TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM

-Levi POV-

"I'll get straight to the point then. Levi Ackerman, are you serious about my brother?" Chris' words shocked me. Why did he suddenly ask me that?

"I'm sorry, what are you trying to say actually?" I asked back to confirm it.

"You don't have to hide it anymore. I know exactly what happened between you two. Christine told me everything, and the way you treat Charles today shows exactly how you feel about him, but I wanted to hear it from you." He said that seriously.

"Yeah. I'm serious about your brother. I love him." I replied to him confidently, and of course I'm being serious too.

"And does Charles feel the same about you?" He asked me another question for which I don't have the answer.

"I don't know. Maybe not. Not yet, I guess. But I promise you, I'll make him happy. I'll never hurt him, and I'll wait for him until he opens his heart for me. I'll wait for however long it takes. I'm not really good with words, but I really love your brother. I love him with all my heart. I'll do anything for him." I said that confidently, but deep down I'm a bit nervous.

"Well, I don't doubt your love for my brother. But Levi Ackerman, do you really think you could make my brother happy? I'm not doubting you, but we're both the eldest grandson, and I'm sure you get what I'm trying to say. The eldest son is always set to be the heir, and of course the cycle should continue." He looks at me with an unreadable expression, but he's actually just concerned about his brother.

"I get what you're trying to say, Chris, but don't worry. I promise you I'll make Haruka happy. I'm ready to back off from being the heir just to be with him. He means everything to me." I said that calmly, but he's clearly surprised by my remarks. Right, who would be crazy enough to let go of the position of being the next heir?

"Ha. You're really a strange guy, Levi. I'm just testing you, but it turns out I lost, haha. To be honest, I'm more worried about Charles rather than Charlotte. He used to be a bright kid, but then he suddenly distanced himself from us. I thought it might be because of that incident. But lately, he seems to be opening up more, and I guess it's all thanks to you. I'll leave my brother to you, Levi. So please, take good care of him." His voice sounds like he's begging me, which surprised me. But that aside, I wanted to know what incident he's referring to. Does he know about Haruka and William?

"By that accident, do you mean…" Someone cut me off before I could finish. Seriously, the timing.

"Levi, you're here. Hanaka nii-san too." It's Haruka, so I'm not mad. He made his way towards us.

"What are you two talking about?" He asked as he's in front of us.

"Nothing. Just about work. Is dinner ready?" Chris asked.

"Yeah. Everyone's at the dining hall already." Haruka replied while looking at his brother.

"Alright, I'll go first then." Chris said and then began to walk away, leaving the two of us.

"What did you talk about with my brother?" Haruka asked again.

"Nothing, really. Like your brother said, just about work." I replied to him with a smile. Maybe I shouldn't tell him yet.

"And you expect me to believe that? What did you two talk about?" He asked again. Seriously, he's a stubborn one, haha.

"You really want to know? Well, I asked him about how to make his younger brother fall for me." I said that with a teasing smile.

"Levi, I'm being serious here." He looks at me with a glare.

"And so do I." I replied with a smirk.

"Ugh, forget it. There's no point in asking you. Dinner's ready, btw." He said that and then stomped back to the villa.

'Haha, he's so cute.' I said that to myself.

-Next Morning-

It's early in the morning with the first rays of sunlight streaming through the trees. Birds chirp in the distance, and the air is crisp and cool. Everyone gathers near the trailhead, looking a little sleepy but excited for the hike.

"Alright, everyone, let's get moving! The earlier we started, the better view we got at the top." Christine said while stretching.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope you don't slow us down halfway, Christine." Chris said while yawning. He's still sleepy, I guess.

"Excuse me? I'm the most fit one here." Christine said, mock-gasping.

"Sure you are. Just don't trip on the roots like last time, Sis Christine." Harry said with a grin.

Everyone laughs as we start walking, they're in high spirits despite the early hour. Haruka and I walk side by side, with a comfortable silence between us.

"You're surprisingly energetic for someone who claimed he hated mornings." Haruka said while looking at me.

"Maybe it's because I have something to look forward to." I replied while shrugging.

"The hike?" He asked, while raising his eyebrows.

"Well, something like that." I said that to him with a sly smile.

Haruka rolls his eyes but doesn't press further, though his cheeks redden slightly. Everyone continues up the trail, the path winding through dense trees and occasionally opening up to reveal stunning views of the lake below.

"Look, there's a clearing up there. Let's take a short break." Hanabi said, pointing ahead at the place.

Everyone reaches the clearing, where a large flat rock offers a perfect spot to rest. We drop our backpacks and sit down, taking in the view.

"Okay, picture time! Everyone, squeeze in." Christine said, pulling out her phone.

Everyone huddles together for a photo, laughing as Christine insists on taking multiple shots. Afterward, we snack on energy bars and sip water, chatting and looking around for a while before continuing to hike again. As we prepare to resume the hike, I notice Haruka standing a little apart from the group, staring at the view. I walk over, footsteps crunching softly on the gravel.

"Hey, what are you doing? Are you okay?" I asked softly.

"Yeah. Just... the view's really something, isn't it?" He said, a bit startled by my presence.

"Yeah, it is." I replied, not looking at the view but at him instead.

He glances at me, catching the meaning behind my words. He looks away quickly, fiddling with the strap of his backpack to distract himself. He clears his throat before talking again.

"Let's get going. The others are waiting." He said that and then started to walk again.

"Alright, lead the way, Haru-chan." I said with a teasing voice, and he just kept walking.

We rejoined the group, and the hike continues. The path becomes steeper, and the group starts to spread out, some moving ahead while others linger behind.

"Haru-chan! Keep up with Levi, or you might get lost." Christine said, teasing from up front.

"I'm not the one who'd get lost…" Haruka grumbled under his breath.

"She's just messing with you. Don't take it seriously." I said that with a chuckle.

"Tch. She's always messing with me." He kept muttering, which made me smile. Really, he's so cute.

As we near the top of the trail, everyone pauses to catch their breath. The final ascent is in sight, and excitement buzzes through everyone.

"Alright, last push! Let's see who gets to the top first." Chris said with a grin. He seems pretty excited today.

With that, Chris and Christine take off, followed by Ethan and Hanabi, then Lauren, Harry, and Aiden follow too. Haruka and I trail behind at a more leisurely pace.

"You're not competitive, are you?" I asked, glancing at him.

"Not really. What's the point? The view will still be there whether we're first or last." He replied with an uninterested voice, not showing any sign of joining the race.

"Practical as always. But sometimes, it's fun to just let loose." I said that with a smirk.

"Maybe. But someone has to make sure you don't hurt yourself rushing to the top." He said while looking at me thoughtfully.

"You're one to talk." I said that with a smile.

He didn't reply but picked up his pace slightly instead to avoid further teasing. The two of us reach the summit just as the others are taking in the panoramic view. The lake glitters below, and the mountains stretch endlessly in the distance.

"They made it! Took you long enough." Christine cheered up.

"Wow… This is amazing." Haruka ignores her and just admires the view.

"Yeah, it really is. I'm glad that I came here with you." I quietly stood beside him and looked at him. Of course, we made eye contact, but he quickly looked away. He's blushing.

We spent time at the summit, eating breakfast, taking photos, and enjoying the serenity. It's really beautiful here.

One hour later, we began to descend from the summit. The atmosphere is light, with everyone chatting and joking around. Christine takes the lead, teasing everyone about how slow they were on the way up.

"Come on, people! If we don't hurry, the restaurant will run out of good desserts!" Christine called out from ahead.

"Is that your motivation to move faster? Desserts?" Aiden said that while sighing.

"Of course! What else do you think keeps me going?" She replied, turning around to walk backward while smirking. Now I see, all of Auclair's siblings really got sweet teeth.

"Not the joy of nature or the exercise, clearly." Chris said while rolling his eyes.

"Nature is great and all, but nothing beats crème brûlée after a hike." Christine said playfully, sticking her tongue out.

Everyone laughs as we continue down the trail. Haruka and I trail behind slightly, our pace more relaxed.

"You alright? You've been quiet." I asked, glancing at Haruka.

He nods before speaking. "Yeah. Just… thinking."

"About what?" I asked.

"About how long has it been since I've done something like this. It's nice." He hesitates before answering.

"Glad to hear that. You should do it more often."

-Haruka POV-

"Glad to hear that. You should do it more often." Levi said that to me with a sweet smile. Yeah, maybe I should do it more often. With you alone, next time.

"Maybe, if you're there to drag me along." I said that as a joke.

"Sure. That's a deal." He said that, grabbing my hand to drag me down the trail, catching up with the others. Maybe spending the weekend with him alone like this is not that bad.

//SKIP//

After lunch, we decided to visit a local painting retreat near the lake. The retreat offers open-air painting sessions, with easels set up along the lakeshore. A gentle breeze flows through the area, and the afternoon sun casts a golden glow over the water.

"Welcome, everyone! Today's session is all about capturing the beauty of Lake Annecy. Don't worry if you're not an artist—this is about enjoying the moment and expressing yourselves. Let's get started!" The instructor said, clapping his hands to gather everyone's attention.

Everyone splits up to choose their easels. Levi and I end up side by side, while the others scatter around the area. Painting. My mother may be an artist, but I didn't take that after her. I'm afraid that I'll be embarrassing myself when Levi looks at mine later. I glanced at Levi, and I could tell that he couldn't wait to start.

"Don't embarrass yourselves too much, you two! I'll be expecting masterpieces!" Harumi onee-san said that playfully.

"Masterpieces, huh? No pressure." Levi said, smirking as he picked up a brush.

"You look excited. Are you going to reveal who you are?" I said in a quiet voice.

"Of course not. I'm just going to paint something simple. I'll give it to you later if you want." He replied with a smile, which made me blush a bit.

"Ahem. Well, this should be interesting then." I said, picking up my own brush and starting to paint something.

The group begins painting. Levi approaches his canvas with a casual confidence, while I take a more careful and deliberate approach. Christine periodically strolls around, peeking at everyone's work and making playful comments.

"Wow, Levi. You're actually good at this. Did you take lessons?" Harumi onee-san said, looking at Levi's painting. I take a glance too. It's really pretty. It's Lake Annecy with some trees and the autumn leaves falling.

"Lessons? I don't need lessons. I was born with it." Levi said confidently.

"Ugh. Maybe I shouldn't say your painting is good. Well, what about you, Haru-chan? What's going on over here?" Harumi onee-san said with a grin, and then she burst into laughter after seeing my painting.

"What is this, Haru-chan? Autumn trees." Onee-san said while chuckling. Seriously, this is embarrassing.

"Christine, don't forget that your work used to be the worst among us when mother asked us to take art class when we were kids. And what about your canvas? You're just strolling around looking at everyone's works." Hanaka nii-san said while rolling his eyes, brushing on his canvas.

"Oh, shut it, Chris. That was a long time ago." Onee-san grumbled.

The group laughs, the atmosphere light and fun. As the session goes on, the mood becomes quieter, with everyone absorbed in their own creations. I steal a glance at Levi, who is surprisingly focused despite his absolute masterpiece already announced. I smile faintly, watching Levi for a moment before returning to my own painting. The session ends with the group sharing their work. Of course, Harumi's painting is the simplest one, Hanaka nii-san creates a serene landscape, and Ethan's abstract style gets nods of approval. And of course, Levi's masterpiece getting praises from everyone, especially the instructor.

"Mr. Ackerman, your painting really reminded me of L. Schatz's painting."

TO BE CONTINUED!!!