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The next day at the office, you tried to walk around as if nothing the night before had happened. As if you hadn't been hanging to your death and on top of that, as if you hadn't received two marriage proposals.

Your mind had been scrambled enough from trying to come to terms with the attack that you could barely process Levi and Erwin doing that, why they did it, or if it really happened.

You had to walk into your office, head held up high, walking with the same stride, look professional, even as your mind felt like it was collapsing in on itself.

You couldn't sleep the night before, not one bit. Your thoughts were too loud, making you wonder if this was really your life right now.

How did it come to this? With that came the other arising issue you had to figure out: what to say to Levi and Erwin, because the truth is, you couldn't give them an answer last night.

Not a comprehensible one at least. Because how could you? You already thought you were arranging a wedding with Oluo and now you didn't know if you wanted to consider going into this with someone you know a lot better and that you can trust with your life, and not a stranger like Oluo very much is.

You thought he was your only option. But now, suddenly, you had two people; both of whom saw you. Saw your struggles. Choose you. Somehow that made your head hurt even more.

Another thing you had looping through your brain was; As for Levi, what made him change his mind all of a sudden, taking a full 180, and be the one to propose to you when he was the one that rejected you at the memorial.

And as for Erwin, you didn't know what to think. With Levi, you were in this with him because he knows the risks, he can fight whatever comes his way and is fully aware, being able to take what may come with this whole situation, but Erwin?

Did you want to drag him into what this was developing into? You cared about him too much to put him in danger, because you don't think you've ever seen him be in such dangerous territory before, so to speak.

If he proposed, was it because he was fully ready or was it because he's willing to help even if he didn't know what happened to him along the way? Do you want him to be involved even if he knew the risks?

Even if you preferred if he stayed on the discreet side of this? You just can't bear to lose anyone else in your family, especially Erwin.

Is it so bad you want him to stay out of the action? If you feel like you can't even protect yourself, what if you can't protect him? You wouldn't be able to take it.

So now, you were just sitting in your office, in your desk chair, and with your focus on your computer. You had the blinds of your office's glass wall wide open, so all of your employees could see you if they wanted to.

You had nothing to hide- well, that's not true. You had a lot to hide and that's exactly why you had to appear as if this was another day and you didn't have a near death experience the night before and two proposals.

You may look like you were working as you always were, but you weren't. You looked like you were focused, but you weren't.

You've been staring dead ahead at your computer for what's felt like hours but you only came into your office about an hour ago. You know you have to keep up appearances but you can't raise questions.

The realization that the assassin could be anyone, anywhere, wrecked you. You couldn't look weak, you couldn't show vulnerability, even if you know that the possibility that the man you were looking for could be in your own workplace.

The moment someone sees you slip, the moment that they realize that you're not okay, will be the moment that they know that they've broken you down to where they want you. You can't have that. You will do anything to not have a repeat, or worse, of last night.

And you weren't alone in your office either. Hange was sitting in the chair in front of your desk, tapping away at their tablet, unknowing of the storm raging in your head.

That's another reason you were trying to put on your most neutral expression. You really don't want to worry them. You know Hange. If something about you seems off, if they sense alarms going off in their heads about a situation, they will jump into action no matter what.

Now more than ever, you need to keep this as secret as possible. Have as few people know about what was happening as possible. You didn't want them to know about last night either.

You weren't telling anyone. You wanted to bury that incident deep, and far in your brain until it's gone and it's only a distant memory. You were trying to hold your world together even as it's crumbling and it's tiring.

And the more you tried to bury that, the more the other events that happened last night started to become more, and more prominent. Leaving you with your mind drifting other things to think about.

All you could run through your head now, the only thing you were letting yourself think about, really, was the proposals. The looks on Erwin and Levi's faces, as they waited.

Waiting for you to say something. Hoping you'd choose one of them right there on the spot. Either of them thought they were the better option. Their expressions told you that they were each doing it for different, yet very similar reasons, that you have yet to figure out.

You didn't know for sure what they had been thinking at that moment but you had a feeling and an idea of what it could've been.

Erwin had a sweet, sincere, and soft look in his eyes, wanting you to see the understanding behind his gaze, while Levi looked more determined, sure of himself, as if he was certain you'd choose him.

A look that made him look certain that you and him will continue working on this whole situation side by side, despite everything.

As Hange continued to work and you couldn't even pretend to be able to look at your computer screen, your eyes suddenly shifted to the window, to the faint outline of the city skyline beyond the glass.

It was the very same view you had last night coincidentally when both events occurred, not that far apart from each other. Except this time, your feelings were on solid ground. You were inside.

Away from danger, for the most part. But still, in your head, it still felt like you were there. Your mind started to drift off and you began to remember how the night ended, with what you ended up telling Levi and Erwin.

You blinked and exhaled softly, and all of a sudden it felt like you were there all over again. You remembered their faces, their body language, the wind brushing against you, each their eyes piercing into you with different intent as to why they did it.

You remembered what Erwin said; "You don't have to go through this alone anymore", About not wanting you to handle this by yourself like you've been doing for a while and being the person who fought by your side if you'd let him.

And then there was Levi, walking out into the balcony and extending his hand out to you in the same way, asking you to marry him and with nothing following after that. Even if he didn't say anything, you felt like he didn't need to.

After everything that's happened, everything you've said to each other, every time you'd walked out on one another, in that moment you thought that he probably assumed his words were self-explanatory and that there was nothing else needed to be said, because he knows you know.

Even if you were still trying to understand why he was the one proposing when he'd already rejected you once and adamantly told you why he did it.

That you couldn't understand, and as confused as you were maybe he thought he didn't have an explanation for this, but you still wished he would've. You wish you knew what it is that finally changed his mind.

Your lips had parted to speak, but nothing came out as your eyes darted back and forth with confusion at their extended hands. Not knowing what to do whatsoever.

You were terrified of hurting either one of them, even when you were already hurting deeply yourself.

If you had options now, real and good options, you were so, so scared of choosing wrong, of hurting someone you care about, someone you need in your life right now more than ever, and of stepping into something of bigger proportions than you weren't even sure if you were ready for at this point.

This was still about the inheritance, this was still about getting Levi's powers back, and this was still about catching that psycho and finding out who wants to kill you. But this was also about who you were about to cross a line of no return with, farther and more dangerously than before.

You'd marry this person. They'd live with you, you'd spend mornings with them when you woke up and nights with them before you went to bed.

The weight of so many things and burdens that were becoming so loud in your head impeded your judgement of anything, and from that alone, you knew exactly what you needed to do.

You inhaled and exhaled softly as you slowly stood up and took a couple steps to stand in front of the two men.

Both Erwin and Levi watched you carefully as you stared back and forth between their outstretched hands for what seemed like the tenth time already.

Erwin seeing the conflict in your eyes, and the uncertainty brewing further behind them, he began to hope more that your mind was replaying all he said to you and that you were considering it carefully.

He can be there for you, he helps you, be anything you want him to be as long as it brings you peace. Levi was a lot more relaxed than Erwin, because in his head, even if he knows he's putting you in a difficult position, he assumed that this wouldn't be a hard choice.

To him, the choice should be obvious. If tonight wasn't enough proof to you that he can be exactly who you need to get through this.

That this proposal was the perfect opportunity for both of you to get what you want, even if he was a little late to finally putting his pride aside and come to the realization that marriage was what would keep you safe.

It would also keep him close to his tattoo until both of your situations are resolved, then he doesn't know what would.

He was confident, unlike Erwin, who deep down knew you and Levi had something that had grown over the last few weeks and that would make your decision sway in your bodyguard's direction.

But he was hopeful. Hopeful that you would see him, and what he could do for you. That you would remember everything you've been through together since you were kids.

That you would see the certainty that he would do anything in his power for you to be able to feel safe again. But a voice in his head reminded him of how he could possibly compete with the look in yours in Levi's eyes.

The way you looked at him like he held all the solutions and hope behind those gunmetal eyes, and the way Levi stared deep into you with dependence Erwin wasn't sure he could measure up to but that he could try his damndest to do no matter what it took.

Something told him he already lost this battle, but until you made a choice, Erwin would persist, and even if he wasn't your choice, he'd still stay by your side.

"Y/n," Erwin said, and you looked up at him with a trembling gaze as you wrapped your arms around yourself.

Levi turned his head to look at Erwin as well and his eyes narrowed, urging your friend not to rush you or put you further on the spot, before his gaze turned to you again and they instinctively softened.

"Please, say something," Erwin said gently, and you purse your lips, unwrapping your arms from around your body as you begin to fiddle with your fingers and you inhale sharply before speaking.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he'd be okay with no matter what you chose, he wouldn't judge you because this wasn't on you, none of this fell on you. None of this was your fault. With all of that in mind, he really wants you to pick him.

He really does. If you don't, he'd still be there no matter what. Like he has all this time and if marriage hasn't been a factor in him being by your side over the years, then if this doesn't go in his favor and the way he hopes, it shouldn't have to be a factor here either.

Your throat constricted in your breath as you managed to finally do exactly as Erwin had asked of you. Say something. "I..." You began, and both men unknowingly leaned in as they waited expectantly for what you had to say.

You swallowed, nearly audibly, as you predicted for your voice to be full of emotion and barely comprehensible.

"I...I really don't know what to say," You stammered, feeling like that was the only thing that you were capable of saying in that moment because how could you possibly tell them that now was the last moment that you could pick someone to marry.

Somehow it was so much easier when you knew you only had one contender. Oluo. In that moment, you also realized that if you picked either of them, you also had to let down yet another person.

After saying that, a couple seconds later, the first person you heard from was Erwin as he took a couple steps closer to you, but not too close to the point he'd set you off or make you uncomfortable. He could see how vulnerable you were right now.

"Please, don't feel pressure. You don't have to decide right this second, but...just know that the offer will always stand and whatever you choose, i'll be here," He said, singularly talking about himself, but when he said that, all you could help but do was your vision to shift to Levi, who was staring right at you.

Your breath skipped. His steel eyes were looking at you so intensely that you fought to be able to look back at Erwin. You've truly never seen Levi look at you with so much fire and pleading behind them at the same time.

Everything that Erwin was saying? Levi was saying it with his eyes and it penetrated deep inside you so quickly that you just decided to allow it.

Levi was trying to tell you that he was the right choice, that Erwin wasn't doing this for the sane reasons he appeared to project to you, and all that's happened so far couldn't have been for nothing.

You both just worked. It has all this time. Why did it have to stop now? He fought his own muscles to stop himself from reaching out to you.

You finally got yourself to look away from Levi, but you still felt his eyes burning into your skull. Your heart was thundering in your ears and everything was pressing on your shoulders in a way it never has.

This all just became so much harder than it needed to be. Both of them had their own reasons for proposing but also one similar goal in mind, and you know you can't make this decision tonight. There's absolutely no way.

And you had to tell them that, no matter how disillusioned you know they're going to be deep, down inside.

You have to look at this carefully, of what would be most beneficial, who would bring more to the table in order to fight against what was coming, who was actually ready and truly aware of what was coming.

You couldn't second-guess this. You'll have to make a decision, despite who you have feelings for, but also who you know that you'll survive this and not drag the other one into conflict unnecessarily.

You eventually just turned your head to the side for a second and your gaze suddenly became very distant.

You couldn't look at either of them because then you'll start to feel the need to choose for the sake of it, and that wasn't fair to them. As easy as Levi though the choice should be, it really wasn't.

Not even close. You shook your head slightly, and finally lifted your head again to meet their eyes for the last time tonight and to tell them what you were thinking.

"I-I need to go to bed. I need to think about this..." Was the only thing you managed to say before both men froze and you avoided eye contact as you walked around them, opened your balcony door, heading back into your apartment, closing the door behind you softly and your footsteps receded.

Both men continued to stand outside, not saying a word to each other but still processing what just happened. Erwin was taking it a little bit better, though. Levi looked as if he was going through an existential crisis.

Erwin let out a soft exhale and put both of his hands in his pockets as he lowered his head and a couple of blond strands fell out of place from his usually, neat, put together hairstyle.

As for Levi, his eyes were wide, he was looking down at his hand that was still extended, fingers curling in slightly as if they were only just realizing they were empty. He thought he'd made the message pretty clear to you, didn't he?

He thought the choice was clear, what was there to think about? Has all that's happened not been enough?

Maybe he was spiraling and overthinking this too much. Not that long ago he'd been trying to convince Erwin not to do anything rash or confuse you, but even if Levi hardly said anything, his mentality was awfully similar to what he was trying to prevent in the first place. Maybe worse.

Even if he hadn't said much after that, the desperation behind his silence was starting to look a lot like the recklessness he'd warned Erwin about.

He proposed because he knows that with the way things are escalating, as much as he'd been against it, marriage does seem like a good option now to adapt to the way things are right now.

He's so, so sure that choosing Erwin for this wasn't the right call. Levi just assumed that under the circumstances, he wondered if you'd heard him correctly. Understood what he was trying to get across.

But deep inside he knows how much this must've caught you off guard, and time is what you really need, as much as he hates this is giving Erwin an opening to raise his hopes up and continue going after you.

After many, many seconds of silence, Erwin lifted his head and turned it to look out into the view of the balcony. "Well...that didn't go how I thought it would," Erwin said as he let out a breath, Levi nearly snorted as he settled for a scoff instead.

Did Erwin really think this would be a good plan? Sure, he proposed too, but that's not the point. "Really? So you thought walking out here all high and mighty after what we talked about inside would work? Y/n painted you to be a lot smarter than this," Levi said as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his body over to face Erwin fully, even if the blond still hadn't.

"She hasn't said no yet. She said she needed time. I'll give it to her, as much as she needs," Erwin said with sudden determination, lacing his voice. Levi rolled his eyes. He wasn't giving up easily, was he?

That was only more of a reason for Levi to hope you'd choose him. He didn't know when the point of him being completely okay, if not more confident, that you'd choose him to get married, but he wasn't complaining. As long as you didn't say yes to someone who wasn't doing it for the right reasons.

"She also didn't say yes either, don't get your hopes up, eyebrows," Levi said, oozing with confidence in his voice. Erwin's eyes shot wide open in surprise at the sudden nickname, but he still let it slide right off.

He had bigger things to think about. The blond simply shrugged and then, finally, turned his body to face Levi at last until both men were standing right in front of each other. 

"Still. It's progress." Erwin said and Levi shook his head. Erwin was mistaking this whole thing as something else and it is annoying your bodyguard to no end. This did not mean what he thought it did.

"Don't mistake silence for advantage. That's not what this is," Levi countered, and then both men stood there for a beat before Erwin glanced away from Levi for a bit. Just like they were all night, both men have seen this situation completely differently.

"Neither of us came out ahead tonight." Erwin said quietly, and once again, that's where Levi disagrees. Even if you didn't give an answer to either of them, Levi could tell.

He could tell he had the edge on this. He could tell the way you looked at him. You reciprocated his expression, and he could see it in your eyes.

There was something unspoken, something that you didn't show an ounce of with Erwin. Levi fought the urge to smirk as he realized how ironic this was and how confident the blond in front of him seems to be.

To Levi, it doesn't matter how long Erwin says he's known you, and even if that was valid, it was inevitable to accept that there was a bond you and Levi had now created in a short period of time over this whole situation.

Whether it was a protective bond from him being your bodyguard, a friendship bond from spending time together outside of work, or anything of the sort, it was real. And it mattered here.

There's something there, and Levi could really see it the moment you turned away from Erwin to look at him. At that moment, Levi decided that there was nothing left to say to Erwin and that only time will tell now.

His smirk grew and uncrossed his arms from his chest and turned away from Erwin, to head towards the door. But just as his hand wrapped around the handle, he paused and turned his body halfway, glancing back over his shoulder to be able to address Erwin one last time.

"Speak for yourself," He said, finally opening the balcony door, stepping back into your apartment and leaving a very bewildered yet very assertive towards what was to come.

He wasn't discouraged, and Levi's words only ensured that. Erwin's resolve has only strengthened if anything. This would not be what deterred him.

After that, you blinked yourself out of the memory and lightly cleared your throat as you adjusted yourself in your seat.

You turned your head back to your computer screen that was slowly lowering its brightness from you leaving it unattended, but you came back to your senses, dragged your fingers across the course and your screen lit up again, coming back to life.

You took a deep breath and crossed your arms in front of you, squinting your eyes at what was in front of you on your computer screen.

Jean had forwarded to you the progress he, Connie and Sasha had made on their pitch, which is what you were looking at right now.

They had come up with a couple ideas for the image of how the next product collection would look like, and they narrowed it down to two possible logos that they thought would fit best and that you would like too.

One was more minimalist than the other, but it still had its charm. The other option given was more eye-catching and alluring.

It was a hard choice and your pupils darted back and forth on the screen as both logos seemed to be yelling at you to pick whichever, because this was arguably one of the easiest parts of this campaign yet it could also make or break what catches people's attention and would make them buy it. But you can't pick.

You can't focus on a single thing no matter what you do. You hated that this was coming in between your work now and you couldn't even do this. It usually comes naturally to you, but today? Looking at these logos? Your mind was blank.

You let out a deep sigh, that made Hange perk up and slightly raise their head from their tablet to look at you with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing nonetheless, continuing to work.

You continued to drag your fingers across your computer's courser, and when you felt your hand brush against the edge of your laptop, you suddenly became aware of yet another reminder of everything that's transpired. You looked down and saw the bandage wrapped around half of your right hand.

You got a slight burn from gripping onto the cloth that you were hanging from the night before with so much pressure, so now you have a medium sized bandage around half of the palm of your hand. It was noticeable, anybody could see it.

You were sure Hange knew it from the moment they saw you, but hasn't commented on it either. You curled your fingers into the palm of your hand and the tips of them brushed against the bandaged lightly.

You continued to look down at your hand with a far-off look in your eye that was starting to concern hange. You looked like you were in a trance or something.

"Should I be concerned that you've been staring at your computer for the past 10 minutes and I haven't seen you move a muscle?" Hange decided to chime in and your head shot up at the sound of their voice.

Your eyes widened and then you composed yourself, clearing your throat and adjusting yourself in your seat. "Sorry," You muttered, sending your assistant a weak smile their way as a way to convince them that you were just fine, but Hange didn't buy it.

Their frown grew the more they observed how detached and distant you seemed to be and they fought the urge to interrogate you right then and there, not being able to be okay with themselves if they continued to just sit back and watch you crumble in front of them in real time.

There was a certain emptiness behind your eyes that made Hange believe you were genuinely seeing your life flash in front of you.

They didn't know what else they could possibly say to start to intervene from the hell that seemed to be flashing through your eyes these days, because they wanted to help.

They couldn't take standing by the sidelines anymore just because they wanted to keep professionalism. You're their friend, more than just a coworker.

But it keeps frustrating Hange to no end that, once again, they mustered up the courage to finally say something but the moment they opened their mouth, you sighed and straightened up in your chair while you steered your chair to get closer to your bigger monitor, cutting Hange off.

All of that courage dissipated in a second and Hange felt themselves sink back into their chair as they bit back any words they had.

You put your hand on your mouse and started to drag your cursor across the screen and revisit old tabs. "I think I know how we can choose which logo would best fit the image of our collection," You said, and Hange's eyebrows nearly shot up above their glasses as disbelief crossed across their features.

There you were again; avoiding any chance to talk about what's going on with you. With the efficiency and expertise of any successful CEO like yourself "We can decide based on the response that we get from our own employee's inside the company, and also public opinion. Get the perspective of those who are going to be buying the products themselves, maybe even loyal investors and clients," You explained and Hange's mouth had dropped agape, and they nodded numbly.

This wasn't their time to intervene, even if they wanted to so badly. As much as they hated to have to hold back, Hange knew they needed to find the right time and now clearly wasn't it.

Although, they swore they wouldn't let more time pass until they did and attempted to get through to you. Time was not a luxury anymore. Not when something eerie seemed to be brewing beneath all of this.

"Yeah, sure... that sounds good," Hange muttered, already burying themselves back into the work on their tablet all while their mind ran rampant. Their thoughts were so loud that they could've sworn you knew exactly what they were thinking but were pretending not to know.

Could you actually tell? Were they making it obvious? What were you thinking? It was driving them insane. Why won't you just let them in? Have you confide in anyone else? They couldn't stop thinking about just how far the secrets behind that look in your eyes went.

Is there truly anything they could do and if not, were they just kidding themselves thinking they could help? Seeing you brush off something that seems to run so deep left a harsh wound on Hange's conscience that they couldn't brush off either. But they had to.

Hange was also not the only one who had eyes on you in that very moment, from outside your office and through the glass of your wall, Levi was sitting in a vacant desk with the rest of your employee's as they all worked diligently.

But while they worked, Levi sat with a clear view of your office, watching you behind the glass; hunched at your desk, typing away, and fingers moving as you scrolled, while Hange sat in front of you and worked on her tablet as well, occasionally sending visibly concerned glances whenever you weren't looking.

The blinds were also wide open, giving him a painful, front row seat. He could look away, but he couldn't. Not even if he tried. He could see through you.

Levi could see that you were working every second you could to stop yourself from falling apart, and he knew he had some fault in that. So did Erwin.

Last night was rough, and even as Levi thought that, he knew himself that it was an understatement. He couldn't think of a more appropriate way to describe it.

Your body language told Levi everything he needed to know. His sharp, steel eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest.

He watched your movements as you worked on your computer; your shoulders were rigid, eyes unfocused at times and flickering with uncertainty that you hoped nobody noticed, and the more he saw how high you were holding yourself up, the more Levi's jaw tightened and clenched at the sight.

Yesterday had been another scar added to the many others he knows you already have, and he'd been so close to not having been able to reach you in time, but now he was also responsible for yet another decision you had to make.

And for that? You hadn't looked at him once since he picked you up that morning, not even a glance, not a word, and not even through the glass since you locked yourself in your office. It stung Levi.

It made his insides churn and he hated it. You had this vacant gaze that Levi felt like he knew all too well. He didn't want that for you.

How could this possibly be a debate for you? This shouldn't be a hard decision. He wished you could see that there was no way that Erwin could be someone useful through all of this.

Despite you having known for as long as you have, Levi knows and is certain that everything that's transpired should tell you that should be the one person that could help you get through this.

Not only that, but you two had a deal. The one thing that has kept you two stuck through thick and thin this entire time. Was it possible you knew that too and you just didn't want to let Erwin down?

Was it possible you just didn't know how to let either of them down? You introduced the idea of marriage at the memorial weeks ago, so now that Levi was finally on board because he knows the stakes are rising, it should be a no-brainer, right? It's not a hard decision.

It took him a while to get to his senses but the only way to protect you, by showing the world and the person who wants to kill you who's still out there that you weren't alone or defenseless as you appeared to be because clearly having a bodyguard wasn't enough.

It was also a way to protect his tattoo, to keep it close. He could see it now. If you were married, he'd be with you constantly, at close quarters. More than he was before.

No more going home and wondering if you were still alive by morning, if you were safe and his powers were gone with you. He could use his powers more often. This would be a win-win for both of you.

It'd make no sense if you picked Erwin. Levi could protect you, live beside you, since you both had something going that benefits you both. Erwin wouldn't benefit, he couldn't offer any of that. He just had a point to prove and that was it.

It's not what you needed. But still...you hadn't said yes. And Levi hated what that meant. He hated how it made him feel.

"Tch," Levi scoffed, falling back against his chair as he tightened his arms over his chest and tapped his fingers against his arms. The more he looked at you, the more he wondered how you could be weighing him over Erwin.

"This is ridiculous. This shouldn't be that hard of a choice," He mumbled, looking away and then something else eventually ended up catching his attention. There was a stack of newspapers set on a nearby desk and Levi ultimately decided that was the only way to distract himself for the meantime.

But the moment he reached over for one, he forced down a groan when he saw who was on the front page. He couldn't even avoid this even if he wanted to, could he?

There he was. Erwin on the front page of the newspaper. A picture of the blond sitting with oozing confidence and authority that Levi could feel from looking at the picture alone.

His blond hair was combed neatly, he was sitting on his desk with his hands joined together and with a stern expression. 'A young leader. CEO of Eldia Investments, Erwin Smith', the headline read, in bold letters.

It was like the universe was trying to rub it in his face at this point. Levi got fed up and simply slammed the newspaper down on the desk and shoved it away. He didn't know how to describe what he was feeling? Did he feel threatened? No, that can't be it. Over Erwin? No way.

What is this situation doing to him? To his psyche? To his thought process? He doesn't understand and the more time passed without an answer from you, the more he wondered if he could just walk up to you and ask what's holding you back. All he's doing now is losing more and more perspective on what mattered.

Levi couldn't even think about what to do next because began to feel the desk buzz a little and then looked down at his phone to see that he was getting a call and his phone was vibrating as if begging to be answered.

He leaned forward to see who was calling him, and when he did, he raised an eyebrow. He sighed, reaching over, picking his phone up and tapping on the screen to answer.

He put the phone up to his ear and leaned back into his chair again. "What's up?" He said with exasperation still laced in his voice from just a couple moments ago, not from the person he knew was on the other line.

"Don't make it obvious, but let's rendezvous downstairs. I'll meet you there," Onyankopon whispered through the phone and Levi immediately felt the need to roll his eyes.

He should be used to his assistant's theatrics but unfortunately, it's been years and that still wasn't the case. "What the hell are you talking about? Where are you?" Levi said, already feeling like he had eyes on him but he just didn't know from where.

Instead, he just waited for a response and did not turn around just yet. "Look behind you," Onyankopon continued to whisper, and Levi furrowed his eyebrows and slowly turned his head back.

And there he was. Onyankopon peeking from behind a pillar with a hat and dark glasses. What was the point of that? The people in this office know what he looks like, they all know who he is.

What was the point of the costume and hiding? Levi didn't even want to continue to question it. He was holding up a plastic bag that had a familiar restaurant logo on it.

He'd gotten food for both of them for lunch. That was when Levi pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at the time. It was indeed time for lunch.

He supposed it wouldn't hurt to leave the office for a bit to have lunch. As much as he knew he needed to stay somewhere where he can keep an eye on you, he also needed a break for a couple minutes where he could be distracted from his own thoughts, and Onyankopon gave him the perfect opportunity.

Besides, he wouldn't go very far. That he knew for sure. He'd take this as his contract-abiding lunch break.

"I'll meet you in the lobby," Was the only thing that Levi said before he pulled his phone away from his ear and hung up.

He could faintly hear small cheers behind him and he knew they were from Onyankopon, and Levi shook his head as an amused smile crossed his lips.

He could hear footsteps scurrying farther away and Levi started to stand up from the desk chair he was in, and with one last glance at you, he could see that you were the same as you were before.

Working, focused. He'd be back. He told himself that. He knew he had to be more careful about how much time apart he spent from you, because he knew he had to prove how capable he was to take this deal to the next level. Levi knew how dangerous it was how even just a little distance could be right now.

And before he knew it, Levi was sitting down in front of Onyankopon down at the lobby, watching intently as his assistant in front of him unveiled the food from the inside of the bag.

Onyankopon was humming a happy tune to himself all while Levi sat back against the chair, starting to slowly look elsewhere, deep in thought. What were you doing now? Did you leave your office?

Should he go back up? He's only been sitting down here a couple minutes but it's already felt like an eternity. Now, aside from lunch, he knows there's a reason that Onyankopon wanted to have this get together.

It was always deeper than 'just lunch' with his assistant. "Why don't we go back up and have lunch at the office?" Levi inquired, already regretting suggesting both of them head down here.

But Onyankopon shook his head fervently with denial and Levi raised an eyebrow at the sudden apprehensiveness his assistant was showing suddenly.

"I'd rather not," He said simply and Levi adjusted his body so that his leg was on top of the other and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why?" Levi pressed, watching as Onyankopon continued to lay out the food in front of both of them.

He let out a sigh just at the memory that crawled into his brain but proceeded to explain anyway. "Well, you do remember what happened the last time I went into the office, right? I got body-slammed to the ground by Y/n's assistant. I'd prefer not to relive that, I still have nightmares from that," Onyankopon said, nearly shivering with fright at the memory.

He knows it'll be a while until he lives down the embarrassment, and the soreness that came with it too.

Levi raised a hand to run it back through his hair, then letting his dark locks fall back into place, observing his assistant carefully, staring at him for a beat before he decided to refute his logic.

"Are you shocked? You showed up with a motorcycle helmet. Face completely hidden. With how things are now, you brought that on yourself," Levi said and Onyankopon stopped what he was doing to look at his boss with indignation at the insinuation.

He nearly scoffed and then resumed preparing the setup of food in front of both of them. "Wow, thanks for the understanding. Still, I'm not taking any chances. I can still feel my neck hurting from that.

Who knows what they'll do to me next time they see me. Might even throw me out the window," Onyankopon said defensively.  Levi's eyebrows furrowed, lightly shaking his head. There was no changing his mind, was there?

As much as he wanted to head back up, he couldn't just leave like that and have Onyankopon down here. He went through all this trouble to get this food after all.

"They know who you are now. The most you'll get is a look from them that says they'll knock you into next week if they wanted to," Levi pointed out, seeing that Onyankopon was nearly done taking every out from the bag.

His assistant shook his head in disbelief and looked up at Levi from what he was doing. "And that's minor to you? Forget it, we're staying here," Onyankopon said, deciding for the both of them, even if Levi had already resigned himself to stay here, even he knows deep down he can't stay a full lunch hour down here.

"You're exaggerating," Levi exhaled, realizing that all the food was finally set up.

"Anyway, the food's ready. Let's eat," Onyankopon smiled, clapping his hands together while Levi shook his head a faint smirk crossed his features.

He leaned forward to inspect the spread of food in front of him. It was a selection of bento boxes filled with sandwiches of different varieties, another with meat accompanied with vegetables and another separate one that had fruits like meticulously cut up strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, grapes, and so on.

Levi was starting to wonder if Onyankopon made this or if it came from a restaurant. The bag with the logo threw him off, but he supposes it doesn't really matter where it came from.

It looks good all the same. He didn't realize how hungry he was the longer he looked at the food displayed in front of him with so much meticulous detail.

But Onyankopon was quick to answer his thoughts quickly enough. "Prepared by yours truly. With much love, for my boss. It's okay, you can cry in front of me," Onyankopon smiled proudly, chuckling to himself and hoping that would make his stone-cold boss crack a smile, but Levi only deadpanned at his assistant.

"I'm starting to wonder what your intentions are here," Levi joked, making Onyankopon shake his head with a smile. That's the best he'll get out of him, the closest thing he'll get to a compliment, and that was more than enough.

But from the sudden knitting of Levi's eyebrows, his whole expression shifting, Onyankopon knew there were questions brewing in his head.

"I still don't know why you're here. You never make random visits like this when I'm out of the Scouts Foundation," Levi said, eyeing Onyankopon. His voice was low and suspicious as he leaned back into his chair.

His eyes were locked onto Onyankopon, narrowed and unmoving. "And I'd think you wouldn't come back here after what happened last time you were here," He said, and Onyankopon lightly grimaced just at his boss bringing up what he'd said just minutes ago that he wanted to forget.

"Yeah, um-" Onyankopon opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, raising a hand to rub the top of his head, trying to play it off, but Levi was seeing right through him. Easily.

"Let me guess. Petra sent you?" Levi said, already being able to read past his assistant's hesitation. But Onyankopon's eyes widened and shook his head quickly. Too quickly.

"What? No," He said with an urgency that told Levi everything he needed to know. "I came out of my own volition. Can't I visit my boss with nothing but good intentions and a bag of food?" He said, and Levi simply stared at him blankly at unimpressed as his chest rose and fell with exasperation.

He knew that this wasn't 'just lunch' and there was something more to this. "You can. I just don't believe it," Levi said bluntly, point-blank.

He didn't want an unspoken conversation to be clouded over by a cover that's being disguised as something that it wasn't. Like the lunch in front of him.

"Well, you should," Onyankopon replied, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest, like Levi, with mock offense. "I have nothing to hide," He assured, but Levi still wasn't buying it.

He knew that Onyankopon had something say and was concealing it with the food in front of both of them. "Onyankopon." Levi said flatly, his tone calling the bluff clear as day.

He could be up in the office with you and instead he was here, not even having lunch yet, but wasting time trying to get Onyankopon to admit why he was here.

After that, a beat passed where Levi watched as his assistant slowly crumbled under the pressure of Levi's glare, and then, finally deflated slightly, groaning as he rolled his eyes, and throwing his head back in defeat.

"Okay, fine! You just- Look, last night, you just bolted during her rehearsal and stayed out all night. Petra was just...concerned," Onyankopon explained, still deflated.

"I don't think 'concerned' is the right word," Levi mumbled, and Onyankopon shrugged, rubbing his arm up and down. "Well, that's the truth," He insisted, holding his ground even if there was no point in trying to deny it anymore.

"Petra was- I mean, we were just worried sick. We didn't hear back from you at all after you stormed out," He said, and Levi rubbed the side of his jaw as he exhaled through his nose.

He could tell this wasn't just idle curiosity from his assistant, and it was actual concern. Still, it didn't mean he liked to play games and be cornered, being forced to pick at straws for someone to be honest.

"Might as well embrace the spy title now," He muttered under his breath.

Onyankopon could sense the air in the conversation begin to feel a little more serious and he frowned. "Why would you bolt like that? You took off as if you realized you left your tea steeping too long or something," Onyankopon said but Levi shot him a flat look.

"First of all, that's insulting. I never steep my tea longer than I need to. And second of all..." Levi paused, biting back the words he wanted to say as he felt all the memories from the night before come back to him in flashes, as a flurry of images meant to wear him down.

He glanced away for a moment before returning his gaze to his assistant. "I had to get to Y/n," Levi said it was it was, because there was no other way to put it.

Onyankopon blinked, not knowing what Levi meant by that. Did something happen to you? "What? Why?" He asked, and Levi's head lowered as his expression darkened and his jaw clenched.

It was hard enough to process it last night but remembering it feels just as difficult. "That assassin got to her. If I hadn't made it in time-" He said, but stopped himself, just because he couldn't even bring himself to think of that possibility.

He doesn't want to think about what it would've been like if he'd been there too late and he'd failed you. He hesitated, long enough for the implication of what happened to really land.

"She really could've died last night," Levi said, voice low and slightly hoarse all of a sudden, which he didn't mean to allow, but it's a natural response from him.

Part of him still didn't believe he allowed it to happen in the first place and shame creeped up on him. Not to mention your screams, still fresh in his brain, replayed over and over again.

It made his hand start to clench subconsciously without meaning to. A physical reflex to what happened. The words hit Onyankopon like a gut punch.

His eyes went wide, the smile was wiped off his face and then his eyebrows shot up dramatically, and his mouth parted, but no sound came out.

"Oh my God. Are you serious?" He whisper-shouted, leaning forward from his chair. Levi gave a slow and deliberate nod to that statement to confirm

"Dead serious. Why would I joke about that?" Levi said, and Onyankopon sat back again as he let out a huff of disbelief. The weight of his boss' words were settled in between them like some sort of wall, heavy and unmoving.

He sat there froze, mouth slightly ajar as he looked elsewhere and looked at Levi with an expression that begged for more information. "Well- Why didn't you tell us when you left? We could've-" Onyankopon started, but Levi's face immediately twisted with denial and shook his head, raising his hand up to stop his assistant from saying anything else.

"Stop that right now. You couldn't have done anything. You both would've slowed me down, if anything. I barely made it in time to save her all by myself," Levi cut in gently, but with firmness at the same time.

He was being honest about what it was like to race against time like that. He didn't want to feel like that ever again, so he'd rather not think about the 'what if's' anymore like he's been doing constantly since the night before.

"It happened fast. Too fast. Trust me, there wasn't time to involve anybody else. I also didn't want to involve anyone else. She was overwhelmed enough," He said, rubbing his temple gently, as his eyes cast downward and his hair acted as a curtain for the pain his eyes were carrying.

"It was just...so close. Too damn close," He said quietly and Onyankopon was silent. The air then continued to thicken with unsaid things that Levi refused to relive all over.

Onyankopon was continuing to try and make a sense of what he was hearing and trying to put two and two together.

"You said the assassin. It was the same guy?" He asked, not being too sure if that was a stupid question to ask or not, and almost afraid of what the answer would be even if he knew deep down.

Levi refused to make eye contact with Onyankopon, but answered nonetheless. "Yeah. It's the same guy we've been after since the beginning," Levi said, and Onyankopon looked even more perplexed than before.

"And you're absolutely sure it's him? What made you doubt that before?" He asked, becoming more and more invested with every second that passed. The more Levi explained, the more it made sense why he left as suddenly as he had.

"He's more strategic than we thought. There's a reason why my powers never worked to track him down, because the face I saw once had already changed by the time I tried to get to him," Levi explained and in Onyankopon's face, something visibly clicked in that moment as he realized what this was about.

"Wait, so...he's changing how he looks?" Onyankopon said, and when Levi nodded in confirmation, he visibly paled and froze midway through reaching towards one of the sandwiches on the bento boxes.

The food in front of them had sat untouched now, and both of them were simply too caught up in the conversation to eat anything. Onyankopon rested his elbows on his knees and exhaled as he ran both of his hands back and forth on his head.

The silence was only encouraging the voices inside of Levi's head to say everything that he was thinking, despite it being extremely out of character.

He feels the situation right now called for it, and he could have a pass to not hold back on his theories anymore. Because while he didn't want to dump all of this on you more than it already has, he knows Onyankopon won't judge him for it.

So he let Onyankopon in on what he was thinking. At least a fraction of it. "The only good thing that came out of this whole shitshow is that we realized that the reason we haven't been able to catch that psycho is because he changes his face. That's it. Like a shapeshifter, almost," Levi started to rapid-fire, and Onyankopon's head began to hurt with the barrage of information that was being thrown his way without warning.

He even tried to open his mouth to speak, but Levi was quick to cut him off. "Except it's all disguises. Different voice, prosthetics, posture. Everything. It's the only explanation as to how he's been going around unnoticed," Levi started and Onyankopon sat there with his head spinning as he scrunched his eyes closed, shook his head and blinked a couple times as he tried to gather what his boss was telling him in.

He could hear all of it but none of it was registering. This conversation isn't registering. "Wait, back up-" Onyankopon started, trying to get Levi to slow down for a second but his words went unnoticed because Levi decide to drop a grenade between them that made Onyankopon himself wonder if he was in some sort of simulation.

"Oh, and I proposed to her," Levi concluded casually, saying it as if it was a business update or a small detail he left behind, and Onyankopon's mouth dropped open.

He could barely process what Levi said three sentences ago. When did this conversation transition into what it's become?

Out of all the things that he thought that Levi would say to him in that moment, that was not on the list. In fact, it wasn't even on the list of things he thought he'd hear.

"You- what?!" Onyankopon questioned loudly as he suddenly felt his entire body go rigid at what he heard. And Levi?

He already felt countless people suddenly stare at both of them at the volume in his assistant's voice, that he had to silently raise a finger to his lips to indicate Onyankopon that he needed to lower his voice.

Nobody else needed to know about this until it was settled. "Please don't make me say it again. And please keep your voice down," Levi grumbled, knowing that just saying it once wouldn't be enough and it wouldn't matter if he wanted to or not, Onyankopon would press for more.

His assistant was utterly and completely dumbfounded. He just shook his head and proceeded to quickly scoot forward to the edge of the chair.

"Well, I'm going to need you to say it again, because- oh wow. So...you proposed. To Y/n. Last night. After rejecting her," Onyankopon recited as his voice started to climb by the scond, but he stopped for a second to stare at his boss to see if what he was hearing was really true.

It just didn't sound like it at all, especially after everything Levi has told him that has happened over nearly the past month. After an attempted murder of a face-changing assassin.

"And you're just saying all of this with a straight face," Onyankopon concluded and Levi leaned forward in his chair with his forearms on his knees as he looked at his assistance with as much seriousness as it was needed for him to believe it.

"How else should I say it? I'm telling it how it is. I can't simplify this. You have no idea how complicated this has become," Levi said, watching intently as Onyankopon finally reached for one of the sandwiches and bit into one with a sigh through his nose.

He chewed for a few seconds and waved around the sandwich for a couple seconds a prelude for what he was about to say. "Oh, I bet it is. You are just unhinged, Levi. Weren't you the one that rejected her first when she proposed?" Onyankopon brought up, and just from hearing that, Levi turned his head away and fell back in his chair with a 'thump', continuing to avoid eye contact.

That small, but very important detail, keeps coming back to him no matter how hard he tries to push it away, but he supposes he should have expected it.

He should've expected that to be something that was brought up eventually, but that doesn't mean he likes to hear it.

"That's not important," Levi muttered, but Onyankopon snorted and shook his head a smile crawled on his face from ear to ear at the irony. "I'd say it is," Onyankopon said in a sung tone, showing how amused he really was by the situation.

Levi glared just as his assistant took another bite of his sandwich and continued to giggle to himself. "It's not. You don't know what you're talking about," Levi said sternly, trying to divert the conversation to something else but he was failing miserably at pretending that this wasn't as big of a deal as he was making it out to be.

But the truth is, the moment he said he proposed, he lost all rights to sweep this under the rug. Onyankopon continued to eat and pointed his sandwich at his boss and looked at him in the eye.

"Seems pretty clear to me.'Eldia Group heir turned down at the speed of light'. Sound familiar?" Onyankopon chuckled and Levi glared.

Now that he was actively putting himself more and more into this, especially now that he proposed when he'd rejected you before at the memorial, he can see where your panic from before was coming from when that article was published.

It was starting to make a lot more sense now that he put himself in the mix instead of keeping things one-dimensional like before, when he just wanted to stay your bodyguard and not your husband for the public to see.

"Please, stop," Levi said seriously, and that was enough for Onyankopon to raise his hands up in defense, knowing not to push Levi's buttons too far on this. This was a real situation after all, and not just for laughs and giggles.

"Okay, fine. I hear you. But what did she even say? Did she say anything at all? Weren't you also the one who said that you'd never marry a human? What happened to that? Oh, I have so many questions. " Onyankopon said as he ate the last of his sandwich, and Levi sensed his assistant's tone, showing that he was actually curious now and wanted to know more instead of just reveling in the irony of the situation.

Levi bit the inside of his cheek as he once again remembered the events of the night before, that he feels like he's done for the hundredth time today already. "I can tell," Levi muttered under his breath. Everything's he's said before this is coming back to bite him in the ass.

Is there any way he can spin this or play this off another way? To buy himself more time. At least until he knows for sure how this will go.

He needs to be careful and not say anything that will come back to him again like it is now, at least until he has an answer from you and he knows what to expect. One wrong word and it could come back to haunt him.

"Well, it'd be weird for me hold a married woman's all the time," Levi joked, but only the on the surface. His tone was flat and his eyes were serious. Disguised as a quip.

Because if he had let Erwin proposed, you'd say yes out of desperation, or lack of better options. What then? He'd still be the one holding your wrist every day, tied to something neither of you have told anyone else. That's what he's playing it off as, and it's what he's hiding behind and what it all comes back to.

His powers, his tattoo, and the agreement both of you have. That's what justified the proposal, at least in Levi's head. Before last night, he didn't get how much sense was behind your impulsive proposal at the memorial had made, even if it was in the heat of the moment.

Not until he'd stood in the dark, with his heart pounding nearly out of his chest, trying to get to you and wondering if you were already gone and that he was already too late, and not just because your tattoo was with him.

In that moment, your logic snapped into place and he saw it. It's a strategic move from Levi to fulfill his part of the deal and keep you and his tattoo safe, all the time and not just from the mornings he picks you up until the nights he drops you off.

Those gaps where he doesn't know what's happening and it drives him up the wall. The late nights, early mornings; when he wasn't by your side.

That's when he realized with a sickening weight, that you'd had something down that he hadn't. That both of you needed each other around the clock.

Racing towards you and not knowing if you were okay was hell and in that moment, he saw your logic. He wasn't there with you last night and he regretted it every second.

Of course, part of him still clings to the excuse of strategy, about duty, and responsibility. The idea that all of this was just about mutual safety.

About control. The other part? The one that keeps him up at night, the one that makes his blood run cold when he heard you scream. It's...a part that was a lot hard to explain.

It's the part that's drawn to you in a way he can't put into words no matter how hard he tries, even though he really wants to. He hates the idea of anyone else other than him stepping in the way he failed to before.

That can't stand the thought of someone like Erwin, who's intentions might seem noble on the outside, can be who wouldn't be able to handle what was coming and would stand between you and danger.

Levi is not ready to admit that. Not to you, not to Onyankopon, and maybe not even to himself. The version of him that tells himself it's only about his powers and the deal is the one he can live with. 

That was it. At least Levi thinks it is. He knows this goes to depths so deep that he can't even comprehend yet. He doesn't know if he can.

"Damn. Since when are you so moral?" Onyankopon asked, watching as Levi reached for one of the fruits on the bento boxes, squinting at him with mock suspicion as he reached for a grape too. Levi didn't even blink as he put a blueberry in his mouth.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," He said and Onyankopon scoffed and grabbed a strawberry once he swallowed his grape. This conversation has already taken so many twists and turns that Onyankopon doesn't know where it'll go.

"Could've fooled me, you know? I mean- who know you'd be a married demon. You used to make me scrub the office for five hours straight just for joking about something like that." He paused, his chewing slowing down as a sudden realization dawned on him as his eyes widened and face paled while he fell back into his chair.

"Oh- Wait..." He said dramatically, or at least that's what it looked like to Levi.

Levi's eyes narrowed as his eyebrows pinched together at his assistant's actions in front of him. "What is it now?" He asked, not knowing what this was about now.

Onyankopon then leaned forward, knees hitting the edge of the table and he looked like he was about to start sweating from panic. "You do realize what will happen once Petra finds out? It doesn't help she's not very fond of Y/n. This is just disaster waiting to happen," Onyankopon said in a panicked whisper and with so much intensity but was only met with Levi staring blankly at him.Unbothered and calm.

"That's it? I thought you were having an aneurysm," Levi said as he casually  reached over for a strawberry on the table. Onyankopon threw his head back with a groan at Levi's words.

He was not taking this seriously at all. If he didn't, that meant Onyankopon had to deal with it. And that's not something he wanted to do. At all.

"This doesn't concern you? You're downplaying this way too much," Onyankopon continued to try and get Levi to see how serious this was.

Levi knows Petra, and it was either he knew how she'd react and just didn't care, or he just didn't believe she'll react negatively. "If anything, I don't think I'm downplaying it enough," He replied coolly, only sending his assistant into more of a spiral than before.

Onyankopon shook his head as a dramatic sigh escaped him and to soothe his nerves, he grabbed yet another grape and pointed at Levi accusingly. "You don't know your own power Levi. You'll be breaking the hearts of many, I'm telling you," He said and Levi tilted his head to the side slightly, completely unimpressed.

He had other things to think about than how Petra will take this. He'd rather put his focus elsewhere when it comes to this.

He'd already run through that scenario in his head. He just didn't care, at least not right now. Not when your silence hurt more than Petra ever could.

"They'll live. She will too," Levi said, and at last, Onyankopon raised his hands in surrender and gave his boss a 'I warned you' look. There was nothing he could do now to make Levi see this any differently.

"Fine, don't believe me. Become public enemy number one," Onyankopon said, but Levi stared at his assistant. He didn't answer.

He just slowly reached for one of the fruits boxes  and grabbed a grape, with the only hint of emotion he'll show from the end of this conversation being the faintest twitch in the corner of his mouth.

But in the back of his mind, he knows that's doing the right thing too late. He wants to fix this, even if you don't want to see past his mistakes. He'll continue to try.

-