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Blue & Golden
Tea House
There's something relaxing about opening up the shop every morning. Sliding the security grilles and getting inside to the aroma that the tea left overnight. Taking the tables and chairs outside. Mopping the floor. Polishing the counter. Levi enjoys the routine. He likes knowing what he's going to do and when, and how.
What he doesn't enjoy is the typical first customer who decides to arrive while the door is still closed—with a sign and everything—expecting to be served while Levi's still cleaning.
Regardless, Levi never sends them packing like he would've at another time. He sort of understands the old man looking for a comfortable place to sit and read the paper early in the morning. And Levi's also built up a clientele that doesn't mess with him, that doesn't stare at his milky eye or missing fingers. And even when they talk too much, they don't expect him to answer, choosing to come again the following day.
Gabi isn't coming in today because Levi gave her the day off. She shouldn't be working on Sundays anyway but she needs the money and her family hasn't yet gotten through the fallout of war. No one has. The new normal seems fake, even after all these years, like an excuse to find hope where there isn't any. But Levi's sure Gabi can make something better for herself if she's not thinking about killing people; if she's not fighting for survival like Levi had.
The shop is filled with people quite quickly, so Levi walks to every table letting them know he's on his own today and that it might take longer for their orders to arrive. He's paying the baker boy a little extra for the help too. He makes great scones and tarts which had caused Levi to grow fat in places of his body he never had.
It's not like he needs to be in shape anymore. He's gotten used to feeling the muscles on his legs and arms weakening, but it doesn't mean he likes it. He cannot run in the mornings anymore, can barely walk. And he hasn't seen ODM gear in seven years, not that he would put it on if he did.
Onyankopon is still in good shape; he's a bit younger and has always been more lively. He comes by today to give a hand too, even though Levi tries to force him to stay put.
“I'm not paying a fine for your ass if a shop inspector decides to show up,” Levi chides.
“On a Sunday?”
“Any day. They’ll do what they can to get money out of us.”
“Could I get some lemongrass and a piece of strawberry tart, then?”
“Yeah, the usual,” Levi says, waving him off. ”Go sit.”
Levi thumps his cane on the wooden floor on his way to the counter where he gets a teapot and fills it with lemongrass and hot water. He wouldn't sell this shitty variety of tea if it wasn't for Onyankopon; he's the only one who likes it and almost the only one who orders it, with the occasional client that just wants something different than usual. It's too weak and almost sickly sweet, everything Levi hates for his tea.
He picks the best-looking portion of tart in his display and sets it on a platter next to the cup and teapot. He pours black tea for himself too and then sets his cane aside. He doesn't need it but it helps him walk a bit faster. This way, it just takes him a little longer to reach his friend's table. He's also lost his depth perception, but enough time has passed that he's used to it by now.
“Do I get the pleasure of your company as well as my tea?” He asks.
“Tch, don't flatter yourself.”
Onyan chuckles, lifting his teacup and taking a sip. He lets out a deep sigh as always and licks his lips before smiling. “Delicious,” he breathes out.
“Might as well—”
“Drink piss with sugar?”
Levi huffs. “Yeah.” He was going to say sewage water but that works too. He's insulted that tea enough, so there's nothing he could say Onyankopon hasn't heard before. “Don't you have anything better to do on your day off?”
“Not today.”
“Done enough sitting on your ass already?”
“That's all we do in the headquarters,” he answers with a shrug. “I'm thinking of maybe taking some cooking lessons.”
“Cooking, huh?”
“Office work gets too boring. I would enjoy learning something new.”
“You've been getting tea on the house for years so you better cook for me.”
“I can assure you you'll be my guest of honour, Levi. But let me start learning first.”
“You're going on your own?”
“Yes, just me,” he answers, looking away.
As far as Levi knows, Onyankopon has a partner. He mentioned the guy once but never brought him up again, so there's no way to know if that lasted. He never talks about it and he never brings him over so Levi assumes he prefers to keep that for himself.
“I have something for you,” he says, reaching into his bag. “Do you have a moment?” He asks, putting a blue box with a small white ribbon on the table.
Levi leans over to grab it. “What is it?”
“Just a little present to celebrate our years of friendship.”
Levi opens the box while Onyan speaks and is left speechless. There's a delicate silver necklace with a small oval jade pendant. He gently takes it out, tears beginning to well up in his eyes as looks at it.
“Isn't it gorgeous? I thought you might like it.”
Levi clears his throat, sitting up straight and looks around for a second. “I do,” he manages. Onyan knows he does.
“Would you like me to put it on you?”
“I don't—” Levi sniffs. “I don't wear any jewellery. Never did.”
“I noticed, but you never seemed against it either.”
Onyan stands up and holds the necklace between his large hands and settles himself behind Levi who moves his hair away. He's been wearing it long lately since it feels more comfortable, and he uses it to cover most of the ugly part of his face.
“There you go,” Onyan says, going back to his seat.
Levi touches the green gem and lets a smile spread across his face. It makes the scar under his eye twinge, reminding him why he doesn't smile as much anymore.
“Thank you.”
“It looks just perfect on you, so delicate.”
Levi's anything but delicate, so he pays no mind to the comment. He's still grateful for the present. He doesn't get many and he doesn't let people give him any either. The last time had been a regular customer who had given him a Devil's Ivy in a handmade ceramic pot.
Onyankopon puts his elbow on the table, resting his cheek against his hand and smiles. “That went better than expected.”
“You shouldn't waste money like that.”
“Consider it a birthday gift.”
“'S not my birthday,” Levi tells him, feeling the gem between his fingers.
“For all the birthdays you wouldn't let me get you something.”
“Because it's a waste of money.”
“It's not, especially if you're wearing it.”
Levi clicks his tongue and looks around the store, making sure nobody needed serving and sees the baker boy waiting on some tables. He looks outside too, at the sunny morning, the green trees across the street and a little girl sitting with her grandmother, drinking some tea while her little legs dangle above the ground. He holds the gem between his good fingers, thinking back to the bolo tie that still lies inside that drawer he doesn't open anymore. There’d be no point. When he looks back at Onyankopon, he finds another box on the table, square and smaller.
He sniffs, frowning. “I'm not marrying you,” he quips, making Onyankopon let out a deep laugh.
“Yes, I'm aware,” he says.
“What are you doing?” Levi asks, reaching forward. “What is this?”
“I’ve picked up the habit of buying jewellery,” he offers with a shrug.
There are two silver rings inside the box, identical save for the different shapes carved into them.
“I told you I don't wear this shit.”
“You did, that's true. But you're wearing the necklace nonetheless. Give me your hand,” he says.
Levi sighs, obliging, but Onyankopon shakes his head.
“Your other hand.”
“No.”
“Levi, indulge me, will you?”
“Tch, what a nuisance,” he says, offering his ugly hand and looking away.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spies Onyankopon taking the rings. He puts one on Levi's index finger, the one that's fucked up the most, and the other one on his thumb.
The choice of fingers takes him by surprise. He's never seen anyone wearing rings like that, not in the streets at least. Maybe in magazines, maybe rich people. Certainly not something the poor injured veteran that runs a tea shop would wear.
“A perfect fit.”
“Fucking ridiculous,” Levi spits out.
He hates it when people try to take him out of a slump he's not in—or that he's been in his whole life. The necklace was enough; the rings are too much. Yet somehow, when he looks at his hand, he sees the rings first before seeing the parts of him that are missing. And the rings suddenly draw his attention when he tucks his hair behind his ear.
“I think silver and green have always been your colours,” Onyankopon says, pouring more tea into his cup.
“You must be the most annoying person I've ever met.”
“That cannot possibly be true, can it?”
“One of the most, then,” Levi answers, resting his hand on the table and once again getting distracted by the rings. He tucks his hair behind his ear again, the movement is natural but somehow feels new.
“Stay put, I still have a lot of scolding to do,” Levi threatens while getting up. Some customers have left and he needs to clear the table.
The rings distract him constantly and when he walks to the counter for a platter, he spots his reflection in the glass dessert display. Instead of staring into his broken face, eye is drawn to his necklace, the silver chain hanging from his neck and the green gem that lies over his chest.
He gets back to work, finding elegance in every one of his movements. He likes the way his hand holds the tea cups as he sets them on the platter and then tucks his hair behind his ear. When a customer calls for him to pay for their tea, they compliment his necklace, so Levi touches the gem and smiles.
Some cities in Marley are still quite hostile to Eldians but Levi doesn't visit them. The ones closer to the port are better anyway, the weather is fairer and he gets his tea delivered quicker too. Living in Marley was the best decision Levi had made. An old country such as Paradis with lots of restoration to do was not appealing to him and for the first time in his life, he had the freedom to make a choice. Gabi and Falco were also a factor; they needed someone who understood what they had gone through and they seemed very happy to hear Levi wanted to stay after he got out of the hospital.
They also forced him out of his house and pushed his wheelchair around town alongside Onyankopon. They went for ice cream and sandwiches, then stopped by every lake to feed the ducks. Some days they’d also go to the theatre as well as the park.
Levi couldn't say no to their gentle smiles and big dreams, to their hopeful future, knowing there were no more threats for them, no more missions that would send them to an early grave. It was hard to be a hopeless old man when everyone around him wanted to live so much.
Even when the kids were not around, Onyankopon stayed, despite Levi's bitterness. He stayed even after Levi threw a punch and cut his lip because he felt bitter for not being able to walk normally like he used to. And he's still here because even as years went by, they always found something to talk about.
By noon, the teashop is empty and Levi invites Onyankopon and his employee to lunch. He closes the shop, frying up some rice and vegetables and bringing it outside so they can make the most of the beautiful afternoon while they eat.
The baker boy goes home as soon as he's done and Levi pours more tea. Customers won't be showing up for a few more hours and then he will close the shop at around six. Onyankopon decides to stay until then. He makes no mention of the rings or necklace but he does glance at them from time to time. It's nicer for Levi to find people looking at his jewellery and not at his scars.
“I might start closing the shop once a week,” Levi says, breathing in the cool air as the wind blows through the trees next to them.
He found a fine spot for his shop, though he hadn’t particularly been expecting it to work. He just wanted something to keep him occupied, and this place is surrounded by houses, far from downtown and not busy at all. He wasn’t expecting the shop to work, but as years went by, more and more people from around the neighbourhood decided they wanted to stop brewing their own tea.
Levi still has to send some packing when they order coffee.
“What's the occasion?” Onyan asks.
“What occasion? You've been busting my balls for not taking any time off.”
“Exactly my point, I wonder what changed your mind.”
“Tch, I’m not a stubborn old man. I don't want people thinking I live inside this fucking shop,” Levi explains. “I want to be there for the kids' graduation too. I need to give the baker boy some time off as well.”
“He works quite hard.”
“Yeah, but he needs to rest,” he answers, distracted by his rings. “Money doesn't cut it if you have to wake up every morning to see my face.”
Onyan chuckles. “I'm sure he enjoys working here.”
“Then I should show him I'm grateful for his work by giving him time off.”
“Sounds like a great idea.”
“And I want to be free when you invite me to your homemade lunches.”
“You're putting so much pressure on me already. I should've never brought it up.”
Levi tucks his hair behind his ear. “No. No, you shouldn't have.”
“Maybe we could go on some walks down by the port like we used to.”
“Back when I could not walk,” he says, cocking a brow.
Onyan chuckles. “Yes. The place has changed a fair bit and you won't have Gabi dragging you to wherever she wants to go, so it will be quite different.”
“I'd like some ice cream.”
“Alright, it's on me.”
“No. I'm paying, you're driving.”
Onyan lets out a deep sigh. “Very well. I've learned not to fight you at this point.
“Good.”
“I gave you a present today so I will not insist on paying for my tea either.”
“That's good too.”
More clients drop by but it doesn't get as busy as it was in the morning. By the end of the day, there are only two pieces of tart left on the counter so Levi gives them away to his last customers.
Onyankopon drives him home, which is useless because he only lives a few streets away. It usually makes him feel weird to know his friend misses out on enjoying some of his days off just to visit him and spend a boring afternoon at his work.
Today was different though because Onyankopon visited for a reason. He brought Levi a present and made plans with him. He's most likely the reason Levi made so much progress in his recovery and for that, he will always be grateful.
And now, as he's back home, taking his rings off to get into the bath, he suddenly realises Onyankopon has also helped him feel better about himself.
Under the hot water, he caresses the stumps on his hand. He flexes his fingers and massages them to help the blood flow. Then he sinks under the water and stays there, enjoying the silence.
Once he's out, he puts on the necklace but leaves the rings on the dresser while he cooks dinner. He finds himself missing them though, so he puts them back on while the food heats up.
He looks at himself in the mirror while brushing his hair. He tucks his hair behind his ear and wonders if he should also wear an earring. He feels as pretty as he once used to feel when he wore his favourite cravat and Erwin praised the way he looked or the way he moved. It's a sensation he never thought he'd feel again and it tastes like nostalgia, the good kind.
Tonight he decides to write again. He used to write letters to his fallen friends knowing nobody would ever read them. Then he stopped because it hurt too much. But now he scribbles away, telling them all about his new jewellery, his plans for taking some days off, his eagerness to have some ice cream again. He writes knowing they would enjoy all of that even more so than he does, because Hange was always overly excited about things, about anything that they might do. Erwin would be proud to know he's writing again. Mike would call him Humanity's prettiest despite it surely resulting in him getting punched. Petra would visit his shop daily.
Levi folds his letter with tears in his eyes and puts it back into his old drawer where he finds that dusty bolo tie he's been avoiding for so long. He takes it out and places it around his neck. The green is just the same as his necklace but it's just such an old big thing, he could never wear it.
It's nice to look at it though, finally. It brings him joy to have it, to have saved it. So instead of putting it back, he polishes it until the shine returns to its stone and places it on his nightstand.
He doesn't take his rings off when he climbs into bed with a book, he likes seeing his fingers holding it and flipping the pages. He might not sleep tonight, he might have those nightmares he can't escape from. But he's used to that.
What’s new now is knowing that Gabi will be a nag when she sees him wearing the rings – and it makes him smile.
