Work Text:
"................."
"Um..."
"................."
"Sir, if you'd like for me to bring out this tea se..."
Levi looked up, his face strained from concentration. The shop owner who was leaning in to observe the short man flinched at the look and straightened his back. "Please, take all the time you need." Levi nodded stiffly and squinted his eyes at every detail of the two tea sets on display.
It was one hell of a decision to make for him. Both were simple and good looking enough for him to use in the Scouting Legion, and most importantly -- they were clean. It was the first time he couldn't find a speck of dust on anything not his property. Levi didn't expect Erwin, who always liked to kill titans in the messiest way, would know a clean shop such as this.
"..."
After two hours, Levi was carrying a bag filled with his first ever tea set plus a promotional packet of black tea. He took large, robotic steps, stiff as rocks back to headquarters. He was sweating; everyone was staring at this strict, short man who seemed so overwhelmed by a tea set.
No one could accurately describe how Levi felt as he shut and locked his door. He let out this huge breath, relieved that finally, no eyes were on him. His eyes sparkled as he unloaded a tea cup from the bag, followed by the packet of black tea. He gazed at the packaging longingly, before turning it and reading the instructions with so much concentration he wouldn't have noticed if a titan broke in right there and then.
"Like this... then... l-like this..." Levi swallowed nervously, his hand shivering as he poured the steamy tea into the tea cup which cost him _______. As his shivering fingers finally gripped the handle of the cup, it suddenly broke.
"GEH?!"
The broken handle caused the tea cup to fall slow motion in Levi's eyes... it did a 180 turnabout... the tea spilt all over Levi's freshly dried clothes; but he didn't have time to care about that. His hands reacted a millisecond too slow, and the cup shattered into pieces before his eyes, the black tea sipping into the carpet.
Levi's eyes were blank as he watched on, not doing anything about dirt for the first time in his life -- in his own room, nonetheless. If Liz saw this, she probably would've said something like 'Ah, big bro! Are you alright?! Do I have to call for help?! Big bro!!!".
After kneeling on his soft carpet for roughly 5 minutes (it was his personal record!!), Levi finally mustered enough courage to pick up the pieces of his cup, and... and... and... dumped them into the trash can. In that moment, realisation dawned upon his face.
That's right, he thought to himself sternly. If I just don't use the handle, then...!
Levi took a huge gulp. His face right now looked as though he belonged in a comic book, where the hero got struck by lightning and actually got inspiration for saving the world and all that.
Even more cautious than he was before, Levi gave the black tea another try, this time, delicately pouring it into another cup of his tea set. He stretched to rid himself of the stiffness, and widened his large hand to pick up the sides of the cup, careful not to touch the handle.
Slowly, just like that, Levi brought to cup to his mouth and took a sip.
"...!"
It was indescribable. A look of pleasure flashed past Levi's face, completely unguarded in his personal room. He could understand why would Erwin want him to own a set of his own. This -- This was a pleasure one must go through before they can call themselves a man!
Levi gave a satisfied sigh after he sucked the last drop in the cup, and suddenly recalled the mess on his carpet. H-how could I have... he almost dropped the cup a second time, but thank goodness, lesson learnt, and instead of breaking, it landed gracefully on Levi's lap.
With even more care a parent might show to their child, Levi settled the tea set into the kitchen cabinet and immediately got to cleaning.
Tea... is something dangerous!