Insects 'sung as morning broke, a golden slighter of sunshine flooding through the window. Eren stirred as it warmed his face, the light tickling behind his eyelids. It took him a moment to remember where he was. The scent lingering in the air made him think of another place. There were no arms wrapped around him, but the sound of rhythmic breathing could still be heard.

Eren sat up in the nest with sleep-tangled hair, eyes immediately seeking out the dark figure alongside him. It seemed Levi had given up his hold to lay on his front instead, jet-black strands dangling over his face as it pressed into the cotton bedding. Eren 's head tilted as he inspected the shortly clipped hair underneath, wondering how Levi managed to cut it that way. He might do it himself, although Eren wouldn 't be surprised if Isabel helped him with these things.

One of the alpha 's wings was bent in an odd way, Eren noticed. Appearing to have snagged on the nest and folded in on itself. The position would cause discomfort when he woke. Eren lifted the black wing with delicate hands, cradling the appendage in his palms as he straightened it out. The wing was somewhat responsive, twitching weakly as it was rearranged. Once satisfied, turquoise eyes went back to Levi 's passive face, which was far more peaceful when he slept.

The distant sound of voices caught Eren 's attention, and he turned to glance out the carved window with curious eyes. There was nothing to be seen besides the blue sky and a layer of foliage.

The brunet was eager to go outside and see what was happening today. Fairies were assigned tasks on most days, duties that would aid in the colony 's survival and growth, and there was more to do as Spring continued. Eren 's gaze fell back to the nest. While he hated to disturb Levi, he already knew what could happen if he left without letting the alpha know. An outburst wouldn 't help their case, especially if Carla were to hear about it. Especially since all growling had been omitted from the stories he 'd told her.

A tan finger reached out to poke the alpha 's cheek, his pale skin a little squishy beneath the prodding. A quite grumble fell from Levi 's lips, and so Eren proceeded to tap his fingertips against the side of his face with insistence.

There was a groggy hum as Levi 's eyes fluttered. They opened just enough for a thin line of silver to appear between his dark lashes, gazing up at Eren without focus. 'Pretty ' '

'Um, ' Eren said, his wings fluttering at the whispered compliment. Levi probably hadn 't meant to say that. The alpha stared at him, metallic eyes barely open and blinking slowly, but he appeared conscious enough to understand. 'I 'm going outside to see if anyone needs my help. You can stay here if you want. '

Levi rolled over with a dismissive grunt, content with going back to sleep.

Eren chewed on his lip as he lingered in the nest, concerned about how Levi seemed particularly tired recently. Being awake during the day might be exhausting for him, or it could simply be due to the days becoming longer. Eren hoped he wouldn 't completely destroy Levi 's circadian rhythm.

Once he 'd managed to climb over the alpha without causing a disturbance, Eren used his fingers to wrangle his hair into something less unruly as he walked over to the exit. Tiny sunbeams broke through the scattered canopy overhead, the forest whispering as a crisp breeze passed through the vegetation. Eren pushed off the branch in a flutter of emerald wings, the weight of warm air making the journey a little easier.

It didn 't take long for Eren to reach his destination. He descended from the sky to a lower altitude, then landed one foot after the other on a terrace carved into a large tree. This was one of Eren 's favourite places in the colony. The wood and bark were chipped away to form an open balcony. The edge was lined by a decorative handrail made from pale oak, an intricate design of swirling lines etched onto the smooth surface.

Eren picked up on the scent of sweetened rose petals emanating from within the connecting hollow, so he walked over to look inside. It was one of their many communal areas, used for storage more often than not. There were woven grass containers of various sizes stacked against one of the walls, from personal-use bowls to collecting baskets, while another side had giant wooden barrels to store large quantities of pollen and fruit.

A flash of pink caught Eren 's attention, and he called out with uncertainty. 'Petra? '

'Oh! ' Petra yelped at the unexpected sound, pastel wings fluttering as she straightened up to peek over a basket filled with flower seeds. 'Eren, ' She began, emerging from behind the shelves. 'Listen, I want to apologise for what happened in the meadow. I was the leader and supervisor for that outing. If I 'd paid more attention, you might not have gotten lost. '

'Don 't feel bad. ' Turquoise eyes landed on the stick Petra was holding in her hand, dark grey and slightly rectangular. Graphite, if the metallic smudges on her fingertips were any indication. 'Nothing bad happened, and I made a few new friends. '

'Right. '

'Is there anything I can help with today? '

'Most of the omegas are out at the stream. ' Petra hummed as she spun the shimmering stick in her fingers, thoughtful. 'But ' there 's a beta group in the north-east that could use an extra pair of wings, if you 're up for it. '

'Sure, ' Eren grinned. Omegas were usually given the less strenuous tasks, things like weaving or fruit preservation. It would be safe to assume that the others were washing equipment at the river. Eren was eager to try something different, so long as he didn 't have to collect pollen any time soon.

Petra smiled, allowing a brief silence before speaking again. 'I hear you 've started a courtship. '

'Yeah, ' Eren said, caution creeping into his voice. 'Who told you that? '

'I 'm happy for you. Armin too, and I expect one or both other omegas from your year to start courting by the end of the season. You 're all so beautiful, it 's not surprising that alphas are already trying to swoop in and snatch you up. '

Eren 's lips pulled tight. The idea of someone

snatching him up

was a little unsettling, even if it was a fair summary of how Levi had tracked him down and taken him home. But that was under unique circumstances. Their meeting probably would 've gone a lot differently if Eren hadn 't been in such a dangerous situation. Or they wouldn 't have met at all, as Eren was now convinced his distressed scent was what led Levi to him in the first place.

Eren shifted on his feet as the silence dragged on, until he eventually cleared his throat to speak. 'Do you have a mate? '

'There have been opportunities, but I ' ' There was a brief hesitation. Petra looked down at her hands, absently trying to rub some of the smudges off her skin. 'I 've never been interested in someone like that. I know it 's unusual, especially for an omega, but I like the way my life is now. I 've just never felt that pull, I guess. '

'Oh. Well that 's okay, you should do whatever makes you happy. ' Eren returned the smile she gave him, small but friendly. Petra stared with a thoughtful expression on her face, as if she had more to say. The brunet prompted her by raising his eyebrows.

'Ah, r-right. Despite my own situation, I 'm well informed about these things. So ' if you ever have a question and you don 't feel comfortable asking your mother, I 'm more than happy to help. Or we could get a little group together and have a chat, if you want. '

'Thanks, ' Eren said. It was a relief to have some guidance, but he doubted that Petra would know all that much about night-fairies. How could she? Although most of their differences seemed to be in the finer details, so he supposed it could be of some help. 'I 'll keep that in mind. '

Pink wings fluttered with pride as Petra smiled once more, then she walked back to the baskets to continue with whatever she 'd been doing.

With the conversation over, Eren spun around and rushed out of the hollow. He paused on the balcony, eyes searching the sky as he took a moment to remember the direction Petra had given him. Working it out wasn 't difficult, Eren only had to find a familiar landmark to orientate himself in the colony. Once he did, Eren leaped from the wooden platform and took to the air.

The vegetation became sparse as Eren approached the edge of the forest, the canopy gradually thinning to reveal more of the baby blue sky and the sunshine spilling out of it. Humid air was warm and sticky on his wings, the once pleasant feel now causing his flight to be slow and lethargic. Eren didn 't mind. He wasn 't in a rush, and it gave him an opportunity to enjoy the buzz of insects and the rustle of leaves that were usually absent in the more populated areas.

A shrill giggle broke the calm song of nature, an enthusiastic sound that gave away its owner 's location. Following it, Eren came across a clearing near the perimeter. From the patch of grass grew several medium-sized trees with large, droopy leaves. They were a lively green, vibrant and cheerful, and quite thin given how the sunlight seemed to pass through them in a radiant shade of lime.

Eren made a graceful landing on a log laying beneath one of the trees and looked up with curious eyes. Clusters of plump fruit hung down from the branches, each one a dramatic glossy red. Among them were trails of fluttering movement, several fairies zipping through the air and ducking between the foliage.

Distracted, Eren didn 't notice the falling fruit until it smacked down next to him. He yelped, head whipping around to watch it bounce and tumble off the log before rolling along the grass.

'Whoopsies! ' A pair of burnt-orange wings descended from the treetops. Hange landed in the grass, using their foot to prevent the red sphere from rolling any further. 'Didn 't see you down here, Sugarplum. '

'What 're you doing? ' Eren asked, watching them adjust the pair of goggles on their face. He 'd seen a few other fairies wearing them, either to enhance their vision or to keep wind and pollen from irritating their eyes while flying.

'Collecting cherries? ' Hange scratched their head. It wasn 't until Eren 's eyes glanced down to the fruit underfoot that they exclaimed in recognition. 'Oh! These suckers are heavy. ' To demonstrate, they gave the cherry a soft kick. 'It 's easier to let them fall and pick them up later. '

'Can I help? '

'That 'd be great, there 's only a few of us out here today. It 's just moblit and Rico, as usual. And- ' Hange stopped as a single seed fell in front of them, dark juice and flesh clinging to the gritty surface. 'Sasha! ' They pointed up at a guilty face that was peeking down from a branch, wide eyed and mouth stained red. 'Stop eating the cherries! Are you a fairy or a fat little caterpillar?! ' Hange huffed before taking off, orange wings flapping as they flew up into the tree.

Eren chuckled to himself before following. He settled at a low-level branch, however he found the thin stick more of a challenge to land on. Turquoise eyes were quick to spot the other fairies that Hange had mentioned. A male fairy with dark honey coloured wings met Eren 's gaze and waved at him. Moblit, presumably. The omega smiled back, then his attention shifted to Rico. She was wearing a pair of goggles and had pale wings to match her hair. The small appendages were off-white with faint flecks of grey, the pattern reminiscent of a speckled eggshell.

Placing his hands on the bark, Eren looked down to examine the slender stems that dangled from his branch. A bright cherry was attached to end of each one, the round fruit almost the size of a young fairy 's head. Most commonly, they were made into a jam or preserved whole. The striking red was also a popular clothing dye in the warmer months, or the juice could be diluted to give a more delicate colour.

Eren wrapped his hands around one of the stems and gave it a shake, but the stubborn fruit managed to hang on despite his efforts. Huffing, Eren decided to try a different approach, viridian wings fluttering as he shuffled off the branch. He hovered in the air next to the cherry, grabbing hold of it and giving a firm tug. It wobbled, but not much else.

Eren glared at it as his frustration grew, until he took the stem in his hands and placed his feet on the cherry, allowing it to support his weight as he tried to detach it.

The brunet let out a startled yelp as the cherry came loose. Eren fell with it, limbs flailing, and had to perform a disorderly backwards tumble before he could correct himself in the air. Bright eyes watched the fruit plummet towards the ground and land in the grass with an audible thud. Eren stared down at his accomplishment, an ecstatic smile spreading over his face.

The task became easier with practice, although he would encounter a particularly clingy stem on occasion. The other fairies were much faster at it, plucking almost two cherries in the time it took him to do one, but Eren did his best not to let it discourage him. They had experience doing this, and the fact that Sasha took a bite out of every few meant that their totals being near equal.

The sun was hovering in the middle of the sky by the time they decided to take a break. It was tiring work, but thankfully the cover of foliage provided some shelter from the heat.

Eren met with the others on the grass to rest his wings, but he decided to avoid the blaring sunshine and stayed in the shade of the tree. He watched Moblit and Rico assemble the cherries into a poorly organised stack, while Hange struggled to count them as they piled up. Keen ears twitched at a sudden squelching sound. Eren turned to find Sasha sitting up against the tree trunk, a bleeding cherry cradled in her hands.

Voices carried in the breeze as another squad of fairies leisurely floating across the sky, the faint sound of chatter. Their wings were bold against the pale blue backdrop, the colours deeper and more vivid than anything you would see on an omega or even a beta. Eren wasn 't entirely sure what the alphas did from day-to-day, but he often saw them go out in small groups of three or four. Curious, he decided to ask Sasha. 'Where are they going? '

'Mn? ' Sasha blinked up from her snack, a trail of red juice slithering down her chin. 'They go around checking the colony 's territory and marking stuff. It 's important, according to them ' ' Sasha narrowed her eyes at the swarm of alphas. 'If you ask me, they should come down here and do some real work. '

Humming at the new information, Eren found that he felt a little bad for them. Alphas were instinctually driven to protect and defend, but the lack of danger in the colony meant there weren 't many opportunities to satisfy that need, which would probably cause considerable frustration. Checking the area is safe may grant them some relief.

Considering what Eren had seen recently, it was miraculous that the alphas were able to live together and have so few altercations. Given how Erwin had reacted to a single alpha stepping out of line, perhaps their unspoken hierarchy was more complex than it appeared.

'Oh, fig! '

Eren was startled by the sudden exclamation. His gaze flicked over to Sasha, questioning, then followed her eyes to the sky. An alpha was flying straight for them.

'Do you think he heard me? ' Sasha whispered, the half-eaten cherry dropping from her limp hands.

As the fairy got closer, Eren realised that it was someone he recognised. The omega always knew it was only a matter of time before they ran into each other again, but his body still became tense as he watched the figure approach. It wasn 't that he hated Jean. Eren just wasn 't particularly fond of what came out of his mouth.

Jean reached the tree, flapping as he landed in front of them. 'Hey guys. '

'Hi, ' Sasha replied, lifting her arm to wipe the juice from her face.

Eren put minimal effort into his smile, the expression appearing dull and lifeless. Jean 's wings were a different colour to what he remembered, an olive green that lightened into a deep spearmint towards the tips, matte except for the subtle reflection of sunlight.

Jean gave Sasha a brief glance before his attention shifted over to Eren, eyes brightening as a smile pulled at his lips. 'Wow, I haven 't gotten a good look at you since presentation. I wasn 't expecting you to become an omega ' you sure turned out nice, Eren. ' He inched closer, leaning forward to sniff at the air. A frown appeared on Jean 's face as he pulled away, the glint in his eyes becoming far less friendly. 'Too bad you stink. '

As Eren was about to retort, he was startled into silence by something falling to the ground behind him. Thankfully, he hadn 't missed the sound of alarm that it elicited from Jean. When Eren turned around, he wasn 't surprised to find a pair of black wings looming over his shoulder, held high in the air and rigidly still, threatening crimson eyespots glowing with menace.

Judging by the look on Levi 's face, he 'd woken up on the wrong side of the nest. 'You shouldn 't be close enough to smell him. '

'Are you kidding? ' Jean asked in an incredulous tone, taking two steps back at the same time. 'I 'd have to be all the way back at the colony. '

Levi raised a sardonic eyebrow, the faintest hint of amusement cracking through his grim expression.

Oblivious, Jean snuffled a bit more, his nose scrunching up at the scent that hit it. 'Oh, I see what 's going on. ' Accusing eyes landed on Eren. 'None of the alphas around here are good enough for you, huh? '

Levi scoffed as his wings flapped forcefully, answering before Eren had a chance to. 'If you 're referring to yourself, I 'm afraid not. '

'Eren 's always had strange taste, ' Jean said. He inspected the black wings and eyespots, feeling more confident now that there was some distance between them. 'Of course, he 'd go for the freakiest alpha he could find. '

'Jean! ' Eren warned, even though he knew it was a terrible idea to get between squabbling alphas. The usual advice for such a situation was to stay well out of the way, but he doubted Levi would attack someone over a few insults.

Eren 's confidence faltered when Levi moved forward to stand slightly in front of him, and he took a subconscious step back.

'Would you like to know what my people call an alpha like you? ' Levi stared straight into Jean 's eyes, voice deepening to a low growl. 'Pathetically inadequate. '

Jean was thrown off, hesitating for a moment as he fought the urge to break eye contact. 'Is that why you stole one of our omegas? None of your own kind wanted to be your mate? '

'Eren never belonged to you. '

'He belongs to the colony. '

'Is that what you think? ' Levi asked in a dull tone, thoroughly unimpressed. It was a shame that he couldn 't resort to violence. The personal risk, while minimal, simply wasn 't worth it. For all he knew, those other alphas could all be waiting to fly in and swarm him.

Eren squeaked when Levi turned to grab him, startled by the sudden grip on his shoulders. It was even more surprising when Levi started rubbing his face into Eren 's hair. While the brunet usually found this type of affection enjoyable, it was rather awkward to do it with an audience.

Jean frowned at them. 'Gross ' '

Unsure of what to do, Eren simply stood there and let Levi do as he pleased. Turquoise eyes widened when Levi made strange sound. It was a deep coo, languid and suggestive of pleasure, a vocalisation he 'd never heard from the alpha before. It was enough to make Eren 's cheeks burn red, and he saw a flash of horror pass through Jean 's eyes.

'Ew! Don 't do that in front of me! '

'I 'm not going to stop, ' Levi said, glaring at Jean as he slowly dragged his neck through chocolate hair. 'If you have a problem with it, you should leave. '

Jean froze for a second, realising he was going to be the one who backed down first. He turned away with an irritated huff, grumbling to himself as he took off and disappeared into the sky.

The moment he was out of sight, Levi pulled away to stand beside him again. Silver eyes stared at a random tree as Levi cleared his throat, apparently embarrassed.

Eren was about to question why Levi had stopped despite saying that he wouldn 't, but he decided against it once he noticed Sasha and the others were still gawking at them. 'I could 've handled that myself. I don 't get along with Jean, but he 's never caused any real problems. He 's all talk and no bite. '

Levi 's eyes flicked back to Eren. 'In that case, it would be unwise of him to pick a fight with me. '

Strong alpha.

'Yeah... ' Eren said, quiet and dreamy, before his eyebrows pinched together in confusion. 'Wait, no. You don 't need to fight anyone. ' Glancing up at the cherry tree, another thought popped into the brunet 's head. 'Where did you even come from? Your timing was pretty convenient. '

'It wasn 't a coincidence, ' Levi said. Dark wings started to relax behind him, the blackness merging into the shade as his eyespots faded to a dull burgundy. 'I was watching you. '

'Really? ' Levi seemed to do that quite often. Eren didn 't mind at all, he sometimes liked to watch Levi as well, but there was surely a better way of saying so.

'There isn 't much else for me to do. I was watching you play in the tree, then I saw that shithead flying towards you. '

Eren 's eyes narrowed. 'I wasn 't

playing

. I was working. '

'Oh? It 's bright today, I suppose I couldn 't see very well. '

The brunet pursed his lips and released a hum. That was an acceptable enough explanation. It did make him wonder if Levi had seen him fall out of the tree, but Eren chose to be optimistic and assume that he hadn 't been around for that long. 'Did you like sleeping in? '

'It was fine, ' Levi replied. Metallic eyes blinked up to the tree, squinting at the specks of sunshine that filtered through the leaves. 'What were you doing, then? '

'Collecting fruit. ' Eren held out his hand and gestured to the pile of cherries. He caught Hange 's gaze as he did so, and they mistook it for an invitation.

Orange wings fluttered as Hange skipped over. They stopped next Eren and pushed their goggles up to rest on their forehead, smiling as they indiscreetly sniffed around the two of them. The nose of a beta was far less sensitive, but it was good enough to pick up on most things at short range. Hange 's grin grew exponentially, wide and wolfish. 'Who 's this shadowy stranger? '

'He 's my, um ' ' Eren blinked, seeing a curious black eyebrow raise in his direction. 'This is Levi. '

'What an interesting specimen... '

Levi drew his wings together as Hange came closer. The beta 's movements were skittish, as if they were about to leap on him at any second. 'Back off, ' Levi said.

'Oh, don 't be so dramatic. I won 't hurt you! ' Hange 's fingers wiggled in the air as they fought the urge to reach out and touch him. That probably wouldn 't end well. Instead, they tried circling around Levi to examine the back of his wings, but he rotated along with them to maintain stern eye contact. Once they 'd completed a full circle, Hange came to a stop and explained quietly. 'I 'm intrigued by all things unusual. '

'I 'm not so special, ' Levi said, flat and lifeless.

Hange hummed as they tapped a finger against their chin. 'I 'm inclined to disagree. ' Hange slid the goggles back into place, their brown eyes appearing larger through the lenses. 'Time to get back to work. I don 't want to be out here all day. ' With that, they took off to re-join their group.

Eren watched the pair of black wings beside him settle in a more natural position, lowering as they lost their rigidness. Being so used to communal life, it was easy for him to forget how bizarre all of this would seem to Levi. It must be overwhelming to come to an unknown place and meet so many new people, but the alpha was doing alright so far. At least Hange had been friendly. While Eren could think of someone else that would be excited to see a night-fairy, they could probably do with a bit of a break.

Eren 's gaze shifted to watch Levi 's head tilt minutely, silent as he stared back with expectant silver eyes. 'Want to see what we 're doing? '

'Why not, ' Levi mumbled as he looked up to inspect the clusters of fruit. 'It could be interesting. '

Eren pushed off the grass and ascended into the foliage, quickly landing a new branch that was slightly higher up than before. It was wider, bark thick and sturdy, providing enough space to comfortably fit them both. The wood had some breaks in it, cracks revealing light green wounds that smelt of pummelled leaves.

Levi landed on the branch in his usual fashion, the sudden impact causing the branch to creak and sway. Eyes narrows and analytical, he glanced down at the cherries dangling from the branch, then up at the few hovering above their heads.

'We choose the ones with the richest colour. If they 're dull, it 's probably not fully ripe, ' Eren said, watching the alphas eyes flick between the collection of cherries. Levi 's expression was pensive and unsure, perhaps finding it difficult to differentiate between the similar shades of red. He clearly didn 't have much experience with fruit, even the berries he 'd given Eren in the past had tasted bitter and under-ripe. Taking the initiative, Eren searched the bundle hanging above them until he spotted a suitable cherry, its skin shining a dark scarlet red. 'This is a good one. ' Eren flew up to it and got a firm grasp, then begun his preferred method of twisting it in his hands.

Levi observed in silence, his interest dwindling the longer Eren struggled with the fruit. The omega was turning and tugging, wings an emerald blur as they fluttered with effort. Upon hearing a groan of frustration, Levi felt the need to interrupt. 'Do you want me to try? '

'I 've got it, ' Eren insisted as he let go to pull at the stem instead, but it was no use. Letting out a loud huff, he plopped down onto the bark. 'Fine ' my arms are getting tired, anyways. ' Glancing to the side, Eren 's eyebrow furrowed when he discovered that he was alone on the branch. He scanned the layer of foliage as he spun in a quick circle, seeing nothing besides droopy leaves and a maze of brittle sticks.

A moment later, Eren let out a startled squeak as Levi flew past him, then swung his leg up to give the cherry a harsh kick. The fruit broke away from the stem and shot through the air. Eren watched it vanish among the vegetation of nearby plants, well and truly lost to the forest. The alpha came back to land next to him, face smug, and Eren spoke with some reluctance. 'How, um ' how am I supposed to find that? '

Levi stood up and met wide turquoise eyes, tilting his head questioningly. 'You wanted to keep it? '

The omega pursed his lips, unsure whether Levi was being serious or not. Probably not, considering what Eren had seen of his humour so far. He had no trouble believing that Levi would waste a perfectly good cherry just to tease him. 'Why else would we be doing this? ' Eren asked.

'Of course. My mistake, ' Levi said as he stared in the direction the fruit had flown in, a tiny smirk appearing on his face. 'That might 've been a bit excessive. '

'Maybe a little. ' Eren laughed lightly. At least it wouldn 't be wasted, a forest critter would stumble upon the cherry and have its day made. He only wished that one of poorer quality had been chosen for sacrifice. Eren watched black wings sway idly in the air, the rhythmic motion slow and contemplative. 'Thank you. '

Levi 's wings gave a sudden flap, silver eyes flicking over to Eren. 'For what? '

'Coming here, ' Eren said. 'Being around all these strangers must be stressful for you. It 's so different to what you 're used to ' I really appreciate it, that 's all. '

Levi made a quiet sound, a muted trill that seemed bashful and shy, as he stepped closer to loop his arms around Eren 's back.

Eren leaned into the embrace as Levi 's scent surrounded him. It was protective and uplifting, strong enough to consume him, and Eren took it upon himself to seek out more contact. Touching Levi never failed to fill him with an unusual sense of elation. Eren bowed his head to nuzzle into Levi 's neck, chirping happily when a familiar rumble reached his ears. He felt Levi rubbing against his hair, the strokes slow and lethargic. Eren wondered if he could get Levi to make that noise from earlier.

'It 's not too much trouble ' '

The words were spoken in a rugged voice, and Eren had to consciously remind himself of what they 'd been talking about.

Levi 's nuzzling came to a stop, arms tightened around the omega as his body stilled. 'But I prefer when it 's just the two of us. '

'Me too. ' There was a humid warmth against the side of his head, steady breaths that seeped into his hair. The alpha swallowed thickly, the sound loud against Eren 's ear as he felt the muscles in Levi 's neck shift. A gentle nudge sought to coax him out of his hiding spot.

Curious of the silence, Eren lifted his head and was met by a pair of magnetic silver eyes. They were staring back at him rather intently, carrying a question that Eren found impossible to decipher. Viridian wings twitched as Levi edged close, the sides of their noses brushed together until Eren felt Levi 's lips touch his own. The contact was brief, light as a butterfly and disappearing just as fast.

Eren froze, his pulse drowning out the whisper of leaves. Instead of moving away, Levi watched him with rapt attention, although his expression was marred by apprehension and unease. Eren licked his lips and took notice of how Levi 's gaze fell to follow the movement. The twisting of his stomach was almost paralysing, but Eren managed to push past it and let himself lean forward. Turquoise eyes drifted shut, and Levi 's mouth on his a second later.

It was firmer and held more confidence, forcing Eren to use some effort to stop his head from being pushed back. Levi 's lips were surprisingly warm, the heat of them spreading through Eren 's entire body as they started moving in a slow massaging motion. Feeling unsteady, he leaned further in and placed a hand on Levi 's chest for support, solid and hot beneath his fingertips. Eren could feel the thumping of a racing heart, although he couldn 't determine who it belonged to.

Levi relieved the uncomfortable squish of their noses with a slight head tilt, and he raised a hand to gently comb his fingers through chestnut hair. His chest heaved as it welled with pride and satisfaction, a pleased coo vibrating in the back of his throat. Eren 's lips were intoxicating as they eagerly moved along with him, the rising sweetness of his scent making self-restraint increasingly difficult. A muffled mewl from the omega brought on a flood of thoughts that he 'd struggled to keep at bay thus far. Reluctantly, Levi pulled back to separate them and ran his tongue over his own lips. 'Eren, I ' ' Hearing how husky his voice had become, Levi stopped to clear his throat.

The words made Eren 's eyes flutter open. He felt euphoric, skin hot and tingling as his inner omega sung praise of Levi 's affections. It urged him to somehow attach himself to the alpha, cling to him and never let go, which Eren thought was both impractical and entirely unreasonable. 'What is it? ' He asked quietly, transfixed by the gentle sway of Levi 's wings. The eyespots glowied a bloody crimson in the shade of the tree.

Levi hummed deeply, evading the question as he took to scent marking any part of Eren he could reach. It was the only way to alleviate the thrumming of his insistent alpha. He found Eren 's neck and let out a soft coo, snuffling at the sweet skin before rubbing his scent gland over it a few times.

Eren accepted the attention, but he wouldn 't be deterred so easily. 'Tell me. '

'I ' uh, ' Levi stalled a bit, keeping his face hidden over Eren 's shoulder. 'I keep thinking about what you did last night, how you put your mouth on me. '

Eren released a shaky breath, his hair ruffling as black wings moved with a sudden flap. Even though licking Levi didn 't seem so absurd now that they 'd kissed, he still thought it was embarrassing and at least a little bit strange. He 'd seen plenty of couples kiss before, but he 'd never seen a fairy lick another. Although it tasted good enough that he would probably do it again regardless. Eren gave a short hum, prompting the alpha to continue.

One of Levi 's wings twitched to the side, fidgety and nervous. 'If it 's alright with you, I want- '

'Hey! '

Eren almost jumped out of skin, their fragile bubble shattered by the intrusive voice. Turning towards it, he saw Rico staring at them from her perch on a nearby branch. One of his ears flicked at the low growl that emanated from Levi, barely audible but more than enough to convey his displeasure. Eren didn 't need to look to know that Levi had a scowl on his face.

'Why am I not surprised ' ' Rico mumbled to herself, the words quite as to only reach her own ears. After releasing an unimpressed sigh, she used an index finger to push up her goggles and spoke louder. 'If we take anymore we won 't be able to carry them back by sundown. We 're leaving now, ' Rico paused to give them a withering look. 'If you 're not too busy. '

'Right, ' Eren said, then watched Rico drop out of the tree without giving a response. He turned to give Levi a sheepish smile, shrugging when the alpha returned with a rueful look of his own.

Eren hopped from the edge of the branch and let himself fall through the canopy, fluttering to slow his descent as he approached the ground. When his feet found purchase, Eren saw several discoloured nets sprawled over the grass. The woven rope crossed over to form a pattern of squares, the gaps small enough that a fist wouldn 't be able to fit through.

Copying the others, Eren took one of the spare nets and carried it over to his pile of cherries. It was considerably smaller than Sasha 's now, but that was only because he 'd had a distraction. The thought made Eren tilt his head back to look up at the tree. It took him a moment to spot Levi among the foliage, his crimson eyespots blended in with the remaining cherries. Levi was loitering on a low branch with his shoulder resting on the tree trunk, peering down with a blank expression, apparently content to keep a distance now that there were no alphas around.

Eren knelt on the grass and started placing the cherries inside his net. The absent task allowed his thoughts to circle back to Levi, the kiss they 'd shared repeating in his mind. It was difficult not to feel self-conscious and wonder if he 'd done it correctly, especially since Levi seemed to have some idea of what he was doing. He peeked out from under messy chocolate hair to look back up at Levi once again. Still watching. Silver eyes flicked over met his own, sharp and inquisitive, and Eren quickly turned away as a light blush spread over his cheeks.

With 'all the cherries were inside, Eren wrapped the net around them and brought the edges together to create a large sac. The other fairies had done the same, although they 'd all left about half of their fruit on the ground, most likely intending to do it in two trips. Eren didn 't feel too bad about collected fewer than everyone else, after all he wasn 't even supposed to be there. Gripping the net firmly, the omega tugged on it a few times to test the weight. Quite heavy, he discovered. His wings were more for visual appeal than physical labour, but it would be manageable for a short distance.

As Eren adjusted his hands to find a comfortable position, his hair was suddenly blown into his face by a heavy gust of wind. At the sound of a wingbeat, he turned around to look at Levi, eyes wide and questioning.

Levi took a moment to examine the netting, scrutinising, then held his hand out. 'I 'll take it. '

'No! ' Eren pulled the bag towards himself and out of Levi 's reach, seeing black eyebrows pinch together in blatant confusion. Viridian wings moved with a subtle twitch as Eren realised the other fairies were staring at them. He hadn 't meant to speak so loudly. Ignoring them, Eren lowered his voice a bit. 'Thank you, but ' I gathered them myself, so I want to carry them myself. '

'Oh, alright ' ' Levi dropped his arm and backed off, still a bit perplexed. 'That 's fine. '

The dejected tone caused a tightness in Eren 's chest. He was sure Levi hadn 't meant anything by it and was only trying to be helpful, but Eren didn 't want the others to think he needed an alpha to do all his work for him. Determined, the brunet readjusted his grip and stretched his wings, the sheer appendages sparkling in the sunshine.

Once Moblit had covered the remaining cherries with a large leaf, presumably to prevent it from attracting birds, the group took off and headed back to the colony. Getting off the ground was the hardest part, Eren found, having to push off with enough force to lift the sac along with him. It became less of a struggle once he 'd built up some momentum, emerald wings flapping vigorously as he followed behind the betas. Their wings were larger and thicker, the extra surface area allowing them to get more air resistance and power out of each flap.

The strain on Eren 's arms was bothersome, but the sting of rope between his fingers was the most painful. It was from the roughness of the netting, the movement of flight causing it to rub against his delicate skin. The omega sighed as it suddenly became cooler, the shade of a cloud giving some relief from the exhausting heat. He was thankful for it; the journey was tiring enough without the sun sapping his energy.

A melodic warble rang out, high and chiming. Curious of it, Eren managed to roll enough to glance over his shoulder, discovering it was not a cloud that was responsible for his comfort. Levi was flying directly above him, black wings spread wide to shield Eren from the sunlight. A living parasol. Eren met his eyes, chrome irises darkened by shadows, and Levi made another chirpy vocalisation. As it was difficult to fly while twisted around, Eren gave him an appreciative smile before turning back to the forest.

When they finally reached their destination, Eren landed on the balcony of the storage hollow with a loud thud and little grace. The net was dropped onto the polished wood, cherries bouncing within it as they tried to escape, while Eren let out a dramatic groan and sat down next to it. It was a good thing he hadn 't collected as many as other others, he couldn 't bear to do a second trip.

Turquoise eyes blinked up as Levi landed on the decorative railing, taking a moment to find his balance before crouching down to perch on it. 'That 's not what it 's for, ' Eren said.

Levi simply shrugged, staring down at the brunet before his eyes flicked towards the pattering sound of approaching footsteps.

Following his gaze, Eren saw Rico walking towards them with Petra close behind. Rico paused to give Levi a critical look, a frown on her face at the misuse of the railing, then she grabbed onto Eren 's net and began dragging it towards to hollow.

Petra 's eyes widened as they landed on Levi and took in the appearance of his wings almost frantically. Once the shock had worn off, Petra spun on her heel to chase after Rico and help her carry the cherries inside. Pastel pink wings fluttered as she took hold of the net and looked back, smiling. 'Good job, Eren. '

The brunet perked, praise making his exhaustion seem less severe. Still, he definitely needed to rest for a while. Eren turned to glance up at Levi, who had taken to watching the odd fairy that flew past them every now and then. The way he was perched on the thin strip of wood was oddly similar to a bird of prey, poised to swoop down and make a quick meal of an unsuspecting animal.

Eren wondered if he 'd eaten today.

Levi gave him a questioning look, raising a sleek eyebrow as his head tilted slightly.

'I was thinking earlier, ' Eren begun, shuffling back to prop himself up against the wood. 'We 've been meeting one person after the other since we got here. I know that 's sort of the point, but, um ' why don 't we spend some time alone? I want to introduce you to Armin 's grandpa, but that can wait until tomorrow. '

'Okay, ' Levi said, black wings swaying enthusiastically.