Archive of Our Own

Looking out the window, Erwin Smith was looking at the sun and the blue sky. It was a balmy afternoon. The sun was not so hot and sometimes a breeze came through the classroom window. A typical autumn weather. “Focus, Erwin! You need to finish this explanation before you start rambling," thought the teacher. He was tall and strong, his blond hair was neatly combed to the side, and he wore a long-sleeved white shirt, a green linen vest, and black twill pants.

Erwin had spent the entire week anxious for Friday. Some students noticed his restlessness, so they tried to distract him in many different ways. He got candy, chocolates, and even a moisturizing foot cream that Gabi and Falco, two of his students, gave him. "For our coolest history teacher," they said. "But I'm their only history teacher since they entered the school," Erwin mentally objected. Earlier that same day, they had questioned his uneasiness and he just said he was looking forward to meeting a special person.

The previous week had been an entire week of exams, he had dedicated himself almost entirely to the work and was very pleased to see good results from his students, very few students had below average grades. For these students he would make a separate lesson plan and try different methods, but that would only be on Monday because Friday was his rest day. The day he would meet with him. The week before, Erwin had not been able to go to see the person since he had a lot of tests to correct, but he told himself that Levi had not been upset. After all, he always seemed quite indifferent, which hurt the teacher.

The end of the last class had arrived, the history teacher had let the class go early since the day's content was already finished.

"Goodbye, Mr. Smith!" said Udo, waving and leaving the room.

"Take care, Mr. Smith! See you Monday!" said Zofia, passing by the teacher's desk and leaving a candy. "My grades have improved a lot, thank you!"

Smith smiled tenderly and shook the ponytailed girl's hand.

"The credit is all yours." he replied with a beaming smile.

He gave her a small pack of gum that he knew she liked. Positive reinforcement was one of the best methods to deal with her, of course each student responded differently. She smiled and left, chewing her colorful and sugary gum.

"Good luck with your date, Mr. Smith!" shouted Gabi, waving.

Erwin was a little embarrassed, but let it go. He waved the girl back.

"Goodbye, Mr. Smith!" said Falco.

Both left the room with Falco asking if Gabi's grandmother could give him a ride and if they could spend the night playing video games since her father would not be home.

When all the students had left, Erwin left too and closed the classroom door. He passed in front of some of the classrooms that were still having classes, looking into one of them he could see Hange teaching. He had his brown hair in a ponytail, but it was already completely messed up and his glasses were almost falling off his face. He was wearing a slightly dirty white lab coat, gray sweatpants, a shirt printed with the photosynthesis formula, and Crocs.

Hange Zoe was teaching biology to senior high school and junior high classes. She was talking excitedly about some subject that Erwin had no idea what it was. Paying a little attention he could tell it was about Mendel, genetics. One of her favorite subjects and the students loved her enthusiastic manner.

The bell rang, he dismissed the students, and Erwin entered.

"Are we going to Ackerman's today? My treat." he asked unceremoniously.

She looked at him seriously and denied it with her head. Then she looked away and continued packing her belongings.

"You have to be more independent. If you want to go, then go!" he said in a low voice, as he finished packing his things.

He put the bag on his arm and looked again at Erwin, now not so serious.

"Just admit that you've got a crush on the little grumpy guy." she said with a sarcastic laugh, as was her habit when she felt she was right.

"I don't know where you got that idea." the blond replied promptly.

"For heaven's sake, Erwin! Be less obvious." he thought. He scratched his chin and looked at the floor, a clear sign of nervousness.

"Cut the crap, man!" she said loudly, slapping him loudly but not painfully on the back. "You just have to look him in the eye, hold him and say 'I want to be with you forever, sweetheart! Let's get married and have three kids.' See? It's simple!”

Zoe held Smith by the shoulders and looked into his eyes, as if she was trying to act out what he should do.

Erwin couldn't resist and laughed out loud.

"I don't talk like that."

“You really don't. And that's why you guys never move forward. Be straight with what you want, Erwin!”

She pointed her finger at him, accusingly. It was very clear that she was right, she always was. Hange was a good friend, they met at school because they started teaching at the same time, they were the new teachers. The years went by and she became an irreplaceable friend, the only one who really told him what he needed to hear. She was already tired of her friend's situation. Listening to him sigh for hours on end about Levi. About his hair, the tattoo of wings he had on his back, his grumpy face, and several other things that were already driving the biology teacher crazy.

"I'll come with you." he said after a few seconds of silence. "I can't stand listening to you with Levi this and Levi that anymore. I only accept to hear about this shorty when you invite me to be best man at your wedding.”

"Hange, you are the best." he replied, relieved. "Fine! I admit that I like him."

"Finally! You know, you would be lost without me, your faithful squire. I'm like your Sancho Panza."

"Or my John Laurens."

Smith took her bag and carried it out of the room. That way she could bring the books without getting stuffed and dropping everything along the way, which was already her normal practice. She picked up the remaining books and belongings from the table and followed her friend.

"You do realize that he and Hamilton used to get on like crazy, right?" he said, as he closed the door.

"I'm the one who told you that. And it's not like we didn't do it too."

Erwin whispered the last part of the sentence and saw Hange giggling in the middle of the hall.

"That was just to strengthen our friendship, Erwin!"

The two of them walked to the school parking lot in an intense conversation about John Laurens and Alexander Hamilton having been lovers.

"And what about that part in the letter where he tells Laurens to go see his wedding night? Oh, please! It's obvious that they were fucking each other."

At this point, Hange was already on edge, speaking extremely loudly and excitedly.

"Who got to see who's wedding night?" a familiar voice asked.

Looking around they saw Moblit with his brown hair parted in half as usual. He was waiting for Hange to give him a ride since every Friday he left work early at the office and came to pick up his partner.

"John Laurens. He and Hamilton were clearly having an affair." Hange replied, walking towards Moblit.

Apparently she had not noticed his presence until then. They greeted each other with a kiss and a hug. Smith reached out to shake hands, but the doctor ignored him and hugged him. Moblit has always been very close to everyone.

"Is it just me or have you grown stronger, Erwin?"

"He is working out more, why is that?" said Hange.

The two began to squeeze Erwin's arm, chest and back. They were in the parking lot in broad daylight. The history teacher was beginning to despair at the idea of the rumors that would arise if they saw them in that situation.

"Can you please do this another time?"

He tried to sound impatient, but failed miserably. In fact, he was very happy that someone had noticed that his muscles had grown. But he didn't want his students or other co-workers to see him and his friends with their pranks.

They chatted trivia for a while, then the couple offered a ride to their friend, who gladly accepted. On the way, of course, they talked about Levi. They arranged a time for Smith to pick them up, since today he would be driving. They always took turns who was driving so that the others could drink without problems. For the blond, the hardest part would be facing Levi completely sober.

The couple left Erwin in front of his apartment and said goodbye. It was neither a luxurious nor a large building, in fact, most of the residents were single people or couples without children. Luckily, when he entered the lobby, the elevator was already waiting, he pressed button five and the doors closed. Not having to wait for the elevator was a small daily joy that Erwin loved to have.

He opened the apartment door and stepped inside. He threw his bag aside and lay down on the couch sighing loudly. " We are going to meet today." he thought. He felt his hand get sweaty just imagining telling Levi that he loved him. They talked about many things, but never about relationships and love. His hand trembled with anxiety and he felt a huge chill in his stomach. He decided to drink some water to calm himself down and tried to think of something else. He sent a message to Hange asking what song he would sing at the karaoke. He replied that he was still thinking about it. At Ackerman's, the bar they frequented and where Erwin met Levi, there was a karaoke place that Hange loved. She almost always gave a little show and in most cases dragged her friend along to sing. They were far from being good singers, but what was worth it was the fun.

He picked up his cell phone and checked his messages with Levi. The last messages had been sent a week ago, and since then he had not had the courage to say anything. Erwin had said that he would not meet him that night and was answered with a short and simple 'ok'. Levi was naturally straightforward and didn't beat around the bush, but something left the man anxious about the answer. He remembered the day Levi had asked for his number as if he were commenting on the weather, with an incredible naturalness and without ceremony, Erwin almost choked on his drink. A part of him wanted to believe that his feelings were mutual. He wrote 'hope to see you today ;)' and sent it. He left his cell phone on the sofa and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The apartment was not big, it had a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom and a balcony. It was enough for him.

After showering, he sat down on the sofa and put on a totally random channel to kill time. His mind was far away, the voice of the narrator of the documentary about panda bears was not even being heard by him. He felt hungry and decided to get some pieces of the homemade cake that Moblit had given him the day before.

When he realized that it was already time to pick up Moblit and Hange, he went to look for the clothes he would wear. After some time he decided to put on dark gray twill pants, a black striped long-sleeved shirt that showed off his shapely chest, and his cardigan. He put his necklace on his neck and kissed the pendant, the necklace had a gold chain and a small emerald green pendant. He took some time in the mirror to fix his hair, which looked exactly the same. He sprayed some perfume on his neck and left the top three buttons of his shirt open, showing off the necklace.

He picked up his cell phone hoping to read a reply from Levi, but nothing. He viewed the message, but didn't reply, which made Erwin even more anxious.

He put his belongings away and went out of the apartment towards the garage to get the car. It was a gray sedan. Erwin didn't like flashy and colorful things, nor did he care for fancy and trendy things. For him, the more discreet it was, the better. The car had a steering wheel knobs and it was adapted so that he could drive comfortably with his only arm.

He drove to Zoe's house, it was not far away and the traffic was flowing well. He arrived quickly, about ten minutes. He parked the car in front of the small house, tapped the horn to let them know he had arrived, and soon saw his friend walking out the door.

"Cinderella, the carriage is here!" shouted Hange. He was wearing high-waisted khaki pants, a black shirt printed with leaves and flowers, and a beige overcoat.

Soon Moblit came running through the door as he tried to put on his shoes. He was wearing dark jeans, a khaki shirt, and a black overcoat. He closed the door and ran to his partner. The two of them said something that Erwin could not hear, so they played rock-paper-scissors. The teacher threw rock and the doctor threw paper. Moblit celebrated and Hange made a face of displeasure.

Berner squeezed Zoe's face between his hands and kissed her nose. The two smiled and walked to Smith's car.

"Have you talked to Levi?" it was the first thing Hange said as she got into the car and sat in the back seat.

"He didn't answer me."

Moblit sat in the passenger seat and greeted his friend with a hug. Erwin easily deduced that the rock-paper-scissors had been to decide who would go in the front seat. He smiled at this thought. His friends were two goofballs and they could be funny even at the littlest things.

"I wonder if he was mad because you stood him up last week?" asked Moblit.

"I don't know, he doesn't usually send many messages."

"That's what you think, Don Juan. He's probably just waiting for an opportunity to make you his alone." Hange said and then sat down.

They were on their way to the bar as they talked. Erwin was a good and prudent driver, so they would be there in about twenty minutes. Unlike when Hange drove, in this case they would arrive in ten minutes.

The car stopped at the traffic light and Moblit took the opportunity to say something that had long been on his mind.

"Erwin, are you afraid of a relationship with him?"

Moblit's hands were sweating and he didn't have the courage to look at Erwin as he spoke. He felt a hand touching his knee, where he received a gentle pat. He looked at his friend and saw him smiling.

"It is not fear exactly, I just never wanted a relationship. Until now." Smith replied with a laugh. "I'm more afraid of being dumped than anything else."

This topic was something he thought about quite often. Erwin had never had a romantic relationship in his life, and not for lack of opportunities. And, in retrospect, he was always the person who put an end to it before it even began. It was like this with Hange, they went out a few times and before anything could even happen, Smith said they should stop. With Mike, his college roommate, the same thing happened. It was even Erwin who introduced him to his current wife, Nanaba, who had been his friend since school days. He was even the best man at their wedding. He had never felt comfortable with the idea of a romantic relationship. He felt a suffocating anguish just at the idea, it felt wrong and uncomfortable. But now it was different, with Levi things seemed to fit better. It wasn't suffocating, it was simple and natural, like breathing.

He parked in front of the establishment in a disabled parking space. The facade of the bar was all woodwork and had a shiny sign that read "Ackerman's".

They walked up to the double wooden door and entered the place. Upon entering, they felt at home. On the right side was the much loved karaoke area, just in front of it the counter, and on the left, the restrooms. The environment was very rustic with wooden tables, chairs and floors. Around the hall there were several tables of different sizes, almost all of them full with people talking and drinking. Hange slapped Erwin lightly on the back.

"You promised to pay for me today, remember?"

The teacher didn't even have time to react, his friend was already heading towards the bar to order a drink. The bartender was Mikasa, a twenty-one year old girl with short dark hair. She was wearing her uniform, which consisted of black pants, a red shirt, and a black bow tie.

Moblit entwined his arm in Erwin's arm and pulled him to a table with four vacant chairs. The table was closest to the karaoke area. Ever since they arrived, Smith had been looking for Levi, but could not find him. Some time later, Hange appeared with three drinks.

"Gin with pitaya and lemon for my sweetheart." she said, placing the glass with a pink drink in front of Moblit.

"Vodka with passion fruit for me." she put the glass with the yellowish drink in front of herself.

"And last but not least. For tonight's driver, pineapple juice with mint." he put the long glass with a pineapple slice in front of Erwin.

They soon started a conversation about which song they would sing that night.

"I already have one planned." said Moblit.

The two teachers looked at each other, the doctor was not much of a singer, but this time he seemed excited about the song he had chosen.

Suddenly Erwin felt cold hands covering his eyes and a whisper in his ear made his heart race.

"Guess who?" the voice said.

He didn't need much to know who it was.

"I think it's a very handsome guy who is going to buy me a drink next week."

Erwin did not even wait for an answer, he held one of his hands in his and kissed Levi's cold fingers.

"What a horrible answer." grumbled the shorter man.

Smith turned to look at him and was blessed by a divine sight, according to him.

Levi was wearing his glasses that fit his round face perfectly, a plain white T-shirt, a plaid scarf, a black jacket, tight black pants that emphasized his curves, and black boots to close the deal.

"What's up, buddy? How are you? Have a seat!" Moblit said politely.

"Fine, and you guys?"

Levi sat down in the chair between Smith and Berner, took the glass of juice next to him, and took a sip.

Erwin noticed that since he had arrived Levi had not looked him in the eye. The conversation continued with some pleasantries and Hange making jokes about the guy's height. He usually retorted, but today he was especially quiet. Or was it just Erwin's imagination seeing things that did not exist?

In the karaoke place, a trio of friends had finished singing. They were in their early twenties and seemed to be drunk to a considerable degree. The brunette with the ponytail was undoubtedly the drunkest, because she could not even sing in tune. The boy with the shaved head was leaning on his friends to stand up. The other boy, a blond with an undercut, seemed to be the most sober among them, but he was getting the lyrics wrong for sheer lack of skill. It was a fun group to watch singing Mamma Mia.

"Well, I guess it's my time!" exclaimed Moblit.

The young man got up from his chair and went straight to the small stage where the karaoke was. He spent a few seconds looking for the song and when he was ready, he turned to his small audience, which was made up of his friends, his boyfriend, and the other customers in the bar.

The first notes of the song started to play, Erwin swore his ears were betraying him, but no. Moblit was actually going to sing When I Kissed the Teacher by ABBA.

"Everybody screamed, when I kissed the teacher..." he began.

Hange's eyes were shining and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Levi looked confused, so Erwin decided to explain. He came closer and whispered to the man next to him.

"Hange is a biology teacher."

Levi smiled and Erwin once again had his heart racing. They rarely talked about themselves, which caused the teacher a certain amount of anguish, but since today he was determined to move things forward, he decided it would be a good moment to say a thing or two.

"We have been teaching at the same school for a few years. I knew her even before Moblit."

The young man was surprised by this unexpected statement.

"And what do you teach? Arts?" Levi asked with a slight debauch, sipping Erwin's juice.

"Actually, history. Why is that? Do you think it doesn't suit me?"

"To be honest, I think it does." answered the shorter man, with a small smile on his face.

The man tapped his glass, stood up suddenly and put his glasses on the table. Erwin and Hange looked at him, both confused, but he ignored their glances and went to the stage where Moblit was performing. He took the other microphone, Berner nodded and left the next stanza to Levi.

"When I kissed the teacher, couldn't quite believe her eyes..." Levi followed up on the song.

Hange and Erwin loved to see the two boys singing and doing impromptu dances on stage, with Moblit spinning Levi and some badly synchronized steps. Towards the end of the song, they got off the stage and went to the table where Zoe and Smith were sitting.

Moblit sat on his girlfriend's lap, she could not and did not want to hide her excitement at the moment. Then Berner put his hand on the back of her neck and gave her a kiss. Levi, on the other hand, came close enough to Erwin's face that they could feel each other's breath and pulled him by the collar of his shirt. Levi, once again, without looking him in the eye. Erwin was sitting while Levi was standing, leaning over, which made his bangs cover his eyes. Erwin really wanted to get his bangs out of the way, but he preferred to let Levi finish the performance. The teacher closed his eyes, waiting for the kiss that did not come, at least not in the way he expected. Actually, he got a kiss on the cheek. Erwin opened his eyes, looking disappointed. Even if he did not like kissing in public, a single kiss would not hurt.

The music ended, and the audience of about twenty customers clapped and whistled, congratulating the two singers.

They sat down, completely exhausted.

"You know, I really wasn't expecting this." Smith said, smiling.

"Me neither. You two were awesome out there!" exclaimed Hange, hugging Moblit tightly.

"Levi, your glasses!" Erwin reminded.

The teacher took the glasses in his hand, opened them and put them on Levi's face. Levi felt his face warm slightly from the brief touch of Erwin's fingers. Smith took the opportunity to stroke his face, still hoping that he would look into his eyes.

"I think I'll get something else to drink." Levi said.

But before he could get up, a middle-aged man appeared greeting everyone at the table, it was Kenny, the owner of the bar.

"Enjoying the night, guys?" he asked.

Kenny Ackerman was in his fifties, wearing a hat, red shirt, and black pants, just like Mikasa, but without the tie. He put one hand on Erwin's shoulder and the other on Levi's shoulder.

"Everything's great, Mr. Kenny. Thank you, sir!" Moblit replied.

"I saw you up there on the stage, kid! You should sing more often."

Moblit smiled, embarrassed.

"This drink is wonderful! You have to give Mikasa a raise." said Hange, finishing the last drop of her vodka.

"She is really amazing! Even Uri says hers are better than mine." Ackerman looked proud.

Uri, Kenny's husband, did not frequent the bar much and his friends only saw him a few times. They knew that Kenny and Uri had been married for a long time.

"And you, Erwin? Enjoying your night?" Kenny asked with a suggestive look and pointed his head at Levi.

Smith laughed out loud and Levi pretended to ignore it.

"Everything's great, sir!" Erwin replied.

"Are you sure?" the bar owner insisted.

"Kenny, leave the kids alone!" a calm voice said.

Everyone at the table looked together in the direction of the voice and saw a short, thin man with gray hair and light eyes. It was Uri. He was not wearing the bar uniform; on the contrary, he wore a long, colorful skirt, a beige cardigan, and a simple T-shirt with "best father" written in colorful letters. With a gentle countenance, he approached and kissed his husband's cheek.

"Go to work and let Levi enjoy himself as much as possible, okay?" Uri said, leading Kenny away.

"See you later, guys!" shouted Ackerman.

Levi decided to get up to get some drinks, but felt his shirt being pulled up slightly.

"I'll come with you!" said Erwin.

"Okay! Hey, four-eyes! Don't sing before we get back." said Levi.

"Yes, sir!" replied Hange, saluting. Moblit laughed.

The two boys went in the direction of the bar, where Mikasa was preparing the drinks. They stopped in front of the counter and waited for her to finish the drink she was already preparing for another customer. He was handsome, broad shouldered, and dressed in casual clothes.

"Here you are, Onyankopon. Enjoy your evening!" Mikasa said, pouring two clear drinking glasses for the man in front of her.

"Thank you very much! Have a good evening!" replied the young man with a smile, and then sipped his drink. "You're amazing, Mikasa!"

Onyankopon, as Mikasa called him, nodded to Levi and Erwin, smiled, and left. He walked over to a table not far from the bar, where he sat down with a tall blond girl. He handed her one of the glasses and continued drinking from his own.

"Good evening, Mikasa!" he greeted.

"Erwin! It's good to see you!" replied the girl.

"See me the usual and a passion fruit juice for him." Levi said unceremoniously.

"Of course!" Mikasa answered.

Smith thought Levi was a bit harsh, since he didn't even say hello to the bartender. But perhaps they already knew each other well enough to skip formalities. He thought it was the second option, since Levi always seemed to know the people who worked at the bar too well. Earlier, Uri had told Kenny to let Levi enjoy the evening, which led Erwin to believe that they were at least well acquainted.

Mikasa turned around to grab some utensils and start preparing the drinks. Erwin decided to use the opportunity to talk to Levi.

"I thought you were upset about last week." he confessed.

"I didn't. I thought you were busy. Now that I know you are a teacher, I am sure." Levi answered.

Erwin laughed.

"Good to know, I thought so since you didn't answer the message I sent you today."

Levi frowned and picked up his cell phone.

"Shit! I thought you had answered. I thought I had answered. Damn. I'm sorry! I don't know where my head is at."

"No problem. I'm glad you don't hate me." Erwin said in an amused tone. He put his hand through Levi's hair and stroked it.

"I wouldn't hate you for such an idiotic reason." Levi replied, his cheeks flushing.

Soon the door to the bar opened, so the two of them looked around instinctively. Two men came through the door, one of them was apparently in his early twenties, with his brown hair tied up in a bun, and wearing loose, dark clothes. The man next to him looked a little older, was blond, bearded, and wore glasses.

Erwin saw Levi's face take on an expression of anger he had never seen before. With each step they took the man looked as if he was going to explode.

"Levi?"

He put his hand on the shorter man's shoulder in an attempt to draw attention to himself. It didn't work. Levi continued to stare intensely at the two men. The tension in the air became almost palpable when the bearded blond man caught sight of Levi. The man's expression was one of complete horror.

The teacher did not need to be an expert in body reading to realize that these people did not get along. Thinking to mediate the situation, he slowly lowered his hand until he intertwined his fingers with Levi's. He lowered his head to his ear. He lowered his head to just above Levi's ear.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

Levi was quickly snapped out of his trance by the melodious voice he had heard resounding so close by. Beside him, just inches away, Erwin looked worried. The hairs on the back of his neck shivered slightly from feeling Erwin's breath so close to his ear. This added an ounce of happiness to his heart.

"Do you see that bearded monkey-faced guy with the stinky hairy guy next to him?" Levi said, pointing with his index finger, without any discretion, at the two men.

The blond could not help but let out a low chuckle at the way Levi described those two figures. The bearded man nudged the boy beside him and whispered something. He looked cautiously in Levi's direction and then looked away.

"The hairy stinker, Eren, dated my cousin when they were younger, but I never liked him. And the bearded Zeke, who is his older brother, used to help them sneak out from under my uncle's thumb."

Levi had never talked so much about his personal life at one time, he probably gave himself this freedom since Erwin did the same earlier. And Erwin, like a good gossipmonger, was loving to hear it.

"And to make matters worse, they participated in a stupid challenge and almost got arrested."

Smith's eyes widened and Levi, who if he was not so pissed off just remembering the situation, would find the expression funny.

"The challenge was to rob a grocery store, it was the two of them and another silly little friend of theirs. Luckily, the owner Hannes is known to Kenny, so he didn't press charges."

The blond was so immersed in the conversation that he did not even notice when Mikasa appeared with the two drinks ready.

"Here you go, guys!"

"Thanks, Mikasa!" Erwin thanked her.

"Levi." said the girl, handing him the whiskey on the rocks.

"Thanks, cousin!" replied Levi, casually.

Erwin, once again, widened his eyes. He alternated between looking at Levi and looking at Mikasa, searching for physical similarities between them. The cousins found the situation amusing and laughed softly.

"We don't look alike, there's no point in looking." the bartender assured him, smiling.

Levi only realized that they were still holding hands when Erwin slowly undid the knot of his fingers and then took the glass of juice. He looked down at his own hand and felt an icy wind blow. What would it be like when the night was over? No, not tonight! He was determined to put an end to it today. He swallowed hard, mustered all the courage he had, and sought the professor's eyes. The deep blue eyes that reminded him of the sea. But he didn't have time to find them, as two excited girls arrived like hurricanes.

"Mikasa! Mikasa! Did you see who just arrived? I can't believe the nerve of those two." the animated girl said quickly.

"Frankly, I hope Levi gives Zeke another beating." the serious brown-haired girl said.

Erwin recognized the blonde as Historia, the other bartender who worked at Ackerman's. The other was a mystery.

Levi realized that it would be impossible to have a conversation in front of the counter, so he took his glass and Smith's and motioned them to go back to the table.

"So you beat up the bearded man?" Erwin asked, in a teasing tone.

"Ymir is exaggerated, it was only one punch."

Smith let out a low chuckle that fascinated Levi.

"Remind me never to pick a fight with you."

"I would never hit you, Erwin! Only if you asked me to." Levi said, with a cheeky smile.

Erwin instantly felt his face heat up and put his hand over his mouth. Levi was proud of the reaction he managed to get from Erwin. Soon they arrived at the table and sat down with the couple of friends.

"They are finally back! Erwin, I need to talk to you." Hange exclaimed.

Erwin nodded. He approached Levi, ran his fingers over the earring.

"I'll be right back." Erwin whispered.

He left before he could see the expression on Levi's face, but he was sure that now they were even. Then Erwin and Hange went together in the direction of the restroom. They passed the bar where Mikasa was preparing drinks and chatting with the two girls. The two brothers that Levi had mentioned earlier had chosen a table a bit farther away to sit at and were talking.

"I want to propose to Moblit." Hange said as they reached the restroom.

"Hange, that's great! What have you planned?"

"That's the point, my friend! The plan was to take him to dinner tonight and put the ring on the dessert."

Zoe explained that this was the initial plan, but when Erwin asked them to go to Ackerman's she decided to change the plan, but she had not had another idea on how to propose to Moblit yet. She thought about proposing after singing at the karaoke, but didn't know which song to choose. She thought about putting the ring inside the drink, but it would be dangerous. Moblit liked big, romantic things, she knew that.

Erwin stopped and thought for a moment, he was not the most romantic person in the world. But with a little effort he remembered a song that was fun and would be ideal for the proposal.

"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" Erwin said.

Hange smiled and jumped up to hug his friend.

"It is perfect, Erwin!"

At the moment of the hug, Eren entered the bathroom and glared at Erwin. Smith, feeling extremely intimidated by the way the boy looked, advised them to leave and go put the plan into practice. Mikasa was still at the counter, but was now alone. Erwin and Hange stopped at the counter and she decided to order two margaritas on Erwin's account. The bartender quickly prepared the order.

"Two margaritas, Hange!"

"Thank you!"

Mikasa called out to Erwin and brought her hand close to her mouth as if to tell him a secret.

"He has been talking about you all week."

Erwin expected anything but that. The girl winked at him and whispered, "Good luck!" When they got to the table they heard Moblit and Levi talking about what their favorite brand of soap was. Okay, it was a strange topic, but he and Hange have had worse.

"Me and the handsome one here are going to sing, everybody! Get ready!" Hange said.

She put the two glasses on the table, took off her overcoat, and fixed her hair.

"Hange, darling! Levi wanted to show us something first. Is that a problem?" Moblit said.

Erwin, looking for an answer, looked at Levi, who merely looked at him and nodded. But for Erwin it was enough, since Levi had finally looked him in the eye. Soon Kenny arrived along with Ymir and Historia, they took down the karaoke and put a piano in place, but it was not a quick process. In the meantime, the group of friends chatted away, only now Levi seemed much more active.

"Hange, Erwin told me that you teach together." Levi said.

"He did? Yes, how long has it been, Erwin?"

"Maybe ten years."

"And what is it like to teach teenagers for so long without being able to throw a chair at them?" asked Levi.

Anyone would ask this question jokingly, but he looked serious.

"They have days and days, you know. But on the whole it's not that bad." said Erwin, finishing his passion fruit juice.

"He only says that because he is the school's beloved teacher." said Hange, grinning. "But it's true. The kids are kind of fun."

"So you get along with them? Cool!" Levi said, looking at Erwin.

"Don't worry, he'll be a great dad." joked Moblit.

Hange laughed nasally, "I was just about to say the same thing." he whispered. Levi turned to the couple and gave them the middle finger. When they finished bringing in the piano and making adjustments, Kenny stopped in front of the bar.

"Good evening, everyone! Tonight is a special night, so we are having a little change. So ask someone to dance and enjoy the moment."

The lights were dimmed just to set the right mood. Levi patted Moblit on the back, got up and walked towards the piano. Erwin followed Levi's every action, from getting up from his chair to sitting on the bench in front of the piano. He took off his jacket, scarf and glasses and placed them beside him on the bench. When his long, thin fingers rested on the keys and the first notes were heard, Erwin was sure he had fallen in love all over again.

The customers were slightly shy at first, but gradually they got up to dance. A pity for Erwin, because the only person he wanted to dance with, at that moment, was providing the best melody that had ever passed his ears. Hange and Moblit got up together, but before they left the table, Berner approached Erwin and discreetly showed him a little velvet box. Erwin understood immediately what it was about and laughed to himself. The two doofuses had chosen the same day to propose to each other.

Erwin watched as more people gathered to dance, in addition to his friends. Kenny, as soon as Levi started playing, had already taken his husband by the hand and they were dancing in a slow rhythm. Uri with his head resting on Kenny's chest and Kenny with his chin on Uri's head. Ymir and Historia were also dancing together and doing more elaborate steps. They interspersed the steps with Ymir turning Historia on her own axis.

Erwin wanted to watch his friends carefully, he did not want to miss the exact moment the request happened. But his gaze sailed elsewhere. Levi's deft fingers were running smoothly over the keys, his lips were ajar and his eyes closed, he seemed completely relaxed. Erwin was surprised when Levi opened his eyes and stared straight at him. The distance between the table and the piano was no more than four meters, some people were dancing between them, but Erwin felt as if there were only the two of them. He came back to reality when he remembered his friends and quickly started to look for them. They were not that far away, but still he got up, went over to the piano to see them better and still be close to Levi.

"Hange also wants to propose to Moblit today." Erwin said.

Levi raised his eyebrows. He looked quickly at Erwin, but without missing a note.

"Why am I not that surprised?"

And then Levi turned his attention back to the piano, but with a small smile on his lips.

"He asked me to play."

"I suspected that was it. The conversation about soap was, shall we say, awkward."

They smiled and looked at each other briefly. A short time passed, then they saw Moblit whispering something in Hange's ear. He looked surprised, reached into his pockets, and pulled out a small velvety box. Moblit also took the box he brought, and the two looked at each other, smiled, and hugged. Few people around noticed what happened, the others were immersed in their own worlds. Hange and Moblit put the rings on each other's ring fingers and kissed each other passionately.

Erwin took time to notice a few tears coming down, tears of pure happiness, he dried them with the sleeve of his cardigan. Levi continued playing for a while longer, and Moblit and Hange were still dancing. Erwin took out his cell phone and quickly sent a message to his father. The message read: "Good evening, Dad! I thought you would like to know that Hange and Moblit are engaged." Soon his father's reply came, it was written: "I am happy for them, I hope they invite me to the wedding. And you, how are you with that boy? Show me a picture of him." Erwin took a deep breath. Moblit and Hange had told his father about Levi, he didn't intend to tell him anything before it was official.

Levi finished the song and was applauded by everyone in the bar. Erwin smiled at him and pointed outside the bar. Before leaving, they passed Hange and Moblit who were in the middle of a crowd congratulating them.

"Look at that! The boy is good!" said Kenny, slapping Moblit on the back.

"Kenny!" Uri scolded. "Congratulations, I hope you will be very happy!"

"You know, almost thirty years ago, in this bar, I asked the most beautiful man in the world to marry me. So, I guarantee that you two will be happy." said Kenny.

Hange and Moblit thanked Kenny and Uri for their words and hugged them. Hange saw Levi coming and jumped on him.

"Do you play piano too? For Darwin's sake, is there something you don't do?" said Hange, as she kneaded Levi's face with her hands.

"Congratulations, Hange and Moblit!" said Levi, completely ignoring Zoe's compliment because he didn't know how to respond.

"Congratulations, my friends!" said Erwin.

"Hange and I have talked and we wanted to ask you guys something." said Moblit, shaking his fingers a little, restlessly.

"Do you agree to be our best men?" asked Hange, biting her lips apprehensively.

Levi and Erwin looked at each other. Levi looked hesitant, but Erwin held his hand in an attempt to reassure him.

"Of course! And you, Levi?" Erwin said.

"That's fine with me." Levi answered.

The four friends embraced. As much as Levi tried to deny it later, he let a few tears fall.

"We're going to get some air and then come back." Levi said, pulling Erwin by the hand.

Erwin looked over the counter and saw that Mikasa was talking to Eren. He had his fingers crossed and his head down, and she seemed to be concentrating on what he was saying.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Levi asked, when they reached the outside of the bar.

There were several cars parked in the spaces, including Erwin's car. The temperature had dropped, it was getting late.

"Damn, I forgot my jacket." grumbled Levi.

Levi threatened to go back inside, but Erwin put his hand on his shoulder. He removed the cardigan and put it over Levi's shoulders, and Levi let himself be embraced by the warm wool. He sniffed the fabric not at all discreetly and smelled Erwin's perfume.

"My father said he wanted to see a picture of you, can you believe it?" Erwin said.

"You told your father about me?" Levi asked, shocked.

"It was those two over there, actually." Erwin said, pointing into the bar. "But I meant to."

"Well, if he wants to meet me, you can bring him here sometime."

"He lives far away, otherwise he would have come on his own." Erwin laughed.

"My mother also wants to meet you." Levi said, softly.

Erwin revised the sentence several times in his mind to make sure he was not mistaken.

"Actually, it was very hard to convince her not to come today." Levi said, laughing a little.

Erwin also laughed a little.

"I would be happy to meet your mother." Erwin said.

"Really? Because she is at home right now with my daughter, we can go."

It took Levi a few seconds to realize what he had said. Erwin blinked a few times, seeming to process the information.

"What is her name?" Erwin asked, gently.

"My mother's or my daughter's name?"

Erwin laughed and leaned against the wall of the bar.

"It was your daughter's name, but it could be your mother's as well."

"My mother's name is Kuchel and my daughter's is Gabi."

"They are nice names."

Erwin picked up his cell phone, opened the messages with his father, and pressed on the front camera. He turned his back so that Levi would appear in the picture. Levi shyly stepped into the frame, moving closer to Erwin. He wrapped his arms around Erwin's waist and smiled. Smith took the photo and quickly sent it to his father. The picture looked really good, it was the first picture they had taken together, it was sure to become his wallpaper.

Levi saw no reason to break contact, so he remained hugged to the taller one. He laid his head on Erwin's chest and inhaled some perfume. Erwin, in turn, put his cell phone away and began running his hand through Levi's hair.

"You're going to mess up my hair, Erwin." Levi grumbled, looking up.

Erwin kept his hand in place. He was too hypnotized to remember to move his fingers, since Levi was looking at him so intensely. Damn it, Erwin loved Levi so much, but he thought it was a little too soon to declare it out loud. The bangs of hair, falling over his forehead, the deep black eyes were details Erwin could look at forever. He let his hand slowly fall from his hair to his nape. Levi, on the other hand, began to tighten the embrace a little more and stood on tiptoe. Erwin leaned in close enough for them to finally brush their lips softly against each other. The kiss didn't last long, it was the way they found to convey their feelings when words failed them. They would still have much to discuss, obviously. But for now, the kiss washed away their doubts and insecurities. It was calm and gentle, their tongues, long familiar to each other, curled and uncurled. Levi ended the kiss with a light bite on Erwin's lower lip, and Erwin sighed with relief.

In retrospect, it was the calmest kiss they had ever had.

"Levi, have I ever told you that you have the best kiss in the world?" whispered Erwin, stroking Levi's face with his fingers.

"Oh, shit! You must not have kissed many people." Levi answered in a debauched tone.

"That's still true, but it doesn't invalidate my point."

"Wait, how many people have you kissed before me?"

"Four, I think."

Levi's eyes widened.

"And I thought you were a tomcat"

They both laughed.

"I could say the same about you." Erwin said.

"When I was young, not anymore."

Erwin laughed softly, wrapped his arm around Levi, and laid his cheek on his head.

"You're a family man now, aren't you?" Erwin commented.

"Exactly," Levi said, laughing a little. "I wish I had told you about her before, but I didn't know how to begin."

Erwin just kissed Levi gently on the top of the head and smelled the conditioner.

They spent some time in silence, enjoying each other's company and warmth. Erwin's cell phone vibrated, signaling that his father had answered. He answered with several different heart emojis and a message. Erwin laughed softly.

"My father replied 'you make a beautiful couple' and at least fifty hearts."

"Do you agree with him?" asked Levi.

"Of course! The only reason we're not the most beautiful couple in the bar is because we lost to Kenny and Uri."

"You're absolutely right! My uncles are the perfect couple."

Erwin, once again in the night, felt his brain spinning its wheels to understand the situation. He felt his head was in a knot and that nothing else made sense.

"Wait a minute. Are Kenny and Uri your uncles?" Erwin asked. "And Mikasa is your cousin?"

"Yes," Levi answered as if it were obvious. "We literally have the same last name."

"But I don't know your last name."

This time Levi seemed extremely surprised.

"I never told you?" Levi asked, hesitating.

Erwin nodded and Levi felt his face heat up, he was overcome by enormous embarrassment. He seemed to wonder why he had never spoken his last name or mentioned his family.

He remembered the day he met Erwin. The blond was standing at the counter talking and laughing with his friends. The way he smiled and always seemed in a good mood attracted Levi to him, like a magnet. He kept coming to the bar and Levi kept watching him. The third time the blond man came to the bar, Historia encouraged Levi to talk to him, she assured him that the man was single and very kind. It all happened so fast and so naturally, it seemed as if they had known each other for years. Everything flowed so smoothly that Levi completely forgot to speak his full name.

"All right! You didn't even know what I work on until today." Erwin said, trying to console Levi.

"That's true! But, I don't know, I guess I went too slow," sighed Ackerman. "By the way, I run a coffee shop."

"Well, I think we went at a good pace. And I would love to try your coffee any day."

"Look, you can come any day. We are open from seven to five, Monday through Saturday," said Levi, running his hands over the back of Erwin's neck. "But since I am the owner, I can make an exception."

"I would love to!" said Erwin, smiling. "Where is it?"

"Right here!" Levi answered and pointed to the bar's sign. "By day it's my cafe, and by night it's Uncle Kenny's bar."

Erwin smiled and kissed Levi.

"I'll come for sure."

"Now, just so you have no more doubts about my family, pay attention!" Levi said.

He started with Kenny and Uri, he explained that they had been together for a long time and when Kuchel got pregnant, they invited her to live with them, because it would be easier to take care of the child together. Kenny and Uri's daughter, Historia, was born many years later, so Levi, at the age of twelve, was actively involved in his cousin's care, learning to change diapers and playing with her when the adults needed a break. Kenny and Kuchel had another brother, Mikasa's father, who died in an accident when she was eight. As a result, the little girl had to go and live in the "Ackerman Mansion", as Historia used to call the house when she was a child. They were the same age with a difference of months, so they grew up as sisters, and Levi, although older, saw them in the same way. When Levi turned twenty-five, he decided to adopt a child, Gabi, who was seven years old. Then, about four years ago, Historia started dating Ymir, and that's when the family got its last member, until now.

"That's amazing, Levi!" said Erwin. "And you all still live together?"

"Yes! Weird, isn't it?" replied Levi.

"I don't think so. Actually, I always wanted to be part of a big family, since I am an only son and my father never married."

"Well, you can be part of one, Erwin. If you want to."

Erwin smiled and hugged Levi. They continued to hug until Levi pulled him in for another kiss, but this time, a little more intense. The hands did not stay still like last time. Levi ran his hands over Erwin's arm, back, and chest, where he found the green pendant necklace. Erwin, on the other hand, pulled Levi's hair lightly, making him sigh.

"Tell me, what's with the necklace?" asked Levi, whispering.

"A present from my father when I moved here. An heirloom."

"It looks very special."

"It reminds me of home." answered Erwin, caressing Levi's lips.

"You need to visit your father more often." Levi whispered, as he pulled Erwin into another kiss.

"I can take you next time." Erwin said, gently touching Levi's lips with his own.