A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! Zen4365, I'm glad you enjoyed the sensory dep! I agonized for a long time to get the scene just right.

This chapter is going to take on a little Jean once again. Thank you to all my readers for still sticking around. Hopefully in the next month or so I will be able to post a lot more regularly.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own SnK, its characters or any other brands mentioned in this story.

"Oh my god! What happened to your face?"

Jean groaned. He did not think the inflammation around his eye and the swelling of his lip looked particularly bad, but his ego was definitely bruised. As a matter of fact, if his ego were visible to the naked eye, he was sure Marco would be rushing him to the ER right this second instead of standing in the kitchen, eyes wide and waiting for an explanation for the bruising like a mother would.

It couldn't be unexpected of him to be bruised up, now and then; he did partake in MMA, after all.

"Nothin'," Jean said, a few seconds too late.

He meandered to the fridge and opened it in the hopes that food had materialized overnight. When he was greeted with nothing but a small bowl of cooked rice, three raw eggs and an impressive array of condiments – definitely not the kind of variety a person would expect of two bachelors living together – he closed the fridge with a sigh. The last thing he wanted was to be that person going through a drive thru alone on a Sunday to pick up lunch.

"Your competition is coming up," Marco said. When Jean turned around, he found Marco had busied himself by putting things on their place on the countertop. "You should take it a little easier."

Jean smiled a half-hearted smile. Marco had an odd way of expressing his concern, but as always, never pushed.

"I know," Jean said. "I never thought Eren would go off at me the way he did."

Marco's hands stilled over a pile of envelopes. His eyes slowly lifted to meet Jean's, and Jean could see the question in them, the question Marco would not vocalize.

"Yep," Jean said, shrugging. "Eren did this. Got me on the floor too."

"That's uh…" Marco struggled for words, but Jean knew what he wanted to say.

It was no secret that Eren had always been the weaker fighter between the two of them. Not only because Jean had more experience, but because Jean was more logical and less emotional, and he often used Eren's inability to remain calm and focused when provoked to his advantage.

"Well…" Jean stretched, putting his bare torso on display. Marco averted his eyes as if he were a gentleman that had accidentally walked in on a maiden bathing. "He's gonna give me a run for my money at the comp, that's for sure."

When their eyes met again, Jean noticed Marco had a hard time holding his gaze. But before he could question it, Marco asked, "Because he got the upper hand once?"

The brunette snorted. "He is the definition of the upper hand. He's being trained by Levi fucking Ackerman. One on one. How can anyone compete with that?"

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink," Marco said with a smile.

"That horse is thirsty as hell," Jean said, leaning forward against the counter. His face was mere inches from Marco's as his eyes narrowed. "And he's drinking, alright."

Marco, though wanting to back away, held Jean's gaze, though not as boldly as he would have hoped. "It's not like you to be so resigned."

"Just realistic."

With that, Jean backed away. He turned his back to Marco and looked out of the kitchen window, noting, not for the first time, that there wasn't much of a view to enjoy. Their kitchen overlooked a parking area in their complex. It may not have been breathtaking, but it was home.

"You know…" Jean started, not turning around. "I spoke to Eren."

"And?"

"He pretty much told me to go fuck myself."

Jean could hear Marco wince behind him. He did not want to turn around; he was afraid of the pity he would see. Despite the fact that he knew Marco did not pity him, and was merely an empathetic person showing concern for their friend, he hated the look nonetheless. It made him feel weak and belittled.

"I think there's someone else, actually," Jean whispered.

"What makes you think that?"

Turning around, Jean's eyes met with Marco's – they were frightened and unsure. "I don't really know I just…it's a feeling."

Shaking his head, a small, sad smile touched Marco's lips. "Whether or not there's someone else, you can be at peace. At least you know you did what you could to try and get him back."

"Did I really? I don't feel like I did much."

"Talking to him is one hell of a step from toying around with him and hurting him time and again," Marco retorted.

He may have been a quiet and reserved person, but Jean could not forget that Marco did intend on building a career as a lawyer. While never cynical and tyrannical, Marco was never afraid to state facts and did so with frightening efficiency, thanks in part to his incredible ability to store and recall information in vivid detail.

Sighing, Marco then said, "I know you love him and want him back. But remember, a lot of the pain you were feeling was guilt from how you were treating him, and the uncertainty of if you would ever get a chance with him again."

"You reckon?"

Marco smiled. "I know you, dude. And you've been drunk, bawling your eyes out here," Marco pointed at the couch in the living room, "more times than I care to count. I think I have a pretty good idea of what's going on in that head of yours."

Jean's shoulders shook as he laughed soundlessly. "You always know what to say, you know? You're a real good friend, Marco. I'm glad I have you."

"Any time." Marco walked around the counter and into the kitchen. "So! What am I making for lunch? You look hungry."

"A good friend, and a perfect wife," Jean teased, causing Marco to blush. "Should I propose to you now or later?"

"Jean, don't joke around like that!" Marco stuttered.

Laughing, Jean punched Marco lightly on the shoulder. "As if. If there's anyone getting a wife here, it's you."

The black-haired male simply laughed before ducking into the kitchen cupboards in search of potential ingredients. While he was rummaging around there, Jean took it upon himself to search through the freezer in the hope that there was some meat they could make. True to Marco's exceptional housekeeping capabilities, Jean soon produced a packet of frozen chicken breasts.

"Something with chicken?" Jean suggested.

"I'll make a curry," Marco said.

Marco quickly busied himself with the preparations. While Jean put the chicken in the microwave to defrost, Marco began slicing onions and soon had them in a pan with oil and garlic, sizzling on a medium heat. Jean watched, somewhat mesmerized, as the oil bubbled around the onions. He tried to remember if Eren had ever cooked for him but for some reason, he just couldn't seem to find a memory like that.

Huh, strange…

"I'm so sick of case studies," Marco announced as he began peeling potatoes.

"Oh?" Jean prompted.

"Some of them are actually interesting. Then you get ones that are just…like this woman who became the owner of a sheep farm from her husband after he passed, since both their sons were too young to claim the inheritance. But this woman figured she could get some extra income if she didn't just sell wool…but steel wool as well."

"Steel wool?" Jean questioned.

Marco pointed the knife at the scourer lying by the sink. "The goldilocks," he said with a smile. He turned his attention back to the task at hand. "Anyway, she figured that if sheep give wool, they can give steel wool too…"

Jean's lips twitched in amusement, partly because of Marco's passionate ire and partly because he had an idea of where this was going.

"She fed the sheep steel pellets or something," Marco said. He grabbed the next potato and began peeling it. "Needless to say, the sheep died."

"All of them?"

"Enough to put the family into financial ruin, that's for sure," Marco said. He quickly finished peeling the potato before grabbing a third. "Needless to say, she ended up in court."

"Geez," Jean said, smiling and shaking his head. "People are dumb, huh?"

"Jean, my friend," Marco said, pausing with three massive peeled potatoes under his hands, "I want to cry when I think about the caliber of people I am forced to share oxygen with.

The brunette erupted into a raucous fit of laughter, holding his stomach and pinching his eyes shut as he doubled over. He was oblivious to Marco's incredulous glare, too lost in the precious moment of such harsh words coming from the mouth of a man Jean would name a saint.

"One of them in my very house," Marco muttered.

Jean's laughter immediately ceased. His eyes snapped up to Marco, partly offended and partly just shocked at what he'd heard. Marco smiled innocently and winked at Jean before turning his attention back to the potatoes, which he promptly began chopping up.

"You're a work of art, you know?" Jean said, shaking his head.

"Lawyer in the making," Marco sassed. "Be useful and check if the chicken has defrosted yet, will ya?"

By the time Monday afternoon rolled around, Jean was pleased that most of the swelling had gone down. What he was not looking forward to was the inevitable gloating expression his ex would have at the mere sight of the damages done. It took every ounce of Jean's willpower for him to haul himself to the dojo, and had it not been for the fact that the competition was in only five days, he would've happily skipped today.

All his worrying was for naught, though. Eren wasn't even there. Jean found it strange, with the competition so close, but tried to force himself not to think about it. Instead, he focused on his own training, paired up with Annie as they practiced defense techniques with focus pads and only wraps on his knuckles. At first, it went great. Annie came at him with devastating speed and precision, and even though he knew she was not hitting anywhere near full capacity, the fear of being struck by a woman as lethal as Annie had Jean on his toes with the focus pads. She commended him several times as he blocked her attacks, and helped him with less predictable combinations when he was the one doing the attacking.

For about forty minutes, everything was going just peachy, until a certain duo caught Jean's eye.

He noticed from the corner of his eye that Eren had arrived, but he also noticed that Eren wasn't wearing training gear. That was also when he realized that Levi was wearing a shoulder brace.

"Focus, Jean!" Annie growled out as she threw her body into a right hook that Jean just caught.

"Whoa, hang on!" Jean pleaded. Annie paused her next assault and eyed him impatiently. "I just need a couple minutes."

She sighed and nodded, before turning her attention to a nearby punching bag.

Jean watched Eren walk away. It was completely uneventful, until Levi followed, several seconds behind. It wouldn't have seemed particularly suspicious except for the fact that it was Mr. Antisocial-Fuck-The-World, world-class sportsman following a Novice Nobody, after becoming said Novice Nobody's personal coach after explicitly stating in numerous articles and interviews that he would never train a person personally. Added to that Eren's sudden change of heart, and Jean's nagging suspicion that there was somebody else…

No, it can't be, Jean said. He stopped at the dojo door and watched as the two men he had planned on stalking disappeared down the stairs to the underground parking lot. Stop chasing ghosts.

The brunette was about to turn back to the dojo to continue his session when he caught sight of Annie. She'd already moved on to a new partner, moving fluidly with the older, more experienced man. In fact, it look like he was giving her a few tips.

Jean looked back at the parking lot. Something didn't sit right with him. From day one he'd wondered how Eren had procured Levi as a coach, despite what the man had said. Eren had been very dismissive, secretive almost, about the entire thing. Thinking about it, Jean realized that that was very unlike Eren. Eren was a loud-mouthed, pompous boaster, and if he had managed to snag Levi as a personal trainer, he would undoubtedly have flaunted it to the world. Yet Eren had said nothing. If Jean had not seen it with his own eyes, would he have even known?

Eren was hiding something, and that something had to do with Levi.

"You're being paranoid," Jean scolded himself, but that did not stop him from taking off in the direction of the parking lot.

Once down there, Jean snuck between cars, keeping a low profile as he attempted to locate the duo. Chances are they, or one of them, had already left. He had taken his sweet time in deciding to come on this wild goose chase.

Then he heard it; laughter. Not just any laughter, the familiar, bittersweet symphony of Eren's laughter. He almost smiled when he heard it, but then he remembered how Eren had told him off.

Jean quietly followed the sound, heart beginning to pound faster in his chest. What was he hoping to uncover? Of course nothing would be seen or heard, but what if…

If there was something going on, how would he handle it? Was Levi even gay? Jean racked his mind for an article, an indication, but he had never seen it mentioned or seen the sportsman with another man. Whatever twisted delusion Jean had in his mind could not be true…so then why was he still inching forward as if he needed proof of what his rational mind had already decided?

"…tests this week." Eren sounded upset.

"Your competition is on Saturday." Levi.

Jean swallowed thickly. He should not be doing this. If he were to get caught…

"I promise I'll try my best to come every day," Eren said. "I should be able to come at least Wednesday and Thursday."

No, I have to go.

Losing his will to continue his eavesdropping, Jean snuck away from Eren and Levi the same way he'd come. Though as he retreated, he heard something, and he was not sure if his mind had conjured it up or if the man's real words had become twisted in the rush of blood through Jean's ears, but he swore he heard Levi's voice echo in the night.

If you're not here, then at least come to my place.

The words he thought he'd heard Levi utter in the silence when the man thought he was alone with Eren had plagued Jean's mind. Surely it was nothing but a trick of his senses; with adrenaline pumping through his veins and his paranoia and suspicions reaching fever pitch, it was not impossible to have imagined the entire conversation. However, Jean had never been delusional – at least that's what he thought – so what were the chances of his mind conjuring up something so wildly improbable?

Firstly; Eren wouldn't move on so quickly. Hell, a few weeks ago Eren was literally begging for a second chance, declaring his undying love for Jean. Even if Eren had miraculously found another man – miraculously, Jean thought bitterly, because he knew that Eren was a catch – it couldn't be serious enough for him to tell Jean to fuck off. Yet he had done just that, Jean remembered with a painful clench of his heart. Maybe Eren had truly just grown tired of the games; the constant toying around, hurt and rejection had even made Jean's head swim. It had to be another man. Perhaps another man that had convinced Eren that Jean wasn't worth his time. But could it have happened so suddenly?

Yes.

Eren admired Levi. That was no secret. He admired the man's strength and constitution, his resolute attitude and his ruthless nature. Eren loved Levi. And boy, Eren was not shy in telling Jean what he would do if he got the man alone for twenty four hours. Levi wouldn't be walking at the end of it, Eren would joke. Jean joked with, agreeing. They'd even joked about having a threesome.

But Levi Ackerman wasn't gay.

It was normal for couples to jest like that. Normal; Jean and Eren had even gone so far as jokingly allowing a "celebrity pass". In other words, if one got the chance, they were allowed to take it, no foul. The only condition was they had to take a video, or at least pictures. It was all fun and games, but what if…

Secondly; if Levi were gay, would it not be public knowledge? No man that good looking did not fuck around at least now and then. Levi was always known as a sexually void individual, but surely he even had needs? If he had fucked a man, someone would have said something. Perhaps even said man. There was no conceivable way that a man of his status would possibly be able to hide something like that. While Levi didn't get particularly large media coverage, scandals of homosexuality could, and would, rock any public figure.

Thirdly; why the hell would Levi want Eren? Yes, Eren was a catch, but he was just a normal guy. A part-time student, part-time waiter and wannabe MMA fighter. There was nothing spectacular about Eren that a man of Levi's social and financial status would find alluring. Then again, when it came to the need, men didn't often take these things into consideration.

Perhaps…maybe it was all true. Maybe Levi and Eren were really seeing each other, but maybe it was all just a fun conquest for Levi.

Hell, even his own relationship with Eren started with "one for the bragging book".

The thought pissed Jean off. As improbable as it was, the thought of someone using Eren made Jean so angry he could kill. Ironic, was it not? But what made it worse, Jean reckoned, was the fact that Eren was willing to give up any potential of them ever being together for that simple conquest. It hurt, and it hurt like hell.

The worst part? Eren would do that. Eren was so infatuated with Levi that if cutting ties with Jean would be what it would take to get into the man's pants, he would do it without a second thought.

That hurt.

But what were the chances?

Eren wasn't at the dojo on Tuesday, and neither was Levi. Jean tried to chalk it down to coincidence – Eren had tests, and Levi's whole life didn't revolve around Titan Dojo. Besides, Levi had an injury; his presence at the dojo would be purely administrative. He had probably come in earlier during the day.

Wednesday came. Having been privy to a conversation he had no right hearing, Jean knew that there was a chance that Eren would come today. True as bob, Eren pitched up a little before six that evening.

Jean had already finished his training for the evening, and was preparing to go home when Eren sauntered in…with Levi. As Jean tied the laces of his shoes, he tried to keep his eyes off the two men as they made their way to the back of the dojo, to the area Levi and the other higher ranked fighters usually trained. He tried and he failed miserably; his eyes followed the pair, desperately seeking something, anything, to indicate that their relationship transcended that of mentor and mentee.

Was he disappointed or relieved when he saw nothing but Eren's jovial chattering and Levi's near-complete ignorance of Eren? Jean couldn't tell.

He settled for watching the more experienced fighters fighting in the ring. Eren had not looked at him once.

With a sigh, Jean realized he was chasing ghosts. There was no way there was anything going on between Eren and Levi. It was impossible.

Jean eventually grabbed his bag and left.

Not in the mood to go home, he made his way to the store and mindlessly strolled through the isles in search of absolutely nothing but a way to kill time. He must have been in the store for nearly half an hour and ended up walking out with only a pack of gum and his raging thoughts.

When he got into his car, he sat there for a moment in the silence, wondering if there was anything he could still do to win Eren over. Perhaps, once the competition was over, he would try again. Maybe it would just be better to give Eren some time, and eventually try and talk to him again. It wouldn't hurt to try again, would it?

As he was about to start his car, he saw movement in his rearview mirror. He thought nothing of it; it was just a pedestrian that he needed to be mindful of when backing out of his parking space. But as he took a closer look, he realized it was not one, but two pedestrians. It was not any two pedestrians, but the very two that had plagued his thoughts for days.

Jean held his breath and sunk down into his seat as if he would be caught otherwise. He observed as they transitioned from his rearview mirror to his side mirror. He watched, breath caught and heart pounding in his chest, as Eren and Levi walked to a car parked behind him. The silence in his car was maddening as he watched, with bated breath, how Levi, after glancing around the parking lot, opened the door for Eren – who gushed like Eren typically did when someone flirted with him – before getting into the driver's side.

Jean watched, slack jawed, as the car backed out of the parking, before driving off.

Once gone, Jean jumped out of his car. He glanced around the parking lot in search of Eren's car and found that it was not there.

No, you're imagining things, Jean thought, shaking his head. He looked again. He went as far as walking down every isle of the parking lot, but his search yielded nothing.

That could only mean one thing: Eren had come to the dojo with Levi.

If that was true, then Eren and Levi's relationship transcended mentor and mentee.

With a curse on his tongue, rage hot in his veins and the hurt of rejection and deception itching at his flesh, Jean got back into his car, slamming his door shut before he threw his head onto his steering wheel.

Eren and Levi were more familiar that he had initially thought. Suddenly, the possibility of the thoughts he had had in the previous hours and days had grown exponentially.

Dun dun dun!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Stay tuned for the next episode. ;)

OS