It Started With Cadet Training (Reader/Levi/Erwin/Hange/Mike)

Lonley Nights

"Excuse me Captain, but I overheard you talking with a few people about these two, and-" someone behind you says, you whip around before they can finish speaking, coming eye to eye with an old lady, her white hair tied behind her head in a bun and a solemn smile on her face.

"Yes? Do you know their uncle?!" you ask excitedly, ready to go collapse knowing that they'd be safe and sound.

She shakes her head and your heart sinks in your chest.

"Not exactly. I saw them earlier with their uncle, but they've brought his body back from the city," she says sadly, offering you and the two boys an apologetic smile, her brows creased up.

Your heart sank further into your chest as you registered her words.

"Thank you, ma'am, you've been a big help-" you say, turning and walking off. She gives you a warm smile as you turn around.

"Of course, dear. Take care."

"Do you two have anyone else? An aunt? Your mom and dad? Grandparents?" you ask, looking up at Bertolt through the strands of hair in front of your face.

He shakes his head sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"N-no... we haven't seen them for months," he admits with a quivering frown on his lips.

You reach up and pat his leg as your mind starts to form a plan. You'd already dismissed your squadron for the day, you weren't even sure if anyone was around to take them. There were hardly any orphanages here, let alone one that would take two small kids from a Scout Regiment Captain. If you'd been an M.P. or a Garrison they would've been more lenient but all they'd see would be a scared Captain abandoning their kids.

"What happened to your family?" you ask after a long drawn out sigh.

"Plague," Reiner grumbles, the first thing he'd said all day, "Uncle took us."

The truth stung worse than you wish it had. These two were orphans. Without someone to adopt them they'd grow up on the streets, alone and cold and- before you could stop yourself, your mind had already started formulating a plan. Your legs moving on their own accord as you headed down the hall towards the meeting room that Erwin and Mike had been in all day.

At the very least, hopefully, you'd have Levi to back you up on this. It was a gamble, but you couldn't bear to leave the two of them to the streets. Reiner was slightly bulky in your arms but you could still feel the outline of his ribs against your side. Bertolt was far too light on your shoulders to be considered anything but underweight. You couldn't leave them to starve on the streets.

"How would you two like to come to stay with me for a while? I know it's not the best but it's better than finding you guys somewhere else to stay," you suggest, walking down the hall slowly to give them time to reply.

"I know I'm not your family, but at least you'd have a roof over your heads."

"You promise?" Bertolt whispers quietly.

You blink a few times before nodding your head, knowing he can see it.

"Of course. I said I'd help find your uncle, and we eventually did find him- so the least I can do is make sure you two are taken care of."

"You're really nice," Reiner mumbles against your shirt, slumping against you.

"I'm just doing my job," you dismiss. If this was their definition of nice, you were slightly concerned for how they were brought up. You brushed it off however as the sound of boots against wood sounded throughout the hallway.