Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

/Commander Erwin stood out in the sun, its heat burning the back of his neck as the light blinded him; the smell of sweat and heat hung heavily in the air as he heard the voice of the trainers as they yelled at the cadets who were currently running laps. As he watched, bitterness filled his mouth as memories of that morning letter invaded his mind. Words like "dismemberment" and "sexual assault" paired with the young faces, their small eyes managing to look bright and lively even in drawn photos.

He left his stuffy office to clear his mind, to figure out how he could help but even outside, he struggled to find peace. General Pixis sent him a letter asking for help. The military police and garrison both felt unable to complete the mission and in a last-ditch effort to try and save people, the scouts were asked. There had been murders, 5 to be exact, all boys ages 10 to 13. In a small farm village, these kids had been raped, mutilated and tortured over the course of a week, being disposed of in the forest a week after they'd gone missing. The military police have dealt with a similar situation before. They have the education, tools and people to solve these crimes, but the problem was that their main suspect was a retired military police member. After weeks of not gaining any information and another dead child, the military police decided to reach out to the scouts. They wanted to borrow some men to go undercover in the town and see what they could find out. The garrison was thought of; however, the military police and garrison work in close quarters, and there was a fear of the soldiers being discovered. The commander thought it was quite silly and that there were many members of the garrison and military police fully capable of doing what was asked, but maybe they considered the scouts expendable, so if they did get found out, it wouldn't be sweat off their backs.

But despite his personal feelings on the matter, there were children dying, and he would not be selfish to deny such an important request.

"Hey, Armin!" Erwin was torn away from his thoughts as he heard one of the cadets yells, they were still running, but one was a bit behind. That must be Armin. He read about him; he was not as strong as the others but smart; he heard about how he convinced Pixis to trust Eren and devised a plan to save Trost. He also heard how he saved many soldiers in a supply room, succeeding in not only replenishing their gear but doing it with no casualties. He meant to get to know the boy and figure out what he was about, but unfortunately, he had been busy recently and hadn't found the opportunity to connect fully. He watched for a while as the man who yelled slowed down a bit, matching the smaller cadet's pace and giving what he assumed were reassuring words. As they finished their lap, the other waited for them before throwing water at the two and engaging in an exciting-sounding conversation.

Walking closer to the cadets, he gained the attention of their trainer, who yelled at them to come line up. He watched as they scurried close, all falling into a familiar line and saluting, head held high and shoulders back. Their stance was practiced yet looked natural; their quick change in attitude was impressive.

Walking slowly down the line, he nearly smirked as he saw the gleam yet fear in their eyes with his surprise visit. His eyes scanned over the group; he read about everyone and could even put a name to their face. Jean, as he remembered, was standing next to Armin and must have been the one to call for him. Staring at their differences was almost amusing; Jean was nearly a foot taller than Armin, and his jaw was starting to define itself, as well as his muscles sharpening, something most, if not all, the scouts achieved. But Armin was boyish, or really girlish; he was short, very short. His small frame made him look weak and childish. The kid really looked just like that, a kid. Taking a step back, Erwin told the cadets to be at ease, giving Armin another look; he was reminded of the schoolchildren he would see when he walked into the cities or the kids more tenure soldiers would have visited them.

"Arlert, I want you in my office after supper" Erwin looked at the boy one last time before he walked off; he had an idea and lots of plans to go through.

Once back in his office, Erwin poured over plans, writing back letters and getting soldiers to deliver them. Armin gave him an idea, a shitty idea, and if something went wrong, the repercussions would be catastrophic, but an idea nonetheless. Scratching his pen along a short piece of parchment, he lost himself in thought, tuning out the footsteps that would pass his office or the breeze blowing from the window.

"That task got you so bothered you didn't notice me walk in" Erwin was startled for a second, his hand slightly moving as the monotone voice broke his train of thought.

"I've told you to knock" he didn't look up from his parchment.

"I did" Levi walked towards his desk, settling himself in the chair, crossing his legs and leaving back on the rough wood. The two stayed in silence for a while, neither looking at the other as a thick tension grew in the room. Levi had a habit of sitting in his office but would usually sit on the couches or armchairs; rarely did he sit at his desk during his leisure time.

"Levi, what do you-"

"What the hell is this?" Levis' voice grew slightly as he grabbed a piece of parchment, the drawing of the boy's wounds clearly visible. He was missing both his feet as well as his eyes. He had cuts and bruises all over his body, as well as a bald spot on his head. Levi stared at the general sketch of the killer's first victim, a young boy who had turned 11 years old the day he went missing.

"That," Erwin reached over, plucking the paper from his hand and tucking it softly into its file, "Is the favour the military police asked of me." Erwin gathered up more of the papers, clearing them off his desk before Arlertt got here, and the images scared the boy off.

Levi just looked at him, curiosity hiding in his eyes and anger etched onto his face. Erwin waited for him to say something but the duo both fell into an awkward silence, words were not Levi's strengths, and Erwin did not want to tell him about his half-assed plan just yet.

"The military police," Erwin considered his words carefully, "have had trouble catching a killer, a real bad one, and asked the scouts for help" he watched as Levis' expression did not change. "And I thought it would be good to help, if not for politics, then for those kids" his face fell when he remembered reading the reports. His mind flashed to Armin, the cadet he thought was a good idea to hand over to the killers. He was different than the other soldiers, more vulnerable, the perfect decoy. "And I have a meeting about it after dinner" Erwin sat up straighter, an idea Levi would not like growing in his head. "And I would like it if you could make it," He finished, grabbing at the now-organized file and gently putting it in his drawer.

"Yeah, whatever" Levi got up, leaving the room with a slight slam of the door. Sighing, Erwin dropped his head in his hands; this was going to be complicated.

Armin could wait for after dinner. His stomach clenched as he watched his friends eat. He couldn't stop thinking about the commander and why he had asked for him. The usually stoic man had sadness in his eyes yet a spark of inspiration. At first, he thought he was in some form of trouble but had no idea what for. He's seen people in trouble before, Sasha for stealing food, Jean and Eren for fighting, hell, even Connie for just doing something dumb, but he had never really been in trouble before, and he was certain he'd done nothing worth getting the commander involved, so why did he want to see him personally?

"You're not gonna eat that?" Sasha's voice tore him from his thoughts; her hand was hovering above his plate, cold potatoes and soggy beans abandoned by him.

"Leave him alone; dude" Jean swatted her hand away before he shoved Armin's plate closer to him. The blond could smell the bland food as the dining hall's dull lights gave it an unappealing look. Sasha gave Jean a defeated look before trying to grab his plate and unsuccessfully grabbing at the air as Jean gave her a cocky smile.

"No, she can have it" Armin pushed the plate away, resting his elbow on the table while holding his head up with his hand. He watched as Sasha smiled and took his food, a happy thankyou coming out of her potato-stuffed mouth. Jean looked like he was going to say something but the taller boy kept quiet, busying himself talking with Connie about the earlier training. Armin felt left out as his friends engaged with one another; he thought that was how he made others feel when he, Eren and Mikasa were together, but right now, his friends weren't here, and he struggled to quell his worry on his own.

"Shouldn't you be going to the commander's office?" Armin looked at Connie this time, the boy's eyes filled with curiosity. They had spent the good rest of the day interrogating him about what the commander might want from him, and his friends were nearly as restless as he was with wanting answers.

Looking around, Armin noticed as people slowly left the room, benches emptying as people left to enjoy a little free time before bed. Usually, he would enjoy the peaceful solitude gave him but right now, he wished that dinner and the crowded room it brought would return, giving him a reason to put off his orders.

"I…" the "don't really want to" got lost in Armin's mouth as he tried to speak, but worry overcame him, and he closed his mouth.

"Come on, I'll walk you down there" Jean got up quickly, grabbing Armin's arm and lifting him up, leaving no room for him to protest.

"Tell us what it's about when you come back," Connie's voice rang as the duo left, Jean nearly having to tug Armin towards the door.

"If you come back," Sasha retorted before a slapping noise could be heard.

When Levi returned to Erwin's office, the duo sat in silence; Erwin had given him the previous reports he had read for the younger man to look over and review. Levi would have to understand the seriousness of the situation and the danger that came with it if his plan was to work. Both men read to themselves, candles light dimly glowing the room up as the scent of cold tea filled the air. However, their silence was quickly broken by hushed whispers outside the door. Getting up, Erwin walked to the cause of the noise and listened casually.

"Jean, I really don't wanna go in there. Can't we wait a bit longer, diner isn't done yet"

"Armin," a louder voice spoke out before he heard the rustling of clothes and a tired moan, "get out from behind me; you can avoid the commander forever."

"Yes, I can," Armin spoke quieter; he could hear the anxiety in the boy's voice. Deciding he had tormented the kids enough, he opened the door, straightening his shoulders out and getting ready to greet them.

"Hello, Commander," Jean said as both boys saluted. They stood with their heads held high despite the confused look in their eyes. He told the boys to be at ease, and he watched as Jean put a hand on the back of Armin's head, pushing him from out behind him and forcing him to stand in front of him. He found the behaviour quite amusing, and if he did not need to keep up his role as commander would have probably laughed at the duo. Armin chewed at his lip and glanced back at Jean before blowing his head and speaking,

"You wanted to see me, sir" Jean gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and he watched the boy slightly relax; his kind and almost brotherly behaviour gave him another idea.

"Yes, why don't you both come in" he opened the door wider and gestured to the duo to sit at his desk where Levi had previously occupied himself. Once they took their places, Armin, in the middle between Jean and Levi, the commander, took his seat and started to speak.

"The military police have asked for our assistance in catching a killer," He started, putting his hands on his desk and clasping them together. "So far, this man has killed five boys and showed no signs of stopping; I would like for Arlert to go undercover and try to lure him out" He looked at the boy, trying to read his face. However, his inspection was cut short by sudden yelling.

"What!" Levi shot up from his seat, losing his normal composure and slamming his hands on the desk. "Him? That man will eat him alive!" He pointed at Armin, making the boy bow his head in shame. Levis' outburst had surprised the whole room, the normally composed and cold man looking as if he was ready to tear them all limb from limb.

Erwin started at the younger man, watching as his eyes bore holes into his, "And Levi," Erwin continued, trying to understand his concerns while keeping his composure, "I wish for you and Kirstein to go with him" the invite of Jean came out of his mouth before he had a second to think of the idea, but it would be easier to watch Armin if there was two of them and a killer wouldn't expect to see any child nevermind two. However, despite Erwin's plans to have them protect the boy Levi still had his protests.

"Erwin, you saw those reposts; you know what he did; you can't just send cadets to solve their damn problems, especially just cause the military police is shit at their job," Levi argued, voice un-characteristical loud and full of disdain.

"Levi, please calm down and listen," Erwin tried to defuse the situation,

"Tch," Levi sat back in his seat, folding his arms and staring down at the commander.

"As I was saying, you three will infiltrate the city and use Armin as a decoy, hoping the killer targets him" Erin knew what he was asking them, knew that he was sugarcoating the fact that he wanted Armin to be captured by a man who has slaughtered children for weeks while evading capture despite the presence of the military police.

"This is a bad idea, Erwin" Levi stood up again, pulling Armin up with him by his biceps, with his hand digging painfully into his arm. "He will die."

"He will be fine" Erwin resisted the urge to shoot up himself; if he did not maintain his composure and started fighting, who knew where their conversation may lead.

However, Levi knew exactly how to piss him off and how to make the mission fail. Throwing Armin over the desk, he smashed the boy's face into the papers that littered it while she gripped his arm behind his back. "I swear" He tugged at the arm, threatening to break it.

Jean sat up from his chair, legs scratching back as he reached over and grabbed at Levi's arm, but one look from the Captain and he let go and backed down into his chair, deciding the best way to let the commander deal with such an outburst, for his and Armin sake.

"Injured or not, he will still be able to perform his duty; he will be going" Erwin didn't dare to break eye contact. They stared at each other, no one wanting to back down. He could hear Armin whimper as Jean stared at him, the air grew tense, and no one dared to talk.

"Captain," A small voice broke out, "you're… you're hurting me" his voice was nearly inaudible as Armin's eyes watered; Armin was in an uncomfortable stretch, and his neck hurt from cranking to get a better look at what was going on around the room. He could see Ewrins and Levis stare down a tension so thick he feared he'd need his sword to cut it, but even then, he might now have been strong enough. Their breathing and his soft whines were the only noise that filled the room as candlelights flickered around the shadows of the desk; it was getting darker as the sun set, the warmth of the room diapering, leaving Armin feeling cold.

"Levi," Erwin started again, knowing where this was going, "if you break his arm, I am still going to send him; I've made up my mind; the boy is going." Despite the commander's objections, the Captain didn't seem to be giving up, pulling harder at Armin's arm.

"Are you crazy!" Levi refused to see sense, his voice was thick with venom, and anger seeped out of every pore. Levi knew how people like this killer worked; he had lived amongst the dirties, vile scumbags within the walls and wouldn't let some pencil pusher military police fuck up someone else's life. "he will be slaughtered."

"Captain," Armin heard the strong sound of Jean's voice as his soft hand was placed on his back. He could hear the waiver in his voice as he spoke, unsure if he should be butting in the conversation or letting their superiors figure it out. "You're supposed to be protecting him; why are you hurting him" Jean reasoned; Armin didn't know where he found the confidence to speak but was glad he did.

The room went silent, no one daring to speak as Levi turned his murderous gaze to Jean. However, the cadet refused to look away, keeping his hand on Armin's back.

"Whatever" the Captain finally backed down, roughly letting the boy go and sinking back into his chair, arms crossed and a sour look on his face. Pleased with the situation ending, Erwin cleared his throat, explaining what everyone's duties were going to be. The trio would go to the city, pretending to be a family looking for a new start; Jean and Levi would be there to watch everyone and see if anyone takes the bait, then they would give their finding to the military police, and they would proceed from there.

After he finished, he gave Jean and Armin permission to leave, watching as the taller man rubbed at Armin's shoulder as they exited the room. With a final salute, the boys ran off to bed, their meeting having gone long into the night.

"You know, you didn't have to make that so hard" Erwin slouched in his seat, tired from the meeting's rough patch.

"If that boy is caught, he will be slaughtered; he's trained to kill titans, not people" Levi sat up in his seat, anger coming back.

"That's why you're there to protect him; hell, that's why Kirstein is there to watch him; he will be okay," Erwin argued, confused as to why Levi was being so stubborn. Usually, he trusted him, occasionally bringing forward concerns or questions but never outright defying him.

"Whatever," Levi got up, walking towards the door and opening it before pausing and glaring back at the commander, "You better hope I can."

Chapter Text

The carriage ride was bumpy, and Armin hated it. It smelt like sweat and expensive laundry soap, the air was bitter, and he was squished right up against Captain Levi Jean. Two military police officers sat in front of them as they talked, making sure to address all information about the missions and ask Levi and Jean if they had any questions, ignoring him completely. Usually, he wouldn't mind being ignored by others, not wanting to listen to them drone on about themselves for hours, but unusually he felt left out.

Their travels were only to take two days by horse, and then the trio would walk to the city on foot for about five hours, hoping to give the illusion that they walked the whole way here. The ride was uneventful and, despite the full carriage, quite lonely. They only stopped to let the horse rest or sleep, making him feel restless and bored. Jean and he would occasionally talk, but the presence of the military police seemed to dampen his mood, and he was more quiet than usual. This unfamiliar silence gave Armin plenty of time to think, but as their destination came closer, he realized perhaps having too much time to think was a bad thing.
During the first bit of their ride, he felt confident in his abilities; all he really had to do was sit around and pretend to be a child; however, the closer they got, the more his anxiety grew, festering inside of him.

"This is where we leave ya," One of the men spoke, throwing the door open and letting them step out first. Hot air blew in Armin's face, and the scent of wet grass filled his nose. Rolling up his sleeves, Armin smiled; at least it was a nice day for their hike. Jean stood beside him, stretching out his long limbs.

"You'll find Elijah by the bakery. It's close to your place but not too close to seem suspicious. I'd recommend not meeting up with him right away. He already knows you're coming and probably wouldn't be much help to start with anyways." One of the military police members gave them the last bit of instructions as he locked up the carriages and pulled out some food for the horses. Elijah was the military police member who was stationed in the village when the murders first started happening; he was leading the investigation and would be in charge of them while they stayed.

"Looks like we're nearly there then," Jean said as he rubbed Armin's head, hoping to ease both their anxieties and fill the overly stressed atmosphere that had been plaguing the group since they left. It wasn't an uncommon action, but the way Jean stood so close to him, he figured his actions had something to do with the "talk" Mikasa had with him before they left. There was very little they could say about their mission to the others, not wanting to put the trio in danger by anyone's loud mouth. But the lack of information put everyone on edge, and his friends were very reluctant to let him go.

He smiled fondly at the memory of Eren trying to shove extra blankets in his bag in case he got cold and Mikasa trying to braid his hair just in case it got in his face. These days seemed more stressful for his friends than he, and Armin wished he could at least have told them something, just to put their minds at ease. He was pretty sure the only reason Eren didn't fight the commander himself was cause Levi was going with them, but he could never be too skeptical with his hotheaded friend and wouldn't be surprised if he was begging for answers at the moment, getting ready to drag him back to the dorms and lock him in there.

With the way captain Levi had been ignoring him and the pitying glances the military police occasion gave him, he wished he had stayed by too. However, his self-doubt was quickly shoved away as Captain Levi barked out that it was time to leave. Once they gathered all their gear and went over their plan once more, the trio went off. Ready to infiltrate the city and draw out the killer.

Their walk was quiet and uneventful. Just as Armin predicted, the day was nice, and it felt more like a friendly hike rather than a top-secret mission. It even seemed as if Levi's mood improved as he didn't once tell Armin to shut up when he pointed out different kinds of flowers and told a fun fact about anything he found mildly interesting. Unfortunately, the good mood soon turned sour as the small city, or what Armin would define as a village, came into view, and they were forced to deal with the reality of what they were about to do.

When they came into the views of people, they were met with suspicious stares and heard hushed whispers. They were obviously not welcome, and the tension that built inside the village was thick enough to cut with a knife. But the group wouldn't let such hateful looks throw them off, and they continued to walk. Armin noticed a few stalls selling goods, mostly food and essentials, but he noticed some people sold luxuries like jewelry and books. By the market, there was what looked like a school building; he could hear the yells of kids who were obviously playing. After passing more houses, workshops and even a few small farms, they finally reached the little cabin they would be staying in. The outside of it reminded him of the house he grew up in as a kid. It was small and made of wood; everything on the outside looked worn, but the house was well kept, there were no weeds in the garden, and the pathway was swept; the house was old but seemed well lived in. When they entered, they were met with the smell of citrus; there was a table in the middle of the room with a bowl of fresh fruit in it, and the house was obviously prepared for their visit.

However, despite it being previously clean, Levi walked into the room, took one look and told both boys to start cleaning up before they got settled in. Armin and Jean gave each other knowing looks before silently getting to work; it was going to be a long mission.

Once they finished their task, Jean and Armin settled themselves in. The boys would share a room while Levi had his own private quarters.

"I call the right side" Jean threw his bag onto the bed on the right wall of the room before jumping on it himself and throwing his shoes on the floor.

"Does it make a difference?" Armin asked as he put his bag on his bed and started to unpack it. The room had two beds, a dresser and two small nightstands. Just enough to look like a permanent home.

"Yes, it makes a difference!" Jean exclaimed as he rushed to Armin's side of the room and came uncomfortably close to him

"The Captain's room is by this wall! Now I can hear what the Captain is talking about during secret meeting stuff," Jean whispered.

"If you say so," Armin scoffed as he moved away from Jean and put a book o the nightstand beside him.

"You better start unpacking if you don't want the captain to have a not-so-private conversation with you."

"Don't be a buzzkill," Jean said. "This is like a paid vacation; all I gotta do is watch you and make sure no creep snatches you off the streets. Easy" The taller boy went back and flopped on his bed before he dug out his sketch pad and flipped through it.

"Easy for you to say," Armin faced his friend. "You're not the one who has to be worried about getting snatched off the streets." Armin grabbed his now empty backpack and shoved it under the wooden bed. The commander didn't tell him many details about the mission, just that kids went missing, and he wanted Armin to be a decoy as he looked like the boys. At first, he was excited about the mission, but as time went on, he had time to think about how little he didn't know and how upset the Captain was at the idea of him being a decoy and started to think there was more to the mission then he was being let on.

However, Armin's thoughts were put to hold when the door was aggressively opened.

"We will be leaving in ten minutes for supper; there's a local bar," Levi said quickly and with no emotion. Both boys stood up and gave a salute, back straight, and chins held high.

"Don't do that shit here; people can't know we are from the military" The Captain eyed them with a small amount of doubt on his face. The whole mission relied on their secrecy, and if anyone suspected anything, it was sure to go up in flames.

"And Kirstein? Put away your shit."

Armin shot Jean a cheeky smile.

Chapter Text

The dinner place that sat at was small, only a few tables littered the wooden building, and a long bar sat at the side while a bartender poured cheap drinks. The trio sat drinking warm water, wooden glasses giving their drink an earthy taste. Armin could feel eyes staring at him; the patrons sent confused gals their way, not knowing whether to welcome or fear the newcomers. Levi's intense stare and defensive sitting position did not help the cause.

Armin watched as people whispered and wandered around the room, getting everyone else's opinion on the group before they talked to them. However, one man looked at them and smiled before standing up and walking towards their table.

"Good evening," the man smiled as he nodded toward them. "I take to you'll be one of my students" He looked at Armin, his eyes scanning the boy as if he was trying to see right through him.

"Uhh," Armin opened his mouth, not really sure who this stranger was and if he should be talking to him.'

"How rude of me, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Wynter Easton. I teach at the schoolhouse." He now addressed Levi as he stuck his hand out for Levi to shake. But the skeptical Captain just held a cold glare, cautious of everyone in town.

"Ahh, I see; a bit afraid, yeah? No worries, I'm just a teacher and figured I'd introduce myself to the new students" He took his hand back and went back to facing Armin. "Bet you already heard of the murders, scary stuff, but I promised I'd take care of all of the kids, so there's no need to worry hes safe with me," Wynter tried to reassure the group as he put a hand on Armin's head and ruffled his hair.

"Don't touch him!" Jean blurted out before he knew what he was saying; his hand shot out to smack at the teacher, but he was quick and removed his hand before.

"Haha, I had my fair share of siblings in my life; glad to know at least you're not a bully." The man laughed the encounter off, not hurt or curious about their attitudes.

"So you work at the schoolhouse, yeah?" Armin spoke up as he brought a hand up to fix his tangled hair. "I haven't been to school in a long while and am surprised to hear there's one in such a small town," he spoke truthfully.

"You're right; when I was little, there was no schoolhouse around, but my family moved, and I was able to become a teacher. I thought about teaching back in the big cities, but home just called to me, so now here I am," Wynter spoke as he pulled out a chair and sat at the table.

"So you must know lots of people here then, yeah" Armin gave a side glance to Levi, who was still staring coldly at the man. "We came here looking for a new start and was able to get a house and all that, but my uhhh…." Armin paused in the middle of his sentence, "my uhh caregiver needs a job" He needed towards Levi, hoping to get them started on their new lives.

"Well, it ain't pretty work, but its work; the Hodans have a pretty impressive goat farm, making lots of milk there but have looking for someone to do the grunt work; they are just twenty minutes up the road, hard to miss with that farm smell, he should stop by tomorrow, check them out." Wynter stood up, platting down his shirt before running a hand through his short brown hair. "Must be off, but if you pop by the schoolhouse tomorrow, you can stay while they look for some work" he shot the group one final look before walking away and talking to some of the other patrons.

Armin noticed their demeanour changed as the death glares stopped, and even a few people gave him a nod. He figured Wynter must be a pretty big influence in the community, and having him as a friend would make this whole mission a lot easier.

"We should go" Levi stood a sip of his water before standing up,

"But we haven't eaten yet," Jean complained as his stomach growled from not being fed all day. Now that Armin noticed it, he was quite hungry, too, and a warm meal made by someone else sounded far too pleasant of an experience to pass up.

Levi pretended to consider Jean's words for a moment before getting up and guiding the group out of the building, leaving their half-empty glasses on the table for the waitress to pick up.

They stayed quiet for the short walk back; the sun slowly set, which turned the town into a beautiful orange colour. The breeze was still warm against his skin, and the humid air made his hair feel frizzy and heavy. Armin could smell the scent of the town's musk pine wood as well as the fresh grass that he stepped on. It reminded him of the barracks, and he thought back to how his friends were doing, hoping they were okay and not worrying too much about him. Jean walked closely beside him as they followed the Captain; he would comment on the simplest of things he saw, like how a bakery had a sign with a picture of a loaf of bread on it or how there was an abundance of crows flying above their heads. Of course, Armin had previously noticed these things but was happy to listen to Jean talk about his findings.

As they reached the house, Levi told them to stay outside as he went in; when he decided the house was safe to enter, he let them walk in, ensuring they took their boots off at the door before he told Jean to make something to eat and motioned for Armin to sit at the table with him. The Captain crossed his legs and arms as he leaned back in his chair, carefully considering his next words with a scowl on his face as if he wanted to strangle him but knew it was wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Levi opened his mouth,

"You should be more careful," He stated. "There's a killer on the loose, don't get all comfy with strangers here."

"Uh, sir," Armin's voice was small; he knew that antagonizing the Captain was wrong but couldn't help but feel slightly angry at his words. He picked at his fingers as he met Levi's eyes, trying to read his thoughts as he talked.

"Isn't it my job to lure out the killer? How can we do that if we don't talk to the townspeople" Armin's voice wavered as he tried to speak confidently. Levi brought a hand to his head and rubbed at his temples, clearly stressed over the situation.

"Leave that to Jean and me; you just sit there and look pretty like you're supposed to" Levi got up from his seat and made his way upstairs, planning to hide out in his room until their meal was ready. Ducking his head, Armin felt his cheeks go red with embarrassment at the Captain's words, he could handle being called many things, but "pretty" made him feel self-conscious.

Armin's face burned with heat as he saw Jean give him a smile before laughing out loud, finding the conversation far funnier than it was. Giving him a pout, Armin crossed his arms and turned his head, not impressed with Jean's childish attitude; this caused Jean to laugh louder and almost drop the carrots he had been cutting up. This caused Armin to start giggling, too, quickly clearing the tense air from the room and filling it with a warmer atmosphere.

"Come here, pretty boy, help me make soup" Jean waved the carrot in the air as he smiled at his new nickname for Armin.

"Don't call me that" Armin got up and gently shoved at Jean, knowing that he would never leave the name down, well, until Mikasa heard it anyways.

Cooking quietly, the duo made a sufficient-tasting soup; Jean was surprisingly good at cooking; apparently, he used to help his mom in the kitchen when he was younger and learned a few tricks. Armin was happy to let him take the lead and watch what he did; of course, he learned to make meals in his cadet years, as well as make food for him and his grandfather, but it was nothing as impressive as listening to how Jean always put the carrots in first because they take longer to cook, or how he likes to cut potatoes smaller, so they are soft all the way through. Once they finished up, Armin set their table and dished out even portions while Jean went to face the Captain and let him know that dinner was ready. As Armin filled their water glasses, he wished they had some bread to go with their meal, thinking about how tasty it would be to dip in their soup.

Once the Captain and Jean sat down, Armin grabbed the water pitcher and filled their glasses; he noticed they were the same as the ones they had in the bar and figured there must be a woodworker in the town. Settling down himself, he took a spoonful of soup and shoved it in his mouth, forgetting how hot it was and slightly burning his tongue.

"It's hot," Jean joked as Armin stuck out his tongue before grabbing his spoon and grabbing a smaller amount of soup before blowing on it.

"It's good," he said before putting it in his mouth.

"Any food is good if you haven't eaten in awhile," Levi spoke as he slowly ate his food. Deciding the Captain was still upset from earlier, the two boys fell into another awkward silence. Armin hoped this wouldn't be the whole trip and wondered how Eren managed to be around his superiors all day when most of them clearly did not want to be on titan babysitting duty.

"So Armin," Jean spoke quietly, "How do you think your first day of school is going to be? "He tried to discreetly ask about how their mission was going to play out tomorrow without directly asking the Captain himself.

"I'm actually pretty excited" Amin put his spoon down and smiled at Jean. "I've never been to school before and want to know what it's like! Eren always talked about how much he hated it, but he hates anything to do with sitting still, and Mikasa was pretty impartial, so I'm pretty curious" Armin's eyes lit up at the idea of a new adventure.

"You've never been to school before?" Levi spoke up, surprising the two boys. "Didn't you grow up in Shiganshina? They must've had plenty of schools there?" The Captain held a cold face and monotone voice, but Armin could sense the curiosity coming off of him. Feeling his face heat up again, Armin looked down at his soup and played with his spoon.

"I worked mostly or kept the house. My grandpa was not always well and couldn't work much, so we didn't have a lot of money. Most of our income went to paying for basic things like food. I worked when I could, of course, not many people would hire a kid, but some less ethical people didn't mind giving me undesirable jobs. Of course, when I didn't work, I usually too care of grandpa, it was just the two of us, so it was important that we looked out for each other." Armin confessed, keeping out some of the darker parts of his past. Jean gave him a small pat on the shoulder as a way to comfort him while Levi went back to eating his soup, not knowing what to do with such information.

"Well, you didn't miss much; I just learned to read and do maths and stuff, but you can already do that, so it's not like you missed out on anything," Jean tried to comfort him as he picked up his bowl and brought it to the counter to wash.

"I guess you're right" Armin dropped the conversation, uncomfortable and feeling oddly vulnerable. Finishing up his soup, he gave Jean his bowl to wash, and he walked upstairs, feeling the need to sleep for the next couple of days. Tomorrow would be long, and he already felt exhausted by the upcoming day.