Eren just sat, mouth open. The restaurant seemed to spin around them, the soft clink of cutlery against ceramic, the ring of ice in glasses, the murmur of conversation.

"You want me?"

"Yes. But I don't want you. I mean I do, but I can't"

"Why not?!"

"I don't want just a casual fuck. I can't do that to you."

Eren shook his head like a dog.

"I don't think this can work." Levi said, almost desperately, "I don't think we can keep doing this. I have to think of Mikasa. The more you are around, the closer she gets to you."

Eren looked belligerent. "You can't just be alone forever!"

"I do hook up occasionally … I'm not completely lame."

A swift, hot flash of pure jealousy jolted through Eren. No. No, Levi absolutely couldn't be with anyone else. Nobody but him. Nobody.

"Then hook up with me."

"Eren, I can't! I care too much for you. It wouldn't be fair. Didn't you once tell me that?"

Something broke in Eren.

"Levi … don't do this. Please don't do this."

Levi's breath caught in his throat. Eren genuinely looked as if he was about to cry and Levi would rather get shot again than make Eren cry.

"Eren …"

"Levi, please. Please let's just try. Please. We can take it slow, just be friends again."

Levi's heart was breaking into pieces. "What about Mikasa? What about her? She adores you and you heard what she said in the bath, right?"

Eren nodded. Tears beaded on his lashes. "I did." He spread his hands, "We can just tell her. Together. That we are just friends."

"Eren, she's six. She wants a family like all her friends have."

"She knows that Hange will never be her mommy."

Levi had to pause at that. That was true. Could they convince her that Eren was just a friend? Could Levi convince his own heart?

Eren wiped roughly at his red eyes and sniffled.

"Do you need to run to the john?" Levi asked gently.

Eren shook his head stubbornly and sniffed again.

"Maybe we should go," Levi said.

Eren looked down at his steak. The two of them had taken just a few bites out of their food and he didn't know about Levi but he wasn't hungry anymore.

"Yes. I … I guess we should."

Levi and Eren drove in silence. A white foam take-out box sat on Levi's lap. He'd taken the steak, potato, and the chicken. That would be three lunches for him. No need to waste food.

The street lights flickered by in the darkness and Levi could tell it was getting colder. He pressed his hand against the glass of his window. Yes, it was definitely frigid out there.

They stopped at a stoplight and Eren sighed. He'd been sighing a lot. Levi carefully ignored it.

The light turned green and the Civic spurted forward then hesitated. There was a whining/grinding noise. Levi looked at Eren and he was frowning down at the dashboard.

"What was that?"

The sound came again and the Civic began to slow down.

"Fuck," Eren said.

"What's going on?"

"The car is still going but it won't switch into … second gear, I guess?"

Indeed the car was creeping forward, at about 15 mph. When Eren tried to go faster the engine just whined.

"Well, shit," Levi said.

Levi and Eren sat in the car with it running while they waited for the tow truck. It was too cold without the heater.

The tow truck driver was a jovial man in insulated camo overalls. He loaded up the Civic onto the roll-back and offered to drive them home so long as it was more or less on the way back to the garage.

Both Levi's house and Eren's apartment were on the way. They rode in a tense silence that the poor driver tried unsuccessfully to breach a few times before giving up.

Levi's house was first and he hesitated climbing down from the tall truck. "I'm sorry for ruining dinner."

Eren pressed his lips together into a thin line and said nothing.

It was morning and Eren was getting dressed for class with his phone pinched between his shoulder and his jaw. He was going through the age-old, single-guy routine of smelling his dirty clothes to find some that were clean enough to wear. He pressed a green hoodie to his nose then decided it was acceptable.

"Yeah, the Civic broke down. While I was on my date."

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry! Why don't you swing by the house and you can borrow the Caddy till your car is fixed?"

"Oh, mom, are you sure?"

"No problem, sweetie. Just come on the bus!"

"Thanks, Mom, you're the best."

"I know." She laughed at that. "How's Levi?"

Eren was rummaging speculatively through his jeans. He stopped dead. "Levi?"

"Isn't that your friend who was in the robbery?"

"Yeah, uh … he's fine."

"Do you see much of him?" Carla's manner was deliberately casual.

Eren's brows drew together. Where was this headed? Damned motherly instinct!

"What do you mean? I mean … yeah, he's in one of my classes, but …"

Eren heard Carla sigh. "Eren, you always have worn your heart on your sleeve. You are a little bit more than friends with this person aren't you?"

"I, uh, mom … I'm not sure what …"

"Eren Christopher Yeager."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I'm not your father."

Eren didn't hesitate again. His mom was right. She never judged.

"I really like him, mom. He, uh … he was the one I was on the date with."

Carla's voice was as warm as sunshine. "That's wonderful, dear!"

"But I'm not sure it's gonna work out … We kinda fought over dinner."

"Oh? Why? I was looking forward to meeting him."

"He's been hurt, in the past, and doesn't want a relationship."

"Hmm. Well I can understand that. You just have to be patient with him, dear. Be there for him. Be his friend. He'll come around."

After Eren hung up he just sat and stared at his phone. His mom was right. Maybe he'd been pushing too hard. Levi had trust issues so maybe he ought to just back off a bit and show Levi that he could be a good friend.

And maybe flirt a bit. Just a teensy bit.

[The Brat] "Found out abt the car."

"So we're talking again? All this back and forth stuff is exhausting."

[The Brat] "Sorry. You're right, but I refuse to give up. I'm gonna be your friend. I'm gonna be the best friend ever! Bettr than Hange!"

"That's a high bar, brat."

[The Brat] "well just fall hopelessly in love w me, have sex with me, marry me, and let's adopt a bunch of kids. Then I'll leave you alone. :)))))))"

Levi made a choked noise and stared down at his phone. Had the kid actually just asked Levi to marry him? Ahh, Eren …

"You're delusional, dickhead. As usual. So tell me about the car."

[The brat] "It's the transmission. :("

"That sounds expensive."

[The Brat] "It is. My dad is furious."

"Hey, at least you have a dad to pay for this. How's he doing anyway?"

[The Brat] "He's good. He still hs the gnarly staples all down the middel of his chest frm surgery."

"How are you getting around? Are you hoofing it like us pedestrians?"

[The Brat] "Nope. My mom let me borrow her car."

[The Brat] "Cadillac baybee!"

[The Brat] "Riding in style! For a little bit anyway. :)"

"Spoiled brat."

[The Brat] "Am not! Take that back!"

"Not gonna. It's true."

[The brat] "Say, where's your dad, anyway. You never said. Why doesn't he help you with 'Kasa and school?"

[The brat] "Sorry. That was rude. Forget I asked."

"Nah, no problem. I have no idea where he is. He may be dead for all I know."

[The Brat] "Jeez that sucks."

"Not really. I mean it is what it is, like I said. I never knew him. Neither did my mom."

"Well she knew him for like 2 minutes, I guess. Long enough for him to shoot his load."

[The brat] "Cold!"

"True, though. It makes me sad that 'Kasa's mom and I did the same thing, kinda."

[The Brat] "NOT THE SAME! You were friends. It was a mistake!"

"Still … they say blood will tell."

[The Brat] "Fuck you, Levi! Fuck off with that shit! You are nothing like that!"

"Jeez, easy there, dickhead."

[The Brat] "Fuck right off then. Don't insult yourself. I like you too much. It makes me fucking mad."

Levi was quiet after that, lost in thought. Why was it that as many times as he insisted that they not be friends they ended up talking to each other? He smiled fondly down at his phone. Eren was such a hot head.

"Did you storm off in a huff?"

[The Brat] "nah, I'm here. Whats a huff?"

"Good thing you're not an English major. 'In a huff' = indignant

[The brat] "Fuck. What's indigent?"

"Jesus christ, Yeager! It's 'indignant' (in-DIG-nant) and it means outraged. 'Indigent' (IN-dij-ent) is someone who's super poor."

"You need some schooling, boy"

[The Brat] "Are you willing to school me?"

[The Brat] "If you know what I mean …"

"You are an incorrigible pervert."

"(in-COR-ridge-abl)"

[The Brat] "LOL, yep!"

"I'm signing off now!"

[The Brat] "Byeeee! Think about schooling me!"

Levi chuckled and shook his head. Incorrigible.