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Out of all the people he finds himself surrounded with, Levi is most pissed off with –surprisingly– not the loud brat who killed Sasha –and is ironically growing to resemble her–, who seems adamant to win him over and has been not-so-slowly but surely wearing him down.
It isn't with the other brat who follows Gabi like a shadow, who doesn't meet Levi's eyes – or, well, eye, really– but keeps looking at Levi warily when he thinks Levi isn't looking, but follows everything Levi tells him to do to the letter.
It is not the annoying brats from his old squad who alternate between being too distant (literal distance) that Levi thinks one of them might die and he won't know about it (they won't, he's ordered them not to die without his permission), or too buddy-buddy with him, and the new closeness still unsettles him.
It's not even the newest addition: Yelena who surprisingly has some common sense after all to avoid him since she came to their camp. But still her existence grates on his nerves.
No, it's Onyankopon he's most pissed off at. (Okay if he's being honest it might actually be a draw between him and Yelena, because seriously damn that insufferable woman)
Even though the man hasn't done anything to remotely piss him off.
He hasn't killed someone Levi cares about, he's thoughtful but isn't patronising: He understands when Levi needs a break from the brats, he keeps coming up with solutions to help with Levi's mobility, he knows when Levi needs some space to sort his head, and when Levi craves a good cup of tea he complies (okay maybe not that, the man sucks at making tea).
He's just so helpful, understanding, and kind. Too helpful, understanding, and kind. And that pisses Levi off beyond all limits.
He is pissed off about not really having a reason to be pissed off. And it makes him feel bad about himself.
Well, Levi isn’t being rude to him or anything, at least no more than his habitual rudeness to everyone.. But he hates himself for hating such a good guy.
For a while, he tells himself the terrible cup of tea is a good enough reason to hold a grudge. (Seriously, how did he make it too sweet, too bitter, and too diluted all at once? If it weren’t awful, Levi might have been impressed.)
And Levi questions just how dramatically his life pace has changed since he has time to contemplate all of this.
Then one day Onyakopon tells him that he is travelling to his homeland –or what has remained of it– to try and find out if anybody he knows survived.
At first Levi is glad the nuisance is leaving even if it is just for a few weeks, but then Onyakopon leaves and life gets a little harder.
He quickly realises how much he's getting used to having a sane adult around him, someone who isn't too loud or too nosy, someone he could have tea with in comfortable silence or with a genuinely interesting conversation.
Levi isn't the type to wallow in denial, he admits –to himself– that he misses Onyankopon.
Onyakopon comes back and Levi sees that the light in his eyes has gotten dimmer.
The man is as pleasant as ever, but Levi knows something is off. It doesn't really take genius to deduce what happened. But Levi doesn't pry, and if he's invited Onyakopon for more cups of tea than before.. well, the tea is good, okay? Levi is good at making tea, and contrary to popular belief Levi isn't so opposed to sharing, and he is a good host (okay maybe just a decent host, he has the habit of kicking out –and sometimes physically kicking– annoying house guests.)
One afternoon, after finishing his cup of tea Onyankopon lets out a long sigh and Levi's social-interaction-sensors go off, Levi ignores the alarms, he can do that much for Onyakopon even if he still irritates Levi.
“There was nothing there… my home, I mean. It was completely flattened..all those years away from home, all the blood, the sweat, the tears, it was all for naught–" Onyankopon says.
Levi tightens his jaws.
"There are a few survivors and I am grateful my whole race wasn't wiped out. But... my whole family was–" Onyakopon visibly shudders.
Levi lowers his cup and takes a breath and holds it.
"It's alright you know, I mean I thought I won't even find anyone there, true all those I found weren't my friends or family, they were people I haven't met before, but at least we all have the same love for our home and are willing to rebuild it. I am grateful" Onyankopon tries to smile but his eyes are just sad.
"We will rebuild it. I will take you there, and you will like it Levi!" Onyankopon says the words with so much conviction and eagerness that Levi doesn't dare to disagree so he just nods and goes to start another pot of tea.
"I am also grateful I still have a friend I can talk to, thank you for listening, Levi"
Levi stops dead in his tracks.
Friend?
Did Onyankopon just insinuate that they were friends?
No! Friends are trouble, they always end up dead. So he has been trying to avoid making that mistake again, but looking back at his history, he has clearly failed. He's acquired yet another friend. Damn it!
But some part of him is relieved to find out why Onyankopon irkes him that much; it's because Onyankopon is a great friend and Levi isn't ready for that.
He is also relieved that he isn't such a twisted person after all for hating the man's guts without an apparent reason. Levi likes to think of himself as a rational man.
"I also have an admission. I really didn't like tea that much, you know.."
Okay maybe Onyankopon isn't that great after all.
Levi gives him one glare.
"No, you misunderstood! I didn't like it, but your tea made me change my mind, I swear."
“You’ve been enlightened, huh?” Levi mutters, glancing away. A corner of his mouth slightly twitches.
A friend... Levi muses.