Chapter One- Heartbeats

Jean Kirchstein propelled himself past building upon building with his 3D maneuver gear at a frenzied pace, the likes of which he'd never reached before. He was frantic, almost hitting walls on more than one occasion, determined to get to Marco Bodt before it was too late.

He had been looking for his freckled best friend on top of the 50 meter tall Wall Rose that Commander Pixis had ordered them to retreat to once Eren had plugged the gigantic hole in the wall using his titan ability. He had been asking everyone if they had seen Marco, because he had something very important to tell him. Suddenly, above all else, he heard Marco's terrified screams from below. Jean saw his best friend cornered by a titan of the 15 meter class. Marco was attempting to dodge it's gigantic reach, but he was running out of gas for his 3DMG and would be stuck on the ground soon enough. Defying orders, Jean jumped off the wall at record pace. His friends and fellow soldiers, Connie Springer and Sasha Blause, flanked him.

Jean prayed for a miracle the closer he got to the sound of Marco's screams. His best friend had to live, had to make it to the Military Police and be safe in Wall Sina. He had to fulfill his dreams. Jean wouldn't stand for anything less than the best for his dearest friend. "This is Marco," he whispered to himself, "He can't die. He can't leave me... Not before he knows how I feel. He deserves at least that much from me."

It was insane to Jean how much he'd changed for the better the closer he and Marco became. He used to hate everyone and everything, a cocky and headstrong brat with a knack for finding fights. He was an asshole, it was true. Until he met Marco Bodt, his total opposite. Marco was charismatic and genuinely kind. He honestly wanted to serve the King in the Military Police, completely aloof to the perks, unlike Jean, who just wanted to take the easy life. Marco always diffused conflicts between Eren and Jean, and kept Jean calm. Jean felt truly safe with Marco at his side.

That is, until about a year into training, which was now two years ago. Jean began to see Marco differently. When Marco was upset, Jean wanted to hold his hand. When Marco laughed, Jean wanted to kiss his freckles and tickle his ribs. When Marco looked at Jean and gave that understanding smile of his, Jean was most terrified. Jean wanted to kiss Marco's lips. They looked soft. Jean was too afraid of losing Marco to do any of these things, scared of how Marco would react if he knew that his best friend had fallen for him. He feared losing the only friendship he ever had, so he took solace in the occasional hug, or often when Marco would hold him after a particularly bad night terror. Night terrors were common for Jean.

Jean often wondered if his mother had escaped before Trost, his hometown that they were currently in, had fallen. He had intense night terrors of her being eaten almost nightly, and he was helpless to stop the monsters from ripping her limb from limb. She would scream for him to save her, her brave little soldier, Jeanboy. He was always such an asshole to her and never got the chance to make amends with his elderly mother. Marco would often wake to Jean's shaking and whimpers from the top bunk. He would crawl up to the bunk and find Jean sobbing in his sleep. He always held Jean through the terrors, running his fingers through the light layer of Jean's two-toned hair.

Jean needed those nights with Marco and therefore kept his true feelings hidden from him for two long years. He had planned to finally tell Marco that he was in love with him after the battle to reclaim Trost. He couldn't well do that if Marco was dead though, could he? He was only a few corners away now, praying to God, or whoever would listen, hoping his fear would be enough for them to spare his dearest friend.

"Oh my God," Jean whispered aloud as he swung around the last corner. The titan had Marco in the air, holding him upside down by one foot, positioned to where Marco would fall right into it's gaping mouth. Marco screamed, unable to fight back. His 3DMG had been crushed in the scuffle between him and the titan, and his blades were scattered across the bricks below. Jean let out a guttural scream and charged, planting his 3DMG into the back of the titan's neck. "Marco!" he cried out, skillfully severing the titan's weak spot. The titan fell, and Jean landed on the brick path. He looked for Marco, but soon realized with horror that the titan had swallowed Marco whole before dying. It was too late. Marco was gone.

"No! You are not dead! You ARE NOT DEAD!" Jean screeched, falling to his knees on unsafe ground. Connie and Sasha stood behind him, Jean's tears splattering on the bricks. The two decided that all they could do was to protect Jean and give him time, so they propelled up to the rooftops to make sure the titan's stayed away from Jean. It didn't look like a good idea to move Jean at any point soon. They looked down at Jean's sobbing form, and tears rolled from their cheeks as well. Marco was a great person, and they couldn't believe he was gone themselves.

Jean was going insane with grief. He couldn't even grasp that Marco was gone. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no..." He mumbled aloud, head in hands and rocking himself. "He can not be gone!" Jean got up and walked to the corpse of the titan, already beginning to smoke and dissolve. "You son of a bitch, give him back!" He kicked and punched at the stinking corpse, screaming like a madman. He didn't even form words at this point. This continued for a couple more minutes until the craziest thought he'd had yet occurred to him. "Wait..." he thought. "Eren, when he got back to normal, he said he saw a girl alive in the titan's stomach, the one that ate him... Marco wasn't bitten, he was swallowed whole. I have to... I have to cut it open and see. If anything, I can bring his body back. What if he's really alive in there still? I'm wasting time."

Jean began to delicately saw at the titan's stomach, until he made a long, thin incision at the lining of the sack. Disgusting, hot stomach acid began pouring from it, and slowly, pieces of torsos and legs began spilling out. "What if he can't breathe in there?" Jean panicked as he began opening more of the sack, hurriedly pulling limb from limb through to find Marco's freckles in all the stench. Jean was covered in disgusting acid, and could have thrown up if he hadn't been so focused on getting Marco out. He finally found an arm covered in freckles. Thankfully, as he continued to pull, he discovered it was still attached to Marco himself. Marco was still and unmoving. Jean drug his larger built friend out into the part of the street that wasn't covered in stomach acid and pressed his ear to Marco's chest.

Thump...thump...thump...

"Holy shit, Connie, Sasha, his heart is beating!' Jean screamed, grinning to the two, who grinned back. He then began CPR, though his heart was beating, Marco was not breathing. After several minutes had passed, Jean began to panic, wondering if the stomach acid had filled his lungs. Another several minutes had passed and Jean, even in his deranged state, knew it was useless. Marco would die. He began to sob into Marco's fading heartbeat, planting kisses on his chest. " I love you, Marco. Please, baby, come back to me. Don't leave me here without you. I'm sorry I never told you all the things I needed to say, that you deserved to hear. I love you, I've been in love with you for a very long time, and if you just breathe for me, Marco, I will never leave your side." He waited there for another ten minutes before he stood to leave. He took one step from Marco before he heard something that caused him to swivel.

"You... promised...Jean. No... leaving..." Marco whimpered, before erupting into a coughing fit, vomiting up titan acid. Jean at last was able to breathe himself, and he cracked into the biggest smile.

"You son of a bitch, you heard me?" Jean teased, crouching down to where Marco lay, preparing him for transport back up the wall. He hoped his 3DMG could support the two of them, as Marco, even with the proper gear, would never have made it up on his own.

"Every word..." Marco replied, and Jean had him prepared to take off already. "I have... loved you... Jean Kirchstein... from the first time I ever... saw you..." Jean beamed, kissing Marco's forehead before propelling off as quickly as possible back up to the wall. Connie and Sasha still flanked Jean, guarding the two and keeping an eye out for any obstacles.

As they headed up the wall, Jean repeated in Marco's ear, "I will never leave your side, Marco Bodt."

"I won't almost die again, Jean Kirchstein," Marco weakly sassed back. They finally reached the top of the wall, and a medic was already waiting for them. Many had witnessed the scene from above, and the 104th training squad all rushed to congratulate the two young lovers. As the medic lifted Marco onto a sick cart, Jean followed. He took his promise to Marco literally, clutching Marco's hand the entire time.

"He's going to live," Jean thought. "And I'm going to live for him."