Chapter Text
Jean pulled up to Marco’s house and honked, which may have been poor judgment considering it was five in the morning. But then Marco was stumbling out the front door and down the steps, his bag slipping down his shoulder. Jean smiled as Marco rushed through the grass on his front lawn before opening the door to Jean’s car.
“Jean, was honking really the best choice here?” Marco questioned as he stepped into the car, “Because I think you just woke my whole damn neighborhood.”
“Hey, it gets the job done,” Jean said and Marco shakes his head, smiling at Jean's response. “So, you’re ready?” Jean asked.
Marco clicked his seatbelt, “I guess,” he replied.
“What, you mean you’re not excited for a weekend trip with our entire grade?” Jean questioned sarcastically. Truth be told, Jean actually was pretty excited for their senior trip to celebrate the last year in high school, it was just getting over the fact that they had to endure the horrors of their classmates for a day and a half.
“Very funny, Jean. But it’ll be good, we’ve never gone to the coast before; we’ll have fun,” Marco smiled, eyes crinkling and beaming at Jean. Jean smiled back, before putting the car into drive and the pair made their way to school.
As Jean rolled into the parking lot, the two boys saw a coach bus parked right in the front. “Damn, I didn’t think we would be getting a coach bus on this trip,” Jean said in surprise. “Hey, maybe there will be a movie screen,” Jean added, knowing Marco’s love of film.
“Jean, I might just cry,” Marco said, happily. Jean chuckled, turning off the ignition. As the two gathered their belongings and made their way to the bus, Jean reminisced on all of the field trips he and Marco had missed as children. One year Marco threw up the night before, and the next Jean did. Then there was the year that the two of them forgot to bring in the money and ended up playing an array of video games at Jean’s house all day. Glancing over at Marco, Jean admired the freckles that are scattered across his face, and the pink blush of his skin that sits beneath it. Sighing, Jean takes his focus off of his best friend, saying, “I’m actually pretty pumped, man.”
“I told you! It’ll be fun,” Marco said as they approached the bus. Handing their bags to the teacher, they found a seat in the back. As their classmates began to pile into the bus, a sleepy chatter filled the silence. Jean checked his watch about every thirty seconds, thinking that time would suddenly speed up and it would be time to go. But eventually, it was.
Jean found himself in the middle of a yawn when the bus driver yelled, “Alright! The coast is about two hours away, keep your voice down, it’s five in the morning.” And then it was time.
The foggy humid morning was eerie as the Sun was still hidden by the horizon. Marco groaned, gaining Jean’s attention, “No movie screen,” he said, somberly.
“I think you’ll survive Marco, it’s only two hours,” Jean replied.
“Jean,” Marco exclaimed, drawing out his name, “You’re supposed to be my friend,” Marco whined.
Laughing, Jean says, “Hey, rude, but I brought my earbuds, we can watch something on my phone.”
Marco beamed back at Jean, “Or we listen to music and fall asleep because waking up before five was not ideal.” Smirking at each other, they put on their shared playlist and drifted to sleep as the sun rose.
-
Startled, Jean woke to Marco shaking him, “What? What’s wrong?” Jean said, worried. Marco replied with a laugh. Jean, still in a haze of sleep and worry, blinked at Marco.
“Jean, you're good, chill. We’re just going to be there in ten minutes,” Marco finally said.
“Jesus, well you didn’t have to scare me awake!” Jean pointed out, unseriously.
“I woke you up like a normal person, it’s not my fault that you’re constantly in panic mode, even unconsciously,” Marco teased. Jean returned the favor by pointing out the window with a shocked face. Marco whipped his head to the window to see what Jean was awe-ing at, before turning back to see Jean with his middle finger right in front of him.
“Made you look,” Jean began to cackle.
“Okay, screw you,” Marco said hastily, also beginning to laugh.
The bus driver announced their five minute warning and chatter resumed on the bus as everyone woke in a less frantic manner than Jean did. Marco hummed softly to the song playing in their ears and Jean shoved down a smile and tried not to look over at Marco. Jean imagined that he’d be looking out the window, probably not even realizing he was humming. Whenever a song played, Marco couldn’t help but hum along to it. Jean loved it, but it also humored him.
Jean laughed, catching Marco’s attention. “What’s so funny, Jean?” Marco asked, suspiciously.
“Nothing, nothing, you’re just so—” Jean cut himself off. An array of adjectives ran through his head. He then settled on, “so funny.”
“Okay, if you’re making fun of my humming again I swear I’m switching rooms for this damn trip,” Marco threatened.
Jean gasped, “You wouldn’t dare,” he cries out sarcastically. Marco mutters a “shut up” and they fall back to a calm silence, listening to their playlist and eavesdropping on their classmates' conversations. It wasn’t that Jean and Marco hated the people in their grade, sure, they had a friend group; Connie and Sasha were great friends to them, but Jean and Marco were just, Jean and Marco. Meaning, they were terribly awkward around anyone other than each other, Connie, and Sasha. Jean wondered where Connie and Sasha even were, realizing he never saw them get on the bus. He peered up, eyes dragging across each row of seats, until he saw a brunette ponytail and black beanie sitting side by side in the very front. Jean rolled his eyes at Connie’s beanie and his constant refusal to take it off.
“Alright, people!” The bus driver shouts. “We made it to Stohess! Your teacher’s are now going to direct you on where to go.”
Erwin, Levi, and Hange all stand from their seats and begin a monologue that Jean thinks will never end. Between Erwin’s stern tone, Levi’s silence, and Hange’s jumbled instructions Jean only really understands that they have to get to their hotel rooms, somehow.
Hange then swears under their breath and the class starts to laugh. “Well, it’s about seven thirty and I kind of forgot…” Levi sends them a glare, “check in is at eleven.”
Everyone is quiet and beginning to realize that they now have a few hours to kill. Erwin speaks up, “Well, now we wait.” Annoyed groans fill the bus at the thought of sitting for even longer.
“Or,” Hange says mischievously, and Erwin and Levi’s faces show they know what Hange is about to say. “We explore.”
“I suppose teacher Hange has a point. It would be good to stretch our legs,” Erwin replies, sighing, confirming that they can explore the town. “But! We must meet here at 10:45, and we are going to stay within this general area, no further than a few blocks.”
Jean looks over to Marco, who was already looking at him. Jean almost jumps, his face getting warm. “Let’s go!” Marco smiles. When they exit the bus Jean takes in his surroundings and quickly realizes that this town isn’t boring and lifeless like their hometown, Trost. Taking a deep breath, it smells salty, and breezy, if that’s even a scent. It must be the ocean, Jean thinks. Across the street, between some (probably very expensive) cottage style houses, he sees the beach.
“Marco, look,” Jean points.
“The beach,” Marco awes.
“Hey, guys!” Connie and Sasha creep up behind them.
“Jesus!” Jean whips around to face his friends, startled.
“Jean, do you know how to have reactions like a normal person?” Sasha taunts him. He scoffs, but before he could reply, Connie jumps in.
“Okay, okay, shut up, Sasha and I literally almost missed the bus, it was crazy,” Connie explains, very dramatically. “Someone!” He says, pointing at Sasha, “thought the trip started on Saturday, not Friday.”
“Look, look! I swear it just slipped my mind,” Sasha had her hands to her face, pleading for forgiveness.
“Well, you made it, it’s nothing to stress now!” Marco reassures the pair. “Come on, Jean and I want to explore the town.”
“Sick,” Connie says.
“So… Connie, you do realize it’s supposed to get up to like eighty degrees today,” Jean says as the four approach the sidewalk.
“Jean, I swear to God, if you’re gonna say something about my beanie, you’re dead to me,” Connie says, glaring at Jean.
“All I’m saying is sweaty head is not very fun,” Jean says, trying to poke fun at Connie without realizing the implications of what he said.
“Jean, what exactly are you saying here?” Marco questions while Sasha begins to cackle.
“Oh shit,” Jean curses himself, his cheeks flaring up.
“You dumbass,” Connie pokes him in the side.
“Fuck you,” Jean laughs, and soon they all are. “Just take off your damn beanie.”
Jean, Marco, Connie, and Sasha meander their way through the town of Stohess, realizing that most of the shops weren’t open yet. Jean lets his pessimism take over, “Well, this sucks.”
Connie and Sasha scoff at him, and Marco rolls his eyes, saying, “Jean, it’s almost eight in the morning, of course nothing is going to be open.”
Marco’s little reality check to Jean made him calm down. “You’re right, and walking isn’t bad,” Jean says with a sigh. Sometimes it makes him angry, just how Marco can do that to him. Jean could be raging against all that is good and holy, yet Marco is the only one that can bring him back to earth… ground him. Connie and Sasha are leading the way, jumping around and giggling about who knows what. Jean and Marco walk side by side, Marco shaking his head at their friends’ foolishness. Jean stares at his and Marco’s hands. The closeness of them, but at the same time, the distance. Jean thinks about that a lot. The way they swing in limbo, almost reaching for each other but never quite.
He sighs, grateful that he can blame his sweaty palms on the humidity and not the fire in his chest that screams Marco.