We're Not Going Anywhere

by orphan_account

Summary:

Erwin comes home from shopping. Levi and Armin are ready for cuddles and story time.

Notes:

A gift for my dear tumblr friend, danchoupls. Merry Christmas, friend! Thank you for always being so kind!

Frigid air hit the tall blonde at full force as he vacated the tea shop, countless bags hanging from strong arms as long legs carried him quickly to his next destination. His car. Finally, now that all the shopping was complete, he could head back home to his two little loves, bundling to them closely on the couch to keep each other warm. Armin, their toddler of only three years, would be begging his Papa to read him a story. After bribes of kisses and cuddles, and of course payment, Levi would comply without complaint. Erwin would be watching the two with a soft smile on his face, listening to his husband's voice soothe their son into a peaceful sleep as he wrapped a blanket around the three of them.

He was smiling to himself now, of course, at the very thought of getting home and seeing them again. He had only been gone a few hours, but since he worked from home now, every hour felt more like an eternity away from them. He was so used to seeing his son every moment of the day, always having the little boy in his office as he worked. His tiny voice, the soft patter of his feet, his body cradled in his lap. Armin was ever-present, and Erwin liked to keep it that way.

God forbid when the boy started school.

Winter had been particularly rough this year, unkind to many in the form of power outages caused by snow storms. Road closures and a rise in wrecks due to heavy snow fall and icy pavement. Really, Erwin shouldn't be out right now. The sky was turning orange as the sun began to set, and he had promised a very adamant Levi that he wouldn't leave the house unless absolutely necessary. But wasn't Christmas absolutely necessary?

Levi didn't think so.

Erwin and Armin disagreed.

Driving even slower and more careful than usual, Erwin made it home without a hitch, grinning when he glimpsed blonde hair and blue eyes staring at him, waiting for him, in the window. The teeny figure was gone in seconds, but Erwin knew right where he had gone. After he had parked and was climbing out the car, the door opened to reveal a much shorter man with raven hair and shining silver eyes, scowling at him in a way that Erwin only ever saw as loving. In his arms, Armin was practically bouncing on his hip, reaching for his daddy with small, chubby hands.

They just get more and more beautiful every time I see them, he thought to himself, neglecting the bags in the trunk momentarily to greet his loves.

Levi quirked a brow at his husband, his frown deepening. "Don't tell me you spent all that time out, left me here worried sick, just to come back empty handed?" he grumbled as Armin continued to lean for Erwin as if he were being magnetized to him, but there was a teasing lilt to his tone.

Erwin smirked as he happily brought his squirming son into his arms, cuddling him close to his chest and kissing his cheek. "So you were worried about me?" the taller chuckled, dodging a punch to his arm.

"Of course I was worried, you damn idiot. Now get inside, it's fucking freezing." the shorter tsked as he ushered them in, sighing as his eyes found the little boy's again. "I didn't miss you nearly as much as that little scrump. He was basically glued to the window."

The little one giggled and cuddled further into Erwin's warm embrace. "I missed you, daddy. Papa said you would only be gone for a minute, but it was lots of minutes."

Erwin's bright blue eyes widened comically with a small gasp. "Lots of minutes? How many?"

Armin huffed and looked at the clock, deep in thought. After a moment, he pulled back and opened his arms widely, a dimpled grin painting his chubby cheeks. "This many!" he decreed, giggling when his daddy's eyes widened even more.

"Woah! That is lots of minutes!" The blonde laughed, attacking their little son's cheeks in tiny kisses, reveling in the giggles it elicited. "Can I have just a little more minutes to get the bags in?"

Armin thought hard for another moment, unable to keep his lips from pouting. "Just a little more minutes." he finally nodded, and reached out for Levi, who was already taking him back.

"You know, scrump. You've got two good legs that you can stand on." Levi mumbled as Erwin went to get the bags and brought them to his secret Christmas hiding spot, but he didn't seem like he was planning to set the boy down.

Armin tilted his head in confusion, face scrunched and brows furrowing deeply. "But, Papa. If I stand, how will you hold me?"

Levi snorted at that, and planted a kiss in long golden hair. "Right, right. That wouldn't make much sense at all, would it? My mistake." He chuckled lowly, shaking his head as Armin yawned and leaned against his Papa's shoulder. "You're something else, scrump. Just like your Daddy."

Once all the gifts were sorted and stored away, Erwin reentered to see Levi already on the couch with Armin, blanket at the ready, book in hand. Armin was practically half asleep in Papa's lap when Daddy finally came to sit down, but that didn't defer him from his need for story time.

"Papa, book." Armin begged weakly, forcing the words out through a heavy yawn that made his tiny body tremble. Though the heat was on and blowing full blast, the three were still shivering at the chill that still seemed to find its way into their home. "Boooook."

Levi couldn't hide the smile tugging at the corners of his lips, try as he might. "I've yet to receive payment, little scrump. You've still gotta hold up your end of the deal too." he muttered into Armin's ear, but his eyes never left Erwin as the chuckling man sat beside them and wrapped them all up in the blanket. With another yawn, the little boy peeked his slightly disheveled blonde head from where he was nuzzling against Papa's neck, and gave the demanding man a big kiss on the cheek with a sleepy "Mmmmwah!"

The raven couldn't contain the soft laughter that bubbled from his grinning lips, kissed the top of his son's head in thanks, and began where they left off in their usual story time book about the ocean. It took only seconds for the sleepy son to fall unconscious, a soft smile gracing his face as little snores slipped passed his pink lips, his ear pressed to Levi's chest to hear the steady pounding of his heart and the rumble of his deep voice.

It was just as Erwin pictured on his ride home. Bundled together, warm together. Happy together. Though Erwin wasn't sure why, it was always moments like these that made his eyes well with silent tears. If Levi didn't notice, that was fine. If Levi did notice, he didn't let on that he did. He only carried on with the moment until his own eyes grew heavy, and his husband decided it was time for bed.

"Thank you." Erwin found himself whispering aloud, one arm slung across the back of the couch, while the other held their son to the smaller man's chest so he could hold the book. His face heated up when Levi looked up with a questioning gaze, brows furrowed quizzically, but Erwin only shook his head.

Levi closed and set the book aside, careful not to disturb the toddler cradled in his arms as he turned to the other fully. "What is it, mon cher?"

The blonde only shook his head again, a warm smile pulling at his lips as he leaned forward to press a loving kiss to his beloved's. When he pulled away, chuckling at the soft pink flush on his cheeks, his bright sapphire irises met with stormy greys and his grin grew. "I'm just so grateful. For you and Armin. For our home. Our life. I just don't know what'd I'd do without you both. What'd I be."

The slight upturn to Levi's lips before he leaned up to kiss the sentimental man again was enough for Erwin. But of course, as always, Levi gave him more reassurance than he could ever ask for. "You don't have to worry about that."

More love than he deserved.

"We're not going anywhere."

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of I'm Not Going Anywhere