Chapter Text
"Party at my place!!"
It was the first thing Eren Jaeger yelled as he emerged from the boy's locker room. Cliché as fuck, but he couldn't care less. Their school's soccer team had just won the finale, so they had enough reason to celebrate. Especially since Eren had scored the winning goal.
As Eren sat down on the warm grass that was the school's soccer field, he heard several people cheer and laugh which could only mean his words had been recieved well. Other people took out their phones, no doubt informing the friends who hadn't watched the game about the party that would take place later that evening.
Eren wasn't stupid. He was well aware that the party would probably end in a chaos of drunken teenagers passed out on his floor or puking in the toilet (if they even made it that far). Still, he was in post-game ecstasy and that made it difficult for Eren to care about all of that.
A movement in the corner of his eyes caught his attention and Eren saw someone perching himself on the grass next to him, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned his head and came face to face with a smirking Jean Kirschtein. Jean's eyes gleamed and small droplets from his recent shower trailed down the side of his face.
Jean was an interesting guy and together the duo had an interesting history: Friends since kindergarden, then they became arch enemies in middle school because of a simple misunderstanding ( a really stupid one that Eren didn't want to elaborate on) Now though, they were back to being friends and even co-captains for the school's soccer team. They hadn't had a real fight in over two years ago.
Still, Jean could be a little big-headed sometimes and Eren was probably the only person in the world (except Mikasa but that was only because she was fucking terrifying when she was angry) who could put him in place when that happened. They worked together well and Jean was like a brother to him.
"You've gotten yourself into some real shit, Jaeger. A party? Really?" Jean's voice snapped Eren out of his thoughts and he blushed a little, realizing he had completely zoned out.
"Haha, yeah I know right," Eren answered. "But whatever man, it's cool. My grandparents are away for the weekend, I've got enough booze, everything's prepared. Besides, if I didn't throw the party I'd celebrate on my own and where's the fun in that?"
"True," Jean agreed "Then it'd be like we didn't win at all today."
"Exactly."
The pair sat in silence for a while. Eren started pulling out some grass strings to kill time until Jean decided it was time to speak up again.
"So, uh," He started, sounding a bit awkward. "What are you going to do about him?"
Eren looked up from his pulling. Jean was staring at someone. A figure completely dressed in black, smoking a cigarette just a few meters away from where the pair of them sat.
Levi Ackerman.
Levi was a punk. Plain and simple. He was a year or two older than Eren so normally, since Eren was a Senior, he should already be in college but he got held back a year because he 'simply refused to do his homework and walked around as if he owned the place.' At least, that's what they told Eren whenever he asked about the black haired guy.
Levi was pretty short but his bad attitude made up for it, and so did his piercings. He had two; a lippiercing and an eyebrowpiercing.
The most noticable feature he had though, were probably his eyes: a mesmerizing gray, so deep and pure that every time they met Eren's (and let's be honest here, Eren did look at the guy quite a lot so the occasional gaze-lock wasn't off the record) it seemed as though Levi was looking straight into Eren's soul, revealing all his secrets, destroying him in the most beautiful way possible.
Realizing Jean had asked him a question, he snapped back into reality and sighed.
"I don't know, man. Invite him? I mean, it'd just be rude not to."
"You're right about that, but I'm not asking him. I like my nose. It'd be a shame to have it bitten off."
"Dude," Eren said. "He's not that bad."
"Not bad?!" Jean's eyes widened. "We spoke to him once, and that was enough. As I recall he called us 'Immature and stupid brats.' And then threatened to rip our throats out with his bare hands if we weren't quiet."
"Well yeah.. But he had a point, I mean we were in the library! We should've at least kept our voices down a little, he was trying to do homework, for like, the first time ever! Besides, I don't think he meant his threat. He actually looked a bit amused, I'm pretty sure his eyes sparked with a hint of joy an-"
"Eren," Jean interrupted his rant quite rudely. "your gay is showing."
Eren smiled. A year ago, he would've been bothered by that statement. He would've taken offense and would've probably ignored Jean a day or two.
Eren hadn't come out back then.
Now though, he was openly gay and everyone seemed pretty okay with it. Sure, he got the occasional snide comment in the locker room but the others pretty much left him alone. Eren suspected they secretly respected him for being so open about it. He liked to think of himself as an example, someone the insecure kids who were afraid to come out could look up to.
So instead of getting offended when Jean made the comment just now, Eren playfully stomped his shoulder and said: "You bet it is."
Then his eyes darkened again. "So should I ask him about the party now?"
"Yes!" Jean said excitedly, urging Eren to get up.
Eren got up, dusted himself off and walked over to where Levi was still standing. Cigarette present as always.
"Uh.. H-hi, Levi.." Eren stuttered.
Levi had narrowed his eyes when Eren started speaking. Doing that made his eyebrowpiercing gleam in the sunlight and that glimmer of light caught Eren's attention momentarily until Levi started speaking.
"What do you want, brat?" Charming, as always.
"I.. I want to ask you something."
That seemed to spark Levi's interest. He took a final drag of his cigarette, dropped it on the ground and looked up again, his eyes wide and honest.
"Go on." He urged.
"Well you see, since we won the game today.." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, Levi's piercing gaze was making him uncomfortable. "I'm throwing a party and I'd like you to be there. That is, if you want to."
Levi's eyes widened a little. Then he laughed. A short, bitter laugh. "Are you serious Jaeger? You want me to be there?"
"Well obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have asked."
"Wouldn't I scare away your guests though? I don't think they like me very much." His deep voice sounded bored but it was laced with some sort of mockery.
Eren scoffed. "I think you're giving yourself too much credit. You're not that scary."
"Really? I'll have to work on that then." He said, almost to himself.
He met Eren's gaze for a long while. "Can I bring some people?"
"Y-yeah sure." He was slightly taken aback by the question because hadn't expected Levi to accept that easily. "Not too many people though, when this is over I still want to have a house to return to, not a ruin."
"Don't worry Eren, I'll probably only bring Erwin and Hanji."
"Oh! Aren't they the blond guy with the eyebrows and the loud chick with the glasses?" Eren wondered
"Yeah." He answered. "How do you know that though?" He feigned shock. "Are you stalking me, Eren Jaeger?" Though Levi's tone remained serious, his eyes gleamed and his mouth quirked a bit, almost forming a smile.
Eren blushed a deep red. "N-no. I just.. I just see you around from time to time, I mean.. You're pretty hard not to notice, wearing all that black. You're like a shadow."
"Uhu." He sounded sarcastic. "Or you're just a creepy motherfucker."
"Anyway.." Eren was getting flustered."I've got to go now, preparations and shit.. You know the drill. But I'll see you tonight, yeah?"
"You bet, kid"
And with that, Eren left, dragging Jean, who had stood up to follow the conversation between Levi and Eren more closely, with him.
"So you're a stalker now?" Jean said mockingly. "That's definitely an upgrade from being an immature brat."
Eren scowled. "Let's just go to my place Jean. We've got work to do. Armin and Mikasa are probably already there."
----LEVI POV----
Levi didn't know what to think when he saw the brat walk up to him.
He was suprised. Eren had no reason to strike a conversation with him. They'd only talked once before and he vaguely remembered their talk had ended with a death threat on his part.
Nevertheless, he'd be lying if he said he didn't see Eren around from time to time. The kid was popular. Being captain of the soccer team made sure of that. And so did his good looks.
Eren had eyes to drown in. Eyes so deep and beautiful they took Levi's breath away. His hair was the perfect amount of messy and his lean figure was to kill for.
But instead of acting on impulse and tell Eren all that, Levi had decided to act uninterested and didn't show the suprise he felt just now. He just ook a drag of his cigarette and narrowed his eyes when Eren started to speak.
"Uh.. Hi, Levi." Eren stammered.
Levi fought the urge to roll his eyes. The poor kid seemed so scared. That's probably part of his charm, he figured. The fact that Eren could still get nervous around other people despite being the most popular person in school.
"What do you want, brat?" Were the words that left his mouth. Eren was cute and all, but Levi still had a reputation to uphold.
"I.. I want to ask you something."
At this point, Levi was becoming a little bit curious. It wasn't every day that Eren freaking Jaeger, school's soccer legend, casually came to ask him something. So Levi took a final drag of his cigarette and dropped it on the ground, crushing it with boot in the process. Then, he looked up again
"Go on." He urged.
"Well you see.. Since we won the game today I'm throwing a party and I'd like you to be there. That is, if you want to."
Are you serious Jaeger? You want me to be there?" Levi tried, really hard, to keep his voice level but he was unable to stop the bitter laugh that escaped from his lips. Was this kid messing with him?
"Well obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have asked."
"Wouldn't I scare away your guests though?" Levi decided it was best to approach this situation with the only form of self defense he had: mockery. "I don't think they like me very much."
Eren scoffed, clearly not bothered. "I think you're giving yourself way too much credit." Was his only reply. "You're not that scary."
Really? I'll have to work on that then. He averted his eyes when he realized he had said that loud.
In that moment, his intention was to decline the party invitation altogether but when he met Eren's sparkling emerald gaze once more, Levi found he was incapable of saying no.
So instead he asked: "Can I bring some people?"
Eren looked genuinely surprised. It was obvious that he hadn't expected Levi to say yes.
"Y-yeah sure." He replied. "Not too many people though, when this is over I still want to have a house to return to. Not a ruin."
"Don't worry, Eren." Levi reassured. "I'll only bring Erwin and Hanji."
"Oh!" He seemed excited. "Aren't those the blond guy with the eyebrows and the loud chick with glasses?"
"Uhm.. Yeah. How do you know that though?" He put his hand over his heart and inhaled exaggerated. "Are you stalking me, Eren Jaeger?" Levi had to force the smile off his face.
Eren blushed and started stammering again. "N-no. I just.. I just see you around from time to time, I mean.. You're pretty hard not to notice, wearing all that black. You're like a shadow."
Levi was touched. Eren was saying all the things he had convinced himself were wrong over the past years. It made him feel important, it made him feel as if he was noticeable after all.
He couldn't show Eren that though. Poor boy would probably get a heart attack if he noticed Levi was a little emotional.
So he decided to take the sarcastic route. "Uhu. Or you're just a creepy motherfucker." Were the only words that fell from his lips.
And it was worth totally worth it because Eren got even more flustered. "Anyway," he all but screamed. "I've got to go now, preparations and shit.. You know the drill! But I'll see you tonight, yeah?"
"You bet, kid." Levi replied.
He watched as Eren walked over to where his friend was standing and kept watching as he saw the pair leave the soccer field, bickering the whole time.
For the first time that day, Levi allowed a small smile to slip onto his face as he fumbled his phone out of his pocket. He figured he should tell Erwin and Hanji about the party.
He send them a text (because calling was too social) and walked up to the school's parking lot.
He smiled for a second time that day when he saw his beautiful black motorcycle gleam in the warm afternoon sunshine.
As he climbed on his vehicle, he realized that there was no better feeling in the world than riding a motorcycle. It released him from his thoughts and set him free of his all his responsibilities.
He turned on the engine, put on his helmet and took off. He'd be lying if he said he didn't look forward to the party.