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The moment Levi bolted from your apartment door, he didn't stop until he was inside the elevator, out of the building and hailed by a cab. The ride back to the Scouts Foundation was a bit of a blur. His mind was still racing.

All he could think about was how upset you were after his rejection, with you constantly denying it after, and then finally letting loose when you thought you were alone and nobody could hear.

The weight of Grisha's letter pressed against his chest, since it was safely tucked inside Levi's jacket still. He knew he couldn't keep it for long or hold onto it and somehow, he had to get it to you.

By the time he was walking through the halls of the Scouts Foundation as he made his way back to his office, every single thing that happened that day started coming back to him. His thoughts were in a bit of a whirlwind and Levi allowed himself to process, think and finally feel disbelief over what he witnessed. What a day.

The inheritance announcement, the scene that many of your family members caused, Grisha's confirmed murder, and then, last but not least, that ridiculous proposal of yours. How did that happen in such a short span of time? As he walked, Levi couldn't help but think about the frustration and distress in your voice before. Why is it torturing him, replaying over and over in his head?

He realizes that you are a bit delicate right now and that he would've been a fool to walk into that situation just to deliver that letter, especially when you were talking about him of all people. It would've felt like stepping into the lion's den.

He knew better than to try and challenge you while you were in that state. As much as Levi thinks that humans often let their emotions act for them and make them act irrationally, which is what happened in your case, he thought it was valid in your particular situation. He knows that much.

Over the last couple of days, he's seen you break down, have this dazed numbness in your eyes, then try to pick yourself back up, followed by a million other emotions all at once.

In a way, Levi didn't blame you. You couldn't help it. You were entitled to a little craziness. Levi can admit that anyone who would've endured what you have over the past couple days would drive anyone crazy.

But that didn't mean he wanted to be on the receiving end of it. You would've thrown anything at him that was near you if he rang that doorbell.

Though, if his suspicions were right, and if you finally had the chance to be alone and rant to yourself like he heard before, and you finally had the chance to let everything out that was going on in your head, its clear to him that you were finally getting a chance to get your head straight and not try to keep convincing yourself of anything other than reality.

But all of that did not mean that he was going to change his mind. His opinions about marriage have not changed and he was still firm on his belief that getting married was not part of the deal the two of you made.

He might be starting to understand where you're coming from, but it didn't change the facts in his head. He was your bodyguard, nothing more, nothing less. He wouldn't let this little mishap let you forget why the two of you are in this deal in the first place.

You could be mad at him all you wanted but it still won't change the fact that he didn't agree to this job so that it led to getting married. Your proposal, no matter how unexpected it was, won't ruin your agreement. Tomorrow, everything would stay as it is and nothing had to change.

Nothing had to change. Though, the fact that he's even going further and not dismissing your side of it like he originally would have when he met you at first blared alarms in his head. Should he be concerned?

When Levi finally reached his office door, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. But the moment he opened it, his sense of calm came crashing down and was interrupted when he saw who was sitting in his office's seating area.

There he was, Onyankopon just lounging in one of the couches, casually eating candy. Onyankopon had heard the door open and his eyes flicked up when he heard the door open, and a mild look of surprise crossed his face.

Levi blinked, standing there looking at his assistant as his mind momentarily stalled. He was just standing there in the entrance of his office, still holding onto the opened door and not stepping further into the room.

In Levi's head, he'd expected to find his office empty and that Onyankopon would've gone home already. He just wanted to have some peace and quiet before calling it a night.

Instead, Onyankopon was sitting there leisurely without a care in the world, but not before other questions suddenly rose in his head the moment that he saw his boss walk in. There was something wrong. Something happened. He could tell.

Onyankopon glanced at his wristwatch and his eyes widened slightly at the sight. "How are you just getting back? It's late," He asked, genuinely curious. He'd asked himself how Levi hadn't gotten back yet earlier too, but he brushed it off.

But now that Levi was back, the doubt popped back into his head. Levi sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, and not having the energy left to wonder why it was that Onyankopon kept staying so late in his office for no reason at all.

He finally got his feet to move and started walking further into his office, closing the door behind him, and started to head to the couch in front of his assistant.

On the way to the couch, Levi peeled off his jacket, leaving the top half of his body in a pristine white button-up shirt that clung to his frame and a black tie, accentuating and highlighting his physique and build even more, even if him wearing the jacket too did a pretty good job of doing that already.

The suit ensemble he wore today to the memorial is the same one he's been wearing to his job as your bodyguard because that was what he was required to wear. The suit he was wearing now is what he was required to wear now every time he was on duty by your side. It made him look polished and professional.

"Don't you get tired of always hanging around here? Don't you have someplace else to be?" Levi asked as he sat himself down on the couch, stretching out his left arm across the top of the couch.

He looked directly in front of him at Onyankopon and his assistant simply shrugged and continued to eat his candy. "Nope. Not really," He quipped, unbothered, and Levi rolled his eyes, raising one of his hands to rub against his temple.

It didn't matter, really. He had bigger things to worry about right now. Onyankopon hanging around his office was the last of his concerns right now. In fact, it wasn't even a real concern.

"Honestly, I get why you like hanging here alone so much. Your office is so much nicer than mine," Onyankpon said as he took yet another bite of his candy and Levi kept his gaze elsewhere, suddenly deeply entranced in his own thoughts.

When Onyankopon didn't get a snarky reply from that, or a reply at all for that matter, he turned his head to see Levi looking off into space, thinking, pondering.

Onyankopon didn't know about what, but somehow, that curiosity made him forget about his candy and then abruptly stand up, walking over to Levi and sitting next to him on the couch. Something definitely happened, didn't it?

"How did the memorial go? How was the food? What food do rich people serve? Was it good?" Onyankopon asked curiously, wanting to know how it went since he's never been to a fancy event before, but at the same time also being completely oblivious to the chaos that went down in the memorial.

As he waited for an answer from his boss, it concerned him a great deal when he saw Levi just look ahead, lost in thought. It made him immediately jump to the conclusion that maybe something went wrong, or maybe not and this was just Levi looking as disinterested as he always did. But Onyankopon knew it wasn't the latter. There was definitely a look in his eye that told him otherwise.

Levi took a deep breath and his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he finally found the words to describe to Onyankopon what it had been like. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

Sure, he knew greed was practically ingrained in human nature, but that...was on another level. "Honestly...it felt more like a party than a memorial," Levi said, recalling the way your family, the guests and everyone else behaved, as if the whole thing wasn't about mourning but about social climbing and mingling.

He knows people cope in different ways, but that was not what he saw then. Onyankopon blinked a couple times, not understanding.

"Huh?" Onyankopon asked, and Levi sighed, realizing he would have to elaborate and explain himself a little more. "Human greed is sickening. I've seen it enough times in 200 years so I don't know why I'm surprised," Levi muttered, his irritation as he recalled the event and how your family treated you, but Onyankopon still looked confused.

So, Levi tried to continue to clarify his thoughts, though he wasn't sure why he even bothered because this was an instance where Onyankopon had to be there for him to know and understand what Levi was talking about. The memory of the memorial was still fresh in his mind.

By that, Levi just remembers and still stands by how the behavior at the memorial and how sick it made him. People put on a façade of mourning when they were really just looking for a chance for profit, a reward, or to climb the social ladder for power. But Levi just didn't refer to that. It wasn't just about them. Levi couldn't help but think of you too.

When you'd made the proposal in front of everyone, he briefly wondered before he rejected you if it was just another example of that same greed, thinking you might have been taking advantage of him since he was already your bodyguard and maybe you'd assumed he'd agree to marriage too.

But now, especially after hearing your rant outside your door, he knew your intentions were far from that and you didn't think of your proposal that way. You just got carried away and that was it. You said it yourself. But even with that realization, annoyance still gnawed at him, and he was still irritated about how it all went down.

Onyankopon's thoughts were swimming with confusion. He shook his head and looked at Levi. "I'm...a little lost. I think I might need more context here, Levi," Onyankopon said and the raven turned his head to look at his assistant blankly and decided to just come out and say it as it is.

"She proposed to me," Levi said, and Onyankopon gasped dramatically, raising a hand to cover his mouth, even if he didn't know who his boss was talking about. It was still very shocking. Levi raised an eyebrow at his butler's reaction. A little overkill but alright. "Who did?" Onyankopon asked, suddenly feeling very invested in this.

Levi deadpanned at his assistant. The context clues were all there. What other person could he be talking about? "Y/n. Who else? She just proposed to me in front of everyone at that memorial" Levi said and Onyankopon's mouth dropped open.

Now it was starting to make sense why Levi came into his office with such a different demeanor than when he left. Onyankopon looked away from Levi and started to piece things together in his mind about this, and his face visibly showed his struggle to comprehend.

How did this go from Levi being your bodyguard to you suddenly wanting to marry him? Levi also knew that now that he told Onyankopon, his assistant wouldn't leave him alone until he had all the details.

"And you rejected her?" Onyankopon asked, and Levi nodded and sent his assistant a look that told him that the answer should be obvious. Onyankopon has known him for long enough to know where he stands with relationships and this agreement with you to be your bodyguard.

"Obviously. Making the decision to be her bodyguard was hard enough. I'm not that crazy to jump into marriage with her," Levi said and Onyankopon nodded, but then another question suddenly popped up in his mind, not knowing that Levi had probably thought about it too. Levi felt like he had run through every possibility in the books in his head.

"Did she say why she proposed out of the blue like that?" Onyankopon asked, and Levi shook his head, leaning back, running a hand back through his hair, letting it fall back onto his face.

"You think I know? I've spent all day trying to figure her out. She's not talking to me," Levi said, and Onyankopon briefly narrowed his eyes briefly at how poorly Levi was able to conceal how disheartened he sounded when saying you're not talking to him, but he brushed it off. That wasn't important now.

But before Levi could say anything else, Onyankopon gasped all of a sudden as he remembered something. "Wait a second. So that movie I saw a couple days ago was true?" He muttered to himself, remembering this is exactly how it played out in a movie he watched a couple days before.

Levi looked at his assistant very suspiciously, not knowing what he meant by that. "What are you talking about?" Levi asked, crossing his arms over his chest, looking completely dumbfounded.

But Levi should have known that it would be a mistake to ask that because before he knew it, Levi was still sitting in the couch with a bucket of popcorn next to him that his assistant made for him, watching as Onyankopon typed in the name of the movie he was talking about on the TV in front of the couch.

Onyankopon was still sitting next to him on the couch as well. Levi turned to look at his assistant and saw how giddy he was. Onyankopon was very excited to show Levi this and the connection he made. On the other hand, Levi didn't know what to expect.

When he saw that Onyankopon finished putting in the name of the movie, Levi squinted his eyes slightly to see that the name of the movie was called 'The Bodyguard'. Pretty self explanatory, wasn't it?

"I usually don't believe that what happens in movies happens in real life, but you just might be the exception here," Onyankopon said, practically bouncing in his seat. Is this supposed to relate to his situation right now? He was about to find out. He wasn't expecting much, though.

"Can we just get on with this?" Levi asked, clearly impatient but Onyankopon saw right through those snarky words and could sense and hear the curiosity in his voice.

With the arm that Levi still had slung over the top of the couch, he bent it slightly and leaned his head against his hand, listening intently as Onyankopon started to explain the plot of the movie itself.

"I watched this movie a couple days ago. It has great reviews. It's about a singer and her bodyguard. At the beginning, they hate each other's guts, but then, they fall in love," Onyankopon said, but Levi was failing to see how this was similar to his situation right now.

He turned his head to make eye contact with his butler, who hoped Levi could see the connection but the raven didn't see it. Not one bit. The hating each other part seems accurate but that's about it.

Onyankopon's shoulders sank when he saw his boss look completely unfazed by the plot of the story. "Is this supposed to mean something? That's not like us at all. Y/n said she's been sleep deprived and I was the first person she saw," Levi said, and Onyankopon's face lit up again. It sounds exactly like the kind of thing that happened in the movie. Levi couldn't fool him.

"How do you not see it? When people are sleep deprived, they're more likely to let their guard down and be more honest," Onyankopon said, making Levi wonder the possibility of truth behind that for a second, but then he quickly reverted back to what he heard you say before, refusing you actually proposed to him because you felt something for him. He knows you only did it out of desperation and because of the inheritance. That's what made the most sense anyway.

"Trust me. She said she wasn't being serious, that she didn't mean it," Levi said, sticking to what he knew and what he heard you say. These were all fantasy and fictional predictions that Onyankopon thought applied to his situation.

"Okay, let me put it this way then. I'll tell you the three rules that the bodyguard had to follow in the movie. Maybe it will ring a couple bells," Onyankopon said, and Levi rolled his eyes, pressing his hand to the ridge of his nose but nodding nonetheless.

He was prepared to hear it, not necessarily be on board because that movie was fiction. This is real life. But what he didn't expect is for Onyankopon to go full on into a demonstration.

Levi flinched when Onyankopon suddenly shot up from his seat and took a protective stance in front of Levi, going fully into character. Levi huffed, preparing himself for what he was about to witness his assistant do.

"Rule number one for all bodyguards," Onyankopon started, and then swiftly turned around to look Levi dead in the eye with an intensity that made Levi look at his assistant incredulously. Oh, boy. This was going to be rough.

"Never let her out of your sight," Onyankopon said, and Levi nodded slowly. Because, yes, that was pretty much a given for the job.

It's nothing he didn't know before. He watched as Onyankopon then quickly moved to sit next to Levi again, leaning back against him with his hands in the form of a gun, making Levi nearly scoff as an unamused look crossed his face.

He was going above and beyond, wasn't he? "Rule number two: Never let your guard down," Onyankopon said, and once again Levi nodded, because that was part of the job description, wasn't it?

"And rule number three," Onyankopon said, leaning away from Levi, turning around and giving Levi an intense and serious look, taking a long and dramatic pause for suspense, while Levi remained with a blank expression on his face.

"Never...fall in love with her," Onyankopon said, and Levi began to wonder to himself if any of this was truly relevant to his situation. Levi thought the last rule was pretty much a safe bet already.

His assistant was living in a fantasy reality. None of this was helping and he wasn't about to get swept up in nonsense like in that movie.

Onyankopon then shot up from his seat on the couch again and got closer to the TV, crossing his arms over his body as he sighed with longing, while Levi watched his assistant closely in silence.

"This is definitely one of my favorite movies now," He said, and then he gasped again when another thought occurred to him. "I should've become a bodyguard instead of an assistant. My life would be so much more interesting. Filled with action, adrenaline" Onyankopon said, but after that, he was met with a shove from Levi that made him stumble forward a little. Onyankopon snapped out of it and looked back at his boss looking at him, unimpressed.

"You're delusional," Levi said bluntly, and Onyankopon still didn't give up. As much as his boss thought this movie was pure fiction, it related more to his life right now than he thought.

Onyankopon crossed his arms over his body again, looking at his boss with a knowing expression. "What do you even know about love? You're clueless when it comes to it. You haven't been with a woman in years," Onyankopon said, making Levi narrow his eyes at his assistant. He knows plenty.

He knows to get carried away from reality. "I'm not clueless. I know not to be swayed by a stupid movie," Levi said, and Onyankopon quickly took offense to that.

"Hey! It's not a stupid movie," Onyankopon said, and Levi ignored that, continuing to make his point. Nothing about what you said or done has indicated that you have any feelings for him.

Even Levi knows that the proposal is solely related to the inheritance and that's it. "I've been alive long enough to know that nothing good comes out of love. It makes you weak. It makes people even more foolish than they already are," Levi said, and a smug look overtook Onyankopon's face that his boss didn't like one bit. What was he thinking about now?

"Oh, yeah? You really believe that?" Onyankopon asked, challenging Levi to see if he would cave, but Levi was able to see right through that and remained strong and secure in his opinion.

"Yes. I do" Levi said, refusing to crack under the suspicious glare of his assistant who was trying to prove a point that clearly wasn't there.

"Alright. Then why haven't you stopped talking about her since you came in here?" Onyankopon continued to pry, making Levi realize that this wasn't going anywhere. It was like arguing with a brick wall.

He stood up from his seat and looked his assistant in the eye. "Because she's driving me crazy! She doesn't know what she wants! And because you keep asking me about what happened," Levi exclaimed, sounding a lot more defensive than he would've wanted. That wouldn't help his case at all. He watched as Onyankopon's smugness on his face continued to grow.

"Mhm..." He hummed, and Levi nearly groaned, running a hand back through his hair again in exasperation. It's been too long of a day already to continue with this conversation.

"Shut up," Levi muttered, ignoring the snickers from his assistant. He turned his head and then his attention was directed at something else on his desk.

There was a stack of folders on Levi's desk with documents for the organization that needed to be sorted through. Levi turned back to look at Onyankopon, who had also noticed what his boss' attention had been diverted to.

"Instead of trying to prove a point, why don't you get back to work? Look at that tower of files" Levi said as he pointed over to the stack of files, with his other hand on his hip. Onyankopon's face went from snug to confused in a second, taking another glance at the folders.

"Those aren't mine," Onyankopon said simply and Levi's head whipped back to look at his assistant with confusion and surprise. "What?" Levi said, and Onyankopon nodded, gesturing over to the stack of folders, making Levi look over there again too.

"Yeah. I finished mine a while ago. Those are yours," He said and Levi's eyes closed with exasperation as he let out a breath through his nose. This day was just getting better and better, wasn't it? "Damn it," He muttered to himself, forcing his feet to start moving towards his desk, ignoring Onyankopon's snickers behind him.

Levi got to his desk and sat himself down on it, rolling himself closer to it. He glared at the stack of folders with dread, wishing he had his powers now to help him get through these papers faster.

As he took the first folder, he felt Onyankopon's presence next to him and started to assist Levi in handing Levi a folder one by one every time he finished filling them out.

The least he could do after all of that prying and teasing before to get him to crack was help him out with this. He was his assistant after all too. This was in his job description anyway.

After a while, while having gone folder after folder, the pile of it felt never ending and as if new files were appearing out of thin air. Levi was finishing up filling out yet another document and he felt his patience start to run thin.

Onyankopon was still there, handing his boss yet another binder for him to sign and sensing the hostility growing in Levi. This amount of paperwork most likely did not help Levi's already brewing emotions from the event of that day. He just wanted it to be over.

"Figures that I lose my powers and the work piles up all of a sudden," Levi grumbled as he closed the binder in front of him, set it aside with the finished pile and then grabbed the next one that Onyankopon was holding out for him.

He put it down, opened it, and continued the process. It's been a while since he's done his paperwork manually. It was far more efficient and he hated the reminder that his powers were still gone even if it was just to do simple tasks like these.

Onyankopon could see the dread in every part of Levi's demeanor. His face, his body language, his voice. He quickly started to think about anything he could say to help make the document signing a lot quicker.

So, Onyankopon thought it would be a good idea to try to help Levi instead of trying to think of a solution of how to handle his dilemma with you and not remain stuck and go in circles over it.

So, after a couple seconds passed, handing Levi more folders to sign, Onyankopon decided to break the silence and bring up a new topic of conversation.

"So, have you thought about what you'll do about y/n and her proposal?" Onyankopon asked, and Levi stilled his pen on the paper and looked up at his butler. This wasn't his issue to work through and it wasn't his place to intervene right now of all moments.

There's nothing he could do but wait, despite knowing that the fact that he was a ticking time bomb hadn't changed. "What's there to think about? I told you already. I haven't gone insane enough to be her bodyguard AND marry her too," Levi said, remaining set on his beliefs about this. Things would stay as they are.

But Levi's words made Onyankopon wonder to himself. Just how long was Levi willing to wait for you? You might not, although he knows you're aware you need him too so that's unlikely, and that proposal really did change things neither of you could see yet.

"But you said she's not talking to you. What about your powers?" Onyankopon asked but it wasn't anything Levi hadn't thought about yet. In fact, it was one of the first considerations he took, but in all honesty, Levi wasn't concerned

And he told Onyankopon exactly that. "I'm not worried. She'll cool off. We still need each other. She needs to think things through. Mark my words and any second now, she'll call me and it'll be like nothing ever happened," Levi said with a tone of certainty that made Onyankopon raise an eyebrow at him in suspicion.

How was he so sure of that? From what Levi's told his butler, Onyankopon has heard you to be stubborn and it wasn't each to sway your mind, so what made Levi so confident that you would be the first to reach out to him first this time around?

"Being her bodyguard already means I have to split my time between the Scouts Foundation and being her bodyguard. Marrying her will complicate things," Levi said, realizing that it wasn't just about what he believed in but what was at stake for this organization.

He was the person in charge of it all and he couldn't leave it behind. This unfinished stack of paperwork already proved that. He already had too much on his plate and he'd rather keep things as they are and not keep adding things and responsibilities to his life. Marriage would change everything.

Onyankopon was still relentless in trying to find some sort of loophole for this, because he truly believed at some point, him being your bodyguard wasn't going to be enough.

If the organization was what Levi was worried about, Onyankopon could handle it. He was his assistant after all, and his duties were so vast that he liked to think that he was Levi's right hand man when it came to these things.

"You never know. Maybe y/n could help you balance it all. I could help too. If it'll help the situation, then-" He started, shrugging slightly, but Levi cut his assistant off by closing the folder with a snap, turning to look up at Onyankopon with a glare.

"I don't need you trying to convince me on this anymore. It's done. I'm not doing it. And besides, she doesn't need to marry me specifically. She could choose anyone and it'll be the same thing," Levi said, but Onyankopon still wasn't convinced.

He looked at his boss skeptically as he handed him one of the last folders to him, opening it and laying it in front of Levi. The raven quickly started to fill it out and the room was silent for a couple more seconds until Onyankopon decided to speak up again.

"Is that what you want?" Onyankpon said, prying yet again and Levi shut the file he finished and held his glare towards Onyankopon, but his assistant did not fold under the dark look in Levi's eyes.

How many times did he have to say it? It wasn't going to happen. Period. "We're not doing this again. Just hand me the next file," Levi said, trying to get past the subject once and for all. But Onyankopon only smirked and nodded slowly, not resigning completely from the topic.

"Whatever you say," Onyankopon said tauntingly and knowingly, knowing it would get under his boss' skin, as he handed Levi the last file on the desk that was a left sign. Levi groaned and stopped filling it out, dropping his pen on the table taking a couple seconds to take deep breaths.

"You're insufferable. I don't need to get more involved. All I'm doing is waiting until the next full moon and then my life will go back to how it used to be. Neither of us have to see each other again after that," Levi said as he picked up his pen again and finished filling out the last of the document.

Onyankopon decided that there wasn't anything more he could get out of Levi right now, as much as he'd love to keep trying to inch Levi to come to a realization instead of blatantly denying that this was something that was going to be inevitable.

He had too much faith that what he saw in the movie would play out between the two of you. A couple seconds after that, Levi sighed as he finished signing the last document, closed it shut and set it aside. "That was the last one," Levi huffed, leaning back against his chair, feeling his assistant's cautious eyes on him.

But Levi couldn't even get a couple seconds to relax after finishing his paperwork because as he tipped his head back and exhaled, his office door opened and both him and Onyankopon snapped their heads to look to see that Petra, in her usual dance practice attire, striding in and she did not look happy.

Levi and Onyankopon glanced at each other briefly, knowing that simply by the stance on Petra and the indignation in her face, that something was very wrong. Petra halted in her steps, with one hand on her hip and another holding her phone tight.

"HEY!" She exclaimed, and her voice reverberated and cracked like a whip across Levi's office. The two men waited expectantly to see what Petra had to say because it was very clear that something was bothering her.

Her demeanor and her anger was so noticeable from across the room, that both Levi and Onyankopon felt the hairs on the backs of their necks stand up. The two waited to see what Petra had to say but it's safe to say that she was fuming just from how the air in the room grew colder and uncomfortable.

"Did you two see this?" Petra said as she held up her phone in the air to see the very article that Change had sent you, reporting your proposal to Levi. "It says here that y/n girl proposed to a guy! Was it you?" Petra asked Levi from across the room, hoping that it wasn't true and that it was just yet another gossip column looking to stir up drama.

But it wasn't. It was true. As much as Levi was dreading that Petra found out about this, because he knows how overprotective she gets, he started to wonder what article she was talking about. He hasn't seen any articles.

But as Onyankopon gulped and raised his hands in defense at Petra, Levi's demeanor remained as hard as stone. Just like you had assumed, with that many reporters and photographers at that memorial, it would've been a miracle if nothing was released about it.

Still. It didn't mean he liked it any more that he had to deal with Petra's anger right now. Was she upset that she had to find out through an article? Was she upset about the fact that you proposed at all?

Levi had all of those questions flow through his head as he crossed his arms over his chest and his eyes hardened more. He wasn't scared or intimidated by her. He knew how to handle this.

On the other hand, Onyankopon didn't have any problem showing just how scared he was of Petra when she was like this.

It's like she flipped a switch when it came to anything about Levi, and he speculates that merely because Levi took her in as a young girl and saved her from the horrible life she was living back then, and now that admiration has turned into the need to protect Levi.

And as much as she tried to deny it, she had very clear unrequited feelings for her. Not that she cared, though. She was happy just working for the Scouts Foundation and being his companion.

"Alright, Petra. I know you're upset, but let's talk first, okay? Calm down," Onyankopon said as he tried to get the dancer to drop the hostility and take a moment to breathe. But Petra did the opposite.

Her eyes narrowed further and she started to make her way towards Levi and Onyankopon with a fast stride that made Onyankopon move to cower behind Levi in his chair, using him as a human shield.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Onyankopon muttered as he tried to hide. He has been on the receiving end of Petra's fury once, and he'd rather live, thank you.

Once Petra reached Levi and Onyankopon, standing in front of the desk, the intensity of her emotions was even more palpable and Levi, without breaking eye contact and keeping his steeled gaze, lightly rolled back in his chair, farther from Petra.

"Who does she think she is? Is she crazy?" She exclaimed as she put her hands on her hips and looked back and forth between Levi and Onyankopon. As Petra stepped closer, Levi raised his hands up in defense as a sign of a truce or simply to just calm down, all while still keeping his cool, and also while his assistant crouched behind his chair.

But as Petra stepped closer and closer and Onyankopon and Levi didn't move a muscle, your timing couldn't be better. Levi's, Onyankopon and Petra's heads all whipped to the side to look at Levi's phone on his desk, which was currently vibrating as an incoming call from you was coming in.

Petra read the Caller ID name, seeing your name on Levi's phone, and her eyes widened. Her blood ran cold and her head snapped back to look at Levi and Onyankopon with wide eyes, begging for an explanation.

This is when Levi's façade slightly broke because he was just as shocked as everyone else in that room that you were calling him right now of all moments, and while he was glad for your timing since this phone call could possibly get him out this situation, on the other hand, his eyes had widened and he looked extremely guilty to Petra too.

Still, this was his out. His escape. It felt far too perfect, didn't it? He'd take that chance. He cleared his throat and pursed his lips as he kept his hands raised in the air. When he said earlier that you would call any second now, he certainly didn't think it would actually happen right now. Were you open to talk now? Did you see the article too?

Levi's eyes were going back and forth between his phone, which still had your call waiting to be answered, and Petra. Should he pick up now? If it had any opportunity to stall having to explain this to Petra, then he'd take it.

He knew certain things for sure but his head was just as jumbled about this whole thing. Onyankopon hummed, and forgot about his fear for Petra, putting his hand on the edge of Levi's chair and leaning his body weight against it.

"Huh...talk about timing, right?" Onyankopon said but then noticed Petra's glare intensifying when he said that and Onyankopon shrinked back.

Levi held eye contact with Petra and slowly inched to grab his phone, and when he finally had it in his hand, he hurriedly tapped the button to answer your call and then held the phone up to his ear.

He could feel the eyes of his colleagues on him as he spoke first. "Hello?" He asked, sounding as calm as he could, but he wasn't expecting you to speak up as hurriedly and panicked as you did.

"I need to see you! Right now!" You said, and then quickly hung up. Levi blinked for a second, realizing that was the shortest phone call ever, but as short as your message was, he could feel your urgency clear as day.

Even after you hung up, he held his phone up to his ear as his eyes moved to look at Petra again, who was staring daggers at him, wanting to know what was said in the phone call. She hates being kept out of the loop and hated that she had to find out through an article about the proposal.

But as for Levi, he only kept the phone up to his ear because he was going through a dilemma in his head. Hm. What to choose? Does he stay here and confront a very angry Petra or does he get out of the situation momentarily and head out to meet up with you instead? The choice was pretty clear to him, wasn't it?

So, after that, Levi lowered his hands on the table again carefully, cleared his throat again, took a deep inhale and then let it out with his next words. "Okay, so um...I gotta go," Levi said, pushing himself up from his chair and making his way around his desk, across his office and grabbing his jacket on the way to the door.

Petra nearly gasped and her eyes widened even further in disbelief when she heard him say this, while Onyankopon's mouth dropped in shock. Levi was leaving him alone to do all the explaining to a very emotionally fragile Petra? What was he trying to do to him?

"What? No! You can't! You have to stay and explain to me what the hell this is," Petra said as she watched Levi gather his things and start heading towards the door. Levi heard her words and turned around just as he was about to open the door.

"Later. I have something to do," He said, and was about to turn towards the door but then stopped and groaned when he heard her next few words.

"Let me guess. With y/n?" She said, and he watched as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, knowing that's where Levi was heading after that phone call. Why was she continuing to be left in the dark? It was getting old.

"Even if it is, it's none of your business," Levi said and finally turned around one last time, opening the door, stepping out the room before Petra said anything else. After the door closed with a thundering thud, there was only silence left in the room with only Petra and Onyankopon remaining.

And speaking of, Petra realized that the other person who could answer her questions was still in the room. She quickly turned on her heel and put on the nicest smile she could muster as she walked closer to the desk, leaned against it on her side and looked at Onyankopon with a knowing smile that wanted answers.

Onyankopon recognized that look on her face all too well and knew what that meant. All he could do was stand there awkwardly, struggling to not make eye contact with Petra because it's true, he'd give into it in a second and divulge what he knew.

He was weak. He'd already let it slip that Levi had lost his powers, and he couldn't do the same now. He had to stay strong because Petra was turning to him as the next best person to get answers from.

"So...this is awkward," Is all Onyankopon could say, but that seemed to be enough for Petra to start insisting and begin her attempts

"Onyankopon-" She started, but Onyankopon was ready. He put his hands up to his ears and blocked out anything Petra was going to say.

"Nope! You're not getting anything out of me. So, don't even try. I'm not falling for it this time," He said, not wanting to stick around to be swayed, so he started to head towards the door all while keeping his hands to his ears.

Petra just watched dumbfounded as she watched him open the door and step out of the office, leaving Petra all by herself to speculate by herself about everything that the people around her refused to tell her.

-

As for you, you were taking drastic measures after seeing that article. The moment that you hung up on Levi, you had sent him to the meeting place, you'd changed out of your pajamas, left your building and decided to take a cab.

You didn't trust yourself to drive right now. And just in case someone recognized you, you threw on a pair of shades and a black trench coat, hoping to blend into the night, hiding in plain sight.

Right now, you looked like you stepped out of 'The Matrix' or something—not that you cared. You didn't know how many people had seen that article already, but you weren't taking any chances.

Were you being dramatic? Maybe? Maybe. Overreacting? Possibly. But you needed to talk to Levi. You knew very well at this point that it was your fault for proposing in public, of all places, to him. In your head, back then, you didn't have an aftermath that was less chaotic.

Just as you were ready to leave this cursed day behind and just go to bed, the universe had to throw another curveball your way. It was just one article after another, controversy after controversy. When will it end? Was it so much to ask for things to be normal again?

Eventually, the cab dropped you off at a secluded spot by the river, a place you decided that no bystander could no hear overhear you and Levi talk about the issue. You had arrived early, anxiously checking the time every couple of minutes.

Ten minutes later after you arrived, just as the clock struck the agreed time, the sound of an approaching vehicle behind you. He was just punctual as ever, wasn't he? Headlights cut through the dimly lit area before parking behind you.

You were keeping your eyes forward, but you could still see it in the corner of your eye. Soon, you heard the sound of brisk and approaching footsteps after you heard the car door opening and closing.

As for Levi, he had barely stepped out of the car before his sharp eyes landed on your outfit. He pursed his lips as he tried to suppress the smirk on his lips as he strolled over to you.

You were really blowing this out of proportion, weren't you? You're acting and dressing as if you're in the top 10 most wanted. "What's with the getup? You look like you're on the lam," Levi snickered as he stopped next to you. You heard his comment and you turned your body to face him completely, taking off your shades with a glare.

"This isn't funny. Have you seen this?" You said, fishing out your phone from your purse, pulling up the article that was sent to you and holding it up to him. You watched as Levi's eyes flickered down to your phone, skimming over the infamous headline.

He tried to see the big deal and why you or Petra were so up in arms about it—but that was until that the picture had his face blurred but yours wasn't.

Nobody except the people in his life and at the memorial knew who he was, as opposed to you who everybody at the memorial plus anybody who found the article would know who you are.

Yeah, he could definitely start to see why this was making you freak out the way you were. "Unfortunately, I have," He said, with sarcasm lacing in his tone. You rolled your eyes and shoved your phone back into your purse with a scoff at this response.

"Can you take this seriously for like one second?" You said, as Levi watched you cross your arms. He raised an eyebrow. A part of him thought that meeting up with you so soon after he overheard you before meant that you had cooled down, but now instead of being angry, you just looked annoyed.

But he could tell it wasn't directed at him, as much as it may seem like the opposite. He could tell you were just annoyed by the situation and that you were just panicked and wanted help.

Sure, he was teasing you—because you were making it so easy for him not to—but he did come all the way down here, didn't he? "Who says I'm not?" He replied, putting his hands into the pockets of his pants.

You sighed, raising a hand to run it back through your hair. You were too on edge for this. "Alright. Then what do we do? We need to say something—something that won't make this a bigger deal than it already is? We need to find something to tell the press as to why you rejected me. I know why you rejected me, trust me, I know it by heart now. And I know this was my mistake, but people are talking, Levi. We need to do some damage control," You said, with desperation clear in your eyes.

Levi could see that you've come to the acceptance of your mistake and weren't trying to pin it on him at all. Maybe giving you your space earlier did help after all. Right now, it just seems like you just want to try to move past it or just try to come up with a cover story to be able to move past it without handing it over to you.

But in Levi's eyes he didn't see it that way. There was nothing to try to correct because what was said in that article was just stating what happened, wasn't it? He didn't care much for the opinions of other people because things like these always tended to fade into people's memories until they move onto something else.

You watched as his expression told you that he was completely undisturbed by this, as opposed to you. But it was far easier for him to do that than you.

"I don't think there's anything to correct. That's what happened, isn't it?" Levi said and you fought the urge to groan. He didn't get it, did he?

You were a public figure, you had an image to uphold and you needed to fix your mistake. You needed his help to make things make sense for everyone else that reads that article.

"Levi. Are you even listening? This isn't about correcting it. It's about trying to give people an explanation instead of letting them speculate. That's how rumors start. There has to be some sort of damage control," You said, trying to get him to see your perspective, because he definitely wasn't seeing this the same way you were. But you were wrong about that.

Levi understood all of that. Really, he did. But he just didn't think it was necessary to make up for what was already done. He knew that trying to make up for that situation was the best course of action with some good old damage control to get people to move past it and you and him can continue with the rest of the issues the two of you have going on without having to worry about this.

"Fine. What do you want to say?" He asked, ready to hear what you've been thinking about. You exhaled with a nod and prepared to tell him some of the ideas you've thought of since you hung up that phone call with Levi.

"Okay. We could say that you didn't want to say yes right away because of the public setting. Maybe I put you on the spot. It's believable, right?" You said, hoping Levi would be on board. but Levi raised an eyebrow at you. He looked at you skeptically for your suggestion, not thinking that saying something like that would last very long.

"Seriously? That's your plan?" He said, and your eyes narrowed at him at the tone. His expression softened briefly before hardening again. "You think people will buy that?That they'll just accept I turned you down because of the setting?" Levi said, voice laced with amusement. You looked away and your face heated up, suddenly feeling not-so-confident about your idea anymore.

"Levi, don't you get it? Your face was blurred. Mine wasn't. Everyone is talking about me. I need to fix this, and I'd really appreciate your help. I know this article is the least of your problems, but weren't we in this together?" You said, and Levi sighed. He knew where you were getting at. If anything, he thinks you could definitely come up with something better, even if he didn't see the point in it.

"Look, there's one thing that we can both agree on. Neither of us want to be in a relationship. We've both made it clear that we were both planning on staying single. Even if...things have changed for you," Levi said, referring to the conditions of the inheritance. His voice was neutral and there was something unreadable in his eyes that you couldn't place.

"So I think it's best if we just let the article die on its own. We don't have to lie or explain anything to anyone. People will forget. What's done is done," Levi said, knowing that things were a little different to you than they were for him.

He wasn't any good at it but he knew you just needed some reassurance deep down that it would all be okay, because even if you didn't want to admit it, he knew that's what you needed. Your entire world was upside down and this article came up at the worst possible time.

"I know I messed up, but I can't just forget something so humiliating. Do you think others will too?" You asked genuinely, looking away from Levi for a second and then turning to look at him again. "I just wanted your advice," You said, and Levi didn't take his eyes away from you. He could see you struggling to really be even more vulnerable than you already are.

"And this is me giving you advice. Drop it. Let it go," Levi said sternly but with a certain softness to his voice but his words only made your jaw clench with frustration.

Levi, with every day that passed, was starting to see that your image and what other people think mattered to you a lot more than he thought. But he imagines that it's because you've been in the public eye for so long, being part of such a powerful family, and being the face of a company can really do that to you.

There really is a lot at stake. And besides to you, you were scared that this is another article that will be a repeat of the situation with Karina. If your image drops, what if the same happens again to your company?

You were just now starting to see your stocks recover from the damage Karina's article and you didn't want that to happen again. Especially when you brought it on yourself this time.

"That's easy for you to say. I keep getting texts from people I know about this. People are talking," You said, and Levi's gaze softened a fraction, wanting to be able to put you at ease a little because if you're stuck on the same fear, you won't be able to think of a solution clearly.

"And they'll stop. Can you trust me on this? We have bigger things to worry about," Levi said, taking one of his hands out of his pockets and then gesturing between the two of you, his voice a lot steadier now, and a bit quieter and less confrontational.

He could see the hesitation in your face, but he wasn't giving up. You were right. The two of you were in this together and the first step was to calm you down.

"I know, but-" You started, but Levi immediately cut you off right there. There had to be a way for you to think about something else, because if you did and the two of you walked out of here leaving the situation as it is, he would be by your side through it all until even you could barely remember this dumb article.

That's when Levi remembered something. For all the nonsense that Onyankopon spewed before, there was a lot of truth to what he said. You haven't been in control of yourself for days and this article wasn't making it better.

Levi remembered the part where his assistant told him that people with less sleep tend to be more honest. He was slowly starting to believe it, with more curve balls thrown yours and Levi's way.

If his assistant was right—and you proposed at the memorial because you were running on fumes and you couldn't even think about what to do about some gossip columns, then Levi really needed to step up.

Levi quickly thought of an alternative. You didn't have to think about any of those tonight. He didn't want you to worry. He didn't want you to stress.

He didn't want you to continue putting up a front for everyone else and hold up an image that you were struggling to uphold when you were just as human as everyone else around you. You were an avid people pleaser and the pressure you're under is unhealthy.

He just thought if it was best if you went home now, went to sleep, and then focus on what really mattered. For now, Levi thought about doing the only thing that has worked in the past to make you forget, even if it was just for a few minutes. "Then we both agree," Levi said, watching you carefully.

He watched as you tilted your head to the side lightly, and then Levi smirked almost imperceptibly, preparing to change the tone in his words so that the conversation took the turn he intended.

"You don't have to explain to anyone that out of everyone else in that room, you chose me to propose to, sleep deprived or not," He said, and you scoffed. Is he serious? You thought to yourself.

How many times did you have to explain it to him? Is he insinuating what you think he is? "Can you stop throwing that in my face? I told you already that I wasn't serious about that. You're the first person I saw!" You countered, and Levi smirked in victory. He'd teased you and riled you up enough just for you to forget about what you were talking about before.

He'd rather you be annoyed at him than be angry at yourself. He can take it. "Yeah?" Levi chuckled, tilting his head to the side teasingly. "And how much do you believe that?" He said, and you inhaled sharply, looking away from him, trying to compose yourself. "We're getting off track here," You said, and Levi quickly realized you wanted to get back to the article. He didn't panic.

He knew exactly what to say, even if it was a little harsh. "If you're not realistic with yourself, how do you expect me to play along with your idiotic whims and decisions?" Levi said plainly and you looked at him with offense as your eyes narrowed further at him. Seeing that, Levi knew it was working.

He had to keep it up, because midway through the conversation, he realized the letter from Grisha to you was still in his pocket. He didn't want your mind to be clouded by nonsense when he gives it to you later, so he needed to continue with the act.

"They're not-" You tried to counter and defend yourself, but once again, Levi cut you off. "In the meantime, find another person to marry you with no questions asked," He said bluntly and he watched as you inhaled sharply, fighting to keep eye contact with him and while exasperation brewed in your gaze. He watched as you quickly composed yourself, stood up straight and held strong eye-contact with him, trying to hold yourself up as high as you could.

"Don't worry. I was planning to do just that. I wouldn't marry you even if you were the last guy on Earth," You shot back, ready to leave and go back to your apartment and let this day end.

This conversation felt like a waste of time, but not to Levi. In fact, he enjoyed it knowing his words were in your head now and all that was left was for you to carefully consider them until the two of you can come to a conclusion together. He'd follow your lead. It felt like a win to him.

But once he heard those words come out of your mouth, Levi's lips curled into the faintest of smirks and was quick to retaliate. "Oh, do you promise?" He teased, and you looked at him with surprise and indignation, not expecting him to have said that back to you.

You purse your lips, feeling like you had even less dignity than when you started this conversation, and realized there was nothing else left to say to him. So, you got your body to turn around and you quickly started to walk right back where you came from so you could call a cab and get home.

Levi watched you walk away, keeping his hands in his pockets as he watched you walk away, but then he realized he can't let you go home alone at this hour. He certainly wouldn't admit this to anyone or you, but he doesn't trust anybody to talk you home but himself. And Hange.

He sighed and raised his voice, seeing you were getting farther away. "Y/n. Get in the car. I'll take you home," Levi called out to you, but he should've expected the answer you gave him almost instantly.

"Not interested!" You called out to him, continuing to walk forward and not glancing back once. God, you were so stubborn. But he knew there was one thing he could say that could get you to turn around. He was sure that you were aware that you couldn't take any chances.

"Oh, yeah? What if there's another acid attack?" Levi called out to you, and he smirked again when he saw you almost instantly freeze. It took a couple seconds but he watched as you turned around, not taking a single glance at him, and started heading towards his car.

"Start the car," You said simply, walking up to the passenger seat door. Levi scoffed in disbelief as a smile threatened to appear on his lips and he watched you open the door, getting inside, and closing the door next to you.

You couldn't even hide it, could you? He knew just how to get under your skin, and it was him who couldn't hide how amusing that was.

After that, Levi started making his way towards the car too and swiftly opened the door, sliding inside into his seat, and then closing the door next to him.

In the corner of his eyes, he could see that you already had your seatbelt on, but you refused to look at him. You were looking out the window blankly, waiting for him to start the car. To Levi, at least one good thing came out of this. He could ensure you got home safely, and that was more than enough for him.

-