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Levi gripped Armin's tiny little hand just that little bit tighter as they left the café. Wanting to keep his pup safe and trapped by his side if anyone tried taking him from him in the open. No one did come near them and Levi felt no one following after them either. But he still couldn't get rid of the bad feeling. 

The worse of it was Armin's reaction to the man, the pup should have never crossed paths with him before. And he knew his pup would have mentioned seeing the man before if they had ever met.

It left Levi trying to wonder why Zeke's scent had given his pup's a trauma response unknowingly. It meant that a newly born Armin had somehow crossed paths with Zeke or Mikasa had crossed paths with the man during her pregnancy. 

Levi wanted to ask Mikasa, he truly did but he wouldn't. He wouldn't leave her to worry over their pup's safety over a man who grew greedy over his power. Zeke was a threat but Levi wasn't going to allow the man to bring any harm to his pack.

He'll tell Mikasa once it was needed for her to know over the dangerous but during the early stages, it'd only leave her to worry to death. Or worse, she'd want to return with having Armin kept mostly locked away at the mansion again. The pup was now at school and gaining a friend, hiding him away would crush the pup's heart.

"Levi.." Armin quietly spoke the Alpha's name, seeming to shy up on himself as he gripped the older man's hand tighter. 

"Yes?" Levi asks, glancing down to his pup and wondering if losing himself to his own thoughts had worried the pup. 

"I don't want to meet that bad man again" Armin admitted with an troubled frown, looking as serious as a pup could. 

"And hopefully you won't. Even if that man comes along again sometime in the future, I won't allow you to be alone with him. Your mother or I will be standing right beside you, keeping him at bay" Levi tells him just as serious and making his pup know he won't be left near that man ever again without him or Mikasa protecting him. 

"My parents will keep me safe as always" Armin confessed with a bright and blinding smile, a skip in his step again. 

Levi felt nothing but warmth fill his insides over the title the pup had called both him and Mikasa by. Knowing he'd do anything to keep his pup safe, to give him the better life and try to make sure he'd forever be able hold a smile on his face. Levi would burn the country for his pup and he knew Mikasa would burn the world for him. 

 "Yeah, we're always keep you safe" Levi promises his pup, giving their joint hands a reasuring squeeze. 

It wasn't long before the two reached the end of the street that held the market stalls. Mikasa standing in waiting for them, none of them planning to walk through the more glamours areas of the market purposely set up to be used by those that came from money. Levi had grown poor enough to not be able to use the people's cheap stalls from the market, to know to respect the money he spends, to buy for quality and not by price.

Mikasa liked the wool, the threads and fabrics from the poorer side of the market. They were all good quality for cheaper prices. The cheaper market was better in price compared to the more richer areas of the market that's stock was itchy, more likely to break or ruin while sewing. And with Levi's permission, Mikasa always pays a little more than needed to the poor parts of the market, knowing their stock was much better than the richer parts of the market.

Levi had told her plenty of times she was a free women, didn't need to ask for his permission. But Mikasa had always felt a little conscious over spending him money freely, more so before she started helping with his work at the company. Since earning her keep as she sees it, she spends the money a little more willingly and purposely overspends on the stalls that they're loyal towards and knew could use the extra coins. 

Levi admired and respected Mikasa more from the moment she had first asked to give Furlan extra coins than needed when he use to do her shopping for fabrics, thread or wool for her during those early years. He knew he wanted someone who cared for the people and understood them working to just place food on their tables than working out of love for it, he wanted someone who understood the difference by his side. 

Slowing down once Levi spotted the women ahead, her old but trusty basket hooked over one arm for them to place her bought goods in as they stroll around the market. Her cousin purse tucked into a self sewn in pocket to her dress. She wasn't a fool to carelessly leave her coin purse in the basket for anyone to easily steel. 

Levi always found himself staring that little bit longer towards her whenever she was in his line of sight. To admire her as she was. He knew she was beautiful, she held a rare beauty that many have complimented her over or those mentioned wanting to keep her as if she was an ordainment or pet to keep. 

But he loved how strong and confident she stood, how she would twist and change the world to suit her better. How she stood out in a coward without being stuck up over it, seeming more sheepish over standing out when she wanted nothing more than to casually fit in better. 

Levi would stare at her for hours if he could, but he knew the world wouldn't allow him to freeze time to do so. 

"Mummy!" Armin cheered, delighted to see his mother waiting for him as promised. 

Mikasa's attention caught within seconds of hearing her pup and she was smiling at him, already stepping froward to meet with him much sooner. Levi quicken his pace slightly, keeping to a steady stroll for the sake of the pups little legs. But he moved slightly quicker so the pup could gain his well deserved hug from his mother. 

Mikasa kneeling, uncaring if her dress grew to be dirty or not by the ground. She slipped her arm free from the basket handle, leaving it tucked to her side as she opened her arms for her pup who happily threw himself into her arms. 

"Hello, my sweet bird. Did you have a nice lunch?" Mikasa softly spoke to her pup, a sweet smile pulled on her lips as she looked to him. She knew her pup loved spending time with their pack leader, to bond with him as if they were father and pup, and to her, they were. 

"We got you cookie" Armin gleefully said, excited to give his mother the cookie they bought for her.

"You did? That's very kind, thank you" Mikasa replied with gratitude, grateful that her pup grew to be so kind. 

Mikasa released her son, staying kneeled as he stepped back and patted down his coat pockets, his small coat only holding two. Frowning when he didn't find the wrapped cookie for his mother before turning as Levi patted his shoulder, passing down the cookie. The pup had forgotten the cookie on the table, leaving Levi to have snatched it and shove it into his own coat pocket as they left. 

"It's your favourite" Armin grinned, looking rather smug as he chose his mother's favourite. 

"You're spoiling me" Mikasa gushed back with an smirk, trying her best to not coo over how adorable her pup was. 

"You deserve to be spoiled" Levi confessed without a second thought, the words escaping his lips before his own mind could have thought over them. 

Mikasa just stared up at Levi, a little bit surprised and soon glancing away as her cheeks turned rosy. She glanced back to her basket beside her and was soon reminded over the small gifts she's gotten the two during her walk to their meeting spot from were Furlan had dropped her off from the cart by one of the main roads. 

"I do believe we all deserve some spoiling" Mikasa announced as she picked up one of the two tiny paper bags left folded neatly in her basket. 

Armin stared down at the white paper bag in his mother's hands, brightening up as soon as noticed the hand drawn logo on the side and happily accepting his gift. Mikasa leaned forward, placing a kiss to her pup's forehead before moving to stand. Tucking her own cookie into the basket to snack on later. 

Levi watched with fatherly fond eyes as the pip unwrapped the bag, peeking inside to see two whole scoop worth of his favourite sweets inside. Normally they'd all gain half a scoop or a single one scoop. But Mikasa had felt spoiling the two due to them spending some of their father and pup day out with her. 

"Thank you, mummy" Armin smiled back brightly, starting to roll the bag back up to keep the sweets from falling out. 

"You're welcome" Mikasa smiled back, taking her pup's sweets from him as he held up the bag and tucking it back into her basket for now. 

Levi's attention moving from the pup to the women before him once he held the pup's hand in his again. Knowing he'd be kept safe between them and wouldn't be wondering off or taken from them while his hand was securely holding the pup's tiny one. 

"And for my favourite head" Mikasa smiled gently as she picked up and held out the second paper bag out towards him. 

Levi raised an eyebrow over the confession but not finding that he minded being her favourite head. She didn't seem to have met or known many but she's met a few and he'd accept the win. As well as accepting the two scoops of his favourite sweets. 

"Thank you" Levi quietly replied with his gratitude, accepting the sweets. 

"I did think over getting you some more tea leaf's instead but you're always having tea. You needed a treat today" Mikasa told him as she casually moved the basket handle to fit better in the dip around the bend of her arm around the  elbow. 

"I'll cherish each sweet as if it was my last" Levi tells her in return, a tiny but true smile on his lips as he meets her gaze with his own. 

Soon enough the three are walking through the market together. Levi mostly keeping in charge of caring for their pup while Mikasa carries the basket. A few times Levi would scoop Armin up to his shoulders or sitting him on his hip so they could look at the items for sale togehter. Mikasa holding up fabrics towards both males, letting them being her testers as promising and watching their reactions. 

The wooden basket slowly being filled by what Mikasa was in need off. Almost every colour or item being picked by mostly Armin. Levi gaining a few choices and Mikasa bought those he did seem to lean towards more. Of course Mikasa bought the thread she'd prefer, mostly due to being the one who'd sew with it. 

They all grabbed a couple of baked treats for Furlan and Isabel. None of them forgetting to spoil the rest of their pack members either. The owners of "Potato's Eaters", the two owners of the bakery were happily married and always happily chattering away with them as they dealt with their sale. Sasha and Connie were good people and their bakery grew to be a safe place for Armin, Levi having brought both Mikasa and Armin to the bakery a few times over the years to encourage both to leave the manor for at least an hour.

The bakery couple had even welcomed their first child into the world just half a year before. A cute little girl known as Gabi. Armin adored the still new to the world pup, having gotten Furlan to help bake a couple loafs of bread once news hit over the birthing of the pup. He'd hurried to the bakery and passed on the bread to Sasha, knowing she loved to eat her bread and potato's. Poor Connie, Sasha's husband, is normally stuck stopping his wife from eating the baked goods they're trying to sell each day. 

Once the visit to the bakery was done, they'd all headed back towards the agreed meeting spot for Furlan to collect them from. Armin's bouncing skips was slowed to a wobble of steps as the long day finally grew to tire him out. 

Levi soon taking the basket from Mikasa as she moved to scoop their pup up and carry him as they waited for Furlan's arrival. Levi was once more reminded over the Omega's straight as he felt the weight of the basket as he took over carrying it for her. 

And soon enough the family was heading back home togehter.