Marco you really are a clumsy one aren't you? Had a little time to myself so I managed to write another chapter. I received positive and great critical feedback from people. I may not be able to update as frequently after until my exams are finished. I have a fair idea of where this story is going to go unlike my other SNK fan fiction… I still have tons to write for that fan fiction. I will update! I promise!
Anyway. I hope you enjoy. I feel this is going to be less angst an turn into something stupidly and stereotypically fluffy… (And smutty…) :3 :3 :3
It was that ordinary Thursday night that I had fallen in love with Jean Kirschtein...
I don't exactly recall how long I stood there, staring, completely in awe at both his beautiful face nor how long I marvelled his passion for what he did as a profession... but I definitely remember Ymir tapping me on the shoulder and waving her hand in front of my face. One arm hung limply over Christa's shoulders. Christa looked as if she was about to collapse under the strain of Ymir's weight. I couldn't blame her, the way Ymir had difficulty holding herself upright definitely told me she had more than five drinks. I guess I was driving home tonight. I looked back at Ymir's face and I spotted a smug expression adorning it, a thin sheen of sweat and a vivid flush covering her cheeks either from her earlier alcohol consumption or from dancing. I sipped my water, slightly annoyed that she had caught me standing in the middle of the dance floor gawking like a complete idiot at the DJ.
She gestured to the DJ with her thumb.
"I see you have your eyes on Kirschtein?" she shouted in my ear so she could be heard over the loud din of dub step.
"Kirschtein?"
"The new DJ freckles! Jean Kirschtein" she replied laughing, whacking me on the back side of my head.
I rubbed my head. She could hit hard.
"Jeeaann" I slowly rolled the name on my tongue, elongating the constants more to myself than to Ymir. The name although simple somehow had a mysteriously exotic feel to it. French sounding since the 'J' was pronounced softly. It suited this person.
Ymir nodded.
"Yeah but don't even think about trying to get fresh with him… he's got a temper and he's stubborn as a horse. Apparently he's a pretty loose guy too"
"I wasn't thinking about dating anyone" I pointed out frowning.
Ymir smiled.
"You expect me to believe that? You were staring at him like a lovesick school girl"
"Fuck off Ymir!" I replied childishly, not in the mood for her teasing.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"I can tell you something else though, Jean Kirschtein attends our university"
I looked at her suspiciously.
"It's true, I have Christa to back me up"
Christa gave a thumbs up in agreement.
I gulped the rest of my water and placed the glass on a nearby countertop.
"How do you know all this Ymir… it's not like you attend classes at University to know all this shit"
"Hey, I make the effort to go travel to uni, that's enough for me!" she stated back laughing.
I shook my head exasperated with her behaviour.
"Christa, why don't you find a quiet area and get your girlfriend a glass of water. We don't want her throwing up in the car when we get back to the dorms" I said weary of this conversation.
Christa gave a weak smile but tenderly lead her girlfriend to a quieter area of the bar. I shook my head smiling at the two. They made an odd but cute couple. I decided to fetch one more drink, a light beer with sprite. I was still abnormally thirsty and the bar area had grown stifling hot. I asked the waiter specifically to put more sprite than beer in my glass since I was probably going to be the one driving everyone back to the dorm tonight…
[look someone has to stay sober and it wasn't going to be Ymir or the others that's for sure].
But fighting through the crowed was another thing entirely. The club usually closed around three o'clock in the morning, thus everyone was swarming the bar area for the last round of drinks. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of sweaty limbs and sparkly sequin dresses pressing in every direction of my body as I tried, unsuccessfully to make my way out of the mass of people. Some swore and I tried to be as apologetic and decent as possible. If I angered anyone, I'd probably start a bar fight. That was not the best way to end a good club night.
My foot then suddenly collided with another person's and I immediately stumbled, drink and all right into the next person in front of me. I just managed to catch a glimpse of the icy cold concoction of ice, lemonade and beer splashing all over the person's clothes… shit.
"What the fuck! My shirt!"
Mortified at my clumsiness, I looked up and almost fainted when I discovered the same face that had absolutely enchanted me earlier before. The young man who Ymir referred to as Jean Kirschtein was covered from the torso to the waist down with my newly bought drink. His handsome face was plastered with extreme displeasure. His golden eyes that matched the very upholstery had darkened to a deep golden liquid brown, filled with utter disgust and annoyance with the feeling of sticky soda on his clothes and skin.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" I cried.
"Shit... this shirt was new! Asswipe! Watch where your going!"
I was stunned. His voice clear and crisp, yet deep, cutting the sound of laughter like ice. It was a voice that commanded respect and recognition. What I deemed an angel surely didn't have the purest of mouth in the world.
I raised my hands to chest level, palms open. The sign of resignation and apology.
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry. It was an accident. I didn't mean to throw my drink all over you"
"Wear fucking glasses you son of a bitch!"
I felt my eyes knit into a glare. That was uncalled for.
"Well fuck you too!" I replied.
I watched his eyes darken and I could see he really wanted to punch me. I expected him to but he didn't. Instead he just stared at me. His gaze was cold, hard, steely. His golden eyes bore straight into me, looking at me incredulously. I gulped. His gaze was so intense and it only seemed to be maximised by the dim lighting of the club. He sniffed at me then pushed his hands deep into his pockets.
"Fuck this shit. I'm going home"
With that he walked off. For a brief moment, I watched him disappear into the crowd towards the exit. It took another moment to realise that my hands were shaking and that I heart was pounding wildly against my rib cage. I swallowed painfully. Jean Kirschtein certainly didn't have the best of personalities. I had never met anyone with such a stubborn and angry streak. He was like an untamed horse, a stallion that could not be broken. I chuckled. He reminded of that horse from the movie 'Spirit', a favourite of mine when I was a child. Now I understood why Ymir said he was headstrong. I certainly got on his bad side that's for sure… and not only that, the clumsy idiot that I am had the audacity to spill alcohol over his clothes. Not a great first impression. If I ever meet him again, [the chances of meeting him would be zilch], I'd make it up to him.
I checked my iPhone, the bright light of the screen read 02:45. I groaned. I had a ten am class tomorrow for Art theory. I better get the others.
I didn't need to search for long. I found Sasha more or less hunched up over one of the vacant disabled cubicles, purging what she had drunk. Connie sat next to her, rubbing her back supporting her. Not wanting to leave those two alone I sat on the other side of Sasha, biting my lip tightly and also supporting her as she continuously emptied her stomach. If she threw up anymore, I was sure she was going to cough up her colon.
"You should have watched how much she drank. You know how much of a light weight Sasha is" I pointed out to Connie.
"I did honest! Until she had a double shot of tequila after nachos" Connie replied rolling his eyes then continued to soothe Sasha.
"Are you alright on your own? I need to find the others. The club will be closing soon"
Connie waved me away.
"I'll be fine. She's just dry heaving now… and I've just bought a bottle of water for her"
"Okay. As long as your fine" I said unsure, walking out the bathroom cubicle.
It took me fifteen minutes to find the other two… I should have known they would have sneaked into one of the more private areas of the club to steal a kiss. Christa was straddled on Ymir's lap, her arms wrapped around her girlfriend's neck and fingers entwined in her hair. Ymir gently supported her waist. I laughed quietly. They were just too cute sometimes.
I cleared my throat, catching their attention. Christa blushed, burying her face into the crook of Ymir's shoulder. When Ymir saw it was me she flipped me off and continued her previous actions.
"Well thank you Ymir, but I have to tell you Connie, Sasha and I are going to be leaving without you if you don't hurry up… and I know how much you hate Christa taking public transport" I said idly.
Ymir glared at me.
"I commend you for ruining the moment Freckles"
"You're very welcome. If there was a degree for such a thing, I'd pass with flying colours… oh and give me your keys Ymir. I know you've had more than five drinks" I responded jokingly.
Ymir somewhat moodily threw me her keys but there was no point in arguing. She knew she was in no condition to drive.
The three of us managed to squeeze out the club and I spotted Connie and Sasha, looking dishevelled at the exit.
"I'm assuming Sasha's feeling better?" I asked concerned.
"Dude, I swear she coughed up everything but her heart and lungs" Connie exaggerated. Sasha was leaning against him, one arm wrapped around his shoulder.
"Would you like some help?" I offered.
He shook his head.
"Nah, I can take care of my girl"
The drive back to Hermiha University was quiet and uneventful. I had almost forgotten the incident of spilling my beverage on that DJ's shirt. Shit happens. For once Ymir didn't criticise my 'girly' 'safe' driving skills. She by some miraculous purpose had fallen fast asleep and I was thankful for the peace and quiet. I pulled into Gate 11 at Hermiha university, right next to the girls' dorms.
"Christa, tell Ymir that I'll park her car in my dorm parking lot for the night. I'll leave the keys in my room. She knows what dorm room I'm in… and Connie, I think Sasha may need more then a couple of aspirin for tomorrow morning"
Connie shrugged.
"That is if she wakes up in the morning. I'll see you in a few minutes"
I nodded my goodbye and drove off towards the boys dormitories. I wasn't surprised at the little number of people around, save for the incredibly studious or the ones who were sick in bed with the flu. There was a university 'fraternity' party on the same night so many were at the 'Roundhouse' celebrating. I parked Ymir's car in the second floor parking lot then headed towards my the East wing of Trost dorm. I shared on floor with Connie, and four more boys in the same year as me. Eren Jaeger, Armin Arlert, Berthold Hoover and Reiner Braun. I got on well with them as much as I did with Connie. The four of them did separate degrees. Eren a BA in Criminology (Don't ask me why), Armin Arlert did a BA in Arts, (I had English with him), Berthold a BA in Business and Reiner, being the muscly guy did a BA in physical education. We all each had our own separate rooms but we all shared two bathrooms and showers, a common area and kitchen for all of us.
When I got to our dorm area I wasn't surprised to see Armin curled up on the floor in the common room, fast asleep. Text books about Women's literature, Gertrude Steins 'Tender buttons', a Norton's anthology and numerous notes strewn around him. A thin trail of salvia traced down his mouth, his golden shoulder length hair had fallen across his face. His golden shoulder length hair had fallen across his face and I held back a snort. Quietly, I draped a blanket from one of the sofas onto his sleeping form so he wouldn't catch a cold and carefully made my way to my own room, tentatively entering it before closing the door softly behind me.
I tossed Ymir's car keys on my desk table then turned on the light. I winced, the warm yellow light from the ceiling was blinding after having gotten used to the darkness. My room although small gave off its comforting sensation of clutter. Text books stacked on my desk, my apple MacBook Pro charging along with them. My bed stood against opposite with the built in wardrobe a few feet away from the bed. I sighed, kicking off my black doc martin boots then discarded my jumper and jeans. I couldn't be bothered to change into my pyjamas. I was fine sleeping in my T-shirt and boxer briefs. Tiredly, I turned the light switch off before pulling back my clean bed sheets and crawled into bed.
I let my head rest against the goose feather pillow and stared at the ceiling, thinking of nothing. Just staring into the blank empty void, trying to let my mind rest. I heard the soft sounds of Connie entering the dorm and head to his own room but nothing after that. A vivid image of Jean Kirsctein's face emerged from the farthest parts of my brain. I groaned and turned onto my side, pressing my palms against my face. His golden eyes were so fierce and serious. I had never seen such a beautiful colour before. It was the first time I'd been interested in anyone for a very long time… I let out a sigh, then crushed a pillow over my head. I had an early start tomorrow morning. I have no time to get hung up on a guy who I just met… and just destroyed his clothes in the process.
'Fuck… what is wrong with me?'
I didn't get much sleep that night… around 6 hrs but something was better than nothing. I had the worst hang over known to man. I had no heart to attend my two hour art theory tutorial session. But being the good and studious person that I am, dragged my butt and my aching head to class albeit extremely unwillingly. I skipped breakfast, not in the mood for food but instantly regretted my decision. The tutorial seemed to dwindle into long monotonous minutes. Sigmund's Freud's theory on the white board became words of mumbo jumbo and my stomach growled continuously throughout the session.
I was moody when I left class. I wanted lunch… I wanted food in my stomach and I wanted it badly. I'm not the best person when I'm on an empty stomach. I muttered and complained about the difficult theories that had not sunk in from today's class, one hand deep within my pockets, lap top in my back pack and art theory books cradled in the other arm. I was so wrapped up in my own selfish world that I collided head long into another person, my books and his own thrown high into the air from the impact and dropping down onto our heads.
WHY DO I KEEP ON DOING THAT!
"FUCK! That hurt!"
That voice… it couldn't be? That crisp, cool voice...
I rubbed my sore head and blinked until realised I was staring into the same bright war, liquid gold eyes that had haunted my very dreams last night. Jean Kirschtein peered at me, a look of confusion crossing his face. His eyes widened then his brows knitted into a deep frown when he recognised me.
"It's you! I swear you have to be the clumsiest fucker around here"
I grumbled moodily, not in the mood for his stubbornness.
"You're just as guilty this time you moron!" I replied picking up my books and then started to pick up Jean Kirsctein's.
"What the hell are you doing?"
I looked back at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Being helpful. Is that such a crime?" I asked, standing up and brushing my pants from dust. I offered a hand to help him up. He gave me a strange expression, one of uncertainty and disbelief.
"Yes there are people who are THAT nice in this world. Are you going to sit there all day?" I said reading his thoughts.
He begrudgingly took my offered palm and I heaved him up into a standing position. His grip was strong, firm and trusting. Jean Kirsctein wasn't much taller than me. Maybe a little shorter.
I looked at the headings at one of his text books. It was a book about music theory and the other was to do with composing electronic music. I handed them to Jean Kirsctein.
"Uh… thanks I guess, even if you are a clumsy idiot"
"You're welcome"
He took the books. I could see in his eyes that he was trying to comprehend my polite nature, as if he didn't believe being nice was a thing in this world.
"Who are you anyway? You keep bumping into me… literally"
"I'm Marco… Marco Bodt. I'm a student here… You're Jean Kirsctein"
He raised an eyebrow.
"What are you some sort of stalker? How the heck do you know my name?"
"You were at the Golden Sheaf as DJ. My friends told me about you… word gets round at Hermiha Uni"
"And you're the guy who poured beer all over my shirt" Jean pointed out.
I grimaced and felt my cheeks grow hot with deep embarrassment.
"That seriously was an accident. How about I make it up to you?"
I watched Jean's expression turn from one of annoyance, to surprise then to shock, to suspicion. I smiled slightly. So this guy had emotion other than anger.
"The fuck?" he shook his head.
"When do you have your next class?"
"… At 2:00. Why?"
I looked at my iPhone. It was almost one and I was ravenous.
"How about I buy you lunch? My treat" I offered.
Jean raised a dark brow. He studied me carefully and I could feel my heart flop wildly against my rib cage. I hope he couldn't see how nervous I was.
"Just how nice are you?"
"Nice enough to offer a formal apology" I responded casually.
"Alright then… if it's free food I'm not complaining"
"Then is the Bookstore café good enough for you?"
Jean shrugged.
"Don't care. I've never been"
This time, it was my turn to be astonished.
"Are you serious? That's one of the most popular places around campus"
"I usually just eat alone in the my dorm dining hall"
"Well then… always a first for everything. This way" I said smiling.
I lead the way to the bookstore café. I had no idea what I was doing. I couldn't tell what this guy was thinking. I faced forward, pretending to have some sort of purpose but to be honest, I was winging it.
The café was busy but I managed to grab a table upstairs in the far corner near the book shelves. No arm chairs but it was right next to the window overlooking the city and the campus.
I handed Jean a menu and I watched him glaze of the large variety of food types. For a brief moment I took the time to appreciate his appearance… hey you can't blame me. They guy sitting in front of me was pretty hot. Jean had a perfectly straight distinct facial features, a balanced square jaw. Strong, trustworthy features. The animosity in his eyes had disappeared. Since I offered to buy him lunch he let his guard down but only just. His eyes were surprisingly gentle, yet had a mischievous gleam to them. I noted with satisfaction he had a single ear piercing in his left ear, somehow further exemplifying that exotic mysterious appeal to him.
"Fuck this is fancy…" Jean said finally.
"It's reasonably priced you have to admit. So what do you feel like. The lasagne's pretty good here. It's one of their specialties". I suggested pointing at the mains.
Jean shrugged and scratched his head.
"Well since I've never eaten here before I'll take your word"
"Okay then. Two lasagnes. Will be back in one moment. Are you fine with water? I can get you a coke or sprite if you'd like?" I asked digging around my bag for my wallet.
"Ummm… coke would be great… uh… thanks Marco" he said awkwardly, slightly uncomfortable with my acts of kindness. I liked the way how he pronounced my name and the way he looked so out of place in the café. It was kind of cute.
The ordering didn't take longer than five minutes and after another ten, Jean and I were tucking into our lunch of steaming hot lasagne.
"Wow… this lasagne is good!" Jean said after swallowing another mouthful.
I took a swig of my diet coke.
"Told you. It's a good place to hang out with friends" I replied.
"I'm not much of a people person… I can't exactly talk to people so casually" Jean stated.
'It's because of your stubborn attitude, that's why' I thought to myself.
"Well then… I'm guessing you're also a student at Hermiha, what do you study?"
"I'm taking a Bachelor of music studies, majoring in electronic composition. It's a four year degree"
"You a first year?" I asked, folding my arms across the table ledge.
Jean shook his head.
"No, I'm second…"
"Oh cool. I'm a second year student too. I study Fine Arts/Arts. I major in painting and English writing"
Jean fidgeted awkwardly in his chair, not knowing how to continue the conversation.
"You really don't hang around people much do you?" I asked.
Immediately, Jean turned a rather fetching shade of fire engine red.
"Shut up… this is the first time I've done this kind of thing with anyone. I usually don't have many people to talk to"
"Well, maybe now its time to break out of that habit" I suggested, spooning in another mouthful of lasagne.
"… Well I dunno… um do you do any university societies?" Jean asked, following my advice. [I could give him credit for trying].
I nodded.
"Just two… Tuesday evenings, I'm a tenor in the Music society and I accompany them sometimes if we're not doing 'A Capella' work. Don't laugh but on Thursday evenings I'm in the Latin dance society"
"Pffftt! Are you serious Marco?" Jean laughed. My eyes widened. It was the first time I had seen him smile, let alone laugh. I liked hearing him laugh.
I pretended to be annoyed.
"I told you not to laugh… I was dragged by my friends since they're short on guys… And I'm pretty decent at it too, I'd like to point out!" I replied jabbing my finger at the table.
"Yeah whatever…" He said, still in fits of giggles.
"What about you? You in anything?"
"Only the Amnesty International society"
I raised my eyebrow. That's surprising.
"As for hobbies, I like to compose and play the piano. I like painting and drawing portraits in my spare time too if I don't have a lot of work. What about you Jean?"
Jean sighed.
"I'm not one for hobbies…"
"But what about being a DJ? I saw you at The Golden Sheaf and you looked like you really enjoyed it. Are you thinking of becoming a DJ after you graduate"
"I better… I didn't do that hard music theory work for nothing!" Jean said, pushing his empty plate away.
I laughed. "That's true"
"So what, are you going to be an artist or something?"
"Probably along the lines of that… I do a dual degree so that widens my choices for a bit. At the moment, I just need to graduate" I grinned.
I checked the time on my IPhone and it was fifteen minutes to two. I would be having English creative writing class soon.
"Well I gotta get going. My class starts soon" I said, gathering up my things. I caught Jean's facial expression and he almost looked despondent at the thought of our lunch ending. I took this as an opportunity to ask for his number.
"We should do this again sometime during the week. I enjoyed lunch"
A smile of hope lit Jean's face.
"Seriously? You mean it?"
Aww… He was just too cute for words.
"Yeah, I mean that's what uni students do after class"
I grabbed a small notebook and pen from my bag and quickly jotted down my number for him. I handed the torn piece of paper and he examined the number with a keen interest.
"Just text me your number and I'll save it on my phone. We should also exchange timetables so we know when the other is free or not"
"Uh… sure. Um… thanks for lunch Marco"
I smiled softly, shouldering my back pack.
"No worries. I'll be expecting the text with your number soon. See you around Jean".
I waved a goodbye. I was feeling light hearted after that lunch. Jean Kirschtein might be the most stubborn idiot in the world, he certainly deserved a friend. I'm sure he was just lonely like me. The anger was probably just a facade for his feelings of isolation. I was grinning from ear to ear, raising my head into the the warm radiant sunlight, letting my face bask in it. I feel this was going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
After watching the 16th episode of the fan made audio 'Attack on Space' and having my heart torn out in the process, I needed to write up an extra long chapter of JeanMarco fluff to make me feel better… but oh god! Attack on Space, why do you give me so many feels!
Love,
Evening Falls