"Don't look at me like that," Jean said smiling as he climbed down from his bunk.
"Was I even looking at you? I hadn't noticed," I replied cheekily as I crossed my arms and turned up my nose. It's true, I was looking at him, but was I going to say that? No, of course not.
It's not like I wanted to look at him, but I couldn't help zeroing in on how much I loathed him. The arrogant look in his eyes, his sly smile... I saw it all. Upon first seeing him, I thought there was a confidence in him that I could admire, but I was wrong. The confidence he possessed wasn't from a noble background, but rooted in something petty... something I couldn't quite place.
"I'd say you were looking at me. In fact, you were looking at me for quite a long time. What are you, obsessed with me?" Jean replied snarkily. He got on my nerves. I rolled my eyes and avoided his gaze. Me, obsessed with him? It honestly seems like it's the other way around.
"Anyway..." Eren said, interrupting as I was about to make a comeback. "Connie, I heard you did well in the cadet training today. I wanted to ask if you could show me how to stay upright on the ODM gear?" Eren seemed humbler than usual. Maybe when it came to asking for favors, he knew how to tone it down? Perhaps his ego had been damaged after the day's training.
"The trick to staying upright?" Connie said slyly. "Sorry, but I'm a genius. All I can say is to feel it." I was taken aback. To feel it? I repeated Connie's words in my head.
It was shocking to me that Connie had been as eager as a chipmunk, hearing all about Eren's time in Shiganshina the night before, yet now he was acting just as full of himself as Jean was. What was it with all these boys being so cocky? They could barely grow any peach fuzz on their chins, yet suddenly they were so superior? I laughed quietly at the thought.
"Actually I'd like you to tell me," Jean interrupted, grinning and looking at Eren, "how are you still sane after humiliating yourself like that?" Expecting Eren to get upset, I turned to him and prepared to hold him back from Jean. Armin seemed to have the same idea. Although, surprisingly I saw a look of desperation in Eren's eyes and droplets of sweat on his face.
"Guys I'm beggin' you here–" Eren said pleadingly as Connie cut him off.
"But didn't you say just yesterday something like, 'People who aren't strong enough should leave?'" Eren must've said that to Connie and the others when I wasn't paying attention. I saw the fear in Eren's eyes, the fear that he'd never become a scout. "Am I wrong? Or was it, 'If you don't have the talent, you have to leave?' Which was it?" Connie taunted him.
"Hey, cut it out," I piped up. "Eren has more drive than either of you. The fact he's here after seeing unspeakable things, and he still wants to fight the Titans, is more than either of you can say!" Connie's lips turned downward as he began to gaze at his feet, realizing he may have taken it too far. I knew he truly didn't mean what he said. He must've been spending too much time with Jean. They were bunkmates afterall. Jean, unphased by my words, continued smirking.
"You're right... but I still think Eren doesn't have what it takes." He paused, the spark of an idea forming in his mind. "but maybe... you could change my mind?" Jean gave me a knowing look as both Eren and Armin turned to stare at me questioningly.
"What do you mean Jean?" Armin spoke up. Jean snickered and looked at the ground, then back at me.
"Why don't you give me a kiss and I'll help out Eren over there, sound good?" Eren, Connie, and Armin all looked at him in shock with their eyes widened while the rest of their faces scrunched up.
I was a boiling tea kettle about to explode.
"What? Don't you wanna? C'mon, you'd be helping your friend over there..." he said, sneering.
Did this guy really think he could just kiss me? What made him think I was at all interested? The water boiled over.
In a single moment, my hand clenched into a fist and my arm swung as fast as it could straight into Jean's face. The other three's looks of shock seemed to become so exaggerated, where there might've been steam rising from their heads. Jean was completely knocked out on the floor. Drool ran down his chin, and I was almost sure I saw birds circling over his head. Feeling the corner of my lip curve up, I thought to myself, satisfied; I really did punch that smug look off his face.
As Eren and Armin were still wonderstruck to the point they were speechless, I took both their arms and pulled them away from Connie and Jean's bunk.
"Those two won't help us. I don't really think I want them to anyway. I know one other guy who might help, although I'm unsure where his bed is. Armin, do you know where we can find Reiner Braun?" My words seemed to bring both of them back to their senses.
At the perfect moment, Armin pointed to the entrance of the men's quarters. There, I saw the familiar muscular, blonde-haired man walking in next to his tall and skinny pale friend. Yes, it was him.
Still holding onto Eren's and Armin's wrists, I felt my heartbeat quicken as Reiner noticed me. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as I quickly let go of them, not to give Reiner the wrong impression. What is up with me? Why do I feel so nervous? I had just spoken to Reiner this morning, and he is a nice guy, so why do I feel butterflies in my stomach? I hadn't really talked to him all day... I hoped he still thought well of me and that our interaction that morning hadn't ruined the beginning of a friendship.
"Um... [Y/N]? Is that you?" Reiner asked as he approached closer.
"Oh yes! Uh... Hi!" I said loudly as I waved at him. Why was I being so awkward? I always carried myself so easily and spoke confidently and gracefully. Now my words seemed to fail me. It felt like the room was closing in on the two of us.
"[Y/N]... what are you doing in the Men's quarters? And why are you with those two?" For a moment, I had forgotten that I wasn't really supposed to be in their sleeping quarters. Suddenly, I realized how strange it must've looked to Reiner.
"Oh! Uh– actually E– Eren wanted to ask you something, um– maybe I– I'll let him do that." I couldn't stop stuttering, yet Reiner's confused look seemed to turn as he smiled at me sympathetically. My heart jumped out of my chest. Bertholdt gave Reiner a worried look and quickly turned to Eren.
"Well, do you mind if we go up to our bunk? We kind of wanted to sit down, Reiner and I just got back from a workout," Bertholdt chimed in.
No wonder Reiner had sweat dripping from his forehead and his physique seemed more defined than usual. Catching myself staring at him, I crossed my arms and turned my head swiftly to the side, looking at Eren nervously.
"All right, that's fine," Eren said as he climbed the ladder after Bertholdt. Armin followed him and at the bottom of the ladder, it was just Reiner and I.
We both began to to speak at once.
"You go first!" We eyed each other and paused for a moment, then laughed.
"No, you go first," Reiner said, beating me to the punch. As I climbed up, I began to think it was strange how Reiner had been avoiding me for most of the day, yet here he was being so friendly. Did something happen that I didn't know about? Did he come to the conclusion that it was okay to talk to me? Or did he just seem to forget why he was avoiding me in the first place? The questions swirled in my mind.
When I reached the top bunk, I sat next to Armin who was closest to me on the left. Watching Reiner as he got onto the bed, his brow was unusually furrowed and he was blushing profusely. Was he ok? He looked considerably embarrassed. Why?
"Hey Reiner, are you ok?" Bertholdt asked him quietly. Reiner looked at him as though he had just seen a ghost and I heard him speak in a hushed voice.
"I was climbing the ladder under her, and I looked up and–" He quickly clenched his teeth and stopped himself from saying anything more. "I'm just going to sit over here," He whispered as he moved himself to Bertholdt's right hand side and crossed his legs and arms with his lips curled and his cheeks ablaze.
I kept wondering what Reiner meant by that... he looked up and...? Suddenly my thoughts stopped in their tracks. I was wearing my favorite cream colored button down shirt, with a navy blue skirt. I quickly looked at Reiner and then hastily looked back down at my lap, feeling the sting at my cheeks. God! Why had I worn a skirt?! Maybe he should have gone first.
Oh no! What will happen next?! GAHHHHH!! Keep reading! <3