The Intern

Chapter 25

"What the fuck?"

I flinched slightly, but I didn't bother to turn around. I could pretty much guess what Mikasa's face must have looked like, and I wasn't ready to face her until I had some idea of what I was going to say. The club wasn't even open yet, although it wasn't hard to guess what went on once everyone was inside. The smell of leather was heavy in the air and the club was glowing red tonight, which I could only assume was an attempt at being festive for the holidays. Somehow I didn't think Mikasa was getting the whole Christmas cheer vibe from this place.

"Oh, yea," Hanji laughed, "What the fuck, indeed. I'm guessing it's your first time, huh? It's a lot to take in all at once."

"Is this a..." Mikasa trailed off and I fought the urge to look back at her. She wasn't searching for a word. She was struck silent from the sheer shock of it all.

"A BDSM club?" Levi provided the answer as if she were asking something simple. Something that didn't matter at all. "Yes."

"Why would you come here?" Mikasa's voice was filled with confusion as if she couldn't possibly understand it at all. It was obvious that she wasn't taking this well, but it wasn't as if I actually expected her to.

"Why not?" Hanji blinked, looking between the three of us. She clearly had no idea who Mikasa was, but that wasn't surprising. No one was able to tell that Mikasa was my adopted sister from sight alone. Hanji had probably assumed that we brought her here under the full knowledge of what this club was. It was a fair assumption, of course. Even I had an inkling before I stepped through the doors my first time.

"Why not?" Mikasa repeated Hanji's question and gestured around us, "It looks like a torture chamber in here."

"It's not that bad," I interjected, surprising both Levi and myself. He looked over at me and raised one eyebrow, amusement crossing his features. I had never fully admitted to liking the things we had done while we were here, but I'd found myself craving them lately.

"Not that bad?" Mikasa put emphasis on the last word as she turned towards me, "Is this what you're into now, Eren? Is it because of him? Did he force you to do this?"

"I didn't force him to do anything," Levi snapped, his eyes narrowing, "He followed me in here himself."

"Why would he have to follow you here in the first place?" Mikasa shot back, turning her menacing glare on Levi. "Why were you here at all?"

"That's a silly question," Hanji laughed. She either didn't notice the sudden tension or she was attempting to play it off entirely. "This is Levi's club. He owns it."

"You own this place?" Mikasa's voice was incredulous as she took a step back towards the door. "Why would you own a place like this? Why would you want something like this?"

"It's not for the reasons that you're thinking," Levi spoke through an exasperated sigh. It was clear that this was not the first time he'd been asked that kind of question.

"Do you like to hurt people?" Mikasa's voice was taking on an accusatory note that had me fighting to stay out of it. Somehow I knew that I should let Levi handle the situation. I would turn it into a screaming match if I got involved. "Is that what it is? Do you like to cause them pain?"

"It's not about hurting people." Levi responded, trying to keep his voice even. She was starting to hit a very sensitive nerve, and pretty soon he was going to give up the attempt to remain civil.

"The hell it's not! What else would you use these things for?" Mikasa snapped back, grabbing one of the whips dangling from the wall. She turned it on Levi, her eyes narrowed as she stepped forward, "Do you use them on him?"