#awkwaed interactions

So this idea is brought to you by a bunch of people on the Ereri discord posting fanart and saying Eren and Levi were just being good ‘bros’

If you were to ask me how I met my boyfriend the answer would be simple: we met in high school and became good friends. If you were to ask me how we actually became boyfriends however, I would tell you a complicated story consisting of many awkward stares, silences, and even boners…

~~~

“So you’re serious about sleeping on the couch?” Eren, my best friend at the time, asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve got nowhere else.” The couch seemed like the most obvious answer to my problem. I’m sure it isn’t that uncomfortable?

“Bro, last time I napped on that couch you had to give me a back massage afterwards because of how lumpy it was.” Now I thought about it, I did remember something along the lines of that happening.

“That’s true but it’s literally the only other place I can sleep in the flat that isn’t my bed.” I didn’t see what other options I had.

“No homo, but I do have a double bed…it’s a lot better for your back than that piece of crap.” Eren gestured to the couch I was sitting on.

“So you’re suggesting I sleep with you?” Not that I was opposed to the idea, but I was opposed to the fact that Eren and I were currently stuck in the ‘brozone’. A type of friendship where one, or possibly both, of the friends has gay feelings for the other but is concerned they may ruin the friendship and therefore starts almost every sentence with ‘bro’ or ‘no homo’. This is also a method of protecting masculinity.

“Yes, we’ll stay on our own sides of course.” What if I didn’t want to? What if I wanted to get as close to you as possible and be held in your arms, tucked up safe and surrounded in your scent? Okay Levi that got a bit too specific. Tone it down a notch.

“Sure…bro.” I had just doomed myself to a restless night in hell…or heaven…it might be both.

One hour later and I was watching Eren sleep. Wait…rewind. That sounded creepy as fuck. What I meant is that I was laying in bed unable to sleep whilst Eren was already deep in dreamland. I had tried to sleep but I was just too worked up. How would you feel if you were platonically sharing a bed with your crush? I was transfixed on watching the way his chest lifted up and down, taking in and expelling breaths through the slight opening of his mouth. When exactly did you fall this far Levi? Fuck if I knew. The only thing I knew is that I didn’t want ‘no homo’ anymore I wanted all the homo goddamnit.

The other thing keeping me from sleeping is the worry that I would move in my sleep and Eren would wake up to me clutching him like a teddy bear. Who knew what that would cause. I knew that if Eren turned on the light now I would be bright red due to all the thoughts running through my head. Would Eren ever feel the same way as I felt right now? Was I getting my hopes up for nothing or did he also just want to get out of this fucking bromance already? After about another hour of nerve wracking thoughts, I felt my eyes slip closed and sleep take over my senses.

I was lucky I woke up before Eren…

When I woke up it was 5am and I was definitely not on my “side” of the bed. I could tell due to the fact I was undoubtedly staring at Eren’s chest about 2 centimetres in front of my face. Immediately I recoiled and almost fell off the bed. Saving my ass from injury on the cold linoleum floor by about 5mm.

My mind was reeling, if Eren had actually woken before me it would have been so fucking awkward. He would have stared at me with those amazing emerald green orbs and told me to get the fuck off him and out of the house along with his life. If I was lucky my parents wouldn’t disown me but that was unlikely.

I fell off the bed….

I woke up…

While my awake self was aware that Eren was a person, my asleep self was convinced that he was actually a teddy bear. Because when I opened my eyes, guess who was staring back at me?

“Are you cold Levi?” Eren asked immediately getting out of bed to grab blankets out of the cupboard. It was 4am. The silence in the room felt thick with sexual tension.

I ran to the bathroom and stayed there for a good ten minutes.

When I finally mustered up the courage to show my face again Eren was back in bed with more blankets and basically asleep. I spent the next 4 hours keeping myself awake in fear of the past repeating itself.

~~~

Three days later and my bed was fixed. I vowed to never mention the last few nights again…

Seeing as it was Saturday and Eren and I had a day off Eren decided it would be fun to have a movie night. I saw no way this could go wrong, maybe some awkward blanket sharing but for the rest it should all be fine.

Or that’s what I told myself because it wasn’t all fine.

Halfway through Mulan, aka the best movie ever, I apparently dropped some popcorn down my trousers.

“Hey, Bro, you…dropped some popcorn there..lemme get it for you.” Eren has no shame.

My mind blanked and before I knew it Eren had his hand down my trousers and was trying to find a piece of popcorn. Now I pride myself in my self control, but when someone you find attractive literally has a hand down your pants there’s going to be a boner. No sooner did Eren finally find the piece of popcorn than I ran to my room spouting the excuse that I had to get changed.

The rest of the night was spent in a heavy silence watching disney films and sharing a blanket…

The next day I had new resolve. Today I was going to ask Eren Jaeger out and not be a fucking wimp about it. The whole day was spent pacing and running countless scenarios through my head. Maybe he would decline? Chuck me out? Never talk to me again? None of the scenarios were good but that did not deter me.

I sat next to Eren on our lumpy ass couch and watched him as intently as he was watching the tv.

“You seem nervous Levi, what’s up?” Eren always knew how to see right through me.

“I’m er..going on a date.” Fuck. You haven’t even asked him yet Levi, back it up.

“So what’s there to be nervous about. You have gone out with people before right?” Oh god.

“No?” Why did I say it like a fucking question Jesus Levi man the fuck up.

“Kissed someone?”

“No…” The thought of Eren’s lips on mine made me turn bright red.

“Well that’s no good, I can’t have my bro going on a date unprepared.” I did not like the direction this was going… “Look I’ll show you how.”

Fuck.

All of a sudden our lips interlocked and I was melting into Eren’s touch. If this was what heaven felt like, sign me the fuck up. Because I was fucking free falling off the tallest building in the world and was about to hit the ground.

Eventually Eren pulled back and I felt a tingle on my lips where his used to be. My pupils were almost definitely dilated and I was panting heavily. Eren on the other hand seemed mostly unaffected his breathing only slightly heavier than before. The thought that Eren had kissed someone before made my heart twinge uncomfortably.

“You’re not bad.” Eren said after a while.

“Thanks?” I was still slightly dazed.

“So when are you leaving?” Oh man this was it. Rest in peace Levi Ackerman.

“Well actually I still need to ask them out.” I let a shy smile trace my lips.

“You’d better do that then…”

I quickly grabbed my phone and pulled up Eren’s contact details. Asking him out by text would be a lot less awkward. After a long internal struggle I pressed send…

Levi to Eren

6:34 pm

I want to be more than just friends, go out with me?

It was cringey but it was the best I could do. When I heard Eren’s phone buzz I didn’t dare to look up. The next ten seconds felt like ten hours but eventually I felt a soft hand touch my shoulder.

“Levi-”

“I know what you’re gonna say Eren. ‘You’re my best bro’ ‘ I don’t feel that way towards you’. I’m…if you’re going to decline me..please…don’t do it harshly.” Tears were threatening to escape my eyes and I stared down at my lap clutching onto the fabric of my jumper like a lifeline.

Instead of removing his hand, Eren brought it down to my chin and carefully lifted my head up so I was looking him in the eyes. He was smiling. Why would he be smiling?