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Zeke was supposed to have a date with Levi. They planned it out when they were in the office, where Zeke asked Levi out by finally gathering the courage that was necessary to do so. He was usually very confident in himself, and his social skills when it came to guys. But it wasn’t that easy when it came to Levi Ackerman though.
The result was that he was pretty anxious and nervous about it, this date, mostly because Levi wasn't exactly the kind of person who made him feel comfortable. He was quite difficult to interact with, if not impossible. He was even surprised that Levi had actually agreed to hang out with him. It had seemed so strange to him.
He had dressed up in the best black suit he could find in the closet, after changing clothes countless times. He'd trimmed his beard, put on cologne, and fixed his hair. He looked really handsome that night, Zeke Yaeger, he was really attractive. He was much more so than usual.
He checked the time on the dial of his wristwatch for perhaps the hundredth time, but obviously Levi was at least half an hour late. He wondered if Levi was having second thoughts.
What if?
He hoped it wasn’t like this.
His phone rang out, and the screen lit up. He picked up his phone, checking the message. Zeke found out it was one from Levi. He swallowed hard as he read it. His heart beat so fast, as if it was about to burst out from his chest. He blinked twice, staring at the black words that stood out against the white background. He adjusted his glasses on his nose, letting out a sigh of resignation.
Levi had just ditched Zeke. What a fucking great news.
He stared at the empty chair across the table, feeling so foolish for even believing it. He should’ve expected it. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up for this date, not at all, and yet Zeke liked Levi so much. He'd been really happy when he'd finally agreed to go out with him. That raven hair, that pale skin, those grey eyes. He had been definitely bewitched by Levi’s beauty combined with that personality that distinguished him.
He didn't even notice that Eren was nearby, watching him from afar with a bittersweet smile, because Zeke was too absorbed in his own thoughts. All those thoughts were obviously directed at Levi, because Zeke had really hoped for that. He had wanted this date so badly and for so long, but unfortunately it had turned out to be a failure.
And suddenly he heard the sound of a chair being moved and saw a shadow reflected on the floor, so when Zeke lifted his gaze, those sapphire eyes, he realized it was his brother Eren. He was confused, happy and bewildered, feeling so many emotions all at once. He chuckled softly, remaining in utter confusion. Displaced.
"What's going on?" Zeke asked Eren with a barely-there smile.
Eren shrugged so casually, and smiled at Zeke. It was such a wide, bright smile.
"I'm your date now," Eren replied to Zeke returning that smile with another.
He let out another giggle amused by the situation. It was funny in some way. He knew his brother was aware of the date he was supposed to have tonight, the one with Levi, so maybe that was the reason he had approached him. He supposed that his brother might’ve been around, nearby the fancy restaurant, when he had noticed that the date hadn't worked out. He was grateful for that, to his Eren, because at the very least he would be able to spend some quality time together with him. Eren was studying and Zeke was working, so they were both often busy with their respective schedules. This would’ve been such a great opportunity to make the most of. For both of them. For Zeke, and for Eren too.
“So…” Eren spoke up with a sneer of fun plastered on his face, making eye contact with Zeke. “You were ditched,” he told him with a laugh that apparently he couldn’t really contain.
He knew that his brother was joking about it. He didn’t get offended by that joke.
“Are you trying to make me feel even more miserable than I already am?” Zeke asked Eren raising an eyebrow in faked annoyance.
“I actually don’t even know what you found so special into that dwarf,” Eren answered Zeke with a smudgy smile.
At that point, Zeke burst out laughing and he was followed right away by Eren.
“He’s beautiful,” Zeke commented about Levi.
Eren clenched his jaw, flaunting off a forced smile in the direction of Zeke. He didn’t understand why his brother seemed to be almost pissed off by that comment about the other, yet he didn’t think so deep into it. He just let it go.
“A beautiful asshole,” Eren remarked to Zeke.
They smiled at each other with a knowing glance, before they burst out into another laugh. An honest, sincere and genuine one.
“You can have me instead of him. It’s even better. A really good deal. I’m prettier and funnier than him,” Eren suggested to Zeke.
Zeke laughed it off, again, as if he didn’t take that hypothesis in consideration, and he smiled at Eren. His brother was so full of himself, but in that jokingly way that made him laugh and smile even more.
“You don’t even know him!” Zeke pointed it out to Eren.
“He looks at me like he wants to kill me,” Eren remarked to Zeke.
“That’s because you skidded into the office with your skateboard,” Zeke reminded Eren.
“It happened only once!” Eren exclaimed to Zeke.
“And he didn’t forget it,” Zeke assured to Eren.
The way in which Eren puffed his cheeks, like they were two balloons, it only recalled memories that Zeke treasured dearly of his brother. It reminded him when Eren was just a a little boy, and of course Zeke took a good care of him. He stretched out his hand towards Eren’s face, pinching one of his cheeks.
“I’m not a child!” Eren complained about, glaring at Zeke.
Eren seemed to be stuck between being offended, embarrassed and flattered, glaring at Zeke.
“You’ll always be for me,” Zeke replied with a comforting, reassuring smile to Eren.
The funniest part of the whole dinner was most likely Eren, who sulked into the chair like the little boy he pretended not to be anymore. But whenever he looked at him, touched him or talked to him, somehow, he still searched for that little boy, because for him it was like his brother would always be in that way after all. That little boy with light brown hair, olive skin, and big, doe eyes. His baby brother, his precious Eren, his little brother. The most important treasure.
He moved his hand, ruffling Eren’s hair that were up into a bun. This only annoyed Eren even more, making him cuss twice in a row.
They ordered food and drinks. He had to make sure that his brother didn’t get drunk, though, since he liked to drink. Their conversation was about this and that, and then he payed the bill and of course drove him back home. They shared the same place where to live, an expensive penthouse located in the city centre. Even if they lived together, due to their busy schedules, they didn’t always get the chance to actually be together.
When they entered into the penthouse, they were laughing, giggling, smiling like it didn’t happened since a long time. They were so carefree. His brother was pressed against the wall, right in front of him. Bold, beautiful, brave. Eren had those doe, shiny, big green eyes opened on the world, and Zeke felt like he wanted to get lost into them. To never come back. He would’ve liked to stay into the universe that existed only into those emerald irises. Eren’s.
He put his elbows against the wall, getting closer to his brother, his Eren, until they were much closer to each other. Their proximity made them feel each other’s breath crashing against each other’s skin. It sent a shiver down his spine, even if Zeke didn’t realize it quite well.
“Are you still thinking about him?” Eren asked Zeke with shiny eyes, whose light quivered violently, and glossy lips.
He frowned slightly, looking into Eren’s eyes for a while.
“Does it matter?” Zeke asked Eren, touching his cheek with a caress.
But Eren went to meet that touch, leaning towards Zeke even more. He clearly and really wanted to be caressed from him in that way. Longing for it, needing it, craving for it.
He leaned over Eren, just a bit more, until he was a whisker away from him, kissing him. On his cheek. Slowly. Like it was affection. On his forehead. Gently. Like it was protection. He hesitated for a moment, while the alcohol overwhelmed him, perhaps both of them, he hesitated for that instant. He held himself back, pushing away a thought turned into a desire.
It was Eren’s hands to cup Zeke’s face to give him a kiss. A real, meaningful, true one. An unexpected one. Short, yet sweet. Lips against lips. His heart skipped a beat. Life and death almost seemed to be combined altogether, like dying and living at the same time and into the same space. He could only distinctly feel his brother’s hands and lips all over himself. Nothing else, nobody else. Only him. Only his brother. Only Eren. It was enough. More than enough. When he detached himself from him, Zeke stared at Eren wide awake. His bold, beautiful and brave brother who took everything and everyone he wanted.
“I’m not a child anymore,” Eren said to Zeke in a whisper.
Solemn, serious. Something was happening.
“I know,” Zeke replied to Eren in a murmur.
He wouldn’t have forgotten about it. He could still taste the savour of Eren’s lips onto himself. That of the liquor. But he felt like it was more the kiss itself, than the alcohol, that was making his head spin at the moment. He wanted to taste it again. He was well aware that they maybe shouldn't do that, but this didn't mean that he was strong enough to prevent himself from brushing his lips against his brother's again, softly, gently as if he didn't want to afraid him.
He felt Eren responding to the kiss, his hands on his cheeks so he just enjoyed it, smiling against his lips. The thought of pushing him away didn’t even come to his cloudy mind, as he got himself lost into this contact, making the most of this instant shared with his beloved brother.