A Kiss in the Rain
It was one of those days where Jean hits on Mikasa and, Eren, as usual, tells him to lay off.
"Why won't you just go to the stables and flirt with mares all day long? That's where you belong anyways, horseface!" Eren shouted as if Jean was on the other side of the globe.
Jean rammed his head against Eren's and thus, commenced another one of their glaring contests. Armin was trying and failing to push them away from each other while Mikasa sighed onto her scarf.
"Just leave Mikasa alone, Jean!" Eren said finally as Mikasa dragged him away by the collar of his shirt.
Armin apologized profusely before tailing with the two.
"Oi, Marco! Why didn't you help me?" jean snarled at his freckled friend, who just smiled apologetically.
"Jean, why won't you just actually lay off of Mikasa?"
At this, Jean shouted like Eren.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Jean slammed his fist on the table hard. "You don't know how it feels to finally meet the girl of your dreams only to find her with an ass like Jaeger! She totally deserves someone better!"
"I know how it feels," Marco replied exasperatedly. Why won't he stop thinking about her? Can't he see that I'm just here waiting for him?
So sappy, Marco mentally facepalmed.
"How would you know? You've never been in love before!"
"False," Marco replied calmly.
"Oh yeah? Then tell me, who was she you loved?"
Not a she, a he!
Marco decided to just shut his mouth.
"See? Don't act like you know how I feel! You know what? Just leave me alone. I don't need you! I don't need a traitor like you!"
Jean's harsh words hit home and Marco slapped him hard across the face, tears streaming down his face.
The whole cafeteria turned at the scene they had made. Annie looked at them, eyes widening slightly with amusement while her friend Mina stared with disbelieving eyes. Everybody else looked just like Mina. They're probably thinking; Marco Bott, the all-around nice guy just slapped his best friend?
Thunder rumbled and rain started to pour down.
Marco doesn't care. He ran outside and faced the rain.
How could he be so dense?
Jean was still dumbfounded. Did Marco just-
"Yes, you dumb horse," Reiner's voice jarred him to the present. The broad boy slapped his gruff hand onto Jean's shoulder and he winced. "Go after him and say sorry."
Jean didn't need anymore encouraging. He stormed away to follow Marco.
Finally, he caught sight of a familiar tan skin and nicely kept black hair- Marco.
Rain was pouring heavily at the moment.
Jean saw a flash of light and a scream. The figure he was following rolled lifelessly on the road.
"MARCO!"
To his horror, the road he was standing on was tinted blood-red. Rushing to Marco's side, he wished he'd closed his eyes. Marco's face- the right half in particular- was heavily damaged it looked like he lost half of his face. Blood stained his hands and he felt sick. He hadn't noticed Marco's legs were bent at an odd angle.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" It was the driver of the vehicle that had hit Marco. He felt like strangling the guy. "I already called the hospital. An ambulance will be coming shortly. I'm really sorry."
Jean hadn't heard the rest of it as the ambulance came to fetch Marco.
It's been a day since the accident and jean never left Marco's side. Some of their friends dropped by as well- Reiner, Bertholdt, Connie, Sasha, Mina, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and even Annie. All wished for Marco's fast recovery.
Marco's parents were there as well, but left so they could go to work. Jean promised them that he wouldn't leave their son's side. They insisted that Jean should go home and rest but Jean would have none of it. He sat steadfast on Marco's side.
A little while later, Jean was overcome by sleep and he fell asleep with his head resting on Marco's hand.
When Marco woke up, Jean was still asleep and he smiled. The nasty look was temporarily removed from his face and he looked peaceful, though the bags in his eyes made Marco worry.
How long was I out?
Did Jean even rest? Or is this the only time he fell asleep?
Where am I anyway?
Where are my parents?
Am I in a hospital?
So many questions danced in his Marco's head and he felt dizzy for a moment. He forced the questions away and focused on Jean. He was torn between letting him sleep and waking him up to tell him he's fine. In the end, Marco shook him awake, feeling foolish when Jean let out a grumble before fluttering his eyes open.
Marco smiled timidly at him and Jean fell off his chair.
Smooth, Kirstein, smooth.
"Marco!"
Jean resisted the urge to hug him, seeing that he's still recovering from his injuries. There are not enough words to describe how happy he was on seeing that stupid smile.
Three days later, Marco was atleast allowed to go outside, but not without assistance, ofcourse. He was staring at the window, looking genuinely bored. Rain was pouring down and he was briefly reminded of the day where he ran off from Jean.
A soft knock jarred him into reality and he turned to see Jean carrying a bag of groceries. Sadly, the nasty look was on his face again.
"Damn Connie and Sasha for wrecking my umbrella," he muttered under his breath. Turning, he walked to the table and dropped his bag.
"I don't trust the hospital's food so I'm cooking your food du jour."
Marco mentally backpedaled, Jean can cook?
"Yes, I know how to cook, Marco. My mother passed cooking skills to me, being the only son and all."
Marco chuckled at the thought of Jean's mother. He once went over to their house and saw lots of pictures of baby Jean. Yes, the nasty look wasn't there yet. What made his day though was the picture of a chubby baby jean eating his mother's omelet. Like, aww, how cute was that?"
"Take me outside," Marco blurted out.
"Huh?"
"Take me outside."
"Look, Marco. I know you have your doubts about my cooking skills but trust me, I won't poison you."
"No!" Marco shook his head, "It's not about your cooking! Just take me outside!"
"But-!"
"Aren't you my faithful steed, Jean? Follow my orders."
Pause.
"Was that an insult or a compliment?"
"For Wall Maria's sake, Jean! Just take me outside or I'll bang my head on the wall until I die without tasting your cooking!"
"But it's raining outside!" Jean reasoned.
Marco glared at him through his one good eye.
Minutes later, Jean was running while pushing Marco's wheelchair through the big garden outside of the hospital. They rode off under the rain laughing for no apparent reason.
Marco's laugh was music to Jean's ears and he couldn't help laughing along. The rain is driving me mad.
Jean stared at Marco and Marco did too. They seem to have a silent conversation through their eyes. So many words unspoken. So many feelings kept hidden. So many heartbreaks endured to keep moving forward.
A red chord seem to wrap itself around Jean and Marco's finger- tying, no, bonding the two forever.
Heat rushed to both's faces as they inched closer.
"Marco.."
"Jean.."
Jean smiled as he let the tears flow down his face.
"I'm sorry, Marco," he said. "I'm the reason you're like this."
"It's okay," Marco replied gently. "As long as you're still here, what happened in the past doesn't matter.
I love you, Jean."
That's when all the guilt washed over Jean. He suddenly felt guilty flirting with Mikasa when all this time, the person he loves…his other half was right in front of him.
Jean lent down and gently pressed his lips against Marco's. All the while, the rain poured down on them.
At this moment, nothing else matters but Marco and his other half.