Freckled Love (a JeanMarco AU)

Chapter Ten

It was officially winter break. The thought of being able to sleep in every morning and stay up late all night was very appealing to Jean. But the idea of holidays and family? Not so much.

Marco was a little more thrilled. But just a little. He wasn't exactly happy to see his family, but just to go back to his hometown for the week.

"It's really a beautiful place. It should have more snow than we have here, and there's an ice rink everyone goes to this time of year."

Neither of them had started to pack yet, since they decided to spend the first week of break still on campus, and the second week (Christmas week) they would go home.

"Hey, ah... How's it going with Lainie, by the way?" Marco suddenly asked.

Lainie was a girl Jean had met at Marco's café just last week, and she gave him her number. It was a nice thought, and Jean thought she was very beautiful, but he just had no interest in being anything more than friends.

"I never called her, actually..."

"What? Why not? She's going to think you aren't interested," Marco said to him.

"Well I'm not..." Jean shrugged lightly, glancing at his phone in his hands. He had been scrolling through Facebook and seeing some posts from his family, but he had put his phone down once Marco began to talk to him.

"Jean... I don't want to nag you or anything, but if you keep ignoring everyone, you're going to be forced to hang out with me all of the time!" Marco joked, smiling.

Jean laughed lightly. "That's all I want to do, really."

He wasn't sure why he said it. Well, he knew why. Because it was the truth. He just didn't know why he said it out loud, in front of Marco. Yes, Marco was one of his only friends, but he didn't really care. He liked being with the freckled boy.

Marco just smiled. "Me, too. Hang out with you, that is."

Then Jean suddenly looked away, staring at the white wall. "How's Tate?"

Tate was hired at the café a couple of weeks ago, and it had been Marco's job to train and look after him. Act as a mentor, in a way. Tate was pretty cute, even if Jean hated to admit it, but also pretty young. He was eighteen, but didn't plan to start attending the University until spring term. Thank God. It would be terrible if Jean would have to watch Marco hang out with Tate more than he already did.

It's not that Jean hated Tate or anything... It was just kind of irritating to see someone take up Marco's time. And it was even more irritating when Tate would flirt with Marco, right in front of whoever was there. Even Jean. He remembered what happened just the other day, when Jean came to the café with Reiner and Bertholdt to see Marco.

Jean opened the door to the café, holding it open for Reiner to get, and then Bertholdt. Ymir was the first to notice him, and she smirked.

"Here for Marco? I'll let him know."

"Thanks, Ymir," Jean replied, and the three of them took a seat at the bar.

Krista was the next one to see them, and she smiled brightly, her cheeks rosy. "Hi, Jean! Hi, Reiner, Bert. Do you guys want anything?"

"I'll just have a Pepsi, please," Jean decided.

Reiner leaned against his elbow, smiling. He seemed completely awestruck with Krista, as usual. Jean had a weird stance on then. He sort of rooted for Reiner to gain the nerve to ask Krista out, but then there was Ymir, who hardly ever let the blonde girl out of her sight. So, if that didn't work, he always thought Reiner and Bertholdt made a good team. If not romantically, then certainly platonically.