Burying his face into the sheets of his mattress, Jean swore he could've done anything at that moment just to make his brain stop working. It seemed like an odd thing to wish for, especially when he currently lived in a world where everyone strived to be better, smarter, but the way countless thoughts stormed his mind every damn second for the past week was enough to have him going crazy.
And it didn't help that those thoughts mostly consisted of what happened on that day, and the girl who had been with him. Thoughts of how happy he felt in that moment, of the feeling of her lips against his being everything he's ever wanted, of the way he'd become such a blushing mess every time he'd think about it, and how badly he wanted to do it again.
He smacked himself on the head just for that, appalled at himself for even coming up with that. He screamed into his pillow out of frustration, the boy just wanting to know whatever the hell was going on with him. Or maybe I don't want to know.
Because things weren't going too well for him. Because after that damned kiss, he was definitely starting to see Taryn very, very differently.
Like on Monday, the day after the coronation. He stayed inside their dorm the whole afternoon, planning to do who knows what, when he caught a glimpse of her outside from the window. He didn't know what had gotten into him, but the next thing he knew was that he was standing there for thirty minutes, just staring at her. It wasn't until she turned to look in his direction and spotted him did he snap out of his trance, immediately moving to hide.
Tuesday. He finally got the guts to go out, and he had slowly been making his way down the hallways to the mess hall, planning to have lunch. Still not having the courage to face her, however, he chose to sit next to Eren, much to the brunette's dismay. Even so, he found that his eyes kept wandering over to her table.
And Wednesday. He was once again inside their dorm and on his bed, having a crisis. He would try again and again to distract himself, from playing card games with whoever was available to counting the cracks and dents in the ceiling, yet his mind didn't seem capable of thinking about anything but Taryn.
It was as if that kiss left a permanent reminder of her ingrained within his brain, like a poison so intoxicating, taking over his thoughts, his feelings, his life. It didn't even feel like his body was his own anymore.
And shit, he was thinking about her again. Feeling frustrated, he let out another scream and felt another pillow hit his back, rather aggressively, he might add. Immediately, he sat upright to scold the person who dared to disturb him, but instead he was met with Eren's irritated face and wide eyes, glaring daggers at him from across the room.
"Will you stop screaming like a damn girl?" The brunette yelled at him. "I'm trying to read here!"
Jean thrust the pillow back at him, hitting Eren right in the face which caused the book he was holding in his hands to fall to the ground. "Shut up, this is my room! Go to the library if you want some oh-so-precious peace and silence, blockhead!"
The boy sent the pillow flying back to Jean again, ruining his hairstyle which instantly caused him to be irritated. "This is my room too! And you shut up—"
"The both of you shut up!" Connie burst out all of a sudden, causing the two of them to go quiet, resolving to just flashing each other the deadliest glares they could muster. Sensing their ongoing competition, Connie sighed, turning to face Eren with a deep frown. "Sorry, Eren, but Jean's right. We do have a library..."
The brunette's jaw dropped, before muttering something that sounded like an angry 'fine' and storming out of the room, making sure to slam the door on his way out. The two stared after him and his retreating back, feeling confused on whether or not to be sorry for him or to be glad that he was gone. For Jean, however, the answer was obvious.
"And you," Connie spoke up, whipping his head to turn to Jean still having a breakdown on his bed. "Can we please go to lunch now? I'm starving now."
Jean responded by pulling the blanket over his face, hiding underneath it. "You can go without me." He mumbled, his words coming out unintelligible, but Connie still heard him loud and clear.
He rolled his eyes, hopping on the mattress. "Is this about—"
"No, it's not!" The ash brown haired boy shouted back immediately, narrowing his eyes at Connie furiously. "I'm not hungry."
"Yeah, totally," He snorted. He snatched the blanket away from Jean and threw it somewhere in the corner, leaving him defenseless. Tugging on his arm, Connie rolled his eyes again. "Come on. Are you that scared of running into Taryn?"
He sat up with a groan, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I'm not scared," He mumbled. "It's just know it's...gonna be awkward."
"What, because you kissed her?" Connie furrowed his brows. He put a hand on his hip, questioning him. "Why'd you even do that in the first place, idiot?"
Jean's face morphed back into an angry frown. "Well, I don't know! Screw you for coercing us to drink alcohol!"
"I didn't force you! You were the one who decided to go ahead and drink two glasses!"
He didn't respond and only continued to glare at him. The two sat in silence, with Connie flashing him an unimpressed look every now and then, Jean responding with the same energy, before the shorter male finally gave up and heaved a deep sigh.
"Okay, whatever, my bad," He rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time. "But so what if you kissed her?"
Jean appeared confused. "Huh?"
A ghost of smirk was starting to make its way towards Connie's lips. Quirking up a brow, he crossed his arms. "Why are you making such a big deal about it?"
The boy gaped at him. "How can I not? We're friends—"
"Sasha and I've kissed multiple times, and it's not awkward at all." He shrugged, appearing so nonchalant about what he had just said, a stark contrast to the other boy's reaction.
His words caught Jean off guard. His eyes widened and he even had to make sure he hadn't been hearing things. Glancing back at Connie, he couldn't help but flash him a look of bewilderment. "Sorry, what?"
"Just for practice when I eventually get someone, you know," Connie wiggled his brows. "Don't get the wrong idea. But back to the topic. Why are you getting so worked up about it?"
"I don't know."
Connie was grinning ear-to-ear. He inched closer to Jean, extremely close that he even had to push him away slightly. "Is it because...you like her?"
"What? No," He shot back immediately, not liking the way his heart skipped a beat at the prospect. "I don't see her in that way, no. You know I like..." He trailed off, unsure of what he was about to say. "You know who I like."
Connie chuckled, though it was in a mean, almost sarcastic type of way. "Yeah, sure," He raised up a brow. "Don't give me that crap. Who, Mikasa? When was the last time you thought of her? I bet it's been a long, long time."
He hated to admit it, but Connie was right. Mikasa wasn't the one who had been on his mind lately, and he wasn't going to lie and say that his feelings for her was as intense as it had been before.
He didn't reply, leaving the two of them in solitude. Connie was still smiling at him teasingly with his eyebrows dancing and instead of being annoyed, the sight caused a smile to want to appear on Jean's lips as well.
He broke into a chuckle, his distressed demeanor disappearing out of the window. Groaning, he threw a pillow at Connie. "Stop that! I'm trying to be emotional here!"
Connie laughed out loud, picking up another pillow nearby to hit Jean back. "Just stop being overdramatic and get on with it, I'm hungry!"
"I told you, I'm not gonna—"
"Why the hell not?" He yelled back. "Look, if you really don't have feelings for Taryn, then facing her shouldn't be such a big deal right?" Connie told him. "Right?"
He couldn't meet his gaze and instead chose to look out of the window, distracting himself yet again with watching the leaves of the autumn trees sway back and forth in the wind, a few of them falling to the ground like weightless feathers. Still, Connie's words echoed throughout his mind repeatedly, making him wonder and dare to ask a question he might not have the answer for.
Did he really like Taryn?
Sure, he did kiss her. Even though he was under the influence of alcohol, he was still aware of what had been going on, and what he'd been about to do. He couldn't really blame it on being drunk anymore, and he knew that there was some part of him, hidden deep within, that had wanted to do it for a long time already. And when given the chance, he did it of his own free will.
But why? Why did it have to be her, his childhood friend, out of all people? Why was he starting to feel all these things now?
Yet again, more questions he didn't have the answers to.
Sighing, he turned back to face Connie, finding him staring at him with a deep frown. "I'm dying of hunger, Jean. We have to go."
He ignored him again, his heart still a little bit hesitant. He really didn't want to have to face her anytime soon. "Then just go."
The shorter male never gave up, however, as he remained standing in front of him with his arms crossed, face set in fierce determination. "I'm not leaving here without you. So it's gonna be your fault if I die a gruesome death."
"Fine, fine..."
Just mere seconds after his approval, the boy grabbed his arm and ran out of the room, not even bothering to check whether or not the door to their dorm had been properly closed. It wasn't long until they reached the entryway to the mess hall, the familiar clatter of utensils against the plates and the faint chatter of the people greeting them as they passed.
Jean wasn't exaggerating when he felt as if all eyes were on him the moment the two of them entered. Multiple people that he didn't even know were caught sending him furtive and sneaky glances, to the point where he wondered if there was dirt on his face.
Furrowing his brows, he dismissed the strange notion. But what really irked him was when he found Eren and the others sitting at a nearby table, and though the boy greeted him with the usual glare, Armin and Mikasa were grinning widely, almost as if they knew something.
He immediately suspected the male beside him, his eyes narrowing down to mere slits. Feeling his intense glare, Connie let out a nervous laugh as he scratched his head. "Connie," He growled. "Did you tell anyone?"
An apologetic smile then started to appear on his lips, and the boy raised a hand, patting him on the back. "It doesn't matter who knows. What matters is that I'm starving and I need to eat."
Jean didn't even get a chance to reply as Connie began dragging him away again, and much to his horror, started heading towards where Sasha and Taryn were currently seated. Sasha looked like she was rambling about something while the latter quietly listened, her gaze fixated solely on her food that appeared as if it had barely been touched.
Her hair was styled into a braid at the moment, and he thought it looked very pretty. His mind couldn't help but wander back to what happened that day, the thought instantly making a blush spread across his face, and Jean had to physically remind himself to stop. Stop. Thinking. About. It.
Taryn hummed in agreement to something that Sasha told her, though she couldn't quite remember what, as she noticed that her mind had been completely out of the gutter for the past few days. She hadn't planned on going out at all, but she had no choice, courtesy to Sasha who knew about what happened and had tried her damndest to drag her out of their room, deftly ignoring her countless protests and wails.
Which led to her current situation. Glancing up, she locked eyes with Mikasa and Armin from the other table. The two smiled at her teasingly, and Taryn could only frown at them, to which they responded with a laugh. Of course they knew.
She also couldn't help but notice the stares of the other soldiers. Hell, she even caught the Section Commander smirking at her from across the room. Eyeing Sasha right beside her, she discreetly sent the girl a glare, but it didn't seem like she noticed. Naturally, if Sasha and Connie knew about something, then everyone would also know.
Sighing, she turned her attention back to her plate of pudding. The past days, her time had mostly been spent on thinking about that damned kiss and the rest praying that she wouldn't have the chance to run into Jean, or even Connie, who was sure to tease her about it with every opportunity he got.
But it seemed like the universe was against her that day, because soon enough, she could hear a pair of footsteps heading in their direction. She froze, immediately recognizing who they were already even without turning to look at them approaching.
In a panic, she tried to stand up and escape, but Sasha kept a firm grip around her arm, not once allowing her to move. Facing her with wide eyes, she started to plead. "Sasha—"
Sasha kicked her leg harshly. "You stay right here!" She hissed at her. Turning to the two people approaching their table, her face lit up, the girl flashing them a bright smile. "Good morning, boys!"
Connie let out a snort at her statement, choosing to sit down beside her. "It's noon time, dumbass."
"Oh, really? Didn't notice." She shrugged. Glancing up, they saw that Jean was still standing there, conflicted as to where he was going to sit because obviously, the only seat available was the one next to Taryn. He kept staring at the small space next to Connie, debating if whether or not he should sit there.
Noticing his gaze, Connie outstretched his legs to block the spot, before glaring at Jean and furiously gesturing for him to get over it. Frowning, the boy hesitantly took a seat. He could sense Taryn stiffen from right beside him and he made sure to keep a good distance between them, at least.
Now it was his turn to receive a kick from Sasha. Hissing in annoyance, he raised a questioning brow at her to which she only replied with a glare. Muttering curses under his breath, Jean dared to move a tiny bit closer.
This seemed to please Sasha, as her face began to soften after quite a while. Clearing his throat, Connie's narrowed eyes darted between the two of them. "Well?"
Taryn kept her gaze fixated on her food, concentrating on playing with the pile of beans on her plate. "Good morn...noon."
Jean did the same, focusing on his food in the hopes to distract himself from everything else. "Good noon."
Nothing was then said between them after that. As much as they tried to act normal, the atmosphere was anything but. The food seemed a bit harder to chew, each bite bland and tasteless, almost as if the chefs had forgotten to season it at all. Taryn didn't even bother to eat them anymore and had just resolved to studying her plate, the blobs of unappetizing pudding staring back at her.
Jean had his chin rested on his palm, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to run away at that very moment. He too had also given up on trying to ingest anything and was content with stirring his cup of tea, his eyes avidly following the way the dregs swirled around in the murky brown liquid.
For the other two, the silence was becoming unbearable. Connie sighed and let his utensils fall to his plate, the clatter diverting their attention. "It feels like I'm eating with statues," He complained, raising his voice a bit as he narrowed his eyes. "Will you two just talk?"
"Hi."
"Hi."
Groaning, Connie rubbed his eyes in exasperation. "You're really leaving us with no choice, huh?" He told them begrudgingly. before turning to Sasha eating peacefully beside him. He inched closer to her, and to their surprise, began puckering up his lips. "Sasha, kiss me."
The girl looked shocked but strangely, she didn't appear to be taken aback by what Connie had just said. "Huh?"
"Just do it!"
Neither of them thought that they were being serious, so it wasn't until when Sasha started to lean in and close her eyes did a bit of panic began to rise within them. Seeing what was happening, Taryn stood up and immediately put a hand in between the two, pushing them back to their spots. "That isn't necessary!"
"Fine, we'll talk," She hissed, sitting back down on her seat. Slowly, she tried to glance at the boy beside her, taking a deep breath, the words feeling stuck in her throat before rolling off her tongue. "Hello, Jean, how are you?"
Startled by being addressed so suddenly, Jean froze for a few moments. He then relaxed a bit, though he didn't have the slightest ounce of courage to face her. "I'm...good. You?"
She forced a smile, responding with ease, but the two still weren't looking at each other. "Never been better."
Sasha and Connie stared at them, unimpressed. "That's not talking! At least make eye contact!" The girl yelled, shoving down a spoon of mashed potatoes down her mouth afterwards. Connie nodded in support of her, kicking the two of them in the legs.
After much effort, Taryn dared to glance up at Jean, the boy turning to look at her as well. Their eyes met, and all of a sudden, they were back at the flowerfields. He thought she looked so beautiful underneath him and she thought he looked angelic, the rays of the setting sun circling around him like a golden halo. Then he was leaning in, their noses were touching, and—
Taryn tore her gaze away from him and he did the same, the both of them diverting their attention back to their surroundings in the hopes of distracting themselves. Chewing on her lip, she tried her hardest to calm down her hammering chest, and Jean let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, noticing his face had become hot to the touch.
Connie sighed, shaking his head. "We've got a lot of work to do."
Sasha's face then lit up, as if remembering something. "By the way, Captain Levi told us to clean up a few of the store rooms. You two included."
Taryn furrowed her brows. She could've sworn she saw the Captain order around a few cadets yesterday to do the exact same thing. "But I just saw him tidying up yesterday."
Sasha looked surprised, raising her eyebrows slightly before shrugging her shoulders and take a big bite out of the bread in her hands. "He must've missed a spot or something," She reasoned, still chewing on her food. "Either way, we still have to do it."
She nodded, not asking any more questions. The Headquarters had a lot of rooms, so it wouldn't be too strange if they Captain indeed forgot to clean a specific place. Still, she thought it was unusual for a clean freak like him.
After finishing up and waiting for a certain someone to finally stop eating, the four of them stood up and began to head out the mess hall, navigating their way through the endless maze of hallways. And due to the vast size of the place, it wasn't uncommon for them to get lost, just like how they were at that moment.
Jean let out a loud sigh of irritation as they made a detour for what seemed like the hundredth time, all thanks to Sasha and Connie insisting that they were taking the right way. They were told to clean the storerooms which he knew were located on the second floor of the building, but judging by the fact that they were still on ground level, it was obvious that those two had no idea where they were supposed to be going.
"Hey, knuckleheads," He snarled at them, catching their attention. "The storerooms are upstairs."
Sasha shook her head, taking ahold of his arm, dragging him along with her. "But Captain Levi told us it was this way."
"I think it's this way..."
"No, you idiot. I'm pretty sure it's this one."
Still bickering, the two of them started to slow down in front of a huge open door, leading to a room with big windows that had rays of sunlight peeking through it generously. Connie stopped to peek at what was inside, but frowned once he saw the empty space, glancing at Sasha with a raised brow.
Sasha shrugged at him, and Jean was left confused watching their strange communication. He opened his mouth and was about to complain again when he suddenly felt him and Taryn being pushed inside, with the door being shut in their face before they even got the chance to react.
His eyes widened, and he began banging on the door, his hands frantically turning on the knob in his feeble attempt to escape, only to find it locked from the outside. "Sasha! Connie!" He yelled, though the only response he got were devilish snickers and the sound of footsteps running away, leaving the two of them trapped inside the room.
He leaned his forehead against the wooden surface defeatedly, being painfully aware of the deafening silence between him and the other person stuck in the place with him. He considered breaking the silence and to just try and talk to her, as he knew they couldn't exactly ignore each other forever.
Clearing his throat, he decided on talking to her. He walked over to her spot and sat down, keeping a safe distance between them. "Hey."
The girl appeared startled that he was talking to her all of a sudden. She looked away from him and began staring at the windows, blinking at the bright rays of sunlight. "Uh, hi."
He tried saying whatever things came to his mind, but now he knew that that was a terrible idea. "How's your..." He paused, wondering whether or not attempting to make conversation was really a good idea. "How's your lip..."
Even though he wasn't facing her, he could sense her eyes widening a fraction. Now he really wished he hadn't said that. "What?"
Why the fuck did I say that. His face burning, he then let out a small cough to conceal his embarrassment. He shut his eyes, hesitantly letting the words form. "I think I...bit it at some point."
Her jaw dropped, and she couldn't help but let a hand fly to her mouth, just to check. Now that she noticed, there was indeed a slight bruise...but the thought only succeeded in making her blush even harder.
Shutting her eyes, all she wanted was for whatever this atmosphere was between them to end. Sparing him a glance, she saw that Jean was just as flustered as she was. She knew he was only trying to initiate a conversation, and the least she could do was to just cooperate.
Clearing her throat, she tore her gaze away from him again and began staring at the sunlit windows once more. "You know what, let's just forget it ever happened."
She could sense him shift in his spot, his next response coming out as barely anything more than a whisper. "I can't exactly do that."
"Why not?"
"That was my, uh, first."
"Oh," She replied shortly, not really having anything else to say. "Right."
They were plunged into another round of silence, yet again. And although her common sense was begging for her to stay quiet, to just let the moment pass, the curiosity within her wasn't quite satisfied. She still caught herself wondering, why did he kiss her? She knew it might not be the wisest question to ask, but she needed to know, if not for her peace of mind.
Bracing herself, she swallowed the lump in her throat, forming the words. "Why did you do it?"
There was a pause before he answered, one long enough for her to guess that he was hesitating in what he was about to say. "I wasn't thinking straight."
She nodded, already having seen it coming. They were under the influence of alcohol, so it wouldn't be such a surprise if they ended up doing something stupid. "So it was a mistake."
But Jean didn't seem to think that way. "No. Not really," He immediately denied, before trailing off again, the hesitation pouring out from his tone. "It's just...it's hard to explain."
She sighed, not planning on pestering him even further. No matter the reason, it didn't seem that important anymore. She just wanted the awkwardness between them to disappear, for them to go back to normal again. This is what I'm afraid of, she thought to herself. This is why I don't think I'll ever have the courage to confess to him.
Clearing her throat once again, she let a smile grace her lips, one she hoped was genuine enough for him to be at ease with her. "Let's not be awkward about it."
He furrowed his brows. "Huh?"
"We...kissed. That happened," She told him slowly, before finishing off her sentence with a humorless laugh, the girl shrugging her shoulders. "So it happened. We were...intoxicated. No big deal."
Jean stared at her, a bit surprised. Truthfully, he hadn't expected her to be the one to actually confront him about it, but it seemed as Taryn just wanted the same thing he did. They just wanted things to go back to normal, to have that easy air around them once again. And having been avoiding her for the past few says, he found that he missed talking to her, missed feeling at ease and at peace whenever he was with her.
He nodded immediately in agreement, his voice growing a tiny bit louder in volume. "Yeah, you're right. We shouldn't be making a fuss about it."
"Yeah. I mean, I heard Sasha and Connie kiss all the time, so..."
Surprisingly, he let out a laugh. It still shocked him, even though he already found out about it a few hours earlier. "Yeah. No big deal."
"It's normal, right?" Taryn asked him, though he noticed her tone was unsure. He glanced at her and found her fiddling with her fingers, distracting herself. "For our age."
He doubted it, but he had no choice but to agree. "Totally. Normal. Yes."
He heard her take a deep breath, and she met his gaze, her expression sincere. "We're still friends?" She began to say, her bright brown eyes practically begging him to say yes.
It's what he wanted, wasn't it? To go back to normal, for them to become friends again. Which was why he didn't know why he was so disappointed, why he was suddenly upset at hearing that word that he's already heard a thousand times over. He didn't know what he had been hoping for, but then again he had no choice but to agree, as the girl was eagerly awaiting his response.
Looking away, he swallowed the lump forming in his throat."Yeah."
He could see her visibly relax beside him, probably glad to hear that they were back to normal, back to being friends. He still couldn't figure out why he was feeling so discouraged all of a sudden. Yes, he wanted things to be normal between, for the awkwardness to disappear. But not friends. Because somehow, after that stupid kiss, he didn't have it in him to see her as just a friend anymore. Because now, she was something so much more than that.
He knew the answer. All the signs were pointing to that one thing. Yet he still couldn't bring himself to admit it, not to anyone, not even himself.
Shutting his eyes, he leaned against the wall, throwing his head head back as he cleared the thoughts from his mind. It was another problem for another day, and right now he should be glad he solved at least one of them. Friends it is, then. We're back to normal.
He chuckled at the thought, before turning to face Taryn teasingly. "So," He raised a brow. "How was it?"
Her eyes widened. "Sorry?"
The corners of his mouth slowly began to tilt up into a smirk, his usual arrogance coming back in an instant. "How was I? Am I good kisser or what?"
She frowned, though a hint of amusement could be seen spreading across her face. "Why the hell are you asking me this?"
"I've gotta evaluate myself! That's the key to improvement, know your flaws, then invest time perfecting them—"
She hit him in the head, rolling her eyes but failed to hold back a smile from forming on her lips. "Gross."
"I'm waiting for an answer, Mudface."
She groaned, not at all pleased with hearing that nickname again. "Will you stop calling me that?"
He ruffled her hair, messing it up even more. "Only if you tell me."
She didn't answer for a while, resolving to just glaring daggers at him from her spot. With a sigh, she eventually gave in, tearing her eyes away from his gaze once again. "Fine," She muttered. "You weren't bad."
He sat upright at an instant, taking offense almost immediately. "Not bad? That's what you say about your first kiss?"
She quirked up a brow, and now it had been her turn to smirk at him. "Who said it was my first kiss?"
His shock was genuine. "Huh?" He stammered out, not quite knowing how to react. "I am your first...right?"
She smiled. "Are you?"
"What?" He exclaimed. "Who was it then? Tell me!"
"Hell no. You'd—" She didn't get to finish her sentence as she felt him tug at her hair, the sudden pain directed towards her scalp causing her to forget all about messing around with him. "Ow! What the hell, Jean?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. He wasn't even pretending to be mad. "Tell me."
"I'm joking, I'm joking!" She answered him immediately, the girl rolling her eyes. "Duh, of course you were. Have you ever seen me with anyone else, hm?"
He exhaled deeply, not even bothering to hide his relief. "I mean, who knows?" He shrugged. "It could've been Connie, Sasha, Eren..."
Sighing, she rested her head against his shoulder, the sudden action of hers making him freeze up unexpectedly.
He coughed awkwardly, his eyes darting around the place frantically. He landed his gaze on the doors and remembered that it was still locked from the outside, which only meant hat they had no means of escaping. "D-Did they lock us up in here?"
"Most likely," Taryn replied. She lifted up a hand, pointing towards the sunny windows. "But there's always the window."
He hummed in response. Feeling bored, an idea crossed his mind, and he turned to glance at Taryn with a hopeful expression. "Wanna go somewhere?"
"Where? There's only so much you can do inside the headquarters."
He shrugged, racking his brain for suggestions. "Trost is nearby. We could walk around and buy stuff."
She frowned. "I don't have money."
Sighing, he pulled out his money bag and tossed it over to her, causing her to raise her eyebrows in surprise. "Wow. You're being quite generous today." She teased, poking him on the cheek.
He rolled his eyes, before moving to stand up, offering her a hand. "I'm just bored, don't get used to it."
She took his hand and stood up on her feet, walking over to the huge windows of the room they were in. With some twisting and turning, she was able to unlock one of them, opening the hatch wide enough for their bodies to climb through.
They were met by a sudden gust of wind from the outside, the coldness of the breeze sending shivers down their spines. Glancing over her shoulder, she faced him with a smile. "Let's go, then."
...
Compared to what the two knew about the city, the Trost they saw on that day had almost been unrecognizable. The Titan attack was still fresh in the memories of the civilians as countless debris were scattered around every corner, and the once pristine buildings were already falling apart, damaged and in need of repair. As they witnessed the sight, it was clear that the previous government paid little attention to actually rebuilding the place.
Jean sighed, frowning as he glanced at the rocks and pebbles resting in his way. "It's a mess."
She nodded, hesitantly agreeing with him. "Yeah."
But they didn't mind. To them, it was still home, despite the tragedy and horrors they've been through in that very place.
Slowly, they moved to walk down the streets. Though run down and in ruins, the neighborhood was as busy as it was before, the sidewalks bustling with different stalls and people, children and old folk alike. As they made their way into the heart of the district, they saw that the innermost parts weren't as affected as the outskirts, and they were glad to see that the economy was still booming, the people's spirits still hopeful.
Taryn unconsciously began to hop along the stone path, following the little patterns on the ground and stepping on them accordingly, like she always did when she was younger. Beside her, the boy noticed what she was doing and rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit. "You look ridiculous."
She faced him with a raised brow, before smiling. "Try it, it's fun." Looping an arm around his, she pulled him closer and continued to step on the patterns, urging him to do the same. Reluctantly, he followed, and the two then began to hop like children on the sidewalks, inadvertently catching the attention and stares of other people.
Jean felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, but he couldn't deny that slight nostalgia he felt, recalling the way they ran along the same streets when they were children. "This is embarrassing," He told her, causing a large frown to appear on Taryn's face.
"Then don't do it if you don't want to." She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she pushed him away from her, her dramatic reaction earning a hearty laugh from the boy.
Shaking his head with a smile, he walked back to her side. "I didn't say I didn't want to." He said as he reached out to grab her arm, only to find himself holding onto her hand instead. Taryn's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the action, but that didn't stop her from interlacing her fingers with his, her heartbeat racing just a tad bit quicker.
The same went for Jean. He could feel his face growing hot and he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He liked it, though. Liked the feeling of her warm hand against his, loved how his hand seemed just a little bit bigger than hers. This strange feeling...
It's normal, isn't it?
The both of them walked in silence as they passed by the various stores and stalls, not quite sure on what to do, or what to say to each other. It was as if that awkward atmosphere from earlier had caught up to them, the words they wanted to say on the tip of their tongues, the uncertainty about how the other was feeling clouding their minds.
She cleared her throat and tried to start a conversation again, peering up at him with questioning eyes. "Are you going to visit your mother?"
Jean paused at her question, as if considering the thought for a moment, before sighing and shaking his head. "No."
Her brows knit together and her lips curved down into a frown, the girl a bit confused as to why he wasn't going to do so after not seeing his family for weeks on end. Even she had been planning to visit her brother later on in the afternoon. "And why not?"
He didn't answer, and kept staring straight ahead. An expression of disbelief immediately took over Taryn's face, appalled that he was still keeping up with that attitude of his. "Seriously, you're still—"
"Let me finish," He interrupted sharply, rolling his eyes. He then cast his gaze down to the ground, a shade of pink tinting his cheeks as he ducked his head shyly. "It was her birthday last week...and I don't have anything to give her. It'd be embarrassing to go home without a gift."
Taryn quirked up a brow. "Is it really?"
Jean faced her with a groan. "Do you think I'd lie about this?"
"There's a reason why I suspect you, you know," She told him, though admittedly, she was pleased to know that he was starting to appreciate his mother a little bit more. Her face then lit up as a sudden idea popped into her head, and she turned to face him again with a smile. "Why don't we buy something for her now? Then we can go back and give it to her tomorrow."
She could see enlightenment spread across Jean's features as he nodded in agreement, his grip on her hand tightening as he led her away. "Good thinking," He complimented. "What do you think she'll like?"
She paused in thought, a hand straying towards her chin to show that she was thinking. "It's difficult to pick," She began to say. "Maybe a dress? Or a coat. Let's check out the stores."
They continued on their walk around the town, though this time their eyes were kept busy searching for anything that might be a good present for Jean's mother. Taryn knew Mrs. Kirstein had a secret fondness for pretty clothes, and since the seasons were starting to change and the cold autumn was soon to be arriving, she thought a new coat would be the perfect thing to give the woman.
She spotted a store nearby that seemed to be open, which also had items that were sold for a reasonable price. Tugging on Jean's arm, the two entered the store, the warmth of the inside greeting them, a stark contrast against the chilly winds of the outside. The interior itself had a nice, cozy atmosphere, bringing a smile to her lips as she glanced around the various clothing on display. "Woah."
In addition to being affordable, she noticed that the dresses she saw were absolutely gorgeous. Running her hands through the selection of dresses, the material felt soft to the touch, as if every fold, every thread was stitched with such care and precision.
Letting go of Jean, she began to look for something suitable to be given as a gift. A wide variety of colors presented itself in before her, hues of sunset orange, emerald green and sapphire blue. Mesmerized, she didn't even realize she had stood there staring at them for quite a while, not until a familiar snicker broke her out of her stupor, the girl instantly moving to continue her search.
But of course, she couldn't focus at all, and it didn't take long for her to get distracted by something else. A certain something hanging in the corner caught her attention, and Taryn didn't waste time in walking over to check it out. It turned out to be a pretty sundress, with puffed sleeves and a hem that ended just below the knees.
She knew she couldn't exactly wear it in the autumn, but she could only imagine wearing it in the summer, the color matching that of the pale blue sky, the material light and airy. It would be so pretty...
"You would look good wearing that." A voice spoke up from beside her, startling her a bit. Jean's eyes darted from her to the dress, his hands tucked nervously in his pockets as Taryn regarded him with a raised brow.
She then chuckled, doubting his statement. "Would I?"
He nodded, humming in thought. "Do you like it?"
"Uh, yeah. It's nice," She replied, before remembering why they went in the store in the first place. "We still need to find one for your mom, though. Do you think she'll like this one?" She asked as she picked out a light brown coat, holding it up for the boy to see.
He didn't seem too interested. He shrugged his shoulders, his gaze wandering around the store distractedly. "If you picked it, she'll have to."
Taryn sighed, putting the coat back. "You're not a very good shopping partner."
"How unfortunate for you."
Rolling her eyes, she busied herself in looking through another corner, her hands flipping through the displayed items in a speed that Jean didn't even try to keep up with. After watching her struggle for almost ten minutes, the girl finally picked out one she deemed decent enough, a plum colored jacket with a dozen buttons at the front. After a while, she pulled out another one and held them up side by side, comparing the two.
"Jean, which color is better?" She asked him, yet the boy continued on shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't know, just flip a coin." He deadpanned, causing an incredulous expression to appear on Taryn's face.
"You know, this should be counted as my gift, I'm the one who's doing all the effort choosing!"
"And I'm the one paying for it."
They stared at each other, Taryn's unimpressed face clashing against Jean's challenging one. Finding nothing to counter against his statement, the girl sighed in exasperation, turning her attention back to the two pieces of clothing she picked.
She eventually decided the second one looked better. A red wine coat that was warm and fuzzy on the inside, she couldn't think of anything better. Mrs. Kirstein would love this.
She glanced back at Jean, narrowing her eyes as she wagged a finger at his face. "It's our gift," She told him, and was pleased when he didn't try to protest. She then handed him the clothing and began to push him towards the counter, the person manning the cashier waiting for them with a patient smile. "Now go and pay, rich boy."
Following him to the counter, she peeked over his shoulder, watching as the lady in charge began to wrap the coat in some paper packaging, her fingers carefully folding the fabric so as to not leave any crease lines. Jean glanced at her waiting figure and sighed, nudging her gently. "You can go ahead."
She raised a brow questioningly. "Sure you'll be fine?"
He rolled his eyes again before practically shoving her to the door, the girl complaining loudly as he did so. "Yes, yes, I know how to count money, Taryn."
He pushed her out the store, not even giving her the time to react before shutting the door in her face. Her jaw hanging open in astonishment, she flipped him off through the glass windows, the boy responding with the same gesture. Scoffing, she stormed away from the place. "Asshole."
Still annoyed, she considered running off and leaving him alone out of spite, but her train of thought was interrupted when her stomach grumbled loudly, the sound loud enough to make a few people near her turn their heads in curiosity. Her face flushing in embarrassment, she remembered that she hadn't had much to eat after that unfortunate lunch.
She started looking around for any food stalls and was fortunate enough to spot one selling cotton candy a good distance away. Her hands furiously began searching her pockets, relieved once she managed to fish out enough coins for at least one.
She heavily regretted leaving her money bag back at her room, and she could only thank the heavens for granting her with such luck that the coins she had with her was the exact price as one cotton candy stick. With a relieved sigh, she handed the money to the vendor who gladly accepted it, handing her the food in exchange.
She took a bite, her eyes closing in delight as the cotton melted like clouds in her mouth. Fluttering her eyelids open again, she was about to go and eat some more when all of a sudden a familiar face rudely bit into her candy, the bite big enough that piece left on the stick couldn't even be counted as a half.
Her eyes widened, switching from the stick in her hands to Jean snickering, happily chewing on the candy. "Hey!" She slapped his arm, yet the action only succeeded in making him laugh even harder. "Curse you, there's barely enough left!"
His mocking expression only grew in volume as he snatched the stick from her, before eating the remaining bits of candy left, leaving Taryn with absolutely none to eat. Glaring at him, she took the stick back from his hands and threateningly pointed it at his face. "You pig."
Laughing again, he reached out to grab her hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles soothingly. "Let's go."
He led her away as Taryn kept on cursing and yelling at him, scolding him with every chance she got. But even with all her irritation, she didn't think to let go of his hand. Even after moments had passed and her complaints were dying down, their fingers were still interlaced and the thought only made the smile on his face grow even wider. For some weird reason, it made him feel flustered that she was holding unto him like a lost puppy.
They stopped in front of a playground, the same exact one they played in when they were still kids. Though it now appeared old and rusty and admittedly quite dangerous, there were still a handful of children wildly running around the place, having the time of their lives as climbed up the high bars and slid down the twisty slides.
Leaning against a lamppost, Jean remembered about the bags in his hands, the items they bought from the store wrapped up inside. He tapped Taryn right beside him and handed her a bag, her reaction being a bit surprised. "Here."
She furrowed her brows, immediately taking offense. "Why should I be the one carrying—" She stopped in her tracks once she noticed the other bag he was holding, her eyes darting between the two of them in confusion. "How many things did you buy?"
"Oh, that's for you."
She blinked at him. "Huh?"
He cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling a blush creep up his neck and to his face. "Look inside."
Surprised, she didn't waste time in opening the bag, finding the blue sundress she had been eyeing, neatly folded inside. Her eyes widened almost instantly and she looked up at him in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to form a coherent sentence. "You bought it?"
Jean nodded, yet he made an effort to avoid her gaze, instead choosing to focus on the kids playing in front of him. Not believing what just happened, she stared at him in shock. "Why?"
"You did tell me I had to buy you one," He replied, still not meeting her eyes. "You know, after you ripped your dress on our...date."
Heat rushed to her face immediately at his statement. That sounded so wrong.
Unfortunately for her, it seemed as if she wasn't the only who thought so, as an old man seated by a bench nearby them perked up at their conversation, his face showcasing a distasteful expression. Shaking his head, he folded the newspaper in his hands and began to walk away, muttering disapproving things under his breath. "Kids these days..."
She slapped Jean's arm, earning a yelp of pain from the boy as he flinched away from her. "Idiot, don't say that out loud."
He frowned, dramatically caressing the spot on his arm that she hit. "What did I say?"
"Just—nevermind." She gave up on explaining, not quite willing to divulge into the matter, only waving up a hand dismissively. He furrowed his brows in confusion, still not getting it, and times like these Taryn wondered if the boy was truly friends with Connie or not.
Their attention moved back to the playground before them, a small smile making its way to Jean's lips as he recalled a fond memory. "I vividly remember you landing face first to the ground because you accidentally fell into the slide." He told the girl, pointing to the red slide that led straight into a pile of sand.
Taryn sighed, unimpressed. "Are you really going to document every single embarrassing moment of my life?"
He grinned at her. "Of course."
She rolled her eyes, wanting to bring up an embarrassing incident of his too. She then caught a glimpse of a specific spot near the benches that she knew all too well, the corners of her mouth tilting up into a smirk at the sight of it. "Well, I remember you getting rejected on that same exact spot."
She could sense him stiffen beside her, and she knew that he had succeeded. "Taryn." He growled in warning, his face visibly turning a bright red from the memory.
"What was her name again? The girl from my class..." She continued to mock him, humming in thought. "Oh, right, Amy."
"Taryn." He said again, his voice falling down a few octaves deeper. She blinked at him innocently, resting her chin on her palm as she recalled what exactly happened on that day.
"I think it was Valentines day. Everyone practically had a date back then—even though we were still ten—and you just had to take the chance," She chuckled. "But then you fell on your butt when she threw the bouquet of flowers at your face because she was allergic to—"
He immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, preventing from saying anything else. "Shut up! That was embarrassing!"
Prying off him off her, she let out a laugh, still not done with teasing him. She inched closer to his annoyed figure, a sickeningly sweet smile present on her face. "Where do you think she is?"
"I don't care." He spat at her.
"Do you think she'll accept you now?" She went on, terribly amused at how irritated he was.
Jean rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Again, I do not care."
"Why? You used to be so smitten with her. You even wrote a poem—"
"That was years ago! I don't even remember what she looks likes now!" He yelled, cutting her off, not giving her the chance to finish her sentence. Taryn laughed loudly before deciding to finally stop, leaning her back against the lamppost next to him. She stared at the little kids running about in the playground, keeping herself amused in the midst of the sudden silence.
She heard him sigh, before speaking up softly, his voice barely anything more than a whisper. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
He gazed at her, hazel eyes boring into hers that it felt like he was staring straight into the windows of her soul. "If I asked you to become my girlfriend, would you accept?"
The both of them froze as soon as the words rolled off his tongue. Jean, shocked that he managed to say those words out loud when he never meant to actually ask her that. Taryn, her eyes widening to the size of ping pong balls as she stood there paralyzed, the girl not quite processing what he said just yet.
Countless thoughts were running through her mind like a storm, and her brain felt like it was beginning to malfunction. "Huh?" She stammered out, that lone word being the only thing she could fully utter at the moment. She didn't want to believe it was real, but he just asked me that, didn't he?
Regaining his consciousness, Jean hurriedly tried to come up with an excuse, racking his brain for something to say. "T-That was a joke. I'm joking, don't take it too seriously." He told her, pairing it off with a forced laugh, but even his own mind was yelling at him, telling himself that his excuse was extremely pathetic.
The girl tore her gaze away from him and didn't say anything, only causing the worry Jean felt to increase a tenfold. Frantically, he began to sputter out random excuses, not even caring if they made sense or not. "Seriously, I didn't mean it. That was just to shut you up. And hey, it worked! So please talk again."
Taryn was still silent, staring straight ahead at the playground with wide eyes. Mentally cursing himself and the whole world, he started to panic. Why the fuck do I always blurt out the stupidest things?!
He raised his hands in surrender, a pleading expression taking over his features. "Fine, go ahead, tease me. I was really, really just joking."
To his surprise, she grabbed his hand. The girl was still avoiding his eyes, but she was holding unto him again, making him calm down a bit. "I'm hungry." She then said after a while, her voice meek and quiet.
He blinked at her repeatedly, and let out a heavy exhale of relief. She's at least talking to me again. "Y-You just ate."
Finally, she glanced up at him, her eyes narrowed into a glare. "You just ate," And though he was a blushing mess, her expression remained completely neutral even as she talked to him. "And your joke wasn't funny."
He gulped, looking away nervously. "Yeah, sorry," Clearing his throat, he glanced around, searching for someplace to eat. "Where to?"
"Uh, wait," She began, letting go of him once more. "I forgot something at the store. Be right back." She told him, not giving him the chance to reply before bolting into the direction they came from, leaving the boy to only stare at her retreating back, confused and worried and confused and worried.
Running into an empty alleyway, Taryn leaned her back against a wall, panting as she tried to catch her breath. Obviously, she hadn't left anything back at the store and only wanted a moment of peace to herself to think about whatever the hell had just happened between them.
If I asked you to become my girlfriend, would you accept?
He said that. He freaking said that to her and there was no denying it.
She didn't know whether to leap in joy or cry in disappointment. He played it off as a joke, but he was blushing so hard and his palms were sweaty and his hands were trembling, she checked them herself. It was obvious that he was lying and that there was a possibility that he meant it, that he accidentally blurted it out loud and never actually meant to ask her that. Meaning, it had been his own thoughts.
She couldn't help but wonder if he was starting to like her as well.
Biting her lip, she tried to prevent herself from smiling so hard, but to no avail. The next thing she knew was that she was giggling to herself like a madwoman, and it was all she could do to stop herself from actually jumping around in joy. She was glad she chose to run away for even just a moment to herself, or else she would've exploded in front of Jean and that wouldn't be too pretty.
Rubbing her eyes, she decided to head back already, in case the boy became fed up and went home without her. Soon enough she spotted him standing in the same place, and she immediately plastered on that stoic expression she had earlier.
Meeting up with him, she tried to act as nonchalant as possible, though on the inside she was screaming like a little schoolgirl. He never knew, however, for only when he wasn't looking did he allow a small smile to grace her lips, the butterflies in her stomach only increasing with every moment she was with him. I'd say yes, of course.
...
As the day went on, the vast blue sky faded into the deep orange color of the sunset, and soon enough, night fell upon the Walls, the bright stars the taking place of the clouds, twinkling in the darkness.
Jean and Taryn made their way back to the Survey Corps headquarters, the torches illuminating the path back to their dorms. They didn't even know what time it currently was, and they could only assume that it was late in the evening, judging from the eerie silence of their surroundings, signaling that everyone else had already gone to bed.
Admittedly, even they themselves didn't know why they ended up returning so late. After walking around the city for a bit more Taryn had decided on visiting her brother, Francis, the whole duration of their reunion lasting three hours, to be exact. Then Francis invited them to stay over for dinner, bribing the girl with the promise of serving pasta, to which she had no choice but to accept.
They finished at approximately seven in the evening, their stomachs filled and their bodies beginning to get a bit tired. They started to make their way back to the headquarters, but the trip took longer than expected, and now they were returning in the dead of the night as if they had just come back from hiding a dead body.
She chuckled silently at the thought, clutching the bag she had been holding for hours closer to her. As she did so, she was reminded of the dress Jean had bought, more so of the fact that she hadn't thanked him for it yet.
She glanced at him and found the boy staring at the grass on the ground, his eyes following them avidly. She caught his attention by gently tapping him on the shoulder, the corners of her mouth tilting up into a small smile. "Uh, thanks for the gift."
He smiled back at her, shaking his head slightly. "It's nothing."
"You sure about that?" She raised a brow, her tone teasing. "You aren't gonna hold it against me in the future?"
Jean let out a scoff, before raising his hand to ruffle her hair, messing it up even more. "I'm not evil, Taryn."
She rolled his eyes, hugging the bag closer to her. "You have your moments." She muttered out, then busying herself with looking at her surroundings.
It wasn't long until they reached the dorms. Stopping in front of the girls' assigned room, Taryn faced him with a look, raising up a hand to bid him goodbye. "Well, today was fun," She smiled. "Goodnight."
He nodded at her, waving at her back, and the girl turned on her heel, about to head into the dormitory. But she was suddenly stopped by an arm holding her back, revealing Jean who appeared to have a troubled expression on his face. "Wait a second."
She blinked at him, a bit confused. "What is it?"
She didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't for him to pull him closer to her, their faces only mere inches away from each other. Slowly, he raised a hand to her face, gathering the strands of hair that had started to stray from her head, tucking them behind her ear.
He leaned in, kissing her gently on the cheek. She was paralyzed and her brain felt like it stopped working again, and she was sure she was about to have a heart attack soon enough.
"Goodnight." He whispered, before finally pulling away, giving her one last smile as he turned around and began heading back to his own dorm.
Taryn could only stare at him as he gradually began to disappear. Her legs were fucking trembling, the freezing night breeze causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. She wouldn't move, couldn't even try to move as her mind replayed the scene over and over again, still in utter disbelief.
It wasn't until she heard the sound of a person stumbling, did she snap out of it. Whipping her heard to face the source of the disturbance, finding Mikasa and Sasha watching from the windows, sheepish smiles present on their faces as they realize they've been caught.
She felt her face flush immediately in embarrassment. Running inside, she was greeted by their sneaky smirks and teasing looks, the two girls not even allowing her a moment of them not spewing out a remark related to what just happened.
"So that's what you two have been up to," Sasha wiggled her brows as she followed her into the bathroom to get changed. "Have fun?"
"Don't pester her, Sasha. The poor girl looks like she's about to burst," Mikasa scolded her, but her tone was teasing. Just as Taryn predicted, the girl flashed her a wide smile, even having it in her to wink at her. "Goodnight, Taryn."
Her face burning, she immediately plopped down onto her bed, pulling the blanket over herself to hide from her two ruthless roommates. "Stop it."
"Goodnight!" She heard Sasha yell, before feeling her bed sink down from the extra weight, signaling that the girl was right beside her. "Sweet dreams, my dearest, darling—ow!" She cried out in pain, as Taryn hit her with a pillow in an attempt to keep her quiet.
"Shut up, Sasha."
Sasha rolled her eyes, hitting her back with a pillow of her own."Tsk. Be grateful we made you two make up," She told her. The girl then leaned in close to her, her lips pulled into a wide smirk as whispered into her ear. "Goodnight."
The next thing Sasha knew was that she was pushed out of Taryn's bed, dramatically collapsing to the floor as she let out a fake cry from the impact. Laughing, Mikasa helped her up, the girl smiling up at her in gratitude. "Don't worry, Mikasa. I'll arrange for you and Eren to go on a date too—ow, ow!"
Pulling on her ear, Mikasa led Sasha to her own bed, a blush starting to form on her cheeks as well. "Go to sleep."
...
"Holy shit!" Connie yelled from the top of his lungs as he spied from his binoculars, attracting the attention of everybody else in the room. He was currently kneeling in front of the window in their dorm that provided them the complete view of what exactly was happening from the girl's dormitories, a smirk on his face as he regarded the scene with amusement.
Eren perked up from beside him, peeking out to the window in an attempt to see what was going on. "What is it? Did he kiss her again?" He asked, though Connie only responded with a snicker, the corners of his mouth spreading out into a wide grin. He was no doubt thrilled by whatever the hell he was seeing on the other side of the glass.
Eren snatched the pair of binoculars from his hands, bringing the object closer to him. "Let me see," Peeking through the eyeholes, his face was scrunched up in disgust not even a second later. "Ew."
Armin was crouched down right beside the brunette, the blond squinting his eyes in curiosity. He could only make out Jean's figure heading back to their dorm, the darkness of the night not quite helping in illuminating the scene. But judging by Connie's smiling face and Eren's distasteful reaction, he already had a faint idea of what had happened. "Does that mean they're a thing now?"
Sighing, Connie slid down against the wall, appearing frustrated. "Who knows? I feel so betrayed. Jean doesn't tell me, his best friend, anything at all."
"What the hell are you guys doing?" Came Jean's voice, causing them all to jump away from the window in surprise. A skeptical expression took over his face as he regarded them with confusion, their innocent smiles and blinking eyes only adding to his suspicion.
Seeing that it was only him, Connie exhaled in relief. "Oh, hello there."
Jean narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?"
Eren scowled in irritation. "We're obviously making out with the floor. Did you go blind from sneaking around in the dark so much?"
Since it was late and he was already so damn tired, Jean didn't have the energy in him to restrain himself and so he took the bait, immediately marching over to the brunette, preparing to punch him straight in the nose. "It's a serious question, you little—"
Connie got in between them, fortunately stopping them just in time. "No fighting! It's fucking eleven in the evening," He yelled, before turning to Jean, questioning him. "Where have you been, anyway? The Captain's fuming, you know. He's mad that you two didn't clean the store rooms."
He stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he turned to face Connie, disbelief splayed all over his face. "What? You and Sasha weren't joking?"
Connie's eyes widened. "Why would we be..."
The boy kept opening and closing his mouth, struggling to actually get any words out. Eventually, he just raised his hands in surrender, giving up, mentally preparing himself for the long speech he was sure to receive from the Captain tomorrow. "I'm going to bed."
"Yeah, you better be," Connie yelled after him, who could only flash him his middle finger as he disappeared into the bathroom, changing into his sleeping clothes. "Get ready for a long ass lecture tomorrow!"
He then let out a boisterous laugh, turning to face the other two with a smug smile. "Of course I was joking."
...