♡︎𝑨𝑶𝑻 𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷 𝑶𝑵𝑬-𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑻𝑺♡︎

Marco x Jean: Rain

Rain falls down upon the grass as Jean watches out from the window, other cadets surround him to watch the view as if the idea of rain is foreign to them. He sits down, looking through the window while others look around him, talking in between themselves, only irritating him further. A short, chubby kid breathes down his neck, making him squirm from discomfort.

"Get lost idiots! It's just rain!" he tells them off, turning around to look at the lot of them.

The people disperse, walking back to their tables. A few are intimidated by him though most just left, unwilling to get into a fight. Jean grumbles as he looks back at Marco sitting beside him.

"I think I prefer the battlefield over this," he remarks frustratedly.

Marco tilts his head a little, interested. "You don't like it here?"

"Not when I'm being forced, no. That jackass of a commandant is really screwing me over here."

"It's not that bad, Jean," Marco gives him a warm smile, his eyes showing bright colours, full of life. "Think about it, it's better in here instead of getting wet."

Jean scoffs, not taking his words into consideration at all.

"Besides, I like the rain," Marco adds softly.

"Oh yeah? What's there to like?" Jean is only more annoyed at how happy he is in contrast.

"You'd enjoy it too if you just listen."

"To what? The conversation of the cadets everywhere? I'll pass," Jean smirks.

"The rain, listen closely," Marco guides him, not a hint of irony in his voice.

But all Jean can hear are the people around. Eren's constant rants to the groups about his passions, Connie and Ymir bickering back and fourth, even Reiner making a ruckus of noise as he arm-wrestles Thomas Wagner.

"I can't hear anything," he tells him bluntly.

"Then let's go outside."

"Are you serious? We'll get wet, idiot," Jean rolls his eyes.

"We won't, I promise," he continues, a wide grin on his face. "Just come with me."

He grabs onto Jean's hand, entwining his fingers with his to make sure he doesn't let go. Marco's hands are slightly larger than his and the top is covered in little freckles. They get up from the table and rush through the room, heading to the door of the cabin up ahead. While the rough cadets inside are too occupied by their own shenanigans, the brunette pushes the door sharply open. Before Jean even knows it, he's getting dragged through the entrance of the room, out into the cold, mysterious area. The air is freezing and not still at all as the rain comes down.

Jean groans immediately from the bitter wind hitting him now, "dammit, it's cold!"

"Put up with it!" Marco replies happily. "It'll be worth your while, just trust me."

They're still undercover, watching the rain close-by as it falls from the darkly crowded sky onto the ground. Marco glances at him as he begins a demonstration, stopping a metre or so from the light of the cabin that they left from. He takes his free hand out, holding it out just slightly past the roof that covers them and catches rain on his palm. The sight calms Jean as watches, transfixed by the sight of small droplets coursing down skin. Never before has he stopped to just admire that simplicity of nature. Rain is a nuisance, it always has been for him, but today it's something far different.

"Now listen," says Marco, turning to look at the sky.

Jean reluctantly follows, shutting his eyes closed to take in the sounds. The noise is unlike he has ever heard before, although he's seen rain in the past, he has never actually listened to it. The oozing noise of water cascading down the roof of the undercover area and the gentle whoosh sounds as rain drops onto the ground, causing mud to swell from the dirt. He is truly in awe.

The timid voice of the boy beside him cuts through the sweet tranquility of the moment. "What do you think?"

Jean opens back up his eyes, only realising then that Marco had been watching him as he listened to the environment, he looks so glad. Staring in somewhat admiration, as if Jean simply staying quiet for an extra few seconds is a sight all on its own.

"Well, it's not the worst idea you've had," he replies. A part of Jean wants to pick it all apart, to elaborate vividly on how perfect such a moment is, yet such words seem incapable of leaving his mouth. Instead, he adds an emotionless sentiment, "It's better out here than in there."

"Sometimes I just want to get out, too," Marco replies, looking back at him warmly.

They stand in silence for seconds, Marco's hand is surprisingly warm, it makes Jean not care to let go.

"I can't wait to graduate already," Jean remarks brashly.

"Why is that?"

"Hanging around Eren and the commandant? This place is a hell-hole," he laughs to himself about it all.

Marco shrugs with an optimistic look in his eye. "For you, maybe."

"What makes it so good for you? I don't get it."

After hearing that, the brunette glimmers a single, brilliant statement that astounds Jean with such honesty. "I've got you, and the sound of rain, and the smell of meals, and the sunrise every morning. I think you should admire the small things a bit more. They'll never go away, you know?" He pauses, his hand squeezing Jean's tighter for just a second. "Hey, we'll do this when we're MPs, right?"

Jean chuckles, hearing his excitement. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."