Timeline: Levi's 58-ish, Eren's 54-ish. Charlotte is 30-ish, and Peter's in his early thirties. Alex is in her early sixties, as is Reiner. Carla passed away a while ago, and Mikasa's in her late forties.

If you really wanna milk the feels, listen to the song while you read. Yes, the chapter is named after it.

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"Knock knock," Eren murmured, one hand on the knob while the knuckles of the other tapped softly on the polished wooden door.

"You're back," came a raspy voice from beyond the threshold over which he stepped with a light smile playing across his lips.

"Of course," he replied casually, letting the door shut with a small click. "How are you this morning?" He crossed the room, sunk down into the chair adjacent to the upraised bed, using the arms to support his weight until his rear was comfortably positioned.

"A little better," breathed the other. His hand slid across the baby blue sheets in search of Eren's, who complied with ease by wrapping his fingers around the other's chilled hand. It was normal for his hands to be so clammy lately, and normal for his audible breathing despite the nasal cannula feeding oxygen through his nose. "Just waiting to die, like usual."

While Levi had a spark of amusement set in his deep gray eyes at his words, Eren didn't find the statement so funny; he didn't have to say anything for the other to get it, though, and the humor quickly faded.

"Help me sit up," he mumbled, already trying to push himself up on his own. His weak muscles protested by aching and he nearly crumpled back into the pillows before Eren lent an arm to assist his sitting up.

"You know the bed inclines, right?" Eren asked, grinning slightly.

"Hmph. Of course I do," Levi muttered, reaching for his hand again. Automatically, the brunet wrapped his fingers around his husband's clammy hands, holding them delicately between his own, partially for warmth and partially for affection. The younger could feel the light tremors rocking through Levi's limbs. As he rubbed gentle circles into his skin, Eren looked the other over, as routine for his daily visits. To see the changes. To see the deterioration.

These days the direction his health was going reminded Eren of the withdrawal days all those years ago. He was still healthy - or, as healthy as a former drug addict with a multitude of diseases could be. Not quite as...gray as those days, nor as malnourished. His eyes still smoldered like the remnants of a bonfire, and he still retained that impassive yet bitter personality. But every day the circles around his eyes darkened, his skin became paler and he grew slimmer and slimmer, even if only fractionally. Even his tattoos had faded over time. His voice was so much rougher than it used to be, his hands much less steady than that of the tattoo artist Eren fell in love with. Slowly, ever so slowly, he approached death's door. His days were numbered, though that number was one Eren couldn't be sure of.

Two months ago, he'd been put in an assisted living home after a fit of coughing up blood. A worsening of his lung disease, the doctor in the hospital explained to them, and immunity to the medication he'd been taking for a good fifteen years. They no longer had the means of taking care of him at home, what with him needing a daily IV and constant oxygen, among weekly check-ups and needing certain things in his diet.

It killed Eren that he could no longer care for his husband. He visited Levi every day without fail since he was admitted and stayed as long as he could before other aspects of life called or the nurses were bugging him to leave because visiting hours were over.

And nights were lonely. With the entire house to himself, no longer even in the company of a pet, it was too silent. Too spacious. His bed was too big and cold without Levi's warmth radiating from the other side, without the soft sound of his breathing to fill the deafening silence. He'd started falling asleep on the couch with the TV on instead, and eventually ended up with his own makeshift bed across it with a pillow and some blankets. More times than he'd ever admit to anyone, he cried himself to sleep, feeling warm tears seep from his ducts and make wet trails over his nose, his temples, as he waited to escape into unconsciousness.

He would never tell Levi these things. He always presented himself in front of his beloved with the smile he knew Levi loved, making him believe everything was as alright as it could possibly be in Eren's world, despite things being quite the opposite. There was no sense in worrying Levi, or making him think too much about things he couldn't control and end up making him feel guilty.

"So get this," Levi was muttering. "Alex showed up yesterday."

Eren's brows shot up. "Did she?"

"Yeah."

"And...how did that go?"

"Fine...I suppose. I thought she was still angry. But Peter let it slip that I'm here, and boom, she's suddenly waltzing right in the door almost like nothing ever happened."

They talked aimlessly for a while. About Alex. About Peter and Reiner. About Charlotte.

"She's doing fine," Eren assured his husband while on the subject of their daughter. "She misses you. She said she'll probably fly out to see you soon."

Levi rolled his eyes at that, saying something about how she'd be wasting her money. Eren only brushed it off; he wanted Charlotte to come. He wanted her to see her Papa again, just in case things took a turn for the worse and never got better again. He knew those days were on the horizon. They all did. Yet he pushed it to the back of his mind as much as he possibly could as if that would delay it more and more.

"Eren, do me a favor," Levi murmured after a while.

"Hmm?"

The raven pointed to the small docking station on the night stand adjacent to a lamp. "Push play and help me stand up."

"Okay..." Eren tapped the play key. A soft violin sounded from the speakers. "But why?"

"Just do it." Levi was already pushing himself to his feet. Quickly, Eren offered a hand and something for him to lean against as he straightened himself out.

"What's up?" Eren was internally panicking a bit; if Levi had to go to the bathroom, he would've just said so or pushed the nurse's button as to not bother Eren with the 'burden'. He could think of no other reason Levi might want to stand up, let alone have music playing for it.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Eren stammered, his hands fluttering about. Levi was - shakily - removing the cannula from around his ears and casting it aside.

"I'm fine," he assured, reaching for Eren's shoulders. "Dance with me."

Eren felt his heart pick up and it was suddenly a bit hard to swallow. He caught Levi by the waist, steadying him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, idiot. I'm sure."

"But you shouldn't have taken your cannula off..."

"It would just get in the way. Don't worry, I can breathe fine on my own for a while."

"Levi..."

The older's eyes narrowed. "Don't argue with me on this one. I want to do this while I still can...before I lose the ability to walk completely."

Those words hit Eren like a bus and he found himself encircling Levi wholeheartedly in his embrace. In turn, the shorter tucked his head into the side of his companion's neck, sighing softly. Eren smelled just as he remembered, still felt like the sturdy wall he needed for so long to protect him and hold him up. He was warm, he was soft. He was home.

Slowly, tenderly they began a circular motion in the center of the room to the beat of the music. One song faded to a close and another began. Issho Ni. Together. No words, but a meaning they understood just as well without them.

Eren's emotions were building up in his chest, knowing this could be the last time he got to dance with his beloved, maybe even the last time he would see him stand and would be able to hold him in his arms like this. So he held a little tighter, resting his head down against Levi's.

Eren wanted to tell Levi he loved him, but he didn't want to spoil the moment with words. He couldn't possibly put into words how much he absolutely loved the man in his arms. He never had been able to - not since the very beginning. Before he knew it, tears were pricking at the corners of his eyes and by the time the dance was over, Levi was clicking his tongue at the sight of wet trails down Eren's cheeks.

"Don't go getting all emotional on me, brat," he was scolding. His hands met those wet cheeks to catch Eren's tears with his fingertips. "I'm not gone yet."

"I know," Eren mumbled, looking away in embarrassment.

And Levi was pulling him back, turning his head to gaze into his eyes again. "Listen, love," he murmured affectionately. "I would tell you I'm sorry, but I think it's time I stop with the petty apologies. If you needed them, I'm sure you would've left a long time ago. Even to this day I think you're crazy for having stayed so long. For putting up with my shit. For marrying me." He huffed a laugh. "But I'm glad you did. And hell, I hate all this cheesy shit, but there's no other way to say it. I'm glad I found you. Or...glad you found me. You're an idiot and a brat and a nerd but you're mine. And I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?" Eren's voice shook; no matter how hard he tried to stop his tears, they continued to flow.

"When I'm gone, keep living. Keep moving forward. I don't want your life to stop just because I'm not here."

Eren blinked, shifting his eyes around. He removed Levi's hands from his face and held them between his own, sniffling. "I...don't know, Levi..."

"Come on, Eren. You're gonna let your life stop just because of me?"

Eren leaned his forehead down against Levi's. He swallowed a few times, trying to clear his throat of thickness. "You are my life."

"And you are mine. And I want to leave you less than you want to be left...but the mistakes of my past are coming back to haunt us both in full force now...which is why I always gave you the option to bow out--"

"And that was stupid," Eren cut in. "If you ever thought I'd just up and leave you because of this, either you're as crazy as you think I am or you don't know me as well as you think."

A tiny smile tugged at Levi's lips. "I never actually thought you'd leave, sweetheart. But you always had that option, just in case, and I never would have blamed you if you'd decided to. Because we knew this was coming...even if we denied it. I just want to be able to go knowing you'll be okay once I have gone...which is why I need your word that you'll continue to live and do the things you love."

"It'll be hard," Eren whispered. "So hard."

"I know, love. But if you don't, I'm gonna have to come back and haunt your ass until you get your shit together."

This earned a smile from Eren. "I'm not even surprised you'd say that," he responded softly.

Levi's grin mirrored Eren's. He stood up on his toes and pressed a tender kiss to Eren's cheek. "Promise me."

Eren's breath hitched and he claimed Levi's lips in a soft, intimate kiss. "I promise," he murmured against Levi's mouth.

"I love you," Levi murmured back.

"I love you, too."

That was when Levi felt himself struggling to pull in air on his own. Gasping, he tried not to panic as he turned, seeking out the cannula. Eren, noticing this and being quicker, retrieved it as the other was beginning to make little hiccupping sounds, his hand on his chest.

"Here, here..." He murmured, gently positioning the clear tube beneath Levi's nose again before hooking it back around his ears. Gradually, the little noises came to a stop and Levi relaxed.

"You okay?" Eren was asking as he guided his husband back to his bed to sit.

"Yeah. Hell, I can't even breathe properly on my own anymore..." He shook his head, sighing.

Eren could only watch him with eyes swimming in concern. He sunk back down on the edge of the chair, threading his fingers through the other's, listening as Levi worked on evening out his breathing, watching him as well. Eren had trouble swallowing around the thickness in his throat. His chest was tight, his stomach in knots. The constant dull ache in his back didn't even seem present at the moment as he was focusing all of his attention and energy on his husband, hoping and wishing and even praying that somehow Levi would survive all of this and get to come home with him again, yet knowing at the same time how utterly impossible that was.

"You're breaking my heart, kid," Levi mumbled with a shake of his head. His cool hand lifted to cup Eren's cheek, the skin of his palm catching the tear halfway to his jaw.

"You're doing the same thing," Eren mumbled back with a small sniffle.

"I know, darling," the older murmured, skimming a thumb across the apple of Eren's cheek - not quite as soft as they used to be, but still familiar and warm.

Eren's fingers tightened. "You don't know how much I wish I could've met you sooner...before you were pulled under, so we wouldn't have to be going through all this." So you don't have to leave me alone...

"I think I know. I wish the exact same thing. I wish I wasn't so damn stupid as to let myself get that bad. I've hurt you more than I've helped you."

"Would you stop it with that?" Eren grumbled, nuzzling his face into Levi's palm and shutting his eyes. "I'm so sick of hearing you say things like that...things that are the exact opposite of true."

Levi swallowed, his own throat suddenly thick with emotion as his fingers traced down Eren's cheek to his lips. "Thank you, Eren."

Green irises became visible again, this time puzzled. "Hmm?"

"For everything you've done, from the very beginning. For being here with me. For allowing me to somewhat redeem myself for back then. For giving me the best thirty-three years I could've asked for...for marrying me, and raising a beautiful daughter with me, and making room for my shit in that disturbingly big heart of yours. For loving me. Thank you."

Eren caught the hand near his face and held it as tight as he dared. It ached in the joints of Levi's hands, but he didn't mind.

"Don't start saying goodbye." Eren's voice was no more than a whisper. "Don't do this to me. Not now...please."

"I hate hurting you."

"Then stop..."

Levi lifted Eren's hand to his lips and gently kissed his knuckles. "I'll still be around...just for a little while. But you know I can't stay forever."

Eren managed a small nod. "Just give me a little while longer. I'm not done loving you yet."

"Alright, my little brat. But I think...I think I should sleep for a while."

"Okay."

"Help me lie down?"

Eren's gentle hands helped Levi into a comfortable position and pulled the blankets up around him. Still Levi's fingers emerged beyond the sheets in search of Eren's, though his eyes were closed, leaving Eren to softly slot his fingers through his beloved's as he sat by his side, listening to his raspy yet even breathing as he slid into a soft slumber.

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One more chapter.