'Well, this is it. '

Levi stood on a small branch as he inspected the entrance to Eren 's home. It was a large opening with an overhang, the smooth arch leading into a hollowed-out tree trunk. That must be where the name came from. After watching Eren disappear inside, he followed with caution.

As Levi stepped into the tree, his eyes did a quick sweep of the interior. The entire width of the trunk hadn 't been hollowed out, only about half of it, which Levi assumed was to preserve some sapwood to allow the trees survival. The floor was covered by a layer of grass, the aged material a faded to a brownish-yellow, plaited together to form a uniform criss-crossing pattern. Levi hummed to himself, tilting his head back to glance upwards. The ceiling was bare except for the natural growth rings that rippled out from the center, the woods grainy texture seeming to spiral within them.

Levi wasn 't particularly fond of enclosed spaces. The grass structure of his own home was more convenient, perhaps since he could tear through the walls if need be. If it weren 't for the calming effect Eren 's scent seemed to have on him, Levi would probably be feeling a bit perturbed by it. Silver eyes found the omega, who was watching him with an expectant expression. 'It 's feels strange to be inside a tree, ' Levi said.

'I 've lived here my whole life. ' Eren gave the walls a quick look-over, the pale wood smooth and recently polished with beeswax. 'I should put some more colour in. '

'Isn 't it unsafe? ' Levi asked as he glanced back to the entrance. 'What if a bird stuck its head through the door? There 's no way to escape. '

Eren blinked, he 'd never heard of something like that happening before. 'Um ' I could probably fit through the window. But that wouldn 't happen, birds don 't usually come into the colony. '

Levi raised an eyebrow. It didn 't make any sense for birds to avoid this place, not with all he potential meals flying around. 'Why is that? '

'I 'm not really sure, ' Eren said with a shrug. 'If one does come through, we usually chase it away by throwing seeds and pebbles at it. Works pretty well when a group of fairies do it together. ' Eren paused, sucking on his cheek as he thought about it. 'I think the decorations confuse them. Gems reflect the light and make it hard for them to see, we 've even had one tangled up in a lantern string before. '

'I see ' ' Silver eyes glanced out into the forest, spotting a string of the so-called lanterns dangling from a nearby tree. Peculiar things, Levi thought. It was no wonder Eren was so unaware of danger, this area was rigged with hundreds of little bird traps, and as a result was a great deal safer than anywhere else. Most of the fairies here were probably be incapable of surviving outside the colony. Levi turned away from the strange boxes, watching the omega wander around and fiddle with some objects. 'Where is your mother? '

'She usually forages in the afternoon. ' Eren dug around in his pocket until he found the two incomplete bracelets and gingerly placed them on a shelf. 'She 'll be back soon, it 's almost sundown. '

Midnight wings giving an irritated flap. Levi was aware that he had made this more difficult for himself, all because he 'd been unable to resist his instinctual urges and completely smothered Eren with his scent. Levi didn 't feel a shred of regret, but his expectations for this meeting were rather low. He hoped Eren wouldn 't be too disappointed.

After Eren had arranged all the items, he began absently ringing his hands together. 'Don 't worry, it 'll be fine. '

Interestingly, Eren seemed to be the most nervous out of the two of them. Levi approached, close enough for the soft coo in his throat to be heard. 'It doesn 't matter what she says. I won 't leave unless you tell me to, ' Levi said, although even then he probably wouldn 't go quietly.

He 'd already picked up on the scent of a few other omegas in the colony, and it would be a lie to say that Levi didn 't find them at least somewhat interesting. But none of them pulled him in like Eren 's did. It was unclear whether there was something particularly enticing about Eren 's scent or if it was simply because they 'd already begun courting. Either way, Levi wouldn 't back down without a fight.

As they 'd need to wait, Levi took it upon himself to look around some more. There were containers filled with the overly-sweet fruit up on the shelves, and the sight alone was enough to make him frown. How could these fairies could consume something so repulsive? Levi wondered if they ate insects as well. There was no obvious reason why they wouldn 't, bugs were both delicious and nutritional, but it would probably be best to ask at some point.

Silver eyes finally settled on the cotton nest, narrowing as he stared down at it. Eren 's scent was tainted by something far less remarkable. It was similar in a way, except bland and lacking the same depth. The dullness was on par with Isabel.

Eren stalked up behind Levi, ducking around a black wing to examine the nest alongside him. 'I think I prefer your bed. '

'Oh? ' Levi 's eyes flicked over to the omega, intrigued by the statement. Although he was sure Eren had meant it in an entirely innocent way. 'Softer, is it? '

'Sort of. ' Eren reached out to brush his hand over the material, a clump of fibres snagging on one of his fingers. 'It 's just that cotton can be a bit rough sometimes. Feathers have a silky feel to them, I like that better. '

'In that case, I 'll be sure to- ' Levi stopped, thrown off by a sudden increase in that unpleasant smell. He turned around to lock eyes with a fairy that bore a strong resemblance to Eren. Radiant caramel skin with glossy brown hair, except she was obviously older, and her small brown wings looked like a pair of dead leaves.

Levi forced his wings together as not to startle her, watching as she stood in the entrance with a small basket in her hands. Judging by her scowl and the glare he was receiving, she must 've already noticed that Eren was thickly coated in his scent.

Unsure of how to proceed, Levi glanced to his side, but found no guidance as Eren was simply staring ahead like a startled animal. His eyes went back to the brown-winged fairy. 'Seeing as no one else was going to speak up, Levi cleared his throat to break the silence. 'Good afternoon, Eren 's mother. I 've come here to inform you that I am now courting your son. I hope you find this information agreeable, as I 'd like to receive your blessing. '

Carla gawked, mouth agape and eyes filled with a haunting vacancy. 'Excuse me? '

Black eyebrows pinched together, confused by the response. Levi was sure he 'd spoken clearly. Eren seemed just as thrown off, his eyes scrunched closed as tanned skin took on a reddish hue. Leaning towards him, Levi lowered his voice to a whisper. 'Did I say something wrong? '

'I forgot to tell you, ' Eren said, hiding the majority of his face behind his hand. 'Her name 's Carla. '

Levi 's head tilted, his eyes flicked over the omega 's blushing cheeks. 'Should I say it again? '

Eren dropped his hand to meet Carla 's gaze, her expression hardening as she came out of her shocked state. 'No ' I think she understood. '

'Eren. ' Carla took a deep breath as she dropped the basket, a single berry bouncing out to roll along the grass mat. As a mother, Carla had faced many difficulties over the years. This would definitely make the top of her list. 'Have you lost your mind? You can 't just bring home a random alpha you found in the wilderness! And that smell ' what did he do to you? '

'Nothing! ' Eren glared at her. 'His name is Levi. I 've already told you. '

'And I told you to be careful. How could you agree to this without talking me first? You barely know him, and you expect me to support this? '

'I know him enough to like him, ' Eren said. 'Most people are still getting to now each other when they start courting. You 're only making a big deal of it because he 's from outside our colony. '

'Fairies in the colony are more trust worthy. ' Carla 's bronze wings twitched. It wasn 't that she was unwilling to give this Levi a chance, she just wanted her son to understand what he was getting himself getting into. 'It wasn 't long ago that you presented. There are plenty of suitable mates around here, you don 't need to get involved with the first alpha you come across. '

The idea of being replaced didn 't sit well with Levi. With some effort, he managed to prevent the tightness in his chest from evolving into a growl. Black wings gave a few powerful flaps instead, an attempt to show off his physical fitness.

Carla wasn 't very impressed by the display, her eyes widening at the threatening colouration that had previously been hidden from her view.

'It 's not like that, ' Eren retorted. 'I 've met heaps of other alphas, I just wasn 't interested in them. Levi makes me feel things no one else has. I 've always been told to follow my instincts, and that 's exactly what I 'm doing. '

'Look at those wings. ' Carla nodded towards Levi. 'Nature uses bold colours as a warning. Plants and animals are bright to tell others that they 're dangerous, I 've seen a few birds with spots like those. '

Eren glanced to his side and saw Levi press his wings together, an action that was clearly meant to hide the intimidating crimson ovals. It hurt to see Levi judged for something he couldn 't help, especially since he was making a conscious effort to appear non-threatening. Eren reached out and touched his fingertips to Levi 's wrist. 'It 's not intentional, he doesn 't have much control over them. '

Levi leaned into the touch. While the support was appreciated, it would take a lot more than a displeased mother to unnerve him. Although fighting another alpha for Eren 's honour probably would 've been easier than this. 'I will never hurt Eren, ' Levi said with as much devotion as he could muster.

The declaration attracted Carla 's conflicted eyes. She was silent for long time, until the turmoil in her expression seemed to diminish. 'I suppose ' if you wanted to, you would 've by now. And you did make an effort to come meet me. '

Levi found her change in tone a bit surprising. Either he 'd sounded sincere enough to convince her, or she didn 't feel as confident arguing with an alpha. Regardless, Levi was quick to take the opening. 'I apologise if I did this incorrectly. I 'm unaware of your practices. '

'No, I ' that was rude of me. ' Carla sighed, bringing a hand up to rub her forehead. 'It 's just a bit overwhelming, I need some time to process this. '

'Seriously? '

The quiet voice stole Levi 's attention. He looked to the side, and immediately felt himself waver at the dejected expression on Eren 's face. Did he do something wrong? Levi 's eyebrows pulled together, unable to understand why the omega would be unhappy.

Before Levi had a chance to say something, Eren took off and flew out into the forest, forcing Carla to duck down as he went over her and through the exit. Silver eyes blinked in surprise, the hasty departure producing a gust of wind that blew Levi 's fringe back.

Carla stared outside for a while, until her gaze finally flicked back to him.

Being alone with her made Levi feel significantly more awkward, and black wings twitched as he met her stern gaze. A peculiar expression swirled in Carla 's honey-brown eyes, it was a stare that he interpreted as a challenge. It was almost as if they were silently arguing over who should go after Eren. Or rather, which one of them had the most right to.

Levi didn 't care if she was his mother, there was no way Carla would be able to out-fly him with those dainty wings.

Perhaps realising that fact, Carla conceded with a loud huff and moved out of the entrance to let him pass. She bent down to collect the berry from the floor, grumbling under her breath in a way that was barely audible.

Giving her a wide berth as he passed, Levi stepped out onto the branch and squinted as the dying sunlight poured into his eyes. A quick scan of the surrounding canopy revealed nothing but lush vegetation and flaky tree trunks. The blanket of leaves was less dense than what he was used to, their sparsity creating shadows that swayed with the wind. His ears twitched at the sound of far-off voices and activities that were never heard at his home, still finding the noise bothersome.

Surprisingly, he could still smell Eren through the fog of other fairies.

Midnight wings spread wide as Levi swooped off the branch. Tracking the scent, he manoeuvred through the forest with swift and agile movements, soundless as he cut through the air. Flying was difficult in an unknown area, Levi was used to knowing exactly where he was going before he even took off. It was a challenge to navigate while moving at a fast pace.

He dropped down onto a random branch with a thump, the impact causing the wood to tremble beneath him. Crouching down, Levi sniffed at the air as he tried to orientate himself. There was a sudden yelp from besides him, a brown-haired fairy that was alarmed by his sudden arrival. Levi glanced at them with a raised eyebrow, but then dismissed them in favour of resuming his search.

When he reached a less populated area, Levi was pleased when the stench of fairies faded away and was replaced by a natural earthiness that was far more familiar. There was running water in the distance, a steady flow that filled the forest with a gentle shushing, accompanied by the muted songs of insects. Finally, sharp silver eyes spotted a spot of vibrant bluish-green among the jade grass, and Levi 's body was flooded with a gratifying sense of relief. Eren wasn 't in any danger, he knew, but apparently not knowing the omegas location was enough to induce stress.

Levi bent his legs as he landed in the grass, only just loud enough to announce his arrival. Eren was looking at a waterfall, he noticed, a thin mist being sprayed into the air as the liquid crashed into a bed of jagged rocks. 'Eren? '

Turquoise eyes glanced back at him, wide and shining. 'Hey. '

'What happened? ' Levi moved closer, examining the omegas face for any sign of distress. 'Did I upset you? '

'It wasn 't you. ' Eren blinked back to the water. 'I got frustrated with my mom, that 's all. '

Levi 's wings flapped as he sat down next to him, still at a loss. 'She calmed down in the end. '

'Only when she was spoke to you, ' Eren said. 'It 's just the way she talks to me as if I 'm a stupid kid. She wouldn 't listen to me at all, but she was willing to show some understanding after a few words from you. ' Sighing, Eren looked down as he ran his fingers through the grass, the texture sharp and waxy. 'I don 't know if it 's because you 're an alpha ' or if it 's just because you 're not me. '

Levi watched Eren 's hand, his slim fingers beginning to pluck green strands out of the ground. 'I don 't have much experience with these things ' but she 's your mother, she probably thinks she knows what 's best for you. '

'You agree with her? '

'I didn 't say that, ' Levi corrected. 'But I doubt she acts that way just to hurt you, even if it may seem that way. '

Eren released a short huff as he threw the grass away, green blades fluttering as they were captured by the wind. 'I just want her to respect my decisions, or at least realise that I 'm capable of making them. '

'I know. ' Levi glanced at the waterfall, but the spray was reflecting the light and causing it to hit his eyes in an unpleasant way, so he looked back to the omega. 'She, uh ' mentioned that you only presented recently. When was that? '

Eren slumped forward, emerald wings drooping down towards the ground. 'This year... '

Black eyebrows raised, the answer taking him by surprise. Eren must be quite young. Not that it mattered at all; a mature fairy was a mature fairy. It did, however, mean that Eren hasn 't had his first proper heat yet ' but now wasn 't the time to be thinking about that. Giving how recent it was, Carla must still be struggling with the idea of her son becoming an adult and leaving her nest. 'She just needs some time to adjust, ' Levi said.

'You 're okay with that? '

'It makes no difference. I 've told you before, I don 't have any idea what I 'm doing either. My only experience is from watching the weird shit Farlan used to do. '

Eren laughed as he took in the view, short-lived rainbows appearing as the mist of the waterfall was struck by sunshine. Smiling, he turned to look at Levi. 'Did you argue with your mother much? '

The question caught Levi off guard. He met Eren 's eyes, the pair of turquoise irises sparkling with an innocent joy that he couldn 't bear to erase. 'Not really, ' Levi said as he averted his gaze, the tips of black wings giving a small flick. 'The sun will go down soon. Is there anyone else I need to meet? '

Humming, Eren tilted his head back to look up at the warm colours that were gradually seeping into the sky. 'We should probably go see Armin. '

If Levi remembered correctly, Armin was the one that labelled him a

night-fairy

without consulting him first. He 'd let it go since he was Eren 's best friend, and also because Levi probably couldn 't come up with anything better.

The pair took off, leaving the waterfall behind as they flew back into the centre of the colony. With the day coming to an end, most of the fairies had already retired into their hollows for the night, which Levi was glad for. The absence of curious onlookers made the journey much more enjoyable, having so many eyes on them was unsettling to say the least.

As Eren directed them towards Armin 's tree, they both flapped to gain altitude and touched down outside the entrance.

Levi paused when he landed on the bark, distracted by the little boxes,

lanterns

, that dangled from the neighbouring branches. Curious of them, he walked to the edge of the branch to get a better look, narrowing his eyes at one closest to him. Unlike before, they were now emanating a white light that made them look like fuzzy blobs, the stark contrast draining the colour out of everything around them. 'They glow? '

'Hm? ' Eren hummed as he glanced back at the alpha. 'Yeah, that 's what they 're for. '

A crinkle appeared on Levi 's forehead as he stared at the string of lights. 'I thought they were for the birds. '

'Nope, ' Eren said, covering his mouth to conceal a giggle. He found Levi 's captivation with the lanterns kind of cute, especially with how they illuminated his pale skin in an almost ghostly way. 'That 's just a side-effect. '

Levi pulled his attention away from the lanterns, blinking rapidly as he tried to dispel the white squiggles that haunted his vision. He 'd have to be careful if he flew around the colony at night, those blinding lights could be a serious hazard. Looking at it for only a few seconds was enough to make him feel disorientated.

Eren tapped his knuckles against the bark before wandering inside. 'Hello? '

'Eren! ' Armin jumped off the wooden stool he 'd been sitting on, the beginnings of a grass weave in his hands. 'You toad! I 've been waiting for you. '

'Really? '

'Of course. ' Rolling his eyes, Armin placed the bunch of grass strands down on a small table. 'I heard people talking about the black-winged fairies that flew into the colony. Who else could it be? '

Levi lingered near the entrance as he listened to the two omegas. Steel eyes squinted to make out the outline of Armin 's wings, the pale appendages appearing almost translucent in the absence of direct light. Uninterested, his gaze shifted to Eren 's wings, the vivid green and gold much more to his liking.

'Is this Levi? ' Armin asked as he inspected the alpha in his doorway. 'You 've described what he looks like, but it 's still strange to see him. I guess that 's what happens when you 're so used to a certain appearance. '

Levi blinked away to focus his attention on the wall, finding the rippling texture of wood much more interesting than having to hear how different he looked yet again. It was understandable for them to think that, he just didn 't know what they felt the need to repetitively remind him of it. The blonde suddenly rushed towards him, and Levi stepped back to maintain some degree of personal space.

'Your eyes are so pretty! ' Armin wore an excited grin. 'They look like a pair of tiny moons. '

The compliment was unexpected. Levi felt the urge to cover his eyes now that he knew someone was staring at them, but he resisted in favour of being able to see. He glanced over to Eren, who gave him an encouraging nod. 'That 's an interesting comparison, ' Levi said as he met Armin 's gaze again. 'Your eyes remind me of water. '

Armin gave a breathy chuckle. It wasn 't the most imaginative thing he 'd ever heard, but he couldn 't deny that it was at least a little bit true. 'They 're both blue, I suppose. '

Being close to the blonde made Levi 's nose scrunch up.

Armin 's brow furrowed. 'What is it? '

Levi certainly didn 't want to be rude to Eren 's friend, but he wasn 't going to lie either. 'You smell like crap. '

'Oh my god. ' Eren blanched, horrified by the comment. 'It 's not you, Armin. He, um ' didn 't get along with Erwin very well, that 's all. '

'Oh ' right. ' Armin blinked, realising that Levi must 've been put off by the smell of his alpha. Blue eyes took in Levi 's expression, the corners of his mouth curled in disgust. 'Honestly, I 'm not surprised. '

Pursing his lips, Eren recalled what he had to speak to Armin about. 'You told Erwin about how I tried to remove Levi 's scent mark, right? ' Eren waited for the blonde to nod at him before continuing. 'He tried to upset Levi by telling him about it, he made it sound like I was desperate to get it off me. '

'Really? ' Armin 's eyes widened. 'Sorry ' I only told him because it was an interesting story, I had no idea he 'd twist it like that. ' Icy blue wings fluttered as Armin sighed. It didn 't pass his attention that Eren had received another scent marking, especially since Levi had clearly been much more thorough this time, but Armin decided to be polite and not mention it. 'What 're your plans for the night? '

'What do you mean? '

'Sleeping arrangements, ' Armin clarified, raising an eyebrow sarcastically. 'Are you all going to squish into Carla 's nest? '

'I don 't care, ' Levi said with disinterest. 'I 'll sleep on a branch or something, it doesn 't matter to me. '

'Don 't be silly. ' Armin gave the alpha a pointed look. 'You can sleep here, I 'll stay with Erwin or my Grandpa. '

'Are you sure? ' Eren asked. It wasn 't unlike Armin to be hospitable, but he shouldn 't feel obligated to offer up his home.

'Yup, I have plenty of places to go. ' Armin 's lips pulled into a shy smile. 'I sometimes get a bit lonely on my own ' it 'll be nice to stay with someone. '

Turquoise eyes saddened at the reminiscent tone. Eren used to stay with Armin quite often, mostly when they were younger, or they 'd both go to Raymund 's hollow to hear a story before falling asleep. They were fond memories, but he supposed there wasn 't much time for that anymore.

Levi looked around, discovering that this hollow was a fair bit older than Eren 's. The encompassing wood was faded and brittle, the passage of time causing it to splinter in some places. A branch might 've been preferable, Levi thought there was something disturbing about sleeping inside a disembowelled tree. It might be warmer, at least. 'If you insist, ' Levi said, his gaze shifting away from the wall to land on Eren. 'I should go find the others. '

'Okay, ' Eren replied with a smile. 'Don 't get lost. '

Levi exited the hollow with a quiet

tch

. It would take more than a new place and scent-polluted air to throw off his sense of direction.

A part of him hesitated at the edge of the branch. It was a heaviness that settled within him whenever he parted from Eren, a not-so-subtle reminder of his unfinished task. After taking a moment to search the canopy, Levi managed to convince himself there were no immediate threats and leaped from the branch.

The colony was almost peaceful without all the noise, and the glowing boxes weren 't too irritating so long as they weren 't right in his face. Levi still cringed as he flew past them, his eyes becoming more sensitive as they adjusted to the dimming sunlight. Little specks of vibrant colour caught his attention. It was from the gems and ribbons that fluttered around the homes of other fairies, producing the occasional clink as the stones bumped into each other.

Levi found his missing friends without much difficulty; their babbling voices could be heard from a considerable distance. The pair were down on the forest floor, standing in the shade of a large tree trunk as they fiddled with something in their hands. Levi rolled in the air, black wings coming together as he fell and landed on the ground next to them, the impact causing them both to yelp in surprise.

'Hey! ' Isabel scolded, raising her hand to point a pink flower petal at Levi's face. 'You shouldn 't just drop outta the sky like that, you 'll break your leg

and

scare me to death. '

Levi gave a dismissive hum as he glared at the petal, leaning back to stop it from tickling his nose. It had a strong floral fragrance but wasn 't overly sweet. 'What is that for? '

Grey wings flapped as Farlan released a sigh, holding his hand out to reveal the bundle of petals he was holding. 'Isabel wants to take these home ' apparently they don 't grow in our forest. '

Tilting his head at the flower, Levi realised that it was one he 'd never seen before. The petals were flopped limply in Farlan 's hand, a soft magenta with a web of whiteish veins sprawled across it. Levi wasn 't particularly interested in flowers, but he did enjoy seeing new things. There was still a lot to learn about the outside.

'How 'd it go with mother shiny? '

'Fine. ' Silver eyes drifted down to find the remains of a mutilated and petal-less flower stem, it 's life stolen by Isabel 's incessant need to decorate.

'Come on- ' Farlan reached out to grab the edge of Levi 's wing between his fingers, shaking his hand to make to dark appendage wiggle. 'Details! '

'Stop it. ' Levi flicked his wing to free himself the hold, then brought them together to prevent the blonde from doing it again. 'I told you not to do that. It 's weird. ' Levi glared at him before releasing a sigh. 'She doesn 't hate my guts, but I don 't think I 'll be getting a hug anytime soon. '

A smirk appeared on Farlan 's face. 'I doubt you 'd want one anyways. '

Levi hummed deeply, considering the situation. Gaining Carla 's approval would make everything much easier, although he wasn 't sure if that was possible given what he 'd seen. She is obviously struggling to let go of her son and is very distrustful. Whether it was towards him specifically or alphas in general, Levi didn 't know, but it did make him wonder what could 've made Carla behave that way. While it wasn 't hard to imagine a few possibilities, Levi preferred to think it had something to do with her absent and possibly deceased mate. Steel eyes flicked over to Isabel, who was still sorting through the impressive stack of flower petals. 'One of Eren 's friends offered us a place to sleep. '

'Really? ' Isabel glanced up, her hands going still. 'I 'm glad someone 's actually being nice to us ' but we 're gonna sleep outside. Tree holes aren 't as cool as I imagined they 'd be. '

Levi shrugged with one shoulder, the action lazy and indifferent. 'Suit yourself. '

'Which means, ' Farlan began, his eyebrows lifting teasingly. 'You 'll be all alone with your pretty little omega. '

Silver eyes widened, a little surprised by how his heart clenched at the idea of calling Eren

his

, even if it wasn 't entirely true yet. Knowing Farlan, his word choice had been intentional. Levi recovered with a scowl before hissing back at him. 'I 've been alone with him the past few days, you idiot. '

'Hey now. ' Farlan held up his hands, defensive, although the playful smirk remained on his face. 'Don 't take out your sexual frustration on me, I 'm just stating the facts. '

'Ooo~! ' Isabel sung in a teasing voice, her murky green wings giving a few exuberant flaps. 'Is someone coming down with a bit of spring-fever? '

Levi watched her wings flutter, the rapid movement only serving to annoy him further. 'I can 't remember why I agreed to let you tag along. '

'Because otherwise you 'd have to take on this whole colony by yourself, ' Isabel said. 'I dunno about you guys, but I reckon I could take down like ' ten of these softies. '

'Isabel, ' Farlan scolded.

'What? ' Isabel met her mate 's eyes. 'I may be an omega, but I can still kick some ass. '

'I know, but you shouldn 't talk like that. We 're trying to be friends with these people, ' Farlan said. Isabel simply huffed, crossing her arms and turning away. 'Whatever, ' he continued, 'Anyone else hungry? '

The sun had set by the time Eren had gone home, changed his clothes and returned to Armin 's hollow. It wasn 't too dark for him to see, both the moon and soft lantern-light illuminating the forest in their ethereal glow, tinted blue like an artificial twilight.

Eren was glad to be home, although the conversations had proven to be quite exhausting.

Hearing a soft clunk, the brunet glanced over to where Armin was gathering a few of his things. It was unnecessary, really. Armin insisted on packing in case he 'd need to stay away for more than one night, even though Eren thought that was unlikely. The lanterns made it safe enough from them to travel within the colony while it was dark, and Armin even had a miniature one for inside his hollow. The small light source was positioned on the carved table, a spiral design painted onto the side with raspberry juice. Eren shuffled on the cotton pillow he 'd stolen from the nest, sitting on it near the entrance.

'How 'd Carla take the news? ' Armin looked over his shoulder.

'Not very well. ' Turquoise eyes stared out into the night, wide and searching. Levi had been gone longer than he 'd expected. While Eren knew there was little chance he would take off, he worried his mother 's words might 've hurt more than the alpha had let on. What if Levi decided he wasn 't worth the effort? Eren chewed on his bottom lip, the thought unsettling him more than he 'd like to admit. 'She talked as if he was a monster, right in front of him, ' Eren said in a solemn tone. 'It was okay in the end, I guess. She said she needed time to think about it ' It just sucks how her biggest problem is that he looks a little different. '

'Not everyone is so accepting. But I don 't think it 's that simple, ' Armin said. 'He 's from outside the colony. '

Eren groaned, sick to death of hearing that sentence. 'Why does it even matter? '

'With Erwin ' I 've known him for years. Sure, we didn 't really interact or talk much, there wasn 't any reason to before I presented, but I saw him around and heard things about him. ' Armin paused to snatch a comb from the shelf, adding it to his satchel of items before turning to face Eren again. 'I already had a good sense of his character before we started courting. Levi 's a stranger, and we don 't know anyone who can vouch for him. There 's only you, which might be a bit, um ' '

'What? '

'Unreliable. '

Eren 's eyebrows pulled together, confused and slightly offended. 'What 's that supposed to mean? '

'Nothing. It 's just ' alphas generally try to make themselves look good for potential mates. Your view of him is probably affected by that. ' Armin pursed his lips, unsure if his words were helpful or not. 'I support you, Eren. I 'm just trying to help you understand Carla 's perspective as well. '

Viridian wings sagged as Eren 's shoulders slumped. He 'd heard enough of his mother 's opinions for one day. Huffing, Eren grabbed the cushion from beneath him and placed it under his head, laying on his back to stare up at the ceiling. Eren sprawled his arms out as he started to trace the darkened growth rings with his eyes. It was a good distraction, one that the brunet found quite relaxing. There were a few charms dangling down from the wood, including the sapphire charm Armin had received a while ago. He must've moved it inside at some point. It sparkled in the light of his indoor-lantern quite beautifully, a deep blue with excellent clarity and a magnificent lustre. 'How 's it going with Erwin? '

'Good, I think. ' Armin smiled as he brushed back a strand of golden hair. 'I don 't have anything particularly exciting to tell you, but it 's going well. I 've decided to stay with him tonight. '

'Have you done that before? '

'Nope. ' Armin 's pale wings twitching behind him. 'It 's exciting ' but I 'm a bit nervous, too. '

Eren hummed thoughtfully, considering what to say when a loud thump came from outside, the vibration felt through the wood he was laying on. Lolling his head back on the cushion, turquoise eyes landed on an upside-down pair of black wings in the entrance. The alpha tilted his head, sharp silver eyes staring straight back at him. Eren squeaked and scrambled to sit up, settling flat on his knees with the pillow clutched to his chest.

A sleek black eyebrow quirked up, intrigued. Levi dismissed the odd behaviour, and then squinted as looked around the hollow. 'Why is there a light in here? You should be able to see. '

'Oh, right! ' Eren sprung to his feet and walked over to the miniature lantern, carelessly tossing the pillow back into the nest along the way. After it was put out, he blinked a few times at the sudden change in brightness.

'Woah! ' Armin was stunned by the pair of giant eyes that suddenly stood out in the darkened room, a brilliant blood-red that cut through the blue of the night. They were admittedly quite intimidating, but Armin wasn 't afraid as he could still see the fairy that stood between them. 'That 's incredible ' ' The blonde stepped closer, the red glow highlighting his face as he reached out to them. 'How do you do that? '

Levi 's voice deepened, sharp with warning. 'Don 't touch me. '

Armin flinched away with a yelp. 'S-sorry! I ' I didn 't- ' His eyes flicked over to Eren, blue orbs widened with panic. 'Have a nice night! ' Flinging the small bag over his shoulder, Armin shot out of the hollow.

Shocked, Eren simply blinked out into the silent forest as a gust of wind carded through his hair. A faint crease appeared between Levi 's eyebrows, possibly a sign remorse. Armin wouldn 't hold a grudge over it, in fact the blonde will probably insist on apologising again tomorrow. Emerald wings gave a single flap as Eren clasped his hands together. 'I was waiting to say goodnight, but ' where did Isabel and Farlan go? '

'They 're sleeping somewhere else, ' Levi said. Black wings undulated in the air with a fluid motion, the crimson eyespots waving hesitantly. 'I thought ' you might want to stay with me, instead. '

There was a soft flutter in Eren 's chest, a pleasant tingle that made his way down to his stomach. Sleeping next to Levi had been far more enjoyable than he 'd thought it would be, and it was reassuring to hear that Levi agreed. 'Yeah, I 'd like that. ' Turquoise eyes dropped down to the floor, the days activities beginning to catch up with him. 'I don 't really want to be around my mom at the moment, anyways. '

Eren 'sighed as he approached the nest. It was kind of Armin to let them stay here, even though Eren hadn 't been the intended guest. The mound of cotton looked quite different to his own, mainly due to the hand-made cushions, each of their cases made of a different variety of flower petal. It was nice, albeit a bit excessive. The omega flopped down onto them, but the smell that wafted out of the material made him feel agitated. To fix the problem, all the cushions were thrown out of the nest, eventually forming a small pile in the furthest corner of the room.

Eren huffed, glaring at the stack of pillows until he was distracted by an inquisitive chirp. Turquoise eyes shifted to watch Levi move closer, until the alpha reached the nest and crawled in as well, the soft material dipping beneath his weight. As he settled down on his side, Eren admired how his face was highlighted by the lantern glow that seeped into the hollow. It accentuated his cheek bones, porcelain skin carved by shadows, and made chrome irises glitter in a way that was almost unnatural.

Levi gave the air a few curious sniffs, his nose scrunching up with a slight grimace. The expression vanished quickly, and Levi let out a questioning coo as he shuffled closer, the soft sound laced with a hint of sorrow.

It confused Eren at first, but he soon figured that Levi was probably just bothered by the smell of the nest. Trying to ignore the strange giddiness that was blossoming in his chest, Eren took the prompt and wiggled forward until they were face to face. Metallic eyes stared back for a moment, until Levi leaned forward to touch the tips of their noses together. It was gentle enough to be ticklish, a simple gesture that felt oddly intimate. Eren blinked as he received a tentative nuzzle, but Levi went still before he could even think of reciprocating, silver eyes glancing away with uncertainty.

Instead, Levi chirped quietly as he jerked his chin up twice in a row, a motion that was now familiar. Eren ducked down to press his face into the alphas neck and snuffled at the welcoming scent he found there, a warm and heady aroma that was becoming quite addicting. The omega felt his body relax as tension drained out of his muscles, the rich pheromones having an almost immediate effect on him. Levi cooed with content, then hooked an arm over Eren to absently run his fingers through wavy chestnut hair.

Eren trilled happily as he buried his nose in pale skin, although he soon noticed that there was something different about it. Levi smelt sweeter than usual. It was a subtle change, one that wouldn 't have been noticeable if he weren 't so close. Eren thought it could be clouded by his own scent, but the undertones of various spices were unmistakably Levi. It wasn 't bad by any means, in fact he found it even more alluring. Emerald wings fluttered as Eren breathed deeply, his drowsy state causing him to act without thinking. Eren 's lips parted, the tip of his tongue poking out to swipe over Levi 's scent gland.

The alpha flinched away with a sharp inhale, black wings spasming with several twitchy and erratic flaps.

Eren froze, staring with wide eyes as Levi flustered around and eventually composed himself. Did he just '

lick him

? Eren 's face seared with embarrassment as his heart pounded away in his chest. His mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to speak past the taste of spiced wine that lingered on his tongue. 'Sorry, ' Eren finally squeaked out.

'It 's fine. ' Levi swallowed thickly, his voice dropping to a whisper as he watched the omega with heated eyes. 'I just ' wasn 't expecting you to do that. '

Eren responded with a short hum, unable to manage anything else.

As he went back to his original place, the brunet made sure to keep some space between his lips and Levi 's neck. It still tingled on his tongue, a flavour that could only be described as delicious. Eren wasn 't sure what possessed him to do that, but he was secretly glad he did. He never imagined a fairy could be so mouth-watering. There was a pressure against the top of Eren 's head as Levi nuzzled into his hair, and then a black wing curled over to encompass them both in a cocoon of darkness.