Chapter Text
A tea shop? Did your friend really surprise you by visiting a tea shop? You like tea as much as the next person, but this feels out of your comfort zone. The dark exterior of the building contrasts with the others around it making it look sleek, but almost ominous. The inside is a little better; dark wood floors and a high white ceiling feel more welcoming.
She pulls you towards the spotless counter to look over the small menu, her arm linked with yours. You contemplate on what to get with a variety piquing your interest. You obliviously start at the board, unaware that your friend had ordered and stepped away from you. A throat-clearing noise jolts you back to reality as your eyes land on a dark-haired man that's about an inch shorter than you.
"So are you going to order or not?" His voice is just a beautiful as he is. His dark hair and voice stand out against his light eyes as he practically glares at you.
"I..I'm actually not very sure what to get...do you have a recommendation by chance?" You look between his face and the board above him, anxiety taking over. He sighs and starts typing away on the register in front of him.
"Your total is $3.85." He states flatly. You nod quickly and hand over your bank card. He processes the transaction, hands the card back to you, and begins making your drink himself. It is only him and one other guy working, so that's not much of a surprise. You make your way to the end of the counter next to your friend and give her arm a slight nudge while gesturing to the guy with your eyes.
He's obviously attractive and he knows it. Even given his stature, you can tell he's probably what's pulling the customers back to the shop. His grey eyes never waver from their unimpressed state, his eyes drooping slightly in permanent disinterest. His skin looks almost like porcelain under the dim fluorescent lights.
He places your drink on the counter with a nod. He crosses his arms and leans back on the opposite counter, watching you intently. You take the warm cup in your hands and sip it, a warm and soothing feeling washes over your tongue. You hum to yourself as your eyes close and relish in the warmth spreading through your body. You unconsciously bite your lip and you nod, taking another sip in approval.
"This is amazing, thank you." You open your eyes and give the man a soft smile. He nods to you again before taking his place back by the register.
You shuffle away to the table your friend has sat at, sitting and starting another random conversation. Your mind drifts away to the man at the counter once again. How could he have read you so well that he made you the perfect cup of tea? It looks like he has a new regular.
^^^
A long and hard day at work is really dragging you down. You trudge down the familiar sidewalk, glancing at the people who pass by. Some you see occasionally on this all too typical route, some are but strangers to your eyes. Your eyes finally focus on the sign a few yards away and almost skip to the storefront it corresponds with. You calm yourself as you approach the windows and swing the beautiful wooden door open, a bell jingling to notify the staff of your presence.
The tea shop you now frequent has a decent crowd today. You notice your normal table has been taken, a small frown pulling on your cheeks as you step in line. The few people in front of you order quickly, giving you little time to think over any possible changes to your typical order. A usual cold stare drills through you as you step up to the counter with a smile.
"$3.85." He says apathetically as always. You nod and hand him your card. Your eyes widen slightly as you notice something that wasn't there the last couple of weeks: a small nametag pinned to his apron. In almost pristine handwriting is the name 'Levi'. Huh, how fitting for this moody man. He hands you your card and you make your way to the end of the counter. A few moments later, your usual is placed on the counter...before anyone else's. Your surprised eyes flick back up to the man's face.
"Thank you, Levi." You say softly with a smirk. You watch his eyes widen slightly before you wander to the other side of the shop, hopping up on a barstool by the window and pulling out your phone. You can't shake the feeling of eyes on you as you scroll through your news feed. Your gaze moves up to the counter and locks onto a set of cold, grey eyes. The mere seconds the two of you held that stare felt like an eternity; him slowly wiping down the ordering counter and you with your steaming drink to your lips. Another customer breaks the connection and the two of you go back to what you were previously doing. These lingering glances soon become commonplace between the two of you.
^^^
Autumn rolls into winter and snow lines the edges of the sidewalk. A light flurry blows gently in the air as you walk deliberately slow, trying with everything in your being to find a positive to your day.
Your boss had called you into his office at the end of your shift and let you go due to budget cuts. You had spent the next half hour after that sobbing in the women's restroom before composing yourself and leaving. Maybe your phlegmatic tea maker can boost your dull and dreary mood.
As you approach the door, you discover a 'help wanted' sign hanging in the small window in the wood. Your heart skips a beat as you hurriedly enter the shop. It's a little more vacant than usual with only two people sitting on different sides of the space. No one is behind the counter as you step up to it. You stand and wait quietly for almost a minute, trying your best to give Levi and his coworker Miche time to finish whatever they could be doing. Well, maybe Miche is the reason there is a 'wanted' sign in the door. Growing slightly inpatient, you lightly ding the bell on the counter. A loud groan emits from behind the swinging doors behind the counter. Grey eyes catch yours as the doors burst open. You jump slightly at the sudden noise and watch Levi as he steps up to the counter.
"$3.8-" He doesn't get to finish before your nerves get the better of you.
"Can I apply for the job?" Your words fall out quicker than you anticipated as you gesture behind you towards the door with your thumb. The air around you grows a bit stiff under his scrutinizing gaze.
"No. That'll be $3.85." His expression doesn't waver in the slightest as he outstretches his hand to you. Your face drops instantly at his words. A lump rises in your throat and you can feel the tears coming already.
"W-why not..?" Your voice cracks and you remain unmoving. His brow lifts slightly as he lets out a sigh.
"I just don't think you're a good fit for the job." His tone never changes. His outstretched hand dropping to the wooden counter between the two of you. Unknown to you, he would love to have you work with him. Your bright personality could really brighten up the place. He watches as the first tear streaks down your cheek and his eyes go wide.
"Please Levi, I'm a quick learner! I may not have any experience with something like this, but I can try!" Another tear runs down your other cheek as you grip the counter in front of you, "Please Levi. I'll do anything you tell me to, I'll clean everything every day until my hands bleed." You continue your pleas, his eyes never leaving yours.
"I've already picked someone. I'm sorry." He lies. It shoots aches to his heart when he watches your eyes crinkle up to try and catch the tears escaping your eyes, "Besides, don't you already have a job?" He practically tsks at you. He shifts his weight to his hip as he watches you shake your head from side to side.
"N-not anymore..." You huff out the words in a half-assed laugh and wipe your face with your coat sleeves, "My b-boss let me go today...something about budget cuts or something...I thought it was a sign to see, well, your sign in the window. I-its okay though...I'll find something." Your eyes drop to the counter as you hand him your card. He hesitates to take it from you, ultimately deciding to pay for your drink himself. He pushes the card back towards you and goes to make your drink.
Your head whips up at the action, eyes wide as you watch him work his magic. You remain frozen in place as he sets the cup in front of you.
"Write your number down." He slides you a notepad and pen with a sigh, "I'll give you a call if it falls through."
You stand there gawking at him and the notepad. Absentmindedly, you grab the pen and scribble down your number. Levi retrieves the items, ripping the paper away from the rest and sliding it in the pocket of his apron.
"T-thank you..." You whisper out and turn on your heel to leave quickly, embarrassment clouding your mind and forcing you to exit sooner than you would like. Levi watches you leave, a worried look crossing over his eyes as he gets back to making the counters spotless.
You soon arrive at your small apartment and head inside as the snow begins to pick up. You slam the door shut and shiver, the dramatic change in temperature hitting you like a bus. You hang up your coat and your small, black cat trots up to you. She rubs her face against your damp leg and jumps back a bit, confused by the new sensation on her face.
"You are a silly one Selene." You reach down and pat the top of her little head. She purrs at your action and gallops quickly down the hallway. Giggles erupt from your throat as you head towards your bathroom.
Midway through your shower, a faint buzzing begins to ring in your ears. That's odd. You slide your curtain open and reach for your phone on the counter. A number you aren't familiar with is flashing on the screen in a call notification. It's definitely not your previous place of employment or anyone you know. You flip off the water and answer the call.
"Hello? This is (y/n) (l/n) speaking." Your tone is professional, but a bit winded from the hot air around you. The voice on the other line makes you freeze up on the spot.
"It's Levi." Oh shit. Oh shit. You scramble for your towel and step out of the shower as your nerves take over.
"Oh! H-hi Levi! What can I help you with?" You remember back to your conversion not even two hours earlier and facepalm your forehead. If you weren't embarrassed before, you definitely are now.
"The applicant fell through. Can you start tomorrow at 9 am?" He's as punctual as ever.
"Yes! Absolutely!" You almost jump for joy, but remember the wetness under your feet. He's already offering you the job? That's crazy! You're just happy to have a job again. A slight chuckle can be heard on the other line. Levi is thoroughly amused by your excitement.
"Good. See you then. Wear all black and comfortable shoes." He hangs up without another word. You're as giddy as a school girl now. You've got to pick the perfect outfit- wait. All black? Did you hear him correctly? You look over your towel covered body and run your hands over your curves. You usually wear mostly black anyway, but you've never noticed a particular dress code there. You shrug and skip out to your bedroom, Selene following close on your heels.
^^^
You damn near run the next morning, your nerves having kept you up most of the night. Your long sleeve top and leggings ride up awkwardly under your coat. You're just really excited to have another job and don't want to ruin it. You get there around fifteen minutes early. You're alone on the quiet sidewalk, looking around aimlessly waiting on Levi. Your eyes catch the hours sign on the window and notice something; the store opens at 10:30 am. Interesting. You pull your coat around you tighter and straighten up when you hear footsteps approaching. You turn to Levi with a huge smile on your face.
"Good morning!" You're riddled with joy as he unlocks the door in front of you.
"Morning." He grumbles out. Maybe he's just not a cheerful person in general. Your smile never wavers as he urges you inside out of the cold. He shows you where to hang your coat in the stock room and begins showing you all of the opening prep work. You watch him intently and replicate his movements to the best of your ability.
He seems very strict with the process of doing, well, everything. You immediately notice how much of a clean freak he is when he scrubs over everything until it sparkles. Not the weirdest thing you've seen, but there will be an adjustment period. You always thought he wiped down the counters to look busy.
Levi demonstrates how to brew a few of the teas and points out where each product was kept in the stock room. He has everything labeled nicely and organized. He shows you around the small space, grunting out short responses to your questions and finally handing you a black apron.
"Sorry to keep asking questions, but why did you ask me to wear all black?" You shift around behind the counter as Levi flips the 'closed' sign to 'open', "I don't remember ever seeing either you or Miche in all black."
"I kept having an issue with spills staining clothes, so I decided to switch to a black uniform. Miche didn't like it. I guess he doesn't wear all black." He shrugs as he passed me and begins making himself a drink.
"Oh..I see." You say quietly You fiddle with the hem of your apron as you think about it. Miche didn't seem like the kind of guy to own a single piece of black clothing, so you aren't surprised. You're startled back to reality by a cup being placed on the counter in front of you. You look over at Levi as he sips his drink, staring ever so longingly out the front windows, "Thank you." You bring the lid to your lips and savor the familiar sweetness washing over your tongue. You unconsciously hum as you take your small sips.
Levi watches you as he normally does. He really didn't want to be distracted while he worked, but your pleas, more like begs, melted part of his cold heart yesterday. He revels quietly in the happiness his drinks make you every day.
Not long after that is when the few morning customers begin to trickle in. The slow pace is a very opportune time to show you the ropes of making various drinks. The customers waiting watch eagerly at the two of you interacting. This is the most anyone has ever heard Levi speak. You're very attentive to his actions and repeat them almost perfectly when he lets you do the next ones on your own.
"It looks like you have a real star on your hands, Levi." An older woman gives him a wink as she walks away from the counter. You tilt your head slightly in confusion as you watch the woman leave.
"That's a good thing, right?" You look over at him and pause when you see a light pink flush on his cheeks. That's a first. You nudge him gently with your elbow, giggling slightly when his head whips in your direction.
"Yeah. It's a good thing." His tone is softer than normal and his eyes don't linger on you long. Is he nervous or something? A small smile pulls on your lips as you wipe down the counter just like he showed you. Another customer comes in breaking you from your thoughts.
^^^
You've been working under Levi for 3 months now. The regulars love you and are always so excited when they see you're working that particular day. The very few mess ups you've managed to do were all minuscule, thank god. Levi never held them against you for long.
The two of you were an interesting pair to witness working together. Your energy is bright and always happy. You asked your regulars about their lives and families to make connections with them. Levi, on the other hand, is darker and doesn't express much outwardly. He does, however, show his love for what he does in the incredible drinks he makes. You often crack jokes to him and he'll just roll his eyes and continue with what he's doing. He enjoys your quips, but he'll never tell you that.
The weather is particularly warmer today. The air conditioning hasn't been turned on in the building yet making it almost unbelievable hot. You're still opting for long-sleeve shirts, choosing to keep your body covered rather than be comfortable, but you really just can't take it anymore.
"Hey Levi." You're out of breath from how hot you're feeling. He turns to you from the register, his eyes as unimpressed as ever, "Is it okay if I go change tops really quick while no one is here?" You gesture towards the back room with your thumb after you wipe a bead of sweat from your forehead. He nods in approval and goes back to washing teacups. You jog to the back bathroom with your bag in hand, thankfully you remembered to bring a spare shirt today. You close the bathroom door and pull off the sweaty, long sleeve shirt and pull out your replacement: a black V-neck t-shirt. You slip it on and apply some more deodorant. Just as you stuff the other shirt in your bag, you catch sight of your appearance in the mirror. The short fit you almost too well and it made you squirm a little at the sight.
You come back through the double doors while trying your apron back around you. Levi is handing an order out as you walk back up to the counter. As the customer leaves, his eyes land on you. He freezes as he looks you over. Your cheeks instantly deepen under his gaze and you shift around on your feet. His eyes scan over your more exposed chest and down your curvy waist and hips. He clenches his teeth as his eyes work their way back up to yours.
"I-I'm sorry if I took too long!" Your tone is squeaky with nervousness. He takes notice, but doesn't say anything. You grab a rag and start wiping down the counters, hoping to calm yourself as you can feel even more heat rising to your face.
"(y/n)." His voice is huskier than normal and closer? You turn your head slowly towards his direction to find him standing not even three inches from you.
"U-um, yes Levi? I-is something wrong?" Your voice wavers as you watch him. He doesn't move. He doesn't say anything, "Levi?" Your tone is softer now, bordering a whisper. He silently backs away from you and aggressively grabs a piece of paper and a pen. He marched over to the door and tapes it to the small glass panel before locking the door. He pauses with his back still turned to you.
"You're quite annoying, you know." His voice is about an octave deeper now. Your eyes widen as you look at him.
"E-excuse me?" You ask reflexively. He quickly turns and stomps toward you. In a panic, you back up through the double doors ultimately trapping yourself in the stock room. Oh no. You've messed up something and pissed him off, but you've never heard him sound like this. The doors burst open and he gains on you quickly. You push your back against a wall, you're heart beating out of your chest. His arms land on either side of you efficiently boxing you in. He leans his face close to yours and smirks ever so slightly.
"I said, you're annoying." Your eyes stay locked with his and you see a flicker of something behind his eyes.
"Wha-wha-what do you mean?" The panic is filling your throat at this point. You always thought the two of you got along well enough. You're not sure where this is coming from all of a sudden.
"I see the way you look at me. Don't think I haven't noticed." Your mouth drops open a bit at his words. He really is an observant guy, "This is the last straw for me." He points a finger towards your slightly exposed chest and a blush erupts further up your cheeks as well as down your neck. He leans slowly towards your ear and chuckles, "Can I touch you (y/n)?" Your breath hitches in your lungs. Never have you imagined that he reciprocates your feelings.
"Y-yes Levi.." Your voice comes out as a breathless sigh. Immediately his hands find your hips and massage them gently. He pulls you against his chest and moves to press his lips to yours. They are as soft and warm as you've imagined with a hint of green tea still on them. Your arms work their way around his neck as you deepen the kiss. His hands slide slowly down your hips to your ass and he gives it a good squeeze. A soft whine rumbles in your throat as he pulls away from you. His eyes move from yours to the clock above your head and he chuckles once again.
"Let's move this somewhere more comfortable." You nod at his words like a bitch in heat which causes a smile to spread on his face, "Grab your things. Your place or mine?" You stumble to pull your jacket on and throw your purse over your shoulder.
"Um, my place is just around the corner if that's okay.." You point in the general direction of your apartment. He nods and grabs your hand to lead you outside.
As soon as your front door shuts, his hands are on you again. They run along your shoulders and pull off your jacket, dropping it on the floor. He quickly tugs his off as well and pushes you against the nearest wall. Your lips move together in the most beautiful dance, desperate hands pulling on the hems of the other's clothing. Levi suddenly freezes, his eyes darting down the small creature rubbing against his leg. You giggle and shoo her away gently with your foot.
"Sorry, that's Selene. Don't mind her." You plant light kisses along his jaw and down the side of his neck. His head lulls to the side and his hands move underneath the fabric of your shirt. You grab one of them through the fabric as your stop your tender actions, "B-before we get to that point...are you sure you want to do this?" He seems taken aback by your question, "It's just that...I'm not...well, I don't have the most traditional body type..." He can sense your nervousness and tilts his head slightly.
"There's nothing wrong with that." His voice is serious as he takes your chin between his fingers and kisses you again, more passionately this time. You release his other hand and start to tug at the bottom of his shirt. He parts from you and pulls it over his head. Your eyes go wide at his physique; he definitely works out.
You take his hand gently and pull him in the direction of your bedroom, stepping over a very curious Selene. Thank god you cleaned the other day. You push open the door and turn back to him. You bite your lip as he begins to kiss down your neck. He begins guiding you towards the bed and kicks the door shut behind him. The mattress hits the back of your knees as you drop down onto your plush comforter. He tugs the hem of your shirt and pulls it gently over your head. His eyes slide down to your breasts being held nicely in the bra you're wearing. His hands knead them gently, rubbing his thumbs over your clothed nipples. A moan slips through your lips and you move to unsnap the closures on your bra. The fabric falls away, fully revealing your chest to him. His lips work down to the valley between the two mounds, his fingers tugging at your sensitive buds.
"Levi~" You softly moan his name. A fire lights within in and he pulls away from you. You watch as he grips the waistband of your leggings and pulls both them and your underwear off your legs. A jolt of electricity shoots to your core at his dominant nature. You can already feel the slickness that's gathered between your legs and rub your thighs together. With a hungry look in his eye, he pushes your legs out and back towards your chest. His gaze falls the point between your legs and almost goes weak in the knees. Your pussy is glistening in the soft light of your bedroom. He can't contain himself anymore and slides a finger up and down your slit.
Your eyes roll back into your head as he presses gently on your clit. You groan at his slow and steady actions, slightly bucking your hips up against his finger. He adds a second one and slips them into you slowly. You instinctively spread your legs further apart for him and hold them back with your hands. He drops his head down and licks a stripe from the top of your entrance to your clit. You sigh out a moan and slip a hand into his sleek hair. He picks up his pace soon after, thrusting his fingers in and out of you as his tongue laps at your clit mercilessly. The coil in you begins to tighten before you can even process it. Your first orgasm turns your vision white and you arch your back. You cry out his name as he works you through your high. He feels you relax and slips his fingers from you. You whine at the loss of contact, your eyes lidded when you open them. He licks his fingers clean as his other hand begins to unbuckle his belt. You lean up slowly and take over for him.
"Let me~" Your voice is seductive, velvety almost. He pulls his hand away and watches as you undo his pants and pull them to his ankles. The imprint of his cock strains against the fabric of his briefs and you pause for a second. It's bigger than you anticipated.
"Something wrong down there?" His clean hand tugs your hair back so you're looking up at him. You moan at the sudden pain on your scalp and bite your lip.
"Nope." You accentuate the 'p' with a pop of your lips. You pull his briefs down quickly causing his dick to slap against his stomach. He's long and grithy, no curve but a few veins highlighting the underside. You take him in your hands and lick up his length from base to tip. The grip he has on your hair tightens as you swirl your tongue over his tip. You begin to take him in your warm mouth, looking up at him through your lashes as you push yourself down his impressive length. A deep groan radiates from his throat as you start to bob your head back and forth slowly. He doesn't push you down at all, but keeps a strong hold on your hair. You pick up a decent pace and gently run your teeth against his tip as he pulls your head off of him with a pop. The pain on your scalp runs straight to your aching pussy. Levi releases your hair and leans down to capture your lips with his. You can taste yourself on his tongue as he slips it in your mouth.
The two of you crawl up the bed together, never breaking from one another. Levi’s hands push back on your thighs to spread you as much as he can before lining himself up with your entrance. Your soft moans melt into his lips as he slowly pushes himself inside. Your hands grip onto his shoulders and dig crescent moons into his skin with your nails as he slides into you.
“Mm...Levi~” Your head falls back and he pushes into you to the hilt. His lips capture yours again as he starts slow and long thrusts. Levi’s hands grasp tightly at your hips as his pace picks up to an almost brutal one. Your lips part allowing pants and cries of pleasure to fill the room. Wet skin slapping echoes off the walls and you can feel the beginning of bruises start to form on your hips from how hard his grip is. The pressure begins building faster than it previously did, another release coming on quickly.
Before you can reach your peak again, he pulls out of you completely. You whine at the new emptiness you're left with and wiggle your hips around a bit. Suddenly, you're flipped onto your hands and knees with your ass up in the air. You squeak at the motion and turn your head to look over your shoulder at him. His pupils are blown out as he stares down at your ass. A swift slap rings across your soft skin and you yelp at the sting. He pushes himself back into you quickly and continues the brutal pace he originally started. As your moans pick up again, Levi leans over your body and laces his fingers through yours. He kisses over your shoulder blades and his thrusts become more erratic and rushed. You cry out his name as you feel your orgasm approaching rapidly.
“Ah! Right there...Levi please!~” Your voice strains as you're pushed over that edge once again. Your silky walls clench deliciously around him as your body tenses underneath him. You squeeze his fingers between yours as your vision blurs and your head falls forward into your pillows. Not long after, Levi slams into you with a low groan as he releases inside of you. The warm feeling fills the deepest parts of you as the two of you come down from the collective high. He untangles his hands from yours and slides out of you slowly. He sits back on his knees and watches his own release drip from the beauty between your legs. Reality hits you both like a train; no protection. Shit. You lay on your side and look up at him with a smile. he tilts his head to the side, concern still pulling on his handsome features, “Don't worry about it.” You grab the pack of pills from your nightstand and wave them at him. He nods and flops down behind you. The two of you wiggle under the covers and he wraps his arms around you, pulling your back flush against his chest.
“You're so beautiful..” He mumbles into your hair, drowsiness overtaking him. You blush and hold his hand in yours.
“T-thank you...” The two of you fall into a peaceful sleep wrapped in each other's arms. Hopefully, this is the start of something amazing.