A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys. I have little time to write fics nowadays, but I'm still working on my stories when I have time to spare. Unfortunately this means updates won't be super frequent, I'm afraid. OTL

Anyway. Originally this chapter was supposed to go in an entirely different direction, and for the longest time I kept trying to force that plot until I realized it just didn't fit right. So, apologies if this chapter feels off—I couldn't come up with a plot that topped the one I initially planned. I ran into a lot of repercussions while rewriting because I tried squeezing in scenes that were necessary for future chapters and, ugh, it was a mess lol. In the end, this version is better because the first draft, despite being more eventful, actually threw off the vibe of the story. Personally, I'm not too happy with how this chapter came out, but the more I try to improve it, the worst it gets, so I just have to publish it and move on to the next chapter (which will be in Jean's POV. I'm super excited about that!)

Once he packed up his laptop, Levi wearily lifted himself from the table and disposed of the grande cup army he had accumulated. Mikasa couldn't believe someone actually lasted a whole day inside a Starbucks without getting paid for it. That's gotta be a new record, she thought. Anxious to leave, he headed for the exit next, Mikasa following close behind.

Even in his sleepy state, Levi had the courtesy to hold the door open for her. "I need to stop by my place before you kidnap me for the evening."

"That's fine," Mikasa replied, looping another layer of her scarf around her neck. "I'll drive you."

Levi gave her a testy look as they made their way across the crosswalk. "I can drive myself," said the man scuffling into the somber parking garage like he was infected with a zombie virus. "I'll meet you back at your place."

"Nice try."

"I'm not trying to ditch you."

The tail lights of Mikasa's car flashed a smear of red onto the concrete as she unlocked it from afar. As she unlatched the hatchback to throw in her bag, Levi stood in the middle of the lane, eyeing his parked car in the distance.

"You'll just get stuck working, or you'll wander off again. Besides, it's not safe for you to be behind the wheel right now. I'm driving you. Your car will be fine here over night."

Dejectedly, Levi took one last look at his Mustang before he fussily stuffed himself into the passenger's seat of Mikasa's Cruiser, slamming the door shut. "I live in the Rose Historical District, across from that French bistro place."

The engine came to life with a twist of her key. "That's one of the nicest districts in Sina City. I'm kind of jealous."

An impassive shrug later, he said, "It's okay, I guess. But I warn you, don't ever buy a place because it's nice. I thought the harbor view from the veranda was nice—at first. As it turns out there's nothing nice about boats blowing their horns six in the morning. Every morning. What are they even blowing their horns for? Skiffs and fish? I should complain to the city."

It didn't take much to fire Levi up. This one's a little pistol, ready to fire off any moment. Mikasa found herself liking that about him, though. Levi's sour disposition made his smiles all the sweeter.

"You won't be hearing any early horns where I live. You can sleep in as late as you want."

Levi replied with silence. Nothing to complain about, she supposed.

A dusting of snow speckled the windshield as the car maneuvered its way down the strip. Lining the street were antique stores, bakeries, gift shops and rose shrubs that would bloom in the spring and sprinkle the neighborhood with rich pastel color. For now, the hibernating rose shrubs blanketed in snow and the scenery looked dull under the gray filter of winter.

Mikasa never spend much time in the historical side of town. She loved the appeal, but every shop on the block was too expensive to even browse in. Therefore, she wasn't all that familiar with the layout. "I'm not sure where this French bistro is. I'll need some clear directions."

"I live in the tall building with the modern architecture. It's impossible to miss."

And suddenly she knew exactly where their destination was. Her lips lopsided. "...You mean the one that doesn't fit the vintage aesthetics at all?" She directed a groan at Levi, as if him being a resident there made him responsible for the impetuous design of the building. "That eye sore always annoyed me. It ruins the whole theme of the district."

A sneer sliced across his face. "It's only fitting that I live in a place that annoys you."

And annoyed her it did. The whole area emulated the impression of a Victorian town inside a snow globe, until they pulled to a stop in front of the luxurious, yet oddly out-of-place condo complex; it was like seeing a sports car on a horse-racing track. Why they decided to build it here of all places, she had no idea. So this is where Levi lives... she thought, marveling the looming tower.

Pushing open the door, Levi scrambled out of the vehicle and vanished into the revolving doors out front. During the wait, Mikasa entertained herself by watching all the suit-wearing men and pencil-skirted women coming in and out of the condo. Rich socialites and Sina City's over-achievers came and went until Levi, after getting lost in the revolving doors for a few rounds, emerge with an over-cumbered dufflebag, looking just as out-of-place among the rich types as this modern condo in the midst of a historical district.

"Did you fit everything you own in there alright?" Mikasa suspiciously eyed the lumpy bag as Levi settled back into the car.

"Everything but the vacuum," he slammed the door shut. "It's been a while since I attended a sleepover. I want to be prepared, so I brought everything I thought I might need."

"I'm willing to bet most of the crap you have stored in there is cleaning products."

Turning to face the side window, Levi fell completely silent.

Twisting in her seat, Mikasa stretched out an arm over his headrest and zoomed in on him. "Let's set one thing straight: You're not coming over to clean. You're coming over to get a good night's sleep. That's it."

"But if I can't sleep..." he muttered, planting a pair of desperate eyes on her, "can I tidy up Eren's room? Ever since I saw it I can't stop thinking of it. I want to get my hands on it."

". . . . . ." Mikasa lost her voice briefly. "You almost sounded aroused."

"And you sound jealous."

"And you sound delirious." Jealousy wasn't the right word, but when a girl invited her boyfriend over to spend the night, it seemed unorthodox to get aroused at the thought of cleaning rather than being with his girlfriend. But it didn't matter. It's not like she wanted Levi's hands on her instead—as of right now, at least.

Mikasa couldn't believe she was about to say this, because Eren's room was a filthy landfill of dirty clothes, unwashed dishes and even dirtier porn, but she put her foot down. "I stand by what I said, no cleaning. You need rest."

"What about after I sleep...can I clean it in the morning?"

Considering, she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "If you want to that badly...I guess?" This, of course, sounded more like a cruel punishment than a reward, but Levi didn't see it that way and quickly agreed to the deal.

Before clutching her gear, Mikasa took another careful look at Levi, and asked, "When's the last time you ate?"

His bottom lip drooped open as he drawled on a long, "Uh..."

"Don't strain yourself thinking. I already have my answer."

"I don't have much of an appetite."

"Probably because your stomach is eating itself. How about we stop in that bistro real quick?" she pointed at the compacted eatery across the street. "You won't be able to get a good nights sleep on an empty stomach."

"Wow," he said with too much enthusiasm. "You'd give Erwin a run for his money. That's the most motherly thing I've heard all week. I'd pay to see you two battle it out and put your nurturing skill to the test."

She sighed impatiently. "Are you up to it or not?"

"Yeah, I guess," he swung open the door and languidly lifted himself out of the car. Together they crossed the slushy road and stood under the pinstripe awning as they wiped their shoes on the mat.

Once inside, Mikasa took in the sights of the scraggly plants and framed paintings adorning the walls. A potent vanilla aroma and toasty heating consumed the air. The narrow space was deprived of people, save for the staff and a family seated at the very back. With the absence of music and public chatter it sounded oddly quiet, but Mikasa figured that might be best considering Levi's delicate state.

"I bet you come in here a lot," she said, shimming out of her jacket after the host lead them to a dark corner booth.

"Unfortunately," he groaned, rolling up his sleeves. "Erwin likes to have meetings here. I personally don't like the pompous vibe."

Mikasa nodded, belatedly noticing that they were under-dressed compared to the bowtie-wearing servers. There was something else she belatedly noticed, too, when she gazed across the table: a subtle shadow along Levi's jawline.

"I like it," she gestured her hand at her face. "The stubble. It suits you."

Levi rubbed at his grainy hairs, making a face that suggested he hated what he felt. "Don't get used to it. I just try to stay away from sharp objects when I'm sleep deprived."

"Smart."

Levi picked up a spoon from the table, his dark-rimmed eyes widening with disgust at the reflection it showed. "I hadn't any time to gussy up, as you can tell. I look like shit."

"I just worked a busy shift, I'm no beauty queen either."

"And we both reek of coffee and debility. We're kindred spirits, you and I."

Mikasa smirked at that and let her eyes fall to the menu, and Levi picked up his own. For a few silent moments she browsed through the list of specials until she became distracted by Levi moving the menu back and forth in her peripheral vision. Mikasa rose her head again to see Levi blinking rapidly, as if his eyes couldn't clearly focus on the print.

"Do you need glasses?" she wondered.

"What makes you say that?" he said dismissively, squinting his eyes with the menu an inch from his face. "My eyesight is flawless."

"Right..." Mikasa figured Levi probably had decent vision, but after straining his eyes at a computer screen for days and neglecting sleep, his eyes were too tired to work properly. Mikasa couldn't relate to someone with insomnia at all—she maintained a decent sleeping scheduled for the most part, and even when she flipped to nocturnal hours she never missed much sleep over it. That didn't stop her from feeling sympathetic toward him, though.

Reaching out, Mikasa dragged his hand down so she could look at him without the menu obscuring his face. Before he could question her, she took in a nervous breath, cinching his hand tighter. "You know, when you disappeared I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"You just had to twist the hilt of the guilt sword again," he spat with a hint of remorse, "didn't you?"

"I don't mean to make you feel bad, I was just..." her eyes trailed aside, the words stuck in her throat. "Worried. I was worried. Back when we had that fight I couldn't stop thinking about you then either, but this time was different. All I wanted was to see you."

When her gaze returned to Levi, his features remained placidly still until the outer corners of his eyes crinkled; whether he felt tense or charmed she couldn't tell. A burning sensation engulfed Mikasa's ears as she lowered her head and pulled back her hand. "That sounded less creepy in my head. Sorry. It's way too soon to say stuff like that."

Fondness blossomed in Levi's eyes, making his face easier to read now. "I'd rather you be honest than keep your feelings hidden while waiting for the perfect moment. That time will never come, so express yourself while it feels genuine."

She gave him a restrained smile and they stared at each other in silence for a while, not weirded-out by the touch of one anothers eyes grazing each other at all. Looking at him now, Mikasa couldn't believe she used to hate him. Well, he'll always be a detested manlet...but now he's her manlet.

The sudden presence of the server finally caused their eyes to pry apart. Once their orders were logged, Mikasa hooked her attention back to Levi. "The next time this happens, call me, okay?"

"I…" he started, and Mikasa could see the lie forming on his lips. Levi locked his jaw tight, hesitant to speak more, but when he finally did a heavy weight sat on Mikasa's chest.

"I wish I could make that promise, Mikasa, but the truth is my insomnia is unpredictable and I have a horrible handle on it. For as long as I could remember I had a awful sleeping schedule, and it worsened after I served in the military. Dreams weren't pleasant back then, to put it lightly, and I avoided those nightmares by staying awake. The trauma is more or less gone now, but the habits remain. I fall into sleepless patterns without realizing; it goes from staying up a few extra hours to realizing days have passed and all coffee accessible to me is gone. I know how I get when I'm in those states. That's why I can't make a promise I might break. I don't want to cause you worry, though so I will promise that I'll try my best to keep you updated."

And yet, worry leaked from Mikasa's pores unbidden, masking her face in an expression that made Levi say, "I said don't worry. It's not as bad as it seems."

"Seems bad to me..."

"Just like your taste in men," he said dryly, looking tired of the discussion, then again he just looked tired overall. "I have many flaws, some you are well aware of by now, some you will discover along the way. That's what you signed up for when you agreed to date me, but I don't want you to feel obligated to get mixed up in my problems. The last thing I want to become is a burden."

Leaning forward, Mikasa's brows drew down in the center. "We might not know each other long, but I do care about your well-being. You'd never become a burden. I want to help you."

"And you did already. You're a total natural, believe it or not. You snapped me out of my trance without even trying. You see, when I get like that I lose touch with the world, but you managed to bring me back down to Earth. With skills like that you have little to worry about, so quit making constipated expressions like that."

She couldn't tame the smirk on her lips, but an uneasiness remained with her, deep in the pit of her stomach. To add to that, a pang of embarrassment muddled in with her discomfort when she realized how much this former foe affected her, both physically and mentally. At the rate they're going, they'll graduate from kindred spirits to soul mates before they know it. The thought of it packed on another layer of emotions. After so many years of being callous, Mikasa didn't know what the hell to do with all these feelings.

A while later they found themselves back on the foggy strip of road. In the passengers seat Levi sat silent; his head bobbing as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Don't fight it," Mikasa's sharp scathing made him jolt with alert. "Shut your eyes until we get to my place."

Settling down again, a teary-eyed yawn escaped Levi as he nestled into the seat like a cat after it kneaded its favorite spot. "Fine, but keep your eyes off me and on the road. I know you're worried and all, but I'd like to wake up alive if you don't mind."

And Mikasa kept her promise...sort of. They made it to their destination safely, but on the way she couldn't help but up gander upon Levi's sleeping face every now and then. She found it amusing how he still furrowed his brows in his sleep, and they drew together even deeper when she slammed on her breaks at a stop sign she nearly flew passed. Eyes on the road, she told herself firmly. The next time she looked at him, she had pulled her car into the alley adjacent to her apartment. There she watched him a bit longer, the drone of the engine sending Levi into a deeper sleep. Content as he looked, she didn't want to disturb him, but she knew she couldn't let him sleep in the car all night. After turning off the ignition she poked him awake with her key.

Stirring in his seat, Levi blinked the blur from his eyes. "I actually fell asleep."

"You're surprised? You've been awake since Saturday."

Groggy mewls freed from his lips as he stretched out. "The longer I stay awake the harder it is to crash—but I think your driving rocked me to sleep."

"Believe it or not, driving could be a soothing experience if you don't mow down everything in your path."

Eyeing her with a twitching scowl, he unbuckled himself and departed from the car with a sway; his body faltering as he tried to keep his footing on the icy pavement. As light flurries sprinkled down, Mikasa towed their belongings from the car and hastened her way to his side, keeping a free arm loosely caged around him to stabilize his wonky gait.

By the time they made it up the stairwell and down the corridor he swayed like a leaning tower of Levi, ready to crumble down any moment. Quickly, Mikasa jammed her key in the lock and thrust opened the door. "Go to bed," she ordered, urging him inside.

"Huh?" A slight fumble later, he whirled around to face her. "Not right now. Let me settle in first."

"Fine," she allowed, "but when you're done sniffing your surroundings like a new puppy you're going straight to bed."

"Yes, master."

A pair of voices talking over the TV attracted Mikasa's attention. At the end of the foyer, she spotted Eren and Jean seated together in their natural habitat: the couch. Their eyes were already planted on the them. One wore a smile, the other a bitter grimace.

"Hey, Levi!" Eren greeted, springing up to his knees as he waved eagerly for his attention, like Levi was a star that just walked on stage.

"Levi is spending the night," Mikasa quickly announced as she locked up the door. Jean had something to say about that, but she couldn't make out his mutters. Whether Jean was still bitter about Mikasa's new relationship with Levi, or if he was annoyed by his fanboy friend and his inability to hop off Levi's dick was hard to tell. Would't be the first time Jean got jealous over something petty like that.

Eren, on the other hand, had no objections. "Cool. Where have you been, man? Mikasa and I were worried about you."

At Eren's words, Levi hung his head apologetically. "I was working."

"Oh," he shrugged it off. "Wanna play a game?"

But Levi, looking dizzy and in need of a seat, quickly declined Eren's offer. Mikasa directed him to a stool at the counter, where hr promptly hung over and nursed his head. In an effort to be hostly, Mikasa transported his belongings into her room, and when she returned to the kitchen she found Jean with his back against the counter in the kitchen, arms folded and eyes narrowed in suspicion. Passing him right up, Mikasa rummaged through the cabinet, asking, "Levi, would you like some tea?"

"Desperately."

As she filled the kettle at the sink, Jean slid to her side, flitting his questioning gaze between her and Levi. "Is he drunk?"

"No," she whispered back, glancing back at Levi curled over the counter. He made her look like a downright liar. "He just hasn't slept in a few days."

"Crack, then."

Before Mikasa could refute Jean's assumption, Levi's head abruptly swung up. "I just want to inform you both that I can hear you talking about me. I have super sonic hearing right now; perks of an insomniac."

"Sonic?" Eren crashed himself into the counter and gasped inches away from Levi's face. "You wanna play Sonic? I have Sonic. I have loads of classics we could play."

Seeing Eren and Levi side-by-side looked like a bad metaphor for life and death, Mikasa thought. "He doesn't want to play a game," she curtly answered for Levi, then delivered a pair of pleading eyes to Jean. "Do me a favor and keep him busy, please."

With a brave salute, Jean went off to attempt the harrowing mission of keeping Eren subdued. His mission ended in partial failure since Jean's idea of entertainment involved video games and that always brought out the worst in Eren. The new couple had a moment to themselves, at least, albeit not a quiet one with the bickering ambiance, but Mikasa hoped the tea she was about to brew would eliminate any headache caused by them.

As she waited for the water to boil, Mikasa hung her weight over the counter in front of Levi. "Eren really likes you. I think you're his new hero," she said, elated that Eren found someone new to look up to. She couldn't remember the last time he showed interest in anyone outside their close niche of friends.

"Does he? I hadn't noticed," his tone was so dry she couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Levi flicked his eyes to the side, subtly signalling to the boys behind him with a nudge of his chin. "I get the impression the other one doesn't like me."

"Don't let his looks deceive you. Jean might resemble a horse but he has the personality of a stubborn mule sometimes. He'll warm up to you."

The blasting TV and Eren's loud mouth wasn't enough to conceal their conversation, it seemed, because Jean threw them an angered protest. "Quit it with those stale jokes already."

"Yeah Mikasa," Eren agreed, trying to repress a giggle, "quit beating a dead horse. It triggers him."

As Jean began his long-winded rant, everyone blatantly ignored him, other than Eren who interrupted his speech with a boisterous belch.

Mikasa leered at the two misbehaving boys with contempt. After catching a glimpse of her, Eren's mischievous expression popped to a serious one and he nudged Jean beside him. "Knock it off, you're embarrassing Mikasa."

Pointing that out only embarrassed her more.

"I am? You're a walking embarrassment, Yeager," Jean retorted, and Eren yelled. Jean yelled back. Eren kicked, and Jean shoved, and then they were grunting as they tried to wrestle the other into submission.

"You're so fucking pathetic. This is why Mikasa broke up with your sorry ass!" Eren spat, slapping aimlessly as Jean shoved his chin up and away from him. Drowning in embarrassment, Mikasa slammed her head down on the counter, trying her best not to sink into her puddle of shame.

"You dated him?" Levi lurched back, surprised.

Mikasa mumbled, "Back when we were in high school..."

"How am I pathetic? At least I had a love life, you virgin," Jean argued, struggling still. Eren had nothing to say to Jean's claim, because it was true. Instead of coming up with a clever comeback, Eren resorted to screaming insults again, which sounded like an incoherent string of curses and horse slurs.

Levi, on the other hand, was wise enough not persist in the topic of Mikasa's previous love life and carefully hopped down from the tall stool, saying, "I'll back, I need to change into something more comfortable."

By the time he returned, the war between Eren and Jean ended and Mikasa had the tea poured and waiting on the counter. Not knowing how he liked it, she had set up a sugar and creamer, but he use neither to flavor his tea.

"Your room is tidy, thank god," he praised, taking a seat beside her.

Mikasa took a thoughtful sip. Most boys, especially boyfriends, wouldn't pay much mind to the state of their girlfriend's bedroom. Or perhaps they did, and she spent too much time in the company slobs. Either way, she was glad he happened to catch her room in a tidy state. She wouldn't break his heart by telling him about all the times she neglected housework for the sake of assignments and studying. Or Tumblr and Vine marathons.

"I guess that means I passed your inspection?"

He nodded, and Mikasa decided to do a quick inspection of her own. Levi had changed into a white long sleeve shirt and black sweatpants, and he did indeed look more comfortable, but Mikasa was beginning to suspect he didn't own a single piece of clothing with color. Not that she cared—it made the blue in this eyes more vibrant.

"Well, good, because you'll be sleeping in there tonight," she told him.

"And where will you sleep?"

"The couch."

He made a face. "I don't feel right about kicking you out of your own room."

"It's not a big deal. The couch is more comfortable than it looks." It actually wasn't, at all. The cushions were flat and infested with crumbs and it aged twenty years in only a few months from all the time Eren and Jean spent on it, but Mikasa could bear one uncomfortable night for Levi's sake.

Lifting the steaming mug to his lips, Levi washed down any further scruples he might've had about that with a mouthful of tea. He let it seep in his taste buds before swallowing with a face lifted with satisfaction. Mikasa was pleased to see he liked it. Personally, she became all too familiar with the flavor, and consequently the tea tasted vapid to her. One sip was enough to transport her back to her childhood home, though, which was why it remained her favorite.

"I don't think I ever told anyone this before—excluding myself—but you brew a perfect cup of tea."

The praise made her tense up a little, but she tried to play it cool. "I'll add that to my list of accomplishments. You did list 'tea' as one of your hobbies on your dating profile, as I recall. I take it you know your stuff."

"I like to call myself an active herb enthusiast," he claimed confidently, like that was some genuine title an expert earned. "Traveling the world to taste wine is a waste of time and money, tea-tasting is where the fun is at."

Mikasa cared little for the topic of tea, but she wanted to keep the discussion going given that she found Levi's sleepy excitement unbearably cute. "In that case, if you were given a voucher for unlimited tea, but you could only use it in one country, which would you visit?"

"Hm," he hunched over and propped his hand under his chin like The Thinker statue, obviously taking the question way too seriously. "England seems like the obvious choice, but my time in Japan convinced me otherwise. They know their tea over there and I can respect that. I also like the pan-fired method popular in China—I'd have to split my voucher somehow to visit both." A mournful sigh freed from him. "If only America had a penchant for tea, but alas we live in a nation of soda pop and watered-down beer."

She concurred with a sullen nod. "High quality tea is hard to come by in the west, that's why I have my mom smuggle me tea from Japan."

Captivated by her words, he twisted to face her. "Consider yourself lucky and envied by me. Could I get in on that tea smuggling?"

She hid a smile behind her mug. "I'll tell you what, the next time my mom sends in a new shipment I'll invite you over for a tea party."

"Mikasa," he voiced her name lovingly, his fond gaze swimming through the wisps of steam rising from his cup, "I do believe you have just won my heart."

The rest of the early evening consisted of more subtle flirting, tea talk, and Levi's ramblings, which were likely fueled by the pinch of caffeine in the tea. Once he landed on the topic of work, he went on and on, complaining about writing and Erwin like a cassette tape on fast forward.

"You see, I write the best when I'm sleep deprived," he explained and quickly drained the last of his tea. "My internal editor and that perfectionist side of me shuts off, leaving me free to write without censoring myself with my own criticism. That self-aware wall that normally blocks my creativity crumbles. The results are far from publishable, of course, but it's my job to give Erwin something to clean up. A blank page does none of us any good. I've sought alternatives, trust me. Many of the greats offhandedly suggest intoxication, but if I drank as much as I wrote I'd have permanent alcohol poison. Not to mention brain damage."

"What you need is confidence," Mikasa suggested simply, though she knew it was easier said than done. Work is important, she understood that, but health should always take top priority regardless of the situation. "Depending on bad habits to produce good result might be tempting, and even beneficial in your case, but after prolonged dependency it becomes a crutch and a sure fire way to land yourself in a hospital, or a morgue. I know you have little control over this self-destructive mindset you have, but first things first: stop excusing the habit."

"Okay, life coach," he slammed down his mug, pinning his attentive eyes on her. "Offer me your wisdom. Where can I acquire confidence, and where can I dispose of this enabling attitude of mine?"

"Hell if I know," she confessed. "I have bad habits I succumb to during times of stress too. You said so yourself that you had many flaws—I do too. I might have the answers, but I don't have the cure."

"Now's not the time to be vague. Tell be more about these habits of yours," he prodded, eyeing her curiously. "If you share some with me, maybe we can work out a solution together."

Mikasa's mind went to one stress relief method in particular, and a surge of heat rose up her neck. She tried to think of another, but the more she pushed the thought away the more it shoved back. Levi was tapping his fingers on the counter now, waiting for a reply, but she knew if she opened her mouth she'd end up embarrassing herself.

"I knew it, you're perfect," he tossed up his hands. "And to think you tricked me into believing you had a flaw for a moment."

Rubbing at her flaming neck, she tittered uneasily. She had to say something, just to ward off his doubt. "You might find out what my crunch is the next time I'm under heavy stress."

Tilting his head, Levi's face curled with even more curiosity. "I might? That's hardly fair. Shouldn't I get a warning in advance?"

"You gave me no warning," she reminded him, staring at her hands. "Let's just say I get into zombie states too—but unlike you I don't go scampering around hunting caffeine. There's something else that keeps me stimulated during stressful times."

Pensively, Levi rubbed his chin. Mikasa could see the questions pinching at his face, but all he expressed was perplexed hums.

Mikasa hummed back at him, hoping she didn't say too much. It was an embarrassing habit, one she never shared with anyone. But Levi was quickly earning a spot in her private life and she knew they'd one day share private moments together. In time, he'd know her secret, maybe all of them. But presently, privacy wasn't on their side. Jean and Eren were still close by, battling some roaring beast on the TV screen, and later when the sun went down and Levi went down with it, Mikasa joined them to watch the battle. While Levi dozed in her comfortable bed, Mikasa sat upright and stiff on the couch, squeezed between Eren's thrusting elbow and the rock-hard armrest.

For a while she found herself engaged in their coop-fight...but the thrill wore off when the Game Over text splashed across the screen dozens of times. The repetitive grunt track used every time the players were attacked and the synthesized music replaying from the start every time they lost was starting to trigger a pulsing migraine in Mikasa's skull. With her head reclined and eyes closed, she tried to channel out the noise, but it still pierced through. Having enough, she heaved her head up, exclaiming, "Are you two ever going to quit?"

"After this level," mumbled Eren, as his determined fingers assaulted the buttons.

"You said that hours ago," she sighed. They'll never beat the damn thing because Eren's weak ego won't permit him to turn the difficulty setting down. This torturous loop will go on until the indolent hole inside Eren temporary filled with pseudo-accomplishment. Sad as it sounded, that's how his life operated nowadays.

Any other time, Mikasa wouldn't minded; as unhealthy as Eren's video game addiction could be at times she supported this outlet of his; the hobby provided goals and the feeling of earned accomplishment, something he was missing in his real life. As of right now, though, she wished he'd call it a night. It had been a long day for Mikasa and she wanted to lay down and rest, but the unbeatable boss came between that. Jean and Eren would remain stationed on the couch for a while, she knew, and just the thought of waiting it out tired her.

In the meantime, she figured she could at least change into something more comfortable. With that thought, Mikasa sprang up and whorled around the coffee table and made for her bedroom door.

The crack of light streaming in through the door highlighted Levi sprawled out on her bed, tangled in her blanket with a slip of skin revealing some of his midriff. Quickly, she closed the door, shunning that enticing image. Trying to be as stealthy as possible, Mikasa tip-toed toward her dresser to collect her PJ's. After stubbing her toe and banging her knee on the bedpost, something else decided to assault her in the dark—her pupils dilated at a sudden orb of light shining her way.

"What're you creeping around for?" Levi had coiled around to face her, his cellphone's flashlight hitting her like a spotlight on a guilty thief.

Squinting, she rose a hand to block the light. "You're still awake?"

"I drifted off for a while, but my phone felt compelled to loudly notify me that it was charged." He lowered his phone, bringing the room back to its state of darkness. "Now I can't fall back to sleep."

Arms stretched out, Mikasa continued to blindly feel around for the dresser, thankful she wasn't the one who woke him. "Try to go back to bed. I just came in here to fetch a change of clothes, I'll be out in a second."

The murmur of the TV resonating around the room grew louder, and Mikasa clicked her tongue in irritation. Without her there to monitor the volume Eren and Jean had blasted it through the roof. The neighbors will give her an earful for that later. She'll have to tell them to lower that, again.

"Are they still awake?" Levi asked. "It's past midnight."

"It's nothing new. They pull all-nighters all the time," Mikasa said dismissively and took the light bundle of clothes toward the door.

"But if they stay in the living room, where are you supposed to sleep?"

"Eren's room, I guess."

Levi made a revolted sound. "I'd advise against that—you might catch a disease."

"Come on, it's not that filthy in there."

"If you rather sleep in a landfill than with me, go ahead. I'll shovel you out from under the garage in the morning while I'm cleaning."

"Wait," she spun to face the direction of his voice, "what did you say?"

"I'm going to clean Eren's room tomorrow."

"Before that."

A hesitant silence followed. "Your bed is pretty big, is all I'm saying. You could just sleep in your own room. And if you find that suggestion weird, feel free to blame my creepiness on my lack of sleep."

"You can't let your sleep deprivation take the rap for everything," she sighed. Mikasa hadn't shared a bed with a boy since high school, back when Eren would invite Jean over for a sleepover and he'd sneak into her room when Carla and Grisha went to bed. Since they were previously friends who had know each other a long time, she never gave it a second thought. But as comfortable as she felt around Levi, she hadn't actually known him very long at all. This fact compromised things for her. "I don't exactly find it creepy—it's just a little too soon to share a bed, don't you think? We've just started dating."

"And we'll just be sharing a bed, that's it. You have my word."

And Mikasa didn't doubt Levi's word—compared to his satire attitude it was easy to distinguish his genuine sincerity—but she was more concerned about her own impulsive urges because they were so unpredictable around Levi. The self-control she normally retained often crumbled around him, she learned. "I don't know…" Uncertainty found its way into her voice before consideration could. "It's...it's just I don't want us to have another accidental glitch, if you catch my drift." Bearing in mind how she went from hating Levi to making-out with him in a week, she didn't know what a single evening of sharing a bed would bring.

"My, I didn't know I was that irresistible."

"Shut up," she bristled at the cheeky comment, heat rising to her face. "Don't take that as a compliment."

"Oh, I shouldn't? I doubt you'd treat all guests with such hospitality," he chuckled. "I can almost see your red face glowing in the dark."

"Other guests wouldn't make suggestions like that," she argued with the darkness. "And besides, I don't invite any old guests to sleep in my bed."

"But you invited me. Yet you deny that I'm special. Hmph."

First Mikasa lowered her head, and then her voice. "...I never deny that."

More silence. "And Irresistible?"

"Don't push it."

"Fine then. I'll settle for special, for now."

Many people were special to Mikasa. but she could already tell that Levi strived to be the pinnacle of her affections. If things kept progressing as they were, in time he might be. She'd make him work hard for it, though, that's for sure. Not because she wanted to play hard to get—she knew he wanted the challenge. As for herself, her biggest challenge would be holding herself back.

At last, Levi ended the conversation with, "If you change your mind, you can slid in here anytime—I don't mind if you don't mind. And if you're worried about me making a move on you, don't be. At this point my sex drive subtracted to rectify basic brain function."

True as that might be, Mikasa still couldn't decide if it was such a good idea due to the unprecedented temptation she fell victim to around him. After all, just hearing him say the word sex was enough to envision herself engaging in the act itself, with him, and that forced her to realize how shamefully fast she fell for Levi, and how fast her restraint dropped around him and how fast their relationship had progressed in a short amount of time. A night alone in bed with him might progress their relationship even further than she'd prefer.

Or maybe she was letting her mind wander off too far again. That often happened around Levi and sometimes the thoughts were hard to tether and yank back into place. Ever since Mikasa and Levi patched things up a surreal feeling consumed her—no, it straight up possessed her and she didn't know what to do about. And what was this feeling, anyway? Too soon to be love, though it must be an incubating stage of it. If she already felt like this, she fretted the day it finally hatched.

Something about Levi brought out a capricious side of her; the things she did and thought lately was so unlike her, so out-of-character, like he was rewriting her traits and freeing her from her stringent role. Part of her liked the alterations to her character. For so long she followed dull routines and had a perfect handle on herself. But Levi had spiced up her bland life and corrupted her calculating mind. In the past, she always knew what she wanted and what she didn't, but with Levi she could never decide. Everything felt right, and everything felt wrong. And sometimes she couldn't even tell the two apart.

Deciding on what to do with his proposition left her puzzled. As Mikasa changed in the bathroom, she sorted out her thoughts but by the time she was dressed she mentally shredded her list. Simply put, she was thinking too deeply about this. Just go with your gut, she chanted internally as her eyes swept over the smelly depths of Eren's bedroom. Mikasa curled her lip at the silhouettes of cluttered furniture and shadowy mountains of dirty laundry. In the background, Eren and Jean were still hacking and slashing at the same monster on the television. And with that, her gut came to a final decision.

"Forget something?" Levi asked as Mikasa slipped back into her bedroom. "Or are you here to take me up on my generous offer?"

"Generous?" she scoffed as she felt around the dark space, patting her hand along the surface of the bed. "I think you're forgetting this is my room. You're lucky I don't make you sleep in Eren's room."

She heard a subtle gasp. "You could be a cruel woman at times, but you're not that cruel."

A beat of silence followed, interrupted only by the soft rustle of Mikasa's hand fumbling over the blanket.

"By the way, Mikasa..." his voice dripped out hesitantly, and Mikasa, leaning over the bed, fell motionless. She heard his tongue click impatiently. "How can I put this?"

"What is it?" she leaned in closer, her hands pressing harder against the mattress.

"Your hand," he said, in a emphasized way.

Mikasa squinted in the dark. "What about my hand?"

"...It's, well, on my crotch."

It took a moment for the blunt words to register, and took even longer to realize the lump she felt under her palm wasn't a clump of blanket. She retracted her hand and backed up, muttering, "Sorry. I just...I'm used to sleeping on that side, so I..." she trailed off, running out of things to say. Now her gut was telling her to crawl under the bed and hide until morning.

"Here," he said, his voice unaffected by the awkwardness. She heard the mattress creak and a metallic click before the room engulfed in light. Levi pulled his hand back from the drawstring and used it to shield his light-sensitive eyes.

"You didn't need to put the light on," she said.

"I'll turn it off again when you're settled in."

Considering how difficult she found maneuvering around her bedroom in the dark, she was thankful he did, but once she saw Levi vividly sprawled out on her bed, like a model posed to be photographed or painted, she retracted that thought. The waistband of his sweatpants lolled dangerously low, which was about as dangerous as an unlocked prisons cell, and her blanket was tangled between his thighs and his mussed hair dispelled every which way on her pillow.

Once she sunk into the welcoming soft press of her mattress and Levi removed his hand from his adjusted eyes, he shared a similar reaction to seeing her. For someone who proclaimed a lack of sexual drive, he sure showed interest as he ogled the low cut of her crop top before dragging his eyes passed her shorts and down her bare legs. If he reacted this way to her wearing an old PJ set, she imagined he'd completely lose his composure if he ever saw her in that gaudy lingerie set Sasha bought her. No, Mikasa stressed at the unbidden thought, quit thinking like that. Now is definitely not the time.

In the quiet, Mikasa forfeited the endless body-staring contest by moving her eyes aside first.

Slowly dragging his eyes back to her face, after getting a good look at the rest of her, Levi said, "Your bed is exceptional comfortable," he mentioned this to break up the tension, but it actually added more.

Mikasa ignored her thumping heart and went on causally. "Of course it is—you're sleeping on the comfortable side."

"I always sleep on the left side."

"So do I."

"Well this relationship just isn't going to work, then, is it?" he teased.

"Nope. I'm not giving up my side."

Levi defiantly sprawled out, revealing even more skin as his hands tucked beneath his head. "Neither am I—you can try moving me, but I advice against that. You might hurt yourself."

She shifted up a skeptical brow at him. "I bench press heavier dead weights than you daily."

"I'm heavier than I look."

Mikasa felt tempted to test his claim, just to prove his stubborn ass wrong, but she imagined lifting up her new boyfriend would create even more awkward tension. The challenge would have to wait for another day. "It's fine, you can stay there," she submitted, tugging some of the blanket out from under Levi so she could cover herself. "I want you to be comfortable. You could turn the light off now, if you want."

"Not yet."

Leaning her head on a raised fist, Mikasa narrowed her eyes on him. "You better not be using me as an excuse to stay up past your bedtime."

"The night is still young—I'll sleep in a bit." He rolled to his side to face her, amiable eyes boring into her. "In the meantime, tell me a story."

The unexpected request instantly caused her mind to go blank. "Wha—Why?"

"No need to act so suspicious. What's the harm in asking for a bedtime story?"

Harmless if it's coming from a ten year old, but a sleep deprived thirty year old? Mikasa shook her head. "Shouldn't it be the other way around? You'd probably tell a much better story than I could, you're the writer."

"A non-fiction writer," he corrected.

"Then tell a true story."

Levi let his eyes settle on hers for a while, then they fell a little below her left eye. "How about this," he said, lurching up a bit. Seeing his hand closing in on her made Mikasa feel frozen until his warm fingers grazed her cheek, melting the stiffness from her. "Tell me how you got this scar," he whispered, his thumb swiping along the imperfection, "and I'll tell you how I got mine."

Mikasa let her eyes traced over the slash across the right side of Levi's face. Time had healed it, but the dark pigment etched a permanent home on his cheekbone. Admittedly, she wondered about the story behind it once or twice before but never brought it up.

Since her own scar had been part of her for so long, she actually forget about it now and then, and so she had to give herself a minute to recall the story behind it. "I got it from Eren," she said, then quickly added, "accidentally."

"Eren?" he roused up with piqued interest, "You call that a story? Go on, tell me what happened."

"Let's see..." Morse drifted in with her whisper. Levi inched in closer, closing the gap between them.

Mikasa looked up in recall, clearly seeing the sunset sky painted over her high school parking lot. In her memory, she saw a group of jersey wearing thugs. She couldn't remember their faces, but the numbers they wore engraved deeper in her mind than the scar on her face. High school was a tough time for Armin, Eren and herself, mostly Armin, who was picked-on relentlessly. The drama always started with him and ended with Eren and Mikasa swooping in to protect him like his own personal body guards. Given Mikasa's reputation at the time, most bullies turned tail when they caught sight of her. But on this day, intimating glares weren't enough.

"Back when Eren and I were in high school, we used to hitch a ride home with Armin after school. I think he was off at the library or something, but we planned to met up at the car, like we always did. A group of Redbull-simulated jocks were loitering the parking lot, most rallied around Armin's car. We rushed over to see what the commotion was all about...and saw that they totally vandalized it. The side windows were shattered, and dents, scratches and crude words covered the paint. It wasn't the prettiest car to begin with, but his grandfather gave it to him; it had a lot of sentimental value. Anyway, I didn't want to get involved but I had little choice. As I'm sure you're aware of by now, Eren's a hot-head and he went charging in like an idiot. In the matter of seconds, the fight grew chaotic and they teamed up on him. Fists and curses were flying everywhere. I tried to pull Eren out of the fray...but in doing so, one of the assholes punched me in the face..."

Mikasa mashed her lips together and swiftly peeked over to see Levi's reaction. Like always, his face was a blank template, but she could see a spec of anger in his eyes, like he wanted to go back in time and join the brawl. "After seeing that, Eren's rage got the best of him. After being tossed around like a rag doll, he probably wasn't seeing straight and he ended up tackling me instead of the jerk that assaulted me," she couldn't help but to express an amused sigh. Now that the event had become a thing of the past she could laugh about it now, but at the time the two of them were terrified and fueled with hate. "My face went sliding into the pavement and caught on something sharp, probably a shard of glass from the car window. Everything was blur after that. Teachers came to break up the fight, I vaguely remember, and everyone involved received a week-long suspension."

"Are you kidding me?" Levi fussed. "The ones who started it should've got expelled. Or arrested."

Mikasa silently agreed with a nod. "So, that's my story. What's yours?"

Levi rolled onto his back, his chest rising steeply. "A bullet grazed me during an ambush when I was in the army. It would've been my head if I hadn't turn to the sound of Erwin's shout. Much like your tale, everything was chaotic, but instead of fists, bullets flew everywhere and there wasn't a slab of cover in sight. The odds of surviving were not in our favor, not in the slightest. We were outnumbered, famished and low on supplies. The few remaining soldiers we had were dying by the dozen. I was supposed to lose my life that day, but all I lost was blood and consciousness." It looked like he wanted to laugh, but he uttered a rueful groan instead as he tapped his scar. "And for that, I consider this scar a good luck charm."

Creases formed on Mikasa's forehead as she stared reverently. They always say scars tell stories, and now she felt that her scar-story was anticlimax in comparison. She supposed that's one of the cons of dating a writer: they'll always tell better stories than you.

"I...I know it's a sensitive topic but I find that amazing, Levi—not the unfortunate you've endured, of course, but the way you persevered through it." A few follow up questions floated in her mind, but she pushed them aside, marking them as insensitive. From the looks of it, it drained a lot of emotional energy from Levi to dig up his unpleasant history and share it with her. Mikasa didn't want to pressure him to say anymore, in spite of her curiosity.

Levi shrugged his shoulders into the pillow, like offering his life for the betterment of the country was as simple deed as taking out the trash. "It would've been amazing if I meant to survive and did. The truth is I got lucky."

"Luck can't take all the credit. You should be proud of yourself." And when he gave her another half-hearted shrug, she discovered the root of his problem. "This is why you have no confidence, Levi. Admit it, you're a badass."

His nose wrinkled derisively. "If you keep feeding me praise like that you won't be boosting my confidence, only my ego. And that's already quite bloated."

"And if that isn't a contradiction I don't know what is. One things for certain, you're a peculiar man."

"That I can agree with. But I still stand by what I said: I'm lucky. A peculiar man such as myself wouldn't ever have the pleasure to date a girl like you, not without a generous dose of luck."

She swallowed thickly as her eyes fell down to her fumbling fingers. "I'm nothing special."

"Now who has no confidence?" he threw her a playful look. "Not only are you a hypocrite, you're incredibly wrong."

"Quiet," she muttered dismissively and furled herself up into the blanket. "I gave you your bedtime story, now go back to sleep."

"Not until I convince you that you are in fact special," he said, tugging the blanket from her face. "Where do I begin?"

"Don't bother."

"You're right. Prologues are overrated. I'll cut right to chase. You make me smile and you inspire me. Those two things were foreign to me up until recently, but it comes so naturally when I'm with you. You make me feel emotions I haven't felt in years. Before I met you, I was a miserable man drifting through life indifferently, hardly reacting to anything. In the little time I've known you, I've felt my blood boil in rage, I've felt my chest flutter in embarrassment, pangs of excitement, the burn of passion, warmth from affection, and overwhelming throbs of happiness...For fucks sake, listen to me. I sound like a shitty poet. See what I mean now?"

With a light dusting of blush on his cheeks, Levi peeked back at her and his lips gaped slightly, striken briefly by whatever flustered expression Mikasa wore. Timidly, Levi curled into a little ball, burying his face in the pillow, clearly experiencing a cramp of shyness. Now he can add that to his emotional list. It would've been amusing to witness if Mikasa wasn't a victim herself. She could relate to everything Levi said—she had been assaulted by those same emotions. Thrilling as they were, they were also overwhelming; she had jumped to one extreme to the other, from barely feeling anything to having strange feelings cram inside her, leaving her little room to breath. Apparently, when two impervious people came together, they inadvertently lured hidden emotions out from each other. At least Mikasa wasn't going through these changes alone; that was reassuring to learn.

"This is why you're special, Mikasa," he continued meekly. "I might sound mad for saying all that, and maybe I am after missing so many days of sleep. I hardly know you, I know, but what I do know about you I adore, and all the things I strive to learn about you keeps me guessing and fascinated, like a page turner I can't set down. I want to learn all your stories someday, and I want to make new ones with you."

What he said went way beyond simply flattery (something Mikasa expected to hear when he first began his descant). All the genuine adoration Levi served made some of her organs shut down, or at least it felt like they did. Speechless, Mikasa's lips flapped a few times, but no words would come. There was nothing she could say to that. All she could do was soak in his words and pray she wouldn't drown in them. In her chest, her heart raged at top speed and she wondered if it would conk out and cause a premature end to their new story together.

Not only was Mikasa special to him, but he made her feel special, too. That almost intimidated Mikasa—if Levi could make her feel this way so early on in the relationship, how would she feel in months, or even years from now? Normally she wouldn't even waste her time imagining the distant future, because it was constantly changing and impossible to predict. Yet, she could clearly picture Levi there with her, with the world around them indistinguishable and out of focus. That glimpse into the future comforted Mikasa—something about Levi in general, even in this present moment, comforted her so much.

For a time, in the dimly lit silence, she eyed those lips that said so many words she loved and hated hearing until she couldn't bear to be away from them. Shifting up, Mikasa cupped his cheek, her thumb grazing over that lucky scar of his as she brought her face close to his. Levi jerked a little, startled by the unexpected pressure on his lips, but he soon relaxed and welcomed her kiss warmly.

Letting his hand wander up her neck, he grasped a hold of her hair and gently broke their lips apart. "I knew I was—" he started, but Mikasa slapped a hand over his mouth before he could finish.

"Don't even say it."

She could feel his smile stretching beneath her hand. "Admit it," he muffled.

There's no in-between with Levi. Either he gives her a compassionate speech that leaves her breathless or he ruins the mood with a few words. "No," she stressed, taming down her smile. "You're not irresistible." Maybe his lips were, she'll admit that much, but not out loud. She quickly replaced her hand with her lips, adding a little tongue this time. Kissing him now felt different than before; not as tense and hasty as their first. More gentle and dreamy, and the short hairs sprouting from his upper lip and chin tickled her every time one of them altered the angle of their jaw. Their kiss slowed down to a few pecks, and then came to a sudden stop when Levi's lips had stopped responding to hers all together. Puzzled, Mikasa pulled away, opened her eyes, and immediately snorted.

In the fairy tales, kisses were suppose to wake people up, not put them to into a deep slumber. Shaking her head, Mikasa pulled the covers up to his chest and stretched over him to turn off the light. The room drenched in darkness once again, and Mikasa rolled off to her unfavorable side of the bed.

~x~

Even with the central heating cranked up as high as a tropical forecast there was no way to eliminate the chill in this old apartment. Afternoons were often spent out of the house, usually in warm establishments such as class or work, and evenings were spent under the covers, but the drafty mornings were nearly unbearable. Mikasa turned away from the thermostat, tired of fiddling with the dial. No matter what she set it to the heat never kicked on as often as she wanted.

A bundle of spare blankets and pillows were sprawled about the couch and floor, evincing that Eren and Jean crashed out in the living room last night. Bunking with Levi last night wasn't such a bad idea after all, or else she'd be cold and exhausted right now, or waking up cold in Eren's bedroom, exhausted just from looking at the mess around her.

Mikasa swooped up a knitted blanket from the floor and wrapped herself up with it. The tassels glided over the cold floor and chased after her ankles as she walked toward a set of nearby voices.

"Alright, I'm out. I'll catch up with you guys later," was what she heard when she wove around the counter. As Mikasa leaned against the arch that connected the foyer and the kitchen, Jean's eyes passed over her briefly, then dove down to the zipper on his jacket.

Ready to leave, Jean mussed up Armin's hair and turned to Eren with his hand still raised, like he considered giving Eren's head a ruffle too. That would break their strict bro-code, Mikasa figured, and Jean must've thought the same. His finger curled closed and Eren bumped his hand with a fist.

As Jean twirled out the door, Mikasa caught a glimpse of an odd expression on his face; a rare one she swore she saw before, but she didn't have much time to mull about it, not with Eren's obnoxious yawning sucking all air from the room. She could tell he and Jean in fact had an all nighter, that much was clear by Eren's hooded eyes and his bedtime garments worn under his jacket.

"I hate these early classes," he yawned again.

"'My classes work around my work schedule," Mikasa mentioned. "Get a job and you'll have afternoon classes too."

With his bottom lip drooping, he squinted. "But then I'd have to get up early for work. I'm not falling for your tricks."

Armin fussed at his hair, patting down the mess Jean made. "But then you'd be a functioning member of society, much more rewarding than sleeping your day away without a care in the world," this was said with forced enthusiasm, like he was trying to make his pitch sound more exciting than it actually was. Like all other attempts to wean Eren into the work force, he shrugged it off and yawned some more.

Eren flicked his attention to Mikasa suddenly, stretching his arms above his head causally as he said, "You got laid last night, right?"

Mikasa's head jarred back like the words tried to bite her. "Excuse me?"

"You spent the whole night in your room with Levi."

At Eren's words, Armin's spine erected with alert and he stepped back a few paces, slowly removing himself from this scene. When it came to these topics, like discussing a close friend's intimate moments, Armin sometimes slipped into habits to cover up his discomfort, which seemed a natural thing to do. Not everyone was as bold and insensitively curious as Eren. And so, Armin mingled with the coat rack and stayed out of the discussion.

"We didn't sleep together, we just... slept together."

And somehow Eren took that as a confirmation. He clapped his hands together and gave a triumph, "A-ha! I knew it!"

Miffed, Mikasa cut off his victory with, "No, dummy. We didn't." Honestly, as much as she considered sex last night, Mikasa would've been more impressed than aroused if Levi were able to get it up in that powered-down state. But judging by the goofy look Eren gave, he wasn't convinced at all. And just to add to her irritation, he kept waggling his bushy eyebrows flirtatiously at her.

"Nothing happened," she insisted with a shove, and Eren gave a long 'suuuure' and winked at her. Sighing, Mikasa elongated her arm and pointed in the direction of the living room. "We slept together in the same way you and Jean slept together."

"Gross, don't word it like that," he snapped out of his teasing trance, tugging at his jacket before zipping it up "Okay, I get it. You didn't fuck. But can you tell Jean you did so I don't lose my bet?"

Instead of getting offended, Mikasa stared with dead-set eyes, wondering what Eren could've possibly offered up as a bid—dirty laundry and links to free porn sites? "No, I'm not going to say anything about my sex life, non-existent or not."

"Would you ever tell me if you got laid?"

"No."

"See," he threw one of his hands around Armin and pulled him away from picking lint off a jacket. "That's why Armin's my best friend and you're the disliked sidekick."

She scoffed, her eyes skeptical. "Oh, because Armin tells you about his sex life?"

"That's not the point," he jabbed a finger at her. "He would if he had one. It's the thought that counts."

Armin gawked up at Eren from under his arm. "Eren. Even if I had a sex life, I would not, under any circumstances, tell you about it. I don't know where you're getting that impression from. You know I'm the private type."

Gasping, Eren took an offended stance, as if the love of his life just confessed infidelity. "Why not? Jean always tells me all the lewd details. You're supposed to be my friend, Armin."

"I didn't know our friendship relied on such a thing," he said cluelessly.

"It doesn't," Mikasa spoke up, freshly reminded why Jean and her didn't work out as a couple. Jean was far from being a fuckboy but he certainly had the mouth of one sometimes. "But his friendship with Jean certainly does."

Eren crushed his wide eyes into thin slits. "Don't be cute. You know we're not friends."

"Of course, silly me," she sighed, letting him live with his denial. She waved them off as they departed out the door, but an abrupt stomp later Eren poked his head back in.

"Oh, right. Don't forget to invite Levi to the party."

"What party?" Mikasa was about to say just that, given that it slipped her mind, but Levi beat her to the punch. As he yawned his way into the kitchen, Levi received two banal morning greetings and one enthusiastic one from Eren.

"I'll let Mikasa explain the details," said Eren, knowing he'd be late for class if he stayed any longer. "But Levi, if you see Jean, be sure to tell him that you and Mikasa—" but the rest of his request was muffled out by Armin's palm as he was dragged out into the hallway, kicking and cursing.

"Have a nice day, guys," Mikasa swiftly swung the door closed with her foot, but Eren's complaints still pierced through the door.

"Your neighbors must love you," Levi said as he pattered deeper into the kitchen.

"Oh yes, they gift us with personal handwritten letters all the time," she pointed her hand to the ceiling. "And Mr. Woerman even visits us in person sometimes. He must be concerned for our speakers because he's always telling us to turn down the TV and stereo."

"How nice of him. I wish I had such considerate neighbors."

Mikasa drew the drooping blanket over her shivering shoulders. "Yup, I'm a lucky girl. Want some waffles?"

"Sure, but first I want a shower."

The party Eren mentioned seemed to have slipped from Levi's mind, apparently, because his question was never answered and he left the kitchen without asking again. She'll tell him about it later, once they were both more awake with some coffee in their system. Given Levi's contemptuous stance on holiday's, Mikasa thought a brew of ale might be better at convincing him to attend.

Between the batter sizzling and the coffee machine gurgling, she heard Levi's voice echoing off the tile from the bathroom. "...Do you own a dog?"

"No? This complex is pet-restricted." A silence followed, giving Mikasa time to think of why Levi would ask such a thing, and then it hit her. "...Eren is an exception to the no-pet's rule. I know, the bathroom is a mess."

Without saying anything, Levi whipped out of the bathroom and passed by, heading for her room. A moment later he passed again, but instead of shower supplies like before, he was armed with a toilet scrubber and a spray bottle.

"Don't start cleaning," she warned, waving a spoon at him, but he was already gone. "Your breakfast will get cold."

"I have time, I take quick showers," he assured, and that turned out to be true. By the time he was finished cleaning her bathroom spotless and showering, Mikasa was finished preparing breakfast and was pouring the coffee. He arrived in the kitchen with clean clothes on, a shaven face, and damp, towel-dried hair. Not only did he appear more like himself now, he looked healthier; color had returned to his face, and some life shone in his eyes. Of course, Levi was naturally pale and shadow still rimmed around his eyes, but now he looked less like a walking corpse and more like an attractive vampire after feasting; Mikasa considered that a grand improvement.

Breakfast went by in a flash, likely because Mikasa introduced Levi to the addictive substance known as Nutella, and that spread made even the neatest eaters woof down whatever it had infected. "You've probably heard of it," she had said. "It's like heroin, but legal."

Levi first approached the taste-testing with indifferent nose curls, saying he wasn't fond of sugary breakfasts and only liked sweets in moderation, but no one with working taste-buds could resist Nutella, and that much was proven when he finally tried it. Mikasa hadn't had sex with Levi yet, but when he took a bite she already knew what his O-face would look like.

Afterwards, Levi collected the dishes and rolled up his sleeves at the sink. Mikasa tried to remind him he was a guest, not a maid, but all he said was, "I would feel very unwelcome if you denied me of my favorite pass time." And so she let him do his thing.

Once he set the clean dishes on the rack to dry, he rinsed the suds from his hands and dried them off on the dish towel. Then his eyes made a thorough scan around, as if trying to find a new dirty project to conquer.

"Don't overdo it. One night of sleep doesn't replace all the days you missed," Mikasa said. "How did you sleep, anyway?"

He whipped the towel over his shoulder and leaned back against the counter, arms folded. "Better than I have in a while. Your night of hospitality cured me. Thanks for that."

"I didn't really do anything," she mumbled, looking down.

"You put up with me, that's a lot in my book. And since I fulfilled my end of the bargain, it's time to collect my reward."

Levi tossed the rag from his shoulder into her puzzled face, and by the time she caught it he was gone like a magicians final act. He certainly was good at that trick. The next time she saw him he had his chubby dufflebag with him, making his way to Eren's room. Mikasa sighed and chased after him.

Standing in the door frame, Levi's looked taken back, like he was witnessing the birth of his first born or something. Mikasa found it creepy how his eyes shone bright at the cataclysmic mess there to greet him. Nothing about Eren's room was clean. Dirty laundry and garbage cluttered the rug, tasteless posters were taped to every inch of the walls, and his dresser looked like an assembly line at a Pepsi factory.

Completely memorized, Levi gave himself moment to marvel at every stain, rumbled shirt, and spec of trash his eyes could find before he threw his dufflebag onto the floor; it landed with a hard thump and clattered the contents inside. Bending to one knee, he unzipped it to reveal an arsenal of cleaning products.

Standing over him, Mikasa frowned. No wonder why Levi had a few loose screws. Breathing in all those cleaning chemicals day after day can't be healthy.

First, he ripped off the stained linens from the bed and gathering a few stray t-shirts from the carpet and tossed the heap in the already-overflowing hamper. From a cleared corner, Mikasa watched as he worked, impressed with his speed and meticulousness. He sprang to the balls of his feet and swat his feather duster at webs in the corners, heartlessly evicting the spider who lived there.

"How could you tolerate a roommate like this?" he said, already breaking a sweat.

"As I said before, Eren is more like a messy pet than a roommate."

Cursing, he kicked a box filled with old electronic parts and wires after tripping over it. "No, Mikasa. A pet can't accumulate this much crap. But I suppose I shouldn't complain, I do like the challenge."

"Eren wasn't always like this," Mikasa felt compelled to say. "He was never as clean as you are, or even me, but his life's a mess now so everything else is too."

Levi, who was now clearing out junk from under the bed, threw a look over his shoulder. "I know Eren is special to you, so I hope you don't take offense when I ask: What's wrong with that kid?"

"What do you mean?" Mikasa asked, stunned by the unexpected flip in conversation.

Slowly, he sat up, palms on his lap. "Like I said, I'm not trying to be offensive or anything. Eren seems like a good kid—but his behavior just strikes me as odd for someone of his age and I'm wondering if there's a reason why he's...the way he is."

"Like what?" By the strained look on Levi's face, Mikasa's feigned oblivion wasn't making this easy on him.

"Like..." Levi scratched at his head as he scanned his eyes around the room to inspire the appropriate way to phrase what he wanted to say. Unable to come up with gentle wording, he said, "Like he was dropped a few times as a baby, and then proceeded to injure his head even more as an adult."

Haunted by an ambush of memories, Mikasa winced, and almost found herself trapped in the memory until Levi cursed.

"Shit." Guilt shadowed over his face. "Does he actually have a disability or something?"

Hesitantly, she shook her head. "No, nothing like that, but he does have some issues. Like I said, he wasn't always like this—he just slowly changed and this is how he is now." His transition was gradual, something most people accept naturally like aging. People who didn't know the old Eren might have a hard time understanding him, and that's why she didn't blame Levi for speaking up about this. Any version of Eren was familiar to her, but it would take newcomers time to adjust.

The defense left Levi skeptical, though, which made him say something regrettable again. "If there's nothing mentally wrong with him, then all that kid needs it a good beating. And a bath," he tried to say humorously, but his audience wasn't pleased.

"Levi," her voice cracked in anger, shocked he would even say that. "Eren has been beat enough in his life, that's probably why he is the way he is."

Levi seemed afraid to say anything after saying the wrong thing so many times. Mikasa knew Levi was rough around the edges himself and had his own issues, which excused his harsh attitude to an extent.

"I should have known after you told me that story last night...Sorry, I just wasn't putting two-and-two together." Apologetically, he pressed his hand against his chest. "You need to understand that I grew up in a strict environment, and being in the military only solidified those molds. Seeing adults still act like bratty teenagers gets under my skin—but I didn't know he had underlining issues that caused that behavior. Like I said, he's a good kid, but I thought he was just a lazy spoiled brat. You can't blame me for assuming that, you know how kids are these days." Levi flinched at his own words, then moved his eyes astray. "Actually, I take that last bit back. My assumptions aren't helping here and I just sound like a stubborn old man who needs to unlearn a few things."

"It's okay," she said calmly, noting his stress. The grudge she generated fell apart; she could understand where Levi was coming from. Not that she would classify people her and Eren's age as 'kids', but Mikasa knew there were people who were disrespectful brats their whole life, for no logical reason. But that's not the case with Eren. "Try to go easy on him. Eren is very important to me. That means you'll have to accept him too since he kind of comes with the package."

Swallowing thickly, Levi gave a sullen nod, visible regretting the topic he brought up, but at the same time he was curious enough to continue the conversation. "So I don't end up saying something offensive again, would you mind telling me a bit more about him? I just wanna know where he's coming from so I don't end up upsetting you or him in the future."

"His stories a long and unhappy one," she warned.

"I'll be in here for a while—if you feel comfortable sharing, I'll listen."

Mikasa let in a rattled breath, her mind dealing her memories like an unfavorable hand at an unlucky blackjack table. Just like a gamble gone wrong, she couldn't take back these bad memories. "I know he doesn't seem like much now, but years back he was very ambitious and had all this energy. Now I can't even peel him off the couch most days. He's lost his spark. You'd have to know the old Eren to know how tragic that really is."

Thoughtfully, Levi moved his lips to the side. "Ever think he might be clinically depressed from all those years of abuse?"

"It crossed my mind, yes. I think Eren was kicked down one too many times and he just doesn't want to get up anymore. He still seems upbeat when he's not raging about random things, but that could be a cover up, or a way of coping. "

"His spark isn't completely lost, you know," Levi said, sliding the line of cans into a bin to create a tinny clamor. "I sensed it when I first met him. He reminded me of a wild and untamed wolf that would either nuzzle me or bite me, depending on his unpredictable mood. Luckily he took a liking to me. Any animal, even humans, will eventually lose their temper and fall into unhealthy patterns if they're not treated right."

Giving a rueful nod, Mikasa's eyes flickered with nostalgia as she went on to say, "Eren has always been a lot like a wolf: loyal and protective. He always tried to be Armin's gallant knight and shied him from abuse, but his armor wasn't as resilient as he thought. After a while the kids at school would teasingly say he was protecting his boyfriend. Since Eren was starting to question his sexuality at the time, it imprinted a lasting negative effected on him—it made him see his orientation as a negative trait, like he had to hide that secret for dear life to dodge further ridicule."

Levi shook his head, biting his inner cheek as he bent to pick up some papers. He shuffled through them, noticing some markings on them. It looked like trash to her, but he ironed out the wrinkles with his hands and gingerly set them to the side. "No one should have to feel like that. It's an unnecessary burden to hold."

"Yeah..." she sighed sullenly in agreement, picking at her chipped nail polish. "As a teenager, he thought all his problems would vanish once he got out of high school."

Levi's mouth outlined with a frown lines, pitying and envying Eren's optimism at the same time. "Life outside the cage they call the educational system always seems brighter—but it hardly ever is."

"Too bad Eren learned that lesson too late. When he was young, he'd look at the world around him and see endless opportunities. He'd think the impossible was possible, and he planned on traveling the world and following a myriad of dreams. I admired him so much back then. He always used to tell me he could handle the torment at school because he had big plans and that kept him going."

Mikasa's smile died, just as fast as Erens dreams. "But all good things come to an end. The reality of being an adult crashed down on him hard, completely stifling his spark that so many others admired. I think Eren's just internally panicking because the fantasy world he created to cope with his stress disappeared when he graduated high school. Now he's forced to become an adult and study some subject he hates for a future job he'll hate even more. It sucks because—believe it or not—Eren has amazing potential and skills, but all of it will go to waste. He used to be very passionate about animation and programming; he even made a few indie games on his own back in the day. I was so proud of him—but when I picture him sitting in a cubical, shuffling paperwork for the rest of his life..." she freed a mournful sigh. "Eren's going to be miserable. I guess he's trying to be irresponsible and immature for as long as he can before he's totally swallowed up by a dull and unfulfilled life."

"I know this might seem like the obvious solution," Levi started as he organized clutter on the nightstand, "but why doesn't he study something he actually enjoys?"

"Let's just say he didn't have much of a choice; Eren's father also plays a big role in many of his issues," Mikasa summed up, lacking the strength to deeply discuss Grisha Yeager.

"Let me guess, he's one of those controlling fathers that puts way too much pressure on their kid?"

"You got it." Mikasa tightly wove her arms and paced along a cleared trail on the floor. It felt great to vent like this. No one else in her friend group took Eren's change seriously and always dismissed her as being too worried when she'd try to discuss her concerns. "Now that Eren knows he can't even have his own dreams, I don't think he sees the point in having any goals at all. He seems like the type who doesn't take shit from anyone, but he can't stand up to the people actually holding him down. The old Eren wouldn't let anyone stop him from accomplishing his goals, but the new Eren rolls over and submits and takes out his frustration elsewhere. Because of this, it's not just his dad or trauma keeping him down, it's himself, too."

"I can't stand parents that put unnecessary pressure on their kids," sincerely rang through Levi voice, and Mikasa could tell he was getting just as rared up as her. "If anyone told me I couldn't write, and that I had to be staple puncher for the rest of my life, I would shove my foot up their ass and published the graphic tale of their encounter with my wingtip boots." Levi spat out a sigh and inhaled a slow breath to calm his irritation. "I realize that's impossible for Eren to do, however. He can't rebel against his own father given the circumstances."

Mikasa sat on the bare bed, knees drawn up to her chest. "That's why Eren's trapped. Most of his life, he tried so hard to impress his father but the man never paid much attention to him. I think Eren finally...gave up, to a very alarming degree. I don't think he cares about impressing anyone anymore because he's sick of being let down. Eren would attempt so many things, but never got the recognition he deserved from the only people he wanted approval from."

Levi joined her on the bed, his eyes sealed shut for a brief moment. "Sometimes having a parent who doesn't see you could be just as devastating as an abusive one."

Sensing that Levi accidentally stepped on an emotional landmine, Mikasa looked away, assuming he wanted to keep his expression private. "It's hard for me to understand things like that," she spoke up gently, "which is why I don't think Eren will ever open up to me. I don't understand pressure from parents. My parents told me I could study anything I wanted and they even let me study where I wanted. I have the freedom Eren desires—he'll never confide with someone like me. I could sympathize with him, but it's difficult to relate to him. For instance, I always chased away bullies from my friends, but I never even encountered a bully of my own before—at least until I meet you."

A flimsy smirk spread across his lips. "Can't say I'm proud to give you that experience. You certainly weren't my first bully, though. I could definitely relate to Eren in that respect. Kids are assholes."

"I have trouble imagining such an intimidating man being picked on."

"It took me years to perfect the art of intimidation. Before that I was a tiny, weird and poor kid. Of course I was picked on."

Mikasa hunched forward remorsefully, recalling a barrage of insults she had used against him. "Now I feel bad about calling you nasty names."

"Don't, I deserved it. Plus, it's somewhat endearing when you do it. But I can understand how some words could stick, and no matter what you can't chisel away the build up accumulated over the years." A moment of thought later, Levi wagered a solution. "You're right, though. He won't open up to you. What Eren needs to do is talk to someone who understands what it's like to be in his position. It would be a plus if that person had some daddy-issues and experience with the same sex, so that they could tell him that life on the other side of the closet isn't as scary as it seems."

Mikasa swept her eyes over to Levi, who had sunk back down to the floor to organize Eren's video game collection. Mikasa didn't know much about Levi...but based on what she gathered from personal observation, he and Eren had more in common than she initially believed.

As she pondered this, Levi lifted his head quickly and said, "I'm not talking about myself, nor volunteering to have a man-to-man talk with him, encased you were wondering."

Mikasa's hope deflate so low that she found herself on the floor beside him, kneeling as if ready to beg. "I know you don't know Eren very well, but I think he would open up to an older male-figure like you. He already admires you a lot."

Carefully, Levi added another case to the stack he created. "And I think, for better results, he needs to seek out someone on his own. It would be ill-advised to force him into a therapy session with someone he doesn't feel comfortable opening up to; there's a difference between admiration and trust. I can't just approach him and say, 'Fuck society, your father, and a male partner of your choosing.' If he did approach me, however, then that's another story. I'd try to help him out—even if I'm the last person that should be handing out advise like that."

Mikasa studied his face for a long while until he continued, springing up to grab a dust rag. "If he doesn't come to me, it'll be someone else. I'm sure, eventually, he'll find someone who gets him on personal level and he'll break out of his rut."

"I hope so," she said, but her voice strained to sound optimistic. Trying to correct her gloomy composure, Mikasa perked up and mustered a small smile for Levi. "You're a good listener."

"I don't hear that a lot. Probably because I try to tune out most people who try to converse with me. But I enjoy talking with you, Mikasa, and I like talking about your friends—I have a feeling they'll eventually become my friends too, so I might as we'll get a head start and catch up on everything I missed."

If Levi truly wanted to be caught up, he had a long way to go. He didn't even know about the missing member in Mikasa's group of friends yet, which played a tremendous role in Eren's issues as well. Not only did the loss make a huge impact on Eren, but everyone, herself included, but right now she couldn't bear to dig up the dead. And so she left it on that note and tried to move on to a happier one.

"Since we're on the topic of friends..." She stood up from the floor. From over his shoulder she watched his rag glide over the dusty dresser before bumping into him to get his attention. "My friends and I are holding a Christmas party soon."

At first, Mikasa couldn't tell if he caught a whiff of something foul or if that was his reaction to what she said. "Most parties are bad as it is. But a Christmas-themed one? Bad combination."

"But its a non-conventional Christmas party," she claimed, but only to make it sound more appealing to him. "It's just an excuse for everyone to get together, get drunk on alcoholic eggnog and eat until we're sick. I was hoping you'd join us."

If you looked passed the sickly look on Levi's face he almost looked apologetic. "I really like you, Mikasa...but I hate the holidays, specifically I hate celebrating them. Do you see my dilemma?"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," she hissed, whacking him in the arm. "It's gonna be fun. Bring your own friends along; we could all get to know each other. How's that sound?"

"Sounds great," the sharp sarcasm nearly cut her. "Misery loves company, after all, and if I must attend a Christmas gathering I might as well bring the whole gang to suffer with me." Noticing her grumpy pout, Levi revealed a thin smirk and cupped her shoulder. Leaning in, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll go, but don't think you can convert me into some Christmas-loving fanatic that easy."

"I'll bring the holiday spirit out of you one way or another," she pledged, liking the challenging ring to her words.

"Will you?" he sounded doubtful. "I didn't know you could resurrect dead spirits. You're a woman of many talents."

Only a Christmas miracle would turn this grumpy Scrooge into a jolly, festive man, but given all the recent changes in Mikasa's life nothing seemed completely impossible anymore. Ever since she met Levi, she realized small miracles do occur sometimes. This month had proved to be a memorable time for both of them, and Mikasa had a feeling December wasn't through with them yet.