Title: The Little Titan Café
AO3
Pairing: Levi/Eren
Summary: Just another cliche AU in which Eren works as a barista in his mother’s café, specializing in latte art. And then there’s Levi, who’s not exactly your typical patron, because, well, he’s blunt and rude (which Eren supposes isn’t that much different from regular customers) but mostly he just confuses Eren’s poor little homosexual heart.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21
{ the real chapter 20 sweats }
Welcome to the Little Titan Café!
Today's special: Caramel Flan Latte
→ Daffodils represent forgiveness, new beginnings and a rebirth. They are identified by a trumpet-shaped center surrounded by petals that create a star shape. Daffodils are grown from bulbs and readily return each spring, signifying the end of winter and a new season beginning.
It was stupid. This was stupid. He was stupid.
It was laughable, really. Tragically so because Levi (stonehearted, purebred thug, capable-of-murder-Levi, mind you) was standing outside of the coffee shop – something he seemed to find himself doing a lot lately; waiting outside in the darkness, as if afraid to step into the light – hesitating to go inside, a small bouquet of flowers clutched in his right hand.
What had he planned on accomplishing with those flowers? I’m sorry, Eren, for never telling you right away that I was the author you so adored. That I am a terrible man. That I am a criminal. That I was born a criminal. That you should have nothing to do with me. That I still want everything to do with you, regardless.
Eren wasn’t some foolish girl who could be swayed by a few measly daffodils.
Not that all girls could be swayed with flowers. Most women in the family often tried to castrate their partners if they were stupid enough to piss them off and try to make amends with a dozen roses. But that was because most people in the mafia were naturally violent and Levi was a hundred percent positive that Eren was just as violent – if not more so (despite never having seen Eren get into any physical fights, personally). And the fact of the matter was, Eren wasn’t like most people, nor was he a girl, let alone a normal girl who probably would at least accept the flowers begrudgingly before making his life hell.
Eren was Eren. A young man. A man.
God these flowers were a stupid idea. What the hell was Petra thinking?
“I was thinking that they’d be a nice gesture.”
Levi didn’t glance at her. “Why are you here again?”
“I drove you over.”
“Hm.”
“Because you were too scared to do it yourself.”
“….”
Petra’s smile was patient. “He can’t kill you unless he wants to go to prison, so rest assured, boss.”
Levi’s expression settled into a grim one. “I would never let Eren go to prison.”
She sighed, the point completely going over his head. “Would you like me to go in first and assess his temperament?”
“No.”
Five seconds ticked by. “Then are you going inside?”
“…”
No way. It couldn’t be, could it? But as she stood there studying his profile, Petra could see it in the darkness of his gaze, the blacker than usual circles beneath his eyes, the twitch in the crease of his eyebrows that Levi was scared. “What are you so afraid of, boss?”
“I told you guys to stop calling me that. I turned down the head position a long time ago.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you completely dodge the question.”
He closed his eyes, head lowering with a small sigh. He hadn’t known what to expect when he gave Eren the draft. A text message. A phone call. Both angry, perhaps. Maybe something along the lines of I can’t believe you never told me. But Levi received neither call nor text, nothing to indicate Eren’s feelings or that Eren even read it. Maybe he was thinking too much over things, maybe there was nothing to worry about. Maybe there was everything to worry about. Eren probably never saw the poem at the back of his drawing, probably didn’t get the hint. Was it too vague? Was it too cheesy? Was it so unbearably cheesy that Eren realized he wanted nothing to do with Levi?
Why had he let Petra talk him into buying flowers again?
“Am I too old to be afraid of things like this? Of…” Levi rubbed his temples, voice strained, “…rejection.”
“No, Levi. It’s perfectly natural. But is that really what you’re worried about? You’ve been dragging your heels around for a while now.”
Damn women and their power of perception.
“Enlighten me— since you seem to know so much— what exactly am I worried about?”
Petra quirked a challenging brow as she proceeded to tick off every one of Levi’s insecurities from each perfectly manicured nail: “You’re too old for Eren. His parents probably won’t approve of your relationship. Society won’t approve of your relationship. Eren may get bored of you as you get older. Eren may get bored of you when he realizes how truly boring you are. He’s too good for you because of how dark your life has been… blah, blah, blah. Need I carry on?”
Well when she put it like that… Levi rubbed his chest. “No.”
“Can I be frank with you, boss?”
He wanted to point out that she was already being frank with him, but smartly chose to keep his mouth shut to nod his consent.
“Your insecurities are an impediment. Disregard them. Since when did you care what others think of you? Since when did you care what the norm was and what was appropriate by societal standards? The man I know goes after what he wants and doesn’t mope about things he can’t change.”
When he didn’t respond, Petra gave his shoulder a little nudge.
“If you understand all that, then what are you doing standing around? Your boyfriend is waiting for you.”
“I was remembering a time where you used to speak kindly to me.”
She laughed. “Good luck, boss.”
Levi grabbed the handle of the door, lingering in the winter cold for just a little longer. The weather channel mentioned something about a chance of snow tonight. “How will you get back?”
“Auruo is coming to pick me up. Oh, and boss?”
“Hm?”
“Don’t forget to properly introduce Eren to us later.”
“Maybe.”
The bell chimed with his arrival.
_______
Eren couldn’t figure out how he ended up sitting ankles crossed on the café floor as he let a five year old girl do who-knows-what to his hair. He had just given her the usual – “One dancing, hot, boiling chocolate lava with an explosion of sprinkles and whipped cream!”— when Lily chided –chided! –him about his hair (“What if your hair gets into drinks? It’s too long now.”). Yeah, he couldn’t believe it, either. A five year old chiding him. Unbelievable.
Every tug and pull at his hair as little chubby hands bunched it all together had Eren’s head throbbing, but he gritted his teeth and sat obediently through the pain. Lily decided the green-glittery hairband was the best choice because they matched Eren’s eyes, and only after she was done and thought Eren was more presentable did she beam with satisfaction.
“All done!”
“Thanks, Lily,” Eren scratched his scalp, loosening some of his hair for relief. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
“You should just get your hair cut.”
“You sound like my mother.”
“Hmph.”
Eren grinned crookedly. “I just hope you didn’t use some girly hair tie.”
Her expression was purely angelic as she hid her crossed fingers behind her back. “No I didn’t.”
“You promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
“Okay, I trust you.”
“I’m sorry about my daughter,” Lily’s father apologized, taking one of her hands in his.
“It’s okay,” Eren lifted his head up with a smile. “My hair’s been a nuisance lately because it’s always getting in my face, so she did me a huge favor.”
“Oh, for the drinks,“ the man started to hand a ten dollar bill but Eren waved him off.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s on me.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” he trailed off as the café door opened, attention brought to the front, everything slowly halting as he caught sight of Levi standing there and suddenly it was like seeing Levi for the first time all over again. His heart may as well be performing for the Olympics with how high they somersaulted; pretty sure it was stuck in his throat right now, making it difficult to swallow. Truth be told, Eren didn’t know how he was going to approach Levi ever since the revelation last night. He thought to be angry. He thought to be happy. He thought to be upset and send Levi away until he could collect his thoughts.
But there was nothing to think over, he realized.
Eren did too much of that lately. Too much thinking. And he was tired of it. Tired of wondering and doubting and hoping because there was nothing to wonder about. Nothing to be doubtful of. There was only everything to hope for – only all of the good things.
“Levi,” he finally breathed.
Levi stood there, sharp gaze darting to Lily and her father and then to Eren, not really knowing what to do with himself or how to approach Eren. His grip on the flowers tightened, the plastic wrap crinkling beneath his fingers. There was a word at the tip of his tongue, a name he had to get out, but all of that stopped at the sight of the barista sitting on the filthy floor with his pretty smile and his pretty face and his pretty eyes and his un-filthy everything and how was it possible for a little pony tail to look completely and utterly adorable on a man, Levi could not compute.
This. This otherworldly creature was his.
Not in the possession kind of way; not in the Levi-could-do-whatever-he-pleased kind of way. In the way that people offered up their hearts and their trust. In the way they made themselves completely vulnerable for another person. And Levi finally got that.
“Eren.”
Eren was his. He could see clarity in those green eyes.
“Hi,” the barista greeted, smile so warm and welcoming it brought dimples to rosy cheeks.
Levi was Eren’s.
“I got you –“ Levi cleared his throat, awkwardly lifting the bouquet of daffodils. “I got you flowers.”
There wasn’t disgust or horror or confusion, only a startled happiness. “Thanks.”
“They’re daffodils.”
“Oh?” Eren was on his feet walking towards Levi.
“Mm.”
He held the bouquet between his hands, just above Levi’s own. “They’re beautiful.”
And he meant it.
Levi didn’t care for flowers. Didn’t think they were all that great. They smelled strange. They died easily. They were fragile and easily destroyed. But if they made Eren smile like that, then he’d pluck a thousand more.
Because he loved Eren Jaeger.
(The little spell they were under shattered away once the coos of awe and applause from the rest of the customers made them both very aware they were being watched.)
_______
“I can’t believe no one said anything,” Eren mumbled. What made it even more embarrassing was his mother being there – his mother who was currently putting the flowers into a water-filled vase.
“Who could say anything when you two were busy making lovey-dovey eyes at each other?” Carla asked, Levi snorting into his Caramel Flan Latte. Levi didn’t care that a bunch of strangers saw them and would have been completely fine if it wasn’t for Eren’s mother being there. She adjusted the flowers in the vase, sorting them in a way that gave the stems enough space. “It’s nice to finally be properly introduced to you, Levi.”
“It is nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Jaeger,” Levi said, tone courteous.
“I understand you are dating my son.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“And that your age difference is questionable.”
“…Yes.” As if he could deny it.
Carla sighed when she was satisfied with the arrangement of daffodils. “I should probably have told my son how inappropriate that is—“
“Mom,” Eren groaned.
“—but that would be hypocritical of me.” She smiled reassuringly. “After all, Grisha is fifteen years older, and our age has never been an issue between us.”
Eren blinked. “Seriously?”
Carla eyed her son critically. “You never knew?”
“Well, I never knew how old you guys were.”
“You don’t know how old your parents are?” Levi quirked an eyebrow, enjoying the way Eren was put on the spot.
He stammered over his words. “Why would I care how old they are? They’re my parents. I assume they’re really old—“
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, you still look young, mom. Not a day over twenty.” Whew. Dodged a bullet with that one.
“Anyway,” Carla returned her attention to Levi, leaving her son to help the customer that approached the counter, “It truly is nice to meet you, Levi. Perhaps you would like to come over for dinner sometime so we can get to know you more properly.”
“Is that really necessary?” Eren asked, voice panicked as he took the customer’s money.
“I would love nothing more, Mrs. Jaeger.”
“It’s a date then!”
What the heck just happened, Eren wondered as he made the drink in a daze. One second his mom was putting the flowers in a vase, the next her and Levi were planning a night for him to come over for dinner. She left the shop with a smile and a fly kiss, winter coat on and purse on arm. Eren handed the customer his drink, still confused.
“What just happened?”
“I’m coming over for dinner next week.”
“Why would you agree to that?”
“Because she’s your mother.”
Eren sniffed haughtily. “And who said I even approved? I’m mad at you, you know.”
Levi set his cup down, poker face on, “Oh?”
“Yeah.”
He leaned his jaw into the palm of his hand, both smug and cool all at once and Eren truly was mad at that moment. But he couldn’t stay mad because he was never angry to begin with. Not really.
“…Okay fine, I’m not mad. I still can’t believe it though – well I can, I think. I just have a hard time grasping that you’re—“ Eren lowered his voice to a whisper, “Rivaille.”
“I didn’t think you’d get it, being as dense as you are,” Levi teased.
“I’m not that dense.” Eren leaned over the counter. It didn’t escape Levi how comfortable Eren was around him, how open his body language was and how every movement seemed to gravitate towards him. “I didn’t know what to think at first. I thought maybe I was just making it up.. But the more I thought about it and played everything over and over in my head, it all made sense. And I was just… I’m just happy.”
Relief. Levi had been concerned over this unpredictable boy for no reason. But that was why he was drawn to Eren: for his unpredictability.
Levi was happy, too. It was a strange thought. To be happy. He never considered himself happy or unhappy. He’d always just been.
“I am as well.”
_______
“Is your father as open as your mother?”
Eren looked out the shop window. Just as the weather channel said, it was snowing, but thankfully nothing was sticking. He flipped the sign to Closed. “My dad is just… indifferent. So yeah, he’s open I guess.” He craned his neck around, sending a smirk at Levi from over his shoulder. “Are you scared, Mr. Mobster?”
Levi’s face remained blank. “Mobsters like me ain’t scared of nothing.”
Eren wasn’t sure if it was a slip of the tongue or on purpose, but the slang sounded oddly nice coming from Levi. More natural. He stared through the window, breath ghosting over the chilled glass. “Where do we go from here, Levi?”
“We go home.”
“You know what I mean.”
He heard the shuffle of Levi sliding off the stool, heard his approach, saw his reflection in the glass as he stood next to Eren. “Tomorrow, when you’re done with class, I’m going to take you out for lunch. We’re going to meet at Little Italy, and we’ll eat, perhaps in silence, perhaps in conversation. And then that night I will come find you here. You’ll be working, and so will I. And the day after that, you can pick a place to eat at. Every day onward, I don’t care where we go or where we’re at. I will take you where you want to go. If it’s to the movies, okay. If it’s another country, okay.”
Eren tilted his head ever so slightly, just enough that he could press his cheek against Levi’s shoulder.
He wanted to cry for some reason. He wanted to cry not because he was sad, but because he was happy, because he felt so peaceful standing there, listening to Levi’s words and his voice. Eren never thought he was capable of loving someone so much. But here he was. There they were.
He wanted to cry because everything was the same and everything was different. Levi was still the silent, apathetic man who first strolled into the shop, but he wasn’t at the same time.
He wanted to cry because Eren fell so hard for Levi at the very beginning, but that’d been a silly crush that grew into something more.
“Are you crying, Eren?”
A small sniffle. “Of course not.”
Insistent, callous hands grabbed his face and there was nothing Eren could do to hide his tears. “You’re beautiful when you cry.”
“That’s the most sadistic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I hope you’re not regretting this now,” Levi said, catching the tears with a stroke of his thumb.
“It’s too late for that.”
“Exactly. You’re stuck with me, Eren.”
“Good.”
February would be ending soon. This was probably the last snowfall of the season, Eren thought as he locked up shop behind him. Spring was coming next month and the weather was going to get warmer (“Thank goodness,” Levi grumbled. Although, to be honest, he grew a little fond of winter; was quite fond of the cold and going into warm places, into warm little coffee shops where a bright-eyed barista always made him feel warm).
Eren held out gloved hands, catching snowflakes and watched as they melted onto leather.
“Eren.”
“Hm?”
Levi tightened Eren’s scarf. “If you keep standing there like an idiot, you’ll catch a cold.”
“I thought idiots couldn’t get sick.”
“So you admit that you’re an idiot.”
“That’s—argh, you!”
Levi laughed. Laughed. It wasn’t one of those stomach-clutching laughs, or a loud, obnoxious one. It was a low, hearty rumble that had butterflies fluttering in Eren’s own stomach, that had his heart pit-pattering and tripping over every beat. Because Levi laughed and he smiled and it made his eyes crinkle with uncharacteristic brilliance.
He waited until the laughter died down because it was rare and it was lovely and warmed Eren straight to his toes. He waited until Levi settled down into a heartbreakingly tender smile, until Levi was looking at him, until there was nothing to laugh about or talk about before Eren threw his arms around Levi.
It was zero hundred and they were kissing.
It made them dizzy. It made them weak. They didn’t dare press too hard, didn’t dare break down the borders. At least not yet. Not when something so gentle, something so sweet made Eren’s knees wobble and knock into each other that Levi had to hold him up, hands fisting the back of his coat, arms tight and warm and secure. Eren held on for good measure, fingers weaving into hair; didn’t think he could let go even if he wanted to, didn’t think he ever wanted to.
It wasn’t explosive, but it was… it ignited something in them both. A fire that would only grow and burn brighter and hotter.
Their lips were chapped from the cold, but that didn’t last long, and everything was hot and Eren was sure his face was red. He was sure he was melting.
And oh how sweet Levi’s little gingerbread man tasted, like caffeine, like cinnamon and sugar and everything to be desired. But he dared not devour Eren like he wanted to, he reminded himself, catching Eren’s bottom lip between his teeth. He let it go, kissing the corners of Eren’s mouth, kissing his lips, softer, harder, until he had Eren backed up against the building, until he was sure he couldn’t hold himself back any more like he told himself to do point three seconds ago. Until Eren’s ragged breathing and guttural moan shattered the still winter night.
And oh how quickly that fire grew and Levi wanted more, so much more…. He caught those bright eyes, dazed and glossy.
It took Levi a while to realize that even he was out of breath.
“Was that… okay?”
“Yes,” was Eren’s raspy response.
“I apologize. I got carried away.”
“So did I.”
Levi wiped away a sliver of saliva sticking to Eren’s bottom lip. They parted, plump and red and inviting. So sweet. He felt young and seventeen again, ready to jump Eren after just a kiss. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow we will meet at Little Italy for lunch.”
“What time?”
“Eleven-thirty.”
“Can’t wait.”
“Tomorrow, then.” Levi’s eyelashes lowered to Eren’s lips.
“Tomorrow,” Eren agreed, fingers tightening in Levi’s hair.
“One more for the road.”
“One mo—“ before Eren could parrot the words, they were kissing again, this time without the fire that threatened to consume them. It was there. It would always be there. But they pushed it back in favor of something more merciful.
The world was silent all around them, the snow continued to fall, time continued to pass, and the last of winter faded away.
TBC.
Next chapter is the last one… :‘DD
I thought I would be relieved to get this done, but I am feeling rather bittersweet atm. It’s been years since I’ve finished a multichaptered fic, but despite how sad it makes me, I am still also very proud. I am thankful to every single one of you for being so encouraging and supportive. So thank you everyone.
I also apologize for taking so long to write this chapter, and thank all of you for being so patient while I took the time to take a break ♥
