Hange eventually came back, a heavenly smelling Domino's pizza on the car seat next to them. They were looking at the beat-up silver Honda Civic in Erwin's driveway curiously. "Whose car is that? It's awfully late for visitors."

"Erwin's son got home from school for the weekend. Eren, I think he said his name was."

"Ohhh! I so want to meet him! Is he like Erwin? What was he like?"

Levi shrugged. "He seems a lot like Erwin but without a verbal filter. Nice kid. Gay."

"He told you that? What did you do? Come on to him?" Hange looked over at him, "Oh my god Levi please tell me you didn't come on to him!"

"Eyes on the road shitty-glasses! Shit!" Levi clung to the dash as they came precipitously close to the curb. "No, I didn't fucking come on to him! What do you take me for? Besides he's like nineteen." Levi suddenly cringed inwardly remembering the eighteen-year-old kid he'd fucked behind the dumpster. He seriously hated himself for that fuck-circus. Talk about bad life choices. He shook his head at himself, genuinely ashamed.

"What?" hange asked.

"Nothing," Levi mumbled.

When they got back to the motel, Levi got out of the car and marvelled as he always did at the relative quiet. There was steady traffic on the road and the hum of the nearby highway. Dreamers was open and busy but it wasn't ten yet so they didn't have the dance music on.

Hange handed him the pizza.

"You gonna share this or do I need to go get food?"

"I assumed you'd help me eat the pizza," Hage said. Levi snorted.

"You don't need help eating an entire pizza, Hans. I've seen you do it."

They grinned. "True but I don't mind going in halvsies. Or I may give you a third." Levi pulled a face.

Hange laughed. "I'm gonna walk over to the Shell station and get some beer, you need any?"

"Hell, yeah. Thanks."

Hange put on an outrageously bad southern accent. "Why LevAH, bless yor little hAHrt! I think some of the South is rubbing off on you! You said 'thank you'!"

"I swear, Hans, if I didn't have this pizza in my hands …"

They ran off, giggling.

Levi dropped the pizza on Hange's bed and checked the fridge. Good, there were two more beers. More for him. He took a piss, washed his hands thoroughly, and snagged a beer, arranging himself on the bed. God he was tired. His gaze caught his gloves, on his side of the dresser. He'd have to find out where the nearest Lowes was. Perhaps he could get some gloves at a local hardware store.

He stretched and his joints popped. He liked being tired after a long day. It made him feel like he'd done something. It had been a good day. A strange day, but good. He'd gotten to see Erwin and meet his son.

"Huh," he murmured. He was startled at himself and that thought. He'd never wanted to see Erwin again after that stunt at the set. No. That was a fucking bald-faced lie. The truth was that he missed the man and his whole being ached every time he saw him.

He took a huge swallow of beer and let his mind tentatively explore the thought of actually going and talking with Erwin. It was a tricky subject. On the one hand he was pissed as fuck at the man, at his friends, and at the situation. On the other … well he did miss him. He recalled their night at the bar, how easily they'd talked, how Erwin made him smile.

Levi's mind took off as he drank his beer, fantasizing about talking with Erwin, maybe making up. He absolutely refused to see the man on the sly. Could he be convinced to come fully out of the closet and let himself be known as a proud bi man? It would be fucking hard. Levi knew that.

Still, it would be good. It would be fucking awesome as a matter of fact. They could date. Be together openly. Levi would love that.

He rolled around the idea of Eren, Erwin's son. Oh god. A son. Eren had seemed really really open to the idea of his dad dating. Even dating Levi. Ahh, the liberalness of youth. Gotta love it.

If Erwin and Levi were an item Levi would have to get used to the idea of including Eren into his life. What would that be like? Eren seemed like a good kid, plus he was 'away' at college so he wouldn't be underfoot. Levi chastised himself for thinking that way. Not 'underfoot'. Eren was a grown man not a toddler.

Levi would be here in Ellway for a year or more for the filming. If he and Erwin were together that would mean the holidays. How would Levi be viewed? As the boyfriend? Maybe … maybe as the spouse? Was gay marriage even legal in South Carolina? Jesus. Levi would be a … dad.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit! A dad!

And Erwin was young enough that maybe they could adopt more kids!

Levi had a small goofy smile plastered on his face when Hange basically kicked open the door and strolled in with two twelve-packs of beer.

"Jesus Christ, Hans! You could've knocked! You scared the shit out of me!"

"What were you doing? Rubbing one out?" They leered at his crotch, "Thinking of Erwin?"

"Oh, shut the fuck up."

They raised the bag they'd had dangling from their hand. "I got a whole shitload of burritos!"

"We have a whole pizza!"

"But they looked so good! All hot and cheesy! Melty!" They dug one out, then two and dropped them into his lap.

"OW! Fuck! Hot!"

Fuck, they did smell good. Levi unwrapped one. It was indeed hot and cheesy and melty. Levi took a bite. It was heavenly. So much for crappy convenience store food.

Levi spent more time thinking about actually going to Erwin, really talking to him. In light of this he decided to give his friends a break and try to get closer. Hange was obviously already his friend and always would be. They'd been through too much together. Hell, he'd probably never be rid of them and he didn't want to be. But Hange was friends with Mike and Nanaba and Moblit, of course, and Erwin. If he wanted to be with Erwin he had to get his friends on his side.

The next day, at the state park, while they were working on the lodge, Levi was holed up in the costume trailer, with the costume designers and makers. Mike came looking for him at lunchtime with a question about the lodge. He found Levi hard at work behind a big, professional sewing machine, sewing a costume.

"Hey, uh … Levi?"

Levi paused and looked at him. The machine fell silent.

"You make costumes too?" Mike kind of fidgeted. He assumed only women worked with costumes. A stupid, outdated, and sexist view but there it was. Mike was a product of his environment.

"Sure. I make drapes and tablecloths and such for sets. I got my start in costume design. One of our girls ate something weird and got sick, so I'm filling in. Did you need something?"

Mike tore his gaze from the frilly dress spilling over Levi's lap and looked at him. "There's a problem with the roof that I need your input on."

Levi came with him immediately.

Mike fought with himself as he walked. Why was he so bothered by Levi making dresses? Was it a gay thing, he wondered? Or was it perfectly reasonable that a man would be able to make women's dresses? He clamped down on his emotions. He was being fucking stupid. What was wrong with a guy making dresses? Who gave a fuck?

"Did you go to school for … uh, costume design or whatever?"

"Nah. I never went to school. Couldn't afford it."

"How did you get into set design, then? If I may ask, I mean."

Levi hesitated and Mike noticed. He hoped he hadn't overstepped.

"I … I, uh, had some … difficulties growing up."

Mike, who had come from a stable, ordinary, lower-class family didn't know what to say. He waited patiently.

"I never finished high school. Went on to get my GED, though, and got a job with a dressmaker in the neighborhood."

"Cool."

"She had … babysat me when I was younger and she needed help so she showed me the ropes. I liked it. It was precise. You had a pattern and you followed it. I liked that."

They walked a few steps more in silence.

"Then I got a job in a theatre, then on to films."

They arrived at the lodge. "So what's the issue?"

Mike pointed up to the roof. The shingles on the old lodge were actually cedar shakes, made of cedarwood, stained dark with age and mossy. "We have no choice but to replace some of the cedar shakes at the edge of the roof, there. They're rotten," Mike explained. "Now, obviously …"

Levi frowned. "They won't match. They'll look new." He crossed his arms over his chest and thought about it for a bit.

"Pixis has to shoot this side since they've put a modern addition up on the other side," he said after a bit. "Go ahead and buy the new shakes and store them. We'll film the scenes, then I'll authorize your guys to come back when filming is over to install the new shakes. Will that work?"

"So long as my guys get paid we'll do it however you want," Mike said, grinning. He really liked Levi.