Chapter Text
"Marco! You came!"
Connie grinned widely at his freckled friend who had taken up residence on one end of his sofa. Marco returned the greeting with a smaller, but no less genuine smile of his own.
"I did, yes," he called over the music. It was some pop trash that Connie was sure Eren had chosen. Next time he was putting Sasha in charge of the mix tape, at least the woman had some taste.
"I'm honoured you found time to tear yourself away from your text books," Connie said, only half seriously.
Marco laughed, running a bashful hand through his hair.
"Ah well, even Russian literature gets a bit dull after a while."
"You don't say?" Connie chuckled and shook his head. "Well I'm glad you came. Uh sorry I have to go save Sasha."
He waved his beer bottle at Marco by way of salute before turning to go ward off the unwanted advances that his friend needed rescuing from. Marco laughed quietly to himself as he watched Connie pull himself up, trying to make the most of his five foot five inches.
He sipped his drink, something blue and sweet and, he suspected, highly alcoholic. It had been pushed into his hand by an enthusiastic Armin as he'd arrived and it didn't actually taste as dreadful as it looked, so he'd decided to stick with it. It tasted of watermelon which was... interesting would perhaps be the best word to describe it.
He waved off several offers to dance, content just to sit on his corner of the sofa and watch the ever more drunken escapades of his friends and classmates. And there was one guy across the room who particularly caught his attention. Marco had seen him around campus before, the kind who wore faded band t-shirts and ratty Converse completely unironically. He had never spoken to him despite them being in the same literature class but somewhere during the first two weeks of term, Marco had mentally labeled him as Cute Two-Tone Guy. They were now at the end of week twelve, and he hadn't gotten any less cute.
He had particularly caught Marco's attention that night because, despite having spent the last three-quarters of an hour hitting on a pretty dark haired girl, he hadn't stopped staring at Marco for more than five minutes at a time. If that wasn't a clear case of 'wedged so firmly in the closet that you haven't realised you actually are in a closet' then Marco just didn't know what to think anymore. He'd probably have to go and completely reevaluate his life.
The arrival of drunk!Connie next to him on the now slightly sticky couch startled him from his thoughts. A skinny arm was slung over his shoulder and Connie's face was suddenly very close to his own.
"You enjoying yourself, Marco?" he shouted. Marco could smell beer and something stronger on the other guy's breath. Tequila? Mikasa must have got the shot glasses out. He carefully shrugged out from under Connie's arm.
"Who's the guy in the hat?" he asked, jerking his head towards Cute Two-Tone Guy. Connie squinted across the room for a second before coming to a conclusion.
"Jean Kirschtein. He's roommates with Eren. They hate each other's guts. Why?"
"Oh nothing," Marco shrugged. "Only, he needs to come out; I can feel him sucking my dick from across the room."
Okay so maybe Marco was a bit more drunk than he thought. Connie just laughed.
"Nah man, that guy is so far in the closet he's having tea parties with Aslan and Mr Tumnus," he gave Marco a firm pat on the back. "You'd have better luck getting Sasha to give up her last pop-tart than coaxing him out any time soon."
"That sounds like a challenge, Mr Springer," Marco grinned, setting his plastic cup down on the coffee table.
Connie just shrugged.
"You won't be able to do it," he said.
"Bet you twenty I can get him to make out with me before midnight," Marco retorted.
"You're on," Connie replied, shaking the outstretched hand. "But you'd better get on with it, you've only got an hour left."
"Loadsa time," Marco smiled, getting up from the sofa and stepping over the coffee table.
Connie watched him cross the room to where Jean was stood talking to a girl he didn't recognise. Sasha slumped down next to him in Marco's vacated spot.
"He looks like a man on a mission," she slurred, snuggling into his arm.
"I bet him he couldn't get Kirschtein to make out with him before midnight," Connie explained, wrapping his arm round Sasha's waist.
"Ha! He'd have better luck convincing Levi to use a public bathroom," she snorted.
"That's what I said. Sorta."
They watched the two men, both of them knowing how charming Marco could be. Yes, on the surface the guy was sunshine and kittens, but deeper down there was a devious streak of steely determination. As they watched Kirschtein start to laugh and smile at Marco, Connie started to feel slightly worried for his wallet.
"Oh my god, is Kirschtein actually flirting with him?" Sasha asked in a hushed tone.
"Nah, that's just Marco. He makes everyone laugh - oh no, no that's definitely flirting."
Marco had reached out and had tugged gently on the bottom of Jean's t-shirt. Instead of brushing his advances off like Connie would have expected, Kirschtein had actually taken hold of Marco's wrist and had tugged him forward a couple of steps.
"I can't watch," Connie groaned, burying his face into Sasha's hair. He was going to be kissing goodbye to a twenty tonight, he was sure of it now.
"Well that took about twenty minutes," Sasha spoke up after a while, amusement clear in her voice.
Connie looked up to be greeted with the sight of Marco and Jean in a very heated embrace. Marco's hands were fisted up in the dark material of Kirschtein's shirt and Jean had wrapped his own arms around Marco's neck, effectively anchoring their faces together. The girl who Jean's attentions had been focused on previously was looking distinctly put out at the rather drastic turn of events. Connie didn't blame her.
"That boy could probably take over the world just by asking nicely," Sasha mused. Connie nodded in agreement.
The display in front of them was swiftly moving into soft porn territory as Marco's hands slid further up the back of Kirschtein's shirt. If someone doesn't speak up soon, Connie thought, we are all going to be scarred for life.
"Get a room, Kirschtein!" someone yelled. Probably Eren. Thank god.
The two broke apart, Jean going bright red and looking as if he wanted the ground to swallow him up. Marco said something and he nodded, allowing Marco to take his hand and guide him through the crowded sitting room. He scowled at the cat-calls and the wolf-whistling, but still let Marco lead on.
As they passed Connie and Sasha, Marco threw a wink at the duo. Connie glared. Sasha gave them a thumbs-up.
"He doesn't get extra points," he muttered to her after they'd gone. Sasha just laughed.