Carlton awoke in his family's dimly lit hotel room, his monster plush held against his chest and his Sorcerer Mickey plush cuddled up against his shoulder. He looked up at the ceiling and then turned to see his papa sleeping on his side, only the top of his head visible as he faced the wall with the blankets pulled all the way up to his chin. Frowning, Carlton sat up and got out of bed, taking his monster plush with him as he climbed onto the other bed. He gently set the toy next to Levi and then hopped down to look out the window. The sun was still out, and he saw Eren standing outside, leaning up against the outdoor path's railing. Carlton slowly opened the room door, realizing that his daddy was singing softly.

"There's diamonds in the sidewalk, the gutter's lined in song. Dear, I hear the beer flows through the faucets all night long. There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man, who will make his home in the American Land…"

"Daddy?"

Eren looked back at his son with a smile. "Hey, sweetheart, how was your nap?"

"Good," Carlton said, closing the door and joining his daddy as the rail.

Eren tilted his head. "Are you worried about Papa?"

"Just a little bit."

"Don't worry, I think he'll feel better after a nap. Always makes you feel better, right?"

Carlton was hesitant to respond. "…I've never seen Papa cry before, at least not because he was sad."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Eren agreed with a sigh. "I don't think Papa was ever an emotional person, but he never really expresses how he's feeling. But, hell, if I had suddenly left the only place I had ever known in favor of an entirely new country and hadn't been back to that original home in eighteen years, I'd be homesick, too."

"Why hasn't Papa ever gone back?"

"I don't know. Maybe he feels like, if he does visit, it'll prove that he made the wrong choice to leave in the first place."

"Oh."

Eren sighed again. "I can understand that thinking. My parents left their home countries, too. Grandpa Grisha and Grandma Carla came to the US together and didn't go back to Germany or Turkey for a long time, mostly because they didn't have the money. They were determined to build their lives here, but I think they missed their old homes a lot. Grandma Carla always pressured me to speak Turkish and cook all the traditional foods and practice the culture because she wanted a piece of her home country in the US. It must have been hard for her, leaving her village for Istanbul, then going to West Berlin, then marrying Grandpa Grisha and coming to the US, starting in New Jersey and eventually moving to New York City. If I were her, after moving around that much, I'd want some reminder of home, too. Grandpa Grisha was a little different. He claimed that he didn't care if I spoke German, but, after I learned Turkish, he started speaking German more, so I picked up on that, too. He won't ever admit it, but I know it made him happy to hear his native tongue spoken in his house again, even if it was spoken with a Turkish accent. Hearing so much English and Turkish must have made him long for his own language."

Carlton listened closely to his daddy, digesting the stories one piece at a time. His eyes quickly became watery, and he said, "If I had to leave my home for a long time and not go back, I'd be really sad. Are…Grandma Carla and Grandpa Grisha sad?"

"I don't think so. It's not like they're all alone. Grandma Carla had her family when they moved around Turkey and then to West Berlin. She and Grandpa Grisha had each other when they left for the US, then they had me when they moved to New York. Now they have you and Papa and Aunt Mikasa and her family, so I don't think they're sad or lonely."

"Then…" Carlton started to choke up, and he gripped Eren's pant leg. "…then why is Papa sad and lonely if he has all of us…?"

"Hey now, no crying," Eren said gently, bending down to wipe his son's tears away with his thumbs. "I don't think that Papa's sad and lonely. I think he just misses his own papa. Unlike my parents, Papa came to the US by himself, and he went straight to New York City. He moved from a farm in France to the busiest city in America, leaving Grandpa Kenny and all the goats and the only life he had ever known behind. I think he's happy with his life here and misses his old life at the same time. Also, I gotta say, that cheese was awesome. If it's that good after being imported, I can only imagine how good it must taste fresh. Grandpa Kenny's got some skills and some crazy amazing goats." Eren leaned over and kissed Carlton's forehead. "So don't worry about Papa, okay? It's my job to worry because I'm the parent. You are the kid, so your job is to have a lot of fun and give Papa lots of hugs and kisses. I know you can do that."

Carlton nodded, finally smiling. "You know what, Daddy?"

"What?"

"Papa once told me that a baby goat is called a 'kid.' I'm a kid, too, so Papa still has a baby goat!"

Eren could barely contain himself at the utter brilliance of that joke and the utter cuteness of his son.

"Hey, Daddy?"

"Hmm?" Eren took a deep breath to compose himself.

"What was that song you were singing before?"

Eren grinned. "That was 'American Land' by Bruce Springsteen. I thought it fit the situation. I'll add it to your playlist so you can listen to it when we fly home tomorrow. Or maybe you and I will listen to the entire Wrecking Ball album. I think you'd like it. That man's music defined my childhood."

Carlton's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, we'll binge on all his albums when we get home." Heh, I'm the son of German and Turkish immigrants. I speak both of those languages fluently. I love sausages and baklava. I know a ridiculous amount of Prussian history, and I perform in belly dancing shows. But I'm also just a kid from New Jersey. Something tells me that THAT'S the part of me I'll never be able to let go of.

Both Eren and Carlton looked up when they heard the door to the hotel room open. Levi stood in the doorway, his face still a little pink and his eyes still a little tired, but he had calmed down significantly since leaving the Boardwalk. "Hey."

"Hey," Eren replied, "how do you feel?"

Levi shrugged. "Better. I'm, um, sorry for causing a scene."

"You took care of me when I cried!" Carlton said quickly, rushing to his papa and hugging him around one of his legs. "You took care of me when I cried, so we took care of you when you did. Please don't be sad, Papa."

Levi finally smiled and bent down, still propping the door open, to give his son a hug. "I'm okay, sweetheart, thank you. More importantly, we still have time to make it back to EPCOT for our dinner reservations, right?"

The Jaegers made it to dinner just in time. The stand-by line for the restaurant was long, the longest of all the restaurants the family had seen throughout their entire vacation. More than any other time, Levi was so thankful that he had made the reservations well in advance.

When the trio entered the restaurant, they understood why the line was so long. Anna and Elsa were greeting guests up front before they were brought to their tables. The line of excited children moved a bit quicker than the usual meet-and-greet lines did since they were merely saying hello and then posing for a photo. Carlton only had to wait five minutes before his turn, and he was pleased enough just to hold the princesses' hands. As soon as Levi snapped a photo, Carlton said goodbye, and the family was brought to their table.

Once he was in his seat, Carlton spotted the Princesses starting to make their rounds to the tables, and a smile lit up his face. "I think I see Snow White," he said with a giggle. "I like her! Grandpa Grisha says she was the first Princess!"

"He also likes he because she's German," Eren said as he looked over the menu. "But he's right, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was the first Disney movie. It's called Schneewittchen in German. Holy crap, are the appetizers here on the buffet? I can have as much cured meat and sliced cheese as I want?!"

Levi rolled his eyes and turned to his son. "What do you think you'd like to eat, sweetheart?"

"Um…the kee-joo…keh-joo…"

Levi looked at what his son was pointing at and said, "Um, let's not try to pronounce that. We'll just ask for the Norwegian meatballs."

Before long, the waitress arrived to take the family's orders and then welcomed them to go to the appetizer buffet. Eren piled his plate high, and Levi wondered if he'd have enough room for the actual dinner, but he didn't say anything, especially not when Snow White appeared at the table. Carlton put his plate of appetizers down and reached out for a hug. The princess cheerfully complied and said, "You have such a big, sweet smile. You remind me of my friend Happy!"

As the meal progressed, the other Princesses arrived at the Jaegers' table. Next came Cinderella, who invited Carlton to dance. He was shy at first, but the princess gently held onto his hands as they swayed back and forth. Levi's camera snapped multiple photos.

About half-way through the main course (Eren suddenly regretted eating as much of the appetizers as he did), Rapunzel visited the table. Carlton told her that he liked all the paintings she did in her tower and then said that he liked to draw, too. Rapunzel asked if she could see some of his drawings, and Levi immediately passed her his smartphone, which was filled with photos of Carlton's artwork. She squealed as she looked through the gallery and said, "Oh my gosh, you're so talented!" Carlton flushed at the compliment and thanked her.

Towards the end of the meal, the last Princess arrived at the Jaegers' table. "Hello there, little prince!" she said as she knelt down next to Carlton. "Thank you for coming out to see me and all my friends!"

"I really hoped you'd be here," Carlton said, voice shy and sweet. "I really like you, and your song is my favorite. The version that Lana Del Rey did is pretty, but I like your version the best."

"Oh, thank you!" Aurora said. "Is Lana Del Rey a singer from your kingdom?"

Carlton giggled. "Yeah! She's famous!"

"Oh my, then I'll have to come hear her sing sometime!" Aurora then turned to Eren and Levi and said, "And are these two kings I see?"

Levi, feeling up for playing along, said, "Yes, this king here is also my knight in shining armor." He reached over and lovingly grasped Eren's hand.

"Oh, that's so wonderful!" Aurora replied, clapping her hands together and turning back to Carlton. "Shall we take a picture to remember our time together?"

Levi snapped a photo, and the family thanked the princess just as the waitress arrived to take their plates away. Once dinner was paid, the family got up and headed outside to find a good fireworks viewing spot. Levi made a pit stop in China for a cup of tea, but they eventually found a spot nearby, and they settled together as the show's preparations were made. They soon heard the introduction, and the lights around the pavilions began to flash. Eren looked and, sure enough, they didn't flash from any of the building in the Morocco pavilion. He looked back towards the large globe and watched as the different countries lit up. Carlton excitedly pointed to it and named as many as he could. "France for Papa! Germany and Turkey for Daddy! Japan for Aunt Mikasa! Sweden for Aunt Ymir! Scotland for Aunt Sasha!"

And then the fireworks started. Eren picked Carlton up so he could have a better view, and the whole family watched the bright lights burst in the sky. Carlton squealed and clapped his hands and wrapped his arms around his daddy's neck. Eren responded with many kisses on his peachy cheeks, brightening with the boy's joy. Levi didn't bother with the fireworks, instead opting to watch his husband and son. They were the real show.

And his heart ached at the realization that his father couldn't see it.

The journey back to the hotel became increasingly quieter as time went on, mostly because Carlton became sleepier. The bus stopped in front of the Jaeger family's hotel, and Eren scooped the boy up in his arms before they got off and made their way to their room.

"Alright, time for bed," Levi said as he flipped the lights on. "We're flying back to New York tomorrow, so we have to be ready to get up and go tomorrow morning."

Eren gave his husband a slightly worried look as he set Carlton down. "What about breakfast?"

"You couldn't even finish your dinner because you ate too many appetizers, and you're worried about breakfast?"

"Yes! Because by then it'll be tomorrow and I'll be hungry!"

"We'll get something at that food court in the hotel lobby then."

"Good."

Levi rolled his eyes. "C'mon, sweetheart, brush your teeth, wash your face. It's pajama time." He ushered the boy into the bathroom and tied his hair back as the boy wet his toothbrush. For a moment, Levi marveled at how long Carlton's hair had grown. The rest of him was growing, too. He wouldn't be this little boy forever.

Once Carlton was cleaned and dressed in his pajamas, Levi pulled back the covers on his bed and tucked him in, settling his two toys in his arms. He smiled when he passed the boy his monster plush. "You gave this to me while I was napping, right?"

Carlton nodded. "So he could protect you."

"Thank you, baby, that was very thoughtful of you." Levi kissed the boy's forehead. "But I think he prefers snuggling with you. You're his best friend after all."

Carlton smiled as his eyelids started to droop. "Papa," he said quietly, "sing to me please? I like it when you sing."

Levi hesitated at first but then nodded. "What song?"

"Lana Del Rey's version of 'Once Upon a Dream'."

Levi figured he should have seen that one coming. He pulled his iPod from his backpack and flipped through the music until he came upon the single. Eren dimmed the lights when the music began to play, standing nearby as Levi knelt down and began to sing along.

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream."

Carlton fell asleep before Levi could finish the verse. Levi went to turn the music off, but Eren put his hand on his shoulder and gently urged him to stand up. Without needing to question him, Levi complied, and Eren wrapped an arm around his waist. When the vocals began again, Eren slowly guided his husband in a subtle dance around the room, and Levi continued to sing along.

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once…"

Eren leaned in close and whispered the last part against Levi's lips.

"…the way you did once upon a dream."

They stopped dancing and Eren pressed his lips against Levi's. They were so warm, and Levi melted. There was nothing sexual about the kiss, but it was still passionate, and Eren hoped Levi could feel all the love he tried to pack into it. He hoped he could say "I love you" without saying a word.

Levi pulled away first, and Eren spoke. "Sometimes I really do feel like I met you somewhere before."

Levi wouldn't admit that he felt the same way.

"My moon," Eren continued, leaning down again and pressing a kiss to the top of Levi's head, "the moon that shines so brightly in the dark and gives me hope…"

Levi leaned forward and rested his head against Eren's chest. "Then you're my sun," he said quietly, "the sun that lights up my life with warmth and strength."

"Until the stars fall," Eren continued, taking Levi's left hand and kissing the gold ring on his finger.

Levi nodded and took Eren's left hand in return, also kissing the gold ring there. "Just like we promised, until the stars fall."

"I wonder if that means we'll live over and over again until the stars actually do fall," Eren said, his slightly comical tone lightening the mood a bit.

Levi smiled, unable to help his amusement. "Yeah, right. Like we were some great heroes in a past life, like we saved all of humanity or something, and the universe is thanking us by letting us live blissfully happy lives together over and over again until the stars fall." He looked up with a somewhat sarcastic but still very loving expression. "Yeah right, like that would ever happen."

The flight the next day was uneventful and easy. The Jaegers landed in Newark on time and took a taxi into Manhattan. Carlton was a little disappointed that he had to leave at all, but his mood brightened when he stepped into his family's apartment, smiling and greeting it like it was a friend he hadn't seen in a while. Eren took the bags into the bedrooms and forced himself to unpack them, knowing that he'd never do it if he put it off.

"Can I go next door and give Marvelle her present?" Carlton asked his papa, holding up the Belle plush.

"Yeah, if she's home," Levi replied, opening up the apartment door. He watched as Carlton knocked on the neighbors' door and smiled when it opened. The couple waved to Levi and invited Carlton inside. Levi could hear Carlton excitedly greet the baby girl even after the door closed.

With a sigh, Levi went through all the mail that had piled up over the week. Most of it was junk mail with a few magazines and bills. He set those aside to pay later and soon found a letter addressed to him.

Airmail from France.

Levi's eyes widened and he tore the envelope open, his eyes scanning the lines sloppily written (his father never did have good handwriting) in French.

Levi-

How are you? How are Eren and Carlton? I hope the three of you had an excellent time in Disney World. I sometimes get a flyer for the Paris park in the mail, but I hear that the property in Florida is the best. That's probably because it has more main parks with water parks and some shopping center, right? Did Carlton get to meet all his favorite characters? And why do I get the feeling that Eren was excited to meet all of his? Send me some photos.

I don't know if you noticed, but now I sell cheese to the restaurants in the France pavilion at that EPCOT (is that what it's called?) park. I don't think I'll expand the business beyond Paris and those restaurants though. I kinda like the cheese of Ackerman Farms being exclusive. Plus, I fear that the quality of the cheese would suck if I started mass producing it. I can't be out there selling crappy products like the other farms around here. I swear, some of my so-called "competition" started doing that, and they might bring in more cash and more tourists, but their product has gone downhill. All the tourists who visit me say that my cheese is the best. Damn right it is.

Forgive me for going on about this. I'm an old man, and my world is very small, but it's a good world, so I'm gonna make it the best world it can be while I still can. I don't know if any of this is still interesting to you or if it was ever interesting to you at all, but you should know that I think about you every day. I know I've said that in nearly every letter I've ever sent to you, but I mean it. You're my pride and joy, Levi. The other farmers around here tell me every day that I was insane for letting you go to the States. They've told me that every day for the past eighteen years, but I don't care. They ask me who will take over the farm after I'm gone, but I don't care whether the farm stays in the family or not. I might sell it to another family under the condition that they continue to make cheese the way I do. We'll see how that goes. For now, as long as you're happy, I'm happy. Besides, those other farmers don't have the cutest grandson on the face of the planet, so who's the real winner here?

I really mean it, Levi. I'm so proud of you and what you've become and what you've accomplished. I know I never said this to you much when you were a kid, but I love you so much. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, so, no matter where you go, I'll support you. And, I swear that I'm not trying to guilt you into coming back, but, if you ever decide you want to come visit, I won't judge you. I won't ever think that you made the wrong choice to leave. As far as I'm concerned, New York is your home, and the village is your home away from home. You and your family are always welcome here.

I love you, Levi. Never forget that.

-Papa

Levi set the letter down on the kitchen counter and took a deep breath to compose himself. "When did you get so sentimental, old man?" he asked, rubbing his temple as he walked into the living room. He opened the bottom drawer of a storage unit and pulled out one of many photo albums as he sat on the nearby couch. He flipped through the hundreds of photos, each one telling his story from the first moment he arrived in the US. When he met Eren, when they fell in love, when they moved in together, when they brought baby Carlton home, when they were finally able to marry, it was all there, and Levi had sent copies of every single one to his father over the years.

Briefly, Levi looked up at the shelving unit next to the wall of music. There were a few framed photos there, the best of the best. There was a portrait of Grisha and Carla, a portrait of Mikasa with her parents, a group shot of Eren with all his friends, a group shot of Levi with all his co-workers, and Eren and Levi's official wedding portrait. That was one of Levi's favorite photos. Eren looked so handsome in his black suit, and Levi thought he looked pretty good in his white one. The matching flower crowns were somewhat ridiculous and over the top, but they somehow completed the look. Levi didn't regret wearing his.

But Levi's favorite photo of all time was buried deep underneath the other photo albums in the drawer. He reached in and pulled it out. Because it didn't see the light often, the colors in the photo were bright and vivid, and the frame was spotless. Not bad for an accidental photo. Eren and Levi had meant to get a professional portrait done when Carlton was about a week old, but the camera had gone off in the middle of them kissing instead. Eren insisted upon keeping it though, and Levi was glad he had. After all, in the photo, Carlton's eyes were wide open, watching his parents get lost in their kiss.

Levi put the photo back in the drawer and took a lined notepad and a pen from the living room table into his lap.

"Good morning, Mr. Ackerman!"

Kenny looked up from pouring food into the goats' feeders and said, "Good morning, Farlan. You talk to Isabel recently?"

"Yeah, she's doing well," Farlan said as he flipped through the mail in his messenger bag. "She said the parks are getting more crowded now that summer is coming. All the kids have off from school, so most families go during that time of year. Ah, here we go." He passed a small pile of mail to Kenny, who took it and quickly flipped through it. "Looks like mostly junk mail," Farlan continued, "but I think you got something from the US there."

Sure enough, the last parcel in the pile was a thick envelope from the US. Kenny flashed a grin. "Good, looks like the shorty sent me some photos from his vacation."

"I still can't believe he met up with Isabel there of all places," Farlan said as he closed his messenger bag. "Ah well, she was really excited, as usual, and I'm sure Levi was happy to see a familiar face. By the way, can I buy some cheese from whatever doesn't sell in your next batch? That's the good stuff, the farms on the other side of the village don't make it like you do."

"No, they don't," Kenny agreed as he pushed a goat away before it could bite his mail. "Sure, I'll set a bit aside for you. Thanks, Farlan."

Farlan tipped his hat. "My pleasure, Sir, thank you." And he walked off to continue his route.

With a sigh, Kenny leaned up against the barn house and opened the thick envelope. Inside was another envelope and a folded letter. Kenny took the letter out first.

Papa-

Thanks for your letter. Eren, Carlton, and I had a great time in Disney World. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and, dare I say it, yeah, it might be the happiest place on earth. Just seeing Carlton's reactions was enough to make it that. He got to meet Mickey, almost all of the Princesses, and a few other characters. I think his shyness is starting to get better, too. (And you're not wrong in thinking that Eren was a little too excited to run into some characters himself.) In the other envelope are copies of all the photos I took. I hope you like them.

Speaking of meetings, why the hell didn't you tell me that Isabel was working there? That she's working at the counter service restaurant in the France pavilion in EPCOT? That she's been working there since college?! We could have met up! I guess it hardly matters now. Not like I'd ever go to Disney World unless I had a kid (Eren doesn't count). She yelled at me about how I got up and left all of a sudden without saying goodbye and about how she missed me. She said that everyone in the village calls you insane on a daily basis. Why did you never mention that? I didn't mean to do that to you. I really didn't mean to cause you any trouble. I'm sorry that you have to endure that, and I'm sorry that I did that to you. But, if my letters from the past eighteen years haven't been enough of an indicator, let me just say that I'm happy. I'm so happy, Papa. I have a husband I love so much and a son who means more than the world to me. I have a job I love going to and friends who love and support me both in and out of the office. I wake up every morning in a beautiful apartment in a city I love with people I love. My life is everything I wanted it to be.

The only thing missing right now is you, which is why I want to ask you if Eren, Carlton, and I can come visit you at the end of this summer. Carlton will be out of school, and I think the end of the summer will have less tourists than the beginning. You deserve to meet him and Eren, Papa. I'm so sorry that I kept them from you for so long, and I'm sorry for never visiting you. I didn't want you or anyone else to think that I had made the wrong choice, and I don't want any of those idiots in the village to think they're right. But now I'm realizing that they don't matter. The only thing that matters is our family. I know that I'm in no place to ask this on top of everything else, but do you think that maybe you and your brother could try to patch things up? I know that you never really got along, but I think it would be good for all of us if we were together. Could you at least consider it? Please?

And I know that I never said this much either when I was a kid, but I love you, Papa. I love you so much, and thank you for everything you've done.

Hopefully, we'll see you this summer.

-Levi

Kenny lowered the letter and opened the second envelope. A rush of photos spilled into his hands, all full of smiles and laughter and joy. Carlton was already an adorable boy, but he was that much cuter with an ear-to-ear grin. Eren was a handsome man, Kenny had to admit, and he looked something like an oversized kid in the middle of a big celebration. Levi's happiness was subtle, but it was there, and Kenny shook his head amusedly at how much and how little his son had changed over time.

Grinning, Kenny headed back to the main house. He walked into his living room and looked at all the photos Levi had sent him over the years, every single one of them either preserved in an album or plastered all over the walls. All the letters his son had sent him in that time sat in boxes organized by year, and they piled around his tables and couches. He didn't care about the mess, more concerned about finding homes for all these new photos.

"Oh, Levi," he said quietly, still smiling, "you should know that you, your husband, and your own baby goat are always welcome here."

Levi put the pen and paper back down on the living room table when his cell phone rang. "Hello?" he said after unlocking the phone. "Oh, hello, Petra, yeah, I'm home. No, you're not bothering me. Carlton ran next door, and Eren is unpacking our luggage. No, he actually decided to do it on his own, believe it or not. So what's going on? How's the office? Hmm?"

Levi paused when he heard a knock. "Oh, hang on Petra, someone's at the door." He got up and opened the door, but no one was there. He looked down and saw a thick pile of paper. "Ah, I'm here, someone just dropped a manuscript off. Did Auruo or somebody come by? Because no one's here. No? Hmm, that's weird." He brought the manuscript inside and shut the door. "Oh really? On the bestselling manga list? That's great, did you tell Hajime? Leave him a message, I'm sure he'd be happy to hear."

As Petra continued, Levi looked down at the title on the front of the manuscript and grinned. Ilse Langnar.

"Hey, Petra," he said, "I don't mean to interrupt, but your team has a new assignment."

Two weeks later, Connie and Sasha had invited all their friends to their home in upstate New York. "It's been forever since we all got together!" Sasha had said to Eren over the phone one afternoon. "It's a shame Armin and Annie won't be able to come, but it's the only weekend everyone else can come. Besides, I'm sure everyone wants to hear more about your vacation, so we'll get together again after Armin and Annie return from their honeymoon."

And so, the Jaegers piled into their car with their weekend luggage and headed into the countryside. Levi drove, which gave Eren some time to enjoy the scenery. He especially liked to get away from the hustle and bustle of New York City from time to time, and he liked that he could go for long runs on the nearly empty roads. Carlton was just excited to see Aoife. He held onto her Merida plush throughout the whole drive.

When Levi parked the car outside the cabin, Connie greeted them out front. "Hey, guys, welcome!"

"Hey, Connie, good to see you!" Eren said as he got out of the car and unloaded his and Levi's shared bag.

Carlton hopped out of the car and rushed past his parents, up to the front door. "Hi, Uncle Connie! Where's Aoife?"

"Hey, little buddy, she's inside with Aunt Sasha."

"Thank you!" Carlton ran inside, pausing only momentarily to greet Sasha before he knelt down in front of baby Aoife on her play blanket. "Hi, Aoife, I got you a present from Disney World!" He passed the Merida plush to the girl, who eagerly took it and hugged it, gumming at an edge with a toothless smile. Carlton giggled. "When you get older, we'll go to Disney World together and meet the real Merida together!"

Eren and Levi set their bags in the guest room just as Reiner and Bertholdt arrived. "Hey, all!" Reiner said, bringing Connie into a quick hug. Bertholdt hugged Sasha and kissed her cheek.

"Hi, Uncle Reiner! Uncle Bertholdt!" Carlton cheered, rushing to them. Bertholdt picked him up and gave him a tight squeeze, prompting more sweet giggles from the little boy.

"Did you have a nice time at Disney World?"

"Yeah! We brought all our pictures with us to show you!"

"Can't wait to see," Reiner replied, turning back to Connie. "I gotta say, man, this cabin of yours is something else. I'm jealous of your flatscreen."

Connie laughed. "I like the great outdoors, but I really like Game of Thrones, too."

A few minutes later, after Reiner and Bertholdt had settled in, Ymir and Historia pulled up to the house. "Yooooo, Braus-Springer Family!" Ymir greeted, stomping up the front steps with a big grin. She slapped Connie on the back and then saw Reiner and Bertholdt, her grin widening. "Hey there, fellow homos!"

"Hi, Aunt Ymir!" Carlton said, running up to her and giving her a hug as Historia closed the front door behind them. He waved to the blonde. "Hi, Aunt Historia!"

"Hello, Carlton!" Historia replied, kneeling to give the boy a big kiss.

When she pulled away, Carlton looked up at her wife again. "Aunt Ymir, we saw a big troll statue in the Norway pavilion in EPCOT. Papa said that you know about trolls even though you're from Sweden."

"I do know about trolls!" Ymir replied. "I know all about Norse mythology. I was named after a Frost Giant, ya know."

"A Frost Giant?"

"Yeah! They're actually called 'Jotuns.' I'll tell you all about those, too. We'll start with the Thor movies!"

Reiner rolled his eyes. "I don't know if a movie adaptation of a comic book based on Norse mythology is the most accurate source, Ymir."

"Well, maybe I also just like looking at Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston."

"You just said that you were gay as hell."

"I can still admire some fine specimens when I see 'em."

That was when there was a knock on the front door. Ymir and Carlton moved out of the way as Historia opened the door. Her face brightened. "Hi, Jean! Hi, Mikasa!"

"Hey!" Jean replied, giving Historia a hug. Mikasa greeted Connie and Sasha before rushing to Eren and Levi and giving them each a hug.

"I got a text from Armin on the way over," she said, holding up her phone. "Look, they're at the Grand Canyon!"

Sure enough, the photo showed newly-married Armin and Annie taking a selfie with the wondrous rock formation in the background. It suited them. Annie was a fan of crystals, gems, and rocks, and Armin was interested in multiple types of sciences, including earth science. They looked happy. Eren smiled, remembering his own honeymoon in Hawaii with Levi. "We'll see them again in another week. Maybe we can go do some karaoke with them."

"Oh my god, Bertholdt and I need to sing 'Pompeii' by Bastille with Annie," Reiner said. "And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we looooooooooove!"

"And we need to sing 'The Monster' by Eminem and Rihanna!" Ymir added. "You, too, Eren, you don't suck at rapping. I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed."

"Get along with the voices inside of my head," Eren continued, "You're trying to save me, stop holding your breath. And you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy, well, that's nothing!"

Jean grinned at their antics and turned to Carlton. "Know what, little buddy? I brought a friend you haven't seen in a while."

Carlton gave Jean a confused look and then looked behind him, only for his eyes to widen in excitement. "UNCLE MARCO!" he squealed, rushing past Jean and jumping into Marco's arms.

The freckled man laughed as he picked the boy up and spun him around. "Hey there, Carlton! It's been forever! You were just a little guy last time I saw you. Did you have a lot of fun at Disney World?"

"Yeah!"

Jean wrapped an arm around Marco's shoulder and kissed the man's cheek. "Maybe we'll go after the summer crowds calm down."

"That would be fun," Mikasa agreed, sitting down on the couch and patting the seat next to her. Jean sat down next to her, and she cuddled up to his side. Marco sat on Jean's opposite side after setting Carlton down. The little boy sat on the floor as Eren, Levi, and Connie hooked up the camera to the television.

"Thanks, Connie," Levi said once the slideshow appeared on screen. "Alright, guys, you probably already saw most of these on Facebook, but here's our Disney vacation."

"Humanity's Greatest Disney Vacation!" Carlton added with a smile, and the show began.

"I have a theory about the sun and the moon."

Eren pulled away so he could look at his husband. "What is it?"

Levi sat up, his eyes traveling from the moon's reflection in the ocean to the actual moon, and he let out a quiet sigh. "I don't think it can shine on its own," he said after an elongated pause. "We don't see the sun at night, but I think it still shines, and I think it's the reason the moon shines. Without it, the moon would just be some dark thing we'd never see." He looked back down at the reflection and leaned against Eren for support. "Kinda like me."

That made Eren do a double-take. "What do you mean?"

Levi glanced at him momentarily before turning his attention back to the ocean. "I only look like I shine," he said. "I only shine because of you, because you're so big and bright. I'm just…there."

Eren looked at his husband as though he were in pain and wrapped his arms around him, shaking his head. "I don't think that's true," he mumbled into Levi's hair. "Have you noticed that the ocean waves change with the moon? That the way people keep track of time is often based on the moon? I feel like the sun and the moon work together to make those things happen, if your theory of the moon shining because of the sun is true." He paused but didn't receive a response, so he said, "Please don't think you're useless, Levi. Please don't compare yourself to anyone, including me. You're you and I love you the way you are, grumpy temper, foul mouth, cleaning obsession, and all."

Levi only nodded when Eren pressed a kiss to his forehead.

But Eren still wasn't convinced. "Do you really think you haven't done enough?" he asked. "Levi, you've done plenty, more than enough. You gave people hope long before I did. You fought so hard, and you saved so many people. You gave birth to our son! That's amazing! You're not some dark thing that pretends to shine, you're a beacon of light and hope in the darkness of the night." Eren squeezed tighter. "And you're my husband. So, even if you didn't do any of that, I'd still love you, and I'd still love you until the stars fell."

At that moment, Eren and Levi looked up into the night sky and saw a shooting star travel across their vision. When it disappeared, they looked at each other, and Eren began to laugh.

"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that!" he shouted at the sky. "Every single one of you stars would have to fall, and, even if you all did, I'd go get a ladder and paste you all back up there myself! I don't care how long it takes, I'd do it to stay with this man! I'd do anything to stay with him." He laughed again and calmed down, Levi finally smiling as he rested against him.

"Eren."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Eren tilted Levi's head so that he could kiss him. When they broke away, he laughed again. "For all we know, I just set myself up for a dare. Who knows? Maybe now we'll live together multiple times!"

"Yeah, right," Levi said, rolling his eyes, "like the universe will thank us for defeating all the Titans by letting us live blissfully happy lives together over and over again until the stars fall."

They both smiled as they got up and headed back to their home together.

"Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen."

THE END

Author's Note: So ends the tale of Eren, Levi, and Carlton.

I've seen a lot of modern AUs where Eren, Levi, and their friends are all reborn, and maybe everyone or at least one of them remembers their past lives as soldiers. I like these stories, but I got to thinking, "What if Hajime Isayama is a soldier reborn from that time, and HE'S the only one who remembers, so he's writing and drawing the story so the rest of humanity knows what Eren and the others did for us?" I ran with it, which is entirely why Levi works in publishing in this AU. SnK has even been on the New York Times Bestseller List multiple times.

I couldn't decide if I wanted Jean to be with Mikasa or Marco, so I had him be with both. I'm totally here for polyamorous bisexual Jean.

While I'm sure that you all know a lot of the music included in this fic, I urge you to listen to Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball album if you haven't. This might be my own Jersey Girl self talking, but it's one of my favorite albums. My own NJ roots are why Grisha and Carla lived there and had Eren there before moving to NYC.

Norwegian meatballs are called Kjøttkake, which is pronounced "kyoat (like in "boat")-kah-ker (but the r is almost silent). This might also be my Norwegian roots talking, but the dish is delicious.

There are also real dairy farms about an hour outside of Paris that are open for tourists to visit. I believe that most of them sell cows' milk cheeses (usually brie), but I can't eat cows' milk cheeses, so I changed Kenny's farm to goats' milk cheese, haha. I liked writing Kenny as a nice person, as I'd like to think he and Levi would have better lives and be happier together if they were reborn.

Thank you all so much for reading this spinoff. I originally didn't intend for this story to be as deep as it turned out to be. I wanted it to be a silly, self-indulgent fic, but I'm happy with it the way it is. For those of you who follow me on Tumblr at gothicdancer, I often post drabbles and sketches about Carlton. I recently did a series of drabbles for Carlton's birthday back on January 30th. If you search "Carlton's Birthday Party 2015" on my blog, you should find all of them (19 in total, I believe). Also, if any of you are Tokyo Ghoul fans, there will be a post-HGDV Easter egg in the second chapter of my fic French Roast.

Merci beaucoup. Danke schön. Çok teşekkür ederim. I can't say it enough.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

-GD