Fuck Erwin and his fucking impossible to write personality, I can never get it right.
First time writing Kuchel and Kenny, yay!
ANYWAY, an idea I've had for months that I finally got around to writing, not entirely sure I like how this came out? I'm glad its out of the way though so I can focus on getting other fic ideas out of the way, like the fic idea that was inspired by this
~~~KMD~~~
"I think we should get him a dog."
"A dog?"
"Yeah, a dog, you know the furry four-legged animals? They bark?"
"I know what a dog is Kuchel," Kenny sighed, "I just want to know why you want to get one for Levi."
Kuchel folded her arms on the kitchen table and rested her head on them, "I think it would be good for him, I mean, in the year he's been going to school he hasn't made a single friend. Maybe a dog will help bring him out of his shell a little?" A sigh left her lips, "I just don't want him to grow up not knowing what it's like to have friends, we both know what that's like."
"Why don't we get him a cat then? They're less work, and I think he'll appreciate how clean they are." Kenny suggested, placing his hand over hers in a comforting gesture.
"But he doesn't like cats." Kuchel frowned, lifting her head.
"Yeah he does, he's always playing with our father's cat whenever we visit him."
"OK, maybe I want a dog too, but I mainly want it for Levi."
Kenny chuckled, "Maybe, we'll see."
~~~KMD~~~
A few weeks later, they decided they actually would get a dog for Levi. They had the money, the space and time, they could easily look after one until Levi was old enough to take care of it himself.
"How was school?" Kuchel asked when she picked Levi up from school that day.
Levi just shrugged, "It was OK, I guess." He said quietly, his hand tightening slightly on the hem of Kuchel's dress as they walked.
The woman wasn't too worried about his behaviour. Levi had never been one to talk much, and almost always spoke quietly when he did, but it still hurt to see how sad he usually looked, "Did you get any more reward stickers today?" She asked, referring to stickers Levi's teacher gave out to reward students.
"Mmhm." He hummed, and pointed to the small stickers stuck to his shirt, "I got this one for finishing my work first, and I got this for helping the teacher, and I got this for staying calm when the fire alarm went off!" Levi seemed to brighten up when explaining what his stickers were for and Kuchel smiled down at him, then scooped him up into her arms.
"You know, your uncle and I thought that since you've been so good recently we'd get you a present." Kuchel smiled.
Levi's eyes widened and he grinned, "Really? Even though it isn't my birthday or Christmas?"
"Yep!"
The boy wiggled in her arms until she set him down, then Levi grabbed her hand. "Let's go then!"
Kuchel let Levi pull her along until they reached their home, "Before we go in," She started, crouching down in front of her son. "You have to be calm, OK? We don't want to scare your present."
Levi frowned, but he nodded silently, grabbing a hold of Kuchel's dress again as they stepped inside. Kuchel led Levi over to the kitchen, "OK, are you ready to see your present?"
Levi nodded again, hands gripping tighter onto Kuchel's dress and the strap of his bag, slightly nervous at what awaited him on the there side of the kitchen door.
Kuchel opened it to reveal Kenny sitting on the floor, playing with a small German shepherd puppy. The man looked up and smiled when he noticed the pair, "This is your present, Levi." He explained, picking up the small dog and showing it to Levi. "Do you like him?"
The dog barked happily, panting and wagging its tail. It wriggled, trying to get out of Kenny's hold so it could greet the new person.
Levi nodded rapidly as he knelt down and tried to stroke the dog's head, only to have it attack his hand with sloppy licks. Levi giggled, grabbing a rope toy and beginning a game of tug o' war with the puppy.
"He doesn't have a name yet, do you want to name him?" Kenny asked.
"Um," Levi looked down at the puppy, "Um... Eren! I want to name him Eren."
"Eren it is." Kenny smiled, patting the dog, "You're gonna take good care of Eren aren't you, Levi? Feed him, bathe him, take him for walks when you're both a little bigger."
Levi nodded excitedly and hugged the puppy, "Me and Eren and are gonna be good friends, and I'll take extra special care of him!"
"Alright you two, go play in the living room so I can make dinner." Kuchel said, already pulling things out of the cupboard to start cooking.
"OK, mum!"
Not long after, Kuchel entered the living room to tell Levi that dinner was ready, only to find him curled up on the floor with Eren, both of them fast asleep.
~~~KMD~~~
Eren grew quickly, but Levi didn't, and the dog ended up being so much bigger than the boy, which made scenes like this all the more funny. Eren had had an accident inside the house and Levi had started scolding him.
"What did I tell you about pooping on the floor?" A nine year old Levi asked the almost one year old German shepherd.
Eren sat on the floor, ears pinned back and head down.
"Well?" Levi asked.
The dog let out a whine and Levi sighed, "Next time you need to go, you have to ask to go outside, OK? You're too old to be having accidents! If this happens again you won't get any treats for a whole week!"
"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Kuchel asked with a laugh.
Levi frowned at his mother, and stood in place stubbornly for a while, but eventually he crouched down and wrapped his arms around the dogs neck, "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Eren."
Eren let out a bark and moved to lick at Levi's face.
~~~KMD~~~
Levi gripped his bag and fidgeted nervously, the school looked so big, he was definitely going to get lost at least five times before the day was over. "I'm scared," He mumbled, half hoping his mother wouldn't hear him.
"Hey, that's perfectly normal." She smiled, ruffling Levi's hair, "Everybody's scared on the first day of secondary school, but I bet you'll do great and you'll make so many friends!"
He clenched his hands briefly, before kneeling down to hug Eren, "You be good while I'm gone, just like before, OK? I'll tell you everything when I get home."
Eren barked and licked Levi's cheek, before the boy went to hug his mother, "I'll tell you everything too, bye mum."
"Bye, baby." Kuchel hugged Levi tightly, then smooched his cheek.
"Ew, gross, let me go before I'm late!" He pushed the woman away and scrubbed at his cheek, before giving Eren one final pat and entering the school.
~~~KMD~~~
"Can Eren come with me?" Levi asked, looking hopeful as he held onto Eren's collar.
"Not today, there's no one to walk him back." Kuchel laughed, "You're supposed to be a big boy now aren't you, can't you go alone?"
Levi shrugged silently, looking down at his dog. "I guess I'll just go then..."
Somehow, Eren managed to sneak out after Levi had left, and followed the boy all way to school. After watching the boy enter the school, and making sure he was safe, he then walked himself back home before people noticed he was missing. When it was about time for Levi to leave school, Eren again sneaked out and waited for Levi, then walked back home with him.
~~~KMD~~~
"Hey Levi, look! Your boyfriend's here to pick you up again!" Hanji practically screeched.
"Gross, Hanji, he's my dog." Levi growled, watching as Eren waited patiently just outside the school gates. Some students patted the dog's head as they passed, all of them familiar with the way Eren would wait for Levi everyday.
"I wished Mikasa did this!" Hanji cried, "Maybe she doesn't love me as much as she used to, do you think I annoy her?"
"She's probably fed up with your constant screeching, and would rather nap at home while she's got the chance." Levi said as they reached Eren, he crouched down and his hands moved to scratch at Eren's neck.
"It's probably more to do with the fact she doesn't like getting crowded." Hanji said, sticking her tongue out at her friend, "Hey, Erwin! Wouldn't it be cool if Armin came to pick you up everyday too?" The girl grinned up at the tall blonde.
"Probably not, he's only a chihuahua, he'd get trampled by the the stampede of people leaving." Erwin chuckled.
Levi snorted, "So you're just jealous that Eren is better than both of your dogs put together?"
Hanji let out an exaggerated gasp, "How dare you! No dog is better than my little Mikasa, not even Eren!"
"If you say so." Levi hummed, straightening up. "So what's the plan?"
"I was thinking we could go to the park with Eren, Armin and Mikasa, it's been while since they've all seen each other." Erwin said.
"Alright then, let's go!" Hanji grinned, grabbing a hold of Levi and Erwin before she skipped away from the school building.
~~~KMD~~~
Levi only had a few weeks left before the end of school, and in those few weeks he had sixteen different exams to take. Just the thought was starting to stress Levi out, but he stayed calm, worked out a schedule for studying and all that.
He didn't stick to it though, opting to just study as much as possible without taking breaks, instead of the original plan. Luckily Eren was there to force him to take breaks, and make sure he didn't kill himself.
~~~KMD~~~
One week left, and 5 more exams.
Levi wasn't too worried, the other exams had gone pretty well, but that didn't stop his constant studying.
Levi'd had his nose buried in a textbook for a few hours, and he'd planned to keep it there for a few more, but Eren had other ideas. The dog tugged at the sleave of Levi's hoodie until he turned to face him.
"What do you want, dog? I don't have time to play right now." Levi groaned, dragging a hand down his face, "God, I'm tired..." He muttered.
Eren just barked and tugged at Levi's sleeve until the boy eventually got out of his chair and followed the dog.
"OK, we're in the kitchen, what do you want? Food? Treats?" Levi asked tiredly.
Eren ignored Levi and began sniffing at the cupboards. He moved along the floor slowly, sniffing cupboards as he went, eventually he stopped at one and pulled it open with a little difficulty. He poked his head inside and pulled out a small box, then trotted back over to Levi, jumped up on his hind legs, dropped the box onto the counter and used his nose to push it closer to his owner.
"Poptarts? Really? Is this your way of telling me to eat something?"
Eren barked and wagged his tail, and Levi let out a laugh, "Alright, boy, get down then."
Eren took his front paws off the counter and dropped down, then patiently waited for Levi to finish warming up the poptarts and making coffee, before they both went back to their room. 'Their's because Eren never slept anywhere else in the house.
When Levi fell asleep at his desk an hour later, Eren did his best to drape a blanket over him, before curling up around the boy's feet.
~~~KMD~~~
Summer meant Levi and Hanji going to Erwin's almost every other day to use his pool, while Eren, Mikasa and Armin played. It was always fun to watch the tiny chihuahua chase around the shiba inu and German shepherd, when Erwin wasn't worrying about the poor thing hurting himself that is.
Hanji, Erwin and Levi were having a pleasant conversation while floating in the pool, until Eren dived in with his rope toy, quickly followed by Mikasa chasing after him. Armin chased them both up to edge of the pool, then stopped instead of jumping in. He let out a loud whine and Erwin immediately swam over to him, scooping the small dog into his arms and smothering him with kisses.
"Seeing you do that is so weird." Levi grimaced, "Why did you even get a chihuahua anyway? You seem like the kind of person who'd have rottweilers or dobermans."
"I found him actually, in a box in an alley. He was shivering so much and he looked so adorable, I couldn't just leave him there." Erwin explained as he let Armin lick his face. "He's been my little baby ever since." He cooed, holding the small dog close to his chest. "What about you, how did you get Eren? You seem like the kind of person who'd have a terrier or a collie."
"Eren was a gift from my mum and uncle, and they got him from a breeder." Levi answered.
At the sound of his name, Eren came paddling over to his owner, dropping his toy along the way. Mikasa was quick to scoop it up after him.
Eren barked and licked at Levi's face when he reached him, making him laugh as he tried to push Eren away.
"Are you sure Eren isn't your boyfriend? I mean, you never laugh like that when you're just with us, and you never let anyone kiss you like that." Hanji questioned, narrowing her eyes at her friend.
"Dogs are better than people." Levi huffed, "Since we're on the topic of how we got our dogs, then how did you get Mikasa? She's the complete opposite of you."
"She was a Christmas gift from my parents, not sure where they got her from though." Hanji mused, "Hey stop trying to change the subject!"
"You're the one trying to change the subject. Why do you think me and Eren are in a relationship anyway? I'm not the one who's currently making out with their dog." He pointed at Erwin, who was smothering Armin with even more kisses while the dog barked and wagged its tail happily. "That just isn't normal."
Erwin turned his head with a frown, "Excuse you, everyone kisses their dogs."
"No they don't." Levi pointed out, "I don't do that."
"Oh my God, you're such a liar!" Hanji yelled, "I've seen you kiss Eren on the nose when you think no one's looking!"
Levi felt his face heating up and he quickly covered it with his hands, "Whatever."
~~~KMD~~~
"You're getting old aren't you, boy?" Levi said quietly, hand holding Eren's chin as his thumb stroked along the greying fur on his muzzle.
"Levi, can you help me with dinner?" Kuchel called from the kitchen.
Levi stood from the sofa and headed towards the kitchen, Eren following after him as always, not letting arthritis stop him from being with the man.
~~~KMD~~~
"But you're definitely coming tomorrow right?" Hanji asked excitedly.
"For the thousandth time Hanji, yes, I'm coming." Levi sighed in annoyance, but a fond smile crossed his face at his friend's excitement.
"OK, see you there!" Hanji waved and left.
Levi watched her until she turned the corner, before he turned and stepped onto the road. He was stopped before he could take another step, by Eren barking and charging towards him.
"What? Eren, I told you to-!"
Time seem to move in slow motion as a car seemingly came out of nowhere, connecting with Eren's side and throwing the dog to the ground. Levi's heart stopped and his eyes widened, a pool of blood was slowly surrounding Eren's motionless form.
"Eren!" Levi screamed, forcing himself to move, to get to the dog's side. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" It was difficult trying to lift the dog into his arms, since Eren was so much bigger than him, and his whimpers of pain made Levi freeze up. "I'm sorry, Eren, I'm sorry. You're gonna be OK, boy, I'm gonna get you help."
As soon as Eren and Levi were out of the road, whoever was in the car carried on driving. Levi ignored his anger in favour of helping Eren. He opened his mouth to call out for his uncle, but as soon as he did the man came rushing out of the house, heading straight for his car. "I saw what happened, the bloody bastard, people have no respect these days." Kenny unlocked the car and climbed into the driver's seat while Levi climbed into the back.
"W-where's mum?" Levi couldn't keep the tremble out of his voice, not with the sobs threatening to tear out of his throat at any second.
"Shopping, I already called her, she's meeting us at the vet."
Levi just nodded, tightening his grip on Eren ever so slightly, making the dog whine. Levi immediately loosened his grip again with a curse, "Shit, sorry boy." He could feel blood seeping into his jeans and shirt, but he had no idea where it was coming from. He tried to ignore it though, concentrating on comforting Eren, stroking the fur on his neck and scratching behind his ears.
When they arrived, Eren was quickly taken away by two vets to be examined. Levi forced himself to wait in the waiting room, though he desperately wanted to stay with his dog. He got a few odd looks from the other people in the waiting room, most likely because of the bloodstains on his clothes, but he ignored them.
Levi did his best to stay hopeful, telling himself over and over that Eren would fine, he was an old dog at ten years old, but he was strong and he would pull through.
"It'll be alright, Levi." Kenny said reassuringly, placing a comforting arm around Levi's shoulder, occasionally moving it to rub at his nephew's back.
Kuchel had arrived at some point, and pulled her son into a tight hug.
Almost an hour later a vet came out and called out for them, and they followed him to a small room. Eren was laid out on a table, wrapped in various bandages, the shallow rise and fall of his stomach told Levi the dog was still alive, if only barely.
"He has some severe internal injuries, we'll have to operate immediately, but there's a high chance he won't make it. The best option would be to-"
"No!" Levi called out, cutting the vet off, "You can't do that! You can't!" He rushed over to where Eren was laying and lifted a hand to stroke at the dog's cheek, "I don't know what I'd do without him, he's my best friend, he's... there has to be something else you can do! Please!" Levi begged, ignoring the tears that spilled down his cheeks.
"Levi, think about Eren," Kenny said gently, "He must be in a lot of pain right now, do you want to force him to continue going through that just so you can keep him around?"
The younger man shook his head, wrapping his arms around Eren's neck and burying his face in his fur, not bothering to stop the sobs that escaped. Eren let out a long whine and a quiet bark, lifting his head slightly. Levi pulled back slightly and Eren licked the tears from his cheeks, whining as he did so.
"Thank you for being such a good dog," Levi started, "Thank you for always being there for me, for keeping me company when I was lonely, for cheering me up when I was sad, for being my friend. Thank you for helping me get human friends, for taking the blame when I broke something, for protecting me and keeping me safe, for making me laugh and smile when I felt like a couldn't, for taking care of me and looking out for me..." He choked on a sob and buried his face in Eren's fur again, "Thank you for always listening to my problems, for always putting your toys away when I asked, for putting up with my shit, for walking me to school everyday, for waiting for me after school everyday so you could walk me home."
Levi took a deep shaky breath and lifted his head, "He won't feel anything right, it won't hurt him?"
"It'll feel just like falling asleep for him." The vet said softly.
"Can you do it while I'm talking?"
They nodded and Levi carried on. "I love you Eren, so much, I always will, and I'll never forget you. You were the best dog a guy could have, and you'll always be the number one dog in the world, no matter what Hanji or Erwin say." He could feel Eren's breathing begin to slow, and almost broke down again, but he forced himself to keep talking, "I don't know how I could've lived all those years without you, and I don't know how I'll carry on now, but I'll do my best OK? But you promise me that you'll always be a good dog too, no matter what happens."
Eren didn't move or make a sound and Levi just held him tightly and cried until he finally managed to calm himself down.
They buried him later that day in the back garden, and a large stone was placed over the spot that Levi painted Eren's name on. He kept Eren's collar under his pillow and his tag was placed on a chain that Levi never took off.
~~~Fifteen years later~~~
"Levi, get out of this office right now before I physically kick you out."
"Soon, let me finish this report, Erwin."
"When did you start the report?"
"...Just now... alright, I get it, I'm going, sheesh!" Levi sighed, saving the document and switching off his work computer. He picked up a small stack of papers and shoved them into his bag before standing up, "Time to go home, Poppy."
The black and white border collie jumped up from her basket and followed Levi out of the door, where Erwin was waiting.
"You took some work to do at home, didn't you?" The blonde man asked.
"You know me so well," Levi muttered sarcastically, beginning the short walk to the elevator.
Erwin sighed, "You'll work yourself to death someday, then what would your dogs do?"
"They aren't mine, except Poppy, I just foster them." Levi shrugged, "They'd probably just get taken back to the shelter."
"Wow, look how much you care about them." Erwin laughed, "I'll tell them that, they'll all turn on you then."
"Whatever, how's Mike?" Levi asked, pressing the button.
"Still the best husband ever."
"Hmm, you only say that because he breeds chihuahuas, I'll tell him that, him and his pack of chihuahuas will turn on you then." Levi snorted, stepping into the elevator when it arrived, closely followed by Erwin.
"You can't use my own threats against me."
"Well I just did."
The rest of the elevator ride to the ground floor was mostly silent, aside from the panting of Poppy and Noodles, the chihuahua Erwin was carrying in his bag. As soon as the doors opened, they were surrounded by Hanji's English bulldogs, Sonny and Bean.
"I'm so glad you took over the company Erwin! I love bringing my babies to work!" Hanji called, running over to them. "They love it here too!"
Levi snorted, "You should keep them on a leash, it's not good to have them running around the reception area."
"They were, but since we're going home now I thought I'd let them off." The woman pouted.
"That doesn't make any sense, but whatever, I'll see you two tomorrow," Levi waved, and Poppy barked her own goodbye, then they both left the building. He preferred to walk home, with Poppy trotting along at his side, rather than driving, since the office wasn't far.
Levi arrived home to find to find a boy leaning over the short fence around his front garden, playing with the dogs that Levi was currently fostering.
"Weren't you ever taught not to stroke strange dogs?"
The boy jumped and let a loud yelp, which somewhat reminded Levi of a dog, before whipping his head around to face the man.
"Um, sorry, Levi, they just seemed really friendly! And they're so cute, I couldn't help myself," The boy smiled sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.
Alarm bells went off in Levi's head and he frowned, asking slowly, "How do you know my name...?"
"Oh, shit, yeah!" The boy shifted nervously from foot to foot, his gaze on the floor, "Um, OK, this is gonna sound really weird, but just bear with me... Um, I'm your dog. Well, I used to be! But then I, you know... I died..."
Levi glared at the boy harshly, "Look, I don't know who the fuck you are, kid, or how you know this shit about me, but you better fucking leave before I call the Goddamn cops."
The boy's eyes widened, "No, please! I know it's really weird, but please just listen to me! Uh... can I come in...? I promise I'm not some creepy stalker, and I'll leave if you still want me to after I've explained..."
"I want you to leave right now." Levi growled, watching as the boy seemed to sadden at those words, "But..." The boy immediately brightened up, looking at Levi with hopeful eyes, "I believe dogs are incredibly good judges of character, and since all of them seem to love you, I guess I can hear you out."
"Thank you, Levi!" He grinned excitedly, quickly following after Levi into his house.
"Take your shoes off at the door and make yourself at home. Don't let any of the dogs on the sofa, don't excite Mickey either, the Yorkie, because she'll pee herself, if she has an accident tell me, and beware of Titan, the Jack Russell, because he bites a lot, the others aren't really a problem." Levi said, taking his shoes off and heading to the kitchen, Poppy following closely.
"Um, OK."
"Want anything to drink?"
"Coffee, if you have it, please." The boy smiled.
Levi nodded, despite the fact that the boy had already turned his attention to Levi's dogs.
The day for Levi had started off relatively normal, now he had a boy in his living room telling him that he used to be Levi's dog. Levi was almost certain the boy was a creepy stalker, even though he seemed quite sincere.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, carrying on with making the drinks for him and the kid.
When he re-entered the living room, the boy was sat on the floor with Mickey sitting in his lap and Titan nipping at his toes and ankles. Bonnie the black Labrador was lying in front of the boy, soaking up the attention he was giving her, and Barney the German shepherd was acting like he didn't care, napping in his bed away from the small group.
Levi snorted at the scene and placed one of the mugs down on a coaster on the coffee table, then slid it towards the boy. "Use the coaster, I don't want rings on my table."
"Thank you." Eren smiled.
Levi sat in his arm chair and took a sip of his coffee, "So I guess you should start with your name?"
"It's Eren, Eren Jaeger." The boy said, getting to his feet and moved to sit on the sofa again. "Uh, what else do you want to know?"
"How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Right, so you have the same name as my dog and you were born the same year he died?" Levi asked, still not entirely believing the boy, Eren.
"Yeah..." He took a sip of his coffee, "I know it's a really weird concept to grasp, it was for me too, having memories of being a dog and being owned by some short guy, and having no idea where they came from or who he was."
"Oi, watch who you're calling short." Levi growled.
"Sorry." Eren chuckled nervously, leaning back, "You haven't changed much though, actually you do look a lot older and a lot more tired."
"Wow, thanks for the compliment kid," Levi laughed, "How did you even know where I lived? I moved out of my mother and uncle's place not long after you... after Eren died."
Eren shrugged, "I actually have no idea, I got home from school earlier and then I just felt like going for a walk, so I did and I ended up here. I would have left, but then I saw your dogs and kind of forgot about leaving, then you came... I honestly had no idea this place belonged to you, I'm kinda glad it did though, I've been wanting to see you again for so long, I've really missed you..." He sniffed, and Levi noticed small tears in the corners of his eyes.
"I still don't believe you," Levi shook his head, "You need to tell me... you need to tell me something that only Eren, my dog, would know."
Eren sat silently, a look of concentration on his face as he seemed to search for a memory. After a few moments his head shot up and his green eyes locked onto Levi's silver ones.
"When you realized you were gay, you came out to me first. You were terrified to tell Kuchel or Kenny, but you decided to tell your mother on the same night so you could just get it over with. You packed a bag with a change of clothes and some money, and you planned to leave with me if she didn't accept you."
~~~KMD~~~
Levi had realised he was gay a few months ago, now he was faced with the problem of coming out, and he was terrified. What if his mother didn't accept him? Sure, she'd always loved him and cared for him, but she currently thought he was straight. Then there was also his uncle, and the rest of his family, he wasn't sure of their views on homosexuality, but his brain was telling him that they were negative.
He sighed, and sat up swinging his legs over the side of the bed, "Eren, come here, boy."
Eren stood from his place on the floor and moved to sit at Levi's feet.
"I need to tell you something." Levi mumbled, patting his thighs. Eren leaned back and lifted his front paws, placing them on Levi's knees. "Good boy." He smiled softly, moving his hand to stroke the fur at Eren's neck. Coming out to Eren would be easy, he was a dog, he had no idea what sexuality was. Dogs loved their owners unconditionally, just as long as they were nice, and Levi had always been nice to Eren.
"So, um... I'm gay... uh, that means that I like guys, not girls. For humans like me, that's considered abnormal or bad, but it isn't, it's perfectly fine, and I'm still me OK?" Levi explained slowly, looking into Eren's unusually bright green eyes. "Of course that doesn't really mean anything to you or any other dog, does it? You just hump whatever you can get your paws on."
Eren barked and jumped up, moving to lick Levi's face. The boy laughed, wrapping his arms around the dog as he tried to hide his face, "Alright, I get it! I get it, Eren! Stop!"
The dog whined, pushing Levi down and lying on top of him. Eren just stayed, panting in Levi's face, making him grimace at the dog's breath. "Gross get off me, dog." Eren whined but he did as told, moving to lie down next to Levi instead.
Levi sat up and sighed, "Still need to tell mum though, and Kenny, and it won't be as easy as telling you." He clenched his jaw, wondering how he should go about this. It would probably be a good idea to do it now, get it over and done with instead of just prolonging the pain of not knowing.
"I guess... if she and my uncle don't accept me, I could just... leave... I could pack a few things, take you with me... might be able to stay with Hanji or Erwin for a little while..." Levi stood up and moved to grab his school bag, "Yeah, let's do that." He shoved some clothes into the bag, enough to last him a couple days, as well as his wallet. He grabbed Eren's leash and shoved it into the pocket of his jacket, took one last look around the room, decided he had everything he needed and opened his bedroom door, "Alright buddy, let's go."
Kuchel was in the living room, reading a magazine while drinking coffee. The TV was plying some program Levi didn't recognise.
He cleared his throat and Kuchel looked up at him, a small smile appearing on her lips as she saw him, "Hey, Levi, going somewhere?"
"Uh, yeah, kinda, thought I'd take Eren to the park and get some studying done or something." Levi said nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, "Um, actually I wanted to tell you something first..."
Her smile turned to a worried frown, "Come, sit, tell me, is everything OK? Are you alright? You and Kenny didn't do anything illegal did you?"
"What? No, just... just promise you won't be mad? And you'll still like when I finish talking?" Levi asked, hesitantly moving to sit beside his mother. Eren sat at his feet and rested his head in Levi's lap, whining until the boy started to stroke his head.
"I can't promise that if you murdered somebody and buried their body in the back garden." She said sternly.
"Mum, I didn't do anything illegal! I just-... I..." Levi let his gaze drop to Eren as he absentmindedly played with his fur. "I'm gay..." He said, barely above a whisper.
"Wow, I was actually scared there for a second." She laughed and wrapped her arms tightly around her son, "Aw, baby, that's OK, that's fine, I don't mind."
Levi turned in his mother's hold and hugged her back just as tightly, holding back the sobs of relief that threatened to spill out, "Thank you." He choked. "I love you mum, I love you so much right now."
"I love you too, Levi." She smiled, before leaning back, "Does your uncle know?"
"I haven't told him yet."
"Want me to tell him for you?" Kuchel offered.
Levi nodded and stood up, Eren standing with him. "I don't really feel like going out now, I might just stay here."
"OK, Kenny should be home from work soon, I'll talk to him and send him up when I'm done?"
"Yeah, that's OK, bye." Levi smiled and waved, before heading back upstairs to his room.
Well that couldn't have gone better, he still had Kenny to deal with though, and the rest of his family. Also Hanji and Erwin, but he knew they'd accept him immediately, without question.
He hummed, leaning back against the wall, his fingers tangled in Eren's fur as he scratched behind the dog's ears. Eren was laying across his lap, eyes closed and tail swaying softly. He was making Levi's legs go numb with his weight, but it was somehow comforting.
There was a tentative knock at his bedroom door and he heard Kenny call out his name softly.
Levi tensed up slightly, his mind was screaming at him, telling him this would be bad, but he did his best to ignore it. Eren seemed to sense his distress, he got to his paws and began growling in the direction of the door, ready to protect his owner if needed.
"Come in." Levi called, grabbing a hold of Eren's collar and pulling him back slightly.
The door opened and Kenny stepped in, seeming a little taken aback by Eren's aggressive behaviour, but he continued on. He shut the door behind up and slowly moved to sit next to Levi on the bed, making sure not to seem too threatening.
"Eren." Levi said sternly, tugging the dog back, "Sit."
Eren did as told, planting his butt in Levi's lap. The dog calmed down slightly, but he kept his eyes on Kenny, still growling lowly.
"Levi, I... uh..." Kenny sighed, and pulled Levi into a tight hug.
The boy understood what his uncle was trying to say and just nodded, wrapping his arms around the man. "I know." He mumbled, "Thank you."
~~~KMD~~~
Levi had no idea what to say, he never told anyone what he had originally planned that night, the only one's who'd know what was in that bag, were him and his dog. He stared in disbelief, not knowing what to do with the situation any more.
He placed his mug down and buried his face in his hands, the conflicting emotions fighting for dominance was beginning to give him a headache. He was angry, wanted to know why Eren ran out in front of the car, but he was happy that Eren was back and he could see him again. It was so overwhelming.
Levi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, he barely registered the sound of footsteps and jumped when a hand touched his shoulder.
"Sorry." Eren mumbled, "I can leave now, if you want me to? I kinda want to stay though..."
"You can stay if you want..." Levi said quietly, removing his face from his hands, "Just give me a moment, I don't quite know what to feel."
"Alright..." Eren said, sitting back down on the sofa, closer to Levi this time.
"How are you even here, re-incarnation?"
"That's the only thing I could think of, it's what this seems like, but we have no way of knowing." Eren shrugged, picking up his coffee and taking a sip.
Levi nodded and gulped, "Why- Why did you do that? Why didn't you stay in the garden like I told you to? You're such an idiot running out in front of that car like that!" Levi growled, turning to look at the boy.
Eren's eyebrows furrowed in anger, "You're the idiot here! Why didn't you look before trying to cross the road? How did you not even hear the car? If I hadn't barked and ran at you like that, you would've been the one getting hit by a car!" He growled back, hands clenched tightly as he glared at the older man.
"At least I would've lived."
"You don't know that! What if the car didn't stop? Or you hit your head? I didn't want your mother or uncle to have to suffer through losing you, losing me would have been easier."
"But what about me?" Levi cried, "It wasn't easy for me to let you go, I didn't leave my room for weeks. The house felt so empty without you, it was so weird not having you following me everywhere." He could feel the tears slipping down his cheeks and he scrubbed them away angrily, "Having you lick my face to wake me up, begging for scraps whenever I ate something, thinking you were a lapdog and crushing me all the time..."
Eren smiled sadly, "I was getting old anyway, arthritis was making it difficult for me to move. We could exactly go on long walks twice a day like we used to, and getting into bed with you was even more difficult." He leaned over and wrapped his arms around the man, "I appreciate everything you did to make me comfortable, and thank you for choosing to let me go. I know it was hard, but it was a good decision to make." He mumbled into Levi's hair, "You would have had to let me go eventually anyway, dogs don't live forever."
"I know." Levi sighed, leaning into the brunet, "You could've given me time to get used to the idea and prepare myself though."
Eren just hummed, "What's been happening in all this time I've been gone then?"
"I moved out, went to college, started fostering dogs." Levi started, "Erwin started working for this company that makes all kinds of things for dogs, worked there for a year before he took over the whole company. Hanji and I started working for him then, and Erwin allows dogs in the buildings, so there's always dogs running around everywhere. He married a chihuahua breeder named Mike, and he's even taller than Erwin!"
Eren laughed at that and pulled away, "Really?"
"Mmhm, now Erwin is constantly surrounded by at least one hundred chihuahuas, give or take a few. His current favourite is a white one named Noodles." Levi snorted, "Hanji has a boyfriend named Moblit, and they own two English bulldogs named Sonny and Bean."
"So are these all foster dogs then?" Eren asked, looking around the room at all the dogs.
"All except Poppy, I got her five years ago and I couldn't bring myself to let her go. She's about seven years old currently." Levi smiled, reaching out a hand to stroke the collie, "Barney should be going up for adoption soon, I might keep him if he isn't adopted though, he and Poppy have grown quite close. Bonnie might go up for adoption soon too, she's been doing pretty well lately, though I think Petra at the shelter will take her home before anyone else has the chance."
"You really like dogs don't you?" Eren asked with a laugh, "I can see how much you care about them, it kinda makes me proud."
Levi huffed out a small laugh, turning to face the boy, "That's all I've ever wanted to do, to make my old dog proud of me."
Eren laughed and grinned at the man, and their eyes connected for a brief moment. Their lips connected a second later, Eren's hands moving to fist themselves in Levi's silky, black hair.
Levi forgot where he was the moment those soft lips touched his. His hands moved to grip Eren's hips and he pulled the boy into his lap, as their lips moved together. He quickly snapped back to reality though when Eren let out a soft moan and rolled his hips against Levi's.
The man broke the kiss with a curse and pushed the boy off of him, "Eren, no, we can't do this."
"Wait, Levi, I-"
"No, don't, just- get out." Levi hissed, "Now. Please."
Eren left without another word, the front door slamming closed behind him.
Levi let out a sigh and stood, picking up the mugs as he did so. Neither of them had finished their coffee. He felt tired all of a sudden, so he emptied the cups and headed straight for his bedroom.
~~~KMD~~~
Levi didn't see Eren for a few months after that, which he was thankful for. That kiss weighed heavily on his mind, he didn't know what to thinking about it. On one hand, it felt kinda nice, right even, but on the other, Eren was still just a kid, it would be considered wrong by everyone else. There was also the fact that Eren used to be Levi's dog, and the thought only made the situation more weird.
Letting a sigh, he made sure none of the dogs' leashes were tangled before he set off. Usually he had someone help him walk the dogs, since he usually had around five of them, and it would be difficult by himself. As luck would have it, anyone that could help him that day was busy, so he'd have to look after six dogs all by himself, but as fate would have, he bumped into Eren five minutes after leaving his house.
"Oh, hey! It's uh, it's been a while!" Eren said, a nervous smile on his face, "How are you doing...?"
"I'm alright..." Levi said slowly, eyeing Eren.
The boy didn't meet Levi's eyes, choosing to stare at the dogs instead. He noticed that Barney and Bonnie were no longer there, instead there was a standard poodle, a husky and a pitbull.
"Um, so I take it the other two were adopted?"
A simple 'Mmhm' was his only reply before Levi started walking again.
"Wait!" Eren grabbed a hold of Levi's coat, "I- I guess I should apologise... I didn't mean to... do what I did, I wasn't thinking, so... I'm sorry..."
Levi sighed, then asked slightly apprehensively, "So... do you like me...?"
"Yeah, I like you, but- but not like that... I mean, that kiss was nice, I liked it but, I think I'd rather be friends...? For now at least, and then uh, be something more later? Maybe, if you want, I don't know-"
"Take these." Levi said, offering three of the leashes to Eren.
"Um, what?" Eren arched an eyebrow at the brow in confusion.
"My friends usually help me walk the dogs, but since everyone's busy today, you can help. If you don't have anywhere to be that is?"
"No, it is Saturday after all!" Eren grinned, taking the leashes, happy that Levi had just called him a friend, "Though I will be busy with Mikasa and Armin tomorrow..."
"Mikasa and Armin?" Levi asked as they started walking to no where in particular, "As in, the dogs that Hanji and Erwin used to have?"
"Yep, the very same! Mikasa is my adopted sister and Armin's just our friend, they're both twelve." Eren explained, "They actually really want to meet Erwin and Hanji again, but I don't really know how that'll happen?"
"We'll figure something out." Levi said with a shrug.
Eren just nodded and they carried walking, ending up at the park around forty minutes later. The more well trained dogs were let off their leashes to run around, while the others had their leashes tied to the bench the pair had decided to sit on.
They were surprised by how well their conversation was going, they could've talked for ours, but it was starting to get late and they had to leave. The walk back to Levi's was made in comfortable silence, and they said their goodbyes at the gate.
"This was really fun." Eren smiled, "I'd love to do it again sometime? With you would be nice, but I don't think I'd mind just walking your dogs for you."
Levi let a soft laugh and reached up a hand to ruffle Eren's hair, "We'll see, it could some helpful work experience for you, and some time to myself would be amazing."
"Then its settled! I'll come over every Saturday and walk them for you!" The boy grinned.
The shorter man smiled fondly and waved, "See you next week then."
~~~KMD~~~
"Are you sure you don't want me to start paying you?"
"For the thousandth time, Levi, no!" Eren laughed, "I told you I love doing this, especially if it gives you break from the stress of looking after a pack of dogs."
Levi snorted, "You're a real lifesaver, you know that? All three of you are, really."
Armin grinned up at Levi, and Mikasa nodded at him.
Just like he said, Eren had started coming over every week to walk the dogs. At some point along the way, Armin and Mikasa had started joining him, and the duo feel in love with Levi's dogs within seconds of meeting them.
"Alright, we'll see you later." Eren smiled, "And maybe you'll make us all hot chocolate when we get back?"
"We'll see how I feel when you get back, now be safe, and don't forget to pick up their poop!" Levi chuckled, shooing the trio out of the door.
~~~KMD~~~
"Levi! Your adorable little dog is here to pick you up!"
"Gross, Hanji, I'm not married to a dog."
~~~KMD~~~
Eh, I think this fic is kinda weird, what do you think of it though?
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