Hey Guys! Riverspirit here!
This chapter is super long. And personally, I think it's complete crap. I tried to follow the plot that I made, but this chapter just went completely away from it. Sorry.
Basically, Marco gets put through Hell. I can't really explain more without giving the chapter away. But I warn you. You might need tissues. It gets really depressing.
Please tell me what you think about the chapter and story when you finish! I hope you enjoy chapter seven of "Is It Love?" (even though it's really shitty)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin. I only own the plot. That's it. ^^
LAST TIME
"Good night, Marco." Jean whispered in my ear, kissing my temple gently. "I love you."
I mumbled what I hoped was "good night" and "I love you", already beginning to fall asleep. I cuddled into him a little more, slipping deeper into sleep.
August 24th, 2012
I blinked slowly, the morning light bright against my sleepy eyes. I closed my eyes for a moment, prepared to sleep for a few more minutes when a blaring alarm sounded next to my head. I jumped, flinching into Jean in surprise, my eyes flying wide open to glare at the alarm clock. I groaned when I saw the numbers, turning and sitting up slowly, shoving Jean repeatedly in an attempt to get him to wake up.
"Jean. Turn off your alarm. It's too damn early." I mumbled tiredly, falling back onto the bed and pulling the covers over my head when Jean finally woke up. I felt the bed shift as he leaned across my body, the alarm finally being silenced. Five-fifteen was way too early to wake up.
"Why the hell is your alarm set so damn early?" I muttered, burying my head deeper under the covers, curling up closer to Jean when he lay back down.
"Well, good morning to you too, Marco." Jean chuckled, kissing the top of my head, hugging me close to him.
"Shut up." I hit my head against his chest gently, trying to find some quiet after being woken up at the crack of dawn. "I need sleep. Wake me up at six forty-five." I huffed slightly before yawning, already falling back asleep.
"Okay, Marco. Sleep well." I heard Jean murmur softly. But I was too far into sleep to reply verbally, instead nodding before slipping back into unconsciousness.
The second time I woke up went much better than the first.
"Marco sweetie. It's six forty-five. Time to get up." Jean caressed my bedhead gently, kissing my forehead, smiling down at me when I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked rapidly, trying to wake myself up, before smiling back at Jean.
"Morning." I said softly, still partially asleep. I yawned and stretched under the covers, rubbing my eyes with my fists. After I deemed myself awake enough to begin the day, I pulled away from Jean slightly to ask the question that had been on my mind, both conscious and unconscious, this morning.
"Why is your alarm set so early?"
Jean laughed slightly, sitting up in the bed. "I normally get up to work out for an hour before taking a shower and getting ready for the day. I take it that you aren't a morning person?" He nudged me, smiling.
"No, I'm not. What tipped you off?" I said sarcastically before smiling, sitting up along with Jean.
"Well, for the first thing, you cussed three times within a minute and hit me with your head when you woke up. I've only heard you cuss once before this morning. And that was when I ran into you at the pharmacy. Also, you were shoving me pretty hard to wake me up." He smiled as he hugged me, resting his head on my shoulder. I felt his damp hair on my neck and I looked at him in surprise.
"You already took a shower?" I questioned, pulling Jean away so I could look at him. I noticed that he was no longer in his pajamas, instead in jeans and a t-shirt.
Jean laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah. I stayed in bed until I was sure that you wouldn't wake up and then I left to work out, took a shower, and then climbed back in bed so I could wake you up. I hope you don't mind." He smiled at me slightly.
I just shrugged in response, accepting the fact that Jean had a routine to follow and my presence wasn't going to change it. "Okay. Can I use your shower then?" I stretched again, sliding out of his bed to raise my arms high above my head, hearing my back pop a few times.
"Yeah, it's okay. There's a clean towel for you on the sink and feel free to use my shampoo or anything like that." Jean stood up from his bed, hugging my waist tightly. "Thanks for spending the night, Marco. Hopefully we'll be doing this much more often." He kissed my neck, right over the hickey from last night, before ushering me towards the bathroom.
I smiled at him from the doorway of the bathroom, blowing him a kiss before shutting the door, beginning my morning process.
When we left his house at seven forty-five, I was already feeling nervous about how this day would go. As we got closer and closer to the school, my anxiety only grew and grew. When we parked at the school, I noticed that Jean had parked as far away from the door as possible. Dread filled me, already knowing that Jean wouldn't want to be seen with me at school. I mean, I expected it, but it still hurt. I turned to him to explain that I wouldn't reveal us, but he beat me to speaking.
"Marco, you need to trust me on this, okay?" Jean took my hand, holding it over his heart. "Marco, we can't be seen together at school. I will get the guys to stop bullying you, but we can't hang out or have anyone see us together, especially walking into school. Everything will be explained later. You just have to trust me, okay?" He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing it gently. "Marco, I love you with my entire being. I don't want to lose you. So please, just act like everything is normal, like how things were just yesterday at school. I will tell you why you need to do this in time. Just trust me." Jean leaned over and kissed my lips, pulling back to look into my eyes.
I knew that the hurt was evident in my eyes, but I swallowed my pain and simply nodded my consent. I figured that this would happen, but it still hurt that Jean had to mention it. I would never have brought suspicion on us and I thought he knew that. But I knew that he was just making sure. So I nodded again, kissing him gently before whispering in his ear.
"I'll leave first. Wait a few minutes before leaving." I pulled back, seeing his nod of consent, before leaving the car, picking up my backpack and shutting the door, prepared to walk the walk of shame. So when Jean rolled down his window and called out to me, I was surprised.
"Meet me at my car at three thirty-five, okay? I'll take you home so you can grab your car to get Mikasa. If you want to hang out tonight, we can. I also hope that you'll come to my party on Saturday. It starts at eight p.m. okay? Please be there." Jean rushed through his thoughts, smiling nervously at the end. But I just nodded before turning and walking towards the school.
I rushed through my locker combination, placing my unnecessary books in my locker and grabbing the books for first and second period, shoving them into my backpack. I shut my locker as quickly yet quietly as I could, not wanting Jean's friends to find me. But, of course, I wasn't that lucky.
"Hey, freak." I heard a voice yell out to me from across the hall. I kept my head down and tried to leave silently, walking down the hall in hopes that they wouldn't follow me.
"Freak. I'm talking to you. Stop now and we'll make it quick."
I froze, knowing that their words were true. If I continued to run, they would just make the beating longer and make it hurt that much more. So I simply stood there in the middle of the hallway, head down, trying not to cry as I waited for the punches and kicks to start.
"Good. You actually listened this time. We'll make it brief then. Wouldn't want to be late to class, now would we."
A swift kick was dealt to my stomach, making me to double over in pain, the following kick to my back causing me to drop to the ground like a stone. I clutched my throbbing stomach as I waited out the sharp kicks to my ribs, knowing that I would have bruises later. Suddenly, my face was exposed when someone pulled my hair back, giving me a good luck at the second-in-command of my bullies. He wasted no time in motioning to his cohorts, getting one of them to pull me up and hold my arms behind my back as he prepared to start the punches. I felt one, then two, hit my already sore stomach, causing me to cough violently. But just two punches weren't good enough for them as he pulled his arm back, preparing for the "finale". I stared at the fist and behind it, seeing, to my horror, Jean standing at the end of the hallway. He started towards us, opening his mouth to yell at his friends to stop, but it was too late. The final punch hit me like a sledgehammer, snapping my head to the side, my body slumping to the floor when they let me go.
My head was fuzzy as I looked up at Jean and his friends with blurred vision, watching the scene unfold though I was barely conscious. That last punch had been harder than any they had ever thrown before, the effects confirming it. I watched in shock as Jean yelled at his friends, only a few words hitting my ears through the fog that encased my head.
" . . . Stop . . . He's not worth . . . Is someone like . . . really worth . . . suspended over . . . Find some . . . else . . . Boring to do . . . to him . . . Let's go . . ."
I looked up at Jean, pain etched on my face, waiting for him to say something to me. But I didn't get anything but a quickly mouthed "Stay there, I'll be right back." before he left with his friends to go to class.
I groaned silently in pain, reaching with one hand to slowly pull myself to the side of the hallway. I repeated the reaching and pulling until my hand hit a locker. I then gently pressed my hand against the ground and gently pushed myself up so I could lean against the locker. I heard the warning bell ring, then the final bell, both sounding far off as I slid down the locker until only my head and shoulders were supported by them as I lost consciousness.
Jean's POV
I can't believe that the first thing I saw when I walked into the school was my boyfriend being beat up by my "friends". I ran to them to get them to stop, but I was too late when Reiner punched Marco with nearly all of his strength. But even at only three-fourths strength, the punch was enough to snap Marco's head to the side and cause him to drop to the ground motionless. And when he managed to look up at me with cloudy, pain-filled eyes, it was the last straw. I had to get these guys to stop hurting Marco.
"Hey Jean! You just missed out on beating up Marco. Sorry dude." Reiner laughed, holding out a fist for a fist-bump. But I was furious, so I simply slapped it away before letting out all my anger.
"Just stop it, guys! He's not worth it. Is someone like him really worth getting suspended over?" I internally winced, hoping that Marco was too far gone to hear my words, even though they weren't true. "Seriously. Find someone else to beat up. Someone new. It's getting boring to do this to him every day." I shrugged, turning towards the opposite end of the hallway. "Let's go."
I started walking with my "friends" before looking back at Marco, making eye contact with him as I mouthed, "Stay there, I'll be right back." I needed to get these bastards to class so I could hurry and get Marco to the nurse.
We made it to the classroom just before the warning bell and we took our seats, my friends sitting happily while I was nearly in full-out panic mode. I needed to get back to Marco. I needed him to be okay. But he would have to wait just a moment longer, just until my teacher was about to start the lesson.
When the final bell rang and my teacher stood up from his desk, opening up the assigned book, I quickly raised my hand. My teacher looked annoyed at my interruption, but called on me anyways.
"Yes Mr. Kirschtein?"
"I'm sorry sir, but I am feeling really sick. May I please go to the nurse?" I lied, though my pale face and nervous air could easily be taken as an illness. When my teacher nodded and waved his hand absentmindedly, I quickly stood up from my seat and all but ran out the door.
I ran down my class' hallway and took the left turn to the hallway where I left Marco, speeding up when I saw his unconscious body slumped against the lockers.
"Oh Marco. I'm so sorry." I whispered as I gently rubbed his good cheek, hoping that he would wake up. When he didn't respond, I knelt and lay my ear against his chest, listening for breathing and a heartbeat. When I found both, I let out a short sigh of relief before wrapping Marco's arms around my neck, lifting him in my arms as I carried him to the nurse.
Marco's POV
I blinked my eyes open for the third time today, only this time, my vision was completely blurred, not seeing anything more than colors and general shapes. The sounds around me were muted, slowly filtering in through the fuzz that covered my head.
"Mar . . . Mar . . . co . . ."
I tried to turn my head towards what I thought was my name, but something strong was stopping me. I couldn't turn my head at all. So I settled for raising my hand, trying to let the person know that I had heard them.
"Mar . . . co!"
I felt warmth encase my hand and small drops of something wet fall onto my arm. My eyes were able to find what I assumed was my hand and with it, a light brown mass right above it. I felt one side of the warmth around my hand disappear as something came close to my face. I flinched back, remembering that the last thing that had been near my face had hurt like hell. The thing coming near my face retracted quickly, more wetness falling onto my arm.
I blinked a few more times, my vision slowly starting to clear. I could see someone holding onto my hand, yet they were still too blurry for me to discern. But there was only one person who would be here with me. Jean.
"Je . . . an . . ." I mumbled, my mouth feeling dry and fuzzy. I blinked some more, my vision clearing just a little bit more.
"Marco! Oh Marco. I'm so sorry, Marco." Jean held my hand tightly, tears still streaming down his face and onto my arm.
"S'okay . . . Jean . . . Not your . . . fault . . ." I struggled to speak normally, words feeling foreign to my mouth.
"Shhh. Don't talk, Marco. Just focus on breathing deeply and trying to clear your eyes and ears. It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay." Jean reached out a hesitant hand, pausing slightly, before gently caressing my uninjured cheek.
I tried to smile at Jean, but the bruised, right half of my face wouldn't cooperate, leaving me with what I assumed was a horrible grimace. I winced as I tried to force my smile, the bruise now feeling like a gaping wound.
"Marco, stop trying to smile. I understand. Just relax." Jean murmured as he gently ran his hand down the right side of my face, easing the grimace into a more relaxed position.
I wanted to smile at his loving action, but I couldn't, so I settled for taking deep breaths in and out, blinking my eyes slowly. I closed my eyes, attempting to pop my ears, flinching at the quick, sharp pain when the fog suddenly lifted. I resumed blinking my eyes, my eyesight slowly returning to normal. When I could see with only a hint of blurriness, I sighed and cleared my throat, ready to attempt speaking again.
"Jean . . . I want to . . . go home." My mouth was cooperating a bit better, though the words still felt thick and heavy on my tongue. Suddenly, a bright light shone in one of my eyes, then the other, a third voice joining our conversation.
"His pupils are contracting fairly normally now. Marco, nod if you can hear this." I heard a snapping sound next to my left ear and I nodded. "Again, Marco. Nod if you can hear this." This time, the snapping sound was next to my right ear, but it was much fainter, barely there.
"I can hear it, but just barely." I figured that a simply nod would not suffice to answer what I assumed was the nurse.
"Hmmm . . . Interesting. You want to go home, right? I can't let you drive in this condition, unfortunately. Are your parents' home? Should we call them?"
"No!" I shouted, wincing as the loud noise hurt my head. I lowered my voice before continuing. "Please don't call my parents."
"I'll take him home and watch over him until his parents get there." Jean's voice was firm, trying to assume responsibility for my care even though he was still visibly torn up over what had happened. I squeezed his hand slightly, trying to convey my love through my gaze.
"Hmmm." The nurse thought over Jean's proposition carefully before replying. "He needs to rest for a few more moments, so you go get your car and pull it around front. Then talk to the secretary to get permission for two, unexpected, early dismissals before coming back here to me to learn what you need to do to take care of Marco for the rest of today. Okay?"
Jean nodded, squeezing my hand slightly, before leaving the nurse and me alone. I was about to close my eyes when the nurse spoke up.
"Marco, let's get you sitting up and resting against some pillows. Then we're going to have a little chat." The walls that were keeping my head in one place lifted away as the nurse wrapped her arms underneath mine. "Marco, you need help push yourself up onto the pillows on the count of three, okay? One, two, three!"
When she said three, I pressed the palms of my hands onto the hard mattress, pushing my body backwards until I hit pillows. I lay back slowly, trying to ground myself from the dizziness that was filling my head at the moment. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in through my nose, letting it out slowly through my mouth. When the dizzy spell passed, I opened my eyes and looked at the nurse.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" I asked hesitantly, already knowing what she wanted to talk about. I quickly prepared a somewhat likely story to take the place of the actual events before looking up at her. But she just sat down in a chair next to the bed, making herself comfortable.
"How did you get your injuries today? Let's start with that."
"Well, I'm not the most coordinated of people, so when I was closing my locker, I accidentally shut it on my head." I scratched the back of my neck, trying to appear sheepish and awkward enough so that she would stop questioning me.
"Really, Marco? That's the truth?" Her stare chilled me to the bone, but I nodded, sticking to my fake story until the end. "Then why are your ribs and stomach bruised?" She countered my story, but I had my own reply already prepared.
"When the locker shut on my head, I ducked down quickly, but that put me off balance and I fell onto my backpack full of books. I'm really clumsy." I laughed slightly before it slowly died into faint chuckles before stopping completely. Her stare was really scary.
"Marco, I don't like to cuss, but I will this one time. I call bullshit." She narrowed her eyes at me slightly. I could see the disappointment in her eyes, that being my breaking point.
"Okay, okay. I'll explain what really happened." I sighed, rubbing the un-bruised part of the bridge of my nose. "There's this . . . group of people. They've been bullying me since the beginning of seventh grade. It started with just words and teasing, but that turned into shoves, that eventually turning into punches and kicks. The punches and kicks have been going on since sophomore year. That's really all there i-" I was cut off by the nurse raising her hand to silence me.
"Hold on one moment, Marco." Those were her last words before she just left her office.
I shrugged slightly, leaning back onto the pillows and closing my eyes, prepared to rest for a moment. My eyes were closed for about twenty seconds before two sets of footsteps entered the room. I slowly opened my eyes to the worried gazes of the nurse and the . . . principal.
I sat up straighter before speaking to both of them. "Is there something you need?" I didn't mean to sound rude; I just wanted to sleep for the rest of the day.
"Yes, Marco. There is something we need. I need you to explain, in detail, the attack that happened today to me and Principal Erwin."
"Attack? It was nothing. I could have handled i-"
"You could have handled it? You were brought in today unconscious, potentially with a concussion, potentially cracked or broken ribs, bruises covering your stomach and sides, and the entire right side of your face a bruise. You really could have handled it?" The nurse was cut off by Erwin's hand on her shoulder.
"Hush. He's been through a lot today. He doesn't need you berating him too. Let me handle this, okay?" Erwin smiled at the nurse before turning towards me. "Marco, I'm sorry, but its school rules that I get the names of your attackers. Please tell me." He pulled a pen and a scrap piece of paper from his pocket, ready to write.
I took a deep breath in, unsure if I was ready to cross the bridge of identifying my attackers. But with Erwin looking kindly and expectantly at me, I knew that I had to break my silence.
"The person who does most of the kicks and punches, the one who hit my face today, was Reiner Braun. He's normally accompanied by Thomas Wagner, Annie Leonhart, Ymir, and Daz. I'm sorry, but I don't know Ymir or Daz's last names. Sorry." I hung my head, ashamed of myself. I had vowed that no one would ever know, but here I am, telling the principal of the entire school.
"Is there anyone else, Marco? I know that group is normally led by Jean Kirschtein. Does he participate?"
I froze at Erwin's words. Was I allowed to explain my relationship with Jean to our principal? I didn't know. But when Erwin placed his hand on my shoulder, I felt the strength to tell some of the truth to him.
"Jean . . . used to. He used to be the one who led them against me. But . . ." I trailed off, so unsure of everything at the moment.
"Marco. It's okay. Jean used to hurt you, but what happened?" Erwin tried to coax the truth out of me, rubbing my shoulder gently before pulling his hand away slowly.
"But he . . . confessed to me yesterday. He told me he loved me. He hugged me. He kissed me." I shuddered, feeling unwanted panic start to well up inside me, threatening to bubble over.
"Marco . . . could it be that he was lying? Maybe he made that up so the other guys could hurt you ever worse than normal. Is that possi-"
"No!" I shouted, pulling my knees up to my chest, hugging them, tears slipping down my cheeks. "Jean isn't lying. He was the one who got them to stop and leave. He saved me. He was here. He was holding my hand and crying. He was calling my name, trying to wake me up. I heard him. That's how I woke up. I heard Jean calling my name. He was scared. He was scared that he was going to lose me." I felt Erwin's hand rest on my shoulder again and I flinched away from him.
"Stop! Don't touch me!" I cowered on the corner of the bed farthest from Erwin and the nurse. I was shaking, starting to hyperventilate. 'Panic attack.' Was my last rational thought before my mind began shutting down, trying to get me away from pain. I curled myself tighter around my legs, beginning to rock back and forth slightly, whimpering. "Stop. Just make it stop." I mumbled, burying my head in between my knees.
"Erwin? Can Jean Kirschtein come in? He has the unexpected early dismissal forms all filled out and is ready to take Marco home." The secretary poked her head in, taking in the scene. "Oh my."
"What? What's going on!? Marco!" Jean's scared voice sounded outside the door and that was the final straw.
"Jean. Make it stop." I could barely make those words out through my sped up breathing, black dots beginning to swim in my vision, signifying my lack of oxygen.
"Shit. Move!" Jean shoved past the secretary, leaping over the bed to kneel on the floor beneath me. "Marco. Look at me. Listen to my breathing. Try to copy me." He began taking exaggeratedly deep and slow breaths and I could feel my body slowly start to mimic his.
"There we go Marco. It's going to be okay. Keep breathing like that." He took a few more breaths, his voice beginning to calm me. "Marco, I'm going to sit next to you on the bed. Is that okay?" He waited for my nod of consent before getting up from the floor to settle himself next to me.
"Can I hug you, Marco? If not just say n-" Jean was cut off by me crawling into his lap, clutching his shirt, burying my head in his neck. His arms came up to wrap around me and I felt him begin to rock us back and forth.
"Shhh. Marco. It's going to be okay. Take a deep breath in then slowly let it out." He pulled me tighter to him as I listened to him, my breathing slowly returning to normal. "That's it. Just keep breathing slowly. It's okay. You're going to be alright. Shhhh, Marco. I'm here. I'm not leaving." I felt all the tension and panic leave my body suddenly, making me fall limp in Jean's arms.
"Marco? Marco!" Jean's hand came up to gently caress my cheek, his worried face relaxing when I opened my eyes to look at him. "Oh Marco, thank God you're okay." He clutched me to him, his own tears threatening to spill.
"I'm here, Jean." My voice was hoarse, my throat raw from breathing so heavily, but I still murmured soft nonsense to Jean as I finished calming down. "Jean. I have to know. Is this all a lie? Did you lie to me so your friends could hurt me more?" I heard two separate breaths hitch, knowing that Erwin was shocked that I was asking Jean what he had accused and that Jean was shocked that I was even asking it.
"Marco. I would never lie about this. I love you, Marco. I would never lie to you. Did someone say something that would make you think that? If so, tell me who so I can prove them wrong."
I flinched when Jean hit the nail on the head. I looked over Jean's shoulder at Erwin before I shook my head. "No. I just needed to make sure. Sorry. Can we go now?" I hugged Jean tightly for a moment before slipping off his lap to sit on the bed next to him. I stared at the nurse, secretary, and especially Erwin, almost daring them to stop us.
"We can go in a moment. I want you to relax a little bit more. I'll get instructions on how to take care of you for the rest of the day while you relax, okay?" Jean smiled at me, getting me to lie back down on the bed. He kissed my forehead gently before standing up to address everyone else in the room. "None of what happened leaves this room, okay?" His voice was nearly a growl as he stared down the three adults.
I grabbed Jean's hand quickly, trying to get him to stop being disrespectful. "Jean!" I whispered, shocked that he would speak to our principal and two other staff in this way. I tugged on his hand slightly, attempting to get his attention. But he just shook off my hand, still staring at the adults.
The nurse and secretary's jaws dropped at Jean's tone, astonished that a student would talk to them that way. But Erwin just smiled knowingly, nodding, before replying.
"Okay, Jean. None of this leaves us or this room. I just hope that one day, you will be able to come forward with your relationship with Marco. I wish you the best of luck." Erwin gently touched both Jean and my shoulders before standing up and leaving the room, leaving all of us in shocked silence. Jean was the first to speak.
"So what do I need to know so I can take care of Marco?" He asked the nurse, his tone much more friendly and polite. The nurse and secretary looked at each other, confused at Jean's change of tone. But then they both shrugged before the secretary quietly excused herself and the nurse began to speak.
"For one thing, Marco should be kept in a silent or near silent room. Keep the room dark too. Also, he should have an ice-pack or a cold compress on his cheek and forehead. Let him rest for the remainder of the day. It should be okay if he falls asleep. That should be it." The nurse grabbed a piece of paper and quickly jotted down the instructions, handing it to Jean. "Check with the secretary once more before you leave."
Jean nodded, taking the piece of paper from her, before kneeling next to me. "Ready to go, Marco?" When I nodded, Jean helped me to sit up on the bed slowly. After I was sitting on the side, my feet planted firmly on the ground, Jean lifted my arm and slid it over his shoulders. "Ready? On the count of three. One, two, three." We both stood up on three, Jean holding me steady while I wavered slightly. After I was steady, we began slowly walking towards the door.
"Jean? Take Marco to the secretary's desk then come back to me, okay?" The nurse said suddenly, holding the door open for us.
We both nodded and slowly made our way out the door. When we arrived at the secretary's desk, Jean gently leant me against it, hugging me once before letting go. "I'll be right back." He whispered, stepping away slowly before making his way back to the nurse.
I stared at his back as he left, confused about what the nurse needed. I was about to close my eyes to rest for a moment when the office door suddenly slammed open. I jumped at the noise, looking over at the door, freezing when I saw who was coming in. Reiner.
"You!" Reiner shouted, stalking over to me. I flinched and cowered against the desk, hoping that one of the staff would do something to stop him. When he stopped in front of me, Reiner grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me close to his face. "If I see you at Jean's party tomorrow, you'll wish that you had never come." He growled, fingers tightening in my shirt.
"Reiner!" Erwin's voice boomed in the office, causing both Reiner and me to jump. Reiner growled once more before suddenly letting go of me, shoving me slightly against the desk.
"I mean it, Freak. If I see you for even a moment tomorrow, you will regret it." He turned and stalked off to the principal's office, leaving me pale and shaking. When Jean came out of the nurse's office for the last time, he all but ran over to me when he noticed how scared I was.
"Marco. It's okay. Whatever happened, I'm here now. Let's just go home." Jean murmured, sliding my arm over his shoulders once more. We slowly made our way to his car parked out front, him letting go of me for only a moment to open my door for me. After I had sat down, Jean reclined my seat back until it was as flat as it could be, patting my shoulder gently before he closed my door. When he was situated in the driver's seat and had started driving, I finally got the nerve to speak.
"Jean, I don't think it's a good idea if I go to your party tomorrow." I whispered, almost in tears. Today was supposed to be the first full day of our relationship. It was supposed to be happy, even though we were supposed to act like nothing had changed. But all that had happened was me getting beat up and threatened. This wasn't how this day was supposed to be. I felt a few tears slip down my cheeks as I waited for Jean's response.
"Marco. I'll keep you safe. You know I will. I will always keep you safe. I'm sorry that I couldn't stop today from happening. But trust me, if you come to the party, I will keep you safe. I promise." He reached over and took my hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb. "I promise, Marco. I will keep you safe."
(Long Author's Notes)
I feel like such a bad author for putting Marco through all of that. The entire time I was writing this, I was yelling to myself inside my head. I mean, he already died a really awful death in the anime. Do I really need to make him get beat up too? And that's not even the worst part of this story. There are at least three more really REALLY bad/sad parts in this story that are planned, two of which are in the next few chapters. So yeah... You might need to get tissues if you didn't need them for this chapter.
I also feel really bad for making you guys read a chapter that is almost 6,000 words long that is complete crap. I'm really sorry, guys.
So? How did you like it? Please leave your thoughts and feelings about the chapter and story. If you want to see something happen later on, mention it and I will probably take inspiration from it and give you credit if I use it! I'm always looking for inspiration!
This story has sad themes and really sad moments, but the ending WILL be a happy one. I promise! Please keep reading on! :)
I am already starting chapter eight, and it should *hopefully* be up by Sunday. Please keep reading! :)
- Riverspirit86
