"What's wrong, Eirian?" Eren crouched down and turned towards the small dark-haired boy who sat on the ground prodding the dirt with a stick.

"I don't like my name…"

"Why not? I like it."

"The other kids say it's girly."

Eren understood what it felt like to get picked on. Well more specifically, he knew what it was like to see his best friend get bullied. Children could often be cruel and without realizing what it did to the person at the butt end of their joke. As a child, Eren had constantly stepped in to save Armin from getting bullied due to the blonde's bookishness and delicate features, and oftentimes they would both emerge with numerous bruises.

"Have you told your papa about it?"

"No…" The boy shook his head, poking a hole in the ground. "And he's always busy."

"Hmm…" Eren hated seeing Eirian like that. He had grown attached to the dark-haired boy over the course of half a dozen visits. Due to his promise to play with Eirian and his growing fondness for the five-year-old, he had begun joining Mikasa on her Sunday trips, once even going over to the teashop by himself to play with the boy. It turned out the arrangement was beneficial for both sides, since it also helped free up Levi's afternoon so he could buy groceries and supplies. "Want me to ask him?"

There was a small shrug as the boy continued to draw things on the ground. Eren hated seeing the bright-eyed boy upset. It might have been to satisfy his own curiosity, but he, too, wondered where the name 'Eirian' had come from. It definitely was not a common name.

"Hey Eirian, did you know that some of my best friends have girly names as well?" The boy shot him a confused glance and Eren smiled warmly at Levi's son.

After being around Armin and Hange for so long, he had been exposed to various things such as how names could be used for both females and males. One all-too somber night after remembering all those who had fallen in battle, Hange had suggested discussing the origin of their names. It had lightened the depressing mood and in the process, they had a time of shared laughter as they poked fun at one another. No one knew where Hange had come from, but they all took a crack at teasing Connie when it came to light that it was both a male and female name. It was the same with Sasha whose name could go either way. Eren had teased Jean that although he was supposed to be considered a 'gift from God', his face looked way more like a gift from a horse.

"Yeah, two of my friends – Connie and Sasha – have names that are both boy and girl names. Connie is a boy and Sasha is a girl, but both their names are applicable to boys and girls." The comment seemed to lighten Eirian's mood as he stared at Eren, rapt with attention. "And then I have a friend, Jean, who looks like a horse."

"Really? A horse?"

"Yeah, he has this big long face and his eyes are really far apart." Narrowing his face and making goofy eyes, Eren tried demonstrating what it looked like, but it was difficult. In his mind, Jean looked far too much like a horse to be human. However, it worked as Eirian let out a small burst of laughter.

"You look funny, Eren!"

"Hey, I'm trying to show you what by horse-faced friend looks like." The brunet attempted to feign righteous indignation, but it was difficult. "So don't be worried about your name, okay?"

"Okay." The boy returned to drawing shapes on the ground, as though deep in thought. "Are your friends tall, Eren?"

"Mmm… maybe? What do you mean by that?"

"Some people say that papa is short." Eirian stopped making abstract lines in the dirt and glanced up at him. It was unnerving seeing those blue-green eyes he was so used to seeing in the mirror stare back at him. "Is that true?"

The question of Levi's height was a loaded question. On one hand, what the kids were saying was true; the man's height was definitely below average. However, the larger question was how it reflected on Eirian and Levi's reaction to the comment.

On his second visit to the shop with Mikasa, Eren had watched as a rude customer made fun of the dark-haired man's height, only to receive a cutting glare and have the quoted price jacked up three times. It had almost escalated into a physical dispute, and he would have gladly stepped in to help if Mikasa had not stopped him, but somehow Levi had managed to take control of the situation. Eren hadn't had a perfect view, since he was watching from behind, but it seemed like Levi had done something to scare the customer, who quickly left with a disgruntled snort. When he asked the man later, Levi had not deigned to answer, leaving him to his suspicions.

The dark-haired man was as much an enigma to him as Eirian was an open book. Eren had no idea where the five-year-old child's curiosity and endless energy old had come from, but it certainly wasn't the Ackerman side of the family given Levi and Mikasa's personalities. The brunet did not want to seem as though he was prying into the older man's private life, but he was deeply curious about it.

Although there were always customers and neighbors around, Levi seemed oddly detached from the individuals around him. In fact, being a teashop owner was one of the occupations Eren least expected the man to have given how Levi seemed to avoid speaking and hated smiling. The man was cool and polite when dealing with customers, and never really engaged in chitchat or frivolous conversation. However, the steady stream of customers might have been because the shop always seemed to have access to rare blends and high-quality teas for a very decent price. Eren wasn't sure where Levi got his supplies since most tea leaves grew in the forest, the closest of which was a good two days ride away, but wherever it was, the business seemed profitable in spite of everything else.

"Your papa is a little shorter than some of us, like me, but he's strong." Although Eren had never seen Levi in action, he could tell from the few times he came into contact with the older man, such as shaking hands or the brief bump when they first met, that Levi was no soft-skinned shop owner.

"Yeah! Papa's really strong!" Eirian's expression immediately brightened at the remembrance of his father's feats. The boy jumped up as if illustrating a one-man fight against invisible assailants. "One time he took down two bad guys by himself. They were really big too. Those bad men were calling papa bad names and then 'bam' they're both on the ground."

"Is that so…?" Eren was not sure how much to believe about the boy's story. It wasn't that he didn't believe that Levi was able to take down two grown men – Eren had never seen the man in action and was skeptical of any outlandish claims – but children had a way of embellishing the truth and the stories Eirian told were in no way free from that. It was endearing to hear the little dark-haired boy's stories of his aunt's heroics or of the soldier he eventually wanted to become, and it reminded Eren of his own past admiring members of the Scouting Legion. "Your father must be really strong then."

"Yup! I wanna grow up and be strong just like papa! And then I'll be strong enough to fight off all the bad people!"

"You really love your papa, don't you?"

"Mhm, he's my only papa! I sometimes wish I had a mama too, but papa says I can't complain since other kids don't have a papa or mama."

Eren's heart hurt at how mature Eirian sounded. It wasn't right that there were so many orphaned children or children with only one parent, but that was the cost of war. The brunet only hoped that since the walls were sealed, the number of children without parent(s) would gradually go down over time. It was difficult to imagine what it would be like growing up without a mother. He had dearly loved his own mother, Carla Yeager, and would always remember the smell of apple pies wafting through the house. But although Eren had been devastated by his parents' deaths when he was ten, he still had Mikasa and Armin by his side.

"Do you ever feel lonely?"

"No. I have papa and Auntie Mikasa! And now you." Eren Instead of seeming despondent or unhappy, Eirian beamed at him. Seeing such joy on the boy's face, Eren couldn't help but reciprocate the gesture.

After making sure that Eirian was busy scribbling on some spare paper, Eren went to find Levi to ask about the origins of the boy's name. Although 'Eirian' could be used as a female's name, it was also appropriate as a boy's name. Watching the young boy draw stick figures fighting one another, the squad leader felt like the name, Eirian, was definitely appropriate for Levi's son. In the recesses of his own mind, the brunet admitted he was slightly biased since it sounded so much like his own name. Although he'd have to double-check with Armin, he was fairly certain it meant 'light' or 'bright' or something similar, which suited the boy perfectly.

It wasn't difficult to locate the dark-haired man. He quickly found Levi behind the counter measuring tea leaves and checking the inventory.

"Eirian is quite a rare name for a boy. How did you come up with it?"

"I didn't." Levi's back was facing him, so it was difficult to see the man's reaction.

"Oh." Eren fell silent. Although he had talked to Levi a few times, there were other times when their conversations just died out. It wasn't the most uncomfortable silence, but it wasn't necessarily companionable either. The older man was very closed off and the brunet didn't even know why Levi continued to talk to him. Perhaps it was because of how Eirian seemed to enjoy Eren's company and the man simply wanted his son to have more friends. Conversely, there were also times when things grew stilted, when he felt completely cut-off from the dark-haired man. Like now.

"Umm… was it his mother?" The brunet wondered about Eirian's mother. She had never come up in conversation and the boy had never mentioned any memory of her either. It was only ever his papa and Auntie Mikasa. Although it might not be his place to ask, Eren could not help wondering what happened to her. The brunet wouldn't be surprised if she had also died in one of the titan attacks. "Did she come up with it?"

"Why do you want to know?" The dark-haired man turned around, expressionless. Eren hadn't thought Levi's face could be any more blank than he had seen it before, but it was. That strange unreadable light he had caught in the man's grey eyes from time to time was back. Despite the stony countenance, the brunet felt like Levi was reading deeply into his soul, searching for something.

"I was just curious about his name. It's pretty unique." There was a grunt in response and he felt the tension drain out a little as the man turned away and resumed taking in his inventory. Eren had known Levi was a very private person and he likely stumbled on a sensitive topic. Not wanting to antagonize the dark-haired man further, he kept his other questions about Eirian's mother to himself. Whoever she had been, she must have been a special person to have won over the taciturn man.

Levi didn't know whether to be happy or sad that Eren was spending time with Eirian. He wanted the brunet to remember them for who they really were, not laugh and talk to them as who he thought they were. It was so difficult not to say something out of line, not to recount some distant shared memory that Eren wouldn't be able to remember now, not to speak as though they were more than acquaintances or to be closer to what they had been before.

On one hand, it was great being able to see Eren like this without the rage, the pressures of being a titan shifter, or the Captain-subordinate dynamic at play. Levi couldn't help it if he sometimes stepped into his former role, but Eren didn't seem to mind at least. Most of the times the brat found it humorous and played along. They – him, Eren, and their son – had even pretended to be members of the Scouting Legion once with Levi heading the 'expedition' only because Eirian insisted that Eren play with him rather than boss him around. His former subordinate had jokingly asked whether he had been in the military before and whether he was interested in joining again. It had created a little tension, but that had been the closest that Eren had ever come to the truth.

Unlike five years ago, when Eren still had the innocence and immaturity of youth, the brunet had grown. Gone was the baby face and smooth skinned brat. The shifter's complexion was slowly beginning to show signs of being weathered by the sun and wind from all his time using the gear. Levi could see places at the corners of Eren's eyes where there would be creases when Eren got older. The shifter was also happier than he had seen Eren. He was used to seeing rage, despair, even hopelessness, but not happiness. There had been a few positive moments during Eren's pregnancy, but they were tinged with traces of worry over what was going to happen to them. No, this was one of the first times Levi had ever heard such unguarded bright laughter from the brat.

It was difficult for him to watch Eren play with his son, their son. Even if Mikasa hadn't begged him and it ached to see Eren in front so close yet so far from him, Levi would still have allowed the brunet to play with Eirian. His son was strangely attached to the brat, likely because they were both brats, and it was the least he could do considering that Eren had been the one to give birth to Eirian.

But on the other hand, Levi hated how these coming and goings were pale reflections of what they had once shared. They hadn't spent much time with Eirian before Eren had been summoned before the tribunal; it had only been a month after all, but Levi had never been happier than in those precious moments. The past wasn't pretty. It was filled with blood, gore, and plenty of death, but there were also the moments between which one could forget about the fighting, the titans, and all the deaths. Tender moments filled with shared smiles and soft sighs. They were was unique to Eren and him, and being the only one that remembered stung. What they were doing seemed like a paltry imitation, never really able to compete against the real thing. Moreover, the more he saw of the brat, the more Levi hated not being able to speak the truth and for pretending.

It was so tempting to and would be trivially easy to attempt to trigger Eren's memories. He couldn't even begin to fathom what might serve as a catalyst for it – that was Hange's expertise – nor did he want everyone to remember. Even so, every day, Levi warred internally with himself over the possibility of seeing his Eren again. There was no going back if he spoke of things better left unsaid with Eren. If what they tried failed, there was a chance Eren would either find him deranged and cut off all ties, which could arguably be worse than the current state of affairs, or even worse, cause everyone to remember and undo the peace in their lives.

Or maybe it was just because he was weak and afraid of being broken once more, Levi figured. He was but a feeble human being, one who had stood out a little from his skill with killing things, but nothing more than that. He wasn't anything special. If one had to make a list of his character traits, it would be littered with unsavory descriptions. Words like unfeeling, cold, rude, and short were at the forefront whenever he thought of himself. Typically, Levi wouldn't have given a shit what someone thought of him, but Eren was the anomaly that continually messed up his equilibrium.

Levi didn't know how he felt about this new Eren. Traces of the brat remained, yet the camaraderie they shared now was different from any relationship they had in the past. Eirian definitely liked the brunet, especially given all the stories he told about the Scouting Legion and of titans. It was difficult to separate the old Eren from the new, and what he felt about the brat was even more difficult, if not impossible, to parse out.

He liked being with the new Eren. It was a refreshing change from the shitheads who came to his shop who didn't appreciate quality and came looking for inferior teas, or those too-nosy neighbors who kept trying to match him up with some pretty girl. Although the brunet was as stubborn as ever, Eren had matured and could be reasoned with.

But it was also possible that the impression he had of the brat was glorified from his experiences with who Eren had been. As much as he had found the brat obnoxious, the titan shifter had been a hard worker, passionate, and loving. He admired the brat's dedication to the mission and fighting spirit. Levi doubted those qualities had disappeared, but now that he was not in charge of the brunet's day to day life, he no longer had privileged access to this more mature version of Eren.

In many ways, the old Eren would never be fully erased. Eirian's existence, the changed memories of those around them, and the fact that he was no longer bound to the military was proof of that. Whether those feelings he had held for the brat all those years ago were the same was another story altogether. Levi had spent so much time drowning his sorrows by being busy and raising Eirian that those emotions had been pushed aside. Now that Eren was in front of him once more, Levi found it difficult to differentiate between what he felt for the young recruit then and the squad leader in front of him now.

He didn't want the new Eren to replace those precious memories they had once shared. As dark as those times had been, he cherished their shared past. The few special moments spent racing in the trees or viewing the stars atop the roof. The first time he saw Eren smile at him when he congratulated the brat on successfully making tea. Or their first kiss. Even the painful times they had shared, such as watching the rest of his squad – Petra, Oluo, Eld, Gunther – fall in battle, made him feel that much closer to Eren. Although their relationship had begun as two bodies seeking warmth and comfort, it had evolved into something much more than just that. Even if the words had only been said once, and only by him, neither of them had wanted to part.

If the brat ever regained his memories, he also did not want Eren to think he had replaced him. Since he hadn't. The brat still existed within him, ingrained so deeply it would never fade. Levi knew with certainty that as long his heart beat, those feelings would never disappear. He didn't want Eren, his Eren, to think he had forgotten or broken his promise, but it was so hard to wish for a miracle when there was no hope for one.

And this new Eren was a conundrum. Levi wanted to treat Eren as his own person and start afresh with the person the shifter had become, but it was so difficult to turn a blind eye to the Eren he had once been. The overlap was undeniable. And what if he did fall for this new one? What then? He didn't know whether he could bear to be with the brat with their shared history lying hidden between them the way it was.

Forgotten memories aside, it wasn't like there was much of a chance for them to be together. He was a simple teashop owner with a son while Eren was a squad leader in the Scouting Legion. If not for Mikasa, it was unlikely that they would have met once more. Levi had no idea who Eren was outside from those few hours every few weeks spent together. It was also entirely possible that the shifter had already found his special someone. And that someone wasn't him.

As much as he would have preferred it, none of that could prevent his foolish heart from wishing.

Sometimes Levi wished he had never met Eren again. At the very least, he wouldn't need to be tormented by such thoughts. Yet at the same time, exchanging simple words and seeing the shifter with their son, filled him with such bittersweet yearning.

Hearing a familiar peal of laughter ring out in the market square, the dark-haired man raised his head, instinctively seeking the person responsible for the sound. When his eyes settled on Eren, his heart instantly came to life, beating at the sight of the brunet. It was utterly unlike him, but he had almost called the brat over. The only thing stopping him, freezing his heart once more, was the sight of a blonde female laughing and smiling up at Eren as they strolled through the booths.

As much as he wanted to, it was impossible to tear his eyes away from the scene.

Levi had no idea what who the blonde was, but the sight of her next to him hurt more than he had ever expected. Seeing Eren was already painful enough, but the pain was magnified hundredfold watching him with someone else. There might be nothing between the two of them, but his heart and body refused to cooperate.

Levi should have known that what he felt was only part of the equation. What was the point of even considering anything but friendship if it was never going to be reciprocated? The proof was right in front of him. It was so like Eren to inadvertently drop back into his life, bright-eyed and full of laughter, only to tear away once more.

He knew that the younger man was trying to get closer to him, such as asking him to help find a gift for Hange's upcoming birthday – an invitation he had refused – but it was futile. Even if Eren wanted to be friends with him, it wasn't enough for the dark-haired man. The brat already had so many friends that he would merely be one in many for the shifter. His heart would never be satisfied with the paltry imitation of what they once shared. It was painful enough knowing and talking to the brat occasionally, but watching Eren fall in love with someone else would be unbearable.

Their past relationship had formed after days of anguish and stress; it was something that would never have come about otherwise. He was more than a decade older than the shifter and they were from very different walks of life. Eren had dreams of seeing the world outside the walls, visiting the ocean, and gaining freedom, while he… those thoughts had never occurred to him. At most, his dreams were to survive for another mission and to kill more of those creatures. No matter how risky or frightening it was fighting titans, it was leagues better than living in the Underground.

What they had shared was lost in the past. And the proof of that was right before his eyes.

Watching as they disappeared somewhere into the crowd, Levi came to the realization that as much as he wanted to separate the past from the present and start anew, none of it mattered. Eren was older, more mature, and most importantly, not his anymore. If he didn't distance himself from Eren soon, it was only going to hurt that much more in the long run.