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You had just finished making yourself dinner when you first heard the scratching at the front door, barely audible over the thunder and downpour from the raging storm outside. Levi was caught up at the headquarters, so you cautiously cracked the door, careful not to let any rain in as you greeted whatever was there.
You yelped as you felt the thing fly through the bottom of your skirt and into the house, it’s little scratches and thumps bouncing around the room as it ran in. You close the door tightly behind you, thinking whatever it was was probably scared half to death from the startling lightning. It’s obvious it was an animal of some sort, as you felt it’s matted, sopping fur when it brushed it against your leg.
“Hello?” You softly called. “What are you, little thing?”
Careful not to bump into more furniture and further frighten the creature, you slowly crept around the kitchen and sitting room, calling and whispering. It was when you wandered by the piano when you heard the sound of soft lapping under it— The thing was licking itself dry.
“Excuse me,” You slowly come to a squat before it. “Are you scared? How can I help you?”
The creature made no effort to respond in any way. You sat there for a while before realizing that it wasn’t going to come out any time soon, and you should just go about the rest of your evening until Levi came home and dealt with it. It wasn’t causing any trouble anyways, just a little trail of water where it scampered through the house.
You’re about to take the first bite of dinner when you consider how rude it would be not to serve the thing before yourself— It was a guest, after all. So you picked out a few bites of meat from your dish and poured some water in a small bowl to set on the floor. It wasn’t until you finished eating dinner when you heard it’s paws slowly, quietly pad over to investigate the food. You listened intently, hearing it sniff, lick, and eventually start to chew.
To say you were delighted was an understatement. But in fear of scaring the thing off, you stayed in your chair, paying close attention to how much it ate and drank. When it finished, you felt it cautiously approach your legs. You sat perfectly still as it probed the hem of your skirt and the laces of your shoes— And then you heard it.
Purring .
+++++++++++++++
Levi returned home around nine or ten, sighing as he closed the front door and shrugged his cloak and boots off. You were in the sitting room by then, the cat now dry as it very warily sat on your lap, ready to run at any moment. You didn’t dare touch or pet it, but let it explore as it wanted to since it was the one who was brave enough to hop onto you first. You felt it tense at the sound of Levi coming into the room, but it didn’t waver.
“What is that?” He asked pointedly.
“I’m so happy you’re home—” You whispered, giddy and grinning.
“— What is that? ”
“Well it’s a cat, of course,” You paused for a moment, suddenly unsure from Levi’s hesitant reaction. “…Right?”
“Yes, it’s a fucking cat. Why is it in here? Where did you find it?”
“It found me,” You smiled, trying to contain your excitement in a quiet voice. “It was scratching at the door and just ran right in when I went to see what it was. The poor thing was terrified of the storm.”
“Did you feed it?”
“Of course! It ate all the beef I gave it, it must’ve been starving.”
“Great. Now put it back out.”
You frowned. “… Well … I thought maybe we could…”
Levi immediately thought of it’s inevitable death or disappearance. He thought of how he’d have to listen to your sobs or even be the one to bury the thing, just like all the other Scouts he’s had to tend to before. He’s already made up his mind— everything in Levi’s care dies, and therefore, wasn’t going to willingly allow another one be added to the list, human or cat.
“Absolutely not. Cats are dirty and stubborn. We are not keeping that thing.”
“Please, Levi?” You whispered. “It obviously needs a home.”
“No,” Levi approached you, but stopped once the unmoving cat bared its teeth and let out an evil hiss. “This damn thing— Pick it up and we’ll take it outside.”
“Levi, please!” You pouted. “We should wait until it’s stopped storming, it was shivering and cold when it ran in. It’s the least when can do.”
He stared at you in disbelief, then moved to the cat. The two glared at each other, ready to pounce on the other at any moment.
“ Fine . But it stays downstairs until then.”
+++++++++++++++
Well… it’s been a week since then.
Levi either refused the acknowledge it or shooed it out of the room. Most of the time, it didn’t listen, or simply ignored him and continued to purr over your lap. The stupid thing followed you everywhere.
You learned that it was a boy kitty, and Levi told you that he’s all black with a faint scar across the side of his face, and that the very tip of an ear is missing. Now that the cat has realized who his friend is, he let you gently feel over them as you smothered him with little scratches and kisses whenever you wanted.
“What should we name him, Levi?” You asked one day as the cat lay on your lap, sprawled out on its back while you patted its belly, now full and round from all the delicious treats you constantly fed it.
“We’re not.”
“It can’t be ‘shithead’ or ‘motherfucker’, so don’t even recommend it,” You continued, thinking of all the times you heard Levi do so.
“—You little shithead, get off the table!”
“—Don’t you dare try to scratch me, motherfucker—”
“—Dumb shithead! Get back over here and finish your dinner! We don’t waste food in this house, motherfucker—”
“I think the most suitable answer is to kick it out,” Levi scoffed.
“He’s not an ‘it’, Levi. He’s a man , just like you,” You lowered your head to the cat with a smile and a sweet, light voice. “Isn’t that right, kitty? You’re a big strong man, just like your papa!”
“I am not that thing’s father.”
“Well… If I’m his mother, then what does that make you?” You asked curiously. “You’re definitely not his friend, he’s made that very obvious…”
Levi scoffed again at that, frowning as he watched the brat accept your love with constant purring. Every since that thing came around, all your attention is on him . Even when you eat dinner, you talk to the cat directly instead of Levi. He doesn’t get any thanks for listening to you play piano anymore, because the damned creature is already on top of the piano lid, purring at the vibrations and music as it quietly urges you to keep going.
“I think his name should be… Scout.”
Levi looked back up to see you already smiling toward him. “… Scout? ”
“I think it’s fitting, don’t you?” You gushed. “He’s obviously a brave soldier just like you, Levi. With all his little battle scars, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s courageously fought off a Titan, too!”
Levi couldn’t even answer at first. He felt his heart ache and his eyes soften after your obliviously sweet words. Is that really how you thought of him? Brave and courageous? Still soft and lovable with all the knicks and scars?
“Levi?” You unknowingly blinked up at him. “What do you think?
“…It’s fine.”
+++++++++++++++
Levi and Scout were each others’ biggest enemies.
The two were constantly bickering at each other, much to your dismay. And you were always defending Scout, much to Levi’s dismay.
“ You probably scared him, Levi. You should apologize, ” You’d frown when he scolded Scout for trying to claw at his ankles when he walked by.
“ You shouldn’t yell so loud when he’s up on the table. He probably didn’t have anyone to teach him better… ” You’d pout when Levi would call him names across the kitchen.
“ Levi! Be gentle with the sweet boy. You would probably hiss if a Titan threw you around like that, too! ” You’d chide when you heard Scout screech as Levi would toss him off his work papers. Levi would never hurt the little cat, of course. The tough little stray could handle the light roughhousing with no problem, he’d just act dramatic about it for your attention and pity— And both Levi and Scout knew it.
But Levi couldn’t deny that the bastard made you happy, and far less lonely. He’d watch you work in the garden, knees in the soft dirt as you’d pluck weeds and sing to Scout as he scampered around looking for mice and bugs, somehow knowing not to dig up your precious flowers and vegetables. Levi noticed that you complained less about not sleeping well enough, realizing that Scout’s vibrating weight on your chest and stomach helped ease your mind when you laid down for the night.
The shithead kept you company, something Levi worried about every day without fail. He even overheard a conversation between the two of you one day as he came home. He stalled outside the front door, listening to you ask Scout about what you should make for dinner and gossip about the affair going on down the street.
The damn stray would even meow back sometimes, responding to the especially excited comments you made, even though the dumbass probably thought you were talking about food.
“But listen to this, Scout— Mrs. Garcia is still married! To the man who owns the inn a few blocks over! Can you believe it?!”
“…Meow…”
“Right?! So scandalous!”
So Levi kept his mouth shut, no matter how much he despised the furry brat and wanted him gone. He started to impatiently swipe away any black hairs left on his cloak instead of snapping at him with a sharp tone, and Scout learned to hop off the table as soon as Levi would glare instead of releasing his claws.
The two black-haired, stubborn, and scarred boys silently agreed to mostly leave each other alone, quietly fighting for your attention behind your bleary vision with glares and sneers instead of cussing and hisses, even if they hated each other just as much as they did that first rainy night.
+++++++++++++++
That silent, hateful agreement is what left Levi so confused when his heart dropped upon seeing your frantic tears and every piece of furniture in the house turned over after returning home from work one day. It was another late, stormy night where the rain rattled the windowpanes and the thunder shook the house.
“H-He’s gone , Levi!” You bawled, tears streaming over your splotchy cheeks as you clutched onto Levi’s cloak as soon as he stepped through the door. “I-I can’t find him anywhere! I’ve looked and looked—”
“Calm down,” Levi placed his hands over yours. “He’s a cat, he’s probably just napping in some corner.”
“He’s not, I know he’s not. Scout always comes when I call, and I-I’ve been calling for an hour!” You choked out a sob and lowered your head into his chest. “Oh God, Levi! He’s p-probably already dead—”
“—He is not dead,” Levi was quick to shut down your wretched thoughts. “If he’s not in the house, he probably got outside. Do you know where he was last?”
“He was s-sleeping on the piano while I practiced…” You blubbered. “I heard his snoring when I got up to make dinner, but when I fixed h-his bowl for him… he didn’t come when I called. I’ve been l-looking for him ever since…”
Levi sighed and ventured into the sitting room to investigate. You clutched onto the back of his cloak, following him like the lost cat himself as you sniffled and sobbed. He immediately spotted window above the piano, cracked open to let in the cool, fresh air of the storm.
“The window’s open,” Levi reported. “He probably didn’t know any better and jumped out when he got spooked by the thunder.”
“Of course…” You hiccuped. “I should’ve known better… I should’ve taken him upstairs to cuddle so he wouldn’t be so scared!”
“He’ll just crawl back here tomorrow when he’s hungry.”
You blinked a few times before looking to Levi with a helpless pout. “B-But you’re… you’re going to go look for him, right ?”
He glanced at the window, which was being pounded with loud, angry raindrops. “…You mean, right now?”
“Of course, Levi! Scout is probably so scared right now, waiting for you to come and save him!”
There was a pause, long enough for you to hear him exhale slowly through his nose, the way he always did when he had to put up with something he’d rather not be bothered with. But… Levi could never ignore the way your watery eyes and flushed cheeks always affected him.
“ Right… ”
+++++++++++++++
The dark, stony streets were a maze of puddles and twigs, and every alley looked frustratingly identical under the lamp Levi wielded, which was dangerously close to being put out from the pelting rain. His black hair stuck to his forehead, his clothes were uncomfortably heavy and cold, but he miserably pressed on through the city.
“Stupid shithead…” He grumbled to himself, scanning every dark corner he came across. “She’s losing her damn mind and you’re probably out here just playing in the rain…”
His chest would tighten at every shadow and overturned crate, hoping he’d finally found the thing— Not because he wanted to save the cat, of course… But because he wanted to go home and slip into his warm, dry sheets after the exhausting day he’d already had. Being out in this weather was the absolute last place Levi wanted to be, but a small part of him wanted to be the your hero that saved the day.
Nevertheless, Levi was not afraid of getting a little wet, and he was determined to bring the bastard stray home. He had left so many things behind before — Bodies, horses, supplies, even human lives… the list goes on.
It had been well over an hour of trudging through the streets, and he even considered turning around and claiming the cat was forever gone for a split second— But not this time. ‘Humanity’s Strongest Soldier’ be damned, he was going to find the meowing motherfucker, and he wasn’t about to let a dumb cat get away from him easier than deadly Titan.
You loved the stupid thing, and Levi wouldn’t be the one to return home without him and have to wipe away more of your dreaded tears. The cat was the one thing that helped comfort you when he couldn’t be there for you himself, and there's no way in hell he’d come home from his little expedition without it.
Levi was about to fasten up his ODM gear to quicken the process when he finally found the wretched animal huddled under a broken awning— Soaked, shivering, and meowing pathetically.
“You little bastard…” Levi rasped with a tight throat, kneeling down to scoop him up. He expected him to claw at his hand and flee, but Scout accepted Levi’s touch with a pitiful whimper. His fingers trembled as he held Scout to his chest under the cloak. He couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the nerves and relief, but convinced himself that he didn’t care enough to figure it out.
Scout soon began to purr against Levi’s pounding heart, which gave him a confusing sense of relief, and the two of them warmed each other for the entire trek home.
+++++++++++++++
“Levi?!”
You hurried to the front door as soon as you heard it open. Levi and Scout stood with their black hair soaked to the bone, shivering from the cold and dripping a mess onto the floor.
“Did you find him?” You asked, your eyes still watery, tired, and full of hope.
“Come here,” Levi said softly, grabbing your hand and leading it to the ball of fur in his arms when you approached. He guided your fingers as they blindly scoured over Scout, brushing over his drenched fur, feeling for the familiar scars on his face and ear. Levi watched closely as your breath hitched and a relieved smile spread over your face. He helped move the purring, quivering cat into your arms.
“Thank you so much, Levi,” You whispered. You wrapped a delicate arm around Levi’s neck, not caring one bit about his drenched clothing, and pulled him in for a tight embrace. He froze when he felt your warm lips on his cold, wet cheek, while a fiery blush exploded over his face and down his neck at your gesture of gratitude. You pulled away with your own cheeks flushed around the sweetest smile as you looked to him. “Scout thanks you, too…”
“I…” He swallowed hard. “It’s fine— Not a big deal.”
Scout let the two of you dry him off with a soft towel, even accepting Levi’s care after he changed into a dry set of clothes. Poor Levi couldn’t help but keep touching the spot you kissed earlier as you tended to the kitty, feeling that same warmth every time he did despite his body still being goosebumped from the cold. Scout nudged against his calloused hand, asking for more scratches while ignoring yours.
“You were gone for so long,” You noted quietly. “I was so worried about you…”
“It’s just some rain,” Levi said, still a bit flustered underneath his low, neutral voice.
“You’ll surely wake up with a cold tomorrow.”
“I doubt it,” Levi tsked.
“Don’t worry, Levi,” You lifted Scout back into your arms, now dry and swaddled like a baby in the warm towel, and placed a honeyed kiss on his forehead— Oh , how Levi wished that was him again. “I’ll make you tea just the way you like it, and Scout will keep you warm until you feel better.”
Levi stayed quiet for a moment, watching the scene before him and feeling his heart skip a beat. He began to think that he loved the way you loved. He was mesmerized by the gentleness of your soft hands, the way you handled the bundle so gingerly. Levi realized that it would be his turn soon, when he inevitably wakes up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.
Those soft, gentle hands would steep his beloved black tea. And when he returns from work that next evening after waving off your protests to stay home in the morning, he’ll let them gingerly help shrug his old cloak off. If Levi’s lucky, it’s possible you’ll put another sweet kiss on his cheek out of pity, if he sneezes loudly enough…
…All thanks to that damned cat.
Maybe… just maybe … Levi was beginning to think that Scout wasn’t so bastardly after all.