authors note:
I'm gonna stop using Roman numerals for my chapters bc even though it's aesthetically pleasing, I found out that it's not actually taught in every middle/primary school 😭 so I want to make it so that everyone can keep track of the chapters!
❀ - ✁ - ❀
It's miserable. After all, she'd been feeling depressed about the unfamiliarity; About the fact she missed her mother. She missed her cooking especially, it had only been a few days from her birthday which she spent on a plane landing in Paris.
She was alone in truth. She found that even though her old friends had much to talk about and much to catch up with, she wouldn't have someone whom she could rely on for some time.
Y/N had been in and out of bed since Monday. As soon as she wasn't busy there was a 99% chance she was couped up in bed. Nobody had texted her back last night except Levi. She was shocked at the fact that Pieck hadn't initiated conversation since her brunch on Saturday. It was now Wednesday.
Y/N called her again on Tuesday but there was no answer. Just like Sunday. Her finger hovered over the call button for a while before she decided to switch this to text. She wrote, 'Pieck are you free anytime soon?'
Eventually, Y/N dragged herself out of bed and decided to text Levi as she got ready for orientation. Everyone on social media seemed to have specific styles that they wanted to go to school with, but Y/N was going to wear whatever she could. She also planned to hand in a CV to a few jobs so that she could keep up with expenses.
Y/N shimmied on a denim maxi skirt, a turtle neck and a trench coat. She did minimal makeup out of laziness and went to the kitchen. When they went to IKEA, the group split the costs of the whole load. She bought many things including a tiny, circular dining table which fit only four chairs. They ordered a sofa which men came to assemble so neither she nor her friends had to do hard labour.
They bought her an espresso machine, kettle, microwave and more. She'd be in debt to them for all they've done for her. She still hadn't gone grocery shopping though, She just ate doughnuts, pizza and takeaway noodles for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
The house had a new smell to it, one thing she wanted to achieve was to cook in her new home. Y/N was a good cook, everyone knew, but she was discouraged because of the absence of her parents. It was a different feeling from when she left for boarding school. It's a shame that she hates her parents but longs for them so deeply.
Something that Y/N thought non-stop about was calling her mother and giving her a rant about the things that she'd been through. It was the farthest thing from possible.
She pulled out her phone as she brushed her teeth.
Levi texted back after a few minutes and greeted her back;
Me
Hey, are you busy later today?
7:59 AM
Levi
No, just have to be at the agency
at 5 for an hour or two
wanna come?
8:07 AM
Me
Of course
I have orientation today
though, when are you going?
8:08 AM
Levi
I'll come to get you
You said 3 right?
8:08 AM
Me
Yrs
Yes*
Dinner on me?
8:08 AM
Levi
That's ridiculous
You don't even have
fucking groceries yet
smart ass
Wise spending
8:09 AM
Me
Don't call me out
like that
I wanna buy you dinner,
you're the reason I haven't
starved yet this week.
8:09 AM
Levi
Don't worry about it
You have the choice of
getting groceries or coming
home with me.
I can feed you just fine.
8:10 AM
Me
Loool
I'll take the groceries
But I do crave some
of my mom's food
I want to distract myself
from it
8:11 AM
Levi
Give in
We'll cook something
of hers to make you feel
better
Not the opposite
8:11 AM
Me
Hopefully, that'll help
I'm stuck in bed fully
dressed.
Quite depressed too.
8:13 AM
Levi
When are u in?
I think you should
get a move on if you hate
when I pick you up
8:14 AM
Me
I just need a coffee
Only two more days left
of this orientation week.
It's sending me insane
meeting new people who
make their whole interaction
about criticizing my rusty
French.
8:14 AM
Levi
Sounds like fun
I think your rusty
French is charming
8:15 AM
Me
So do the guys in my course
they haven't left me alone
since Monday
It's a problem
8:16 AM
Levi
???
8:16 AM
Me
🤷♀️
8:17 AM opened
Y/N chuckled at the 'opened' and stood up from her bed. She grabbed her Diesel handbag and her keys. She finally found the motivation to get up for the third orientation day of the week. Today she had a a lecture and some team exercises. She's already made some friends and slowly started easing into her old French.
French used to be her secondary language since you couldn't survive in Geneva without French. But after 7 years of not using it at all, It was like she was learning the language all over again.
She switched off all of the light switches and then she walked out, locking her door behind her. As soon as she started taking steps, her stomach was gurgling for food. She rushed downstairs. There's a café across the road which her eyes seemed to zero in on every time she left the house. She never had time to go in. But today she would.
Y/N walked out of the courtyard, a few kids were leaving for school and she approached the road. As soon as the cars slowly disappeared, she crossed the road to the quaint café. The café had an aroma that could be smelt from her bedroom window.
She manoeuvred through the scattered outdoor chairs in the outdoor seating area. The morning bustle slowly set in as the morning progressed. She pushed open the door revealing the sound of coffee grinding and low chatter. It was so nice and quiet.
She walked over to the counter "Salut!" She greeted the man. She slightly recognised his face but she didn't know where, since she had met way too many people in the past few days. "Parlez-vous angl–"
"Oh, you're the new neighbour!" He cut off. "How do you like the area?" He asked in perfect English. Y/N's tense shoulders rested and she leaned forward.
"It's amazing. Although I'm still moving in and getting new things to assemble." She shared, slightly stunned at the unexpected English. "Micheal, is it?" she asked. She was almost certain that it was his name.
He let out an airy laugh. His eyes squinted when he smiled and laughed, Y/N thought it was so cute. "No, It's Mitabi." He smiled. "I'm half Japanese and German. My name's quite unusual to most."
Y/N apologetically furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm so sorry, Mitabi."
"That's fine," he smiled. "Everyone seems to be shocked at the name because It's usually used for girls. I guess my mother thought I was that beautiful." he joked.
Y/N giggled. GIGGLED. She even shocked herself. "She wasn't too far off." She watched a red hue reach across his cheeks. "Anyways, could I get an Iced Americano for takeaway?" she asked politely.
"In a rush?" he asked as he turned around to face the espresso machine.
"I have a medical school orientation." She pouted. "I want to speed to the part where I'm knees deep in notes and studying. The beginning of the year has no foundation."
"Wow," he said, his eyebrows raised in slight disbelief. "You must be inhumanely smart."
"No no," she waved her two hands. "I'm just another student." She insisted. When he turned around he smirked. He shifted his body forward so that he could converse with her face-to-face. Usually, he'd make coffee with his back turned to customers. Yet he wanted to talk to her.
He saw her eyeing the caramel and honey packets next to the coffee sweetener. "Do you want some caramel in it?" he asked, which caught her attention. He wouldn't ask because when customers wanted something extra they would ask for it.
"Yes please." She returned the smile and grabbed a caramel packet shoving it in her pocket. "Can I also have two millefeuilles? This is gonna be my breakfast."
"Can I give you free Madeleines?" He asked. "My dad had made them this morning, they're fresh."
"Oh no, no," She shook her head. "I love Madeleines but I won't take money from your business." She waved. He shrugged and scooped ice into a plastic cup and squeezed caramel syrup over the ice. "Oh, but I am looking for part-time. I just moved here, my French is kinda rusty, but I'm a student, I don't exactly have money to spare." She laughed.
"Do you have any experience?" He asked as he poured espresso over the caramel and poured in some cold water.
"Yeah, I can give you my CV, when I'm back at home." She answered.
"No problem, we could really use radiant people like you here. You'd attract more people here." He handed her the cup with the lid on the side. He pulled up a small brown bag and walked over to the pastries.
She turned her attention to the Americano. She took the lid and clicked it on top of the cup, using the counter to swirl the cup around. The door opened sounding a jiggle of bells. Y/N was too focused on her coffee to turn her attention to the person. She grabbed a straw from the holder and stuck it in the cup, taking a few sips as he prepared her treats and rang her up.
"Morning, you're early," Mitabi stated to the person behind her. She assumed the person was a regular. "That is 7.38 Euro." He smirked at her as she enjoyed her drink. He handed her the small carry bag of pastries and she put it straight in her bag. Y/N had an unusual feeling in her stomach. Like someone was staring at her. But she chalked it up to being nervous with a new currency.
She walked to the door smiling to herself with her new treats and for making a new friend. That feeling though, didn't go away. She turned back, meeting eyes with the stranger who wore sunglasses and a tan trenchcoat. She looked like she had just left her house and threw on a trenchcoat and sunglasses. Her strawberry-blonde hair was tied back in a bun. Y/N walked out after they met eyes and chalked it up to an awkward encounter with a stranger.
She opened the bag to see three fresh Madeleine along with her order.
❀
Levi hung up when he saw Y/N approaching the car. Hange sat in the back seat talking to Sasha on FaceTime while Levi was on the phone with Y/N directing her to where they were. Right in front of the building.
Y/N watched as students eyed the car. She was walking with one of her new female friends. They slowly finished up their conversation and stopped when Levi got out of the car to take her stuff for her. Her friend, Rico had a confused look as he approached them. "Who the fuck..." she muttered as Y/N greeted him and handed her two extra bags to him and kept her handbag.
"Rico, I'll see you tomorrow," Y/N smiled. They had the same classes so they became closer and closer during the day. "You have my number, right?"
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." A playful smirk grew across her face when she realized that Y/N was going into the black Dodge Challenger. She lightly punched Y/N's arm before walking to the bike stand.
Y/N walked over to Levi once she found that he was putting her bags of books and other random shit that she couldn't fit in her handbag, into the trunk. "Hello, Sir." She said extending her arms around his neck and hugging him.
He hugged back only with one arm, using the other to close the trunk. "How was day three?" he asked before they separated from their hug. "I brought you some food my mom dropped off. She doesn't know about you yet, but I thought you would like it."
They walked opposite ways and talked to each other from across the car. "Oh my god, you know the way to my heart." She almost squealed. Her pride stopped her just in time. "And It was good, I got some more BLS training and some lectures. I had no time for lunch today, it's like you read my mind."
They both got in the car and Y/N immediately spotted Hange in the back seat. "Hange, Hi!" she cheered and bent over the centre console cover for a hug.
"Hi Y/N!" Hange smiled brightly. "Sasha's on the phone, look!" She showed Sasha who immediately smiled at the sight of Y/N and put up the peace sign. Sasha greeted her and she did the same. Y/N turned and sat in the passenger seat properly after getting tapped on the backside by Levi.
"Sit properly, you brat." He nagged. "We have places to be."
Y/N looked at him and smiled. "You're right, I forgot." We started the car and they were on their way.
The whole way there was just Levi and Y/N in conversation. Hange had predictably fallen asleep two minutes after hanging up with Sasha. She'd been up for a few days without proper sleep because of her research. Even while away she worked hard.
Once they got there, Hange woke up like nothing even happened. Hange yawned and hesitated to itch her eyes because of mascara but eventually gave in.
"And yeah," Y/N ended. "That's how they thought I was fucking one of their business partners because he wanted to help me leave."
Levi crossed his arms, "Your parents have gotten worse, huh?" He knew her parents were ridiculous. He met them unintentionally and they stuck to Y/N like glue. He waved at Y/N and her parents immediately started to interrogate her. This was when they were only friends too. She looked like a prisoner. "Did they say anything to the man?" he was genuinely interested.
"No, they thought I seduced him so it was my fault," She laughed. "Poor guy was already in his late 60s, I bet the situation gave him whiplash." Y/N started to chuckle at the disbelief of it and Levi shook his head.
"What the heck?!" Hange scoffed, She only heard the ending of the story so she was in pure shock. "What are we talking about?"
"Oh rise and shine!" Y/N waved her hands, "I'll tell you later, It's a long story. You ready to go?"
"Of course, we need to see Miche in like..." Hange trailed off and stared at her watch. "10 minutes... Okay guys, let's go." Hange said, adjusting her eyes to the bright afternoon sun as Y/N opened the door. She got out and then pulled forward the seat so Hange could climb out. Once the door was shut they could see their reflection in the tinted windows. they both started fixing up.
Levi's voice rang out sharply, demanding Y/N and Hange's attention. "Y/N, Hange!" he practically barked, his impatience palpable. "Hurry up, shitheads." He didn't even bother to look back as he began to walk away, leaving the two to catch up on their own. Hange, quick to respond, started to speedwalk to keep up with the captain's pace. Meanwhile, Y/N casually took out a tube of lipgloss from her pocket and applied it to her reflection, seemingly unfazed by Levi's urgency.
Once she was done, both Hange and Levi were already reaching the door. She scurried off to them.
All of a sudden someone who had walked out the door was on their way into the car park. She didn't even process the face when they bumped into Y/N's shoulder almost prompting her to drop her bag. "I-" She hitched, It was a tall person although she couldn't recognise them from the hat on their head. She didn't expect to recognise anyone at all other than her friends and maybe some recognisable actors and models, but she thought the bump was personal from the strength and passion.
Levi and Hange didn't seem to see, so Y/N quickly let it go and followed them inside. She linked arms with Hange and she started to summarise her story while they walked to the elevator, after they'd go find Miche. Miche had heard from Y/N but hadn't seen him in person since when he watched her cry at the brunch table.
She was also excited to see Annie, Sasha and Mikasa. Mikasa and Sasha had been on the phone with Y/N but Y/N hadn't heard from Annie at all. She wanted the story of why she and Armin of all people had started to date. Armin was a gentleman, but he and Annie were a bizarre duo.
"So what exactly are we doing here?" She asked Hange. Neither of the scientists were involved in entertainment. "Will I get an acting gig?"
"No, Levi and the others actually do a script reading then get some dessert after." She shrugged. "We go much earlier though with Annie, Miche and Pieck."
"If you want an acting gig, I could make that work." Levi offered. He walked next to them as they found themselves in the naturally lit elevator. The elevators had a glass wall showing the whole common area. They went up to the fifth floor.
"No, It's fine I think you've done a ton for me." She scoffed.
"Good. I was being sarcastic." He deadpaned.
"Fuck you." She retaliated. "Do they know that I'm here?" Y/N asked, remembering Pieck was basically ghosting her and she'd be there eating desserts with her.
"Miche knows, and so does Annie, not sure about Pieck though," Hange informed. "Why?"
"Oh no reason, just don't want to intrude." She said. "I do keep popping up everywhere. It must be slightly annoying."
Levi and Y/N exchanged eye contact knowing the random animosity between her and Pieck. As soon as they got to the fifth floor Levi walked out and they stayed. "Bye, Levi!" Hange exclaimed. This annoyed him so much. All she did was cause disturbance in his eyes. As the elevator doors closed again she immediately turned to Y/N. "Okay now tell me in precise detail."
"I- about the man?" Y/N was momentarily confused, but Hange nodded and encouraged her to tell the story a third time.
"It was a summary right?" she guessed completely correct. "We have time if we're going to walk all the way to the cafe."
Y/N smirked. "So it started with this man who worked with my dad..."
❀
"That's so sweet of him, I'll cry." Hange sighed.
"Oh, I cried for weeks," Y/N confessed. "I haven't seen him around since but he's still their business partner I think."
Hange and Levi were the only people who knew about her parents. Everyone else just knew surface level. Explains why the table was awkward when she trauma-dumped at the table after seeing her old life. She was going to apologize because she assumed that's why Pieck must've been ignoring her.
"Hey," she called for Y/N's attention as she was zoned out. They were still holding hands. "Are you free this Saturday?"
"Yeah, why?"
"We're going to Connie's pool party. Connie is probably going to call and invite you tonight." She buzzed. "But, I wanted to invite you now! And you'd even get to meet Sasha's not-so-mysterious boyfriend Niccolo."
Y/N had a nervous chuckle. "That's fine, Hange," she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'll wait for Connie to invite me. I don't want to be somewhere I'm not wanted. I wanna ease my way back. I feel like I've disappointed many when I left and now I just pop back up."
"Hm," Hange considered it. "I understand, but don't let the past affect your fun!" She cheered. "I think you need to take your mind off of it."
They walked into the cafe which everyone took their breaks at. "Wow, this is a cute lunch café."
Y/N hadn't seen anything as nice.
Hange led her straight to where Miche, Annie and Pieck sat. Hange beamed at them with her perfect smile and Y/N just waved.
They sat and Pieck immediately commented slyly on Y/N's presence. "Hi Y/N," She grinned. "I didn't know you got so close with Hange."
"Of course, we're old friends are we not?" Y/N seemed nerved by her. She greeted Annie and Miche too. Pieck was trying to steal her attention and that wasn't going to happen.
"Right." Pieck averted her gaze. "Petra is coming soon. She said we should order her coffee."
Annie's face scrunched up in annoyance. "Why exactly is she coming?" she asked. "You know Levi's coming down to us in like 40 minutes along with more people who she doesn't like."
"Hange can bring a friend," She directed that towards Y/N. "Why can't I?"
"Do we have a problem?" Y/N asked. She had no reason to be mad at her unless it was for taking all the unwanted attention at her pregnancy announcement.
"Ladies, let's cool down the conversation." Miche twirled his beard hair between his index and thumb. "What is everyone having to drink? I'll go get it." He offered.
Everyone gave him what he needed and he was off. He didn't want to be involved.
"So Annie, you and Armin?" Y/N asked. "I would never guess."
Pieck muttered, "Old news..." and scoffed. It took Y/N's physical strength not to get up and smack her.
"Oh yeah," Annie started. She slightly smirked at the thought of Armin which was adorable. "I asked him out. I trust him to listen to me and I also listen to him. Talking to him, I felt like he had seen into my soul. I'm kind of drawn to him."
Hange laughed, "You and Armin are so shameless. But it's cute, you guys are meant for each other."
Suddenly Pieck got up and let out a loud squeal.
"Pieck!" Another squeal could be heard in response. Y/N didn't even want to turn around. She knew exactly who it was.