Mirage

A/N: Please don't get mad at me if I don't update as often as I did before. School had just started, and yes, I'm still grieving for the funeral of my happiness. But I assure you I will update every once in a while, maybe twice a month? Hmm. We'll see. Anyway, sorry guys for the wait! Here's Chapter 22!

Summary: Humanity's strongest soldier had secrets of his own. So when the woman he thought he loved died, he turns on another for pure companionship and comfort. But a night of mistake has its consequences. Levihan.

Warning: Fluffy. Ew. Ick. Really.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: RESERVATIONS

The staleness of the night was encompassed in an eerie silence, the only notable sound bouncing against the four walls of the room was the slight squeak as a little infant sucked hungrily from his bottle.

Sitting in the chair by the bed, Levi gazed down on the small being he cradled in his strong arms. Their firstborn, Ciel – as Hange had pointed – was loosely wrapped in a white blanket, visible only was his pinkish face marred by his very innocent features. A soft tuft of coal-black hair mirroring Levi's framed the child's delicate head, his eyes closed in satisfaction as he fed on the milk his father had prepared earlier.

Meanwhile, Theo was soundly sleeping on his small cot. Levi had put him down earlier after feeding him with the same baby formula and hearing a little burp escape from his small mouth. Turns out, the younger twin has the greater appetite, he cried and bawled for half an hour until Levi finally fed him. Living up to the brown hair he inherited from his crazy mother, Levi thought.

He turned to look at Hange. His wife was lying in the bed with her brown hair sprawled all over the pillow, her face somewhat peaceful but the fatigue was written all over her face. She hasn't woken up since she gave birth and was clearly exhausted by the fear, worry, and unbearable pain she had experienced in her whole day labor and delivery with the twins.

He might have missed the birth of their first but Levi was grateful he didn't miss the second and still managed to be by Hange's side even at the last minute. He was still mad at himself for not standing on his ground and leaving her hanging just like that, but at the very least his trip to Stohess District amounted to good as he finally declared that he's not pushing with the divorce he sought for months and is now willing to stay with the woman he deeply loved, with their children, and the life he had finally found.

All he has to do is tell Hange everything.

But when? And how?

Suddenly, Levi felt the infant stop from suckling and unlatch from the now empty bottle. He gently pulled it and placed the bottle on the drawer beside the bed.

Levi looked back down to his son and took in his delicate features. Ciel had his black hair, yes. Theo had his mothers', so they're even with that. He had always thought babies look like potatoes at birth and often wondered why the hell people called them cute, but as he continued to stare at the baby in his arms, he realized that something about their twins' faces is definitely, one hundred percent Hange. He poured all his focus in deciphering what it was.

Small, pouty lips. Thin eyebrows not really quite visible yet. Eyes in thin lines but hasn't opened to reveal their colour. Pink cheeks, tiny ears and….

Cute little nose pointed to perfection.

That was it. Another point to Hange. But one for him, too, he supposed. He may not admit it, but he adored Hange's nose a lot and he'd always wished the twins will inherit that. Levi desperately bit his lip to fight the smirk that is now forming on his lips. He shook his head, leaned down and pressed a kiss into the baby's forehead, then trailed more kisses down to his cute nose.

He stood up and walked towards the other cot he made just for Ciel, side by side with his brother's, Theo. Levi bent and gently tucked him into his crib before turning to Theo. He leaned down again and pressed a soft kiss unto the baby's brown hair, then to his nose. Levi stared at his two sons for a while, unfathomable joy bubbling in his chest at the sight – it was a feeling he never had before, never even thought he'd felt that way but here it is.

He suddenly felt some stirring on the bed and Levi walked over to where Hange was lying. She was still asleep. The woman's lips were a little parted, her hands were clutching the white sheets, and she was snoring lightly. Levi couldn't stop himself. Like what he did to their twins, he leaned his body forward and pressed a kiss on her forehead, down to the cute nose he adored so much and finally to her waiting lips, a kiss that lingered for long before he pulled.

Taking her hands in his, Levi whispered. "I love you, Hange."

Hange opened her eyes, finally waking up from what seemed like a hundred years of sleeping and dreaming. Her entire body felt sore, muscles throbbing in pain, and she felt like she'd just taken a long shit, if she'd put it in Levi's words.

At the thought of her husband, Hange sat up, ignoring the way her body quivered with the movement, and then looked around. She was in their room and she wondered how she managed to get in there. The sun had just risen, yellow rays filtered through the open window and she heard the faint chirping of the birds outside. Levi was nowhere to be found.

And at that exact moment, she caught sight of the two cots.

Memories of the previous day flooded her mind – her water breaking while she was talking to Mike in the Command Room, the unbearable and exquisite pain, Moblit and the rest of her squad freaking out as they brought her to the clinic and passed by the wondering 104th recruits, Nanaba walking back and forth, her cursing Levi for his absence and fearing for their twins' safety, Mike giving her a hand... A baby boy with a black hair, crying… Levi bursting in, a brown-haired baby boy wailing against her arms…

It all happened so fast yet for her, it was a lifetime. Of pain. Of happiness.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her hands flew to cover her mouth as she sobbed. She flipped the sheets covering her body, revealing the white hospital gown she was wearing underneath. Hange stood up, she squinted as her feet touched the cool floor. The body pain she previously felt was now long forgotten as she fumbled into her drawer to look for her glasses. She tied her hair into the usual ponytail and slipped on the eyeglasses she found tucked behind the lamp.

She took a step. And another. Her body felt… light. Her eyes were only focused on the two cots as she neared their way.

With slow steps and continuous sobbing, Hange finally reached the two cots and was greeted with the sight of her two beautiful sons, Ciel and Theo. Behind the thick-rimmed glasses, her eyes watered once more. "Hello there, my munchkins…." She croaked out.

The younger one, Theo, was still asleep, wrapped in the white blanket that his Godfather Erwin and Uncle Mike gave. His slow breathing made Hange hitch her throat at the sight of her sleeping son. She reached out and trailed a finger against his pinkish cheek. Ciel on the other hand, was gently moving on his own cot. He, too, was wrapped in a white blanket. His perfectly small lips were slightly parted, but his eyes were still formed into thin lines.

Hange leaned forward and took Ciel in her arms the way her sister in law, Emilia, taught her before. She cradled him in her arms, swaying gently and cooing to her baby. "Look at you my dearest! You're so cute… And soft…. And fluffy…" Hange nuzzled against the baby's black hair. "You look nothing like my Titan friends but… You're a one damn fine specimen, you and your brother both."

She may have changed a lot but the Titan-loving part of her remains. Hange chuckled at the thought. She walked towards the window, passing by the couch where she noticed a neatly folded blanket and pillows resting on it. She figured Levi must have spent the night there as he tended to their sons one after another cries. Hange felt pity for him but she made it a promise that starting tonight she'll help with the twins.

Hange stood by the window with her firstborn on her arms. She continuously ran her hand against his black hair and hummed, feeling the moment that only motherhood can bring.

The door suddenly opened, revealing a short, dark-haired man with a tray of food in his hands. Levi entered the room but the sight by the window stopped him on his tracks. He expected Hange to still be asleep as he ran down for minute to get her food to eat, but here she was, standing like a chiselled statue with one of their sons on her arms. A sight so beautiful he'll never trade it with anything.

Levi cleared his throat, making the woman jerk up in surprise.

Their eyes connected.

"Levi," Hange muttered. She didn't feel his presence, nor hear the door's creak as it opened. She was so engulfed in the moment, just holding her baby against her that everything around her just completely zoned out. She bit her lip. "Ah, ugh… Where have you been?"

Levi tilted his head to the side. He walked in, placed the tray of food on the bedside table. He turned back to Hange. "I went down to grab you some meal. The nurse said you'll have to eat something before you feed the twins. I bottle-fed the two of them last night while you were asleep."

Her cheeks flamed at the thought of breastfeeding her babies and she wondered how that may feel. She'd seen Emilia breastfeeding her nieces before, she even watched her pet animals as they fed their young, studied them and dismissed it as part of science. But somehow, thinking about herself doing it just seemed… A little… Weird. And uncomfortable.

Levi sensed her uneasiness and smirked to himself. He took a sit on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry. Since you were asleep, the nurse brusquely gave me a crash course on breastfeeding. I'll help you out."

Hange's face displayed bewilderment. "Are you fucking serious?" She released a nervous laugh before moving towards the bed and gently putting the baby down. She walked back to where the cots were stationed and took the sleeping Theo on her arms, and then gently placed him beside his brother on the bed.

She tucked some pillows against the headboard and climbed in, then she turned to Levi. "You're saying you'll help me out with breastfeeding but frankly… I know how to do it. I'm just… It's weird. I just never thought I'll ever be able to do this so this will be a bit uncomfortable for me."

Levi's forehead crossed. He had no idea where the woman was getting at, must be the meds and the exhaustion making her a little loopy. "I don't get it, but whatever you say." He snorted. "You were moving around like you didn't just spit two humans out of your body. Aren't you tired? Or in pain?"

Hange shook her head. "I'm a survivor, hey, a little childbirth pain is nothing compared with the numerous broken bones I have obtained all throughout those years of fighting." She smiled. She was a little overwhelmed at how her cold and stoic husband still took care of her even after she has given birth to their children.

"I see," The man nodded. "But you have to eat. And don't tell me crap like you're not hungry." Levi grabbed the bowl of soup from the tray then turned back to his wife. He shoved a spoon to her. "Open your mouth."

She pouted but obliged. "I'm not a child for you to feed."

"You've always acted like you were a child, Shitty Glasses. A loud, crazy, and filthy child." Levi glared at her before abruptly pushing the spoon into her mouth.

She suddenly jolted up, eyes wide in surprise. "Hot! Fuck, that's hot!" Hange fanned her face and stuck her tongue out. "What the hell, Levi!"

The man smirked at her before turning to look at their twins and back to his wife. He gave her a warning glare. "Suit down, you're going to wake him up." He pointed to Theo's direction, who was now stirring gently.

She finished the soup Levi had prepared with much disdain as he fed her. Disdain because her tongue still felt sore and her heart was screaming at the gesture. Considering Levi, it was the sweetest action he could ever do – trying to piss her off while feeding her.

Ciel suddenly started crying. His rosebud of a mouth started to wail angrily, as if to warn his bantering parents that his needs had to be met first. Theo seemed to be unfazed, though. The younger one was still sleeping soundly, and Levi took him in his arms. Hange bit her lip, then once again cradled Ciel against her. She leaned her back against the pillows to find a comfortable position. One by one, she unknot the ribbons on her white gown, releasing her milk-swollen breast.

Meanwhile, Levi distracted himself and tried to look away but found his efforts almost futile as Hange bluntly exposed her breast to his sight. He gulped. He found another distraction by flipping the white blanket from Theo's body and taking inventory, counting fingers and toes, stroking his brown hair and taking in his son's velvety skin.

Hange took a deep breath before positioning the baby's face before her breast. It took him a while, but the baby finally found her nipple and latched on with enough force to make her wince. She gasped.

Levi looked up, worried. "Are you alright, Hange?"

She released another breath, then sent a smile to her husband. "Y-yes…." Hange dropped her eyes to the suckling infant on her chest.

The tension drained out of Levi's face, he finally dismissed any awkwardness between them and moved closer to Hange. He sat beside her on the bed, leaned his back against the headboard and watched as his elder son fed. "He's got a pretty healthy appetite, doesn't he? But wait until Theo gets the chance to be fed." He muttered in fascination. "Does that hurt?"

Hange shook her head slightly in response. She turned sideways to cast a glance at Levi. "So how was your first night as a father, if I may ask?"

He narrowed his eyes, not really wanting to answer her query but he replied nonetheless. "Tough. Both boys took after you. Stubborn as hell, loud and fussy." He released a breath. "We're in for a bumpy ride."

She chuckled at her husband's words, the sound filled with pure smug. "Oh please, Levi, you're no saint yourself."

They stayed in that position for a few moments until Ciel finally let go of her nipple, his tiny mouth already slackened. Hange awkwardly covered her body, enough to look decent, and then clumsily draped the baby over her shoulder. "Could you get the nurse?" She asked. "I'm… I don't really think I know how to do this.."

"Rub your hand on his back in a circular motion, repetitive," Levi replied.

Hange pursed her lips. "You sound like you're an expert in child rearing or something." She complied with his instruction and was soon rewarded with a tiny burp. The sound was adorable and cute, and Hange smiled to herself when she heard it. Unknowingly to her, Levi also has a faint smile plastered on his face.

In that one moment of serenity, Hange started to believe in the possibility of a life with Levi. Their kids. And it frightened her to death.

A/N: This was short… But I hope you liked it.