Half Lights || JeanMarco

》Chapter 4《

PoV: Marco (Flashback one week before )

Arguing is the poor version of a conversation. It is when the dumber parts of your brain are triggered and your smarter prefrontal cortex has far less input. We all get triggered, I do too. So, it's okay. But everyone needs to calm down at times, there was no way around it.
...
That didn't seem to count for Jean and Eren though.

"Eh? What did you say?!" Jean stood in front of Eren with his hands clinged into fists and an angry expression on his face.
"That you're a fucking moron!" Eren yelled at him as a reply, Mikasa holding him back on his arm like she was about to put him on a leash.
"And why's that?!" Jean was now yelling too and I sighed. This happened at least once a week.
I felt the tension and heard the intensity in their tones, knowing they'd probably end up trying to punch each other until someone would break it off eventually. But being so close before a new mission, that wouldn't help at all.

"Attacking and fighting over nothing is for cowards. Break it off." I heard Mikasa say to Eren, both Jean and him staring at her after she let it out.
"He started it!" Eren shouted with a grim expression and I looked around the room, seeing a lot of people watching the scenery.
"Mikasa is right, you stupid child." Jean made a 'tch' sound and rolled his eyes, acting like an idiot as always.
"Just because you like her you don't have to agree with her for trying to get her to be attracted to you!" Eren yelled at Jean and me and Mikasa looked at each other, both shaking our heads as we knew better.
Actually, Mikasa and Christa were the only ones that knew about what happened last week. So she didn't look too offended I assumed.

"I don't like her!" Jean shouted, his face red out of anger how it was always like.
"Yeah that's what I'd say too if I were you!" The a little smaller boy gritted his teeth and was ready to give a punch if Mikasa didn't hold his arm back.
"Maybe that's what you're doing, but not me you stupid idiot!" Jean was about to go into a physical fight as well, but I decided to eventually step in. Literally. I walked into the middle of them.

"Marco, I don't want to hurt you, go to the side." Jean hissed since he was still furious, but I stayed where I was.
"No, you both need to calm down," I spoke in a calm voice, smiling at the both of them more or less forced.
"No." Eren said as well, getting out of Mikasa grip, behind me and punching Jean.
Him apparently already expecting it, Jean pushed him off and punched his face back, causing it to break out into a fist fight.

Mikasa sighed audibly, me as well.

"You grab Jean and I grab Eren at the same time." She told me and I nodded, knowing the whole evening would be full of ranting.

As they were apart for a short moment, I went behind Jean and put my arms quickly under his arms for holding him back in the end, hoping I wouldn't get hit by accident.
"Marco let me-" he tried to squirm his way out but I just tightened my grip. Since I was taller than him I had an advantage.
"Let me go!" He carried on but I just forced him to step back because I did, seeing that Mikasa was doing the same but Eren moving more aggressive somehow.

She was an Ackerman after all, there was no way she'd lose that.

"C-calm down!" I told Jean as he carried on fighting against my clasp for another 5 minutes.
As his moving got less, probably exhaustion, I let him go a little further until I was just holding his arm so he wouldn't run back.
"You really have to get your temper in control." I muttered and sighed, leading him back to the boys dorm for cleaning up the few wounds on his face.
"Sorry." Jean said quietly, not looking at me but rather the floor.
"It's fine, don't worry." I smiled at him brightly as I knelt down on one knee for taking care of his face.

After I finished that, I hesitated with going back up fully just yet. It was still awkward between us because of last week, which was in fact my fault, so I wasn't sure of what to do.

"Hey, Marco," Jean waved one hand in front of my face and I snapped back, laughing awkwardly while a light red spread over my face.
"What? I'm here, sorry." I just said and sat down next to him, feeling stupid I didn't think about that directly.
"I'm sorry for being a burden in this all, I'm always the one causing some shit like fights you know," He shrugged and leaned back against the wall on which the bunk bed was placed.
"Don't worry about it as long as you're alright." I waved it off and smirked crookedly.
"Hm." He shrugged and looked up.