Hey guys! It's HUMP DAYYYYYY! Sorry I've been absent for a while. I was having some issues, but I think I'm over it now.

Thank you soooooooo much for the reviews, faves, and alerts! Some of you were mad at me for last chapter. Ahh… sorry. :(

The trial is coming up soon! What are Levi, Eren, Jean, and Marco going to do in the meantime? Can Marco even bring himself to even see Jean again?

Enjoy the chapter~

Chapter 16 Tender Loving Care

The Next Day…

Crash!

"Jean! What are you doing?!" Mrs. Kirstein pounded on her son's door.

"Leave me alone!" Jean shouted, throwing a book at his locked door.

"Jean, stop this right now! What has gotten into you?! When you left the house yesterday, you were fine! And now you're acting like you've been possessed by the devil himself!" Mrs. Kirstein wailed.

"I'm not the angelic son you think I am!" Jean seethed. "Marco is! He's the angel of this fucking town! Yet he had to suffer!"

Jean grabbed his lamp and smashed it on the ground.

"Get out! Get out of the house right now!" Mrs. Kirstein cried. "I do not tolerate swearing or destruction in this household! I don't want you back until you pray for God to get the devil out of you!"

"Fine!"

Jean slammed his door open and stormed out. He just couldn't take it anymore. This is the second time he was told to get out by someone that was supposed to be important to him.

Why? I know I'm the one that got myself kicked out… but I just don't understand. Am I not allowed to be angry? Would my damn mother rather me punch her in the face instead of taking it out on a fucking lamp?

Jean kicked a stone on the ground as hard as he could as he ventured away from the house. There was no way he was going back to Marco's house.

He hates me… and it's all my fault. Jean clenched his teeth. Are we… broken up? I guess so. I don't know what to do. I can't approach him like this. There's no way.

Jean approached the Maria Bakery. He could see a police car pull up. Erwin, Levi, and Eren came out with Mikasa and Hanji waiting for them at the door. Jean felt his heart wrench as Mikasa ran over to him and squeezed him tight in a bear hug while Hanji talked to Erwin and Levi.

Jean stopped far away and took in the scene.

They must have just come back from the capital. Jaeger looks… happy. And Levi has a weird look on his face. It looks like a smile. Heh, I'm glad that those two are least having fun while everyone else is suffering.

Jean shook his head. I wish I could hug and smile at Marco like that again. But… I don't think I can anymore.

Jean tried to walk past the bakery without being seen, but Eren and Levi spotted him. Before However, before Eren could say something, Levi stopped him, noticing the look on Jean's face.

"It's no use trying to talk to him right now, Eren." Levi told him. "Something is horribly wrong, and I think I know what it is. So approaching him now would only end up in a fistfight."

Eren stared after Jean, feeling his heart sink. Did he… see Marco?

Jean's pace increased, never looking up to see where he was going. After about ten minutes of fast walking, Jean stopped, realizing what he was doing.

"I'm being a coward… I'm running away from my problems."

Even with that realization, Jean had no idea what to do. His anger and misery was taking over his mind. Jean looked around his surroundings, trying to pinpoint where exactly he was at. He paled considerably when he saw that the Church of Shiganshina was right in front of him.

The last thing I wanted to do was end up back in that damn place! Fuck church. Fuck Christianity!

Despite his harsh thoughts, Jean felt something beckoning him inside the sanctified establishment. Before he knew it, Jean felt each foot stepping in front of the other simultaneously until he was inside.

"What am I doing in here?" Jean muttered. "There's no reason for me to be here."

Jean cautiously walked towards the inner sanctuary. After stepping inside, he felt an unpleasant sensation rush through him. He hasn't been inside the sanctuary in weeks. Ever since Marco was arrested, all prayer sessions have ceased. He hated kneeling in front of the altar for hours on end, praying to a God that didn't even care about him and Marco. A God that had forsaken them both.

Jean sat in the first pew, staring at the altar in hatred. He narrowed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to burn the church to the ground. He wanted all of this gone.

"Jean?"

Jean tensed at the voice, recognizing it immediately. "Mr.… Pixis…?"

He turned around to see the old man standing behind him.

"What a surprise to see you here. I'm happy to see you. Can I sit next to you?" Pixis asked kindly. "I'm the only other person here, so you don't have to worry about running into Pastor Nick. Something tells me you're upset."

Jean hesitated. Was his principal a friend or an enemy?

"…sure." Jean finally answered.

Pixis slid in the pew next to him. They two were silent for a long while, reflecting on different things.

"Have you seen Marco at all?" Pixis spoke up.

Jean dug his fingernails into the cushioned pew. "That's none of your business. None of Marco's condition is any of your business."

"I never asked about his condition. I simply asked if you've seen him. And going off of your sudden defensiveness, I'll take that as a yes."

Jean gritted his teeth. "All of you need to leave him alone! He's done nothing to deserve any of this!"

"I agree with you." Pixis closed his eyes. "Marco is one of the kindest souls I've met in years. The last one was a girl named Ilse Langnar, but… she passed a while ago."

"Sorry for your loss." Jean spat bitterly.

"She was a lot like you and Marco, actually." Pixis turned his head to look at Jean. "She had Marco's softness and kindness, while at the same, had your boldness and hotheadedness. And the fact that now you two are under attack by the church saddens me greatly."

Jean looked away. "So what's your point?"

"Only together can you two put an end to your suffering." Pixis replied. "Ilse Langnar tried to do just that. She knew the church and government was corrupted. And she suffered because of it, just like you two."

Jean sat up, alarmed. "How do you that?! How do you know we know about-"

Pixis raised a hand to silence him. "I'm not just a principal at a high school, Jean. I know just as much, if not more, about the government's intentions as you do. I didn't know that you, Levi and Eren were also in on this until Hanji filled me in on it recently. I'm on your side, Jean. There are more people than you think that support you."

Jean couldn't believe it. He felt more tears prick his eyes, but he did his best to will them away.

"I can tell how much Marco means to you, Jean. The lies the church is filling your head with are preposterous. God is a loving God. He made you and Marco this way for a reason. He does not make mistakes. Put more faith in Him, and you'll see just how far it will take you."

Pixis stood up. "I originally came in here to meditate, but I got a chance to speak with you instead, which was much more rewarding. Take care, Jean."

He left Jean's pew and walked out of the sanctuary.

Marco… Jean put his head in his hands. You're not alone, Marco. Please don't push me away. There are people here that support us.

Standing up, Jean wiped away the last of his tears. He needed some advice on what to do for Marco. And he knew just who to talk to.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Levi ran his right hand through Eren's hair gently as he slept.

As soon as he, Eren, and Erwin returned, all the brat wanted to do was take a nap, exhausted from the trip. Erwin had left to investigate further into the matter. He refused to elaborate on what he and his higher-ups discussed in Mitras.

Mikasa was in her room, resting as well. Since there was still no word on Grisha and Carla's whereabouts, Levi decided to stay with her and Eren for the time being. There was no way he could leave them alone. That would put them in great danger.

A loud banging on the bakery door jolted Levi out of his thoughts.

Eren put the closed sign on the door. No one should be here.

Wary, Levi quietly left Eren's room and headed downstairs, ready to fend off any attacker. However, he was met with a tall sandy haired teenager at the locked glass door.

"Levi! It's me, Jean." He called. "I really need to talk to you."

Levi raised an eyebrow. He opened the door, immediately turning the lock back as soon as Jean was inside.

"Come with me upstairs." Levi told him. "If we're discussing anything related to the trial, we can't do it in front of glass windows."

Jean simply nodded. He didn't care about that right now. All he was focused on was Marco's wellbeing.

Levi quickly closed Eren and Mikasa's doors before finally settling at the kitchen table with Jean across from him.

"So what do you want talk about?" Levi asked.

Jean took a deep breath. "Marco."

Levi closed his eyes. So Eren was right.

"I saw him yesterday… I visited his house. But, everything went wrong."

"What did you expect?" Levi opened one eye. "He's been traumatized. Did you really think he would smile and hug you?"

Jean bit his lip. "No, I didn't. I didn't know what to expect. His home got trashed and tagged, and he was sitting alone in his room. Later on, I got upset… and I said something I regret. Now he hates me, and never wants to see me again. I know he needs someone, but I don't know what to do. I love him dearly, but I…" He trailed off.

Levi exhaled deeply. "First off, Marco does not hate you. He hates himself. He feels like he doesn't deserve any sort of happiness, which is why he's pushing you away. For the time I've known you, you've been insensitive, and this is not the time for that. I also known that you're persistent. Which brings me to my second point; you need to get out there and show him that no matter what he says, you will be there for him. Clean up the house. Make sure he's eating. Give him fresh clothes. And if he wants, make arrangements for him to stay somewhere else. Erwin and Hanji's houses are safe, and if I talk to Mikasa and Eren, I'm certain we could let him stay here. And when you speak to him, be gentle. Do not sound accusatory or harsh."

Jean nodded. "I finally understand now. Thank you, Levi."

Levi rested his cheek in his hand. "Then get out and show him you love him."

Jean quickly hopped out of his chair and headed for the entrance, racing back towards home.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

It was difficult to explain to his mother why he was leaving the house again with clothes, garbage bags, a pillow, a blanket, and cooked food with silverware all housed in three duffel bags.

"There's someone I care about that needs this stuff." Jean said as vaguely as he could. "I thought about what you said earlier, and I went by the church. I just thought of someone who is need, so I decided to help out. I might be there a while, so is it ok if I spend the night?"

Mrs. Kirstein ruffled his hair. "You're so kind, Jean. Of course you can. See, a little prayer never hurt anyone."

As soon as Jean was able to get out of the house, he booked it to Marco's house. The sun was beginning to set.

Damn my mother. She wouldn't be nearly this understanding if I told her this was all for Marco.

The weight of the two duffel bags strained Jean's shoulders, but he didn't care. Nothing hurt more than the desolate look on Marco's face.

When he arrived, Jean made sure to announce his presence once again.

"Marco, it's me, Jean." He announced loudly, making sure he heard him.

Jean walked back to Marco's room, and sure enough, he was in the same fetal position as yesterday. He was wearing the same clothes, and his hair was messier than before. Jean could see his hands and feet, and they were considerably pale. He noticed that the letter he dropped was laying neatly on Marco's nightstand, unopened.

Jean gently set the duffel bags onto the ground. "I brought some stuff for you. First, let's start off with some food. I know you don't want me to touch you, so after I dish some soup, I'll just hand it to you."

He noticed Marco's head move slightly, but he refused to look up.

Jean opened the first duffel bag and sighed in relief that none of the covered food opened and leaked any soup out. He removed the first bowl, filled with tomato soup, and opened the lid, the scent wafting into the air.

"Here it is, Marco." Jean told him softly, taking out a spoon. "Please eat something. If not for you, do it for me."

Marco finally lifted his head. There were bags under his hardened brown eyes, and he shivered. Jean quickly opened the second duffel bag and offered him a blanket.

Marco hesitantly reached out and accepted the thick blanket, placing it around his shoulders. He also tried to take the soup, but his hands were too shaky, and he feared he would drop it. Jean took notice of his struggle.

"Will you let me help you?" Jean asked. "I promise I won't touch you."

Marco nodded weakly.

"Thank you." Jean dipped the spoon into the soup and raised it towards Marco's chapped lips.

The freckled boy wavered before opening his mouth slightly, allowing Jean to insert the soup filled spoon inside. The warm liquid soothed Marco somewhat.

Jean continued to feed Marco the soup until it was all gone. Then, he took out a bottle of water, helping Marco drink it as well. Marco licked his lips, regaining some of the moisture.

"I have more food for you if you're still hungry." Jean offered. "I have sandwiches and more soup. Are you still thirsty? I have plenty of water."

"…thirsty." Marco said, barely above a whisper.

Jean was so overjoyed to hear his voice again. "Sure! Here you go!"

Marco was shocked over how happy Jean looked after he spoke. Why?

After Marco gulped down the second bottle of water, Jean pulled out some clothes.

"These are some of my clothes. You're only an inch taller than me, so I'm sure these will fit you. I have some sweats and sweaters for you so you can stay warm. Even though it's now April, it still gets a bit chilly out. I'll step out so you can change."

Marco stared at the clothing after Jean stepped out. Slowly, he slid out of his holed clothes and put Jean's on. Even though it had been cleaned, Marco could smell a faint yet familiar scent of Jean on the sweater. Fresh tears ran down his face as memories of him and Jean hugging, laughing, and kissing filled his mind. He sobbed, believing he'll never experience something so wonderful ever again.

"Marco?" Jean stood outside Marco's door. "May I come in?"

"Yeah." Marco sniffed, hiding under the blanket.

Jean entered his room. "I'm going to clean up a bit around the house. Then after I get as much done as I can, I'm coming in here to spend the night with you."

Marco flinched under the blanket. "No. You cannot."

"I'm not leaving you again, Marco." Jean said as kindly as he could. "I am not letting you stay here alone. I love you. I know you can't see it and understand it right now, but I truly do. I regret not doing much to show you how much I love you when we first started going out. But I promise you that I will spend every day proving it to you."

Marco clutched his head. "No! No!" He cried, his head pounding.

"Whenever you're ready, please read the letter I wrote to you." Jean encouraged, undeterred. "I put all of the raw feelings I have for you into it. I know I said rotten things to you yesterday… and I'm deeply sorry for what I said. I hope you will forgive me someday."

With that, Jean grabbed the box of garbage bags and left Marco's room, getting to work picking up the trash.

Marco peeked out from under the blanket, tears still streaming down his face. He eyed the letter. He had initially swore to never open it after Jean walked out yesterday, but now he was having second thoughts.

I can't. I can't do it. I can never come to terms with myself. Marco went back under the blanket. I'm too weak. I'm not like Jean. And I certainly don't deserve Jean. I'm a sinner, doomed to roam the Earth while getting mocked by the masses. He will be better off without me.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

An hour later, Jean had finished picking up the majority of Marco's house. He discovered the bathroom and Marco's parents' bedroom were the only rooms that were untouched. Even though he hated the thought of making Marco remember his parents leaving him, Jean knew that kindest thing he could do was get Marco out of his wrecked and tagged bedroom.

"Marco?" Jean called softly.

As he expected, Marco was still hiding under his blanket.

"It's getting pretty late. We both should probably get some sleep. However… you can't sleep in here, Marco. It's too cluttered. The other bedroom is clean. You should sleep in there."

From under the blanket, Jean could see Marco shake his head.

"No… this is the only room deemed worthy for a sinner like me."

"You are not a sinner, Marco. If I'm not a sinner, you aren't either. We're one in the same." Jean tried to reason with him. "So please…"

Marco refused again.

Jean tapped his chin, trying to think up of a compromise. "How about this. If you sleep in the other bedroom tonight, I will clean up in here tonight. Then tomorrow, you'll return to a clean bedroom. How about that?"

Marco poked his head out from under the blanket, nodding feebly.

"Okay, then." Jean sighed in relief. "Good night, Marco."

His freckled lover didn't return to gesture. He simply got up, stretched, and walked slowly to his parents' bedroom.

"…thank you."

Jean spun around at Marco's soft gratitude. "Anything for my wonderful boyfriend." Jean replied without hesitation.

Marco shut the bedroom door.

Stretching his arms, Jean got back to work, cleaning up Marco's room. He righted overturned furniture, and straightened out Marco's bed. After picking up the rest of the debris, he thought about what he could about the tagged hate messages on his wall and the broken window. An idea came to him.

Jean scavenged the house, finding an unused blanket, a wide roll of plastic, nails, a hammer, and heavy duty tape. He first nailed the blanket to the window. It took several times, as he only used a hammer and nails only once in his entire life. After narrowly missing hammering his thumbs a million times, Jean got to work taping the plastic on the blanket. He went outside and taped more plastic on the space as well, effectively keeping the elements outside.

Next, Jean went in the garage, looking to see if the ivory paint Marco's walls were painted with was still there. He found several cans of paint and paintbrushes. Luckily for him, the ivory color was there. Jean quickly carried the ivory paint and a paintbrush back to Marco's room, and he quickly got to work covering up the spray painted messages.

Jean did not understand the importance of painting in the same direction, so the strokes were messy and amateur. Realizing his mistake, Jean corrected it by painting a giant ivory heart over it. Satisfied, Jean returned the paint to the garage, hoping the paint would be dry by in the morning.

It was midnight when Jean finally turned in for the night. He knocked softly on his parents' bedroom door.

"Marco?" He called quietly.

He gingerly opened the door. Marco had turned the lamp on, and the light was shining on his sleeping face. Jean quickly closed the door, walking over to the cushioned chair by the bed. He sat down, gazing at Marco. He looked peaceful, snoring softly.

Jean figured Marco had many sleepless nights, so he was relieved that Marco was getting some rest. The rise and fall of Marco's chest was hypnotizing, feeling himself nod off.

I love you, Marco. I love you so much. I will always be here for you.

Jean finally realized what he had to do! Yay!

I know there has been a lot of Jean and Marco plot lately, and I hope you don't mind! Even though Levi and Eren are the main pieces of the plot, Jean and Marco serve an importance too. I .might as well put them in the pairing list, too!

The trial is coming up! You still have time to send in arguments! I'm back to debating whether the trial will be in chapter 18 or 19, so chapter 17 will be the decision maker!

If you've enjoyed this so far, please add this to your favorites and alerts.

And remember…

REVIEWS ARE LIKE PORN TO WRITERS, SO SATISFY OUR URGES!

See you in the next one!

PRK