You walked a half-step behind Captain Levi Ackerman, the sun warm on your back. He moved with his usual lethal grace, a black-clad island of silence cutting through the cheerful chaos. His expression was impassive, but you knew the tell—the slight tension in his shoulders, the way his grey eyes scanned the crowd with cold efficiency. He was assessing threats, even here.

In your arms, six-month-old Lila stirred, her big, dark eyes blinking open to take in the blur of color and movement. She let out a soft coo, her tiny hand finding the collar of your sweater to grip.

The change in the atmosphere was immediate. A wave of silence rolled out from your little group, followed by a susurrus of whispers. Cadets froze mid-bite. Veteran soldiers stared, their mugs of ale forgotten. No one in the Survey Corps had ever seen Captain Levi with a child clinging to his leg. No one had ever seen him with a woman at his side, holding an infant.

But the damage was done. The secret was out. Humanity’s strongest soldier had a family.