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

34 | in the middle of informing

In moments like these, Y/n really missed her mother's food.

She sat with her friends in the canteen, eating the almost flavorless soup and stale bread as always. Marlowe — the one who had almost taken out Jean when they were fugitives — had transferred to the Scouts. It was rather unexpected, considering how good he must've had it in the MPs. Sometimes, she still wondered how her life would have been if she'd gone there. Her biggest what if?

''With the new weapons, the Titans will crumble like paper!'' Marlowe's enthusiasm and optimism really showed he'd come from a safe space within the MPs.

''You're so damn worked up,'' Jean said as he took a sip of his drink. Y/n continued eating her food from next to Sasha, trying her best to tune them out. ''Only you would be happy about becoming a Scout.''

''That's right! Didn't Hitch try to stop you from joining?'' Sasha asked. Y/n's ears perked up at that and she looked at Marlowe over Sasha.

''Hitch?'' He looked at her in surprise. ''Why would she?''

Y/n, Connie and Sasha all grinned knowingly. ''Why? 'Cuz you two are . . . you know?'' Sasha said through her laugh.

''I don't follow, but . . . Hitch told me off, saying I wasn't cut out for it and not to act cool. That if I stayed in the Military Police, I could coast along in life. I thought she was better than that . . . Told her I was wrong about her.''

Y/n's mouth dropped open, her grin gone. ''You piece of shit,'' Jean mumbled.

''Huh?''

''Marlowe, are you stupid?'' Armin asked.

''He's a bowl cut imbecile,'' Sasha pointed out, making Y/n snort and briefly choke on her soup.

''Why? Marlowe said nothing wrong,'' Eren joined in.

''Eren, you're just as dense as Marlowe when it comes to these things,'' Y/n said as she pointed at him with her spoon.

Eren looked at her in puzzlement. ''What things?''

''Anyways, the only ones as worked up as you are the recruits with zero battle experience,'' Jean explained.

''Woah, woah . . . Think you're some veteran hero now?''

Y/n noticed Jean try to look backwards at whoever had spoken, though he didn't fully turn. Y/n, on the other hand, shamelessly looked at Floch Forster with furrowed eyebrows.

''How rude.'' He, along with two others, walked up to them. ''Weren't we in the 104th together? Besides, we're not the only ones. Everyone in the walls is pumped up about the idea of retaking Wall Maria.''

Y/n and Jean shared a brief look before Jean looked at the boy again. ''Is that so?''

''Still, you all do seem different now,'' Floch admitted. Everyone was looking at him now. ''It's your faces, I guess . . . What exactly happened?''

''Wanna know?'' Jean looked at him front his corner of his eye again. ''

Y/n noticed Floch visibly gulp. ''No. I think . . . I'll ask later.''

Will later come for us?

They walked away. Y/n looked back down at her soup, but at the same time, Connie stood up from next to her. ''Well, I'm out.''

''Huh? So soon?'' Sasha asked.

''Tomorrow's a prep day, so I'm heading to my village in the morning. Might find out something new there. Good night.''

Y/n bit the inside of her cheek at Connie's optimism. Or maybe it was desperation. Sometimes, the line between those two can be thin — like when your mother, your last remaining family member, is a motionless Titan that is still crushing your childhood home. She wasn't sure how Connie could even stand to still joke around.