Pairing: Erwin/Levi
Notes: Betaed by lunarshores - thank you so much! Originally written for a kink meme fill.
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The cat looks half-diseased and hisses angrily as Erwin passes. He pays no mind at first, though he knows it isn't a feral cat at all, but then he notices that the cat is watching him with more than warning in its eyes. He knows communicating with another person's dæmon is wrong, especially down in the slums, but Erwin can't help smiling at the cat, drawing a louder hiss from it and a minute growl in return from his side.
He looks down at his own dæmon, patting her head gently. She relaxes slightly, though the flash of her white teeth glint in the darkness. The cat has her on edge, and Erwin can't blame her. She didn't want to go to the slums in the first place but couldn't do anything to stop Erwin.
"Ardis," Erwin says gently, and the large dog huffs to herself, trotting off ahead of him. They came here for a reason, after all, and she understand what she needs to do.
The cat follows them for a while, but it appears to grow bored. Erwin smiles to himself, knowing that he'll see the cat again even if it leaves them for another pursuit. It's become somewhat of a ritual when he comes to the slums, though perhaps the cat knows the reason too.
No. The cat definitely knows why Erwin comes to the slums.
"Just talk to the boy and get this over and done with," Ardis says, annoyance clear in her tone. Unlike Erwin, Ardis isn't one to tone down her irritation. She isn't short tempered by any stretch (she has to sit through the same meetings as Erwin, after all), but she won't put up with shit if she doesn't have to. Erwin respects that, for it's something he simply cannot do.
"These things take time," Erwin murmurs in reply, stepping out of the alleyway and heading for the nearby tavern. It is a seedy place, gritty and full of people that match the aesthetic, but it's where he will be.
Erwin had stumbled upon the boy (as Ardis liked to call him) a few weeks ago. He has a price on his head – a rare feat for a slum dweller – but that wasisn'tn't what had caught Erwin's eye. The boy is sharp, the kind of sharp that exceeds the need to survive in the slums. He is clever, and Erwin sees potential. Great potential.
Ardis had said he smelt nice too, and if that isn't a mystery enough for someone down in the slums then Erwin isn't sure what was.
His team are on leave for the moment, and Erwin has spent every night so far in the slums, coming to this very tavern and watching. The first night had been an experiment, a chance to see what humanity had stooped to far away from the safety of 'civilised society'. The brass have been giving him knowing looks, and the commander has been requesting his presence more and more often recently. Erwin isn't an idiot, and while he had never entered the Legion wanting to front it, he can only see potential and ways to better things if he is given the title of commander.
So he wants to understand the people more. He wants to understand who would really benefit. Not the people with the money, not the ones sitting at home doing nothing and certainly not the king, but the people who work the land until their hands bleed, the people who half-freeze in the winter, and the people who have nothing to turn to but the slums and scraps. They were the ones that need help, and Erwin wants to provide that help
"It stinks," Ardis says as Erwin pushes the door open. She flattens her ears and bristles her tail, muzzle tightening as she prepares to see off anyone who dares to overstep their boundary. Erwin isn't flaunting their position in the legion, but the people here can probably guess. Not many people have a white German shepherd for a dæmon, after all.
"A pint," Erwin says to the barkeep. The man's dæmon blinks at them from the man's beard, round eyes peering out. Ardis tracks the mouse for a moment before losing interest and sitting down at Erwin's feet.
Erwin won't say he is relaxed, but there isn't any pressure here. He isn't anyone here, and perhaps that is why it is easier for him to settle in. A few people start singing bawdily, drinks raised high as others slap cards onto a mucky table. Erwin takes a sip of his beer and nods to himself. It's unrefined and hearty, just the kind Erwin loves. The kind that you can only find out here.
(And on that note, he doesn't want to know what they put in it. Erwin's put a lot of unsavoury things into his body before and he learnt long ago that it is better not to ask what you were eating or drinking sometimes.)
He sits for a while, listening to the people around the room. Despite living in squalor, they are content with what they have. The people living in higher classes could learn something from these people, Erwin thinks.
"That cat's here," Ardis says, lip curling to show off her teeth. Her eyes are focused on something in the shadows and Erwin follows her gaze.
"As is its human," Erwin says softly, soothing Ardis a little by scratching behind her ear. It's not entirely fair for him to bring her here, she's out of her comfort zone and unable to do anything about it. At least when they fight titans, she can do something.
Nothing changes, and Erwin decides that it's finally time they return. His team have been wondering where he's been the past week, and Erwin knows he can't give them a proper reason. Not one they'll understand anyway, for what do the poor have to teach?
Ardis is already standing before Erwin sets his empty tankard down. She stalks forward, all muscle and sinew and years of fighting for humanity, but stops in her tracks as the black cat crosses her path. Instantly, she is on edge and it's all Erwin can do to stop her attacking the dæmon before them. He places a hand on her neck, stooping slightly, and gently pushes her outside.
"Who are you?" a deep voice asks. Erwin turns to see the cat jump onto the shoulders of a man. Of the boy.
"Erwin Smith," Erwin replies honestly. He doesn't bother to ask in reply. He's not from this world, so he's exempt from the rules, but down here you only took, not ask.
"Keep your fucking dæmon away from mine," he says, and Erwin raises an eyebrow. There is such intensity in the words that he only just keeps from licking his lips. Ardis perks up her ears, tongue lolling from her mouth as she pants, excitement brimming under her skin.
"You're very interesting," Erwin says, planting the seeds. He knew it the moment he saw him that this street dweller wanted more, craved more, and would never find it in the slums.
"Careful or I'll think you're some fucked-up pervert," the man replies, and Ardis growls in warning. She's protective, she needs to be, but there is no call for it now. The words are empty, Erwin knows that much for sure, and the man is no threat.
"I'm from the scouting legion," Erwin says with a smile, turning to walk away. "So you were half-right. I'm not a pervert."
Ardis is on his heels as they leave the slums, and Erwin knows that it won't be long before he sees the man again. He has the look in his eyes that Erwin has been searching for, a look of a man who can overcome anything.
Anyone might have been able to see it if they had looked, but so few people care about the slums that they'd all missed this opportunity. Still, if it means Erwin can keep this gem to himself for a little while longer then so be it.
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Levi doesn't think about the giant dickhead's words for a while. He doesn't have time to, not really. He returns to his home (room, really) and wrinkles his nose. It smells like something has died in here while he's been gone, and he shoots a glare towards the sheepish looking cat beside him.
"I didn't eat the rat," Kiva says innocently. "I just killed it and left it while you were away."
Levi sighs and sends Kiva to take the dead rat out. She leaves, and he feels the uncomfortable tug in his chest twinge uncomfortably. He doesn't like taking her out with him, and so they trained, day after day, to lengthen the bond between them. The slums are a dangerous place, and Levi has many enemies who would like for nothing better than to hurt his dæmon. Levi knows he can protect himself, but he could never bear for Kiva to be harmed.
"There," Kiva says, jumping onto Levi's shoulders and wrapping herself around his neck. "No more rats."
"Get off, you're disgusting," Levi says but makes no effort to remove his dæmon. She's usually as clean as he is, but when they roam the streets, certain precautions have to be made.
"Do we have enough?" Kiva says, and Levi looks at her as she jumps onto the counter. It's the only counter in the room and holds a sink at the end. Other than a desk, a mattress sits on the floor and that's it for Levi's house. It's not like he's here that much, but he's managed to do well with what he has.
"We never have enough," Levi replies under his breath. Kiva's ears dip down as her head sinks. She looks to the window – the best way to describe the hole in the wall.
"I should have kept that rat," she says longingly, and Levi leaves it at that.
It isn't until after dinner, a meagre helping of watered down-watery stew they've been living off for too many days, that Levi lies on the mattress and thinks about the clean-cut man who has been watching them for over a week.
"They say he's going places in the scouting legion," Kiva purrs as she curls up on his lap. She's the only one Levi has ever let be so close, and he doubts he'll ever find anyone he'll trust to extend that privilege. Not that he wants it.
"I don't care," Levi says, poking a finger into Kiva's ribs. She swats his hand away and glares at him.
"You do though. You asked me to keep an eye on him and tell you if he came back. Something about him caught your eye," she persists, and Levi sighs, scratching her behind the ear. She is right; Kiva knows that as well, but he's not about to admit what he's been thinking easily.
"Do you want to join the scouting legion?" Kiva asks quietly, though she already knows the answer.
No one wants to live in the slums forever. Naïve residents dream of someone coming to whisk them away, and other, more proactive, people go to find jobs, no matter what. Some end up in prostitution while others end up on farms. Only the desperate consider joining the scouting legion, and even then, it is almost unheard of for any to pass through training.
Still, Levi craves something more. Not farm labour or selling his body. Not pickpocketing or stealing (though he has to do that to survive). He craves a challenge, he craves escaping these dirty, squalid places, and he craves living for himself.
Everyone's thought of joining the scouting legion. Even if they pass it off a millisecond later, everyone has. But Levi knows he has the skill to do it; there's never been anything he couldn't do.
"What was he doing down here anyway," Lei murmurs, rolling over. He's careful not to disturb Kiva, and she rolls over slightly, onto the bed.
"Maybe he really likes the beer," she says sarcastically, and Levi rolls his eyes. Members of the scouting legion didn't just walk into shitty taverns for the beer. Erwin Smith wanted something, something specific.
They sleep fitfully, as always, and Levi leaves before the sun rises. Unlike certain members of the scouting legion, he has to steal to eat. He's lucky Kiva can stray so far from him, and while it aches, it's better than starving to death.
There's a jolt of fear in his connection with his dæmon, and Levi abandons the mark he's been watching for a while to run to Kiva. She's in trouble and needs him. No one hurts his Kiva.
A heavy set mongrel and a wolf – an unusual sight for sure – have Kiva cornered between them. She looks worn out, as if they've chased her, and Levi hangs back for a mere second before he registers the people with the animals.
"We know you're his dæmon ," one of them says, his cloak fluttering in the wind. Military police, ones who hunt in the slums when they're bored. Too scared to hunt titans, but they'd happily pick off fellow humans for a penny or two.
Levi is clever and so is Kiva. They've outsmarted plenty of officers before, but these two look different. They're dangerous, especially the one with the mongrel. Levi isn't sure if they're after the money or his actual head and steps out of the shadows slowly. He's escaped imprisonment plenty of times before, and it's sometimes easier to be caught than to waste energy shaking people off.
Plus prisons come with food and they are down to their last few dregs of stew.
"Kiva," he calls, authoritative and back straight. His eyes level with the military police, voice dangerously low. "Leave my dæmon alone."
If he doesn't resist, they can't 'accidentally' kill him. The wolf dæmon comes close, growling in his face, but Levi doesn't move an inch. The mongrel's human fires a net at Kiva and it's all Levi can do not to run to her, take her in his arms and kill the people who have trapped her.
He doesn't move though. To move is to allow the men to do something terrible to Kiva. Tonight they'll have a hot meal, and then they'll slip out, simple as that.
They do, at least, allow Levi to hold his dæmon . The wolf slobbers on the floor behind him as they walk towards one of the imprisonment facilities, one Levi's been in before. Perfect.
They're released into the cell and a bored looking officer reads Levi his rights – rights that don't actually apply once the officer leaves the cell – and serves him a bowl of gloopy something. It's decent enough, and Levi wolfs it down with Kiva.
"I'm sorry," Kiva says softly, as if this whole thing is her fault.
Levi smiles slightly. "We could have dealt with them if we'd wanted to. They've fed us, and we'll be able to get out of here soon."
Kiva relaxes and they doze for a bit. In here they're safe from the streets, safe from the threat of thievery (though they'd have to be pretty fucking insane to pick on Levi) and safe from hunger. Sometimes a tactical capture is the only way.
Suddenly, Kiva shoots upwards and hisses at the bars. Instantly Levi is aware, eyes narrowing as a white dog enters the space outside his cell. She doesn't seem to be targeting them and turns to a hissing Kiva. Instantaneously, the dog drops into a defensive stance, and Levi watches carefully. Here is an animal that has been trained to fight titans, a dæmon that won't hesitate to kill if the need arose – one who probably would kill.
And yet a dæmon who was almost unfathomably rattled by his Kiva.
"Ardis," a deep voice says gently, and Levi glares out at the man beside his dæmon . "We were asked to leave his dæmon alone. Besides, we're not here for that." Erwin has the gall to smile as they pass, heading for the office at the end of the corridor.
Whatever Erwin's here for, Kiva won't relax. Her fur is bristled, tail twitching in agitation, and Levi knows that they have to go now before things get too perilous. His dæmon is the most important thing to Levi, and it hurts to see her this way.
Getting out of the prison is easy. The military police forgot to check him all over, and Levi sneaks out tools he uses to pick the lock with. He's small and knows how to keep quiet and so sneaks past guards and staff, waltzing through the front door as if he's simply been there for a social call.
"I want to watch him," Kiva says suddenly. She's frozen in place in the middle of the path, head turned back to the building they've just escaped. "I know you want to too Levi, please-"
It doesn't matter what Levi wants. He isn't going to go to Erwin and beg him to help. Regardless of what he and Kiva have thought of, people from the slums just don't get into the scouting legion.
Levi can't deny Kiva though. He crouches in the shadows of an alleyway, making sure they have perfect view of the front door, and brings the cat onto his lap. She purrs quietly before stilling as a handful of people run from the building.
"They finally noticed that we'd escaped," Levi says quietly.
And then Erwin exits the building. He has a folder tucked under an arm, and his dog has her neck stretched out, taking giant strides to match her beast of a human.
Levi settles Kiva around his neck and instructs her to hold on. They've done this a few times before, and Levi is careful to stick a good chunk of distance between himself and Erwin. He knows that they know he's following them – dogs have a good nose, and Levi isn't hiding himself completely – but he wants to see how long Erwin will take to address him.
The slums turn into the town nearby, and the town nearby turns into the centre of town. People are bustling about, and Levi thinks about turning back for a moment. Kiva digs in her claws though, and he sets his jaw. No. There is no going back, not even when he looks dirty and sick amongst the 'honest' people. Erwin's leading him somewhere for a reason, and Levi is determined to see it out.
Erwin enters a tavern. Levi follows and notices that it's only just a tad more reputable than the one back home. Kiva notices too and makes a comment about Erwin and beer, but Levi's more focused on the maid waving at him.
"He said for me to tell you he's in the third room down the corridor." She places a hand on her hip and frowns. "And for me to give you something to eat before you head up there."
Her rabbit dæmon hops onto the counter as she pours water and prepares bread. It snuffles at Kiva for a moment before she opens an eye and bats it away. Kiva, like Levi, has no time to deal with meaningless pleasantries and false social meetings. Levi wants to be in the third room down the corridor and wants to know what Erwin thinks he's doing.
"There," the maid says, setting down a plate and a cup. "Take that upstairs. Third on the left, okay?"
She leaves, rabbit hopping after her, and Levi moves up the stairs to the side of the room. He's well acquainted with places like this and slips upstairs like a shadow, Kiva darting ahead. She's already entered the room by the time Levi gets there and is staring down Erwin's dog.
"I wasn't expecting to see you," Erwin says. He's sitting at a table, papers spread across its surface. He looks relaxed, but Levi can sense at least some of his agitation in the way his dæmon is growling at Kiva.
Nevertheless, he joins Erwin at the table, setting down his food. It's just bread and cheese, but Levi feels that he's been rather spoilt today. Two meals – two decent meals – is almost a privilege. Kiva doesn't move, defensive where she stands.
"Sometimes we have to do what we have to do for a meal." He takes a small bite of the bread. It's not even a tiny bit stale, most likely freshly cooked, and Levi savours the flavour in his mouth.
"I was hoping you could help me, actually," Erwin says, and Levi looks up, disinterested. He doubts he has much to offer to a member of the scouting legion. "I'm on a recruitment drive. Numbers and morale have dropped in the past few years, and I've made it a personal mission to get our soldiers back into shape."
Levi can see why Erwin's a good member of the scouting legion. His words have a steady certainty to them, and Levi's world tilts uncomfortably. His words are the words of a man Levi could grow to trust, and there isn't anyone in this world he can afford to trust other than Kiva.
"How would you like to join the scouting legion?" Erwin says, without fuss. He smiles simply, honestly, and Levi finds himself lost in the ice hidden in his eyes, unable to lie to himself.
Twenty minutes later, Levi finds himself outside once more, with instructions to pack up any belongings and take them to the training headquarters. From there, he'll be enlisted and eventually placed in the scouting legion.
It's almost like a dream, except for the sour look on Kiva's face. When Levi comments that she'd always said he should follow his dreams, she turns her back and spits out her words.
"I'll have to be around that disgusting mutt," she comments, and Levi pauses for a moment, stoic as he thinks of Erwin.
And what does he thinks of Erwin? For once, he has no idea.
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