Levi tore down the steps in a disarray, his duffel bag bouncing against his back as he leaped down the final steps. He shoved his way through the crowd of people who had gotten off of the airport, not bothering to mutter his apologies in his haste.
He nearly tripped over his own two feet as he stumbled, but he picked himself back up again and resumed his mad dash, eyes searching for the one person who was supposed to pick him up from the airport.
"Levi!" someone shouted, and he turned sharply to see Hanji Zoe beckoning toward him with a wide smile on her face as she adjusted her glasses.
Levi did not waste a moment in running towards her. "Hanji!" he shouted. "Let's get going!"
Hanji hastily stepped in front of him, stumbling in the process at the sudden force of his body nearly slamming into hers as he dragged her towards the direction of the exit. "Hey, hold on," she said, gripping his shoulders. "What about your luggage?"
He gestured impatiently to his duffel bag. "I've got it."
She raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a small frown. "That's all you brought?"
"It's all I need," he stated as he continued to drag her. "The rest of my clothes are at the house...which is where I should be now, so come on!"
He did not even bother waiting for Hanji to respond as he tore down the wide halls of the airport. He made his way to the glass doors, shoving them open before stumbling to a halt and realizing that he had no idea where Hanji's car was parked.
"It's right over here, you goof," Hanji said, coming right up to him and grabbing his arm. "Yeesh," she muttered. "I pick you up at the airport at seven in the morning and I don't even get a proper 'hello'!"
He grimaced. "Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat. "It's good to see you, Four-Eyes."
She grinned as she pulled out her car keys from her purse. "You saw me two weeks ago," she teased. "Though I am not all that surprised that you decided to take this vacation of yours for this occasion." She rolled her eyes. "But knowing you military boys," she said. "You'll be heading off pretty soon once you're done here."
"No," Levi said firmly. "I am here to stay."
Hanji stumbled in front of her car, nearly dropping her keys in shock. "What?" she demanded.
"There is so much that I have missed out on," he said. "So many important events, and I do not intend to miss out on anything else ever again."
Hanji's eyes widened before a soft smile appeared on her lips. "He will be happy to hear that," she said.
It was in that instant, with those words she had uttered that sent Levi into a frenzy once more. "Open up the car and get in!" he shouted frantically, tugging at the door handle.
"Don't scratch my car!" Hanji snapped as they both got in. She started the car up, eyes narrowed in concentration as she backed up out of the parking space. "But seriously, Levi," she said, finally looking back at him. "It's good to have you back and here to stay."
"Eyes on the road," he grumbled as she swerved out of the way of an approaching SUV.
But her grin never faltered. "Wait until I tell Erwin!"
"He already knows," Levi said as he rummaged frantically through his duffel bag. "He even landed me with some contacts for a job when he heard about my decision."
Hanji chuckled. "That's Erwin for you. Always one step ahead!"
"Yeah," Levi said. "Sometimes your boyfriend scares me with his contacts and ruthless abilities."
He spent the next few minutes rummaging through his bag with a tight frown, his worry growing. But that worry soon evaporated when he pulled out a simple box wrapped in blue wrapping paper with a silver bow on it. He smiled softly as he touched the nicely wrapped package, taking great care not to damage it.
"He thinks you forgot," Hanji murmured softly as she drove.
Levi's eyes narrowed as he placed the box back in the bag with equal care. "Never," he swore.
Hanji's eyes flickered over to him. "Aren't you cold?" she asked. "You brought a coat, right?"
"Didn't have time to put it on," he said, watching the buildings go by as she drove. He refrained from asking her to drive faster, knowing she was doing her best. And he also knew that should she speed, the possibility of getting a ticket from a cop would be high, thus delaying him from his destination. But his anxiety continued to grow despite his reasoning.
"Well, put it on!" she exclaimed. "You'll do none of us any good if you catch a cold."
The next few minutes were filled with Levi struggling to put on his coat. He grunted and moved around, trying to put his coat on while still wearing the seatbelt. He refused to unbuckle himself, yet pretty soon, he gave up the effort of putting a coat on. He'd rather freeze to death then die because he was unbuckled.
The minute Hanji pulled up next to the apartment, Levi was already opening the door before she had even stopped the vehicle. He ignored Hanji's startled shout as he grabbed his duffel bag and leaped out of the car. He was rushing up the steps to the door that was already being opened by a startled woman.
"Petra," he said breathlessly as he opened the door further, staring at his neighbour who was blinking in surprise. "Where is-?"
"Daddy!" an excited voice shouted as a small figure in blue pajamas rushed past Petra Ral and into Levi's arms before the auburn haired woman had time to answer his unfinished question.
"Eren," he breathed as he held the child close, running his fingers through Erin's brown hair while Petra and Hanji quietly exited the scene with matching, knowing smiles on their faces.
This was the reason for his haste, this was the reason he was changing his way of life. His life in the army had changed drastically when he found himself in the care of a boy he would soon lovingly call his son. He did not want to miss anymore birthdays, holidays, school days, or sick-days. He wanted to be there for all of it. He didn't want to just converse through letters and skype while his neighbors and friends watched his son.
Taking Eren in had been a surprised and unexpected task he found himself with. Orphaned, abandoned and alone; Levi knew what that felt like. Except, there were major differences between him and Eren. Levi had to fend for himself while his uncle taught him to kill. Eren had been given a choice to remain with a guardian, or bounce around in foster care. Levi did not have a choice during his childhood, but Eren did.
His choices just depended on the decisions of the adults around him.
Levi had acted swiftly and agreed to take the boy in.
He just never imagined that he would call Eren his 'son.'
His life had changed, priorities and personal ambitions had to be altered. But in those changes, new priorities and personal ambitions were opened in front of Levi as well with different possibilities.
He was staying, he was staying to build a new life.
"Here," he said, kneeling down with Eren still in his arms. With one hand, he rummaged through his duffel bag before pulling out the wrapped box. With a smile, he handed it to Eren, the child's eyes wide. Levi watched as Eren tore into the wrapping paper and rip the lid off of the box off to reveal the action figure inside.
Eren gasped in pure excitement as he grabbed the action figure. "The Attack Titan!" he shrieked in joy. He looked up at Levi with shining eyes. But Eren seemed to be more interested in the man in front of him, rather than the toy he had been given as a gift. To him, a much greater gift had been given to him in the form of the man he now called 'father.' "I thought you forgot."
Levi hugged him once more, holding him close. "Never," he said. "You'd really think I would forget?"
Eren's tiny arms tightened around him. "No," came the small answer.
"Tch," Levi said with a small smile. "I would never miss your birthday."