The sunlight was creeping in from the spaces between the blinds when he awoke, hazy eyes blinking away the last vestiges of slumber. The room was silent, cold and empty, mirroring the occupant's own inner turmoil. Beyond the four walls of the bedroom, the outside world lived: a bustle of civilization just outside the door. However, for now, the noise was a muffled hum in the quiet of the room.

Levi looked to his side, cool eyes taking in the sight of rumpled sheets and traces of someone's presence beside him before his awakening. His hand reached out, fingers tracing the ridges and hollows left behind, feeling lingering warmth underneath his touch.

The corner of his lips rose in a cruel smirk, his hand twisting the sheets tight. A scratching noise, like paper crumpled, pulled his attention from the sheets and the warmth and up to the pillow beside his. Pushing it aside, dark blue eyes found a folded piece of paper.

Taking it with hands that—and he would certainly deny later—were trembling just a little bit, Levi unfolded the note, noticing the inelegant rip at the side, as if the writer was in quite a hurry.

Perhaps, he was. He mused grimly.

Brows furrowed and he felt a familiar tightness in his chest as his eyes bored through the note.

"Brat," whispered Levi, mouth twisted in a pained grimace. He let the note fall through his fingers, the penciled words rearing back at him amidst the pale sheets.

If you had only twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?

Levi's life was a routine; it needed a certain path to follow in order to be effective. First, he would wake, and for approximately ten to thirty seconds, he would sit up in bed and blink away the sleep from his eyes. By the thirty-first second, Levi would have stood and changed and bathed, and that too followed a certain routine. Used clothes were thrown into the laundry basket; underwear, pants, shirt: always in that order. Hot water, soap and then shampoo; it could not be messed, never be messed up.

Breakfast was no less different. On Monday, it would be two eggs, sunny side up, a single sausage and then a cup of black coffee. On Tuesday, it would be one sweet potato, two slices of toast and a glass of orange juice. Wednesday meant fried rice, fish and water. The rest of the days followed their own set of what was to be prepared.

Levi would then get to work, riding the same train on the same time, taking the same roads and alleys, riding the same elevator.

His life followed a certain routine and Levi was fine with that. More than fine, he was comfortable, because routine meant familiarity, and familiarity meant that Levi would not be surprised or outsmarted. He was safe in the calm waters of routine.

That was before he met Eren Jaeger.

It was a surprise, really, if Levi were to be honest.

The day he met Eren Jaeger was like any other day of his life. He was on his way to work, right hand holding his briefcase, left hand inside his pocket as he calmly walked from the train station, steps matching his heartbeat. Precise.

He passed the same coffee shop he always did, counted the same numbers of trees across the street, and it was there that, for once in his life, someone broke the monotony.

A hand grabbed his and pulled, surprising Levi to a stop, eyes turning. His gaze locked on the hand holding his, skin two shades darker than his, following the length of limb and up to the owner, a boy half a foot taller than Levi.

His eyebrow made an involuntary twitch at the height difference.

The kid, because Levi could certainly say so after seeing the youthful face, had a smile on his face. It was neither overly-friendly or eerie, but Levi felt no need to return it, and the boy still had not let go of his hand.

"May I help you?" He asked, his voice cool and biting. The boy's smile did not falter. Tsk.

"I'm Eren, Eren Jaeger." The boy responded, still smiling.

A bubble of annoyance was rising inside Levi, and he made a motion to disentangle himself, but the boy held on tighter.

"And may I ask why you are holding my hand?" He asked, angry blue eyes locking with the boy's. It occurred to Levi that he should feel alarmed by a stranger grabbing his wrist in public. Surely, anyone else in his situation would have been frightened or irritated enough to call for help or security. However, as much as Levi wanted the boy to let go of his hand, he could not find it inside him to call for the police or anyone else.

"Why do you wear that?" The boy asked, the other hand pointing at Levi's chest. Levi's eyebrows scrunched up as he followed the hand, eyes focusing on the end of the boy's pointer finger. It was the pin on the lapel of his coat, two wings overlapping each other.

Despite his reservations about the stranger, Levi found himself answering the question. "It means that I'm someone who belongs to this company."

The boy's mouth formed a circle as he sounded out his understanding, eyes growing a bit wide. Levi noticed that he had yet to release his hold on his wrist.

"Mind if you let go of me now?" He asked, raising one brow. The boy stared at him in confusion, forcing Levi to raise their connected hands and shaking it a bit.

"Oh, that! Why didn't you say so?"

Strange boy, Levi decided as the chuckling boy let go of his wrist, scratching his hair in the process.

For a moment, they stood in silence: a man in a black suit with a boy taller by half a foot in a dark green sweater.

"Well, I best be going." Levi said, turning away and returning back to his routine. The boy made a questioning noise before catching up to walk by Levi's side.

Again, it occurred to Levi that he should feel uneasy with a stranger following him, especially with how close this boy was. They were not more than three or four inches apart, and the boy was looking at him with the same smile on his face. Apparently, Levi must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed if he did not feel like doing what was appropriate in this situation: that was, call security.

"Where are you going?" He asked. Levi ignored him as he turned another corner, the kid following his path.

"Why do you wear black?" The boy asked again; Levi gave him no answer. The boy did not lose his smile.

They continued like this, with Levi calmly ignoring the stranger by his side and the boy badgering him with questions, no other expression on his face except that damn smile. When his workplace came into view, Levi expected to feel a tinge of victory or relief. Security at Survey Inc. was strict, and they did not let anyone enter unless they worked at or owned the place.

However, he was surprised to feel that he was a bit—well, not sad—but a bit bereft at the thought of the boy leaving his side. It was like he would miss the boy.

Preposterous.

Ten or so paces away from the entrance, Levi felt the boy shift away, hearing a small "Goodbye, Levi" from him. He proceeded to ignore the boy, about to grasp the door handle when he realized that he never gave him his name.

His head swiveled to the side, and he stared at figure walking away. He suddenly felt the inexplicable need to know the boy.

A tap on the glass made Levi turn, and he saw the morning guard, Hannes, eyeing him. Levi looked back at the boy's retreating back, saw him about to turn a corner, and Levi made a decision, knowing deep inside that he was going to regret it.

He let go of the door and followed the boy.

"Hey! Hey!" Levi called out as he fought to catch up with the boy, walking past the crowds in the street. He ducked just in time as someone raised their arm to point somewhere past Levi, narrowly avoiding hitting his face against the offending limb.

"Brat, listen to me!" Levi growled, a bit pissed. What the hell was the kid doing? The boy was not too far that he couldn't possibly hear Levi. Was he ignoring Levi?

What is this, payback? He thought, ironic. Still, that didn't stop him from squeezing through the crowds, feeling only a little guilty when he pushed past a woman coming out of a coffee-shop, spilling her drink on the concrete ground. He ignored the curses sent his way as he called for the boy's attention.

A few others turned to look at him when he called, and Levi realized that he wasn't getting anywhere with this. He then remembered that the boy had introduced himself when they first met, and he racked his brain for the name.

Er—ick? No, that doesn't sound right. Erwin? Might as well try.

"Erwin!" Levi called aloud. The boy still didn't turn. Even to Levi, the name he just mentioned didn't seem the correct one. He tried recalling their conversation earlier, picking apart the boy's eccentric questions and—

"Eren! Eren!" The name came from his mouth, unbidden, and the boy turned, eyes curious for who was calling him. His gaze locked with Levi's, and the boy—no, Eren—smiled that same smile and Levi knew that he should feel uneasy when a similar smile was fighting its way to appear on his mouth.

Instead, Levi forced his lips down to a frown, hackles set in a stern bow.

He was about to question Eren about knowing his name, the sentence ready to fall from his lips when spoke something else entirely.

"Do you want to get some coffee?"

Eren's face lit up at the invitation, and he nodded enthusiastically. Then, before Levi could even produce a sound, Eren had taken hold of his wrist and was pulling him down another street.

"Wh—where are you taking me?" Levi asked, a bit peeved when a couple of school girls giggled at him being dragged across the street. He shook his hand out of Eren's grasp and sped up to match the boy's pace by his side.

Eren turned, grinning. "I know this great place, you'll love it!"

Levi smirked, "You don't even know what I want."

Eren didn't answer, just shrugged his shoulders as he made another turn. Levi followed him, occasionally glancing at the passing shops. Beside him, Eren walked with his arms behind his head, humming a quiet tune to himself. Looking at them, anyone could have guessed that they were friends instead of complete strangers. The silence between them wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. No, it was an easy silence, as if it was welcomed.

As if it was natural.

Realizing that he didn't know anything about the boy aside from his name, Levi decided to ask some of his own questions. "How old are you, Eren?"

"Hmm?" Eren looked at him, eyes almost endearingly wide. Levi shook his head, unable to decide if he was irritated or amused.

"Your age. How old are you?"

For such a simple question, something that anyone could have answered in heartbeat, Eren took longer to answer, mouth silently mumbling numbers. "Uh, fifteen!"

"Really, when were yo—"

"Look, we're here!" Levi's question was cut off as Eren grabbed his hand, fingers interlocked with his, and ran forward, pulling the older man with him.

It was a quaint little café, unlike any of the ones Levi visits. Eren dragged him to a table by the glass window before hurrying to the counter, telling Levi that he'd buy for them along the way.

Levi shook his head in amusement, eyes taking in his surroundings. The café itself wasn't anything amazing. Certainly, it wouldn't match up to those that he frequents. A sibilant hiss escaped him as his fingers touched the markings on the tabletop, noticing the chipped off parts here and there. However, what made it really different from the coffee shops and cafés he visited was that, instead of the bitter aroma of coffee wafting through the air, it was the sweet fragrance of vanilla that he was inhaling.

It immensely soothed him, even if it was a bit weird.

His gaze then found Eren, and he amended his previous thought.

A lot weird.

Truly, today had been a strange day for him so far. Not only did he break his routine, he also followed a boy of fifteen years who knew his name.

And Levi did not feel that it was unnatural at all.

When Eren had returned, placing a tray with two steaming cups atop the table, Levi took one and brought it close, inhaling the scent. It smelled of spice and vanilla, and just a tiny bit of chocolate. For some odd reason, he associated this scent with the boy in front of him.

Taking a small sip, Levi sat back, feeling the liquid slosh down his throat. His eyes widened a bit, surprised at the warmth building inside him. It wasn't anything dangerous or alarming, but it was weird because it made him feel as if his entire body was wrapped in layers of soft blankets.

"Good, yes?" Eren asked. Levi nodded, putting the cup back. Now that they were both comfortable, Levi felt it was alright to ask how Eren knew his name.

"Eren, how did you—?"

"If you had twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?" Eren cut off his sentence, irritating Levi in the process.

"Urgh—what?" He asked, a bit sharply. Eren's smile dropped a bit, and the light in his eyes died a bit. It suddenly made Levi realize how peculiar Eren's eyes were, like they were a cross between shades of blue and green. Like the color of the sea.

Now, those sea-colored eyes were looking at him as if Levi just ate his mother for lunch.

And, for someone who just met the kid today, Levi suddenly guilty for his biting tone.

"I mean, what do you mean by that?" He rephrased, pushing down the irritation.

Eren was playing with his cup, fingers idly tracing the side. His eyes were on the white foam above the hot liquid, watching the vapor rising from it. When he responded, his voice was a lot quieter.

"If you had only twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?"

Levi scowled at his drink, a bit confused at the question. "What is that about?"

Eren merely shrugged.

Levi sighed, closing his eyes and lolling his head back. If he had only twenty-four hours to live, he'd probably do a lot. Heck, anyone else would probably do a lot given that situation. Still, it was such an odd thing to ask a stranger. Then again, he remembered from whom this question came from and odd doesn't begin to cover it.

He smiled, despite himself. When he opened his eyes, Eren was staring at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Then, he shook his head and grinned, "You should smile often."

Levi raised a brow in response. Thinking back to the question, he sat up and counted off the things he'd do from his head. "Well, I would probably do much. Try to do things that I don't do often. You know, ordinary stuff."

Eren tipped his head to the side. "Really?"

"Really."

"Hm."

Levi pointed at him, "What about you? If you had only twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?"

"Me?" Eren asked, hand on his chest. Levi rolled his eyes, nodding.

"Well…I'd do ordinary things, I guess." He responded, giving a cheeky grin.

For all it was worth, Levi tried hard not to smile.

"Levi, have you ever visited an orphanage?"

Levi responded with a negative, wondering what spurred this question from Eren, who was now pulling him towards somewhere. Again.

Glancing at his watch, Levi noted that it was 10:24 am. He was about an hour and a half late for his work, but he couldn't find it in himself to care right now about that. He also realized that he was getting less and less curious as to how Eren knew his name and more and more curious with just Eren himself.

The boy was a walking mystery. Aside from his name and his age, Levi didn't know anything else about this person. Someone with some form of sanity would have been anxious at the idea of a stranger dragging them to places, but Levi did not feel troubled or worried at all. It was as if he was used to this, like he did this everyday.

Which was quite impossible, seeing as he just met Eren today.

His musings were cut short as the boy stopped pulling him, dark blue eyes taking in the sight of the building in front of him: the whitewashed walls, the roof that was in need of repair and the dingy sign that hung above. It was the city orphanage, and Levi had to restrain a grim laugh at the irony of it. A place meant for parentless children to grow, a place that looked like it had been abandoned even by God.

Then, Eren turned to him, grinning, and a hurried "C'mon" before Levi was dragged inside, his briefcase trailing after him. The moment his feet stepped past the entrance, his ears were suddenly bombarded with noise and clamor. Children looked towards them, from the floor, from the sofa placed against the wall, from amongst the toys in the corner.

To Levi's right, a young woman approached, gifting him with a small smile. She introduced herself as Petra Bossard and that she and her husband, Auruo, ran the orphanage.

"If you have any concerns, feel free to approach me at the desk," she turned, brown hair swaying as she pointed to a small table by the side. "I hope you enjoy your stay, sir."

Levi nodded, wondering a bit as to why it was only him that Petra was talking to when he turned and he saw Eren sitting by a child, hidden by stack of building blocks and other toys. He rolled his eyes.

"Levi, meet Mikasa," Eren said when Levi sat—after taking a moment to ensure that the rug was clean. The boy sat behind a girl that seemed about the age of ten, with long black hair and dark almond-shaped eyes. She was clothed in a white dress, a thick red scarf around her neck. The girl, Mikasa, watched him, a bit wary.

"Stop frowning, you're scaring her." Eren softly chided, sea-colored eyes focused on the girl.

Levi resisted the urge to frown even more, opting to sigh and pick up the doll that Mikasa was playing with earlier.

They stayed a while at the orphanage, with Eren badgering Levi to talk to Mikasa. Levi wanted to refuse, because he had never talked to children before and he certainly had never been to an orphanage so he had absolutely no experience on how to converse with children without parents. Eren merely rolled his eyes and reached up to fiddle with Levi's hair.

Levi stared, body tense.

This boy is insane, the thought passing by as the feel of Eren's fingers in his hair ignited unfamiliar— but not unwelcome— warmth in him.

He looked at Eren, the boy simply smiling at him as his fingers continued to play with his hair and Levi did not know if he should swat the boy away or purr in delight. Horrifyingly, he realized he wanted to do the latter.

When small hands tapped his cheek, Levi looked down to see Mikasa staring at him, the light reflecting off her brown eyes.

Unsure, he ventured out a "Yes, Mikasa?"

The girl stared at him, face drawn into her scarf before she replied with a quiet, "Play with hair?"

If someone were to ask Levi a few hours ago if he could imagine himself in an orphanage with a boy he barely knew while a child asked to play with his hair, Levi would have frowned before turning away, muttering an "Idiot" in the process.

Right now, though, Levi wasn't sure about what he was doing but when he nodded and he felt Mikasa grasp a tendril of his hair and a small laugh leaving her lips, he felt that he was doing something right.

More importantly, he felt like he had done something right for the first time in his entire life.

As the day went on, Levi soon realized that following Eren around meant greeting surprise with surprise as his routine was left in shambles.

Things Levi thought he would have never done, Eren made him do. From skipping his work to visiting an orphanage to helping an old lady cross the street and to eating lunch at the park, Levi's structured day was being disassembled. He wanted to stop, wanted to return to that familiarity but the smile on Eren's face when he did one of those things made Levi feel like he was doing something important.

Like when he had bought a cone of ice cream for a child who did not have enough money or when he had given away the sandwich he failed to eat to an old man rummaging a trash bin in an alley.

Things like that, Levi normally didn't do, and what wasn't normal was breaching the walls of his secure life. Yet, when Eren smiles, when Eren laughs, when those sea-colored eyes look at him with something warm, something fond, Levi realized that he didn't mind having his life being dismantled.

And as Levi pushed forward to walk by the boy's side, his index finger taking hold of Eren's, he could admit, to himself at least, that he didn't mind the boy dismantling it.

It was nine-thirty in the evening when Levi and Eren turned to a familiar street, fingers still locked. The single lamp post by the side had given Eren a sort of ethereal glow, his eyes glistening as Levi turned to him.

Today had been the most unusual day of his life, but Levi found it hard to care about that right now. Despite his routine being thrown out the window the moment Eren stepped into his life, Levi realized that he had never felt this content before.

The thought also popped into his head that he had never felt this content with someone before.

He hardly knew the boy, but Levi felt like Eren had been there—in his life—all this time.

"D—did, uh…" An unsure, timid voice broke Levi out of his reverie, eyes taking in the worried expression on Eren's face.

He raised a brow in question.

Eren smiled, though it seemed shaky. "Did you have fun today?"

Levi pursed his lips, looking up at the stars as the two continued down the empty road. Beside him, Eren fidgeted his other hand running up and down his left arm. Levi decided to put the boy out of his misery and answered.

"It was weird, but yes, I enjoyed today."

Looking back at the relieved smile Eren gave him, Levi then noticed that he had smiled in response as well.

Turning away to rid the smile off his face, Levi spoke. "It's getting late, Eren. Where do you live?"

The boy stopped in his tracks, his hand falling limp at his side. Levi halted, sending a questioning glance towards Eren.

The boy shrugged, "I don't have a home."

Levi frowned. "So, where do you sleep?"

Eren looked down, following the lines on the pavement. He did not reply, eyes not meeting Levi's.

He had not meant to do it, had not even thought of doing it when Levi suddenly pulled Eren as he walked on, muttering a "You're going with me" along the way.

As Levi pondered on whether or not he was sane for inviting a complete stranger into his home, Eren jogged up next to him and interlocked their hands, smiling brightly once more.

Looking up at a happy, smiling Eren, Levi accepted the fact that he was off his rocker and he would just have to live with it.

When they got to his home, Levi pushed a shirt that was two sizes larger than him that he bought by accident and a pair of boxers into Eren's hands and directed him to the bathroom, the words "bath or no bed" spoken. Eren laughed before nodding.

By the time Eren had finished, Levi was already under the covers. The boy shuffled into the room, eyes confused. "Uh, where do I sleep?"

Levi pointed to the empty side of the bed. Eren looked towards it, then back to Levi.

"Are you sure?"

No, but it's not like I have a choice ran through his mind but Levi simply nodded, ignoring the steady warmth in him as the boy climbed into the bed.

Turning the lamp off, the room was set into darkness as Levi tried to sleep, all the while ignoring the press of Eren's body against his side and the warmth burning in him.

As his eyes began to droop and his breathing evening out, Levi heard Eren whisper.

"If you only had twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?"

Levi sighed as his mind awakened a bit to think the question over. The whole day, Eren had been asking the same question from time-to-time. When he had said goodbye to Mikasa, when he had stopped to enter an art shop, and now, when he was about to fall asleep.

Levi could have chosen to ignore him and feigned sleep, but he felt that it was important to answer this, to really think this over and answer it.

"To be honest, Eren, I really don't know."

And he was sincere in that, because if Levi was given only twenty-four hours to live out his life, he would have no idea what to do because twenty-four hours was too short to do all the things he wanted to do in his life.

Beside him, Eren pressed closer, hands taking hold of Levi's. He felt the boy's breath on his cheek as Eren closed in.

"That's okay, you know—not knowing what to do. What matters is that, if ever you are going to do something, it should make you happy."

Levi cocked his head to the side, staring into sea-colored eyes, dimmed but still glowing in the darkness.

"You can do a lot in twenty-four hours, Levi. You could become a father for a lonely child, or a painter rediscovering his craft. You could eat all the kinds of food you want, or save a life. You can give your heart without keeping track of who would do you same, or write letters to every friend you had in the world."

As Eren spoke, words quiet and tender, Levi felt the warmth in him, in his chest grow into something indescribable. It left him feeling helpless but content, scared yet safe and Levi couldn't even bring himself to resist taking hold of the boy, pulling him closer, as if to lock him in his embrace.

"What matters most is that you're happy, that you do not regret the things you have done. So, that, when the times comes that you can no longer do those things, you leave without looking back."

Levi leaned in, taking to heart and mind the boy's words. He raised his hand, thumb lightly grazing Eren's cheek as the younger continued on.

"Yeah, twenty-four hours seem short, but if you do things right, it's enough."

Levi chuckled sleepily, wondered if he had ever done anything in his life that made him feel he was doing something right but then he remembered today and how it was with the boy.

"What about you, Eren? What would you do? If you only had twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?"

Eren smiled, leaning in just a sliver to place his lips over Levi's. He responded, breathing in the fragrance of vanilla and something that was wholly Eren, feeling the warmth inside him burst into flames.

As they pulled away, the tender feeling in Levi's chest welcoming him to sleep, Eren's answer was simple.

"I'd never leave your side."

The sunlight was creeping in from the spaces between the blinds when he awoke, hazy eyes blinking away the last vestiges of slumber. The room was silent, cold and empty, mirroring the occupant's own inner turmoil. Beyond the four walls of the bedroom, the outside world lived: a bustle of civilization just outside the door. However, for now, the noise was a muffled hum in the quiet of the room.

Levi looked to his side, cool eyes taking in the sight of rumpled sheets and traces of someone's presence beside him before his awakening. His hand reached out, fingers tracing the ridges and hollows left behind, feeling lingering warmth underneath his touch.

The corner of his lips rose in a cruel smirk, his hand twisting the sheets tight. A scratching noise, like paper crumpled, pulled his attention from the sheets and the warmth and up to the pillow beside his. Pushing it aside, dark blue eyes found a folded piece of paper.

Taking it with hands that—and he would certainly deny later—were trembling just a little bit, Levi unfolded the note, noticing the inelegant rip at the side, as if the writer was in quite a hurry.

Perhaps, he was. He mused grimly.

Brows furrowed and he felt a familiar tightness in his chest as his eyes bored through the note.

"Brat," whispered Levi, mouth twisted in a pained grimace. He let the note fall through his fingers, the penciled words rearing back at him amidst the pale sheets.

If you had only twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?

When he felt a weight on his lap, Levi lowered the book he was reading and tufts of black hair met his gaze. Smiling softly, he raised hand and combed his fingers through the locks, curling around Mikasa's sleeping face.

She was in her pyjamas, her favorite red scarf wrapped around her neck as she continued to doze on Levi's—no, on her father's lap.

He still couldn't believe that he had done it, that he had gone off to the orphanage to take in this lonely girl into an equally lonely man's life.

As he continued to pet her hair, his eyes spied a piece of paper on the coffee-table, taking in the inelegant rip at the side. Levi smirked. Even when he was gone, Eren still managed to make him do something he thought he would have never done.

Not that Eren was really gone or anything like that.

I'll never leave your side.

And as Levi tried recalling the conversation he and Mikasa had the day he took her in, the same day Eren had disappeared, he swore he just heard the boy laugh.

"Why are you sad?" She asked, words slightly muffled by the red scarf. The wind picked up, mussing her hair. She reached up with a small hand and tried to pet it back to normal.

Levi turned away from stowing her bags into the taxi's compartment, an eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Why are you sad?" She asked again, eyes a bit downcast. "You don't want me?"

Levi stopped, surprised for a moment, before kneeling down, face-to-face with the ten-year old. "No, no, of course I want you. I'm just sad because I miss someone."

When they had finished, Levi opened the passenger's door and ushered Mikasa in, closing it after him. As the taxi drove towards his house, Mikasa turned to him.

"Who do you miss?"

Levi smiled, ignoring the painful throb in his chest. "His name was Eren. You remember him, he was there when I first met you at the orphanage."

As he turned away, he almost did not catch his daughter's reply, but when the words sunk in, he froze.

"But you were the only one who was there."