The drive was long but I'm not complaining because Eren was talking throughout the journey. He told me everything, his childhood, all his daredevil acts when he was a teen, raving about the beach near Shingansina. Sometimes, Jean would join the conversation and often bricker with Eren at something simple.

We reached Shingansina around 10 in the morning and parked at the blue old victorian house with white picket fences with a well-maintained garden. I may not be an architect, but I admired the house, may it be modern style or old.

I found myself out of the car, holding Eren's hand while he dragged me excitedly to the front door. Jean, on the other hand, said that he had to drop by his folks and come back later with the rest of Eren's friends for the party.

Eren was giggling as he rang the doorbell.

"This is your house, right?" I asked. Why would he ring his own house?

"Yep! But I wanna surprise mom!" Eren giggled. I smiled, that's just sweet.

Not a moment later, the door opened, revealing a female Omega in her early fifties with brown hair, tan skin, and honey-brown eyes. Her eyes widen like saucers when she saw Eren.

I slightly gasped. She looked exactly like Eren.

"Mom!"

The woman opened her arms as Eren launched himself in her embrace. "Eren! Happy birthday! I didn't expect you to be so early!"

"I missed you, mom," Eren cried.

I silently watched their reunion and it made me want to visit my mother and my uncle in France. Maybe that's our next plan.

"Where's Mikasa?" Eren asked as he looked inside the house.

"She's at Armin's."

"I see."

They pulled away and her eyes landed on me. "Dear, is that?"

Eren moved next to me with a big smile on his face, he draped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me flushed on his side. "Mom! Meet Levi! He's my boyfriend!"

I gave her a curt nod and smile. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."

She smiled at me and her eyes were gentle as she spoke. "It's really nice to finally meet you, Levi. Please, call me Carla."

I've been wondering what was I nervous about in the meeting my Alpha's mother in the first place. Carla was a wonderful and caring woman. She helped me get settled in the guest room, and brew me tea. After lunch, she let me help her cook the meals for Eren's birthday dinner party.

While Eren went out to meet his friends, giving me and Carla some privacy. I didn't want to lie to her and told her everything. How Eren set the copy machine on fire, my several failed attempts to ask him out, how he thought that I'm not his boss, and now, here.

"Thank you, Levi," Carla smiled at him.

"I just boiled the potatoes," I whispered.

"That," Carla giggled. "And also, for accepting my son."

I smiled and confessed. "Eren's a great guy and I never felt this way with my previous relationship before. I love him because... I just love him."

The smile on Carla's face turned into a frown. "I had of plenty complications while carrying Eren. His father was a doctor and he did everything to help me. Eren was born healthy but for an Alpha he's..." she paused and took a deep breath.

I pressed my lips in a thin line and patted her back. Now that I thought about it, Eren never mentioned his father before and the scents in the house belong to Carla, and Eren's scent was there but only mild.

"Grisha, he felt like he failed as a doctor and he left. We don't know if he's still alive or..." Carla shook her head and turned to me with a sad smile. "Levi, I know that I'm asking too much but please... don't leave my son."

I'm already certain of my answer. "Never. I promise."

It was around five in the afternoon when I saw Eren came back with a bunch of people trailing behind him from the window. Carla and I finished preparing all the food and now simply relaxing on the living. Carla was occupied with her knitting and I'm just scrolling through Pinterest while enjoying my tea.

"He's real, I'm telling you!" Eren's voice boomed from the front porch.

Carla giggled, she put away her knitting and went to the kitchen to grab some snacks for the guests.

I stood, waiting for Eren to pull the door open and watched as his friends' reaction. Apparently most of the brunette Alpha's friends think that I didn't exist.

Eren pushed the door open and called out. "I'm home with everybody!"

When he saw me waiting for him, he rushed to my side, wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me flush on his side and grinned as his friends came in.

I lightly chuckled, when a Beta with a buzzcut first came in and just stood frozen on the entryway with his jaw hanging.

"Hey! Connie! Stop blocking the door! I smell food!" The female Beta with her brown hair tied in a ponytail cried out.

The buzzcut Beta named Connie stepped out of the way yet, he was still staring at me with his jaw hanging.

"Whoa!" The pony tail Beta pointed at me. I arched a brow at her but she wasn't intimidated and kept pointing at me.

"Armin! Mikasa! Hurry up! You gotta see this!" She called out and promptly, the two, which I assumed was Armin and Mikasa stepped in the house.

The blonde Omega gasped before he smiled and waved at me while the female Alpha with short raven hair and dark eyes studies at me from head to toe.

"See?!" Eren exclaimed and squeezed me.

"Nice to meet you," I nodded at everyone.

"Okay, okay," Connie finally snapped out and nodded before turning to the last person who entered the house. "Jean! You said that Levi was just an inflatable... um, body... uh, doll!" He exclaimed with a red face.

"Hahaha! You actually believed me?!" Jean laughed.

"Jean," I warned. He told everyone that I'm an inflatable sex doll?! The nerve of that pervert!

"Whoa! Calm down it was just a joke, Connie just took it seriously," Jean raised both hands in the air.

"Jean!" Eren hissed and huffed. "Whatever, Levi is real and we are dating!"

"That's true," I confirmed.

Everyone nodded and Eren hurried with the introduction. Sasha was the Beta brunette, Connie was the buzzcut Beta, Armin was the blonde Omega and Mikasa was the raven-haired Alpha who was also Eren's adopted sister. And just like I expected, Eren left me to talk to his friends while he helped his mother with something.

Everyone settled in the living room, Jean was on the sofa as well as Mikasa and Armin while Connie and Sasha were sitting on the floor. When Eren left, I held my hand up to stop the raven Alpha from asking and just drop everything.

"No, I'm not dating Eren because one of my workmates dared me, not because I pity him, and 100 percent not because I just want to play with his feelings. I like Eren ever since he set the copy machine on fire and ruined almost a hundred computers," I said the same line I used for Jean months ago.

"He set the copy machine on fire?!" Armin exclaimed.

"Was Eren hurt during the incident?!" Mikasa asked with worry.

"Seriously?!" Connie hardly believed it.

Jean just shrugged, eyes on his phone. He was smiling while he typed something to someone.

While Sasha looked like she could eat a whole horse.

Overall, I think I'll easily get along with Eren's friends and family.

It was a rather peaceful party, we eat dinner together while Eren's friends. Connie, spilled all Eren's mishaps starting from his childhood days to teens. It didn't help when Carla joined in and humiliated his son further.

I just simply chuckled at all the weird and wild things Eren got himself into. And I thank Armin and Mikasa because the blonde Omega and raven girl were always there during those days and save Eren's ass.

Eren's face was flushed red after dinner. Everyone was chilling in the living room and Carla tried to cheer him up by starting the gift-giving.

Carla gifted him a new pair of sneakers, Armin got him a book, Mikasa gave him a scarf, Jean got him a watch, Connie gave him an album of Eren's favorite band and Sasha got him a cake. But of course, Eren gave it to her and she devoured the whole thing.

I was grinning when I gave him a picture of my present.

"A picture of a cat?" Eren looked at me, eyes held nothing but confusion.

"I know, it's hard to recognize him. It's the kitten that you were petting on the parking lot of your old apartment," I explained, watching his face lighten in recognition. "He's safe now and healthy. He's currently at Bean and Sonny's pet hotel. We can pick him up anytime-wha!"

I yelp when Eren pulled me in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He screamed near my ear but I couldn't get mad at him.

The night rolled in after a couple of movies. Eren's friends went home, Carla retired early in her room on the main floor and Mikasa got the drift and decided to sleep with Carla. Giving us full privacy on the second floor.

"Um, Levi... ah," Eren fidgeted, eyes staring down on his feet.

I waited with anticipation, my heart beating as Eren tried to find his words.

"Um. It's hard to sleep in a new place, ah, you can sleep with... me... if you want." Eren turned the doorknob of his room and pushed the door open.

He's simply adorable, and fucking shit, we're doing it!

"Eren, I want us to be honest to each other." I encouraged, placing my hand on his arm and slowly inching it up to his elbow.

Eren's breath hitched. "I want to hold you. And it's my birthday."

"Of course, birthday boy."

edited 02/26/21