Same, but Different

•Chapter II•

Titan didn't seem satisfied. "Mr. Levi, do you find Daddy sexy or interesting?"

"He's interesting, but I don't know." Levi shrugged. "I don't even know your dad."

Aki started coloring in an adult coloring book. "Papa has trouble falling in love. The bitch left him, so he's sour and broken now."

"Are you sour and broken, Daddy?" Titan asked, "Is it hard for you too?"

"I've never tried to fall in love since your mom, Titan, so I don't really know." I replied.

"But what about the sour and broken?" Titan pushed, "Is that why you used to cry at night time?"

"It's very hard to heal after you get you're heartbroken, but I have you. You helped me heal, little by little, and now there's only a scar. It hurts sometimes, when I remember your mommy, but I can learn to be stronger for you. I cried because I was sad, and I still am every now and then." I responded, "As for sour, do you think I'm sour?"

"Only when I break rules."

"Love is what breaks us, but it's only love that can put us back together," Aki said while coloring. "Papa is guarded. He has multiple walls built up around his heart and has one gate that's really small, so I can fit through, but I can only get passed the first three walls. The last one doesn't have a gate for me."

"Aki..." Levi said quietly.

"Oh..." Titan muttered, "Does this mean Daddy will never be able to get through, because Daddy is too big?"

For the first time ever, I slightly cursed how Titan said the first thing that came into his head. "Titan, it means that love is weird and uncontrollable, and while Levi loves Aki with all of his heart, like I do you, there's a little part of his heart that isn't for the kind of love he feels for Aki."

"Mhmm. It's called an extended metaphor," Aki explained. "I'll never be what he needs one hundred percent."

"Aki, you're more than enough." Levi parked the car. "Je t'aime."

"Je t'aime aussi." Aki closed her coloring book. "Let's have some fun."

"Fun, fun, fun!" Titan buzzed.

Aki grabbed Titan's hand to keep him safe. "The mall is full of strangers, so we all have to stick together."

"Strangers aren't all bad." Titan replied, "Creepy Joe wasn't creepy at all in the end."

"Creepy Joe was creepy," I said. "People don't usually offer three year olds condoms, Titan."

"They were presents, it's nice!"

"Don't ever walk away with someone like him, okay?"

"Okay." He promised.

"Titan, condoms are for doing... adult things that kids can't do," Aki explained, trying to keep it as PG as possible.

"Which means, you shouldn't trust people like Creepy Joe." I added, something catching my eyes as we walked around that made my heart sting. I stopped in my tracks.

"What is it, Eren?" Levi whispered.

I shook my head, burying my hands in my pockets before getting moving again. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." I tried to regain my composure, wanting to get as far away from that place as I could.

Levi grabbed my arm and caught up with me. "Eren."

"It's fine."

"Just tell me."

Aki grabbed Levi's other hand with her own free one, swaying her and Titan's arms. "Papa is good at making me feel better."

"It's just... a place I haven't been to in a long time, for reasons I don't like thinking about." I replied.

Titan looked around, cocking his head when he saw where we'd come from. "That's the garden park thingy daddy met mommy at?"

"I didn't... I didn't just meet her there," I said slowly, not wanting to lie to Titan of all people. "That's where I met mommy, and where I took her on our first date." I nudged him lightly, closing my eyes as I remembered it, "It's where she told me about you, and where I proposed to her..." I took a shaky breath, "And it's where we were supposed... supposed to get married, before mommy had to leave. Look, can we just go? Please."

Titan wrapped his arms as far up around me as he could. "I love you, Daddy."

I smiled faintly, my heart still heavy. "I love you too, Titan."

"Don't feel sad, Mr. Eren. At least she loves you." Aki smiled bittersweetly. "What type of outfits do you want? We can get all kinds of stuff."

"I wanna dress up like a dinosaur!" Titan yelled happily, forcing a smile out of me.

"I think you'd be a pretty awesome dinosaur," I told him. "I just need a shirt, jeans and a jacket. And something formal for interviews."

"I want clean clothes!" My son said excitedly, "And- And other stuff. Stuff that fits!"

Aki smiled. "There's a place that sells onesies. Maybe they have a dinosaur one."

"Yayyyyyyy!" Titan jumped up and down excitedly, and I felt myself forgetting why I was upset before. Seeing Titan happy always lifted my spirits.

I let the two go on ahead, as long as they stayed within our sight, and kept my voice low as I talked to Levi. "I'm sorry." I apologized quietly, "I didn't mean to make you worry. Not you, or Aki, or Titan."

Levi bumped my shoulder. "It's fine. How about we enjoy ourselves?"

I nodded. "That sounds good. Seriously, thank you. For everything."

"It's my pleasure." Levi shrugged. "Let's go."

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Author's Note:

Ugh, bless Aki and Titan's sweet little souls.

So everyone, I'm very hyped about this since it's been a while since Ari and I published something together (because we always forget to finish fics). I hope y'all enjoy!!!

Thoughts?

-Mei, ya one and only