Helping Others Out

Chapter 4

3.1 k words of JeanMarco coming your way! Sorry it took forever for me to update this, there are too many reasons as to why it took so long that I really don't want to go into. Most of them are personal problems that are mostly resolved, others ignored.

Anyway, enjoy Eren being a little shit (without realizing), Marco asking someone out, and Reiner getting all pissy because of it. Another talk between Marco and Reiner takes place, and Bertl gets dragged along.

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It was a month later, and Marco's advice giving was operating in full swing. It was difficult, seeing as he had to help the person he loved get someone else to date him, but he managed to come up with something daily for the past few weeks. However, Jean was having difficulty putting the things he was learning together and applying them to his situations, so Marco would have to give a few examples here and there. Which, was very awkward for him.

"What about this is so hard to understand?" Marco laughed at how cute Jean was when he was slightly frustrated. "You just have to be confident. No blushing or stuttering. It's Mikasa, she'll tear you down if she doesn't really care -- not that she'll notice she's tearing you down or anything. But you can't let it get to you."

"Everything about her gets to me! What am I supposed to do?" Jean sighed.

Marco thought for a few seconds before replying. "Write her a letter," he suggested, smiling.

"What?" Jean stopped walking. Marco took a step before he noticed.

"What's wrong?" He turned around and tilted his head sideways.

"That's too sappy!" Jean groaned. He bit his lip and furrowed his brows, as if he was contemplating the probability of the idea.

Cute, Marco daydreamed before he was pulled back into reality by Jean's questioning tone.

"And how would I even do that without it being awkward?"

"I'll think about it. But for the most part, just say whatever comes to mind. Don't let the writing process be awkward or forced, or it will seem awkward or hard to read." Marco looked at his watch. "Shit, we've gotta go. School starts in three minutes."

"Then what are we standing around for? Let's go," Jean took off, walking in the direction of their high school.

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"Okay, class, take out your homework from last night," the teacher ordered as the bell rang.

"Marco," Marco heard Reiner whisper.

"Yeah?" He whispered back, smiling. "You know, we probably shouldn't be talking. The teacher might catch us."

"He won't catch us. Anyway, did you get the answer to question 6? I couldn't work it out, no matter what I did," Reiner explained.

"Yeah, I got fifty-seven. If you couldn't work it out, you should ask the teacher how he solved it. I don't have enough time to show you right now," he finished speaking as the teacher came down their row, checking the homework.

The rest of class was spent working on extra practice problems, which Marco was thankful for. He had recently been indulging himself in his studies, trying to distract himself from his problems.

However, it was becoming more and more difficult, as Jean was constantly wanting more advice, his parents were always nagging him to get a girlfriend, Reiner was trying to get Marco to be himself, and the already crippling weight of his depression was growing.

The only things that were going well in his life were getting good grades and keeping a happy facade on his face. And, the latter of the two was growing increasingly more difficult with the stress of the aforementioned problems.