By the time Eren finally made it downstairs Levi had already situated himself behind the bar, the pair of them met eyes for a moment before Eren looked away to head to the stage to set up. Levi's eyes continued to follow him, watched the way his body moved and his muscles worked.

In an instant he knew how this kid would fight if provoked; what kind of strategies, if any, he'd use; and just how little he's actually had to fight over the years.

Even growing up with some level of discrimination he was never really accosted by how he carried himself, he didn't show the signs of distrust when dealing with new people, it made Levi wonder just how he'd gotten by in the world being as poor as he is and German on top of it.

At least he wasn't black, then life would have really been shitting on his face.

Levi watched him a moment longer, noticing the way his fingers drummed the valves with practiced ease and the way eren would lick his lips to prepare to warm up, and looked back to his own station, the alcohol lining the underside of the bar, the glasses behind him, and the trap door beneath his feet that led even deeper into a tunnel and out into a quiet back alley parking lot.

He squatted down, rummaging through the bottles and doing a mental head count; Zoe had said that there was another crate down below for when this ran dry in about a week and for that he was grateful. The less often Erd and Gunter had to refresh their stock the longer they could keep free of the of the police. This shit was already as watered down as Levi could make it without getting bozos coming to him with their beef about the horse piss they're drinking, it'll last long enough.

With a graceful ease that hid his age he rose back up in time to see a man enter, not the one he was expecting from before, but dough's dough. Levi gave him his dog hair and watched him leave, pausing to let in another man who actually took a seat and ordered a gin and tonic; Classic drink, not much hassle, Levi took down the proper glass filled it with ice cubes and reached below for the gin and tonic water bottles, pouring them into the glass at the same time, lifting the gin first and finishing it off with the tonic. He gave it a little swirl to get the drinks mixed instead of them oozing together and passed it down to the man.

By now Eren had warmed up enough to play some smooth piece that Levi hadn't heard before, more likely than not he was making it up as he went. The kid's got nothing on the jazz he's heard in his day, but not much can compare to the jazz from the bible belt. Several hours passed like this: the kid played his horn, customers rolled in- some of whom had gotten their hair freshly cut by him that very day-, several stayed for more than one drink, and left. Hanji finding that kid was a godsend for their pocketbooks and Levi could only hope that it payed out in the long run; He plans to milk this for as long as he can.

Eren had just finished a medley of something that sounded like it belonged on a piano and been given a glass of water when the door swung open to reveal the man of the hour. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Eren look over out of mild curiosity and nearly choke when he realized who it was.

"Erwin."

"Levi." Came his smooth reply. His face was as unreadable as ever and his hair as perfect as Levi remembered making it that afternoon.

"A pleasant surprise, you scared the entertainment." Levi jerked his head to Eren who had somehow managed to not cough up his lungs.

"Have I?" He looked over with that smile of his and Eren managed to smile back with a wave, though his attention was soon stolen by Hanji. "He looks familiar."

"He's a newsie, you might have seen him on the streets." Levi nodded in acknowledgement to another man who had taken a dislike, to say the least, to the newest customer, and grabbed the glass he left behind to begin cleaning it.

Erwin hmmd, still looking at Eren with eyes that shared none of his thoughts.

"So what'd you come here for?" Levi hated beating around bushes, and that was Erwin's specialty.

"Whiskey, old-fashioned, blend bourbon with Glenlivet." Erwin looked away from Eren and Hanji, turning his attention to Levi and taking a seat at the bar. He placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands in a way that, on any one else, would make Levi slap their arms out from under them, and smiled.

Levi remained quiet, pulling a glass from behind him along with the actual makings for the drink. He didn't know why Erwin cared so much for this drink, the man preferred scotch and combining the bourbon with it is something that strikes a very odd cord within him; Hanji would say that Erwin just likes teasing Levi with drinks that required other things besides simple alcohol. He dropped in the sugar cube and poured in the bitters, topped it off with the combination of bourbon and scotch, using more of the bourbon than scotch since that is the only way Erwin likes it, a quick stir and a few ice cubes and Levi slid the drink the short way down to where Erwin was seated. "No lime wedge?" Erwin asked as his hand caught the glass, waiting a moment to give the flavors some time to mingle, and took a sip.

"Yeah, I think there's a grocers' down the street if you want one that badly. Dunno if they'll still be open."

Erwin chuckled through his sip and Levi's attention returned to the surrounding empty space. Somewhere in the preparation of this drink Eren had started playing again, something soft and slow this time. Levi wondered why that particular music choice.

"Good as ever, Levi." Erwin smiled to him again nodding to Hanji sliding in behind the counter.

"I'll take over, you go flap your gums." Before he could blink Hanji plucked the glass and rag from Levi's hands, ushering him out from behind the counter with a grin. Levi sighed inwardly and sat next to Erwin.

They remained in silence for a while, interrupted only when someone would enter and ask for a drink, most only stayed for one even with Eren playing. Erwin's presence always thinned out crowds. Most members of police do that, especially in an illegal bar. Eren finished his bar and took another drink, Levi took this opportunity to wave him over. Erwin was going to ask about him anyway, might as well get it over with.

The man glanced over to Levi with a glint in his eyes that he could only guess meant "How did you know I was going mention him?" and flicked back to his drink. Eren hastily put his horn down, grabbed up his glass of water, and made his way over to them. He stood to Erwin's side, sipping from his glass and glancing to Levi hoping for cues. Levi nodded to Hanji who started to prepare something before looking back to him. "Eren, this is Erwin Smith. Head of the police division dealing in raids." He watched Eren's eyes grow wide as he slowly lowered his drink.

Erwin chuckled, eyes never having left his up "'Dealing in raids' Levi you make my job sound illegal."

"What you're doing now is illegal." He accepted the mug Hanji offered to him and took a sip, wondering just for how long Eren was going to stay quiet.

"Ah, Sir...?" There was the voice he was waiting for. "Why are you in a speakeasy...? Isn't it your job to find places like this and arrest those involved?"

Erwin nodded, Levi knew he didn't like to discuss work while he was here but Eren didn't know and there was no way that he was going to fault him for that or make this a scene. Not that anybody was here, word travels fast when one of the chiefs is in a bar. "It is my job to find and confiscate or destroy contraband such as this." He held up his glass, almost empty, to show Eren. "However I've found that a little of the, giggle water as many like to put it, goes a long way to keep the general peace." Erwin turned that smile to Eren who attempted to smile back, but looked more puzzled than anything else. Apparently all that answer did was give more questions than answers.

"You're dismissed, Eren, go back to your post." Levi uttered, eyes on his mug of tea and the swirling brown liquid inside. He heard a shuffling that sounded like Eren wanting to say something, a quiet moment, and then foot steps leading away. A metallic clank and a few seconds of silence before the music started back up.

"He seems like a nice kid." Erwin muttered, watching Hanji make his second drink.

"Hanji don't let him have a third we don't need him going back to his office spifflicated."

"Levi I'm hurt you think I would be drunk after three drinks." Levi was silent, Hanji nodded consent to his words and passed down Erwin's drink once it was finished. The pair fell into silence again, allowing Eren's trumpet to fill the room with its sound. "Eren plays well."

"Of course, I wouldn't take on someone who didn't."

"I hadn't realized you'd been looking for entertainment, does this mean you're thinking of expanding?" Erwin glanced over with a look in his eye Levi hadn't seen in a long time.

"No, I don't need more attention." Erwin hmmd at that, which led Levi down some paths of thought he hadn't traversed since his misspent youth. Which gang was trying to rise to power now? In this area the Pennsylvanian mafia held control and really only used small time gangs as hit men and soldier fodder when they want to expand their territory.

"A new gang is forming up here." Levi waited to see how this concerned him. "Apparently they've come quite a ways." The tone was informative, as if Levi had asked him how the weather was going to be tomorrow.

"A ways?" Erwin nodded, draining the last of his drink. "Thought you'd want to know. Let your boys know about it as well, don't want them getting hurt, now do we?" Again with that smile. Levi raised a hand in goodbye as Erwin rose and placed a few bills on the counter and went over to watch Eren for a moment, putting a few bills in his case as tip, before leaving.
The speakeasy remained silent save for Eren's playing, when the kid got going it was hard to stop him apparently, but when he finally did stop he glanced around. He had a puzzled look on his painfully honest face that wondered where Erwin went, he looked to his case and noticed the extra bills with a surprised look, and then shocked when he saw that Erwin had dropped about five dollars in tip.

Levi let out a light sigh and looked to Hanji. "Watch over for me a while." He turned around and stood, not waiting for an affirmative he knew he was going to get, and went over to Eren's stage. "Kid, come on."

"Where are we going?"

"I need a ciggy." Levi's easy reply came and it appeared to have surprised Eren, who seemingly didn't expect that to be the answer.

"Alright… Then?" The statement came as a question and Levi ignored it, turning around and heading towards the bar. He grabbed the carton of cigarettes and matchbook Hanji put out, turned behind the counter and opened up the secret door, much to Eren's curiosity and jumped down into it. Hanji laughed above them as Eren followed suit, landing harder than Levi had and winced as he straightened up.

"Remember, Levi!" Came the shout. "Bank's closed on this one!" Levi didn't answer, waving to Eren to get a move on.

"Sir where are we?"

"Under the shop and streets, this is where I keep the alcohol that gets run here." Eren was silent, undoubtedly looking around at everything, even the sparse contents of the small room. "Come on, don't make me tell you twice." Levi stopped a few steps ahead of him when he realized Eren wasn't following. He let out a surprised sound and sped up, easily keeping up with him after that.

He opened up a door into a tunnel and took the lead in showing Eren the way to the surface once more. It wasn't long before they got to a door in the roof of the tunnel, Levi lifted up on it and slid it to one side, hoisting himself out with ease. He turned to watch Eren's attempt, chuckling to himself as the kid tried and failed twice before getting enough of a jump to counteract his weight in his butt and legs to get out. Levi kicked the cover back in place and ignored Eren's exasperated blush, not without some level of amusement, the kid looked cute when he was embarrassed, and opened the door to the outside world.

In this case the outside world was an empty lot that was technically private property if anyone still gave a shit about this place. It had an opening to the street and was in a relatively quiet space, which was perfect for Levi and what he needed. He took out the carton and matchbook, placing one of the cigarettes between his lips and bringing a match torn out and lit to the tip of it. He lit the stick and waved the match out, throwing the smoking wood to the ground and grinding it into the ground with the heel of his shoe. Eren watched on in silence, which surprised Levi some. He had expected the kid to be talking nonstop since he opened up the tunnel, not silence. A small movement from the kid and Levi's thoughts paused, wondering what he was going to say.

"Thank you… For earlier." Did he mean the haircut? "I appreciated the wash and cut." Yes, yes he was. "Sorry I didn't say it earlier, I was still surprised." Understandably so. Levi was silent, breathing in the smoke, holding it for a moment, and breathing it out through his nose.

"You're welcome." Eren's head turned up to look at him, the look in his eyes said that he hadn't expected Levi to say anything. "Your hair still looks like it lost to a pair of scissors but now it looks like it was on purpose." Eren's lips tilted up in a grin at that.

Levi watched him out of the corner of his eye, how Eren sank to the ground (gross the kid is going to dust himself off before he steps foot again in his speakeasy), how his eyes reflected the stars, shining in them like their own night sky.

"Butt me." Eren's voice broke the silence as his gaze shifted to the cigarette between Levi's lips.

"I didn't offer."

"Are you going to?" The kid glanced over, curious.

Levi sighed and waved Eren over- No way in hell he was moving, he'd finally gotten comfortable- and pulled a cigarette from the carton and ripped another match from the book. He passed the cigarette to Eren when he finally hoisted himself up and walked closer who put it in his mouth as he saw Levi do earlier. Levi bet himself that the kid had never smoked before and is doing this in an attempt to impress him. He lit the cigarette and watched Eren attempt to inhale it and end up choking.

"You sure you knew what you were about?"

"Oh yeah…" The kid didn't know when his pride had beaten him. "All… The time…" He said between coughs. A second attempt was made and at least this time he didn't cough up a lung. Levi crushed his cigarette, already gone down to the filter, beneath his boot and waited to see what Eren would do.

"...You know, no one would judge you if you put out the cig." Eren breathed it in a third time before taking the stick from his mouth and throwing it to the ground, grinding it under foot as Levi did. "Had enough adult fun, kiddo?" He grinned despite himself.

"How can you do that?" Eren asked, trying to get more air back into his system. "Also don't call me Kiddo, I'm not that young…"

"I've been smoking for a while, kiddo." Levi emphasized the name, grinning inwardly as he saw Eren glower at it's use. "Come on, the night isn't over yet." He gestured back to the tunnel and turned to go, checking behind him that Eren was following. Eren wouldn't stop grinning at some thought and Levi couldn't deny it was contagious. The pair of them didn't talk as they headed back, but it was obvious that they had gotten closer after the outing.