-

Back at the office, everyone was still hard at work, including you. And since you were so busy in your office working on your own deadlines while also occasionally talking to Hange, many of your employees were starting to wish the lunch hour could come quicker.

Even if Levi and Onyankopon headed down to eat, the office mandated lunch hour was in about 30 minutes or so and everyone waiting until that moment came.

Everyone was trying to pass time the best way they knew how; by continuing to do their work until the clock struck the lunch hour, others were spaced out, and as for Sasha, she decided to once again bring out her trusty tarot cards that she feels she's been getting better at reading if she does say so herself.

It's entertaining, helps pass time, and it's her version of reading the horoscope and such.

She likes to imagine what her future will look like, whether its something as simple as planning what she'll eat for lunch next, what her social life will look like, or what the future held in store for her.

Now, she had her set of cards set out in front of her, preparing to fan them out. With a thoughtful sigh, she took a sip of her coffee and then set the mug down tentatively, putting her hand on top of her cards.

"What should I focus on?" She pondered boredly out loud as she began to them all out in front of her. Her social life? Her career? Love life? Even if her relationship with Niccolo was already great. Hell, even her next meal? The possibilities were endless.

This was just for fun after all, too. Nothing too serious. It's not like this was a crystal ball or something.

"Today is my lucky day. I can feel it," She giggled quietly to herself and hoped she'd get something good for her fortune.

Once she spread them out in front of her, she sat back in her chair and put her hands on her face, tapping the tips of her fingers against her cheeks while inspecting the cards.

They were all upside down and she had no idea what was beneath them. After a couple seconds, she finally tore a hand from her face and started reaching over towards the spread of cards, and without second guessing, she put a finger on top of a random one in the middle of the spread.

She exhaled happily and sat up properly, adjusting herself in her seat with anticipation. She slowly pulled the card away from the table, and with one quick swoop, she turned it around and her smile was wiped from her face.

'The Hermit' card? That's not what she wanted. Not what she needed either, at least that's what she thought.

She held back a groan of frustration as she put the card back int the pile and started to shuffle the cards all over again on her desk, pretending she never got it. She doesn't even want to know if that was her fate or someone else's-.

"Dang it. It's okay, I can pick again. That was a practice round," She said to herself as she finished shuffling them and spread them out again. She exhaled as she narrowed her eyes in concentration, putting her hands over her mouth in contemplation.

From afar in his desk, Jean could hear his friend and what she was doing. He turned his head for a moment and chuckled to himself witnessing how torn Sasha was at choosing what card to go for next.

He shook his head with a knowing smile and went back to the spreadsheet in front of him, still hearing Sasha's quips and comments here and there.

Sasha, at last, lunged for a card and turned it over just as quickly. But she was still just as disappointed. She looked down at the card and saw, yet again, 'The Hermit'. She fell back against her chair as she pouted and put a hand in her hair.

"Not again," She said to herself quietly, and she was caught up with her own disappointment, she failed to notice the presence that sat next to her and decided to chime in.

"Is the hermit really that bad of a card?" The voice said, and Sasha nodded slowly as she set down the card again and still refused to take a look at her side to see was beside her, simply because she was continuing to wallow in her results.

How does this card remotely apply to her life? This card is all about looking within, introspection, withdrawal, solitude and the search for inner truth. How does that have anything to do with her?

"Obviously," She said, still not realizing that there was someone beside her and that she was talking to someone who wasn't there before.

"It has no use to me whatsoever. I was hoping for another one-" She continued, but cut herself off and froze when she finally recognized the voice next to her.

Her entire face paled and she slowly turned her head to see none other than her own boss staring at her with a smile. But it was a practiced smile, that didn't quite reach your eyes. It was a professional smile, but also one that meant nothing good.

Sasha began to rush to fix herself up; her hair, her clothes, and posture, all while she smiled and laughed nervously.

"Oh, Ms. Y/n. You scared me. You- You weren't there a second ago," She said truthfully as she chuckled, still looking like a deer in headlights. Not being able to make eye contact with her own boss.

Your unreadable smile was unsettling and she didn't know what she was in for now, being caught slacking after all.

Sasha has done this plenty of times before to the point she thought you were aware of it and let it slide, but what if you hadn't and this was the first time. Your smile was a 'we need to talk' smile.

A few moments of excruciating silence from you was enough for Sasha's soul leave her body on its own until the moment you stood up slowly from the chair you were in.

"Please come see me at my office, Sasha," You said with an oozing calmness, but your words made Sasha's blood drain from her face entirely as the office began to snicker to themselves, given as they were eavesdropping on the whole thing.

It was hard not to ignore their boss do something like that, such as sneaking up on an employee. They couldn't just look away. Sasha watched as you walked away and went back into your office and the brunette slumped back against her chair with defeat.

Connie leaned over from his desk and snickered at his friends. "Oh, you're in for it now, Sasha" He said, causing the brunette to turn his head to look at his friend, glaring daggers at him.

She was spiraling at what was awaiting her in that office, and Connie found it hilarious. After all the tension just oozing from you the moment you came into the office that morning, Sasha had a feeling nothing good was coming of this and anything could set you off. She was sure this was what did the trick.

"I hate you," She muttered, then turning her head towards her tawny-haired who had a barely suppressed smile on his face. She deadpanned, continuing to stall going into that office even if she knew that she was going to have to eventually.

"Jean. Why didn't you say she was right there?" Sasha whisper-shouted as she stared accusingly at her friend, but Jean only chuckled and shrugged as he kept his focus on his computer.

"Well, that's no fun," He said and Sasha huffed, narrowing her eyes at him, before standing up and finally walking over to the office.

Each of her steps felt heavier and louder than the other, not knowing what was awaiting her. And she hated every bit of it.

Just when she was standing outside of your office, with her hands clenched and with her shoulders drawn up with unmeasurable, not to mention her heartbeat drumming in her ears like lightning strikes.

With one final breath, she finally raised a hand, knocked sheepishly on your door and then hesitantly opened the door after a couple seconds.

"You wanted to see me, Ms. Y/n?" She asked, peeking her head inside the room. You were seated at one of the couches in your office's seating area, calm and composed, with your hands on your lap.

Your demeanor was throwing Sasha off. She was expecting to feel the air to feel thick in the room with unspoken words and displeasure, but Sasha didn't sense anything like that. It felt...okay.

But she was still keeping her guard up. You gestured towards the space next to you on the couch for Sasha to go to.

The brunette definitely thought this would be a desk-sitting kind of conversation, but it looks like she was wrong. "Yes. Please, sit down Sasha," You said calmly. Sasha could've sworn she saw your lips twitch into a smile.

Sasha tucked a strand behind her hair as she did as told and started to walk over to the couch. She was getting more nervous by the second and the more time passed, the more she felt the urge to blurt out the thoughts running through her head just so she doesn't have to take any chances about what this could be about.

Once Sasha slowly sat down in the plush fabric of your office's couch, you didn't waste any time in getting right into business about what you wanted to talk about with your employee.

You sighed as your gentle smile became more noticeable, but Sasha perceived it as a pity smile, a smile begging for understanding, as if you were afraid to say something world-ending to her.

But that wasn't the case at all, and Sasha didn't see it that way and her fears were taking over, creating a reality that wasn't there at all.

Her paranoia was getting the best of her that she didn't let you get a word in. "Okay. We need to talk-" You began gently, buy Sasha couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm really, really sorry!" Sasha exploded before you could even finish your sentence, stunning you for a second. Her hands shot up defensively, her words beginning to spill out without control and faster than her brain could process them.

"I didn't know you'd be sitting right there! I'm never that careless, or get distracted- actually, scratch that last part, but my point still stands! I swear I was just on a little break, and I'm basically done with my work I planned to finish by noon anyway. I know it probably looked like I was slacking but I wasn't, not really. I love this job, and I love working for you! I-" Sasha went on and on and you laughed wholeheartedly, cutting her off and she looked at you with wide and panicked eyes.

What was happening? She and the others had been walking around eggshells around you today, but had she made it worse? Why were you chuckling?

Was she...not fired? Is that not what this is about? The realization she might have misinterpreted crashed down on her.

"Woah, woah. Sasha," You said firmly, but not unkindly. You still had a smile on your face and Sasha's thoughts were rushing a hundred miles a minute.

She went completely quiet as her expression remained worried and confused. Her mouth hung open slightly like she had backup apologies ready to go. You tilted your head and continued to smile genuinely, hoping that will calm down your employee's nerves.

You didn't mean to scare her. "Sasha, calm down. It's fine. I don't care about the tarot cards," You assured and the brunette blinked as her silence ensued.

What does she even say to that? What did you call her in here for then? Guilt gnawed at her for misinterpreting this and thinking the worst.

"You...don't?" Sasha asked with doubt in her voice, slowly becoming intrigued as to why she was here at all. And the guilt was slowly being replaced by intrigue.

You shook your head and then briefly turned your head to look out into the office. "No. Those cards are actually why I called you in here," You admitted sheepishly, suddenly feeling like a fish out of water once you finally got that out.

Sasha's eyes widened further in genuine surprise, not expecting those cards to have a more positive outcome out of them. Her mouth opened again, then closed, not being able to find the words.

"Wait. Really?" She asked with genuine wonder, not expecting you'd ever take interest in something like that, but she wasn't complaining. Now she was wondering what brought it on.

You nodded and crossed your arms in front of you, sitting back against the back of the couch, but keeping your posture. "I heard you're a pretty good tarot reader, aren't you? I've heard it around the office," You said, with praise in your voice.

Sasha's cheeks suddenly flushed without warning and she shook her head as she became very bashful. "Oh, I'm not that good. It's just a hobby. Low stakes. I try not to take them too seriously," Sasha explained and you chuckled again, amused at her flustered backpedaling.

But still, you wanted any kind of help to know what kind of decision you should make when it comes to every single issue in your life right now, and any kind of direction would be helpful, even if it wasn't legit.

Any kind of thing that could give you hope, could give you ideas, help you get by; you'd take. No questions asked.

You were so in over your head, so lost and confused, that you'd be willing to try anything at this point. Part of you knew what to do, and you wanted to just go for it, but you wanted to make sure you wouldn't regret it in the end.

"I thought you could read my fortune. If it's okay with you," You suggested, and Sasha stared at you like you were speaking a foreign language. She did not expect those words to come out of your mouth just now.

"...Pardon?" She said as her voice raised an octave higher, nearly cracking with disbelief. You watched her reaction and sighed, assuming this might be a weird request.

You'd be concerned if Sasha hadn't given some sort of reaction, so you were prepared to answer any questions she had.

You've never been into fortune telling, tarot cards, fate, or destiny, but right now, you're looking to search inwards for an answer.

Going down this path for a bit wouldn't hurt, would it? You just hoped you didn't have to come up with an answer and an external source could tell you what to do for once. You can't handle it all.

"Well, I figured if anyone in this office would be good at that sort of thing, it'd be you," You said truthfully, sitting up and folding your hands over your knees as you watched as Sasha's mind visibly seemed to be going on overdrive.

Eventually, she found her voice and swallowed hard. "You...want me to read your fortune?" She asked, as if wanting one last bit of confirmation to see if this was really happening to her.

She's never had these kind of interactions with you before and she had no idea how to go about it either or how to respond. Why would you want a reading? What even brought that on?

She also wasn't ready for how fast and sure your responses would be, with no hesitation behind them. "Yes," You said simply, and Sasha blinked, trying to read behind your facial expressions.

But your face was so unchanging, it wasn't the gentleness behind your features that freaked Sasha out, but it was the fact that you were 100% about this that became very unsettling for her. "Here?" She asked again, and you pursed your lips into a thin line as you nodded.

"Yes," You said and Sasha needed to continue making sure she wasn't dreaming. "In your office? Right now?" She asked again, with even more intensity that suggested just how serious she wanted you to be with her in that moment.

You sensed that quickly and laughed at the brunette's antics, nodding yet again, assuring her that you weren't joking.

You can see why she was trying so hard to make sure this wasn't a figment of her imagination, because you never asked of such things of your employee's and this was certainly a first.

"Yes, Sasha," You assured, and you watched as she nodded slowly, realizing that this was all very real. She swallowed and shook her head to knock her out of her stupor, but then a face of determination took over.

She nodded assertively, despite her nerves still crawling all over her body. "Okay, let's do it! I'll go get my cards," She said with excitement slowly appearing in her voice and you sent her a single nod as you smiled, watching her stand up and leave.

You were glad she didn't ask why you needed to have your fortune be read, because that would open a whole can of worms you couldn't even face yourself at the moment. You'd take this whole thing with a grain of salt.

And before you knew it, you were staring down a deck of cards spread out in front of you on the coffee table, upside down.

Sasha was still sitting down next to you with her hands on her knees, watching the way you examined each and every one of the cards, not knowing which to pick, but also as if you could see through them and could tell what was beneath them.

In all the years she's worked for you, your concentration has always amazed Sasha, even in something like this.

Sasha's shoulders were raised with tension, but the more you observed the cards, they have melted into a surprisingly calmer stance.

Even if your office was quiet before, it felt louder with how hard you were thinking about this, as if it could even blur the sounds of your office's AC.

The more Sasha observed you, she noticed something. Despite how undoubtedly focused you looked, she also caught something.

You didn't tense, not as much as Sasha did awaiting for your answer. You look...tired. There's something in your eyes, and it told Sasha that might be a clue as to why you were asking for this.

It looks like there's something you've been carrying for longer than any other person should...that you didn't want to be responsible anymore.

Did you have that much trust in her about this that you were letting your guard down in front of her? Were you meaning to show these cracks in front of her? Why were you such different behavior compared to how guarded and tense compared to how you walked into the office that morning? Sasha had so many questions. But she didn't voice that. She couldn't.

After grueling seconds of waiting, Sasha saw you finally reaching your hand out to a card your eyes were set on as if you were in a trance with how hard you had your eyes trained on it and were sure it was the one you wanted.

"This one..?" You voiced out loud, but it sounded more unsure than you would've liked, contradicting how decisive you looked seconds before. "No..." You pulled your hand back and tore your eyes away from that card, and then let your eyes start to dart all over the spread again.

Sasha sat uncomfortably, not knowing if she should say something or not. You were going about this very differently than she did, making sure that if you picked one, there would be no need for do-overs.

And Sasha had do-overs on her readings all time, because she didn't take them as seriously. But it seems like you were doing the opposite. As if the first one you picked would be the only one that would truly matter on this.

"You know...you don't have to think about it too much. Just follow your gut," Sasha spoke up, watching as you did that same process over and over, of reaching for one and then backing out.

Her words tore you out of the focus of the cards for a second, but you continued looking down at them. "I know, but every choice seems like the wrong one," You said, and Sasha nodded. That's understandable. This seems to be a lot more serious for you than you were letting on.

You continued to scan your eyes across the table until your eyes finally landed on one and you narrowed your eyes on it, listening to Sasha, and just listening to your gut feeling about.

Your hand shot out quickly and the tip of your finger landed on it, a lot more decisively than the other cards you were considering before.

Sasha jumped in place a bit seeing you go for one so quickly and suddenly after what she told you, but then saw you slowly look up back at her with a hopeful gaze and she eased a little, knowing what was probably going through your head.

You were truly hoping what was in this card would help be of any help at all to your problems right now.

You weren't doing this for fun like Sasha usually does, so this probably means a lot to you. "This one. I'm sure," You said, and Sasha nodded as she scooted closer to the cards.

Sasha could feel your eyes watching her every move as she reached over to grab the card you picked. You'd leaned back into your chairs and crossed your arms over your body, anticipating what your employee would say about the card.

In one swift move, Sasha turned the card over and you leaned away from your chair to see what it said. You tilted your head to the side in confusion and then looked up at Sasha for an explanation of what this card meant.

"Wheel of Fortune?" You asked meekly, seeing the card with a picture of a golden wheel surrounded by clouds and eagles on each corner of the card.

You watched as Sasha's mouth stretches into a small smile, easing your mind a little about what this could mean. She wouldn't smile if it meant something bad, right?

"This one is a big deal. It can mean a lot of things, and either all of them could be in your favor or just some aspects of it," Sasha said and you hummed in response, you moved closer to the edge of the couch and ran a hand back through your hair.

"Well, what does it mean?" You asked, anxiety showing itself more and more, wanting to know if this will really be a reflection of your life right now or give you what you wanted to hear.

Sasha grabbed the card and handed it over to you, and once you took it and began to take a closer look, she started to explain.

"In some cases, it can symbolize a reunion. Fortune may repeat itself over and over in our lives, the direction it moves in depends on your will and wit. It's all up to you," She said and you nodded, and so far it sounded pretty vague.

The only way you can relate it to what's happening to you right now is that you have to take matters into your own hands.

Your focus zeroed in on this numeral at the top of the card and your interest suddenly piqued. "What does that roman numeral on the top mean?" You asked, and Sasha perked up once she saw what you were gesturing to.

"Oh! It's the tenth card in the deck. It means completion and also both the end, and a new beginning," She said and to you, that was starting to sound more like what you'd expect and how you'd describe your situation. Your eyes met hers for a brief second, and she saw something flicker.

Fear, maybe? Or recognition? But vanished just as quickly as it appeared. You just really hoped Sasha could go more into detail about this, so you adjusted yourself in your seat nervously and briefly glanced at the brunette. "So, um- what are the other possible meanings?" You asked with a little more uncertainty but also very curious.

Sasha was starting to become more and more comfortable explaining. "Like I said, it's all up to interpretation and it can go either way, but this also goes hand in hand with what I just told you. It means change is coming, that a turning point will take part in your life, and that eventually destiny and fate will be stepping in," She said and you inhaled sharply.

This was more accurate than you would've liked. Your life has definitely felt like it's taking a 180 turn and change has definitely been the defining factor.

You exhaled shakily and nodded slowly. "I see," You said, not knowing what else to say to that except the fact that these were right on the money and didn't miss a single thing.

the part of things shifting beyond our control would exactly how you'd describe this whole thing. These card were just saying it for you. All you could do was stare at the card, long and hard.

So what it's telling you is that you can't possibly escape what's coming your way and the outcome will depend on you and what you choose to handle it No pressure at all. That's very comforting.

"Sometimes it's about luck, sometimes about karma. But most of all...it's about not being able to go back to the way things were. The wheel always continues to move whether you like it or not," She said and you sighed quietly. Well, that's no surprise to you.

That's all you've been able to think about. There's no going back, then. Just moving forward, wherever that leads. The wheel was starting to make more sense; with the idea of turning, pushing and moving out of the past into something new whether you're ready to handle it or not. Is that what you need?

You're not exactly sure yet. Is this what you were hoping to hear? It's scarily accurate, but how can you apply this? You needed time to mull this over, but you're incredibly grateful to Sasha for doing this.

Seeing your reaction, and how spaced out you'd become, Sasha grins sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean, you could get giant bag of money, too. There's no rules against that," She said and you drop the card on the table as you snort unexpectedly, the tension in your chest easing for the first time in hours.

Sasha grins, relieved that she was able to take some weight off from the reading. You laughed a bit until it died down and you turned to look at Sasha with a genuine and wholehearted smile.

"Thanks, Sasha. Really, I needed it," You said and Sasha hummed, reaching over to gather her cards again to stack them into a deck again. "Anytime. Just...maybe don't tell HR I do readings on company time," She said, half-joking, carefully leveling the cards together.

You laughed again and assured her you'd help her out. "Your secret's safe with me. I'm looking forward to yours, Jean's and Connie's presentation soon," You promised and Sasha exhaled happily, letting out all the pressure still lingering around in her body.

She was happy there were no hard feelings about before and that she was able to help. "We're excited for you to see it," She said, standing up from the couch and finally letting herself out of your office, and heading back to her desk to continue working.

The moment she closed the door and you were left alone, your smile faded and you fell back against the couch with a 'thump'.

You don't know if what was said on that card is law or if they're set in stone for you, but somehow your hands felt heavier than before. More real.

Change was the key word here. You know that after last night, that alone was what you'd describe as a turning point, and that whole thing about destiny and fate stepping in?

You hoped they were on your side. The reading is stuck in your head, swirling around like loud bells that you didn't want to hear, reminding you of what you were in for.

And because of that, all you can do is see Levi's face in your mind, the way he looked at you last night when he proposed. The way his voice cracked with desperation with the only couple words he said.

And then Erwin? He was so calm, unwavering decisive, extending his hand out to you as if he was ready to be your lifeline. With either one, there would be different futures, different outcomes, different consequences.

They were both laced with risk no matter who you chose. You had a knot in your stomach that you felt was continuing to tighten painfully and you couldn't take it. You swallowed the lump in your throat before it could continue to rise.

You wanted direction and you got it. You wanted something simpler and harmless, but what you want and what you need are completely different things. It felt like the card was daring you to choose once and for all. Because you know well that time was running.

-

Levi and Onyankpon were nearly done with their lunch as they continued to talk about random topics, sometimes coming back to the whole proposal thing, and so on.

Half of the sandwiches were done, the fruit was nearly gone from the bento box and now all that was left was the meat in the bed of lettuce and other vegetables that Onyankopon was finishing up.

Just as Onyankopon shoved a piece of meat, he hummed with delight and Levi raised an eyebrow. "I keep wondering if you'd go as far as to bite my hand off if I reached over," He mumbled, and Onyankopon stopped chewing to look up at Levi with mock disbelief as he put a hand on his chest and resumed his eating just as quickly.

"I wouldn't do such a thing, Levi. Although, I'd appreciate if I can finish this up. I need to be well fed if all hell breaks loose," He said with his mouth full and Levi nearly snorted and looked away, crossing one of his legs over the other.

"Stop being so dramatic. There's nothing you need to be concerned about," Levi said but Onyankopon reached over to grab one of the baby tomatoes on the bento box, popping it in his mouth before continuing to speak.

"I'm not. I'm just being prepared for anything, especially after what you're telling me- by the way, whoever made this deserves a medal," He said, chuckling to himself at his own words, knowing exactly what he meant.

Levi scoffed and a smile lightly twitched on the corner of his lips. He appreciated moments like this.

As Onyankopon continued to make compliments about his food to himself, Levi reach over and grabbed one of the remaining fruits on the bento box on his far right and then fell back against his chair while he chewed.

The quiet hum of the lobby along with Onyankopon's chatter was peaceful, but not until Levi caught something in the corner of his eye.

His sharp eyes flickered to the side and his chewing began to slow comically and his eyes went wide when he saw who was walking towards the elevators, with a hopeful stride in his steps. 'You've got to be kidding me' Levi thought to himself with disbelief.

Erwin. Levi scanned him and Onyankopon's voice drowned out as annoyance grew in his veins. The blond was dressed impeccably. Calm. Unhurried.

But what made Levi's eyes dart down is when he saw what Erwin holding. In his hands, he was holding a ceramic pot with securely packed in daisies in a bed of soil that didn't have a single speck out of place.

His blue eyes were scanning the room as if he didn't know where he was or he was practicing what he was going to say to you when he gave those to you. Because Levi immediately knew that those were for you. Why wouldn't they be? What else could they be for?

Onyankopon stopped talking when he saw Levi wasn't paying attention, and that he was looking elsewhere. When he followed where his boss was looking at, Onyankopon let out a low whistle.

"Speak of the devil," He said under his breath, sitting up straight the moment his eyes landed on Erwin.

Levi's eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. His eyes zeroed in on the flowers. He knows those are for you. Erwin was playing dirty and trying to sway you in any way he could.

"Looks like someone's making moves," Onyankopon chuckled, turning to his boss for a reaction. But hearing that? Levi didn't even think twice on what he needed to do next. He didn't answer Onyankon.

He didn't blink, in fact, he glared at Erwin harder as he walked across the lobby. Didn't even take a moment to fully stand, but he was already moving and heading towards him. 'Oh, no you don't' He thought to himself as made powerful strides.

Onyankopon's eyes went wide when he saw Levi shoot up from his chair and go after Erwin. He tossed his napkin onto one of the bento boxes and then turned in his chair as he whipped his head to see his boss getting further away.

"Don't do anything stupid, Levi—" He called out, with concern etched on his face knowing, but also knowing that even Levi heard him, nobody was going to stop him now. Too late.

He was already walking fast, expression unreadable but dark. His eyes were locked on Erwin's back as he headed for the elevator.

But unfortunately, just as Levi was about to reach him, the blond had already gotten into an elevator and started heading up.

Levi didn't waste any time in pressing the button to go up and then waited for the next one to come along. Erwin's going to get in your head, he's sure of it. He needs to get up there.

He doesn't know what he'll do once he's up there, but all he does know is that he won't let Erwin continue to confuse and pressure you into a decision.

But while Levi was waiting for an elevator, Erwin had already made his way up and was walking across the outside of your office towards your main one where he knew you'd be.

He stood right outside your door for a couple seconds, taking a deep breath, with his hands tightening on the flower pot, before he finally freed up one hand and and raised it up to finally knock on the door.

When he heard a 'come in!' from you, he smiled and then reached down for the door knob and opened it slowly. He peeked his head inside and his smile only grew when he made eye contact with you from across the room.

You laughed heartily at seeing Erwin again, trying to push past what happened last night. It's always nice to see him. No matter what, he was still your friend despite everything and he was always welcome here too.

"Erwin, hey!" You greeted excitedly, and you stood up from your desk chair and made your way around your desk, starting to walk towards him as he made his way towards you too.

Erwin felt something inside him stir, or flutter, as both of you met halfway and your eyes landed on the flowers he had in hand. You stopped right in front of him and he looked down at the flowers, grinning sheepishly.

"Are those daisies? What are they for?" You asked, reaching over and gingerly stroking one of the petals, admiring how fresh and vibrant they looked.

You looked up at Erwin, just as he turned his head up to look at you too, and his baby blue eyes softened as he opened his mouth to speak. But just as he was about to, he thought it'd be better if he let actions speak for him first.

He extended the pot out to you and your eyes widened, darting your gaze down at the flowers he was handing to you and then back up at him with surprise.

"Here. They're for you," He said, with his smile not wavering for a second. You felt your cheeks warm up at the gesture and nodded, slowly raising your hands up and taking the flower pot from him, holding it close to you.

A couple seconds of unprecedented silence passed between you two passed, with neither of you knowing how to take it from here, and Erwin took it upon himself to fix that.

"I thought about getting a bouquet but I realized that might've been a little too cheesy. Overkill even," He chuckled and you nodded in understanding.

You would've appreciated either gesture, because the beauty of these flowers would've made you overlook that. Your focus darted down to the cluster of flowers again and you admired their beauty intently.

"And besides," He started, making you look back up at him expectantly, since he paused he seems to be thinking through what he wants to say next very carefully.

"I felt bad that I proposed last night without any flowers. It's not how I would've done it. It all happened too fast," He said honestly and your breath hitched, with a nervous smile crossing your lips. Ah, there it was. The proposal.

You expected that this conversation would steer to that topic eventually, but you hoped it wouldn't come up too soon and that you could spend just a couple more minutes in his presence without that pressure of choosing coming up again.

But you suppose it would've happened sooner or later. you can't keep trying to delay the inevitable. That was the whole point of your realization last night. You were just having trouble putting it into action.

Once again, you couldn't get your mind to think of anything to say in that moment, all while Erwin stood there in front of you waiting for you to say something. The air in the room was becoming deafening, uncomfortable, and awkward, but it shouldn't be.

This is your friend, he meant well. Both of you were mirroring each other's body language; eyes darting away from each other before landing on one another and accidentally making eye contact, fidgeting with your fingers, or in your case, tightening your grip on the flower pot, and so on.

Seconds passed by where you couldn't take the silence anymore and you decided to say the first thing that came to mind. You cleared your throat and smiled.

"Would you like anything to drink? Are you planning to stay long?" You asked, and your sudden question caught Erwin really off guard. His eyes widened a fraction and raised a hand to wave it off in denial.

"Yes- I-I mean, no. I already had a drink," He assured, and your face morphed into one of recognition. So, a drink was off the table. You also immediately noticed how out of sorts he became just from you asking that. Stammering? He was just as nervous as you, wasn't he?

Coming in unprepared was very unlike him, but in a way you understand him too. After last night, what could possibly be said to ignore the elephant in the room? After that, it quickly went back to unpleasant silence.

You pursed your lips and looked down, shifting from one foot to another. What do you do? What do you say? Your mind was starting to fog, but thankfully, Erwin seemed to be on your same wavelength because he broke the silence yet again when you couldn't bring yourself to do it first.

"How's your hand? Is it looking better?" He asked, gesturing with his head to the patch on the palm of your wrist. You looked down at the bandage and instantly relaxed. You let out an exhale as you smiled.

"Yeah, It's getting better. I can barely remember it's there anymore," You said and Erwin bobbed his head lightly in acknowledgement. "That's a relief," He said and you hummed, turning your gaze back to your feet.

Neither of you could find something else to talk about after that. Damn it, it's back to this? You thought to yourself as you forced yourself to look at the flowers.

But when you did look back up at him, a smile was forcing itself to appear on your lips when you made eye contact with Erwin and saw that he was fighting back a grin too.

You were the one who let out the first chuckle and hung your head low so he couldn't see that you were about to burst into laughter. But that slip was what made Erwin let out a laugh too.

Once he did, you couldn't help but let the gates open and you started to laugh loudly, not being able to contain it.

Once he saw that you weren't holding back, Erwin started to laugh along with you and a beaming smile took over on his face as both of you began to laugh in unison.

You don't think the two of you have ever been in such a flustered situation before that neither of you knew what to say to each other, and just the thought of it made both of you increase your laughter uncontrollably till you were lightly gasping for air and tears gathered in your eyes.

It's becoming less and less awkward and more amusing and funny than anything else. "Oh God..." You said in between laughs as they started to die down and you raised a hand to wipe the corners of your eyes. "When did we become this awkward?" You said, and Erwin laughed along with you in agreement as your laughs increased yet again.

The two of you were laughing so hard that you were both forgetting to realize the fact that the office outside was quickly taking notice.

Since your blinds were open, and you and Erwin were standing right in the middle of your glass wall, everyone could see the two of you laughing together in your office. And nobody knows why.

Including Levi. He'd made it up a couple minutes ago when he realized that you and Erwin were already talking together in your office, he knew he was too late.

So now, he was standing outside watching along with employees of yours who are noticing what's happening in your office, leaning back against a desk, eyes dangerously narrowed, shoulders tense, arms over his chest, and blood boiling inside him.

He could look away. He could. But he can't. He can't tear his eyes away even if he wants to. What the hell could the two of you could be laughing at in there?

He was actively fighting back a sneer from coming in as his jaw clenched. Has Levi ever made you laugh like that? How can Erwin make you laugh like that? Could he be able to make you laugh like that? He didn't move. He didn't breathe. He just stared and stood there like a fly on the wall.

He was literally on the outside looking in. He wants to know what the two of you were talking about. Is it about him? An inside joke? Did you already accept his proposal? Did the flowers really work on you? Is that all it took?

The more he looked at the two of you having a good time, the more Levi thinks about how unnatural is it feels to see you like that with someone else.

It just didn't fit. Your laughter. Erwin's gentle and soothing smile. The sunlight pouring in. It feels like something that should be happening in another instance. Maybe with him in it. Was he watching his chance slip away just like that? He can't let it.

He was watching someone else live the moment he didn't know he wanted until now, deep down. It killing him. While Erwin was illuminated by the sunlight, Levi felt like he was the representation of hiding in the shadows.

All he could do is scoff as a smile of disbelief tugged on his lips, looking to the side for a second before his head turned back to look at the blond and you.

"What could possibly be that funny?" He asked, turning at the nearest person that could hear him. Which just happened to be Connie, who was in the desk next to the one that Levi was leaning against.

Your employee froze and looked up from his computer, darting his head to Levi. When he made eye contact with your bodyguard, Connie looked behind him to see if Levi was really talking to him or not.

When he turned his head back to see Levi was looking at him with raised eyebrows, expecting an answer, your employee straightened up and proceeded to answer.

"I don't know. Maybe Erwin told a joke?" Connie suggested, and Levi shook his head. That can't be it. There's no way. Levi has always gotten the perception of Erwin that he likes the driest of jokes.

Would that have you laughing as hard as you are? "That's not it. Erwin might just be one of those people that finds paint dry entertaining," He said, and after that, Connie was just stumped.

Levi was so focused on you and Erwin that he didn't even notice Onyankopon moving to stand behind him, with an amused look on his face.

All of his theories of Levi falling for you were coming true in real time, and his boss wasn't even bothering to hide it at this point, stewing in his rage in broad daylight in front of everyone. He put one of his hands in his pockets and then the other, he put on Levi's shoulder, shaking it.

"Is that jealousy, I see?" Onyankopon teased, looking back and forth between his boss and what was happening inside your office. As much as Levi wanted to hide it, his assistant was unconvinced.

Levi shook his head and didn't even turn back to look at Onyankopon. "Don't be an idiot. That's not what this is," He assured, begrudgingly, but he did.

But once again, Onyankopon didn't believe it one bit. "It's not?" He asked knowingly, and Levi continued to deny it with his eyes not straying from you, directly contradicting his own words.

"I don't get jealous," He continued to say, continuing to glare daggers through the glass, despite the voice in his head telling him otherwise, along with his own body language betraying him in every way.

Onyankopon was already opening his mouth to try and coerce Levi into saying what he's really thinking and throw another teasing remark, but already sensing his intentions, Levi's voice decided to cut in first; quiet, flat, and deadly calm.

"Hange's right over there." Levi said, pointing over to your assistant that was just walking back into the office. That shut Onyankopon up fast.

His eyes darted at light speed instinctively across the office and saw Hange with their eyes glued to their tablet, deeply immersed in their work, blissfully unaware of the conversation just a few feet away.

Onyankopon turned back to look at Levi with pleading eyes. "...You wouldn't," He muttered, almost begging, narrowing his eyes at his boss pleadingly. Levi didn't even spare him a single glance and tightened his arms over his chest.

  "Try me." He said simply, and Onyankopon looked at him with betrayal and took that as his chance to bolt, but also remembering to continue to torment and tease Levi about this later.

And once he was gone, Levi returned his attention with his unblinking stare through the glass, as if he didn't threaten to unleash chaos on his assistant.

You and Erwin had stopped laughing at some point and were just talking now, but with smiles still grazing both of your faces. The sight of it was too much for him now.

What could he do? He hated to treat this like the competition that Erwin had clearly started, but now Levi felt forced to try and get up to that level.

Levi forced himself to look away from your office, clicked is tongue with annoyance and then without warning, he grabbed the plastic cup in Connie's desk filled with small coffee packets and walked off without another word.

Connie's mouth dropped and stared at Levi with indignation as he walked off and towards the office's kitchen. "Hey! Those are mine!" He called out, but his shoulders slumped when Levi turned a corner and out of sight.

He fell back against his seat with a frown on his face. Ymir, who had noticed the whole exchange, raised an eyebrow and then went back to work as she shook her head.

"Don't even try, Connie. I think you should value your life more than a couple of coffee packets," She warned, and hearing this, Connie nodded slowly with defeat and then forced himself to go back to work. He can get more later. At least he hopes so.

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