Chapter Text
Marco's eyes widened with excitement as he saw the red truck pull over at the driveway of the house next door. The Pixis next door had moved out of Trost and to a relatively more peaceful area in the country. The house had been empty for a while until a few weeks ago when Marco noticed the red banner with the word 'For Sale' was taken down. He returned his attention back to the red moving truck outside the house. Our new neighbours are here! I hope they're young and have a child who I can play with... Not that Mr. and Mrs. Pixis weren't fun to play with but, you know, old people...
''MOOOOOOOOOoooooOooooom!'' Marco shouted as he ran down the stairs, unable to contain his joy.
''Marco! Don't run down the stairs! It's dangerous!'' Marco's mom, Julie scolded from the kitchen.
The boy's footsteps lightened as he trudged down the last few steps. He bounced up and down on the heels of his feet beside the kitchen counter where his mother was washing some apples.
''Our neighbours! They're here! I saw a red moving truck! Do you think I'll have a new friend!? Will they be nice people? O-Oh no! What if they're not our neighbours...? Thieves? Robbers? BURGL-''
''Oh shush, dear.'' Julie interrupted her son's babbling as she leaned down to plant a quick peck on Marco's temple. ''Burglars won't come in the day where everyone could see what they're doing. Let me clean up over here and we'll go greet the new neighbours, alright?''
Marco nodded, before rushing to the toilet in a desperate last attempt to flatten his bedhair and look cool. With damp hands, he tries to tame the weird curl sticking out and parted his bangs neatly in the middle. Will she be a nice pretty girl who I can play with? Or will he be a cool guy who would go bug-catching with me? Or will I have no new friends afterall...? Marco pondered, with a tinge of disappointment at the last thought.
''Marco!''
''Coming!''
''Seems like you have a new little friend!'' Julie called out from outside the house. Marco's face brightened at the comment as he dashed out of the house and to the pavement where his mother stood beside a tall blonde woman. Clutching at the lady's jeans was a little boy that's probably the same age as Mikasa's younger brother. Little friend indeed.
''This is my son, Marco Bodt.''
''Hello! I'm Marco! I'm 10!'' The freckled boy flashed the pretty blonde lady his best smile and crouched down to give the little boy a wave. "Hey there!"
''Nice to meet you, Marco. I'm Alice Kirschtein and that's my husband over there by the truck. And this is... Go on, introduce yourself.'' The lady replied as she nudged the little boy who was still clinging onto her jeans like a koala.
''I-I'm... Jean!'' The little boy squeaked from behind the leg. He wiggled two chubby fingers at Marco and stared at them intently. ''I'm... three. No! Two!''
''Cool!'' Marco chirped. Jean's expression brightened at the comment as he grinned widely at the dark-haired boy. ''Do you like bugs? We have lots of them in our gardens! Caterpillars, grasshoppers and BUTTERFLIES!!''
Jean tilted his head slightly, as though the bunch of words were too much for him to handle. The mothers chuckled at the small exchange between the boys before continuing their chat from before.
''Mrs. Kirschtein, can I show Jean around the garden?'' Marco asked.
''Sure thing, sweetie.'' Jean's mom answered as she glanced down and notice Jean's troubled expression. ''Don't worry, Jean-bo, daddy and I will be here unloading our stuff. We'll call you when we're done!''
Jean released his grip on his mother's leg and took the freckly outstretched hand offered by Marco. The boys giggled as they made a dash for the garden.
---
''Wriggly!'' Jean exclaimed as he stared at the green caterpillar in Marco's palm.
''This is a caterpillar.''
''Wow!''
''And this...'' Marco explained as he picked a ladybug off the stem of a tomato plant. ''This is a ladybug!''
''Marco!'' The 2 year-old commented.
''Wha-?''
''Dotty! Like Marco!'' He giggled while jabbing a finger at the freckles on Marco's cheeks and using the same finger to point at the ladybug.
''Ow...'' Marco scowled as he rubbed his cheeks. ''No, Jean. These are freckles.'' He gestured to the freckles on his cheeks.
''Fweckles!''
''Here, wanna touch it?''
Jean nodded. Gingerly, Marco pinched the ladybug and placed in onto Jean's palm.
''Ladybug has fweckles!'' The little boy marveled at the insect on his palm before attempting to place it in his mouth. Marco snatched the hand away before Jean can eat the poor bug which managed to escape at the sudden movement.
''N-No! I'm sorry Jean, but you can't eat an insect! I-It's like...'' Marco panicked as he saw tears well up in Jean's eyes. ''It's like biting... someone! Yeah! It's not nice to bite someone because they would feel pain. So that would hurt the ladybug and she would be in pain...''
''Oh...'' Jean replied apologetically. Phew, that was close. Marco thought before he felt a sharp pain on his arm and flinched.
''Ouch! That hurts! Why are you biting me! Jean!?''
''Bite the fwecklebug!'' Screamed a giggling Jean. Marco couldn't help but laugh along to that contagious noise as he rubbed the area that Jean had bitten him. Do 2-year olds all have such sharp teeth!?
''Jean, that's a no-no. You can't bite people because it's painful. You can't bite insects too because it will hurt them.''
''Sowwy...'' Jean apologised to Marco's arm and gave the now red circle of teethmark a kiss.
''Pain, pain, go away.'' He chanted and gave the blushing Marco a wide grin. ''Mama does that to me boo-boos! No more ouchie!''
''Y-Yeah, it doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you, Jean.'' Jean beamed at the compliment before planting another kiss on his hand.
''JEAN!! TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO MARCO!'' Mrs. Kirschtein shouted from next door. Jean turned his head in the direction of the sound and realised he had been away from his mother for half an hour. Jean rose to his feet and wobbled towards his new home before turning around, wondering why Marco wasn't going with him.
''Let's go!'' Jean grabbed Marco's wrist and led him to the Kirschtein's. Jean is so cute! I wish I had a younger brother like him to play with... Marco thought as they reached the doorway of Jean's new home. The bigger boy squatted down giving Jean a light pat on his head before finally noticing the unique hair on the 2 year old. What a weird hair colour, blonde at the top and a light brown at the bottom.
''Sorry Jean, but I have to go home too. See you next time! You can come whenever you want to because I'm right beside you!'' Jean's grip on Marco's hand tightened as he didn't want to let go.
''No!'' Jean mumbled as he pulled Marco closer and nuzzled into his arm.
''Jean-bo, why don't you ask Marco and his family to join us for dinner tomorrow? We should be done with most of the moving by then and I'd also like to thank Marco's mom for helping.''
''Marco?'' Jean looked up at the 10 year old expectantly.
''Sure! We'd love to, I'll tell my mom about it then! Thank you, Mrs Kirschtein.'' Marco answered politely and ruffled Jean's messy hair. Jean's mom took this opportunity to tear Jean away from the freckled boy before he attempted to leech onto the boy again. He struggled a little in his mother's arms before realising it was futile.
''Bye bye, Marco!'' Jean waved as he sat on his mother's arms.
''Bye Jean! Bye Mrs. Kirschtein! See you tomorrow!'' Marco chirped before making a mad dash back home to tell his mother all about today.
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Little did they know that the dinner would be the first of the many subsequent Bodt-Kirschtein family dinners to come.