France, 1944. As the Allies land on the shores of Normandy, an unlikely friendship strikes up between Levi Ackerman, a widowed French Jew, and Eren Jäger, a deeply-in-the-closet lieutenant in the German Wehrmacht. The two deal with love, loss, digni...
Indeed, the lady who came out was tiny, a bit portly, her brown hair pulled into a low bun, with strands of gray streaking randomly through like precious silver woven into a rare cloth. She had wrinkles around her dark brown eyes from a lifetime of smiling at customers. Her outfit was dark, solemn without being morbid, with a high neck and lace on the cuffs of her long sleeves, like it had been made back when Queen Victoria was still young.
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"Guten Tag. Bon après-midi! My name is Lisa Braus. Welcome to Braus Haus."
"German?" Eren picked up right away.
The lady smiled pleasantly. "My husband's father came here during the Imperial days, and dear Artur wanted to keep the German name. I'm glad it pleases you, and I hope I can make you feel a bit like this is a home away from home. Please, sit anywhere you like. Plenty of room today."
"How have I never heard of this place?" Eren whispered in astonishment. "It's perfect!"
A tea shop, for his and Levi's final outing!
"I'm so glad you like it. I have a nice pot of chamomile on, but I also have black teas if you prefer."
"I'll have the chamomile," Eren said, and he glanced down at Levi, who looked like he was in a dreamy trance. "Do you happen to have any British teas?"
"Well, not by any British companies, but I have a nice Darjeeling with lavender and rose that I think your sweetheart will love. Give me just a few minutes, and please, look through the menu."
Eren had to take Levi by the shoulder and lead him over to a table. Even then he stared in a trance at the fine china. He picked up a teacup, glanced at the delicate pink design of roses, the shimmering gold edges, and looked at the bottom to see which company made this cup.
"This place should be sheltered and protected at all cost," he whispered.
Eren sighed in happiness that Levi approved. He owed Floch a whole basket of muffins for this gem.
Lisa brought out a cup of chamomile tea and a whole pot of Darjeeling. The scent of lavender and rose wafted up, like he and Levi were wrapped up in a garden, far away from war and chaos. They ordered scones with clotted cream, and although her selection was regretfully small, Lisa offered some egg salad sandwiches with watercress and carrots. When the tiny sandwiches came out, Eren looked at them strangely, but Levi's mouth dropped.
"This is nicer than some tea shops in London," he whispered when the lady was not around.
As they enjoyed the tea and nibbled the sandwiches and scones, Eren kept up a conversation in German all on his own. Mostly, Levi enjoyed simply gazing across the table at Eren. He wanted to remember everything about him: the color of his eyes, the shape of his nose, that adorable dimple he got when he chewed his food. Everything about him!
Lisa Braus bustled out again and eagerly offered them slices of a raspberry and chocolate cake she had baked the day before. A part of Eren wondered how this woman managed to make such delicious desserts with food rations, but upon the first taste of the cake, he would have written a letter to High Command himself petitioning to allow this woman to have all the sugar and flour she needed.
