"Eh ? It wasn't Levi, but Zeke ??"
(Y/n) nods, "yes. The boy I was looking for was Zeke."
"...."
Just before (Y/n) was about to ask something, Hanji beat her into it, "are you disappointed ?"
"H-huh ?" The secretary leans back in a perplexed manner, "what do you mean..?"
"Well, you found this person but you look somewhat disappointed to learn that it wasn't Levi." Hanji pointed out.
"No, it's not like that ahahah.." (Y/n) laughs nervously while scratching her nape, "anyway, I thought I should let you know to get the facts right, so please pretend you haven't heard anything, Hanji."
The crazy researcher gives her a thumbs up, "mhm. Leave it to me."
As soon as (Y/n) disappears from her private office, Hanji receives a call from a certain someone, "Hello ?"
"What, lunch today ? Sorry hun, I can't- Yeah, that morning meeting may run into lunch. And I hate to reschedule everything so you can just have your lunch with shorty. Alright, thanks. Bye Erwin !"
She ended the call with Erwin, sighing, "now where are those files for..." Hanji adjusts her glasses, searching around her desk and drawer for some important documents needed for her upcoming meeting, "Moblit ??" She called out to her secretary.
No reply..
"Moblit ?"
Still nothing..
"Damn it.. MOBLIT BERNER !!! WHERE DID YOU PUT MY FILES ??"
Meanwhile..
At the present time, a male secretary already makes himself comfortable in the planning division team room by chilling and sipping a cup of coffee, "Ugh, I'm so tired. I really want to sleep in tomorrow. Mrs. Smith has been making me work to no end.." he groans.
"I know right ? A workshop on the weekend, are you kidding me ?" Jean added.
Armin smiles tiredly, "but we need to hold one every year at least for team building. Plus, there's the Art Center. Mr. Ackerman's particular about that project. So if we show him that we're always thinking about it too, I really think that would make him quite pleased."
His small speech earns groans of disagreement from almost everyone in the room.
"Well," Connie strokes his bald head, "just put down something along the lines of that in our schedule and let's just enjoy the fresh air, and maybe get some drink too !"
Several people start to cheer up upon Connie's ideas.
"Let's just think of it as a relaxing excursion."
"That drink would taste so sweet with a nice view though.." Moblit sighs, "man, I want to go too. Let's escape this hell together even if it's just for a while."
"Duh, you're obviously coming with us." Connie and Jean send the tired man a grin.
He shot up from his seat, "Eh ??? Really ? But what about Mrs. Smi-"
"Just let that crazy woman suffer HAHAHAH," the food lover brunette in a ponytail cackled, "I'll buy the meat and get us drinks too !! My friend, Niccolo, would usually give me free food from his restaurant. So leave it to me !" She jabbed her thumb to her chest proudly.
Eren gaped in awe, "now that's the spirit ! I've never seen you think this fast, Sasha !"
"Hell yea-"
"Hey guys, I was wondering if any of you have seen Mobli-"
The mentioned man scrambled up to get on his feet upon the sudden arrival of his superior, almost spilling his coffee in the process.
Hanji rests her hands on her hips, "Boy, I've been looking all over for you."
"Y-you should've just called me, ma'am."
"But you left your phone." Hanji stretches out her arm to hand Moblit his phone that he had left at the receptionist desk in front of Hanji's office.
He shrieks, but accepts the phone anyway, "So why are you here-"
"Can you find those audit files for me real quick ? I need them for the Ackerman Department meeting like... right now."
"But ma'am, that's for Friday !" Moblit almost whined.
She inhales deeply, "And today's... Friday."
The world seems to stop for Moblit as he stands there, petrified upon realizing what day it is today. Without further bullshit, he storms off to Hanji's private office like a scared chicken.
-------
"Hello- What ?"
In the middle of doing her work, her phone buzzed. An incoming call from Zeke almost startled her.
(Y/n) can't help but raise an eyebrow, "lunch ?"
"It was too sudden yesterday so we didn't really get to talk. And I believe we have a lot to catch up on." Said the voice from the other line.
She purses her lips, contemplating whether she should go or not. (Y/n) then ends the call and head inside Levi's private office, about to ask him for a certain permission as well as handing him her work.
The woman bowed a little before handing her boss a tablet, "here's the weekly reports, Mr. Ackerman. And..."
"..hm ?"
"Ms. Reiss will be accompanying you to the Shiganshina Bio Meeting, and you won't be needing me, so may I go ahead for lunch ?"
He squinted his eyes in suspicion , "are you seeing someone ?"
"Oh, Mr. Jaeger, The Boy Wonder, or you may know as the CEO of the Beast Enterprise, asked me to have lunch together with him. So.. Do I have your full permission to do so, sir ?"
Levi debated with himself for a few seconds before giving a small nod, "fine. Go ahead."
"Thank you sir."
The woman happily exits his office, not knowing that Levi had reached his phone and send a text to his subordinate.
To : Eyebrows
[Replace my role in today's meeting. I'll be off to teach an ape how to stay away from what's mine.]
-----------------------------
"So.."
The blonde shoves a spoon of pasta into his mouth, "did you have a good sleep ? Because I didn't."
"Pardon ??"
"I couldn't sleep at all," Zeke confessed, "after learning that I wasn't alone in that dark, scary place. That left me with mixed feelings."
"I was surprised. To know that you were right there, all along."
He leans forward, propping up his elbows on the surface of the table, "what's the first thing you wanted to do when you saw me again, (Y/n) ? You said you were looking for me for a very long time."
"Well.." (Y/n) tucks her hair behind her ear, "I only ever thought of looking for you."
"Am I like your first love then ?"
Her breath hitched a little, "Um, not quite actually." She shyly averts her gaze to the window.
"Even if I'm not, you'll help me find my memory, right ?"
"Certainly. I'll try my best." (Y/n) sends him a firm nod with a gentle yet determined smile.
Zeke's heart fluttered. They're drowning in deep conversation as well as enjoying the fine meal. Every once in a while (Y/n) would ask him about the book concert project, thus they also discuss some business there. Until it's time to go back. Being a gentleman he is, Zeke escorts the secretary out of the restaurant to the parking lot. To their surprise, someone's waiting there.
"Mr. Ackerman ?? How did you-"
"That should be my line, Ms. (L/n)." he cuts her off, "did you forget that meeting with Shiganshina Bio ?"
(Y/n) becomes a bit taken back, "but I already told you sir, that Ms. Reiss would be the one to accompan-"
"You've always accompanied me, so you should be the one coming with me too."
'Jeez.. what's with this dwarf..?"
"You know that they're particular about security, so they only like to see familiar faces," Levi finishes.
She gaped, "...did they ?"
"Yes they did brat." He gave her a convincing look.
(Y/n) turns to Zeke, smiling, "I guess I'll have to get going then. I enjoyed my time with you."
"Alright (Y/n)," he reaches out his hand to pat her head, "see you later I guess."
Levi's eyes nearly bulged out after seeing Zeke's gesture, he clenches his fists slightly before exhaling a little, "Ms. (L/n), wait in the car. I have some unfinished business to talk about with this... Mr. Jaeger." he gritted out slowly.
"Yes sir."
The moment (Y/n) exited the area, it's time for the vice president to take matters into his own hands.
"Don't see Ms. (L/n) from now on."
Zeke scoffs, "that should be my line, captain. Leave us alone."
"Us ?" Levi coldly mocked the author, "the word 'us' is used to describe a relationship like the one Ms. (L/n) and I have. Nine years of knowing and adjusting to each other."
This time, the blonde stifles a laugh, "but did you know ? For more than those nine years, (Y/n) had been looking for me, all this time. She said she's always longed to see me. That's what we are, two people whom fate brought together because we earnestly wished so."
"Writing for another novel ? Or were those shitty lines from your new book ?" The vice president narrows his eyes at him, "then, too bad, it's too cliched to win the readers this time, you poor ape."
"We'll see whether it stays a novel or becomes the real deal, Levi."
Levi makes an unexpected move which scares the shit out of Zeke. The shorter man grasp his shirt collar and yank it down towards him before growling.
"I bet it stays a novel cause I'll be the first one to put a ring on her finger."
------------------------- On the way back to the office -------------------------
Silence fell upon them.
"I thought I heard him say he'll see you later. What's that about ?" Levi broke the atmosphere as he kept an eye on the road.
"Oh, I was planning to meet him after work to visit an area that's being redeveloped."
He frowns, "an area that's being redeveloped ?"
"Mhm. My actual neighborhood, along with some parts of the Underground, have become Ackerman Company so I can't go there anymore. So we thought about trying a similar place. Then that might trigger something. Both Zeke and I wanted to try and remember what-"
"Don't go."
(Y/n) turns to him, about to question it when Levi also turns his head towards her, looking directly into her eyes, "I said, don't go." he breathed out, eyes filled with dread.
Their conversation ends there, thus the rest of the ride became the way it started.
Silent.
---------------------
"Mr. Ackerman." His loyal secretary greeted, "You didn't forget the meeting tonight, did you ?"
Levi nods silently.
"Good. Mr. Braun will be accompanying you."
'For fuck's sake.. Not that gay suicidal freak again...' He groans mentally.
The vice president looked up from his tablet that he's currently holding, "what about you, Ms. (L/n) ? Off with your lovely long lost boy for memory searching ?"
"Well uh.."
'Don't go, please don't go.. Tell me you won't be going please...'
(Y/n) smiles, "Yes sir, I'm planning to head there now. Well then, I'll get going." With one last bow, the woman struts out of his private office, leaving Levi with a messed up mind.
"Tch.. Go where ? Down the memory lane ?" The CEO scoffed. With a roll of his eyes, Levi puts down his tablet as he murmurs something under his breath.
"Fucking brat.. Instead of trying to search for memories, why not making the effort to build sweet memorable moments with me ?"
a/n : So what do you think of this chapter ? LOL I hope it satisfies all of you.