Chapter Text
When he went back to the shelter, a week later, Krista was at the desk again.
“Levi!” She beamed, setting down a pen. “I didn’t know if you were going to come back.”
“I kind of didn’t have a choice,” Levi muttered, before letting out a sigh. “My sister insisted.”
Krista took that in stride, as she seemed to do most things. She’d barely blinked when Eren had brought him back to the office, red eyed and still having trouble breathing. “I’ll call Eren. We’ll stay away from the cats this time. Maybe a bird?”
Levi shrugged. “We’ll see,” he said again.
Birds… were not his thing.
“No,” Levi said flatly, turning away from the beady-eyed monstrosity staring at him from behind the cage.
“No?” Eren echoed, scratching at a parakeets belly as it nuzzled his face.
His eyes narrowed. “No.”
The other male sighed. “Alright.” He picked the bird up, tittering back at it before placing it gently back in its cage. The bird flapped its wings as if in farewell as he turned away. “You know, you’re really picky.”
“Am I supposed to apologize for that?”
“Well no,” Eren frowned, poking his fingers into the cage of the monster that’d been staring him down. It nipped at his finger, proving Levi’s theory that it was a demon in disguise correct. Eren tisked. “I’ve just never had someone like you come by before. Are you sure you want a pet?”
“No,” Levi answered truthfully. “but I have to get one.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before,” Eren mused. The questioning tilt of his head brought a sigh from Levi’s lips.
“It’s my sister,” he explained. “if I get a pet she’ll stop trying to set me up on her horrendous blind dates.”
Eren winced. “Gotcha. Well,” he clapped his hands, startling the monster from its perch. “we’ve still got plenty more to see so don’t worry! You’ll find something!”
Three hours later Eren stared at Levi as if he were an alien from outer space. Levi did his best to keep the embarrassed flush from his cheeks as he scrubbed at the dirt on his jeans with a sleeve of his jacket. It’d been chilly that morning but with the way the sun was currently boring down on them he really didn’t need it.
“Levi,” Eren started slowly, back against the cage door they’d just run out of. “I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to be as honest as possible, okay?”
Levi frowned, eyeing him skeptically. “Okay.”
“Are you cursed?”
The witch rolled his eyes. “No, Eren.”
“Are you sure?” He continued, as serious as when he’d began. “Because seriously, Levi, I’ve never seen someone have this much bad luck before. It can’t possibly be just you.”
“Well thanks for telling me that I’m an oddity,” Levi muttered, giving one last half hearted swipe at his dirty knees before straightening up. “Look, I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me, but I should go. This obviously isn’t going to work out so I’ll just cut my losses. Isabel will understand. Eventually.”
“What about the blind dates?” Eren protested, following after him as he began to walk back towards the office.
“I can manage,” Levi dismissed, squinting up at the burning sun. A drop of sweat rolled down his temple. “I’ve been dealing with my sister for years now, after all.”
“But still.” The taller frowned, looking similar to a scolded puppy. Considering his werewolf genes it fit him rather well. “Are you really going to give up? Already?”
“Yes,” was his simple answer. Pulling open the main building’s door hit them both with a rush of cool air that Levi used in an effort to calm his frustration. Eren fell back as he said his goodbyes to Krista, a resigned look on his face. By the time Levi was in his car and driving home, the sun had eased and a pitter patter of light rain had started.
“So you just gave up?” Hanji asked, two days later when he came into their shop for his next line of orders. They looked curious, yet skeptical as they ransacked their desk.
Levi sighed, sitting down on the couch lining the wall. More than half of it was taken up by an array of books and paper hastily written on, leaving just enough space for his body. With the state the rest of the room was in, it would be a wonder if he got out of there by the time the sun was down.
“Hanji,” he started patiently--or as patiently as Levi could get. “I was nearly killed by cats, got stared down by a bird, was sneezed on by a bunny, strangled by a snake, and was then chased by a fucking goat . Yes, I gave up. What else would a sane person do?”
Hanji shrugged, eyes narrowed in concentration as they took in the titles of the books now floating around them, fingers glowing as they sent each back to their proper position. “I don’t know, it just seems--you to the potions--no not you, you-- ” they frowned, catching a book by its spine. “ you go to the creature section--unlike you, you know?”
Levi raised an eyebrow, ducking his head to avoid a diving journal. “I give up all the time. Especially when it comes to stupid, ridiculous things like finding a pet. Do I look like a pet person to you?”
“No,’” they admitted, sorting through a pile of papers. “but that doesn’t mean you aren’t one.”
He sighed. “Don’t tell me you’ve joined forces with Isabel on the idea that I need companionship?”
“It’s not that I think you need it, per say,” Hanji began, sending several pens scuttling back to their cup. “it’s just that everyone gets lonely. And you’re antisocial to begin with. A pet could be good for you. There’d be no social obligations, only the feeding schedule and maybe a little grooming and bathroom time.”
“All the low maintenance animals either endanger my life or hate me,” Levi dismissed, propping his chin up on a hand. “What do you suggest I do about that?”
“Stop being so critical!” They exclaimed, as if it were obvious. “It’s not--go back to your shelf--it’s not hard to figure out! You’re limiting yourself like you do with people, trying to find the right type without looking at everything. Get out there, see what there is to offer. Then and only then, can you give up.”
“I think,” Levi began, eyes narrowed. “that you just tried to tell me to look at animals of the magical, supernatural sort. Animals that I most definitely do not want.”
“Just give it a try, Levi.” Hanji sighed, poking the drawer to their desk until it finally opened with an annoyed sort of huff. “You’ve already ruled out your other options. What more have you got to lose?”
“My dignity?” he offered. The words were drowned out by Hanji’s happy exclamation as they held up the envelope they’d been searching for. Levi had a feeling they’d known it was there all along and had just been waiting until they talked him into another bout of animal hunting. Though messy, Hanji never got complacent with work, especially not when he handled some rather important orders for that matter.
“Dignity is for losers,” the witch grinned, handing him the envelope. “let go a little and try again. That Eren guy certainly sounds like a doll--let him do his job.”
Levi sighed. “He was probably relieved to see me go. I nearly fried the place after that goat chased me.”
Hanji laughed, nudging his shoulder. “It always amuses me when people think you’re so in control. All they have to do is look up at the sky most times and your thoughts are plastered all over the place!”
“Shut up, four eyes.” He muttered, following the witch out of their office. “And don’t tell anyone that either.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Hanji waved a hand. “just go back, okay? A pet will be good for you, even if you don’t think so.”