A Husband, A Stranger

14

Marco's POV

I haven't quit my job as a promoter yet, it's only been one week since I've started joining the class. I heard today the actor Ymir is coming to model for the magazine, it's for the new collection. "Try to stretch your hand out more", the coach said moving my hand, "Coach! The star Ymir is here!!", someone said bursting into the door. There's camera clicking sounds, we all run out to see, Mrs. Ackerman is with her. "Ymir, I've picked out two most professional model for you two model for my new collection, I'll introduce them to you just follow", we can't see Ymir's face, she's wearing sunglasses. Two woman stood there greeting Ymir, she took a look at them and ask, "Can I choose a model by myself?", she walked towards us. "No...hm...no...ooh how about you?", she pulled my arm, she took off her sunglasses, "You kinda look like me, Mrs. Ackerman, don't we look alike?", she pull me closer to her face. "I think it's because of the freckles and brown hair", she said taking a look at me. "I'm sorry Ymir but, he just joined last week and he don't have any modelling experience-" "Why don't you give him a try I'm sure he'll do fine", she said pulling my hand. "So where's the studio for shooting?", she asked handing the sunglasses to one of her body guards. "It's at the other block, follow me, I'll lead the way", she said, "Go back to the car", she tell her bodyguards. I started walking with her, I'm so nervous to the point my hands are shaking. "Are you nervous?", she asked looking at me, I hide my hands in the pockets, "What-no!", I creak up a smile trying to keep it cool. "Your hands are shaking shaking, you're making it pretty obvious", she said, looking back to the front. Mrs Ackerman open the doors, "Okay! Ymir and the model are here!", she shouted to the worker in there. "Camera crew get ready! Stylist, get them ready! Lightning crew make sure those lights are ready", someone shouted. Someone pull me from the side, "Get ready here with us please", the guy said. We got into a room, "Let the models change first", a woman in the room said. They take out a bright red suit cover in plastic, "Here you go", the woman said, I check it, there's just the pants and the blazer, "Where's the shirt?", I asked. "There is no shirt for this hun, go change", she said, I got into the changing room and change into them, I button them up. I walked out of the changing room, "You're not supposed to button it", the guy said helping me to unbutton the blazer. "Sit down we need to get your makeup done", he said impatiently. I hurry up and sit down, he does my makeup quickly, it looks nice, "Do you think we should go for a slicked back a messy hair?", Mrs Ackerman walked in, "Go for a slicked back", she said crossing her arms. He applied some gel on my hair and slicked it back, "Alright now go to the set", he said. Ymir is already standing there waiting for me, I run to her, "Hi Ymir", I said, she look at me up and down. "Pretty good looking fancy hair", she said laughing, I run my hand through my hair. "Get ready! Please stand here at this spot", the man said, "Fan ready!", they open big two fans and it started blowing towards us. Is my hair going to get mess up? I tried guiding it, "Your hair will be fine, don't touch it!", he said. I move my hand away, okay I just gotta do what I've learn I class, the lightings lift up a bit. Ymir rest  her arm on my shoulder, I put my hand into the pocket. "Okay good! Show some more!", we started changing pose, "Another one!", they keep shouting makes me really nervous. "Okay that's it, get the models change", we didn't just model in the red suit, we've changed into multiple wearing, "Good job today", Ymir patted me on the shoulder, "You too", I said smiling. I got changed and sat down at a bench, "Hey", someone said beside me, I turn my head, it's Mikasa... was she here the whole time? "Um hi", I said, "So things didn't turn out great with Jean", she said. Why are we talking about Jean now? "Yea...", I started playing with my fingers, "I know the truth about your marriage, it's not about the money problem, it started all because of me", she said, "It's not your fault", I said, "I'm still sorry you have to went through all of that, I heard that you had a bruise on your face, did he beat you?", she asked leaning back. "Yea, he punched me, I said something I shouldn't have", I said, I remember something out of no where, "can I asked you something?", I asked, she nodded,
I take out my phone. "Do you happen to know these two?", I asked, she take a closer look, "Where did you get this?", she asked snatching away my phone. "Connie send them to me", she scrolls through the pictures, "Are they Jean's friend?", I asked sitting closer to her. "I don't know", she said giving my phone back, "Can you tell me who they-" "Has Jean ever told you about his ex boyfriend?", she asked. "Ex-boyfriend?", what is he talking about?

"This is Armin and this Eren, they're my childhood best friend, Armin used to date Jean, Eren and Jean used to fight a lot in high school", she said pointing the other two guy beside Jean. "We used to went to Maria High School", she said, "I went there too! But I've never seen you guys", I said. "How old are you Marco?", she asked, "22" "We're all 24", she said. Jean's 2 years older than me? He never told me before, "We all took morning class, maybe you took afternoon class so you've never seen us before", she explained. "Can you tell me about the blonde guy?", I asked, pointing at him, "He's Armin, Jean have been crushing on him for a year, when he got the courage to confess to him, Armin didn't want to reject Jean because he felt bad for him so he accepted to be his boyfriend, that time Armin and Eren were crushing on each other, they were seeing each other behind Jean's back, Jean knew about it but he kept quiet about it", she said. "Why did he kept quiet about it?", I asked, "Because he didn't want to loose Armin, in his life no one has ever pay attention to him, Armin was the only one that care about him that moment, but one day when Jean and Eren were fighting again, he spill out all of the secret, it was a big fight between them, it got both of them suspended, when they can come back to school, only Eren was the only one to come back, Jean wasn't at school for three weeks, the principal wrote a letter to Jean's mother, and that's when we found out he stopped school, soon with his arts and arts product he became famous and successful, ha, fucking Bob Ross", she said handing me my phone. "You're just like Armin, the way you act and talk" "Do you think he's pretending me as Armin?", I asked. "There would be 90% of yes", she said, I feel like a million of sword stabbed me right in my heart, all those nice gifts was just to pretend I'm Armin? Did he do all that because he couldn't do that for Armin? He pretended I was Armin so he could apologised with the gifts? "Mikasa!", Mrs Ackerman shouting break my thoughts, "I should get going, good luck with Jean, oh and by the way I may be wrong", she said. "In what?", I asked lifting my head up looking at her, "The chances of him pretending you as him, he's a nice guy, if you get to win his heart, he'll love you with every rights, or maybe it's time for him to do the chasing, you've done enough chasing for him", she said, she knows? "Yes I know that you love him, but it's time for him to love you back and do the chasing for you-" "Mikasa!!!" "Coming!!!", she said running to Mrs Ackerman. Maybe she's right, but how? Act sassy? No that's weird, "You know you go now right?", the man from before said. "Oh I'm sorry, I'll be going now, it was nice working with  you", I said taking my bag and leave.

"I'm home!", I shouted, "Oh Marco welcome home", momma said hugging me, "I have something to tell you", I said, "Let's talk about it while having dinner shall we?", she said putting my bag away. I sat down, "Go on", she said, "I modelled with a famous actor today", I said, "Who was it?! Wait hang on let me have three guesses, was it Erwin Smith?", she said. I shake my head, "Historai Reiss? Oh even better, Ymir!" "Yes!! That was her!", I said, "Did you tell her I'm a big fan of her movie 'To My Dear Historia'?! That movie never fail to make me cry", she said. "I'll tell you everything", I tried to calm her down, I told her what happened, but I didn't bring up the conversation of me and Mikasa, I don't want her to go crazy. "They're going to put you everywhere! On the billboard, magazine, their website, their store, when is it coming out?", she asked continue eating her food. "Maybe a week later? They need to copy print a lot of them", I said. "I'll be waiting for you, I'll buy one to hang in my house", she said, I bet she picturing it where to put. "I'm going to shower, why don't we have a movie night?", I asked, "Thought you would never ask", she said. Time for him to do the chasing? Would he ever chase someone like me?

A/N: I actually think about his momma as a supportive mom.