Unwanted Power: An Armin Arlert Love Story

12. Burden of Secrets

Hange was tending Eren's wounds while Levi and other members of the Survey Corps were there. They had discovered Levi had made Eren lose a tooth, but it had grown back. They had also expleined the beat up was necessary and Eren understood, not angry at all.

A knock was heard on the door and Lexie entered the room. Everyone stood up straight and saluted her, everyone but Eren. Lexie paid no mind to the others in the room, she instantly went to hug Eren. This surprised the member of the Survey Corps, even Eren himself was surprised.

"Lexie." Eren called surprised, hugging her back.

"I'm sorry about everything. Are you ok?" She asked looking him up and down to assess his health.

"I'm okay." Eren said. "Thank you for helping me back there."

"Of course. I had to do something. This makes us even after you saved my life."

"I... did?" Eren asked.

"As a Titan. I fell off a roof and you caught me and put me back in another roof. That was before we knew it was you." She explained as she sat next to him in the couch, captain Levi on her other side.

"He saved you? Did he recognize you? Was he gentle?" Sargent Hange asked impatiently, shocked at the new information.

"He was very gentle." Lexie assured.

"Then... how come I attacked Mikasa?" Eren asked mostly to himself.

"Maybe you like Lady Lexie more than you like your girlfriend." Captain Levi suggested.

"She's not my girlfriend." Eren said with a blush.

"That's very interesting. We will definitely have to experiment with that. It's a good thing you'll join us, your grace." Hange said.

"I am eager to learn too. The more we know about titans, the more we can defend ourselves, get back our land, and eventually expand more." Lexie said.

"An ambitious dream." Levi said.

"It's a goal, captain, not a dream." she replied. Levi only stared stoically at her, but his eyes showed approval, he wouldn't mind having the girl around.

***

Lexie's father had lent the corps an abandoned castle for Eren's training. Eren was still kept in the cellar. Lexie was given her own room, she helped clean up the castle even if Levi's squad insisted she shouldn't, but it was better to keep busy. She quickly became acquaintance with everyone, Petra was her favorite, she was always kind and cheerful. She didn't particularly like Oluo, mainly because it was obvious he wanted to act all manly to get respect, but he just seemed fake. Lexie liked Eld and Gunther, though, she was always entertained and amused when the whole squad bickered. She had realized that most groups of the military usually acted like the family she would have wanted to have.

Lexie and Eren became closer friends. Since they were closer in age and she usually offered to help Eren with his chores, it meant keeping an eye on him as well. Hange was very interesting too, they had no care in the world, definitely a reckless and free soul. To be honest, Lexie kind of looked up at them.

On the first week in the castle, commander Erwin and captain Levi had a closed doors meeting with her only. They needed to see how much they could trust her,

"Commander Erwin, what can I do for you?" She asked politely as she sat on the char in front of his desk.

"I want to know why the crown is interested in Eren." Erwin went right to the point.

"Isn't everyone?"

"Not everyone stands between him and an armed troop throwing around titles." Levi pointed out, having read the report of what happened in Trost.