Dim the Lights: a Riren fanfic

Birthdays and Other Crap

A/N: Welcome to my first completed fanfic. It's technically a two-shot, but that sounds like some sort of double-gun inflicted wound so I'm just going to call it an extra-long oneshot because that's what it was originally meant to be anyway... Until it got too long and I got caught up in the story between these fabulous characters who may or may not be totally OOC. I completely apologize in advance, just in case. So it's basically fluff with a bit of a plot, and it's honestly pretty cute.

This first chapter is mostly Levi being awkward and cursing at everything and everyone – and meeting Eren... and you'll see what happens.

I somehow managed to write about 11k words using only 4 characters and "the crowd" which weirdly reminds me of those Shakespearean choruses, but whatever. I'm going on a tangent again...

Well, I reeeally hope you enjoy this fic, because I seriously worked my ass off on it, even if it is just two chapters.

Please give me feedback, I'd love to hear your opinions on it!

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Fucking birthday party.

He would rather stick his ass in a rotting pile of squirrel carcasses.

This was all the fault of that damn glasses freak Hanji, Levi thought to himself as he stared blankly into his closet for something suitable to wear. Even though it was his own birthday party he was attending - Hanji had organized it against his will on the pretext of making it "a combo Christmas and birthday party! It'll be great!" - he didn't want to walk in looking like a garbage bag that had just been run over by a UPS truck. Having just come out of a workout session in his spare-bedroom-turned-to-gym, he was covered in sweat and smelled like something Hanji might cook for dinner (something habitually toxic and possibly radioactive).

He gave up on looking for clothes and stepped into the shower, deciding to put the decision-making off until after he had soaked in hot water for a bit.

After ten minutes of humming peaceful songs in the shower - there was one in particular that he liked which had some nice recurring lyrics like "don't fuck with me" - Levi stepped back into his room, picking jackets and shirts randomly out of his closet. According to Hanji, she had invited a bunch of people, which he took to mean approximately fifty or so. Maybe more. Probably more, since apparently, it was being held at Erwin's house, which was more of a mansion than anything else, that rich bastard. Erwin was the director of a large watch company in the city that his late father had owned, but he and Levi and Hanji had been inseparable friends since middle school, so it didn't really matter.

In other words, Levi preferred to look nice. Especially since it was also a Christmas party, and it was usually expected to look at least halfway decent for those. He raised an eyebrow at the variety of clothes that he had laid on his bed: black band tee-shirt, black jeans, black jacket, black polo... dark gray hoodie. So much for liking monochrome a bit too much. He couldn't deny that having to look for the right clothes to pair up every morning was a shitty waste of time, but... He could probably afford to add some color to his wardrobe.

Levi checked again in his closet, finally finding a dark red button up shirt. He opted for pairing it with the black skinny jeans, and pulled on his trusty, never-go-out-without leather jacket. He snapped on a couple spike bracelets too, just in case shitheads got in his way and he didn't want to put too much effort in giving them hell. He touched his earlobes carefully, making sure his little stud earrings were still in place. Perf-

His phone started buzzing and ringing uncontrollably, to an annoying Electric Six song that Hanji had probably set up while he wasn't paying attention - "I wanna take you to a gay bar!" sang the phone, and Hanji was definitely fucking with him because she knew very well that he liked men, and thank god that shit wasn't ringing in a public place. He could hear it loud and clear, but had absolutely not idea where the hell it was. Where the fuck... Ah. Finally finding it under his bed, he put it to his ear, which was a grave mistake.