Konnichiwa Mina-san and happy Thanksgiving! I had so much fun writing this story and I'm so excited that it's finished! Now I'm just going to say this before hand, even though I'm releasing this literally the day before Thanksgiving, this is a Christmas story. (I'm really not the type of person that celebrates Christmas in November but I had this idea for awhile so I thought why not?) Also this gives people the chance to read my story and if they like it they can bookmark it for Christmas. :) And one more thing, while re-reading this I realized that I never described what the characters were wearing so feel free to let your imagination run wild! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! 3
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the story. (Especially the smexy bits ;) )
"Ah….Ngh…Levi, stop. W-we're in public."
"Hmm."
"Ahh…Oh!...Mmm."
The whimpering sounds of that poor boy could be heard four tables down across the restaurant to where another couple was quietly sitting.
One of them, a tall muscular blonde, was staring over at the perverted table with a mixed look of both disgust and amusement, his chin resting in his hand.
"Wow, they are really going at it. That kid looks like he's ten seconds away from heaven and five seconds away from passing out before he gets there." He said, observing how the boys face was redder then the untouched wine that was in the glass before him.
"It's like a hungry wolf trying to devour a Chihuahua. Oh…Ick…Ugh." His face contorted more and more as the scene became closer to R-18.
"Ha, it's not that bad, Jean. I think it's kind of cute." Said the other man sitting across the table. He was a lean guy who had dark brown hair and freckles dotting his face.
"Hah?" Jean rolled his head over to see that he too was staring at the couple with a small smile, and a light pink brushed his ears.
"You think it's cute, eh Marco? Well then c'mere! Give me a kiss!" The blonde enthusiastically flung his arms out toward the other only to have them be gently pushed away as Marco's eyes widened in shock and embarrassment.
"J-Jean! What are you thinking? We can't do that here!" The blush on his face became brighter.
"Hah!? Why not? You just said it was cute!"
"W-well, that's because…Um, well…" Marco began drawing little swirlies in the barbecue sauce on his plate as he continued to not make sense.
Jean just gave him a small smile and leaned back in his chair, taking in their surroundings.
Their table and nine others were all seated in the outdoor dining area of Bientot etre Marie, a beautiful French restaurant. There was a short cast iron fence surrounding the front of the building and the whole place was decorated with vines and Galanth perce-niege, a purple flower that blooms in the winter. Quite piano music played in the background and low hanging lights gave the whole place a soft glow. It truly was a serene place, which is why Jean chose it. He and Marco were dating after all. They had been going out or some time now so he thought it was time they did something special. It was a week before Christmas and so they decided to come out to this little town that was full of history, architect, and thankfully very few people. The restaurant they ate at was one of many and small shops lined the square, all of them decked out for the holiday.
And so here they were, trying to enjoy serenity, but…
"Ah…ah! Levi! Mmmh…"
With every "Ooh" and "Ahh", Jeans face became more and more annoyed. Marco sensed something bad about to happen just as the hot headed blonde shot up his hand.
"Oh waiter!" Marco turned around to see that Jean was calling to no one, and he was speaking loud enough for everyone out side to hear.
"Waiter! I'm sorry, but I didn't order a side of Homo! Could you take this one back please?"
"Jean!" The shy boy launched himself across the table with a clatter, slapping his hands over the others mouth.
With both hands still planted firmly on the blondes pie hole, they both looked over at the other table.
The brown haired boy looked like he was going to die from embarrassment, and the man beside him was giving the Seme-Evil-Eye to Jean. Marco felt a chill run down his spine from the look in those eyes, and breathed a sigh of relief when "Levi" stood up from the table and grabbed the boys hand.
"Let's go, Eren." Quickly they stood up and together they walked out through the gate with almost all ten tables watching them as they went.
"We should probably go too, before the manager kicks us out." Marco said, releasing his hands and looking down. Jean fallowed his eyes to see their bottle of wine had spilled over their table and was now soaking the white cloth in crimson.
"Oh, I'm sorry. And you really liked that wine too." He said apologetically.
"Oh no, don't worry about it! I'm sure we can find it again somewhere." Marco replied, an adorable boyish smile lighting up his young face.
It was so cute that Jean suddenly felt the urge to kiss him, but he knew he couldn't. Marco was very shy when it came to public displays of affection, and so they've never done anything except hold hands. But since it was Marco, he was perfectly happy with just doing that. (Most of the time.)
They hailed a waiter (A live one this time) and got there check, Marco insisting for him to leave a generous tip for the damage they caused, and side by side they walked through the gate and onto the street as well.
Jean took in a long breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs, before exhaling a small white cloud.
Every tree that lined the sidewalk was wrapped up in a string of lights and many had ornaments hanging from the branches. Every time the wind blew the tiny glass balls would reflect the colors of red, green and blue.
Glancing over Jean saw Marco transfixed on all of the beauty, and he couldn't blame him. This whole place looked like a Christmas card; all that was missing was snow.
Reaching out the blonde grabbed the others hand and squeezed it tight, loving the way Marco turned his head to hide the red that spread across his cheeks.
Now feeling happier the two walked down the street, sharing each other's warmth through their bond.
As they walked down a couple of blocks they admired all of the different old buildings that held stone statues, gargoyles and various carvings of faces, vines and even livestock that lined the walls and trim. Antique stores were everywhere and every time they passed one they went up to the window to take a look inside.
In one of them there was a huge chandelier that almost touched the ground from the ceiling, and in another there was a ferries wheel completely made out of wire, an Eiffel tower stood beside it. Jean didn't really care about seeing most of this stuff, but Marco really loved old things. Because no matter how worn and ragged and out of date something could be, he would always be able to see the beauty in it. This is something Jean really loved about Marco, and so he always made sure to spoil him with old items every chance he got.
As they backed away from the store Marco felt himself bump into something. Quickly turning around he saw a small woman with short brown hair supporting a slightly older man who appeared to be very drunk and half asleep.
"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" He politely asked.
The young girl glanced up with an annoyed look on her face, but changed her expression after seeing a worried Marco. (Because no one can resist that cute face!)
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." She said with a kind smile. "I'm just escorting my friend here over to a bench were he can sit down."
"Lettgo! I can walk for myy self!" The drunk yelled suddenly, startling everyone. He tried taking a step forward but lost his balance completely and almost face planted the concrete before the girl swooped in again and lifted him back up.
"I'm stronger then that Levi…" He mumbled before drifting off into a sleep once more.
Levi? That short pervert at the restaurant? The couple shared the same thought as they looked at each other before focusing back at the girl.
"Do you need some help?" Jean offered. She did look like she was struggling a little.
"That's okay, I'm fine. But thank you very much."
"Okay, well then please excuse us." Jean nodded his head, grabbing Marco's hand and once more they continued down the street.
"….Lettgo! I can walk for myy self!"
"Oh shut up, you old geezer!" The girl looked over her shoulder to see the man she was carrying woke up again.
"Be careful or you'll fall." She snipped at him, but he didn't seem to be listening to her.
"Can you believe 'hic' w-what that blonde bohunk said? He said I couldn't drink as much as 'hic' Levi but I 'hic' showid him!"
"You sure did…" She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"Jusst watch meh!"
"Woah, hey! Wait!"
Once again the drunk freed himself from the girls grasp and tried walking forward, and once again he lost his balance. But this time the girl couldn't grab him and he ended up tripping over his feet and-CHOMP!
"Oulou! Are you okay?" The girl rushed over and pulled his shoulders up into a sitting position.
"Damn Id! Thad hurd!" He yelled.
"You bit you tongue again, didn't you? That's why I told you to stop moving! I swear, you are going to be the death of me."
"….I'm thawy, Petwa..." He said, looking slightly more sober now.
Seeing the poor man hunched over on the ground with a bleeding tongue, Petra couldn't help but forgive him. He was just trying to prove himself to her after all.
"It's okay, now come on, put your arm around my shoulder."
They both got up again and wobbled closer to a bench only a couple feet away.
"…But I looked cool when I fell, didn't I?"
"Oh yes," Petra smiled. "Very cool."
"…Did he say Blonde bohunk?" Jean asked Marco, who only smiled and shrugged.
They both let out a quite laugh when the brunette looked to the left and his eyes widened. Turning his head Jean saw his boyfriend staring up at a large white marble building.
"What is it?" Jean asked.
"I think it's a post office. Let's go see."
They walked through the pillars and up the cold stone steps to peer inside. It was indeed a post office, but it seemed to be abandoned now.
"I wonder what happened to it."
"I guess it was just time for it to close. It ran its course but now it's no longer needed."
"How sad." Marco sighed, looking at the building regrettably.
It was sad, not only was the whole outside a beautiful marble, but the inside was as well. There were even two staircases that gracefully intertwined up to the second floor balcony, and the entire ceiling was lined with crown molding of delicate white flowers.
Jean let out a whistle.
"Y'know Marco, wouldn't it be cool if we bought this place and made it into a house?"
Marco laughed. "But Jean, it's right in the middle of the square."
"Well that's the best part! Every morning we just walk out into the street to get our mail and shout 'Good morning world! Our house is cooler than yours!'"
Marco laughed harder as Jean spread out his arms and marched down the stairs like he really owed the place, talking loudly as he did so.
"And, since we own the post office, we shall get our mail but you won't! Mwahaha!"
"Jean!"
"What?"
"Shhh," Marco ran down and caught up to the other, putting a hand on his shoulder he tried to contain his laughter.
"You're disturbing people!"
"Really? Who?" Marco pointed and Jean turned around to see a woman sitting on a bench a few feet away, bundled up to keep out the cold.
She had a rather large nose, striking blue eyes and she wore a silver ring on her finger. Her blonde hair was messily thrown up in a low bun and she looked slightly pissed about something as she looked up from her phone. Whether Jean was the cause for that look or not, they may never know.
"Please excuse us. " Marco grabbed his boyfriends arm and lightly pulled him down the street.
"I don't think I did anything wrong." Jean pouted.
"You were yelling."
"Well it was our house." He smirked.
"Oh good grief."
They slowed their pace as they neared a corner of the street; there was another restaurant here too. This one was Italian and it had the outdoor seating as well, and as they turned the corner they passed a table that had three people sitting at it. One of them was a woman that wore glasses and had her brown hair tied up in a pony tail, another was a man with a goatee (Who was also smelling the air a lot for some reason) and the last was a tall muscular blonde man with chiseled features and a handsome face.
As they went around the table Jean whispered, "You think that's the blonde bohunk?" To Marco, who had to put a hand over his mouth to keep from loudly cracking up.
"I can't believe Oulou drank that much, I hope Petra is okay. You just had to go and mention Levi." Said the man with the goatee to the tall blonde.
"Well I wasn't trying to challenge him, Mike. I merely meant that it's easier for some men to hold their liquor than others."
"Yes yes, and we all know that because you and Levi both served in the Marines you for some reason have this inhuman immunity to alcohol. You just don't have to bring it up every time we go drinking, Commander Erwin." Mike mocked goodheartedly.
They both laughed and took a swig from the Grappa that they were drinking, before instantly spitting it back up as the girl at the table yelled and stood up suddenly.
"Waahhhh! Look! Look at that guy over there! He's so tall!" Her eyes were sparkling madly as she stared at the said man who was standing across the street.
He was very tall, a well built man towering far over 6ft, but contradictory to his size he actually had quite a shy face. Walking beside him was a slightly shorter but very muscular blonde man, who was eyeing the woman suspiciously.
"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!" She continued to fawn while Mike and Erwin fought to stop coughing.
"Damn it Hanji! Can you not do that every time you see a tall person?" Mike scolded, holding a napkin to his mouth.
"You're wasting your breath," Erwin commented, recovering quickly and taking a drink from his glass once more. "She's been obsessed with tall people since she was little. And if you think this is bad, you should see how crazy she gets she when watches her favorite Basketball team, the Titans."
"Titans?" Hanji's attention instantly snapped back to their table while Erwin gave Mike a 'See, I told you so' look making all three of them laugh.
"You like the Titans Hanji?" Mike asked as she sat back down.
"Of course! Their strength is fascinating and no one can stand against them!" Hanji said, bouncing in her chair a little too enthusiastically.
"I bet that if I had a team by my side, I could eradicate them." Erwin challenged playfully.
"That's bold," Mike chuckled. "But I would still put my money on them. They've won so many matches so far that I'm sure they will soon dominate this whole state."
"Well then," Erwin lifted his glass. "To the Titans!"
"To the Titans!" They all cheered, clinking their cups together in celebration.
"The Titans?" Marco asked Jean as they headed down the small street.
"Yeah, apparently their team is so good that they 'Devourer' all of the opponents that stand against them."
"Wow, I didn't know that. What kind of people would go up against such a foe?"
Jean turned his head and gave him a smile.
"Only the bravest."
Marco smiled too and tilted his head up to gaze at the festive paper lanterns that lit the small sidewalk above them.
"Hey, you want to stop in there?" Jean pointed to a small shop that was just up ahead.
"Mm." He nodded, and they headed inside.
"…What a weird place." Jean commented after the entered, taking a look around.
All over the store were strange objects varying from creepy old clown dolls, to picture books of guys from rock bands holding their cats, and even a portrait of Michael Jackson standing beside E.T.
The two weaved their way through room, careful not to bump anything in the tightly packed space.
Old music records lined the walls, odd books were stacked on every table, plates and metal signs with redneck sayings hung from the ceiling and knickknacks such as refrigerator magnets, pins and jewelry were mixed together in colorful bowls.
As Jean moved ahead Marco glanced down to see a thick red book that said 'The official dictionary of sarcasm' in bolded white letters.
He picked it up and started flipping through the pages, finding each sentience to be more and more similar to the things that Jean says.
'I wonder if I should get this for him' He thought.
"Hey, Marco! Check this out!"
Looking up he saw his boyfriend holding a grey T-shirt with a picture of a NES controller on it and the words 'I'm sorry for all the things I say while playing video games'.
"Is this me or is this me?" He said with a goofy smirk.
"Yes, it's very you." Marco laughed, walking forward to feel the material. "Remember when I won in Mario Cart and you called me a cheating leopard face?"
"Well," Jean leaned closer. "That's only because I love your freckles so much." He said, slowly tracing his finger over Marcos nose.
Marco blushed and pushed him away slightly.
"Yes, well, it was still…Um…Still r-rude." He stuttered.
'How cute. Oof!'
"Ah, excuse me sir!"
Jean looked down to see that a kid, only a few years younger than himself, had just roughly bumped into him. He had a small frame and very feminine features; honestly he could almost pass as a girl.
"I'm sorry." He apologized.
"No problem." Jean said, moving back a little to let him through the cluttered area.
The boy nodded his head and dashed through the opening with a quick thank you.
"Hey Mikasa!" He yelled, running up to a girl that was standing near a window.
She was very beautiful, with jet black hair, a pale solemn face, and wearing a big red scarf around her neck.
"Oh, Armin." She turned her head to greet the younger boy.
"Look at this!" Armin said, holding up a large brown book for her to see.
"It's an encyclopedia with pictures showing different from places all over the world!" His blue eyes sparkled as he opened the pages to show her the foreign countries.
"Really? Eren would love this." She said, a light blush forming on her cheeks as she took the book into her hands.
"Exactly! When we were kids he always told me that he wanted to travel and see more of the world. Although, he hasn't talked much like that since he met that guy…"
Mikasa's knuckles turned white as she gripped the sides of the book and a killing aura surrounded her like a dark cloud.
"Ah, er…W-well I'll just go pay for this then…" He said, nervously backing away.
They bought their present, thanked the cashier, and disappeared into the night with Armin mentioning something about wanting to find a gift for his Uncle too.
"Um, she didn't look very happy when he mentioned that 'other guy'."
"Yeah, that must be one hell of a love triangle. Talk about awkward." Jean scoffed. "Oh, and speaking of awkward, you do realize that your still pressed up against me right?
"Hmm?" Marco turned his head to see that he was indeed still smushed against his boyfriend from when he moved back to let the boy through.
"Gah!" He jumped back suddenly, bumping the table behind him and knocking over one of the bowls of jewelry.
"Haha! Forget leopard, your more like a skittish deer!"
"Sorry…" Marco apologized, and they started to clean up the mess.
"Hey, what's this?" He asked a moment later, holding up a metal pin shaped like wings. One side was blue and the other was white.
"Oh, I've seen that before." Jean grabbed the object to look at it closer. "It's a mark that's supposed to symbolize freedom."
"It's beautiful." Marco said, tracing the tiny carved feathers with his finger tips.
"Well, in that case I'll buy it for you." Jean smiled and pulled out his wallet.
While ignoring his boyfriends protests Jean bought the item and handed it back to Marco as they left the store.
"Here, Merry early Christmas!"
'So bright' Marco squinted his eyes at Jeans beaming smile and gently took his wings of freedom, carefully attaching it to the breast of his coat.
"Thank you!"
Lacing their fingers together they walked down to a stop light, when it was clear they raced across the street to the other side. Turning right they strolled up the small incline, and as they passed an ally they heard some strange noises….Again.
"Ah! No…Your tongue…Don't l-lick my ear…"
"Then where do you want me to put it? Hmm? In your mouth?" The small mewling voice was followed by a husky one.
"Wai-Mmph! Mm, ahm…Ng!"
"…"
"Jean, no. Don't you dare!"
"Guess you two ordered the Homo-to-go!"
"You moron! Are you trying to get us shot?" Marco yelled at his idiot of a boyfriend. Grabbing him by his arm he hurriedly dragged both of them up the hill and out of sight.
At hearing the comment Levi pulled back to see that Eren was once more on the verge of dying from embarrassment, and he let out a tired sigh.
"Want me to go kill them?" He asked, dead serious. Without waiting for the others reply he nodded his head and started walking out of the ally, on his way to go murder two complete strangers.
"Huh?...Ehhh…." Eren's mind was still utter mush from all the things Levi was doing to him, and against him…And inside of him.
'Wait wait! Stop that! Come on, think! Must go…Stop…Levi!'
"Levi! Wait!" Shaking his head the boy charged after his homicidal psychopath. "Hold on!" He yelled, finally reaching him he barreled into his side, almost knocking him over.
"Let go Eren, I must do this." The short Corporal said in monotone, trying to break free from the suffocating grasp.
"What are you going to do?" Eren asked, still clinging on for dear life.
"I'm going to take that mans cranium and gently remove it from his clavicle."
"…That's decapitation!"
"He will feel nothing."
"What!?" Breaking free at last Levi was about to turn the corner but Eren caught him by the hand.
"Will you stop! I don't want you kill someone for me!" Pausing, Levi slowly turned his head around to lock his eyes with frightened green ones.
"You…Don't?" He asked, still not changing his facial expression at all.
"No! Because if you did then you would go to jail!" Eren whined, squeezing their hands together tightly.
"And that would be…Bad?"
"Yes! And then I would feel so lonely because…Because I…I love you." Blushing he dropped his gaze to the ground. When he didn't feel the other respond, he glanced up to see that Levi still looked unconvinced.
'Shit! What do I do? I have to get him to focus on me again.'
"Plus, I was really enjoying all the things you were d-doing to me, back there. The way you were t-touching me made my body feel so hot and weak…" The small boy mewled, summoning the most adorable Uke-ish face he could muster.
That did it.
Something inside of Levi must have snapped because Eren suddenly found himself roughly pinned against the wall and once more had a tongue force its way deep into his mouth, swallowing his pitiful moans.
Their hot breathes were mingling and they could feel each other's racing heartbeats as their chests rubbed against one another. Saliva was mixed and slid down their chins as the kiss got more and more passionate. Dropping his head Levi began biting and sucking the sensitive areas Eren had around his ears and running down through his neck. As Levi moved further down to lick at his collarbone he slipped his hands to the boys nipples, rubbing them in a torturously slow circular manner, making Eren throw his head back and let out a quiet cry.
"Ahh! Hah…Not…There! Hmm.."
Digging his nails into broad shoulders Eren tried pulling Levi even closer, gasping as excitement and pleasure coursed through his veins like fire.
His legs started shaking and together they slid to the ground, pushing the boy back slightly Levi hovered above him. Eyes full of lust he traced his fingers down the inside of Erens thigh, making him quiver and arch his back.
"One more thing, Eren." He said, slightly out of breath he leaned down close to the boys face.
"I love you too."
Hearing these words softly resonate in his ear, Eren couldn't help but fling his arms around Levi's neck and smile as his tears splashed to the ground of the dark ally.
Tilting his head up Levi gave him a chaste kiss that was quickly illuminated as the moon came out to shine upon them, and for a moment that felt like a lifetime, they simply held each other in their arms.
That is, until Levi's patients ran out and he started to do things again.
"Wah! W-wait! Levi, what are you do-Ah! Ngh…Wait, that's! N-not there! I can't-Ahhh!"
"You really are trying to get us killed, aren't you? That guy may have been short but he looked fierce." Marco scolded, still dragging his moron up the hill by the collar, rolling his eyes when all the other did was chuckle.
'The wine must be kicking in, he did have five glasses…'
As they turned the corner Jean wriggled lose of the tight hold and spun around to face Marco, placing his hands on his shoulders.
"You're right, that was very immature of me," Jean leaned forward, his face stopping only inches away from Marcos, making his brown eyes widen.
Dropping his voice the younger boy huskily whispered, "I'll be sure to make it up to you in a very…Tasty way…"
Feeling his heart skip at those words and a blush redden his cheeks, Marco quickly put his hands on Jeans chest and pushed him back.
"J-Jean! What are you saying? We can't possibly, I mean…I do like d-doing stuff with you, but…No, that's not…Um…"
Trying but failing to explain anything, his stuttering was cut off with a loud laugh. Looking up he saw Jean cracking up before his expression changed to an over exaggerated look of shock.
"Marco! I merely meant I that could buy you some chocolate!" With his hands still on his shoulders the blonde turned Marco around to see that standing right in front of them was a large shop called Czekolada Goodies, a candy store.
Flushing from head to toe with embarrassment Marco glared and Jean, who was already walking toward the shop waving his arms around saying, "I just thought that I could buy you something sweet so you would forgive me, but what were you thinking of? Saying that you like doing things with me? Honestly, get your mind out of the gutter!" Reaching the door he held it open it and looked back with an evil smirk at Marco.
"Shall we?"
Stomping forward with murderous intent the shy boy resisted the urge to punch Jean as he dramatically bowed to Marco while he passed through. But all malice was forgotten as they entered the store.
An indescribably sweet smell surrounded them as they walked in, instantly making their mouths water. The inside was bright and colorful and looking around they saw that this shop held much more than just candy. On every wall were shelves lined with old novelty items reaching all the way up to the ceiling. There were board games, comic books and classic icons such as Elvis, Snoopy, Betty Boop and Cinderella. A Darth Vader lamp and a Spock piggy bank sat side by side, Marvel and DC figurines were poised and battle ready, medieval knights dueled mystic dragons and western Lego men towered over five feet tall.
"I'm in heaven." Jean murmured, looking like he was in a daze. "Forget the post office, let's move here."
Still in awe they went up to the counter to take a look at the chocolate. Rows and rows of diabetes were laid out in front of them coming in all different kinds of flavors and sizes. There were squares of fudge drizzled with icing, soft cookies topped with Oreos, M&Ms and sugary glaze, there were caramel cubes, balls of toffee, peanut butter cups as large as your hand and slices of cheese cake loaded with preserves. Not to mention they also had sweet pastries like iced scones, cinnamon bread, cream filled donuts and Danish.
All of this in its self was overwhelming, but the most amazing part was the truffles. Each one was handcrafted with beautiful designs, so precise it looked like the wrapper was still on, and all of them were dyed and bursting with color according to their flavor. Mint was shaped like fresh green leaves in spring, cranberry was a deep maroon and molded like a heart, orange looked like the setting sun and chili was swirled and spiked with the multiple colors of red, yellow and pink, capturing the way you feel when eating something hot.
"This is…Amazing!" Breathless Marco smiled, his face lighting up as his eyes danced over the different candies, analyzing them individually.
"Yeah, it's like staring death in the face." Jean chuckled.
"Excuse me, can I help you find something?" A tall man with a blonde mustache stood on the other side of the counter, and according to the tag attached to his shirt his name was Hannes. He stumbled a little and on his breath was the slight smell of beer, but he seemed to be quite friendly.
Opening his mouth Jean was about to say something but his voice was suddenly cut off by a loud scream.
"Kyyaaaaa! It's beautiful! It's paradise! It's, it's-"
"Candy." A mellow tone interrupted the hyper one.
Looking over their shoulders Jean and Marco saw that a young brown haired girl and just burst into the store, dragging a less than enthusiastic boy behind her by the arm.
"Whaa? Connie, don't say something so rude! Just look around at all of this…Delicious and glorious food!" Scanning the room her eyes were sparkling like fireworks before her gaze landed upon something in particular.
Following the girls' line of sight, Connie's eyes widened.
"Sasha! You're not even looking at the candy, that's a Lego person! He's made out of plastic!"
"Really? But he kinda looks like a banana…" Sasha licked her lips.
"What kind of scary ass banana tree would that grow on?" Connie yelled. "Believe me, it's fake."
"…You sure?"
"Yes."
"Can I lick him to be just to be positive?"
"Absolutely not!" The boy stared at Sasha, terrified. "L-look, we came here so I could buy you some candy, so why don't we just do that? Please?"
"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry." Breaking her gaze away from the (thankful to be un-licked) yellow cowboy Sasha grabbed the boys hand again and skipped like a little girl to join the other two up at the counter; their amused glances going unnoticed by her as stared at the chocolate, mouth watering.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you were here first." The boy said apologetically to the other couple as he approached.
"Don't worry about it, I think we're still deciding." Marco smiled, "Please take your time."
"Thank you! Okay Sasha, do you know what you want?" He leaned down close beside her.
"Hmm," Tapping her finger against her chin she called out to the clerk. "Can you set aside one of everything?"
'Thwack'
Connie's head fell onto the glass.
"Huh!? U-um, I don't think I have that much money…" Rubbing where he hit his head the boy stared at the girl regrettably. "Sorry."
Looking up at him Sasha smiled. "Haha! No, that was a little too much for me to ask, I'm sorry. Okay, in that case I would like to have the green leaf truffle…"
"Okay-"
"A block of macchiato fudge, a slice of the raspberry cheese cake, a small bag of your chocolate covered almonds, two of your coconut cookies, a package of those orange ricotta dumplings with a scoop of lavender butter, another of the mint truffles and one of your cream filled donuts. Oh, and five of the specialty candy canes."
"….." Eyes wide and mouth hanging open the boy stood completely frozen.
"Connie? Is that alright?" Sasha asked timidly, turning her head to look at him.
Moving his eyes only, Connie glanced down at the contents inside his wallet before looking back up at the girl. Sensing that that as well was too much, her face had drooped until she looked like a scolded puppy that was denied from its treats.
Clearly a silent war had broken out in the boys mind as he stood there, desperately thinking. The girl, or his life savings…
Finally letting out a sigh the boy slumped his shoulders, utterly defeated. "Yeah, that's fine."
"Really!?" Face lighting up like the sun the girl flung her arms around the boys neck and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you thank you thank you!" Excitedly she tightened her grip.
"Uh-huh…No problem…" Turning redder than a tomato Connie lightly patted her on the back, looking like he was in heaven.
Gathering all of their goodies in a large box Hannes checked them out and they headed for the door hand in hand, Sasha bouncing with every step.
"Thank you!" She called out behind her.
"Y'all be careful now." The clerk yelled after them with a smile. "That poor kid, she has him wrapped around her finger in a neat little bow."
Jean laughed. "Yeah, did you see the look on his face when she ordered all of that? That was hysterical!"
"Hah, the things one does for the one they love should know no limits. Whether it is husband and wife, mother and child, or even just a promise made between friends. You must show support and courage always, or else you just might regret it…" It slowly started to sound like Hannws was talking to himself as his eyes filled with some distance sorrow.
Snapping his gaze back up he smiled again. "Pardon me, you two didn't come here to listen to an old man rant. Now, have you decided what it is you would like?"
"Go ahead, whatever you want. I'll pay." Jean nodded.
Giving him a quick smile Marco looked back at the clerk and said without hesitation. "I'll have what she ordered."
"What!?"
'Cha-ching!'
Carrying their dessert out onto the streets Jean still wore a look of bewilderment.
"I thought you were joking, I can't believe you actually ordered everything she did…"
With a soft laugh Marco looked over his shoulder. "Well to be fair, I did swap some things. And did you really think that I was just going to let you off for the way you embarrassed me before we went into the store? Let's just say we're even now."
"Oh, so that's what it was, revenge huh?" Turning around they sat down together on one of the benches that were scattered around the square, a small tree decked in lights stood beside it.
"I see, so you lost your pride and I lost my money. Now I'm going to have to eat peanut butter for the next six months, thank you for that. You had better finish all of those." Jean gestured toward the large box of candy.
"You seem to be forgetting that while you don't care for sweets, I love them." As he said this he opened the lid and popped a chunk of fudge in his mouth, looking quite pleased with himself.
"Your right," Jean dropped his voice. "I prefer something that's more bitter and sticky."
Marco choked.
Coughing roughly Jean slapped him on the back. "Whoops, sorry. Are you okay?"
Eyes tearing up and covering his mouth with a hand Marco didn't respond, but slowly his cough turned into a laugh.
"…Marco?" Jean looked slightly worried as the other just giggled madly.
"Maaarcoo? Oh crap, I broke something." Waving his hand to get his attention, Marco tilted back his head with a smile.
"You're such an idiot!"
"…Hah!?"
"You always get us in trouble and you constantly rub people the wrong way, but I can't help loving everything about you."
Jeans eyes filled with shock at those words, becoming completely speechless.
Smile fading a little Marco suddenly slapped his hands over his mouth, realizing what he just said.
'Oh no! I wasn't thinking, it just accidentally slipped out.' Sliding his eyes to the left he saw Jean staring at him.
"…Say it again."
"No!"
"Say it again."
"N-no…"
Looking down at his lap Marco fidgeted uncomfortably, feeling the cold metal of the bench seep through his jeans, making him shiver in the silence.
"I love everything about you too." Jean spoke quietly.
"Jea-Mmph!"
Closing his eyes Marco swallowed at the feeling of something soft filling his mouth.
'It's sweet' He thought, brushing his tongue against it. 'And also…Spicy?'
"Jeeaaannn! Ith hot!" He whined.
"Well I told you make sure you eat all of these, and besides you're the one who ordered it."
Scrunching up his face Marco hurriedly finished chewing the hot truffle that Jean stuffed in his mouth and quickly swallowed, sticking his tongue out. "Bleh, I got them for you."
"Really?" Jean picked up a second piece of the same chocolate and looked closely at it. It was one of the colorful spiky truffles that they saw in the store.
"It's called chili chocolate and I got it because I know you don't like sweet stuff. This way you can still eat candy without getting sick." Marco started licking his lips to rid himself of the bitter flavor, unconsciously catching Jeans eye in the process.
'Damn it, he's so cute. Fuck, I want to kiss him so bad.' Jean thought, following every movement of the pink tongue.
"Do you want to have a taste?"
"Huh? Oh of the chocolate, yeah." Startled he quickly stuck the truffle in his mouth and turned away, leaving Marco with a knowing look.
'I really am an idiot, he's been thinking about me this whole time and all I can think about is perverted stuff. Well no more, I mustn't do anything to my Marco.' Jean resolved, sinking his teeth into the candy.
"Mmmm."
"Do you like it?"
From the moment he bit through the hard shell a vibrant explosion of flavor broke out in his tongue. It started off creamy with a hint of subtle sweetness before being consumed by the taste of chili, and though it wasn't hot enough to be unbearable, it did leave his mouth with a gentle numbing warmth.
"Whoa! Holy crap this is amazing!"
"Good, I'm glad you like it." Marco brightened at Jeans look of surprise and took another piece of (non spicy) chocolate for himself. For him to praise something that much most have meant that he really liked it, and that made Marco happy.
Sitting in a comfortable silence they watched their surroundings. Evidently they weren't the only couple here enjoying the romantic atmosphere of this town.
The young girl and boy that had come into the candy shop were now sitting on a different bench not too far away, all snuggled up the girl had her head resting on his shoulder in a happy half asleep daze after her sugar rush. Standing on the corner by a traffic light were two girls drinking coffee, one of them was a tall brunette that had her hair thrown into a messy ponytail and the other was a very short girl who had large sparkling blue eyes. The taller girl seemed very protective of the small beautiful blonde that was standing beside her, even hugging her close and glaring as two guys walked past them on the street. The two men, both handsome and muscular, were the ones that were standing across from the Italian restaurant earlier that the woman in glasses had screamed at. Now they walked side by side close enough that their arms brushed together in a more then a friend type of way, but because they were so deep in their conversation that they missed the silent threat.
Coming down from the opposite side of the street were the blonde bohunk and his friends, apparently heading to the Czekolada goodies store too and laughing loudly as they were most likely very drunk. Then just as they passed by a dark alley way, the two figures of Eren and Levi slowly sneaked out. The boy was staggering and looking completely out of it until he heard his name being called, spinning around his face lit up as the beautiful girl with the red scarf and the small boy ran up to them, hiding a brown book behind his back. All of them were talking happily except for the girl who was shooting daggers at the short nonchalant corporal, who after a few moments turned away anyway as someone else approached him.
Walking a couple of feet he stopped in front of Pertra, who was still supporting the now very passed out older man. Stooping down he helped her to lay him down on a separate bench and made sure he was comfortable before they both sat down to speak to each other quietly while watching their group in front of them. And there in the background without catching anybodies attention, stood the silent woman with the large nose. Softly observing everyone with an unreadable look on her face.
All around them the lights that were strung among the trees and lined upon the peaks of the buildings were glittering like a thousand fireflies, illuminating the town with a glow that made everything seem almost unreal. The smells of all the different food mixed together and the Holiday music that played in every store combined, filling the air with a feeling that could only be described as comfortable and homely.
Still sitting on their bench Marco was enjoying the soft tranquility when something shiny in the distance caught his eye. Across the road in the middle of the square stood a huge lit Christmas tree that was surrounded by smaller normal trees and bushes. It was very beautiful but it didn't look like anyone was over there.
"Hey," Lightly Marco bumped his shoulder against Jeans to get his attention, who was also staring out at the joyful little town.
"Hmm?" Jean turned his head to meet his eyes.
"Can we go over there for a moment?" Marco asked, pointing to the large colorful tree.
"Yeah that's fine. Are you going to carry this box though or am I?" He asked, standing up and stretching.
"Um, well there's nothing left."
"What?" Quickly Jean opened up the lid to find that the box was empty. "Damn! How did you do that?"
"Well I have been eating them this whole time, and weren't you the one that was complaining and barking at me to finish them all?" The other retorted, standing up as well and trying to shake some feeling back into his leg from the cold.
"…I didn't bark." Jean pouted and stuck his tongue out. "And I didn't think you were actually going to do it. Now I'm worried you're going to get a stomach ache." He whined, tossing the box into a nearby trash can.
Marco smiled "You're an idiot."
Jean grinned back at him "Yeah, but I'm your idiot."
Actually, they were both idiots.
Because while they were both caught up in the cutesy moment they accidentally dashed out into the road when the light was still green, and almost got hit by a car. (It wasn't a very busy road because it was a square, but cars are still cars, and death is still death. So, you know.)
"Wha! Hey watch it! Marco, are you okay? Why are you laughing? Stop that!" As the angry car blew its horn they both sprinted to the other side.
Now in safety Jean placed his hands on his knees as he started panting.
"Why…Are you…Still…Laughing?" He gasped, staring at his boyfriend. "Are you some closet daredevil or something?"
Giggling Marco reached out his hand to Jean. "The car couldn't have been moving faster than 30mph you know."
"It was still dangerous though." Jean grabbed the hand and straightened himself.
"Not really."
"Yes really!"
"Okay, it was."
"Ha!"
"For you."
"What?"
"Nothing, look!" Trying to stop their bickering Marco quickly pointed to the left.
Following his arm Jeans eyes widened, because standing just a few feet in front of them was the huge Christmas tree.
"Whoa, I didn't know we were this close."
"…Mmm."
Looking over Jean saw that Marco was completely mesmerized, eyes sparkling brightly.
"Wanna get closer?" He asked, smiling at the adorable look.
Nodding his head but keeping his eyes fixed they walked up to the base of the tree.
The tree was incredible, stretching all the way to at least twenty feet tall. On every branch and on every pine finger hung an ornament ranging from colorful balls of red, silver and gold, to little winter people. There were nutcrackers, snowmen, ginger bread men, small children ice skating, Eskimos and Santa's sleigh complete with eight tiny reign deer. Scattered among these were stripped candy canes, tinsel and even a burlap garland twisting to the top. And though this was beautiful the best part was the lights. Every strand glittered with hundreds of bulbs, all twinkling like they had heartbeats of their own. The dazzling light glimmered lighting up the whole tree all the way up to the golden star.
"It's magical." Marco breathed out.
"It really is." Jean agreed.
Together they stood there, and without a word being spoken their hands found each other, lacing their fingers softly. The warmth of their bodies transmitted through their bond, but the air suddenly became still and Marco's voice turned serious.
"Jean, thank you for taking me here. Spending time with you is what makes me the happiest, you know? Everything that we do together is precious to me, every memory we make and even the hard times that we go through. Everything that has happed in the past, good or bad, helped us to get here where we are today, and that's something I never want to change." Jean stared in silence, carefully listening to each spoken word as Marco continued on.
" I think that's why I like antiques so much, because no matter how worn out something is, or what it has gone through, as long as someone shows love for it then it can last forever. And that reminds me of us, because I know that in years to come, if we become broke, if we have to fight in a war…" He paused.
"Or even if one of us dies…"
"Marco…" Jean could feel Marco shaking, and his eyes were brimming with tears.
"Even if something like that happens, as long as I know you still love me then I know I can be with you forever, no matter what. Because you aren't just beside me, you are a part of me. You are the part that I treasure the most. And I would give my own life to protect it, to protect you."
"Marco," Jean lifted his hand to the others face but just when he did Marco looked up and smiled, causing the tears to fall from his lashes. As they slipped down they reflected the shimmering light of the tree, and all Jean could think of was how beautiful Marco looked in this moment.
With the stars resting upon his cheeks.
"I always want to protect you, because I love you." And then, there in front of everyone, Marco pressed his lips to Jeans in a passionate kiss.
With a look of shock Jean stood frozen, not believing what was happening. He tried moving back a little but Marco stayed firm, squeezing him tighter.
Part of him wanted to do what was right but the feeling of Marco clinging desperately to him was too much. (Plus after he gave such a speech there was no way to resist.) So deciding to just give in Jean wrapped his arms around the others small waist, pulling them closer together as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.
They stayed that way for while, completely forgetting about everyone and everything around them as they melted into each other.
After a few minutes Jean lightly bit the others lip, causing him to gasp so he could slip his tongue in to the warm mouth. As they rubbed their tongues together it sent sparks of electricity through their bodies, making Marco's heart race so fast he thought it was going to burst.
Finally, they slowly pulled apart to catch their breath but they kept their heads resting against each other.
"I love you too Marco. I love you so, so much." Jean whispered. And he really did love him, so deeply that if ever something did happened to him, Jean didn't think he could go on living.
Smiling at those words Marco was being overwhelmed with joy when he felt something cold fall onto his cheek, and looking up he couldn't believe it.
Because all around them, it had started to snow.
"Jean, look!"
Moving his head to look up as well Jean stared at the tiny snowflakes as they fell silently from the dark sky.
"Unbelievable, call me superstitious but I'd say that's a miracle."
"Maybe it's because we kissed." Marco said jokingly.
"Yeah, so you think if we have sex it will cause a blizzard?"
"What!?"
"Just kidding."
Laughing Marco turned back to the tree and rested his head on Jeans shoulder, their hands finding each other once more.
"Hey, Jean?" Reaching up his other arm to his chest while they talked Marco absentmindedly traced the feathers of his cold pin.
"Hmm?" The blonde kissed his forehead.
"Can we come back here again?"
"Of course." Jean smiled too and laid his head on top of Marco's. "We do have a house to fix up after all."
Standing there before the tree, surrounded by snow and filled with love, it was almost like the couple was glowing with their own little light.
"By the way, what's the name of this place?" Marco asked.
"…Hmm, I think it was Stadt Der Toten."
"That's pretty; maybe someday we really can live here."
"I'm sure one day, we will."
End
(It's now time for: Fun Facts with LoverOfAllThingsNerdy!)
Fact #1: The town that I described in this story is an actual town that me and my family visited, and that's when I got this Idea.
Fact #2 The name of the restaurant they ate at is Beintot etre Marie, which translates to "Sorrow" and "Goodbye", which I thought was a fun little eater egg considering what happened to Marco in the Manga.
Fact #3 The flowers at the restaurant were called Galanth Perce-niege, which is the french name for snowdrops.
AND FINALLY!
Fact #4 Now I chose the name of the town very carefully but I will warn you, if you like the happy and cutesy story that this is, then do not look up the translation. However, if you want a major plot twist then feel free to Google Stadt der toten.
Anyway, I hope you guys liked this and if you did please be sure to leave a comment (So I know whether or not I should keep writing) And I hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving!
Sayonara Mina-San! 3