A/N: HELLO TEAM! This is a bit of a short filler of a chapter. The fic only has a few more chapters to go before it ends so I'm looking to finish it in August, ideally. Mad isn't it! But enjoy this. It's just moving everything along for the last few chapters to get into place …!

"Eren, I don't think I can do this anymore."

Eren looks up from his laptop to where his sister has her head down in an open book. Her hair has fallen over her face in a midnight curtain and her shoulders are shaking slightly.

"Mikasa, are you crying?!"

"I just can't do this."

Eren reaches over the library table to flick her in the head. "Get a grip, what's up with you?"

"I can't be here right now." Mikasa sits up and her face is white, a look of pure fear in her eyes. "I need to get out of this fucking library."

Eren closes his laptop and tucks it under his arm. "Let's go for a walk."

They stand and leave the second floor of the library in silence. The moment the doors of the lift close, Mikasa leans forward and rests her head on Eren's shoulder. He rubs her back.

"Oi, what's up? You've got this!" Eren has never been the best at comforting.

Mikasa straightens up and takes a deep breath. Under her eyes are dark and purple, and her actual eyes look flat and unseeing. "I've been staring at numbers for 37 hours and they're all blurring together. I can't untangle my data and I keep forgetting my own research task." She says in a hollow voice.

"You need some food," Eren says. "Let's go for a walk, get some fresh air, and get you something to eat."

Mikasa nods. "Okay."

It's 2am, and the late January air is cold and unforgiving. Mikasa shivers when they step outside.

It's been a month since Levi met Eren's parents. The rest of the visit went by smoothly, and when Levi left, Carla and Grisha couldn't say enough good words about him. There was still a reluctance over his age, but it was clear that Eren was happy. Christmas was the usual quiet affair and New Year's was the usual piss-up with the whole gang.

Not that Eren remembers much of it.

Since coming back to university after Christmas, everything seemed to have heated up. The work load was insane and Eren and Jean were the first to hand in their dissertations in March. Which is only 6 weeks away.

To say Eren was stressed was an understatement.

But everything with Levi was going … well … perfectly.

"How's Levi?" Mikasa asks. "Just chat to me about anything. I need a distraction from graphs."

"Levi's great," Eren says. He links his sister's arm and they walk in time together. "We went for dinner the other night and it's just been really good. Especially since he met mum and dad – it finally feels like we're in a proper relationship."

"That's really good. I'm really pleased," Mikasa says.

"Not seen him much the past few days though with the amount of work I'm doing. I actually feel like I'm drowning."

"Yeah tell me about it."

They've reached the 24-hour McDonald's and head into the warmth. It's quiet and once they've ordered, they sit down in a booth together.

"God; just six weeks to go," Eren groans as he unwraps his cheeseburger and takes a bite.

"How much more do you have to do?" Mikasa asks, dipping a couple of fries into BBQ sauce.

Eren chews and thinks. "I need to re-edit chapters one and two and my intro, I need to write the third chapter and the conclusion." Eren takes another bite. "I think I need a few more primary sources too."

Mikasa nods. "I'm so glad I've got until April."

"Yeah I bet."

They eat in silence for a few minutes, and once she's eaten, Mikasa seems to have relaxed a bit.

"Better?" Eren asks.

She gives a half shrug. "I don't even know anymore. I guess I don't feel worse."

"Every small victory. Shall we head back then?"

The fear is back in Mikasa's eyes but she nods her head stiffly. "Yeah."

"Atta girl," Eren gives her a smile. "One more thing before we go."

He hops up from his seat and heads over to the counter, coming back over a short time later with two tiny takeout cups.

"What you got there?" Mikasa asks.

"Double espressos," Eren hands her one. "I thought we both needed a bit of a pick-me-up."

"Good thinking," she takes the cup.

"On three!"

"Eren, it's not a shot of tequila."

"It is if you close your eyes and wish really hard."

They down their espressos and finally head back to the library where it doesn't take long for the caffeine to kick in.

Both of them are so buried in their work, it's 5am when Mikasa starts falling asleep at her computer.

Eren nudges her softly. "Come on," he mutters, shaking her shoulder. "Let's go home. I've got to be up for class in three hours."

In a half-asleep stupor, they pack up and walk back to the flat. The sun isn't yet risen but the inky black sky is looking more diluted.

Finally back in the warmth and after a mumbled "s'later", Eren collapses fully clothed on his bed.

…

Knocking on the door to the office, Eren stands and peers through the glass.

"Come in!" Levi calls.

Eren pushes the door open. "Hi," he says. "Can I work in here with you for a bit? I promise I'll behave I just can't be in the library anymore. It's actually beginning to drive me a bit insane."

"That's fine," Levi says. "I'm getting on with some work, too.

"Cheers, Levi," Eren says through a yawn. "I appreciate it."

Levi notices how haggard his boyfriend looks as he sets up his laptop on the desk opposite him. In the three days Levi hasn't seen him, Eren seems to have deteriorated. "Are you alright? Have you been sleeping?"

"Not much," Eren admits, heaving a sigh and rubbing his face. "I was at the library with Mika until about 5 this morning, slept for a bit, then went to Dr Ral's 9am lecture and slept through most of it." Eren yawns again and rubs his eyes. "Couldn't tell you what is was about if you put a gun to my head." He opens his laptop and the light illuminates his tired face, the shadows making his eyes look even darker and more sunken.

"That reminds me; can you stop skipping my seminars please," Levi says.

"Ugh, sorry," Eren doesn't even look up from his laptop. "I just can't concentrate on seminars and you keep setting us so much reading."

"Really? It's a lot?" Levi frowns.

Eren raises an eyebrow and looks up. "You're setting us 200 pages a week. Nobody has time for that right now."

"Lazy shits," Levi mutters. "Fine I'll decrease it. But only until your diss deadlines."

"Cheers," Eren replies distractedly, beginning to type slowly.

"Are you looking after yourself?"

"Eh," Eren waves a hand. "Still alive, aren't I."

"That's not an answer."

"Stop fussing," Eren says with a slight laugh. "I'll be fine – once I've handed this in, I'll be okay." Eren swallows hard. "I think."

Levi decides not to push his any further. It's clear Eren's teetering on the edge.

They work in a comfortable silence. The only sounds come from their keyboards and the occasional rustles of paper. It's the quietest and most focussed that Levi has ever seen Eren.

"Right," Levi says finally. "I've just emailed you my notes for your second chapter."

Eren looks up anxiously. "Please be nice," he says. "I'm a man on the brink here."

"Eren; it was good," Levi assures him. "It was really good. You're doing brilliantly."

Eren breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," he says. "I've got your email now." Eren scans his eyes over the words and his face falls. "You didn't like the argument?"

Levi looks up. "I didn't say that – I just mean it's not very obvious. What are you arguing?"

Eren opens his mouth and closes it again. "I don't know!"

"That's fine," Levi assures him. "Write your third chapter and we'll pick something out from there."

"Fuck okay," Eren rubs his face again. He looks on the brink of tears.

"Eren, don't stress."

"That is very unhelpful advice."

"Sorry," Levi says. "Have you seen Hange recently? She says you've not spoken in a while."

Eren gulps, and remembers the weird kiss from before Christmas. He cringes internally. "Uh, no, I haven't."

"You should," Levi says, typing away on his own laptop, thankfully not noticing the blush that's creeping over Eren's ears and cheeks. "She says she misses you."

"Mhm," Eren says evasively.

"What's up with you two?" Levi asks suddenly. "Have you had a falling out or what?"

"What?" Eren says sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Levi frowns. "You've just not seemed as close recently."

"I've been busy," Eren replies truthfully.

"Well sort it out whatever it is. It's weird that you're not joined at the hip."

Eren doesn't reply and tries to write but his eyes are fixed on the screen, unmoving. He pulls out his phone and texts Hange: Hey Four Eyes. Sorry I've been MIA. Wanna hang out soon?

Her reply is almost immediate: Hi Eren! Sounds good. You busy tonight?

EREN: No I'm free.

HANGE: Meet at Saintly Rogue at 8?

EREN: See you there.

"I'm going for a drink with Hange tonight," Eren announces, putting his phone onto 'Do Not Disturb' and sliding it back into his pocket.

Levi nods. "Good."

Eren just hopes he can stay awake long enough to make it until 8 o'clock.

…

"Hi Eren," Hange is already at a table in the small Irish bar. She slides off the tall stool and hugs Eren who holds her tightly.

"Hey Hange," he says weakly not meeting her eyes.

Hange grips his chin between her thumb and index finger to tilt his face to hers, forcing him to look at her.

"Eren, you look fucking awful," she states.

"Fuck off," Eren jerks his head away. "I'm under a lot of pressure."

"You look thin. You feel thin," Hange prods his ribs. "Are you eating?"

"Stop fussing, woman!"

"Do you want a drink?"

"Of course I bloody do. Look at me."

Hange nods. "Point taken. Sit down, I'll get us something."

Eren hops up onto the opposite stool at the tall round table and rubs his eyes.

It had taken every single ounce of strength that he possessed to be here right now. He'd left Levi's office after four hours, eaten a cheap frozen pizza quickly and had the coldest shower possible to keep him awake. It had been painfully difficult to resist his bed.

But he's glad to be here now. He's missed Hange. After the kiss, Eren had been systematically avoiding her unless he really had no choice. Even thinking about it now makes him want the ground to just swallow him up.

"I got us two mojitos to start with," Hange returns with two large crystal cut tumblers, full of crushed ice and topped with bright green mint sprigs.

"Good call," Eren says appreciatively. "I need the sugar boost. Thanks."

"My pleasure," Hange lifts her glass. "To us."

"To us," Eren repeats, gently clinking his glass to hers. They share a smile and drink deeply.

"I've missed you," Hange says.

"I know, me too. I'm really sorry. After what h—"

"Eren, nothing happened," Hange insists. "Stop letting it wind you up."

"Ugh, I know," Eren uses the straw to aggressively poke at the ice in his drink to avoid looking at her again. "I really thought I'd fucked everything up."

"You haven't. It was quite sweet really."

Eren flashes her a look. "You are not helping."

Hange laughs and the atmosphere relaxes. Even Eren can feel himself becoming less awkward with her.

They chat amicably for a while and it's exactly like it always used to be. Eren gets the second round of drinks (two strawberry daiquiris) and he's incredibly pleased that he didn't end up falling asleep.

"So how's the diss and how's the Levi?" Hange asks finally.

"Diss is diffiuclt, Levi is surprisingly not. I really feel like we've turned a corner."

"Eren, I'm so pleased."

"Thanks, Four Eyes. Me too," Eren smiles. "Mum and dad are slowly coming around to it but I think it's understandably taking some getting used to. But they like him."

Hange nods. "That's really positive."

"Yeah," Eren frowns a little. "I keep waiting for something to go wrong, y'know?"

"What do you mean?"

Eren is silent for a few seconds before answering. "It's usually right when everything's going perfectly with Levi that something catastrophically awful happens. I guess part of me is waiting for that."

Hange reaches over to squeeze his hand. "You can't think like that. It's not fair on either of you."

"No I know," Eren says quickly. "But after the last three years … the pattern is fairly well established in here." He taps the side of his head."

"I can understand that."

Hange leaves for their third round.

"How's your sister doing?" Hange asks after a sip of her Aperol Spritz.

"Who? Mikasa?" Eren asks stupidly. "She's a head case. Why?"

"Levi said she's very clever and that you'd mentioned she was struggling. I'm here to help if she needs anything."

Eren sucks his straw and thinks. "Yeah she might really appreciate that, thanks."

Hange shrugs. "No worries."

After the third drink, Eren starts to get sleepy and he yawns openly.

"You look ready for bed," Hange notes.

"Mhm," he says, rubbing his face. "Sorry – I've hit such a wall."

"Let's head back."

They pay and leave the bar, linking arms together against the bracing wind. They walk some of the way home together before Hange calls Erwin for a lift.

She hugs Eren suddenly. "I love you, kid," she says fiercely, gripping him tight. "You got this. Get some sleep and if you can't be bothered to cook or eat, call me and I'll sort you out."

They pull away. "Cheers, Hange," Eren says.

A car pulls up and Erwin rolls down the window. "Eren!" He greets. "How are you?"

"Hanging in there," Eren replies, wrapping his arms around himself.

"You want a lift home?"

Eren opens his mouth to decline but Hange has already bundled him into the backseat.

"I could definitely file a complaint about this," Eren retorts as Hange also climbs in next to him. "This is almost certainly kidnapping."

"I'll put on the heated seats," Erwin says in response.
"Fine," Eren says good humouredly, settling into the leather. "I won't complain today then."

They drop Eren off at his flat and he waves them off before heading back inside to where Sasha and Mikasa are in the kitchen.

"Sup girls," Eren greets, dropping down onto the sofa.

"We need to go back to the library," Mikasa mutters.

Sasha gives Eren a meaningful look. "No, Mika," she says gently. "You need to stay here and get an early night. Have a muffin," she hands Mikasa a still warm chocolate chip muffin.

"Yeah," Eren says, taking lead. "You need to really chill a bit. Can I have a muffin, Sash?"

With a glare, Sasha reluctantly hands him one.

"I can't stop working on it," Mikasa seems to be talking to herself more than anyone else.

Sasha stands and pulls Mikasa to her feet, muffin clenched in one hand. It's almost as if she hasn't even noticed she's holding it.

"You need to have a shower and go to bed," Sasha begins pulling Mikasa out of the room and steering her down the corridor, into her room. The door closes but Eren can still hear Sasha's gently coaxing voice. "Give me your laptop. Mikasa. Mikasa, give – me – your – laptop –"

Eren decides to leave them to it and knocks on Jean's door instead who opens the door, bleary eyed.

"Wassup, Yeager?" Jean yawns.

"You wanna release some testosterone and play Call of Duty?"

"No I need to …" Jean starts tiredly but shakes himself off. "Fuck the dissertation. Let's play."