Of tea, apples and embarrassing dates // Ereri //

7- Levi's favorite food is rice

"So? Do I need to clean the floor with my knees or will you tell me?"

Levi really is sighing a lot lately. "Rice. I like rice, okay? Now stop your foul play, mh?"

Maybe his sense of humor has gotten rotten, 'cause he really doesn't get why Eren is laughing that much. He finally calms down, eventually, showing off that smug look of his.

***

Levi's lifting weights taking advantage of the late hour, when a very little number of people are still training in the gym.

He can feel his muscles burning, and he fucking loves it.

When Eren's green eyes come into the picture, though -his unreasonably happy face just above him- he does love it a little bit less. Fuck it.

He puts down the bar and lifts himself up from the plank. "How can I help you?"

"Telling me how much will it take for you to close the gym today."

Levi sends him a questioning glare, but checks his watch anyway. "Mh. About an hour. Why?"

"'Cause I'm taking you out for dinner, obviously."

So, the point is: Levi likes Eren. Like, he really fucking likes him. He's liked him since the first months he began going to the coffee shop. But also: he is thirty-five, while Eren seems to be around twenty- five. And then: Levi has no experience at all with this shit, such as flirting and dates and mutual feelings. That being the reason why yes, he's been observing Eren from the other side of the counter, and he's treasured the precious times when he's caught him sneaking him a look or when they've exchanged some words, but he's never tried to achieve anything more. God, not even daring to dream about it.

What's worse, is he'd also like to do more with him, to go further for the first time in his life after a long, so fucking long time.

Eren is blatantly asking him out and has been shamelessly hitting on him. That could be a dream, rest assured, but it also tastes like a nightmare.

However, Eren is showing those puppy eyes and suddenly looks almost nervous at Levi's silence and Levi just says fuck it to all his insecurities and nods his head (after rolling his eyes, that comes without saying.)

Eren's face lightens up, his house-seller-like smile with white straight teeth and cute dimples at both sides, and Levi sighs because really, he can't even with him.

***

Eren's already showered and dressed, waiting for him at the entrance, when Levi's finally showered too after cleaning and putting everything in place. He's dressed casually, dark jeans and a dark green sweater which looks incredibly soft. Levi's pretty comfy too, black jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt with a black open hoodie. Let's say he feels comfortable in dark clothes.

Eren doesn't look delicious at all , promise. His hair -they smell of shampoo- have just been dried, thus seeming so fluffy he'd dig his nose into them right now if he hadn't any sense of pudor. The green of the sweater matches his eyes ridiculously, and Levi supposes it's because he's never seen him before in casual clothes (only the shop uniform and the gym outfit, in fact) that it's making him this kind of effect.

Eren brings him to a Chinese restaurant located on a secondary street, which is not that far from their starting point but which Levi's never frequented before. The atmosphere is actually somehow appealing or comfortable even, with vintage lamps protruding from the yellow walls of the buildings and people sitting at occasional tables momentarily placed on the sidewalk with the inhabitants eating together, drinking liquor or playing card games. The restaurant is at the very beginning of the street, some tables set outside under a veranda with red lanterns hanging loosely.

Levi discovers Eren's booked a table for them and, honestly, it's quite the perfect place. From their spot they can see the whole length of the street spreading in front of them, lively people chatting and warm lights making it look almost cozy.

As if all this isn't enough per se, the smell coming from the inside of the restaurant is making things to his void stomach and he finds out his salivation has actually increased.

He's thinking it's perfect, when the realization strikes him. "Wait. You booked a table before you'd even asked me if I'd actually come."

The boy grins. "I knew you'd agreed to anyway."

"Mhph. Little bastard."

"You say I'm little but you're actually very much shorter than me; you are aware of this, aren't you?"