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It's 1978, and Levi's band has gained quite the popularity for their original work and covers alike. Tonight they have the stage at Scout's Honor, a locally-owned bar known for their rowdy music nights and fiercely backed all-are-welcome policy.
They're more than halfway through their first set when the telltale piano notes of a hit Billy Joel song send a wave of new energy through the crowd. Levi steps to the mic, letting the energy of his audience seep into his performance as he delivers his own show-stopping rendition of 'Only the Good Die Young.'
He’s dressed in torn jeans and a leather jacket, with jewelry flashing in his ears and around his neck and wrists. It’s not too far into the number when he locks eyes with a cute, buttoned-down blondie who looks like he desperately needs to cut loose.
As the song goes on, Levi is clearly performing solely for the stranger who has caught his attention. The other patrons don’t fail to notice, and they laugh and cheer at Levi’s stage antics, though some of them sneer at the lucky bastard sitting quietly with his drink.
They probably see him as undeserving of the adored performer’s attention; a performer who, infamously, delivers the exact performance that he wants to deliver, without ever pandering to his audience or the broader media. It's one of the many things that has contributed to his rapidly-growing fanbase. The man doesn’t seem to notice any negative attention though, just sips from the whiskey glass in his left hand and looks right back at Levi throughout the rest of the song, smiling graciously when the mood requires.
The song ends and Levi thanks his unwitting guest performer with a salacious wink before turning his attention back to the rest of the audience, much to their delight. The band finishes their set, but Levi never stops glancing periodically toward that specific, occupied stool at the bar.
~
Erwin locks in on him as the singer jumps down from the stage when the set is finished, slinking like a cat between tables and drunken patrons, making no attempt to disguise his intention of coming to Erwin. Erwin straightens but remains seated when the man saunters up and leans on the bar in front of him. He’s smaller than Erwin realized, not quite eye-level with him even now. But he exudes a sense of aged experience that Erwin doesn’t often see in civilians.
“Hey, Virginia,” he drawls.
This forces a half-smile onto Erwin’s face. The singer is charming, and attractive, even with his brow sweat-slick from performing and the eyeliner smudged artfully around his steel eyes. Especially so.
“Erwin Smith,” he introduces himself, leaning in to be heard over the din.
“Levi.”
He grins and offers his hand in greeting, and Erwin can see the exact moment that he realizes Erwin’s not simply being impolite—but that the right sleeve of his dress shirt hangs tied at his bicep, no hand to be seen or offered in return.
His face falls a bit, but he doesn’t recoil or apologize, which Erwin is grateful for. When he speaks again a bit of the cocky stage persona has fallen away, replaced with something more raw. “Were you over there too, then?”
“I was. You as well…?”
“Yeah. All that talk about us bein' American heroes, tch. What a crock of shit. Draft get you?”
Erwin shakes his head. “Enlisted.”
Levi huffs a laugh. “Checks out. You have a little Captain America about you, don’t you?”
“Do I?”
Erwin is surprised to find that he’s not uncomfortable with the turn of conversation; nothing about Levi puts him on the defensive. And—he’s a vet, too. A friend.
“Yeah.”
Levi smiles and reaches for an errant strand of hair that has fallen from Erwin’s slick style, twirling it on his finger before gently smoothing it back in place. Something wistful and a little sad moves in on all of his sharp edges.
“All of that misplaced heroism, and a pretty face.”
Erwin doesn’t breathe. Levi’s fingers ghost at his temple before dropping back to his side. He’s not even wrong about Erwin’s fucked up notions of heroism, at least the way they were before the war, and Erwin’s not angry; not upset in the slightest. But he is something, and it’s scratching fiercely at his insides.
For the first time in longer than he’d care to admit, Erwin decides to lean into the spark wavering faintly in his chest, the one being reflected back to him now in piercing silver eyes.
“You think I’m pretty, huh?” he says with as much Levi-inspired suavity as he can muster.
Levi smirks, and the performer in him is back.
“But you already know that, don’t’cha?”—He pokes at Erwin’s shoulder—“Big, handsome bastard like you.”
Erwin plays it cool—or, he thinks he does—but he’s practically giddy.
“I need to challenge your song, actually.”
Brief confusion passes over Levi’s face and he quirks a brow; Erwin continues before he can lose his nerve.
“I’d argue that there’s nothing that ‘ain’t too pretty’ about you.”
Levi rolls his eyes hard, but not before Erwin has the chance to see the glee that flashes in them at the cheesy banter.
“Must be too proud then, as well.”
He leans toward Erwin when he talks. The space between them has become quite minimal indeed.
“Huh, Virginia?”
“Probably,” Erwin continues to play along, “but I won’t pretend to know your faults. Only your virtues.”
“Oh, because my ‘virtues’ are so plain to the eye, is that right?”
“Yeah. At least, some of them.”
Erwin looks Levi up and down indiscreetly. Levi’s eyes lower and his smile simmers.
Truthfully, Erwin’s heart is pounding in his chest. He hasn’t flirted with anyone like this in years. And yet, he doesn’t want to stop. Levi is fucking gorgeous and apparently, also kind, funny, and smart. And a kickass musician. And maybe...just maybe, as interested in Erwin as Erwin is in him. So Erwin swallows his nerves and stands his ground.
Levi drops his gaze to the ground and leans even closer, so that his arm on the bartop brackets Erwin's shoulder and he’s speaking close to his ear.
“Listen, blondie—I’m playing the rest of tonight, but I’m free tomorrow. You wanna grab a drink? You can tell me more about my…virtues.”
Erwin laughs bashfully, but he turns his face towards Levi’s neck all the same. He can smell him this close; leather, and smoke from the bar, a subtle cologne and something utterly masculine and enticing.
“Yes, I would like that.”
“It’s a date then.”
Levi pulls back, sending a rousing look right into Erwin’s eyes as he does, and then he motions quick for the bartender to bring two more drinks. Erwin flushes when they arrive, feeling weirdly guilty that Levi just bought him a drink while he’s the one working tonight.
“Levi, you didn’t have to—”
“Stop,” Levi chides gently.
He takes the drink and places it in Erwin’s hand, holding his own to match.
“Cheers,” he says, and Erwin tilts his glass until the lip of it rests against Levi’s. “To…the good ones who died young.”
Erwin nods. Holding each other’s gaze, for a suspended moment the bar falls silent, emptied of all but the two of them.
Erwin sees the ghosts of war in Levi’s eyes. It's haunting, the clarity of them, but he can't imagine his own are much better. Those wounds are scarring over now. Levi’s are healing beautifully, with laughter and music and coarse humor. Erwin is still working on it.
“And to the bastards like us,” Levi finishes.
He doesn’t add a clarifier, nor does Erwin.
“Cheers,” Erwin assents.
They take a sip of their drinks—well, Levi takes a full swig—and then he pushes off the bar, dazzling Erwin with one of those devilish, crowd-pleasing smiles.
“Well, it’s been a pleasure, Virginia,” he drawls. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”
Slapping Erwin lightly on the shoulder, he leans in and adds under his breath, “Don’t let me wait.”
“I won’t,” Erwin promises.
Levi nods and heads back to the stage to rejoin his band, getting the crowd pumped for their next set with a few easy lines shouted casually into the mic. His voice is deep, and so powerful. The audience is putty in his hands.
Erwin is a little awed by him, and he’s not embarrassed to admit it. At least to himself.
“Levi,” he murmurs as he raises the glass to his lips. He hopes he will get the chance to say that lovely name many more times.
But for now, Erwin sits contentedly at the bar and enjoys Levi’s music. After all, the night is young and right now, he has the best view in town. He has a feeling it will not take until the next day for them to find each other again.
End.