A thin crease appeared between Levi 's eyebrows, confused by the question. 'I don 't see them often, ' He replied, gaze leaving the forest to meet glittering turquoise.

'Oh, ' Eren said, aware that the alpha hadn 't actually answered his question. They were quite deep in the forest, the vast majority of the sky obscured by foliage. Levi might not leave it very often. Eren believed that everyone should take time to appreciate the sunset every now and then, it would be a shame for something so beautiful to go unwitnessed. 'Can we watch it? ' Eren pointed out into the trees, indicating to where he knew the sun to set. 'It 's this way. '

Levi 's hummed as his eyes followed the brunet 's finger, calculating how far it was to the forests edge. He looked back at Eren with a dull expression. 'Wouldn 't it be easier to go up? '

Tilting backwards, Eren looked up at the overhead canopy. 'Um ' yeah, ' His eyes blinked back to Levi, a cheerful grin spreading across his face. 'That 's a great idea. Let 's go, I don 't want to miss it! ' Emerald wings fluttered as the omega sprung to his feet, carefully sliding both almost-bracelets into his pocket. He could finish the weaving another day.

Eren pushed off the grass, flying straight up at an excited pace. As the canopy was thinner over the clearing, he had no difficulty swivelling around the patches of hanging foliage. The odd leaf brushed against his wings but was of no consequence, a faint tickle that failed to distract him. When he emerged from the canopy, Eren was elated to find himself blessed with a clear view of the descending sun. He flew a bit higher, nearing the top of the tree, and gently touched down on a thick branch.

A few clouds were still hovering in the sky, fluffy bundles of various forms that drifted along at their leisure. Thankfully, they wouldn 't obscure the view. Eren sat down on the branch, getting as comfortable as physically possible on the coarse bark. It wasn 't too bad, there were smooth recesses in the scaly texture that made for a decent seat.

Bright colours already filled the sky. As it hit the horizon, the sun split into radiant oranges and pinks that bled into the pale blue canvas, a combination of shades bouncing off the clouds and dissolving into each other. A thump came from the other end of the branch, alerting him to Levi 's arrival.

Black wings flapped a few times as he righted himself on the bark. Levi 's head tilted as his eyes landed on Eren, carrying a silent question.

Eren sighed to himself, it seemed that the alpha had suddenly lost his boldness. 'You can sit next to me. '

Levi glanced at the sky as he approached. 'Is that it? ' He asked, voice bleak and unimpressed. He took his time to settle down on the branch, letting his legs hang over the edge.

Eren noticed that Levi had left a considerable distance between them. Not too far, but still an arm 's length away and not at all what the brunet had meant. It seemed strange in comparison to the closeness Levi had initiated on the grass. Eren was confident that he hadn 't done anything wrong, and so it was added to Levi 's ever-expanding list of odd behavioural quirks. 'How does it look? ' Eren asked.

'I don 't know, ' Levi said with a weak shrug, his gaze tracking a cloud with a particularly deformed shape. 'It looks like the sky. '

'Huh, ' Eren said, head turning to the side. 'It gets better, this is just the start. Usually it, um ' ' Eren trailed off as he took in Levi 's appearance. The orange light suited him well, casting a soft glow onto pale skin and accentuating his facial features. Eren followed the sharp line of the alphas cheek bone before his attention shifted upwards. Levi 's eyes, usually a cool silver, were highlighted by gold as they reflected the suns warmth. Dark lashes covered them as Levi slowly blinked, and then they were suddenly staring back at him.

'It usually what? '

'Oh, um ' nothing. ' Eren looked back to the sky, using an index finger to scratch at the bark. 'Forgot what I was going to say. '

The colours gradually became richer, the vanishing sun producing a bright glare as it bent on the horizon. Eren squinted at it, blinking more frequently to compensate. A fiery orange splayed across the sky, fading to a soft purple that appeared violet as it melted into the puffy outskirts of each cloud. Eren 's keen ears picked up on the songs of several new insects, presumably beginning to wake for the night. A wing brushed against his shoulder as Levi shifted. 'What do you think? ' Eren asked again, hopeful.

'It 's not bad, ' Levi said.

'We probably see it differently, then. ' Viridian wings drooped in disappointment. It had been an interesting experiment, but the brunet harboured some guilt for making Levi do this. Eren didn 't want him to feel bad for not being able to see it. Turning his head, Eren 's intended apology was forgotten when he saw a deep cringe on the alphas face. Something about him looked weird, and a closer inspection revealed what it was. Levi 's pupils were abnormally contracted. Shrunken into tiny black pinheads that were almost lost within his metallic irises, struggling to limit the amount of light that was allowed to enter. 'Um, ' Eren said. 'Are you okay? '

'Yes, ' Levi replied with a few rapid blinks, sleek eyebrows pulling together. 'It only stings a little bit. '

'What?! ' Eren was alarmed, and reflexively threw a hand out to shield Levi 's eyes. Instead of easing the discomfort, his palm smacked straight into the alphas nose. Eren winced at the contact, while Levi flinched away with a short grunt and covered his face, black wings giving a few frantic flaps to keep himself from falling off the branch. 'Sorry! ' Eren 's hands were hesitant as they hovered in the air around Levi 's face, desperate to help but fearful of making the situation worse. 'Oh god, I 've taken out your eyes

and

your nose. '

'Arg ' no. I 'm fine, ' Levi dropped his hand, revealing no visible damage to his face besides a prominent frown, although that wasn 't anything new. He wiggled his nose a bit, bothered by the lingering tingle. 'It didn 't hurt much. '

'I 'm so sorry, I didn 't me- '

'I said it 's fine, ' Levi interrupted.

Eren clamped his mouth shut. He still felt bad about it, but apologies only seemed to irritate Levi further. Turquoise eyes dropped down to the branch they were on, staring aimlessly at the bark. 'But why would you do that, if it hurt? '

'It was far from excruciating, ' Levi said flatly. After several seconds of heavy silence, it became clear that his answer was insufficient. He released a loud sigh, shrugging as black wings drooped down behind him. 'I thought ' if I ignored it, I might be able to see what you wanted to show me. '

Brown eyebrows scrunched together, and Eren couldn 't stop himself from frowning. The fact that Levi had done it for him only made it worse. 'Never do that again, ' Eren said, trying to sound assertive. 'I don 't want you to be in pain, no matter what. '

Levi stared at him with a blank expression, vacant, blinking once before turning his attention to the forest. Silver eyes danced over the leaves as they swayed around them, a sudden gust of wind causing them to flutter.

Letting out a huff, Eren took it as a silent acknowledgement and returned to the view. The sun had completely vanished behind the horizon and left a gentle peach in its wake, colours that diffused across the sky like a fading memory. Eren hardly ever took moments to appreciate the beauty of twilight, he was usually home by this time or rushing to get there, but it was definitely worth looking at. There was a shuffle besides him, and the brunet looked over to see that Levi had stood up.

'We need to go, ' Levi said, giving the pastel sky a brief glance as his wings stretched out. 'It 's dangerous for you to fly in the dark. Last time was fine, but we should try to avoid it. '

The omega 's nod went unseen, Levi swooping off the branch without bothering to wait for a response. While following Levi through the night had been successful the last time, it had been a terrifying experience that Eren did not wish to repeat. There were substantial risks to flying blind, regardless of how careful they were. Namely, getting lost or smacking into something. Climbing to his feet, Eren jumped from the branch to trail behind Levi.

The light became increasingly dim throughout the return journey. Turquoise eyes took in the tendrils of encroaching shadow, dark and ominous as the canopy grew denser above them. It was lucky that they left when they did. Time often got away from Eren, being too distracted by his thoughts and the aesthetic scenery. He was grateful that Levi had thought ahead and saved them from another unpleasant night-flight.

They reached their destination before it became too difficult to see. Landing was still something Eren struggled with, but he had learnt that clinging to the side and jumping in was much easier than aiming for the entrance. As expected, Levi smacked into it with reckless abandon, his heels digging into the wall as he clung to the rough fibres. Green eyes glanced across to receive a curt head gesture from Levi, indicating for him to enter first. Eren complied.

Once inside, Eren darted straight for the nest. His body only now realising that he hadn 't rested much since departing his own home, a dull ache flaring up in his muscles. Pausing next to it, the brunet peeked over his shoulder with questioning eyes. Levi stood near the entrance, staring at nothing in particular. His face looked thoughtful, void of emotion but clearly focused on something, contemplative.

As Levi had made no objections thus far, Eren assumed it would okay to make himself comfortable. He crawled into the nest, releasing a content sigh at the feel of silken feathers beneath his hands. More material had been added since the last visit, the soft mound seeming somewhat larger than before.

Sitting on his knees, Eren reaching behind himself to fiddle with the ties at the back of his shirt. It was warm enough among the feathers to take his second one off, and Eren hoped to keep it clean enough to wear another day. With the garment untied, Eren pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it aside, fluffing up chocolate hair in the process. The omega looked around, pausing when he saw that Levi was staring at him now, silver irises shining in dark blueness. He appeared tense, Eren observed.

Levi exhaled loudly, gaze shifting to the crumpled shirt that had been discarded on his floor. 'Do you need anything? '

'I don 't think so. '

'You 're not hungry? ' Levi 's head tilted slightly, it was more of an offer than anything else.

'Oh! ' Eren jerked forward. The sudden exclamation seeming to confuse Levi, a thin eyebrow raising with hesitant interest. 'I almost forgot, I brought something with me, ' Eren explained as he patted around his waist with probing fingers, quick to find the pouch he 'd attached there earlier.

Levi stepped closer, sniffing, curious of what the tiny bag contained. 'What is it? ' He asked, wings swaying from side-to-side as he kneeled near the edge of the nest.

'It 's, um ' ' Feeling unsure, Eren twirled the string of the pouch around his finger. It had seemed like a great idea in the morning, but that was before he 'd caught Farlan chewing on an insect leg. Could Levi even eat this? Eren didn 't want to give the alpha anything that could cause him harm. A quiet flap from midnight wings drew his focus back, the motion suggestive of impatience, and lustrous silver eyes were staring at him with expectancy. 'It 's something my mother made, ' Eren said. 'I was going to offer you some, but ' it 's fruit? ' He motioned to the bag with an awkward hand gesture, hoping it was enough to convey his concern.

Levi blinked down to the bag, eyeing it with intrigue. 'I 'll eat it. '

'Are you sure? I don 't- ' The pouch was snatched from Eren 's hand before he could object any further. Feeling confident that he 'd gotten his point across earlier, Eren decided to settle into the nest as Levi investigated the pouch 's contents, watching with amusement.

Levi held the bag up to sniff at it, a series of sharp inhales. The strong smell of spice was overwhelming. He moved it away from his face, huffing as he examined it with narrowed eyes. It smelt different to any fruit he 'd encountered before, with traces of cinnamon and nutmeg that tickled at his nose. Levi pried the pouch open with nimble fingers, selecting a small piece of a pinkish-red colour.

Curious green eyes watched as Levi bit into it rather strangely, using the side of his mouth. The reason became clear when one of the alphas canines sunk into it. It seemed like Levi was attempting to tear it like flesh, but the tooth was obviously not intended for chewy pieces of fruit. Eren sucked on his lip, worried that it might get stuck.

Realising he was doing it wrong, Levi removed his fang from the sticky treat and put the whole thing in his mouth. An intense sweetness assaulted his tongue, the sugary taste almost sickening, followed by a combination of spices that made his nose scrunch up in disgust. Levi wanted to spit it out, but he could not bring himself to do something so revolting. At least not in front of an audience. He swallowed it instead, not bothering to chew.

Eren made a high-pitched chirp, enquiring. The alphas lips were pulled into a thin line, black eyebrows slanted with a crease between them, all together giving the impression that Levi hadn 't enjoyed what Eren had given him.

'Why is it so sweet? ' Levi asked, dumbfounded. 'Fruit doesn 't taste like that. '

'It 's dried and preserved. We add honey, a few spices. ' Green eyes following the tip of Levi 's tongue as it glided between his lips. 'It ' tastes good. '

Levi gave a short hum, finally ridding his mouth of the taste. 'I don 't understand how you could like that. '

'More sugar means more energy. That 's why some animals drink flower nectar, especially the more active ones. ' Eren shrugged, looking down as he stroked the feathers. It was a shame that Levi hadn 't liked it, but it wasn 't too disheartening. Eren just needed to learn more about him. 'Wait, but ' ' He said, glancing back up to meet metallic eyes. 'My scent is sweet, and you said you liked it? '

'I do like it, a lot, but that doesn 't mean I want to- ' Levi stopped, eyebrows pinching together for a moment, confused. He cleared his throat, abandoning the thought. 'That 's ' different. You 're a fairy- ' Levi pointed at the small bag. 'And this is fruit. '

Eren hummed to himself, suspicious of what the alpha had been about to say. It was getting progressively darker, but he had still been able to see the peculiar look on Levi 's face. Just as he 'd been about to ask, a loud yawn escaped him instead, the sound breathy and drawn out. The omega blushed a little bit, embarrassed that he hadn 't thought to cover his mouth. Levi didn 't seem to mind at all, in fact it looked as though he 'd spaced out again.

'I won 't be having any more of this, ' Levi said as he handed the pouch back, sparing it a wary glance as he did so. He stood up, the edge of the nest shifted with a faint crinkle. 'I 'll be back later. '

'What? ' Eren 's posture straightened, clasping the small pouch to his chest as he blinked up Levi, struggling to make out his expression at this distance. A strange prickling sensation crawled over Eren 's skin. 'Where are you going? '

Levi cooed, a string of soft vibrations in response to the omega 's worried tone. 'You 're safe here, nothing would dare enter. I 'll stay close enough to make sure of that. ' Silver eyes flicked down to the pouch in Eren 's hands before returning to his face. 'I hadn 't been awake long when you got here. I 'm not tired, and I need to eat. '

'Oh ' yeah. I understand, ' Eren said, relaxing into the nest of feathers. It was no big deal. The brunet often went exploring on his own, he would be perfectly fine by himself for a while. Eren wasn 't sure why he had found the idea so alarming. 'I want to sleep now anyways, so it doesn 't matter. '

There was a moment of silence, Levi remaining where he stood. Black wings tilted in the darkness as he spoke hesitantly. 'Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep? '

'Huh? ' Eren frowned at the proposition. 'I don 't need a babysitter. '

Levi backed away a bit, realising that his words hadn 't been the wisest. 'I didn 't mean it like that... you don 't know this place very well, I thought you might feel uncomfortable. '

Eren sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, frustrated by his own emotions. He had always valued his independence and was determined to preserve it, even more so after his dynamic became apparent ' but Levi was only trying to be considerate. 'Sorry, ' Eren squeaked, timidly looking up to meet the alphas eyes. 'I don 't know why I said that. I 'm just tired, I think. '

Levi raised an eyebrow, intrigued as he watched Eren shuffle around in the nest. He rearranged the feathers to form a pillow of sorts, then flopped onto it with a quiet huff. Sniffing, Levi was pleased to find that the omegas scent was already calm and restful. Black wing tips flicked behind him. 'I won 't be far away. '

Rolling on to his side, Eren gave a small hum in response. He had forgotten how soft and comfortable the bed of feathers was, his body melting into the cushy material with ease. Eren contemplated stealing a few to take home with him, but he was sure his mother wouldn 't like that ' there was no doubt that Carla would be worried at the moment, hopefully Armin kept to his word and was reassuring her of Eren 's safety.

Viridian wings shifted to find a better position. Growing curious in the silence, Eren peeked out of the nest, confirming that Levi was indeed gone. It wasn 't pitch black as he 'd expected, his eyes still able to differentiate between the outlines of various shapes, and there was a subtle glow illuminating the entrance. Very dissimilar to the blindness Eren had experienced the last time he was here; tonight 's moon must be bright enough to break through the trees.

Laying down on his side again, Eren 's knees raised up as he curled into a little ball. There was a cricket outside, he noticed, his ears recognising the distinct chirps of stridulation. A single song that echoed in the silence, no others to harmonise with. It sounded lonely ' perhaps Levi would eat it.

Eren nuzzled into the nest, the feathers coated with the scent of fermented grapes. It was warm, embracing, almost as if Levi was there with him.

When Eren awoke, he wasn 't at all surprised to find Levi sleeping close by. Stands of jet-black hair were splayed against the edge of the nest, one of Levi 's dark wings draped limply over his face to shield himself from the morning light. Very much the same as how he 'd slept the last time Eren was here. The only change was that he was slumped on the other side, a different spot entirely.

Eren felt bad for stealing the alphas bed, it didn 't appear to be very comfortable down on the floor. It was a considerate but unnecessary gesture. Eren wouldn 't mind sharing the nest with Levi, he might even prefer it as he was used to doing so with his mother. Turquoise eyes drifted astray, noticing that Levi was laying quite close to the shirt he 'd taken off last night. Eren wondered if that was a coincidence or not.

Resting his chin on the nest, Eren watched him sleep for a while. There wasn 't much to look at, most of his body blanketed by the living curtain, but ' Levi smelt amazing.

Eren had no idea why the alphas scent was so strong while he slept, it was as if Levi was unintentionally trying to lure him in for a morning cuddle. Eren guessed it was simply because he 'd been in the same place for a long time. It was tempting to crawl over to get a better sniff, but the brunet had already learnt his lesson. Sneaking up on an unconscious Levi was a bad idea. Eren was yet to be growled at, and he would prefer to keep it that way.

Even so, it was difficult to resist the enticing scent. Eren fondly remembered how it felt to have his nose pressed into Levi 's neck. Even though it had only been for a brief moment, it provided a unique sense of satisfaction that had warmed his whole body. But it was still a bad idea, Eren didn 't want to startle him again. Perhaps Levi would allow it when he was awake.

The best solution was to remove himself from the temptation, Eren decided. He carefully stepped out of the nest, slow to ensure silence, and sneaked over to the entrance. He took care to avoid any frail twigs that could snap beneath his feet.

Eren poked his head outside to examine the forest, squinting as the unexpected brightness. Perhaps it wasn 't morning at all. Airborne speaks of dust and pollen were visible in pillars of light that filtered through the treetops, floating back down to the earth with lazy conviction. With the sun concealed by the blanket of leaves, there was no way for Eren to tell how late in the day it was. Although, he supposed it didn 't matter much here. With the light came sufficient warmth, accompanied by a gentle breeze that made for a comfortable temperature.

A sound in the distance caught Eren 's ear, a shrill voice that carried through the forest. He decided to investigate, needing to find some water to drink anyways. Emerald wings flapped as Eren took off, swerving between the dense tree trunks as he headed towards the disturbance.

The voices soon became recognisable as those of Isabel and Farlan. They seemed to be well awake and causing a commotion, prompting Eren to wonder just how long he had slept for. Looking down, the brunet spotted them on the ground as he flew overhead. He circled back, landing with deft movements on a low branch, his arrival going undetected. This was an excellent opportunity to do some night-fairy watching. Eren shuffled to the end of the branch and peered down at the couple below, apparently in the middle of another squabble.

'No way is this my fault! ' Isabel waved a hand in the air to dismiss the accusation, then pointed a stern finger at the blonde 's face. 'I saw what you did, you little sneak. '

'You 're the little one," Farlan chuckled as he patted her on the head. 'Even if you stood on your toes, I 'd still be able to see over you. '

'What?! No way! I 'm not that short, are- ' She cut off with a small gasp, crossing her arms in defiance. 'Hey, stop trying to distract me! '

'What if I say I didn 't mean to? ' Farlan smiled, dark grey wings flapping as he produced a few quiet chirps.

'I don 't believe you. '

'It was an accident, Is. ' Farlan moved towards her, cooing while he rubbed his face into red hair.

'Oi, don 't you- ' Isabel stopped with a giggle, leaning into the attention. 'Wait! You can 't get off the hook by acting cute. That 's not fair, I 'm won 't le- haha! ' She laughed, Farlan trilling softly as he wrapped his arms around her.

Eren felt like he shouldn 't be watching this. He decided to make his presence known before they had a chance to do anything weird. Lifting his leg, Eren stomped on the bark to mimic a landing, both sets of eyes being drawn to the noise.

'Hey Shiny, ' Farlan greeted, taking a step back from the redhead.

Eren jumped down form the branch, landing on the ground in front of them with a soft thud. 'Morning. ' Turquoise eyes flicked between them, uncertain. 'Sorry ' if I interrupted something. '

Isabel scoffed. 'He wishes. '

'Don 't worry about it, ' Farlan said, raising a suggestive eyebrow at his mate. 'I 'd never take Isabel on the ground, too dangerous. '

'Farlan! '

Eren flinched away from the squeal, covering his offended ear as he gave the blonde a blank look. 'Um, okay... '

'Watch out for these alphas, Eren. ' Isabel crossed her arms again, turning away to hide the faint blush that dusted her cheeks. 'They 're nothing but trouble. '

Farlan 's eyes narrowed, wings giving a single flap behind him. 'She doesn 't mean that. '

'Yeah, I figured, ' Eren said, glancing at the plants around them. Mostly ferns and shrubs, but he noticed a few more unique types hiding among them. There was even a strange flower resting against a tree root, the petals a dark purple with tiny yellow polka-dots. Eren thought it best to leave it alone, not knowing the species or whether it might be dangerous. Green eyes went back to the pair of fairies. 'Why are you two awake at this time? '

Isabel chuckled, murky-green wings swaying playfully. 'It 's not that early, you must 've slept in. ' She glanced up at the canopy. 'And, well ' the seasons are changing. It 's getting warmer, which means the nights are becoming shorter. '

'We can 't stay up any later than we already do, ' Farlan said. 'We always sleep before the sun rises, so the only solution is to wake up earlier. ' His eyebrows came together, thinking. 'I 'm not sure if it 's actually earlier, or if it the sun just stays in the sky for longer ' I find it confusing. '

'At least you guys can see during the day. If the sun isn 't out, I can 't be either. ' Eren sighed at his own words. He would gladly stay up later to spend more time with Levi, but there wouldn 't be much point since he wouldn 't be able to do anything. But they could always talk, he supposed, and the previous night hadn 't been blindingly dark. Eren wondered if their day vision was similar to how he saw under moonlight. 'But why can 't you stay up later? ' He asked. 'The morning isn 't much different to the afternoon. '

Farlan raised his eyebrows. 'I think you already know why. '

'Oh, ' Eren said lamely. It was a bit shameful that he hadn 't thought of that, but he had never witnessed it himself, not properly at least. Everyone knew that it was to be avoided at all costs. 'Yeah, the dawn chorus ' '

'That 's right! ' Isabel jumped on the spot, her wings flapping erratically as she started clapping a rhythm. And then she begun to sing, poorly. '

Here comes the dawn chorus, don 't try-to-fight! A birdy will eat you up in one-big-bite!

'

'What the hell? ' Farlan looked at her, cringing at the unpleasant vocals. 'Where 'd you learn that? '

'I made it up. '

'When? '

'Just now. ' Isabel grinned, smug despite the negative feedback. 'Should I make a song about you next, darling? I could call it, Farlan the Fat Blueberry

.

'

Farlan groaned and raised a hand to cover his face. 'Please don 't. '

'Anyways! ' Isabel put the musical on her to-do list and turned to Eren, her mouth pulling into a sly smile. 'So, how 's it going? Did you like Levi 's bracelet? ' Red eyebrows waggled comically on her face, teasing. 'I see you 're not wearing it, but I don 't blame you. You 'd probably just end up with a bunch of scratches. '

'It was a nice thought, but I think I 'm going to make some ' slight alterations, ' Eren said, placing a hand over his pocket to check that it was still there. 'I heard it was your idea. '

'Of course. ' Isabel pointed an accusatory finger a Farlan, whose head tilted to the side with an innocent expression. 'This one doesn 't know a thing about it either, I couldn 't believe it. ' Huffing, Isabel placed her hands on her hips. 'Levi took my idea but refused to let me help him with it. That 's why you were presented with a thorn bush. And then he wanted to throw it away, but I managed to convince him otherwise. You seem like someone that would appreciate the gesture even if the gift was shitty. '

Unsure how he should respond to that, Eren shrugged and tried to stay positive. 'The shells are a pretty colour. '

'Hah! Who knows where he got those from. You 're lucky to get a bracelet, Farlan used to just bring me random crap. Pebbles, dead seeds ' ' Isabel glared at the blonde out the corner of her eye. 'Oddly shaped sticks. '

Farlan met her eyes, feigning offense. 'And you were happy to receive them. '

'I 'm still mad at you, by the way. I spent ages making that necklace! '

'Is that what you were arguing about? ' Eren asked. It was none of his business, but the way they were speaking suggested it wasn 't anything personal.

'Okay, listen up, ' Isabel said. 'Yesterday, Farlan told me that he thought my new necklace was ugly. And today he just so happened to grab it and break it. Doesn 't that sound suspicious to you? '

'Oh, um ' ' Eren raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck. He shouldn 't have asked. 'I guess so? '

Farlan rolled his eyes, clearly not bothered by the brunet 's agreement. 'Let 's go home then, ' He gave Isabel a pointed look. 'I 'll make it up to you. '

'You can try, ' Isabel said. Swampy-green wings flapped as she turned to face Eren, giving him a goofy wave. 'Was good to see you! '

The pair kicked up a cloud of dust as they took off together. Eren used his arm to shield his face from it, eyes blinking away the few particles that managed to sneak in. These fairies needed to be taught some manners, he rarely had these troubles around his own kind. Isabel and Farlan seemed to have an interesting relationship though. Is that what it 's like to have a mate? Eren wasn 't so sure, although the arguing appeared to be mostly in jest.

The omega stuck his nose in the air, giving it several earnest sniffs. General forest smells were the most apparent, that of rich soil and dense vegetation, slightly humid due to heat being trapped beneath the towering trees. When he focused, Eren was able to detect the dampness he was searching for. He took to the sky on fluttering wings, heading towards it.

Eren soon found himself at a body of water. Landing in the surrounding grass, curious green eyes scanned the area. The water was vast and an irregular shape, a crystal blue colour that eluded to its depth, speckled with shimmering pools of golden light. Vibrant fronds of riparian ferns dangled above it, the forks of leaves casting fingered shadows to claw at surface.

Eren creeped through the grass, kneeling as he reached the water 's edge. He examined the liquid, suspicious of its quality. It was good practice to avoid stagnant sources, flowing rivers and streams generally had the purest water. Now that he was up close, blades of several aquatic plants were visible at the bottom, lining the perimeter and wafting up like ribbons of olive-brown steam. Cupping his hands, Eren scooped up some of the liquid to smell it, finding the scent crisp and natural. It was deemed safe to drink. He sipped at the water, enjoying the refreshing coolness as it slid down his throat, and then took the opportunity to wash himself a bit.

When he was done, Eren shook his head to flick the remaining beads of water from his hair. Viridian wings fluttered as he stood up to look around some more. There wasn 't much else of interest, just an abundance of trees and a thick monoculture of grass on the ground. Eren was sure that there must be some unique plants in the area, although they were evidently very skilled at concealing themselves. With such a bland selection of flora, it was no wonder that Levi had chosen to put bark on the bracelet.

As there was nothing else to do, Eren decided that he would go check if Levi was awake yet. A wave of wind rippled over the greenery as he took off and started to back-track through the forest.

For the first time in a while, Eren knew exactly where he was going. He followed the same route, flying at a leisurely pace as he took in the hushed sounds of nature, clacking insects and the whistle of birds. The solitude was enjoyable, a quite calmness that was difficult to find in his colony. There was always someone or something there, the constant movement of life depriving him of a moments silence. It was less grating at night, but then he was stuck inside with his mother and the far-off voices could still be heard. Peace was a rare thing in such a populated area. Eren cherished it now, the whispering wind serene beneath his wings.

It didn 't take too long for him to reach the area surrounding the hanging nest, distinguished by the generous number of burnt-orange toadstools littering the forest floor. Feeling brave, the omega thought that he 'd try to land like the others do. Eren flew into the outside wall with open arms. Grunting at the impact, he barely managing to dig his fingers into the entwined grass and avoid falling. Not as easy as it looked. After taking a moment to compose himself, Eren shuffled along and jumped into the nest.

Pushing his hair back, Eren saw that Levi was awake now. He was standing in the middle of the room, motionless as he stared at nothing, the omegas shirt scrunched up in one of his fists.

This was troublesome ' Levi had already expressed his concern about how Eren 's scent seemed to mess with his head, and that shirt would be drenched in it. Levi had been sleeping with it, and the fact that it was in his hand meant he 'd probably been smelling it. Eren should have been more aware. 'Levi ' are you okay? ' He asked, taking a cautious step inside.

Gunmetal eyes snapped over to him. Levi 's wings spread wide and raised in the air, rigid with tension, the eyespots glowing an intense blood red. 'Where did you go? '

The voice was gravely serious and made Eren stop where he stood. It was similar to when he 'd tried to stop him from leaving, except this time, the alpha seems to be more conversationally inclined. The tone was worrying, but Levi had also said that he wouldn 't hurt him. Eren wanted to believe that.

'Nowhere, really ' ' He answered, taking a step back as Levi started walking towards him. 'I wanted to let you sleep, so I went out for a bit. ' Emerald wings splayed out against the wall as he bumped into it, releasing a nervous squeak. Eren didn 't have much experience with alphas, but even he knew that they could get quite possessive. Perhaps night-fairies suffered from it more intensely. Levi 's scent had changed, he noticed. It was richer, fragrant and musky, the spicy tones sharp with assertive dominance. Eren never thought that he would be find an aggressive scent so affective, but now it was making his body quiver.

'I thought you 'd left, ' Levi growled, maintaining eye contact as he closed the distance. He stopped directly in front of Eren, black wings curling forward to box him in. 'I thought you were gone. '

'I ' I should have told you. ' Eren tried his best to ignore the luminous spots on either side of his head. Crimson light was reflecting in Levi 's eyes, pools of heated mercury staring back with acute focus, the pupils dilated with searing ferocity.

Eren swallowed, willing himself to remain calm despite having been robbed of his escape route. 'But everything is okay now. I 'm fine, see? I was just with Farlan and Isa- ' Eren was cut off by a snarl, a crackling rumble in Levi 's throat, the bare mention of another alpha enough to provoke him. His attention was drawn to Levi 's mouth, the side of his lip was curled up to allow the rough vocalisation. It put a single fang on display, bone-white and glossy with saliva.

'Eren ' ' Levi whispered, dark and languid, the ominous tone sending a shiver down Eren 's spine. Leaning closer, Levi pressed his face into unruly brown hair. He took a deep breath. 'Aren 't you frightened? '