Chapter Text
It is a truth universally acknowledged that anyone (of, hopefully, legal age) who will be dressing up as a vampire would be dressing up as a sexy one. It was probably why Vamps and Vixens night was one of their more popular events. Emily grinned as she saw their notifications go wild a couple of minutes after sending out the tweet about the upcoming V&V, “I have a good feeling it’s gonna be another full house on Friday, Hange.”
The brunette appeared at the threshold of their shared office, “Excellent. I’ve got a couple of killer themed cocktail ideas I really want to try out.”
Emily got up and made her way to her best friend, winding her arm around theirs, “So long as they don’t actually kill anyone.”
The pair made their way to the front of Paradis Books, where Hange’s café and cocktail bar, Sawney and Bean, was situated. Their three-storey brick and mortar was a short walk away from Stohess University, situated along a line of similar looking structures. It was still a wonder to Emily how her family, once upon a time, used to own all the properties on Karanes Street. Now, all they had was this building that, at one point, they had also nearly lost. It had been a little over two years since Emily had taken over ownership and transformed the once near-empty structure into Paradis Books. Hange had also decided then to leave their cushy managerial job to pursue their love of both coffee and cocktails, opening a coffee bar that took up most of the first floor of the building. Meanwhile, the second and most of the third floor was filled with just shelves of books, all carefully curated by Emily herself, while the staff room and offices took up the rest of the remaining space.
The first couple of months had been a real struggle. They had hoped providing three college essentials (coffee, books and alcohol) would have helped them garner more customers, but they were a new player then in an already established row of businesses that catered to all sorts of student needs, including several cafés, bars, and even a branch of Librerio, the largest retail bookseller in the country. It had taken them a while to find their footing and place among the community, finally getting their breakthrough moment when Emily had proposed hosting themed nights of books and booze (but mostly booze). It had been a hit among their patrons, and they had started hosting Books and Booze parties every couple of Fridays since.
The café was relatively quiet that morning, with only a couple of tables occupied. Sawney and Bean operated primarily as a coffee shop, but would serve alcoholic beverages after 6PM. Their baristas were also trained in mixology, which made it easy to transition from serving caffeinated to alcoholic beverages (or a mix of both). The bookstore staff, on the other hand, just happened to be pretty fit men (a purely happy coincidence) who easily doubled as peacekeepers after dark.
A tall, broad-shouldered young man with blond hair in an unformed pomp came down the stairs after his boss, “Emily, just saw the announcement. Should I start arranging the display for the gothic romances?”
Emily paused and turned to look at him, hazel eyes dancing, “Yes! Go for it. You’ve got this down to an art already, Porco. Maybe double check our stocks of them too while you’re at it?”
Porco coughed, red faintly tinting his cheeks and the tips of his ears, and made his way back up the stairs, “You got it, boss.”
Hange let out a bark of laughter as soon as he was out of sight, “Ems, that poor boy’s crush on you could not be cuter. For such a tough looking guy, he can be pretty damn adorable.”
Emily rolled her eyes, tugging Hange forward, “Oh my god, stop it. Weren’t you going to have me try your new mixes?”
The brunette grinned down at their petite friend, reaching out to tug at the strands of jet black hair that had come adrift from her messy bun, “So early in the day! And here I thought you weren’t a morning drinker.”
Emily laughed, swatting their hand away, “It’s five o’clock somewhere? I thought you wanted to test out the cocktails.”
Hange whooped, catching Emily’s hand and dragging her to the bar, “Yes! They’re going to be amazing. Come on, I had Sasha get started on a couple of them already.”
Isabel stretched out her arms, sighing as she felt the tension on her back release as she turned side to side. She perked up when she saw a tall brunette and a shorter, darker-haired woman emerge from the bar’s back room, “Hey, Hange, Emily!”
Hange waved at Isabel but motioned towards the counter, signaling they had to attend to something there. Emily, however, made her way to where she was seated, “Hey cutie! No class?”
Isabel ran a hand through her coppery brown locks before resting her cheek on her palm, “No class today, but plenty of writing to finish. I’ve got three reports due by the end of the week, but I’m barely halfway through any of them.”
Emily patted her shoulder sympathetically and took note of the near empty cup of coffee beside the girl’s laptop, “How about a refill? That’s a cappuccino with the cinnamon mixed in, right? My treat. For good luck.”
The younger girl pouted, “Awww no, let me pay!”
Emily waved her off as she started to move away, “Don’t worry about it. Think of it as my tiny contribution to your postgrad grind. Hope you make a good dent on those reports! Holler if you need anything.”
Isabel thanked her and watched as the young woman made her way to the register to have her order rung up, waving to her as she left the coffee shop to head up to the bookstore. She nearly jumped when her phone buzzed, drawing her attention away from the store owner’s retreating back. When she saw her brother’s name flash across the screen, she felt that familiar tiny tug of guilt she would get whenever she thought of him. If he knew where she spent most of her time (and money) outside of class, he’d probably flip his lid. She shook her head and typed back a quick reply to him (she usually had exactly ten minutes to answer, else he would start to ring her), assuring him that she’d be home tonight for dinner.
She looked back at her laptop’s screen and sighed.
Come on, Isabel. These reports won’t write themselves.
Hange observed the two sisters in amusement as the younger of the two thrust one garment after another at her sibling. Pieck sighed in defeat as she ducked back into the bathroom to change, knowing that she wasn’t going to win against her sister. Emily watched her with a stern expression, as if she was expecting the older Bennet to bolt, “Pieck, it’s not everyday we get to dress up as sexy vampires. It’s for fun. You’ll stick out more if you show up in your professor clothes.”
“What if I just don’t show up? What if wearing professor clothes is fun for me?” Pieck called out from behind the closed door. Emily ignored her, already back to browsing her wardrobe to choose an outfit for herself. Hange sat on Emily’s window seat, wisely choosing to just be a spectator to the Bennets getting ready. They were also already decked out for the evening, donning a slim fit suit, hair slicked back and pulled into a low ponytail, and purple-tinted contacts. They were safe from Emily’s enthusiasm (that they probably could easily surpass anyway).
The Bennet sisters were all porcelain-skinned women with jet black hair and delicate features, much like their mother. Pieck and Emily, however, were both petite at just an inch above 5 feet (another feature they’d inherited from their mother), while their youngest sister, Mikasa, was blessed with their father’s taller stature. The two older siblings also had hazel eyes, like their mom, while Mikasa inherited her father’s bluish-grey coloring. All three sisters were usually in attendance for their Books and Booze nights, but Mikasa had gone to visit their parents to appease Mrs. Bennet, who was already complaining that she couldn’t remember her daughters’ faces despite seeing them all regularly.
Hange had basically grown up with the Bennets. They were next door neighbors and, when Mrs. Zoë passed away when they were just three years old, Mrs. Bennet took it upon herself to take care of both Hange and Dr. Zoë, who was the embodiment of the absent-minded professor. Wherever and whatever the Bennets were up to, the Zoës were always part of the plans. And although Hange was an only child, they were never in want of company (or of a mother figure). Emily and Hange also happened to have been born just a month apart, and had always been inseparable, even as toddlers.
Emily shimmied into a black midi dress with red trimming and Hange stood up to help with her zipper. Emily smiled at their reflection as Hange winked at her, “We’re looking pretty good, my friend.”
“Can you two stop preening and help zip me up?” Pieck rolled her eyes at the two, but was unable to suppress her smile, “This one’s pretty good, Emily.”
Emily bound to her sister, eyes shining as she helped her with the crimson A-line dress, “Holy shit, Pieck. Who says professors can’t be hot too?”
Tonight was gonna be a good night. Hange knew it.
This was definitely not Levi’s idea of a good night. He couldn’t believe this place was supposed to be a bookstore. From the outside, it looked normal enough: an exposed brick building with ivy creeping along the outer walls. There was a large sign on the front that declared in bold, black, back-lit letters, “PARADIS BOOKS” and a smaller one by the entrance that said, “SAWNEY AND BEAN: Coffee and Cocktails.” But Levi was shocked when they had entered and they were greeted by alternative rock music and a crowd of young adults dressed as… vampires?
“Dude, this is awesome,” Furlan declared from beside him, “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
Levi scoffed, but he doubted Furlan heard it over the sound of Brandon Boyd’s crooning, “Of course, I’m sure. You saw the shitty sign. We’re in the right place.”
A tall man with short ash-brown hair dressed in all black, including a vintage tailcoat jacket, called their attention, “Hey! Welcome to Paradis! Do you have tickets?”
“Tickets?” Levi repeated, becoming more bewildered by the second.
The younger man gave him a strange look, “Aren’t you here for the Vamps and Vixens night?”
Furlan stepped in front of Levi, nodding, “Yes! Yes, we are. But we don’t have tickets.”
“Good thing you’re early. We’ve still got a couple left for walkins. It’s $15 per ticket, $10 if you’ve got your student ID,” the man informed them, “You get one free drink with your ticket. If you volunteer for the book reading, you also get a coupon for 25% off for the bookstore.”
“We’ll take two,” Furlan said quickly, before Levi could respond, handing over the payment, taking the tickets from the man, and dragging Levi further inside. The taller man scanned their surroundings and his eyes lit up upon spotting the bar, “They have a bar!”
Levi continued to study their surroundings, still not quite believing what he was seeing. He had seen pictures of the café on their socials, but it had looked like any regular coffee shop, with small round tables scattered around the area and a cozy atmosphere. The website said it was a coffee bar, which wasn’t a new concept, but he didn’t realize the place turned into an actual bar at night. The tables that were scattered around the area in the photos were currently pushed back towards the walls, creating more standing room in the middle of the establishment. Craning his neck to look towards the back of the building, he noted there was a row of waist-high rectangular planters that demarcated the area between where the café ended and the bookstore began. Beside one of the planters was a sign that read, “No drinks beyond this point! You spill, we bill!”
When he turned back to their destination, he suddenly stopped walking, causing Furlan to stumble, “Is that Isabel?”
“Oh shit!” Isabel cried, suddenly ducking her head midconversation. Pieck and Emily exchanged confused glances. Isabel groaned, tilting her head towards the crowd, a guilty look blooming on her face, “My brother’s here.”
“Your brother?” echoed Emily, looking behind Isabel to find two unfamiliar men walking towards them. The taller man had a curious look on his face, while the shorter man had an expression, to Emily’s alarm, that she could actually legitimately describe as thunderous. And when his slate grey eyes suddenly met hers, she felt the world tilt on its axis.
Although it looked like he was not much taller than she was, the man had a powerful, commanding aura that made him seem to tower over everyone in the room. He also stood out among the sea of university students in their different permutations of a vampire’s outfit, wearing a crisp white button down shirt (that somehow looked more expensive than any of her own clothes) with the sleeves rolled up to reveal toned forearms, khakis that looked tailormade, and dark brown oxfords. He had delicate but strong features, with raven hair in a curtain undercut style that somehow just made him even more handsome and his grey eyes stand out. Emily felt her breath catch in her throat and face warm as his gaze held hers for what felt like an eternity, before shifting back to where Isabel was standing looking horrified.
“Why is it so bad that your brother is here?” Pieck asked. But before Isabel could answer, the two men stopped in front of them, the dark-haired man crossing his arms as he glared down at Isabel.
“Big bro! What are you doing here?” Isabel stammered out, suddenly shrinking under her brother’s gaze. The man’s frown deepened, “I should be asking you that question. I thought you were studying with your friends? This doesn’t look like studying.”
“But these are my friends!” Isabel exclaimed in an attempt to divert the conversation, turning towards the Bennets, “This is Pieck Bennet; she teaches at the university. And this is her sister, Emily! She’s actually the owner of Paradis. Guys, this is my brother, Levi, and his best friend, Furlan Church.”
“So good to meet you,” Furlan smiled winningly, and Emily couldn’t help but notice his gaze settle on Pieck, “And so sorry to interrupt your evening.”
“You’re not interrupting at all,” Pieck returned his smile, “You’re welcome to join us.”
“We’d love to,” Furlan said, taking a step closer towards the older Bennet, “This is actually our first time here. You guys throw quite a party.”
Pieck laughed, her usually guarded eyes lighting up, “Any excuse to dress up.”
Emily’s brows rose at this exchange. Pieck wasn’t exactly the warmest or friendliest, especially when it came to men she just met. She wisely chose not to comment as the two fell into a conversation of their own and she shifted her attention back to the Ackermans. Isabel looked sheepish as her brother stared at her solemnly, almost like a father waiting for his child to explain themselves. Emily didn’t understand why it was such a big deal that Isabel was here. Was her brother just strict? Did Isabel have a curfew? That would be even stranger, considering Isabel must be nearing her mid-20s and it was a Friday night.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Emily offered, when it looked like the siblings had reached an impasse. Isabel looked at her gratefully, “Yeah, bro, they have everything from tea to whiskey!”
Levi finally shifted his gaze from his sister to Emily, and she almost wished he would return to staring at his sister when she felt a shiver run down her spine when their eyes met again. A shiver, she realized, that wasn’t exactly unpleasant.
“A whiskey, neat,” Levi said, voice low and deep, sending another shiver down her spine. Emily cleared her throat, “Sure, you got it.”
Emily turned around and was startled to find Hange there, grinning widely at her. Then, to Emily’s horror, the brunette’s gaze flicked between her and the man behind her, then they winked at her, “I heard him, babe. Be right back.”
Sighing, Emily turned back to the Ackermans and saw the two talking to each other in low tones, Isabel wringing her hands in front of her, looking younger than her age. Levi, on the other hand, now looked more miffed than angry. Emily felt like she was missing something and wasn’t sure if she should slink away to leave the two to their own devices. The decision was made for her, however, when one of Isabel’s friends called to her from across the room. Looking relieved, Isabel gave her brother a smile and excused herself, leaving Emily with Levi.
Emily looked over to the raven-haired man and blinked when she found herself pinned beneath the weight of his gaze. She couldn’t tell from his expression if he was bored or disapproving. Not one to be intimidated, she tilted her chin up and also openly studied him. Again, she mused about how, despite being about as tall as she was with her heels on, he seemed to take up more space that belied his physique. What he lacked in height, he more than made up for in presence. He held himself in a way that demanded respect, that broadcasted to everyone that he was somebody important. Normally, Emily would have thought it was just arrogance, but she wondered if it was really so simple as that. She had a feeling that nothing was simple with this man.
“Do you regularly throw these… parties?” Levi asked, tone flat, finally taking his eyes off her to scan the room that was now teeming with people. In the center of the space, some people had started to dance to Tame Impala, including, to both their surprise, Furlan and Pieck.
Emily ignored his tone and smiled, “We call them Books and Booze nights. We choose a theme and host an evening where people can dress up accordingly, read and share books in the genre, and just enjoy the company of people with similar interests. Vamps and Vixens is one of our more well-attended nights.”
“Glenlivet good?” Hange popped back behind the counter, setting down Levi’s drink in front of him, before he could answer Emily, “And hey, I’m Hange! I didn’t know Isabel had a brother.’
Levi took the whiskey glass by the rim and drank, glancing at Hange once then looking back out to the room, “How and why would you know she has a brother? Is she here often?”
“Practically everyday,” Hange nodded, propping their chin on their hand as they leaned over the counter, “Isabel’s one of our regulars.”
Emily frowned when she saw Levi’s expression harden, and she was about to comment on it when she noticed Pieck and Furlan move off to the side of the room, to a more secluded area, heads bowed towards each other as they talked, Furlan’s hand on Pieck’s elbow. She smiled at this surprising development, “Looks like your friend and my sister are really hitting it off.”
Levi made a noncommittal noise, finished the rest of his drink in one go without so much as a grimace, and suddenly pushed off the bar, “It’s too crowded in here.”
With that, he stalked off. Hange and Emily looked at each other, puzzled.
“Well. He’s not exactly friendly, is he?” Emily frowned, turning back to the counter to rub a smudge of what looked to be syrup off Hange’s cheek, “It looks like Isabel got all the charms in that family.”
Hange smirked, “I don’t know, Ems, you looked plenty enamored to me. You two had a pretty good staredown going for a while there. I never thought I’d actually see two people undress each other with their eyes. Though I don’t blame you. He’s easy on the eyes and does look pretty fit, despite his height.”
Emily smacked her friend’s shoulder, “Oh my god. Shut up, Hange. There was no undressing of any sort happening.”
“But he is pretty fit, right?” the brunette pressed, grinning knowingly.
Emily rolled her eyes, “He’s good looking and he probably knows it. You know how I feel about those types of guys.”
Hange opened their mouth to reply, but noticed someone flagging them down a couple of feet away, “Oops, duty calls. Maybe you should try to get shorty’s number, Ems. Imagine all the cute dark-haired babies you’ll make.”
Emily shook her head, laughing, and reached up to flick her friend’s forehead, “Quit trying to get me to hook up with random guys. I’m gonna go upstairs for a bit. You good here?”
“Go. I’m good. But if you happen to see Connie, send him down, won’t you?”
Emily nodded, “Will do, babe. Be back before you know it.”
Levi couldn’t remember the last time he had felt actual discomfort from being around anything or anyone. Distaste, disdain, disgust, indifference? All very familiar and all too common to him. But he couldn’t recall a time he’d felt so uneasy before. What was more disconcerting to him was that it wasn’t because of the place, the crowd, or even the reason why he was there in the first place. He glanced back behind him to the face that he couldn’t look away from just moments prior.
Emily Bennet was not exceptionally beautiful nor was there anything particularly remarkable about her or about their brief encounter. Except perhaps, Levi conceded, her eyes, which had sparkled with just the most audacious combination of intelligence, warmth, and fearlessness. As he studied her again from a safer distance, he shook his head. She was decently attractive, he’d give her that, but there was nothing that could explain why he had been so unnaturally drawn to her. He watched as she laughed and leaned over the counter to flick her taller friend’s forehead, her dress shifting against her figure and hugging her curves in the most flattering ways. Levi turned away and shook his head again to clear it. The whiskey and the absurdity of his situation were obviously getting to him.
Levi sighed and began to weave between the clusters of university students drinking and dancing, looking around for his sister’s copper brown hair. Finally spotting her conversing with a small group, he caught her eye and nodded towards the door. Her smile fell and she excused herself from the company, making her way to her brother. She pouted as she reached him, “Can’t we stay a little longer, big bro?”
Levi reached out to pat her head, “Come on, we need to talk. Let’s grab Church and go.”
Knowing better than to argue with her brother after he’d just been affectionate with her, Isabel nodded and followed him to look for Furlan.
Emily popped open one of their office windows, leaning out to take in the cool night air. She loved seeing a successful evening, but crowds were never really her thing. At least, not in prolonged or large doses. Her taking a little break from being social was to everyone’s favor.
As she listened to the muffled music from downstairs, she spotted three familiar figures coming out of their building to stand by the road. Her curiosity peaked when she realized it was the Ackermans and their friend.
“So what were you guys even doing here?” Emily heard Isabel ask. She drew closer to the window, wanting to hear the men’s answer.
“Levi wanted to see what all the fuss was about,” Furlan said, gesturing towards the building.
“Fuss about…Paradis?” Isabel sounded as puzzled as Emily felt. The younger Ackerman then grabbed her brother’s arm, “So what did you think? It’s great, right?”
Levi scoffed, “It’s ridiculous. How could a bookstore just convert into a bar at night?”
Emily tried to ignore the indignation she felt run through her. The idea was brilliant and it worked. And, technically, it was the café that was converted, not the bookshop. Besides, who was Levi Ackerman to say they were ridiculous after spending barely an hour there? She pressed her lips together. She probably shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but she couldn’t just walk away. The window also couldn't be left open, she reasoned to herself, and if she closed it now, she’d give away her presence.
“Well, I thought it was fun. It seems like a good way to boost their popularity and get people interested in books,” she heard Furlan chime in, “And the place is pretty charming. Good ambiance.”
“Really, Furlan? Was it really the place that charmed you or the owner’s sister?” Levi asked dryly.
“She's really great,” Furlan admitted and Emily couldn’t help but smile at that, “But the place itself is actually nice. Pieck gave me a quick tour. And you’re one to talk. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you stare at someone so intensely before without looking like you wanted to murder them. Is the great Levi Ackerman finally showing an interest in someone?”
“Ooh! Big bro!!!” squealed Isabel. Although Isabel was facing away from where Emily was, she could easily picture the younger girl’s expression. Intrigued, she inched closer to the window to make sure she caught Levi’s answer.
“I don’t have the time or energy to be interested in anyone,” Levi said, tone dismissive, “And her company was barely tolerable.”
“You can be so awful, big bro,” Isabel protested, “You have to at least admit that Emily is pretty. I know more than a few regulars here who have crushes on her.”
Emily blushed furiously, insulted that he called her barely tolerable and horrified that Isabel would say that to her serious, put-together older brother. And, as if perfectly timed, a black car pulled up in front of the three.
Levi opened the car door to let his sister in while Furlan went around to enter from the other side. Before Levi slipped inside the vehicle, Emily heard him say in that low, no nonsense voice of his, “It would take a lot more to tempt me than the likes of Emily Bennet.”
And Emily felt her face grow hot for an entirely different reason.
The actual nerve of that fucker.