Chapter 1: Dinner at Levi's

Chapter Text

Mikasa's suffocating overprotective-ness aside, the next couple weeks went fairly smoothly. After that night, Rivaille kept to his promise and had purchased the cup of Joes the following day. Ever since then, they had taken turns treating each other. As each day passed, he itched the entire time to get closer to the Rivaille. Despite their activities on that night, with the insinuation of said activities would progress, he hadn't so much as gotten a kiss out of him. Whenever they walked together since then, they're conversations came easier, but physical contact was a whole other animal.

He assumed it wasn't a distaste for PDA's. He honestly couldn't see Rivaille caring at all what others thought of him, but, he supposed, he could be wrong. And trying anything out of their norm would be a risk to their budding relationship he wasn't willing to take, at least not in public. So, Eren humbly decided to make an offer that had no interactions with the general public what so ever.

"Are you free tonight?"

Rivaille glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before taking a sip from his cup. The brunette smirked, always amused at how gracefully the man could drink his coffee with such a strange hold. He had never seen anyone hold a cup the way he had. Fingers stretched across the top of the lid and thumb lingering just slightly under and to the right of where his mouth was placed. It was a wonder his fingers didn't get in the way, though he did notice Rivaille tended to bump his nose into his fingers and in order to properly get at the liquid, he had to tilt his head back just slightly more than he would have to if he were to drink it normally. It was an odd, yet cute little quirk.

"I suppose so," Levi said before adding thoughtfully, "Other than expelling the contents of my colon and taking a hot shower, I don't have anything planned."

Quite like this strange quirk, though it was more amusing than cute. Seriously, how many men at Rivaille's age still talked about their bowel movements or for that matter, used it as jokes and descriptive verses?

Eren hummed and stifled his laughter, "So shower and shit are on the list. How about dinner? I could come over and make burgers."

"Shit THEN shower jaeger," Rivaille corrected with a disgusted look on his face, "have you no shame? Gross."

This time Eren couldn't help but laugh. Rivaille's own eyes scrunching just slightly in his own way of amusement. Eren received a small disbelieving huff the brunette considered as close to laughter as he would get, at least for that one.

"So is that a yes or no? I can pick up the food on the way over."

"Any mess you make you'd be responsible for, and the cleaning needs to be to my standard. None of that," at this Rivaille dropped his voice in a poor imitation of Eren, "'But Rivaille I already cleaned it', bullshit."

The kid certainly was still just as indifferent to his harshness as ever, perhaps even more so now days.

"Of course."

Eren grinned as he leaned to Rivaille's ear, hot breath causing a small shudder despite his efforts to suppress it, "If it's not up to your standards you could punish me for insubordination."

Rivaille managed to school his expression back to its usual nonchalance before Eren could see it. As he stood back up straight, continuing to walk casually at his side, as if he hadn't just thrown that evocative sentence to run circles in his head.

"9:30 sharp Jaeger."

The kid was just way too pleased with himself as he parted ways with him. The ear to ear, wide and bright smile making his own half assed grin to pull at his cheek.

(＃´ー´)旦 (＃´ー´)旦 (＃´ー´)旦 (＃´ー´)旦 (＃´ー´)旦

Eren chewed at the base of his left palm, just under his thumb, for the umpteenth time. Holding his basket for groceries in his right, he stared at the produce section in frustration. He said burgers. It seemed like a simple alternative to actually cooking anything too complicated, but the fact remained, he didn't want to just throw some ground beef on a pan and call it a day. He wanted to make the best damn burgers Rivaille ever had and there in lie the problem.

Eren was a terrible cook. He could easy mac, he could TV-dinner, he could even toaster oven the shit out of frozen appetizers, but cooking?

He could probably pick up a bottle of something as well, after all, everything tasted better when you drank. Though, Eren frowned at this, it wouldn't really benefit him, he wouldn't be drinking at all. Rivaille had been very specific that night about his stance on Eren being under any influence, no matter how small.

Honestly it was relieving and heartwarming as it was downright maddening. Rivaille lavished him with so much attention selflessly, and he wanted so badly to return the favor; show Rivaille just how much he appreciated him. Rivaille, however, had been adamant and his resolve was unshakable. Eren supposed it was one of the many things he respected about the older male.

Backtracking in thought, Eren licked his dry lips thinking about how Rivaille had taken care of the both of them that night. The idea of Rivaille touching himself, bringing himself to the edge and over while simultaneously moaning around his….

"Ingredients! Ingredients!"

Eren shouted to himself aloud, blushing and very much looking like a mad man as he laughed at himself to cover up his own thoughts. He shrank a little when he realized he gained more than a few stares from passing, customers murmuring none to softly. To add insult to injury, he overheard a little boy not but a few feet away tugging on his mother's skirt, pointing and laughing as he exclaimed, "Mommy that guys funny! He's laughing all by himself!"

The brunette straightened his posture and cleared his throat as he tried to regain any little dignity he hadn't just shucked out the window. Quickening his pace, he himself back on the task to uncover the needed groceries for the meal.

After picking up tomatoes, onions, chives, the ground beef, and a bag of sweet potato fries from the freezer aisle, Eren made his way to the counter. With the cash registers in sight he marched towards them, eyes glancing sideways into the aisles as he passed by, just in case he forgot something or could think of something else to buy.

That's when he hesitated, foot stopping mid-air and momentarily lingering, before it met the ground with a snap. He froze, eyes wide on the aisle before him. Taking a large gulp, he glanced left and right before directing his march in front of the shelves. Specifically, the shelves occupying a two by two foot square space masked by feminine products and razors.

He wasn't sure why he stopped to consider the small brightly colored boxes with bold and ludicrous phrases. Tonight was a simple dinner, and nothing in the past couple weeks alluded to this even being considered a date night, let alone one that might require such devices.

He mulled over the pros and cons of just buying a pack for the sake of having them. Eyes browsing over the shelf a bit longer and he even considered purchasing one of those bottles tucked underneath the hanging boxes as well. He more than likely wouldn't use them, but he didn't have any in case he would need them, later on of course. Yeah, made sense, better safe than sorry.

Finally at the register, he placed the meat and produce down on the conveyor belt, hesitating to put down his last two items. The eighty something granny smiling at him in line was certainly not helping. Especially not while she fawned over him along with the cashier, going on to say what a charming young man he seemed.

Yes, charming. Just as charming as the strawberry flavored lubricant and variety 12 pack condoms he was currently hiding behind his back while sheepishly scratching his head.

His mortification didn't end there. Rather than leave the old woman took her time gathering her bags in her cart.

"Oh, planning on making dinner, such a good boy. You know, I wish I could get my husband to make me dinner every now and again. Does wonders, make sure you cook for your girlfriend. Women love a man who can cook you see."

Eren nodded a bit flustered, stuttering as the cashier spoke up.

"You gonna pay for those too or you planning on putting them back?"

The knowing look on the cashier's was not helping his nerves. Was she doing this shit on purpose? Was spontaneous combustion a thing? For Eren, he couldn't help but think how amazing it would be for that to happen right now, to avoid the sweet old lady, still staring at him, from seeing his last two incriminating items behind his back.

"I-uh that is," he looked back and forth between the cashier and the sweet old lady smiling back at him.

"Well?"

"Uh... yes, sorry," he stumbled out hastily as he all but flung the two offending items out of his hands and onto the belt in a stiff motion. Eren forced himself to stare at the two items that continued to shrink him in on himself. The cashier snickered and rang them up while a soft voice giggled behind a wrinkled hand.

"Oh my dear, you're going to have to try to cook something a little more elaborate than hamburgers if you plan on using those anytime soon."

Mouth just as wide as his eyes and the cashier's unfiltered laughter in his ear, he didn't think it was possible to blush any harder as the old woman winked at him and walked away.

(＃´ー´)旦 (＃´ー´)旦 (＃´ー´)旦 (＃´ー´)旦

A knock at his door had Rivaille calling out for the guest to enter from the other room. Eren opened the door cautiously and offered a small greeting, still a bit shell shocked and timid from his experience at the store. He carefully toed off his shoes, making his way to the kitchen and setting down the plastic bags. He glanced over the few cabinets and drawers, debating whether or not to attempt at finding what he needed to start, but thought better of it before he dove into the project prematurely. The last thing he wanted to do was piss Rivaille off by making a mess of his organized kitchen.

The brunette turned at the sound of Rivaille's feet padding against the tiles. A damp towel rested around his neck, one end held in hand while the other gently dried his undercut hair. Eren's once tense shoulders softened as his eyes, without hesitation or shame, took in the sight of the shorter man's bare torso and chest. He dare say he was even a bit jealous as he drank in the sight, but the stirring in his gut and the memories of the last time he saw Rivaille's defined abdomen overrode those with a pang of lust.

'…you're going to have to try to cook something a little more elaborate than hamburgers if you plan on using those anytime soon'

Eren's face immediately fell as he recalled the upturn of that old woman's lips, the reiteration of her words in his head tempting him to punch his own stomach to get rid of the uncomfortable knot that just formed. Rivaille only raised a brow at his odd shift of expression.

"I'm not sure if I want to ask why your face transitioned between 'Holy shit I'm constipated', to 'Thank god the gas pains over', to 'Holy shit, I shit my pants.'"

"I-I didn't shit my pants!"

"I'm not saying you did," Rivaille amended though he tilted his head to the side, "but seriously, the look on your face, I swear it's the expression of someone who hasn't taken a shit for weeks. What did I miss?"

Eren weighed his options here. Tell Rivaille about the old woman's comment and end up admitting he bought lube and condoms? Wait… he didn't need to weigh anything, there was no fucking away he was going to tread into that territory.

"Nothing, nothing happened. Nothing at all."

Rivaille made a silently 'O' with his mouth, as if in understanding, before crossing his arms over his chest.

"So, then it was just the sight of me that evoked such an expression," Rivaille teased further, "I knew, for you at least, I cause symptoms of diarrhea of the mouth, but I can't say I've ever afflicted someone with constipation before."

It was nice to push the kid out of his comfort zone. It wasn't very easy to get him flustered, and the majority of the time he was unfazed by even his rudest comments. Hell, he was surprised he was even getting the kid sputtering over his potty humor at the moment. Usually, Eren's amazement of how many ways he could find use for shit in everyday conversation, did little more than humor him. Apparently, something worth hearing about happened, though, he recognized any attempt to squeeze it out of Eren now would not only be tedious but probably pointless as well. Perhaps after dinner, speaking of which.

Rivaille moved to grab the necessary items and placed them on the counter before sitting down in his small table. Eren glanced over and blinked while pointing to himself.

"You don't want to help me?"

"I just got out of the shower."

Eren waited a few seconds before realizing that was probably the best explanation he would receive and just nodded his head. He pulled the ingredients out of the bag and made to prepare them but Rivaille spoke up to stop him.

"Wash your hands first brat."

Hazel eyes chuckled back at him as the brunette shook his head complying just the same, "I swear you have OCD."

"My apologies, I'm not so thrilled at the aspect of someone not washing their hands before touching my food. The same hand, mind you, you're going to use to prep that food is the same hand you use to wipe your ass. It's just a bit disheartening, especially when that someone looks like he either needed to or already did take an explosive shit."

"You're still hungry after that thought process," Eren asked toweling off his hands with a disbelieving grin.

Rivaille, as nonchalant as he had spoken and without even a hint of change in his neutral expression just shrugged motioning to the counter.

"Starved, actually."

"Right, I'll have this done in a jiff. In the mean time, I bought some Kahlua and bailey's if you want a coffee?"

Coffee seemed to be the magic word as Rivaille stood up almost immediately and set to make a brew.

"You want a cup Jaegar?"

"No, no, I'm fine. I don't think I'll drink tonight."

Rivaille just nodded. Whether or not he saw through Eren's reasoning or not he didn't dwell on it. Today had already been embarrassing enough as is.

Eren busied himself with chopping the tomato and chives as Levi sipped at his spiked coffee with a hum of satisfaction every so often. Eren smiled as he continued to prep finally falling back into a comfortable mood, old perverted ladies and bad grocery encounters aside.

"Mikasa has been hounding me lately, more so than usual anyway."

"That so?"

Eren nodded silently but ticked his tongue as he thought back on his sibling's behavior as of late.

"It's strange though, she's usually not 'this' overbearing. I don't get why you two don't seem to get along or why she feels the need to intrude on my hanging out with you."

"If you're looking for some over dramatized story about our past you'll be sorely disappointed. It's not hard to believe that we simply don't mesh at all. It's not that she's someone I dislike, I dislike her company yes, but I don't have any strong feelings of her either way."

Eren's smile grew, slightly relieved that there was at least no real reason for the animosity between the two.

"I'm glad."

"You're glad," Rivaille started skeptically in question, waiting for Eren to finish his sentence.

"Mikasa's," he thought on it briefly before concluding proudly, "Well, she's my only sister, she's family."

"What about your parents?"

It was a question that bothered the raven ever since Hanji eluded to something unspoken the night Rivaille took Eren home for the first time.

Eren's hand paused as his body stiffened for a brief second before he quickened his pace by grabbing an onion in favor of keeping himself occupied. Rivaille was never usually one to become curious. He almost regretted asking the question at how visibly Eren responded to it, but he was indeed curious.

"My parents… there not really around anymore."

Rivaille sipped at his cup and adverted his eyes, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Eren turned around slowly, letting the knife drop on the counter and leaned back against it, hands braced behind him on either side of the fake granite.

"My father's still alive," Eren started carefully, "It's just, do to circumstances we don't see him anymore."

Rivaille nodded staring down into his cup at the light caramel colored liquid, "Is it too forward of me to ask another question?"

"I don't mind. Go ahead."

Rivaille glanced over at Eren's strained smile, surprised at how much it made his chest tighten. Never the less he continued, trying to soften his expression as best he could.

"Mikasa," Rivaille contemplated on his words, "Is she blood related?"

Eren's lips pulled a little tighter in his smile, as if fighting the urge to drop into a frown, "Only half."

Eren looked up to the ceiling and closed his eyes, Rivaille taking the time to admire the way his neck pulled at the movement in spite of the tense atmosphere. He didn't bother to pry any further, if Eren wanted to offer an explanation into details he would, if not it was probably for a reason.

"Mikasa's mother was a widow, her husband was under my father's care at the time of his death. My father, he had been their family doctor for quite some time. Apparently, at some point in time after his death my father 'comforted' her."

the way he stressed the word comfort was a telling and Rivaille could quickly begin to fill in the blanks. Eren must have known this because he waited for affirmation of his understanding.

"So then Mikasa's your father's daughter?"

"Yeah, she is. My father took her home after she was born. Her mother passed away during delivery. Some sort of complication during the birth, I don't know the specifics."

Eren cleared his throat and turned back to the onion quickly finishing up with it and tossing it in the bowl with the meat and veggies.

"It was pretty devastating news for my mother. They always had a strained relationship, my parents, but she truly did love my father. It was a bit too much for her. She died not too long after Mikasa was born."

"She fell ill?"

"She took her life."

Rivaille didn't miss how quickly he responded nor the crack in his voice and silently cursed his own curiosity. He knew, now, why Hanji had looked so forlorn when she said not to worry about meeting his parents. He didn't really know how to respond to any of these revelations. He didn't find it appropriate to apologize, nor did he think it was worthwhile to dig up any other buried emotions by reminding Eren further of his losses. Instead, he opted for a change of pace.

Stepping up from his chair he stood behind Eren, winding his arms around the thin waist, a little perturbed that had he laid his head against his back, his cheek would be neatly placed in between the giant's shoulder blades.

"I have a brooch that I keep pinned to a ribbon around the vase in the bedroom."

Eren thought for a moment and turned his head in a vain attempt to look back at Rivaille, "The one with the red poppies?"

"I'm not sure if that should worry me that you remember such a detail after one night, unless…" Rivaille leaned back eyeing him suspiciously in humor, "You're not peeking through my windows or anything are you? Creeper."

Eren just chuckled softly, "I'd let myself in before I'd even consider sitting outside in the cold to spy on you."

"Ho, I see. Though you won't hear anything surprising with your ear pressed against my door at night."

He then added as an afterthought.

"Unless you pressed your ear to my bathroom door during a late night shit."

"Very eloquent Rivaille."

"Not sure if that's the word I'd use to describe defecation," Rivaille mused.

Eren only laughed and shook his head. Rivaille detaching himself in favor of stepping back and glancing over the younger man.

"Your eyes are tearing."

Eren blinked and sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, which only made it worse as he yelped, "Ah god the onions!"

Rivaille hid his chuckle and directed Eren to the bathroom, telling him to wash out his eyes in the sink with a comment of, 'senseless brat.'

Once Eren returned, the bangs of his hair slightly wet from washing his face, they finished up their first round of burgers and fries, with Rivaille cooking and Eren setting up the table. It was late after they finished but Rivaille was still a bit hungry, not even the least bit tired, and prompted Eren to cook up another two burgers for them while he fished out a movie.

Kneeling on the floor Rivaille pressed the DVD into his player and nearly took off his head when he jolted at the sound of the fire alarm going off in his kitchen. He cursed as he stalked back into the kitchen to find Eren ripping the pan off the stove and shoving it into his kitchen sink with the water rushing over it with a hiss and dying off sizzle. Eren nervously apologized at the glare he received from the shorter male. Eren thanked the heavens the smoke alarm died off with a high pitched whine.

It was amazing how someone of his stature could have the same paralyzing effect of a grizzly bear about to tear you to shreds.

"Eren."

"Yeah?"

"Please, explain to me why my burger looks like water logged, deep-fried shit?"

He dodged, "You've said 'shit' an awful lot tonight."

"That so?"

"We still have sweet potato fries," he offered before they got back on track.

Thankfully Rivaille retreated and waved for him to follow, "Hurry up and grab them the movie's starting. You'll be cleaning that up later."

"Of course," Eren grinned as he grabbed the fresh plate of fries and followed Rivaille into the living room.

"By the way, what the hell had you so flustered when you first got here?"

Rivaille had to pound the back of Eren's back to get him to spit out the fry he choked on.