Work Text:
The couch had been pushed back against the wall, leaving just enough room between the TV and the narrow fridge for a makeshift table, made up from packing boxes and a white bedsheet tablecloth. Cushions stood in for chairs and they hadn’t been able to afford an actual table yet, but everything on top of the fake one was beautifully set with real non-paper plates, real non-plastic silverware, and an unlit candle. A couple pots on the stovetop were bubbling, just like the recipe Levi had found online said they would, and a tray of breaded chicken breasts were gently browning in the oven.
At least, they were supposed to be gently browning.
As Levi pulled open the door to check on them for the dozenth time, he tried to convince himself that the recipe just hadn’t bothered to mention that the chicken would go black on top before the sides turned the ‘golden brown’ that was supposed to tell him they were done.
Eren would be back in less than twenty minutes, so he didn’t have enough time to start all over again. If he’d known it would take so long to make one simple dinner he would have figured out a way to start earlier, like maybe last week. He’d had no idea that between researching, planning, going to the grocery store, changing his mind twice while he was at the store and having to re-plan everything on the fly, getting home and trying to make it all, then going back to the store and starting all over again for plan D when plans A, B, and C all failed, he’d need more than a full day to get it done.
He was behind schedule, but he figured he should have enough time to destroy the gigantic mound of dishes in the sink.
A second later he heard the door open behind him and a voice called out, “I’m home!”
Levi cursed to himself as he turned around. He fought the urge to step sideways to block Eren’s view of the stove - which would have been pointless, anyway, because Eren’s eyes immediately landed and stuck on the table he’d laid earlier.
He very carefully set the bags he’d been holding in his hands down on the ground, before taking the three steps that were all that was necessary to get him to the makeshift table, halfway across the tiny apartment.
“What is this?”
“I uh, made dinner. Since it’s your first day at your new job at the restaurant.”
“You…made dinner?” Eren’s eyes were wide with shock as he slowly turned to stare at Levi.
Levi shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. “No big deal.”
“You made dinner.” Eren repeated, as if he couldn’t get past that one point. “You hate to cook.”
“I don’t hate to cook.” No, he really, really did. “There’s just no point to it. You’re always filling the fridge with meals anyway, but I figured since you just spent the whole day cooking you’d want to eat something you didn’t make.”
A wide, foolish grin slowly spread over Eren’s face. “You made me dinner.”
“Would you stop saying that?”
Eren laughed and took the extra two steps he needed to reach the kitchen nook. “Thank you.” He pressed a quick kiss onto Levi’s cheek before pulling away to sniff at the air. “It smells amazi-” His face changed abruptly. “Is something burning?”
“Well shit.” Levi turned back to the stove. He sighed as he pulled out the tray of now thoroughly black chicken and let it clatter onto the counter, seconds before he heard the sizzle of one of the pots boiling over onto the stove.
By the time Levi had all food removed from all sources of heat, Eren was beside him, one hip braced against the counter as he poked at the chicken on the tray. Before Levi could say anything Eren snapped off a piece and lifted it to his mouth.
As he chewed, loud crunches filled the small apartment.
“Not bad. Tasty. Very textured.”
“Textured, my ass.” Levi pushed Eren’s hand away from his mouth. “Stop eating that, it can’t be good for you. I’ll order takeout.”
“Nope. I want all of it. It’ll go great with the-” Eren kept crunching chicken as he leaned over and used his free hand to stir the spoon inside the bigger of the two pots on the stove. “Pea soup?”
“It’s asparagus.”
Eren stared at the thick green sludge for a second, and his voice was trembling a little when he glanced over his shoulder at Levi. “Mashed asparagus?”
“Just boiled.” Levi couldn’t quite meet Eren’s gaze as he stared at the stove. He hoped Eren wouldn’t ask about the contents of the other pot.
Eren grinned at the scowl on Levi’s face as he turned away from the stove and dropped a loud, smacking kiss onto Levi’s lips. “I adore you.” With a laugh, he grabbed the whole tray of charcoal chicken and headed towards the table. “I brought leftovers from work, you can have them. This is allll mine.”
Levi stood in the messy kitchen, watching Eren settle onto the cushion in front of the table and had the thought that when it came to adoring others he didn’t know if it was possible for anyone to adore a person as much as he adored Eren.
But then, he adored him even more now than he had an hour ago, so anything was possible.