"Levi! It's great to see you up and about, my man!" Willy Tybur blurted out excitedly, almost lifting Levi on tip-toes. He let him go a couple of seconds later and looked at Mikasa apologetically. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to interrupt…"

Mikasa waved a hand, looking more cautious than surprised. "It's fine."

Levi's head throbbed. Not again.

He never met Tybur in person in his other world until the day of Marley's attack when he was giving a speech about the origin of the wars and the Eldian race. When Eren came out of nowhere in his giant form, everything went down to hell from there. Levi tried to shake off that bloody memory.

"Hey… I was so worried about your accident. Thought you're never gonna make it, man," Tybur put an arm around Levi's shoulder with his mouth close to his ears. "Look, I know you had it tough after your girl turned down your proposal. You have no idea how much Lara cheered for it. Anyway, she says hi!"

"W-what?" Levi kept his hushed voice low, eyeing Mikasa who didn't seem to hear what Tybur had said.

Lara?

"She also said she wouldn't mind being your girl again," the blond said teasingly. "But it's disappointing you just can't seem to leave your sweet girl Petra huh? Guess you're back together? Anyway, I'd set up a dinner sometime in my place and you're not gonna say no. Lara's excited to meet you again. Don't worry, she's not gonna cause some ruckus again."

What the hell is this Tybur talking about?

Tybur disentangled himself from Levi and winked. "You still have your old number, right? Will give you a ring soon. Oh, and you wouldn't mind Lara giving you a call, would you?"

There was no response from Levi but Tybur assumed that his silence means "yes".

"We need more catching up to do. I bought a new yacht a few weeks ago. Maybe we can also arrange a small party there. You can take Zeke along but please, not Petra… I know you wouldn't want two of your women both at the same place and at the same time," Tybur said half-jokingly.

Levi was losing his marbles. Were two women fighting over him?

"If you'd excuse us," Mikasa came to the rescue, clearing her throat and dragging Levi along with her. "We're seeing Uncle Kenny if he's arrived. We're gonna start the meeting in a few."

"Oh, sure! Sure! Of course." Tybur raised his arms in surrender and animatedly slapped Levi on the shoulder. "You go ahead man, I'll see you later. And we need more catching up to do."

Mikasa led Levi back inside the conference room where Rod Reiss has freshly arrived with a troubled look on his face as they made eye contact. A silent mutiny was building up inside Levi for no reason. Or it must be Zeke's warning beforehand that is making things more and more suspicious. Mikasa took this as a cue and swerved to another door at a corner leading to an adjoining office. She entered the small room with Levi hot on her heels.

The door was shut tight behind and Levi leaned against the door, slowly collapsing onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" Mikasa asked. "You were almost shaken back there. Tybur's just being friendly. You barely said a word to him."

"I'm too overwhelmed by all of this, Mikasa. I wasn't informed I was friends with Tybur. What was it like? How close am I to him?" Levi asked, his hand dragging across his hair, messing up the sleek style. "And he also said something about Lara. Who the hell is Lara?"

Mikasa sighed. "She's his sister…"

"What am I to Lara? He mentioned about two women: one is Petra, the other one could be Lara… am I missing some details about my personal life?" Levi demanded.

"It's not the best time to talk about that stuff. But just in case you need to know, before Petra, there was Lara. You dated very briefly."

"What?"

"Don't sound too naïve. Levi, you're a ladies' man."

"Fucking ridiculous," Levi spat. "But I thought I was only for Petra since the beginning?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you're depriving yourself to appreciate other women before settling for the best one for you." Mikasa rolled her eyes. "You're loyal to Petra but we can't deny the fact that you've been with other women too."

"Damn, I so hate myself…"

"Hey it's just natural for men to…"

"It's not!" Levi glowered.

"Why so sore about it? Are you gay in your memory? You told me once you never loved any women there, or do you have other preferences?"

"Don't worsen it," Levi said acerbically. "I never had romantic feelings for anyone because duties come first and humanity's safety. And learning about myself in this world kinda disgusts me. Please, don't tell me I've had many secret affairs with women, too."

Mikasa crouched before him and looked him in the eyes, feeling his frustrations. "Maybe. But how would I know? It's not like you're gonna tell me all about them. Why not ask Zeke?"

Levi sighed loudly. "Absolutely not."

"Are you afraid that maybe you have fathered about five children from different women?" Mikasa chortled.

"Oi, am I really capable of that?" Levi's eyes were filled with horror.

Mikasa shook her head. "Relax. Well, I don't think you'd be able to do that. Petra alone was too much to handle, let alone have five of her."

She was laughing now, but Levi was having none of it.

"Shit, it scares me to know the real me. Now that each day, I'm learning new things about myself," Levi said.

Mikasa squeezed his arm. "But Levi, we have to accept who you are. Be the old or the new you. You're the one who insisted on that. It's just a little tough to work around your situation because you're two different persons in one body."

"Can we just let everyone know that I'm not the same person as before?" Levi begged.

"You know a lot will be at stake. And Uncle won't allow it for now. You see every explanation to him falls on deaf ears. But he's gonna be around the meeting and if he can sense your uneasiness, maybe it will convince him to change his plans. Maybe he's trying to gauge if you've been telling the truth. I feel bad for you as well but we're left with zero options. Let's try it just for today. I'll try to convince him after."

"Okay," Levi breathed, then pouted like a child. "Mikasa, don't let me attend any of Tybur's parties, please."

Mikasa chuckled. "I'm really surprised that you're begging like this…"

"I'm beginning to hate what kind of person I was before…"

"Likely. I hate your old self, too," Mikasa confessed. "But then again, you're still Levi, my brother. I just need to put up with your two different selves."

"Thanks, brat..."

"I got your back."

In the old days, Erwin Smith sat through board meetings with little to no participation at all. His rivalry with Levi before had been evident through the silent treatment, distant seat arrangements, and the way the Ackerman guy never gave him the podium to voice out his thoughts and ideas. On rare occasions, their opinions would clash, and Erwin would deliberately take and accept the losing end. Levi's inputs were always agreeable to the board, which nominally made them more confident with him.

Today had been quite different. Erwin was stately, poised, and more passionate in presenting the reports, unleashing his expertise by earning a favorable nod from most of the board and from Kenny Ackerman who sat at the head of the table next to Levi. The overall performance of their subsidiaries specifically in food production and sales is flourishing for months, those positive effects are gaining momentum and advantage over their contending counterparts. Mikasa presented herself confidently when she introduced new marketing strategies at a trial stage to be adapted by the rest of their affiliates. The trial period resulted in positive claims, gaining her praise from everyone in the room.

For about an hour, it was an amiable discussion with positive feedback and a pleasant atmosphere. The exchange of inputs never ended in debates and disagreements. Levi had barely interacted, only responding with upheld responses that tweaked one person's curiosity, who is seated at the farthest end of the table.

Rod Reiss was notorious for his provoking questions during board meetings, coming up with his own sourced reports in his hands as if he never trusted the charts and figures flashing before his eyes.

"I see we're gaining the upper hand in food production for the past six months," Reiss held his own copy of reports and spread them in front of him. "Are you perhaps confident that the new marketing strategies will be consistent with the directives of our affiliates' operational workflow?"

Mikasa stiffened in her seat. The last person she wanted to have a discourse with is Rod Reiss. She held a breath and responded, "The food companies are consistent in sending reports about the progress of their sales. So far, their management is pleased with the new strategies and their results. The trial stage is deemed a success. Fewer expenses for expensive advertising, and we are investing more on skills and efforts to generate the output."

"But isn't the new marketing strategy a slow and traditional way to reach your consumers? Product samplings and house-to-house selling can get exhausting. Also, won't it be hard to delegate more people to do the job? Advertisements are still the best way to widely reach your market. Less hassle, less work. What do you say, Mr. Ackerman?" Reiss hissed from across the table in a venomous stare.

With a question that has a bullet's trajectory aiming for the head, Levi deflated on his seat. He looked at Mikasa in a terrified manner.

You got this. Mikasa gave him a reassuring smile.

"There's nothing…" Levi trembled at first, sensing Kenny's sharp eyes are on him. "There's nothing wrong with traditional marketing strategies. They are still existing, practiced, and proven to be more efficient when carried out properly."

Reiss leaned against the table in an unimpressed manner. Cliché.

"Have you read the reports?" Levi grabbed a couple of documents in an attempt to make sense of what he was about to point out. "The companies were pleased with the new strategies, there is an eight percent increase in their sales compared to the previous months. I believe there is no question there. Besides, advertisements today are so out of touch with reality. They're all pretty much monotoned and half-fake to attract the market. Some surveys say consumers no longer pay attention to ads that much. With this new selling system that makes an interpersonal approach to the market, people are pleased to try the product on the spot, and buy them on the spot."

From his peripherals, Levi saw Kenny nodding by his side. Erwin was half-grinning like a proud parent. Mikasa held her breath like she was about to faint.

"Mikasa presented the figures that imply traditional selling is more effective in generating revenue. Compared to costly advertisements, hiring people costs less. Plus, we can help them get no-brainer jobs without worrying about high job qualifications," Levi added.

But Reiss was not about to be toppled. "You seem to be confident of your sister's inexperienced skills even being unguided for two months."

"Mikasa is an Ackerman. It's in our blood to be efficient in everything we do," Levi spat. "Plus, Erwin is an excellent mentor. Of course, there won't be anyone around to support her during my absence…"

"But I guess Erwin had done better without you…" Rod was trying to get under his skin. He knew recognition of Erwin's skills will piss him off.

"I am acknowledging Erwin's patience and unwavering efforts during my absence and I'd say he'd done an exemplary job…"

Reiss laughed discerningly. "Oh, so everything between you two was settled now? That was new…"

"There is no rivalry or competition to begin with. Erwin and I must have been pulled apart by our varying opinions and differences but none of which cannot be resolved by a proper heart-to-heart talk. Trust me, Erwin's a very much able person to take my position," Levi said calmly yet indignantly.

Everyone gasped in surprise. Mikasa even wondered if it was Armin who was still coaching Levi via earphones.

Rod Reiss chewed his lip and leafed through his papers, about to fire shots again. "Very well. But I just want to bring up that I noticed one of our oldest affiliates, Colossal Food Corp. had its declining performance for four months. Doesn't anyone even notice these pathetic glaring numbers by one of our top-selling food companies? And take note that they adapted the same marketing strategies you have forced to each one of our sales entities."

This guy sure doesn't give up.

Levi straightened in his seat. Erwin wanted to retaliate but Levi waved him off. "Earlier, we are talking about twenty thriving food corporations. And now you've brought up one bad egg."

Reiss raised a brow, and so are the others. "It should be a concern, Mr. Ackerman. We cannot simply ignore one poor performance of a company that is used to be one of our major top players."

"Are you sure that the culprit is the new marketing strategies? I beg to differ. This Colossal Food Corp. has changed its management structure eight months ago. And that has been your doing because you're convinced that fresh leaders are far more effective and visionary than the old-timers. As you can see, a change in management would also mean a change in policies, which didn't go well with the employees. Most of them are forced to leave their job because they couldn't adapt to the new policies. Working hours are extended due to the lack of manpower. There's a fast turnover of job positions because newly hired employees can only last two months due to high qualification standards and high demands of workload. If that wasn't alarming enough, have you seen the reports that even the benefits of the old-timers are cut down by half? And the sales incentives are paid in installments. If you need to keep people and make them love their jobs then give them something to keep them motivated. You don't do business to make slaves, you do business to make a harmonious relationship with people who work for you. People should be motivated to keep the labor in check resulting in a good performance," Levi explained with ardor, almost losing his breath.

Kenny cleared his throat and interrupted calmly. "Rod, is it the same company that you and Uri fought about because he was devastated that the most trusted employees left their positions in disagreement with the new policies?"

"Yes, Chairman," Rod bowed his head in embarrassment.

"You should intervene with the management then. What's up with the change in policies? The new management didn't adapt the old policies?"

"I am not quite sure but I'll look into it…"

"You'd better be," Kenny said sternly. "We still have control over them and since you brought that up, do something to address the problem. We'd keep tabs on their sales performance and see to it that they will revert to the old ways. I don't see why they should change the policies when it has been the same old rules for decades and there had been no problems. Don't let the old-timers give up their jobs. They're the best at what they do. Let me make it clear that it's good to evolve and adapt to changes, however, it's still a case-to-case basis. There are companies that are still rooted in their traditional policies and they are still standing high and proud today. One should stick with whatever works for them."

Kenny Ackerman stood from his seat and started to discuss other companies that fell into bankruptcy due to the poor performance of their employees. Levi for the first time had seen a different side of Kenny who speak with affinity to the most hardworking but least recognized part of an organization.

"In Ackerman Holdings, we take into consideration the different strengths of an employee. Everybody is qualified for a certain position. We will always have an available job for those who even think that their IQs are below average. Each person has their potential and we make use of that. We will always recognize talents, explore hidden talents, and improve skills. We make sure that they would feel they have contributed largely to our operations and they are essential in the very existence of this company. That's how we treat employees in this company, I hope our affiliates can do the same." Kenny ended his sentence elegantly and sank back in his seat.

Levi was speechless, blown away by his uncle's galvanizing stride which is very much the opposite of someone he used to know.

"Say, Levi…" Kenny mumbled beside him. "Am I still the same bad person in your memory?"

"I swear I got worried about the accident, you had me worrying for weeks now," Kiyomi Azumabito was a kind soul who reached first for Levi after the board meeting, hugging him gently.

Mikasa was fast to cover for her brother. "He's actually not fully healed as of now, that's why he needs assistance from both Erwin and me."

"Oh, I see. And you delivered well, dear," Kiyomi smiled, then turned back to Levi. "I'm also glad that you finally settled your differences with Erwin. It takes a real man to recognize the skills of another man without hurting his ego. Has the accident changed you?"

Levi froze, side-eyeing Mikasa. "When Erwin stepped up to run the company during my absence and delivered well, I guess I finally saw a man who would make a good partner for the business. We're good now."

The old lady clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, I think your sound collaboration will yield more positive results in the long run. Keep it up. And I'm always here to support you!"

"Thank you for always trusting me."

"Also heard the news that you and Petra are back together. Hope everything goes well until the wedding. Is there a date already?"

Mikasa cleared her throat. "I would guess Levi will need more time to think about that…"

"Aren't you the jealous little thing?" Kiyomi wrinkled her eyes.

"Well, Levi and I have just grown closer after his accident and I wanted to cherish the times that he's… kinda changed. I think he realized family is more important, right, Levi?" Mikasa raised her brows.

"Of course…" Levi coughed.

"Well, keep up that adorable relationship, you two. I adore the fact that you've grown closer and more cooperative in running the company that was the only memory left by your parents. I'll see you soon again!"

Mikasa led Kiyomi out of the room, leaving Levi standing by the conference table with nothing else to do. He removed the airpod from his ear and pocketed it. He will thank Armin later.

Like a room cleared of smoke, Levi can finally breathe, seeing everyone leaving the room one by one. Karl Fritz shook his hands and wished him well, while Tybur gave him his last hug with a teasing reminder of a party Levi was sure he will never go to. When he turned to the corner, he saw Kenny was talking to Reiss in an uptight manner. God knows what are they talking about but Levi was sure it was not a friendly conversation. When Reiss finally tore himself off Kenny, he saw Levi and headed straight to him with an offensive grin on his face.

"You haven't lost your spunk, kid. Or was it a good thing you fell into a coma and came back like a new person?" His voice was low and taunting, like there was a hidden meaning to it.

"I'm just doing my job…" Levi said cautiously.

There was a chuckle from the old man. "That's not what I remembered last time…"

What does that mean?

Reiss was a fellow short man who can just pass Levi by the shoulder and whisper confidentiality without looking suspicious. Their shoulders brushed for a split second.

"You really do know how to dig secrets, huh Levi? Pulling off the checkmate move after rising from the dead?"

Shock crossed Levi's face. For sure, something had brewed up between them even before all this. If there is something he hated about having lost his memories, it was the mystery of his duties as a CEO, his hidden agendas, and the possible enemies he engendered.

"Well, fair enough. Just when I thought I had the trump card, you were playing even. It's quite a good match…" Reiss mused.

Levi narrowed his eyes.

"We both know we hate scandals in our line of job. Our reputation is what feeds us. Our names are what's keeping us on the pedestal of respect and power. You knew better, Levi. And we should look after some secrets that can get weaponized against us." The cryptic remark had Levi's blood boiling. "The last thing we want is to lose something important to us."

Kenny was standing across the room and didn't make a move. He just stood there, watching with sunken eyes.

"See you around, Levi. I'm glad you're back and in very much good health," Reiss sang. "Frieda sends her regards, anyway."

Frieda?

Levi stalled for a few seconds, trying to recall the name which only registered to him as Rod Reiss's daughter who he never met in person in his other world. Who was Frieda in this world?

Before he could turn around, Kenny's hand clamped his shoulder. Rod Reiss was already outside, emitting an air of mystery.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?!" Levi lashed out. "Why was Reiss acting sourly around me?"

Kenny slumped on the nearest chair and rested an elbow on the conference table. They were finally alone in the room and Levi had a lot of questions.

"Initially, I'd like to believe you were just making up your condition," Kenny said morosely. "Because you did an excellent job earlier…"

"Nothing's changed, Kenny. I'm the same clueless person in this shitty situation you've put me into. I've got some help and pulled off some theatrics to fool everybody," Levi said. "Maybe I can be a better actor than a CEO."

Kenny scoffed.

"So… would you tell me who Reiss is?" Levi iterated.

It took Kenny a few seconds to respond, "He's the only person on the board who didn't vote for you for the CEO position, so naturally, he's a little stingy around you."

"Why?"

Kenny shrugged. "People tend to hate other people. We'll always have that one person we couldn't stand."

"That helps," Levi said sarcastically. "Then who is Frieda?"

"A childhood friend of yours."

Kenny kept his answers clipped and hanging. There is not much information to dig out of him. It seemed he was keeping his statements senseless.

"How am I supposed to be the person I was before when you're not giving a shit about feeding me some information so I can act accordingly to your wishes?!" Levi's frustrations are nearing their boiling point and the last thing he wanted is for him to lose the remaining respect for Kenny.

"Sometimes… it's better to limit your interactions… and limit what you know…"

"You're putting me on a battlefield without a weapon," Levi said harshly. "And blindfolded."

"No, Levi," Kenny said. "I'm just putting you in the trenches."

"I'm so done with this…" Levi put his arms in surrender and headed for the door.

"Levi, there are things that are best forgotten. For now," Kenny said mysteriously. "Keep things low, keep oneself blind. Trust me, you'd thank the void later."

"Why? Is there an advantage to having lost my memories?"

"Yes," Kenny said.

Levi cocked his head.

"The more you know, the closer you are to trouble. It's best if you don't know anything at all."

"Get lost," Levi said, swinging the door open. He couldn't just admit that what Kenny said was a little disturbing. "Half the things you say are too absurd for me to comprehend. Or maybe I was just so stupid."

"I'm just protecting you…" Kenny called. "Remember that."

A chill ran down his spine. For the first time, Kenny's weary look gave Levi an idea that his uncle was hiding things from him. But what could those be? Will it break his own skull to know?

Whatever.

Levi stormed out of the conference room and stopped in his tracks at the sight of Rod Reiss talking to the blonde girl who called herself "Krista Lenz". Seconds later, the girl was seen running across the hall with hands covering her face as if she was crying.

"Krista Lenz, huh?" Levi murmured to himself in suspicion. "If this is the same scenario of a man who hides his illegitimate child the same way he is keeping so many secrets in the other world, then who is Rod Reiss in this world?"

Notes:

So a lot has happened in this chapter. Also, I love writing Mikasa and Levi sibling interaction.

Some things will unfold soon. :)

I hope you're still reading...

Lemme know your thoughts and as always, kudos and comments keep this story going. :)

Chapter 25

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

A three-day escape is all it takes for Hange to stay sane—or perhaps the much-needed break is somewhere remote, peaceful, and tucked away in woodlands and greenery. A lone, rustic cabin would be nice, and there would be a lake nearby that is safe enough for a swim. She would set up a campfire in the evening and cook her dinner over the fire. She wouldn't mind being surrounded by cricket sounds and the eerie silence of her surroundings. She had the option to hike the trails during the day, exhaust herself until noon so she could swim in the lake later and relax her muscles. Her activities are mentally stored in her brain, convincing herself that she will enjoy the solitude by being out of touch with the outside world.

She badly needed the calm. She badly needed to be somewhere.

She badly needed him out of her thoughts.

It was past noon when Hange arrived in Ragako Village, an area covering hectares of mountains, pine forests, woodlands, and virgin lakes nestled in the rural depths of Sina's countryside. It was once a state park, open to the public, however, a private company claimed rights by developing the area, building little cabins, restoring the pristine state of the lakes and rivers, and maintaining the trails for hiking activities. The place was an excellent choice for campers who are looking for outdoor activities outside the city. For Hange, it was a place she had been dying to see since falling ill from anxiety.

"So Cabin 33. Are you sure?" the receptionist asked Hange as she pointed her finger at an image of a small, log cabin situated beside a clear lake in an overgrown part of a forest.

"Yes! Is it taken already?" Hange asked.

"No. It hasn't been occupied in months or so," the receptionist said, typing away at her computer.

"Great! I'm taking it. I hope the cabin's interiors are not covered in cobwebs or something. I'm here to relax, not to take household duties," Hange said jokingly.

"Not to worry. Our cabins are always well-maintained. It just surprised me because I never encountered a single camper before, especially a first-timer. Most people loved camping in groups for extra fun, y'know? You sure you don't have anyone with you?"

"It's just me and a book. My version of fun is solitude. You know, I'm that introverted weirdo back in college who hates being with people," Hange winked. "But… why do you ask?"

The receptionist shrugged. "Cabin 33's rarely taken by campers due to its location, along with Cabin 34 that's built a little farther uphill. They're about four kilometers from here, the farthest cabins we had and it's a dead spot. However, the scenery surrounding them was superb. Close to the crystal lake and lots of scenic viewpoints. There are trails by the hillsides for hiking too. If you're a person who's serious about taking off the grid and being disconnected from the world then you're in the right place. Anyway, forest rangers are stationed not too far away but it's still best if you take care of yourself out there."

"I see," Hange nodded. "Don't worry, in my line of job, safety always comes first."

"Good to know." The receptionist smiled as she handed out a key and a trail map. "Would you be needing help in transporting your belongings? Or maybe would you still need to gather anything for your camping needs? We have a convenience store nearby if you need to add something to your loot."

"I think I've packed everything I need. I'm well-prepared enough to survive. I got this."

"Well uh, you got a pretty heavy load back there. Sure you won't need the help? It's free of charge though. Tips are optional."

Hange waved a hand. "I badly needed that hike anyway. Besides, I've carried far heavier things than this. And the idea of a crystal lake at the end of the hike was so tempting I can't wait to swim after this."

"Okay. You're all set then! Enjoy the hike and your stay. Before I forgot, the signal ends at Trail 3 marker so if you need to call anyone, better do it while you're still at Trail 2 where there's coverage."

"Got it," Hange chirped and hoisted up her massive backpack on her back with a grunt. Her face crumpled in pain. The bag straps dug into her bruised shoulders and she must have forgotten she was straining herself since leaving the city hours ago to take public transportation. "Fucking shiiit…"

"Oh, is everything okay?" The receptionist rose from her seat to check on her.

"Um, I'm good!" Hange feigned a merry tone. "Just… loosening the knots on my back."

She turned around and headed outside to inspect her surroundings. The breeze licked her skin and she couldn't wait to sweat out while on the trail. The heavy backpack weighed like a ton but nothing compared to the weight in her chest. Maybe physical torture is a good way to deflect all her unwanted thoughts and feelings.

She cursed internally and took out her phone to call Yelena and Eren, and inform them that she arrived safely at her destination. She was surprised to see Levi's five missed calls since this morning.

"Sorry, shorty. This retreat is what I needed to forget my feelings about you…" Hange mumbled. She pressed Eren's number first and dialed out. When she heard his voice, she prattled on like she haven't talked to him in ages. "Hey, Eren! Just in case you need to know, I'm at Ragako for a break…"

She was babbling out loud as she commenced the hike, talking to him for full ten minutes until she reached the Trail 3 marker. Eren informed her that he was handed their money reward and promised Yelena that he will treat her to a fine dining restaurant after their duties. Eren's voice was full of life and she can't help but smile at the fact that he was finally coming around. She stopped at the marker to catch some breath. The trail was slowly morphing into a slope, leading to a forested area. When the line was cut off, Hange's excitement faded, realizing she was very much alone.

With a heavy sigh, she continued her way towards the trail leading to Cabin 33.

From this point onwards, everything will be all right.

Levi was no longer surprised to see Armin Arlert sitting by his desk accompanied by Mikasa. After a brief talk with Erwin, he went straight to his office to personally thank Armin for his assistance and discuss some matters regarding his future position in the company.

"Surprisingly, Levi guessed it was you, Armin. He knows you from his memory…" Mikasa started as Armin bounced up from his seat and stuck out his hand shyly at Levi.

"Mr. Levi, it's an honor to meet you…" The blond boy flashed a beaming smile, eyes twinkling in reverence. "I've heard about the situation."

"Just call me Levi…" Levi said and shook his hand. "Thanks for your assistance earlier. I would've died out there. And please, don't adore me, I'm a fucked-up fellow with a fucked-up memory."

Armin gave Mikasa a concerned look.

"Don't mind him. His choice of words changed too," Mikasa said. "You'll get used to it."

"Okay…" Armin said unsurely and sat back on the seat. "But… I must admit he did a great job in delivering his arguments during the meeting. I just provided some ideas, he expounded them."

Mikasa raised her brows in amusement. "Really?"

Levi clicked his tongue. "Who knows? Maybe the ideas are still stored in my memory that just need a little prodding."

"Yeah, whatever. Just keep that up. You're so smart back there I would've thought you've reverted to the old you…" Mikasa scoffed. "Well, anyway, I decided here that Armin can act as your executive assistant. I initially wanted him to be part of my team but I needed someone trustworthy to watch over you. Big bro needs some hand."

"I'm not a fucking kid, Mikasa."

"Yes you are, Levi." Mikasa tapped a pen on the table. "I need watchful eyes around because people will eventually figure out that you're not the CEO they used to know. Armin shall guide you when Erwin and I can't be around. You know how busy we can get. Don't worry, I've provided Armin with some reading materials he can study regarding your duties."

"Sure," Levi clipped sarcastically. "Someone has to work in the background while I take the front."

"You can trust Armin, Levi," Mikasa reminded him.

"I know."

"Is there something wrong?" Mikasa noticed him spacing out.

"It's Kenny. He's keeping a secret from me. From us," Levi said. "He said there's something good about losing my memories. And just when losing my memories is never a good thing for Zeke, Petra, Erwin, and you, then why does Kenny think otherwise? I don't feel good about this."

Mikasa and Armin traded looks.

"Reiss was also been hinting about keeping secrets. It's like we have an agreement or something before this. Or some unspoken dispute has been running for ages. Something we hold against each other," Levi said wearily. "Mikasa, are you sure you don't know anything about me and my working relations with him?"

Mikasa shook her head. "I swear I know a little about you and what you do, Levi. I just took little participation in our company, until your accident."

"Shit…"

"Why? Do you think there's something shady about Rod Reiss?" Mikasa asked.

"I don't know. But I can feel his immeasurable hate towards me. Must've brushed him the wrong way in the past and whatever that is, it feels like he's trying to get back at me. His provoking questions earlier are only the tip of the iceberg."

"Mika." Armin turned to Mikasa. "Do you still have the records of employees who worked for Ackerman Holdings but left immediately when Levi fell into a coma? Anyone who closely worked with him?"

Mikasa counted her head. "Levi had a former executive assistant who said was offered a bigger opportunity in another company. So was his secretary."

"I see. I think we should start with them," Armin told her. "Remember when I told you that making Levi act as the same person despite having different memories was absurd? Maybe it has something to do with possible adversaries. We could squeeze a little information from people he closely worked with in the past. Even the tiniest details can be essential."

"Fuck me," Levi cursed. "I have no time for this… I'm too tired of digging for the truth in my past. If there really is something wrong with my old self then I'd rather stay as the man with different memory."

"Levi…" Mikasa put a hand on his shoulder. "Please."

"I think I need a break, Mikasa," Levi said tiredly. "A badly needed break."

Mikasa looked at Armin apprehensively then back to her brother. "I understand the weight we got you into. If it was on me I'd be glad to send you away but I'd see what Uncle has to say about that request."

"I'm… I'm sorry if I'm a little insistent," Armin faltered. "I didn't mean to put pressure on you Levi. It's just that when Mikasa told me about this set-up, it aroused my suspicion that something was wrong. Well, I was from a company that had its indiscretions and I could see the same pattern. Maybe I was just too caught up in the events of my previous job…"

"You don't need to explain, Armin," Mikasa said. "I'm glad you're helping though. And I'm glad you're being perceptive. Levi's just having a hard time expressing his gratitude."

"Easy kid," Levi said reassuringly. "I trust you. Everything about myself is just so strange. And I just need to work on my speech inadequacies."

"Good thing you noticed that," Mikasa said. "I'm quite impressed you didn't let your sharp tongue slip through the board meeting. Don't scare Armin like that."

"So maybe a break is all I need to tame my demons?" Levi raised his brows in question.

Mikasa sighed. "Can't wait to let you go."

Armin switched his attention from Levi to Mikasa. "I'd say we could work better when he's not around for a while."

"Yeah... he'll get in the way. He'll have a lot of questions that are not necessary..." Mikasa drawled.

"Not really," Armin said. "We need him to have peace of mind for the time being. The future will be unpredictable."

"That sounds bad." Levi crossed his arms on his chest.

"Maybe," Armin said meaningfully. "And that's why we need to take action as early as now. Be a step ahead in our investigation of the unknown."

"Right." Mikasa nodded in agreement. "We need to keep our vigilance under our sleeves."

"Uncle Kenny lets you take a time off for a few days. He's quick to say yes. Isn't that a surprise?" Mikasa was driving her car along a lengthy highway as they drove past the signage of Sina City.

Levi was seated in the passenger seat, watching the empty roads as the view virtually turned from cityscapes into elevated and mountainous landscapes. "Finally, he's getting rid of me."

"I believe it's for the meantime," Mikasa told him. "So I would guess your hate for him has reduced a significant fifty percent?"

"Not quite," Levi hissed. "Unless he explains to me those cryptic remarks of him then nothing will change. Leaving me in the dark like that? Someone could put a bullet in my head and he would just watch."

Mikasa only breathed helplessly. She tried to veer the topic to lighten up the mood. "We're an hour away from our destination. This villa you owned outside Sina was one of your favorite hideaways whenever you want to escape the city. The difference today is that Petra's not here. Or would you like to take her with you?"

"No thanks. I'm fine being alone…" Levi drawled. "Don't need some company."

"That sounds harsh." Mikasa chuckled. "And it's kinda different now that you're a little averse to topics about her. Shall I try to plot something about your disappearance?"

"Tell her you killed me in the woods."

"Or you ran away with Lara. She'd believe that…" Mikasa laughed.

"What's with all these women getting acquainted with my name?" Levi asked in disgust. For most men, being fawned by a lot of women was an accomplishment, a trophy, an extension of lifespan. For Levi, it was meeting the gallows.

"There's a lot of them. Actually, I think when you were younger, you've shagged about like—"

"Not the fucking number!" Levi exclaimed. "Don't make me hate myself even more."

Mikasa laughed louder, enjoying the verbal torture. "You're a hopeless case back then. But quite a surprise that Uncle Kenny doesn't give a damn about it. As long as you're productive in what you do, he wouldn't be strict about your life choices."

"And I'd guess it was different with you?"

"Yeah. I hate it when I knock in your apartment and I would be welcomed by different women each week. All I could think of was to sit during breakfast and put something in their coffees."

"You should have."

Mikasa shrugged. "But then I guess you kinda mellowed down when you finally settled with Petra. I'd give her that. She changed you as a man."

"Then why didn't you like her?"

"Miss Kiyomi was right. I was that jealous little sister who can't seem to like people who share the attention of her family," Mikasa said. "Petra was overbearing and you're pretty okay with it. It's not like I hate her. But I hope she'll realize you also have your family who pines for your attention. All I could see were invisible words of 'Petra's Property' written all over you. However, everything changed after the incident. Never thought we'd be this close, to be honest. It's bad enough that you lost your memories, but something good also came out of it."

Levi sighed. Admittedly, he felt the same. Mikasa was not his sister in the other world but this reality of being bonded by blood gave him more comfort. Mikasa is the closest person he could get in terms of companionship.

"Anyway, it's a great way to relax in the countryside. Don't worry about packing your clothes, you have a closet full of stuff in every house you owned. I also called the caretaker to prepare your room and food for days," Mikasa said. "The moment I suggested this to Uncle Kenny, he wants you out of Sina for a while. He said he'll be taking care of some things in the company too. Probably something he couldn't do with you around…"

"So there really is something fishy going on…" Levi assumed.

"Let's trust Uncle Kenny with this one," Mikasa said seriously. "Right now, he's on his own and keeping things away from us. Maybe we should start our own investigation as well if we can't have his support. I also have Armin work with us and I'd get him to review each company with Reiss's involvement. He's gonna be the person of interest for now. We'll also try to locate your former staff and clarify some things. Furlan and Isabel were always loyal to you so there must be a very good reason for them to quit their jobs while you're in the hospital."

"W-wait… Furlan and Isabel, you say?"

"Yes. Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia. Furlan's your assistant, Isabel's your secretary. Do you perhaps remember them? Or…"

"My memory. I remember them through my memory. T-they're my closest friends… I lost them early and…" Levi quivered in his seat, recalling their deaths are one of the most tragic events in his life as a soldier.

"Hey…" Mikasa side-eyed him.

"Th-they're here?" Alive? His voice crackled with hurt. "Mikasa, can I see them?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible as of now. Upon checking with HR, we lost their contact and information in our database. Pretty odd, actually. Don't worry, Armin and I will be on it," Mikasa reassured him. "In the meantime, I need you to clear your mind and relax. We'd never expect your old memories to come back too soon but we can't just stand around and do nothing. We'd get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the old you. Looks like a lot had been unfolding in so little time after you woke up…"

Levi exhaled a heavy sigh. Something was bothering him. "W-wait, did you say Furlan and Isabel's information are wiped off the database?"

"That's what the personnel have told me. The file got corrupted and the backup only kept the current employees. They said they're taking time to retrieve all the old records. Well, I'll keep following up for updates."

"Don't they have old friends in the company who must have saved their contact numbers? Or perhaps know their whereabouts?"

"They changed their numbers, Levi," Mikasa supplied. "Krista also told me that during the exit interview…"

"Hold on, Krista? Krista Lenz?"

"Yes, why?"

"She's working under HR?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Can you enlist her as another person of interest?"

"Why?"

"That girl, Krista Lenz. I said about her being Rod Reiss's illegitimate child in my memory. Earlier, I saw them briefly talking in the hallway," Levi said.

"So, we'd monitor her for any suspicious activity?" Mikasa scratched her head.

"Yes."

"Should we let Erwin know about this?"

"Maybe…" Levi shrugged. "I trusted him now. You can also introduce Armin to him though."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Can you check on Hange again and tell me how she's doing? I can't seem to contact her number," Levi digressed.

"Why not try the guy she's with? Zeke's brother?" Mikasa suggested, eyes focused on the road.

"Eren," Levi clarified. "Okay, a better suggestion. I'll probably call him later then."

Mikasa didn't say a word, keeping a straight face.

"Hey, what do you think of him?" Levi asked her. "You've met Eren, right?"

"Compared to Zeke, he looked much different…" Mikasa said. "But he seemed to be a nice person because he's taking care of Hange."

"I know I can count on him…" Levi said with a slight grin on his face. "So, is that the only impression you got?"

"Are you asking me if I'm interested in him?" Mikasa scoffed, hinting there is something behind Levi's smug smile.

Levi chuckled. "It just felt weird when you are acting stoic like this towards him."

"Levi, I don't know the guy," Mikasa droned out. "I don't act chummy around people who I barely knew. There's no reason for me to get all too close to someone I haven't even shared good conversations with."

"Then maybe you should try having a conversation with him."

"It's not like I can get a person to stick me with throughout a conversation. Unless it's Armin or it's you, you can't make me talk about something interesting."

"Oi, do you remember when I told you before that you were obsessed with someone in my memory?" Levi rolled the words out with added dramatics. "You were so overprotective with a guy. You'd kill for him. You almost killed me for him."

"That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. I would've killed you for something else and definitely not for a man."

"I'm just telling the truth from a fragment of my memory. And it's getting clearer in my head now. His name is Eren Jaeger."

"Your memory is as shitty as you are…" Mikasa spat, a faint tinge of pink brushing her cheeks. Her foot slammed harder on the gas.

"You brat, are you gonna break my neck?!" Levi cried out, bracing himself for the ride that was speeding down to hell.

Hange roughly estimated that her last hike was about nine years ago. Back when she was younger and more energetic. Back when she would break a few bones and just laugh about it. Was she a little old for this activity? Or was it this age that while she enjoyed solace in isolation, it would take a lifetime of energy to be spent on this madness?

She hated to admit that the trail to Cabin 33 was already testing her patience and endurance. And how come her adrenaline rush was at its lowest low? She should be pumped up for this kind of activity—the same way her rescue missions pushed her gaits to their limits. She would guess being alone on the trails bored her, as she was ambling her way shabbily like her joints were missing a few screws. She consumed about five packs of granola bars and a whole bottle of water. God knows what the time was. God knows why her excitement died that fast. She was too exhausted to check her watch and double her misery at the fact that she was taking this hike forever. In about an hour, she could swear she will be bawling out and she wouldn't care if the forest rangers will hear her. All the better if they did so she could get all the help she deliberately refused a while ago at the reception desk.

Maybe she was not that strong after all.

Four kilometers on a leveled ground was a walk in the park. However, she was littering her way with curses on both steep inclines and descents. The grounds transformed into a series of ups and downs and winding trails, testing the stamina of her bones and muscles. The receptionist must have forgotten to send her warnings. Or was it the rarity of visiting campers in Cabin 33 that makes it more obvious? Sure she missed that one.

Well, it would be much tolerable if she didn't have a bag that felt like she was transporting an injured bear across mountains. Moreover, it was a bad idea that her food was composed of frozen meat and canned goods, contributing to seventy percent of the weight that slowed her down in the process. Damn, catching a break should never be this hard.

But sufferings are always bound to end. For Hange, it is always a piece of heaven when that happens. She almost cried in agonizing relief as she reached her destination like a crawling sloth, tearing up at the otherworldly character of the place as if it was built by the forest nymphs.

The view of her location was worth the hike—to say at least. A much-needed paradise welcomed her like she was its most awaited visitor. The lakefront cabin looked rustic and cozy, perched a few meters from the banks of the famous crystal lake. The smell of pines and earth, and warm woody scents reminded her of homey afternoon naps.

"Fucking finally!" Hange screamed and shrugged off her bag, haphazardly leaving it at the threshold of the cabin where she didn't bother peeking inside to unpack her belongings.

First things first, she would have loved to stall and stare at the enchanting view of the small lake, radiant and sparkling despite the limited sunshine permeating the canopied state of the place.

"Just what I needed…" Hange muttered and breathed the fresh air, savoring the sweet surrender as she walked to the lakeshore and bent down to see how clear and crystalline the quality of the water is. Calling it a lake was technically incorrect, as Hange theorized it was not stagnant and the water source could be elsewhere geologically hidden. She took off her glasses and shoes and laid them aside, then began stomping on the water, immediately easing the pain in her feet. She almost broke into tears at the pleasant feeling.

"I could live here for the rest of my life!"

Which is a lie. Of course, reality is a bitch to slap her in the face. Life is made up of one percent of dreams.

She stripped herself naked thoughtlessly—save for her underwear—thinking she owned the place that is virtually restricted from visitors. She could use some dip, and maybe had all the time in the world to swim all afternoon and submerge herself in the refreshing chill of the water.

Time was nonexistent here. And the rest of the world could go fuck itself because she didn't plan on thinking about everything else she left behind in the city.

She deserved this little piece of heaven. Even for just a little while.

She cracked a hearty laugh and waded her way farther and deeper until her toes could no longer touch the lake floor. She was already treading the water, keeping her body vertical, feet kicking to stay afloat, and then finally tilting her head back to face the sky while strings of sunbeam hit her face. She paddled her arms and legs to cover some distance until she was already centering the lake, floating spread-eagle on the surface of the water.

Ah, the feeling…

It's been a while since she experienced this kind of peace. All the chaos in her mind was shaken off like a bunch of migrating birds leaving their trees.

She closed her eyes and breathed a few times to meditate—a sensory deprivation to quiet down her brain activity. There was familiarity while she loosened herself like this. She was once treated in an enclosed tank for floating therapy during a PTSD episode. The feeling today was very much the same. Her mind drifted into nothingness and this was the kind of serenity she needed in a while.

For some time, the relaxation made her feel that she was in a state of dreamy meditation. The sounds of rippling water and rustling trees were once music to her ears and eventually drowned out, falling into deaf silence. But it didn't take long until something—or someone ripped her away from her state of bliss. There was a yank at her arms, wrenching her out of position. Her mind went blank like a flash of light. There was panic building up, and she can only soundlessly scream. She was thrashing her limbs in all places, splashing more water, disturbing the once-quiescent surface of the lake. Something wrapped around her waist, until she felt something seizing her shoulders, her arms, her legs. She felt like a hundred hands were grabbing at every part of her, foiling her movements. Was a mythical creature about to drag her underwater?

Help!

This time, her scream spilled through the forest in a wolf-cry timbre. The restraints she felt loosened as her voice grated her throat.

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

Hange stopped struggling. And it only registered that she was not alone. She left her glasses by the banks and she dragged her hand across her face to wipe away the water that kept blurring her already weak vision. It was not a lake monster but a human beside her.

Her eyes flickered a few times to realize another person was in the water with her. And from the voice itself, it was a man.

"Are you okay?! You're fucking floating out here. I thought you were dead!"

"I…I…" Hange could barely recall what was happening. Her head turned sideways to barely recognize the distance from the cabin. She must have sailed her body a little too much to get this far.

"Hange!"

Does he know my name? Hange squinted her eyes and turned her head to the owner of the frantic voice. They were so close; that her arm found its way to snake around his shoulder for support while his own was wrapped around her bare torso to keep her afloat. Her weight was already bearing on them both.

Their noses brushed. Their heavy pants mixed in that very small distance.

"Hange! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She felt his breath ghosting her lips, her heart thumped wildly and she was sure she could also feel his heartbeats against her chest. Up close, her vision became clearer and clearer until his image dramatically came into view. Those familiar pair of grey orbs were filled with worry as they stared right into her eyes unblinkingly. His eyes were searching. Longing.

Life was a joke. Until it wasn't.

"Le-Levi?" Her words got caught in her throat.

"Damn, four-eyes. You okay?"

"Y-yeah…" she clipped, immediately leaning away after realizing he was too close. Intimately close. That proximity was enough to put her head into a spin.

"Can you swim?" he asked in a gasp.

She nodded wordlessly.

"Come on, hold onto me…" Levi grabbed her hand in a tight grip as they paddled their way back to the banks.

Hange was a little disoriented as she collapsed ashore on her knees, exhaustion finally coming in. She was breathless, as if she was just being revived from drowning. She hurried to grab her glasses, setting them firmly right on top of her nose just to ensure she was not seeing things.

She was not in an enchanted forest, wasn't she? And the man who looked like Levi Ackerman was not a doppelganger who roams this world to fuck up her remaining sanity.

He turned his back away from her, pulling off his shirt over his head, and wringing it to squeeze out the water. Hange's eyes caught the bulk of another bag that surely wasn't hers—sitting by his feet. Shit. By some reality check, she was not imagining things. It was Levi Ackerman in flesh.

For good measure, she gave her face two hard slaps until it stung. Levi's bare back was very much visible in her eyes and she couldn't help but gape and blush at the sight of his toned muscles rippling as he flexed a movement. He turned around and he caught her ogling him.

"Oi, what's up with you now? Creeping up on me?" Yes. No wonder it was Levi all right.

"What?!" Hange lashed out inadvertently. Maybe it was this scary surprise that was too much to comprehend. Everything fell into massive confusion.

"Why the hell are you floating in the middle of the lake? Anyone who might be passing by will think you were dead out there," he said.

Damn those immaculate abs. She was too distracted to come up with statements.

"Four-eyes…" he pressed.

She realized she had barely said anything since stepping aground. She could swear her relaxed state earlier was made by singing angels and Levi's sudden presence ruined it for her like a destructive hurricane. A wave of mixed emotions hit her like a freight train.

"Should I ask first what the hell are you doing here?!" she snarled. "I was looking for peace, you ruined it."

Levi narrowed his eyes and brushed back his hair off his forehead. Droplets of water rolled down the canvas of his face and Hange held back a tiny squeal of admiration. Fuck that.

"Peace? Zoning out on a lake?" he asked incredulously. "You could've drowned out there!"

"I didn't fall asleep!" Hange reasoned out. "I know what I was doing. I've done that before. It's like... meditation! Like… sensory deprivation. It's a form of therapy."

Levi shook his head with a curl on his lips. "Whatever, Hange. You're alone out here and you're wandering off aimlessly. Has safety ever crossed your mind? To think it has been your job to ensure safety among other things?"

"Look who's talking," Hange berated. This bickering felt familiar though. "Hey, should I have the right to question first why the hell are you here? I'm booked in this part of Ragako and the last time I checked, I never booked Cabin 33 with anyone else. Did you get the wrong accommodation?"

Levi just stared at her incredibly.

"And coming here out of nowhere was certainly an act of a creep," Hange added as if to justify his actions. She straightened up and put both her hands on her waist in a challenging stance.

Levi just stood there unmovingly and Hange had to note the flush on his cheeks. She frowned and wondered, and when his eyes traveled from her face down to her toes, she finally realized what made him speechless.

He reached for his bag and pulled out a towel to throw at her. "Go shower and get dressed, you idiot! I could almost see your soul with my naked eye." He turned around and slung his backpack on his shoulder. "Sorry for ruining your peace."

He headed his way to that side of the lake where a wooden dock was built, with a small boat tied on one of its pegs.

Hange could fold herself in half, or she could run back to the water and drown herself right there and then. She could swear all her blood rushed up her face as she wrapped herself up with his towel. Just how much did Levi see?

She could die right now.

There are a lot of questions. She had them all randomly stored in her head, piling up as if they were about to burst her brain if she didn't let them out verbally. However, she failed to articulate them-dying right on her tongue when the very man who was the root cause of her troubles was in the same place as her.

Her emotions reached new heights as she slowly dragged her way back to the cabin with weakened legs. She cradled her bag that was strewn by the doorstep and unlocked the door to allow herself to breathe inside the cabin.

With a heavy sigh and her back against the door, her thoughts carried her back to the man who was already sitting by the dock and observing his surroundings in peace.

Why the hell is Levi here? Was he alone? Will he be staying around?

For now, maybe she really needed that damn shower.

"Hange's at Ragako Village. I didn't know she'll be taking a break after spending time in the hospital. I could've stopped her…"

Levi's phone call to Eren set all the alarms in his head that Hange was dealing with something he has yet to figure out. It could be from his memories of her—that once a very loud person grows quiet, something must be wrong. He must also have forgotten about her for days—him being cooped up in responsibilities he couldn't simply run away from.

But he remembered last night when he was controlled by some invisible force. When his lips barely touched hers because he lacked the words to express his feelings. And that was the question that pestered his mind until now: what feeling does he have for Hange that was different from Petra?

He didn't know what hit him. The next thing he knew, Mikasa was already helping him pack his things on a rucksack that smelled like it hasn't basked under the sun in ages. His villa outside Sina would have been a better place for a break, but a cabin in the woods with someone would be the best option to make this break rather an enjoyable one. There was something special and nostalgic about forests. Deep down in the recesses of his memory, every essential event that happened in his life as a soldier has something to do with forests. A playground for training, a place where he massacred his comrades, and...

A place where someone asked him to escape and live with them while the world is in chaos.

Mikasa told him he was never a fan of the outdoors. Not once did he participate in restoration projects and rural clean-ups organized by their company. When he suggested he wanted to go to Ragako which is a thirty-minute drive from his villa, Mikasa grew to be very encouraging. The ever-supportive sister drove him all the way to his "destination" with a satisfied grin on her face. He didn't dare to ask what she is smiling about but he couldn't help but buckle up at the increased speed of her driving like they were chasing a getaway vehicle.

"You should catch up with her. You should get there before the sun sets. It's dangerous when it gets dark on the trail."

Levi couldn't place the good mood on his sister's face as if she was more excited than him.

"I saw her condition yesterday. She's fine but I think it's not a good idea to let her exhaust herself by taking a slightly strenuous activity yet."

"You think it's a good idea to be there?" Levi asked her.

"Ragako's cabin rentals were part of Ackerman Holdings' rural estate projects. We'd notify them that you're there to inspect the site and will take lodging in one of the cabins," Mikasa said. "Just in case they'd ask about your presence there. Normally, you'd just stop at the reception but you never inspect the site. That's how boring you are."

Sure thing, the Ackerman siblings' presence came as a shock more than a surprise. Adamantly, Mikasa secured a vacant cabin close to Cabin 33 for Levi's accommodation for the night, or in the next few days if he decided to extend his stay.

It was already late in the afternoon when Levi arrived at Cabin 33. Despite carrying a heavy rucksack, Levi was far more energized than he was before. Connecting with nature gave him a different kind of strength as he could effortlessly trek his way into the pits of the forest with less of a struggle. The information of Hange being in Cabin 33 gave him a little excitement until he spotted her motionless body floating at the center of the lake. He saw her piles of clothes and her spectacles strewn over the banks and he wondered what that woman could have been doing lately.

A different kind of fear engulfed him and his reflexes instinctively moved on their own, discarding his backpack and shoes to get into the water and rush towards the body. Swimming in the lake was as effortless as hiking steep slopes, and Levi's freestyle speed would have beaten the fastest swimmer's record of covering several meters distance under fifteen seconds. He grabbed Hange, grappling for any part of her to keep her steady—until she jolted and struggled recklessly.

He was relieved to see those wideawake eyes as if she'd seen a ghost. Those brown eyes of hers had always been pretty without her glasses, and there is that part of him that ached at the memory that she lost one of them in a battle. He could stare at her all day, but she leaned away after realizing their awkward distance. He was glad that nothing bad has happened to her, but he was inwardly disappointed that she tore herself away, lashing out at him for ruining her "peace". It was not his plan to invite himself like this, intruding in her little world of isolation. He was rather expecting she will be happy in his presence, but it looks like she wanted to be alone.

Cabin 33 was a single-room lodge except for a door that leads to the bathroom. There was a double-sized bed in one corner and a built-in closet beside it. A medium-sized countertop and sink were installed on the opposite side where kitchen supplies and a small fridge are provided. A lone wooden table and two chairs occupied the center of the room for added expediency. Most of the time, these cabins are ignored during the summer and springtime because campers preferred pitching their tents.

Hange had just gotten out of the shower when she saw Levi sitting on one of the chairs by the small table, holding a cup of tea. Another steaming cup sat on the table and she wouldn't need to guess he prepared it just for her.

How thoughtful. Damn.

They didn't exchange words for a while. It has gotten a little too uncomfortable that they were alone in one room. It didn't help that Hange has packed loose tank tops instead of light shirts, giving Levi an ugly view of her bruised back as she turned around to look for something. She was racking her brain to lighten the mood, but all she could do is refrain from talking, as her throat tightened from an invisible grip.

"That looks painful," Levi initiated the talk, noting the familiar bruises that mapped the expanse of her bare back.

Hange shrugged. "Think of me as the soldier in your memory. And I know it could be worse than this."

"You're right," Levi droned out, recalling those imageries of her that got stuck in his thoughts since last night. "You were nearly got eaten by a giant, shot on the shoulder by a grappling hook, poked on the eye by a shard…"

"And yet I'm still alive," Hange said confidently. She could use this as an icebreaker. She slid onto the seat across from him and grabbed the cup. "As a soldier, I just can't die."

Levi let out a shuddered sigh. How would he even know? Soldiers in the other world are always bound to die. Sacrificial lambs for damn humanity. And with Hange's fate, he can't seem to remember until now. He watched as she drank from the cup, and he couldn't help but ask, "Hey, how are you?"

Hange paused, then responded in a mere whisper, "Good."

"Can't tell…"

"Should there be a reason not to be okay?" Hange challenged.

"Because you're here, isolating yourself."

"That doesn't mean I'm not okay," she scoffed. "I was just here to relax. It's normal for people to get some breather."

"Like taking a break from the city after spending time in the hospital for an accident that nearly killed you? Hiking all the way up here with a heavy backpack? Floating in the middle of the lake without even thinking of the dangers of zoning out and drowning? Sure there are no other ways to relax than going through some torturous activity," Levi countered.

"Look, this is my body and I am free to do anything with it. We have our ways. If you think I'm torturing myself because I just got discharged from a hospital and went straight hiking then you're forgetting I didn't land my career in a rescue force for nothing." Hange bit her lower lip.

"You don't need to be so salty about it. I'm just trying to prove a point."

"Point not taken. Don't concern yourself with me, Levi. Don't make me think like I'm a very important person to you. That's the biggest joke of my life."

"But you are…"

"What? A joke? Yeah, I could say the same about me…"

"No." Levi was staring at her seriously. "You are important to me, Hange."

Hange sputtered the hot drink, coughing out violently.

"Oi, that's not iced coffee," Levi warned her, rising from the seat and reaching around to rub her back.

"I know!" Hange waved him off. "Hey, stop... I'm fine..."

Levi stopped as he was told, but his hand remained on her back after taking a closer look at the blotches of purple marking her skin. Soon, his fingers gently trailed the parts where the bruises are. "Hange, these looked bad."

His touch sent goosebumps all over her body. She immediately swatted his hand away, the warmth of his fingers still lingered over her skin. "They're not as serious as they looked. I'm fine."

"Sorry..." Levi said apologetically. He withdrew his hand and went back to his seat silently.

"Maybe it's better to answer my question earlier then. Why are you here?" Hange was quick to digress and Levi was patient enough to put up with her eccentricity.

He was tempted to lie, but it wouldn't hurt to be honest. "I took a break from the office after the board meeting this morning. Mikasa took me to our villa not too far away from here and I called Eren to check on you because you're not answering my calls. That's when he said you're here. Conveniently, Mikasa suggested I can visit and check. Ragako Village was just one of Ackerman Holdings heritage assets and is currently in its rehabilitation and development projects. We own the major shares in this property. The cabins here were all funded by our company, which also includes trailblazing and forest restoration. Maybe it's the best time to visit. It's a part of my job."

"So it's only for site inspection? Is there not a single property you Ackermans don't own?" Hange tried to be funny but Levi could see heavy sarcasm lacing most of her statements.

"Not my fault if my family owned like half of this country," Levi said, trying to get even. "My old self probably enjoyed this privilege, but it's quite a different story with the current me."

Hange was feeling bad for herself. She didn't mean to be this rude to him as if she wanted him out of her sight in a flick of a finger.

When Levi finished his cup, he stood up and stared at her coldly. "And by the way, I have my own cabin too, in case you were thinking I was about to stay here with you. I just dropped by to check on you."

Hange's face fell in dejection. Now, why was she feeling this way? "You're… you're checked in somewhere?"

"The farthest one, Cabin 34," Levi clipped. "Can't tell how far but it's gonna be an uphill trek from here."

"Oh…" Hange turned her eyes away. "So… you're taking a break too? On your own? Without Petra?"

"Is it okay to say I'm kinda sick of being with the same person every day?" Levi asked. "And it's getting annoying that you're always pushing me to her."

"B-but she's supposed to..."

"Give me a break, Hange," Levi said. "My whole week was a mess in the head. And if you badly need your break then I have the right to have my own break, too. I would've chosen the villa which is a far more comfortable place than this, but I want to see you and catch up with you because we haven't heard from each other over the week."

"You... wanted to see me?" Hange swallowed her spit.

Levi frowned. "Obviously. Is it a bad time?"

Hange shook her head. "But I thought you're... well... after we talked that day-when you said your uncle is coming by-I initially thought you're gone..."

"Gone?"

"I mean, a lot has played in my head because you literally disappeared. I… I even thought your uncle brought you somewhere far away and…"

Levi gaped at her like she was the funniest thing that happened to him this day.

"I fucking swear I even thought you finally retrieved your memories and you've forgotten about me..." She was trying hard not to feel the heat on her face but it was too late because Levi was already half grinning.

"Are you saying you missed me?"

"What?!" Hange blanched out.

Levi crossed his arms and tried to read her. "I could say the same. I kinda missed you, four-eyes."

The blush was redder now, and Hange would want to run back to the lake and plunge deeper into the water.

"Whatever…" Levi was shaking his head. "Okay, since I'm relieved you're very much okay in here, I probably should get going…"

"Already?" Hange jolted from her seat. "Just like that? You're leaving already?"

"What? It's getting dark…" Levi reasoned. "Besides, you want to be alone, right?"

"It's… it's…" Hange's face was beet-red again. "But it's… a good time to catch up."

"Huh?"

"I have plenty of food enough for two people. There's a firepit outside, we could grill dinner over the fire and… I got some beer and…" Hange prattled.

"And what?"

"Well..." She shut her eyes tight before saying the words. "Can you stay for a while? Even for dinner?"

Levi cocked his head.

"It's… lonely. It gets lonely here," Hange mumbled, chewing at her words. "It's kinda lonely to have dinner alone…"

Levi thumbed his chin. "Has the weather changed? So you're not mad at me at all?"

"Mad?"

"Earlier, you were so pissed at me because I showed up and you said I ruined your peace and—"

"Forget about it, okay?!" Hange exploded. "I want... you..."

"Want me?"

"I mean… I want you here. With me. We can talk like the old times... like the close friends that we are in your memory..." Hange was losing her words. "If... you just want to..."

"Fine," Levi scoffed, a huge smile threatening to curve his lips. "I'll stay put so you won't get lonely?"

"It's less lonely when there are two of us out here."

Levi closed his eyes and saw a memory of them alone in the forest.

Maybe we should live here together. Right, Levi?

The memory found its way out of the void. His eyes rounded when Hange's familiar voice echoed in his ears. Soon, a small grin finally escaped his lips, followed by a nod.

"Right," Levi said. "I'll stay, Hange..."

Notes:

A fact: broken-hearted for 2 weeks now but managed to write fluff (pats myself on the back)

Okay, I just noticed that this fic indicates "22" chapters when in reality, it is already "24" (before this chapter). Must be a glitch? I thought I lost the two chapters prior to posting this one (and panicked at that!). If you see the same error, kindly tell me. I logged out of my account and saw the same thing-22 chapters, but when I scrolled down, there are still the succeeding chapters.

Anyway, I should be posting this next week but managed to finish it because I need Levihan moments to counter some shitty events in my life. That's how I cope up, huh?

Anyway, hope you like it.

Kudos and comments... you know the drill. If this chapter is good enough for you, thank my bleeding heart. Lol.

Chapter 26

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Her name was Krista Lenz.

And preferred it that way. Her two-syllable name sounded modest and sweet—an exact fit for her personality. It was the name her mother gave her, the name her co-workers have grown to remember, the name her friends called her, and the name she'd rather take to her grave when her time comes. Being Krista was uncomplicated and innocent, humbled and deprived of lofty ambitions. But everything changed the day she was introduced to her father.

When Krista Lenz become Historia Reiss, she despised her life since then.

"Another one, please!" She was sitting on a bar stool with hunched shoulders, flagging the bartender for another shot of strong liquor that was her sixth for the night.

The bartender—brunette and freckled—stood there and watched as Historia waste her life. She huffed and poured a clear liquid into a shot glass and slid it across the counter, making an exact stop in front of the blonde.

Historia grabbed the glass and glugged down the fluid, only to spit it once it hit her tongue. "Ymir! What the hell is this?!"

"Oh, haven't you ever drank water before?" The bartender named Ymir propped her arms onto the countertop. "That or a cleaning agent? Pick your poison. You've had enough, girl. Ain't gonna give you something that'll make you crawl back home."

"It's still too early. Besides, no one's waiting for me at home."

"You're done for the night, okay? And I said so. Go home and be a good girl, princess."

"I'm not drunk yet!"

"You are, moron. You can't even seem to sit properly on that stool. One slight movement and you'll find your ass on the floor! You think I'd let you sleep here again? I'm not gonna lose my job for helping a stupid friend like she lost her social graces."

"Ymir! Please… I just need to be drunk! Just this once! I don't want to go home."

"Seriously? This once? You've been fucking drinking for a week already!" Ymir scolded. "And you're not asking to get drunk, you're practically asking to die. What the hell's the matter with you? Look at how wasted you are. I can't even imagine the hangover you deal with at work, Histo—"

"No. Not that name please." There was that crackle in that voice.

Ymir scrunched her forehead. "Hey, what's the matter? For the love of vodka tell me so I could help you!"

Her prodding has to be expected. If there is one person who knew Historia's recent events in life that sealed her fate, that was Ymir.

The blonde girl's hands flew to her face, rubbing the tears that started gushing out of her eyes.

The brunette grabbed her shoulders and whispered close, "Hey, tell me what's going on? You're acting strange since yesterday. And now you're getting worse. Has something happened? Was it your dad?"

Of course. Ymir knows. It has always been her dad.

Historia's life had been normal before all this and at some point in her life—when she couldn't fend for herself to go to college due to her mother's terminal illness—she has to embrace the name she could only wish she is not acquainted with.

Her vision was blurred with tears, and when Ymir's clutches on her shoulders grew tighter, she shoved her aside to run to the comfort room and retch everything she consumed that night. She flopped onto the floor, hugging the toilet seat while Ymir was banging at the door.

"Hey… Hist—Krista! Are you okay?"

"Leave me alone!" Historia all but screamed. The headache only worsened the feeling in her guts which couldn't stop their revolution against the high levels of alcohol in her system. If only all her pain could be heaved in one sitting.

"L-Levi Ackerman…" she croaked all of a sudden, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Is this the kind of feeling I got you into?"

She closed her eyes, retreating herself to the visuals of her past—a recollection of the misdeeds that were forced upon her.

And everything came back like a recurring nightmare. The same bar, two months ago.

Historia was tasked with a job—the remuneration was promising enough to give her the convenience of someone who works thrice the regular wage earner. But the six-figure salary was not what she was after. That job was solely to extend her mother's life. One that will cover the hospital bills and medical expenses, and one that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Her mother's condition was deteriorating over time, and swore she will do anything to keep her alive. The task was to follow this man—Levi Ackerman, a high-profiled CEO of the country's top holdings company who was currently facing controversies for weeks. Her father said it was the best time to carry out his plans and take action. The advantage is that Levi was broken, too depressed to function, and tragic events are not unlikely. There was hesitation on her part—that is very much given because she never knew the reason why her father abhorred him. She was not allowed to ask questions and it was justifiable enough for her not to take the job blindly.

Levi Ackerman has nothing against her, hence, she declined the offer.

But things are a little pushy to favor her father's desires. There was a time when her mother woke her up in the middle of the night, standing by the edge of the bed with blood in her mouth, trickling down her nightgown, tainting the white with so much red. The next thing she remembered, her tears ran dry as she watch her mother being wheeled away to the emergency room.

The offer still stands, her father would always remind her. He kept himself close, as if she would need him more than anything. She had no choice but to bite the bait, mumbling a prayer of forgiveness in advance—for whatever will transpire and she'd end up hurting anyone. It was her love for her mother that forced her to do unimaginable things, and at the same time despised her for having an affair with the wrong man. Historia would rather wish she was never born, and that her mother let her down the drain. She was just a result of unexpected pregnancy from a one-night affair and that existence will only be used by those with ill intentions—most especially her influential father.

Historia took the job as if she had no other choice. At first, it was an easy job with triple income, more than enough to cover her mother's medications and their house rental.

Spy on the CEO, her father said with encouragement. Pretty simple and easy.

And Historia had a sound reason to save her from guilt. Spying wouldn't hurt.

Levi's daily activities in the office were no different than writing a schedule in a planner. Historia even befriended Levi's secretary, Isabel to ask about his activities outside work. Eventually, the job no longer poked at her conscience. Much too soon, writing entries became stalking. She was instructed to spy on him everywhere he goes. And it had been easier after Petra turned down his marriage proposal and he's at his lowest. Levi frequented the bar, and there will be more money in her account with each video she is sending over to her father.

There came a day when a stranger handed her a small vial of an unknown substance, pressing it over her palm. "Make Ackerman take this. Put it into his drinks, or his food. Choice is yours."

To Historia's suspicion, this could be some kind of poison. "No. My job is only to spy on him. I'm not gonna do it. Not in my mother's name!"

"Relax, this isn't toxic. Trust me, this will not kill him."

"I don't trust you. What if I don't want to do it?"

"What if your mother died because you failed to do it? You're doing this for her, right? You wanna cut down her medicines and give her a slow, painful death?"

And Historia was left to decide. Was it wrong to hurt someone to save her mother's life? Or was it right not to hurt anyone at all and watch her mother die?

The bar where Ymir also happened to be a bartender was Levi's fourth pub trip one night. His pub-crawling has gotten more and more recurrent for the past few days, drawing the attention of those who recognized him. However, he was not alone. A blond friend of his had been following him around, acting like a bodyguard, trying to keep him out of people's curious eyes.

Levi Ackerman was a waste each night, and his bespectacled loyal friend will always stay close by his side. He was a hopeless case, and he kept demanding for drinks more than he can consume. Ymir was a person who meant business but knew how to keep a bottle away when a person was obviously within their limits. Alcohol is for the sober ones and Levi's CEO standing didn't waver her one bit. When she turned around to accommodate another customer's drink, Historia held her own glass of liquor and poured the drug right into her drink.

There was a commotion happening now as she gingerly made her way towards her target's direction in measured steps. The blond man's head was smacked with a bottle, and people scattered in places. Nobody dared to intervene, probably because it was an Ackerman who can get anyone into much deeper trouble if they tried to stop his drunken scuffle.

Historia flinched. No. She couldn't do it.

She stepped back and shuffled her way back to the counter but the stranger who handed her the vial appeared out of nowhere and took hold of her arm in a bruising grip, whispering close to her ears. Had he been following her all this time?

"Just do it."

"No!" Historia hissed.

"You're gonna regret it."

"This isn't right! Why won't you first tell me the reason why we should do this to him? He's not a bad guy!"

"There's no need for you to know."

"Was it my dad? I'd bet my life it's all about my father against his enemies."

"I'm not asking for your opinion."

"Then why don't you do it yourself?!" Historia urged.

He clicked his tongue and snatched the glass from her. He stared into her eyes and grinned wickedly. "Either way, it's still on you."

Historia trembled. "N-no..."

He yelled into the crowd and called Levi's attention. "Hey pal! Sweet blondie here bought you a drink!"

Historia froze for a second as the stranger marched his way towards Levi, handing him the glass. There is no stopping now. She couldn't do anything. She watched in horror as Levi thoughtlessly drained the glass down to the last drop. He looked satisfied after that—albeit drunk, he looked fine, and she silently prayed it stays that way.

She took the last train home that night with nagging thoughts of Levi falling ill from the spiked drink she shouldn't have concocted in the first place.

But it was not her fault. She was turning away, shaking like a leaf until the guy snatched the drink from her. It was that guy. The one who handed her the vial, if anything.

It was never her fault. Levi shouldn't have accepted drinks from strangers. Whatever happens to him was not her doing.

Her mother didn't look good when she arrived home that night. She was already skin-and-bones as if death offers a better reality than life itself. Sometimes, Historia hated the idea of going home only to be welcomed by her mother's corpse on her bed. But she was still alive, only prolonging the torture. She complained about the pain relievers not working anymore and Historia broke into tears saying her sorries over and over to her mother's relentless coughing form. An empty pack of painkillers sat by her mother's feet, indicating she took them all at once.

"Oh no… did you take them all?" Historia's eyes widened in shock as she held her mother's hands. They were cold as ice.

"I can't take the pain anymore…" her mother said weakly. "I don't want to feel pain again..."

Historia can only hug her mother tightly. Tighter than usual. Tighter as if it will be her last embrace. They slept together that night, and Historia dreamed of lying over a field of roses with her mother. It was a dream so peaceful that Historia could wish there is a way to be trapped in it forever.

The following morning, her mother passed away with a smile on her face. Meanwhile, there was news of Levi falling into a coma.

"Krista! Open the door, please!" Ymir yelled from the other side of the door, snapping Historia back from her reverie. "Don't make me break the door!"

Historia remained on the floor, her elbow resting on the toilet seat as there was nothing to throw up anymore. Levi was alive, and she should be relieved by that fact. However, the news last week of him coming back to work made her anxious. She was still driven by guilt because it was partly her fault that he ended up in a coma. Her mother's passing will forever haunt her, and had Levi didn't survive that time, her conscience will nag her for the rest of her life.

"Levi knows me… but how?" she mumbled to herself, the scene at the office played in her head when Levi Ackerman called her by another name. Her forbidden name. It caught her off guard when Historia slipped out of his mouth as if he knew her ever since. "He knew my father's secret? He knew I was a Reiss?"

And she couldn't forget her father's anger when she told him the news. His words could cut her into pieces, as if he never considered her as his own flesh and blood. He never loved her mother anyway, and Historia was just his tool for his plans.

"You fool! You aren't too careful! How the hell did he find out about your real name? You are the secret that will ruin everything! He's getting back at me. I am sure he will reveal everything he knew about me, about us…"

A little later, Ymir managed to open the door with the help of the bar's bouncer. They both found Historia passed out on the toilet floor.

"Oh shit, what the hell?!" Ymir gasped. "Reiner, help me!

"Of all places!" Reiner effortlessly picked up the out cold girl, patting her cheek. He glared at Ymir. "You're with her for the past hour. Didn't you notice her state?"

"Of course I do. I've been stopping her from drinking but she wouldn't listen," Ymir explained.

"Now what are you gonna do now?"

"Aw shit. Can you be a dear old lover and bring her home? I can't leave the bar counter," Ymir requested.

"You know I got a job," Reiner retorted.

"Oh, please. If you're gonna wait for trouble tonight to flex your biceps then it's better to use them now. No one's gonna fight tonight and more customers are coming. I got more on my hands than you who just stand by the entrance and wait for troublemakers to crash the party. Come one big guy. Get those bulky muscles working for the little one."

"Are you kidding me? Historia's got nothing on my paycheck..."

"I'll whip you up a cocktail stronger than a 160-horse-powered vodka. It's on the house."

Reiner looked hesitant.

"Okay, three shots."

Reiner raised his brows.

"Fine! Six shots!" Ymir offered infuriatingly. "Six shots twice a week during your break! Take it or leave it!"

Reiner looked unconvinced.

Ymir jested, "Hmmm... was it because you're done with cute girls, women? Or would you rather carry drunken guys bridal-style? Are you being the closeted queer I didn't know?"

"Deal!" Reiner lashed out. "Six shots twice a week! That's a promise."

"Ah," Ymir sighed. "To get a guy working his useless muscles was a royal pain in the ass..."

The two slabs of meat over the grill were halfway cooked as fats are juiced out, blazing the fire underneath. Hange was hunched over the weak flame, staring long enough in fascination as Levi put more firewood into the firepit.

"Oi, try to turn it over," Levi told her. "The underside should be done by now."

Hange grinned and turned the slabs on the other side, squealing at the sight of grill marks on the cooked surface. "Ah, beautiful! These looked delicious! Suddenly I'm starving!"

Levi smirked. "Don't try to drool all over the meat, four-eyes."

Hange glared at him uncharacteristically, sticking out her tongue.

"Petty things fascinate you, huh?"

"Why, because this is just fascinating! I camped like ages ago and well, probably when I'm busier to catch fireflies than cook food over the fire. I guess adulthood will take all the fun you had as a kid," Hange hummed. "Oh, y'think we can put other vegetables on the side?"

"Well, this was your idea in the first place so who am I to oppose? I really wonder why you brought so much food for one person."

"I'm staying for days, okay? I should survive like the end of the world is coming," Hange retorted. "Besides, there's a better reason why the cabin has a fridge in it. I'm paying for added convenience."

"Okay. Just make sure we're not wasting food. These slabs of meat are enough for dinner."

"You haven't seen my appetite just yet!" Hange beamed. "Well, aside from my favorite granola bars, I have an appetite of three people if it's good food."

"Voracious. It's the first time I heard a woman talk about eating that much. Someone's not watching her diet."

"Fuck diet. I mean, I don't lead a sedentary lifestyle. And I have fast metabolism than most people," Hange said. "I should also refill my lost calories earlier. Getting to this place was hell."

"It's not that hard…"

"What? Like a walk in the park? You sure are singing on the way here."

"I just love forests… for some reason," Levi said. "And I think my body agrees to that."

"How I wish I had that stamina. Damn, my legs are starting to hurt," Hange whined. "Oh hey! I think I should cook a side dish to go well with the meat. How about potato stew?"

"Potato stew?"

"Just a simple side dish that I'm pretty good at. I'm not the best cook out there but this dish will surely make you forget your name!" Hange said giddily.

"Oh sure, then maybe my memories will come back." Levi rolled his eyes.

Hange burst into laughter, and then reached for a container where she stored her ingredients, placing it between her and Levi. "Best part, you can buy some frozen goods and prepare them in no time."

"You really have this all planned out, huh?"

"Not really. Just this morning when I feel like I want to take a break. When I am impulsive enough to do something, I have everything all laid out. Like, they automatically come into my brain." She began tearing the bags and pouring the frozen vegetables into a bowl. "Okay, you go ahead with the grilling and I'll take care of my best potato stew ever!"

Levi could only watch her as she enthusiastically prepared her recipe and set up her separate cooking system out of butane and a portable stove. "You're not cooking it here?"

"This will cook the food faster," Hange winked. "Looks like you haven't seen one before huh?"

Levi shook his head. "As far as my memory can take me, we're best at cooking over the fire."

"Oh, interesting. Say, am I a good cook?"

"For a scientist who mixes chemicals, I'd say at least we're still safe from poison," Levi said as he picked up his choice of vegetables, lining them up over the grill, and sprinkling them with salt and pepper.

Hange laughed again. "I'd take that as a yes. And I swear to god you'll never come across a good dish as good as this before! Not too fancy like you rich folks usually eat because you'd never taste this anywhere."

"You sounded too proud of your dish. I hope it doesn't taste like horse piss."

"Oh… horse piss for real? Why, did I make you taste one?"

"Hell, yeah…"

"Oh? That's too gross."

"Gross is your middle name. So yes, you do all the gross stuff and I'll always be your victim. Maybe you just love pissing me off…"

"And… did you just allow that?" Hange wondered as she began sautéing the vegetables. The aroma of garlic and onion wafted through the air. "You know, for someone who looks like you're very much capable of killing a very annoying person, I'm surprised you haven't killed me in your memory."

"Maybe it's just my usual high tolerance for shitty people…"

"Or maybe you just love me…" Hange sang thoughtlessly.

"What…?"

Hange froze, her brown orbs widened as they traveled to Levi's confused face. "I… I mean… I… uh… you've grown to love the crazy things that I do to you."

Levi frowned as the smell of burning onions and garlic penetrated his nose. "Oi Hange, you're gonna fucking burn it!"

"Oh shit!" Hange quickly removed the pan from the heat, her face burning crimson.

"Best potato stew huh?" Levi scoffed, poking at his vegetables.

"I got this…" Hange said, lowering the heat and putting the pan back onto the stove. Once the heat was back to its desired temperature, Hange tossed in the potatoes. "Don't worry, this will taste the same…"

Levi shook his head. "Yeah… maybe I just love you then…"

Hange's head snapped. "Huh, what?"

"I loved that this meat looks tender…" Levi veered.

"That's not what I heard…" Hange frowned thoughtfully.

"What did you hear then?" Levi challenged.

"That… that you…" Hange must have misheard him so her concentration went back to her cooking. "Nevermind. Oh, I think it's best to pan-fry the potatoes first, making them tastier…"

Levi arched an eyebrow as he noticed Hange getting distracted. The blush never left her face and he is feeling victorious for some reason. "Whatever, four-eyes, you better hurry with that dish. I'm starving."

Hange clicked her tongue. "Why not try to chew on your asparagus while we wait for my stew?"

"No, I want to taste that first."

"Then you'll have to wait!" Hange huffed.

"Are you mad?"

"No!"

"Tch. How can one be so touchy when we were just cooking?"

Perhaps in the other world, Hange was best at annoying Levi. But the tables have turned now. Levi was savage at annoying her.

The banter ceased when Hange finally requested Levi to story-tell the events in his memory while they were waiting for their food to cook. She was always hyperfixated by them, tuning out the reality they should be facing. Perhaps this was a way to disconnect from the outside world, and the busyness of their lives as individuals with different lives. Hange tried to navigate her imagination in that non-existing world, picturing herself as Hange the soldier whose relationship with Levi was a question until now.

"Titans…" Levi said as he bit on his asparagus. "That's what we called those giant monsters. I remembered the term now…"

"Well, it makes sense. 'Titan' means 'giant'," Hange said, stirring the pot and taste-testing her stew. She hummed in satisfaction. "Okay, this is done!"

"Fucking finally," Levi said and scrambled close to her side. "Meat's ready too. Give me a bowl of that stew."

Hange scooped the stew into a small bowl and handed it to Levi. He then took one slab of meat and placed it over a plate, garnishing it with vegetables on one side.

"Wow, you know how to make food look good!" Hange said.

"Tastes better too than how it looks," Levi scoffed, handing the plate over. "Dig in."

"Thanks!" Hange said, taking a big bite of the meat and stuffing it into her mouth.

"Don't choke on it," Levi reminded her and took a spoonful of stew. A satisfied grin left his lips. "You're not kidding when you said this would taste good."

"Told ya!" Hange chirped, chewing the food faster and then swallowing it greedily. "I could say the same for you. Your meat was tender and cooked to perfection! We could make better housemates."

"Or more like we'd die early from consuming too much food if we cook meals as good as these," Levi said, staring at the creamy bowl of stew that made him nostalgic. "This… tastes as good as the one in my memory…"

"Hm?"

Levi shook it off. "Nothing… we've had enough of stories that didn't matter…"

"Tell me then," Hange pressed. "I want to hear it."

Levi contemplated for a while, trying to recall the horrific events that led to more deaths, more running and hiding, and finally forming alliances. "The end of the world is coming—or so it seems. I was badly injured, you saved me, and you've gathered enemies and soldiers to form an alliance against Eren. We camped in one place, trying to patch things up and settle our differences. The tension was high, the blame game heated the discussion... but somehow, your stew made the commotion simmer down."

Hange chuckled. "You know what they say, a hearty meal can cool one's head."

Levi paused. "But before we could gather an alliance to get to our goals, there was a time… that it's just the two of us out there—in the forest. Somehow, it's the only place we found peace for just a little while because we are being tracked, and we need to keep running. But I was down, severely injured, and then I heard you talking to yourself beside me. I heard every remorse, every frustration… you want the two of us to just stay out of trouble. Stay in that forest... together."

Hange stopped eating, and gawked at him.

Levi continued, "What gives? Maybe you're tired of all the mess. Tired of all the responsibilities and burdens of a commander. This is when being a leader gives you more self-doubt and reservations. You nearly lost your confidence, your stride… but you didn't give up. You're trying to make things right at the expense of our very own people to turn their backs on us. We were being chased, gunned down… we are seen as traitors. We lived in a fucked-up world with a fucked-up history. And then the result is the world's hatred for us. They want us dead, but they didn't know how much we fight to keep them alive."

"Oh…" Hange put down her plate, seemingly immersed in his story.

"It's just the two of us remaining veterans. And we keep each other alive. All we have is each other's backs. And I'd understand your sentiments about why you want to run away that day. You relied on my strength, but I was rendered useless due to my injuries."

"Thinking about it, I might have done the same," Hange whispered. "With all that kind of burden, the choice is to run away. But it appears we didn't. Why?"

"We can't afford to be selfish," Levi said. "Humanity is at stake. And despite the protests of my own body, my goal is to fight… save more and more people from their deaths even if they hated us. It's how we are."

"But was it worth it? Did it end well? Was the world saved?"

Levi looked at her with sunken eyes. "I don't remember what happened next. The memory's still a little fogged up."

"Did I stay alive?" Hange asked with much provocation. "Or am I one of those heroes who sacrificed their lives for the good of all?"

She was smiling as she said that, while Levi's empty head searched for the answers in the depths of his thoughts. There was the invisible chokehold on him again for no reason.

"How would you feel… if I died back there?" Hange asked.

A prickling chill ran at the back of his neck. Her question lessened his appetite. "I don't know. I can't remember that much. Normally, it will be sad, just like with the other soldiers who I witnessed their deaths. But then again, we are used to this kind of thing. We're signed up for it anyway, and our skills mandate our chances for survival."

"As humanity's strongest, perhaps you're the last man standing," Hange concluded. She resumed eating her meat. "Yeah, wars can be traumatic, it deprives a person of feelings. And maybe that's also probably why you were never romantically involved with anyone. Loving someone, only to watch them die was certainly a waste because the state of the world is uncertain. Just stay alone and not get attached, that shall lessen the pain."

"Yeah…" Levi agreed. "But then… waking up to this world kinda felt different. We live different lives. No threats of death. No wars. But only if I haven't lost my memories."

"I can imagine," Hange sighed. "Things will be much more different. I'd stay in the rescue force as miserable as before. And you're probably married to the love of your life."

"Everything changed that night," Levi said. "But that doesn't mean I regret what has happened to me."

Hange stared at him wearily.

"Despite my fucked-up self leading to self-destruction, I'm still glad that I lived. And you're the reason for that, Hange."

Hange looked away, her focus was now on the dying fire, leaving remnants of embers and burnt wood. She dismissed his statements and wanted to divert them elsewhere, but maybe this was the chance to finally settle with her inner turmoil. "But you know yourself that you're a completely different person now. We wouldn't be this close if not for those memories. It's still too early to tell but what if your memories came back? Like you woke up one morning and everything—every detail of your past comes back as clear as a day?"

Levi grew silent. "I don't know… I wouldn't even know if my memories as a soldier will be retained."

"That will suck."

"Should it be a problem?"

Hange poked at her meat. "I treasure friends dearly and… if your memories came back without a recollection of what we had, then that's fucked up."

"Are you speaking for yourself?"

"I don't want to lose this… I mean… this friendship we had," Hange confessed, blushing. "I… like what we had today."

"Hange, it's not that I'll forget all about you."

"You can't be so sure."

"Are you getting clingy now?" Levi asked teasingly. "The last time I recalled, your name is Hange and not Petra."

"Hey, it's not like we're the same." Hange rolled her eyes. "Petra and I were very different!"

"Of course. You're complete opposites."

"She's pretty, classy, charming, soft-spoken. And no wonder why she's perfect for you."

She said those things with added intensity as if to downgrade and stab herself, and accept that Levi and she are only better off as close friends. His presence today was not in her plans, but she needed this kind of moment where she could slowly realize that the current Levi—who has a strong attachment to her—might soon come back to his old self. And if by some grace their friendship will hold in his memory, she can never guarantee if his treatment of her will stay the same. Once his memories are back, so were his feelings for Petra. That should be the end of her fantasies.

"Are you sure those are my standards?"

"She's your fiancée. And she's been your girlfriend for a long time. Of course, you've set your standards high," Hange said matter-of-factly. "You know… after your public appearance, people are already expecting from both of you."

Levi frowned. "Expecting what?"

"Marriage." Hange licked her fork. And then she reached for the container again to fish out a barbecue sauce.

"Are you pushing me to Petra?"

"Push is a strong word. I mean, your relationship with her is established so there's no need to push. Forget about your memories because they never happened at all. Look at it this way, you were very much in love with her before. It's not hard to make it up with her."

"Hange I'm fine being like this. I don't think I should replicate the old feelings because I'm a different person now," Levi objected, mildly aggravated.

"Levi, she's living with you. And I think it hurts her if until now, you weren't able to reciprocate what she had for you. As a friend, I need to remind you of those things."

"Then that's her problem. I keep telling her that I was not the same guy who used to love her," Levi barked. "And you're in no position to tell me what I need to do. I've had enough, Hange. People around me are pushing me to be the same old person and they never considered my feelings. I took back the role of a CEO without a single, fucking idea of how that works because they say people depended on me. I think that's the only shoes I can fill in because I'm still a selfless person. But to be someone's lover at the same time is overkill."

"Levi…"

Levi sighed. "What happened? You were once against the people who force me to be the old me."

"Levi… it's…" Hange's words got stuck in her throat.

"I'm tired of this shit. Can I just have at least one person who will give me a little freedom to do whatever I want? Free me from all of this? Can that person be you, Hange?"

Hange went speechless and cringed internally. Crickets began to chirp nearby. She must have gone overboard with her feelings and Levi clapped back at that.

"I'm sorry..." Hange murmured, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "I just thought I'm helping."

"Well, you're not helping," Levi said acridly. "And if you really want to retain our friendship, I'd suggest you should stop trying to get a hold of my situation and act like you knew better."

Hange gaped at him, her eyes looking apologetic. "Never thought you'd become overemotional like this. Guess I went out of the line."

Levi scoffed and waved it off. He then stretched his arm with his empty bowl asking for seconds.

Hange cocked a brow but reached for the bowl and refilled it anyway. "Y-you want seconds?"

"Obviously," Levi said sarcastically.

Hange snorted at that. "Geez. How did our conversation end up like this?"

Levi took back his bowl. "You started it, four-eyes. And I don't know what's challenging enough: to walk out in you or stick around because I'd like to lick my bowl clean. And thank god for your stew because it stopped me from walking away and heading back to my cabin."

"Hey! I'm just concerned about your well-being," Hange complained, but at the same time feeling proud that Levi liked her cooking, taming that monster that threatened to come out in the middle of their bickering.

He chewed a chunk of potato. "But you know, my uncle said it would be best if I was like this. Without the memories."

"Seriously?"

"I think I was someone who had secret enemies in the past. And that should complicate things in the long run. Maybe I never told anyone about that."

Hange put her hand over her lips. "Oh my… are you sure about that?"

"I can't tell. It's just one of the reasons why I requested to take this break. A lot has happened in a week. I think getting out of my house led to lots of discoveries. My uncle wanted me to act like I was the same old guy who was very much capable of handling my duties. At first, he thought I was making this up. And the pretenses overwhelmed me to the point I was surprised by the kind of person I was before. I was made to sit in a meeting, then I provoked this man named Rod Reiss—a stakeholder in reality, an asshole in my memory. Something's not right about him and I couldn't help but associate him with the same man who made himself a threat to humanity. My uncle probably knows something but he's keeping me out of it. He said he was protecting me."

"That's a lot to take in." Hange breathed, suddenly intrigued. "But why did he say you're better off not having recalled anything? I don't think it's for the better. You'll be surrounded by people you have no idea what their intentions are."

"Exactly. That's why I find my uncle's statements absurd. He doesn't give anything away… I don't know if I could still trust him."

"But… what did your sister say?"

"Mikasa agreed to have our own agenda. Have our own investigation because some loopholes are discovered on my side. And then I heard my former secretary and an executive assistant quit their jobs after I fell into a coma. Those two become a huge part of my life in my memory… but I also lost them early in a battle. The pain was unimaginable during that time because it had been my fault. And now… I just want to see them. I want to meet them again. It's like a chance to have a reunion with my best friends in another world. But then again, I wondered what it was with them today. Mikasa said they were loyal to me but what could be their reason for leaving? And now they completely disappeared."

"That was… complicated," Hange said. "You have no idea what kind of person you are in reality."

"It scares me, if I'd be honest about it. And I guess after this break, I should consider facing the old Levi Ackerman—even with the lack of memory. My sister says I have a clean track record and was a good person but… I feel there was something wrong with me if I had enemies."

Hange had been staring at him, and a different kind of uncertainty bloomed once again. "I…. I want to be with you on that journey."

Levi was surprised by what he just heard.

"I think I finally found meaning to this strange attachment between us," Hange twiddled her thumbs. "I'll help you through the mystery surrounding you. And it's not just about losing your memories but… your life before this. By the way, I met your sister."

"Yeah, she told me. I'm glad you're not bitten though. She got fangs, she speaks with venom, she walks with a sickle. She's Death's assistant pretending to be human."

"She's nice, Levi. What are you saying? Although I must admit she really is scary at first..." Hange cackled.

"I think she likes you," Levi smiled, leaving her blushing and turning her face away.

"That's nice to hear then... but…can we perhaps enjoy these moments first and not worry about anything else?" Hange digressed. "We're here to take a break, right? I think… we need to enjoy the night and… oh right, the beer should be chilled by now!"

She made an excuse to run back to the cabin and get four cans of beer she stored in the refrigerator. The heaviness of their conversation left her in a daze. Before she could even open the door to her cabin, her head whipped back to look at Levi who was staring at the darkness of the lake.

"Damn you, shorty…" Hange whispered, addressing those words to him. "Was it bad enough that I think I couldn't get past these feelings that are growing for you each day? Fuck… just when I feel like I need to be away from you, here you are as if chasing after me. I just hope this won't go any deeper than what was already existing. I couldn't risk drowning in this kind of feeling."

When Levi's head turned back to the cabin, Hange was already gone inside.

The best conversations are always held longer over beer and barbecued meat.

Levi managed to build a campfire where they could warm themselves as the night has gotten chilly over time. Neither of them realized it was close to midnight. Small talks stretched to longer ones, and they had more food for company. They would linger from one topic to another, inciting debates and banters but none of which have gotten offensive. The spontaneity was refreshing, that Hange had forgotten about her real purpose in taking this break. Levi's presence butchered her me-time plans, but she wouldn't have this any other way. She genuinely enjoyed every little time she spent with him.

"Hey Levi, why don't you try this sauce?" Hange called over the sparks of crisp fire, holding out the bottle of barbecue sauce.

"Are you saying my barbecue wasn't flavorful enough?"

"Not really," Hange pouted. "It's good on its own but I want to give it some kick for my palate."

Levi shook his head with a small smile and then took a sip of beer. "I discovered I don't like rich and flavorful food."

"Oh, right. My stew isn't that good that you got four bowls out of it."

"Hey, your stew's fine. What I mean were strong flavors that are too much for my taste buds."

"Boring…"

"Thank you."

"So, what were you saying again? You recognized people in your office given that you really didn't know them by their names?" Hange was pointing a fork at him.

"I was told I wasn't supposed to know them but the recognition slipped out of me and said their names out loud. One staff nearly shit her pants," Levi told her. "And bees could take shelter inside the gaping mouths of the other ones. You can add up the flies and make them breed."

Hange laughed gracelessly, rubbing her belly. "For a man with a shitty mouth, that was funny."

"And then there was a man… a stakeholder. Willy Tybur's the name… he kinda revealed my past being his sister's ex-lover."

"Oh?"

"And my sister said I was a ladies' man before Petra…" Levi added. "What a fucking joke…"

Hange choked on her drink.

"Do you really need to choke at every damn opportunity?" he scoffed.

"Well… that's…" Hange was coughing relentlessly. "Beer went down the wrong pipe."

Levi clicked his tongue.

"But why say that was a joke? It was no question you are absolutely loved by women," Hange said, taking a bigger bite of meat and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You aren't reading articles about yourself. Trust me, they can bloat your head."

"Who knows if I pay them to write good stuff about me? In truth, I don't think I was likable enough."

"You're probably looking at your other self," Hange said. "Soldiers are hailed as heroes, but most of the time forgotten. However, being 'Levi Ackerman' in this time and era was a gift to women. Every one of them would have loved to be your wife."

"That's a shitty compliment."

"And if women found out you are spending time in the forest with me, they'd kill each other to be in my place," Hange said. "Don't you even find yourself attractive?"

"I'm short. That's not attractive."

"That gives you more character!"

"I'm rude. I cuss a lot."

"Sharp tongue is a turn-on," Hange said teasingly, implying a naughty, stray idea.

"I don't smile. That should kill me."

"Uh, but you would've been dead by now. You didn't realize you've been smiling a lot lately. You're too busy to notice your emotions slipping out," Hange noted.

"Does it mean you liked me?"

Hange choked on her meat this time.

"How many times do you choke in a day?" Levi drawled. "That's three for today."

Hange was all red. She reached for the can of beer and washed down everything inside her throat. "Wow, you're counting."

"Everything about you is just unforgettable," Levi said and got up on his feet. "I guess it's late, I'd better get going…"

"W-wait… you're hiking up to your cabin? It's pretty dark!" Hange said, straightening up as well.

"Obviously, it's midnight," Levi huffed and looked at his watch. "I was told it was a safe walk and not too far from here. The reception desk lent me a flashlight."

"But…"

"I'll be fine," Levi assured her and collected his bag. "Thanks for the dinner, anyway."

"Can you walk alone? But the beer..."

"You think I'm drunk? Alcohol got nothing on me. I can stand up straight and see clearly. And I liked it when it's dark out. It tests out my senses."

"Because you missed being a soldier? Always a good excuse."

Levi crossed his arms. "You talk a lot. If you want me to sleep in your cabin, just say so..."

"Wh-what? Hell no!" Hange exploded. "What makes you think that way?"

"Because you offered me to spend the night over in Moblit's place," Levi said. "But then, you're a mess in the morning."

Hange grew red, remembering the kiss they shared that time. Not again. "Please... I'm not aware of my actions if you're thinking about that kiss..."

"Then maybe it's my turn," Levi teased and stepped a little closer to her.

"W-what?"

Hange froze on her heels when he gently held her chin and stared at her face. He attempted to bring their faces closer together with Hange parting her lips in anticipation. She gulped a few times, vision clouded as his thumb traced her lower lip, wiping off the barbecue sauce that was smeared right there. She was sure they would end up kissing tonight, and almost unwittingly, she leaned in to close the remaining distance between them. She was intoxicated by the warmth of his breath and his manly scent but her hopes died when Levi pulled away, bringing the thumb to his lips, and licking the dollop of sauce on it.

"You're right," Levi said. "The barbecue sauce tastes good."

Hange held her breath, blinking away the advanced thoughts that didn't happen.

Levi turned around, hiding a smug grin on his face as he walked away from her, heading towards the nearly invisible trail clothed in darkness.

"Wh-what the hell was that?!" Hange asked, turning on her heels as she saw him braving the imposing void leading to nowhere. Her ears were ringing, as if she was drowning in a wave of confusion and false hopes that settled at the bottom of her being.

"You're quite a messy eater. There's sauce on your lips," Levi called back, stopping in his tracks.

"You could've just told me!" Hange wailed, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "I am very capable of tidying myself!"

Levi just shrugged. "I doubt it. You know you're no better at wiping it spotlessly clean."

"It's just a fucking sauce!" Hange said irately.

"Are you mad because I didn't use my mouth to clean that up?" Levi taunted. "Good night, Hange..."

"You'd better get out of here fast..." Hange grumbled. "Watch out, shorty! Ghosts are finally out of their hideouts!"

"All the better. I got some company on the way," he drawled coolly. "Oh, and I'll make sure there's one left to watch over you while you sleep."

"I fucking hate you!"

"Do you mean it?"

"I do!"

"Well, I just thought I'm feeling otherwise..."

"The hell did you just say?"

But Levi didn't respond. His answer was a handsome smile to make Hange's head spin again in question. He gave her a once-over before heading off his way.

Hange clamped her face with her hands in extreme frustration and confusion. Her thoughts rallied again, coupled with heavy thumps inside her chest. The place was chilly but she felt a few degrees warmer.

Damn that shorty. Is Levi flirting with her?

She sucked in the air sharply and puffed it out like it could clog her airways. She picked up the last of their trash, chucking them into a garbage bag. She took it slower as if she had the time all night. There is nothing much to clean up but the prior events had her thinking she wouldn't mind kissing Levi the second time around and not regretting it. If the lake was not that scary-looking at this time of the evening, Hange would be floating herself away to lovelorn's paradise.

Notes:

A little plot twist, eh? Yep. Levi's memory loss didn't just come out of the blue. More revelations soon. :)

But on another note, here's another Levihan fluffy interaction. Can't get enough of their banter.

I realize I got more time writing these days just to keep myself distracted but anyhow, hope it doesn't affect the plot. I have a lot of ideas in my head and hope I can make an update at least every two weeks.

Kudos and comments are appreciated.

Chapter 27

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"H-hello, I'm Armin Arlert, the new executive assistant of Levi Ackerman. I might need help in collecting the employment records of Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia."

The blond young man hovered his eyes around a room of at least ten employees who couldn't seem to be bothered early in the morning.

He tried again, "I need assistance in retrieving the records of Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia—the former staff of Mr. Levi Ackerman."

The woman behind the desk closest to Armin finally took notice of his presence in their work area. She was a slender woman with ash-colored hair styled in waves. She was holding a mirror in one hand, checking her bloody-red lips for any smudges of lipstick. For a moment, Armin thought he entered the wrong room.

"New executive assistant? I didn't remember interviewing you before," the woman said suspiciously. "And I didn't remember your papers going over my desk."

"Hitch," another blonde woman interrupted, carrying several files under her arm and a coffee in one hand. "I took care of his endorsement. It's Miss Mikasa's request to urgently hire him. He didn't go through the usual interview formalities."

The woman named Hitch fanned herself with her hand, a puzzled look on her face. "Getting close with the CEO's sister now, Annie?"

Annie clipped, "I was just doing what I was told."

"Oh?" Hitch curled a lip, eyes scrutinizing Armin. "You know the game of pulling some strings, huh? Great. You sure got it nice and easy landing at the CEO's office."

Annie sighed and reached for her drawer, pulling out a folder and placing it over Hitch's desk. "Read his portfolio. He's even overqualified for his position as the executive assistant. He could lead a whole department given his skills, job training, and the prestigious university he and Miss Mikasa graduated from."

Armin gulped at the unwanted attention. Maybe it was just a bad idea that Mikasa offered him a job and people will think he is having special treatment from the Ackermans.

"Okay… it's fine. This is not an urgent request anyway. Mr. Levi is out of town in a few days and I just thought I need to finish my tasks before he could even ask," Armin said shyly and was about to leave.

"Wait," Annie called. "I remember Miss Mikasa's assistant was also requesting the same files. Was it a different case with Mr. Levi?"

Armin couldn't simply give out the real reason. "Well, I'm not quite sure about Miss Mikasa's purpose. I mean… not my department, you know?"

"Okay. However, Krista was on sick leave today and she's the one assigned with the archived files. But I can spare some time to help you."

"Are you sure? I mean… wouldn't I get in the way? I'm sure you're quite busy…" Armin asked in mild surprise.

"It's okay. We're being paid to sit around most of the time," Annie said in sarcasm, rolling her eyes at Hitch. "It's about time we do something productive today, especially if the request is from the CEO."

Armin smiled. "Great. W-well, thanks… um…"

"Annie," Annie said. "Follow me."

"Right. I'm really grateful for your help, Annie!" Armin beamed and followed her to the nearby door which leads to another room.

A musky odor filled Armin's nose as the door was shut behind them. The tight space looked like a storage room for old files. Several rows of file cabinets and shelves were lined up neatly and a lone desktop computer sat in one corner. Annie slid on a seat and faced the monitor.

"Wow… judging by what I'm seeing, the company doesn't dispose the old files and they're all archived here," Armin observed.

"Yes. Everything that dates back like in time immemorial is all here. From the time the company has started several decades ago up to the 6th Ackerman generation. This room is basically where every information of the corporate realm is stockpiled."

"But… don't they also put the records on a database for backup and quick look-up?"

"Yes, everything is also stored on a database that only a few trusted people have access to," Annie said and began typing on the computer. "So, Isabel Magnolia and Furlan Church, correct? The former staff of the CEO?"

"Yes," Armin responded, his eyes were focused on the labels on every row of the shelves.

"Okay, got it," Annie announced. "The original hard copies are missing but I have a softcopy in the database. I could print it for you."

Armin's brows furrowed. Mikasa told him that the HR department lost the files, together with the softcopy in the master data. He moved over her shoulder to verify. "Are you sure you have the softcopies? The last time we checked with Mikasa's secretary, you couldn't provide them."

Annie scoffed. "Oh. That must be Krista. While it is true that the files are missing, I'm using a duplicate master list for backup and emergencies."

Brilliant.

"A duplicate master list? But… are you even allowed to have a backup for personal safekeeping?" Armin wondered. "Employees' records are a confidential matter, right?"

"About four months ago, Mr. Levi Ackerman himself appointed me to safekeep all the files using a duplicate master list. I am making sure that I update it the same way as the original to avoid discrepancies. Well, there are cases of missing information in the master list lately and I can't tell if it's getting corrupted or something," Annie told him. "But you are his executive assistant, I think you should know that firsthand."

Armin's eyes widened. "He… what?"

"Didn't Mr. Levi brief you about it? This is a confidential matter between us and the two of his staff. He also tasked me to safekeep the corporate records of the holdings company and its affiliates."

Armin furrowed his brows. Why would Levi assign a sole person to safekeep the company's records? Was it a personal request? But Annie was a regular employee without a special designation. Didn't he trust the database's privacy and security set-up? Something is not right. "Well, about the briefing, not yet. I guess he was about to tell me when he gets back from his break. He isn't in his full capacity to work so I'll be most of the time reporting to Mr. Erwin and Mikasa in the first few days."

"I see," Annie said. "But… why did you choose this position? I mean, I saw your qualifications and we have vacant positions that would suit you better."

"I'd be open to those opportunities in the future but Mikasa needed me to help her brother until he fully recuperates," Armin said. "I think being in this position will be my training ground to prepare me for better things ahead."

"Okay…"

"But… are there any other things Mr. Levi requested from you?"

"Just the safekeeping so far," Annie said.

"Well…" Armin thought fast. "Can you also perhaps provide me the records of our affiliates, the nature of their business, and their organizational structures as well? Can I get access to our masterfile data?"

"I'm sure that's beyond your job description already," Annie warned him. "You work for the CEO but that doesn't mean I could give access to virtually everything."

Armin flinched. He laughed in extreme embarrassment. He didn't realize that he was beginning to blow a cover. "O-of course… I'm sorry if I was a little insistent. I just got pretty excited."

"Must be a hangover from your previous job," Annie drawled.

"I'm sorry?"

"I've seen your records. Shame on them for letting you go."

Armin smiled weakly. "Trust me, I am more than grateful for that."

Annie breathed heavily. "Okay, I'll give you the detailed information of what you're looking for but I can't give you access to the database. For the company's security, my user ID will be monitored if there would be changes in the data under my name. Hope you'd understand that I had a reputation to take care of."

"Oh, of course…"

"But don't worry, I am only downloading the reports for you and I won't tweak anything."

"Fair enough. So will you be downloading the data from the production database?"

"No," Annie said lowly. "From the cloned one. Like I said, there might be inconsistencies in the production database. Some information might be missing."

"And you think it's just about the files being corrupted?"

"Just a guess," Annie said. "Well, archiving wasn't paid that much attention anyway because it's just about old records that no longer play in the current organizational structure. Unless someone with keen eyes notices the irregularities, then it should be addressed right away."

"If we get to compare the two databases—the clone and the production—we can see the info that might be missing, right? And you said the clone is also updated as the original?"

"Well, yes. It's just that I don't have the time to reconcile both their records yet. Like I said, it wasn't being paid attention to until Mr. Levi asked me a favor of safekeeping it. And then when the records of his staff have found out to be missing in the production database, that's when I thought I did the right thing."

Armin had been thinking. "Haven't you migrated yet the missing files from the clone so they would match?"

"Not yet."

"Great. Can I also get the records from the production database? I want to see the particular missing information. I'd try to reconcile the records and look for discrepancies," Armin said.

"Are you sure? It will take some time to compare them."

"I'm on it. And it's not that I'll be looking into historical records. I just need to validate something at the present dates."

"Okay. And I trust you'd get to the bottom of whatever investigation you're having," Annie said.

Armin froze on his heels. Did Annie just read his mind?

"Hold on, I hope you don't take me for spying in your company…" he waved his hands in front of him in a panic.

Annie's hooded eyes just stared at him blankly. "I don't take you for that, don't worry."

"But you said…"

"Is there something wrong with Mr. Levi?" Annie asked promptly.

Armin looked away. "What do you mean?"

"He urgently needs something from me before his accident. He was back the other day but he didn't get the time to talk to me."

"Well… you see he had a lot to attend to and had something important to discuss to the board. Also, he's still in his recuperation period so he might have missed a few pended things. What exactly does he need?"

"Information on a pharmaceutical firm under the Ackerman Holdings. He didn't tell me the details but he asked me to collect its organizational charts, financial statements, and developments in their projects in the recent months," Annie said. "All the records and documents of the subsidiaries are always forwarded here for proper filing, too."

"But I don't think it was his job to review the status of the holdings' affiliates. He had a separate department and the board for that," Armin said.

Annie shrugged. "I don't know. It's a little surprising because… he personally asked me for that. Who am I to say no to a CEO?"

Armin breathed. "Okay, maybe I should retrieve the data for him in case he will ask about it. Should I remind him then?"

"If you must," Annie said.

"Cool. Thanks," Armin said.

"Copying the master list will take a while," Annie said and tapped on the keyboard again. The light on the monitor lit her face. "You can drop by later in the afternoon and get them. Maybe I'll also include his request. I'd just label it in a separate folder. Just hand over your flash drive."

Armin reached for his pocket and handed her his flash drive. "Thanks, Annie. You've been so much of help. I'll drop by later to retrieve the flash drive."

Annie nodded and waved him off. "No problem."

When Armin went out of the room, Hitch was standing by her table, giving him a naughty eye. "Oh, already done with the quickie?"

Armin blushed and ignored her. Checking out the HR department that morning gave him a different kind of pumped-up feeling. He raced back to his working area and started with other tasks. He couldn't wait to get the reports in his hands and validate all his theories.

"What's that smell?" Mikasa sneezed at the odd scent that wafted through the air when Jean Kirstein hopped inside the car and sat behind the wheel.

"I guess that was my perfume, Miss Mikasa," Jean attempted to sniff his collar and realized that he sprayed a little too much for his liking. He was profoundly embarrassed at his first ever attempt to look impressive. Sasha's mountain of paperwork was a godsend that he eagerly volunteered to escort Mikasa someplace he was not being informed yet. "W-well, I can change my shirt if it bothers you…"

"No. There's no need to," Mikasa told him calmly and pinched her nose. "To be of company for me today is enough. Are you sure you're free at this time?"

"Yes! I've got to finish my papers right on time," Jean beamed, blushing as it was his chance for an Ackerman to notice him. He was lying, of course. His desk was a pile of pended paperwork he was working on for three days. As always, he was lagging behind Connie but he knew that Connie's work is incomparable to what he had to endure on the daily.

"Impressive. That stack of finance paperwork can be finished in days. You're not bringing your work home, are you?"

Jean gulped. Mikasa was sharp enough to remember that finance paperwork was a pain in the butt. Would this mean he would be handed more workload because he can complete them in a lesser time?

"Uh, I still need to review them later, of course. And this is the only way I can help Sasha with her tasks."

"You're close friends with Sasha, huh?"

"Yes, we're friends since high school. And Connie too."

"I see."

"Where are we heading to, Miss Mikasa?" Jean started the car as he revved up the engine.

"Sina's Emergency Response Department."

Jean was interested to ask, but it was never his business to pry. He wondered what could be Mikasa's purpose in visiting the agency. He was full of confidence today that he wanted to poke at Mikasa's subdued tendencies for conversations. She was intimidating but Jean saw a challenge from her.

"Aside from disaster and rescue operations, they are also in charge of securing building demolition projects. Are you having another urban estate venture?" Jean asked knowingly as he navigated his way on the road.

"No," Mikasa clipped, seemingly uninterested.

There was dead air and Mikasa was looking straight ahead. Jean swallowed a spit, urging himself to break the ice but he didn't want to end up like a chatterbox. Damn. Getting the CEO's sister's attention was harder than he thought.

But Mikasa finally noticed his existence in a while and it wouldn't hurt to seek opinions. Jean was not Sasha but still was one of her hard-working staff she could rely on. Jean should probably earn her trust as well. "Have you ever recalled Levi's accident where there was a person who jumped in front of the car to save him?"

"H-huh?"

"The news was all about him being hit by a car, sending him to a coma. A little was said about one person who saved him," Mikasa said. "If not for her, Levi was dead… among those others who died in the car crash."

Jean hummed. His interest peaked when Mikasa talked about her family and not about work. "Well, in the office, we're not supposed to talk about how Mr. Levi was badly hurt that time. The controversy is all about his breakup."

"You're right," Mikasa said in a bored tone. "And I'd guess now that he is back, people would be more interested in him patching things up with Petra. People are crazy about somebody's love life. Disgusting."

Jean chuckled. He enjoyed her slight annoyance. "But they are back together now, aren't they?"

Mikasa shrugged. She just couldn't tell Jean that Levi didn't remember a thing about his relationship with Petra. "I'm much more interested to know the person who saved him. Someone who saved his life and not someone who destroyed it. And that's why we're heading to the Response Team Department. I had the privilege to meet her yesterday."

"A woman?"

"A woman who deserved recognition but didn't want the attention," Mikasa said. "I'd be dropping by their building and will hand over a little something. She deserves a reward but if she doesn't want it, at least their team would benefit from it."

Jean breathed in amusement. "T-that's really admirable. But I don't understand why would someone refuse a reward."

"I thought the same. One might call her a fool for not taking my offer but I think she's a person who gets fulfillment from saving lives—and seeing people live after their tragedies. She's one of the rare kind. We need more of her in this society."

"Must be really an amazing and noble person…" Jean murmured.

"She is," Mikasa agreed. "And I could only hope Levi would see her that way too…"

But something bothered Jean after reading between the lines. "If you don't mind… don't you like Petra Ral for Mr. Levi?"

"Not a fan. Don't get me wrong but sometimes, siblings have different tastes. I just want my brother to try with someone else…"

"But… your brother likes her. They were engaged."

"Things might change," Mikasa said. Giving away more intriguing statements for Jean to swallow later.

"Uh… okay." Jean breathed uncomfortably. "How about you Miss Mikasa? Are you already seeing someone?"

The question was like a bolt of lightning and a thunderclap—a jumpscare. Mikasa was caught off guard when someone like Jean had the gall to ask something daring and insensitive. She was tempted to reprimand him for taking the conversation lightly and coolly as he was a close friend like Armin. But then again, it was her fault for talking a bit much and eliciting a spontaneous exchange that was already crossing the line.

"No one will be able to stand me," Mikasa groused. "I'm quite a difficult person."

Jean chuckled. He is relaxed throughout the conversation. "I hope you don't try to devalue your character and make yourself unwanted. Some people would always have their unique preferences and standards. There will always be a person who will like you for who you are."

"Are you a fan of romantic flicks?" Mikasa asked.

"Romance novels. I'm more absorbed by written words than visuals."

"I didn't take you for a romantic type."

"You have to know a person better by having interactions. That's how it works."

Mikasa shrugged. Jean was smiling for reaching his quota of making her talk in the car.

"So, socializing?" Mikasa asked.

"Exactly."

"No. My social battery drains easily after being around so many people."

"It takes a lot of practice," Jean reminded her. "You don't have to like all of them. You pick up your kind of peers and build some common ground. Once you're comfortable with them, that's how you should take extra steps of knowing them better. Spend more time with them."

"That's exhausting."

Jean laughed. He was enjoying this. "Like I said, it takes practice."

Mikasa leaned back on the chair and pouted. Jean saw a different side to her that he found himself getting more and more smitten. She didn't say another word as they drove away.

Maybe she was thinking about my advice, Jean thought. Or it's her social battery that's already dying.

He'll find a way to recharge it.

The sound of chirping birds was the best alarm clock each morning but remembering where she was, it would be best to hug the pillow and stay buried beneath the blankets.

Just a little more shut-eye.

It would take five minutes or so for Hange to gather her senses, shuffling through the recent events before her brains start to work properly. Her morning daze in the forest was not as worse as being in the city. She made a mental note that she would consider living here—if only life wouldn't demand so much of her time and resources to be forced to live in the urban jungle.

Her head peeked out of the blanket and saw streams of sunshine from the window. She hardly recognized her surroundings, and her brain's gears started to turn and confuse her again. When the aroma of coffee soared through the air, accompanied by the clatter of someone working in the kitchen, Hange jolted out of bed to see for herself.

"Morning…"

The monotone was recognizable, and the blurry outlines of his form made Hange turn back to her bed and get her glasses.

Now that she's fully awake.

Levi's intrusion into her cabin should no longer be a surprise. Hange would even think he was the only person in the world who can manage to slip inside someone's home and shuffle around the kitchen without frightening the occupants. He was chopping tomatoes and mushrooms on the kitchen counter with sleeves rolled up and Hange was already imagining a hundred things as Levi busied himself with his task. There are vegetable fritters and loaves of bread sitting on plates over the table. A lone cup of coffee was also laid on the side.

"What… the… how did you get inside?" Hange asked, suppressing a long yawn.

"You left the door unlocked, idiot."

"What makes you think you're allowed inside a woman's cabin?" Hange challenged. "This is an intrusion."

"I was calling you earlier outside your door and I thought you were dead inside," Levi said sarcastically.

"Dead?!" Hange gasped. "Levi, I could be anywhere."

"Yeah. Anywhere but your bed?"

"What?! I could sleep some more when I wanted to. It's not like I'm going to work today."

"So your plan is to sleep the whole day? Lazing around?"

Hange rubbed her bedhead. "Of course not! I slept late, okay? Your fault for telling me there's a ghost in here and the wind last night kept knocking on the windows."

"Why… was it you who summoned them first?" Levi deadpanned. "I was here for about an hour already with all the clatter and you didn't even wake up. Tch, you're a heavy sleeper. The end of the world would be happening outside your door and you're still drooling all over your pillows."

"You can always wake me up."

"And then you'd end up kissing me again?"

Hange's face burned, but a sly smile painted her features. She's not losing this pissing-off game. "Said the guy who kissed back."

Levi's brows arched in astonishment, trapping the words in his mouth. He winced inwardly but tried hard not to be obvious. Hange was trying to get back at him for trying to tease her last night. She chuckled awkwardly, realizing their banter has gotten out of hand. She waved it off and dragged herself to sit, but the pain in her legs almost crashed her butt onto the chair.

"Oh shit…" she seethed.

"You okay?" Levi asked.

"Leg pain. It's normal…" Hange said nonchalantly and reached for the coffee. "The hike yesterday was intense. I need to move a lot around to recover."

"I could tell," Levi said. "Your bag consists of ninety percent of food and unnecessary weight. And since you went out of trouble to carry them all the way here, you wouldn't mind me doing something about them, right?"

"Yeah, whatever. It looks like you have no plans of letting me work in my kitchen anyway. But you didn't have to bother making breakfast. That's quite a stretch. I'd do fine with granola bars and coffee."

"You should at least eat something 'good' and 'real' once in a while," Levi reminded her. "Try the fritters."

Hange lazily reached for the fritter and took a bite. "Hmm… I didn't remember bringing zucchini and flour."

Levi cocked his head, implying he brought them himself. "You're welcome. In case you're wondering."

"Thanks a heap!" Hange finished a piece and reached for another one. "Then where would the mushrooms and tomatoes go?"

"Somewhere your potato stew is gonna meet its match."

"Oh, I'd love to be the judge for that," Hange squeaked. "I wouldn't mind living with you if the food is always this good. Makes me want to go eat real food from now on."

Levi sneered. "Maybe I really should've agreed to stay with you in the forest in my memory…"

"What would change if we did?" Hange asked.

Levi shrugged. "I don't know. Could be worse. We're cooking fine meals while the world is going down."

"But you wouldn't allow that… you'd still fight anyway. Humanity's more important than anything else…"

More than feelings.

Levi paused and looked at her. She's right. "How long are you planning to stay here anyway?"

"I only have until tomorrow," Hange bleated. "I realized it's been too short. I want to do more things while I'm here but my job's a drag. Good things are always fleeting. They come and go just like that. Unless you make it a cycle in your life then it's fair for us to live normally. What about you?"

Levi tossed the vegetables into the pan. "I don't know. Maybe until I get sick of this place…"

"You'll never get sick of this place," Hange laughed. "It makes me think you really don't want to go back to the city."

"Yeah. Who wants to be in my situation anyway? I have big shoes to fill. People are always expecting to see my presence in their daily lives. A reminder that they work and get paid."

"Right…" Hange sighed. "The world works like chains to tie us to something we can't free ourselves from. But you know… there are still rare moments that we could only hope are endless. That time would just stop. Or maybe we have full control of it so we'd live those moments longer than how we want them to be."

"Moments?"

"Like this…" Hange said dreamily as she took a sip of coffee. "I don't want this to end. I love the solitude, the landscapes, the fresh air. A small cabin, campfires at night, midnight talks, warm meals, waking up to someone whipping up my breakfast…"

Seizing these moments with you.

"We can be selfish while we're here…" Levi said, stirring the soup in the pot. "With nothing to worry about…"

"Good suggestion. I'll try to spoil myself for the remaining time I have here," Hange smiled. "I'd row that little dinghy and swim at the lake, then read my favorite book without interruptions. So, what are your plans for today?"

"Check the area out. Hike or do a little trail run to recondition my body. By late afternoon, maybe I'd watch the sunset at the cliffside. My cabin's perched close to it. That spot is unobstructed by trees, at least. I guess it's also a good vantage point for stargazing."

Hange's eyes lit up. "Wow… so you got far better views from there? Man, why haven't I thought of picking a cabin by the cliff?"

"Both cabins 33 and 34 offer the best camping experience," Levi said. "You got a lake, I got a cliff. Both have unique characteristics on their own."

Hange was beaming with excitement. "Damn. I want to see your place!"

"You can go visit. It's not too far from here."

"I also want to see the sunset… and the stars…"

"No one's stopping you, four-eyes."

"Can you…" Hange hesitated. "Watch them with me?"

Levi stopped his cooking and paid her an intense stare. "Whatever happened to your 'alone time'?"

"I realized it's still much better to have company. And I just… want to collect new memories!" Hange said enthusiastically. "Like I said last night, women would kill each other to have a moment with an Ackerman. I just want to take advantage of it! Probably take advantage while you have a memory of me as someone close to you. We'll never know when your real memories are coming back so maybe this is the best time. Besides… I wouldn't have anyone to watch them with besides you."

Hange's unbridled and shameless words put Levi in a tongue-tied moment. She was as starry-eyed as a kid who had a big cake for her birthday.

"You think it's easier to ask that we spend the whole day together?" Levi said, pointing out her verbose statements.

"That's… pretty much the idea…" Hange winced.

"I don't know about you," Levi spat. "One moment I feel like you hated me and the next, you want to spend time with me?"

Hange leaned back on the chair. "Maybe I just love messing with you…"

Like she used to in his memories.

Levi will never get tired of this.

"The water's freezing! Jump in!"

It was around late in the afternoon when Hange and Levi decided to explore the crystal lake using the boat. Levi rowed the dinghy up to the deepest part of the lake where the water surface appeared darker. Hange was already in the water in her swimming attire, waving for Levi to join her. She treaded farther happily, chasing streams of sunlight from the canopy of tall trees overhead. The little sunlight gave the crystalline water a variety of blue and green shades, and Levi found the perfect place to recharge his senses—if not for Hange's infectious laughter rupturing the quietude.

"I'll just stay here at the boat," Levi called.

"You're missing the fun!" Hange pouted.

"I'll be on watch in case you drown."

"Not gonna happen. Real athletes do drown but not me!" she yelled proudly and sank herself underwater.

It was quiet again when Levi looked up at the sky that was partially blocked by clusters of leaves and branches of century-old trees. He could tell that it was a clear afternoon sky by the scattered glimpses of blue blending with the green. He wondered what the place looked like during the winter or autumn. Spring and summer were no different as nature's beauty was peaking during these times.

He put aside the oars and observed the tranquility of the lake. Spears of daylight highlighted its beauty, making the place enchanting, inviting, and once he ran his fingers against the water, a pleasant shiver tickled his senses.

"Be selfish, huh?" he murmured to himself.

He could wish time would stop ticking while he was here. This limited time in a peaceful space is something one could not just turn back. For a while, he appreciated the silence pervading the place. It's free of chaos, a melody was playing in his head, and somehow, his worldly problems are fading in his cognizance. It's not like this sort of escape is a way to ditch his problems and let them magically solve on their own. Being here mentally prepares him to face the odds in the future but it wouldn't hurt to give himself all the time in the world to sit and wallow in a dreamlike reality he wouldn't wish to wake up.

Hange was right. Rare moments are meant to be treasured.

Which reminds him…

"Four-eyes?" Levi called, realizing Hange had been missing for some time. His eyes followed the spot where she once was, searching the waters.

It was serene and quiet as before. No ripples breaking at the surface of the water. No response from her lively voice that annoyed him earlier.

"Oi, Hange!" He tried again. Louder. He stood up and the boat rocked unsteadily. "Fuck…"

Not again.

"Hange!"

Hange didn't resurface the water.

"Shit…"

There it was. The same fear that smothered him yesterday when he saw her floating in the middle of the lake. He didn't even remember if he was an able swimmer. Fear makes a person do the impossible and before he knew it, he was already swimming past his knowledge of his abilities and coming for her aid she didn't need.

The thought of Hange in danger gave him a different kind of feeling. A very unpleasant one. It boils his blood, weakens his limbs, short-circuits his brain—even before he could identify what was happening.

He jumped off the boat and swam underwater, head turning at full one-eighty to spot her figure. The murkiness didn't give him a trace of any human form, just plain dancing shadows reflected by the sun above. He prodded deeper and held his breath a little much longer than he can handle. He had no idea for how long he was searching the depths until his lungs burned and struggled for air.

He bobbed out of the water and coughed out. "H-Hange!"

The ache in his chest intensified. Without packing much air in his lungs, he descended the lake once again in a desperate attempt to locate her.

Same strategy. Whipping his head around, sharpening his vision, staying alert. Hange should be somewhere. There is no way some undercurrent or a supernatural phenomenon could be present in this place.

He was out of breath when he reemerged, and his once adrenaline-fueled limbs are giving away. His frantic gaze flicked back and forth. No Hange. Shaking off the start of a panic attack, he heaved another breath and was about to dive back when a figure pounced on him, almost dunking his head into the water. He resurfaced in terror, thinking he was being attacked by a cryptid creature or something but it was just Hange and her boisterous theatrics, springing out of nowhere and exploding in a lungful of laughter.

"Now look who still ended up in the water with me anyway," Hange cracked, but her smile ebbed at Levi's ashen features. "L-Levi…?"

His eyes were bloodshot, mouth ajar in labored breaths. Obviously, he didn't look relieved, but offended. "You fucking idiot, what the hell are you doing?!"

A rush of guilt quavered Hange, she waved her hands in front of her face. "I told you… the water's cold…"

"That's not how you should get me into swimming in this lake!" Levi seethed in anger.

"Hey! Easy… I was just playing around, Levi…"

"You think it's funny when I thought you could've drowned out here?!"

"I told you I'm not even capable of drowning."

"And you're very much capable to make a fucking fool out of me?!" Levi spat as his hands punched the water, spattering it all over Hange's face. His face was serious in cold fury.

"Look, I'm really sorry if I've been fooling around," Hange apologized, her smile curving downward. "But you should've known I've saved enough people from drowning in my line of job… and…"

"That's not the point! I don't care if it's one's fucking job to feel like they're invincible."

The hurt in his chest was unwelcoming, followed by his bile rising. It was the same feeling that he felt the other night when he secretly visited Hange in the hospital, only much more heart-wrenching. Flashes of images hit him like sharp shards of glass and he couldn't place the pain that started to gnaw at him for some unknown reason. He knew from his memories that death desensitized him, but the thought of Hange dying introduced a different kind of emotion like it will be unbearable once it hit him right in the face.

"Then what?!" Hange pressed.

"Do you always have to knock at death's door? Make fun of dangers? Does duty come first before safety?"

Hange blinked rapidly. "What?!"

"It's easy for you to pass your duties. Make it like your death will save the world. Sacrifice yourself like something good will come out of it!"

Sacrifice…

Hange blanked out. Her eyes grew weary. "Sacrifice? W-what are you saying?"

Levi's hands quivered as he brushed them through his wet hair. He didn't even know how those words found their way out of his mouth. "Y-you're… fucking reckless…"

"Levi, are you okay?" Hange put a hand on his pale cheek. "You're shaking…"

Levi shoved her aside and swam away from her.

"Hey! We have a boat here! You can't swim all the way to the banks!" Hange yelled.

But Levi wasn't listening. He could drown out all the noises that penetrated his hearing: from his own strained breathing to the splash of water as he got all his limbs working.

And then, there was Hange. Her frantic screams from afar are slowly dying down as he kicked his way farther and farther away. He reached the banks in no time, without looking back at the lake where Hange has started to row the boat by herself. An invisible fire was churning in his guts as he marched his way to the trail leading back to his cabin.

Emotional exhaustion was worse than physical ones. It took a while for Levi to stabilize his breathing, and quiet down the ruthless clouts in his chest that left him in a shuddering mess. It was easy to convince himself that the windless uphill walk was the culprit, coupled with the recent tension that spiked his blood pressure a few notches high as he reached his cabin. He peeled away his wet clothes and locked himself in the shower room, turning on the showerhead and letting the jets of water rain down on him as if his raging emotions can be easily washed away.

Levi was a man who had a logical sense of all things, trying to understand how certain things work. As a soldier with enough tactics to win in a battle, he is highly observant of his enemies—focusing on their movement, their behavior—and then strategizing his next move to achieve flawless victory.

It has always been that way in his other world. It was easy to see what goes wrong and do something about it. And "going for the kill" is the simplest answer. He disregards weakness at times, straining more on physical abilities because he is known for his strength, which also empowers his troops to mirror the same stance and courage. Their goal is to win wars, save the world. Too ambitious, too heroic. And then they deal with losses after. Corpses to rot in the fields, graves without bodies, grieving families, loss of morals, loss of humanity.

Tragic.

And then, here he was—in some cursed reality that was different from the usual world of bloodbath and demise—trying to blend in and become "human" in ways he never was in the other world. But being human here came with a lot of layers—and with a peel of each layer, something stings.

He lashed out at Hange and suddenly regretted it. It was unintentional, groundless, and he overreacted. He even wondered if he gave her the same brashness before, aside from pulling her hair or manhandling her. But he walked out on her, instead of getting physical like punching her squarely in the face or kicking her in the shins. Knowing himself, he could do worse if he is pissed.

It could be from suppressed mixed emotions. Hange was best at triggering them, and he was just as best at being triggered.

The same question from the other night clawed at him with vengeance.

Why was he feeling this way again?

And why for someone like Hange?

But the answer is not even written in the drops of water pooling at his feet. Not on the walls dampened by steam. Not anywhere he could turn his head to and form patterns in things he saw. He was just bad at expressing feelings, and he was just as bad at figuring them out. But… was locking himself up the best way to find out?

He stayed in the shower room for an indefinite period, and for quite some time, Hange's voice outside his cabin pulled him out of his trance. She was knocking persistently at the door, and the sounds of struggling at the knob noted that she was going to force herself inside.

"Hey, Levi! I know you are there! I've been looking for you everywhere! My legs hurt by getting here!"

Damn you four-eyes.

"I promise to make it up to you! Hey… I really didn't mean to pull off a joke like that. Come on, it shouldn't be a big deal!"

To sulk in an enclosed space was very much out of his character. He never acted like this before like a child pining for somebody's attention. What the fuck is wrong with him?

"Levi! The sun's going down now. I'm watching the sunset with or without you!"

Go ahead then.

"But I'll stay around until you talk to me! Seriously, this isn't like you… stop acting like a stubborn kid!"

A stubborn kid? How fitting. Levi gritted his teeth and turned the shower on again—the flow of the water muffling Hange's harangues outside the door. It took him another ten minutes to guess she has already left. It was already quiet outside as he slipped out of the shower room to change into a new set of clothes. He breathed a few times and fixed himself a cup of tea to calm his nerves.

"I'm the one who led us here…"

A flash of voice echoed through his mind. He whipped around to locate it. It was too loud to be sitting somewhere in his brain.

"I pressed on even at the cost of so many lives. Time to face the music…"

"Hange…?" The recognition was fast. That voice was undoubtedly hers.

It was loud and clear. And resolute.

Her dedication as a soldier has always found a special place in his heart. It's just one of the dozen things that he found amazing about her but remained unspoken. Hell knows how she would react to certain compliments, and he was not one to give them away freely.

Levi bolted out of his cabin and didn't find her outside the door. His surroundings morphed into a wild shade of purple and crimson. A burning horizon at a distance mirrored the same ones in his memory. It was achingly familiar.

"You understand. It feels... like it's finally here, you know? My big moment."

"Shit… Hange…" Levi was shaken up as her voice nagged his head once more. His breath quickened as he scurried towards the trail that was headed to the sunset viewpoint, hoping he could find her there.

"I want to look as cool as I possibly can right now…"

The visions came afterwards. They are coming slow, clear, vicious, and haunting. Hange was nervously standing beside him, carrying two weapons latched on both arms. Her smile was the brightest that day, and he had a feeling it will be the last smile of hers that he will never have the chance to see again.

Are these his memories of her? Was she going to be one of them?

One of the fallen?

"W-why are these memories fucking with me?!" Levi growled to himself as he hiked up the steeper slopes breathlessly until he reached the peak where a figure stood unmovingly facing the sunset.

He halted a few feet away from her, and that view birthed an unsettling, visceral feeling.

It was Hange as expected, a silhouette against the bloody-looking horizon that looked like she was about to blend in…

…like a torch burning.

That image of her against the sunset didn't hold much meaning, but once his thoughts run back to those memories, it was downright terrifying.

"So just let me walk away..."

"Dedicate… your heart…" Levi murmured, a little louder for Hange to hear.

She turned around and saw him. "L-Levi…?"

It pains to remember. And it was more brutal as he envisioned his surroundings shifting into something else—a place he never wished to set foot again. Hange was walking away from him in a stride that this will be her best moment. And her last. She was facing her fate—a doomed one because nobody else is to take her place. Her eyes are on fire as the marching hordes of titans were approaching fast, and she fearlessly stood her ground to fight them all.

It tugged at the heartstrings as he simply let her go, planting a balled fist over her heart without looking her in the eye. It was surreal and harrowing, leaving a hole in his chest. He let her chase her own death, sending her flying and squealing in joy as if the army of titans will welcome her with open arms. She used to love them, be batshit-crazy about them, and yet she ended up burning, plummeting, and being squashed underfoot by hundreds of them.

Just like that. She joined the rest of the soldiers who wasted their lives. That day was simply her turn to play the ultimate sacrifice.

Levi's eyes stung. He was having none of that memory again.

Not in this world, at least.

"No…" A drop of tear found its way out of the corner of his eye as he stomped his way headlong towards her, clenching his fists tightly on his sides as if he was about to punch her in the face.

"W-wait… h-hey… what're you…" Hange stepped back but there was nowhere else to run as she was standing over a cliff with a deadly drop just a few feet away. She crossed her arms for cover as if to block an attack.

Levi was fast enough to grab and keep her arms away from her face. Hange yelped at his roughness but was silenced instantly when he slammed his body against her, smothering her in a bone-crushing embrace.

Hange gasped in shock—breathless—feeling the wind get knocked out of her lungs. She didn't move a muscle, thus allowing herself a few seconds to realize that this was real and not some imagination.

Levi buried his face by the crook of her neck, settling in her warmth and shaking off the phantom of her body burning and falling from the sky. His other hand cupped the back of her head, keeping her still and close. "Being a hero is stupid. I should've stopped you, held you like this. You're a fucking fool to decide it's a cool way to die. You have no idea… you have no fucking idea how it feels to have your person walk away from you, knowing there's no coming back."

"Levi?" Hange whispered, still in her stiffened form as she felt his tears against her skin. He had been acting strangely earlier at the lake, and then it all came down to him breaking like this. She had no idea what was going on in his head, but it might hurt to ask questions right now. Levi was at his vulnerable moment and she doesn't want to break him any further.

"Don't go anywhere, four-eyes…" Levi choked a sob.

Hange shut her eyes and hummed in response, hands traveling the same way his arm was looped around her. She held him gently, rubbing his back as if to soothe the pain of some nightmare that woke him up from his sleep. Her heart pounded erratically against her chest and she felt his heart reaching the same crescendo.

For what seemed like an eternity of absorbing each other's warmth, Levi pulled away without breaking his hold on her. He was staring at her like she was the most precious thing he didn't want to lose, and then Hange saw those soulful eyes that looked familiar in the magazines. The same loving eyes that were only meant for one woman. Petra.

Could it be…

"Levi… look, I'm really sorry about earlier. I just want us to have fun and I didn't mean to piss you off and…" Hange turned her head away, cheeks burning. It was a little unwise to assume Levi had fallen for her. Impossible. "I won't do it again! Promise..."

"You fucking scared me..." Levi said, horrified steel eyes boring into her.

"But... wh-what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" Hange questioned.

"I..." Levi hesitated. He was shaking his head as if he couldn't find the answer. "I... I'm not letting you go..."

"I'm not going anywhere..." Hange chuckled awkwardly, thinking Levi was caught up in something strange playing in his mind.

The fear in his eyes resurfaced, and that disturbed expression was already unnerving. She couldn't find the courage to look straight into his eyes, as she was trying to avoid misreading the situation.

"Levi, hey, tell me what's wrong. We can talk about it. We'd try to figure out—"

But Hange was instantly shushed when Levi's hand grabbed the mop of brown hair that was still damp from sweat and lake water. Wordlessly, he forced her to meet his gaze, and before she could pull back, his lips latched onto hers, effectively stopping her from saying another word.

Hell, was she even dreaming? Was she even in a daze to take her into the wildest part of her imagination? Soon, she found herself melting into him as if her soul left her body. Her hands automatically went up to cup his cheeks as his lips moved at a better angle against hers, dancing like the flames—consuming her entirely. It was a different kind of high as Levi's actions towards her were more than what she could wish for. Several questions coursed through her mind but none seemed to make sense when their lips were busy clashing. Those questions could come later. For now, she wanted this. A perfect muted moment to seize the time. Dream or not, his lips definitely tasted nice.

Fuck. This was fucking real.

Hange recoiled in a gasp when he nipped at her bottom lip. She glared at him alarmingly. "H-hold it... w-wait, Levi... this..."

"What now, four-eyes?" Levi's brows curled in confusion. "You ruined the moment."

"Did... did we just..."

"We kissed." How bold.

"But... I..."

"You kissed back." He said it as if he was mocking.

"Levi, you're not dreaming... are... you?"

Levi frowned. "No. Are you?"

Hange shook her head. She gaped at him in wonder, trying to process what went down after the lake incident. Not a lot of people reconcile by kissing, but she wanted to find out how angering Levi could end up in a lip-lock.

"Now what?" he asked.

"I'm not Petra..."

"I'm not thinking about her when I kissed you," Levi stated matter-of-factly. "You're Hange. You can't be anyone else."

Hange got flustered over this and couldn't get enough of that feeling.

"Oi, what's the matter now?"

"I just want to make sure this isn't some kind of a stupid dream," Hange grinned sheepishly and before Levi could protest in annoyance, she grabbed his face and crashed her lips on him this time.

And perhaps Levi was right.

They could be a little "selfish" just for a while. And it wouldn't hurt to be bound by some forbidden desire when the odds are going to be against them in due time.

Notes:

Note: Hitch (along with Marlow) is briefly mentioned in the past chapters being Moblit's staff in his pizzeria. However, I changed them to Franz and Hannah (canon's lovers) because I think Hitch had a better (bitchy) role in Ackerman's Holdings.

Also, Aruani, Jeankasa (was there a love triangle?), and Levihan (of course) in this chapter.

But anyway. I'm not gonna say anything much about that Levihan moment. :)

On a sidenote, was glad I was able to post this after a minor accident (could be major if not for my reflexes). I injured my knee-better than falling face-first while climbing the stairs. Shit happens. And damn, I haven't felt a paralyzing pain in a while.

Kudos and comments are appreciated.

Chapter 28

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Making a lasting relationship was not everyone's cup of tea. For Hange, it was a milkshake mixed with poison. Had she managed to keep one, keeping a blazing romance was not one of her strong points. All her life, she only had two people she invested her emotions in. The first one was during a small-time job in a cafeteria after she dropped off college. The guy frequented the cafe; he liked his coffee served with four scoops of sugar. That spiked Hange's attention, who told him one time to cut down on sugar consumption for health concerns. It didn't take too long when he handed Hange a note, asking her out. They dated very briefly, but Hange knew it will never last between them. Sex comes once in a blue moon and the guy grew tired of cold nights. He decided Hange was the most boring person in the world and who had the most boring job that wouldn't serve her big in the future. Their separation hurt her, as much as her ego, and after finding out that the guy was already seeing other women to take her place, Hange realized he was never worth her tears. The worst could come if she kept him long enough and it's probably fate that led her to the next person. However, it was another heartbreak-in-waiting.

The second one came into Hange's life after three years—long enough to start things anew and she was already part of the rescue force. He was kind and caring—at least Hange thought they got together well and are very much compatible. Ten months into the relationship, he mysteriously disappeared. No closure, no formal breakup, not a sign that he's leaving. He was later found dead in an apartment not too far away from Yalkell district where Hange was staying. Reports led it to murder. Days later, his name turned up in the headlines, revealing he was a fugitive from Maria City. He had been on the run for years, switching names and identities, and was having criminal records of murdering his partners.

Just when people say Hange was out of luck in the love department, she was still grateful she didn't end up in a casket.

Two failed relationships are enough for Hange to live in singledom. Having a partner doesn't make any sense anyway. The difference is only a body lying next to you in the mornings. Sure, she missed the warmth, cuddles, and kisses but she was not overly crazy about them. She could even go as far as being asexual. Friends are there if she needed companionship, and she realized they are much better company than the ones who could share her bed at night. She is not even conventionally pretty to begin with, and if someone was superficial about the looks of their partners, Hange was easy to ditch.

The "thing" with Levi was still unlabeled. And Hange was not too sure how to make of it. It would take a lengthy discussion on how they would go about this relationship which was scary, initially. Levi was no ordinary guy. He is a man on a pedestal—way too high for an average person to reach, and she knew his status with Petra Ral was the only legit relationship in the eyes of the public. It hurts to remember that Levi's feelings for her were only caused by the false memories that reinforced her identity as someone he was very fond of. Things happened way too fast like a rare phenomenon of a meteor shower that is bound to dissipate much sooner. The spark between them was the brightest today, but she wouldn't know for how long.

Their kiss was slow and tender. Never heated nor fervent. It was simply a kiss that sent flutters in the stomach, sending shivers down the spine. It didn't come down to a passionate moment of stripping down naked and exploring each other's bodies, ending up breathless in bed. It was sweet, subtle, and wholesome akin to honeyed kisses on a summer. The kiss lasted for some time when both of them were panting and bright red, and Levi cursed as their lips separated.

"Fuck…"

"No shit…" Hange chuckled against his lips.

Levi scoffed. He pulled away and gave her a confused look. "Well… that was something..."

"Something you haven't done in your memory?"

"Yeah. Can't believe I could pull off something like that..."

Hange blushed. "Must be natural on you. You're in a relationship with Petra before, I think you couldn't go a day without making out with her. It's intrinsic."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Shut up..."

Hange laughed, and yet she knew this is more complicated than just a mere joke.

"Hey... this thing... between us..." He was fumbling for words, and putting on an apologetic face. "Sorry about last time… at the lake… I didn't mean to lash out and…"

Hange quieted him by putting her fingers over his lips. "Hey, not to worry. My fault after all. That was so immature of me."

"You're abnormal. Nothing new."

The prominent frown on his face smoothed significantly as he looked at her. Seeing his relaxed face was rare, and Hange couldn't help but pat his cheek playfully.

"This is something new. I'd say life-changing in a way. But Levi, we need to talk about this," she sighed. "I don't even know what to call this thing between us. It could be spur-of-the-moment and… maybe you're just a little confused…"

"I know what I did, Hange."

"Yeah but…"

"Have you doubted this? About how I feel?"

Hange took his hands, pressing them warmly. "That's why we need to talk. We have to make sense of this. About us."

Levi nodded wordlessly. But one thing is for sure: he had fallen for her.

Hange desired to watch the stars at night, and Levi willingly granted that request. She was sitting on a foldable chair, sipping a hot cup of chocolate. Levi came up afterwards with a wool jacket in hand to put around her shoulders, plopping on the other chair, and holding a cup of tea.

Prior to star-gazing, they took their dinner inside Levi's cabin to have easier access to the kitchen. Hange prepared the ingredients, Levi cooked. It was a cute domestic set-up, and Hange was still over the moon. The occasional bickering was still there, but something else unfolded, as both of them become expressive in their gestures. Levi would set the table wares and the first scoop of the food would go to Hange's plate. His gentlemanly manners were a surprise, and Hange wondered if it was the same with Petra.

"I've never watched the stars like this before," Hange said, leaning back on the chair and taking in the star-spangled sky. "And I've never seen the sky as clear as this. Makes me wonder if there was another world beyond its vastness. Hey, have we watched the stars in your memory?"

"Yeah," Levi said. "But there was a time we'd climb up the wall with the other soldiers and see the stars from up there. It's therapeutic in a way, just like watching the sunrise and sunset. But it's much more peaceful at night. The titans are immobile during that time."

"I see…"

They stayed quiet for a while, and Hange drained her cup.

"We're best friends in your memory. What changed in this world?" Hange asked after their moment of silence.

"I couldn't identify it, but it's like something inside me is revolting at the mere thought of losing you," Levi said. "I just feel like this companionship between us should step up to a new level. We're deprived to express our feelings back there. We're trained not to feel anything. We're trained to think about humanity and not ourselves. And then... what transpired earlier was some kind of pent-up release. Shame... I didn't know I can be capable of having emotions—in a romantic way."

"Do you think I felt the same way for you back there?"

"I dunno... but it doesn't matter. We kissed earlier, it's what matters..."

Hange chuckled. "You're too confident about me responding to your kiss..."

"You could've pushed me... but I'll just make it better until you melt."

"Oh, that's sexy..."

"What?"

"Nothing." Hange puffed her cheeks.

Silence stretched again, as both of them listened to the sounds of the crickets.

Hange broke it with a whisper. "Hey Levi, did I really die back there?"

"I have no memory of it for the first few weeks, until today. It was triggered by the lake incident. And infiltrating thoughts followed. That's how I got a clearer vision of the events. You died and it hurts, because I just allowed it and didn't do something to prevent it."

"Was it a brutal death?"

"It's something I refused to watch. Everyone else saw what happened and their screams have imprinted the events in my brain. You were up in the sky, fighting those giants like a one-man army. And then you were burning... falling... dying... as we proceeded with our mission. It was unsettling, to think that you died at your own will," Levi said morosely. "You've bitten the dust way too early and that still gets me."

"Is this you fantasizing about a what-could-have-been life for us after the war?" Hange asked thought-provokingly.

"Yes... no. Maybe…" Levi said unsurely. "Thing is, you're a fucking fool for sacrificing yourself. When you think it's selfless because it's for humanity, it's… bullshit because you left people behind. You... left me."

"But why didn't you stop me back there?"

"Because you're just unstoppable. You'd go down fighting me if comes to that. And you're determined to die."

"Yeah, it's bullshit. Why would I want to die, anyway?" Hange groused.

"To buy us some time—send the rest to the final battle…" Levi had been carefully phrasing words to describe how Hange's sacrifice went, but failed at that. "You simply said your goodbye as if you can come back later... but you fucking roasted yourself out there. Going out in a blaze of glory—literally."

They both allowed seconds of stillness again after that brief exchange. The conversation got more serious with the account of Hange's alleged death. How could someone's brain be capable of creating a gruesome memory of her?

"I will never be that kind of suicidal person if you ask me," Hange said with weight in her tone. "That other Hange is being heroic in a twisted sense. It's kinda noble in a way but, I'd rather have other options under my sleeve to strategize something without having to waste lives. Especially my own."

"You seem bothered by your fate in there."

"Hell of course! Because my death is senseless."

"Every death was."

Hange pouted once more and huffed.

"Okay. I'll try to make sense of it," Levi offered. "It's probably the situation of the world back there. It's an unending war with those giants—the titans. And with all the chaos that is as bad as spoilt meals in prisons, I guess it's become a desperate quest for us to bring peace not just in our lives but for damned humanity."

"We're obsessed with freedom, but doomed to attain it. Is that it?"

"That's very much the whole point, four-eyes."

"But…" Hange turned her head to the side to face him. "Have you ever thought of kissing me in that world?"

"It never crossed my mind. Hell, I didn't know if you feel anything for me back there. Likewise, I can't figure out if I've had feelings for anyone either. But the memory of your death only led me to feel something for you today…"

"I see..."

"Your death made me realize that maybe, it shouldn't have ended like that. We're close in a platonic sense and romantic relationships are never prioritized. We're preoccupied with numerous battles that we need to win every damn time. It's about prioritizing them first and romance takes the end of the line. But the current world I have now is not as complex as it did in my memories. It gave me the chance to reflect on the losses that scarred me. But the losses never happened. Everyone's alive today. And so were you. Living can be fairly easy without worrying over how many people are we going to lose, moreover, anticipating the time when it's our turn to die. I'm just relishing the fact that this world is ideal for someone who had a bad recollection of wars. It feels good not having to fight again, not having to worry about who's gonna bite the dust. I'm simply getting a kick out of this."

"Levi," Hange interrupted him, and another sigh escaped her. "How do you really feel about this? About us?"

"What?"

"It's… I guess it's just a surge of feeling from something non-existent. If you're going to say you 'love' me… I'm pretty sure it's unjustifiable. Whatever you're feeling for me was the result of your false memories," Hange said bleakly. "It's a deep-rooted connection from the other Hange. The dead Hange. Not me."

Levi's eyes were blown wide in surprise, but a little hurt was evident because Hange spoke the truth anyway. It appears she was abstaining from breaking her emotional barriers, even if it was already obvious that she already busted her way through them.

"I've been thinking this through for a while now," Hange added. "What if your memories came back?"

It was a moment of clarity. Only a few people know about Levi losing his memories and somehow, believing they might come back soon. It was far-fetched but still, a possibility. Granted, he was also the man with a hundred things in his hands and Hange would never dare to snatch him away from his responsibilities. Zeke has not debunked his theories yet that memory loss could be temporary. It must have slipped Levi's mind that once he had gotten hold of his past, his emotions would follow and it will be the start of tearing up his recently established connections with new people. The idea stung, especially with Hange who developed something for him too.

"I've once told your sister that you're two different people. Levi… I'm just looking at your current self. That guy with false memories. You were never Levi-Ackerman-the-CEO to me. Once you're back to the old you... a lot will change. This thing between us might change."

"Hange… don't you want this?" Levi asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"Of course, I do. I'm happy. You have no idea how badly I wanted this moment to happen. I liked you… very much… but…" Her voice died down to a whisper. "But maybe this isn't right. You're just feeling this way because I was a part of your other world..."

"Hange." Levi looked at her sternly, his eyes holding much more weight than the words to come out. "There's no harm in trying to make things work between us. It doesn't matter if you think you're the dead Hange at the back of my head. You're still Hange I... I'm fond of dearly."

She gave him a dubious look.

"I'm sure of this. I'm sure of what I'm feeling right now. Don't you just try to sketch out the source of my feelings because fuck, I clearly know who I wanted. And that was you."

Levi couldn't believe that their conversation had spurred into something like this. Full of doubts, cynicism, and false hopes. He had the unrelenting will to keep this companionship aflame—if Hange didn't want to label it as romantic. She had her inhibitions. It almost felt like she was outrightly pushing him away, but there was still a "pull" she didn't want to let go of.

Articulating the proper words was not his best suit. But Hange allowed him to break the cold silence again. It wouldn't hurt to listen, as if she could pick out the best convincing statement that she deserved this kind of happiness with him.

"We're dealing with the current me. A renewed person. The opposite version of the CEO. And that current me wanted you, Hange," Levi said firmly. "Things might have gone a bit fast between us but I hope we could acknowledge what we feel and act on it. I'm happy being with you and even with a primitive and zero experience with this kind of stuff, I know this is something I wish has happened in my memory."

"How are you going to tell your family?"

"Hange…" Levi sighed in exasperation. "Your call. How would you want this arrangement to work?"

"Are you seriously asking me to arrange our set-up?"

"Yes."

Hange bit her lower lip, unsure that if she would be taking the reins to pursue this relationship, she is setting them both on fire. "I'll… probably think about it. I don't know where to start… where to take this, to be honest."

"What's holding you back?"

"A lot, Levi! You can't ignore the fact that Petra's still living with you," Hange reasoned with a shaky laugh. "The last thing I want is to hurt someone. And Mikasa…"

"It will be fine with Mikasa."

"It's not that. I told her I'm not going to destroy your affairs…"

"And you think you're destroying something?"

"Hell, yes! Your relationship with other people? With your uncle? And of course, Petra. Not to mention you're also a public figure. What the hell would people think? That you chose a peasant over a princess? That you're settling for less? I'm afraid they'll say things about you like, 'the blunt force trauma on your head must've hit you pretty badly," Hange rambled on.

"Shut up, Hange. You're overthinking."

"You can't stop me from overthinking! I was just concerned about you. About your image and credibility. Don't you even think that way, too?"

"Hange," Levi cut her off. He straightened up and crouched in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. "Knock it off."

"But Levi…"

"Don't think about it. For now," Levi said. "I know it's complicated. But don't ever say I am not a thinking person. I feel happy about this—about us. And don't you dare depreciate yourself because I see you otherwise. There's more to choosing people and it's not just about how they can uplift your public image and standing. I don't need that. I choose you because you made my life bearable and less miserable than it was. Being with you makes living with memory loss a lot easier. Being with you... makes me happy..."

Hange was taken aback. Such superfluous statements from a man like Levi are hard to brush off like a stubborn lint on wool. Her indecision melted away instantly, and yet she was afraid about jumping willingly into a rabbit's hole.

"We'd take it slow," Levi said confidently as if he had the best idea. "We'll take things from here, see where this will take us. That's how we'll shape up our future."

"You liked me that bad?" Hange asked jokingly with a swell on her chest, having a hard time processing his words.

"Tch."

"I can't believe my charm."

"Yeah right. You damn charmed your way through me," Levi spat and pushed up to his feet. "Give me your conditions. How you would like this to work for us."

He had that neutral face that challenged her qualms. The request sounded demanding.

"I told you to give me some time to think about it…" Hange stressed.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Fine by me."

Hange stretched her arms and legs. "It's been a long, tiring day. I think we should retire now."

"Too tired already?"

"Don't blame me. You made me weak in the knees..." Hange said.

Levi shook his head, hiding a smirk. "If you really are tired, you can sleep in my place so you won't have to walk all the way down to your cabin. Bed's big enough for two people."

"H-hey… what? Your cabin?"

"It's not the first time I asked you about sharing one bed," Levi pointed out, referring to sharing her bed in Moblit's apartment.

Hange grimaced. "Hold on... that's real smooth of you, huh? Kissing you doesn't mean we're getting down to..."

"Are you thinking I'm gonna ask you to have sex with me?"

Hange's words died in her throat. "N-no! Of course not… it's just… this feels new. It's been a while since I shared a bed with someone… and…"

"Yeah. I should know. But you don't have to go with it anyway. Your call, four-eyes," Levi said.

"I'm sorry if this feels uncomfortable. I was still taken aback by all this but that doesn't mean I don't want to do a little cuddling and…"

"So, there is no problem?" Levi asked.

Hange shook her head abashedly.

"Cuddling huh?" he scoffed and made a little smirk. "Sounds cheesy."

"Trust me," Hange winked. "It's better than how it sounds."

Framed family pictures would look strange to a man who never had plans of having his own. A big family of rowdy kids will snap on his nerves, plus he never had any idea how to love a woman. Sure, he used to admire the opposite gender just like any other ordinary being. Women can flick a switch in his head to do the move. There had been an attraction, perhaps a little desire. He can call them "beautiful" but it just stops there. He was just good at watching them from afar with a little sigh and shake of his head. It was different in the old days. He was younger. He had a fair share of short affairs, waking up on his bed with two to three naked bodies after a wild night. But he knew what they are after. He was an Ackerman and that name was a trophy in itself. Women are like flames-hot and burning, and they could consume you if you were never careful enough.

An Ackerman name can spell trouble. Most of the time, he believed he is not meant for someone.

And he wouldn't understand having kids either after having a union. One to two kids are quite a handful enough, considering he abhorred the responsibilities that came with it. Children will only be tools as they grow, and as they ventured the path of propagating, they would use the same method, creating a never-ending cycle of procreating and growing in a life that is miserable behind an outward image of smiling portraits neatly placed over a sideboard table. For a while, he wondered if he ever wanted this kind of layout in his house, having Levi and Mikasa's pictures adorning the frames. Those two were never his own-thank god-and that saved him the guilt of not being too showy and affectionate.

His eyes narrowed at the monochrome frames sitting on mounted ledges on the wall. The sepia hues tell about the old times—a generation that once sprouted, bloomed, and perished—restored and immortalized under glass and wood for display. Eventually, newer frames will cover the walls, telling those alive that life was just a quick spin of time.

A stifled cough startled a very absorbed Kenny Ackerman in his little rumination of the Reiss family's mementos. He whipped around, as his facial features fell at the ghostly sight of a familiar person he had not seen in a while.

A smaller man with the looks of someone who rapidly ages day by day gave him a weak glint of his once bright eyes.

"Uri…" Kenny gave a friendly curt. He was meaning to smile, but Uri's pathetic form like a bedridden forced out of his bed made the act a little withdrawn. His face showed all facets of pain, and Kenny should have thought twice about dropping by this late at night.

Uri cleared his throat once again and tilted his head to see where Kenny was previously looking at. "Much too soon, my picture will be taking a space on the wall."

"Don't say that…"

"I brought three brass frames last week. Also, I'm looking into my old pictures for days… the ones where I look a little less like death," Uri chuckled. "Because I can't seem to find anything where I looked healthier and taller."

Kenny smiled wryly. But it was a grieving kind of smile that he didn't want Uri's humor to shatter him any longer.

"How are you?" Kenny managed to ask with a croak in his voice. "Looking better than last time, I see..."

"Don't be ridiculous. Where have you been all this time? Bet you haven't seen real, healthy humans in a while."

Right. There is no need for Kenny to deny the obvious. Uri's physical condition would surely bring him nightmares for days.

"But trust me, I'm getting a little better with Frieda's concoction of pain management medicines. Girl's got magic hands. Her formulations can ease the symptoms. At least, I could feel like a new person every time I take the drug," Uri said, taking in one of the frames that showed a raven-haired young woman in a lab coat, smiling widely for the camera.

But not to prolong your life, Kenny suppressed the urge to say it out loud. He took in the new arrangement and the number of frames every time he came for a visit. A lot has been added. There was Rod Reiss's family taking a whole deck of the sideboard. The symbolical pattern clicked. The pictures adorning the walls were all dead family members, and the living ones were seated at the table. For Uri, there was an art to the morbid reality of life and death.

"You design your home as if it's a museum of your family tree," Kenny said, noting at least a dozen of small frames of his nieces and nephews neatly seated on the table. Rod Reiss's children.

"They're a handful bunch, but I love them just like my own. At least the prospect of having a family made my life happier… now that my time is ticking."

"Uri…"

"But then again, with so little time I have left, I just can't fathom the idea of leaving them behind."

"You won't." Kenny was stern in his tone. "You'll live. Longer than what you predicted."

"Maybe…" Uri shrugged. "Only in fantasies. Wish I could forget how sick I was—" He doubled over in a fit of a hacking cough. Kenny crouched beside him and ran a hand across his back.

"Hey. You need some rest. You shouldn't have gotten up from bed when I came in unannounced. I'm fine with your nurses telling me about your condition," Kenny said.

"What did they say?" Uri inquired. "That I have a few months to live?"

"No. They need you alive to keep their jobs."

Uri laughed. "That's hard."

Kenny helped the sick man pull up to his feet. He was holding Uri by the arm and helped him sit on the nearest couch. His breathing was labored, as if one movement would take a lot of effort. Kenny regretted dropping by, as he couldn't take the sight of his best friend weakening by the second like a burning candle.

"I heard about Levi," Uri started again as he leaned against the chair lazily. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced. His mouth was the palest Kenny had seen in years, contributing to the heavy weight on the latter's chest. His pajamas, however, were doing a good job of hiding the skin and bones that were weathered by his disease.

"He finally woke up and was back on the job," Kenny said. "There are miracles, Uri. Don't lose hope."

Uri shook his head. "Miracles choose their person. I'm unlisted."

"You'd be enlisted once you become optimistic. This isn't like you, Uri. You never gave up once in your life!"

"Life is not all about fighting. Sometimes, you just have to raise a white flag and let fate decide for you…"

Kenny seethed. "Don't make death look easy. You're leaving behind a lot of people who cared a lot about you."

"Rod's kids have long since moved on because I conditioned their minds that my passing isn't any different than our ancestors. I always say I'm going off to a much better place. We live, then we die. It's a cycle a person should be more accepting of," Uri said calmly. It's his calmness that angered Kenny further.

"What was Frieda doing? How the hell can't she find a cure to this?! She is the best pharmacologist in Paradis, she had that profession under her belt for years…"

"Yes, she is. You have no idea how much time she has wasted on me, spending her waking hours in her lab, trying to come up with with a bottle or two, warning me that I will be her clinical test subject. There is no assurance of success but I can be a guinea pig for her goals, for the advancement of medicine in rare diseases…" Uri recounted.

"But…"

"I'm sleeping better now with little to no pain in my spine. And my coughs are lesser now…"

"But you looked like in your worse days…"

"Trust me, I've never been better than this…"

Kenny balled a fist. How Uri can manage all the physical pain is beyond him.

"I have a wish, Kenny. Before all of this ends…" Uri said after a brief silence.

Kenny nodded with sunken eyes.

"I know you couldn't bring yourself to tell me about how you're gathering evidence to expose my brother's plans on taking over Ackerman's Holdings. His anomalies and misdeeds, poor management, and some illegal transactions are certainly not to be ignored. Rod is cunning in those kinds of things, and I do apologize on his behalf to have caused trouble. I couldn't do anything about it given my state so I trust you on this, Kenny."

The intoned horror of what was said caught Kenny off-guard. He didn't blink an eye, and the creases on his face rose to prominence. Uri was the only person who can deliver explosive news with strange calmness, and maybe Kenny was wrong about him being sidetracked and tucked away from reality due to his illness. Uri never lost his eagle eye.

"You don't say…"

"I'm aware, Kenny." Uri was smiling. An unforgiving expression from someone who can take every pain lightly.

"I have to act on my own… I don't need to add up to your burdens…" Kenny dipped his shoulders. "So that thing... has reached you."

"It's okay," Uri said. "It's for the good of Ackerman Holdings. Our families have done so much in upholding its reputation and credibility for decades. We improved lives-the economy, urban planning, society's modernization. We can't let anyone destroy the name that has been standing strong for a century—even if that person was my very own brother. It's only justifiable that someone must be held accountable for a crime."

The hurt in Uri's words held resignation. He trusted Kenny will do his part to make things right.

"I wish you were like Levi. That boy was headstrong, and knew how to exercise his power when it matters. But I know there are holdbacks when close ties are at stake. You're afraid to take immediate action because I was his brother and you'd hurt me, and so is Levi with Frieda," Uri said.

"Has Levi been talking to you?"

Uri nodded. "Yes. There is nobody else to tell anyway. He didn't want to hurt Frieda with the revelation, so he sought me. He'd seen the irregularities. He discovered Rod's contribution to illegal businesses—specifically in drug operations in several districts in Sina. He's been gathering information with only a few trusted people. He's doing a crucial investigation but said he couldn't disclose them to me just yet. He knows Rod was powerful as well, surrounded by influential and crooked politicians who protect this society's underground commerce for their selfish gains."

"Damn…" Kenny said.

"I guess Levi's comeback was a cue to plan things in order," Uri said. "There is a very good reason why he woke up from the coma. Why he lived after the incident…"

"No…" Kenny said. "Levi… he's no longer fit to get the job done…"

"What do you mean?"

"My nephew." Kenny's face looked hollow under the light in the living room. "He completely lost it. He woke up without a memory of who he was. Everything about his past. Whatever his plans are… he certainly must have forgotten all about them."

"You're... you're not lying, are you?"

"I tell the truth, Uri. But I think Levi's better that way. I don't want him to recklessly put his life in danger by getting immersed in his investigations, especially towards someone like Rod. Knowing your brother, people who tried to get in his way ended up as missing persons. I want to take things away from Levi's curiosity. Rod was getting suspicious," Kenny said.

Uri sighed. "If only I can do something. But I hope you don't hold back, Kenny. Rod needs his lessons."

"What about the rest of his family? Frieda? We can't risk him dragging his family along."

"It's his doing. But I know he wouldn't let his family share his fate. They're still innocent if we look at it. Just… make things right, Kenny," Uri said, now struggling with his breath. "I hope Levi is okay despite his condition. But how can he function without a memory?"

"I had a few people aiding him through this. For the time being, everything about him is kept a secret. I need him to be safe, and I'd be diverting Rod's attention away from him. Rod knows his own crimes, and is proud of them. But then, the justice system relied heavily on substantial evidence."

"Forgive me-for my brother's wrongdoings. His time will come soon, and if there's anything good about having this disease, it's about how it won't give me enough time to witness his downfall."

Kenny can only nod helplessly. A bitter taste left his tongue. "How... do you spend the rest of your days?"

"I just watch my garden in full bloom. Spring's gonna be over soon. Then it will be summer. I wonder if there's a chance to see the fall. I love how the leaves fall from the trees… just like how our lives are headed in due time."

Kenny shook his head slowly. Uri's voice was fading in his ears, and he couldn't take the fact that soon, it will be his body.

"I envied Levi…" Uri clipped.

"E-envied?"

"For losing his memories," Uri said sullenly. "I once requested Frieda to make a drug that will wipe out my memories. Something that will clear my head and I won't have a recollection of what my disease was, what my brother had turned out into. And then I thought you'd forgive me for forgetting our friendship."

"No. That was unforgivable…" Kenny groused. "There was Levi, Mikasa, and then there was you. I only live for three people I cared about."

Uri laughed. "Glad to be part of it."

"Do you regret it now... being single all your life? Without a better half to lean on at times like this?"

Uri shook his head. "Not at all. Having a family is beautiful but I don't want to burden my loved ones with my passing. Hard to play tug-of-war with Death because I'd be begging to extend my life for them. Sometimes, it's good to be alone, sometimes it's not when you don't have anyone to hear your pain. But things are manageable when I've become more accepting of that hard truth that I'm living under a ticking time clock, at least I've spent enough good times being alive."

"Like I said, you can pull out a lucky card and be granted a miracle. Come on, good guys ought to live longer..."

"You know that's never the case. Bad guys make this society more interesting, more challenging. It was never a boring world at all."

"That's the most absurd insight I've ever heard," Kenny scoffed.

Uri took a few seconds to even out his breathing. "You know, that request for Frieda was a joke. Sometimes, her gullibility is adorable. She is taking every joke from me seriously. She worked long hours in her lab, studying herbs and plants—way different from chemicals she had been working on for years. She said she'll try her luck in creating a breakthrough medicine that is naturally derived and organic because it was her uncle who will be taking it. To ease my suffering, ease my pain, to take me to an imaginary world and spend the rest of my days in bliss."

"What's the progress then?"

Uri shook his head. "She brought me good news one night, telling me she's on its polishing stage. But days later, she lost the samples, along with her notes on their formulation. It could be theft but Frieda was a person who trusted the people around her. She was too kind but naïve. And that's her weakness. People might take advantage of that. However, that event didn't discourage her one bit. She said she's gonna try her best to start from scratch again… but I told her to just let me be. Let a dying man rest. And then she said she'll come up with a drug to help me forget that I'm dying."

"You don't need to lose your memories, Uri…" Kenny whispered. "They are the only precious things to look back on when a person is close to his end."

"But it wouldn't hurt to forget the bad things…" Uri exhaled. "Because every bad news about my brother cuts down my life in half."

Same time. Four months ago.

Rod Reiss can spot his eldest daughter, Freida, through the glass barriers in her lab, routinely rummaging through papers, taking notes, scribbling on a whiteboard, and typing on her laptop. It was the same view each day, as if Frieda had forgotten about the cycles of the moon. Same equipment and materials in pharmaceutical compounding were all laid out on the table, keeping the young woman stuck in that room six times a week. Rod's eyes are following her movements and hoping she could give her body a rest, but his worry suddenly switched to the cellphone in his ear, the voice on the other line telling him the bad news.

"Church was sent to inspect the facilities in the pharma lab. It was a good thing we were warned before he could catch some evidence…"

Furlan Church, Levi Ackerman's executive assistant, and most-trusted friend. What a pest.

"He claimed it was a random visit. He went alone this time. But I found out that his companion, Isabel Magnolia has dropped by days earlier and was looking through the financial records. We could only hope she wouldn't trace that we faked them."

Rod gritted his teeth. Levi Ackerman was starting his investigation. How far is he from discovering the truth? "We don't have to worry. Levi will stop once he couldn't find anything. Some idiot must've probably reported about tampered financial statements. But it'll be fine. A CEO will be too busy to monopolize his focus on PharArmour Inc. Just keep all evidence away from him, and limit your talks about the development of the new drugs. We have newer medicinal drugs for cover and will be announced on the market soon, which should keep all his suspicions at bay."

"Understood, boss."

When the call was finished, his peripherals caught his daughter waving at him. Sure it was late at night, but not once did she appear to look overwhelmed with work. She was all smiles when her father went inside the lab, taking in all the strange equipment and raw materials on her table. Herbs.

"It's late, sweetheart. You're overworking yourself again…" Rod told her. "You had life outside this lab, I hope you're not forgetting that."

"Just give this to me, Dad. I'm getting there. Just can't miss this opportunity for Uncle Uri and advanced medicine…"

There was this girl again. Burning with passion to a manic degree whenever she was progressing at something.

"For Uri?"

Frieda nodded vigorously. "I'm coming up with a drug to temporarily induce mild hallucinations… at least forget about how his disease was slowly eating up on him. I can't be sure about the long-term effects though. You know there's no cure for his illness, the least I can do is alter his pain receptors and neurotransmitters. I'm also looking into the possibility to alter his thoughts, and influencing his way of thinking because his illness affects his psychophysiology."

"Frieda." Rod cut her off. "As you said, there is no cure. Don't let some drug give him the false belief of being healthy. Let Uri rest."

"Dad," Frieda hardened her tone. "He doesn't deserve all that pain."

"You're just prolonging it…"

"No," Frieda snapped. "I'm easing it. I want him to live the rest of his days pain-free. With an altered memory of blissful events and happenings in his life…"

"That's ridiculously insane. You can't come across something that will give you that kind of delusion posed as curatives."

"Dissociative hallucinogenic drugs are not new in this world, Dad. These herbs here are still subject to further research but I'm now fore-fronting it. There's potency in plants with mutating chemical composition and much too soon, they will be a part of advanced medicine. I've been doing tests, making sure this isn't gonna harm Uncle Uri," Frieda explained, pointing at an array of plants and herbs scattered on the table. "The least I could ask of you is to trust me and let me do my job."

Rod collapsed on a nearby seat, agitated by the reality of his own daughter working for a useless and fruitless ambition. His eyes hovered on a row of vials in a test tube rack. "You never changed, Frieda. Still overconfident and proud."

"It's all for Uncle Uri," Freida said resolutely.

"What's in those vials?" Rod's curious eyes have a strange glint in them.

"Plant extracts in their purest form. I'm sourcing the raw materials from an academic institute at Sina University where they are also conducting new breeding methods in medicinal plants, at least to increase their produce. I'm also currently in talks with some biochemists to further this research on herbal medicine. We're glad we've sourced funding from generous private organizations who trusted our team," Frieda said with ardor.

"What about the effects of those plant extracts?" Rod asked.

"The plants are extremely hallucinogenic, so naturally they'd be affecting the central nervous system. And like any other drug when taken in large doses, it could be fatal or damaging to the brain. The herbs are newly discovered and endemic, and by their nature that still needs further study, it is illegal in the market when not properly handled. That's why I'm researching the right formulation to deem them safe. I'll be starting to work on some papers for the Drug Bureau for their evaluation and approval."

Rod nodded, deep in thought.

"I might come up with a finished product for the final testing in a week, hopefully. It's still in its trial-and-error stage but I'm confident it could already be tested on humans. Uncle Uri agreed to be my first subject!" Frieda said enthusiastically.

"I see. I wish you success in your little experiments there."

"Thanks, Dad. I hope I'd get your support."

The older man smiled. "Of course, sweetheart. A parent would always support the whims of their children."

"And Dad," Frieda said. "I told Levi about this. He's funding the research as a sign of support as well."

"Levi?" Rod raised his brows. "Really now..."

"Personal funds," Frieda giggled. And then realized something, "He jokingly told me he's got excessive cash for charities. Oops, that should be a secret between us because Petra's a little jealous of his business affairs."

"Not to worry. My daughter's secret is safe with me..." Rod smiled.

"Thanks, Dad! You're the best!" Frieda chirped happily and tidied up her table. "Guess it's time to go home. I'll just get my stuff in the locker room."

She scooted out of the lab while Rod was left in silence.

"Levi was funding Frieda's research?" He put a thumb under his chin. "What is he up to?"

Notes:

Levi and Hange's relationship will be... complicated I guess?

Oh, and here are other additional characters to keep this story going. Here's another revelation and the plot is taking shape.

Chapter 29

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

If there is one thing that Levi is most uncomfortable with, it was being touched and held in a vice-like embrace. Her grip was too tight for his liking, as his movements were seized by her long limbs wrapped around him. With her body heat emanating from her bare arms and legs, she could beat the blanket for providing enough warmth. Well, a different kind of warmth.

Great. It was probably not a good idea to let Hange sleep in his cabin and share his bed. Not that he was complaining though. Sometimes, being enfolded by a human of the opposite sex was a little discomforting for his primal experience in relationships.

"Oi four-eyes," Levi whispered, careful not to forcefully wriggle himself out of her clutches. His lower belly had a funny fizz to it, and he didn't need to question how his anatomy works.

Hange hummed sleepily, snuggling to him closer, and breaching what was left of so little space between them. Her arms around his torso tightened, as one leg flung over his lower body, making their positions a little too compromising.

"Hange…" Levi tried again. "God, you're smothering me…"

"So soft…" Hange groaned, unwittingly slithering a hand up to his chest where Levi stiffened uncomfortably. Her hand got a little adventurous and probing, traveling lower and closer to that "forbidden zone" where one involuntary muscle would spring to life upon contact. Levi jolted up in a panic before Hange's hand could reach the gold, throwing her off the edge of the bed and letting her crash onto the floorboards unceremoniously.

"Oh shit!" Levi exclaimed.

"Owwww! What the hell?!" Hange yelped at the impact, hands reaching for a body part that throbbed in pain. Her head took a slight hit, rubbing it furiously. She caught Levi on the bed with the reddest face she had ever seen, snatching back the blanket as if to cover himself.

"Did you just push me off the bed?!" Hange asked irately.

"You…" Levi pushed the blanket down his lower body. "Your hand is all over me!"

"W-what?"

"You're touching me in places!" Levi grew redder.

Hange bounced up from the floor and cocked a brow. "Touching you? Seriously?"

"Seriously what?" Levi curled like a harassed girl. "Aren't you aware of whatever the fuck you're doing when asleep? Your hands are invasive!"

"Hey, it's not like a couple's first night!" Hange chuckled. "I told you before that I'm a hugger in bed. Don't say I didn't warn you. And don't act like a virgin, Levi."

"What?!"

"Oh my god…" Hange snickered. "Are you sensitive or just ticklish?"

"Shut up…"

"Yep. Definitely a virgin. Or… did you get a hard-on or something? Oh… aren't you the horny little thing in the morning?"

Levi threw a pillow right to her face. "No! You were already on the floor before that happened. What a fucking, nasty woman!"

"Sorry if you got a nasty girlfriend. You asked for it," Hange said, rubbing her lower back this time. "Ouch, I would've broken a bone you know."

"Your fault," Levi drawled and slid off the bed.

"And aren't you the awkward type?" Hange asked teasingly.

"What?!"

Hange playfully grabbed him by the neck, putting her arms around it. "Morning, sweet shorty! I would've gotten mad at you for throwing me off the bed but since you're my boyfriend now, I wouldn't mind if you snap my bones in two."

Levi clicked his tongue. "Said the woman who was doubting about being in a relationship with me and here you are, clingy as fuck."

Hange leaned closer to peck him on the nose. "Well, maybe because this is my last day to spend my time with you. I'm gonna miss you, short stuff."

"Are you saying everything will change once we're back in the city?" Levi asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Hange's sunny mood died down. "We're setting the conditions, right? And I've been thinking about them last night."

"Already?"

"Yes," Hange said breathlessly.

"Oi, brush your teeth…" Levi deadpanned. "Your breath smells like death."

"You didn't say that when we first kissed," Hange droned.

"We'd talk about your conditions over breakfast," Levi said and gently put her arms off him. "It's your last day today. What time are you going home?"

"Hm… I want to spend a little more time with you so… maybe late in the afternoon. How about you? Planning to stay for a few more days?"

"No. It'll be boring without you," Levi said as he tidied up the bedspread and the blankets.

Hange grinned. "I know you'd say that."

"Best if we'd go back to Sina together," Levi added and headed to the kitchen, rummaging through anything he can cook for breakfast.

"But… aren't you supposed not to take public transportation?" Hange followed after him.

"We'll head to my villa and get a car we can drive back to the city," Levi said matter-of-factly, getting loaves of bread and packs of grains from a storage container. "And you'll be driving the car, of course."

"Uh, okay…" Hange scratched her head, realizing something. "Villa?"

"Didn't I tell you I was supposed to be in my villa for a break?"

"Yeah but… aren't your folks expecting you to take a longer break? Three days are too short."

"Maybe I can stay in one of my apartments in the city and not let anyone know I'm back yet."

"What… playing like a missing person?" Hange chuckled.

"More like, making the most of my break," Levi mused. "Well, I wouldn't mind you staying with me for a few days."

Hange gaped at him. "Huh? You serious?"

"I am. Do I look like I'm kidding to you?"

"But… we can't let people see us together…" Hange protested, sitting by the wooden table. "And that's just one of my conditions."

Levi eyed her indifferently. "So, you're still not comfortable with what we have?"

"You know it's not yet easy," Hange sighed. "Look, it doesn't have to be us living or being together at all times. For now, I'm fine with you staying with Petra. If you decide to break up with her or anything, I hope it wouldn't be too sudden because that'll hurt her for sure. I'm still considerate of her feelings. We're just setting aside the fact that you belonged to her—almost legitimately—and if not for your amnesia, you wouldn't end up with me. Don't get me wrong though. Of course, I wanted this relationship to work. But I hope we'll take baby steps… see where this will take us because we have to face the reality of it all: that you are not an average person, that people are still clueless about your condition, that you are forced to act like the old Levi for some reason, and we're yet to know some truths surrounding the old you."

Levi shook his head. "The more I'm staying with Petra, the more I'm getting guilty about hurting her. Eventually, the truth will come out that I'll choose you as my partner."

It was a statement that could be taken with a grain of salt. Coming from Levi sounded too good to be true, but reality is screaming at Hange that she was living in a short-lived fairytale.

"I'm calling Mikasa when we get some signal," Levi said. "Maybe she had better ideas…"

"Wait, you're gonna tell her about us?" Hange's stare at him could make him look like he had grown a second head.

"I can't keep a secret from her. Trust me, she wanted this version of me who always needed her help. As if she wanted to monitor me 24-7."

"But…"

"You afraid of her? Yeah, she looked like she could bite your head off but trust me, she likes you better than me."

But it's never like that, Hange thought. While she could feel Mikasa was easy on her, she was a little worried that more and more people will discover the truth about her and Levi. Much too soon, she might probably read her name gracing the entertainment news. If she had to be honest about it, she had little reservations about pursuing this blooming romance she never asked for. However, a huge part of her wanted to take the "risk"—as if this was not any different from her job. It was a reckless move, just the way she jumped in front of a car to save him. There was a little excitement and somehow, fear on one side. But she couldn't set aside her feeling of wanting someone, and being called somebody's person. She wanted Levi more than that part of her who wanted to push him away.

"Can she keep a secret?" Hange asked him.

"I don't know. But knowing her, she does the necessary."

"I'll be damned."

"Don't be cynical. Hey, can you trust me this once that everything will be all right?" Levi said, leaning over and thumbing Hange's chin.

Hange sighed. "Fine. Do I have the right to say no to you?"

Levi smirked, patting her lightly on her cheek and kissing her forehead. "No."

"Thank you, Miss Petra!" A group of gushing teenagers, women, and some passersby took turns in holding their phones after taking several pictures with her. In a few seconds, her face will go viral again over social media.

Petra must have lost track of time—as her lone presence in a café summoned the attention of some people who would shamelessly invade her personal space and claim her as if she wouldn't able to turn them down. It was a bad idea to be out in public, but it was all she needed to be distracted.

It has always been like this. Being a public figure would suffer the consequences of being a public property: being followed, stared at, and approached by strangers. One rude act or an unsmiling face would automatically condemn her with the nastiest adjectives as if she had no right to act according to her emotions. But that's okay. Petra had mastered the art of faking it all, keeping her image sweet and clean despite some scrutiny and controversies that came with her famous name.

"Miss Petra, why isn't Levi Ackerman with you?"

Oh yes. That default question will come out one way or another.

"He's out of town for a few days for his therapies," Petra said with a shy smile, trying to look convincing as always.

"Is he okay? Should you be with him?" One of them wondered.

He took off without telling me. Obviously, he doesn't want me around. Petra restrained that heavy truth in her chest and responded with another smile. This time, she couldn't help but hold back the sadness behind that curve on her lips.

"He's not allowed to have anyone beside him during those… sessions. Doctor's orders," Petra said, eyes turning away. "He's not in the best shape yet… there are aftereffects of coma so… it's a little hard for us. But he's on the way to recovery. He's fine, he's doing his best… we're doing our best."

"If you didn't turn him down, he wouldn't need those therapies. He must still be in a bad condition and you're hiding that truth…"

Petra's head jerked around frantically. Who the hell said that?!

Her eyes traveled to everyone's faces. But people are smiling at her. Her ears must be deceiving her.

"We feel bad for Levi Ackerman. He doesn't deserve to be humiliated that day…"

Another voice spilled through the air, and Petra couldn't be too sure if the voice was just a part of her sleep deprivation. Her hand flew to her head.

"Oh… must really be hard on your part. We hope he's okay. And he didn't lose his memories…"

That particular joke elicited laughter. And there it was, the laughs were distinct enough to break her nerves. Now, that sounded too loud to be real.

"It's really none of your business," Petra said with a hardened, polite tone. Her once kind eyes turned into piercing daggers. "If you'll excuse me, I need some time alone. I'm out in public to enjoy some privacy and I hope you could give it to me."

She didn't need to listen to the murmurs and bad impressions when everyone turned on their heels to give her space. Hell, she's human and she could react accordingly when a sensitive topic crossed her emotional barriers. However, the air was much heavier when her wall of fans vanished around her. This is not the kind of distraction she wanted.

She looked at her watch to check the time. The numbers are blurred and she realized the stinging sensation in her eyes. She blinked them away.

One hour late.

For once, Petra was sure that the person she was waiting for will not be coming. Of course. It was someone she will never invite for lunch with just the two of them alone. Any conversation between them will be awkward, and they were never even close, to begin with.

But she was desperate. A desperate lovelorn who couldn't catch some sleep for days due to Levi's absence. She was not one who seeks for attention from her lover, but each day whenever Levi treated her as someone who he never shared a bed with, some rage was boiling up inside her. She couldn't channel that emotion elsewhere so she wanted to share that with someone.

When Mikasa told Petra that Levi was taking a break outside the city, it was a cruel reminder that the man who once promised her to be beside her all the time was no longer there. Levi will never go on a break alone and certainly without her, but times have changed indeed. He turned distant again, after all that ploy from making people know that they have rekindled their relationship. She was getting tired of their joke-of-a-set-up.

She drained her second cup of coffee and collected her bag. She was about to leave when she spotted a raven-haired woman who just walked into the coffee shop as if in a hurry.

Frieda Reiss was another person who could turn some heads. Not that she was a celebrity or a public figure but her pleasant and angelic aura would make people want to be around her. Petra didn't bother to make her presence known. She just stared at the ravenette from afar, observing her quietly.

Maybe it was a bad idea to invite her in the first place.

Her mind drifted off to the past, and to this woman who made her doubt Levi's true feelings for her before the engagement party. Petra knew each of Levi's ex-girlfriends, and being a woman with strong instincts, she also knew the ones who might have secret feelings for him—those who couldn't reveal their real intentions in the open. Levi was effortless, charming, and unassuming, and his status in society's hierarchy only came close to second.

The Reiss and Ackerman families were business partners for decades. It was no doubt that children through generations would develop friendships and relationships with those ties. To Petra's knowledge, Frieda and Levi were childhood friends. Before there was Zeke, Levi and Frieda were attached to the hip. Even when Petra and Levi got together, Frieda will still be in the picture to act like a third wheel. And it's during those times that Petra grew uneasy and jealous, asking Levi to put some distance from his girl best friend. The jealousy was groundless, but Levi never denied that request. Much too soon, the hang-outs were reduced to phone calls, until they completely lost communication.

Frieda was finally out of the picture after years, until recently before the engagement when Levi was secretly in touch with her again. He was always honest about his activities and meetings but upon Petra's confirmation from her own investigation that Levi was lying to her, she could no longer contain her feelings. She had no gall to draw him out of his lies, so she dropped his proposal on the spot, her rejection being unjustified. Sure, she would just think of any other shallow reasons, because a third party will disgrace her name.

"Petra?"

Big blue eyes were staring at her with concern. Frieda was already hovering over her and sat across from her. "I'm sorry I was late…"

The redhead forced a smile. "It's okay…"

Frieda smiled back, and when her head turned everywhere as if looking for someone, Petra has already answered the question Frieda couldn't say out loud.

"Levi's not with me," Petra clipped, sensing Frieda's curiosity. "Just so you know…"

"Oh…" Frieda averted her eyes in embarrassment.

"You wouldn't come if it was just me, right?" Petra said acidly. "So I said we're both meeting with you."

"Petra, it's not like th—"

Petra's smile returned to ease the ravenette's discomfort. Fake or not, there was more indifference to the way she acts. "How are you, Frieda?"

Petra's invitation was a surprise, and so was her question. Frieda wouldn't be able to relax around her so she just smiled timidly without responding.

"You're tense…"

"It's just…" Frieda twiddled her thumbs. "It's quite strange for you to invite me at times like this…"

"What's so strange with an untimely invitation? I just want to do some catching up. I know you'd want to hear news about Levi. He's been out for eight weeks. Not once did you check up on him to think you were his best friend. I felt really bad that I have to ruin your old friendship… that he had to put some distance because he was in a relationship with me…"

Frieda flinched. "But is it what you want? To keep distance because I may be affecting your relationship? Look, Levi and I talked about it and I wholeheartedly understood your concerns. I didn't mean to make you feel threatened. And as a girl best friend, I tried to put some boundaries no matter how close I am to Levi. It's never in my book to destroy any relationship. Pardon me but what is this really all about?"

"Do you have feelings for Levi?"

The shock in Frieda's pale eyes gave Petra a satisfying glimpse of that alleged little secret. The question was too straight to the point, but with an unclear objective. For Frieda, it was downright insulting as if she had been in secret affairs with partnered men.

"I don't see why I would be asked that kind of question," Frieda scoffed, balling her fists over her lap. "Levi is a childhood friend."

"A childhood friend with whom you developed your feelings over time. It happens to most people, too."

Frieda bit her cheek, trying to contain her composure. She wouldn't go down to being scandalous over this confrontation. "Yes, it happens. But with me, it's definitely not with Levi. I love Levi platonically. That's how our friendship goes, and nothing more than what you think of. When both of you got together, I managed to stay out of your relationship at Levi's request out of his love for you. As his best friend, it hurts to be cast in a bad light and become a subject of jealousy. You're better than this, Petra Ral. What has gotten into you?"

As two fat tears rolled down Petra's eyes, Frieda could sense something was not right.

"Hey, what's going on?" Frieda asked in a panic. "Is everything okay?"

"I want to hate you, Frieda. I want to hate you with all my soul. But I want you to know that if you wanted Levi's attention, he wouldn't be able to give you the same one as before…"

"W-what?"

"We both lost him…" Petra said as she buried her face into her palms.

"Petra, I can assure you that there is nothing between Levi and me. Levi has always loved you, and he's been loyal to you," Frieda whispered, leaning closer for Petra to hear. There is no way this conversation will draw attention.

"Yeah? But he's been secretly meeting with you before falling into a coma…" Petra eyed her accusingly. "That day before the engagement party. I saw with my own eyes when you meet up with him. Don't you dare deny it."

"Wasn't he telling you something?" Frieda cocked a brow. "Yes, we've been meeting a few times. We've been talking. But it's all about business. When he heard about my research project about endemic plants and their medicinal properties, he was suddenly interested so he offered to fund our team. That's just about it, Petra. Hey… I'm not aware that he's keeping that a secret from you but trust me, that's just about it. It's all about my project and nothing else."

Petra wiped her eyes with the heel of her palms.

"When you saw us, have you seen either of us doing something indecent? Are we even kissing?" Frieda asserted.

Petra curled a lip. "But you're a Reiss. You're from a well-off family. Why can't you fund your own projects?"

"Of course, I can," Frieda mused. "But it's not all about the money. Levi had a better offer in speeding up the research process. We're at a preclinical stage of research during that time and then we're suddenly approached by top-tier pharma labs that specialize in advanced research providing more tools and modern equipment. It's all about Levi's connections that kept us in talks. Nothing else."

"It is highly unlikely of Levi to take interest in pharmacology and all that stuff. He didn't need all the money, all the profits…"

Frieda sighed. "Look, I don't see the reason as well just like you. I apparently asked him why the sudden interest in some experimental venture in the medical field, but he said about wanting to keep all my pharmacology projects in good hands. I don't know what he meant by that but knowing him for long, it's all about his passion for contributing to the economic system, medical sciences—well, it's simply his generosity and philanthropy playing here. He loves seeing developments in all things he put his investments on."

The disclosure was justifiable, enraging Petra even more. She had brazenly humiliated Frieda with false allegations and all that resulted from that shameless act was a quick reactance. It was no doubt losing Levi was all her doing. Her rejection of him branched out from jealousy and her baseless suspicion of his unfaithfulness. There is no one to blame but herself.

Frieda added, "Petra, I don't need to explain further. I think I've said my piece and there is nothing else to tell. If you still have qualms about this, then it's all up to you. But I won't be guilt-ridden about a crime I haven't committed. Had there been brewing problems between you two, I'm certainly out of it. And I wasn't in touch with Levi after he woke up from the coma. It feels bad too that I haven't checked on him and I could only whisper a prayer of thanks after hearing the news that he's finally recovered."

"Just… stop." Petra covered her ears. She didn't need to torture herself anymore.

Frieda's gentle hands reached across the table, firmly grasping Petra's arms. "Petra… tell me what's wrong. What really happened?"

No answer.

Frieda tried again, "You said something about 'we both lost him'. What does it mean? Is Levi okay? Was he sick again or something?"

But Petra couldn't tell her, could she? Her purpose in meeting Frieda was to hurt her just the way she was hurting over Levi's distantness towards her. Had her theories about Frieda having a secret affair with her boyfriend been true, Petra would have loved to share that misery. But she didn't expect the outcome, as if she was the lone loser in this game she started.

"I have to go," Petra said and hurriedly grabbed her bag.

"Petra, wait. We should settle this…"

"No," Petra said, lips pressed in a thin line. Her eyes were still red, as she fished out her sunglasses to cover the obvious.

"I can help, you know," Frieda said. "And if you keep that up, you're just making me want to see Levi even more…"

"Then do if you must," Petra said cryptically. "And find it out yourself."

Her heels clacked against the floor as she left the table in a rush of emotions, leaving Frieda in a haze of questions.

"What the hell…" Frieda exhaled. "Guess I really need to find out."

The air-conditioning in Mikasa's office didn't stop that roll of sweat that freely traced from her temple down to her jawline. She was rigid for the first few minutes of looking into some documents Armin had procured that afternoon. She was once holding a paper in one hand, and until two of her hands were gripping the documents, crumpling the sides as if their contents were shocking enough to give her stress for the coming days.

"Mika?" Armin studied his friend's stunned face. It was expected.

"I… I swear to god I'm not aware of these things…"

"You think Levi's aware?"

Mikasa shook her head. "I don't know… but if he does, I'm sure he's forgotten all about it which only tells us we're off to a fresh, crucial start of our investigation."

"Took me all night to connect the dots," Armin vented. "But it wasn't too complicated because we have available information to piece together and aid our suspicions. The company's archives apparently had a lot to tell. And the work ethic of Krista Lenz, specifically. We might need to question her soon."

"Tell me again… I can't process what I've found out. So the Ackerman Holdings—our company—didn't belong to the Ackermans originally?" Mikasa slumped in her seat.

"Yes, I've seen historical records that Ackerman Holdings was once Acker-Reiss Holdings—a combined name of the founders. What's more surprising is that Reiss originally founded the company that ran for a decade until they sought a partnership with the Ackermans. Based on the company's profile and its financial records, Ackermans have the largest contribution in acquisitions and control over their subsidiaries. They contributed to the growth, reputation, and standing of the business. Eventually, the partnership with Reiss became controversial due to some vulture capitalists from Reiss's side. There were cases of exploitation of subsidiaries which the Ackermans vehemently opposed. And that's how the Ackermans slowly obtained the company, claiming all the rights in the ownership so that the name will not be tainted with Reiss. I'm not sure about this but I've made some research about it and I found a couple of newspaper articles and some editorials that dated six decades ago. The controversy of the acquisition and monopolization of the Ackermans ran for two years," Armin narrated.

"There must be a reason why Rod Reiss was always uneasy about coming here," Mikasa said. "Must be about the controversy of the old times. But… currently, they were part of the board and one of our trusted investors. And his brother, Uri was friends with Uncle Kenny. Looking at it, there is not a trace of bad blood. It was a little surprising too that I never heard about this from Uncle Kenny."

"Well, some people with extreme filial piety towards their heritage that got a bad rep in their names would always seek ways to earn back their glitter. The Reiss once stood high and mighty. Quite a shame that Rod's ancestors founded the company, but eventually was snatched by someone else," Armin interpreted. "As for your uncle, we can't be sure if he's aware of this historical controversy."

"You think Reiss had vengeful intentions?"

"Not sure. I can't see a clearer picture of that just yet," Armin said. "But then, Annie Leonhart from HR have been helpful in providing me the list of the subsidiaries and the employees. I tried to look at another angle."

"And I'm sure you found out something?"

"Hear this," Armin stood and handed her another set of documents. "Annie told me that your brother secretly appointed her to safekeep the files in the database specifically the lists of subsidiaries. However, she wasn't told about the real reason. It wasn't Levi's job to monitor those but his cohorts—Church and Magnolia may know something about it. So anyway, Annie's task was to keep a duplicate file of the master list and update them for any changes in the original. I think Levi was aware that some data in the production database are going to get missing in time and then, voila, he's right about that. I managed to find the discrepancies."

"Huh?"

"It seems there's tampering in the records of a pharmaceutical company's financial data. The same company that Levi asked Annie to monitor its records. Their sales flourished in a year and you do know that huge profits will allow an allocation of funds for newer ventures or projects. Could be an upgraded facility or a new drug research project. There had been talks about building a new facility but its progress was no longer reported. It was unclear where the profits went. However, there's an increase in manpower which makes it more suspicious. I think the figures were changed in our database, declaring there are nonexistent or declining sales," Armin explicated.

"Okay. So why do you think there's tampering? And who did it?"

"Here's the takeaway," Armin's eyes darkened. "Remember when Levi told us to keep an eye on Krista Lenz? I checked with the IT team about the log-in activities of the HR department. Indeed, under Krista's username, her logs had recorded edits and deletions without authorization. The personal details of Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia were also her doing. I guess her plan was not smart enough—or perhaps rushed so chances are, she might have overlooked the possibility that tweaking a database can be traced. I could theorize that the missing data are crucial in leading to some conspiracy. Church and Magnolia might know something. I tried to contact their numbers but to no avail. Their residential addresses are also deserted. We need to track down their whereabouts. I'm sure their names would turn up somewhere—may it be in online registries and directories, hotel accommodations, and immigration if ever they left the country…"

"Well, why don't we confront Krista Lenz?"

"Too early, Mikasa. We should have a clearer picture of her true intentions and her links to our person of interest. Her sly move in the database might be stupid but she can present fallacious alibis. Also, we should try our luck in locating Church and Magnolia. Simultaneously, we should keep an eye on that pharmaceutical firm—PharArmour Inc. Majority of the clues are taking us there. First, Rod Reiss was once a shareholder there. And then he pulled out his stocks. But then, he's also funding some of its projects for new drugs and medicine. Those dilly-dallying actions are quite questionable. And his daughter, Frieda Reiss was also its head pharmacologist."

"Hold on… Frieda?"

"You know her?"

"She's… she's Levi's close friend. A childhood friend, apparently. And I don't think she was employed there. I thought she was freelancing for a university. Also, she had her own laboratory for research."

"Are you sure she is not working there?"

"Just a guess… but maybe she could do some part-time job in the research department," Mikasa said. "But to say she's a regular employee, I don't think so."

Armin put a thumb under his chin. "She could be a ghost worker then. Hold on… oh… we should verify if the employees of the firm were real."

"What do you even mean?"

"They could assert that the profits go to the increased manpower. But it would be absurd unless there is a need to hire people if an entity is growing. However, their financial records don't tally. Why hire more people during a declining period? I'm sure a huge margin of profit goes somewhere…" Armin concluded.

"I don't feel good about this…"

"The question is… if there is truly an anomaly in that firm, how would it affect its parent company—the Ackerman Holdings?" Armin wondered. "A company under our umbrella can act independently but not secretly. What if… there are illegal activities in that firm? We're talking about a pharmaceutical firm—where drugs are manufactured. But are they for medicinal purposes?"

"God, Armin… you're making me imagine a lot of things."

"Sina was a global city, reputable for its socio-economic success. We are constantly progressive in globalization; however, we're forgetting the blemished part of Sina because we're too busy with industrialization that kept our lifestyle occupied. The crime rates often go unnoticed because we think they are often linked to poverty—which is never the case with Sina's majority of the population. I've made some research about the recent foiling of illegal drug operations in some districts in Sina. It appears they are still widespread specifically in Yalkell."

"Which reminds me, Levi was once involved in capturing the criminals."

"What?"

"It's a complicated story. I'll tell you soon," Mikasa said, without having much to add to the developing mess. "So going back, you sound like this pharma firm may be involved in illegal drug manufacturing."

"Nothing is ever concluded yet unless we hold strong evidence. But then again, it is highly feasible. One cannot just put up a makeshift lab for the mass production of drugs. If I was a narcotrafficker, I'd see to it that my facilities are legally registered and are not hot in the eyes of the authorities. They should be under the guise of an unsuspecting legal entity."

"Erwin should know about this…" Mikasa said. "And Levi, too when he gets back."

"Mikasa, we still have to gather more evidence…" Armin reminded her. "All I have now were just my theories…"

"That's why we need more trusting people to put in the loop. We cannot do this with just the two of us," Mikasa said. "But your theories made sense, Armin. They always do."

"Okay, we can hold on to these theories until we could gather new ones. I hope I'm wrong with my assumptions but…"

Mikasa grabbed his hands and shook them warmly. "No. I wish we were getting somewhere with your theories. I couldn't thank you enough, Armin. You've always been a great help to me."

"Is that what friends are for?" Armin smiled. "You know I owe my education to your family. I'm just returning the favor."

A click of the door startled them both, as Sasha's head peeked inside.

"Oh… sorry for not knocking, Miss Mikasa. Somebody was in the lobby right now, looking for you. He doesn't have an appointment but he insists to see you."

"A visitor? Look, if it's not about business, I'm not accepting any appointments," Mikasa said.

"That's what I said but he insisted he was a volunteer at Sina's Emergency Response Team. His name is Eren Jaeger," Sasha said.

"Eren?" Mikasa frowned. "Did he tell you what he want?"

Sasha shook her head. "No. But I knew he wouldn't leave unless you talk to him."

Mikasa's face burned red. "How can you tell?"

"He's carrying a bunch of flowers," Sasha gushed.

Armin choked on his spit. "Aren't you telling me something, Mika?"

"There's nothing to tell. I met that guy only once. What the hell is he up to?!" Mikasa groaned. "He's already making a scandal."

"Then you really must talk to him," Armin chuckled.

"Can you come with me?" Mikasa asked nervously.

"Uh—sure."

A cloud of smoke rose midair in shapes, forming into a smoke art that stays for a few seconds, and then vanishes with the wind. Zeke Jaeger was leaning over his balcony, overlooking the cityscape that looked a little underwhelming to his desensitized taste. He could count the number of buildings that stood out the most, and knew by heart the name behind their splendor. From his peripherals, he spotted six familiar skyscrapers and smiled at the memory when he once stepped foot into one of its lavish interiors.

"Looks like we wouldn't be able to look back at the old, epic times and make a good laugh about it," Zeke mumbled to himself sentimentally, addressing a person who was not by his side. "I remembered when Lara broke up with you, sloshing wine all over your suit because a woman stole a kiss from you at a party. Her brother entered the scene, and instead of punching you in the face, he sided with you instead…"

He took one long drag and produced another set of ringlets of smoke into the air. "Would you reprimand me again if you see me smoke like this?"

He was looking into the horizon, hoping for an answer that will never come. He shook his head dismally, making himself a fool by inviting thoughts that are needless of recollection.

"If I didn't know better, I would think that you're in love with Levi Ackerman." A voice sounded behind him and he nearly jumped out of his skin. A petite woman with wavy dark hair emerged from the door and joined him on the balcony.

"Pieck…"

Her smile was always kind and pleasant. Those sleepy dark eyes behind her thick lashes followed his line of vision, yet wandered into nothing in particular. She was like a ghost who can easily slip her way through rooms undetected. A knack of her which amused Zeke, thinking she could get away with all kinds of murder and not leave a trace of evidence.

"I forgot to lock my door again, didn't I?" Zeke asked.

"I used your key duplicates. You might want them back?"

Zeke shook his head. "No. Keep it. At least I know someone can come over in case I didn't leave the house for days because I was dead in my room."

One cryptic remark from the doctor didn't waver her. "I'm thinking of stealing stuff in here, not to see your rotting corpse. Say, you're allowing me to steal anything from your house?"

"Take anything. Not that they mean so much to me. Just leave the washer, will you? I don't trust the laundromat with my clothes."

Pieck laughed. "Got it, doctor. So maybe the robot vacuum is free to go? I broke mine yesterday."

"Take my credit card and pick one online."

"Oh… you're too generous today. If people will know about this, they would pray that you'd stay depressed forever."

"Am I too obvious?"

Pieck hummed, "The clinic said you were on leave for a few days. Sometimes, they get false information so I have to verify myself. So your house is the best vacation spot? Not anything outside the city or out of the country?" "

"I love being at home."

"Like counting buildings the whole day? You have better options than that."

"Are you reading through me again?"

"Because you're an open book, Dr. Jaeger."

They shared soft chuckles. And then Pieck fanned the remnants of smoke that strayed her way after Zeke exhumed his frustrations through a half stick of cigarette.

"Maybe I should start lecturing a doctor about how smoking can reduce one's lifespan," Pieck said knowingly.

"Cognitive dissonance. It happens. Part of being human, part of our needs. Don't worry, I'd live for as long as I want because I say so," the blond man said jokingly. "You're not my mother, Pieck."

"And so is Levi. And yet you always listen to him like a house-rule-abiding son," Pieck pointed out reasonably. "Too bad I don't possess his charm."

"You're fine as you are, Pieck. Are you jealous of that little man?"

Pieck pressed her lips in a tight line. "I am more interested in why I could see a dark cloud circling over your head."

"You're seeing things. Quit reading into too many tarot cards, young woman."

"It's not my tarot cards, doctor. It's your problematic face that's readable. My eyes are better than MRI. You're not too good at hiding it."

"So what does my problematic face say, Dr. Finger?" Zeke challenged.

"That it's Levi, your best friend. And if he's your secret lover, then maybe he broke up with you."

The joke was insulting, but only Pieck can deliver such things without being offensive. She knew about Zeke and Levi's friendship over the years. She was still a medical student during those times and had the privilege to hang out with them. After passing the board in neurology, she was mentored by Zeke and got the privilege to work with him at the same hospital.

"Yeah… he kinda broke up with me," Zeke said jokingly. "Just to elope with my brother…"

"Wait, what? Brother?"

"Of course, you didn't know that. Your eye scanner isn't good enough."

Pieck tucked her hair behind her ear as if she misheard it. "I didn't know you had a brother."

"You're only a little older for a few years but… yeah, I have one. A half-brother. Still a blood brother either way."

Zeke was smiling as he said that, but Pieck couldn't ignore the sadness he's been trying to mask. He can easily push his problems away with sarcasm and act like they would be gone overnight.

"Would I get the chance to hear that story?" Her voice hushed down as if to sympathize with him.

"This doesn't involve brain tumors and all that…"

"I'm here as a friend, not a co-doctor." Pieck was sporting that gritty look on her face.

Zeke lit another cigarette. "I'd tell you a secret. Levi lost his memories."

Another straight-up revelation that didn't quite register with Pieck. "Were you drinking?"

"If you think that smoking looks like drinking then I don't know what's gotten into you," Zeke said. "Okay, no beating around the bush. I met again my delinquent brother who I'd forgotten a long time ago and then Levi was hanging out with him. Apparently, Levi's memories after the coma were not what they used to be. His current memories turned him into a different person and as his doctor, I couldn't do something about that."

"Hold on." Pieck was trying to recover from the blow. "But Levi's fine, right? He was in the news last week."

"Long story. I don't know how he pulled off an act convincingly but I pity the guy for being forced to be like the old him. Everything you see on TV's just a little drama."

"Old him?"

"His condition was new to science. And until now I'm keeping it a secret until I could gather more theories about how a person is capable of holding a different memory after falling into a coma," Zeke said.

"Well…" Pieck had been thinking. "You know, I happen to read the toxicology results of his blood tests first before it's gotten onto your table. The drug interaction messed up and altered the functionalities of his brain. And then the comatose."

"I knew that, Pieck. And that's a top secret. The combination of drugs is fatal-linking to a suicide attempt. If the public will know about it, Levi's reputation is busted."

"Yeah, I know how you are being overprotective of Levi but Zeke, you didn't read closely. I thought the data was a little absurd, so I ran a separate quantitative compound report. Three compounds were identified as 'unspecified' and that intrigued me. Certainly, you missed that and I can't believe you didn't question the results. There are traces of a substance that have the same chemical composition of a new drug that's under development by a known pharmacologist. You're familiar with Frieda Reiss, right?"

Zeke nodded vacantly. "Yes, I know her. The young and brilliant Frieda. She was also a friend of Levi who he kind of lost in touch with after getting together with Petra."

"Well, actually, I've worked with her for some preclinical research and trials of neurological medications for quite some time. We shared notes, we exchanged learnings, and she's an absolute sweetheart. And then I found out she's working on a side project for a certain sick person. Out of curiosity, I gathered the chemical names of the substances and found out that they have no marketed names as they are still illegal for distribution and medicinal use-probably because of undeveloped research and their dangerous composition."

"Were the drugs out already? Does the project get its approval to operate? Or was there another team of chemists and pharmacologists conducting its studies?"

"As far as I know, only Frieda was daring enough to jump into an ambitious project before anyone else can discover it. So I guess, she was the only one. I can't be sure if it's approved for research because it's merely a side project that's probably not intended for mass production and distribution."

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Pieck looked surprised. "Hey... it's not like Frieda's research will be linked to your friend's condition. And you're too quick to take the podium and say that Levi's coma is due to head trauma. Well, I just happen to be a curious young doctor who had poor comprehension and wanted answers immediately."

Zeke ran a hand through his head. "So he might be potentially drugged as well? Aside from overdosing from his antidepressants mixed with alcohol and party drugs?"

"He's a dead man. But it's quite a miracle he survived," Pieck said. "Judging by the results, his brain could've been damaged."

"It is already damaged. Because he was acting like another person of extra-terrestrial origins."

"Likely. The drug was supposed to induce hallucinations. Like the usual psychedelics but with a different punch. But I am not sure of its real effects in the long run. Like I said, its research was in its early stages, and no clinical trials just yet on humans. The last time I remembered, Frieda wasn't talking about it again. She probably discontinued it."

"But how did the drug end up in Levi's system?" Zeke asked. "Did Frieda give him samples? Or was it out and illegally sold somewhere? Damn… I should review the results again and team up with trusted toxicologists. How did I miss that one?"

Pieck wrinkled her forehead. "You're getting older."

"Shit," Zeke cursed. "If you have identified that drug that must've caused Levi's altered memories, maybe there is a cure to that? I should talk to Frieda about it."

"Hm, we could only hope for a potential remedy. Looks like you've brightened up after my information."

"You have no idea. I've been dealing with worse-case scenarios and I can't do anything about that," Zeke said. "But thanks, Pieck. I owe you one. Your curiosity and thirst for knowledge are a god's gift to mankind."

Pieck scoffed. "Well, I haven't done anything… other than ask what the hell's wrong with you. Your face could invite Death to pay you a visit."

"Either way, you've shown me the light at the end of a tunnel where Death wouldn't be hanging much around," Zeke said, hyped up by sudden hope of getting his best friend back. "I'm taking back the old Levi. His 'alter ego' should rest soon."

Notes:

Depression was a bitch...

So I deactivated all my 'personal' social media accounts and was only left with AO3 where I'll probably take more time hanging around starting today. I guess this is a form of escape from reality. Initially, I was tempted to just download all my works and store them in pdf form, because I don't want to lose my write-ups. I almost deleted this account at 3 AM in the morning because I was just too sad with my life (not being overdramatic but I have a personal problem that I'd been crying about for several nights now. Didn't need to divulge the details though, we all have internal struggles we'd rather keep to ourselves).

But then, I backtracked my inbox... filled with positive comments that made me think twice. I thought about the engagement with my readers, and how it fueled me to update from time to time. It's the interaction that keeps me going, and even if I don't get paid for 200k words, your kudos and comments are enough to cheer me up and made me feel appreciated. I think I'd like to keep this as my outlet, because it will only break me apart if I don't have anything to keep me occupied. I once said in my notes that I've been heartbroken—and then another 'unexpected' heartbreak just blew right up in my face. Apparently, there had been more sad moments than happy ones these days—people can easily say they are trivial, and that I am weak. But then... I hope they realize that people have different coping mechanisms... and I envied those who can take problems lightly. Maybe I hate that part of me that was cynical and hopeless, always gravitating towards loneliness and false hopes. And maybe that's also the reason why 'failure' always finds me on days I thought I'm doing something right. On days that I feel happier. What's worse, people expect me to be happy—always cheerful and loud as they normally see. Can't I just be 'visibly sad' in the meantime because I am? Because what's truly heartbreaking is when I have to pretend I'm okay when I really am not.

Sucks, right?

Anyway, I Just want to thank you all for the encouragement, for reading this fanfic in the midst of my depression and anxiety attacks. This is probably the only platform where I feel at home, my safe place when I don't want to get out of my room and mingle with the world, where I could stay anonymous and yet feel the love...

It's a good thing writing somewhat transports us to another world in our favor, when there are bad beginnings but happy endings. If only life is patterned that way.

Maybe I'd spend more of my time reading these days. And hopefully, I'd get back to writing again when I feel like it. Who knows... in a few weeks' time, I'm happy again., and I'd be writing again. I can still promise that I'm not abandoning this fic.

Should be posting this on a Sunday but maybe I'd be somewhere alone to take a breather.

FYI, this chapter is finished weeks earlier-back when I'm still inspired. But life happened. Sharing this because I know there are a number of you who still want to read the progress of my story.

Chapter 30

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Hiking has never been this invigorating.

The slopes were fairly easy to navigate—a walk in the park, a piece of cake. Hange didn't even feel her sweat-drenched body and fatigue that once threatened her to burst into tears. She felt loose-limbed and energized, now that she had a lighter load and would have asked for more had Levi not insisted on carrying half of her pack. She was humming to some song playing inside her head, her gaze shifting from the trees along the way and to that small man she can proudly say her "boyfriend", walking ahead of her. The thought of them being in a relationship made her smile endlessly throughout the entire walk. When the trails turned wider, she would walk beside him, reach for his hand and, wrap them together.

"Your hands are sweaty." Levi scoffed. "Getting clingy again, are you?"

"Hey, it's been a while I get butterflies in my stomach!" Hange chirped and swung their arms.

"Oi, oi... we aren't kids!"

"You have the height of one!"

"Tch!" Levi rolled his eyes, but a smirk passed his lips when Hange looked straight ahead. He tightened the grip on her hand and kept it from moving aimlessly. How childish. "Stop now, four-eyes."

Hange obliged. "Ah, you're no fun!"

"You can hold my hand as many times as you want but not while on the trail."

"What's wrong with that?"

"This is not a leveled ground. I don't want to trip over with you."

"You take me for a clumsy person? Oh my gosh, Levi... I was once—ahhhh!"

And before Hange can prove it, her ass was already on the ground.

Levi snorted. "What was that again? You were once a... what?"

Hange outstretched her hands. "Nevermind. I overestimated myself. Help me?"

Levi reached for her hand and lifted her up. "You okay?"

"Ah, you worry about me?" Hange grinned, dusting off her pants.

"No. I thought about calling someone to carry your heavy ass up to the reception desk," Levi said smugly.

"How sweet of you, Levi." Hange rolled her eyes.

Levi laughed out loud. That was new. Hange was caught in that moment.

"Now what?" Levi finally noticed her staring at him.

She blushed. "I've been thinking... I think Ragako is my new favorite place. I told my housemate that I'd be a renewed person after this. Guess it was more than that. I came here to revive my other half, and now I'm coming home like a whole new person."

"A whole new person huh?"

Hange nudged him by the shoulder. "Come on. This is just one of the happiest moments in my life. I mean… I knew I had feelings for you and tried to repress them but who would've thought that you had the same for me?"

"You're not unlikable, four-eyes."

"Not unlikable? Can you come up with a better adjective? Like... alluring? Attractive? Hot?"

"Ain't gonna say anything."

Hange pouted. "Hey, it's my chance to gain back my confidence. Well… I kinda lost it back then after two failed relationships. People would find me interesting at the first meeting, but eventually they got bored. And then psychopaths also had a thing for me."

Levi eyed her in amusement.

Hange laughed miserably. "I'm not a keeper."

"But now you are."

Hange tried to hide her blush. She reached for his hand again. "Awww, I'm glad… we kinda found each other… in the oddest of circumstances."

"So, no reservations now?"

"We both agreed to this. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. I have only one chance at life to have you as my boyfriend!" Hange said ecstatically. "I just wonder… why me of all people?"

"Here we go again…" Levi drawled.

"Come on! I wanted something to make me smile about when I was working, when I was showering…"

"You don't shower, four-eyes."

"Make me?"

"You're gonna regret it."

"Leeeviiiiiiii!"

Levi disentangled himself from their entwined hands. "How can you get this childish?!"

Hange squinted. "Are you mad?"

His facial features softened. "It's just my face."

Hange reached for his face and squeezed his cheeks. "You're adorable, smiling or not."

Levi swatted her hands away. "Cut it out, Hange. You really make me want to think you're the same person in my memory. And with that, I could kick you anytime."

"Kick me then, daddy."

"What?"

Not surprisingly, Levi didn't get the meaning of it. She suppressed a burst of laughter and he eyed her infuriatingly.

"Oi, what was that mean?" he asked innocently.

Hange shook her head. "Nothing…"

"Why did you call me daddy?"

"Forget it, Levi," Hange said, lips quivering. "Just… think of it as my way of endearment."

With another roll of his eyes, Levi grabbed her by the wrist and started walking again. "Let's hurry now, we don't have all day to stay on these grounds."

"You sounded like in a battle."

"Which reminds me, you chased a titan one time, and I and my team were forced to come for you, idiot."

"Oh… what happened?" Hange asked curiously.

"You want to capture one. You're always begging me to catch one for your experiments. And one of my men nearly got chomped because of your recklessness. I was so mad at you."

"Oh my god. That's totally the opposite of me today. I'm tasked to save lives, not endanger them."

"But then again, you saved mine …" Levi pointed out. "In both worlds."

Hange giggled. "Makes me want to think you're my sole priority when the end of the world is coming."

"Good day! Uh—Mr. Ackerman?"

A voice from behind interrupted them, prompting Hange to withdraw her hand from Levi's hold. A young man in a familiar uniform greeted them warmly, but the curious look on his face is a little unsettling.

Levi didn't know him by facial recognition, but he had an idea that he was one of the forest rangers stationed along the trails.

The young man had an easy, pleasant smile. "I was told the other day that you were lodging in one of the cabins. However, they didn't specify what cabin for privacy reasons. So I'd guess it's cabin 33?"

"Cabin 34," Levi corrected.

"Ah, I see," the lad said, scratching his head. "Um—would it be okay to have a picture with you? I'm a fan of yours."

Levi looked at Hange warily. She just shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on, no harm in giving a fan a souvenir."

The shorter man grunted in response. He was a little uncomfortable but obliged anyway. "Okay, just hurry…"

"I'll take your picture!" Hange chirped as the lad handed her his phone. "What's your name, pal?"

"Colt!" he blurted out excitedly. "Colt Grice."

"Okay, Colt and Levi, stand close to each other!" Hange instructed.

Levi glared at her.

"You can put your arm around Levi, Colt. Just like old buddies. You're taller so it would be awkward if Levi does that."

"What the hell, four-eyes!" Levi spat.

Colt chuckled and carefully placed his arm around Levi, smiling for the camera. A few clicks on the phone and Hange handed it back.

"You're too kind! My little brother will be jealous," Colt said. "Thanks so much, Mr. Ackerman! We at Ragako are so grateful for your visit. It's rare to have you around, and lodge in one of the cabins. I hope you had fun staying."

"Yeah, he did!" Hange answered it for him.

Colt looked at her skeptically. "Are you perhaps staying with…"

"No. I stayed at cabin 33," Hange said firmly. "I—uh… I'm his therapist."

"Huh?" Levi frowned at her questioningly.

"He's here for his therapies. Nature therapy is the best way to meditate and clear one's head, you know? Mr. Levi's not fully recovered after waking up from a coma—bet you heard about it—so I recommended an isolated area where he'd be out of touch with the city for a while," Hange rambled on. "Recovery was an ass, y'know? There can be hazy memories, and he had to refrain from taking too much workload. He's back on his duties but it didn't go well for him in the first few days."

Colt nodded speechlessly. "Ah, I see…"

"Our brain is a complex organ. And someone like Mr. Ackerman needs to slow down on his duties that can mentally exhaust him. There's one called: sensory deprivation therapy. I asked him to relax and float on water and shut down his senses so…"

"Okay, Hange. I think you don't need to explain everything to him in detail," Levi reminded her. He turned to Colt, "If you'll excuse us, we're in a little hurry. I enjoyed my stay here and I'll look forward to being back again."

"Great to hear that sir! And it was an honor to have a picture with you! Would you need help carrying your bags?"

"No thanks, I know you're stationed somewhere. Don't leave your post. We can handle this," Levi said.

"Okay sir! I'm heading off now. It's so nice to meet you again. Have a safe walk back," Colt said courteously.

"Hey, before I forget, I left some treats at Cabin 33. Do drop by if you got time this day and share them with other stationed rangers," Hange said. "A token of appreciation. I love this place! Thanks for maintaining its beauty. And my patient here definitely had a blast too."

Colt's eyes brightened. "Oh wow. Thank you so much! Well, who doesn't love nature? We at Ragako will always be a part of the forest beautification and restoration. And we're glad you chose this place for mental therapies."

Hange grinned. "As a holistic mental therapist, being with nature is indeed therapeutic."

As the couple watched the young man walk off to another trail, Levi cocked his head and eyed Hange narrowly. "The hell are you talking about being my therapist?"

"Would you even introduce me to him as your girlfriend?" Hange challenged.

"Why not?"

"What, and get yourself into controversy?"

"Should I care?"

"Levi, it's not all about being honest and open about your relationship status. It feels good not to have to hide anything but we have to be ready for the consequences blowing up right into our faces. I mean, yeah, nobody should care about who you choose as your lover but as I keep saying, we don't want the spotlight being on you. And for sure, I'd be dragged into it and I don't want that. I want to keep things private and in peace. It's not people's business but we can't stop them from talking about what entertains them."

"Is that how it is in this world?" Levi asked.

Oh. The level of unease on Hange's face was evident. Levi was a rational person, but that rationality doesn't apply in this kind of situation. Hange must have been a little too excited to jump into having a relationship with him but haven't had any future thoughts of the hundred possibilities that would eventually not favor them being together.

"Levi… can I take the wheel in this relationship?" Hange asked, ignoring the question.

"Take the wh—what?"

"Just take the majority of steps we'd take. I mean… for this to work."

"The hell are you saying?"

"I'm not saying I'll be dominating this. What I'm trying to say is… can I decide for both of us? You're naïve. You have no idea how this society sees a relationship between a person of your status and an average person like me."

"I don't get it, four-eyes."

"You'll see, Levi," Hange said uncertainly. "We're just on our day one. If you go out there and people will see you, there will be a lot of questions…"

"Are you saying this is going to be complicated? Are you afraid of criticism?"

Hange bowed her head. "I just don't understand why you're so being relaxed and overconfident that we could work."

"Because we could." Levi forced her to look at him. "I may not be familiar with this world and if it's about controversies and shit, I'm not new to those things. I'd tell you what, my experience as a soldier in my memory had instilled some unmatchable resolve on things that I fight for. Whether it'll cost me my life but if that leads me to something achievable then I'm not gonna back down. The reason why I probably act nonchalantly to things you've been dreading is that I realized it's easier living in a world where you won't have to kill someone. Things would only worry me if a circumstance will cost somebody's life."

"That's not an infallible argument." Hange inhaled sharply, wanting to pick apart the logical fallacy of his reasoning.

"What is?"

"You can't compare opposite worlds."

Levi sighed heavily. "I may not be thinking straight and all I care about is choosing this life with you. Hey, do you still want me in your life?"

"Of course, I do."

"Then let's just go with the flow. Let's be ourselves. What are you afraid of?"

"Losing this. It still worries me when we're back in the city and it's not gonna be the same as this—as if we all had the freedom in the world."

"Stop being dramatic," Levi said, holding her hand again and squeezing it tightly. "For now, let's just make the most of this day together. Deal with the shit later."

Just like that? Easy as that? It was not even a persuasive remark but Hange's heart is rejoicing for some unremarkable reason. Maybe she was slowly resigning herself from overthinking again, because her cynicism can attract negative things to happen. She was already tested when the man named Colt waltzed in the middle of nowhere and she had readily available lies to come up with for a cover story. It felt bad that she was still uncomfortable about her label with Levi. But was it the safer option just to keep this relationship with him under the radar?

She squeezed back his hand. "Sorry if my mind was muddled up like this. Blame it on my insecurities."

"I can call you shitty-glasses sometimes but let me tell you you're not as shitty as that name."

"Should I be flattered?" Hange smiled at him softly.

"No," Levi spat and hurried downhill. "Let's hurry now, four-eyes!"

Hange shrugged and muttered to herself, "I guess it'd be Levi dominating this relationship after all."

Had Eren been under the influence of drugs just like his teenage years, he would be punching somebody's face right now.

And that would need intensive cosmetic surgery.

He'd need that for his horseface, Eren thought. He could feel the intensity of a pair of amber eyes tracing his every movement since he arrived at the receiving area of the Ackerman Holdings building. The large bouquet in his hand has drawn much attention, but that guy's expression stood out the most, eyeing him in the most uncomfortable way as if one wrong move can kick Eren out of the door. The guy was tall, well-built, and somehow intimidating but Eren finds him annoying, now that he was leaning against the archway that leads to the working area and stayed in place like a frozen guard on duty.

Just what the hell is his problem? Eren can only look away to avoid that scrutinizing gaze.

Finally, the guy speaks up, "Look pal—whoever you are—nobody shows up at Ackerman Holdings without an appointment, and definitely not with something like you'd be proposing to someone and holding fireworks in the background. I definitely don't see the purpose of visiting Miss Mikasa in her busiest times and making her the talk of the entire company after some random guy showed up in her office like a lover she's been keeping secretly."

"H-huh?" Eren gaped at him in amusement. What a cocky horse-faced bastard.

"If you're going to propose to her, this was the worst venue. Can't you think of anywhere else romantic?"

"Jean…" A familiar voice sounded by the archway, calling the guy's attention.

Eren jumped from his seat when Mikasa emerged with a blond guy in tow.

"Was there a problem?" Mikasa asked, eyes flitting from Jean to Eren. Her cheeks went hot at the sight of the bouquet in the latter's hands.

"Miss Mikasa!" Eren beamed in genuine excitement. Jean scoffed.

"Eren Jaeger." Mikasa eyed Eren darkly, stiffening as if he was carrying a weapon that could spear through her any moment. "What brings you here?"

"Uh… this…" Eren stepped closer to hand the flowers over. "Well… all the guys in the rescue force adored you so the majority agreed to send you flowers."

"W-what?" Mikasa cocked her head in surprise, reaching for the bouquet anyway.

"Everyone's grateful for your kindness yesterday. They can't stop talking about your donation. Chief Shadis said we barely had generous monetary donations from private individuals so imagine his surprise. He was now allocating part of the funds for the maintenance of our rescue vehicles and to incentivize the volunteers. I was a volunteer myself and… it's a great motivation to be paid for my efforts," Eren said animatedly.

"This guy's part of the rescue force?" Jean blurted out incredulously, raising one brow at Eren. "You were not even there yesterday…"

"I was out, training," Eren explained. "And now, they requested me to bring a token of appreciation to Miss Mikasa because I had some free time. We're a little short on funds so this is the only thing we can chip in and buy."

"And flowers? Really?" Jean rolled his eyes. "I'm sure there are other ways to show appreciation."

"It's not necessary. But thanks, anyway," Mikasa clipped appreciatively.

"And…" Eren turned around to get a box of cookies he left on the couch. "Here! Uh—from me."

"And what for?!" Jean asked.

Mikasa shot Jean a hard look.

"You said you didn't like coffee but I assumed you might like cookies?" Eren smiled, extending his arm to give her the box. "I mean, everyone likes cookies."

"Hey, pal… you are crossing the line now," Jean snapped reactively. "Miss Mikasa is a busy person and—"

"I like cookies," Mikasa said and reached for the box. "Thanks."

"Good to know!" Eren said brightly. "I chose the best-seller."

"But really. You didn't have to," Mikasa said. "Like I told Mr. Shadis about my donation, it's for Hange's heroic rescue and noble intentions for my brother. I'm not expecting anything in return."

"It's a give-and-take world, Miss Mikasa," Eren pointed out.

Jean grunted beside Mikasa with a sour expression. Armin was visibly fascinated at the scene unfolding before him.

"Uh, would you be needing anything? Or did you just drop by to hand these?" Mikasa asked with a neutral tone.

"Nothing much!" Eren said. "And I just dropped by to say hi! Hange might be coming home today and I'm sure she'll be very surprised to hear about your donation."

"I could hand Hange a reward myself but I know she won't accept it. So I guess it best to extend it to the workforce she works with…" Mikasa said. "Have you heard anything from her yet? I suppose she's on a three-day break in Ragako. I heard it from Levi."

"Yes. She's gone off the grid for a few days. Said about clearing her mind or something. I noticed she's a little down these days and maybe, she badly needed that. Levi even called me to ask about her because he felt she was shutting him out."

Mikasa held back a smile. She was around Levi when he made a call to Eren and was being dramatic over Hange's behavior.

"Well, Levi's on a short break, too," Mikasa revealed. "I'll probably be picking him up in case he wanted to go home."

"Oh, I see. Guess their days have been pretty challenging for them to take the time off," Eren surmised. "To think Hange has just gotten out of the hospital and insisted to go to the mountains. She just can't take a rest at home."

"It's what they think is necessary," Mikasa said. "I think those two should get together and figure out how to relax and unwind, take things one at a time."

Eren agreed with a smile. "I'm sure Hange would love that. She got really close to Levi and I think Levi is the same with her."

Mikasa hummed, a grin breaking on her lips. On the other hand, Jean was already getting a little suspicious.

"Okay, I think I gotta get going, Miss Mikasa! It's nice to see you again and please, send my regards to Levi," Eren said. "Have a good day!"

Mikasa nodded and watched as Eren made his way to the exit. Armin took a step closer to her and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Who is he? And how does he know Levi?"

"According to Levi, he was a reformed delinquent from Yalkell who's originally from Shiganshina. Levi saved him one time from a group of drug traffickers in the back alleys of Yalkell. Levi can recognize him—just like he does with you—hence the decision to help him out. And he also happened to be Zeke Jaeger's estranged brother. You heard about Zeke, right? He's Levi's doctor."

Armin nodded thoughtfully. "I see. So, Levi's seeing new people now? Strangers?"

"As of now, I only met Eren and Hange. From Levi's memories, they are close to him and I feel Levi was comfortable around them. That I can't do anything about. Well, they seem to be good people so I think it wouldn't be a problem."

Jean was within earshot, and didn't understand half of Mikasa and Armin's conversation. However, he didn't need to hear twice that Levi Ackerman was allegedly seeing new people. And what does it mean by that?

It was not Jean's business to know, and yet was bothered by Levi's strange behavior since coming back to work. It might have something to do with that. Whatever. The guy had no interest in knowing thus far, but what he is interested to know, is who the hell Eren Jaeger is in Mikasa's life.

"Hange's in Ragako? So she finally took my advice after ages."

Moblit turned the door sign of his pizzeria from "open" to "close", and turned back to the table where Yelena, Mike, and Onyankopon are all seated, enjoying pizza, beers, and three bottles of hard liquor.

"Said about a badly needed break and she will come back like a new person," Yelena sang, visibly tipsy. "I mean, who would believe her?"

"Which reminds me." Moblit crashed back on a seat next to Mike. "Congratulations on motherhood, Yelena. Hange can get pretty handful but she's all right. Thanks for taking that title away from me."

Mike snorted. "I'm sure you'd love to keep away all the liquor in your apartment, Yels. Buy a vault if necessary."

"Oh no, hell no," Yelena snickered. "Hange's an excellent drinking buddy. She'll drink me under the table and tell me all her secrets. And I do love her for cleaning up my mess. I'll just snore it away and everything's nice and clean in the morning."

"So it's just about her secrets…" Onyankopon quipped. "Is that for blackmailing purposes?"

"I'm not that kind of person, Onyankopon!" Yelena grumbled. "Hange's just pretty emotive and I was that friend who can tolerate her 24-7! I live for people who tell me their dramas and I can easily put some sense into them when they always think it's the end of the world!"

"Of course, preacher, and I couldn't thank you enough for lending your ears when I cannot anymore," Moblit said, nudging Mike. They shared an insulting laugh.

"Why does it sound like everybody's getting rid of her? Come on guys, Hange's fun to be around!" Yelena argued, throwing an empty can of beer into the air and landing noisily on the floor.

"She still is fun, no question about it. But I think everybody's aware of her creek incident, right?" Mike stared at each of them. "I'd bring it up that everything started from there. She's blaming herself for the death of a family in the car. She's so fucked up in the head after. She'd go like saving everybody as if her life depended on it…"

"I have to nurse her every damn morning…" Moblit groused at the memory. "Even my neighbors found her passed out on my balcony, geez…"

"And who would forget the famous Levi Ackerman was her lucky pick?" Mike said. "I nearly got a heart attack when she came propelling like a superhero who can skid her way out of trouble."

"I saw the CCTV footage… yeah that was crazy…" Yelena piped in with half-lidded eyes.

"And then the demolition incident…" Onyankopon cut in. "And that, someone has to save her."

"Thanks to Eren. Oh, I swear to god she's dead that time!" Yelena raised her hands in surrender. "Yeah. She needed that break. But three days aren't enough. She needs a year off."

"Said the woman who thinks we're getting rid of Hange." Moblit chuckled.

"For Hange's well-being!" Mike slurred, raising a toast. The rest clicked their glasses, laughter filling the air.

"But bad news… she's coming home tonight," Yelena announced. "I received a text message before coming here. Damn, I feel bad we're talking behind her back like this. Are we ganging up on her?"

"We're celebrating her existence in our lives, the hell are you saying?" Mike said, repressing another laugh. "We're being tested for our patience and tolerance… and that's rewarding if you think about it."

"But, can we just all agree despite her being fucked up, we still loved her dearly?" Yelena said, barely containing her laughter again. She was a little lightheaded now and could pass out with one more bottle. "Oh well, maybe I'd just tell her I'm not coming home tonight. Eren can take care of her. You know, I'm not ready to see her as 'a new person'…"

"What are you scared about?" Onyankopon asked.

"Can you imagine a 'new' Hange? I certainly don't want to see what changed about her. I mean… if she just stops being moody, melodramatic, and all that shit then that's acceptable."

"She's not Hange if she stops being dramatic. It's a whole new vibe to see that side of her, ya know? At least she can be human despite being an eighty-percent primate." Mike guffawed.

"I agree with Yelena, I don't want her acting like a drama queen," Moblit said, reaching for another can of beer. "I can't stand her ramblings…"

"Because she can't figure out her feelings!" Yelena said. "All that drama, I'm a hundred percent sure she was just in love."

"Yup. But she won't agree with us," Moblit said.

"Oh? Oh!" Mike's eyes emerged from his curtain bangs.

"Am I missing something?" Onyankopon asked.

"Levi Ackerman," both Moblit and Yelena stated in unison.

"I knew it!" Mike said, taking a bigger gulp of beer.

"W-wait, that's not fair. Why didn't I know this?" Onyankopon pressed.

"You're missing out… because you're boring," Yelena said.

"Levi Ackerman? The CEO of Ackerman Holdings?" Onyankopon asked with wideawake eyes. "Hey, tell me!"

A knock on the door startled the commotion.

"Who the hell would knock at a restaurant this late?!" Moblit grumbled, rising from his seat to see who is outside. "Can't see the sign?"

"That must be Hange," Onyankopon said casually. "Great. She can finally tell me something…"

"What?!" Yelena snarled.

"She texted me earlier, asking where you are. So, I told her we're all gathered here."

"Can't you see how we're enjoying this when she's the topic? What a fucking party pooper you are!" Yelena's heavy palm landed on Onyankopon's back. Her face was burning red, until the creak of the door sounded and a familiar voice rang into her ears. Hange all right.

Moblit opened the door for the newly arrived visitor, and once Hange stepped into the pizzeria with a short person in tow, Yelena had to look twice. Her vision was splitting in two. Both Hange and her companion had bulky bags on their backs. So Hange came back not as a new person but with another person?

"H-hi guys!" Hange waved a hand shyly. "I wouldn't say sorry I'm late because I was practically uninvited. But thanks, Onyankopon for telling me everyone's here so I dropped by."

Yelena's jaw dropped. Her eyes not leaving the guy with a cap and a mask on.

"I think it's a good thing you're all gathered here. All of you…" Hange continued, urging the man behind her to come closer to her side. The attention was now on him, but everyone's red faces are just an indication that whatever announcement she will make will turn out as a joke. "I just want to announce something important."

"I hope I am just drunk…" Yelena whispered to Onyankopon. "Tell me, are you seeing a kid next to Hange?"

"You can see just fine, Yelena." Hange smiled at her, apparently hearing her murmurs. "But he's not a kid…"

Her hand traveled around her companion's shoulder, squeezing it nervously. Yelena straightened up from her lazy position, eyes unblinking.

Moblit sighed as he knew where this is going. "Yeah, we know it was Levi, Hange. Skip the suspense. What's going on?"

Levi removed the mask and the cap, revealing his not-so-secret identity. His pale eyes noticed the shocked faces of the remaining seated people by the table. Yelena jumped off her seat and barreled her way in front of him.

"No… way…" Yelena eyed him with a curious look on her face, magnifying their height difference.

"The hell are you looking at me like that, Yelena?" Levi spat, stepping back in annoyance.

"H-huh?" Yelena's eyeballs could crawl out of their sockets. "You… know… my…"

"Yes, I know you. I recognized you," Levi said nonchalantly. "And if Hange ever mentioned me to you, you know how it was with me and my fucked-up memory…"

A faint blush crept up the taller woman's face. An unnatural scary grin painted her features. "So, shit's real…."

"Hey, you're scaring him, Yelena…" Hange said.

"Hey, I was waiting for this moment to meet him! He looked better in person!" Yelena chirped. "No wonder Hange's swept off of her feet…"

Everybody laughed to Hange's dismay.

"It's not supposed to be like this," Hange told Levi. She shot everyone a glare. "Hey, stop embarrassing me…"

"You crashed our party, came in unannounced, and now you are claiming we're making fun of you," Mike shook his head. "Well, welcome back Hans! I'm guessing you're formally introducing your boyfriend to us? How the hell did that happen?"

Hange froze, and so is everyone. Mike was stating a joke that happens to be the real deal.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, Levi. It's just us, Hange's crazy friends having the last of our beers because we cannot have this for another time," Mike said apologetically.

"Well…" Hange swallowed and looked at Levi for affirmation. Her hand went from his shoulder down to his own and entwined them together.

"No shit!" Moblit exclaimed, arms in the air.

Onyankopon reached for another beer. Mike ended up speechless.

"So, I guess your friends alone don't favor of us being together…" Levi drawled, extremely agitated by everyone's reaction.

Except for Yelena.

"Oh my god! You hit the gold, Hange!" Yelena screamed into Hange's ears in delight. Levi was repulsed.

"I'm beginning to doubt Yelena's integrity for real," Onyankopon said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm genuinely happy for the both of you!" Yelena squealed as she hugged the couple together with her long arms. She pulled away when Levi was getting a little uncomfortable with the attention.

"That's her persona number 3. She's just at her persona number 2 earlier," Onyankopon calmly observed.

"Must be the beer?" Mike asked. "Switching alter egos?"

"Good guess," Onyankopon said.

Hange whispered to Levi ruefully, "I guessed earlier that this was not a good time. They completely turn into first-class idiots when drunk. But that doesn't mean they don't like everything about us. I trust there's still a bit of sobriety in them despite acting like that."

"I can see that…" Levi huffed. "I can definitely smell everybody's breath from here but I cannot stand their chaffing. You want me to put them all to sleep? They're poking fun at you and you're not a bit bothered."

"Hey, easy… of course they're my friends. We don't take insults seriously. Everyone's just tanked up. In the first place, I know it was a bad idea to come here," Hange said abashedly.

"Hey, why don't you join us? I guess this is one unexpected celebration!" Moblit came between Hange and Levi, and put both of his arms around them. "After all, this is just Hange's drunken dream, right?"

Levi's veins were about to pop out of his temples. He couldn't handle drunk people. Not when Moblit was the same old mess in his memory.

"Okay, we're joining in…" Hange cooed.

"Seriously?" Levi asked.

"I don't want them to kill each other…" Hange winked. "I mean… Yelena. She had the tendency to break bottles and stick them through everyone's throats. And that's what I want you here for. To stop her."

"What can I say…" Levi sighed. "Her violent tendencies are very much the same in my memory."

Being the last ones standing, Hange had no choice but to wash the dishes in the kitchen with Levi helping out as he cleaned up the crime scene at the dining hall. He came in lately carrying a bucket of soapy water and a mop. His face had a hint of annoyance to it, but not that much to kill a person.

"Looks like a tough job," she observed. "How's it going out there?"

"Moblit and Yelena took turns in barfing. They're knocked out now along with Mike who was snuffed the earliest. I'm so tempted to put them into body bags and dump them into a river. The award goes to Onyankopon who managed to stay sober because apparently, you have a story to tell," Levi said. "You're an interesting person now. Everybody got drunk because of you."

"Can't blame them. It's the only time they had free time to get together like this…" Hange said. "And they're happy for us. Never say you didn't enjoy it.".

Levi hummed in agreement.

"I'm a bit surprised though, you recognized both Yelena and Onyankopon, too."

Levi shrugged. "Still is weirding me out though, seeing Mike and Moblit hang out with Yelena and Onyankopon."

"Why?"

"They never met in that world. Moblit and Mike kicked the bucket way too early before Yelena and Onyankopon came into our lives. It's strange but somewhat relieving, to say I'm no longer existing in a world of chaos and dead people. I suppose I should get the hang of it…"

"So… are you finally embracing the reality of it all?" Hange turned back to her dishes and Levi stood beside her, proceeding to wash the dishes as well.

"Hey, I can manage…" Hange stopped him. "You can go rest."

"It's fine. I love cleaning," Levi said, brushing his hands. "Unless you want me to go back there and mop their faces so you can get back at them?"

Hange chuckled. "We certainly don't want trouble, Levi. Fine, you can stay here. Aren't you drunk or anything? Mike made you drink half a bottle of hard drink."

Levi scoffed. "I don't get drunk."

"Hm, someone contends to get that title away from me." Hange laughed softly. "Hey, what's your plan? It's almost midnight. Where are you staying now if you don't want to go back to Mitras?"

"It's late to call Mikasa. Guess I'd do it for tomorrow. Now you tell me."

"Huh? Tell you what?"

"Where I should be staying."

Hange blushed. "That sounds suggestive. Of course, who doesn't want Levi Ackerman in their bedroom tonight?"

"Okay."

"Hey, I was just kidding!" Hange sputtered. "Do you really have to take things seriously?"

"What's wrong about sharing a bed? We've done that in the cabin. And you're forgetting I asked you to stay with me for a few days," Levi said casually.

"We can sleep in one bed. But…you… you don't want anything… anything more than that?"

"Get to the point."

"Well, if we're labeling this as an official relationship, and we share a bed… you know how most things work."

"Sex?" Levi guessed in a manner he was mildly appalled by it. "In my memory I haven't done it with anyone else. Probably imagined a few times out of curiosity but never really got a clearer picture of who I am doing it with. What we have between us is not just all about those things. There's more to a relationship than just two people having sex."

Hange smiled. He made sense. "I was from a bad relationship where the guy's only after that. I'm relieved it wasn't with you."

"Although you should stop touching me in the mornings. I could punch you in the face," Levi added.

"Our body's a traitor. Of course, it's a part of our anatomy to be reactive to one's touch just like anybody else," Hange snorted. "You'll discover it soon, and before you knew it, you'd be pinning me on the bed."

"Go shower. You're in heat."

Hange laughed exuberantly. "I love that you can hold yourself well around me…"

"You think you're that attractive?" Levi challenged.

"No." Hange smiled widely. "Nonetheless, you're quite attracted to me."

"Tch. Says who?"

Hange leaned over to kiss his forehead. Levi splashed water on her face. "Ah… you hate kisses now?"

Levi repressed the urge to pull her hair and kiss her senseless, until footsteps are coming into the kitchen.

"Um… Hange… I need help…" Onyankopon interrupted their moment as he emerged from the doorway. "Yelena's throwing up again…"

"Ah, I just cleaned that up…" Levi grumbled. "That lady giant should do something about her alcohol intolerance."

"Okay, I'll help you up, Onyankopon. I'm afraid Levi's gonna knock her out for good," Hange said, wiping her hands with a towel. She turned back to Levi. "You're good here, dear?"

"Knock her out for me, will you?" Levi told her. "She's making fun of my height. I could've strangled her."

"She's just drunk. It's always like that. But trust me, she's a nice person."

"I'm having trust issues now."

"Levi, my room's in her apartment," Hange pointed out. "And that'll be your room too, for tonight. Behave yourself."

Levi watched Hange's movements as she turned off the faucet and pulled off her apron. She dutifully fetched a glass of water and paper towels.

"Yelena can't handle herself. And obviously, there should be two people attending to her," Hange told Levi. "You can wait here."

Levi can only stare at her figure before she disappeared with Onyankopon into the dining hall. He roamed his eyes around, taking in the strange set-up of where he stood at. He's no longer surrounded by trees and birds, and reality is now screaming at him. Time to face his life.

A single drop of water from the faucet wrenched Levi out of his sudden daze. He didn't realize he was already alone in the kitchen with only a few dishes left to take care of. Yelena's pained moans were heard from the dining hall, followed by Hange's hushes and Onyankopon's curses. A small grin crept up his face. Who is he kidding when he said he didn't genuinely enjoy Hange's company and friends? They are a chaotic bunch—but it's chaos made of laughter. It was a refreshing discovery that at the height of his piling problems being the clueless CEO of Ackerman Holdings, there was a way to enjoy free time and loosen up. He heaved a sigh and turned back to the dishes again, humming as his hands ran up their smooth surface. For a while, he wondered if he does tasks like this before—or was he a stuck-up royalty who can always afford fine meals that are served beautifully on silver platters? It's in his knowledge that he never cooked meals—hell, maybe he can even pay for personal chefs and put the food right into his mouth. He can go easy on things with all the money—a thing he never experienced as a thug in Underground. And all those memories of another person—a soldier—are merely the opposite of who he is right now. A reality so overwhelming yet full of uncertainties. He hovered one plate in front of his face and saw his reflection. Indeed, he can see another version of himself. Someone he's still not fond of, but someone who was far removed from the world where he only lived to raise hell. Somehow, when Hange's voice rang nearby gave him a sense of liberation from all the worries in his head. All bets are off but he was glad he had her by his side, and then he finally realized that this was the first time he truly enjoyed his life as a man with two worlds.

Notes:

There's nothing much going on in this chapter but for the past few days, I feel like writing again. I could say this is a filler chapter before I could proceed back to the main plot.

Thanks to all who wished me well after I posted Chapter 29 three weeks ago. I was late responding but I'd let you know I love reading each one of you and I'm feeling all the comfort and love. :)

It still wasn't going well for me but as usual, being here is therapeutic.

Levihan is every bit of therapy I needed right now.

Chapter 31

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

A knock on the door jolted Eren upright, right after he finished setting the wares neatly on the table.

"That must be her already," Levi called from the kitchen.

"I'll get it! I'll get it!" Eren said in excitement, nearly stumbling at the front door to swing it open. He was greeted by Mikasa's stoic face, but frowned at the sight of two blond guys behind her. He was somewhat relieved that horse-faced Jean was not one of them. And yes, who would forget the name of the smug guy whose eyes can bore a hole through his soul?

"Hello, Miss Mikasa. Glad to see you again! Welcome to our apartment!" Eren said energetically, ushering both Mikasa and her companions inside.

"Good day," Mikasa said timidly—a contrast to Eren's vivaciousness—and stepped inside the apartment. "I believe you met Armin, Levi's executive assistant. And this was Erwin Smith, the Ackerman Holdings' chief operating officer."

"Well, we're not formally introduced back there at your office…" Eren told Armin. "And it's nice to meet you, Mr. Smith!"

Pleasantries were exchanged. Armin smiled meekly; Erwin nodded politely.

From the kitchen, Levi can spot the "familiar" trio huddled in the living room, igniting his memories of them as best of friends who had an unbreakable bond during their years as cadets. His gaze softened at the fact that this world offered a safer place for new companionship, especially with Eren and Mikasa—the couple with a tragic romance.

"Hey, I'm done with the buttered vegetables…" Yelena called out from behind him, following Levi's line of vision. Her lips curled. "Oh… that's your sister, eh? No wonder Eren decided to stick around. He can't stop talking about her this morning when you announced she's coming."

"Really, now?" Levi asked her suspiciously. "Gonna kick that brat's ass if he does something—"

"Hey, what's wrong with admiring a woman? Besides, I've never seen Eren getting excited like that." Yelena turned back to the kitchen counter with a laugh. "Besides, nobody said anything about you and Hange being an odd pair…"

"The hell did you say?"

"Well… you are complimentary opposites. That's cute," Yelena quipped. "And you should know how that woman questioned her own feelings for you. You have no idea how a certain Levi Ackerman got her head messed up for days."

"What?"

Yelena raised her brows. "Man, you're lucky to have Hange. She's never the romantic type but that changed because of you. She's a fucking surprise that I thought she lost all her interest in romance and shit but you kinda stripped that down. You brought back that sunny smile on her."

Levi looked away, a little flustered.

"You know, I wouldn't mind both of you staying here in my apartment longer than planned. It's been two weeks now and I'm getting the hang of having you guys around…" A wicked smile hung on Yelena's face. "But y'think it's kinda boring you're too quiet in your room at night?"

"What the fuck do you mean?"

Yelena waved it off. "Ah, you guys… you're no fun!"

"Go fuck yourself, Yelena. Shut up now or I'll break your long-ass legs…" Levi spat. "Oi, can't you start with the chicken now? You talk too much."

"Distracted, aren't you?" Yelena mused. "Think about it. You're no longer babies. You two are fuckin' grown-up adults who need some action in their relationship!"

"Hey."

Mikasa was already standing behind them amidst their bickering. Both Levi and Yelena turned around, hoping she didn't hear a thing.

"Oh, why he-hello…" Yelena waved at her with a surprised look on her face.

Mikasa smiled dryly. "You're Yelena, right? Thanks for letting my brother stay here for a while. I hope he behaves just fine. If he does something unpleasant you can just throw him out of the window…"

Levi scowled at her. "More like I can throw her out of the window…"

"Yep! That's likely," Yelena chirped, putting an arm around Levi's neck in a choking manner. "But then, he's half my height, he'll think twice before trying something like that…"

Levi clicked his tongue. "You wanna try me, huh?"

A burst of laughter cracked. Mikasa actually laughed.

"Oh, that's adorable. I'd like to see you laugh with abandon too, Levi," Yelena said, starry-eyed.

"I don't see how 'scary' can be defined as 'adorable'," Levi said. "Oi Mikasa, the fuck are you laughing at?"

"I see what you did there, Yelena." Mikasa held back her snickers. "You're fun to be around. No wonder Levi loved staying here…"

"Get out of here, brat. Or I'd let you starve and not have anything for lunch," Levi warned.

"You know, I can help you out," Mikasa offered. "We never bonded in the kitchen. I think it's a great time to do some catching up while preparing the food."

"I guess that's a better idea than having Yelena around who never cooked once in her life…" Levi drawled.

"Hey I'm still learning from you…" Yelena protested. "And you gotta admit I'm doing better now in just a week."

"Barely. But I'd like to see 'best' and not just 'better'."

"Always a perfectionist. No wonder you're a CEO," Yelena said and removed her apron. "Hm, I guess I'd be joining the blondie squad in the living room. Are any of them single?"

"Don't even think about it!" Levi said.

Yelena winked and headed out of the kitchen to join the rest in the living room.

Mikasa moved beside Levi as she helped him prepare the dish. "I see you're enjoying your vacation that much."

Levi hummed. "Didn't realize it's been two weeks. But yeah, I'm quite enjoying this…"

"Was it because of Hange?" Mikasa asked, reaching for a knife and a chopping board.

"I feel secure around her. You know, comfortable…" Levi said. "A reassuring kind of comfort. I could live with her for the rest of my life."

"I knew I had to make you two get together," Mikasa giggled. "But that was too fast, huh? So, who confessed first?"

"Shut up…"

"I don't take you for being secretive, but you can't hide that blush. Well then, I got Hange talking so there's no need for you to say anything."

"You little—"

"You gotta thank me though," Mikasa said. "After I overheard her and Eren talk about her feelings for you, I know I had to do something."

"Huh?"

"The time I visited her at the hospital, I want to find out what kind of person she is. She was talking to Eren about her feelings, and when a woman represses them for someone, I know it was an intense kind of emotion. She had so many qualms at first because she is aware you're an Ackerman. I just hope you genuinely liked her for who she is and not because of false memory. She's a great person."

Levi reached for some condiments. "Whatever we had today resulted from trusting each other and enjoying each other's company…"

"Not something you felt with Petra?"

"I still feel bad that I still keep things away from her," Levi said. "And until now, she had no idea where I was."

"I think you should do something about it. Let her know you're with Hange. Or before she gets to the press and starts talking about your future wedding."

"I don't even take part in planning it. That's all Kenny's. Maybe it's better to tell the old man about me and Hange first."

"If that's what you think is right. But hey," Mikasa whispered. "I got something more important to tell you than your relationships."

A bout of silence engulfed them when she started slicing the chicken meat.

"Why, what's going on?" Levi asked.

"While uncle comes around in the office every other day to talk to Erwin and the department heads, it's a little odd he doesn't bring up your absence though."

"Maybe he's gotten used to me not being around. I'd be more than glad if he can take back his position and I'd live my life in peace."

"That's not the whole point."

Levi scoffed. "Get to the real deal. I know you visited me because of something else. And I didn't know you were coming with Erwin and Armin. Something must be up…"

"Yes," Mikasa said in a more serious tone. "I have a lot to tell you. When you're away, Armin found something. And I do mean… a hell lot. Yesterday, we also decided to loop Erwin in because we need his insights into the steps we take, plus, we could make use of his connections. Your suspicions about Reiss could be true. Armin had been checking with HR and saw the tampering with Krista Lenz's username. There's a certain Annie Leonhart who was asking for you because you gave her a very important task in safekeeping the personnel database. However, you never told her the reasons for it. You kept everything confidential. Levi, you might know something prior to losing memories. You know something was going on and were probably taking action on it until the accident happened."

Levi stopped what he was doing and glared at her.

"There's one of our affiliates, PharArmour Inc.—a pharmaceutical firm with a lot of suspicious records. It's the same firm you told Annie to safekeep the records for unknown reasons. Armin did some auditing of its financials and found several inconsistencies. Also, it took him days to verify that the records they give us are different than what they actually kept. Especially with their financial statements and the employees' alpha list."

"Cut to the chase, Mikasa."

"They could be doing something illegal," Mikasa supplied. "But we've yet to find out. That kept us busy for two weeks. Also, we finally located Church and Magnolia's whereabouts. We aren't sure yet but they flew out of the country. They're in Marley. We caught their records in the immigration registry thru the help of Erwin who got a few contacts there. We have a few people who can trace their exact locations, possibly in the city of Liberio."

"Furlan and Isabel…" Levi whispered. For some reason, he didn't feel the need to know why they left the company. Forget about where they are, the most important thing is that they are alive.

"Some revelation is about to unfold soon…" Mikasa said. "But honestly, I'm not ready for that."

"Does Kenny know?"

Mikasa shook her head. "Not until we've gathered more evidence to lead us to our person of interest."

"Does Armin have a plan in mind? I hope I could come up with something strategic but…"

"Leave it to us for the meantime," Mikasa said. "Besides, I am sure you'd resort to violence for your unresolved issues. You said about Rod Reiss trying to get even with you. Maybe you had an unsettled dispute about this and we can't risk it with your condition. Armin suspects he's keeping tabs on you. We'll let you off Rod's hook for now just to keep our investigation under the wraps yet progressive."

"Why not start with the girl? Krista? We can try to uncover her identity as Historia Reiss."

"Armin's working on it, too. We'll find it out sooner."

"What else did you find out?"

"Reiss was once a shareholder of PharArmour, Inc. He pulled out his stocks and yet he's still active in its endeavors. And then Frieda Reiss, his eldest daughter was its head pharmacologist."

"I heard about Frieda from Rod himself. Who is she to me?" Levi asked.

"She's a childhood friend of yours. You were so close until you got together with Petra. I think Petra doesn't want you getting close to anyone."

"I see," Levi said with heaviness in his tone.

"There's one more thing," Mikasa said. "Ackerman Holdings once belonged to the Reiss family. It's a long story and I wonder if you are aware. I've yet to talk to Uncle Kenny about it but somehow, that information could lead us to more theories."

"Oh god… why all of a sudden do I want my old memories back?" Levi protested.

"Hey, just relax for now. Don't worry, you're not alone on this one, Levi," Mikasa consoled him, as if his mood had suddenly changed. "Like I said, we'll let you out of this. Leave it to us."

"I just want a quiet and simple life."

"You'll have it. Trust me," Mikasa said reassuringly. "So anyway, is Hange working now? I'm surprised Eren and Yelena were in the house. Aren't they all working in the rescue force?"

"Yelena will be on her night shift starting tonight. Well, I don't know about Eren. He was getting ready this morning for work until I kinda slipped that you're coming today. He stayed in the house since then."

"That's stupid," Mikasa droned out.

Levi looked at her closely. "Pink suits you."

"What?"

"That blush on your face."

"Shut up."

Levi laughed.

"Ah, music to my ears," Mikasa said. "I can finally make you laugh now."

Levi frowned at her.

"I know we had problems coming our way but, I'm glad to see you happy like this," Mikasa told him. "Hange's a good influence."

"Yeah." Levi agreed. "She's excited to meet you again."

"Likewise," Mikasa said. "I'll catch up with her some other time. I feel I could learn a lot of things from her. She sounded smart."

"She really is."

"And fun too…"

Levi kissed his teeth, and smiled once again.

"It's your turn now…" Mikasa observed.

"What?"

"That blush. Your ears were red," Mikasa teased. "You looked really good, Levi. Better than the old one who is in love with Petra."

"C-can we just get back to business? And aren't you hungry yet?" Levi asked infuriatingly, starting to chop off some vegetables.

"I'm still good," Mikasa sang. She heaved a long, pleased sigh. "I really am happy for you, Levi."

Hange never sweltered over a fully ventilated restaurant in springtime. Not even once she'd display anxiousness over one person at the same table as hers. As soon as her confidence flew out of the window, she self-consciously realized the cuffs of her sleeves were blotched with filth and sweat. Her eyes swept by her reflection from a wide mirror by a wall to her right and saw her plainness that she can call as "pathetic". Her face was always bare in public, and soon, she promised herself to grab a piece of lipstick or to put color on her face and make herself look human. She was never keen on her appearance, but the woman in front of her made her think otherwise. The least she could do was sit with legs crossed, back straightened up, and make herself look close to someone who can read, write, and speak with eloquence.

It didn't help that eyes were feasting on their table since the time they arrived. That was expected. But Hange knew that it was this woman drawing more attention. When she opens her mouth but says nothing, it was a rather charming trait. Her smile was indeed infectious, and before Hange could confirm it, people would be smiling around them.

Petra Ral was an unforeseen celebrity sighting on a regular day. It could also be the reason that made Hange agree to go to lunch with her. It's just a shame that their differences were magnified by the high-end venue, and every piece of luxury the redhead had—that leather purse alone screaming Hange can never afford one in her lifetime.

When the waiter arrived to take their orders, Hange would fidget in her seat, trying to recall if she ever encountered meals that were probably served in another universe. The list was a headache, and pronouncing one meal would take much more time than rescuing a drowning person. This time, Hange needs saving.

"It's okay to point your finger at a picture," Petra reminded her with sweetness in her voice. "They'd get that."

"I'm sorry… I've never been in a restaurant like this before," Hange complained.

Petra laughed cheerfully. Somehow, that doesn't sound insulting. "We all have our first times."

Hange nodded uncomfortably, feeling so small. She smiled at the waiter with a cringe and pointed at the cheapest menu that she could barely identify if half was a real meal and the other half was all-garnish.

"That's an appetizer. Wouldn't you want a full meal?" Petra asked.

"I've had a couple of thick-crusted pizzas back in the office," Hange lied. It wasn't her habit to eat while working. Most of the time, she forgets all about meal times but today's an exception.

"Oh. But a dessert would best go with that," Petra said. "Or you could use some drinks instead. Tea perhaps?"

"No. I'm fine with another appetizer," Hange clipped. After all, being here with you made me lose all my appetite.

"Okay…" Petra smiled with her pearly whites.

Hange's joined hands were now clipped between her thighs. Petra's eyes were glued on her the entire time. Honestly, it was unnerving.

"I don't see why you would invite me for lunch, Miss Petra," Hange said for an icebreaker.

"Petra's fine. You can call me by my name. No need for formalities."

"B-but…. why… why the invitation?" Hange rephrased, trying not to sound sarcastic.

"Is it bad to treat someone who saved my fiancé from death?" Petra asked. "I heard Mikasa donated her personal funds for your team because she's grateful for your heroism. I feel like doing the same thing, only then, do I want to personally give my reward to you."

"Please, you don't have to," Hange said, a roll of sweat traveling down her temple. "I don't accept rewards. To see a person alive is already rewarding on its own."

"You know… sometimes I don't believe in nobility. Can't you be a little appreciative of my graciousness?"

Hange swallowed a spit. Clearly, her guilt about snatching someone's boyfriend cannot be ignored. Having Levi was a reward in itself, and an oblivious Petra is just the start of a karmic upshot. At first, she was wondering if Petra already knew something.

It should be a fine, normal day at work. Hange was right at her desk doing paperwork, she was also about to call Levi to check on him and his visitors. When Onyankopon whispered right to her ear about Petra Ral's presence in their building, her heart somersaulted tenfold which almost restricted her breathing.

"How did you find me?" Hange asked. Hellos be gone. She could have asked in a more good-mannered tune, but knowing she had done something "criminal", she acted like she was red-handedly caught.

"You're not hard to find," Petra said with an easy smile. "Besides, there's only one Hange Zoe in Sina who was working in the rescue force."

Hange could feel rumbling in her stomach. She was back at the table with Petra's eyes scanning her in a predatory look. She was not that hungry, but she could feel an onset of fever inside her system. It was much easier if there was a fast-forward button to end this day.

"Hey… we never had a chat before." Petra put one elbow over the table, her hand landing on her cheek. "That day… you took off before we could talk. Shame, you seem to be a very interesting person. I think we could be good friends."

But there's nothing to talk about. Other than Levi chose me over you.

Hange coughed that thought out and then cleared her throat. "I really am uncomfortable talking with high profiled personalities…"

"But it's not a problem with Levi?" Petra asked defiantly, fingers drumming on her flawless cheek.

"It's… it's a different case with him." Hange looked sideways. "I mean… losing his memories made him like a different person. Someone I can relate to…"

"Oh?" Petra raised one brow. "What's relatable about him?"

"He… he acts like an ordinary person. You know, more approachable, less intimidating."

"I see. And he's adorable like that, too?"

Where is this going now? Hange reached for a fork and played with it, or rather, to release some tension. "I'm in no position to say that."

Petra leaned back on her chair with a slight grunt. Hange was sure all her answers didn't satisfy the redhead.

"If you must know, Levi and I are going through tough times…" she confessed with a long sigh, leaving a hundred reasons for Hange to feel unsalvageable guilt. "I haven't heard from him in two weeks. Mikasa said he's having his therapies outside the city. Only though, she didn't give me the details. Didn't give me hints where he could be. It's as if she was hiding him away from me because I can potentially hinder his recovery. I know she didn't like me that much but I hope she would at least realize that I was once an important part of her brother's life. That I still have the right to know where he is. So unfair."

Hange sank into her seat.

"His absence keeps me awake each night," Petra continued, meeting her gaze. "It was… bad. Things were very different now. There's not a trace of the old him… that loving, sweet man. It was all my fault anyway… I rejected him. And everything backfired. Maybe I deserved this…"

Her statements were a punch in the gut, craving sympathies. "But… why are you telling me all this?" Hange asked.

"I dunno. Maybe because I feel I could trust you…" Petra said. Soon, her eyes were glossy, signaling the start of tears that Hange would hate to see. "I don't have anyone else to talk to about this. I don't have that many many friends either. My life is all about Levi. My world revolves only around him. I was possessive, I had control. But maybe I took it too far. And it was bad enough that I destroyed everything between us."

Two punches and a kick and Hange wanted to disappear in her seat. When the waiter reappeared with their orders, she hastily reached for a glass of water. She could reach for anything to keep herself distracted. It was Petra's confession that triggered Hange's soft spots. Petra had enough self-reflection and is aware of the aftermath of her actions. She was being resentful, and that alone was guilt-tripping.

"I was flocked with calls… almost every day… random people asking what is going on with my life, when the wedding will take place," Petra said, poking at her steak. "I choose to lie, you know. I mean… I should save my remaining dignity, right? I wouldn't care anymore."

"Does lying make you feel any better?"

Petra shook her head. "If lying could still save my relationship with Levi then why not…?"

"But… what if he doesn't want any wedding?" Hange asked.

"One thing I'm sure of, he'll be forced to do it."

"And what for? To save your name?" Hange held her glass tightly. "You know, it's bad enough that you're exposing your personal problems to a stranger, Petra. I'm not the best person for your rants but the way things are now and you think they're going against you, should you reflect on maybe it's about time to move on and let him go? That's how you should save your dignity. Have some self-respect. When someone turns their back on you, maybe they're not meant for you at all."

Petra chuckled. She reached for her goblet of wine. "Moving on, letting go? Way too simple. People say the easiest yet most absurd option as if they were in my position."

Hange saw herself in Petra in those days when Moblit, Mike, and Yelena said the same thing to her.

"The emotional damage he's done to me was irreparable. But I couldn't blame him. It's not Levi's fault that his brain worked differently now. And knowing he's not truly himself, I could only hope his memories of us will come back, and I can have him again. Technically, Levi's still mine. You get the point, right?"

Hange bit her lower lip. Of course, that is one truth Petra will hold on to.

"Levi was the best guy one could ever have but I doubted him, hence I acted stupidly to make things go wrong. And now I'm regretting it…" Petra said. "I know many women are smitten with him, and I also do know he never paid attention to any of them. Not even once. But… being a different person now, he had the freedom to fall for anybody else…"

The bespectacled brunette froze expectantly.

Petra eyed Hange as if she could see through her. "He could fall for any person. Older, maybe younger, or could be the same gender. Handsome, beautiful, or not-so-attractive. Hell, he could even fall for you."

"That was uncalled for…" Hange crumpled her forehead, trying to identify which class she belonged. This was the start of extreme discomfort with Petra's equivocal statements.

"I'm just saying the truth," Petra said, taking a sip of wine. "And that impression could save me from a future heartache."

Hange swallowed hard. "Can't comment on that…"

"Tell me, Hange." Petra leaned over the table, crossing her arms. "Will you fall in love with Levi?"

Hange was no longer sure if Petra was in the right state of mind—or if she is secretly trying to blow off her cover. Another sweat found its way down her neck, hoping Petra wouldn't notice. But she had no answer for that.

"Of course, you will…" Petra said nonchalantly as if stating the obvious.

"Petra, I think you're asking the wrong questions at the wrong person…" Hange said. "If you really need your answers, should you be asking Levi yourself?"

"Of course. My questions are solely for him but I'm a little out of luck. He's somewhere far and remote and out of my reach," Petra said, downing her wine. "Maybe he was sleeping with somebody else..."

Hange narrowed her eyes to confirm her suspicion, and by Petra's weak grip on her glass, she knew something was wrong.

"Petra, have you been drinking?" Hange asked with a little concern. That should explain the strangeness of Petra's actions, and her rather chatty demeanor. She was too engrossed in the tightness of her situation that she didn't notice it sooner.

"Oh… am I being obvious now?" Petra asked with a sheepish smile. "Since Levi left, I had my daily dose of alcohol to keep me sane. Don't worry, I can pretty much handle myself. The alcohol kicked in but… it wasn't that bad."

"Not a good time for a conversation…" Hange said. "I think you should go home."

"No," Petra shook her head. "It's an empty penthouse. It's not worth coming home to."

A guilt-ridden Hange can only look away. She was feeling bad that Petra was this lonely and venting out all her misery to her. She was once a force to reckon, but now in a vulnerable state.

"I miss everything about Levi…" Petra croaked. "I miss everything about us…"

"Then you shouldn't have rejected his proposal to you in the first place," Hange said, her teeth clenching. "You could've seen him wasting his life that day… when I jumped in front of a car to save him."

Petra's eyes shot wide in surprise.

"That day… I even wondered why a man like him would kill himself just because of one failed marriage proposal," Hange said. "Life doesn't stop at losing someone as if your life depended on their existence. Couples—anyone in a relationship—they're being reduced to half a person—because one completes the other. This is a subjective thought but one shouldn't give up their independence. One should be able to stand on their own, make themselves whole even if they lose their other half."

"Are you saying I was weak?"

"No."

"But I am…" Petra laughed. "I was weak and I can't let Levi go. Call me an obsessed person but love does make one do the craziest things. Levi and I have established our relationship for years. I've invested more feelings than all of our family business investments combined. One fault destroyed it all, but it's in that fault that I realized what I lost… and that just breaks me. I have all the reasons not to give him up."

Hange swallowed hard, taking it as a challenge. Indeed, Petra had all the valid reasons not to give Levi up.

"And like I said, Levi's still mine…" Petra said determinedly. "I'll do what it takes to get his memories back."

"G-good luck… then…" Hange said. "If that makes you feel better."

Petra cocked a brow. "It seemed to me you never fall in love genuinely with somebody before…"

"I've had a couple of relationships."

"But not that special. Have you loved them?"

Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know. What does it really mean by 'love'? Shit. Petra must have read it, and Hange was now confused by her own take on it.

"You don't love them. You never loved them," Petra answered with a little sureness. "Now, let me tell you that 'love' is different from 'mere companionship'. And even sex alone doesn't prove love at all. I guess it's just easy for you to let go of something once it failed. Relationships are experimental at first. But it's a failed experiment on your part. You call someone your 'boyfriend' just for the heck of it. Just for the idea of having a partner. But once it's on the rocks, you simply allowed it to fall apart. As if there's nothing more to fix when there really is. You don't chase them, you just let them go. Just because your feelings are too shallow. To love a person genuinely should span the most difficult circumstances. You couldn't simply throw everything away."

Hange contemplated her words. Petra had a point, and no doubt was right about that. When Levi finally came into her life, realizing they have mutual feelings, Hange knew she wouldn't want every moment with him to end. Was it love? She couldn't be too certain. But one thing is for sure: like Petra, she wouldn't want to lose him either. Gone are her reasons that he belonged to Petra. And it was different when Levi chose her. Right now, Levi belonged to her.

It's what matters.

Love is selfish.

"It's probably okay if both parties would agree that their union stopped working. And both would agree to go their separate ways. It's a civil way of ending up a once-fairytale. However, if one of them has to fight for it, it hasn't ended yet," Petra continued. "And I'm on the fighting side."

Hange had no words. She couldn't come up with anything smarter to counter Petra's drunken insights. They certainly have an opposing thought process, and she's not up for a debate. Every desperate person like Petra will always be blinded by their own arguments.

"Thanks for listening, and I hope I made sense," Petra said eventually. "Can I request something?"

Hange looked at her wearily. She could take any kind of request from anyone. Anyone but Petra Ral. And it will be a different case if it has something to do with Levi—now that Hange can also claim him as her own.

"When Levi gets back, I hope you could stay away from him."

Hange stared at her incredulously. No.

"Please."

Hange shook her head. "I don't see the reason why I should stay away from him. We've gone close."

"But you're an irrelevant person in Levi's life," Petra insisted. "You're depriving him of the chance of getting his memories back. Getting his old self back."

"I'm just making his life easier as a new person…"

"He's Levi Ackerman, the CEO of Ackerman Holdings. He's my fiancé. There's no such thing as a new person."

"Yes. He is who you described. But he had a choice in life. He's still a thinking person and not mentally incapacitated. If his memories came back then we wouldn't have any problem with it. However, you should also give him the freedom to be who he wants to be," Hange said.

"And what? Choose another person over me?" Petra asked.

Hange couldn't gauge where Petra was coming from. "Are you… threatened by me?"

"Yes." Petra's eyes stared at her longer than necessary. A look so intense it could devour her soul.

Hange stabbed at her food and stuffed it into her mouth shamelessly. After a few grinds between her teeth, she grabbed her glass of water and washed it all down. She stood up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Thanks for the lunch, Miss Petra. I'm sorry but I have to go…"

Petra, who was once hissing at her gaped wordlessly.

"Some things are hard to let go… I agree with you on that. Maybe I'd take that advice," Hange said smugly. "But you can't let me stay away from Levi, unless he does that…"

Hange was already a few meters away in long strides before it could register to Petra that she was alone at the table. She was feeling light-headed now, very much alone, and running a hand over her head. A drop of tear stained her red skirt, and much too soon, the stain grew larger like a burning hole.

Ignoring the eyes around, Petra left her table and ran to the restroom to pour her heart out. The last thing she wanted was to end up in a meltdown and be on the entertainment news the next day. She locked the door and fished her phone out of her bag. She tapped her finger at that one particular chat she had with a friend two weeks ago. A single picture weighed heavily on her chest, accompanied by provoking words to squeeze her heart.

She wished the picture didn't exist.

It was a clear, zoomed-in picture to identify Levi, standing outside a rustic cabin that looked familiar. Ragako Village. Petra wouldn't mind him taking a break somewhere outside the city. Alone. However, it was a different story if he decided to spend it with someone—another woman.

He was holding hands with her. That alone struck a chord. A gesture that suggests intimacy more than anything else. What's more, a smile was on his face. A rare smile she never saw in him since regaining consciousness.

Petra only met Hange once. But her strong suspicion of her carved a space in her memory. And now that she met Hange twice, her misgivings found a conclusion.

That unruly hair that was tied in a messy bun. The glasses. The height. The shit-eating grin. There is no debunking the obvious now.

Petra, is Levi with you right now? Because I thought this picture looked like him with another woman, checking out together at Ragako Village.

"Where did you get that?" Petra typed back a question she apparently was afraid to ask.

A friend of mine sent that to me. She was taking pictures around and saw a familiar face. He looks like your boyfriend indeed.

"He's with me all along," Petra said. "That guy just looks like him. Levi will never ever camp in the forests. I hope the picture doesn't spread though and confuse the public. You know how hard it is to clear someone's name."

Don't worry. I just want to clarify some things with you because one would not mistake him for anybody else. You see the semblance, right?

"Like I said, Levi's with me. We're together and very much okay—if that's what bothers you. I've answered enough questions from the press. I'm fed up with controversies. Please don't add up."

And Petra had been lying to herself all along. The conversation nagged at her during the succeeding nights. And today, she needed that one phone call.

Just one damned phone call.

"Hello? Ragako Village reservations desk, may I help you?" A voice answered her after three rings.

Petra cleared her throat and feigned a modulated voice. "Hello. I might need information about a certain booking from two weeks ago."

"Whose booking was it? Was there a problem?"

Petra gripped her phone tightly. She knew hotels will never disclose guest information. She had to be smart about her inquiries. "The booking is for Mr. Levi Ackerman of Ackerman Holdings. This is Lynn, his secretary. He was checked in two weeks ago in one of your cabins and said about losing one of his extra phones. By any chance, he wants to check if he left any valuables in his cabin. I know it's late to ask because he was too busy and had just gotten back from another business trip."

There was a pause on the other end. "Can I put you on hold for a while?"

Petra rolled her eyes. "No problem."

It took half a minute for the voice to get back on the line. "Thank you for waiting. Well… unfortunately upon checking, we don't have a phone from our lost-and-found list at the moment. We only have a few unclaimed valuables but they are about to be disposed of for pick-up. It's also in our camp rules to remind our guests to double-check their belongings before leaving their camp."

Petra groaned internally. She puffed a breath and thought fast. "Ah, I see. It's okay, he must've misplaced it elsewhere. Well… I also have another concern about his companion, Hange Zoe. She claims that she must have left her pair of shoes in his cabin. May you also check if you have them?"

"Mr. Levi is alone in his cabin. He's not checked in with anyone else. And like I said earlier, there's not a reported valuable by the housekeeping team."

Petra's head throbbed. Would it be relieving to hear that information?

"But… if it's Miss Zoe you're asking about, she's checked in at Cabin 33, a little close to Mr. Ackerman's which is Cabin 34. If she has left anything, it was a bunch of food for the forest rangers and nothing else," the receptionist supplied.

"Oh, I see. And they're… oh I'm sorry I forgot the day they checked out. But they checked out on the same day, right?"

"Yes."

Bingo. Petra's mouth dropped. Finding out the truth is certainly suicide.

"Okay, I'll just tell them that nothing was found in their cabins. They must've left them elsewhere. Thanks for the assistance."

"Glad to be of help. Have a nice day!"

Nice day indeed.

Petra found herself sliding down against the door, ending up on her knees and a sobbing mess on the floor.

The question now is where the hell is Levi? Were he and Hange together now?

There is a 95% possibility. And the remaining percentage could be a little hope that none of this event was real.

It was nearing midnight when Hange arrived in the apartment, dragging her feet as if they weighed a ton upon taking a step into the front door. She didn't bother flicking the lights on in the small living room, trusting her vision was bright as a day. Sluggishly, she threw her coat and bag over the couch's armrest, followed by a heavy crash from her own body after a hectic day. Today's tasks comprised intensive paperwork which she can effortlessly breeze her way through in no time. She had all the time to slack around but her meeting with Petra put her in a muddled-up state, breaking her concentration in the process. Instead, she let her work pended for another day as she joined a team of shorthanded volunteers on fieldwork that demanded more physical activities.

When Hange wants distraction, she works like a joined force of three people.

There is more to sore muscles. Petra Ral can inflict an imaginary pain that is worse than strenuous duties.

"Damn it…" she murmured, removing her glasses and looking up at the dark ceiling. She could barely tell if she was seeing things all the same even with her eyes closed. It was pitch dark, but somehow, the darkness has a strangely soothing effect on her. She calmed a bit, riding out all the stress until she nearly jumped off her skin when a shadowy figure blocked her line of vision.

"Oi, it's just me…" Levi's monotoned voice registered in her ears.

The lights were flicked on but Hange remained seated on the couch haphazardly, squinting at the brightness of her surroundings. She heard Levi click his tongue as he bent down to pick up her coat and bag that she didn't realize were on the floor.

"Rough day?" he asked.

Hange responded with a long sigh. "You could tell, huh? Why aren't you in bed? Are you waiting for me?"

"It's almost midnight and you didn't even call me you're having overtime."

"You'd get used to it," Hange droned. "Are you mad?"

"No."

Hange chuckled. "Is it always overtime? Didn't even cross your mind that it could be a hundred things why I got home late? I could've run over by a truck, or fallen off a building, or was kidnapped…"

"Hey, I'll whip you up something for dinner. You must be hungry."

"How do you know?"

"You're babbling shit," Levi said. "Just stay there and rest."

He scooted off to the kitchen and Hange heard the clanking of utensils. She smiled at the thought that since sharing a house with Levi, he's openly taking good care of her. Two weeks with him felt like years already, and the more they stayed together, Hange could only wish it will never end. However, there is still a part of her that spurned the idea of their lasting relationship. Petra still claimed him as hers.

A little later, Levi carried an aromatic meal in a bowl and a cup of calming tea. Hange found herself digging into the meal like she hadn't eaten for days.

"Is this what you cooked for lunch today?" Hange asked.

"Mikasa helped with the cooking."

"Hmmm… you Ackermans are good in the kitchen. And I can't believe you saved me a bowl. Yelena can get pretty cunning with leftovers."

"Well, I got a sharp eye so I said I can chop her legs off and fry them if she wanted more meals," Levi said.

Hange snorted. "Take that as a compliment. She ditched her fast-food cravings for your cooking."

"Sounds to me she never had real food in her kitchen before."

"You'd likely find liquor more than food."

Levi scoffed. "We can use that for cooking too."

"How talented."

"It's a talent out of thin air…"

Hange just hummed. "Mmm, this is soooo much better than what I had for lunch."

"Really? You had lunch? That's new."

"I had, okay? Well, someone invited me." Her voice died down, putting her spoon aside. Would it be wise to tell Levi about her encounter with Petra? "But… hey… how's your meeting with Mikasa? I heard from Eren she had company."

"She wanted to check on me but she had other business," Levi said, leaning against the backrest of the couch. "Something's shaping up in their investigation—there's an alleged anomaly in one of our affiliates involving one of our stakeholders. Mikasa's friend was fronting it and they're now getting help from Erwin, another executive in the company. They also found out that before losing my memories, I was handling the investigation myself."

"Oh…" Hange gave him an anxious look. "That's quite a cold case."

"It is. But they're handling it well. I trust Mikasa, Erwin, and Armin will get the answers the soonest time possible. We could picture it will drag down Ackerman Holdings' integrity if left unsolved."

Hange grew quiet, thinking. "Levi, do you think you might have solved the mystery if you didn't lose your memories?"

"Likely," Levi drawled.

"Sucks, right? You have no idea how far you are in your investigation. Someone should be enjoying their time behind bars by now. You think this condition you have reminds you of how crucial your role is as the CEO?" Hange asked sullenly.

It was a provocative statement that made sense. Hange, albeit too tired to come up with that kind of remark had Levi thinking, too.

She went on, "With things going on like that, your old memories are vital to lead you to the truth."

Levi exhaled. "You're right."

"There's another thing, too…" Hange dared to give him a hint of what went on during the day. "How long do you plan on staying here with me?"

"You're tired, Hange. Why ask those questions?"

"Well… my mind was sharper when tired," Hange said. "Petra would be looking for you. I'm guessing you haven't contacted her yet since we got back from Ragako."

"I can go back to my penthouse but you're coming to live with me…"

Hange chuckled hurtfully. "You always had the easiest ideas, huh? Without thinking of the repercussions."

"Hange," Levi cleared his throat. "I can tell Petra what has gone over the week of my absence. I can tell her we're already together."

"And then tell the press you chose me over her?"

"I chose the person who saved my life. Who I'm happy with."

"The choice is due to you losing memories. It's… it's a little unfair for Petra, right?"

"Where are we going with this? What's the matter with you now?"

Hange hated to know. She doesn't know why she was acting like this. Acting like she is pushing him away again. Acting like she was punishing herself. Acting like Levi didn't belong to her—ever.

Two weeks with him had been blissful. They shared one room, one bed. They shared cuddles and subtle kisses. Although they labeled themselves as being in an exclusive relationship, they remained discreet with anything sexual.

It was an unconventional union to say at least, and a sexless relationship is no deal-breaker. It may be too early, or both were not interested in carnal desires. Hange never sought lust; Levi's memory was that of a virgin adult. Their reasons were not brought up. Perhaps it was a silent, mutual agreement between people who can read each other too well, and knew what works for them. They are bound by solid companionship and not by needs. They are bound not by bodies but by souls.

In the course of time, Hange realized one important thing more than sex: had something happened, she is not ready to lose Levi.

By Murphy's Law, Petra breached the scene.

Hange hated everything that happened today. Now that Levi's with her. Now that he has feelings for her. Now that he is the reason to wake up each day and feel him beside her.

Was she a victim of a tricky fate that played its cards right?

And maybe… she shouldn't have allowed herself to fall deeper…

A warm hand went up to her cheek, thumb grazing at that drop of tear that fell from her eye. She stilled in a daze, and Levi was staring at her quizzically, causing her to tear up fast.

"Hange… what's wrong?" he asked softly.

Hange hated that sound, she hated it when he sounded too soft, gentle, and loving. She hated it when he knew something was wrong, and empathy was scrawled all over his face.

She croaked, "Don't mind me. There are times I am too happy and I don't know how to channel that happiness. So… I just cry…"

It was stupid. Levi knows she is lying, but he will never bring that up. Hange could always come up with the crappiest reasons but never have they convinced him any better. She allowed her tears to fall freely like that of a child who can cry over a half-eaten cake that fell to the ground. It was a stupid kind of emotion that made her vulnerable, because Levi was that piece of "cake" she had to share with Petra.

"You need sleep," was all he could say. They couldn't talk while one is breaking down.

Hange didn't respond. She smiled weakly and clung to him, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. "Will you hug me in bed?"

"You always do the hugging."

"That's the point. It's your turn now," Hange said. "To hug me first."

"Tch. You're being weird today," Levi sighed. "But fine."

"Won't you leave me?" Hange sobbed.

He could kick her for that. If this was one of her childish and nonsensical antics then all he could do is tolerate her. After all, he committed himself to her.

"The hell are you saying?" Levi said. "I'm just here, four-eyes."

She smiled at that. Those words bloomed like they held some promise, but at the same time mistrusting. Levi was always true to his words, but Hange also knew that he had no control over his situation. And both of them have no control over their lives. She had Levi today but she couldn't be too sure for how much longer. And if something will be against what they had, Hange was sure it was good ole fate that will drag them both apart.

Notes:

I'm not gonna say anything much but we're closing the year in a few days and I was HOPING for the calm after every shitstorm of misfortunes I had this year. From heartbreaks, to failed and missed opportunities, to losing a huge chunk of my savings due to a vishing incident (all happened under three months).

As they say, things happen for a reason and life must go on. Still, I'm looking to the brighter side of things... after all, I'm tired of all the negativity surrounding me.

AOT will be back in January and still, I'm not gonna watch it... especially when we're closing in on Hange's dreaded fate. :( And with that, I'm sticking to fanfiction.

Chapter 32

Summary:

If you need some New Year's spice, read until the end...

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"You're nervous. This isn't like you."

Zeke Jaeger could hear Pieck Finger mumbling something behind him, perceptively sensing the uneasiness blanketing his features as they arrived at their destination. He was counting his steps along the labyrinthine hallways of a pharmaceutical lab he had been planning to visit for the past few days. However, he was having a hard time thinking about the "ice breaker" because even being one of the best doctors in Sina, he would need to grasp a little knowledge of something to confidently confront another person with the same wavelength as him in the field of medicine.

"Are we there yet?" Zeke ignored her statements.

"Her lab is at the end of this hallway, Dr. Jaeger. She jumps from one lab to another—highly in demand, you know? It's a good thing I have her schedules," Pieck said, taking longer strides because Zeke walked like he had wheels under his soles. "Wait, but you personally knew her, right? What's with the jitters?"

"It took me a week to gather a group of toxicologists and chemists and make them sit together in one room. Damn, the compounds from your impressive findings almost got me into trouble. They are bioactive but highly toxic. They have the potential to be illegally mishandled if drug kingpins discovered them," Zeke said breathlessly. "I was asked how I managed to get my hands on them, but I said I just found them in one of my patients' toxicology reports—which is the real case. However, I couldn't disclose it was Levi."

"And then you're gonna question Frieda about it? What if she denies its existence?"

"That's why I dragged you along."

Pieck halted her steps. "Whoah! Hold on, Doctor. I got no script for whatever you'll be discussing with Frieda. I'm outta here!"

"No, young lady. You're coming with me," Zeke told her. "You discovered that drug, and I need you there because it was you who double-checked Levi's blood test. You can just stand there and listen. You don't have to go into details unless I need you to back up my claims."

"But she'll discover I've been looking into her notes!"

"Pieck, you're a bright woman. And you won't become a doctor if you're not. Just say her notes are lying around, and you looked into them," Zeke coaxed. "Besides, you said you're sharing notes, right?"

"Frieda's a very organized person. Every trash will hit the bin each time she no longer needs them."

"Whatever, Pieck. You're coming with me whether you like it or not." The bespectacled doctor grabbed her by the arm and dragged her with him.

Zeke Jaeger happens to be someone who had self-entitlement issues. He was a well-regarded neurologist, and he expected each living person in Sina knows him. Of course, being Levi Ackerman's doctor also earned him popularity. Each time he passed by a person, he would be showered with polite greetings.

It didn't take long to arrive in Frieda Reiss's laboratory as he haphazardly barged in without knocking on the door.

The raven-haired pharmacologist was scribbling something on her whiteboard that Zeke recognized as chemical structure diagrams. Her pen dropped onto the floor at the intrusion, but she remained calm and good-natured after recognizing them.

"Oh… what a pleasant surprise! Dr. Jaeger… Dr. Finger…" Frieda said with gentleness in her voice. "What brings you two here?"

Pieck stepped ahead of Zeke, thinking his affronting approach wouldn't yield results. She smiled sheepishly. "Well, apologies if we came in unannounced. I… we…"

"We have a little something for you to explain," Zeke prompted, earning a dubious look from Frieda.

"Zeke," Pieck chided him. "Let me handle this."

"Oh… aren't we a little tense here? Could you not give me bad news though? W-what's going on?" Frieda asked nervously, rubbing her hands together. Her smile was frozen now, and Zeke realized she didn't deserve his kind of approach.

He sighed. "I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to act like this…"

Frieda crumpled her forehead. She was too sharp to notice that people from Levi's close circle were coming after her. First was Petra Ral, now there was Zeke Jaeger.

Zeke had an envelope clipped under his arm and he placed it on the table, encouraging Frieda to take the cue.

She wordlessly took the envelope and carefully pulled out its contents. The reaction in her eyes gave Zeke the liberty to prove his theories.

"Looks familiar?" Zeke hissed, side-eyeing Pieck.

"Th-these…" Frieda's hands clenched on the sheets, crumpling the sides. "H-how…"

"Frieda, we were once teamed up for a clinical research project. Being a little interested in pharmacology, I thought the diagrams you're looking at right now are the same ones on your notes that I fortunately acquired a copy of because I am interested in studying the chemistry behind drug compositions," Pieck started. "That's what led us here."

"You were onto something, Frieda. You're whipping up a potentially dangerous drug with a chemical composition that cannot be identified in a chemical structure database. It took a team of chemists and toxicologists to figure out its dangerous nature. Care to explain what the hell is in those formulations?"

Frieda collapsed onto a nearby seat, feeling attacked. "W-wait… you got this all wrong. Yes, I was conducting research about natural drugs from hybrid plants and herbs. But they were still in the early stages of studies so naturally, the raw and pure forms would come off as potentially toxic. But please, I ensured that combining them with other materials would reduce their toxicity. This particular project was still under evaluation and approval for research due to the plants being a product of mutation breeding. I was only in the process of extracting the raw materials but haven't come up with a finished product yet. I am the very first pharmacologist to spearhead this research, and there is no way anyone would—"

"Sure?" Zeke interrupted. "Read the last page, then. A substantial amount of your compound was found in a person's blood sample."

"W-what?" Frieda asked in disbelief.

"I believe in your work ethic, Frieda. And I know it's your job to produce drugs that will cure and not harm an individual," Pieck said. "Question is, are your samples being distributed elsewhere? How come someone has gotten them into their body? How did they get hold of it?"

"Wait, I don't understand. That was a secret project of mine, and I am clearly aware that it shouldn't be taken in pure form and large doses. I kept them in my lab but…" Frieda cut her words. Her eyes blinked rapidly after reading the toxicology report. "W-wait… the patient… was he dead?"

Zeke rolled an eye. "What do you think about the combination of alcohol and anxiolytic medications taken all at once? And then your psychotropic concoction messes up the drug interactions? There was clearly an overdose, but miraculously, the patient just fell into a coma for two months. He should be dead, right?"

"So he's alive…" Frieda mumbled, thinking. "That's… that's a miracle…"

"And the miracle is yet to be explained by science as well. His MRI is normal—no brain abnormalities, vessel malformation, or hemorrhages. I hope you can come up with a convincing answer," Zeke said. "Why your 'drug' was found in a healthy individual's body. Miracles be damned. They can happen, but in the worst cases."

"Look, I don't know how to start and explain but... my samples are gone," Frieda revealed.

"Gone?!" Zeke asked incredulously.

"Yes, gone. But now that it has reached you, it must be stolen," Frieda assumed. "It was gone a few days before I could come up with the final product. I looked for it around my lab but didn't find it. I just thought they were being thrown away by the lab's utility, or someone might have unintentionally took them. Of all the drug experiments I've been whipping in my lab, this is the only one I failed to keep in proper storage because I work with it almost every day, so I just leave it on the table. I guess I could only come up with the idea that they've been stolen."

Zeke dug his fingers into his scalp. "Stolen? Who would be interested in it if you said it was a secret project?"

"There are still a few people who knew about this. Even Pieck knows about it. It's supposed to be for my uncle Uri who is battling a terminal disease," Frieda confessed, looking at Pieck apprehensively.

Pieck nodded in agreement.

"But they're hallucinogenic. Does your uncle have a disease associated with perceptual distortions?" Zeke asked. "Uri Reiss, right? I heard about his condition, and it's his lungs that are affected."

"It's cancer. It has already metastasized to his bones which made it incurable. He's a hopeless case and has a year to live. However, I wanted this drug to reverse his way of thinking, possibly make him feel a little less pain, reduce his depression, make his remaining days blissful."

"You're attempting to give him a psychedelic treatment?" Zeke guessed, and in which he was also sure that was the case. That kind of treatment has been around for ages but was never that much taken into consideration. He had seen similar experiments during his years in med school, and there was little to no improvement at all. From a moral standpoint, every life is precious but the dilemma is whether to prolong one's agony or just allow them to rest and cut their suffering. For Zeke, those who battle terminal illnesses with no prospect of recovery will only cause futile treatment efforts. Frieda's idea of using psychedelics on patients only alters their psychophysiology, but does not cure the disease itself.

"His doctors gave up on him. But then, he agreed to help me develop a new drug by making himself the test subject," Frieda said. "It's with his consent that I'm conducting a clinical trial and he's very willing to do it."

"That's insane," Zeke said. He would hate to admit that Frieda was a genius in her field, and will go to great lengths to yield satisfying results in her projects. "You know this experiment has been going on in the past but never paid attention to because they were a waste of resources. Patients die eventually."

"But it wouldn't hurt to try again," Frieda said. "This drug gives hope, at least from an altered way of thinking. Patients do die, but at least they'd die without having to hate their fate, their life. You are a doctor yourself, Dr. Jaeger. You're tasked to save lives, to give your patients the treatment for their physical well-being. And as for me, this isn't just about my job as a pharmacologist. I want to focus on the advancement of organic medicine because there is potential in it just like how traditional medicine works. Just like Levi's ambitious dream of taking part in this society's urbanization and modernization. A continuous advancement in our way of living."

The mention of Levi left Zeke with a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew Frieda was a childhood friend, and they were inseparable until Petra Ral came into their lives.

"I know how dear Levi is to you. And you shared the same dreams?" Zeke readjusted his glasses. "Have you been seeing him these days?"

Frieda shook her head. "No. The last time I saw him was before his proposal to Petra. I know what happened to him, but I didn't get to check on him. I got a word he's doing fine now."

"Just like that?" Zeke asked vaguely. "And I suppose you didn't bother to see him when he regained consciousness, ask how he's been doing. And I was also sure you have no idea how he behaves around people these days—specifically those close to him."

"W-what do you mean? Dr. Jaeger, you're Levi's best friend so you should know the reason why I couldn't get close to him again," Frieda huffed. The scene with Petra flashed in her mind. She was acting indifferently, and now here was Zeke and his accusatory demeanor.

"Zeke… let's just get straight to the point," Pieck urged. "We're not here to beat around the bush."

"Fine." Zeke put his hands in the air. He let out a long, resigned sigh. "It was Levi."

Frieda gaped at him.

"He ingested your drug."

The revelation hurt Frieda more than surprised her. The curl on her lips and a puzzled look made Zeke cross his arms on his chest.

"Explain yourself, Frieda Reiss."

"Look..." Frieda shuddered. "I don't think I have something to say about that…"

"Do you have a problem with Levi?" Zeke asked. "You have no idea what we've gone through after he regained consciousness. Tell me, are you aware of the aftereffects of your brainchild?"

"I told you there is no finished product yet," Frieda claimed. She scanned the papers again with her eyes. "The compounds found are indeed my raw samples… but… how…"

"How? Yes, that's what you're gonna tell us!" Zeke growled.

"I don't know!" Frieda cried. "The samples are gone—I told you! They're gone along with my notes."

"This is an important project to you and you never bothered looking for it?" Zeke mused.

"I can always start from scratch again," Frieda said. "Initially, it never occurred to me that they might have been stolen."

"Well, it looks like they are and Levi was its lucky victim. Does he know about this project of yours?"

"Yeah, but I didn't give him the details. He just told me he is supporting every project of mine through funding and that's all there is to it. He doesn't pay attention to the specifics. He'll only look forward to its completion."

"He didn't even try to visit you in this lab?"

"No."

"I'm sure there are CCTVs in this facility. Would it be okay if we trace the person who might have stolen your samples?" Zeke asked.

"But I simply don't have the authority to—"

"I'm sure you do," Zeke insisted. "You founded that project. You couldn't just let it be stolen by anyone else. You have every right to claim it back and—"

"But… I still don't understand everything…." Frieda flung her arms around in frustration. "Please enlighten me of what's going on. What happened to Levi?"

"Is everything okay?"

Three heads turned back to the door to see Rod Reiss standing by the doorway with an impassive smile.

"D-dad…" Frieda gasped.

Zeke blanched out. Something about Rod Reiss's sudden intrusion made it more concerning.

"Ah, Dr. Zeke Jaeger. Lovely to see you here!" Rod chirped, stepping into the room with an unsettling air of arrogance. His eyes hovered around as if looking for someone he might have missed. "It's been a while, huh? But I see you didn't have the little man with you today."

Zeke froze on the spot. He knew he should be wary of Rod Reiss, just as Levi told him. Nothing suspicious about the old Reiss was disclosed, but for good measure, it wouldn't hurt to lie in case questions were thrown. However, he cannot be sure about Frieda not saying anything to her father. Moreover, he is unsure if Reiss heard everything about the conversation earlier. It was a wrong move that this confrontation got the best of his emotions. He should keep his guard up and get Frieda to agree with him.

Zeke smiled broadly. "Ah, Rod… I've been expecting you today…"

Rod's stone face caught some reaction. "Really?"

"I came here to ask Frieda about a drug she's been working on. At Levi's request." He shot Frieda a knowing look, hoping she'd get the hint.

"A drug?" That word magnified Rod's facial creases.

"It's…" Frieda opened her mouth to say something as Zeke shot her a deadly glare. "It's about the project I've been working on for Uncle Uri. Levi's asking for the progress. He has the right to know because he took part in funding it."

There was horror in Rod's eyes that Zeke couldn't trace. "And what about it?"

"Dad, they're gone, remember? And I haven't gotten back into re-running it again since its loss. The project is on hiatus, but I can assure him that it's never abandoned," Frieda said.

"Well, I said not to push herself too much," Zeke said. "Levi mentioned to me that Frieda's working on a medicine that can alter the functions of the nervous system using herbs and plants. I took an interest in it since I was in the field of neurology. I am willing to collaborate with her since she's the best in the field of pharmacology."

Rod looked at Frieda for confirmation. She nodded slowly.

"Very well, it's a good collaboration then. Two individuals the best in their fields working together, why not?" Rod said. "But how is Levi doing these days? Why isn't he with you?"

"Busy as always. You see, he got back from the coma and he's working on some things. He has a lot to attend to," Zeke said.

"I hope he's still in perfect shape," Rod said. "Y'know, being in a coma had a fifty percent chance of survival but I'm glad he'd pulled through. You're indeed the best doctor in Sina. You can revive the dead!"

He laughed. But nobody in the room laughed along.

Frieda frowned. "Dad, that's not funny."

"Oh… of course, honey. I'm just kidding," Rod said, wiping his eyes. "There's no way you would take a joke seriously. I mean… Levi's fine, right?"

An uncomfortable silence settled in the laboratory.

"He is." Zeke's glasses glinted.

"That's great. Well, if you'll excuse us, Frieda and I need to talk about something in private. I would guess you're done with your little business proposal?" Rod smiled at Zeke.

"Of course!" Zeke exclaimed. "We're done. And I look forward to seeing you again, Frieda. The sooner, the better."

The doctor's eyes held so much meaning behind them that Frieda would die to know.

"Of course, doctor. It's nice to meet you again," she acknowledged. "I'll keep in touch."

"I'm counting on that," Zeke said and turned around, exiting the laboratory with Pieck trailing behind him.

"I hope Frieda doesn't say anything to her father." Pieck followed Zeke into his car and crashed onto the passenger's seat. "Damn, that was a close call."

"I trust she will never talk about it. She needed information about what happened to Levi so she'll get back to me. God, if she was telling the truth that her samples were gone, then who stole them? For what purpose? And how did Levi get hold of it?" Zeke said, slamming his hands onto the steering wheel. "He's not aware of Frieda's drug. And then he's overdosing on my medications during his depressive state."

"Do you think Levi planned on committing suicide that time?" Pieck asked.

"Likely. But I don't think he intentionally took Frieda's drug. I've been with him all along at the time of the Stohess incident. He's sober when he leaves the Underground, and then he's a little disoriented at the next bar stops. I've always kept an eye on him all the time and remember accepting drinks from strangers. Unsurprisingly, there's a possibility of him consuming a spiked drink. After all, he's been rubbing other people the wrong way. The aftereffects of too much consumption got him out of control. He's violent—crashed a bottle on my head, then took another drink from a stranger…"

"Wait… so it could be the drinks from that night?" Pieck asked. "You ruled out the blunt force of head trauma causing the comatose. And then there are substances in his blood samples—in which one led us to Frieda's raw samples of potent psychedelics."

"It makes sense. But still, our theories aren't enough to land us to a conclusion. If one handed him a spiked drink, was it intentional?"

Pieck shrugged.

"I need to talk to Frieda again. Forget about who handed Levi the drink. Our concern now is if she can come up with something to revert Levi's old memories," Zeke said. "Shit… if not for that old guy's intervention…"

"So that's Rod Reiss," Pieck hummed. "I don't feel good about him. He's too old to be making jokes about death. Do you think he hated Levi? Because he sounds that way."

"All I know is Levi was a little uncomfortable around Rod ever since. But Levi doesn't talk about him that much. He usually doesn't talk about people he didn't get along with, except for the last time Levi finally mentioned him to me. However, he doesn't go into the details."

"I wonder… does Rod Reiss know about Frieda's projects?"

"Why do you ask?"

"That facility had strict measures for visitors who have no business there. Well, we are doctors so we can easily coax our way through that. But as for Rod, he conveniently had visiting rights because Frieda is a pharmacologist. He must probably know everything about his daughter's projects."

"What does it matter if he knows Frieda's projects? She clearly said it was for her uncle. Naturally, Rod should know," Zeke said, turning up the car's ignition.

"I'm talking about the possible people who would steal the samples," Pieck said.

"Are you saying Rod was a potential suspect? And if he is, he gave the drug to Levi on purpose?"

"As far as I can tell, I was the only person Frieda shared about that project with. That's why I am familiar with the chemical diagrams and composition. Levi only happens to be the financer but was clueless about that project. And that leaves us with Rod Reiss who according to you, had an alleged tiff with Levi," Pieck pointed out.

"Your theory is unsupported. Leave it." Zeke kissed his teeth. "We're not gonna focus on that because all I need is a cure for Levi."

Pieck exhaled. "Well… just saying."

"Quit watching too many movies."

"Maybe it was Rod who is watching too many movies," Pieck said with added intensity.

"Just drop it, Pieck."

"All right! All right! Anyway, I have Frieda's number. You might wanna call her later?"

"You catch on too quick."

Armin has never dated a girl since birth. The growing discomfort was magnified by the heat on his cheeks, radiating a faint blush that he could not simply hide. He was twitching on his seat, reaching for the glass of water on its last drop.

The high-end café six blocks away from Ackerman Holdings was packed during lunch hours. Customers were either in tailored suits or pointed shoes—laptops occupying more space on the table than a plate of food. For a moment, Armin distracted himself by observing the corporate chaos unfolding before him. Coffees were cooled down to accommodate a call; meals were forgotten to discuss business. This place was a business hub more than a café. He was seated at the farthest corner because being surrounded by tables and chit-chats can worsen his social anxiety.

Nope. This was not a date.

Armin exhaled as he looked at his cellphone where one message summoned him to leave his paperwork and punch out early for lunch.

"Hey." Annie Leonhart emerged from nowhere and dragged one chair across from him, sitting on it with a heavy thud. Her hair was disheveled as if she had been jogging on the way here.

"Ah—hi!" Armin greeted in mild surprise. Annie was flustered—probably from all that rush.

"Sorry… I was late."

"No worries! I didn't wait that long," Armin said. "Ah… well, about your message…"

"Oh, yeah. Right…" Annie said, a little tense. She whipped her head behind her and then both to her sides as if looking out for someone.

"Well… are we just two here, or have you invited more people for lunch?" Armin ventured.

They had never exchanged numbers before, but Armin knew Annie had access to every employee's records hence she got his number. Her message earlier an hour before lunch was curt yet held a little mystery, and judging by the uneasiness on her face, he knew she was about to blow up a shocking disclosure.

"Actually, I need to tell you something important…" Annie said nervously.

Armin leaned over the table and looked her in the eye. "I could tell."

"But…" She was hesitating, shaking.

"Annie." Armin's blue eyes took the conversation to a level of trust and reassurance. "You can tell me."

Annie calmed down, holding down a breath and puffing it out to release the tautness in her chest. She closed her eyes for a second and then opened them again to look at Armin with brand-new courage. "Look… I don't have anybody to talk to, so I sought you…and on short notice."

"It's okay. You can trust me, Annie," Armin said. It was not wise to guess what her intentions were, but if Armin could pull that off, maybe Annie wouldn't be restraining herself this much. "I would guess this has something to do with Mr. Levi?"

She nodded once.

"Are you afraid of something?"

"It's… it's just hard because I was entrusted with tasks I was clueless about," Annie said. "And then people are coming after me."

"W-what?"

"Isabel Magnolia and Furlan Church…" Annie started. "They met with me earlier…"

Armin's mouth dropped. But he thought Isabel and Furlan were both in Marley? Was it convenient to say they were actually here when there were already deployed people to locate their whereabouts? "A-are you sure?"

"At first, there was an unknown number, and said about Mr. Levi wanted something from me, and he was at a café on 3rd Street. On the way, I was dragged into an alley by two people who said they are desperate to talk to Mr. Levi. I said I was just about to meet with him, but one of them said they were the ones who called me. They revealed themselves as Furlan and Isabel. They couldn't just ask anyone in the company because of trust issues, and they remembered me because they know Mr. Levi secretly gave me some tasks before his accident."

Armin was blown away as things magically led them to the right path. Hopefully. "But what do they want from Levi? And why are they acting like somebody's on their tail? Can you tell me how they acted around you?"

"They look desperate. I can also see it from Isabel's eyes. They said the moment they heard the news that Mr. Levi was already up and about, they needed to see him badly but didn't know how. They also wondered why Mr. Levi was not making a press release about something—it wasn't clear," Annie narrated. "Armin, this was strange to me. I don't know what is going on! First, you are looking for their records, and then they suddenly turned up. If they want to see Mr. Levi, why can't they call him? Or visit him? And why are they acting like they—"

"Annie." Armin put on his grave face. "There are things that I didn't want to involve you, but it looks like the situation itself wants to loop you in."

Annie swallowed hard.

"Your involvement would be helpful to our investigation of an anomaly happening in one of the holdings' affiliates."

"I don't understand," Annie said.

"We're keeping a big secret," Armin whispered closely. "Levi Ackerman lost his memories. After waking up from a coma, he completely lost it. Right now, I, Mikasa, and Mr. Erwin Smith are acting as his backup."

"B-but why would you keep it from us? The whole company?" Annie's eyes rounded in disbelief.

"It's a long story…" Armin said. "Now's not the time to discuss it with you. But as you can see, you were hounded by Church and Magnolia. Something in their actions dictates that they were onto something prior to Levi's accident. I want to assume they had unfinished business. When Levi fell into a coma, both of them disappeared. And now they're back. Hey, did they say anything more?"

"Nothing. They just wanted me to relay the message to your boss."

"I see." Armin nodded.

"But I got an address… and their contacts," Annie said, typing on her phone. "I can forward the details to you. They said to keep it a secret from anyone except for Mr. Levi, but since he's not around, I thought you should let him know."

"Of course," Armin said. "I'll deal with Church and Magnolia. But Annie, can I trust you to keep everything we talked about between us?"

Annie nodded. "Sure."

"And if we need information from you, we'll ask for your cooperation."

"Will there be any trouble to happen? Look, I work hard, I'm very honest in my duties, and I love my job. I don't want to involve myself in some conspiracy that's gonna ruin my name."

"Don't worry. Your cooperation will be rewarded in the future. We're at the CEO's side and catching the bad guys—think of it that way," Armin wheedled her.

"Okay…" Annie bowed her head low.

Armin smiled. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"Thank you…"

"L-look, there's nothing to thank me for," Armin blushed. "Except that… this place is a little expensive for a secret meeting, don't you think?"

"S-sorry… I wasn't thinking. I've picked up the nearest café. Have you ordered anything yet?"

"No…"

"Go ahead and try something you'd like. Their pastries are good. My treat."

"Annie, you don't have to…"

"I insist," Annie said. "I was just glad I have someone I can run to. I got shit-scared when I was dragged in that alley, thinking someone's gonna put a knife under my throat…"

Armin chuckled. "Well, be thankful they're not bad people."

"But still, their actions were shady…" Annie thought. "So, I hope we can contact them the soonest?"

"Yes. That'll do. I guess they've been keeping a secret exclusive to the three of them. It's convenient enough that they turned up, and then we'll find out the mystery surrounding us."

"I hope you could fix it—whatever that is."

"Yes." Armin sighed hopefully, a little glad that the very people he needed in their investigation were in the same city. He was sure that the case was progressive, and they would finally come to a conclusion.

"Oi giant, you sleeping yet?" Levi was hovering over Yelena as she casually lay like a log on the couch after coming home from her night shift. She never went to her room straight, thus preferred lounging around for a few hours in the living room.

She opened one eye and with a grunt, curled up to her side. She grumbled, "Was about to. Don't bother."

"You heard me, and I know you can't lull yourself to sleep just yet. Oi, get up! I need to talk to you," Levi commanded.

"About what?!" Yelena's voice was muffled under her folded arms. "If it's not about letting me drive your car…"

"You can drive and crash it as you please." Levi sighed. "But hey, I need to talk to you about Hange…"

Yelena's ears perked up, and soon, she was straightened up on the couch and very much awake. "What's with Hange?!"

Levi frowned. It's nearly as easy to get Yelena to listen. "I feel she had something going on. She's acting a little weird since last night."

"Hange's always weird. Like… it's naturally her."

"Define Hange's weirdness."

"If she's not acting like a normal person…?"

"Is crying normal for her?" Levi asked.

"What?!" Yelena exclaimed. "Yeah, that was… beyond her weirdness. I mean, I never saw her shed tears, to be honest. Unless she's cutting onions."

Levi was nodding thoughtfully. "Well, she said about being too happy and was crying about it. What a weird thing to say. Getting emotional over extreme happiness?"

Yelena blinked her eyes rapidly. "You mean crying because she's overwhelmed with happiness? Of what?"

Levi shrugged.

"That's absolutely not her," Yelena said, slapping her forehead. "She'll never cry because she's happy. She'll hop like a rabbit if she is. Oh… fuck me. She obviously had a problem! The only reason that could make her cry is winning the lottery or something! Like dude… I myself would cry for days over that."

"She said she's happy because of me," Levi revealed. "What did I do except chose to be with her."

"Well…" Yelena smirked. "I must admit you're better than winning the lottery…"

Levi scoffed.

"But seriously… just that?" Yelena cocked an eyebrow. "She did say it was only because of you?"

"Yes. She didn't say anything after that. She usually talks a lot, but you can count her words last night. She's unusually quiet. We had small talks before drifting off to sleep, but she slept on me when I told a story about some memory."

"Hmmm…" Yelena closed her eyes as if in deep contemplation. "Yeah, that was worth questioning. Hange barely discloses her problems. It's quite difficult to make her talk when it comes to things that bother her."

"So something is bothering her?"

"Likely."

"About her job?"

"She never had problems with the job, trust me. She's excellent in what she does, and I'm quite surprised she never got bored with it," Yelena explained. "God knows how she can stay in a tedious job that doesn't make you rich."

"Is that how you describe your job too?"

"I stay because of Hange. Because I love her, and she's the only one who can stand me. Isn't it obvious?" Yelena huffed. "But anyway, didn't you two fight?"

"What? No."

"Sure? You two bicker like crazy."

"It's normal for us."

"Maybe she's getting tired of that 'normalcy'."

"Tired?"

"Don't you two got anything 'exciting' in your relationship?"

Levi's narrow eyes broadened in wonder. "Exciting?"

"You're fucking insensitive, Levi." Yelena clicked her tongue. "God, are you human? Let me tell you something that you can do."

Levi cocked his head, curiosity eating him up. Yelena's mischievous smile returned like a well-lit carved pumpkin grinning for Halloween. Levi didn't like that look on her face but stuck around to listen. He's all ears, sporting all variations of scowls and frowns while Yelena blabbered her suggestions.

"I'm sure she's gonna like it…" Yelena beamed with confidence.

Hange came home late as usual with the same sluggishness as the night before. Yelena should be on her night shift, and Eren must be sleeping in his room already. But she knew Levi would be up again, waiting for her.

It was dark and quiet in the living room, but she decided to head straight into the kitchen to drink some water. Something on the table made her chuckle. A small note in Levi's handwriting said: Oi, don't skip your dinner. There's something special in the microwave. Eat that up.

Hange gushed over her boyfriend's thoughtfulness. She was not hungry but obliged to that commanding note that probably hides a little surprise. She plucked the bowl out of the microwave after reheating it, as the familiar aroma of stew made her mouth water. Levi copied her potato stew recipe and beat her to that, making a mental note to thank him in the morning. She ravenously finished her bowl in under five minutes, and swore to god that Levi indeed did it better than her.

Staring now at a clean bowl, Hange realized Levi must be retired in their room. It was a little strange that he didn't wait for her like he usually does, taking his sweet time while preparing her dinner and cleaning up after. She loved their midnight talks over the dining table for the past few nights since Levi started staying with her, but today seemed different as if there would be a time so soon he would no longer be around for her. Since meeting Petra yesterday, Hange knew her life would turn upside-down.

Would she tell Levi about it?

Their room was dark when she slipped in, except for a night lamp by the bedside table they usually leave on until daybreak. Something pleasant to her nose wafted through the air, and the smell of bamboo, mint, and lavender calmed her senses.

That was new. Did Levi switch on the oil diffuser?

Their bed was empty, making Hange wonder where he was, but the sounds in the shower room didn't need her to guess.

She hated hot showers after coming home from work and preferred the cold ones in the morning. She threw her bags aside and plopped onto the bed, taking off her shoes and socks and dumping them where Levi couldn't see. She could always collect her mess in the morning, anyway.

She cursed under her breath and realized how tired she was—physically and emotionally. Another day at work, another monotonous routine of putting something in her pocket. She fell back on the bed, closed her eyes, and succumbed to exhaustion.

Hange didn't realize she had drifted off to sleep for quite some time until she heard Levi whispering to her with a gentle nudge.

"Oi, Hange…"

She bolted upright in a daze and was met by Levi's blurry form. She re-positioned her skewed glasses and smiled in embarrassment. "Oh... hey... I… didn't know I dozed off while you were in the shower…" Hange said, rubbing one eye.

"You're late again…"

"I'm always late."

"That's not what Yelena told me. You're taking more tasks beyond your assignment, but you're not getting paid for it."

"I love what I'm doing. Doesn't matter if I get paid or not," Hange said.

"Tch." Levi studied her closely. His proximity and the fresh scent of soap were dizzying. He smelled so clean and nice, and when Hange's eyes regained focus, she realized he was shirtless.

"Look, I'm fine, Levi."

"You're acting weird last night…"

Shoot. Did he notice?

"A-am I?" Hange asked in a lowered tone, keeping her eyes off his naked form. "Levi, 'weird' is my middle name."

"I know," Levi said. "But it's the kind of weird I don't quite recognize."

"Is there such a thing?" Hange rolled her eyes. "Well, I am different kinds of weird, that's all there is to it."

Levi smirked. God, he's beautiful.

"You'd get used to it," Hange said with a blush. A half-naked and smiling Levi will leave indecent images at the back of her brain. "And oh, thanks for making dinner. Not expecting you'd do your own version of my potato stew."

"I thought that recipe would make you feel better."

"It did," Hange chirped. "Your skills are getting scarier and scarier each time, and I'd wonder what you can do next."

"Do next? Won't you shower tonight?" Levi veered in a husky tone.

Something about that voice sent shivers down her spine. Why does it sound like he wanted to shower with her? She swallowed hard. "I... always do it in the morning."

"Tch."

"What?!" Hange whined. "It's not like I've been gathering dust and mud in my line of work. I'm in the office the whole day. I'm clean."

"Oh yeah?" Levi asked, leaning closer, almost sniffing her. "Right. You don't smell bad."

"I always showered since we got together! Didn't you notice?" Hange pouted.

Levi shook his head. "Now I know…"

"Damn, go to sleep now, shorty. You're the one who's acting weird tonight."

"Tomorrow's your day off, right?" Levi leaned close to her ear this time.

Hange leaned away, her chest thumping. "Yes, would you like to be out of town again? We... can go somewhere out of Sina."

"That's not the idea," Levi whispered. He nuzzled the side of her face, hot breath tickling her cheek. "I think it's much better if you rest for the whole day tomorrow…"

"Eh?" She leaned away further, cocking an eyebrow and shooting him an intense glare.

There was something different in Levi's eyes that night. The bluish-grey looked like crystals against the balmy light in the room until Hange saw his blown-up pupils. Her stomach flipped. Was Levi seducing her with a bedroom voice? When did he learn that?

"Lev—"

There was no time to react when a pair of lips landed on hers in one swift motion. The shock—just like her first time being kissed—electrified her. His hand grabbed the back of her neck, deepening his kiss. A half-naked Levi kissing her in the middle of the night could only mean one thing.

Holy fuck.

But would she be ready for something more intimate? Something she disregarded with her previous partners because her body never begged for it?

Levi was a universal pill. A remedy to make all her exhaustion melt away. Much too soon, she willingly responded to his kisses, igniting the fire between them. There was a push and a pull, mouths parting in greed, and Hange's nails left red marks on Levi's bare skin. She lost her glasses in the process, and her body wilted once his kisses trailed down to her neck. Her back hit the mattress once again as his weight pressed over her.

For quite some time, Hange felt like she was floating in a dream. Heck, everything that Levi does would need a dose of a reality check—or, in this case, sanity check. She could pull back, but the assault from that heated moment seized her. From then, she dismissed all her worries and fears. She allowed the "selfishness" that comes with loving someone just to give way to her growing need of being accepted and cherished.

His kisses were warm and exploring as if he would spend the whole night kissing every inch of her like a famished lover. Hange's bodily response was almost obligatory—submissive, giving him all the liberty to feel welcomed on every part of her flesh. Making out with someone was not her first time, but her confidence in bed was a little lacking. However, Levi as a partner unleashed her wilder side as if a salacious alter ego controlled her. There were times she would roll him over, and Levi would battle for dominance. They ended up in a tangle of limbs—swimming in passion, relentless in motion.

At a few pops of her shirt's buttons, Hange ended up equally half-naked as he is. She gasped when his hands traveled around her curves, crooks, and mounds with a probing touch, knowing too well how to draw sounds from her. She would repress a moan because half of her was not thinking straight. That part of her knew this was "so wrong", because Levi was just a man with a fucked-up memory. But scratch that. This man was a predator to his prey, and she plummeted to the bottom of the food chain. She knew how many women would wish they were in her place—ending up in bed with him to share the blankets in the morning.

In the heat of the moment, Hange could've forgotten all that went down yesterday with Petra. Hell, she could've even forgotten all about humanity's existence. Right in this room were two individuals driven by primal urges and the peaking desire for release. There's hunger and excitement as both of them recklessly shimmy the last piece of their clothing—no turning back. They stared at each other tenderly as if time had stopped, overwhelmed by the sight of each other's nakedness. There was more to explore now, and by some instinct, their bodies acted on their own—hands claiming the uncharted realms of their being.

Levi climbed over her; his fingers glided on her cheek with a question reflecting through his eyes. Hange responded with a weak nod as she threw her arms around his neck. She was spread before him, allowing access to her depths. He disappeared into her, bodies merging. Their souls connected once their heavy and quickened breaths filled the room.

The sensation of having sex left Hange in a daze, mouthing his name a few times as the bed creaked beneath them. Her lips brushed against the shell of his ear, suppressing the urge to bite a part of him as she was drowning in a wave of pleasure.

Levi relished the mention of his name as he thrust gently and deeply, but one name unexpectedly left his lips with a groan. "Petra…"

Hange went rigid as the name slipped his tongue. Did she hear it right? There is no way Levi had been seeing or feeling Petra in her. Her mind blanked out while he was building up a steady rhythm, sweating and panting on top of her until they rode out the ecstasy from their activities a moment later.

They were lying side by side as they bottomed out breathlessly. Hange was curled up on her side of the bed, taking in his perfect side profile while Levi remained still, catching his breath. His eyes were trained on the ceiling as she recalled the time she had been staring at him like this in Underground. He was a depressed man during those times—a guy sporting the face of sadness beautifully. They were strangers to one another back then, and Hange could only dream of staring at him all day.

But they made love tonight. And that was beyond what her dreams allowed her. He'd kissed her, touched her. He'd explored her, penetrated her. Their carnal desires consumed them, enslaved them, and then, they became one. When she reached over to touch his heart, she was reminded that "everything" was real. He was still damp and warm under her palm, and his chest's rapid rise and fall didn't need to prove anything. Here was Levi Ackerman, naked under the sheets with her—as passion swept through the night unexpectedly.

Hange was the first to speak. "I know it wasn't like you to ask for sex tonight."

"And it wasn't like you to give in either," Levi pointed out without turning his head at her. Maybe he was a bit surprised by himself too. "Do you… regret it?"

I don't know. Hange took a deep breath, but she ignored the question. "Do you?"

"I initiated it…" Levi said matter-of-factly. "Sorry, I was... I was just too caught up in the moment."

"You don't apologize after sex. I guess we just allowed it to happen, anyway." Hange chuckled hurtfully. "What's gotten into your head?"

"To make you feel better. Yelena once said—"

"Oh fuck, I knew it!" Hange grumbled. After all, she knew Levi wouldn't just jump into this act. Yelena had grown closer to him, and she couldn't imagine the conversation when that blonde weirdo opened the topic about sex. That shameless idiot.

"You were acting weird last night… I asked Yelena if she knew what was wrong. She said you must be bored. She said sex could make relationships exciting and lasting."

Hange scoffed. Yelena was definitely the queen of wickedness. "Not all the time, Levi. Sex was a stress reliever, but it doesn't solve a problem. You'd get high for a few moments but your problems are still there. Did we have sex just because Yelena told you to?"

"No," Levi said. "I did it because I wanted it. It's not the first time I thought about doing this with you. After all, I know we'd come to this sooner than later."

Hange chuckled. "I guess you're just a man who had his needs."

"Not at all," Levi responded. "I'm just a man who acted according to his feelings..."

Hange swallowed.

"Tell me what's the problem, four-eyes."

"It's nothing. Not too major," Hange assured him. "You don't need involvement, Levi…"

"We're partners. We should share about what's going on in our lives."

"It's… trivial. I'm on it. Don't worry."

Levi exhaled, then gave up on prying. "I hope you're telling the truth."

Hange thought about bringing up something else to divert the conversation. "Levi, this thing between us took us to another level of relationship. You told me you never had sex in your memory but… you're quite experienced tonight."

She wouldn't need to dig through that fact. Levi and Petra were in a relationship for years, and all that transpired between them was intrinsically a part of his cognizance. A sexual desire is instinctive, and that was triggered when Hange readily offered herself to him. He knew how to kiss, when to nip and suck, when to go gentle and rough, and how to make her feel good. He made her see stars and come to a high. He was more coordinated than she was, as if he'd been guided through experience. It was passionate yet surreal that she would go for more rounds and get wild for the entire night.

If, by an experienced woman's standards, Hange would have loved to take this to the rooftops and scream she had the best sex ever.

But she was bothered. Way too bothered.

It was a good fuck… but is this man for real?

"I don't know. I don't normally think about it as a soldier. But I guess when I was doing it with the right person, it felt natural. I just went with the flow, let my body work," Levi said. "Did I... hurt you?"

"No," Hange clipped. But hurt comes in different shapes.

"Tired?"

"Yeah," Hange said languidly, snuggling close to him. But she didn't need to bring anything up. She didn't need to ruin this blissful moment. They had just crossed a dangerous territory, and she was too exhausted to think and function right now.

Levi wrapped his arm around her, clutching the ball of her shoulder. "Thanks for tonight. This was new to me…"

No, it wasn't. Hange closed her eyes, not wanting to let a tear escape her as she recalled him thrusting on top of her and mumbling another woman's name.

Was the climax of sex involuntary triggered a part of his old self and his periodic memories with Petra in bed? Or was it the beginning of the turnaround of events when Levi's old memories threatened an unexpected comeback? Was she expecting that the possibility of his amnesia was only temporary?

Will she become a forgotten person in his life too soon?

And if that was the case, this shared night between them is only a reminder that she is fooling herself all along.

Levi didn't belong to her.

Her finger was fast enough to wipe that pooling tear in one eye, swallowing the hurtful truth that there were Levi and Petra in the past. They shared the same intimacy that a deep part of him remembered implicitly, and Hange was sure it was taking him back to those forgotten memories subconsciously.

Notes:

Happy New Year! Let's welcome New Year with a bang 'cause Levi banged Hange-oops. Well, they did it.

The mild smut was not planned at all but then, I remembered giving my other fics some snippets of non-graphic smut just to add a little kick to the fluff. Anyway, this won't change the rating. The story is not centered on sex after all. I think it will give some depth (trust me, this isn't a fan service) to a complicated relationship that bloomed out of Levi's drugged thoughts. They've gone closer now but will it stay that way?

I feel like the fandom is dying these days but I'm still thankful that the number of kudos in this fic will be hitting its thousandth mark. I noticed Levihan ship isn't that much popular. Ereri and Eruri tags are on their 5-digit statistics but fear not, I'm not even going for gay ships. No hate but they're not my thing. BTW, I'm thanking every reader in advance who saw the "sense" and "comfort" in this ship and joined me on this writing journey even if sometimes, I'm losing my wits and almost close to abandoning it. I already have an ending planned in mind and I'm trying to weave my way into filtering ideas and shortening the plot because I feel like this fic has been going FOREVER (but trust me, there's an ending to this). I'm gunning for (10?) more chapters before concluding this-that depends if I still have my readers around. :)

I'm not sure if I'm gonna write for this fandom again (haven't done a oneshot in a while) but I hope Levihan will stay because for every misfortune that happened to me this year, this ship kept me grounded and sane, and prevented me from reaching anything "sharp" that could "cut".

Kudos and comments are appreciated.

Chapter 33

Notes:

It wasn't even a month but it feels like forever. Anyway, dropping this chapter because I never thought I'd be "alive" in posting this.

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

Chapter Text

Levi was nowhere in bed when Hange woke up.

It was just her bare body, the wrinkled sheets, and a little warmth from the morning sun streaming from the windows. She put one arm over her forehead and heaved a sigh, recalling last night's events. The soreness all over her body was a welcoming reminder that she had been out of practice in the sex department.

So last night really happened.

Damn.

She took a long, hot shower this time and put on some fresh clothes. She collected the soiled sheets, tucked them under her arm, and headed out of the room. She was expecting Levi to be working around in the kitchen but was surprised to see Yelena instead, sitting by the dining table, still in her work clothes.

The blonde had obviously gone from her night shift and was eyeing Hange suspiciously, crossing the tight little space to the laundry room to dispose of the sheets. When Hange returned to the kitchen, Yelena was calmly sipping a cup of coffee and seemed to have not noticed much.

Or so Hange thought.

"That smelled nice," Yelena drawled, tapping her finger over the rim of her coffee cup.

"What?" Hange glared anxiously, knowing exactly what words would come next. "You mean the bath soap? Yeah, I used Levi's soap. He loves strong lavender scents."

"I don't mean you," Yelena said sneakily. "I mean the sheets. You just got them washed four days ago."

"And so?" Hange said nonchalantly, keeping some distance from Yelena's snoopy senses. "They just need washing."

"Ah, I see. Never took you for a clean freak. Bed bugs?" Yelena asked teasingly. "Or... something else?"

"What…. bed bugs?"

"They got you good, huh?"

"What the hell are you talking—"

Yelena's dark eyes narrowed questioningly as she ran her index finger along her neck. "Red, purplish, lip-shaped bug bites. How nasty. But they looked beautiful on you. You can have them permanently inked."

"S-shit…." Hange exclaimed, palming her neck, and it finally dawned on her. Of course, nothing escapes Yelena's sly and notorious eyes.

"Fucking finally…" Yelena cheered. "Oh, how I missed that. I've set my hopes on you two finally taking the liberties and going at it! The evidence was clear as the sky! But I'm quite surprised you didn't wake Eren up with my paper-thin walls."

"You fuckin…" Hange muttered under her breath. "That was you! What the hell have you been telling Levi?!"

"Whoah… easy, Hange! A little advice wouldn't hurt! Or had he been rough that it tore you apart?"

"I can't believe you!" Hange lashed out accusingly.

"A suggestion is just a suggestion. It's still up to him if he'd take it or not. But I guess it's a different case with your boyfriend," Yelena snickered. "Look at you looking very invigorated like a fresh petal adorned with morning dew!"

"I could crack your skull and scoop out your very perverted brain!" Hange said, blushing furiously.

"What's so perverted in stating the obvious?! Never say you didn't have sex when you just dumped those poor bedsheets reeking of cum. And don't act like he raped you."

Hange's head throbbed, pulling one chair to settle on grumpily. Yelena will be the death of her.

"Hey, why the face, Hange?" Yelena asked, repressing her laughter. "Didn't enjoy your first?"

"He's not my first."

"Of course, he's not," Yelena said. "But he's the first person you willingly gave your heart, body, and soul to."

"Would you keep it down?" Hange shushed her.

"What's the fuss? The boys are already out. Eren's gone to work, and your sexy daddy's probably on his morning jog—you know, he needs some recovery exercises from your wild night. So… who asked first? Who's on top?"

"The hell, Yelena…"

"What's wrong with having sex with Levi Ackerman?! I can brag it to the world."

"Look, sex is a private matter!" Hange tried to calm herself down in frustration. "Whatever happened between us stays inside that bedroom."

"The bedroom of my apartment," Yelena corrected.

"Our apartment! We're paying for our space and three months advanced," Hange countered. "And why are you so damn interested in somebody's sex life? I don't know about you, but it looks like you need a fuck buddy!"

Yelena laughed. "Oh yeah! I knew it. You're no kiss-and-tell person. I guess you really loved Levi after all because you respected your privacy. And about your question, I don't need somebody to fuck, I'm fine with the fact that my friend has been fucked by the richest guy in Paradis."

"Fuck me..." Hange cussed. She's on the losing end of this pissing off game.

"Not interested. Ask Levi again."

Hange scoffed, looking very much pissed now.

"Take it easy, Hange! Well… you think it's a little out of character that you're being grouchy after having the best night of your life? It wasn't like you to get easily pissed like that!"

Hange rolled her eyes. Yelena studied that gloomy look on her face.

"Something wrong?" Yelena asked pensively. "Yeah. Something's wrong. Tell me or die."

Hange exhaled. It was a little uncomfortable to tell Yelena about last night, but she was a better choice than Eren or Moblit. "The thing last night… it feels like he's not the Levi I know. He's probably behaving like his old self…"

"Say what?" Yelena inched a little towards the table.

"He… he mentioned Petra."

Yelena cocked her head. "Mentioned…?"

"While we're at it!" Hange said exasperatedly. "While he's fucking me, okay?!"

"No… no… no… way…" Yelena palmed her face. Her reaction was unreadable—a mix of horror and humor. "So, you kinda… what? Pushed him away… ripped off his balls… or…"

"I still let him finish."

"And you?"

Hange shrugged abashedly, nodding slowly.

"Hm. I think I have a theory on that. And I know you'd think the same way. Levi must've lost his old memories, but his natural response to intimate activities was probably activated last night. We couldn't deny he's done it with Petra like several times in the past, so her name slipped right off his tongue. Be flattered. The sex must be really good."

"So good that it's taking him back to those times he's doing it with Petra?" Hange questioned. "I think his old memories are lodged somewhere in his brain where they just need to be juggled during extreme emotions. Subconsciously, it was Petra he's having sex with and not me. That fragment of memory snuck out inadvertently."

"So what are you theorizing now?"

"His amnesia might be temporary. And if he regained his memories, his feelings for Petra might come back!"

"We're not sure about that," Yelena countered her.

"Yelena…" Hange quivered. "I was just being rational here. Amnesia can be cured, and that's what I'm afraid of happening. It's gonna mess everything between us, and I'm not ready for that. Maybe I shouldn't have pursued this relationship with him. I hate attachments! I hate the aspect of losing him!"

"Hange, do you think it's best to cut down on your cynicism and overthinking? You're way too advanced thinking it's already happened. That's not healthy for a relationship. Especially now that your relationship with Levi had gone physical," Yelena said, taking another sip from her cup. "You're attracting a very unpleasant future for you, ya know?"

"But that's not just about it. There's something more. I met with Petra yesterday."

Yelena coughed out. "Kill me. You sure are full of surprises."

"She invited me for lunch, and I can't say no. It was easy for her to track where I worked. She said about not having anyone to talk to. She had no idea about Levi and me, and I can't take the guilt of lying through my teeth," Hange said. "She's desperate. She loves Levi that much and regrets everything that's happened in the past. It's only justifiable to feel that way. I mean… it's all her fault for putting Levi in that situation, but she didn't deserve all the hurt—that the person she loves doesn't value her anymore."

"You know, people need to learn from things that led them where they are," Yelena said. "But sometimes, no matter how regretful a person is, the circumstances wouldn't always be in their favor. It's either they accept the outcome, or they end up chasing nothing and losing their wits. Levi's yours now because he chose you. He chose to come and live with you, share a room with you, have sex with you. What could go wrong?"

"Levi's mine because he behaves like a different person. And if this goes out, I'm afraid of public acceptance. People knew he's back with Petra, but why was he living with somebody else?"

"Fuck what others think. It's not like Levi's an actor or an idol who will lose money at the loss of his fans. He's a CEO. He makes money out of his name and talents, and his company was established way, way back for decades. And I highly doubt his partners and affiliates would cut ties with him after learning he's seeing another woman," Yelena pointed out. "Personal attachments are not people's business. Levi's got control of his own body and mind, and I highly doubt he'll care about society's take on it. And if there are controversies, they sure will be forgotten in time. You know how it works, one moment, you're under a microscope; the next moment, it'll be another person and you're put aside. It's just a cycle! People move on. And if you think you'd get knocked down by criticisms, the problem is on you because you're weak to handle them. Look, you chose to have a risky relationship with a billionaire, and it's not a forced one because you have mutual feelings. That alone would justify your relationship. Forget about his 'new identity' and his memories. What matters is who he chose to be with today."

"I don't know… I was just… ugh… confused," Hange said. "A lot was playing in my head!"

"Ah, I gotta sleep now… I don't have time to listen to your senseless rants," Yelena said, rising from her seat. "And oh, try some other sex positions next time. Maybe that will help you clear your negative thoughts."

"You don't make sense this morning…"

"And so do you," Yelena rolled her eyes and waved a hand. "Get back to me when you got more exciting things to say…"

But Hange was never too sure about that.

Levi was on his 15th-kilometer loop around the district, clocking the distance in under an hour. It was his fastest record, and he only ran at an average speed. He was soaked in sweat yet very energized, humming each time his heel touched the pavements in a bouncing rhythm and then covering as much ground as possible in consistent strides. There was an imaginary music in his head to keep him going as he woke up this morning in a revitalized mood. He didn't bother Hange, who was still snoring beside him, knowing she needed much more sleep after overworking herself for days.

He was already out of the room, finding Eren and Yelena fixing their breakfast in the kitchen. They memorized his morning routine and didn't need to ask where he was headed. They had only been living together for two weeks, but Levi felt like he had found his home in that cramped apartment.

For what seemed like his muscles felt a little tighter, he took a break and sat on a nearby bench under a lamp post. He yanked off his hoodie and face mask, taking a swig from his water bottle to quench his thirst.

Another guy took the vacant space beside him, panting and cursing out loud, "Fuck, you really are something else, aren't you?"

Levi nearly spats out his drink to see Zeke Jaeger sitting beside him, red in the face, and soaked in sweat. "Z-Zeke?"

The blond guy brushed his damp hair with his fingers. "I always beat you in a marathon. Now, I'd say you can take home the trophy…"

"The fuck are you doing here?"

"Disgusted to see me? That hurts, Levi. I am expecting a more civilized greeting."

"Are you stalking me?"

Zeke scoffed. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and dangled it right in front of Levi's eyes. "Right. Of course, you've forgotten. We've activated our phone trackers way back. And that's how I followed you when you were pub crawling. You didn't allow Petra to track you, but you've agreed to do it with me. I just woke up feeling alone this morning, so I decided to track your location, and here I was like chasing chickens and cattle all my life. God, my legs are burning..."

Zeke bent down to squeeze his legs. Levi was still speechless, fazed at Zeke's uninvited presence that morning.

"Hey, it's been a while… haven't heard from you that much, Levi," Zeke said.

"I'm not one to check on people. I must've even forgotten you existed," Levi said sarcastically.

"Oh boy, you really know how to break my irreparable heart into pieces…" Zeke plucked off his glasses and wiped them with his shirt. "You're my best friend. Naturally, I should worry about you."

"I'm fine," Levi clipped. Being best friends with Zeke still gets him. "Does Petra send you to track me?"

"Huh?"

Levi scrunched his forehead. Wrong question.

"I never got to talk to Petra," Zeke said. "We're not that close, to begin with. And she kinda hates me, y'know? But how're you guys anyway?"

Right. Zeke shut himself off for two weeks and probably didn't know anything that had happened.

"I'm no longer staying in the penthouse," Levi said.

"What?!"

"I'm staying in Orvud," Levi revealed. "With Hange, her friend, and Eren."

"Hey…" Zeke held a breath to compose himself. "What on earth are you thinking? You abandoned living in your fancy penthouse to live with strangers?"

"If you see your own brother as a stranger, then I don't know what to make of you." Levi rolled his eyes. "People change. I changed, and so was Eren. You just have to accept what we've become. I'm thinking about a simple lifestyle and am happy with that. Just so you know, Hange and I are together now," Levi said casually.

Zeke dropped his jaw at his shocking announcement. "T-that woman?"

"If you're gonna say something against Hange then I got no business with you," Levi warned him.

"Wait, I'm not saying anything yet…"

"Then why the hell are you following me?" Levi asked impatiently.

"I need you to come with me and talk to Frieda," Zeke said. "Do you remember her?"

Levi shook his head. "I've heard about her a few times, but she didn't register in my memory. They said she was Rod Reiss's daughter."

"She's a friend of yours," Zeke said. "She's a pharmacologist—someone whose job is making drugs and medications. She said about a project you were funding prior to your accident."

"What's the deal with that?"

"Your blood samples have traces of unidentified substances that are linked to a toxic drug composition. It turned out they were her samples in pure form."

"Was I poisoned?!" Levi asked.

"We ruled that out," Zeke said. "Frieda was coming up with a drug for her uncle—Rod Reiss's brother. It's supposed to alter one's way of thinking. It's similar to a hallucinogenic drug but with lasting effects—or we don't know for sure. However, she hadn't come up with a finished product when she lost her samples. And that's when we found them in your system."

"W-wait… but how…"

"God knows, Levi," Zeke said. "You were overdosing on your prescribed medications, and then this. I even wonder if you're having suicidal plans during those times. The big question is, how did the drug get into your system?"

Levi buried his face in his hands. "Am I even capable of suicide?"

"Only your 'old self' knows what you've been thinking…" Zeke said. "Depression is a bitch. So, Petra had that kind of impact on you?"

Levi stared at Zeke in horror. No way.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. And if you can't believe it yourself, I gotta tell you really were fucked up when Petra turned down your marriage proposal. You seemed lost and hopeless, as if it's the end of the world. It's stupid to be honest. You, wasting your life over a woman? Not-so-Ackerman. So if you want to learn more about your past, you need to see Frieda."

"I don't think it's necessary."

"Levi, this is for your own good. For your health. That substance possibly caused your current memories, and we wouldn't know about its long-term effects. She had to know what her drug could do to a person. She was even surprised that you lived after taking that much. Come on, she's your childhood friend. She can be trusted."

"And what about Rod? Her father?"

"I believe he's not involved in her projects."

"How can you be so sure? You warned me to watch out for him."

"Yes, I know. But he's not our concern as of now. If you feel there's something wrong with Rod Reiss then that's the more reason we should talk to Frieda…"

"Zeke," Levi eyed him carefully. "What's your plan, really?"

"There are no plans. But we need to know some things. And all our questions would be answered if we talk to her."

Levi doesn't feel good about it.

"Be kind to yourself," Zeke reminded him. "You forgot who you are, who you should be. You're becoming someone you're not. But fine, I won't say anything against the people you choose to be with, but I hope you won't forget that you still have responsibilities as the 'old' Levi. You should be open to possibilities that our circumstances call for it."

Levi had no time to argue. "Tch. Fine, I'm going."

When Frieda requested Zeke to bring Levi with him, she was not too sure if she was ready to face the results of her experiments. She should be free of guilt as she never intended to get her samples stolen. However, it was the nagging idea that Levi was in pretty bad shape after taking the psychotropic drug that was supposed for the psychedelic treatment of her uncle. Zeke didn't spill the details over the phone, he needed to see her again and discuss everything in person.

She knocked on his pad's door breathlessly after taking five flights of stairs as the elevator broke down. She was two hours late, and had personal errands to run first. Zeke was very strict on punctuality but to hell with that, he needed something from her.

Zeke opened the door in a sour mood but let her in nevertheless. She awkwardly stepped in, and a huge smile painted her features when she saw Levi sitting in the living room. He stood up when he saw her.

"Levi!" Frieda cried. Her excitement to see him made her forget what this meeting was all about. She pounced and hugged him tightly. "Oh, god, I am so relieved you're okay!"

Zeke cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt your sweet reunion, but Frieda, don't treat Levi like that…"

Levi stood stiffly when Frieda's body was pressed against him. By the look on his face, he was more agitated than confused. Frieda pulled away and looked at him closely. Their distance made Levi shy away.

"I hope you know what personal space was…" Levi said, stepping back awkwardly.

Frieda's excitement vanished. She blinked her eyes rapidly. "L-Levi… don't you remember me?"

Levi looked away apologetically. Here are two people who allegedly were close friends with him, but he didn't quite recall in his other world.

"Hey… can't you really…" Frieda tried again.

"Frieda, he doesn't remember anything about you," Zeke interrupted. "That's why I want you to see for yourself."

Frieda clamped her hands on Levi's shoulders tightly, leaning close to his face. "Levi? Hey, it's Frieda! We're childhood best friends, remember? You said you want to take part in nation-building, and I want to take part in creating breakthrough medicine. Remember those days we shared our dreams? And now we made it! And you were thoughtful enough to support me up to this day. You were funding my research projects."

"Not gonna work, Frieda. You can talk to him the whole day and make him remember you've played in the mud together, but unfortunately, he wouldn't recall that," Zeke iterated.

Damned right. Frieda Reiss in Levi's memory was just a part of history. She was long gone before the world fired up into chaos. Levi bit his lower lip.

"B-but… how?" Frieda asked worriedly.

"Your drug. Is there something else?" Zeke said sarcastically. "That's how your drug works."

"But it's not meant to work like this…" Frieda cried. "You've gotta be kidding me…"

"He's two months in a coma. Why the hell would we keep a joke running that long?"

"This is… unreal…" Frieda's face was red, as if she was about to cry. Something clicked in her mind, recalling Petra's meet-up with her. "So I get it now… why Petra's acting strange last time…"

"Pardon?" Zeke asked.

Levi clearly heard her. So Petra met up with Frieda? And for what?

"Petra couldn't say it straight. But she was telling me something about losing Levi…" Frieda said. "So this is what she meant by that? Can't you even remember Petra? You were about to marry! You've told me you're excited to give her a ring on your surprise proposal!"

Levi had enough of people linking him to Petra. But he knew he couldn't just blame them. But isn't Petra the reason why he was a different person now? And while he was enjoying this life—especially with Hange—why can't just Petra let him go?

"Frieda, Levi's current memories are all about a nonexistent world. He may recognize a few people but recall them differently. He attacked me when he first woke up because I was an enemy in his memory. And then he doesn't recall Petra as his girlfriend. There are also a few strangers he never mingled with in the past—yet he can identify their names through their faces. Long story short, Levi's acting like a man from two worlds. What the hell is in those drugs to induce memories like that?" Zeke babbled.

"Why wasn't this in the news?"

"Don't be stupid, Frieda. I was his doctor, and never did I encounter a condition this rare. We couldn't disclose such an absurd phenomenon like this when a prominent person like Levi is involved. He's under controversy because Petra rejected him, and we don't need another one to make matters worse. It will affect his name, ruin his popularity. Or would you rather like to reveal what's in your concoction that caused this madness?"

Frieda plopped on a nearby seat and sighed in frustration.

"After Petra's rejection, Levi got depressed, sleepless even. He's on medications and anti-depressants because it was already affecting his duties and health. He couldn't see the reason why Petra would turn him down. I was with him all the time, he's been drinking every night—pub crawling even. He can't seem to function straight, and that's when he's been accepting drinks offered by strangers. We could only theorize that some drinks were spiked with your drug," Zeke told her. "Some should be held accountable for this!"

"Look… there is something I need you to know…" Frieda shared. "It may seem Petra was being senseless for turning Levi down, but I think you need to know her reason."

Levi and Zeke traded looks.

Frieda looked at Levi shyly. "She thought you were being unfaithful to her. Because of me."

"What?!" Levi couldn't believe his ears.

"But… no… we don't have an affair, Levi!" Frieda interjected, waving her hands. "She got it all wrong! Well… she's jealous of our friendship ever since. That's why I decided to put some distance between us. But one night before the engagement party, she saw us together. We're discussing about this project—this particular project about medicinal plants that were supposed for my uncle. You're funding them. And this project… is the same one with the compounds found in your blood."

"Funding?" Levi asked. Certainly, he was lost in every detail. He surely missed everything about his life as the CEO, and with Frieda telling things about his past, he was now curious about the mystery surrounding him.

"And I don't know if Petra talked to you about it. I explained my side, and she probably regretted what she's done. She went overboard on jealousy about literally nothing," Frieda said. "And then… look where it took you now…"

Her blue eyes gazed at him with sadness. She turned back to Zeke. "What about his behavioral patterns, motor skills, implicit memories? Are they normal?"

"Likely they are," Zeke said. "No one could tell that something is wrong with him. Trust me, I've run the most complex tests. He even acquired inhuman skills that challenged me as a doctor. His memory dictates him as a soldier, and he acts like it. The question now is, what are the effects of the substances in the long run? I hope you have a comprehensive study of them. Are they long-term? Can we restore his memories? Can we bring back the old Levi?"

Frieda pulled some documents out of her bag and scanned her eyes through them. "Levi has become the very first test subject of the drug. However, the concoction that entered his system was formulated in the wrong doses. My samples are in their raw forms, and as I studied the results of Levi's blood test, five of my potent samples have been mixed up in excessive amounts and galvanized the pharmacological effects into highly toxic levels. In short, the one who gave him the drug had no background in pharmacology to neutralize the effects. It's literally poison, in layman's terms. Also, the interaction with other substances—alcohol and other medications pooling in his system possibly led to overdose and coma. It was a miracle he survived despite all that deadly mix. Well, Dr. Jaeger, you know too well that a human's brain has yet to be explored and its capacity wasn't capped at a certain level. There are rare cases that can't be explained by science alone. The drug must've triggered and activated an imaginary world where Levi thinks he's a player. As for recognizing people he had never encountered before—that was beyond me. We wouldn't know how his brain got access to a fragmented world mixed with reality. He's gone into a coma, and we can even say that during the period of unconsciousness, his brain had been processing strange events like the ones during dreams, instilling in his cognition that it had been his reality. We couldn't conclude that they were the effects of my samples alone because I've yet to test them on people but… there's a seventy percent possibility that the substance combination of my samples and other drugs induced this rare, structured memory of another world"

A different kind of chill ran down Levi's spine. Hearing Zeke and Frieda talk about his condition gave him a bit of a headache. His other world—as far as his memory can recall was chaotic, yet he holds it dearly because of certain people he met today.

And one of them was Hange.

"But you're talking about some of the plants as psychedelics. And we do know that traditional psychedelics have short-term effects. Can we state that Levi's memories might be temporary? Can we rewire them back?" Zeke asked.

"The drugs certainly messed up the chemical composition of his brain, but I wouldn't say they're temporary. There might be a certain chemical in one drug that binds to an enzyme… receptors, or ion channels that respond differently. Maybe I can come up with another drug formulation to reverse the effects, we can do a trial and error and—"

"No!" Levi growled. "I'm not taking anything! You're just gonna worsen my condition!"

"Levi, we're here to find a cure," Zeke insisted. "We're only helping you restore your memories. Don't you want them back? Don't you want to return to normal?"

"No! This is normal to me. I've accepted what I turned out into, and you can't force me to bring back that old person you used to know. He's long gone. He's fucked up in the head for messing up his life, giving birth to a different person. I don't need him back. I want this!" Levi said intensely, almost stabbing himself with his index finger. "I couldn't trust you, Zeke. My memory recalled you as a cunning bastard who manipulates people! Just let me be! Get out of my life!"

"Levi, hey! The hell are you saying?! I would never do anything to harm you!" Zeke said. "It hurts to hear that coming from you. I've been doing everything to restore your physical and mental wellness. Do you think I deserved all your accusations? To think you never raised your voice at me like that?!"

"I'm fine being like this! I don't want to be the old me!" Levi said hysterically.

"You're insane..." Zeke said horrifically.

"Levi…" Frieda croaked.

Levi pointed a finger at her. "You're not doing anything, lady! I choose to be the person I've become today! I don't need to remember everything about me, and I'm certain as hell wouldn't take anything from you! Petra fucked up my life so I'd stay as the person she once rejected!"

"What's the matter with you?! You are Levi Ackerman the CEO! You need to function as you are!" Zeke pressed.

"I have Mikasa and Erwin work for that! I don't care about what I do in the company. Erwin alone can do better without me."

"Was this because of Hange?" Zeke asked incredulously. "Your Hange?"

Levi froze. Yes. The possibility of him regaining his memories will also mess up his feelings. And this is what Hange had been telling him before hence her hesitation to have a relationship with him. Will he forget all about her? Won't he remember a thing about their relationship?

"Is she the reason why you're embracing the new you? How absurd, Levi. Are you telling me you've fallen for that woman? A stranger? She's only after your money!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Levi seethed as he marched towards Zeke, roughly hauling him by the collar and shooting daggers straight into his blue eyes. "Don't you dare say stupid things against her! She saved me! That stranger saved me when I was crumbling down, when I was seconds away from death, and you damned saw that!"

Zeke gulped, holding Levi by his wrists as the grip on his collar tightened, nearly asphyxiating him. "L-Levi… stop… this. You're... choking... m-me..."

"And you!" Levi barked at Frieda, who was frozen in place. "Can you even guarantee that I will still retain this? Retain this 'self' who would remember the people I newly met?!"

"I can only say it's worth taking the risk. You're a new case, so we will need pre-clinical trials first, and then I can come up with different samples that can-" Frieda cut her words as Levi's eyes sharpened.

"Le-vi... let... let me go..." Zeke begged.

Levi saw those same pleading eyes in his memory, horrified and begging for mercy. He let go of Zeke harshly, throwing him onto a chair and casting him a deadly glare. "So there's no assurance. If that's the case, I'd rather die than get back to normal."

"L-Levi! You have to trust Frieda on this..." Zeke gasped. "We're not done talking..."

"No. We're done," Levi said coldly and headed to the front door, slamming it shut after exiting.

"Shit..." Zeke breathed. "He's inhumanly strong even. Care to explain how a damaged brain altered his physiology as well?"

Frieda shook her head in shock. "I swear to god, I don't know..."

"Isn't he an interesting specimen?" Zeke asked jokingly but was very much upset. "He's too messed up… even in life's choices."

"W-who's Hange by the way?" Frieda asked curiously.

"She's Levi's alleged girlfriend now. He told me earlier he's living with her. She's the person who saved him from the car that almost ran over him that night in Stohess. He had a strange memory of her, and they bonded easily…" Zeke loosened the buttons of his shirt and thumbed his throbbing neck. "You see it now, Frieda. A strange concoction of drugs can twist a person's character. Can you still recognize him with that kind of behavior?"

Frieda swallowed a lump in her throat. Sure thing, it also hurts her that Levi had no recollection of her. "I'm… I'm sorry. My drug isn't supposed to work that way."

"Levi embraced the person he is now," Zeke said morosely. "But you know he shouldn't. He's living in lies-a false universe. There must be a way to restore his memories. Please, do something. Bring back the old him. You don't want to lose him either, do you?"

"Oh god…" Frieda whispered, her hands clamped together as she held her papers tightly. "It really hurts when a person so dear to you would act differently around you. It's so unbecoming."

"Can you come up with a drug to restore his old memories?" Zeke asked tiredly. The tension with Levi drained him to the core.

Frieda nodded. "I'll do my best. I just need to study the chemical structures of the drugs again to see how I can reverse the effects of the chemicals that affected his physiological response. It won't be easy, but I'm always up for challenges."

"Thank you. And one more request," Zeke said. "Would you not tell your dad about this? We're just protecting Levi's current identity. It's… work-related matters. I hope you haven't told him anything yet."

"No. Not yet."

"Good."

"Dr. Jaeger, I'll try my best to restore his memories," Frieda said with resolve. "I'm taking responsibility for what happened to him."

Zeke can only nod, feeling a bit feverish but very much relieved by now.

Kenny Ackerman had ended a phone call when Mikasa entered his office unannounced. The young woman had a determined look on her face as if whatever news she had for him would blow him away.

He calmly turned back to his table, rearranging the clutter of paperwork that had been pended for days now. He was meant to retire, but now he was dragged back to this never-ending mess again.

"What do you want, Mikasa? Or do you have bad news for your uncle?" Kenny asked.

"It wasn't bad news to me, but it could be bad news to you," Mikasa deadpanned.

Kenny smirked. "I would guess it was all about Levi. After all, it's always been about him for the past few weeks."

"I hope you could take it easy on him. He's not causing problems in our company, anyway."

Kenny narrowed his eyes. "He's not causing problems because you're covering up for him. And now, I guess I'm doing the same. It's been two weeks now. Does he plan on coming back?"

"If you're talking about his presence in this company, then that's a little impossible. However, I can assure you that Erwin and I can handle the paperwork with the help of Armin—Levi's new executive secretary," Mikasa said.

"I see…" Kenny said, seemingly uninterested. "Your brother's got people around him a little too worked up, don't you think? Aren't you getting tired of covering up for him?"

"He couldn't function as the person before, and you know that. And no, I'll never get tired of taking his job. I love Levi, and I understand his condition. And I hope you do, too."

"Get to the point, Mikasa. What are you here for?"

"If you could just let Levi live as a new person," Mikasa said. "We have to accept what he turned into, and let him do things the way he wants. The board should know. And I know they will understand. Levi has been excellent in one year after he's been handed the CEO duties, but he's not irreplaceable. There are also lots of talented individuals who can meet up with his skills."

Kenny sighed. "It's easy to say that, Mikasa. You're still young to understand how this industry works. You can't put your trust fully in people. You should know how to see through them and play them right. It's a dog-eat-dog world. Some people will pull you down. Some people will force you out of your position, push you out of your pedestal."

"What do you mean?"

Kenny stacked a set of papers on his table. "There will be enemies. Levi's condition will render him useless, unfit for his duties. And that's the reality. There will be those who can take advantage of that. The board will decide who will take his place, and I have an idea who will get the majority of votes."

"W-who?" Mikasa had an uneasy look on her face.

"Rod Reiss," Kenny said.

Mikasa held her breath.

"This is not a good time to discuss the possible repercussions if your brother decides to leave his duties. But then again, as long as you keep the situation a secret, we're still good. If it bothers you in the first place why I can't let anyone know Levi's situation, Rod is one of the reasons. I don't trust him. I don't need to go into details, but him taking over the CEO position will never be good for the company."

It was new information to put on Mikasa's list of things to do—or investigate. Would she tell her uncle what she found out? However, she decided it was still too early to divulge sensitive issues.

"But I just want you to know at least... that Levi enjoys the company of new people he's recently met," Mikasa said. "Levi wants a simple, peaceful life. And he currently found it."

"What?"

Mikasa bowed her head. "Thing is, he's moved in with Hange Zoe—the rescue officer who saved him during his accident. He's fond of her—because she was a part of his strange memories. She's a nice person and a good influence on him."

Kenny twitched his brows, biting the inside of his cheek in the process. "He left Petra for her… is that it?"

"Petra… doesn't know yet. But I visited Levi a while back, and he's doing good. Better than he was in the penthouse. Levi and Hange spent their time in Ragako together, and I think they grew closer after that."

Kenny sat down on his swivel chair and leaned defeatedly, sighing in frustration. "When did you become close with your brother?"

Mikasa's eyes widened. It was a question she never expected from Kenny. "We've gone close after he lost his memories."

"Don't you want the old one back? The old one, who's the future of our business empire?" Kenny raised one brow. "The feisty, classy, sharp, and clever Levi Ackerman who is running to be one of the world's youngest and most successful tycoons?"

"The current Levi brings a different character. Someone who finally sees me as his sister."

"If Levi didn't lose his memories, I know you wouldn't be too overprotective of him. And I know you wouldn't approach me the way you're doing it right now. Funny, I didn't take you as someone who will stand up for your brother. How did I miss this endearing relationship between you two?"

"And you certainly missed that I was never really close to Levi before losing his memories. I liked this version of him. I liked it when he finally took notice of me, cooked food for me, and relied on me when he needed someone to talk to-when he couldn't handle you."

"Levi's condition hurled us into a massive predicament, and the circumstances are becoming challenging day by day." Kenny slumped against the backrest of his chair. "The Ackermans can run the world given our talents. But we three are the only remaining bloodline in this world. I hope you can think about our future. How we can restore and pass our possessions to future generations. It's not about the wealth, it's about the honesty and integrity we carry as a company that values and cares about its people. I wouldn't care if Levi chose a different partner as long as we keep our names on top, and keep the ambitious crooks below our feet. And as for you, go find someone to love and marry, Mikasa. You need someone to take care of you…"

"Uncle Kenny… why..."

"Why am I suddenly sentimental?" Kenny chuckled. "Part of old age, maybe. And there's a part of me that I hope I can send back in time and love somebody."

Mikasa stared at him in amusement.

"You lost your parents at a very young age and I took both of you under my wing. I was never good at parenting skills. I hate kids. I hate when they make noise, when they throw tantrums. I hate changing diapers. But then again, I have all the money to pay people to take responsibility. To clean you up, prepare your food, keep you company. It's easy. And then, Levi turning into an adult made the job easier. He's become the CEO, and a very good one at that... perhaps, he even surpassed me. People said nice things about us. They glorify us. They wish to be like us. It's ridiculous that people only see us on the surface. People aren't aware of what's behind this detached family. Yes, we have lots of houses, enough for big families. But all are empty. Maybe I missed that phase in life where I should've loved someone. Have kids to run around my garden. And maybe the houses we own aren't as empty as we used to see them."

The creases on his forehead softened. Mikasa didn't expect he'd be this dramatic.

"When Levi started calling me by my first name, I thought it was insulting. But it's a realization. Maybe I was really meant to be disrespected."

"Levi didn't mean it that way..."

"I know. And that makes it even more questionable. Why are his memories of me comprised violence and hatred? Subconsciously, maybe a part of him hates me."

Mikasa had never seen this side of her uncle before. It's quite an eye-opener that the person she mistook for being impassive was actually the opposite.

"It's not too late to show Levi that you cared..." Mikasa said lowly. "And I'm certain he'd appreciate that."

Kenny smiled gloomily. "Tell your brother I might talk to him soon."

"Okay," Mikasa said and nodded, turning around slowly and making her way outside the door. Discomfort seeped through her when she first came in, but now she was a bit more relieved. Suddenly, a ring from her phone startled her. Her brows shot up at the caller ID. She pressed one button and answered, "Z-Zeke? Hi, yes, I'm fine. What's the matter?"

He was seething in rage.

The emotions were high as Levi ran his way back to Yelena's apartment in Orvud. It was nearing lunch now, and he must have lost track of time when he saw a familiar figure pacing back and forth outside the apartment building.

"Hange…" Levi whispered.

Hange must have heard him from that distance. She was in her loungewear, barefooted, and disheveled. She was talking frantically with someone over her phone when she saw him.

Levi walked over to her. "W-what the hell are you doing outside like this?"

Hange's eyes were red as if she'd been crying. She snarled at him. "And you?! Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I've been running, four-eyes," Levi said nonchalantly, stating the obvious with his sweat-drenched self.

"From morning until lunch?! Just how much running do you need to start up your day? Was it always like this?!" She was mad. Real mad like a nagging wife. Levi could tell it was overbearing, but he understood her worry. He's been missing for hours without calling her. He brought his phone but kept it on silent mode. It was partly his fault.

"I just took… a different route. And got a little lost." He looked away. He didn't need to tell her he'd been to Zeke's place. "And sorry, I didn't realize my phone was ringing."

Hange's face softened. She grabbed him by the shoulders and looked at him closely. His sweaty hair clung to his forehead. "You've been lost? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine…"

"I was so fucking worried…" Hange cried. She couldn't take it anymore as she burst into tears again.

"Oi, four-eyes don't cry out here!" Levi reprimanded her.

"I… I just can't help it, okay?" Her tears kept falling. "I thought something happened to you again…"

He took her hand and dragged her inside the building.

At the swing of the door to Yelena's unit, Levi slammed Hange against the door, clamping his hands on her shoulders. He bowed his head so low that Hange could no longer see his face. Lately, he gently pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her body, burying his face by her neck. Hange gasped. It was all familiar. It was the same suffocating embrace she experienced back in Ragako. The act was so sudden and emotional, and she could feel something was wrong.

"Levi?"

He hugged her tighter.

"I-is… is everything okay?"

No answer. He was breathing on her neck, nose brushing against it as he pressed further.

"Not too tight… don't you think?" Hange chuckled uncomfortably. She was almost immovable against his grasp.

"Sorry I got you worried."

Hange blinked her eyes. She was a little short-fused and overdramatic, but Levi was much more. Suddenly, she forgot about crying. "Forget it. You're here now. Levi… what is this again?"

"Tell me… if I forgot about you, all about us… if I returned to my old self, would you at least make me remember that there had been us?"

"W-what are you…"

"I don't care how you do it. Punch me in the face, smack something hard on my head, make me bleed… I don't care! Just… tell me your name. Tell me we've been close. Tell me we've become one—that we shared nights together and made love. Tell me everything I need to know."

"Levi, I don't understand…"

"Promise me."

"I…" Hange's mind went blank. Her heart pounded wildly against her chest. What is going on for real?

"Hange," Levi repeated, a little above a whisper. "Promise me!"

"Okay... okay. P-Promise…" Hange clipped.

She heard him sigh against her neck, assuming her response relieved him. She was ready to punch him in the face earlier, but seeing him like this made her weak. Their emotions matched, but she was afraid to ask what could be wrong with him. Why say those cryptic words?

"Think you need a shower?" Hange veered. Maybe she needed to take this lightly. She didn't like it when Levi got emotional. "You probably didn't notice it yourself but…"

What a way to ruin the mood.

Levi untangled himself from her abashedly. "Yeah… I stink."

Hange laughed softly. She brushed off his tangled locks and kissed his forehead endearingly.

"Hey, you two!" The blonde, bowl-cut haired housemate emerged from the couch lazily. Yelena was eyeing them suspiciously. "Now why not take all that drama to the shower? And make all the noise you want. Break each other's bones, rip each other's hearts, I don't mind."

Levi rolled his eyes.

"And yo, Levi! You looked great today. Isn't it great to have sex once in a while? I'm sure you'd want it every minute of your life. Tell me when we need to soundproof your room."

"Yelena…" Hange's nerves were on fire. "You're practically asking us to move out already, aren't you?"

"Nah. All I could ask is for you to keep that relationship strong. I wouldn't care if this house smelled of cum as long as you guys clean it up nicely…"

"Just shut up now!" Hange wailed.

"K. Right. Bye. Gotta sleep now. Levi, be gentle on her. She hasn't probably recovered from last night. In any case, there's an ice pack in the fridge. Good for the swelling," Yelena chirped and slumped back down the couch.

Hange was beet-red, turning back to Levi. "I know you're gonna ask me how I can stand her."

Levi shrugged. "Trust me, the Yelena in my memory is someone I'd literally kill on a daily basis. I've seen the worst of her. She's fine."

"Okay, so would you shower now?" Hange asked.

"Wouldn't you join me?" Levi asked invitingly.

"Go ahead, Hange! Join him!" Yelena yelled from across the room.

"I swear you'll be needing a wheelchair soon!" Hange yelled back.

"That would be you after a steamy shower with your boyfriend!" Yelena chuckled.

"I swear to god…" Hange was gritting her teeth. She looked at Levi apologetically. "You go ahead in the shower, Levi. My mood just died."

"Sure?" Levi asked smugly.

"Don't give me that face," Hange said.

Levi smirked. "I'm not asking for sex in the shower."

Hange tilted her head.

"If there's anyone horny in this room, that was Yelena. We're not doing it if you're not interested. And we could throw Yelena out of the window if you'd like."

Hange laughed. "That's not necessary. Yelena's wicked, but I love her nonetheless."

Levi grinned back. Perhaps he was not in the mood for anything, either. After all, he was just trying to divert his mind from the earlier memory of Zeke and Frieda. He felt bad enough that he treated two of his alleged close friends harshly. A part of him knows they are sincere and can be trusted. He understood their sentiments and desperation to bring the old him back, however, the mere fact that the restoration of his old memories might affect his relationship with Hange was not to be ignored. It was "risky", according to Frieda herself, but he is not willing to jump into trying anything again—be it a cure or something to that effect—and then suddenly, all his memories with Hange will be blown away like the dust.

Notes:

Sorry for a little delay in posting because a lot of things happened during a recent hiking activity overseas. I'm back to hiking again to release all the STRESS of 2022 and I want 2023 to be a better year for me, however, it was another shitty start when I injured myself (knee and ankle) during an extremely rainy hike and had to be brought down by people from a 4km steep, rocky and slippery terrain. I think I'm lucky enough to survive the freezing temperatures and extreme weather conditions even after being stalled for two years without proper preparation and training. Add up the altitude sickness which I never experienced before because this is my first time trying for a 4000+ meter elevation. This is the WORST feeling I've ever experienced in my entire life and I spent days curled up under my blankets enduring all kinds of pain that I thought I'm gonna pass out and never wake up. I even lost my appetite and have to be hooked on IV because I can barely eat anything. I love mountains but for now, I can't look at them the same way again. 😩 I had plans on trekking the Himalayas a few months from now but I think that should take a backseat for now.

But then again, I survived to be writing again, and here you go, another chapter from me to say I'm alive. Didn't have the time to re-read and edit some parts because I still feel a little lightheaded.

My hiking experience still gets me each night and it jolts me awake when I thought I was falling off a cliff in the midst of violent winds and rain. It was kind of traumatizing and hope to feel much better soon.

Anyway, I thank all of my readers who engaged with me in the Levihan discussions in the previous chapter. I'm so hyped up that there are still a lot of you who'd defend our ship even if it lags behind the most popular ones. I guess we could all agree that every ship is valid, but please, have some decency and not be rabid about it.

On another note, AOT anime is scheduled for March and the other half is for next year. Ah... it's been dragging already unless they'd change the storyline and make Hange live. Lol! Still, I'm not ready for it. I actually want my fic to finish before the anime ends but I think I'd still have plenty of time to wrap this up. Also hoping to see more stories under the Levihan tag. ;)

Kudos and comments are appreciated. I'd love to hear from you... I have two unfinished drafts of Chapters 34 and 35 and I couldn't imagine the future of my story if something really bad happened to me during the hike (seriously, it could've been that way). My family had always been against this hobby and they were awfully mad because I always chase dangerous heights.

Okay. Enough for now. Lesson learned. Overconfidence can kill you.

Chapter 34

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"A cure? Are you sure there is a cure for Levi's condition?"

Mikasa was not sure how to put it—locking the rim of a cup of coffee between her lips. She took the information light-headedly with a mix of confusion, fear, and worry—never pleased in a way. Levi had the chance to go back to normal, but why was she feeling this was an inappropriate time? Strangely, a bigger part of her didn't want a cure of any kind. A "cure" to mess up her familial relationships once again.

This wasn't the time. At least, not yet.

Zeke's phone call that afternoon sounded like an emergency, making her leave the office and drive to his clinic in a hurry. She had never seen the doctor in a while, but for him to ask something urgently was definitely more important than all the papers she needed to sign up that day. It would have something to do with Levi, and that should make all her errands take the backseat in her list of priorities.

"Not quite. But a co-doctor and friend of mine happened to review the results of Levi's toxicology report, and she found something I missed. Strangely, there were traces of unspecified substances that possibly caused his coma and the false memories. It appears they were raw drug formulations by Frieda Reiss," Zeke revealed. "They are psychedelics by nature, and Levi was drugged—perhaps poisoned—judging by the amounts of toxic substances he ingested. With that, a cure should be another drug. Like an antidote to a poison."

"F-Frieda Reiss? But... was she the one who…" Mikasa didn't like where this was heading.

"I already talked to her. And no, she has nothing to do with it. Her samples are stolen in her lab. It's convenient to say she didn't have anything to do with the poisoning because Frieda is Levi's close friend. She'll never have something against him," Zeke explained.

"But how about Levi? I witnessed how he was overdosing on his prescription drugs and… could he be the one who stole those samples himself?" Mikasa paled out. "Was he thinking of self-harming?"

"Likely, Levi was suicidal that time, but Frieda assured me that he never visited her lab. Not even once. And I can also attest to that since I was always by his side, keeping an eye on him," Zeke said. "I asked Frieda to request the CCTV footage of the day when the drug was allegedly stolen. However, the security team claimed that the two of the cameras were defective."

Mikasa was mind-blown, trying to process the peculiar nature of that information. Apparently, it could be vital to their secret investigation involving Rod Reiss. And now there was Frieda and her drug samples. Another Reiss.

Something should connect.

"The good news is, Frieda was cooperative enough and held herself responsible for what happened. She promised to whip up a formulation to reverse the effect of her samples. It would take some thorough research, but I trusted her intelligence in matters like this. At least there is a way to restore Levi's memories. We could only hope and stay positive she comes up with the finished product soon."

Mikasa was nodding vacantly. It was not the news of a drug to revert Levi to his old self but something else.

Something should click.

"Wait… how did the drug get into Levi's system?" Mikasa asked.

"We assumed it was from the same night during the car crash. He'd been drinking spiked drinks, and there's a huge chance one of them was mixed with that drug," Zeke said. "Strangers kept handing out hard drinks, and Levi's just chugging them down like he's in a drinking contest."

Mikasa cocked her head, thinking. "Does it ever cross your mind that the drug might be handed to Levi on purpose?"

"What?"

"We believe Levi had no enemies. But… what if one person secretly harbored hate towards him?" Mikasa pointed out. "You said before that the amount of mixed substances found in Levi's system was fatal. Party drugs are normally handed in bars but to put something in a drink that can potentially kill a person was suspicious. It's no longer intended for fun. Levi was fated to die that night."

"What are you implying?"

"Forget about the cure. I want someone to be held accountable for Levi's condition. Something was not right. I could feel someone was doing the dirty work…" Mikasa said with a quiver.

"Mikasa, are you accusing a certain person behind this?"

"I'm not going to mention a name unless we hold all the pieces of the puzzle to fit together," Mikasa said gravely. "Freida was a Reiss, and the one who stole her drug must have been a person very close to her. I guess I'm looping you in, Zeke. And I have something to tell you."

Zeke nodded wordlessly. Mikasa had a story to tell, and he sure as hell would never miss it.

"You think Boss is coming? Can we rely on Annie?" A red-haired woman sporting a pixie cut was looking out the window of a two-storey apartment by the outskirts of Sina. She was leaning by the window frame, flipping her phone and waiting for a call.

A dirty-blond guy was sitting on a chair, feet crossed, and hiked up on a coffee table. He inhaled sharply. "I hope so…"

"But you scared her, Furlan! Whose idea was it to drag her into a dark alley and make ourselves like bad guys? she squeaked. "You saw the fear in her eyes? Geez, we could've traumatized her!"

"Relax, Isabel, we didn't do anything to her! It's just a second-long jumpscare. She listened, understood, and said yes. She'll keep her word," the guy named Furlan said confidently.

Isabel turned away from the window and put her hands on her hips. "I really do hope Boss will come with her. They should be here soon if they got the right address. I'm sick of hiding, you know? And I was glad he was finally awake. It's been so long we're cooped up in Marley, and I can't wait to reunite with our families once he exposed that bastard Rod Reiss."

"Agh, we could only hope right now…" Furlan sighed. "Can you believe it? A lot has happened in six months. We're helping Levi with his investigations but our cover's blown up. I feel bad that he felt accountable for getting our families nearly ambushed. He's got so much in his hands that there's also the need to protect us. If only we've been careful enough."

Isabel sighed. "Nah. Don't bring that up again, Furlan. Boss told us it's not our fault we're caught off-guard. Rod Reiss was too powerful on his own with eyes behind him—much more with unnamed people working in the background. He can escape his crimes and silence those who cross his path. It's just stupid that we let our guard down and Boss had to do everything to keep us away from harm. And then, he also had to deal with his girlfriend turning down his proposal. Of all the times Miss Petra had to ruin his plans. That's just too much for him to handle. And we're not by his side when he's dealing with everything alone."

"Don't make me feel bad, Isabel. I would've stayed too, but I also feel the pressure of keeping my family safe. The three of us are the only ones who hold the key to exposing Reiss's crimes, but Levi took it away from us. Maybe because he knows Reiss couldn't do anything to him. But I wonder why he's not taking action yet," Furlan said.

"Come on. He's still recovering from the coma…"

"It's been weeks."

"Some people are taking months. What's with the hurry?! It's lucky enough he's not paralyzed or something. Maybe he's got more important things to attend to first."

"Far more important than Rod's hidden agenda? Levi was ready with the whistleblowing even before his marriage proposal. But Petra fucked up that plan," Furlan said exasperatedly. "Ah, the problem with women. They always get in the way…"

Isabel sat down on a chair, giving him a deadly stare. "Watch your mouth and think who you are talking to, idiot. Don't generalize it."

Furlan chuckled and folded his arms over his head. "Women loved to be the number one priority and the number one problem of their partners. That's how much attention they want."

"Shut up! That impression wasn't helping! Not all women are like Petra," Isabel drawled. "But seriously, I didn't know the reason she would turn Boss down. He's never been unfaithful to her. I always book their dinners and trips. He even asks me for suggestions on what to give her on special occasions."

"If Levi gets unfaithful, we should know it firsthand. We've got the privilege of knowing every event happening in his life. Well, until this…"

"It still gets me when he told us to quit our jobs if something happens to him. I guess that makes us vulnerable at that time, and he's not there to protect us. But I still hope I stayed behind and never left for Marley with our families. He's been alone and in a coma for weeks, and we couldn't even see him because of death threats."

"I'm sure Levi wouldn't allow us to stay close to danger. He gave us the money to start a new life somewhere, and told us he could handle it alone. But do you think Reiss has stopped looking for us now? We're like criminals on the run. And I feel scared for Levi—"

An abrupt knock on the door froze them both on the spot. Isabel looked at the door warily.

"You think it's Boss?" she whispered.

Furlan cocked his head. He stood up and rushed to the door, peeking into a peephole. "They're here. There's Annie. There's someone with her, but it's not Levi. What the hell? I told her to report directly to Levi."

"Sure?" Isabel followed him and saw what he was talking about. "He doesn't look familiar, though. Should we open the door?"

Furlan clicked his tongue. He put his hand on the doorknob and carefully turned it. "I can tackle him to the floor if he's got a knife under his sleeve."

"He looks harmless though. Plus, there's Annie…" Isabel said. "I think she brought a trusted person."

Furlan exhaled. "Whatever, fine. I trust your judgment…"

Armin Arlert had no time to scrutinize people by their faces. As the door opened to the unit, he was met with two confused expressions. Annie stood beside him—unsmiling—so he took the liberty to make this meeting a little less tense. He smiled kindly.

"Good day! I'm Armin Arlert, the new executive assistant of Levi Ackerman. I'm sorry he couldn't be with us today, but if you got a message for him, I could assure you it gets to him," Armin said.

Furlan and Isabel exchanged puzzled looks. They stood by the door cautiously.

"So you took my role," Furlan said, crossing his arms. "I hope Levi's not giving you a hard time—or maybe you should be smarter than me to get all the tasks done. Been with Levi since he was a junior executive. And he handpicked me to be his executive assistant until his CEO position. He doesn't just trust somebody. You could be someone special."

Armin gave Annie a furtive glance. Furlan sounded arrogant and intimidating, but he let it slip. He decided it was unnecessary to clash with him. He should earn his trust first.

"And who replaced my position?" Isabel asked in a challenging tone. "They'd better surpass my capabilities…"

Armin bit his lower lip. He guessed being acquainted with a CEO will earn someone a sense of brimming self-importance. "Uh—as of now, nobody's being appointed yet for the personal secretary position. It's just me."

"Impressive. You can make a job of two?" Furlan asked incredulously.

"No… of course not. It's just… Mikasa Ackerman requested me to act as the executive assistant due to a very crucial and classified situation," Armin said. "I beleive it's for the meantime."

"Crucial and classified?" Furlan raised his brow. He motioned for Annie and Armin to get inside. "Okay, get in."

"Thank you," Armin mumbled in relief.

The unit was a small-sized unit for a family of three. Armin took notice of the living room that lacked the proper display and furniture. Had these two moved here recently?

"Okay, don't even feel I trust you already, Armin. Tell me why Levi is not with you," Furlan hissed.

Armin stood there uncomfortably.

"Can you offer us a seat first?" Annie deadpanned. "We had a hard time finding this unit, you know…"

"Ah, fine…" Furlan scratched his head in irritation. "You can always sit whenever you want, Annie."

Annie slid onto a nearby seat quietly. Armin took a wooden chair by the coffee table that Furlan previously used.

"Thanks," Armin said uneasily. "Well, the thing is, Levi was not in his best mental state since waking up from the coma. He's a little out of commission these days."

"What?!" Isabel gaped in shock.

"Not in the best mental state? What do you mean? But we saw the news!" Furlan insisted. "He looks fine."

"Yes, of course. He looks okay because he's made to act that way but… truth is, he lost his memories," Armin revealed. He was getting tired of bringing this up twice.

"Lost his memories… like what? He's forgotten all about himself? His past? Has he forgotten everything about being a CEO?" Isabel asked.

"Basically, yes." Armin nodded firmly. "You two must've known what happened to him months ago, right? He had a head trauma and fell into a coma."

"Son of a bitch, why now?!" Furlan slapped his forehead in frustration. "So he doesn't recall a thing? Any single thing?!"

"Apparently, he can recall a few people. But his recognition of them was different than reality. He didn't even see Petra Ral as his girlfriend and Mikasa as his sister. His current memory comprised a much different world where the setting was very opposite—maybe a different timeline or era. We wouldn't know. That's how it is," Armin explained. "So, if you two had managed to land a role in his memory, I think you are the dead fellow soldiers who were very dear to him."

"Wait, you're not telling the truth, right? That's insane! You're talking about some fictitious condition that could pass up for something you see on TV. You think you can fool us? We'd never have our titles under the CEO if we believe that nonsense!" Furlan seethed. "And us… dead? How many hits and highs do you have for a day?"

Armin looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry if you think that way, but I don't apologize for telling the truth. His condition is something even the best neurologist in Sina couldn't explain. We can bring Levi to you and see for yourselves."

Annie tensed nearby. Furlan sighed in defeat.

"So what do we do now, Furlan? Boss wouldn't be able to expose our plans…" Isabel whined. "Are we going to hide forever?"

Armin's ears perked up. "W-wait, what plan?"

"Shall we tell him?" Isabel asked Furlan.

Furlan clicked his tongue. He raised his arms in surrender. "As if we had a choice, right? No one's gonna be there to protect us anymore. We just can't hide forever!"

"What's going on?! If that has something to do with our recent discoveries about Rod Reiss and his anomalies, I think we're on the same course," Armin interjected.

Bewildered, Furlan took a step back. "Tell me, who the hell are you?! You're probably one of Levi's secret enemies!"

Armin stood up from his chair. "N-no! Of course, not…"

Annie interrupted, "Armin was referred by Miss Mikasa herself. There's no way he'd be acquainted with any of Mr. Levi's adversaries."

"Hold it, Furlan. I think they're telling the truth," Isabel eased him.

Armin faltered. "Listen, I'm expecting it will be hard for you to trust me. Thing is, it's the odd circumstances that ushered us to the same path together. Coincidentally, Annie asked me about Levi and we discovered a common ground that led us to a lot of questions. There's like a tiny window allowing us a glimpse of mystery, provoking our senses and intuitions to land us to a person of interest. And that was Rod Reiss. Once, it was Mikasa, Levi, and me. And then, we're gradually letting people in to help us connect the dots, leading us from one clue to another. I'm all ears if you need to vent out. I want you to trust me because we're gathering every piece of information that would help our little investigation."

Furlan clicked a tongue. "So what about your investigation, then? Care to share it?"

Armin hesitated, looking at Annie for approval. "It's about PharArmour, Inc. We suspect that Reiss was involved in irregularities in that pharmaceutical firm. I've seen tampering in their financial records, and possibly, manpower. I have the documents with me today, but they're not enough to prove any criminal activity just yet. To arrive at a conclusion, we need more substantial evidence. But still, once we acquired all the evidence, we need to seek a legal advisor to help us with the disclosure and a suit. Might take a lot of hard work but at least we're taking steps forward."

"Are you for real?" Isabel scoffed, side-eyeing Furlan. "How long have you been investigating this?"

"Just… a few weeks now. After Levi woke up," Armin answered.

"Oooh, guy's a genius. You're no match for him, Furlan. It took you months to come up with a sensible theory." Isabel chuckled flippantly. "Hey, Armin, how did you come up with that anyway? I'm so sure Levi hasn't told anyone about this before."

"Well… when Levi was forced to go to a meeting with the board, Rod Reiss came up to him and said cryptic statements. He was bothered because even his doctor warned him to be careful around Reiss for some reason. He's got strong gut instincts for someone with amnesia."

"That must be Zeke," Furlan said. "But I was sure he didn't know what was going on, unless Levi might have been very frustrated that he unwittingly slipped off the information. After all, the discoveries are just mind-blowing."

"Wait… what discoveries?" Armin asked.

"Your hunch was right. Rod was a savage criminal on the loose," Furlan revealed. "PharArmour Inc. had a drug lab operating in its basement. Basically, it's a legit pharmaceutical firm but with a little side hustle underground. We've managed to break in undetected and acquired pictures and videos from our hidden cameras. We did some surveillance, and also did blind auditing of the company's records. We found out they don't match with their submitted reports. Then, Levi was responsible in picking out the big names behind the drug business as well the districts of Sina where the distribution was rampant. He also found out that Rod was protected by a few politicians who get a hefty cut from the drug sales. You see, money talks. They simply sit on their asses and get money in their bank accounts. Easy as that. They were getting paid for shutting up their mouths."

"Oh… god…" Annie murmured.

"W-wait. Is Rod's daughter, Frieda, involved in this? She was declared as the head pharmacologist in that company," Armin asked.

"No. Frieda doesn't know a thing about her father's dirty business. She's not even working for that lab. I wonder how Rod came up with fake documents with her signatures. I think he's using his daughter to cover the tracks of his illegal activities. And that's what delays Levi from exposing Rod. He started protecting Frieda by funding her research projects and getting her preoccupied with the workload, so if Rod gets exposed, Levi can attest that Frieda was focused on a project partnership with him," Furlan explained.

"I see…" Armin hummed. "It's all making sense now. But anyway, what's up with you two lately? Why did you quit your jobs when Levi was caught in the accident?"

"We didn't mean to quit. Apparently, our investigation cost the safety of our families. Rod found out, got our cover blown, and after a few days, we're receiving threats here and there. It reached our families, and we told Levi that we didn't feel safe there. He confronted Rod, but we didn't know how that went. I'm sure Levi was threatened too, but he's got something up his sleeve that prevented Rod from taking any action against him. Levi told us to escape somewhere if something happened to him. He gave us money and told us to go to Marley with our families. He promised to expose Rod Reiss after his proposal to Petra so we could all live in peace. The evidence will suffice to put Rod and his cohorts behind bars but…" Furlan looked at Isabel despairingly.

"Do you have the evidence?" Armin asked.

"Levi has them all," Isabel said. "He didn't need us to be involved due to those threats. He kept all the evidence from us and acted alone. At first, we thought everything was just empty threats, but there was a time when my father nearly got run over by a motorcycle, and my little brother was food poisoned at a school fair."

"They can easily kill us if they want to," Furlan said. "But I know Levi pulled up some strings to get ahead of the game."

"Aren't there more of you who knows about Levi's plan?" Armin asked.

"As far as I know, it's just us three. But Levi stopped divulging everything to us. We didn't even know if he was in talks with a lawyer or someone from the Industrial Tribunal. Levi's a big shot, but he's not that powerful when Rod Reiss got backup, who can simply dump a suit if it's filed against them. That's why it took him more time to gather his cards to back up and dispute his claims. I think he's taking this to the press first to maximize media exposure—a disclosure for public interest to protect himself. If Levi went straight to the court, he'd be issued a gag order and that'd limit the exposure of Rod's criminal conduct. Rod's a person who maintains a good public image, and one issue will destroy it. You know that public opinion matters these days, so Levi will be using his popularity to gain attention. And if something happens to him, Rod will be instantly lined up as a suspect. Or if Rod countered the accusations, at least Levi had all the evidence prepared for a bigger scandal. But like I said, Levi's been keeping the most crucial information to himself," Furlan supplied. "But damn it. How can we progress when only one person holds all the evidence? And how would he remember them?"

Armin cursed under his breath. "Do you have any idea where he would be keeping them? Are there also soft files we can look into? Can we break into a vault or something?"

"He's got a vault in his office, and I know the passcode," Isabel offered. "As for the soft files, I can't be sure if he's kept them under a password too. They're all personal files, so I don't have access to them."

"Okay. Maybe I'd check it with Mikasa," Armin said. "This is harder than I thought. We already have our answers, but we needed all the proof to present them."

"Hey, can we see him at least?" Furlan wondered. "We missed him, you know? You have no idea how worried we got when we heard the news of his comatose, thinking he was not gonna make it. But I think it's a miracle he survived because he still had an unfinished business."

"Of course, you'll see him. We'll keep the ball rolling to his unfinished business, and we'd make sure it will never be wasted labor on your part. I just need to talk to Mikasa about arranging our meeting. Right now, Levi's at Orvud. He's… living the life as the other person he recalls in his memory."

Isabel's face fell. "Is he okay? Who's with him?"

"He's living with… apparently strangers. Those who he had never met before. Also, he had a new girlfriend."

"W-what?!" Furlan exclaimed. "H-how?!"

"Like I said, he can recognize strangers through their faces. If you've seen the news about Levi's accident, someone saved him. I've never met her, but Mikasa told me they get along pretty well. Levi's comfortable with her and… she's a part of his false memories."

"Can she be trusted? But how about Petra?" Isabel asked.

"Well… I don't know…" Armin exhaled. "It's out of my line of tasks. It's their personal lives."

"What the hell…" Furlan stomped towards the window. "This is all too much. Levi? Losing memories, right at the perfect moment he's got the whistle to blow."

"What if… his accident was done on purpose?" Isabel assumed.

"People have died in the car crash. It's not like it's a suicide mission to kill someone like Levi Ackerman," Furlan pointed out. "Unless… he was drugged and was left wandering off the streets to chance some trouble…"

"Drugs… drugged?" Armin had been thinking.

"It's highly likely, you know?" Annie whispered beside him. "He could be drugged before the crash. After all, what's all about the drug business when they don't carry something potentially toxic."

"We have too many assumptions piling up," Armin argued, but that insight from Annie was halfway sinking.

"But it does make sense if Rod Reiss also has something to do with Mr. Levi's accident. He couldn't touch him, but there are ways to murder someone and make it look like an accident," Annie countered.

"That's a strange hindsight…" Armin said. "But yeah, it made sense."

"You have an answer now to your previous theories," Annie told him. "But it wouldn't hurt to look for another angle and make the evidence more substantial. Your investigation might be going in circles, but at least there's no dead end to it. We'll get there."

"Okay." Armin beamed with a determined look on his face. "Annie, can I give you an assignment?"

"Huh?"

"I've got a cold case hanging in my head for a while now. And since you're from Human Resources, would you help us find out the real identity of Krista Lenz?"

"But… why?"

"Krista Lenz?" Furlan cut in. "The new girl from HR?"

"It's time you should know that she's the person behind the tampering of records in the database. I have someone from the IT department to trace the username who did the changes in the records, and it matched hers," Armin said, eyeing Furlan and Isabel. "That includes deleting both of your personal records."

"So… Rod had a spy in the company?" Isabel butted in.

"Well… it appears that way." Armin shrugged. "But hear this, according to Levi's memories, Krista happens to be Rod's illegitimate daughter under the name Historia Reiss. It's a gibberish account, but we can try to find out."

Furlan blew a breath. "This is getting more and more absurd…"

"And ridiculous than I thought," Isabel complained.

"Hey, we have to be optimistic about this!" Armin chirped brightly. "We had the leads, and we hold the truth! And all we have to do is work on crafting the evidence to make convincing claims. We'd try it with Krista and Levi's personal files first. Better pray we find something out."

"Sure thing, genius. But can we ask to see Levi first?" Furlan asked. "And as soon as possible?"

"R-right," Armin wavered. Furlan was as impatient as his boss, but he couldn't blame him. Levi and his relationship with his staff must be closer than he thought. "I will contact you again tomorrow. Would you be willing to travel to the city and see him? I can't be sure if we can take Levi here."

"Yeah, whatever." Furlan scoffed. "I could dress as a woman if that's what it takes to go around the city unrecognizable."

"Look, it's not necessary…" Armin chuckled meekly.

"You'd draw more attention with that, stupid," Isabel said. "I cut my hair, you see? Should you shave your head?"

"In your wildest dreams!" Furlan grimaced, crossing his arms.

They bickered like children. Armin watched them in amusement.

Annie whispered close to him. "They're not just Mr. Levi's trusted workers, I think they're good friends and allies too."

Armin hummed. "I think Furlan and Isabel contradict Mikasa's claim that the old Levi was a person who didn't care about anyone. And to think he was brave enough to expose Rod's crimes to protect this society and the people who were beside him throughout the investigation, I guess he was something else other than his stiff and intimidating exterior."

The queue to the grilled squid stall and vegetable pancakes in Yalkell was long again, but Eren didn't mind lining up for more than twenty minutes just to get Hange and Levi their favorite street food tonight. Once handed his freshly packed orders, he excitedly chucked them into his bag and took the back alleys to the subway station. He was confident that the paths were safe and free from drug dealings until heavy footsteps sounded behind him.

"Hey, Eren!"

He froze. Someone who would be calling his name while in Yalkell should prompt him to run as fast as he can and never look back.

"Don't run! I just want to talk!"

Eren whispered a prayer and turned around. Surprisingly, it was his former colleague named Bertholdt Hoover.

"Bertholdt?"

The taller guy jogged towards him and patted him on the back. "Thought you'd run off from me. Hey, relax! It's not like I'm gonna throw a knife at you. Now look at that, you're looking great, pal! I guess selling out your friends got your sanity and good looks back."

"I just did what is right," Eren said, knowing this encounter would be uncomfortable. "You quit the group before me, so you have no right to tell me I sold them out. They're doing something illegal. That must be stopped."

"A little hot-headed, are you? Easy, I didn't mean to say that. And… well, it's always our choice to choose the kind of life we want for ourselves. As for me, I don't want to be in the drug business again. And just like you, man, I'm headed to the right path… all the way to reforming myself."

Eren gave him a double-take, doubting. "So, what do you do in life now?"

"Well, I'm employed as a warehouse officer at the port of shipments. Pays enough but… I'm planning to quit it soon…"

"Why?"

"Words got out that it was you who exposed the drug operations in the huge part of Yalkell. But then, we all know that the real mastermind was still unidentified. In the meantime, they ceased operating in Sina and instead, smuggled the drugs overseas and into other regions of Paradis. Thrice a week, three guys slip in drug shipments in one of our warehouses, prompting the logistics team to hasten the delivery. Our warehouse managers turn a blind eye. I don't know if they were threatened or being handed money."

"Are you sure? Why didn't you report this?"

"Whoah… I don't want to involve myself with them again. My life was once threatened, so I'm trying to keep out of trouble. The police will find out, eventually. Plus, my manager might figure out it was me because he caught me as a witness," Bertholdt recoiled. "It's still a dangerous world for us even after quitting the group. We'll never know who'd be on our tail and a bullet's aimed right on our heads. I'm planning to go to Trost or something. But hell, why are you still hanging around here? I don't think it's safe for you to be walking the back alleys. Don't ever think you've got them all in the cell. You're not safe anywhere, Eren."

"YPD's working on that. I told them all the leads, and they were always on patrol," Eren said.

"Well, just a fair warning. There are those sly enough not to get identified. The recruits are still on the loose and up for side jobs. I heard they even accept assassination jobs from the big boss. It's a little out of hand. They were just transporters once, and now they are murderers."

"Assassination? You know who the big boss is?"

"Nope. And I'd rather not. We're never introduced to him. Only the drug lords or anyone from that standing may get the chance to know him. My big guess is he could be a politician or a businessman—someone who needs protection from the higher-ups in exchange for money," Bertholdt said. "And which reminds me, you remember Daz? Guy's lost it. He was asking for assistance yesterday to murder someone tonight—a male doctor. He promised a big cut for me. I just do the lookout; he'd pull the trigger. Pretty easy, but no thanks. I'd rather have a clear conscience. A doctor saves people's lives thru his profession, and not unless he's a bad guy who needs to die, maybe I'd be up for it."

Eren frowned. "A doctor? Why a doctor?"

"The job order comes in a secret phone app that looks like a game where you could choose your 'mission' that doesn't disclose the nature of the job—only the payment figures. The idiot chose the highest pay, which would mean a much more difficult job. He's tasked to murder Dr. Zeke Jaeger—the famous neurologist-within a week. The earlier, the higher payment," Bertholdt said.

Eren quavered. "W-what?"

Bertholdt sighed. "Ah, people. They lost morality. Someone must've brushed the boss the wrong way…"

"Why… a doctor?" Eren's eyes never blinked. "Why… him?"

Bertholdt gaped at him. "Hell knows. Ah… geez. Why did I even tell you this?"

"Can you give me Daz's number?" Eren asked, voice hollow.

"Hey… you're not…"

"I'm up for the job," Eren deadpanned. "It's a high-paying job, right?"

"You gotta be kidding me. You said earlier that you can't stand people doing illegal things!"

"I've changed my mind," Eren smiled. "After all, I'm always after the money rather than my conscience."

Zeke Jaeger was just about to lock the door to his office with Mikasa behind him.

"My stress doubled up," Mikasa said, stretching her arms over her head.

"Likewise…" Zeke said and glanced at his watch to see how late it was. "Had to cancel my other appointments, too."

"Sorry about that," Mikasa apologized. "But we have to give way to our discoveries. Because they could be connected at some point. I'm being conclusive here, but the whole scenario is taking shape."

"Yeah." Zeke agreed, looking straight at the empty hallways. "We're getting there, at least. Hey, it's late. You said you're still meeting a friend?"

"We agreed to meet tomorrow. And maybe you'd want to come too. It's Armin, Levi's new assistant. He's got something important to tell me that he couldn't discuss over the phone. He's been out of town earlier to meet with Levi's former staff and said about a big revelation. It's Levi's discovery of Reiss's anomalies before falling into a coma. Say, you have no idea he's been spying on Reiss?"

Zeke shook his head. "He'd mention Rod taking the wrong path, but he wasn't clear about it. He's been keeping it a secret. But with what you told me earlier, we could make a lot of hypothesis about Reiss's alleged hidden agenda."

"If Church and Magnolia can tell us something about Levi's secret activities before losing his memories, ninety percent of our questions will be answered. But I can't be sure what steps we take after that," Mikasa said, starting to walk along the hallways.

Zeke walked alongside her quietly.

"So you brought Levi to Frieda," Mikasa said. "And he didn't like it?"

"Naturally, he embraced his current self. And the newfound friendship he had with people. Are you aware that Levi was living with Hange?" Zeke asked.

"Yes…" Mikasa admitted. "I actually… brought them together. I think Hange was a good influence on Levi. I got a chance to talk to her and saw her sincerity. She even took Eren—your brother—in. Do you know Eren's working now as a volunteer in the Rescue Force? It's been going better for him, I heard. It's never late for him to change. Everyone has a chance in life."

"You don't understand, Mikasa…"

"Maybe I have a different level of understanding because I wasn't in your shoes," Mikasa said. "Levi told me everything about you and Eren. I've met him, and he's not too bad for someone who wasted his life in his teens. You know him better than me, and deep in your heart, he's not the bad person you keep telling your head that he is."

"Mikasa, you must live with a person to know them better. I gave Eren the chances, I gave him hundred percent of my patience and understanding," Zeke reasoned out.

"But he's still here for you. He's trying to prove something to make you feel he's capable of changing. Sometimes, one must move forward and accept everything life keeps throwing at you. We have little but no full control over the circumstances that come our way, and we have lived enough years to realize all that. Eren's your brother, and I'm sure he's trying to do everything to bring back those times you treated him no differently."

"He can't revive the dead. My parents..."

"Death happens to all. And tragedy happens once or a lot of times in our lives. Yes, we can't revive our loved ones. My parents alone were defenseless when they died. Maybe I was lucky enough that I was too young back then to feel grief. But then, growing up… I'm finally feeling the loss. I've never felt so alone, and Levi wasn't there to be with me because he was forced to work at an early age. Then, Uncle Kenny never really paid attention to us. I know we can't compare our lives and the gravity of our tragedies, but at the end of the day, we're basically all the same. We're people who will deal with losses one way or another—at different times, in different situations. But we all have a choice. A choice to be accepting and not sulk in distress. A choice to be happy because that's all we wanted to be."

Zeke scoffed. "For someone who wears black all the time, I can't believe you're saying those things to me, Mikasa."

"Because I know how much Levi meant to you, but he's not around like he used to be. The bond you shared together is that kind of companionship you keep missing, but do you think it should be time for you to reunite with someone else who also deserves your attention? Eren's there. He's your brother by blood."

"Don't talk like Levi's dead," Zeke said. "And I'm not giving up on him. Now that there's a chance to revive his old memories."

Mikasa bit her lip. Maybe she is not still open to reuniting with Levi's older version, whose life is all about Petra and his job. She decided not to argue with Zeke about his decisions on Levi's well-being. He's desperate, and Mikasa knows how deeply he is bothered by Eren's reappearance in his life.

As they reached the elevator at the end of the hallway, Zeke pressed the "down" button, standing close to the doors. As it was past clinic hours, the hall was virtually empty of people by now. Zeke shed off his white coat and loosened his tie. Once the doors opened, a figure emerged behind them, shoving Zeke right into the elevator car with a silencer gun pressed onto his head.

"Zeke!" Mikasa shrieked, but the barrel of the gun went straight under her chin. She raised her hands in surrender. "Please, don't!"

"W-who the hell are—" Zeke braced his hand against the wall, whipping his head around to see Mikasa behind the closing doors with a horrified look on her face.

"Easy, Doc. Once we get to the basement, it'll be over. Worry not. We're not gonna make you suffer…" A masked man whispered to him.

"What did I ever do to you?!" Zeke trembled, curling up at the corner.

"As for me, nothing! But boy, the cost of your life will last me two lifetimes on earth."

"Someone ordered you to kill me?!"

"Not quite but… like I said, I need two lifetimes swimming in a tub of money." The man snorted nonchalantly. "Sorry pal, business is business. Nothing personal."

The elevator moved down to the basement area. Zeke could feel the tremors all over his body that he needed to be dragged out once the doors opened to the barely unexplored part of the hospital.

"Come on Doc, take it easy on yourself. This isn't going to hurt. Just one blow to the head, and everything's painless. I don't take pleasure in torture."

Zeke shut his eyes tight. This is not how he imagined himself to die—defenseless, snotty, and terrified. What a stupid way to go, knowing he never recalled having enemies in his line of job. He was never in politics, and there is a slim to no chance of rubbing someone the wrong way. His legs gave away, and soon he was sprawled on the floor, sniffing like a child. The gun's barrel was pressed against his temple, and he silently prayed everything was just a damn joke.

The masked guy took a phone out of his pocket and dialed a number, the gun not leaving Zeke's head. "Hey, I got the doctor. Hah! You think I couldn't do it? Ah, it's way too easy. I got some help from a sweet old friend so we could do it tonight. The earlier, the higher pay."

Zeke slightly angled himself to recognize the man but nothing registered. His face was fully masked.

"I'm at B2 right now. Yeah, yeah. Crap... I'm still waiting for the getaway car. Man, what the hell's taking that chap so long?! Hope he wasn't caught or somethin'. He should be here before me," he grumbled. "If it was on me, I would have blasted the doc's brains right now, but I was told not to, yet. Well, at least my guy's got a plan. We got here smoothly so I trusted him. Unless Doc's gonna put up a fight and I'd be forced to pull the trigger..."

Zeke felt those eyes eating him up, he clasped his hands together and silently prayed again. The voice of his murderer rang into his ears, and the last of his hopes flew out of the window. He must have missed the light footsteps sounding behind him and the controlled breathing of someone coming nearer. His peripherals caught a long shadow, moving with arms raised. Thinking it was all over for him, Zeke closed his eyes in surrender.

Just in time, his eyes flew open again when a woman's voice echoed nearby, followed by a bone-crushing thud—possibly from a body being tackled to the ground. Consumed by fear, Zeke found himself scrambling away and tumbling a few feet from where he was once seated.

"Eren, quick! Stun him!" A blonde, lanky woman was pressing her weight over the masked man whose head was covered in a garbage bag. She was pinning him on the ground, restraining his bucking body with her long legs. "H-Hurry!"

Zeke's eyes widened at the sight of a sweat-drenched Eren, emerging out of nowhere and lunging towards the woman. He shrugged off his backpack and fell to his knees; a little uncoordinated and nervous as he fumbled inside. Zeke saw the contents of his bag bouncing onto the floor haphazardly. The last of the item was the one he needed, gripping it shakily, but his actions were halted as he stared at the woman and her wild-caught fish. He froze on the spot, either hesitant or scared.

"What the fuck, Eren! Shove it anywhere and push the button! Neck, thigh, groin, stomach! F-For god sake..." the woman glowered, teeth gritting.

"I'm... I'm trying, Yelena," Eren stammered, losing all his capabilities to remember how a taser works. "I... I..."

The woman, Yelena cursed out loud, doubling her efforts to wrestle her victim and keep him in place. "The... fuck! I... can't h-hold t-this bas-tard... any... longer..."

A gunshot rang. Damn. Yelena was quick to bury her knee onto the guy's arm where one hand held the gun. However, another gunshot cut through the air.

"Son of a bitch!" Yelena cried.

Zeke covered his ears and cowered. So was Eren.

Yelena seethed. The second bullet nearly grazed her thigh. She grabbed the guy's head by the hair beneath the plastic and slammed it twice on the ground. She yelled for Eren to throw over the taser, yanking the guy's head one last time and shoving the taser right onto his neck. A ten-second electric shock was all it needed to immobilize him.

Soon, his movements stopped.

"Motherfucker…" Yelena cussed, falling onto her butt and giving Eren a deadly glare. "Is this what you called assistance? Me doing most of the job?!"

Eren said nothing as he stared at the out cold body.

"Best day of my life, huh? The hell Eren! You're not gonna die a hero like that!" Yelena said exasperatedly. "What are you afraid of? We're not planning on killing him if that worries you..."

Eren was on his knees, eyes were now on his shaking hands in a panic. "I'm sorry. It's... it's always happening to me. Situations like this make me useless. The tremors, the panic attacks. I can't even breathe."

Zeke, on the other hand, was immovable and breathless. Another useless person in the face of death. A surge of fear was also evident through his frozen form.

"Do severe panic attacks run in your blood?" Yelena noticed. "Guess it can't be helped. What will you do without me? God, you'd be dead meat."

Eren bowed his head abashedly. "I thought I could do this. I was fueled by adrenaline earlier and wanted to save Zeke, but..."

Yelena sighed in understanding. She pushed herself up and toed the crumpled body. "It's okay... the guy's down anyway, and I'd say we're lucky he's not an experienced assassin. Just a plain stupid kid who thinks killing is cool. He should learn a few things from me."

"Was he..." Eren stared at the body.

"He's not dead. If I slammed his head ten times, then maybe you'd be picking up his scattered brains," Yelena said. "Ah, you know each other, right?"

"He's just like me, who transports drugs in exchange for money. He could live with that, but I exposed the drug dealings in Yalkell, so these guys kinda lost their jobs. Sucks he had to resort to murdering someone to make ends meet," Eren said morosely. "He'd been a good friend, and he trusted me to do this with him, but…" His eyes hovered over his pathetic brother, who couldn't move a muscle.

"Hey! You good, Doc?" Yelena called out. "You take it easy. Breathe in, breathe out. It's suffocating in here, but you should be fine. The police shall get here soon…"

"Why…" Zeke's voice crackled.

"It's not a question," Yelena said. "Somehow, the thing about brothers is that one hates to lose the other."

Zeke was still in shock, seated in the lobby of the building, when a cup of peppermint tea was handed to him. He looked up and saw the same blonde woman who had chucked the poor guy into a garbage bag. He accepted the cup with a grateful nod and took a small sip.

"The pantry's got nothing but coffee," Yelena said, sitting beside him. "It's a good thing there's only one tea bag available. Heavens heard you badly needed it."

"Thanks."

"The police were now talking to Eren. He's the first to discover the plan of killing you, anyway. Say, isn't he brave enough despite a panic disorder? You should be proud."

Zeke hummed. He was not aware that Eren had developed that condition. It could be from trauma or a result of excessive drug usage before. He was quick to think about saving someone, but his body betrayed him.

"I'm Yelena, by the way. Eren's… well… housemate. I know you heard already. Levi and Hange also shared the house with us. My house was once lonely when it was just me until Hange moved in and then, Eren. And who would've thought someone like Levi Ackerman preferred living in a cramped, substandard living space with us?" Yelena chuckled.

Zeke nodded wordlessly. Yelena carried on.

"I was on my way to work when Eren called. He said he couldn't contact Levi. He's got word that someone has a plan to kill the famous neurologist of Sina—it happens to be his brother. He didn't know the reason, and didn't need to verify though—he immediately jumped into action and dragged me in. He's got no plans in mind and not thinking how dangerous it would be."

"Eren didn't have to do this to me…" Zeke drawled coldly.

"And would you rather end up dead and rotting somewhere? And don't get me started by thinking this was just Eren's plan to win you back. Heaven must have an excellent reason why Eren was being led to you," Yelena snapped. "You saw his panic attack, but he fought it off to protect you. You're an ungrateful son-of-a-bitch, you know?"

Zeke scoffed. "You're too quick to judge me."

"What do you expect from me? High praise? You and your frozen ass couldn't even put up a fight out there! Maybe I chucked the garbage bag into the wrong person," Yelena sneered. "Because it was fun doing it to self-righteous, pompous, and bitter people who never welcome forgiveness and acceptance in life."

Zeke went silent.

"You got the balls to never care about the person who saved your ass. I guess Eren doesn't deserve you either," Yelena grunted as she walked out on Zeke and headed straight to Eren's location. He was done talking to the police, and Mikasa emerged at his side.

"Ah, your brother's a top-notch asshole," Yelena told Eren. "Two words wouldn't hurt. Can a simple 'thank you' burn his tongue?"

"It's okay, Yelena," Eren said, soothing her high-strung mood. "Let him be. He's still in shock."

"And are you not? Ah, tell me to punch him in the face, and I'd do it a hundred times over," Yelena spat. "If he's still acting like a hardass, I'd be more than glad to choke his life out for free."

Mikasa put an arm over Yelena's arm. "I've been talking to Zeke earlier about Eren. He's probably processing things."

"Well, I hope his mind processor's working like it should be," Yelena groused. "Damn, Eren. I wish I could choose a better brother for you."

"Everything will be fine. Don't be upset over my situation. You're much more stressed than I was," Eren chuckled lightly.

Yelena's look softened. She reached for Eren's head and patted it lightly. "Just want to let you know that you had a sister in me. Just like Hange."

"I don't need to ask for that. I know you already are," Eren said gently.

"Ah, too sweet, Eren. Not my style!" Yelena said grouchily. "Anyway, I need to leave now for my duties. It's up to your brother to let the police conduct a much more intensive investigation into what happened and press the charges. That is if his own life matters to him."

"I know," Eren said. "He'd come around soon, hopefully. Thank you and take care, Yelena."

Yelena's forehead scrunched in worry. "Are you sure you're okay now? Don't you need anything? Meds? Tea?"

"I'm perfectly fine now," Eren said reassuringly. "I'm going home in a while."

Yelena nodded lightly and turned around to leave him with Mikasa. He watched as her tall figure disappeared at the exit of the building.

"So… are you really okay?" Mikasa asked him with concern. She saw his hands shaking, prompting her to ask once more just to be sure. Eren noticed her and tucked his hands inside his pockets. She clicked her tongue and grabbed for his wrists, pulling them out. Once she was holding his hands now, she gently pressed them together with her palms.

"Mikasa..." Eren's eyes were in shock, taken aback by her actions.

"When I was a kid, my biggest fear was thunderclaps at night. It's worse during the monsoons. I was always alone in my room and imagined monsters living under my bed. I developed severe anxiety, but I couldn't cry. I swallowed all my fears but that tightened the feeling in my chest. It was uncomfortable and scary. But luckily, my nanny was there. I was shaking under the blankets and she pulled me out. She held my hand, pressed them against hers, and they were nice and warm. The tremors stopped. Since then, I always sought the comfort of warm hands against mine," Mikasa told him. "I hope this should work for you all the same."

By some magic, Eren's trembling hands ceased. He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her palms.

"You did great, Eren. That's very heroic of you." Mikasa smiled. "You might not hear it from your brother, but I believe he was very grateful. He appreciated your effort. He's not one to voice out his sentiments, but he's taking his time. He'll get there."

Eren blushed. "Yes... I know. Hey, aren't you hurt?"

Mikasa shook her head. "I'm glad the guy didn't pull the trigger right on my face."

"Sorry you have to be there. The guy's a former colleague of mine, hence he trusted me. I could be like him today if not for the wake-up calls in my life."

"You made a good choice not to follow that kind of path."

"But it's strange, though. Why would anyone hurt Zeke? Did he have a beef with someone?"

"Zeke was a nice man. Unless… he had done something he shouldn't—and that put his life on the line," Mikasa said lowly, eyes hovering over to Zeke who was staring into space. "We need to ask him when he's able enough to process things. Whenever he's ready."

Eren nodded thoughtfully, still staring at their conjoined hands. He could get used to this.

The news of Zeke Jaeger's attempted murder was already in the news that night. The botched plan reached Rod Reiss, who crushed a goblet of wine in his palms. A trail of blood gushed out of the split of his skin, but his temper overrode the pain. Seconds later, he was on his phone, voice hushed so as not to rouse his sleeping wife in the bedroom. He reached the balcony and channeled his rage into the peaceful night sky.

"You entrusted this job to a pathetic fellow who never murdered someone in his entire life?!" Rod hissed, his voice sounding all over the place. "And who the hell is giving the job orders like it was just a game they could choose and play? You aren't careful! The crimes by the residents of Yalkell district will be brought up again, and they will find out that there are more of us out there! You bunch of stupid morons! I know I couldn't put my trust in you!"

He paced back and forth in heavy stomps as his voice enveloped the silence of the night.

"Doctor Jaeger has nothing against me, but I'm afraid he discovered something about Frieda's stolen drug found in Ackerman's body. Just to be sure, I can't let people discover and trace its origins! We must watch out for Ackerman first because he's barely made his move yet. We're not sure about his plans, and I don't want him exposing me when I'm unguarded! We can't rely on our protectors if he's got the trump card. He's playing it silently, and we can't be sure when he will attack. The last thing I want is to be served breakfasts inside a cell. Tell everyone to watch their backs. Avoid doing business in Yalkell for the time being. It's not safe in Sina anymore. We'd try some other contacts from Rose and Maria and grow our business there."

Two meters above him, the illuminated pale face of Frieda Reiss was staring at the moon. Her eyes were in shock, unblinking, and in tears. The wind carried her father's voice like a slicing blade to her throat. She buckled under her weight and dropped onto her knees, saying mantras into her head and convincing herself that everything was unreal. This was just a dream, or probably just a haze of meaningless imaginations resulting from her sleepless nights. She fought and denied the suffocating truth that came crashing down as her father barked his orders on the phone. She covered her ears and silently wept.

And should there be a person who needed a drug to erase their memories, Frieda would have loved to take one.

Notes:

A lot was going on in this chapter. No Levihan but we've got some revelations from Isabel and Furlan. I think there's no need to guess who the bad guy is. :)

And... Yelena to the rescue. She's becoming my favorite now. Lol.

Kudos and comments are appreciated as always.

Posting this just in time for my birthday.

Chapter 35

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Eren's late. Is that brat adapting your bad habits now?" Levi was surveying the area outside from the window with crossed arms. "I'm calling him earlier, but he's not answering."

Hange was lounging on the couch sleepily. "Eren's a grown-up guy, Levi. You're acting like his dad."

"He's got no dad to look after him like I do." Levi rolled his eyes and joined her on the couch. Hange shifted to one side to give him space. Once settled, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"That's too sweet of you," Hange murmured. "You'd be a perfect father."

"I just don't want him to return to his old ways," Levi said. "My memory of him still gets me. I just want him to have a better life here and not die young."

"Nobody's gonna die," Hange said easily. "Snap out of those memories. We're all living here in peace."

Which is not the case, however. Hange froze at that realization and didn't talk any further. It could get more complicated bringing up something that would ruin their cuddling moments. She snaked her arm around Levi's and locked them together. She pressed herself closer, snuggling like it was winter and she badly needed his warmth.

"Tch. You're clingy again."

"And you liked it. Just let me be, grump. I don't want this night to end…" Hange whispered. "Plus, I'm glad Yelena's not around, or she'd make lewd remarks again."

Levi scoffed. "She's insane."

She nuzzled, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Hm. I wish we could stay like this forever."

"That doesn't sound like you."

"Why… I can be romantic sometimes."

"Yeah. And try not to cry."

"Why would I cry?"

"Because you're happy."

Hange chuckled. "Ah, nice one, Levi. Is this the part where I should laugh?"

Levi rolled his eyes, flicking her forehead. "Hey, won't you go to bed? It's late. You're working tomorrow."

"I'm fine. We'll wait for Eren together. We could play like an old married couple waiting for their teenage son." Hange giggled. "Small wonder, what was it like to raise someone as big as Eren?"

A married couple sounded nice. But to grow old together was a hanging question Levi wouldn't be comfortable entertaining. He had Hange's statement resounding in his ears, and he wondered if he would end up with her for real. To marry her, probably have kids with her. Very much like the growing families they kept protecting inside the walls. But a part of him also wondered if he was his old self. For sure, he would be thinking all about his future with Petra. It was easy to ignore that thought because he was currently a different person who only cared about being with Hange. However, his meeting with Zeke and Frieda gave him an unsettling feeling that would eventually force him to bring back what was lost out of necessity. It was a memory that got stuck in his head and bounced around relentlessly in the walls of his skull.

There is a way to restore his memories.

"I also wonder how Eren was growing up." Hange wrenched him out of his trance. "Must be tough."

"Eren didn't grow up with supportive parents. He's only got Zeke, but he fucked up their relationship."

"But Eren's changed now."

"Yeah. Hope Zeke could see that," Levi said, his voice fading. "He's still blaming Eren for his parents' tragedy. Guy just can't move on and let go."

"Couldn't blame him. I've seen different coping mechanisms of people reacting to tragedies. Grief was hard to get over. Takes a lot of time, and it takes a lot more when one has to blame someone."

Levi sighed, seeing the difference between this world from the tragic world he recalled. Tragedies happen in a blink of an eye, and grieving only allows a minute.

"Haven't you and Zeke talked yet?" Hange asked.

Levi didn't answer. He didn't want to entertain a conversation about Zeke and how he was desperate to force his memories back.

The topic was spared when the front door clicked, with Eren coming inside. He looked exhausted and drained, as if ready to pass out.

"Eren!" Hange chirped.

Eren gave them a weak smile. "Have you guys been waiting for me?"

"Do we look like we'd just ignore the prospect of you getting into trouble out there?" Levi asked sarcastically. "It's goddamn late. Where have you been?"

Eren shrugged off his bag and unzipped it, pulling out the street food he had brought from Yalkell. "I bought these for you two. They just need re-heating though…"

"Took you all night to buy those? The line must have reached the outskirts of the city then. Now, what the hell are you doing in Yalkell? It's dangerous for you to roam around that district unless YPD calls you to report," Levi said.

"I've been calling you," Eren reasoned. "And you're right. There's some trouble. Someone… attempted to kill Zeke."

Levi paused in indignation, slightly unconvinced. Eren was quick to answer with a lame excuse. "Unless it was me, there is no way anyone would dare to kill Zeke. Did you meet with your brother?"

"But it's true," Eren said. "Thing is, I was on my way to the subway after buying these treats when I chanced to run into an old acquaintance. He brought up how the rest of us were getting into assassination jobs because the drug business was foiled. There was a big monetary reward if the task was accomplished. Zeke was listed in their job orders and must be killed within a week. It also happens I know the person who took the task, so I called and convinced him I could be of assistance. I wasn't thinking of the risks because I have to save my brother first…"

Levi crossed his arms, eyes interrogating.

"I couldn't contact you, so I called Yelena instead. She's a little close by so I got her help out. We managed to stop the murder," Eren continued shakily. "Daz—that's the guy—was already arrested."

"He's right," Hange said, apparently on her phone. "Yelena texted me just now. Said I check on Eren because there was a murder attempt earlier and he had a panic attack. Geez, I can imagine Yelena doing all the hard work."

Eren nodded abashedly. "I was disoriented, and so was Zeke. Yelena had the craziest plans, but they worked. Shame… I thought I was brave enough."

"Yelena didn't stay with you? And you got home alone?" Levi inquired, still flashing Eren a skeptical look.

"Mikasa gave me a ride home."

"M-Mikasa? Is she giving free rides now and shuttling people around in the middle of the night?" Levi huffed.

"She was with Zeke when the murder attempt happened. But… she's fine. She's not hurt at all!" Eren shivered.

"Some crime was happening and she didn't even bother to call me?!"

"Levi," Hange cooed. "Stop acting like a difficult old man. They're all fine. It's not necessary now. Besides, it's late. Mikasa will probably tell you all about what happened soon. They got the guy, and nobody got hurt. For sure, there are more questions for Zeke. We'd deal with this when we're fully rested, okay? Come on, we all need to rest."

Levi sighed. He genuinely felt terrible for Zeke, especially the emotional damage he had inflicted earlier. He also felt bad for missing Eren's call when he needed immediate help.

"Fine," he said, finally calming down. "You sure you didn't get hurt?"

Eren nodded. "I'm fine."

Levi only hummed.

"Thanks for worrying about me…" Eren said softly. "I can only promise you I'm not getting into trouble anymore."

"You're basically inviting trouble yourself," Levi snapped. "But hey, do you know why Mikasa was with Zeke earlier?"

He was quick to remember that Zeke might have sought Mikasa to discuss Frieda's possible cure for his condition.

When Eren hung his head, Levi waved it off. "Never mind. I saw that coming anyway…"

"Huh?" Hange tilted her head in question.

Levi brushed it off. "Nothing."

"Okay… I think I want to have my midnight snack first!" Hange said delightedly, grabbing the bag from Eren and peeking inside. "Ooh, he got you your pancakes."

"Leave it in the fridge. I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow."

"Sure?"

"Yeah," Levi said and headed down to their room.

"Was he upset?" Eren asked Hange, who was also perplexed by Levi's sudden change of attitude. "You know I'm telling the truth, right?"

"Of course, Eren…" Hange said. "It's… something else that's bothering him, I think. But let's forget about it. He's just gonna sleep on it. Come on, join me in the kitchen. Let's share the grilled squid. It begs to be eaten."

"O-okay," Eren replied as he followed her to the kitchen.

Hange was setting two plates and forks on the table when Eren blurted out, "Mikasa told me something while we were in the car."

"Yeah?" Hange smiled, seemingly unbothered to what Eren had to say.

"It's about her meeting with Zeke." Eren hushed down his tone. "I don't think I should be telling you this but…"

Hange froze midway. "Tell me."

Eren hesitated. "It's about Levi's condition. It was possibly caused by a combination of potent drugs not meant for raw consumption."

Hange stared at him vacantly. A fork made its way onto the floor, and she didn't bother picking it up. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Zeke met with Levi this morning to discuss his findings. Together, they also met up with the pharmacologist who formulated that drug. Zeke wants to find a cure, and there's a possibility that there is…"

The imaginary walls around Hange crumbled down, falling right onto her. She couldn't blame Eren for bringing the bad news because initially, restoring Levi's memories is very much needed, especially with the events that are happening now in his company.

"Hange…" Eren put an arm over her shoulder, sensing her remorse. "Are you okay?"

Hange blinked her eyes rapidly and chuckled. "Y-yeah. I'm fine…"

So that was it. Levi was not running around and losing his way as he told her. His strange behavior and the way he wrapped his arms around her only proved that Eren was telling one fact she dreaded from happening. Levi kept it from her. He lied, and she hated it.

Hange gripped a knife tightly and stabbed at the food on the plate. "You're right. This needs reheating…" she said, turning around for the microwave. She opened the lid, popped the food into the chamber, and slammed the door soundly. However, her frustrated sigh was louder than the clang of the microwave.

"S-sorry… I didn't mean to…" Eren cringed apologetically.

"It's okay, Eren," Hange was on her back, shoulders shaking. "Well… can't help it, can I? Is it bad that I feel this way? Is it just too sudden that there was already a cure for Levi's memories? There is no way to soften the blow, huh?"

Eren looked at her guiltily.

"Was it bad that I don't want him to retrieve those memories?" Hange was in the act of wiping her eyes. "Was it bad that I hate your brother because he's forcing Levi to revert to his old self?"

"But… at the end of the day, Levi is Levi. He really isn't supposed to be like this…" Eren said matter-of-factly, adding salt to the wound. "I mean… yeah, maybe I was grateful that he turned out to be another person and saved my life. But circumstances are like raging water currents, and we must go with the flow."

"Tell me, Eren. Am I selfish?" Hange turned around, giving him a view of her red-rimmed eyes. "Because I feel like I want to run away with him. Take him somewhere far, isolated—somewhere he wouldn't be reached by anyone. Sounds crazy but… I want the two of us to live together… for the rest of our lives."

Eren sighed, giving her a sympathetic look.

"I just happened to fall for him badly. That's why I hate this part of me. I was currently obsessed with this thing with Levi, like it's just one of fate's old tricks—victimizing people who are infatuated with wrong relationships. People fall in love, and they'd be pulled apart. God forbid. I'm not ready to lose him."

"And I believe he doesn't want to lose you either," Eren said firmly. "There may be a cure to his condition, but I think it's still his choice if he wants it."

Hange swallowed hard.

"And besides, nobody knows if it could really cure his memory and forget all his memories with you," Eren said. "Mikasa herself was worried about Levi's future. Of course, if he retrieved his old memories, they would be conflicted with his newly established ones. His behavior might change, and he will have to choose between his former girlfriend and you."

"I can't visualize that kind of scenario," Hange croaked. She rubbed her hair furiously. "I can't… I can't take it!"

"Didn't he tell you anything yet?"

Hange could sense Levi had no plans on telling her. However, she recalled his tight embrace earlier like he was parting from her. "No. But he's expressing it through actions. He only told me if there would be a time he'll retrieve his old memories, I should insist to him that we had an existing relationship."

"It means he doesn't want to lose the thing between you."

Hange stared into a corner, spacing out. "I don't want to think about it… for now."

Eren watched her as she sliced the grilled squid unevenly, taking a smaller part for her. She lost her appetite but stuck around to share the midnight snack with him. She had been quiet while Eren talked about what had happened earlier.

"I hope that fixes it between you and Zeke," Hange said quietly.

Eren shrugged. "I can't tell. And I'm not expecting any acknowledgment from him anyway. But I'm glad I managed to save him. He's still my brother. I don't want to lose him because he's the only family I've got."

There was a soothing kind of calmness in Eren's tone that Hange couldn't gauge. He's taking everything easy, swimming in the "currents" of life as if he never had a choice if fate takes him in whichever direction—good or bad. She wished she could be like him, as he's not letting his emotions run deeper and get the best of him. It was admirable at some point, but Hange had a different take on life. She would've loved to take the wheel if she needed it, having control if that would mean getting what she wanted.

"I wish I could be like you, Eren."

Eren smiled. "Life's too short, Hange. I just want to live without doubts, cynicism, and hatred. I don't need anything to exhaust me mentally and emotionally."

Hange gaped at him with uncertainty.

"I might look like I take things lightly, but you know, we have the freedom to act when we feel like it. Act when something goes wrong, and we want to make it right. However, if the outcome favored us, would it favor the other end?" Eren asked.

Hange took a bite of her food. "In the end, it's just between Petra and me. It's like winning a court case. One has to go home in peace, the other in jail."

"Let's hope for the best. And whatever happens, I still wish you peace of mind and acceptance."

Hange nodded, sniveling one last time before finishing her food and drinking a glass of water. She silently bid Eren good night as she lazily slipped back to the room she shared with Levi. She dipped onto the mattress, careful not to stir her partner up at the shift of her movements. Levi was curled on his side, facing away from her. Hange slowly hooked an arm over his torso, burying her face into his soft hair. She kissed his head twice and tightened her hug, molding her form against his body.

"I don't know about our future. Maybe there will really come a time that I have to let you go…" she whispered. "Because it feels like you're just a lost soul from another world who borrowed someone's body."

A groan escaped him but didn't wake up. His hand unconsciously wrapped around Hange's, squeezing it firmly. She closed her eyes tearfully and relished his warmth, wishing to the universe they could stay like this forever.

Krista Lenz had always been diligent and productive in her duties, finishing most of her paperwork in advance. Since getting hired by Ackerman Holdings, she prioritized her role in her department, dismissing social interactions most of the time.

"Ever heard of the newly-opened bar downtown?" Hitch's voice sounded across the tables, perking up the ears of her workmates. "They said they serve the best cocktails in town—better than Underground."

"Why? Have you ever been to Underground, Hitch?" Mina, a worker two tables away from her, asked with a sneering look. "You have to be the same level as the Ackermans to have a membership there."

Hitch exhaled in annoyance. "Well, I have an ultra-rich friend whose family were VIPs in Underground Bar. She said Underground only milks its rich patrons with overly priced liquor that has the same concoction in ordinary bars. Nothing special."

"Well, we're absolutely aware of that," Thomas piped in. "But then again, I'm not into drinking these days."

"You guys are boring." Hitch was pouting, noticing Krista who was busy in front of her computer. "Hey sweetie, would you like to join me tonight?"

Annie Leonhart's eyes turned to Krista, who looked preoccupied with something else. Of course, the little blonde girl was taking introversion to the next level, as if she was encased in her own bubble without a care in the world.

Hitch marched down to her table, tapping loudly on her desk and making her jerk in surprise.

"A little jumpy you are, huh?" Hitch hissed.

"W-what?" Krista stammered.

"I asked if you could join me at the newly opened bar downtown tonight." Hitch crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry… I can't. I don't really drink…" Krista bowed her head.

"Really? Who doesn't drink these days?" Hitch curled her lip. "You're missing out on life."

"I'm sure Krista had a fair share of fun in a drinking spree. She just keeps mum about it," Annie interrupted wistfully. "Two weeks ago, you filed for a leave of absence due to sickness. But a friend of yours called in, asking if you have gone to work. It's a guy named… Reinhart—something. He said about you passing out at a bar the previous night."

Krista flushed. "Reiner? I… uh… that's…"

"What are you doing in a bar, anyway?" Annie monotoned.

"Hey chill, Annie! Why do you sound like you're accusing Krista of something criminal?" Hitch intervened.

"I'm not against people who look for fun outside of their work life. As long as they do responsible drinking," Annie said. "Work-life-balance, we need all that, but I hope Krista didn't have to leave her job to someone else, especially when the office of the CEO wants something immediately and she's not there to provide it."

Krista winced in discomfort. "I'm sorry… that was two weeks ago, but I hope you brought that to my attention earlier. You don't have to make me feel bad and shame me in front of the whole department, Annie."

Annie scoffed sarcastically. "Well, my apologies if you feel humiliated. And now that I got your attention, I need to talk to you, Krista Lenz. Privately if you want to be spared of embarrassment."

Hitch whistled. "Oh… aren't we a little intense here?"

"Do you have a problem with me, Annie?" Krista challenged, looking unfazed. "If you're so mad about handling my tasks while I wasn't around, then maybe you could've just approached me nicely."

"Hey, cut it out, you two. Why does this sound like one snatched the other's boyfriend?" Thomas chuckled. "Let's go back to our jobs, shall we?"

"Geez, we have feisty blondes here…" Hitch said and waved it off. "I wonder who's the lucky guy…"

Annie smiled smugly and headed straight to the archive room, prompting the other blonde to follow her. She was unprepared for this, when in fact, she was much more anxious than the first time she was interviewed in Ackerman Holdings. She had no idea if this "strategy" would work, but she trusted Armin's judgment. Her hands were shaking at the grip of her phone, trying to hide it from Krista. Once the lights automatically turned on at the sensors of people coming into the room, she lightly pressed a button on her phone, carefully tucking it away so Krista wouldn't notice.

"What is it that you want, Annie?" Krista was right behind her like a nervous wreck. However, there was an abomination in her eyes when Annie paid her a scrutinizing gaze.

"I have a few questions," Annie clipped. "You can tell lies but… I'd make sure to see through them."

"W-what…?"

"How shall I start," Annie hummed. "Historia Reiss?"

It was easy for Pieck Finger to intrude Zeke Jaeger's place. The door to his bedroom swung open while he was still snoring on his bed in his pajamas. The heavy and dark curtains in his room prevented the sunlight from streaming through, so Pieck had to draw the curtains on both sides, letting the sun in and Zeke stirring on his bed in annoyance.

"Rise and shine, Zeke! You are all over the news."

Zeke rolled over his bed and yawned.

"Care to tell me what happened?" Pieck demanded.

"I thought I was getting breakfast in bed…" Zeke sat up and rubbed his bedhead.

"You don't eat breakfast."

"I'm impressed you know my routine better than anyone else…"

"Better than you." Pieck frowned. "Come on, Zeke. You act like nothing happened last night."

"Well… because nothing happened," Zeke said nonchalantly. "I'm still in one piece, and the morgue was spared of my corpse."

"How the hell can you be this chill?!" Pieck asked. "Someone almost took your life away, and you're cool about it?"

"I'm cool about it because I've got to live. Well, it's probably a mistaken identity."

"Probably? You didn't try to find out?"

Zeke scoffed. "Pieck, let it go. I'm fine."

"There could be another attempt, you know," Pieck insisted. "This is a grave matter, Doctor Jaeger. Don't you even care about your life?"

"Better to move on," Zeke said and slid off his bed. "I'm taking a shower now. If you don't want a free show, you better meet me outside…"

"Zeke!"

"Come on, Pieck. Don't act like my mother."

"Don't you get it? Someone threatened your life for a reason. This isn't just a mistaken identity. There's much more behind that. Can't you remember anyone you must've brushed the wrong way?"

"I'm a man whose profession is saving lives," Zeke said.

"So, are you aware and confident to say you never had enemies?"

"I save lives and do my best at that. But I don't hold people's fate."

Pieck rubbed the back of her neck. "You think it's about letting a patient die, and the family comes after you? But I don't think it's about failing to save a patient's life, Zeke."

Zeke sighed. "Look, whatever it is… I am too preoccupied to think about it right now."

"Even if it costs you your life? I can't believe you, Zeke. And just like that? Your own life doesn't matter to you that much?"

"What does, Pieck? Can we stop a person from killing? Can we change their feelings, take away their hatred?"

"That's not it!" Pieck said in frustration. "This isn't about somebody's hatred. This is about something that makes you a threat to someone else, hence they want you dead!"

Zeke frowned thoughtfully.

"Think, Zeke! A person wouldn't need a gun-for-hire just to mistake somebody's identity. They want to take you down because you're a threat. Because you might know something that'll hinder a criminal activity or that sort of thing…"

"Don't make it more complicated, Pieck. I did nothing against somebody. I don't hold grudges and definitely don't hold a secret except keeping Levi's condition away from the public," Zeke said. "I can't think of anything that will endanger my life just like what happened last night. It doesn't make sense."

"Exactly. It doesn't make sense at all, so don't you just sit there and think it's a mistaken identity. But hold on… do you think it has something to do with Levi?"

"Levi hates me, but I don't think he'd ever want me dead," Zeke said.

"Your sharpness gets reduced by half when it comes to him, doesn't it?" Pieck palmed her forehead. "Of course, why would Levi want you dead?"

"I… I don't know…" Zeke slumped onto his bed. "But then again, I did something that displeased him. I got him to meet Frieda, and she finally saw his condition. Frieda can come up with a cure, but Levi doesn't want his old self back."

Pieck crouched in front of him and smiled weakly. "Which is unacceptable to you, right?"

Zeke responded with a light nod. "What are your thoughts, Pieck? Who do you think would do something like this to me?"

Pieck shook her head distraughtly. She placed a comforting hand on Zeke's arm. "That's why I'm asking you for possible clues. We can't let this pass. I know you're not a bad guy, but I can't help but worry that good guys aren't always spared. Bad guys do what we expect them to do, and I just can't stand around and do nothing, Zeke."

Zeke chuckled. "Funny you worry about me."

"Levi's not your only friend, Zeke. And I'd guess you can't find the same genuine concern from him these days, so, I'm stepping up."

"You don't have to be harsh to my pathetic state…"

"I'm just telling the truth," Pieck huffed. "I want you to feel there are still people around you that are worth your attention."

"If I didn't know better, you'd make me want to think you're so infatuated with me…" Zeke chuckled.

Pieck grew red. "Don't misread my intentions. You're too old for me."

"Ouch."

Pieck laughed. "But seriously now, I would've loved to gather all the eligible bachelorettes in Sina, and make you choose among them. It's high time you look for a better partner, you know? Make your life a little less miserable."

"Like I said, stop acting like my mother."

"Not only mothers know best." Pieck rolled her eyes.

Zeke raised his arms in surrender. "Okay now, Pieck. Can you go out with me today?"

"Not for a date, right?"

Zeke ruffled her hair. "No. I just… I just want to see the person who saved my life last night."

"Oh. So you're saved by someone?"

Zeke nodded. "Not just someone. It was Eren, my brother."

Pieck gaped her mouth in shock.

"And if you really want to insist on what happened last night, he might know something." Zeke sighed. "Maybe we can try to find it out and make things right."

Hange could ask for another "leave" today, asserting she was working double-time on her duties for the past few days and staying until midnight. The overwork was taking a toll on her body that she would have loved to stay at home in bed and be with Levi, thinking of all the silliest things to do all day. She could also try to lock Yelena in her room to get rid of her annoying presence.

But none of which happened.

Emergencies took away most of her social life, and this time, her personal life. Here she was, grumpily ushering shocked people from a freshly extinguished party yacht to their rescue vessel. A fire broke out in one of the rooms due to a cigarette left over on a bed by a drunken guest.

Rich folks are irresponsible party-goers. Hange hated this kind of rescue mission, mainly if accidents were caused by sheer negligence.

"Can anyone send a medic here? I got scratches all over my arms!" A raven-haired woman called out, raising her barely injured arms in the air in an attempt to get noticed. She had barely bridged the platform connecting the yacht to the vessel.

Hange was fast to approach her, summoned by her usual alertness. "Did you get burned, Miss?"

"No, but these scratches stung," the woman snapped, showing her arms that only showed red scratches that looked like hand marks.

"They're gonna bruise, but they don't look serious. We'll treat them once we're aboard the rescue boat. Didn't you suffocate from the smoke or anything?" Hange asked dutifully.

"Are you telling me these are not serious? They hurt a lot, you know? I spent a lot on skincare and derma appointments, and not for any of you guys to just drag me harshly out of the burning boat and—"

"If you understand it clearly, this is an emergency situation. Get bruised or get burned. Your pick," Hange countered, trying to sound nice and inoffensive. "You guys are privileged enough that our team arrived here right on time and prevented casualties."

The woman rolled her eyes in irritation. "You are rude for someone who swore to save and protect people."

"Oh yes, I do care, Miss," Hange said flatly. "And I'm merely doing my job. Now if you'll excuse me, other people needed my help. Get on the rescue boat, we don't need to waste our time."

"I'm gonna report this to your boss!" the woman threatened.

"You have all the right to do so if that will satisfy you. I'd be more than glad to be evaluated this way so I can improve better in my duties. In any case, my name is Hange Zoe," Hange said sarcastically. Seriously, her hate for these haughty people has gone a few notches up. This is where she needed Yelena the most.

"Lara!" A blond man called from over a speedboat that just arrived. It lurched forward closer to the rescue boat. "Oh god! What a mess this is! Is everyone okay?"

"Thank god you asked for everyone and not your boat this time." The woman named Lara crossed her arms. "And please don't brag again about your expensive silk bedsheets, Willy. You almost got thirty people burned to a crisp!"

Willy Tybur of the Tybur, Inc. Hange could recall the charismatic man who retired early from politics and decided to venture into business holdings just like the Ackermans.

Hange shook her head and decided to attend to other civilians. However, Lara was unstoppable in her tirades, magnifying her need for more attention. "And I hate you for not making Levi join me at this party!"

Hange's ears perked up at the mention of Levi. She was hoping it was a namesake, but she knew the possibility it was no less than the one she shared a bedroom with. After all, with all these folks who could afford the unnecessary luxury, there is no other name to dominate their conversation other than Levi Ackerman.

"I told you I couldn't contact him for days! And even if I did, he wouldn't show up unlike before. Forget about him, Lara. You two were done," Willy pointed out. This scandalous exchange with his sister was audible enough that people just shrugged it off. "Besides, it's unfortunate enough that the yacht caught fire. We don't want trouble with the Ackermans."

"No one would behave recklessly if an Ackerman was on this yacht!" Lara refuted.

"Hey, what's happened has happened already. There's nothing we can do about this. I lost one of my luxury boats, and I hope you do your part to just shut up about it." Willy glared.

Lara pouted in disappointment. "Hey, was it you who sent these guys to rescue us? They lack the proper etiquette to treat civilians. Not even the proper boats to make us comfortable."

"W-what?" Hange frowned. "Two boats are already on the way to transport your people. They'll arrive in no time. Besides, the fire was already out."

"Lara…" Willy gazed at Hange apologetically. "I suppose nobody got hurt, so stop whining already. The rescue department has done its job well."

"Work on keeping these things fire-proof then! You're all about the fancy things to the eyes, but safety measures are not given priority," Lara hissed.

Willy scratched his head sheepishly. "Tell that to your guests. I guess I can't do anything if someone ignores one simple rule not to smoke inside the cabins."

Seriously? Hange would have loved to interrupt their conversation which should be held in private. Are privileged people always like this?

"This is getting out of hand. Can I just jump into your boat and get out of here? I want to go home and shower. I reek of engine smoke, god!" Lara grumbled.

"Well…" Willy looked at Hange. "Guess you heard her. Can she sign a waiver or anything?"

"She's free to go," Hange said with looming impatience. "She's fine, though. And we wouldn't need any more statements from her."

"Good riddance!" Lara chirped and let one of the officers get her on Willy's speedboat.

Hange clicked a tongue and murmured, "That's my line."

"If you need anything, you can reach me at Tybur Inc., okay? I'm guessing you guys have my number?" Willy inquired.

Hange nodded limply.

"And please extend my apologies to the guests. My sister and I will be partly accountable for whatever happened in my party boat. If anything, they can always contact me."

Hange nodded again. "Will let them know, sir."

Lara was handed a robe and sunglasses and sat beside her brother. She gave Hange one last scrutinizing look and then turned her gaze away.

"What a primadonna…" Hange watched as the speedboat sailed off. Onyankopon was standing beside her, chuckling.

"Ah, rich folks. They always want VIP treatment," Onyankopon said, tapping his first-aid kit. "The other boats will come soon. Damn, thirty people are enough for one vessel, but these people requested more. Are they still thinking about partying?"

"Say, they're the loveliest human beings on earth," Hange huffed. "How are your precious babies out there? Anyone hurt? You'd want to serve them cocktails to ease their trauma."

Onyankopon exhaled loudly. "Oh, they're all whining about inhaling smoke that almost suffocated them. They're a little overacting, you know? Now that the rich guy Tybur announced his accountability for what happened."

"Sounds like a publicity stunt to me. Some guy who wants to win back a political career." Hange curled a lip.

Onyankopon tapped her shoulder playfully. "You shouldn't make your hate comments obvious. Come on, Levi's one of these folks."

"But he's different from them," Hange said. "Way, way different."

Onyankopon eyed her differently. "Yeah, and we do know why."

Hange simply ignored him. Hell knows what kind of a person Levi is prior to losing memories. She was ready to break up with him if he acted like these folks with overflowing self-importance. "Come on, let's get back to work. I want this done. I can't stand these people." She reached for her backpack and turned away from a group of huddled women whose words reached her ears.

"Look, she's that woman, right? My eyes can't be deceiving me…"

"Really? Let me see…"

"The semblance is strong. My vision won't fail me."

"Why was she with Levi Ackerman in Ragako? I wouldn't have guessed her job was a first responder. So that's the kind of woman Levi preferred now?"

"Was she even a woman and preferred to be called that way?"

"Whatever. Biologically, she's a woman. Fuck the non-binary crowd who wanted extra treatment. Who sent the picture?"

"I don't know… this was just passed on to me. And it's all over my newsfeed."

"Already? And here we are seeing her in flesh. But, was it confirmed that Levi's in the picture?"

"There's no doubt about it… I zoomed it in. It was really him! Even my former secretary was working in Ragako, and I confirmed it with her."

"Whoah… that's shocking."

"So Petra Ral and Levi Ackerman have called it quits now?"

"But they just announced their wedding two weeks ago…"

"Come on, it was just Petra who was making the announcements publicly. Look, Levi's not making any press appearances nowadays."

"After what Petra had done to him? If I were Levi, I wouldn't want her back…"

"And he's moved on quickly. Or what if it's really a third party that caused the rejection? Oh geez, and it's just weird that Levi would cheat for taller women who looked like men. Totally opposite of Petra."

"Shh… she might hear you! Shush it…"

"You think Lara knows? She's crying out about Levi not joining here."

"She doesn't know, I guess. She's too busy with her parties. Oh well, it would be nice if Levi gets back with Lara, but I think he's done with those who act like they own the world."

Laughter ensued. Hange wanted to hate her sharp senses for overhearing something that would make her want to sink into the sea floor. She could feel her whole body shaking.

"Hange…" Onyankopon called from the walk-around deck, apparently oblivious to what was happening.

Hange blinked her eyes rapidly as if they were burning. Rage or embarrassment—she couldn't tell. She straightened up and looked back at the group of giggling women who zipped their mouths as she shot them a glare. She swallowed her spit and followed Onyankopon.

"Did you get the name?"

"Yeah. Sounds like a man, too…"

"Haha! You're so bad…"

"Would you even guess what are her preferred pronouns?"

"Is there a gender crisis going on?"

"Man, I hope that picture was a joke… there is no way Levi Ackerman would want someone like her…"

Hange's knees weakened at each step, feeling those stray words were skinning her alive. She had no idea how a picture of her and Levi would surface and spread that fast, getting passed on around the elites of Sina. She hadn't been very vigilant, and so was Levi who thinks he was just like any average guy who can go around unnoticed. She wished the gossips were not about her, despite the very obvious and the screams of her gut. When her phone rang in the nick of time, she distracted herself by slipping away from the crowd.

It was Moblit. Great. She had an idea where this was going.

"Mobs, hey, what's up?" Hange asked.

"Hey yourself, Hange. What's up with you? There's a viral photo of you and Levi holding hands in Ragako."

She mumbled a curse. Of course, Moblit's calls usually comprised bad news.

"You aren't checking your social account, aren't you? The hell are you thinking? Hange… that was scandalous…"

Hange bit her lower lip, trying to come up with a joke out of it. She hadn't seen the photo yet, until she heard about it just now. Who the hell would take Levi's photo with her? "Oh, that was too fast. Well yeah, I heard. In fact, the elites are making fun of it right now."

"Hange…"

"It's bad… isn't it? I hope the malicious comments would go away because we looked like practically mother and son."

"Steer away from social media in the meantime. You should also talk to Levi about it."

"What's to talk about? Levi and I agreed to have a relationship. We should be ready for the consequences…"

"I know it wasn't in your plans to get public like that," Moblit said worriedly. "I was happy about you and your relationship but… the way things are right now, it's gonna go downhill for you."

"Our fault. We weren't careful," Hange croaked.

"I thought you should know, the sympathies were for Petra…"

"That's expected," Hange scoffed.

"Hange, this is a serious matter! Public opinions can humiliate and destroy a person. It appears things aren't sinking in on you just yet."

"In this case, I won't care much about myself. I'm more worried about Levi. His reputation is at stake," Hange said sullenly. She looked around and felt everyone's eyes on her. "Talk to you soon, everyone's eyeing me like prey. It's getting a little uncomfortable."

"Wait, where are you?"

"Apparently, I'm in the middle of the sea for a rescue mission. If only I could swim back to the wharf to escape these people," Hange exhaled. "When did the pic go viral? Are there more of them?"

"Just this morning. It's all over my feed. There are like three of them. Hange, the pics were undoubtedly intimate, like something was between you two. Did it ever cross your mind that no matter how remote Ragako is, there would be guests who would readily recognize Levi? I'd bet the press will make a fuss about it. After all, it's an Ackerman again, and they'd make money out of the rumors."

Hange seethed.

"In a few days, entertainment news will be all about the photos," Moblit figured. "You have to be prepared. And I'm afraid Levi's memory loss would be tackled one way or another."

The burning feeling inside Hange's throat intensified. There it was again as if her breathing had stopped.

"Hange?"

"T-talk to you soon, Mobs. We really can't talk like this…"

"Okay. Stay safe, Hange. And I know you can pull through everything…"

She hung up, gripping her phone tightly against her chest. She held her throat, massaging it gently. Several eyes never left her as she climbed up the upper deck in a rush, meeting Floch Forster and Porco Galliard as they were both on their phones. Their faces had mixed expressions as they looked at her with a hint of worry. It wouldn't need to guess she owed them an explanation as well.

"Ah, looks like I was all over the news then," Hange sang nonchalantly, shrugging off her backpack and leaving it on the deck floor. "Am I right?"

"Was it really you?" Floch narrowed his eyes. "Well, we know you rescued Levi in a car crash, but this…"

"Long story…" Hange said, walking close to the guard rail and looking up at the sky, squinting at sun's rays. "But now's not the time to explain my side. Whew, never thought something like this would happen again. Yelena, Onyankopon, and I went viral at the amusement park after we rescued Flegel Reeves. And now, I was back in the limelight. I never asked for fame, what the hell."

"Hange… this was a scandal," Porco reminded her. "In every angle."

"Yeah. There's no other way to put it," Hange said. "And I know it's kinda mind-blowing."

"Have you seen it?"

Hange shook her head as Porco inched closer to her side, handing over his phone. Hange held it hesitantly—shakingly, but took it from him anyway. She gazed over the screen dimmed by the daylight above but still showed how clear they were. There were three pictures of Levi and her together, and the way the pictures were taken, she sure has let her guard down. She was too besotted during those times—that nothing mattered anymore. She was grinning widely at Levi, their faces too close as his hand intimately clutched hers. He mirrored the same smile as he had his mask removed, hanging on one ear. She remembered him taking it off for a brief moment, just a little time to breathe after the hike. However, that short amount of time left them exposed and vulnerable to those whose curiosity needs satiation.

Her eyes narrowed at the second picture where she was squeezing Levi's cheeks playfully, and the third pic wouldn't need an explanation about the kind of relationship they had. Levi craned to meet her forehead, giving it a gentle peck while his hand grabbed her ponytail. She didn't remember how both of them allowed those sweet moments to jump over the boundaries they set upon themselves, blurring the reality surrounding them and the fact that Levi was no average citizen.

She scrolled a little to see the time when it was posted: around 5:30 AM. The number of reactions reached five digits for a few hours, and she could see hate emoticons dominating the post. Comments also reached thousands, plus the number of shares. It was wildfire, and there's no stopping it. She shoved back the phone to Porco, holding her breath.

"But was it true?" Floch asked. "Is that really you in the pictures?"

"What do you think?" Hange smiled vaguely. "I guess nobody else in the world would want to look the way I did. It's a crime to be like me—awkward, unattractive. You can believe what you see in the pictures. They don't need confirmation from me."

"You were holding hands with Levi Ackerman…" Floch said. "And the guy's giving you a…"

"Exactly. Why would I hold hands with a guy like Levi Ackerman?" Hange asked defiantly. "It's ridiculous… right? It's unbelievable. Because someone like Levi Ackerman was being intimate with me."

Floch and Porco traded looks.

Hange continued, "Funny how people would point that out. Everyone down there is having a great time making fun of it—judging me without knowing what kind of person I am. It's a superficial world anyway."

"Let them have their entertainment. They know nothing about you and your heroic deeds. I'd bet my life they never saved anyone except for their painted nails," Floch said as if to soothe her feelings.

Hange chuckled. "Of course, you'd say that."

"You don't have to disparage yourself, Hange," Porco added. "And we're not gonna judge you. You're likable enough to be in the rescue force, doing a noble job of saving lives. You've done a lot, protected people, including the ones who are quick to judge you. You are worthy of attention. The problem is with people who're simply jealous because the richest guy in Paradis had a thing for you."

"Please… it's not about Levi's standing. It's not all about his money," Hange defended herself. "Don't make me hate my situation even more."

"Sorry," Porco apologized. "That's not what I meant."

"Whatever, Hange. Love isn't about social class or appearances. Love just… comes unexpectedly and binds two people together…" Floch said awkwardly. "You're no exception. Everyone deserves to be loved by anyone."

It was one of the most cliché definitions of love, but it certainly made sense. Love. Have her feelings for Levi gone that far? In that very short amount of time being together? But maybe she'd consider that. There was a spark between them, and she was not ready to lose it.

Levi chose her. That should be enough for now.

"We can abandon this boat, leave them starving in the middle of the sea," Porco suggested mockingly. "Or we'd put them back in their party yacht and let them figure out how to run the engines. These people are just too much."

"Or let's just make them swim back to land," Floch said jokingly.

Hange snickered. "In as much as I want to get back at them, we should be mindful that it's our job to save and protect people."

"Ah, I hate this job," Floch huffed. "But Hange, please know that we're behind you. Always. We could rebuke every nasty comment about you."

"No need. That will take you all day. I'd rather you two be productive in your duties," Hange reminded them, putting her arms around their shoulders in a comforting way. "Thanks, guys. Thank you for believing in me. That I was worthy of affection."

"Every person does," Porco said. "So… do we have a chance to meet Levi Ackerman in person?"

"Yeah, you'll meet Levi soon. If…"

If everything goes well.

If Levi will not be forced to choose Petra over her.

If fate favors them to be together.

"I… I really am not sure. I'd bet every woman would want to hunt me down and burn me alive," Hange jested.

"Would you want us to burn them first before they could swing a flamethrower at you?" Floch joked back, with Porco agreeing with a high five.

Hange ruffled their hair affectionately. "We don't want trouble, you guys."

But the trouble's yet to come. She is not ready to entertain such.

Not now. Not. Now.

Every hate comment against Hange Zoe is a personal victory for Petra. She spent all morning staring at her phone, seeing how the candid pictures of Levi and his new woman drew so much reaction online, creating more flak than she initially expected. She was once clouded by guilt to get someone to post them, feeling bad enough that Levi's reputation would get him into trouble. But just in case, she is prepared to save his name and make Hange take all the blame. She will have everything under control.

She took a sip of her "morning wine". The wine rack in Levi's cellar had more gaps now, realizing she was consuming more wine than water these days.

Her phone rang. This time, it was a call she couldn't ignore from thirty-something missed ones.

"Dad…"

"Sweetheart," her father's voice on the other line clenched her heart.

"You saw it?" Petra asked, clutching her chest.

There wouldn't be any reason for her father's early call. She knew what was coming. After all, it was all her doing.

"How are you?" Her father was always kind and understanding, but never got straight to the point. He was someone who would never get mad easily, especially with Levi.

"I'm fine," Petra said, trying to sound otherwise. She was nearly crying, but once one tear found its way out of her eyes, there was no stopping it. "I'm really fine, Dad."

"You're crying. I could hear you," her father pointed out. "Have you two talked?"

"He hasn't come back. I've been alone here for two weeks now. He left for Ragako, and I never heard anything from him again."

"It's about his memories, right? Why he fell for someone else?"

"Yes," Petra said bitterly. "But that woman—Hange—should've known that Levi and I were in a relationship. She shouldn't have come in between people who are bound for marriage! She… she took advantage of Levi's memories, exploited them. She's using him… she's merely using him."

"People taking advantage of someone will never be favored by destiny. Don't lose hope. Levi will come back to you as he is. Petra, miracles are for the weak, the oppressed. Miracles favor those who deserve them. And you will receive them even if you never asked."

Petra half-smiled. Her father was always reassuring, and she believed him. She always believed in him. After all, his words have strongly influenced his luck and winnings in life, be it in business or his circle of trusted people.

"Thanks Dad, I believe you…"

Petra's faith in his words calmed her senses. When they hung up, another call came in, and Petra answered it with urgency.

"An interview about the viral pictures? Yes, of course. I saw them when I woke up. It's… it's heartbreaking. I've yet to talk to Levi but… I know the story behind the pictures. And yes, I'm ready to speak out."

Notes:

Levihan nation, everyone all right?

I'm not.

It's not a question. Damn.

A superb animation of Hange's (extended) death made this feeling worse. I've never felt so attached to a fictional character before but hell, I couldn't just drag myself to reality just yet. Hange's death in the manga totally caught me off guard-and when those panels finally got animated, I couldn't help but shed a tear (while at work).

I know AOT was only FICTION. A goddamn fiction and her death saddened me to the core. I told myself not to watch that episode where she burns and falls but then, my masochist self couldn't help but watch that part, over and over again. Bad move, man. It's like stabbing me over and over again.

Good job, Isayama.

I want to hate him for ending her character that way-I thought her death was unnecessary and pointless, but then, MAPPA made her literally go in a blaze of glory. I was biting my nails the whole time, unblinkingly watching her in action as she flawlessly zipped around the titans to topple them over. The animation was well-done, it could equate to WIT's Levi's badass scenes. And that's what hurts the most. Hange's badassery (I'm talking about the scene) ended as soon as it started. Her heroic death scene will forever touch (and haunt) our hearts.

Let's all cry together. :(

On another note, if you want an escape from the cruel canon world, I discovered a manga that screams Levihan in another universe. Check this out: Telework Yotabanashi

Oh... and yeah... I'm updating another chapter. I know some of you would look for AUs to cure a broken heart.

Chapter 36

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

A few blocks from the Ackerman Holdings building was a convenience store where Mikasa just stormed out of carrying a bottled water. She slid back into her car, the door banging to her side as she breathed out with heaviness in her chest. She reached for a vial of mixed essential oils in her compartment and rolled it over her wrists, inhaling the strong scent to calm her nerves and a mounting headache. She grabbed her handbag sitting on the passenger's seat and opened its flap, one hand digging in to pull out a pill box. She popped one into her mouth and swallowed it down with water.

"Shit…" she seethed, wiping off her moist lips with the back of her hand. "Oh please, not this headache again."

There should be only one task to deal with today: Armin's findings after meeting with Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia. There was also a plan to expose Krista Lenz's identity and her real intentions—all of which was Armin's idea. However, Zeke's attempted murder last night seeped through her to-do list, as a proper investigation should take place. A part of her felt that things were somehow connected, but she was not sure how to trace and link the events in the aftermath. For now, it's a blind attempt to connect the pieces. It's hard to knot loose ends without assurance of theories.

Her breakfast earlier was disrupted by Erwin's early phone call, thinking it was another bad news. Her hunch was right though; bad news always comes waltzing into her life unannounced.

"Have you scrolled through your newsfeed yet?"

Mikasa had long since opened her social media account. The last time was when Armin sent her a video of Levi climbing down a building. This time, however, the pictures are undeniably Levi with another woman. Erwin said at first that they were privately forwarded to him after going viral in under an hour.

"It's a scandal. Especially after Levi and Petra had gone public, announcing they were back together."

There is no way to take down the photos. People would strongly suspect the truth behind the pictures if they were forcibly removed and thousands had already seen them.

But it's the truth anyway. Levi and Hange were together now. Somehow, Mikasa felt accountable for their relationship because she brought them together. She was feeling bad enough that hate comments towards Hange flocking the anonymous post. They were condemnatory, humiliating, and unnecessary. Hange should be protected at all costs.

Mikasa wanted to reach out to her first and extend her apologies, but her phone was unreachable. She was about to dial Levi's number when her phone rang. It was an unknown number. She usually never entertained anonymous calls, but with all the hoopla going on, maybe she would need to curse at someone had this call happened to be from the press.

Wrong guess. It was a call from someone she had never expected. She gave away her number last night to someone she grew a little close to, but calling her this early morning seemed too soon.

"E-Eren?" Mikasa's heart skipped a bit.

"I suppose it's a bad time to call you but… have you seen the news?"

She expected a pleasant morning greeting, but she wasn't sure where that thought came from.

"I'm dealing with two. Which one was it?" Mikasa asked with a sigh, pointing out Zeke's assassination attempt and Levi's scandal that happened almost simultaneously.

"Levi and Hange's," Eren said, sounding very worried. "Last night, it was Zeke. But today's gotten very controversial."

Mikasa slumped back on the backrest of the chair. "People like us deal with all sorts of things that go publicly. It comes with fame and social standing… it's just a terrible place to be."

"Yeah but… it was a little sad to have Hange dragged along."

"I know. Have you talked to her? I can't reach her phone."

"She had an emergency situation before sunrise. I also told her what we talked about last night in your car. I'm sorry I had to disclose things to her."

Mikasa leaned her head on the headrest, closing her eyes. "How did she take it?"

"Of course, she's saddened by it. But restoring Levi's memories is just… necessary…"

"I don't know…" Mikasa said with a bite of her lip. "Restoring his memories should take time. But we wouldn't know if it's still necessary for his situation. Especially right now. It's just necessary for his CEO duties, but not for the rest."

"Are you upset with me for having a different opinion?"

"No. I just… I don't know what to do. I've been dealing with a lot of things. They weren't even my personal problems, but I feel burdened," Mikasa croaked. "But I need to involve myself because I just can't leave my brother on his own. I love this new version of him because I'm seeing raw and genuine happiness in him. But if this version of him will destroy him as a person, I'd rather have the old him who can easily find his way out of the problem. But then again, we'd be back to the old ways, separated by a massive wall. Like strangers with the same blood."

She didn't realize there were tears in her eyes. The last time she cried was when Levi finally woke up, seeing her as a different person but treating her like no other. Her thoughts juggled to a future where she saw herself alone once again, pining for attention from a family she only had through the Ackerman name. Ackermans were strangers to each other, and she didn't want to bring that back.

"Mikasa, you'd pull through it. At least… Levi recognizes you as his sister. It's in his basic knowledge that you are blood-related."

She clutched her phone tightly, leaning on it like holding onto a prayer. She had been aware of Eren's backstory, and now, they were talking about their brothers. Eren was alone, but that didn't reduce his hopes of reconnecting once again with Zeke.

"Yes, he sees me as a sister today but… what if…"

"Your worries are just like Hange's," Eren said. "You're both afraid of Levi turning into a person way too different than today. You see, your advanced thoughts are taking you to a future where you defy uncertainties. But I think it's best if you deal with the present first. Deal with the things to effectuate the future. Do something that you think can lead you to a favorable outcome. Do what you think is right."

Mikasa stared into nothingness and listened to the voice on the other line. For someone who has lived a dark past of emotional trauma, Eren was barely damaged. He was taking hits and punches, but he survived. Here he was, talking her out of cynicism and misgivings as if he was a person who was never thrown under a bus in his entire life.

It was soothing, somehow.

"Thanks, Eren…" Mikasa said. "I'll try to get Levi and Hange out of this rut."

There was a cackle. "Well, the least I could do is involve myself in a word war."

"Word what?"

"I'm trying to get back at those who make insulting comments against Hange. I've replied to about fifty of them now… you know… just to counter their opinions."

"Are you crazy?!"

"They didn't even know Hange. Every single one of them. I know I was an insignificant fellow, but I thought at least one person should back her up—just to see a conflicting statement to that post."

Mikasa smiled inwardly. "I'll see what I can do."

She did the unthinkable. After thanking Eren for the call, she turned to her social media account and hunted down the post. She set her profile to "public" and made her information exposed. This way, whoever will take interest in looking up her profile will see its legitimacy. It took her a minute to gather some courage to compose a comment. She had never involved herself in this kind of thing, but Eren was right, Hange needed her backup.

After clicking "post," she heaved a pained sigh and relaxed. Compared to Levi, Mikasa was a lesser-known Ackerman. She hated popularity, but now, she was bracing for a different kind of fame that would undoubtedly affect Hange's image and possibly reveal Levi's actual condition.

She wasn't thinking straight, but one thing was for sure: she would do the craziest things for her loved ones.

Last night's news of Zeke's botched attempted assassination was eclipsed by another much more interesting headline. Rod Reiss was in his home office, enjoying a cup of coffee as he swiveled on his chair over a viral post of Levi's alleged "third party" in Ragako Village. Levi's affairs were not much of Rod's focus, but he could see a window where one scandal would ruin his name which was always associated with trust and loyalty. If one man couldn't stick to one woman, what more of his business dealings that should be allied with honesty and integrity? Infidelity is never new in the social circle of affluence. It was always strategically kept in secret by men who enjoyed a company of women more than their legal families, however, a revelation of such a deed was reproving. Public opinion would serve as the executioner to condemn their character.

"Hm, looks like Ackerman went headfirst into a pile of shit. Poor guy doesn't know how to pick a proper woman… he certainly made himself a laughing stock by now. Was it the effect of Frieda's drug?"

As if summoned by the wind, his daughter was already standing behind him at the full turn of his chair. Rod didn't realize she was already there in her ghostly presence, still in her white sleeping gown.

"F-Frieda! You scared me!" Rod gasped, letting his phone fall onto his lap.

Frieda's swollen eyes looked sad and pale this morning, and Rod realized she should be preparing for her lab work. He gazed at the clock on his table and frowned.

"Honey, should you be at work during this time?"

Frieda stood there stiffly, and it took her more than five seconds to answer. "I don't feel good, Dad."

"Are you sick or something?"

"No."

Rod frowned and pushed himself up the chair. He was about to step towards his daughter, but she took a step back.

"Is… there something wrong?" Rod asked worriedly, noticing her odd behavior.

No answer.

Frieda was always cheerful and vibrant every morning, but today, Rod could even count the number of times she blinked her seemingly vacant eyes.

"You're my daughter. I know if something's going on with you," Rod said.

"Levi," Frieda clipped.

"Oh," Rod cocked his head. "Speaking of which, have you seen the news about him? It's viral now. I couldn't believe it. I knew Levi was very faithful to Petra, but what has gone down? Aren't you in touch with him?"

She stared at her father coldly with her disturbingly ice-like eyes. "No."

"Are you perhaps aware of it? That he's having an affair?"

"No."

"Don't say you're bothered by it?"

No reaction from her. She kept staring at him like a broken doll.

"Frieda, just stop it. What's the matter with you? You are creeping me out!" Rod snapped, looking away.

"There is something wrong with Levi," Frieda revealed. "That's why he chose another person over Petra."

That caught Rod's attention. He looked back at her, frowning.

"He's caught in a coma. Zeke's real purpose for meeting with me is to ask about a substance found in Levi's blood test the night of the accident," Frieda said in a serious tone. "Levi's memories today were a little messed up."

Rod was caught in surprise, turning around to hide a smile he didn't need his daughter to see. He bit his lower lip at the taste of victory.

He cleared his throat. "Oh… how bad was it?"

"I've seen it myself," Frieda said. "I've met with him. He barely recalled me."

"That's… quite shocking, isn't it?" Rod finally turned to face her again, feigning a face of concern.

"He should be dead, Dad," Frieda bared. "It's a miracle he's alive."

A damn miracle. "But… why did Zeke come for you?"

"Because I'm a pharmacologist. And people say I'm the brightest."

Rod's brows curled in disdain. Frieda was the pride of the Reiss family and always spoke in a humbled manner, however, he could trace the sarcasm in his daughter's tonality.

"I see," Rod said. "And I would guess Zeke needs a cure for his little friend?"

"There is no cure," Frieda said. "Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it."

"Are you sure? B-but…" There was a hint of doubt. Rod perfectly knew that his daughter was not one to give up, especially when it came to people close to her. But then again, he was thankful that there was no cure—and his secrets were all safe.

"I hope you'd get to help Levi, Dad," Frieda said. "His condition is a secret, and that might affect his image and credibility in his company."

"O-of course, sweetie," Rod lied.

Frieda narrowed her eyebrows. "And I hope there's no bad blood between you two."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know," Frieda said nonchalantly. "Because I know how you struggled to get the votes for the CEO position, but the board favored him over you. People can get jealous."

"And you think I'm jealous of Levi? Why are you talking to your father that way?" Rod snapped at her boldness. "Frieda, Levi deserved that position because he's an Ackerman. Everyone knows that."

"Indeed. That's the point. The Ackerman Holdings once belonged to our ancestors, but since the Ackermans did most of the job in upholding its name and doubling its profits in a few years, the shareholders always voted an Ackerman name over the Reiss. Some members of our clan resented that fact—it ran for decades until the Ackermans monopolized the company."

"W-where did you get that story?" Rod asked, feeling attacked.

"Uncle Uri. I have known this story since I was a kid. At first, I never cared about wealth and power. But then, through observations as I grow older, people always find competition in their own circle. I don't understand why people sought power and wealth that they have to destroy each other. I always look up to the Ackermans, especially Uncle Kenny. And his friendship with Uncle Uri reminded me of my friendship with Levi. It was an unbreakable bond. As if our clans never had a dark past. And then I thought the grudge of the past is all over now, especially since our family is given a chance to be a part of the very company that debarred our ancestors' ownership rights," Frieda explained. "And when Levi's parents died in a plane crash, I saw you in your room laughing over the news. It was utterly disturbing."

"Frieda…" Rod fumbled for words. "Enough of it! You misunderstood what you saw! What's really wrong with you? It isn't like you to talk things like—"

"Just leave Levi alone," Frieda interrupted, words shuddering. "He's struggling. He's sick."

"If you're thinking I'm gonna do something unpleasant—"

"Yes," Frieda monotoned. "I feel like if something happens to Levi, it will be your doing."

"Frieda!" Rod lashed out.

The younger Reiss was unfazed. Her face held no emotion, yet her words could pierce one's flesh and draw blood.

"How dare you say those things?!" Rod fumed, his hand gripping the chair shakily. "You think your own father was capable of doing a crime?"

Frieda's face fell. "Everyone was."

She was provoking him, and Rod suspected Frieda was on to something.

"No," Rod said resolutely. "Not when I have children share my misery had I committed a crime."

Frieda kept a straight face. "I'll hold to that. And I certainly don't want to do my lab works