It took Jean some time getting used to the small dorm. It was nice, but the problem wasn't just the room, it was his roommate. Jean's roommate, Armin Arlert, was nice, but his friends weren't as quiet. This caused problems for Jean, who every time someone came over left for a walk. This day was quite particular, mostly because Armin brought a guest into the dorm, yet Jean didn't hear any loud voices, similar to the one of Eren, but he heard a quiet voice.

"So, this is your dorm?" The gentle voice asked. Jean pictured who ever it was peering around. "Yeah, wait until you meet my roommate, he's in the other room." Armin said, his voice drawing closer to the room Jean was in. "Marco, this is Jean Kirstein. He's okay once you get to know him." Armin said with a gentle and mocking voice. "Gee, thanks." Jean muttered, holding out his hand for the stranger to grasp in greeting.

This person, this stranger, looked so nice, yet for some reason had a busted lip and bruised cheek. "Nice to meet you. I'm Marco." He said, shaking Jean's hand. "Cool, I was just about to go, but it was nice meeting you." Jean said as friendly as possible, it took a lot. Something Jean never told anyone about was his social anxiety. It made it harder for communication, mainly with people his age.

The weather outside was awfully cold, lucky for Jean, he had already prepared, buying a coat the week before. It had to have been around fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, and frost bite was beginning to set in, with no other option, Jean went back to his dorm.

Jean opened the door, taking a deep breath in case anyone was in the room. Jean opened the door, looking around for any extra people. Jean saw no one, so he went in and sat his stuff on the ground. "Hey Jean, there is a party tomorrow night at Reiner's." Armin said from the other room. "Oh, cool." Jean said sarcastically. Jean never really liked parties because of all the people that were there. "You have to go, it's only a Christmas party, so it won't be to bad." Armin said reassuringly, trying his best to make Jean comfortable with going.

Jean let out a tremendous sigh before heading into the other room. Jean threw himself on his bed. "Finally." He said, snuggling into his sheets before closing his eyes.

* * *

It was around twelve when Jean woke the next day, he wouldn't normally wake so late, but he was tired from the previous exams. "Jean, we're going to the party at two, so get ready." Armin said, knocking on the door. Jean blinked away his tired before jumping out of bed. He threw on a pair of slacks and the ugliest sweater he had.

Jean walked to a mirror and picked up his comb. He tamed his bed head before walking out of the room. "Let's go." Jean sighed, walking out the door with Armin following in suit. "Why don't you ever stay around when I invite others?" Armin asked, thinking for a moment as they walked to the other dorm. "Because I don't like a lot of people, that's all. Now, can we just walk?" Jean asked defensively. Armin didn't speak, but he understood.

Armin knocked on the door as Jean stood aside while looking at the ground. "Oh, hey Armin, come on in." Bertholdt, Reiner's roommate, said in a welcoming tone. Armin nodded, smiling as he walked in. Jean followed slyly, it seemed as if he were a fox.

Jean found a nice corner in the room to stand in, away from the others. Only one person walked over to Jean. "Hey, get togethers aren't your thing, huh?" Marco asked leaning on the wall next to him. "No." Jean answered simply. "Wanna talk outside, it's not as loud." Marco suggested. "Umm," Jean thought for a moment, looking around. "sure, I'll go with." He said, swiftly finding the exit.

"Did Armin put you up to this?" Jean asked once they made it outside. "No, just thought you could use a friend that wasn't very off putting, or different." Marco said. "What the hell does that mean?" Jean huffed. Marco laughed a bit. "I understand. I dislike large groups too." Marco said gently. Jean sighed out an 'oh' before it began to grow quiet. Jean noticed an extra bruis on Marco's eye, and it hadn't been there before. Jean didn't say anything.

"You don't have anything against homosexuality, do you?" Marco asked worriedly. It didn't change anything when Marco said that to Jean, it just made Jean more intrigued. "No, of course not, why would I?" Jean asked. "No reason, I just thought that one day you'll like to meet my boyfriend." Marco said with a smile. "Is he not in there?" Jean asked, pointing back to Reiner's room. "Nah, he's in his dorm." Marco said. "Oh, well I can give you my number, and we can find a good time for me to meet him." Jean suggested.

Marco thought for a moment, a worried expression crossed his face, but he agreed. "Sure." He said finally. Jean passed Marco his number. "I guess I'll see you around, tell Armin that I drank a bad can of beer or something." Jean said, waving to Marco as he began to walk away. "Alright, see ya." Marco said before entering the room again.

Jean walked back to his own dorm, closing the door behind him. He sat on his bed, and every so often he would get a text from Marco. Usually they were photos, but sometimes Marco captioned them. Jean felt slightly guilty for not staying, he just hoped no one would be mad at him for this later.

* * *

It had been about two weeks since Jean last saw Marco, he got texts though. He some how grew attached to the freckled guy, he was just good to talk to. What confused Jean the most is why Marco showed up to his and Armin's dorm that day, and he was crying and bleeding. Armin tried to console Marco, and Jean looked for tissues. "How did this happen?" Armin asked Marco gently. Marco was sobbing uncontrollably. "Ace got mad, he's just going through some problems." Marco reasoned, wiping his red face. Jean handed him some tissues to wipe away the blood that was coming out of this nose. "Marco, you can't let him do this to you, it's not right." Armin said.

"I love him, and he loves me, he's just upset." Marco defended. Jean wanted to scoff, but he was so torn, so he just sat there in silence, rubbing Marco's back gently. "I'm sorry Marco, but if he loved you, he wouldn't hurt you." Armin tried. Marco pulled away. "What do you know Armin?" Marco stood abruptly, and jerked away from Jean's reach. He then stormed out the door, leaving the dorm in a heavy silence.

"Jean, Marco's in an abusive relationship with a guy named Ace. I don't say it to him, but I know Marco has Stockholm Syndrome, no matter what I've tried, I can't get him to leave Ace." Armin said sadly, burying his face in his hands. "It's okay Armin, I'll help him figure things out. He's probably been through alot." Jean said before leaving to go to his bed. "I'll help him figure things out, I think that's what a friend would do." Jean thought aloud.

* * *

Jean woke and got ready, classes were starting early in the month of February, and Jean didn't want to make it late in the middle of phisics, and he definitely didn't want people to stare when he walked in. He threw his bag over his shoulder and headed out. Armin had already left, this was due to him going shopping for food and some junk they needed.

Jean's mind raced with several questions, especially about Marco. Marco had the same class as him, but he hadn't spoken to Jean in a while, he hadn't even texted Jean.

Jean walked to phisics, looking around for a tall, freckled person with black hair. He paused when he saw his friend, a shocked expression crossed his face when he saw what Marco looked like. Marco bore a newer busted lip, and he had a black eye, along with very ruffled hair. Marco looked awfully tired as well, making him look extremely sick. "Marco?" Jean asked, questioning if it was actually Marco.

"Hey Jean." Marco croaked in a sad voice. "Marco, what's going on?" Jean asked gently and quietly. "Oh, nothing important, how are you?" Marco asked, shaking Jean away. Jean gripped Marco's shoulders, pulling him down to eye level. "Don't you ever fucking say it's not important, it's important to me." Jean said, cheeks red, and eyes brimming with tears. "Jean, stop, he might see you, he gets jealous." Marco pleaded. Jean shook his head. "Fine." Jean said gruffly, letting Marco go. "I just don't want to talk about it." Marco said simply, looking to his right.

"Class is about to start, let's go." Jean said, hesitant to drop the subject. "So, how have you been?" Marco asked casually, as if nothing was said. "I'm good, I wish you would talk to me more often. I hope it isn't weird when I say that you're really one of the only friends I have." Jean said, rubbing the back of his neck. Marco smiled. "No, it's normal." Marco said. They walked into the room and sat in some chairs.

Jean looked around, something he did often periodically during class. "Jean, I promise you'll be fine, no one will hurt you or speak behind your back." Marco said gently. "I can't really help it." Jean said. "Did something happen to you when you were little, is that why this anxiety is present?" Marco asked. "Yeah, nothing but bullies when I was little, that's probably why I don't trust people. I guess I trust you because you seem to nice to hurt someone because they are different." Jean said gloomily, resting his hand on his chin.

Marco smiled. "Thanks, I'll try to help when you feel bad." Marco said. "Yeah, the professor just got here, we should probably be quiet." Jean said.

* * *

Jean woke to the sound of his phone buzzing. "Hello?" He croaked into the rectangular object. "Hey Jean, want to come meet Ace?" Marco asked. Jean thought for a while, before answering. "Okay, what time?" Jean asked. "Anytime, just look decent, it's casual. Marco said, hanging up. Jean went in the hall and to the bathroom to take a shower. Jean washed his body thoroughly, making sure he wouldn't smell bad. He turned the water off, dried his body and put his clothes on before going to the sink to brush his teeth.

Jean put his dirty clothes and bathroom supplies back in his room before going over to Marco's dorm. Jean wondered why he wouldn't be going to Ace's dorm, but he didnt care to much. He knocked on the door, hoping Marco would answer. "Hey Jean." Marco smiled, welcoming Jean in.

Jean looked around and he noticed a drunk looking log sitting on the couch. Jean inspected Ace. Ace just didn't look like he was worthy of Marco at all. "Jean, this is Ace. Ace, this is my friend Jean." Marco said, putting force of the word 'friend'. Ace growled for a second. "Why's he here?" He asked gruffly in a ragged voice. Jean side stepped, and he grew anxious. "You better not be cheating on me, I'll hurt you if you do!" Ace growled, staring intently at Marco. "No I won't, I promise Ace, don't-" Jean stepped forward. "Lay another greasy hand on Marco and I'll be sure to do the same to you!" Jean shouted at Ace. "No Jean don't-" Marco tried. A glass object flew at Jean, hitting the ground, it broke in pieces.

Out of some sick chance a glass shard found itself in Marco's eye. Marco held his eye as it began to bleed. "You mother fucker!" Jean shouted as he leaped over at Ace, punching him several times. "Don't you ever touch him again, do you hear me!?" Jean shouted, spitting in Ace's face. Ace nodded, his face bloodied. Jean got off of Ace and grabbed one of Marco's hands. He left the dorm and took Marco to a hospital by car. "God Marco, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have even said anything. It's all my fault!" He cried. Marco placed a reassuring hand on Jean's shoulder. "It's fine." He said gently. Blood still welled from Marco's eye, and it was obvious that there were going to be scars. The glass shard was around two inches long, and it crossed Marco's entire eye.

"Stay in the car, I'll help you out." Jean said, walking to the other side. Jean opened the door and helped Marco out. "Let's go." Jean said, closing the door. He walked Marco to the main doors. "Can I get some help, he's bleeding really bad." Jean said to the lady at the front desk who was frantically calling up some assistance. Jean looked over at Marco. Jean reached over and wiped some blood off of Marco's face. "Jean, it really hurts." Marco complained quietly. "I bet it does, we'll get you some help." Jean said. Moments later a few doctors showed up.

"Come on, let's get you to a room." A doctor said. They walked Marco to a room, and they put him under and began to pull the glass shard out. "We can't save the eye, but we can do this safely." They said. Jean looked away, tears brimming his eyes. "God Marco, it's all my fucking fault." He said quietly into his hands. "We've got it out. We just need to clean him up." One doctor said. They cleaned Marco up, and soon they left him alone with Jean.

Jean walked to the side of the bed, and he looked at Marco's face. "I'm so sorry." He said, putting a gentle hand on Marco's face. Jean leaned down and kissed Marco's forehead. Jean walked out of the room and paid them the bill. Jean decided to take him home in the morning.

* * *

Jean woke up early the morning he was to go to another party, this time thrown by a guy named Connie Springer. He got up and got ready like normal, but he was happy because he knew he would see Marco, his best friend. Jean saw Marco more often, he also saw some extra bruises, but he tried not to think about it.

Armin and Jean walked over to the other dorm. "Try not to leave this time. I know it's hard." Armin said quietly. Jean knew that Armin was trying not to hurt him, but the words still stung somehow. Armin knocked on the door and a brown haired girl holding a cupcake opened the door. "Come on in Armin!" She said, opening the door wider. Jean walked in behind Armin and he looked around for a while.

"Hey Jean." Marco said smiling, he walked over to Jean and hugged him. "How've you been?" Jean asked, looking at Marco's eye. "Good, but I hate it when others ask about my cut. It still stings, but not so much anymore." Marco said smiling as usual. "I'm sorry." Jean said sympathetically. "It's fine, I appreciate that you paid the bill though, my family would never be able to afford it." Marco thanked. Jean waved him off. "It's okay, you're my friend, I had to." Jean said simply.

"So, are you guys dating, or something?" A voice asked, causing Jean to jump. "No Sasha, we aren't." Marco said. Jean blushed and looked away sadly. He never thought about it that much, but when Marco said that, it actually hurt his feelings. "Still with Ace?" She asked Marco, who looked somewhat defensive.

"Yes, of course I am." Marco said. "Okay, but I still think you should leave him." Sasha said before leaving. "Why does everyone care, it's not like it's their business." Marco said gruffly. Jean put his hand on Marco's shoulder, and Marco immediately softened. "Marco, think for a moment. Hear me out and don't hate me, that's the last thing I want you to feel about me. Would someone who loved you hurt you like this?" Jean asked, running his finger gently over Marco's cut.

Marco shivered. "He's just depressed, he really does love me. I'm sorry Jean." Marco said, pulling away from Jean's gentle touch. "No, I guess I don't understand either." Jean said, hurt by Marco's words. "Jean I'm sorry." Marco pleaded. "I really don't." Jean said, leaving the small party, this time without an excuse. Jean walked back to his own dorm, and he crashed on his bed crying. "Fucking Marco, how the hell am I supposed to understand. He hurts you, and he's supposed to love you. How could some one just hurt you, you're the most nice person I've ever met. I understand enough." Jean groaned into his pillow.

Jean soon fell asleep, the headache from his own loud voice caused his head to throb.

"Jean?" Armin asked, knocking at the door which caused Jean to wake up. "What?" Jean groaned."What happened?" Armin asked gently, opening the door. "I tried to talk to him. It didn't work." Jean sighed. "It's okay." Armin consoled. "No, it's not, worst of all..." Jean paused for a moment, a blush crossing his face. "Worst of all, I fucking love him." Jean said, his head pounding. "I'm so sorry Jean." Armin said gently, and he rubbed Jean's back.

"It's fine, he'd never like me. I'm probably just really tired." Jean said, laying back onto his bed. He put his hands on his head in embarrassment. "Sleep Jean, classes start back soon, so you need to be rested." Armin said, leaving the room. Jean squeezed his eye's shut, but the more he thought about Marco, the more his chest and head ached.

* * *

"Jean, your class starts in ten minutes!" Armin shouted, waking Jean up that autumn morning. Jean groaned and stood up. "Fuck." He uttered as he raced to throw on some clothes and, comb his hair a bit. He darted out the room to get to his class, lucky for him, he made it on time.

"Jean, you're super lucky, I thought you were going to be late." Marco said." Jean growled a bit. "I thought you wouldn't want to see me." Jean bit at Marco. Marco's bruised face changed. "Jean, I'm sorry, I didn't want you to feel that way." Marco said, his one brown eye showed all expression. "I'm sorry that I just don't understand Marco." Jean said, steaming. "Look Jean, it's really hard to talk to Ace." Marco reasoned.

"Just apologize Marco." Jean said angirly. "I did Jean, I did." Marco tried. "No Marco, apologize for yourself. You put yourself through this. Everyone has tried to help you. You just don't understand." Jean said, poking Marco in the chest sharply in accusation. Marco had a sad look on his face. He knew Jean was right, but he had other things to worry about too. "I'm sorry Marco, we just worry about you so much, and when you come to us with these bruises, we just-" Jean began to break down at that point, his anger turning to sadness. His eyes darted, several students' eyes were locked on him. His anxieties settled in.

"Marco I can't breathe!" Jean huffed, clutching his shirt. Jean's eyes scaned rapidly and his face grew redder as tears welled at his eyes. "Jean, calm down! You're having an anxiety attack!" Marco yelped, and he tried his best to calm Jean down. Marco ran his fingers through Jean's hair. "I'm sorry Jean. I'm sorry that I don't understand. I'm sorry." Marco said sadly, bunching himself next to Jean in the small hallway. They sat there together in silence. Jean's trembling body only worried Marco more.

"Jean? Are you okay?" Marco asked. "I don't know." Jean said. He still shook, and his reply was distant. "I'll take you back to your dorm." Marco said, he stood and held out his hand. Jean shakily grabbed Marco's hand. Marco pulled Jean up and slowly walked him back to his dorm. "How do you feel?" Marco asked, putting one hand on Jean's forehead. "I don't know." Jean said distantly. "You're burning up, does your head hurt?" Marco asked gently. Jean nodded.

Marco opened the door and walked Jean to his bed. "I'll bring you your work. I hope you feel better." Marco said, gentle as ever. Jean nodded and soon fell asleep.

"Jean, are you okay, Marco told me what happened." Armin said, walking in the room to check on Jean. "Yeah, I think I'll just stay here for the rest of the day, I don't feel like seeing anyone." Jean said. "Marco already said he would come over later on, so just be ready for that." Armin said. "Okay." Jean said simply. Marco was an exeption.

"When?" Jean asked finally. "I don't know." Armin said simply. "I'll sleep until then." Jean said, then he buried his face in his pillow and went to sleep.

* * *

Jean felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and his eyes shot open. He turned swiftly to see the intruder. Jean calmed down and blinked slowly when he realized it was Marco.

"Hey." Jean croaked. "Hey Jean, are you feeling better?" Marco asked gently, which for some reason made Jean blush. Jean nodded to Marco's question. "Good." Marco said simply. "I'm really sorry, I should have realized how much you were trying to help." Marco apologized. "It's fine." Jean said, stretching his legs and arms out. "We're still friends, right?" Marco asked, playing with Jean's bed sheet. "Yeah." Jean said.

Marco's eyes lit up. "Thank you Jean!" Marco said, and he enclosed Jean in a warm hug. Jean found a good spot in the crook of Marco's neck. He blushed warmly when he felt Marco's lip unexpectedly and accidentally hit Jean's neck.

They pulled away after a brief second. "It's fine." Jean said simply. "Let's go sit, Armin might be bored." Jean suggested. "Armin isn't here." Marco replied. "How did you get in here?" Jean asked confused. "He was here an hour ago, but he left, and I just waited to wake you up. You looked so tired." Marco said. "Yeah, that happens after I get an anxiety attack." Jean replied.

"Do you wanna go get something to eat? It's on me." Marco asked. Jean thought for a moment. "Are you sure?" Jean asked, not wanting to be a burden. "It's fine, let's go." Marco insisted. Jean sighed, but he agreed.

The two left the campus and went to a nearby Chinese restaurant, that was about half a mile away.

Jean looked around the restaurant, his eyes scanned the entire room before following Marco. Marco didn't seem to be bothered about it, and Jean appreciated that about Marco. "Don't worry Jean, everything is fine." Marco consoled. Jean nodded and took a seat.

A waitress came over and asked them what they wanted. "I'll have some combination rice and a Sprite." Marco said, he then looked at Jean and waited patiently. "Oh, I'll have the same." Jean said. The waitress left. Marco looked over at Jean and smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, how is your eye doing?" Jean asked. "It's fine, I'm completely blind in it, but it doesn't hurt much." Marco said. "I wish I didn't fight with Ace, but when I saw that he was hurting you, I got so mad." Jean growled in remembrance. "It's fine Jean." Marco said biting his lip. Jean scowled. "Not to me." He huffed. Marco put his hand on Jean's arm gently.

Jean looked up at Marco, and searched his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry." Marco said. Jean saw something in Marco, a deep sadness. "Here's your food." The waitress said, leaving them the plates. "Thank you Montana." Marco said with a smile.

"How did you know her?" Jean asked. "I come here often." Marco said simply before grabbing his fork. "Cool." Jean said before doing the same.

After the two ate they walked back to the campus. They walked in mostly silence. "Crap!" Marco said as he tumbled to the ground. "Marco, are you okay?" Jean asked. "I didn't see the hole, it was on my left side." Marco said. "Oh." Jean said, sticking his hand out for Marco to grab.

Marco gripped Jean's hand and pulled, unfortunately their strength didn't match, and Jean ended up tumbling down as well. "I'm sorry Jean!" Marco yelped. Jean pulled himself from Marco's body. "It's fine." Jean said blankly as he stared into Marco's good eye. "Do you want to get off?" Marco asked awkwardly. "Not really." Jean said simply, causing Marco to blush and laugh. Jean stood up anyway and some how helped Marco up too. "Let's keep going, it's not far now." Marco said, leading Jean to the campus.

Jean thought the entire time, and many conflictions went through his head. Before Jean realized it they were at his dorm. "Oh." He said when he saw the door. "Well, I'll see you later Jean." Marco said, awkward once again.

"I'm sorry." Jean said, and he took Marco into a hug. "It's fine, I'll see you tomorrow." Marco said into the hug, which caused his warm breath to hit Jean's neck and ear. "Okay. Bye." Jean said, a bit more at ease. Jean walked into his dorm and closed the door behind him.

"Hey Jean." Armin said casually as Jean walked in. "Hey." Jean breathed out before walking to his bed and collapsing. He hugged his pillow and fell asleep.

* * *

It was around a week after Jean went to eat with Marco. Everything seemed normal. So normal, in fact, that Marco invited Jean to his dorm. Jean accepted Marco's offer.

"So, when should I go over?" Jean asked casually. "Around four is good." Marco said simply. "Okay, I'll definitely be there." Jean said, and he held a real smile. Jean didn't smile often, but anytime he did smile it happened around Marco.

Jean went to his next class after he said goodbye to Marco. The next few hours went in a blur, and soon Jean found himself at the door to Marco's dorm. Jean tentatively knocked on the door, and a few moments later it was opened by Marco. "Hey Jean." Marco said with a smile. "Hey." Jean said simply, walking into the room. "You can sit if you want." Marco suggested. Jean sat on a sofa near to him.

Jean looked around, he noticed the bloodstained carpet, and he was reminded of Marco's eye. Even if it happened in the past, Jean still hated it. "We haven't talked since we went to eat, and that was before Thanksgiving." Marco said, trying to start a conversation. "I know. I've been pretty busy, but I'm glad you made me take a break from the work I've been doing." Jean sighed, and he leaned back into the cushioned sofa.

"I never ask, because it's rude, but what is it like being blind in one eye?" Jean asked. "I just can't see half of what you see, it gets frustrating sometimes though. One time I even cried while trying to draw a picture." Marco said, looking at the ground as he fiddled in his chair. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Jean apologized, clenching his hand into a fist. "It's fine Jean, it's okay when you ask." Marco said reassuringly.

A few loud knocks were heard at the door. Marco flinched slightly, but he got up to answer the door. "What the hell Marco, we were supposed to get drinks, and you blew me off for the weird guy with the undercut? What the hell!" The booming voice said. A bang was heard, and Jean stood up at that point. When he went to see what happened his eyes went wide.

Marco was on the ground, and he had a bloodied face. "What the fuck did I tell you about putting your hands on him!?" Jean shouted at Ace. "It ain't your business, he's mine, not yours." Ace bit back. Jean boiled with rage. "Marco is not yours, he is not an object!" Jean said, running forward to tackle Ace. Ace pulled back and he threw his fist as hard as possible.

Jean got the wind knocked put of him when Ace puched him I'm the stomach, but he still stood back up. Jean pushed himself on top of Ace, and he punched him twice. "Jean stop!" Marco pleaded, and he tried to pull Jean off of Ace, but it didn't work. "You piece of shit, say you'll break up with Marco right now, or I'll keep hitting you like you hit him!" Jean shouted angrily. Ace began to cry, almost like a baby would. "Okay! Okay, never again!" Ace wept. "If you get near him, or if I see fresh marks or bruises on his skin, I'll call the cops on you." Jean said, backing away finally.

Jean turned and looked at Marco with a worried expression. "Marco?" He asked gently as he stretched a hand out to feel the newest bruise. It was ugly and bleeding, something that should never be on a face like Marco's. "Jean, I think you should go." Marco said, hugging his arms close to his body. Jean shrunk back, and he'd never felt more hurt in his life. Tears welled in his eyes, and he turned and ran out of the dorm to his own. Everything hurt, not just his stomach, that was just punched, but mostly his chest and heart.

Jean sat on his bed and balled his fists, he yanked at his hair, cursed, and screamed in his pillow. "Jean?" Armin asked when he went in the room. "Leave me alone." Jean growled, and he shoved his tear filled face into his pillow.

"Okay." Armin said, realizing the situation. Jean fell asleep, his head pounded, and he'd never felt so disdainful in himself.

Jean skipped classes the next day, and he made no contact with other people, he just sat in his room and tried to get a grip on himself.

* * *

"Jean this is the second day, you have to get out of bed and talk to us." Armin said from the other room. "Us?" Jean asked confused, and still angry. "Yes, Marco is very worried too, he said he's sorry." Armin said through the door. "Tell Marco that even silence can hurt worse than words." Jean growled. "What does that mean?" Armin asked confused, but Jean didn't answer. "Okay." Armin said finally.

Jean sat on his mattress for a while, it was quiet, yet everything seemed loud to Jean, even the silence burned into his head and mind. He didn't know how many hours he just stayed in the room, staring it the blank wall in complete silence.

"Jean, you've been in there all day." Armin said, knocking at the door several hours after the first conversation. "Marco said he understood." Armin said, words muffled through the door. "Good." Jean said, loud and clear. "Jean, you can't keep doing this!" Armin shouted. "I'm going to Eren's dorm, at least eat some food while I'm gone." Armin said, leaving the dorm in silence once again. Jean eventually grew tired, and he closed his eyes to sleep.

Nothing mattered anymore, his favorite person hated him, and now he felt more alone than before.

* * *

Jean sat in his room for the fourth day, he decided that he would finally get some food, and he walked out of the room for the first time in the last few days. "Jean? How are you feeling?" Armin asked confused and scared of his roommate's new habit of locking himself away. "I'm fine." Jean said simply, walking to the mini fridge to get some food. "Marco said he's been texting you for a long time, he's very worried Jean." Armin said. "Tell him not to be worried. I'm just a human being that matters far less than anyone else on this stupid planet." Jean growled, taking a bite of the sandwich he made.

"Okay. I'm sorry you feel that way Jean." Armin said sadly, and he walked out of the dorm in silence. Jean went back into the room and looked at his phone for the first time in three days.

(50+ missed calls)

(50+ unread messages)

Jean turned his phone off, and he angirly threw his phone at the blank wall. "I don't even fucking deserve you!" Jean shouted, and he began to cry into his arm. "I hate myself Marco! I hate myself because you care about me! I hate myself because you don't care about yourself!" He shouted, punching himself in the head.

* * *

Jean woke up the next day. He looked at his phone at all the messages. Some stood out more than others. He read each one, but he hit his breaking point at the one that read:
'Silence does hurt more than words, that's why your silence is killing me.'

Jean threw his phone again, this time he could see it's visable crack, but he didn't care. He jumped out of his bed and began to walk. He left his dorm and a confused Armin. He left the silence of the plain room. He didn't care anymore. Jean walked with no real direction, he walked until his feet grew numb, he walked until it didn't hurt anymore, he walked until he got to Marco's dorm. Jean regretted his decision to knock. "Jean?" Marco asked, confused if it was actually Jean.

"God Marco, I'm so fucking sorry, I lost it!" Jean said, crying in the doorway. "Jean, shh, it's okay, it's fine." Marco said, trying to console Jean some how. Marco brought Jean into the dorm and closed the door behind him. "Sit down Jean." Marco said. Jean took a seat, he looked around at the room like he did most times. He noticed a few things.

A.) Marco looked disheveled.
B.) Marco had no new bruises.
C.) The bloodstain was still on the carpet, and Jean still hated it.

"Jean, why have you been ignoring the world?" Marco asked with a worried expression. "Remember what you said, you told me I should leave. It might not seem like much to a normal person, but when you said it, it felt like you didn't want me around at all." Jean sighed. Marco looked very worried. "I'm sorry Jean, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just needed to get over my issue. I'm not past Acre yet, but I'm trying to get over him completely. Once you get used to the abuse, you accept it as normal. I feel stupid for it." Marco said, looking down at the ground.

"Marco, you're not stupid. I know it's hard to get over." Jean said reassuringly. "I've been with Ace for two years, and I let him hurt me." Marco said, burying his face in his hands. "Because I didn't leave him, I'll be a defect forever." Marco sighed sadly. "Marco don't say that! Don't say that ever! You aren't a defect, you're the most amazing person I know, it takes a sentence or a word for you to make or break me, I look up to you in so many ways. You are not a defect." Jean said angirly.

Marco smiled softly, tears streamed softly down his freckled face. "Don't cry. I see you cry more than you laugh. I like your smile more." Jean said, gently wiping away Marco's warm tears. "Okay." Marco sighed.

"I should probably go now." Jean said after he yawned. "I have an extra bed, you can sleep on that instead." Marco suggested. "Okay, thanks." Jean said, and he walked over to the empty bed. He crawled onto the bed, which felt like his, and he drifted into sleep.

* * *

Jean woke in the middle of the night to the sound of crying. His eyes shot open and he scanned the room. The room was empty, so he stood up, and he looked around. The source was coming from the other bed. Jean stood at the end of the bed with a worried expression.

"Marco?" Jean whispered in a worried tone. Marco made a noise that sounded like a sputtering cough. "Jean?" Marco croaked in the darkness.

Jean waked over to the side of the bed, and he tentatively crawled under the covers. Jean grabbed Marco in a cuddling position, and he ran his fingers through Marco's messy hair. "It's fine now Marco." Jean whispered gently. "Jean, I'm really stupid." Marco croaked. "No, you're not stupid." Jean said gently. "I somehow thought that he loved me, how would I think that?" Marco cried softly. "It's okay Marco. It's hard to get over something that you've known for so long, even if it is an abusive relationship." Jean said, looking Marco in the eye.

"It's hard Jean. I don't want it to happen again." Marco said sadly. "Don't let that stop you from loving again. There is someone out there that actually deserves you. They won't ever try to hurt you. They'll love you." Jean said, and for a moment he wondered if it could be him.

"Jean, I don't think I deserve all of that." Marco sighed. "Marco, you deserve it so much. You need to be loved, you are loved." Jean reassured. "I don't think so." Marco croaked. "Marco, you just need time. You probably don't trust anyone right now." Jean said hopefully. "Jean, you're the only one I actually trust right now." Marco sighed. "I'm grateful that you trust me." Jean said, pulling Marco into a warm hug. They stayed like that all night, and after a while they fell asleep.

* * *

"Jean?" Marco yelped as he woke from his sleep in Jean's inbrace. Jean's eyes shot open, and he could feel Marco in his hold. "Marco?" He asked. They both yelped and Jean managed to end up on the floor. "Shit!" He cried in pain. "Jean! I'm so sorry!" Marco whined in a worried tone. "It's fine." Jean said. They both stood up. "I'm sorry about last night." Marco apologized. "It's fine, but I didn't know you drool in your sleep." Jean said, holding up his shirt. An embarrassed blush crossed Marco's face, and he stuttered a few words.

"It's fine." Jean laughed. "What time is it?" Marco asked, looking outside. "Ten, but it's Saturday." Jean said, looking at his phone. "Oh, I have to go to work." Marco said. "I didn't know you had a job." Jean said confused. "I only work during the weekends. Can you turn around?" Marco asked. Jean turned as Marco changed into his work clothes.

After Marco changed they talked for a while. "I have to go now." Marco said, bringing Jean into a hug. "Okay, I'll see you later. I need to go tell Armin that I'm fine." Jean said. "You also need to take a shower." Marco joked. Jean nodded regretfully. They both left the dorm to go back to their realities.

Jean walked to his own dorm. Thoughts swirled in his head, and Jean couldn't grasp one thing: Why did Marco think he deserved that?

Jean entered his dorm, and he closed the door behind him. "Jean! Where did you go last night?" Armin said abruptly. Armin looked worried, and he seemed slightly angry too. "I went to Marco's, I even stayed the night there." Jean said. "Don't worry Armin, I'm not going to get myself killed." Jean laughed dryly. "Good. So how'd it go?" Armin asked. "How'd what go?" Jean asked confused.

"Your stay at Marco's." Armin said pointedly. "Oh, it was good." Jean said quietly. He smiled a little, and a light blush crossed his face. "What happened?" Armin pressed. "He was crying, and I tried to comfort him, and we ended up falling asleep while cuddling." Jean said quietly. He normally wouldn't tell anyone these things, but he trusted Armin.

"Wow. I can't imagine you cuddling with anyone or anything other than your pillow." Armin joked. Jean rolled his eyes, and went to his bed. "He doesn't snore, but he does drool." Jean laughed. Armin bursted into laughter. "Thats hilarious!" He laughed.

"Armin, can I get some advice though?" Jean asked, more serious. Armin thought for a moment. "It depends." He said simply. Jean sighed. "Marco still isn't over Ace. What do I do?" Jean asked. "Wait Jean, he'll come around, he just needs time." Armin assured. "Okay, I just think he deserves someone who would take care of him." Jean confessed. "Like you?" Armin asked. "Fuck you Armin." Jean growled while blushing. "But you do love him, and you try to take care of him." Armin said simply. Jean buried his face in his pillow. "Yeah, and I beat up his boyfriend!" Jean whined in his pillow, causing his voice to be muffled. "Ace deserved it." Armin deadpanned.

* * *

Jean woke up to Armin prodding him in the side. "What?" Jean groaned. "We have to go to another Christmas party." Armin said happily. It had been around a year since Jean met Marco. "Alright." He said, getting up. "Here, wear this." Armin said, throwing an ugly sweater at Jean. "This is worse than the one I wore last year!" Jean whined. "I don't care! Wear the sweater!" Armin commanded. Jean sighed and went to get ready.

"Are you ready yet?" Armin asked from the other room. "No." Jean said simply. Armin groaned impatiently. "Fine, you can walk yourself to Reiner's dorm." Armin said, and he left Jean by himself. Jean laughed to himself as he continued to get ready.

Jean threw on his coat and he walked across the campus to get to the other dorm. He knocked on the door, hoping that someone he knew well would open it. The door opened and Jean saw Armin. "He finally here!" Armin shouted to the other people that were present at the small party. Jean walked into the dorm and he looked around. "Hey Jean." Marco said with a soft smile. "Hey." Jean breathed happily.

Marco sighed contently. "It's been over a year." He said happily. "Yeah, I can't believe we've been friends for so long." Jean said. "Hey guys, we're gonna play a cringy version of truth or dare! Join us." Eren shouted at Jean and Marco. Both of them sighed, but they walked over to join the others. "Alright. Armin is it." Reiner said. Jean could already feel his palms sweating. "Okay, I pick Jean." Armin said mischievously. "Um, truth?" Jean croaked quietly.

"What a wimp." Eren grunted. "Shut up Yaeger!" Jean growled. "Jean, what is the real reason you beat up Marco's boyfriend?" Armin asked. A worried expression crossed Marco's face and he looked over to Jean. "Because I don't think someone like Ace deserves someone like Marco." Jean said quietly, burying his face in his hands. "That's adorable." Eren mocked sightly, although he thought it was a little. "Shut up!" Jean groaned. "Jean it's your turn." Reiner said. "Okay, I pick Yaeger. Truth or dare? Jean growled.

For a second he looked scared, then held himself up. "Dare." He said with a smirk. "I dare you to lick my shoe, then you have to kiss Armin." Jean said while he raised an eyebrow. Armin yelped, qmd he looked slightly worried. "Okay." Eren said simply, before crawling over to Jean's shoe. Eren licked Jean's dirty shoe, then he crawled over to Armin. "I'm sorry about this Armin." Eren confessed as he leaned into Armin and kissed him. Armin yelped, but Jean could see that he kissed back.

When Eren pulled away both him and Armin ran to the bathroom. Jean laughed so much his stomach began to hurt. When Eren came back he looked slightly angry. "I'll get you back Jean." He growled. Jean laughed some more, until he realized that Eren picked Marco. "I pick truth." Marco said with a soft smile. "Would you rather date Ace for another week or date no one for the rest of your life?" Eren asked. "The second option." Marco confessed. Jean looked hurt, and he tried not to show how much it hurt him.

"Reiner, Truth or Dare?" Marco asked. "Dare." Reiner said, trying to sound more in to the game. "I dare you to play Seven Minutes in Heaven with Berthold." Marco said mischievously. Jean had never seen this part of Marco before, and he kind of liked it too. "Fine, come here Bertle." Reiner said seductively. Berthold yelped in embarrassment. They walked over to the other room, and they locked the door behind them. "Good job Marco." Eren said, giving Marco a high five. Everyone laughed for a while before walking over to the couch to sit down and watch a movie.

The movie was a regular Christmas movie, and Jean secretly liked it, even if it seemed childish.

* * *

"Hey Jean, want to go on a walk with me?" Armin asked Jean, who had just woke up. "Sure, there isn't anything else to do." Jean agreed. They put on their coats and went for a walk. "I never did ask. How do you actually feel about Yaeger?" Jean questioned. "I guess I like him. Oh, and just so you know, the kiss was good, it just tasted like shoe." Armin joked aggressively, or as aggressive as Armin could get.

"Sure, kissing Yaeger must be like kissing a shoe already." Jean said. "I have an idea." Armin said with a smile. "What?" Jean asked confused. "Let's go see Marco, he's having a boring day at work. We should go talk to him." Armin suggested. After some common turmoil in Jean's head he said, "Yes."

The two of them walked to an E Z MART that was located half way down the street. Jean thought it was pretty convenient, then he realized that Armin's whole goal was to bring him here. They went through the door to see Marco slumped over the counter with a very bored expression. "Hey Marco!" Armin said with a smile, and he walked to the counter. Marco brightened up when he saw his two closest friends.

"Hey guys." Marco said in his normal, gentle voice. "How's work, Freckles?" Jean asked. Marco blushed slightly. "It's pretty boring." He replied with a smile. "Well, I have an idea." Armin said once again. "What is it this time?" Jean asked with a smirk. "Let's go somewhere fun." Armin suggested. Marco's face brightened. "Hey, I know a place!" He said happily. "Well, where is it?" Jean asked. "The amusement park." Marco bursted.

"What, no! I hate roller coasters!" Jean protested. "To late Jean, all three of us are going to ride at least one roller coaster together." Marco said with a smile. Jean sighed begrudgingly. "Fine." He groaned.

They waited until Marco's shift ended, then they went to the amusement park. The park was always open during spring and summer, so they knew it was open. "I'll pay." Armin said with a smile, and he paid for three adult tickets. Marco nudged Jean in the side to grab his attention, then he pointed to a really tall roller coaster. Jean shook his head 'no' in a response. Marco then responded with a pouty face. "Let's go guys!" Armin said, dragging them both to the entrance.

"We should ride that one first!" Marco said, pointing to a smaller roller coaster with many loops. "You guys really want to kill me." Jean sighed. Many screams of happiness or pure terror filled the air, and the sounds of machinery working only made things more stressful for Jean. Armin walked over to the line that led to the looped coaster. "Jean, come on." Marco begged. Jean shook his head again. "No." He said. Marco grabbed Jean's hand and pulled him to the line. "I hate you." Jean growled. "Sure, you can talk about that later. For now, we wait." Marco said with a smile.

"Cheer up Jean, don't make it bad for Marco and I." Armin said. "You guys better give me money for this, or I'm making Yaeger lick another shoe before I dare him to have sex with you." Jean growled to Armin. "Jean please." Marco begged, and he looked at Jean with a puppy's gaze. Jean huffed. "Hey, we're next. I'll sit by myself, you guys can sit next to each other." Armin said, subtly winking at Jean, who rolled his eyes in response. "Okay, sounds good." Marco said with a smile.

The coaster stopped and the gates opened as people exited the ride. Jean went to sit down, and he tightened the belts as tight as possible. "Don't worry so much Jean. You're safe." Marco consoled. Jean sat back in the chair. "It doesn't feel safe." Jean huffed. "You can hold my hand if you want." Marco laughed. Right before the roller coaster blasted in motion Jean gripped Marco's hand hard.

The screams of happiness from Marco made him feel a little bit better, then they went down the sloped part. "Shit!" Jean yelped as they approached the first loop at full speed. They went up and the coaster jerked around. Jean held Marco's hand harder, and he began to scream loudly when he found himself facing the ground.

Jean felt the same terrifying feelings as the coaster went around the second loop, then the ride was over. "See Jean, it wasn't that bad." Marco tried. Jean was shaking hysterically. "Sure." He stuttered out, and he exited the ride. "You don't have to do anymore rides with us, but you have to go on the last one, at least." Marco said with a snide look. Jean knew which one Marco was talking about. "Fine, but afterwards we're going to go get ice cream on you." Jean replied to Marco.

"Deal." Marco said, shaking Jean's hand in agreement.

They all walked for a while, just to look around. "Let's ride that one." Armin suggested. "Yeah!" Marco agreed. They ran over and Jean followed, but he didn't wait in line. "I'll wait for you guys to get done." Jean promised. "Okay Jean, your loss." Armin said, winking at Jean once again, which made him really uncomfortable.

Jean waited until they got done with the ride. "It was fun, I liked the drop." Armin said enthusiastically. "I know, it was scary." Marco agreed. Jean huffed angirly. Marco walked over to Jean. "I'm sorry, it probably seems like we're bragging, but I don't want to make you feel bad. How about Armin and I ride one more ride, then we all ride the last one. After that, we get ice cream." Marco suggested. Armin nodded in agreement.

The next stop seemed like a blur to Jean, because he was worrying so much about the next ride. He hardly even had time to think before the other two dragged him into the line. "Jean, you will come out of this ride fine, I promise. If you get hurt, I'll pay all of it." Marco said.

"Yeah, but when I have a heart attack you have to pay for my funeral." Jean growled. Marco laughed softly in response. "Okay. I will." Marco said. "Wait a second, this isn't the ride you showed me." Jean said in realization. "Nope, this is a three person sling shot." Marco confirmed. Jean sighed wearily. "I'm never trusting either of you ever again." Jean groaned.

They went to the sling shot and sat down. Jean messed with the belts frantically, tightening them as much as possible, then he pulled down the latch. "Jean, it's okay, Armin and I are right here." Marco said reassuringly. Jean grew more, and more scared. "Alright, bye." The guy at the controls said, then he pressed a button, sending the trio off. Jean screamed for a while, but soon in consciousness left him.

Jean dangled for a while, almost lifeless, aside from his hand clasped on Marco's. Armin laughed hysterically, and Marco just looked at the twilight sky and the view of their city. "What the fuck!" Jean managed to shout as he came back to the land of living. "Jean look, it's amazing!" Marco cried out, looking over the horizon. Jean's worries almost melted away when he saw how happy Marco was, even if they were several feet in the air. "Yeah, I guess it is." Jean said, suddenly conscious of the fact that he was grasping Marco's hand.

Marco turned over and smiled at Jean. "It's not that bad, right?" He asked with a warm smile. "I mean, it could be worse." Jean said, causing Marco to laugh some more. Armin was still hysterically laughing, and he even shouted several words. "Armin, are you okay?" Marco asked and shouted over at their blonde friend. "Here is is Mister Whiskers, take us home!" Armin cried out, his eyes shut tight.

Jean actually managed to laugh a little, even if he was scared out of his mind.

The sling shot slowly descended to the ground, and they got out. They stumbled around on their shakey legs for a while. "Ice cream?" Jean asked. "Yes." Marco replied, and he walked ahead of the other two. "Sweet, let's go." Armin said. They all walked to the ice cream place.

"Hey, before we go in, what do you guys want?" Marco asked. "I'll have Vanilla." Armin said. "Get me cookie dough." Jean said simply. "Okay." Marco said with a happy smile. Marco walked in the store to get the ice cream. Armin and Jean decided to wait until Marco got back. "How many times did you hold his hand?" Armin asked. "Twice." Jean growled angirly. "Cool." Armin said simply. "You set me up, you piece of shit." Jean groaned. "Yeah, I know." Armin replied.

Marco returned moments later with three cones of ice cream. "Here." Marco said, offering them their ice cream. "Thanks Marco." Jean said with a soft smile. "Yeah, thank you." Armin said happily. They all walked back to the campus together. "Hey Marco, what kind of ice cream did you get?" Armin asked. "Oh, I got chocolate chip." Marco said quietly. Jean looked at Marco's ice cream and said the first thing he thought of. "Hey Marco, your ice cream has freckles too."

Marco blushed slightly. "Yeah, I guess so." Marco smiled. Jean mentally slapped himself for saying something so stupid. He looked at his own ice cream before taking a taste. "That was great Jean. You are the best at flirting." Armin joked. "Shut up Armin!" Jean growled defensively. "It's fine, don't argue." Marco said.

"Let's just walk." Jean said. They walked until they made it to the campus. "Bye guys, I'll see you both around." Marco said as he waked in the direction of his own dorm. "Armin, you owe me for this." Jean said as soon as Marco was out of earshot. "Okay." Armin shrugged his shoulders. They walked to their own dorm and finished their ice cream of the way. "I think you need to ask him out one day." Armin said simply. "Yeah, well what about you and Yaeger, you haven't asked him out." Jean said knowingly. Armin grew defensive. "Be quiet Jean." He said as they entered the dorm.

* * *

Jean woke early. "I'm gonna be late." He sighed to himself. Jean stood and combed his hair, then he slipped a hoodie over his pajamas. "Good enough." He said before grabbing his bag and walking to his class.

"Hey Jean." Marco said happily as Jean approached. "Hey." Jean said simply. "It won't be long until it's summer again." Marco said. "Last week was awful. Remind me to never go to an amusement park ever again." Jean laughed dryly. Marco rolled his eyes. "You enjoyed it a little." Marco insisted. "Maybe, but I almost died." Jean replied. "You were fine." Marco laughed. "No." Jean said. Marco rolled his eyes again. "Let's go." Marco said, walking to the room.

They sat for the next hour and listened to their professor drone on about the same stuff. He talked about how logic must always be applied when working with physics, which is something Jean and Marco already knew from the classes they took in high school.

"Want to go do something later?" Jean whispered over to Marco. Marco winced slightly, not in pain, sightly in regret. "I can't, I have to write a report all week." Marco said. "That's fine, we can do something this weekend, have any ideas?" Jean asked.

Marco brightened up instantly. "Yeah, we can go ice skating." Marco suggested. Jean was fine with that, only, he'd never skated before. "Sure." He replied. "Awesome." Marco said happily. Class ended soon after their conversation, and they went off to do other things. Jean had three other classes, but they were later in the day.

Jean walked to his dorm, and he walked in, closing the door behind him. "Hey Jean, how was class?" Armin asked once Jean walked in. "It was okay." Jean replied simply. "Cool, did Marco ask you about going ice skating with him?" Armin asked. "Yes?" Jean asked, confused. "He told me he was excited to go with you." Armin said. "Cool." Jean said in his normal voice, but on the inside he was screaming. "I'm gonna go work on my papers now." Jean said and he walked to the other room.

Jean searched his closet for simple clothes he could wear the day he was going skating with Marco. He scanned his closet for a pair of jeans, and he looked for a decent hoodie. Jean felt odd, like this was going to mean something good. For a while Jean sat on his bed thinking of all the scenarios that could possibly happen. The last thing that he wanted to happen was for him to fall.

"Jean, I've been your roommate long enough to know that you are thinking about your date with Marco. Just don't think about it!" Armin called out from the other room. "It's not a date!" Jean shouted back.

* * *

Jean threw on his hoodie and bolted through the door and into the hall. He ran until he found himself at Marco's dorm. He fixed his hair slightly before knocking on the door three times. He saw that the door had opened, and smiled as soon as he saw the face of the person who opened the door.

"Hey Jean." Marco said with a smile as he stepped out of the dorm and closed the door behind him. Marco held a pair of blue ice skates. "Oh, before we go, I want to let you know something." Jean said. "What's that Jean?" Marco asked with a slightly concerned face. "I've never ice skated before." Jean confessed. "Okay, that's not a problem. I'll just have to teach you." Marco replied happily.

They walked to Jean's car, which was pretty close by. "I'll drive, take shot gun." Jean said, unlocking the car. "Alright." Marco said as he walked to his side of the car. Jean got in and they drove to the rink, which was fifteen minutes from the campus.

"I'm really excited for you to learn, I think you'll be great!" Marco said enthusiastically. "I hope I don't fall." Jean confessed. "So what, if you fall I'll help you back up. When I was little I broke my ankle learning to skate." Marco said with a laugh. "This doesn't give me much hope Marco." Jean said dryly. Marco rolled his eyes. "I'll be there with you, you'll be fine." He stated.

They got out of the car and walked towards the rink. When they walked in Marco went to the front desk and asked for a pair of skates in Jean's size. Marco returned to Jean's side with a pair of worn out skates. "Here, try them on." Marco said with a soft smile. "Okay." Jean said as he grabbed the skates. Jean wiggled his feet in. "They fit." Jean said with a smile as he laced the skates.

"Okay, let me put mine on." Marco said as he sat next to Jean and laced his own. "Okay, come on, and if you lose balance fall backward, not forward." Marco said. "What, so you won't grab on to me?" Jean asked, and he pretended to be hurt. "I might, but if you pull me down I will be mad." Marco said. "What, you mad? It doesn't sound to bad." Jean joked. Marco playfully slapped Jean on the shoulder.

"Hold on, okay?" Marco said, holding his arm out for Jean to grab. Jean took Marco's arm without a second thought as he stepped out into the rink. "It's not as slippery as I thought it would be." Jean confessed. Marco paced forward slowly. "Careful Marco." Jean said as he wobbled. "I'll try this, it might help you more." Marco said. Marco spinned around until he faced Jean.

"Okay, keep your eyes on me." Marco said as he took Jeans other hand in his. Jean looked intently at Marco, and soon he didn't even realize he was on skates. "I'm going to let go, okay?" Jean squeezed Marco's hands. "Don't." Jean said. Marco let go, and he slid backwards. Jean wobbled slightly, but he kept going until he reached Marco again. "I told you not to!" Jean whined. "Look at you Jean, you're great!" Marco said enthusiastically.

Jean wobbled from time to time, but he found that he could actually keep his balance. Jean concentrated on keeping his balance, and he slowly strode forward. "I can't believe it." Jean said surprised. "What did I tell you?" Marco asked with a gentle smile. "Just don't go to fast." Marco said. Jean noted that, and he decided to, at least, keep up with Marco.

"Hey Jean, do you think you'll come with me next time?" Marco asked. "Yeah, as long as you'll come with me to buy some red skates." Jean said. Marco smiled brightly.

They skated together for a while, and they talked while circling the rink. After a while Jean grew tired.

"Ready to stop?" Marco asked. "Yeah." Jean replied simply. Marco helped Jean pull to a stop, then they stepped off the rink and went to sit down. "I'm glad you said that you would come next time. It means a lot." Marco said gently. "I actually enjoy skating more than I thought I would." Jean confessed. "That's great." Marco said with a smile. They took their skates off, and Marco returned the skates Jean used to the front desk.

They walked out of the rink and to the car. "Let's come back here in a few weeks." Jean suggested. "Alright!" Marco agreed with a smile. They drove back to the campus and they got out of the car.

"Hey, I'll walk back on my own, bye Jean." Marco said with a smile. Jean grabbed Marco's sleeve before he could walk out of reach. "Before you go, I was wondering . . ." Jean paused and it went silent. Marco turned and he looked at Jean. "Do you ever think you'll date again?" Jean asked, looking at his shoes. "I don't know Jean, I don't think I-" Marco started.

"Stop." Jean growled. "You, are the most amazing person I've ever met, you deserve so much. You deserve to be happy, you deserve to do what you want, and you deserve to be loved." Jean said as he gazed sharply into Marco's eye. "Jean, I don't think anyone wants me, I'm pathetic." Marco sighed as he pointed to his blind eye. "Your eye is beautiful. Your scar is beautiful. Your whole body is perfect the way it is. You are the most perfect person I know. You put yourself out there to help people like me, and you ask for nothing in return. You are beautiful." Jean paused as tears began to stain his eyes slightly, but he wiped them away.

"Stop saying you don't deserve to be loved, if you don't deserve to be loved, then I don't deserve to love you." Jean said as he grabbed both of Marco's arms. "I'm sorry Marco, it's gone to far. You should probably go." Jean sighed as he released his grip on Marco's sleeves. "No. No one is leaving this time." Marco said. Jean looked back up at Marco and searched his gaze. "You confuse me so much Jean Kirstein." Marco breathed out into the air. Jean smiled slightly. "I hope that means something." Jean laughed dryly.

Marco leaned down, and for what felt like an eternity he waited. He waited for Jean to meet him half way. "God Marco, I hate you." Jean sighed as he leaned in. They kissed passionately. Something Jean felt lit up inside him, and he felt happier, and less afraid. He pulled his hand up and placed it on Marco's warm face, and he traced the scar that crossed Marco's eye. That perfect scar. They pulled away, and it was quiet, not even a car was heard it the distance, it was just them.

Marco had warm tears streaming down his face, and he felt sad, happy, and confused. Jean stepped back. "Sorry Marco, I probably just screwed up the entire day for you." Jean said sadly. "No Jean. I think you just fixed me." Marco said distantly, and he seemed slightly surprised. Jean looked at Marco, and he understood. Marco wasn't broken, but he felt like he was. Marco just needed Jean to fix him. Marco just needed Jean to make him whole again...

HoLy AcTuAl FuCk, I mAdE iT pAsT 10,000 wOrDs!!! I hOpE yOu LiKe ThIs, I wOrKeD sO hArD. PleAsE uNdErStAnD tHaT i DoN't KnOw MuCh AbOuT aNy Of ThIs StUfF. I'm OnLy In FuCkInG mIdDlE sChOoL! i HaVe SiNnEd So MuCh wHiLe WrItInG tHiS fUcKiNg MaStEr PiEcE! rEmEmBeR tHaT i DoN't IcE sKaTe, Or RiDe RoLlEr CoAsTeRs, oR gO tO cOlLeGe, oR fAlL iN lOvE, oR dO hAlF oF tHe StUfF iN tHiS OnEsHoT, sO i DoN't KnOw MuCh AbOuT aNyThInG i WrItE aBoUt. I'm SoRrY iF tHiS iS aLl InCoRrEcT, dOn'T hAtE mE. tHe OnLy ThInG i UnDeRsTaNd iS tHe SoCiAl AnXiEtY aNd ThE aNxIeTy Of TrYiNg NeW tHiNgS. i HoPe YoU lIkeD tHiS aNyWaYs. <3