*Marco POV*
"Hey! You guys wait right there!", Historia yelled at two of the orphanage kids running past us. They were giggling, finding 'stressed-out Historia' extremely funny. "Y/N, help me out please?", she asked exhausted, realizing there was no way she could catch up on her own.
"On it!", Y/N answered straight away, leaving Armin, Jean, Eren and myself behind. I watched her run after the others; a huge grin on her face, which was a noticeable contrast to the serious look on Historia's. As the light of the setting sun hit just right from behind them, I couldn't help but smile at the way it illuminated her figure. It felt like I was watching her run through the field in slow motion; her smile, her laugh, her body in motion,- all lighting my heart on fire.
'God, she's pretty'
"Don't you guys run from us!", her voice called out after them, causing a new wave of giggles from the kids. "Listen when we're talking to you!", Historia yelled straight after.
"Isn't this...", Jean started saying, spectating the scene in front of us just like the rest.
"Yeah... Not quite the Queen I was expecting", Armin finished his sentence. Looking back over at the girls, it looked like they had finally caught up, now lifting up one child each. Historia seemed to be doing most the scolding, Y/N mostly helping her keeping them from running away again.
"And it's only been two months since she was crowned. Seems like she's better suited to run an orphanage", Jean continued nonchalantly.
"I think she's doing a great job as a Queen, considering it was an unexpected and spontaneous event. She's already changing peoples lives for the better", I motioned over to the countless orphans, running around and enjoying the fresh evening air.
"Yeah. The people are calling her the Cattle-Farming-Goddess. But in a good way, of course", Armin said with a small smile. Historia and Y/N struggled to get through to them, trying to lecture them on the importance of helping around the ranch instead of just sneaking off whenever.
"So we've finally got a goddess among us. At this rate, no one will remember the chump who plugged up Trost, yeah?", Jean teased smugly, giving Eren the most sarcastic, shit-eating grin I've ever seen. Eren seemed unfazed by him, not even bothering to look his way.
"One of the reasons Historia decided to become queen was to do all this", he replied in a low tone. He seemed to have been using that tone a lot lately... Jean's expression faltered as he realized his attempt on getting under Eren's skin failed miserably.
"This, meaning?". Eren answered Armin by nodding over in the children's direction. I had to stifle a laugh once I realized what had gone down during the few couple of seconds I looked away from her. Y/N was now surrounded by at least seven children, all whom was laying on top of her as she tried to free herself from their giggling bodies. Over to the left some kids were pulling Sasha's hair and the corner of Connie's mouth, while they were trying to carry the heavy crates over to their respective places. No one dared mess with Mikasa though it seemed. That was understandable, her aura oozes 'touch me without consent and you're dead'-energy.
"This, meaning taking care of all the orphans and needy from the underground all the way over to the edge of the walls. When people need help, she said she'll come to their rescue, no matter who or where. That's what Historia wants to do", Eren explained further.
"And God knows it's been a long time coming. This is the kind of treatment you guys should have gotten after Wall Maria fell", I said, picturing just how much better Y/N and the others could have had it if only the previous king had sacrificed some of the vast space inside the innermost wall, like Historia has now.
"Yeah, that would have been something else than those broken-down storage units we used to-", Armin didn't manage to finish his sentence as Historia's light voice suddenly spoke, her stern words directed our way.
"Oh? You're slacking again! It's getting dark, you know!". Her arms were sticking slightly outwards, a sign on just how serious she was. None of us were really feeling getting scolded for the tenth time today, so we were quick to pick up a crate each without protest.
I almost didn't notice Y/N running our way, stopping to stand by my side. She had escaped the pile of children that had formed on top of her, now stretching out her back after the struggle, making grimaces whenever she would bend too far.
"You finally managed to get rid of the giggling monkeys?", I asked with a laugh, eyeing her as she picked up a crate of her own. She huffed with a smile and started walking towards the main buildings with me.
"Yeah. I love children, but remind me to not have kids until we're at least twenty-five or something!", she said with a laugh, abruptly stopping once she realized she said 'we' and 'have kids' in the same sentence. I felt my cheeks burning, and silence ensued as I thought about us having a family of our own one day...
'Maybe we could live out on the countryside... Have two kids,- maybe even three? I would love to have a daughter like her...'
Her gaze shied away completely after a little while. I didn't realize just how long I was in my own bubble for until I noticed Y/N's head facing away from me when I peeked over at her in the corner of my eyes.
'Dumbass, you made her think she said something embarrassing'
"I-", she started stammering.
"Noted.", I interrupted her with a smile, bringing her gorgeous eyes back on mine in an instant. She smiled sheepishly before looking down at the crate she was carrying with a flustered expression. The previous look of fear and regret was now gone, and I could tell the only feeling left now was the same as mine; Pure affection and appreciation.
"Hey, I've been meaning to bring it up again, but the mandatory leave is coming up in a couple of weeks... I was going to send my mom a letter tonight, and was just wondering if I can write that she can expect you to come with me to visit?". I had already asked her that day the titans supposedly broke through Wall Rose, but I needed the confirmation to be sure she really wanted to come. Meeting a parent is a big step after all, and the last thing I want is to stress her out.
"Of course Marco, I've been looking forward to it ever since you asked the first time", she smiled warmly.
"Great, then I'll tell her that tonight. You have no idea just how excited she is to meet you. You're always mentioned at least once in each letter", I told her with a little laugh, pulling her into my embrace after we both put down our crates.
"I hope I can live up to the expectations then", she replied with a giggle, trying to mask up the subtle nervousness suddenly lacing her voice. I brushed my fingers through her hair, trying to soothe any anxious thoughts away.
"Y/N... There is no doubt on my mind that she'll absolutely adore you", I cooed softly into her ear. She turned her head slightly, until we were facing each other; the tips of our noses touching. We both leaned in at the same time, feeling the familiar softness of each other's lips.
I'm convinced I'll never get used to the intense sensations kissing her brings. Her lips are always hot, but cool at the same time. The slight tingle spreading throughout the surface of my body makes her skin feel ten times softer beneath my fingertips. The touch of her hands, gentle but firm, clinging to whatever part of my body she feels like holding onto is enough to drive me insane. I feel empowered. I feel loved. Nothing can compare to her fingers traveling curiously through my hair and down my neck while the dizziness from the hot kiss takes a hold of my brain, intensifying any physical contact my body may have to hers.
I wrapped my hands around her lower back, somewhat lifting her up from the ground by tilting the upper half of my body slightly backwards. She tightened her grip around my neck while giggling against my lips. I spun around a few times, the unexpected movement making her giggles stronger; enough to break the kiss. I laughed with her, putting her down while planting a dragged-out peck on her cheek. The feeling of her lips still lingered on mine as I looked at her.
It is blissful and peaceful moments like these with her, in the midst of all the madness that is our world, that I'll remember and cherish forever.
~
*Normal POV*
The months after Historia's coronation had been filled with new discoveries and improvements within the use of your gear and the technology behind it.
With Eren's newly obtained hardening ability, a certain anti-titan weapon was born. Designed by Hange and some other engineering soldiers, the weapon allowed for you to kill titans approaching the wall without even engaging with them personally. Eren had simply hardened and shaped the form of the structure of the weapon, Hange later attaching a ginormous log with a sharp metal piece on the bottom, that would be big and heavy enough to hopefully crush a titan's nape.
A soldier stood protected behind some of the hardened crystal down by the ground, acting as bait to draw in the titans. You all watched in anticipation as a titan closed in on him.
"Now!", the soldier yelled, and the line was cut by another, sending the log plummeting down towards the ground. It hit the nape with such force, it made a visible dent in the titans neck.
"A direct hit on the nape!", you exclaimed, quickly sketching it down in your book.
"This could be it!". You had yet to actually kill a titan with the weapon; several adjustments had been made after earlier attempts didn't hit the nape deep enough. Steam started appearing out of the nape and your heart sank.
'Is it healing itself already?'
But the steam turned into the well known sight of a decaying titan, and your frown quickly turned into a huge grin.
"We did it! That's a 12-meter, crushed!", Hange cheered, over the moon- excited. "Hell yeah! With this, we can kill titans without a single soldier fighting! We'll be able to hack down titans all day and night! Say hello to the executioner from hell!". She screamed the last part. It's been a long while since you had seen her this excited, and it made you really happy. You always had it the best if the people around you were doing good.
You turned around to look at Eren, about to tell him how proud you were of his hard work, when you noticed something red stream down from his nose.
"Eren!", you quickly moved over to him, gently grabbing his face to examine him. The blood just kept on coming, leaving his nose in a steady flow. Hange shut herself up once she took a look at the state of him.
"Here", Levi reached out his hand, offering you a handkerchief while crouching down beside you. You smiled at him appreciatively, before turning back to Eren to help him stop the bleeding.
"Eren? Are you okay?", Hange asked worried.
"He probably overused his titan powers. All he's done is hardening experiments lately...", Levi said, sounding a bit concerned.
"Sorry Eren...", Hange said, the guilt very apparent in her tone.
"There's nothing to apologize for, Hange", Eren finally spoke, the bloodstream stopping at last, making you able to gently wipe the remnants away. "Who gives a damn if I'm tired? Let's hurry... make weapons, and get going to Shiganshina!". Your brows furrowed, and you exchanged looks with Levi as Eren spoke.
"Sleep and rest is important for your body and your titan-abilities to be able to perform at the top of it's game. If there is one thing our experiments have confirmed, it is that you can't do shit if you're exhausted", you said honest, wiping the last tint of red mark from his nose. He looked at you, his expression telling you just how little he enjoyed the thought of being useless. "You have done well Eren, but please don't overwork yourself". His expression softened a bit as he sighed.
"I'll take it easy Y/N, don't you worry", he smiled slightly, nudging you lightly on the shoulder. You couldn't even fathom the amount of stress and pressure he was under lately, and you were happy to help lessen the load in any way your could.
~
Finally, the first day of your mandatory leave had arrived, and all soldiers leaving to see their families or loved ones stood ready to depart from HQ. This week had been a long time coming since it kept getting postponed because of the various events that had been taking place in the course of the last four months. Erwin stressed the importance of this week taking place before the big mission to retake Wall Maria, seeing it would most likely result in some losses of lives.
You and Marco were riding together with Jean since Jinae is just a couple of hours away from Trost. You waved goodbye to Sasha and Connie. Connie had been invited to stay with Sasha's family for the week. You were happy he had a place to go considering what happened to his town and his mom...
"Please consider visiting my home before the week is over! My parents took Kaya in under our roof, and she's been asking to see you again, Marco!", Sasha yelled as there was a significant amount of distance between you. Sasha had told you about the little girl they saved outside her village, and you found it endearing hearing just how much she looked up to both Sasha and Marco.
"We'll see what we can do! Tell her we'll try to come see her soon!", Marco answered her with a smile. And with that you started the journey towards the Village of Jinae.
~
It had been a couple of hours since you and Jean separated, and it wasn't long until you were expected to reaching your destination. The sun had almost set, and you tried spotting the Village before it got too dark to see anything.
"We're almost there, just a little further past those trees", Marco assured you with a smile. You had never been to Jinae, and you didn't know what to expect from it. Riding past the trees Marco mentioned, you could finally see some lights in the distance. From what you could see, it looked to be kind of the same type of Village as Connie's, however, it was larger and covered a bigger area. Once entering the village boarders, you noticed they even had their own little town square. The sun had almost set completely, the different lanterns illuminating the street giving the town a whimsical feel.
"Wow", you whispered amazed, looking around yourself with a spark in your eye. You always loved the charm villages had. They radiate a different kind of energy than walled cities, such as Trost or Shiganshina. It was refreshing being able to still smell the freshness of the nature surrounding the village, as opposed to just the smell of dust from the dirt roads.
"You like it? I'll show you around tomorrow when the sun is out", he eagerly promised you.
"Can't wait. I'm excited to see all the places from your childhood and hear the stories behind them", you smiled. You had been riding the whole day, barely ever taking breaks. You felt exhausted.
"Its just a couple of houses down this road. We'll go to bed straight away, I promise", he said after he caught you yawning. You nodded appreciative, tugging at Myosotis' reins to make her halt. Marco showed you where you could hitch her, and made sure your horses had plenty of food and water, before heading towards the front door of his house.
It was too dark for you to get a proper look at the exterior, but a lantern hanging outside the door illuminated an impressive collection of flowers planted along the walls of the house.
Marco prepared to knock on the door, but wasn't even able to move an inch before the door rapidly opened.
"Marco!", his mom exclaimed with a voice full of emotion. She pulled him into her embrace, and he happily hugged her back. "Oh, it's so good to see you, my angel". She pulled away slightly to get a good look at his face. You felt a slight tugging in your heart, watching this loving mother reunite with her son again. It's been years since you actively thought about and missed your parents every single day. Now you only think about them occasionally. You've had a hard time dealing with the pain of slowly forgetting them and how it felt to be close to them. For every day that passed, their faces got more blurred, and you had felt more and more guilty about it. You were the only one that could keep their memory alive, how dared you ever forget anything about them? It was only after you talked to Eren, Armin and Mikasa, you understood you weren't the only one struggling with that issue. That helped you a lot.
Watching Marco and his mom ignited the part of you that still longed for your parents. Deep in thought, you barely even noticed Marco motioning over to you.
"Y/N, my dear, it's so nice to finally meet you", she smiled, closing the distance between you. You smiled at her warmly, allowing yourself to relax into the hug.
"You too Mrs. Bodt", you replied once she let go of you.
"Please just call me Louisa", she insisted, taking a hold of your bag. "You two must be absolutely exhausted! I've prepared both the guest room, and your room Marco. Let's save the catching up till tomorrow".
The inside of the house was quite charming and had a nice cottage feel to it. You noticed different types of flowers, probably plucked from her little garden, decorated the main living room. "Marco, take her bag to the guest room, and I'll quickly show her where the essential rooms are". Marco did as told after you gave him a slight nod to reassure him you were comfortable with the suggestion.
You then followed his mom around the house as she eagerly showed you where to find the bathroom, along with the kitchen. After reassuring her that the two of you had eaten and weren't at the brink of starvation, she showed you over to your room, where Marco had been so kind to unpack your bag for you.
As you curled up underneath the sheets and closed your eyes, you couldn't help but smile; excited to see what the next day had in store for you.
Roughly what I imagine his house and village looks like, but in the setting of the aot world of course:
Marco's house:
The astetchic of the Village:
_____________________________
A/N:
Aaaah, Happy 20th birthday to our best boy Marco, today; June 16th❤️ He's literally the sweetest and always had the purest intentions. I'm still very much not over what happened to him... He didn't deserve it at all😕 At least we have this fic to cope with now I guess❤️
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are excited for some original, straight-out-of-my-imagination chapters next, before we move back to the main plot line and the S3 part 2 events! : )
Have a great day!
~Jen