Monday in class Levi could tell something was far wrong with Eren.

The kid wasn't looking out the window, wasn't doodling in his textbook, he was just slouched in his seat staring into the middle distance.

Levi shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He had not taken his oxycodone because Mikasa had woken with a runny nose and a sore throat and couldn't go to school. He had to take care of her. She was sitting next to him now, handkerchief in hand, gently swinging her feet.

Shadis wrote something on the board and Levi struggled to write it down awkwardly with his right hand. He frowned down at his efforts. He would definitely have to transcribe all of this later.

"I want to talk to Eren," Mikasa whispered.

"Shh, Baby, Mr. Shadis is talking."

"But Papa, why aren't you talking to Eren?"

"We'll discuss it later, Sweetheart. Quiet now."

But Levi looked again at Eren. There was something amiss and it was eating him up.

You're not speaking to him, remember?

Levi turned it over in his brain. But what was wrong? It could be something important. Or it could be that he's depressed about them. Surely not. He was fucking his roommate after all. He didn't need Levi. Who would need a short, angry dad for wild sex?

Wild sex. Now that was a thought. Levi had had nothing but his left hand for ages now. He glanced down at his left arm, pinned to his side with an ace bandage. And now he didn't even have that. Shit.

But Eren's obvious distress was gnawing away at him. He suddenly decided that he had to find out what was going on.

Eren was shocked and incredibly happy when Levi approached him after class. "L-Levi?"

Mikasa waved shyly at him from Levi's side. "Mikasa? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sick!"

"Walk with me, Eren. I have to give her her meds."

They walked out into the hall and to the water fountain. Levi produced a small plastic tumbler from his backpack and filled it with water. He handed it to Eren. "Hold this."

He then withdrew two bottles, one with a viscous red liquid and the other orange. "He poured both into a dose cup, carefully getting the measurements just right and handed it to Mikasa. The little girl took it gravely and tipped it up to her mouth. Eren handed her the water as she grimaced at the taste of the medicine.

"Yucky?" Eren asked.

Mikasa nodded and clutched her scarf.

Levi wrapped everything in a napkin and inserted it into a ziploc bag that looked like it had been washed out several times before putting it back into his backpack. He stood. "So what's up with you?"

"Are we talking again?"

"No. This is a conversation with a purpose, then everything goes back to the way it was."

Eren looked crestfallen and was quiet. Levi was genuinely alarmed. Eren was usually so cheerful. Levi stubbornly stuck to his guns.

"So what's going on? You're moping around like Eeyore. If this is about us, I told yo—"

"My dad had a heart attack."

Levi's whole demeanor changed. "Oh, god. Is he alright?"

"He's in the hospital. I saw him Saturday. They're going to have to do open-heart. Fuck! I'm so scared, Levi!"

Suddenly Levi's strong white hand was on Eren's bare arm, squeezing gently. Eren gaped at him and would have sworn that his skin burned where Levi touched it despite his hand being chilly.

"It'll be fine, I feel sure. They do that surgery every day."

"They said it was stress and I stress my Dad out all the time! It was me!"

Levi rubbed Eren's arm. "Eren, don't be stupid. Stress doesn't help but it also doesn't cause blocked arteries! Having a kid is stressful, yes, but they're not talking about that kind of stress."

Eren immediately felt better. He was so grateful, so glad he had Levi to talk to. If he could do things differently he'd never, ever have slept with Jean and would have tried harder to win Levi over. He wondered, in some tiny way in the back of his mind, if it might not be too late.

"Is there anything I can do?" Levi asked. "You need to come by the house anyway and get your mom's roasting pan and Tupperware."

Eren pulled at his hoodie's hood strings. "Can I give you and 'Kasa a ride home, maybe?"

In the car Eren chattered agitatedly about his dad's diagnosis and how worried he was. It was so nice to have Levi to talk to. The taciturn man responded with nods and grunts but at least he was listening.

Eren was relating visiting his dad in the hospital when Mikasa piped up. It startled both Eren and Levi.

"Papa, did the Bad Man get Eren's daddy, too?"

Eren looked inquiringly at Levi.

"She just learned the word 'hospital' when I had to go. The Bad Man is the robber."

Eren nodded. "No, Sweetheart, my daddy just had his heart …" He glanced at Levi.

" … get tired," Levi said.

"That's right. My daddy's heart got a little tired but he's in the hospital getting all better like your papa did."

Levi nodded approvingly and Eren was proud of himself.

"Thanks for the ride. I'll get the dishes."

Despite the whole roommate thing, Levi felt like he did the last time Eren was there. He didn't want him to leave. He slowly packed up the roasting pan and the Tupperware into a grocery bag. Finally, he couldn't stand it.

"Stay for dinner?"

Eren's smile came back out like the sun peeking through clouds. "You sure? You don't mind?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I minded, asshole."

Eren grinned.

"Where's Hange?"

"They had to get back to their lab. They'll be here tonight and for the next few nights."

"Their lab? What do they do?"

"Molecular biologist."

Eren whistled.

Levi began unpacking the grocery bags. "It's just spaghetti again I'm afraid."

"I love spaghetti!"

"I got some meat this time." Levi held up a half-pound of ground beef proudly and Eren knew that it would be stretched mighty thin. That made him feel bad and guilty.

Eren devoted himself to the after-school ritual of inspecting all of Mikasa's work and praising her lavishly. Later, while Levi set the table, Eren gazed out the bow window that looked out onto the street. He had a good view of the cemetery. It was a gorgeous place, quiet, with deep green grass and huge trees and plenty of shade. "This is gonna sound weird but I love the cemetery where your mom is. It's so pretty and peaceful."

Levi hummed. He agreed.

"I could see myself being buried there."

"Are you Jewish?

"What?"

"Jewish. Are you Jewish?"

"N-no. I think my mom is Lutheran. What does being Jewish have to do with anything?"

"It's a Jewish cemetery. Only Jews can be buried there."

Eren digested this. "So you're Jewish?"

"Yep. Ashkenazi. Circumcised and everything." Levi laid out the forks, not looking up.

Eren shifted uncomfortably. Not only was this unfamiliar territory but Levi had just had to mention his dick. Fuck! Eren glanced at Levi's crotch. He'd bet it was pretty as hell. He swallowed hard and forced his mind back on track.

"What does Ashkenazi mean?"

"German Jews. My great grandparents fled Germany in 1933."

"Wow. Do you, uh, practice?"

"Kinda. We eat mostly Kosher and observe the holidays but we don't go to synagogue."

Eren stepped away from the window. "Are you allowed to marry a non-Jewish person?"

Levi looked up at him. "Are you seriously asking me right now if we can get married?"

Eren shrugged, blushing.

Levi crossed to the cupboard and got the glasses, putting them on the table. Eren nervously fiddled with one of the forks and Levi glared at him, coming round the table to replace it in its spot.

"To answer your question," Levi said slowly, putting the glasses out, "Same sex marriage is allowed in my branch of Judaism and so is marrying a non-Jew."

Eren's face was overtaken by a smile and Levi caught his breath. There was the cheerful, hopeful Eren he knew and …

Levi shook his head, once, quickly, and walked over to the stove to check on the food.