Pairing: Reader x Levi Ackerman (Attack on Titan)
General content warnings: 18+ Minors DNI, Modern AU, Hybrid AU, AFAB bodied reader, Cat-hybrid!Levi, Kitty!Levi, fantasy racism, angst, canon typical violence, eventual smut, references to past SA, reader character has complicated family dynamics and trauma, may dip into dark territory.
Content Warnings for chapter: Modern AU, Kitty!Levi, mentions of slight stalking behaviour.
Summary: After isolating a little too much in your new work from home role, you decide to join a local movie club, only to meet a short grumpy cat hybrid who works as a janitor at the movie theatre.
The old man was kicked out of the movie club.
It turned out that the young blonde guy, Armin, was the one who created the group and he had final say in the social group’s members. The morning after the incident at the cinema he had messaged you asking for details of what happened. When you explained, the old man was promptly and quietly removed from the group.
When you thanked Armin in person for backing you up like that at the next movie group meet up, he laughed and removed his beanie, revealing two golden, pointed fox ears.
“I don’t really want any bigots in the group either.” He murmured.
Your routine settled back into place once more. You worked, you slept, you ate. You attended the weekly movie nights. The only thing that changed was you now noticed the Janitor who worked there. You never spoke to him again after that night, it would be weird to just assume you were on good terms because you’d done the bare minimum of social responsibility one time but, in the way one notices more yellow cars after they’re mentioned, you spotted him working from time to time. He never seemed to notice you in return, always working quietly, but you were just happy to see the guy had kept his job. It would have been terribly unfair if the incident had caused him any trouble.
A number of weeks after that night, you crawled out of the warmth of your covers to begin your Saturday, slowly moving through your morning routine. Wondering what else you might do with your day off. Ever since you’d moved to this new town, you’d spent most weekends at home. You didn’t have any friends in this place, hours away from the city you grew up in. The city you very firmly avoided.
You never knew when you might run into somebody you didn’t want to. Nobody you knew lived here, that was the point. Maybe it was running away, maybe you were a coward but…you needed it.
You decided to simply curl up in a warm blanket on the couch and read, a cup of tea swirling steam into the air on the coffee table. It wasn’t a very big place, your affordable little unit in this old coastal town hidden among forested hills. You’d moved to as far and low key of a location as you could without leaving the country or moving fully across it to a less desirable climate. A twelve hour’s drive felt like enough space between you and the family you never wanted to see again. And it was a bonus that the town was quite reasonably priced, since it was hours away from the state capitol.
A good place to focus on yourself for a while.
You’d been feeling lost for a long time, constantly controlled by the wants and opinions of the people around you. Maybe here, somewhere slower and gentler, you could figure out what you really wanted out of life.
Already, it felt like the calm space between breaths. No anxiety about running into family or people who would ask questions about everything that happened. You finally had your own space, decorated exactly how you liked it. You could afford the rent, and you were on top of your bills. Your simple, mundane job wasn’t draining the very life force out of you. It all felt calmer.
You read until the light faded outside your windows, enough that you needed to flick on the lamp on the side table next to your couch. You checked the time and saw the session time for your movie was approaching and quickly stood to put shoes and a jacket on.
You trotted outside to your hatchback parked in the driveway and began to make your way to the independent cinema on the other side of town. The big chain cinema was closer, but the independent cinema was much cleaner and didn’t only show the newest block busters. You liked movies and you enjoyed being able to watch cult classics and old movies from before your time on the big screen. There was just an element of excitement to seeing a film in the theatre that watching it at home didn’t provide.
You pulled into the small car park in front of the theatre and quickly jogged from your car into the building. You could hear a distinct rumbling in the distance; warning of approaching rain and you didn’t want to get caught in the downpour.
Once inside, you glanced around, searching for your group. Your eyes alighted on a short mop of blonde hair, and you joined Armin and the others for movie night. It seemed since your altercation, Armin worse his beanie less and he’d started to invite other friends along with the group. Today beside him were a young gothic looking woman with dark hair and sharp, black cat ears and a taller boy with brown hair, green eyes and shaggy wolf ears. You recalled their names from the last time they’d attended, Eren and Mikasa, and smiled in greeting as you approached.
It was a later session time than usual this week, since it was the only time every person in the group seemed to be available and by the time you exited the cinema the place was closed, the doors promptly shut behind you. You bid your farewells and begun to head to your car when you heard frustrated cursing and the metallic bang of a car bonnet being slammed.
You looked around, startled and spotted Levi the Janitor stalking to the boot of his car, gracefully lifting something out.
You were surprised to recognise the large, heavy object as a wheelchair.
You supposed it made sense. The man had clearly suffered some terrible injury in his past based on his scars, missing fingers and clouded eye. You had never seen him in a wheelchair while working but you vaguely remembered something about how some people only needed a wheelchair for longer distances or chronic illness flare ups, depending on the injury or condition. Having to get home after your car has broken down would certainly qualify as a longer distance.
You felt bad for the guy as the earlier clouds had now opened and fat, warm globules of rain splattered across the parched concrete car park, wafting the smell of petrichor and ozone into the air. It only seemed to be getting heavier, and you had no idea how far this man lived from his job. It would be hell to get across town in a wheelchair in this weather.
Making a decision, you shyly walked over to the near stranger.
He looked up from his task of unfolding the compacted chair.
“Is your car broken down?” You asked, not wanting to be presumptuous.
The man grunted and jerked his head yes, irritation clear on his face.
“Do you need a lift?” You offered.
The cat hybrid narrowed his eyes at you and his ears turned outwards, your anxiety spiked under his scrutiny.
“Why?” You repeated, utterly baffled by the question.
He didn’t repeat himself, only crossing his arms and picking you apart with his uninjured eye, that appeared a much stormier blue grey under the streetlight than what you’d seen of it weeks ago in the dark.
“Because…it’s…the nice thing to do? I, uh, am trying to be…helpful, I guess? Break downs aren’t fun.” You fumbled to explain yourself, never having been confronted on the motivation behind a simple favour before.
He scrutinized you for a few more moments before his ears eased forward and his posture seemed to loosen ever so slightly.
“That should fit in my boot, if you need to take it with you.”
He nodded and folded the chair back down, then hauled it over his shoulder like it weighed nothing. He followed quietly behind you, eased the chair into the back of your hatchback and slid gracefully into the front passenger seat. He sat there with his arms crossed, looking almost comedic in his grouchiness in your little old car. Almost being the key word, considering his grumpiness would likely lead to a very awkward car ride. As you pulled out of the car park, you tried to fill what felt to you like an awkward silence.
“So how long have you been working at the theatre?” You asked conversationally.
“Four years.” He replied bluntly, not bothering to ask you a return question.
“Er…what did you do before that?”
“Oh, interesting, I bet that’s a really hard job.”
He didn’t answer. If you hadn’t been driving, you would have squirmed in your seat. You doubled down in your awkwardness.
“I don’t think I could do it; I get puffed out just looking at those obstacle courses you see in all the movies and stuff? With the mud crawling and the rope climbing.” You laughed nervously, trying to get a light, friendly conversation going.
He merely ‘tsked’ through his teeth in reply. You felt judged.
You dropped your attempts at conversation, the only sound his quiet voice giving you directions of where to go.
“How much do you want for the fuel?” He asked when you reached a straight stretch of road with no turns to guide you down.
“Huh?” You answered eloquently.
He tsked once more, his irritation clear.
“How much do you want for the fuel, for the ride?” He repeated.
“Uh…nothing?” You replied lamely.
He raised an eyebrow, only seeming even more annoyed than before.
“I don’t like owing people.” He growled.
He glared at you, that appraising look from before sharpening his eyes, his pupils narrowing into cat-like slits. You were starting to get the feeling Levi wasn’t a particularly trusting person. Or at least wasn’t used to people doing things for him out of the kindness of their heart.
“Fine.” He grumbled and once again faced forward.
“You shouldn’t leave the cinema so late at night.” He announced suddenly.
His lip curled in distaste, revealing sharp, pointed canines. You noticed his teeth were a gleaming white, though a little bit crooked.
“I’ve seen that old bastard drive by a few times after the last session lets out.”
A muddled mix of shock and anxiety flittered through your chest.
“You should organise your movie group earlier in the day.”
“I…don’t really control when the group goes, it kind of depends on everyone’s schedule.”
He was quiet for a few moments then grumbled.
“If you leave late again, wait on the red benches by the door. I lock up, I’ll walk you out.”
The kind offer was such a contrast to his unfriendly demeanor you almost wondered if you’d misheard it.
“Left here.” He murmured and you pulled your car into the driveway of an old but very well looked after little house. The garden was simple and well kept. The place freshly painted. The wooden porch at the front was so shiny-clean it reflected the headlights of your car.
“Thanks.” Levi acknowledged shortly as he stepped out of your car, you opened your mouth to reply when you were stunned to silence by Levi pulling a lint roller of all things out of his pocket, swiping it efficiently over the seat where his tail had rested, presumably to tidy any shedding fur.
“Uh…you’re welcome. Do you need any help-“ you began as you pressed the button to unlatch the boot.
Before you could even fully get out of your seat he had lifted his wheelchair out of your car and was carrying it to his front doorstep. You slid heavily back into your seat and did the polite thing and waited until he was safely inside. He glanced back and gave you a long look after opening his front door, you couldn’t see his expression and quickly after he shut his front door behind him.
You drove home in silence, wondering what to make of the strange man.
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