Family

Chapter One; Waiting

"Their back! The expedition is back!" Eren shouted, nearly toppling off the wooden crate he had been standing on.

His best friends, Armin and Mikasa, steadied him.

"Careful, Eren, or what would Levi say? Manage to escape this whole two weeks unscathed then you fall off a box on the day of his return?" Armin chided.

"Knowing your luck, you'd break your arm or something." Mikasa said with a smile.

"Oh, shut up. Both of you. Just help me watch!" Eren muttered, standing on the tips of his toes in effort to see over the crowds of people.

Slowly, Wall Maria started to creak open, and the battered soldiers came through.

All were battered and bloody; some with casted limbs, some with bloodstained bindings, some with bandages binding half of their faces. It wasn't a pretty sight.

But Eren had seen this every year of his short, twelve-year-old life. Every year, his father left on an expedition with the Survey Corps, sometimes twice a year, once even three times. And every year, Eren awaited his return with the Ackerman's or the Arlert's, though most of the time he simply stayed at the Headquarters, with the members of the Survey Corps who had stayed behind.

Though, he still saw Mikasa and Armin every day. And almost every day they got into some sort of mischief. Or maybe they'd swim in the lake, or play in the forests, or swing from the trees. Perhaps they'd play in town, where the merchants knew them and often gave them samples of the food they sold. Maybe they'd check out books from the library, or trying to catch small animals.

Sunday's were spent cleaning up and gathering firewood. During Fall and Winter, Monday through Friday's there was school, taught by Armin's father.

But now it was summer, and Levi's expedition was returning.

Scanning the crowd, Eren's heart raced, like it did every time Levi came back. What if Levi was one of the wounded, being carried back by comrades? What if he was one of the bodies in the back of the wagon, wrapped in bloodstained cloth? What if-

Eren shook his head, like he was trying to shake off cobwebs, shoving the horrible images and thoughts from his mind. His father was strong. The strongest of them all. He would come back, just like he promised.

"Eren, look! Isn't that Petra?" Armin exclaimed, tugging Eren in the direction he was pointing at.

Seeing the familiar light ginger hair and amber-coloured eyes, Eren leapt off the crate and wove his way towards her.

Finding her talking to her father, her only serious injury a shallow, jagged cut along her temple, Eren threw his arms around her in a hug.

Petra laughed and patted his head.

"Hey, kiddo! Miss me?" She asked.

Eren rolled his eyes, relief flooding him that one of the people who had helped raise him was well. But his mind was still on his father.

"Of course I did! How are Oluo and Eld? And how is-"

Petra cut him off with a smile. "Oh, say no more. Eld is fine, Oluo bit his tounge-again-and your dad's bringing up the rear." Seeing Eren's hesitation, Petra gave him a gentle push in the direction of the rear of the group, which was still coming through the gate. "Hey, we'll see ya at the Headquarters, okay? Just go on and find Levi."

Giving her a grateful smile, Eren darted through the crowd to the back, searching for the familiar black hair and steel eyes that he knew so well...

Finally, Eren spotted him, the very last one coming slowly through the gate.

Not hesitating, Eren nearly tackled Levi with the force he barreled into him at. Throwing his arms around his father's neck like he had done when he was very small, Eren let out an excited, "Dad!"

Levi staggered backwards a step, but he regained his balance and wrapped an arm around Eren, who was nearly as tall as Levi's shoulders was now.

"Hey, Eren. Manage to get by without me okay?" Levi said, a half smile creeping across his normally expressionless face.

Eren grinned, relief flooding him and erasing all worry he had felt.

"Don't look so relieved. I promised I'd come back, didn't I?" Levi said softly.

"I know, I know, but still- hey! What's wrong?" Eren asked, noting Levi's wince.

Levi brushed the comment away easily.

"Nothing, Eren. Knocked my shoulder out of place, that's all. Nothing major."

"You need to get it looked at." Eren said, frowning.

"Eren, it just needs to be popped back into place." Levi said, carefully shifting his arm-which was in a sling, holding it in place- underneath his cloak.

"Someday, Dad, I'm going to join the Survey Corps. That way I can be as strong as you. You won't have to protect me anymore." Eren said seriously.

Levi stumbled, so shocked that he didn't even wince when his arm was jarred out of place again.

Using his good arm, he stopped Eren in his tracks, gripping the twelve-year-old's shoulder so tightly his knuckles were snowy white.

"Eren, don't you ever say that again. You will never, ever join the military, Survey Corps or not." Levi said, eyes flashing with a horrified anger.

"But Dad, I want to be a soldier! Just like you, and Petra, and Oluo, and Gunther, and-"

"Eren, you will not be a soldier for as long as I'm still breathing. Come on, we're going home." Levi said in a tone that made it clear the discussion was closed, never releasing his grip his grip on Eren's shoulder as he steered the confused boy in the direction of the Survey Corps Headquarters.