Eren
The boy was leaning against the hood of his car, watching as the silver and black motorcycle stopped a few meters in front of him.
Eren stood with his arms folded across his chest, waiting for Ackerman to immobilize his vehicle and walk over to him. They were on the outskirts of the city, in an abandoned car workshop. The detective designated this place as the point of today's meeting.
Levi took the helmet off his head and brushed dark strands from his forehead. Then he looked at Eren.
The boy couldn't help it, he felt a sudden thrill of excitement when the detective's gray-blue eyes stopped at him. Was he always supposed to react like that when he saw Levi? Somehow he totally fell for this man, without realizing it before.
They haven't seen each other since the evening Zeke was arrested. Earlier, Levi had made it clear to Eren that he wasn't interested in him, cooling his enthusiasm during the night conversation in his bedroom. It looked like everything was said between them and they should end this topic. The boy knew he shouldn't have any hope ... But he wouldn't be himself if he just give it up.
Levi put down his helmet and walked over to Eren, tucking his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.
"Congratulations" Eren was the first to speak, smiling slightly. "From what I heard, Xavier will stay with you for a while. The whole production is stopped, the laboratory isn't working. The rest of the employees are helpless without Tom's leadership".
"At least one element of the plan has turned out well..." Levi muttered, looking at the boy from under his heavy eyelids. Eren guessed the detective didn't seem to be sleeping very well. He wanted to ask him about it, but Ackerman was faster and changed the subject. "I hope Zeke doesn't suspect anything?".
"He's too busy figuring out how to get Xavier out of jail to worry about anything else" Eren replied, staring at Levi attentively. "Honestly, everyone are suspecting that one of us can be a rat. Grisha is trying to dig up some dirt on every member of the Titans group, you know, to have a hold over them. But at the same time, he's afraid of losing their trust, so it's not an easy task. For now, he's trying to save the last part of the production. I don't know the details of his plan, we haven't talked yet, but he's pissed off like never before".
"That was to be expected" Levi sighed, then stepped closer. Like Eren, he leaned against the hood of the car, then looked ahead.
"How are you doing?" Yaeger asked, looking at the detective. The concern in the green eyes left no doubt about his feelings. He gently moved towards Levi, their arms touched. "Zeke bragged about provoking you to attack him. Floch was supposed to charge you of the abuse of power, he wanted to suspend you from your duties. Is this true?".
Levi frowned, then reluctantly shrugged.
"Everything is fine, as always. Things like that happen. It's part of my job, but… This time, I'm the one to blame. I regret what I did. I should've restrained myself. Although… It was so good to hit that bastard's bearded mug" Ackerman's lips twisted slightly. He didn't move, he was standing there, still leaning against the hood of Eren's car. "I have to wait until the suspension is over, that's it. For now, Hanji and Erwin will take care of the investigation. My only regret is that I'll miss Xavier's interrogation".
"Why? Is it that great entertainment?" Eren smiled happily.
"Well, Xavier hasn't said anything specific yet, but he got lost in his own confession. He also can't control his anger, it's very easy to throw him off balance. I saw it during just one hearing, and I would've given a lot to see it again" Levi almost smiled as he said it.
Eren couldn't take his eyes off him.
The man so far didn't express too much emotions in front of him, and certainly avoided smiling. What the boy saw now was the kind of grimace closest to the smile he had ever seen on the detective's face.
"That's too bad for you, you'll miss the whole fun. Hanji and Erwin have the whole interrogation for themselves" He added quickly, not wanting the moment to end. "Lucky them".
"You're right" Levi agreed. "Zoe showed me the report of the completed search of Xavier's apartment. They'll have many questions for him, although the topics will be a bit far-fetched".
Eren chuckled softly.
"If they run out of topics, Hanji can always tell Xavier about her volunteer work" The boy added, staring at the detective with a smile. He could feel Levi's shoulder next to his, he was so close. He could feel the warmth of the man's body. He could smell the detective's deodorant and some floral soap he must have been using. "You know, Hanji can even show him pictures of all the dogs she's taking care of. Sawnie, Bean, and all the rest... She's always bragging about them. She has the hundreds of the photos on her phone. Maybe she could even use a projector and show them on the wall..."
Levi snorted softly, then looked at his interlocutor.
"Eren... Really? How can you be this cruel? This could be qualified as tortures, and it's totally inhumane".
The boy burst out laughing out loud, throwing his head back. Then he looked at Ackerman, still chuckling. He saw the same gleam in the detective's eyes as he did in the hotel, that time when Levi asked him foolish questions to cheer him up. The man's mouth stretched gently and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he also wanted to smile. Seeing all this, Eren felt that pleasant shiver again, and a strange, tickling twist in his stomach that he inexplicably associated with happiness.
He and Levi looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment. Eren didn't even dare to move, so as not to destroy this peace, not to destroy this closeness. But he knew that whatever it was, it had to end. Levi looked to the side, and stepped away, taking a step forward. The moment was gone.
Ackerman adjusted the collar of his jacket. Then he looked at Eren.
"I should go back. Do you have our equipment with you?".
"Yes, sir" Eren replied, getting to his feet and walking to the car door. He looked inside, and after a while he returned to the detective with a coiled black cable in his hand and a small device attached to it. The wiretap he used last time.
Levi nodded and reached for the equipment, waiting for Yaeger to hand it to him.
The moment their hands touched, Eren ran his fingers over the detective's hand in a very indiscreet way, looking him straight in the eye.
Levi blinked in surprise, but made no comment. He put the device in his jacket pocket.
"Thanks. I'll let you know when we'll need you again".
"Yeah..." Eren blurted out. He felt the sudden panic. So this was the end? They were about to part already? He would've liked to spend the whole evening with Levi, though the place they were in wasn't the safest. He couldn't just invite himself into the Ackerman's house, he had visited the detective too often lately, which was risky.
Levi turned and apparently wanted to leave, but Eren said again:
"I'm sorry for the last time. You know, that night, back in the club, when me and that guy... We… Well, I don't know how much you've heard then" The boy said, swallowing the shame. He would've brought up almost any subject now to get Levi's attention. "I was a little drunk that evening".
Ackerman spun very slowly and fixed Yeager with a slightly irritated glare. He looked as if Eren had brought up a topic Levi wanted to forget.
"I've heard enough. But don't worry, I took the earpiece off my ear before I could hear anything more ".
"I'm not worried" Eren shrugged. "I guess I wanted to tease you a little. It was stupid".
Levi sighed softly, then turned sideways at the boy.
"Eren, it's your life, do what you want. I really don't care".
"So, everything is okay between us?" Yaeger asked.
Levi nodded.
"Don't disappear anywhere and it'll be okay".
"I won't disappear" Eren smiled. "And you take care of yourself, okay?".
"You little shit, I should be the one telling you this" Levi rolled his eyes, then walked away to his motorcycle. He put on his helmet, started the engine, and drove away. Eren stared after the man a moment longer before returning to his car.
He took a seat in front of the wheel and stared at the windshield.
He had no idea when it happened.
How was it possible that he had such a crush on Levi? How could he let this happen? Until recently, he had thought it was only a temporary fascination, but it last a little too long and became a little too serious.
Should he be worried about it already?
Reiner
He entered a spacious, bright hall, trying to remain calm. He looked around slowly. The place was designed in a modern style. The walls were painted white and decorated with silver elements. On one of the walls, there was hanging a large electronic clock. In the center of the lounge were placed the large white armchairs, sofas, a bar near the large fireplace, and some modern wardrobes without handles.
It was the first time Reiner had been to this place. Grisha always wanted to meet with him in the field, never invited him to any of his estates. Something must have changed. Apparently, he was genuinely pleased with him... Or he was planning something big.
Reiner swallowed nervously. It could also have been both.
The Owl behind him cleared his throat.
"Move on" He muttered, pointing to the glass door. Reiner stepped out onto the covered terrace and saw the person he was about to meet.
Grisha was sitting in an armchair, wearing a gray short-sleeved, buttoned shirt and a dark pants. This time the glasses he was wearing had black lenses. When he saw Reiner, he waved his hand.
Some of the Grisha's men that Reiner had met before were seated in the other armchairs. He briefly greeted Zeke, the Gaillard brothers, and Annie.
"Sit down, Braun" Grisha pointed to the empty chair next to him. Reiner dropped into place. Zeke immediately pressed a glass of drink into his hand.
The man couldn't refuse, the day was warm and he was thirsty. He drank a cold drink and felt better immediately.
"Are you satisfied with your last paycheck?" Grisha wanted to know.
"Yes, very much" Reiner confessed, trying to smile. " hope that our cooperation will continue this way. My only regret is that we still have a problem with Xavier. If what I learned is true, they can detain him for another ten days".
A shadow crossed Grisha's face, and the man narrowed his eyes. It was a subject better left unanswered, but it was inevitable. Reiner guessed that was what they were going to talk about anyway.
"I sent him a lawyer, but he's pathetic. Unfortunately, we cannot use Floch for this case. We don't want anyone to tie us to Xavier… " Grisha sighed. "He must fend for himself".
"Just a little while and he'll be out. They have nothing on him, they won't keep him longer".
"I really hope so" Grisha reached for his glass and drank it all. "Okay, Braun, now I'd like to talk to you about this agent".
Yaeger reached for a briefcase and tossed it to Reiner. The man looked at the photo on the front page of the document. He saw Levi Ackerman's face. He frowned slightly.
"What about him?".
"I've been watching him since the last time. He's more and more annoying" Grisha pointed to the empty glass. Annie got up and poured the boss a whiskey, then threw some ice cubes inside. She looked briefly at Reiner. Then she returned to her seat. "We're gonna have to scare him a little. We'll need your help".
Reiner took another sip before answering.
"Sure. What should I do?".
"I need you to install a GPS transmitter in his car. If any of us did it, it would be too risky. You two work in the same department, so you shouldn't have a problem with that".
"That's true. There won't be any problem" Reiner nodded. "I just need to know... Do you want to reach for such extreme measures as with Zacharius?".
Reiner saw Annie's body tensed slightly. Or maybe he just imagined it.
Grisha laughed.
"Braun, you won't cease to surprise me. I just said to you that I just want to startle him a little. We'll spy on him a bit, then leave him a few messages and tease him. Maybe he'll get to his senses and he'll retire sooner. What do you think?".
Reiner sighed. After a moment, he put the glass to his mouth and gulped down the whole drink, then put the glass on the table.
"I don't know. It's possible. From what I've seen, all of his crew totally broke after Zacharius died. I think that if you hurt them again, they can give up the investigation. So, it might be a good idea".
"See? We get along so well. Zeke will drop off the transmitter tomorrow so that you can deal with this in the morning. And now... Someone give him some whiskey!" Grisha called.
"No need, I'll do it myself" Reiner reached for the bottle and poured some golden alcohol into his glass.
"For our cooperation" Grisha raised his glass to make a toast. Reiner joined him, their glasses hit each other. Then Braun took a sip.
An hour later, The Owl escorted him to his car. They walked back through the bright living room, then turned into the corridor that led to the exit. Reiner felt the alcohol buzzing slightly in his head. Fortunately, Kruger was his driver today. He wouldn't have been able to come back in this state to his apartment.
He opened the door and went outside… or, rather wanted to leave.
On the threshold he almost collided with a tall boy.
This was the first time he saw him. The boy had long brown hair, tied into a ponytail and sharp green eyes. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans with holes in the knees. The young man gave him a curious look.
Well, it was clearly Grisha's younger son. If Reiner remembered his name correctly, his name was Eren.
Neither he nor the youngest Yaeger said a word. They only stared into each other's eyes for a moment, as if judging each other.
Reiner and Kruger exited the building and headed for the parked car. In turn, Eren crossed the threshold, going inside.
Braun was following the sandy path behind The Owl. Suddenly, something made him have to look back. He spotted Eren closing the door behind him. The boy was staring at him as well, his eyes narrowed slightly. Eventually, the main door to the property slammed shut.
Reiner looked ahead and immediately forget about this situation.
Levi
Ackerman removed the hood from his face and entered the building. He walked through the administration department, holding a paper package in one hand. He casually nodded at those who greeted him. He saw surprised faces staring at him. Well, everyone probably knew by now that he was suspended and shouldn't be here.
Levi continued on down the long corridor. One of the doors there suddenly opened and Reiner Braun came out, his face scowling. His eyebrows shot up when he saw Ackerman.
"What are you doing here? Have you been reinstated already?" Braun asked, stopping to look at Levi. Then he looked at the box with the logo of the pastry shop."What's this? A bribe?".
"And this day was so nice.." Levi muttered, squinting. That was all he needed, talking to this sleazy type. For some reason he didn't trust Reiner and preferred to stay away from him. "Yes, a bribe, but not for you, Braun. First you have to earn respect to get bribes".
Levi walked past the taller man, not wanting to continue the conversation. He heard behind:
"Be careful with those bribes, or else I'll report you!".
"Oh, I'm so scared..." Ackerman replied, then disappeared down the hall. He finally found himself in front of the right door. He pushed it open and went inside.
Hanji and Erwin raised their heads. They both grinned when they saw Ackerman. Both Zoe and Smith looked moderately tired, Levi wasn't surprised. The work of the entire team has recently been on their shoulders.
"I didn't expect you!" Hanji exclaimed, stretching like a cat in her chair. "Are you allowed to be here?".
"I'm here privately. I wanted to sweeten your day a little" Levi confessed, setting the box on the desk. Hanji immediately reached for the gift, opening the package. Their eyes saw a mountain of donuts.
"Levi! This is the most beautiful thing you ever gave me!" Hanji got up from her seat and hugged Ackerman despite his loud protests.
"And, here we go... I already regret coming here" Levi muttered, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
Erwin reached for one of the donuts and took a bite of the treat with pleasure.
"Thanks, Levi. We really needed this".
"How is it going with Xavier? Did he say anything?" Ackerman wanted to know. He sat down on Hanji's desk, watching as the Four Eyes was also consuming a donut.
"He still says that we arrested him for no reason" Erwin replied, slowly chewing on his sweet meal. "His lawyer tried to do something, but eventually they came to the conclusion it would be best if they wait it out".
"Look what we found in his apartment" Hanji said, pulling something out of a desk drawer. "Not much, but... Always a clue. What do you think?".
Levi saw several tiny cosmetic containers with the Yaeger's Hotel name on it.
"Besides, Xavier also had a menu from the hotel restaurant and a catering flyer. It's nothing big, but he'll have to explain to us how often he visits Yaeger's hotels".
"Nice. You really did good" Levi nodded appreciatively. Then he rose from his seat. "Okay, that's it for me. Keep working".
"Actually, we're going to see Tom soon" Hanji added. She ate the whole donut and licked her fingers. "We have to use my old piece of junk, because Erwin's car is still in the workshop".
"I can feel that you're not happy with it" Levi almost smiled, looking at Smith who rolled his eyes.
"No, I'm not. If this rickety car breaks down in the downtown again, I don't know what we'll do".
"Take my car if you want" Levi shrugged, then gestured to a drawer on his desk. "I had to leave all my things here, and the keys are there too. I'm not going anywhere yet".
"Hm, that's a good idea" Hanji beamed. She reached into the proper drawer and pulled out the car keys. 'So, it's decided! I'm driving!".
"But please, keep it clean" Levi ordered. He reached out and ruffled Hanji's hair, then started toward the door. "Say hi to Tom for me".
"Oh, for sure" Hanji laughed and waved at Levi. Then she reached for another donut.
Levi walked into his home and activated all alarms immediately. Recently, he had been trying to stay safe more than ever. From yesterday's conversation with Eren, he knew Grisha was furious. He had been deprived of his chief chemist, the last part of the stuff they produced must now be useless. Besides, the rest of the production will surely be delayed.
With small steps forward, this was their job.
Ackerman watered the flowers, then started making the snack for himself. He was up to some smoothie. He cut all the ingredients slowly, it was getting darker and darker outside. Suddenly he heard a phone notification.
Levi narrowed his eyes at the unknown number. Such a call at this time didn't herald any good. Who could it be? Levi hesitated for a moment, then finally answered the call.
"Yes?".
"Levi? Levi Ackerman?" Asked the shaky voice on the other side.
"Who is this?" The man had no idea who he was dealing with. He thought he knew the voice, but he couldn't assosiate it with a specific face...
"I'm Moblit Berner, I'm that bartender! I work in a place where you come with your friends".
"Yes, I recall now. Where did you get my number, Moblit?" Levi asked, clenching his fingers on the apple he was holding in one hand. "What's the matter?".
"I'm in the hospital. I just found out that Hanji... She had an accident. She and that other friend of yours, Erwin. They are here. Apparently, someone had planted explosives in their car. They are both alive, but... They are in serious condition...".
The man's gray-blue eyes widened in terror.
The apple he was holding dropped from his hand and rolled across the floor. Levi spun in place, feeling like a blind man, not knowing where he was.
"Thanks, Moblit..." He said into the receiver and hung up. His movements were automatic, he didn't think too much about them. He felt a burning emptiness inside that seemed to fill his entire body. As if in a dream, he grabbed his motorcycle keys and threw a leather jacket over his shoulders.
It was happening again.
It was his fault again, like that time before.
Levi pushed those thoughts away and quickly headed for the exit. Once he was outside, he began to run.