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Walking to the market on his sore ankle was probably a poor decision, but Levi wouldn’t let a thing like that keep him from his weekend routine. He’d torn a ligament earlier in the week and for the most part it hadn’t been too big an issue, but the hike down the hill definitely added a twinge in his step. And then his paper bag ripped through and scattered produce everywhere and when he stepped off the curb to pick up a wayward orange he heard something crunch. He sat down on a bench and rubbed at it, sighing. He should text someone for a ride but Erwin was the only one he knew with a car and he and Mike were gone on a dig for the summer. He pulled out his phone and looked through his contacts trying to come up with a plan when he heard someone hailing him.
“Hey! Hi there!” a man waved at him.
Levi stared.
“Need a ride?” he asked.
Levi looked from his eager face to the pedicab behind him. It was shiny and brand new with fresh forest green paint. The seat was free of dust and the wheels gleamed in the bright summer sun.
Pedicapp! We pedal so you don’t have to!
“How much?” Levi asked, pulling out his wallet.
“Oh, uh it’s $10, then $5 per block—uh but, you can only pay through our app!”
“Huh?” Levi asked.
The man pointed to the sign.
Sign up on our app!
“Why can’t I just give you cash right now?” Levi asked, holding a fiver.
“I know, it’s silly, but the whole point is to get people to sign up for our app.”
Levi sighed and pulled out his phone, shifting his bag and weight onto his other leg.
PEDICAPP! read the cheery app. Sign up now!
Levi entered in his information as the cab driver hovered nearby swinging his arms.
“Now what?” Levi asked.
“Now you enter in your payment information—“ the man said, pointing. “Then you enter in your destination.”
Levi sighed to himself, but did so.
“Annnd hit enter,” the man prodded.
Levi tapped enter.
Your cab is on its way! the app read.
The cab drivers phone blipped and he tapped it.
Levi’s phone let out a merry bike chime.
Your cab is here! Your driver today is Eren!
Levi snorted.
“Your chariot awaits!” Eren bowed and helped Levi step into the cab.
Eren put his phone on a holder on the bike handles. And then Eren straddled the seat, standing on the pedals. Levi saw his quads and glutes flex as he gained traction. Then once they were moving he settled into the seat and leaned forward, getting more comfortable.
“Thanks for choosing us today!” Eren called over his shoulder as the cab wheeled forward and Levi snapped his eyes up from his backside to the bright smile.
It was a surprisingly smooth ride, even as Eren went over a few potholes.
“Having a great summer so far?” Eren asked, pedaling furiously around a parked taxi.
“It’s okay,” Levi answered, raising his voice slightly so Eren could hear him above the traffic.
“It’s so warm, I’ve been enjoying this heat. And there’s a nice breeze so that’s good too. Better than muggy, you know?”
Levi wasn’t good at small talk. And even worse at pretending to be interested in the weather. He got out his phone in hopes that would dissuade the cyclist from chatting, but it did not. After all he couldn’t really look behind him to see that Levi was ignoring him. Or trying to ignore him. The spandex was incredibly distracting. He forced himself to inspect the tires of the contraption.
“Yeah, you gotta wear a lot of sunscreen when you’re out here.”
“How many people have you driven so far?” Levi asked because the rubber on the wheels looked fresh and the treads not worn down.
“Uh…so far? Just you!”
“Just me today?”
“No…just you. You’re my first rider ever!”
“Oh.” Levi looked at the app in his hands. “How do you even get a job like this?”
Levi imagined the craigslist ad looked something like “Join the Pedicapp team! Requirements: Must look good in tight bicycle shorts and be able to pedal for hours on end.”
“Oh, it’s my company!” Eren said cheerfully. “Me and my buddy Armin started it. Yeah, he designed the app. The whole point of this is to get people to sign up for the app, we don’t really make that much money on the cabs. We’re kindof like the Uber of pedicabs.”
“What’s Uber?” Levi asked, wrinkling his nose.
“I—it’s—it’s a thing. But yeah Armin runs the app.”
“What do you do?”
“…I run the cabs. Er, cab. It’s just the one for now.”
“Oh,” said Levi.
They came to the base of the steep hill to Levi’s house that he shared with Hanji, Mike, and Erwin and he saw Eren hesitate a little before he battled up Titan Street.
“You see,” Eren said, panting and grunting, legs shaking as he forced the machine up the hill. “It’s slow now because it’s summer and the campus is empty, but once the Fall semester starts up hopefully we’ll have more riders. I mean, imagine you’re at a party and it’s late and your feet hurt from dancing and someone goes, ‘Hey! Let’s use the Pedicapp!’ Bam! Enter me, knight on a white horse—err—green, but you understand. Maybe you want to go on a date? Then sign up for our romantic tour around the town! Or maybe you don’t want to walk…to the stadium…on…game day—“
Eren’s words came in short bursts as he gasped for air, but still managed to stay cheerful.
“Sorry, I can get out and walk the rest of the way, it’s a really steep hill,” Levi apologized.
“No…worries! Just means…it’ll be…faster…on the way down!” Eren called, throwing his weight forward.
The pedicab slowed to a halt and Eren stepped down.
Levi’s phone blipped.
You have arrived at your destination! Thank you for choosing Pedicapp! Would you like to give your driver a tip?
“Oh, you just hit a button for a tip, but it’s not required or anything obviously. We’re a college town, I doubt I’ll get many—oh, thank you!”
Eren helped Levi down from the cab, taking the grocery bag out of Levi’s hands and carrying it to the door.
“And please consider us if you need a ride in the future! You’re uh…you’re kindof the only person who has signed up for the app outside my friends and my sister. You can even schedule on the app say if you needed a ride to work or something!”
“So if I told this thing I needed to be picked up here at 7am tomorrow morning, you’d be right outside here?”
“Yup!” Eren beamed, still holding Levi’s groceries.
“Huh. Okay. Thanks, I’ve got those—“
“Bye!” Eren waved.
Levi scheduled the cab to pick him up to take him to lab the next day and at 6:55, the pedicapp app blipped. Your cab is on its way! And then the familiar chime sounded with Your cab is here! Your driver today is Eren!
“Morning!” Eren said, dusting off the seat for Levi.
Levi grunted and then settled against the cushions. Eren hopped up on the seat and with one push they were off. He leaned forward in his spandex and Levi immediately got out his phone and tried to keep busy. Eren was right, the ride down the hill was much more fun.
You have arrived at your destination! Thank you for choosing Pedicapp! Would you like to give your driver a tip?
“And please consider telling your friends about us!” Eren said, helping Levi down the steps.
Levi nodded.
At the end of the day it chimed again and as Levi walked out of the building, Eren was cleaning mud off the spokes, waiting for him.
“Hello again! Thank you for choosing Pedicapp!”
“You’re cheaper than a taxi and the walk to the bus stop is too far to walk,” Levi explained in his low mumble.
“I don’t mind! Oh, but I thought you should know, you are no longer the only person on our app! I drove three separate groups today! And all signed up on the app and said they were going to recommend us.”
“Cool,” Levi rubbed at his nose indifferently.
“So how’d you hurt your ankle?” Eren asked, pushing forward. “Or sorry, is that too nosy of me?”
“Rolled it on a rock during my run,” Levi explained.
“Ouch! Well I hope you heal up soon. But not gonna lie, it’s good for business.”
Levi only hummed in response, scrolling through his phone. His phone chimed as he got off the cab.
“Rate your Pedicapp experience or leave a review!”
Levi thought for a moment, spending a very long time crafting his response.
“punctual, speedy, and affordable. very clean. the driver is a little chatty though.”
Levi’s ankle felt better the following day so he tried for a jog but found he couldn’t get far. So the next weekend he used the app to get groceries. The heat wave was brutal. Levi found himself sweating just waiting for the cab. He didn’t even think about how awful it would be to bike in this heat until Eren rolled up, brow soaked.
“Thank you for choosing Pedicapp!” he said, brushing his wet hair off his tan forehead.
“Should you be doing this? There’s an Excessive Heat Warning,” Levi said, indicating his phone.
“If I wasn’t, how would you get a ride?” Eren laughed, chest heaving. He had unzipped the front of his uniform down to the center of his chest and Levi was certain he wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath judging by the small thatch of crinkly chest hair. Levi turned his head to the side to avoid staring directly at the younger man’s chest. “Also I’m hydrating plenty.”
As if on cue, he removed his water bottle and took a sip only to find it empty.
Levi sat down in the cab and Eren adjusted the back over his head.
“There you go, a little shade for you,” he beamed.
How was it possible to be that cheerful in this heat?
“Well, now I feel bad making you go up the hill,” Levi mumbled as Eren took off.
He was silent this time and Levi thought it must be from exertion but a few times he looked back at Levi as if he were going to say something but thought better of it. In the tar melting heat, the hill was far more difficult than it had been in previous days and there was one moment Levi thought he felt the carriage slip but instead Eren crested the top and pulled to a halt in front of Levi’s home. Levi’s phone chimed.
“Th-th-thank you for choosing Pedicapp,” Eren panted.
“Here,” Levi said holding out a bottle of water from his grocery bag.
“Oh no I couldn’t—“ Eren protested.
“Instead of a tip,” Levi interrupted, holding it out without looking at him.
“I—sure—thanks.”
Eren took the water and gulped down half then splashed the rest over his head, throwing his head back. He looked up at Levi and grinned. Levi felt his face flush, maybe from the sun’s rays on his pale skin or maybe from those sparkling eyes. As Eren opened his mouth to say something else, Levi quickly spun on the spot and marched up to his porch. He closed the door and heard the bike bell chime as Eren kicked off down the hill.
<*>
“I’m tired,” Hanji complained. “And my feet hurt.”
“I told you it was going to be a lot of walking and you insisted on wearing those shoes,” Levi pointed out.
“Hey, hold on, let’s call on those Pedicapp things!” Hanji said pulling out their phone.
“What?” Levi asked, face growing hot just at the mere mention of the pedicabs. He’d avoided using the app since his last encounter with the driver.
“You haven’t heard of them? They have this amazing app—here hold on—there! He’s on his way!”
“Hello are you, Hanji?” Eren asked looking around the park.
“That’s us!” Hanji bounced up and down waving.
“Oh hello, Levi!” Eren waved.
There was a sharp pang of panic that struck Levi, but then he realized Eren must know his name from the app.
“You know Levi?” Hanji asked, turning to fix Levi with an accusatory glare.
“He’s my best customer!” Eren said brightly.
“I bet he is,” Hanji nodded.
“And the only one to leave a review on our app so far!”
Hanji picked up their phone and flipped to the app.
“’punctual, speedy, and affordable. very clean.’” Hanji read the review aloud. “That’s high praise from Levi! He thinks I’m a slob, he makes me use the other bathroom in the house—we’re housemates. ‘the driver is a little chatty though.’ Oh Levi.”
Levi crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well, I love chatty!” Hanji said leaning forward so Eren could hear them. “How’d you get into this job?”
“I actually founded the company,” Eren explained and Levi tuned out as he’d already heard this bit before. “So where are you folks coming from? I’ve been getting a lot of fares tonight!”
“There’s a Japanese movie festival going on this week! We saw Howl’s Moving Castle today and we’re seeing Akira tomorrow!”
“Oh wow, that’s awesome!” Eren said hopping on the bike. “You guys ready?”
“So how are you finding this gig?” Hanji asked. “I mean, it must be rough. It’s such a physically demanding job.”
“It can be hard some days. Like when it’s really hot or raining. Man, that downpour last week? That was rough. I saw you Levi! I waved, did you see?”
Levi had seen Eren speeding by in a parka, ferrying passengers. He had hid behind a trash can, which wasn’t nearly as effective when he had his giant umbrella in hand.
Levi made a noncommittal noise in his throat.
“But it’s really fun too, I get to meet so many new people! Like Levi!”
“Like Levi,” Hanji repeated, holding their phone to their mouth to stifle laughter.
“And it’s worth it you know? This isn’t just a job, this is a platform for something greater, so I try my hardest. Already we’ve expanded. We have another cab up on North Campus. Jean drives that one. He’s good, but not as good as me.”
Eren threw a wink over his shoulder.
“Okay, you have to give us something, what is the weirdest, rudest thing someone has done in the cab?” Hanji tried.
“No, I can’t say that,” Eren shook his head. “Everyone has been really great. Truly.”
“Come on!” Hanji pleaded, bouncing in the seat.
“Okay, okay so I took this older couple on a ride and the wife was pleasant, but the husband was not. And when we got to their stop and the phone asked him if he wanted to leave a tip, he went, ‘Here’s a tip! Get a real job!’ and yeah. Okay, we’re here! And if you liked our service please be sure to leave a review!”
“Already done!” Hanji tapped their phone.
Eren read the message on his own phone and his ears went red.
“Bye guys!” Eren waved and took off on his cab.
“What did you write?” Levi asked suspiciously.
Hanji only shrugged and took off for their room, taking the stairs two at a time.
“Wonderful ride! For the best view choose Eren!”
“Hanji!” Levi shouted, chasing after them, but they had already shut and locked their door by the time he got there.
<*>
Come Fall Semester it seemed like there were pedicabs all over the place. They all had names now. “Wings” was Eren’s. “Derby” was Jean’s. And Levi didn’t know the other drivers but he saw a “Colossal” and a “Pegasus” zip by. Levi saw Eren on the quad, ferrying a group of sorority sisters for the campus tour.
“And to your left you’ll see Levi! Wave hi to Levi!” Eren called over his shoulder waving as he pedaled past Levi jogging.
“HI LEVI!” the girls chorused then fell into fits of giggles.
Levi gave a small wave back.
The next month, Levi was walking by Eren’s usual spot outside the Union and did a double take because Eren was busy polishing a rusted yellow pedicab and not looking too happy about it.
“Hi!” Eren said breaking into a smile as he saw Levi approach. “Sorry if you need a ride, I’m booked right now, just waiting for my fare to come out from the building.”
“How’s business?” Levi asked.
“Well, uh, it’s good, but…there is a lot of demand at the moment and we’re struggling to keep up. We’ve hired a bunch of new people.”
“I thought you usually drove Wings?” Levi asked.
“Uh, yeah, I usually do, but it was stolen. I left it for one second to help a lady up the curb and when I turned around it was gone.”
“Shit,” said Levi.
“Yeah,” Eren scratched at his neck. “And this one just isn’t as good. We rented it from a company, because we can’t really afford to buy a new one quite yet, but we need the extra fares. The app is really taking off!”
“That’s good. Sorry about your cab.”
“It’s fine. I mean, it’s really upsetting, yeah, but it’s to be expected I suppose.”
“Well good luck,” Levi waved. “Hope you find it.”
Except the next day—the very next day!—he was walking up from his favorite pad thai place past a row of houses with red Solo cups on the lawn when he saw Wings sitting on the top of a the roof of a frat house. He stared then snapped a picture. After a few moments scrolling on his phone he found the Facebook page for Pedicapp and left them a message.
“I think I found your stolen cab?” he said, including the picture.
Levi assumed they must have gotten it back because as he was walking back from the market again another Saturday, Eren pedaled next to him.
“Hi! Levi! Hi!” Eren waved enthusiastically and Levi was forced to remove his earbuds.
“Hey,” Levi said as Eren slowed to keep pace with him.
“How are you?” Eren asked.
“…Good,” Levi said not really sure why he was asking.
“Hey…do you want a ride?” Eren offered.
“No thanks, I’m trying to save money,” Levi said awkwardly avoiding looking at him.
“Well I owe you a free one for finding Wings!” Eren said, standing up on the pedals excitedly.
“Oh…that’s okay, you don’t have to do that,” Levi said uncomfortably.
“But I want to! Also, today is my last day.”
Levi stopped walking.
“Okay,” he said and Eren squealed to a halt to help him in the cab.
“Yeah, so since the app has become so popular, Armin needs a lot more help doing the business side of things. I’ve been working on our Facebook and Twitter and working on the funds in between pedaling the cab and classes and so I’m just beat. I’m retiring from pedaling and going to work at the office fulltime. Oh! We’ve actually rented office space! We’re on Sina Street, right by Island Boba so if you ever crave bubble tea you can stop by and see me.”
He gave a nervous laugh at the idea of Levi visiting him at work and then coughed.
“You know I think it’s fitting that my first fare is also my last fare,” Eren panted as he started on the large hill. “There’s a nice…symmetry…to…it. Man, I don’t know that…I’ll…miss…this hill.”
He pulled to a halt in front of Levi’s door.
“Well, thanks,” Eren said flushing a little.
Levi was about to correct him and say that it was he who should be thanking Eren but he didn’t. Instead he stepped out of the cab, Eren racing around eagerly to help him down, but Levi didn’t need any help. Eren followed Levi to his door and stood on the porch as Levi got out his keys.
“Yup! This is probably the last time you’ll see me!” Eren said swinging his arms at his sides. “So…”
“Bye,” said Levi shutting the door.
Levi peered out the window watching Eren walk to his cab, looking back at the door mournfully. Then he changed his mind and walked to the door, pausing with his knuckles raised as if to knock. He seemed to think better of it and turned back around shaking his head. He kicked at a little clod of dirt dejectedly with his biking shoes. Levi bit his lip.
He opened the door and Eren swiveled around.
“I—uh—your shift is over, right?” Levi asked in a mumble. “Would you want to watch a movie?”
“S-sure!” Eren said and his face lit up like the sun. “What movie?”
“Whatever you want to watch, Hanji has a bunch over here—“ Levi stepped aside to let Eren in.
Except, barely after Kingsman’s opening credits rolled across the screen a very nervous Eren opened his mouth to ask Levi if he could kiss him. He never got the words out because Levi gripped his uniform shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.
“Your butt looks really good in those shorts,” Levi explained breathlessly.
It wasn’t the most romantic confession of attraction but Levi had never really been good at that sort of thing.
“Why do you think I wear them?” Eren asked laughing against Levi’s lips.
The movie forgotten, they stretched along the sofa and became tangled up in one another. It would have been very pleasant if less than five minutes after they started Eren shot his head up.
“Do you hear that?” he asked.
“No?” Levi didn’t think Hanji or the others were due home for some time.
“Oh those little—they’re stealing the cab! I have to go! I’ll text you!”
He sprinted out of Levi’s house and chased down the thief. They weren’t quite as strong as Eren and didn’t pedal very far before he caught up with them. They ditched the cab and took off running in between houses.
“I got it!” Eren waved.
Oh god, thought Levi. He’s perfect.
<*>
“Do you have your tea?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re all bundled up?” Eren continued fussing. “Here’s a blanket for your lap.”
He tucked in Levi’s ankles before sitting down and wrapping his arm around him.
“Cozy?” Eren asked, blinking snowflakes out of his eyelashes.
Levi nodded.
“Good,” Eren said, leaning in and giving him a kiss. “Connie! We’re all set!”
“Gotchya! Thank you for choosing Pedicapp and welcome to our very romantic tour around Trost Campus! I will be your tour guide and I…will be shutting up now,” Connie said as he looked behind him to see Eren and Levi busy gazing into each other’s eyes.
The street lights lit up the mostly empty streets, catching the glittering flakes in their glow. Behind them the dark tracks of the cab cut through the fresh snow and by morning they would disappear as if they’d never been there at all. Faces, buildings, and trees flew by as Levi and Eren fell into each other, lost to the world.
You have arrived at your destination!