In Another Life (EreJean)

twenty-seven

Chapter summary: Levi and Erwin come to the rescue.

Eren stops laughing and cocks his head.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

Jean wheezes. He did not mean to say that out loud. He mutters a quick "No" before turning away, hoping the warmth in his cheeks doesn't tinge his skin red.

Eren offers a beat of silence, then follows up by saying, "You're weird."

The embarrassment deepens. Two words from Eren's stupidly pouty lips and Jean melts like ice. He has enough willpower to restrain a full smile, but half of his mouth cuts deep into his cheek. Looking back at Eren, there's a spark in his gaze, one that Jean's seen thousands of times. But this time, that spark travels from Eren's eyes to Jean's heart.

"You're weird," he responds, not sounding the least bit sincere.

"If you two are done flirting..."

Connie's tone is half playful, half annoyed. There's strain in his face as he drags over the massive treasure chest. It's an ambitious job for one person. His grunts are muted by the chest scraping across the wood. When he finishes, he lets out a harsh exhale and wipes away his forehead sweat with his shirt.

"Feel free to grab what you want," he says.

Jean plans to, but he's still hung up on Connie's original comment.

"We weren't flirting." He's too nervous to check Eren's reaction to that.

"One piece per person," Connie adds, completely ignoring him. "Don't get greedy."

"Danke, Connie," Eren says.

"Bitte. "

He casts a final look at Jean, one that makes clear he isn't buying whatever Jean's trying to sell.

Jean peers into the chest. It's half as full as it was when Jean snagged it from the cave, but just as dazzling. Rich jewels scatter the interior in a variety of colors. Mixed in are small artifacts and jewelry crafted from real gold. Even with half its contents already removed, the items in this chest must amount to millions of dollars.

He leans back so Eren can look inside, but Eren stays where he is.

"You pick first. You earned it."

Jean obliges, though there's nothing he cares to take. He rummages through, waiting to spot something that catches his eye. It comes in the form of a necklace. Jade stones of different sizes dangle from the thick silver chain. They click together as Jean holds it from his fingertips, creating a hypnotizing chime. It's perfect.

"I'll take this one," he says. "For my mom."

"Not for yourself?"

Jean shrugs. "I don't need anything."

It's the safest bet. Jean won't be here tomorrow to enjoy anything he takes for himself. Besides, this necklace matches perfectly with Vera's engagement ring. She hasn't worn it in years, but she still takes it out and admires it from time to time.

Eren's next. Unlike Jean, he concludes his search in under ten seconds. As soon as he sees it, his mind is made up.

Jean can see why.

Eren removes his gold earring and tucks it in his pocket, immediately replacing it with his new one. The black star swings below his lobe with every minor tilt of the head. Eren fiddles with the attached ear cuff and clips it around his orbital.

Jean smiles at his careful movements. He's never seen Eren express such patience. It's endearing that Pirate Eren still carries the same love for astronomy as his counterparts. Being a pirate must fulfill that affliction daily. On a ship like this, nothing separates Eren from the night sky. Jean wonders if Eren's taught any of the other pirates about constellations or if he chooses to keep his hobby to himself.