Friday nights in the city were still buzzing, no matter how far Eren had gotten from them. The rare ones he had were no different. In the year that he and Levi had been living together, he rarely went out. His father's actions still haunted him; even if he was behind bars, the fear brought on by the memories was enough to paralyze him.

He had panic attacks that went as far as to wake him in the middle of the night, but they were becoming few and far between. Levi, however, had not noticed. He refrained from waking him when they happened, even though Levi had experienced his past ones. For months after he woke up, he had them almost daily, and Levi had been with him for every step. He taught him calming techniques, provided herbal medicines, he even noticed a variety of Google searches in Levi's laptop. Lately, however, he wasn't…uninterested, just busy. And Eren had stopped alerting him to the attacks. He figured he would have to learn to cope alone.

Tonight, his fear was at the back of his mind, as he danced and mingled with old school friends. The others were in college now, and Eren was saving to join them. He had started working at a garage, and decided that mechanics were the perfect way to go. He loved it, when he settled into his work, he forgot everything. It was what kept him going. Levi had so much work to do as a teacher, and couldn't spend quite as much time with him, but he knew that would be the case. It was still more time than when they started.

Even so, Eren found his arm wrapping around a strangers neck while their hips pressed together. He would not go home with any strangers, he wouldn't even kiss them, but the thrill of knowing someone wanted him was a high he hated coming down from. It was not that Levi did not want him; it was that the thrill was gone for Eren. He knew this is what being in an adult relationship was like, that it was not going to be the honeymoon phase forever, and he didn't hate it. But he still yearned for attention that Levi did not give. He would still go home, shower and crawl into bed with him. He always worried Levi would smell someone else on him and assume the worst. Maybe he would smell someone else and ravage him to remind him why they were together.

Eren's mind was pulled back to where he was, as his stranger's lips were against his throat. He recoiled with a disgusted expression, hands rising push him back. He received a look of drunken confusion. He simply shook his head and walked away, back towards his friends, who had ignored his escapades. He checked his phone a few times through the night, Levi never texted him when he was out, but he still checked. Just in case.

After just a few moments, there was a new stranger breathing down his neck, and in a few moments more, they were coiled around each other. This stranger was better, less alcohol in his breath and a healthy understanding of limits. But this stranger was so much more intimate. He was holding Eren's waist with large hands, his lips were moving towards his ear while Eren's arms were snaked around his neck. For a while he couldn't understand him, he assumed he was just saying his name. In the next few moments, the man was describing his thoughts on Eren, rather explicitly. Instead of pushing away, Eren clung, listening to the man's thoughts, imagining everything he described, but with Levi. Levi pulling him towards the bathroom, Levi pressing him against the stall door, Levi bending over for him and pulling his trousers down. Eren felt himself harden at the thought. His new stranger assumed it was for him, and moved a thigh between Eren's legs to press against him. Eren gasped and tried to pull back, but he held firm. Eren shook his head.

He attempted to shout the word boyfriend at the stranger, who must have understood as he backed off. He looked so disappointed in him as he did.

Levi planted two cups of tea on the table, and left to grab a coffee. Erwin and Hanji had invited themselves over and were currently making themselves at home on his couch. When he re-entered, the two were lost in a chat about recent work opportunities. The conversation switched immediately.

"How have things been here, Levi?"

Levi looked between them.

"Fine, why?"

"We've just noticed that you've been quiet! We were worried things might be gone stale."

Hanji's response was unexpected.

"Well, we're adults. Dealing with "stale" is when you've reached the perfect area of comfort, isn't it?"

Hanji and Erwin looked at each other.

"Why do you guys keep looking at each other?"

"Well…where is Eren tonight?"

"He went out with friends"

"And why are you here?"

"Because I am literally 12 years older than him. I also doubt his friends would appreciate the supervision of their former English teacher"

"Levi, do you think you're too old for him?"

Erwin finally joined in, and as always, had a question to make him think.

"Yeah, I am. But we're happy."

Erwin and Hanji exchanged glances again.

"I swear-"

"Sit down, Levi."

Authority permanently outweighed any fight Levi had, and he plopped himself onto the couch, immediately reaching for his tea. He sipped slowly, his eyes darting between Hanji and Erwin. He was ready to berate them when Erwin spoke.

"Levi, for the last…while, your relationship with Eren has been less and less prominent in your life. As in, you two seem to be doing less and less together. It's gotten to routine that doesn't seem healthy, you two don't seem to be communicating, and while it makes sense for you two to have separate interests, I – we feel that it's in your best interests to have a chat about it."

Erwin took a deep breath, as if he had wanted a rehearsed piece all out as soon as possible. As he looked between them, he realized they had probably discussed this more than once. Instead of chastising their interference, he took it as the sign of strong friendship it was. He took a deep breath.

"I won't lie; especially not to you two. Things have been different. It has gotten to a point that feels like I was something in passing to Eren. Like we were never going to last, and the only reason we did was because of his father. I…don't like it, but how do you say to someone 'hey, are you getting bored of me?', I mean, how do you prepare yourself if the answer is anything other than 'no'? I don't want to hear him say he's bored of me already, even if it seems like he is. I know he dances with other guys; I can smell it on him. He showers straight away, he acts like everything was fine, spouts the 'it would have been more fun with you though' line, but I can smell the cheap bodyspray, he dances with guys who wear Axe, for Christ's sake! Doesn't he know how that shit sticks?! I always smell it, every single time he goes out. I hate it, but how do you ask that?"

His cheeks had flared up, he felt the heat in his face and Erwin's arm was around him.

"Levi…"

Hanji took her turn to speak up.

"Levi, you need to talk to him. Him dancing with other guys is one thing but coming home smelling like them is another. It sounds…suspicious, I don't know, I don't want to encourage that idea, at all. You know I don't want that, I don't believe he would do that."

"I have considered it."

Erwin gaped at him and Hanji looked furious.

"Did he-"

"I don't know, I don't know. I just…he comes back with a new attitude and smell, sometimes so much happier that I think he has just gone and gotten laid. I don't want to think it, but I can't help it. The signs are there, but I can't…ask him that either. It's bad enough that I've gotten to a point of not trusting him that I want to ask him that, if I actually ask him, what will that do but stir trouble. I don't want trouble, I want stability."

"Can you have stability with someone you don't trust?"

Erwin's eyes were locked on his, and Levi could not help but feel like he was forcing him to think of his relationship with them, how much he trusted them, the fact that he would ask them if their behaviour had been a problem.

"No. No, I can't, that's impossible, but I don't…"

Levi pushed away from Erwin and sipped his tea. He knew they'd wait. He put his cup back on the table and took a breath.

"I don't want to ruin everything we've worked for."

"Isn't he doing that already?"

Hanji's voice was shoving him back to reality, reminding him that he did not live in some kind of romantic comedy where everything would just work out in the end. He let himself fall back onto the couch, legs still to the side as he lay there staring at the ceiling.

"I don't even know."

Silence filled the room for a few minutes. Not an awkward one.

"You should say it to him."

Erwin's voice surprised him and he sat up to look at him.

"He's stressing you, he's making you worry and fret, and it's not fair. You deserve to be treated properly and I don't think he's doing that. You can't be expected to just stay quiet while he treats you like this."

Erwin's outburst was unusual, and the red of his cheeks was almost out of character.

"Erwin, how?"

"By asking why he smells like other guys? Making an observation perhaps?"

He sunk back.

"I suppose that is possible…I'll do it tonight."

Erwin and Hanji left late, and when Levi went to bed, he sat back to think about their words. They were right, of course they were. But the idea of asking Eren was still the most terrifying thought he could muster. He sighed and decided the morning would be best.

It was 2am when Eren got home.

He stumbled in and fell into bed beside Levi. He wrapped himself around Levi, drunkenly breathing in his scent and smiling. Levi turned, eyes barely opening, as he did. He snuggled close to Eren, nose dipping into his neck. Eren smiled and pulled the blanket higher over them, and he did not think to shower or even try to cover up the hickeys the third stranger left.