Lilac Wine | Levi Ackerman

Curiosity Never Tasted so Sweet

A/N: This is the last chapter of part 1! From what I've mapped out, there will be three parts to the story, each approximately 5-7 chapters. This was probably my favorite chapter to write :))) (some fluffy stuff, sexual tension, y'know. The whole deal.) Anyways, enjoy!

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It was close to ten at night when you and Levi approached the studio. There was a bit of tension left over from the uncomfortable call the other day-- and some coming from the situation the two of you were going into now-- but you were sure that some alcohol and music would loosen the two of you up.

Levi felt the tension too. This night would be a lot more intimate than anything he had ever done before. Sure, being a bartender was a pretty intimate job, but getting sculpted? That was another level.

You silently made your way to the large room, settling down your stuff on a seat in front of a large table next to a potter's wheel. You brandished your materials: a large block of clay, aluminum wire already formed into sort of a figure, and various knives and modeling tools. There were already buckets of slip on the shelves at the back of the studio, so you made sure to grab one of those as well.

As you set up, Levi glanced around the space, taking in the vast ceiling, paint-splattered floor, and wide windows. With his current situation, he decided to cover these windows with the makeshift curtains that lay open alongside them. He was uncharacteristically nervous. He hadn't really shown many people his body tattoos before unless they were random women during his occasional one-night stands (which he didn't count because he always kept the light off and never caught feelings), yet here he was. On his way to being half-naked in front of the girl that he liked. You had said that you were only making a bust, which meant that his top half would be the only thing exposed.

"Levi! There's a little kitchenette outside the studio next to the bathroom. There's some wine in there, I'm pretty sure, if you want to drink some," you yelled to him from the kiln room. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Drinking definitely helped him loosen up.

Opening the cabinets of the quaint kitchenette, he brandished two wine glasses and a bottle of Pinot Noir which-- while nice-- was not his favorite red, but he could work with it. He was glad to see it was unopened, meaning no bratty college kids had used it prior. He opened the bottle, pouring a sizable amount in both glasses with a bit more for him before placing the Pinot Noir horizontally in the small fridge that was also present.

Walking back, Levi saw that you were already set up with materials and had dragged out a stool for him to sit on in the middle of the room. It was too bad that he wouldn't get to sit on the comfortable-looking velvet couch near the windows, but he was used to standing for close to seven hours at a time so it wouldn't be too awful.

You were currently setting up a speaker next to you on the floor, and looked over when you heard the footsteps of your friend coming near. Looking at his hands, you grinned at the sight of red wine, glad that the both of you happened to be red people and not white.

"I see you located my stash of Pinot Noir. I brought it here last Thursday. Nice to know that nobody found it before I could get a taste." You took the glass gratefully, sipping thoughtfully as the warmth of the wine slipped down your throat. You watched Levi out of the corner of your eye as he swirled the liquid in his glass, sniffing it briefly before sipping. Of course he would. Bartender.

Once you got your music situated-- a jazz mix, not only Nina Simone who you had found yourself listening to almost daily because of Levi-- and station set up, you looked expectantly towards Levi who took a seat on the stool, waiting for instruction.