It was about 9 o'clock on Sunday morning and Mikasa was still in her pajamas and watching Mulan for the hundredth time. Levi saved the cardboard rolls from wrapping paper at the store (they offered a gift wrapping service for the few gifts they sold) and brought them home for Mikasa to play with. Mulan was at the scene where they were training with the fighting staffs and Mikasa was up in front of the television mimicking the moves with her cardboard roll.

Levi was reading the Sunday paper, a luxury that he couldn't afford but was provided by his neighbor in the adjacent house, Mr. Steffano. Mr. Steffano was an elderly widower who didn't own a cell phone or a computer and got the paper daily. He usually passed the Sunday edition off to Levi when he was done with it. Levi, though he got his news from the internet, enjoyed the ritual of leisurely cups of tea and the Sunday crossword and Mikasa loved the funnies.

He was frowning over eleven down—'lying down' 9 letters with a 'B' in the sixth place—when his phone buzzed.

[The Brat] "Hey R U up for a visit today? I have goodies."

[The Brat] "I hope you're not in church."

"We don't go to church, dumbass, remember?"

[The Brat] "Oh, duh, yeah, well whatever you call it."

"Synagogue and it's held on Shabbat which is Saturday."

[The Brat] "Huh, that's weird. Dad and I never went to church so I don't know much about it. My mom would go on Christmas and Easter."

[The Brat] "So, can I come?"

"Suit yourself, we're just chilling out."

[The Brat] "Cool! See you in a few."

Levi immediately resisted the urge to shower again and did a quick once over of the already clean house. He was debating the merits of changing clothes when a knock sounded on the door. Mikasa jumped up and looked inquiringly at him and he nodded. She hurried to the door and threw it open.

"Eren."

Mikasa was not an emotional or overt child but you could tell that she was truly pleased to see the young man.

Eren handed her a large flat box. "These are for you and your dad. Can you handle them?"

Mikasa nodded gravely and inspected the package. "Doughnits, Papa!"

"DoughnUts."

"Can we have doughnits now?"

"You can have one. We already ate breakfast."

Mikasa crossed to the kitchen carefully with the box, set it on the counter, and opened it reverently. "Different kinds!"

"Pick what you like sweetheart. Just one!"

Mikasa was getting a small plate and picking out her doughnut when Eren turned to Levi. He rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair. "You look good."

Levi was taken aback. He had on a thin ratty old t-shirt and blue checked sleep pants that hung low on his narrow hips. Aside from brushed teeth he may as well have just rolled out of bed. He scoffed and waved it off. "Whatever."

Mikasa walked by, finished with her doughnut and having put her plate into the sink.

"That was quick," Eren teased. She just smiled and clicked on Mulan.

The front door swung open and Hange came in, loaded down with grocery bags. Levi crossed over to her. "What the fuck Hans? I told you to stop buying me groceries.

"They were on sale! Hey, Eren!"

"Hi, Hange."

"Oh my god, doughnuts!"

"Help yourself," Levi said, then intercepted her hand as they reached for the box. "After you wash your hands. And don't eat them all!"

"Don't eat them all." Mikasa echoed from the couch.

A man entered the apartment then, even more bags in hand, and gently pushed the door closed with his foot. He was blandly handsome, tall—taller than Eren—with brown hair and mild brown eyes.

"Eren," Hange said, "This is Moblit, my research assistant at the lab. Mobes, this is Eren, Levi's …"

Levi shot Hange a murderous look and Moblit shook Eren's hand.

" … friend."

"He and I are in a class together at the college," Levi said.

"Moblit Berner."

"Eren Yeager."

"Any relation to Dr. Grisha Yeager?"

Eren scowled. "I'm his son."

"Mobes is an epidemiologist at the hospital," Hange said, unpacking groceries. "He just moonlights at the lab."

Levi was hovering rather anxiously. "Hans, this is too much."

"Do you not have room for it?"

"No, I do, but you don't have to buy groceries for us."

"We're glad to do it," Moblit said gently. "Where do you keep the peanut butter?"

Levi gestured helplessly and Moblit loaded up the cabinet with no fewer than four jars.

Eren was unsure as to what to do. Levi was clearly uncomfortable, embarrassed even, and Eren didn't know whether to help unload groceries or not. He opted for distracting conversation.

"Do you know my dad?" he asked Moblit.

"Oh, everybody knows Dr. Yeager."

Eren nodded understandingly. "Yeah, Dad's a real peach," he said a tad bitterly. Moblit looked at him sympathetically.

"He's a challenge to work with. I'd bet that living with him is somewhat more difficult."

Eren suddenly liked Moblit a lot.

"Hange, you're putting things in the wrong place," Moblit said carefully, moving to intercept.

Hange was immediately flustered. "I've known Levi longer than you have. I think I know where his pasta goes."

Moblit gently took the two boxes of elbows from them and put them in their proper place. Hange pouted but didn't resist.

"He does this to me all the time in the lab. MY lab!"

"Oh, quit your bitching, Hans," Levi said, "and hand me my cleaning supplies from under the sink."

"You're cleaning now?" Eren asked in a whisper, "You have guests."

Hange's hand descended on Eren's arm and when he met their gaze they quickly shook their head. Eren subsided. Levi was embarrassed and this was how he coped. Eren understood now.

Levi retreated quickly from the busy scene in the kitchen with Hange putting things in the wrong place and Moblit gently chastising them and putting the stuff up correctly. He moved off to the tiny bathroom and Eren trailed after him.

"You wanna help?" Levi asked.

"Sure!"

"Grab the towels and washcloths and the rug for me to wash. Clean ones are in the little cupboard on the other end of the tub." Eren hurried to comply while Levi filled his bucket up with water and tipped cleanser into it.

"Make sure everything matches."

He started with the tub while Eren finished up and sat on the closed lid of the toilet. "Can you talk while you clean or … ?"

"No, that's fine. Free entertainment. Most people run away when I get going. Afraid they're going to get drafted." He snorted then began carefully scrubbing around the spigots with an old toothbrush. "Little do they know that most people don't even come close to my standards as cleaners."

Eren most assuredly would not either. He fidgeted as the silence stretched out.

"Damn Hange," Levi muttered suddenly, steadily scrubbing the tub.

Eren glanced his way. "Are you mad with them?"

"Yes, hell, I'm mad!" he said, then, sitting back on his heels, he sighed. "No. No I'm not." He dropped his rag back into his wash water. "It's just …"

"You don't like it that they bought you groceries."

"Yes. I don't like it."

Eren kept quiet, giving him time.

Levi wiped his forehead with the back of one hand. "We … we need them, but …"

Eren waited.

"I don't need to be rescued! I'm not some … some welfare project!"

Eren stared at him. Levi was kneeling next to the tub, looking at him, hands clenched into fists, face flushed under his bruises.

Eren moved without thinking. He slipped off the toilet lid, onto his own knees, in front of Levi and threw his arms around him, pulling him close. For a second Levi resisted stiffly then he abruptly relaxed into Eren's embrace, though he made no move to put his arms around him.

They stayed that way for several seconds, their heads on each other's shoulders, breathing together, then Levi pulled away, scowling down at the floor. He retrieved his rag from the bucket, not looking at Eren.

"Thank you," he said very quietly, "for that."

He looked up.

Eren kissed him then. It was quick but not altogether chaste. Levi recoiled slightly, startled, and Eren greedily took advantage of his confusion to lean after him and press his lips against Levi's again. Then it was over. Done. Levi hadn't even had time to properly react.

"Uh …" he said. He just couldn't manage any outrage. He'd be lying if he had said that he hadn't enjoyed it.

For a moment they both were just there, on their knees, facing each other over a bucket of hot, soapy water, both red-faced and not looking at each other.

"I … I can't clean with you all over me, Yeager."

Eren drew back. "Sorry!" He retreated to his toilet lid.

Levi got to work on the front of the tub, a small smile on his face.

Hange and Moblit appeared in the doorway of the bathroom just as Levi was finishing up the sink.

"We're heading out, you two lovebirds!" Hange said.

Levi scowled. "Fuck the fuck off, Hans."

"Working on it!" they said, grinning.

"Nice to have met you, Eren," Moblit said.

"You too!"

Levi quickly began gathering up his cleaning things.

"'Kasa's watching some Electric Company while she waits for you to put her to bed."

"Thanks, Hans." Levi looked at his hands. "And thanks for the groceries."

Hange kissed him quickly but gently on one bruised cheek. "Any time. Bye, Eren!"

The whole house seemed somehow calmer after Hange had gone. Levi put Mikasa to bed and Eren got ready to leave.

"You look like you need to take a shit, brat."

"Ha, ha."

"There something you need to say?"

Eren hesitated.

"Go out with me," he said.

"Ere—"

Eren held up both hands, palms out. "I know, I know, you don't want to date. I'm not suggesting we date. Just go out with me once. Let's just try it out and get it out of our systems."

"Out of your system, you mean."

"OK, true. Fine. Out of my system."

"I'm not going to fuck you."

"Jesus Christ, Levi! I'm not trying to get you to fuck me!"

Levi's eyebrows rose toward his hairline.

"OK, OK! I'd love for you to fuck me, but I can control myself! I promise!"

Levi chewed his lip and looked dubious. He replayed the kiss in his jumbled mind. He tried not to think about the 'I'd love for you to fuck me' statement. "I suppose we can at least go get a few drinks and be civil for an evening."

Eren grinned.

Levi leveled a stern finger at him. "You will be controlling yourself!"

"I will!"

Eren left, a happy bounce to his step. In the doorway Levi's fingers strayed to his lips