So, I'm back, guys. Thank you so much for your patience.
If someone would like, I'm giving you a link to a playlist I created some time ago: - playlist/1bcVnD0JS8ByhHRcopFMPV?si=V0_mY58LQl2yAcEoL2sbOw
Stay safe, take care, everyone ❤️.
- PART TWO-
Levi
He was staring silently into the overwhelming darkness, without batting an eye.
He didn't know what time it was. A quarter of an hour, a day, or an era might as well have passed from the moment he went to bed.
The darkness seemed to be carrying a gloomy promise, as if it had tacitly vowed that it would never pass away, that it would last forever, undistracted, irreplaceable. He was laying there, just staring into that dark void and felt as if this emptiness was staring back at him. Darkness engulfed his whole body, everything around, the whole world.
Nights like these, cold and loneless, totally sleepless nights; nights during which he couldn't squint, were lasting forever, and he could only lie there and wait for the daybreak. When it finally started to dawn, Levi dragged himself off the bed and went wearily to the shower.
Preparing his morning tea, he opened the cupboard in search of his favorite teacup. His gaze fell on the cup which was put right into the corner. A cup with an imprint: "Blow me, I'm hot". Levi narrowed his eyes and ignored it. He grabbed his regular teacup and then closed the cupboard with a soft click. He left the tea to cool down, then went to get dressed.
Once he was wearing a neatly ironed shirt and dark pants, he picked up the hot cup in his hand, ignoring the fact that it still burned his fingers a bit. Levi walked over to the glass sliding door that led straight from the kitchen to the backyard. He stood in front of the entrance, sipping the hot brew.
His gaze wandered immediately to the tall hedge and the back wooden door at the very end of the garden. Levi tried not to think about how long the door hadn't been used by anyone. For several months, no one has broken his security system. No burglars. No uninvited guests.
The detective's eyes suddenly stopped on the wooden bench. Levi frowned slightly as he recalled the evening conversation he once had there with Eren. It was the day of Eren's birthday. The day Mike died.
Shit. Apparently, he couldn't even look at that stupid bench, without thinking about the past.
Ackerman turned around, making for the living room. He didn't understand why he was haunted by memories today. When that thought appeared in his head, the detective's eyes suddenly fell on a small box lying on the cupboard. Just great.
Levi hesitated. He earlier put this box in this place, hoping it won't draw his attention, however, the effect was opposite. The object caught his eye like a magnet. After a moment, the man put his cup down on the coffee table, then picked up the box. He opened it, and his gaze fell on the silver medallion with two-colored wings.
Levi stared at the item silently. It was a small and inconspicuous piece of this world, but it meant a lot to him. It was the only memento of Eren he had here, as if only this one item made him believe that everything that had happened a few months ago was real.
Six months have passed since that meeting in the car workshop. They hadn't had any news of Eren since that day. Both he, Zeke and their father disappeared without a trace. Although Grisha showed up at several meetings, but they only found out about them after the fact. The man was more elusive than usual.
Due to the fact that Eren destroyed the cell phone he got from the detectives, they had no other way to contact the boy.
Erwin and Hanji found it hard to believe what they had heard from Levi. They didn't understand why Eren had suddenly cut them off. They asked Ackerman about the details of their last meeting, they wanted to know everything. Levi had told them as much as he could, but missed one, little, problematic point. He was unable to confide in them that something had happened between him and Eren, that they kissed. He had no idea how his friends would react to that. Besides, he was afraid that this whole situation was to some extent his fault.
After that meeting, he thought their conversation through, with all details. Levi especially remembered the boy's words from that moment they mentioned Armin and Mikasa.
Eren said:
"It's not just about them."
Levi was thinking about these words over and over. Eventually, he concluded that Eren's actions had apparently ceased to focus solely on keeping Mikasa and Armin safe. He guessed that the boy (most likely) also wanted to take care of their team. Eren wanted Erwin, Hanji, and also him itself, Levi, to be safe.
He would be a blind fool if he couldn't see that Eren had feelings to him.
Days were passing and Eren still didn't contact them. Levi began to think that his suspicions were correct. There hasn't been any incident since the last meeting with Eren, quite the contrary. It seemed as if Grisha had shut down the business, or at least the production. The distribution was still ongoing, but to a lesser extent. Detectives, thanks to new financial resources, detained several dealers, and also secured a large amount of drugs, weapons and cash. However, there was nothing that could link the Yaegers to illegal business, and none of the interrogated people confessed.
Could it be that Eren had somehow provided them with safety?
Levi had no idea what to think. All he knew was that he would do anything to see the boy just for a moment. He still felt remorse at the memory of their last meeting, but for a different reason than before. He didn't regret kissing Eren, his only regret was letting him go without a word. He shouldn't push him away, he shouldn't be silent. He should do whatever it takes to get the boy to talk. This thought, this regret had haunted him for six months, and he couldn't do anything to ease his own anguish.
At the beginning of this relationship, Levi would never thought that he end up in such a miserable situation. If someone had told him back then how important Eren would become to him, he would have laughed at that. During his first conversation with the boy, the night they met, he promised he would never trust Eren. But then... the world turned upside down.
Levi put down the pendant and quickly finished his tea. He needed to stop thinking about Eren, he should focus on his work.
He put the cup in the dishwasher, then decided he still had time to water the flowers. Levi wanted to do it quickly and efficiently, but when he lifted the watering can, he knew he lost. A memory flashed before his eyes... Another memory of young Yaeger. Levi remembered the evening he had spent with the boy right here. The detective wasn't too sober then, and Eren offered to look after him. He watered the flowers, tore off the dead leaves, and then kept him company.
Ackerman stared sadly ahead, not even trying to fight with the memories anymore. The more he tried to push them out of his head, the more they came back to him.
After he finished taking care of the plants, he walked across the living room. While in the corridor, he put on his shoes.
Levi couldn't help it. His home was full of memories. In his mind's eye, he saw a tall, slim figure emerging from around every corner. He heard the soft, stealthy footsteps, he heard the cheerful, resonate laugh he was so used to. Eren's ghost haunted him at every turn, and he was helpless against it. He couldn't fight with the longing that was tearing him apart.
When Levi arrived at work, Hanji and Erwin were already waiting for him. Their office seemed smaller now, it was because of the two additional desks, that had been placed here. This allowed Nanaba, Gelgar, and Reiner to sit in the room with them. Levi missed the days when this office belonged to only the four of them… He found Reiner sitting at Mike's desk unbearable. However, he had to admit that they were able to do more with a larger team.
Levi looked briefly at his two friends. Hanji seemed refreshed and eager to work. There was still a black eye patch behind her left eye, but the woman liked to joke about it. She claimed that now she only need a parrot on her shoulder and she could order boarding. Erwin, on the other hand, looked thoughtful and focused. Levi knew the man had been a bit bored in the office lately. Smith waited for a new command from Shadis. He was still wearing his right arm in a sling, so he limited his field trips to a minimum, but it was difficult to make the man sit still.
During the day, they met with Shadis to summarize current activities. Reiner and Gelgar were to continue the interrogation of detained dealers, while Hanji and Nanaba were to help with the documents. At the end, only the commander, Levi and Erwin remained in the conference room. Shadis pushed a newspaper out for them.
"You probably remember how some time ago Zoe let us know about an article about Grisha?" Keith asked, waiting for the men to read the contents. "Local media are rather neutral towards the Yaegers, and if they write about them, they are rather do it in superlatives. I suspect Grisha has most of the newspapers in his pocket... well, apparently not all of them".
"Yaeger's New Investments" Levi read aloud as he scanned the text. "The hotel under construction in Ragako comes as a surprise to many, as until recently the plans for the development of the plot were completely different. What do Grisha Yaeger and Mayor of Ragako have in common?".
"What do the police have on Zeke Yaeger? We are unveiling the secrets of a wealthy family in the next issue" added Erwin, raising his eyebrows high. "I wonder where these journalists got this information".
"I don't know, but that's what you need to find out" Shadis confessed, then clasped his hands together.
"We can go right now" Levi agreed, and rolled up the newspaper to take it with him. Then he looked at Erwin. Ackerman knew perfectly well what the man's answer would be. "Ready?".
"Always" Erwin said, lifting the corner of his mouth.
Eren
He stared at the landscape, which was moving lazily outside the window.
The fields and roads seemed miniature, as if they were part of an extremely real mockup, or as if they were painted. They reminded him the pictures that Mikasa used to draw in her childhood. Colorful stretches of fields, forest spaces, and up above, endless, cloudless skies.
It was one of their many flights that he and Zeke had made on the Eldia-Marley route in recent months, yet Eren couldn't take his eyes off the sight. There was something amazing about traveling this way, a certain wildness, a danger... Something like true freedom.
Suddenly, he felt Zeke nudging him with his elbow. Eren looked at his brother, who handed him a glass with liquor and ice cubes. The chill of the drink brought him back to reality.
"Let's have toast, for coming home" Zeke said, lifting one corner of his mouth. They clinked their glasses. "Are you glad we're coming back for good?".
"And what do you think? We'll finally be able to fully start production on our turf" Eren replied, settling comfortably in the leather chair and rinsing his mouth with a cool drink. Recently, he drank alcohol like water. "Xavier is ready, just waiting for us. And for our new comrades".
Eren looked at the further part of the cabin, where a thin blonde was sleeping in one of the seats. Her name was Yelena. The woman's hair was styled in a short bob with straight bangs. She operated in Marley on a daily basis, her specialization was logistics and transport. Right next to her was sitting a man who had to be in Grisha's age. He had a dark complexion, brown hair cut short, and slight stubble under his nose and chin. Theo Magath. The man's forehead was already marked by the passage of time, but his eyes remained sharp and attentive. Like Xavier, he was a chemist and was supposed to help them in the lab. He must have felt Eren's gaze because he looked right back at him. He picked up the drink he was holding and nodded. Eren returned the gesture.
Grisha recently stated that Zeke and Eren's return to Eldia would be an appropriate occasion to welcome their guests. Their foreign partners agreed to this and appointed two of their employees. They chose this time for another reason, the tense situation with the police calmed down a bit.
Grisha's passenger plane began to land. Yelena woke up and fastened her seat belts, as did the rest of the passengers. When they were on the ground, everyone started to leave. Zeke opened the plane's door and lowered the steps they could use to came down. There were two cars waiting for them at a small airport, their drivers were Pieck and Kruger. They greeted them briefly, then helped them carry their luggage. Meanwhile, their pilot, a dark-skinned man named Onyankopon, reloaded cargo from the car trunks to be taken to Marley and distributed there. They said goodbye to the pilot and then got into their cars. Eren took the passenger seat next to Pieck. Zeke sat down behind them, resting his arms on the headrests of their armchairs.
"What's up at home, babe?" Zeke asked, looking in the mirror at the woman's reflection.
"For now, peace and quiet" Pieck confessed, returning the gaze of older Yaeger. Then she glanced at his younger brother. "How are you? Everything went as you wanted?".
Eren nodded.
"We made some new contacts. We got along with the Tyburs. Yelena and Magath will support us to restart production and improve the process a little".
"Oh, that's… great" Pieck replied, then looked back at the windshield.
They spent the rest of the way in silence. Only Zeke made some jokes from time to time. Eren stared out the window, looking at the knowing grounds and feeling strange at the thought that he would stay here for longer this time. One mission has been completed, now it's time for another.
When they arrived, Eren scanned the large building.
He didn't miss this place. He never really felt at home here. But he felt something else, a certain relief. He had spent more time in Marley than in Eldia in the past six months. Only there they could act in peace, gaining new partners, refreshing old friendships. He would come back here when he had to replace Grisha or arrange something important. During these visits, he didn't have much time to meet Mikasa or Armin. The girl was now working with Carla, running the hotels, while Armin was still busy working for Grisha, though he now had two additional people to help. Thanks to this, he was able to start IT studies, and he really wanted that.
As they entered the property, Eren looked around, but nothing had changed since his last visit. The elegant, cool interior was just as he remembered it. White walls with silver decorations, large armchairs, and a long dining table with a vase of white flowers on it. The flower species was perhaps the only thing that changed.
Eren studied the bouquet from a distance. It must have been an ox-eye daisy, but he wasn't sure. Anyway, what did it matter... It flashed through his mind that he knew a person who would surely have guessed the species of these flowers without any problem.
Suddenly, there were footsteps in the hall. Eren looked that way and saw the Gaillard brothers just walking to them across the living room. Both Marcel and Porco grinned cheerfully at the sight of the newcomers.
"Zeke, Eren!".
"Finally!".
"Whats up, bitches?" Zeke called, also walking up to the two men and patting them on the shoulders. "Did you miss us, you cock suckers?".
"Charming, as always" Marcel said, laughing and grabbing Zeke by the neck as if trying to strangle him. Zeke punched him in the ribs, and their scuffle was interrupted by the appearance of guests in the lounge.
Eren quickly took the initiative and introduced everyone. Then he asked Kruger to escort Yelena and Magath to the two bedrooms that had been prepared especially for them.
"Rest today, we'll start work tomorrow" Eren decided, to which both Yelena and Magath agreed eagerly. "We have planned a welcome party for the evening".
"That sounds fantastic" Yelena announced, then winked at him. After a moment she turned on her heel and followed Kruger with Magath.
Eren watched them for a moment. Suddenly he felt Zeke put an arm around him.
"Listen..." His brother said to everyone present. "I know that the official party is only in the evening, but I suggest we start sooner. Our dear Eren has been working his ass off for the last months. In my opinion, he deserves a good rest. What do you think? I mean alcohol, girls and magic powder".
Pieck rolled her eyes.
"Then, I'll probably leave you, guys...".
"Zeke, you want it, you got it!" Marcel called, pointing to the door, which led to the terrace. "We've got everything ready. Only the girls will not arrive until afternoon".
"Pieck, you're coming with us. You also need to rest sometimes" Porco ordered and grabbed the girl, dragging her towards the terrace. Pieck burst out laughing.
"All right, but let me go alone!".
The four men, together with Pieck, went out onto the terrace, where a dozen or so cooling bottles of vodka and whiskey were already prepared. There were sun loungers and armchairs around. The clear water in the pool sparkled in the sunlight, the day was warm and cloudless. Each of them sat comfortable. Pieck unbuttoned her shirt, revealing a plunging neckline, and raised her face to the sun. Zeke, Porco and Marcel looked briefly at her.
"Thanks" Eren replied after a while, taking the drink Zeke prepared.
It was his second drink of the day, and it was barely past noon. Recently, however, this was his everyday life. Eren took a sip, then looked at the Gaillard brothers.
"Where's Annie?".
"As you ordered, she's setting up the lab. Tomorrow everything will be ready" Porco replied, sipping the drink from his glass. "She said she'll come later. And that she is in no rush to watch your ugly faces".
Zeke laughed at that, Eren merely lifted the corners of his lips".
"That sounds like Annie. And… What about Ymir?".
Porco and Marcel exchanged glances.
"Well... No changes so far".
Eren frowned, not understanding.
"What do you mean?".
"Hmm, you know... You remember she wanted to flee" Marcel began, scratching his nose. "Grisha got pissed and locked her up".
"Yes, but my father said it was only temporary. He wanted to punish her. Then she was going to get back to work" Eren said, watching Marcel carefully as he sipped his drink.
"Well, she's back, but now she's doing something else. Grisha doesn't allow her to leave the workplace. Ymir didn't like it, and I guess that's why there was an incident… Ymir tried to escape and killed some guys, and that pissed Grisha off even more. I rather doubt our boss will let her go".
"She should be thankful she's still alive" Porco muttered, throwing his head back.
Eren stared at the Gaillards, one and the other, trying to sort out everything he heard.
Before he left for Marley six months ago, he actually found out that Ymir tried to escape. Grisha was furious. He wanted to kill her right away, but Eren then talked him out of the idea. He said that Ymir hadn't actually betrayed him, but only wanted to end the cooperation. Of course, Eren agreed that she should've done it in a different way and inform Grisha of her intention. He managed to cool his father's fury enough that Grisha agreed to punish Ymir only with an arrest, after which she was to return to work.
However, he didn't expect that this matter would get even more complicated. He had always liked Ymir, but... he couldn't go against his father's will. Not any more. There was nothing he could do for the woman, even if he wanted to.
Suddenly he looked up at Pieck, who was sitting on the deck chair across from him. He felt his pulse quicken as he saw in the woman's eyes the same doubt he felt within himself, hidden deeply. He glanced quickly to the side, not wanting anyone to notice it.
From the day he had agreed with Grisha all the details of their cooperation, he hadn't allowed himself to feel any doubt.
Eren made a decision he had promised himself he would never regret, just as Levi had taught him. He did this to keep Mikasa and Armin safe. The boy knew Grisha was aware of it.
Little did his father know, however, that Eren's priority was also someone else's safety: the three detectives who had become his friends for some reason.
Their cooperation began on a very neutral ground. Eren was cautious, he was afraid the agents would try to use him and then abandon him. However, this didn't happen. With every meeting he saw in the attitude of the detectives a true devotion to the case. They really wanted to take Grisha down, but in accordance with law, which wasn't easy. That was why his help turned out to be so invaluable. What was originally supposed to be a mere acquaintanceship, turned into a true friendship. Eren learned to trust Erwin's sharp gaze, he found a common language with the extroverted Hanji, and besides... He completely fell for Levi. What connected them was special, Eren had never felt this way before.
Of course, there was also Mike. Mike, who wanted Eren to drink wine with them, though he was not yet of age that night. Mike who promised Eren that everything would be fine and he won't end up like Bertolt. Mike, who along with the other detectives wanted to celebrate Eren's birthday.
Unfortunately, Mike was no longer among them. Eren underestimated Zeke and Grisha, he didn't expect them to go that far. It was a close call for Erwin and Hanji to share Zacharius's fate, but by a miracle they managed to survive. Levi was next in line.
Eren couldn't let anything happen to the man. To ensure his safety, he was prepared to pay any price.
"Hey, are you with us?" Zeke asked, leaning towards his brother.
"Yes" Eren smiled and quickly shook off unnecessary thoughts. He finished his drink, then handed the glass to Zeke. "Can you pour me another one?".
Suddenly they heard the phone ring. Eren reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. He saw his father's name on the display.
"I'll be right back" He said, and then rose from his chair. Eren walked away to a safe distance and picked up the phone. "Hello, father".
"Eren... good to hear you" Grisha's voice rang in the receiver. "Are you and Zeke there yet?".
"Yes, everything went according to plan. Yelena and Magath are resting after the journey. Do you need anything?".
"Yes, indeed. Go to my office, in the drawer you will find something you need to take care of. It's about that fucking tabloid, "The Voice of Trost" Grisha drawled, snorting. Eren could imagine his father's face full of disapproval. "I spoke to the editor of this newspaper a few months ago, right after they published an interview with a former hotel employee. They were supposed to stop making our lives difficult, but as you can see, they have a short memory. Take care of it. Today. Immediately".
"Of course. Should I blackmail them or maybe...".
"Make sure these two journalists won't publish anything else, ever" Grisha muttered, interrupting his son. Man's voice was boiling with rage. "They write dirty stuff about politicians they don't like, so they have many enemies. Nobody will suspect us. Just remember to do everything in white gloves as I taught you".
"Of course".
"I should be in Trost by the evening, we'll meet in a larger group. See you later, son".
Grisha hung up. Eren stared at the display for a moment, then returned to the merry company. Zeke was chasing Pieck around the table, apparently trying to shove an ice cube into her cleavage. At the sight of his brother, older Yaeger stopped and shoved the ice between his lips, chewing on it.
"What did the old man want?".
"We have a job to do. We have to take care of our PR a little. Right now".
„An order is an order" Zeke shrugged. "I can drive".
"We'll be back soon" Eren informed the Gaillards and Pieck. "Wait for us".
"Come back soon!..." Marcel laughed, settling comfortably along the entire length of the deckchair. "...or there won't be anything left for you".
"Don't you dare open my bourbon" Zeke warned, raising his finger, then quickly jogged after Eren. The Yaeger brothers returned to the inside of the property and made their way to the office, where Eren found the newspaper Grisha talked about.
"Yaeger's New Investments" The boy read, skimping the text. "It's not a big deal, but if it's another article, I'm not surprised why father is pissed off".
"Oh no! Why did they use that photo?" Zeke asked, grabbing Eren's wrist and pulling the newspaper towards him. He studied the colored page, frowning. "I look here like shit. They could choose better picture of me".
Eren laughed, then rolled up the paper.
"You can tell them that yourself".
After he and Zeke armed themselves, they headed for the exit. Eren opened the door and wanted to cross the threshold, but instead he paused and raised his eyebrows.
He saw Mikasa in front of him.
The girl looked back at Eren, her eyes widening. She was wearing a white blouse and brown pants, long hair streaming down her shoulders. They stared at each other for a moment, a moment filled with silence and the heartbeats. The moment Eren interrupted, squinting his eyes slightly and taking a step back.
"Mikasa. How good to see you" The boy said in a neutral tone, apparently wanting to let the girl pass in the aisle.
The brunette, however, didn't move from the place. She stared at Eren, her brow furrowed slightly, and in her eyes a careful observer would see an echo of disappointment, of deeply hidden pain. The girl finally crossed the threshold and glanced at Zeke.
"Could you give us a moment?".
Zeke looked at his brother. Eren nodded reluctantly.
"Go start the engine, I'll be there soon".
It was a sufficient order for Zeke, the big brother shrugged and walked slowly towards the parking lot, whistling under his breath.
Eren cast a blank glance at Mikasa.
"What's going on? The welcome party starts at the evening, but since you're early, make yourself comfortable".
"I wanted to speak to you. We haven't seen each other in a month since you last visited Trost" Mikasa said, now not even hiding the sadness that was felt in her voice. "You're staying here for now, aren't you?".
"Yes, we will resume production soon" Eren replied in a voice that was not very emotional.
"So we'll finally be able to meet" Mikasa confessed with relief, lowering her voice and taking a step towards Eren.
"Meet?" The boy repeated, not understanding. He raised one eyebrow at the girl doubtfully.
"Yes. Me, you and Armin. We'll be able to discuss what's been happening lately… Grisha has threatened you, hasn't he? He made you leave with Zeke?" Mikasa asked, but she didn't wait for an answer, the girl added immediately: "I talked to Armin about it. We think something must have happened, otherwise you would never leave us like that, without a word. We thought about how we could help you. Armin said there is a way, but he preferred you to tell me about it... So? When can we meet?".
Eren raised his eyebrows, then shook his head. Mikasa blinked, staring at her friend in disbelief.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Grisha didn't threaten me with anything, I agreed to this cooperation myself. Everything will be okay now. As far as I know, everything is fine with you, right?" Eren asked, eyeing his friend carefully. His mouth corners lifted slightly. "You have a quiet job, you meet with Jean every now and then. Everything works like in clockwork".
"You must be kidding..." Mikasa whispered, tears appearing in her eyes. "Yes, it's just as you say, but it's not life. I still can't decide about myself. I don't want to live like this, I want to be free. I thought you want it, too...".
"Watch your words in this house" Eren warned her, then turned back. "And try to appreciate what you have. Now forgive me, I have an important matter to do".
"Eren...".
The boy didn't answer, he walked over the threshold and headed towards the car that had just left the garage and stopped in front of the courtyard. Eren didn't look back. He walked confidently to the car and got inside, though he could still feel Mikasa's eyes on him.
Zeke floored it and the car lurched forward at breakneck speed. They started across the little grove, leaving Grisha's estate far behind.
Eren had left something else behind – a doubt, he didn't need.