This wasn't planned, but I enjoyed myself. I'm sorry for the mistakes, I'm sure you will find many. And I'm also sorry that everyone is out of character. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

First spring…

Armin cries. Sometimes, Levi is amazed at how much and how loud his little boy cries. He is amazed by the way Mikasa calmly wakes to gaze upon her brother and looks to Levi for direction in how to help. But he is even more amazed when Eren sleeps peacefully right beside them, undisturbed.

When Armin cries like this, in the middle of the night, there isn't much Levi can do except to comfort him as best a dad can. Armin isn't hungry, he doesn't need changing. Most of the time Levi is able to quiet Armin down with a few murmured words of comfort as he rocks him gently in his arms. Other times, the neighbors complain. They come stomping to his door and knock persistently, "Do you not realize what time it is?" They yell.

When Levi answers the door, still holding his crying baby, he stares flatly with worn-out eyes at his neighbor. "I'm sorry about this. I don't know what else to do. He doesn't need changing and he isn't hungry."

"Well, do something! We have to work in the morning!" Annoyed and frustrated, they angrily walk away. And Levi is forced to take his children to the nearby park. He dresses Eren and Mikasa in warm sweaters and wraps Armin in a warm blanket. He then takes them to the stairs, down to the lobby and out the back door. Levi and his three children walk the short distance to the small park near their building. Armin is in his arms, still crying, and Mikasa's little hand clutches the edge of his sweater as she holds Eren's hand in her other one. They walk to the playground and there, he lets Eren and Mikasa play on their own at the swing set. And all the while, he tries to comfort Armin. "There, there, baby. It's all right."

When they're at the park at night he is wary, because anywhere can be a scary place if it's dark, even a children's playground. The trees cast dark shadows from the street lamp. The grass, a healthy green during the day, is black and ominous in the darkness of the night. Anyplace is terrifying when it's dark. Places like this might attract vagrants and hooligans at night, Levi thinks.

Footsteps and voices. About five, he counts. They could be good people just taking a walk or a short cut through the park, but Levi doesn't risk when his babies are in his care. Not wasting time, Levi hustles Eren and Mikasa from the swing set "Mikasa. Eren, come on. Let's go back." Levi tries to think of other places they could stay while they head back to their building. There are more street lamps on the pathway, as they near their apartment. Levi is relieved to be away from the darkness. Fortunately, Armin has fallen asleep during their walk. So, he takes his family back to their rooms and settles down. Exhausted, they fall asleep. Peace at last.

First Autumn…

Levi had quit his part time job and his studies at the University of Rose to take care of them. And in between caring for his children and cleaning, Levi would research and read supplemental books on how to raise wolves and care for children, or the other way around. He reads volumes and volumes on how to care for his family. Levi regrets not asking Erwin more about how he was raised as a child.

He is exhausted. There are times when he can only take little, sometimes unintended, naps. Mikasa often catches him sleeping at odd moments and places during the day.

During supper one night. Eren was sat in his chair, placed at the end of their dining table, Mikasa to his left and their dad to his right, she discovers Levi had nodded off while feeding Armin from a bottle. His head resting on his shoulder as he breathed evenly, but his hold on Armin and the bottle still firm and safe.

Eren looked up curiously from his messy eating and lets out a snigger, a sound only ever heard from an amused child. "Dad. Daddy" Mikasa calls quietly. Levi wakes and smiles fondly, even if tiredly, at his little girl, "What is it, Mikasa?"

Shaking her little head and smiling softly at her dad, she goes back to eating her food, "Nothing." With a tired but tender smile at his children, Levi removes the now empty bottle from a sleeping Armin.

One afternoon, after waking from her nap. Mikasa carefully and quietly removes herself from the baby clutches of her brothers. She stood and left their bedroom quietly, searching for their dad. It wasn't long before she finds him in the kitchen. Mikasa paused in the doorway staring curiously at her daddy. How odd, she thought to herself. The sink faucet was running but her dad was standing as still as a tree. She approaches quietly to his side so as not to startle him, and she finds that Levi's chin was drooped to his chest, his head pointing down and his eyes closed. The dishes in his hands no longer soapy with suds, the water must've been running for quite a while, Mikasa thought.

A tiny smile on her lips and a tinge of concern on her brows, she calls to her dad. Quietly, softly "Dad. Daddy." No answer. She reaches for his shirt and calls again a little louder with a tug and a shake, "Daddy. Daddy." This time Levi opens his eyes. Slowly, slowly. Blinking his eyes, chasing away the sleep. He glances at Mikasa and finally, he comes back to reality. Smiling softly, he shakes his head a little, turns off the faucet and dries his hands.

"Mikasa, you're up. Are you hungry?" He asks, as he gently picks up his little girl and sits her on the table top. After a nod from Mikasa, he turns back to the counters to prepare a sandwich. And Levi thinks, a little chagrined, that if Mikasa stood on top of the table, she would be at eye level with him, if not a little taller. And fondly, a little sad now, he realizes she must've inherited her father's height.

Every night, he would tell them a bedtime story. They all lay down on the queen-sized mattress on the floor. Levi had gotten rid of the bedframe after Eren almost fell one night. He worries that it won't just be Eren when it happens next. He worries that he won't be there to catch them the next time one starts to fall off.

This night was a story about how he met their father. I was nineteen years old when I left my home town in Maria. I had received a scholarship grant and so I went to study at the University of Rose, near the inner city capital of Sina …And then he approached me one day, after class, "I see you don't have a book of your own. It will be hard for you to study without it. Why don't we share mine?" The taller man suggested. He towered over me, standing a head or more than my stature. It would've been intimidating if not for the kind expression on his face… As we got to talking, we finally agreed to meet at a café, near my work place.…

"And then what happened, Daddy?" Armin asks while Eren moves to shake their dad. "Shhh." Mikasa hushes. She stands quietly to cover their dad with a blanket as he sleeps peacefully. "Daddy's tired. Let's all go to sleep now." She says responsibly. She tucks them in, one by one. Armin first and then Eren. After that, she stands to close the lights. Standing on a little step-stool, she reaches for the switch. Flick. Lights off.

"Awoooooooooooh!" Flick. Just as quickly, lights on again. She quickly turns her head to the sound and with the help of the light, she identifies Eren and Armin. Both in their wolf form, still in their pajamas, howling. "Shhhhhhh!" she hushes, with her index finger to her lips. Chastised, they shift back into their human form and burrow back into their blankets, but not without a snigger and a giggle.

"Good night." Mikasa says. More stern than most children her age. "G'night." "Night." Flick. Lights off.

Thank you for reading. This was heavily inspired by Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki. :)