Bratty thief stole my heart

Chapter 25: Under the cherry trees

Levi's Pov:

Admiring Eren while he was sleeping had become one of my favourite things in the world, especially during the early hours of the day when the sun was just about to defeat dawn and the first golden rays of light would illuminate his beautiful face.

From our first encounter on I had always thought that the young thief had outstandingly handsome features with his tan skin, that cute little button nose and his peerless emerald green eyes that sparkled like a real jewel when he was happy. I could spend an eternity just lying next to him, watching his chest rise and fall and his eyes flicker behind the eyelids when he was dreaming, listening to his soft snores and savouring the precious moments.

Due to my insomnia that still woke me up early before dawn now and then I had plenty of time to silently observe him and wonder over the fact that this angel in human form was in love with me, a demon that thought he could never love or be loved by anyone again. But here he was, lying right there in front of me, hair tousled and face burried into the pillow as the rising sun made light dots appear all over his body.

Like ever so often my hand reached out to brush a over his chocolate locks and caress his head. Eren shifted a little in his peaceful slumber so he was laying half on his side and I caressed his cheek, careful not to wake him up. This boy was so precious to me, I adored him, with all his little rough edges and flaws that made him the wonderful person he was, that made him my Eren.

He looked so much smaller and frailer when he was sleeping, like a defenseless little puppy. Eren always acted so strong and tough that he almost made me forget that the young thief was still practically a child. It was just that he had to grow up almost too fast in order to survive in this cruel world we were living in. But he was still able to see things through the eyes of a child, showing me that this cruel world was also beautiful, just like he was.

Back then when I had still been in denial of my feelings for him I had made a promise. I was never a person to promise things, but the night Eren had almost died of poisoning I had vowed to protect him and do anything to make him happy. I had broken my promise when I broke Eren's heart and I was still trying to make up for my terrible mistake. So right now I again swore to myself that I would try to keep Eren safe and not only give him the happiness he deserved but also never hurt him again. I sealed my vow with a kiss on the young thief's head, hoping that this time I would be able to keep my promise.

I noticed Eren moving next to me as the rays of the rising sun shone on his face. They seemed to tickle him the way he scrunched up his nose and I thought that he looked adorable little that. Suddenly Eren sneezed, it was a cute little kitten sneeze and I laughed quietly as he lifted up his head, his sleepy eyes slightly confusedly scanning his surroundings. His hair was a fluffy mess and he had to blink a couple of times to adjust to the bright morning light, but when his gaze fell on me he started to smile and he rolled onto his side so he was facing me.

"G'morning Levi", he mumbled, reaching out to brush my arm. I smiled at him, enjoying the soft touch and gave him a peck on his nose.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty", he huffed at the nickname and glared at me, but the fact that he was laughing at the same time took the seriousness away. I chuckled at his childish demeanour and wondered how this boy could make me laugh over the easiest things when I hadn't laughed in so many years before I had met Eren. So much had changed during the past months...

"Levi", Eren's voice brought me back to reality. His laugher had died down and he was looking at me expectantly, "I don't want to sound rude, but why are still here?"

"Huh?"

The boy eyes avoided mine as he rubbed his own arm in discomfort. "Well, you usally leave at dawn, but you haven't even got out of bed yet, is there something special about today?"