All day Marco had been lifting heavy supplies and doing hours of extra workout routines that pushed his physical limits to the brink. He was being punished for his actions: stealing extra bread for a trainee who was being punished for something else. Oh, the irony. He looked absolutely spent when he shuffled into the mess hall, but at least they were letting him eat. Marco sat by Jean and tried to put a smile on as he silently ate the tasteless soup and bread but he looked miserable, practically wincing at every movement he made. Jean frowned, noticing Marco might've been in more pain than he'd ever seen him in.

The other trainees were talking about playing some game in the hall after they finished eating but Marco excused himself as soon as he was done, saying he was ready for rest and he sure looked it. Jean followed him, grumbling something about how the game sounded dumb and childish.

They were getting ready for an early sleep in the bunks and Marco was brushing his hair- even though his arms were visibly shaking. Jean scoffed in annoyance.

"God you're a weirdo. What other short haired dude within the walls brushes their hair every night before they go to bed?"

He strode over to Marco and snatched the hairbrush from his hands.

"My brothers. Mother always says-"

"Idiot." Jean cut him off, huffing exaggeratedly as he finished the job for Marco, brushing out all of his hair and even running a few hands through it to shake it out when he was finished. Marco's eyebrows went up.

"Oh.. thank you Jean-"

Jean tossed Marco's hairbrush back towards Marco's trunk under the bed with the rest of his stuff.

"Sit down." Jean had moved to sit on his own bed, legs apart, patting the spot on the bed between them.

"What?" That was odd, especially from Jean.

"Just do it Marco. Don't be slow in the head."

So Marco did, sitting with his back towards Jean and letting out a breath. He liked it when Jean said his name, even if he did sound mad at him most of the time. Marco knew he wasn't.

"Why are we- ohh." Jean's hands were on his shoulders, rubbing over the sore muscles.

"Why do you have to be such an idiot and get yourself into trouble? I've told you to look out for yourself Marco, that's how you get by in here. Shouldn't be getting involved in anyone else's screw ups." Jean's thumbs dug into the muscles between his shoulders and neck, making Marco flinch a little. "Sorry." Jean mumbled. "Am I hurting you?" Marco sighed, shaking his head.

"Not really, I mean- a little. But s'okay, it's a good hurt."

"Huh." Jean let out a short hum and kept working, massaging up Marco's neck a bit and slowly down his shoulders and arms while Marco just did his best not to purr.

"You're really good at this."

Jean's cheeks definitely did not turn pink, for the record.

"Nah whatever, you're just really sore." Jean said, clearing this throat. He massaged Marco's palms and worked his way back up to his shoulders again, taking his time. The freckled boy's eyes were growing half-lidded as he quickly felt more and more blissed out and sleepy.

When Jean wrapped his arms around Marco to rub his palms into the boy's pectoral muscles Marco melted against him. Jean froze, blinking in surprise as Marco sleepily curled against his chest. The over-tired boy made a weird, happy little sound- almost akin to a growl and Jean made an embarrassed face, sputtering and pathetically half-trying to shove Marco off.

"Marco! You- move! You idiot! I can't do this when you're squashed up to me- Agh, you damn idiot." He whined, cheeks heating up. He snapped his fingers in front of Marco's face but Marco was too out of it from the pleasure and exhaustion to really respond at this point.

"Mmmmn" was all he had to say.

"Ugh god, you fucking lump." Jean grumbled. "Here." He squirmed out from behind Marco and guided him to lie down on his stomach. "I'm taking this off, okay?" He asked, fingers curling under the hem of Marco's shirt.

"Mhhmmmm." Marco replied cleverly.

Jean rolled his eyes and tugged Marco's shirt off without much help from Marco before sitting on his ass. He wasn't gonna make big deal out of it because it definitely was not a big deal. Jean leaned forward to rub down Marco's back and Marco started making soft little sighs, closing his eyes and pressing his cheek into Jean's pillow. "Thank youu Jeannn."

"Whatever." Jean replied, voice breaking as he rubbed over the muscles on either side of Marco's spine, his hands working together. The muscles of Marco's back and arms were more defined than he'd noticed; he must've been putting on more lately. Jean could really tell when he was up close like this, with the flesh beneath his hands. He liked how his freckles and muscles were the most dense on his shoulders and upper back and faded subtly down to a lithe, tan waist.

"Mmmmn." Marco mumbled again, his arms moving up to cradle Jean's pillow under his head. His breaths became slower and slower as Jean patiently rubbed over every sore spot on his back, using just enough pressure to work out the tightness.

"Are you too tired to use that big brain of yours anymore Idiot Bodt?" He teased, rubbing his fingers down Marco's sides. He received no response at all this time. "Marco?" Still nothing. He leaned down to look at the visible part of Marco's face. Marco's eyelashes rested delicately above his speckled cheeks and his features were completely relaxed. "The idiot fell asleep." Jean mumbled quietly to himself, his flat palms smoothing over Marco's back. He sighed and got off the bed, pulling his blankets out from under the sleeping-like-a-literal-rock-Marco. Jean wasn't gonna wake up the poor moron, he needed rest. Jean laid the blankets over Marco, tucking them in a little around him and clearing his throat after watching Marco like that for a few moments.

Okay, so- he wasn't gonna sleep with Marco in his bunk, because that would be…awkward? His other option was- Marco's bed? Yes. He should totally sleep in Marco's bed. The idiot stole his bunk, so he would just steal back. It was only fair. Jean quickly took his shirt off and tucked into Marco's neatly made bed, letting out a quiet hum. It was good- the feeling of slipping into such nicely made sheets reminded him of home. He laid his head on Marco's pillow and snuggled up with his blankets (in the manliest way possible of course). And in the manliest way possible he inhaled deeply into Marco's pillow and blankets. He let out an uncharacteristically joyous sigh at being surrounded in Marco's smell and Marco's sheets. In the manliest way possible he fell asleep with a light blush and a smile on his face.