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Levi is bent over his desk again. His head bowed, his laptop screen on, doing homework on a Saturday.
A Saturday morning. It's actually 2 AM and Levi is awake with his back facing Erwin, who is lazing on their small couch after drinking all night with the guys.
It isn't a secret that Levi often stays up working himself to the point of exhaustion — he always sports dark bags under his eyes, looking as if he’d come straight out of Tim Burton’s wet dreams.
Levi is a strange omega. With his pretty face and intimidating reputation, he could very easily find some thirsty alpha to do his homework and housework for him, but Levi insists on doing everything by himself. Even when he is sick, he doesn't rest a day.
Erwin sometimes worries if Levi is putting himself in an early grave. He couldn't live with himself if that ever happened.
However, he has an idea.
“Hey, Levi,” he calls out to him, not meaning to startle the omega but doing just that. “What do you want for dinner tomorrow?”
Levi slowly turns his head around, one questioning thin brow raised. “I want fettuccine alfredo with chocolate cake for dessert. Got that?”
Erwin smiles. “No, but I bought a 12 pack of shrimp flavored ramen and some chicken nuggets. I think we might have leftover wine from Reiner’s birthday party.”
“Erwin, that was a year ago.”
Erwin shrugs. “Wine gets better as it ages.”
Silence. Levi just stares at him, blinking. “Erwin, you had exactly one cup of wine. What are you on?”
“I think I saved it somewhere,” Erwin says with a shrug.
“What a disgusting fellow.”
Erwin’s lips quirk up and Levi rolls his eyes. “I didn't hear a no. I'll bring back our own bottle, we can share. Come on, Levi.”
“Fine, I’m going to drink more than half though.”
“Deal.”
——
The next day, Levi is out with his friends and Erwin is alone at the dorm with nothing to do.
He thinks now is the perfect time to execute his first course of action.
First stop: pet shop.
Next stop: 99P Store.
Finally, back home before Levi.
He takes the items inside, paying special attention to the big wooden box with holes so that the thing inside could breathe, setting that on his bed before he opens it. Levi’s bed is on the other side of their dorm room, so it’d be easy for him to hear even the tiniest little squeak. That's why Erwin intends to keep him in the kitchen until it's revealing time.
“Be quiet, ok?” Erwin tells him, giving him some of the treats he bought before exiting the room. “When I'm back, I'll have a friend with me. He’s kind to animals, so you don't have to be afraid of him. Just don't bite, please.”
Erwin shuts the door behind himself, then gets busy in the kitchen, making sure not to burn anything.
When Levi gets back, Erwin is already finished making their extravagant meal.
Erwin notices immediately how Levi’s natural scent has changed, and how sluggish he looks. Erwin fights every one of his alpha instincts to run over and take care of Levi. He knows how much it annoys him, but he wants nothing more than to make sure Levi is ok.
“Hey,” Erwin greets.
Levi only gives a slight nod. His eyes focused on the table Erwin is currently setting.
“I’m starving,” Levi says, sitting down at his end of the table.
Erwin happily makes Levi his plate of overly processed garbage. Levi acts as if it is gourmet though, stuffing his mouth and not chewing enough. While it makes Erwin happy to see Levi clearly enjoying himself, Erwin is still vibrating with nerves.
“Slow down, you're gonna choke,” Erwin says, half-playfully and half-serious. Levi only shakes his head, dark fringe swinging about. “Levi-”
A scratching sound at Erwin’s bedroom door snatches Levi’s attention away from sucking up noodles like a vacuum cleaner.
Erwin isn't going to fake shock, or panic, but he does panic when Levi stands up from his seat and takes the chopsticks with him, fully intending to jab the intruder in their eye-sockets.
“W-wait!” Erwin says, following after Levi. “Wait, Levi!”
“Who’s in there?” Levi asks, chopstick in hand, frowning at Erwin before he tries opening the door.
“Just wait!”
But Erwin is too late, Levi already has the door open and he is right in front of it, all big-eyed and curious. The surprise is ruined.
“What’s this?” Levi askes, just staring down at it.
“Your... Gift,” Erwin says, completely defeated. He wanted to drink wine with Levi and put his hands over Levi’s eyes, take them to the bedroom and remove his hands so Levi could see the adorable kitten sitting on his bed, the whole pack.
“Gift? For what?” Levi kneels, not yet touching him.
“I just thought that you've been so stressed lately. You never seem to slow down... I thought this guy might help you relax.”
Erwin steps closer. He is watching Levi’s reaction closely, waiting for him to become angry or disgusted. But he doesn't, on the contrary, Levi looks... Calm.
“You got me a cat?”
Erwin is flushed, he feels it in the way his face warms, scratching the back of his head with a dopey smile on his face. “Yes... It's a Bombay. I thought you might like black cats.”
Levi stays watching the raven kitten flail and meow about, trying to play with him. Eventually, Levi just sits on the floor and lets it run around him and climb on him. Erwin joins him on the floor, and after a few minutes, he breaks the comfortable silence.
“Do you have a name for it?”
Levi looks up from his lap where the kitten has laid down and he briefly meets Erwin’s gaze with an indecipherable expression, then he looks back down to his lap.
“Shit.”
Erwin frowns. “What?”
“He smells like shit, so shit.”
Erwin can't help the laugh that leaves his lips. “Well, that's uh, sweet? I guess. But how about another name?”
“Baby.”
At first, hearing the soft word from Levi’s usually foul mouth makes Erwin’s heart skip a beat until his mind catches on that he is talking about naming his kitten.
“Baby?” Erwin questions, just to make sure he had heard right.
“Yes, Baby,” Levi says, making Erwin’s heart do that thing again.
“That’s a cute name,” Erwin says. “I think Baby fits. He’s small and energetic like a baby.” Erwin compliments, watching Baby fall asleep in Levi’s lap.
“Thank you,” Levi says with a small smile. “I don't know how you were able to afford him, but he's nice I guess.”
Erwin is seriously flushed now. It isn't enough that the omega has been his crush for 4 years, he had to have a completely devastating smile and scent too, making him irresistible.
——
Over the course of three weeks, Erwin notices the changes in Levi. For one, he doesn't work himself to exhaustion to get to sleep anymore because he has Baby to cuddle and comfort him. He is more mindful of eating because he has to feed Baby. And he is overall less high-strung. It makes Erwin so happy.
Now that Levi’s heat has started, Erwin has already prepared for the same routine of going out to buy painkillers, sleep-aids, heating pads, blankets, and ice cream. When he comes home, Levi will be in his bed, his scent will be so strong that Erwin will have to wear a mask and be at the farthest part of their dorm at all times. Levi will be curled up, sweaty, whimpering, and naked underneath mountains of blankets, and snappier than usual. He gets embarrassed, he gets mad that Erwin doesn't have to go through it every month, he eats everything in the dorm, including the emergency food Erwin stocks his personal mini-fridge with.
This time, however, when Erwin comes back with all of the things Levi will need for the week, Levi is laying on the couch in only his sweatpants, a pair of thick socks, and a pillow over his face.
Baby is on his tummy, little paws pressing into Levi’s tummy, and Erwin is lifting the kitten before he can think twice about it.
“No! It's good!” Levi yells. “Please. It feels better.”
Erwin is worried, but he still puts the kitten back onto Levi’s toned, red belly, where his kneading leaves little red marks.
His pheromones are so strong even with Erwin’s mask on, but Erwin decides to stick by his side this time. Just this once.
He wishes he could be as useful as Baby is to him now, he would've been massaging Levi’s tummy for years now if he knew that helped with the pain of heats.
For now, he is just thankful that Baby is with them. Levi also clearly appreciates the kitten, so Erwin will just have to bite back his jealousy. For now.