Two months after Ray is born.
Eren wandered around the castle Rui nested in his arms knowing the boy liked it when he'd walk around. As time went by Levi was getting prepped to become king, meaning less and less time with Eren and the twins. Looking down at Rui the omega noticed the glassy eyes. "You miss your daddy don't you," softly fussing Rui nuzzled closer into his chest as a way of telling him yes. "I know baby, you'll see your daddy tonight I promise," while cuddling and giving Rui kisses Eren pushed his way through a door being met with Kuchel looking through something. "Oh.. I'm sorry, I can go," Eren muttered ready to turn away. "No.. no come, sit with me for a while,"
Sitting down next to Kuchel, Eren placed the boy on his lap drying his tears and softly comforting him with his scent. "How are you doing, I know my husband has Levi in the library for most of the day, it must be hard on Rui and Nezumi.. and even harder on you," Eren chuckled and looked down at his son who was a bright smile on his face once again nuzzling his face into Eren's shirt taking in his mother's scent. "I miss him, a lot, but I understand what he needs to do, as hard as that might be, I'm not gonna leave him because I can't have him by my side every hour of everyday," Eren sighed looking up at Kuchel whole nodded in acknowledgment.
"We both know this was gonna come, I just didn't know how hard it was gonna be on me," Eren sighed smiling through his tears. "Oh sweetie, I know it can't be, while I might not understand what it means to be marked and mated, but I know what it's like being away from the one you love," Kuchel cupped one of Eren's cheeks smiling warmly at the boy. "If it's.. not weird to say, you remind me of my mother, she was always kind and comforted me when I need it, we'd always look at an album of my brother." Eren weakly smiled at the faint memory of his mother.
"You've never told me about your brother..," Kuchel said removing her hand form his cheek and clutching onto the album she had on her lap. "He.. died, when I was like seven, he was from my father's previous marriage, while my mother loved him like a normal son he never managed to fit in with Mikasa and me.. so when he died, we moved on a lot faster then we thought, I wish I had those albums of pictures of him with our family." Kuchel chuckled listening to Eren talk about his family. "I know it might not be the photo album of your brother.. but I have some pictures of Levi," Kuchel said holding up the album she had been holding onto this whole time.
Smiling Eren sits a bit closer to Kuchel holding his now sleeping son a bit higher on his chest, pulling his knees up too. Kuchel chuckled and opened the album on the first page. "It is about every photograph I had taken of Levi until his 16th birthday," Kuchel happily started talking about Levi showing Eren picture after picture until they stumbled upon a picture of Levi, with two people surrounding him and a bright semi smile on his face. "It was the last time he truly smiled before he met you... and even now he smiles more when he's with you than he's ever smiled before,"
"Who are the people in the picture, they seem... close," Eren said a hint of jealousy at how close both the boy and the girl were standing to Levi. "Isabel, and Farlan, they were the kids of two families coming to my husband for help, he was kind enough to offer them jobs here in the palace, but with that job came the promise that their kids would befriend Levi. Surprisingly they got along, and soon they became best friends, but on Levi's birthday they went out on town, they loved the people, there was a festival for Levi, so they danced and sung, ate food and so much more, but some alphas went crazy, they attacked Isabel and in a rage Farlan jumped the alphas, both of them got killed that night,"
Eren was trembling his son becoming uneasy in his sleep at his mother's unsettling pheromones leaving his scent glands. "I- I was there, that festival, people were making a bigger fuss, so me and my mother went to look what it was about, I saw Levi that day... I might have triggered my omegan side earlier than expected when I saw Levi and... that caused the alphas to go wild, because of my pheromones," trembling in fear Eren hugged Rui who in the meantime had woken up and was softly crying.
"Oh no.. no no no sweetheart, you couldn't have prevented this," Kuchel quickly hugged Eren making sure not to squeeze Rui in her hug softly patting Eren's hair. "While their deaths were hard on Levi, he is so happy now, don't blame yourself Rui and Nezumi.. Levi and R—," before Kuchel could finish her sentence the loud cry of a baby could be heard in the halls. As if by instinct Eren jumped up tears still in his eyes holding an upset Rui to his chest. "I'm sorry I-," Kuchel chuckled and shook her head. "I know, I'm a mother too, go,"
Smiling Eren quickly thanked Kuchel before hurrying back to their bedroom. Walking inside Eren watched his alpha with their crying baby girl in his arms. "I'm so sorry, Rui was fussy and I thought taking him on a short walk, and then your mo—," Levi smiled and quickly walked up to his omega kissing him on the head. "It's okay, they're fine," Levi said chuckling softly holding his omega close. "I'm sorry," Eren muttered holding Rui while nuzzling into his alpha's chest. "It's alright don't worry so much," Levi muttered into Eren's hair holding him close. "Here—". Eren quickly put Rui to bed in the bedroom attached to their own bedroom.
Putting Rui away he watched Nezumi sit up and softly rub his eyes. "Mommy... Ray crying," Nezumi mumbled watching his mother put a tired Rui to bed again. "I know angel, it's alright, go back to bed," Eren sat down on Nezumi's quite large bed leaning down to give him a kiss on his head. "Go to bed angel, I'll be okay," Nezumi looked up at his mother with a puzzled look seeing the dried tears on his cheeks. "Mommy's been crying," Nezumi sleepily mumbled crawling into his mother's lap. "Mommy's okay," Eren softly whispered hugging Nezumi's small body. Softly sobbing into his shoulder. "Daddy... mommy is crying," Eren turned to the doorway seeing Levi standing there arms crossed over his chest.
Eren held his son as he watched his mate walk up to him, he felt his body tremble. "Go to bed angel, mommy and I are gonna have a talk," Levi leaned down eyes locked on Eren as he kissed Nezumi on his head. Reluctant Nezumi crawled out of his mother's hug and got under the covers. "Mommy's not in trouble right..," he nervously asked as Eren stood up from his son's bed and walking to the door opening of the room. "Of course not angel, we're just gonna have a talk, you go back to sleep," Levi calmly explained tucking his son in and giving him one last kiss on the forehead before exiting the room.
Levi stepped back into their bedroom closing the door of their kid's bedroom behind him watching Eren crouched down by the crib looking at a sleeping Ray with a sad look on his face. "Love.. come over here," Levi sternly spoke holding his hand out. shivering at the cold tone in his mate's voice, Eren did what he was asked taking Levi's hand. "I-,"
Levi softly shushed Eren and leaned into his mate resting his head on the omega's shoulder. "I overheard the conversation you had with my mom, and it's not your fault, Farlan and Isabel died tragically because some alphas were shot up on alcohol and drugs. I won't deny that... thinking back I noticed your scent, but I doubt that's why they went crazy, it's not your fault. And why did you never tell me about your brother," Levi was muttering most of his words but because Eren was standing so close to the alpha he luckily didn't have to raise his voice much higher for him to hear.
Eren listened quietly as Levi carefully chose his words to comfort his mate while also questioning the things he hadn't told him. Levi had opened up his heart to Eren and had expected Eren to do the same, and while part of him did. Not having ever heard of Eren's brother, he felt slightly betrayed. "He was never important and he never really—,"
"You still should have told me," Levi raised his voice slightly head still resting on Eren's shoulder feeling the omega's shoulder slightly shake with a silent sob. "I'm your mate... I should know about your family... I should know everything about you. Does that make me bad for wanting that," Levi's voice quickly died down again when he desperately asked Eren the question. He felt betrayed his mate didn't trust him enough to tell him. "No... no," Eren weakly mumbled hugging Levi, his slender arms wrapped securely around the strong big body of his alpha who always kept him safe. He was in his safe space now, in the arms of his mate. "I thinking back to Zeke... it hurts, he was never really part of the family, but when he died, I seemed to be the only one to truly care,"
Eren began quietly explaining his brother's story and the small details he hadn't told Levi about while embracing the alpha. "Eren... I never wanna pressure you, you're my mate, and an omega, I need you to be safe, with me, if I could I'd never leave you out of my sight, but if I do, I need you to trust me and tell me about anything and everything that bothers you, that is the only thing I will ask of you as my mate, to rely on me, and lean on me, no matter what. I know we haven't had much time together lately, but I can't have that ruin our family, or us," Levi's words were soft, spoken in a mere whisper to the person he loved most.
Eren knew it upset Levi that he never told him about his brother. The alpha didn't have to tell him because he could feel it. "Can't we take some time off soon, just us, I miss you, and I feel weirdly alone when you're not there," Eren wasn't sure how to word his feelings. Maybe it was because of everything that had just happened but he didn't want to leave his alpha's arms. "Come on," Levi purred removing Eren's arms from his midriff and placing them around his neck while slowly taking steps back towards their bed.
The omega giggled and allowed his alpha to take him to bed. "I love you," Levi whispered hands running down Eren's body, caressing his soft skin. After Eren's scare during Ray's birth they had been careful with anything related to sex and since Eren wanted Ray in their bedroom, they never really could. So their alone time was reduced to simple lingering touches and soft tender kisses. Luckily neither of them cared.
Yet neither of them were ready, with what was to come years from then.
Danger is coming my love.
So I had this chapter in mind for a while so why not also make it an announcement that I am working on the story for the sequel. Danger is coming my love. It will take a while for it to come out but keep an eye on my profile cause I'll give you regular updates on how the story is progressing! Talk to you soon.
-S.K