A/N: It was really hard to rush this out today but I finally did it! I hope you'll enjoy it ...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. QAQ

Armin stepped out of the heavy doors with anticipation. It had been snowing all of last night, since he had returned to Headquarters. And now, on a bright Thursday morning, he could finally admire the pristine snow covering everything in sight like a warm, fluffy blanket.

Shimmering slightly in the sun, the place was suddenly transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland. He inhaled deeply, relishing the cold air that filled his lungs. His breath came out in little white puffs. Armin grinned. Winter had always been his favourite season.

"Let's get a move on!" Levi yelled from the front as soldiers filed out from the Headquarters. Today was yet another day of training and though nobody was looking forward to it, the freshly fallen snow had altered the mundane and breathed some life into everyone.

"Man," Eren said falling in step with Armin. "Doesn't this look a lot like the forest near home?"

Armin nodded enthusiastically. "I remember how we'd play in the snow for hours and come home drenched head to toe!"

Then, Mikasa who was walking beside Eren also chimed in. "I remember how Eren tried to build a snow fort but it -"

"Sto-op!" Eren shoved Mikasa lightly. "That was so long ago!"

The trio dissolved into laughter as they recalled more memories along the way to the training grounds.

It seemed like today's task was to run laps around the perimeter of the forest. It was easy enough to comprehend though the stamina required to complete it scared Armin a little. He could see the point of today's training though. It was to make sure soldiers were used to the snow and were able to move just as quickly and efficiently across it, lest they get caught by a Titan.

A horn blew and soon Armin found himself trudging along the snow with the rest. He knew he wasn't going to come in first place but he was still determined to beat his personal best.

To his surprise, halfway through his lap, Armin hardly felt the need to rest. Usually he would be panting hard for oxygen by now. But perhaps, looking at the beautiful scenery helped ease his jogging. Everything just looks so transformed after it had snowed. It was breath-taking and almost magical.

A coughing up ahead caught Armin's attention. It was followed by a sneeze as he caught up to the figure running just ahead of him.

"Jean?" Armin looked at him with surprise.

Jean looked strangely pale save for his red nose and flushed cheeks. He also seemed to be perspiring …

"Are you alright?"

Jean waved a hand absent-mindedly. "Just fine."

Then, Mikasa who was ahead, also slowed down so that she was beside Armin. "Everything okay?"

Unsure of what to say, Armin stuttered a little. "O - oh. Yeah. I, I'm okay."

"Then let's go. Eren's sprinting ahead."

As Armin ran off with Mikasa, he cast a glance back at Jean. His expression was unreadable though he did look tired and unwell … Armin was conflicted. Should he have stayed behind with Jean? But then again, what would that accomplish? Even if Jean were unwell, it's not as if running beside him would make him feel better.

You could have kept him company. His conscience told him.

Shaking his head, Armin pushed the thought out of his mind and continued along. It was too late now. He and Mikasa were already far ahead.

Finally, the soldiers had all completed their laps. Armin was left panting breathlessly as he put his hands on his knees for support.

"Well done!" Eren slapped his back, causing him to choke. "You set a personal best!"

Armin recovered and straightened up, smiling. And so he did! Although of course, he was nowhere near Eren who came in first. If it weren't for the snowy landscape that he could distract himself with and Mikasa's encouragement, he was sure he'd come in last.

Then, a bout of sneezing interrupted everyone's conversations. Heads turned to look towards Jean who was bent over and sneezing violently.

"Your nose is so red, Jean!" Someone pointed out as everyone chuckled.

"Thought you were supposed to be horseface and not reindeer?"

Eren laughed heartily. "That's a good one!"

"Piss off!" Jean said, irritably as he shoved someone away. Forcefully, he made his way into the castle as everyone continued laughing.

Eren scoffed. "Hah! Horseface came in last this time! Maybe we should all start calling him -"

Armin gave Eren a disapproving look.

"What?" Eren crossed his arms indignantly.

Sighing, Armin decided to leave his friends for the shower. He never liked crowds and he never liked being part of one that picked on others.

As he dried his hair with a towel, he wondered if his sense of morals would cost him his friends one day. He supposed they were all making fun of Jean in the name of light-hearted, harmless fun. Still, Jean looked really upset.

Armin made his way to the cafeteria and queued for his food. After receiving his tray, he looked around and spotted Mikasa and Eren at a table. He hurried over and sat down.

"Hey, Armin," smiled Mikasa. "You were in the shower for a while."

Eren swallowed his bread. "Yeah, what's got into you?"

"What's wrong with being in the shower for a little while?" Armin replied defensively.

"You could miss dinner," laughed Eren.

Propping up an elbow on the table, Armin leaned his head on his hand. Suddenly, he didn't feel very hungry anymore.

"Where's Jean?" Armin interjected Mikasa and Eren's conversation abruptly.

"Probably resting in the dorm," answered Mikasa after a moment of surprise.

Eren laughed again. "He caught a cold 'cause he thinks he's too cool for us." Then, he guffawed louder after his little joke.

Armin rolled his eyes. Despite his outwardly disinterested appearance (or at least this was what he had hoped to look like), in his mind, he was contemplating. He felt a little guilty for what he had done … or rather, what he didn't do. Armin could have stayed behind to accompany Jean who was in fact, sick and he could have defended him later when everyone was teasing him. His cold was probably due to him searching for Armin in the snow yesterday too.

Armin felt like he should take some responsibility somehow.

"Armin?" Mikasa spoke up. "You look like you're thinking."

Oh no. So he didn't look as disinterested as he thought he would!

"Since when is he ever not thinking?" Eren grinned, ruffling Armin's hair.

Armin laughed nervously as he got to his feet. "I'm just not feeling very hungry. I'm going to turn in early."

Then, he picked up his tray and walked off quickly, leaving his two friends staring after him in confusion.

Jean turned his head sharply. Someone just knocked on the door. Nobody knocks on dorm doors … everyone just, well, comes in.

Two more knocks sounded. Clear and yet, somehow hesitant.

"Yeah?" Jean answered in a gruff voice. He cleared his throat. Ugh, the phlegm.

The door opened and a petite figure entered. It was dark and Jean couldn't see clearly. Was it a girl? Girls aren't allowed in here!

The figure stepped on a creaky floorboard and jumped, gasping.

"Armin?" Jean squinted his eyes. That voice certainly belonged to that small blond boy. It slightly disturbed him that he would recognise it. But then again, how could he not? They've all been training together for a while.

"Jean?" Armin stepped over the floorboard, and into the moonlight. "It's dark."

Jean wondered why he was stating the obvious.

"Where's everyone?" He asked as Armin reached his bed where he was lying down. Was he holding a tray?

"Still dining," the other boy's voice dropped to a whisper. Armin held out a tray with bread and a mug from which steam rose from despite the cold.

"It's some bread and hot chocolate," he described the items he had brought, lifting his eyes to meet Jean's.

The blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. It was hard to look away and for a moment, Jean thought it was really pretty.

Pretty?! Jean caught himself staring and immediately tore his own eyes away. Sheesh. The cold's making me crazy too.

He sat up, groaning as he did so and sniffled. It looked good and his stomach was rumbling. Jean accepted the tray after muttering his thanks and bit into the bread ravenously.

Armin, who had knelt beside the bed, twiddled his thumbs self-consciously. Should he go?

"Why are you here?" Jean spoke finally, in between bites. "It's not your dorm."

Armin scratched his head. "I … just wanted to … I mean, you're sick so …"

Watching him struggle with his words was also weirdly interesting … though Jean didn't know if that was the right word exactly. Whatever, he'll pass it off as the cold messing with his brain.

Soon, he was done with the bread and started to sip the hot chocolate slowly. "I didn't know they mafe hot chocolate," he murmured.

Armin looked up again with his vivid blue eyes. "Oh, I snuck into the pantry and found it!"

"You made it?" Jean asked incredulously.

"Yes … is it good?"

Jean nodded. "It's great."

Armin laughed softly as a tense silence fell between them. Finally, he collected the tray from Jean after he was done and left.

Jean fell back onto bed. Somehow, he already felt much better. Feeling like everything was a weird dream, he drifted off to sleep.

Jean looked up at the ceiling of the double-decker bed, annoyed. The soldiers have returned and they were making noise as usual. It had woken him up. Turning to the side, Jean shut his eyes again and tried to sleep.

One hour later, as everyone was snoring, Jean still remained awake. Now feeling in an even worse mood, he got up, put his jacket on and made his way to the kitchens. Perhaps some water would help.

The moment he stepped outside the door however, he instantly regretted it. The outside was freezing.

Sneezing, he went down the corridor and along the way, passed the library.

Strange, he thought. There was an orange light at the bottom of the door.

Curiosity got the better of him and Jean decided to open the heavy double doors. As he stepped inside, the warm air enveloped him, soothing his nerves.

There was a sound of something being dropped and he suddenly noticed Armin sitting on a dusty, maroon couch.

"Jean!" Armin exclaimed, picking up his book. "What are you doing here?"

Jean blinked. "I woke up … was looking for water. It was cold outside." He would understand his brief explanation right? Armin was supposed to be smart.

To his relief, the other boy didn't question him further and instead, approached him quickly with a cup of water.

"You should come by the fire. It'll warm you," Armin said, thrusting the cup in his hands.

Jean followed and sat down on a couch near the crackling fireplace. He had never really been in the library before. The arched windows against the night-time sky told him he was still in the castle but the golden light cast around the lumpy couches and wooden bookshelves made everything seem cosier. He noted a nearby table with a jug of water. Was Armin intending to stay here for a while?

"So … why are you reading so late at night?" Jean asked to break the silence.

Armin, who had taken a seat opposite him, brushed the cover of his book comfortingly. "It's a habit I had developed. I've always loved books but we couldn't afford much back then. So coming here and discovering a library encouraged me to make use of it as much as I could."

Jean sipped the cool water. "You come here every night then?"

Armin nodded, "I leave when I start to feel sleepy."

"I'm sorry I took your water."

"No, it's alright!" Armin assured him awkwardly. Once again, feeling self-conscious, he frantically opened the book to a random page and began to read.

Jean couldn't help but smile. It was weird but he also found this amusing. His annoyance had all but dissipated.

"You know," Jean cleared his throat. "You never told me why you brought me that bread and chocolate."

Armin looked up sharply, almost dropping his book again. The light from the fireplace illuminated his blond hair. It was almost golden. His eyes were downcast, focusing on his book which he lay across his lap.

"I just … kind of felt guilty."

"For?"

"For not helping you out just now …"

Now Jean was confused. Just now?

Armin who had looked up, noticed his confusion and elaborated, clumsily gesturing. "You know … while we were running … and when the other guys were teasing you."

Jean blinked. That's why he was doing this? The thought almost made him laugh considering Jean hadn't even thought about it. However, he held back as Armin seemed like he wanted to say more.

"Also …" he continued, "… yesterday you were looking for me in the snow so I feel responsible for your cold."

Now, Jean laughed softly. "I volunteered to search because I had nothing better to do."

"Then there was the snowball fight …" Armin said, fingering with the pages of the book. "I think that's why you caught a cold."

Jean paused before answering softly. "That was fun though."

Armin glanced at him. "Really?"

He looked away, into the fire. "Yeah … I never really got to do that when I was younger."

"Why?"

Jean hesitated, then shrugged. "My sisters were never around. They were much older and had gotten married, moving away," there was another pause. "My parents were divorced too, so I lived with Mum who was always busy working or doing the chores." He swallowed. Why was he relating all this?

Armin rubbed his chin. Jean was starting to feel more uncomfortable by the second. He wondered if he should say something but Armin looked deep in thought.

Finally, Armin gasped. "Why don't you write to your family?"

Jean frowned. "What?"

"You can write a letter to every one of them for Christmas!"

Jean felt uneasy now. "I haven't … written to anyone in while."

Despite his discomfort, Armin looked even more enthusiastic. "All the more reason to write!"

"To every single one of them?"

"To every single one of them."

Jean sighed and rubbed his eyes. He's not sure if Armin understands the situation he's in. Everyone in his family is so disconnected. Sending them a letter out of the blue just makes the situation even more awkward. He's not even sure if he knows what to write.

"Do you think it's a bad idea?" Armin asked, his brows furrowing together.

"Well … I mean -"

"I think you should still do it," Armin said firmly, cutting Jean's protest. "You could rekindle ties with everyone and," here he hesitated before taking a deep breath, "and at least you'll be able to talk to them before anything … bad happens."

Right. They could easily die at any time. All of a sudden, Jean was reminded of someone who was his best friend in the past … He still had so many things to say but his friend's life was taken away from him in a flash. The regret and sorrow still stinged.

"Hah," Jean tightened his grip on the cup with quivering hands. "I suppose you are right."

Armin noticed the trembling and was alarmed. Was he alright? "Jean -"

The other boy chugged down the cup of water and stood up fast. Maybe a little too fast because he swayed a little. Armin rushed over, catching his elbow.

"I'm just really tired. I'm sorry." Jean murmured under his breath.

Armin took the cup from him, prying his fingers from it gently. "Perhaps you should go to bed, now."

Nodding, Jean wordlessly went to the door. He spun around to look at Armin who was still standing there watching him with an expression of deep concern. He found it funny how someone who barely knew him could still be so worried. Oddly, he found it heart-warming too, and Jean suddenly felt overcome with a surge of emotion.

But before anyone could see his own expression clearly, he turned back and let himself out.

Strange. The air now felt less chilly. Shuffling slowly down the corridor and into his dorm, Jean slid back into bed and fell into a deep slumber.

A/N: Day 2 over with a nice Jearmin moment at the end as he relates his past. Perhaps it was because Armin did the same with Jean yesterday? Hopefully Day 3 will be a little more light-hearted seeing as poor Jean was really upset remembering Marco ...