{LeviHan} Searching

Chapter 1: Lost

Levi's POV

"Where's Mommy?" Eren asked one night as I tucked him to sleep. He pulled the blankets up to his chin and his green eyes were shivering with fear. "Mommy hasn't been here for a very long, long time..."

I tried to explain what happened to her to him... but he was just too young to comprehend it. No parent should ever try to explain death to their child- especially when it involved their own parent. I sighed softly, "Eren... she's... no longer here. She went off to a better place..." I tried to put it down simply.

He shook his head, a bit sad. "But... but I don't want her to go."

"I didn't want her either, Eren... but, no one has that much control. I'm sorry..."

"C-Can we see her?" Hearing him say that, I perked up to see what he meant. "Can we go to the better place and tell her to come back? S-She has to come back... has to!" Eren's eyes bulged with hope and sadness. How could I explain it?

Gently, I kissed his forehead, wiping part of his tears away. "She can't, Eren... I'm sorry. I loved Mommy too. But I'm here and I'll take good care of you- understand?"

He nods, yawning and rubbing his tired eyes. "Y-Yes, Daddy..." He says softly before drifting off to sleep. Unlike him, he cannot think of the pains the moment right before his mother died. Unlike him... he didn't cause the death of my wife.

*   *   *

Blinking everything away, that memory faded and I was in the museum with my hand extended. I looked around, lost and looked down to my extended hand. Wait... was I supposed to...

"Eren!"

*   *   *

Hanji's POV

"Oh? So... dogs can feel emotions from other people?" This brunet boy asks me as he held a small doll in his arms. His emerald eyes were something I couldn't ignore. He came up to me when I was teaching about animal's emotions and how it relates to people's emotions. At first, he was lost... but he seemed really interested. "T-That's so cool!"

I chuckled, bending over. "You like animals... um..."

"Eren! And I love dogs!" He shouts happily and gleamed.

When I looked around for some kind of parent or a guardian, there was no one watching over this boy. "Um, where's your parents?"

He then looks down, shuffling his feet. "M-Mommy went away for a long time... went to a better place."

"I see... what about your father? Is he around?"

Eren perks up, "Yep! H-He was... um... near the birds..."

"T-The birds?!" I began to freak out, almost scaring the little boy. The birds were on the other side of the museum... how did this boy get from there to here without alerting his father? Ugh... parents... once I meet him, I need to teach him a lesson. "L-Let's go find your father now."

*   *   *

After awhile, I heard some frantic shouting throughout the whole museum: "Eren!" was shouted and people stared towards the person who was shouting it. The boy, Eren, jumped happily. "Daddy!"

"T-That's your dad?"

He nods, "Yep!" He then turns to the person shouting, being to shout himself. "Daddy!"

And soon, I saw a small man turn to him in the crowd. Raven-black hair... so far, nothing like his own son. Worried, I gripped onto Eren's hand tightly, not sure if this man was in fact his father. After all, I have every right to be afraid for the children. Can't trust too many people that state their the parents of a kid when they're not.

The man soon ran up, kneeling down towards the child. "Eren..."

Looking between them, I was still having that thought of being cautious. "Eren, you know this man, correct?"

"He's my Daddy!" Eren shouts with a smile on his face.

"What's his first name?"

"U-Um... L-Levi..." He tilts his head, trying to figure out if it was right or not. And when I gazed over to this Levi, he smiled gently, looking down. "D-Daddy, I missed you!" Eren squirmed out of my grip and hugged his father's leg.

The father laughed, rubbing his back. "Sorry I lost you... I... I got lost in my own head. I'm sorry." He then turns to me- and I met his gray, stormy eyes. "I'm Levi, Levi Ackerman. Thanks for finding Eren... I got scared and worried- where was he?"

"H-He was over by my sector- the kids section. He wandered far away." I then waved goodbye to Eren with a chuckle, "Have fun, Eren. Maybe you'll get a dog too."

"C-Can we, Daddy?"

"A-A dog?" Levi seemed to be a bit flustered as he heard that. Must be the first time then... or Eren never asked about things like that. "W-We'll see, okay? Daddy's... I'm not in a good position for buying a lot of things..."

Eren seemed to disappointed a bit, but understanding. He waved sadly towards me, and within his eyes, it was very clear. "Bye bye, Ms. Zoe." I chuckled softly, seeing how respectful he was to me.

But to the father, he saw it too. He sighed, looking back up to me. "Erm... if you don't mind, when are you free? I don't want to disappoint him... since he really does like you... are you gonna be here tomorrow?"

"I'm here everyday for the month." I chuckled, waving at Eren. "I'll be happy to see him again."

With that, Eren perked up. "S-See you soon!" I waved goodbye and watched them leave. Perhaps I was overreacting about those two. Eren... he seemed... happy. Nothing for me to worry... well, not yet.

*   *   *

Levi's POV

"I'm sorry, Eren... I didn't mean to leave you..."

Instead of him pouting, he smiled. "It's okay, Daddy." I chuckled softly as he looked outside the window. "Daddy..."

"Yes?"

"Ms. Zoe reminds me of Mommy... all nice and happy... can she be Mommy?"

My whole face grew warm- after all, my own son was trying to get me a date and move forward? Please... he's too young for that. "I-I'm not sure... why? You want her to be like Mommy?"

Eren nods, "Yes... I miss Mommy... and Ms. Zoe is like Mommy..."

I sighed, chuckling and shaking my head. "I'm not sure, Eren... you can see her tomorrow, okay? Heard she might be planning something cool- according to the papers." I smiled towards him, shaking my head a bit more. Jeez... when I passed out... I thought of her again... losing Petra... why? I... I can't get distracted anymore.