Requested by the lovely @aeskyou !
Since it took me ages to see your request, I made this one shot a bit longer than I usually do :)
════════════════════════════
Nominated to be 'Official' bartender for the night, you're surprised to see just how radiant everyone's smiles were when you poured them out another round. It made you feel useful; providing a small pleasure for your fellow comrades after all you'd been through.
But what surprised you more, was having Captain Levi accompany you for a drink after the party's over.
════════════════════════════
SFW, fluff, Bartender!Reader
════════════════════════════
"Another three shots of whiskey please!"
Throwing a casual smile over your shoulder, you met the soldier's dilated eyes.
"Just a moment!" you reassured him as you poured another shot for some other soldier.
Despite the growing excitement of the men and women in the mess hall, you found yourself stressing to run back and forth to pour out new drinks for anyone who asked.
It had been Hange's idea, when Commander Erwin announced a celebration was in order for the scout's hard work and success in the recent expeditions outside the walls they'd been on.
They had pulled you aside, giddy with excitement as they adjusted their glasses further up their nose and spouted off to you about how you should be the official bartender for the night.
Of course, you had accepted the role easily. Your father had been a bartender back in the day, so you were familiar with the family business of mixing drinks and serving thirsty customers. The idea of being able to contribute something for the soldier's night of relaxation and fun had excited you.
You'd always admired them before joining the regime, all those years ago, and even more so now that you'd worked beside so many brave and loyal people.
Naturally, you'd want to give back to them all in some way or another for their comradeship.
So there you were, behind a counter in the kitchen mixing drinks and pouring your heart into each cup you grabbed.
Turning to grab the bottle of whisky for the gentleman waiting for you, you nearly dropped the glass container in surprise.
"Shit Captain, how long have you been standing in here?"
Having spent years in the Scouts and promoted to the position of a captain, the two of you were acquainted and able to talk less formally around one another. You'd fought together, trained together, and even lead your separate squads side by side through titan territory over the years.
Yet you'd always wished to be closer.
Levi scoffed slightly and pushed off the wall he had been leaning on.
"A few minuets."
He seemed slightly disgruntled, but seeing the glare he shot out at the increasingly rowdy crowd in the mess hall, you understood completely. He wasn't a fan of large social gatherings.
"Anything I can do to help you?" you offered as you went back to pouring.
"No," he stated, though not aggressively. After you had handed the three glasses of whisky shots to the soldier outside the kitchen and watching as he stumbled over to two of his comrades, he continued.
"Just came to get some tea before heading back up to my office. But you're in the way."
This time, he didn't hide his displeasure at the situation.
"Ah, right, let me just move some of this out of your way."
You started to move around the various bottles of alcohol that had been purchased by Commander Erwin for the event out of the way, but a quiet 'tsk' halted your movements.
"No need, I'll get it later. Besides, another brat wants a drink."
Following where he was currently glaring, you saw another soldier with an empty cup approaching the kitchens.
Giving Levi an apologetic smile, you prepared to take their order. For a moment, he merely stood and watched as you made drink after drink. But at some point, when you turned to strike up a conversation with him, he had already disappeared. Wether it was to seek out the Commander or perhaps supervise a drunken Hange, you weren't sure.
Though you tried to keep your train of focus, you couldn't help but wonder where he'd went off to.
Seeing as the party was starting to die down slightly, you knew people would start to stagger off within the hour.
And perhaps then, you'd see him again.
════════════════════════════
Cleaning off the last counter, you untied your hair and breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the messes in the kitchen had been taken care of, you decided it was time to relax and enjoy the night to yourself.
Almost everyone had gone off to their barracks rooms or wandered off somewhere else in a drunken haze around HQ, so your job for the night was complete.
You briefly contemplated how you should spend your free time, when something caught your attention.
Eyeing a large unopened bottle of wine neatly stacked back in the boxes they'd arrived to HQ in, you grinned to yourself.
════════════════════════════
"The hell are you still doing here?"
Lowering the large bottle of wine from your lips, you glanced over the rim at the person's plain yet inquisitive tone as they closed the mess hall's doors behind them. Brows raising slightly, you quickly shook off your surprise at anyone being up and sober enough to come back in here.
"Ah, Captain Levi," you greeted softly. "I could ask you the same; the party ended an hour ago."
"Exactly," he muttered, crossing the room to the table you sat upon, your legs crossed and posture relaxed.
"They're all either passed out or spilling their guts, perfect time to get some tea unhindered and in silence."
You chuckled softly behind the back of your hand, lifting your bottle up to your lips for another quick sip.
"They do tend to get a bit rowdy when the drinks get poured, I don't suppose I blame you."
Levi made a small noise of acknowledgment, or perhaps agreement, you couldn't tell, and went to turn away and grab his preferred beverage from the kitchens.
But for a moment, he seemed to pause. Idly, you wondered to yourself if perhaps it was from the wine, or maybe even your slowly growing fatigue making you see things, but it seemed as though he had made to sit down at your table before changing his mind and his rout.
Pursing your lips in thought, you watched as he disappeared into the kitchens behind you.
For several long moments, you merely sat atop the table sipping at your wine, comfortable in your own silent thoughts. The semi-sweet liquid bubbled pleasantly against your tongue, with a slight warm sting down your throat when you swallowed. A faint fruity aftertaste filled your mouth by the time the bottle had left your parted lips.
A deep breath led to a contented sigh as you closed your eyes in relaxation, only to slowly open again shortly after when the sound of light footsteps approached you from behind.
Turning to look over your shoulder, you gave Levi a reassuring smile. Remembering what you thought you might have seen earlier, the way he had paused before passing you by, you spoke.
This was your chance...
"If you're not busy, I wouldn't mind the company."
Short, simple and sweet.
He could refuse with the excuse of work he may or may not have, or take a seat without feeling obligated. You figured this was the best way to communicate with the captain.
And you were right.
After a brief moment, he looses a breath almost inaudibly and sat facing you on a chair. You didn't miss the way he glanced disapprovingly at your boots being on the table top, much less your whole self. But, surprisingly, he remained silent.
You too remained silent, once more giving him the option to fill the silence with conversation or to simply exist in comfortable silence together. Around the five minute mark, you assumed the latter would be how you spent your night, until his low tone caught you off guard.
"So why are you still in here? Said it yourself; party ended an hour ago."
"Oh, I just enjoy having quiet time to myself to unwind. Serving out drinks all evening to a hoard of eager soldiers tends to drain your social energy." You hummed, sloshing the wine left in your bottle before taking another sip.
Levi merely grunted in acknowledgment, taking a sip of his own beverage. The scent of black tea rising from the steam in his mug wafted over to you, making you smile at the pleasant aroma. Looking up to ponder what it was he was thinking in his silence, you were slightly startled to meet his gaze already on you.
Quickly, he darted his eyes away and took another sip from his tea cup, briefly obscuring his face from your view due to his unique way of holding his cups.
A feeling of warmth flooded your chest and face, and you had a feeling it had nothing to do with your bottle of wine now being half empty.
"So...Not much one for alcohol, huh?" You suddenly asked, feeling a need to dispel the awkwardness that had seeped into the quiet.
Still glancing away, he shook his head.
"I don't dislike it, I just prefer tea.....I suppose I've never gotten used to the fact that I can afford to drink it whenever I like now, so it's always my preferred go-to."
A pang in your chest made you frown. By now, everyone knew that Levi had grown up in the Underground City for half his life, but very few knew any details. Yourself included. But you'd heard from Hange once that tea was a rarity down there, so Levi's tiny (*ahem*, huge) obsession with the drink was understandable.
But what surprised you most was that he was willingly telling you something like this.
"Makes sense to me," you smiled, keeping your response light hearted instead of pitiful. You knew he'd scoff at any form of pity aimed his way.
"Black tea is soothing, especially on nights like these."
This time he hummed in agreement. It seemed he was pleased with your response, and in turn he kept the conversation alive.
"And you?" he gestured to the bottle in your hand.
"I suppose I drink more than I should, but how else would I have been able to perfect the art of mixing drinks if I hadn't sampled my work?"
Your chuckle brought out a slight raise in the corner of his mouth, a ghost of a half smile.
For awhile, the two of you conversed back and forth over your drinks. The topic of conversation varied every few minuets, but neither of you seemed to mind.
In fact, after a moment, he finally fully relaxed in his chair and continued to meet your gaze.
Occasionally, he would even go as far to lean forward when the things you said interested him.
Once Levi's tea ran out, you offered him a taste of your wine, telling him he might actually like this particular brew after he revealed he wasn't much of a "wine person."
"I don't do sweet shit," he mumbled as he took a glance at the bottle uncertainly.
"This wine's only semi-sweet. Kinda in between dry wine and desert wine, but not overwhelmingly so," you explained quickly.
With one last glance at the dark bottle, he gave in and gently took it from your smaller hand. For a moment, he hesitated as he glanced at the rim, then back up at you almost nervously.
"O-oh, here, I can get you a glass. Or better yet open a new bottle for you-" you started to say, realizing his delay over drinking after someone.
"No need," he cut you off. "Alcohol kills germs."
With that, he raised the bottle and took a sip from your bottle, making your eyes widen slightly in surprise at his sudden tolerance in sharing a drink.
He swallowed, eyeing the bottle for a moment before meeting your gaze with a slight pink hue covering his cheeks, matching your own.
"Doesn't taste like shit."
Though his expressions of his emotions and overall thoughts were rough around the edges, you could tell he liked the wine.
But still, his comment cracked you up, and you were delighted to see a slightly more prominent lift in his lips at your amused chuckling.
Handing the bottle back to you, he silently agreed to pass the bottle back and forth as the night drug on, sharing in the semi-sweet wine and trading tales.
Some time during the early hours of the morning, it came to both of your attentions just how long you'd been chatting in the mess hall. Albeit awkwardly, you both stood and cleared the table of anything you'd left there, placing them where they should go.
You were both silent as you walked towards the doors of the mess hall, leading to the barracks behind the winding halls. But before you could part ways to your respective rooms, Levi stopped in the hall.
Halting a few steps away, you cocked a brow at his back. It took him a moment, but he turned to face you. His expression was unreadable, but if you had to guess at it, you'd supposed he looked out of his element at the moment.
"We....We should do this again, s-some time," he blurted out softly, facing you but once again averting his gaze.
Feeling a warmth wash over your face, you found yourself admiring your boots as you tried to form together a coherent sentence.
"I'd like that."
And you absolutely meant it, much to his relief when he chanced a glance at your downcast face. Seeing the shy smile donning your pink lips, he felt his heartbeat speed up.
Turning back around so that you couldn't see the expression of awe on his face, he cleared his throat awkwardly and tugged at his cravat.
"Goodnight, y/n."
Turning down a separate hall, you couldn't stop your smile from growing.
"Goodnight, Levi."
Hope this fit the imagery and vibe you had in mind!
~Lynn