the rooms, Levi keeps thanking the shouted congratulations about a job well done and mock curses towards his friends and some of the people who leer at him and warn about no sex on school property. Eren tries to hide his face in either his hands or Levi’s arm, while the other just laughs and flips them all off.
“Bunch of morons.” Levi sighs when they are in a less crowded area.
“But you like them.” Eren bumps the other lightly with his shoulder. He then looks down on their clasped hands and smiles a bit wider, the usual warm and fuzzy feeling comes back full force. “It’s just a bit embarrassing that they know me… Know that I’m.. you know.” He tugs on his hoodie and turns his face away a little, a bit too self-conscious about his red ears and face right now.
Levi blinks slowly and looks at Eren from the corner of his eye. Then he smirks and leans closer to his boyfriend, kisses the boy’s red cheek and straightens out. “They think we look cute together. And if they didn’t I’d make them.”
Eren peeks up at his boyfriend, small pout on his lips. “You won’t. But thanks.” His mind quickly goes back to what Mikasa and Armin had asked him about just a few days back, teasing him about being a bit of a prude, even.
Without much thinking about it Eren takes a breath and stops, making Levi do the same. Using Levi’s confusion Eren leans closer and places his own lips on Levi’s, kisses the other lightly. Quickly the boy pulls back, his face now redder than before, and smiles awkwardly. Levi blinks at him once, and then mirrors the smile, just less awkwardness and more confidence shining through the action.
The second time they kiss Levi holds Eren close to him and bites the other boy’s bottom lip lightly before pulling away. “You really are damn adorable. Is this a reward for playing my role perfectly?” Levi whispers once he’s pulled away, his arms stay wrapped around Eren’s waist.
“Maybe.” Eren whispers back, looks around and, once he sees a couple of giggling students walking by them, averts his gaze back to Levi’s chest. “I just wanted to kiss you. Maybe.” There is still the same old fear somewhere in the back of his head, whispering that he doesn’t quiet deserve Levi. But the arms holding him close and secure, the way Levi laughs quietly and the small kisses placed on his cheeks make Eren believe that the fear is all wrong.
“Well, I’m not stopping you.” Levi says right before dipping down for another kiss.