Later, at lunch, Hange was nowhere to be found and wouldn't pick up their phone so Mike and Levi drove in Mike's truck to the diner to eat. Levi gave him the abbreviated run-down as they drove.

"They met in a coffeeshop in Manhattan and dated a long while. Chloe was OK at first, a little squirrelly, but I didn't have much to do with them. Hange was head over heels for them though, thought they could do no wrong. Long story short, they cheated on Hans, they got back together, Chloe eventually moved into our apartment with us."

"That must have been awkward."

"You're tellin' me. It's a fucking studio. One room and we were already crowded as hell." Levi drummed his fingers on the door of the truck. Mike didn't want him smoking in his truck and he needed a fucking cigarette.

"Anyway, shit went south after that. Chloe wouldn't clean or pay rent or even work. It was clear they were using."

"Using?"

"Drugs. Heroin to be precise."

"Shiiiit."

"Yeah. They stole from us to pay for their habit and cheated on Hans several more times. Hans always took them back and pleaded with me not to do or say anything. It all came to a head one day when we found them in our apartment, in my bed, with some guy. I think they were turning tricks to make money."

"Jesus christ!"

"Needless to say, I blew up and physically and violently threw Chloe and her john out of the apartment. Beat them both up pretty badly, too. I spent the next week wondering if I was going to see the cops at my door arresting me for assault."

They pulled up to the front of the diner and Mike went very still.

"What's wrong?" Levi asked.

"That's Moblit's car."

"Fuck! What do we do?"

"Levi, we need to warn him."

"It's none of our business."

"We're their friends. We have no idea how Hange will deal with this or even if they will any time soon. I can't in good conscious leave Mobes in the dark."

Levi chewed his lip. "Fine. We'll tell him that they called and that they're Hange's ex and leave the rest up to Hange."

"Fair enough."

Erwin was taking off his apron and coming around from behind the counter when they stepped in. "There you are. You sat an awfully long time in the truck. I was getting worried." His impressive brows were knit and he looked anxiously between them. "Is everything OK?"

To present a united and caring front Mike and Levi caught Erwin up on the basics of what was happening. Nanaba, who had been sitting with Moblit finally came up to them. "Mike, what's happening? What's wrong?"

Mike patted her reassuringly. "Let's all go sit down. May we join you?"

Moblit took the news as well as could be expected. He wasn't a flashy guy, he kept himself to himself as they said in those parts. He took out his phone, scrolled to Hange's number and just looked down at it soberly. "Do you think they'd pick up if I called?"

"I wouldn't," said Levi. "I'd let them come to you."

Moblit stared at him so long that it made Levi uncomfortable. The guy was clearly hurting. "What if they don't?"

"Oh, Mobes," Nanaba said, putting her hand over his on the table. "They will."

"Let me work on them, run interference," Levi said. "This has happened before."

"Yeah," Moblit said in a small voice, "and look how that turned out."

Levi scowled. Moblit was right. "I'll deal with it," he said firmly.

At the end of the day, one of Mike's workers delivered a note to Levi.

Gone to MB to pick up Chloe. BBL.

"Shit, fuck, and damn!" Levi said. He showed the note to Mike.

"I'll give you a ride back to the motel. This is going to be a shit-show, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

Mike kindly dropped Levi off at the convenience store so he could grab beer and cigarettes then took him across the street to the motel.

Levi paused getting out of the truck. "I may call out tomorrow, depending on what happens. Will you and your guys be OK?"

Mike waved him off. "We'll be fine. There's plenty to do. You take care of what you've got."

"Alright, night."

"Good night and good luck."

Levi slung himself onto the bed and called for a pizza. He cracked open a beer and checked his phone. Nothing from Hange. Shit, he forgot to ask Mike just how fucking long it took to get to Myrtle Beach. He Googled it.

"Shit! An almost three hour drive one way?" Double fuck. He wondered if Hange would stay the night somewhere? His phone buzzed and he almost spilled his beer grabbing it up. It was an unknown number, though it was from Ellway. He hesitated then picked up.

"Hello?"

"Levi? It's Erwin. I hope you don't mind that I called."

"Uh … no, that's fine."

"I got your number from Mike. I just wanted to call and check in. Mike told me that Hange had gone to Myrtle Beach."

"Nothing to report. I haven't heard from them."

"I understand. Listen, Moblit is here. When I close the diner he's coming home with me. He needs to get drunk and I figured my place was better than Dreamers."

"Good call."

"Are you … uh, are you doing OK?"

"Fine as can be, considering. I've got beer and cigs and a pizza on the way. I'm pissed as fuck at Hans, though."

"Don't be too hard on them. This has to be shocking. Especially if they cared a lot about this person."

"That's you all over isn't it, Erwin? You're such a fucking nice guy." Levi said it without malice.

A rueful chuckle came down the line. "I guess I am. It's just my nature."

Suddenly and fiercely Levi wished that Erwin was there with him, right then. Hell, Moblit could even tag along, just so long as he got to be around Erwin. He briefly toyed with the idea of inviting them to do just that, bring alcohol and spend the evening with him. He quickly quashed that idea. If Hange changed her mind and decided to come back early that might explode in his face.

"Well, I'll call or text if anything changes."

"OK. Good night, Levi. Try to get some sleep."

"Yeah, you too. 'Night."

Levi drained his beer and grabbed his cigs and his room key. He'd smoke until his food arrived.

Levi was pacing the motel parking lot and chain smoking when the Dominos lady pulled up. Levi took his pizza, tipped the driver, and went back into his motel room.

As he always did, Levi wadded his butts up into a damp piece of toilet paper and threw them into the trash, washed his hands and brushed his teeth. He grabbed another beer as he crossed the room and settled on the bed with his pizza in his lap. He checked his phone one more time and flipped on the TV. He thought about jerking off but was afraid Hange would show up mid-way. They had lived together a long time and he'd been caught by them with his dick in his hand before, much to his embarrassment and their amusement. He normally wouldn't have been so stricken but Hange, in typical Hange style had, the first time, simply stood and stared at his dick and squealed "Ohhh, so pretty!"

He'd tried hard not to repeat that.

By midnight Erwin and Moblit were three sheets to the wind and just about boneless. Erwin was drinking a fresh bottle of bourbon and Moblit had a bottle of tequila. If Erwin was wasted then Moblit was absolutely shit-faced. His bottle was at least three-quarters gone.

He had it by the neck right then and was waving it around expansively as he soliloquized. "I luff them, Erwin. I tell you I sink … think …" he belched quietly, "I think I luff them!" This was at least the tenth time he had said this. Erwin nodded seriously.

Moblit was quiet for a bit and they both stared owlishly at the TV screen where a dinosaur was being reconstructed from its bones.

"Gotta pee!" Moblit announced suddenly and struggled to get off of the couch. He tacked unsteadily toward Erwin's bathroom.

Eren emerged from his room, his heavy gamer's earphones around his neck. He smiled fondly down at his dad. "You doin' OK, old man?"

Erwin smiled drunkenly up at him and patted his hand where it rested on his shoulder. "Yeah. Sorry abou' tonight."

"I understand. No biggie. How's he doing?"

"Bad. Like really really bad. I don' know what's gonna happen."

Eren shrugged. "Do any of us?"

God, he'd raised a wise son.

At one in the morning Levi was pretty wasted himself and he was getting sleepy. Just as he was trying to decide if he should have just one more beer or just go to sleep, his phone buzzed. He fumbled for it, cursing. It was hidden in the rumpled sheets. He found it and looked at the number. He clicked accept.

"Erwin?"

"Leviiiii!"

Oh, shit, Erwin was really drunk.

"Why are you whispering?"

"Mobe's asleep onna couch."

"Ah. You both got shit-faced, I take it?"

"Uh-huh."

Levi waited patiently, suddenly both more sober and not sleepy. He finally decided that Erwin had, himself, fallen asleep when Erwin came back on.

"I mish you."

Levi sat up straighter. Where was this going? He really really wanted to know. He gripped the phone tighter. "Yeah?"

A sigh. "Yeah."

"No word from Hanzhe?"

"Nope. Nothin'"

"I wish I was there."

Levi swallowed nervously. Should he? Fuck it.

"I wish you were here, too."

The silence stretched out and Levi's guts twisted. He knew what he wanted Erwin to say but he also didn't want drunk Erwin to say something that he didn't mean.

"What are you doin'? I mean, sitting there in the dark, drinking?"

There was a rustle and Levi got the impression that Erwin was responding with shrugs and nods forgetting that Levi couldn't see him.

"Th' TV's on."

"Ah."

"I really really mish you, Levi."

Levi sighed. "I miss you too." There. He had said it.

"I wish you could be here. Sleep with me ag'in. Not like …. not like …"

"I understand what you meant. That would be … well, awkward at this point. Right?"

Another long silence. Erwin sniffled. Oh god, was he crying?

"Erwin?"

"I'm here. Jus' thinkin'"

"OK."

"I'm so sorry, Levi! I'm so sorry for what happened!" Erwin was getting loud.

"Shh, shh, it's OK. I understand. I'm sorry too."

"Will you come to the diner?"

"Sure. Mike and I will come for lunch."

"Good. OK. OK. Well, sorry I bother-ed … bothered you. Good nigh', Levi."

"Night, Erwin. Go to bed now."

"OK." and the line went dead.

Levi decided that he needed another beer.