Author's Note: I am astounded at the amount of praise/votes SD got. I had honestly thought it wasn't as well received as the others but apparently, y'all like Levi as a your boss or something. I had no idea how I wanted to finish this off...so here...is it is! ???? Okay, so Levi is kinda...OOC but Isayama said he is awkward with love, right? I don't know what I wrote. Enjoy this weird...crappy oneshot. Also, I was too lazy to do a recap of the last chapters. And I didn't edit this like I usually do. Sowwy

Part Three

***

A smile tugged at the corner of your lips and intense relief swelled within your chest. If you were asked to describe the feeling, you would truly be at a loss for words. There were far too many emotions swirling in your mind for you to properly be able to explain it away.

It was finished.

Nearing the two year anniversary of starting at your firm, the five-star luxury Stohess Hotel, designed with ultra modern interiors, was having its grand opening tomorrow. All of your hard work, your visions, your ideas were entirely fleshed out into everything you had hoped it to be. The hotel's owner, Erwin Smith, was beyond impress with your abilities as a designer, but as well as with the efficiency and knowledge your agency Scout Design had. Of course, the man never outright showed his, but his praise for you was given to Hanji Zoe, the owner of the said company.

Presently, Erwin was throwing a "launch" party within the ballroom of the hotel to celebrate the grand opening. All of Scout Design's employees were invited, and those who had any part in the process of constructing Stohess were allowed to invite family and friends.

You, having left home years ago, were not able to invite your family to the party but you were happy nonetheless to be sharing your accomplishments with your co-workers and your superiors. Even though they were not with you, you were well aware that your family members were proud of your achievements.

And of course, your own boss and boyfriend, Levi was among the guests.

As your thoughts trailed to the man you had been secretly dating for the last five months, you let your gaze rest upon his side profile beside you. The pair of you were mingling among the many guests of the night who were congratulating you both on a spectacular job. Levi consistently made it known that he was only the support on the project and that you deserved all the praise.

"No date tonight, Mr. Ackerman?" asked the high profile stock holder before you.

Levi lowered his champagne glass from his lips. "I thought it only fitting if Miss (l/n) would appear as my date, as we both do not have family or others to invite."

As he had spoke, his hand gently went to your lower back and you stepped closer to him automatically. Bearing a grin, you agreed with his statement. The elderly man appeared to have a knowing expression while he eyed you both.

"You do her no justice," he teased. "You are quite stunning, Miss (l/n), and he simply pales in comparison."

You let out a brief chuckle. "Oh, I don't know about that," you replied, simply glowing with all the acclaim you had been receiving. "But I appreciate the sentiment, sir."

After a few more minutes of amiable small talk, the stock holder's attention went elsewhere. You and Levi began to meander through the crowds again.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean anyways?" you heard Levi grumble under his breath. He swiped a champagne flute from a nearby waiter with irritation. "'Pale in comparison....' That old bat better watch himself, flirting with another man's woman like that."

There was no stopping the grin that formed at your lips again. "Jealous?"

"Tch." Levi forcibly linked arms with you. "Shut up."

Time passed rather slowly while you both continued through greetings and praise. Many of your co-workers introduced you to their family or their dates, and others congratulated your work. Truthfully, you were growing tired of the pleasantries and obligated appearances you were making; you much rather have been curled up in Levi's bed watching trashy television and drinking wine than having to be here. But this was work related and neither of you were allowed to skip out because Hanji simply would not let you do so.

"Excuse me, but may I have everyone's attention?" said a deep voice throughout the hall. The elegant music that had been playing in the background transitioned into silence as you turned your attention to the stage at the head of the ballroom.

Erwin walked up the small flight of stairs to assume his position, microphone in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other. Levi gently tugged you by the arm so that you both were front and center to the stage, gazing up at Erwin's figure in the spotlight.

"I would like to make a toast," he said in his usual stoic tone. He raised his right hand with the glass, his blue eyes searching though the crowd. "First, I would like to thank Scout Design, and the owner Hanji Zoe, for its incredible tenacity in getting the Stohess Hotel constructed on schedule."

Somewhere in the back of the hall, you heard Hanji wolf-whistle and the room burst out with laughter for a moment. If anyone who knew her personally expected anything less, they were certainly crazy.

Erwin's rather blank gaze rested upon you and Levi once the silence returned. "And second, I would like to personally thank Mr. Levi Ackerman and, more importantly, his subordinate (f/n l/n) for their design abilities. If it were not for Miss (l/n)'s imagination and creativity, the Stohess Hotel would not have already received raving reviews before its official opening."

The hotel owner raised his glass a little higher. "To a healthy and successful future for both companies."

An eruption of applause greeted your ears and everyone took sips of their drinks in the finished toast. You were blushing slightly, as everyone clamored around you to congratulate you once more.

Before you realized it, Levi had left your side and approached the stage. Erwin nodded, handing off the microphone to the shorter man, and left the platform. You stared up at your boyfriend with a vague expression of confusion; Levi hadn't mentioned that he was going to be making a speech.

"I'm going to make this quick," said Levi with a rough tone. He looked a bit uncomfortable, and maybe a little angry; perhaps he wasn't fond of public speaking. "As an interior designer myself, everything we do comes down to the moment we see our vision become a reality. It's what we live for. Despite the long ass hours we put it, the all nighters, the coffee binges, the lack of sleep, forgetting to eat, and to put it bluntly, annoying as shit clients we get sometimes, it's worth it when our projects are successful."

Even though he was swearing, you found yourself smiling yet again. Despite all the negatives, the end result always made this job perfect in your eyes.

"With that being said," Levi continued, "I went ahead and entered in the Stohess Hotel project to the International Interior Design Awards three months ago under the commercial category."

"What!?" you exclaimed without thinking. There was a bit of chuckling that surrounded you but you went ignored.

There was a vague smirk at Levi's lips. "Clearly, she had no idea.... But I received an email last week and was informed that (f/n)'s project is selected among the three finalists for this year. So I'd appreciate everyone giving her another round of applause for her efforts."

Shock crested over you; you barely even registered that the noise level skyrocketed.

The International Interior Design Awards was one of the most prestigious awards for a designer to win, and usually was given to seasoned designers. Never in a million years would you have expected that someone would have entered in your project for this year's awards. Even more than that, you never assumed you'd be a finalist.

Someone practically tackled you from behind, snapping you out of your reverie and you nearly spilled your drink over your dress.

"Congratulations, you little newbie designer, youuuuu," Hanji was saying in your ear. "I just kneeew you had so much potential. I FELT IT IN MY SOUL!!!"

With a laugh, you thanked her for her compliment.

"Oi! Get off her already!" snapped Levi, promptly yanking the owner by the arm. "You're going to ruin her dress."

Hanji waved a pointed finger at Levi. "Oh, please, Shorty McShort. We both know who is going to be ruining her dress laaaaater."

Levi scoffed at the mischievous look she was giving you both; your stomach had swooped painfully at what she was implying but you remained quiet on the subject while your eyes were flitting between your superiors.

"What the hell are you going on about, Specs?" Levi spat even though you both knew you were caught in a corner. Someone was bound to find out eventually.

Hanji dramatically pointed her finger directly into Levi's face. "It's Specs Appeal to you, squirt!!" she shouted, causing half the hall to turn their stares in your direction. You put your head in your hand, embarrassed at the scene they were creating.

"What the hell...?" Levi had an eyebrow raised but he looked completely fed up with his boss. "You're fucking joking right?"

"Although, I prefer Glass of the Titans," said Hanji with a thoughtful look. "Aaaanyways, don't think I don't know, because I dooo. Just don't let me catch you in the act during one of your midnight romps in the office, alright, (l/n)? HR will have a field day with that!"

"Oh my god..." You were mortified at the fact that you were being called out like this. Hanji ignored your humiliated expression and pranced away to harass her other employees.

"The hell was that?" said Levi after a silent moment between you two. You shook your head, wanting to forget this whole conversation and continue on with the night. You were sure your face was bright red with embarrassment.

"More importantly, how did she know we were having sex in the office?"

You slapped him across the arm. "Levi, shut up!"

He has spoken in a normal tone, but the din of chatter drowned out the question. You were grateful for this, as you did not want to explain to anyone from the office about your dating life. Jean and Eren would create all sorts of drama for you with that kind of information; they were like gossipy, teenaged girls with the way they started rumors.

Not long after, the banquet was underway for the party. You were uncomfortable with the formality of the whole "party" but the food was, without a doubt, delicious. As you dug into your entree, your mind thought of a certain pair of co-workers who were probably ecstatic right now.

You were served red wine for the dinner; you and Levi shared a meaningful glance upon this discovery. If it weren't for wine, you two may not have been together yet.

"Drink up," whispered Levi in your ear when no one was looking. "Wine is your aphrodisiac."

Normally, you would blush at that kind of statement but because of the alcohol you had already consumed, you smirked to yourself.

You continued to keep your gaze elsewhere but replied back in a quiet voice. "You just like the initiative."

"What man wouldn't?" Levi's hand was at your knee, hidden underneath the table and the cloth fabric running over the sides. He inched his way up your leg, already at the hem of your mid-thigh dress.

You caught his hand with yours. "Do - not," you said, emphasizing both syllables. His hand hesitated before he retreated.

"Well, when you're ready to leave, let me know," Levi said, idly sipping on his own wine. "I have a surprise for you."

You perked up at the statement. He wasn't much of a romantic and you knew he was not one for surprises. "Really?" you asked with intrigue. "What is it?"

"Defeats the whole 'surprise' aspect of it if I were to tell you, dumbass," he replied. You ignored his snarky tone but you were still pleased that he was going out of his way for you. "Be a good little girl and be patient."

You narrowed your eyes at your boss. Levi finally turned his gaze to you and flashed a quick yet slight smile.

The launch party finished up around eleven that night. Most intended to continue on to local bars but you were far too curious about Levi's "surprise" and declined several invitations to keep drinking. You were giving your farewells to your co-workers, Levi having disappeared to speak with Erwin.

"Congrats again, (f/n)!" called Petra, waving at you as she left the lobby. You waved back with a smile.

"Oi!" you heard Levi say from behind you. "Ready to go?"

You turned to face him. "Of course."

Levi jerked his head towards the elevators, just past the front desk. You blinked.

"Wait...what?" You stepped towards him. "Are we staying here for the night?"

Your boss rolled his eyes and gripped your hand. You quickly glanced around to see if anyone from the party was in the lobby; upon checking, there was no one. This night definitely was full of surprises.

"Enjoy your stay at the Stohess!" said the front desk agent to you both. You nodded politely at her, unable to find words to properly thank her.

"Erwin offered a week free for us in a suite as a thank you gift. All amenities included," he explained, brushing some hair of yours behind your ear. "And that psychotic lady we work for gave us the week off."

Your eyes widened. "A week?"

Levi let a smile finally grace his visage. "I would get use to gifts like this. There are a lot of perks in this business," he said, pushing the button for the elevator. "Smith also said that if we ever wish to stay here again, we automatically get fifty percent off the pricing."

You closed your mouth once you realized it was hanging open slightly. "Wow."

The doors slid open and you both stepped inside. "For the record, this was only part of the surprise."

You still could not find much of your voice. Instead, you stared up at the floors climbing higher. You were thrilled to find out that you were given a week off of work now that this venture was over because you had not been keen on jumping into another large scale project.

The elevator came to a smooth stop at floor twenty-five. Levi led you along, passing along doors before he paused at room 2510.

You already knew what this room would like like; you designed it. However, now that you were residing in as a guest, you realized you missed out on the beautiful view of the city at night that the rooms had.

Upon entrance, you saw a suitcase lying upon a bench at the food at the bed. "Did you pack for us?"

Levi released your hand and went further into the suite. "Is that even a question?"

With an amused sigh, you tailed him, setting your clutch down on the minibar. Levi carefully hung his suit jacket in the closet while you stood at the floor to ceiling window. The city was speckled with lights like jewels in the darkness. This city that you've lived in for nearly two years and learned to love so much.

You glanced at Levi's approaching reflection in the window and he snaked his arms around you to embrace you from behind. He inhaled deeply, reveling in the way your hair smelled.

"Congratulations," he said quietly. You leaned back into his arms slightly, allowing your eyes to slowly close to enjoy this moment with him. Levi and you worked so hard. You rarely ever had time to just sit in comfortable silence without some work-related talk to come up. In all honesty, you could not remember the last time you even had time off to spend with people you cared about.

"Thank you." It was a simple sentiment but it was meant for so many different aspects of your life.

After a moment, you felt him pull away. "Before you say anything..." he began to say, before awkwardly trailing off. You turned to him, startled to find him looking uncomfortable.

"Levi?"

He put a hand in his slacks pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. For a second, your heart lurched in your chest. You thought that he was about to propose but upon looking closely, the box was bigger than the usual used for a ring.

"I'm not proposing," he said flatly. You automatically snorted.

"I didn't say anything!" It was somewhat of a lie, but you were not put out at all. You honestly weren't even thinking about marriage yet.

He awkwardly handed it to you while you stifled your laughter; his embarrassment was amusing to you, to some degree.

You opened it carefully and found a very simple yet dazzling diamond pendant necklace. You froze on the spot, taken aback that he bought you something so elegant and probably expensive.

"I know you're not into gifts," he said after a moment. "But...I wanted to get you something to congratulate your hard work.... And I...I didn't know what to get. Ral told me to get you a purse or something. But I don't even know what the hell kind of purse you like."

Levi kept blathering on, clearly uneasy because your reaction was next to nothing.

"And jeezus, there were so many goddamn brands. Why the fuck do purses from Coach or Michael Kors or Gucci or whatever cost that much? It's a fucking purse!" he was saying. "Those little shits Jaeger and Kirschtein were no help either. Like I'm going to buy you a pair of heels. I don't know what the fuck any of them were even-"

You kissed him, successfully cutting him off from his babbling, and wrapped your arms around his neck. Levi took a second to respond but he kissed you back, deep with passion and emotions.

"Thank you, Levi..." you whispered once you pulled away. "You really didn't have to go through all the trouble."

Now that you were closer, you were aware of the slightest tinge of pink dusting his ears and cheeks. You felt it best not to comment on it though; he would not like it if you were to mention it...ever. Sometimes, you felt that you were a more seasoned lover than he was. You haven't asked yet, but you were under the impression that he had been in few relationships.

Levi placed his lips against yours once more, letting them linger gently.

"Yeah, well..." he said awkwardly, "I did go through all the trouble. So, cut me some slack. It was fuckin' hell navigating the stores."

You laughed lightly and Levi took the box. He pulled out the necklace and you moved your hair aside so that he could put it on for you. His fingertips grazed your shoulders, leaving a trail of chills in his wake. After a moment, you felt him kiss the back of your neck gently while you looked down, feeling the cold metal rest against your skin near your heart.

"I love you."

For the second time in five minutes, you froze where you stood.

Neither of you had said these three words to each other yet. You had felt it; you had felt it for at least two months now but you were to scared to say it. You thought maybe if you said it too soon, it would scare him off. You had been perfectly content with the way things were between you two, professing your love in other ways than saying "I love you."

"Be safe." "Did you eat yet?" "Get some rest." "I miss you." "I'm here if you need me."

Those words meant the same thing too and you knew he cared about you when he said anything like it. But for some reason, hearing him say those three sacred words to you now...you heart soared.

Tears burned your eyes as you turned to face him.

"Wh-what the hell are you crying for?" Levi was absolutely bewildered and had no idea how to respond to this situation. Your reaction was definitely not what he had expected but he embraced you anyways.

You shook your head and wiped your tears away. "I'm happy, you idiot!" you exclaimed as you gently pounded his chest. Little rivulets continued to streak your cheeks while you laughed. "I am really happy!"

"I'm so fucking confused," Levi sighed. He cupped your face and wiped away your tears with his thumb.

Despite the waterworks, you were grinning at him with a full heart. You finally could say it without fearing the worst. You were happy, so happy.

"I love you." You chuckled to yourself, everything about the night seemingly surreal. "I love you!"

"Yeah, I know," he said, rolling his eyes. "Damn, you're so weird."

With a light scoff, he leaned back in once again to kiss you with a passion akin to that of a raging fire. The confession broke a dam inside you and you were eager to show him just how much you meant it when you said you loved him. Every touch, every content sigh that escaped your lips, every sensual movement in response to him. He was yours, and you were his.

Levi broke for air. He searched your bright eyes and held you close.

"Stop being so fuckin' cute..." he whispered.

You gave him a beautiful smile, one that made his heart skip a beat. He loved you. There were no words he would ever find in this world and in his heart that would ever convey just how in love he was with you. But he knew that you felt it and that words were no longer necessary. All he could do was show you in every way possible. You, this strange and hard working woman that you were. He knew from early on, before you began dating...he knew you would get him to fall in love with you. You'd be that one woman...that broke through his walled off heart.

He loved you.

He loved you.