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"You need to find yourself a new taste tester,” moans Hanji, devouring a piece of tiramisu cake. “I’ve put on so much weight since you opened Café Rose.”
Levi scoffs as he brushes the crumbs off the counter with a dishcloth, straightening the stack of napkins that Mike knocked over. “I didn’t ask you to be my taste tester,” he reprimands. “You just invite yourself over whenever you feel hungry and eat all the food I make for my customers.”
Hanji ignores him, reaching for the knife and cutting off another slice of cake. Levi focuses his attention on Mike instead, who is cracking the caramelized sugar on his crème brûlée. He scoops out a small spoonful and brings it up to his nose, sniffing carefully.
“Coconut?” he asks, taking a bite.
Levi nods. “I thought I would try a new flavour this time. The raspberry ones I made last week sold out within the hour.”
“No surprise there,” says Hanji eagerly, who is basically inhaling the remainder of the cake at this point. “Everything you make is so damn good.”
He doesn’t reply, but nods his head appreciatively as he clears the plates in front of Hanji and Mike. Four years ago, he spent his entire life savings on a small café which he renovated and reopened as Café Rose. He didn’t expect business to become immediately successful but, to his great surprise and relief, his café attracted many students from Trost High School. It became a popular place for breakfast, dessert, and studying, and Levi was very proud of his shop that he literally built with his own two hands.
Hanji’s voice interrupted Levi’s thoughts, and he twitched slightly.
“You wouldn’t happen to have any leftovers for me to take home, would you?” Hanji says hopefully, eyes glittering and staring at stack of eclairs in the display case. Levi swears that he saw drool pooling out from the corner of Hanji’s mouth.
He rolls his eyes as he reaches for a paper bag. “Yeah, and I’ll pack up some for you too, Mike,” he says, seeing the expression on his face. “I swear, one of these days, you two are going to run me dry.”
Neither of them acknowledges his statement as they shove the eclairs in their mouths, waving goodbye and swinging the door shut behind them.
---
Things are busy in the café, but Levi doesn’t mind. He enjoys the feeling of kneading soft dough under his palms and the sweet scent of vanilla wafting through his kitchen.
What he doesn’t enjoy, however, is interacting with customers. For that, he hired an assistant manager, Petra, and two high school siblings, Eren and Mikasa, to take care of all the front of house duties.
Levi is in the back, working on a new macaron recipe. The old one was fine, but he thinks he can experiment around with the ratio of almond flour to egg whites to improve the texture. He pops the tray into the oven and sets the timer and, at that moment, the door to the kitchen bursts open.
Eren stomps in, fuming and fists balled up at his side. Levi has worked with Eren long enough to know about his sudden outbursts, so he sits down on stool next to the counter and says in a monotone voice, “What?”
Eren is stamping his foot and huffing, cheeks tinged pink with anger. “Mikasa’s traitorous asshole boyfriend, that Jean bastard, he’s been looking for a job for ages. So I told him to apply here, because you always talk about needing more hands for cleaning duty, and I gave him the application form and everything. But he decides to apply to that new café across the street instead and, of course, gets the fucking job.”
Levi raises his eyebrows. “New café?” That got his attention.
“Yeah, didn’t you see the sign?” says Eren distractedly. “But that’s not the point. The point is, Jean is an ungrateful bastard who doesn’t appreciate anything I do for him.”
It takes a good half hour to calm Eren down before he returns to the cashier register, although his mood improved drastically after eating some of the macarons that Levi just baked. However, Levi is quieter than usual as he continues bustling around in the kitchen.
A new café? I should check it out later, he thinks.
---
So when Levi closes the blinds and locks the café door behind him later that afternoon, he quickly runs across the street. There’s a small simple wooden sign swinging gently in the breeze.
Titan Café.
Levi pushes the door open and a bell jingles above his head. There are boxes piled on top of each other in the corner, and the tables are coated in a light layer of dust. Chairs are stacked neatly next to the counter and a few comfortable looking armchairs surround the fireplace in the back.
It pains Levi to admit it, but this café looks much cozier than his.
“Sorry, we’re not open yet!” calls out a cheerful voice from the kitchen. “Come back for our grand opening later this week!”
Torn between the desire to leave and never come back, and the curiosity to see the owner of the café, Levi goes against his better judgement and walks towards the back instead. Peeking his head in, his eyes bulge with jealousy at the spacious kitchen and state-of-the-art equipment. A tall, blond man wearing a white frilly apron around his waist is whisking together ingredients in a large metal bowl. He sees Levi standing in the doorway and sets the bowl down on the counter.
“Hello,” the man says, wiping his hands on his apron and extending an arm out. “I’m Erwin Smith, the owner. How can I help you?”
Levi doesn’t reply immediately, and chooses to examine the stand mixer next to him instead. He’s been wanting one for ages and he can afford it, but he can’t exactly remember why he hasn’t bought one yet.
“I’m Levi.” He doesn’t offer to shake Erwin’s hand.
A look of comprehension dawns on Erwin’s face. “You must be the owner of Café Rose across the street. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Levi knows that Erwin hasn’t technically done anything wrong, but he can’t help but feel a bit angry and annoyed anyway. “Of all the places in town to open a café, why did you pick the one right across from me?”
Erwin shrugs his shoulders as he picks up the bowl, resuming his whisking. “The rent is cheaper in this part of town. And anyway, if your café is as popular as people claim it to be, you won’t have to worry about me at all.” He winks at Levi and chuckles. “Besides, a little competition never hurt anyone.”
Erwin is still chuckling to himself as Levi turns around and stomps out the café.
---
“Cheer up, Levi,” says Hanji morosely, munching on a croissant and sipping on tea. “There’s not that many people outside.”
Levi ignores her, continuing to stare sullenly at the crowd outside Titan Café. Jean is standing near the front, holding a large silver platter and passing out samples to the people in line.
“Yeah, and most of the girls are only there because they think Erwin is handsome,” chimes in Mike, ripping a piece off of Hanji’s croissant. “If you showed your face here more, I’m sure more girls would come around, too.”
Rolling his eyes and getting up from his chair, Levi snorts, “He’s not more handsome or more charming than me. It doesn’t even matter anyway. I’m still the better, more established pâtissier.” Without a backwards glance, he walks past Petra, who is wiping down some tables, and goes directly into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him.
“What’s wrong with him?” asks Petra curiously.
“He’s just jealous that some new hot guy opened a café across from here,” replies Hanji breezily.
Petra peers out the window. Erwin has now taken over Jean’s spot and is passing out what looks like lemon bars. A group of high school girls swoon when Erwin flashes them a smile as he passes by.
“Oh, he is quite dreamy,” says Petra, blushing slightly with a dazed look in her eyes.
“See, even Petra agrees!” yells Hanji in the direction of the kitchen. “And she’s married, too!”
---
Business in Café Rose continues as normal, but Levi notices a decrease in new customers. The regulars still come by during their usual times, but there are less new faces. He also notices that there is a steady stream of customers coming in and out of Titan Café every day, and he can’t help but blame it on Erwin.
It’s been a slow day, so Petra lets Eren work on his homework at a table instead. She’s sitting next to him, reading the newspaper, and even Levi is outside the kitchen for once, polishing the silverware behind the counter.
Mikasa comes into the café earlier than usual, a brown paper bag tucked under her arm.
“I’ve infiltrated the enemy,” she says calmly, holding up the bag. “I visited Jean earlier and he gave me some freshly baked apple strudels. I thought I would bring them over to see if Erwin’s pastries are truly better than ours.”
Petra dashes into the kitchen to grab a plate, placing a strudel on it and cutting it in half. The sweet scent of apple and cinnamon hits their noses instantly and Eren moans slightly. Levi doesn’t pay any attention, continuing to polish a spoon.
“Smells so good,” says Eren hungrily. He picks up a piece and takes a large bite. “Oh fuck, it’s so good.”
Petra and Mikasa quickly cut off a piece as well, and both of them sigh contentedly as they savour the taste.
“Levi, you have to try this. It’s amazing. Why don’t we make these?” asks Petra, helping herself to another piece.
Levi may be stubborn, but he’s no idiot. Even though he knows he’s the better chef between him and Erwin, he would be foolish to not try another chef’s food. It would give him the upper hand to know where Erwin stands in terms of skill, as well.
He carefully cuts off a piece, making sure not to drop crumbs on the ground, and pops it into his mouth. And in that moment, Levi knew he was screwed.
“Fuck!” he exclaims furiously.
---
It’s definitely not because of Erwin, thinks Levi bitterly as he bakes through the night, trying to perfect his recipe for apple strudel.
And even though it means he doesn’t get any sleep, he manages to create a perfect batch that are just as good – no, better – than Erwin’s. Instructing Eren to stand outside with a plate of samples, he smiles smugly at Erwin who is looking at them from the window of Titan Café.
Your move, mouths Levi silently, before disappearing back through the doors of Café Rose.
---
It’s not really a competition, like Erwin said. Levi prefers to think of it as maintaining his rightful title as the best pastry chef in town.
After the apple strudel incident, Erwin retaliates by making chocolate profiteroles. Eren’s mouth is watering when Mikasa brings back a few.
“Aren’t these your specialty?” asks Petra, taking a bite. A stunned expression crosses her face as she says carefully, “Levi, I won’t say these are better than yours, because they’re not, but they’re really good. Scary good.” She grabs another one before Eren can devour them all, and holds it out for Levi.
Levi is fuming as he takes a bite and licks the cream from the center. He catches Erwin’s glance from out the window, and the blond man is smiling brightly and waving at him happily.
Oh, it’s on.
---
Eren has a sheepish expression on his face when he approaches Levi at work a few days later.
“I may or may not have signed you up to bring some dessert for my school’s bake sale,” he says.
Levi scoffs. “Not my problem. Go bake something yourself.”
“You know I can’t bake or cook if my life depended on it,” whines Eren. Then suddenly, he smiles mischievously. “Erwin is donating some food, you know?”
Levi stops piping out cream into the profiteroles and narrows his eyes, cursing softly under his breath.
“Fine. Fine!” Levi throws the dishcloth slung across his shoulder on the counter hard. “That fucking bastard! Fine, I’ll do it.” He continues piping the cream into the profiteroles, perhaps a bit more violently and forcefully than necessary, resulting in a few bursting open.
Unsure of what he just started, Eren quickly creeps out the kitchen. Levi can be quite terrifying when he’s mad.
---
Levi ends up baking brownies for Eren’s bake sale. He’s not too sure what teenagers these days like, but he feels that chocolate walnut brownies are a safe choice. Eren and Mikasa stop by the café early in the morning before Levi officially opens shop and the three of them load trays of brownies into Mikasa’s car.
“Let me know how things turn out,” says Levi, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “I want to hear about Erwin’s reaction when he tries my brownies and finally acknowledges that I’m the better chef.”
Eren and Mikasa bid him goodbye as they drive off, and Levi yawns as he begins tidying up the café for the morning rush. Maybe he’ll ask Petra to take care of the café this afternoon, so he can stop by the school and face Erwin himself.
---
Levi pulls into the parking lot of Trost High School, following the signs on the bright bake sale posters. Tables are lined up along the front of the school, with an assortment of cakes, cookies, and pastries piled neatly on top.
He gets out of his car and sees Eren and Mikasa standing near the middle. Erwin is nowhere in sight, so he takes his time walking over, checking out the baked goods the other students brought.
“Hey, Levi,” says Eren happily. He’s packing away napkins and paper plates while Mikasa carefully counts out the profits. “We just sold out.”
Levi nods approvingly and asks, “Did you see Erwin?”
Eren stiffens. “Well, yes. He was here a few hours ago. He actually just left, a few minutes before you arrived.”
“What did he bring? Did it sell well?”
Eren sighs. “Yeah, he actually brought brownies as well. His sold out in less than a hour, to be honest.”
A growl of annoyance rises in Levi’s throat as his brows furrow. “That damn bastard,” he spits out indignantly.
“On the bright side,” Eren continues nervously, “We raised more than enough money to fund the school’s music program for the next year."
But Levi is already walking away, ears bright red with anger.
---
Later night after closing and as Levi is wiping down the tables and mopping the floors alone, Erwin strolls in Café Rose and takes a seat at a table, much to Levi’s dismay.
“We’re closed,” says Levi shortly, ignoring Erwin’s presence and continuing his mopping.
Erwin doesn’t reply, but keeps his eyes fixed on Levi. “I tried your apple strudel that day, you know? They were quite good.”
Levi rolls his eyes and leans the mop against the wall. He pulls down the mask covering his mouth and tosses it in the trash can, walking towards Erwin.
“The chocolate profiteroles were good too,” continues Erwin. He’s smiling again. “I bought a bag when you were in the kitchen.”
Silence falls between them as Levi stands in front of him, staring him down. In the dim light of the café, Levi grudgingly admits that Erwin is objectively handsome. His sharp jawline and thick eyebrows would look menacing on any other man, but on Erwin, it makes him look – dare Levi say it? – quite attractive.
Levi shakes his head to clear his thoughts and takes a seat next to him. Erwin looks sharp and composed in his white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and dark blue jeans. Levi, in comparison, was wearing a pair of thick black sweatpants and an old oversized tee-shirt. He also notices absentmindedly that there is no ring on Erwin’s finger.
To his immense relief, Erwin breaks the silence first.
“Why don’t we stop this competition? Imagine how fun things would be if we became friends.”
Levi snorted defensively. “There’s no competition. Just admit that I’m better.”
A smile glides across Erwin’s face as he stands up. “Well, I don’t see the point in arguing with someone so stubborn. However,” his voice trails off as he reaches into his back pocket to retrieve a pen, “If you do change your mind, I’d love to discuss it with you over dinner someday.”
Before Levi can react or object, Erwin grabs Levi’s hand and writes down his phone number on his palm. With his trademark wink, he gracefully turns around and steps out the café.
It takes Levi a few minutes before he collects his thoughts and stops staring at the number written on his palm. Then he groans.
Dammit. Erwin can be really charming as well.
---
After a long week of deliberation and several sleepless nights, Levi finally calls Erwin one Saturday afternoon. He figures that he’s got nothing to lose, except maybe his dignity.
“Hi. Hello. This is Levi,” he says stiffly when he hears Erwin pick up. He can feel Erwin smiling on the other line.
“Hello, Levi. I was starting to wonder if you would ever call.”
There’s a brief pause, and then the two of them blurt out simultaneously –
“Want to get dinner tonight?”
---
They agree to meet at bar a few blocks away from their cafés. Levi doesn’t frequent bars, because he finds them dirty and repulsive, but the one that Erwin picks seems nice enough. A bright neon sign is flickering on the window and Levi sees Erwin sitting at booth inside.
He enters through the door and slides into the seat across from Erwin. There are two pitchers of beer on the table already, and Erwin is slowly drinking his.
“So,” Erwin says, smiling.
“So,” Levi replies.
Erwin smiles so gently and so softly that Levi feels his heart melt a bit.
“Tell me about yourself.”
---
And so, Levi talks about anything and everything he can think of. He talks about his friendship with Hanji and Mike, and how they helped him open Café Rose after finishing culinary school. He talks about his childhood and how his mother was his greatest influence and inspiration in the kitchen. He talks until his voice grows hoarse, but Erwin listens with such rapt attention and fascination that Levi doesn’t stop.
In return, Eren talks about his family and childhood as well. He talks fondly about his father, his decision in choosing between culinary and law school, and how opening a café across the street from Levi is the best decision he’s ever made.
It’s lame, and Levi rolls his eyes, but he laughs anyway.
Eventually, the bartender kicks them out and the two of them grudgingly get up from their booth. Levi can’t recall a time he was able to talk with someone for so long, not even Mike or Hanji, and he’s reluctant to say goodbye to Erwin just yet. They stand outside the empty bar, uncertain about what to say or do next.
“Do you –”
“I was thinking –”
Erwin smiles broadly. “You go first.”
“I was thinking...” Levi looks down, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. “Would you like to come over for some coffee?”
Erwin feigns a look of surprise as he intertwines his fingers with Levi’s. “I’m expecting some damn good coffee, especially since you have your own café.”
---
They arrive at Levi’s apartment a little before 2AM. Unlocking the door and letting Erwin in first, they kick off their shoes and walk into the living room. Erwin whistles lowly.
“This is impressive,” he says as he stares at the pristine countertops and floor. “This is even cleaner than your café.”
Opening the cabinet and pulling out a bag of coffee beans, Levi pours them into his machine and adds some water. But a pair of arms wrap around his waist as Erwin props his chin on Levi’s shoulder, and he’s suddenly too distracted to continue.
All thoughts of coffee fly out his head and, although it frightens Levi a bit because he’s not usually the one to initiate intimacy, he turns around to press a soft kiss on Erwin’s lips.
Erwin wastes no time in reciprocating as he moves his hands up to cup Levi’s face, deepening their kiss and holding him closer.
Levi considers himself a careful and methodical person, who doesn’t act on impulse and thinks his actions through. But when he’s around Erwin, he can’t tell up from down or left from right. His world spins and he feels dizzy when he’s entangled in Erwin’s arms, and he doesn’t mind that one bit.
---
The next few months fly by in a blur. Levi can’t pinpoint the exact moment he falls in love, but he suspects it happened during one of their morning walks to their cafés together. Or maybe it happened the day of the thunderstorm, when Erwin ended up running across the street to join Levi, Petra, Hanji, and Mike for hot chocolate.
He can’t remember, but it doesn’t matter to him. All he knows is that he’s unequivocally, passionately, and completely in love with Erwin.
He tells him that one night after a round of gentle and tender love making. Erwin doesn’t say anything as Levi alternates between mumbling out the words and mouthing soft kisses on his neck. When he’s done, he simply nuzzles into Levi’s touch and whispers the same words back.
---
It’s hard to tell whose café has more business. Erwin’s personality and charm draws in new customers, but Levi’s pastries keep his customers returning.
“You seem happier these days,” says Mike one afternoon. He and Hanji stopped by earlier on their way home from work, joining Levi and Petra for some coffee and tea.
Levi shrugs noncommittally as he takes a sip of his tea. “I suppose I am.”
“It’s because of Erwin, isn’t it?” squeals Hanji excitedly. “I told you that he’s handsome, and that you wouldn’t be able to resist his charms one day.”
The old Levi would have scowled, but the new Levi, whose thoughts are consumed with the smiling, dorky, and silly man he loves called Erwin, simply grins.
“Oh look, he’s coming over now,” says Petra, pointing at the window. Sure enough, Erwin is walking over, a plate of apple strudels in his hand.
The door swings open as Erwin walks in, his bright smile radiating the café.
“Brought you some pastries to go along with your coffee and tea,” he says, shrugging out of his jacket and leaning down to give Levi a quick kiss.
Hanji immediately tears into one and moans loudly. “Levi, I’m sorry, but Erwin’s strudels really are amazing. I don’t know what he puts in them.”
“He won’t tell me either,” grumbles Levi broodingly. “He’ll let me put my cock in his ass, but he won’t share that recipe with me.”
Hanji and Mike groan while Petra giggles shyly, but Levi ignores them. His attention focuses on Erwin and feels warmth spread through his body when he sees the adoration and respect shining in his eyes.
---
One night as they’re curling up under a blanket on the couch, an idea suddenly crosses Levi's mind.
“Why don’t you move in with me?”
Erwin ruffles his hair and plants a kiss on the top of his head.
“Idiot, I basically live here already.” But he smiles happily anyway.
“Also,” continues Levi, “What would you think about merging our cafés into one?”
“Levi, I think that would be a wonderful idea.”
---
They end up finding a new place on the other side of town, and sign the lease together. It’s a cozy two-story café with a garden in the front and a kitchen big enough for the two of them.
Hanji, Mike, and Petra help them move their furniture and kitchen equipment in, and even Eren, Mikasa, and Jean come over to help unpack.
Of course, they still bicker over who has the better recipes, or how they should arrange the equipment in the kitchen. But despite their differences in opinion, sharing their passion together just feels so right.
And it’s so sweet, almost sickeningly sweet, when they finally open their new café a month later. Levi unlocks the door and is first to enter, grinning as he runs his fingers over the clean and smooth tables. He turns around, grabs Erwin’s hand, and pulls him in close for a kiss. Their breaths mingle as they stand in the doorway, lips pressed tightly against each other and hands intertwined.
It’s perfect, and Levi wouldn’t trade that moment for anything in the world.
Except maybe Erwin’s apple strudel recipe.