Wanderlust

Chapter 13

It was cold when Eren woke up, and it didn't take him long to figure out why.

Levi was already gone.

He sighed, stretching his long limbs across the expanse of the bed and staring at the ceiling, unable to help the feeling of discontentment bubbling up inside.

Levi had warned him last night that he had an early meeting and would probably slip out before Eren woke, but the younger male had grown accustomed to waking up with the man in his arms. Sure, the older man would act like he was pissed off about the cuddling, but he knew they both enjoyed it on some level. It was weird waking up alone, though he had been doing so his whole life up until the trip.

I have no right to feel disappointed, Eren reminded himself, pushing the covers off his body, It's not like Levi and I are together. I shouldn't expect anything from him. He made that very clear already.

With that pleasant thought, the college student finally rolled out of bed and headed in the direction of the kitchen, deciding coffee was probably his best course of action for the moment.

As expected, the small kitchen was spotless. What surprised Eren was the plate already prepared for him, piled high with chocolate croissants -his favorite- and fresh fruit. A mug of coffee, still warm, sat beside the plate along with a folded piece of paper.

A surge of warmth filled him as he took in the spread, replacing the disappointment coiled in his gut over being left alone so early.

It was moments like these where Eren felt the most confused over where he stood with Levi. They were obviously interested in each other, at least it seemed like it to the brunet, and Levi would do simple gestures like this that always caused butterflies to invade his stomach.

And then there were times like on the Arc, where Levi would seem to reject him completely.

So here they were, not friends exactly, but also not boyfriends. He didn't know what they were.

As long as this lasts, it doesn't really matter. He told himself, trying to convince himself that he didn't need anymore from the older man. And he really didn't. He would love to call Levi his boyfriend, but he'd also be content to just have the man as a close friend. He just wanted to know where the line was so he wouldn't cross it on accident and screw things up in a way he couldn't fix, like he almost had last night.

Jesus, he'd been an idiot for thinking the older man was actually going to kiss him.

Levi might be crude, abrasive, and downright obnoxious sometimes, but he was also kind, driven, and strong and Eren didn't want to lose whatever relationship they had because he was stupid and stepped over some invisible wall.

He shook those thoughts from his head and took a seat at the counter, eyes drifting over the the folded piece of paper.

Shitty Brat was written across it in small, precise lettering. Levi's handwriting.

Unable to stop the smile smile from playing on his lips, Eren picked up the note with an amused shake of his head.

If you are reading this, congratulations on not dying between here and the bedroom. Like I told you last night, I have a fuck ton of meetings today and probably won't be back until 7pm because torturing me is clearly a hobby of my client's. Make sure you are ready to go when I get back, and wear something nice for once. We have dinner reservations.

Typical Levi.

He snorted and placed the paper back on the counter and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was nearly 11, meaning he had 8 hours to kill before the older man returned.