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Levi had never considered himself a family man. His mother had died when he was still rather young, and his Uncle Kenny had left him later on in his life. He was used to being on his own, fending for himself and only himself. The world underground had been a harsh one at best, truly the only people he had been close with there were Farlen and Isabel, and even they eventually were taken from him, thanks to the Titans. And the thought of bringing a child into this terrifying world on purpose was laughable.
Now, however, things were different. Commander Erwin Smith, the man Levi had once loathed and attempted to kill, now stood proudly by his side as his husband. The only people who knew that they had gotten married were the few people that were on their squad. Hanji had quite literally lost her shit over the fact that her best friend and her commander were finally together, and thankfully, for her, Levi was just happy enough with the current events that he didn't have the heart to punch her in the face for her over-excitement.
Erwin proposing to him had been the beginning of Levi feeling like he finally belonged somewhere, like he was finally part of a family. His squad also made him feel at home, despite the fact that they annoyed the hell out of him half the time. However, without them, Levi knew that he wouldn't feel nearly as complete. He needed them, just as much as they needed him.
As far as children went, Levi had somehow acquired a large group of them, and not exactly by choice. Some of the trainees from the 104th squadron had been sent his way, to be put under his care and training. They were brats, the whole group of them. But after spending time around them, the Corporal realized that they weren't all completely terrible; especially after they gave Erwin and him a rather unexpected surprise.
Levi had been curled in Erwin's bed, face buried in the plush pillows when a large hand had caressed him out of unconsciousness. Silver eyes blinked slowly and he found himself face to face with a beaming, shirtless Erwin, who was hovering above him. Scowling up at his husband, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and rolled onto his back.
"What?" The Corporal barked, voice hoarse from sleep.
"You should come into the living room, we have guests." Erwin replied, voice smooth and filled unmistakably with joy. Strange. That wasn't an emotion Levi was exactly used to hearing from the man, and it intrigued him a little.
"Guests?" Silver eyes shifted to the clock on the wall, squinting when he noticed it was just after nine in the morning. For once, it appeared Levi had slept in. No one could really blame him, though. Erwin and him had just gotten back late the night before after a small group of them had gone on a weeklong scouting mission. It had drained all of his energy, and he hadn't intended on moving at all today. "Tell them to piss off. I'm trying to sleep."
"Levi," Erwin put on that oh so deep 'commander' voice of his and dragged the covers off Levi's pale form, ignoring the angry curses that were thrown at him. "You need to go out there and see them. I promise, it'll be worth your while."
"Bullshit, old man." Levi snapped back, but he sat up anyway, glaring heatedly up at the blonde. "Better be a good fucking reason for getting me out of bed at this hour. If it isn't, I may kick your ass." Half-heartedly, the smaller man slid out of bed, grabbing Erwin's shirt from the bedside table and pulled it over his head. It nearly fell to his knees, and he smacked his husband when a few light chuckles left his lips.
"Careful, Smith. You're treading on dangerous territory. "That shut Erwin up quickly and he held up his hands defensively, grumbling a soft, 'Okay, okay'.
Pleased with Erwin's reaction and curious as to what these guests were doing in his home, he quietly padded out of the bedroom into the large living room, grey eyes widening at the sight in front of him. His living room was filled with all of the new survey corps cadets, and a banner was hung above the entranceway to the kitchen that made his breath hitch and his eyes sting slightly.
'Happy Father's Day to our Daddy Erwin and our Papa Levi! We love you!' it read, in big bold letters. Doodles were scattered along the sign, and as Levi's eyes fell back down to the group, he noticed a small pile of presents stacked on the coffee table. His mouth went dry, hands starting to shake a little. A hand on his back made him relax slightly and he let out a deep breath. This was not something he was prepared for; sure, he knew some of the kids looked up to him and Erwin...but this was quite possibly the kindest thing that had ever been done for him.
"I think he likes the surprise." Eren whispered to Armin with a grin, the blonde nodding with a small smile. All of them were beaming at their Commander and Corporal, fondness clear in their eyes. These two had truly become like parents to them, guiding them and helping them throughout the tough world that they lived in.
Levi refused to cry. He wasn't going to cry, he was far too proud and strong for that. Instead, he settled for a weak glare, which absolutely no one took to heart, as they all noticed the shakiness of his body and the trembling on his lips. "I-" Swallowing, he cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice level. "You shitty little brats, you woke me up for this-" Motioning to sign and the presents, as well as some baked goods (surely, they came from that potato girl, Sasha), he lost his strength and a watery grin broke out on his face.
Erwin took Levi's pause as an opportunity to wrap his arms around Levi's waist from behind, resting his chin on top of his head as he gazed at their little family in front of them. There was no point in hiding his and Levi's relationship from them; while they weren't open about their relationship, Erwin knew the cadets weren't blind. Anyone who looked hard enough could tell there was something going on between the two. Smiling brightly at them, he truly couldn't ask for a better situation. His husband was here, and they had a hoard of strong, smart, amazing children who were sweet enough to think of them on father's day.
"Thank you all, for this. I cannot tell you how much this means to me. And seeing as you shocked Levi into silence, I can safely say he feels the same way." Erwin pressed a kiss to the top of Levi's head, glad to feel that his shaking had finally subsided.
"Fuck, you kids are making me go soft." Levi sniffled a little, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he willed his tears to go away. He didn't want to totally break in front of all of them. Erwin, sure, but not their 'children'. His heart was beating fast and his chest was warm with happiness at the thought, because finally, he felt like he really had a family.
"We love you, Captain Levi!" They chorused loudly, grinning broadly at both Erwin and Levi. For once, they could leave all the terror of the outside world behind, and just focus on all being together, safe and sound and happy. How life should be.
"I love you too, asshats."
And that's when Levi knew for sure that he had finally found his family...