writing about jean is so fun idc
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Y/n didn't think she'd had a worse day in the army for all the time she'd been in the Cadet Corps.
''Jean, how far are we?'' Y/n asked through her mask. She wasn't sure if he could even hear her over the sound of boots crunching snow.
''I think we're almost there,'' Jean said and pulled his scarf down, revealing his pink, cold-bitten cheeks. ''Look, there's light over there.''
Y/n looked at where Jean was pointing ahead of them. There were two small bungalows in sight. Finally.
The coat was heavy on her shoulders, but it kept her warm as she trekked through the snow alongside her cadets. It was still snowing, snowflakes sticking to the bits of her escaping from her hood. She had a scarf covering her mouth and nose, though her cheeks still felt frozen. Her hands held her heavy backpack and she was so tired and cold already that she had no motivation to talk to Jean or Sasha, or anyone for that matter. They'd been going for hours now, though it felt like it'd been days.
''Come on! The goal is right there! Keep it up!''
The cadets made it to the two barracks — in front stood a man and a woman, neither of them wearing a hood. Y/n wondered how they weren't freezing.
''Nine hours and twelve minutes. Not a bad time, considering the weather.''
Y/n plopped down on the snow next to Jean, their friends standing around them. The cadets were finally allowed a break and Y/n couldn't be more thankful, stretching her feet in front of her. She wanted to take her boots off, but she also didn't want her toes to free and fall off.
Eren was breathing heavily as he sat himself on Y/n's other side. ''Thought we were gonna die out there,'' he said.
''No one ever said winter training would be so tough,'' Connie commented.
''Damn, I can't feel my legs,'' Jean said. Everyone had their hoods down now, but Y/n kept hers on. Aren't they freezing? It's not like that bonfire is keeping us warm.
''I wish they'd let us inside already,'' Connie sighed.
''I bet they're busy putting together a huge feast for us! Yum . . .'' Sasha spoke, her back facing the group.
Y/n snorted. ''It's definitely nice to dream, Sasha.''
''Hey!'' Reiner suddenly appeared in front of them. He, too, didn't look like he was freezing. How are these people doing it? ''Christa's missing.''
Y/n's eyes widened. ''What?''
''She was sticking with Daz since he wasn't doing so well,'' Mikasa said.
''Daz isn't here either,'' Reiner said. ''Ymir as well.'' Y/n almost wanted to roll her eyes. Of course she isn't.
''Maybe they're with the last squad?'' Marco suggested.
''Can't be.'' Reiner turned to him. ''The last squad, led by Thomas, just arrived. They never saw those two.''
The whole group fell into silence. Y/n snuggled closer to her jacket, bringing her knees to her chest as a sinking feeling formed in her stomach.
''You don't think . . . they got lost?'' Armin asked.
''Hey . . .'' Connie's breath was seeable as he spoke. ''They don't stand a chance if they're stuck in the blizzard.''
''Shit.'' Eren stood up.
He was about to walk away when Mikasa pulled him back by the arm. ''Eren!''
''I'm going back out to try and find them!'' Eren exclaimed.
''Me, too.'' Marco piped in.
''Everyone, get in the cabin,'' the woman from earlier spoke, causing everyone to shift their eyes to her.
''But, Christa—''
''Yeah. We'll send a rescue team first thing in the morning.''
Y/n's eyes widened. ''In the morning? They're going to freeze out there!''
''It'll be too late by then!'' Eren added.
''We won't make any more victims!'' The woman narrowed her eyes. She looked serious, but sounded ridiculous. Y/n wasn't sure how that was possible at the same time.
The snow storm picked up, causing Y/n to further nuzzle into her jacket. She was starting to shake. The cold was seeping in her thick coat. A hand fell on her shoulder. ''Y/n?'' She looked up, her eyes meeting Jean's. ''Are you okay?'' Y/n nodded, though the shaking didn't stop. ''Come on, let's go inside.''
''What about—''
''You need to get inside first,'' Jean cut her off, helping her to her shaky feet. He heaved both of their backpacks on each shoulder and kept an arm across her back, matching her slow pace as they walked to the hut.
The warmth hit her the instant they walked through the door, though it didn't immediately help with the shaking. ''Why's it so cold . . .'' Y/n murmured.
''Take your jacket off and sit next to the fire,'' Jean said as he put the two backpacks to the side. Y/n didn't move. Jean sighed and went in front of her, unzipping it for her. ''The jacket is cold, you need to let it warm up a bit before wearing it again.'' Y/n let him pull it off her shoulders before she scurried off to sit in front of the fire place, feeling the warmth finally seep into her skin.
She faced the fire, holding her palms to it. Jean came to sit with her, though his back faced the fire instead, while he talked with the rest of the group. ''You guys going with Eren?''
''Well, he's gonna need all the help he can get,'' Marco said as he slung his backpack on his shoulders.
''We can't let him starve on the way, either!'' Sasha said as she held up rations she'd probably stolen.
Jean snorted. ''Fine. We're gonna stay behind.''
Y/n's head snapped to him. ''Who's staying—''
''You and your frostbite aren't going anywhere,'' Jean said, quirking an eyebrow. ''Do you want your fingers to fall off?''
Y/n scoffed and looked back to the fire. Her fingers were still pretty much red, though the numbness was disappearing, letting the prickles in. ''Fine. Be safe, guys.''
She listened to them leave and Jean turned around to face the fire as well. He put a hand on her arm, pulling it back a bit. ''You'll get your hands burned if you stay too close, dumbass.''
Y/n rolled her eyes and looked at him. ''What are you, my mom?''
''Well, one of us has to be reasonable,'' Jean said, hugging his legs to his chest. Their shoulders were pretty much touching and Y/n almost wished he'd wrap his arms around her. It would surely be warmer. ''You feeling better?''
Y/n shrugged. ''I guess. I don't think my fingers would fall off anymore.''
Jean chuckled. There was a moment of silence before Jean spoke again. ''You know, once we get to the interior, we would never have to experience this again.''
''Ah, I can't wait.'' Y/n sighed in content. ''If you think about it, once there, you'd still have to bunk with Marco and Connie. Maybe even Reiner and Bertholdt?''
Jean groaned. ''You don't understand the ungodly sounds Connie lets out when he sleeps. You can't even call it snoring. I don't know how to describe it.''
Y/n chuckled. ''Yeah, Sasha isn't much different. Annie is a quiet sleeper, though, so there's that.'' Y/n said. ''Then again, I don't even know if she'd want to share a room with Sasha and I in the first place.''
''I feel like she'd intimidate the higher ups into giving her a room of her own,'' Jean laughed. Y/n felt a chill roll down her spine and she looked back, seeing Annie staring at them with her sharp blue eyes. Y/n's eyes widened and she bumped her shoulder into Jean's. ''Hey, what—'' He looked back, seeing Annie, too, and laughed awkwardly. ''I didn't mean it in a bad way!'' Annie simply walked away without a word. Jean's face paled as he looked back at Y/n. ''I'm dead, aren't I?''
Y/n shrugged. ''I hope you don't get paired with her for hand-to-hand combat.''
The two fell into comfortable silence again. Y/n finally let her hands down and pulled her legs to her chest, leaning her head on Jean's shoulder. She felt him stiffen, but paid him no mind. Her mind was almost shut off when she said, ''Our dream is about to come true, Jean-Bo.''
Jean nodded, resting his head on top of hers. ''Yeah. There isn't much time left until graduation. Time flew by so fast.''
Y/n nodded. ''Yeah.'' She almost nuzzled into his shoulder. ''I'm glad we're going together.''
Her breaths slowed down before Jean could gather his wits to answer. He lifted his head from hers and looked at her resting face, smiling at himself. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders bravely and pulled her even closer, making sure she wouldn't fall in her sleep.
Later, and unbeknownst to her, once Ymir and Daz had returned, Marco, Sasha and Connie had walked in on the two, teasing Jean endlessly as he scolded them to keep silent.