Why didn't anybody stop me from wearing this..?

Dresses had never been an article of clothing I was comfortable in, but there I was, standing impatiently outside of the Trost gates, the calico matetial tickling my ankles. I had wanted to look nice, for a change, but it came at a cost. Far too breezy.

"Hey, (Y/N)..!" Turning, I saw Jean jogging up to me, slowing his pace as he got closer. "Wow...you look really pretty..." Clearing my throat and tucking my hair behind my ear, I quickly looked him up and down. Just regular clothes, topped with a long coat and a hat. He actually looked rather handsome.

"Uh, thanks...You...scrub up well, too..." I complimented, motioning for him to enter the district so we wouldn't stand around like a pair of idiots. Goodness knew we were exactly that.
"Thanks, I like to think so..." He chuckled, taking the lead. "Um, the markets here are pretty great. At least they used to be, before everything happened..."

Trost was still damaged, but it was pulling through. It was good to see it thriving again, even if it did bring back some darker memories.
"You grew up here, huh?" I asked, matching my pace to his so I wouldn't fall behind.
"Yep, all my life until starting training." He replied, smiling a little as we turned the corner to find a staggering number of stalls. "Anything in particular you wanna look for?"

A new brain.

"How about we just browse?" I suggested, shrugging my shoulders. It was strange, being alone with Jean outside of work. Things were seeming a little too forced, but a promise was a promise. There was food, clothing and trinkets galore, and each time I stopped to take a better look at something, Jean waited patiently. Happily.

I found myself at a little stall that was filled with stone and wooden carvings, inspecting each and every one. They weren't very detailed, but I could tell that they were all made with love. Something caught my eye, and I picked it up, a small smile pulling at my lips.

"What did you find?" Jean asked curiously, and I turned to hold up the tiny stone horse figure, dangling it by the chain that came from its back.
"I like it. It reminds me of you." I chuckled, only laughing harder when he stuttered.
"Aw, come on! Why me?!" He whined, eventually trailing off into his own hearty chuckle, leaning over to the vendor. "How much for this one?"

The portly gentleman thought for a moment, scratching the salt and pepper scruff of his chin.
"For your lovely lady friend, I'll go 2 marks." He offered, and before I had the chance to reach for my coin purse, Jean was handing over the money.

"H..hey! I can pay for it!" I complained, puffing my cheeks when he waved me off with a limp wrist.
"Nah, I invited you out. Today's my treat. Just...don't go too wild, I'm not rich." His smile was softer now, and despite feeling guilty, my heart fluttered, just a little.

No...This is just as friends...

"Then...thank you, Jean-Boy..." I sighed, tucking the little horse into my bag to keep it safe. From there, things seemed to kind of ease into normality. We tried on fancy hats with no intention of buying any of them, ate some special mushroom jerky that had us dry heaving for a good half an hour, and playing tag with a few of the local children.

Soon enough, it hit noon, and we found ourselves in a quieter part of town, away from the bustle of the marketplace. We were talking a lot more casually now, and I was actually having fun.
"Do you mind if I stopped in somewhere? My mother lives nearby, and if she found out I didn't come say hi..."

Shaking my head, I offered him a smile, motioning for him to go right ahead.
"I don't mind at all." I didn't, but I was still kind of nervous. Meeting family was a big step, even though we weren't a couple. It gave a more personal attachment, and that was dangerous in our profession.

Who am I kidding? I've been attached for a long time...

Jean's street was calm and quiet, and I stood behind him as he knocked on a door, watching curiously as a soft looking woman answered.
"Oh my! Jean-Boy, is that you?! You've gotten taller..!" The man was helpess when she grabbed him into a hug, dragging him down to her height, amd I smiled up until the point where she spotted me. "You brought a young lady home? My goodness, is she your girlfriend?!"

Flushed to the scalp, Jean spluttered a little, waving his arms about in front of him as he stepped aside to give her a better look at me.
"N..no, Ma! We're just friends! I know that's a crappy excuse, but it's the truth! This is (Y/N), we're in the same squad. She's my superior, actually..."

I thought my awkward wave would suffice, but no, I recieved my own strangling embrace. It did feel rather nice, though.
"Whatever you say, Jean-Boy. It's nice to meet you, sweetheart! Come in, come in! I'll make you both something to eat!"

His childhood home was small and cosy, and once his mother began to cook, the smell made it that much more inviting.
"So...Ms Kirstein..." I started, kind of jumping as the woman shook her spatula in my direction.
"Call me Ingrid, dear." She insisted, returning to her cooking.

"Oh, uh, Ingrid...I'd love to hear more about Jean-Boy when he was a kid." I snuck a glance to the man in question, who sat beside me, and he looked terrified.
"Ma, please, do-"
"Oh, he was a chubby little thing! Well fed and such a mama's boy! For the longest time, I couldn't leave the room without him wailing for me, bless his heart!"

It took all of my self control and then some to not burst out laughing then and there, and a snort escaped as Jean groaned, sinking deep in his chair.
"I wasn't that chubby...or clingy..." He muttered, rose red and pouting.
"You absolutely were! So, how has he been doing in the Scouts, (Y/N)? I hope he hasn't been too much of a handful!"

I could have been mean, and Jean knew it, but he had helped me to relax on our day out, so I chose to be nice to him.
"He's a born leader, that's for sure. Honestly, he should be second in command, not me. He keeps me from making bad decisions. At least, he tries to..." I met his eyes as I spoke, and he rose from his hiding spot, taken aback by my compliments.

Ingrid came over and set a plate before each of us, the steaming contents making my stomach growl.
"I'm so glad to hear that he's maturing! Here, dig in! This is Jean-Boy's favourite!" I'd never had an omelette before, so I was hoping it tasted as good as it looked.

It tasted better.

Did I feel rude stuffing my face like a feral animal that hadn't eaten in weeks? A little, but I couldn't help myself. I only paused, mouth full, when I noticed both Kirsteins watching me, smiling.
"You, uh, got a little..." Jean tried to motion to wherever I had food on my face, but gave up, reaching out and swiping his thumb against my cheek, bringing it to his lips.

My face heated up, and it only worsened when Ingrid spoke up.
"Oh, don't tease your girlfriend, Jean-Boy! She's embarrassed!" The pair of us averted our eyes, but I couldn't lie to myself. There was something nice about being called that.

After a second helping, the copperet excused himself to go to the bathroom, and his mother sat down across from me as we sipped our tea.
"You raised a great man, Ingrid. Really. Jean can be frustrating at times, but I meant what I said. He's captain material."

The woman smiled, resting her chin on her palm.
"I'm glad he's growing up, even though I miss when he'd cling. Your parents must be proud of you, too. Such a fine, strong young woman. Could do with a little more meat on your bones, but I can help with that." Rubbing the back of my neck, I looked down into the darkened hues of my tea.

"Actually, my parents were quite the opposite..." Of course, that lead to my tragic backstory, and when Jean returned, he stopped mid-step when he spotted his mother on top of the table, having climbed it to hug me into her bosom.

"Jean-Boy, you better marry this girl, you hear me?! We're her family now!" If I hadn't been emotional, I would have wanted the earth to open and swallow me up, but I kind of liked it. The motherly affections I never had. She reminded me of Eld's mother, Verena, except much more lively, thanks to her son still being alive.

"M..Ma, let her go..! You're freaking her out..!" Jean pried his mother off of me gently, and I laughed, trying to secretly wipe at my damp eyes so nobody would know I teared up.
"It's fine, I'm not freaked out at all." I giggled, tilting my head to the side. "I like your mother a lot, Jean-Boy."

We stayed until the sun began to set, talking and sitting together like a real, normal family. It was sad to see how upset Ingrid was when she had to bid her son goodbye again. She even included me in the tightest hug I'd ever experienced, which made me feel special.

Now, after a quick carriage ride back to our district, we were walking back to the barracks. The air was crisp and cool, and I felt good.
"So, did you have a good day..?" Jean asked, kicking a stray stone from his path. Nodding, I did the same, mine not rolling quite as far.

"I really did. It was nice to get a taste of what it's like to be normal." I admitted, halting as I felt that same kind of weight drop over my shoulders. Jean's coat was warm, and it reached down to the hem of my dress thanks to my shorter size.

"You are normal...but I'm glad. I didn't want to do anything flashy in case it wasn't your taste." He explained, stretching his arms above his head. Cocking a brow, I peered up and over to him.
"This wasn't a date, remember?" I half scoffed, quickly looking away when he smirked lazily.
"It kinda was."

Shit. It was, wasn't it?

"Y..your mother is really nice. You're lucky to have her." I tried to change the subject, but he wasn't going to fall for that, especially with no other distractions around. His arm came down over my shoulders, and I had to lean into the crook of his elbow to be able to look up at him properly.

"Why are you so opposed to this being a date? I mean, it's innocent, right? I'm not expecting anything from you. I just want you to be happy." I was happy, for the most part. We'd had a lot of fun, and I got to know him a heck of a lot better in such a short timeframe, but it wasn't that simple.

"I've said it before...It's complicated..." I murmured, turning my gaze to the dark cobblestone, signalling we were almost back. "It isn't that I don't like you. You're pretty great when you're not being an asshole...It's just..."

Levi...and...

Jean stopped walking, keeping me from going any further, and turned to face me, his arm sliding off until his hand sat upon my shoulder.
"I get it...and...what I'm about to say isn't meant to put any pressure on you, but, well, I gotta say it..." Taking a deep breath, he tried to compose himself, but his cheeks were redder than the flares we used in battle. "I like you. Like, I really freaking like you. When you kissed me in the field, after those little shits egged us on...man, I felt like I could've taken on the world..."

It wasn't like I was unaware that Jean had feelings for me, but his confession still left me breathless, and I had to force myself not to break eye contact in embarrassment.
"This...isn't a no..." My voice was quiet as I began to speak, carefully choosing the way I phrased everything. "I just...I need to be sure about how I feel...and I'm not even sure about myself yet. I do like you...but I also...there's...someone else who I'm confused about too..."

I had expected him to look hurt, or somewhat upset, but Jean didn't falter in the slightest. Actually, his chest seemed to puff out more, a burning seriousness in his honeyed eyes.
"Then I'll just have to prove that I'm the best man for you. I'm willing to wait, however long it takes. Corny, I know, but it's true. The amount of times I've nearly died...each and every one of those times, you've been the one person I've thought of..."

It was overwhelming, hearing such a thing come out of Jean's mouth. People had called him a jerk. Selfish. Conceited. I had once been one of those people, but he had changed. He really had grown up in the past months, and it showed.

"Why do you like me, Jean? I'd like to know, because I think you have horrific taste in women." My question was serious, and he didn't hesitate for even a second.
"You're stubborn, you aren't completely dependent...Actually, you could benefit from being more dependent...You have a gorgeous smile, and you're even cuter when you're mad...and you're absolutely, one hundred and fifty percent fucking insane..."

I'm not-

"...That's just some of the things I love about you." There was that four letter word. The one I tried so hard to run away from. This time, however, I stood my ground. Not quite welcoming it, but accepting its existence.

"I..I'm surprised that the almighty Jean Kirstein has the balls to say such things..." I chuckled awkwardly, shutting right up when his hand moved to cup my cheek.
"You've got them in an iron grip."

.......

I didn't mean to burst out laughing, but I couldn't stop myself, no matter how hard I tried. Leaning into him, I had to clutch my stomach so I wouldn't collapse.
"I..I'm sorry! B..but...I've got your balls?! Iron grip?! You're killing me..!" Slightly offended at first, Jean pouted, but he eventually joined me in my hystetical cackling, our cheeks wet from how hard we laughed once we began to settle.

"O..okay, that was a really bad way to put it..." He trailed off into a light titter, smiling down at me softly. I reciprocated, wiping my eyes and resting my head against his chest, loosely wrapping my arms around his middle.
"It was..."

I'm not ready for anybody just yet...Soon, but not yet...No more mistakes...

"So, you're really willing to wait for me..?" My tone was more earnest now, and I swallowed as Jean closed his arms around me, his thumb swiping lightly against my insignificant bicep.
"Sure am. Not gonna lie, I'll be gutted if you don't choose me...but I'd like to think I stand a pretty good chance at winning your heart..."

We stayed like that for a while, but eventually we pulled away and continued on, into the barracks. Jean and I stopped in the shadows around the side of the women's building, and he gave me a cheeky smirk.
"What?" I lifted a brow, and he leaned down a bit, an expectant look on his face.
"I've been told most dates typically end with a goodnight kiss."

Rolling my eyes, I smooshed my palm into his face, squishing it up playfully.
"Not a date, Kirstein." I snorted, making sure his eyes were covered before I leaned in. I chose to miss his lips, but only by a hair, pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth before giving him a push backwards, already starting to round the building towards the doors.
"I...w..wait..! Do-over..!" I heard him call after me, and I pulled the collar of his coat up over my cheeks to hide their vibrant hue.

"Goodnight, Pony Boy!"

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***Soft boy hours because he arrived in the mail.

A soft, expensive boy...

Next Time: Reservations***