Armin had been called and told to come back a week later. He showed up at eight o'clock looking cold in the snow. Hanji had barely contained her excitement and had waited impatiently by the door. Erwin stood behind her watching Armin carefully make his way through the snow down the street.
"Erwin, this is going to be so cool! I cant wait to work wi-"
"Hanji, he doesn't have the job yet, remember to make sure you explain everything and answer all his questions. Understood?"
"You are such a bore Erwin,I can hope right?"
The door opened and Armin stumbled in stamping the snow off his shoes.
"Good morning Miss Hanji, Mr. Smith."
"Good morning Armin! Are you excited as I am?"
"Honestly, I'm a little nervous."
"Don't be. we'll just go in here and talk about a few things..."
Hanji's voice faded as they went to soon-to-be Armin's office and shut the door. Erwin sat down at her desk and organized the papers on them. It wasn't that he was worried that Armin would refuse the job exactly, but there was a sort of pang of apprehension in his stomach. It was about forty-five minutes later when the door opened and Hanji cheerfully walked out and Armin following now looking at Erwin with a sort of awe on his face with Hanji still talking. Erwin stood up and straightened his clothes, smoothing the wrinkles out.
"You can start tomorrow if you want."
Armin nodded not taking his eyes off of Erwin.
"Are you all right Armin?"
Upon hearing his name Armin started and nodded his head quickly.
"Yes! Thank you for this job opportunity Mr. Smith. If that's all, I have to get some things done today before tomorrow."
"Of course, we will see you."
Erwin reached out for a handshake and Armin took it almost like one would touch a holy relic. He almost ran out the door, taking one long last look at Erwin before cheerfully waving at Hanji who waved back with even more vigor.
"How did he take it?"
"Pretty good. He didn't believe me at first, but I told him about his remember him? He had a heart attack in the park."
"I remember. You need to be careful about what you mention. Humans are emotional creatures."
"He seemed fine."
"Just be careful. By the way, I organized your desk and you need to keep it neat, it will set a bad example if you don't."
"It was organized! You ruined my system."
"I did not see a system. It was just a pile of papers."
Hanji swatted him, trying to look hurt.
"I like it like that. I can find everything."
She flopped down onto the chair spinning slowly.
"Oh I almost forgot, there is more stuff for you to pick up from Mike."
Erwin grabbed his coat and nodded at Hanji.
"Thank you. You did well."

Levi sat at the reception desk bored out of his mind, watching a rather large woman chew the new nurse Marco out about the cleanliness of the bedsheets. the woman was clearly not going to back down and it was beginning to grate on Levi's nerves.
"Its a hospital woman. We wash the walls down with fucking bleach. the sheets are fine."
The lady turned her beady gaze from Marco to him, staring at him as one might look at a particularly vile insect they found in their shower.
"Of course they don't. That would be hazardous to the patient's health. Not to mention-"
Levi dropped his head back sighing loudly.
"It was an exaggeration. Who would be stupid enough to believe that?"
"Well you shouldn't give people false information. Its dangerous and misleading."
The woman loomed over the desk staring down her nose at Levi. Was she actually trying to intimidate him? Nobody intimidated Levi. He stood up to meet her, placing his hands on the desk giving her one of his biggest scowls.
"The sheets are fucking fine. I'm busy so go complain somewhere else."
"How dare you talk to me that way."
Marco sat there nervously watching the exchange and interjected.
"Uh, I'll be happy to get you some more sheets. If you'll just wait back at the room please."
The woman, satisfied, gave one more glare at Levi before lumbering off. With his entertainment gone, Levi sank back into his chair with a sigh. "You should uh, be more nic-"
Levi looked over at him narrowing his eyes. Marco stopped with a small squeak.
"I'm going to go help her now."
Marco was gone before he even finished his words and disappeared around the corner. Mike idled up and sat in Marco's chair.
"You know you're going to get fired one day, or killed."
"What are they going to do, hit me to death with their purses?"
"OK, maybe not to death but seriously you need to be nicer to people. I thought Marco was going to cry."
"Don't take away the little enjoyment I have in life."
Leave glanced at the clock. It was forty minutes past his lunch break. This is the last time he's talked into training the newbie.
"I'm leaving for lunch, you can start your shift early."
He stood up and walked off before Mike could answer.
"Levi, Levi!"
The familiar voice sounded somewhere behind him, and, below him? Something crashed into him and two small hands tugged at his scrubs.
He looked down and found Eren gripping at his pantleg looking up at him with wet eyes.
"You didn't come to visit me today. I thought you died!"
"You know you're not supposed to be wandering around. I'm going to lunch. Go back, I'll bring you stuff later."
Levi tried to take a step forward but Eren gripped even tighter.
"Please take me with you. I don't want to be alone all day. Daddy is always busy and he never visits me during the week."
"Look kid, I can't take a patient around with me whenever I feel like it. I'll visit you later OK?'
"Pleeeeaasseee?"
Eren's bottom lip trembled slightly and Levi relented picking up the boy tucking him into his side.
"Fine. Just to let you know, you're going to get me fired. I hope you can live with that you little shit."
Eren laughed happily, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck. The made their way to the cafeteria and Levi gently set Eren down before grabbing a tray. He set a salad and an iced coffee on the tray before he made his way to the checkout.
"Hello Levi."
The checkout woman greeted him scanning the items. Levi nodded at her and pulled out his wallet.
"And who might this young man be? Hello."
The woman smiled at Eren who smiled back at her shyly.
"This little brat is Eren."
"Hey, I'm not a brat! "
The woman laughed.
"Of course you aren't. You look like a sweetheart."
Levi handed her a couple of bills and turned to Eren and looked at him expectantly.
"Well? Aren't you going to get pudding?"
Eren immediately grabbed two pudding cups and deposited them on the tray.
"What do you think you're doing? You get one and only one. I'm not made of money."
"Don't worry about it Levi, it's on the house."
Levi thanked her before carrying the try over to an empty table.
Levi sat opposite of Eren and handed him a spoon. Eren ripped off the foil cover and shoveled a huge spoonful into his mouth. Levi looked on with slight disgust, tossing a napkin over.
"Wipe your mouth. That's disgusting."
"Eren lazily wiped at his face missing the mess entirely before going back to eating with gusto. Levi sighed and grabbed the napkin. He leaned forward and took Eren's face in his hand.
"Hold still."
He thoroughly wiped all remnants of the pudding off and dropped the dirty napkin on the tray. Eren finished the second pudding cup in record time and pointed to Levi's drink.
"Can I have some?"
"Wipe your mouth again."
Eren hastily scrubbed at his face and took the iced coffee. He took a giant gulp and stopped, a peculiar look came across his face. Levi smiled slightly behind his fork at the boys expression.
"This isn't soda."
"No, it's coffee."
"It's so gross. There's no sugar."
"Sugar is bad for you."
He was so hypocritical. Levi would have taken sugar any day. He took the drink back and sipped. Eren made another face. Levi glance at the clock and stood up, gathering up the trash.
"Time to go."
He grabbed a hold of Eren's hand who obediently followed him back down the hall. He stared at all the nurses and staff who he passed, silently daring them to say anything at the odd sight of Levi holding hands with a child.
"Can you carry me?"
Levi wordlessly picked him up and continued on. He then remembered Mike giving him a hard time about Eren last week but he was already in view of the reception desk. He saw Mike and his friend, what was it, Erwin?, talking.
Levi stopped and silently panicked, partially hiding beside a rack of fresh bedsheets. He had a reputation to uphold and it was not one who held children. He really didn't know why he was so worried what a stranger thought of him, a good looking one at that, but he still felt that feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Eren looked confused and craned his neck back looking around.
"Why are we hiding Levi?" Eren asked none to quietly.
Levi shushed him.
"We're not, were just, watching."
"What are we watching?"
"My coworker and his hot friend with the nice ass."
Wait. Did he just say that out loud?
Eren giggled.
"Shit, forget I said that."
"He's old."
"No he's not."
Eren laughed again, pulling at Levi's face.
"Yeah he is. Old like daddy, but not really old like grandma."
Mike looked up at Eren's loud voice and zeroed in on Levi. Levi cursed Mike's bat like hearing, set down Eren and walked again, ignoring the smirk Mike gave him.
"Hello Levi. Why were you hiding?"
"Shut up, I wasn't hiding."
"He wasn't hiding."
Eren piped up waving at Mike.
"Hello Eren. What was he doing?"
"If you know what's good for you Eren, don't answer his question."
"He was watchi-"
Levi interrupted him, bending down and spoke quietly into his ear.
"I won't get you any more pudding kid."
Eren stopped and looked worried.
"It's a secret. I can't tell you. If I do, I won't get any more pudding."
"Eren I'll get you all the pudding that you want. Tell me."
Eren hesitated and then smiled.
"Really?"
"No he won't, he's lying. We have to go brat."
Levi walked towards Eren's room and got three steps before realizing that Eren wasn't with him. He turned and saw Eren now sitting on the counter loudly proclaiming to the whole world what he just said.
"-but he said you weren't old."
"Did he now?"
Erwin was smiling at Eren and Mike had the face of someone who just found out a big secret. Damn kids and their big mouths. His face was burning and he was pretty sure he was going to pass out from sheer embarrassment. Levi hated people knowing his emotions, and this big mouthed kid managed to weasel information out without even knowing.
He grabbed Eren and nearly ran him back to his room. He set him down saw that Eren was crying. Levi took a deep breath and knelt in from of him.
"Why are you crying?"
"Yo-you hate me now."
"Did I ever say that?"
"Nn-no but you do!"
Man, children were more emotional than women.
"I'm not angry, and I don't hate you.
"But I told your secret. You don't want to be friends with me now."
"I, I still want to be...friends ok?"
He mumbled the sentence out. This is getting ridiculous. He's getting emotional over potentially loosing a friendship with a child.
"Now get back into bed."
Eren sniffled but smiled.
"OK. Bye Levi."
He exited the room and saw that Erwin was still there, but not Mike. He considered waiting until he was gone, but he really needed to check the vitals of the patients and his clipboard was on the desk. He walked slowly over and grabbed his clipboard, avoiding making eye contact with Erwin.
"Where's Mike?"
"He was getting something for me. By the way, you didn't let me say bye to Eren."
He made the mistake of looking up and saw that Erwin was teasing him. He scowled grabbing a pen, ears turning red.
"I have work to do."
He walked quickly way, but not before Erwin said,
"Well, as Eren so eloquently put it, I think you have a nice ass too."