Morning everyone :D brand new chapter to celebrate the release of series two (sort of haha) hope you enjoy this :D
The first thing Armin notices when he opens his eyes is the blinding light above him. For a brief moment he wonders if he has actually died before he realises it's just the florescent lights in the ceiling and not the entrance to the pearly gates. If I was dead I doubt that I would be going to heaven...
The second thing he notices is that everything hurts like hell. His face hurts, his head hurts, his chest feels as if someone is standing on it and he doubts he'll be able to sit up without being in agony. I guess I must be in hospital, he thinks as the faint beep of a heart monitor meets his ears. He closes his eyes and lets out a long, deep sigh. Why couldn't they just leave me to die...
"So Armin Arlert, huh?" a familiar voice asks and Armin closes his eyes in frustration as he knows that Jean is about to, once again, witness him at rock bottom.
"That is my name, yes," he replies, his voice is raspy and talking is painful.
"Need a hand sitting up?" Jean asks as he comes into view.
"Please," Armin says, ignoring the scratching in his throat. "Probably going to be painful on my own."
"Do you need some more morphine?" Jean asks as he helps Armin slowly push himself into a sitting position.
"That would be great," Armin says, wincing slightly as he is lowered down onto some upright pillows. He has to admit that Jean does smell good as he catches the scent of that aftershave on his neck. It's a comforting smell, just like Jean's hand on his shoulder is comforting. He looks up into Jean's face and it's just as kind as he remembers. "What happened to me?" he asks before he can stop himself. He isn't quite sure he wants to know just yet.
"Cocaine overdose," Jean replies as he goes about increasing Armin's morphine drip.
"Oh..." Yeah...
"I'm obliged to ask you what you were doing with that much cocaine but I doubt you'd tell me even if I did," Jean says with a wry smile and Armin feels his cheeks heating up.
"I was having a bad day," he hedges.
"Has to be one hell of a bad day for you to do that much coke in one go," Jean says, pulling up a chair and sitting beside Armin's bed.
"Yeah well go hard or go home," Armin chuckles and instantly regrets it, wincing at the sting in his side. "How long have I been here?"
"Two days," Jean say. Fuck... "You've been out-cold up until now."
"Why does my chest hurt so much?"
"One of your ribs was cracked during CPR," Jean replies.
CPR? Then that means...
Armin glares down at his hands. "There's a DNR in my wallet, you know."
"Yeah we didn't find it until afterwards," Jean says. He sighs and shakes his head, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "You're twenty-three, you're too young to have a DNR."
"Figures you're a doctor," Armin says, ignoring Jean's last statement. "Guessing this is how you were able to afford me."
"Guilty," Jean grins.
"So you know my name now," Armin says after a pause.
"If it helps I don't know much else," Jean says. "You came in, barely any identification, no emergency contacts and no phone."
"I travel light."
"Right," Jean chuckles. "My surname is Kirschtein by the way."
"What?"
"You know my name," Jean says. "We're even now."
"I don't know how old you are," Armin says.
"I'm twenty-eight," Jean tells him.
"Now we're even."
"Good."
"So what happens now?" Armin asks after a pause. It's strange being in the same room as Jean but it a completely different setting from the one he's used to. Here Jean is the one in change, not him and he doesn't have to take his clothes off.
"Well we want to keep you in for a few more days but once you're fully recovered we can let you go," Jean tells him. "That will also mean enough time has passed to make sure that everything is out of your system."
"That's very nice of you but I can't stay," Armin says. He begins trying to push himself up but Jean's hand on his shoulder stops him.
"What are you doing? This isn't a negotiation."
"But I have to go back to work," Armin says, "and my partner will be wondering where I am." More than anything Armin knows Reiner is going to be more annoyed at how much this hospital stint is costing.
"If you give me their number I can let them know you're here," Jean says.
"No it's fine," Armin waves him off, "I should just get home." He tries to push himself up again but a stinging pain in his side has him sinking back to the pillows with a barely disguised whimper.
"You're not well enough to leave," Jean says.
"I'm a fast healer," Armin says.
"Be that as it may that's not the point," Jean says and Armin can hear the frustration seeping into his voice.
"If I don't want to stay you can't keep me here."
"No but–"
"So I'll just get out of your hair."
"Armin!" Jean snaps and it's the first time Armin has ever heard him raise his voice. "You nearly died! You're staying here until you're well enough. I'm your doctor; I will tell you when you can leave, understand?"
Armin blinks at him in shock for a second. Jean's never snapped at him before but it's not because he wants to force him into something. He's just trying to look out for me... He feels himself blushing and looks down at his hands, twisting the edges of the blanket.
"I... I can't afford it," he says quietly and Jean almost doesn't catch it. "I can't afford to stay here."
"What do you mean?"
"Hospitals are expensive and I didn't really hang around long enough to get paid the other night," Armin replies.
"And if I say I can take care of it will you stop trying to fight me?" Jean asks as he pushes himself to his feet.
"Take care of what?"
"You not being able to afford to stay," Jean replies.
"How?"
"Just trust me."
"I'm not letting you pay for me," Armin says knowing what Jean is like when it seems to come to him.
"That wasn't what I was going to suggest," Jean chuckles.
"Oh..."
"Just trust me, okay?"
Armin pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. Jean's never given me a reason not to trust him before... "Okay."
Jean smiles. "Good." He reaches over and takes hold of Armin's hand, being very careful not to knock the IV. He gives it a comforting squeeze. "I'll be back in a second."
"Okay..."
Jean gives his hand one final squeeze before he gets to his feet and leaves the room. Armin stares after him for a moment, his hand still tingling form the warmth of Jean's.
Morgues are not a place for the faint-hearted or for those who startle easily so it is always a constant source of amusement to Jean that Connie screams like a six years old girl whenever he's suddenly disturbed while concentrating.
"Maybe you shouldn't work with your headphones in," Jean says, pulling the buds out of Connie's ears for him.
"Do you know how creepy and quiet it is down here?" Connie protests. "I get so bored."
"Then buy a radio!"
Connie shrugs. The movement looks morbidly comical as he still seems to be holding one of the organs of the man lying open on the table in front of him. "Meh? Anyway what can I do for you? I'm hoping there is a reason you came down here other than to give me a heart-attack."
"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you," Jean says.
"I thought you were a dead person coming back to life!"
"Then why did you kick me?" Jean asks as his shin throbs painfully again.
"Dead people should be dead!" Connie states.
"Right..." Jean nods. "I can't fault that logic. Anyway I did have a reason for coming to talk to you. Do you still have the paperwork for the last person who died?"
"Somewhere," Connie says. "I can't really check because I've kinda got my hands in a dead guy right now but I haven't sent it off yet, I know that much."
"Good, could you sit on that for a couple of days?" Jean asks.
Connie narrows his eyes as he slowly places what he's holding back into the dead man's chest. "Why?"
"I'm doing someone a favour," Jean replies.
"What kind of favour?"
Jean runs a hand through his hair. He has to tell Connie as he's asking him for such a big favour. "Okay there's someone upstairs who needs to stay here for a few more days but he won't because he can't afford it. If you can sit on that paperwork then I can get this guy back to full health so he doesn't end up back here in three weeks."
"And what makes this guy so special?" Connie asks.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, at the risk of sounding heartless, people who can't afford to stay come through here all the time and they usually end up down here when they come back so why make sure this guy gets out alive?" Connie asks.
"I can't even begin to explain it," Jean says shaking his head.
Connie stares at him for a moment before realisation dawns. "You want in this guy!"
"No!" Jean cries. Connie just raises an eyebrow at him. "Alright a little bit but that's not why I'm doing it."
Connie continues to survey him through narrowed eyes. "You know we could both lose our jobs for this."
It's not a no.
He didn't actually say no...
"I know."
"So what's my incentive?" he asks. "I know yours but I'm going to need something more than that."
"I'll give you Sasha's phone number," Jean says. He knows Connie's got the hots for the girl in the café and he knows Sasha's more than a little interested too so, really, he's doing them both a favour.
"Done and done," Connie says without even stopping to think about it.
Jean lets out a sigh of relief. "Thanks man, I owe you big time."
"This guy better be worth it, that's all I'm going to say," Connie says, shaking his head.
"He is."
Armin is drifting in and out of sleep but he jolts awake as Jean re-enters the room. He watches his every movement as he pulls up a chair again and sits down. Armin opens his mouth to say something but he isn't sure what so he closes it again. Thankfully he doesn't have to as Jean starts the conversation for him.
"So it's all sorted," he says. "You can stay here for as long as you need to under the name of someone recently deceased."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Thank you so much," Armin gushes, his eyes sparkling. It feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
"No problem," Jean smiles. "If anyone asks your name is Marco Bott."
"Thank you," Armin says. Tears prick the corners of his eyes. I can't even remember the last time someone was this nice to me... no without wanting something in return. At least he doesn't think Jean wants anything in return... "Can I ask you a question?"
"Fire away."
"Why are you doing this for me?" he asks.
"You know why," Jean replies simply.
"Then there must be some way I can repay you for this," Armin says. He's not sure what he means by that – he sure as hell doesn't have any money – but he needs to ask.
"Just get yourself better," Jean says.
"But..." Armin starts to protest. He's never known anyone to act so unselfishly and he's not sure how to react.
"I just think you deserve better than what you've got and I want to help you," Jean says.
"Thank you," Armin finally says, his voice catching around the lump in his throat. He wants to reach over and pull Jean into a hug but that may not be the best idea as he might not let go (plus with all his injuries it will hurt like fuck). In the end it's Jean who makes the first move, taking Armin's hand and giving it a squeeze.
"Is there anyone I can call for you?" he asks. "Let someone know where you are."
Really there's only one person Armin can think of who he won't have to explain himself to if he calls him.
"I've got a friend who lives out if Stohess," he says. "He used to do what I do before he met his partner." Before he got rescued...
"Okay I'll give him a call."
Eren walks into the study and sees Levi bent over his work, hardly noticing the world around him. Eren tiptoes up behind him and slips his arms around his neck, pressing a soft kiss to Levi's cheek. Levi jumps slightly before placing a hand on Eren's arm and relaxing back into his touch.
"You nearly finished work?" Eren asks.
Levi signs the paper in front of him with a flourish and drops his pen. He turns his head and presses a kiss to Eren's soft lips. "I am now."
"Good," Eren says, diving in for another kiss. "Thought you might like a break as you've been working so hard."
"Yes please," Levi says smirking as Eren comes round the side of the sofa to sit on his lap. He wraps his arms around his lover and wastes no time pressing their lips together, his hand going to rest on Eren's hip. Before his hand can go any further Eren's phone begins to ring in his back pocket. "Ignore it," he says between kisses.
"Just let me check to see if it's anyone important," Eren laughs. Levi just rolls his eyes and continues to press kisses to his neck as Eren pulls his phone out. He frowns at it. "That's a Shinganshina area code... who would be calling me from there?" He presses the answer button and holds the phone to his ear. "Hello... Yeah this is Eren Jëager..."
Levi listens to the one sided conversation, watching a mix of emotions pass over Eren's already expressive face. Whatever this is, it's important...
"Okay thank you, I'll be there as soon as I can," he says before disconnecting the call.
"You alright?" Levi asks frowning.
"A... Armin's in hospital," Eren replies, his voice hoarse and thick with unshead tears, "apparently he took a shit ton of cocaine and he passed out in the street before..." He dissolves into tears and Levi pulls him into a tight, hug, stroking his hair.
"Give me five minutes," he says. "I'll shove some stuff in a bag for us and we'll leave for Shinganshina as soon as we're ready."
"Okay," Eren sniffs, burying himself into Levi's chest. He's so grateful for him, he always knows what to do when Eren's falling apart. The sooner they get to Shinganshina the better. God, I hope Armin is alright...