Chapter Text
Marco leaned back, attempting to rest his head against the wooden backing of the pew-like seating he occupied, squashed between two other students. With his eyes closed, he tried to block out the sounds of the Head detailing Orientation Week, tried to block out the hushed murmurs of eager students tightly packed around him, tried to block out everything.
He had little success as he was jolted to full consciousness as the two strangers to his sides abruptly stood up. Shit, he breathed out and peeled his eyes open. Hundreds of students shuffled alongside him, lining up in rows that made little sense to him. Lost, he looked around, peering at the daunting auditorium with the high ceiling, and students with equivalent self-esteem.
“Oi, you’re in Hall Orange, get a move on.” Marco turned to see a blank faced boy looking up at him. Seemingly short for his age, his shaved head and bright eyes made him look younger than he probably really was.
“You slow or somethin’?” The boy chortled, raising thin eyebrows, a smirk hiding behind his expressionless image. Marco shook his head quickly, and turned and started to walk off.
“This way.” The boy grabbed his uniform sleeve and pulled him into line. “Luckily you’re Orange like me. Most people wouldn’t bothered directin’ newbies to their hall.” Marco blushed heavily and stammered out a jumbled mess that resembled something between an apology and thanks.
“Connie, Connie Springer.” The shorter male, Connie said, ducking into line a few spots behind him. Marco forced a smile but the boy had already blended into the crowd.
So much for staying low, Marco thought, looking at his feet. The line began moving and Marco, brushing his short brown hair out of his face, looked up and followed the line sheepishly.
“Marco Bodt right?” The Student Leader queried, not looking up from his clipboard. Marco nodded quickly, sensing he would be doing so a lot. He quickly sputtered out a “Yes”, noticing the Student Leader showed no interest in looking away from his page.
“You’re in Room D3, fill out this form, it should have your roommate listed.” The student leader droned on, looking up from the page from behind bug like glasses and at Marco who stared back nervously. The wide, bug-like guy scrunched his brow, peering at Marco through his glasses and sighed.
“I imagine you’re new here right?” He probed.
“You’re imagining right,” Marco muttered, twisting his face at the reminder.
“Listen kid- Marco- You’ve got nothing to worry about for a week, just learn your schedule, get on good terms with your roommate and starting classes should be a breeze.” He said, pushing his glasses up his nose. He lightly punched Marco on the shoulder and turned to the door. “See ya around kid.”
Marco stared after him as he disappeared out the door, seemingly in a hurry.
The pit in Marco’s stomach hadn’t disappeared, unlike the student leader. He had felt uncomfortable since walking up the steps to Stohess Academy. He had more reasons than the number of fingers on his hands and the freckles on his face to not want to be there. He didn’t do well with change and his reaction to change made him a nervous wreck, which was apparent to nearly everyone.
“I’m just asking to be picked on.” He growled under his breath. He stood in the slowly emptying hall, with form in hand and sighed.
I might as well get it over with, he resolved, biting his cheek. He gripped his papers firmly and made his way down the hall.
He pushed on the door to D3, getting increasingly more nervous and the seconds passed. The door didn’t budge. He reached for the handle only for the door to swing outward. He stumbled back, avoiding the door and falling on the ground.
A large shape crossed his vision as something fell onto him, pinning him to the floor. Struggling to get up, Marco tilted his head, confused, and tried to recollect himself.
“Who the fuck built this stupid boarding school?!”
The deep growl came from the person who seemed to have fallen on him.
Marco stared at the tall, lanky boy semi-crushing him to death. His hair was nearly angry and rebellious as his attitude, a short dirty blond cut over trimmed sides. The boy met Marco’s gaze and glared back, his light brown eyes looking him up and down.
“I, uh- ” Marco started, but the boy bounced back, springing onto his feet, face obviously burning.
“Sorry about that.” The boy said, looking down rubbing his neck, his expression vastly softened.
“It’s my fault, honestly I-” Marco tried to start again.
“Don’t worry about it.” The boy cut him off rotating his body and feeling his back and cursing heavily. The scent of alcohol filled the air and Marco raised his eyebrows, still on the ground, more curious than nervous.
Connie, the short boy from earlier stuck his head out the door of D3 and groaned.
“Dammit Jean, you’ve had that bottle for a matter of seconds and you still find a way to screw thing up.”
“Shut up shortie.” Jean growled, shrugging his bag off, peering up and down the hall.
“Another bottle will cost extra, it’s my last one.” Connie went on, rolling his eyes. Connie looked down to see Marco, still sprawled on the ground observing the scene.
“Oh!” Connie blurted. “Hey freckles.”
Marco blushed. Freckles? He had been dubbed that nickname since grade school.
Jean cradled his bag and shuffled back into D3.
“You know this guy?” He asked, peering back over his shoulder at Marco. Connie nodded in affirmative and looked back at Jean.
“Well get up off the floor and get in here quickly, you must be my new roommate.” Connie said, not looking at Marco but motioned with one hand in the doorway.
What have I gotten myself into? Marco wondered, staring at the semi-open door. He sat up, brushing his hair down with his palms. The door swung open, nearly hitting him again. Jean stood in the door way, looking as sheepish as Marco had moments earlier. He extended his palm and grinned.
“Sorry about that, honestly.” Marco returned the grin, the smile coming naturally this time, and took Jeans hand and pulled himself up.
“Get in here and shut the door.” Connie hissed, seemingly wiping down the backpack Jean had been wearing earlier. Marco entered the room fully, standing behind Jean and taking in his new home.
His dorm was a decent size, large enough to accommodate a bunk bed with two desks sitting side by side and a rather large looking closet door (which Marco hoped also meant a large closet). His suitcases sat in the corner, next to the unmade bottom bunk.
“Dude, could you just cover me this time?” Jean pleaded, which seemed out of character despite being someone Marco had just met.
“No dude, I’ve got my own stuff, find your own or go dry, I could care less.” Connie snorted. He looked Marco up and down. “I chose the top bunk, if that’s alright with you.” He didn’t wait to hear Marco response but turned back to Jean and began going on about Jean’s ‘consistent ability to fuck things up on a regular basis’.
Marco moved around them, unpacking his clothes, bedding and personals.
“Whatever.” Jean huffed, scowling at Connie. “Ymir will just let me mooch off of her drinks.”
“She’s too nice to you.” Connie muttered, scowling back. “And Christa, while we’re on the topic.”
“It pays to be nice.” Jean said haughtily, and pranced around Connie to exit the room.
“You? Nice? Don’t make me laugh!” Connie called down the hall.
Marco sat on the bottom bunk, pretty much figuring out the situation. Connie tossed the soaked backpack in the furthest corner of the room and slumped into one of the desks.
“Sorry about that Freckles. Jean’s a handful.” He said dismissively.
“Marco- Marco Bodt.” Marco grumbled.
“Sure, sure Freckles.” Connie looked at Marco’s suitcases. “Ya know you don’t have to worry about setting stuff up on the first day right? C’mon, relax. What are you up to tonight?”
And that’s how Marco found himself at a party. He stood outside the door next to Connie, hesitantly. He’d never been to an actual party before and realized it was a mistake telling Connie so.
“You’re coming along.” Connie had reasoned definitively earlier.
“I won’t know anyone.” Marco had groaned in response, having no real argument.
“Nope.”
“But-”
“Nope.” Connie spun around in the chair plugging in his ears.
“Connie.” Marco pleaded, slouching against the bunk.
“Nopeeeee.”
Marco turned to Connie who gestured with his head towards the door.
“Do you know how to knock?” Connie joked, staring at Marco’s hovering hand.
“Cut it out,” Marco pushed back the feeling in his stomach. “Baldie.” Connie squinted up at him and shook his head.
“I do the nicknames. Not you. Knock, Freckles.”
Marco brought his hand down only to find it hitting plastic.
“FUCK!” A boy with short black hair and the expression of a wolf stood at the door with a hand in midair and his drink on the floor. Marco brought his hand down, realizing he had knocked the drink from the boy’s hand.
The boy stepped up to Marco, looking him up and down. Connie took this time to slip past them and into the party. Thankfully more figures emerged and the angry looking boy was dragged away.
Marco stood outside the door, took a deep breath, still startled from the moment earlier, and stepped in, swinging the door behind him.
The apartment belong to a friend of a friend of Connie’s and Marco immediately felt out of place. The living room was packed tightly and Connie was nowhere to be seen. Marco skirted the edge of the group and slouched down onto the couch, watching the party mildly interested.
“-Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s never been to Stohess Academy before.” Marco perked up at Connie’s voice and looked to see a good half of the group staring right at him.
“FRECKLES!” Jean barged through the kitchen and plopped down beside him, the plastic cup in his hand dangerously swishing around. A giggle came from Marco’s other side and he turned to see a petite blonde girl covering her mouth and smiling.
“Jean, calm down, you’re the only drunk one here.” She laughed and looked over at the angry boy from earlier, who was hunched in the corner with a few others talking loudly. “Besides Eren, of course.”
“YMIR’S DRUNK.” A tall girl, with her hair pulled into a ponytail shuffled over belligerently and pulled the girl from her seat.
“Ymir, put Christa down.” Connie said, as the small blond girl looked horrified at how easily the taller girl spun her through the air.
Jean leaned over to Marco as he took in everything happening around him.
“Hey, hey. You’re new here, right?” Jean asked, raising a thin eyebrow mischeviously.
“Yeah, more or less.” Marco stammered. Jean snorted, laughing heavily.
“More or less, haha! I like your spunk guy, come on.” And he pulled Marco from the couch to the kitchen.
Spunk? Marco thought as he was being guided by the drinks and snacks.
“Pick your poison.” Jean said, throwing an arm around Marco. “Go on.”
Marco looked from the bottles to Jean, staring.
Jean’s face turned red and he pulled his arm back.
“I’ve got something on my face, don’t I?!” He slurred, rubbing at his face.
“N-no.” Marco stuttered, looking down.
Jean dropped his arm, looking a bit embarrassed.
“Whatever.” He stuck his hand in his pockets. “You do that quite a lot you know. The staring thing.”
It was Marco’s turn to blush. He looked at Jean and then quickly back down.
“I’m sorry. I’m new here and I’ve never been to boarding school. I’ve never been to a party. I barely know anyone and all I’ve done is get in the way.” Marco pouted.
“Hey, hey! Don’t fret that stuff, everyone starts off new, and you don’t have to drink if you don’t want to; Christa and Mikasa don’t. And I don’t mind that you got in my way.” Jean blabbered, looking towards the party that was carrying on without them.
“Thanks?” Marco said, more of a question than a statement.
“C’mon, let me show you around. Introduce you to people. And stuff.” Jean said, more of an order than an invitation; and to prove this, he literally scooped Marco up and flung him over his shoulder and stomped out into the living room. Everyone collectively groaned at Jean bursting into the living room, shouldering a panicked Marco over his shoulder.
“EVERYONE! MEET FRECKLES!”