SORE • l. ackerman ✓

𝐗𝐗𝐈 | 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬

"I know you probably don't want to, but you have to eat,"

He groaned but took the plate, following me into the dining room where he sat down and stared at his plate.

"Please, Levi?"

"What are we?" He asked suddenly. I smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

I felt my stomach turn.

"Friends," for now.

He seemed dissatisfied with my answer and looked into my eyes, making me nervous.

"Friends don't do what we do,"

I gripped the top of the chair that I was standing behind, trying to choose my words carefully, but before I could say anything, he began to talk again.

"I mean last night you called me your boyfriend,"

My face dropped.

"I did?"

He nodded silently, his eyebrows furrowed together.

"The only reason I'm saying we're friends is because I'm waiting until you're ready for a relationship,"

"What if I already am? How would you know that I'm not?"

I let go of the chair.

"I'd assume that you would tell me when you are. You're being a bit irrational." I grew annoyed very quickly with him, something unusual. He said nothing and looked back at the plate, which was probably already cold.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

I knew that it was just because, as Hanji said, he didn't take hangovers well, but I still felt hurt.

"Where's your plate, brat? Sit with me,"

I turned to walk away.

-

After telling Levi where everything in my house was, I drove to work. The words Levi said stuck with me for the entire ride, and for some reason they really hurt to think about.

"Friends don't do what we do."

He was right, but the way he said it seemed like he was angry at me. I didn't like feeling like he was angry at me. He was a grown adult and he was capable of communicating to me when he felt he was ready for a relationship.

I seemed to instantly forget about the events leading up to that moment as soon as I seen what a mess the shop was.

Coffee pooled on the floor surrounded by shattered glass from what I was assuming to be the pot, water was overflowing from the sink and an unfamiliar boy with blonde hair stood crying while getting yelled at by the manager. Hanji was trying her hardest to mop up the water, but it was no use.

"______! Thank God," Hanji called.

"What happened?"

"Armin happened,"

I assumed that 'Armin' was the short blonde getting scolded.

After throwing on my apron, I began to sweep up the glass from the floor to the best of my ability before I mopped the spilt coffee.

"You're fired," I heard the manager shot at the boy.

"I need this job, sir"

"And I need employees who know how to do their jobs right."

The boy retreated slowly, discarding his apron in the work room. After getting everything cleaned up, the day went pretty smooth, but Levi's words kept coming back to me. Hanji must've noticed that something was wrong, she always did.

"You look like something's bothering you," she commented. I had two options.

I could either lie to her and try to convince her that everything was fine until she got me to confess, or i could just admit it and save myself the earful. I chose the latter.

"Levi and I were talking this morning."

She pushed her glasses farther up her nose.

"And?"

"He asked me what we were. I told him friends because he hasn't said he's ready for a relationship, or not yet at least. He told me that friends don't do what we do and then got really upset because I told him I'm waiting until he's ready,"

"You did nothing wrong, ______, he was just being a grump because he drank too much. He needs to learn how to manage his alcohol,"

"It was technically my fault. I guess I called him my boyfriend last night, not to mention we slept together,"

It took me a moment to catch what I said.

"No, Hanji, I mean we went to sleep in the same bed and actually slept,"

She nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, you were drunk. You could've just said that,"

"I didn't want him to think I only love him when I'm drunk. I thought about it, trust me."

"Try and talk to him about it tomorrow when he isn't being a jerk,"

I nodded and walked up to the cash register to help a customer.

She had to be right. If anyone knows Levi best, it's Hanji.