Archive of Our Own

Spring is Erwin's favourite season. Not a lot of people know that about him because it's rarely something brought up in a conversation but he feels it's important to know these things about people. He feels when they pass, the season they love will carry on with their spirit in tow. He likes to think he will live on in the breeze of spring. 

The sunlight beams through the curtains in his office, the open window letting in a smooth, gentle wind and rustling some papers on his desk. Erwin allows the gust of air to wash over him as he sits back in his chair, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air. 

The papers suddenly fly off his desk and scatter throughout the room when the door is thrown open, letting out whatever peace Erwin found only moments ago.

"Commander!" Hange shouts. 

Erwin sighs and bends down to pick up the papers littered around him. "Hange, to what do I owe the pleasure?" 

Hange pulls a chair out from the other side of his desk and throws themselves down into it dramatically. 

"The kitchen is out of use because of those rats again." Hange whines. "Have you ever had to tell fifty new recruits they can't have any hot food because those little teeth have chewed through all the wires?" 

Erwin's had to deal with a lot but he's grateful he didn't have to deal with that . 

"We've tried everything to get rid of them but they keep coming back. I think Levi's still having a meltdown over the shit they've left behind." Hange chuckles. 

Erwin smiles briefly at the thought of Levi fretting over rat faeces. 

"Our monthly expenses for traps have exceeded its allowance." Erwin muses. "Poison is probably the best option." 

"I don't like killing them." Hange says. "They're cute." 

"They're vermin, Hange, and they're causing us more problems." Erwin grimaces. 

"Yes but if you were take into account my idea of storing our food differently-" 

"We've had this discussion. There's no guarantee that would fix the issue and it could potentially cause the kitchen to be out of service for longer than necessary. Not to mention the cost." 

"Ugh! Money, money, money." Hange rolls their eyes.

Hange's idea was phenomenal. It was genius, in an ideal world where money could be flushed at the thought of 'what if', and Erwin would certainly at least acknowledge the blueprints, however, it is not an ideal world. 

The idea focused solely on removing the food from the kitchen and storing it in a newly installed pantry. It sounded basic at first when it was suggested but then Hange began to speak about certain rat repellants and natural ways to stop them from infiltrating the kitchen and pantry. They had drawn up some sketches of vermin-proof units and allowed Erwin to truly see the knowledge they stored away. 

"I'll be visiting the capitol in a few weeks for an event, perhaps I can ask for more funding then." Erwin replies. "But for now, we need to tackle the vermin." 

Hange purses their lips but nods. They, thankfully, are understanding of Erwin's binds when it comes to costs. He's had to make some cutbacks on certain vegetables because the import cost has been raised significantly. It doesn't bother Erwin too much, he's not a fan of broccoli anyway, but Hange argues it contains a lot of antioxidants that's critical to everyone's health. 

"I'll try and see if I can find how they're getting in." Hange says as they stand. 

Erwin glances back down at the financial report before standing as well. 

"I'll come and assess the damage. I've not got much to do here." 

"I'll warn you now, Levi is in a bad, bad mood because of this." Hange says as they begin to walk towards the kitchen. 

"The mess, I take it." Erwin suggests. 

"No- well, yes , but no. He hates rats." 

"Oh?" Erwin raises an eyebrow. 

"One ran out from the supply room earlier and he jumped about four foot in the air. Started shouting, swearing, climbed on a chair and refused to come down until it was taken care of." Hange laughs at the memory. "It was actually quite amusing." 

Erwin chuckles. Humanity's strongest is scared of rats. He makes a note to tease him about it later when his mood eases and there won't be a chance of Erwin having a book thrown high velocity at his head. 

Although armed with a terrifying glare that could shoot a thousand daggers, Levi has a calming aura about him that allows Erwin to feel at ease and able to be himself around the smaller male. He often spends time in Erwin's office, bringing him tea and meals when he doesn't quite have the time to fetch them himself. Whenever he appears, Erwin lets his guard down. 

There's a high level of respect between them. Erwin finds it only natural to want more than a friendship as their bond is so strong, however a conversation like that is easier said than done. Levi has shown signs of affection but never anything concrete to indicate he feels the same way. 

When he and Hange reach the kitchen, said small man is vigorously scrubbing the wooden flooring and muttering under his breath. For how hard he's scrubbing, he doesn't at all look flustered or hot. Then again, Erwin's never seen him that way before. He's always so composed and put together. 

"You'll fall through the floor if you keep that up!" Hange shouts.

Levi visibly startles and shoots daggers at Hange. He holds a hand over his chest and lets out a breath. 

"Fuck off four eyes." He bites. 

Hange 'pffts' and walks to the window where they begin, Erwin assumes, searching the wall for any holes. Levi rises to his feet with a grimace. 

"The state of this place." He gestures to the kitchen - though it looks absolutely fine to Erwin. "It's like they've never even seen a fucking-" 

"Rat!" Hange exclaims. 

Levi spins, picks up the broom leaning against the counter and holds it up with an attack stance. A silence fills the air before Hange falls into a fit of laughter, snorting in all their glory as if seeing Levi so spooked had some sort of comedic value. It kind of did . 

"What are you going to do with that? Sweep it to death?" Hange wheezes. 

"I'm gonna shove this broom so fucking far up your ass you'll be spitting splinters." Levi snaps and waves the broom at Hange, who is still laughing. 

Erwin stifles a chuckle but ends up making a sound similar to a snort. He sees Levi glance at him and could have sworn there was a hint of pink on his cheeks. 

"Sorry."

Levi waves his hand. "Whatever. I need to get something stronger for this rat shit." 

"You know rat droppings contain something called a hantavirus, which is part of a family of rodent-borne viruses and it can be passed onto humans-" Hange begins but Erwin waves his hand to cut them off. 

Levi looks mortified, to put it lightly. He doesn't say anything - Erwin's suspects he's too busy trying to forget what Hange's just told him - and leaves to find his beloved bleach. Erwin personally hates the smell of it but Levi's made it abundantly clear he loves it so Erwin puts up with it. 

Hange drops to their knees suddenly and Erwin winces at the sound of bones hitting wood. 

"Go check the prep area." Hange says, following the cracks in the walls with their eyes.

"Yes, Commander Hange." Erwin replies with a bow. He receives a pointed look in return that only widens the smile on his face. 

The preparation area was rather large compared to the rest of the kitchen. It consisted of dark wood counters, scrubbed within an inch of their life that the polish had begun to wear away - Levi's doing - and an array of equipment kept neatly laid out on a rack. Pots and pans were stored in the overhead cupboards, trays were kept in the bottom cupboard next to the-

Squeak!

Erwin halts. After a moment of silence passes, he assumes it was just his shoes against the floor causing the noise and carries on walking, observing his environment more closely now. 

The noise happens again but this time he's not moving. Erwin knows now what's causing it and looks to the doorway, noticing how far Hange is away from him now and that he couldn't possibly shout for them in case the rat gets away. He braces himself and listens out for the sound. He now hears a series of squeaks and follows them. Although he knows he's getting closer, the squeaking seems to be getting weaker. He bends down, looking underneath the counters when he sees the source of the noise. 

A single rat, laying on its side with its back leg caught in a trap. It looks to be in pain and as much as Erwin likes to think he can be a callous man when need be, he cannot find it in himself to leave the poor creature to suffer. He gets onto his knees and reaches under the counter, mindful of any quick or loud actions that may cause the rat to attempt to run. 

Slowly, he releases the trap and braces himself for the rat to run, however, it doesn't. It remains on its side, leg outstretched behind its furry body. Erwin frowns, unsure of what to do at this point. The creature is obviously injured but he has no idea on how to fix said injury. In his mind, the humane thing to do would be to put the poor thing out of its misery and aid towards the extermination of the colony. 

But looking at the way it's tiny body seems as if it's trying to suck up all the oxygen around it all at once, breathing so fast in fear, anxiety and pain - Erwin sucks in a breath and reaches under the counter again, picking the rat up gently in his hands. He's surprised at how soft it's fur is, firstly and secondly he's surprised it doesn't try to flee. It's fur is a deep, dark brown with light brown flecks. It's quite a stunning coat. 

Erwin manoeuvres the rat into one hand, careful of its injured back leg and pets its fur. It turns its head slightly and looks up at him with its beady, black eyes and wiggles its nose. It's… cute. Erwin thinks that word fits the moment perfectly. 

"What you got there, Commander?" 

Hange startles him and he holds the rat closer to his stomach, covering it with his other hand before turning his head to Hange. He rises from his knees with a passive face. 

"Nothing of your concern." He replies. He knows he won't kill the thing but he doesn't need Hange to start spouting facts about rats and making him feel like he owes the vermin anything. 

Hange steps forward and eyes him. Their eyes go from his own, then down to his stomach. 

"Did you catch one? Can I see it? Please let me see it!" Hange squeals with a smile. 

Erwin let's out a quiet ' shhh ' before giving in and taking his hand off the creature against his stomach. Hange rushes forward, eyes beaming with interest. They lean in close, far too close for Erwin's comfort, and look over the creature, their brows furrowing. 

"The poor thing is terrified." Hange coos and reaches out with a gentle hand to stroke over the fur. "Let's take it to my room and we can-" 

"What are you two doing?"

"Eep!" Hange spins around in front of Erwin to cover the creature in his hands. Levi is standing close by, thick gloves covering his hands and wrists now and he's looking at them with a raised eyebrow. 

"We- we, uh, we think we found the nest." Erwin stammers. In all his years as Commander, he had never once been faced with such fear of a single man. If Levi were to see what was in his hands, he would no doubt kill the creature and then ridicule Erwin for the rest of his life. 

"Yeah - the nest - it's in here so you should go." Hange says. 

Levi looks around uncomfortably. "Well fucking do something about it. I can practically hear them scurrying around." He snaps before leaving. 

Hange and Erwin both let out a breath once he leaves. The rat in Erwin's hands squeaks once and Hange purses their lips. 

"Come on." They say and urge Erwin to their bedroom. 

The entire walk there was spent in silence. Erwin doesn't know what can be done for the creature but Hange has a determination on their face which tells him they'll do whatever they can to make sure the creature lives. 

It seems they feel that way about all creatures, including insects because their bedroom is completely full of cobwebs and spiders. Erwin shivers when he notices the springs of webs in the corners. 

Hange pulls a shirt out of their wardrobe and folds it up on the desk. "Put it here." 

Erwin gently lays the rat down on the shirt and allows Hange to assess it. Its little eyes catch Erwin's again and it squirms when it's laid down, out of his hands, but he thinks nothing of it and just assumes it's trying to get comfortable. 

Hange finds out the rat is a female, she's dehydrated and has a broken leg. They pull some bandages and a wooden splint from their desk drawer and wrap the rat's leg in a makeshift cast while Erwin gives her some water on a spoon. She laps it up and her whiskers catch some of the water in the process. Erwin really tries not to find it adorable but fails and points at her.

"Hange, look." 

Hange pauses their wrapping and chuckles at the scene.

"She's thirsty. Who knows how long she's been in that trap." 

Erwin runs a gentle finger over her head and she sniffs at his finger. He smiles, filled with warmth. Hange's words, however, filter out that warmth and fill him with guilt. This poor creature's condition is the result of his commands and yet, she's showing him trust and approval. 

"I'll bring my meeting with the capitol forward. In the meantime, see if you can find any of those repellents you were talking about." He says stroking the rat's body. 

Hange smiles. "Of course, commander. I have to say, though, I'm glad you see now why I love these creatures so much." 

Erwin smiles fondly down at the rat and continues to stroke her while Hange finishes the cast. They sit in a comfortable silence for a while before Hange gasps.

"She needs a name." 

"Hange, we're not naming her. She's not a pet." 

"She's bonded with you!" Hange whines. "At least name her while she's healing with us." 

"She can't stay with us. What happens when Levi finds her? He'll-" 

" If he finds her." Hange wiggles their eyebrows. 

Erwin pauses. He'd thought through the consequences of Levi finding the rat and going into a frenzy. It was something he didn't want to witness and admittedly, he didn't want to choose between the rat or Levi. 

"You're suggesting we lie to him." 

" No ." Hange says. "I'm suggesting we just don't tell him. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." 

"But where will we keep her?" 

Hange thinks for a moment, biting their lip. The rat curls up under Erwin's hand and nuzzles her nose in his palm. Hange and Erwin share a look that is the equivalent of silent awe.

"She can stay in your office. We'll make a nice little place for her to rest in your drawer."

"Levi is always in my office." Erwin argues.

Hange shrugs. "But he doesn't go through your things, does he?" 

Only when he cleans, Erwin thinks, which is always. Thinking that if the poor creature was left with Hange, it would go mad, Erwin weighs out his options. Perhaps he could claim there are some important documents in his drawers and that he can't go through them. Levi's obedient like that - he is basically a pet now that Erwin thinks about it. He fights a smile at the thought and sighs. 

"I suppose that is the best option."

"But first, as I said before, she needs a name." Hange points to the rat, resting peacefully against Erwin's palm. He strokes a thumb over her fur and sighs. 

"Hm. Well, she's brown so… Cocoa?" 

Hange grins. "Like the drink they serve in Mitras?" 

"Yes, exactly." Erwin replies. 

He's looking down at the dozing creature, watching her body rise and fall with calm breaths. It's strange to think only hours ago he was willing to kill such a thing without fully understanding the nature of it. 

Hange stands from their seat and says they'll fetch some food for Cocoa - wet food because she's dehydrated. Hange also says Erwin needs to keep watch on the 'quality' - their words, not his - of her faeces to establish her health condition. He grimaces but agrees to try to pay attention, hoping Cocoas healthy enough to be released once she's healed. 

The last thing he needs is an attachment to a wild animal. 

He thinks that but it doesn't stop the physical feeling of his chest warming when Hange storms back into the room with a bowl, startling the poor rat out of her slumber and she recoils into Erwin's hand as if it's a lifeline. 

Hange whispers an apology at Erwin's pointed look and places the bowl down on the desk. Cocoa seems uninterested in the food, still tucked face first into Erwin's palm. 

"Try feeding her with your hands." Hange suggests.

"Me?" Erwin asks. "What if she bites me?" 

Hange rolls their eyes and gestures to the bowl. "Come on, she needs to eat. Stop being a giant blonde baby."

Erwin exhales heavily but follows Hange's orders. At first, he's hesitant to put his hand in the bowl full of brown paste because it looks very… questionable. He does it anyway, grimacing at the texture and gently holding his hand palm up on the desk next to Cocoa's little body. 

She turns her head and sniffs the air. Erwin finds the corners of his lips turning up - out of fondness or nervousness, he doesn't know, perhaps it's both - when she approaches his hand hesitantly. The struggle for her to walk is obvious as she tries to accommodate the cast on her back leg and her tail strokes over Erwin's other hand. He almost jumps at the sensation but knows any sudden movement will most likely scare Cocoa so he makes a conscious effort to remain completely still and calm.

Then, she's licking the paste from his palm. Her two little pink front paws are placed on his finger and Hange makes a noise that sounds like a breathless squeal. Erwin can't exactly blame them - it is rather adorable. 

He actually smiles when Cocoa looks up at him and licks her lips. She's finished the small amount of food in Erwin's hand and is looking at him with an almost pleading look. 

"More?" He asks her. She licks her lips again in affirmation and Hange covers their mouth. 

No, Erwin is certainly not going to allow himself to get attached to a wild animal.

It's been a few days and Erwin has managed to move his visit to the capitol closer in hopes of getting the funding quickly. Hange has used some natural repellents, such as planting lavender in the gardens outside of the kitchens. It looks much more welcoming and seems to have fixed the problem for now, however more space for their food supplies would be ideal regardless. Hange had suggested Levi use peppermint oil in his cleaning regime and spoke for twenty minutes about how sensitive a rat's nose is. Levi had been obviously ignoring the monologue but Erwin found it informative and intriguing. 

Hange has been as knowledgeable as ever, informing Erwin of the 'dos and don'ts' of caring for a rat. He's never been lucky enough to have a pet in his life but now - even though he hasn't quite come to admit that Cocoa is a pet - now he has found having a furry creature around to be quite soothing. 

They spend their time together mostly. She sits on Erwin's lap or desk while he's doing paperwork or reading. He tries to spend as much time in his office as possible to be around her so she's not left alone. He's found that she's grown quite accustomed to his company and when he does leave his office, he places her in her designated bottom drawer with one of Erwin's old undershirts folded for a bed. He leaves the drawer ajar so she's not trapped and when he comes back from his meeting, she appears from under his desk and stops to look at him - albeit wobbly - on her hind legs before scurrying over. Sometimes she squeaks when he picks her up and he tries not to think too much into it. 

Hange stops by more often now to check on Cocoa's condition and pet her. Her back leg is healing well and she still has Hange's version of a cast on, though that doesn't stop her from clumsily being active. Both Hange and Erwin stop all activities just to watch her run around the office like a child at a sweet shop. It's a nice change of pace compared to their usual busy and hectic days. 

He's also managed to successfully hide Cocoa from Levi. That isn't to say there weren't some close calls, like when Cocoa squeaked in her drawer and Levi's head shot up from the document he was holding. 

"What was that?" He asked. 

Erwin cleared his throat. "Apologies, must have been me. I've been wheezing a bit as of late. Perhaps I'm coming down with a cold." 

Levi eyed him before going back to the document in his hand. "If you're wheezing, there's something wrong with your chest. Go to medical tomorrow." 

"Yes, sir." Erwin chuckled and watched as Levi tried and failed to hide a small smile. 

Or when Erwin had been idly petting Cocoa in his lap one afternoon while reading a book. Levi was meant to be running drills but Erwin realized too late that the weather had taken a drastic turn and Levi was forced to stop training. He'd come storming into Erwin's office, soaked to the bone and scowling. Erwin leaned forward, hoping his upper half covered Cocoa enough. 

Thankfully, it had and Levi had only stayed for a few minutes to get approval for rescheduling training drills. 

It's a sunny afternoon when Hange knocks quietly and enters. They're watching Cocoa scurry around the room and sniff everything in sight. Hange sits themselves on the floor like a child and makes a maze out of books, laughing and cooing at Cocoa as she passes through it. She's adapted to only having three working legs while her back leg heals and doesn't at all seem bothered by her injury. 

The door opens and suddenly Hange is picking Cocoa up and hiding her in her jacket. Levi walks in and stares down at the mess of books on the floor before his eyes move between Hange and Erwin. 

"Dare I ask?" 

Hange clears their throat. "It's research." 

Levi eyes the mess and nods once. He steps over the books, pointedly glaring at Hange each time an obstacle is in his way. Erwin is on the verge of beginning to sweat and wishes Levi would hurry up and leave. He can't imagine him finding Cocoa. God, the chaos that would ensue. He shudders and luckily Levi is too busy glaring at Hange to notice. 

Two envelopes are thrown onto his desk and Levi mutters something about Shadis approving his trip to Mitras. Erwin thanks Levi and they just stare at each other. 

"Is there… something else?" Erwin asks. 

Levi waves his hand and begins to leave. "Nevermind." 

If Erwin wasn't so concerned about the rat he's hiding, he would've enquired why Levi was acting so quiet and strange. However, he's so relieved when Levi leaves that he lets out a long, shuddering breath and Hange visibly relaxes, placing Cocoa back into her maze. 

"That was close." Hange says. 

"Too close. The minute that cast is off, we have to let her go." 

Hange falls silent while watching Cocoa make her way through the maze. He knows they don't want to let her go but Erwin has already explained why they can't keep her, and he's also had to explain it to himself. It's nice to have the company of a creature that appreciates your presence, your warmth and doesn't stray regardless of how you may feel. Cocoa cannot talk but she has said enough with her eyes. 

She trusts him and trust is a hard thing to come by these days. 

It's the day the cast is to come off. Hange is checking over Cocoa, commenting that she's gained a healthy amount of weight and is the most well behaved rat she's ever come across - Erwin doesn't question that last part. She makes a few jabs at Cocoa being the new Levi and Erwin rolls his eyes.

Recently, where he's been desperately trying to hide Cocoa, he's had to cut his time with Levi short. He's claimed he's too busy for tea or any personal time with Levi unless absolutely necessary. He can see it's affecting the smaller man - according to Hange he's much more irritable now than he's ever been - but says to himself it's only for a few weeks until Cocoa is fully healed. He can't help but miss Levi's presence as it's what he's grown accustomed to. 

In a sad sort of way, he can relate to Cocoa and her trust in him because he sees it in himself and Levi, perhaps just the other way round. Hange isn't technically wrong with their claim but he'll never admit it. Never . 

Hange cuts the cast off and moves Cocoa's back leg a few times, stretching it out and checking if she's in any pain with the movements. Cocoa seems unfazed and begins to make her way over to Erwin, pulling her back leg out of Hange's grasp. She's walking a little strange but Hange assures Erwin it's just her trying to get used to using her leg again. 

Cocoa crawls into Erwin's palm and begins to clean herself as Erwin watches on. He knows she needs to be released but the selfish part of him wants to keep her with him. They have a bond that seems unbreakable, however, she's a wild animal and he tries not to get his hopes up in the circumstance that she scurries away and doesn't look back once. Although, he doesn't know what he'd do if she did the opposite.

"I suppose we should let her go." Erwin says.

Hange gives him a sad, slow nod. They sneak out of his office and into one of the training fields, far enough away not to be seen and for Cocoa to not find her way back. Erwin swallows hard and places her down on the grass. 

Cocoa sniffs the ground and stands on her back legs, looking around observantly. She doesn't run off, only turns to look up at Erwin with those same trusting beady eyes. Hange sniffs and begins to walk away. Erwin doesn't follow, though, he stays and continues to watch Cocoa's actions with interest. 

Unexpectedly, Cocoa makes her way back over to Erwin and stands by his boot. At this point, he doesn't know what to do. His heart swells but he knows this is the best option for Cocoa. They can't keep her - they can't. 

"Hange, I think she wants to stay." He says loud enough for Hange to hear over their sniffling.

Hange's footsteps stop and suddenly they're coming closer until Erwin feels a hand on his shoulder. He's staring down at Cocoa, conflicted. 

"What are you going to do?" 

He turns his head to look at Hange. "What can I do?" 

Hange thinks for a moment. "She's bonded with you and she trusts you, Erwin. You can keep her around and if she decides to leave one day, she can." 

Erwin scoops Cocoa back into his hands and she crawls up to his shoulder. Hange strokes a finger over her head with twinkling eyes. 

"I can't say no after that, can I?." Erwin replies with a chuckle. 

"Nope!" Hange grins. 

They make their way back inside, sneaking past any soldiers. Once in Erwin's office, they begin to discuss a long term plan for Cocoa. They both decide it will have to be spoken about publicly within the barracks in case she roams free outside of Erwin's office to avoid any issues . Levi will have to be informed at some point and Erwin sucked in a breath when Hange mentioned it. He knows she's right but he's already thought up so many terrible scenarios where Levi hates him and never speaks to him again.

It's quite pathetic how panicked that makes him feel. 

Hange is more than happy to have Cocoa in her room until they tell Levi about her. Now that she's fully healed, Erwin's at ease to let Hange care for her in their disastrous room. 

It's all planned out between them and Erwin feels a lot calmer for it. There will be no more hiding, no more sneaking around or avoiding Levi. Things will finally go back to the way they were except now with the exception of Cocoa. 

One evening changes everything. 

Erwin had left his office for a maximum of ten minutes to give Shadis a letter that had been incorrectly filed and given to him by a recruit. Of course, in such a flurry, he didn't lock his office door. He's walking back down the hall when he notices his office door is ajar and he panics. There's a scenario in his head of a cat getting into his office and eating Cocoa and he quickens his pace to the opened door. 

There's a sort of strangled, surprised yell consisting of curse words that emits from his office and before Erwin can pick up his speed any more, there's crashing and the sound of objects being thrown. He panics then, knowing exactly what this could mean.

Levi has found Cocoa. 

Erwin darts into his office to find Levi standing on the couch, book lifted in the air as if to be thrown and Erwin practically tackles the book from his grasp. The drawer in which Cocoa sleeps has been pulled out and the contents are scattered on the floor. 

"There's a shitting rat in here!" Levi shouts, his grip tightening on the book. "It was in that fucking-" 

"I know, Levi!" Erwin shouts back, prying the book from Levi's loosened grasp. He's stunned, staring at Erwin with an angry and confused look. 

"You fucking know? What do you mean you know ?" He asks. 

Erwin steps back and places the book on his desk. He holds his hand up to Levi before whistling and glancing around the room. Cocoa slowly comes out from under his desk, sniffing the air on her hind legs. She looks terrified, her little body shaking. 

"Oh my god, what the fuck Erwin?!" Levi grimaces. "That thing is fucking filthy- Don't pick it up!" 

Erwin scoops Cocoa into his hands and holds her close to his chest to check if she's injured from Levi's frantic fear induced outburst. He determines she's not and relief overcomes him - now he just has to convince Levi that Cocoa is not out for blood and to shit everywhere.

"Rats are actually very clean, prior to popular belief." Erwin says and gives Cocoa a stroke. He looks back up at Levi's horrified expression and can't contain the smile that forces its way to his lips. 

"Don't fucking smile at me like this is normal you rat bastard." Levi snaps. "Get that thing away from me!" 

Erwin halts from moving closer. 

"Levi, it's alright. She's very sweet-" 

"Erwin!" Levi hisses. "It's a rat, not a dog!" 

" Her name is Cocoa." 

Levi stares, face completely voice of its usual passive expression and instead replaced with absolute shock. 

"You've gone mad." 

"I've discovered that rats are interesting creatures. Hange has educated me on them since we rescued Cocoa. Really, Levi, humans are filthier than rats." 

"But disease- " 

"Spread through fleas. We have de-flead her." Erwin interjects calmly. "They are, however, social creatures so we may have to find her a friend." 

"I think I'm going to be sick." Levi says and rubs his temple. 

"There's nothing to worry about. Come down from there." Erwin extends his free hand to Levi, who looks down at it with disgust. 

"You've touched it." 

"Levi, it's fine." Erwin says. 

Erwin can see the conflict in Levi's face as he hesitantly reaches out and takes Erwin's hand, stepping down from the couch. The entire time he's eyeing Cocoa as if she's going to attack him suddenly. 

"So this is why you've been avoiding me." 

Erwin breathes a laugh, embarrassed. "I suppose I have been a bit off with you recently. I'm sorry for that, I didn't realize you enjoyed my company so much." 

"I thought you-" Levi stops and clears his throat, looking down. "Nevermind. Just- just keep that thing away from me whenever I'm in here." 

"Hange can look after her when we have tea together." Erwin says. "I have missed that." 

Sometimes flashes over Levi's face before he's looking away again. "Alright. That's… that's good, I guess." 

"What did you think, Levi?" Erwin asks.

Levi looks at him with furrowed brows and then looks to catch on to what Erwin's referring to. A light dusting of pink litters his cheeks and he turns away.

"Nothing." 

Erwin catches his forearm. "Tell me." 

Levi looks hesitant before he closes his eyes and speaks. "I thought you got bored of me, okay? It's fucking stupid, forget it." 

Erwin's gaze softens on him at the admission. His eyes are looking everywhere but at Erwin, he's half turned as if waiting to flee the moment Erwin's hand drops from his forearm and he looks so vulnerable, so open. Like a rat caught in a trap. 

"Levi, I… I could never get bored of you. I care deeply for you and your company means a great deal to me." Erwin confesses. Cocoa climbs up his arm to sit on his shoulder and he uses his free hand to gently turn Levi towards him by his shoulders. "I care much more than you know." 

"You-" Levi's voice cuts off. 

Erwin throws caution to the wind with his confession and nods. "Yes." 

"I'm not kissing you with a rat on your shoulder." 

"Yes, you are." Erwin replies and cups Levi's face. He half expects Levi to fight against him but instead, Levi leans up and their lips touch. It's a slow, caring kiss that tells Erwin just how much Levi wanted it. 

When Levi pulls back, he frowns. 

"So this whole time you've been hiding this rat in your office? From me?" 

"Well, it's a long story." Erwin replies and strokes a thumb over Levi's cheek. "Perhaps Cocoa can help me tell it." 

Levi glances at the rat on his shoulder but there's no longer disgust in his features. It's been replaced with what Erwin's suspects is curiosity. 

"Cocoa is a stupid name for a rat." Levi says. 

"Jealousy is an ugly emotion." Erwin smirks and before Levi can give any kind of sarcastic remark, he's pulling him in for another kiss. 

It's winter, Levi's favorite season and apparently Cocoa's too. She likes nuzzling into Erwin's cloak and sleeping inside his shirt. Levi doesn't like it when she does that but he's become a lot more tolerable. 

Hange made Cocoa a little vest specifically so everyone can identify her and she received many coos and compliments. For winter, Hange made a thicker one and even Levi complimented the design. He touched the coat while Cocoa was wearing it and Erwin had to remain calm. Hange didn't, however, and let their feelings of endearment be well known. 

Sunset is creeping over the barracks and Levi is reclined on Erwin's couch reading a book - one that Erwin had suggested. He's so completely engrossed that he doesn't realise Cocoa climbs up onto the couch. The only indication he gives that he's uncomfortable when Cocoa settles on his stomach is a complete body tense. It could have been worse. Much, much worse. 

"It's alright. It means she trusts you." Erwin says quietly. 

Levi lets out a slow breath and continues reading. A few minutes pass and he relaxes, looking unbothered by Cocoa's presence. It's a sight that warms Erwin to his core. He reflects over the past few months on how Levi has grown to adapt to his fear for the sake of Erwin even though he didn't have to. How Erwin didn't see Levi's true feelings, he doesn't know. Apparently Hange knew the entire time yet said nothing. 

Movement catches Erwin's eye and he focuses back on Levi. His hand is now petting Cocoa as he reads. His movements are stiff but Cocoa doesn't seem to mind. 

Erwin finds peace within himself. He reflects back on all those months ago when he was adamant rats were nothing more than disease ridden vermin and how incorrect his stereotype had been. He mentally scolds himself for thinking of such a peaceful creature in that way. They are all trying to survive, just like humanity and that's exactly the argument he'd used with Shadis on their way to the capitol. 

With his charm, he'd successfully got the funding for Hange's idea and within a month, it was implemented. There are no longer rats in the kitchen, save for Cocoa when Erwin prepares her meals and even then, she's patient and doesn't break into the pantry. 

The book in Levi's hand falls softly against his chest and Erwin looks over. He's asleep with Cocoa on his stomach and Erwin's eyes rake over every detail of the scene in front of him so he can remember it for as long as possible.

The sky has been plunged into darkness now and Erwin leans back in his chair. He knows he'll have to carry both Levi and Cocoa to bed because they're both stubborn and won't wake up to move. He smiles, standing from his chair. 

Perhaps now, winter is his favorite season, he thinks.