Healing Takes Time

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

I didn't know how much time had passed when I was called downstairs by my mother. Marco and I didn't stay lip-locked for long--much to my disappointment--but we talked and just enjoyed each other's company. It was actually pretty nice. He did most of the talking at first since I was still new to this whole letting-people-know-my-thoughts thing, but once I was comfortable enough to really start talking, I found that I actually liked being able to tell somebody what I was thinking. It was like my thoughts had been sitting just below the surface, waiting for an opportunity to come out. And Marco was a terrific listener. He didn't laugh at me when I told him some personal things, but he did laugh when I was being a smartass.

I may or may not have gotten butterflies swarming in my belly when I heard it.

I still had my head cushioned on his stomach--though there really wasn't much cushion if you know what I mean--when Mom yelled for us. I didn't want to get up. It seemed Marco didn't either since he just stayed where he was and ran a hand through my hair absentmindedly. We stayed like that for a while. It was so nice, just sitting in silence with him. It was so easy and not at all awkward.

A few moments later he laughed a little. I turned my head to look at him, a question in my eyes.

"You're singing that song," he said.

"What song? I'm not singing."

"Well, you're humming that one song from the lodge. The one about clothes?"

I blinked at him. I guess I was humming. And that song of all the ones I knew? Though, knowing me, it wasn't much of a stretch. I smiled at him and started to sing it to him quietly. I'm not much of a singer, but he was smiling and laughing and blushing, and it was the cutest thing ever.

"Jean? Marco?" I heard Mom say just as she reached the top of the stairs. I rolled over a little to see her. "What are you two doing?"

I shrugged. Marco was still blushing. She raised an eyebrow at us, and Marco's blush darkened, and he tried to stutter something out. I couldn't help but smile. "What are you saying?"

"I-I'm saying th-that we weren't d-d-doing a-anything bad."

"Okay," Mom replied. "I... wasn't implying that, but okay." Now she looked a little suspicious. Marco flushed more.

I looked at Mom. "We really weren't doing anything except talking. You could hear us, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I was trying not to eavesdrop." Trying. Meaning she still heard some of what I said. I shook my head a little to clear that thought out.

"You would've heard if we were doing anything sexual."

Marco looked like a spotted tomato. I almost laughed at him. "Alright," she said finally. "Dinner's done."

I nodded. "We'll be down in a minute. She went back downstairs with a pointed look.

I turned back to Marco. He was blinking a lot and his mouth was opening and closing like that of a fish. I smiled and laughed a little. I couldn't help but reach up and lightly pinch his hot cheeks. That only served to make him gape even more. I laughed again and leaned forward. I guess it's kinda hard to keep your mouth open when you're kissing somebody. Wait, scratch that. It's really easy to keep your mouth open.

Marco pulled away very suddenly when it was becoming more than just an innocent, gentle kiss. Our mouths made a pop when he did. He let his forehead fall against mine. "W-we should g-g-get downst-stairs," he said, pulling away when I would try to move forward and capture his lip again.

"Yeah, we should," I said finally.

It was all easier said than done. I really didn't want to let him go. He was really warm and smelled like cinnamon and he was really soft--how did one simply get skin like that? Oh, God. He was a cinnamon roll. A cinnamon roll too pure for this world.

Marco had to actually push me off of him with a playful laugh because I wouldn't get up. I looked at him with a mock upset face. He smiled and wrapped his arms around me from behind, leaving a small kiss on my shoulder. I couldn't help but relax back against him.

"Hurry up."

We both jumped and turned to see Mikasa at the top of the stairs. "Jesus, Kasa."

She put her hands on her hips. "If you woulda just come downstairs this wouldn't have happened." And with that, she turned around and went back downstairs.

Grumbling, I got up and nudged Marco towards the stairs. Together, we went down. Connie was already sitting at the table, loudly complaining about how long it was taking for dinner to get done. Eren was sitting on the couch with a manga, and Mikasa was helping Mom and Dad take the plates to the table. I started helping too and shooed Marco away when he tried to help.

"You're the guest," Mom told him.

He smiled a lot and stuttered a thank you before sitting down next to Connie. The two looked at each other for a moment. Connie was the first to break the awkwardly intense eye contact by starting to complain again. Mom was quick to start comforting him again.

"Come eat," I said to Eren. He glanced up and put his book down.

"Yay!" Connie yelled.

Mikasa sat down across the table from Connie, and Eren sat next to her across from Marco. Dad sat at one head of the table by Connie and Mikasa while Mom sat on the other end by Marco and Eren. I wedged myself in a chair between Mom and Marco. I wasn't sure how Mom would act during dinner, especially since she got excited easily, and I didn't want Marco to somehow feel uncomfortable.

"So, Marco." Everybody turned to look at Dad. He had his fingers laced and was leaning forward on the table, staring intently at him. Marco seemed to cower under his stare. I reached for his hand under the table, and he took it, squeezing it hard enough for me to feel the blood moving around in my fingers. "What have you been doing with my son?"

"Wh-wh-what?"

The interrogation had begun.

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Oh my fuck. 100 more reads in like two weeks. HOW?! Thank you! Sorry, this took so long. I have a somewhat major event that I want to happen, but I'm not sure when I want it so happen, and... *sighs*

Thank you again, lovelies!