In Another Life (EreJean)

five

Chapter summary: Jean is confused by Eren's strange behavior.

Lethargy spreads through Jean as he scarfs down two servings too many.

It's hard not to be greedy. He's been deprived of this level of luxury his entire life. Now that it's thrown at him on a literal silver platter, all of Jean's restraint has been abandoned with his former self. Even Reiner, who's built like a house, eats a fraction of what Jean does. With dessert having yet to be served, Jean questions how everyone in the Military Police maintains such trim physiques.

He exhales as he pushes his plate forward. While he ranks his mother's homemade cooking above any cuisine, this steak is an easy second place. But his stomach is suffering from his gluttonous choices. He'll have to sacrifice dessert unless he wants Connie to roll him back to their room tonight.

Conversation flows throughout the table. Jean settles into the role of a curious bystander, still in a trance from ingesting too much food. There's also the incredible high from Mikasa constantly smiling in his direction. Her lingering gaze never lasts long, her smile even less so, but Jean's heart beats faster every time he catches her.

He wants to talk to her, wants to confirm that she's the "Berry" who wrote him that letter. But Jean has yet to master the art of talking to his crush, even when she's being uncharacteristically nice to him.

It also doesn't help that whenever he works up the courage to even look at Mikasa, Eren resumes his weird tapping of his thigh against Jean's. It's Jean's only reminder that Eren is even here. The bastard hasn't uttered a word since Jean sat down. Normally Jean would rejoice in not having that whiny voice grating his ears for an hour straight, but Eren's silence plagues his skin like a rash. It's just so...unEren-like.

If it were this easy for Eren to go quiet, Jean would've shut him up a long time ago. Either one of two things is the cause: Eren's developed a sudden case of laryngitis, or he's troubled by something.

Jean has no doubt it's the latter.

Jean has a less than zero interest in Eren's feelings, but with these strange happenings starting after their fight in the Premier's courthouse, Eren's drastic change in demeanor is worth considering. Jean already suspects Eren is behind this, even if he can't prove it, but this is a strong piece of circumstantial evidence to aid his case.

Eren presses his thigh to Jean's again, and Jean disregards the instinct to curse him out. Even if his feelings for Mikasa are requited, he won't risk falling from her good graces by fighting with someone so dear to her.

He gives Eren a thigh tap of his own, this one issued as a warning. If Eren wants to pick a fight, he'll have to wait until after Mikasa is out of earshot.

Eren's posture goes rigid, his head turning toward Jean. It's his first proper look at Jean all evening, forgoing the subtle glances out of his peripheral vision.

Jean's unfinished dinner churns in his stomach as he surveys Eren's wide eyed gaze. Green eyes pierce through his, an indecipherable question hanging from the ends of Eren's downturned lips. Jean's trapped by the magnetic force of his stare, unsure if it's safer to look away or continue this psychological torment.

The awkwardness is heightened by how polished Eren looks. The usual grease that coats his hair is gone, his chocolate locks freshly washed and appearing annoyingly soft. He also smells like soap instead of his signature scent of sweat and dirt.

Jean frequently wishes for Eren to pay better mind to his hygiene, for everyone's sake, really. But not tonight. Not when too many weird things have happened already. Not when he's worried about what else awaits him.