Alright- I warn you, there is SO MUCH KAWAII in this, you just might explode. Merry Christmas (or happy holidays, if you don;t celebrate christmas! :) )

At seven, Eren was surprisingly easy to care for. He dressed himself, and though his brown locks were messy, his gap-toothed smile convinced Levi he was presentable enough to go downstairs to breakfast.

Afterwards, they went out to supervise morning drills, Eren sitting seriously in front of Levi on the horse, though barefoot, scrutinizing every move his comrades made.

"That guy's sloppy." Eren pointed to Jean, a frown on his face. "And he looks like a horse." the last bit was added almost like an afterthought, but Eren smiled when Levi nodded his agreement.

After watching drills, they returned to Levi's office, where Levi settled into doing paper work and Eren laid on his stomach on the floor, drawing with a pack of crayons someone had managed to snag for him.

Levi was completely unprepared when Erwin came striding into his office- he looked up, expected the conversation to be simple- but he when he saw the somber look on Erwin's face, he realized something serious had happened.

"What's happened?"

"Titans have built up on the walls outside of Stohess. It's manageable, but barely- they want it taken care of before it grows any worse. They've requested we dispatch squadrons to deal with it."

Levi raised his eyebrows, looking skeptical. "Isn't that the Garrison's job?"

"They've never had to deal with such a large number of titans at once before. Their losses have been concerning- we've been ordered to render aid. You're our most capable."

Levi frowned, darting a glance over at Eren. The boy was still on his stomach on the floor, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as he drew.

"I can't."

"I understand where you're coming from- really, I do- but the brass his demanded your presence. They've requested Eren come, as well, as assurance, in case your squadron can't handle it."

Levi paled rapidly. "They can't find out about his current condition, or they'll take him."

Erwin nodded. "Exactly. Which is why you and your squad can't fail. If you handle it, there will be no need for Eren to shift…."

"I don't even think he's capable of shifting at the moment…." Levi looked over at the crayon wielding boy. He highly doubted the seven year old could shift in his current condition.

"That's irrelevant, Levi. If you and your squad do their job, they'll never find out."

Levi swallowed, nodding. The entire situation rested on his shoulders. He was normally good with pressure, but everything seemed muddled when Eren was involved.

"I assume you want me to leave Eren here, in your care?"

Erwin didn't meet Levi's eyes, instead looking over at the boy coloring happily on the floor. He hesitated for a brief moment before he spoke. "... I feel it'd be best if he remained with you."

"How am I supposed to coordinate an attack and care for him!?" Levi hissed, voice low enough to Eren couldn't hear him. "Just how do you expect me to keep him entertained, lead my troops, and keep the brass finding out about his current condition?"

Erwin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, contemplating the dilemma. "Have one of your squad members stay behind in the camp with him to supervise him- claim they're ill. Lead your troop by day, and resume your care over him at night. It should be a simple task- if you work to your usual standard, the titans should be cleared within two days."

Levi leaned his head back and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't like this idea."

"I understand that- but Eren is attached to you. It'd be much worse if you were to leave him..."

"He's not attached to me." Levi glared at hsi superior and friend accusingly.

"Heichou! I drew you a picture!"

Levi's head whipped around to see Eren bouncing on the balls off his feet, giving him a gap-toothed grin and proudly holding up a rather sloppy drawing.

"It's of you- killing ALL the titans so I can go play outside the walls." Eren beamed.

Levi looked at the drawing critically for a moment- he clearly saw himself in stick-figure form, the grey crayon marking his blades, and the deformed flesh-colored titans. Along with LOTS of scribbles of red...

"That's there blood. You're gonna bathe in it once you've killed them all." Eren explained cheerfully, smile never dulling.

Levi looked at the boy seriously. "This is the best work of art I've ever been given. I'll keep it forever. Can you draw me another one?"

Eren nodded seriously, before he was scurrying over to his crayons and paper, wanting to make another drawing.

Erwin smirked triumphantly, but Levi paid him no attention, opening his desk drawer and carefully tucking the drawing into it, being careful not to wrinkle it. He looked up at Erwin, blinking. "Now, where were we?"

"He's going with you."

"Does he even want to come?" Levi demanded, glowering.

Erwin looked over. "Eren. Would you like to go to Stohess?"

Eren looked up, brilliant green eyes wide. "Is my mom there?"

Erwin's expression dulled slightly with concern. "No..."

"Is Levi going there?"

Erwin smiled. "Yes. He is."

"I wanna go!" Eren was already bouncing on the balls of his feet, excited to go on an adventure with his caretaker.

Levi shot Erwin a scowl of displeasure, but he found he couldn't stay mad when he saw the excitement in Eren's eyes.

Levi sat in the back of a rather bumpy supply wagon with a chatty seven year old.

Eren looked up at him- he'd lost several more teeth that day, resulting in more gaps in his smile. It somehow managed to make him more adorable.

"Is Stoneass big?" Eren asked, butchering the pronunciation due to his lack of teeth.

Levi snickered slightly at the boy's error, masking his chuckling with a couch, before he became serious again and nodded. "It's quite large."

"As big as Shinganshina?"

Levi's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the fallen city, but he quickly recovered himself. Eren didn't remember the fall of Shinganshina yet- he only had the memories of his seven year old self.

"It's a bit smaller than Shinganshina."

"Do they have homeless people like back home? We had lots of homeless people- they smelled bad, but I felt sorry for them, cause Mom says they didn't have anything to eat."

Levi stared at the boy incredulously. He'd known Shinganshina was one of the poorer outer districts, but he'd never imagined Eren had seen poverty like that.

"I.. don't know."

Eren nodded, accepting the answer for truth and jumping into his next question. "Do they sell meat there? We got to have meat sometimes..."

Levi took relief in the change of topics and answered the question absentmindedly, saying whatever really came to his mind to satisfy the boy's thirst for knowledge.

It'd been quiet for quite some time before he noticed the silence. "Oi- Eren..."

The seven year old laid curled up on the wagon bed, cheek smushed against the wood floor, fast asleep. He'd exhausted himself with all his questioning, and Levi smiled slightly, bundling the boy up in his green cloak and resting the small head in his lap, trying to make the boy more comfortable. He idly wondered if maybe, just maybe, after the war was over, he might find a girl and have a child with her...

By the time they'd made camp within the walls of Stohess, it was late at night. Eren, however, had slept the majority of the ride to the city, and as such, was wide awake, and wanted to do anything but fall asleep.

"Levi Heichou-" Eren shook the older man beside him in the tent. "Levi Heichou, wake up!"

Levi groaned, before he was awake. "Eren? Are you alright?"

Eren shook his head. "I'm bored, Levi Heichou. Will you play tag with me?"

Levi stared at the boy in disbelief for a moment. It was the middle of the freaking night, he was exhausted, and he had to lead his squad in massacring titans tomorrow. A job that, when not well rested, could quickly result in death. But Eren wanted to play tag with him.

"No. I will not play tag with you. Go to sleep."

"But Levi Heichou..."

"Enough, Eren! Sleep." Levi ordered, rolling over so his back faced the small boy.

For a brief moment, he thought the conversation would be over. But thenm small hands were shaking him again, and a more whiny voice grated at his ears. "But Levi..."

Levi sat up, frustrated beyond belief. "Enough, Eren! Do you realize that tomorrow I have to lead my soldiers on a mission to kill titans? It will be bloody and hellish and awful, and if I don't get enough sleep to stay sharp, I will get eaten and die. Do you understand that?" he snapped, running a hand through his hair.

He looked down to see Eren staring at him, mouth open in surprise. A moment later his green eyes were glassy and his chin was trembling, before he burst into tears.

Levi looked down at the boy, anger forgotten for a moment, as he sat, uncertain as to what to do. "Eren?"

"I'm sorry!" Eren wailed. Small hands were grabbing at his shirt, and it was all Levi could so to stare in shock as Eren cried. "D-don't die, okay? I-I'm sorry I was bad, but d-don't l-leave me..."

Those words broke Levi's heart, and he was wrapping his arms around the boy, trying to quiet him. "It's okay, Eren, really-"

"It's NOT OKAY!" Eren managed between sobs. "You're gonna d-die..."

Levi simply stared down at the boy,m clueless as to what to do as Eren buried his face in his shift and cried.

He absently started rubbing the boy's back, trying to calm the child. "Eren- Eren, it's okay. I'm not going to die. That was stupid of me to say, I'm just tired and frustrated right now."

Eren looked up and sniffed at him, eyes still watering. "S-so you're not gonna die?" he asked quietly.

"Well, eventually, I suppose..."

"No! Never ever ever!" Eren was shaking his head rapidly along with his statement. "Promise me you'll never ever die!"

Levi frowned. No one could promise such a thing, but if he said anything but yes, the boy would be hysterical. He didn't plan on dying soon, anyways, so he nodded. "I promise, Eren. I'll never die. And I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Eren sniffed. "S'okay." he promised, wiping his nose on his was slightly disgusted, but decided to let the transgression go unnoticed... just this once. After all, it was his fault for upsetting the boy.

Even though everything was resolved, Eren was still sniffling. Levi blamed how pitiful the brat looked for his next action, but the boy had said he wanted to play the game, after all, and if it'd cheer him up...

Levi deliberately placed his hand on Eren's head, maintaining a serious expression. "Tag." he deadpanned. "You're it."

Eren burst into a fit of giggles before he was pouncing on Levi, placing his hand on the older man's chest. "Tag! Heichou's it!"

Levi rolled his eyes to hide the smile that was tugging at his lips before poking Eren on the nose. "Tag, Eren is it..."

"Tag! Heichou's it!"

The game wore on for nearly fifteen minutes, during which there was much giggling and much adorableness, before Eren slumped forward atop Levi's chest, exhausted from crying and playing, peacefully asleep.

Levi looked down at the brat asleep atop his chest, feeling his own exhaustion return, more insistent this time. He still had a mission to lead tomorrow, killing titans, and then he had to return to take care of this brat for the night...

If he ever found a girl, they were never having kids. Never.

He blamed his fatigue on the smile that crept onto his face before he fell asleep, wrapping his arms around the small body on top of him.

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