Half Lights || JeanMarco

》Chapter 2《

PoV: Marco {2 months earlier}

"Don't forget the cleaning duty we have in the morning." Eren pointed out when I said goodbye and I nodded to him as a respond, waving to the rest before leaving the dining hall of our barrack where all the cadets were living until their graduation.

Well. Or their deaths.

Shaking my head for throwing the thought out, I kept up my pace and eventually felt the clear and cold air hit into my face as soon as I arrived outside.
It was already getting dark even though it was just 10pm. Maybe I would be able to still witness the sunset this time since I had been stuck with cleaning duty the past evenings.
I liked being alone sometimes. It was quiet and I could go after my thoughts without putting up a face that formally spread kindness.

Arriving at the small hill I found when we had practice yesterday and Reiner more or less defeated me, I sat down with a small sigh and wrapped my arms around my knees.
The cooling air caused the reddish color to disappear from my cheeks, which I easily got due to the ongoing heat of all the people in the barrack, and I fixated my sight on the horizon.
It was pretty. A soft orange tone with a hint of yellow and brown that gave it a shine of peace, not all the destruction and deaths we had to do with every single day here.

With the zoning out, my mind turned on itself and I found myself fantasizing what would be if there wouldn't be walls and no danger surrounding us all.

"There you are". I heard a voice in my mind say and a gentle smile appeared on my lips as I recognized it as J-

"Marco? Can you hear me?"

Oh.

I snapped back to reality and flinched when I felt a hand touch my shoulder, a reddish color deepening on my face because I was caught in the middle of my own imaginary scenarios.

"Yeah, sorry," I laughed awkwardly, rubbing my neck and then looking at Jean who just sat down next to me.
"Wasn't me who's deaf, so what are you apologizing for?" Jean responded with a teasing undertone and I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"For breathing your air away, of course." I joked and shook my head in a bit of disbelief, but also having a grin on my lips.
"Yeah, of course, how dare you, you peasant." He punched my arm playfully and I let out a short laugh, hitting him back eventually.

We sat there in silence for a second, both just seemingly living in the moment.

"Whatcha doing here at this time of day, Freckles?" Jean eventually broke the silence and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, then back at the sunset.

It matched his eyecolor.

"Enjoying the view." I said honestly, using one of my arms as support for my head that got heavier with every second that passed by.
"Oh, me? Of course you do, who wouldn't." He joked and laughed, causing me to huff like it was the most wrong thing he ever said.
"Yeah, right." I just said and looked at him.

"Like what you see?" Jean glanced back at me with a smug grin and I raised an eyebrow, still not looking away.
"Do you?" I fired back and for just a moment, I seemed to have achieved him being surprised about one of my comebacks.
"It's not bad," He then said and I opened my mouth for a respond, but just closed it again when I didn't find one that quickly.
"Naw, are you embarrassed, Bodt?" He teased and I felt my face heating up again, automatically making myself look away up to the sky, deciding to ignore Jean's words.

I knew I couldn't ignore him for long, it never worked, but I tried anyway.

"I take that as a yes," I saw Jean crossing his arms out of the corner of my eye and I suppressed a chuckle, remembering I was ignoring him.
"Was that an attempted laugh?" He asked with a fake gasp and I bit myself on the lip, trying my hardest not to actually laugh.

It wasn't even something funny he said. I just felt like laughing and it was unbelievably stupid.

"Asshole. Now I'm deeply offended and hurt, how come the only person I talk to willingly ignores me, tsk, what a shame." I saw Jean stand up and a feeling of guilt jumped up inside of me.

Not even taking more than three seconds, I turned around and grabbed after his hand out of pure reflex, the red on my face darkening as soon as I realized what I was doing.

Oh shit.

"Done ignoring me?" Jean asked, but I also noticed him not looking into my eyes, avoiding it as much as I did.
"Am I?" I asked cockily, not knowing where the sudden confidence was coming from.
"Hah, you spoke, loser." Jean sat back down like he gave up leaving me guilt tripped, but didn't let go off my hand either.
"Not for long." I simulated a zipper that closed my mouth with my left hand since he had my right one, and a smirk grew on my face.
"No fair." Jean played his offended self again and I rolled my eyes, but my smile betrayed me.

"Hey, Marco," He then said out of nowhere in a more quiet voice, causing me to raise an eyebrow and focus on him.
"Would you ever hate me?" Jean asked and looked away down to the ground.
"What?" I stopped pretending to shut up.
"Hah, gotcha." He laughed and I scoffed.
"You never shut up and stay serious, do you?" I pointed out with a hint of sarcasm and he winked at me.
"Never."
"You sure?"
"Pretty much?"

I raised an eyebrow, getting too reckless for just this moment and letting my feelings win over my mind and worries once again.

Leaning forward and blending out reality, I used my free hand for pulling him closer as well before I closed my eyes and felt my lips meet his.
Realizing what I was doing, I backed off and already opened my mouth to apologize and probably just pass away out of embarrassment, I felt him pulling me back and kissing me again.

Overwhelmed by my own emotions, I firstly stiffened, but then relaxed into it eventually.

Seconds passed by and I couldn't suppress the small smile which came up until Jean broke the kiss with leaning back slowly.

"Goddammit, Bodt."