"And I'm here, why?" Jean whined, rolling his head against the car seat.

"Because you're the fucking Goose to my Maverik, that's why!" Eren snapped back. "This was your fucking idea, remember? 'Go to him' you said! 'He won't come to you' – you said! Well I took your God damn advice and now here we are!"

"Stop yelling! I'm fragile!"

Eren sighed loudly removing his aviators, he pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. "Look, just a few more minutes, alright? I'm already illegally parked here, and afterwards I promise we'll check out Trost University. We both need to get our asses back into school, so we might as well go back together."

Jean eyed Eren over the rim of his sunglasses. "Why do we have the same pair of aviators on right now?"

"Because…" Eren smiled sliding his aviators back on. "I bought them and you liked them! hence you stealing them from my locker. I just got another pair."

"Goose" Jean said pointing at Eren, "Maverik" he said pointing to himself.

Eren hummed in response, eyes skimming the crowds of people in front of the massive corporate building.

"You know, that Top Gun costume choice really paid off. I remember we were showered with tips that first night we debut them for that divorce party."

"Yea well" Eren said focusing his gaze to the entrance of the building. "We'll pull it off again. Granted you lay off the burgers."

Jean pretended to be offended and snorted.

Eren bit his lip nervously. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"How do you even know this guy works here?" Jean asked placing his head on his hand against the dashboard.

"Turns out Reiner's friend Bertholdt drove the limo for them that night. Said he picked them up here."

Jean whistled. "Ritzy."

Levi looked out his window into the streets below. It had been one week since that infamous evening. Though Levi's popularity since that night improved with his co-workers, he couldn't get that fucking brat out of his head.

Hearing a knock at his door, Levi stared harder at the window's reflection seeing his door open and Erwin walked through. Erwin smirked at Levi's backside and took a seat on a chair in front of his desk. "I see your everyone's favorite, now. Nice change of pace."

Levi rolled his eyes and shot Erwin a bored look over his shoulder. "Now I'm expected to have lunch with them all."

Erwin shrugged. "They'll have lunch with or without you. They're just over the moon that they were able to bound with you. Apparently your something of a unicorn to them." Erwin brought his hands up slightly touching and pulled them apart dramatically. "A fucking mystical being."

Levi sighed and turned, lowering himself into his chair he chuckled slightly. "And how is this still a topic of discussion?"

Erwin lifted an eyebrow with an annoyed look. "You did this to yourself. Socializing? Who would have thought? Levi capable of being a fucking human being."

Levi narrowed his eyes at Erwin. The conversation seemed to shift and a rigid air fell between them.

"I wanted you there, Levi. We've worked together for how long? And despite your introvert attitude, we're friends. We run the company together, hell you're probably the longest plutonic relationship I've ever had. So why is it that you couldn't seal this deal, Levi? What is it about you that makes you incapable of love?"

Levi rose from his chair and leaned over his desk while fixing Erwin a menacing glare. Placing a hand onto the clean surface he pointed the other at Erwin. "Don't Dr. Phil shit me, Erwin. You're the one boosting about having some fling at that damn strip joint! Doesn't marriage mean anything to you?"

"So that's why you've been pissed as hell at me? Because I'm bragging about a conquest? You self-righteous dick! I knew it was something, I just didn't figure you'd take this so fucking personal."

"You're a fucking joke, Erwin! Ever seen your eyebrows? Jesus! I bet you fucked a man using only those things!"

"Fuck you, Levi! If I didn't know better, I would say you were deflecting, you little shit!" Erwin barked rising and walking to the door. Moving his hand onto the knob Erwin paused, digits tapping on the smooth object. He tilted his head to the side in silent contemplation. "That's what this is, isn't it? Afraid of getting close to someone?" he muttered thoughtfully.

Erwin's shoulder's rose and fell as he took in a deep breath. He could feel himself mentally preparing for the attack his next choice of words would bring. "Levi, Farlan's death was not your fault."

Levi stilled as his eyes grew wide. Pressing his lips together, he straightened and held his breath. He watched as Erwin turned and closed the gap between them slightly.

"I know you loved him. I think he may have loved you, too. I don't know the whole story, I know you two grew up together and were roommates in college. I know he proposed to Isabel, and you waited dutifully by his side. Maybe for him to really notice you. I don't…I don't know…" Erwin shrugged leaving himself defenseless.

"Levi, Farlan –"

"Farlan didn't have family, you fucking piece of shit of a man" Levi growled, raking his hands through his hair. Turning abruptly Levi faced the window and crossed his arms over himself. He wanted to appear indifferent, but inside he was crumbling and used his arms to hug himself tightly. He swallowed and willed his voice to remain steady. "I was his contact – next of kin. When Isabel was drunk off her ass, and decided to fucking drive, she hit that Goddamn tree. She was miraculously saved, and Farlan was on life support. I had to make the decision to take him off life support!"

Silence flowed from Erwin as the confession settled into his mind. Blinking once, he shifted his weight form one foot to the other, unsure how to respond to the burden Levi had carried inside.

Levi moved over to his mini bar and poured himself a drink. Nursing the glass, he turned and shot Erwin a pointed look. "Isabel was his fiancé and wanted nothing to do with the responsibility of his medical care." Throwing his head back, Levi finished the drink. "Fucking children playing with the idea of love. When shit hits the fan, that's when your love is tested and that's when you step up. Farlan choose Isabel. I had to get over it. He took his friendship away with him! Saying it was too hard being around me, I made it too damn hard for him to be happy. Because –" Levi stopped himself. Another confession burned on the tip of his tongue but he forced it away, burying it back beneath the surface. Erwin wasn't the type of person he would disclose so much private information to.

Closing his eyes and stifling a sigh he added quietly, "And then this mother fucker makes me his medical contact? I don't see or hear from him in two years, but I'm suddenly thrown back into his life to make this decision?"

Erwin looked on at Levi, drawing a breath he pulled downward painfully at his face. "Levi…when Farlan died, I knew it was hard on you. But I didn't know the whole story. I have a feeling I still don't. But I know you. I know you wouldn't have made that decision lightly. You would have been conflicted, and would have made that decision if it was the only one you had."

Levi tsked and sat back into his chair, careful to avoid Erwin's gaze, he rubbed wearily at his eyes.

"You know I'm not big on the idea of love. I see my nuptials as a smooth business transaction. The girl is nice, so that's a plus. She's not naïve, Levi. She understands her role in this. In fact, she has someone on the side. If this marriage ends in divorce, and it will, so be it. We're both gaining something here."

Sitting across Levi, Erwin fixed him with a sad smile. "I don't understand the pain you went through, not really since I've never experienced something like that. I've come close, but not entirely. What I do understand, however, is that you can't continue on like this. After that night at the club, you were more withdrawn than ever. What went on in that room is your business, I respect that. But did you know" Erwin asked, raising from the chair and hunched his shoulders to lean in closer to Levi's desk. "That I requested someone?"

To the untrained eye, Levi looked bored. To Erwin, he noticed the way Levi's breathe hitched and the tiniest widening of his eyes.

"Jean stood there, asked if I would like someone specific, and when I obliged he supplied. Did you know Oluo left early because he couldn't stop his fucking tongue from bleeding? Or that Eld had a threesome? No. Because you don't talk to anyone. You don't want to get to know anyone. But your missing out, Levi. Your living half a life pretending to be fulfilled here and its pathetic. Farlan didn't love you back? Ok. Deal with it. Unrequited love is the bullshit that makes this world turn. He made you his emergency contact? Then obviously he trusted you more than Isabel, trusted you to make the right decision when the time came. What does that mean in the grand scheme of things? Hell, if I know! What I do know is that you deserve more than this life. You can't go around pretending not to have any feelings because you don't want to be hurt again."

Standing Erwin placed his knuckles on the desk. "Aren't you tired of being alone? Of being afraid all the time?"

The question rung heavily in the air but Levi remained silent and unmoving.

A quick knock on the door broke their thoughts and Mike stepped in. "Guys? We doing lunch or what?"