Chapter 14

"Then Marco decided to try to outrun me, but fell right into a muddy puddle. He walked home a loser and half covered in mud." Crystal giggles as she sips on her coffee, she got a french vanilla coffee with peppermint and chocolate, then whipped cream on top, "You got a bit of cream on your lip." Jean leans over from his spot next to her and wipes it off with his thumb, she felt her cheeks heat up as he licks his finger clean.

"J-Jean…" She mutters and he drops his goofy smile.

"I've liked you for so long, and I finally have my chance… I don't want to mess it up." Jean admits and she smiles sweetly at him, "I'd… Like to taste your coffee." Jean leans closer, their lips getting close to touching and Crystal blinks in surprise.

"W-Wait-" She mutters and he freezes in his movements, "Won't… You judge me for letting you kiss me so easily?"

"Not a chance." Jean smiles genuinely, and Crystal tenses up as he holds her cheek. Leaning down he locks his lips with hers and she felt her body melting.

His lips tasted like his drink, and she figured she tasted like hers, he pulls away, his face now red.

"I never thought that would ever… Ever happen." Jean breathes, "That… Felt so good." He smiles at her and she smiles back, she wanted experience right?

Reaching up she tugs on his tie, pulling him down into a deeper kiss, she wasn't too sure of what she was doing but she hoped he would take over. Soon his arms wrap around her and at the touch she gasps, his tongue slides in, exploring every inch of her mouth. Breaking away, she felt her cheeks burning really hot.

"Heh. Look at you, you're so cute." Jean smiles, and Crystal giggles, he complimented her a lot. An alarm on his phone goes off, "Let's go. Class is about to start."

Jean and her walk over to the school, hand in hand. As they walk up, she looks to find Levi standing at the open front doors, as if waiting for someone and Crystal gets in close to Jean, who in turn wrapped his arm around her.

"Excuse me." Levi speaks but Crystal keeps walking when Jean tries to stop, "Hey!"

"Sorry." Crystal waves back at him, "Need to get to class." She says coldly and feels almost prideful as his expression falls. She looks forward and as they reach the steps Jean lets her go, she smiles at him before waving goodbye, "I'll see you later, Jean. Stop by my car and we can chat for a bit."

"Yeah! Sure!" Jean shouts nervously and Crystal heads to History, avoiding any prying questions from Armin by pretending she was in a daydream.

As she walks out of computer science Farlan stops her before they exit the building, "What are you doing? I thought you liked Levi!"

"I did." Crystal says simply, "But I was the only one out of us two that had her heart broken. The next day? He treats me like the dirt on his fancy blazer." Crystal says harshly, "I don't know if you thought I'd always be some sweet girl, but honestly? Levi can fuck right off with his bullshit. Simple as that."

"Crystal…" Farlan mumbles, but his grip on her wrist loosens and she walks out of the building to see Jean leaning on the hood of her car.

"Hey!" Jean smiles widely, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Thought we'd get something to eat? You free?"

"For another-?!" Jean shouts happily before composing himself, "I mean, sure but do you know where my house is?"

"No but I have a GPS." Crystal smiles and the two hop into her car, she shoots a side glance to see Levi looking away from them. That's right. She thought, wallow in self pity, asshole.

Turning on her car she drove down the road, "I feel like Wendy's? You?"

"I haven't had Wendy's in forever. Let's do it."

—(Time Skip, lets say… 3 months. That was around August, so… It's now November.)

Crystal shivers as she walks out of the school with Jean in tow, "You want my scarf?" He asks and Crystal shakes her head but she sneezes. Chuckling he takes it off and wraps it around her neck, "I don't need you to get a cold." He kisses her forehead.

They had made it official a week after the coffee date, and Crystal knew that she didn't love him. She definitely cared about him, but her heart never latched on. Although he made her happy, she never made a big fuss over it.

Her and Levi completely stopped talking or even acknowledging each other in the hallways. She never understood what she did wrong, but she knew he was overreacting.

Sitting down in the coffee shop, two hot coffees and a hot pie was put between them as they sat opposite of each other.

"Hm?" Crystal looks at the pie, "What kind of pie is it?"

"You mentioned once in passing that you liked Blueberry pie. So… I got a blueberry pie." Jean smiles sweetly at her and she blushes.

"Awe. Thank you Jean." Crystal uses the spatula they provided to lift a slice up and onto her plate. Handing the spatula to him she digs in happily.

"Heh." Jean chuckles, "You know… I know you don't really have feelings for me." Crystal freezes in her movements and looks at him.

"Jean-"

"You're above excuses, but I'm not upset. I know that you're happy with me and I honestly… Couldn't hope for more."

"Jean… I like you, a lot, as a person." Crystal says softly, "But I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Its okay. This is the kind of relationship you should experience, I'm going to be a stepping stone to your perfect relationship. I just want you to be happy." Jean says softly, reaching over and touching her hand, "You've been the sweetest girlfriend, it's definitely shown me what I'm going to expect from the next one."

"Heh…" Crystal felt tears rolling down her cheeks, "You were good too, Jean. I wish I was a better person… Someone who could fall in love with you. You're a great guy, worthy of someone who loves you." Jean smiles at her and leans across the gap and Crystal closes the distance, kissing him gently.

"Stay with me until the dance tomorrow?" Jean asks softly and Crystal smiles at him.

"Of course." Crystal giggles, "I know its selfish but I don't want this to be over yet. I like my time with you." She says simply and he smiles at her. The two finish the pie and head back to the school, Crystal walks with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Her eyes look at the door to find Levi standing there.

Every time Jean and her left the school, he would be standing there by the time they came back.

"Levi." Jean says harshly, moving himself to block Levi's view of Crystal, "You need to give it up."

"What?" Levi asks and Crystal felt the anger filled air wrap around her throat, Jean was a hot head but he hadn't tried to pick a fight with Levi yet.

"Crystal is my girlfriend now, you should've taken your chance when you had it. You're not fooling anyone, everyone knows you wait at the door to see if Crystal comes back alone. But she won't. Never."

"Tsk. I don't care about her. I'm waiting on Petra to get back with her friends."

"You chose Petra?" Jean growls, "You had a perfect girl right in your grasp and you chose the slut of the school?"

"What the fuck did you call her?" Levi says sharply and Crystal moves between them suddenly.

"Guys stop this. Its immature!" Crystal shouts at Levi, not really directing her anger to Jean.

"He started it-!" Levi goes to shout and Crystal takes Jean's hand.

"Jean is a hot head. You arguing back is immature." Crystal pulls Jean in and Jean fights to go back to him, "Come on, babe. Stop it."

"But Crystal-!" Jean goes to shout but Crystal pulls him hard, bringing his face to her level, kissing him deeply.

"Please. Just leave it be." Crystal says as she pulls away, and Jean blushes as he looks at her, "I'm yours. I'm not concerned with Levi anymore." She touches his cheek softly, and smiles as he leans into the touch.

"It just pisses me off. I know the sight of him still upsets you, you don't really show it but it's obvious. He broke your heart and he has the audacity to act like he cares if you come back or not."

"I'm not dumb… I know everyone thinks that way towards him. But I'm over it, the only thing that upsets me is how he treated me after he hurt me." 

"Right." Jean sighs, "You're a forgiving soul, Crystal… You're so good…" Crystal smiles softly before heading up the stairs for History, she remembered that tomorrow at the dance she had the chance to sing as entertainment.

Pulling out her notebook as she sits down beside Armin, he smiles at her.

"How was lunch?"

"It was good. That coffee shop is yummy." Crystal giggles, "Jean got me a blueberry pie too."

"He seems to be behaving himself with you." Armin smiles, "I'm glad, it's a good first relationship for you."

"Oh yeah. He's really sweet and he cares about me." Crystal says softly, and Armin pats her shoulder. As the classes go by in a blur, she yawns as she walks out of computer science, all the girls gossiping about the Winter fairytale dance tomorrow.

Crystal closes her eyes as she clutches Jean's scarf around her neck when the wind blew against her face, as her eyes reopen she gasps audibly at the sight of someone leaning on her car hood.

"Levi?" Crystal manages out as she approaches cautiously, and he looks up at her.

"What happened to us…?" Levi asks quietly, "You don't talk to me anymore."

"I tried, remember? You told me not to talk to you anymore. I'm only doing as you told me." Crystal says sharply, and he flinches at her tone, "Now, if you don't mind, I have a dance to prepare for with Hange."

"... Right." Levi gets off her hood and walks off, Crystal was only being honest. Every time she tried he would shoot her down, telling her to leave him alone. She was only doing what he told her to do.

Getting inside her Porsche she puts on the songs she had recorded, "Summer after highschool when we first met, We'd make out in your mustang to radio head." Crystal sings with the music as she drives home, the sad tune mending her hurt feelings.