It's warm, it's comfy, but something's missing…

The sound of the door opening awakes him.

Levi slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times and then looked around to adjust to his surroundings.

He tried to sit himself up and looked down, realizing that he was under a fluffy blanket and in a soft bed with nice clean pajamas on.

He frowned, remembering that he was supposed to be in an alley somewhere in some random neighborhood, hungry, and freezing to death because he only wore his thin clothes and old boots.

Did he go back to the orphanage? Did the workers find him and bring him back?

But this is definitely not the orphanage. If this was the Rose Maria Orphanage, the bed would be hard and creaky, also the blanket would be just a thin layer of fabric which made it hard to sleep for most of the children including him.

So, where was he now?

Panic ran through him. Did he get kidnapped? Did he get taken by strangers to be sold on the black market just like what he heard from the groundskeeper back at the orphanage?

Levi didn't know what a black market was, but that's definitely not a good thing, right?

His head snapped to the left and he saw a man sleeping on a chair not far from the bed he was sitting in.

The man seemed like he had fallen asleep while writing or doing something on a desk. His arm rested on the desk, making it a pillow for his head.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know if the man was a good man or a bad man. Just when he was in the middle of the chaos in his own mind, scared and afraid because he didn't know what had happened, a hushed voice called him.

"You awake?"

There was a boy peeking through the door with big sparkling eyes and a huge smile on his face.

Light came from the other side of the door, and slowly Eren went into the room leaving the door half open. The boy went closer and when he reached the bed, he hopped onto it and sat beside Levi with his legs swinging back and forth.

"Hey, you okay? Cold?" The bright eyed boy put his hands onto Levi's while looking at him with those big eyes, head tilted to his side.

"Who… Where?" Levi answered him with confusion. The boy in front of him looked familiar but also unfamiliar.

"Eh? I'm Eren, you don't remember? You were awake before but then you went back to sleep again, immediately," Eren pouted.

Ah, ah.

So that's why the boy looked familiar at some point.

He saw the boy when he was in a half-awake state or maybe still in dream land because of all the warm blanket, soft bed, and clean pajamas.

Levi shook his head, "I was too sleepy with the fluffy bed and comfy blanket. And the pajamas too. Is this yours, um…?"

"Eren."

"Eren?"

"My name, is Eren. And yes, those are my pajamas. Nice, right? They're one of my favorite pajamas," He said with a grin.

Oh. Levi's cheeks were getting red. He was wearing someone's favorite pajamas without permission.

"I'm Levi. I—"

"I know. You told me your name when you woke up before you went back to sleep again, immediately." Eren cut Levi's conversation while giggling, repeating the same words he told Levi just before.

"I'm sorry I wore your favorite pajamas without permission. I don't even know why I am here and wearing it," Levi said with a frown.

"I know why. I found you in the middle of an alley with thin clothes, your eyes closed and your skin felt so cold! My Daddy took care of you though!" Eren looked at his father's sleeping figure after he told Levi that.

Levi took a quick glance at the man that was sleeping on the desk then looked back at Eren.

"My… Mommy said that you are from the opran—, I mean, orphanage…" Eren fidgeted. He didn't know if it was okay to talk to Levi about it. But then he quickly asked another question.

"Why didn't you stay at the orphanage? It's cold out there, you were freezing, you know? Your skin looked paler than it is now and it was scary. I don't know anything about the orphanage, but it's better there than in an alley way," Eren keeps on rambling and when he finished, he added, "I am glad you are okay though…"

Eren is now quiet, waiting for answers from Levi who was looking at him with wide eyes and then a scowl.

The black haired boy looked scary with a scowl on his face, but Eren didn't think about it as being scary, instead Levi looked cute and Eren stared at Levi.

"I don't like it," Levi said while looking at Eren.

"It sucks in there, the orphanage I mean. A few workers are nice, but some of the workers are grumpy, the bigger and older kids are mean, the kids around my age are annoying so I don't bother to talk or play with them, and the younger ones… The younger ones come and go."

"Come and go?" Eren tilted his head, he was now sitting right beside Levi under the warm covers.

"You know, they get adopted. Usually babies and toddlers get adopted easily and it is hard for bigger kids to get adopted. I don't know why but it's just like that."

"So you go from the orphanage and end up in an alley because…"

"You are something, aren't you?" Levi smirked. It was the first time in forever he had talked like this or this much with anyone. Hell, usually he only glares, nods, shakes his heads, or even ignores whenever the workers or the kids asked or talked to him.

But with Eren, it was different.

With Eren he feels comfortable, he feels safe, like a sanctuary.

It's just right and with the blanket wrapped around them, it's warm and perfect. "I actually don't care if people are not being nice to me or if I don't have friends there or even if I don't get adopted. I… left because I went looking for my mom. I thought I could remember where we used to live, I thought I could find her, but then I ended up in an alley and here I am now, I guess…"

Levi took a long deep breath, feeling tired from all that talk. He took a glance at Eren who was looking at him with a curiosity and in that moment, he knew for sure the talk won't just end there.

"But I thought Mommy said that the orphanage is a place where people who don't have parents—" Eren's mouth suddenly snapped shut, it probably sounded a bit too harsh.

"Sorry, I meant you were at the orphanage, an orphan, so why are you still looking for your mom? I mean, you know…" Eren mumbled, it seemed like everything he asked Levi sounded harsh right now.

"I thought so, too. But then I realized it's also a place for an unwanted kid like me. Now that I think about it, my life is in such chaos. I can't avoid what I can't control," Levi stared at Eren then slowly laid down onto the bed.

He was awake, but he still felt sleepy.

Eren followed Levi's suit. He plopped down onto the bed and wrapped both of their bodies into the warm blanket. Eyes stared curiously at Levi.

"Chaos? Control? Geez, your words are so hard!" Eren pouted.

"I mean, it's a cruel world we live in. Sometimes fate does the opposite from what we're expecting," Levi smiled at Eren, "You'll get what I mean someday. Maybe."

Eren was surprised, Levi was probably around his age but his vocabulary was like an adults'.

He still didn't get what Levi said, but Eren only nodded slowly.

"I remember when my Mom asked me not to move from my spot and she knocked at the orphanage's door quickly then left me standing there alone with a bag full of clothes and a note that she slipped into my pocket," Levi paused for a moment.

"She said sorry. I tried to catch her but I couldn't. She went to the car with a man waiting for her inside and left me there." Eren's eyes went wide at this and gripped Levi's hand tightly.

Levi just stared at Eren and gripped Eren's hand as tightly as he continued.

"The owner of the orphanage opened the door for me. Nice lady, she rushed me in when I gave her a note from my mom and took care of me, gave me food, bed, bath. She takes care of everyone despite how poor the place is."

"I thought my Mom would come and get me back but I waited and that never happened. Maybe she forgot about me or maybe she forgot the directions to get there."

"So I left the orphanage, escaped actually, and started looking for my way back home where my Mom and I used to stay. But I don't remember my way home, it was a long car ride and I don't even know where I was."

"And then when I was sitting in the middle of an alley way and started freezing to death, I realized this; my Mom either forgot or doesn't want me anymore so that's why I ended up in the orphanage."

"All this time I thought my mom will come get me back when things get better but she's didn't. I think that's what makes me an orphan."

Levi closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down with tears threatening to come out. He talked too much and he was clueless as to why he did that.

He felt angry at his mother for leaving him alone and being treated like a freak at the orphanage, but on the other side he now felt calmer and okay.

Maybe because he was finally able to talk about what was on his mind.

Maybe because he wasn't freezing anymore.

Maybe because he felt warm in a fluffy bed and a comfy blanket.

Maybe because Eren was hugging him tightly and after a long time he didn't feel empty and alone.

Tears were finally falling down from his eyes, he cried without a sound. Eren hugged him tightly and whispered, "You are not an orphan."

Levi didn't have any strength to open his eyes or talk to Eren anymore, that's enough talking for today.

Eren started to hum while still hugging Levi in a bear crushing hug. Levi didn't mind though. Eren felt right when his world felt wrong.

With tears still rolling down his cheeks and Eren still humming, Levi felt tired and now he was drifting back into a deep sleep followed by Eren soon enough.

While the two of them slept, Grisha opened his eyes and walked towards them, pulling the blanket up until only their heads were poking out from the blanket.

Grisha then went back to the master bedroom where Carla was still sleeping soundly in their bed.

It's 3.46 am, but Grisha seemed to be fully awake.

He remembered being stirred awake with the sounds of a door opening that happened to be Eren coming into the guest room and talking with Levi. Not a light talk or kiddies talk, he admitted, it was personal and about Levi. He didn't mean to eavesdrop on them though.

So much for being the deep sleeper his wife thinks he is.

Later he needs to talk about this to Carla, but for now he was going to find a more information about Levi and Rose Maria orphanage.

Sleeping be damned.

Levi woke up from a rustling sound beside him.

There was a woman shaking Eren's shoulder and trying to wake him up with a hushed voice, but Eren reply was only a rustle beneath the blanket and then the thing Eren did next was shocking to him.

Eren snuggled into Levi while mumbling something he couldn't catch.

Slowly, Levi looked up at Carla and locked eyes with her. Carla seemed to be a bit surprised, her eyes went wide but then she smiled softly at Levi which he replied with a blank stare.

"I've been told that Eren slept here and I wanted to wake up both of you for breakfast. But I guess Eren is still sleepy, maybe I'll let him sleep and if you want," Carla's smile grew wider, "You can have Eren's breakfast. I made pancakes with lots of maple syrup on top of it."

"Pancakes!" Eren suddenly jolted awake, releasing his grip from Levi and jumped from bed, "I am awake now. Levi, wake up! Mommy makes the best pancakes ever!" Eren said brightly while looking at Levi waiting for him to get up from bed.

"Come quickly, the pancakes getting cold," Carla smiled, she walked into the kitchen followed by Eren who tugged onto Levi's borrowed pajama.

They were sitting together, Levi was sitting beside Eren while Grisha and Carla were opposite them.

Pancakes set on the table, they now started eating, everyone except Levi who was fidgeting in his seat.

"You are not eating? You are not hungry? You don't like pancakes?" Carla asked softly even though she threw many questions at once.

"Can I eat this? Really, um, ma'am?" Levi replied to Carla's question with another question.

"Oh, where are our manners? I am Carla, this is my husband Grisha," Which Grisha responded to with a smile.

"And that's,—" Carla was pointing at a dark chocolate hair boy with green eyes who is happily munching on his pancakes and seemed lost in his own world.

"Eren," Levi said while smiling at the boy with the puffy cheeks that full of pancakes, "I'm Levi," He turned his head to Carla.

"Nice to meet you Levi. And please, eat as much as you like," Carla smiled.

Breakfast went quickly in a comfortable quiet. Carla was washing the dishes while Grisha checked up on Levi's condition from last night, accompanied by Eren in the guest room.

"Are you done doing the checks up?" Grisha nodded at his wife question.

Carla was sitting beside her husband on the bed with Levi who was sitting in the middle of it and Eren sat on the chair beside the bed.

"May I ask you some questions?" Carla asked, her hands holding Levi's hand, which he replied with a small 'yes'.

"Last night we found you curled up in an alley way, you were freezing to death," Carla took a deep breath.

Levi was quietly waiting for the next words from the woman who was sitting in front of him while Eren and Grisha sat quietly, letting her speak.

"I am glad you are okay now, though. My husband saved you from critical condition," She turned her head at Grisha with a smile.

"After that we called the police for a missing child, turns out you were ran away from a Rose Maria Orphanage," Carla was looking at Levi with a serious face.

"The owner of the orphanage was worried. We already told her about you though, so it's okay now. But why would you run away in a middle of a cold winter at night? Where were you going?" Carla was letting out a deep breath, still holding Levi's hand.

Like mother like son, Levi thought. He only stared blankly at her; he didn't know how to tell her the truth.

Weird, last night he told Eren everything, but now Levi stays quiet.

Carla already knew the answer though.

When she was preparing breakfast in the kitchen this morning, Grisha told her about the conversation between Eren and Levi last night –his husband insisted that he wasn't eavesdropping on them—but she really wanted to hear it from Levi himself.

Levi took a quick glance at Eren. Green eyes stared at him with a look that said 'it's okay to tell her'.

Just like being hypnotized by his eyes, Levi gave Eren a small nod and turned to Carla while thinking the best way to tell her.

"I was looking for my mom, but then I realized I'm unwanted by her, so why bother to wait and look for her all this time. I mean, I obviously left at the orphanage for a reason, and that's the reason," Levi sighed.

A sudden realization ran through his mind, what would happen to him now? He ran away, almost died, and made the owner worry.

It's not like Levi cared about it, but what if the owner won't take him back? Where will he end up? Another orphanage? On the streets?

"Speaking of the orphanage, are they, the owner, do you think she will take me back there? I mean, I've been a bad boy and made trouble that even involved the cops and a family," Levi let out another sigh.

At this point, he didn't mind if he ended up at another orphanage. But not the streets, he can't deal with the cold, the hunger, and scary people on the streets.

Levi remembered last night, he was approached by a scary looking man, he looked at Levi in a weird and funny way, and his touches on Levi's shoulder were unpleasant.

He didn't know what would happen if the man was able to catch him while he ran as quickly as possible.

Just when Levi was lost in his own mind, Grisha spoke, "And what would you do if they take you back to the orphanage?"

Eren and Carla were looking at him quietly, waiting for another answer from Levi, but this time both of them frowned at the question.

"I… Wait to be adopted?" Levi said as if he was questioning himself.

Well, what could he do besides that? He just hoped he would get adopted by an okay family, that's all, really.

As long as they want him and take care of him, he wouldn't ask for more.

"Well why wait then?" Carla smiled at him and held his hands tighter.

She looked at her husband and he replied with a nod. Carla smiled bigger.

"Why? Because—"

Oh. Oh!

No way! Is this a dream? Did he die back in that alley and go to heaven?

"No way," Levi gasped, he accidentally spoke what's on his mind.

He looked at Grisha and Carla back and forth, looking for confirmation.

Eren seemed lost –in a different kind of way, because he didn't know what was going on— and followed Levi who was looking at his parents back and forth.

Grisha laughed, Carla laughed even harder. The look these two boys were giving them was really cute and adorable.

"I always wanted another child but I can't," Carla looked at Levi sadly then she pointing at herself, "Something is wrong inside my body that makes me can't have another child after Eren."

"You never told me that, Mommy. And I keep asking for a sibling," Eren mumbled sadly.

Eren didn't catch everything from this talk, but he did catch what his mother said just now.

"I know, and I am so sorry for keeping this from you. It's just hard to tell," Carla caressed Eren's head.

Then she asked her son, "So what would you say if Mommy and Daddy adopted Levi? So he can stay with us and be your sibling, half-brother, best buddy, whatever you want to call him."

Eren's big green eyes were getting bigger at his mother's questions.

And then, his father added, "Or half twin, maybe something like a fairy tale thingy," Grisha looked at Eren while his wife responded with a small jab on his stomach, smile still on his wife's face and a cringe on his own face.

"I swear you make things complicated," Carla chuckled.

"Twins are not complicated," Grisha frowned then looked at Levi, "So, Levi, would you like to become part of the Jaeger family? Because we, especially Eren, would love you to," He patted Levi's shoulder and looked at Eren.

"Levi please says yes! Come on, please, please, pretty please!" Eren bounced on his seat frantically.

Green eyes looked at Levi with sparkles, pure happiness reflected on his face.

Levi was looking back at Eren with wide eyes.

"I… Yes? Yes! I—I'd love to!" Levi stuttered a bit, but he finally managed what he wanted to say with a loud final 'yes'.

After that, everything was moving fast like a lightning bolt.

They went to the Rose Maria orphanage to fill out the documents, they waited a few days until everything was settled. The Jaeger family even donated quite an amount of money to the orphanage so they could make it a better place.

The day was finally coming.

Levi bid people at the orphanage goodbye –not that the people in there actually cared about his farewell other than the owner herself— holding the backpack filled with his little things that had been left to him, filled with unnecessary items according to Levi.

He sat in the back seat of the elegant black car, Eren on his side smiled widely and kept telling him how he's been waiting for Levi to coming back home and how he missed him so much.

Home. Levi could get used to it. Not an orphanage, not Rose Maria orphanage, but home.

The ride on the way home is quite a long ride.

An hour later, they arrived home to the Jaeger residence.

They left the car and headed inside. Eren held Levi's hand, Grisha brought Levi's backpack, and Carla opened the door for them.

And then as if it wasn't enough of a warm welcome, Levi saw a huge banner on a living room that written: "Welcome to the Jaeger family."

Yes, Levi definitely could get used to it.


Chapter End Notes:

Beta-ed by the lovely Fallen_Nightmares (ao3), thank you for the help! c: