A/N: Hiatus period is over, yayyyyy! I'm so happy to submit my very first story for Jeansasha Week, I missed writing about this couple! Hope you'll like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Attack on Titan universe and characters
It's a weird thing, how time works in seconds sometimes.
One second, she is joking with Connie, teasing Jean in one of their usual playful bickerings, and looking forward to going back home.
Next second, she alerts Jean on a sound she heard from the door of the airship, her instinct telling her that something is fishy.
And the next second she is falling on the ground, feeling the impact of a bullet right into her chest, life slowly leaving her as her eyesight becomes blurry.
Reality and time don't exist anymore. Noise fills her ears, angry shouts that seem to sound even louder in this frozen moment where she feels everything slipping away. With much effort, she can distinguish Connie's voice right by her side begging her to hold on, his trembling hand on her cheek, as if this, in her best friend's mind, will give her a spark of life.
In her blurred state, she can also see Jean kneeling by her other side, his own hand holding hers, his face a mask of despair instead of the composure she's used to see on him; and a stab of sadness hits her at the sudden thought that she's the reason of their grief.
Both by her side now that everything is coming to an end and time is halting for her, and yet she finds herself unable to share some last words with them except her wish for some quiet and some supper.
And oh how she wishes she could rewind time and go back to those happy moments of dinners with her friends, of laughter and cook offs and friendship and sticking together.
But right now, even trying to lean against Connie's grip or squeeze Jean's hand back is painful, much less talking to them despite the things she wants to say, like pleading Connie not to do anything reckless or encouraging Jean to hold on now that she won't be here to challenge him and keep him on his toes.
She knows it will be harder for those who are staying behind, yet their presence at this moment is something comforting in the midst of the static noise in her ears that's telling her there's not much time left for her.
So similar to the static noise filling her ears at this moment too, as she struggles to breathe for air, as she's rocking back and forth, and as the memories of another life, of another time, overwhelm her and don't allow her to process any of it.
The memory of her very own death being the one that appears more often in her head. The memory of when time stopped for her in this other world, thousands of years ago, only for her mind to open to this other world through memories and dreams and stimuli ever since she was twelve.
Someone kneeling right in front of her, just like back then. Hands holding hers, a calm and steady male voice her only constant in this kaleidoscope of memories, noises and colors.
"Breathe, come on, you can do this."
When Sasha's breaths turn from erratic to calmer, she doesn't know if seconds or minutes have passed. Her eyes flutter open in fear, taking in her surroundings as she is transferred from the airship where her life ended two thousand years ago to a park close to her home, in the middle of the night, in a city with no walls hiding the truth, with the noise in her ears coming from the cars nearby and the birds chirping, and Jean right in front of her, a hand still squeezing hers, the other gently brushing a strand of hair away from her sweaty forehead.
"There you go." He whispers with a small smile. "Believe me, I know how overwhelming it is. First time I figured out what was happening, I didn't come out of my apartment for days."
She nods; coming from anyone else, she wouldn't believe them. Yet she knows that Jean truly understands. That reality and time just got a new meaning for them, even though a part of her wishes she could go back to her ignorance, before she too realized what all those dreams meant.
"Why is this happening to us?" She asks with a shaky voice, still regaining her breath. "Why now? And…And where are the others? Do you think they…they know too?"
"I don't know. But we'll look for answers, okay?"
Sasha nods and tiredly leans her head against his shoulder, a small smile appearing on her face at the feeling of him running a hand through her hair; hesitantly, as if afraid of confusing her further. She closes her eyes once more, feeling as if time has frozen once again, but, for once, it is not terrifying.
The small kiss Jean drops on her forehead is like a silent promise.
So is her whispery confession that she's not planning to leave him so suddenly again.
A/N: Sooooo, first story for this week, everyone! Hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for more content.