Disclaimer: We had a tornado. Power was off for 4 days. I'm studying for my second bar examination. I'm also unemployed. So here is another fun chapter.
:)
Leaving Clive home alone was not a good idea.
The cat sat with his tail wagging slowly back and forth, watching the lovebirds as they peered into the apartment. More importantly, the mess that he, Clive, had made.
The television screen lay shattered on the floor. Shards of glass everywhere. Even the inside components were scattered.
The television is not the only thing Clive done in.
Toilet paper was dragged from the bathroom also mixed in with the television remains. Not to mention the stench that wafted through the apartment alerted Petra that Clive decided to empty his bladder elsewhere. A few pillows in the floor seemed to be the victims of his bathroom break.
Petra looked gob smacked whereas Levi remained stoic. His disdain for the situation was otherwise apparent. "Nice cat, Petra."
"That television costed a pretty penny." Petra whined and shook her head in horror. "He was so behaved."
"Tch." Levi walked into the apartment and bent down until he was semi level with the perpetrator in question. "She took you in and this is how you repay her?"
Clive looked unphased by his lecture and arched his back and began stretching to Levi's displeasure.
"Smart ass." He turns back to Petra. "Are you standing out there all night or helping me clean this mess up?" He knew she was horrified by the mess. He also knew he needed to take the lead on the clean up effort. He definitely knew better than to tell Petra, 'told you so' because she looked so heartbroken that Clive done this.
Petra sighed and grabbed the luggage to bring it inside as well before shutting the apartment door. They had a long night ahead of themselves. Petra scurried to the closet and grabbed the broom and dustpan as well as grabbed a garbage bag for the shards of television screen. Levi stretched a bit before rolling up his sleeves and with one last glance at Clive, the menace feline, he gingerly stepped around the glass and picked up the television. Thank god it wasn't huge. Petra and Levi worked silently, groaning once or twice as they found more glass shards.
Clive unphased by everything happening around him wandered through the apartment to the bedroom where he remained while the two cleaned up the mess in the main room.
"I'm sorry, Levi." She finally said not daring to look at him. "This wasn't how I wanted to spend the evening with you."
Levi looks to Petra and a smile tugs at the corner of his lips before he speaks, "I love cleaning, remember? Don't worry Petra. He probably got scared being here alone." He winces and retracts his hand from the area of the floor he had been touching. A shard of glass jabbed into his finger. "Dammit."
She nodded, not convinced he wasn't upset at their situation. She grabbed the pillows and shoved them into a separate garbage bag. There was no saving them. She would have to buy new ones. Once everything was bagged, they hurried out to remove the dumpster.
Levi wrapped his arms around her, holding her as they stood outside. He hoped he could reassure her that this was not the worst thing to ever happen to them and there was plenty of time to turn the situation around.
"Ah, Ms. Ral and Mr. Ackerman, I am glad to find you both here."
They turned to look and saw the landlord walking to them with manila envelope his hand. He did not look pleasant as he normally did.
"What can we help you with, sir?" Levi asks monotonously, untangling himself from Petra and steps forward. The atmosphere didn't set right with him. He just knew this was bound to be another dig at them.
The landlord sighed and held his hand out to Levi and waited for the man to open it. Levi eyed the envelope and unsealed it quickly. He scanned the words on the page becoming livid. As if the evening could not get much worse. Levi's brow furrows and he looks at the landlord.
"Are you shitting me, right now? I come home and you tell me that we must move out?! The cat is harmless! If any damage is done to the apartment, we will pay for it."
"Rules are rules. You both have 30 days to move. Goodnight." The older man turned quickly and walked away.
Petra stands rooted to the ground. It was like nothing had gone right today except Levi returning. She wanted this day to be perfect. To relax with him. Shower him with affection. This is where it got her. Just breathe. She kept repeating it to herself. She was not about to break down in front of him. With a brave face, Petra finally spoke, "Shit happens for a reason. We will just call it a night now and deal with this tomorrow."
Levi takes her hand and they walk into the building that they called home for awhile now. Levi more so than her. If he felt like shit, he could not imagine how she felt. They walked in silence until they stepped into the elevator.
"I can call and take more time off and we can find a new place, Petra." Levi offers as they stand in the elevator. She smiles at him despite feeling awful.
"Well, we need to start packing too. I really did not mean to get us kicked out."
"He's an asshole. We will just find a better place to live." Levi reassured her, concerned that she was blaming herself. He could think of three other tenants who kept pets, and nothing was said to them. As much as he wanted to rat them out, he just wanted to comfort Petra.
Once back inside the apartment, Petra excused herself to shower. Levi watched her walk off sluggishly and picked up his bag before walking into the bedroom.
Clive meowed, alerting Levi to his presence. He perched himself on the top blankets covering the bed, on Levi's side.
"Ah yes, his majesty in here." He greeted the ungrateful feline sarcastically before dropping his bags around the closet. He turned back around and eyes Clive warily realizing just where his furry butt is sitting. "Tch. Cat dander is all over that bed more than likely."
Petra cut the water off with a sigh before reaching for her towel to dry off with. She hoped they could at least sleep in peace tonight. She planned to have sex with Levi. Pure unadulterated sex! Fucking. Bumping uglies. Whatever phrase you wish to call it. After Clive left a mess and their landlord reminded them what a dick he could be, sex seemed like the least of her plans.
She reached for the oversized t-shirt laying on the toilet lid and her panties, then walked into the bedroom to find Levi staring at Clive seriously.
"Knock it off, Levi." She says tearing the covers back and shooing Clive from the bed. "See, he moves. I'll call some people about a new apartment or whatever tomorrow." She heaves her legs onto the bed with a groan and turns on her side before pulling the covers up to her ears. Clive scurried out of the bedroom, not to be seen again.
Levi tilts his head observing her sudden mood swing feeling like she bit his arm off.
"Are you going to stand there watching me like a weirdo, or get in and cuddle?"
He smirks before lightly chuckling and removing his pants and shirt to pull on pajama bottoms and a plain white t-shirt. "Whatever you want, love."
