Chapter 39

Levi

"Martell froze in place, surrounded by endless darkness and by his own fear. He looked back in terror, hearing the soft footsteps and grunting gasps. It was the moment he knew that the zombies were already in his apartment."

Levi yawned softly, and only then realized he was reading the same sentence again.

He sighed and put the book on the nightstand. The horror Hanji had lent him didn't get him into as much as his friend's. But it was better than sitting aimlessly in this place.

Ackerman, reclining comfortably on the large bed, looked around at the unfamiliar interior. He curled his lips disapprovingly. It was his third day here, but he still couldn't get used to the unevenly hanging curtains and the thin layer of dust on the shelves. Although the apartment was furnished in a very modern way, no one has cleaned this place for a long time... Or at least no one has cleaned it properly. Well, Levi couldn't help it. Both Jean and the doctor that Shadis had assigned him, told him to lie down and recover. Unfortunately, this passivity was slowly driving him mad. He tried to focus on the thought that the sooner he recovered, the sooner he would be back at work.

When Mikasa left them alone, Levi contacted Erwin and Hanji, and Jean drove him to the designated place. It was only when Levi saw the worried faces of his friends that he realized how much they must have been worried about him. Hanji hugged him even tighter than usual, and Erwin held his hand all the way to the hospital. They got him medical care right away, and it wasn't until Levi felt a little better that he met with Keith Shadis. He gave his supervisor all the information he had obtained and apologized for acting on his own. He announced that he was ready to accept any consequences. Shadis stated they don't have time for this now. The commander also ordered that he should stop acting on his own from now on.

Thanks to the media coverage about Levi's kidnapping, their department received unexpected support from the very top. Shadis and his men were due to interview more detainees the following week, and they had new locations to investigate. More and more suspects who were interrogated by them pleaded guilty, counting on a shorter sentence. They also pointed to Zeke Yaeger as the person they worked for.

The success was only partial, as they still had no evidence directly incriminating Grisha, but they were getting closer.

Levi had to wait until he could go back to work. Deaf to Ackerman's protests, Shadis forced him to take at least a week's rest, undergo a few hours of therapy with a psychologist, and also to leave his home.

He arranged a temporary place for him, where Levi would safely recover. It was a small house in a gated community, people who lived nearby were mostly lawyers and doctors. A car was parked by the street, two police officers were sitting inside to ensure Levi with safety in case Grisha or Zeke would somehow find him.

Ackerman appreciated the gesture, but missed his own place. He took what he needed with him, but he couldn't take everything he wanted... including his plants. In his absence, Hanji looked after them. The house he was currently in was lacking some home flowers.

Levi sat up straight and dropped his legs to the floor. Before he got up, his eyes fell on the object that was laying on the table, next to the book. It was Eren's silver pendant, sparkling in the twilight. Ackerman regarded the necklace with a sad expression on his face. Maybe it was idiotic, but he wanted to have this item here as well.

During his brief stay at the Yaeger's mansion, Levi met with Eren only for a short moment. He didn't have time to talk to the boy, to persuade him to continue working together.

Levi was concerned that Eren might feel guilty about what happened. That would mean the chance to meet young Yaeger again was now zero... Mikasa was their last hope.

Levi got out of bed and left the bedroom. He walked slowly through the small living room and dining room to the small but cozy kitchen. It was evening already, but it didn't matter, because time in this place seemed to drag on forever. The detective felt like drinking tea, that's why he turned the kettle on, then went back to the living room to wait for the water to boil. He sat down on the cushioned couch and reached for his tablet to check the local news. There was silence all around… Nothing should disturb this peace.

And yet, quite suddenly, in the surrounding void, there was a knock on the patio door that led from the living room to the garden.

Ackerman jumped in surprise. Had his enemies somehow found him? Even if they had, they probably wouldn't just knock on the door... All the windows in the house were covered with long curtains, it was no different with the glass doors, which led to the patio. Levi reached for the gun, which was laying on the short table, then slowly walked towards the knocking sound.

The pager he had received was in his pocket. Ackerman got this item so he could quickly contact other officers, to call for help. He decided not to use it right now.

Suddenly he remembered the horror book he was reading. Could zombies knock on doors?

He pushed the curtain aside quickly, not knowing what to expect. On the other side of the glass, he saw a tall, familiar figure.

Levi blinked, distrustful of his eyes. Only after a while was he able to move. He quickly reached for the handle and opened the door full width. He smelled the evening air.

Eren, standing outside in an unbuttoned leather jacket, fixed Levi with a heavy gaze. The enormity of the feelings expressed by the boy's eyes was almost overwhelming. They stared at each other for a moment as if they couldn't believe they were really facing each other.

Levi quickly shook off this strange state. He took a step back, without a word letting Eren know he could go inside. He didn't take his eyes off the boy's face. He also felt his own heart beating unnaturally fast. The young man crossed the threshold, then calmly closed the door behind him and also closed the curtain. Finally he looked at Levi again.

"While I was driving here, I wondered what I should tell you, but I didn't come up with anything wise. So let me just say that I'm sorry, Levi." Eren's voice was quiet and hollow, devoid of the sincere joy Levi remembered. The boy looked as desperate as that moment they had met a few days ago at Grisha's mansion. Eren was worried about him then. This time it had to be someone else. Levi figured out what had to be the cause. "I am sorry for everything. You were right, I was stupid. I thought Mikasa and Armin would be safe. I thought that by working for Grisha I would protect you as well... I mean, all of you. But as always, I was wrong."

"Is Mikasa…?" Levi began, and Eren just nodded, his expression pained.

"Grisha was furious, but I thought I would convince him not to punish her too severely. But… Something happened during their conversation. Apparently, Grisha admitted that he was responsible for the deaths of her parents. I had no idea about that, and neither did Mikasa... My father didn't expect her to attack him. She hurt his cheek. Kruger caught her before she could do more. Grisha claims she wanted to kill him" Eren was saying it, staring somewhere to the side, Levi, in turn, kept his eyes on the visitor. "I have no idea where she is right now. Grisha doesn't want to talk to me about it. He told me that now it depends on Mikasa what will happen next. And that I won't see her too soon… I'm really scared for her, Levi. About what he will do to her."

Eren glanced shyly at Ackerman, who was silent, composing in his mind what he had just heard. Levi had thousands of questions, but he couldn't decide which to ask first. Yaeger must have misinterpreted the silence.

"Levi, if you don't want to talk to me, I'll understand. If you hate me for all of this, I will also understand. I left you. You almost died because of me. I've been doing really nasty things for these couple of months..." Eren trailed off his voice, frowning slightly, still staring at the older man.

There was a soft click from the electric kettle in the kitchen. Levi looked at Eren, still with the same calmness written on his face.

"Would you like some tea?"

Eren pursed his lips, then took a few steps towards Ackerman.

"Levi, I mean it. Be honest with me. Hit me, call me names, do whatever you feel like to do... I can't believe you could just forget it."

They looked at each other, now only a dozen centimeters apart. Levi could look closely at his visitor. He noticed how Eren's face had changed over the months, its features gently sharpened. The boy gave up his stubble, his cheeks and chin were shaved cleanly. His long brown hair was tied up, single strands of it falling over his forehead.

The expression in Eren's eyes had changed as well, and Levi could see an echo of the events the boy had experienced for these months. But all this didn't matter to him now.

"I was angry with you like hell" Levi began, squinting his eyes slightly and staring at the green irises. "You promised me one that you won't disappear and then that's what you did. I hated the thought that you decided on something so stupid and didn't even give me a chance to talk you out of it. But then I understood, you gave me a chance. Back when we met in that car workshop. And it was me who acted like an idiot, I didn't know how you felt. I suspect you must have thought that you had no other choice."

Levi saw Eren's eyes widen slightly. He also saw the boy's chest begin to rise and fall faster as his breathing quickened. Ackerman couldn't help but his own gaze slid down Eren's exposed neck. Apart from the jacket, the boy wore a black shirt with the top three buttons undone. The detective blinked, then quickly tore his gaze away from this spot and returned to Yaeger's eyes. Then he continued.

"Eren, I'm sorry I let you go. I should have stopped you then, before you left. I regret it to this day."

The boy looked even more surprised than he had been a moment ago. His cheeks slightly flushed. Apparently he wasn't prepared for such a confession, he probably expected a colder reception.

"So? Would you like to drink a cup of tea with me?" The man asked again, then headed towards the kitchen. "We have a lot to talk about. I don't like talking without having something warm to drink."

Eren nodded, but still looked as if he didn't believe what was happening, that Levi just forgave him and wanted to go on with the conversation. The detective disappeared into the kitchen, where he quickly prepared two teas. Then he returned to the living room and set them on the small dining table. Young Yaeger removed his jacket from his shoulders and hung it on the chair. They sat side by side, looking at the two steaming mugs.

"I'm glad you're okay." Eren finally said, looking at Levi. Ackerman knew he looked much better than he did a few days ago. The scratches on his face were almost invisible and the swelling was completely gone. The larger wound on his shoulder needed some more time to heal. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. I'm sorry I didn't react right away... I wanted to come up with something, but Mikasa was faster. I have no idea how she figured out that... well, that you're important to me."

"Don't be sorry, Eren. I told you, it's an occupational risk. There was nothing you could do," Levi replied, then wrapped his fingers around the top of the cup and took a few sips of the warm drink. For the time being, he chose to ignore the fact that Eren had called him someone important. He preferred to change the subject. "Do you have any lead? Any idea where Grisha might be holding her?"

"I have no idea" Yaeger shook his head sadly. "It can be any place. Even with a list of all his properties, it would be hard for us to find it".

"Armin could help us. Have you talked to him yet?" Levi asked, setting the mug on the table. He glanced at his visitor. He was surprised to see Eren look away to the side.

"Me and Armin... We haven't been talking to each other lately."

"Why?"

"What do you think?" It took Eren a moment to glance at the detective, there was the guilt in his eyes now. "He didn't like what I was doing recently. He vented it at the welcome party, he got the attention of literally every guest… When I saw Zeke coming up to us, I punched Armin several times. I had to look plausible. I didn't want my brother to do it… You can guess what it looked like."

After a while the boy looked to the side again. He seemed deeply depressed and ashamed.

"Eren..." Levi reached out and touched Eren's hand. What had once seemed like an innocent gesture now made him feel a shiver, an electrifying sensation down his spine as their hands met. He looked the boy in the eye and continued the talk. "Armin is smart. You think he didn't figure out why you did it? I'm sure he doesn't mind. Be sure to meet him as soon as you can. We need every clue. I'll talk to Erwin and Hanji. We'll do anything to find Mikasa. After all, I owe her."

Yaeger frowned in a sad expression, looking back at the man. He stared into the detective's eyes like he was contemplating Levi's words. Eventually his face relaxed and he nodded with obvious relief. He also lifted the corner of his mouth slightly. He moved his fingers, taking the man's hand into his own.

They looked at each other, their hands still touching. This time it didn't seem as either of them wanted to end this moment of intimacy.

"I've missed you, Levi." Eren whispered, his eyes warm and echoed that merriment that Ackerman remembered and needed so much.

The boy moved a little closer to him. The detective was sitting there motionless, as still as a statue if not for his heart which was pounding madly inside his chest. Ackerman moved his gaze from Eren's eyes to his lips.

"I…" Levi whispered, but he was interrupted by a loud knock on the front door.

Ackerman's eyes widened, then he sprang up quickly from his chair.

"Shit! You better hide" He hissed, grabbing the boy's arm and pushing him towards the bedroom. "No one should see you here!"

Eren didn't have time to ask what was going on. Without a word, he disappeared into the other room. Levi closed the door behind him, then ran towards the entrance before the officers who were guarding him could force their way in.

"I'm alive!" Levi called, opening the door to face a tall man with black hair. A straightly cut fringe covered his forehead, and his eyes were gray and narrow. "As you can see, Marlo, I'm fine. Hope this is the last time today when you're checking if I'm breathing?"

"These are my orders" The man replied with a shrug. "You also have to give me the password."

Levi sighed.

"Do I really have to say this again?"

"Well, I don't know". Marlo raised his hand and began counting on his fingers. "We have one password which means that nothing is happening, we have another one in case someone was standing behind you and held you at gunpoint…"

"Pretzels" Levi grunted, then added, "Does Hanji help you invent them?"

Marlo laughed, and Levi slammed the door in front of his face. He turned slowly on his heel and started toward the bedroom. Suddenly he opened his eyes wider in a flow of panic. He remembered one single detail... about an object that was laying in the bedroom. On the bedside table. Right next to his bed.

Ackerman ran towards the room where he left Eren, hoping the boy wouldn't notice the little thing… though he knew it was impossible for him.

Levi opened the door with a flourish and stopped short.

Eren was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a silver pendant that belonged to him. He looked up at Levi and smiled widely.

"I can't believe it! I was sure I had lost it... Did you find it?" Eren asked, turning a small object on a chain in his hand. He kept smiling. "And... you're keeping it here, by your bed?"

Seeing that shy smile on Eren's lips, Levi suddenly forgot everything he worried about a moment ago. Pleasant warmth filled his chest. It felt as if something very valuable had come back to him.

In general, for some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off Eren. The sight of the boy sitting right here on his sheets, where he had slept for several days, smiling at him so softly and tenderly, made Levi feel his throat go dry.

The detective finally moved. He walked over to the bed and sat down next to Eren. He took the pendant from Yaeger's hand and then put it over his head, thus hanging it around the boy's neck. At the end, he touched the cool item, accidentally also touching Eren's skin. Yaeger shivered slightly and his cheeks flushed again. They stared at each other for a moment.

Levi was the first to move back and also cleared his throat softly.

"We should focus on finding Mikasa," The man said, rising from his seat and mentally ordering his heart to calm down. "Wait here, I'll go get my computer and notebook. We'll try to come up with as many ideas as possible. Anyway, as I said, we have a lot to talk about."

Levi returned a moment later, as promised, with his laptop and notebook. After a while, he also brought a tray containing two cups and a teapot of freshly brewed tea, as well as a bowl of biscuits, at the sight of which the boy's eyes lit up. He and Eren sat side by side on the bed, propped up against high pillows. They began to exchange insights and information. They also devised a plan to recapture Mikasa, they talked about what should happen to her afterwards, and how much they should involve Armin in all of this.

At one point, Ackerman sat up straight and looked at Eren with a frown.

"Wait a minute... If you're saying that you and Armin aren't talking to each other, who gave you this address? How did you know where to find me?"

Eren bit his lip, then pulled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around his legs. He met Levi's eyes. They both were sitting very close to each other. The detective reminded himself that he should concentrate on the question he had just asked, not just those big green eyes.

"This is one of the topics that we must discuss. I know who Grisha's spy is. He works with you. His name is Braun."

Levi's face tightened. The detective froze, his lips pressed into a narrow line. Suddenly he felt a strange tiredness throughout his body. Well, the doctor told him to rest, but for the last hour he kept working and talking with Eren without a break. Ackerman leaned back against the pillow and sighed. And now, this...

"Fuck" Levi whispered, shaking his head slowly. "I didn't trust him from the beginning, but I tried to talk to him. I had no grounds to accuse him of anything... Shit, what a dick."

"You had a gut feeling," Eren announced with a shrug. "I know you'd like to arrest him right now, but I think we should hold on. He may be useful to us. And thanks to him, I knew where to find you. Note that he could have given this information to Grisha, but he didn't. Just as he hasn't yet revealed to them that I'm your informant. He also wants to free himself from my father".

"Eh, I don't know. I have to think about it," Levi muttered, trying to get used to this new thought.

So it was Reiner who was responsible for all the misfortunes that had happened to them recently. The thought was excruciating, but Eren was right. If Braun did change sides, he might be useful to them. Ackerman stated that he would have to discuss this matter with his friends.

The detective suddenly felt a slight weight on his shoulder. He looked that way and saw Eren's head. The boy leaned against him and closed his eyes.

"You think we'll find her?" Young Yaeger asked softly. Levi stared at him for a moment, then shifted his gaze to his notebook.

"I'm sure of it".

They were working for some time. Levi searched for information that might be useful, and jotted down Eren's ideas and observations. At one point, the boy stopped speaking. Levi was a little surprised and looked towards the young man, whose head was still on his shoulder. Apparently Eren just fell asleep. The detective decided that the boy just needed some rest. He began leafing through the notes and the collected data in peace, hoping that at some point he would see the daylight...

He paused only for a moment, and it was because Eren moved a little. The boy, still in a state of sleep, laid himself comfortably on the detective's lap, and then kept sleeping.

Ackerman was surprised at first, but then smiled slightly. He went back to browsing the information. At one point, without thinking, he raised his hand. He touched Eren's hair and started stroking it. He did it very delicately so as not to wake the young man up. Yaeger just purred softly in his sleep. Levi felt a strange, dangerously pleasant twist in his stomach when he heard that. He hadn't experienced this feeling for a long time, it was something extremely exciting for him. He was amazed by the thought that he wished he could hear more of that soft sound.

Suddenly he twitched slightly as he heard a knock on the door.

Goddamn Marlo!

Levi's lips twitched, then, very slowly, he rose from his seat. He placed Eren's head on one of the pillows and covered the boy with a blanket. He left the bedroom, then crossed the living room and opened the front door for the second time that evening.

"Marlo, how many times..."

Levi paused, opening his mouth in amazement. Erwin was standing in the doorway, a bag full of groceries in his left hand. He smiled at his friend.

"Normally, I would apologize for intruding at this hour, but I know you hardly ever sleep. Am I bothering you?"

"No..." Levi stammered, realizing that it wasn't entirely true. He let the man in. Erwin walked into the living room, placing the bag on the table.

"I bought you some of the things you asked for, but I couldn't find that red lentil, sorry. Marlo and Daz said it was quiet all day. Good to hear. How are you?"

"It's okay," Ackerman replied, then briskly walked over to Erwin. He grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Erwin... I have something to tell you".

Smith raised his eyebrows, then smiled gently. He must've read Levi's behavior and words wrongly as he reached out with his good hand and touched the shorter man's cheek.

Ackerman's eyes rounded in surprise. What else was going to happen that evening?

"I also want to tell you something. I was really worried for you, Levi," Erwin said in a low, oddly soft voice. He narrowed his eyes, and there was genuine concern in his gaze. "I don't know what I would do if I'd lost you..."

The bedroom door opened suddenly. Eren's slim figure appeared on the threshold.

"Levi, sorry I fell asleep..." The boy said in a half-drowned tone, but suddenly all the sleepiness disappeared from his face. Eren stopped and widened his eyes as he saw the two men standing so close to each other. He looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

Erwin was still cupping Levi's cheek with his hand, but at the sight of Eren a real shock appeared on the man's face. Smith released Ackerman, slightly embarrassed, but quickly brought a gentle smile to his lips. He also opened his blue eyes wider.

"Eren!… So that's what you wanted to tell me, Levi?"

Ackerman nodded.

"Yeah. The boy is back."

Erwin quickly walked over to the young Yaeger to greet him. He patted him on the shoulder, radiating genuine joy.

"You made us wait for a long time. I'm glad you're okay..."

"Yeah... Sorry about that" The boy muttered, looking very confused for some reason. "It's just... happened."

"What about your friend? Mikasa?" Erwin asked when the three of them sat down at a small table.

Eren saddened and told Smith what he had learned so far. Erwin looked worried, but at the same time his eyebrows frowned in his characteristic way, indicating that the man was already considering a strategy.

"Besides, Reiner works for Grisha" Levi suddenly interjected, as if he were spreading some office gossip rather than the identity of a spy working for the enemy. Erwin froze and fixed his friend with a shocked glance. "You want some tea?"

"Excuse me…?"

The three of them raised the most urgent topics, trying to make it timely, as the hour was getting late. Ackerman couldn't help it, he tried to get Eren's attention during this conversation. The boy, however, for some reason avoided his eyes, even when Levi was addressing him directly. He answered politely, but didn't look at him at all… The detective felt a little irritated at this fact.

After they had settled on the most important issues, the detectives handed Eren a cell phone so they could communicate. Smith briefly summed up everything they had agreed, then rose from his seat.

"It's late. Eren, you should come back so no one starts asking you uncomfortable questions."

"Sure. I'll use the back door, like in the old days," The boy answered right away.

Erwin nodded, then added.

"I'm glad you came back to us. We'll help you find Mikasa and then things will start to fall into place again, I believe it." Smith smiled gently, then slid his chair to the table. "I'm going, too. I'll talk to Marlo and Daz for a moment to distract them so they won't accidentally notice you when you leave. We still don't want too many people to know about you."

"Thanks" Eren replied and nodded back to Smith.

Erwin came up to Levi and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Let me know if you need anything else."

"Sure..." Levi replied, feeling Eren's eyes piercing him.

Smith nodded to them one last time, then left the house.

Eren and Levi were left alone. Yaeger quickly reached for his jacket, which he had previously hung on the chair. He put it on and only then glanced at the detective.

"So, it's all settled. Get well, Levi."

"Wait..." Ackerman walked over to the boy before he could move towards the door. "Please, don't tell me you're jealous."

"JEALOUS?!" Eren asked in a high-pitched voice. His cheeks turned pink immediately. "W-what? Why would I be jealous?"

"I told you that there's nothing between me and Erwin. Well, maybe apart from friendship and sentiment".

"I don't know why you're telling me this…" Eren muttered, looking sideways with a pugnacious face.

"You don't?" Levi narrowed his eyes, then took a few steps towards the boy.

He stopped in front of him, closing the distance between their faces. Eren couldn't remain indifferent to this behaviour. He met Ackerman's eyes, his cheeks turned red this time.

They looked at each other for a moment, standing completely still. Due to the difference in height, Levi raised his head up, while Eren had to bend his head down to look the detective straight in the eye. Finally Ackerman reached out and, as before, touched the pendant around Eren's neck.

"I hope you won't lose it again," The detective said quietly, staring into the boy's eyes. He was standing so close he thought he was about to drown in those green irises. After a while he continued, "I've missed you too. Very much."

Eren's lips parted slightly. The boy must have guessed Levi was referring to his previous confession, to that moment where they were sitting at the table at the very beginning of today's meeting, when their conversation was disrupted.

Eren was clearly wondering what he should answer to that, but Levi solved this problem for him.

The man gently pulled the chain, doing it with carefulness, trying not to break it. He did this to bring Yaeger's face closer to him. As Eren's lips were just millimeters apart from his own, Levi kissed him tenderly.

Ackerman felt as if a thousand fireworks had exploded inside his body. He felt the touch of the Eren's soft lips on his lips. After a while, he kissed him harder, wanting to deepen the experience. He heard Eren sighed softly. He felt Yaeger's arms wrap around his waist. The boy pulled him closer, hugging him tightly. They held each other in a firm embrace for a moment longer, exchanging hot kisses until they both broke away from their lips as if at an agreed sign.

"I know I should go back…" Eren gasped, but he didn't seem too convinced by this idea. Levi moved his hand from the pendant to the boy's cheek. He stroked it gently, then took a step back.

"It's true, you really should."

"But we will see each other soon...? After we'll find Mikasa?"

"I don't know. It's possible" Levi said, raising one eyebrow.

"Take care of yourself..." The boy said with a dreamy look. Ackerman interrupted him.

"Eren, it's time. You have to know one thing about me, I hate long goodbyes."

Levi reached for the handle, opened the door, and looked expectantly at Yaeger. Eren looked at him one last time, then stepped into the darkness outside. Levi watched the boy cross the yard and then disappeared into the night.

Ackerman closed the door to the terrace, then leaned back against the cool glass. He closed his eyes.

Only when he was alone his subconscious asked him a question. What the hell was he doing...?

Some time ago he would have reprimanded himself for such unprofessional behavior and ordered to focus on the investigation, referring to a personal ethics code. An affair with an informant? It wasn't his style. However, he knew that something had changed in him over the past few months. He hadn't expected to experience the loss of Eren so much. Besides, in retrospect at their relationship, he had the impression that they must've always been heading to the point in which they were today.

He wanted an ordinary, orderly world, but for some time he and the other detectives had been stuck in constant chaos. He wasn't going to think about it today.

He pulled down the heavy curtain, then turned his steps towards the room that now replaced his own bedroom. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. He had to come up with a plan to save the person he owed something.