House Cat [Neko!Levi x Eren, Attack on Titan]

Chapter IX

Levi was getting very frustrated. Eren had been getting home later for the last two weeks and wouldn't tell Levi what he was doing or where he was going. He knew it wasn't overtime because Sasha worked at the same place and told him Eren hadn't been working longer than usual. Every time Levi asked him about it he would avoid the question.

He always considered the phrase "curiosity killed the cat" to be stupid. At that moment he wanted to strangle someone, probably Eren. He didn't know why he cared so much about what Eren was doing. It's Eren's life and he can do whatever he wants, Levi was just his Neko. But Levi trusted Eren and considered him as almost a friend not just an owner. He wanted to know why Eren wouldn't just tell him what he was doing. Thus he was extremely irritated.

So he decided to take matters into his own paws. There is a certain genes that through some ancestral lines Neko's can inherit. The power to transform into a normal cat, Levi had that gene. He didn't enjoy being even smaller than usual and the process of transforming was uncomfortable so he didn't do it often.

One day before Eren left for work, Levi went into the guest room and left the door slightly ajar. He took all of his clothes off but his boxers. It only took him about two minutes to make the transformation. He crawled out of the item of clothing and circled around the room for a minute to get used to his new, smaller frame.

Once ready, he walked out of the room and stealthily walked across the hallway making sure Eren wasn't anywhere to be seen. He hid under the armchair until Eren came rushing out of his room running to the door. He opened the door and called.

"I'm leaving for work, see yeah later Levi!"

While he was doing that, Levi ran under him and went to the left of the door. Eren left to the right, towards the elevator. He followed him in, staying behind him at all times. As long as he didn't look down Levi was fine. When they got to Eren's car, Eren was in such a hurry he didn't notice notice Levi jumping in when he put his bag in the back seat and jumping out again when they got to Eren's work. He didn't want to have to wait in the car the entire day so he just waited on a brick wall to the side of the store, where he could see inside.

He found it relaxing just watching people go in and out of the store. Occasionally he could see Eren and he convinced himself it wasn't stalker-ish. What was Eren doing that was so secret, maybe he is dating someone, Levi thought. This worried him because sometimes the partner and the Neko wouldn't get along and more often than not the Neko was left behind. That and Levi felt oddly protective of Eren, he couldn't explain why.

After a few hours Levi realized he was starting to get hungry, he wasn't about to go look in the garbage. Even as a cat he refused to be unsanitary. Just then the door to the shop opened and someone walked towards him. His tail twitched and he braced himself to run away when he saw that it was Eren. He walked up to him, Levi wondered if Eren knew that it him. Eren reached out his hand for him to sniff, he smelled like cinnamon and clay.

"Hey buddy, you've been out here awhile are you hungry?" Eren asked petting him.

He shivered at Eren's touch, he was used to Eren petting him but it was different now that he was smaller. He mewled in response to Eren's question. Eren grinned and set something next to Levi.

"Here, would you like some chicken?" He asked sweetly.

It was leftovers from the dinner Levi made the night before. He made a mental note to talk to Eren about giving his food to strays. He purred and started eating some of the chicken, it didn't take much to fill him up due to his smaller stomach. After finishing he jumped down and brushed himself up against Eren's leg.

Eren smiled at him. "Well my break's almost over so goodbye kitty."

He leaves and Levi returns back to his original position. When Erens shift ends, Levi followed him to the car again. They drive downtown where there were a lot of older buildings. Eren gets out and Levi follows him, he goes inside a building, then comes back out a couple of minutes later carrying a large box. Levi follows him around to the side of the building to see a giant almost finished mural. It had mostly black, white and forest green hues to make up a symbol Levi recognized but could not recall the name or meaning of. He watched Eren paint for the next hour or so.

When Eren finished painting for the day, he turned around and saw Levi.

"Hey, are you the same cat from earlier? How did you follow me here? Hang on, just wait here a sec," he said rushing inside the building with his supplies.

He came back and picked Levi up. Being held by Eren, although he would never admit it, made Levi immensely happy. He snuggled himself into Eren's chest and purred slightly.

"Here I'll take you home but I can't keep you. I don't Levi would like another cat in the house," Eren told him.

You got that right, Levi thought. Eren brought him into the car and Levi laid curled up on his lap as Eren drove home. When they got back to the apartment, Eren set him down once he closed the door. Levi ran into the guest room while Eren stood there confused. Levi changed back as quickly as he could and out his clothes back on.
He walked back into the living room and Eren was still there, looking around the room.

"Hey Levi have you seen a black cat anywhere?" he asked.

Levi rolled his eyes and figured there wasn't any problem with telling Eren and he could get him back for not saying anything to him.

"Technically no," Levi said sarcastically, taunting him.

Eren stopped searching and looked at Levi. "What?"

Levi rolled his eyes again and smirked. Eren looked even more confused.

"I am the cat," he said bluntly.

Eren's mouth dropped open and he sat down on the couch. Levi came over and joined him. He looked Eren in the eyes and then explained how he could transform and then why he had followed Eren.

"Okay, one you can transform into a cat and two, you followed me all day just because you were curious!" Eren exclaimed trying to process what he was just told.

"Pretty much," Levi responded.

"Huh, wow, wait where's your collar?"

Levi had left it in the guest room. He left for a moment to go get it. When he came back he let Eren put it back on him.

"So what did you think I was doing?" Eren asked after fastening the collar back on.

"I don't know I guess I was just... "

"Worried?"

"No, I just wanted to know, okay?"

"Did you think I was seeing someone?"

Levi hesitated. "It's not my business."

"Hey," Eren said putting his hand firmly on Levi's shoulder. "Your my Neko, not only that your my friend and you have a right to know what's going on in my life. In fact, I want you to know. I didn't tell you about the mural because I wanted it to be a surprise. It's one of the coolest art commissions I've gotten. I'm sorry for making you worry."

Levi looked down, it made sense to him now. He cursed himself for being such an idiot.

"I'm sorry for acting stupid."

"It's not stupid it shows that you care," Eren gave Levi a hug.

"Shut up," Levi said halfheartedly.

Eren smiled at this and broke the hug. Levi then curled up on Erens lap and Eren began to pet him once more. He still smelled like cinnamon and clay as he usually did. Levi liked the smell, he also liked it when Eren petted him, it made him feel calm.

"Do you know what the symbol is?" Eren asked.

"I recognize it," Levi responded.

"It's called the Wings of Freedom."

"That's nice," Levi remembered reading about it, it was the symbol of an ancient military facet.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, then Eren spoke up again.

"Hey, you ate my lunch!"

"You offered."

"Rude!"

•••

A/N: Fun fact when I write a of these my cat is often laying beside me. So if Levi seems uncharacteristically cuddly, you can blame that fat fur ball. Also thanks for all the support this stories getting, it means a lot and it encourages me to post early. Plus the is one of my most favorite chapters that I've written:)