all i ever knew (eren jaeger x fem!oc)

terrify them all

author's note:
i am so sorry for the length of this one but i did not wanna split it up. sorry if it takes you a long time to read :' ) there's soooo much in this chapter holy shit

content warnings:
some blood, that's all i think

—-

With an echoing creak, I carefully close the classroom door behind me, parting ways with Zoe between a comforting expression we share together. Once shut, I come face-to-face with Jean leaning his side on a set of scratched lockers, phone in hand and striking a chord of deja vu within my system.

However, in opposition to the flirting which propelled our past conversation forward, I'm more in shock that his compassionate habits remain despite the thrill of the first day. "You waited for me?" I ask in a much quieter voice than I expected to come out.

He spins his phone on his finger and effortlessly glides it back into his pocket as if performing a trivial skit. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" He asks as if I had just posed the most unruly question he had heard in a year's time.

A bit taken aback, I reply, "It's just new for me, that's all."

"Wow. You must've had pretty shit friends back in Marley," he remarks as we stride our way forward to the boisterous cafeteria.

"You might say so," I offer an off-ward look, "Connie was right about them being attractive, but they were little demons scurrying the halls sometimes. Only friend I really trust and appreciate that came from Marley is my coworker."

"The hickey friend?"

"Yes, Jean, the thing that you can't seem to keep your eyes off all day."

"What's her name?" he asks as he holds open the door for me, a pandemonium of clashes and clatters filling the empty space of the hallways for just a moment.

"I don't think you need to know yet," I tap his nose, causing the top of his cheeks to flush peach.

"At least there's a yet," he chuckles before going on, taking the rambunctious hall into view and glaring back to me. "It's really hard not to want to walk in here with my arm around you. You just seem like the type of person I'd always want to be around, to show off."

As much as the sweet comment would send any girl head over heels, I've done away with that and programmed myself to not take these affirmations too deeply. After one horrific relationship back in Marley and the loss of my family, deep connection with people beyond just the physical was nothing I desired for my life. People didn't always see it or understand it at first–they gave me too much credit–which often made the realization hurt them all the more once I'd state my apathy. But caring about their feelings only proved to send me down a path of despair. I wasn't going to do that again.

"I wouldn't make that decision for yourself quite yet," I say as we take our seats alongside Connie, Sasha and Marco, "You've only known me for one day."

"Jesus, is Jean already tryna hit it?" Connie blabs out as he shuffles to scooch one seat closer to me.

"Yes and no," I giggle at the response and the way it causes Jean's expression to turn a tad bit red with anger.

"Not like you weren't trying to do the same thing, short stack," Jean motions with a fork in hand after stealing Marco's plate of food.

Marco stares down at the plate in a defeated expression, though I seem to be the only one who notices. Out of his jacket pocket he pries out another plastic fork as if fully prepared for this situation and begins to share the plate with Jean like nothing happened.

Keeping to myself, I notice I have Connie on my right and Sasha to my left. I'm fully squished between the two people most likely to begin some sort of heated and physical argument over food, and by the looks of it, it should be incoming soon.