Cigarettes | Levi x Reader

◦ memoir 3 ◦

Hey sorry I wasn't able to update in days, this chapter will be longer and a bit on a lighter mood. Enjoy .

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Five years ago, they met at a café.

Levi had just finished wrapping the piece of ink-work around the man's muscular biceps, the skin surrounding it became bright red from the sharpness of the whirring needle. So far, he had only completed the outline of the tattoo. The man had to make another appointment for the coloring and shading.

"That'd be 25,500 yen." He spoke as he took off his navy blue mask that was covering his mouth. The man did as what was told, and placed his credit card in between the machine. Once the transaction was complete, the man looked up - his curly dyed brown hair swaying in the process.

"Can I have another appointment for the filling of the tattoo?" The curly haired man asked courteously as he took his card back.

"Yeah, we have a time at fifteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth." Levi answered as he stood up from the stool he was sitting on to get the clipboard that is filled with the schedules of his clients' appointments. The huge tattoo on his back became visible to the man, it was a sight to behold.

"I'll take the eighteenth." Curly guy said, grinning. He stood up and shook Levi's hands, and left the shop with a pleased look plastered on his face. Levi then cleaned the area that once occupied by his client. He felt gratified to see someone pleased with his creations.

Once he had finished arranging the ink bottles on the marble countertops, he took out a cigarette from his favorite pack of Benson and Hedges. He clamped the cigarette between his plump lips and lit it up with his other hand. Puffs of smoke emerged from his lips, filling the air conditioned room with a tantalizing scent - numbing his mind for a while.

Levi Ackerman is an artist. He had long pursued his career as a tattoo artist in a famous tattoo pub in the busy streets of the city of Sina, despite his adoptive parents telling him no. He had fallen in love with creating art not only on paper, but also on a warm body as his canvas.

He arose from his trance when he heard footsteps coming his way and his glass door being opened. Moments later, a dirty blonde haired man stepped into his view. It was his childhood friend, Farlan.

"Hey, I was thinking of heading to this new café across the street, wanna come?" The side of Farlan's lips twitched upwards and his eyes glinted in a way to persuade the grumpy short man in front of him.

Farlan's eyes wandered around the room a bit. It was neatly kept as always, black tiles complimenting the marble countertops. He can see few of his designs framed up on the wall near the window - they were massively detailed, comparable to their sizes.

"Yo! I heard coffee?", Farlan turned around to see Isabel's poke her head to the room, her eyes sparkling to the sound of the word 'coffee'. The glass door was left open mid-way, making the people from the outside hear the conversations inside the room.

"Yeah, there's this newly opened shop. I haven't been there yet though, so I'm thinking of inviting some of you if you wanna come with me." He scratched the back of his neck.

"Of course I'll go! Who even turns coffee down?" Isabel rhetorically asked as she began packing up the papers on her desk and placing them neatly inside a binder.

"Me." Levi grumbled as an answer to Isabel. He placed the cigarette on an ashtray, but before he can even clamp the roll-up between his lipa again, Isabel stopped fixing things mid-air and headed towards his direction.

"Come on, don't be such a killjoy, mister." Isabel tried to push Levi off of his reclining chair, but to no avail. "For your height, you sure are heavy." She nagged him, "Shorty."

This pissed Levi even more, he just wanted to rest a bit after a tiring tattoo session. Traces of veins began appearing on his temples, signaling his annoyance. "What did you say, brat?!"

Farlan inched away from the two, as he didn't want to get involved in their catfight.

"Hey Hanji, wanna come too?" Farlan asked the female who just woke up from her afternoon nap. She nodded her head and grinned, albeit her eyes were still closed. Levi just heaved a sigh as he knew he can't really escape the two even if he tries to, besides coffee doesn't really sound so bad.

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The four went across the street and was welcomed with the sight of an elegant hardwood sign. The walls were made of glass, enabling them to see the people on the inside. They can see quite a number of people inside the café, but not quite enough to fill the whole of it.

"Rose Café", Farlan read the sign, with his lips curling upwards. "Seems pretty promising to me, let's go." With that, he opened the door to the café and let his friends swarm inside first before he came in.

'This aroma', Levi inhaled the heavenly scent of coffee and lavender-vanilla that surrounds the interior of the coffee shop. The walls of the shop were accented with hardbound dark wood, and a seemingly luxurious chandelier elegantly lies in its middle.

"Can you smell that? This shop is definitely going to serve delicious coffee." He looked to his side to see Hanji already drooling at the smell of grinded coffee beans. "And pastries!" Hey gaze were glued on the display of cakes and sweets.

"Coffee's probably not the only hot thing in here...", Isabel commented, out of the blue. Her eyes were locked on a certain barista behind the counter. The man had a platinum blonde hair that was gracefully slicked back; his hair greatly compliments the black bow that was wrapped around his neck. His green eyes met Isabel's, and at that moment, she could feel herself almost fainting anytime soon.

Levi just rolled his eyes on the two and huffed as he went to find an empty table - to his luck, there were five more empty tables that were waiting to get warmed. He chose the table near the glass window, the trio trailing behind him.

"That guy doesn't even seem to want to accompany us, though." Farlan sighed as he took a glance at Isabel, who was still looking - fawning - over at the blond barista.

"Nii-san, what are you doing? There are many customers waiting." A (h/c) female emerged from the backroom and approached the man behind the counter. She sighed and combed her tresses using her slender fingers, tying it into a small bun.

"Sorry." He sheepishly smiled, scratching the back of his neck. This made her pinch the side of his forearm, playfully. A faint red hue adorned the cheeks of the man, although the (h/c)-headed female failed to notice as she already went towards the new customers' table - the one beside the glass wall.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." A velvety soft voice loomed over the table where Levi and his friends were sitting. It broke him off of his trance, the voice laced with sweetness began to inhabit his foggy daze.

He looked up, his steel grey orbs met (e/c) ones. Her (h/c) locks flowed in waves, adorning her porcelain-smooth cheeks. Her eyes sparkled like stars flaunting on the night sky. Her seemingly soft plump lips curved into a warm smile, making butterflies swarm around his stomach. She did not cease to capture the man's attention.

She was beautiful.