CHAPTER 23

"Pass the sugar, brat."

It was raining that thursday, but at least we made it in one piece. The day had been busy for the police officers, though the boys had no idea why. However the result of it was an almost empty building that was waiting for them when they entered.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I half-joked as I pulled down the soaked newspaper from my head – it had been used to protect myself from the rain, though it hadn't done much good. After shaking my head like a dog to get the worst out of hmy golden locks, I threw the newspaper in the trash bin at the secretary's desk. She was sitting there as she was supposed, though she was the only person other than Eren and I.

"Yeah, I'm positive … Maybe everyone's having lunch?" Eren mumbled to himself, as he looked around. It sounded more like he was talking to himself than me, so I ignored it and went over to the secretary instead.

"Excuse me," I started out to grab the woman's attention. "Where is everyone?"

"A lot suddenly came up out of nowhere. Most of them have gone to the crime scene, and the rest are …" She suddenly squinted her eyes together, raising an eyebrow while looking at me. "Name and reason to be here?"

I sighed, annoyed by the paranoia, though it was understandable that she wouldn't just give information to anyone who came to ask.
"My name is Armin Arlert, and my friend Eren Jaeger works here. You know … The guy standing behind me?"

"Oh yeah, I almost didn't see you. Hey Eren," She tilted her head to look behind me, sending Eren a big smile, which he returned.

"Hey Ingrid,"

"Just go right ahead, boys. Have a nice day, yeah?"
We nodded politely, before quickly walking away, and over to the empty desks.

"So … This is where you work, huh?" I said, looking around to try and gain some insight into Eren's workplace. "So where is your desk?"

"I don't really have one," He said, sending me a crooked smile as he scratched his neck. "I just kinda … Do my thing, and then hang out here for a while. I don't need a desk, since I don't have to do any paperwork."

"Oh,"

I leaned up against a random desk, taking a deep breath before looking at him again. I felt a little out of place in this new and unfamiliar building where I certainly didn't belong.

"So what are you supposed to do today?" I asked, fumbling about with the end of my shirt nervously. In reality I was getting nervous for when the time would come where I would have to meet his ex, Levi. I had gotten the impression that he wasn't supposed to be a very nice guy. And since I had prepared a rather didactic speech for him, I had also become pretty sure that he wouldn't like it one bit. And who was to say what he would do to me, if I pissed him off?

"Well, Chief Pixis is actually letting me do my first interrogation … Well, an assistant to an interrogation, but still! I'm a bit nervous," He said, before starting to chew on his bottom lip. I grabbed his hand, giving it a small squeeze to comfort him.

"I'm sure you'll be great," I said, standing up and giving him a quick hug which he returned happily.

"Thanks Armin,"
"I didn't know it was Bring Brats to Work today, hmm?" A stern voice behind me said, and I quickly turned around in surprise. It was an older man with black hair and an undercut, wearing a neat suit in which his hands were buried in the pant's pockets. I could look him directly in the eyes, which meant that he was even at the same height as me. This fact should probably have eased me, yet it seemed like it gave the opposite effect.

"U-Um, hello sir. My name is A-Armin," I stammered, my cheeks blushing from being caught in such an embrace.

"Well, A-Armin, how about you get out of here, so the people whom actually work here can … Oh, I don't know, work?" He growled in a low tone, pulling out his hands just to cross his arms tightly over his chest.

"Y-Yes sir, I'm sorry sir," Was the only thing I could say, yet I had no idea where to actually go. I turned around to look at Eren with a pleading look that said 'help me'.

"The cafeteria is downstairs, just take the elevator. I'll be there in an hour or so," Eren answered quietly, giving my shoulder a consoling squeeze, before pointing at the elevator that lay at the end of the room.

I nodded before walking towards it and trying not to break into a run instead. I pressed the button and kept telling myself not to look back as I waited. The door finally opened after what seemed like ages, and I quickly got in and pressed the button to the cafeteria. As the door started to close in front of me, I caught a glimpse of Eren and the scary guy talking to each other. It was only for a second though, and then I was on my way.

I had only been seated at a table by the window for about 40 minutes, before something happened again.

The grass area outside the window didn't contain anything out of the ordinary, yet I still kept my eyes there. That was why I was more than just surprised when someone suddenly had seated himself in front of me without my knowledge.

"Pass the sugar, brat."

I shivered in horror when I turned around to stare the scary guy right into the eyes. He was sitting right in front of me, his legs crossed over one another, and holding a cup of tea in a rather peculiar way.

With a shaking hand I did as I was told, handing over the sugar. He didn't thank me or look at me, he just poured very little into his cup before taking a sip.

We sat in silence for a long while, my eyes boring into the table as I was afraid to look anywhere else. If I looked out of the window again, he might see it has rude, and become mad. And that was I sight that I wasn't ready to see.

"So, Eren tells me that you're his best friend." He started out after something that feels like I've been waiting forever.

"Uh-huh, y-yes sir. Armin Arlert, sir," I mumbled, nodding weakly.

"I know, you've already told me," He said, sighing deeply before continuing. "So Armin, how long have you and Eren been friends?"

"Our whole lives,"

"Aha. So you go to the same school?"

"Yes."

"So you know everything that a best friend is supposed to know, right?"

" … Yes,"

Why was this strange and scary guy so interested in Eren? And why was he asking me all of this instead of Eren?

Levi leaned in over the table in such a way that I couldn't just evade his look. I looked up, only to be caught in his intense gaze, as he sent me a cunning smile.

"Then you should be able to guess who I am,"

I observed him again, studying him, as I tried to understand what he meant. He was as tall as I was – which wasn't a lot – he had an undercut and black hair, he was intimidating as hell, yet even though I had been terrified by him, Eren had seemed at ease around him, so he had to be …

My eyes widened in shock, as I figured it out.

"L-Levi?"

"Correct,"

My hands clenched into fists immediately, and I threw it down against the table, making rather a lot of noise. This seemed to finally get his full attention.

"I have a bone to pick with you, Levi Ackerman."

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at me with genuine interest in his eyes. I took a deep breath, preparing myself. This wasn't going to be fun. Not fun at all.

"You hurt Eren really bad. But he has finally healed, and has moved on. But working with you will only make it worse. So you need to stop harassing him, or else – "

"Whoa whoa, there! Calm down, brat. Who says anything about harassing?" He said, putting his tea cup down. "I care about Eren. He's the one person in this world that I've truly loved. I hurt him, yes, but I regret it. I really only want the best for Eren."

"Then … " I was surprised to hear this coming from such a scaring man, but I couldn't let myself be tempted to become soft. He could be manipulating me after all. "Then if you want the best for Eren, leave him alone! Being away from you is the best for him. You're only going to hurt him again otherwise,"

"And how the hell do you know that?" He growled, a big difference suddenly appearing in his voice. Scary. It quickly changed to being neutral again, though. "How do you know that I haven't learned from my mistakes, and are ready to accept Eren for who he is, and what he can do? I love him, Armin Arlert. I am ready to take the consequences of being with a brat like him who has such ability. I may not have been before, but then again, as you say … Eren has changed, yes, but so have I,"

I was speechless. It took all my strength just from stopping my jaw from dropping. I couldn't help but believe this man. I didn't know him, or anything about him, but I could sense that he had spoken from the heart. This was his true words, this was his true intentions.

And I couldn't help but feel like I wanted to help him achieve it.

Wait, what?! Was I going insane? Why was I suddenly thinking like this? No, I had to start thinking about Eren. I had come here to protect him from this Levi person. Yes, that was it!

Even though it didn't really feel like he needed any protection … No, stop. I couldn't just bend it like that. Even if Levi's intentions were pure, he couldn't just keep harassing Eren in hopes of him falling in love with him again.

"I understand you. And that is really admirable. But Eren doesn't love you back, so it becomes harassment when you don't understand that there's a line that you're not supposed to cross,"

"Don't lecture me, boy," Levi said, sighing in annoyance. "I damn well know that. But I also know that Eren still has feelings for me, he has just somehow suppressed them. So I'm just trying to dig those feelings out of him again,"

I was silent for a while, as I thought of what he had said.

"How can you know for sure that he still loves you?" I asked, sending him a skeptical look. He just hummed a cheery melody, with a smug look in his eyes.

"Want to help me find out?"

We both stared at each other for what seemed like the longest time, as I considered his words and their meaning.

"I … No. I understand your situation, but I know my best friend. There's simply no way," I said, shaking my head. How could he believe that I would agree to help him? Me, Eren's best friend, help his former lover get him back? That had to be a joke. As if I would agree to lie and deceive my friend.

Levi didn't look disappointed, though he didn't look happy as well. It would be more sufficient to say, that his expression hadn't changed at all.

"Hmm... Fine, then. It was just a suggestion, after all." He gave me a simple nod, before lifting the tea cup up to his lips. "I'll respect your decision – " he took a sip. " – Even if you're wrong,"

I frowned in astonishment from his blunt words. How dared he?

I was just about to open my mouth and give him a snappy remark, but before I was able to, a loud noise cut through the air. I looked around, confused as to where the noise came from, and what it was. The answer was given to me shortly after, as I watched Levi pull out his cellphone and put it to his ear.

"Yes?"

I stared at Levi, as his face changed from distant and cold, to shocked and horrified, only within seconds. His fingers that were tightly grasping around the tea cup, suddenly became loose and stiff, and I watched as it fell to the floor and shattered into a million pieces, only by a few seconds.

"What?! I'll be right there!" He threw his phone back into his pocket, not even acknowledging that his cup was now broken on the floor, as he flew up from the chair.

"What's happening?" I demanded to know, as I automatically jumped up from my chair as well. It seemed really serious.

"It's Eren," Was the only words that came out of his mouth, yet it was more than enough to make me pale within seconds. I could feel a knot in my stomach, as I followed Levi who had already started running towards the stairs.

"What about him?!" I exclaimed behind him, so that I was sure he could hear me. He didn't even stop to tell me, and his voice wasn't very loud, yet the words that came out of his mouth burned themselves to the inside of my head so that I would never forget them after that.

"Something happened,"

Dramatic ending, say whaaaaaaaat?!

Hahaha, sorry you guys. I did actually have something really important to ask you all! So, well, here we go:

Do you want smut in the final chapter?

As always, stay lovely ~