A:N/ The usual. Elyse belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to the Titans.
Eren was turning one and so was Mikasa a couple weeks after. Planning a birthday for each of them in the upcoming week was starting to become stressful. Levi had offered to help, but ever since her 18th birthday, her brother has been busy with Erwin.
Their father revealed that he was going to give Levi some responsibility and that had shocked the Ackerman siblings to no end. The fact that their father was playing with the babies before he left was also terrifyingly shocking.
But the softening of her father was the least shock. Her brother actually complying to her father's wishes, and she had almost teased her brother until he shot her a warning look, so she simply smiled and kept quiet.
Well, now that the men in her family were a little bit busier, Elyse had struggled with the party planning especially when it came to the guest lists. Erwin had told her that the business ventures that he bought and then sold got him many connections and that it would kill two birds with one stone with inviting them. Elyse was surprised and a bit disappointed about it, but Erwin gave her a pointed look and sat her down.
"Elyse, I know that you've been away from the spotlight for a while, and I made sure that you were because of the pregnancy and the children. But, I can't keep the spotlight away forever. With inviting these business partners, the spotlight will not only be on me, but it'll be on you." Erwin explained, trying to make her understand.
Realization dawned on her. And she groaned.
"Exactly," Erwin sighed, "It's been a year away from the press and the constant hounding from friends and acquaintances. With our lives, we can't stay in hiding forever."
Fear seized Elyse, "What about the children? Can't we just hide them for a while? I don't want another incident with the press." Elyse said, grabbing Erwin's arm.
Erwin patted her hand, comfortingly, "With you finally out and about, the press will be busy with that. Besides, Dieter and Nifa will be here with them when we have to go out."
"Going out? You mean…"
"Business parties, events, and dinners. The people I do business with don't like knowing about my wife and not seeing her. It's a plus to look like a family man to them. It's irritating, but what can you do?" Erwin apologized, half-heartedly trying to make a joke.
Elyse smiled back, but her eyes twinkled in amusement, "So, I'm joining the game?" She asked, teasingly.
Erwin smiled at that, "Everyone needs a good partner."
So, here she was, in a banquet hall, supposedly planning a birthday party for Eren, her first one-year old child. She was stubbornly holding on to the fact that her baby would at least have balloons and a kid-themed party. Erwin had laughed at that, but he told her it should be fine.
With that idea, Elyse told him to tell the guests to bring their children and he complied.
Finishing the final touches to the venue, Elyse was finally satisfied before she walked outside to wait for the car. Dieter was at her side, asking if everything was okay. Elyse smiled and was about to tell him about her day until a cameraman and a reporter ran up to her, asking her questions.
"Elyse, Elyse! What brings you here today?" The reporter asked, urgently, and that's when the press began to swarm around her.
"Elyse! Look over here!"
"Elyse, how are the children?"
"You look gorgeous, what's your secret?"
"Miss Elyse, come here." Dieter stated, putting an arm around her, but she smiled at him and shook her head. He looked surprised, but he obeyed.
Elyse took a deep breath and she turned to press, smiling, "Hello, everyone. It's nice to see all of you, but I really need to go now." That's when Dieter knew that was his cue as he began to usher her out.
The press still clamored as she made her way through, but Elyse waved and smiled, playing the perfect little heiress that the press had claimed her to be.
Once she got in the car, she took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair.
So much for living a quiet life.
Elyse got home to happy children as they crawled and stomped their chubby feet towards her. Elyse laughed, greeting them with kisses. "You are going to have a great birthday, Eren. Don't worry, Armin, your birthday is coming soon. Yes, it is. Yes, it is." Elyse cooed, as her children babbled, happily.
Nifa waited patiently for her mistress to finish up greeting her kids before she informed Elyse, "Mr. Smith called. He said to meet him at his office for dinner. Apparently, your father is asking for you to be there."
Elyse nodded, sighing, she thought she would be able to rest for a bit with the children, but when father calls, father calls. Putting her hair down, she carried Armin and let Eren and Mikasa climb up the stair by holding NIfa's hands. As Armin placed his head on his mother's shoulder, Elyse smiled, softly, kissing his forehead.
She hated when she had to leave her children sometimes, but she did crave going out most of the time. She was an adventurer since she was a kid on the streets of Paris with her teenage brother, as he showed her everything, until she was a student in New York City.
When she was satisfied with her kids playing, she blew them a kiss, and they waved their hands with their excited babbling.
Petra had outdone herself once more. Elyse looked at herself in the mirror, appreciating how she looked in the one-shoulder mahogany body-con midi dress. Elyse realized that the last time she did her makeup, professionally, was at her birthday party, and now, she had been enjoying putting her makeup since then, realizing that she had the time now. So, with simple mascara and eyeliner, a hint of blush and bronzer, and a natural lip color, Elyse felt proud of herself as she stared at her reflection.
She had put her hair off to one side, pinning up the side that would cover her shoulder if she didn't put it up. Pairing of the dress, Elyse grabbed black strappy heels that made her happy that she could wear heels again and a simple clutch.
She gave herself one more look in the mirror, smoothing out the dress once more. She lost the pregnancy weight, slowly, due to her being extremely active with the kids and running errands around the estate, but that meant she lost the toned muscles she had as a dancer, but that could be easily fixed, reminding herself to get back into her training regime as much as she could.
Her father had always been very critical of her and her brother's appearance since they were young, embracing the European fashion and reminding them that the only time they could look relaxed is when no one was around them.
That's when she thought of how her brother still wore a cravat to this day, amused.
She walked downstairs and Dieter nodded, giving her a slight smile, and Nifa gasped in awe, "You look gorgeous, Miss Elyse." Nifa gushed.
Dieter nodded, silently, agreeing with the small woman. Elyse blushed, and thanked them. She kissed Nifa's cheek as a goodbye, who still flushed at that affection, but Elyse was adamant about being friendly with her staff besides they were in Paris. It's not normal to not greet or leave without a kiss on the cheek.
Elyse thanked Dieter as he helped her in the car. Once the door closed, Elyse checked her phone to see if anyone contacted her and she realized that she had a notification sent to her from Petra.
It was a news article and she looked at it, slightly surprised. The headline read: ELYSE JAEGER-ACKERMAN FINALLY SHINING IN PUBLIC.
It went on to talk about how she was friendly and how the press had been excited to the see the heiress and couldn't wait to see more of her.
Immediately overwhelmed, Elyse realized that her quiet life wasn't going to be so quiet anymore.
She was correct to assume that because once she reached Erwin's building, a small group of press was waiting for her. She had assumed at first that they were waiting for someone else, but the moment she saw a distressed Petra waiting for her inside, through the glass doors, Elyse braced herself as Dieter rushed to open her door and protect her at the same time.
The press began their usual yelling, trying to catch her attention, and Elyse did her best to keep her practiced smile on her face as she walked through with the help of Dieter. Once the glass doors closed behind her, the security detail that usually followed Erwin guarded the doors.
Elyse walked up to Petra, giving her a comforting hug as Petra visibly relaxed, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Elyse. I think one of the workers here tipped the press that you'll be coming tonight."
Elyse shook her head, "It's fine, Petra. Might as well try to get used to it."
Petra still sighed, but she let go of Elyse as she noticed her dress, and she smiled, proudly.
"You look beautiful, Miss Elyse." Petra complimented her, applauding herself for a job well done and Elyse laughed at that. "Come, let's go upstairs. They're waiting for you." Petra said, leading Elyse to the elevator with Dieter trailing behind them.
The elevator led them to the top floor and the elevator attendant, a young boy, seemed to be floored by her and she tried to smile reassuringly at him, which made him more flustered. The doors opened, revealing a large waiting room with a gorgeous secretary waiting for them at the receptionist table.
Petra walked up to the table, speaking in French to her, and Elyse felt nostalgic with the language, appreciating the sounds.
"Isabelle, this is Miss Elyse, Mr. Smith's wife." Petra introduced, motioning towards Elyse. The gorgeous secretary got up, and she made her way to Elyse, giving the usual two kisses on each cheek in greeting. Elyse found herself appreciative of the gesture, realizing that she truly missed her French roots.
"Miss Elyse, a pleasure. I am your husband's secretary and I also help Petra with other errands." Isabelle introduced herself, warmly. Elyse nodded her head, "Thank you for all your hard work, Isabelle. I do hope my husband isn't hard on you."
The slight darkening look at Elyse's words on Isabella's face had made Elyse suddenly uncomfortable and she almost blushed at the look, realizing that it was very similar to the looks that Erwin and her had exchanged when they first met.
"Oh, your husband isn't very hard on me at all. If anything, he's very easy." Isabella laughed, the look disappearing, but the small playful smile was still there.
That's when a lightbulb popped in Elyse's head.
Oh.
She couldn't think more of it since Petra excused them and was now leading Elyse to the wooden doors that led to Erwin's office. Petra knocked on the doors, loudly, and Erwin's voice called out, "Come in."
Petra opened the doors and Elyse gasped at how huge Erwin's office was. The open windows and warm fireplace were what her eyes were drawn to, but Erwin's office desk seemed tiny compared to the size of the office. Her father and brother were sitting in the small resting area that was in front of Erwin's office desk. It had leather couches and a coffee table in between. A small mini-bar was at the side of the resting area. If Elyse didn't know any better, it was the exact replica of Erwin's office back at their estate except this place was huge and had the gorgeous view of Paris outside his windows.
Erwin was standing next to the mini-bar, pouring a drink, when he looked up and saw her. He paused, and Elyse shyly stared back, finally feeling a little uncomfortable with all the attention since she left home. Was it too much? Her father and brother were deep in conversation, acknowledging her with a nod before returning to their talk.
Erwin finally made the first move as he smiled at her, politely. He walked towards her, drink in hand, and he bent down grab her hand and kiss it. "You look beautiful, Elyse."
Elyse thanked him, bashfully, but she was stopped by his chuckle, "Like a pumpkin." He whispered, quietly, just so she could hear.
A flash of annoyance crossed her face as she pushed him away, playfully. She breathed a sigh of relief when he had teased her. She felt more comfortable when he was playful rather than serious with her.
Her father and brother decided to stop what they were talking to turn and acknowledge their favorite girl. "Elyse, come here. I want to discuss something with you and your brother." Her father stated, motioning for her.
Elyse shot Erwin a cross-eyed look and Erwin chuckled as he pushed her towards her family. Elyse obeyed as she moved to sit next to her father. She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and he smiled at her, giving her a once-over look.
"Beautiful, my dear. Motherhood really does agree with you, you're positively glowing." Her father stated, pleasantly. Elyse laughed at that, mentally rolling her eyes, "You must be already drunk, papa." The darkened look made Elyse stop her teasing as she realized that she was talking to her father, not Levi or Erwin, and she coughed slightly, bowing her head in apology.
She heard Levi stifle a laugh and through veiled hair, she shot him a glare while he purposely looked away, drinking his drink.
"Anyways, I need to discuss the plan of the company in the near future." Her father continued, taking everything by stride, "I was just talking to your brother how I plan for him to take over in New York while your husband continues to take over here."
That really shocked Elyse.
She turned to her brother, and she noticed that he looked at her, ready for her questions.
"Father and I have made a compromise. I've decided to take over for an interim until someone more qualified shows up." Levi explained, and Elyse noticed that her father looked disgruntled at that, but he let his son continue, "If I do like leading the company, then I'll take over just like father wanted."
Elyse was even more confused, "When…?" She trailed off, not sure if she should question the tension that had happened with her brother and her father before.
Her father sighed, turning to his daughter, and he took her hand, "I'm…I'm getting old, my dear. I've decided to swallow my pride just this once with your brother because it does belong to him and you and your children."
Elyse softened at that, "Papa, I didn't realize that you were that scared." Her father shrugged, patting her hand, "I want what's best for my family, no matter what. We may have our differences, but I'm adamant about our company. Besides, with Erwin leading our Paris sales since you both moved here-"
"Wait, what?" Elyse asked, surprised, turning to her husband, who simply stared at her, nonchalantly.
Her father looked at her confused and Elyse noticed that he also shot Erwin a look of confusion, "Your husband took over Mr. Garnier's job at least a year ago, Elyse. Did you not tell her, Erwin?"
Elyse simply stared at her husband, a little miffed at the news. Erwin sighed, and he looked at her father rather than at her, "With three kids and me being at work all the time, it slipped my mind."
Her father nodded in understanding, but Elyse was far away from understanding.
That sneaky bastard. You had every opportunity to let me know.
She turned away from her husband, and she lost herself in her thoughts as her father talked once more.
Why didn't he tell me? We did have that year of not talking, but that still doesn't give him an excuse. Is he trying to undermine my authority with my father's company? No, don't think that, Elyse. But, why is he so damn infuriating? It's not as if it was hard to tell me.
She let out a sigh at her complicated thoughts, and her brother calling her name made her back to paying attention.
"Shall we go to dinner now?" Levi asked, standing up and offering his arm to her. She gratefully accepted it and as they all left, she pointedly ignored Erwin's stare before they left the office.
Dinner was pleasant. Elyse was right about her father already being a little out of it, but now, he was really out of it. He was waving his glass around, laughing with Erwin, and slapping Levi's back.
Elyse was very glad that she was seated next to her brother and Erwin. A pinch to her waist made her look up from playing with her food and she involuntarily looked up at Erwin, but she realized that it wasn't him because he was still busy talking to her father.
A chuckle from her other side made her blush, and she pushed her brother in annoyance as he began to laugh.
"I can't believe you thought it was Erwin. Are you guys into that or something? I mean, I'm not judging or anything…" Levi whispered to her, playfully.
"Shut up." Elyse hissed back, still bright red.
"Is everything all right?" Erwin asked them, his attention turning to them and Elyse hastily nodded while Levi shrugged in amusement.
"Elyse, are you feeling well? You seem flushed." Erwin said, turning his attention to her, placing a hand on Elyse's forehead, and Elyse grabbed his hand, and it looked gentle, but she squeezed his hand, tightly, before dropping it, smiling innocently at him.
"I'm fine, Erwin."
She knew that Erwin didn't miss the warning tone in her voice and he bent down to whisper in her ear when he noticed that Levi went back to distracting Ansel.
"Explain." Erwin stated, quietly. Elyse rolled her eyes, facing him, not even realizing that their faces were inches away.
"Why did you lie to me? You're a CEO, Erwin, not an actuary. A CEO of my father's Parisian company is a big deal unless you really think that I'm not allowed to know that." Elyse whispered back, noticing that she was starting to get more upset with every word.
Erwin sighed, "Elyse, I'm sorry, but we were at…odds back then. I didn't think it was smart to tell you just like that. I didn't want you to think that I also married you to get ahead in the business game. And, over time, it did really slip my mind to tell you."
Elyse tried to understand, but she still felt betrayed a bit, but she forced herself to nod and she returned to facing her food, eating. Erwin's stare throughout the whole dinner proved that he didn't believe that she understood one bit.
She wished her brother and her father goodnight and they promised to visit soon to see the children. Her father promised more because he was leaving the next afternoon. But, then again, he was extremely drunk, so Elyse wouldn't be surprised if he didn't show up, but she mentally made a note to prepare the estate for her father.
Erwin helped her in the car and once he got in, the ride back home was starting to get a bit awkward. With a hand signal, Erwin motioned for Dieter to put up the tarp in the car so Elyse and him could speak privately.
"Elyse, please tell me what's bothering you, so we can fix this." Erwin finally said, looking at her. Elyse was still looking out the window, but she complied as she faced him.
"Don't you realize that it sucks living with a husband who keeps things from you? I want to trust you at least, Erwin, but I don't." Elyse replied, her frown deepening.
Erwin nodded, "I apologize, Elyse. I don't mean to hide things from you. I'm used to being alone and dealing with things alone." He explained it so nicely, Elyse couldn't find it in her heart to remain stubborn at him.
"It's fine, Erwin. Just…don't hide, okay? I'm here and you can talk to me especially when it involves our family." Elyse said, not even realizing that she said, 'our.'
Erwin smiled at that, "Our family?" He asked, playfully. Elyse paused and she rolled her eyes at him, "Yes, our family. You joined the emotionally and physically-stunted Ackerman family the day you decided to hand yourself to my father."
The sound of their laughter lifted up the tension the way back home.
Once they got home, they were greeted by a stressed Nifa and three wailing children. Feeling bad for Nifa, Elyse relieved Nifa by picking up the child who was crying the most which tended to be Eren, and in this case, Eren.
"Aw, mon petite, why are you crying, hm?" Elyse cooed, as she helped Erwin pick up Armin and Mikasa. Once Mikasa was in her father's arm, she began to suck her thumb and laid her head on her father's shoulder. Armin also calmed down as he placed his tiny hands on his father's face, babbling about his day. Eren kept crying, and Elyse started to worry.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Elyse murmured, wishing for the hundredth time that her babies could talk to her. Eren simply wailed, and she began to pace the floor, trying to calm her son down.
"Do you want me to take him?" Erwin asked, starting his trek up the stairs to put Mikasa and Armin down, but Elyse shook her head and waved him off, "It's fine, I got him."
Erwin nodded, and disappeared up the stairs.
Eren started to calm down, but his tiny hands were tugging at her hair as if trying to get her attention. And Elyse began to tickle him and he laughed at that, still sniffling.
"There's that smile, there's that smile." Elyse giggled, still tickling him, "You're going to turn one tomorrow, darling. Are you excited?"
Eren laughed, and he let out a squeal once he found himself lifted up high and Elyse was also surprised when she saw Erwin's hands pick Eren up from her.
"Pa!" Eren gurgled, loudly, and Erwin's eyes widened at that. An impossible gleaming smile found its way on Erwin's face and he turned to Elyse, happily.
Elyse nodded, unaffected, but she was smiling, "He's been saying that word since a couple months ago."
Erwin was taken aback by that and his smile slightly dimmed at the reminder of how absent he had been compared to now, but Elyse placed a hand on his shoulder, comfortingly.
"Hey, it's okay now. You're here, and you finally heard it." Elyse said, poking a finger at his dimple in his cheek as he somewhat smiled at her.
Eren seemed to want to comfort his father, too, as he tried to mimic his mother's actions by slapping his father's face with his chubby hands.
Erwin laughed at that, turning his attention to Eren, "Oh, you little Mäuschen." Elyse tilted her head at the term, her face playful.
"Eren's too big to be a mouse." Elyse stated, sniff-kissing her son's head. Erwin rolled his eyes, "Oh, yes, I shall call him bärchen."
The sound of Elyse's laughter reached Nifa's ears, as she tended to the children upstairs, and she shared a smile with Dieter, who nodded in return.
It seems that all was well in the Smith household.
Elyse rose early to prepare breakfast for her kids since she told Nifa that she wanted to start getting used to cooking. Nifa had taught her a couple things in the kitchen, and Elyse sent a prayer of thanks to her aunt for thinking her a couple of dishes to make back in America.
Tonight was going to be Eren's celebration, and Elyse's phone had been ringing constantly. She had felt bad, but she asked for Nifa's help to answer the calls, and Nifa happily accepted, waving Elyse's worry away.
"This is why I'm here, Miss Elyse. I'm here to help." Nifa argued, politely, taking away her phone. Elyse sighed, but she accepted.
The smell of omelets filled her nostrils, and Elyse was grateful that it didn't smell burnt or weird. Satisfied, Elyse busied herself with pouring her kids orange juice until she smelt something burning.
Scared, she closed the refrigerator and that's when she threw a rag at Erwin, who sat at the dining table, smoking a cigar.
"Put that out, right now." Elyse hissed, in warning, "You have kids in this house. If you have to smoke, do it outside."
Erwin sighed, taking the cigar out of his mouth to make a sweeping motion, "I don't see kids here, Elyse."
Elyse rolled her eyes, crossing her arms, "I'm about to wake them, so they can eat. I'm trying to slowly get them off the bottle, so they can start eating like little normal human beings, and it's not going to help if they smell tobacco."
Erwin raised an eyebrow at her, picking up his discarded newspaper on the table, "Little normal human beings? They're not creatures, Elyse. Also, don't you think it's a bit early to throw them off with real food?"
Elyse twitched, and she pointed to the balcony outside, "Outside. Now."
Erwin raised an eyebrow, amused, but he put out his cigar, snuffing it out on the ash tray next to him. Elyse sighed, and she walked up to him and grabbed the ashtray to empty the contents in the trash.
"Oh, before I forget, about the party tonight, I'm going to add more security. Someone tipped off the press again. I need to start making my employees sign a contract." Erwin announced, the sound of the newspaper flipping was comforting to Elyse. She had grown up with newspapers, and the technology right now was starting to get rid of them, much to her dismay.
"Sounds reasonable. Do you need us to get their earlier then?" Elyse asked, still setting up the breakfast on the dining table.
Erwin hummed in thought, "Possibly. I'll contact them when they get there to see the gravity of the situation. Also, the dress that Petra picked out for you tonight is in my room. Remind me to bring it out for you. The babies should have their outfits picked out by now, too. Unless you picked it out for them. Levi actually had a custom suit made for Eren if you would like to see it later."
Elyse's eyes brightened at that, amused, "Levi got Eren a custom-made suit? Are you serious?"
Erwin nodded, pondering about it, missing the amusement in Elyse's voice, "I would've got one made, too, but your brother was stubborn about it, saying that it would be his gift to Eren."
Elyse laughed, "Yes, a custom-made suit that he'll grow out of sounds like a great birthday gift."
Her brother and Erwin really didn't know the idea of practicality when it came to suits. It seems that they had that in common.
Erwin looked at her, quizzically, but Elyse waved his confusion away, "Get the kids. Breakfast is ready."
Breakfast was a messy affair. Eren had grabbed the omelet and started throwing it everywhere while Mikasa refused to eat it, wailing for her bottle instead. Armin was their only hope, he had eaten bits and pieces, but once Mikasa wanted her bottle, he suddenly wanted his bottle too.
Elyse shot Erwin an exasperated look and he stifled a chuckle as he cleaned Eren's mess. He opened his mouth to say something, but when Elyse shot him a glare, he thought better of it as he shut his mouth and smiled instead.
After the mess was cleaned up and the babies were taken back to the nursery by Nifa, Elyse sighed, sitting down on one of the dining chairs, slumping in it.
"Such a waste of good omelets." Elyse whined, placing an arm on the table so she could rest her head.
Erwin sat at the head of the table, looking clean and handsome, while Elyse was sure she had omelet gunk on her face and her hair was in a disarray. He had a plate of one of the omelets with orange juice on the side. His silverware was also set up, neatly.
The arrogant bastard even placed a napkin on his lap, sending a smile her way as he bit into the omelet.
"Eat it up, smug man. The party is tonight, so have fun dealing with old grown-up businessmen babies." Elyse stated, glumly.
Erwin raised an eyebrow at her, picked up a piece of an omelet with his fork and offered it to her, "Would you like some?"
Elyse pushed it away, glaring at him, and she got up, with a sigh.
"Also, work on your vocabulary before tonight, Elyse. I would hate for you to embarrass yourself in front of the old grown-up businessmen babies." Erwin called out to her retreating back.
Elyse could hear his gruff laughter when she shot up the middle finger at him.
Dressing the babies was easy and Elyse sighed in relief at that. Nifa shooed her away, stating that it was Elyse's turn to get ready. Elyse ran to Erwin's office and barged in, not even thinking to knock since the pressure of getting ready was starting to get on her nerves.
"Erwin, I need to get-Oh my god!" Elyse screamed, shielding her eyes.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Erwin was standing there, half-naked, and black dress pants slung low on his hips, showing a bulge that had Elyse blushing.
"There's a thing called knocking, Elyse." Erwin's voice said, obviously enjoying her embarrassment.
"Well, I'm in a hurry, and I need the dress that Petra picked out for me, please." Elyse said, hurriedly, trying to get out of the awkward situation that she was in. She heard a zip and then slight movement. Hands pried her arms away that shielded her face, and she found her flushed face staring at Erwin's amused face.
He had shaved, and Elyse was so used to seeing him with scruff that she flushed even more at how handsome he looked. His hair was in that usual businessman style, and his blue eyes shone, unreadable yet enchanting.
She suddenly felt like she was in the train that they met once more.
"Help me with my tie." Erwin said, placing her hands on his neck where his dress shirt was still unbuttoned and his tie was hanging off his collar.
That snapped Elyse from her awe, and she was once reminded that this man was insufferable, sometimes.
"I would, but I need to get ready myself, and since I take more time to get ready, I would like to know where my dress is." Elyse stated, impatiently. It was when Erwin's laugh interrupted her, and she noticed that she was already hastily fixing his tie.
Insufferable man.
"You know that I'm too nice, you…" Elyse trailed off, cursing in her head rather than aloud. Erwin found that even more amusing.
"Asshole, Elyse. Say it with me." Erwin replied, his eyes twinkling. He choked a little as Elyse tightened his tie. She smiled, sickeningly sweet, at him.
"How about that dress, sweetie?"
Erwin finally gave her the dress and she placed a hand on her mouth, awed.
"Seriously, Erwin. You need to pay Petra more for this. I don't know where I would be without her fashion expertise." Elyse stated, gingerly touching the dress, feeling the soft fabric within her fingertips.
Erwin shrugged at that, "She told me that she's inspired by you. So, I guess you have yourself to thank, and I can pay my assistant how I think fit, thank you very much."
Elyse waved him away, and she excused herself to her room to get ready.
The dress was a little transparent, the embroidered silver design covering her most intimate parts, but she loved the halter cut of the dress. It had been her favorite, the most flattering cut she had worn back in Julliard. The dress cinched at her waist and the transparent part disappeared when it came to the bottom part of the dress as it flowed down in a high-low fashion like a wave of silver. It draped below her knees and complimented her long legs, which Elyse considered her best feature.
Once she put it on, Elyse figured out what she wanted to with her hair as she braided it into a messy braid, "A good thing came out of watching Frozen a billion times." She muttered to herself, happy with her hair.
When it came to her makeup, she kept it simple yet she highlighted the most important parts of her face, giving her a glow.
Satisfied, Elyse paired the dress with the silver heels that Petra had got for her to celebrate Elyse's pregnancy being over.
She walked out of the room, sighing as she realized that the dress might be ruined if she wasn't careful with Eren tonight and his eating habits, but she smiled excitedly for her son.
"You're right. I might need to pay Petra more." Erwin's voice caught her attention, and Elyse realized that she was matching with the grey dress shirt that he was wearing. He looked dashing, and she smiled at his compliment.
Erwin approached her, placing a small kiss on the back of her hand, "The babies are in the car. Shall we?"
Elyse nodded, and she linked her arm with his and walked down the stairs. Nifa really looked like she wanted to squeal as she jumped up and down at the sight of them, but it was the person standing next to Nifa that took Elyse by surprise.
"Freida?!" Elyse asked, surprised, letting go of Erwin's arm to run to her grinning friend. "You made it!"
Freida laughed, "I promised, didn't I?" She looked at Elyse, up and down, whistling low, "Damn, don't you look fuckable?"
Elyse laughed, hugging her friend, tightly. "I'm so happy you're here."
"I'm so happy I made it. By the way, I can say without a doubt that Erwin and you will certainly make the papers. You guys look really good. Like let me join that orgy, will you?" Freida teased.
The sound of Elyse smacking Freida's bare arm sounded as Freida laughed in response, winking at Erwin, who simply looked lost from it all.
Eren bounced on Freida's lap as he happily tried to stand on her lap when Freida cooed at him.
"You're so heavy now, Eren. What are they feeding you?" Freida asked.
Erwin laughed at that and Elyse punched his arm in warning. Freida looked at both of them, raising an eyebrow, but she moved on, playing with the other two.
"This one is literally a carbon copy of you, Erwin. You sure you don't have a clone machine and shoved it up in-"
"Freida, I will hit you once more if you finish that sentence." Elyse warned with a sigh as she leaned over Mikasa's carriage to wipe her face. She softened at the sight of her pretty daughter. Mikasa always had thick black hair, so Elyse tied her daughter's short hair into a small bun and she was glad that she could finally see her daughter's face through all that hair.
Grey eyes and pale skin, Mikasa was truly an Ackerman beauty.
The car pulled into a stop and Elyse's eyes widened at the sight of the press. Erwin sighed, motioning for Dieter to help him. Dieter nodded, and he got out the car as Elyse handed him Mikasa. Freida was in charge of picking up Armin, and Erwin already had Eren tucked safely in his arms. The babies' faces were covered as their guardians shielded their faces with their arms, slightly burying the babies' faces in the crook.
Dieter went first and Freida followed, closely. Erwin offered his arm to Elyse as she got out the car. The press clamored at that.
"Erwin, Elyse, look over here!"
"Both of you look great! Smile over here!"
"Is that Eren you're carrying?"
Elyse simply took Erwin's arm and waved at the press, smiling and nodding, but she looked down before she was blinded by the cameras and she looked at Eren, who was protected by his father's large hand atop his head.
They entered the venue, and the security guarded the doors. Freida turned to Elyse once they were all safe inside the banquet hall, and she laughed, "How long has this been happening?! When did the press care so much about your live? Didn't they know you were an heiress before?"
Elyse sighed, tiredly, and she plucked the terrified Mikasa up from Freida's arms and she faced Elyse as she squished her cheek next to Mikasa's cheek, "Yeah, but then I married a man, ten years my senior, and had three kids. Press likes to eat that up."
Freida poked both their faces, amused, "I'd like to eat your husband's tight body and then your children's cheeks if that's all right with you."
Elyse laughed at that, and once she was satisfied with Mikasa's giggling, she gave her back to Freida to turn around and get ready for the party.
The banquet hall was starting to fill in and true to his word, Erwin had informed his business partners to bring their children. The children enjoyed Eren, Armin, and Mikasa, much to Elyse's enjoyment.
Erwin had called for her, and she shot Freida an apologetic look, but Freida wiggled her eyebrows as she pointed at Levi, who was sitting by himself, and mouthed, "I'll be right over there."
Elyse rolled her eyes at that.
"Mike, this is my wife, Elyse. Elyse, Mike was my VP back in Germany. This is Mike and this is his wife, Nanaba." Erwin introduced them, and Elyse smiled, pleasantly.
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you both." Elyse greeted, kissing their cheeks. They both seemed to be taken aback by that and she grew flustered, reminding herself that Erwin had worked in Germany and America, not in France.
Nanaba, the woman who was pretty with her green eyes and short blonde hair that complimented her face, smiled after a moment, kissing Elyse's cheeks in greeting, also.
"It's such a pleasure to meet you! We were surprised to hear that Erwin had married secretly and was expecting a child soon after, but it is Erwin. He was never one to celebrate anything." Nanaba teased Erwin, who scoffed in return.
"I've told you several times, Nana. It was a quiet event with family." Erwin sighed, shooting Mike an exasperated look. Mike shrugged, still quiet.
"I mean, you could have at least introduced her to us back in America. We were in America at the time, you know?" Nanaba insinuated, whispering it to Elyse.
Elyse giggled. She really liked Nanaba. She caught Mike's stare at her, and she smiled shyly. He returned it with a nod and a small smile.
"You must come to dinner then. Our estate is always open. It gets tiring dealing with children, and I'd love to have company to entertain." Elyse offered, politely and excitedly. She would finally have company over.
Nanaba nodded, excitedly. "Erwin offered Mike a position here and we're thinking of moving here. It's beautiful here and we would love to have a change of pace."
Elyse grabbed her hands, "Oh, you must! The children will love it and so would I."
They chattered on for a couple of moments excitedly and Elyse excused herself to go to the bathroom. She passed her brother, who seemed amused and deep in his conversation with Freida. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he squeezed it in greeting. Elyse shot Freida a look, and Freida simply smiled back. Her head tilted and placed in her hand as her elbow was carefully placed on the table so she could lean in more to talk to Levi.
Elyse snorted, quietly, at that, but she moved on to the bathroom, finally taking a moment to herself.
Once she got out, she started to walk back into the venue until a hand on her arm pulled her aside to a secluded area.
Surprised, she looked up and stared.
She didn't expect to see the person who was standing in front of her at all.
A:N/ Cliffhanger because I'm mean. Voice your frustrations down below.
