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kingkaisen · 2 years ago

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FIVE HUSBANDS

˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐈 || 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗

˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗

˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 || 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗

♡ — 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: eren, armin, connie, jean, levi, & reiner x celebrity!reader

♡ — 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: Both love and imprisonment can drive people crazy, and sometimes, things can even get deadly. your old lovers are becoming more and more desperate as they attempt to free you from Connie, the owner of CS Records. For better or for worse, a certain band of people want you, known as: the group.

♡ — 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓: 18+ ONLY || MINORS DNI || DARK CONTENT — fem!reader, modern au, angst, heartbreak, divorce, marriage, cheating, violence & blood/bruises mention, gun mention, false imprisonment, stockholm syndrome, toxic relationship, manipulation, stalking, murder talk (Some warnings here also apply to the series as a whole/other parts as well.)

♡ — 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 13k

♡ — 𝐀/𝐍: Hi folks! I had to add on another part to the series, so there will now be 8 parts total!

— A FEW YEARS EARLIER —

“Eren?”

The brown-haired man turned around with a smile — he always grinned whenever you called his name so sweetly.

“Hm?” He shoved his phone into his pocket. “What is it, baby? You okay?”

“I’ve just been thinking about . . . us,” your eyes darted down to the freshly mopped floor — polished and shiny thanks to Eren’s maid. Your voice echoed in his spacious modern kitchen, but that wasn’t the reason why you decided to whisper.

You were simply nervous.

“What about us?” Eren frowned a bit, his heart beginning to pound wildly as his mind started to spin.

He assumed the worst.

“Well,” you paused. “I think it’s time that I told you how much I love you. I don’t think I’ve ever really said it, but it’s true. We haven’t been together long, but . . . you’re someone I’d want to start a family with and grow old with, ya know? I hope the thought of that doesn’t scare you away.”

Eren was silent for a moment.

This time, it was your turn to assume the worst.

Suddenly, Eren wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tightly. Tears started to brim in the reddening waterlines of his emerald eyes.

“I love you too,” he smiled as he held you. “I never thought I’d hear you say that. You’re mine, you hear me?”

“I hear you,” you hugged him back. “I’m yours.”

When Eren ended the sweet hug, it was only so he could press his lips against yours, kissing you softly, yet passionately.

He pulled away and quickly reconnected your lips once again. He couldn’t get enough of you. He would kiss you forever if he could, and truthfully, he planned to, no matter what.

—

Three miserable weeks had flown by since a certain little meeting had taken place in the tiny living room of Armin Arlert’s apartment.

Every single day — every hour, minute, and second — was spent waiting.

Waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Waiting for any of the gods above to offer just a little bit of luck.

A little bit of hope.

Erwin Smith needed as much luck as he could get. From the very second Levi Ackerman called him with the details of an utterly ridiculous situation, to now, when he was getting ready to walk into CS Records, dressed up as one of Connie Springer’s Silent Men, he had hoped for a little bit of luck.

It was rather odd.

The blonde-haired, military-driven man truly didn’t believe in searching for four-leaf clovers or tossing pennies into wishing wells, as he never liked to leave things to chance.

But, just this once, he would gamble and hope to get lucky.

As he patiently stalked the outside of your home from a safe distance, he gambled on the fact that Connie would be stupid enough to bring you out in public once again.

And Erwin was correct.

He had watched and waited, waited and watched. Waiting for the day in which the rich man would let you out of your bedroom, and bring you to CS Records with him.

After all, it was bound to happen, as you were Connie’s little money-maker, and if you had suddenly disappeared from the spotlight at the peak of your fast-paced career, people would start to ask questions. Become suspicious. And Connie didn’t want that.

Erwin followed the vehicle transporting you, Connie, and a few Silent Men to CS Records. And, there you were, being escorted through the private back entrance of the building with Connie and his bodyguards by your side.

But it didn’t matter.

Erwin was simply happy to see that you were okay — physically, at least.

As he watched you carefully enter the building from where he was parked in the private parking deck — Eren’s employee ID had worked wonders — he sighed with relief that, at long last, he could finally free you.

You might have been a perfect stranger to him, a random celebrity with a chaotic life — in which, before all of this, he had paid no mind to — but Levi Ackerman cared about you enough to call him for help.

And he could hear the slight panic in the other man’s voice.

If Levi Ackerman cared about you, then that was enough to make Erwin care about you as well.

And he’d get you away from that terrifying man no matter what.

As Erwin stepped out of his car, slamming the driver’s door shut, he had almost forgotten that Eren Yeager was with him.

No one would question the singer being escorted around by someone who appeared to be one of Connie’s underlings. Not to mention, the rockstar’s ID badge was important throughout this entire operation.

Erwin had been secretly calling it a rescue mission in his head.

Eren had preferred to call it: the day in which he’d get his fucking ex-wife back.

“You ready?” Eren called out to the taller, buff man, looking up at him through his sunglasses as he shut the car door.

It was a sunny day in Los Angeles, almost as if nature itself was rooting for their success.

“I am. Lead the way,” Erwin gave a nod.

Eren started walking as Erwin followed him.

During the time it took for them to walk from the parking deck to the official back entrance of the building, Erwin couldn’t help but think about how different Eren Yeager seemed in real life compared to how the media portrayed him.

He wasn’t used to being around celebrities — that was Levi’s thing. Erwin didn’t even live in Los Angeles; he lived in Arizona, in a town that was about an hour away from Hange’s.

In the media, Eren was made out to be a rebellious rockstar who lived the perfect life of a music-making troublemaker.

Rich.

Talented.

Surrounded by women.

Always in trouble.

But, in person, he was just an ordinary guy. One who cared about his ex-wife and made sure his hamburgers had extra pickles.

In a way, he was quite sweet. Erwin noticed that little fact when the younger man carefully got inside his car, trying his hardest not to ruin anything, even though his car wasn’t nearly as nice as the ones in Eren’s ten-car garage — or was it twenty? Erwin couldn’t remember.

But, perhaps, the media’s portrayal of Eren was accurate once upon a time, possibly before he had fallen in love with you.

Erwin couldn’t say.

Once the two men approached the glass entry doors, Eren scanned his ID — twice, as he was rather impatient — before the security system dinged pleasantly, and the doors clicked twice as they were automatically unlocked.

Stepping inside CS Records was like stepping inside of an incredibly nice mall. However, instead of stores, there were offices, recording studios, and rehearsal rooms.

“I’m headed to the studio,” Eren said, turning around to face Erwin. “You should probably head towards the main conference room.”

Erwin nodded. Pretending to be one of the Silent Men — or Connie’s pack of rats, as Eren had called them — meant that he had to do one thing: be silent, of course.

And while Eren’s words seemed to not have any true meaning aside from letting his escort know his whereabouts, every syllable he had uttered was rather valuable information.

The fact that he was heading to the studio meant that it was time for them to separate, as Eren wasn’t allowed to come anywhere near you, and his presence could hinder the success of the mission. His advice for Erwin to head towards Connie’s conference room meant that it was more than likely your location. Connie was always in there or in his office. And you would be with Connie.

With one final nod, the two men went their separate ways.

Finding the conference room was easier than expected.

Eren had reassured Erwin that he wouldn’t need any ID beyond getting through the entrance, and as it turns out, he was right.

Perhaps, it was because no one had ever bothered to question the presence of one of Connie’s men, and thanks to Erwin’s solid black outfit — he was both plainly and sharply dressed at the same time — along with his solid, tall, and muscular build, he looked exactly like one of them.

Aside from people scurrying out of his way as he walked, mumbling little apologies under their breaths, no one paid him any mind.

The conference room had glass walls that allowed anyone in the building to see what was going on inside as they walked by.

While Connie could have chosen one of the more private rooms to host his meeting, he didn’t, simply because he wanted everyone within CS Records to see you.

To see that he had nothing — or rather, no one, to hide.

And it was perfect.

Erwin was able to successfully confirm your whereabouts, but, just like Eren, you seemed drastically different in real life compared to the media’s portrayal of you.

Although he only spotted you from several feet away and hadn't even mumbled a single word to you, it was quite obvious based on the gloomy expression on your face that you weren’t nearly as happy as you pretended to be during interviews and local concerts.

But, soon, you would be. Erwin was determined to make that happen.

Stopping in the cafeteria, Erwin prepared a couple of glasses of water. It was meant to serve as an excuse for his tardiness.

The man balanced a tray of water in one hand, pushing the glass door open with the other, and for a moment, Connie briefly paused in the middle of his conversation to see who had entered the conference room, but upon seeing that it was one of his men, he continued to speak.

Everyone was correct.

Springer truly didn’t pay any attention to his men. It didn’t help that he always switched them out.

To him, they were all the same. Just plain old puppets.

That was why he barely ever looked at them. That was why he never bothered to learn their names.

And, that was why Erwin was able to infiltrate them so easily.

He sat the water down in the center of the conference table, and stood beside three other Silent Men lined up against the wall, copying their statue-like pose.

And he simply listened. Waited for the perfect opportunity. Kept his eyes on you.

“I don’t care how much money an international tour would bring in,” Connie said, tapping his pen against the enormous conference table as he sat in his big office chair, darting his eyes between every single one of your eleven team members; the people responsible for keeping you in the spotlight. Keeping the company wealthy.

“This isn’t the right time to have one because Y/N still needs more fucking media training. We’re sticking with a national tour for now, and a short one at that.”

“Alright, I’ll get the word out,” your red-haired publicist nodded in agreement. “The first official tour for the Heartbreaker album . . . what should the tour be called?”

“We can worry about that later,” a random tan man spoke up, staring at your publicist before glancing around at the other team members. “When is this tour happening? Next year?”

“We can’t do it next year because Y/N has been cast for another film. You’re her new manager, Oruo, so you should know that.” Your publicist rolled her eyes.

“We’re going to wait two years, Petra? Her album will be irrelevant and old by then–”

“Then she’ll sing songs off of another album that will be released before then,” your publicist interrupted. “She should have more songs that she can sing anyways-”

“When is she going to record this album? While she’s on set, filming?” Glaring at your publicist, your new manager folded his arms across his chest.

“She managed to put out both an album and a film fairly recently,” Petra said in a softer tone than before. “She can do it again.”

A beat of silence passed in which your manager and publicist simply stared at each other. Your manager, who broke the intense, unofficial staring contest first, looked at Connie as he spoke once again.

“All of this is taking way too long. We’re about to start selling Halloween costumes modeled after her, and we should have an interesting announcement to go with it. You think her fans will be happy to know that they won’t even get a chance to see her sing her new album live for another two years?”

“It can’t be helped! God, you’re such an idiot.” The red-haired woman lowered her head in defeat, but when she raised it again, it was to also face Connie. “Mr. Springer, you have to find Levi Ackerman and rehire him, because this guy is-”

“Both of you can shut up,” Connie suddenly interrupted, continuing to fidget with his pen. He looked at Petra, giving her a cold stare, one that indicated that she was on thin ice.

“Especially you. I’m not rehiring anybody. Say something like that to me again and you’ll be begging for me to rehire you as well.” Connie paused. “What we need is for her to keep doing interviews and publicity stunts while she’s working on all of her projects. Squeeze in small work that shouldn’t take more than a week to complete.”

No one dared to disagree with Connie’s idea. What he said was final. Those were the unwritten rules.

As your entire team nodded in agreement — despite whether or not they truly thought it was the best course of action — some of them jotted down his plan in their notebooks or typed it in on their laptops.

However, you didn’t nod in agreement.

Instead, your voice — which held a bit of a nervous quiver — interrupted the uneasy silence.

“Publicity stunts?” You looked between your publicist, manager, and the person holding you hostage. “What kind of publicity stunts?”

“Probably something involving Eren and Jean,” Oruo said before giving his attention to Connie. “More people stream her music whenever something goes on between the three of them. More talk show hosts ask to interview her as well.”

Instantly, the harsh memory of the aftermath regarding the last publicity stunt reappeared in your mind.

Being outdoors surrounded by Connie’s goons after appearing on The Nights With Flint Show; witnessing the psychological torture that Connie put your ex-husband through simply by threatening to hurt his mother was a torturous flashback that you couldn’t seem to snap out of.

Even as you thought about the way Eren cried while being forced to his knees, begging his old best friend to not hurt the lady who once welcomed you into her home with open arms and tasty stew; a small, twisted part of you had wished that you didn’t say a word that day.

Attempting to be some sort of hero had only resulted in your misery.

You had the Vitamin D supplements — which you needed from lack of sunlight — in your purse to prove it; to prove that publicity stunts never went well.

“No.” You said sternly, stern enough for the silent nodders sitting at the table to look up at you.

Truth be told, it was the first time you had dared to speak so boldly in a long time. “I don’t want to do that, please. There has to be something else-”

“Alright, I’m finishing this meeting without you. You’re starting to get on my nerves.” Connie turned around in his chair, facing the Silent Men standing along the wall, pointing to one with brown hair and the body of a gym-obsessed man.

He stood right next to Erwin.

“You,” Connie said. “Take her back home.”

“But I just got here,” you thought, not daring to say it aloud, but you didn’t need to.

Connie could see the sadness in your eyes as if your pupils had a big red sign in them that said “I’M SAD.”

The chair squeaked a bit as you got up from it, heading out of the conference room with the man who would become your driver.

No one paid any mind to the other blonde-haired Silent Man who left the room thirty seconds later, following you both.

Erwin had to walk quickly — he couldn’t run, as that would draw unnecessary attention — to catch up to you and your driver, but thanks to his tall frame, he didn’t have to take very many strides.

He grabbed the shoulder of the brown-haired man.

When the driver turned around, Erwin could understand why Connie never bothered to pay any attention to his goons. The man had a very stereotypical face, plain and simple, and hidden underneath a pair of black sunglasses. Erwin wouldn’t have remembered the name of someone so ordinary either if he was in Connie’s shoes.

“What?” The man said with a gruff tone. He sounded like he had just woken up, and still had his morning voice despite the late afternoon hour.

But that’s what happens when you’re rarely allowed to speak.

“Springer changed his mind,” Erwin lied confidently, yet casually. “He needs you to head to the venue and help them out over there. He wants me to take her home instead.”

Much to Erwin’s luck, the man didn’t ask any further questions.

Something was always going on at the venue owned by CS Records.

He didn’t even appear to be confused by the new orders, as it was common for Connie to make last-minute changes such as this.

He walked off without another word.

Erwin wasted no time. The taller man started to escort you towards the exit.

Towards freedom.

It was rather risky to speak to you now, but as Erwin could see the white ID scanner in front of the exit doors a short distance away, he knew that you would expect him to scan his employee ID along with yours. He couldn’t slip on by with you as easily as he slipped in with Eren.

After all, you had no idea who he was. What he was really doing.

“Are you alright?” Erwin questioned quietly, looking straight forward as he spoke, doing all he could to seem unsuspicious.

“Huh?” You glanced up at him.

“No one has harmed you, have they? Do you need to see a doctor for any reason?”

“Why are you asking me that?” You asked. “You’re not supposed to speak this much. You’ll get us in trouble.”

“Don’t worry. My name is Erwin Smith. Levi asked me to give you a hand. I’ll be taking you somewhere safe.”

No.

No way.

It must have been a trap. A trick. A way for Connie to test your loyalty, to find out if you were broken enough to never try to leave again. Perhaps, he wanted to see if you were stupid enough to warrant a repeat of the same old punishment. He’d lock you right back up, hold you hostage in your own beautiful bedroom just as he did when you tried to escape with Reiner.

No.

No way.

One of Connie’s men would be waiting right in the private parking deck, ready to toss you back into the most miserable place you had ever been in.

A place where you were alone.

Always thinking.

Always waiting.

Always miserable.

“You’re lying.” You stammered out, darting your eyes around for Connie, or for anyone who would be watching you like a hawk. “This is some sort of trick, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not.”

“But . . .” Your footsteps halted, just as you were approaching the exit. Erwin turned to face you, looking down at you with an intense amount of urgency that he couldn’t vocalize.

This had to be a cruel test, that was one theory, as freedom was too good to be true.

Or, maybe he was simply a crazy fan. That was another theory.

However, out of all of those theories, there was one little thing that was true; that was real. And it was that he seemed familiar.

“I actually think I recognize you,” you said, scanning over that facial structure of his, along with his blonde hair, attempting to put him in the proper place among your memories. “You . . . oh, that’s right. I’ve seen you in a photo or something at Levi’s house. You’re one of his friends.”

“That’s right,” Erwin nodded.

You nodded as well.

Maybe, just maybe . . .

“Keep your voice down,” Erwin said. “You need to scan your ID for us to leave. Just act natural. Everything will be alright.”

If you could manage to imagine that Erwin was simply some sort of bodyguard escorting you out of a building after a show or a meet and greet, nothing more, then maybe, just maybe, you could calm down enough to not draw any attention to yourself.

Call Erwin cocky. He wouldn’t blame you. But he was feeling rather confident now. He was right here with you, and he didn’t plan on leaving your side until he delivered you safely into Levi’s arms.

Or Eren’s.

Or Reiner’s.

Or Armin’s.

Or Jean’s.

Call Erwin forgetful. He wouldn’t blame you. But he had a bit of trouble keeping up with the romantic aspect of our life, and while a small part of him wanted to ask who exactly your heart truly belonged to without the interference of Connie or modern media influencing your decisions, it was none of his business.

Even so, as he glanced down at you as you both walked at a steady pace toward the exit, he couldn’t help but wonder what was so captivating about you — what could possibly drive Levi Ackerman to care about one of the most famous heartbreakers in Hollywood?

His questions would have to wait.

As you approached the security system demanding identification before leaving the private area of CS Records, you pulled out your ID. Erwin caught a glimpse of your photo. Your smile was rather beautiful. Bright. You must have been happy back then. Maybe, if he freed you, he could see that smile return someday.

You scanned your badge. The security system dinged. You both casually walked through the glass doors and into the private parking deck.

“Was the hard part over?” That was the question you asked with only a simple look into Erwin’s eyes, and with a nod, he wordlessly answered, “yes, the hard part is over.”

A smile appeared across your face. It was a contagious upturn of the cheeks, and Erwin wanted to smile too. He gave you a soft grin as he escorted you to his car.

Eren promised that he would find his own way home, and quickly, as he didn’t want to be anywhere near CS Records whenever Connie would realize that you had gotten away.

In a way, freedom for you was freedom for all of them.

Seeing Erwin’s car — or, rather, the vehicle you assumed to be Erwin’s car — several feet in front of you suddenly created a wave of nausea that washed over you.

Erwin had placed a comforting hand on your back, looking down at you with a raised eyebrow and a worried frown.

You placed your hand on your stomach. Breathing in and out slowly did little to help.

If only the overwhelming sense of nausea was caused by nervousness over the fact that soon, you would be free.

If only that was all it was.

But it was something else entirely.

It was a particular bad memory that had reappeared in your mind like deja vu. Seeing Erwin’s car . . . being so close to freedom that you would allow yourself to once again have little hopes and dreams . . . it all reminded you of Reiner leading you to an exit the night of your album release party.

It was that bad feeling. The fear of allowing yourself to be hopeful.

Even as you made it to Erwin’s car, as he helped you into the passenger seat like a true gentleman, you couldn’t shake it.

That bad feeling.

You sat there with your door shut, seatbelt buckled, listening to the footsteps of Erwin walking from the passenger side to the driver’s side.

But he didn’t open the door. Without straining to look up through the driver’s side window, you knew why.

It was that bad feeling.

You could hear other voices in the parking lot, and while you wished the voices simply belonged to other easygoing CS Records employees minding their own business as they headed into or out of the building, you knew better.

The private parking lot was empty of anyone else.

Those black outfits belonging to Connie and the Silent Men were rather easy to spot out of the corner of your eyes.

You couldn’t help but close your eyes in defeat, and when you did, a single tear slipped down your cheek.

The voices grew louder. Not loud enough to draw any unwanted attention, Connie was smarter than that, but it was bothersome enough to make you consider unbuckling your seatbelt, opening your door, getting out of the car, and peacefully walking back into the building.

And, perhaps, prepare to spend all of eternity locked inside of your own bedroom as well.

But Erwin wasn’t ready to give up so easily.

“How did you know?” Erwin asked Connie, glaring at the rich man who had two Silent Men on each side of him.

“This guy right here wanted to know what I needed him to do at the venue. Wasn’t that hard to put two-and-two together.”

“Damn it,” Erwin thought. He was foolish to think that the goon would just take his word and leave. Any smart person would verify with Connie in terms of instructions, as no one wanted to risk pissing him off due to miscommunication.

Erwin knew it was risky. All of it was.

“Connie, you seem like a decent man. You allow artists to show their work to the world. You keep money in their pockets. Keep people employed so they can feed their families and have a roof over their heads. Even the janitors here are paid enough to live comfortably. You don’t have-”

“Oh my god, shut the hell up, man.” Connie sighed, shifting his feet impatiently.

“How about we work something out?” Erwin raised his hand as he spoke. “She’ll continue working for you — making music, performing — whatever. But she gets to have some freedom as well, just like Eren and Jean have been able to lately.”

“She does have freedom,” Connie frowned. “I brought her here, didn’t I?”

“That’s not freedom. She can’t go anywhere without you, or do anything without you. You won’t let her leave her own home, or see her loved ones.”

“Loved ones?” A chuckle fell from Connie’s lips, and he momentarily looked down at his feet, then back up at Erwin, his hands in his pockets as if he were having a conversation with an old pal. “She doesn’t have any loved ones, just a bunch of stupid guys hoping to crawl into bed with her. That’s all she’s good for. That’s what I’ve heard, at least.”

“That’s not true. She’s a very-”

“Listen, listen,” Connie interrupted the blonde man once more. “I don’t care what you gotta say. Just let her out of the car, alright?”

Erwin simply stood there like a statue, holding onto his car keys. His thumb didn’t touch that “unlock” button.

“Let her out,” Connie repeated, his words followed by a yawn. “Last chance.”

“No.” Erwin reached back behind him and wrapped his fingers around the pistol tucked into the holster around his waist. “I’m giving you one last chance.”

Connie studied the serious, unwavering expression on Erwin’s face. His eyes flickered between it, and his holster.

What a dangerous man.

What a serious man.

No wonder that little group of idiotic men sent him to retrieve you. Connie was rather impressed, as not many people were bold enough to threaten to shoot him. Truth be told, he wished this guy really was one of his Silent Men.

But, Connie truly couldn’t waste any more time with this situation. He had other meetings to attend, and he was hungry as well.

Suddenly, Connie grabbed his own hidden gun. And, unlike Erwin, he didn’t hesitate.

He pulled out his weapon, pulled the trigger, and sent a bullet flying into Erwin Smith.

Erwin’s blood splattered against the car as he fell against it. Your screams were loud enough for Connie to hear, and rather annoying as well.

It didn’t take long for employees to make their way to the parking lot, each of them straining their necks to look around the parked cars and see what exactly happened before the Silent Men ushered them away.

Connie would simply make up a story, perhaps claiming that you were being kidnapped.

Connie handed his hot gun to one of his men. He stepped over Erwin’s body, grabbing the car keys out of his bloodied hand before he unlocked the doors.

The car beeps made your screams suddenly stop. But nothing — absolutely nothing — could make your body stop trembling, or make the tears forming from utter horror stop falling down your cheeks.

When Connie opened the passenger door, you held your breath and he bent down. His face was expressionless as if he didn’t just shoot a man. You couldn’t stand the sight of him, looking at the car floor through your blurred vision instead.

“Get out of the car,” he said calmly. “It’s alright. I’m not mad. Just get out of the car.”

You tried to say, “no.” But, no words would come out. Your sobs were just too great. They created a lump in your throat that you couldn’t swallow down.

“Y/N,” Connie called out again. This time, his hand gripped your chin, and he forced you to look at him. “I don’t have time for this. Let’s go. Get out of the car.”

With slow-moving, trembling hands, you unbuckled your seatbelt.

“There you go,” he smiled a bit, releasing your chin as he dropped Erwin’s car keys on the ground. “Come on. It’s okay.”

He helped you out of the passenger seat. Caught you when you nearly fell over from your wobbly knees, his arms wrapped around you as if he was a caring person. How silly.

“You know what?” Connie said, looking up at his men. “Find my assistant and tell her to cancel my meetings for today. I’m taking her back to my place. She shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Connie guided you to his car, and as he did so, he continued to say, “It’s okay. It’s over now.”

—

When Levi Ackerman received a phone call from Eren, he was hoping the man would tell him that everything went smoothly. That Erwin was on the road, driving you to safety.

Instead, Eren told him that Erwin had been shot by Connie. That everyone — all of the employees — believed that it was self-defense.

That was the story they were told before they were sent back to work and told to not contact the police. That Connie would handle it.

Eren had to sneak into the private parking lot before the Silent Men would show up once again, pull the muscular man into the back of his own blood-splattered car, and drive him to the hospital.

But Erwin was alive. He needed surgery, but he was alive.

And Levi truly wasn’t surprised either. A tough bastard like Erwin Smith would survive an abdominal gunshot wound.

Even so, once Levi arrived at the hospital, he had to do the one thing he despised Connie Springer for doing.

Using his influence to break the law.

While his best friend was in surgery, Levi spent the night walking the white ominous halls of the hospital after finding a nice, quiet waiting room to put Eren in and telling him not to leave.

He spoke with several members of hospital staff and police officers, as the doctors and nurses were required to report a gunshot wound.

Being a former manager meant that he was an excellent conman as well, and he managed to convince them that Erwin wasn’t a threat. To let him heal. To leave him be.

And it worked.

Having enough money to drop in their laps to keep them quiet certainly helped as well, because even though he lost his job as one of Hollywood’s richest entertainment managers, he still had more money than God.

He could only hope Connie wouldn’t press to have Erwin sent to prison on a pile of lies or send someone back to the hospital to finish the job.

He would have to worry about that later, though.

That next afternoon, Erwin was wide awake, and Levi slowly stepped into his plain hospital room.

“I’m sorry,” Erwin said weakly, unable to look Levi in the eye as he watched the man walk through the door. “I failed.”

The several different beeps belonging to the machines scattered around the room filled the silence that unwillingly existed between the two men.

Levi simply didn’t know what to say.

Blame it on the lump of guilt forming in his throat that grew thicker as his eyes scanned over Erwin’s I.V., but Erwin’s face looked even worse.

It was free of any injuries or scarring, but the deep frown of self-disappointment was a depressing sight; Levi couldn’t look at him.

“You’ve always been too hard on yourself, Erwin. It’s fine.” Levi managed to say, although any comforting words would have been pointless. Erwin never digested failure.

When Erwin finally looked up at Levi — god, he could have been Armin’s father with the sad shine his sharp blue eyes held — Levi looked away.

His hands were in the pocket of his pants. He looked out the door and watched a nurse and receptionist chat at the front desk. He needed something to look at that wasn’t Erwin’s face of failure.

“At the end of the day . . .” Levi spoke again, as he noticed that Erwin never responded to his last statement. His machine did, though. Every beep was a way of saying: “He’s alive. He survived. He lived.”

“At the end of the day, I needed your help because I couldn’t do shit on my own, Erwin. If anyone is pathetic in this situation, it’s me. I dragged you out of your life to come help me out with my own mess when that’s not your job. And now you’re injured. I’m sorry.”

Once again, Erwin failed to respond. But the beeping machine did.

“He’s alive. He survived. He lived.”

“Is Eren alright?” Erwin finally spoke. “They didn’t know that he was caught up in any of this, did they?”

“Eren’s fine. Covered in blood, exhausted, and pissed off, but he’s fine. You should worry about yourself.” Levi's eyes darted away from the nurse refilling her cup of coffee in the distance, and he managed to build up the courage to look at his old friend. “Thanks to me, you have a target on your back now. You have to go somewhere safe.”

“You want me to go where Hange is, I take it?” Erwin smiled softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Only despair was reflected within his orbs. Nothing else. “You want me to go to Maine? Just like that?”

“Just for a little while. Connie has no reason to go searching around in that state for anyone. That’s why I sent Hange there as soon as I could.”

“I see,” Erwin said.

That unwilling silence returned once again, but only for a brief moment.

“And take Mikasa with you,” Levi looked down at his shoes. This time, he was the one who looked so utterly disappointed.

He couldn’t protect anyone.

“Of course.”

“She doesn’t like the idea of leaving L.A. with everything Y/N is going through, but I’ll just have to make her. It isn’t safe here.”

“And what about you, Levi?” Erwin started to ask a question he already knew the answer to. “You should leave too. All of you should.”

“Without her?” Levi frowned deeply, and although he spoke in a whispered tone, his words were laced with anger. “Are you crazy or what?”

In that moment, when the one person Erwin could always count on to keep a level head glared at him with daggers in his eyes, Erwin realized just how much Levi had changed.

His hair was a bit longer. Messier, but not too messy. Dark circles had formed below his eyes from lack of sleep. He dressed in the blackest clothes he had owned, nothing professional like he used to wear, but it was obvious that he was dressing to blend in with the rest of society. To walk the streets of L.A. not as a hotshot entertainment manager, but as a lovesick nobody.

Lovesick.

That was it.

That was the word Erwin was looking for.

“Just what have you gotten yourself into, Levi? You would fall in love with someone who would cause you the most trouble,” Erwin thought.

“I’m not saying that you should leave her behind, but maybe you could get to a safe place and reach out for help — proper, legal help-”

“You know that won’t work.” Levi’s frown deepened. “I can’t believe you’d even suggest something like that.”

“He’s just a businessman, Levi. I’m sure if you found legal help outside of Los Angeles, then he wouldn’t be able to do anything,” Erwin winced as he spoke. He was starting to get worked up. “I know you love her, but-”

“What do you think will happen once Springer drops a fuck-ton of money into the laps of those greedy bastards? Or when he gets his shitty friends in the government to influence the rest of the government? And maybe not everyone will fall for his shit, maybe not everyone in the justice system is corrupt, but I’m not taking that chance.”

Erwin nodded along to Levi’s words.

“And I don’t love her. I just hate Connie,” Levi suddenly said, “I gotta go. I’ll check in on you later.”

Erwin told his old friend goodbye, watching as he left the hospital hopelessly.

—

The car ride with Connie was silent.

Only the gentle hum of his vehicle driving down the L.A. streets could be heard. Then, an occasional clicking noise from him activating his turn signal.

You could hear him breathing softly as well, and you tried to listen to his rhythmic breaths, as it could have served as a hint towards his mood — whether or not he was angry or truly as calm as he seemed — and his breathing pattern was ordinary. Normal.

You darted your eyes over in his direction when he shifted slightly in the driver’s seat. One hand gripped the top of his steering wheel.

It occurred to you that it was quite rare for Connie to drive. Perhaps, too many of his minions were busy cleaning up after him — literally and figuratively — to also act as his driver today. They were undoubtedly taking advantage of the broken justice system to push it in Connie’s favor, as well as forcing the janitors to clean up all of the blood.

Or, maybe, he was driving himself because had a punishment in mind for you that would be entirely too cruel for even the Silent Men to witness.

No.

You couldn’t think that way.

But, at the same time, if you didn’t think about your own well-being, then your mind drifted back to that man getting shot.

What if you were next?

—

When you arrived at Connie’s house and he parked his car inside of his massive garage, you didn’t move an inch.

“Come on, it’s okay,” he said calmly.

Getting out of the driver’s seat, he waited patiently for you to follow.

And you did.

It was better than the alternative that you had imagined, which was him pulling you out forcefully.

He led you from the garage — which looked more like an indoor car dealership — and into an elevator just past an enormous rec room.

You caught a glimpse of the neon blinking lights that belonged to several different arcade games as you walked by, as the door was wide open due to one of his maids wiping off a pinball machine.

“I can get you a house with an elevator if you want,” he said casually, stepping into the elevator as he turned around, and pressed the button for the second floor. “Not a big deal.”

You didn’t respond, and he didn’t pressure you to.

It was odd. His kindness. It almost made you miss his attitude; his dangerous aura.

At least that was familiar.

He stepped out of the elevator first and started walking. Like a lost puppy, you followed him.

Connie’s living room was heavily influenced by New Money culture. Everything was white, black, gold, or red, and incredibly modernized.

As he collapsed on the couch, a man rushed over to hand him a glass of iced lemonade with a slice of lemon garnishing the top.

“Welcome home, sir,” he greeted.

Surprisingly, he handed you a glass of lemonade as well, as he always prepared extra just in case his boss brought a guest over.

You didn’t dare take a sip.

Instead, you simply stood there, holding the glass as you watched Connie relax on the couch.

“You can do whatever you want, I don’t care.” Connie took a sip of his drink. “Oh, shit. You’re probably hungry. Are you hungry?”

Hesitantly, you nodded, and you hated the way it made you feel — like a pet or a child.

“Hey,” Connie snapped his finger twice, and the butler — or maid, assistant, or chef, you couldn’t tell — rushed over. “Tell the chef to make her a pizza.”

“Of course, sir.”

The man scampered off, and then Connie looked at you.

“You like pizza? Everyone likes pizza.”

Once again, you nodded.

“Okay, well,” Connie darted his eyes away from you awkwardly. “Go do whatever you want. It’ll be ready soon.”

Then, Connie turned on his television.

You didn’t want to aggravate him by standing there, so you walked away.

His home was bigger than Eren’s and infinitely bigger than yours. Even as you wandered the marvelous halls of his home, revisited the recreational rooms that you saw while walking into his home — indoor pool, arcade room, and so on — you couldn’t simply do whatever you wanted, despite Connie’s orders.

Because that would mean leaving, and you knew better.

—

You didn’t see Connie again until the pizza was ready. You were both seated at his dining table, two personal pizzas placed in front of you, and Connie dived in as if you were simply an ordinary guest.

But you decided to eat as well, slowly and cautiously, of course.

As you and Connie ate lunch in silence, you couldn’t help but notice that he wouldn’t stop shaking his leg.

And, after lunch, he told you once again to do whatever you wanted.

—

Five days had passed, and nothing had changed.

You weren’t trapped in one room, nor mistreated. You slept in the guest room with the door open and unlocked. You would tell his chef all of the meals you wanted throughout the day, walk around Connie’s home until you built up the courage to touch his belongings — although playing air hockey by yourself was a bit of a bummer — and Connie didn’t bother you.

It was kind of nice.

Even so, you and Connie didn’t speak to each other.

It only made your curiosity grow.

What exactly was he up to?

With all the time you had to look around, you noticed that several framed photographs throughout Connie’s home were pictures of him, Eren, and Jean throughout the years. Some pictures were older than others, and in those particular framed photos, a freckled boy was with them. In fact, he was in all of the photos from Connie’s childhood.

After spending some time in the indoor pool, and having a hot shower afterward, you walked down the hallway and started to approach Connie’s home office.

There, sitting at his desk, you spotted Connie.

For a while, he didn’t see you, and you simply watched him. He was typing away at his computer, shaking his leg as he sat in his black office chair.

Then, his eyes suddenly darted in your direction.

“Come here,” he said. You hesitantly stepped into his office. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me,” he sighed.

“I just . . . wanted to see what you were doing.”

“Just ask me next time. Don’t act like a damn stalker.”

“Guess you’d know a thing or two about stalkers,” you thought.

After all, you concluded that he was the person who was behind every instance of stalking that you had been through lately, from phone calls to the break-in.

“Sorry,” you mumbled. “Can I ask you a question?”

Connie simply looked at you.

“I’ve had some time to look around, and you have pictures from when you, Eren, and Jean were kids. You all looked so young and happy.” You paused. “Who’s the guy with the freckles?”

Connie’s facial expression changed. It was a look in between sadness and anger. He knew exactly what you wanted to know.

You wanted to know if there was some sort of connection between his current personality and the guy who suddenly vanished from the pictures. You were a smart woman, one who noticed that once he disappeared, so did the happy, goofy smiles.

“Marco.”

“Marco . . . oh.” You looked down at your feet. That name was uncomfortably familiar.

“Eren told you about him?” Connie asked.

“Mhm. He told me that you, him, and Jean had a friend who passed away. Didn’t really say anything else about it.”

“Passed away, huh?” Connie laughed sadly. “Like it was something that happened naturally?”

“What do you mean?” You looked back up at him, frowning in confusion.

“I killed him.”

Your eyes widened, and Connie casually rolled his eyes.

“Calm down, it wasn’t like that. It was an accident.”

“Sure,” you mumbled sarcastically. He did shoot a man recently, after all.

“It was.” Connie scratched his face. “Still went to jail. though. They sent me to an adult prison for four years.”

“When you were just a kid?”

Connie looked away from you as you spoke. It was difficult to make eye contact with you right now when the traumatic memories were pouring in, and he couldn’t stop it. It bothered him significantly more than he would let on.

“The shitty officers didn’t bother to keep me separated from them, either,” he muttered, and you could barely hear it. “It was fucking horrible.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” Connie looked back at you.

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

“Don’t be.” His face was expressionless. “Not everyone behind bars is a goddamn monster. I met some people who taught me everything I needed to know about this shitty city. They’re the reason I am who I am. My money, my company, my power . . . owe it all to them.”

“Did they teach you how to be a horrible human being as well?”

As soon as those words left your mouth, and fell from between your lips regrettably, you tried to stammer out an apology.

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? Are you trying to piss me off again? Want a repeat of what happened last time?”

“No. I’m sorry. I speak before thinking sometimes and I . . . I didn’t mean it like that-”

“How the fuck else could you mean it?” Connie pushed himself away from his desk, but he didn’t get up from his chair. Not yet, at least.

Even as he raised his voice, that familiar face of anger never appeared.

And, because of that, you continued to risk speaking. You wanted to push him on purpose, attempt to figure out what was the purpose behind his odd acts of limited kindness.

“Those people taught you how to take advantage of the system that treated you like crap, I get it, but to turn your back on the people who have been there for you doesn’t make sense. Who taught you that treating your friends like shit was okay? Was it them as well?”

“I don’t treat them like shit. They’re richer than other artists who are all signed to fucked up record labels. The only time I have to treat them like shit is when they deserve it. When they act like fools as if they’re not representing me.”

“You honestly believe that you’re doing the right thing?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Really? You’re working on your eighty-seventh marriage and you wanna lecture me about being a good person? You cheat and get remarried every season, so shut the hell up.”

“Cheating isn’t good, I know that, but it’s not nearly as bad as the shit that you do.”

“See what happens when I let you have too much fucking freedom? You start to run your mouth like you forgot who you’re talking to.”

You frowned, but even so, you still proceeded to speak your mind. After all, he locked you away in your bedroom for speaking to him in a tone similar to how you spoke now, but at this moment, he still didn’t seem angry.

Truly angry.

“You can say whatever you want, but I can tell you’re not really angry with me. You would have tossed me back in a room if you were.” Despite your brave words, your hands were trembling as you tried to hide them behind your back. But Connie still didn’t move, and your curiosity only grew. “Why haven’t you?”

Connie’s eyes flickered away for just a moment, but not out of shyness or shame. It was because he was thinking.

“You’re right. I’m not really pissed with you. I also don’t understand you either.” Connie paused. “I wanna ask you something.”

“Okay . . .”

“You jump from guy to guy, I get that, it’s nothing new around here, but who the hell do you actually wanna be with?”

“Why do you care?”

It was obvious he was dodging your accusation about him not being angry with you, but you didn’t push any further.

“Because those dumbasses care about you enough to send someone to come get you away from me, and you’re a fucking cheater. And two of the men you messed around with I consider to be my best friends, despite everything,” Connie said.

“I think you’re just being nosey,” you teased with a humorous tone — one that he did not appreciate. “Fine. If you must know, it’s not as simple as loving one person. Everyone that I’ve been with has been wonderful and awful in their own way . . . or their presence has just been convenient to me at the time, I guess.”

“And yet, Reiner and Eren think I’m the asshole for making those divorces happen. I’m doing them a favor,” Connie smirked.

“Why do you care?” You asked once again. Now, you were the one who started to feel angry. “And don’t give me that same excuse from earlier. If you cared about Eren or Jean at all, you wouldn’t treat them like shit. You should know that at this point, they don’t give a damn about money anymore. They just wanna get away from you.”

“You talk too much.”

“Well, after you shot that man, I realized something.” You sat down in one of the chairs in front of Connie’s desk and looked into his eyes. “I realized that you wouldn’t hurt me like that. Ever. All because you need me more than I need you. That’s why you haven’t done a damn thing to me except keep me locked away and try to control me. How much longer do you think that’ll work, by the way? How much longer until fans start noticing that something’s wrong, or one of your friends decide to risk it all and speak out against you?”

Certainly, this would anger him. But it didn’t. Instead, Connie laughed once again. He could easily see why someone like you possessed the ability to have any man you wanted.

“You’re right. I won’t hurt you. Can’t keep you under my control much longer, either.” He glared at you as he spoke. “But I’m the only person you have in your life that isn’t after some sort of shitty ass romance. I’m the only person who cares about your career. You could easily have a home just as nice as mine. Everything I’m doing . . . all of my punishments . . . is to teach you the skills you need to turn your fifteen minutes of fame into a lifelong career in Hollywood. We’ll see who really has your back when you tell your lovers that the only person you really love is yourself. That they were all only convenient to you.”

You didn’t say another word.

Suddenly, Connie started to get out of his chair, and walk out of his office.

You reached out, grabbing his arm. It was as if loneliness had possessed you.

“Wait, Connie,” you said pathetically. “Don’t leave yet.”

Connie smirked and turned back around.

That was when you realized why he wasn’t angry with you — why he didn’t lock you away.

He was lonely too.

—

When Mikasa first received the desperate phone call from Reiner, she was at the gym.

The dark-haired woman slammed her gloved fists into a punching bag as if it were her biggest enemy. Sweat soaked her black sports bra. Her black headphones weren’t blaring her typical favorite songs in her ears, but instead, intense heavy metal and rock songs that weren’t exactly her cup of tea — until now. She was pissed off, and she needed to listen to singers scream out their lungs in ways that she couldn’t.

The next song that suddenly played proved that she should have followed Annie’s advice when the woman told her to organize her songs into separate playlists, as the new song wasn’t loud and angry. Instead, a beautiful voice came through. It was a song that Mikasa had heard everywhere.

In grocery stores.

In restaurants.

Even the gym had played it a couple of times.

It was one of your songs.

She saved all of your music, but even so, hearing your voice caught her off guard. She instantly dropped her fists, attempting to catch her breath.

Mikasa pulled her phone out of her black shorts, hovering her finger over the skip button — knowing that she was listening to music you were being forced to record was too painful — but then, she decided to open her Spotify and queue up a few more of your songs instead.

It was the only opportunity she had to hear your voice.

With an angry frown, she slammed her fists into her punching bag with double the amount of strength as before.

Connie’s face appeared in her scattered mind. For a moment, she pretended that she was striking him, her blows connecting with his jaw instead of the bag.

Then, she thought about everything and everyone. She was pissed off because she didn’t know how to help you.

She was pissed off because she was the one who led you down the path of fame in the first place.

She was pissed off with Eren and Levi for both being lucky enough to have you in some sort of way, which was all she wanted.

And she was pissed off about that too — falling for a heartbreaker.

Suddenly, her phone started to ring.

When she stopped punching the heavy bag and grabbed it, glancing down at the caller ID, her heart fluttered when Reiner’s name appeared across her screen.

“Maybe he’s calling to deliver good news,” she thought.

After all, she had heard that Levi was attempting to free you from CS Records.

“Hello?” She mumbled anxiously.

“Hey, Mikasa. Are you busy?” Reiner said through the phone.

“Not really,” she eyed her gloved fists, “I’m just at the gym. What’s wrong?”

“I was hoping we could talk. Can we meet somewhere in about, uh . . . fifteen minutes?”

“Sure,” Mikasa said. “Just text me where.”

“Okay, see you soon. Bye.”

After hanging up, Mikasa started to gather her belongings when her phone dinged from an incoming text message. Reiner had sent her the directions to a local cafe.

Slowly, she started to head towards the women’s locker room to get cleaned up. And, with every step she took, she fought to hold back tears.

If Reiner had good news to deliver, he would have done so over the phone. And she could hear the utter defeat in his voice.

Whatever he had to say was certainly not good news.

—

A little bell above the entrance of a little cafe — appropriately named Hut’s Heavenly Cafe & Coffee Shop — dinged gently when Mikasa stepped through the door.

She mumbled a quick greeting to the owner before locating Reiner sitting across the little restaurant.

It was a rather expensive shop, and because of that, other celebrities and millionaires frequently visited whenever they wanted to meet with someone or grew sick of having coffee in the comfort of their enormous mansions.

Either way, it wasn’t uncommon to find a famous actor like Reiner here, and he could enjoy himself without having to worry about being mobbed by fans.

Hurriedly, Mikasa made her way over to his table and sat down, her eyes wide as she eagerly waited for him to speak.

Glancing down, she saw that he had already ordered her a piping hot mug of black coffee.

“Levi’s plan fell through,” Reiner mumbled defeatedly, taking a sip of his cappuccino. “Connie shot the man who was supposed to get Y/N. He’s still alive, but . . . I don’t know where to go from here. I didn’t trust that group entirely to begin with, and now, they’ve just made things worse. I need your help.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Mikasa stared down at her warm drink.

“Please, Mikasa,” Reiner said with an unusually gruff voice, his words coated with exhaustion and desperation. “You gotta help me. We can’t give up that easily.”

“I’ve tried to help, Reiner. Do you think I’m relaxing at home, not doing anything at all?” Mikasa raised her head. “At the end of the day, if we aren’t careful, we could end up like Erwin, or worse.”

Reiner was startled; only just a bit. He couldn’t recall if he had ever seen Mikasa get so emotional before, but he cleared his throat, trying his hardest to keep his composure.

“I don’t care about my own life — just hers,” he said.

“That’s admirable, but if you die trying to free her, then what’s the point?”

“I hear you,” Reiner sighed. “He’ll just get her back, and it will have all been for nothing.”

Soft chatter from the few other customers in the shop — along with the gentle beeps from industrial coffee makers behind the front counter — filled the silence until Mikasa spoke up again.

“Do you forgive her for cheating on you? Genuinely?” Mikasa took a sip of her black coffee.

She had known Reiner long before you stepped into the picture; had asked him similar questions before regarding his last two relationships long ago.

“Yeah, I do. Call me a fool if you want, but I know who I married,” Reiner said confidently, which was something he didn’t do long ago.

“I see.” Mikasa was silent once again, but suddenly, she spoke up, another question popping up in her mind. “Reiner?”

“Hm?”

“Why’d you ask me to help you?”

“You’re the only person I know who cares about her and also hasn’t screwed her over in one way or another.” Reiner darted his eyes down to his spoon, picking it up as he stirred around his cappuccino. “Plus, you love her too, don’t you?”

Mikasa’s eyes widened.

“Wh-what? I . . .”

“It’s okay,” Reiner smiled softly. “You don’t have to deny it. Nothing to be embarrassed about, either. There’s just something about her that makes it easy for people to fall in love. I don’t get it.”

It was weird. How okay he was when it came to Mikasa being in love with his ex-wife.

It made Mikasa frown, as she knew that he was only this accepting of her feelings because he figured that she didn’t stand a chance.

That she wasn’t a threat.

He knew well that you didn’t want her.

Mikasa swallowed down the lump of sadness that started to form in her throat, and she said, “She was different before Hollywood ruined her completely. She wasn’t a mindless, soulless machine belonging to the entertainment industry at first. Having someone like her around in this town was like a breath of fresh air.”

“Yeah, well I-”

Suddenly, Reiner’s phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket. When he glanced down at the caller ID, his eyes widened for a second, but he put on his best Actor Face, hiding his emotions as he casually said, “Excuse me, I gotta take this,” before getting up from his seat and rushing outside.

—

“Hello?” Reiner said into the phone.

“Hi, Reiner.” Your sweet-sounding voice came through — it was as if an angel from heaven was speaking to him directly. The sound of your voice snapped his heart into pieces, but he couldn’t break down like he wanted to. He needed to figure out what was going on.

“Y/N? Are you alright? What’s going on?” He rushed out, frowning as he felt his heart pound rapidly against his chest.

“I’m okay, I promise.”

Releasing a shaky breath, Reiner sighed with relief.

“It’s good to hear your voice. I’ve missed you.” Reiner didn’t know for certain, but he felt as if he was pressed for time. While he wanted to tell you just how much he loved you, he needed to get some answers first. His head started to spin from utter confusion.

“Are you safe? No one’s hurt you, have they? Where’s Connie?”

“Reiner,” you said softly. “Can you meet me outside of CS Records tonight around ten?”

“Sure, I-”

“Okay, great. See you soon.”

His phone beeped three times as the call suddenly ended.

For a second, he stood there in shock.

It was you. It was really you.

But you didn’t sound . . .

You didn’t seem . . .

Reiner snapped himself out of his consuming thoughts and headed back inside the cafe.

Struggling to contain his emotions, Reiner’s heart was pounding wildly as he rushed out to Mikasa, “It was her. It was Y/N.”

“What?” The dark-haired woman said, louder than she should have, perhaps, as a few customers started to glare.

“She asked me to meet her at CS Records tonight. She sounded . . . I don’t know. It was weird.”

“I’m coming too.”

“Levi wouldn’t like that. I have a bad feeling-”

“You can’t stop me.” Mikasa stared into Reiner’s eyes as he sat down in his seat. “Are you going to tell everyone else?”

“Should I?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t trust any of them except for Levi. I think it’s safer for me to keep quiet about this.”

“Why do you trust Levi? I don’t understand. He slept with your wife.” Mikasa frowned a bit.

“He also owned up to it and didn’t try to make any excuses. And everyone else seems like they’re only helping because they hope they can get another chance with her. He’s the only person who’s trying to free her because it’s the right thing to do.” Reiner’s eyes darted down to his cooled mug of cappuccino. “I can’t even sit here and act like I’m any better. I will always prioritize her safety over our relationship, but if she doesn’t want to be with me, I don’t know what I’ll do. I want her badly enough to overlook the cheating; isn’t that crazy?”

“Just be honest with yourself.” Mikasa blinked. “You don’t want to tell the others because you don’t want them to interfere. It’s not because you don’t trust them. It’s because you want her to yourself, and you’ll play dirty to accomplish that.”

“Well, let me ask you this, Mikasa,” Reiner started to frown. “Why won’t you fight for her? I mean, what’s holding you back from trying to earn her affection?”

“I’m not an idiot like the rest of you. I’m not going to chase someone who will just break my heart whenever someone new comes along. Not to mention she doesn’t feel the same way about me. I’m not joining in on that idiotic competition.”

“What if she did want you? What if there was the slightest chance that she could be yours? Would you join the . . . idiotic competition then?”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t change the fact that she’s a heartbreaker.”

“True,” Reiner smiled sadly. “We’re all stupid for falling for her.”

“But no one is willing to move on,” Mikasa said. “Just . . . How far are you willing to go for her? And I don’t mean being brave enough to risk pissing off Connie, but what about the other guys?”

“I don’t understand what you’re asking me.”

Mikasa sighed before speaking again.

“If it came down to it, would you sabotage Eren or Armin or any of them to better your chances of being the person she picks? Or would you respect her decision?”

“There won’t be any need to do any of that.” Once again, Reiner spoke confidently. “Our relationship was perfect at first, and it’ll be perfect again. I’m the one she’ll end up with. I know it.”

Mikasa didn’t say another word.

And, together, the two of them waited for ten o’clock to roll around.

—

Reiner and Mikasa arrived at one of the front public entrances of CS Records at 9:45 P.M., their entire car ride filled with silence as they were both too anxious to speak.

They didn’t know where to go exactly, seeing as CS Records had many entrances and they weren’t familiar with the building, but once they saw several figures standing outside of one of the many front doors, they figured that they were in the right place.

Reiner parked his car — horrifically, but he was impatient and filled with panic — and he and Mikasa quickly jumped out of the vehicle.

As they got closer, it became obnoxiously obvious who the shadowy figures belonged to.

“Did you tell them?” Reiner whispered to Mikasa.

“No,” She said.

Reiner and Mikasa walked up the stairs.

“You guys received a phone call too?” Armin questioned, his big blue eyes darting between Reiner and Mikasa.

“Yeah,” Reiner responded dryly.

“Good to see all of you.” As he lied, he looked at everyone who stood there, waiting for you.

Armin, Eren, Jean, and Levi.

“You weren’t stupid enough to show up without a gun, were you?” Eren asked.

“I have one,” Mikasa suddenly answered for Reiner, as she knew the big softie didn’t have any sort of weapon.

That’s when it hit him that this could very well be some sort of setup.

“Why are you here, Mikasa? It isn’t safe and this doesn’t concern you.” Levi stepped forward, glaring at his cousin, then at Reiner. He was already furious that he couldn’t drag her out of L.A. with Erwin. “Why’d you bring her?”

“She insisted,” Reiner said.

“I’m not a child, Levi. I can take care of myself. I didn’t receive a phone call, but Y/N’s my . . . my friend. So I’m staying here.”

Just as Mikasa finished speaking, a black vehicle arrived, one that was speeding down the sweet L.A. roads much too quickly.

It was Connie.

He got out of the car, but that usual death glare wasn’t present on his face. Then, he went to the passenger side and opened your door as if he was some sort of gentleman.

When you stepped out of the car, the group who stood there, waiting for you, all held their breaths.

God, they missed you.

You started to approach them, but Connie didn’t. Instead, he closed the passenger door, and got back in the car, but didn’t drive off.

No one said anything as you approached them.

They didn’t know what to say.

What exactly was going on?

Each of them scanned your figure. You looked fine. Healthy. You had a soft smile, one that silently said “I’m happy to see you all,” but your eyes were blank.

Suddenly, you wrapped your arms around Armin, hugging him tightly.

Even he was shocked. He hesitated before he hugged you back.

It was a tight hug, a comforting one; and he didn’t understand it. You hugged him as if you cared about him.

Did you?

When you released him, you looked deeply into the eyes of your childhood friend, and you touched his blonde hair, then stroked his soft cheek, smiling wholeheartedly as you did so.

He couldn’t speak, even if he knew what to say.

But you moved on to Eren — who stood beside him with a confused frown — all too soon.

Once you wrapped your arms around Eren’s neck, he instantly softened.

Unlike Armin, he didn’t waste a second before hugging you back as tightly as he could. He wanted to memorize everything about you. Your scent, the way your body felt against his — everything. And you tried to memorize everything about him as well.

Then, you hugged Reiner. He rubbed your back gently as you did so. He was confident that, unlike Armin and Eren, he would be able to speak, but once you touched him, his throat dried to a crisp.

You ran your hand across his muscular arm once you released him, and turned your attention to Levi. When you hugged Levi, he hesitated as well, only because he was trying to figure out what it meant. But, he held you gently, and as he did so, he could tell that you were trying to cherish this hug — trying to cherish him.

Truthfully, Jean was pleasantly surprised when you hugged him as well. He thought that, perhaps, it was simply out of kindness, that you didn’t want to leave him out, but when you suddenly squeezed him just a bit more tightly right before letting go, he knew that you truly wanted to hold him.

Mikasa received a hug that was just as loving, and she wanted to cry when she felt your kind touch. And she certainly never wanted to let go. You even touched her black hair softly as you pulled away.

Slowly, you walked back towards the middle.

“It’s nice to see all of you,” you said softly. “I’ve missed you guys.”

“What’s going on? What is this about?” Armin bravely asked the questions that the entire group was thinking.

“Well,” you looked down at your shoes. “I just wanted to tell all of you to leave me alone.”

“What?” Eren shouted.

“What are you talking about?” Levi added on.

“Just listen,” with a sigh, you looked back up at them, and spoke as if you weren’t shattering their hearts and flipping their minds. “I don’t need saving. I don’t need rescuing. Thank you for trying to help, but I’m fine. I’m staying with Connie voluntarily now-”

“You can trust us, we won’t let him hurt you,” Reiner spoke softly as if he was trying to gain the trust of a wounded animal.

“I’m being honest, Reiner. Connie would never hurt me.” You turned around, pointing at the car. “See how Connie’s the one driving? It’s just me and him. No Silent Men. He’s giving me a choice right now, and I can easily leave with one of you and not get back into that car. But I’m choosing Connie.”

“Are you fucking crazy?” Eren shouted once again.

“Y/N — what the hell are you thinking? Why would you pick Connie?” Mikasa stepped forward, frowning as she did so.

“Because Connie cares about me and my career. He doesn’t just want me around for love.” Your smile faded. “I’m staying with him because he cares about something other than romance. I don’t expect any of you to understand.”

“You’re gonna stay with him?” Jean asked angrily, yet softly. “The guy who kept you locked away? Him?”

“That’s the way it is.” You looked at them — no, through them — as you spoke. “So, please, leave me alone now, and move on from me.”

You turned around, and you started to walk away.

Most of the group was too puzzled to shout out or grab ahold of you.

The other half was hoping that this was some sort of prank.

But you never turned back around. Instead, you got in the car, and you and Connie drove away.

They lost you. Again.

—

Several minutes passed before anyone found the desire to speak.

“She made her choice,” Armin said, breaking the silence. “She picked . . . Connie.”

“There’s no way. There’s no fucking way.” Eren slowly started to walk back and forth. “Why are we just standing here? Why are we letting her walk away and go back to that piece of shit? We should get in our cars and follow them.”

“She’s not endangered anymore. If she picked him, we have to respect her decision-”

“Fuck that,” Jean interrupted Armin, putting his hands in his pockets as he frowned. “Did you really fall for that shit? Connie must’ve made her do this. Don’t tell me any of you would put it past him.”

“You guys don’t know her like I do. I really think she meant it. I think we should just . . . go home. It’s over.” Armin said sadly.

“And how exactly do you know that?” Levi asked, equally as pissed off as everyone else.

“She had that look in her eyes. It was the same look she gave me when she told me she was leaving me. That look means she’s serious.” Armin paused. “She could be suffering from Stockholm-”

“I don’t care if she wants to be with Connie or not. I’m not giving up,” Reiner interrupted.

“You’re not going to respect her decision? Assuming it is hers?” Mikasa looked up at Reiner. Her question was not truly about whether or not you wanted to be with Connie, but if Reiner would have intervened if you picked someone else from the group.

“No. For me, it didn’t matter who she picked. I didn’t plan on backing down, and I won’t. If the rest of you are so eager to give up already, then you don’t deserve her in the first place.”

A moment of silence passed. Just like that, Mikasa had an answer to the question she asked him at the cafe — a real answer.

“What the hell happened to you, Reiner?” Levi spoke up, his back facing the man he was talking to. “You’re letting your true colors show now, aren’t you? None of us should be worried about her relationship status right now. We should be worried about her going home with someone who held her hostage and shot a man.”

“Think she’s any safer with you?” Jean suddenly started to speak. “You beat the shit out of me for writing a song. You also break the law to get what you want whenever it suits you. You’re hardly any better.”

“Cut it out, Jean,” Mikasa said. She tried.

“As if you have room to talk,” Levi responded to Jean bitterly. “You can’t blame Connie for every shitty thing you did. Y/N wouldn’t wanna be with a piece of shit like you.” Suddenly, Levi started to raise his voice. He started to lose his composure — something that was scarcely possible. “Why the fuck are you even here? Do you really think you have a shot?”

“You only got your shot because she was drunk and emotional. She doesn’t even look your way when she’s thinking straight.”

Levi started to make his way towards Jean. Both Mikasa and Reiner held their arms out, holding back the angry man.

“Woah, hey, everyone calm down,” Reiner said.

“Listen, why don’t we all just go home-”

“If you wanna give up on her, Armin, that’s fine, but stop trying to convince the rest of us to do the same,” Eren said, but not as angrily as he would have if he was talking to someone who wasn’t Armin.

“I just want her to be happy,” Armin frowned.

“Dude, respectfully, shut up.”

“Don’t talk to him like that,” Eren glared at Jean.

“We shouldn’t argue with each other. Connie’s the problem, and we all know it. What are we gonna do about him?” Mikasa darted her eyes between everyone standing around, and no one spoke up for a moment until Eren interrupted the silence.

“I’m gonna kill him.”

“Eren, no-”

“Why not?” Eren said to Armin.

“Because you’ll go to prison. And murder is wrong.”

“If we don’t do something, none of us will be free from his torment,” Levi suddenly concluded.

“Levi, don’t tell me you agree with killing the man,” Mikasa looked at her cousin, who didn’t respond immediately. “Levi?”

“If you even hurt him, let alone kill him, Connie won’t need to use his influence to ruin your lives. You’ll do it yourselves,” Mikasa raised her voice.

Killing wasn’t the answer. It was insane.

“So we should just let him control and threaten us until we die or something?” Eren looked over at the woman. “He shot someone, he held people hostage, he gets people beaten up, he tried to hurt my goddamn mom. We can’t send him to jail, we all know that won’t fucking work, so what else should we do? I’d love to know.”

“Don’t you realize what’s happening?” Jean paused. “Y/N bringing all of us here to tell us to back off was our last warning. If we leave her alone, then maybe . . . maybe Connie will leave us alone.”

“What? You’re giving up now too?” Eren frowned at Jean, who was lost in thought for a moment.

“Did you all mean what you said in Armin’s apartment? That you’d fight for her even if it meant losing everything, or worse? Because this is our chance to save our careers and protect the people we care about . . . if we just let her go.”

“Okay,” Eren rolled his eyes once Jean concluded his speech. “Sounds like you’re giving up, so . . . bye.”

“Eren, don’t be stupid. She doesn’t want you, and now is your chance to go back to being an artist with millions of fans, a big ass mansion, and fucking any woman you want,” Jean retorted.

“I don’t want that anymore. How many times do I gotta say that?”

“Then what about your mom? I care about her too, you know. Think he won’t try to go after her again?” Jean took a few steps closer to Eren. “You should back out considering you’re the reason we’re in this mess. You won’t shut the fuck up and do what you’re told. Connie only got his hands on Y/N because she was being punished for trying to cover your ass.”

“So, you want me to bow down to a man who was only pissed at me in the first place because I beat your ass in public for sticking your filthy fucking hand down my wife’s pants?” Eren took a few steps closer to Jean. He reached into his hair, tightening his loose, low man bun. “Want me to do it again? Is that it?”

“I’m so tired of you acting like a bitch when things don’t go your way,” Jean clenched his fist.

“You have a lot of nerve calling me a bitch when you’re throwing a fit because I don’t enjoy having Connie’s dick in my mouth like you do-”

Suddenly, Jean’s fist connected with Eren’s cheek. The impact of his knuckles smashing into his bandmate’s face was strong enough to almost knock Eren off of his feet, and he stumbled back before finding his footing again.

“I’m sick of you, I’m so goddamn sick of you! You act like such a damn child when you don’t get your way. You’re fucking blessed with everything you could ever want except for one fucking girl, and it still isn’t enough-”

Jean was interrupted by Eren swinging at him with a punch of his own. By then, Reiner wrapped his arms around Eren’s — who tried to punch Jean once again — and he held him back, while Levi restrained Jean.

“That same girl could have been yours if you didn’t do everything Connie forced you to do, and now she hates you because you were too much of a pussy to say no to Connie. See how he couldn’t force me to make a song about her? That’s called having balls.”

“Eren, calm down,” Reiner gritted his teeth. He was a bigger man than Eren — both taller and buffer — but he had to use all his strength to hold the other man back.

“We’ll see if you’ll say the same thing when something bad happens to your mom because you keep messing with him,” Jean shouted, “because I remember you almost started kissing Connie’s boots when he was fed up with your ass and was about to head to your house.”

“Stop it,” Levi adjusted his grip around Jean. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.”

Eren managed to pull himself away from Reiner. However, he didn’t launch at Jean as everyone expected. Instead, he pressed his thumb against his bleeding lip.

“Connie’s not gonna do a damn thing to my family, and he’s not gonna have Y/N either. She belongs to me-”

“Slow down,” Reiner frowned as Eren turned to face him. “She isn’t yours. What you had was just a result of manipulation and confusion. What she and I had was real.”

“Is that why she cheated on you too?” Eren glared at Reiner with eyes that were as dark as the night sky above them.

“She cheated on me because she was drunk and having a bad night. She cheated on you because you made her feel lonely and unwanted because of what Jean was doing.”

Levi wanted to interrupt. But, was Reiner right? Would the relationship between the two of you amount to nothing except drunk sex on his couch?

Armin simply stared at the ground. He felt silly for even hoping that he could win you back. But you hugged him first, and longer than you hugged anyone else. Why? What for?

Did you miss him? Any of them? Or were you truly falling for Connie Springer?

Suddenly, Mikasa started to walk away.

“Woah, where the hell are you going?” Jean called.

“At this hour, I’m assuming Connie only has about two of his Silent Men at his house, if any. If things get ugly, well, I have a gun too-”

“Wait,” Levi reached out, grabbing Mikasa’s arm before she could descend the steps. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m going to his house. I’m going to see if she really wants to stay with Connie, or if she needs help. I’m tired of this. I don’t care who she wants to date, I only care about her safety, and I’m not convinced that any of you idiots can say that. Any of you.”

“I’m coming with you,” Levi said. “You know I care about her safety too, and yours. This could get ugly. Connie shot Erwin. He won’t hesitate to shoot me or you.”

“I’m coming too,” Eren approached Mikasa and Levi.

“We should all go,” Folding his arms across his chest, Reiner looked at Jean and Armin. “Are you two in? If we all go, especially if most of us have guns, Connie won’t be able to stop us. We were idiots for letting her walk away in the first place, but we’ll get her back.”

Jean and Armin nodded in agreement.

As the group headed for their cars, each of them couldn’t help but wonder if they would truly get you back, and which one of them you truly loved.

As they headed towards Connie’s home in their individual cars, the group also wondered if anyone would lose their life tonight.

But, as Levi eyed the glove compartment where he kept his gun, he only thought about one thing: the words you discreetly whispered in his ear when you hugged him . . .

“I’m pregnant.”

— ♡ 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!

— 🎟: @consuming-karma @lilvampirina @okaystopwhore @chrollohearttags @nanamochii @bunny2612 @cupids-soul @crazychaoticizzy @ramonathinks @averysmolbear @seishirogf @6sakusa @levin4nami @chaotic-on-main @sad-darksoul @gwapbby @katestrophes @ventdavi154 @lovelyless-fiction @svftackerman @musegonemad @moonmalice @inciteterr0r @honeybleed @zeninsbitch @purple-milk24 @itzgabz22 @mooomuu @micafecitoconpan @beaniebanby @anonymousme23 @theitchbbbb @skit-brentfaiyaz @princessos-blog @elliesbabygirl @the-mrs-steve-harrington @kittenbabe00 @magictrump @hetalia-tumbler @hon3y-c0mb @bol0-de-morang0 @thisisketchy @yoongirecs @allofffmypeaches @sasha-glass @getwaves @deluluvibes @p3nislawd @emery-333

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