Chapter Text
Levi wasn't incredibly fond of the holiday season. He wasn't a Grinch so much as he was simply just tired of the season. He has spent a number of years celebrating by himself and then maybe spending the evening with his friends, even though it was an attempt on their part to make sure he didn't spend the entire day alone, considering the holiday and the occasion of his birthday. They meant well, but Levi was still mildly disheartened when he returned home, alone.
The music was the one thing he took comfort in, though. He would go to lounges or open mic nights and play holiday songs on a piano. If Levi could bring someone else cheer, then he felt a little better about it all.
This season was different, though. He moved to across the city due to a lease being up and a new complex offering something better. It also helped that it was mere minutes from his job. Though the walk was usually brief, it gave him that short period of time to clear his mind; fresh air treated him well.
-
That night was no different than usual. He was walking home from work at a later hour than the norm, the sun setting and casting brilliant colors over the top of the city. His hands were shoved into his coat pockets as he walked, his mind idle when something caught his attention: a sign in the window of a coffee shop and it read Free Kittens!. Curiosity seized a hold of him as well as the nip of the brisk air, and so he ended up going inside with the intention of leaving with coffee.
"Hi there, welcome!"
A bright voice greeted him once the door shut, and he was met with even brighter eyes from the person at the counter. A moment went by and Levi thought time stood still in that cafe; he managed to recollect himself before the boy turned away and said, "Hi."
The boy with eyes like the ocean smiled wider, and he asked if Levi wanted anything. It took Levi a moment to remember that he walked into a coffee shop, and that he came in with a purpose: warming up his hands with a cup of joe. He scanned the menu and furrowed his brows. "What the fuck is Santa's White Christmas?" There were numerous holiday themed lattes, but that one seemed to strike him as equally ridiculous and interesting.
"It's wonderful. It's a latte with white chocolate and hazelnut flavoring, and some extra Christmas spirit," the bright eyed barista answered. Levi nodded, handing him a five dollar bill.
"I'll take one."
He got a smile that lit up the room, and it was well worth the three dollars and change. Levi wanted to talk to the boy more but wasn't sure where to start.
"What was your name?"
Levi was beaten to the punch. "Levi. And you?"
"I'm Eren." He gave another smile that crinkled the corners of those wondrous eyes, and Levi felt his heart stutter. "So, Levi, have you gotten a look at the kittens left? There's still a few here. My friend Christa is trying to find homes for them."
Eren had nodded in the direction behind Levi, off to the side of the tables. A blonde girl with long, braided hair was looking over a laundry basket with a blanket tucked into it, a hand reached in. Levi wandered over and peered into the basket; three little kittens were laying down, two gray tabbies and a smaller white one. The tiny ball of white fur uncurled and stretched, peering around at it's remaining siblings before raising light blue eyes to meet Levi's. Either Father Time must have been feeling saucy or perhaps he was developing a heart condition because time seemed to slow to a stop again, and Levi felt his chest warm at the sight of the kitten, his heart fluttering as it mewed at him.
And somehow he ended up going home with that little furry bundle in the pocket of his coat, a hand covering that pocket and a paper cup of espresso and sweetener in the other hand.
A stop at the pet store later, he finally found himself in his apartment, setting the tiny white kitten on the floor. She mewed at the loss of contact, sniffing around curiously before looking up at Levi. He stared back at her, unsure where to put the assortment of cat things for the time being other than the kitchen counter.
"You probably need a name," he said aloud, and she responded with a loud, chirping mew. "Maybe tonight. Let me learn your personality, little one."
Almost settled in, Levi was nowhere near tired. So he sat at his keyboard, fingers naturally finding keys. Small, light notes filled the air and he found himself singing Christmas music.
Nothing requiring vocal power or exceptional skill, but just a tune to relax himself and unwind. He felt a small, warm weight on his right food as he played: looking down, he saw that the kitten curled up on his toes and he could see her body easing into a slumber. His heart fluttered, warmth spreading in his chest.
Precious.
Upon going to bed, he couldn't deny the mewing bundle wanting to cuddle with him in bed; she found a spot up against his arm in which she curled up into a ball, a loud purr vibrating her tiny body. Levi couldn't hide his smile; she won his heart over.
-
Levi was continuously drawn back to that coffee shop. He wouldn't quite admit it, but it wasn't exclusively for the coffee.
"So how's your baby doing?" Eren asked him with a grin during his next visit while fixing up Levi's order. Levi was sat at the counter, looking at the screensaver of his phone: his cat.
"She's adjusting," he answered, not wanting to admit how much he disliked leaving her for work in the morning after hearing her meow incessantly through the door when he leaves. He set his phone down, and Eren caught a glance of the phone's screensaver when he set down Levi's drink.
"She's your wallpaper!" Eren grinned, the light filling his eyes causing Levi to flush. "That's so sweet. I knew you'd love at least one of them. You strike me as a cat person." Levi cocked an eyebrow at the statement, unsure of how to interpret the comment. "You give off the aura of 'don't talk to me', which usually is a signal that the inner you is probably, to some degree, a softie," Eren explained nonchalantly as he steamed milk for the next order, setting Levi's mug in front of him. There was caramel drizzle circling the mountain of whipped cream.
"What makes you think I have this intense of a sweet tooth?" Levi had given Eren free reign with his drink since he had enjoyed the last recommendation, but he was mulling over whether or not he wanted to discover what was underneath the fluffy mound of sugar.
"It's actually not a really sweet drink. It's got this dark chocolate in it to balance out the toppings," Eren replied with that ever-present smile. "Plus, the grumpiest of people always have some sort of weakness. Usually sugar melts away the bitter front."
Levi hummed in response as he took a sip of the drink, trying to avoid getting whipped cream on his face. It was delicious. "I'm like a human espresso. I'm short and bitter," he remarked, cupping the mug with both hands, the warmth spreading across his fingers. He looked at Eren's hands, which were moving fluidly as he made drinks, momentarily becoming intent if he made latte art. Those hands were probably sticky with sugar, but they looked like they might be warm. Eren struck him as the absurdly warm type of person.
"Thank you," he murmured, raising the mug to his lips. Eren's smile softened as he looked at Levi, his cheeks dusted with pink. His stomach filled with a fluttery feeling, Levi turned his attention back to his phone.
-
The cat took up more time than he expected.
She would wake him up if he slept in too late, pawing at his face and meowing loudly; he didn't even need his alarm clock anymore, it seemed. The damn cat did the job enough. When he cooked, if the food was something she could have, he fed her small amounts of table scraps - usually during dinner, occasionally with breakfast. Reading or watching television included her getting comfortable and demanding attention, batting him with her paws or gently biting his hand if he stopped petting her. She curled up by him when he played music, never interrupting for attention. Any time he slept, she usually at least hung around if she didn't sleep herself.
He never really gave her a name, but he affectionately called her little one and a snowball, so when asked what her name was he panicked and picked one.
"Why Snowball?" Eren asked, setting Levi's drink on the counter in front of where he sat. His eyes glittered, even in the ambient lighting, and Levi briefly thought of white lights on a Christmas tree.
"Uh," he stammered, clearing his throat, "she's tiny and looks like a ball of snow when she sleeps. She still fits in one hand, she's so damn little." He glanced down at the drink before him, and saw that Eren made latte art in his drink, the foam forming a heart. He felt his face heat up and instantly knew he was fucked, whether he was looking at the heart in his drink that smelled like nutmeg and fucking heaven or if he was looking at Eren's beaming face.
He settled for Eren's glowing face, pearly whites showing in a smile. "That's cute," he commented, though Levi wasn't sure if Eren was talking about his cat or how red Levi's cheeks must be.
"If you ever, uh, want to see how she's doing," Levi blurted, his mouth going before his mind processed what he was saying, "you can come by and visit."
Eren's smile widened and god damn it was like seeing the sun rise for the first time. "I'd love to."
A half hour and conversation about the arguments of cats vs. dogs later (unsurprisingly, Eren preferred dogs for company but admitted cats were adorable roommates), Levi left the cafe with a hot chocolate in a to-go cup with Eren's number scrawled next to scribble that read For Grumpy Levi :)
-
Levi stared at his phone, rereading his text again and again to make sure he wasn't being weird. Of course, he knew he was simply inviting Eren over so Eren could see the cat, but a part of him wished he could just ask Eren on a date like a normal person. Instead, he sent a text that was plain and emoji-less.
Hey, this is Levi. If you want to come by sometime to see the little fur, you're welcome anytime.
Some time later - Levi had to remind himself Eren was at work, not ignoring his text - his phone buzzed, startling Snowball in his lap and snapping her out of sleep and Levi out of his episode of Law & Order: SVU.
I'm out of work at 7 tonight. I can swing by after if that's okay? :3
Levi's heart did that awful racing thing again as he replied that's definitely okay and added his address in, Snowball eyeing him with narrowed blue eyes. "I'm sorry, you little brat, but you'll have to be nice to someone later. But I'm sure he'll give you plenty of attention," he quipped, rubbing beyond her ears. She leaned into his fingers, purring at the affection. "Yeah, yeah," he said, a small smile on his face.
Levi eyed his clock, puppy dogging around his phone for some message from Eren saying he was on the way. 7:00 hit, and then nothing. 7:30 came while Levi was cooking dinner, which was pasta with vegetables and chicken (some of which he left unseasoned to mix with Snowball's dry food as a treat for keeping him company), and then it got close to 8:00 without any signal from Eren.
He wondered if this counts as being stood up.
Heaving a sigh, Levi finished putting away dishes, glancing at the clock for the umpteenth time. 8:24pm. He looked at Snowball, who mewed and rubbed against his leg with a loud purr. "Thank you," he murmured, reaching down to pick her up. "At least I have you, you damn furball."
A series of knocks made him jump, and Snowball stopped purring, her ears perked. Not letting hope get the best of him, he assumed it might be the neighbors asking for sugar or Death coming to put him out of his lonely misery.
Instead, he opened his door to a very cold looking Eren, nose red from the cold and cheeks flushed. "Hi," he breathed, smile coming onto his lips as he took in the sight of a tired Levi holding the tiny and curious kitten. "You're super cute!" Eren leaned in close to Snowball, who was trying to sniff Eren from Levi's hand.
Levi felt a blush creep up the back of his neck, and he opened the door wider. "Come inside before you get sick, you dumbass," he chided gently, prompting Eren to step inside.
He set the noisy bundle down and she approached Eren with meows and with rubbing her flank against him as he shrugged off his coat. "I'm so sorry I'm late," he apologized, looking down at the floor, "I was behind on cleaning and Reiner came in and was being a dick and I just, I feel awful. I'm sorry." He was sliding off his shoes, eyes on Snowball, but Levi could see that the tips of his ears were bright red with embarrassment. When he raised his eyes to meet Levi's, any negative feelings dissipated at the sight of those downcast orbs.
Damn it. "It's okay," he assured Eren. "I just put leftovers from dinner in the fridge if you'd like some food and tea."
Eren brightened up a little, that smile returning. "That would be awesome."
They went into the kitchen, the cat wanting attention and hoping for more food. "You already had some, you spoiled brat," Levi chastised, stepping around her as she mewed.
"I told you that you're an obvious cat person," Eren remarked, leaning against the counter. Levi stuck the leftovers in the microwave and set water to boil as he cast a sideways glance at Eren.
"Do you think you already broke through that 'don't talk to me and fuck off' exterior I supposedly have?"
Eren grinned at the twist Levi threw in. "I don't think you really have that kind of demeanor. Or at least, not with me," Eren replied smoothly.
Levi didn't respond immediately, instead taking the food from the microwave to the table, doing the same with the two mugs of herbal tea as Eren sat down. He sat across the small table from Eren, and was nervous, but kept his voice even as he dared to ask, "What kind of demeanor do I have, with or without you?"
Eren pushed at the pasta with his fork, his eyes initially on the steam emitting from the food before meeting Levi's own stormy gaze. His green eyes looked like a deep forest green in the mediocre lighting of Levi's kitchen. "You initially seem abrasive. Not rude, just a little curt. But I think what broke your wall of secrecy was you melting when you met the cats that first day. After that, you've just been reserved and quiet. But you open up and let little glances of yourself show." Eren took a bite of the food and his smile grew. "This is fantastic, holy shit." He talked with his mouth a little full, Levi noticed although he didn't comment on it like he usually would.
Instead, he opted for a quiet, "Thank you."
Eren continued after swallowing his food. "You compare yourself to espresso as if you're bitter and cynical, but have a ridiculous sweet tooth." Levi curled his hands around his mug, his hands warming up; he glanced at Eren's hands. "You're an introvert socially, it seems like, but you sit in the cafe all the time to read or just hang out, which is being around people without having to socialize with everyone around you. It's like having company without really being somewhere with company." Another mouthfull of pasta, and this time Snowball chimed in. "Which, on the mention of you reading, you read some deep books. And your bookshelf is full of probably other great books, but I didn't get to see any titles when we walked past." Eren paused in his eating, and looked at Levi with a rather intent gaze, though his expression was warm. Eren always seemed warm to Levi. "I think you're a really nice guy. You just don't like to show that to people."
Levi swallowed the lump in his throat; his face was incredibly hot, probably also incredibly red, and he avoided looking at Eren.
He felt a gentle nudge against his foot, but the cat was on the other side of the table by Eren since he had food. His face aflame, he raised his eyes to meet Eren's.
"I won't tell anyone your secret, Levi. Don't worry." Eren had a soft glow to his face, and Levi knew his fate was sealed then.
Eren held his heart in his hands, and he was royally fucked.