Chapter 7

I was finally starting to get used to life in the training squad. It was tiring at times, but for the most part it was pretty enjoyable. There were still the slight issues of feelings that I do not have over a certain tall, chocolate-haired male. Which my two lovely friends are pressuring me into admitting.

"C'mon Rabbit, just go tell him." Marco encourages, as he jostles my shoulder. I glare at him, Jean however laughs.

"Rabbit?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I told you not to call me that!" I hiss at Marco, who launches into the story of the stupid nicknames we both have.

"When we were kids, we used to play this game. It was stupid really, one kid would be a titan and we would all be animals. Robin never got to be the titan, because of her size. She was always picked to be a rabbit. I teased her about it, and Ryan and I started calling her rabbit. It just sorts of stuck."

"Shut it, Mouse." I glare at my best friend, feeling slightly satisfied as his cheeks burn.

"Mouse?" Jean asks, looking at Marco.

"Marco was never picked to be the titan either; he was always a mouse. It was my retribution. I'd rather be a rabbit than a mouse."

"Why? Because they're cuter?" Jean teases, laughing at how Marco is playfully glaring at you.

"No, because at least I have a chance of getting some." Jean burst out into a full blown loud laugh, which causes the rest of the mess hall to turn and look at us. Marco is a blushing, spluttering mess.

"Why w-w-would you s-s-s-s-say that?' he demands, his voice low.

"Because it's true."

"Oh yeah? Well if it's true, why is it so hard for you to talk to Bertolt?" he questions an eyebrow raised.

"I have no problem talking to Bertolt. But if we're going there, when are you going to talk to Jean?" I hiss back, as Jean has gotten up and left the table. Marco pales.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You and I both know that you have it bad for him. Is it worse sleeping in the bunk above his?" I ask, as I grin across from him. He shivers

"You are evil."

"Thank you."

"It's different though. I'm pretty sure Jean's- "

"Pretty sure Jean's what?" asks Jean himself as he takes his seat back at the table.

"Pretty sure that you're going to try and start another fight with Eren." I cover quickly, giving a pointed look to Marco, letting him know that this isn't over. Jean turns around looking at the teal-eyed boy, then turns back towards the two of us, his face red.

"No point." He says, and we all eat in an uncomfortable silence.

"Jean! Marco! Robin! The perfect threesome." Calls a voice from above my head, I look up to see Reiner grinning down at me.

"I don't about these two, but I'm not very pleased with the pairing." I say, his grin broadens.

"Oh? Well come around to the boy's barracks and I'll show you a good time." He says winking.

"Oh Robin wouldn't like that; she likes to be in control." Marco says, my face flushes as Bertolt who was taking a seat beside me, gives me a wide-eyed glance.

"Marco's into horses!" I blurt, glaring at the freckle faced boy.

"Oh but Robin has a thing for giants. She likes 'em tall."

"Yeah, well Marco likes getting 'undone' by other guys." Marco's face pales as we both realize what I've just said. The table falls into an uncomfortable silence. I laugh, trying my best to sound natural

"Wow you guys are idiots. Marco here is in love with Annie." I say, nudging him with my shoulder. He turns pink, and stutters out

"N-no I'm n-not!" it's enough however to make the other guys at the table relax and laugh.

"Well she has a nice ass. Not as nice as yours of course, Robin."

"Reiner, you really know how to make a girl feel special."

"I could make you feel a lot more special if you'd like."

"I'm touched by the offer but, I don't think you could handle me." He laughs,

"Oh sweetheart I'm pretty sure you couldn't handle me. But don't worry I'd take it slow for you." He says, grinning at my red face. Marco throws a protective arm around my shoulder.

"Sorry Reiner, but Rabbit's mine." He says, as he pulls me into his chest. I groan

"I told you not to call me that, Mouse."

"Y-you two have pet names for each other?" asks Bertolt, looking at the two of us rather strangely.

"So what is up with the two of you?" asks Reiner, gesturing to Marco and I.

"Are you dating? Hooking up on the side? Does Jean get to watch?" he asks, nudging the two-toned boy with his elbow.

"We're just close." I say, shrugging. This however doesn't satisfy Reiner.

"In what ways?" he asks,

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I'm not really asking for me, but rather a friend." He says, at the moment Bertolt goes to stand up, knocking his unfinished soup bowl over, so it spills onto my lap. I got to jump up, forgetting that I'm sitting in a bench. My legs get caught, and I'm starting to fall backwards when I'm caught by two large hands.

"I'm sorry." Bert says, blushing down at me. I take a glance at his hands, one of which is place directly above my ass and the other on shoulder. I look up at him, feeling my face heat up.

"It's um, it's fine. I'm going to go change."

"I'll walk you out." He offers, I should turn him down, but instead I agree.

"I'll be back." I say, giving a pointed look to Marco.

As we're walking away, I'm sure I heard Reiner say to my friends

"Those two have it bad for each other." The other two boys grunt in agreement, and they continue conversing.

"I'm really sorry." Bert says again.

"It's fine."

"You're not hurt at all are you?"

"No. The soup was cold."

"Yeah. Right."

"Yeah." We walk in silence for a bit,

"So, are you really with Jean and Marco?" he asks, his face turned away from me. I laugh

"No. It's just a joke. I think Jean really likes someone else."

"What about Marco?" he questions, still not looking at me.

"Oh, well I know Marco likes someone else."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"What about you?"

"Me?'

"Is there someone you, have feelings for?" I'm surprised my face isn't giving off any light because of how fiercely I'm blushing.

"Uh yeah, there's someone."

"Will you tell me?"

"I don't know, you ever going to tell me?" I ask, remembering when he declined to answer when I had asked him the same question.

"I can't. The person I like doesn't like me back." He says, his voice is so sad,

"Well who ever she is, she just doesn't know what she's missing. You're a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

Now he looks at me, his face bright, and he's smiling slightly. My heart beats hard against my chest.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I think you're really amazing." My heart is beating so fast, I'm afraid it's going to burst out of my chest.

"T-thanks Bert."

"Is it Reiner?" he asks, suddenly changing the topic, leaving me a bit confused.

"Is what Reiner?"

"The person you like, is it Reiner?"

"What? No, why would you even think that?"

"The way you two talk to each other- "

"That's just us joking around."

"Marco says you like bigger guys."

"Yeah because he was hinting about how I liked you." I say, speaking without thinking. We both freeze.

"What did you say'?" he asks, looking at me strangely.

"Um. If I said nothing, would you let it go?" I ask, fiddling with my hair.

"No. I'm sorry." I exhale harshly, and decide to just get it out.

"Marco only said that, because he was hinting at how I like you." I say, as I look down at my feet. I can't bring myself to look at him. Then rather suddenly, I'm up in the air beginning swung around in the air.

"You like me!" he says, his whole face is lit up, and he's grinning so widely. He throws me up in the air, and catches me again, the way parents do with a child.

"Um. Yes." I say, as my eyes swim about in my head. He takes a look at my face and smiles

"Sorry, I uh. I just um, I didn't expect that to happen. I got a bit excited. Are you alright?" he asks, as he places me back on my feet. However, I'm a little unsteady, and as I'm about to fall over, he catches me.

"I'm sorry." He says again, but he's still smiling down at me.

"It's okay. What do you mean? 'I wasn't expecting that to happen'?" I ask, as I manage to get the world to stop spinning. He still has a hand my arm, but the other rubs the back of his neck.

"I uh. I um, I've kind of liked you for a while, but I always figured that you like someone else."

"Really?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Yeah. For a while I thought it was Jean or Marco. But then you started flirting with Reiner- "

"And you thought it was Reiner."

"I know the other boys think you're pretty. We all watch you when you walk past us. But I don't think any of them have any real feelings for you. Not that I would be surprised if some of them did have feelings for you. I mean you're great. You are, amazing and everything."

"Thanks." I say, "You're pretty amazing too."

"I really want to kiss you." He says, looking down at me. My face (if it's even possible) has turned an even darker shade of red.

"Oh."

"Is that okay."

"Um." I say, not sure how I feel about any of this.

"Robin? Are you alright?"

"I just- I think," my vision is swimming right now, and my heart is pounding so loud I can barely hear anything else that's going on. "I just need to sit down a minute." I say, as I plop down. I take slow breaths, and close my eyes tightly.

"Do you want me to get Marco?" Bertolt asks, as he sits beside me. My head spins as I take in how close he is to me.

"Er, um. Sure. Yeah." I manage, he pats me lightly on the back, but gets up to grab Marco.

Okay Robin, what the fuck is your problem? You've been watching Bertolt for months now. You accidently confess your feelings and he seems really happy about. Then he asks to kiss you and you freak out to the point where you're having minor panic attack? What gives? I scold myself mentally. Frowning as I'm able to regain my senses.

"Robin? Are you alright?" it's Marco, who is followed by Bertolt, who hangs back when Marco runs up to me. He pulls me in for a hug,

"Get him to leave, nicely." I hiss into his shoulder, he doesn't respond, just pulls away.

"I got this, you can head back." Marco says, as he gestures to me.

"Are you sure? I can- "

"No really I got this, thank you though." Bert merely nods,

"Um, good night then." He says as he walks away. Once I can no longer see his retreating back, Marco turns to me.

"What the hell happened? Did he hurt you? If he hurt you, I'll kill him." He says fiercely as his eyes scan my face. I burst into tears.

"I don't know what's wrong." I sob into his shoulder, frustrated by my sudden irrational mood swings.

"Oh Robin," he says, as he rubs comforting circles on my back.

"I told him." I say, as my breathing becomes regular. Marco stiffens,

"He rejected you?"

"No! He was so happy. He asked me if he could kiss me, and I just I freaked out." I finish. Marco pulls away looking at me thoughtfully.

"That's weird. Did you not want to kiss him?"

"No! I did, I mean I do. It's just, what if I mess this up? I've never actually been in a relationship before you know. I really like him Marco, I don't want to ruin anything by my inexperience."

"Robin, I don't think you really have to worry about messing things up. I mean, at least not any more than you already have." I groan, putting my face in my hands. "Oh don't worry I'm just teasing. You should go and apologize though. He probably thinks you're terrified of him or something."

"I don't exactly want to face him just yet. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"Okay."

"When are you going to talk to Jean?" I ask, as we both stand up.

"I don't know. It's different, you know. I don't think he's gay or at least not bi." He huffs.

"I'm pretty sure he's at the very least bi." I say, he turns to look at me.

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a feeling."

"What are you? Some sort of seer?"

"Totally. It's how I'm able to take such great care of you."

"Because you see my future."

"Of course. Wait, where are we going?"

"I figured you didn't want to spend the night alone, so I was going to let you bunk with me, like we used too."

"Oh. Thanks."

"You'll have to leave before Shadis wakes us up, otherwise there will be hell to pay."

"I know." We walk in silence to the empty boy's barrack.

"I'm over here." He says, as he gestures to the well-made bed above the one that must obviously be Jean's due to the fact that it is such a mess. I look down at what I'm wearing, my soup-stained uniform. "Here you can wear this for tonight. I want it back." He says, as he tosses me an over-sized shirt.

"Thanks." I say as I walk into the bathroom to change.

"C'mere." Marco says as he hoists me up to his bed. He lays on his back, and I lay my head on his chest, and he throws an arm around my middle. He ruffles my hair.

"Remember when you wet the bed that one time? And Ryan blamed it on me?" I ask, he laughs

"It was you! I haven't wet the bed since I was five."

"No, there was that one time, when we snuck the liquor from your brother, and you were such a light weight you passed out and then wet yourself."

"Yeah well do you remember how you reacted when you tried that stuff?" he asks,

"No. I wasn't bad though."

"You kept giggling."

"Okay."

"Then you would sing about how much you admired Captain Levi."

"Never a word of that again."

"How did the song go?"

"Marco- "

"I love how short you are, and I love how you kill titans. I love your hair, and the way you glare at everyone around you. You are so cold, and you make me so hot." He wails, laughing as I punch him lightly.

"You are an ass."

"Oh really?"

"Yes." We lay there in silence for a moment, Marco playing with my hair. "Thank you." I whisper, I can tell he's frowning down at me, his body is tense. He always tenses up when he frowns.

"What?"

"Thank you, for this. For being here, with me." I say, he relaxes, he's smiling now, I can feel it.

"Your welcome. Thank you, you know for taking care of me when we were younger."

"I needed a distraction, and you were the perfect one."

"I'm not sure if I should be offended or touched."

"Probably both." We fall into a silence again. This one quiet, and easy. Before I know it, I'm drifting, falling asleep as Marco hums a song out of tune.

Author's note:

HI!

So, new chapter! YAY! I'm so happy! I'm really enjoying writing this!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Lots of love for my cupcake vampires!

-ScaryAry