Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Since entering adulthood, Elizabeth’s greatest arch-nemesis had been Mondays. She hated all that motivational talk about “loving what you do.” Liz could barely tolerate the tasks she had to perform as a designer at a tech company. She loved the paycheck, sure. The company perks? Absolutely. But those weren’t the reasons she got dressed every morning and dragged herself to the office. Oh no. What really kept her going from Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, was the gossip.

And today was particularly intriguing — despite it being 8:15 on a Monday morning (a Monday on which she arrived 15 minutes late because her sneaky cat decided to escape right as she was closing the door, leading her on a chase down the apartment hallway like a complete fool) (her manager hadn’t called her out for it) (yet). After dropping her bag at her desk and greeting a few coworkers, she headed to the break room for her morning coffee.

“... and did you see his eyes? So gorgeous!” Hitch, a designer like Liz, was gushing.

“He’s kind of short, though,” Mikasa, also a designer, murmured.

“Oh, sorry Mikasa, not everyone is blessed with your precious Eren’s freakishly long limbs!”

“Hitch! Keep it down! Nobody’s supposed to know about me and Eren!” Mikasa hissed — loud enough to be a whisper-scream, making Liz laugh as she walked over.

“Sorry, my dear friend, but I think everyone knows about you and Eren,” Liz said, laughing as she pressed the coffee machine button. “But who are you talking about?” she asked, sounding so chipper you'd never guess she was in a foul mood just three minutes ago. “I desperately need some good gossip to survive this week.”

“Oh, then you’re going to love this,” Hitch said in a conspiratorial tone. “Levi Ackerman, the company’s new specialist! Apparently, he was handpicked by Erwin himself and even got his own office!”

“Wow! Handpicked by the CEO and gets his own office? What is he, Erwin’s new golden boy?” Liz played along, clearly amused.

“Exactly, girl. And he’s hot,” Hitch added, just as excited.

“When you say hot, are we talking slightly above average for office standards, or actual hot?” Liz asked, needing to clarify. Times were tough for dreamers in that office, and any idiot could seem like a catch by comparison.

“Totally actual hot. Like, I’d make a move at a party level of hot,” Hitch said confidently, prompting Liz to raise an impressed eyebrow.

“He’s a 7 at best,” Mikasa muttered.

“Ugh, Mikasa, why don’t you like him, huh?” Hitch asked, already annoyed.

“Eren said he once interviewed with him at his old company and that the guy was a total sadistic jerk the whole time — practically beat him up!” Mikasa said defensively.

“Well, that explains the grudge,” Liz chuckled.

“Anyway, Liz,” Hitch said, brushing off the complaints, “Levi Ackerman. Hot, rich, important. I think the announcement Erwin’s making later today has something to do with him.” She headed back to her desk. The other two followed.

“What announcement?” Liz asked, confused.

“Oh, honey. You haven’t even opened your laptop yet, have you?” Mikasa laughed.

“I’m doing it now,” Liz said as she typed in her password. “Oh shit! I’m 20 minutes late for a meeting. With Erwin.” And she bolted.

If first impressions mattered, Liz was in serious trouble.

Sitting across from her was a man who looked like he’d walked straight out of a luxury cologne ad — crisp white dress shirt, navy blazer, tailored slacks, and perfectly styled raven-black hair in a sharp undercut. He was looking at her as if her existence mildly offended him.

She had followed the (questionable) advice from some lifestyle magazine and chosen an outfit with a bit of “personality” — a burgundy midi skirt with small white flowers, a simple ¾ sleeve black blouse, and modest 3 cm heels. It wasn’t her most formal look, but she was a designer, for crying out loud! She had some poetic license. Still, the man in front of her looked like he had a personal grudge against her.

(Maybe it was the whole 20-minutes-late thing. But who could really say?)

“Well, Liz. You did warn us during your hiring interview that punctuality wasn’t your strong suit. I’ll give you a pass since I scheduled this meeting last minute and it is Monday,” Erwin said, his usual cheerful tone breaking the ice.

Liz gave a sheepish smile. “Thanks, Erwin.” She sipped her coffee — and immediately burned her mouth trying to play it cool.

The three of them sat in a small glass-walled meeting room, around a round table with four chairs. Each had taken one, with the empty seat left between Liz and — she assumed — Levi Ackerman.

Levi knew he wasn’t exactly the easiest person to deal with, but if there was one thing he had no patience for, it was lateness. So he didn’t even bother hiding his displeasure.

“This is our new colleague, Levi Ackerman,” Erwin said, gesturing to him. “He’s coming from a big tech company and will be helping us with a new initiative. And this,” he added, pointing to Liz — prompting Levi to look at her with the warmth of a malfunctioning printer — “is Elizabeth Bennet, the one I told you about. She’ll be your partner on this pilot project, and I think you two will work really well together.”

“Welcome!” Liz offered with her brightest smile — and barely got a glance in return.

“So, what exactly is this pilot project, Erwin?” Levi asked, cutting straight to the point.

Liz tried not to be fazed by her new colleague’s (asshole-ish) shy demeanor.

“Well, Liz, Levi’s already been briefed on the general idea, but I wanted to bring you up to speed before we dive into the details,” Erwin explained. “Basically, I’m building a pre-sales team focused on strategic projects, made up of specialists from different areas. You’ll be the designer — helping identify client pain points and supporting Levi, who’s a tech architect, in shaping the solution by combining both your skill sets. You’ll also be joined by Hange, as our data scientist, and Armin, as the developer.”

That was a lot for Liz to take in at once. But a few keywords jumped out — especially the part where she and Levi would be working as partners. On the bright side, she liked Hange and Armin a lot, which made things more exciting. But… a pre-sales team?

“What exactly makes our team different from a regular pre-sales team?” Liz asked, eyes closed, trying to visualize the strategy.

“Well… you and Levi,” Erwin answered instantly, making her open her eyes. “You, with your design mindset, will bring a special touch to our proposals by focusing on what the client actually wants. And Levi, with his technical expertise, will build the best solution possible. Alone, you’re both great — but together, I think you’ll be the deciding factor in our most important proposals. You’re great with people, Liz. Levi’s great with tech. It’s the best of both worlds.”

“I still don’t understand the need for a designer on the team,” Levi said, sighing.

And with that, he officially stomped out whatever goodwill Liz had left in her body. Did he really just disrespect me to my face like that? Elizabeth Bennet was a lot of things — and prideful was definitely one of them.

Before she could jump in to defend her honor, Erwin beat her to it with a sigh. “Levi, weren’t your last few proposals rejected for being, quote, ‘excellent but out of scope’?” He even did the air quotes. Then he pointed to the woman beside him. “Liz will help you think about your users — which, let’s face it, is not your strength.”

Liz didn’t even try to hide the massive grin spreading across her face. Take that, jerk.

Levi rolled his eyes. “Fucking fine. When do we start?”

“Well, you’ll need some time to settle in, but next week the sales team is already planning to bring you both into some meetings.”

Taking that as her cue to leave, Liz stood up. “Thanks for trusting me, Erwin. I won’t let you down.”

“As long as it doesn’t involve punctuality, apparently,” Levi muttered sourly.

“Well, I may not be very punctual,” Liz shot back, “but I am honest. So I won’t even pretend I’m excited to work with you. But I will be respectful — unlike you.” She turned to leave, but not before catching the smug, amused smile Erwin threw in Levi’s direction.

“Oh my God, he’s the worst!” Hitch said as they drank at the bar around the corner from the office — precisely at 5:15 PM.

“The fucking worst. Totally arrogant, asshole, son of a bitch,” Liz grumbled, taking a long sip of her beer. Ah, bliss. Then she made a face. “Though, to be fair, I don’t know his mother — poor woman — but he is a major jerk.”

“Told you!” Mikasa huffed, sipping her Diet Coke.

“That stupid little office of his is way too small for the size of his massive ego,” Liz went on, still bitter. She’d spent the whole day muttering under her breath, and poor Moblit had had to read all her complaints over company chat. “The fucking audacity!”

“Yeah. Hot and an asshole. What a waste,” Hitch muttered. Then she turned to Liz, slightly more upbeat. “Do you at least know who you’re gonna work with from the sales team?”

“No clue. I don’t know anyone on that team, so even if Erwin gave me a name, I wouldn’t know who it was.”

“There’s this really cute guy on the sales team — Zeke Yeager,” Hitch offered.

“Eren’s half-brother?” Mikasa asked, incredulous.

“Oh, come on. He’s a cute little nerd,” Hitch defended herself.

“His dad’s an investor in the company, right?” Liz asked, recognizing the last name. “I think I remember Hange saying he only got the job because of his dad.”

“That’s him. Our favorite nepo baby,” Hitch said with a mischievous grin. “Second favorite, actually — Eren still holds the top spot in our hearts. But rumor has it Zeke’s a nice guy too.”

“Do he and Eren get along?” Liz asked Mikasa.

“I don’t really know. They didn’t grow up together. I think they’ve only started seeing more of each other since working here, so I don’t think they know each other that well,” Mikasa shrugged.

“Well, I hope he’s more tolerable than Levi,” Liz sighed, resting her chin on her hand.

“Not a hard bar to clear,” Mikasa chuckled — and they kept drinking like it wasn’t Monday.

Liz hated herself on Tuesday, when she arrived at exactly 8:22 AM with a raging hangover. Mikasa was all smiles — she’d stuck to Coke the whole night — but Hitch looked just as miserable as Liz.

While making coffee in the break room, Liz noticed a new electric kettle. Cool. Sometimes she was in the mood for tea; maybe she’d switch it up. That thought, however, died the second she saw the probable owner of said kettle approaching.

“Elizabeth,” he greeted her, making his villain origin story painfully obvious by refusing to use her nickname.

“Levi,” Liz replied with equal (lack of) enthusiasm, walking right back out of the break room to her desk. “Arrogant prick,” she muttered under her breath as she sat down.

It was going to be a long (life) week working with that man.

By Thursday, after a lot of back-and-forth and rescheduling, Liz had finally managed to set up a lunch with her main confidant — and best friend — data scientist Moblit.

The little bistro where they met had been their favorite ever since they’d joined Scouts Enterprise. Tucked away in a narrow alley between an old laundromat and a charming flower shop, it was a hidden gem. The alley was paved with cobblestones — barely wide enough for a motorbike — and led straight to the restaurant. The place had exposed brick walls, wooden tables painted white and always a bit scuffed, red-and-white checkered tablecloths, and a waiter who knew them by name and always offered dessert “on the house.” Quiet enough for intimate conversations, and busy enough that no one paid attention to anyone else.

Moblit himself looked like a wreck. “I can’t sleep, Liz. She’s completely insane. She’s driving me mad. Her project ideas are absolutely bonkers! And the deadlines?! Impossible.” He groaned, dropping his forehead to the table with theatrical despair.

“My poor Moblit. But isn’t that chaotic energy exactly Hange’s charm?” Liz tried to console him — and was surprised to see his ears turn slightly red.

“Maybe,” he admitted.

“Moblit Berner, do you have a crush on Hange?” Liz asked, incredulous, loving every second of it.

“What?! No, of course not. She’s just driving me crazy,” he protested, flustered and blushing — and not convincing at all.

“That’s how the best love stories start,” she teased with a smug smile, grabbing a piece of artisan bread from the basket in the center of the table.

Right then, their food arrived — steam rising from the white ceramic plates. Pasta with steak for Liz, and a vegetable and seafood risotto for Moblit. She immediately regretted her order.

“I always pick the wrong dish,” she muttered as she twirled her fettuccine around her fork. “Yours smells amazing.”

“Last time, you ordered the risotto and regretted it too. You’re just indecisive,” Moblit shot back.

As Liz continued to whine about her lack of culinary intuition, the door to the bistro opened, letting in a gust of fresh air and the sound of footsteps on cobblestones.

“Oh no,” Liz muttered, recognizing the unmistakably lively silhouette of Hange entering the restaurant — with none other than Levi by her side. She shot Moblit a narrow-eyed glare. “You showed our bistro to Hange?” she hissed, as if he’d personally betrayed her.

Moblit gave her a guilty look. “Sorry, Liz.”

Before Liz could respond, Hange had already spotted them. “Moblit! Liz!” she called out, making her way across the room with such enthusiasm that the waiter pressed himself against the wall to avoid getting run over. “What a wonderful coincidence! Can we join you?”

“Of course!” Moblit replied before Liz could even open her mouth.

Levi followed with his usual unreadable expression, hands in his pockets, glancing at the table with mild disinterest.

“Hey,” he said, barely audible, with a nod so slight it could’ve been a twitch.

“Hi,” Liz replied with a smile that was just polite enough to pass for genuine.

They dragged over two chairs and joined them. The waiter — already a familiar face to the group — appeared to take their orders.

“I’ll have the usual lasagna,” Hange said brightly.

“Vegetable and seafood risotto, please,” Levi added.

Liz raised an eyebrow and looked at her own plate. “Of course you would,” she muttered under her breath, biting into her fettuccine with quiet resignation.

With the orders placed, the conversation flowed again. Hange was gesturing like she was recounting a diplomatic mission.

“... and I’m super excited to work as a pre-sales consultant. I’ll finally get to show what I can do! It’s going to be great working with Levi in the real world. Outside of college and all.”

“Four-eyes getting excited is dangerous,” Levi commented, sipping his water.

Liz let out a small laugh, glancing at Hange. “I can only imagine what it was like dealing with him in college.”

“He was worse,” Hange said proudly. “I basically adopted him. I felt sorry for his total lack of social skills.”

Moblit laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard, and Liz couldn’t help thinking that even if Hange had burped, he’d react the same way. “Seriously? How’d you two meet?” he asked.

“Oh, first semester. Levi was that guy who sat alone and solved exercises before class even started. One day I sat next to him and just started talking. He didn’t run away, so I took that as a sign.”

“And then she never shut up again,” Levi added dryly.

The waiter returned with their dishes just in time to fill the brief awkward silence. Hange was already launching into a wild idea for an interactive visual presentation, and Moblit was listening with stars in his eyes. Liz, meanwhile, was quietly cutting her steak and shooting subtle glances at Levi’s risotto.

Of course his dish looked better. That man was irritating even in that.

“I was wondering if we could meet later to talk about the project,” Levi’s voice caught her off guard. Hange and Moblit were still chattering on about something else.

“Sure. That works.” Better to just rip off the band-aid and see what it was like to work with him.

Levi’s office was exactly what Liz had expected — painfully functional. The walls were white, with no motivational posters or generic corporate prints. Just a low shelf with a few technical books, a plant bravely clinging to life in a black pot, and his desk — impeccably organized.

No stray papers, no post-its stuck to the side of the laptop. Everything looked meticulously placed — even the charger cables were neatly coiled and held with a clip.

The space was clean and… surprisingly pleasant-smelling. Liz noticed it the moment she stepped in: a faint scent of soap and mint hung in the air. Not strong enough to be cologne, but definitely nice. She suspected it came from Levi himself. Of course the bastard smelled good too.

There was only one personal item in the room, and it was what caught her attention: a small picture frame next to his monitor. The photo showed a young woman with a modest look, holding a skinny child with a face far too serious for their age. The resemblance to Levi was undeniable.

Liz didn’t say anything. She just sat down in the chair across from his desk, balancing her coffee cup in her hand. “So… have you settled into the company yet?”

“It’s fine. Listen,” Levi cut straight to the point. “I know we didn’t get off to a great start. I hope I didn’t actually offend you.”

Liz blinked, confused.

“The truth is, I still don’t see the point of adding design to the pre-sales process. It feels unnecessary and just more work,” he continued, not hesitating in the slightest, leaving Liz absolutely stunned. “But Erwin trusts you, and I trust Erwin, so for now we’ll go with it. I just don’t want you getting carried away, okay?”

Liz let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Wow.”

Levi looked at her, puzzled.

“You don’t even realize it, do you? Fine. It is what it is,” she sighed, running a hand over her face. “Okay, Levi. I promise not to ‘get carried away.’ Just do me one favor — be professional during meetings, and if you have a problem with my approach, talk to me after we’re out of the client’s sight, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Great. I’ll see you Monday when we meet with the sales team,” Liz said, getting up — too stunned to even be mad, like she was just entering the acceptance phase of a slow-moving disaster.

“See you,” Levi replied flatly, still not quite understanding why she seemed so annoyed.

Chapter Text

In Liz’s mind, it was completely plausible to love her mother deeply and still groan in pain every time her name popped up on the screen.

Yes, Liz loved her mom. Very much. But it was... complicated. Mrs. Ester Bennet was undoubtedly a sweetheart. A darling. Spirited. But at the same time…

“Liz, don’t tell me you’re still in bed?” her mother nearly shouted on the other end of the phone. Dear God, it wasn’t even 7:00 AM. “That’s why you’re always late, dear. Those five extra minutes you try to steal in bed are the same calories you pile up by putting sugar in your coffee. It might seem small day to day, but by the end of the month, everyone notices.”

Liz sighed. “Hi, Mom. Good morning.”

The truth was, Liz had learned very early on that parents always have favorites. And in her mother’s ranking of the most important people in her life, Liz probably sat around twentieth place — right after the neighbor’s dog and the mailman. Not that her mom didn’t love her. Liz knew she did. But she also knew her mother just didn’t really like her all that much.

Liz had always been… different. Her mother had been a cheerleader and voted the prettiest girl in school every single year of high school. Liz had taken every single art elective possible and only had her first (not great) boyfriend during her sophomore year of college. (His name was Philip and he was a pothead with no brain cells, and Liz realized years later that his only redeeming quality had been that he was tall. Just that. He was attractively tall.)

On top of that, her mom had gotten pregnant in college (with Liz) and had to drop out of business school. And Liz’s total lack of interest in the corporate world did not go unnoticed by her.

Even so, Liz caved. When choosing her degree, she went for Design instead of Fine Arts, which was what she really wanted. And even within Design, she opted for something corporate-friendly rather than editorial work (which was what she truly loved).

Liz’s life was a long list of concessions to please her mother — and yet, they never seemed to be enough.

“Have you talked to your brother?” Mrs. Ester went straight to the point. Of course this was about Tim. It always was. On her mother’s list, Tim was undoubtedly in first place.

“No, Mom.”

“Well, he broke his foot,” she said in a tone that sounded more like an accusation. By then, Liz had already sat up in bed and was lazily rubbing her eyes.

“Right,” she murmured, petting her shameless cat, Bella. Her mother hated cats. She hated anything she couldn’t control.

“Right? Who do you think he learned this kind of thing from?” her mom went on.

“From me, of course. I taught Tim how to break his foot and clone credit cards.” Liz wasn’t even surprised anymore by her mother’s accusatory tone.

“I’m being serious, Elizabeth. Ever since he started college he drinks every weekend and has no idea where he ends up. He must have picked it up from you. He always looked up to you, and you didn’t always try to be a good example.”

“Terrible. Well, I have to go. Need to get ready for work.” Her first attempt to end the call.

Liz got up and started picking out her outfit. Casual Friday in the fall, so she was thinking jeans and a white wool turtleneck. Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed her hair was a bit messy, though clean. Sleeping with it wet the night before hadn’t been the best idea — she’d have to tie it up in a ponytail.

“Sweetheart, listen. I know you’ve been busy with work. Are you staying focused? It’s about time for a promotion,” her mother continued.

Liz glanced at the illustrations pinned to her wall. She hadn’t touched her sketchbook in months — which only proved how much she’d been dedicated to her job. She sighed. “It’s going okay, Mom. I really need to go.” Second attempt.

“Great! I know you’re not a big fan of the corporate environment, but it’ll be good for you. You should really think about getting a bigger apartment.”

I live alone. Why would I need a bigger apartment? Liz thought. But she knew better than to try using logic with her mother. “You’re right. We’ll talk soon.” Third attempt.

“By the way, when are you going to find a boyfriend? Your cousin’s about to have her second kid and you can’t even land a second date.”

This time, Liz had to physically restrain herself from groaning into the phone — that had never ended well. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed.

“I’m working on it. It’s not like I want to die alone, Mom,” she replied bitterly.

“Alright, then. Call your brother. Kisses.”

“Tell Dad I said hi,” she tried — but her mother had already hung up.

Liz sighed once more, feeling completely drained, and it wasn’t even 7:15 yet. Mrs. Ester had an extraordinary talent for delivering maximum emotional damage in minimum time.

Still, she decided to text her brother.

Liz (7:16): Broke your foot, dumbass?
Tim (7:17): Mind your business, idiot.
Tim (7:17): Miss you.

Liz smiled to herself. In her own personal ranking, Tim held a solid third place — right behind her dad and her cat, Bella.

Despite Tim’s message, Liz spent her Friday in an unbearable mood, all thanks to that morning call from her mother. To make matters worse, Bella escaped again just as Liz was leaving the apartment, running down the hallway like it was a game. That cost her five unexpected minutes — and for someone who prided herself on arriving exactly on time and not a minute earlier, five minutes was dangerous territory.

On top of that, Fridays were newsletter days — something Liz actually enjoyed, since it let her write and draw and tap into her artistic side in a way that felt less corporate. But it also made her Fridays more hectic. So she had to be extra mindful of her time.

On the way to work, she got distracted by a song on the radio and was almost certain she’d gotten a ticket for running a yellow light.

In the elevator, she started checking emails on her phone (she’d learned the hard way not to leave that for the last minute), and there it was — a short, blunt message from her new colleague.

From: Levi Ackerman
To: Elizabeth Bennet
Subject: Error

Elizabeth,
Here’s the presentation. You missed the final steps. Fix it.
— L

A gift with words, she thought sarcastically, and simply added the task to her mental to-do list.

That was one of the things Levi did that drove her absolutely insane. He communicated. Everything. By. Email. He refused to send messages to her phone (fair, she guessed) or use the company chat like a normal human being. No. And Liz, who was not the most organized person in the world, had to keep track of every separate email he sent — most of which were under thirty characters long.

She greeted a few coworkers as she dropped her bag at her desk and made a beeline for the break room. Maybe coffee would help improve her mood. And just to spite her mother’s comment, she added double the sugar.

As if the day couldn’t get worse, when she opened Instagram while waiting for the coffee machine, she saw her cousin had posted yet another ultrasound photo. It was official — Lydia was having her second baby, even though they were the exact same age. (And unfortunately, yes — the part about her not even getting a second date was still painfully true.) Of course Liz was happy for her cousin. She was. But it meant two things: a baby shower with relatives who asked way too many invasive questions (horrible), and her mother pressuring her even more to find a boyfriend (unbearable).

The only good thing about her morning so far — aside from her brother’s (not exactly typical but still sweet) message — was that Liz felt pretty. She loved her sweater, and even though her hair hadn’t cooperated when she woke up, she’d managed to pull it into a high ponytail that actually looked good.

Small victories.

Distracted and grumpy from the disastrous chain of events, Liz left the break room holding a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. She was mentally drafting a message to her cousin — something between “congrats” and “screw you” — when she slammed into something that felt like it was made of concrete.

The impact was instant. The cup flew out of her hand, most of the coffee launching straight into the center of her white turtleneck sweater, and her phone crashed to the floor.

“Watch where you’re going,” a low, impatient voice grumbled.

Liz blinked. It was Levi Ackerman.

He was shaking off his hand — which had barely been touched by a single drop — and still looked more annoyed by that than by the now-scalded colleague in front of him.

She froze for about three seconds — maybe four — and then shock gave way to spontaneous combustion.

“Asshole!” burst out of her mouth before she could stop it.

But Levi was already walking away. He didn’t apologize. Didn’t even pause. He just kept walking with that firm, irritatingly silent stride, straight into his office, shutting the door behind him with a sharp thunk.

Liz looked down at the mess: her white sweater now sported a massive brown stain across the chest. The smell of coffee mixed with the scent of humiliation.

“Fucking asshole” she muttered aloud, loud enough to make sure no soul in that office could possibly miss her disgust.

“Seems like Ackerman’s still as charming as ever,” came a voice to her side.

She turned and saw a tall man with neatly trimmed blond hair, glasses (Liz loved a man in glasses), a good beard, and — well — very handsome features. He had a smile that practically melted away her bad mood on sight.

“You saw that?” was all she managed to say, suddenly very aware of 1) yelling a curse word in the middle of the office, which was not very mature-and-sexy-career-woman of her, and 2) being completely covered in coffee in front of a very attractive, very charming man.

“I’m Zeke, by the way. Nice to meet you.” He smiled, nodding.

“Elizabeth. But you can call me Liz.”

“I know who you are.” He smiled like he was in on a secret, and Liz found herself smiling back. “Can I make you another coffee?” Zeke added.

“Sure.” Liz gave him her best smile. You can make me whatever you want, she thought silently.

The break room was almost empty at that hour in the afternoon, filled only with the lingering scent of strong coffee and old microwave. Liz was dumping way too much sugar into her second cup of the day when Hitch appeared, her usual energy intact and a mischievous grin on her lips.

“Good morning, superstar,” she sang. “Now tell me... how was the chat with the new sales guy? Tall, blond, sexy and... Zeke, right?”

Liz let out a chuckle. “Apparently, he witnessed my entire morning show — including the moment I got assaulted with scalding coffee and cursed out loud in the middle of the office.”

Mikasa raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. Levi.”

“Of course it was Levi,” Hitch answered before Liz could. “It’s always Levi. That man should come with a biohazard warning: dangerous to people’s moods.”

“He’s a jerk,” Liz confirmed, blowing on her coffee before taking a sip. “And he managed to ruin my favorite sweater with coffee. Didn’t even bother to apologize. Just walked off like I was some bug in his way.”

“Classic,” Mikasa said, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. “Grumpy, short, and acts like a genius. Must be hell working with him.”

“Bit early in the day for that much hate,” Hitch commented — though she didn’t exactly seem to disagree. “But yeah. Total waste of good looks on bad attitude.”

“Anyway, Zeke,” Liz returned to the subject, and a small smile slipped through. “He was the complete opposite. Super polite, friendly, charming. Offered me another coffee. Gorgeous. And wears glasses.”

“You love men in glasses,” Hitch pointed out, laughing.

“I do. And he knew who I was. Said he reads my newsletter and was looking forward to this week’s edition.”

“Wow, someone’s got a fan,” Hitch teased in a tone that made it clear she fully endorsed an office break room romance.

Liz took a sip of her coffee, feigning indifference, but it was hard not to compare him with Levi. The way Zeke seemed genuinely interested, how attentively he spoke, how easily he smiled. Part of her suspected that even if she’d interacted with a door, it still would’ve come off better than that grumpy little bastard (never mind the fact that he was, technically, taller than her).

“The truth is, I had a really nice conversation with Zeke,” she admitted. “Almost made me forget the day started as a total disaster. He’s got... charisma.”

“Charisma and pretty eyes,” Hitch corrected.

“Pretty eyes and manners,” Liz replied, smiling. “The full package.”

Mikasa just shook her head. “Don’t get your hopes up. A charming salesman is like a politician during election season.”

“I had a rough morning, babe. Let me believe in the illusion,” Liz said with a smirk.

The three of them laughed, and Liz felt her mood lift, even though she knew that damn newsletter still wasn’t ready. But she’d figure it out. She always did.

It was 4:16 p.m. when Liz finally finished her newsletter — packed with hand-drawn illustrations she had scanned herself and texts she’d written personally, both about the industry and company updates: news on new clients, the new pre-sales team, and new hires. (She had even added a small illustration of Levi, which she’d made a point of drawing with an absolutely grumpy expression.) She smiled at her work — the little jokes, the insightful writing, and especially the illustrations.

She was proud.

And then, to ruin her mood, she opened her inbox only to find five new emails — all from a very grumpy Mr. Ackerman.

From: Levi Ackerman
To: Elizabeth Bennet
Subject: Error in Topic 2 Title
Elizabeth,
The second title in the newsletter is incorrect. Last week’s client hasn’t closed the deal yet.
Fix it.
— L

From: Levi Ackerman
To: Elizabeth Bennet
Subject: Correction
Ignore the previous email.
The client signed this morning, so the title is technically correct.
— L

From: Levi Ackerman
To: Elizabeth Bennet
Subject: Monday Meeting
The meeting schedule is poorly structured.
You need to rearrange the order of the slides. It makes no sense to start with the leads report. Start with the competitor landscape.
Also, remove that slide on page 6. Repeated info.
— L

From: Levi Ackerman
To: Elizabeth Bennet
Subject: Tuesday Meeting Slides
Slide 3 has the outdated logo.
Slide 5 metrics are in the old format.
Slide 8 — delete it.
We’ll need to redo the whole thing if it’s going to be presented like this.
— L.

From: Levi Ackerman
To: Elizabeth Bennet
Subject: Final Presentation
Hi,
Disregard the last two emails. I redid the presentation from scratch.
When you have time, could you review it? I need to send it to the client by Wednesday.
…And sorry about the earlier messages.
— Levi

She opened the last email, read the apology line, and almost highlighted it with an imaginary marker. It was the first time Levi had ever apologized. She considered printing it and pinning it to her cubicle wall but ultimately decided to just enjoy the moment. He hadn’t said sorry for the morning coffee disaster, but it was a start. Maybe he wasn’t just a jerk. Maybe he was a functional jerk. And Liz could work with that. But he was still a jerk.

She decided to grab one last cup of coffee before reviewing the presentation.

On her way back from the break room, she turned the corner, already mentally reviewing her to-do list before the day ended, when she heard voices coming from the leadership meeting room — the door was slightly ajar.

She was just going to walk past, but stopped when she recognized Erwin’s voice. And above all else, Liz was curious.

“Levi, we’ve already talked about this. That promise still stands.”

“Then why is he here?” Levi’s voice was low, but tense. “You promised I wouldn’t have to work with him.”

“And you won’t. He’s been assigned to a different front, just like we agreed. But I can’t just fire the guy.”

A brief silence followed.

“You know what he did, Erwin.”

“I do. And I also know this is a business. I need you to be professional.”

Another silence.

Liz didn’t hear anything else — and already felt weird for having heard as much as she did. She hurried away before anyone saw her, trying not to make noise with her heels against the tile.

She shook her head, deciding to forget it. She had more important things to worry about — like reviewing the presentation Levi hadn’t yet approved.

The day was finally ending, and Liz couldn’t wait to go home, take a hot shower, throw on an oversized hoodie, and pretend Friday had never happened. She hit the elevator button a little too hard, as if that would make it arrive faster.

The newsletter was done. The world hadn’t ended. No one had been fired (yet). Small victories.

The elevator dinged, and the doors began to close slowly.

That’s when a hand slipped in, stopping them from shutting completely.

Liz frowned and saw a forearm in a dark blazer. The door opened again — revealing Levi Ackerman, wearing the same expression as always: tense, exhausted, borderline bored — but with his gaze cast lower than usual.

He stepped in without a word.

She automatically turned to face the elevator door, like any socially functioning human would in awkward elevator silence. He did the same.

For a moment, the only sounds were the soft hum of the elevator and their breathing.

Then she noticed him glance discreetly at her blouse — the coffee stain still visible, despite a full day of trying to ignore it.

Levi pressed his lips together like something was caught in his throat. He didn’t say anything.

Another floor passed.

The silence stretched, taut as a rubber band about to snap.

And then, just as the doors opened at the ground floor, he spoke — quietly:

“About this morning… it was… bad. I…” He paused briefly, still staring at the floor. “I shouldn’t have… left it like that.”

Liz blinked. She turned slightly to look at him, not sure how to respond. Was that an apology?

“It’s… fine,” she replied, though it came out more like a question.

He nodded — just barely. She stepped out of the elevator. He stayed inside. The doors closed again.

And just like that, one of Liz’s strangest, most stressful Fridays came to an end.

Chapter Text

It was Saturday morning, and Liz was technically cleaning the apartment.

Which meant: she had picked up two socks from the floor, wiped the kitchen counter once, then got distracted for twenty minutes watching her cat chase a piece of string like it was a life-or-death mission. After that, she somehow ended up on Instagram — and had been scrolling through stories ever since. Bella was now sleeping on top of the laundry she was supposed to fold.

She was mid-scroll, judging someone’s engagement photo in a hot air balloon (captioned "he asked, I said about time"), when her phone started ringing.

She groaned even before checking the caller ID. Of course it was her mother.

“Hi, Mom,” she said, trying to sound more awake than she felt.

“Elizabeth, please tell me you haven’t forgotten,” came the overly cheerful voice of Mrs. Ester Bennet. “Tonight is dinner with the Church family. Seven o’clock. Don’t be late.”

Liz’s soul left her body for a full second. “Dinner?”

“Yes, dinner. With the Churches. We’ve had this planned for months, dear. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“I… might’ve forgotten,” Liz admitted, dragging a hand down her face. “Can’t we reschedule? I’m really busy today.”

“Busy doing what, exactly?”

Liz glanced around at the disaster that was her living room. Bella stretched lazily on top of the unfolded laundry pile.

“Spring cleaning,” she said weakly.

“It’s September.”

“In the Southern Hemisphere, technically—”

“Elizabeth.”

Liz winced. “Fine. I’ll go.”

“Wonderful! Wear something nice. Not one of those oversized sweaters you love so much. And maybe a little blush.”

“Sure, Mom. I’ll go full Bridgerton for the occasion.”

“I don’t know what that means, but if it involves a dress and a hairbrush, I approve. See you tonight.”

The line went dead.

Liz tossed her phone onto the couch and looked down at Bella, now licking her paw like none of this was her problem.

“See what happens when I don’t fake my own death in time?”

Bella yawned.

Liz sighed, muttered a defeated “Great,” and got up to start the actual cleaning — and maybe find a dress that said polite disappointment instead of emotional breakdown.

You might be wondering who the Churches are.

They were a lovely couple, longtime friends of Liz’s parents, ever since Robert Church and Liz’s father worked together decades ago. The family, along with other couples and friends, get together a few times a year to catch up. Each year the gatherings grow larger, now that everyone’s children have grown and tend to bring their partners, friends, and so on.

Elizabeth had been dodging those dinners for quite a few years — ever since she moved out of her parents’ house to go to college, to be exact.

Unfortunately, Mary Church was terribly sweet and polite, and happened to run into Liz at the grocery store a few months ago, gently reinforcing the invitation for this year. And Liz simply didn’t have it in her to say no. So now, it was unavoidable.

The Churches were lovely. Besides them, the dinner usually included the Kirstens, the Browns, and of course, the Bennets — and all of their kids. And, according to Liz’s mom, those kids would often bring along some “very interesting friends,” which was code for “potential future boyfriend.”

Of course, Liz’s mom always meant well — but that didn’t mean much. Every guy she had tried to introduce Liz to in recent years had some deal-breaking flaw. The first one, Edward, was 29, nearly bald, and somehow still “afraid of commitment.” No, thank you. Then came Steve, the accountant. He believed that once he got married, his wife should quit her job and give him babies like a rabbit. Three years ago, in a moment of weakness, Liz agreed to a blind date with Jean Kirstein, the son of one of her parents’ friends. He was almost five years younger than Liz and spent the entire dinner talking about a girl he’d been in love with since he was 12 — but who was now dating someone else. At least they became friends.

So when Liz’s mom mentioned introducing her to Furlan Church, Liz didn’t take it seriously. She vaguely remembered Furlan from a few childhood dinners, but he had managed to dodge those gatherings since they were 15, so it had been over ten years since she’d last seen him. And who knows what kind of person he had become.

Given Liz’s luck, the odds weren’t good. So she kept her expectations nice and low.

At least she’d get to see her dad. And that was always something to look forward to.

Mom (12:37): Dress appropriately.

Liz held back an eye roll at the message and kept staring at her wardrobe.

Dinners at the Churchs’ were always a little formal. Jeans and a T-shirt weren’t an option—not unless she wanted to be verbally punished for the rest of the night by her mother.

These dinners were the closest thing those people had to a social event, so they made the most of it. Liz thought it was all a bit silly, but decided to make an effort. Autumn was in full swing, so at least she didn’t need to bundle up too much.

She chose a classic black skirt with white polka dots, falling just below the knee (her mother had complimented that skirt once). The fabric was light and fell nicely over her hips. She paired it with a short-sleeved black knit polo and, to finish, a pair of low kitten heels—elegant, but manageable. For some reason, people always ended up standing at these parties, so comfortable shoes were non-negotiable.

She threw on her usual black coat and smiled at her reflection before heading out. The makeup was simple, but a bit bolder than her everyday look: a sharper eyeliner, a hint of blush, and a red-toned lipstick. She liked her hair just as it was — blow-dried, loose, and slightly curled at the ends.

Standing in front of her destination after stepping out of the cab at 7:16, Liz noticed that the house looked smaller than she remembered — and yet exactly the same.

The deep blue of the walls still contrasted beautifully with the cream-colored details, as if time had moved on only for her and not for this place. The arched windows were still there, lined up like elegant sentries, their ornate frames and wooden shutters just as they’d always been. When she was a kid, she used to think those windows hid entire secret worlds.

The red door stood firm and imposing, with the same two old lanterns flanking it — and Liz had the strange sensation that if she closed her eyes, she’d hear the muffled hum of conversation from inside, the clinking of cutlery, Mary Church’s laughter as she exaggerated some story about her husband.

She brushed her hand along the wrought-iron gate, feeling the familiar cold metal under her fingers. How many times had she walked that same path, wearing uncomfortable dresses picked out by her mother, balancing a dessert plate in her hands? Back then, the garden had seemed like a forest, and the adults like distant, serious versions of themselves.

Now, Liz wore what she wanted — and carried a bottle of wine.

Everything seemed smaller now. The garden, once enormous, was just a small bed of well-tended greenery. The brick path was more worn, but it still led the same way to the front door. The number 1514, high above, sat quietly — like it knew how hard she’d tried to avoid this evening.

Liz took a deep breath, the scent of dry leaves and old memories filling her lungs. It felt good to be back.

With three knocks on the door, Liz waited.

“Lizzie, darling, it’s been so long!” Mary Church greeted her with a warm hug that made Liz close her eyes for a moment, using even her childhood nickname. “Come in, hang your coat, and let’s head to the living room — almost everyone’s already here.”

The first to greet her were Jean’s parents, the Kirsteins. His mother was sweet and cheerful, explaining that Jean wouldn’t be joining them this time because of an art exhibition. Jean had become a fairly respected artist, and his parents could barely contain their pride.

Not long after, Liz spotted Sasha Braus devouring some of the canapés being served. Liz smiled warmly. The two of them had spent many a dinner party under the table playing with dolls over the years.

“Sasha! It’s been ages!” Liz said warmly. Sasha had her mouth full but smiled anyway.

“Liz!! You look amazing!” The words were muffled, but Liz caught them, pulling her old friend into a hug. “This is my fiancé, Niccolo. He’s a chef,” Sasha said, pointing to the tall blond man beside her, who smiled shyly.

“A chef? That sounds like the perfect match,” Liz joked, shaking his hand.

She greeted everyone one by one until she spotted her mother in the kitchen, chatting with a petite and incredibly elegant woman. The woman had thick, shiny black hair, was a little shorter than Liz, and had striking light eyes that looked strangely familiar. Liz had the distinct feeling she knew her from somewhere.

“Elizabeth, darling, you came,” her mother said, cupping Liz’s face in her hands with unusual affection. Her flushed cheeks suggested she’d already had plenty of wine, which explained the sudden burst of motherly warmth. “I’ve been chatting with this lovely woman, Kuchel. She’s been the Churches’ neighbor for years! You simply must meet her son — a very handsome and single young man, isn’t he, dear?” Ester finished, turning to Kuchel, who smiled a bit awkwardly.

“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you.” Liz extended her hand, but the woman pulled her into a hug instead. She smelled wonderful — some sweet, delicate perfume that suited her perfectly.

“The pleasure is mine, dear. Everyone here speaks so highly of you — I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Kuchel said warmly, and Liz immediately felt her face flush.

“Don’t believe everything they say,” she replied, a bit flustered.

Liz’s mother headed to the living room, leaving Kuchel and Liz alone in the kitchen to chat and get to know each other. It was easy to see how Kuchel had become a beloved member of the group — she was kind and effortlessly charming. She taught English at a nearby school and lived alone with her son. The way she spoke about him, so fondly, Liz found herself actually curious to meet him.

They talked about Liz’s illustrations—Kuchel mentioned how much she loved a watercolor painting Liz had made of the Farlan house years ago. Liz admitted she’d always wanted to pursue illustration, but had ended up following a more traditional career path.

Before Liz could say more, a redheaded girl burst in, throwing her arms around Kuchel.

“Isabel, sweetheart, how are you?” Kuchel greeted her. “This is Elizabeth, the Bennets’ daughter.”

“Hi, so nice to meet you! I’m Isabel Magnolia,” the girl said, already pulling Liz into a hug.

Liz laughed and hugged her back. Before she could say anything, Isabel turned to Kuchel. “Is Big Brother here?”

“He is, sweetheart. Farlan managed to drag him over — they’re probably in the backyard with Robert and John.”

“Oh, my dad! I want to see him — it’s been a while,” Liz said, brightening. Since John Bennet was married to Ester Bennet, Liz didn’t see him as often as she’d like, and the thought of it filled her with a sudden, tender nostalgia.

She and Isabel walked to the backyard, chatting about small things. (“Have you known the Churches long?”, “Mary and Kuchel are just the best.”) When they stepped into the cozy little backyard, strings of warm lights lit the space, giving it a magical feel. The two men were tending a grill, and Farlan was seated at a picnic table, looking at his phone.

“Elizabeth! It’s been forever, and you look wonderful!” Robert Church greeted her with a warm hug, then turned to greet Isabel, giving Liz a moment to approach her father.

“Hi, sweetheart! I’ve missed you,” John Bennet said, holding her face and kissing both cheeks affectionately. “You get more beautiful every time I see you.” He said it with such conviction that Liz almost believed it.

She hugged him tightly and took in the familiar scent of cedar and tobacco. Then she pulled back and frowned. “You promised you’d quit smoking, Dad.”

John looked sheepish. “It’s hard with your mother,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper. Liz rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. She knew exactly what he meant. Her father, with his kind, tired eyes, thinning hair, glasses, and soft belly — she loved him with all her heart.

“Where’s Big Brother?” Liz heard Isabel ask Farlan, who had stood up from the picnic table and was now approaching.

“He went to the bathroom,” he said, and then, turning to Liz, smiled. “Hey, Lizzie. Long time.”

“Farlan!” Liz turned with a grin. He’d grown up well, with the same gentle eyes as his mother. They hugged.

Just then, three more people joined them in the backyard: Liz’s mother, Kuchel, and her son.

“Big Bro!” Isabel squealed, rushing to hug him.

“Hey, brat,” came a flat, sharp voice that made Liz’s blood run cold. No way.

Too much happened at once.

“Elizabeth! I’m so glad you and Farlan finally caught up! I bet you’ve been reminiscing already!” Ester Bennet turned to the group, far too cheerful. “I still remember the kiss you two shared. Farlan used to say he was going to marry her — can you believe it?”

Liz barely had time to process the mortifying comment, though Farlan turned bright red while Isabel teased him.

“Levi?! What are you doing here?!” Liz exclaimed, stunned to see her coworker.

“I’m wondering the same thing,” Levi replied, completely unimpressed by the unexpected reunion.

“You two know each other, son?” Kuchel asked.

Son?!

How could this ray of sunshine — this sweet, glowing human being — be the mother of this grumpy, brooding storm cloud?

But the more she looked, the more she saw it. Levi was her spitting image.

“We work together,” Liz and Levi said in unison.

“Elizabeth, listen. You and Farlan—” her mother tried to begin.

“Mom, we were seven. I doubt we can rekindle that flame,” Liz said sarcastically, still reeling from Levi’s presence here.

“Do you like working with Levi?” Kuchel asked, her eyes full of hope, and Liz couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth.

With a tight smile, she just nodded.

“It’s only been a week, Mom,” Levi said, in a strangely gentle tone.

“Knowing you, a week’s plenty of time to earn a reputation as a grump,” Farlan teased his friend.

Levi didn’t bother to respond. Farlan turned to Liz again. “He’s not as bad as he seems. Really.”

Later that evening, Liz walked into the kitchen after dinner, ready to grab another bottle of wine for the table, when she overheard a rather interesting conversation.

“She’s lovely. Why don’t you ask her out?” Kuchel said in her sweet voice.

“She’s nothing special. Tolerable, at best. And I don’t hate myself enough to date a woman with a crazy mother and who’s as lost as she is,” Levi replied.

Liz stepped into the kitchen only seconds later.

“Lizzie, darling! We didn’t see you there. Would you like some more wine?” Kuchel asked, clearly surprised by her sudden appearance and offering her the bottle.

Liz couldn’t take her eyes off Levi, who didn’t even seem fazed by what he’d just said.

“I’ll take some wine, yes. Maybe it’ll make everything feel a bit more… tolerable,” Liz answered, still staring straight at Levi — who now, finally, seemed to register what had just happened, a flicker of discomfort crossing his face.

She walked out with the bottle before he could say anything.

Bitter and in a foul mood, Liz left just a few minutes later. As she stepped into the cold night, the purse tucked under her arm, she realized her heels didn’t hurt half as much as her pride did.

Chapter Text

On Monday, Liz arrived early on the project floor. She was still feeling a faint mix of anger/embarrassment/indignation every time she thought about the dinner at the Church house. More specifically, the kitchen. Even more specifically, the words "tolerable, at best" and “lost.”

Where did he get the idea that she was lost?
Her mother was crazy, yes — there was no arguing that, although pointing it out like that was extremely rude. But lost? Tolerable, at best?
Who was he to say anything? HE STILL LIVED WITH HIS MOTHER!

Still fuming, she dropped her coffee on the small meeting room table and connected her laptop to the projector. They had a pre-alignment meeting with Mike, one of the company’s most experienced salesmen, to talk about a potential project with an old client that was facing a drop in online sales. The kind of situation that called for a proper diagnosis — and possibly a new solution. All that boring work stuff.

She heard footsteps in the hallway and didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was. Levi walked in silently, wearing that gray blazer he clearly thought was neutral, but which only made him look even grumpier. His eyes landed on her for a second, then shifted to the TV screen.

“Hi,” she said curtly, not looking up from her laptop.

“Hi,” he replied, sounding like he choked on the word. “About Saturday...”

Liz looked up, and the way she stared at him — a mix of don’t you dare and this isn’t happening — was more effective than any spoken word.

He scratched the back of his neck. “My mom liked you.”
Liz blinked, surprised. “At least someone did,” she replied defensively. Levi seemed to consider saying something. For a second, Liz thought he might actually try to be kind. But there wasn’t time to find out.

Mike walked in with his usual laid-back vibe. He was really tall and had a mustache Liz thought was ridiculous every time she saw him pass by without knowing who he was.

“Good morning, team! Finally made it in person. Levi, long time, man.” He shook Levi’s hand firmly and then turned to Liz. “And you must be Elizabeth Bennet — our new designer, right?”

“Liz, please,” she corrected with a smile. “Elizabeth’s only when my mom is yelling at me.”

“Good to know,” Mike chuckled, sitting down. “Heard great things about you.”“

Well, then it definitely wasn’t from Levi,” she said with a bitter tone, still sour.

Levi scoffed. Mike laughed at the comment as he opened his laptop.

“Let’s get to it,” he went on. “The client is Reiss Tech. They’re facing a significant drop in website conversions. They want a quick fix — Levi, I think this is your cue.”

“Sure,” Levi began, opening a technical diagram on his laptop. “The front-end structure is outdated. The issue’s probably with page load times. I can propose an immediate refactor and restructure the base with—”

“Before we jump into the solution,” Liz cut in, calm but firm, “we need to better understand user behavior. The data they sent shows more drop-off than load failures. It could be design. It could be navigation. Maybe they’re targeting the wrong audience.”

Levi stared at her. “Or maybe the page doesn’t load, and people leave.”

“Maybe,” Liz replied with slightly less patience than she would’ve had with anyone else, folding her arms. “But if it’s something else, you’ll be rebuilding for nothing.”

Mike smiled, clearly entertained by the subtle sparring. “One to zero for Liz,” he joked.
Liz chuckled quietly. I like Mike, she thought, waiting for Levi’s comeback. And even if he didn’t want to admit it, she did have a point — and everyone in that room knew it.

He sighed, defeated. “Fine,” he muttered. “Let’s understand the problem better before we jump into solutions.”

“Did that hurt?” Liz teased, suddenly feeling a little less… lost.

Levi didn’t bother to reply. He just rolled his eyes.

They moved on with the meeting, discussing other clients, strategies, and all the corporate nonsense Liz despised.

Levi was feeling a little guilty.
The meeting had barely ended when Elizabeth practically ran back to her desk.

The truth was, he had just gone on the defensive when his mother suggested he ask Elizabeth Bennet — Lizzie, apparently — out, and he’d blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Sure, some of what he said he did believe to be true (Lizzie’s mom was a bit crazy, after all), and the part about her being lost was just a guess. Clearly, she preferred creative things — and honestly, what was she even doing at a tech company if she wanted to spend her days drawing? Not that he’d been watching her. It was… punctual. Rare.

But he’d said those things without thinking, just to keep his mom from drifting too far into fantasy. He hadn’t meant to offend her.
That seemed to be a pattern with him — offending her without meaning to.

He sighed, gathering his things and heading back to his office.

To make matters worse, his mom had spent almost the entire Sunday talking about the woman.
"Did you know it was Lizzie who painted that drawing of the Church house you like?"
"She took a semester off college to take care of her dad, did you know that?"
"Liz’s mom said she’s single."
"Furlan thinks you two would get along."

It was as if she were Mother Teresa. A celebrity. Whatever.

But now he was feeling slightly guilty. He didn’t like being unfair to people. Or needlessly rude. He was only rude when it was necessary.

So, in an attempt to make amends, he went to the coffee shop near the office and got her favorite drink. (Not that he paid that much attention to her — it was just that she always ordered the same one.) He was planning to leave it on her desk with a Post-it note that said “sorry for being a jerk on Saturday.”

But when he got to the floor and saw her at her table talking to Moblit, he immediately chickened out. In a swift motion, he changed direction and went straight back to his office, taking a sip of the coffee drink.

And Levi hated coffee.

On Tuesday, Liz was determined to give Levi the cold shoulder — but the universe hated her. She had barely arrived at the office when she got a message from Mike saying that (surprise, yay) he’d managed to schedule a meeting with a very important client (and a distant one!), and that they needed to leave right away, completely out of nowhere (!!).

Not only would Liz have to spend the entire day with Levi, but she’d also have to travel with him — alone in the same car, have lunch together, the whole deal — a two-hour trip there and another two hours back.

Liz sighed in defeat. “We can take my car,” she offered, then remembered, “but we’ll have to walk to my building to get it, it’s not that far.”

“Let’s take mine, it’s already parked in this building’s lot,” Levi suggested, and Liz knew when to pick her battles.

“Alright then,” she replied — and then realized something. She wouldn’t survive twenty minutes trapped in a car with Levi without coffee. “I’ll meet you at the parking exit, just need to grab a coffee first,” she said, turning quickly before he could argue.

She was already stressed enough. And the universe, which really hated her, made sure she ended up in a line.

She found Levi parked outside the café and got into the car, ready for a scolding. To her surprise, he said nothing, just waited while she set her bag on the back seat.

“I got you one,” she said, handing him a cup. Levi looked surprised. “What? You always drink black tea in the morning. There wasn’t time today,” she added casually, placing her own coffee in the cupholder and fastening her seatbelt. Levi still hadn’t moved.

Levi usually expected the worst from people, and it was rare for anyone to surprise him — especially in a good way. Yet there he was, holding his favorite drink, proven wrong. If he hadn’t been nervous about spending the day with her before, that small gesture of kindness made the whole trip feel even more agonizing. Levi really wasn’t good with people.

“Okay, if we’re going to survive this drive, we’ll need a good playlist,” Liz announced once Levi had finished his tea and started the engine. She grabbed her phone and connected it to the car’s AUX cord. “What do you like to listen to?” she asked, then added teasingly, “Let me guess. Dad rock from the 90s?”

Levi felt the corners of his mouth twitch but resisted. “Whatever. Just play whatever you like.”

“Even Taylor Swift?” she narrowed her eyes at him.

“I really don’t care,” he replied, eyes fixed on the road.

“Worse than I imagined. You don’t even like music, do you? Like a sociopath,” Liz said as she scrolled through her Spotify. Levi chuckled that time but didn’t say anything. Liz felt triumphant for making that grump actually laugh.

She liked a challenge — and a mystery. She would keep trying different artists until she figured out what he liked. Unless he was a sociopath who didn’t like music (a theory she hadn’t entirely ruled out).

The first song was just to test the waters: Maroon by Taylor Swift. People who didn’t like her usually still liked that one. Levi didn’t even flinch.

The second, she kept in a similar vibe to not be obvious about what she was doing (and to avoid revealing a playlist that looked like it belonged to five different people): Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish. Still nothing.

For the third song, she picked something her brother liked and had introduced her to. Maybe all men had the same taste? PRIDE. by Kendrick Lamar. She thought she saw Levi’s fingers tapping faintly to the rhythm, but it was so subtle she wasn’t sure.

Still not satisfied. Maybe folk? She tried Gloria by The Lumineers.

“Stop doing that,” Levi said, breaking the silence.

“Doing what?”

“Trying to guess what I like. Just play what you want.”

“Who said I don’t like those songs?” she replied defensively.

“So you’re not trying to figure out my music taste?” he asked, amusement in his voice. Liz rolled her eyes.

“Fine. You win.” She switched to her all-time favorites playlist.

After a few minutes of Shiver by Coldplay, Levi cleared his throat. “I like this one.”

Liz smiled softly.

“And Kendrick,” he added.

Liz chuckled. “Everyone likes Kendrick.”

“Okay. Then Radiohead,” he said.

Liz laughed. “Of course you like Radiohead.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Levi retorted, making her laugh even more.

She raised her hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I like them too. We’re good.”

After a while, Levi sighed. “I like Taylor Swift too,” he confessed. Liz turned to him so fast she nearly got dizzy. “Not all of it,” he added quickly. “But it’s impossible not to like some, living with Isabel.”

Levi’s eyes were still on the road, so he didn’t see Liz’s expression soften as she looked at him.

Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

The trip continued in silence for a while, until they reached the outskirts of the client’s city and got stuck in traffic.

Liz muttered in frustration. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy being in the car—truth was, she loved it. But it was already 10:30 a.m., and she was hoping they’d arrive soon so she could go over the presentation with Mike and Levi. She was even starting to feel a little sorry for Levi, having to drive all that way.

“Want to switch drivers? I can take over if you’re tired,” she offered, watching the estimated arrival time increase.

Once again, Levi looked surprised. “No need… but thanks.”

“Well, would you look at that — he said thank you. I think it’s the first time,” Liz couldn’t help teasing, earning an eye roll from Levi — though she caught the brief hint of a smile on his lips.

They went quiet again for a few more minutes, just listening to Liz’s playlist (which was now playing Billy Idol), until Levi took a breath — clearly working up the nerve to speak. Liz looked at him curiously.

“When we get there, let me do the talking. Erwin’s really nervous about this client relationship, and they’re pretty impatient. It’s better if we jump straight to the technical stuff,” he said, still staring at the road.

Liz felt her blood boil. He might have become a bit more tolerable as a road trip companion, but he was still underestimating her. Turning forward in her seat and crossing her arms, she chose not to respond at all.

The rest of the drive was noticeably tenser, and Liz, now regretting ever softening up to him, decided to put her full armor back on.

When they arrived at the client’s office, Liz was so irritated that her head had started to ache.

“Hey, did you have a good trip?” Mike asked.

Liz managed to keep her expression as neutral as possible. “Tolerable,” she replied, glancing at Levi, who was staring back with his usual unreadable expression.

“That’s… good?” Mike said, though it sounded more like a question. He let it go. “The client had to reschedule—our meeting’s now at two in the afternoon.”

“Great, that gives us more time to align,” Levi said.

They headed to the meeting room the client had set up for them and started working on the PowerPoint. Liz chose team peace and simply followed both of their suggestions, pasting in the technical slides and explaining how the components would be applied.

But being who she was, while they talked, she created three backup slides—just in case. Her instinct told her it was best to be prepared (in truth, her instinct told her Levi and Mike were being idiots, but she opted for the more diplomatic reasoning).

Before they knew it, it was nearly 1 p.m., and they had less than an hour to eat and return to the client — in a city they didn’t even know.

“You two go ahead. There’s a restaurant just around the corner,” Mike said, opening his laptop again. “I need to jump on a call with another client.”

The universe really hated Liz that day. Not only would she have to eat with Levi, but they’d be alone.

They walked in silence toward the restaurant, and Levi was racking his brain trying to figure out what he’d said that had upset her again. He tried to ask a few times, but every time he opened his mouth, he saw Liz’s closed-off expression and lost his nerve.

You’re being irrational, Elizabeth was what Levi wanted to say, but even he knew that wasn’t a winning strategy. So he just walked beside her in silence, until they reached the corner restaurant — a cute, simple place, the kind Levi liked.

“I love this place,” Liz murmured, mostly to herself, picking up the menu as they sat down.

The food was homemade, with lots of veggie and protein options. Levi ordered a steak with a Greek salad. Liz chose a lemon-butter fish with fries and broccoli.

When the food arrived, Liz immediately regretted her choice.

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked, seeing the look of frustration on her face.

“Your steak looks way better,” Liz mumbled, nearly pouting.

Without thinking too much about it, Levi cut half of his steak and placed it on Liz’s plate, taking half of her fish for himself. She stared at him in surprise but seemed happy with the solution.

She passed some fries to him and took a bit of the salad, then smiled at him. But almost instantly, her smile faded, and she narrowed her eyes at him, pointing her fork. “Don’t think that being nice once in a while makes up for constantly underestimating me,” she said in an accusatory tone.

“I don’t underestimate you,” Levi shot back instantly — but even he knew that wasn’t true. “Okay, I do underestimate you,” he admitted with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “I have a hard time trusting people I don’t know, okay?” he added, then clarified, “Professionally,” so it wouldn’t sound like a personal confession. Though it was. And Liz picked up on that anyway.

“Look, I kind of get it,” she said, trying to be reasonable. “But I’m not here just to make PowerPoints, you know? I can actually help you. You just have to let me.”

Levi looked at her for a few seconds, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll work on that.”

“Alright,” she echoed, smiling at the small concession and stabbing a piece of broccoli.

They finished their meal in a much lighter mood and quickly returned to the client’s office.

The room felt stuffy despite the air conditioning. The client — a man in his fifties with an impatient look — stared at the slide with a raised eyebrow. Levi was finishing his explanation of the integration architecture components as if he were describing the anatomy of an engine. The language was clear, concise. Impeccable.

And completely inaccessible to anyone who wasn’t technical. Liz had only understood it because during the prep session she had asked a million questions — and, well, she worked at the damn company selling all of that.

Sitting beside Mike, she noticed the client subtly shake his head, his eyes lost in the diagram. She saw him glance at his colleague with an expression she knew all too well: what the fuck is going on?

“And that ensures horizontal scalability won’t compromise the application’s resilience,” Levi concluded, straightening his posture slightly.

Silence.

The client cleared his throat. “Right… So you’re saying it’s going to work?”

Mike tried to jump in, but Liz was faster. With a light smile, she leaned slightly forward, arms crossed on the table. “Can I try to explain it in a more… visual way?” The client nodded, visibly relieved.

Liz stood and walked to the flipchart in the corner of the room. She picked up a marker and began to draw what looked like a gas station. “Imagine your company is one of these gas stations. Your current system is like having just a single fuel pump. It works well… until a convoy of trucks shows up.” She drew a line of trucks. “Then it jams. Everything crashes. That’s what happens when you launch a promotion on your website.”

The client nodded slowly, now genuinely interested.

“What we’re proposing is to build multiple pumps,” she continued, adding more drawings with arrows and squiggly lines. “But they’re all connected to a central tank, with smart valves that automatically redirect flow if one fails. So the driver doesn’t have to know which pump to use. He just pulls up and refuels. Fast, simple, safe.”

The client’s partner chuckled. “Even my seven-year-old grandson would get that.”

Liz smiled. “That’s the idea. I’ve prepared a slide with this diagram so you can visualize it later.” She walked over to Levi and clicked to reveal the slide. “Mike will send it along with the technical proposal.”

The client leaned back in his chair, visibly more relaxed. “That’s what I wanted to hear. Now I understand what you’re aiming for. It’ll be much easier for us to sell the idea internally.” And it was clear to everyone in the room: the client was convinced.

Levi said nothing. He just watched Liz standing there, marker in hand, her face lit by the projector. She hadn’t followed the script, hadn’t used the “correct” terminology — and yet, in three minutes, she had made the client trust them.

More than he’d done with ten slides.

As she returned to her seat and scribbled something in her notebook, Levi looked away. His jaw was tense, but not from irritation — from admiration. Quiet, but real.

On the way out of the room, Mike whispered to the two of them, “That was genius. Did you see the change in his expression? I think this is going to work! I’ve got another meeting here, but I’ll catch up with you later this week back at the office.”

Liz and Levi nodded and left the room composed, but as soon as the door closed behind them, she beamed. “Did you see that?!” she asked excitedly, turning to him — and on impulse, grabbed his arms, thrilled.

Levi froze completely for a few seconds at the unexpected touch, blushing, and two seconds later Liz realized what she’d done and blushed just as hard. Mumbling a “sorry,” she stepped back, her mind now yelling: shit, shit, shit, shit—

“Hey, congratulations, you saved us in there!” Levi said, once he recovered, and Liz let out a breath of relief. He wasn’t going to report her to HR after all for grabbing him.

“Thanks,” she replied sheepishly, walking beside him. “See? Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Levi only nodded, sneaking a glance at her as she typed something on her phone. He didn’t have many certainties in life. But in that moment, one thing was clear: They were stronger together.

Back in the car, Liz was fastening her seatbelt when she began to speak. “You know, I think this is going to happen a lot.”

“Closing deals with clients?” Levi asked, backing out while glancing over his shoulder. Liz almost lost her train of thought when she noticed how sexy he looked doing that. She tried to justify it by telling herself that any man looked sexy doing that — although, in that particular moment, it was the first time she consciously acknowledged how attractive Levi was. Terrible timing.

“Sorry? Oh. Yeah.” Her cheeks flushed as she cleared her throat. “That too, but I meant these client trips.”

“Right,” Levi said, settling into his usual driving posture — which thankfully made it easier for Liz to think. “And?”

“And I think we should have a playlist,” she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Levi scoffed. “We just closed what’s probably the company’s biggest deal so far, and you’re thinking about a playlist?”

“I’m a simple girl, Levi.” Liz opened Spotify. “Come on, this is your chance to make these trips better.”

Levi sighed, knowing it wouldn’t be worth arguing. “Okay. Fine. Each of us picks a song we like?” he asked.

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, my dear Levi,” she said, and he could almost hear the smile in her voice as he focused on the road — which only made him want to smile too. “The secret to a good shared playlist isn’t picking one song each, it’s only adding songs we both like. Like Shiver by Coldplay.”

Levi nodded. It was a solid strategy, but he added, “Maybe you’re being a bit too optimistic about how many songs we actually like in common.”

“And maybe you’re being too optimistic about how picky I am with music,” she shot back. “Come on, tell me which Taylor Swift songs you like. I love, like, 95% of her discography.”

So they listened to songs and added them to their playlist only if both approved. By the end of the ride, the Roadtrip for the Dream Team playlist was officially born and already had five songs:

• Shiver – Coldplay
• Delicate – Taylor Swift
• The Great War – Taylor Swift
• 22 – Taylor Swift
• I Can Do It With a Broken Heart – Taylor Swift (this one genuinely surprised Liz)

It wasn’t until Levi dropped her off and Liz climbed the stairs to her apartment that she realized: The day that had started off so stressful hadn’t ended bad at all.

Chapter Text

Liz arrived at the office on Wednesday morning at exactly 8:03 a.m. Practically on time. And she was proud of herself.

She was also wearing one of her favorite plaid dresses with her most comfortable pair of Mary Janes.

For some wild reason, not only had she woken up before her alarm, but she actually felt rested. She got ready slowly, made scrambled eggs at home, and left with plenty of time to spare. So she walked leisurely through the city of Trost, taking in the mix of old architecture and newer buildings bathed in the soft morning light.

Yesterday still echoed in her mind.

The satisfaction of a job well done. Of clearing the air with Levi. Even their road trip had been… fun.

It had been so nice that she almost managed to ignore that small voice in her head that missed painting so much.

Liz hadn’t made a single drawing in months. Just the little illustrations for the newsletter — which, although she enjoyed, felt more like a drop of water on a hot pan compared to her urge to express herself creatively.

She had opened her sketchbook at home several times, but always ended up closing it shortly after.

She felt like a fraud. A sell-out.

She had never been — and maybe would never be — a real artist.

But maybe today could be different.

Before leaving home, she checked her calendar and saw that her day wasn’t too busy. Maybe she could squeeze in some sketching and use the newsletter as an excuse. She might not be a real artist, but she could be a hobbyist.

And with that thought, she walked into the office smiling.

The floor was already relatively full (apparently not everyone was satisfied with arriving last minute). As she dropped off her things at her desk, Liz found a coffee cup from the café next to the office building — the one she used to frequent — and a lilac post-it.

Thanks for the tea yesterday. – L

She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips.

Picking up the cup, she sniffed it. The smell was unmistakable — cinnamon and nuts. Exactly how she liked it. Her smile widened.

Liz made a face at the thought that popped into her mind. I guess this is Levi Ackerman, she thought. Weird and kind.

Three days ago, she would’ve never thought to describe that man with the word “kind.” But here she was, smiling, surprised by her favorite coffee in her hands.

She tucked the post-it into her drawer (it was proof that Levi did know how to say thank you, after all) (and only for that reason), grabbed her drink, and headed to the break room. Hitch and Mikasa were already there.

“Hey, Liz,” Hitch greeted. “We missed you yesterday.”

“Yeah, the office is dull without you,” Mikasa agreed.

They were sitting near the window. Liz spun around playfully for them before sitting down.

“Yes, Liz, your dress is lovely,” Mikasa said, rolling her eyes — but smiling.

“Thank you,” Liz replied proudly, taking a sip of her coffee, drawing out the suspense. “Last-minute client trip,” she finally explained.

“For real? How was it?” Hitch asked, curious.

Liz bit her lip, trying to hide how giddy she felt about it all.

“We closed a deal with a client Erwin had been eyeing,” she began, happy. “And I kind of had a heart-to-heart with Levi to get him to stop being a jerk,” she added proudly.

Mikasa and Hitch widened their eyes at that last part. “What do you mean?!” they said in unison.

“Did you actually call him a jerk to his face?” The idea seemed to amuse Mikasa.

Liz laughed. “We had to go by car, just the two of us. Yeah. I wasn’t thrilled about it. Anyway. But then we stopped to talk, and I told him he underestimated me, and — brace yourselves — he acknowledged it and said he’d change! He even said I saved the meeting.”

The look of pure shock on Hitch and Mikasa’s faces was priceless.

“Aww, cute,” Hitch said. She had a weakness for grumpy men.

“No way,” Mikasa replied, scandalized. She still held a grudge against Levi over Eren’s interview. “I seriously doubt that.”

“Well… let’s see if it lasts. That man is moody,” Liz shrugged. But deep down, something inside her said that yesterday’s Levi was the real Levi (and she was doing a great job ignoring the part of her brain that seemed to like that Levi).

“He’s got worse PMS than us,” Mikasa added bitterly. They laughed.

Liz caught herself sighing. She had enjoyed traveling with Levi, and she really believed they worked well together. It would be nice if things stayed that way.

They kept chatting for a while (there was a new girl at the company named Annie, Jean and Eren had argued again during a team meeting, and Hitch talked about a new guy on Eren’s team named Marlo, but she wasn’t interested in him at all), until they looked at the clock and figured it was time to at least pretend they were working.

“Let’s go pretend to be model employees,” Hitch said, badge already around her neck. Liz laughed and followed.

Liz sat at her desk and turned on her computer.

She scrolled a bit through social media, answered a few messages (ignored the seven unread ones from her mom), and added some songs to her current playlist to match her mood.

No matter what she did to distract herself, her eyes kept drifting back to the coffee cup (now empty but still on her desk).

She found herself looking at the post-it again.

Getting up quickly — before her mind could talk her out of it — she walked toward the only office on the floor that always had its door closed.

She sighed, then knocked three times (not very confidently, to be honest), and when she heard a “Come in” from inside, she turned the handle.

As always, his office was immaculate. She could almost smell the tea in the air.

“Hey,” Liz greeted, oddly shy for her usually extravagant personality.

“Hey,” Levi replied, eyes leaving the monitor to look at her. His face was a little softer than usual.

Liz didn’t know what to do with her hands. “Thanks for the coffee, you didn’t have to,” she said with a smile.

“It was nothing,” Levi replied without hesitation, eyes still fixed on her, making her feel even more awkward than before. His face gave away no emotion.

Silence filled the room, only broken by the hum of the air conditioner, distant traffic, and the low murmur from the hallway. Liz still didn’t know what to do with her hands. Levi kept staring at her. Neither seemed to know who should speak first.

Liz’s mind was racing, trying to find an excuse to stay.

“Wanna go over—”
“Did you see Erwin’s email—”

They spoke at the same time.

Liz gave a tight-lipped smile, and Levi looked away for a second. He felt a strange tension in his shoulders, like he was bracing for her to tease him — but to his surprise, she didn’t.

Realizing he was shy too made Liz relax.

“You first,” she said casually.

“I was going to ask if you saw Erwin’s email about Garrison Corp.”

“No, I just got here, actually,” Liz decided to leave out the fact she’d wasted the first thirty minutes of her morning.

Levi didn’t react. He simply turned his screen so she could see. “They’re a construction company.” Levi got straight to the point, as usual. He began explaining while Liz approached. “They want us to help modernize their internal systems.”

Liz raised an eyebrow, still looking at the screen. “Sounds big.”

“It’ll be tough to understand and map everything,” Levi agreed. “But I think we can handle it.”

Liz kept her eyes on the screen, but she couldn’t help the little thrill those words gave her. The way he said we. Like they were a real team. Like he actually trusted her to help.

“And what’s your plan?” she asked, looking directly at him.

With her soft heart and tendency to trust too easily, Liz wanted him to know she trusted him too.

Levi’s face remained unreadable, turned toward the screen — only his eyes betrayed how he felt at her vote of confidence. But Liz couldn’t see them, so she didn’t know.

“I think we should have a meeting to understand the problem first,” he began, then met Liz’s gaze, searching her reaction and finding what he wanted in the way her eyes lit up. He suppressed a smug smile from forming on his face. “Then we could bring in the rest of the technical team and design a solution with them. That’s what you suggested last time, right?”

The time I was a jerk, Levi thought.

Liz didn’t even know what to say — the words caught in her throat. Who is this Levi? she wondered.

She realized he was waiting for a response while she kept staring at him, dumbstruck. She tried to mask the storm of emotions by looking at the screen again.

“Yes. I think that makes sense,” Liz finally managed to say.

Leaving Levi’s office, Liz opened the message from her mother. She was inviting her to a dinner at the Braus’ house that weekend.

Liz replied that she’d go before she even got back to her desk.

The thought of seeing Levi over the weekend didn’t exactly thrill her — and it certainly wasn’t the main reason she said yes.

At least, that’s what she told herself.

The rest of the morning dragged on for Liz.
Emails, presentations. Reports to fill out. Boredom and more boredom. She, Levi, and Mike had a meeting with Erwin later that day to discuss the strategy for the new project, but other than that, she was basically just stalling, with nothing much to do.

After chatting a bit with people in the office, she slipped away into a meeting room and took some time to draw.
Her mind was blank. She had no idea where to even begin.

Eventually, she let her thoughts wander and started sketching her cat, Bella. And then, an idea popped into her head:
What if she told simple stories through illustrations of Bella?

Liz completely lost track of time until someone knocked on the door, startling her.

“Liz?” It was a voice she wasn’t quite familiar with yet — but wanted to be.

“Zeke!” she replied brightly.

“What are you up to? Am I getting a sneak peek at the next newsletter?” he asked, adjusting the glasses that had slipped down his nose. Zeke wore a warm, friendly smile.

He was so charming that Liz nearly showed him her drawings. Almost.
Closing the sketchbook, she stood up. “No peeking. You’ll have to wait like everyone else,” she said, flashing her best smile.

Zeke stepped closer. “I heard you closed a deal yesterday.”

Liz’s smile grew. “It was a team effort.”

“That’s not what Mike said. He said you were the star. And I’m inclined to believe him.”

The way Zeke spoke was smooth, unmistakably flirtatious. Liz could tell he was flirting. He had to be, right?
It was nice, talking to someone so direct. Unlike certain people she knew damn well she shouldn’t be thinking about in that moment.

“Who knows?” Liz said to Zeke, mirroring his flirty tone. “Maybe we’ll get to work on a project together too.”

Zeke scoffed.
“Your buddy over there wouldn’t allow it,” he said. Liz tilted her head in confusion. “He didn’t tell you? Of course he didn’t…” Zeke added, voice turning bitter, glancing to the side like remembering something unpleasant. “Well, I’m not surprised. I’d be ashamed too if I were him.”

Levi did something to Zeke? Liz wondered. The idea strangely aligned with her first impression of Levi. Didn’t he literally interfere with Eren’s interview?
Her heart started racing.

“We’ve worked together before,” Zeke explained, his face carrying a sadness that hurt Liz to look at. “He always had some sort of grudge against me. Never knew why. All I know is that, when he got the chance, he threw me under the bus at work and got me fired. And my mother had just died.”

Liz felt her blood boil.

“H-how could he?” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
She didn’t know what was worse — that Levi had gotten Zeke fired, or that he had done it right when Zeke was at his most vulnerable, grieving his mother.
Levi was close to his own mother! Hell, he even lived with the woman. How could he?

Zeke shrugged. “Maybe it’s how he was raised… But some people never learn how to act like a man, even as adults.”

Liz flinched at the harsh words but quickly composed herself. What Levi had done was worse than a few bitter remarks.

Zeke seemed to notice something behind Liz, but before she could turn, his hand stopped her movement — brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Her cheeks flushed. Up close, she noticed his eyes were light.

“Don’t worry, I’ve moved on,” he whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “See you around.”

Only when Zeke started heading toward the door was Liz finally able to turn around.
Standing at the doorway was Levi — and it was clear he had seen the whole thing.

His expression was nothing like the gentle look he’d given her that morning. But his glare wasn’t directed at her.
He was staring at Zeke. And it wasn’t just anger. His eyes were sharp, commanding — so much so that Liz had the impression Zeke actually shrank under the weight of it.

A wave of indignation surged through her.
How dare Levi treat Zeke that way after everything he’d done to him?

Before she could say anything — not that she even knew what to say — Levi looked her up and down for half a second, then turned and walked away.

Maybe this truce was going to end sooner than she thought.

At four in the afternoon, Liz got the notification that the meeting about the new client would start in a conference room on the other side of the floor — at the exact same moment her brother called.
The choice was easy.

“Cry, big baby,” she answered teasingly as she quickly messaged Mike, letting him know she’d be late to the meeting due to an important call (which it really was, and Mike, Erwin, and especially Levi didn’t need to know anything more than that).

“What’s up, loser. Missed you,” Tim greeted. Liz laughed at her brother’s messed up affection.
Sometimes it was hard to believe they were the same kids who used to fight over the biggest piece of candy or for taking too long in the bathroom before school. Once sworn enemies, and now…?

“Missed you too, idiot,” she replied warmly, not even trying to hide the tenderness in her voice. “What’s going on?”

“I want to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell Mom.”

Liz scoffed. “Easy. Go on.”

“I’m applying for an internship at Titans Corps!” he blurted excitedly.

“Tim!! Oh my God! That’s amazing!! You’ve been talking about that company for literally a thousand years!”
Liz could barely keep her voice at an office-appropriate level, her pride was too loud.

Tim was studying computer science and had always dreamed of working with video games. Interning at the biggest gaming company on the continent was definitely the right step toward that goal.

“I’m trying not to get my hopes up, because it’s just an interview, but oh my God, Lizzie! I just saw the email and I’m literally shaking!”

He sounded like a kid dreaming again, and Liz had to swallow the lump rising in her throat.

“It’s going to go great, I’m sure of it! As long as they don’t see you first thing in the morning before coffee, they’ll have no choice but to like you!” she said.

Tim laughed on the other end.
“Shut up, loser,” he shot back out of pure sibling reflex. “And don’t tell Mom, she’ll just make me more nervous. I only want to tell her if I have good news.”

“Of course! Of course! When’s the interview?”

“Next Tuesday.”

“Everything will be fine, don't worry. Oh my God! Thank you for telling me, Tim!”
Liz was still grinning like a fool, but then glanced at the time. She was already nearly five minutes late.

“Of course I told you. Love you, Lizzie!”
Tim said it like it was the easiest thing in the world — like he never doubted for a second that he could share his life with her — and it filled her with that warmth only family could bring. Then, as if reading her mind, he started to wrap up the call. “I’ll let you go, I know you’re at work. Big hug, loser.”

“Love you, idiot. Bye!”

Liz was still floating when she walked into the meeting room, the proud smile on her face making it obvious that whatever the call had been about, it was something good.
“Job interview?” Mike teased. She rolled her eyes, but the smile didn’t waver.
“Already trying to get rid of me? Careful, I just might—” her voice died the moment her eyes met Levi’s for the first time since the messy encounter earlier that afternoon.

He was looking at her with such coldness that she wondered if she’d dreamed yesterday.
But Liz had nothing to be ashamed of, so she lifted her chin defiantly and stared right back at him.
He looked away after just a few seconds, and Erwin began to speak.

The meeting buzzed past Liz like background noise.
The moment Erwin confirmed the client was based in Orwind and that they’d have to cross the country and spend a few days there, she accepted her fate and shut her mind off. She only caught bits and pieces: Armin and Jean would be involved, maybe Hange too. They’d leave next week.

All Liz really knew was that she’d have to travel with Levi. Again.
The company would cover the flights and hotel, but on the first day, Erwin had decided that only Liz and Levi — just the two of them (!!) — would go to get a clear sense of the client’s needs. The rest of the team would join them the next day to help build the solution.

Every now and then, Liz found herself looking at Levi during the meeting.
And every time… he was already looking at her.
Shit.

But she couldn’t stop looking either.
Part of her felt confused.
An even bigger part felt betrayed.

Who was Levi, really? She had started to change her mind, had wanted to trust him. But giving her coffee and agreeing on a music playlist did nothing to redeem his character when compared to what he did to Zeke.
Zeke, who had been nothing but genuinely kind.

Disappointment washed over her. Liz promised herself she wouldn’t let her guard down again.
And because of that, it was going to be a long trip.