When Marco woke up the next morning, he was still on the couch alone with a blanket wrapped around him.
He groggily sat up, rubbing his temples. "Jean?" he called out softly.
Marco stood up, looking around the room. He didn't remember going to sleep last night. He remembered messing around with Jean, eating pizza and watching movies…they must have fallen asleep during one of the movies.
Jean must have left before Marco woke up. He frowned slightly, looking at the blanket.
The TV was turned off, the mess they made last night had been cleared, and the pizza boxes were in the bin. Despite himself, Marco smiled softly.
There was a note scribbled on a newspaper left on the table. Marco scooped it up. Jean's handwriting was small and scraggly and a little hard to read.
marco
(thanks so much for letting me stay.)
(ok ignore the first part. You've no idea who thankful I have)
The first two parts were scratched out, but Marco just about make them out.
thanks for last night. i woke up early but i didn't want to wake you. and i still have the clothes you let me borrow last night, no idea what you did with mine. i'll bring them around to you sometime though.
see you for coffee later?
j
Marco grinned. The note was short and to the point, like Jean himself. He looked once more at the blanket that had been around him. Jean must have put it around him when he left in the morning. Marco was pleasantly surprised by that – he hadn't expected Jean to be that thoughtful.
He sat back down in the sofa, thinking about what had happened last night. Jean had become a lot closer to him; at least, he had in Marco's mind. He had opened himself up to the freckled boy and that conversation was much more meaningful than the rest they had shared put together.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Marco had fun. He wanted to spend more time with Jean, he wanted to help Jean, and he wanted to find out more about Jean.
Their friendship was slightly odd, though, Marco mused. It wasn't like his relationship with Connie or Sasha or any of his other friends. He loved them, and cared about them a lot, but their relationship was light hearted, full of laughter and optimism. Even though they had their fights, their relationship wasn't quite as…serious? Marco couldn't think of a better word. He got the impression from Jean that he was the only one really making an effort with him, and that made everything seem a lot…bigger.
Marco had never patched a bleeding Connie up.
Marco shook his head. He was reading too deep into this – Jean and Connie were completely different people. Connie wasn't the type to get into a fight – at least, not with his fists – whereas Jean –
Shit, was that the time!
The blanket slid from Marco's hand as his gaze found the clock. He was going to be late if he didn't get a move on.
He then proceeded to have the quickest shower of his life.
Marco had ignored Nanaba's wiggling eyebrows when he brought the bag to work. The bag with Jean's clothes inside it.
Nanaba was one of the other employees at Hanji's House. Marco considered them friends, but not very close friends. He was in the back room putting on his apron when the elder had come in. The room was a small room in the back, plain and uninviting unlike the rest of the establishment, with bare concrete walls and a single bench pressed into one corner. A few lockers leaned against the wall, where employees
"Ooh, what's in the bag, Marco?" Nanaba had asked curiously. Marco usually didn't even bring a bag to work. "Are you going out later? It's Connie's birthday, right?"
Marco shook his head. "We're having a small party for Connie back at the apartment," he said.
Nanaba sat on the bench, gesturing to the bag. "What's this for, then?"
Marco gave Nanaba a sidelong glance. "A friend stayed over at my place last night. He forgot some of his stuff."
Nanaba reached over and pulled the zip on the bag down slightly. "Clothes? He left clothes at your house?" Nanaba smirked slightly. "Well, well. Did our Marco Bodt finally get laid?"
"Nanaba!" Marco hissed, feeling his face go red. "I said a friend! Not…anything like that."
Nanaba was too busy laughing at Marco's red face to do anything else.
"Sorry for leaving so early," Jean said, clutching his coffee cup.
"It's no problem," Marco said. For the first time, what seemed like an awkward silence settled between them.
Jean cleared his throat. "I better go," he said, somewhat gruffly.
Marco nodded, slightly disappointed. Had he done something wrong last night?
Jean looked at him, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. "Thanks for bringing the clothes back," he said, looking at the ground again. "I'll give your ones back to you soon."
Marco nodded unsure of what to say. He had thought last night had gone well. He thought they would be closer, better friends now. Real friends. But Jean seemed distant now.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Jean said. "Right?" Despite him sounding gruff earlier, was that a twinge of hope Marco could hear in his voice?
Marco smiled, and nodded. "Right!"
Jean gave him a smile before leaving. Marco began to head home. Connie's party would be in a few hours.
He looked up at the sky, and realised that for the first time in a few weeks, it was clear of any clouds.
"Happy birthday Connie!" everyone roared. Connie jumped, taken aback. He hadn't had time to react before Sasha had thrown her arms around him.
Marco smiled, listening to their laughter. Their apartment wasn't big enough to have a big party, but there was room for all of their friends. Ymir and Christa went up to Connie, Ymir smirking and throwing an arm around his neck while Christa smiled sweetly and gave him a present. Christa and Sasha were friends for a long time. Although they were taking different courses in college (Christa was doing something in fashion, Marco wasn't sure exactly what) they both went to a cooking class in high school. When Sasha became friends with Christa, she was then introduced into her slightly intimidating girlfriend, Ymir. Through Sasha Marco and Connie were introduced.
In the corner, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie were talking. Reiner and Annie were police cadets, while Bertholdt was an apprentice engineer. Although the trio looked intimidating, they were good people at heart, and Marco was close with them (although truthfully, he was still a little bit scared of Annie. That girl could floor guys twice her size).
Mina and Dazz and Nack were there too, but Marco couldn't spot Armin or Mikasa anywhere…
The door swung open and, speak of the devil, Armin poked a head in. With a sheepish smile, he came in. "Sorry we're late," he said, going over to greet Connie. Mikasa and another boy – Marco didn't know him – came over to Marco.
"Hey," Mikasa said with a smile. "This is my brother," she said. "I know its Connie's party, but he's staying with me and I didn't want to leave him alone. I hope you don't mind me bringing him along."
Marco gave a wide smile and shook his head. "Of course not!" he said. "The more the merrier, right?"
He turned to the boy and shook his hand. He had nice eyes, an uncommon vibrant green. He was attractive, Marco noticed, but he had a dark bruise just above his eye. "Marco Bott, pleasure to meet you."
The boy smiled. "Eren Jaeger, and likewise."
Marco's smile froze slightly.
"Yeah. My friend Eren and I came here a few months ago. Haven't really been in contact with my old friends much. Haven't seen Eren that much either."
"I was fighting with my uh," Jean faltered. Could he really describe Eren as his friend? "With my acquaintance…Eren Jaeger."
Marco waited about an hour before approaching Mikasa.
Reiner had been telling him and Connie a story when he saw Mikasa go over to the table to pour herself a drink. Marco excused himself and walked up. "Hey," he said, reaching for another glass.
Mikasa took a gulp of her drink. "Hi."
Marco gave her a sidelong glance. "Eren Jaeger…he hasn't been here before, has he?"
Mikasa's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "He stayed in Karanese when I came to college here," she said. "Why do you ask?"
Marco poured his drink, and didn't speak for a moment. "No reason," he said. "Just one of my friends said they knew an Eren Jaeger before."
Mikasa's eyes narrowed further. "Really?" she asked, her voice slightly sharper than it usually was when she was with Marco. "Who was it? Do I know them?"
Marco took a sip of his drink. "That's what I wanted to ask you," he admitted. "I wanted to ask you if you know a Jean Kirstein?"
Mikasa sighed loudly, but Marco got the feeling it was a sigh of relief. Her face softened and her eyes lost their suspicious look, but now she looked worried. "Only Jean? You scared me for a minute, Marco." She trailed off and took another gulp of her drink. "Yeah. Yeah I know Jean Kirstein. But Marco, how much do you know about him?"
Marco, taken aback by Mikasa's question, stumbled over his words a bit, trying to figure out what the right answer would be.
Mikasa gave another sigh – this one weary – and downed her drink before placing her hand on Marco's arm.
"We," she said, "need to talk."