A/N: A short - maybe seven chapter - story I thought up while watching the rainstorm outside my house.

Enjoy, Review if you can, and thank you all for giving this story a read! :)


A Not so Gloomy Day

Days like today were usually spent indoors. When the sky was grey and dreary, and rain fell in heaps and pales. One wouldn't call this stormy weather, but it definitely wasn't lovely and calm. It was the kind of day where soldiers were encouraged to stay indoors and work on assignments rather than be out and training. Most of them were happy to oblige, but there were a few who disliked the thought of staying indoors and doing absolutely nothing.

Normally the commanders didn't care whether you got a little wet due to rain, but with it pouring heaps outside and practically making it impossible to see past a few yards, today would be an indoor day. Much to Jean's disappointment.

Of course he liked to take it easy from time to time. That's why he wanted to join up in the Military Police. But staying indoors, doing nothing, and just sitting around waiting for something to happen, was not his most favourite thing to do. Not even with the entertainment that was set in front of him thanks to Connie and Sasha.

In the mess hall, where the teen merely watched from afar while Marco silently ate his lunch, he saw Sasha and Connie arm wrestling for the last piece of bread. The two were pretty evenly matched, but Jean could tell by the look on her face that Sasha would win this round. Food was her strength to continue on as it was, so it was no surprise to him if she won.

The teen scoffed at the two before looking about the room for something a little more entertaining. As luck would have it, his eyes fell upon Mikasa as she – yet again – berated Eren for his behaviour. Usually she was seen with him and their little blonde friend Armin, but he was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Probably reading one of his books in the library or something. It seemed rather pointless of him since nothing about today was going to be graded. Not that he stood a chance to graduate in the top ten.

Armin just wasn't all that special.

Now Mikasa, on the other hand, was a prize all on her own. She was tough, ruthless, and the very epitome of perfection in a soldier. Not only that, but she was stunning in her appearance. Her face clean and mark-free, her eyes deep and dark, and her black hair light and combed free of any knots. All in all, she was spectacular. If time could stop for even a moment for Jean, he'd spend that moment simply admiring her every feature. Unfortunately, time continued on. And in that time Mikasa was completely devoted to Eren. Jean never understood her dedication to the boy, and he didn't want to. He wanted her to notice him for once and notice how much better he was than the scrawny little hothead.

But there was nothing he could do. Mikasa had her devotion to Eren, and Jean had his to her.

Jean heard a chuckle from beside him and looked to see Marco smiling up at him.

"I'd say go talk to her, but the last time you did that Eren tried to choke you."

The taller of the two scoffed and leaned back in his seat. "As soon as he's out of the picture I'll get her alone and work on getting her on my side. She can't be dedicated to one person forever. Especially someone as whiny and pessimistic as Yeager."

"I hear they go back to childhood days, though." Marco explained, sitting up a bit. "They grew up in the same household. They helped out Armin with bullies and…"

"That doesn't change a thing." Jean interrupted, glancing up and down Mikasa to better observe her. "Here she has more opportunities if she's willing to back off from him once in a while and look."

"Which she isn't." The dark haired teen commented with an eye-roll as he took a sip of his drink.

Jean grumbled as he stood from his seat. "I'm going back to the barracks."

"Lovely day for a nap!" Marco joked as the tawny haired boy passed him, lightly smacking his head as he laughed.

Jean took one last glance at Mikasa before feeling his eyes roll themselves and his throat give a grumble of displeasure. What she saw in Yeager was something he'd never understand and never want to. Eren was preachy, over the top, and always seemed to be pissed at nothing in particular. It didn't help that he treated everyone around him like they were beneath him in some sort of scale of who deserved more or less respect. Even Mikasa and Armin, who were known to be his 'best friends' usually got the short end of the stick when dealing with him. Yes, Eren made a few good points about defeating titans and strengthening up for battle. But where he learned hatred and malice from the attack in Shiganshina, others learned fear and distrust.

Jean could see it in their eyes.

Some like Reiner and Annie learned to fight and to not be afraid to die. But people like Bertolt and Krista were a different story. People who were afraid of dying and watching titans consume others. It was a scary thought on its own, but actually living through it.

And then there were people like Armin. People with eyes of true terror and fear, indecision and chill. People who were only here because they had nowhere else to turn and had nothing to live for anymore. People who woke up each day dreading the next and reliving the past within their dreams. Yes, Jean had observed Armin as much as any other, and even he was fearful of what lay beyond those somber orbs. Maybe he'd witnessed too much of the attack, or maybe he saw nothing at all and yet still felt the pain of losing so many to the creatures they knew as titans.

It was a scary thought.

And it was on everyone's minds.

The teen hummed slightly to himself as he covered his head from the pouring rain. Thinking again about the blonde and his quiet demeanor. Maybe he knew more than he let on? It wasn't impossible. Maybe there was something he wasn't sharing with the rest of the soldiers. Well… that was possible anyway since no one really shared everything about themselves. But unlike Mikasa's quiet attitude, Armin's was shier and more nervous. Not only that, but he had the habit of always repeating the phrase 'sorry' even when he did nothing wrong in the slightest. Jean chalked this up to just him being nervous most of the time, but then… why even become a soldier?

Just as Jean got out of the rain and under the protection of the barrack's porch roof, he noticed the object of his thoughts was sitting outside in the cold reading an unfamiliar book. The cover didn't have a legible title, but it did have a pretty gold vine design that looped and twirled about gently and carefully. For a moment Jean wondered where exactly Armin had even found this book, but quickly let the thought go when he realized it was better not to ask. It was doubtful that the blonde would even answer him with anything other than 'sorry'.

He strode up to the blonde and tried to look him in the eye. "Good book?"

The blonde jolted at the voice making Jean snicker slightly. Though it wasn't in good taste, making the blonde jump was actually pretty funny sometimes. He always seemed to be jittery or skittish around those he didn't know too well. Even then Eren and Mikasa were usually able to make him jump in surprise a few times.

After taking a breath the blonde brought his knees to his chest and nodded. "Yes… err, it is."

His voice could barely be heard above the clacking of the water on the roof above them. Wasn't he aware of how silent he was most of the time?

Jean leaned on the railing. "What are you doing reading out here though? Aren't you afraid of getting the pages wet?"

The blonde shrugged slightly. "It's fine if I stay here and away from the edge. Besides, it's nice out today and I want to enjoy it."

Jean blinked, dumbfounded by the boy's answer. "Are you blind or just not feeling well? Because, if you may look out in front of you, it is pouring out and doesn't seem to be stopping."

Armin flicked at a page in his book and bit his lip. "I can see that, Jean. But… I like the rain."

Once again, the taller of the two blinked. "Okay… care to tell me why?"

The blonde was silent for a moment before scooting over and patting the ground beside him. When Jean took a seat, he showed him what was in the book he was reading.

"Rain doesn't come from nowhere, Jean." He explained, pointing at a specific picture in his book at that showed the cycle of water as it was. "Most of the water comes from mountains or these places called the polar ice caps. The ice from them melts and trickles down into the oceans and seas. From there it does this thing called 'evaporation' and the water sort of… lifts off into the sky. When it gets too heavy with water, it forms clouds and the clouds expel the water and it hits us. Clouds can travel for miles on end with plentiful supplies of water before it becomes too heavy for them to carry anymore and it starts to rain. The reason I like this rain so much is because it's all from places I've always wanted to see. From the oceans and seas, to places where only ice or sand is about. If you think about it, rain could have come from anywhere at any point in time. So I enjoy watching it and thinking I'm this much closer to seeing the outside world."

Jean hummed in response to this and a small smile crept up on his face. "You sure know a lot about what's outside the walls. I'm guessing you've done some illegal reading in your past?"

The blonde, whose cerulean eyes had lit up in amazement and wonder, suddenly realized his mistake and closed in on himself in fear. He'd gotten carried away and had completely spilled the beans about his past events.

Jean only chuckled though. "It's fine. I won't say a word. Besides, your knowledge might come in handy when Yeager eventually gets himself into trouble outside the walls."

Armin cracked a smile at this and relaxed slightly. "That oversized mouth of his is going to be his downfall. I just know it."

Jean actually laughed at this and ruffled the blonde's hair. "So you do make jokes! I thought you were a mute most of the time!"

The boy grinned and he fixed his hair. "I don't like making waves. It's easier just to sit still and let things fall into place. I always got bullied when I was little so I just learned to keep to myself. Even that got me thrown to the ground more times than expected." He jolted slightly at this and turned to the taller boy. "I-I'm sorry! You… you probably don't want to hear my sob story! I'll just… I'll shut up."

The boy closed his book and made a break for the barracks, leaving Jean on the porch wondering what had come over the blonde so quickly.

He followed Armin into the barracks and towards the boy's bed. He was combing down his hair nervously and Jean took note of his minor slouch and his awkward sitting position along with his cold and nervous stare towards the ground. In that moment Armin looked so tiny and helpless. Like he was waiting to be put down for something he didn't even do.

Jean kneeled in front of the blonde and looked up into his bright blue eyes, noting how they shone lustrously even in the dim light of the barracks. Even with this little trait, he still looked as if he were on the brink of tears.

He noticed Jean right away and apologized for his actions, making the taller teen clasp a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"Don't worry about it, Armin!" The teen chuckled out. "Geez, you act as if I'm about to hit you for no reason!"

The blonde only sat there in silence, slowly curling in on himself. He was all too familiar with bullies and there absence in reason for hurting someone. Jean wasn't exactly a bully, but he saw how he and Eren got along and he wanted no part of the boy's anger.

Jean, however, felt his heart sink at how frightened this boy was of him. He could admit that his anger made him a pretty irrational and somewhat scary guy, but it's not like he'd take it out on someone like Armin. Someone who literally does nothing and still apologises for this. He even goes out of his way to apologise for his friends and others in the camp, knowing full well he could just as easily leave it be and continue on his way. In some ways, Jean truly respected Armin for everything he did. He was a trustworthy friend and ally to those around him, he never stirred up any trouble, and he always had a kind word to say if you needed it.

This world needed more people like Armin around.

Jean took the blonde's hand in his own to stop him from nervously fidgeting with his hair. "Stop being so afraid of me, blondie. I'm not gonna hit you, and I won't yell at you either. I'm reserving that energy for Yeager and you know it."

The boy was still silent but slowly nodded anyway, hunching over a bit more.

"I'm so useless." He whispered to himself.

"Hey! Don't talk about yourself like that!" Jean demanded. "If anyone's useless around here it's Connie! He's been here for months on end and he still manages to piss off Shadis to an alarming level!"

Armin cracked a smile at this and tried his hardest not to giggle at the thought. "He really hasn't learned a thing, has he?"

Jean squeezed his hand reassuringly with a smile. It was then that he remarked on how soft the boy's skin was, even after months of training and working to becoming a soldier. It amazed the teen that the blonde still managed to keep his being in a cleanly state most of the time. If he even had any scars on him, they weren't visible to the naked eye.

The taller of the two let go of the blonde's hand and stood up, looking outside the window. "Looks like we'll be seeing rain all through the night. You think it'll be here tomorrow too?"

"I hope so!" The blonde replied quietly but happily, a small precious smile gracing his face.

Jean felt a slight thump in his chest at seeing this smile and could feel his cheeks grow hot. He chased it away before Armin could notice it, but he still felt an odd clenching feeling in his chest after witnessing such an adorable look of joy on the boy's face.

Jean had noticed from the moment he'd met Armin that the boy had an odd effect on him. Every smile was few and precious, and each time his eyes sparkled in true happiness it sent the teen's head into a dizzying spiral. He'd noticed this a long time ago but never really thought anything of it since he never spent that much time around the blonde. At the moment, however, getting to know Armin and actually spend even a fraction of time with him, made the taller teen smile warmly.

Jean coughed nervously into his hand and looked off towards another window. "Well, I hope one of the commanders at least gives us an assignment to do tomorrow. I hate being stuck indoors for too long."

Armin was silent for a few moments, glancing back and forth between Jean and the window. He seemed to be processing an activity that would keep the taller boy occupied while still sort of enjoying the rain.

"Well…" the blonde began, "we could play a game of chess or talk."

Jean shook his head. "I need to be doing something physical."

The blonde thought for another moment before looking around the room, glancing down at a pillow. A sudden thought came to mind of all the times Eren and him had had sleepovers back in Shiganshina.

And an idea came to mind.

Just as Jean was thinking about giving up on the weather altogether, he felt a fluffy – yet hard – smack to his head and he went tumbling to the floor. When he looked up he saw a tiny blonde head peeking out from behind a pillow, giggling to himself over his full frontal attack.

Jean smiled, but his glare spoke revenge. "Oh, it is on blondie!"

The boy shrieked playfully as Jean grabbed a pillow and smacked the boy as hard as he could without hurting him. Armin did manage to pull away a few times and get a few hits in, but with Jean being taller and stronger it was easier for him to get more hits in. Either way, both Armin and Jean were giggling and having a blast with their little pillow fight. It was like turning back time for just a few moments to be kids once again.

Maybe that was all they needed to cut the tension of what was looming over them in the near future.

Once the fight was nearing an end, Jean being the overall victor of the battle, some of the other trainees entered into the barracks and saw the two giggling teens facing off against each other with their pillows. Each waiting for the other to make a strike.

Soon enough, Connie and Sasha were in on the fight – others joining in after them – and things became a bit too hectic for the teens to stay indoors. They ended up taking a breather on the porch and waiting for the others to calm down before going back inside.

Jean chuckled. "I wish most rainy days were that fun."

Armin grinned at this before looking away and watching the rain fall, combing a length of hair behind his ear.

Another twisting and thumping pain shot through Jean's chest and he grinned at the boy beside him. Despite him being male, Armin was quite the looker, though Jean would never have admitted it to himself. His blonde hair was always neatly trimmed and clean, his skin soft and glowing, and his eyes sparkled brighter than any stars. At that moment Jean got to experience all of this including his dazzling smile and the adorable way his nose wrinkled when he smiled truly and honestly. Before he could think anything more though…

"Armin!" Eren's unmistakable voice shattered through Jean's calming thoughts.

The boys happily greeted each other as Mikasa trailed in from behind, making Jean's heart lurch somewhat at the close proximity of his desire.

"What's going on in there?" Eren asked as he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder towards the screeching teens inside the barracks.

Armin giggled, making Jean smile warmly. "Pillow fight. And I think Sasha and Connie are pitted against each other."

Eren laughed at the explanation before heading indoors to join in on the fight. Mikasa following in right behind him.

Jean marvelled at the way the girl strode past him and took note of how sweet she smelled, even after walking through the rain.

Armin giggled again. "Now that Mikasa has joined the fight, I doubt anyone is safe."

Within moments the two heard a few thuds and curses coming from inside the barracks, making the blonde sigh heavily.

"That was sooner than expected." He remarked, looking up at the taller boy. "I should go help."

Before Jean could nod and let him go help his friends, the blonde took a moment to hug the taller teen around the waist with a small smile.

"I'm glad we got to spend some time together." He admitted, making the taller blush slightly. "Marco was right… you can be sweet when you want to be."

At this, Jean growled. "When did he say this?"

Armin only giggled again and hugged tighter. At this, Jean only let it slide and hugged the boy back, being careful not to let anyone see so he wouldn't become the butt of everyone's joke tomorrow morning. Although he found it less than shameful to be seen with Armin, he still didn't want people saying untrue things about the two.

In that slight moment of a hug Jean noticed the blonde had an intoxicating smell to him that sent his mind whirling and set his skin ablaze.

"Lilies?" He whispered to himself, making Armin back up and away from the boy.

"Err… y-yes. I… I bought it from the market to cover up the smell of sweat after bathing. The soap smelled like white lilies, which are my favourites, so I jumped on the opportunity to buy it. Please don't tell anyone."

Jean only grinned at the boy. "Only if you don't tell anyone lilies are my favourite flower as well."

Armin seemed rather surprised at this. "Really? Why's that?"

The boy shrugged. "My mother had them in our house a lot so they remind me of home. Any reason they're your favourites?"

The boy fiddled with his hair slightly as he nervously looked to the ground. "My mother used to take me to the fields and we'd make flower crowns out of them. It's my favourite memory of her before…"

He trailed off and Jean looked away from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"It's in the past now." He interrupted, looking up at him with a grin. "Besides, knowing her she wouldn't want me dwelling on the past like this."

Another thud from inside the barracks caught their attention and Armin stifled a laugh.

"I really should help them out now." He said in a hurry before opening the door. "But we'll talk later?"

Jean hummed in delight at the promise. "Sure thing."

The shorter teen smiled warmly before heading indoors to help out everyone who was facing Mikasa's wrath. Jean had no intention of getting in-between the girl and her assailants however. Another reason the boy respected Armin so much…

…the blonde was brave.

The scent on lilies still lingered in the air as Jean quietly remembered his home. Despite all the little skirmishes he had with his mother, he still missed her terribly.

He chuckled to himself when he thought about a younger Armin sitting in a field and weaving a flower crown for someone to wear and his heart gave another pang of pain. This pain he'd been feeling was anything but painful though. In fact… he almost liked the pain. It wasn't something he felt with Mikasa or even Marco. It was something completely different.

The teen looked up at the grey sky and smiled.

"Not that bad a day after all."

Maybe the rain tomorrow wouldn't be as bad as he believed.