A/N: Jean and Levi vie for my favorite Attack on Titan character. So I relented and have finally created an OC for Jean as well. Please, R&R, let me know if I'm keeping him in character. Just as with Levi/Rivka, there should be more for Jean and Erika...eventually.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except Erika. All others belong to Hajime Isayama and respective owners.

Nascence

Jean noticed her sitting on the porch in front of the mess hall. There was always a bit of free time after lunch before training, and considering the nice weather, most people would have assumed she was contentedly enjoying the warmth. Somehow-he didn't know how-he knew better. Perhaps it was because he saw how tightly her hands gripped the wooden steps, or the hard line of her jaw, or how her gaze focused intently on some object in the distance. What's she staring at anyway?

He sighed as he found his answer. Why am I not surprised? His lips pursed to the side as he approached her. "You could always just tell him, ya know." He slid down next to her with a grunt. Her expression of surprise soon changed to one of bored displeasure.

"What do you want, Kirschtein?"

"I wanna know what you're thinkin' about so hard. It's making you look constipated." Her hollow glare only served to amuse him.

"I am so not in the mood." Her eyes renewed their previous focus.

He settled his arms lazily on his knees. "Eh, you're never in the mood." I wonder if any one else has noticed. 'S'not like she's subtle or anything. "But seriously, Erika, you should just tell him or forget about it. Seeing you whining like a lovesick puppy is annoying. And besides, if you concentrate on him so much you'll get distracted on the battlefield. If you talk to him at least you'll know for certain, and then you can just focus on getting eaten by a Titan." She suddenly whipped around to face him, cheeks crimsoning. A smirk formed on his face. Here we go.

"I don't recall asking you for advice about my fighting abilities or my crush, so stop butting into my love life!"

"So you admit you have a crush on Marco?" Her blush deepened considerably at this. "And I wasn't aware you had a love life." He crossed his arms as she stood and clenched her fists. A sinking feeling immediately manifested in his gut. I might've gone a little too far with that one.

"My personal feelings are none of your business!" His eyes widened as he noticed water threatening to gather in her tear ducts. Whoa, is she actually...? What happened? He had clearly picked the wrong moment to tease her. But that was the only way he knew to get her to open up to him. Damn it! Why can't she just be honest? Why can't I be a little nicer? Why am I even doing this? Why do I feel like I want to do thiis? Whenever we talk we just argue. I don't even know if it's worth it.

"You know, Kirschtein, you're rude, and cocky, and arrogant, and selfish! You're a coward who doesn't care about anybody but himself." Trying to bring out the big guns, huh? It's gonna take more than that.

He chuckled lifelessly. "Tell me something I don't know."

"You don't even have the guts to tell Mikasa how you feel about her."

He became slightly defensive. "Oi, mind your own business!" I didn't think anyone else knew about that! Guess not everyone is as dense as Eren. "If I have to stay out of your love life, you stay out of mine!"

"I don't even know why you have any friends." Acute distaste radiated from her as she spoke. "Or why Marco chooses to be friends with someone like you."

He froze at her words. I'm that bad, am I? She gasped as she realized what she'd said, the anger clearly melting from her body. "Jean-I-"

"I wonder about that myself." He spoke uncharacteristically softly and stood up. Why does he hang out with me? Because we both want to join the Military Police? But for two totally different reasons. Him because he's noble and me because I'm a selfish jerk. He turned away and began to walk towards the training fields. And why do I hang out with him? He's an idealist delusional enough to think that the king even gives a crap about any of us. What an idiot. Or maybe I'm the idiot. A tug on his sleeve and a muffled cry made him pause.

"Jean..." She removed her hand from her mouth. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She hung her head as her hand released his shirt and swung heavily back to her side.

He didn't turn to face her. "But that's really what you think, isn't it?" She didn't deny it, so he began to walk off again.

"It's because I don't know you well enough! I don't know you like Marco does; I don't see what he sees in you. But I want to!" Her voice arrested him once more, and this time he turned around. To his shock tears poured down her cheeks, though her voice gave no sign of her crying.

"I really do, Jean!" Her glistening eyes fixated his astonished ones. "And I'm-I'm sorry for all the times I've been rude and for arguing with you so much and for thinking so badly of you! I actually admire you, you know. It's part of why you irritate me so much." His eyebrows skyrocketed into his fringe. "I wish I could be as honest and straightforward as you are. I really have been awful to you, I'm sorry! It's not really you I'm mad at anyway...it's just-" Her voice finally began to crack. "I don't think he loves me."

And here it is. What's been bothering her. The hurt he had felt just moments ago receded to a small corner of his heart, replaced with relief that he had finally gotten to the root of the problem. "You don't think? Why do you think that?" The bell summoning everyone to training began to ring. She twitched and began wiping the tears from her face.

"We should-"

"Forget that and answer me."

Slightly shocked but compliant, Erika lowered herself to her previous position on the steps. "Because...we were talking about the future...and he said he wanted to settle down with a family after all this was over, but that he hadn't found the right woman yet, since he's never been in love before."

He massaged his eyes. Really? "And that's all you have to go on?"

She looked at him, angry through her tears. "I know it doesn't mean much of anything!" She forcefully flattened her hand against the floorboards. "But it still hurts. To think I've liked him for so long, and he hasn't even thought of me that way. I know he might someday, but I've been waiting so long already." She stared at the floor. "And the flipside is he might never fall in love with me. That's actually the most likely outcome, I feel." A sigh escaped her, and she shifted, hugging her knees to her chest. "You're right, I should just forget about it. It's just...not easy." She stared off into the distance and drew her arm across her dripping nose.

He was somewhat taken aback. So she's putting on a front just like the rest of us. Hers is just bubbly and optimistic.

Sheepishly he scratched the back of his neck, and was about to speak but she beat him to the punch. "I'm sorry, Jean. First I insult you and then I dump on you." Drawing herself up using the railing, she wiped her face with her sleeve and looked him in the eye. "You should go-we're already late for training. Shadis is gonna have our asses for this."

She tried to walk past him but he grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him. "Shadis'll deal." And in a strange, paradoxical moment of premeditation and instinct, without looking her in the eye, he set his hand on her head. "You don't have to give up hope, you know." Inwardly he chuckled at her surprise and balked at his own audacity. What the hell am I doing? "And I know nothing can fix it, but if it's any consolation, I know how you feel. With Mikasa and all..." His mumbling trailed off. After a few moments of embarrassed silence he removed his hand and raised his head. That's when he saw something he never expected to be directed towards him.

A smile. An honest-to-goodness smile. Even if it was a bit marred by tears. Marco was usually on the receiving end of this; more occasionally Bertolt and Armin earned one. Whenever he saw it he was struck by how pretty she looked, in contrast to her snarling, taut face during their arguments. It never failed to amaze him then, and it didn't now. Though he was destined to be further surprised. "Thanks, Jean."

It happened so quickly that he stumbled backward a little bit from the unexpectedness of it all. His face flushed immediately as he felt her lean arms surround his waist and her wet face burrow into his shoulder. "Thank you."

"Y-yeah." She released him. "Anything to get you to stop whining." He expected her to reply, but no retort was forthcoming. Instead, she patted him on the shoulder.

"We really should get to training. I don't want Shadis murdering me before I even graduate."

"Mm."

They didn't speak on their way to the training field. All the other trainees were sparring, so the two looked for a spot to practice, hoping to slip in unobtrusively. Unfortunately-

"Kirschtein! Lehmann! Where the hell have you been? If you're so good at martial arts that you can fritter your time away canoodling somewhere instead of coming to training, I'm sure you'll be happy to polish all of the 3DMG tonight during dinner! Now move your lazy asses and get to practicing!"

"Canoodling?" Jean looked mildly confused, and became even more so when he saw Erika's red face. "What the hell is that?"

When she saw the look on his face she burst out laughing. When she finally calmed down to a small giggle, she answered him cryptically. "You know what, Kirschtein? Maybe you're not so bad after all." Then she rushed him and he had to concentrate on not getting flipped.

Maybe you're not so bad yourself.