Take my hand, take my whole life, too.

For I can't help falling in love with you.

—Elvis Presley

Many Years Prior

It was the dripping, really, that had Levi at his wit's end. That same hollow noise breaking the silence at intervals of ten—maybe fifteen?—seconds.

But in the grand scheme of things, the dripping could be considered the least of his problems at this given moment. Arms were together at the base of his spine, twine keeping his wrists firmly bound to the seat he was in. The rope barely had even a millimeter of slack, his wrists numbing to a shade of purple, skin rubbed raw with every shift of his weight.

Levi's eyelashes brushed against the blindfold around his head, concealing his sight from his surroundings. He had no idea where he was—he had been blindfolded since the night prior. His bladder had yet to reach its tipping point, but he knew that time would come. He would also consider himself hungry, since his last morsel of anything was long in the past, but the anxious adrenaline kept nourishment from his top priority. Sleep was unfathomable in this situation.

He pressed on regardless, trying not to let an inch of discomfort show anywhere on his body. His mouth never frowned, his lips held steady and relaxed. Levi tried not to move his head too much, and when he did, he forced himself to maintain control and move slowly. The last thing he needed was to be on display, with jerking head movements revealing fear every time a noise was made. Silence was his only comfort in this situation—silence meant no intrusion, which meant no immediate danger. But he didn't even let that get to him. Memories of songs, conversations, anything rang within his ears to overcome such a lack of sound, aside for that fucking dripping.

Patience was of the essence. Solitary confinement was a nasty rumor on the streets—he always overheard the shop-owning women whisper about how that's how the neighbor's boy killed himself. The Military Police, instead of the common execution, would subject the criminals to the punishment. These prisoners would go insane—in every literal sense of the word—from going days, weeks, months, even years without seeing or speaking to another human life form.

And Levi kept reminding himself that he was alone as a form of intimidation, not imprisonment. They needed Levi for whatever reason, and this was only a tactic used to increase the likeliness of him succumbing into their whims. So Levi could do nothing but remind himself to breath deeply, stay calm.

Even when he heard a door open, or when the footsteps were getting closer and closer.

He stayed calm.

Those footsteps belonged to someone powerful, someone physically strong.

Calm.

Levi felt the electricity radiating from another human, tingling his own skin. And when he felt ice-cold fingertips barely grazing the surface of his cheeks, he sank his teeth into his tongue to keep from revealing even a twitch of fear. He also knew not to say a single thing until the other did, even if that meant he'd be tied here longer. Levi was tasting blood by this point.

"You're just a kid, aren't you?"

A man's voice, deep and almost surprised. Maybe disappointed. Levi struggled to keep his breathing relaxed, and he hoped that if he tried to speak, his voice would not stutter, would not even deviate into any tone that wasn't flat and even. Not risking that chance, he decided to keep his answers too short to reveal any sort of inflection. "I am."

"No, you're actually a child. From what I've heard about you, I expected someone at least sixteen. You couldn't be any older than ten."

"Fourteen."

"Well, I digress," The man took a moment, probably trying to arrange his words in a way that would yield the maximum effect on Levi. "I'll bet you're wondering why you're here."

Levi knew he had to feign nonchalance. "I am."

The next question was immediate. "Are you scared?"

"I am not."

"Very good," Levi's skin was searing under the touch of icy hands. Then the blindfold was gone. "I think we'd benefit if I introduced myself."

The room was almost as dark as behind the blindfold. Levi could make out a slight silhouette of someone tall and young. Strong. Blond.

"My name is Erwin, and don't you worry. I'm not much older than you. In fact, I guess you could call us both kids. And kids need to stick together, don't they?"

Levi, eyes naturally narrowed, squinted just slightly. "Like glue."

"I will keep this frank, actually. I'm a busy man, I'd hate to waste my time."

"You just said you were a kid."

"Oh, we have a sassy one," Erwin's wide eyes, an innocent shade of blue, were shadowed with dark deviance. "Levi, I'll say this once, and once only. If you have any intention of staying alive after this conversation, you'll take me up on this offer."

He couldn't show fear, and even if he could, he wouldn't. "Good thing I have nowhere else to be."

"You've made a lot of people angry in your lifetime, Levi. And, sorry to say, I am one of them. You're only fourteen and you've stolen a lot of my stuff and killed a lot of my men. What do you have to say for that?"

Erwin was nearly peaceful with his voice. Levi licked his lips, cocked his head to one side, just so slightly that it was naked to the human eye. "My condolences."

"I'd have every right to kill you right here, and I'd derive satisfaction. Even if you were just a kid helplessly tied down to a chair. I'd enjoy your death because of all the trouble you've caused me lately."

Those were heavy words to arouse fear. Levi could sense the bluffing. Erwin said there would be an offer, and until he revealed what it was, Levi would be kept alive. And therefore safe for the time being.

He stayed calm.

"So I will ask you this once, and I do expect an immediate answer. Let's both hope it's the right one. For your sake, Levi."

Calm.

"Even in crossing myself and the subordinates I control, you demonstrate a level of skill, and you're still young. I could refine those skills and make you an impossible enemy to whomever you'd wish. But that means you'd work for me now. I'd own you and everything you will ever become. And if that doesn't sound appealing, then I hope you become ready for death in the next ten seconds. Because that's all you have left."

Levi said nothing, nor did Erwin. The moments passed by, enough time to constitute time being wasted.

"How does that sound, Levi? Join me."

He looked up into the eyes of this man, the man who held Levi's life so glaringly on the line. And Levi took it all in, he soaked up Erwin's confidence and power. He relished the last moments of his life because there was no way in hell he'd work for anybody.

Levi was alone in this world, and he'd die that way.

For the first time in his life, it seemed, Levi tilted a corner of his mouth upward. "Kill me."

No Longer Many Years Prior

It was far past closing time, all of his employees were long ago tucked into their beds. But he had an empire to run, money to count, asses to cover. He was alone in this building he owned, in the city he owned, occupied by people he owned.

The night hang heavily in the air. His coal-shoveling workers had been off the clock for hours now, so he had no choice but to hasten his steps past the dark and into the carriage waiting to take him safely to his home.

He wished he'd carry a lantern more often. Or make one of the laborers stay to shovel coal to make enough gas to provide the proper flames needed to illuminate his path. Until then, he had to combat this darkness, including whatever it'd bring.

He then stops in his tracks, takes a moment to regain composure. He had no idea why his imagination was getting the best of him. There was nothing to fear about the dark. Ghouls weren't hiding around the corners, titans were far outside the walls, and there wasn't a human soul in this city that would dare cross him. He was powerful both economically and politically, which was the right combination to control those that were the physically powerful. No one could hurt him, because not only did he own everyone who possibly could, but he could send them to teach a lesson to anyone who was new to the rules of his city.

Untouchable was what he called himself. And he was, so there was no reason to think that he wouldn't be safe, dark or not.

But it was hard to see past a few feet in front of him.

And what was that sound? Was somebody actually there? Who was that in the distance?

It was a woman, or maybe it was a hallucination bred from his own mind. He had been having trouble sleeping lately, maybe his nerves were just rubbed raw from exhaustion.

No, it really was a woman.

A familiar one, actually. It couldn't be his wife. She never bothered him while he was at work. It was a nice surprise, actually. To have company in this darkness he wasn't supposed to be afraid of.

She wasn't saying anything. Maybe she was just as spooked as he was, maybe she saw him and was hesitant it was her husband she was looking at.

Was she...floating? Why weren't her feet on the ground?

As he inched closer, he could make out more than just her body. He saw the rope above her head, snugly fit around her neck, eyes wide open revealing the life lost.

"Oh—Oh god!"

He was trying not to scream, but he couldn't move past his dead wife's body. He couldn't touch it. How did she even get here? Was this of her own doing? There was no stool around she could've gained leverage from. But it had to be just her. It needed to be. Because he could deal with his wife's suicide in the light of day. He couldn't even think that there was someone in this building that put her there.

Because that would mean that he wasn't alone.

Levi knew he wasn't alone, because he watched with boredom as this scene unfolded beneath him. He balanced on a wooden beam that gave enough height to stand erect under the vaulted hallway ceilings, and his night vision was naturally impeccable, his irises tracking each and every twitch of this filthy, fat businessman screaming for someone to reveal his or herself.

And Levi decided to be nice and give the man exactly what he wanted.

So in one swift leap down to the ground, Levi landed only a few feet away from the man. He was near tears and Levi wanted to outright scoff at such a display of weakness.

"Who's there?" The man was waving the briefcase as a makeshift weapon. "I'm a very powerful man who could have you killed in an instant!"

Levi said nothing.

"What is it do you want? Money?"

Still not a sound from Levi.

"You've already killed my wife and I'll be sure to make you pay! You disgusting, despicable cretin! She's not the one with the money, she was completely innocent! You sick bastard had to drag her into this! Why would you do this to her, you shit scum?"

"Don't flatter yourself, you fat pig," Levi moved forward, watching the man leap in fear. He dropped to the ground, backing away with every step closer Levi took. "You did this to her. Don't put this on us."

"How dare you say it was my fault! Who are you? I'll let you know that you won't survive another day after this! You just upset the most powerful man in the city!"

"That is partially why I came here today. I came to deliver a message from my boss." Levi unsheathed a sword, placing the tip just above the man's Adam's apple. Not enough pressure to puncture, just a delicate reminder of who had the control in this situation. "He just wanted to let you know that you're no longer the most powerful man, because he came to town, decided he liked it, and that he thinks he'll be here a while."

"So what do you want?" Every time he tried to remove himself from underneath the sword, Levi replaced it immediately. "For me to pack my things and leave? Money?"

"It seems you didn't properly receive the message we sent."

The man paused, heaving chest, frantically trying to fetch memory of a message. "You were the one to send me that ridiculous letter asking to pay dues."

"I wasn't," Levi crouched to the ground, eye level with this pathetic excuse of a human being. "That would be Erwin Smith who did."

"I don't have to give you anything! And tell this Erwin Smith that he won't last long here. He'll never destroy everything I've built in this city. The children have schools, the whores have found God! Without me, this place would not be the utopia it is."

Levi exhaled sharply, a sound resembling something short of a laugh. "Don't act so noble. We know about all the secrets you have to offer."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"It doesn't matter if you do."

The man, such a smart man, could smell his impending doom. He was wailing, crying. Levi was unmoved. "This world will be nothing without me!"

"I guess only time will tell."

Levi rose to his feet, twirling the sword gracefully in his palm.

When the man's blood splattered across his face, all he could think about was how much he needed a bath. Then he pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, inspecting the position of the hands on his watch.

"Just in time for the show."

Erwin Smith liked to consider himself a patron of the arts. Levi never understood the man's fixation on something so asinine. An image on a piece of canvas, or a man reciting a pre-written monologue—there was so much more that needed to be done than put on some show for pretentious aristocrats with disposable income.

Levi never found pleasure in these little field trips that his boss always organized. The logic followed something along the lines of cultural and morale, but Levi never payed much attention to the details. He just followed his orders.

And these particular orders had him sitting in the box, such a coveted seat in the theater, yet it was wasted by housing a pouting man in a tuxedo.

This show was a ballet—if Levi had to accept any art, he supposed he could deal with ballet. It showed great physical aptitude, but even then, these dancers were busy prancing on a stage for the applause. There wasn't much nobility to be found in tutus and tights. Then again, Levi killed people for a living, so he hardly had room to judge anything even synonymous with nobility.

He remained in his seat, spine erect and perfectly perpendicular to the floor, hair immaculately combed to a dark sheen, applauding at the appropriate moments. This process was repeated, with the occasional comment Erwin would whisper, which would definitely shake things up.

There was an arm pressing into Levi's own. Erwin wasn't the best at whispering, but no one was willing to be the person to let him know that. "They have a new prima ballerina. She's an Oriental, apparently."

In his years of getting dragged to this sort of thing, Levi came to learn that the prima ballerina was the star of the show—the most desirable position in a ballet. The girls were always beautiful, some older than others, and they all caught Erwin Smith's attention. He couldn't even count the mornings after a ballet when Levi would prepare for his day and there would be a hopelessly lost prima ballerina with nice legs and disheveled hair wandering about. Always stopping someone to ask where the "strong blond man with the nice eyes" could be found. It could be considered Levi's favorite aspect of going to see the ballet in the first place, actually.

But he still had to sit through the ballet to get to such a rewarding point. Until then, Levi would watch these men and women sashay about on the hardwood planks of the stage, all while combating the sensation of needing to gouge his eyes out.

Levi didn't understand the gaudiness of the costumes on the stage before him. These were already the most trained and advanced dancers—their skills, albeit useless, should have been the focal point, not the costumes. And yet, Levi had no choice but to try to figure out why someone thought that shade of orange would look good with those purple feathers. He wasn't even a very fashionable man to begin with.

He was waiting for this new prima ballerina to show herself. It had been years since there had even been word of an Oriental living within the walls, but Levi wasn't holding his breath. Every woman with dark hair and dark eyes that he had encountered always mentioned Orient in their bloodline, so this girl couldn't have been any more special than the rest. This girl, the prima ballerina girl, who had yet to appear onstage.

Almost on cue, the music turned somber. The corps de ballet scattered to their places, either taking a frozen position at the back of the stage, or exiting completely. No one spoke throughout the crowd, because this was the moment everyone was waiting for—save for Levi, of course.

And there she was. The Oriental prima ballerina.

Posture was always a maintained trait within Levi, but had it been possible for him to sit up any straighter, he would have. Because all eyes were on this girl, and Levi was no exception.

The striking physical beauty hit Levi right in the abdomen. Yes, Levi was in the box, possibly as far away from the girl as he could get in the theater, but he could feel her beauty in his bones. Her hair was not just dark—it was thick curtains of raven. Raw and natural, the hair flowed freely in every which way, with no extravagant tiara adorning some ridiculous updo. And that skin was as pure as snow, paler than Levi thought possible. Almost translucent under the heavy lights.

This girl was long and lean, with shadows cutting into the crooks of each muscle on her body. Levi was a sucker for a well-kept body, and he was sure that this girl's body was a temple. It was a paradox almost, the way her delicate frame held up such strong flesh. A paradox that Levi had no argument for.

Her dress was white, almost like a nightgown. Between such intimate clothing and unkempt hair, it looked like a half-sleeping girl managed to wander onto the stage.

As much as that was a joke, it was clear that this wasn't a girl who accidentally ended up on stage. She was a girl who had every right to be on stage, and while Levi's draw didn't exactly drop, the amazement was still prominent. His eyes raked over those legs that extended into eternity, and those toes that pointed so sharply. Ballet technique was a foreign concept to him, as it always would be, but he was pretty convinced that whatever she was doing wasn't exactly correct—but it was so right.

She was a rag doll, deviating away from the stiffness that came with every other prima ballerina that Levi ever witnessed. Ballet was a fluid motion to begin with, but compared to what this girl was doing, her predecessors were clunky and nowhere near the realm of grace. Levi watched as the girl ran across the stage, jumping to an apex that just wasn't humanly possible, throw her body back until her spine met with the back of her thigh, and even managing to land without even as much as a thud on the wood.

What he was watching was not ballet, that much had to be certain. All prima ballerinas in the past danced in roles that were accompanied by upbeat sonatas and radiating smiles. Whether faked or genuine, prima ballerina solos were always topped a smile wider than the actual face. This, however, this was not something that a smile could be considered the appropriate countenance. The girl, with her charcoal hair looking so perfectly harsh against her milky body, was broken and lost on that stage. With an audience well in the hundreds, each and every person watched this defeated soul contort her body into beautiful shapes. So many people witnessing a frown.

Yet it was just her and Levi in the room, it felt.

"They must be taking some contemporary, experimental route with this ballet," Levi heard Erwin attempt to whisper. So much for it being just the two of them in the room.

Levi licked his lips, then pressed them into a firm line. "I'm intrigued."

"She's not even using toe shoes," He sounded less than impressed. "The girl is definitely exotic. Pretty, but kind of boring."

"It's simplicity," Levi found the slightest bit of alleviation in Erwin's lack of interest. He wouldn't have to see what this girl looked like after having sex with his boss, and for whatever reason, Levi was okay with knowing that this stranger wasn't going to have Erwin Smith eight inches deep inside her.

Erwin had moved past the point of trying to at least keep a hushed tone. His concern was no longer with the boring prima ballerina, but with Levi. Despite the show still in session, and despite Levi finally finding interest in something with the arts, Erwin checked his watch.

The universal sign that Levi designated as the "about-to-get-assigned-a-job" signal. This name was ridiculous, Levi knew that, but he never said it out loud so it didn't matter.

"Our target is in the audience tonight, Levi. Secure the perimeter. Don't give him a chance to escape after the curtain call."

Levi took one last look down at the dancer, still drifting onstage. Then, rising onto his feet, he flattened his hands against his pectorals, smoothing out the fabric as he ran them down the length of his midsection. Once adjusted, he turned his back to the stage and its sole inhabitant.

As tempting as it was to get caught up in the trance of this girl, he was given an order, and orders would always take precedent.

While many others would be the first to refute such a notion, Levi considered himself somewhere along the lines of humble.

He was gifted with physical appeal, admittedly, but he never really thought he was amongst gods. He could probably be a memorable face in a sea of people, but it didn't seem possible that he'd be able to captivate a sole person from any significant distance.

With that being said, Levi couldn't help but sense that she was watching him. As if she were making a point to meet eyes with him, and him specifically. Even though she was in shower of roses and standing ovations, she was more concerned with needing to capture Levi's attention. Her smiles were barely present, nothing quite amiable, and she acknowledged the crowds with hesitant nods and less than enthusiastic curtsies.

Right when Levi planned to send someone to deliver this girl flowers, Erwin was in his ear. "Confirm that all positions are under surveillance."

Levi hardly had to turn a head before a low-ranking subordinate gave an affirmative nod. He decided his hands were tired from applauding, so he stopped. "Awaiting Eren Jaeger's departure from the west wing of the theater. Once in line of sight, capture will be stealthy and swift."

Erwin nodded, pulling another subordinate close for a message. Levi tried not to eavesdrop, but he was just so poor at whispering. "Send gifts to the prima ballerina. Tell her that I would love to get to know her better."

Between the champagne and jewelry, Levi listened to Erwin's plans to capture the heart of the same girl he described as boring. He hardly blinked, he just looked down at her. When she managed to catch his gaze for a second and a third and a fifth time, it seemed less and less like a coincidence.

"It is important that this plan is executed properly," Erwin was back to addressing Levi. "This boy could be a valuable asset to us."

Levi didn't even hesitate a single syllable. "I will personally guarantee Eren Jaeger's cap—"

The lights went out.

In the theater, there was a moment of utter silence throughout the crowds. Then panic rose in octaves, resonating worry in every inch of the building. His hand would not have been visible in this darkness, not even if his palm were to be against his nose, but that left no excuse for fear. These were sheltered, paranoid rich people whose sheltered existences couldn't have even prepared them for a power outage.

If anything, Levi should have been the one with any reason to worry. He would now have to wait for lighting in order to move forth with his mission. It was a minor inconvenience, but with Levi's capabilities, he could make success out of any situation.

However, not even a full minute passed before there was a flicker of lighting, then a steady stream coming back through the fixtures. A collective sigh of relief echoed in the theater, these wealthy imbeciles back in the safety of light, and Levi was about to begin the chain of actions needed to get this kid in their custody—but, of course out of the smallest habit, he glanced back down at the girl.

The prima ballerina who was no longer on the stage.

It was odd that she was gone, but it was nothing to think much about. He'd see her again eventually, especially if Erwin Smith had anything to do with it, and he presently had a mission to execute, so her disappearance would have to remain a little mystery.

But now that he did think about it, there was a precise amount of maneuvering needed to exit in pitch black circumstances without falling off the many ledges of the stage. And while he was at it, he notice that all the bouquets she held were now on the floor where her feet once were, and Levi just found it so strange that she just didn't take at least one flower with her.

An elderly man wandering onto stage, appearing as though he were the director of the ballet looking for a certain prima ballerina who had recently made an abrupt disappearance, and that really let something loose in Levi's mind.

With one step, and then another, he leaned over the railing of the box. Nothing dramatic, no plummeting to any death, but he craned just enough to look in a very specific theater seat that was perfectly center with the stage. A very specific theater seat that was now empty. Eren Jaeger's theater seat.

The boy was missing.

The only thing you need to take away from this chapter is that Erwin Smith has an eight-inch dick.

And you also need to take away the fact that I enjoy reviews. Even the ones that tear me a new one.