AN: There's a bit of time jumping in this, across the span of a few months, cause this was going to get bogged down and drawn out if I was trying to write all this in detail, cause it was just a lot of general stuff, really slow plot, it wouldn't have worked well. So we're jumping across the span of 7 ish months, and the next chapter is going to be around the 9 month point.

Warnings: Language, Blood, Gore, Violence, Death, Brutal Death, Major Injury, some Angst, Mentions of Sexual Acts, Heavily Implied Sexual Acts. But also Domestic Fluff and Dad!Levi :D

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(Four Months Later)

*Reader's POV*

You could have started small. There were a thousand ways you could start trying to make things work with Levi. But the first thing you did was try to force yourself not to hold the children hostage from him. They were his children, too, and from what you could see, he loved them. It wasn't fair to him–cruel, even–that you kept the twins just out of his reach or sight more often than not, or you'd leave the room with them before he could even ask to hold them.

You needed to let him try to be a father.

You still didn't want him in your space, so if he asked to come in to do something, it was an automatic no. You still needed boundaries, and that was your safe space, and he was going to stay out of it.

But when you left your room, you stayed conscious of natural excuses to let him hold the twins. Maybe one of them needed changed. You would ask him to feed one while you fed the other. He seemed to be strangely pleased if he was asked to give them baths, which at first was just a gentle sponge bath in a special seat. If your arms got tired or the wrap started to sit uncomfortably, you would pass them off to him to hold for a while.

Once he realized you were giving him opportunities to hold the twins, Levi stopped any and all pushing to be allowed around them, because you were giving him that time. The most he ever did was offer help if you were struggling and hadn't yet thought to ask him for help. Most of the time, you felt you had things pretty well handled. But sometimes you were at the end of your rope and unable to figure out what it was that the twins wanted. It was in those moments Levi tended to approach, stoically asking if he could try figuring out what they wanted. Most of the time, they tended to calm down after a few minutes with him.

Which began to convince you that the twins just wanted time with their father. And you weren't going to deny your twins that if it was what they wanted, as well.

So, gradually, over the first few months, you relaxed your grip, let Levi be with his children, let him wander the house with them, out of your sight. He would take them both when you sat down to eat so you could have a peaceful dinner, or he would just take them for an hour or so just to be with them, usually reappearing when they were hungry or tired. If they were tired and were going to do more than nap, he would bring them back to you so you could put them in their cribs in your room. The cribs in his bedroom were still, at this point, unused.

By now, though, you were starting to trust him with the twins. You'd seen him change around them, seen a bit of that indifferent exterior crack to reveal a surprisingly soft individual underneath. You'd seen how gently and carefully he gave them their baths, how patiently he endured it if they were trying to gum his fingers, hair, or clothes–and how he discreetly washed his hands or changed his clothes afterwards, or how quick he was to keep dangerous objects out of their mouths

Just because you saw how he was with the twins didn't mean everything between the two of you was magically fixed, though. There was still tension between the two of you, though you were trying not to treat him like he was liable to go on a rampage and hurt you or the twins anymore.

Frankly, you were trying to pin down where that feeling came from in the first place. Levi was a lot of things, but he'd never raised a hand to you, the twins–you'd never seen him physically threaten anyone. You didn't want to admit it, but this concept that he was out to hurt you seemed to develop around the time you found out he was a demon. Which meant it was probably entirely rooted in the fact he was a demon, which made you one hell of a hypocrite since your children were half-demon and would one day be full-demon, yet you held nothing against them and didn't fear any possible innate malice in them.

The duplicity made you hope maybe it was just rooted in how Levi had hurt you in the past in non-physical ways, and a fear with the reveal he was a demon and all those harsh words and suggestions that he didn't give a damn about you meant he might one day escalate to physical violence.

But again, he didn't show any signs. It was just the fear you harbored in your mind, and he knew the fear was there. He didn't complain, though. He seemed to quietly accept and endure it. He didn't react when you wouldn't let him touch you, or you flinched away if the two of you accidentally came into contact. He never forced his presence upon you, and for the most part, made himself scarce and let you have your space. But as much as that made you feel relieved, allowed some of the tension to drain out of your body...it also made you feel alone, in this giant strange house that wasn't yours.

That, oddly enough, was the next thing that you started to work on. And it was from the stupidest whim, too, that you started to warm up to the house and finally, finally accept Levi's statement that the house was yours to do with as you wished.

The floor could be cold on your bare feet when you walked around the house, wood or stone, and one day when you found yourself reluctant to get off the couch because you were warm curled up with your feet on the cushions but the floor below was freezing in comparison, you'd wondered if any of those catalogs Levi kept updated in the bookshelf had rugs in them.

You went through the pile–new catalogs having replaced the ones that had been there when he'd initially showed them to you–and picked out the ones that looked like they might have some nice rugs in them. You ignored the prices, just to test how far this offer actually went, and simply sought out one you liked best, marking the page and circling the item like Levi had told you to, placing the catalog in the other basket tentatively and then scurrying away.

The next day, you'd realized the catalog was back in the stack. Not too much longer and the ordered rug was delivered, and after the basic questions had been asked by Levi, it was rolled out and covering the floor in front of and at the base of the sectional couch in the living room.

No complaints, no questioning if that was what you wanted, nor even any passing comments suggesting it didn't match the rest of the room. Levi bought it and placed it for you without hesitation and the only question being where you wanted it and how it was supposed to lay.

Now that you knew he was actually going to follow through, you picked up a bit more confidence and went to the bookshelf a bit more frequently. Browsing the catalogs became a pastime, at least for a little while, as you slowly redecorated the downstairs half of the house into something more to your taste. At first it was just little things–curtains, rugs, a bigger coat and shoe rack by the door, a few plants, little things like that. After that, you got things like baby clothes–the twins were growing, and from the advice you'd managed to scrounge up, you knew that they would burn through clothes like gasoline in a poor mileage vehicle. Toys made an appearance, and soon decorations and little knick-knacks that caught your eye that you really didn't need, it was more of a want. He didn't complain about those, but you /swore/ you felt a /look/ on occasion when the two of you happened to be in the living room at the same time when he came by to check the catalogs. You were even considering trying to liven up the outside of the house as well–the ivy that had grown over the stone could be pretty if the yard was decorated a bit more–that way it would look decorative instead of abandoned.

Of course, you weren't the best with plants, but it would give you something to do besides take care of the kids and lounge around all day.

That one thing ended up being the topic Levi pushed you on. Not giving the twins to him to take care of every now and then, not making the place your own, it was getting out of the house that not even his blatant 'hints' could put a stop to. You hadn't found a part time job, and you'd only browsed a few things you could be doing on whims, never committing to anything, and if something really caught your eye, you ended up finding a way to do that at home.

It wasn't healthy. You were probably going to go stir crazy if you didn't have something to get out of the house soon, but you were afraid to leave. Maybe you trusted Levi to handle the twins when you were around, but there was something so much more real about leaving them in his care when you left the house. Any time you thought about leaving with him to take care of them, something in you seized up with panic, and you quickly backed out.

Until, apparently, Levi had enough.

Four months old–he waited until the twins were four months old to give you the chance to get your life back in gear before he took matters into his own hands.

Levi making breakfast had become habit by now, and he was catching on to the things you liked and what you left untouched if he made it. He still put variety into breakfast, but it was more personalized to your tastes now. In fact, you had the sneaking suspicion he actually enjoyed this, enjoyed practicing his cooking skills and getting the chance to make at least the first meal of the day, even if he didn't eat and the twins were still only drinking pumped breast milk.

He waited until you were halfway through your meal before he ambushed you, dropping what at first glance appeared to be a business card and a credit card on the counter beside you.

Holy shit, that was a fabled black card.

You stared at the credit card like it might bite you, brain crashing as you tried to figure out why he would throw something like /that/ at you. How loaded was he? Who did he have to kill to have that kind of money?

"Never seen a credit card before?" Levi asked flatly. You were starting to understand that was just the way he talked, and he didn't mean anything by his brisk way of speaking–it was just the way he was. If he was trying to intentionally make a jab at you or piss you off, you would know.

"Not a shiny black one, no."

Levi gave a soft, irritated sigh and pushed the card out of the way with his fingers, bringing the business card back into focus. As opposed to the sleek black card, this was simple cream cardstock, with curly, almost cursive letters spelling out what was clearly a business name. You picked up the card, arching an eyebrow at the name printed across the surface and staring at Levi.

"Rose's Touch Spa?"

What was that supposed to mean to you?

"Turn it over," he said with an exasperated sigh that you couldn't even figure out what it was on your own. You did, in fact, turn it over, and on the other side was a simple list of appointment information filled out by hand. The date was written in light pink for today, in about two hours, a Platinum package for one already paid for.

Slightly alarmed, you looked up at him. "Uh, what is–"

"It's been four months," Levi said, cutting you off before you could question or decline, his voice firm and leaving no room for argument. "You haven't left since you got here, not even for a jog. That package is a full treatment, right down to all the amenities. Take the day. Relax. Do whatever else you want, as long as it's not here."

"But the twins–"

"Will be fine here with me for one day until you get back. You're not getting out on your own, so I took some initiative. It's not up for debate, you're going," Levi said flatly.

"You know I hate it when you make decisions for me," you said hotly, but Levi didn't rise to the bait, calmly pouring himself some more tea–the two of you were having breakfast alone while the twins slept after their morning meal, grabbing a rare quiet moment, so it was just the two of you in the room having this conversation.

"I left it to you for four months. You didn't do shit. It's not healthy, and I'm stepping in," Levi said bluntly. You chewed nervously on your bottom lip, mind suddenly buzzing with all kinds of things that could go wrong while you were gone, and that persistent, underlying, general sense of fear that wouldn't leave you alone when Levi was involved. "If you're that worried, you have a phone for a reason," Levi added at your nervous disposition. However, he didn't seem to be anywhere near changing his mind on the subject. In fact, he was starting to clean up as if everything was already finished.

"They'll treat you as a VIP, so you won't have to wait very long once you get there. You can probably leave thirty minutes before and get there with plenty of time," he said casually, water running as he started scrubbing at the dishes.

You were quiet for several long moments, the only sound Levi cleaning up what remained of the morning breakfast mess. "I don't want to leave the twins," you eventually said in a soft, barely audible voice. Levi paused, appearing to consider your words for several long minutes.

"Your life didn't stop because you had the babies. If it has, it's of your own doing. Nothing's stopping you. Nothing will happen to them while you're gone. They'll still be here when you come back. I promise."

He didn't look at you while he said it, but there was a sincerity in his words that made you believe you could at least attempt it today. It would do you some good to get out of the house, and to get a full package at a spa, and then do whatever you wanted with no limit to your spending...

It didn't look like much when it was just two cards on the counter, but he was really pushing to give you a day to yourself, a bit of freedom and fresh air. Maybe you wanted to see ulterior motives in it and that was what made you scared, but you really needed to stop doing just that. If you kept looking for problems everywhere, you'd find them, usually of your own making. And one of his biggest complaints had been you twisting his words.

You were going to give him this chance, and if nothing bad happened...maybe you could stand to trust him a little more.

"Fine..." you murmured softly, taking both cards and tucking them away for later. "You're not going to be busy today?"

"I don't have to be anywhere until Saturday."

Right. One upside of being around all the time was that you were becoming quite familiar with Levi's schedule. He always went out on Saturday nights like clockwork, and always came back wanting to see the twins. Every now and then, he didn't walk through the door like a normal person–he'd come from upstairs like he'd been home the whole time, which left you wondering how he got inside in the first place. Another demon thing, maybe. Usually when that happened, he was a little worse for wear and kept more covered up than usual, which only made you more suspicious about what was happening when he went out on Saturdays.

Then, of course, there were those hours he spent locked in the tower doing God knew what. You hadn't snooped around to try and find out, and you'd told yourself you didn't want to know, but with how frequent it was, you were starting to wonder.

Thanks to the twins and their knack for waking you up at odd hours with their crying–and if one started, the other was grunted to join in–you'd also found out Levi didn't seem to sleep much, as you could hear him moving around the house at all hours of the night. And in the early mornings, when the sun was just starting to rise, he tended to go out for a jog. And Tuesdays were his cleaning day where he made sure the whole damn house was spotless.

So, you'd asked if it was all right with him because you didn't know if he planned on locking himself in the library again, today.

Well, apparently not, since he'd scheduled this appointment with the intent to get you out of the house all day. Which meant you had no excuse. The twins were going to be with their father today, and you were going to get out of the house for the first time in months.

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You hadn't realized how much you actually needed this say to yourself, no strings attached, until you were right in the middle of it. When Levi had said he got you the full package, he hadn't been kidding. An hour long massage, manicure, pedicure, haircut however you wanted it, facial, the works. By the time you left, you almost felt like an entirely new person, and you realized you were suddenly faced with an entire town of things you could do.

Food was first, with you going to your favorite restaurant to get whatever you wanted–except alcohol, since you were driving yourself around. After that, you went to the nearest mall and browsed, ogling the puppies in one of the shop windows and buying yourself a nice sun dress to go with your new makeover. Strolling around downtown opened a few doors you hadn't been expecting, as you caught sight of one or two advertised classes or workshops that caught your interest, Levi's suggestion that you pick up a once a week hobby that got you out of the house regularly flashing through your mind. You finished up your night with a movie, the sun having set long ago by the time you left, and a longing to get back to the twins now firmly rooted in your chest.

You'd decide if you were going to commit to a weekly class later after some online research and contemplation at home.

It was strange having a home with a driveway and a large stone gate, how you had to park and get our of the car to open the gate before you could drive inside, and having to get out again to close it behind you. You felt like you were driving up to some ancient, off limits castle instead of somewhere you were living.

I really need to liven this place up, you thought as your gaze flickered across the plain front lawn, driving the car up to where it usually stayed when it wasn't being used and putting it in park. You gathered your things and, mindful that it was an hour that the twins should be asleep, you quietly entered the house.

It was completely silent inside, which put you on edge as much as it helped relax you a bit not to be greeted with chaos. But Levi didn't appear to see who entered the house or show you the twins were fine, either.

As you set your bags by the door, you were fighting off fearful thoughts, things like Levi making off with the twins while you were gone. So as soon as you were free from the things you needed to carry inside, you started searching, going straight up to the bedrooms and peeking your head inside to confirm that the twins weren't in the cribs in either room. You went up to the library next to see if the door was locked and Levi was inside, but it was empty. At that point, you were starting to panic, hurrying downstairs in a rush to check the kitchen to see if Levi was feeding them in there–he wasn't. You were basically running when you checked the living room, and promptly came to a full halt at the scene inside.

Two bare feet sticking out from behind the couch caused you to hurry forward enough you could see what was on the other side. The floor blanket playmat thing you'd bought a while back for the babies was spread out and plush on the floor, on top of the carpet for extra cushion. Both babies were lying on their backs asleep, one of the baby blankets thrown over them to keep them warm and a few baby toys lying on the ground around them, like a rattle or a few stuffed animals. Beside them, lying on his side with one arm draped protectively over them, was Levi, asleep for once as you'd rarely seen him do. You weren't sure he intended to fall asleep here, but he'd definitely planned on being here for a while based on the pillow he had under the elbow of his other arm, which might have been propping up his head before he fell asleep.

Frankly, you were surprised that none of them had woken up with all your running about. And...you were a little glad, too, because now you got to see this scene.

You lingered, deciding against waking him up for the time being. They all looked so...peaceful right now. The scene was soft and warm, Levi's hair falling gently in front of a face that was suddenly gentle and missing signs of hardness or harsh edges. He looked perfectly comfortable and at peace lying there beside the twins, and you kind of wished he'd stay like this solely because...well, he seemed more approachable like this, at least to you. He looked...sweet, lying there with the twins. Even the twins looked slightly more peaceful than normal when they slept, like they were aware they were being protected while they slept, safe under his arm.

After simply gazing at the scene for several long minutes, you left them alone–at least for now–and retrieved your things by the door to put them away. Almost all of it went to your room, so it was one quick, quiet trip and then you were coming back downstairs. Levi and the twins were still asleep in the living room, but now you didn't have an excuse to delay, and the twins really should have been asleep in their crib. So, quietly, you knelt down beside Levi, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder to wake him up.

He took a sharp breath in as he stiffened, eyelids opening even though his eyes were foggy and darting around to take in his surroundings, leaning slightly back to look at you. Once he realized it was you, he started to relax slightly, rolling his shoulders and starting to sit up.

"It's late. Let's get them in their cribs," you said softly, receiving a grunt from Levi in acknowledgement as he sat up and gently pulled the blanket off of Asa, wrapping Ida up as he gently picked her up, taking care not to wake her in the process. You picked up Asa in the meantime, freezing for a heartbeat when Asa twitched and you thought he might wake up before, thankfully, he settled back down, and you were able to get to your feet without waking him.

This was one of the few times you would let Levi into your room, just for the few moments it took for him to safely put one of the twins in the crib. He made sure they were covered and warm, lying on their back without anything in the way before he backed up to the doorway, leaning on the frame just outside your bedroom.

"How was the spa?" he asked you as he watched you situate Asa in his crib, watching the twins for a few moments just to make sure they really were going to fall asleep.

"Very nice," you said honestly, a little part of you in the back of your mind grateful that the two of you had at least gotten to the point you could have simple conversation. "I even rescheduled...a month out."

Levi's gaze wandered to the sun dress you had laying on the bed. "And had a shopping spree afterwards?"

You shrugged, stepping away from the cribs and making your way towards the doorway. Levi stepped out of your way and let you walk by, closing the door behind you before he followed you back down the stairs to the living room.

"Not really. I browsed a few places, but didn't buy much. I had dinner, saw a movie, walked around downtown–just a regular night out," you said simply, starting to pick up the baby toys on the floor. Levi helped, especially since he'd contributed to the mess, folding up the blanket and putting the pillows back up on the couch.

"Will you be going out again? Before next month's appointment?" Levi asked casually, though you were well aware he was hoping this one day out had inspired you to get out of the house more.

"Maybe. I'm looking at some things, I'll let you know," you murmured, playing idly with the stuffed animal in your hand. "What about while I was gone? They weren't too fussy, were they?"

"They seemed fairly content. I think they were looking for their mother sometimes, though," Levi said honestly. You appreciated the honesty. As much as it tasted bittersweet that they'd missed you, you also appreciated that he didn't try to claim they'd been perfectly happy without you, with just him to keep them company. At least he hadn't made it sound like they didn't need you. "You look different."

You turned to look at him, stuffed animals in your arms with your hand wrapped around the baby rattle. "You booked the full package, didn't you? It was practically a full makeover." You shifted, suddenly a little self-conscious, though you couldn't for the life of you figure out why. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Never said it was."

An awkward silence lingered between the two of you for a few moments, what could have been a nice moment spoiled by the tension of the history between the two of you as you turned away. "I've been running around all day. I'm going to head to bed...I'll see you in the morning," you said softly, already leaving the room before you even finished talking.

You were tired, and you wanted to rest, but you also wanted to get out while the conversation was positive, leave things on a good note before the two of you had the chance to spoil it by accident or bringing up things that didn't need brought up.

Let this moment stay a good day, a good memory. Which was exactly what it became when you were able to fall asleep that night without any other incident.

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(One Month Later)

You had slowly grown used to the house, made it your own. There were still a few things that made you reluctant to call it home, namely the continued awkwardness and unease living with Levi, but you were starting to be able to coexist with him, which was the important thing. You had your spots around the house now, places you liked to be. There was your room of course, but now there was also the library, where you liked to go up to the balcony floor to read, and outside, where you were working on some yard work to make the place feel more at home. You were planning on putting outside toys in the back when the twins were old enough–sprinklers on a water hose for the kids to play in, a playhouse, swing sets, that kind of thing. In the front, you were more worried about plant life–flowers, trees, bushes, the like. Maybe put in some rock beds. If you were lucky, maybe you could even convince Levi to let you put in a fountain or two–make the place look nice. You were determined to put in the flowers, bushes, and at least one tree. You still needed to talk to Levi to see if remodeling the front and back lawn was part of his 'make this place yours' statement, but you were drawing up plans for larger alterations while making the smaller ones like the rock beds, bushes, and flowers.

At the moment, however, you were looking for something a bit less laborious than gardening. You just wanted some quiet time in the library while the twins were down for a nap, which meant you were heading up to the tower with the baby monitor on your person, hoping that Levi wasn't currently holed up in there with the door locked, which would have meant your plans were entirely spoiled and you'd have to think of something new.

You paused with your hand hovering over the doorknob, able to hear Levi's voice once again, faintly, from the other side of the door.

Shit, he was in there, which meant the door was probably locked, and you couldn't go in. So much for a bit of reading for your time to yourself.

You started to back away from the door, but paused, that curiosity that you had managed to keep at bay for these past few months cropping up much stronger and more intense than it had been, especially when you knew all you had to do...was press your ear up to the door for a few minutes and listen, just long enough to get context and figure out what might be going on behind that door, combined with what you saw of him afterwards usually–though usually he disappeared to his room or the bathroom directly afterwards unless he was needed.

You really should just walk away. Part of you was afraid to know what was happening behind that door. But at the same time, the curiosity was killing you.

Fuck it. Just get it over with.

Slowly and hesitantly, so you didn't make any noise that might give you away, you gently pressed your ear against the wood, closing your eyes to focus more on what you heard and not get distracted by the grains in the wood or something.

For a few moments, you didn't really...hear anything. Just soft but heavy breathing–well, if you could hear it, it was probably panting. There was the softest grunt, and you heard him speak again.

"There. Right there..." Levi said, his voice sounding a little strained and followed by a low moan.

Wait a second...

You strained you ears to try and catch maybe another voice, a different pitch, but all you could hear was Levi, no one else. Which made you doubt your brief moment of almost realization.

But then you heard a low chuckle that made a tingle go down your spine in an almost conditioned response. "Faster? Impatient today, aren't we?"

Oh yeah, that was definitely what was going on in there. It would explain why the few times you saw him afterwards he looked disheveled and a little sweaty if he didn't get a chance to clean up first. As for the lack of a responding individual...well, either he was rubbing one out for himself, which would suggest a stupidly high sex drive bordering on addiction with how long and often he was up here, or he was performing for an audience that wasn't necessarily here.

Whichever it was, you really didn't want to be listening much longer now that you had a hint about what was going on in there.

Also, if there was an audience, it would explain why he wouldn't want you walking in on that.

You shook your head after pulling away from the door and hurried back down the spiral staircase, trying desperately to erase the image that your mind easily called up with your...extensive experience with Levi what you were now forced to realize was hardly a year ago. A whole year since the wild three months of regular wild sex that had led to the situation you were in now.

And now that you thought about it...he hadn't once touched you since that last night. Not at all. Only accidental brushes or the occasional assistance with the twins, or when he'd carried you into the house that first night here.

You didn't think you hated him anymore, after the past five months with him and the twins. But you still didn't like him. Still, you couldn't help but wonder...what were the two of you? What were you now, and what were you going to be? Was there even a name for whatever this arrangement between the two of you?

Maybe you just needed to wait a little longer and find out what would happen next.

But right now, you really didn't want to be thinking about what he was doing up in that tower. You'd been right the first time, it would have been better if your curiosity remained in check. Now you were going to have to try and avoid thinking about what he was doing up there every time he locked himself in the damn library.

Fuck.

************************************

(Two Months Later)

*Levi's POV*

While domestic life was gradually getting easier between Levi and Y/N, especially with her getting out of the house for glass blowing lessons every week–that hadn't been what he expected her to pick up, but he wasn't going to complain so long as she was getting out every now and then–Levi was mostly focused on the twins, who had been growing rather rapidly. Not abnormally so, just, he hadn't expected them to grow this quickly. Y/N was practically ordering new clothes for them through the catalogues monthly, though he had a feeling she was also trying to get ahead of the growth spurt, buying clothes for one year and older as well and not just the seven months they were currently at.

With both of them not working, considering they were living off the mass of wealth Levi had stolen and accumulated over the centuries and the money he'd made in more modern times doing sex work, they were both there for many of the firsts with the twins.

Two months in, the now calm coexistence with Y/N had still been rough and more tense than anything. But that had also been the time when Levi had entered the same room as Y/N when she was walking the twins around for some sight seeing outside the bedroom. As he rounded the corner and approached, Asa had turned his little head at the sound of Levi's approach and smiled for the first time upon locking eyes with Levi. It had cut him right to the heart–in a good way, and softened his expression immediately, a faint smile flickering across his face as well with the bright look his son was giving him, and one of his firsts, at that.

The first thing Asa smiled at in this world had been him.

Of course, he'd tried to hide it, simply because at that point he was worried about how Y/N would react knowing Levi got the first smile from the twins. Thankfully, Ida smiled at her mother a few days later, which made Levi relax a bit once more with the relief of Y/N getting the same first with Ida, at least. The last thing he'd wanted was her to have another reason to be jealous or upset with him.

Not that he could help it, or would apologize for it.

His son smiled for the first time when he saw him. How could that make him feel bad, besides when he overthought it on his own time worrying about how Y/N perceived him?

While he dodged a bullet with the first smile thing, since it was split between the two of them, the first laugh was singular to him, and him alone, for both twins. Thankfully that had been roughly around the four month mark, and Y/N had been far more tolerant and forgiving of him by then–hell, she'd been willing to let him take care of the twins on his own while she went out for a day to herself. That was progress.

One of the twins he'd made laugh by accident, while the other was definitely on purpose, though he hadn't known it was their first laugh at the time, so he'd felt a little guilty that he'd accidentally made it so he shared more of the firsts with the twins than she did.

Ida had been the first one he made laugh, and it had been entirely by accident. Him and Y/N started to get into a bit of an argument over something petty, as usual, something that didn't matter overall and was mostly fueled by the old wounds between them instead of the matter they were arguing over. The twins happened to be in the room at the time, and in an effort to get the topic to be dropped so the twins wouldn't have to be in the room as it escalated into a full-blown fight, Levi had looked away with his signature, dismissive 'Tch' sound.

That little sound had made Ida giggle and squirm happily while staring at him with a wide smile, which had effectively shut down any argument they'd been having in favor of the fact one of their twins had laughed for the first time. More specifically, she'd laughed at the funny noise her father made, but still she'd laughed, and they'd both heard it.

And frankly, if she was around and he made that little noise, she would giggle at it. It actually made him a little self-conscious of how often he made that noise.

Asa had clearly been the one he'd made laugh on purpose. It had been while he was playing with the little boy, which right now consisted of simply tickles, silly little games, waving interesting objects in their face, that kind of thing. Levi had been tickling his tummy and feet to keep Asa entertained while they laid on the floor, Asa on the play mat and Levi stretched out beside it, and as his hand came in for quick little tickles all across the little boy's tummy and sides. Asa had let out a squeal, legs lifting momentarily into the air and arms pinwheeling beside him and thumping into the ground at the tickles.

And again, Levi smiled in turn, not at that moment realizing it had been Asa's first laugh. That part came later, when he mentioned he'd gotten Asa to squeal-laugh while playing with him and he'd seen the downcast look on Y/N's face. That look had told him she'd missed something before she'd told him that was the first time Asa had laughed, and it had been because of Levi again, while she was out for the night at the glass blowing class she'd decided to give a try.

Again, he felt a little bad that he currently had experienced more of the children's firsts by his own hand than she had, but he wasn't going to let that taint the memories themselves. They were still good, precious memories he was going to hold onto.

Like their first baths–actual baths, not the sponge baths they got for the first few weeks after coming home from the hospital. That had taken some convincing, since that had been when the animosity was still fresh, but with Y/N's supervision, he'd been able to give them their first baths, which he'd insisted on doing. The twins hadn't been sure how to react to the experience, both of them appearing to find it all strange and new, but not yet deciding if it was a good or bad thing. Ida kept trying to grab everything he used to clean her to inspect them, but he kept it firmly out of her reach and stayed focused on very carefully cleaning every part of them so there wasn't a trace of filth or stink on them, leaving their skin smooth and soft since he'd been careful they didn't end up dried out, either. In his opinion, they seemed a bit more active and squirmy afterwards, like they'd been pleased with the clean feeling afterwards despite the alien experience.

He was definitely there when Y/N started to slowly get them eating food instead of just breastmilk. That was still new, since it was usually recommended around the six month mark, which they hadn't passed that long ago. It was strictly baby food right now, no soft melting finger foods yet, just spoon fed baby food, but it was still a graduation from breast milk, which had Levi excited that his anxiety over Y/N possibly being impatient to pump milk and feeding them straight from the source would finally be over when they graduated completely from breast feeding. When he was the one feeding them, he was always careful to make sure they were paced no matter how eager to eat they might be, and that they didn't get too much in their little mouths, so they wouldn't inhale the food and choke. And, of course, he was always trying to make it as neat of an experience as possible, to the point he'd gotten pretty good at catching stray baby food with the spoon without leaving any traces behind.

They were also able to sit up by now, in a way. That one was Y/N's doing–she'd apparently sat with them on the couch and discovered they could officially sit up as long as they were propped on something, which meant that they could play with some toys to entertain themselves on their own for a little while as they read or watched a movie or whatever it was that they wanted to do. Y/N liked to prop them up on the crescent shaped pillow with a few baby toys within reach and read books from the library. Levi, however, was still in a mindset to snatch each and every moment he could, just in case Y/N's favor towards him turned foul in the future and these moments became scarce. So when the twins were with him, usually all of his attention was on them. He, of course, tended to have the lingering feeling like this was time he was being allowed to have and he needed to make the most of it.

Even though he was painfully aware of the fact that he and the twins had an eternity stretched in front of them as long as nothing terrible happened, and Y/N only had a few short years with them. If anyone should be acting like every moment was a rare allowance, it was her, but she wasn't aware she was on a clock, and he didn't like to think about it–not at this early stage. Let her enjoy these years of firsts and infancy in peace, let the memories be pure. He'd tell her when they got a bit older. While she still had a few years left, but after the first couple of innocent years had passed untainted by the knowledge.

They were rolling over now, too, which had Levi a little leery about the house. He was thinking about officially baby proofing it, and just how gung-ho he wanted to go with it. Considering they had twins and they were his children, it was probably better to be safe than sorry.

Ridiculous amounts of baby proofing it was. Until some of them frustrated the hell out of him and he realized the lack of necessity for some of them through trial and error. But right now, if they were going to be crawling around and exploring soon, all sharp edges and dangerous items and open electrical sockets needed taken care of. And gates needed to be put up. Fuck, were there baby gates for grand double staircases?

At the moment, it was a rare moment of familial quiet time in the library, the twins snoozing on the baby mat in front of Y/N piled on top of each other like kittens clutching toys and stuffed animals, Y/N curled up on the couch with a book down below while Levi perused his collection on the second floor looking for something he wouldn't mind reading again. A lot of the books here were ones that he'd read before and decided they were worth keeping a copy of because he felt they could be read more than once.

As he was passing by the window, moving from one bookshelf to another, he glanced outside, past the large semi-finished lawn and to the street he could view from this high up at this particular window. However, his movement was brought to a halt in front of the window, gaze fixed on the same spot with burning intensity as he took a step closer to the window to get a better look.

There was someone standing on the opposite side of the street, looking up at the house with as much attention as Levi was currently looking down on them. The people walking around on the street didn't seem to notice he was even there, as if it was just open air. The tingle on the back of Levi's neck confirmed he was seeing someone currently in between, someone keeping themselves unseen to the human eye. He didn't have a name for the person he was gazing at, but there was faint recognition. He felt like it might have been one of the demons who had initially dragged him back to the Infernal Council trial that had led to Levi having to impregnate Y/N. A vengeance demon, if he remembered properly, and not at all a friend. A threat, at the very least.

Their gazes locked, and a dangerous burn entered Levi's gaze, body tensing as he realized he couldn't let confirmation of where he and the twins were living get out.

I see you.

Y/N wasn't paying attention to him at the moment, thankfully, so Levi shifted into the in between himself, wings unfurling as he stepped right through what had been a physical wall, his wings controlling the rapid descent as he made a beeline for the other demon that was turning to make a run for it. The other demon just had to get the information to someone else. Levi just had to silence him before he could.

The other demon took off with bat-like wings smaller than Levi's own draconic ones, trying to zip through small places and outmaneuver him. Levi, however, wasn't shaken, following with ease and rapidly gaining speed, coming closer and closer as they flew above the roofs of homes and businesses. Finally, the vengeance demon made the mistake Levi had been counting on him making, and he tried to plummet down and enter Hell so he could shout the information to the nearest demons and let gossip and natural spread of information do the rest.

However, as soon as he tucked in those wings and started to plummet, Levi tucked in as well, diving with the speed and accuracy of a bird swooping down upon an unsuspecting mouse. His arms wrapped around the other demon with a snarl, turning them both to the side and keeping them from shifting one more plane down into Hell. They crashed to the ground, Levi making sure the other demon was taking the brunt of the fall before he jumped back up to his feet two paces away from the other demon. As the other let out a frustrated growl and his twisted true form burst through, Levi's eyes narrowed, his own human form bleeding away to reveal his demon form, wings, horns, tail, and all.

This was a slightly more matched fight. Vengeance demons could be vicious, but they were oddly enough considered a lower class of demon like incubi and succubi. Though he still had some nasty natural weapons Levi was going to have to be mindful of if he wanted to come out of this fight on top. Like those claws he was staring at, or the fangs. Vengeance demons certainly weren't crafted for allure like incubi were, looking more like the Dracula vampire form in the Hugh Jackman Van Helsing movie.

Thankfully, one good thing about all the deals he'd been making and years he'd been gaining, was that he was pumped full of vitality and strength, more than he normally was. Clearly the Council hadn't been thinking about that little side effect when they put him in the position to have to make this damn deal.

The other demon lunged at Levi, who stood his ground and lowered his body into a charging position at the last moment, his horns now perfectly aligned to impale the demon that charged him. When the other howled, Levi quickly backed up before he left his neck exposed any longer than necessary, moving out of range of those wicked claws that slashed at him. Black ichor dripped down his horns and onto his skin, gold and black eyes flashing as he braced himself for another attack. The demon lunged itself at him again, and this time Levi met him head on, hands flashing through the air as the two exchanged blows, Levi deflecting most of the others hits and landing a few solid hits of his own, causing black blood to spatter onto the pavement below. Some of it, unfortunately, was his own. Those claws managed to do a bit of damage even when Levi deflected since they were so damn sharp, breaking skin wherever they connected. Levi ignored the sting, however, and stayed focused on the fight, stepping back and leaning away every now and then to avoid the snapping fangs that tried to savagely rip at any flesh it could come into contact with.

Levi ducked and weaved around the other demon, keeping his attacks quick, his movements agile, doing his best not to let the other demon land any solid hits on him as he methodically tore them apart. The other demon could probably sense he wasn't going to win this fight, his attacks turning wild and unrefined, Levi able to dodge almost all of them as he put the demon on the ground, pinning him beneath Levi's weight as he proceeded to beat them to death.

It was a brutal way to go, but he didn't have any demonic weapons on hand to finish him off, so it would have to be by his own hands. Killing demons could be tricky, and this was someone he couldn't let slip through the cracks and risk telling people where Levi and the twins were.

Mid swing, when the demon below him started to look like a bloody pulp, a sudden surge of strength from the being beneath him caught Levi off guard, and he felt sharp claws sink into his abdomen, slender, bony fingers pushed past–it felt like it went all the way through, at least barely. Levi choked, pain wracking his body, but determination and fierce protectiveness for the little family he had back at that mansion pushed him through it so he could slam the full weight of his fist into the demon's temple while its head was pressed against the ground, hearing a sick crack and feeling the hand that had impaled him go limp. He didn't remove it, yet, knowing that would only cause the bleeding to worsen and the injury to get worse, which he did not need right now.

A few more hits, and he was certain the vengeance demon wasn't going to be getting back up. There was no breath, no heartbeat, and he still did another hit or two–overkill, yes–just to be sure.

He needed to get back home. He needed to take care of this, before he bled out and died. This was arguably worse than the wounds Zeke gave him.

Being extremely careful he didn't cause any more damage than was inevitable, Levi let his wings unfurl again, ready to take flight the moment he was free as he slowly pulled the clawed fingers out of his torso. The demon beneath him was already turning a matte black and seemed to be crumbling, which confirmed that yes, they were very dead, and no one would be able to retrieve the information of where Levi and the others were located.

Though he really needed to figure out what trail had led the demon there in the first place. He'd have to ask Furlan to look into that.

Those thoughts could wait for later.

As soon as the fingers were clear, Levi pressed his arm against the holes in his abdomen to try and staunch the flow of black ichor, wings already lifting him into the air with temporarily powerful beats in the air, carrying him as fast as he could manage back home. By now Y/N would have noticed his sudden disappearance, but she was going to have to deal with his disappearing act a little longer. He didn't want her seeing this.

By the time the house appeared within view again, Levi was barely keeping himself in the air, head swimming as he bobbed and weaved almost drunkenly through the sky, breaths labored as he simply aimed for making it to the bathroom in the house.

It was a crash landing, Levi ending up curled up on his side on the cold floor as his demon form slowly bled away and gave way to his human form again and he fazed back to the physical plane, skin clammy and eyes half-open as his gaze roamed his familiar bathroom. His foot weakly kicked the door shut. He dragged himself over to the cabinet he kept the towels in, dragging out the black ones to press hard against his wound while his bloody hand reached for his phone to make a call–or rather, text–for help.

Human hands or means he couldn't die from. Demons and Angels, supernatural beings, that was another story. Which was why he couldn't let himself bleed out here in the bathroom. He had two children that were going to need him after their mother was gone, and he needed assistance with this injury.

The bastard had actually gotten a good last hit on him, and he hated it.

I need help. Don't let Y/N see you, the text read when he sent it. Now all he had to do was sit and wait and hope he didn't bleed out before help came.

He was borderline unconscious when Isabel finally showed up, walking through the In Between so Y/N wouldn't see her and she could just walk through walls instead of worrying about locks and doors. Her words were far away when she picked him up off the floor and leaned him against the wall, but it didn't take much to figure out what she was trying to say to him despite his current condition.

"Vengeance demon was watching the house. Had to take care of him before he told anyone," Levi murmured as Isabel got a good look at the injury, moving around the bathroom to find the first aid supplies Levi kept, water, more towels, things like that.

"A vengeance demon did this to you?" Isabel asked skeptically. Levi snorted acerbically.

"Caught me off guard. Guess I'm a little rusty," he mumbled.

"It's fixable, but it's not going to be pleasant. Your healing's done part of the work already, but try not to move or fall asleep for a while."

"I know the drill...Isabel...I don't know how he found out about the house, but–"

"I know. I'll tell Furlan, see what we can find. Maybe you guys should go to one of the other safe houses until we find out where the leak is."

Levi shook his head. "No...Y/N's just started to settle in and get a life again. I don't want to move her."

"Tell her it's a vacation. Go to that beach cottage you love so much. Take the kids to see the ocean. Just for a couple weeks, and then right back after we figure this out."

"...Maybe. We'll see."

There was a knock on the door, and both of them grew quiet, Levi becoming a bit more alert and trying to sit up as Y/N's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Levi? Are you in there?"

Levi cleared his throat, taking a moment to make sure there wouldn't be traces of pain or weakness in his voice as he asked a quick, simple, "What?"

"You disappeared, I just...are you okay?"

"Fine," he said, his tone almost curt, though he made sure it was soft enough she wouldn't think he was angry at her.

"Okay, but...I have my class tonight, so you're going to have to watch the twins in an hour or so."

Levi cursed in his mind, grinding his teeth together. "I'll call Isabel, then."

There were a few long moments of silence where Isabel stared at him, Levi well aware he just accidentally tipped his hand if Y/N had learned anything about him and how he felt about the twins. He never gave up a chance to be around them and take care of them, and was always more than willing to have one on one time with them.

The doorknob rattled, the door starting to open since neither Levi nor Isabel had bothered to lock it–or in Levi's case, hadn't been in a condition to lock it. Levi quickly leaned over and pushed it shut before she could get it open enough to see what was happening inside, his hand pressed flat against the door and a low groan of pain escaping him at the sudden movement. He hoped she hadn't heard that, with how his face was maybe two inches off the floor, the sound quiet and maybe not heard over the click of the door shutting.

"I respect your privacy. Do the same for me...please," Levi ground out, tagging on the last part so he wouldn't come off too harsh. They were finally getting in a good place, he didn't want to ruin that because he was hurt and his answers were a bit brisk right now.

There were a few moments of silence again, except this time, Y/N simply walked away. Isabel was right next to him, a hand pressed against his injury to keep it from bleeding more since he'd just agitated it, helping him to get back in a sitting position. This time he managed to keep the gasp contained, though the pain was spelled out across his face, surely.

"Babysitting?" he asked Isabel briefly as she got back to work on his injury.

"I've got it," she answered just as quietly.

Damn, he was glad he had at least some friends to help him with all this. He'd be shit outta luck if he didn't have Isabel and Furlan.

Levi leaned his head back and let Isabel do her work, simply focusing on enduring the pain and keeping his eyes open as his mind raced with what he should do now.

**********************************

Predictably, Y/N hadn't been open to leaving the house for a vacation when she was finally making it home and she had her weekly classes. She'd been open to the vacation in the future, but right now, she wanted to stay here with the babies, and she had not been open to leaving. So, Isabel, Furlan, and Levi had to work around that stubbornness to make sure the house remained safe, and Levi had to default to settling for his other, more long term safety measure.

It wasn't a full solution, but it was a nice start, and it would do more than just add a bit of security to the property.

He had an unannounced day out besides a bit of a warning to Y/N earlier that morning, telling her he didn't know how long he would be gone, but that he should at least be back in time for dinner. She didn't get angry this time–she'd stopped getting angry when he left, since now it was part of normal everyday life and the twins had been home for a few months now. Not to mention, he rarely went out on days that varied from his usual, except when there was something he needed to do or get for them.

The first three-fourths of his day was spent searching for the perfect fit. He went to several stores, some out of town, looking for the perfect one, which was a lot more difficult than it might have been for normal people. The last small part of the day was reserved for supplies, which would be easy once he finally settled on his choice. He'd done a bit of research two or three days prior, and he knew generally what he was looking for. Now it was just the matter of finding the right one.

He was looking for a dog.

A puppy, more accurately. Very young, probably recently started on the transition away from their mother. He wanted a puppy so that he could start training early, and so that the little one could grow up with the twins and they could form a comfortable bond. He already knew the breeds he was looking at, he'd narrowed it down to a Doberman pinscher or a German shepherd, and since he knew what age he wanted, it should have been easy, right?

No. It wasn't. Not for a demon. Dogs could sense the infernal nature in him, and they were not very welcoming whenever he walked into a kennel or a pet store. Most of them growled or barked or were on edge when he entered. It might have been another reason he was looking for a puppy. If he got them that young, they could learn to be comfortable around him and the twins, instead of naturally being hostile. But it was also making his search a little more difficult. Not only did he have to find a puppy of one or both of the breeds that fit what he was looking for, he had to find one that took to him fairly well that wasn't going to be on edge because of his infernal blood.

It didn't help he could feel some judgmental looks from the caretakers whenever all the dogs responded negatively to him. He ignored it, though. If he looked long enough, surely he'd eventually find one that would warm up to him.

His search finally came to an end not at a pet store or a shelter, but at someone's home. They'd put up an add that their dogs had puppies and they were selling most of them, and he'd decided to give it a try. The Doberman father of the puppies had admittedly tried to bite him when he arrived, but the owners had put the dog in another room and brought him into the room they were keeping the puppies in. The German shepherd mother they had to put on a leash, because she nearly freaked out when Levi was brought into the same room as her puppies, but thankfully the owners were still letting him look. Patiently, Levi took a seat on the ground instead of the couches, putting himself on the level of the puppies who were old enough to be wandering around and be separated from their mother if they were picked, but young enough they were still being kept around her.

Most of the puppies scattered and hid or went to their mother, but there were two or three brave souls who wanted to check him out and see what this new person that smelled funny to them was. One left after the mother barked at them when they got too close, and another wouldn't get close enough for Levi to touch them, but the third...

The puppy was a boy, more Doberman in coloration, but with a German shepherd lean in body structure. He had little light brown eyebrow and ear markings, a soft light brown underbelly marking and up half of his legs, two light brown, symmetrical patches at the front of its chest, a light brown muzzle, and a little tuft of white/grey fur running in a stripe from nose to between the eyes. This little guy ignored any warnings from his siblings and mother and went up to Levi, albeit hesitantly, who stayed still and let the puppy sniff him experimentally, occasionally jumping back as if he kept expecting Levi to do something before he would approach again. When he got comfortable enough to linger around Levi, he carefully extended a hand and let the puppy sniff him, even letting it nibble playfully on his fingers before he very gently and carefully gave the tiny puppy a few gentle pets. After that, he seemed rather confident, crawling right into Levi's lap and looking for a comfortable position as he snuggled in.

Finally. Ironic how it ended up being a mix of the two breeds he'd been looking for. Or maybe that was part of what made it so perfect.

After that he just had to talk to the owners about price and what the puppy had already been given regarding shots and the like, and if they were already starting house training him or were leaving that for the next owner. He had the whole discussion with the puppy in his lap, acting as if it was entirely normal that this was happening. He had twins that happily lolled around in his lap–thankfully they weren't crawling yet–so a puppy making a happy home in his lap was nothing.

After the discussion with the owner and paying, Levi left with one very tiny nine week old puppy who was already asleep tucked under his arm. It might not have been the safest, but he let the little guy stay there and drove back to the best store he'd been to one handed, the puppy in his arms waking up at the drastic change in the air after the car came to a stop and Levi stepped inside. He sat the puppy down in the grass to do his business before picking him back up in his arm and heading inside to get all the dog supplies he needed–with help from one of the store associates, who talked to him about what he'd need for a puppy, and he needed to talk to in order to set up training lessons as well–the basics, at least. The more advanced guard dog stuff would have to wait until the puppy was older and would probably need a different kind of trainer.

He also let the little guy run around on the floor in the toy aisle to pick some toys while he worried about dog food, bed, leash, collar, food bowls, all that kind of stuff. The collar ended up being a dark green and gold one, which he got a nameplate for at the kiosk in the store.

Which also meant he needed to come up with a name for the puppy on the spot.

He watched the little guy after filling out address and phone number for if he got lost, the name the only thing still needed as he watched the puppy bounding around, currently entertained with a canvas toy he was absolutely enamored by, tail wagging furiously as he gnawed on the toy.

Hmm...a guard dog...but he didn't want it terribly cliché, so nothing like Cerberus, Spike, Fang, or anything like that. Maybe something the twins might eventually be able to say with ease–in a way.

Levi cocked his head to the side, giving it a few more minutes of thought before he finally keyed in CAPTAIN in big letters to have engraved onto the golden name plate.

Once he had everything, Levi and Captain headed back to the car, all of the stuff loaded into the back and Captain getting a seat of honor in his lap where Levi could make sure that the puppy was safe during the drive–after he was let out into the grass again, just to make sure he didn't need to relieve himself again before they got in the car.

Normally, he probably should have brought this up to Y/N first, but after the encounter with the vengeance demon, Levi wanted some kind of layer of protection for the family he now had to take care of. He couldn't ask Isabel and Furlan to constantly keep an eye on the house, and no security system in the world, no matter how state of the art, was going to be able to protect against a demon walking through the In Between plane.

But a dog, a dog could see–a bit–creatures that walked in the In Between. Cats could, too–animals in general had always been sensitive about that kind of thing. But a dog he could train to alert them when there was something in the In Between lurking around the property. It could help if Levi wasn't around, or if Levi wasn't somewhere he could see with a glance out the window. It was another layer of protection, even if it was slight, and it would help Levi have a bit of peace of mind that they would be a little safer on the grounds. It would take a lot of hard work and training when the dog was older, training him to growl or bark a certain way when there was a demon in the In Between lurking around, but not to bark or growl at Levi or Furlan when they were walking around in the In Between.

He'd figure it out when the puppy was older. Right now, it was all about integration into the house...and convincing Y/N to let the fact he'd done this without asking her slide. And convincing her it was a good idea.

When he came home, he once again let the puppy in the grass to do its business, having been told by the store owner that the puppy was going to go all the time in this early stage and he'd have to be vigilant and patient, and that messes inside were inevitable until the puppy was old enough to be properly potty trained, and he eventually was trained successfully.

Twins and a puppy...he really was taking on a lot at once, but...he needed this extra layer of protection for the twins, and he needed the puppy to be young so he could get them used to demons, for his and the twins sakes. He couldn't exactly wait, either, considering the threat was real now, even if he wasn't planning on making it known to Y/N. Not yet, anyway.

Once Captain had done his business once more, Levi scooped him up and headed inside, leaving the supplies and toys in the car for now.

As soon as the door closed behind them, he heard Y/N moving from the living room, coming over to the foyer with Asa in hand and then freezing when she saw the tiny excited thing wiggling in Levi's arms wanting to run over and check out the new person and the new surroundings.

"What the hell?" Y/N asked, sounding for the moment too stunned to be angry.

Levi kept a firm hold on Captain, unaware where Ida was and wanting to be safe for the time being. He planned on Captain getting used to the twins scents and adjusting to being around himself and Y/N before he did an actual first meeting, so he was keeping a tight hold on the puppy for the moment.

"I know I didn't give you any warning, but this...is Captain. He's going to be our new guard dog...eventually," he said, scratching Captain behind the ear and watching as the puppy turned to investigate, nibbling at his fingers again.

"You got a puppy," Y/N said blankly, still staring, though Levi didn't miss how she held Asa a little tighter.

"A puppy can adjust to being around three demons. And he can grow up with the twins, too, so they're used to each other," Levi explained.

"And you didn't think to ask me first?" she asked pointedly, and Levi grimaced inwardly. The question that he couldn't get around.

"I did," he said honestly.

"But you didn't ask me."

"Because it was something I was going to do regardless," Levi said, giving the puppy little strokes along its head as it licked at the hand holding it.

"You should have asked me."

"Yes," he agreed. "But it still doesn't change anything. We need a guard dog, and the best way to go about it is get a young puppy to raise with the twins and get used to being around demons."

"We need one?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. A guard dog can do what a security system can't for us," Levi said calmly. "I won't be pushing any more responsibilities off on you–I'll be training and taking care of him, you won't have to worry about him, usually. Except the few times I'm not home and he needs let out."

"Are you sure having a puppy around the twins is a good idea? What if they don't get along?" she asked in concern.

"I'm not going to throw them together right away. I'm going to have him get used to their scent and make sure he associates good things with them first. And I specifically got a breed that's good with children and families."

"Families?"

Levi glanced up at her, realizing for the first time the connotations he was bringing to light whenever he referred to or thought of them as a family. A dysfunctional one, for sure, unique and with strange relationships...but they were, weren't they? Children, mother, father, even if mother and father weren't together and had a strained relationship. Now they even had a family dog.

"Is Ida in the other room?" he asked, instead of saying anything about his use of family.

"Yeah, she's napping on the floor, Asa wore her out."

Levi nodded. "If it's all right with you, I'm going to get a few things from your bedroom with the twins scent on them for him to start getting used to the smells before meeting the three of you. I'll keep it out of destructive reach and put him in my room while I bring his things in," Levi explained, waiting for her express permission before he moved.

Hesitantly, Y/N nodded, still looking a little upset and unsure about the whole thing before Levi headed upstairs to start getting Captain settled into his new home.