I'M FINALLY DONE, KATIE OUT B*TCHES!
OK, but in all serious, this was sitting around on my laptop about a third finished since before Christmas, and I decided to actually finish it off, 'cause I liked the idea of it and didn't want to just delete it or leave it, and I'm glad its finally done, but now I'm tired and I can't be asked to check through it
It's eight in the morning and I've been up all night, so yeah, this probably doesn't make any sense and might have a spelling mistake in every other paragraph, but I 'll check through it when I wake up again at like 2-4 in the afternoon, if anyone could point out any sort of mistakes, it would probably make my job a lot easier!
~~~KMD~~~
Eren hurriedly kicked off his shoes and closed the front door behind him, "Mother!" He called, a wide grin practically splitting his face in half, "I'm home!" He ran down the corridor, throwing his bag onto the living room floor as he passed, and burst into the kitchen.
The boy was just in time to see his father slit his mother's throat with a kitchen knife.
Eren stood in the doorway, frozen with shock, grin no where to be seen, his eyes wide, but not really seeing anything. He managed to swallow around the lump that had formed in his throat and eventually forced out a, "F-f... Father...?"
The older man turned his head so quickly that Eren was surprised that it didn't snap.
"Leave Eren..." The words were spoken so quietly the boy barely heard them.
"B-b-but Father...! Mother... W-why d-did... why did you d-do that to Mother...?!" Eren almost screamed.
Before the brown haired boy even had a chance to utter another word, his father had grabbed him and was now shaking him roughly. "Dammit boy! Didn't you hear me? Leave, Eren! Run! Run as far and as fast as your legs will carry you! Leave and don't come back!" And then the man was shoving him back the way he had come. The front door would have collided with his nose if he hadn't stepped back in time.
He stood still, not a single muscle moving, his mind trying to process what had happened, and when it finally did, he ran, just like he was told. He couldn't tell which way he ran, his eyes were blinded with the tears caused by the loss of his mother, one of the people he cared for the most in this cruel, cruel world.
Eren ran for hours, feet carrying him miles from home, then finally stopping and allowing him to collapse against a tree when the sun had set and the moon was high in the sky. He knew it was a bad idea to fall asleep deep in the forest, but he was too mentally and physically exhausted to care about the wild animals. He barely felt the cold, biting wind. He barely heard the soft crunching of twigs as something stalked closer.
~~~KMD~~~
'A nine-year-old boy by the name of Eren Jaeger went missing today after his father, Grisha Jaeger, murdered his wife, Carla Jaeger and then killed himself. The Shiganshina Police Department have already started organising a search of the forest surrounding Shiganshina and would like as many volunteers as possible to lend a helping hand. We'll keep you updated as more information is released, now for-'
"Eren... Jaeger...? No... it can't be the same Eren Jaeger... can it...?" His eyes widened and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"Hey, are you alright?" His friend asked, alarmed.
"I-... no... No, I don't think I am..."
~~~KMD~~~
Eren was awoken by warm, fowl smelling breath ghosting over his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but then memories from yesterday came crashing down on him and he jolted up, coming face to face with a wolf that had fur as black as soot.
His heart immediately began to race and he backed up further into the tree he had fallen asleep against. "Nice wolfie... please, don't eat me... I taste horrible..." The boy raised his hands slowly, "Go, shoo... please go away... leave me alone..."
The wolf took a step closer and pressed it's nose against the palm of Eren's left hand. Eren started shaking, 'Is it going to... hurt me? Like father did to mother...?' He thought, tears springing to his eyes.
Eren squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the fatal bite that never came, instead the wolf let out a whine and gently licked Eren's cheeks. His eyes snapped open at the gesture, almost like the wolf was trying to comfort him, and then it nudged Eren's leg with its muzzle.
"I-if you don't want to e-eat me, then what do y-you want?"
The wolf nudged him again, insistently, until Eren stood. It gently took a hold of Eren's shirt and tugged, leading him away from the tree, deeper into the forest. 'Or maybe it does want to eat me... but it's just trying to act friendly to fool me...'
The boy found himself shaking due to the cold, November air and walked closely next to the wolf, seeking the warmth that the thick winter coat promised to give.
Half an hour of walking must have taken them to the mountainside, if the rocks and somewhat steep slope they had started climbing was anything to go by. Soon enough Eren found himself staring wide-eyed at a pack of wolves, lazing around on the rocks.
They growled at him when they saw him, some of them standing up, hackles rising.
The black wolf that was with Eren let out a growl of her own - Eren found out the wolf was a girl when she squatted down to do her business, instead of cocking her leg against a tree - and gently pushed him forward. He almost pissed himself when he was forced to move closer to the wolves that were clearly not pleased with his presence, but they moved aside and left him alone when the black she-wolf snapped at them.
~~~KMD~~~
The wolves eventually excepted Eren as a member of the pack and taught the boy their ways. They taught him how to hunt for deer, how to stay silent and stay down wind so he wouldn't be caught. They taught him what different sounds mean and how to read their body language. They taught him how to survive in the wilderness. They taught him how to be a wolf.
They allowed him to care for their pups, it took quite a while, but Eren had showed that he could be trusted with the future of the pack. His pack. He felt honored to watch them grow as they played and learned, and felt immensely proud when he was able to teach them the things that he had once been taught.
~~~KMD~~~
'Today marks two years since Eren Jaeger went missing, hundreds have come to the boy's old home to pay their respects and wish him well where ever he may be. Flowers, old toys, pictures and messages have all been left at the house by the kindhearted residents of Shiganshina. Another full-scale search of the forest will be launched by Shiganshina Police Department two days from now, again, they urge you to try and volunteer. And now-'
"So they still haven't given up then? They're fools, the lot of them. They sound so hopeful, when all they'll find is bones, if they even find anything that is."
There was a gasp from the woman sat beside him.
"How could you be so cruel? Didn't you know the boy?"
"I did, but that was before his father flipped and killed his wife and himself, and I've come to terms with the fact that Eren is dead."
"Oh yeah, you sound so at peace with it."
He made a show of ignoring her and returning to his task of channel surfing.
~~~KMD~~~
Eren awoke to find himself panting heavily and covered in a thin layer of sweat. He sighed and forced himself into a sitting position.
Another nightmare, he'd been having them a lot recently. The memory of his mother's death replaying itself in his mind night after night.
He turned his head to the side and his eyes met those of one of the pups from a recent litter. He must have woken it up with his restless sleeping. The wolves always slept close to him during the colder months, due to his lack of fur.
Eren lifted the pup into his lap and scratched its head lightly, "I'm sorry for waking you." He stood and ran his fingers through his matted hair, "I'm going to step out for a little while, you should get back to sleep, it's a big day for you tomorrow. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
The pack were leaving for their winter den tomorrow, and the pups needed all of their energy for the long journey.
The pup whined and scampered after Eren as he left the cave, it barked and nipped at the boy's ankles until they came to a lake. Eren cupped his hands and dipped them into the lake, then splashed water onto his face.
The pup barked at Eren and then jumped into the water, paddling around for a little while before climbing out and into Eren's lap, it then proceeded to shake itself sending droplets of water everywhere.
"Hey, stop that!" Eren laughed, covering his face.
The pup barked again, wagging its tail, and began licking at Eren's face.
The two rolled about on the bank of the lake, playing and having fun, until the sun started coming up and Eren decided that it was time to go back and get a little more sleep before it was time to go.
~~~KMD~~~
'Tomorrow marks the third year since Eren Jaeger went missing and the residents of Shiganshina still have hope that he is alive and well. The-'
"Just give up already, he's dead!" He yelled at the screen, ignoring the sound of the front door as it opened, "Can't they understand that?"
"Jesus Christ, what's gotten into y- are you drunk?" She asked, hurrying over to the man that was swaying dangerously. She grabbed him before he could fall and he clung to her.
"He was just a child! Eren was such a sweet kid, he would never hurt anyone, not intentionally. He didn't deserve this! That bastard Grisha, I hope he's rotting in hell!" He cried, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed into her shirt.
"OK, I think it's somebody's bed time."
~~~KMD~~~
Eren watched from his place inside the cave as his pack dragged in a large deer carcass, a fully grown buck by the looks of it, 'impressive', he thought. He would've hunted with them, but he wasn't feeling well and his pack wouldn't let him leave, snapping at him whenever he tried to set foot outside the cave.
At least he'd taught them well.
His pack never turned their backs to another wolf in need, they did all they could to help. If a pack member was ill, like Eren was now, they brought them food, they bathed them, made sure they had water, and if nothing could be done, the wolf was put out of its misery. The pack would mourn, they'd howl, but eventually they'd have to move on.
Eren was determined to get better, he couldn't just leave his pack so abruptly. He knew his pack was different from others, he knew wolf packs usually didn't work the way his does, but then normal wolf packs usually consist of only wolves. This one had a human.
The deer was dropped in front of him and a wolf with blonde fur nudged at Eren's shoulder with its nose, then licked his cheek gently, before stepping back.
Eren's pack all sat around the dead deer, none of them moving a single muscle, though Eren could see the look of hunger in their eyes. He knew they wanted to eat, but wouldn't move until he did, they had to listen to the alpha of course.
Eren moved forward and used his hands to tear away skin and fur so he could sink his teeth into the bloody flesh. He expected the other higher ranking members of his pack to start eating, but they remained in place, as still as statues. It seemed as if no one was eating until the alpha had had his fill, so Eren decided to eat quickly.
The previous alpha, the black she-wolf, passed away last Spring, but she was getting old, so Eren expected it sooner or later. That didn't mean it hurt any less, she was like a second mother to him, he'd only known her for four years, but he cared for her deeply, and she had left him as pack alpha. He cried and he howled and the whole pack had joined in when she'd finally passed, other wolves had joined in at some point as the howls continued throughout the night. He was sure the people in the nearby town had been kept awake by their mourning.
When everyone in the pack had eaten, and the deer was nothing but a bloody skeleton, Eren had decided it was time to sleep. The pack had gathered around him, squeezing in tightly against each other so they looked like they were nothing more than a carpet of multicoloured fur, and Eren had fallen asleep feeling safe and warm.
He woke up the next morning feeling completely healthy.
~~~KMD~~~
'As the six year anniversary of Eren Jaege-'
He sighed, deciding it was best to just get a good night's sleep and maybe, just maybe, he'd go for a walk in that godforsaken forest tomorrow.
~~~KMD~~~
Eren watched as a small litter of pups played with their mother and wondered how old he was. The incident with his parents was a long time ago, he knew that, he just didn't know how long.
He thought about when he left, it was Autumn then, or Winter, it was cold so it had to be one of those two seasons. He tried to figure out how many Autumns and Winters had passed, and he tried to remember when his birthday was, but words and number soon became jumbled in his head and he gave up. He supposed it didn't matter much anyway, his pack didn't care how old he was, just that he was doing his job as alpha well.
He let out a sigh and picked at the grass, then looked around the clearing his pack was lazing about in. It was time to go hunting soon and it would be the first time for some of the younger wolves.
~~~KMD~~~
The man opened the front door and immediately closed it again, it was the second to last day of March and the air was still freezing. He grabbed his coat off of a hook and shrugged it on, then opened the door again.
His dog dashed outside as if the house were on fire, but she didn't go far, she was well trained. Poppy the border collie stopped near the road and turned to face her master, panting excitedly as her tail swayed rapidly behind her.
Sighing, he began the walk to the forest and Poppy raced on ahead, stopping every now and again and checking to see her master was still following before she was off again. The man thought back to how he came to own her.
It wasn't really his choice, his friend had forced him to get some sort of companion using the excuse that she couldn't always be with him and she didn't want him to feel lonely. That was bullshit though, she practically lived in his house anyway, it was only a miracle that she wasn't there today so he could actually go out. He had named the dog Poppy after another dog his mother owned when he was just a child.
When his saw the forest in the distance, he called Poppy back to him and attached a leash to her collar. He'd rather she didn't wander off in the forest with all the wild animals about, plus he'd probably get in trouble for letting her off the leash anyway, if he was caught that is.
The pair walked for about an hour until they came across someone else walking their dog, the woman warned them about a pack of wolves living nearby and said he shouldn't probably turn back, or be extremely careful. He decided to go a little further before heading back.
Poppy was all too excited over the decision and barked happily, licking at the man's hands until he pushed her away and carried on walking.
Barely ten minutes later, they were stopped by the growling of various wolves.
~~~KMD~~~
Eren's pack had managed to separate a sick doe and her fawn from their heard and they killed them swiftly. They all ate their fill as quick as possible, before any scavengers arrived, and all that was lift was bones and a few other unwanted parts.
They would've headed back to their den, but Eren's pack picked up another scent that had them growling and running in the opposite direction. Eren followed them, not surprised that his legs moved at the same speed as theirs.
Before long, his pack had surrounded a short man and his dog.
Some of the younger wolves lunged at the man, but a quick growl from Eren had the wolves returning to their original spots. Eren crouched on a rock a couple meters away from the man, and just a little bit higher than the ground he was stood on.
The look on the man's face confused Eren, he looked scared, but also surprised, happy and confused as well all at once. The longer the boy studied him the more familiar he seemed. He could vaguely recall another man, a man that was much younger, a man with black hair styled in that weird way, a man with pale skin, a man with piercing silver eyes and a man that was incredibly short.
The man that Eren remembered used to look after him when both his mother and father weren't home, he used to make Eren food and watch TV with him. He was nice and kind and Eren liked him a lot, but he had to move away for something that Eren couldn't remember, though he remembered how crushed he was. How much he cried as he hugged the man, how much he begged him not to leave. He remembered how the man had shushed him and promised that he'd be back soon.
Eren remembered that his name was-
"Levi...?" He asked quietly.
~~~KMD~~~
"Eren?" The man asked in return, "Is that you?"
Levi could barely believe it, there was no way that was Eren. He had to be imagining it, he had to be imagining the wolves too, but it looked as if Poppy could see them. Maybe she was just reacting to way Levi was acting...?
OK, it was hopeless trying to convince himself otherwise.
It was really Eren standing before him, it was really the kid he used to babysit all those years ago, and it seemed as if Eren remembered him too.
The boy jumped from the rock and wrapped his arms tightly around Levi, burying his face in the shorter man's hair and giving it a little sniff. Eren didn't seem to notice the obvious height difference between the two, and just stood there silently, his grip not loosening.
Levi furrowed his brows, there were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he had no idea where to start, and no idea how to even handle this situation.
Eren had somehow manage to survive for six years and was, by the looks of it, raised by a pack of wolves in this forest.
Oh yeah, they were currently surrounded by a pack of wolves.
Levi realised that they had stopped growling now, and taking a quick look around, he saw that most of them were standing still, watching them, though a few were lying or sitting. "Um, Eren?" He started hesitantly, "Did these wolves... Uh, did they look after you?" He'd heard of stories like this before, so he knew it wasn't impossible.
Eren leaned back and nodded, a small smile on his face, but then it saddened, "Mummy was the one who found me, but she died a while ago... Everyone in the pack takes care of me though, and I take care of them too!" He said, looking proud of himself.
"OK..." Levi really didn't know how to handle this situation. Eren acted somewhat like a wolf, but he still acted like the nine-year-old boy he was when he went missing, he certainly didn't look like either though.
Levi looked over the boy quickly, he was filthy, but it looked as if his skin was tanned, his hair was long and matted, reaching to the middle of his back. He expected it to be longer, but Eren must have cut it some how. Eren's eyes were still the same bright green colour, and Levi noticed how Eren's voice was a lot a deeper when he talked.
Levi's eyes traveled lower and he blushed upon realising that Eren was actually naked. He shook his head quickly as if he could shake the blush off, and hoped that Eren hadn't noticed, and tried to decide what to do.
He wanted to take Eren home and look after him, make sure he was warm, safe, happy, make sure he had some education. Now that he'd found him, he didn't want Eren to spend another night in this forest, all alone with no human contact. He didn't want to risk someone else finding Eren either, especially not some weirdo who only wanted the fame or money that taking Eren back might bring.
It was Eren's choice though, if he wanted to stay with this pack of wolves and live in the forest, then Levi couldn't stop him.
"Levi? Are you alright?" Eren asked quietly, "You're making a frowny face."
"Oh, I'm fine... I was just wondering... Would you like to come live with me? I actually moved back here a little while ago..." Levi explained, slowly.
"You did? Really?" Eren asked excitedly, his grin reappearing.
Levi nodded, "So, what do you say?"
"But my pack..." Eren looked around at the wolves and let a quiet whine, some of the wolves returning it.
"I can give you time to think if you need it?" Levi suggested.
Eren nodded, "It would be really cool to live with you, I mean it, but my pack needs me too..."
"It's alright, Eren, I understand." Levi smiled softly and turned to walk away, "Will three days be enough?"
Eren nodded again and Levi started to walk away, the wolves parting and moving out of his way.
~~~KMD~~~
Kinda just wanna take a moment to explain Eren, he's still mentally/emotionally a nine-year-old because of how he hasn't been around people for quite along time and he's never really needed to grow up, but he's also slightly more mature/grown-up because of how independent he's needed to be. Not sure if any of that really makes sense, but I honestly don't know how to explain Eren.
~~~KMD~~~
Levi stayed away from the forest for those three days, giving Eren the space to think over his decision. He tried his best not to let anything slip to his friend, Hanji, either, the entire world would know about Eren within a couple of hours if she found out.
After the time was over, Levi made his way to the forest at night, Poppy walking beside him. He was hoping that by going at night that not many people would be out and about, so there would be less witnesses.
Wow, it sounded like he was going to murder the poor boy.
He just didn't want any news reporters finding out, he didn't want people knocking on his door and asking him or Eren for interviews or anything of the like. Eren would probably be terrified.
Levi wandered around the forest until he was stopped a low growl, he turned and saw a wolf standing behind him. Or at least he assumed it was a wolf, it was too dark to tell, maybe he should have brought a flashlight with him.
Eren appeared a few moments later and told Levi that he'd like to live with him, so after saying goodbye to his pack and promising to visit them whenever he could, Eren turned and left them behind.
Luckily, Levi had actually remembered an old blanket for Eren to wrap around himself and cover up his nakedness.
When they arrived home, Levi showed Eren to the guest room that would now belong to the boy and told him to sleep. In the morning, he bathed Eren and cut his hair, then showed him the clothes that he had bought the day after finding Eren, just in case he happened to say yes.
Eren wanted to visit his pack, but Levi wanted him to stay in the house for a little while. Somehow the media had actually managed to find out and people were constantly knocking on his Levi's door, just as he thought they would. He ended up having cops watch his house from across the road so no one would break in or anything while they were asleep, knowing this fact most people were deterred, and before long Eren's reappearance was old news.
Eren was home schooled, and most of his free time was spent in the forest with his pack, but the rest of it was spent with Levi, they watched movies, talked, and got to know each other again. Levi found himself becoming more and more attracted to Eren as the days passed...
~~~KMD~~~
Levi awoke to the sound of howls coming from somewhere beside him.
He groaned and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. When they eventually adjusted to the dark, he noticed Eren set on the window seat, his head sticking of the window as he howled loudly at the moon. Poppy sat on the floor beside him, letting out long howls too, and Levi could hear faint howls in the distance. Most likely Eren's pack, or the neighborhood dogs joining in.
Levi coughed to clear his throat and Eren jumped, whipping his head around. The brunette chuckled nervously and scratched his head, "Oh, sorry, I heard them and I had to answer, i forgot that you were still sleeping there..."
The shorter man smiled softly, "It's fine." He patted the bed beside him, "Come back to bed before I have to leave for work, and you have to leave for college."
Eren let out one last howl, before he closed the window and grinned, sliding under the covers beside Levi. He wrapped his arms the black haired man and kissed the nape of his neck, "I'm really glad you found me," He whispered, "I learned a lot when I was living with my pack, but I was never able to find love." He kissed Levi again and smiled against his skin, "I love you."
"I love you too." Levi whispered back, turning in Eren's grip so he could face him. He pressed a kiss to his lips and then curled up against his chest, falling asleep to the sound of Eren's steady heartbeat in his ears.
~~~KMD~~~
I was actually right when I said that this fic was going to be around 4K
Also, tell me what you think maybe, good or nah?
Also also at the end, Eren is 19 and Levi is 38, just in case anyone was wondering
AND ANOTHER ONESHOT AND MULTICHAPTER ERERI FIC IS ON THE WAY, SO KEEP AN EYE OUT
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