(Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan)
Jean hugged onto Marco tighter, not believing what was happening. Once he realized that his tears were staining Marco's shirt, and Marco's tears were staining his, he pulled back and looked at Marco's tan and freckled face with tear marks. He smiled at Marco, starting to believe what was happening.
"How are you... here?" Jean remembered his corpse again.
"I don't know," Marco admitted with a shrug. "All that matters is that I'm here with you." He leaned his forehead against Jean's, looking straight into his green eyes. Jean closed his eyes and smiled, feeling Marco's breath on his face.
"I can't believe this," he almost laughed, but Marco stopped him with a kiss. Jean could not express how grateful he was to not be forced to question it. He was atrocious with words. "Holy shit," he whispered when Marco pulled back for a breath.
"What is it?" Marco pulled back so he could see Jean's whole face.
"You're alive!" Jean broke out into a full grin. "Come on, we have to show everyone!" Jean grabbed Marco's hand and started to run toward the barracks. Marco seemed reluctant to go, which struck Jean with surprise but he shrugged it off. Marco wasn't exactly the type to hesitate seeing his friends. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he smiled, lighting up his freckles and showing that trademark smile, and wiped the tears away. He started walking with Jean as he caught him up on everything that he had missed while he had been... dead.
Once they reached the cafeteria of the giant living quarters for the survey core, Marco had been filled with nearly everything he needed to know. Jean excitedly ran into the center of the cafeteria with him following, winning a confused expression from Jaeger that was walking between his step-sister and his nerdy and socially awkward yet genius friend Armin.
"What the hell are you so giddy about?" Eren knitted his eyebrows together, forming that signature crease between his eyes.
"Look who I found!" he gestured excitedly to Marco, who ran up to the three of them, smiling.
"Marco?" Mikasa covered her mouth and gasped gently, then turned to Eren and Armin. They showed no reaction outside of confusion.
"It's Marco!" Jean waited for a real reaction. They couldn't pretend they didn't know him to his face.
"Do you guys seriously not remember me?" his face fell and eyes widened in surprise.
"How are you alive?" Mikasa asked, dismissing her brother and friend's rude reactions.
"I'm not sure," Marco turned to her. "I can't remember anything."
"Nobody here besides Jean, Christa and I can remember you."
"What about me?" Christa had heard them and stopped, smiling sweetly.
"You remember me?" Marco asked hopefully.
"Sorry, have we met?" Christa asked, obviously slightly embarrassed.
"I'm Marco. Part of the 104th trainees squad? Died while Eren was plugging the wall?" Christa looked at Marco, confused.
"I'm so sorry," she truly looked sad. "I don't know you." Jean glanced at Mikasa, who looked at him with confusion. There was no way someone as sweet and nice as Christa would agree to join in on a prank like this. They weren't kidding. They really couldn't remember Marco.
"I- I-" Marco stood there, confused. Jean ran over and hugged him before he could cry.
"I'm so sorry," Jean whispered to Marco as he continued to stay frozen in place, slowly crying.
"Weird," Eren glanced at them and earned a slap from Mikasa for being rude. She led them out and suggested at Christa she should leave, too. Marco and Jean stood alone in the cafeteria for a few moments, crying together. Marco never moved, his knees were buckled and he was shocked at everyone. How could they forget him? He talked to all of them and everyone had seemed to like him.
"What do we do now?" Jean whispered into Marco's ear, saying what he had been thinking. Marco shrugged sadly in reply, that being his first movement in the last couple of minutes. "Maybe we should avoid others?" Marco nodded slowly. "Let's go then," Jean gently grabbed his hand and started to head to the boy's barracks. People shouldn't be in there during the mid afternoon, everyone should be outside, practicing their 3D maneuver gear skills.
Once they were in the barracks and sat down, Jean decided to try and ask Marco about what happened to him. "You said you can't remember what happened, but what's the last thing you remember?"
Marco sighed and put a hand on his own face, almost like he was rubbing his eye. "The last thing I remember was seeing you trying to work your broken gear. And then I went off to help you and then... everything went black. I don't remember anything else that happened."
He doesn't remember his death Jean realized. He took a deep breath, looking into his innocent eyes.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered then leaned onto Marco. "I wish it weren't like this for you." Marco gave him a small nod and a sad smile. Jean swore he could feel his heart break.
"It doesn't matter," Marco pressed his lips to Jean's before he can argue. Jean didn't mind it though, he was glad he wouldn't have to think. Wow did he miss the taste of Marco.
It wasn't until Jean felt something hot and wet hit his cheek that he pulled away. Marco's face was turning red and hot as a few tears stained his cheeks. Again. Jean just hugged him out of pity.
"Everything will be okay. I promise we'll figure this out."
"How would you know anything about what happened?"
"You did tell me everything, right?"
Marco hesitated a moment before he said, "Right." Jean raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was being completely honest.
"What aren't you telling me?" He looked at the freckled and broken face. He was clearly not okay. "It doesn't matter what happened, I'll understand." Marco blinked a few times and pulled back from him so they were standing apart.
He took a deep breath while looking into Jean's eyes, "I can't tell you. It was part of the deal." Jean nodded, understanding to a certain extent. He suddenly felt less comfortable though. A lot less comfortable.
