Disclaimer: I own none of the characters!

Notes: I wanted to get an actual chapter posted before the con. So here it is! Next chapter will be allllllllllllll Levi. But until then, have some pirates and some stuttering Jean.

I also received this BEAUTIFUL fanart of Petra a while back and kept forgetting to link it! So here it is :3 The () after the http is a : and the others are regular periods. There are no spaces between the dashes

http()/queenezha4()tumblr()com / post / 76209838848 / a-not-so-quick-doodle-this-is-what-i-think-of

Eren woke up to the stench of fish, his stomach throbbing from the ship's movement and a loud banging against the cell door. He opened a heavy eye, looking over at Jean. His friend was hitting the cell door with a broken, wooden cup he had found.

"Let me out! I demand to eat something!"

"Fuck, Jean, shut up. If they were going to feed us they sure as fuck won't now with you demanding it," Eren grumbled. He felt completely nauseous from the sway of the ship and the awful dead fish smell, mixed with wet hay.

"No! I shouldn't be treated like this! Like some animal!" Jean pushed ("You mean a horse," Eren muttered). A rather grungy pirate walked into the holding room, glaring at them. Jean boldly glared back. "I am the green-hooded thief! Do you know who I am you scurvy-ridden piece of shit?! Do you hear me?"

The pirate hobbled (hobbled because one of his legs was a wooden peg) over to a corner full of barrels. He twisted a knob, letting dark brown liquid trickle into his mug, and hobbled back to the cell.

"Hold out yer hands," he slurred, jingling a pair of cuffs. He took a long, sloppy drink of his rum. "Tha cap'tan wants ta see ya both."

Jean's face paled. "W-Well he should…"

"Seriously, we're getting out?" Eren groaned. Unlike Jean, he was more green than pale. Eren slumped forward and held out his hands through the crossbars. He didn't argue. He wanted fresh air as soon as possible. Anything to get out of the dank cellar.

Jean scrunched up his face and did the same. "Good! I can't wait to give this captain a piece of my mind."

"Tell that to tha cap'tan."

The pirate swung open the cell door. Eren could tell, from Jean's fierce expression, he wanted to fight the pirate. Eren, however, was too sick to even stand. He leaned against Jean's arm, preventing him from doing any strenuous fighting.

They followed the pirate up a set of stairs and finally into the bright sunlight. Eren inhaled, falling onto the deck. He was happy to see the sun. He was happy to smell the air. He wasn't quite as happy to see so much ocean, on every side of the ship. Completely endless ocean but he was at least outside.

But as he rested, he realized they were heavily surrounded by pirates. Cruel looking pirates with swords in their hands, ready to slice them open. Jean helped Eren to his feet and they quickly followed the drunken pirate to a closed door. He pulled it open and stepped aside.

"Tha cap'tan's quarters." He said it like any butler would, though mockingly. Eren was too sick to comment on it.

He instead looked to Jean. He could see how nervous his friend was without a single word being exchanged. They both swallowed hard as the pirate shoved them through the doorway. They fell onto the dirty carpet and looked ahead. Down the short corridor they could make out a well-lit room.

"So what do you think this captain is like?" Eren breathed, getting to his feet and walking slowly. Jean hissed.

"Probably some ugly, dirty, toothless drunk," Jean hissed, following behind Eren.

They walked into the room and were surprised by the décor. It was nice, a wooden piano in the corner, worn from the salt in the air but still expertly carved. There was a long table, probably a dinner table, and actual chairs. There were big windows, overlooking the ocean from a pleasant angle, not like the one Eren had been left to look through and suffer with.

A bright red parrot sat on a perch, swinging back and forth. And next to it was a desk. And at the desk sat, who Eren and Jean could only assume, was the captain.

"Oh shit," Jean muttered. "I was wrong."

The captain looked up at them from his map and smiled. He had an eyepatch hiding his right eye and a hook in place of his right hand. But even with his physical flaws, the captain certainly wasn't ugly. His clothes looked clean, bright red and deep brown; he wasn't all that dirty. And with the way he smiled, he wasn't toothless at all.

"So you two are the captives," he said, and rather pleasantly, rising from his desk. As he walked closer, Eren could make out freckles across his cheeks and nose (judging by the way he walked, he certainly wasn't drunk either). "Smee and I have been looking forward to meeting you. I'm Captain Marco Bodt."

"Smee…?" Eren asked. Jean grumbled under his breath about "not asking stupid questions" but Eren rolled his eyes. Marco smiled that brilliant, white smile and gestured to the red parrot.

"My bird," he said. "He keeps me company."

"Can he talk? I heard they could—"

"God, Eren, don't ask stupid shit!" Jean cried, his voice cracking. He looked away, flustered by his own outburst. Marco laughed and moved across the room to a cabinet. He pulled out three mugs (using his hook around the handles) and a bottle of rum.

"He can talk, yes," Marco said. "But he usually whistles more."

"That's still amazing," Eren said. Jean made another noise. "Why did you want to talk with us? Or even kidnap us?"

Marco turned after pouring their drinks. He carried two in his hand and the other linked around his hook again. He walked right up to Eren and Jean, offering them the two drinks in his hand. They took their drinks and Eren didn't hesitate in taking a sip. Jean, however, swirled the rum around, smelled it, looked at it and slowly sipped.

"To be honest, I'm curious as to which one of you happens to be the green hooded thief."

Eren jumped at the sound of Jean spitting out his drink. Marco smirked, taking a sip from his mug.

"I take it that's you?"

"I…uhh…"

"Oh yeah," Eren said, nodding and taking another drink. "Jean the green hooded thief. I'm Eren, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you Eren," Marco said. "And Jean."

"Oh my God. I mean…yeah but why do you want me? I'm not worth anything! He's married to a prince!" Jean shouted. Eren gasped.

"I am not!"

"He will be!"

"This isn't a matter of money," Marco chuckled. "I'm asking because…well…you're giving my crew an awful name. We're being outdone by a single man."

"He may be part horse."

"Shut the fuck up, Jaeger!"

Again Marco laughed in such a way that was unbefitting for a pirate. He was supposed to be gross and old and grungy. But he smiled and had a laugh that would make angels happy; it left Jean a blushing mess and he kept burying his face into his mug to hide the red on his cheeks.

"So I decided to hunt down this single, green-clad man and now that I've found him, I'd like to ask this man if he would like to join my crew."

Eren's mouth dropped. He looked to Jean who was simply confused and wide-eyed.

"Y-You…want me? I mean you want me to join your crew?" Jean said. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

Jean looked around in disbelief. He stared at Eren as if Eren had heard something different. But Eren looked to him in confusion as well.

"I…I don't know. Are you sure you're not after Eren?" Jean asked again, fidgeting around. "Because I'm just one thief and I sort of don't do this whole…pirate thing."

Marco raised his eyebrows, pursing his lips and nodding. Eren tilted his head back to finish off his rum. He certainly didn't want to argue with the pirate whose ship they were on.

"I suppose that's…understandable," Marco muttered, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Not that I have a problem with you. In particular," Jean continued. "Because you seem really nice for a pirate. Not that pirates are awful and mean but I mean…they're perceived to be. And ugly. You're not ugly. I mean, you're not…unattractive. Fuck—" Jean slapped his palm to his forehead. "You look well."

"You're incredible, Jean. Just so eloquent," Eren said. Jean punched Eren on the arm.

Marco cleared his throat, catching their attention. "It's really a shame, Jean. I think you would be a wonderful addition to my crew. But I can't force you. I'll just have throw you both overboard."

"WHAT?!"

Eren and Jean both spat at Marco at the quiet remark. The captain laughed, amused by their sudden outburst.

"Well, I can't have you both taking up space on my ship, can I?" Marco chuckled, speaking lightheartedly. "Especially if you're not going to contribute to my crew."

"What the fuck!?" Eren shouted. "At least let us off at your next stop!"

Marco dropped his shoulders and his smiled faded. "Well…it won't be for quite a while. The next stop, if the weather allows it, will be Maria."

Eren's eyes widened. He looked to Jean, who had a similar expression of worry on his face.

"Why Maria?" Jean asked. Marco ran a thoughtful hand over his silver hook. He turned away, pacing back to his desk to set his mug down.

"It's personal," Marco whispered.

Eren bit his lip. He really didn't want to be thrown overboard. Especially when the ship would dock in Maria.

"What if…what if Jean and I help out on the ship?" Eren asked.

"HUH?!" Jean cried.

"What do you mean?" Marco asked. He wrapped his arms around himself, listening close.

"Yeah. Exactly what do you mean, Jaeger?"

"Let me and Jean stay on the ship until we reach Maria," Eren said. "That's where we're from. It's our home. And as payment, we'll just be a temporary part of your crew. And who knows? Maybe Jean will change his mind?"

"Like fuck I will!" Jean shouted. "I don't want to be a criminal!"

"You already are a criminal!"

Marco started to laugh. A light, airy laugh that erupted into a pleased outburst. Eren and Jean stopped bickering to look at the captain. He was genuinely amused. And perhaps he was genuinely considering Eren's words. Or he was simply going to throw them overboard and was laughing at their stupidity.

He stopped and caught his breath, slowing his laughter.

"Alright," Marco hummed. "I'll take you up on this. It doesn't seem completely awful. And as long as you're willing to cooperate—"

"I am not!" Jean shouted. "I'm the—"

Eren punched him on the arm hard enough to make Jean whine and stop talking.

"We'll be good," Eren said. "Promise."

Anything Jean was going to say was lost on his tongue when Marco looked his way for confirmation. The gentle smile on the pirate's face made Jean's cheeks turn red. Eren was almost positive he heard Jean grumbled about "those fucking freckles" under his breath but decided it was best not to bring it up.

"I'll be good," Jean hissed. "Whatever. As long as fucking freckles—I mean hook-hand doesn't throw us off his boat."

Marco laughed again. "Marco will do just fine. And it's a ship, not a boat. And who knows, if you're well-behaved I'll invite you to dinner."

Eren raised his eyebrows. He knew the comment wasn't meant for him, but it definitely didn't stop him from laughing. Jean pushed him away and folded his arms across his chest in a pout, a flush of bright red across his cheeks.

It wasn't the most ideal situation, being pirates, but they were alive and on their way to Maria. And at least Jean's tongue-tied blushing would leave Eren with something to laugh at during the journey.