Jean X Reader || One Shots

Safeguard

Author's note: aaaand another Jean oneshot! This one is canonverse. Please enjoy! Thanks for reading!!This is one is shorter in comparison to what I normally write, but fairly angsty. xoxo kthankbai

Word Count: 1979

***

The tension was palpable, so much so that you could probably slice it in half with your steel blades. The dismal soldiers that surrounded you were silent, spent, and disheveled. Your laden eyes wandered around the hall of headquarters of the Scouting Legion; there were far fewer of you now than those that set out this morning, and most were covered in their comrades' blood or their own. Save for the quiet sobs from some of soldiers lamenting the dead, all was eerily silent.

Those who perished in the failed crusade didn't come home. The image of their bodies pushed off the cart and into the wilderness to save your skins clouded your mind's eye and you involuntarily cringed.

Bile rose in your throat but you hastily swallowed it and continued to tend to your friends who were injured. You, thankfully, had escaped unscathed in the dishearteningly unsuccessful 57th expedition outside the walls. However, you hardly felt grateful for this, knowing how many others did not.

Surely this loss would further the negative outlook most had of the Survey Corps.

"Thank you, (your name)," said Armin, his voice barely above a whisper. You had been changing out his bandaging from the injury he incurred from the Female Titan.

You nodded absently, tossing aside the old, bloodied ones.

Armin, you, Jean, and Reiner had encountered the Female Titan very early on into the expedition. She was terrifying; she was more than a deviant. She was intelligent and quick, two things that made her all the more dangerous.

It was Jean's idea to confront the titan, believing that if you did, it could prevent other soldiers from being wiped out. You had made it clear at the time how insane that sounded but you cooperated with him, Reiner, and Armin nonetheless.

It had hardly mattered though; all four of you were overpowered easily and at one point, you thought you had lost Reiner in the process. Even after the confrontation, it appeared hopeless. In the chaos, you and Jean both lost your horses and if it wasn't for Krista appearing with a spare, two of you would have been left behind.

You shook your head, pushing the images out of your mind. You were drained as your eyes searched the hall again.

"Hey, Armin," you said as you stood up. "Have you seen Jean?"

Armin glanced at the soldiers around him and frowned. "No, not since we came in."

You matched your friend's expression. "Yeah, I thought so."

The blonde put a hand on your arm gently and attempted to give you an encouraging smile. "You should go find him," he said. "I think he needs someone."

You agreed and took your leave. Wandering through the wounded, you inquired to your other friends if they had seen Jean around. None of them were helpful, as only two of them made vague reference as to where they thought they had last seen him. So you hurried on, heading towards the barracks to see if he had retreated there to isolate himself. Your boots reverberated off the inner corridors' walls, doing nothing to ease your agitation.

There was no sign of Jean in the barracks. You knew he wasn't tending to the horses outside, as that duty had been bestowed upon others, but you truly had no idea where Jean could be hiding.

With a sigh, you sat down heavily on a bed and ran your hands through your hair. Now that you were alone, you felt the panic and anguish begin to rise from the depths of your heart. Your eyes burned with the onset of tears. Everyone has lost someone already...you had lost people already and you only just graduated from trainee.