"He smells…clean," Mike tells him a week later, a queer expression crossing his face. "But…be careful."

Erwin's brows furrow slightly. He's never heard his best friend make such an assessment before. He has always trusted Mike's peculiar talent, but Levi doesn't strike him as anyone he needs to be careful about. "Well, yes, he is quite clean. But why be careful?"

"Aren't you always careful anyway?" Mike remarks. He's not wrong. "Just don't forget that with him."

Then, Erwin remembers his unguarded moment with Levi that one night. Hasn't he already forgone his inhibitions once? While a part of him—the prudent judge that never seems to slip—did reckon the interaction harmless, he wouldn't have been so careless with another employee. Not even one from the utility staff. Only that Levi doesn't seem to be any ordinary cleaning guy, and that's really the catch, isn't it?

Nevertheless, there has been nothing more to be careful about. About a month passes and all that ever transpires between Erwin and Levi is the usual morning greeting. Erwin doesn't know how he could've missed Levi all those times before. How long has he been here? Why is he working here, as a janitor? What—

That same prudent judge coldly tells him such musings are not worth his time and mind space. He is, after all, a very busy man. Erwin is not the type to be confused about his feelings. He knows why Levi keeps appearing in his thoughts.

Erwin Smith is perfect for this job, for this high-stakes career of wits and strategy, in this high society of schemers, socialites, and social climbers. Levi doesn't belong in this world. And while Erwin is damn good at what he does, everyone needs a break.

Levi is that break. Could be, if Erwin goes any further.

Ah, but it's ridiculous, Erwin tells himself one final time. This is an unworkable liaison. We are too different.

And that's that. Levi is just one more lesson in his life, and he is glad to have crossed paths with him, but Erwin shuts him out. The morning greeting becomes an automatic thing with no strange possibilities attached, despite the lingering stare Erwin always glimpses before the elevator doors close.

"Life is unpredictable," Erwin's father once told him. "You think you know what's coming next, but you don't. You don't know the results until they happen. So plan for what you can plan for, but be ready to have them all blow up to your face."

That piece of counsel has served Erwin more than a few times before, but this particular turn of unpredictability still shocks him.

"What are you doing here?" his voice is level and calm, but the cold fury running underneath his question is undeniable. The hand freezes in its vigorous wiping of the glass walls near his doorway.

"Sir?" Levi says, turning to him. He seems aware of Erwin's dark countenance, but is himself unfazed.

"Who gave you permission to enter my office while I am out?" Erwin continues, towering over Levi's crouched form.

"I was told to clean the offices in this wing," Levi answers firmly, looking up at him. "Sir."

"I do not permit anyone intruding upon my office without my presence," Erwin explains, his dour vehemence unwavering. "I shall put in a word to the utility manager. Get out."

The command rings with finality. Picking up his tools, Levi immediately leaves with no more excuses.

What was that? Erwin thinks as he sets down his briefcase and sits. What was I doing?

On the day of his promotion to senior partner, Erwin gave firm instructions to keep all employees out of his office. All cleaning would be done when he is in it himself. Erwin shows trust and respect to his colleagues, but his personal space, where all his important work documents are, is off limits. True, those papers are locked away, but given the lives and millions concerned—and the existence of a few venomous colleagues who resent his position—the precaution is well-deserved.

Levi might've been uninformed of his directive. Or he could be spying for someone. Erwin always believed paranoia to be counterproductive and even destructive, but he will still acknowledge that realistic possibility. Nevertheless, there's really no point to reacting that intensely.

"He smells…clean," Mike's words resound in his head. "But…be careful."

Breathing deeply, he opens a line to his secretary, who has just walked into her cubicle. "Rico."

"Yes?" comes a tinny voice from the machine. Rico turns her chair towards the office. Through the glass walls, Erwin meets her eye, though he doubts she would lie to him.

"Did you see cleaning personnel entering my office?" he asks calmly.

"No, Mr. Smith," Rico answers without hesitation, eyes widening slightly. "You were out and your schedule is set, so I was just attending to the papers you assigned to me. Surely their supervisor told them of your strict instructions?"

Erwin smiles politely at her. "Do give them a stern reminder to prohibit all personnel from entering my office without my leave and presence. Elsewise I would be involved in the matter myself."

"Yes, Mr. Smith," Rico says before immediately following his orders.

Erwin lets the issue go, allowing not a speck of his irritation show on his face. Almost all his walls are clear, his office for the flurry of employees to see. Most of his colleagues flinch at the idea of being so exposed, but Erwin sees it as hitting two birds in one stone. Give everyone a show of transparency that they can trust, while practicing keeping your demeanor controlled at all times.

It really is an interesting world, Erwin thinks as he briefly turns to the city view behind his office. However, the image of Levi's unshaken gray eyes suddenly flashes in his mind.

Unable to show any act of unrest such as shaking his head, Erwin's eyes roam around the room in an effort to clear his head.

The office is practically sparkling in cleanliness.

Erwin has never seen his place like this. He values cleanliness, and evaluates the performance of the cleaning staff to be very satisfactory, but this is excellent. The floor looks like he could sleep on it naked. The framed plaques on the wall are positively gleaming, as proud as their owner should be. His table is absolutely dustless, jet black, and looks brand new. Even the small chip under a corner was filled. The windows are so clear it looks like you could step out of the office and fall fifty-seven stories out of the city sky.

The air smells vaguely of antiseptic and musk. Erwin finds the scent sharp and refreshing.

"Levi," he mouths the word, as if testing the feel of it on his lips. Then he resumes his work.

Erwin doesn't believe in fate, or destiny, or meant to be. It's reasonably possible for Levi to be in the same spot at the same time he was more than a month before. Still, the moment feels…significant somehow. So Erwin stands there for a few seconds, watching Levi earnestly wiping the glass walls as he had then.

"I didn't go blind in a month you know," Levi says eventually. "I can still see you staring."

"I come bearing gifts," Erwin says lightly, settling on the sofa near Levi's spot.

"That is a cup of Yellow Gold Tea Buds." Levi states, his whole body stilling.

"Yes," Erwin confirms, a smile threatening to form on his lips. Levi is hanging far enough away that any other person would not have sniffed out the type of tea Erwin has. And he didn't even sniff.

Levi swiftly turns to him. "What do I have to do?"

"Get off from—"

"Wow, didn't know you swung that way."

Erwin smiles despite himself. "Get off from where you're hanging," he continues. "And sit with me."

Levi unhooks himself and expertly gets off his hanging gear. "Your lofty chair will get dirty." He says as he takes off his janitor's suit and plops down.

"I'm sure you can fix it after anyway," Erwin says. "For the sake of good tea."

"For the sake of good tea," Levi concedes, taking the cup from him. Erwin notices how he holds his cup oddly, with his fingers on the rim and his palm looming over it.

"Don't wanna get no fancy china broken," Levi explains. "Or I'm gonna go broke."

"You have a horrible sense of humor," Erwin says bluntly, turning towards Levi's direction.

On the contrary, Levi doesn't look dirty at all. Under the janitor's suit, his tee is immaculately white, his dark skinny jeans unmarred. He's sweaty but still smells like antiseptic.

Levi rolls his eyes without looking at his direction. "I wasn't trying to make an old geezer pun joke. I was just being caustic."

Erwin suddenly remembers Mike's resigned disdainful expression and laughs. "That stung."

Levi finally turns to him. He stares at Erwin's face for a while, his expression unreadable. Erwin is used to people gazing at his face, but usually he knows exactly what the other person is thinking. Or feeling—like the undeniable desire to bone him. But Levi's countenance betrays no such emotion.

"You don't look like an old geezer," Levi finally says, his voice a bit softer. "Although you do look like the type to make horrible pun jokes."

Erwin laughs again. The gall of this boy. "Well, not everyone can be young and reckless like you caustic teenagers."

"I'm twenty-seven."

Erwin blinks twice. "What?"

"I'm twenty-seven," Levi repeats, with a face that says he's used to this kind of reaction. "About the same age as you."

"I'm actually thirty-two," Erwin corrects him. "And you look closer to seventeen than twenty-seven."

"Maybe it's the genes," Levi says. "Or the daily facial cumshot."

For the second time, Erwin goes speechless in front of Levi.

"Well, isn't it that time again where shit spews from my mouth," Levi says. He takes a swig of his burning hot tea. When he throws his head back, the moonlight hits his pale, exposed neck. Erwin watches as he swallows, his small Adam's apple bobbing and sweat slowly trickling down to his prominent collarbones.

When Erwin gets in his car that night, he pauses for a moment and holds the wheel with both hands. He stares at his reflection on the windshield.

"Well, this is bad."

A/N: If anybody's wondering why Levi's hanging all the time, it's actually a vague reference to 3DMG gear. :))) The "facial cumshot of youth" reference comes from Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai, which I completely recommend to anyone willing to listen to my raving.

It's quite difficult for me to describe settings, because positioning is tricky to describe accurately. Plus, it gets boring haha. I might add pictures of my headcanon of the settings here (there will be more places, which is why there are so many damn characters in this fic). Of course, everyone is free to have their own headcanons, I just feel like I could represent my thoughts better if I had pictures of the settings.

Till next!