While Levi was willing to accept Eren's apology and attempt to move on, he still was not quite ready to forget everything. The images prayed on his mind at every free moment and no matter how he tried to shake them off, they never left. When they lay in bed at night, curled around each other, he imagined the other man wrapped around him, tickling his neck with kisses. It ruined the experience. He was starting to realize how much thinking about this kind of thing was bothering him; Even if Eren promised not to let it happen again, how could he know? He was always going to worry about this. He decided he needed to vent, and for that he needed his two closest friends. While Eren was out running errands, he called Hanji and Erwin. They knew this was serious.

Even though everything was fine with Levi, Eren was worried. Everything Levi had said was haunting his every waking moment, and he could not help but wonder if Levi's words held truth for him. He was meeting with Armin and Mikasa, no one else understood him quite as well. No one besides Levi. As he walked into the coffee shop, he felt eyes on him. Instead of waiting to see who it was, he made a beeline for the table his friends were at. They had already picked up his coffee and both looked worried.

"Hey guys!"

"Eren!" Armin stood to give him a quick hug and Mikasa nodded and smiled, though worry still masked her eyes.

"So what's going on? Calling us like this is unusual for you."

"Well…I made a big of a mistake. The other night when we were out, some guy gave me hickeys and-"

"WOAH, how does that just happen?!" Mikasa's anger still knew no bounds.

"Look, I was drunk and I barely remember it."

"That doesn't excuse it! If you don't want to be with Levi, just break up with him."

Since his engagement, Armin had been far angrier about Eren's actions. It seemed Eren was the only one who wasn't.

"I came here to talk to you two, not have you scream at me! I'm trying to work through all this shit right now, it's hard, and dealing with Levi being angry is hard and I need to…talk it out, I don't know. He said I'm with him for familiarity."

The glances his friends shared seemed to consider the idea.

"Are you?"

"I…don't know. Now that he's said it, I've been considering it, but I don't know if I'm only considering it because he said it or because it's why I'm with him."

Eren took a deep breath, the guilt was still swirling around in his stomach.

"He tried to break up with me. He really tried. He thinks we're not right together."

"Have you considered he might be right?"

Armin's words left him speechless, and it was taken as an opportunity to continue his point.

"I mean, there's a 12 year age difference, Eren. I can see his point. You guys don't exactly have a lot in common, and I know he was there for you when you needed him, but that's not a reason to stay with someone. I'm not saying you guys can't work, I'm just saying consider that you mightn't. And if you don't, but you stay with him for familiarity, you're only hurting yourself and him in the process."

Eren knew Armin was right. He still felt unfamiliar eyes on him and hesitated to continue.

"I really don't know what I want. I can't picture being without him."

He flopped back against the chair.

"You know…" he turned to Mikasa's voice.

"You're focusing on what you don't like about the relationship as if it's not your fault. Have you considered maybe trying extra hard? You both went through a lot to get here, so just giving up would be insulting at this point. Maybe really try, like, make him dinner, spend more time together, try everything you can to make it work, and if you two still aren't happy, then consider that you need someone else."

Eren nodded.

"You're right. You're both right. Thank you." He smiled for what felt like the first time in forever.

"Enough about me, how are the wedding plans going?"

Armin walked him through the entire plan so far. It took over an hour, and about halfway through, Eren realized he needed to pee. But getting Armin to stop during wedding plans was not possible. When he finished, his cheeks were red and his eyes were teary. Marriage was something that had always meant a lot to him.

"Armin, I am so happy for you." Eren smiled at his friend and took his hand.

"But, honestly, I really have to pee."

Armin laughed and Mikasa snorted as Eren rose from the table. When he got to the bathroom, he realized it was the first time since he had arrived that he didn't feel eyes on him, and he was grateful for it. However, as he washed his hands, the feeling returned. He tried to ignore it, to will it away, but he couldn't. As if reading his mind, someone appeared beside him.

"Hey, Eren, right?"

He turned and saw a face he barely recognised.

"Uh, yeah, can I help you?"

The stranger smiled. He was attractive. Broad shouldered with shaggy brown hair, he radiated a strange optimism that Eren knew but couldn't place.

"I don't think you remember me, I'm Milo. From the other night?" Eren's face was blank. Milo chuckled in response. "I didn't realize you were that drunk. I think I left you those little letters."

Thin fingers traced like spider leg kisses over the skin of Eren's neck, and everything came back to him. Those fingers pulling his hips closer, those lips next to his ear, those big amber eyes staring into his before they kissed. Eren stepped back from the sink and away from that distracting touch.

"Milo, listen. That was a mistake. I have a boyfriend."

"But…you started dancing with me? You literally walked over and grabbed me."

"I was…really drunk."

Eren knew he was blushing with guilt. But Milo simply nodded.

"Alright then. I respect your choices. But a little advice, Eren. I'm not claiming to be a "nice guy" or anything like that, but other guys aren't AS nice as I am. I'm pissed off to be honest, but whatever, I'll get over it. Others aren't as forgiving when you're leading them on. Don't look at me like that, it's exactly what you did. You made me feel like I was important to you, that we could be more than this one night whirlwind."

Milo's expression had changed, he looked almost upset.

"I really liked you, and the way you were with me was special. I know it was just one night, but that one night meant a lot. For you to act like that…well…It's shitty for me and it's shitty for your boyfriend. Just…keep that in mind."

With that, he left.

Eren only stared after him. Had he meant that much to this one stranger? He felt a little rattled. Why had that man invested so much in him? It was just dancing. But…Suddenly Eren felt like he understood.

It was like detention.

At that point, he thought that was "just" detention, and look at where it got him. Each act of intimacy meant something, and that man, Milo, had wanted something to come of their dance. Eren's memories were getting clearer, and now he could remember all of their interaction. He remembered how softly Milo had held him, with one hand on his waist and the other cupping his cheek. He remembered how he doted over him, little complements that made Eren blush and wriggle closer. Eren was also remembering what he had done. He had wriggled closer, but he had also wrapped arms around Milo, gazed up at him like he was lost in those eyes, allowed his lips to part knowing he had been looking.

Eren had instigated everything.

He felt his heart suddenly clasp in cold, and before he could stop himself, he was rushing out the door.

"Milo!"

He had barely reached the end of the hall and turned, confused.

Eren ran and flung his arms around him. He couldn't figure out what had made him do it, but it was happening. And it took him a moment to realize he was crying too.

"Milo, I'm so sorry. I never realized, I just, I thought it was nothing, I thought it meant nothing, I'm so sorry." Milo, despite his surprise, stroked Eren's hair gently.

"It's fine, once you understand what was wrong."

Eren nodded into his shoulder.

"Eren, you're not a bad person."

Eren pulled away and stared up at him.

"But I led you on, I hurt you and I hurt Levi and I-" Eren stopped at the sight of Milo shaking his head.

"No. You're still not a bad person. A bad person would have done it intentionally and wouldn't have run after me or apologised. You know you were wrong. You're young, we both are, I mean, I'm barely 20. I can't legally drink in some countries yet. I get the feeling what you have with your boyfriend is serious, far more serious that what I would understand. I know you were just trying to have fun. I got very invested, I know that. You're a very likeable guy." Milo paused to brush Eren's bangs from his forehead. "You just made a poor choice. It's not the end of the world. Even if your Levi did hate you for it, you've acknowledged what you did was wrong. You know you made a mistake, and learning is the first step to bettering one's self, isn't it?"

Eren couldn't help but wonder where Milo had been all his life.

"You're fine, Eren. You're doing great. Thank you for apologising. If you need to talk, I can give you my number. I won't message you until you message me, how's that? If you need to talk about you and Levi or even just vent to someone who may not know you very well, you can talk to me."

Eren was already handing over his phone.

"I…I'm still sorry. Thank you for saying all of that, I needed it. Levi hasn't been quite as…accepting."

"Well…" Milo handed Eren's phone back "I imagine he's hurting. He has a great guy like you who came home with marks from someone else. Which I am sorry for, by the way. He's just upset that his darling felt the need to be close with someone else. I know you can fix it, Eren. I'll see you later, okay?"

Milo smiled at him again, a sight Eren was slowly enjoying more and more. He stepped forward and kissed his forehead, before turning and leaving. Eren was ready to stand there all day until he remembered his friends were outside waiting for him.

Hanji and Erwin had taken their usual places around the coffee table and Levi was putting down their beverages.

"I have a feeling this has something to do with the other day?" Erwin looked at him before sipping at his coffee. Levi nodded.

"That night that we spoke, Eren came in late, smelling of guys again but this time…" Levi looked away. "He had a few…marks. Hickeys…"

"Please tell me you kicked his ass out!"

"I wanted to, but no. We're working through it. It's…annoying. I hate seeing them and knowing he was that close with someone else but, fuck, I can't. I can't break up with him."

"But, hickeys?! That's over the line, Levi! It's fucking…sh…fuck…Erwin, help!"

Erwin sighed.

"Hanji, it's his decision ultimately. We can't force him" Erwin glanced at Levi "even if we disapprove."

Levi rolled his eyes in response.

"We're working through it."

"He came home with hickeys and you're trying to work through it?!" Hanji had gotten louder.

"Stop shouting, yes, because we are adults"

Hanji's head fell into her hands.

"Levi, please. Look, please, Erwin won't say it, but I will, you need to stop this. Hickeys!" Her head was shaking. "He came home after blatantly having been intimate with someone else, how can you-"

"I tried to break up with him. I tried"

Erwin stared at him and Hanji's mouth hung open.

"I tried. I wanted to, and I tried. I told him he was too young for me, but…" Levi rubbed his face hard

"He cried. He cried and begged and I don't know, I couldn't face that. I'm so weak, but I love him." He looked away from them. "I asked him why he loved me and he couldn't answer. I think…I think he's with me for familiarity. I think he's here because he doesn't know how to be with someone else. I think that's all that's keeping him from being with someone else."

It was strange that Hanji was speechless. It was stranger when Erwin wrapped an arm around him. He curled against his dear friend and Hanji left the room.

"Where do you think she's going?"

"I don't think she can deal with Eren right now, she is so angry."

Erwin rested a cheek against his head.

"Do you think I did the right thing?"

Erwin "hmm"d quietly,

"Honestly, no. But I understand why you're doing it. You don't want to throw this away after everything you've worked for."

Levi nodded.

"But you deserve so much better. You deserve someone who doesn't cause you this kind of stress, who doesn't come home with marks from other men, someone who doesn't make you feel like they're only with you because it's what they know, who is with you because you're…well…you."

Erwin's arm was pulling him closer and he couldn't help but close the space between them. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Erwin always smelled good, it was so familiar. It was the smell of home, comfort, and somehow, yellow. There was a new feeling working through him. He imagined this being a normal thing, would this be what it would be like if he was treated like this. It was new and he began to doze off. The last few nights were not easy for sleeping. He heard the front door open and immediately jerked away from Erwin. He looked up at the taller man, and somehow, he knew Erwin had gotten too comfortable as well.

"Levi?" Eren's voice rang through the hall and Hanji reappeared. The look on her face would kill if it were possible.

"Eren!" Levi jumped to his feet to try to stop her; he did not need this, not now, not after such a nice moment.

"Hanji, no."

"Hey!" He smiled at the brunette, but Hanji was having none of it.

"You listen here!" She prodded Eren's chest, and his face changed. He glanced at Levi as he realized that this was not her being happy to see him. This was her being pissed off.

"I have put up with a lot in life, and Levi has put up with more. He has done so much; he risked his job to be with you, he risked his fucking freedom! He could have gone to jail! And you!" her prodding was getting more vicious. Eren was stepping back, mouth agape. "You have the fucking nerve to come home to him with hickeys from some other guy! I am fucking disgusted with you! I can't even look at you right now! Just …I…fu…How fucking dare you?! I have never seen anyone treat a friend of mine so badly and if you do anything – ANY-FUCKING-THING – else to him, the slightest toe out of line, and I swear to you, Eren Jeager, you will never walk again."

With a red face and teary eyes, she left, slamming the door behind her. Erwin was staring, Levi was staring and Eren was too shocked to move. He looked at Levi, but his expression was changing. His brow was furrowing, his lower lip protruding and through his angry tears, he was glaring at Levi. Erwin stood up, glancing at Levi and despite the begging Levi was doing with his eyes, announced his departure.

"I'm…going to check on Hanji. I'll see you two later."

The touch on Levi's back was light, but he felt it, and it was more reassuring than anything he had ever felt.

When the blonde left, Eren immediately let loose.

"You told them?! Why would you tell them?!"

"They are my friends, Eren. I needed to talk about this."

"Why didn't you talk to me?!"

"Because I can't get my thoughts in order with you. Just like you can't with me. That's why you went to see your friends today, you needed to talk about us."

Levi picked up the cups from the table and went to wash them. Washing things would help. Eren followed, still fuming.

"So what, you just said "Hey Hanji, please tear into Eren when he comes through the door so he's reminded of what a shitty boyfriend he is!""

"Fuck, no, Eren!" Levi wrenched away from the sink. "I told her to stop the second she started, but she didn't! She is furious with you because she cares about me, Erwin is too. You hurt me, and they are feeling defensive, and that is not a bad thing."

"I'm not a bad person! Can you stop acting like I went and fucked some other guy?!"

"How do I know you didn't?!"

The silence was bitter; it hung between them like a pendulum.

"What?" Eren's voice was low.

"I don't know that you didn't sleep with someone else. The problem isn't what you did. The problem is what the results of it are. Eren, I know dancing with someone means nothing for you, but for me, it's like…okay, just imagine I was out one night?"

"Levi-"

"Just do this for me, please."

Eren shut up.

"Imagine I was out one night, and I, I dunno, some guy kissed me. I didn't tell you, and then you found out from someone else. Imagine the horror, imagine the pain of realizing that I could have done anything and not told you. What would you think?"

"I wouldn't trust you; I'd assume the worst…"

"Exactly. You would worry about what else I had kept from you. That's how I feel right now. I believe you when you say that's all that happened, but there's still this niggling voice saying "what if?"."

Levi turned back to the sink.

"What do we do?" Eren's voice was so quiet.

"I don't know. I don't think we should be forcing this to go on longer than it could. Every night I look at you and imagine someone else touching you and it makes me sick. It has put this…this wedge between us and I don't know if we can overcome it. I think we need a little bit of time apart. Not a break up. Just some time in separate places to think about everything and work out what we want. What you want."

Eren couldn't stop the tears.

"Do you think we can fix this?"

Levi hesitated.

"I hope so, Eren."

By sundown, Eren had packed everything he would need for the next few days. Clothes, his laptop, chargers and other bits and pieces. He was going to stay with Armin, Jean and Mikasa in their apartment across town. Before he left, he stopped by the door, Levi was behind him.

"I'll see you in a few days. I hope this helps." Levi nodded.

"I hope so too. I…" Levi looked away from Eren then their eyes met again.

"I love you, Eren. I love you so much, and I hate that we're going through this."

Eren stooped to hug the smaller man and he clung. He felt Levi's lips against his cheek and Levi tried to pull away but Eren held him close.

"I love you too, I swear, I will do anything to fix this."

With one final kiss, Eren left. As he walked out to Armin's car, he pulled out his phone. He hesitated for just a second before clicking the name "Milo".