Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Art cover done by Tuy ( ktptrst). Check out Tuy's twitter account for more commission information.

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Chapter 1

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It all started way back 1995. She can still remember the first time they met. It was one sunny April afternoon when new neighbors from the city moved in their meek town. She peeked from her window room and saw a young boy, about her age, crying to his mom. Complaining from being moved away from the city.

"Such a cry baby" Sasha said while eating her freshly baked potatoes.

"Sasha! Hon, lets meet the new neighbors and hand this basket of bread and jam to them." Her mother called her from downstairs. It's a customary in their neighborhood to greet new comers and bring welcome gifts. She wanted to stay in her room but chose not to disobey her mom.

Lisa Braus was happy chatting with her new neighbor Susan Kirstein. She came from Boston, a single mom and works as the new social worker in their town.

"This is my son, Jean. Come here hon. Greet your neighbors." Susan urged her son to come near them. He was always a stubborn boy. He got used with his city life. Susan hoped that this town will warm him up.

"Oh, and this my lovely daughter Sasha. Hopefully you two will get along Jean." Lisa smiled at them.

Jean looked at the girl that was hiding from her mother's back. She has a soft smile on her face. Still sporting a scowl on his face, he extended his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you. Lets be friends." He said quietly.

Sasha perked up and said "Yes! Lets be friends."

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They had been friends since they were young. They constantly visited each others house. Sometime Jean would sleep over Sasha's house and she would sometimes do the same. They were comfortable with each others company and they became each others rock.

They were inseparable. Whenever the other one was, for sure, the other was also tagging along.

As they mature, they started to become more aware of their differences. Sasha grew to be more beautiful. Unbeknownst to her, she started to attract the male population in their community. Jean did not appreciate the attention she gained from the men of their age or even older than them.

"Hi Sha! I baked an apple pie for you and also some cinnamon rolls." Niccolo approached her, handing a basket filled with freshly baked goods from his family's bakery. Jean saw Sasha's expression changed. She chatted happily with the young lad which Jean did not like. He did not like it.

"Tsk, gimme that. Thanks for this Nic. We have to go. I promised Aunt Lisa to walk Sasha home before her curfew." He said coldly. Sasha glared at him because of his rude remarks to Niccolo.

"Sorry Nick, we really have to go home. Send my regards to your mom. I will visit your bakery soon." Sasha smiled at him and tugged Jean's arms who was still sending cold stares to the young lad.

"You don't have to be rude Jean. He is just being nice and their family's pastry are always the best." Sasha grumbled while emptying the basket of pastry that Niccolo gave.

"I just don't like him" He replied.

"It doesn't mean that you don't like him, you have to be rude to him. Cut off that kind of attitude of yours. Last time you also did that to Porco. He was just being kind enough to fix my bike." Sasha retorted. Sometimes she did not get her best friends attitude.

"Tsk, I am just protecting you Sha. We are no longer kids." He said.

"What do you mean we are no longer kids? Does it has something to do with the people I wanted to hang out with other than you?" Sasha replied angrily.

"Nevermind. Hey lets hang out in your room later. I got a new horror movie for us to watch." He said while heading to Sasha's front door.

"You can't!" She bursted out.

"What? Why?" He gave her a questioning look. Wondering as to why the young lady was blushing.

"You said we are no longer kids and it's.. it's." She cannot even finish her sentence.

"What Sha?" He leveled his eyes to her who is trying to hide her blushing face from him.

"It's the time of the month. So no sleepover after movie marathon." She replied softly.

Jean laughed and ruffled her hair "Gotcha! Then lets watch here in your living room and I will go home after that. Do you have any cravings? I can buy you one before coming here."

"Ice cream, chocolate mint." She smiled at him.

"Okay! Anything for the princess." He said before leaving.

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Little did they know, major changes will come in their life. They met new friends when they entered university. Jean became more active in sports and was declared as the team captain of their university's basketball team. Sasha focused more in her academics. She was his number one cheerleader. Always screaming his name in every game he played. He would always dedicate every shot for her.

She approached him after the game. He was laughing along with his teammates when she called him.

"Jean!"

He looked at her direction but there was something different from his expression. His gaze was not directed on her but it was on her companion. Her friend. The lovely asian transferee of her class.

"Mikasa!" Eren Yaeger yelled from afar. Jean flinched and looked at the young man who was running towards Sasha's companion.

"Sha! This is Erin. My childhood best friend." Mikasa introduced Sasha to him. The young man shook hands with her.

"Oh! This is Jean, also my childhood best friend. Jean, this is Mikasa, one of my new classmates." She introduced her friend who was still dumbstruck with Mikasas' beauty. She suddenly felt uneasy. It felt like there is tightness in her chest. She cannot explain it. She tried to get Jean's attention but he was more focused on her dark-haired friend.

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He started hanging out with Mikasa. He would unintentionally forget their usual hangout time. It did not bother her at first. She would always tell herself that she's happy for Jean. It's part of growing up. She could see clearly that Jean is very much attracted to Mikasa.

"Hey Sha, I will court Mikasa. Will you help me?" Those words hurt her much. That was the time she realized that she no longer see Jean as her best friend. She is in love with her best friend. She did not know how to react with Jean's words but instead of confusing him. She chose to hide her sadness by masking a smile.

"Sure, I will help you." She smiled bitterly. She felt her own words cut her deeply.

She tried to hide her feelings in the deepest corner of her heart. Tried to deny that she was in love with her best friend. She assured herself that it was just a phase and nothing more than that. That they were so close with each other and this was the first time that they start to invest their time with different people.

They started sharing meals with Mikasa. They would roam the town together but her being left behind. Walking behind them, gazing at their backs. She heard Jean sharing jokes to Mikasa.

'Why am I still here?' She asked herself. If she could just run away from them and hide in the comfort of her room.

"Hey Sha!" Someone poked her back. It was Eren. She saw the changed on Mikasa's expression. The girl immediately approached Eren and started chatting merrily with him. Jean looked at them sourly. He doesn't like Eren at all. He didn't like the attention Mikasa was giving to Eren. He hadn't formally asked Mikasa about courting yet and every time he would try to, Eren would always enter the scene.

"Sasha and Jean! We will go ahead." Mikasa and Eren politely bid their goodbyes to the both of them.

"Uhm, Jean, can we pass by the boba shop near Nico's bakery?" Sasha asked but she saw the sourness on Jean's reaction.

"Nah, lets go home." He replied coldly, looking at the retreating figures ahead of them.

That was the first time that Jean replied coldly to her. She wanted to brush it off. Consoling herself that her best friend was just upset of the events that happened earlier. Who wouldn't be upset? Being ignored by the person you like.

'Should I be upset?' She tried to blink away the incoming tears.

She followed Jean back home.

Not a single word uttered when they went home.

Jean continued to walk to his house without even sparing a glance to Sasha.

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Weeks turned to months. She felt that they were already drifting apart. Jean was more focused on hanging out with Mikasa. She tried to ignore the pain but the more she ignores it, the heavier it felt in the chest. She knew that he was discreetly trying to court Mikasa. Giving her gifts, asking Sasha of what Mikasa likes.

'Hey, Sha. It's just a phase. Don't be upset, especially today. Today is your day.' She consoled herself infant of the mirror. She promised herself that she will enjoy her day. She deserved to be happy somehow.

Everybody greeted her. She received a beautiful homemade cake from Niccolo. Porco gave her bouquet of white lilies and a pearl clip that suited her perfectly. She received assorted gifts from her friends in school. Mikasa gave her a beautiful yellow dress and a matching shoes for it.

She was elated with joy. It was indeed a special day. But it still felt incomplete, someone was missing and it was Jean.

She just received a message from him. Telling her "happy birthday" and apologizing that he could not celebrate it with her because they have to leave town early because of her Mom's appointment in the city. He assured her that they will hang out when he comes back.

She waited for hours. It was almost midnight and Jean's favorite lasagna already turned cold. Yes, it's her day but she cooked Jean's favorite. She convinced herself that Jean will still show up but sadness clouded her little warm heart.

Sound of someone knocking her window startled Sasha. She slowly peaked on her window and saw Jean trying to balance on the tree branch that was near her window.

"Hey! Am I still late in greeting you happy birthday?" He smiled sheepishly.

She laughed and invited him in her room.

"Happy birthday princess." He kissed her forehead. She felt a cold chain laid on her neck. It was a rose gold necklace with a blossom charm. He hugged her tight and kissed her forehead again. Her heart is thumping wildly in her chest. Hugging the young man back tightly, she prayed that this one will last forever. She loved him so much that it pained her to let him go.

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"I'm sorry Jean. I only see you as a friend" Mikasa sadly replied to Jean.

It was a rainy November afternoon when Jean decided to confess to Mikasa. To officially court her but he was downright rejected by the young lady.

"I know we hang out a lot but you do know who I like. I am sorry if I was misleading you, if you felt that I had misled you. I am sorry Jean. You are just a friend to me." She politely bowed at him and left him standing under the pouring rain. He tightly held the bouquet of white roses in his hand.

Stupid. He was already aware of what will be the result but he took the risk. He threw the bouquet in the nearest trash bin and walked his way to home.

From afar, Sasha witnessed the heartbreak of her best friend. She knew he was hurting. She knew how much Jean adored Mikasa. She also knew that Mikasa adored Eren the most. They were all fools. Falling in love with the person that they cannot have.

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She searched for him. Asked his teammates if they had seen Jean or his whereabouts. He skipped his afternoon class. Sasha decided to visit his home. There she saw, Jean drowning his sorrow with few cans of beer.

"Jean" She whispered

"Leave me alone." He replied coldly.

"Let me help you." She wiped his face with her handkerchief.

"Let go Sha. Just go home." He tried to avoid her gaze and took a gulp of his cold beer.

"That's enough. You had enough." Sasha tried to take away the beer from him.

"Enough? I wasn't enough for her. I thought my efforts were enough Sha." He said coldly. She looked at his slumped figure on the foot of the bed. She inched nearer to him and hugged him close to her. He hugged her tighter and looked deeply into her eyes. His nose touched hers, she can smell alcohol in his breathe and with one final look, his lips was on hers.

It felt that the whole world stop on that moment. Every cell in her body froze when Jean kissed her, she suddenly felt that his lips slowly moving. Giving her delicate kisses.

"Sha, take my sorrows away"

"It's mine to keep Jean."

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It escalated from soft kisses to sloppy deep kisses. They were not aware of the time. Slowly, inch by inch, their warm breathes mingled. Unaware of the world outside, they started to shed their clothes.

He carried her to his bed and worshipped every inch of her body. Kissed every part of her being. He firmly held one of her breast and gently suck her awaiting nipple. Sasha could not contain her happiness. She moaned his name over and over again.

"Jean— wai—" He did not even let her finish her sentence and started kissing her delicate lips. He parted her long, creamy legs. Trailed his long fingers to her dripping folds. Inserted his fingers in her awaiting entrance while sucking her pink nipples.

"Jean!" She felt her body was burning from desire. Gripping his head tightly on her chest as he sucked her nipples loudly. They were both lost in the pool of lust.

Bending and sucking her neck. Marking her as his own. He gently traced his hard rock shaft on her clit. Looking at her with pure lust and desire. Sasha felt a huge pang in her heart. It felt so wrong but right at the same time. He slowly entered her and waited for her to get used to the size of his member.

Painful tears started to escape from Sasha's eyes. She was willing to take all his pain. Stupid enough to let her self drown in their own sorrows. Sasha moaned in complete bliss and Jean begin to thrust faster in her.

Moans can be heard in every corner of the room. Slow kisses were shared and tears mixed with sorrows.

"I love you." Sasha whispered, never regretted that she uttered those words in the middle of making love.

"I love you, Mikasa" Jean whispered in his final thrust. Filling Sasha with his essence. He slumped his body to his shocked lover.

'He will never love me.'

'It was always her'

Jean was hugging her tightly. His warm body was covering her but her heart was filled with coldness.

'I am not her.' Sasha cried silently. Hugging the slumbering Jean. She cried that night. Bawled her eyes out. She never cared if she will wake up Jean.

With one last kissed on the lips, she dressed herself. Tried not to look back at his slumbering figure. Walking out from his room, trying to pick every piece of her shattered heart as she left his cold chambers.

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To be continued..