I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for their support on this story. It means a lot. It really does.

Warnings: Um, some graphic blood? Kinda?

Enjoy

I woke to the smell of fried eggs and bacon. I sniffed softly, my nose crinkling as I wiggled back against the rather warm body wrapped around mine. Said body released a grunt and I blinked my eyes open into sunlight streaming in through the windows. I hummed, stretching slightly as I released a yawn before moving to sit up. Eren's arm slipped down my body to rest in my lap before I slipped out of bed and pulled the blanket over him. He was fast asleep and I had no intention of waking him up. Levi didn't make him come to the bakery until mid-morning, so I thought it best to let my friend sleep a bit more.

I grabbed some fresh clothing from my closet before scurrying off down toward the powder room, shutting the bedroom door softly behind me so I didn't wake my slumbering best friend. I washed up before dressing in dark slacks and a white shirt with a tanned vest. After spending a good deal of time running a comb through my mess of hair, i decided to just tug the thick strands back into a messy ponytail. It was the best I could do. I really needed to cut my hair. I made a note to talk to Mikasa about it later. She cut her own hair and had done mine in the past. It was about time she did it again.

Mikasa was settled at the coal stove in the small kitchen when I came down the stairs. "Good morning." I called to her, catching her attention.

"Good morning, Armin." She gave me a small smile as she pushed around a few eggs in a pan over the fire. "Did you rest well?"

"I did." I returned her smile as I moved toward the door to grab my boots. "Eren joined me."

"I thought he might." She shifted from the stove to watch me as I pulled on my boots. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." I told her as I bent over, lacing up my calf high boots over my slacks. "A good night sleep with my best friend always helps." I laughed softly, glancing up at her. The look of concern in her eyes made me tilt my head as I stood up straight. "Really, Mikasa, I'm fine. The full moon is over now so there's nothing to worry over. I learned my-"

I was cut off at the overwhelmingly loud sound of the church bell ringing from the town square. We both froze and my blood ran cold. I glanced at the door and without a second thought I grabbed my coat, tugging it on and I was out the door. I knew Mikasa would understand. The door slammed behind me as I took off down the cobblestone street, passing villagers who moved out of my way. I skidded to a halt when Bertholdt came into view, running toward me. He gave me a glance before grabbing my arm and spun me around so I could follow along with him.

I followed Bertholdt down the familiar path toward the shop. As we moved, I noted the amount of people gathering and my heart sunk. I bit my lower lip hard and prayed it wasn't what I thought it was. The crowd stopped at the edge of the woods and Bertholdt moved through the crowd with me right behind him. We pushed through the trees till Hange came into view and I recognized a few of the elder villagers along with Mr. Smith and Levi, Eren's boss.

"Boys!" Hange called as we approached, her face grim even with the faint smile on her lips. "You came. Good." She tugged on Bertholdt's arm, pulling him down till she could whisper something in his ear. The male nodded at her words before he spun around and headed back toward the way we came. "Armin." Hange motioned me over to her side and I did my best to not glance at what I knew was on the ground. "I am going to need your help."

I swallowed hard as I nodded. Hange gave me a soft smile before she shifted over to the body on the ground. My blood ran could and for a moment I frozen at the sight. Sprawled out on the ground, visible from the path to the apothecary shop, laid a girl. Her light blue dress was splattered with dark stains that started at her chest and spread out to her finger tips. Her face was stuck in a permanent expression of pure terror and it sent a shiver down my spine. In the center of her chest was a hole. Blood, flesh and what appeared to be internal organs surrounded that hole but there was one obvious thing missing. Her heart. My breath became hard to find. It happened again. On the full moon. And I... I...

"Armin." The deep voice of Mr. Smith caused me to jump and I glanced up at him with wide eyes. His light blue eyes were soft but his mouth was tight as he placed a soft heavy hand on my shoulder. Mr. Smith was the master Blacksmith in town and for a moment, I wondered why he was there. He was one of the strongest men in town so perhaps that would be useful. The girl couldn't... remain there. Someone had to... move her. "Are you alright?"

I took in a deep breath, attempting to calm myself. "I am not." I admitted. "But I have a job to do." I said through gritted teeth, glancing between him and Levi. The shorter male had the strangest look on his face as he peered down at the girl. It was a mix between anger, hurt, disgust and something else I couldn't read. Did he know her? She did seem familiar... "Was it the wolf?" I asked, meeting Mr. Smith's cool eyes.

"It is safe to assume so." At his words, Levi huffed rather deeply, spun on his heel and left for the path back toward town. Mr. Smith watched him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, dropping his hand from my shoulder. "This is becoming a problem."

"It most certainly is." Pixis, one of the village elders stepped up to Mr. Smith and I with a sour look on his face. "The third death on the full moon. This is far more than by chance." His shoulders shifted as he took a deep breath and I noticed how his eyes scanned the area. "We have no leads on what this creature looks like but it is safe to assume no one is safe the night of a full moon." The older male rubbed his mustache for a moment before patting Mr. Smith's shoulder. "We leave this in your hands as requested, Smith." And with that the man left with the rest of the elders, leaving me alone with Hange and Mr. Smith.

"It's big." I answered softly, chewing on my bottom lip as I gazed down at the poor girl. "Large and black. Bigger than any wolf I have ever seen." I flinched, gasping softly when Hange suddenly grabbed my shoulders, her eyes wide and her face a mix of concern and terror as she gazed at me.

"You saw it?!" Her voice was hushed but there was obvious excitement in her voice. Of course she was excited. Hange was quite the strange woman.

"I... Yes." I admitted, my heart pounding in my chest at the memory. "It was just for a moment."

"Armin." Mr. Smith was at my side, a warm hand on my shoulder as he moved Hange out of the way so he could meet my eyes. "What happened?"

"I left the shop late last night. It was dark."

"It was daylight though! I remember when you came to tell me so." Hange interrupted.

"I was caught up in the book you gave me. Thank you by the way." She smiled, nodding as she motioned for me to continue. "As I said, I was caught up reading and the sun set. I left rather late and when I was... walking down the path, it jumped out in front of me." I glanced over to the path not too far away. "Around this exact spot actually... It was headed this way..." I swallowed hard. "It just looked at me before running off."

"Do you remember anything specific about it?" Mr. Smith asked softly.

I shook my head. "Just that it was larger than an average wolf."

Those broad shoulders relaxed slightly and he released his hold on my shoulder. "It's not safe for you to walk around these woods alone without a weapon." He glanced at Hange who nodded. "Come by my shop later. I have something for you." His eyes searched mine before he turned to Hange. "Do you have everything you need? Good." He moved past her at her nod, toward the corpse on the ground. "I'll take care of the rest."

Hange grabbed my arm and started to tug me along back to the path. Everything was happening so fast I had no choice but to follow. I glanced back to Mr. Smith and saw him close the poor girls eyes. My heart sank and I forced my eyes away while I followed Hange. We past villagers but I paid them no mind and didn't notice anything else until we were inside the apothecary shop.

"Bertholdt! Oh Bertholdt dear!" Hange released me and started to tug off her overcoat. "We've returned. I need the two of you to help me with a few potions." She turned to me with a smile. "We have to get that girl looking her best after all. Just like last time."

I nodded, forcing my body to move and follow her back into her room. I didn't help last time. Or the time before that. But I had arrived on time and now had the chance to learn a few new things. But that didn't excite me. In fact, it left a rather horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. These were things I didn't want to learn... Not like this. But I had a job to do and I would do my best at it.

"Are you sure, Hange? I can stay and-"

"No, No, No." The deep red-headed woman pushed against my back, moving me toward the door with a smile on her bright face. "Leave this to Bertholdt and I. To be completely honest with you Armin, I didn't want you to see her to begin with." She moved in front of me, smoothing out my coat that replaced my robes. "You still have a lot to learn." She smiled, her deep eyes sparkling through her glasses. "I've meant to send you to Erwin anyway for a dagger."

"Why?"

"Because I worry about you my dear." She patted over my cheeks and hair before resting her hands on my shoulders. "You're so very lovely and I don't think you realize how much attention you've gathered recently." I just blinked at her words, rather confused. "Bertholdt is worried as well for your safety. We've decided that he will walk you home every night."

"But he lives on the other side of town."

"It was his idea." She offered with a shrug though her eyes were sparkling with something I couldn't quite read. "It will make us feel better."

I bit my lower lip but nodded, not able to tell my mentor no. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good boy. Now, head out!" She threw her hands in the air before turning back toward the back door of the shop. "Come back as soon as you can!"

I watched her for a moment before slipping out the door of the shop, letting out a soft sigh at the sight of the long pathway back toward town. It was less ominous than the night before but it still sent a shiver up my spine. My boots crunched against stones as I walked on, taking in the cool fresh air that smelt of grass and the coming winter. The air was calm but as I passed the spot where villagers had gathered earlier in the morning, I paused. I glanced through he trees, finding the exact spot where the girl had been found and I was left to wonder if she had already been there when I passed by the night before. And if not, how had she gotten there? Was it just by chance that I ran into the wolf near the same spot they found the girl? It was strange to me. So very strange.

A shiver ran up my spine so I took off again, focusing on the road ahead of me with an expressionless face. Word had spread through town like wildfire and I was expecting a few looks I was used to. As I entered town, passing through a few buildings into one of the busier streets, I wasn't surprised at the looks I received. Some of concern, some of worry, some of fear and only a few of disgust. Once fear took seed, it spread through the town and left people wondering and questioning. The first step was to look at Hange.

Hange was a remarkable apothecary. She had saved those so very close to death without a blink of an eye. She was skilled but she was also fearsome. I understood the fear and worry of the townspeople but it was wrongly placed. Hange was no witch. She was just intelligent and skilled. The deaths had nothing to do with her. I would seal my life on that. After working under her for almost a year, I knew enough about her to know she was not what people made her out to be. Not at all.

The Blacksmith shop and forge was in the center of town. It was the largest building in the entire town because it was one of the main two things Trost was known for. The forge had to be large for the amount of work Mr. Smith did for the country. He had plenty of apprentices and it was an honor to be taken under his wing just as it was for I to be taken under Hange's.

I paused outside of the large sop, my eyes focusing on the hanging wooden sign in the shape of an anvil before I pushed open the door and entered, glancing up at the sound of a bell. It had been quite a while since I had been to Mr. Smith's shop and the bell was a new addition. I made a mental note to put one in the apothecary shop. There were many moment when we were preoccupied and didn't happen to hear to door open. The bell would remedy that easily enough.

"Well hello there." A deep voice I did not recognize spoke and my eyes scanned over the large entrance shop before focusing on the male resting behind the wooden counter, twirling a dagger between his long fingers. Golden orbs met mine and for a moment, it seemed like the world slowed to a stop.

I didn't know who he was. I'd never seen him in my life. But he stood behind that counter like he belonged there. Like there was no other place he would rather be. His hair was an ash blonde color that reached the tips of his ears and brushed over his forehead. But underneath, it was shaved, revealing a darker color that was rather attractive. His nose was sharp, his jaw line strong and his lips were full and pulled up into a startlingly attractive smirk. He wore a normal sleeveless top that was common for a blacksmith that showed off his toned body rather well. He was smaller than the blacksmiths I was used to but he was in no means small in general. He was tall, probably a head taller than I, and he carried it well. He was lean and toned and with the way his long fingers twirled that dagger effortlessly as he leaned against the edge of the counter, I was left a little breathless. It took me less than a moment to notice all these things about him and perhaps a moment more for me to find my voice.

"Hello." It came out steadier than I felt.

The man flicked the dagger between his forefinger and thumb before returning it to his side where there was a small sheath for it. "How can I be of service to you today?" He asked, his lips curling into a smirk that made my heart pound as those gloriously golden orbs stayed on me.

"I... Ah." I swallowed had, forcing a smile as I approached him. "I'm here to see Mr. Smith. He told me to stop by."

A dark eyebrow arched and those beautiful orbs glanced to the side at the door leading to the forge. I took that opportunity to take in his face up close. Oh, he really was lovely. I felt my cheeks flush lightly when those eyes were on me once again. "He's a bit busy at the moment. Perhaps I can help?"

"I, um, I'm not sure."

There was something predatory about the way this man smiled at me and leaned a little over the counter toward me. "Oh, do give me the pleasure of helping you." The purring of his words went right to my heart and I had to swallow hard to keep from gasping.

I wasn't as oblivious as people liked to think me to be. I noticed the way some men looked at me. Even a few girls turned their attention toward me. I noticed the lewd looks and the way a few men undressed me with their eyes. I was fully aware of these things. But no one, no one, had openly expressed it the way this man was. Not only were his words insinuating what he wanted, but his expression was open and carefree as well. Those golden hues took their time in looking me over and left my body feeling rather flushed.

"Armin?" I snapped my head to the side at the call of my name, feeling slight relief at the blonde who stepped out of the forge door. "Hange finally let you go, huh?" A grin came to the tall, broad male's lips as he closed the distance between us in a few long strides. "Bert told me about what happened." He opened his large arms and I had no choice but to allow him to pull me against him in a tight hug. He smelled of iron, coal and fire. I pressed against him, taking comfort in his hug before he pulled away to grasp my shoulders, dipping his head down to reach eye level with me. "Are you alright?"

It was a common thing really. For people to worry over me. I was small for my age and gender. Small compared to most of the other me in the town. Except for Levi. I had him beat by a few inches. But Levi made up for that with his attitude. I was polite and kind. Eren was positive I would end up hurt because of it. He certainly wasn't the only one. I didn't mind their concern, I honestly didn't. But sometimes it made me feel weak and useless. My mind was my strength. I knew that and I accepted that. But I wasn't completely incapable of handling myself. Just because I was on the smaller side did not mean I didn't know how to handle myself. Mikasa made sure of that.

"I am fine, Reiner." I answered with a soft smile, reaching up to grip his biceps on either side of my head. "Nothing to worry over."

His brow furrowed, his amber eyes searching mine for a moment before that grin was back. "If you say so." He stood up straight, releasing my shoulders as he turned toward the other male I did not know. "Jean, this is Armin Arlert." A heavy hand rested on my shoulder as I was turned to face the male who was watching me with an unreadable expression. The flirtation was gone but that was about all I could tell. "Armin, this is Jean Kirschtien. He's Erwin's newest apprentice."

Something flickered across Jean's face before that smirk was back and he moved out from behind the counter. "Yea, that would be me." He approached us, his eyes linger on me before shifting to Reiner.

"Armin is an Apothecary apprentice. We've been friends for quite a while." The grin on Reiner's face warmed my heart. "You'll see enough of him, so be nice Jean. I'll go get Erwin." Reiner patted my shoulder before leaving back through the door to the forge.

I watched my friend leave before shifting my eyes back to Jean. "Are you new to town?" I asked softly, hoping to make peaceful conversation.

"You could say that. I was born in Trost, through." He said with a shrug of his broad shoulders. Now that he was out from behind the counter and at my side I was faced with the true reality of his height and... attractiveness. I couldn't help but notice how the thin fabric of his shirt stretched over his flat stomach and revealed just a bit of slightly tanned skin between the hem of the shirt and the top of his pants. Oh my...

"Were you?" I asked, hoping my voice sounded normal. "I was born and raised here."

"My parents moved to Hanger when I was still young." He answered as my eyes flicked up to meet his. My breath caught in my throat at the intensity in those golden hues. "I moved back recently to work under Master Erwin."

"That's quite an honor."

"It is." His hands rested on his hips as he gave me another good once over and that smirk returned to his lips. "So dare I ask what that was about?" He motioned toward the door where Reiner had disappeared off to. "I was pretty convinced there was something with him and that Hoover guy but I don't know. There's quite some interesting relationships going on in this town."

"I... relationships... No!" I gasped, reeling backwards when I realized what he meant. Jean's eyebrows shot up at the way I reeled back and I quickly moved to recover myself. "I mean, Reiner is a lovely man, he is, but I... He's my friend. A good friend. And I... Yes he and Bert are..." I shook my head, biting my lower lip. I knew my face was flushed rather darkly and with the way Jean's lips curled in a smirk I was sure he had meant to do that on purpose. "I don't see how any of this matters."

"It doesn't. Not really." He shrugged. "Just curious really. So if that wasn't what it looked like, then why did Reiner look like he wanted to lock you away in a safe place where you could never get hurt?" The effortless way that Jean spoke left me a bit behind.

"Ah, well, Did you hear of the girl?"

"The one found with her heart ripped out? Yea I've heard." Again, effortless. Like it didn't matter to him one way or another. Perhaps it really didn't. "People are saying it was a wolf."

I nodded. "Yes, well, I saw the wolf."

And then something changed in Jean. The grin disappeared from his lips and his eyes narrowed in thought as he stared down at me. His posture became a bit more tense and I was left wondering what had made him become so serious all of a sudden. But perhaps that was normal for him. I didn't know him. "You saw it, hm?" His voice was lower than before and I leaned back slightly at the seriousness on his face.

"Well, yes. Last night."

"What did it look like?"

"It was large. Larger than any wolf I'd ever seen. It's fur was black as the night sky and it's teeth... I only saw it for a moment, if that. It just... Looked at me and then it was gone into the woods. Everyone has been making quite the deal out of it. That's why I'm here. Mr. Smith wants to give me a dagger of some kind for protection. I think it is unnecessary." After my second sentence Jean had started to unclasp the leather strap around his waist that held the dagger he had been twirling when I walked in. I watched him as I spoke, noticing how he shifted a few leather straps before I finished speaking.

"Did you happen to see its eyes?" He asked, glancing at me after he had finished doing what ever it was he was doing.

"Green. They were green. Vibrant, beautiful forest green." I answered, remembering that specific detail after he had asked.

Jean grunted softly before he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of me, startling me. "Yea, that's no wolf." He glanced up at me, smiling softly at the apprehension on my face. "You need this." He shook the dagger in hands before reaching for me. When I didn't tense or pull away Jean slipped the straps of the holder around my thigh, warm fingers brushing against one of the most intimate parts of my body. I swallowed hard, my breath hitching and my body flushing with warmth as Jean focused on attaching the holder around my thigh and waist. The look on his face was serious but I couldn't stop my heart from pounding as he tugged and pulled till the dagger rested on my outer thigh, within perfect reach of my twitching hand. "There." He tapped my thigh before he was on his feet again.

I could only stare up at him in slight awe. "I... Mr. Smith."

"I know." Jean shrugged. "But that dagger's special."

"Are you giving this to me?" I asked softly, letting my hand trail down to brush against the cold handle.

"I am."

"Why?"

Something in Jean's eyes sparked and that smirk was back on his lips. "You need it more than I do." He reached down to tap the dagger against my thigh, his skin brushing against my fingertips. "Pure silver."

My eyes widened and I felt my breath stutter in a gasp. "S-Silver?" I shifted to start unlatch the holder from my thigh, "I couldn't," but then Jean's hand wrapped around my wrist to stop me from doing so. I glanced up to see his golden hues nearly a few inches away from mine and lost my breath.

"It's important." He spoked softly and he was so close I could feel his warm breath on my skin. "Please, just keep it for now. Until they've figure out this wolf thing, keep it. Then if you want to give it back you can. But until then, keep it."

"I don't... I don't understand why." My voice was just as breathless as I felt.

A soft, kind smile came to Jean's lips. "I know you don't. And I really can't explain it to you. Let's just say, I'll feel better with you having it and I'm sure your friends will too." He gave my wrist a squeeze and all I could do was nod. "Thank you." He released me, letting his fingers linger for just a second before he left my personal space.

"No, ah, Thank you." I flexed my thigh and the feeling of the leather straps around it just felt right. "I appreciate it. I'll have to find away to repay you."

That smirk was back, leaving me a little breathless. "Oh really?" His eyes glistened as he leaned into my personal space. "I can think of a few ways."The squeak that came from my lips was rather undignified so my hand slapped over my open mouth, a flush covering my whole face and spread to my ears. Jean let out a good-natured laugh, his hand tapping my thigh again before he left my space. "Oh, god, Armin. You're just too cute, I can't help myself."

"Goodness Jean!" I gasped, slapping my hand against his arm in a playful manner. The comfortable atmosphere around us was odd but not unwelcome. It was strange how easily I could fall into a comfortable stance around this man. "That was mean."

He chuckled, shrugging with glistening amused eyes. "I couldn't help myself. Can you blame me?" I felt the childish urge to stick my tongue out at him. "Though your reaction was pleasant." He wiggled his eyebrows and brought my blush back at full force.

"I'm glad to see you two are getting along." Mr. Smith's voice knocked me off my pleasant little temple and brought me clashing back down to reality. Oh yes, there were other people weren't there? I took a step away from Jean and turned toward Mr. Smith who was approaching us with his partner Mr. Zakarius. Though Mr. Smith owned the shop, Mr. Zakarius ran it in his absence when needed. I didn't know much about the other man, only that they were old friends. "I was hoping you would."

I took a deep breath, steadying my racing heart as I gave Mr. Smith a smile. "I wasn't aware you took on another apprentice, Mr. Smith."

The older male's blue eyes softened and I notice of sweat glistening his exposed skin and the black dust clinging to his hands and arms. He had been busy by the looks of it. "How many times must I tell you to call me Erwin, Armin?"

"Apparently until it sinks into his thick skull." Mr. Zakarius said with a faint smirk, letting an elbow rest on the Mr. Smith's shoulder as he leaned against him.

"You'll have to excuse me, I do believe I heard a fly in my ear." I waved a hand beside my ear with a faint smile tugging on my lips.

"You little fruit." Mr. Zakarius said with a grin as he pushed away from his partner to approach me. "You ready and willing to start something with me, Armin?" He raised his dirty hands and wiggled his fingers.

I shrunk away from him slightly, gasping in slight surprise when I bumped into a strong chest. Jean glanced between the two of us with a curious expression but a smile rested on his lips. "You wouldn't dare." I hissed faintly, twirling effortlessly until I was behind Jean, using him as my human shield against the other man.

"What do you say, Kirschtien?" Mr. Zakarius asked with a playful smirk. "You gonna protect the brat?"

"I swear you're like a child sometimes when it comes to Armin." Mr. Smith interrupted, tapping his partner on the back of the head. "We have business to attend to."

The pout on Mr. Zakarius' lips was well hidden behind a smile as he stood up straight and dropped his hands. "You always ruin my fun, Erwin." He said with a sigh before focusing his attention on Jean. "Well, come on Kirschtien. Let's leave the adults to their business. You can help me clean out the run back well."

"Yes, sir." Jean glanced at me over his shoulder, flashing me a smile before he left with Mr. Zakarius. "I'll see you around, Armin." He called before the two disappeared back into the forge.

"Those two are so much alike it's a bit frightening." Mr. Smith spoke softly, shaking his head with a soft amused smile on his lips. "How are you holding up?" He asked, changing the topic rather quickly.

"I'm fine, really." I responded. "I don't see why everyone is so worried about me."

"I think it's the fear that something could have happened to you." He answered, moving past me and to the counter where Jean had been standing when I first entered. "We are all glad nothing had happened to you though it is a shame that Petra lost her life instead."

My skin ran cold at the name. "Petra? As in... Baking assistant Petra? Eren's co-worker?"

"That would be her." Mr. Smith said with a soft sigh as he tugged open a drawer behind the counter I stepped up to. "Levi is rather upset over the whole thing. She was a lovely woman. Very lovely. She certainly did not deserve to die that way." His voice was harsh, his eyes narrow and I knew he was upset over it as well. I'd never met Petra but I knew enough about her to suddenly feel sad for her. Eren spoke fondly of her...

"I should... See Eren as soon as I can."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea." Mr. Smith let out a soft grunt when he found what he was looking for and pulled out a small steel dagger with a matching holder. "I've meant to give this to you. It was Mike's idea actually." He moved back around the counter as he looked the dagger over with skilled eyes. "He sniffed out a few dangers to your well-being not long ago and suggested I give you something to protect yourself with. Ironically, that was a little before the first death so I forgot about this until this morning."

"Dangers? What dangers?" I asked, my eyes widening slightly.

"Nothing to worry over now, so he says. You're hardly alone as it is. Be it Eren, Mikasa, Reiner or Bertholdt, you are always with someone. Strange how the one night you happen to be alone, something like this happens." He offered the dagger to me, holding the blade between his fingers. "Try it out. See if you like it."

I lifted my hand, letting my fingers slide over the well sculpted handle before gripping it and pulling it from his hand. It was heavy in my hand but not too heavy. I tilted it back and forth, scanning over the well made blade before glancing up at Mr. Smith. "It's lovely." I lifted a finger to press against the sharp edge and winced slightly at the sharpness.

"It's small and easy to carry on you. It should remain sharp with as little as I hope you'll need to use it. But if it does ever dull, bring it back to me and I'll sharpen it for you."

"I don't think I'll actually ever use it, but thank you Erwin." His light blue eyes lit up at his name and the softest of smiles came to his face. "It means a lot to me to know you and Mike care so much about me."

Erwin nodded, the smile remaining on his face as he started to unbuckle the straps of the holder. "You're practically family at this point, Armin." He stated and moved to kneel before me but stopped. He blinked at the dagger already on my right thigh, his eyes narrowing in recognition before glancing up at me, standing up straight. "Just how well along are you and Jean?"

I blinked at his words, my face flushing as I glanced away. "Not well. He just... He insisted and I couldn't come up with a well enough reason to say no."

"Do you know why he wanted you to have it?" He asked, dropping to his knee as I shifted to hold my leg out for him.

"I do not. He only stated it was pure silver which confused me greatly. I didn't know silver made a well blade."

Erwin's face settled rather hard as he shifted to attach the holder to my left thigh like Jean had done with my right. I watched in concentration, paying attention this time as Erwin latched buckles. I needed to know how to attach it myself after all. "It doesn't. It dulls easily and is rather expensive. It looks pretty and once it is sharp, it's deadly. But it's not the most efficient blade."

"Then I wonder why he gave it to me."

I noticed how a frown settled on Erwin's face and it concerned me for a moment. "Perhaps it is his way of making peace. A way of showing he cares and wants to be friends. That was what I was hoping for after all. Reiner has Bertholdt and I was hoping Jean would have you."

"I... I'm not sure how you mean." Because there were two ways he could have meant that and I didn't know which one he meant.

"Reiner relies on Bertholdt. The two make a rather good team like Hange and I used to. It's efficient to have a partner in the apothecary market. Jean came to me in search of an apprenticeship and I thought it would be a wise idea to take him in. He was quite insistent so I thought it wouldn't hurt to take him in and put the two of you together like Reiner and Bertholdt." With a soft smile he tugged the holder to the outside of my thigh before slipping the dagger in and latched it closed before standing up straight. "The rest is up to you."

I knew what those words meant. I knew all too clearly. I took a deep breath and nodded, not even sure what I would do but the option was there, clear as day. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Armin." His hand patted my shoulder before he looked me over. "Those actually look rather good on you. We may have just done the opposite of what we were trying to do."

My cheeks flushed at his words and I shook my head. "I doubt that. With my robes they'll be well hidden."

"That's true. Well, You should head back to Hange. I'm sure she's done with Petra by now. But stop by again real soon. Jean could use a good man like you in his life."

I nodded, ignoring the way my heart thumped at his words. "I shall. Take care, Erwin."

"You as well, Armin."

"Honestly Bert, you don't have to walk me home." I said for perhaps the fourth time that afternoon as I slipped my coat on. Hange was closing the shop early out of respect for Petra's death and the sun wasn't bound to set for a few more hours.

"I would feel better if I did, Armin." He answered, that soft warm smile on his face as he waited by the door for me.

"It's not even dark. And I have these now." I motioned to the daggers on either of my thighs.

"Do you even know how to use them?"

His question left me blank for a moment because no, I did not know how to use them. I didn't even think about that. "Jean is going to show me how." The words were out of my mouth and left my brain screaming to a halt.

"Is he?" Bertholdt perked a dark eyebrow at me.

"Well, I will ask him to. He gave this one to me after all." I tapped the dagger with a shrug.

"Armin!" Hange called from the front of the shop. "Eren is here for you!"

I blinked in slight surprise, glancing at Bertholdt before I moved past him and left for the front of the shop. True to her words, Eren was standing by the front door of the shop, his hair a mess and his eyes a little red. My chest clenched at his state and I immediately came to his side, my hands going to his shoulders. Eren didn't waste time in gathering me into a hug, pulling me tight against his chest and buried his head in my neck.

"I'm so sorry, Eren." I mumbled softly, rubbing my hands over his trembling back.

I heard his breath stutter before he pulled back to meet my eyes. There were not tears in that sea of green but I could tell there had been at some point. "I came to walk you home. The whole town is closing down in honor of Petra and for the funeral tomorrow." His hands slipped down my back before grasping both of my hands. "I... I'm going to walk you home from now on, okay?"

"Eren-"

"No, I am going to do this. I already talked to Levi and he said it was fine. And if there's a day I can't do it, Mikasa will."

I knew there was no point in arguing with him. It made me feel weak again but also cared for. How could I deny him that? "Alright Eren. Bert was going to do that anyway."

"And I will if I ever need to." Bertholdt spoke, gaining our attention as he approached with a soft smile. He placed a hand atop my head, petting my hair softly for a moment before he dropped his hand at the slight glare he was receiving from Eren. "You two be safe." He gave Hange a wave before he left out the door, probably going to go find Reiner.

"Can we go now?" Eren asked softly to which I nodded. I said my goodbyes to Hange before he pulled me out of the shop. His warm hand slipped into mine, linking our fingers together and pulled me to his side. I didn't mind. Eren was upset and as his best friend it was my job to comfort him. If protecting me when I didn't need to be protected made him feel better, then I was willing to give into that illusion for him.

The walk back to our shared home was quiet. We passed villagers who didn't even bother to give us a second glance. The whole town was somber and I knew exactly why. Petra was a well-loved woman in the town. I knew enough about her from Eren. She was well-known and it saddened most everyone that she was gone. But Eren seemed to be taking it especially hard. She was a good friend of his after all.

Eren remained silent when we entered our silent home and removed our boots and coats. Once I was free from my boots, his hand was in mine once again and he lead me upstairs. I had no complaints with what he wanted. Anything to comfort my best friend. He led me past his room and into my own where he shut the door after us. I didn't bother to ask where Mikasa was. Chances were she was with a few of her female friends, coping with the death of someone they considered a friend. She left Eren in my capable hands.

I didn't speak until we were curled up on my bed, his arms tight around my torso while I held his shoulders, letting one hand run through soft raven locks. His head buried in my chest so I let my chin rest atop that soft hair, doing my best to comfort him and remind him he was not alone. The feel of metal dug into my thigh as we laid there but I ignored it, too focused on my best friend.

"Hange let me mix up some of the potions today." I spoke softly, soothingly, knowing my voice would help him. It didn't matter what I said. Just as long as I spoke. It was something I learned long ago with him. "I learned a lot of things I wasn't expecting. I also went to Mr. Smith's. Did you know he has a new apprentice? I didn't. His name's Jean. He moved here not long ago. He seems nice. He-"

"I hurt her." The mumbled words caught me off guard and I had to pull back slightly to glance down at the man in my arms to make sure I had heard correctly.

"Pardon?"

Eren took a shaky breath and pulled me closer so I couldn't see his face. "Yesterday. Petra and I had a fight. It was stupid and it was pointless, but we fought and I said something I didn't mean. It was... The last thing I said to her." His voice was emotionless and it concerned me.

"What did you say, Eren?"

"It doesn't matter now... I regret it. She was a good friend and I hurt her. I was going to apologize to her today but..."

I let out a soft breath and held him tighter, nuzzling into his hair. "Petra was a lovely woman. I am sure she knew you didn't mean what you said. You tend to lose your temper sometimes and say things you don't mean. I've been the victim of that countless times. But I know you didn't mean it and I'm sure she knew as well. Please don't dwell on that, Eren. That's not something you can spend your time worrying over. I'm sure Petra wouldn't want that."

A faintest whine came from the back of his throat. "I know... I know you're right. I can't help myself though. I just feel so bad... Petra didn't deserve that..."

"No, she did not. No one does. I saw..."

Eren snapped his head back, meeting my eyes. "You saw?!"

"Yes... I also saw what Hange did afterwards. Petra looks beautiful."

I watched his adams' apple bob as he swallowed hard before pressing his face into my chest again. "I'm glad she does. That will make Levi feel better."

"How is he holding up?" I went back to petting his hair softly.

"It's hard to tell with him sometimes. I can tell he's upset but he's thrown himself into cleaning the entire shop, top to bottom even though it's always spotless anyway. I think it helps him mourn."

"Everyone has different ways."

"So..." Eren was quiet for another moment. "You saw what the wolf did. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." I realized I had said that a lot today. "I know I should perhaps feel scared or something but I honestly feel nothing other than sadness for Petra. I don't even know if the wolf I saw was the one who... did that. Because, it didn't seem vicious. I could have attacked me and it didn't. But everyone seems worried for my safety. So I went to Mr. Smith and took the dagger he offered me."

I flinched at the warm hand that rubbed over my thigh, moving over the leather straps. "This dagger?"

"N-No. Jean gave me that one."

Eren pulled back from me, tilting his head back enough so I could see his eyes. "Jean?"

"Mr. Smith's new apprentice."

His eyes narrowed slightly and his hand shifted over my thigh, flicking the button that latched the dagger in place before slipping his fingers around the handle. "Why did he give you a dagger?" He asked as he pulled the sharp chunk of silver from its holder and pulled it between us to get a good look at it.

"I don't know to be honest but I didn't have a reason to say no. I seemed to make Mr. Smith feel better that I had two now."

I watched as Eren twisted the dagger between his fingers. "What is this made of?"

"Silver." I answered, taking it from him as his jaw slacked slightly. My eyes scanned over the glistening dagger, noticing how easy it was to se my reflection in the blade. The handle was just as beautiful, seemingly made of some type of dark wood with a silver clasp on the tip. The wood had strange carvings in it, symbols I didn't quite understand. The blade also had symbols etched into it that also made no sense to me. But the part that took me by surprise was the small etch of what appeared to be a wolf in the handle.

"Some strange guy gives you a pure silver dagger and you just take it?" Eren asked, his voice a gasp of surprise.

"What was I supposed to do? Jean was insistent. He said I could give it back after the wolf issue was settled and I fully intend to do just that. It's not like I will not see him again. Chances are, I'll see him often." I slipped the dagger back in its place, latching the clip over it to hold it still. "Mr. Smith wants him and I to be like Reiner and Bertholdt."

I gasped in surprise at the tight grip Eren suddenly had on my hips and I snapped my eyes to his to see those swirling orbs of green to be on fire. "What the hell does that mean?"

I swallowed hard, taken back at the intensity in his eyes. "I, He wants us to be a team. Capable of handling anything together like Reiner and Bert. Like he and Hange were."

"Is that all?"

"As far as I know, yes." I tilted my head at the way he relaxed though his hand didn't leave my hip. "What were you thinking?"

"I thought he was insisting you have a... relationship with this man."

My eyes widened at his words, a flush coming to my cheeks and the hand that wasn't trapped under him came to push against his chest. "Why on earth would you think that?!"

Green orbs searched mine, his eyes narrowing as he peered into my face. "You're blushing. Why are you blushing?"

I gasped for words and pushed against his chest a bit more to lean away from his intense gaze. "Perhaps because you just brought up such an embarrassing thing!"

"It's not that embarrassing, Armin. You didn't act like this when I told you about Levi and I." His eyes narrowed a bit more and his forehead pressed to mine. "Besides, I was just asking. Is that what you want? A relationship with this man?"

"I don't even know him Eren." I pointed out, relaxing slightly at the warmth his body seeped into mine. "He seems nice but... He's a bit obvious with his flirtations. I'm not used to that."

"He flirted with you? Openly?" Eren sounded appalled.

"Well, yes. I mean, I could be wrong but I don't believe I am. He is rather handsome..."

"He's not from here?" I shook my head. "I wonder if it's common where he's from then."

"It's common around here, Eren. Look at you and Levi. Or Reiner and Bert. Or Mr. Smith and Mr. Zakarius."

He snorted softly, pulling back to look me in the eye. "There is no Levi and I, there is me pining after a man almost twenty years older than I who doesn't even notice I exist in that way."

I rolled my eyes at his words. "You need to pay closer attention to the way Levi watches you."

Eren waved his free hand, like he was brushing the matter under the table before his hand was on my hip once again. "My point, is that it's uncommon to be open about it. We only know about Reiner and Bert because we've known them most of our lives. And with Erwin and Mike, well we're just guessing on that one."

"You know I don't know anything about flirting, Eren. He could have just been being nice." Though I highly doubted that...

"Nah, He was probably flirting. A lot of people flirt with you and you don't notice. He had to have been pretty open about it for you to notice."

"I... Well, Yes I suppose."

The grin that crept onto Eren's face frightened me slightly. "Are you into him?"

"I don't know him, Eren." I reminded him.

"Yea but you said he's handsome."

"He is... Very handsome." I lowered my eyes to the small space between us, feeling my cheeks fill with heat.

"Would you date him?"

I let out a soft sigh. "Even if I had the time to get to know him, which I don't, I wouldn't even have the time to give him a proper relationship."

"You are not even denying that he's a guy here, Armin." The knowing smile on Eren's lips left me a little breathless.

He was right. When Eren came to me about his feelings for his boss, I never thought anything wrong with it. Love was love. The same with Bertholdt and Reiner. It seemed only natural for the two of them to be together. But I never considered anything for myself. After my grandfather's death, I was focused on getting Hange to notice me and then take me under her wing. Once she did that, I was focused on learning all that I could. Before my grandfather's death... Well, I still didn't care about relationships back then. I had Eren and Mikasa. That was enough for me.

"Does it matter that he is?" I asked softly.

"That's up to you. You know it doesn't matter to me or Mikasa."

"I... I just..." My eyes widened as I stared down between us, realization hitting me like a rock to the skull. "I've never been physically attracted to someone before. My heart's never.. raced like that and I don't think I've ever blushed so much before in my entire life."

Eren let out a bark of laughter as he nuzzled into my hair. "Jeeze Armin, you got it pretty bad there, huh?"

"I mean, I..." I swallowed hard, pulling back to look him in the eyes. "You think so?"

Eren leaned closer to my face, pressing his nose to mine with a grin on his lips and his eyes swirling with amusement. "That blush on your face is not just to make you look more cute."

I bit my lower lip, feeling that blush intensify. "So what do I do?"

"Get to know him. That's a start, Armin. Until then, you're mine." He grumbled the last few words, pulling away just to tuck his head under my chin and pull me close.

I laughed softly at his words and nodded, rubbing my hands over his back before one found its way into his hair once again. "Alright, Eren."

I'm horrible at ending chapters. I did my best. So There's Jean. What did you think? I have this mental image of him just being the sexiest thing armin has ever seen in his life. I also wonder if any of you have figured things out yet. It's possible.

So, I have to admit, this story is on the back-burner thanks to Bulletproof. But I will keep doing my best to update weekly. I may skip a week every once in a while but I'll do my best! There won't be too many chapter to this story. Maybe a total of 5 or 6. We'll see.

Thanks for taking the time to read it! Please let me know what you thought! That means the most to me.

~Addy~