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It’s raining. It’s raining and Levi holds open the heavy café door for the person behind him, whose big eyes seem startled and barely manages to thank him. The sudden downpour isn’t unusual, but Levi wishes he had had the foresight to bring an umbrella with him instead of a coat. There is not anything he can do about it now, so he shakes the water off his collar and steps into the bustling line. This café he has visited once or twice because it’d been conveniently placed between his house and work, and it seems to have been transformed into a safe haven from the weather outside today.
The haggard looking barista takes his order, barely blinking when he asks for a pump of peppermint in his tea and milk combination. He steps carefully on the slick floor, boots providing some traction against the rain water customers are dragging in. The second to last table against the window is somehow recently vacated so Levi establishes his claim on it, swinging off his coat and setting it on the back of the chair before sitting with a relieved exhale. Watching the ebb and flow of people in the shop, he idly wonders whether he if he should place his phone on the table and whether someone would take the chance to steal it. It is not as if he had anything important on it, and he could always get another right away. Just call it a test of humanity.
One of the baristas calls out his order and he slips his phone out of his pocket, placing it lightly on the wooden table before leisurely stepping over to the counter to retrieve his drink.
What he does not expect when he returns is the person sitting in the chair across from his, hands folded neatly on the tiny table and wide eyes looking right at him.
“You left your phone on the table,” the boy says, hand twitching as if he wanted to point at it.
Levi frowns slightly. He seems familiar. Ah, this kid he had held the door open for. “Yes,” He says, “I did.”
“I watched it for you,” the boy says eagerly, big eyes still watching him and Levi wonders what he wants.
“Thank you, then.” Maybe this boy passes his spontaneous test of humanity. He laughs inwardly and sits down, drink slightly burning his palms. The boy fidgets again and finally breaks his stare when Levi looks at him.
“Can I share the table with you, sir?” He blinks his obnoxiously large eyes and gestures to the crowd around them. “It’s kinda hard to find another here.”
“Alright,” Levi taps on his cup, finding it still too hot to drink, “In return for your knightly gesture of guarding my phone.”
The kid flushes at his words, but doesn’t try to hide the grin spreading across his face. He suddenly shoots up, head bowing slightly as he murmurs an ‘Excuse me’ and rushes over to the counter to where his drink had been called from. Levi had not been listening. This kid has good manners, he thinks.
The boy has returned and settled down, resuming his staring at Levi this time with his cold drink cradled in his hands. Levi watches the condensation drop down the sides of the cup, appalled at the audacity of an iced drink, on a rainy miserable day. “What is your name?”
The boy almost chokes on his sip in his haste to answer. “Eren!”
“Aaron?”
“No,” He shakes his head, eyes closing momentarily, “Eh-ren. E-r-e-n.”
“Sorry. Eren,” He likes it, the way the name feels in his mouth, and he thinks that even though he’s never been one to use other’s names casually, he could with this one. The boy, this Eren, smiles at the table but Levi cannot see his eyes anymore.
“And you? Will you tell me yours?”
“Levi.”
“Levi,” The boy repeats, and Levi cuts his gaze to him. He looks strange, as if the word he says incited some sad, longing loneliness in him and Levi is taken aback.
“What’s wrong? Do you not like your name?” Is what he says, unsure of how he’s made a complete stranger sad.
“Ah, no,” Eren takes long drag from his straw, “My name is fine. But I like yours better.”
Levi blinks, feeling strangely unsettled, akin to déjà vu as he looks at the startlingly somber profile of the boy in front of him, whose green eyes won’t look at him now. They’ve never met before, but he’s sure someone has said that to him in a dream long forgotten, only remembered now, layered over the replay of the words in his head.
He wonders whether he should offer to buy him another drink.
-+-
The crowds have died down and they step outside to watery sunlight, concrete sidewalks glittering in the evening light. He’s a little unsure of how they have gotten to where they are, blown together by a storm and emerging all the better for having met each other. It had been so easy to talk to this eager, earnest boy who hung on his every word, eyes always wide and drinking him up instead of the long forgotten cup in his hands.
They stand for a moment, and Levi fumbles for words, awkward and unknowing of how to end this meeting.
It’s Eren who speaks first, seemingly coming to a decision. He shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, looks at the fading sky.
“I think I’m in love with you,” He says, “and I’m terrified.”
He shakes his head when Levi tries to speak, because what. “No, listen to me. I’ve met you countless times, this day, this moment. I’ve talked for you for hours about different things, about the same things. You hold open the door for me when I come in and you hold it open for me when I leave. But no matter what I do I find myself back at the beginning, in the rain and waiting for you to arrive. I go in with you, I learn things about you I never knew and I like you all the better for it.”
“You probably think I’m crazy but I have to do this, I can’t think of another way. Countless times I’ve said your name and you’ve said mine,” His voice cracks and Levi wishes he could see Eren’s eyes, “but you always forget me. And I still remember everything about you from this day, the day before, and the day before that. And it hurts because I love you but you don’t and I have to keep trying over and over like this is some game and I have to tell you I love you because I just want you to know, even if you’ll forget.”
He’s crying, silent tears flooding the green of his eyes. Levi steps towards him, reaches out to the worn fabric Eren hugs close to him.
Eren shies away, eyes bright in anguished hope. “No! P-please, I, I don’t want your pity! I just-“
But he does not resist as Levi draws him in, presses that sad, precious face to his shoulder.
“Please don’t cry.” He murmurs.
“I’m scared.” Eren says. “I love you.”