Chapter Text
Levi considers himself a rational man, so he never thinks he’d kiss someone at their very first meeting.
"First meeting" isn't quite right, though. It’s their first meeting in person.
Levi has just started a new job in a new city. He rents a room in a 3B2B apartment close to the company. The last time he came to check the place, only the landlord had shown him around. None of the roommates were home.
So this is how he meets his roommate for the first time: he walks in with his suitcase and finds a tall guy squeezed into a small loveseat, his long legs bent up awkwardly.
“Oh, you must be the new tenant? I’m Erwin.” The man quickly stands up and greets him.
“…Smith.” Levi mutters under his breath. Technically, he should introduce himself properly, but what comes out instead is just this word.
“It seems that the landlord has told you about me? You even know my last name, and I have no idea about your name.”
Know his last name? Not a chance. Levi has never known that. What he does know is the gaming name of the guy who had been online with him every single day.
And how does he realize the man standing here is THAT online friend?
Thanks to someone who made his avatar look exactly like his real face.
He really doesn’t expect the guy to look like this in real life, not to mention using his own last name as a username.
“…Levi.” His mind is a complete blur. After a few seconds of pause, he finally rasps out his own name.
How can you actually be a Smith, with a face that’s the spitting image of your character, speaking in that damn familiar voice, and now showing up in my life again?
Levi can’t make any sense of it.
Erwin doesn’t seem bothered by his not-so-socialized reaction at all. Instead, he smiles. “Levi, right? Want me to help carry your luggage into your room? You sound tired.” His hand is already resting on the suitcase.
Normally, Levi hates people touching his stuff. But this is Erwin. Erwin Smith.
The man who used to react quickly has completely frozen. Levi isn’t much of a talker by nature, but now even the simplest social skills seem to vanish.
“Thanks, I’ll help myself.” Levi forces out the last bit of polite phrasing, grabs the two big bags on the floor, and reaches for the suitcase handle—only to accidentally grab Erwin’s hand instead.
Levi looks up and locks eyes with a pair of clear, blue ones. Suddenly, it feels like a storm has blown up in his head.
How the hell could someone pick the exact same eye color for his character?
Is the level of blueness even legit?
And… isn’t that look way too intense?
He completely forgets to let go of Erwin’s hand.
Interestingly, Erwin doesn’t move either. He just lets Levi hold on, not budging an inch.
“You look tired too,” Erwin says, ignoring Levi’s decline.
“When I first moved in, my previous roommate helped me carry a ton of stuff, too. Now, just leave it. Why not go sit on the couch and rest for a bit?”
Levi stays silent. His expression is a mix of emotions.
Seeing that, Erwin bends down, reaching for the bag in Levi’s other hand. Whether on purpose or by accident, he ends up gripping Levi’s wrist instead of the bag. His big hand runs along Levi’s, over his fingers, all the way to the tips, and finally lifts the bag away.
“Let me handle this.”
By now, Levi sees no reason to argue. After letting Erwin take the bag, he finally realizes his other hand is still resting on him. He yanks it back quickly, feeling like a thief caught in the act.
While Erwin carries the luggage into the room, Levi goes back outside to bring in the rest of the bags piled in the stairwell. They work like a quiet little relay, moving things from the doorway to Levi’s room.
To be honest, Levi doesn’t have that much stuff. When the last bag is in, he calls out hesitantly:
“Erwin…”
“Anything else left?”
“Smith…”
“?”
“Commander.”
This time, Erwin freezes.
“How long… four years?” Levi leans against the living room wall, not looking at him. “And I barely ever unmute, so you probably don’t recognize my voice.”
Finally, he meets Erwin’s eyes. “Commander Smith?”
“Aww… saying that out loud in real life is painfully embarrassing.” Levi rubs his forehead like he already regrets it. With his hands covering part of his face, it’s hard to tell what he’s really thinking.
“I thought I had misheard.”
“Is it really you?”
“You still play games?”
With every question, Erwin steps closer.
“Do I still play? Of course. Life Online. Never seen a game this hard, harder than slaying Titans.”
“But in real life, people don’t just disappear like they’re dead, leaving a mess behind. Even that annoying coworker who suddenly quits usually manages to hand things over before leaving. That’s way easier than a game,” Levi adds, shooting Erwin a side glance.
“I…”
Erwin looks like he’s about to explain something, but Levi doesn’t give him the chance.
He snatches at the collar of Erwin’s ruffled sweatshirt sleeve and shuts him up with his mouth.