in the middle of the chaos | jean kirstein x fem!reader

8 | in the middle of their youth

Jean laid on his bed with his duvet covering him. He had a filled sheet of paper in front of him, the face of a beautiful girl drawn on — the girl most dear to him, his best friend. He couldn't help it, really. She was easy and fun to draw. She didn't know she was being drawn, of course, or that would be embarassing. Was he being a creep? She can never see these.

His bedroom door flew open all of the sudden, causing him to throw his duvet over himself and the drawing, shielding it from his mother's eyes. No way would he ever allow her to see his drawings. ''Didn't you hear me?! Outta bed!'' His mother yelled from behind.

''Knock, you old hag!'' Jean looked back, seeing his mother hold a pan with an omelette. ''And why do you have that?!''

''You won't listen to me, so Mr. Omelet came to wake you!'' His mother said. Jean wanted the ground to swallow him whole. He wasn't seven anymore! Walls, if Y/n heard this, I would never hear the end of it.

''Just get out, you old hag!'' Jean yelled, gripping and crumbling his drawing as he pushed his mother out of his room, slamming the door in her face.

''Fine! I guess you don't want to see Y/n then!'' His mother yelled from the other side of the door. ''She's waiting for you downstairs, boy!''

Jean sighed, looking down at his crumbled, ruined drawing. He walked over to his window, taking in a few deep breaths to calm down. It'll be mine. I'll join the Military Police, and I'll live safe, comfy lives inside the interior! It'll be mine!

There was a knock on the door. ''Jean?''

He looked back at his door, watching as Y/n opened it and peaked her head in. She had a frown on her face. ''Don't tell me you yelled at your mother again.''

Jean looked down in shame. Correction. It'll be ours.

He'd left for the army a week later — Y/n following right behind him.

"Jean!" Y/n's mother just as they were about to walk away from the familiar street they'd grown up playing at.

"What?" Jean asked, an eyebrow raised. Y/n looked just as confused.

Her mother smiled softly, putting a hand on Jean's shoulder. "Take care of Y/n, please? Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

Y/n mouth dropped in shock. "Mom!"

Jean didn't smile, didn't laugh. He simply nodded. "I will."

"Don't take her seriously, Jean, let's go!" Y/n called, stomping away from embarrassment. "I'll write to you soon!" she yelled to her mother, though didn't turn around to face her.

Jean followed right after, knowing that he had to take her mother's words seriously anyway.

———

He wasn't sure why he thought of that day in particular.

Y/n walked next to him, telling him how excited she was to go home and how hungry she was getting. ''Why didn't you eat your breakfast, dumbass?'' Jean chuckled. He gripped the straps of his backpack. It was quite heavy; he'd offered Y/n to take some of her load, but she'd flat out refused. She didn't seem to be struggling with it, either. She surely has gotten stronger in the past two years.

Two years. He was returning home for the first time in two years. Not that he wanted to, really.

''This is awesome! It's my first time in a wall city!'' Connie said, looking back at Sasha and Y/n.

Sasha grinned. ''There're lots of tasty things to eat!''

Y/n's gaze snapped to her. ''Speaking of, Sasha — I told my mom about your huge appetite and she told me to bring you along when I visit. I'm sure she's cooked up a feast. Wanna come?''