It was early in the morning when Eren heard the car pull into the drive. He was playing on his ps5 and didn't really think about it. He and his dad ordered stuff online all the time. It was probably UPS or Amazon prime.

After a few minutes, he realized that he'd never heard a truck door slam or the doorbell ring. He certainly hadn't heard anyone leave. Whoever it was was still out there.

He paused his game and went to the door, peering out the window on one side. A white Kia with a crumpled front end sat in the drive.

Jean.

Eren threw open the door. "Jean? What are you doing out here, asshole?

Jean, who appeared to just be sitting in his car, jerked his head up. After a moment, when Eren's brows began to draw down into a frown, he got out.

When he reached him, Eren slapped Jean on the back and turned as if to go inside the house.

"Wait … let's talk in the yard."

"Why?"

"It's important … and private."

Eren dropped his arm. "What's up, bro?"

Jean flinched at the epithet then took a deep breath. "I like you."

"Well, shit, I should hope so we're frien—" Eren's breath caught when he realized what Jean was saying. He stood, trying to wrap his brain around it.

"Yes. I like you like you, Eren. I always have. Even back in elementary school I knew I loved you." Jean ducked his head and rubbed at his nose.

Eren's jaw hung open as he tried to process everything. "So … so … what do you want? What do you want us to do?"

"I thought maybe we could give dating a try."

"But ... I just don't think of you that way, dude"

Jeans face crumpled.

"Seriously, it would be like fucking my brother. Besides, we're both bottoms."

Tears trickled down Jean's face.

"Aw, no, now come on! No crying." Eren tried to hug him but Jean twisted away and wiped at his eyes. "At least come in, dude. I gotta shower, then we'll talk."

They went inside and the door clicked softly shut.

"Just, uh, make yourself at home," Eren said, something he had never had to say to Jean his whole life. He trailed into his room, glancing at Jean over his shoulder.

Levi crossed the living room dressed only in his boxers, idly scratching his belly and yawning. About halfway to the kitchen, he froze. What was that sound? It was a gasping, hiccupy sob. Someone was crying. Eren?

Levi looked around the living room. Empty. Then he realized that a young man—not Eren—sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island.

Levi couldn't gauge his age as he sat, hunched, clearly miserable, and wiped at his face clumsily with a cloth napkin.

"Uh … hey," Levi said.

The kid jumped and spun around, immediately taking in Levi's lean, pale form and tattoos. "Why are you here?"

"Why are you?"

Abruptly the young man burst into tears, sobbing into the crumpled napkin.

Levi blanched. "Hey, hey, hey, it's OK, whatever it is … say, don't I know you?"

"I'm you … I'm your … I'm your waiter."

Levi's mind raced and finally he came up with a name. "Jean?"

Jean sniffled. "Yeah."

"Why are you here? What's wrong?"

Jean sniffled some more and wiped a wide swath of snot onto his sleeve, making Levi shudder.

"I … I just confessed to Eren.'

"Confessed as in … you like Eren?"

Jean sat up straighter. "I love him."

"What did he say when you told him?"

Tears began sliding down Jean's cheeks. "He said he didn't think of me that way."

Levi, who was shit at relationships, knew that he did not have any right to advise Jean. He was upset on Jean's behalf, though, and wanted to make him feel better. He searched his brain for something to say.

"So Eren isn't the one. There are lots of guys out there. If it makes you feel better I'm 32 and I just now found Eren's dad."

At that moment Eren himself came out of his room towelling his hair. "Jean, I … oh hi, Levi."

Jean gasped out a huge sob and threw the damp napkin at Eren. "You're not the one!" He ran for the front door and Eren, startled, didn't think to chase after him. The sound of the Kia cranking and the squeal of tires marked Jean's leaving.

Eren stood dumbfounded for a second then rounded on Levi. "What did you say to him?!"

"I just told him that there are a lot of people out there and I didn't find your dad till I was 32."

Eren relaxed a bit. "Oh." he frowned and rubbed his hands together agitatedly. "I just don't have those types of feelings for Jean. He's like a brother. We grew up together for fuck's sake!"

Erwin appeared out of his own room, hair disheveled. "What's going on? I heard shouting and a car …"

"It's Jean," Eren sighed. "I can't explain it now. I need to talk to Levi."

Erwin frowned. "You need to talk with … Levi?"

"I need an outsider's view," Eren said and moved toward the hall to stand by the front door. After a second Levi realized he was supposed to follow him. He gave Erwin an apologetic look and got a scowl in return. He hastened down the hall. He reached the front door.

"Jesus Eren, don't play your dad and me against each other."

Eren pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I just meant what I said. Dad is biased because he thinks of Jean as a pseudo son."

Levi pursed his lips. "Fair enough. So what's going on?"

"Well, Jean confessed to me."

"He told me."

"I just don't feel that way about him, Levi! I mean we've known each other since I was nine! We used to have sleepovers and he'd sleep in my bed with me. I have never felt anything but brotherly love for him!"

Levi smoothed his hair back. "I understand. Did you ever, maybe give him the wrong impression? Something that could've led to this?"

"Absolutely not. When I was 13 or 14 or so I figured out that I was gay and I actually withdrew from all of my friends. I was afraid I'd suddenly feel like boning them cuz they were all guys. That didn't happen of course. That's not how it works."

"Well, the best advice I can give you—and mind that I'm shit at advice—is to give him time and space and just keep telling him gently how you feel. It'll sink in eventually."

"God I hope so. It's really awful. He's my best friend!"

"Not trying to push you and Jean together but you're not dating anyone right now, right?"

Eren ran his hands through his hair, clearly agitated.

"You sure you don't want to give him a chance? He's pretty cute in a horse-faced sort of way."

The little jab made Eren smile. "No, definitely not. He's just too much like family. It's squicky."

"I … I just don't want you to be lonely."

Eren smiled at Levi then suddenly threw himself into his arms. "Thank you for saying that! You're the best Pops in the world."

Levi awkwardly patted him on the back then pushed him gently away. "Enough with the Pops thing, Kiddo."

"I'll be OK." Eren insisted, "I do hook up occasionally."

Levi leveled a look at him.

"Safely! Safely! I've never done it without a condom!"

Levi scratched his jaw. "Have you ever thought about girls?"

"I tried dating a girl once," Eren said, then, raising his voice he shouted down the hall, "Dad, close your ears!" Erwin said something grumpily unintelligible that seemed to satisfy Eren. "Anyway we were gonna do it but I just couldn't. Girls are so weird and moist and foldy down there. I wasted a damn condom."

Levi uttered a short laugh. "Fair enough. More for us Bi guys."

Eren laughed. "What about the straight guys?"

"Nah, Bi guys are cooler."

"Hey Pops..."

"Don't call me that, Eren. I don't want a title that I haven't earned."

"What do you think you have to do to earn it? I mean you're banging my dad."

"What if I was a woman? Would you call me 'mom'?"

Eren considered it seriously, scratching at his chin where he sported a day's stubble.

"Ma, maybe."

Levi sighed, exasperated. "If you're not going to take the question seriously …" He turned as if to go.

"No, hey, listen." He grabbed Levi's arm. "After momma died and we moved, dad didn't socialize at all. I mean he didn't date, he didn't have any friends, he ignored all the people who flirted with him."

Levi listened soberly.

"He didn't start dating for five years. He dated a few women at first and, I found out, hooked up with a few guys."

"How did you know he was hooking up? You were a kid."

"When I came out to him at 15 he confessed that he was bi. We never kept anything from each other again."

"What does all this have to do with you calling me … that?"

"Do you know how many people he has brought home? Introduced to me? Told Mike about?"

"I'm guessing not many."

"Zero."

Levi opened his mouth, closed it again. "I didn't know that."

"So now you know why this is such a big deal." Eren said. "In my nineteen years my dad has had exactly two people he's been willing to live with and go out in public with and proudly say that he was their partner. My Momma, and you."

Levi stared at him, silent.

"Now you know why I feel comfortable calling you my Pops."

Eren patted him on the shoulder and crossed the living room to his room. Levi stood, mouth in a thin line, and tried to wrap his head around it all.