positions | jean kirstein

chapter fifteen: message

!! Spoiler Warning: Attack on Titan season 3 (The Uprising Arc) !!

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Another fail.

Eren's Titan lets out another weak roar before collapsing to the floor, steam beginning to emit from it. His Titan was barely nine meters and most of its body missing muscle mass. From my horse, I could see Eren's back and legs still exposed from its nape.

"What's wrong, Eren?! Get up!" Hange yells from the cliff where they, Levi, and the others were overlooking the experiment. 

"The future of humanity is riding on you! Get up, dammit!"

Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time Eren failed to transformed. We have been staying in a remote cabin in Wall Rose for about four days, yet with little progress.

I hook my arms under Eren's and begin to try to pull him from his Titan. Mikasa, Hange, and Moblit begin to make their way towards me.

I curse under my breath as the heat and steam stings my body. His face and arms were still connected to his decaying Titan, and I give one last pull. 

"Mikasa!" I call out and she immediately understands, cutting Eren free using her blade. 

I fall back with Eren's body, his face bleeding and the flesh of his Titan still attached to his face and arms.

With their foot tapping, Hange stood next to Moblit. They let out a quiet sigh, shaking their head. 

"Okay. We are done experimenting for today," Hange announces before walking back towards the cabin, Moblit following close behind them. 

I stand up with Eren's limp body and Mikasa rushes to help. We begin to lead him back to the cabin and when we get to his room, I leave Eren with Mikasa. I quietly close the door behind them, and I jump when I bump into a hard surface. 

"What the..." I mumble out, looking up to see Jean looking down at me. 

"You scared the living shit out of me."

"And hello to you, too," he responds with a slight grin, not moving from his spot. We stood in a long empty hallway with only a small window allowing light to flow in.

"Do you need something?" I ask with confusion. Panic begins to take over his face, but he hides it well.

"I just wanted to say hi to my Co-Captain. Is that so wrong?" he answers lowly, leaning down towards my face. Our faces were only inches away from each other, and I swear I felt my thighs clench.

I give him a suspicious glare. "If you want what I think you want, no. Not now, at least."

"Oh?" Jean says, a glimmer of playfulness in his eyes. "And what do you think I want?"

He's teasing me. I know it.

I roll my eyes at him before slipping my way around him. 

"Bye," I quickly say under my breath as I speed-walk away, leaving Jean in the empty hall. I sharply turn the corner and head straight to my room, shutting it behind me. 

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Wiping the bead of sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand, I roll my shoulder back and put my arms up, ready to go another round. I begin another round on the makeshift wooden dummy I had found in the shed behind the house.

To let Eren recover properly, we had a free day today and I make myself busy by working out. Sparring and excising has always been acted as a stress-reliever for me, something I did to take my mind off of everything.