A Quiet Corner

it's not completely unusual for you to go out for food together, having struck a sort of casual camaraderie between the two of you - though these plans ultimately meant you'd probably end up naked and bent over the most readily available piece of furniture back at one of your apartments later on, depending on whose roommates weren't home.

sure, where? you reply after a moment's consideration.

(12:48pm) I'll pick you up, can you be ready in 20?

eren shows up to pick you up exactly 20 minutes later, which is unusual - he's never been on time for any plans the two of you have ever made, always running a minimum of fifteen minutes behind schedule.

what's even more unusual is the way he's dressed.

his shoulder length hair is pulled back into his trademark half-up hairstyle, but there's something neater about it than usual - like he'd combed it into place rather than haphazardly tying it up. he's dressed differently too: he's ditched his usual bomber jacket for a real coat - wool with large buttons dotted up the front - though he's left it open to reveal the hoodie he has on underneath.

"you look... nice," you say warily as you drop yourself into the passenger's seat of his car.

"thanks," he says with a light laugh at the clear hesitation in your voice.

the two of you drive for a while, you playing DJ with eren's spotify as he drives, until you pull up outside a restaurant on the other side of town.

"I think this is a private parking lot," you point out as eren pulls into a spot.

"I know that," he says, shifting the car into park and cutting the engine.

"woah, wait a minute," you say, eyes widening, "are we going to eat here?"

the restaurant you've pulled up to is far nicer than one you'd usually frequent together - a picturesque little bistro that serves brunch and has fresh flowers on every table. a far cry from the diners and fast food chains the two of you would normally visit.

"yeah," eren says with a shrug.

"why?" you ask him.

"looks nice," he shrugs again.

"too nice! eren, I'm not even wearing a bra."

eren's eyes flicker down towards your chest.

"hey!" you chirp, swatting at him. he laughs.

"it's not a big deal, we're just going in there to eat." he's so nonchalant about it that it only serves to annoy you more.

"exactly, so why don't we go somewhere more casual?" you counter, arms crossing over your chest.

eren purses his lips and looks through the windshield, his eyes narrowing a bit as though he's thinking hard about something.

"what?" you ask him, sensing he has something he needs to divulge.

"my parents are here," he says.

"uh, what?" you ask, confused. you look around the parking lot, but don't see anyone lingering nearby.

"we're meeting them for lunch," he explains further.

"UH, WHAT?" you repeat yourself, this time far more incredulously.

he looks at you, his green eyes paying careful attention to the furious crease in your brow.

"eren, what the hell?" you hiss at him.

"my mom wanted to meet you," he says, and as if sensing the fact that if he shrugs again you were liable to commit a crime, he freezes before his shoulders can rise.

you stutter over your words for a moment. "wha- how- why does your mom want to meet me?"

"i told her about you," he says simply.

you blink at him.

"she called one day and asked what I did that weekend, so I told her about the movie we went to see. she asked about you." he says it all so matter of factly that it almost makes sense.

"why did you tell her about me? couldn't you have just said you went with a friend?"

"you are a friend," he replies, "and I told her because she asked."

you groan, burying your face in your hands - not a shred of makeup on your face for you to worry about ruining, because you hadn't even bothered to put any on before you left the house.

"you told your mom that we're sleeping together?"

"no," eren says, his tone vaguely offended that you'd even suggest it.

you relax a bit.

"I told her we're dating."

your head snaps up, eyes wide as they land on the boy in the driver's seat.

the two of you stare at one another for a moment, and it seems like at the same time for both of you, the pieces click into place.

"you thought-"

"you didn't-"

you both start to speak at the same time, though neither of you finish your thoughts. truthfully, you don't have to.

"jesus, eren," you sigh, raking a hand through your hair. "a bit of warning would have been nice."

"warning about my parents or warning about us dating?" he asks, and he doesn't even bother to hide the amusement in his tone.

you look at him blankly. "both."

it's quiet for a moment in the car as you process this unexpected information.

"are they already waiting in there?" you sigh.

"yeah, but if you don't want to go in I can take you back home," eren says.

"it's fine," you reply, defeated but not unwilling to go along with this unexpected turn of events. you look at eren, whose face has seemed to brighten a little at your concession. "but we will definitely be having a conversation about this dating thing later."

"whatever you want," he agrees.

much to your surprise, lunch is incredibly enjoyable. eren's parents - grisha and carla - are sweet, and if they notice how underdressed you are for the occasion they both do a fantastic job at not letting on.

you chat about your hometown, and what you're studying, then about how you and eren met - admittedly opting to gloss over a few of the less lunch appropriate details when it came to the latter.

carla in turn reveals plenty of things about eren that you'd never even thought to ask - what he was like as a kid, his favourite foods, the fact that he has an older half-brother (who apparently was very upset he was missing the occasion.)

it's late in the afternoon by the time the four of you exit the restaurant - eren's warm coat having found its way draped over your shoulders. you say your goodbyes, and eventually you part ways - eren's parents heading towards where they'd parked their car down the street, while you and the tall boy beside you walk in the direction of the parking lot.

you've barely turned the corner of the building before you feel a pair of strong hands on your waist, the brick wall of the bistro suddenly pressing into your back as you're pushed into it. eren's mouth crashes down to meet yours.

you let him kiss you breathless - not caring that it's the middle of the day, not caring that you have a half-eaten mint in your mouth which eren's diligent tongue sweeps quickly into his own, not caring that his parents could drive by and see you at any time.

when he pulls away, your chest is burning from the lack of oxygen, your eyelids fluttering slowly open to look at him.

"what was that for?" you ask him, almost embarrassed by how breathy your voice sounds.

"my mom likes you a lot," he says, staring down at you as he continues to crowd you against the wall, one hand braced on the brick beside your face. you watch as he suckles on the mint that moments prior had been yours.

"s'that so?" you ask, "how do you know?"

"she texted our family group chat halfway through lunch," eren replies, "and then said it again when you went to the washroom just before we left. my dad liked you too."

you blink at him for a moment.

"i can't believe you tricked me into dating you," you mutter, shaking your head a little.

eren grins at you lopsidedly, clearly pleased with himself.

"so that means it worked?" he asks.

"only because your mom is so sweet," you sniff. you then reach up to point a finger at him warningly. "and if you ever pull a stunt like this again, the next time she calls you can tell her all about how I kicked your ass."

he laughs, catching your wrist in his much larger hand, bringing it towards him. his lips brush over the tip of your outstretched finger, hardly even a kiss, before sliding down towards your knuckles where he repeats the gesture - all with a smile curling up at the edges of his mouth.

"you got it."

he uses his grip on your wrist to pull you forward, his mouth meeting yours again.