𝙵𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙼𝚈 𝙻𝙰𝚆𝚈𝙴𝚁

Chapter 24

At that, Eren's shoulders slumped down. He cast his gaze down. "I understand..." he muttered, his voice faltering slightly.

M/n's chest tightened at the sight of the boy's sadness. Seeing such an expression... And not being able to do much about it...? It made M/n feel powerless. He sat down beside the boy, his gaze drifting from the floor to Eren. 

"The Family Court wants to make sure you get the best home life," he explained. "They said they would look into any relatives--"

Suddenly, Eren jumped up from the sofa. He faced M/n with a tearful expression, eyes glossy. "I don't have anyone else!" he shouted, the tears slowly starting to roll down his cheeks. "No one wants me!"

The (h/c)-ette's eyes widened in shock at the boy's outburst. The tight feeling around his chest grew stronger. Eren let the tears fall as he cast his gaze downward, clutching the hem of his shirt.

"Eren..."

"Why can't you take me instead...?" The boy mumbled behind quiet sniffles.

M/n sighed softly and leaned forward, gently placing his hand on top of Eren's head. "It's not that I don't want to take you in," he spoke with a calm tone. "I just can't yet. Not without the court's permission."

Eren lifted his head, looking at M/n with his puffy red eyes. "But..."

The (h/c)-ette's expression softened. "I know you don't want to go... If it were up to me, I would have wanted you to stay under my care instead. But... I can't do much right now."

M/n then reached the side table and grabbed a few tissues from the tissue box. He handed them to Eren, who took them to clean his nose. 

"But... I will do everything I can to make sure you're okay. Can you believe me?"

Slowly but surely, Eren nodded his head. "I believe you..."

M/n smiled at his response. "Good..."

--

The (h/c)-ette tapped his foot against the floor anxiously. He was currently awaiting the arrival of the CPA agent. Beside him, Eren was clutching the end of his shirt, eyes cast downward. He was also anxious, not able to sit still in his seat. 

He was afraid of what lay ahead. All he'd known were his parents. If these people did happen to find any relatives for him to stay with, would they accept him with open arms? Would they treat him as their own and care for him?

Eren turned his head and glanced in M/n's direction. Other than the (h/c)-ette, and sometimes Levi, no adult really seemed to take kindly to his presence. He had never been approached or talked to nicely, especially by the people in the orphanage.

His heart was beating rapidly inside his chest, his grip on his shirt tightening. He dreaded every second that ticked down on the clock. Just then, he heard the sound of glass doors opening. It made him jolt. 

Nervously, he looked up to see who had stepped in. Perhaps, it might just have been another visitor. But to his dismay, it seemed this was the person they were waiting for. Hesitantly, M/n stood up from the chair. 

"Mr. L/n," the woman greeted, extending her hand out to him.

"Hello, Ms. Magnolia," the (h/c)-ette replied, his hesitance obvious in his tone as he met her with a handshake.

Isabel took notice of his tone. "Please don't worry, Mr. L/n. He'll be in good hands," she reassured before turning her attention to the small boy.

She crouched down in front of him, making sure to approach him gently. "Hello, Eren. My name is Isabel Magnolia. I work for the Child Protection Agency."

But she received no response from him. Still, Isabel smiled warmly at Eren. "I know you're scared," she spoke with a soft tone. "But I promise you that you'll be in good care."

Eren directed his gaze back to M/n, eyes swimming with fear and hesitance. It was almost as if he was pleading with the (h/c)-ette not to let Isabel take him. M/n felt a pang of guilt in his chest. 

"Eren...--"

"It'll only be for a bit," she said, trying to reason with him. "We've also got you your own room. That way, none of the other kids will bother you. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Again, Eren didn't reply. He simply cast his gaze downward. Isabel's eyebrows knit together. She could see very well that Eren didn't want to leave. But regardless, it had to be done, per the agency's and the court's instructions. 

"I'm sorry... I know you would rather stay with Mr. L/n, but... Without proper permission, he could get in trouble."

"Ms. Magnolia--"

Isabel raised her hand, signaling M/n to stay quiet for a bit while she tried to convince Eren to leave with her. "I can't guarantee anything... But what I can say is, you'll definitely see Mr. L/n again."

Eren finally looked up, his gaze meeting Isabel's. "For as long as you stay in the White Tulip building, no one will lay a hand on you. That, I can promise you."

Her words seemed to finally get to Eren. Gradually, he let go of his shirt, letting it fall back into place. "Okay..." He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Isabel nodded and slowly got to her feet. Though she had managed to convince the boy, she could sense how the atmosphere around them was uneasy. But there was no going back. 

"Do you want to say goodbye to Mr. L/n?"

She took a step back, allowing M/n to approach the boy. Eren didn't waste any time in coming closer. He wrapped his small arms around M/n's waist, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. 

The (h/c)-ette returned the hug as best as he could. One of his hands rested on the top of the boy's head in a comforting manner, something he was used to doing when S/n was upset.

"You're going to be okay..." he said gently. "No one's going to hurt you anymore..."

His words seemed to sink in because Eren's sniffles soon turned into quiet sobs. M/n carefully stroked the boy's hair, attempting to calm him down. They stood there for a bit, Eren not wanting to leave just yet.

M/n wouldn't let him leave either. Not until he was in a calm state again. The last thing that M/n wanted was to see the boy leaving in tears. But the clock was ticking and, eventually, it was time to go. Isabel nudged the (h/c)-haired lawyer's shoulder, letting him know that they had to leave now.

M/n sighed and gave Eren's hair one last ruffle before letting go. "Take care of yourself, alright? You're a strong kid... Whatever happens, I'll always be here if you need anything."

The boy sniffled, rubbing his tears away. Slowly, he nodded. "Okay..."

Isabel offered him her hand. "Come on, Eren... It's time to go."

Eren gave M/n one last glance before taking hold of Isabel's hand. "Thank you for everything you've done for the boy, Mr. L/n," Isabel said. "Again, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you..." the (h/c)-ette responded.

With that, Isabel began walking away with Eren. M/n watched their figures leave, his chest tightening with every step they took. Eventually, though, the two disappeared into a vehicle and left the building's parking lot.

M/n stood in place, feeling a strong mix of emotions. He wasn't sure how to handle everything he was feeling at the moment. It hadn't gone unnoticed either. The staff at the front desk, who had seen everything go down, were sympathetic toward their boss.

But before any of the front desk staff could go over to check on him, one of the security guards walked up to him. Their eyebrows were knit with worry. "Are you alright, sir?"

"I'm fine..." M/n replied, clearly lying.

It seemed he was lying more to himself though. The guard flashed a smile in an attempt to try and brighten up M/n's mood. "I'm certain things will work out... If they're really putting the kid's best interests in mind, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to hand the reins over to you."

"Yeah..."