Chapter Text
The rain fell hard and unforgiving on the gloomy streets of New York.
Eren ran along them cursing under his breath, already soaked to the bone and shivering like a stray dog. He crossed a road, dodged a group of Asian tourists and took a look at his phone to check the hour. Fortunately, it was not as late as he had expected.
Mikasa was turning 21 that same day, and the occurrence – as every year – called for a big party, one that Eren had forced the girl to host in her same apartment — a massive, posh attic where he spent most of his time.
He was in a surprisingly good mood for the celebration, even if it was a particularly wet day of September, and Eren didn’t like getting outside his own flat in that weather. If it had been anyone else’s party, he would have bailed. But for Mikasa, he would cross mountains… and oceans… and whatever.
He stepped into a large puddle when an old lady refused to slightly move aside from the middle of the curb, and cursed under his breath again, before sighing and moving on, rising his hand to get his long hair away from his eyes.
Eren was sunshine in human form, and rain was his absolute enemy.
People around him didn’t seem to care about the pouring rain that much, though. He knew that the city gained a nostalgic air in that weather, with all the lights reflecting on the puddles and wet surfaces of the skyscrapers. It felt kind of romantic, but Eren still hated the feeling of clothes sticking to his skin and of the cold rippling through his veins.
Moving to New York from Rosemaria had been the best thing Eren had ever done, and he wouldn’t have gone back to his little town for all the money in the world.
Still, on days like that, he missed the beach where he had spent his youth, and the little hill that Mika, Armin and he would climb most days after school. The place held some sweet memories that would accompany him forever. From the outside, it appeared as a little piece of heaven, not too distant from the big city but seemingly so.
And yet.
Eren knew that, in the place, he would find his father. And Zeke. And Reiner.
He shook his head, trying not to think about any of the dickheads in his life, and instead gave a relieved huff when finally spotting Mikasa’s building. Mika was an Ackerman – and the Ackerman were rich as fuck, not that Eren himself could complain – so she lived in a posh apartment block in Manhattan.
He climbed the stairs instead of picking the elevator in order to warm up a bit, but soon regretted it as he remembered that Mikasa had moved to the last floor, leaving her old flat for a new, bigger one.
“Fuck me,” he muttered as he climbed another step, deciding to hop on the elevator at the following floor.
He knew that Mikasa would open the door to find him looking like absolute shit. He was glad, at least, that he had agreed to reach her sooner than the rest of people and of the beginning of the party, so that he would help her with preparing shit.
Mika was like a sister to him, so he knew she would not mind if he took a shower and changed in some of the clothes he had left over during the times he had slept in her guestroom.
“You look like shit.” The beautiful girl raised an eyebrow, and her grey eyes looked at him in absolute distaste when she opened the door and saw him, just like Eren had expected.
“Thanks, love,” he chuckled, opening his arms wide, “Wanna give me a hug, birthday girl?”
She scrunched her nose at him, “Don’t you fucking try,” she retorted, “And get those shoes off before coming in. The cleaning lady just came earlier.”
“Yeah, yeah…” he muttered while following her command, “May I take a shower? This fucking rain has ruined me.” He said, while he took off his leather jacket and carefully deposited it on a chair.
Mika eyed it, deciding not to mind that, “Sure.” She told him, and Eren was already moving when she added: “My cousin’s in town for some business and is staying at mine. Guest room. So don’t go in there, alright?”
He shrugged it off, not minding one bit the presence of someone else. Mika had a big family all around the world. French relatives, Japanese relatives… All kind of relatives. “Of course," he replied, "Just—”
“You need clothes?”
“Yes, can you get me some?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she simply said, “Jean left some sweaters, I think.”
Eren scrunched her nose at that piece of information, “You’re still fucking that horseface?”
“Don’t call him that,” she reprimanded him, “And it’s none of your business.”
“I’m not wearing horseface’s cloth—”
“Then you can stay naked for as much as I care,” Mika said, eyes glinting in challenge.
Eren sighed, “Fine,” he conceded, “But just because it’s your birthday.”
Mika nodded towards the bathroom and Eren knew she wanted him to be done with the shower so that they could start preparing the apartment for the night.
Fortunately for him, there was no cousin in there to stop him from taking a long-awaited hot shower. He quickly undressed himself and took his time removing the coldness of the rain from his skin.
He found some high-quality man shampoo in there, and couldn’t help himself from squeezing a generous amount of product in his hair.
“Sorry for this, cousin,” he muttered, as he started massaging the hair from the scalp to where they finished, around his chin.
The shampoo had a heavenly scent that instantly lightened up Eren’s mood.
He finished the shower, dried his hair and body with a towel, and spotted the clothes that Mikasa had left for him on a chair by the door. He hadn’t even heard her come in.
He found a pair of black slacks, a white t-shirt and a navy Ralph Lauren sweater.
The slack were okay, the t-shirt a little adherent – Jean was a scrawny thing – and the sweater fit just fine, also matching with his blue-green eyes.
He left his hair damp and looked at his reflection for a bit, before hearing a knocking on the door.
“You done?"
“Come in,” Eren just replied.
Mikasa obliged him, looking at him with an eyebrow raised, “What?”
“Should I shave? I’ve never had a beard before, but it brings out my chiselled jaw, doesn’t it?”
The girl rolled her eyes, “Shut up, Eren, and come help me with setting up everything. I don’t give a fuck about that beard.”
The boy pouted at her, “You’re rude.”
“You’re childish.”
“And the beard?” he insisted.
The girl shrugged, “Kinda sexy.”
Eren grinned diabolically and followed her out of the bathroom, joining her into the living room to help her with the party’s set up.
Eren was already tipsy when Armin proposed karaoke, so he was of course the first one to get up and sing Pet Shop Boys’ Rent to everyone in a seductive voice, dancing as he did so.
He didn’t miss the glances that Brandon, Armin’s new flatmate, was addressing him.
He had met the boy once or twice before when he had joined on a group night out. The boy was smaller than him but toned, and had sweet brown eyes and a cute mullet.
He joined him on one of the sofas while Sasha took the mic to sing a Miley Cyrus tune.
“You alright, White?” he asked the boy, suddenly remembering his last name.
“Yeah, Jaeger, you?”
Eren grinned, “I’ll be better after another gin and tonic.” He eyed the drink in the other boy’s hands, “Mind to share?”
“I don’t,” Brandon said, handing him the red cup, which Eren accepted with gratitude before shotting down the whole thing.
“Hey, man,” Armin sat on his other side as he spotted him doing so, “Easy with that. Last time you got shit faced , you puked in Mika’s deceased grandma’s 16th century porcelain vase, and she didn’t talk to you for a whole month.”
Brandon laughed at that, while Eren just shrugged, “It was an accident. I had been given ecstasy by a fucking lunatic at the club.”
Armin rolled his blue eyes, “Maybe the hundreds of gin and tonics didn’t help either.”
Eren chuckled as well, then, “Maybe not,” he turned to Brandon, “But I’m not a drunk, mate.”
“You are,” Armin said, before glaring at Eren with a please-don’t-fuck-my-flatmate stare, “Join me for a smoke?” he asked him.
“Sure,” Eren agreed, as Brandon seemed to let out a disappointed huff.
Mikasa had a nice apartment, but its absolute best part was the balcony.
It was spacious, with leather sofas splattered around, nice plants and a little breakfast table.
Eren threw on his leather jacket and followed his blond friend out of the flat.
A Marlboro was quickly put between his lips and lit up.
Eren passed a hand through his still slightly damp hair, trying to comb them back, even if he felt some locks falling on his eyes.
“Please don’t fuck Brandon,” Armin said as he blew out some smoke, “I don’t want a love-pining, insufferable flatmate who keeps asking me about you.”
Eren chuckled, “Harry really traumatised you.”
Armin grunted, “I had to find another fucking apartment because he went through my phone to text you after you had blocked him, Eren. It was a nightmare.”
The dark-haired boy raised his hands, “Yeah, yeah, I know, sorry about that…” he chuckled, “We only fucked once. I didn’t know I had a magical dick that made boys addicted.”
Armin shook his head, “That’s disgusting, man.”
“Only because you’re straight, it doesn’t mean you can’t recognise what an incredible lover I am. Your flatmates have a tendency to fall for—”
“Shut up, Eren,” Armin cut him off, but he looked amused anyway.
“Hey guys,” Mikasa reached them outside, looking a bit tipsy, her cheeks red. “You smoking?”
Behind her, following as a lovesick puppy, came Jean. “Cover up, baby, or you’ll catch a cold,” he said, while putting his coat on her shoulders.
She rolled her eyes at that, and snatched Eren’s cigarette from his lips, before taking a long drag.
Jean looked at her with disappointment, but said nothing.
“You okay, horseface?” Eren teased him, “Haven’t graced us with your version of Don’t go breaking my heart, yet?”
The boy flushed slightly, “I’ve had enough of karaoke as soon as you sang, Jaeger.” He spat back.
“Don’t be so enviou—”
Eren was cut off by the sound of the doorbell, and that made him raise an eyebrow, “Who’s that?” he asked Mikasa, knowing that all guests had already arrived.
The girl seemed to be confused about that as well for a second, before suddenly remembering something, “Oh, that must be Levi.”
The boys raised their eyebrows at that, silently questioning who this Levi was.
"My cousin," Mikasa pointed out, "He left early to have dinner with some friends, but I guess we partied for longer than he thought and showed up before we could leave for the club…”
Armin shrugged at that, “Well, no worries. He can join us.”
Mikasa looked unsure, “I don’t know if he will. He is ten years our senior… And not the friendliest of man.”
Jean knitted his brows, “Well, we could say hello and then leave for the club right after.”
Mikasa nodded, “Yeah, that’d be best. I don’t want to keep him up.”
Eren shook his head, “But Mika, you still have to cut your cake! I had it made for you, and I can’t wait to—”
"What’s on that cake, Eren?” his friend immediately asked, her grey eyes flashing with threat.
Eren grinned, “I won’t spoil my surprise for you.” he just said, and before Mikasa could add anything, he added, “But don’t worry, it’s nothing extra. I don’t want you to beat me up” he explained, “Now, I’ll go welcome your cousin, y’know, and convince him to have a drink and stay for the cake—”
“—Eren, what’s on the fucking cake?”
“Don’t worry about it, love,” he just said, knowing that the pet name made Jean go insane, “Just trust me. Once we all get to see it, we’ll fuck off to the club and let your precious cousin alone, alright?”
She seemed to think about it for a second. Fortunately for the boy, she had drank enough to be a little more spontaneous that usual. “Fine.”
The doorbell rang again, and they all realised they had left the man hanging.
“On my way!” Eren announced, before walking inside, discarding his leather jacket, moving around his hair and going for the door.
He opened it with ease, as he owned the place, and put on a cheeky grin that he knew made girls and boys sway.
When he laid eyes on Mika’s cousin, though, he was the one to feel completely charmed.
The man in front of him was slightly smaller than him, but not much, so he was still tall, with broad shoulders and a nice built, even if his dark suit only gave away very little. He had an elegant face, with sharp cheekbones, a straight nose, full lips and calculative grey eyes. Ackerman eyes.
He had an undercut like a fucking Peaky Blinder, black hair and a charm about himself that made Eren stay silent for a second.
When he remembered himself, though, his smile grew bigger.
Fuck, that’s a sexy man.
“You must be Levi.” He said, letting his eyes roam shamefully on his figure once again. He tasted the name on his tongue slowly, enjoying the sound of it. “A pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard so many things about you—”
“You have?” the man asked, raising an eyebrow in a way Eren was used to see on his friend. He mostly looked bored, but there was a glint in his eyes.
He chuckled. The Ackermans were good in telling when he was lying. “Not really, no. That’s what you’re supposed to say, right?” he let his eyes study the other’s face, “Though, in hindsight, I would have loved to hear things about you.”
The other huffed, sounding amused, “Smooth,” he commented, “For a kid.”
Eren blushed a little, but was quick in hiding that behind a grin, “So, we are about to cut the cake… You shouldn’t miss it.” He slowly said.
The man looked like he was studying him, but in a pleased, curious, way, as if he had expected to find something on the other side of the door, but he had been delightfully wrong, “And why’s that?”
Eren shrugged, “It’s my gift, of course,” he explained, “And my gifts are always good,” he announced, winked at him, and moved aside to let him cross the threshold.
“Hi there Levi!” Mikasa appeared behind Eren just then, moving towards the man and greeting him with a kiss on each cheek.
Definitely a French relative, Eren thought while looking at the exchange.
“Bonsoir Mikasa,” the man called Levi simply replied, “Ton ami m’a dit qu’il y an encore la torte à manger… Je suis désolé pour être rentré avant cela."
"Mais pas de soucis, cousin ! Je suis heureuse que t’es avec nous," she simply answered.
"T’es très gentille." Levi said.
"So, you’ve met Eren," Mikasa switched back to English, looking unsure on how to proceed next. She seemed to be in awe of her older cousin.
“I have,” Levi confirmed, glancing at the boy again, “Your boyfriend?”
Mikasa threw Eren a disgusted look that made the boy gape in offence, “Don’t look at me like that. You’re dating horseface, why does the idea of dating me repulses you?”
Mikasa shrugged, “I don’t know. It just does.” She tipsily added.
Eren threw his hands up, “That’s very rude.”
“Whatever,” Mikasa said, “Tu penses que tout le monde veut te baiser."
"Mais c’est vrai ça."
"Pas du tout."
“Ta gueule," Eren chimed in, while the man turned to look at him with surprised eyes. If he wanted to use French to cut him out of any conversation, that would not work with Eren.
Grisha had very much pushed for him to be fluent in English, German and French.
“T’es francais?” he asked, then.
“Pas du tout. Mes parents sont allemands.” Eren shrugged, "Moi, Américain.”
“Tu parle très bien la langue, hein, pour un américain.”
“I am a posh kid,” Eren said, “And Mika would insult me in French all the time some years ago, so I had to learn it in order to protect myself.”
“Clever boy,” he just replied.
Mikasa observed the exchange with an eyebrow raised, “So? Should I cut your cake?”
Eren eyes glinted, “Please.”
Mikasa laughed her heart out as she eyed the heart-shaped cake on which the writing Cold-hearted Bitch with a little heart above the “i” was presented in front of her, 21 candles on top of it.
She hugged Eren, then, and the boy exclaimed, “Initially, it should have been a picture of a bouquet of dicks, but Armin stopped me before I could order it...”
“Thanks Armin,” Mikasa said, and the blond boy nodded at her in understanding. Their best friend was crazy.
As everybody sang “happy birthday”, Eren snatched Mika’s polaroid from the table and took a picture of the birthday girl whose face was illuminated by the candles.
“Pretty,” he murmured as the picture came out.
“Oi, take one of us together,” Jean asked when he spotted him, and moved towards Mikasa.
Eren wrinkled his nose, “Why waste a pola?”
“Eren,” Mikasa threatened.
“Shut up Jaeger, you’re even wearing my fucking clothes. Be thankful.”
“I will strip right now,” he bit back, before Armin smacked his head and told him to "take the fucking photo and shut up".
He obliged, even if, in his drunken state, he wouldn’t have minded throwing a punch at horseface.
“Are you always this fiery?” a deep voice asked from somewhere behind him, and eren turned to see the sexy cousin leaning against a wall not far from where he was standing.
“Yes,” Eren said, “I am an Aries, after all,” he continued, making the other look at him as if he was mad. Then, he pulled a cigarette from his trousers’ pocket, “Fancy a smoke?”
The man called Levi didn’t reply, but nodded, and just started walking towards the balcony, as if eager to get away from the group of drunk youth surrounding Mikasa.
Eren threw up his leather jacket and followed him outside, putting the Marlboro between his lips as Levi stepped forward to light it up.
“Well, thanks dear,” he chanted in his flirty tone, enjoying the proximity of the other's charming face.
Levi didn’t reply as he stepped back and lit his own cig, but his eyes were observing Eren as if he had caught something. "Did you use my shampoo?"
The younger looked at him in shock, "How could you tell?"
Levi huffed, "I bought it on my last trip to Japan. It is a unique scent, as it was crafted by a small company that exploits natural herbs and rare flowers to create its products."
"Ops," Eren murmured, thinking about the amount of shampoo he had used, "Sorry about that. The rain had ruined my perfect hair... I had to use it! It was a matter of life or death!"
Levi just stared at him, "Right," he drawled, "I hope you liked it at least."
Eren raised a hand to touch his own silky hair, "I did," he confirmed, "A seductive scent, indeed."
Levi didn't reply to that.
Eren observed him for a second longer, understanding that the man was not very interested in small talk. So, he spoke again. "Mika told me you're in town for business. What do you do?"
"Business," the other drawled, inhaling the smoke greedily, like it had a lulling effect on him. His eyes were roaming the view of the city, pensively.
"Right," Eren chuckled, finding him to be as weird as he was sexy. "A man of many words, I see."
Grey eyes fixed on him. "You talk enough for the both of us," Levi retorted, impaling him with his calculative gaze.
"That I do. I drank enough to be able not to have any limit."
The man clicked his tongue in response, "Aren't you too young to drink this much?"
"I'm legal." Eren said, "For you, as well. Not just the booze."
Levi chuckled darkly, "Brat," he muttered, "At least you're nice to look at."
Eren smirked at that, and batted his long lashes, "You're not so bad yourself, for a grumpy, thirty-something dude."
Levi raised an eyebrow at that, "You talk as if being thirty-something meant being old."
Eren shrugged, "From my perspective, it kinda means that."
"That's because you're a kid," Levi simply explained, "And it shows."
"Wanna test me, Monsieur?"
Levi shook his head, amused, "And what do you do?"
Eren blew out some smoke, thinking about his question, "Well, apart from studying useless shit that I love," he started, "I date older guys," he said, "Who have shady businesses," he continued, "and wear pretty suits," he stared at Levi's outfit, "And then I make them pay for my drinks and cigs and vices and little parties," he shrugged, "You interested?"
Levi huffed in amusement at that, his eyes getting a little deeper, "Suits you."
"And you too," Eren pointed out.
Levi threw his cigarette butt in an ashtray, "Does it?," he said, "You don't know me, then. I'm certainly no babysitter."
Eren put a hand against his own heart, "Ouch! That hurt."
Levi shook his head, before starting to walk towards the flat. "Goodnight, brat."
"Wait," Eren said, making him stop and turn around, a questioning look in his eyes.
"What?"
"Come to the club with us?"
Levi raised an eyebrow at that.
"Please?" Eren insisted.
The man's huffed, "No, I don't think so."
Eren sighed, "Come on, Levi. It's Mika's birthday."
"Exactement. Pas le tien." Levi drawled, "Penses à lui, pas à moi. Bonne nuit."
"Bonne nuit." Eren gave up, watching the back of the man retreat into the apartment.
If he thought Mikasa was a cold-hearted bitch, then Levi was nothing in comparison.
Maybe it was a Ackerman thing.
He went inside a little later, when Brandon came to tell him that they'd go to the club.
"Let's go then," he told him, wearing his usual easy smile and deciding not to spend the rest of the night thinking about Mikasa's too-hot-to-be-real mysterious cousin.
He failed for the first thirty minutes.
But then Sasha bought some Tequila shots and he drank three in a row and "Time to Pretend" by MGMT started playing from the speakers and a boy with big arms flirted with him and he ended up blowing Eren off in the club's toilet, and then Brandon started crying when he heard that and Armin took him out and home, but Armin was Eren's ride to his flat in Soho, so he started telling everybody that he had been abandoned and Mikasa offered to let him crash on her sofa which made Jean kinda angry, and Jean was also drunk, so he punched Eren who started bleeding from his nose, and then a bouncer took both kids and threw them out, and Mikasa started laughing like a fool and telling that it had been her best birthday party so far. Eren was glad despite the pain in the head and the throbbing of his nose.
Jean told him he was sorry and the three of them went back to Mikasa's, as the others had already fucked off.
So, eventually, Eren hadn't thought about Levi anymore.