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Hi! Just as I promised, I finished and published this chapter just before New Years! As I'm posting this, It's about two days away so i'm happy I was able to stick to my schedule and get back on track. Anyway, this one is a bit of a tearjerker so brace yourselves everyone! Enjoy! :,)
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After you and Levi went inside your company's building and you briefly gave him a rundown of the lobby area as the two of you made your way to the elevators, while also letting him know which floor your main office when the two of you were heading up, everything after that felt pretty quick.

You also took note of those small comments he made about the cleanliness of the lobby, which you have never seen a problem with, but he seems to have the eyes of a hawk when it comes to even the smallest specks of dust. Still, you listened and decided to take it all into consideration.

The elevator ride was silent, so you quickly took the opportunity to text Hange, letting them know you were heading up with Levi and that you'd explain everything when you arrived. They were quick to respond and assured you that they'd be waiting for you, as well as Levi the moment the two of you made it up.

For some reason, the ride up the elevator was a lot more awkward than you thought. Somehow it feels anticlimactic that Levi was finally here, with you, in your office, having finally agreed to be your bodyguard. It had been such an intense process to get to this point, that it doesn't necessarily mean that it didn't feel right, because it does, just not the way you thought it would.

It definitely felt like one of the many issues that had been screwing with your head was finally lifted off your shoulders, and now you could put your focus on other things that were going on in your life, with Levi by your side this time, for good. It definitely felt like things were looking up and your mind had cleared.

You had dealt with the issue with Karina, you and Levi finally came to an agreement, and now the two of you just had to be there for each other to fulfill one another's goals. You had a sole thing to focus on now and it left you ten times more at ease than you were just a couple of hours ago.

Though, in the elevator, as soon as the doors closed and you pressed the button to your floor, you could immediately feel the silence that overtook the space around the two of you. You had no idea if he noticed it, if he cared at all, or if you were just imagining it because the dynamic between the two of you changed a lot the moment the two of you came to an agreement.

Though, you could be imagining that, too. As you felt the elevator continue to go up and spotted the numbers in the monitor on the wall go up in a painfully slow way, you would awkwardly turn your head and take brief glances at Levi and hoped he wouldn't notice, you fiddled with the handles of your purse, moved your feet in uncomfortable motions, wishing those doors would just open and you would see Hange on the other side to break the tension.

But by the small glances you took at Levi, he looked completely fine. Calm, collected, neutral, relaxed. You tried to be as serene and nonchalant as he was being for the rest of the elevator ride, hoping he wouldn't sense how nervous you'd gotten all of a sudden. You did your best to mirror his calm, hoping he wouldn't notice your nerves. What was the matter with you? This is a new start and you settled on trying to treat it as such, no matter what.

Levi told you that you could trust him so you didn't know why you were still so out of sorts from just standing next to him in an elevator. You know that's all a matter of time and getting used to the fact that he'll be around all the time. You'd treat him as you have this entire time, it's that easy.

And as if it was a sign of the universe that your nervousness may be showing on the outside too, you almost exhaled audibly in relief when the elevator dinged and the doors opened. As soon as they did, you smiled in solace when you saw Hange on the other side of the elevator, standing there as they said they would with a bright look on their face that immediately brought you comfort.

You glanced at Levi once, and looked away instantly when you saw that he looked at you at the same time, startling you a little. You hadn't expected that, but, you still hid your shock and used your head to gesture outside with an uncertain smile, as if to signal him for the both of you to get off the elevator.

Levi stepped out first, and you hesitated for second, with your foot pausing just outside of the threshold. His shoes clicked on the floor as he stepped out, but you'd become more hyper-aware of how loud the sound of your own footsteps were.

Levi noticed this and looked back at you, noticing that the air between the two of you felt heavy for reasons neither of you could understand, but you eventually swallowed your thoughts and followed Levi out of the elevator, with your eyes fixated on Hange, and not the eyes burning into the back of your head, not sure what to say next, but as soon as you made eye-contact with Hange, everything you wanted to say came rushing back to you.

You greeted your assistant with a smile and then raised your hand, gesturing it towards Levi, noticing the way they held their tablet next to them. "Hange, I'm sure you're familiar with Levi already, but he will be my new bodyguard," You said, remembering that these two have actually met, back when you were back at the hospital after the incident and you'd woken up with both of them there.

Hange turned to look at Levi and sent him a beaming smile from ear to ear, enthusiastically ready to meet a new coworker. "Oh, wonderful! Welcome to the company!" They said, and Levi nodded in response at Hange's welcoming words. Your assistant turned to look at you, pushing up their glasses slightly.

"I suppose you're calling off the bodyguard search the, Y/n?" They said, clueless to the fact that you hadn't mentioned quite yet to Levi that before this you'd had a handful of candidates that Hange had picked out or you. But in their defense, there was a lot of context that they'd missed from the whole issue you had with Levi to get to this point.

You quickly felt your face flush in embarrassment and nod as you bashfully avoided Levi's gaze on you from the moment your assistant pointed that out. You swallowed hard and smiled nervously. "Um, yes. I am. Thanks for finding all of those candidates for me, before" You said, as you hung your head low, not wanting to meet Levi's eyes.

But he didn't make it easier on you. "Bodyguard candidates, huh? So much for 'not replacing me'" Levi said, and from the tone, you actually relaxed a little because you could tell he was trying to poke fun at you, but it still made you nervous.

Down at the entrance, the two of you had agreed to start on a completely new slate and agreed that what the two of you said and did trying to get past it were all out of desperation and clearly neither of your minds were in the right place. So, he didn't really blame you for it.

Still, you felt the need to quickly defend yourself to make things clear. "To be fair, I never actually hired anybody. I was just looking at possible candidates. And don't act like you didn't know I'd do that," You said, turning to briefly look at him, only to see that he was looking at you with a skeptical look on his face, raising an eyebrow. You both turned to look at Hange when your assistant's hearty laugh resonated amongst the three of you.

"Yeah, as if, Levi," Hange rolled their eyes playfully and Levi deadpanned at them. You couldn't help but simply giggle as you looked back and forth between them, knowing there was definitely the hints of a blossoming friendship there, you could feel it. But it seems that Hange must have felt just a tad too comfortable. Just enough to throw you under the bus.

"Besides, she just kept comparing every applicant to yo-" They started but your head whipped to look at the, your smile dropped and your eyes went widen, quickly rushing over and cutting them off, putting a hand over their mouth.

You regret telling Hange that. It was just earlier today that before heading over to that investors meeting, you'd been briefly looking over the bodyguards' resumes and you just said that neither of those seemed to catch your attention, and now it seems that Hange managed to piece what you said then to your body language next to Levi since the two of you walked in.

"Okay, that's enough of out of you," You laughed nervously and felt Hange's mischievous eyes on you as they smiled against your hand, all the while you tried to pretend in front of Levi that you had no idea what Hange was talking about. But you knew that by the look in his eyes in that moment, it was taking everything in him not to use that against you.

You turned to your assistant, moved your hand away from their mouth and took a couple steps back from them, straightening your posture. "So, Hange, could you bring me some new employment forms so we can make it official?" You said, trying to get back into the topic of introducing Levi back into the office.

"Right away," Hange quickly nodded, but with a barely concealed smile. You ignored it and with a rise and fall of your shoulders as you exhaled, you put on your best and most professional smile and began to walk past the Levi and Hange, but not before you remembered something and quickly turned around.

But when you did, you bumped into Levi. You look at each other in brief shock and then you composed yourself. Was he going to follow you into your office too? You didn't need any protection in there. At least you didn't think you did. There was still a lot of procedures to follow through with.

You were still feeling Levi's burn into you while you forced yourself to turn your attention back to Hange, who was pursing her lips and her eyes were filled with ecstasy and joy at the most minimal accident between you and Levi.

"I almost forgot, Hange. But I'm going to head back to my office to finish up some work that I couldn't get done before the meeting but could you give Levi everything he needs for the job?" You asked, finally the tension leave your body when you no longer felt Levi's eyes on you, staring. Hange simply nodded at your request and in fact, they already had everything ready.

"Of course, Y/n" They said, and you sent them a grateful look. Happy that Hange was willing to take care of that and take a load off of you since you had some things you had to take care of. You'd scheduled meetings and appointments with new investors and you were either meeting with them online or sometime in the future in person. You needed to oversee that now.

You also needed to continue revising the material new Jean forwarded to you about their trio's pitch for their upcoming presentation. There was just too much to do. You were trying desperately to salvage the damage the Karina made with her article and focusing on any opportunity that arises for your company was a chance you weren't going to just let pass you by.

"Thank you, Hange" You breathed out as the same smile as before graced your lips. Knowing you had pretty much said everything you needed to, you turned around on your heel to get back to your office, but not before you accidentally made brief eye contact with Levi.

You had to force to look away from and started walking towards your office, feeling Levi's eyes on you up until the point that you got to your office, open the door, close it behind you and try to focus for whatever's left to do today as best as you could.

As for Levi and Hange, the moment you stepped into your office, your assistant enthusiastically turned their body to face Levi with an excited look in her eye. "Come along, Levi! We have lots to do" Hange said, holding their tablet next to them and made a gesture with their hand so that Levi could follow.

They started walking forward, past Levi, with a pep in their step and it was only a couple seconds after that Levi closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, and then started following after them. It'll be a long day.

As for Hange, they were feeling especially giddy today. They were just happy that after they've been your most trusted confidant in this office and in your life, they could finally share that title with somebody else. Levi and them would be a great duo to make sure you were safe at all times and they just couldn't wait to get to work. They were happy to tell Levi everything there is to know if he needed to when it comes to the company, you, or anything else.

Though, if you asked Hange what they thought, Hange was completely happy in just watching the interactions with you and Levi unfold, already getting a feeling that there was definitely something there. The whole issue with you being unsure about anyone else being your bodyguard except for Levi told Hange everything that they needed to know.

Not to mention you bumping into him and Hange could practically see the sparks flying. They were a hopeless romantic, they couldn't help it. You've known Hange long enough to know that fact very well, so their reaction to that was not shocking to you, in fact, you knew exactly what was coming when Levi wasn't around.

Hange guided Levi to the conference room, all the while your bodyguard expertly avoided the stares he was getting from the rest of the office. Your employees were all peeking from their cubicles at the appearance of someone they've never seen before, but it didn't seem like Levi cared at all. Once Hange was the first to reach for the handle of the glass door of the conference room, they held it open and Levi quickly stepped inside.

Hange closed the door behind them and swiftly out their tablet under their arm, clasping their hands together in front of them. They watched as Levi scanned the room he was in, not having taken a seat just yet. "Well, Levi, why don't you take a seat, and I'll head out for a second to grab what you need for the job," They started, but then briefly glanced outside through the glass wall of the conference room and saw that their colleagues were all still being very curious and trying to get a look at Levi's arrival. Hange turned back to Levi, apologetically regarding him. "And the eyes on you from the others isn't bothering you. They don't mean anything by it," Hange assured Levi.

He shrugged and decided to take a seat in the chair just across from the head of the table, where you usually sat at meetings. "It doesn't bother me. Let them stare, I guess. Can't change much, can it?" Levi said begrudgingly, in a flat and bored tone, with a hint of annoyance at the unwanted attention, as he ran his hand back through his hair, letting it fall back in place.

Hange blinked a couple times at their new coworkers' words, but then watched as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He was sitting down with his back to the wall, so all your employees had to go off of was a head of sleek raven head of hair in an undercut.

Hange let out a snort, followed by an amused laugh. They couldn't believe how unshaken Levi seemed, or at least tried to be. "Well, alright, then. I'm surprised it doesn't bother you. The others are looking at you like you're some kind of celebrity," Hange said curiously, taking one look back at the office through the glass wall of the conference room, though, as Hange looked back, the employee's eyes all widened as they froze and they sat back down in a hurry at the fact that they were caught staring.

"Anyway, ill be back in a couple minutes, so just make yourself comfortable!" Hange said, knowing that they couldn't just stand here idly any longer, taking steps backwards towards the exit as they continued to look at Levi's body language.

"Take your time," Levi muttered, hearing Hange's footsteps echo faintly as he heard the door open and close shortly after. After that, all Levi could hear was the sounds any office would have like phones ringing, the light office chatter, printers and copiers running, paper shuffling, keyboards clicking, and everything in between.

It was weirdly soothing to hear all of those sounds that reached Levi in a muffled way. Even if it was for just a moment before Hange came back, Levi let his shoulders relax as he allowed himself a moment of peace, despite the occasional stares from those who 'had to walk past him' just outside the conference room. None of them were being subtle.

But, just as any time that Levi tries to enjoy any moment of peace, a couple minutes went by in a flash and when he heard the door open, followed by footsteps, Levi opened his eyes and turned his head to see Hange holding a box under her arm and tablet on the other hand.

His eyebrows furrowed and wondered what it is that he could possibly need for this job. His powers were already more than enough to be your bodyguard, but he supposed nobody else knew about that so he didn't comment on it. Hange closed the door behind them and turned to look at Levi with a bright expression that has not faltered since the moment that Y/n and Levi came in through the elevator.

"I see you're doing okay, Levi. None of the others have come in here and tried their luck, have they?" Hange said as a mischievous grin morphed into their features as they walked over to the long table to set down the box. They had a knowing smirk on their face, just sensing the discomfort that Levi es exuding but was failing to hide.

Levi simply let out a long breath and looked up at Hange, raising a single eyebrow. "Other than pretending to walk past me because they 'have something to do', none of them have been brave enough to look me in the eye," Levi said incredulously, using air quotes, to highlight his point. Do those employee's have no other work to do?

Hange pursed their lips and nodded as they exhaled through their nose. "Yep. Sounds about right. You should've seen it, though. On my way here, all they could talk about was you behind their desks. You're the talk of the town. I've been working with all of them for a while, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised," They said as they let out more amused laughter as they set down the box.

Levi simply stared at Hange and wondered just how much work gets done around here. "Good for them. Do they enjoy watching me as much as watching paint dry? I haven't done anything but sit here," He said plainly, and Hange couldn't help but chuckle, nodding nonetheless.

Those kids outs there were very easily distracted and entertained by anything, like right now, but, they could still buckle down and get serious when they needed to. Y/n has set rules for them to follow, so at the end of the day, they're hard-working employee's who follow the standards their boss has set down to a T.

"Ah...so you're really not the celebrity type, then?" Hange hummed, and Levi scoffed, leaning back against his chair. His eyes narrowed as his gaze zeroed in on Hange. "I don't know what about me gave that impression. I'm here to do one job. Protect Y/n. And I don't need their gossip for approval," He said, trying to sound as unbothered by the stares outside, but Hange knew that just him talking about it was proof that he did care on some level.

And it was understandable. This office was a new environment for him and Levi didn't seem like a 'people person' to Hange. So, they'd help him as much as they can to get settled and know how things work around here.

Hange nodded understandingly as they started to open the box and started to unload what was inside of it. It was the basic kit that you had asked Hange to prepare in the occasion that you picked a bodyguard, and now that you have, this was it.

"Determined. I like it. But don't be surprised when you have a fan club by the end of the day," They said, taking out a couple books out of the box and stacking them one on top of the other right in front of Levi, noticing the way that Levi was watching as Hange take out one book at a time from the box, wondering what he needed those for. But noticing his confusion, Hange was quick to begin to explain and that the conversation could be put on hold.

"These are just some books about martial arts for bodyguards, basics about security and protection, and just everything you could ever need to do your job. You'll also have a company-issued clothing for your job as Miss Y/n's bodyguard. I'll let you know as soon as it gets here," Hange explained, and Levi nodded along.

He didn't think he'd need to know all of this since one of the main reasons you wanted him to be your bodyguard was because of his powers, and he already knows how to use those as if it was second nature. But if it was necessary, as he'd promised himself, he'd do what it takes to do this right. In fact, if all he had to do now was read, he'd gladly take up that offer.

Levi reached over to grab the first book on the pile about martial arts, and Hange watched as he started to flip through the pages and began to get comfortable in his chair, so they knew that was their cue to leave and attend to their own tasks.

"Well, I guess i'll leave you to it. Happy reading!" Hange said cheerfully, turning on their heel and starting to make their towards the door, but not before they turned back around just as quickly when they heard Levi call out to them.

"Wait, hold on," They heard Levi say, so Hange was quick to walk back towards Levi, seeing that he was not looking at them, but instead his eyes were already glued onto the pages of the first book he had to read.

"Yes?" They said, stopping right in front of him. Levi peeled his eyes away from the book and leaned his right elbow on the armrest of the chair, and looked up at your assistant. He looked like was in deep thought for a second, but then looked back down at the book, while Hange waited expectantly.

"Will I get a weapon of some kind? Is that included?" Levi asked and while Hange's eyes momentarily nearly bugged out of their head at his question, it was quickly masked by this sickly-sweet expression. "No, you will not!" Hange said in an incredibly chipper tone, and then once and for all, turning around and heading towards the door, but not before they said one last thing.

Levi's eyes followed Hange up until they were out the door and he heard them say; "Have fun, shorty!" Hange called out, making Levi's eyes narrow in annoyance at what they called him, remembering that Hange had also called him that back at the hospital.

He watched them walk out the door and then make their way out of sight, walking right in front of the glass wall of the conference room and to another section of the office. Once again, Levi didn't mind if he didn't get a physical weapons because just as long as he was around you and could have access to his powers, he didn't need any sort of weapon.

After that, It wasn't long before Levi had become fully immersed in what he was reading. He'd already read the first one and was onto the second, in the box he was also able to find an earpiece that he'd already went ahead and put to his ear, and he also found a walkie-talkie inside that he'd set down to the side to check out later.

So far, he's learned some pretty useful details about this job and he was glad you'd thought of this so that he could have some notion of what it was like to have this job, rather than just it being an agreement for him to use his powers. He was now reading a book on understanding security equipment like the earpiece he had on and the walkie-talkie he found.

While Levi spent the next hour or so reading in the conference room and making sure he knows everything he need to, your employee's right outside were still putting most, if not all, of their focus on figuring out Levi's arrival. 

At first, they had all been curious, peeking around their cubicles, but now most of them had settled down and had gone back to work. Except for a couple of them who were still far too invested in observing Levi rather than their own work.

Jean usually stayed focused, especially with new arrivals, but Connie had pulled him into a web of suspicions about Levi's appearance. Now, he couldn't concentrate on anything.

Every now and then, Jean and Connie peeked at the conference room to see if Levi had done anything. When he hadn't, Jean forced himself to focus on work, not being able to afford to fall behind. But not Connie. And definitely not Sasha. Neither of them could hide their curiosity.

Sasha was still peeking at Levi from above her cubicle, inquisitively looking at him and wondering to herself if she had just found a new person she could ask to trade lunch with, like she does with Connie and Jean sometimes, and with other colleagues of hers in the office as well, like Historia or Marco. She was wondering to herself what kind of food this new guy would bring to the office, too. Would he be willing to share? It was the only thing on her mind.

As for Connie, at this point, his computer had shut itself off and shut down from neglect and not having resumed his work since Levi walked in. He leaned halfway out of his chair, teetering dangerously close as his attention drifted back to Levi.

Jean shot Connie a warning look, given that his desk was right next to his friend's. Connie snapped upright, but only for a moment before the cycle repeated all over again.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from the conference room and the new arrival. It came to the point where Connie couldn't keep his curiosity to himself anymore.

His eyes darted between the conference room where Levi was in, and you in your office since the blinds of the large window were open and everyone could see you sitting by your desk, just working diligently in your computer. Which is what Connie should be doing too, but of course he was far too nosy.

Connie's attention continue to flicker between Levi, sitting silently in the conference room, and you in your office, just typing away at your desk, completely focused. His itch of curiosity wasn't going to go away that easily, and it came to a point where Jean couldn't ignore it anymore, giving his friend an exasperated look.

Sure, it was intriguing at first, but he had forced himself to go back to work while everybody else was just buzzing over his appearance and he didn't get it. He couldn't figure it out. Maybe it was just the way carried himself; composed, distant, and very intense. But either way, Jean was over it.

His fingers were typing away at his desk as he tried to drown out the chatter of his colleagues, knowing that above all else, he didn't know what kind of person Levi was, but that he definitely didn't seem like the type of person to want to get caught up in office buzz and drama.

Jean tried to focus on his spreadsheets as much as he could, but he couldn't do that when Connie was making it increasingly hard. His friend couldn't sit still for two seconds, and neither could Sasha. Especially when there was someone new at the office.

"Connie..." Jean muttered under his breath, briefly putting his writing on hold and buried his face in his hands, propping up his elbows on his desk. Connie heard this and sat back down in his desk, turning to look at Jean with a sheepish grin. He didn't even try to hide his fascination anymore.

"What? I'm just curious. Any idea on who that guy is?" Connie said as he leaned just his head to the side this time, instead of his whole body. But Jean just sighed and fell back against his seat, turning his head to the side to look at his friend.

"No, I don't. Because I have a job, and so do you. So get back to work before the boss notices," Jean said as he cautiously glanced at you in your office and hoped you hadn't noticed the slacking off outside.

But, Connie refused to listen to Jean, and he continued to try and analyze Levi, disregarding everything Jean was saying to him and continue to lean to the side further to the point where he was teetering over. "Not yet," Connie muttered, and Jean rolled his eyes, but then leaned forward again in his chair and put his focus back in his computer.

"Connie, there will be a time where you fall on your face and I'm not going to be there," Jean said as he put his hand back on his mouse and started to resume the work in his spreadsheet. But when he didn't get a response, he knew Connie had tuned him out and when he leaned over to look at his friend's computer, he saw that the screen saver was occupying the screen.

"You and Sasha have been staring at him at least an hour. Are you sure you're not trying to figure out whether he's a robot or something?" Jean said, obviously joking, but Connie whipped his head back to look at his friend with wide eyes.

"Shit, actually? That would explain a lot. What if he is?" Connie said as his face suddenly became very thoughtful and Jean looked at his friend, completely dumbfounded. Jean was just joking when he said that, but knowing Connie, he probably believes that now.

Jean slapped a hand over his face, leaning back in his chair again in frustration. "Please, Connie. For the love of God, can you just stop overanalyzing this? You're giving me a headache and now I can't work," Jean said as he closed his eyes and began to rub his temples with exasperation.

But Connie wasn't fazed by it at all, and he was still going strong with his theories. "I mean, look at him. He hasn't turned around once. He's sitting there all stoic, not even fazed by any of us," Connie said, and Jean dropped his hand from his face to turn his head to look at his friend and deadpan at him.

There was just no getting through to him, huh? Connie was just intrigued by the fact that Levi sat still in the conference room, his posture rigid and unflinching, not a glance in their direction, which only fueled his curiosity.

"That doesn't mean anything. Has it occurred to you that maybe he has a job to do and that's exactly what he's doing?" Jean said, trying to get Connie to see clearly because it was clear that Levi was just trying to mind his own business.

Connie hummed in denial and shook his head. "No, that can't be it. I have a hunch. There's something weird about that guy. He's not normal. My hunches are never wrong," Connie said with certainty, and Jean looked at this friend incredulously. Was he serious? Connie loved to make theories, but rarely were they ever right in the end. Sometimes he got lucky, though, Jean will give him that.

"Oh, really? They're never wrong? What about the time you had a 'hunch' that Niccolo was so creep that was following Sasha around? They were dating and she just hadn't told us yet," Jean pointed out, and when he heard nothing but silence for a few seconds, he thought that he had finally gotten Connie to stop overthinking the situation. But of course, that didn't last very long.

"Except for that one time, trust me, my hunches always right," Connie muttered, and Jean sighed in defeat. When there was an idea in his friend's head, there was just no getting right of it, was it? Jean just ran a hand back through his hair and leaned forward in his desk again, putting his focus back in front of his computer.

He needed to maintain the smallest fraction of concentration he had left. "Sure, Connie. Just get back to work..." He muttered, shaking his head, but as he should have expected, his friend did no such thing and Connie continued to try and survey Levi from afar.

Before he could get another moment of peace, somehow Sasha decided to join into Connie's antic's and Jean was forced to look to the side to see Sasha walking over to Jean and Connie's desks, and when she got to them, she leaned her forearms on the top of her friends' cubicles.

"Okay, here's what I know. He's reading martial arts books and a guide to security equipment. He also has an earpiece on," Sasha said, earning a thoughtful hum from Hange. They were treating this as if it the answer wasn't right in front of them.

"What do you mean, 'what could this mean'? How are you two this dense? The boss clearly hired a bodyguard. That's what he's doing here," Jean said, in an irritated tone, not knowing how his friends haven't been able to figure this thing out. Connie and Sasha looked at each other with a shrug and then looked back at Jean.

"You don't know that. Those books could be for personal interest and that earpiece could be a fashion statement," Connie said, and Jean's mouth dropped open as his eyes darted back and forth between him and Sasha. This was not rocket science, and they were treating it like a stealth mission. Office life was boring, sure, but its not that boring for this to be their only source of entertainment. Right?

Jean decided to start playing into their game to see what their process was right now. He couldn't possibly focus on his work now so he supposed he'd briefly try to see what was going through their heads. "Oh, yeah? Go over there and ask him. I dare you," Jean said briskly as he fell back in his chair and pointed over to the conference room.

Connie and Sasha both froze, looked at each other with wide eyes while Jean looked at the two of them in amusement. After a few seconds, they both turned to look at Jean again. "What? No, you do it," Connie said defensively and Jean wanted to laugh as soon as his friend said that, but he scoffed softly instead.

"I'm not the one wondering what he's here for instead of doing our work," He muttered, and at last, he decided that no matter what those two ended up doing in their little stealth mission, or whatever they were thinking about doing, he was going to end the day having finished all of his work and he wasn't going to get distracted. As he went back to the spreadsheet he was working on, he could hear and see in the corner of his eye the way Connie and Sasha were conspiring.

He had no idea how you hadn't noticed all of their moving around, especially since the blinds in your office were open, but he was glad you hadn't noticed yet. It would make it easier for him to finally focus and not make this a bigger deal than it was. Though, Jean knew that from now on, it would just be a day that was filled with questions and not a lot of work was going to be done before he'd be able to go home.

-

Just as everybody had hoped for, after a long, stressful day, It was finally time to go home, and you couldn't be more relieved. You had been wishing that this day would just come to an end after everything that happened and that you could move past all the stress that came with it to get to this point. But it was completely worth it.

The day had started early with Levi 'agreeing' to be your bodyguard, then the whole issue with the deal happened which made you step back from him, you spent most of the rest of the stressing and driving yourself crazy over it, and now, the day ended with Levi and you coming to an agreement of him being your bodyguard to protect you and so he could use his powers, coming to terms with a 50/50, win-win situation. It was a rocky journey but it was at least one issue less to have to worry about.

You'd been so caught up in your own work that you barely noticed the office winding down around you just outside your door. The moment it was time to pack up and close for the day, you were actually reminded it was time to leave right in the middle of doing some research of your own, seeing in the corner of your eye your employee's starting to leave their desks one by one, which made you look back at the time in your computer monitor. You had been so immersed in trying to get things done that time just flew by.

After you let out a small gasp once you realized what time it was, you looked at the time on your phone this time and it was true. The rest of the day had gone much quicker than you thought it would.

You supposed that after wishing that the day would just end already, your wish finally came true. You couldn't even process everything that's already happened that day that its hard to believe it all happened in the span of 24 hours. But you were just glad the day didn't end on a bad note and that things actually ended up working out.

After that replaying everything that happened during the day in your head, trying to process it all at once, you'd been about to start packing up your own things, planning to take with you the briefcase of items Hange gave you for self-defense, your head shot up when you heard a knock on your door, then a beat passed, and then the door opened.

You saw Levi step inside your office, and then close the door behind him. You subconsciously fixed yourself up noticing that he was walking towards you, and then stopping right in front of your desk.

"Come on, I'm taking you home," He said bluntly and your eyes widened a fraction. Usually Hange was the one who took you home right after work, but you suppose that since Levi was your bodyguard now, it only made sense that the responsibility fell to him now.

"What?" You said as you began to gather your things and put your personal items back in your purse, still looking up at him. You were still sitting down and he was looking down at you, with his hands in the pockets of his pants.

Levi let out a huff and simply continued to explain, sensing that he must have been too forward with that and it was definitely sudden.

"I talked to Hange. I told them I'd take care of it and made sure you made it home okay. They just left," He said, and upon hearing those words, your features softened a bit at this without your own volition. It had become his job to take you home, and it made complete sense as to why he'd do it, so you don't know why you suddenly felt all mushy inside.

"Really?" You said, with your coming out a lot smaller and quieter than you anticipated, putting in the last of your things inside your purse and standing up. You were holding your purse in one hand and the briefcase Hange gave you in the other.

You started walking around your desk, once you made your way around and started to head towards your office door, Levi was quick to follow after you so that he could walk next to you in sync with your steps with brisk and relaxed steps.

"It's my job now. I'm your bodyguard. I can't risk you going home by yourself," He said, watching as the two of you reached the door and then you turned off the lights of your office in the light switches by the door.

After your office went dark, you moved to wrap your hand around the handle of the door, opened it and stepped out, holding it open for Levi to step out too. "Well, aren't you sweet?" You joked, but a very small part of you meant it as a compliment for him. In reality, you were just happy he was adjusting into this bodyguard role well.

"Don't flatter yourself," He muttered and shut the door behind him with a soft thud. You let out a chuckle at his words, realizing that you really shouldn't have looked into it too much. "There he is..." You muttered to yourself as the two of you started walking towards the elevators side by side.

There were still some other of your employee's packing up and hanging around, so maintenance would be the ones to turn off all the lights when everyone was gone.

You and Levi reached the elevator. You pressed the button to go down, standing shoulder to shoulder next to him. Both of you looked up together to see the monitor start to signal that the elevator was coming up.

You thought that the wait would be silent and awkward, like it was for you at least when the two of you came up earlier, but it wasn't. It was weirdly comfortable, especially since Levi decided to have a little more input.

"We have no idea if that creep will strike when I'm not around. It's the logical thing to do," He said, and you nodded in agreement, slightly shaking your head in hopes that you could finally get his words through your head. You don't know why you've been so nervous about this.

You briefly turned to glance at him and then back at the elevator monitor, seeing that it was getting closer to arriving. "You're right. It makes sense, I guess I'm the one who needs to start getting used to this new routine," You said as you moved to hold both your purse and your briefcase in front of you with both hands. You felt Levi turn to look at you and then let out a breath through his nose.

"I admit it hasn't been easy for me either. This is completely different from anything I've ever done. I'm sure it's the same for you. But I guess it's just a matter of letting things flow as they are, right?" Levi said and you blinked a couple times at his words, turning to look at him, only to see that he was still looking up at the monitor.

You moved your gaze back to where you'd been looking and you numbly nodded along to his words as you repeated them over in your head a couple times. If that's what he's been going off of, it makes sense as to why he seems to be adjusting to this a lot better than you were.

"Right. You're right," You said as you held onto your purse and briefcase a little tighter, and Levi noticed the way your features wavered a bit, making his eyebrows knit together a bit. He had no doubt that you were 100% on board with this, but one thing is having proposed to be your bodyguard, and the other is actually making it happen and preparing for how your life would change.

You've been used to being alone for most of your own personal time when you weren't with Hange or other people in your life, so this must be quite a lifestyle change you were going through that you were pretending to easily be able to tough through. He could easily see that.

"Look. You trust me, right? That's the first step. We can't back out now," Levi said with a gentle sternness in his voice that made you turn to look at him with slight shock in your eyes, but after digesting his words for a second, you nodded silently and answered him.

"I do. I trust you," You said with a quiet yet sure tone to your voice that was more than enough for Levi. He didn't want to go back to having to go back and forth again, not knowing what to do about the situation between you two, so now that the two of you have finally come to agree on one thing, he wasn't going to let you convince yourself of it.

Levi nodded as an imperceptible tug to his lips came onto his features suddenly appeared, which you only got a simple hint of. Even through how stoic he seems as he said those words, his voice and the way he spoke them said a different story.

"There you go. Just one thing at a time. The rest will come with time, you'll overcome them and you won't even know it when you do, it will just be natural" He said, with a certain warmth in his voice you almost missed, and you nodded along to his words, taking them in carefully and with a grain of salt.

You hadn't realized it, but accepting his offer to take you home had felt so natural, something you'd subconsciously come to terms with already and it had been as simple as breathing. He was right.

It was just a matter of letting things flow, and before you know it, the new routine would feel natural and as if you'd been doing it forever. As long as you knew that, you could handle any change that was thrown your way from this moment forward.

"Right...one thing at a time. One thing at a time," You repeat to yourself, and as if on cue, the elevator finally dinged, making you blink yourself out of your stupor. The doors opened and suddenly you were filled with confidence.

The moment you stepped in, you'd leave this office differently than you came into it and when you walked out of the building, you'd be ready to accept this new change in your life and know that this is how things were going to be.

You'd come into this office feeling like once things became far too real for you, you felt awkward and anxious by just having Levi next to you and realizing that the measure you had to take to protect your life had become far too real for your liking at first.

But as you felt Levi's eyes drift to you and burn into your body, you took a big inhale and finally made your feet cooperate with you. You swiftly walked into the elevator, immediately hearing Levi step in shortly after you.

Once the two of you were inside, you could still feel Levi's eyes burning into you as you kept a steady gaze and posture forward as the doors closed and you were quick to reach over and press the button to head down to the garage.

The moment they closed, it definitely felt like it was the start of something—a shift, like stepping into a new version of your life that you were more than willing to embrace now.

You didn't notice it since you were trying to remain as firm as possible as the two of you went down and stepped into the elevator, but after your conversation just now, a smirk tugged at his lips at the way your demeanor did a complete 360 once you took in his words.

He knew he was in to witness a whole new version of you and he'd never admit it, but he was looking forward to it. You didn't even notice that this time around, he stood just a little bit closer to you.

Which is why the ride down the elevator this time felt a lot quicker than earlier that day, and soon enough, you heard a ding and the doors opened. You and Levi glanced at each other once and he extended a hand out, gesturing for you to step out first.

You sent him a grateful smile and looked forward again, stepping out the elevator and starting to head straight towards where you usually park your car in the building and where you knew Hange stationed it too.

After a few seconds of walking across the concrete of the garage, seeing Levi quickly catch up by your side shortly after, your face brightened when your car was in sight and you started heading straight towards it.

Once the two of you reached it, you were about to head towards the driver's seat, but then a realization hit you as you gasped. "Oh, wait! My-" You started, but you were quickly cut off when Levi raised his hand and began to reach into the inner pocket of his jacket, and then pulled out exactly what you were looking for.

"Keys? Hange gave them to me before they left," Levi said and you let out a breath of relief as a tired smile graced your lips. "Oh, good, you have them. I thought I forgot them upstairs," You said, but then catching that Levi's face suddenly turned smug and knowing.

"See? I told you I'd be good at this," Levi said with a hint of smug satisfaction as you rolled your eyes playfully at him, but you also didn't miss the way his eyes flicked toward you for a second as if to check your reaction.

But then your face fell in confusion when you saw as he suddenly walked past you and you turned your body to see that he was heading straight for the driver's seat.

"What are you- you're driving?" You froze, cutting yourself off watching as he reached for the handle and then turned to look at you, raising an eyebrow at your obvious confusion. He thought what he was doing looked like the most obvious thing in the world. He didn't know why you looked so shocked.

Levi shrugged and resumed what he was doing, turning his body to face the car, opened the door, and moved to sit inside. "Obviously. What else does it look like?" He said plainly, shutting the door after him and you stood there frozen as you processed what he said.

You didn't know why but you assumed that by 'taking you home' and 'making sure you made it home okay' just meant he was accompanying you, not driving you there too. Wow, you read that all wrong. "Oh, I thought-" You muttered to yourself, but still cut yourself off when you realized you'd already answered your own question.

You shook your head and got your feet to cooperate as you started to head towards the passenger's seat. Levi had proceeded to start up the car from the inside since the lights turned on and the sound of the engine starting startled you a bit.

You moved your purse over to the hand that you were holding your briefcase with, and then used your now free hand to open the door, step inside the car, get quickly settled inside as you put your things in your lap, and then closed the door next to you.

You quickly put on your seatbelt and when you finally did, hearing the lock click and getting comfortable at last, you looked to the side and sent Levi a happy smile that you watched as he fought to keep back the smirk that was morphing onto his face. "Okay, I'm ready," You said, smiling happily at him, and then looked forward, hearing Levi scoff in a way that was dangerously close to a chuckle.

You were just happy to be going home at last and being in the comfort of your apartment. After that brief moment, nothing much was said as Levi swiftly switched gears and kept one hand on the wheel as he started to drive out the parking lot and his gaze remained focused in front of him.

The car was filled with comfortable silence as Levi drove the car out of the parking lot, and then onto the main street, and you distracted yourself by just looking out the window and watched other cars pass by while Levi drove back to your apartment.

It was soothing to just hear the muffled sound of the engine running, cars driving past, and the lights from the city outside were nice to look at too. But after being on the road for a bit, you thought that maybe you could try to make some light conversation until the two of you reached your apartment building. Wouldn't hurt, right?

It took you a while to muster up the courage, but when you did, you picked the moment where Levi halted the car just as a red stoplight was approaching to lightly clear your throat as you turned your head away from the window and turned to look at Levi instead, who still had a firm and steady gaze out onto the road.

This is something you've had in the back of your mind ever since Levi finally came back and you two agreed to work together, and it came back to your trail of thought when Levi and you were waiting for the elevator. "Look, I was wondering..." You started, trailing off, but then noticed the way the corner of Levi's lips slightly upturned and he took this opportunity to say something too.

"That's dangerous," Levi muttered, and you scoffed as a smile threatened to appear on your lips too, knowing he was just lightly picking on you. It took you a couple seconds but after that, you finally remembered what you wanted to say.

Your tone shifted a bit just as you were about to open your mouth, knowing this was an entirely different area to jump into and ask about. "Is there any other reason that swayed you to come back? One you haven't told me yet.

You'd been so adamant on not being my bodyguard, then you suddenly changed your mind. I didn't know why before, but I do now. I just want to know if there's anything else I should know about" You asked cautiously, not knowing what dangerous doors this conversation would and could open, but judging by the fact that Levi's expression hadn't changed because of your question, you knew that it didn't bother him that you'd asked that.

He just shrugged and ran a hand back through his raven hair, letting it fall right back over his face. "It's...not that complicated," He started, and you noticed the way his fingers tightened on the wheel after he said that. It seems to you that this was something a lot deeper than he was letting on and that it was very important to him. Something that he's been thinking about for a long time.

"Before everything went to hell and we ended up in this situation, I had a part of me that thought I needed something else. Something less predictable than what I've lived by for years. My life was just too much of a routine. Too damn perfect and boring. Thought I could used some trouble and excitement and this was a good opportunity to do that," He said, not necessarily complaining that he didn't like his old antics because that's exactly what he's trying to go back to, but he just thought that maybe in some form he could start to step out of the comfort zone and bubble of perfection he'd been living in where nothing ever changed, every day was the same, and it had become so predictable.

Doing deals,  completing them, finding new people nearly every day to repeat the process over and over again was taxing. He would never admit that to anyone, though. At least, this way, he could still do that and switch things up a little.

When he saw you in the corner of his eye nodding slowly in understanding, Levi suddenly felt the need to ask you the very same question right back at you. "Can I know what changed your mind? Aside from what you told me? You said you didn't want to be associated with my powers," Levi said, and suddenly you felt your cheeks start to burn from embarrassment all over again, remembering having to stop Hange from going further on the topic, but Levi was asking you again and he answered your question, so it was only fair you did the same.

You just needed to suck it up and do it. You ran a hand back through your hair and started to fiddle with your fingers in front of you as you tried to find a way to word this. "I think Hange already said it for me earlier, unfortunately. I said I'd find another bodyguard to hire, but I guess none of them really had what I was looking for. But you did. I guess I realized that to deal with that psycho, I needed someone who can do what you could," You said, and then finally braving enough to turn to look at Levi, but you regretted it when you saw how cocky he looked.

Your face fell and you crossed your arms in front of you. "Don't look so smug. I have to admit, you were right. I really thought that I could just stick to the moral high ground of this situation, but...it's not that simple. If I want to handle this well, I can't be afraid of getting my hands dirty. Things aren't black and white, I can't tell what's right from wrong anymore, and...I need to start accepting that," You said, avoiding eye contact with Levi, not knowing it would be as hard as it was to admit that the situation you were in called for you to always have to do what's right, but rather do what needs to be done in the moment, whether right or wrong. The definition of right and wrong was starting to become more and more blurred to you.

Though, It did feel a lot better to finally admit that to him completely. Before the car went into silence again, you realized that you still had a couple more questions for him that you've had swirling around in your head without any sort of answers. So, you figured now would be a good time to ask them since the two of you still had a long way until you made it back to your apartment.

The silence between you hung in the air for a few moments, the hum of the car and occasional flash of city lights the only sound. You didn't want to sound like you were dying to know or rushing into it.

You were coming off as having a more delicate and hesitant approach. "I know it's....kind of weird and sudden to ask," You started as you looked over at him with hesitant curiosity. "But how exactly did you end up like this? I mean, were you born a demon and you've always been this way? How did you become one? Were you really human once?" You asked, just kind of spitballing the theories you've had in your head this entire time about Levi and what he is. You were really curious about it.

He said he'd be honest from now on, so you hoped he didn't beat around the bush and avoid certain details like he did before.

Before, during your argument, you'd said that you assumed he's been a human before so he shouldn't be as self-righteous as he is but you weren't thinking then. You were hoping he could give you some confirmation now about how he ended up like this.

And Levi knew that very well. He remembers the promise he made to you and sighed, knowing that it would be best if he answered your questions now until all of your doubts were settled. His eyes flickered to you once, seeing how his mask of indifference slipped for a second.

"Yeah," Levi started, keeping his voice low, and barely above a whisper. "I was human once, but it doesn't matter. I can't remember anything from that time and it's all a blur. It just feels foreign to me to think I was anything other than what I am now," He answered, keeping his eyes on the road as the stoplight turned green and he started driving again.

You gasped at his answer and turned your body fully in your seat to face him with excitement from his confirmation. After that, you just decided to let all of your questions go at once before you let them get lost in your train of thought again.

"Really? So I was right? How old are you then? When were you born?" You started asking enthusiastically, making Levi chuckle as he shook his head. He should've known he was unleashing a barrage of questions from you.

Then, before he could answer any of your other questions, he was cut off when another gasp came out of your lips when you remembered something he'd said earlier that day when you'd parted ways and you'd completely blocked it out of your mind until now.

"Wait, you said you've been a demon for 200 years. Wow, that's a really long time," You asked, and this time, you paused and waited expectantly, finally giving him an opportunity to answer. You had suddenly started to find the origins of his existence so fascinating. You couldn't believe he's been around and alive for that long. He's seen so much happen in the world.

"I shouldn't have revealed that to you so carelessly," Levi muttered, but that still didn't deter you from continuing to want to know more. You observed Levi with fascination and disbelief as more details about him were starting to click in your mind.

"You really don't look your age at all. Care to share your secrets?" You said teasingly and Levi shook his head, not sparing you a glance and continuing to keep his focus on the road.

Were you making fun of him now? "I don't have any secrets. I'm sure you can piece that question together on your own based on what I've told you," He said, and you laughed lightly as you fell back against your seat, starting to reach into your purse to pull out your phone.

"But there's one thing I don't get. You seem to hate humans so much, thinking we're so insignificant, yet you were one at some point. Sounds to me like self-hatred," You said, holding your phone in one hand and turning your head to look over at Levi again. You saw that he simply let out a small huff and his hand flexed against the steering wheel.

"I don't even remember ever being human. This...this is who I am now. It's all I've ever known, and it's all I've ever been able to form my opinions on. That's it," Levi said as his grip on the steering wheel tightened further.  Levi said, and you nodded understandingly as you turned your attention back down to your phone and you unlocked it.

"I guess that's valid. Still sounds a little ironic to me," You said, making Levi roll his eyes and continue driving. It'll still be a long way to go before you really start to understand each other's point of view, but until then, the two of you would have to get past the awkward and shocking phase of telling each other things about one another and not always seeing why the other does it, why they think that way or how they got to that point. It's a slow process, but this agreement entailed trying to make efforts like that for one another.

The two of you will have to spend a lot of time together now that he's your bodyguard and you need to start to get along or else it will be a hellish experience for both of you.

Because if not, the two of you won't make progress and not be able to be around each other for long. It was a long process, but as Levi said, there will be a time where the two of you will start to be accepting of the situation you're both in and will have been with each other for long enough that you won't even notice when you've already made the changes with each other that you were struggling to get past now.

It was all just a matter of being tolerant, right? Trying to see what the other sees and trying to understand that adjusting this way isn't easy for anyone.

As Levi continued to drive and keep his eyes on the road, the lighthearted conversation the two of you were having lost its spark as it came to an end and you found yourself staring out the window again as the weight of Levi's words lingered in your mind. You were glad you were able to learn just a bit more about him.

Though, just as you were trying to clear your head until you got home, your phone suddenly buzzed in your hand, sending a sharp feeling in your hand in the quiet car.

You glanced down as your eyebrows pinched together and your face twisted in confusion when  you flipped your phone over in your hand, and in your lock screen you saw that you just received a text from Grisha. He usually doesn't send messages during this time of day. That was really unusual.

Wondering what he could possibly have to tell you all of a sudden, It wasn't the complete text, so to see the full message, you quickly unlocked your phone, went to your messages app and went to the chat you had with Grisha, along with previous messages you've sent each other. But when you saw what he texted you, you let out an exasperated sigh. Was he seriously doing this again?

Grisha: This is it. I'm sorry, I love you, y/n.

The last time he said something like that, your heart almost leaped out of your chest trying to get to the hospital and it was just some prank Eren and he had come up with just to get you to go there.

Was he trying to get you to go to him quickly? Does he know that he can just tell you that he needs to see you urgently and you'd get there just as fast?

It would save you the stress and the mini heart-attacks when he pulls stunts like that. You weren't going to fall for that again. You'd rather just call him and ask him straight up what he needs.

You sighed and shook your head. "For God's sake..." You muttered, exiting the messages app and immediately pressed the button for the call app instead. You didn't have to search for Grisha's number since he was in your favorites contacts, so when you found his contact, tapped on your screen to call him, you raised your phone up to your ear, starting to hear the dial tone repeat a couple times as you waited for him to answer.

As you tried to call him, Levi turned his head briefly to look at you and then back at the road when he saw you were taking a call. Whoever it was, they completely changed your demeanor from the conversation you and him were having just seconds ago. Now, you look tense and aggravated.

After a couple seconds, an unsettling feeling grew in your chest all of a sudden when the dial tone continued to ring, but there was still no answer. You found it even more bizarre when the dial tone stopped and it went to the answering machine.

"The number you have dialed cannot be reached" The automated voice said and you pulled your phone away from the screen, tapping the red button to hang up and then letting your phone fall in your lap.

You had a puzzled look on your face for a couple seconds as you looked down at your phone's screen with a blank on your face. Grisha's phone rarely ever went to voice mail, even when it was the middle of the night and you needed to talk to him.

This was weird. There was an unsettling feeling growing in your chest and you didn't know if you should take it seriously or not.

You quickly composed yourself and turned to Levi, hoping it wasn't too much trouble what you were about to ask him. "Hey, could you turn the car around? I need to stop by somewhere," You said, and Levi turned his head to look at you with slight skepticism in his face, but even so, he nodded and did what you asked of him.

He quickly swerved onto the closest lane to the curb, so that it could be easier to turn around and join the lane on the other side where cars were driving the opposite way.

Eventually, after a couple minutes, Levi found the opportunity to turn a corner and successfully merge with cars that had been going the other way, so now, the two of you were heading straight towards Grisha's house.

-