Work Text:
Levi and Eren met through mutual friends. It wasn't necessarily a blind date or their friends trying to hook them up; it was more that Armin knew Eren needed someone new in his life to distract him, someone interesting and laid back, and Petra knew Levi needed someone young and fun to unwind the tight bundle of stress in Levi.
Petra had a younger sister, Annie, who was in college with Armin. Petra adored Armin from the first time her sister brought him home.
Petra had known Levi since high school. Fifteen years and they'd somehow stayed in touch and close over the years. She'd been complaining about how uptight Levi had been lately, a promotion thrust upon him and a cheating boyfriend stressing him out made the shorter man almost unbearable sometimes.
Armin empathized with her, explaining how his best friend had just gotten out of a pretty bad relationship, too, and hadn't been himself.
An idea was formed that night and a plan put into action a couple weeks later.
--
They'd chosen a nightclub whose bar was separated from the actual dance floor and wasn't too loud. Armin and Eren were late. Levi was restless. Petra was nervous. Annie was drunk.
"I'm going outside to smoke," Levi muttered, to which Petra nodded and sighed at first.
"Oh, no, wait! There they are!" Petra argued.
Levi followed Petra's gaze to spot two younger boys weaving through the club toward their table.
Eren was not a romantic as he had been in high school. He almost detested love, was terrified by it. But he would've been lying if he'd said his heart didn't jump upon seeing the extremely handsome older man sitting tall in his seat next to two blonde girls he'd met all of twice.
Levi leaned back in his seat and allowed his eyes to move over the newcomers with disinterest. His eyes locked with Eren's, who was sitting on his left, and the disinterest was suddenly feigned.
"Who is this kid...?" Levi thought to himself.
Upon seeing the intense eye contact between the two, Annie, Armin, and Petra came up with some excuse to leave the table at once within minutes. Eren suddenly looked nervous. Levi glared daggers at Petra, who blew him a kiss.
Eren surprised Levi when he was the first to speak.
"Umm. So. What do you do for a living?" asked the timid brunette.
And so the conversation, which was expected to be awkward and unbearable on both ends, began to flow easily between the two like old friends. They discussed Levi's work and Eren's work and both of their studies, which had a good chunk of time between the two but were still conversation worthy. The couple barely noticed when their friends returned, let alone how the bar cleared out as hours passed.
The three blonde members of the group were happy to see the darker haired men getting along. Hell, Petra had never seen someone capture Levi's attention like Eren had.
They exchanged numbers that night, and something electric began between them.
--
Their first date was a little bit cliché, but Levi wanted to do something simple and cute. So they went to a carnival that happened to be in town. They talked about their family life and their childhood, and they learned that they had a lot in common.
Eren's mother died when he was young and his father ran out on him. He was tossed around as a ward of the state for a while before aging out and going to college on scholarship.
Levi never knew his mother. She died giving childbirth. His father was a mean drunk for most of his life. When Levi was thirteen, he went to live with his uncle and cousin Mikasa, who was like his sister now.
Levi was sort of enamored with the childish glee on Eren's face when Levi won him a goldfish. Eren was starstruck at the toothy smile he drew out of Levi on the ferris wheel. Their hands, resting on the seat between them, touched lightly. By the time the ride was over, they were holding hands and speaking gently to one another about wishes they knew would never come true and wishes that might if they tried hard enough. They danced around any involvement of the other in their futures, though both knew they were hesitantly hopeful this wasn't the first and last date but the first of many.
--
A few days later, Eren asked Levi to go see a movie he'd been wanting to see. They grabbed dinner at a diner before heading over to a theater a few blocks away. The movie was something goofy and lighthearted. Eren laughed deep and guttural. Levi wasn't all that interested in the movie, but he got a few chuckles out of it and got to watch the smile light up the brunette's face.
At one point, Eren glanced over and his smile softened. A warmth seeped into his gaze as Levi's eyes met his. Levi couldn't help it. He leaned over and kissed Eren. It was kind of clumsy and quick, but it was soft and sweet and it fit them.
Levi pulled away first and smiled at Eren before turning to the screen once again. Eren bit his lip to smother the grin trying to crack open his face. Heat rushed to his cheeks and a giddiness filled his chest. It was all he could do to keep from squealing when, a few seconds later, Levi took his hand and intertwined their fingers.
--
A few weeks later found Levi and Eren strolling down busy boulevards and window shopping. Their hands bumped against each other every few steps, leaving smiles playing on both of their lips.
"Oh, that's neat," Eren commented, looking at an old, weathered skeleton key hanging from an equally old chain in an antique shop window.
"Hmm," Levi agreed.
He ran his hand gently over the small of Eren's back, causing Eren to smile down at him blindingly.
"My place is right up here," Levi explained, tugging gently on his belt loop.
They walked a couple more blocks and entered the lobby of a tall condominium complex. The elevator took them to the seventh floor where Levi led Eren into one of the few doors on the main hall.
Eren was breathless at the sight of the luxurious home Levi called his. Windows covered two walls of the living area, exposing a jaw dropping view of their city. A small bar with a few stools separated the kitchen from the main living space. Eren laid his coat on one stool and perched hesitantly on another as Levi clicked on the TV and excused himself to the restroom.
The older man disappeared down a hallway, leaving Eren to study the room around him. The kitchen was full of top of the line, stainless steel appliances. A coffee maker sat on the counter next to a pile of mail and a mug that must have been used that morning.
The kitchen was a deep red, decorated sparingly. The living room was a dark, warm brown with creme undertones. There were framed movie posters and novel covers blown up to poster size hanging around the walls. There was a lot more personality than Eren had been expecting to find in Levi's apartment, but it was an endearing surprise.
"Help yourself to something to drink!" Levi called.
"Thanks," Eren returned.
He shuffled into the kitchen hesitantly, but he needed the drink to distract him from the awkward nervousness settling in his stomach at being in Levi's place for the first time.
After a few moments of rummaging, Eren found the glasses in a cupboard to the right of the refrigerator. He went to set the glass on the counter in front of him, but he did so haphazardly and the glass teetered on the edge before falling to the ground and shattering.
Eren jumped back and stood, frozen, staring at the mess he'd made.
"What the hell was that!?" Levi exclaimed, appearing in the doorway.
Eren kept his gaze on the floor, unable to look up and find the hard, angry stare he believed would be there.
"Eren...?" Levi questioned.
The older man was confused as to why Eren was suddenly meek and unable to look at him.
"I-I'm so sorry. So sorry. I'll c-clean it up. I'll pay to replace it. Please don't be mad," Eren stuttered and spit out the words hurriedly.
The brunette's hands shook at his side, his body braced for something Levi couldn't yet piece together.
The younger man visibly flinched when Levi laughed, unable to recognize the softness in the sound.
Levi shook his head and took a step forward, bringing his hand up to ruffle Eren's hair. He was rattled with shock when Eren flinched and braced himself for a punch instead of the intended carress.
Scared eyes looked up to see confusion and surprise coating Levi's features, taking in the hand that hovered in the air before easing to his side.
"Eren..." Levi murmured, this time with such a passionate tenderness that it embarrassed both men because of the raw emotion they were feeling.
Cautiously, Levi closed the distance between them, stepping around glass and pulling Eren away from the mess and into the living room.
"Baby," Levi's soft voice slides over Eren like a security blanket, like he's being tucked in.
All this before he actually wraps his arms slowly around Eren, making him feel safe and stupid and ashamed all at once.
"Levi, I'm sorry. I broke the glass and it just triggered...some stuff from the past and I'm such an idiot-"
"Eren. It's okay. It was an accident. I know you can't help how you reacted. But I want you to know that I'm going to spend every second we're together worshipping every part of you, even the fucking annoying parts. Until every piece of you knows I would never hurt you, no matter what, because I love you with everything I have and I'll never be like the dickwad who hurt you before."
It's kind of out of character, but then again, it kind of isn't. Eren is continually surprised by Levi's capacity for being gentle. So he's kind of shocked at Levi's words, but he kind of isn't.
He's still shaken up, so all he can really do is timidly return the embrace and whisper that he loves Levi too, of course he does.
Months later, they'll be able to look back on the glass incident and smile and Eren will roll his eyes and Levi will ruffle his hair and Eren won't flinch because even his body knows not to be afraid when Levi is around. Levi makes everything better. Levi would protect him from anything.
And, you know, Eren may still cower when they get into heated arguments and Levi will slam a door and then take a deep breath and then go cradle Eren like the most important thing in the world to him. They may have to go through the process a frustrating number of times, but Levi knows it's all worth it. Because, well, Eren is the most important thing to him. And Levi doesn't intend to let him go.