Healing Takes Time

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Marco was sitting on my bed looking at Eren when I got upstairs. He looked up as I reached the top of the stairs. There was a look on his face that screamed, Help! Eren turned around to look at me too. I raised my eyebrows in question.

"I was just telling Marco about what exactly happens to you when you get shot in the chest."

"Uh..." My gaze flicked to Marco's for a moment--the poor guy was pale, and damn him for still looking cute as his freckles seemed to jump off his face in my direction--and back again to Eren. "Why... do you know that?"

He shrugged. "I have a lot of free time." He didn't offer any more of an explanation. I wasn't sure if I was looking for more of one or if it was a good thing that he left it at that.

"That's... great, I guess?"

Marco still looked very uncomfortable. "It was horrifying." His eyes were a little wider than normal, and his bottom lip stuck out just the slightest bit. The whole look only served to make him look cuter than normal, and it took everything in me not to just stare at him. Correction: at his lips. Jesus, how was it possible that something so mundane could be so hypnotizing?

Eren seemed vaguely offended.

"Uh, hey, Eren," I said, managing to get something past my lips. "Can you go downstairs and not freak him out so much?"

He smirked. "Why so you can make out?" His green eyes glinted sharply with a mocking amusement.

The blush was immediate and violent. It ripped up my neck and spread across my cheeks and nose, and it even made it to my ears. "No, you fucking perv. Get your skinny ass downstairs before I beat you!"

He doubled over and started cackling. "Jean wants to get some tongue action in before dinner!" he sang.

If it was possible, I blushed even more. I couldn't make eye contact with Marco, too afraid that he might run away if I did. "Eren, you douche canoe!" I lunged toward him.

He skirted around me and dashed down the stairs. I landed on the bed and got the wind knocked out of me with an impressive oof!

"Everybody knows you're supposed to eat dessert after dinner, Horseface!" he yelled before running outside. I could hear his manic laughter until he crossed the street.

It was strangely quiet with him gone. My face was still pressed into the rumpled blankets. I was very aware of the dip in the bed a foot or two from my head where Marco was perched on the bed. When the silence became unbearable, I groaned into the bed. "God what an asshole."

"A-are you okay?" Marco asked tentatively.

I slowly lifted my head to see his hand partially outstretched as if he wanted to touch me somehow. I tilted my head as I looked at him. His face was still masked with a blush, but it was slowly fading to a pink color. His lips were parted just the slightest bit and he had a concerned look in his eyes. Hot damn, he is cute.

After a few moments, his face flushed all over again. I couldn't help the faint smile that crossed my lips. "Wh-what are you staring at?"

"You," I said, crossing my arms and setting my head on them.

He blushed even more. "Why on Earth would you want to do that?" He kept glancing away as if the whole thing made him uncomfortable, but each time he looked back like he just couldn't help himself. As for me, I hadn't looked away once.

"Because you're adorable."

He immediately started to deny this statement, and the more he did, the more flustered he became until he was a stuttering mess. My smile only grew wider. Eventually he gave up and flopped back on the bed. I took the opportunity and crawled up to lay my head on his belly. He didn't stop me. He just started running his fingers through my hair to the sound of my content hum.

"M'sorry," I said after a few minutes. My eyes were now closed, and damn he was good at this whole affection thing. It was all I could do to keep from bumping my head up to his palm like a needy cat.

"For what?"

"For Eren. He can be such an asshole."

Marco half hummed, half laughed and tugged on my hair. My head moved up towards his head on it's own accord until it hit his hand, and I couldn't work up enough fucks to be embarrassed about it. "It's alright. Besides, you saved me."

I snorted. "Saved. You say that like I'm a good person." I didn't mean for it to come out as bitter as it did.

His fingers twined through my hair some more. "You aren't a bad person. What makes you think that?"

"Well let's see." I lifted my hands in the air and started to tick the off as I went. "I'm an asshole. I'm sarcastic. I'm a sarcastic asshole. I can't even handle my own problems without running to somebody for help or just running away from them completely. I--"

I was cut off very suddenly by the feel of Marco's lips against mine. My eyes fluttered shut. Fuck, his lips were so soft and so was his hair and his skin, and fuck, what was happening to me? My head wasn't on him anymore. It was on the mattress. Marco had one arm on the other side of me, and his legs were by my head, and I was surprised that I could even realize this with how fuzzy he was making my head.

"You aren't a bad person," he said again when he pulled back. My brain was so clouded that I could only nod in agreement with him. When I reached up to pull him back to me, he didn't stop me. And just like that I didn't feel as shitty about myself.

* * *

Oh, holy Jesus, I did it! I finally got the chapter posted! Sorry it's short, but I wanted to get back into the groove of things, so here's some fluff even if it is shitty. I'll probably start writing more that the marching band season is in it's last couple weeks. Also, I was worrying about my grandpa--Papi--but I um... I guess I won't have to worry about him anymore. ... Please don't make me spell it out. Just know that it's really sad, but I'm glad because with all the cancer...

Anyway, I'll probably start posting at a more regular pace now. Love you all, and sorry again!

--Shelby