Angel [Ereri/Riren]

Chapter 5- Levi

My arms loosely wrap around his neck. I lean in and kiss him with such a force, I am surprised he didn't fall backward. He wraps his arms around my waist and moves closer. He smells like evergreen. I move up to the edge of the counter trying to get as close to him as possible. I want to be against him forever. 

I wrap my legs around his waist, locking my ankles at the small of his back. He is a warmth that I haven't felt in so long; a warm that feels like sitting in front of a fireplace during a cold winter evening. A warm that consumes me, even when I am at my coldest. 

I want to know all of him. I break the kiss to start down his neck and I can feel him inhale sharply. I gently brush his skin with my mouth. I look up at his bright, sea foam eyes. No one has ever looked at me so kindly, it makes my chest ache. I move to kiss him again.

I can feel myself becoming conscious, and groan and roll over in my bed. I have kicked my duvet off and my sheets are tangled at my feet. My hair is matted to my head with sweat, but I'm not cold like I usually am when my dreams wake me up. My cheeks are flushed, and I can feel an unfamiliar feeling growing in my stomach. I roll over onto my back, and stare at the ceiling. 

What in the ever-loving fuck was that. 

I've never had that dream before. It has been the same one for almost a year, with the exact same man, in the exact same situation, and it ends the same way every time. Why was tonight different? 

Why was he still there? Why was I kissing him? This has never happened before, why now? 

While I am more confused than ever, I find myself wanting to go back. I'm irritated that I woke up. I felt so safe and loved; I haven't felt like that in so long. I had almost forgotten I could. But why was it him? 

I accept that I won't be able to get anymore sleep tonight, and sit up on the edge of my bed. My eyes feel dry. One of the books Hange had let me borrow (more like forced me to take) was sitting on my nightstand. I turned on the light and picked it up, along with my glasses. I moved to the chair in the corner and got to reading. 

A couple hours flew by before my alarm was going off. I had almost finished the book– it wasn't very long, only a couple hundred pages. I stood up and pressed "stop" on my phone alarm. 

I stick a random scrap of paper in my place in my book and close it. I don't really want to finish the book, or go to campus today, or give my lectures, or go to meetings, or grade papers, or make tea. I just want to lay in my bed and feel that dream again. 

Oh well, another day another dollar. Or whatever. 

****

When I am wrapping up for the day, I remember I need to go grocery shopping; I don't have anything for dinner. I shut down my computer and gather my things, shoving some loose papers along with my laptop into my bag. I head out to my car and slide my glasses up onto my head as I walk. My eyes still feel dry and tired, and I can feel a headache coming on. I'll get some ibuprofen at the store too. 

I get in my car and put my bag into my passenger seat. I find a random slip of paper in my car, and jot down a short grocery list. Unbuttoning my sleeves and rolling them up when I am done, I then take off my tie, where it joins my bag in the seat, and head off in the direction of the store. 

I walk in and grab a cart, my list in one hand. I feel at the top of my head for my glasses, just to ensure that I didn't leave them. I walk through the produce and pick up some things for stir-fry tonight. I head next towards the bread isle and pick up some rice along the way. The grocery is pretty busy tonight, but I don't mind it because I can kind of blend in that way. Grocery shopping can make me nervous but when people mind their own business, it can be somewhat therapeutic. 

While I am picking out my loaf of bread, I hear a soft thud near my feet. I look down, and someone has dropped some english muffins and I instinctively bend down and pick them up. As I grab the package, a pair of black Chelsea boots appear a next to the package, boots that I assume belong to whoever's english muffins these are. 

I stand up, english muffins in hand, and hold them out to the person in front of me. When I meet their eyes, my stomach does somersaults. Those familiar sea foam eyes are staring back at me. They are so bright, they are almost golden. 

After staring at him like an absolute idiot, I manage to get out an awkward, "Uh, I think you dropped this." Smooth; really sexy Levi. 

"Oh, uh, thanks." Why does he look just as freaked out as I am? 

"No problem." I say. He continues to look at me. He looks bewildered, like he's seen a ghost. 

Why hasn't he stopped looking at me? Why am I still looking at him? 

"Have I met you before?" He asks, tilting his head slightly to the right. 

"I'm not sure, but you look familiar." I say. I know full and well where I have seen him before, on multiple occasions, but that is hardly a grocery-store-small-talk topic. "What's your name, again?" I say. What am I DOING? 

"Um, Eren. Yours?" He looks at me nervously. 

"Levi." 

"Well, it was nice meeting you Levi." He smiles a shy, warm smile. It's a miracle I am not a useless puddle on the floor right now. 

"It was nice meeting you too, Eren. See you around." I say, and head in the opposite direction as quickly as I can. 

I head up to the check out area, not even bothering to finish my list. I just need to get out of here, this is all too weird. As my groceries are being bagged, I look over a couple stations and Eren is paying for his things. He has on sweatpants and a zip up hoodie, like he just came from the gym. I wish I got to talk to him more. He grabs his bags and walks out the door. 

I grab my things, head out to my car, and load up the trunk. As I am closing it, I hear a car pull up behind me. 

"Hey." 

I turn around. Eren has pulled up behind where I am parked and has rolled his window down, leaning on the edge with his elbow. His cheeks are pink and his smile faint and nervous. 

"Hey." I say. I wish I had more to say. 

"Want to get coffee sometime?" He asks. 

"Uh, yeah, sure. That'd be great." I rub the back of my neck and lean up against my car. 

"How about Friday at 11?" He asks. That's in two days. 

"That works for me." What is happening? This can't be real. Maybe I am dreaming again. 

"Are you familiar with the coffee house on fifth?" I nod. I can feel blood rushing into my cheeks. 

"Are you okay with meeting there?" 

"Yeah, I love that place." 

"Alright then. It's a date." He smiles and rolls up his window, then pulls off. 

What. The. Fuck.