-

And it was like that for the majority of the way back to your apartment building. It was just silence as Levi drove and you kept to yourself. Although, the closer the two of you got, the more he saw you start to give in and succumb to the sleep that you'd been fighting.

There came a point where you didn't bother to continue to hide your yawns, making Levi briefly turn his head to look at you and shake his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

He would honestly be surprised if you still had any energy at all after everything that's happened, so didn't even try to push down that foreign and warm feeling that settled in his chest when he saw that.

But just when he thought that you would be silent for the rest of the way, or even fall asleep, he suddenly heard you mumble slightly. He kept his focus on the road, though, deciding to just listen to you because he knows that there's not enough people in your life who have been willing to simply listen to what you had to say.

And now, Levi would find out if Onyankopon's theory would really come into play. Would you really be as honest and vulnerable as you've been wanting to be since this whole thing started? Or maybe even way before the two of you met. If you did, Levi felt a strange feeling in his chest at the thought of you confiding in him like that.

But out of all the things that you could have possibly said, nothing could have prepared Levi for what you said first. At first, it was just a sleepy mumble, barely coherent. But then he heard you loud and clear.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Levi...," You said, and Levi's eyes widened a fraction, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the road as he waited for you to continue with uneasiness building up inside him.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened and his breath got caught in his throat in utter shock when he heard that. He was expecting something entirely different, like maybe some delirious nonsense, nothing of importance. He was frozen, he didn't know what to say. He didn't like how guilty you sounded. What the hell were you apologizing for? He didn't even know if he should say anything at all.

Where was this conversation going? When you didn't say anything else after that, he braved to turn his head briefly to look at you and see that you were blinking yourself in and out of sleep and you had your head tipped against the window.

"I swear...I didn't mean to even think for a second you had any fault in this. I'm sorry that you're..." You continued trailing off for a second, not even realizing that Levi's jaw was clenching with an internal battle that was forming inside him.

Levi waited for a couple seconds for you to continue, not sure if he was ready to hear what was on the other end of the sentence. He certainly wasn't ready to hear how defeated you sounded. "...that you're stuck with me," You said, and Levi couldn't compute in his head how you sounded so...resigned.

Is that what you thought of this agreement? Even if it was your idea? From the beginning you said that this wasn't ideal for either of you and that this arrangement was the best way to go, but did you think you were a burden to him? You weren't. Not at all.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Levi muttered, nearly letting out a scoff. He honestly didn't know what else to say but that. And worst of all, he didn't know why he's reacting the way he is.

A simple confession shouldn't have flipped a switch in his brain like it has. "Isn't it obvious? It's fake. It's all fake," You said deliriously, and Levi's eyebrows creased together as he glanced at you again and then back at the road. What exactly did you mean by that? Where are you going with this?

"What-" Levi started, decided to try and ask you directly, but he was cut off by you, realizing he started talking at the same time as you did. "I learned it the hard way. It's so much easier to fake my way through things and pretend. People assume I have it all together. This is obviously before all of these problems got dumped on me," You continued, and Levi began to wonder if you were even aware of what you were saying right now.

You could be knocked out cold any second now, then wake up when the two of you reach your apartment, and what then? How was he supposed to handle having all of these confessions trapped in his head?

But still, you didn't stop there and Levi just accepted that even if this was a delirious talking and even if you felt like you needed your senses to be lowered for you to let your guard down, then so be it.

"And because I did that, people started trusting me with more. Expected more. I thought I could handle it but...I don't think I can," You said as you let out a deep sigh, and Levi could see in the corner of his eye that you had fully opened your eyes now, but you were still dazed and looking out the window. "And you know what's funny?" You asked, not expecting a reply, but Levi still felt an obligation to hum in response so you knew someone was listening.

"Happiness? How is it so easy for some people to find that? Or are they pretending too?" You mumbled, as if you were still trying to figure out that very concept yourself. What did you look like to other people? To your family? To Levi?

You've given up the hope that the future has any possibility of happiness for you because you're not looking for it anymore. It sounds depressing, and you were 100% aware that Levi was listening to your every word and his silence could mean many things.

Shock probably. You've put your energy and your focus on work because that's the only thing you've ever thought brings you value, that's the only thing you can bring to the table, and it's the only thing people around you recognize you for.

It's what gives you the only happiness you can get in your life, as empty as it feels. "Levi...I don't want to pretend anymore," You said and you completely missed the way that Levi's breath hitched as soon as you said that. He had no idea you felt that way.

"That's why I've...stopped trying to be happy. It disappoints me every time," You said, ending your sentence with yet another yawn and Levi was just speechless.

"It's why I isolated myself. I was tired of being hurt. It's the reason why before I met you, I practically only ever talked to 2 people every day. Being alone...was somehow so much easier," You said, your tone becoming even more somber than before.

You were truly giving an insight to Levi as what you had really been thinking all of this time. You have such high expectations for yourself that you don't feel like you can even reach them, and they're so high, that you don't even think you can bring them back down.

Hearing these things about you was starting to connect a lot of dots from the moment the two of you met, and he can never unlearn it anymore.

"But that's not the only reason. Every time I find something that makes me happy, it never lasts. It always gets ripped away from me. My parents. Grisha. Even my own hard work—it's never enough," You said and those truly made you realize what's made you react the way you have the last couple days, even more than he thought he did.

He hasn't said a word and just let you say whatever was deep inside your head, but again, what could he possibly say? There was no place for him in these confessions.

But after hearing all of what you had to say, there was only one thing he thought that he could possibly bring up and that wouldn't accidentally ruin the courage you built up to say all of this in the first place. He'd kick himself if he did that.

This was also something that was entirely new to him. He always thought that happiness and satisfaction is what humans looked for in life, and they were pretty one-dimensional.

It's why he did deals, because they look for happiness in the wishes they want fulfilled the most. But you were proving him wrong every single day.

So, because of that doubt, he just went for it. "So...if your goal isn't to find happiness in life, then...why do you work yourself to death like you do?" Levi asked, feeling some sort of dread inside for what you might tell him.

He had no idea your pain went this deep, and he should've realized the moment Grisha died and all remaining happiness in your body just evaporated and got shredded to pieces.

The one person who could bring back the happiness that died with your parents, died all over again the moment Grisha left this world. And you were left with nothing, no matter who tried to comfort you.

You heard his question, feeling like you've been the only one talking and briefly turned your head to look at Levi and then looked ahead at the road. You shrugged tiredly, bringing your head to look down at your lap, fiddling with your fingers.

"I don't know. It's become a habit. I feel like...my parents would be disappointed in me if they saw me today and I wasn't working as hard as I should. It pushes me. I have something to prove. They're the two people I have that last shred of happiness for," You admitted and from that, Levi felt like he was silenced. He knew he shouldn't have asked.

"If I stopped working for a second, in school, in college, and now in my own company, I know I'd get consumed by guilt, self deprecating pity and sadness. And I already have enough of that..." You admitted, trailing off your words at the end and mumbling a couple in between, making Levi turn his head to look at you again to see you'd tipped back your head against the headrest with your eyes closed. You were falling asleep.

Is that all you needed to say? Is there anything else that was still swimming in your head? Once you finished talking and the car fell silent again, Levi was just at a loss. Had you told any of this to anyone else in your life? Was he the first to know?

He couldn't help but see you in an entirely different way that he couldn't shake off or dismiss. He didn't even know if he wanted to brush it off either. Your words keep echoing in his head, realizing how much you'd been suffering alone in your own head.

And while Levi let his thoughts go rampant and thought that you'd stopped there, you just had to go ahead and dropped yet another bomb on him. "Levi..." You mumbled tiredly and Levi closed his eyes as he exhaled through his nose, opening them again and then turning his head to the side to gather himself.

"...you've- you've made it okay for me to not be alone anymore," You said, and Levi's eyes widened. His head whipped to look at you and saw that you were really knocked out cold. So you decided to say that right before you fell deeply asleep? What a choice.

After that, seeing that you had fallen asleep, judging by the way that your chest was rising and falling, and seeing the soft breaths come out of your nose, Levi felt like he could finally have a moment to reflect now after hearing all of that.

He kept his eyes on the road up until the moment that he realized he had to stop the car because he'd approached a stop light right before an intersection.

The two of you were getting closer to your apartment, and it meant this day would be over soon enough. Too much has happened and now Levi could barely process what you revealed just now.

Once he slowed the car down to a halt, he slumped against his seat and let out a huff. He propped up his elbow against the door and leaned his head against it, then proceeded to run his hand down his face, keeping his hand on the bottom half of his face, stealing glances at you as you slept peacefully. He knows that this must be the first time you've fallen asleep that easily in a while so he decided he didn't want to spoil it.

The car remained silent as Levi waited for those painful seconds until that stop light turned green again. But as he did, he lost his self control and allowed himself to turn his head to look at you again, holding his gaze on you for just a little bit longer.

You look so...peaceful, in contrast to everything that you just said. Your features looked soft and gentle and he wonders how you're still hanging on even after everything that you've been through.

He gravely underestimated you and he knows that you need to give yourself so much more credit. You're still here, aren't you? That counts for something. But that's when Levi came to a very daunting realization.

Christ, when did he get so soft? All he's known from the moment he met you is the sudden arrival of all of these foreign feelings and sensations he's never felt before and he has no way to explain them.

Not once in 200 years. What was happening to him? He doesn't know whether to think if you're ruining him or not. Sometimes, he looks back at the person he's become since he's met you and he can't recognize himself.

But before Levi could go any further into that dangerous rabbit hole, the sudden honking of a car that was right behind Levi's made him snap out of his thoughts. But instead of not doing anything about it and waiting until the stop light turned green, like he would've done before all of this, suddenly his first thought and concern went to you.

The honking was obnoxious and loud, so Levi turned his head again to look at you and to see you were still deeply asleep. He needed to get that idiot behind the two of you to stop or they'd wake you up.

And his panic grew when he saw you lightly stirring in your sleep. You needed this. Who knows when you'd go back to sleep again that easily?

So, Levi quickly thought of a solution that could get that honking to stop. He looked back briefly to see the car that was making so much noise, and then he slumped back in his seat, looking ahead, and extending his hand over to you so he could grab your wrist with his tattoo on it since you had both hands on your lap.

Even if you were asleep, Levi refused to look at you and would do it that way. As soon as his hands came into contact with your wrist, he saw his tattoo turn crimson red as he's seen a hundred times before, and it wasn't nearly a second after that his powers took effect.

The honking abruptly stopped when the airbag of the man that was honking suddenly sprung up on him and the noise finally stopped. Levi ignored the way he felt the top of his ears suddenly heat up and allowed himself to look at you again, checking to see if you'd woken up or not.

Thankfully, you hadn't. You'd stirred a little before but you went right back to sleep and adjusted yourself in your seat. Levi sighed in relief and tipped his head back against the headrest.

What the hell was he doing? What were you doing to him? Maybe he was starting to be a little delirious too. He didn't understand any of it.

Once the stop light finally turned green, Levi didn't waste a second in tearing his eyes away from you and started driving again. The sooner he could get you to your apartment, give you Grisha's letter, and head back to the Scouts Foundation, the better.

So, he continued to drive and on the whole way there, you didn't stir again once. You were more tired than you thought you were. And thankfully, before Levi knew it, he was already parking into the space next to your car in your building's parking lot. Time flew by and Levi thought that his need to drop you off might have contributed to that.

As he carefully pulled into the parking space for the second time that night and then switched gears into the parking setting, Levi let out a huff as he decided to finally reach into the letter that was in the inner pocket of his jacket, and pulled it out.

He held it out in front of him as he looked down at it, inspecting your name written on it in Grisha's handwriting. This was as good of a time as ever to give it to you, right? He didn't want to feel the weight of it on him anymore, knowing it belonged to you.

So, Levi hesitantly turned to look at you and saw you still sleeping. Should he wake you up? How would he get you out of the car? Or give you this letter for that matter? He doesn't know.

But as Levi looked down and saw your purse next to you, he decided that as for the letter, he would do the only logical thing. Without making much movement, being as careful as he could, Levi reached over and stealthily placed the letter inside your purse.

Hopefully, when you're up in your apartment, you'll find it and read it. He slumped back against his seat once again and debated how he should wake you up now. He had to.

His eyes trailed all over your sleeping face and his own softened just a bit without him even realizing it, making him snap out of it just as quickly. Why was he reacting this way? A simple confession shouldn't have gotten to him as much as it does?

Levi shook his head, not allowing himself to get caught up in whatever was stirring up in his head and decided that there was only one way he could wake you up.

He quickly switched gears, stepped on the pedal and then the brakes, making the car jerk forward, and that effectively made you slightly lunge forward and wake up. You gasped and started looking around to see where you were, and when you inspected your surroundings, you saw that you were still in Levi's car and that the two of you were in your parking lot.

You let out a couple breaths of shock as you calmed yourself down and then slumped back into your seat. When did you fall asleep? You were still a little dazed and confused.

"What happened? How are we back here already?" You asked as you turned to look at Levi and then continued to glance around your surroundings. But when you turned back to look at your bodyguard, you saw him looking away, avoiding eye contact, as he took off his seatbelt.

Why was he doing that? "You snore like a damn buffalo. I had to speed to get you home," Levi lied, making all of that concern for him suddenly vanish from your body as you rolled your eyes and began to grab your purse, preparing to get out of the car.

"I don't snore," You objected as you took off your own seatbelt and then turned your body to see Levi still not looking at you. What was his deal?

Not even a single glance. Levi grabbed the handle of the door and opened it. "Whatever. We're here," He said, stepping out of the car, closing the door behind him, making you flinch and remain in your seat dumbfounded. That was weird. Wasn't it?

Did you do something? Were you overthinking that? He's usually cold and blunt, but not looking you in the eye was strange.

In any case, you simply shook your head and hurried to open the door so you could get out of the car to catch up to Levi, who you could see was making his way towards the touchpad.

You closed the door behind you, holding your purse tightly in your grasp and still unaware that Levi had planted Grisha's letter inside, and then lightly started jogging to catch up to your bodyguard who was waiting by the touchpad so that you could put the code in. After that, getting to your apartment had been pretty straightforward.

After you walked over to stand next to Levi and put in the code, the doors to the elevators opened as they usually did and you started walking towards them, not failing to notice the way that he stalled in his steps as he watched you walked past them and only started to follow after you a couple seconds later.

After you walked over to stand next to Levi and put in the code, the doors to the elevators opened as they usually did and you started walking towards them, not failing to notice the way that he stalled in his steps as he watched you walked past them and only started to follow after you a couple seconds later.

You tried to brush it off as him just wanting to stay behind you and watch your back, even if you've told him multiple times that there was nothing for him to worry about in your building. He was acting really strange. Or was it just you still being a little out of it? You genuinely couldn't tell.

By the time that the two of you rode on the elevator and got to the top floor, where your apartment was, the two of you walked out and he did the same thing. You stepped out first, but he lingered. You eventually felt him start walking behind you.

He was going all out, wasn't he? This was his job after all. You tried to ignore the way that you could see him in the corner of your eye. You could see his eyes darting around the hallway, as if checking if there were any threats. He was lightly ducking to get a better look under the sconces, inspecting the ground the two of you walked on.

You simply sighed, not having the energy to ask him why he was suddenly giving so much attention to every thing that seemed out of place.

Usually he just walked behind you and you knew he was alert enough to protect you if it was needed. Ever since you woke up in the car, you immediately noticed something was off with him.

Once you focused your gaze forward again and spotted your apartment door at the end of the hall, you missed the way Levi took this as his chance to let his eyes flick to you, studying you, and the way you held yourself.

After hearing what you said in the car, you seemed to be completely unaware of what you revealed to him and were walking as if nothing happened. Did you remember it or not? Were you doing exactly what you said you were tired of doing? Pretending?

Something ignited in Levi, suddenly pushing him to go that extra mile in this job. He didn't know why but he wasn't questioning it either.

"I don't think I've ever snored in my life. I must've been more tired than I thought," You said, reaching your door and starting to put in the numbers to the code that unlocked your door.

Levi stopped right behind you and he took in your words. Did you really not remember anything you just said? In any case, now that he got you safely to your door, it's time for him to head out again. He wanted to get this day over with as much as you did.

Once he heard your door let out an approving beep and unlocked, he saw you put your hand on the handle and was preparing to go in, but before you did, he had one more thing to say. "Hey," He started, making you pause in opening the door and turn him.

You turned your head back to look at him, raising your eyebrows a bit expectantly, waiting for him to continue. But once he made eye contact with you, his eyes widened a fraction as he looked into your eyes and he was forced to look away and clear his throat awkwardly making your eyebrows furrow instead and look at him with confusion.

"Try not to get into trouble when I'm not around, okay? Don't go out alone. I know how reckless you can be," He said as he turned his head to look at you again, but you nearly shrunk back when you saw how intensely his eyes were.

You nodded slowly and crossed your arms, taking your hand off of your door handle. "I know," You said, knowing that you have instinctively become more hyper-aware of your surroundings recently.

You knew the security was tight here, but you never know, so you've been taking measures by yourself to ensure nothing happened. You sent an assured smile at Levi, wordlessly letting him know that he didn't need to worry. He's done more than enough.

Levi felt the tips of his ears warm up when you smiled at him and was quick to look away again. "Call me if you need me, though I'd rather you didn't," He said dryly, and turned around, starting to walk away.

You deadpanned at his words and shook your head. At least one thing about him didn't feel different. You turned back around to grab onto the handle of your door, pushed it open, and walked into your apartment.

You closed the door behind you and didn't waste a moment to head straight across the hallway, into your apartment and then you made a beeline towards your living room.

You got to it and you flopped yourself down on your couch, tilting your head back with a sigh and closed your eyes. You were finally home again, but how has this day felt like it lasted for as long as it has?

Somehow, our inner outrage over that article was starting to feel miniscule. You knew it was still out there, but maybe Levi was right about this.

Though even if you still thought it was very inconvenient to have that article circling, you might have let yourself get carried away over something you knew deep down would be inevitable and there's nothing you could do to change it.

Everything these days is just setting you off. It was the least of your problems right now and right now you just wanted to change back into your pajamas again and head to bed.

That conversation might have been exactly what you needed to finally let yourself relax and let things flow once and for all. And speaking of Levi, you had this voice in the back of your head making you wonder why he was so on edge before.

Even more than usual. You fell asleep in the car, woke up, and suddenly, Levi was doing everything in his power to avoid your eyes. Did you do something to upset him? Or...no, that didn't make sense. You were overthinking it. It's just been a long day for both of you, that's all.

But when you remembered what Levi said to you just now, a lightbulb suddenly went off in your head. You reached into your trench coat's pocket and pulled out your phone.

You went to your contact's app and started to look for Levi's. He said to call him if you need him, but maybe there was a way you could ensure that he would be there no matter what. It's not that you didn't trust that he would, but it was just a way to ensure it.

You found Levi's contact eventually and you tapped on your screen, leading you to his contact information, and decided to scroll down to the option that describes what's the contact status.

You began to scroll through the options, seeing which one fits best. If he was your bodyguard, then which one of the ones you were seeing was the most appropriate. You saw options like manager, secretary, partner, and many more.

You'd make him your emergency contact, like Erwin did earlier. You didn't see any options that were similar to Levi's job description so you decided to put the next best thing.

You decided to set him down as your 'manager' and once you did, and the option was set in place, you were brought back to another screen that showed you who your two emergency contacts were.

Erwin and Levi. You sighed, locked your phone and set it down next to you. As you did, you were starting to feel the silence in your apartment start to really set in. So much so that you could hear a faint ringing in your ears from how quiet it all was.

You started looking around, not really knowing what to do next but head to your room and get ready for bed all over again. But just as you were about to stand up, you paused when something caught your eyes next to you.

You grabbed your purse and pulled out none other than Grisha's letter. How did it get here? You didn't remember putting it in this purse when you decided to head out earlier. But then the only logical explanation clicked in your head. Levi.

You smiled to yourself at the thought and very high possibility of him having planted it in there as you began to let your fingers lightly trace over your name written on the envelope.

But all of that warmth that you felt at the thought of Levi planting the letter in your purse was suddenly taken over by the bittersweet sensation of seeing your name in Grisha's handwriting.

You've been meaning to read this all day, and part of you had been dreading it not knowing what to expect, but another part of you was anxious to see what Grisha's goals for you when he handed the inheritance to you had been all along.

You desperately wanted an explanation now that he wasn't here anymore and this letter might be everything that will answer your questions, if you think that Grisha knew you as well as you thought you did.

You stared blankly down at the letter, feeling a void form in your chest, all of a sudden finding it very hard to just open the letter when it's what you've been wanting to do since it was given to you. You needed some courage, desperately.

But realizing that the need to want to see what was inside quickly overpowered your fear, you turned over the letter and began ripping it open, feeling your heart beat dangerously loud against your ribcage.

You didn't know what to expect, but you knew exactly what you wanted to find inside. Your fingers hurriedly pulled out the letter out of the envelope. You set the envelope aside and began opening the letter.

Once you unfolded and recognized Grisha's handwriting, just the sight of it made the back of your eyes begin to sting. But you blinked that sensation away and adjusted yourself better on the couch, preparing.

You inhaled sharply as just reading the beginning of the letter was enough to bring you to tears, and all of that strength you'd built up in seconds came crashing down just as quickly.

"Grisha..." You muttered as a pained smile came across your lips and your face softened with an aching you thought you'd been able to shove down far enough since he died.

You can imagine him writing this down on his desk, feeling just as scared and terrified for his impending doom, but even more so about how you'd take his death.

You exhaled shakily as you continued to read through it, and there came points where the tears you'd been holding back were far too rogue to hold them back and multiple began to fall down your cheeks.

You raised your hand up to your mouth to cover it, as if that would be enough to hold back the sobs that were about to rip through your throat and then your lips. He knew you so well.

You still couldn't believe that he's gone. You'd gone through the last couple days in a daze trying to be okay with his absence but this letter was just continuing to unleash everything you'd buried and locked with a key in your heart.

He answered every doubt that had been driving you crazy and that he knew he'd been hiding from you, knowing you'd be confused about everything.

The farther down you read, the harder it became to realize that these were his last words to you. His last words looked to reassure you in any way he could knowing the suffering you'd endure the moment he left this world.

This was the last part of him that you needed. The last thing you needed to get that closure that you wanted so badly. Could you be able to move on from this? Would you be able to live without him in your life? Maybe now you could.

-

Dear y/n, if you're reading this letter right now, I can only imagine the pain I've left you to deal with on your own. It means I've left you alone in the world all over again,

The next couple days became a bit of a blur, but after reading Grisha's letter, you were filled with determination of what exactly you needed to do. You read his explanation as to why he did what he did, apologizing for leaving you as abruptly as he did, but as painful as it was, you couldn't deny that it gave you exactly the sense of purpose that you needed.

He had a goal for you and had been thinking of the kind of person he wished you could be from the moment he passed onwards, and you would take on that responsibility with pride. Now that you understood what Grisha intended by giving you the inheritance, the next steps were obvious to you. It was clearer than ever.

Now that you knew exactly what was intended from him when he handed you the inheritance, it wasn't hard to figure out afterwards what it is that you need to do.

I know what you must be thinking. But, I've foreseen this moment to come for a long time and It's not hard for me to wonder how my life will eventually come to an end. All of those times you asked me what was wrong and I told you I was fine and that I was handling it all, I didn't want to drag you into this mess. I can't tell you how sorry I am.

He believed in you, he had hopes and dreams he wanted to see you fulfill, even if he wouldn't be alive to see you or his children accomplish. But he was okay with that, because as soon as he wrote those letters, his mind felt at peace knowing that his wishes would be remembered, even if they weren't fulfilled.

It struck him deeply to even think about that at all, but somehow, he became okay with it over time and he was able to make careful decisions about how he'd distribute it all. He died without any regrets.

He also knew well that he had to apologize for having to hide all of this from you at all despite all of those times you made sure he wasn't burdening himself with problems he didn't need to because you'd be there.

But the thing is that this is the one thing he never wanted you to get involved in while he was alive and now, he'd been worried he'd seem like a hypocrite because he he let such a big responsibility fall to you because he was certain you'd make good choices and there's no one else that he trusts more with this role than you.

But what makes him different from you and him, is how he made sure that he had rules set in place that would make you assume charge far differently than him.

I know my death will hurt, and it will feel like the world is ending and that the universe is against you, but I hope you can still move on and live to do greatness just like I've always wanted for you. I don't regret for a moment the day I took you in when you lost your parents. Despite all your hardship, that spark in your eye has never faded. You'll be able to shake it off, come back stronger than ever, and nobody will get in your way to do exactly what you were destined to do. I know you won't let anybody knock you down and you'll push forward no matter what.

After you finished reading that letter, there was one thing you knew for certain the next couple of days. You'd hold onto that letter with your life and remember why you're doing what you're doing.

Why are you assuming the position Grisha left you with once you find someone to marry and do exactly what he intended for you. Knowing he gave up trying when he was alive, you'd step up to your family members and show them that there was nothing they could do that could make you back down, no matter how many times they take hits at you, you trust yourself to be able to shake it off. Just like he wanted.

And it may seem like you're only doing this because it's what he would've wanted and it's to satisfy his wishes as if he were still around, but that was only a very small part of it.

You were going to do this because you knew you had the potential to take on something so much bigger than yourself and that you could overcome what Grisha spent years trying to do, and it eventually got him killed because of it. But if he believed you can rise up higher than he ever did, then you would do it. And you wouldn't regret any of your choices.

You'd get that psycho killer captured, you'd avenge Grisha, and make sure his sacrifices were worth something. And it didn't matter to you if you died trying. He's always believed in you in a way that nobody else did, and you felt it now more than ever.

And I know that once I die, you'll try to remain as strong as you can. Not wanting to show weakness or vulnerability. But I've told you this many times before. Just one good cry is more than enough, and no one should judge you for it.

Which is why, immediately the next morning after you'd read that letter, you wasted no time in heading to the police station to talk to Nile and Pixis. The first thing you decided to do before the cremation and burial in just a couple days was to get the autopsy report.

It would tell you the exact cause of the death and it would be the first place to start with your own investigation. When Nile and Pixis walked into the precinct and saw you sitting down in front of Nile's desk waiting, they halted in their steps and watched as you stood up from the chair and looked at them in the eye with a sureness and confidence in your eyes that they didn't know if it should be feared or admired.

By the time you get this letter, you must have already received the news of the position I'm leaving you with and I understand you must have a lot of questions. More than I could ever answer even if I was still there, but I can tell you one thing.

After that, they'd revealed to you that the autopsy report had to be reviewed by the oldest members of the family, and you as well, since the responsibility of the inheritance was handed to you.

You dreaded hearing that, not having an ounce of hope that Zeke or Karina would want the autopsy to be performed, and wouldn't want things to go the right way, whether it was out of spite or another unknown reason. But still, you'd fight and stay strong until your body has had enough and you can't go on anymore.

This position, this role, I learned the hard way that it's a battlefield and war zone that has no place for tears. And because of that, you must be wondering why I left it to you. If you think for one second that you're not strong enough or if that's what I'm implying, I want you to think twice about that. With this role, people will always think that the reason you're successful is because you always have everything together and always know what to do. But it's not. It's what you and I have always had in common, dear.

That same morning, you had driven back to Grisha's mansion along with Nile and Pixis who met up with you there. Though, the moment that arrived and saw the very same group of people who only wished for your demise were standing there, you prepared internally as best as you could.

They hadn't been particularly happy to see you either, openly dismissing you and asking why you could be there for this decision, to which Nile and Pixis explained in detail, but it still didn't make them any happy.

When the moment came where Pixis handed Zeke the envelope with the authorization for the autopsy to be performed, you stood off to the side. You knew what to expect, knowing these were the same people who wanted to rule out Grisha's death as something that it wasn't.

But what you weren't expecting to see was Zeke pulling out the autopsy consent form out of the envelope, turning to look you straight in the eye and then ripped it apart right in front of you.

Your eyes widened and your breathing quickened as rage boiled inside you. But you made the mistake of letting yourself get carried away yet again.

Letting your body speak for you, you began to charge towards Zeke with fire burning in your eyes, but before you could get to him, you were shoved back by Karina, earning you a hard slap on your cheek that made your face snap to the side as you gasped.

Your chest rose and fell as you remained frozen in place, feeling the stinging of the slap come shortly after, and watching as everyone else in the room filed out leaving you alone.

You kept a hand on your cheek as you rubbed it slightly, not noticing the way that Nile and Pixis sent you pitying glances your way as they walked out of the room too. After that, it was decided that Grisha wouldn't get his autopsy and it would never be confirmed what truly killed him.

You reminded yourself not to cry, even though you wanted so badly to burst into painful sobs and tears. You couldn't. They wouldn't take any more seriously than they do now, and that's the opposite of what you needed, even if they'd already left.

But in reality, you will be surrounded by people who only want the worst for you and will do anything to get what you have. People who will try to ruin you by trying to remind you about all the times you've failed. You don't want those people in your life.

Then came the day of the cremation. Before heading to the crematorium and burial, you and the rest of your family were doing a funeral procession where all of the employee's and everyone who's ever worked with Grisha were standing in a single file line on either side and letting the family pass in between, all across the lobby of the main building of Eldia Group and the walk would end outside. Zeke was at the head of the procession, holding a picture of his father in front of him as the rest of the family followed.

Alongside him at the front were Floch, Yelena, Karina, Reiner, Falco, Gabi, their parents, except Colt who was apparently out of the country again and couldn't make it back in time for the burial and then at the back were you, Erwin, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, all walking side by side as everyone else around watched the family go through.

The ones standing at the side included Hange who looked incredibly disheartened as they watched you walk past, not being able to bear the suffering and agony that has been taking over you over the last few days and wishing there was more they could do.

You decided that you'll take Grisha's advice and keep close to the people you need by your side the most, like Hange, Levi, Erwin, and the trio. Their presence was more than enough to give you strength. But there were some things that nobody else but yourself could get through, and you were prepared for that.

Now, what you must be wondering next is why I'm requiring you to choose and marry someone in order to become chairwoman and secure the inheritance, but I'm sure that as confused as you are, you might already know the answer very well.

Other people that were present at the precession included your employee's from your company. They were all there to pay their respects as well. Jean, Sasha, Connie, Ymir, Historia, Bertholdt, Annie.

They were all there. And even if they didn't know you that well and you're just their boss, they were there to be supportive as well. As you and your family walked past them, they all bowed their heads in respect for the grief they must all be going through.

Everyone's eyes were on the family, feeling deep regret for their loss, but also completely unaware of what got them into this situation in the first place.

This position...can become your demise very quickly. It can be isolating and lonely, and I made the mistake of trying to navigate it by myself. But I don't want that to be the case for you. You'll feel it eating away at you being alone all the time, like I've watched you do for years, but you don't have to. Which is why I set up that rule.

And last but not least, Levi was also walking alongside the family. Though, he was at the back with another group of bodyguards that was helping the family move along.

And his eyes never left you for a second, always looking out for every step you took, and nobody else. He noticed how you flipped a switch from one day to another ever since that night and he's been more attentive than ever.

And now, when he saw that certain flicker of fire and determination in your eyes, he knew it was time for him to step up too as your bodyguard.

I admit that without you by my side to always check up on me and make sure I'm okay every single day, I'm certain that I would've been consumed in a hell of loneliness that I know that I don't want for you the moment I'm gone.

Eventually the procession ended with you and your family finishing the walk just outside where more of the employee's had lined up and were giving a space for a family to walk in between until each of them got into their cars and were ready to drive to the burial.

The entire time, it felt like you were walking but your mind wasn't really there. Like your mind was too preoccupied by letting yourself think thoroughly about what you were going to do next.

You were staring ahead blankly, devoid of emotion, needing something to keep you afloat and with your determination to keep going being the only anchor for you.

And before you knew it, all you were in the cemetery watching Grisha be admitted to be cremated. The entire time, while Zeke, Karina, Floch, Yelena, and the others were all at the front, you remained at the back as they'd instructed you to stay in, still not believing you had a place there, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Erwin were all standing in the back with you too.

Eren had put an arm around, rubbing your arm up and down comfortingly even if he was living a hell of his own watching his father for the last time be taken away to be cremated. And that's when it hit you too.

The tension in the air was suffocating, but it was truly nothing compared to the tightness in your chest realizing Grisha was just meters away and this was the last time you'd see him. The last time any of you would ever see him again.

Armin and Mikasa were standing on Eren's other side while Erwin stood on your other side. It seems the five of you were the only ones left with the best interest and you had to stick together.

That was one thing all of you could agree on and the fact that it was only going to get harder from now on. It was really setting in. You could see Eren clenching his jaw as his face fought the pain and agony and he fought back tears, sniffling every couple seconds.

You could hear the quiet sobs from Mikasa and Armin, and even feel the slight tremors in his hand that was on your arm. Your heart ached for him and it made it harder to hold back your own tears.

I don't want you to experience the same hell that I did. Live a long life, choose some wisely to have by your side through it all. And if you do decide to take my place, make sure to find the right person. Someone who will keep you company through it all, be your shoulder to cry on, be someone you can share your burdens with and will always be by your side even if it gets hard. You have terrific judgement, and I don't doubt you'll make the right choice.

And as always, not having parted from you for a second, Levi was at the very back, staying as vigilant as he can over you but also feeling the weight of the room on him. At one point, you briefly caught him in the corner of your eye, seeing his steady figure just a couple feet away from you.

He was so watchful of you. He seemed to notice you were looking at him because once he made eye contact with you, his eyes didn't peel away from yours like before. They lingered.

There was something so much deeper in his eyes that made your heart leap. Even if no words passed between you, the understanding was there and nothing needed to be said whatsoever. You weren't alone. Not anymore.

But if you fail to find a person like that, then I won't hold it against you if you decide to just throw that position to the wolves. I won't blame you if you don't want to put yourself through that and you want to...save yourself.

And once Grisha's coffin was hidden behind the doors that closed in front of it, you realized that the final moments of the cremation were nearing.

There was a quiet murmuring once your family put it together that it had concluded, but it was all nearly drowned out by the pounding of your own heart.

Knowing he was truly gone now, you repeated over and over in your head that you really could do this. Grisha gave you a choice, and you knew what was the right thing to do. You had to at least try, didn't you?

There was no going back, no undoing what Grisha had already set in motion for you. The weight of your responsibility was really setting in and you know you have no choice but to push forward no matter what.

You know the sacrifices that would come with it and you needed to continue to stand tall, like you swore to yourself that you'd do. The one thing that Grisha made clearer than anything in his letter is that the one thing he believed in more than anything was you. And you were not going to let him down.

As I leave this world, I hate that I'm leaving you behind yet again in the den of wolves by yourself. But I trust that you'll know what to do, and I'll be with you even when you think I'm not. Never doubt how proud i'll always be to have been a part of your life

Now, you blinked yourself back to the present, realizing you're still kneeling in front of Grisha's grave, staring at his name engraved on the stone blankly. The wind blows against you while Levi stood behind you with his hands behind his back, protecting you.

He's giving you as much time as you need, not letting anyone step close to you. He's seen this unfold from beginning to end, from the moment you found Grisha dead to standing in front of his grave. To you, this was it. This is the last step you needed to take.

The burial was the final step to this, and now that's done, you realized that while it probably won't stop hurting for a long time, you've cleared the very last hurdle. You could move on.

You don't know if it will always hurt just a little whenever you think of Grisha, but seeing his tombstone somehow makes it so real.

It's the closure you needed. And the more you looked at the picture in front of his tombstone, the more you accepted it. Still, the idea of leaving without his guidance did still feel very daunting.

As yet another gust of wind flowed past you and lightly blew your hair out of your face, you wrapped your arms around yourself for warmth.

After the burial, everyone had gathered around the tombstone but after a while, one by one had to leave and now you're the only one left kneeling in front of Grisha's grave.

You couldn't bring yourself to leave yet, even if you know that you can come visit any time. But you knew you had to leave sometime. Unfortunately, you had to get to work and if you could stay there for longer, you would.

You exhaled, shook your head and got to your feet, brushing off your black dress and then turned around to see Levi. You looked at him and locked eyes with him.

You didn't miss the way that he saw the sorrow in yours and it made his gaze soften the smallest fraction, and it was now tinged with something more as he lingered on you for a couple more seconds.

He wanted you to be sure if you really wanted to leave now. He wouldn't mind staying a little longer if you needed to. Give him a sign. Anything.

"Ready to go?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. You took a large inhale before nodding and sent him a reassuring smile. You were sure.

"Yeah, I am," You said, getting your feet to move and then walked past Levi. Out of habit by now, he automatically started following after you as the two of you headed to the exit.

As you walked, you understood now more than ever what Grisha's intentions were. You know now why he made it a rule that you had to get married to take his position, and you knew that he always wanted to see you get married either way whether it was out of convenience or not.

So, that was one wish you'll fulfill no matter what. You'll start looking and continue searching for someone that could be by your side through it all, have your back and never stray from you.

And if you didn't, his letter made it clear that if you chose to renounce the inheritance, that was okay too. You had free reign, and you'd use it to keep his legacy alive knowing that with you, it would be in the right hands. He trusts you, doesn't he? You'll manage. You won't disappoint him. You can do it.

But as the two of you walked away, you were oblivious to another group of people that was also mourning the loss of someone important to them. You and Levi just happened to have walked past Marlow, Hitch and their gang, who were all gathered to grieve the loss of their leader that was killed by none other than Levi.

They were all still very bitter that they haven't been able to avenge their boss and get back at Levi ever since the whole fight at the restaurant where Levi took care of them with barely breaking a sweat. And the one who felt the most bitterness in his heart and the need for vengeance, was Marlowe.

He was at the head of the group, with Hitch standing just behind him, and he had his head down, with his hands behind his back and the rest of the gang followed. They were all standing in front of the tombstone of their leader, not believing he was really gone.

He put his trust in Marlowe to be his second-in-command and Marlowe devoted his loyalty to their boss for years. And for that reason, he'd find Levi again and with the help of his gang, outnumbering him, he would avenge their leader. He swore it to himself.

Marlowe raised his head and then turned his head to the side to see Hitch handing him a corsage to leave down by the tomb. Marlowe sniffled, took it and then laid it down on the tombstone, next to his boss' picture that was set up.

Marlowe stood back up again and put his hands behind his back again as sorrow crossed all across his face. Hitch had sadness written all over as well. She'd lost a mentor and she still couldn't believe it.

But as heat gathered behind Marlowe's eyes, he quickly remembered his promise to himself and tried to remain as strong as possible. He sniffled and looked up to the sky for a second before turning his eyes back to look at the picture of his boss.

"Everyone! Until we avenge our boss, we won't shed a tear. Not a single one," He said, his voice hardening as his eyes narrowed with rage. The rest of the gang replied with a strong; "Yes, sir!" Their response reverberated all across the cemetery, filling Marlowe with that much more resolve and confidence to do this. He owed his boss that much.

"We'll offer that bastard's head to our boss! We'll make sure he pays!" Marlowe yelled out and he was met with yet another round of screams of agreement.

He used to be the second in command, and now that their boss was gone, the responsibility to keep the trains running fell to him. He had one goal and it was to kill Levi no matter the cost, and that he felt the same pain that his boss did. No matter what it took.

But as everyone continued to stand in silence, Hitch felt like this was a good time to bring up what she found out. She took a couple steps towards Marlowe so that she was standing next to him, and whispered.

"Marlowe. I have a lead on that guy. From the restaurant," She said and Marlowe's head snapped to the side to look at Hitch in surprise.

That was perfect. In his eyes, having a lead meant that they were a lot closer to finding Levi than they were before and that was always good.

"What do you got?" Marlowe said and Hitch nodded, briefly turning to look at the picture of their boss and then back at her friend.

"His name is Levi Ackerman. I found his credit card number," Hitch said, and Marlowe hummed, nodding along to her words. That was definitely a start.

"Anything else?" Marlowe asked, and Hitch nodded. She reached into her inner pocket in her jacket and pulled out her phone. She started to search through her phone to find the video she recovered, and when she did, she handed her phone to Marlowe.

He took the phone from her hands and looked down at the video. It was security camera footage. Marlowe turned to look at Hitch with shock at how he managed to recover this, and then he went back to focusing on the video.

He had to look very closely. He remembers it well. "Where did you- how did you-?" He started, cutting himself off, watching the footage closely.

As the video played, Marlowe watched as one of his fellow gang members charged at Levi but before any of the chaos that Marlowe remembers from that moment could show in the video too, the video became static for a couple seconds, and when it went back to normal, there was only Levi left in the restaurant.

It was after he'd taken care of all of the other gang members, including him and Hitch, trapping them in that newspaper. Marlowe's grip tightened on Hitch's phone, and she quickly felt the need to explain her findings.

"The employee's looked at this footage and had no idea. They didn't do this. It was that guy," Hitch said and Marlowe's jaw clenched. He knows Levi is far from human because no human being was capable of what he witnesses, so he would be a tough opponent.

If he wasn't a human, then who the hell was he? What was he? He needed to know if they really wanted to take him face to face.

But none of this was deterring his courage, and in fact, it only pushed him further to want to find Levi again once and for all. He wouldn't get away with killing their boss with no consequences. He'd make sure of it.

-

"Captain Levi!" A voice called out. Levi had been walking around HQ and he halted in his steps across the hall to turn around and see a cadet running towards him with a hurried and panicked look on his face, making Levi's face twist uncomfortably.

'What is it now?' Levi wondered to himself with an annoyed frown., already having a feeling what this was about. He looked at the cadet, Connie Springer, up and down and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

He was heading back to his office after a long day of training the 104th cadets and he was looking forward to just having a cup of tea while he finished the rest of his paperwork. But he had a feeling that was about to change.

But as he inspected the cadet in front of him, who was part of the recent group of recruits that joined the Survey Corps, it seemed to him that they still had a lot to learn.

"What do you get from running around like that? You look disgusting. I hope you're not planning to show up to the mess hall like that, cadet," Levi scowled as he narrowed his eyes and he watched Connie's own pupils widen as he gulped and quickly composed himself, looking a little more frazzled than usual. But it was the default look of all wide-eyed, new cadets.

"O-Oh, yes, sir!" He said, raising his fist up to his chest to salute his superior. "It's just that I've been looking for you everywhere. HQ is pretty big. Not sure where everything is yet. The commander sent me to look for you. He said it was urgent," Connie said and Levi hummed in acknowledgement, sending a nod the cadet's way.

"If I go, will you take a shower? Don't show up to dinner like that or I'll make you clean the stables for a week and then you'll wish you'd taken a shower," Levi threatened, but Connie wasn't deterred and he kept his salute firm, making a flash of amusement spark in Levi's steel eyes.

"Yes, sir!" Connie said with confidence in his voice, even if Levi could see that his trembling limbs were betraying the young cadet. Levi rolled his eyes but still decided that the message was delivered and there was no need for Connie to stick around anymore.

"Okay. Dismissed," Levi said, and he could see the way that it took Connie a couple seconds to register because it was only after a moment or two that he decided to finally scamper away in a hurry, turning a corner and leaving Levi alone in the hall.

He sighed, realizing that his tea would have to wait just a bit longer. He began walking in the direction that Connie just scurried away in, because Erwin's office was in that direction. And Levi was left to wonder one thing; What did Erwin want now?

-

Hi! I hoped you guys enjoyed this one! Including the small snippet at the end! Its very important so that was just a sneak peek! Im slowly getting back into my rhythm of writing along the week and updating on Sunday's, so I'm very happy about that!

As promised, there was a whole lot of Levi in this chapter! And I swear i'll keep that up for the next upcoming chapters! The upcoming chapters might just be one of the ones I've been looking forward to the most and this one was just full of emotion and angst!

As always, feel free to comment guys! Leave your theories, feedback, opinions! It really does help me grow as an author and it lets me know you guys are enjoying it so far! Reading your comments truly make my day!

Anyways, I'll see you guys next Sunday with the next chapter! I hope you guys are as excited as I am! <3 I love you all so much and thank you for reading! :,) Have a good start to your week everyone!