Just as you finish lacing up your shoes, Levi walks into the office, Erwin Smith behind him with a briefcase in his hand.

"He didn't," your flatmate says, snapping the light back on.

"I'm sorry?"

"He didn't accidentally lock himself in the car."

"Oh." You smile lightly, but Levi's face is like a brick wall.

"I've got the documents," Erwin Smith breaks in. He pats the briefcase and places it on the desk carefully. You take a seat across him.

Levi shifts on the couch behind you, making you glance over your shoulder at him. A big frown forms on his face as he checks the time on his phone. He notices you're looking at him and, without turning his head, casts his cobalt eyes at you.

It's probably the first time you don't look away. Levi narrows his eyes as you hold his stare.

Smith coughs. The document he brought is already in front of you, along with a simple black pen.

"Read it carefully," he says. "We've got time."

You run your eyes through the text. It states the conditions of your cooperation with the Survey Corps. Five minutes later, you slide the paper back to Smith. He nods and checks if everything has been signed properly.

"Speaking of time-" Levi begins dully, but stops mid-sentence.

Something starts buzzing.

The three of you look at each other in suspense. Even Levi seems disturbed. Erwin reaches into the pocket, fishes out his mobile phone and presses it to the ear.

"Hanji?"

The next moment you're cramped in the back seat of Erwin's car with some files and boxes flying around you, every time the vehicle swerves. Levi has his brows furrowed, completely focused on the road. Next to him, Smith is trying to make a call.

"No sooner than in an hour?" He rumbles into the phone. "Yes, her plane takes off in three hours, but I need you there earlier."

You let out a shaky breath when the car rounds a bend for the fifth time, once again sending some files to the ground. Clutching onto the sides of your seat, you close your eyes tight and start counting.

Ten minutes later the three of you march into the airport terminal.

"What do we do?" you ask, trying to squash the rising anxiousness in your throat. "She's probably at the gates by now. Mr Smith, talk to the officers."

Erwin rubs the back of his neck nervously. "It's not an option. We need to act incognito. At least as long as the rest of the crew doesn't arrive."

"But there's no other way to get to her! In few more minutes she will be gone and you won't find her!" you burst out, your nostrils flaring with anger. You're still in clothes from yesterday, all covered in sweat, strands of hair sticking to your forehead and neck. Smith stares at you, dazed. You lower your head. "I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't mean to-"

"Hold on," Erwin cuts your apology off. "Where is Levi?"

Great. As if you didn't have enough on your mind. You look around in search of your flatmate, but because of people flocking from every direction, you hardly see anything.

"There." Smith points to your left. Precisely, Levi is there, forcing his way through the crowd.

"Where were you?" you cry out, both angry and terrified. "We're trying to figure out how to get to Annie-"

He sends you a sharp, displeased look. "I know. By freaking out and panicking."

"Where were you?" you repeat.

"Ticket office. I asked if there are any unfilled seats."

Oh, right.

"And?" Erwin looks at him expectantly.

It must be some kind of karma, good luck or physic stuff—or maybe all of them—because Levi nods.

"Oh, thank God," you say. Then you realise that means you're one step closer to confronting Annie, and a pang of fear flits through your stomach.

Smith seems relieved as well. "Now, we need to make sure what we're doing. (Name), you're going to buy this ticket."

You nod, the adrenaline rising in your blood stream. "What am I supposed to do there?"

"Buy us time."

"Got it."

"Are you some kind of mentally retarded or what?" Levi suddenly speaks up. "She doesn't even have any documents with her. How is she going to buy this ticket?"

"Good point. I didn't think of that." Erwin scratches his head. He's tired and it's perfectly visible. "We have to-"

"Besides I've already bought it."

You freeze. "What? But I'm the one who needs to get there."

Levi snorts, takes you by your arm, and pushes towards check-in.

"You don't have any documents with you anyway," he grunts.

"You have?"

He glares at you. Suddenly you feel his right hand on your waist. His touch is gentle, much different from his usual harsh attitude. You turn red almost immediately and send him both questioning and stunned look.

"Just don't say anything," he hisses before you arrive at the desk.

You watch him hand the plane ticket and his passport to the check-in clerk. He explains his boss arranged a meeting with an important investor and expects him to accompany him. The meeting is set up for tomorrow evening and he learnt about it only a few hours ago. The woman behind the desk looks at you. The ticket is issued only for Levi.

"My fiancée," he introduces you and squeezes your waist alarmingly as you start leaning to one side dangerously, shocked by his statement.

You don't trust your own legs anymore.

The conversation carries on. To be honest, you thought that he would be acting nice and polite, but he doesn't. He's himself. Grumpy, distant, rough.

Intimidating.

"I'm afraid I cannot give your fiancée a gate pass." The woman behind the desk smiles at you apologetically. "The terminal is crowded enough."

You shift from one leg to another. She is clearly not going to let you through.

"Oh, that's too bad," you speak up despite Levi's displeasure. His arm clenches your waist even more tightly. Your head is swirling. "Levi, I…"

Your voice trails off and he glances at you, his eyebrows up. His face looks very different when he doesn't frown. It's more calm. Peaceful. You noticed it quite a long time ago.

If only he looked at you like that more often.

Your next words fall out of your mouth before you have a chance to think them through.

Levi's hand slides from your waist and clenches into a fist. The desk clerk bites her lower lip.

For some reason, your heart feels heavy.

Levi not once glances at you when you thread your way through the crowd, towards the airport security. He doesn't look at you during the checking either.

Eventually, you pluck up the courage to ask which gate are you heading for.

"B15," he answers, still refusing to meet your gaze. He stops you by the windows.

His eyes flicker towards the people waiting for their flights and then, finally, he casts his hooded eyes at you.

"I can't go any further," he states.

You nod. None of you can possibly guess Annie's reaction. It's better for you to confront her than any of the Survey Corps members.

"Try to back her into a corner," he continues. "Talk to her, whatever. Like Erwin said - buy us time. We'll be in contact. You haven't changed your number?"

"No."

"Good. If anything that makes you feel in danger happens, you get away from her as soon as possible. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Just don't exaggerate things."

"Is that everything?"

He presses his lips together. "Probably not, but we don't have time for that. Go."

You obediently turn around to the centre of the terminal, having no idea how you are going to find Annie in here. What if she's wearing a wig?

"And (Name)?"

You turn your head to face him one more time. He has an indiscernible look in his eyes.

"Yes?"

"Nice job with that gate pass."

A/N: Pssst - I hope you haven't realised that I have no idea how airports work. Like, seriously, that was the biggest research I have ever done.

*deletes her browsing history*