4.

For some reason she couldn't pin down, she felt she had known him from some time before. But that was impossible, because she would have remembered him; that scowl, those piercing eyes, that ridiculous haircut. Every time he happened to pass her in the hall or demand for her to get inside the goddamn office now, her mind reeled with hazy images of swords and monsters, and her heart jumped inside her sweater.

When she had started working for the company, her brother Eren had warned her about the formidable CEO and his second-in-command, but she had laughed it off, saying that she hadn't graduated top of her class for nothing and that she had been looking for a challenge anyway. Eren had shrugged it off, muttering something about that bastard, whoever he was, and wished her good luck on her first day. She'd quickly learned just how much Eren had been right to warn her.

The moment she stepped through the door of Erwin Smith, her new boss, she had immediately crashed into someone else who was just leaving, and had fallen, her organized papers scattering all over the floor. Mumbling a hasty apology and burning red with embarrassment, she had tried to gather her things, hoping the person she had bumped into wouldn't take it too hard, and would perhaps even help her with the mess.

But all she had gotten in response for her humiliation was a curse and a "Watch where you're fucking going!" from the shorter person. Erwin had apologized for him after he left, whoever he was, and gave her a tight smile, saying Levi Ackerman was someone not to be messed with, especially if he hadn't had his coffee.

Ackerman…that's my name!

Though initially she had been surprised to her hear own name tacked on to this graceless man, she knew they weren't related; many people shared the same last name, and it wasn't anything new to gossip over. At least so she thought. Whispers flew around the rest of the employees, speculation rising that she and the vice CEO were brother and sister, maybe even married, and Levi didn't make it any better. He would go out of his way to order her around, making life in the office building a miserable hell, and he continually brought up the incident from before, making her feel even guilty every time. Eren had offered to send in her two weeks' notice, but Mikasa had refused vehemently. "I'm not about to let some shorty with a bad attitude force me from my new job. I've worked too hard to land this position, and heaven help him if he think he can just make me quit because he doesn't like me!"

So Eren had backed off, as well as her other friends from college, and she remained at the company, working twice as hard and saying nothing about Levi Ackerman's behavior.

But as the months flew by, she had begun to feel something different other than irritation and frustration at him. Though he hadn't let up his dirty habit of annoying her to the ends of the earth, he had softened in his attitude toward her. She wondered if it was because he was getting bored with her persistent non-reactions.

Sometimes she caught him staring at her, for no apparent reason, and she always felt as if he were digging through her head, trying to find something lost there. Whenever she walked into his office to drop off the day's work, he scrambled to hide something, something red. And she felt like he was keeping something that was hers from her.

But that was impossible. Because she had never even seen him before she had started working for this company.

Today, though, was different. Levi had said absolutely nothing to her from the time she walked out of the elevator at 8:20 this morning, to the time she walked out of the office building at 5:30. In fact, she had barely seen him today, and she wondered if he was intentionally avoiding her. But the change was nice, since she had had a clear head without Levi breathing down her neck and criticizing every single thing she was doing.

She was now seated at a small table in front of a bookstore, waiting for her friend Armin to drop off a volume he had borrowed earlier that week. Her legs were tired from standing most of the day, and her tea was getting cold as the sun drooped below the horizon.

"You left this at the office. Ackerman." The growl in the voice startled her, but it felt strangely comforting. Odd.

Closing her eyes in preparation for the scathing remarks she knew were bound to jump from his mouth, she nodded her head, "Thank you, sir. I must have left them in my hurry to leave." She took the papers from him and pinched her mouth, waiting.

"We aren't related."

The statement was so sudden and unexpected that her eyes flew open and she gave him a questioning look. "I never said we were. If we were related, I would have remembered meeting you, and I don't. Sir." Mikasa stared at him, suddenly regretting she hadn't ever truly met him.

Levi narrowed his eyes and adjusted his suit jacket. Flipping the tail back, he sat down in front of her and crossed his legs, staring back at her face intently. "Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"Like I said before, sir, I think I would have remembered you if we had. You are not an easy person to forget," Mikasa took a sip from her cold tea. "Though I would like to know what you are doing out of the office at this time. Your schedule placed you in a meeting with Mr. Smith."

"Canceled." Levi waved his hand and leaned back in his chair. "Erwin had a…date with Ms. Zoe. Something about getting funding for her research." He suddenly brought his hand down hard on the table, almost upsetting her cup. "Ackerman. There's something I need to ask you."

Mikasa's insides churned, and her heart sped up. Erwin and Levi had a nasty habit of asking her to run small errands for them, even when she wasn't working, but tonight she had plans and wasn't about to let Levi ruin them. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm a little busy tonight. Perhaps I would be able to–"

"Is this yours?" Levi asked softly, the words tumbling from his usually harsh mouth. Mikasa thought it suited him better.

From within his jacket, he drew out a red scarf, neatly folded, its ends a bit tattered and the color slightly faded. It looked like it hadn't been worn recently. Or ever.

But Mikasa recognized it. And the moment he brought it out, she knew it was the item he had always rushed to hide from her in the office. For a good reason too.

"Of course that's mine!" Mikasa cried, wondering where in the hell he had gotten it. She had never worn it to work, and the last place she had seen it had been in a box in her closet when she was still in school. "How did you get this?" she murmured, turning suspicious. "I've been looking for it."

Levi's eyes grew, and his face softened. "I've had it for a long time. Can't remember when I found it. Must have been years ago now. I've been looking for the owner to return it, but no one's claimed it until now." He sighed and turned to watch the cars pass by on the nearby street. "I've had my suspicions that it was yours though. But I can't tell you how."

She let out a deep breath, knowing exactly how he was feeling. For some reason, she had always felt a little unexplainably empty. But whenever he was around, it filled with a peaceful feeling, one that told her she needed to look no further. But that was absurd, because it wasn't love. Nor was it desire or longing, or even allure. It was the same feeling she felt with Eren, the feeling of family and burning warmth and protection. Was she attracted to him? To Levi Ackerman? Impossible. All he did was use her and criticize her and mentally fatigue her, and she hadn't ever felt charmed by his presence. But she had felt guarded, safe, secure. Her mind was too far gone to even chase down this sense of stability it had settled into with Levi.

Did other people have this feeling around him?

Mikasa slumped in her chair, gathering the red cloth to her face and clasping the ends tightly. It smelled of an exotic musk odor, and she immediately recognized it as Levi's scent, the same she always smelled before he sauntered through his office door, whenever he walked past.

"You're positive we've never met before?" Levi tried again, but this time his voice bled hope. "There must have been some way I knew…I just knew…never mind. You're right. I would have remembered you as well."

Mikasa nodded, suddenly feeling slightly overwhelmed. This wasn't the side of Levi Ackerman she was used to. But it was one that she much preferred, even if she was used to his constant bickering.

"Thank you for returning my scarf to me," Mikasa gave a small smile, still wondering how in the world he had gotten it in the first place.

Levi stood to leave, brushing off invisible lint on his jacket and pants. He nodded in response. "Ackerman. I guess I'll be leaving. See you in the morning. And don't forget those papers." He raised an eyebrow, daring her to protest.

But she just smiled back and said, "Of course, sir." She stood up to say goodbye, "But I'd like to know how you came by my scarf sometime. You still haven't told me."

"A question for another time, Ackerman. How about tomorrow? Same place. I'll answer all your prying questions into my private life," Levi smirked over his shoulder. "Don't be late."

"Fine. But only if you buy the tea. Ackerman." Mikasa replied, the same bite in her voice matching his.

As she watched him walk away, she felt the empty feeling return and her heart rate fall. So. A date with the infamous Levi Ackerman. Perhaps it wasn't a bad thing, to be recognized and sought out by the company's most unyielding executive officer. Though for different reasons other than to be a personal servant.

But she felt as if this was somehow right. Like she had finally found what she was looking for.

And though this challenge would be her hardest yet, she would greet it willingly, so long as that feeling would never go away.