Lotte Ackerman-Leonhardt

There were a lot of things that Mikasa Ackerman could handle.

Annoying people at the workplace? Sure.

Eren's constant fights with Jean? No problem.

Annie's insults? No brainer.

But this!? This was absolutely on a whole new level that she could not even begin to comprehend. She was a dad. Well, technically a mother but seeing as she was the one who impregnanted Annie it would only make sense that she is the child's father. Nonetheless, she was a parent! Staring at the little bundle in her arms, she could hear the faint sounds of noise trying to intrude in her train of thought. The little being wrapped up in the pink blanket in her arms was so small. Grey eyes stared up at her beneath blonde locks of hair and she gulped before trembling just a tad bit as a little hand reached up and touched her arm. That small hand. The small hand of a little person that she and Annie created together. Lotte. Her dear, sweet, little Lotte. It was short for Charlotte, but Annie wanted to call her Lotte and it stuck. Lotte looked up at Mikasa with curious eyes but even she could tell that her taller parent was shocked and somewhat frightened. As if she could provide some type of reassurance, the little baby gave her a smile. Mikasa's heart stopped right dab in her chest and for a moment everything else melted away.

She loved this child.

She loved this child's smile.

She would do anything to protect it.

The fear began to melt away and Mikasa held Lotte closer to her pressing her nose into her hair and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. The baby girl cooed softly before taking a hold of her hair. When they separated, Eren and Armin was staring very closely at them so close that they could have kissed if Mikasa had moved her head any faster.

"Are you okay, Mikasa? You've been staring at Lotte since Annie went to go get her bottle."

Speaking of the devil, Annie was standing in the doorway toying with the bottle. Although the look in her eyes wasn't one of mocking, it was one of affection. A whole new affection reserved for the two of them and them alone, it made Mikasa smile. The two of them gazed at one another spurring another round of stares between Eren and Armin.

"Annie? The bottle." Armin reminded.

Annie snapped out of it first before strolling towards them. She didn't take Lotte from Mikasa rather she handed the bottle to her and instructed her silently on how to feed the baby. Her hand never left Mikasa's as they watched their child drink her fill. Once she was done, Mikasa patted her back so that she could burp before she began to have a giggle fit. Mikasa cracked a smile and Annie shook her head.

"She is pretty cute..", Eren said with a small smile.

Lotte's laughter filled the room with joy and her parents who were normally stoic couldn't help but smile with her. Eventually, they bid Eren and Armin goodbye as they had only come to make sure Mikasa didn't explode with the baby. As soon as they were gone, Mikasa sat on the couch with Annie on her lap and Lotte being held by Annie. The two adults shared a kiss before Mikasa kissed Lotte's head.

Hugging her blondes, she slowly closed her eyes.

"Mami! Papi!"

Annie groaned before burying her face in Mikasa's chest trying to drown out the alarm clock which was her daughter. Mikasa, on the other hand, opened her eyes to see the little five year old girl sitting on top of her chest. Lotte's hair had grown out more since she had gotten older coming to her mid back, her eyes were just like Mikasa's but possessed a curiosity and innocence that the older woman no longer possessed. She had chosen to copy her father's way of dress preferring to wear simple clothing though her pajamas were white with ducklings on them. Slipping away from Annie who rolled over and curled up in the blanket, she rose out of bed. Lotte climbed down before scampering over to her and grabbing her hand.

"Come on, Papi! I'm starving!"

That was quite the understatement. Mikasa always made sure that their pantry was stocked and whenever something was going missing, she made sure to replace it before it could go out. That way her daughter would never be hungry. However, it may have been because neither of her parents were up to make her breakfast. Mikasa would have been up earlier if Annie hadn't decided to play a little game after putting Lotte to bed. The other thing that struck her was 'Papi'. Mikasa explained to Lotte beforehand that she wasn't a man and theroetically, men were usually 'fathers'. Lotte's rebuttal had been comparing her to the fathers she experienced meeting in Kindergarten for Parent's Day. All the Parents came in and sat with their kids for a day, and this time her teacher, Ms. Petra, decided for the dads to come. All of the other daddies, as Lotte put it, weren't able to do the things that her daddy could.

For instance, they couldn't lift as much as her daddy could or punch as hard or make a better breakfast therefore her daddy wasn't a daddy but a super daddy!

Mikasa decided to let that one go.

Carrying Lotte in her arms, she made her way to the kitchen. There were rules set up on the wall for Lotte to often read when she came in the kitchen. It was meant for her to understand the rules of the kitchen so that she wouldn't get herself in any trouble. But she was a rather well-behaved child if not a little mischievous and curious at times. Setting Lotte down in her chair, the two of them planned what they wanted to eat for breakfast. Eventually, Annie also joined the mix and put her two cents in. Soon it was only Annie and Lotte who were battling over whether waffles or pancakes were better. Her two blondes smiling and laughing before Lotte was picked up by her hands and hair ruffled into submission.

Lotte Ackerman-Leonhardt.

Annie Ackerman-Leonhardt.

Mikasa Ackerman-Leonhardt.

The Ackerman-Leonhardt family.

Her family.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey Papi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart. I think pancakes are better though."

"Mikasa..", Annie growled.