Expressing Feelings (Jean X Reader)

"So, (f/n), you wanna see my fifteen-meter-class titan?" Jean asked, raising an eyebrow at you from where he sat across the table. You had to admit, he was kind of cute when he did that, but those damn pickup lines of his has really started to get on your nerves.

"No thank you, Jean, but you can ask Mikasa." You said, not looking up from your food.

"Don't even bother trying." Mikasa muttered from where she sat next to you.

"Anybody ever told you that you're more smoking than a titan?" Jean continued, throwing you a flirtatious look with that shit-eating grin of his.

"Jean when are you ever going to stop?" Connie asked from where he was sitting beside him. "You don't even have the right pickup lines. For example," he turned to Sasha, who was sitting on the other side of you, munching on a potato. "Girl, you can call me the Armored Titan, because I wanna break down your walls."

Sasha stared at him for a moment, until a wince came from Connie has he cradled his knee. Sasha had probably kicked him or something. "Now because of your stupid pickup line, I'll take that." She said, reaching over and taking a piece of bread from his plate.

"Aha, I got another one!" Jean said, after he finished laughing. "Without you, my life is a dark as Levi's hair." He said, nodding over to the short man who sat at the other table. You grabbed the apple that was on your plate and threw it at him, hitting him right in the forehead.

"According to a book I read, in ancient Greece, throwing an apple at someone was considered a proposal for marriage." Armin said from where he sat beside Jean. "Greece was a country before the Titans came." He added.

"Armin!" You said, seeing a mischievous glint in Jean's eyes as he rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Well then, my answer is-" He was cut off as you stood up abruptly and left the mess hall. She's beautiful, but how do I tell her this without making myself look stupid? Jean thought to himself as he watched the doors swing shut.

*Time Skip! Omg My Throat Hurts So Much Today And I'm So Fat And I Want To Eat Something But It Hurts To Swallow, So I Can't, Even Though I Usually Eat Something While I'm Writing These Things And Just GAH I WANT FOOD But Why Do You Care About This, You Should Be Reading The Story*

The door swung open as Armin jumped from where he sat on his couch, a bit startled. "Jean, you scared me!" The blonde said as he sat his book aside. Jean closed the door behind him, more quietly, and started walking over to him.

"Hey Armin, do you think you can do me a favor?" Jean asked as he sat next to him.

"Yeah, but what is it? If it's something about training, you should go to Mikasa, or Levi." Armin said, giving Jean a concerned look.

"No, it's about... Well..." He shifted uncomfortably, then ended up resting his elbows on his knees. He let his head rest in his palms as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I really like (f/n), but I don't know how to express my feelings to her. She's so beautiful, and her personality is amazing, and her laugh just makes me feel... anyway, how do I tell her that without sounding like a complete idiot?" He finished, looking over to Armin.

"Why are you asking me, why not Connie or something?" Armin asked, curious to see his reasonings.

"Connie's just lucky that Sasha likes his stupidity. You're smart Armin, I thought you could help me think of something." Jean said, with a smirk.

Shock dusted Armin's face as he stared at the usually kept-to-himself guy. He had never heard Jean admit something like this to anybody. "Have you tried actually talking to her?" he asked.

"No Armin, of course not." Jean said, sarcasm sliding through his words. "Every time I try, I end up making some sort of excuse that I have to go, or some stupid pickup line."

Armin hummed in thought as he stared out his window. He was quiet for a few moments, before jolting suddenly. "I have an idea!" He said, turning back to a desperate looking Jean. "What about a poem? Like, express your feelings through poetic words."

"Poem?" Jean asked, staring at Armin. "I can't come up with lovey-dovey shit like that."

"You came to me for help in the first place, didn't you?" Armin asked, standing up from the sofa. He walked over to a drawer, and pulled out some paper and a pencil. He walked back over and sat down with his back against the armrest so he sat facing Jean.

"Okay, so, how do you feel when you're around her?" Armin asked.

"Why do I have to tell you that?" Jean said, face suddenly becoming red.

"You have to express your true feelings so she knows you're being completely truthful to her. You don't want to say something fake and stupid." Armin said, resting the paper against his propped up knees.

"Well if you ask me, she makes the titan in my pants get taller-"

"No! Jean, no pickup lines. You said yourself that they're stupid, and we both know that she hates them." Armin cut him off, throwing a piece of balled up paper at him. Jean muttered under his breath, but reluctantly nodded.

"Tell me how she makes you feel." Armin said, holding his pencil at the ready.

"Well...."

*Time Skip To The Next Day! God I'm Eating Oreos And Killing My Throat. Oreos, Be Nice!*

You were walking back from dinner, heading towards your room. Sasha and Connie had a weird conversation about who would last the longest without food. That's how World War Food started, and now the both of them were fasting. Jean was surprisingly quiet the entire time, only giving you a few glances every once in a while.

You were suddenly jolted awake from your thoughts as you were slammed into the wall. "Ow! What the hell?!" You said, voice muffled from your face being pressed against the cool stone.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to run into you so hard." A voice said from behind you. Jean.

"Jean what do you want?" You asked, turning around to meet his amber eyes. You didn't just have to look up, but also has to tip up your head a bit to give him a glare.

"I need to talk to you." He said, voice a hushed whisper.

"Why are you whispering?" You asked, voice loud and clear. His hand came up and clamped itself on your mouth. "Jean!" You screamed inside the hand.

"Shhhh, please just follow me." He whispered, bending down so his forehead was almost touching yours. The glare you were giving him slowly melted away, and you weren't sure you could force it back. You nodded slowly, and let his warm hand slide off your face, only to take your wrist gently. You followed him down some stairs, and you ended up in another hallway, much more quieter than the one you were previously in, and a bit dimmer.

He pressed you up against the wall, putting his forearm on one side of your head, and keeping his other hand against the opposite side of your head. "Jean what are you-"

"Let me talk, please." He said. "I swear there aren't any pickup lines." He added, seeing your skeptical look. You finally nodded. He glanced behind his shoulder, then stared at his shoes, heaving a big sigh before looking back up to meet your gaze.

"(f/n)," He started, running a hand through his hair before replacing it back to the side of your head. "When I first met you, I thought you were just some hard-headed girl who was not even going to make it far into the Military. But after getting to know you, I understand now that there is so much more to you." He stepped closer so your chest brushed his. "Beautiful is a dim word to describe you. Your (e/c) eyes light up whenever you find something interesting, or something worth tossing over in your mind. Your (h/c) hair shines underneath the moonlight whenever you're taking one of those midnight strolls of yours."

"Jean..." You breathed out, staring up into his amber eyes. He pressed a finger against your lips before continuing.

"Your smile is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The way your lips slowly form into a playful smile, or a meaningful one, and your laugh... Your laugh is the sound of a thousand instruments playing to a melody. Your not just beautiful on the outside though, but on the inside too. You are in fact hard-headed, but in a good way, because you're smart too. You know how to make a good joke, and how to comfort someone when they're down. You may just be the kindest person I've met, but at the same time, the toughest. Back on that expedition, when everyone died, I saw you crying and, I just wanted to kiss all of your tears away, and I realized..." He paused, and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear. "I love you..."

You felt something trickle down your cheek as you stared up into the eyes of someone who had cared about you all this time, but you'd been too blind to see it. "Jean..." You said, the name almost coming out as a breath. He took his finger away from your lips, and stared at the spot where the tear trickled down your face. He slowly bent down, and pressed his lips against the soft skin of your cheek, making the tear disappear. His lips were warm and gentle, but a little rough. Before he got a chance to move away, you turned your head so his lips connected with yours.

He seemed surprised, because he stopped, and his lips were still. You brought your hand up to the back of his neck, and one to run through his hair. You had never realized how much you wanted this, how much you longed for his body to be pressed up against yours, or for his lips to be moving with a rhythm to yours. You felt another tear go down your face, as you thought about how he had to hold in his feelings this whole time, only because he didn't know how to express them. He quickly shifted away from your face and kissed that tear away as well, only to come back and lock his lips on yours once again. He held on to your waist with one hand, and slipped his fingers into your hair with the other. You felt him smile against you before pulling away.

"You have to admit though, some of those pickup lines were hilarious." He said with a chuckle, his forehead pressed against yours. You laughed, staring up into his beautiful amber eyes that held so much emotion in them. He pressed you close to him, so your head was against his chest. After a while of you two standing there in silence, embracing each other, you spoke up.

"Jean?"

"Yes?"

"... I love you too..."