Same, but Different

•Chapter I•

Levi

"Aki!" I called, cupping my hands by my mouth to better project my voice. My three year-old daughter, Aki, was missing and although I had always stood against children leashes, I kinda wished I had one at that very moment. "Aki Kuchel Ackerman, if you don't get your ass here, right now, you're in for one hell of an ass-whooping." My voice trembled a bit towards the end.

Where is she?!

"Aaaaaaaaki! Aaaaaaaaki! Aki-Akiiiiiiiiiii!" I continued calling for my daughter, my chest and head filling with dread.

What if she's... gone?

I was about to freak out even further when I finally heard an angelic voice call, "Papa-Papaaaaa, I'm over here!"

Barrelling forward as fast as I could, I was able to spot the two black pigtails standing in front of an alleyway.

"Aki, what are you doing here? It's dangerous. Someone could eat you or some shit," I hissed.

The child cocked her head to the side. "Tobias is nice."

I quirked an eyebrow. Aki was never the most... childish, so I didn't know if I should be excited that she developed an imaginary friend or annoyed that she had a friend that I had to pretend was real. I was about to ask for clarification when I felt my shirt being tugged at and looked down to see a dirty little rat with big eyes and moppy light brown hair.

"Hello, Mistah!"

The hooligan that I assumed to be Tobias ran over to Aki and smiled widely. Aki took a wipe out of her backpack and started to clean Tobias up before firmly grasping his hand.

"Papa, can we keep him?"

"Just because he's as filthy as a stray doesn't mean that you can adopt him like one," I said blandly. "Now come here, Aki. We can help the brat find his guardian or guardians, but that's it."

"W-Who are you calling a brat?"

I turned around to see another filthy human, but this one seemed to be much older, maybe nineteen, with dark brown hair as opposed to the lighter brown hair the child had.

Fierce blue-green eyes met my own mismatched ones and the male growled. "That's my son you're talking about."

"And that's my daughter who decided to take care of him when apparently your sorry ass couldn't," I snapped back, crossing my arms over my chest.

Aki whistled to get our attention and I was just about to explain to her how rude the act was before she held up her hand. "Papa, can I give them money or do you think they'll spend it on drugs like you said that other guy would?"

I looked at the golden eyed child and teal-eyed brat with a look of sympathy. "You're homeless."

"We don't need your charity," the older brat snapped.

"But Daddy, I'm hungry and we's haven't eaten since we lost the house. My tummy hurts real bad," the younger brat complained, his stomach rumbling to further prove his words.

Aki frowned before her eyes lit up. "Miss Magnolia told us that we should do one work of charity this week! Our charity could be letting them live with us."

I pointed to the dark haired brat. "What if he's a rapist?"

"Then you'll keep us all safe," Aki said. "He looks tired and hungry. Our house is big and can accommodate. Don't you think so?"

"She speaks good for a kid..."

"No. She speaks well for a kid," I corrected the father.