"Are you okay with getting engaged and married to a man who doesn't love…"

Petra snapped, hurt. "You don't love me now?"

"Hell, I am not the old Levi," Levi retaliated. This drama is getting into his nerves. "I can't answer that not until I get my memories back. You know that."

"Is there someone else?" Petra pressed, trying to get something out of him that had been bothering her this morning.

Levi narrowed his eyes but was quick to answer. "Someone else? No."

"I can't be sure about that…" Petra said and wiped a tear that threatened to escape from the corner of her eye. "Who are you talking with on the phone this morning?"

"That was just Hange…" Levi had been open and honest about it. It was an answer that came too quickly.

"Hange? I didn't know a name like Hange. Was it a woman?"

Shit. Was he slow to realize the course of his actions? "Hange's…"

Petra's eyes were wide. The glossiness hinted at a new set of tears coming out.

"She's a new acquaintance. She was the person who saved me from that vehicle that night. It was a long story but… I already told Zeke about her," Levi ventured a little too carefully.

Hell knows how he can placate a jealous heart. If his instincts were right about jealousy written all over Petra's face and actions, the deadweight of being clueless about love is going to be the death of him. Petra seemed dissatisfied with his answer but he knew she was trying hard to be balanced and understanding of the situation.

And he was right. Petra breathed and managed a smile. "A woman then. You don't have to explain."

Levi was a little glad that she didn't press for more questions. Petra saw confusion more than the guilt of hiding the truth. She closed her eyes and tried to see the logic in it. Levi was a loveless soldier at the back of his muddled-up mind. As much as it hurts, there's little to no chance of him falling in love with another person if he chose to be the unfeeling man that he is today. However, that same fact made him lose his affection for her too, and getting it back was quite a struggle already.

She took Zeke's advice then. Don't push yourself just yet. Never pick a fight or it's a fight you'll lose.

It's still early. It's barely weeks. But hell, it felt like forever.

"I'll be gone before lunch," Petra said, turning away. "I… I just hope to receive a call or two from you. At least give me some updates about your activities. Don't make me worry."

Levi's shoulders relaxed. "O-Of course…"

"Will everything be okay, Levi?"

"I'll be fine."

"Okay…" Petra said in a whisper.

It was an anticlimactic exchange. Levi followed her sluggish movements as she disappeared on the second floor to her room. He felt bad. Damn, he felt really bad that he cannot do anything to comfort her frustrations. Since the day she moved in with him, her actions were inconsistent. One moment, she will calculate her approach towards him and gauge his reaction. This will ensure both of them that they are comfortable in any interaction. However, it could be her mood or impatience that got her a little uncontrolled and aggressive. Some days, she will trigger Levi as a man with weak points and while it appeared that ogling Petra in a bikini or a slight sexual tension proved such a thing, no deed preceded.

Levi felt spent. He plopped down on the sofa and stared at his phone. The pressure of forcing the old Levi out of him was building up again and he needed someone to talk to. He dialed a number and waited for a response.

"Mikasa," Levi said. "Are you free today?"

Paperwork, meetings, phone calls, and pending updates constitute Mikasa's everyday life in their office building. She was in the middle of a frantic phone conversation with one of their subsidiary's officers who failed to give her the progress of the company's performance output and financial statement. Three months into giving them a chance for improvement, she was at the tip of her fortitude to interfere in the organization's structure or most probably, allocate the holding's funds to a more efficient and well-performing entity. She will need Erwin's help with this.

When she finally saw Levi's name flashing on her personal phone, she wondered about worst-case scenarios. There's always her plight in answering calls from family members. For the most part, Levi was always bad news. Kenny on the other hand means incoming stress.

As it turned out, Levi was not the bad news today.

"Will be there at lunch," she said. She could not say no despite the busyness that had her wrapped around its finger. Levi was more important than anything else—though she wouldn't admit it out loud.

Mikasa's executive assistant, Sasha Blouse saw her exiting her office a little earlier than usual. Behold, with a relaxed face. That was rare. She was sure earlier ago that there was an endless clatter of office supplies combined with the rise and fall of her voice while talking on the phone.

Mikasa's stiff aura each day was unchanging since she took over the CEO's responsibilities. She was focused on the job yet so withdrawn when it comes to interactions with the employees. The only ones who can saunter their way into her office are limited to a number of people: Erwin, Sasha, and some executive heads.

"You think there's an emergency?" Connie Springer, a colleague at the nearby cubicle asked Sasha.

"Her face looked relaxed so… I don't think so." Sasha took a bag of potato chips from a box of stash under her table and ripped it open. "Finally, I can indulge in these! Since I sat close to her office and she can see me from there, I barely had my snacks."

"I think she wouldn't mind you snack on those while working. You're more efficient with a satisfied tummy." Jean Kirstein's head emerged from nowhere and interrupted the conversation. He will always make himself known and significant.

"She doesn't know that yet about me," Sasha said and picked a handful of chips to shove into her mouth. "Last thing I want is to be reprimanded. Hey, she looked pleased when she bolted out. You think she had a lunch date?"

"You think she's dating?!" Jean asked incredulously, slightly hurt at the inquiry.

"People who date or people in love would have the same face…" Sasha pointed out.

"How about you Sasha? You don't date but you had a blissful face." Jean brushed his hair off his forehead. "I'd like to believe Mikasa's just in a good mood while yours is good food."

"She's so pissed a moment ago. So pissed she can grab anyone who stumbles her way and bite off their head," Connie snickered.

"Jean hated to admit it but any news or speculation of Mikasa finally dating someone will put him in a sour mood. All day, all week, all month. A year, years? And he'd die alone," Sasha said. "Unless he makes the move today."

"Fuck off!" Jean said and retreated to his desk, letting out a long stretch. "She's just… oh god, the idea of dating her was far-fetched. She's the sister of the CEO. She's a part-owner of the very company we work for."

"And so?" Connie raised his eyebrows. "She's human like us."

"It's unspoken taboo," Jean said. "A commoner and a high-profiled person? A boss and her subordinate? We're exact opposites."

"What's taboo?" Connie asked innocently, looking at Sasha.

"And who hired you again?" Jean sighed exasperatedly. "How the hell did you pass the exams and interviews when you don't know what taboo is."

"I dunno what taboo is, too," Sasha chimed at her last piece of chip. "Did I miss it in the exams?"

"God, your papers must've been mixed up with someone else more qualified…" Jean said, shaking his head. "I'm going back to work."

"Connie, are you through with paperwork?" Sasha turned to Connie.

"Yup. I'm two days advanced!" Connie chirped. "I finished it this morning!"

"Think we can go out for an early lunch? I'm also done with my papers-three days in advance! We can slack around!" Sasha announced gleefully.

"You two gotta be fucking kidding me…" Jean groaned internally, eyeing the stack of papers on his desk that he had been working on for days. How those two idiots managed to be ahead in deadlines was anybody's guess.

Notes:

Updating when I can... before my mind shuts down for good because maybe, I'd be preoccupied with a shit-ton of problems in the coming days. :(

Hell, a lot in life was going on and writing was only my escape. An alternative universe where you can control the lives of your characters and give them the life you desired.

Kudos and comments are appreciated.

Chapter 14

Notes:

Updating just in time for my birthday. :)

I don't usually celebrate birthdays with party and stuff so I took some time to write and celebrate it with a Levihan moment. Also, I thought a RivaMika sibling relationship is needed in this plot.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The bag of takeout lunch in Mikasa's hands almost dropped on the floor as she gaped at the neat arrangement of cutlery and carefully prepared food on Levi's dining table. His call earlier didn't mention cooking for lunch so she assumed it was best to be prepared for anything. It happened Levi was thoughtful enough and she couldn't hide that surprised look on her face. It was the first time he initiated this gesture.

"Petra showed me some videos about recipes and food preparations. Thought I could give it a try. Come on," Levi motioned for her to take a seat.

"But I bought takeout…" Mikasa clipped.

"We can still have that," Levi said and turned around to fetch some extra plates.

"Okay." Mikasa slid onto the nearest seat. She handed over her bag of goods and Levi emptied it onto the plates.

"So Petra won't be around for how long?" Mikasa asked him curiously. She took a spoonful of a dish she was not familiar with. It was heavenly good.

"She told me she'll help her father with his business ventures. Not sure when she is coming back," Levi said as he took his seat.

"You missed her already, I suppose. You called me for company." Mikasa took another dish and indulged herself.

Levi didn't respond. He was staring at her.

"What?" Mikasa asked as she noticed his eyes on her.

"How was the food?"

"Good. They're good," Mikasa said a little too flatly.

"You don't seem to enjoy it. You can eat the takeout if you want…" Levi said disappointedly.

Mikasa wanted to choke on the piece of meat in her mouth. "There's nothing wrong with your cooking. They're… excellent…"

"Sounds lamentable…"

It took a while to register but Levi saw a hint of a smile on his sister's face. A smile he was not familiar with.

"Honestly, it's the best I had in a while." Mikasa's face brightened up like the gloominess she wore every day was a thing of the past. "So Petra was right about your cooking. That's impressive."

"Aren't you upset about this new quirk?" Levi shot her a doubtful look.

Mikasa licked her spoon uncharacteristically and beamed him a smile. "If the new quirk wouldn't send you falling off a building then why would it make me upset? Damn, these are good, Levi. You can be an excellent chef!"

"I just learned from the videos…" Levi said humbly. "Slow down, will you?"

"Can I take some home? I'd want the grilled chicken breast for dinner and the mixed veggies!"

"Knock yourself out."

It was amusing to see Mikasa had four to five refills of food on her plate. Seeing her happy with the food the entire time was enough for Levi to forget his own troubles. He didn't even expect her to be in a good mood today.

"How's work?" Levi asked suddenly.

"Nothing that I can't handle…" she noted, taking a few bites of carrots and raising a fork at him. "It overwhelmed me at first but at least I am now catching up. Erwin's a good mentor and I'm glad you two made up."

"Made up? Was there a fight to begin with?" Levi asked. "Maybe it's a good thing I lost some memories too that I finally can reach out to Erwin, is that it?"

"That's not what I meant," Mikasa huffed. "You losing it was still shitty as it is but today, I realized after you invited me here… it felt strangely satisfying…"

"Satisfying?"

"We never had meals before together."

"Not once?"

"Maybe when we're still kids. But growing up with only the two of us and Uncle Kenny as our foster dad who can't seem to be around all the time, I never had something like this. You, of all people, had to prepare a lunch just for me?"

"Me? Of all people?" Levi asked disbelievingly. "You're my sister. Haven't I made some efforts before?"

Mikasa mirrored his reaction as her gaze softened. Somehow, Levi losing memories might be a good thing in some ways. At first, she was afraid that the ever distant Levi would not warm up to her especially with his gruff manners in both actions and speech.

"I'd like to think you cared for Petra and Zeke more than our family," Mikasa declared. "New to your ears?"

Her tones of sarcasm sounded back with vengeance and Levi tried his best not to snap some strings again. He gave her a knowing look—or in Mikasa's eyes, a poor attempt at making himself more ignorant than before.

"Why…w-what was I like before? Was I resentful?" Levi asked with a tired frown.

It was a conversation he never wanted to bring up during a hearty lunch but after a few days of exploring things about himself, it wouldn't hurt to slowly learn a bit from his own sister.

"I thought you're not ready to know…"

"I am now. It would be best especially since Kenny will be around soon, wouldn't it? Not giving the old guy a heart attack."

Mikasa sulked thoughtfully. "Oh, that. First things first, Levi. You should address him as 'uncle'. Calling him by his name was just disrespectful. Trust me, it will upset him."

He clicked his tongue soundly. "And what will happen if I upset him then? Will he put a knife under my throat?"

"Where did you even get that idea? Uncle Kenny was a very refined and respected man. Strict at times and intimidating but his air of authority and reputation is not to be ignored."

"Should I be scared?" Levi rolled his eyes in disgust.

"I'd like to know where your hate for him is coming from. You haven't told me anything yet about Uncle Kenny in your memories."

Levi leaned away from the table. "Can you stomach the idea of him teaching me the use of knives for self-defense at a young age? To expose me to violence more than anything? And then abandon me after I was deemed able and efficient enough at defending myself in a few bloody scuffles? And that's not all. After securing a position in an operative unit in the military, he hounded me like a criminal, and if not for the defensive skills I had, I'd be a rotting corpse in the streets."

Mikasa's eyes went wide. "That's insane…"

"It's what my head tells me. Naturally, memories shape up your feelings towards a person."

"But Levi…" Mikasa flashed him a worried look. "None of those happened in real life. Sure, that was completely traumatizing considering he doesn't regard family relationships in his line of duties but that was nowhere near our reality. It's best if you meet him face to face without the memory of a strained relationship that has not even existed. Trust me, Uncle Kenny's a nice man. We wouldn't be here today if not for him. He doesn't really treat us as his own but we wouldn't have all this comfort if he's not a good provider."

"Good provider huh? I'd say over the top. Exaggerated. The wealth we had was all too much."

"Levi, we lived with it. It's pre-existing already even before we were born. And the old you wouldn't get too worked up with the amount of wealth we had because you'd be too busy to sustain it. That's why Ackerman Holdings existed. We own the major shares of our subsidiaries. It's quite a powerful business that our family had for years. It's just the way we are. I can't imagine your surprise if you reviewed our assets alone."

"That will take the bottom of my list."

Mikasa hummed. "I see you're not prepared for shocking truths just yet."

"Thanks for the warning though. But Kenny had me blown away already. As if he 'being nice' wasn't shocking enough."

"Levi, please." Mikasa chastised him.

He fell silent. Maybe more information on Kenny will not sit right with him at the moment. Best to drag the topic elsewhere. "Hey… where are our parents?"

Mikasa bowed her head low. "I was barely three years old when we lost them to a plane crash, together with our great grandfather. That's when Kenny stepped in for us. You were a teenager back then and started working part-time in our company. But I doubt you remembered it at all…"

"Better not talk about sad stuff…" Levi said and raised his hands. Families are an overbearing topic. "Re-learning things about me is just too tasking."

"You want to talk about anything else?"

"You haven't answered my first question."

"What question?"

"What was I like before?" Levi asked again. "How am I as… a brother?"

Some questions are hard to entertain. This was one of those. Mikasa's dark eyes fell to her plate and wished there were answers written all over the mess of her half-eaten meal. Facing Levi like this is an inevitability that will be brought up at the turn of events. Unfortunately, Levi was a curious fellow today and Mikasa felt being baited with the nice array of food on the table. Prepared or not, she knew she can provide no-holds-barred answers but how are those going to affect his current state? Will his current mind process what he lacked as a person before? Will he make up for it?

"I never see you as one…" she announced, hurt lacing her words.

"Why? Am I not good enough?" The frown on Levi's forehead intensified.

"Ackermans…us… we're not close as family. That also explains the houses we owned under separate names…" Mikasa ventured. "I wouldn't blame everything on Uncle Kenny though since he wasn't prepared for the task of raising children who both lost their parents at an early age. He was never a parental figure in the first place because he made it clear to himself that he will never marry and have his own kids. And then in a sudden twist of fate, we became his responsibility. I was taken care of by a distant family and you, being a teenager at that time had to be forced by him to learn about running a company. Uncle had a thousand things in his hands and he barely trusted anyone unless they bore the Ackerman name. We never bonded as siblings. I even barely got to know you. Growing up and learning a few things at school and mingling with average people, I always wonder why we had that kind of set-up. Why can't I bond with my brother? Why can't we enjoy meals together? Why can't we live in one house? Though Uncle Kenny is very giving, it's more material. He thinks providing all these material things is enough to call himself a parent."

"What a sad life for a filthy rich family," Levi scorned. "And you being rude to me and Petra all the time, where does that count?"

"When Petra came into your life, I never got the chance to be someone who's legitimately bonded to you by blood."

Levi's mouth dropped.

Mikasa was flustered. "She took all the attention. I see that she was nice and loved you dearly but… it's like your world only revolved around her. Maybe because you also need the attention and she gave you all that. You're disgustingly needy for a man, you know."

The amount of information disgusted him as well. He was shaking off the truth as Mikasa gave him a concerned look.

"If I knew better, Petra was suffering the most of this debacle," Mikasa added. "But still, it's just a fraction of what you have. I feel bad for her but… can't ignore the fact that she's the root cause of it all. I'm sorry that I've been a little rude to her these days. You nearly died and it's totally unforgivable if it went that way."

Levi has nothing to say. He appeared quiet, deep in thought. The grim line on his lips urged Mikasa to prod at the subject better.

"How are you two, anyway?" Mikasa asked, resuming her mealtime.

"Still felt off most days," Levi said. "I also feel bad about it myself. She's been trying hard. There are things she just thought would bring back memories…"

"Like?"

Levi frowned. "You don't have to know."

"I get it," Mikasa smirked. "And I'm guessing someone's a little impatient. Who wouldn't be when you instilled all your love in your cheesy relationship. You showered her with infinite hugs and kisses and whatever your body can give. However, in your existing memory today, you are pathetic and loveless and asexual so everything must be awkward. Plus you don't have feelings. That's quite a shock. The ever romantic Levi Ackerman has lost his feelings."

Levi scoffed. "Don't act like you knew everything. If I remember correctly, you were so obsessed with someone in that world."

"Oh?" Mikasa nearly spat out her drink. "But I wasn't even dating now. What was the lucky one's name may I ask?"

"That doomed guy? Sorry, I… can't remember," Levi trailed off. "But seriously, you don't have anyone to share your apartment with? A significant other?"

There was a grimace on her face. "You think I have the time? I'm not like you, Levi. We're exact opposites in the romance department. And why are you suddenly so interested in my personal life?"

"Because you're my sister?"

"Some brother you are, huh?" Mikasa raised a brow. "If you were the old you, you probably wouldn't even know my preferences."

"I am trying to be now, okay? We should level up this sibling relationship whatsoever. I can't trust anyone just yet, you see."

Mikasa smiled. "Music to my ears, brother…"

"So are we okay now?"

"There was never a fight, Levi." Mikasa sighed. "But I'm glad you made an effort to reach out-the first time you did. I almost doubt if I really do have a sibling before but now you've proven it. Not bad at all."

Levi shook his head and found himself grinning. Mikasa was surprised.

"You should smile more often," Mikasa said. "You'd get a lot of women better than Petra."

"Not interested."

"So it's still her, huh?"

Levi shrugged. "I'm still trying to be the person before this. It's hard but... I have no choice for now. And she claims we're engaged. She was wearing the ring before she left."

Mikasa leaned forward. "Are you willing to marry her?"

"Is it what it's supposed to be? We're practically getting there until this, right?"

Mikasa dropped her spoon noisily on the plate. "Levi… I'm not against marriage or anything but I think it's too early for you to settle it without feeling anything for her. Can it wait until you regained it all? Maybe it's just me but I wouldn't force myself on someone who I don't feel anything for. I mean… it's not the same feelings you used to have. It will make the situation worse than it is. God, I feel bad about you..."

Levi's scowl came back.

"It's not that I hate her. In the first place… oh hell, she put you in that state. It'll be a lesson for her."

"It's not that I've lost my feelings. Maybe if I spend more time with her…"

"So you're making an effort with her too." Mikasa looked surprised. "But how is it when you're together? Are you happy?"

"It's not that bad. But there was a little discomfort."

"Well, I guess it can't help it. But let me just give you a piece of advice, if you don't feel anything, don't force it. Let your memory retrieve everything on its own. And hang out with people you're most comfortable with. Are you somehow comfortable with me?"

"Of course, brat."

"B-brat?" Mikasa gaped, bewildered. "You are calling me a brat in my twenties?"

"Take it as a form of endearment," Levi said. "It suits you and I'd still call you that anyway from time to time."

"Ok. Have it your way, shorty," Mikasa shot back smugly.

Endearment was never listed in Mikasa's vocabulary. Everything associated with affection was never realized as she grew up. As a young woman, Mikasa always wore neutral tones and greys. Her selection of outfits only danced between monochromatic hues—never caught once wearing a brighter or lighter shade. Her always melancholic aura didn't speak for her wealth and comfortable life. After all, wealth doesn't always define happiness.

All her life, she was convinced she was alone. Who would have thought that a certain tragedy can shape new beginnings, new relationships? Right there, for a long time now, she can finally say she had a family.

Her eye color was always lifeless. At that very moment—right at Levi's dining table—there was a glimmer in her onyx orbs and her smile was the prettiest.

"I'm sure all the rockstars in the force missed me! I'm putting an end to their separation anxiety now. Yes, it's back to work for us, Yelena and I'm pretty much excited." Hange was on the speakerphone while doing the dishes in their apartment. It was past two o'clock after her late lunch when she heard the doorbell ring once. Her head whipped around and the sound never came again. She ignored it.

"So as I was saying, I think I'm going to pull out a lot of post-its on my workstation. This had been the longest period of my absence. I know I'd get to take in and survive Theo's venom but I'm also excited to meet the new volunteers! How's your hangover anyway? Onyankopon's bombarded me with messages earlier. I hope he didn't get to clean every inch of your apartment."

She was laughing out loud for a minute straight as the phone conversation ensued when she heard the doorbell ring once more. Then twice. More impatient sounds followed.

Hange furrowed her brows. "Oh wait, hold a sec. Will call you back! Some asshole's at the door right now and I have no idea who it is…"

She ran across the living room towards the front door, swung it open, and was about to spit out a curse at the bastard outside.

However, the spit slid down her throat seeing Levi Ackerman immaculately standing at the doorway, carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"Levi?"

"Expecting somebody else?" Levi asked in his trademark monotone. He was wearing a royal blue sweatshirt and cargo pants this time. A baseball cap did nothing to hide his angular and smooth face.

"W-what the hell…" Hange turned beet red at the sight of the flowers on his hands. "Is it too soon to see me?"

Levi cocked his head to one side. He stared at her and saw her eyes sparkle at the sight of the flowers. "Oh… these? They're lying on the doormat when I got here."

Hange's heart sank.

"You aren't thinking I'll bring you one, are you?" Levi asked dubiously.

She paused for a while and felt the heat rushing up to her face. So that must be the first doorbell sound that rang once before Levi proceeded to rape the button. "N-no! Of course not!"

"Well…." Levi read a card hidden beneath the flowers. "Doesn't say who these are from but… it says 'Thank you. Your kick might have knocked me out cold but damn, it knocked me good. You're always welcome here for a free ride.' You kicking people now for their pleasure, four-eyes? Are you having sideline jobs aside from being in a rescue force?"

Hange grabbed Levi's arm wordlessly and hastily dragged him inside the apartment. This could trigger one of her panic attacks. There was only one person who would send flowers as a 'thank you' gift but she couldn't believe the stupid note that came with it. Why does it sound too naughty especially when Levi read it out loud? Flegel was not only an idiot, he was giving the worst impressions. She was hoping Yelena was also being sent flowers.

"What the hell brings you here now?!" Hange asked him raucously.

"Are you mad?" Came a surprised Levi.

"W-well, you don't just suddenly show up at someone's front door and having… having a false surprise…."

"False surprise?"

Fuck. She shouldn't have gone with the idea that Levi would bring her flowers after last night. They are not even dating. How stupid.

"F-forget it. So, what makes you here? You didn't even call or message me about coming over."

"I didn't know you require something like that. I thought you'd be okay with me coming around. I'm used to both of us barging into each other's room without excuses."

Hange sighed in guilt. Levi was being the other Levi—way too comfortable around her and it still didn't sink in that it's very atypical of someone like him. Too uncharacteristic it was almost scary. She was pleased somehow, but to think that his memory loss might be temporary, she was already anxious about the idea of losing this kind of closeness.

"Hange… if you feel uncomfortable and don't want me around…."

"N-no… you can stay, Levi. It's fine," Hange said immediately and grabbed the flowers from him. "Oh boy. I didn't expect these…"

Levi relaxed and found a space to sit on. He removed his baseball cap and finger-combed his ridiculously soft hair. He cleared his throat and chuckled. "So, you never mentioned you're in an affair already."

Hange shot him a glare. "Hey, this was a token of appreciation from that suicidal guy we saved yesterday. Sending these flowers is not necessary and hell knows how he got my address," Hange said defensively. "I don't like being sent flowers for one, you know. God, he shouldn't have put a note on it. It's giving me goosebumps."

"But it doesn't bother you sending me flowers for weeks, ironically."

Hange swallowed at that. "That's a different story, Levi."

He shrugged.

"Back to my question. Why are you here again?"

"Petra's gone away. I'm alone in the penthouse and have nothing to do for now. Except that my sister came around at lunch but has to leave for work again. I don't feel like calling my doctor because we always end up bickering."

"Your girlfriend gone? Was there a fight?" Hange took an interest in the information.

"No. For business."

She sighed. "So you're bored? Don't take it on me."

Levi leaned back on the chair comfortably. "Starting tomorrow, I'd be mostly holed up in my doctor's clinic or home for my therapies. I'm just making the most of the few remaining hours to enjoy my free time."

"Free time, huh? Should your doctor worry about you hanging out with a stranger?" Hange challenged.

"They always say I should hang out with people I'm comfortable with."

Hange's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? Do I count as one? Wow Levi, you're making me feel like I'm ten feet tall."

"I'd say you're okay. Even being annoying at times."

"I'd take it as flattery. Oh, so I guess I should be making the most of my time too, considering I'm also coming back to work tomorrow," Hange chirped. This time, there was excitement in her voice.

"Good for you."

"I think it's about time I beat this burnout feeling. Well, I must admit you've been a help too."

"Me?" Levi raised a brow.

"Some time ago, in between my nightmares, I told myself I'm gonna be fine if you're gonna wake up. For good measure, you didn't only wake up, you also got to be my friend." Hange found herself smiling manically.

"You're out of this world, four-eyes."

Hange took a second to look at the wall clock . It was mid-afternoon.

"You have anything in mind to do in the last few hours of the day?" Hange winked at him. "Don't say we're gonna stay here in the apartment and stare at each other for hours."

"I have no idea…"

"Okay," Hange said. "Would you like to go around in town? You could learn about the cityscapes, transportation, crowds, and buildings. Maybe familiarize and immerse yourself in the bustle. We could check out the busiest districts and the quiet ones. Let's do an experiment! If something juggles your memory, you can tell me. If you feel uncomfortable in one place, we can always avoid that part. Hmm, only a few hours aren't enough so we need to compress our time."

Levi entertained the idea and brightened up at it. "Sounds good…"

Hange clapped her hands together. "Well… do you have money on you?"

He nodded. "I have my wallet now. And phone."

"Okay. I just need to make sure…" Hange flashed him her Cheshire cat grin. "But Levi… I think a hoodie works best for you. You can be easily spotted in a cap. Your side profile and porcelain skin are just risky for a double-take."

"What do you suggest now?"

It didn't take long for Hange to come up with another get-up to hide Levi's identity in public. A black facemask did the trick but Levi had to sneeze ten times before finally adjusting to the fabric.

"Fuck four-eyes, are you sure this is clean? My nose can't take it!" Levi growled as they walked their way to the subway station.

Hange put an arm around him and squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, it sat in my closet for a few years so naturally, it would smell like mothballs and stuff. It's clean, don't worry!"

"Disgusting!"

"Levi, you don't wanna be caught in public now, okay? And we're gonna have fun! I'm introducing you to the world once again but let's start with the district where normal people hang out!" Hange beamed, putting her hands in the air.

Levi could feel the suspecting stares from people passing by.

"You worry about me drawing attention when all you do is draw them yourself. Calm the fuck down!" Levi warned her.

"Hey, do you have an E-card with you?" She ignored his warning.

"And what the fuck is that?"

"It's… it's like a money card you can load so you don't have to have cash around. Works best on subways and transport vehicles. Works even for convenience stores and vending machines. It's pretty convenient. To survive this city alone, you need to have it!" Hange winked.

Levi fished his wallet and handed it to Hange. "Knock yourself out…"

"O-okay," Hange said and opened the branded leather wallet that held a dozen cards and bills inside. The number of platinum credit cards made her starry-eyed. "Okay, so you don't keep an e-card…"

"But can I still ride the train?"

"Yes, of course. But we have to line up for tickets and it's quite a hassle. I just wonder… you're not the average Joe in Paradis so you won't need a subway or a bus to get you anyplace. Maybe you had your own chauffeur to take you to work or you can drive your fancy car if you need a loop in town."

"I don't care about my fancy life, four-eyes. I need an e-card to ride that train so how do I have it?"

"What?" Hange asked with a dumb look on her face.

"I need that e-card. I want to know how the transportation in this society works."

"Oookay Mr. Cultured man…" Hange blew a breath and cocked her head on one side. "Come with me… but we need some of your bills."

A weave through the crowd and into a corner where vending machines lined up, Hange introduced Levi to his first e-card. The caveman in him drew amusement in Hange that she needed to stifle her laughter every time Levi makes a face at the whirring sound of the machine or his bill was sucked inside a slot. Their comedic tandem grew funnier when Levi had to kick another beverage vending machine when a bottle of cold tea hadn't come out in ten seconds.

"Levi, you have to press this button harder," Hange instructed, pressing her finger on the tubular key.

Something clanked inside.

"You fucking broke it?" Levi jumped.

Hange bent down at the small recess of the machine and fished the bottle out. "Funny Levi. After you kicked it? If it broke down then it's on you."

Levi was red behind his mask and there was an unidentified annoyance inside. He took the bottle and opened it. "At some point, I think I knew these things existed and I'm quite familiar with them. But maybe I never used vending machines and never took subway trains all my life."

Hange took a sip of her cola and looked at him incredulously. "Seems like it."

They stopped at a platform where they were waiting for the next train. Hange also gave him an overview of how the subway system works and how to get to desired destinations without getting lost in the subway 'lines'.

"Maybe you're right. I was comfortable with my own car and have my own chauffeur," Levi said. "But I have no problem hailing cabs. I took them when I go around in town and to take you home. This subway system looked strange enough for me."

"You can tell me if you want us out of here. The next train will come in a minute and we are six stops away from our destination. Would you like to take the bus instead? But it'll take some time to get to…"

"No, it's fine. We have to compress our time, right?"

The train arrived under a minute and Levi had to step away from the platform as it zipped past him at incredible speed. As it finally slowed and halted completely, the doors slid open and the sight of harried commuters blurred his sight. Hange noticed his apparent anxiety and hurriedly dragged him inside by his hand before the doors closed back again. The seats inside the car were all occupied, save for the aisle where hang rings are installed. Hange grabbed one and noticed Levi not letting go of her hand.

"You okay?" Hange asked.

Before Levi could answer, the train lurched forward and he was thrown off balance. Hange caught him just in time by wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

She chuckled. "Oh… you're losing balance now. Unfitting for someone who can climb down buildings."

Levi clicked his tongue but had his head bowed.

"Aren't we cute together?" Hange snickered.

"Shut up…" Levi was thankful enough for the mask he was wearing. "More like a mother and her teenage brat."

"Do I look old enough to have a teenage kid?" Hange laughed. "I guess if you remove that mask, we can fool everybody that we're dating. Only you're a little short to reach the hang rings…"

Levi rolled his eyes.

Hange released her arms as the train steadied its pace. "You can hold onto me if you're not comfortable with the hang rings. I don't mind…"

Wordlessly, he reached for her hand again.

"You're cold," Hange whispered to him and tightened her grip. "Are you really okay?"

Levi nodded slowly. His eyes took in his strange surroundings and the passengers eyeing him.

"This is just one of the many things that you need some learning and adjustment. We're three levels underground, which means we're literally beneath the earth and it's already a scary idea to get trapped down here. But you know, not once did the metro system in Sina have its mechanical or electrical failure accidents in the years that I lived here. Did you see the metro chart I showed you earlier? Can you imagine the years of tedious construction and engineering of the network of intersecting lines that lead to each station? Subways are efficient in maximizing the transport system in big and populated cities. For a fast-paced world, urbanization is always evolving."

"I see," Levi said. His memory thus traveled back to the time when he and Hange were up on their horses as they visited a construction site of a railway system. A memory time skip was a headache he never wished to entertain now that he was gawking at the peculiarity of his surroundings. The world he remembered was so behind in technology and transport.

"Who knows Levi, your company might have a connection to the urbanization planning in Sina. I mean, your subsidiaries range from food distribution to real estate and construction, to clothing lines, pharmaceuticals… uh…telecommunications, automobiles, internet-related services and software, aviation…"

"You know quite a lot huh," Levi said. "I don't even have any idea of what you're talking about. When I was shown our business structure and my role, I thought of giving it away."

Hange laughed. "Well, and that's not even half of the subsidiaries your company handled. But I suggest you should try to refresh some knowledge. I mean, put some interest in learning something because you're still the CEO. You will still be forced one way or another in decision-making so it's best to accept what's coming. Don't run away from it."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it…" he deadpanned. "Still, it's all too much and unnecessary to me."

Hange squeezed his hand comfortingly. "You can say that because you can't remember anything."

At the next stop, a passenger took off, leaving a vacant seat in front of them. Hange urged Levi to take the seat. His hand didn't let go.

"I'm fine here…" he said.

"Sure?"

"You told me you're not letting go…" he growled lowly.

"Levi, you'd be more comfortable sitting."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Okay. Would I take the seat then?" Hange raised a brow.

"What? Your knees too brittle now?"

Hange laughed out loud. Some passengers eyed her indifferently.

"Will you fucking keep it down?!" Levi squeezed her hand.

"Oh yeah… I have the most fragile skeletal system. You saw me fall on the ground thrice. So please dear, let me take my seat."

"No one's fucking moving. We stay here together," Levi whispered sharply and pressed himself to Hange's side. "Unless two seats will be available. Side by side."

"Not too clingy, are you sweetie?" Hange said and chuckled softly.

Inside that train, she had to endure standing up just to humor him. Seats go vacant from time to time but Levi was unmoved. Hange would take a step and initiate they should take a seat but Levi drags her back. It became a game for Hange after each stop just to annoy him. After all, messing with an Ackerman was the best thing ever.

Notes:

Are Levi and Hange getting too comfortable with each other now?

Kudos and comments are appreciated.

Chapter 15

Notes:

One word: FLUFF

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Not bad.

Hange acts like an excitable kid in a circus. She was far too loud to turn heads, far too vivacious to receive mixed reactions, far too fueled to speak non-stop. She had all the energy at this time of the day to walk around commercial districts and buildings, explicating every detail of what she could think of that will benefit Levi's obliviousness of the modern world. She knew a lot. Hell, she knew too much. Even the simplest and banal things would reveal some purpose thanks to her savviness that Levi was hyperaware of not surprisingly. Hange could talk his ear off for hours but any annoyance is welcome if that should fill the gaps in his ignorance. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he enjoyed every little time he spent with Hange. Something about her blithe and sunny personality is unmatched.

She's always been engaging. In both worlds.

When they stopped at a nearby port, Levi saw a blurry past. He'd seen a similar scenario in his memory where he was a passenger once, although the ships he was seeing at the moment were a little too modern in his eyes.

"Those ships. What are they used for?" Levi asked, hovering his eyes over the massive size and the number of vessels docked at the wharf.

Hange put a finger on her lips. "Well, uh... they're cargo ships. They carry massive shipments from here over the seas. We have products shipped abroad and they also have theirs shipped over here. It's called importing and exporting. These trades are important for our country's economic growth and its relationship with other nations."

She began rambling about how trading works, and how Paradis and its unique resources are benefiting the country's wealth. She also explained how Sina had become the financial hub of the country with the highest GDP due to large businesses and industries. Levi can only listen half-halfheartedly, as he had a hard catch absorbing the details because the only memory he had about ships and trades is in their earliest development during that time. He didn't respond, hence, diverting his attention elsewhere, transfixing his eyes at the early setting sun by the sea. However, the ships obstructed his view of the spectacle.

"Is there a higher place where I can see the sunset?" Levi asked suddenly.

"What?"

"I want to see the sunset. Those big ass ships are blocking the view."

Hange pondered. "You want to see sunsets that bad? Your house is at the highest point in Sina, you should've just stayed there…"

"It's lonely when I watch it alone."

"Huh…" Hange's mouth gaped at his response. Levi's eyes were fixated on the burning skies from afar.

"Back there… in my memory… we're lucky enough to see sunsets. It means we're bound to see the sunrise the next day. But we never know how many sunsets we have left… how many sunrises are there to wake up to…" Levi scorned.

"Hey." Hange grabbed his arm and pulled him out of his daze. She began pointing to a tall building in sight. "There's a building under construction right there. It's facing the setting sun so it could give us the best view. However, it could also give us some trouble if we climbed it up without permission."

"Then let's go…"

"What?"

"I want to climb it up, see the goddamn sunset."

"You're crazy, Levi… the entrances could be blocked up, barricaded, or guarded… we can't just trespass a property…"

"Four-eyes, that's not how I see you as the same person in my other world…"

"I'm not fucking reckless! I'm not going to be reprimanded for that..."

"You are reckless. You saved me from a speeding car without even thinking twice."

"That's a different case…"

"What's the point of suggesting that building then? I know you're interested to climb it too, so come on! I knew you love sneaking around."

"We aren't kids to play this kind of game, Levi…" Hange objected.

But they ended up being kids anyway. Hange wondered why she couldn't say no to Levi.

The building was empty of workers when they sneaked in, past the "no entry" signs and hiking up several flights of stairs to get to the topmost part where the flooring looked furbished enough. The construction was still in its framework stage with metal scaffolding crisscrossing the building's outer part. With rickety-looking beams and columns and warning signs scattered in places, Hange initially feared that standing on each floor might collapse under her weight. She nervously followed Levi around as he frantically searched for his spot in the area where he could catch his sunset. The building was still exposed without the walls and windows, allowing the amber glow to spill inside.

Levi scooted a little faster than her as she slowed down to catch her breath from all that climbing. As she saw the warm hue of orange from a distance, she quickened her strides until she saw Levi's silhouette facing the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen.

"God…" She breathed, taking in all the view from the height where they both stood. She stopped a few feet away from the edge while Levi stood dangerously close.

Levi removed his cap and mask and stared at the view. "Sunsets are really best seen by the seas…"

Hange has never thought of that. She had been busy all her life working her ass off to appreciate occurrences that seemed ordinary on a daily basis. Normally, a day comes and goes. A tragedy comes its way, summoning them to do their routines and save lives. And the boring cycle goes on. Hange couldn't use some break, even just a few seconds of watching the birds.

"Indeed," she finally agreed, a little lost in what she was witnessing as the best show of her life. She looked at Levi who was as entranced as her, staring at the flaming horizon as it illuminated that part of the town she never paid attention to once. His side profile was indeed captivating, the glow of the sun giving the right amount of shadows to sharpen his angles just like the day she first saw him in Underground.

A beautiful man with lost memories.

Silence filled the air as both of them were caught up in the spectacle unfolding before their eyes. It was peaceful and calming. Hange could wish she can sneak around a hundred more buildings and watch glorious sunsets like this again from different vantage points.

"I see you love sunsets." Hange broke the silence after a moment. "What was it in your other world?"

"There was a time when we saw the sea for the first time. An imposing, big body of water that scared the hell out of me during my first encounter. It was the first time we realized that the world was bigger outside the walls. There are unending landscapes and seas that stretched out to horizons. We had a wider scope by then. It was all thanks to you…"

"What?"

Levi turned to look at her. "You're the pride of the Scouts. Every advancing step we had, it's all your doing. And we had uncovered new discoveries when you became our Commander."

"Me? Commander?" Hange asked in disbelief, eyes bulging in astonishment. "Am I that skilled enough?"

"You're the smartest among us. And besides, there's no other qualified soldier that could take that position. You are doing pretty good but I have to be with you all the time—at least stop your recklessness and neutralize your behavior because you always get into trouble. I guess that made me seek your company too, here in this world. We're almost... inseparable."

Inseparable. There was enough weight to that word that sent Hange's imagination to run wildly. She almost felt the need to ask what it means. Inseparable like they were married.

It's making sense now that a person seeks comfort through familiarity. She was starting to love this newly-formed bond between them but hated it at the same time because it only ended this way due to his false memories. The realization gnawed at her. Commander Hange in Levi's mind was far different from her person. It would be a role that she assumed he expects from her.

"Levi," Hange started sullenly. "I think it should be clear to you that I wasn't the same person in that world. I don't think I was even capable of being a… a commander of sorts. That's just unthinkable…"

"I'm not expecting anything more from you," Levi clarified. "I just wanted trusty people surrounding me."

"But why me?"

"Gut feeling."

"Levi, does your doctor know about this? Or your girlfriend?" Hange wondered. "Doctors are rational beings who relied on scientific findings. They won't allow gut feelings to be of use for a sensitive case like yours. And… well, your girlfriend couldn't possibly approve of another company, especially with a stranger."

Levi has yet to say anything. He had been thinking. She had point.

Hange sighed. "We're still basically strangers to one another. I think I don't even trust myself that I'd be much of help to you. I could make a good companion—sure—but maybe you should also turn to people who know you on a personal level. You are aware that you're not just some average person in this city. Well, I am average and it would look like I might be taking advantage of you."

"Are you pushing me away?"

"No!" Hange said immediately, not wanting him to think that way. "I mean… you… me… we can't be this close. At least maybe you shouldn't get too comfortable around me…"

"Hange," Levi cuts in. "I was given freedom today. My doctor gave me the chance to discover things on my own for one week. Would it hurt that I spend the last day with someone I think I can trust?"

"But you can't just trust me…" Hange said. "At least not this early. Levi, I just don't want this companionship to look like I am exploiting the condition you have. No matter how you look at it, I am still a nobody. I… yeah… I enjoyed your company and was fascinated by all this but to think that this may be short-lived because your memories might return too soon…"

"You think that things will change after I regained my memories? You're way too advanced Hange. We're still early to see a cure for this. Are you getting worked up with how people see you as some swindler or the idea that you'd part from me?"

"Part from you?!" Hange stilled.

Maybe he's right. She looked back at the setting sun like there was the sinking feeling of losing someone. Hange hated attachments. She only had a few friends to count and the idea of parting from any of them leaves a gaping hole in her chest. However, circumstances can be tricky. Nothing is permanent. In time, people leave. Sure they would keep in touch, and yet nothing is still comparable to a solid companionship where people stay. Hange sought something tangible. She sought presence.

Levi had come into her life way too easily. It's even stranger that for a few times they meet, there was already an established connection she genuinely enjoyed. He's getting way too close and comfortable and Hange feared for something that she couldn't identify just yet. Levi's current memories see her as someone he's fond of but for how long she will relish everything between them?

"Hey," Levi nudged her side. "Is this something that makes you uncomfortable?"

Hange jumps at the touch, her eyes glazing up against the burning skies. "I just don't want to get used to this. New bonds, new friendships…"

Relationships or something deeper than that.

"We just met Hange. Are you saying you're already attached to me?" Levi had the audacity to ask her.

Hange could only hope that the sunset will hide the heat brushing her cheeks. "W-what? Hell no! You sound like I was infatuated with you!"

There was a gentle chuckle from the small man. That was new. Levi's default facial expression had always been stoic and unfeeling and yet Hange had the privilege to see a smile on that stony face. Her wide eyes were glued to him for seconds.

"Four-eyes..."

Her mouth parted the same way her eyes were unblinkingly focused on him.

"Oi!"

"What?!" Hange had been embarrassing herself enough. She wouldn't let the subject go awkward. "Perhaps... we can go now? We can't let people see us trespassing this property, you know."

She turned around and headed for the exit in a hurry.

"Oi Hange, you haven't answered my question!" Levi called behind her.

"Forget it!" Hange called back. "We can be friends but nothing more than that, okay?"

Levi caught up to her. "What? What are you implying now?"

Hange halted and realized the horror of what had just slipped through her tongue.

"More than friends?"

"Levi… I mean…" Hange's face heats up. "Be like… well… something like how people end up whenever they got too close or something? When they enjoy each other's company? We can't end up that close."

"Is that how the way you see it?" Levi asked incredulously. "Like being married? I thought you're smarter than that."

"No… not exactly like that…"

"Hange," Levi cuts her off. "In my memory, I'm not married to anyone."

Oh.

"That's why it feels awkward with my girlfriend, remember? At least today, I don't see myself marrying someone." He scratched the back of his ear. "Soldiers are taught to fight all their life. There's no room… for romance."

That short statement tugged a little hurt in Hange's chest. Was she even expecting more from him? A closer bond between them?

The current Levi was obviously a person deprived of romantic feelings. It's common knowledge that wars in history spare no chance for relationships and attachments. One has to acknowledge the possibility of death at any given time. Wars can take one body after another.

Whether Levi acts too close or too comfortable for Hange's liking could only be seen as something platonic. His fondness for her could be from the camaraderie they formed over time. Nothing else.

She sighed. Was it relieving? "At least… we're clear on that."

There's nothing to overthink about.

"If I started to act a little too much for you, you can tell me," Levi said. "As I said a while ago, we've been real close… and I may get a little too carried away that I'll see you as the same person I'm fond of. I was just grateful you're okay with hanging out with me."

Hange scoffed. After an awkward silence, she managed to laugh it off. "That's okay, Levi! I just don't get your definition of 'close' because more likely than not, I might misinterpret it."

Levi frowned thoughtfully.

"We can be the best of friends or something like that," Hange said. "But let's just draw a line for that…"

"Draw a line?" Levi questioned in iteration.

"Put some boundaries? I dunno how I played in that world. You said I can tell you if there are things from you that make me uncomfortable. You can do the same! I mean, I wouldn't be the exact person you're fond of. So tell me what was I like? How did our friendship play back there? Was it chaotic? ? Am I annoying? Was there something about me that turns you off?"

Levi's scowl deepened, thinking. "Actually, you loved hugging people as much as I remembered. A lot."

"Really? So I got to hug you then?" Hange gushed.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I won't allow it."

"Why not?"

"Because you barely take a bath that I have to knock you up and bathe you myself."

Hange gaped at him in amusement. And horror. "Y-you... wash me?"

Levi crossed his arms like it was a normal thing between them. "Yes..."

"Unclothed?" Hange asked. "Have you seen all of me?! You've seen me naked?!"

Levi must have realized what went wrong with how he said that. If the memory served him right, he indeed saw her naked but when Hange stepped a good distance from him, wrapping herself with her arms, he thinks it was not a good sign.

"No. I'm... I'm just kidding, four-eyes," Levi said abashedly. "Oi, the fuck are you thinking?! I wouldn't be interested to see your body!"

Hange sighed in relief, goosebumps littering her skin. "You got me there! Don't you pull a joke just like that, okay?! And just so you know, I may rarely shower in reality but I don't stink at all. If I'm a disgusting person in your memory, at least I'm about half of it in real life!"

Levi chuckled. "I didn't say disgusting though. You're still fine. Everyone got used to your stench. But I just hope you could do something about your shitty hair because they look greasy I could see my reflection on it."

"Seriously?!" Hange felt offended. Levi was too blunt for words. "Is that a proper way to tell a woman about her hygiene?!"

"Was I offensive?" Levi asked innocently.

Hange's once jolly disposition dimmed at his remark. How dense. It was quite a blow that tensed her jaw and swallowed whatever was nonexistent in her throat. She tried to hack off the ineptness that laced Levi's statements. He must have said it imperturbably.

"May I remind you again that it's a different world out here, Levi." Hange's eyes were dead serious on him. "Don't associate me or anyone else with people in your head. To answer your question, I'm not offended at all but consider how other people would react if you made the same remark. It's very rude. They'll take it wrongfully and can get you into trouble. You should be sensitive enough with your words."

A moment of clarity had to paint across Levi's facade.

"Look, I'm sorry for that reminder. I want you to enjoy this day but as a person who wanted nothing else but to help you regain your lost memories, I feel the need to pull you out of your trance every once in a while. Some of your strange behavior needed its fix. You sought for my company so I wanted to do what is right," Hange told him firmly.

Levi stared at her in awe that Hange had to look away half-consciously.

"That also goes for other people you'll probably meet ahead. You have to prepare yourself for that. People take things a little differently. What's okay to some isn't always okay to others."

"Fine," Levi clipped. "I get it. But can I just be the person I've become today? Just enjoy this unfamiliar world because the world I knew had been tragic in my memories?"

Hange breathed. He had a point she's yet to understand but there's no reason for him to wander himself in a fantasy world again. "We have to balance what has been in your memories and what's your reality. You can't stay there forever."

"I'm trying."

"Okay."

"And I want you to know that I trust you…" Levi added. "Saving my life for one can be enough reason to trust a person, right?"

"But…"

"Are you still doubting yourself?"

I can't be this close to you, Levi.

"Okay…" Hange said in defeat. "Fine… we can be good friends. Just like what you think we are in your memories. I'll be around to help you and nothing else."

"Do you need to be compensated for this?" Levi offered. "Just to get you off that awkwardness in your head."

"No… no! Hell no!" Hange cried. "We're good, okay? You don't have to pay me! I'm doing this at my own will. I'm not your therapist!"

Levi clicked his tongue. He shrugged and headed for the staircase. "Then just stop doubting and overthinking about something. You're weird, Hange. Weirder than the one at the back of my head."

Hange just stalled for a few seconds and watched him go. She stood rigidly with so many thoughts hanging in her head once again.

You're dangerously close. You can't feel something, Hange. She reminded herself. Her chest was beating fast.

Her feelings were undesirably on the "edge" and somehow, she can't help why her head was a mess when they were together. For a few times they meet, god knows why her feelings are taking the fast lane, that the moment she would hit the brakes and make them stop, she's dead either way.

The street market was bursting with crowds and colors at night. Food stalls and kiosks lined up a promenade section of Yalkell district where Hange once took residence in. She knew this part of the town like the back of her hand—a part of Sina where every nook and corner were her personal favorite for hangouts and cheap food. Levi walks beside her in slow and anxious strides, head swinging everywhere and taking in his surroundings ever since they got down from the building.

For once, the unwanted flashbacks of events in his memory surged back when they were never needed. Blurry images carried him to a time when he was exploring a city that was new to his eyes—an enemy's territory where they should play as unsuspecting tourists. He was donning a suit and was surrounded by colleagues he can barely recall. But it was clear that Hange was with him, donning the same suit and mouth gaping at every turn. The purpose of that ploy was not clear in his memory.

Levi halted and put a palm on his head.

"You okay?" Hange asked, gently putting her hand over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Levi said. "There are new flashbacks. But it's the same… back in that other world."

"Oh…" Hange furrowed her brows, then looked around the bustle. "Are they bothering you again?"

"I just hate it when they show me the false memories and nothing about my real past…"

Hange tightened her hand on his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Let's get you distracted. Come on, walk with me."

Strings of lights hung all around the district, crossing on both sides and illuminating the place in a festive mood. Hange started again with her babbling session, her long arm now wrapped in a comforting position around Levi's.

"You know, this night market was my favorite hangout place in this city," Hange told him. "Lots of street food everywhere and I tell you, they were cheap and delicious! Unlike Mitras and Stohess, this part of Sina was the comfort zone of middle to lower-class citizens. Prices of apartment rentals and lifestyle here come really cheap. Even jobs here won't need sky high qualifications. However, it can get quite populous since the lower-mid class constitutes the biggest percentage of our demographic. However, they are still a working-class so they aren't really that below the poverty line. At least people here don't just slack around and beg."

"I see," Levi said, observing the people around who looked slightly different than those he encountered for the past few days in Mitras.

"Don't look at them that way," Hange reminded him. "It's impolite to stare. Some people here hated being watched and observed."

Levi tore his gaze away from the crowd and set it back on Hange. "You know how life goes around here, huh?"

"Obviously, I took residence here."

"You're from lower-class?"

"Uhm, I have a pretty decent job as a rescue officer. I wouldn't say I earn that much but I'm surviving. I came here for the cheap apartment rentals because I thought I could save up to finish my degree… but I grew to love the job I'm in and stayed. Only then did I have to move out because of trauma from an accident and the noise from where I stay aggravated my anxiety, hence forcing me to live in a quieter place."

Levi nodded at the information. Knowing a little bit about Hange was interesting. He would love to exchange a little information about him as well and yet he knew he could only give her a false narrative, a non-existing fact about his other self in a fake world.

They stopped short at a row of food kiosks.

"Are those even safe to eat?" Levi drawled, unsure of the sanitation of the crowded place and exposed food trays by the sidewalks.

"Of course they are! I didn't get any stomach flu from eating food in here. I also eat them for dinner too when I didn't have the time to cook," Hange said. "And they go over the fire and heat so likely, there's no growth of foodborne bacteria. No worries!"

Levi eyes a particular stall that sells grilled seafood on sticks, meat cutlets, and vegetable pancakes among others. The display of food was never familiar in his eyes, and yet he's taking in the delish-looking arrangement and how people are lining up to get their hands on them.

"You can tell the bestsellers when people flock to one stall." Hange nudged him. "You want to try the squid on a stick? It's the best in town!"

Levi walked closer to the stall to inspect a neat array of stacked-up grilled squids on a tray. He didn't realize that he invaded a space where people are queuing for their goods.

"Hey, wait for your turn kid!" A guy hollered behind him, grabbing Levi by the arm. "Don't cut the line!"

"Hey!" Hange yelped and dragged Levi out of the guy's grasp, glaring at him. "He's not gonna buy, he just wanted to see the food up-close!"

"What, first time seeing street food? Don't just let your son wander around unassisted. Starving people can get pissy with the long queue," the guy barked. "Go buy him sweets, he'd like them better."

"S-son?" Hange couldn't believe her ears and looked at Levi skeptically. His lips behind the mask moved visibly, eliciting a laugh. Unbelievable.

"Let's go, Mom." Levi mockingly hooked his arm at Hange's and led her away from the crowd. He whispered close to her ear. "As much as I want to put up a fight with him, he actually made me laugh."

"Do I even look old enough?!" Hange muttered to herself, extremely bothered by the guy's remark. They were now too far from the noise, the stalls and the gathering crowd. She was not having fun.

"The dude just confirmed, we are mother and son." Levi was stifling a laugh beside her, hands in his pockets. "So Mom, where are we heading next for dinner?"

"Shut up," Hange hissed.

"I'm hungry," Levi whined. "I really am, four-eyes."

"Oh great," Hange huffed. "After insulting me?"

"How touchy…" Levi said with a chuckle. "Never thought you'd be so sensitive over people's perceptions. I was a small guy but very accepting of that truth."

"And you think me looking like a mother to a teenage kid was also the truth?" Hange asked.

"Not everyone who parented a kid looks old," Levi coaxed. "Come on Hange, get over it. That's too petty a thing to get yourself worked up."

It could be the pettiest of all things. Of course, Hange wouldn't mind. She would care less about people's impressions of her but it felt different when Levi was involved in it.

"It could be my mask," Levi consoled her. "And my height."

"Nah, forget it," Hange waved it off. "It's not really a big deal. Well, for one I thought you'd get into trouble for cutting their line though. There's proper etiquette to that. It's kinda rude to cut the li—"

"Hange?"

A sudden interruption was unexpected at a place like this. Hange and Levi turned around at the baritone mention of her name. Who would be hanging around in Yalkell's night market during this time?

"Mike?" Both Hange and Levi said in unison, earning a surprised look from the taller guy. He stepped a little closer to them but his eyes were focused on Levi in a mask.

Hange must have heard Levi wrong but the way Mike was now stooping to meet Levi on eye level, he became suspicious. She was quick to block the shorter man and redirect Mike's snooping senses.

"Long time no see, Mike! What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on duty in Underground?" Hange burst out, slapping him on his shoulders.

"I had my day-offs, Hans," Mike frowned. "And wow, for a person who doesn't like the noise and the crowd, look who's hanging around in the rowdiest district in Sina…"

"I'm good, Mike! Well, I think anxiety goes away on its own," Hange said gleefully. "Sorry you haven't heard from me that much. I'm actually coming back to work tomorrow so I thought I need to relax today. Prepping up for the busy days ahead, y'know?"

Mike put a thumb on his chin and gave her a once-over. "Good for you then. But I see you got company. Who's the kid? Looks like he knows me."

Levi stepped aside Hange and took off his mask, revealing himself to Mike. He gave him the usual stoic expression as his name rolled off his tongue. "Mike…"

"Ackerman?!" Mike's jaw could drop to the ground. His eyes begged for an explanation as he turned back to Hange. "Hans, w-what's going on?! He's in a coma, right?"

"Oh geez, Levi!" Hange palmed her forehead. "You'd get us into trouble!"

"But I know him…" Levi elucidated. "He could be someone who might help me in my memories…"

Mike's horrified face was deepened when Levi was talking to Hange casually, far off from the untouchable guy he used to serve at the Underground bar. "Guess now I know the reason why I couldn't contact you for weeks huh, Hange?"

"We need to talk," Hange told Mike gravely. "Somewhere empty of people."

Levi could only observe Hange and Mike from a few steps away, their conversation running for more than ten minutes in loud whispers as he sat on a kiddie swing at an empty park located beside the night market. He could tell that both of them were confused, bickering at most like an old married couple who can't seem to settle things down. Mike in his memory was a quiet man, reserved at times and ranking next to him as the second-best soldier. Their first meeting had been quite troublesome—a wild chase for his arrest that ended up in his recruitment as a soldier. They became friends over time, however, Levi couldn't recall how Mike died in that world. Deaths broke him, and yet he couldn't give a remorseful face each time a comrade was taken away. His heart, however, warmed up at the sight of a very much alive guy who could be someone else in this world.

He's dying to know.

Hange decided it was best to talk to Mike first before they could be introduced to each other. Levi's condition was still in question up to this day but with her ramblings, it seemed Mike was still reeling from the shock in Levi's state. A guy from a coma with false memories was only possible in fiction. He was pinching the bridge of his nose the whole time, still unconvinced that Levi turned into an entirely different person.

"It's true, Mike! Look, if Levi Ackerman was his old self, would he be hanging around in this place? And with me, of all people?!"

"This shit is shitting all the shits in me, Hans. You haven't told me you're visiting him at the hospital while he's down. And now that he's awake, you're already close friends with him? That fast?"

"It's a long story, Mike. I dunno where to start but Levi knows me! Like he knows me by my face and name to think we haven't ever met before. He knows me from memory of another world—it's hard to explain but he's not his old self. He lost his memories following that night when I saved him. You've seen it, Mike. Back at the bar, he ignored me. There's no way we would've known each other. We aren't acquainted at all. It's just now that we've gotten a little close. By some fate… we're just being brought together and I'm helping him adjust to this—well—world."

"You're not high, are you?"

"No!"

"It's all bullshit."

"I know you'd say that…"

"More than the bullshit of you saving him that night, Hans. There's not any news of him yet that he's awake and to see him here with you of all people makes me want to think you're intentionally exposing him to the public. You're literally with the wealthiest and most controversial person in Paradis and there's a huge chance that you'll run into anyone who knows him—basically every person in Sina. Do you really fancy trouble that much?"

"He's wearing a mask so people won't notice. Even you didn't notice. And I got his consent."

"Don't consider it consensual because he's not in the right state of mind," Mike interjected. "Are you being paid for this kind of escort service?"

Hange exhaled. "How creative of you to say this was escort service. God Mike! Look, I did this of my own will without compensation. I'm simply helping him out."

"Help with what? You didn't even know his background and what he does on the daily. What help can you give him when he can pay the best doctors and get support from family and friends? You're a stranger, Hans. You saved him that night out of guilt from a fucked-up rescue mission but that shouldn't make you accountable for his well-being. Does his family know about this? Have you met his doctors? If I wasn't your friend, I would even think you're taking advantage of his condition."

Hange shook her head. "Trust me, everything you said crossed my mind too but Levi talked me out of it. He's insistent," Hange explained, yet slowly getting back to doubting herself again. Her mind was spinning, resonating with the earlier thoughts of the repercussions if she sticks around with Levi. "Look, I can't come up with a very convincing and convenient statement to make you believe that everything between Levi and I was out of his false memories. That's it! We get along just fine."

Mike gave her a deflated look. "I know you liked him but this isn't the convenient reason to get close. Guy had a fiancée."

"You sounded like I'm some person who runs on ambition," Hange said hurtfully. "Of course, I know that! I even know his girlfriend decided to live with him again. They're together now. Whatever I had with Levi, it's purely platonic and civil. Nothing else! I'm not gonna ruin his relationships for that matter. Mike, you know me."

"You're crazy…" Mike sighed. "What can I say, dude has really lost his mind because he chose to hang out with you."

"Like I said, he came to me resolutely, Mike. You can even ask him if I ever forced him for company," Hange said indignantly. "Well, who would've thought… you snagged his liquor for me to drink that night and here we are stuck together. Ironic huh?"

"It's called coincidence. But everything doesn't sit right with me," Mike breathed. "Levi was like some royalty. Being in Yalkell district is just so unlikely of him. I'd bet he's never been here all his life unless he's surrounded by bodyguards."

"He's a different guy right now, mind you."

"And for how long? Is there a cure to that?"

"Hell knows. Should you whack his head hard?"

Mike's head whipped behind him to observe Levi sitting on the swing like a child. "Lord, I can't believe it. It's scaring the daylights out of me. What could've gone wrong? He doesn't seem a bad person to deserve all this."

"He's bound to die that night…" Hange reminded him.

"As if surviving and waking up with a different memory is good enough…" Mike said. "You brought that wrong luck."

"Hey, better than six feet under."

"You're now seeing the bright side of things, huh?"

"Yeah," Hange said. "My nightmares lessened because of him. I'm getting better because I look forward to this newfound friendship between us and see how I can help him back to his old self."

"Good luck then," Mike was sniffing the air. "Platonic huh? Let's see for how long. And if I knew you better, you'd come running to me soon because you fell in love with the wrong person."

"Shut up!" Hange simpered and looked at where Levi sat. This time, he's looking at her. She turned her gaze away immediately. "Not gonna happen."

"Yeah, right."

"Hey, Mike. You want to try it with him?" Hange asked after a moment of silence, avoiding Mike's chances of teasing her. "He mentioned your name, I dare you to try and ask him how did he know you. Then tell me if I'm still crazy."

"Absolutely not."

"Not fair! And there you are accusing me earlier as if I did something criminal," Hange scoffed. "Come on, I bet you can spot what changed about him because you encountered him before, right?"

"I think it's no longer necessary…"

"What are you afraid of?" Hange challenged.

"This isn't a game we can make fun of," Mike said. "I don't want to witness what's changed because I'd probably end up pitying his situation. I don't want to get preoccupied with the idea of a person trapped in an imaginary world. Guy's now living the joke out of his life. I know him on a personal level and I respect him so much. I just couldn't bring myself to get friendly and casual around him. It just felt so wrong."

"It's not half as bad as you think. Levi needs trustworthy people around him and I can't believe that he trusted me already. It could be the same for you. Come on, Mike! It wouldn't hurt to know this other side of him."

"Don't drag me into your future troubles, Hans."

"There's no trouble in this! We're not money extorters. And it makes sense that you had a part in his false memories too. You could be someone he can trust as well. We're not bad people. I'm confident he's safe with us. And he'll feel safe with us."

"Fine," Mike said, hands in the air. "This is going to get weird."

Hange was left out.

Levi and Mike were having the time of their lives as they chat away like old acquaintances who chanced to run into each other. In Hange's eyes, some of the best moments are those that come unexpectedly after the worst times, a sudden flip in one's life after a brush with death she somewhat prevented.

She came back to the empty park after lining up for snacks at the night market and was surprised at the chatter between the two men who could've been acting like close friends who needed some catching up. The vivacious sight pulled her back to the memory where Levi was his old self—superior, sophisticated, untouchable that Mike could roll a carpet and get down on his knees upon his arrival.

"Took you long enough…" Levi spat out as Hange approached them and handed over a grilled squid on a stick. His face scrunched up at the appearance of the food. "Ugly…"

"You don't say 'ugly' to a food this delicious," Hange snickered and proceeded to eat hers. "Please broaden your use of adjectives."

Levi clicked his tongue and tore the fin of the squid, giving it a taste.

Mike and Hange watched him in awe and waited for his reaction. Levi only hummed as he savored the first bite.

"Good, right?" Hange asked, edging close to Levi's space.

"Not bad…" Levi said and proceeded to munch the trunk part.

"Firsts are always good!" Hange exclaimed. "Come on! You have to agree that grilled squid is the best!"

"Hange, it's acquired taste. You can't just force your favorites on anyone and make them agree with you. Also, make him drink probiotics," Mike told her, biting on scallion pancakes. "The first time I tried that, it gave me rashes. Try this one, Levi. Crusty and tasty… beats that ugly creature that's one of Hange's weird penchants in food."

Levi stopped chewing and looked at Mike suspiciously. "Rashes?"

"Oh… do you know if perhaps… you're allergic to seafood?" Mike asked, then turned to Hange. "Hans, it's a potential allergen. Didn't you know about his medical history?"

Hange turned to Levi, squid frozen in between bites. "Would you know?"

Levi just shrugged, taking another bite of the seafood. "Can't tell. And I don't care. This is just fucking delicious."

There's always something bad in the good stuff.

"Oh my god! Levi are you okay?!" Please tell me how do you feel?!" Hange was panicking dramatically as she padded around Moblit's apartment, wet towel in hand. She slumped beside Levi, rough hands grabbing his red and swollen face and closely scanning the damage of the seafood allergy.

"Just… a little itchy and there's like something stuck in my airways," Levi said. "It's fine, four-eyes."

"It's not fine! God, I didn't know about this! I'm so sorry!" Hange stuttered, tears pooling at the rims of her eyes. She cupped Levi's face and gently dabbed the iced towel on his face. "This should relieve the itch. What's taking Mike so long?! The pharmacy is just a block away!"

Moblit was carrying the basin of iced water, standing nervously in the living room as confused as Hange was. "Oh Hange, that looks bad. What did you make him eat?!"

"It's the grilled squid at Yalkell's night market," Hange croaked. "It's me. It's my fault. I was stupid. Didn't slip my mind that it can cause allergic reactions to some people. I should've known and didn't force him to eat it. Hey Levi, can you still breathe? Does your face hurt?"

"This could go away. It doesn't bother that much…" Levi consoled her.

Hange burst into tears that surprised both men.

"Oi Hange, I'm fine! What the hell, you don't have to feel bad. Stop that," Levi shushed her. "I should've known too. I haven't really talked to my doctor about things like this."

"Do you need to go to the ER or call your doctor? I can take all the blame!" Hange wailed pathetically. "I can't stand seeing you like this!"

Levi frowned and turned to Moblit. "Is she always like this? Feeling accountable for the things that aren't exactly her fault?"

"That's Hange for you," Moblit said, head shaking. "God, she's overreacting. She's our high school's drama queen."

Mike burst through the front door after a minute with a box of oral antihistamines. He plopped down beside Levi and popped a pill out of the blister pack. "Take this. It should lessen the symptoms. The swelling and redness will go away in a few hours. Works for me at least."

Hange raced up to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She came back to the living room with tears still streaming in her eyes.

"And what happened to you now?" Mike asked her. "No one's dying, is there?"

"She thought it was fatal," Moblit answered for her.

Levi shook his head and took a pill. "This isn't anything serious. Hange's overdramatic."

"It could get fatal, okay?!" Hange insisted. "I've seen some in my emergency response cases. Anaphylaxis. Some even needed hospitalization because breathing gets hard. Levi's symptoms of swelling and difficulty breathing shouldn't be taken lightly. It can get worst in time."

"Well, she has a point. Maybe we need to call your doctor?" Moblit suggested.

"I swear I'm okay," Levi reassured them. "I can breathe just fine and the itch isn't that bad."

"You can stay over for the night so we can look after you," Hange said, earning surprised looks from both Moblit and Mike. "I swear to god I wouldn't be able to sleep without knowing if your symptoms get better over time."

"Hange, there's no need for you to get this worked up about me…" Levi huffed. "Besides, I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. I can discuss this with him."

"Levi, don't worsen her anxiety," Mike seconded. "You're alone in your house. Wouldn't hurt to stay for one night until your condition improves by morning. Not even you have any idea how your body reacts to allergens."

"You'll be home before your doctor comes over. We'll get you back in your house first thing in the morning," Hange told Levi. "And please, you should be aware of your body conditions from now on."

Levi exhaled loudly and gave up. "Fine…"

Hange gave him a weakened smile. "You can take my room."

Both Moblit and Mike reacted uncharacteristically.

"Okay," Levi simply responded, but his face flashed some worry. "Your room's not a mess, right?"

"It's... habitable," Hange said meekly. "Better than sleeping in a hospital ward, you know?"

Levi was not sure about that. "Really..."

And that's for him to find out.

Notes:

Posting an update because it's gonna be busy at work from now on. :( Took most of the remaining time before the workforce dwindles in a week and I'm out of staff and our management's not hiring for replacement. So more work and less time for writing.

Hope I could still sustain this.

And I'm trying... :)

Chapter 16

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"My room was disorganized but it wasn't that filthy." Hange stood by the door as Levi inspected the pathetic state of the bedroom. She was chuckling sheepishly in an attempt to lessen her growing anxiety towards Levi's unexpected stay-in and an obvious muted horror on his face. She was a little thankful that no adverse reaction took effect after taking the oral medication. Mike had gone home and volunteered to take Levi back to Mitras tomorrow morning.

Levi repressed the urge to sneeze at the odd mix of essential oils and a faint smell of probably used clothes hidden somewhere in the room. If this was Hange's room in the barracks, he would automatically kick her out so he could begin to clean it up to restore its livable state.

"I know you're not used to this kind of mess but don't worry, I don't have bed bugs to add up to your rashes. It wasn't a fancy bedroom but it's just for tonight," Hange added. "I wasn't really into bedroom aesthetics or whatever you wanna call them. I could even guess your own bedroom in your penthouse was the size of this whole apartment…"

Hange was not wrong though. Levi could even make his laps around his bedroom with a walk-in closet he sure as hell was just a waste of space and money.

"I'm not one to complain," Levi drawled and sat on the bed, feeling the rough fabric against his hands. "You've done enough to improve the swelling and rashes. They don't bother anymore. I feel like I'm getting better."

Hange couldn't be relieved enough. Levi's allergic response to seafood has miraculously disappeared in under three hours. She stared at his face longer than intended, making sure that the swelling subsided significantly. "I swear to god you scared me."

"Tch. We're over that, Hange. Enough of that drama."

"No… I just…I can't forgive myself if something bad happened to you."

"This isn't like you all…" Levi said. "You're now acting like a real mother."

"It is me," Hange said sternly. "If your imaginary Hange happens to be a piece of shit who would be laughing at your red and swollen face because you looked like a bloated fish then you'd better drop that memory. Let's be realistic. I'm too caring to the point of being annoying. People always notice that about me."

"It really shows," Levi nodded thoughtfully. "Well, it's not a problem with me. Thing is, this only proved you can be trusted."

Hange wouldn't buy it, and yet she refused to say it out loud again just for Levi to rebuke her.

"Where the hell will you sleep?" Levi asked.

"There's plenty of space in this house," Hange said. "The couch in the living room will do."

"We can share the bed."

"What?!" Hange was sure that her ears were clean enough to hear what Levi said as clear as a sunny day. She narrowed her eyes. "Uh—you're not serious, are you?"

"It's your bedroom. You have more rights than me."

Hange laughed awkwardly. "Do you have any idea if two people share a bed together?" Hange asked. "You seem unbothered by it."

"What's bothering about it?"

Hange rubbed a palm on her head, thinking of the most awkward question to satisfy her growing unrest. "Have we shared a bed in your memory?"

"We did," Levi said simply. Short and sweet.

Hange swallowed hard at the shared information that was rather served with Levi's deadpan reaction. "Like a lot of times?"

"I've done it with other soldiers too. You can't choose where to sleep and who to share your beddings with during a mission, can you?"

Hange had other things on her mind but decided not to tell them.

"But I guess, it's the two of us that did it quite a number of times. Not just during a mission but… for comfort and company maybe. We always face deaths and get nightmares. It's your idea we stayed close," Levi added. "There's one night when we both couldn't sleep... we just talked stuff in your room. And then we're under the blankets, fast asleep."

"Oh," Hange breathed and brushed off her stiffening feeling. She took the other side of the bed and sat on it—back on him. There was a shuffle behind her and she knew Levi buried himself under the covers. "Hey, has anyone ever contacted yet to check on you?"

"My sister called earlier, so is my doctor who reminded me about tomorrow's session. And Petra…"

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing. They didn't ask where I was. They just told me little reminders."

"Look, I don't know how would they react if they find out you're sleeping with a stranger in one bed," Hange told him with a nervous chuckle. "This… felt wrong."

Levi didn't answer her.

"How close are we that we can actually share a bed together?" Hange whipped her head over her shoulder to look at him.

"I don't know. We just allowed things to go like that."

"Way too comfortable huh?" Hange breathed. "But nothing's between us, right?"

"No."

"We're… like best friends? Is that it?"

"I don't know what to call it."

Hange sprang up from the bed and stretched herself. "It's bedtime. I'll take the couch outside."

Levi jolted out of the bed.

"You'll be alright by yourself here. If you feel anything different in your body or something, give a yell and I'll come rushing in," Hange said. "I don't know what we are in your memory but if it comes to bed-sharing, I'd be a little averse to that unless you're... a partner."

"We're partners."

Hange shook her head. "That 'partner' I mean was something in a deeper context. Have you and Petra shared a bed in your memory?"

Levi just gaped at her, then shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. It's…" Levi searched for the right words. "We're comrades but…"

"But you and I are comrades too. What's the difference with us that we can go to bed together comfortably without being intimate?" Hange asked provokingly. She's simply shoving off some feelings that are creeping out of her and trying to make sense of Levi's closeness to her. "Have you and Petra shared a bed after you woke up?"

There was that moment, of course. But Levi's not considering it sharing with Petra. He has left his room before he can actually put himself to sleep. "No."

"I see," Hange muttered. "When she comes back, you should make it up to her. It is her you should get close to like this. You've been together for years and it's no doubt you two have… have…shared like…"

"Some intimacy, physicality. Sex, you mean."

"Well, you know it… hah…" Hange breathed, almost fanning herself internally. "So, you are aware of it. You know how it works. When two people…"

"Yeah, four-eyes. I'm not that stupid and naïve," Levi spat. "I would know because Petra's been my girlfriend for years. But… I don't think it's necessary for her and me to engage in something like that. Don't tell me to get down to those things because as much as I can feel it, she was a stranger to me now..."

"Not… something like us?"

Levi was silent for a while. "Petra died early in that world. I've only known her for quite some time. But you've been there from the start, way earlier than my recruitment and Petra. We've been together long enough… until…"

"Until what?"

Levi could barely recall. As much as he remembered most of it, the later events were a blur to him. He knew he'd lost so many people. He could even recall losing Erwin, Moblit, and Mike but Hange? What happened to her?

"I don't know… I can't seem to remember…"

"It's okay. Don't force it. Your memory is really shaping your character but I'll always remind you that it's not necessary today," Hange said. "Snap out of it."

"Fine…"

Hange waved it off and chuckled nervously. "I haven't really shared a bed with anyone and I'd be reaching for anything to hug. I'd just end up being tangled with you and you're gonna kick me for that. Ain't taking that chance."

Levi smirked. "What can I say, you are the same in my memory."

"Oh…" Hange said and turned around. "So I guess I always ended up on the floor."

"No…" Levi said. "I'd let you do things unconsciously. Because it's always been hard when there's a day we lost a comrade. We share a bed when you're a crying mess and you always needed someone to share what you feel. And it's always me who you sought for. Maybe because I stayed up late—sleepless even—and you wouldn't just bother with the other soldiers. You're a happy and loud person back there, hence not letting anyone see a vulnerable side of you. I'd say the same for me because the world is too cruel and we're allowed to be emotional. But as high-ranking officers, we don't want people to see our breakdowns, because they looked up to us. We need to keep a face of resilience to make them see past their fear. But sometimes... it just becomes unbearable and we share the same remorse."

Hange was at the door, hand at the knob, and had her heart beating unwantedly fast. There's so much revelation from Levi that's giving her uninvited thoughts. "A privilege to see my weak spots, huh? Don't worry, I'll never be a crying mess in this world."

"Good to know."

"Good night, Levi, " Hange whispered.

"Hange," Levi called, forcing her to look back again. "Thank you… for today."

Hange can only give a feeble smile and exited the room immediately without having to hear him mumble his goodnight. After exhaling the memory of their conversation, she was startled by Moblit who was restlessly waiting for her outside the door. His face was drawn the way he'd be reprimanding her during her alcohol spree and yet she knew this was something else. Wordlessly, that disturbing body language from him cues her to follow him as he made his way to the balcony.

"Do I need to tuck you to bed and give you a teddy bear?" Hange quipped, resting her elbows on the railing. "You're not pressed by the door to eavesdrop in our conversation, are you?"

"I'm not interested whether you'd get him to make out with you or have sex or anything," Moblit said bluntly.

"What the fuck, Mobs?!" Hange recoiled.

"Look, I allowed him here because you're somewhat accountable for what happened. And we can't be really sure if his allergy goes away," Moblit started. "But the way you're overreacting around him is just a little too much, don't you think?"

"If you're implying Levi and I were at that stage of making out and having sex after a couple of meet-ups then you're going to hell."

"Hange, I'm not naïve to see how you acted in his presence."

"I am aware of that. We're getting pretty close for a short period of time we've spent together and it's also weirding me out. But I'm drawing a line between us because I know he's not himself. And he's supposed to marry Petra Ral. Not gonna ruin it for them."

"That's not it…" Moblit said. "I know you, Hange. There's something different about you that you failed to notice."

"Care to tell me that?" Hange challenged, dreading where Moblit was going.

"You're getting there…"

"Getting where?"

"Falling."

Hange opens her mouth but the words won't come out. That one word jabbed at her guts to trip her over. Moblit was perceptive but he was not always right. She hoped he was never right. She tried to laugh it off dismissively.

Moblit rolled his eyes. "Just an early warning."

"You're just like Mike," Hange said, her laughter almost choking her. "Are you guys really desperate for me to get laid?"

"You take this like I wasn't serious," Moblit said. "Fine, you can deny that feeling because as much as you want to brush it off, you're still confused with yourself. Levi was a distraction at first but you didn't realize you're slowly getting attached. Hell, crying for a food allergy says it all."

Hange curled her lips and thought of defending herself that Moblit was looking at the wrong picture. But that fact surprised her as well. He was always sharp to notice what she refused to see. It's dawning on her. She can't see the logic why she would cry for a goddamned seafood allergy.

"I guess I really am overreacting. But you can't blame me. I saved this guy's life from trouble and I can't be the same person to put him back there again. Moblit, is it too early to fall in love with Levi?" Hange questioned. "We just met like thrice. A friendship between us is established because of his false memories. In time, he'd probably regain it little by little and I'm helping him on that. And in time, I'll just be somebody he used to know."

"So you're foreseeing it. It's easy for you to say that because you think it's the most rational thing to say."

"Because it's rational!"

Moblit huffed in exasperation. "You can always come up with your smart-ass answers because you have a big brain. But your weak little heart will go breaking in time if you keep up your dissonance."

"Dissonance, really? Geez Mobs, you're really pushing like I was already into him. Remember, you have a role in his memory. And Mike, too! I just can't be the sole person to be involved with Levi."

"That's beside the point. Whatever role we played back there, they're irrelevant to our current reality. Hange, if you want to play the role of a non-existent person just to please him—"

"Do you think I'm acting that way?" Hange cut him off, eyes shut in irritation. "Hell Mobs, I'm just doing this for the person I bailed out from death."

"How noble of you," Moblit said. "Ever done that to the other hundred people you saved before? I'd tell you this once again, Levi isn't some kind of alcohol to get addicted to. For your well-being, I think he's helping a bit because he gets you in a good mood but I hope it just stops there."

"I'm not going on a debate with you, okay? Trust me, Levi and I were just bound to be friends. He's been telling me we're just comrades in his memory and nothing else. There's no reason to fall for him and if ever I did develop some feelings for him, I'd be smart enough not to chase it. Levi's still the person who ought not to get acquainted with any of our kind-ordinary folks. He's… he's far different from us. If he didn't end up with another memory, things won't go like this."

Moblit looked at her apprehensively.

"You don't have to worry about my heart breaking," Hange chuckled. "Because there's nothing to break. Cut the crap, Mobs. You really are the brother I never had."

"Go to sleep now, Hange. I'd rather talk to your drunken self than being sober," Moblit said disdainfully, turning around to head back inside.

"Hey Mobs, I really thought you're gonna ask me to share your bed," Hange called, stopping him. "I offered my bed for Levi."

"I'm apparently saving myself from the crime of stabbing you in your sleep, so no. We had a couch that offers the same comfort as the bed."

"We've been best friends for a long time now. Why haven't we shared a bed before?"

"What kind of question is that?" Moblit's eyebrows shot up.

"Just answer me."

He sighed loudly as if he's been hearing a lot of nonsense from Hange since they talked. "I'd rather share my bed with a partner. Sharing with a best friend is okay for a few years but we're past our thirties… it's just… awkward."

Hange hummed. "Thanks Mobs. You can go to bed."

"What's that all about?"

"Nothing!" Hange cracked a smile that could split her face in half. She pushed Moblit back inside the living room. "I'll take a few minutes here. Need to call Yelena. I almost forgot all about her."

"Oh yes, because you busied yourself with Levi more than anything you can call productive."

"Mobs…"

"Don't be long out," Moblit reminded her and disappeared inside. "And you're tasked for breakfast tomorrow!"

"Yeah, I got it…"

Hange collapsed onto the table—the same one that kept her company during her drunken sessions. She clawed at her head for some sanity check and convinced herself that she was not falling into a trap. Definitely not a trap from Levi he'd unknowingly set up. For some distraction, she took her phone out and dialed Yelena's number.

"Yelena, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back—"

"Oh god Hange! Have you received flowers from Reeves?!" Yelena immediately shot from the other end. Hange knew the sound she makes when disgusted.

Hange leaned on the table and chuckled. "Yeah. Not expecting it. No one has ever gave me flowers my entire life so I guess, coming from a random rescue mission was a little something."

"Creep. That's all I could say. He even managed to get our addresses and send flowers. Flowers, really? The hell would I need the flowers for?!" Yelena grumbled.

"They're lovely anyway. Makes a good display for weeks you can stare at. At least I knew it wasn't just me. Was surprised to see it at the front door though." Or Levi carrying it.

"Staring at flowers is not my thing, honey. Geez, I requested for booze!"

"We can always get our booze. Hey, you'd better acknowledge the guy's appreciation for our efforts. Not too grateful, are you? What did Onyankopon get?"

"He's got some free vouchers in Reeve's grocery chains. Guy's gonna have his whole month of grocery supply while all we have are fucking flowers we couldn't even eat. Tell me, Reeves isn't gonna hit one of us, is he? If he dares, he's gonna regret that day he chose to live."

Hange laughed out loud, wishing she was sharing a beer with Yelena right now. This lady giant was really something else. "Calm down. I think he's just fascinated by what went on during his suicide fiasco. Take it easy on him, it's not like he's proposing for marriage. I'll see you tomorrow and we have a lot to talk about. Let's hope for our luck that we're gonna stay in the office and not outside to wear our capes."

"Hell yeah. If there weren't accidents or disasters, people just make their own trouble. Let's hope we won't have to do anything tasking tomorrow, I'll see you then, Hange!"

Talking with Yelena had its charms. It's always easier to get a diversion from Moblit's earlier diatribe when Yelena's quirks remind Hange of the shitholes they get into in their line of job. Maybe it's still best to get busy on something starting tomorrow, get occupied with either paperwork or life-threatening missions for some adrenaline rush. The Rose Creek incident has finally ebbed in her subconscious and was replaced with something else that doesn't involve conscience and guilt, but misunderstood feelings.

She leaned away from the table and distracted herself once again by playing a virtual chess game on her phone. Maybe she could use some mind games. But after losing thrice—a bad record she never had before—she decided it was best to retire. She sluggishly made her way inside the living room and sank onto the couch. Clearing her head was quite a struggle. How can she sleep when the very person who was the cause of her unhinged thoughts is currently under the same roof as her?

There was a flick on her forehead, followed by a soothing voice.

"Hange."

Waking Hange up was Moblit's job each morning. Three knocks at the bedroom door were enough on a regular day to stir her up, and when Hange went past her waking time, she'll find herself thrown on the floor, wrapped up and entangled with her blanket. Alarms don't work with her anymore and her own body clock was a defector since she took residence in Moblit's apartment. Staying in Yalkell had been quite different though: Hange's mornings don't consist of chirping birds or the wafting scent of strong coffee. She would automatically bolt up from the early morning catfights of her neighbor just a door away, enough to rouse her senses and leave for work as early as she could. Some days she'd caught herself in-between the commotion, acting as the mediator to settle things down and after which would recur again in the following days.

This time, there's something different about Moblit's gentle voice like a lover during morning cuddles.

She slowly pried her eyes open and groggily focused her vision. It was not Moblit. Lucid dreaming had been a frequent occurrence each time she woke up at the wrong hour. She was aware enough that she had dozed off about twenty minutes ago and there's no way it was already morning in that short time of shut-eye. Hell, she was just about to fall into a deep slumber. She squinted, rubbing her eyes until her blurry vision miraculously came into clear focus—showing Levi's handsome face staring at her, hovering close at a distance she's tempted to lean in and get closer to. So, is this the kind of dream to make up for all of those nightmares that haunted her for weeks?

Thoughtlessly, her right hand reached for his face, tracing circles and thumbing the smooth skin of his cheek. Oh. This was definitely a strange dream. There was no way Levi would allow her to touch him like this.

"Handsome…" Hange murmured. Delusional thoughts come in waves and a part of her touch-starved self wants to try something that was only allowed in dreams. She playfully pinched his cheek, giggling at how Levi was nonreactive and sporting a vacant expression.

"How stony of you today…" Hange said sleepily. "Like I can do whatever I want with you…"

Her clear vision in the absence of her glasses was a dream come true, and so is Levi being close to her like this. She could only hope this was a never-ending dream.

"Like what?" Was Levi's first response and Hange tittered at that. She was worse after a shallow sleep than a drunken hangover.

She stared into his eyes and smiled. She propped herself up, reaching again for Levi's face and slithering her hand at the back of his head.

"What are you doing?" Levi asked warily.

Hange could only look at him smugly and responded by leaning closer to peck his lips lightly. She pulled away after a second, grinning like a fool and muttering under her breath. "You tasted like honeyed tea…"

"W-what?" Levi asked with a perplexed look on his face.

"You wouldn't mind, would you?" Hange asks lazily and confidently draws him near again to go for another smooch. This time, her lips lingered for seconds.

She moved boldly and fiercely toward a person she only recently reminded about drawing a line to their newfound friendship. And now, the lines are blurred. Or maybe it's just because she was thoroughly convinced that everything was just a dream where her subconscious can freely act on its own—in a make-believe world she'll never have in reality. Her eyes shut themselves instinctively in elation, angling herself better to allow a passionate moment to consume her.

Oh. This had been too good of a dream.

She didn't remember for how long, however, the later sensation felt too real for something imaginary. Her once-unrestrained mouth stopped moving before she could venture to deepen the kiss. She unlatched her lips off him when she felt a lick on her bottom lip. Her eyes were blown wide at the realization.

She pulled away. Fast.

Holy fucking shit…

Hange scrambled up from the couch in a flurry of limbs, nearly falling off the cushions upon reaching her eyeglasses on the coffee table.

"L-Levi?" Hange's shocked self could already tell that this shit is real. "Shit… shit, shit, shit! What the fuck did I do?!"

Levi was lost for words. His lips were red, so were his ears. He had a flushed face which Hange couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger, but his flared-up pupils rose into prominence. Hell, she wouldn't want to know what they mean.

"No…I didn't…" she stuttered, feeling the fire that already started burning inside her. "We didn't…"

"You did…" Levi deadpanned. "Kiss me."

"No… ugh, tell me it's a dream… I'm just fucking dreaming…" Hange pleaded, her hand soaring over her mouth. She could only wish to disappear in a blink of an eye or perhaps the world around her would instantly shift into something else.

"Hell, you might still be…" Levi said and snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Are you awake now?"

"Oh my god…" Hange said ruefully, burying her face in her hands, and slapping her cheeks hard. "I'm fucking sorry! I didn't mean it… I thought I was just dreaming…. I…"

"Likely," Levi drawled, standing up and crossing his arms. "A heck of a dream that must be. You're probably making out with a very desirable person."

"Levi, what happened between us doesn't mean anything, okay?! My bad… I'm sorry if I crossed the line or… you know… we talked about putting boundaries between us and… this thing was just… wrong. Well… it's... fuck... I-uh... I really didn't mean to..."

Levi eyed her closely. It was quite surprising that he was unaffected by the events. "Forget it. It's just a kiss."

Just a kiss?

"I swear… I thought you're…" Hange tried to come up with a convincing lie to calm her revolting heart. "It's… I thought you were my… ex-lover. An ex-boyfriend I still got the hots for. You know…"

"You must be very desperate to have him back then…" Levi said thoughtfully. "Haven't moved on yet?"

"Maybe," Hange lied. "Just… you know… maybe I missed him…"

"I see," Levi said, brushing off the tension by his straight-faced features. "Get over it. Now, get your ass up. You're gonna be late for work…"

"What?!" Hange dragged her thoughts back to reality, grasping at her mental calendar for today's activities. It's her first day to work again after months of absence. Her eyes hovered on the wall clock across the living room, cursing that she only had twenty minutes to prepare. Damn, was it really morning?

"Moblit's gone earlier. Said he'd just grab breakfast on the way because you'd end up not preparing anything this morning. Looks like he's right about that," Levi said. "So come on, I got you something for breakfast."

"Y-you cooked?"

"Because you slept like a log and woke up like you haven't kissed someone in years."

Hange's blood rushed up to her face. "God, don't remind me…"

She stood up and slowly made her way to the dining table, seeing bacon and sausages that always decked their plates every morning. For busy people who are always on the run, frozen and canned goods are the usual necessities in the kitchen.

"You didn't have to do this," Hange told him.

"It's done anyway so what are you gonna do with it? Now, eat that up," Levi commanded.

"What about you?" Hange noticed he is not taking his seat.

"I'm done," Levi said. "Besides I'll make up for the trouble last night. You guys let me sleep over. I also cleaned up your room for good measure. I hope you could maintain its state for days."

"What?" Hange's eyes bulged in horror.

"How long do you keep your dirty clothes under your bed?" Levi asked in disgust. "Should I buy you a laundry basket to keep them off from the brand clean ones?"

"You... you didn't..." A vein popped out visibly on Hange's forehead. "You didn't touch my underwear, did you?"

"What's the use of cleaning up your room if I didn't segregate them?" Levi reasoned out.

"Levi, those are my personal stuff... you shouldn't be... urgh..." Hange was about to lose it, tone raised. "That was too much! You're not allowed to touch my things again, okay?"

Levi was dumbfounded, but no guilt was shown on his face.

"You... hell... I shouldn't be guessing but am I making you clean my room in your memory?" Hange asked in frustration.

"On days we shared your room, I have to. Can't stand the mess," Levi said with a shrug. "And you really don't mind at all."

"Well, I do mind now! If you feel uncomfortable in the state of my room, you can tell me okay? So I can clean it myself. I just can't let anyone touch any of my stuff. Even Moblit doesn't touch any of it!"

"You're overreacting. Said the person who kissed me for no reason but I didn't say anything one bit."

Hange could only stare at him in disbelief and said nothing anymore.

"Are you mad?" Levi asked quietly.

"Forget it..." Hange sighed loudly. "I'll let it slip today. I know you're just acting accordingly to what you think is necessary."

They grew quiet for a while. Hange had a lot of things to deal with this morning. First was the unintentional kiss and now this. Maybe it's a bad thing being this real close to Levi.

"I'll be going in a few minutes. Mike just called in and he's on his way," Levi informed her after a moment.

"Okay," Hange clipped. Better.

Levi just stared at her. He'd been thinking for a while. "I'm apparently still surprised with all this. Mike was a bartender I never really paid attention to, until I called him by his name last night."

Hange gave him a once-over, and the prior events looked like they didn't even take a hit on him. She noticed that he can move on so fast without acting weirdly unlike her violent fit. Maybe it's a good digression. "Mike's a good guy. You don't have to worry about him. He's just one of those who worried about you whenever you visit the bar and you had your worst nights."

"Yeah, he told me everything," Levi said, leaning at the counter and crossing his arms. "Just like you... being with Mike felt oddly familiar. And with Moblit too. Just how many more in your circle that I'll come across as someone I know?"

"We can't tell. Unless you hang out with me all the time," Hange said. "I hope you'd discuss everything with your doctor… specifically the new acquaintances who you recognized in your memory. Your condition is truly a rare phenomenon."

"I will."

"And your health, of course. Are you feeling better now?"

"I slept just fine."

They quieted for a time, and Hange hadn't paid attention to her breakfast. She was still bothered—too bothered that she needs to bring up again what happened to them this morning. Levi was stone-faced, and she urged herself not to be affected because clearly, he seemed that way.

"Look… I hope that stupid kiss I pulled off won't change a thing between us. I… I'm sorry if that made you somehow uncomfortable. You can tell me though. I know we… we haven't kissed in your memory so this could get pretty horrid for you."

Levi simpered. "I told you it's not a big deal. Part of me knows the feeling. Petra's done the same thing to me."

"And… how did you feel about Petra's?" Hange asked hesitantly, heart sinking that two women are like contending for his attention. She's getting close to that, unfortunately.

"Nothing."

"And…" Hange gathered the courage to ask once and for all. "What about… us?"

Levi could only stare at her in wonder. "Should I feel anything?"

"You shouldn't feel anything. I mean… we're not lovers. If you didn't feel anything for Petra, might as well be the same for me."

"Right," Levi frowned. "Maybe I don't feel anything…"

Maybe? Hange could only suppress her disappointment. Hell, why the hell would she want Levi to feel something about her kiss? She cursed internally that maybe Moblit was right. She was falling. Earlier than what was predicted. But she is also aware that sharing a kiss was subjective. It doesn't always entail affection. Anything can be casual. Anyone can walk up and kiss random people—without feelings.

"It makes sense now," Levi started again. "Why you don't want to share a bed with someone…"

Hange chuckled sheepishly. "You see it. I'm fucking shameless."

"Maybe you'd want to reconnect with your ex-lover… you let your desires get the best of you unconsciously," Levi said.

Hange stared at her untouched plate. But there's no such thing as an ex-lover. Does it mean she desired Levi? "You're right. That's how to put it, I guess."

Or maybe it's high time she should slowly dismiss her unwanted, growing feelings for a person she couldn't have. Admiration shouldn't have gone deeper like this. She's almost crossed the line she drew herself and she could only hope Levi will not get the wrong impression.

"Normally, I would be punching you right in the face," Levi said. "Or kick you in the shins. Just like whenever I dodge your annoying presence in my memory…"

Hange jittered. "Then why didn't you?"

Levi's eyes traveled elsewhere. "I realized you're still a different person from the 'Hange' I'm fond of. And I don't … I don't know what to do… so... I just... let myself be swept by the moment..."

Hange gaped at him. She failed to remember the events but clearly, she remembered kissing him for some prolonged time. Unless he throws the punch at the first touch of their lips…but…

"Did you... like it?" Hange bravely asked, too late to rephrase her question that could pass up as a tease.

Levi responded with a slight shrug, light eyes boring deep into her.

Oh fuck...

"You..." Hange ventured. "Didn't pull away. You kissed back… you know that?"

Levi's eyes didn't move from her, but his overall expression was still unreadable. "Was it a bad thing? Should I be sorry that I returned it?"

Hange froze in her seat, unable to find the words to retort.

"Sorry that I kissed back, then," Levi said nonchalantly.

"Okay... It's my fault. It's not on you. That was unintentional on my part and you're not supposed to kiss back." Hange stammered. "You really could've gone for a punch and I wouldn't mind."

"Couldn't find the reason to hit someone who I owe a lot," Levi said. "Besides, that felt... good."

"W-what?" Hange faltered, stabbing at her sausages and almost losing her appetite. She's not going to delve into it. But pushing off the thought only worsened the fact that Levi indeed, returned the kiss. She needed a cold shower. A real icy one. Or get a shovel and bury herself right where she is.

It's a good thing—no—it's a bad thing! A bad, bad thing.

When the doorbell rang, Hange jolted up and ran to the front door in quick strides. "That's Mike..."

Levi padded slowly to the front door where Mike stood and said his morning greetings.

"You looked better now Levi!" Mike chirped, slapping a hand on Levi's shoulder.

"Yeah. The worst didn't come, thankfully," Levi said. He brushed past Hange with a bothered look on his face. Hange acts like she wanted Levi out of the house. Immediately.

"Take care, Levi," she said quietly, tongue in cheek but not meeting his eyes.

Levi responded with a slight scowl. "Yeah. You too, four-eyes."

Mike's first words to Hange were instantly muffled when she deliberately shut the door at Levi's exit. There's no time for hi's and hello's, Hange thought. It was her first day back to work, she should get herself prepared sooner. She decided to skip breakfast, but the guilt of not eating the food Levi prepared himself got into her conscience. But there's more to this feeling of guilt that will surely nag her brain throughout the day. Her fingers hovered to her lips, reliving the sensation of Levi's mouth on her.

She remembered. The bastard kissed back.

She's dead.

And she's going straight to hell.

It was too early to get Zeke Jaeger as stressed like this. He's already sweaty for an early morning—not from a jog but for running around the penthouse building where Levi allegedly went missing again. He couldn't ask the concierge or anyone else to stir again some trouble—perhaps formulate a new set of lies to spare his dear friend the controversy since coming back from the dead.

He was pacing back and forth in the living room of the penthouse and he was sure enough that he'd checked every corner of the house to verify that Levi was indeed missing. Or was he just too excited to come earlier that Levi could be hanging around the premises?

"But his phone was dead…" Zeke whispered to himself, trying out for the fifth time dialing out the number that was only voice-answered automatedly. "Where the hell could he be?"

It didn't take long for the elevator to sound off as Levi stepped inside his abode looking more relaxed than usual. Seeing Zeke didn't surprise him but his disheveled appearance was a little unusual for fresh mornings. As if he'd never slept the night before at all.

"You're early…" Levi droned, removing his baseball cap.

"And you've gone out earlier that I thought you're missing again," Zeke frowned. "I've been looking for you for an hour. Couldn't even contact your phone…"

Levi sauntered across the living room and sank on a couch. He didn't feel like talking to Zeke but he had no other choice. He was the person who'd play the most important role in his well-being. "Are we going straight to the session now?"

"Do you need to rest? Or have breakfast first?" Zeke offered with some thought. He was a little surprised that Levi gives in to this without protest.

"No need. Let's get to it."

"Okay… I'd guess there's no need for introductions and formalities. I'd rather you break the ice about what went on after a week of self-discovery. I'm listening."

Levi heaved a breath. "Being a company's CEO is the shittiest job in the world… there's too much to learn and I'm going nuts by just listening to Erwin ramble about people and their roles..."

Zeke chuckled. "Levi, you're the best person in there hence your position and ranking. Losing confidence now?"

"If I was smart before all this, then this amnesia is certainly gonna crumble the company's structure. Erwin's most capable to replace me and I'd be very willing to hand it over to him because my brain has reduced into a pea-size."

"Oh, that's new. If you're giving up your position, you'd rather hand it over to the company's utility."

"The shit that happened to me changed some things. I think he's fine. He can be trusted."

"You know, I almost break my neck just to convince you before that Erwin Smith is a very nice person. That's a pleasant surprise. Amnesia heals the bad blood between rivals huh?" Zeke said. "But it wouldn't be too easy to give up your position. There would be voting among the board, a blessing from your uncle. He's still the chairman and his decisions are absolute. He's retired but this retirement means only taking most of his duties off the company. But first… how are we going to convince him that your condition is not fake? Until now, there's no announcement yet of you waking up. Kenny's coming soon and he'll decide what to do."

"Old guy's gonna decide for my life? Is that it?"

"Levi… you have so much respect for Kenny before. And yes, believe it or not, you always listen to him. You looked up to him, both you and Mikasa."

"Son of a bitch, I'd rather kill myself."

"Levi," Zeke chided. "Please, try not to compare Kenny in your memory. It's best if you meet him first."

"Fine, fine. Let's move on with Kenny, shall we? Don't wanna ruin my morning."

There was that worry again in Zeke's eyes that always sent shivers down his spine. A look so unfamiliar that Levi always hated that he couldn't fully trust Zeke when the blond guy was a mortal enemy in his memory.

"Okay… you wanna talk about something else? How about Petra?" Zeke changed the subject.

But Petra was another subject Levi doesn't want to entertain. Whichever path his feelings take, Petra will never be someone he will have romantic feelings for.

"It was hard. I still feel strange around her. There are days when I feel like I want to hug her, maybe kiss like a part of an old self who's probably still smitten with her but when I tried to get to it—allowing whatever feeling I had—it draws me back to this current self that didn't feel a thing. I don't think it's the right thing to do…"

"Why not? You are her boyfriend. You're supposed to show affection."

Levi was shaking his head. "Not like this. Not when I don't feel comfortable about it. About us being together. We were soldiers in my memory and we respect each other, acknowledge our skills but… it's different here. I don't know…"

Zeke couldn't decide if he'll feel bad for Petra or for Levi. The circumstances are breaking the couple apart. Straining the relationship that's no longer bound for tying the knots.

"Would you tell me what makes you comfortable? Who do you feel you're comfortable with?" Of course, Zeke is not counting himself in.

"Mikasa was okay. Maybe because I'm fond of her in both worlds. It wouldn't be hard for me because she's my sister in this world. I'm also trying to warm up with Erwin… and there's Hange and a couple of others who…"

"Wait… Hange?" Zeke was alerted at the mention of the name. He was snapping his fingers repeatedly, trying to recall where he heard it. "Oh. Is that one you told me who saved you? Have you met her again?"

"Twice."

Before the doctor could react, he searched Levi's face for anything suspicious and odd. His character was something else—tricky and unpredictable. Zeke expects something that will catch him off-guard. Castigation can come later. "Tell me."

"I was gone yesterday for a stroll around the districts of Sina after Petra left… I met with Hange. She introduced me to the outside world."

Zeke sat across from him, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. "You're out with someone who claims who saved your life? You're out in public Levi… what else could've happened if people recog—"

"Relax," Levi said. "I remain unidentified. It was Hange's idea to make me wear a mask and a cap…"

Zeke was tight-lipped. That Hange-person has already thought about the repercussions if Levi was seen in public. Whatever her ploy was, Zeke distrusts it.

"It doesn't feel strange around her at all," Levi continued. "We were together the whole time. I think… spending time with her was all too familiar."

"Levi, we talked about not getting close to strangers…"

"I knew her from my memory of the alternate world. And there's more. Two of her close friends also happen to be the people I recognized."

Zeke shook his head. It's too early for a headache. "Hell… are you sure?"

"Yes…"

There's no way Levi would lie now. But piecing back his old memories may take a while if he keeps up living in false memories.

"Are you saying you're already comfortable with those people?"

"Yes…"

"How so? How far would you go to say you're really confident that they can be trusted?"

"I spent the night over in Hermina with them," Levi revealed. "I had histamine inflammation and they took care of me. You haven't told me about it…"

It was both shock and worry that painted across Zeke's face. "Histamine inflammation?!"

"I consumed street food. Caused me some allergic reaction after an hour…"

"Why didn't you call me?!" Zeke asked in a panicked tone.

"It went away after taking some pills. At least those guys knew first aid. My face was swollen for a while and had some trouble breathing. It wasn't that serious more or less."

Zeke blanched. "God, my bad I haven't told you about those things. It didn't cross my mind... But why did you eat something like that? Did anyone of them make you eat it?"

"It's not their fault…"

"Levi, you never ever ate street food before."

"I just did," Levi said sarcastically. "Don't make me feel like I'm too sheltered. I know I was practically a man with a primitive mind right at the moment but it's best if I make some discoveries on my own…"

"You're doing this the reckless way, Levi. You should set your priorities first more than what satisfies your curiosity," Zeke said. "You'd never know if people would be handing you poison."

"You're being paranoid. What are my priorities, Zeke? Run the company? Marry Petra? Are you forcing me to be the old Levi again?"

"It's never like that." Zeke exhaled in frustration. "I just need you to look after yourself. And please, enough of some social experiment with strangers for now."

"But I feel like the opposite of my old self…" Levi said firmly, trying not to pick a fight with Zeke. "It will be hard… hard to be the person I'm not familiar with."

"I understand…" Zeke said, picking the bridge of his nose. "I'd like you to be yourself if I'd be honest about it. Probably let you embrace this new 'you', and hell, be whatever you want to be. But we're looking at your future responsibilities. About your relationship with people. Our biggest problem right now is how are we going to introduce the 'current' you? How Kenny would react to this ridiculous condition of yours? I'm just trying to oil your gears. I keep saying I am pressured as much as you are, Levi. And as we're talking, I'd assume you don't want to be your old self…"

"Naturally…" Levi said. "Because I don't know how to run a goddamned company, I don't feel anything for Petra and I'd rather hang out with strangers…"

"That hurts, you know," Zeke said resentfully. "Have I already lost my best friend?"

A pang of guilt flashed Levi. Those words coming from Zeke were still odd to him but a part of his heart wrenched at that seemingly sincere statement from him. His hate for Zeke was from a false memory. Maybe he should try to change that.

"Tch. You're too dramatic," Levi droned, remembering the memory of chasing Zeke down to death at every opportunity. "As much as I don't want to trust you, I have no choice. But you seem to be very understanding of me."

"How should I see it if I may ask?" Zeke asked.

"I'd trust you for the sake of my old self. And we'd set conditions to this friendship. I'll listen to some of your advice, and at the same time, had I deemed it inappropriate or is against my current judgment, we'd talk it through. Today, I realize that the best acquaintances are those strangers who I apparently knew in my memory. However, I'm not dismissing people who I personally knew," Levi asserted.

"Setting conditions huh? Fair enough, Levi. But I want to personally talk to those people," Zeke proposed. "Specifically this Hange to see if she could truly help us improve your condition."

"She had a job. She just got back from it and I don't think she-"

"If she's sincere to you, she'll have her time. Can you have her schedule?" Zeke raised a brow in a challenge. "You seem to be easily lured into getting chummy with her-to think you actually slept over in her place. It's not that hard to talk to her, is it?"

"I can't be sure, Zeke," Levi said. "And it was not her place. It's Moblit's, her best friend."

"Doesn't matter. I need to talk to Hange, first," Zeke insisted. "So, if you're setting conditions, it's just fair enough to set mine too. Again, this is for your own good."

Levi breathed. He was hoping Zeke could see the good side of his new acquaintance. "We'll see. I'll talk to her about that…"

Notes:

So I don't have any idea if Levi and Hange have shared a bed before because it's not shown in canon. :) But it makes a little sense if they did (after all, other fics portray bed-sharing for comfort-it wouldn't hurt to apply it here).

But well, a kiss happened. Yeah. THAT HAPPENED after 15 long-ass chapters. Haha! I don't know how I came up with that idea but Levi's nonchalance should be a disappointing gesture. However, Hange's mind (and heart) possibly processed something else. Just when she's forcing herself not to fall for him, her subconscious does.

I'll see where the story takes my imagination again.

Kudos and comments are appreciated!

Chapter 17

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Hange was forty-five minutes late. And that's for the first time.

She missed her stop and went past four more stations from her destination. It took several loops—racing up the escalators, reading the signages, elbowing out of the rush hour—just to make it back. Heck, hell knows how she lost her sense of direction that took her more than ten minutes to locate the opposite platform. The subway station became a labyrinth to her eyes and that was impossible for someone who knew the place by heart. It was no different with the bus ride after exiting the metro. She had to wait a few more minutes for the next one and when her eyes got stuck to her phone with nothing to check in particular, the bus she was waiting for just wheeled away past her periphery. She could only exhale her frustrations at the sight of the vehicle, fading from a distance.

For a while, she thought she was sprinting or brisk walking just like her usual routine, and yet her movements today didn't seem to synchronize with her brain.

She was sluggish. Taking slow steps at a time to rival a paraplegic and being spaced out through the whole commute. Her hair was a tousled mess, her shirt wrinkled and coffee-stained, and her faded trousers were pulled out from a drawer where she kept her old wardrobe. She didn't seem to notice she had been blindly digging through that space she never touched again since taking a room in Moblit's apartment.

She was always clumsy, and never in her whole life she had been this inattentive and distracted. Her previous trauma and stress from the Rose Creek incident had been imperious, but she'd been paying attention to her time and more or less, her physical appearance in public. Even if liquor can get her wasted, she will never be this lifeless as if someone sucked the energy of out her.

She didn't even know how she made it to her workplace. Her excitement from yesterday didn't transpire at all. However, she was aware when someone screamed in her ear, when party poppers blew confetti right on her face, when several hands patted her back as she bolted through the door like it was her first day on the job. When a collective cheer from a group of twelve people echoed in the small space of their office, Hange's empty gaze finally came into focus. She wordlessly turned her head around, seeing a party banner with a sloppy "Welcome back!" handwriting she immediately recognized as Yelena's. To her surprise, there are food trays on the tables and colorful balloons swallowing the entirety of her desk.

Damn. It wasn't even her birthday.

"Hange!" Yelena took Hange's face with her hands and stared close to her face with her dull, stormy eyes. She would always be the first one to notice her indifference. "Hey, you okay?!"

Hange's eyes widened, soulless eyes finally coming back to life. "Yelena?"

The enthusiastic cheer earlier died down to murmurs and whispers. Hange scratched her nape with a hangdog smile.

"Well, thanks I guess?" she said abashedly.

"Good job guys. Looks like someone's not too happy with our welcome back surprise…" A red-haired young man named Floch Forster announced acerbically. "We all came in the earliest to set everything up and that jetlagged reaction is what we got?"

Hange swallowed hard, red in the face. "Look… I didn't mean to act like this…" She never expected the warm welcome, apparently. She only expected post-its on her table and not something festive. "I'm happy of course! I'm grateful to be back…."

She looks at each of them but none seem convinced. Onyankopon and Yelena had their arms crossed, scrutinizing every inch of her uncharacteristic behavior today.

"You are forty-five minutes late and came in looking like someone molested you…" Yelena said. "Tell us the truth and I'm gonna make someone swallow their wisdom tooth."

The murmurs turned audible now and each one gave Hange a concerned look.

"Relax… relax guys… I'm really fine!" Hange forcibly urged herself to flash them a fake smile. "I just… didn't sleep well last night. You know… was too excited to be back."

"So, are you somehow sporting this new face of excitement like what we kind of see in a funeral wake?" Yelena asked sarcastically.

"I guess two months off-duty had been quite sedentary for you. No wonder you lacked the energy," another peer named Porco Galliard noted.

"Have you caught yourself in a subway stampede?" Onyankopon asked.

"Hey, it's just my lack of sleep!" Hange perked up and feigned a laugh that almost looked miserable just to get them off her hair. "I feel better now, okay?! Wow… you guys really prepared a welcome surprise for me!"

She was laughing out loud in awkward snickers, walking to the area where the food trays sat and bringing herself to grab a clubhouse sandwich to shove half of it into her mouth.

"Yeah, that's her now. Hange's soul came back to her body," Yelena announced dryly. "Let's get the party started before we'd be summoned by the emergency alarms or before she could switch back to her dark side."

The excitement grew back when people started filling up their plates with food and brimming their paper cups with drinks. Hange silenced herself again when people's attention was on the food table. She stopped chewing the sandwich when Yelena whispered close to her ear.

"Something's bothering you…"

Hange jumped. "Yelena! What, I'm fine! I'm… fine."

Yelena's dark eyes stared at her. "No, you're not. You're never that jumpy."

There are times when Hange didn't want Yelena around when she had her problems. "Why, can you see what's wrong?" she challenged her.

"No," Yelena said smugly. "But I'll get there. Or you'd tell me over a bottle of beer?"

Hange waved it off. But she was aware of how Yelena can slink her way to satiate her curiosity about people who'd suddenly demand their way to be read. She would love to tell Yelena about her feelings but she can't expose Levi Ackerman's identity just yet.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Yelena's eyebrows shot up at her.

"What?"

"Your phone, dumbass."

Hange plunged her hand into her bag, groping around for her phone that was haphazardly thrown in one of its multiple pockets. She mumbled a curse, as getting a phone out of the bag took her longer like finding a needle in the hay. She could only pray that the caller doesn't drop the call.

But the glaring name on the caller ID made her drop it. Literally.

Hange was not too quick to realize what happened until Yelena had to double over to pick it up. She held the phone in her hand, a disturbing scowl on her face after seeing the name on the screen, and urged Hange for an explanation. There's no hiding anymore.

"Levi Ackerman?" Yelena asked. "Is this caller for real?"

Hange could lie. After all, the names of her close friends are registered in pet names or whatever she finds funny and unique.

"Well…" she hesitated. But it was Yelena in front of her who can decode a person in a nanosecond. She was too sharp to distinguish a lie, especially from Hange who gets anxious at one simple question.

"You know each other?" The blonde was dangling the ringing phone in front of Hange. "Are you going to tell me something after you take the call?"

"There's nothing to tell." Hange snatched the phone from Yelena and pressed the "end call" button. She decided not to take any calls today so she proceeded to turn off the phone completely. "And I won't take the call."

"Yeah. You're gonna tell me something," Yelena pressed. "What's turning that down for?"

"None of your business."

"Really? Why are you red?"

The heat in Hange's cheeks radiated weakness in keeping a secret. With Yelena towering over her-sporting her curled lips and condescending stare-Hange was left with no choice.

"Fine… I'll tell you…" she grumbled in defeat. It is better than being pestered the whole day.

"But... isn't Levi Ackerman in a coma?" Yelena scowled in realization.

Hange grabbed Yelena by the wrist and yanked her out of the office's emergency exit. While everyone busied themselves with the food, Hange and Yelena sneaked out without being noticed.

"Levi's awake, Yelena," Hange revealed while they secured a spot along the exit stairs of the building. "I haven't told you some stuff. Well… I haven't been telling you some things … like why I filed for indefinite leave and why Levi Ackerman's name is on my phone."

"You'd better spill everything, Hange," Yelena said, sounding more like an inquisitor. "I can listen to you all day…"

If Yelena had another career, she would be a notorious criminal investigator who raises daring questions and can effortlessly expose a secret through inquisition. Hange would keep her story clear, unequivocal, and simple. She knew that her cross-examiner wanted a straightforward narrative like you would tell a cop had you been a witness to a crime. No fillers, no beating around the bush, unfazed. To some degree, Hange had qualms in sharing a secret even with somebody close. But she wouldn't have it any other way. Yelena was a genuine person who would listen even to the most nonsensical rant. Genuine but never empathetic. There was something savage about Yelena that Hange needed at times like this: she wanted an imaginary stone to smack her head right there and then, and Yelena can do that flawlessly.

Of course, everything has to start with the creek incident. An experience that once haunted Hange for weeks, brought her nightmares out of guilt and that's how she found herself in Underground Bar with Mike, nursing her anxiety with alcohol. She went down to the details of drinking a part of Levi's exclusive liquor and hearing stories about his recent heartbreak. The oddest twist in the story was how Hange and Levi crossed paths again that same night as she went out of her way to save him from death. She blamed it on her rescuer's obligation or perhaps, the guilt of losing three lives in Rose Creek. And then she went on with the ramblings of visiting him on a weekly basis during his coma until he finally woke up. It didn't stop there when they meet again under the most ludicrous circumstance. Levi knows her by her face and name and that's how their strange companionship blossomed in an instant, an unlikely affair between two people who acted like they have met before in a different timeline. However, she didn't go down into the most sensitive detail of them kissing that morning.

Yelena lights up a cigarette in bored elegance, a quirky way of paying attention to Hange's story. She took a long drag, then puffing out the smoke into the air.

"You're in deep shit, Hange." Of course, Yelena had her pleasant ways of preludes.

"H-how can you say that?" Hange asked disbelievingly. But what's ever new? Moblit and Mike had said the same thing. She's in for her third grilling and she'd burn into a crisp.

"You can choose not to get close to him but you did. Obviously, either you're infatuated with Ackerman or you simply wanted a spotlight being his hero," Yelena said nonchalantly. "And if it's an Ackerman, any sane person would think it's all about fame and money."

Hange was expecting Yelena would be reacting towards Levi's strange mental condition and not about her unfounded intentions. "Yelena, everybody would love to have Levi as their friend. It's not just about money!"

"Why yes! Because he's high-profiled. Because he's every woman's dream. That means you're taking advantage of him. Taking advantage of his condition because if he's been his old self, he'll never even pay you a glance." Yelena said brusquely. "Being acquainted with an Ackerman was a privilege. It's like being friends with a king. People would beg to share a table with him, share coffee with him... hell, even kiss him."

Hange was flustered, the events this morning coming back to her senses with vengeance. Yelena will never ever commiserate with her. It's her vicious way to put sense into something that didn't sit right with her. However, being wrongfully judged was not allowable in Hange's list of things.

"You're wrong about me. I'm not taking advantage of him," Hange said firmly.

"Then what else could it be? Here's the thing because you lacked the introspection," Yelena started. "You could be smitten with Levi the very first time you saw him. That's normal though. Guy's fairly handsome, smart, and rich. Magazines love him for their covers. He's not a celebrity but he's going that path because Ackerman Holdings flourished through the years and being a young CEO can draw so much attention. Well, had I been at the bar that night, I would have loved to share a drink with him, even hook him up for a conversation. However, to save him from a vehicle was unjustifiable. I was a rescue officer myself but I know how to calculate dangers. I clearly saw that incident's footage and trust me, my eyes are sure that both of you wouldn't make it. And seeing little to no chance of surviving, I would absolutely stand back and let someone else get hit rather than jump in front of a car to try my luck. There's no reason for me to save a stranger in a situation that might kill me on the spot. Even if that stranger was a hotshot like Levi Ackerman. But after that incident, nobody talked about how is he alive because of his savior. Nobody talked about the hero because people are focused on why he was wasted that night. On why he was dumped by his girlfriend. The rumors aren't dead yet and now that he's back with a different memory, he was due for a bigger controversy. Would everybody buy that? He's literally another person now, and you're being dragged into it because you embroiled yourself in it. Tell me, what's your reason for sticking with him? I could only tell two justifiable motives: you want to fuck Levi or you want his money. Which is which?"

"I…" Hange lost her marbles. Yelena can be unforgiving for her assumptions. "You think I was that kind of person?!"

"I'm telling you this from another person's perspective. Those who don't know you," Yelena said. "People love rumors. And they love the bad side of humanity."

"And by that, you think I was the bad guy even if I don't have the slightest ill-intention?" Hange objected. "I can't believe I'm hearing the same thing from my other friends. Why do I feel like I'm suddenly attacked?"

"I'm not attacking you. I'm just stating what's in front of you. The simplest question is why involve yourself with Ackerman without anything in return?" Yelena asked provokingly. She's always brutal with words and will set that pace until the conversation is over.

"I just… I just wanted to help him…"

"That's too fucking shallow. People will do something out of intention and not of charity. Help can be a lot of things. Are you feeling generous enough to help a person with amnesia? What help can you give him? Can you be more specific?" Yelena eyed her warily.

Hange was blanking out. "To regain his old…. memories?"

"But you're not a part of his past. You're a part of his false memory. Can you make him remember a past you never played a part in? His realistic past?"

"I… shit…"

"Hange, you lost your rational side because you enjoyed being with him, right?"

"I don't know where you're going with this, Yelena…" Hange scoffed.

"Don't ignore the facts. I just want you to realize yourself. You're almost there. You have the tendency to fall in love with Levi Ackerman." Yelena finished her cigarette.

Hange felt a punch to her gut, a choke in her throat, a squeeze to her heart. There's no way Yelena would be the same as Moblit and Mike—pushing her to a situation she never wished to fall into. "I… I don't think so. What the hell… I don't think I'm heading there…"

"Oh… do you want me to realize it for you? Of course, you're not seeing it yourself because you're in denial. Because you know it's just so wrong. Hange, I never saw you go to work like you've been hit by a freight train," Yelena said. "And even if you have two hours of sleep from thirty-six hours duty, or from drunken hangovers, you'd never look this wasted. And that recent phone call from him? I hope you've seen yourself looking like death is calling you. You're a little worse for wear on a supposedly exciting day."

"Listen Yelena. I… I like Levi but… you see, everybody does. It's just that kind of admiration. Falling in love is an overstatement!"

"Oh, I see. I liked him too because he's a hot dude in the business industry. I admired powerful and confident men who moved worlds. But I wouldn't go down to jump in front of a car to save him. Do you perhaps want credit for saving him?"

"I definitely don't need credit for saving him," Hange said defensively. "You can tell that maybe I really am smitten with Levi but who wouldn't be? To admire a person is a part of being human. But we've only met a few times and it's unthinkable to feel that I'm thoroughly into him. It's too early for me to develop such feelings."

Yelena smiled at her mockingly. "Love is always a stupid thing, Hange. Love breeds morons. It could be infatuation at first… but never tell me you're in the early stages. Aren't you counting those times you were keen on visiting him on a weekly basis? You were there from the beginning. Have you done that to other people you saved? Even if Levi was unresponsive for weeks, he already impacted you. He's become a part of your routine. You are checking on him for his well-being. There's the emotional attachment that draws you to him unconsciously."

"He's just a distraction from my nightmares," Hange countered. "To make up for the three lives I failed to protect. I told myself I'd feel better if he woke up. I just needed to save somebody's life and feel better about it."

"It could be a distraction at first. But now that he was awake and very much alive, should that stop you from seeing him? But no, you're hanging out with him, getting to know him. You're investing time and effort for him. It's a silent attraction you don't notice. The nightmares are long gone, Hange. What you are facing now was the nightmare of constipated feelings and either you do something about them or drop them because clearly, consequences are damned."

"I certainly don't want to be the cause of a rocky relationship with his current girlfriend if that's where you're getting at," Hange rasped.

"You know it," Yelena said. "At least you're still a thinking person. Levi belonged to somebody else. Close companionship and ties should start with relevant people in his life."

How sad. Hange thought. And now it hurts that she's truly not relevant in Levi's reality.

"Hange, you are one of the smartest people I know and you know the equation." Yelena patted her shoulder. "You need to question yourself first. What do you want to do? Will you even think ahead and consider the repercussions? How would you like your relationship with Levi to be?"

"I don't know… I enjoyed Levi's company. I enjoyed his account of our relationship in his memories. It was fun being with him…" Until it wasn't because of unwanted feelings. "But I am sure whatever I'm feeling just stops at a line I drew between us. We're just friends. And I can assure you he only sees a platonic relationship between us. Nothing deeper than that."

"Of course, that wasn't deep. Yet." Yelena lights up another cigarette. "But the more you hang out with him, the more you'd come crashing for a head-on. And I am realistic about your situation. I don't want to see my friends wrecking themselves over heartbreak. As early as now, you should do something about one-sided feelings because in the long run, nothing hurts more than the feeling of unrequited love."

Hange choked. "That's silly. Don't rile me up, Yelena. I won't be a fool for that. Not gonna chase a person who doesn't want me back…"

"Yes… easier said than done."

Hange grew silent again, cursing Yelena's advanced view of things. Conversations with her were always meaningful and spontaneous but today, they had been thought-provoking. She was now regretting why she would talk to her about Levi and her alleged developing feelings for him. Yelena can either fire up her courage or burn it to dust. Maybe it was really too early for her to get to the real deal of falling for a man she recently got to spend happy times with. A rational mind would deny that thought but feelings will always find their way to be the opposing factor.

"Put out the fire as early as you can. Levi Ackerman is not an ordinary person. It's okay to give unconditional attention but without harboring some feelings. Been there done that. Don't end up like me, Hange…"

"Huh?" Hange blinked out at the sudden shift in Yelena's temperament.

"I still am surprised you can put up with me after everything I told you. I am being harsh but you're very considering of my insights," Yelena blew smoke in the air again. She's looking up in the sky with loss and longing. "Love is a cruel thing if two people have different worlds. If there's one thing I hate about life, it's when I fell in love with the wrong people—those who thought you have a chance with but in reality, you'll be faced with unexpected losses."

Silence hung in the air and was only interrupted by the wind. Yelena was a person who'd never tell stories about her life. But that morning chat with her got Hange the glimpse of Yelena's past that she decided not to prod into unless she divulges her whole story. That's a conversation for another time.

"Look, don't take it all wrong but I can only advise you to use your head. Use it when you still had a rational side to you. A heart can be a traitor. Never be assuming about things, never chase something that wasn't meant for you. Never fall easy. It's easier to fall in love if it's not one-sided. You can still be friends with Levi if life throws both of you together but be smart about it. Keep that line between you two."

"You really think… I'm getting there? Unintentionally falling for a guy for unfathomable reasons?" Hange asked doubtfully.

"Can you cite any instance that my presumptions failed me?" Yelena challenged. "And I've successfully done many preventive measures in our line of job, you know it."

"Of course," Hange clicked her tongue. Yelena had the power to see what was unseen. "I wanted to hate you right now because you always make me swallow the bitter pill. But I appreciate that you're safeguarding me. Don't worry, this thing with Levi isn't as serious for you to get worked up about."

"Hell yes, because I don't want you missing in action for weeks again, Hange," Yelena grimaced. "Goddammit, my life's boring without you! Onyankopon's too soft and too dull he's not who I wanted to hang out with on a daily basis! I don't want you to go through emotional plights again."

"I'm fine Yelena! Come on, I won't be going anywhere which reminds me, you're not quitting yet, are you?" Hange asked.

"Not yet…" Yelena said. "I'm still trying to make sense of my job… maybe enjoy it now that you're back. I stick around only because you're here!"

Hange jumped on the taller lady to hug her.

"Never thought you love me that much!" Hange said gleefully.

Yelena wriggled out of her clutches. "Hey, since when did you learn to hug people?! We don't do that shit!"

"I…" Hange was surprised with herself as well. "Sorry…"

You loved hugging people. A lot.

She remembered Levi's account of her dynamic behavior. Was she trying now to be the Hange in Levi's memories?

"Hange," Yelena put a hand on Hange's crown. "I'd just need you to remember I can be your support system."

"I know," Hange smiled ruefully. "Thanks…"

"You should talk to fellow women, especially about feelings and shit. Men wouldn't even know our language."

Hange smiled, feeling a bit better. "I just realize I won't need therapies and counseling when you're around. Thanks for keeping my money untouched."

"I'm charging you next time," Yelena crowed. "Let's get inside, or before Theo kicks us out on your first day."

"Better."

"Hey, aren't you gonna call back Ackerman?"

"No," Hange said decisively. "Maybe it's best to keep distance for now."

Hange never blocked a person's number on her phone. Ever.

It was immature and stupid, unless the person had been consistently sending death threats along the way. But no matter how unwise and childish it was, she was doing it experimentally at first.

Staring at Levi Ackerman's number for a minute tapping her finger on the "block" and "unblock" buttons has never been this hard. She kept blocking and unblocking him quite a few times like her life depended on his existence but eventually, she settled on blocking him that same day after twenty missed calls from him.

How annoying.

Like a felon at large, Hange's first agenda that evening was to pack a few of her clothes and decided to occupy Yelena's spare room in her apartment. This prompted the ever-curious Moblit to ask what is going on. After all, her strange actions would always mean trouble.

"Running away on short notice? Did you murder someone?"

Hange shrugged without looking him in the eye. "If I murdered someone, I'll make sure the cops will pick you up as my scapegoat."

Moblit rolled his eyes.

"I need a place closer to work. Just for a few weeks or probably longer than that. I can't be sure. Yelena's place in Orvud is just a stumble away and we're a little tight in the workforce these days. We're tasked to work double-time and it'll be more convenient for me if I don't need to elbow my way during my daily commute. I was late this morning, apparently."

Moblit creased his forehead. "I asked Levi to wake you up…"

Hange stiffened on her bed after tucking the final article of clothing in her bag. "Y-yeah. He did. I was still late nonetheless…"

Hange didn't move after that.

"By the way, he also called me earlier, said he couldn't contact you," Moblit informed her. "And here I thought he's your top priority other than your job…"

Of all the subjects to talk to.

"Oh…" Hange faltered. "Please… emergencies are way more important than a fit person. What did he say?"

"The call's not for me so what's for him to say? Maybe you should call him back."

"Well…" Hange paused for a while. "It couldn't be important. And I was busy the whole day. Can't take calls."

"Whatever. Have it your way then… and oh, he also dropped by earlier, too," Moblit shrugged nonchalantly like Levi's presence was a recurring thing.

"What?!"

"Twenty minutes before you got home and tough luck, I couldn't keep him stay any longer. He couldn't contact you so he swung by. It must be important. You should really talk to him."

Hange bolted into action and hastened her work. She was tucking the rest of her stuff haphazardly into her other bags, finishing them in a minute. "If it was important, he should've at least told you. But well… since he never came back again, I've got nothing to worry about."

Moblit could sense something was wrong. "What's the rush for?"

"I need to run," Hange said. "Yelena's waiting for me and you know, can't get her mad for being late…"

"You're back on the job and you're leaving my apartment in a hurry. Did you get into trouble? Seriously."

"No! No!" Hange waved her hands. "Just… I'll be back soon if we get more volunteers at work and we won't have to double up our duties. I'm too loaded! And Yelena needs a roommate right now…"

"I don't see the point of moving out," Moblit said. "Look, Levi just brought some groceries in and said he enjoyed his stay here. I'd guess he'd hang around for some time, too. I couldn't say no."

"He… what?!" Hange couldn't believe her ears as she's hating things about Levi. Unfortunately, that shorty has found his way warming up to Moblit as well.

"He's a generous and thoughtful guy, to say at least," Moblit said. "I'm beginning to like him."

"You said yourself we can't get involved with an Ackerman," Hange reminded him. "We'd look like we're milking him out."

"Whatever happened to the person who got worried sick about him last time?" Moblit said mockingly. "He's just being grateful…"

"Whatever…" Hange said and grabbed her bags.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Well… I hope you wouldn't tell Levi where I'm staying at the moment," Hange said. "I'd get busy for weeks. I have a lot of things in my hands and couldn't be bothered. I want to concentrate on my job and not think about anything else. You'll be fine alone in the house, hm?"

"What the hell's wrong with you now? Of course, I'll be fine. Been living alone for years until you came around."

"Okay…" Hange said, feeling stupid and heading out the door. "I'll call you then from time to time!"

"Hange, what's going on?" Moblit pressed. "Is something the matter?"

"No Mobs!" Hange gave him a dog smile. "Like I said, I'll be preoccupied mostly these days! I took a break long enough that now it's hitting back hard on me! But it's all fine! And about Levi… I guess he'd better be on his own. I mean… he shouldn't be on our priorities."

"Was there a problem with Levi?"

"No…" Hange was now sporting her awful toothy grin, a failed attempt at lying to her best friend's face. "I just don't want to get into trouble with a high profiled person."

"Hange… what…"

"Talk to you soon! Bye! Love you! I really gotta go! Can't get bitten by the giant blonde!"

And she was gone in a flash. Moblit was left alone with questions hanging in his head. Hange had always been acting strange. Today was a little extra.

It was going smoothly with her initial plan: Never talk or catch up with Levi Ackerman. Hange had gone more than a week without knowing a thing about him, about how it was going with his life and she was pleased enough that Moblit never brought the subject up in their phone conversations again. In the first few days, Moblit would be calling her about her plants, about his business, about his staff Franz and Hannah establishing their relationship. No Levi. She hated to admit that it was a little disheartening. So Levi didn't call or drop by again after the night she left the apartment? It upsets her that he must have forgotten all about her.

In a span of a week.

Just like that?

Getting back to her job was a godsend. And that's when it demanded more of her time and focus. And while her co-officers are overwhelmed with their additional workload like everything had gone haywire, Hange found the hustle and overwork enjoyable.

Or perhaps it's just a necessary distraction.

She's taking in more duties that are never assigned to her, springing up in places where she's never even needed. She's lending extra hands for lavish reasons and Yelena is not buying it.

"You looked like you lost weight in a week," Yelena told her while at the dining table. "Porco said you're doing a job of four people as if it can yield you money."

"It just feels good being back on track!" Hange chirped. "Do you want to catch some break? I can cover for you."

"Fuck off," Yelena spat. "Are you making up for your long absence?"

"Obviously."

"You're a lousy liar. There's something about that strange enthusiasm you're trying to pull off."

Hange choked at the leafy greens she was chewing. She wouldn't let Yelena give her one of her polygraph tests again. No. They are not having that conversation again.

"Hey, it's our day off tomorrow. Can we go somewhere?" Hange digressed.

"Won't you give yourself a break? I'd rather sleep the whole day," Yelena drawled. "The fucking job took a toll on me… aren't you the lucky charm that made all the work harder since coming back?! Shit, I wish I could just flip patties at a burger stand."

"You're no fun…" Hange rolled her eyes. "I have enough breaks just to slack around on my day off."

"You know I was never a fun person, Hange. The last time we had 'fun' at an amusement park, it turned out into a suicide prevention mission. And the next time I'd encounter the same crap again, I'd let the funeral service run their business. So nope! Ask Moblit or Mike."

"Moblit's sick of me and I guess he's the happiest when I moved out. And Mike would rather spend his weekend out of town with his partner."

"I guess they made the right decision. I could only give a suggestion if you're really that insistent."

"What?" Hange asked, reaching for a glass of water.

"Ask Ackerman."

Hange nearly spats out her drink, sending her into a coughing fit. "Is that a dare?"

"What's the matter? As far as I remember, I never really asked you to cut ties with him," Yelena began reading her again. "I just asked you to put a line between you…"

"Cut me some slack. It's probably best if I keep my distance."

"Do you miss him?"

"Shut up," Hange shuddered. "If you must know, I haven't had any news about him for the whole week. I was okay until you brought it up."

"And which makes you miss him even more. This whole ploy of yours… it's all about him, right? Getting all busy and preoccupied. Working nonstop and shit. Ah, you're the funniest."

"Not again, Yelena… quit mind-fucking me…"

"You're just making it worst for you. For you two."

Hange was red out of frustration. She could get mad at the woman in front of her and walk out of the door right away because damn, she was already an open book Yelena had enjoyed her sweet time reading.

"What do you really want me to do Yelena? I kept my distance, blocked his number and I moved in with you—at least away from Moblit's place where Levi can show up any time. I guess I've done my part to-"

"And yet you're still acting strangely…"

"So what is it to you?"

"Clearly you're distracting yourself because whether you like it or not, you are already into him."

"No…" Hange lied shakily.

"Tell me something, Hange. You haven't told me the whole story…"

"I have told you everything!"

"Really?" Yelena leaned on her palm. "You wouldn't act that way if there's something about you and Levi that got you sidetracked this whole time. After our little 'counseling' last week, nothing's changed about you. In fact, you're worse. Was sex with Levi that good?"

Hange could spit out all kinds of expletives in one breath. "Hey! We just kissed!"

"Bingo." Yelena winked at her. "So that's it."

Shit. Yelena's too smart to make someone criminal. Hange has totally forgotten about keeping that little secret.

"I guess the memory lingered…" Yelena chuckled. "Like an itchy skin disease."

"It's… it's unintended! I initiated it out of a daze…I thought I was just dreaming that time and never realized he's right in front of me." Hange stammered.

"So granted that was a hazy dream, have you pictured another person to kiss?" Yelena asked. "Your body just gave in to… some desire…"

Hange silenced herself. She'll never win with Yelena.

"Even in our dreams, our subconscious is still connected with our reality. There's no denying it, you liked Levi."

Hange blanched out, and the more she denies her feelings, the more they intensify.

"It's high time you face that fact," Yelena told her.

"But you know I shouldn't. A lot is at stake…" Hange said.

"Do you think Levi felt the same way? Do you think it meant anything to him?"

"No… he..." Hange's washed-out face had a sad curve on it. "He kissed me probably out of man's weak response to intimacy. It's just receptive. There's no way he'd like me in a romantic sense. Besides, we're not romantically close in his memory. He waved it off…"

"If you think it's one-sided, start from there. There's no reason for you to push that feeling when the person doesn't feel the same. It would hurt but you'll come to terms with acceptance soon, Hange. Take it from me."

Hange had her head low.

"You started cutting your connections with him that's apparently a bad move. Just like how break-ups without closure work. You just have to face it. Face the torture and soon you'd get over it. His absence only made you seek things out to fill his space. Let him take that space until you get sick of it. Go with the flow… just how the universe brought you together through some mind-boggling phenomenon. Who knows, fate either pulls you together or apart… depending on the circumstances."

"What's wrong with you now, Yelena?" Hange's brows furrowed. "The last time we talked, you're implying that this situation is a curse. Now you're talking like you're aligning our stars."

"Hold on," Yelena said. "I've been a very observant friend over the week and I gotta admit, giving advice is not my best shot. I've doubted about you and… well… I see you trying hard to curb whatever you're feeling and it feels bad seeing you like that…"

"But trust me, Yelena. I needed that," Hange told her. "I might not agree with everything you said last time but you made some sense. And that's what I'm trying to do now…"

"Are you really okay with that?" Yelena asked. "Avoid him?"

"I don't know. But there are times that I kinda missed him. Let's see what happens in the next few days. If Levi turns up then I'd act accordingly. I'm not running away anymore. I'll just take it like nothing happened."

"You know, sometimes you just have to keep in touch but stay out of reach," Yelena said.

"What?" Hange scratched her head.

"To stop your growing feelings. Call him on the phone but don't be there physically."

"Stop reading into too many poetry books, Yelena. You'd hate your life."

"Oh I hate you falling in love, Hange," Yelena hissed. "Honestly."

"It's not being in love yet!" Hange barked. "I took your preventive lessons, remember?"

"Obviously they're not working…" Yelena scorned. "I'm a victim of my own preventive measures, too. Or do you think it's something else? Like a soulmate thing? I've been reading about it for..."

"You, Yelena of all people believed in that shit?!"

"There's nothing wrong with that. If you can't take your mind off a certain person..." Yelena pondered. "If you are drawn to a person for no reason..."

"Fuck off..." Hange said. "There's a science to everything. What books are you reading? I'm gonna burn them all."

"But what's the science behind Levi's memory loss?" Yelena challenged.

"It's yet to be discovered," Hange said. "And that will be the science for the next centuries."

Yelena scoffed in distaste. "Forget science. Levi's memory loss led him to you."

"Which will make my life more miserable!"

"Your misery will still depend on you, on how you treat the situation." Yelena smiled. "So it's up to you to make a smart or stupid move!"

Hange sighed. "Why the hell am I stuck here with you?"

"Because you allowed yourself to be stuck with me. Hey Hange, why don't we have a drink tonight? Let's have a sensible discussion about life," Yelena suggested.

"Like right now?" Hange asked in disbelief. However, the idea excites her.

"Yeah. And celebrate our fucked-up lives in the romance department," Yelena chirped. "We're staying here tomorrow, right? A hangover's the best reason to stay in the house the whole day."

"I'd get you really drunk tonight and tell me who turned your heart into a stone," Hange said wickedly.

"Hell no! We'd talk about how Ackerman ended up having those weird memories. It's an interesting case," Yelena said, rising from her seat and retrieving a bottle of aged whisky. "Haven't touched this for years… now's the best time."

"Spare me," Hange yowled. "I'd rather us talk about something else."

"Yelena?" Hange poked Yelena a few times before being convinced that the blonde will never wake up. It was past midnight.

How weak.

As usual, Hange will be drinking alone again after seven shots knocked Yelena out. This lady should work up with her alcohol intolerance because the best six shots can do to Hange was warm up her throat. If they were on a battlefield, Yelena would be listed in the earliest casualties.

Death by alcohol.

Hange would like to admit that her resistance to alcohol was already waning these days. Although her brain thinks she could still wrestle a bull at ten shots, her physical body acts otherwise. She can call it a night if no one will share a drink with her and since Yelena can't be moved on her spot on the table, Hange decided to clean what's ever left on the table of junk food wrappers and half-filled glasses. Not missing a beat, she downed the last of the drinks and flipped off Yelena.

"Oh, at least I can still beat you at something…" Hange slurred. "I hate you, you giant bitch. But I love you for making me realize what's really wrong with me…"

However, Yelena's face was still buried in her folded arms, unresponsive.

"You'd be fine there, right, big girl? But never complain about your backache tomorrow. I'm not gonna move your heavy ass to your bed…."

She was stretching her limbs to stay awake when her phone suddenly rang from across the living room. She stumbled after three steps, her head banging right on the table. She howled in pain, grimacing at the thought that her head that was just stitched up months ago was sliced open again. Thankfully, there's no blood. She would be bracing for a huge bump later.

The number was unknown but calls in the middle of the night would only mean an emergency. No fuck. Why now of all times?

She kissed her teeth in both uneasiness and annoyance, and slowly, the pleasant buzz she was feeling earlier has instantaneously vanished. She pressed the answer button.

"Is this four… four-eyes?" A frantic voice came from the other end.

"What?" Hange can barely register the voice. Who else would call her four-eyes other than Levi? But she was not drunk enough to recognize that the voice calling her was another person. This doesn't sound good.

"Wh-why? Who's calling?" Hange pressed her ear closer to her phone.

"It appears your number is listed as the top dialed number in the call log of a phone owned by Levi Ackerman," the voice said. "You must be a person close to him."

Top dialed number? Close person?

"L-Levi? Wh-why… has something happened to him?"

"Can you tell us your real name, please? This is Keith Shadis of Yalkell District Police Department. Levi Ackerman was embroiled in a drug syndicate operation in the area, resulting in injured casualties among other things."

"Oh… shit…" Hange cursed. "Hold on. My name is Hange Zoe. I'm… I'm a friend of him. Tell me, is he okay?"

"I'd rather you hurry up and come here as soon as possible," the caller said. "We can't exchange details over the phone."

What?

"Are you nearby?" Shadis asked.

"In Orvud," Hange said. "Will be there in twenty minutes…"

A wave of nausea and fear washed over Hange as she hung up. She collapsed on the nearby seat, burying her hands in her hair.

So this is what went on after a week of absence in Levi's life?

"God…" She let out a pained sigh. "What did you get yourself into, Levi?"

Notes:

You know, I find sociopathic Yelena in canon interesting... until the author decided not to put more substance to her character towards the ending (or maybe it's just me?).

I couldn't think of any other woman character to play Hange's close friend except Nanaba (but man, I totally forgot all about her!) but I think Yelena can add more spice to the story. Say, was she lovable or despicable?

Yelena is inspired after a friend of mine who's brutal with words but I can't seem to hate because most of the time, they made a lot on sense.

Not much in this chapter but I hope you'd get intrigued by the cliffhanger.

Chapter 18

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman knows that his body has drastically changed in parallel with his memory. Learning about himself was still strange, and he had been thinking of what might happen if he's given himself the latitude of trying out new things that may potentially do harm more than good. He may have been manifesting new and unique skills as a soldier and yet there are dysfunctional scraps of his old self's systemic physiology that probably retained albeit the motor changes in his body.

He's allergic to seafood. That's odd.

Zeke said he was once brought to the ER due to serious symptoms. He nearly died.

In theory, his current body had the ability to deflect the effects of toxic reactions to allergenic food.

Zeke was obviously a little uncertain about these changes. Was it a good or a bad thing? Either way, this phenomenon was probably the first case he'd rather not deal with. It's a supernatural case—untouched by science. That will never be his forte. He'd been sleepless each night, trying to crack the mystery of Levi's condition that challenged his knowledge as an acclaimed doctor. He had been confident he was the best in Sina—better than everyone else, but Levi toppled down that confidence as his current identity was something Zeke couldn't decode.

There is still a lot to learn that may take several lifetimes. Unfortunately, Zeke knows he is looking at a bottomless void.

It didn't stop there when Levi started befriending strangers without rethinking the possibility of fraudulence. Even the nicest people will always have malicious intentions when an opportunity presented itself. With that, Zeke began to look at the other side of things, trying to be fair and unjudging. He began doing his own research, looking for clues if the people Levi was seeing needed circumvention. Given his position and his connections with the Ackermans, he easily procured some records of names Levi took account of.

Hange Zoe, Mike Zacharias, Moblit Berner.

To Zeke's relief and surprise, each name was existing in the national registry. Each has no bad record to date and had a fairly decent job for a living. It would be more relieving if he can take the chance to talk to any of them and evaluate them through psychoanalysis.

He took interest in Hange Zoe first, the person who went out of her way to save Levi. She was a college dropout who joined Sina's Emergency Response Team in the earlier days. An unmarried woman dedicated to her job, Hange's records somehow acquitted her from Zeke's trust issues with folks of sub rank standings.

However, the request to set up a talk with Hange never happened. Levi lost contact with her for no reason.

Levi was not an overthinker. But that suddenly changed when the woman became suddenly nonexistent in his daily life. He had been repeatedly calling her number, even making the effort to drop by Moblit's apartment to check on her. He was sure something was not right, and he had been wondering if it has really had something to do with her job.

"She was too busy. Her job is taking most of her time…" Moblit had said, which Levi had no choice but to believe him.

Do jobs in this world apparently keep people away from their social life?

Levi had to admit though, life without Hange was boring. Either he'd been cooped up in his penthouse with Zeke, or sometimes with Erwin or Mikasa occasionally visiting by. His relationship with these people has improved, given that Levi takes note of everything Hange told him about how to treat and communicate with people.

"Are you okay?" Erwin asked him one time during a briefing about the ongoings at Ackerman Holdings. Kenny Ackerman will be coming in a week which means more mental preparation has to be in order.

All this time, Levi had been staring at his phone empty-headedly. His gaze turned towards Erwin, whose obstinate façade lessened after seeing Levi's disinterest in everything discussed.

"Yeah. Go on…" Levi told him in a bored tone.

"Are you still with us?" Mikasa asked. "We can discuss this some other time."

"No… I can manage," Levi clipped.

Erwin cleared his throat and started again, "Okay, as I was saying earlier, I guess Kenny will never consider your current condition to be of hindrance in our operational workflow. Whatever Mikasa and I told him over the phone, he's still unconvinced that your amnesia is a complex case so he arranged his own schedule to fly in and see for himself. Unless Zeke comes up with a very convincing theory that your mental condition is something that appears in one in a million, we have to formulate a backup plan in case Kenny won't allow anybody to be your substitute until you regained your old memories. The board will be our biggest concern if the news ever reached them. That bunch is very critical about securing their stocks in the company and having you at the top position only makes them stay put. Until today, they are looking forward to you being back on the job. Your role is something I cannot fill, I'm sorry. Best I can give is to be of assistance to you in policy-making and other directives."

Levi remained seated, thinking of other things.

"But our company can stand alone by itself even without the shares of the board. We make up the major stocks. Our top subsidiaries are thriving. Do you think the board will be pulling out their stocks once they learned about Levi's condition? It's a big loss for them." Mikasa attempted to bolster Erwin's rather cynical suppositions.

"The presence of the board is not just about their shares. It's all about established relationships. Monetarily, we can function without them. However, their reputation has contributed to the foundations of Ackerman Holdings, the likes of the big four: Reiss, Azumabito, Fritz, and Tybur. Tybur is highly influential, and so is Fritz. Azumabito had lots of connections from different magnates in other nations. Reiss had connections with the big shots in politics in which we also took advantage of," Erwin explained. "Thing is, their confidence and trust are built through the Ackerman's name—a powerful clan in the corporate world for generations. We shelter them, they shelter us. We protect each other's credence. This mutualism shall be sustained. We'll see what Kenny has to say about how this shall play out. Knowing him, he can be notoriously selfish. I'm looking at the worst-case scenario and he'll force Levi to perform and deliver his duties no matter what it takes. As for the board, yes, there is a probability that Levi's condition will affect their faith in our company. Even in midst of his controversy with Petra and the sudden plunge of the company's integrity—which we thankfully restored—their trust is unwavering. They're confident that Levi will bounce back soon again. He has charmed his way enough to keep the board in stronghold ties. Unless Kenny steps up again to be the chairman and CEO at the same time. But he's unpredictable. He thinks he's too old to function hence appointing Levi to take the seat three years earlier even before reaching the retirement age. Kenny needs a break and he's not accepting more responsibilities."

"If only I can step up…" Mikasa said. "But it was still early for me. I am inexperienced."

"It will take you more years, Mikasa…" Erwin said. "You're young and you don't necessarily need to fill someone's shoes today. In the first place, this business isn't in your interest. But I can assure you you're doing a better job even being inexperienced in the field. That's probably enough to uphold the Ackerman's name and reputation."

"We'd figure out our next steps. We have yet to talk to Uncle Kenny in person and explain everything. Levi doesn't need to endure a weighty responsibility he had no knowledge of…" Mikasa said worriedly, looking at Levi who seemed to have really lost his faculties.

"We'll both try our best," Erwin said. "All we can do now is to teach Levi the fundamentals. He can't absorb everything in one sitting. Stick to the nitty-gritty to make it easier. I'll back him up at all times. We'll need his presence at least in the office and I'll cover the rest of his role. And we might need to expand our circle of people who we can entrust with this secret. Levi might also need a new executive assistant and secretary who can aid him in crucial situations."

Erwin's gamble. It never gets old.

Levi had been listening with declining interest. And this is it, he was forced to live the life he had no recollection of. Forced to be the person he didn't want to be. Forced to a role he is not interested to play a part of. A lot had been running in his mind and whenever his thoughts want to take a break, he calms down at the memory of Hange Zoe, the only person who gave him comfort and reassurance that living with false memories is not as bad and difficult as it was deemed to be.

But Hange was nowhere at a time he needed her.

"Fucking hell… what's going on with her?" Levi muttered, alerting Erwin and Mikasa by the grudging tone.

"Levi, is there a problem?" Erwin raised his brows, a wisp of apprehension on his face.

"Her? Are you thinking about Petra?" Mikasa asked out of the blue. "Something going on between you two?"

"No… no." Levi wavered, growing silent as time went by. He has probably forgotten all about Petra. She had been gone too but why was he bothered more by another person's absence? Was he missing the wrong person at this point?

"Let's take a break…" Erwin suggested, heeding Levi's bothersome behavior.

Mornings had been saddling. Mornings for the next four days had him on stranglehold, biting him back from spending his previous days in bliss and fun times with Hange. And in those days he hasn't heard anything from her, he felt like he was missing a limb. Like there's a part of him that couldn't function without her.

His mornings comprised therapy sessions, refreshers, some journaling—all the kinds of bullshit that take the most out of his spoons. On the fourth day, he decided to get a breather by being on his own again and experiencing the world outside.

Without Hange.

Levi then convinced himself that there are actions from him that probably displeased her. Has he gone aboard by cleaning her room and putting her underthings in the proper place? Was it the way he cooked for her and treated her like she couldn't take care of herself?

Or was it the way he returned her kiss?

But that stupid reason didn't validate whatever was running in his thought process. Hange and he both know that their relationship was good-natured as friends. A peck on the lips doesn't mean anything to him and he just acted the way that feels good for him. Hange's lips were gentle, and he would gladly admit he was caught in the moment. That sensation felt nice for someone who had never been kissed in another world.

Without Hange by his side for days carried him to places with more leisure. He was at his own pace, immersing in the bustle and riding the buses and subways without any particular destination in mind. He finds it easier to learn things when nobody is there to teach him. It can be pretty advantageous—having a grip on himself and taking things in concentration.

Take these new learnings by heart.

However, it was boring. Insufferably boring.

When Hange told him before that Yalkell was her favorite place, Levi finds it more necessary to hang around the district at nighttime when the night market was bustling. There's a huge chance that he might run into her, and that's where he'll ask questions that had been nagging him since her groundless desertion of him. It didn't help that Moblit also informed him that Hange moved out of his apartment. And that's another question to stack up on his already piled-up thoughts.

There was a time when Levi ran into a group of men with suspicious activities. He had been spotting them at a certain time in the same place, huddling along an abandoned alley where he was taking a shortcut route to the subway station. These guys usually ignore him when he walks his way past them, and they let him pass soundly. No words were exchanged at his presence-as if he emanates the aura of a murderer who could swing a blade to someone's throat had one finger dared touch him.

This felt so familiar. Dark alleys are once his playground and he never feared being around in this kind of place. The kind of hell-hole where nameless bodies are left to rot. The kind of hell-hole that was also home. And by home means, he was possessive of his own territory he can precisely navigate even with a blindfold.

For three nights running into the same group, Levi thinks that they are having a shady business.

And on the fourth night, Levi suspected they are really on to some business.

He's not wrong though.

Something in his blood came alive.

Hange was tight on budget. She knew she'd be eating sandwiches for meals for the next two weeks until her payday. But tonight, her wallet went straight to pay for a ridiculously priced cab to get her to Yalkell Police Department. She was biting her nails through the whole ride, knuckles white, chest constricting, and heart pounding erratically since bolting out of the door of Yelena's apartment in a loose tank top and old sweat pants. She's still a normal person who thought emergencies need more attention than her worn-out sneakers and tousled hair. She checked her phone, waiting for a call she knew wouldn't happen, and decided to finally unblock Levi's number.

A ring from him shall take all of her worries away but its silence got her hopes up when she finally arrived at the building. The twenty-minute ride felt like forever, and she could feel herself dashing haphazardly inside the three-storey building, alerting everyone in their night-shift uniforms.

Hange ignored all eyes preying on her as if she was a surrendering criminal who is willing to be handcuffed and locked in one of the cells.

"I am Hange Zoe. I'm looking for…" She hesitated to give out a name, as her eyes spotted two familiar people whose presence is called straightaway when social issues and current events need immediate public consumption.

It rang quickly.

Rico Brzenska, a TV reporter, and Ian Dietrich, a newspaper journalist. Their eyes were on her like the star witness has arrived, and yet she remained discreet and unassuming.

What the hell?

The officer at the front desk gave her a dissecting look.

"I got a phone call about twenty minutes ago from… Chief Shade… Chief Shady something…" Hange started in a low voice, scratching the back of her neck as she tried to recall the phone exchange.

"Shadis," the officer corrected with a grating tone. "He's Chief Keith Shadis. Yes, we're expecting you. We need to identify a person who pretends to be someone of public interest, a prominent figure in Sina and he's involved in a gunfight of drug dealers earlier…"

"G-gunfight? Oh, shit… where is he… is he okay?" Hange asked alarmingly.

"Who are you to him?"

"A... a friend."

"So you know what he does for a living?"

"Excuse me?" Hange wondered. Don't they recognize that the man was Levi Ackerman?

"Nevermind. You have all night to discuss this in the interrogation room," the officer said. "Follow me."

The precinct was unusually packed at this time of the evening. Heavy footsteps from buckling knees filled the hallways as Hange's eyes stared blankly ahead, with a hundred things processing in her mind. All her life that called for disasters and tragedies, her response has always been calculated, attentive, and levelheaded. She'd been seeing deaths and injuries in the course of her job, swallowing her fear during rescue missions, cursing and praying at the same time, begging for miracles when "the reaper" stands by. However, she didn't feel the same tonight. One more bad news and it will be the death of her, and if she had been a little drunker, she was sure she will never get out of this place any sooner.

"Have you heard about a drug syndicate that contributed to the high crime rates in Yalkell three years ago?" the officer asked, stopping at a door and leading Hange into the interrogation room.

"Drug syndicate? I don't think I follow. Is that a question for me?" Hange asked nervously. "W-wait… am I going to be involved in some crime? D-do I need a lawyer?"

"Relax. We just need a few questions for you for the initial investigation of this person who… well… looked like the CEO of Ackerman Holdings."

Hange was ordered to sit in front of a small table in the room. "He's Levi Ackerman," she said plainly. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Levi Ackerman…" the officer repeated. "Yes, that's who he looks like, strangely."

What? Didn't these people think the person they had in the house was apparently Levi Ackerman himself?

The second door by the corner of the room swung open just in time with Levi stepping in, covered in dirt and blood all over his clothes. Behind him was a taller bald man in uniform that Hange would guess as Chief Shadis.

"Oh my god, Levi!" Hange sprang up from her chair, nearly knocking it over as she jumped towards Levi, grabbing him by the shoulders with clammy hands. "What the fuck happened? Who did this to you?!"

Levi smelled of heavy sweat and blood, a stench so nauseous but Hange didn't flinch one bit.

"Are you okay?!" Her worry heightened at the sight of dirt all over his arms, not sure enough that there might be bruises and gashes beneath them. Her hands cupped his face, turning it side to side and inspecting for the worst.

"So it's true that any trouble summons you," Levi drawled and swatted her hands away. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Aren't you hurt?" Hange wouldn't miss a beat, and she doubted if Levi was not hurt at all in that craggy state.

"Blood's not mine. I helped bust a criminal activity and this is what I got. These bastards picked me up and I just don't know if they'd make me accountable for those shitheads' broken bones…"

"H-huh?" Hange scrunched her forehead, eyes traveling to the other two people in the room who donned the same confusion.

"You must be Hange Zoe?" the bald man asked. "I'm Keith Shadis, Chief of Police in this district. Are you the one I talked to earlier?"

"Yes, Chief," Hange started with a bothered look. "What's the situation? Why was he arrested?"

"Sit down please," Shadis ordered for Hange to settle down. "And you too, Ackerman or whatever you want to call yourself…"

Levi clicked his tongue as he plopped on the seat beside Hange. Shadis took the opposite side of the table and gestured for the other officer to leave the room.

"Go back to your post. We're good here," Shadis ordered. And with a curt nod from the officer, they were finally alone.

"Can't I at least clean myself? I'm too filthy." Levi requested in irritation, causing Hange to kick his foot under the table.

"My apologies for his attitude," Hange said. "Please Chief, I want to know what's going on. Please get straight to the point."

"In as much as I want to get straight to the point, I need to validate some things first. Do you carry an identification?" Shadis asked. "I still am in charge of this interrogation."

Hange looked him straight in the eye and fished for her wallet in her pocket, sliding an ID across the table.

"You're in Sina's rescue force, I see…" Shadis hummed after reading her ID. "A job so dangerous but doesn't pay well."

Hange was immediately annoyed at the insulting tonality. "And then what? An underpaying job enough for me to get into drug trafficking or something to make easy money?"

Shadis scoffed. He raised both hands in mocking surrender. "That hit a nerve? I'm not implying something like that Ms. Zoe. Take it easy. We're just talking."

"Yeah, having interrogation at an ungodly hour when most people are now drooling on their pillows. Can't we just get straight to the issue?" Hange said with venom in her tone. Apparently, alcohol gave her both confidence and rudeness.

"Okay," Shadis finally said, almost holding a breath. "We confiscated this gentleman's things after the incident this evening and upon checking his recent dialed numbers on his phone, 'four-eyes' appeared. Was this an alias? And how are you two related?"

"I… uh… we…" Hange side-eyes Levi sheepishly. Now that caught her off-guard. How Levi came up with that moniker for her was just too stupid. "We had a complicated relationship… apparently. Four-eyes is just a pet name. He calls me that all the time."

"Complicated relationship?" Shadis iterated. "Is this Junior High? On another note, his identification says he's Levi Ackerman. It looks valid but, I would guess it was stolen. We all do know that Levi Ackerman is the current CEO of the biggest holdings company in Sina. And we also know that there's news of him that he fell into a coma due to an accident in Stohess some months ago. And who this might be? A con artist that happens to look exactly like the man himself? He could pass up for Levi's twin."

"Chief," Hange balled her fists on the table. "With all due respect, should I at least be informed of what's happened first? Levi's identification is something I cannot validate. I guess I am not the best person to be asked about it since I am not… well…"

Shadis was looking at her skeptically.

"I think you should call his family and… doctor about this…" Hange suggested. "But I can tell you that he really is Levi Ackerman, the CEO. It's… it's hard to explain—to give a cogent statement—but that's the only information I can give you."

"I see," Shadis said calmly. He leaned on his chair and watched Levi closely. "I met Levi Ackerman a year ago, together with the older Ackerman, Kenny. They used to donate funding for the improvement of the facilities in this building for years, also gave financial aid to incentivize our police force to lessen the crime rates in the district. The Levi Ackerman I'm familiar with is a very refined man who will never raise a voice to provoke someone, let alone pick a fight and knock down a group of twelve, armed people… five of which had bounties on their heads and been at large for years, gracing our wanted list."

"W-what?" Hange asked. Her confusion doubled up at Shadis' information.

"And the reason why you're here is that our gentleman here can't seem to understand and answer the basic questions. His attitude's a little rough around the edges like he disregards authority. So we had to go through his phone contacts and your number constituted most of his dialed numbers—in which none of them were received. Is that how complicated relationships work?"

Hange bit her lip and looked at Levi wearily. "Chief, does anyone know about this?"

"What do you mean?" Shadis asked, arching his brows.

"There's media standing by outside. They need their scoop. Has Levi been identified already? Will he be in the news? Have you released your statements earlier?"

"The press had their rights, hence their presence but Levi was brought in with a mask on his face so I guess he was not being identified yet. As of now, he apparently helped our enforcements to finally capture five of our wanted fugitives. But it becomes a concern that the crime-solver was one of the most influential figures in our society, and this could be a separate case because we didn't know what his real intentions are. Why he was found in the middle of drug dealings."

"I told you," Levi interrupted. "I just saved someone from getting beaten up..."

Hange kicked his leg again to make him shut up. "Chief… I really don't know how to start but I hope you'd allow me to explain things that may seem a little unconvincing. I know you're smart and perceptive enough to see through lies. Look, you said so yourself that the Ackermans did a lot in improving your local force and then Levi here took down five outlaws that have been on the loose for too long. Maybe it's more appropriate to express a little gratitude by listening to me," Hange coerced.

"Okay." Shadis nodded. "Will give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Thank you." Hange looked at Levi and sighed in frustration. "This was a complicated matter. Levi Ackerman has apparently lost his memories after waking up from a coma. There's no news about him waking up yet… probably… probably because his family and the people in his circle decided not to divulge a piece of very sensitive information that could affect their business holdings. He's an important figure in Sina as the business capital in Paradis and his current condition doesn't sound good for a renowned clan that moved the economy for decades," Hange said, earning a quizzical look from Levi. "If you follow the controversies surrounding him-his rejected marriage proposal and neglected CEO duties resulting in sensationalized write-ups, I think it's fair enough for his family to hide the truth as of the moment."

"Are you speaking on his behalf or are you simply stating your theories?" Shadis asked.

"Both," Hange said. "I know I said earlier that I am not the best person to state some facts but Levi… he's currently unable to express things himself. I've been with him for at least a while and I know a little of what's going on. Would you mind if I talk to him in private?"

Shadis scoffed with a pained chuckle. "Miss Zoe, why does he need someone to speak for him when we do know he's a very able person to eloquently express himself in public, in press…"

"I told you he's lost it," Hange said in a sharp tone she could no longer mollify. "He's like a different person now. He didn't only lose his old memories but he acquired a different memory of another person—some person living in a different world. And that entirely changed his character. I don't know the medical condition behind it but maybe you should consider talking to his doctor and his family. I just need to speak to him privately because I don't know what went on in a week we never communicated. And that explains my unanswered calls from him."

"You know for a fact that whatever you tell each other without my presence will…"

"I know," Hange said quickly, looking at some cameras that are installed at the corners of the room. "Of course, you'd still get your answers if you leave the two of us alone. But it's a better choice because Levi limits his interactions with people and not unless there are three of us here, your initial investigation would hardly push through. He'll talk to me because he trusted me."

"Fair enough," Shadis said and stood up. "And until then, your man will stay here and be held for investigation."

"I understand," Hange said with an apologetic look.

There's a rush of relief as Shadis exited the room. His presence alone was intimidating and overpowering, and it was worsening her drunken state. When the two were finally alone in the room, Hange nearly exploded.

"What the actual fuck have you been doing all this time?!" Hange twisted her chair towards him in a screech, red eyes glaring like she was about to cry.

"I should ask you the same question," Levi countered. "You disappeared. Like you've forgotten all about me."

Hange softened at his childlike response. However, she doesn't make it too obvious. "I was preoccupied with my job. You see I just got back from my long absence. Until now I hardly had half of my tasks in. I still have some paperwork to go with that and it's not just about saving people."

"Would a simple phone call take too much of your time?" Levi asked. "To tell me what you're up to? Tell me you're fine?"

Hange hated this kind of response. Has he worried over her? "It's not that I'd get into trouble. And hey, there's not been an interesting event in my life for a while so if you're wondering what I am up to, I had a fantastic, boring life. And if you're always gonna check up on me, it will constantly remind me of how dull and packed my schedule is. Is that enough reason to convince you that I don't have the time for myself, let alone call you? "

"You blocked my number," Levi said with an accusing stare. "And I'm not stupid not to know because I keep learning things on my own…"

Hange gazed away. "Look, about that… I just…"

"Are you avoiding me?"

"No!" Hange rectified, flushed. This is the conversation she never wanted to happen. "Levi, you know we're getting a little too comfortable with each other that I thought I'd give us a week off so you can make time for yourself and relevant people on your side. You can't always have me as company."

"That's just it? You know I only hang out with a limited number of people right now who I have plenty of time with," Levi explained. "And what about us being together? Didn't we both agree to this? It was never an issue before until you just shut yourself off for no reason."

Hange puffed out in irritation, totally aware that Shadis was standing by and listening. She doesn't want him to misinterpret things and for Levi to list off the things that might be one of the reasons for her avoidance. Fuck, she'd rather die than Levi bring up the kiss in Moblit's apartment. "Okay, this is stupid. And trivial. Let's put this some other time, shall we? This is something we shouldn't talk about right now because the real issue is between you and the police. And if you don't talk, you're in deep shit. Now spill it. They say you can't answer the basic questions. Are you being sarcastic with them? Do I need to interpret whatever you want to say to them?"

Levi narrowed his eyes. "Yeah sure. Maybe you'd convince them that I have no real business in that area. I just happened to be there."

"And?" Hange spat. "Why the heck are you in that alley?"

Levi was scratching his arm like a little kid. The dirt was probably irritating his skin by now. "I just discovered a shortcut route to the subway. I told you, I'm learning things on my own. Then, I keep seeing this group of suspicious people doing shady stuff for three consecutive days. I happened to confirm that they're up to no good. And then this stupid guy took the stage like he's a one-man army and they interrogated him. I was hiding in the shadows when they beat him up and I just can't stand and watch. I intruded on their little party to help the guy, then took care of the rest. The next thing I know, the cops arrived when it's all over."

"You mean, you knocked down twelve people to help someone?" Hange asked. "Alone?!"

Levi shrugged nonchalantly. "I wasn't hurt at all."

"Levi, are you even using your head?!" Hange snarled. "They're armed people! And you said so yourself, they're up to no good. Did it ever cross your mind that they would have killed you?! Are you that confident that you can take them down easily?"

"But that's what happened, right? It's a pushover. A bunch of dust bunnies I could easily sweep off."

"Fuck, you're just a lucky bastard!" Hange said furiously. "What if someone pulled the trigger on your head?!"

"No barrel got the chance to aim at me. Guys I fought with might have thought they're punching and shooting the air."

"That is crazy and overly exaggerated! Nobody in record had shown that much strength and skill to put down a dozen people and come out without a scratch. You're a fucking CEO, not some street brawler who goes around and beats people up for entertainment!"

"I'm not humanity's strongest soldier for nothing," Levi said smugly. "And I don't just come up and beat random people. I helped a guy. I busted an illegal business. Do you call that 'entertainment'?"

Hange was a little aware that Levi possessed the skills of a soldier and it was realized when he told her about climbing down a vertical building. It was highly impossible for a person to develop an inconceivable skillset after a catatonic rest. But tonight proved a little more convincing theory that Levi indeed has impossibly transformed into someone else.

Her hands were shaking, teeth gritting and she was suppressing the urge to shed a tear out of anger. "But why are you in Yalkell of all places?! You shouldn't be going around that district alone! And what if people recognized you?!"

"From the big bald guy himself, I was brought here unrecognized until they make me pull my mask. Am I really someone who can gouge people's eyeballs upon recognizing my face? They'd even pale out after looking at my ID."

Hange stood up from her chair and paced back and forth, fingers dragging her hair. "Naturally, you're well-known and respected in Sina. And Ackermans are well-received in this precinct because you've contributed to improving their organization. Who would have thought that you'd end up in an alley fight?"

"Well isn't that a good thing that I helped in copping the goons?" Levi objected. "In my other world, Ackermans are feared and exterminated."

"Let's not dive into that world, okay? This! This is your reality! This is the real thing," Hange stressed. "I keep telling you this before, don't be that person because it will only make things more complicated. If you are used to violence in that stupid world you have in there, don't drag yourself into somebody else's trouble here. I don't care if you are invulnerable or strong or you can take down a hundred men in one go, it's just... if something happened to you... I... I..."

Levi was wordlessly staring at her, wide-eyed at the sight of tears finally letting out. "Oi Hange, are you fucking crying?"

"You don't know how I…" Hange wiped some tears with the back of her hand. Why do these tears keep falling? "You're an idiot!"

"Stop that. You're making us look guilty of something," Levi said.

What a dense bastard!

"You sure are not fond of people worrying about you, huh?" Hange croaked, swallowing the rest of the hurt and trying not to be swept further by her emotions. Unthinkingly, she hauled Levi off his chair with an adrenaline-fueled strength. She was grabbing his front shirt, looking closely into his eyes. Levi never saw that side of Hange in his memory so that caught him off guard.

Hange pulled him against her in a tight hug, burying herself by the crook of his neck. Levi stiffened, wide-eyed. He felt Hange's wet tears smearing his skin.

Fuck whatever Shadis will think of this.

"I hate you for putting yourself in danger out there!" Hange whispered close to his ear in choking sobs, her long arms tightened around his body. "You're fucking nuts for thinking you are invincible! Do you really want to die?!"

The feeling was raw and new. Levi felt a comforting warmth from her. There was something about her rough embrace that made him at ease. He usually dodged Hange's playful bear hugs in his memory, and yet this was different. It was different when she was this emotional. His right hand tempted to hover around her waist but restrained himself from doing so. So his arms remained on his sides and let Hange cry her heart out.

"Hange, I'm a soldier and people never worry about me," Levi said gently.

Hange waved it off with a red face. She decided not to let her feelings get the best of her so she pulled away immediately. "Soldier? Levi, it could be luck that you missed the bullets earlier but we'll never know in the future of much bigger trouble. You can't stop crimes. And once you're killed, you'll never gonna have your life back! I gave you a chance at second life, you idiot! Don't waste it."

"I just... I just thought I might run into you in one of the food stalls at the night market," Levi said firmly. "You said you frequented that place…"

Something roiled inside Hange's stomach that she could run to the corner and sulk in guilt. Her tears threatened to creep out of her traitorous eyes again. "I've never been there for the whole week, okay? Are you saying it's because of me that you're straying out there? You've been looking for me?"

"I'm just taking chances," Levi said, sitting back down on the chair. "Like I said earlier, you just disappeared. It's different when you're not around…"

Another knot in her stomach. "Levi, I couldn't be available at all times for you. There's Mike! You could've called him."

"Mike's a no-go. He had two jobs."

"Can't you even stay at your home for a moment? And if you really wanted to go outside, there are far safer places to go."

Levi dipped his shoulders. "I just… I just needed someone to talk to. I worry about what's to come… how I'll face this stupid life without a memory…"

Hange plopped down back on her chair, elbows on her knees, and leaned closer to him. "Why? What's about to come?"

"My position in our company is crucial and Kenny—my uncle will come soon to decide on that. But I'm not fit to lead, I don't know a single thing about running a company and I might still be forced to play that role to sustain the trust of the board members."

Hange sighed. "So until now, there are only a few people who know about your condition?"

Levi nodded. "And they say I am irreplaceable."

Hange cursed. "Is that why you've been calling me? But you know I can't be much of a help. I never worked in a corporate setting…"

"I am not asking you for that. I just…need some support. I feel lost. I need someone to tell me that everything's gonna be all right…"

"Levi…" Hange's heart ached at the sentiment. "You know it can't always be me…"

"I'm not gonna make the most out of your time. I just want your reassurance that you're still around," Levi said.

Hange puffed a breath, vacillating at the words that sounded like they are reconciling their separation. "Fine. We'll make a deal. I am not going anywhere from now on, okay? We'll keep each other posted on our activities. I'll keep in touch with you given that you stay out of trouble from now on. So how's that?"

Levi nodded thoughtfully.

"And saving someone isn't your responsibility. You're not a soldier in this world and there are designated people who are in charge of hunting down criminals. Leave it to the cops. As an ordinary citizen, the most you can do is give them information if you've witnessed suspicious activities," Hange added. "We're now dealing with two problems here: first, convince the cops that you're the same Ackerman who funds this institution and was never involved in any illegal activity in this city. Secondly, never let the press know about the person behind the arrest of the fugitives."

"Do I need to call my sister? My doctor?" Levi asked.

"If I couldn't wheedle my way to convince Chief Shadis about this, we need all the help we could get."

"Shadis was an insecure bastard in my memory…" Levi said. "I don't know what he is in this world."

"You mean he had… he had a part in your memory too?" Hange asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Levi said, crossing his arms. "A former commander in our regiment whose leadership caused the dwindling numbers of the soldiers due to their deaths."

Chief Keith Shadis sat on a swivel chair behind the desk in his office, his veiny hand squishing a stress ball for a minute straight. Hange was sitting across from him, too tired for another talk but keeping herself awake so she can finally get this over with.

"I guess being sleepless for straight twenty-four hours had lapsing tendencies to my judgment," Shadis said. "I hate days like this. Of all the worst days to happen. My deputy and captain aren't even around to assist me. All I got were a bunch of rookies. How helpful."

"You gotta love your job, Chief," Hange said. "If it involves people's safety, you put them first before yourself. It's quite energy-draining but very much fulfilling."

"Fulfilling, my ass," Shadis said, chuckling. "So is that what makes you a devoted first responder?"

"As a rescue officer, every life is worth saving," Hange said.

"Yeah," Shadis hummed. "Every job description comes with a tacky line."

There's no use beating around the bush. Hange went straight to the point. "So, did you get everything now? I'm expecting you've sat through the whole conversation between Levi and me. I hope you finally got an idea of what went through and how he ended up being a different person."

"He's not deranged, is he?"

"No," Hange said. "I'd understand your confusion. I doubted about him, too."

"And that cute relationship you had in there…"

"It's all civil."

"Right," Shadis said with an insulting grin. "Of course."

"Have you questioned the offenders yet?"

"The important ones are under hospital arrest. They took a bad hit. Those remaining ones who are detained in our cells are lined up for investigation by morning."

"So, am I still needed around here?" Hange asked.

"You're free to go."

"But how about Levi? How long will he stay here? Or are you going to question more people just to acquit him of this?" Hange asked with a little impatience. "Aren't you still convinced that Levi was just a passerby who happen to run into trouble?"

"Levi's not accountable for anything. I can assure you of that."

"But what's holding him up for? I just can't leave without Levi. It's partly my fault that he was at the night market when the incident happened. Look, it's almost two in the morning and I'm about to black out any second now. I came here from heavy drinking and I'm having the worst headache," Hange said.

"My apologies for ruining your night," Shadis narrowed his eyes. "But you know how the protocol works at the police force. Everything needs a procedural approach. Don't worry, we'd let him out soon."

Hange sighed defeatedly. "But where is he now?"

"Levi requested to talk to the person he protected from the offenders. We had this guy in custodial interrogation since he's the one who found out about the illegal activity. Our interrogation with him helped in clearing Levi's name, to say at least. He had more information to date and that will help us in finding potential connections and threats who may still be operating. Apparently, this young man had been spying on this group for a week now and immediately identified the fugitives. It's the reward he's after because he badly needed the money. So he took the chance, unfortunately, his cover's got blown," Shadis said. "But he did try to call the cops after Levi came for rescue. That's how we all ended up here like a family reunion. For now, he and Levi will stay anonymous to the press. I'd release a statement that they are police assets under the intelligence unit and need not be identified-if that makes you happy not to let your man take the spotlight."

Hange stiffened in her seat. "You're not implying that Levi and I were…"

"I met Petra Ral, his lovely girlfriend," Shadis said pensively, as if mocking her. "Don't get me wrong here. I've heard the news about their breakup and the rejected proposal. And I see you two were a little... too close."

"A little privy about Levi's personal life, aren't you Chief?" Hange scoffed. "But you're wrong. As I said, our relationship was civil. I never met Levi before as the CEO. I met him after losing his memories and that's how we got close. But if you must know, his girlfriend still lives with him and they patched things up. She should be here… but she's out of town for business."

"I didn't mean to sound that way," Shadis said. "But… his condition… was there a cure to that?"

"I wish there was. But it is not known to science just yet," Hange said. "By the time we met, he recognizes me by my name. It was the most baffling event in my life, to be honest. Long story short, he's now stuck with me because he thinks I was the person he got really close to in the back of his memory. So that's how it worked. He trusted me more than anyone he's been close to before."

"I see," Shadis said, putting the stress ball on the top of his desk and leaning idly against the chair. "That's too much of a trust he's giving you, huh? Aren't you being paid for this?"

"No."

"How noble…"

"You're not the only one who said that."

"Well, there's more to that." Shadis expressed his words a little too playfully. "Your number tops his dialed numbers that were left unanswered for the whole week. What's the reason for turning them down?"

"I don't want him getting used to my presence every single time," Hange explained. "He had his family, he had his girlfriend. He had more than enough people to get support from. I'm not taking it away from them…"

"Really?" Shadis asked with that annoying smugness dominating the conversation.

"Are you reading me again, Chief? I thought we're through with this," Hange said irritably.

"You know Ms. Zoe, I've been in this job for decades. I love reading people if that helps in every initial investigation we are conducting. It always amuses me to see different traits, different dispositions, different sets of lies, and whatnot. Eventually, it became my expertise."

"What are you getting at now? You think I'm lying?" Hange asked nervously, feeling Yelena's soul engulfing this man's body at the moment.

"The way you came here in a rush," Shadis started. "The way you jumped at him, scolded him, get worried for him. And those tears you couldn't hold back while hugging him. Didn't think you have a dramatic side to you."

Hange averted her gaze. "Is it bad to be concerned for a friend? Are you trying to read through my actions?"

"Trust me, I didn't try. Your actions speak louder than what you can lie," Shadis said. "Levi Ackerman was a different person now, huh? And that state can make him even more loveable…"

"Childish," Hange said, dreading over what Shadis was about to reckon this time. "I'm outta here. I'm gonna wait for Levi by the front desk. And I really am expecting you not to release a statement to the press that he got involved in a brawl. Don't put him in the loop of your crime-busting escapades."

Shadis laughed like he had been drinking. "Going off the tangent now?"

"Get a life, Chief. Don't worsen my headache."

"Levi isn't your cargo, Ms. Zoe. But why is he now?"

"Excuse me?"

"Forget it…" Shadis said, repressing a chuckle. "I hope all goes well for you two."

"You really need some sleep, Chief," Hange said, heading at the door. "Your nosiness doesn't suit you."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to see a little entertainment after a very tiring day. Thanks for that. Aren't you both the caffeine that kept me awake for the whole night?" Shadis said haughtily. "I hope Mr. Ackerman retrieves his memory soon. Else, I'd be compelled to hire him in sweeping this district clean of crooks."

"You're crazy," Hange said sharply. "It's not his duty to fill your police force's incompetence and shortcomings."

"Yeah... I have my shortcomings as the head of this police department," Shadis said. "But tell your little man that I am not an 'insecure bastard'."

His cold, green eyes had the same intensity as the ones Levi was familiar with in his memory. The young man held an ice pack to his busted lip while Levi kept his eyes on him since being allowed inside the custody suite.

His brown hair was tied up into a bun, stray strands falling off his face. He took the corner of the bed where he was curled up like a human ball, or more like a child that was sulking in a corner after being scolded. In Levi's recollection, this was a dangerous man whose twisted sense of patriotism and freedom paved their fates towards hell—a memory that still gnawed at his senses and will forever be a nightmare.

"Eren Yeager…" Levi speaks up in a condescending and controlling manner.

What he had in mind was the dear, old days. Those days when he mentored cadets and this guy was one of them.

"You know me," the guy, Eren said in a self-effacing tone. His eyes are downcast, avoiding Levi's intimidating stare. "You called me by my name back there, how did you know me? I don't think I have business with you before."

"It doesn't matter," Levi said. "Get your ass up, brat. You'd be released soon."

"And the reward?" Eren asked. "Will you be taking all of it?"

Levi clicked his tongue. "You can have all that money for all I care. But I have some questions for you..."

Eren nodded wordlessly.

"Am I... someone familiar to you?"

The younger man damn near choked on his own spit at the question. "Look... everybody knows you, Levi Ackerman."

Yes, of course. That what was Hange told him even before. Every individual in Sina knows him.

"Do you have a home?" Levi asked.

"No," Eren clipped. "I take refuge in different places. Nobody wants to take me in. I don't deserve a house to come home to."

"What do you do in life?"

"I just live to survive. Got no permanent job, I only do side hustles from time to time. And I was once recruited to be a drug mule for these same assholes who beat me up," Eren said. "I'm a wasted fellow..."

"Do you live alone? Have a family?"

Eren shook his head.

"Are you somehow related to Zeke Jaeger?" Levi asked.

Eren was not prepared for the question. He pressed the ice pack on his face with a little more pressure.

"That a yes?" Levi asked, sensing the uneasiness in his reaction. "Ah, seems like it."

"I was out of touch with my brother a long time ago. He's not even aware if I was... still alive..." Eren said. "Look, I know you're his close friend but I hope saving me has nothing to do with that. I thought Zeke has never ever told any of his friends about my existence. How did you find out? Did he change his mind? Didn't he hate me no more?"

"Hate you?" Levi's brows arched in bemusement. It appears Eren and Zeke Jaeger had a strange relationship in this world and he has yet to find out. "Save your stories for later. You're coming with me."

Notes:

Here's a little Levihan reunion plus a new character addition. :)

Well, say hello to Eren!

I remembered one of my commenters predicted this chapter. And yes, you kinda predicted it theOracle. :)

Dropping this (a little rushed) chapter before I'd be off the grid for a short vacation.

Kudos and comments are appreciated. And I'll get back to you in a while!

Chapter 19

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Eren Jaeger knows that if he remained hidden behind these chipped and dank walls without taking action, Yalkell District will once again turn into a lair of goons and criminals, contributing to more crimes that once tainted this part of the town and destroyed his life as a teenager. And since he's resolute enough to be here and undetected just yet, he must do something. He heaved a breath, took note of his plans, and calculated his actions, staring at the group of about more than ten people who usually carried their business in the dark. He was thoughtless enough of what's to happen if he breaks into the scene once the illegal transactions took place: people exchanging boxes of unknown nature and bundles of money. He didn't have any weapon—just plain stupidity and confidence to walk into a den of dangerous felons who would draw their guns had intruders invited themselves in.

Soon enough, the main event began.

Bingo, Eren thought. He inched a little closer to get a better angle, hovering his phone to frame his subjects and zooming in on their faces, making sure each one of them is recognizable. However, he has never thought of the odds of getting caught as he fell short of luck when an alley cat screeched beside him, ejecting him out of his hiding spot like a leaping frog.

That did it.

He found himself completely exposed in the middle of the alley, as several feral eyes switched their attention on him with the intensity of a voracious pack of wolves.

"I-I'm… just about to… pass this way…" Eren explained lousily, arms raised. Of course, these people are smart enough not to fall for a flimsy excuse. A defensive lie during this time of the evening has never been convincing.

"I know you…" One of them hissed and stepped a little closer. "Eren Jaeger..."

Eren recognized that voice, and now that his name was mentioned out loud, he was sure that his life is a few ticks away from death. How the hell he missed that familiar face is anybody's guess and when the cold lips of a gun's barrel was shoved right onto his temple, he could only pray that this moment is just a bad dream.

And he had to wake up.

"Traitor," the voice added meanly.

That tone terrified him right through the core. His knees buckled, nearly losing his balance and the last thing he wanted is to wet his pants.

One of them snatched his phone away, eyes squinting at the only piece of evidence that was recorded earlier.

"We have another body to hide," he announced, a disturbing smile painting his features.

"Be quick though. Don't make him suffer," another voice piped in. "He's been one of us. And he's been useful before..."

"Think again. That was the past... and had we not caught this little shit right now, we're good behind bars."

Eren could only whisper a silent prayer. He is absolutely done for.

A knee buried itself in his rib, feeling the strength of a pendulum that swung freely and mercilessly. That was followed quickly by a couple of more kicks. And more. The subsequent blows delivered an immobilizing force as Eren's knees finally gave out, sending him sprawling onto the ground and feeling his bile rising to his throat. One of them bent down to meet him eye to eye. Those eyes show no mercy, and Eren's green ones could only beg for one. However, a skull-breaking jab throws him completely to the ground, and god, he could only wish that the impact knocked him out cold.

Unfortunately, that left him awake. And hurting more.

He wouldn't wish to see how these people perform their "execution" on him. Although he heard earlier that he might be spared of "suffering", he was damn sure that one of them would likely play it the other way around for some fun.

"Just finish me already…" Eren croaked, back on the ground with eyes closed. His face throbbed from the hit, and he could taste the saltiness of blood on his lips.

Sensing he is truly nearing his end, Eren decides to finally calm himself and think happy thoughts. At least he has lived past his twenty, with enough experience in life even being led astray for the past seven years. The only regret he had was "failing to ask for forgiveness" from a certain someone he used to know.

A few seconds have passed and Eren remained motionless on the ground, still alive and readily accepting his fate. He only listened to the sounds and voices drowning each other, but then, there are suddenly gunshots, grunts, and thuds everywhere. Mixed sounds of chaos echoed in his ears, and he was afraid once he opened his eyes he will finally meet his Maker.

But wait…

He was hauled off the ground by the collar of his shirt. He didn't dare to struggle thus his eyes shot open to see what was happening.

"Oi, you still alive?" Another voice sounded just above him, hands gripping tightly on his shirt. "Get your ass out of here. Run!"

The figure let go of his shirt and stepped right in front of him as if to block the offenders. Eren's head whipped on both sides to see slumped bodies scattered around him, and then to this small figure of a man who allegedly started the scuffle and came for his rescue. He narrowed his eyes to recognize the guy but the face mask on him didn't give any hint.

Eren didn't move out of shock.

"Oi Eren! Get your fucking ass out of here or you'd never see the daylight again!" The masked man spun around in a hiss.

"You know me?" Eren had the audacity to ask in the middle of chaos.

"Just run, you idiot! Or unless you want to die even before you got your answer," the man growled.

"W-what… what about you?" Eren asked alarmingly.

"I got this."

The calmness of that tone was enough reason for Eren to step back and scamper away to save his own skin. He ran away without looking back. He kept running and running, thinking hordes of them were on his tail, ready to hack his head off once they caught up with him.

For what seemed like a minute, Eren assessed he had made a clean escape. Or maybe the rampaging "stranger" in the alley didn't give them the chance to chase after him.

But who was that guy? Was Eren even worth saving by a person who had no idea who he was?

Seeing two police patrol cars on standby by the corner of a building, Eren dashed off to alert them of an ongoing riot in the back alleys of the night market.

The masked guy could use some help. It's the least thing he could do.

The elevator to the penthouse rang as the masked stranger stepped into his home, motioning for Eren to come in. Apparently, that same stranger was someone he didn't expect.

To walk behind an Ackerman got Eren a sense of importance. He was nearly stopped by the night security due to his filthy state but Levi—in all his bloody glory just made them flinch on the spot. However, Eren knew that dragging a delinquent-looking person like him can raise questions to those who saw them walking right into a lavish building, looking like they murdered people. He didn't want another second trip to a precinct.

The younger man cagily gawked at the pristine elegance of Levi's residence as if all his life, he was never allowed to be in one. It was his first time in Mitras. Even the secret drug honchos he knew had never afforded a living space in this district.

He hesitated for a second, thinking of taking his shoes off or the dirt might ruin the carpets but Levi waved him off and barked at him with his remaining patience.

"The hell Jaeger. You're not stepping on landmines!"

"Sorry…" Eren sheepishly mumbled and stepped inside, skin crawling at Levi's brusqueness. God knows why he agreed to go with this grumpy little guy and act like he owed him his… well, he truly owed him his life anyway.

The elevator didn't close as another person was heard whining behind them.

"Arggg, I don't see the reason why I have to be tagged along!" Hange cried out loud. "I need to go home!"

"Fucking four-eyes!" Levi cursed and marched back to the elevator, dragging Hange into the penthouse and nearly stumbling at her hardened stance. "We're not done yet talking and if I remember correctly, it's your day off. Think of a better reason to avoid me again."

"But am I not allowed to sleep?!" Hange spat. "I really am tired because you made me rush out there, thinking you got shot or something but apparently is invincible. Maybe I'd give you some speech and communication improvement lessons so you won't be needing me to get your point across to people who might think your language is made plainly of expletives. You owe me again, Levi."

"Yeah, don't remind me of how much I owe you. And about being invincible, I really am so don't be surprised," Levi countered. "You two can stay in the living room… I just need to take a shower."

"Do you have any idea what time is it?! Don't you need a rest? Can I have just a moment of shut-eye because I'm merely human?" Hange protested.

"Go find your spot and sleep anywhere you want…" Levi said. "We'll talk in the morning."

"Levi, I have my own bed in my house."

"Which is technically not your house," Levi deadpanned. "Free-loader."

"H-how dare you…" Hange said with a little hurt in her voice. "I'm paying for my space!"

Levi ignored her and turned to Eren who was lost for words, face filled with amusement to witness a childish banter between two grown adults. "Hey Eren, I understand the reward we got was for five fugitives. I was told the money will be released in a week and I think it's more than enough for you to start anew. Also, if you had more information about the drug syndicate, spit it all. That is, if the police didn't obtain enough information from the arrested. That can also give you amnesty if those people try to incriminate your name in their group."

Eren nodded vacantly. "Yes… I understand."

"Would you also mind if I get the reward for one head? Four-eyes here deserved some cut." Levi looked at Hange, confusion taking over her. "I owe her one."

"I don't think it's a problem," Eren replied. "Of course."

"Hey! It's not necessary!" Hange objected. "Look, I just…"

"It's easy money, Hange," Levi said. "This kid had enough."

"If you're compensating me for what I did at the police station—"

"It's not compensation," Levi said. "Money's not an issue. And I have more than enough to last me several lifetimes."

"You don't get it, Levi. I just don't want to feel like the friendship we have is some kind of business. I don't need to be paid for it."

"I'm not even thinking that way, Hange."

"But…"

"Technically, it's not my hard-earned money. Just some luck for encountering criminals with bounties on their heads," Levi reasoned out. "Why do you feel like you don't deserve a reward? Think of it this way: people can make money out of gambling or some game of chance. What you'll get is no different. Now, argue no more! I heard from Moblit that you're struggling financially…"

"What?" Hange would love to give Moblit an earful for spilling her secret.

"And I'd doubt if you have money on you to pay a cab back in your new home," Levi said. "Or would you rather walk at this hour?"

What a bastard. And now, Hange thinks she had no other choice.

"You can take a rest Hange. Take my room or…" Levi suggested but Hange cut him off.

"I'll take the couch," Hange said and padded to the living room, plopping herself on the nearest couch.

"Suit yourself…" Levi said.

"Don't ever wake me up," Hange reminded him, the memory from Moblit's apartment started to haunt her again.

"Of course, I won't," Levi teased. "Not gonna risk you kissing m—"

"Shut it!" Hange interrupted with a furious blush on her face. "Just… shut up, Levi!"

Levi put his hands in the air. "Just go to sleep. You're about to bite my head off every single time you look at me tonight…"

"Good thing you started to notice!" Hange huffed and started to untie her shoes, leaving them on the floor. She also plucked her eyeglasses and got her phone out of her pants, putting them both on a table. "And remember, I'm still mad at you for dragging me into your trouble tonight. Money's not gonna make up for it!"

Levi breathed dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Go get some sleep four-eyes. You badly need it…"

Hange scoffed and curled herself to her side, facing the backrest of the furniture. It didn't take too long for her to doze off easily under three minutes.

Levi turned his attention now on Eren who didn't seem to look like retiring any soon. "What about you? You can take the guest room upstairs."

"I don't feel like resting right now. I'm not even sleepy…" Eren said weakly-or a little more uncomfortably.

"Your call," Levi said, turning around. "I'll just clean myself up. You can hang around by the pool outside. Air is much cooler there."

Eren resisted. "Wait. Are you sure... about this?"

"About what?"

"Taking me with you," Eren responded. "How the hell can you trust me easily? It doesn't mean that I am someone trustworthy because I was Zeke Jaeger's brother. Believe me, I've been in and out of jail for years now. Aside from drug dealings, some of my crimes involve duping people and stealing from them."

"Listen kid," Levi huffed a breath. "I didn't say that I trust you. Maybe I was just confident that you're not gonna do something bad with me because you saw what I'm capable of. And that's not a pretty sight. I've put down twelve men out there without harming myself and I can do the same thing to you had you ever fuck things up with me."

Eren stiffened in place. "Y-yeah. You're right. You can do worst to me. Never thought you possessed some scary skills for a normal person."

"Trust me, you're not prepared to know what I turned out to be…" Levi said mysteriously and walked away, leaving Eren more and more mystified at that little guy whose presence can make him envision his own funeral.

Eren's eyes followed Levi's movements through the glass barriers of the penthouse. The short guy has freshly showered, now in a light shirt and shorts, and descended the stairs with a blanket in hand to carefully spread over Hange's sleeping form on the sofa. It was an outdated sense of chivalry, or in Eren's eyes, that loud woman was probably someone "dear" to him. Next, he disappeared by the kitchen counter to come out lately with two steaming cups of coffee.

Eren's careful watch didn't leave Levi as he made his way by the poolside, sitting beside him to hand him a cup.

"Here," Levi said and took a sip of his own, oddly handling his cup around the rim which quietly amused the younger lad.

Eren's senses were revived by the coffee's aroma, prompting him to indulge himself in caffeine to keep himself awake.

"I'm amazed to find you here, still," Levi said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see you missing while I'm in the shower, and finding two of my house paintings gone and my sleeping companion right there stabbed to death."

Eren flinched at that. As if this guy had been thinking he is capable of doing those things. "I never killed a person before, if that worries you."

Levi took another sip from his cup and sighed. "Hm. Sounds relieving."

Eren remained silent.

"So, what made you stick around?" Levi asked casually, crossing a leg and giving himself a rub on his calf.

The younger lad looked at him and never saw a trace of being caught in a deadly brawl earlier. No marks on his face, no bruise on his arms and legs. That observation alone was unsettling, inculcating instant fear in Eren that this guy was dangerous. "I have nowhere else to go…"

"Why didn't you have your own place?"

"Always running out of rent each month. The best option is to temporarily take shelter in Yalkell University's utility room in exchange for cleaning duties…" Eren said. "I move in and out from time to time for stay-in jobs. Sometimes in restaurants, delivery warehouses… wherever the job allowed non-degree qualifications and no police records. You see I'm not even qualified for self-sustaining jobs."

"You can stay here until we get your money reward so you can get your own place. And be smart enough with spending them. You might also need to find a decent job," Levi reminded him. "Surviving this world is more complicated than surviving wars."

"What?" Eren asked thoughtfully. Wars?

"You have no idea Eren, but if I was my old self, you'd be beaten to a pulp tonight. Or more likely, your lifeless body unclaimed in the morgue," Levi told him bluntly.

"I don't get it…" Eren said, getting more and more confused at the situation.

"You know me being an Ackerman, but I don't think you are aware that I fell into a coma, then waking up a different person," Levi revealed. "I have memories that made me recognize people from another world that I thought was existing. That includes you, and that woman right there."

Eren's eyes traveled to Hange, who's now fully buried under the blanket Levi provided for her.

Levi went on, "I almost beat up your brother the moment I saw him. Why? Because he's a little shit in my memories. He's the bane of my existence. He's been inciting wars and killing people. My mission is to kill him, however, he was my doctor and best friend in real life. Until now, I couldn't even convince myself that we have that kind of bond because my memories are stuck in another universe."

Eren held his cup between his palms, with elbows propped on his knees. His vulnerability is showing through, allowing Levi to have a glimpse of it. "Has Zeke ever told you about me?"

"I can't tell," Levi said. "I don't even hold a memory of my past to know if I had a knowledge of Zeke's family relations. But when I saw you at the alley, it registered immediately that you are Eren—somehow related to Zeke. That's how my brain works right now. I can approach some people I never really knew, and call them by their names. Isn't it that weird?"

Eren shrugged. "Yeah. That's more than weird."

Levi scoffed at the young man's dry response. "And would you even know I never fought people before? These fighting skills have just manifested because I was a very skilled soldier who can fight gigantic creatures twenty times my size."

Eren listened carefully, hearing the absurdity of such a story but why did he suddenly feel that Levi was true to his narrative?

"But how do you live with that? It must be hard for you… I mean… you're not who you are used to be," Eren said.

"I just accept what I turned out into. There's no other choice anyway and there's no known cure to this condition—at least that's according to Zeke," Levi said. "I just live with it… although most people around me couldn't get this around their heads. Especially your brother."

Eren chuckled hurtfully. "He's… always overprotective. And I can tell that his frustrations are starting to show because he sought some brotherly attachment from another person that he lost a long time ago."

Levi tilted his head to look at the starry sky. "Some brotherly shit, huh…"

"What… what am I then, in your memories?" Eren asked, following Levi's line of vision.

Levi leaned against the reclining chair, eyes not leaving the dark sky. "I mentored you at some point. You're a soldier, I am your captain. You're an asset to humanity… the one we trusted to save the world. Some hope for cursed humanity."

He heaved a breath at those unwanted memories again. They tugged a little hurt in his chest that Eren turned his back on them to pursue a mission nobody knows but him. Lots of lives are sacrificed for nothing, and more senseless deaths piled up in their daily lives. But telling Eren what he'd become didn't really matter now. After all, that's just a part of his false memories.

"But why… why do you keep living in those memories? And… and what was it with me and my brother that you had to help me?" Eren asked.

"My response to those memories is uncontrollable. I don't know why I am deeply rooted in that world that is absurd and nonexistent. I just can't help it," Levi said. "I just thought I need to fix some things because death happens and it's unbearable to see on the daily. And as for Zeke in that world, I guess he still cared about you."

"Is that what families are all about?" Eren drawled. "But you'd better drop that idea then. That was true probably before things in our family have gone to hell. Zeke today would probably wish I was dead."

Levi's brows twitched.

"I was fifteen then," Eren recounted. "I was the reason… why his mother and my dad were killed in a shooting incident. Zeke and I were half-brothers. It was just a result of my father's mistake but Zeke accepted and loved me. He let me visit him in the house where our dad and his mother live. He's generous enough to give me monthly allowances. Even paid for my studies because being a doctor pays well. But I was flunking out of school, and I didn't tell him I dropped my studies so I'd still milk him some money. I got into drugs, got into more illegal stuff. Life was both hard and easy and has always been shitty. Been in and out of jail after I turned eighteen until one night, I got into a gang war and out of desperation, I called him for help but he was not around that time for a medical convention. My stupid dad and his wife came for me instead—drove a car in the middle of the night to fetch me—because I was somehow dear to them. Because I was family."

Levi was staring at Eren as he narrated the events with tears already pooling around his eyes.

"I couldn't do anything that night. I could only hide behind a tree to save myself, and watch people fire shots at the car where my dad and his wife sat helplessly," Eren continued, voice crackling. "When Zeke came home, he checked on me first if I was okay, and damn, that broke me. But I had to tell him the truth… I had to tell him it was my fault because my conscience couldn't take it. Zeke was always nice, but the truth from me turned him into something else. Some other person who didn't see me as his brother. I was left with a broken nose and swollen eye. I never saw him again after that day."

"Where did you stay after that?"

Eren palmed his forehead. "I went back to Shiganshina where my real mother lived, only to learn she left our home for another man. Since then, I tried to survive alone, and tend to myself because I got nobody else but me. I traveled back to Sina because I think there are more opportunities here, especially in Yalkell for individuals like me. Life's been hard since then. I keep forcing myself out of trouble-far from the old life that made Zeke hate me."

Levi downed his coffee, thinking a whiskey was a better option for depressing stories like this. In both worlds, Eren's life had gone to shits.

"Are you trying to unite me and my brother?" Eren asked. "If you do, you'll probably lose Zeke as well."

"I don't care," Levi spat. "I'm not sentimental about this weird friendship we had in this world anyway."

Eren's eyes grew big.

"My life had gone to hell too, because I have false memories. And I can't help but associate and compare this life to that alternate world. It was never peaceful there. And I'm relishing the fact that somehow, we don't have wars in this world to scar our lives, separate our families, and face deaths at a young age." Levi put his cup down on the tiled ground. "Somehow, to see dead people being alive today was more than relieving. It's like waking up from a bad dream…"

"Thank you," Eren said, gratified. "Somehow, you gave me a chance at living."

Levi clicked his tongue, suddenly taking Eren's gratefulness awkward. "I just don't want to see you as the fucked-up person I used to know."

Levi looked at Eren and saw those memories when he started losing his humanity, becoming a slave to freedom in exchange of more lives crushed under his foot. He hated those moments when the teenager with once bright green eyes filled with determination and compassion was the real antagonist in a war they set upon themselves.

"Zeke will visit me here by morning. I'm not sure how he will take this but it will make sense that this memory had the ability to bring families together…" Levi continued. The thought of broken families also gave him an unpleasant feeling.

"Are you that keen about family reunions?" Eren wondered.

"I don't know," Levi said with a sigh. "In my memory, I keep surviving alone—never really had a family. Until someone introduced himself as one, but died as he said those words. Maybe I really am pining for one."

Kenny Ackerman suddenly filled Levi's thoughts. Those moments before his death still plagued Levi's mind as he harbored hate towards the old man more than his feelings could identify. He could hate Kenny, but it was more of hating the circumstances that surrounded them at that time. Circumstances that robbed them of chances to be a family. Circumstances that involved sworn duties and made them kill each other. Circumstances that resulted in wars and genocide, and Levi couldn't be thankful enough that his reality today is far from the nightmare of whatever is stored in his memories.

But Kenny Ackerman was a question that is yet to be answered. What kind of man was Kenny in this world?

Hange knows it was harder to wake her up when her bedding is this soft and the blanket is this warm and comfortable. She could use a few more minutes lazing underneath the almost soundproofed fabrics where any external noise was muffled in her ears.

Hold on…

Did Levi just put this blanket on her?

She smiled at the thought, dreamily absorbing the fact that she spent the night over an Ackerman's luxurious penthouse in Mitras where never ever in her life she will get to experience hanging around its grounds.

She inhaled the fragrant fabrics and imagined a field of lavender flowers. She imagined a fair day and blue sky. She imagined Levi beside her and smiling while they both watch the field in silent astonishment.

And then…

The distant sounds of people talking—or arguing—were very much audible to her senses now that not the thickest blanket can stifle. It was grating in her ears, reminding her of rescue mission disputes whenever an operation takes place.

"Is this one of your stupid quirks again? Finding out all about estranged family relationships and attempting to bring them back together?!" A husky, unfamiliar voice sounded nearby as Hange started to conclude there was another person in the house.

"Eren ran into trouble last night with a group of criminals. I came to save him because I recognized him." Well, that sounded very much like Levi.

"And what you been doing out there again? You certainly aren't taking any of my advice to stay put in the house because your condition will get you into trouble. And looks like I'm right all along… you, running into walking trouble that is Eren."

"But you're brothers…"

"Since when did you care about families? You Ackermans aren't even close to each other!"

Hange furrowed her brows. That was harsh. She doesn't know exactly what was going on but clearly, Levi was involved in a heated argument.

"Listen Levi, how many times do I need to remind you that your memory is very different from your reality? If Eren happens to be someone you fuckin' cared about, and I was the enemy you so wanted to kill over and over then think again! Think twice! You have no idea what has happened to my family… how Eren used to be someone I'd always look after because we're bonded by blood, and he's my dear little brother after all. But I was wrong all along."

Hange slowly pulled the covers down her face and reached at the nearest table to get her glasses. Stealthily, she got up to locate the source of the voices, easily spotting three people talking by the pool outside. She recognized Levi and Eren immediately, the latter giving her a mysterious vibe until now because Levi was a little attached to him. However, the third person rang into her vague memory of the blond, bespectacled guy at the hospital gardens. It doesn't take a wild guess that this could be Levi's doctor.

She made her way to the glass barriers and listened intently, although slightly guilty for eavesdropping on something that was never her business. It was a conversation that probably didn't matter to her, but seeing Levi like a helpless human who appeared unguarded in a spitting war and incapable of articulating his own words was a little sore to watch.

The barking blond guy was easy to despise—but Hange knew she was too early to judge him as she was clueless about the whole story and his source of anger. He looked dignified at least, keeping a calm front despite a few swearwords lacing his statements to prove a point but actually to express his frustrations.

Eren on the other hand was a lost puppy, and Hange believed that despite having only exchanged a few words with him last night, the young man made her see a reformed person who genuinely tries to put himself out of trouble no matter how much trouble attaches itself to him, ironically.

"You don't have to right to meddle with my family affairs, Levi. This doesn't concern you. And if it were the old you, you'd never truly care about anyone's problems. This is about me and it will never be your business. Why not just focus on restoring your own mental health because that is clearly a problem in YOUR family, especially with Mikasa and Kenny."

When the heated conversation turned to be a losing game for Levi, Hange unwittingly bolted out of her hiding spot and barefootedly marched her way under the early sunlight, past the inviting sparkling pool, and halting in front of the three men whose expressions changed at her obtrusive entrance.

"Hange…" Levi's surprised tone was the first thing she heard as he looked at her from head to toe with a suppressed repulsion on his face.

"And who is this…?" The blond guy asked. "Another stranger? Are you keeping strangers in your house now, Levi?"

"Hange's not a stranger," Levi said. "I told you about her, Zeke."

"Right," Zeke said, looking more and more agitated. "Right, Levi. Was she that crazy person who jumped in front of a car to save you and I should be thankful for? That she's been more helpful than me? That you preferred her company over me?"

"This is the chance for you to talk to her," Levi said, reminding Zeke of his initial plan to know more about Hange.

"With her intrusion, I'd say she's no good," Zeke snapped. "And I see you've gone even closer to her..."

"Hey," Hange fumed, hands planted on her hips. "Don't call yourself a doctor if you're talking to your patients that way."

"And who the hell are you to talk to me like that?" Zeke's eyes expressed the same rage as her.

"Your emotions are getting the best of you," Hange said. "I suggest you cool down for a bit because your personal feelings can unduly influence your professional judgment. Your objectivity will be highly compromised."

Zeke's eyes shot her an intense glare as if wounded.

"First, I don't see why Levi isn't allowed to be his new self after waking up from a coma. Why he isn't allowed to discover new things about himself and act the way he feels like doing. He's been fine! He looks healthy and normal. He in fact didn't need medical assistance because he's not even impaired. However, he's a new person now, and maybe it's high time you accept that the old one isn't gonna come back any sooner," Hange said with added emphasis. "Are you threatened that this new Levi manifests a strange personality that's probably unfavorable to you? That's because he's comfortable with strangers more than family and friends like you?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zeke asked, almost mortified.

"I think you never really cared about Levi's accounts of wars, about how families are destroyed and deaths are recurrent. It's a tragic memory you couldn't just wipe off of him because those absurdities are already instilled in his mind. I've been with him for quite some time and I observed that he's also trying hard to be the old person that you are fond of. Trying hard to be the person he's not familiar with just to please people on his side." Hange was now prattling with her hands in the air, trying to get her point across.

Levi and Eren could only stare in wonder, as if Hange was a mad person during early mornings.

"This new version of Levi was a sympathetic soul. A broken person who had seen enough bloodshed and wasted lives. That influenced him to fix ruined relationships just like yours and your little brother," Hange added. "How dare you tell him not to meddle with your life when it is you who offhandedly meddled with ninety percent of his cognizance, pressuring him to be his other self he was out of touch with. Aren't you being inconsiderate of his feelings? And aren't you being an asshole to cast off a very good intention to make it up with a family?"

"What a fantastic way to say things to a person you barely even knew," Zeke scoffed. "And you don't have the slightest knowledge of Levi's compulsive daydreaming. Quit romanticizing a unique disorder like it's something you see in the movies. You're turning Levi into a very selfish person if you wanted him to be his new version. He had an image he needs to restore just to keep certain, important people around to keep his business empire standing. And that business empire housed hundreds of people working under him to survive and feed their families. If you can come up with an idea how you can make a clone of him so he can perform his duties then that's when you should talk to me like you knew better."

Hange froze in position, seeing a sound argument from Zeke. "So that's it? Sacrificing Levi for the good of all?"

"Is that what heroes in wars do, too?" Zeke prodded provokingly. "Self-sacrificing to save more lives. Right, Levi?"

Levi zipped his lip and decided not to argue with him. After all, brave soldiers in his war-torn world have the same ideology. A vague memory crept up when he looked at Eren. His head pounded.

"We're done for today, Levi," Zeke said, composing himself. "I guess it's not the best time to talk."

"Zeke..." Eren mumbled his name, but Zeke turned around resentfully and decided to walk away.

"Just like that? Walking out of an argument and not settling anything?" Levi held him back.

"There's no argument to settle," Zeke said. "Your new friend right here might be right though. Personal feelings get in the way of objectivity. And I'm not in the best state of mind to win against her. Clearly, you're more than wanting her to win against me."

Hange flinched.

"But I am not open for discussion about Eren," Zeke said. "We could only hope that things will come around, soon. And we'd get to understand each other's point-of-view. Today's not just the right time to work it out."

Levi let the blond walk out on them, disappearing inside the house and leaving through the elevator.

Eren faltered at his brother's exit.

"Are you okay?" Levi was fast enough to gauge Eren's feelings after the commotion.

"I'm sorry…" Eren said guiltily. "I am trouble. Always been."

"Take it easy," Levi reassured him. "Beardy's not a fan of surprises. Should've known that."

"You shouldn't have done something for me. I'm practically a stranger anyway." Eren smiled ruefully. "And I know that he's not ready to accept me yet."

"He'll come around soon," Levi said, secretly feeling bad about how his plan turned out. "Don't think much of it. If you think he's been a good brother, then he is. This might take time."

"I really just have to look after myself first. Be a better person to be acceptable," Eren said. "Thank you, Levi."

Levi nodded. "At least you know how to make it up yourself, brat."

"Hey Levi," Hange interrupted with a defeated voice. "You can tell me to scram now because I chased off your doctor literally. I'm really sorry."

Levi simply looked at Hange and reached for her head, threading his fingers to set her hair in place and then lightly knocking a fist on her forehead. "If you're going to butt into some important conversation, at least make yourself orderly."

Hange blinked a few times to realize Levi had just tidied her up. She scratched her head. "Well, as a first responder, it's always easy for me to come into the scene quickly than worry about how I looked."

"But nobody's in trouble." Levi's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah right, except you looked like a clueless stranger in a foreign land without understanding a single dialect," Hange said. "Whatever happened to your pretty smart mouth?"

"I always thought that families are fond of each other. And Zeke will be considerate since I always thought he was patient with me. Guess I was wrong on some other things."

"He must be really harboring a different level of hatred towards Eren…" Hange said, looking at Eren.

"It's fine…" Eren said. "He has all the right to be mad at me…"

"But why?" Hange pried, clueless about Eren's real story.

"Oi four-eyes, leave it," Levi told her, suddenly mindful of not bringing up a sensitive issue and scathing Eren's emotions any further. "On another note, you keep telling me not to associate myself with my false memories and yet you're telling Zeke that we should let it this way. Are you contradicting yourself now?"

"I…" Hange bowed her head. "I'm not taking it against him really but… if there could just be an option not to put all the weight on you because…"

"Huh?" Levi gaped at her.

Hange blushed. "I… I just can't stand it when somebody's being forced to something he isn't… he isn't…"

She was grasping for words, but couldn't tell Levi out loud that she cared about him. Deeply.

"You've done enough for me, Hange," Levi told her. "Back at the precinct to save my name, and right here when you stood your ground. Zeke made his point, and so do you. And I guess nobody's backing down from this unsettled dispute. And I'm already acknowledging that some people really cared about my well-being."

"What?" Hange asked, another shade deeper at the remark. "Hey, don't feel special. I'm still mad at you for dragging me last night into trouble…"

"But at least you still came for me," Levi said smugly if not confidently. He grabbed Hange by the wrist and hauled her towards the pool. "But I guess you could use some bath to get the heat off your head."

Eren helplessly watched the giant splash of water as Hange's body was thrown recklessly into the pool.

"W-what… t-the fuck?!" Hange waggled her arms as she resurfaced the pool, coughing up the water from her mouth. "I hate you!"

Levi was looming over her with a victorious smirk.

"You are clearly aware that I don't have a change of clothes!" Hange spat. "What the fuck's that for?!"

"You need to cool your head!" Levi said, walking away. "Don't you worry, I have plenty of clothes for you to wear. You aren't too feminine anyway to wear one, right?"

"Car keys?" Hange palmed one of the keys with a key holder inscribing an expensive brand of a sportscar. A crumbly bread was hanging in her mouth, frozen in between bites as Levi throws at least four car keys onto the dining table. Her hair was still dripping wet and unkempt, a small towel hanging around her shoulders. She was fresh from a shower after Levi's insistence on taking a bath and here she was, donning a pink shirt and boxers while waiting for her own clothes to dry under the sun.

"Take one." Levi leaned on the dining table, sipping his tea. "Bring it home."

"What?" Hange's bread dropped noisily onto her plate.

"You heard me."

"You're… you're not giving one away, are you?"

"No," Levi said nonchalantly, biting into a piece of sliced apple. "Just lending you one. I can't use them all at the same time and besides, I also need to refresh my driving skills and I want you to teach me to drive one of these days…"

"Seriously?" Hange asked. "Hold on. I can certainly give you driving lessons but you don't have to necessarily get me to drive one home. Do you have any idea how much these things are? One could cost my entire life's working salary! What if I scratched its body? What if some moron painted on it while it's parked outside our apartment? And I don't care whether it's insured or you wouldn't care about losing its luster. No, I can't take it. That's insane. I'm not taking that home and having people wondering if I killed some billionaire and took away his car."

"Or do I need to buy you one? A cheaper one?"

"Hell, no!" Hange snapped. "Is this all about compensating me again?"

"No. I just want you to be convenient," Levi said. "You've been in a car crash and until now, you haven't retrieved your car because you lacked the funds."

"Wh-who told you… ah, fuckin' Mobs." Hange sucked in a breath at her guess. Like there's anyone else who knew all the drama surrounding her life. "Don't make me feel pathetic now. You really don't have to do that."

"I insist," Levi said. "And I hope you could do something for Eren, too…"

"Eren?" Hange echoed, as her eyes traveled by the pool to see the lad killing time. She would have guessed that the events this morning got him this down. He never even touched breakfast yet.

"Had that brat been touching flowers, they'll all die," Levi said, following her line of vision.

"So…" Hange leaned onto her palm. "You are too soft for him. Was it from your memory or the reality that he was a wasted fellow?"

"He's…" Levi's look suddenly darkened. "He's bound to die in that world. We formed an alliance to stop him because his genocide plans took it too far. In the end, we all decided to fight against him."

Hange gasped uncharacteristically. "That's too much."

"His purpose was still unclear to me but… knowing him… having mentored him, I thought he's incapable of killing people. But he did. More than we've imagined. And I need to understand what has been playing in his mind to do those things."

"Hey," Hange tapped on the table, noticing Levi spacing out at the memory. "Snap out of it. Look at Eren today, I don't think he's gonna be the same person in that world."

"Yeah," Levi said. "Maybe I was just caught up in moments where everything fell to the ground. Where everyone was dying and we were chasing time to prevent more senseless deaths."

Hange breathed. "Is that why you have this strange attachment to him?"

Levi didn't respond.

"But what was it with Zeke? What's with the hate?"

"It's a complicated family matter…" Levi said, and started to divulge some details about what he and Eren have talked about last night.

"Oh." Hange could only put a hand over her mouth. "Maybe I feel for Zeke about that… the circumstances that time could really make Eren liable. Like there's no other else to blame. No matter which way we look at it, Eren had connections to the criminals. He brought the crime."

"Is that how human instincts work? Put the blame on anyone close to being accountable?" Levi said. "In both worlds, Eren was an individual who is associated with murders."

A flashback of Levi's memory carried him to an event where he and his subordinates attacked a foreign community, involving themselves in massacres of innocent people and children with Eren instigating the attack.

"I still can't get it off my head," Levi continued. "Eren had gone nuts that I had to hurt and kick him so hard to put him back to his senses… but he didn't listen. He's a different person by then… and that's when the chaos started. We couldn't count the number of deaths with our fingers."

"You want… to keep an eye on him?" Hange asked.

"Maybe…"

"You're not thinking he's capable of committing one, are you?"

"No," Levi said in resolve. "But one's actions are predetermined by his surroundings and by what he's accustomed to. Eren had been involved with crimes and illegal activities since his teenage years. You get a good guy, put him in a bad situation, and see the outcome. He's trying to reform himself but if he's been constantly exposed to that kind of life, chances are low for him to change. And I believe he needed a handful of people to support his cause."

"And… what makes you think I'm capable of being one of those people?" Hange ventured.

"Because you always come for me when I needed help. To think I was just a stranger," Levi said, staring deep into her eyes.

"H-huh?" Hange was flushed, a little unsure how to react.

"And for some strange reason…" Levi continued, looking away. "My memory thinks it's been you and Eren… who I got pretty attached with…"

Hange huffed, waving it off. "It sure is strange, huh? But that doesn't change the fact that Eren and I are still different people than what you saw in your memory. But I gotta confess you are a little something from that imaginary world. Even if you're not one to wear your heart on your sleeve."

"Tch." Levi clicked his tongue and leaned across the table, hovering close to her face.

"W-what?" Hange's breath hitched at their proximity. Not this prick of emotional roller coaster again!

Levi's hand reached for the towel on her shoulders and started rubbing her head harshly. "You're very much the same. You're still a fucking mess that I need to remind you of over and over again!"

"Hey! That hurts!" Hange wailed, swatting his hand away.

It was a gesture so rough yet so familiar that Hange wouldn't think of any other person doing such a thing to her. Her avoidance of him for the last week had been a thing of the past, and being with Levi again gave her an odd sense of comfort and ease that she'd never want to lose. Again.

Maybe it's what Yelena had been pointing out. Accepting and acknowledging her own feelings that she is getting fonder and fonder of this little guy in front of her, who has reached back again for her head with two hands and rubbed her hair vigorously.

To struggle against him is useless, so Hange just lets him do his thing. And when she looked up, Levi's hand hovered right on her face, his thumb tracing the side of her mouth to wipe off the crumbs from the bread she was chewing earlier. His face was too close, she could almost smell his minty breath.

"Filthy." Levi smirked.

And at that moment, Hange could only stare at him like nobody is watching. There was a blooming heat on her face, and she couldn't help but stare at Levi's lips that a sinful part of her wanted to reach again and...

"Ahem…"

It could be the depth of the conversation or spur-of-the-moment—that neither of them noticed another person's presence in the house. The ding of the elevator to announce a visitor had been soundless. The clack of stilettos across the living room didn't do much noise to alert them about their closeness. None of them saw the woman feigning composure despite witnessing the startling sight of her man touching another woman's face. That kind of intimacy was only meant for her, and yet here she was, feeling the disgrace of living with that same man who never initiated a gesture like that to her since waking up from insentience.

"Petra…" Levi jolted out of his seat at Petra's sudden appearance behind him.

"Did I miss something?" Petra asked with a smile on her face. It was a slackened kind of smile that Hange had to rise from her seat and step back a little. The ginger head eyed the brunette with a disturbingly calm face and then back to Levi whose straight-faced features didn't help much in alleviating the awkwardness of the situation.

Hange could only bow her head in embarrassment, knowing that behind Petra's beautiful, calm face was a storm brewing.

Notes:

Sorry this update took a while.

If you are subscribed to my username, you'd notice I've been posting fics for another fandom and haven't written any Levihan content for almost a month now. But that doesn't mean I'm abandoning it. I just can't seem to find the motivation and drive to write for this fandom for now. This chapter was apparently half-written a month ago and didn't touch it until last weekend. I just realized I'm a little struggling again and finding it hard to articulate my ideas. Maybe I just need a break and all. :)

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Kudos and comments are appreciated. Or better yet, cheer me up. :)

Chapter 20

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

They are cruising at 180mph. The overwhelming speed was not in a form of excitement or a spunk of a professional race car driver.

Well, this looked like suicide.

Eren leaned away from the dashboard of the car, bracing himself for the whiplash to come any second now, and praying to the heavens to make this crazy ride a safe one. The best he could do is shut his eyes tight when the car swerved about five times past other vehicles like they were chasing a stolen car. If he survived being killed at the alley last night, this ride will definitely not spare him his chances of going straight to hell.

"H-Hange… we're not too fast, don't you think?" Eren swung his head to his left in a peal of nervous laughter, thinking Hange will get the hint. His hands were balled on his sides, digging the seat cushions anxiously. The seatbelt could even cut into his skin. This type of car better have its x-proof design especially for drivers like this woman. Eren would think Hange Zoe was excited to meet Death himself.

"Well, as a rescue officer, driving skills are very important during emergencies! I once drove an ambulance to a rescue scene where the ride will usually take about three hours. I made it in one hour! Beat that!" Hange said proudly, eyes darting in all places for her peripherals. "This isn't even on its top speed! Whoah! This car was a fucking beast!"

No, you are the beast! Eren repressed the urge to say it out loud.

"But we're not in an emergency situation, are we?" he asked, then suddenly yelping at the close call of dangerously ramming into a trailer truck's rear. "Hey, watch it!"

It didn't register at first, but Hange was fast enough to hit the brakes instinctively, switching her gears expertly, and swerved recklessly to an empty lane, honking the car out of the way. The truck honked back louder. "Whew! That was close, motherfuckers!"

"Hange…we're in the wrong here," Eren said, looking back at the truck to see the driver flipping them off. He wondered if Hange's out-of-this-world driving skills got her once into trouble with the highway patrols.

"Well, don't give me the keys to a sportscar because my road rage is unparalleled." Hange grinned manically. "And I'm not worried about speed limits because this freeway has none! Those trucks should know how a fast car gets to be the king of the road once it's out of the highway!"

She was laughing in overexcitement. It was almost scary that Eren was not having fun at the knotting feeling in his guts. Somebody just stop her!

"Where exactly are we going?" Eren swallowed hard, noticing they were exiting Sina City by the looks of the emptying thoroughfare and the road signs indicating they are closely approaching Rose City.

"Levi told me to bring you someplace to relax!" Hange chirped. "Paradis is relatively a small country and you'd get to travel to so many places by land. Now look at that, we made it outside Sina in thirty minutes! The last time I checked, I made it in two hours! This was a new record!"

"I see you loved driving on freeways."

"Because living in a city is suffocating! Everywhere I turn gives me a headache and I have to be somewhere else on the road! Change of scenery, y'know. We as normal people need a therapeutic relaxation out of that toxic urban jungle you called Sina!"

So this is all about you, Eren thought. Just as I predicted. Hange was disturbingly raucous and vague the whole time. It was a behavior Eren was not fond of because he just met Hange last night but he was quite perceptive that something else was causing her unrest.

"I am fine with any place. We don't necessarily have to be outside of Sina…" Eren told her. "I can do with just a burger and soda on a school building's rooftop. Then sleep on it and I'm fine after that."

"How can you be okay with that?!" Hange asked with exaggerated annoyance.

The younger man shrugged dismissively. "It's just the way I am. I don't need to overthink things. I can conveniently seek peace anywhere."

"Are you human? Eren, I know you're upset about what happened between you and your asshole-of-a-brother and I want you to relax! Breathe some fresh air! I'm showing you a place that's probably gonna make you feel better!" Hange was very enthusiastic about it and Eren doubted if she was sincere in her words.

"Trust me, I'm really fine, Hange." Eren reassured her. "I've been through a lot and… I think all kinds of problems don't bother me that much."

Or was Hange the one who was really upset?

For some reason, she grew quiet. Eren's eyes searched for the speedometer, and surprisingly, it went back to its safe gauge. Just how fast can Hange's mood change that quickly? This woman was indeed strange.

"Hey, what is with you and Levi Ackerman?" Eren suddenly felt the need to fill the silence between them.

"Uh… I'm sorry. What was that?" Hange asked, turning her head to him.

"Eyes on the road!" Eren cried, seeing the car nearly crashing into a slower pick-up truck in front of them.

Hange turned the steering wheel smoothly to her left like nothing happened. "What are you saying again?"

"Levi Ackerman…" Eren repeated in exasperation. Sweat began to bead his forehead. "What are you to him? You two seemed close."

Hange choked on her spit. "W-why do you ask?"

"You're the first person to respond last night…" Eren said. "And he told me about you being in his false memories."

Hange curled her lips. "I saved him."

"Saved?"

"The night before he fell into a coma. He could've been killed by a car and I jumped in to save him. The next thing I know, we met unexpectedly at a park and that's when he recognized me. It was funny at first... but... I just realized I have to help this man. Since that day, I felt drawn to him. His situation is a complex one and he needs all the help he could get. I've been dealing with emotional trauma during those days and being with Levi kinda helped me through it. I sought things to make me feel good about myself and aiding a man who lost his memories makes it all the better. You know, some personal gratification from a good deed. It's the way I am."

"I see..." Eren said. "Had I not known the real story, I would've thought you're Levi's partner."

"Partner?"

"A lover," Eren clarified.

"What makes you say that? Everybody in Sina knows he's Petra Ral's boyfriend," Hange explained, her throat drying up.

"That, I'm not aware of," Eren said, suddenly relaxing at the smooth pace of the car. "I just asked because you're being too comfortable with each other…"

Hange hummed. "I'm always comfortable with people. It's part of my job. Ease them through the difficult situations."

"I can see that." Eren observed. "Making Zeke walk away like that..."

"Hey, I just can't sit around and watch you and Levi looked like dumb cows by his tirades. Although he makes sense of what he's saying, I just hope he shouldn't be that hard on you," Hange contested with a pout. "For god's sake, you're the only one he's got."

"Maybe it'll take time," Eren said. "And he'll warm up to me before he knew it. He could've sent me to jail like the rest of them but he didn't. I'd like to think there's still a part of him that is soft for me. I'm holding on to that."

"Of course. Your brother doesn't seem like a bad guy. He's a part asshole but he's all right. Levi can kick his butt if he ever hurt you."

Eren chuckled. At least that put him in a good mood now. Hange was a lively person and scary in-between but she sure was entertaining.

"Anyway." Eren cleared his throat. "Levi's woman right there doesn't seem to know you. Haven't you met her before? And what's with the rush when she actually invited us for lunch?"

That statement made Hange bite her lower lip. Her hands tightened on the wheel and her mind processed a hundred thoughts again. The recent events this morning played in her head like a broken record. More so, these events are also the reason why she finally agreed to take one of Levi's cars and drag Eren along with her. Everything fell too fast like the universe is plotting something against her and she was in no way adept to reverse it all.

It was too easy to get Hange out of Levi's penthouse in a heartbeat. Petra's aura was divine. So divine you wouldn't want to stand right next to her and make yourself look like dirt. However, it was quite bothersome that her smile looked vague and imperceptible. But between fake and genuine, Hange could sense uneasiness behind its welcoming curve like Petra will be in the newspapers if she was ever caught in a sneering smile. Her image was sophisticated and pleasant, and Hange instantly developed insecurity as Petra stood with overflowing grace and elegance, knowing that this woman fared better than a lanky, bespectacled she-male who is good as plain and average. It was the kind of countenance that makes one lose confidence, and Hange didn't need to remind herself of that.

Hange would like to sink on the floor as Petra made her way towards Levi, slinking her hand at the back of his head, placing a solid kiss on his lips as if marking her territory that Hange had unknowingly breached a week ago.

Levi, on the other hand, didn't return the affection whatsoever but he acknowledged her presence in the room, creating a little awkward tension among the three of them.

"Petra, this is Hange."

Levi said those words in a nonchalant manner. Hange expected him firsthand to look defensive, saying there was nothing going on between them but that will seem to give their odd closeness a prospect of being romantic. She anticipated him to be cautious and calculated like a cheating husband but he took the situation flippantly, making Hange wonder if Levi was too dense to sense a woman's jealousy. She had to admit she was slowly accepting her feelings for him but she didn't expect her hopes to fizzle like fireworks as they lost their spark.

Petra looked at Hange expectantly. None of them made the first move to make an introduction. It was a silent standoff that Hange finally gave in, stepping a little towards her with a shy smile on her face. She stuck out her hand but Petra didn't extend hers.

"Your hand got crumbs on them, four-eyes…" Levi reminded her like a reprimanding father to a toddler.

"S-sorry…" Hange said and clumsily wiped her hands quickly at the hem of her shirt. Levi's shirt.

"Are those Levi's clothes on you?" Petra asked suspiciously. Her eyes traveled from Hange's face down to her shirt-and stayed there.

"She fell into the pool," Levi explained.

"You pushed me," Hange retorted which earned a slight twitch in Petra's brows. It was an automatic response but Hange was not thinking enough about what her words would mean to Petra.

"Oh," Petra deadpanned. Her expression became unreadable like there was an impending explosion of her temper—an emotional punch she'd been restraining to show. "Well, I can't seem to remember it was Levi's habit to push people into a pool for fun. Unless it was me, he'll be pulling me along with him."

Levi gave a non-committal grunt. Hange's eyes become wearier and wearier, feeling she got no time to blink because all she could think of is exit the penthouse immediately.

"And that shirt was a birthday gift from me, you know," Petra added with the kind of saltiness to burn one's ego.

Hange had never been this uncomfortable her whole life. She looked at Levi accusingly and fell into a guilty silence.

"What's going on in your head when you bought that for me?" Levi asked Petra. "Do I love pink color?"

"No, you actually hated it," Petra said. "And I was trying to prove something that day that whatever I do to annoy you, I'll always fail. That's how much you tolerated me. That's how much you loved me."

It was an unnecessary statement. Too unnecessary as if Hange needed to hear those things.

"Hey!" Petra suddenly exclaimed. "It's okay!"

Hange wondered if she hears it all wrong.

Petra reached both Hange's hands and shook them warmly. "I'm Petra! Levi's fiancee. It's nice to meet you."

"It's my first time meeting her actually. I don't think it's necessary to stay around when she needed her time alone with Levi..." Hange said with a little hurt in her voice, wrenching herself back to reality.

"They looked great together," Eren said unreasonably.

The memory spaced Hange out for a while, giving her uneasiness as she recalled all kinds of emotions scrawled over Petra's face.

"Yeah, they are." Hange's voice died down to a whisper. She tried to calm herself, but calmness seemed to put her mood the other way around. She bit her lip as she revved up the engine, her foot slamming at the gas and accelerating their speed again.

"Not again…" Eren knew he died for a second right there and then.

"Hey Eren, you good?" Hange was rubbing Eren's back as he vomited violently by the roadside, draining his bowels of everything he lightly consumed for breakfast.

"No," Eren said with tears in his eyes and hands braced on his knees.

"Look, I'm really sorry…" Hange said apologetically. "I didn't realize I was that reckless…"

"You should've known too that you almost got both of us killed." Eren breathed, trying hard not to lash out at her. After all, he was just a passenger. "I was spared last night from getting beaten up but today, it almost looked like I'm about to be killed in a car crash."

Hange stopped rubbing his back, feeling the shame of her actions. She shut herself silent by then.

"What's the matter with you?" Eren pried.

Hange sighed and straightened up. "I… I don't know. It's just part of my stressful days that I need to release out of my system. Sorry for dragging you into this."

Eren coughed up the last of the bile in his throat. "Damn. You are crazy."

"So I've been told."

"I guess it should be you who badly needed that therapeutic relaxation you're telling me about," Eren said.

"Yeah, I guess," Hange agreed. And that, she finally admitted it. "Thanks for reminding me…"

"I don't have a choice anyway," Eren griped. "I can't keep quiet when I was seconds from death, realizing how badly I wanted to live."

"Sorry. But then again, thanks for putting up with me." Hange smiled meekly, placing a hand on Eren's shoulder. "Anyway, we're already here."

"Huh?"

Eren was half expecting "Hange's place" to be something plucked out of a postcard. With a little knowledge upon entering the territory of Rose City, he knew that they will come across mountainous regions, serpentine roads, bridges and creeks, and sleepy towns. He visualized landscapes that will invigorate his senses but what he was currently seeing in front of him was pretty underwhelming and unremarkable in his eyes.

"Come on," Hange motioned for Eren to follow her as she crossed the road to the other side. Her skin bristled at the sight of a road barrier that was already repaired by the time, guarding a slope that leads to a creek.

Rose Creek.

Where it all started.

Hange took a deep breath and crossed over the guardrail with Eren calling behind her. It was a welcome release from the intensity she had this morning at Levi's place.

"Hey, Hange! Where are you going?!" Eren heeled after her like a chastened puppy.

But Hange was not listening. She stood by the edge of the slope where the "skid marks" of car tires left bald spots on the usual grassier part of that area. Some things just don't seem to be wiped off completely. Eren came up lately and stood by her side, both of them watched a creek at the bottom of the slope, its currents so peaceful and serene at this time of the day.

"Uh, is this the place?" Eren turned his head around, looking for "beauty" that didn't quite register in his eyes.

"This… this is where it all started…" Hange said sullenly. As she made a step forward, a branch snapped underfoot. "If three people didn't die that day… if the circumstances didn't push me to do what I need to do in life… I guess you wouldn't find yourself alive today, Eren."

"W-what?"

But Hange didn't answer right away. She stared at the still flow of the currents that didn't look like they took away three lives over two months ago. It's its rather tranquil state that makes it unassumingly dangerous. She told herself she wouldn't go back to this place that once haunted her in her dreams, rallied her thoughts, and affected her emotions. And now, coming back to this place should at least prepare herself to make peace with her inner monsters.

It could be the breeze of the wind that interrupted the silence, and sensing Eren was beside her, Hange wanted this visit to be meaningful.

"Two months ago, I witnessed death in this place," Hange started. "It was nearing nightfall, and a car was about to ram towards me. There's no collision, thankfully, but it swerved off its path, speeding straight into this creek. In that car, there was a family of three. A mother and her two children."

Eren didn't respond. He gave Hange the moment to vent out whatever was bottled up inside her.

"I was a rescue officer in Sina. It should be my job to save lives but I couldn't do anything that night, and one of the kids kept blaming me—screaming until her death. I thought it was all my fault. Nobody saw what happened… so I questioned myself. Was it really my fault? Haven't I done anything? But I know I tried harder. I smashed the windows, tried to pull them out of the sinking car but…" Hange's voice was dying down at her narration. "I let them die helplessly. And just like you, I thought I was blameworthy for somebody's death. Levi told me your story. Never thought you had that much burden in you."

Eren balled a fist, recounting again the tragedy that happened years ago which resulted in Zeke's seething hatred for him. Maybe it was a bad idea to be with Hange here just to share and pour out some heavy drama he didn't need to remember. But Hange could've shared the same remorse, and he needed another person's sentiments whenever his emotions couldn't handle it.

"Yeah, I was responsible for the death of my father and his wife. I was a bad kid back then and I was only reaping the consequences of my actions. We can blame ourselves for the tragedies but some things are irreversible. Just like death," Eren said, suddenly mirroring Hange's mood. "That's when it gets worse for us. A nightmare to haunt us for the rest of our lives."

It was Hange's time to listen.

"As a teenager, I enjoyed the good and bad side of things. Zeke was very kind to me, and so was his whole family. I thought everything was smooth sailing. I thought I got a real family in them and they're very supportive of me. I reached the point in my life where I thought everything needs to be enjoyed. I was introduced to drugs—they excite me—also made money out of them. I've been friends with the wrong league and that's where my life went downhill. There had been a long line of bad decisions because I was young and naïve and stupid."

"Are you having regrets?" Hange asked.

"Those were given. And I struggled just to get back on my feet. I have no one and nowhere else to go so I tried to survive. Been to lots of jobs and places to stay and then I meet different people who had different stories to tell. Stories to reflect on. Beautiful and sad life lessons. And then I learned some of them had it worse than me that left them broken until now. Then I realized I don't want that to happen to me. I don't want to break myself. Those people marched their way to the wrong path, and now they're a reminder of what it's like to be there. It's best to turn back."

Hange sighed out loud. Eren was something else.

He continued, "But to live means I have to survive this society. Have food to eat. Have something in my pocket to get around like a normal person. But when money becomes hard to earn, I did the craziest thing to sell out my old friends for monetary reward. You see, desperate times call for desperate measures. I wasn't thinking enough. Maybe I'm unwittingly throwing my life away. I am stupid to think I can easily snitch my way to cop criminals without having fired a gun in my life. That's how my recklessness got Levi saving my ass at the alley last night…" Eren said. "I owe him. He's the man who saved me because he had an odd condition, which makes me wonder if he didn't have that kind of memory, I'll probably be good as dead."

"So has something changed about you? Now that you were given a second chance in life?"

"I just keep moving forward…" Eren said with a shrug. "You know, when you're living, you must do something about your life, right? I've been to the bad side of things, I guess it's time to turn the other way."

Hange had been thinking. "Funny how the strings of events led from one thing to another. If an accident didn't happen, I wouldn't be drinking at Stohess that night to nurse my anxiety. I wouldn't be able to find Levi Ackerman and save him that night. And if Levi died, no one would be able to save you from last night. Can you see how fate led us all here? The circumstances just got us strangers connected with each other."

Eren chuckled. "Strange…"

They fell into silence once again.

"But I hate the feeling now," Hange said. "I just… I just hate what turned it out for me. How my life went after meeting people along the way. But it's nice to meet new people, however, I always hated the idea of how long they will stay in my life. Funny how I've been thinking of putting them inside lidded jars and keep them in a cupboard for the rest of my life. You know when I was little and had my favorite toys, I always keep them in boxes and never touch them. Because I was afraid of losing them. That carried on until adulthood. And then I realize I was really bad at attachments. And it was bad enough that I like chasing something I couldn't take hold of."

Eren pondered what Hange meant.

"You know the feeling when you can't get close to someone?" Hange croaked. "But you allowed yourself to be drawn closer when you know you shouldn't be."

"What do you mean?" Eren asked.

"Have you been in love, Eren?" It was a brazen question that was not meant for a stranger. But Hange was a little messed up in the head since meeting Petra Ral face to face.

"In love?" Eren blinked twice.

"Oh," Hange finally realized her actions. It was uncalled for. "Shit, why that question?"

"Have you?" Eren asked, suddenly intrigued.

"No. Forget it. It doesn't matter…" Hange rattled.

"Uh, okay." Eren sighed, taking in more air than usual. "Hard to fall in love with a person who's already taken. Is that it?"

Hange turned around wordlessly and hastily scurried back to the main road where the car was parked. She didn't need to say anything. Eren doesn't need to hear another drama from her.

"Yeah. It was really hard." Eren shook his head, reminding himself to brace for another e-ticket ride.

"Hey, I bought you your favorite." Petra unzipped her luggage in discreet excitement-or rather, an awkward attempt to compose herself after the events this morning. She pulled out a box of premium dark chocolates that became a staple in Levi's snacks stash.

She had pressing questions that she can set for another time and she promised herself not to force Levi out of his non-existent old self. At least not to put up a fight when she has just gotten back from a week of absence. Just how much has changed in a week? It still hurts up to this day that she was living with a stranger who had the face of her lover. She searched for Levi's reaction when she handed the box to him. Usually, Levi will be pulling her for a kiss as a sign of thanks.

Obviously, it didn't happen.

"Not tea?" Levi asked, turning the box over and over with disinterest.

"T-tea?" Petra wondered. Yeah. Levi was not being Levi. And that strange love for tea sets a different tone in this relationship. None of them liked tea, and Levi despised it more than Petra. "But… these are your favorite. You love it when it's bitter. Just why not give them a try? It could jolt up your senses! Who knows you'd revive your memories in one bite!"

Petra was unusually cheerful and Levi didn't need to wane that forced smile out of her face. Being around her was still out of place.

"Thanks," Levi clipped and put the chocolates onto the table. In a second, the box just laid there and was already neglected.

"Well…" Petra's uneasiness threatened to show through. Levi would always show a bouncing appreciation for every present she bought for him. "It seems you didn't miss me at all."

Her cheery tone remained, but her hopeful eyes were evident enough that she anticipated a satisfying answer.

"What's to miss if it's just a week?"

That hit a nerve.

"We always missed each other in a day…" Petra stressed. "Maybe I need to remind you of that."

"For two people who are living together and seeing each other every day, should I feel something like that?" Levi asked.

"Right," Petra said, expecting that answer from him. "Of course. And I would guess that also explains why you never initiated a call. To ask how I am doing or what I've been up to. Maybe I should take a longer vacation than this."

Levi looked at her with dead eyes. Apparently, he didn't get the sarcasm. "You're always free to go..."

"Okay…" Petra breathed dejectedly. She was rubbing her hands, twiddling the diamond ring on her finger for Levi to notice. "It should've been a longer vacation but Dad insisted I should come back as soon as possible to take care of you."

"But I'm fine…" Levi droned out. "I'm not even sick."

"Levi…" Petra's tone hardened at his steadfast callous remarks. "It's my role as your fiancée to take care of you. You are not fine, okay? You're still the same person when I left and didn't remember a thing between us."

"Maybe we should just let my condition be. Look, I'm okay. I can still act like a normal person. It's not that hard to adjust…"

"Maybe it's easy for you," Petra said. "But it was hard for me."

Levi stared at her as if he rubbed her the wrong way again. "Maybe you should get used to me being like this."

Ridiculous. Petra's jaw tightened at the memory this morning: the bespectacled woman who was freshly showered and wearing Levi's clothes. "Yeah. And I'm quite sure you'd want me to approve of you bringing strangers in the house. Like a house party. Is that it?"

Levi stared at her incredulously.

Petra was trying hard to hold herself. "I need to bring that up because it bothers me that suddenly, those people might be taking advantage of you. I need to know what you have been up to lately because I don't want to get caught off guard with all these changes. You let strangers here, let them shower, wear your clothes. Have they been sleeping over for days, too?"

"It's just last night," Levi said. "I saved Eren from a bunch of drug dealers and I was brought to the precinct for questioning. Eren was Zeke's brother and he got into a tiff with wanted criminals. Hange came for me to explain to the cops that I am not involved with any of it."

Petra scoffed. "Zeke has a brother? I didn't know that."

"I just happened to remember his face and name in my memory," Levi said. "I talked to Zeke this morning but he wasn't pleased about it. Turns out he's on bad terms with Eren."

"And I wasn't pleased either." Petra smirked. She didn't need to know the whole story. Had she pried Levi about it, her thoughts would be swimming in places to amplify her tendencies to lash out at him because clearly, all actions led Levi into trouble. She was not going that way. Her father even reminded her to have more patience—have trust that Levi's condition is just temporary, and his old self will come back in time.

"Eren and Hange can be trusted," Levi said. "They're allies in my memory."

"How sure are you that your memories of them are helpful enough to get you to trust them?" Petra asked. "Do you prefer them over me? Over Mikasa, Zeke?"

"Hange saved me," Levi said. "She was the one who saved me that night…"

Petra was silenced. She remembered Zeke telling her about a certain person who jumped in front of a car to save Levi that night. She must have forgotten about that heroic story that didn't make to the news. It didn't matter to her during those days, however, that mattered now.

So Hange was the person. Does Petra even owe Hange for bringing Levi back?

"I've been hanging out with her and learned a few things. For starters, she taught me how life goes in this city," Levi said.

The way he said those things only worsened the tight feeling on Petra's chest. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a shaking hand.

"And last night, she convinced the police to hide my identity. She somehow knows the implications if the public will know about my condition. For the second time, I kinda owed her my life…" Levi continued. "She's not a bad person, Petra."

"Of course," Petra clipped in guilt. "What are the chances of her being a bad person when you talk highly of her?"

"Petra..."

"So how close did you two get?"

"Close?" Levi iterated, a much deeper frown on his face.

"She's already comfortable around you. Or both of you are just too comfortable like you've known each other for years. At least that's how I see it earlier. And my, she got to drive one of your cars too. You never let anyone touch any of your possessions. All this... is new to me. You've never been this close to a person before unless it was me. Why… what is she in your memory?" A crack escaped Petra's voice. She hated the question, but she'd rather know the answer earlier so she will never be left unprepared for the blow.

"She's a fellow soldier-turned-commander."

"Not a wife?"

"I'm not married there. I told you about it."

Petra nodded. Stupid. Her knuckles are white from crushing something invisible in her hands. "Okay…"

Levi looked at her apprehensively. "There's nothing between Hange and me. If you're going to ask about it…"

Was it relieving to hear? Somehow, Petra thinks Levi understood the concept of their domestic partnership. She's too tired to counter him. Too tired to ask more questions that didn't yield answers.

"Yeah, I know," Petra said smoothly. "And I'd like to think she's not your type of woman either…"

Hange looked average and awkward-qualities that a classy man like Levi will never pay attention to. It is with self-assurance that Petra thinks she was still ahead of this imaginary competition. It was a shallow notion like there is nothing else to stabilize her declining self-esteem whenever Levi speaks like Hange was his life-support system. A twinge of insecurity flutters in her chest at the memory of Levi wiping the crumbs off Hange's lips. The gesture was rather intimate as if he could kiss her, and she couldn't help but notice the red on Hange's cheek when Levi initiated that.

Petra knew the hints, the signs. A woman's instinct knows when a potential rival is nearby.

"Hange is a likable person," Levi said as if to prove something.

"I can see that," Petra said with a broken smile. "And I wish to know her better."

"You'd like her…" Levi said.

"Just the way you liked her?" Petra mocked.

"What?"

"Nevermind," Petra said. "If she's been teaching you things as you said earlier, maybe she'd teach you too how to spot a woman's feelings."

She trotted her way towards him, patting his cheek lightly. As she was about to lean in for a kiss, Levi turned his head the other way.

Petra scoffed. "See what I mean? Didn't she teach you that you should return a woman's kiss?"

"She did..." Levi said, remembering the kiss he shared with Hange last week at Moblit's apartment. But he was not stupid enough to tell the details, right?

Petra furrowed her brows, tilting her head in question.

"She's always telling me to return the affection from people on my side," Levi clarified.

"Well, she made sense," Petra said. "Why not take her advice?"

"It still feels uncomfortable, Petra. Let me have more time to adjust," Levi suggested.

"Is it really hard for you to accept that we are a couple? You should be comfortable around me." Petra said. "You're never this cold to me before..."

Levi turned on his heels and headed to the kitchen. "I'm going to cook our lunch now."

"Levi..." Petra breathed in disappointment. She could trust that Levi will never spare interest in Hange or other women but it will be a different story if women make their move in a stealthy manner.

And with eyes like Hange's-the way she looked at Levi lovingly-Petra could sense competition.

"You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding, Armin." Mikasa was wide-eyed as she sat across the table that night in a restaurant. A blond, blue-eyed young man had his lips upturned, challenging Mikasa to believe what he just told her moments ago.

Armin nodded firmly. He didn't need to say it twice.

"You're staying in Sina for good?" Mikasa would love to hear the confirmation straight from his mouth. "And you'll be working with…"

"If the offer still stands."

"Of course! Of course! My offer for you since the day we graduated has no expiration date!" Mikasa said giddily.

"Glad to hear that. And I just wish you won't be giving any special treatment to your friends."

Mikasa flushed. "Oh! You made me so happy, Armin! Your expertise is needed in our company."

"I know I keep turning you down after graduation. But well, I guess challenges just come and go and I grew tired of them," Armin reasoned. "And it'll be nice to work in a reputable company. At least for a change."

"You know how it was with Ackerman Holdings," Mikasa scoffed. "Everyone would love to be a part of the company but you choose to work for a low-profiled business entity."

"Because I wanted to be a part of developing company in its early stages," Armin said. "I want to see how it excels and progresses. It's fulfilling to see its potential so I can contribute to the policies and see its growth through the years. But being visionary and proactive isn't always helpful."

"Why?"

"Because you can't always have a shared vision with those around you." Armin chuckled. "One challenge is a company crisis. May be from short-handed staff, financial capacity, or dwindling resources. Problem-solving takes a lot of patience, critical analysis, evaluation, and coming up with possible solutions. It has been my job to handle every crisis in our company with a little window and time for results. Normally I get to solve them all but… surprisingly, the higher-ups are not happy with that."

"Not happy? But is that what a company needs to have a smooth-flowing operation?"

"I discovered some anomalies from the executives themselves. You wouldn't believe it but they are the root cause of the problem. Deliberately caused it. So many controversies are getting out of hand and they declared company closure due to bankruptcy hence the mass termination of a hundred employees. Truth is, the majority of the board found another business entity that makes promising, less risky endeavors with triple profits. Good to be true that it may only require a smaller number of people to be listed on their payroll. Ideally, it's a smart choice for a profit-oriented company but to leave all the employees empty-handed and jobless was inhuman and unethical. It's just sad that I found out all about this and well…"

"Have you discussed that with the management?" Mikasa blew a breath.

"Of course. Being in a management committee, I should enumerate the possibilities of tension in the workforce and labor groups. They bribed me to keep my mouth shut and they'll only retain my job position due to my exemplary job performance. But I guess I couldn't work for a company that never treats its employees right. I feel bad about the mass layoff but what can I do about it? I can't act as a hero to injustices. People of power can always destroy your life. Reality has it that victims remain as victims."

"That's a sad truth," Mikasa said. "But I promise you Armin you'd be in good hands with Ackerman Holdings. Your talent and work ethic will be recognized there. And I'd always see to it that we treat our employees right."

Armin smiled. "Thanks, Mikasa. So… when do I submit my CV and requirements?"

"You can e-mail it to me and I'll tap the HR about this. My secretary will call you one of these days."

"That's noted. And I know you need a hand in identifying the crisis in some of your subsidiaries, especially since your brother isn't around yet. Anyway, how is Levi now?"

Would Mikasa dare to tell her friend the truth?

She sighed. "Armin, I need to tell you something about Levi."

Armin watched her closely and saw the fainting glow in her eyes. Mikasa was always enthused whenever she talked about Levi and his achievements. They were never close but Mikasa always sought her big brother's approval and recognition of her duties.

"He's awake… but he's not who he is."

Armin stopped chewing his food to give an ear. This was something he isn't expecting.

"Levi woke up with different memory. It could be some memory loss if not for recognizing people around him like they're living in another world."

"W-wait, I don't think I get it," Armin said. "What?"

"He had this imaginary world where he sees himself as a soldier. He knows me but not as his sister. He sees me as a comrade. Then you know Zeke, right? His best friend. He thought he was an enemy. Worst of all, he didn't see Petra as his girlfriend."

"Hold on… that's just… insane. Are you kidding me?"

"Armin, you identified him. He's the one in that video. Do you remember that freak who climbed down the building in Mitras? You didn't see any person but him. And yeah… I lied to you."

Armin reached for a glass of water and drank it down.

"And I've been so stressed out lately. Nobody on the board knows it yet. It's just me, Erwin, and Uncle Kenny," Mikasa added.

"But why are you keeping it a secret? Should the board know firsthand what is going on in the company? Especially if it involves a person with the highest position?" Armin pointed out.

"For some reason, Uncle Kenny didn't want us to decide yet. He'll be coming soon to assess the situation. I don't know but he wanted us to keep Levi's condition a secret."

"Why is that?"

"He didn't tell me but Erwin had his theories that it's the mutual trust and relationship between the Ackermans and the board of directors that's upholding the company," Mikasa said. "And once they found out about Levi, they'd probably lose their trust in Ackerman Holdings."

"That's just absurd…" Armin said. "Look Mikasa, Levi is the CEO but the performance of the company doesn't solely rely on one individual. You know that. There are those working in the background and it's all about the employees' collective efforts and productivity. Levi's memory loss will never be a problem if you guys can delegate the ablest person who can temporarily replace him. You can't impose responsibilities on someone who couldn't even remember what he does for a living."

"I know, Armin. That's why I'll be needing your support. Uncle Kenny's not too clear about his future plans yet. I don't know what's running in his head. He probably thinks he'll be forced back to that position whereas he declared he had his job turned over. He's the chairman but he didn't make a thorough evaluation of the current system and the possible risks of delegating a CEO who lost a whole memory of his life. The board wants Levi... but they are not aware of the whole situation."

"Do you think Levi will be forced to stay in position despite his condition?"

"Erwin predicts it."

Armin puts a thumb under his chin. "I don't know about your uncle's plans but I sense a desperate move for an inexplicable reason. Something doesn't sit right. How well do you know the board of directors individually?"

"Can't tell," Mikasa said. "I rarely meet them in person."

"Mikasa, have you been reading the reports and status of your subsidiaries? Are there irregularities and such?"

"I'm not sure about irregularities. I'm handling a lot of departments-both Erwin and me. My focus is entirely all over the place. I may even overlook some things.."

Armin was deeply engrossed in the situation. "Keep me posted about your company's situation, Mika. If your uncle decides to put Levi on the line regardless of his condition, there must be something fishy going on around the company."

"Don't say that Armin," Mikasa almost choked on her drink. "Please, I don't want another burden to carry. I've been carrying so much weight for months now during Levi's absence."

"Let's hope I'm wrong though," Armin said, trying to placate his suspicions. "I advise you should be around when your uncle and your brother talk."

Mikasa shrugged. "I really should, Armin. Levi wouldn't able to handle himself..."

A text message on Mikasa's phone interrupted their conversation. Armin noted the uneasiness on her face like she was reading bad news.

"Mika?"

"It's... it's Uncle Kenny," Mikasa announced, blanching out. "He's back."

Notes:

Here's for Chapter 20...

Yes. Hange's in love. What do we expect? ;)

Chapter 21

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Okay, let me just try to recall what happened." Yelena had her arms across her chest, staring down at Hange and a fresh-faced brood that was Eren.

The two were back at Yelena's apartment by dusk when the sky's leaning towards orange and dark blue. The suspicious car was parked outside the building, gathering its own crowd like it was a celebrity more than a real one in flesh.

Yelena retained her scrutinizing stance at Hange as if she was in a judicial proceeding. "So, I woke up at the dining table with the worst backache this morning and didn't find you anywhere in the house. I was calling your phone and…"

"It's dead," Hange said hastily. "Just this morning."

"Okay." Yelena nodded. "But you were gone the whole day only to come back in the evening with a younger guy in tow and a fucking sports car that's currently…"

The blonde glanced out the window to see more and more people gawking at the parked car outside. Most of them were taking pictures, others were curious, and others were giving their off-handed remarks.

"That's currently taking its own spotlight like some billionaire is somewhere in this building," Yelena continued. "Anyone saw you driving that car?"

"Just a few people," Hange said. "But nobody paid attention. Look, it was borrowed for a few days…"

"Are you sure nobody paid attention? Did you see the crowd outside? And who the crazy hell would lend a very expensive car to someone like you?!" Yelena shot her a glare, then looked at Eren. "You're quite young to own something like that. Are you a billionaire's son? Did you knock up Hange or something? Did you two run away?"

"Yelena, leave Eren out of this. I'll explain everything, okay?" Hange said with an annoyed face. Yelena was twice as overbearing as Moblit like a doting mother-and-grandmother combined. God, these days it felt like she owed every person an explanation for every strange event that is happening in her life.

"Yeah. I hope you can dish out a convincing plot."

"Levi Ackerman owned that car," Hange clarified. "That also explains why I went missing last night. I was cleaning up our mess when Yalkell's Police Department called me and told me about Levi being caught in a brawl. And this guy—Eren—got tangled in it because he attempted to foil criminals with bounties on their heads. You can imagine the rest. Long story short, we'll get the reward in a few days. Great, huh? I can finally pay for my space and if you let Eren stay with us, that's gonna cut our monthly rental expenses."

"Hold on." Yelena narrowed her eyes. "That's a lot to take in. Levi? Levi again? Thought he's gone in your life? And why would the police call you in the first place? Doesn't he have a family who could just bail him out smoothly even if he's got ten crimes under his name?"

"My number's in his call log. The number of times he tried to contact me made it suspicious that's why the police ended up questioning me," Hange explained. "And I just can't leave the guy alone."

"Now how about that," Yelena said, studying her again. "Guy's a little something to put you in a spin."

"Yelena, it's partly my fault that he's got into trouble," Hange said in mild frustration.

"Huh?"

"He's… he's been trying to catch me hanging out at the night market. You know how it's been between us. Turns out he's trying to learn things on his own and that led him someplace. He's got embroiled with a crime group where it could end his life right there but since he's manifesting the skills of a soldier, he breezed his way through that. However, it was rather suspicious for the police."

"Likely. A person who can foil criminals alone was utterly ridiculous." Yelena cocked her head and turned to Eren. "So what's it got to do with this one? Why did Levi help him?"

"Levi knows him by his name. Just like me," Hange said.

Yelena raised her hands. "Okay. I'm not sitting through the whole story of Levi Ackerman identifying strangers. What's bothering me are the duffel bags and stuff by the door. Is this Eren serious about moving in?"

"Look, it's just temporary. And like I said, Eren will pay for his space here. You got another vacant room, right?"

Yelena sighed. "My apartment's not for stray cats."

"Yelena!" Hange chastised her.

"Oh dear, you always have the soft spot for homeless people. Initially, I thought you are going to tell me you ran away with a billionaire's son because you're pregnant and you're eventually kicking me out of my own apartment because it'll turn into your marital home."

"Geez, Yelena. Just how many books have you consumed to plot something in your brain like that?!" Hange scoffed. "Hey, we need more volunteers in our team so Eren might be suitable to join in. Then perhaps he can be one of us too in the future."

Yelena gave Eren a dissecting look, making him more and more uncomfortable. "Not bad. You looked well-built-at least physically. Hey, have you saved lives before?"

Eren looked at Hange with a pleading look. No. I've caused deaths, unfortunately.

"Yelena, I think that isn't one of our requirements," Hange said. "He'll be volunteering. He won't get paid."

Yelena clicked her tongue and gave Hange a smug smile. "Yeah, but at least he should have that compassion for people. Saving lives isn't just our job because we need that paycheck."

"Oh, I'm crying," Hange taunted. "Said the woman who wanted to quit because she thinks saving lives isn't worth her time and effort anymore."

"But maybe this dude will find meaning in it if he ever tried," Yelena said, raising one brow. "It would be fulfilling to him, just like what it did to you. It's a dead-end job but it made you happy. Made you fall in love out of obligation."

"Oh just shut up, Yelena."

"I used to throw my life away as a teenager and caused my dad and his wife's deaths," Eren revealed. That got Yelena's attention. "I've had bad public records, got into drugs and I pretty much destroyed my life. In truth, I'm not a person with compassion but I've learned my lesson after life kept throwing rocks at me. And when Levi saved me, I guess that was my chance to change myself. Maybe I just need a purpose to see value in life, do the right things… I want my brother to see past the murderer that he thought I am."

"You're not a murderer, Eren," Hange reminded him gently.

"So, you wanted to prove something…" Yelena said with a thumb on her chin. "I guess you're fine. But remember it's about taking action and not all talk."

Hange groaned. "Why do you make it look like you're Chief Theo? You're not gonna be Eren's boss."

"Hange, he's gonna take space in my apartment. Part of my initiation rites."

"You're making things difficult." Hange palmed her head. "He's paying for his space."

"Sweet lord, I just want to make sure I'm still gonna wake up each morning and not for the neighbors to find my corpse rotting in my room three days later," Yelena said.

Eren looked at Hange apprehensively. She put a hand around his shoulder.

"It's okay. I've been called worse things by better people," Eren said flatly. "People have to say things about someone. Can't blame them if they got that impression about me."

"Well, don't get me wrong, chap. I'm not very trustworthy of people unless someone I trusted does…" Yelena said, looking at Hange. "And I loved Hange dearly so I assume you wouldn't break her trust. You're fine, but you still need to prove it."

"I'm sincere with what I said. And I can help with the cleaning, cooking, laundry…" Eren tried to list off the things he can be good at. "I can do your groceries, I am able enough to do-"

"That's not how to prove it," Yelena interrupted him. "Look, if you wanna really change as a person then you should start by playing a hero. Not a pretend hero. Be a volunteer and be one of us. Learn from the dangers of rescue missions, and learn that life is precious. It would be hard for you to look for a decent job because of your bad public records."

"I understand," Eren said stiffly.

"But to cook dinner for us ain't that bad. Go unpack your stuff in the vacant room and make something delectable when you're done. Everything's in the fridge. Whip something up," Yelena said, pointing at the nearest door to her left.

"Yes ma'am!" Eren said eagerly and trotted to the said room with all of his worn-out bags.

"Whoa, never thought it would be this hard to convince you." Hange followed Eren's figure until he closed the door behind him. "Don't scare him like that."

"As if being in a drug den wasn't scary enough. Don't treat him like a kid. He's fine. And he's tougher than you are."

Hange rolled her eyes.

"And well, I'm not really worried about him staying with us," Yelena said. "I can read him. He's not heading back to his old habits. And I could use more company in this boring apartment. Say, you're not moving in again to Moblit's are you?"

"Can't say. But you know I want to have a place of my own, too."

"Okay, but keep in mind that you can stay here as long as you want," Yelena said. "Or is Levi providing you a space now in his house?"

"Yelena, I met his girlfriend, Petra today so drop it, okay? Nothing's between Levi and me."

Yelena's eyes widened. "So how much did it hurt?"

"Fuck you."

"You must have died on the spot."

Hange's lips turned into a grim line. She exhaled loudly. "Yeah, you're right. It hurts like shit."

"If you're a masochist, you gotta love the feeling."

Hange found herself collapsing on the couch in surrender. "Thing is, I'm no masochist…"

"Sure? But then, you seem to enjoy chasing the pain. Why did you show up when he got into trouble? It should be someone close from his side like family or a friend. Or does he have that magic whistle to summon you when he's in deep shit?"

"Yelena, I just thought I need to be there for him. You see, I've never been this worried for a person before. Damn, I even cried in front of him."

"It's a mixture of emotions. But I would guess you worried about him because it's been a while since you haven't checked on him. But to cry? Really? That was something. Something you'd show to a special someone you actually cared about more than anyone else."

Fuck. Hange realized it as well.

"Look, you ended up at the precinct just the same." Yelena's long shadow loomed over her. "In the middle of the night. So, it shows now. His absence made your heart grow fonder."

"Because I thought something bad has happened to him. I was scared and I dunno why," Hange said. "It's stupid, Yelena. Why would I feel this way?"

"I don't know," Yelena just shrugged. "There are feelings that are out of our control. There will always be a part of us that we often question because they're contradictory to our actions and reasoning. But what's the next step for you? Are you just gonna stand there and repress it? Run away and cut ties with him? Move on like nothing happened?"

"I don't want to make things complicated between us again. Levi expected me to stick around for him so I decided to acknowledge this feeling. I don't want him putting himself into trouble again because of me. I know it would hurt with Petra around but maybe this kind of setup shall decide what's in for me in the future. Maybe I can move on gradually. And who knows, if Levi finally regained his memories, that's when I can finally exit from his life…"

"What a pessimist," Yelena said. "While I agree that you should accept what your heart is telling you, should you just also acknowledge the possibility that Levi can grow some feelings for you? His dependability on you speaks so much of a helpless man who had you as his crutch. If you're going to be there for him all the time, things might be in the works. Things might change between the two of you."

"Not gonna happen," Hange said, stretching out her legs. "It's just so wrong. And I'll never hurt a fellow woman. He still belongs to Petra."

"He belongs to no one," Yelena said. "He'll decide if he is. But what if…"

"No... fuck your hypotheticals…"

"Hange, what if Levi fell in love with you?"

"There are things that aren't bound to happen at all."

"But then, things are also bound to happen. That's why there are called 'miracles'. Levi waking up with a different memory tells it all."

"Just stop this nonsense."

"What are you afraid of? Oh, I get it. You see the possibility too."

"That's not it," Hange clipped.

"Then what?"

"If that happens… I might need to run away from him."

"Why?"

Hange put an arm over her forehead and rested her head against the backrest of the couch. "I don't know, Yelena. It feels like the world is gonna be against us…"

Kenny Ackerman was bad news.

Levi had been staring at his phone for five minutes upon receiving a call from Mikasa earlier. It appears the old man Kenny was already in town with a hurricane in tow, and it was giving him the jitters he had never felt since waking up from his coma. At least Kenny in the other world was understandably a person to avoid at all costs, even going to the point of literally slitting his throat without holding any guilt. However, it had been too late to establish a filial relationship with the old guy just when it was revealed that he was Levi's family just before losing his breath.

Kenny could be a bad guy in this world. Or maybe good. But it was best to manage expectations to save a false presumption.

"We'll visit you first thing in the morning. Erwin's coming along too," Mikasa had said.

He ran a hand through his head, gathering a fistful of hair.

Shit, why does living in this kind of world had to be this difficult? I'm not signed up for this.

He paced back and forth in his room, making sure to lock the door had Petra decided to slither her way inside and occupy one side of the bed again. He was a little thankful that she was cooped up in her room after talking to her father on the phone. It could be some unfinished paperwork in their family business that she needs to sort through.

He looked at his phone again and swiped at the contacts. One press and it didn't take too long to hear Hange's voice after four rings. The weight on his chest lightened.

"I'm glad you finally bothered to unblock me," he drawled with a curve on his lips.

"Not bad to hear your voice again, Levi. What's up?"

He sighed and plopped onto his bed. "How's Eren?"

"I thought you're gonna ask for your car."

"You can destroy it for all I care."

"Oh? And make me suffer for its running costs? I'll give it back in a few days. I really don't need one, okay? Don't question me for scratches or dirt though."

"Whatever. You can give it back in pieces and I wouldn't give a rat's ass about it. Now, back to my question, four-eyes. Is Eren staying with you?"

"Yes. We have another vacant room in the apartment so Eren can stay in and maybe, pay for the space for a while. It's an advantage too since we're dividing the rent by three. I'll hook him up tomorrow with the volunteer brigade so he can train to be in the rescue team—that is, if he performs well. He'll just need something to keep him busy and occupied. And I'll see to it that his money reward will only be spent on necessities."

Levi nodded his head slightly. "Thanks, four-eyes. You have a kid to look after. You okay with that?"

"He's not a toddler nor a teenager. He's an adult. He can take care of himself. What are you, his father?"

There was a chuckle from the other line and Levi rolled his eyes. "We used to take care of teenagers back then, Hange. You and me. That includes Eren. You used to be close to him because you loved experimenting with his body."

"Experimenting with his body?! Can you be clear with that statement? That doesn't sound right."

"He's a human who can turn into a giant monster. Somehow, you're fascinated with those kinds of creatures and you wanted to discover their origins."

"So human experiments? Couldn't I get any creepier than that? Wait, are you serious?"

"You being a soldier was always overlooked because you are notorious for being called a mad scientist. Not a lie."

"Aha… but we're also close to each other, too. Technically, you're hanging out with a mad person so what does that make you?"

Levi scoffed. "I'm still humanity's strongest and well-respected. That never changed. But despite your craziness, you were still adored by many because you've done largely in improvising our weapons to raise our kill counts. I'd say you're 'Humanity's Smartest' for that."

"Whoah, thanks for the recognition then. So what do we call ourselves? Do we come up with a moniker or something? What do the kids call us?"

"I'm not sure what they call us behind our backs. But I'd say we could've been parents to those kids."

"P-parents?" There was a three-second pause. "W-well… should it be guardians? Or mentors?"

"What's wrong with the term?" Levi asked innocently.

"What makes you think we are like parents? Would you even call yourself their father? And I'm the mother? Are you thinking we are married back there?"

Levi thought about it for a second. Was he missing something? Or was Hange having a different context in mind? Being "parents" would automatically mean a romantic affair, and having children is the result of that partnership. Maybe it was unintended or the lack of interpretation on his part. "You're right, Hange. We are not married. Best to call ourselves their guardians."

Hange went silent for the second time. "But I think you're being an overprotective guardian to Eren that much. I see you are still attached to your memories."

Levi stalled for a second, realizing he is drifting again to that world where he has picked a group of teenagers to be on his team after losing his old one. It was a rowdy bunch he so wanted to whip their asses every now and then, and yet at the same time, he secretly thought largely about their welfare. Everything comes back, yet so unnecessary. It was something he needed to flush out of his system immediately.

"I guess I still can't get the memory out of my head. The more I meet strangers with knowledge of their names, the more I'm carried back there," Levi said.

"Look, Levi," Hange said with a hardened tone. "It's your memory that's at fault here and I hope you could do something about that. It also affects your character which may be unfavorable to those around you. There was your friend Zeke, and then there was Petra. How did she even take this? Seeing new people in your house? I sense my presence made her so uncomfortable."

Levi collapsed on his bed. "But Hange, this isn't about Petra."

"Levi, she's living with you," Hange pointed out. "And I have to know how she took it. I don't want her to misinterpret things between us. It just felt wrong when you're getting close to me—another woman—"

"I already explained things to her. Not your fault if she takes it all wrong. Is that too big of a concern?"

"There are unspoken languages of women," Hange explained, sucking in a sharp breath. "I made her a bit jealous. Men can get friendly with other women but there are cases of possessive partners who'll see it the other way. I don't want that…"

"We're not doing anything wrong. Why give a shit if Petra thinks otherwise?"

"It's easy to say that because you're a man. Men disregard women's feelings because most of the time, it can get petty and inexcusable. But she's your girlfriend, Levi. Your relationship is back to square one and she's expecting you to be spending more time with her to rekindle your lost romance. And maybe… she won't allow you to be with strangers anymore. Women are extremely jealous creatures."

"You're just making foolish assumptions," Levi said, biting the inside of his cheek. "And I have my own freedom… at least today. I can choose whoever I want to be with because what's next would be unpredictable. That I should worry about more than anything."

"So…I would guess your uncle's coming?"

As expected, Hange can read him. "Yeah. Tomorrow."

"You're nervous?"

"A bit."

"This call isn't really all about Eren, is it?" Hange predicted. "It's about your uncle."

"I'm nervous about what kind of person he is," Levi confessed. "Before knowing he was my uncle in my other world, we always chase each other to death. And then it was too late to get to know him better because he died too soon. He took care of me when I was little… taught me how to survive. At least I got to learn survival skills because he let me fend on my own. He said he's not cut out to be a parent, hence his desertion of me…"

"Are you worried he's not a nice man just like the one in your memory?"

"My sister told me otherwise. But I doubt it…"

"I understand your feelings. But you should meet him first before you assume he's someone to be of concern. Look, he's been your provider all through these years. He made you a respectable and dignified person. And has he ever threatened your life before? Have you found articles that say Ackermans have bad family relationships? Think about it."

"I guess you're right."

"He's your uncle. He's been with you for years. Whatever he is in your memory, expect that he'll be different in this world. But whatever he wanted with you for the time being, let's also assume he had his valid reasons. And it's for the better. You should trust who he is right now. Relax. Everything's gonna be fine. It's not like he's gonna kill you at your first meeting."

Levi sank further to his bed, staring at the ceiling. "That's what happened actually as far as I can remember..."

"Hey stop that. Don't go there. How many times do I have to drag you back to reality?"

"Whatever Hange. But I am glad you're there for me. You know how to make me feel better about fucked-up situations…"

The other line went silent again. Then Hange responded, "Have you even talked to Petra about this? Your sentiments?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I feel better when it's you who listens. Why should it be better with her?"

Hange's huff was louder on the other line. "Because she's your partner. Partners are supposed to share their feelings and sentiments. What did I ever do to make you trust me like this?"

"You saved my life," Levi said matter-of-factly. "That's enough reason for me to trust you."

"I would've done the same with other people because it's my job, Levi. But I just hope you'd confide in Petra too. Learn to see her in a different light. Can you do it?"

"Fine..."

"Okay, so I guess it's better if you take your rest now. Relax and sleep tight, Levi. Keep me posted. I hope everything goes well."

"Thanks, four-eyes."

It was quiet and dark again after the call has ended. Levi had his phone over his chest and contemplated his future. It had been strange that wars didn't make him stressed out but the idea of meeting one man that is Kenny Ackerman. However, the anxiety has lessened significantly with a simple phone call with Hange Zoe.

Before knowing they are bonded by blood, Levi described Kenny as vile, atrocious—a parody of all evil combined. He is always out for blood, however, the bloodlust is not out of the psychopathic tendencies of a serial killer. It was more of "dutiful devotion" to his job. Kenny was always serious about the threats around him and it is always easier to pull the trigger than hold a conversation. No one can talk Kenny out of mercy. You'll be dead even before you can open your mouth.

"You haven't touched breakfast yet, Levi." Petra was serving food over their plates as Levi was padding back and forth in the adjacent living room. "Is your Uncle Kenny coming so soon? Did he mention what time today?"

"Can't tell," Levi clipped. "He could be a very punctual person—who knows? Mikasa said they're dropping by this morning with Erwin. It could be as early even before I can take a shit."

Petra frowned at his vulgarity. "You looked nervous. But when I see that expression from you, it means you are more than excited. So are you excited to meet him?"

"Hell no!" Levi snapped.

Petra looked hurt. "W-well, there's nothing to be nervous about. Come on now, have your breakfast first. You should calm down. He's your uncle and you got along well."

"That's unimaginable…"

"Levi, don't take him for a stranger you're meeting for the first time. You looked up to him. He's your mentor. You acknowledged his leadership in those years he made Ackerman Holdings one of the best institutions in Paradis," Petra said, scooping a spoonful of sugar into the cups of coffee.

"If I've been that goody-two-shoes nephew then he should disown me right now," Levi said, then taking notice of the coffee. "Can I have tea instead?"

"Levi, I told you you're not a tea drinker…"

"I'd feel relaxed with tea more than coffee."

Levi trudged his way slowly to the dining table. Before he could settle on his seat, the elevator rang, announcing the arrival of their morning visitors. They are the same ones Levi expected: Mikasa, Erwin, and the man he had been anxious about all this time.

Suddenly, his sister and the blond guy were blurred in his eyes, giving his focus on the older man who walked in the last, implying his "royal" presence needed more attention and importance at any event.

Kenny Ackerman was an air of arrogance and intimidation but Levi saw a man quite different than who he remembered in his memory. Sans the bowler hat that he had the habit of tipping off, Kenny looked neat with his thinning hair brushed back, and a designer business suit to match. He doesn't look wicked at least, but it was strange that Levi was missing his bared teeth and lopsided smirk. He looked stern, serious, and authoritative that Levi could choke on his spit. His usually pronounced scowl has smoothed out like he was one of those old and wrinkled people who took aging gracefully. For an old man he found "dirty" in his memory, Kenny looked fine and dandy. Perhaps it was his status in this society that he should look publicly presentable by default. For a second, Levi wondered if his uncle was a pretentious son of a bitch who carried knives under his sleeves.

"Good morning," Mikasa greeted somberly. Her always gloomy aura was a little worse today and it could be a sign that this meeting was indeed the reason.

"Levi." Somehow, Erwin lightened up the mood with his charm. He also acknowledged Petra who scooted up next to Levi to greet the visitors. "How are you, Petra?"

"I'm great. We're both great!" Petra said cheerfully, hooking her arm around Levi. "Hello there, Mikasa! Been a while, Uncle Kenny."

Kenny could only nod in response. His eyes immediately turned towards Levi who stiffened like a plank with extra shivers down his spine, making this meeting much uncomfortable. They stared at each other without saying a word, until the creases on Kenny's face become more visible, giving his nephew a suspecting look.

"Uh, please feel at home. I can make coffee and some treats. Or breakfast, anyone?" Petra could sense the awkwardness pooling in and she was always good at mellowing down the thickening air around them.

"I'll help you with the breakfast." It was Mikasa who volunteered and headed to the kitchen herself without anything much to say. Levi wondered what was going on with her.

Petra looked surprised. She smiled it off. "Fine then. With your help, we can have more fancy food on our plates!"

"Just making sure Uncle Kenny wouldn't be using the toilet a few times after consuming breakfast…" Mikasa whispered in her ear. She sure has been salty ever since. "His guts are sensitive. Typical old folks' bowel problems."

"Is… is that a joke?" Petra quivered.

"No," Mikasa clipped. "Now come on and learn from me."

Petra followed Mikasa silently into the kitchen as Levi watched them.

Kenny sighed audibly, tearing Levi's attention away from the two women.

It was Erwin who snapped the rising silent tension between the male Ackermans. "Maybe it's best to take our seats and…"

"Erwin," Kenny interrupted. "I'd like to talk to my nephew first. We'll discuss the plans later."

He sounded calm yet demanding. Or perhaps it's his authority that Erwin will let him butt in while he was stringing sentences. And that was new to hear. It was also strange to see both Kenny and Erwin stand side by side like this. Both were powerful men in the military but certainly were enemies. Kenny's language was always boisterous yet offensive, and sounding diplomatic was ridiculous. The old man began surveying the penthouse in a displeased manner.

"I learned from Mikasa that you helped in designing this lofty penthouse to suit your standards. Not bad. Minimalist yet classy. But not that superb. Looks like a bachelor's pad more than a family's abode. Doesn't even look child-friendly. Those cantilevered stairs are quite dangerous and solely for aesthetic purposes. I think the floor area was not properly utilized. Too much space for the pools and the outdoor area. Your kitchen and dining room were combined in a tighter space. The living room was nice though with the high ceilings, allowing the flow of fresh air from outside. This space was alluring enough for a magazine feature but it's not a practical living space for the ordinary citizen. This exclusivity is solely for your indulgence. Is that it?"

"Are you here for house inspection or to criticize my taste?" Levi asked sarcastically. Erwin was quick to put a hand over his shoulder. "Well maybe, before losing my memory, I was pretty much indulged in luxury. But that was the old me, I think I'm a better person now after smashing my head. Just so you know, being an Ackerman in this world is too much."

Kenny raised one brow. And the smug grin finally came into view. He looked at Erwin like they are mentally conversing.

"We'd better take this outside. It looks refreshing there and you might need to cool down your head…" Kenny said calmly, pointing at the outdoor pool. "After you, Levi."

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance and marched his way outside the pool area with Kenny behind him. Erwin shook his head, looking over at Mikasa by the counter, who had her eyes on them since leaving them alone with Kenny. She shrugged limply.

"So much has changed about you…" Kenny noted, standing alongside Levi by the edge of the pool. "There's something in those eyes of yours. And that stride..."

"Something you didn't like?"

Kenny twitched his lips.

"I thought Mikasa and Erwin had briefed you already," Levi said. "I'm not the person you used to know."

"It shows," the older man agreed, nodding his head. "You'd never interrupt whenever I talk. And I could sense you are overflowing with hate. Now tell me something I don't know."

Are you fucking kidding me? Kenny was acting like he was not convinced about Levi's condition. He looked calm and collected, or most probably carefully examining him.

"I know nothing in this world," Levi simply said. "Except that those people I know were different than who I recalled."

"World? Why, do you have another world where you existed?" Kenny asked skeptically as if asking a child about flying elephants.

"Are you fucking doubting about me, Kenny?"

Kenny froze. Five seconds have passed and he heaved a breath in exasperation. "It's the first time I heard you call me by my first name."

If only Zeke was here.

"What should I address you when you're basically a stranger to me?" Levi snarled with impatience. "Have you doubted what Mikasa told you?"

"I have to experience it myself."

"And now you see it. You must be amused and entertained by this circus." Levi flared up. "I'll make it simple. I don't remember myself as some tycoon who's got money for toilet paper. I remember myself as a soldier who got a burning desire to kill his uncle."

"Well played."

"We're at each other's throats in my memory. You almost gunned down me on several occasions."

"And I'd guess you're just too good at dodging my bullets."

"I am. And you were killed eventually."

"Oh, how tragic. And you must've thrown a grand party."

"Are you just here to fuck with me?!" Levi exploded. Kenny's intoned responses pushed his buttons and were getting under his skin. He is very much tempted to hurl the old man into the pool just like what he did to Hange. "You think everything about this condition was a lie? A fucking joke? Do I look like lying to you?!"

"Yes."

"The hell…" Levi cussed.

"Some people lie to escape responsibilities, using deluded thoughts for cover. Who knows? Maybe you are running away from something."

Running away from whatever the fuck that is. Levi widened his eyes in disbelief. For Kenny to arrive at that theory, does it mean he sees Levi as an irresponsible piece of shit?

Kenny just sighed and walked away from him, heading back inside where Mikasa, Petra, and Erwin were nervously waiting by the glass doors. Levi's fuming voice caught their attention but neither of the trio dared to intervene.

When Kenny settled back into the living room, his hands went straight to his pockets in a relaxed manner. He was unreadable at the moment but Mikasa could tell he was about to announce something important.

Levi followed sluggishly with a confused, red face. He stood by the corner and waited, balling his fists on his sides.

"Mikasa, Erwin, I want you to make a press release about Levi's improving condition and full recovery. Make sure that the announcement will reach the board, stakeholders, and the media. State that he'll be coming around next week for a board meeting. The company shall be prepared for his comeback."

"W-what?!" Levi's mouth dropped.

Mikasa tried to retort. "B-but Uncle… he's not…"

"Yes, your brother is fine, Mikasa. He's sharp and clever as always. Ready to pounce on challenges, and very much excited to be back on track. I want everyone to hear the good news that our beloved CEO was in perfect health."

"Are you planning to destroy the company so bad?!" Levi asked incredulously. "If that happens, it's solely on you. You and your half-assed ideas!"

"That depends on you if you want to uphold the company's reputation like you usually do. Also, you'd want to make up with Petra and let the public know that you got back together. Go around in town. Go on dinner dates. Show them no trace of scandal. People are disheartened by the fiasco months ago and with this news, I'm sure the controversies will leave you," Kenny babbled on.

Levi huffed. "You don't know what you're saying…"

"Kenny, I think that was too much…" Erwin argued. "Levi can't just simply accomplish everything with so little timeframe. His current memories are limited to pretty much nonexistent events, and to force him into a job that required years of acquired skills and expertise is plainly absurd."

"I know you have plans all laid out, Erwin," Kenny hissed. "Show me your cards. Do what you have to do. You're as talented as Levi and I trust you won't allow him to fire a gun without a bullet. You can act as Levi's backup. Aren't you happy he's already on good terms with you? Talk to you as if he never saw you as a threat to his ego?"

Erwin's further arguments remained stuck in his throat. Nobody has ever dared to oppose Kenny Ackerman. Those orders are wildly unreasonable and unacceptable, and all Erwin could do is wag his tail and recoil, trusting Kenny had something big that has yet to be divulged.

"Uncle, we understand your concerns and we're doing our best to familiarize Levi with his role as the CEO. But it takes time, and we can't just drag him into the office and make him perform his duties as flawlessly as before. He completely lost it. He wouldn't even know how things go around in the company and… what if his real condition slipped? It's gonna cause more trouble and controversy. We're not risking that in Ackerman's name. People wouldn't need to know about his real condition but if you're thinking about the board's faith in us, we could simply discuss the truth and talk them out of it. Don't we and each one on the board trust one another? We—Erwin and I can step up to fill Levi's role for a while until he can fully function or by some miracle have his memories restored. But please, we can't put Levi in a much more critical position," Mikasa begged. Levi was a little thankful that she was at his side.

"You heard my decision," Kenny finalized, fixing his cuffs. "I'm not changing it."

"You're pretty much the same," Levi hissed at him with sharp eyes. "You're never considerate. What a selfish bastard. This isn't about me escaping something. This is about you escaping your duties. Like what? Sit on your ass on a remote island somewhere while I rack my brain for some shitty duty I didn't want to take part in? Your retirement is still three years from now and you are putting all the burden on me. Are you really our family?!"

Kenny glowered at him.

"Yeah, you're very much the same in my memory. Except that you've been killing people," Levi added with acid on his tongue. "And now you're killing me with duties that are beyond my understanding."

"I'll see you all next week for the board meeting. Do your best," Kenny ignored him and reminded the rest of them, "And Mikasa, your brother's a grown-up man. Don't babysit him. Let's put our trust that he'll pull through this."

Mikasa bowed her head.

The tension was building up and Levi could only clench his fist in silence. He was burning inside with so much hate for himself. Was it his fault in the first place that he provoked Kenny to make things worse than they are?

Back in his memory, he was adept at dodging Kenny's bullets. In reality, he was emotionally shot a hundred times. And if anything, Levi would have preferred the quickest way to die.

But maybe he should take his tea first.

Notes:

All I can say is: take it easy, Kenny...

My plan for this fic is only up to 25 chapters but... with no plot in mind and ideas kept popping in... I can't seem to see where this is gonna take me. Lol!

Kudos and comments are ALWAYS appreciated. Trust me, they're my fuel to keep writing. :)

Chapter 22

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

He's quiet. That's strange.

And it's been over a week now.

Hange had been flipping her phone over and over in place of a stress ball, almost dropping it twice by accident due to her sloppiness without having anything in hand to ease her anxiety. There it was again, the worry that creeps out of nowhere in the middle of the busiest times, wrenching her from focus and muffling all the external noises surrounding her. For days she's no longer counting, she never received any update from Levi. Should she call him or not? Text him or not? How would she know what he was up to?

Of course, there is a way. It's not like her life would be cut down by a decade at the decision of checking up on him. His number is conveniently registered on her phone and there was the "call button" that only awaits a press of her finger. But she had been vacillating at the consequences of it. She can't seem to initiate the first move and act like she was a snooping wife to her husband. What if Petra finds out?

So, is this the kind of feeling Levi felt when she ghosted him for a week? Or was he trying to pull off the same stunt to get back at her? But it would be a little out of character if he did. He would be busier thinking of his future problems than pissing her off.

"What is going on Levi?"

She had never been this worried since the last time she fetched him in the precinct. He is always close to trouble—or worst, being the troublemaker himself, and after talking to him about meeting his uncle, a lot of things had already played in her head.

Was he forbidden to go outside? Did his uncle bring him to an isolated island mansion surrounded by the best doctors to restore his memories? Or was he locked in a basement of a hospital and given some sort of psychosurgery to tweak parts of his brain? Did they cut and stitch him up?

Or maybe it was Petra? Did she confiscate his phone and delete her number in Levi's contacts? Was she mad about her being close to Levi? Did she lock him in his room? Was she going to force him to marry her too soon so he wouldn't be able to get close to any other women? Will she make him get her pregnant?

What the fuck, Hange! Snap out of it!

She was shaking her head in utter disgust of her wild imagination, barely laughing to herself that she was going crazy over nonsense thoughts of Levi being snatched away from her.

Snatched? And since when did Levi become her property? He's never hers to begin with.

One phone ring pulled her out from drowning in her menacing thoughts. She was too quick to answer, expecting his voice to sound on the other line.

"Hange! It's Nifa."

"N-Nifa?" Her face fell. She was silent for a moment as if the caller was not as important as emergency calls.

"Hey, have you forgotten about me? I was the nurse at Sina's General Hospital. We had each other's numbers."

Hange pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling fury and shame bubbling up inside her. "W-why… oh… hi! Of course, I remember you, Nifa!"

She forced a cheery tone. She was still caught up in her imagination of Petra and Levi being alone in the penthouse.

"So how have you been? I've been dying to call you yesterday because I thought you'd want to know something about Levi Ackerman. He was here the other day, handing out gifts to all our staff. He's thanking every one of us who took care of him while he was in a coma. I heard he also donated a huge amount of money to improve our hospital facilities and fund half of the building extension project! Never thought he was that nice!"

Hange's head throbbed. So that explained why Levi didn't contact her for days? Was the hospital visit not an important event for him to let her know? Maybe.

"I guess he's very much okay now. I mean, I told you he was not himself the last time he went missing. But it appears he's back to normal. Could just be a temporary memory loss. He's also accompanied by his family. His uncle, his sister, and his girlfriend. Oh my god, I was gushing over him and Petra Ral! They looked like a royal couple. I'm glad they're back together!"

Back together?

"T-that's… that's lovely to hear. I initially thought he completely lost it…" Hange croaked. A pang of pain hit her chest. She could even bang her head against a wall. Or better yet she could just drop the call, couldn't she?

"Petra was a sweetheart! Can you believe she gave us girls sample kits of her newly endorsed products? And well, she also hinted that she's soon to marry Levi! She's wearing a diamond ring and it's not hard to guess that's an engagement ring. Have you seen some snapshots of them on social media? They were back to having groceries together. They were seen in restaurants, they were visiting charity events, they're all over the news."

"Nifa, hold on." Hange was already distracted. She didn't like where this was heading. "They were already seen in public?"

"Where have you been all your life? It's all over the news! Levi Ackerman's back from a long hiatus and was now back in his CEO duties, and perhaps… being Petra's boyfriend."

"I'm… just a little…" Fucked up. "Busy. I don't have time to check the current events."

"Oh. I see… well, Levi and Petra were always caught in public for years so that's nothing new. This was just pretty controversial because of their canceled engagement last time and then Levi was caught in an accident. But I think it wouldn't be an issue nowadays since they got to patch things up—as always. They'd still end up together anyway. Levi had never been caught in an affair once so it's really up to Petra. God… who the hell would reject a man that's Levi Ackerman? She probably realized now that she couldn't live without him so that's just about it! I thought you'd be interested to know so I dropped you a call. Hey, maybe I'll see you around for drinks and have a little catching up? Tell me when you're free."

"I'll definitely hit you up when I got the time, Nifa. I just got back to work and my hands are full these days."

"What a drag. But it's okay. I'd understand we got our bills to pay!" She was laughing. "Suddenly now, I wish I was Petra."

"I beg your pardon?"

"She's pretty, she's rich, and she had a hot fiancé. I bet she's living the dream we ordinary folks would beg to experience even for just a day. You know, have someone like Levi Ackerman by our side. What more can you ask for?"

Adding fuel to the fire made it worse. Hange's hand tightened on her phone as if she would crush it. Nifa's teeny voice created a "Petra" echo chamber in her skull and she couldn't do anything to silence the voice. "Well, I'm a little low-key on my lifestyle so I wouldn't wish for a life like Petra's. I'm lucky enough to get around each day and have food on my table. I'd rather be an ordinary person than be pretty and famous, eating controversies for breakfast because I couldn't decide if my feelings for a man were earnest. I'd rather be the person who is resolute at loving someone and not destroy his feelings just because my life was perfect and it gets boring as fuck. And if I'm going to break up with him, I'm not going to do it in the middle of a wedding proposal where the excitement was high and I'm gonna ruin it for everybody. I'm not gonna run away and make him wonder what he had done wrong to deserve the humiliation. I'm not gonna send him pub-crawling because I made his life miserable and definitely won't let a car rage on his path, prompting 'someone' to save his life. And now it's just easy for her to claim him back like nothing happened?"

There was a pause on the other line. "Hange, is… is there something wrong?"

"Hell yes! That's just unfair. And there's no way she had it pretty easy to restore her relationship like that. Levi nearly lost his life because she's selfish and… and… "

"Hange…?"

"Sometimes, I think Levi Ackerman was better off alone than have someone who can ditch him any time and then pick him back up when she's in the mood. He's only making a fool out of himself."

"Are you okay?"

"I… uh…" Shit. Hange didn't mean to let her feelings take over their conversation. "Holy shit, what am I saying?"

"God, you're so full of hate. Do you hate Petra?"

"N-no. It's nothing like that!"

"Well, are you perhaps friends with Levi? Do you know what went on with his life? Wait, you're not telling me things. Am I missing something?"

"Nifa… oh shoot, I think my boss is calling me. I—I gotta go. I'll just catch up with you soon, 'kay?"

"Okay… but…"

"I'll see you soon! I'm sorry but I gotta take this call. Bye!"

And Hange pressed the "end call" button as soon as Nifa could say another word.

Fuck.

What a bearer of bad news. Hange was stalled for seconds, staring blankly at nothing in particular until she heard screams from afar. But screams are just a frequent occurrence in her line of job. They no longer register to her as an inbound danger. The "screams" in her head were much overpowering, shutting down her senses.

She had been contemplating that damn phone call. Her devastation has eaten up her remaining good mood for the day and she needed all kinds of distractions to keep her focus on something else.

Why does everything fuckin' hurts?

So Levi has probably got his memories back? But would that mean he has also forgotten all about her?

She sucked in a breath.

"Hange!"

Her head snapped.

"Oh god! Watch out!"

"Hange! Above you!"

She was spaced out for a moment, and the second her head whipped to her right to locate the voices, she saw Eren screaming at her, sprinting towards her with a face that looked—well—alarmed.

Alarmed?

She must have forgotten she was on duty at the moment. Another demolition project where safety officers were assigned to ensure no civilians are hanging around in the area before the structure blows off to the ground.

The building was dilapidated and prone to falling debris and Hange was a waiting casualty.

And it looks like it.

There was a loud clank from above, followed by something hard falling onto her head. She sure had seen stars and something rough has fallen over her shoulder and back, sending her down to her knees. The next thing she remembered, strong hands roughly grabbed at her, yanking her unmoving body away from falling things from above—whatever they were. She knew her eyes were open, but couldn't see a thing. Soon, darkness consumed her vision. Her body was falling over, and she couldn't control it.

Was it the end of the world?

Or the end of her life?

And with news like Nifa's, it seemed to be like it.

This blow to the head better be wiping off her memories for good.

Levi could've forgotten how to say a prayer—everything that he mumbled came out as a litany of curses tumbling through his head. He is not a believer and yet he was summoning all the heavenly bodies in the universe to guide him through this insufferable tribulation that his evil uncle had imposed on him. His calendar of activities was a flurry of studying his duties, making public appearances, going for charity visits, and having dinner dates with Petra. Those days were a blur, and he couldn't believe that he succumbed to Kenny's authority and become a puppet in this madness.

The Ackerman Holdings megabuilding was an imposing, distinct structure in Stohess district that was easily distinguished by its sleek, textured concrete and aggregating glass panels embellishing the entirety of its architecture. It has the homey feels of his penthouse in Mitras and by the similar touches of minimalist and classic aesthetics, Levi had a feeling he partook in its design. As he got out of Mikasa's car and into the foyer, he was easily greeted by unfamiliar faces he was not sure if he had met before. He chose silence as a safer option so people will not trace his sudden indifference. The last thing they want—and according to Kenny—is to raise suspicion about his real condition.

He was greatly admired as a soldier in his other world. He's been used to having people gush around him due to his unparalleled skills being a squad captain, however, seeing suspecting eyes trailing his every move as he walked through the hallways of the building made his heart pound by the double, threatening to leap out of his chest that he'll drop dead once it's made its own escape.

Shit. And here he was, living the bad dream through Kenny's insistence.

He was trailing behind Erwin who held himself with calmness and composure, accompanied by an intense stride of a military commander. Mikasa, on the other hand was by his side, taking him by the arm as if she was holding him like a captive who had the intention to run off any minute now.

"Good morning, Mr. Levi! We're glad to have you back!"

"What a pleasant day to see you back on track!"

"We're very happy to receive the news that you're getting better, sir!"

There are more greetings on the way—in every step—in every square meter he covered, and the more people who happen to stop by and take a good look at him—making sure they were not seeing a ghost—he suddenly felt perturbed, unsure how to take the shower of pleasantries.

"Just look straight ahead," Mikasa whispered close to his ears, feeling his stiffness. "Don't mind them. It's a protocol to greet the higher-ups. And they're not expecting you to greet them back anyway."

"It felt suffocating…" Levi complained. It didn't help that the suit he was wearing was also a little tight for his liking. His hair was brushed back neatly when he left the penthouse, and now a few loose strands were falling off in place.

"Just play along," Mikasa said. "You looked nervous. The meeting's not today."

"Why wouldn't I be? You called me this morning on short notice. I'm not even ready to be here," he growled lowly.

"Levi, you should expect this to happen a lot of times starting today. Also, Uncle Kenny's orders."

"Tch. He's nuts."

"We need you to familiarize yourself getting around the office. It's necessary, okay?"

"Does everybody expect me to know their names?"

"Of course not. You only knew the names of the board of directors and the department heads. Erwin has briefed you about it beforehand, remember?"

"Then why is Kenny not around? His royal mightiness should be here of all people, right?"

"Levi…" Mikasa clicked her tongue. "Please have respect."

"That old geezer was just too good to give orders but not once did he make a good impression since we met. So, was I always been like this? Following him around like a training dog? How can you stand him, Mikasa?"

"Levi, keep it down…" She tightened her grip on his arm. "Can it wait until we get to your office?"

"Is everything okay?" Erwin halted and checked on them.

"Let's just hurry," Mikasa clipped, rolling her eyes.

"We're almost there, Levi," Erwin said and smiled. "Just so you know, we made a temporary office for you next to mine and Mikasa's. You used to have an entire floor for your office alone, including a stay-in room where you can stay over for a night for your overtime. You pretty much enjoyed the luxury and amenities of being a CEO but these days, you should know we need to be remotely close to each other."

"As if I had a choice…" Levi deadpanned.

They passed a couple more spacious halls, common rooms, and cubicle areas, and Levi initially thought he was approaching the farthest end of the earth. The last hall was a work area separated by partition walls and sets of cubicles. The furious tapping of keyboards, whirring printers, and simultaneous phone calls filled his ears. Somehow, there was a part of him that noted the familiarity in the environment.

A blonde, petite young woman was seen scurrying across the hall with a stack of papers in her hands. She was a little uncoordinated in her steps, and nearly stumbled right in front of Levi.

"Oi, watch it!" Levi's hands were too fast to break her fall, steadying her by the shoulders.

Round, bright blue eyes stared at him with her mouth agape. "Mr. Levi…sir…"

Something registered in Levi's brain. The young woman was very much the same person as he remembered.

"Clumsy as always," Levi muttered. "Historia…"

"W-what?" The woman paled at the mention of her name.

"Historia," Levi repeated. "Aren't you Historia Reiss?"

There was a quiver in her mouth. Her hands tightened at the papers she was holding, then swallowed hard. "Sorry but… it's… it's Krista Lenz, sir."

It took a while for him to notice—that particular event called the attention of everyone on the floor. Levi saw everyone's confused faces staring at him, including the jittering blue-eyed woman in front of him. Then three familiar faces caught his eyes: Sasha Blouse, Jean Kirstein, and Connie Springer.

"Sasha, Jean, Connie…?" The names were said a little louder. Audible enough within a three-meter distance and loud enough for the trio to hear. They gasped visibly.

"You can go back to work, Krista," Mikasa ordered, prompting the blonde staff to turn on her heels and shuffle away. She sighed and turned back to Levi with narrowed eyes. "Don't talk to any personnel like that."

"I… I just happen to know them. They're familiar to me," Levi reasoned. "Would you even know if I knew them before all this?"

"I don't think you know anyone of them by their names," Mikasa said in both wonder and worry. "At least that's what I can recall. Aren't you a bit of a full-blown surprise for everyone here?"

"Let's better hurry to your office," Erwin said, putting an arm around Levi and leading him away from the murmurs filling up the room.

The cubicle area resumed its usual business as the three powerhouse officers disappeared to Levi's new office.

"Did you see that? Something's off," Sasha whispered to both Jean and Connie who nodded in agreement.

"The CEO knows us?" Jean asked, fanning a folder to his face. "I mean, you guys heard him say our names, right? Or is it just me?"

"Yeah. I heard it too. I don't seem to recall he knew us by our names and faces. And… did he just call Krista a different name?" Sasha wondered. "Historia-something?"

"We aren't informed about his condition in months and something's amiss…" Jean whispered. "There's something different. I could feel it. And the way he looked at us… it feels like my hair stood on end. But… wow. I could feel myself blushing. He recognized us?!"

"Something's definitely changed," Connie chimed in. "And he'll never walk behind Mr. Erwin like that. He always takes it frontmost. Why did it look like he was lost? Did you see how Mr. Erwin put his arm around him?"

"And Ms. Mikasa was holding his arm as they walked. That's the first time I saw the Ackerman siblings get so close like that. It was endearing but… I can't help but be suspicious about it. It doesn't seem like he's Mr. Levi at all," Sasha said, ripping a pack of potato chips sleazily. "Or was he not that fully recovered?"

"Well, it doesn't matter as long as he's still functional as the CEO. Or who knows? It's his second life so chances are, he's lying low on the competition with Mr. Erwin. Best to establish better relationships with those around you because our life expectancy is uncertain." Jean shrugged his shoulders and collapsed on his seat. "We've been struggling during his absence so it's high time he should restore the reputation of our company, especially after the controversy of Petra Ral's rejection of him. He's completely thrashed that time."

"Oh, you're not updated with the news…" Sasha snickered. "They're back together. So, I guess he wouldn't be wasting his life again. There are gossips that I've read before they were taken down. It's a scandalous article. Said Mr. Levi took drugs before his accident!"

"For real?"

Sasha nodded vigorously. "Yeah! But… it's not validated by his camp. But I just don't want to believe it."

"Well, it's selective comprehension. You decide your facts and what to believe in. Mr. Levi is a well-mannered man and I don't think he's capable of wasting his life because of a woman," Jean said. "He's much better than that!"

"Yeah, let's not forget how he treated us well by making better policies and attracting stakeholders to raise our compensation. I mean, as the company grows, so are its employees. So all we have to do is wait for an announcement that they will be holding a welcome party for him! Maybe also a thanksgiving party because he survived the accident," Sasha said, enthused.

"Nah, they will be too busy for parties. Mr. Levi needs more catching up, especially since Mr. Erwin took over. I'm more excited to see their new blossoming friendship!" Connie chirped. "If there's no bad blood between them, we'll have more efficient organizational flow."

"You're no fun, Connie. Company parties are essential in the social and working life of an employee. Not only they can strengthen bonds and friendships of each staff, but they can also be beneficial in the retaining program of-"

"Shut it, Sash. Don't sound like the HR. You're just enthusiastic about events with all kinds of food on the table," Jean muttered.

"Well, that's just a bonus…" Sasha countered. "A happy tummy makes you happy and productive in your working place."

"Well, I'm more productive whenever they provide monthly vouchers and gift certificates to employees with the highest productivity rate!" Connie said.

Jean groaned. "Yeah, right. Because you're always on top. Best in typing jobs when there's no analysis involved."

"At least being stupid had its charms!" Connie said. "Best part of being in Ackerman Holdings is they don't measure your IQ. They'll know where to put you based on your skills!"

From inside Levi's office, Mikasa had been observing the trio who couldn't seem to stop talking during working hours. She would normally reprimand them but she knew how they performed their jobs and delivered well. Right now, she was more than bothered by how Levi treated them. She turned to him who was seated behind his desk, inspecting everything that looked new to his eyes.

"You called those three by their names," Mikasa started.

"What?" Levi asked.

"Blouse, Kirstein, Springer. They're our employees. Blouse was my executive assistant. How did you know them by their names?"

"I just recalled their faces. In my other world, they're…"

"Just stop," Mikasa snapped. "Whoever they are in your memory, they're irrelevant in your life right now."

"Mikasa," Erwin butt in. "The way Levi mentioned their names sounds like they played important roles in his memory. It could help—who knows. He seems to be fond of them. Levi, would you tell us their roles in your memory?"

Levi could only stare from afar, his gaze softening at the trio who he recalled being a part of his squad. They shared good and bad times, the bad being Sasha Blouse's death. They were young and carefree by then, but when wars broke out, these three were inseparable and kept fighting alongside each other.

Until that day…

"They're soldiers under my squad, just like you, Mikasa," Levi said. "And Sasha was a dear friend to you."

Mikasa curled her lips. She was never close to any employee under her supervision. "Sasha's nice and diligent but I am never friends with any of the staff."

"It wouldn't hurt to be friends with her," Erwin said. "To lighten up the working environment, maybe? And improve your working relationships."

"I don't think there's a need to improve. Sasha is fine to work with. She had good work ethics," Mikasa said. "And Ackermans aren't the friendliest type of people, you know that Erwin. I'm fine with a few friends in my social circle. I can't seem to be close with anyone who works under me."

Erwin just shrugged. "Just a suggestion though. It's okay if you're not comfortable with it."

"So," Mikasa turned back to Levi. "What about Krista? Why did you call her a different name?"

"It's…" Levi pondered. "Because the Krista in my memory was Historia Reiss, an illegitimate daughter of Rod Reiss. Krista was a name to cover her real identity."

Erwin coughed up. "Levi… you know that Rod Reiss is one of our shareholders-at the same time acting as a board member. I suggest you shouldn't let your memories get the best of you. He was a well-respected man in Sina and your memory doesn't exactly prove that he may have had affairs with women before. He was a family man…"

"Look, I really don't care about how people are different from my memory. Just to make a point, Mikasa and I were siblings and I never recalled us being related in my other world. It's not like I'm gonna convince myself that people here and there are very much the same. Please. I've learned enough. But then again, consider yourself lucky because we're pretty close in my memory."

Erwin's eyebrows shot up.

"Levi," Mikasa called his attention. "I had to bring this up. We didn't have the time to talk these past few days and I noticed we haven't heard anything from Zeke yet. I called him yesterday and it appears you two aren't on good terms. What's going on?"

"There's nothing to tell…" Levi looked away. "He's being dramatic."

"Oh yeah? Do I need to verify that you've been held at Yalkell's precinct due to a brawl a week ago?" Mikasa said. "Zeke told me you rescued his estranged brother."

"Beardy can't just shut up…" Levi said snarkily. "I've had enough of scolding, Mikasa, don't add up."

Mikasa slapped her hands onto the desk. "Petra hasn't said anything about that because maybe you kept her mouth shut, but I'm glad Zeke provided the info. For the love of Ackerman's name, would you please alleviate your urges to be the barbaric person that you are in your memory? You're gonna be the death of me!"

Levi swiveled on his chair nonchalantly. "I'm alive."

"That's beside the point!"

"No one recognized me."

"Oh? And then you're very much willing to do it again?" Mikasa seethed. "And let's not forget you let strangers into your house."

"Nothing was stolen. And one of them was Zeke's brother."

"Levi!"

"Mikasa, take it easy," Erwin interrupted. "We have plenty of time to discuss his past encounters. Now's not the time."

Mikasa sighed heavily and plopped down on a chair defeatedly.

Erwin cleared his throat. He looked at Levi stringently. "As we all know, the board meeting is tomorrow, and we need to brief you about the possible topics that may be discussed there. I have Nile, Dot, and Zachary prepare the quarterly reports. I covered the past two months of your absence so I'll try to keep their focus on me. I'll make the discussions brief and straight to the point. However, I know that Reiss will have questions directed towards you, so watch out for him. I need you to be the CEO who is always attentive and critical in issues of declining performances of our subsidiaries. I'll let you watch some of our recorded meetings in the past. You'd be able to pick up how you acted around them. I'll back you up so don't worry. I just need your full cooperation on this."

"Shit," Levi cursed in disgust. "There's no way in hell I would be able to escape this, wouldn't I?"

"Unless you jump out of the window and kill yourself for good," Mikasa said.

"Mikasa," Erwin eyed her sternly, then back on Levi. "It's for your own good. This is what Kenny wants."

Levi bit his lower lip until his phone buzzed. He picked it up and squinted at the call. "Eren?"

Mikasa and Erwin exchanged curious looks. The name was not familiar to them so curiosity led them on.

"What about Hange?" Levi asked, turning his chair away from the prying faces of his companions. His expression darkened in worry. "W-what happened to her?"

"Hey! I'm okay guys! This isn't serious. I've had it worse. Please let me go home," Hange pleaded childishly, coaxing the nurses surrounding her who would be more than willing to tie her on the bed or sedate her to sleep.

A concrete slab knocked her out cold, and if not for the protective helmet that she was wearing at that time, she was already done for. She was brought to the nearest public hospital where she stayed unconscious for hours. Thankfully, there was no blood loss or any serious injury, however, she felt beaten up, only fighting off the drowsiness and shooting pains all over her body to convince everyone that she was very much okay. Aside from Yelena and Eren by her bedside, Mike and Moblit were surprisingly there too, and she was informed that other people had dropped by earlier to check on her.

"Sorry but we just can't let you go. Doctor's orders," the nurse told her firmly. "We have to run another scan for your head and observe you overnight. There's a possibility of concussion and you know it."

"But I don't feel any pain!" Hange whined. "I don't like spending my night in a hospital. And hey, I've been to worst injuries. I could sign a waiver. Trust me, I don't feel any pain."

"Yeah right," Mike stood by her side and palmed her shoulder. She howled at the contact. "I'm sure that's not pain of pleasure. Shut up, Hange. You're not fine."

"And why are you guys here? Am I dying?" Hange rubbed her shoulder. She pulled at the gown and winced at the nasty bruise forming on her shoulder.

Yelena pulled a face. "You can wail all you want but we're not letting you go just yet. You haven't realized the horror of witnessing you so close to getting buried under a pile of rubble. Eren was fast enough for your rescue."

Eren stood by the corner of the room in silence. Hange pursed her lip and looked away.

"We're calling you. Screaming at you a lot of times but you seem to be preoccupied with a damn phone call," Yelena said. "What happened there, Hange? Is it bad news for you to be distracted like that?"

And which reminded her…

The hurt in her chest was back, clawing at her with intensity. For once, she wished for a concussion to make her temporarily forget about Nifa's news to her. And there it was, not a crack in her skull will make her forget the mind-blowing news.

"That phone call…" Hange racked her throbbing head for a convincing lie. "J-just… a childhood friend who lost… who lost a… boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Yelena asked, unimpressed. "Why, was he dead?"

"I… I don't know. She didn't give the details. Sh-she's crying so much and I can barely hear her," Hange bowed her head. She couldn't risk Yelena reading her again.

"A phone call to kill you, huh?" Yelena hissed, shaking her head.

"Yelena… I care about people and every bad news to them is bad news to me…" Hange said.

"But seriously, Hange. It was a close call. You're barely a step away from death. Had you survived being buried under rubble, I'm sure you'd be incapacitated for the rest of your life," Yelena said. She was not being sarcastic and prodding today. Hange sensed genuine worry from her. "Eren was a godsend. When everyone else just watched in panic, he was already sprinting his way to get you out of the way. You're beyond saving but Eren did the unthinkable."

"Eren…" Hange called for him. "Th-thank you. I owe you one."

Eren smiled dryly. He was a bit shaken and Hange could tell he was a little traumatized. There were a few, visible gashes all over his arms.

"I just… I just did what my job required me to do…" he said.

"I don't know what's in your head that's taking all the blunt force," Moblit chipped in, remembering Hange's head injury by the crank-wielding girl. "But I'd give it you're quite made of steel."

Hange sank to her spot shamefully. She still felt bad to summon all her friends and worry over her. However, she was grateful for their presence at a time like this. They lightened the "weight" on her chest and maybe, she will just need to persuade herself that her friends are enough to make her life a little less alone.

"Thanks guys," Hange said with a blush. "I felt all the love today. You're all gathered here just for me."

"Onyankopon's back on the site. It's already ground zero. He's called me about thrice now and is worried sick about you. I'd give him a call just to settle his nerves. Will also bring you some clothes from home," Yelena told her, squeezing her hand. "And don't dare escape."

"Escape is not an option. And as if I had anywhere else to go. You'll catch me at home and put me back here," Hange pouted.

"You know me too well," Yelena hissed. She went out of the room followed by the nurses.

Moblit and Mike had said their goodbyes after a few minutes, telling her they need to run some errands. Hange gave both of them high-fives, with the promise of catching up over a few beers. Moblit insisted she should tell him what went on with her life some time and she mentally took note that Levi will never be a topic in their conversation. She was somehow relieved that nobody brought that up, but she couldn't just set aside the feeling of missing him whenever a pain hits a part of her body. Levi was the reason for all of this.

Or was it actually her feelings?

At least the room wasn't empty when everybody practically left, leaving only Hange and Eren inside. She was a little glad that the young man stayed behind. She badly needed somebody's company. She wouldn't be able to handle being left alone with her own nagging thoughts about Levi again.

"Are you feeling better now?" Eren asked her worriedly, edging his way towards her bed.

Hange smiled at him giddily. "I was supposed to ask you that. You look disheveled and a bit shaken…"

Eren hid away his trembling hands. He couldn't stop the tremors. "It's… it's normal. I just can't help it with anxiety attacks. It started when Dad was killed."

"Come here…" Hange extended her arms as if to hug him. Eren hesitated for a moment but obliged anyway, sitting by her side. She cupped his hands with her warm ones, clenching them tightly. "I'm okay. Everything is. There's no need to worry. Thank you for saving my life."

Eren bowed his head. "I did… I did well, right?"

"Of course, you did," Hange smiled at him warmly. Her hand reached for the gashes along his arms. Some bruising was also showing through. "You're hurt. Have you got them checked?"

"I'm fine. They're nothing…" Eren said. "I'll get them checked once I'm certain you're okay."

Hange chuckled. "You worried about me that much?"

Eren blushed. "It's been a while since someone paid attention to me and showed that they care. I'm just paying it forward."

"Eren, it was Levi who saved you."

"And it's you who saved him…"

Hange cackled with a little hurt in her chest. She guessed she couldn't escape a topic about Levi anyway.

"And you've been nice to me. Getting me a place to stay, taking Zeke's part-you've done so much for me, Hange. At least I know I wasn't alone."

"Hey, it's just being me. I am always… caring…" Hange's voice died down at the last word. A part of her wanted someone to stand beside her now that she was hurt.

"I called Levi, by the way…"

Her ears perked up. "What?"

"I thought I'd let him know…" Eren said. "But he's busy… he mentioned about being in the office or something."

"You didn't have to do that, Eren."

"Wasn't he an important person to you?"

"Well, it's not mutual," Hange said. "He's back to his old life. He's probably forgotten about us."

"I don't think so. Levi's…"

"Eren," Hange tightened her tone. "He had his obligations. You see, you just met him once and you'll know that establishing connection with a man like him is complicated. He'll be drifted by his reality and responsibilities. He had his own world to attend to and… we… we're just people who enjoyed his company for some time. Everything we had was short-lived. We're the least of his priorities."

Eren's eyes were downcast.

"He… he lost touch with us… and… and there's news about him going public now. He's back to his old life, I guess," Hange explained. "It just hurts because I knew I shouldn't get too attached to him."

"The phone call. Is it about him?" Eren asked her, trying to fit things together. "Is that why you're stalled for seconds while debris was falling over you?"

The words finally got out. Hange cursed and palmed her forehead. "Look, Eren… it's a little complicated and you wouldn't understand this…"

"I'm an adult, Hange… I know how feelings work…"

"Forget about it… look, why not go grab something to eat outside? I know you've been staying with me for hours now. You might need a break."

"Hange…"

"Or have you contacted Yalkell's precinct yet? You should've gotten the money last week. I guess the training got you a little busy right there."

"I have my time tomorrow and already notified them. You don't have to remind me, I got it," Eren said. "Hange, you're not okay."

"Well… no. Yeah. Maybe. I dunno. Funny you're being perceptive. Eren, I think I need to be alone. I need a moment of peace right now," Hange slumped grouchily on her bed.

"I see," Eren clipped. "I'll be back. Call me if you need anything."

Before Eren could turn around, they were startled by the ghostly presence of a raven-haired young woman who was standing by the doorway. God knows how long she had been standing there with an unsmiling expression on her porcelain face. Hange couldn't tell if that expression stemmed from overhearing their conversation.

Her semblance to someone reminded Hange of a female version of him and there is no doubt she was the same girl she saw with Levi in the hospital garden.

Mikasa Ackerman silenced the room as both Hange and Eren were stunned by her daunting aura. It didn't help that she was wearing her all-black ensemble and Hange would have thought she is Death incognito, asking her to take a bus ride to hell.

"Hange Zoe." Her voice was cold as ice. "Are you Hange Zoe?"

Not even a greeting. Her manners were clearly unfriendly and intrusive. Hange bit her lip, nodding wordlessly.

"I'll go ahead…" Eren whispered to Hange, thinking he was nonexistent in the eyes of this mysterious person whose stare didn't leave Hange's the moment she laid her eyes on her. The incoming conversation is not his business.

Hange stiffened on her bed after Eren shuffled his way out of the room, leaving her with Death in a lace dress. Admittedly, it made her nervous—the fact that she was here and not Levi. Mikasa stepped forward and stood by the edge of the bed.

"You can take your seat," Hange offered shyly. "I apologize. This room's not the most comfortable for visitors. It's poorly ventilated and…"

"I can manage," Mikasa monotoned and stayed in place. She was pretty straightforward, making her more intimidating than Levi himself. "I'm not staying for long anyway. I am Mikasa Ackerman, Levi's younger sister. I think we need to talk."

Notes:

A little early for next week maybe...

But I'm in the mood to get this done because I feel like jumping to another fandom again and lose some ideas. And I just can't get this sitting on my drafts for weeks :)

Kudos and comments (and motivation) are appreciated. :)

Chapter 23

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Hange was enamored at first, gawking at the "human doll" that was standing stiffly by the edge of the bed. She is inarguably beautiful but her vexing aura reduced her soft and pleasing features. Had she really been a doll, she was one of those kinds that were exclusively sold for collectors who own the most fragile and the most expensive. She was something you'd put inside a clear glass solely for display, and stare at all day. When Mikasa cleared her throat to get back Hange's attention, the latter knew the admiration wouldn't last that long.

Mikasa was not a doll but mere flesh and bones. The female Ackerman was an embodiment of aristocratic elegance the same way Levi exuded at the Underground bar when Hange first saw him. It could be in their blood that they evoked an air of mystery and nobility, untouchable like the flames and unbreakable like diamonds.

"H-hello…" It took a few seconds for Hange to voice out a proper greeting. "I see the semblance. I could tell you're siblings."

"Are you expecting Levi to visit you?" Mikasa asked stoically.

What an introduction. Can't you see I'm a little worse for wear? Can't you see I don't look in my best state? Would you have asked me first if I was okay? Hange's maelstrom of internal monologues would have loved to slip to the tip of her tongue.

"Not at all…" Hange said hastily. Why does it feel like every answer would sound wrong to her? Did Mikasa already know that Levi had been hanging out with her? And if Eren did call Levi, why was she here instead of him?

Was she a proponent of bad news?

Mikasa sighed. "He should be here. But I didn't let him go see you, I'm sorry."

Hange faltered. So that confirmed Mikasa was around during Eren's call and acts like she held her brother's life. But why is she apologizing for not letting Levi visit her?

"Like I said… I'm not expecting Levi to be here. It wasn't me who called him. I know he's a busy man and I'm insignificant of a person for him to spare his time with," Hange said, trying to sound pathetic.

That drew a reaction on Mikasa's deadpan face. "Look, maybe I don't know a thing about you, Hange, but my brother speaks highly of you. The earlier call broke his concentration in the office where he should be focused on more important things. He was restless, insisting he should go see you."

"W-what?" Hange could barely ask what the young woman meant by that. Then why didn't you let Levi see me?

"He was worried about you," Mikasa continued. "Apparently, I never saw Levi act like that to a random person before. Only except maybe for Petra."

There was acid in that tone. Hange was too tired for conversations like this and she couldn't guarantee that she will be circumspect in all her responses. Mikasa was a trick in shoes, or something else. Hange should be more guarded.

"I had to see you myself. And judging by that state, you're pretty much okay so I guess this is nothing serious. I'd tell Levi not to worry that much. He can't be bothered with his job right now."

"You shouldn't have bothered coming anyway. I'm fine. I'm in one piece. Quite a drag you went out of your way to see me in person."

Or is this to prove that I am not making up stories? That I'll come up with all excuses to see Levi?

"Aren't you happy someone's worrying about you?" Mikasa asked. "Concerned about your well-being? An Ackerman of all people?"

And what do you mean by that? Hange curbed the urge to snap. Does this Mikasa think that Ackermans are high and mighty enough that any person who called their attention should display self-importance?

"You don't mean that I should be pleased by that," Hange said with a little annoyance in her tone. "Miss Mikasa, I was someone he recalled from his false memories. A person he probably cared about because according to him, he and I were close back there. It could be that fondness that made him a little attached to me but technically, it wasn't the real Levi at all. It's his fabricated self."

"So are you saying he's two different persons?"

"Likely," Hange said. "You think he will befriend a commoner like me? If you knew your brother too well, he's probably very much the opposite of his old self."

"You're not wrong. Levi's not also the friendly type. The only people he chose to get close to are Zeke and Petra. And with that, don't even count me in."

"Huh?"

"We're not close as siblings. But now I can go my way to reprimand him and make him do things without protest. He listens to me. And he trusts me more than Zeke and Petra. Quite an achievement on my part. Now I feel acknowledged."

There it was. Hange was not as perceptive as Yelena but Mikasa has exposed herself this much with just a few words. She's a little thirsty for attention. And with a small family like the Ackermans, she would need some sense of importance at least to one of her remaining family. That should be her brother.

"But I guess he also had his attention on a certain someone," Mikasa supplied, brows furrowing. "One he couldn't stop talking about saving his ass on several occasions. And if I were Petra, I would be jealous."

So is this about Petra now?

"Levi and I don't have an affair if that's what you're implying," Hange said.

"Yes, I know that. He confirmed it. But you don't have to be too defensive about it."

"With all due respect then, what is this all about?" Hange was at the end of her rope.

"Look, I'm dealing with a stranger that is my brother. His current condition is out of this world, and a little out of control at times. I'm taking all the responsibilities that should be for him. I don't know if I'd be happy that he finally confides in me, but then he's being increasingly dependent and that's too much to handle."

It was made clear that Levi has not retrieved his memories yet. And maybe his silence for days is due to his own family forcing him to accomplish his old tasks. Hange has pieced all the information together but she couldn't grasp Mikasa's intent of visiting her, as if trying to crack the real deal between her and her brother.

Hange sighed. "Levi was a lost man. He strays himself in a world where he feels comfortable. His memories belong there and it hurts him to be forced into a life he knew nothing of. I've been a shock absorber of his sentiments. I saw how it's been for him—how life throws a curveball and he struggles to distinguish what's real and what's not. Likewise, I knew it was also hard on your part… because he's not the brother who you used to know."

Mikasa closed her eyes in contemplation. "You're right. He's entirely a stranger as you said. But for some reason, I found him more endearing and acceptable than he was before. He's more brotherly to me. We often bicker but I sought that kind of interaction and bond from him. I don't know but I'm beginning to accept him like this... at least he knows he had a sister he could count on."

In the absence of her glasses, Hange squinted her eyes to see a glimpse of a satisfied grin from the ravenette.

"Tell me, why did you save him that night?" Mikasa asked softly. Suddenly, she was a different person who switched from being harsh to gentle.

"So, you know it was me."

"Like I said, he won't stop talking about you. Zeke distrusts you, but it's just his presumptions. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt because I grew to trust my brother's judgments."

"I'm not stopping you from distrusting me. I don't even think I need to prove it myself. One cannot simply stop people's judgments and beliefs. I mean, I had a fair share of self-doubt and insecurities too because I may appear as a person who is taking advantage of his condition. I don't claim to be honest and trustworthy because that is subjective to those who didn't know my background. But that's okay. Everyone has experienced being scrutinized under a microscope," Hange said with a shrug. "You can run an investigation, you can look into my public records… I bet you can easily have access to that. I advise you to know your facts because I can't speak for myself. I'm just tired of trying to come off as clean. But that night, I saved Levi not because it was part of my job…"

Hange was trembling as she said those words. The thumps of her heart pounded soundly against her chest. Maybe she was palpitating. Or maybe it was one of her panic attacks. But she could still breathe just fine, and she couldn't afford to lose herself in a conversation with this woman. Maybe she should just let all her feelings out because they are already suffocating, hoping she could find the normal rhythm of her heart when this is over.

She continued dramatically, "I have my reasons. And there are ghosts of my past that I need to get out of my system because they nag at me in form of nightmares. I've seen deaths. And seeing a person close to it ignited my purpose. Saving Levi redeemed me from all those nightmares, self-depreciation, and depression. I saved your brother because nobody's there to take the risk. Maybe I was just reckless that night. I'm a person who's not thinking at first, but still jumped anyway. Odds are, both of us should be dead but luck's on our side. Him being alive is not solely on me."

Mikasa's eyes widened.

"But you know… I'd like to think there's a purpose why Levi had those stray memories. We may not see it today but maybe… there is something good to come out of it—if you choose to be optimistic about it."

Mikasa cocked her head wordlessly. Hange made a fair point.

"Accept him for who he is-what he's turned out. At least he's alive," Hange said. "Right now, all he needed is support from people close to him. His brain's fogged up, and I hope you won't make living harder for him. I mean, he's trying his best…"

Mikasa shook her head. "Shame, why do I feel like you know him better than me?"

"It's the new Levi who I knew better," Hange stressed. "Maybe because I sympathize best with people who were lost in places. It's hard to have two worlds running in your head at once. But aren't you here to tell me to stay away from him?"

Mikasa scoffed. "Even if I do, Levi will find a way to play by his own rules."

"I don't know how that makes him endearing."

"Right now, I feel he's very caring even if he acts like a difficult person. However, he's a little critical of our uncle. But the way I see it, he wanted close family ties. It's something we Ackermans really don't have. We're only three in the family but our uncle never acted like a loving parent to us."

"His memories comprised wars and violence. And we do know that wars in history separate families," Hange said. "In that world, he never had a family to begin with but being in the military surrounded by younger soldiers, I think it's safe to say that he put the task unto himself to look after their welfare."

We could've been parents to those kids.

Hange recalled that phone call with Levi stating they looked after the welfare of younger soldiers. She continued, "A family... doesn't exactly mean blood relations. There are people he deeply cares about and calls his family. Maybe he's pining for a real one in this world."

"Oh…"

"It's ridiculous but… it makes sense why Levi was acting that way. And it's hard for him to change that. I hope you don't take him for a stranger."

"He's still my brother, and I loved him dearly," Mikasa said. "He's a pain. And his actions got us all winded. But no matter who he is, what he turned out into, I… I'll just be here for him."

Hange melted. Mikasa was a hardass but a softie inside. It must be an Ackerman thing to have a tough exterior but there are much more emotions deep down that can only stay hidden and unspoken.

"Thank you for being a selfless person. At least I am confident there's someone I could give my trust to," Mikasa said.

Hange was flushed. "It's… it's nothing. Levi and I were friends in his memories—so I recalled. Maybe I'm just playing the person that I was in his memory and got a little carried away."

"But I couldn't blame you…"

"Huh?"

"I heard everything…" Mikasa said. "Do you… have feelings for my brother?"

Something lodged in Hange's throat. She was not ready for this.

"I guess I knew the answer," Mikasa droned out. "It's not just about your selflessness. There's a deeper kind of emotion that plays a huge part for you to be attached to him."

"Look…" Hange raised her hands in frustration. "Whatever this is… I can assure you that this isn't gonna come between your family relationships. I just… maybe I just find him admirable and charming. Well, everyone does. Nothing deeper than that. And I don't think he likes me the same way."

Mikasa gave her a scrutinizing look. "You're being defensive again."

"Trust me… I've been fighting this off. The attachment is passing. And I know he's marrying Petra. I… I can't come between them, right? This will go away, I promise."

"There's nothing wrong if you feel something for him. It's there. You just can't control it when you feel it," Mikasa reminded her.

"I'm… I'm sorry if I feel this way."

"You don't apologize for having feelings…" Mikasa said. "It's part of being human. I sensed your sincerity. And I hope more people like you would be trustworthy enough to help Levi through this."

"You… trust me?"

"Why? Don't you trust yourself that much?"

"I was just afraid about how people will make of this matter. But I just want you to know that I don't have the slightest intention of ruining an affair. And I hope you won't tell Levi about this…" Hange requested.

"I won't," Mikasa said firmly. "I for one don't care about who he'll choose to have a relationship with as long as he'll never forget he had a sister. I just hope he'd let his feelings take over than what he is being forced to. Right now, I think he's naïve about relationships. And he's a man not capable of loving someone yet. I've seen it with Petra. She's always trying her best to win him back. But Levi's not the same person as before."

"But aren't they engaged and soon to marry? They're in the news…" Hange asked, secretly hopeful that Mikasa could also be a bearer of good news.

"It's a part of role-playing. Pretend that he's fine and able after his coma. I don't know what my uncle is up to but he certainly had plans we aren't told about yet. There's no choice but to trust him. Right now, we're trying to cover Levi's real condition whatever it takes."

"But is Levi doing okay? Must be hard for him."

"Can't tell. He's obviously struggling and I can't help that much. I'm against it, apparently—against our uncle's plans. It was hard for Levi who didn't know a thing or two about running a company. But we can't just set aside the implications of letting the board know about his condition. Levi is trusted in his position and his skills are what the board wanted from him. It's how it works. And we can't risk another scandal," Mikasa said.

"Please send my regards." Hange could only sigh. "If only I can be of help…"

"We can only help ourselves," Mikasa said. "Hoping it will come out in the wash soon. But if you wouldn't mind, would you stay to be one of his trusted friends? He's strangely comfortable around you."

Hange nodded vacantly, feeling gratified. "Of course."

"You've done enough. A million wouldn't cut in place of his life. If you need help I can offer you a—"

"No! Please, I don't need a reward. At all."

Mikasa watched her closely. Her gaze softened. "The news of his accident was telling about that one crazy person who saved him from the raging car. But the name wasn't ever mentioned. Until today it remained a mystery. Why?"

"I don't need recognition. All I want is for people to be grateful for their lives."

"You are one-of-a-kind, Hange."

Hange is not expecting that the conversation would end up like this. They exchanged smiles before the young woman turns around and heads for the door. It's a person's selflessness that makes an impression and Hange has proven herself to be one.

Mikasa stopped by the door to turn one last look. "Before I forgot, you're the person behind the pansies, right?"

"Y-yeah," Hange nodded her head with a little blush on her face.

"Why pansies? Are they something symbolical to you?" Mikasa cocked an eyebrow.

"N-no... well... I heard pansies are being given to people for their well-being and recovery. And I just thought potted flowers are cuter than bundled-up ones," Hange thought fast.

"You know, pansies are generally known to symbolize love—can be romantic or platonic. In a not-so-known floriography, pansies represented forbidden love between secret lovers..." Mikasa told her meaningfully. "They could also mean lovers separated through distance or grief..."

"I... I swear I didn't know that..." Hange paled.

Mikasa smiled. "I didn't mean anything though... forget about it..."

"Mikasa..." Hange felt a little bothered by it. "It wouldn't mean anything if the person didn't know the meaning behind it, would it?"

"Of course..." Mikasa agreed. "It's nice to meet you again, Hange."

The ravenette had just exited the door when the guy with a man-bun greeted her. Eren was leaning against the wall, implying he had heard their conversation. He was holding paper cups of coffee on each hand.

"Miss Mikasa," Eren greeted, holding out one cup to her. "Just a token of appreciation."

"You know my name?" Mikasa deadpanned, staring at the cup.

"Well... uh... sorry for eavesdropping. But thanks for making Hange feel better. She had it rough."

Mikasa gaped at him blankly. "She looked okay. I don't think I made a difference."

"It's uh..." Eren hung his head. "But I thought you figured it out..."

"Figured what?"

"Hange... well... she likes your brother and... I think meeting you made her a bit better."

"So you really have been eavesdropping all this time?" Her forehead creased.

"I just thought I have to stand by... I'm afraid you're gonna act like Zeke and hurt her feelings," Eren reasoned shallowly.

"So you must be Zeke's brother," Mikasa assumed. "Look, I don't put on catfights, if that worries you. And I wouldn't care much if Hange likes Levi. Every woman I encountered does and it's nothing new. I can't stop people from liking that short grump because he's just that magnetic. But in the end, to like or love back a woman is his choice. I'm out of his personal preferences."

"Oh..." Eren's face lit up, as if getting enlightened. He pushed the coffee closer to her. "Please take this, it's not much but..."

"I don't drink coffee..." Mikasa clipped.

"I... see." Eren's face fell, along with the cup but Mikasa took it nonetheless.

"But thanks," she said and held the cup firmly. She looked into his eyes with the brightest shade of green. "Are you living with Hange?"

"For the meantime, yes," Eren said brightly.

Mikasa nodded slowly. "You take care of her."

"Of course! I mean… she's a good person and I owe her for a lot of things."

Mikasa hummed. "I hope it gets better for you and Zeke soon."

"I'm positive it will be," Eren beamed. "But it may take a while…"

Mikasa pressed her lips into a thin line and sighed. Without anything much to say, she simply turned her attention away from him and headed on her way.

"I'm Eren by the way!" Eren called out but Mikasa didn't bother looking back. He shrugged in disappointment, realizing she was not as friendly as he thought. His eyes followed her form until she disappeared in his line of vision. "Is it normal for an Ackerman to carry a storm wherever they go?"

You don't need to drop by the hospital. Your friend was fine.

Mikasa's message was short and unclear, and Levi couldn't trust that she was telling the truth. He knew that his sister was not the friendliest person out there, and it didn't help that Hange's phone was unattended for hours now.

He and Erwin have stayed in the office past ten in the evening. Dinner was bland over his desk, or maybe he lost his sense of taste at the stress that he kept absorbing for straight twelve hours. He could not guarantee that Erwin's lectures and spreadsheets were all inculcated in his brain. He was not that bright, but he was not that stupid either. It would need him more time and concentration to take everything by heart. Erwin said he was a genius, and fuck that, he knew it was some kind of social grooming and character reinforcement to convince him that he was indeed a genius, inimitable, and should act like he was in synergy with his old self.

He'd rather call himself "genius-turned-stupid".

It was Kenny who is stupid enough to expect miracles. Bad news, Levi is close to punching his uncle's face if he demanded the impossible from him. His abilities to comprehend new learnings don't just develop overnight.

"Let's call it a day." Erwin suppressed a lazy yawn by stretching his long arms over his head.

"It's not yet midnight," Levi said sarcastically. "I still have the energy to learn more about this stupid company. You backing down now, Erwin? I must have overestimated you."

Erwin chuckled. "I don't want to end up dead in the morning. I'm merely human, Levi."

"Why doesn't Kenny see that? That his beloved nephew is merely a human?"

Erwin sighed. "Tell me some other options. We'd try to consider that."

"Tell Kenny that I jumped off the building and died on the spot."

Erwin shrugged. "Well, it would count as murder. And that'd be my crime because everyone here knows we're the only ones left after five."

"Where did your brilliance go?" Levi groused. "Damn. I just want to run away from all this."

"That's negative, I'm sorry."

Levi slumped back in his seat.

"You still good?" Erwin asked in concern.

"Would I be convincing enough to act like I have brain hemorrhage?"

"Hemorrhage from absorbing everything we learned today?" Erwin smirked. "Levi, I'll try my best to divert the board's attention so they won't need to strain you any further. We'll assume they'd throw questions that will only seek your opinion and I already walked you through it. As much as I don't want to pressure you because it can be risky for your mental health, we still don't have a choice. We'll give Kenny what he wants. It's just for tomorrow."

Levi huffed dejectedly.

"Come on. Let's get you home." Erwin straightened up from his seat. "You need to relax. We have a long day ahead tomorrow. And please, have a good sleep. That'll calm your nerves."

"Erwin." Levi had been thinking. "Can you do me a favor and drop me somewhere tonight?"

"Mikasa entrusted you to me. You need to get straight to your home after the office."

"I need to visit Hange…"

Erwin cocked a brow. "That person who saved you? I thought Mikasa said she's fine."

"I don't think she really went there in person to check on her," Levi said. "I'd just take a few minutes."

"Levi…" Erwin griped.

"It's my only favor to ask from you. I want to see if she's okay, I haven't seen her for over a week."

"You sounded like you're very fond of her."

"In my other world, it's the three of us who are fond of each other," Levi said mysteriously. "And she's the only one I've got, after we lost you…"

Erwin thumbed his temples and just nodded as if he had no other choice. "Fine..."

Erwin could only provide Levi with an old baseball cap he dug out of his car's compartment. A face mask had been Levi's essential and made sure he was carrying one everywhere he goes. He stripped off his suit jacket and was only left with a buttoned-down shirt that he tucked out of his pants. Thankfully, Erwin didn't ask any more questions. He gave Levi thirty minutes and parked outside the hospital, warning the shorter guy that he should never stir some trouble again.

Being in a public hospital made Levi a little frazzled. Wearing a mask can raise suspicion and his best option is to take the empty hallways as he trudged his way to Hange's room. He lost track of days and didn't realize sooner that he had never actually checked up on her. He was harshly tossed into a tempest of activities to announce his comeback and please Kenny. Tonight, he didn't need publicity to throw his name into the headlines again. He was here for a dear friend who can't seem to take care of herself.

Locating the room at the darkest corner of the right-wing of the hospital took him a while. He was a little concerned about the deplorable state of the facility and how they treat patients. Was Hange treated well? Was she comfortable spending the night here? Would they be able to give her the right medications?

She was alone in the room and very much asleep. Levi slipped in soundlessly and shut the door behind him. Even the door looked like missing a few hinges as it shook and creaked noisily in one swing. He frowned at the state of the poorly ventilated room and yanked off his face mask and cap to get some air.

How can this woman sleep soundly in this suffocating room?

"Four-eyes…" Levi whispered, attempting to stir her up. Hange's mouth hung open, with her light snores filling up the room. Her arm was flailed down by the bed, prompting Levi to put it back to a more comfortable position across her stomach.

His touch didn't even rouse her. There was a slight quiver on her lips, and Levi was expecting a drool to slur out of her mouth. However, it was pursed shut as her body took a different position—curling on her side.

Levi shook his head and chuckled. "Same old Hange…"

Her wild hair covered the entirety of her face as she buried the side of her nose into the pillow. Levi dragged a chair nearby and sat on it by her bed, watching her closely.

It was a game at first. He wanted to surprise her. He wanted to see her reaction if she woke up and saw his presence in front of her. They were out of touch for a while and she should be missing him. He reached for the stray strands of hair obscuring her face, pushed them away, and tucked them gently behind her ear.

He leaned his face closer, enough to feel her breathing.

"Look at you. For a rescue officer who should've had heightened senses, you're letting your guard down…"

She didn't wake up.

"Tch. You can't be a soldier in this world. Anyone can come here and shove a dagger right through your throat."

Hange shifted for a bit and took the other side of the bed this time, away from his watchful eyes. The hospital gown appeared loose on her, and that slight movement showed Levi a glimpse of the "damage" he was not aware of. Ugly bruises ran across her back and shoulders, extending to parts he no longer had access to see. He leaned across the bed and lightly touched the bare skin that screamed the obvious she had been "too close" to danger.

"And here I thought you're always calculating your actions. These marks tell that you've been reckless…" Levi said a little louder this time, but that voice didn't bother her sleeping form.

It must be the painkillers.

In the end, he decided it was not the best time to wake her up. Apart from the bruises and slight gashes, he assumed nothing was ever serious. Rescue officers are trained enough to be tough at all times, and he even convinced himself that Hange was the soldier who had the gall to move around despite sustaining severe injuries. He circled the other side of the bed, hoping Hange wouldn't shift to another position that will tempt him to tie her up.

But she did. Again.

This woman was too twitchy in her sleep. How the rickety bed holds up while she kept tossing and turning is beyond him.

However, this time, Hange quelled in a supine position. Levi allowed himself to observe her exposed, sleeping face. He noticed she rather looked different without her glasses on. Wearing those made him miss those thick lashes outlining her lash line and light freckles dotting the bridge of her nose.

Levi found her subjectively beautiful—a non-stereotypical assessment that didn't match the universal standards. She radiated uniqueness that not too many could appreciate and define. It was the kind of personality that lodges into one's soul. A personality with lasting impressions.

He probably didn't realize that he was staring at her for over a minute.

Her serene face has calming properties. Had she been awake, Levi would certainly forget to scold her for being on that bed. But there was worry behind that soothing effect she had on him. Saving his life two months ago was a reminder that Hange feared nothing, and that "pain" is passing. Her dedication to her job came with a lot of risks, making it hard for him to envision how each danger brought her close to death.

Small wonder. Does luck favor her that much to live long like this?

He shut his eyes and suddenly saw clear images of her as his fellow soldier in another world. There are snippets of a monstrous humanoid that was close to biting her off, her injured body crashing against a luminescent cave column, her left eye damaged and bleeding. And the most bone-chilling of them all: her burning body falling from the sky.

"Shit…"

It hit home.

Most of his memories of her were happy, light-hearted moments, and then seeing her on that bed gave him new imageries of the tragic times—those unwanted and needless to recall. His hand clamped his head. Another headache was coming in.

He couldn't tell those visions in sequential order, which made him wonder what exactly had happened to Hange in his other world. He was sure she saved him on one occasion but…

He saw deaths. Kenny, Erwin, Petra… and other familiar faces he couldn't name just yet. But he couldn't tell Hange's fate at all. And he feared to know.

In a world where a soldier's life was hanging by a thread and he was the sole person who has the capability to keep himself alive at all times, had he ever got the chance to save anyone?

"What… happened to you back there, four-eyes?" Levi's chest thumped at his question. Why was he feeling pain now? Why does it feel like there was a crushing force in his heart?

Everything felt unwelcoming. He wanted to shake her up and check if she was okay. He wanted to see those wideawake eyes and mouth breaking into a wide smile. Thoughtlessly, his palm reached for her cheek and stared once more.

"Hange… have… you been okay?" He whispered close to her face. Hange's brows twitched for a second, as if she could hear him but her eyes remained shut. His eyes traveled from her eyes down to her lips which moved the same way.

He dizzied at the memory. They kissed before but that was unintentional on her part. She said it didn't mean anything and he believed her, but the feeling lingered and he could wish to be kissed again.

What are you doing Levi?

His actions are uncontrollable now. His thumb grazed her lower lip—dry and chapped. An electrifying sensation traveled to the tips of his fingers. He wanted to feel something more but a part of him was withdrawn from the idea. An idea so perturbing and morally wrong.

But then, a bigger part of him no longer cared about the drawbacks. Something fluttered in his chest as he automatically leaned closer until his nose was barely an inch away from her face. Before he knew what he was doing, he found his lips pressing at the corner of her mouth lightly, feeling its warmth. It didn't even register to him that a foreign contact could jostle her awake. He let his lips linger there for a few seconds, as if waiting for a response. But Hange's mouth remained still, constrained in a firm line.

He pulled away in disappointment, drawing a breath as if the kiss made him breathless.

Well, almost.

When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he knew it was time to go. Erwin had endured him for the whole day and the man needed his rest too. He put back his mask and cap on and pulled up the blanket to make Hange comfortable.

"Later, Hange…"

A bolt of shiver coursed through his body as he said those words. Deep inside him was a strange feeling of fear, rage, and then remorse.

Why is he feeling this way?

He reluctantly turned towards the door and gave her one last look. As expected, Hange was unresponsive. He exited the room in mild shudders, perhaps wondering why his stealthy act happened without discerning its consequences. They never kissed once in his other world as far as he could remember but why did he act like he needed one from her? Their relationship was purely platonic, never headed for romance or anything but today was different. There is a feeling of longing as he watched her sleep on that bed.

And what does a kiss mean? Why can't he give Petra the same act when she can swimmingly pull it off with him?

"What the fuck?" Levi muttered to himself in disbelief. Was there a part of him that desired the bespectacled woman, surpassing what he should feel for his own girlfriend? He shook himself off the memory and hastened his steps along the hallways, blindly crashing into an impossibly tall woman as he rounded a corner.

"Yo! Look your way, kid!"

Levi didn't look up to meet her face, he kept his profile low and hidden as he brushed past her.

"Hey pal! You can say sorry!" Her sarcasm echoed through the hallways.

But Levi didn't look back. He walked his way briskly without paying attention until he approached the end of the hallway, scurrying towards the exit. A lot of questions fired through his head, but only one seemed to be glaringly intrusive.

What kind of feeling does a kiss entail?

He didn't want to know. His future war with his better self should take the sidelines for now.

And his presence that night—the stolen kiss he could conveniently say was unintended—or impulsive—should be better off ignored. He had more pressing matters to attend to.

And then Levi decided, as he slowly approached Erwin Smith smoking by the hood of his car, that his visit that night never happened.

"How is she?" Erwin asked, puffing a cloud of smoke into the air.

"I didn't see her. She's already discharged," Levi lied.

Erwin frowned and looked at his watch. Just how long will it take to locate Hange's room only to find it empty?

Levi must have sensed it. "I explored their facilities. Can't the government do something about improving this building since this is a public hospital? I bet people with severe illnesses won't be able to survive here."

Erwin extinguished his cigarette, tossing it in the nearest bin. "So, what do you suggest?"

"Can we do something about funding them? Just the way I funded Sina's General Hospital?"

The blond man was too tired for discussions, but simply nodded. "We have more than enough funds that are allocated for charities. I'll get a breakdown and see where we can enlist this."

"Thanks," Levi said. "It's getting late. Can we go now?"

"Sure."

Yelena was ugly pouting when she entered Hange's room, glad that the bag of bottled drinks and goods in her arms didn't fall off her grip when that "kid" ran into her earlier. "Kids these days…"

She was surprised to see Hange sitting on her bed, dazed like she had seen a ghost.

"Oh, surprised to see you awake," Yelena chirped, emptying the contents of the paper bag and putting them on the bedside table. "I sent Eren home to rest, by the way."

"You're staying with me tonight?" Hange asked.

"Are you expecting someone else?"

"No," Hange said gloomily. "I expected no one will stay over actually."

Yelena scoffed. "As if you don't have friends to take care of you. Remember we'd grow old together! We'll take care of each other, dork."

Hange rolled her eyes.

"Hm, your meds should've knocked you out cold but here you are, barely eight hours into sleeping straight. Do you need more painkillers?"

"I'm fine. Still a little dizzy though. I just hope I can go home tomorrow."

"Don't worry. You'll be discharged in the morning. But you need a one-day rest."

Hange didn't respond. Yelena took a bottle of alcoholic beverage and popped it open.

"Really? Right in front of me?" Hange scowled. "Just how much are you going to torture me?"

"Hey…" Yelena took a sip and wiped her mouth. "I didn't expect you to be waking up so… it's not my problem. And no, I'm not sharing this with you."

"I hate you."

"Likewise." Yelena winked and took a bigger gulp of the drink to annoy her.

At times like this, Hange could only wish she was alone but she was somewhat grateful that Yelena was around to keep her company. "Hey… did you know that Mikasa Ackerman visited me earlier?"

"Mikasa who?"

"Ackerman. She's Levi's younger sister."

"Haven't heard that much about her…" Yelena said. "I know Levi had a sibling but a little less known. And what about her? Did she warn you not to get close to her brother or she'll shoot you dead?"

That was a joke on Yelena's part, but Hange had thought of that possibility. Their prior meeting was not an amicable one, with Mikasa having trust issues and gauging Hange for ill intentions. The younger Ackerman appeared to be overprotective of her brother and that was understandable, but in the end, Mikasa finally approved of Hange being one of Levi's trusted people.

"She's a little hostile at first but I think she's trying to test me. I just have to be honest about my intentions with Levi so I guess I'm cleared. It also helped that I'm the person who saved him," Hange said.

"I'm proud of you, mate!" Yelena sang. "You just crossed the first hurdle of keeping up with the Ackermans! I hope you'd get invited to their house for tea cakes and those little fancy things…oh, wait… you've been to Levi's!"

"Shut up. It wasn't even an invitation. And I was with Eren at that time. His focus is on Eren because he's his best friend's brother."

Yelena blew a breath. "Hey, will I ever get to meet him in person? Like… you'll meet with him again, right?"

"Why are you so interested to meet him?"

Yelena grinned, consuming half of the bottle already. "Establishing connections with a high-profiled family can be beneficial in the long run."

"It's called social climbing."

"I'm not after that," Yelena spat. "But we can't deny the fact that you're in love with Levi. And as your friend, I can also be his friend."

"Even if I am, I know he doesn't feel the same way," Hange said sulkily. "It's just one way. I wasn't even worth an Ackerman's attention. And… he's got a sweet girlfriend who could kill a person if she ever lost him."

"So, did you finally identify what your feelings are? I'll pray for your peace of mind and fast recovery of your heart," Yelena joked.

Hange huffed. "I'll be fine, Yelena. Loving the wrong person can get you killed."

"Say that again?"

"I'm just kidding," Hange said, remembering Levi was the reason she nearly caught herself under rubble. "I think I'm fine being just friends with him… but…"

"Hm?"

"Yelena, has anybody ever dropped by earlier?" Hange asked.

"I don't think so… I was just away for thirty minutes. Why?"

"I don't know if I was dreaming or… something. But… I thought someone had been here," Hange put a finger on the corner of her lips.

"Must be the meds. Did you check if they got you hallucinogens instead of painkillers?"

"Look, I'm serious."

"Is that why you were awake when I got here?"

Hange nodded. "I woke up when I heard footfalls and a click of the door. And… I thought someone was whispering close to my face…"

"Hey! Don't make up scary stories like that!"

"I'm serious!"

"Shut up, shithead! Or was that an effect of concussion?" Yelena said. "We'd have you checked again tomorrow, how's that?"

Hange grew quiet. She knew she was fine and she would never want another check-up. However, it bothered her that the "alleged lucid dreaming" felt too real. But she decided not to convince Yelena about it.

"Gotcha…" Hange said. "For a giant, you're a wuss."

"You're not just a shit in the head, but also a pain in the ass!" Yelena scoffed.

And Hange decided, she'd better keep it to herself because things are more convincing that they happened when no one will oppose her. It's not necessary to tell Yelena that someone must have watched her while she slept, and leaned over to peck her on the lips.

It must be the meds. It must be a mild concussion. It must be a dream. Hell, it could be anything but Hange preferred it to be "real" and not just a figment of her imagination.

And in her own bubble-of-a-world, she secretly wished it was Levi Ackerman who materialized in her room to kiss her goodnight.

The lights were dimmed in the living room when Levi arrived at the penthouse.

He was surprised to see Petra dozing off on the sofa with her head propped up on its armrest. He glanced at his watch and saw it had been late. She must have fallen asleep while waiting for him, and he wondered if he ever made her wait like that before. Was she always like this?

Slowly, he stood in front of her and watched her. He frowned at the sight of a half-consumed bottle of wine and an empty glass sitting on the table. Had she been drinking all this time?

He sighed in guilt. He crouched and observed her while she slept.

"I'm sorry…" he croaked. "I know you're trying your best… but…"

Petra's face was inarguably angelic and beautiful. He finally realized why the magazines loved taking pictures of her, why women fawned over her, and why men envied him. There is nothing to hate about Petra, but why couldn't he see what was lovable about her?

But she is a likable person in his other world. She had always been caring and selfless for her fellow soldiers. Those traits earned her respect aside from her combat skills. She is soft and demure but can transform into a killing machine when slaying out in the fields. She's the sole female in his squad who he got close to until her untimely death.

And sure, it hurt him, haunted him…

Every death was.

Seeing her bloody corpse smashed against the tree lingered in this thought. Her lifeless eyes were staring into nothingness as the wind whipped her hair, exposing the brutality of a world that depends on survival—with the soldiers taking the frontlines. Death is just around the corners—waiting, inviting. And Levi will never ever get used to it.

Petra was the last person he laid his eyes on while perched on a tree branch, distancing himself to make it a little less painful, but the feeling could be something more... right?

And when her father's confession implied she had feelings for him, he certainly didn't have time to process what they meant.

What if her death never happened? What if she lived longer than that? Will a deeper companionship bloom had she been spared her life?

And what would it be between them?

He remembered her asking the same questions when he told her about that world. However, he was not sure about how he felt. Soldiers are sworn to duties and not for anything else.

But the current reality screamed at him that Petra was his better half. He had seen pictures and videos, and he saw a strange version of himself as her lover. His hands cupping her cheek, his lips on hers, his smile he had never known. Why can't he be the same person before? Why can't a part of him remember that they were very much in love and inseparable?

He lifted a finger to touch her cheek, searching for any memory with her, feeling for that strange leap of his heart to ignite something—but to no avail. He drew his hand back and stared once again. He was tempted to kiss her but couldn't bring himself to do it.

He straightened up and scolded himself for being a creep. He headed for the stairs and locked himself in his room.

He collapsed onto his bed and blocked his view of the ceiling with his arm. His thoughts traveled back to the hospital and settled on Hange's memories. Her bruises, her sleeping form, and his unidentified actions.

Maybe he was just tired, and needed the comfort from her. But was kissing a sleeping person the sound thing to do? In the first place, who was Hange to him? Why did he act that way?

He closed his eyes and breathed. Maybe it's just best not to think about it. There is no meaning to it. A kiss could mean a hundred things—mostly on impulse. And then he settled in convincing himself that he was tired.

Yeah.

Just tired.

His phone buzzed inside his pocket and was surprised at a text message from Zeke.

I am on a break and I hope you're doing well. I heard from Mikasa that you were forced by your uncle to do your job. I'm sorry I couldn't be much of a help. I tried. I personally talked to Kenny earlier this morning to explain your condition but he would't listen. He even said I wasn't a good doctor and could be making things up to cover for you. It was rather an insult to my profession and I'm fed up with a lot of things... then there's Eren and you. Call me cruel but I need to think about myself first. Bet you can take care of yourself, Levi. You had good people on your side. Good luck in the board meeting and if there is one thing you need to watch out for, please be wary of Rod Reiss. The last time I remembered, you couldn't stop talking about how frustrated you are with him. But you didn't give me the details. There are some things your are keeping away from me. I know you have no memory of whatever happened, but I just hope whatever between you two was no big deal. I don't know if you have talked about it to Mikasa but it wouldn't hurt to let her know. Watch yourself out there.

Levi stilled for a whole minute and thought about the text message. He dialed Zeke's number but it was already unattended. He cursed loudly and dragged a hand across his face.

When will these problems leave him?

Notes:

Listening to Seafret's "Oceans" and "Atlantis" on repeat as I finished this chapter.

Damn that Oceans song.

And yes, Levi kissed Hange. What a creep. Lol.

Kudos and comments are welcome!

Chapter 24

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Ragako Village? Are you really serious about taking a break straight from the hospital?"

Yelena found Hange unpacking the same duffel bag she brought to the hospital last night for a fresh change of clothes. Instead of unpacking the bag, the brunette took out new sets of clothes from her closet, tucking them into a larger backpack. They were back now in the apartment after Hange's discharge from the hospital.

Yesterday was a blur. As if Hange's body didn't take a beating from the incident. There was not a trace of pain on her face, or she was just too good at hiding it with an excitable smile of a child going on a field trip.

"It's been in my plans for a while but didn't get the time back then. I'll just be away for a few days… just to clear my head," Hange said calmly. "I was allowed for a few days' leave, right?"

"You sure you don't need anyone to go with you? Eren's a good choice since he's still on probationary training."

"He's at Yalkell's precinct right now to get his money reward. And… that guy needs to take a break from me too," Hange said sheepishly. "Besides, I want to be alone. I'm not being dramatic but you know that 'me-time' is the best way to ruminate."

"Hey, tell me if something's bothering you…" Yelena pried. "I know you, Hange. You're trying to look okay, when you are clearly not. Or do you perhaps experience something else? Dizziness, headaches? You're getting a little out of character after the incident yesterday."

"Out of character?!" Hange iterated, laughing. "Are you that obsessed with me to point out what's wrong?"

"Just checking out your mental state, idiot. Because so much has changed about you. I hope it's not because of Levi after the news that says he's back on his CEO duties and has forgotten about you."

"No, it's not about him," Hange said immediately, eyes rolling. "We haven't heard anything from each other that much but I understand that he's more needed as the person before all this. I'm just starting to get used to him not being around. Let the guy have his time as the person he needs to be."

Yelena scowled. "I guess this is more about curing that broken little heart instead of restoring your mental health. Hm, will you be taking his car?"

"No."

"You're taking public transportation? Hey, that'll take you about several transfers to get there. And you just got back from a—"

"Yelena, I'm fine. You've seen me performing my duties with a broken arm. There will never be an excuse not to take this break."

"You're black and blue beneath those clothes. You're just running yourself to the ground…"

"I'll be okay. I was once bleeding while being interviewed during a rescue scene and the interviewer fainted before I could. Trust me, I'm fine."

Yelena was not easily convinced. "You're physically tough—that's given and you don't need to remind me of it. But you're not okay and I say so. That's why you're going there."

"I'll be fine after this so stop telling me that I'm not okay!" Hange snarled.

Yelena's eyes rounded in shock.

Hange finished the last of her clothes and huffed. "Look, you're right. I'm not okay these past few days and I hope this break is gonna make everything fine. I don't even think talking to someone is gonna help. I think I just have to deal with this alone. I promise to be better when I get back because I know how my body works. Please, Yelena. Just this once."

Yelena can only shake her head in defeat. "If you come back worse and wrecked than this, we'll see a doctor."

"You think I'm losing the screws in the head?"

"Mental health is important," Yelena reminded her. "I've been there, Hange. It doesn't necessarily make a person weak or crazy. Don't play it tough and deal with it alone. Even the toughest person had their weaknesses."

"Fine," Hange said tiredly. "Understood."

"Just come back home safe."

Hange chortled. "I'm not charging in a battle, stupid. And no, I'm not killing myself either. Also, try not to contact me like a nagging mother. I won't be answering any messages and calls. And Ragako is close to the mountains so the signal might be blocked."

"And that's an excuse for you not to be untraceable."

"I won't be a missing person. Ragako is a safe place. I feel like I'd be a new person when I get back," Hange said enthusiastically.

"So, how many days?"

"Three, tops."

Yelena nodded. "If you're not back in four days, I'm gonna send a rescue search."

"Yeah, whatever. You think I'd want to be found if I decided to kill myself?"

"Don't you fucking make stupid jokes like that."

Hange smiled. "Promise. I'm gonna be fine after this."

Mikasa decided to come an hour earlier to the office just before the employees start pouring in. The utility team was surprised at her sudden appearance with the CEO in tow. It was a rare occurrence to see the Ackermans themselves coming this early in the office.

Levi saw from their faces the questions that will haunt them in their dreams. He was always weary about that kind of expression from people as if he was being skinned alive.

"Don't worry about them, they rarely see you so imagine their surprise like they're seeing God," Mikasa said as they hastened their steps to Levi's office, locking the door behind her once they crashed inside.

"What's the rush anyway? The meeting's still three hours from now…" Levi complained.

"Doesn't it worry you a bit? Three hours from now, you'll be facing people who are expecting the same Levi they used to know and I'm not confident you can pull that off. The idea of sitting next to you while you spew nonsense is making my skin crawl. To be honest, I barely slept last night so if you're taking this nonchalantly then you'd better perform well during the meeting later," Mikasa said. "I haven't sat through your review with Erwin yesterday because I need to see your friend and…"

"Wait, what?" Levi asked interestedly. "You visited Hange?"

"I told you I'd be visiting her to see if she's really hurt, so you won't be bothered coming over."

"You're lying…"

"What makes you think I'm lying? You can call her and ask if I met with her," Mikasa scoffed and rummaged inside her bag to pull out her phone and some papers. "I also saw that guy—Zeke's brother. He's on watch."

So Mikasa is true to her words? Levi frowned at her skeptically.

"What?" Mikasa raised one brow. "Look, Hange's fine. I didn't check for the real condition and what happened before that but since she can talk like a very sensible person, we'd ditch that theory that she's in a pretty bad shape. So okay, can we proceed with our private meeting now?"

"Has… she said something about me?" Levi asked diffidently. The question surprised his sister whose grip on the paper loosened.

"What would she say about you?" Mikasa asked.

"Don't know," Levi clipped. "Have you been rude to her?"

"Are you crazy? That woman saved your life. Why would I get rude to someone who jumped in front of a car to save a miserable person that is my brother? I'm so disappointed you see me that way." Mikasa rolled her eyes.

"So you approved of her? I can be friends with her?" Levi asked like a beaming child.

Mikasa's look softened at Levi's eagerness for Hange's companionship. It was something new—almost childish—yet so innocent. Like some teenager who introduces a girlfriend to his parents. "Am I hearing things right? You're seeking validation from me?"

"Because I got no one else to convince that Hange was not a bad person. Zeke and Petra don't approve of me befriending strangers. And I'd bet Kenny will be the same."

"Hange's a good and sincere person, that's all I can say," Mikasa said resolutely. "If you feel it, so do I."

Levi exhaled in relief.

"You two seemed to be getting along well, huh?" Mikasa said. "What's up between you two, really?"

Levi hung his head. "We're… friends."

"Does she even think the same?" Mikasa asked, testing the waters.

"W-why, would she think otherwise?" Levi probed.

Mikasa shrugged her shoulders. "You're pathetic, Levi. Are you that dense? Yeah I guess you didn't only lose your memory, you kinda lost your sharpness. Now how about we proceed to the real deal why we're here earlier than the rest? I need you to stay focused today. Just for today, okay?"

Levi nodded. Maybe it's best not to divert his attention elsewhere. But something flashed through his mind about Zeke's mysterious text last night. Would Mikasa know something?

"Hey, Mikasa…"

She turned to look.

"I just want you to know something. It's Zeke. He texted me last night. About being careful with Rod Reiss…"

Mikasa narrowed her brows. "Why? What did he say?"

"Nothing much. He wasn't sure about it but the last time he recalled, I was frustrated with Reiss. But I haven't divulged anything. I was wondering if you know something? Did I get into a little misunderstanding with any person before all this?"

Mikasa thumbed her chin. "I… I'm not sure… Like I said before we're not that close as siblings and you trusted Zeke more than me. You've never confided in me."

Levi grew quiet.

"Does it worry you?"

"What if I have secrets that I haven't told anyone? And with the condition I currently have, it was already forgotten? I'm putting myself blindly out there and we'd never know what I was before all this?"

"You're being paranoid…"

"But it can be a possibility! What if I have a pended job to do? What if I know something so essential that could cause trouble in the future? Or what if I had secret enemies? Have those possibilities ever crossed your mind?"

"Levi, you may not be a very outspoken person but I can assure you that you've got good credentials and a clean track record. Your trust ratings are also consistent and there's not a bad narrative of you that ever circulated in the business columns."

"Mikasa, even the nicest king who ever lived had generated enemies. You cannot always trust those around you. I've learned it the soldier's way."

"Hey, stop overthinking for now. We had a job to do. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Rod Reiss if that'll relieve you…" Mikasa reassured him. "Don't let this stray thought linger during the meeting because it will only distract you. So please, keep it linear and stay focused."

"Why the fuck I haven't thought of this before?" Levi palmed his forehead.

"Listen, we'd get to the bottom of this, okay?" Mikasa grabbed his shoulders and squeezed them tightly. "If Uncle Kenny wouldn't be supportive of you then I'd just be here. Tell me if there's anything that'll bother you. If you have strong instincts like a soldier then that's the best time to make use of it. Just… don't fuck this up. I'm with you on this."

Levi nodded.

Mikasa retrieved something from her pocket and leaned closer to Levi, putting a device right on his ear. "Right now, we'll need some support from another trusted person, wear this through the meeting, and don't let it be noticed by anyone."

"What the hell was that?" Levi asked, feeling a device was stuck in his ear.

"An airpod. It's a wireless earphone so it's barely noticeable. I'd connect you to my phone and have someone guide you through the whole meeting in case you get lost in a topic or something. He's knowledgeable in a corporate setting and highly intelligent. He'll sit through the meeting with us while I have my phone on-call so he could hear the conversation. He's gonna reach you through that airpod and I need you to focus. It will get a little tricky because you will have divided attention…" Mikasa instructed. "Time to use your soldier's senses."

"W-wait… does Erwin know about this?" Levi asked, perplexed.

"No," Mikasa said. "It's just between you, me, and my friend who's currently a few blocks away in a cafeteria somewhere. He'll meet with us shortly. Actually, he suggested this setup and I am very desperate to save you from all the trouble Uncle Kenny put you through. I also sent him our company profile and the list of our affiliates and their nature so he'll have a general idea of all that jazz."

"But…"

"Look, I can't be complacent that you're just needed in the meeting to listen. Erwin himself said that there will be pressing questions for you. The board doesn't know a thing about your condition so they expect you to be the same fierce person who talked like a frontrunner. Also, Uncle expects nothing less from you. So, I've set up this plan last night. I talked to a friend to help me with this… he also knows about your condition. Well… I don't have that many friends to trust and he's the only one I got in times like this."

"Okay…" Levi said. "So that friend…"

"He's smart… he's very able… and I convinced him to work with us…"

"Do I know him?"

"I haven't introduced him to you yet but…"

Levi closed his eyes and remembered another person who was close to Mikasa in the other world. The description fitted him well. "Armin Arlert?"

"H-how… how did you know?" Mikasa asked incredulously.

"My memory of another world is still a mystery to me," Levi said smugly. "But at least they come in handy."

The "Big Four", referring to the major and the first shareholders of Ackerman Holdings were given the freedom to decide on choosing their board of directors to represent their best interest in the company. However, being predisposed by trust issues to appoint their person, Rod Reiss, Willy Tybur, Kiyomi Azumabito, and Karl Fritz chose to nominate themselves to cover both roles. These dual roles of being on the board and a shareholder at the same time would save them a paycheck, and by their own terms a representation of power and eminence. Perhaps they are also equally fastened by gratitude and loyalty to the company that lifted their names in the society and rose them to prominence.

The rest of the board of directors consisted of nine individuals, on behalf of their shareholders, and whose names Levi had poorly forgotten about a minute later after the introductions. The conference room was spacious enough for twenty people, and yet he was seeing a dizzying cramped space, dreading the idea that he will be the highlight of the meeting minutes from now.

Whenever a strange face approached him, Levi would be short and vague with his answers. He would turn around after a ring on his phone, excusing himself that the call was important. It was a breeze to escape their inquisitiveness, and thanks to Armin who was already listening by, and had probably rung his phone a dozen times to make him run to the balcony, pretending to be talking to someone else more significant.

He only met Armin in the other world and knew he was exceptionally smart. It turned out he had the same level of intellect in this world. He was quick to send instructions as if guiding a blind man out of a maze.

Ten minutes before the meeting, Mikasa followed him to the balcony, closing the glass door behind her.

"Can't keep up with a conversation?" she asked.

Levi put his phone down. "I didn't know any of them in the first place. I don't know how to respond."

Mikasa glanced at her watch. "We'll be ready in ten minutes. Hey, try to relax. You haven't even met properly with the big four. We can't look suspicious that there is something wrong."

Levi was blanching out.

"You okay?"

"No," Levi replied. He glanced back inside through the glass barriers and saw Erwin reeling between Azumabito and Fritz. Part of their plans was for Erwin to keep them occupied before they can settle into the proper meeting.

"He's covering up for you. You know, I'd rather get this meeting started so the board will leave you alone. It's bad enough that you're hanging around and they'd ask personal questions," Mikasa said.

"That's why it's best to stay away," Levi said. "Hey, Kenny isn't even around yet."

"He will be. He always shows up at the last minute."

"Like what? Planning to be the man of the hour?" Levi clicked his tongue and was startled when the door opened abruptly, a vivacious voice booming unrestrainedly as it interrupted his conversation with Mikasa. A blond man with shoulder-length hair opened his arms wide, throwing himself into Levi with an awkward hug.