Mad World. Mad Love.| Levi x Reader

Chapter 10: cats, Cats, CATS.

"Basically, who's left from 104th."

I don't know if I should be laughing or crying. What has possessed him to do something like that?

"I don't know what to make of it, but I guess you're the one stuck with them until they bite the dust so, good luck," I say finally and steer us toward the street my aunt lives on.

"Sue me, but I think they have some potential," Levi replies, silently grabbing my hand in his again. You'd be surprised to find out how touchy this man is when he's comfortable enough.

I have no doubt that under Levi's hand, the 104th Corps will become something more than just newbies. I've seen it happen, felt it – he was the one who trained me in the Scouts. I became one of the best soldiers the regiment has under his supervision, and I think these kids, despite being little shits right now, will become so much more.

"About getting Loki back. There actually a bonus to it," I start again but stop as I hear loud laughter. Kids. Inevitably, I look toward the sound to see what has made kids this happy. Just to my right, in an alleyway, four kids are laughing, looking at something at the end of the alley. I stop, walking and just watch them.

I don't know why, but something compelled me to stop and I'm glad I did when a small animal rushes around kids' feet and the kids run right after it, laughing and throwing stuff at it. The situation is exactly like when I found Loki, except the cat is white.

"Hey!" I yell after the kids and run toward them. They've again cornered the cat.

"Hey! Leave it alone!" I yell again when they all look at me. With screeches of panic, the children take off and scatter.

I don't even care that most of the people on the street are staring at me and giving me weird looks.

The kitten backs itself into a corner as I slowly step closer. It hisses at me when I crouch down. Ever so slowly, I extend my hand out to it to smell. It hisses at first, tried to swat me, but eventually it eases toward me and smells the tips of my fingers.

"You can't get another cat, (Y/n)." I didn't even realize that Levi was crouched right beside me.

"I can, and I will. What if the kids come back? I can't just leave it here," I say, looking at Levi. His eyes are on the cat, though. I look back at it again, just as it brushes its furry cheek against my hand. I smile and reach out my other hand to pick it up.

"I have a second cat, and you can't do anything about it," I state, cradling the white cat in my hands and starting to walk toward my destination. "Like I was saying, having cats has its bonuses, we've going to be staying in some countryside shack with rats and having cats keeps us from having a rat infestation on our hands," I say, looking over my shoulder at Levi and smiling. I see him shake his head once again but make no effort to stop me.

We finally make it to the front door of my aunt's place. With one hand, I hold the kitten, and the other I knock on the door.

The door opens a few moments later, and an unfamiliar face greets me. A boy, about fourteen by the looks of it. The boy's lucky not to be in military training at his age.

"Hi." I say.

The boy turns and yells over his shoulder, "Mom! You've got quests," he then turns back to face us, "I assume you've come to take Loki?"

I nod, "Yeah. I hope he didn't cause too much trouble," I say with a slight nervous smile. After a beat of silence, I extend my free hand toward the boy, "I'm (Y/n). You much be—"

"Alexander."

"Ah—The last time I was here, I heard Ada talking to someone named Oskar?" The statement sounds more like a question, but to my defense, this boy looks like he'd roast me like a lamb on a stake if I said something remotely stupid. I sweat to Walls themselves, teenagers scare the living shit out of me.

"Oskar's my younger brother," the boy says before Ada appears at the door.

"Hi, sorry it took so long," she adds with an awkward laugh, then extends a familiar black cat toward me.

"Thank you," I say and hand the white kitten to Levi, the kitten protests and doesn't want to let go of my shirt at first but eventually I pry if off and hand it over to Levi, who makes no comments, just like the last time we were here.

I grab the kitten from Ada's hands, and she snatchers her hands away from me and Loki like she'd catch fire if she touched me of the cat any longer than necessary. I frown a bit at her antics.

"It was good seeing you again," she rushed out, pushing her son inside, "Bye."

"I thought maybe—" The door closes in my face. Silence falls. I've been rendered speechless for the third or fourth time in the span of a week.

"That was weird," Levi mutters behind me. I ignore him and look down at Loki in my hands, who's now purring and rubbing his cheek on my shirt. Did he cause that much trouble?

Just as I'm about to step away from the door, I spot a flash of movement from the window beside the door. Ada stands there, animatedly talking to someone, another woman. I see her face clearly—.

"(Y/n), we should go. It's getting late." I know I should listen to Levi but I can't help but step closer to the window closer to the face which is so familiar, a face I last saw in the Underground in a younger version.

"(Y/n)?"

"You're right. We should go." I step away from the window and off the porch. Levi follows, though, I sense from his silence that he's confused.

I continue walking in silence, cradling Loki in my arms while he again surveys the surroundings. From the corner of my eye, I see my new white kitten, in Levi's arms, doing the same.

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Word count: 1670
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Zero talk :)

YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THIS!!

Hi there! I don't know what to make of the fact that there are still people reading this story. I do know, though, that it means the world to me that you're still here and reading this.

About the updating: I am ill at the moment – nothing too serious, just a cold – which means either of two things; I may get some more chapters out and fast, or I may go radio silent for a while again due to the fact that I've got other school related things to catch up on (I am not doing well in school :'D).

That's all I have to say. I'll do my best to write, but I won't lie my head down for that promise, so do with that information what you may.

'Till next readings, bye!

-Zero