Jean wakes Risa up. She's not a morning person at all. Since he's usually the big spoon, he'll casually kiss the back of her neck or her shoulders
who cooks for who
Risa usually, especially after she retires. Marco's mom shows her how to cook certain things.
who is the morning person/night person
Jean's more of a morning person, Risa's more of a night person.
who is the romantic one
Jean, he'll bring Risa home flowers or chocolates when he comes back from longer missions. He also knows when to fill the bathtub and sprinkle in a few rose pedals
who is the top when it comes to sex
They take turns actually
who would lead in ballroom dancing
Jean has two left feet, Risa earned a ballet solo when she danced at Karanese. She had to teach Jean how to dance before the wedding.
who is the more cuddly one
Probably Risa, but Jean's always up for it.
who is the one to most likely pick the movie they watch
Risa, and they watch either Miracle or Finding Nemo
Risa's eyes snapped open. She was shaking and sweating, and her body felt as if she had just run a marathon. It had been Jean's voice that snapped her back to reality. Sure it was just a dream but it was also incredibly realistic and a scenario that was entirely plausible given their positions.
She rolled over so that she was facing him and buried her face in his chest. Hands gripping at his shirt, her sobs were somewhat muffled by the fabric.
"Jean," she choked out. "It was bad. It was really bad."
Title: I didn't come up with one...oops
Rating: G
Wordcount: 1057
Cassie belongs to petite-cavaliere and is used with permission from the mun
Risa had been married a few years and after much talk and planning, she and Jean decided to start having children. Ultimately, it meant that Risa would have to retire from the Scouting Legion which is why they decided to wait. It had to have been destiny which sidelined Risa from the Legion after a gear malfunction nearly broke her spine. By some miracle, the damage wasn’t too severe but after that she sat Jean down and told him it was time.
Delivery went as smoothly as it could be. Risa had screamed every profanity ever invented and then created some new ones. She cursed Jean out at least twice and nearly strangled him but once the baby was delivered she calmed down.
They decided to name her Mia, a nice simple name that wouldn’t piss anyone off for not naming her after them. Holding the baby close to her chest, Risa was in awe. Jean sat down on the bed next to her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. He couldn’t believe it either, there were silent tears streaming down his face as he kissed the side of Risa’s head.
Their happy family moment was cut short when Jean had received word that the Scouting Legion needed to mobilize the next day. He tried to argue and pulled the family emergency card but the matter was too urgent. Commander Smith needed him. Even though his wife and newborn daughter needed him more, Jean had to go.
Risa decided that for Mia’s sake, she needed help but everyone she would turn to would be heading out on the mission. Being alone with a child this small scared her, more so than facing the titans did. It took her a few moments but then she realized that there was someone who could help her. Her friend Cassie was a high lady in Wall Sina. When Risa needed help with the wedding plans, Cassie was right there. Surely if Cassie herself couldn’t help with the baby, she would know someone who could.
She arrived at the manor on the verge of a panic attack, holding the baby tight to her chest. Every other time she had visited Cassie, Risa was the picture of a perfect soldier but now was different. Cassie didn’t say anything about that. As soon as Risa said the words “I need help” Cassie answered making sure both baby and mother were taken care of.
Risa ended up staying at Cassie’s place for the week the mission had taken place. The midwife and the nanny were both excellent, showing Risa all the tiny little mothering things. Cassie had even consulted the journal her mother had kept when she was a baby which helped more than Risa could imagine. Risa was incredibly grateful for all the help especially when the nanny would take the baby for a few hours to let Risa take a bath or nap.
On the eve of their return, Commander Smith had received word that Kirschstein’s wife had taken up lodging at his in-laws’ place. He passed word onto Jean as the soldier had been fretting ever since the mission had started. Many of the older soldiers offered advice and congratulations but Jean wouldn’t sit still until he could be with his wife and child.
Once the mission had ended, the Commander had taken Jean to his manor. It was late afternoon and baby Mia had been put down for a nap. After taking a shower, Risa decided to lie down for a bit as well. The announcement had gone through the manor that the Commander had returned and that he had a guest with him. The usual preparations were made and upon their arrival the maids asked Jean if there was anything they could do. His answer was short and curt.
“I want to see my wife and daughter.”
With a nod of approval from Commander Smith, the maid stepped forward and led Jean to the guest wing where Risa and Mia had been staying. She opened the door to the bedroom and pressed a finger to her lips. Quietly, Jean slipped into the room and nodded at the maid who closed the door quietly behind him.
Jean walked over to the bassinette where baby Mia was currently sleeping. He smiled warmly at her, his heart swelling with pride as he pressed a kiss to his two fingers before gently placing them on the baby’s forehead.
His attention shifted to his wife who was tangled up in the sheets, clutching a pillow to her chest. Upon closer inspection, Jean realized that Risa was wearing one of his shirts. He chuckled quietly to himself, carefully sitting on the bed next to her. He brushed her hair out of her face, and leaned down to kiss her cheek, his lips lingering a bit longer as he took in the sweet smell of her hair.
She stirred a bit, her eyes cracking open. It took a second for her brain to process what was happening but once she realized that Jean was back, she wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close. He was warm and familiar and Risa had missed him terribly.
“Jean,” she mumbled, burying her face in his chest. She relaxed almost instantly in his embrace, hearing his heart beating steadily underneath his ribs. “Baby you’re back.”
“I am,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. “I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. Go back to sleep, love.”
Risa would have tried to argue but she was too tired to even try. She merely nodded as Jean shifted to pull her closer and cover them both with the blanket. She fell back asleep quickly as Jean lazily dragged his fingers over her back. Once she was settled, he closed his eyes as well falling into an easy sleep now that he was reunited with his family.
"Hey babe, today was a bit rough. I decided to call it a day early at the office." Jean announced as he walked into their home. He pulled his jacket off and threw it casually over the sofa before collapsing like a rag doll onto it.
"Good thing I made enough for two cups," Risa called from the kitchen pouring two mugs of tea. She handed one to Jean and sat down next to him, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "Welcome home baby."
Prompt: Send my character some seriously bad news to see them go through the five stages of grief about it.
Huh-its-jean said: Jean is MIA
When the officer knocks on the door, Risa brushes it off merely assuming it was one of the neighbors coming to drop off something they had borrowed ages ago. Busy in the kitchen, Risa preps the meat and vegetables for the night’s meal and sends Mia to answer the door. She is now 7 and old enough to have such a responsibility. The next words the child speaks would be what shatter her mother completely.
“Mommy, someone from the Scouting Legion’s at the door.”
It’s Armin, a dear friend of Risa’s since they were trainees. She hasn’t seen him since retiring from the Legion to raise her two children and the look on his face clearly that he wasn’t here to make pleasantries. Risa feels her stomach drop. He’s here about Jean.
“Risa,” he says and though he’s probably trying to keep his voice firm, she can hear it waver and knows very well what he is about to say. “I’m so sorry Risa. The last mission, there were complications. Jean’s MIA beyond the walls and presumed dead.”
Risa slams the door in his face. Jean will be home in a few hours.
Anger
The hours turn into days which slowly progress into weeks. Risa makes excuses and dodges the questions when Mia and Marco ask.
“Where’s daddy?”
“Daddy had to stay late at work sweetheart.”
“Mommy, when’s daddy coming home?”
“Any day now love.”
When she can find someone to watch the kids, she’s marching right up to the Scouting Legion Headquarters and demanding answers out of the Commander. It’s not as if she didn’t have her own opinions about the situation, five years and humanity has reclaimed Wall Maria and is in the process of building a fourth wall. It’s stupid, unnecessary, and has taken more lives than needed. Now Jean is just part of those numbers.
The plate Risa is currently drying falls to the ground and shatters. That’s how badly her hands are shaking. Mia is sitting at the table, working on a drawing of sorts and Marco is probably out in the yard harassing the animals.
“Mommy are you ok?”
“Mia, go find your brother,” Risa snaps. Great, now she is taking out on Mia. Sensing her mother’s frustration, Mia leaves quickly and leaves her things behind. Risa looks down at the plate she had been holding. They were ugly anyway.
Bargaining
If only I had stayed in the Legion with him
If only I hadn’t retired
If only I had gone out
If only…
By now Marco and Mia start to realize that daddy’s not coming home. There’s only a few more weeks until it’s declared official and Risa can collect his pension. She remembers all those years ago, before they were even engaged. Jean had listed her as his beneficiary. Risa’s starting to realize it now too. Jean’s not coming back and she’s lucky if they even found a body to bury.
Planning a funeral isn’t as fun as planning a wedding.
Depression
Aunt Jen, Aunt Hanji and Aunt Cassie are over frequently as Risa can barely take care of herself, let alone her children. Aunt Cassie makes sure that Marco and Mia are fed and bathed and they love her however they always interrogate her about mommy. Cassie distracts them by telling them stories about when she used to dance with Risa when they were younger. Mia puts two and two together and realizes that her favorite bedtime story, the one about the dancing princess and the grumpy prince is actually Jean and Risa’s story.
Jen resorts to her usual tactics to get Risa out of it. The widow hadn’t left her bed for days. Jen tired everything, shaking the mattress, pulling off the sheets but Risa just laid there, devoid of any emotion. She cries sometimes and often late at night after the kids are asleep and everyone else has gone home.
It gets to a point where Jen is fed up with Risa’s antics and more or less gives up and that’s when Hanji takes over. The older woman has been at it longer and recognizes Risa’s symptoms better than Jen did. Hanji encourages little daily victories to get Risa through the day.
“You got out of bed and got dressed! That’s awesome!”
“Look at you washing dishes!”
“Hell yeah, Risa you make that sandwich!”
Hanji gets Marco and Mia involved as well and soon Risa’s got her own little cheering squad to get her through the day. Though Marco and Mia don’t know the entirety of the situation, their concern for Risa temporarily outweighs their need to know about daddy.
Acceptance
It’s been a month since Armin showed up on the doorstep. Slowly, Risa’s getting back into a routine. She’s taking care of herself and the children, tending to various farm chores and keeping herself busy.
Hanji comes running up to Risa as she’s tending to the chickens and collecting eggs for breakfast. Hanji looks elated.
“They found Jean,” she says her face beaming. “He’s pretty banged up and severely dehydrated but he’s alive.”
Risa drops the basket and throws her arms around Hanji, uncontrollably sobbing into the older woman’s jacket. Hanji smiles softly and pats Risa on the back.
~*~*~
The kids stay with Aunt Cassie for a few days while Risa makes the trek over to the military hospital just inside of Wall Sina. She’s always hated the hospital and now is no different.
“Risa Kirschstein,” she says when the lady at the desk asks for her name. They give her a pass and a room number and she heads up the stairs. Her heart is racing in her chest. It’s been nearly a month since she’s seen him and who knows what he’s been through.
The door is open when she arrives and Armin’s already there. Jean is covered in bruises in various states of healing but his face lights up the moment he sees her. Risa rushes over, tears spilling from her eyes as she hugs him, careful to avoid hugging him too tightly. She feels him wrap his arms around her and he’s sobbing into her shoulder. They stay like this for a while, holding each other and crying, occasionally reassuring the other that everything’s ok.
Jean wipes away Risa’s tears as she settles next to him, her arm wrapped firmly across his waist. She’ll stay up all night if she has to, just to prove it’s not a dream. Jean holds her close, kissing the top of her head every so often.
Risa tells him that she’ll bring the kids tomorrow and Jean smiles again. They’re going to be elated.
Risa falls asleep in Jean’s arms and Jean follows suit shortly after. It’s past visiting hours but the nurse doesn’t even bother to wake them. She merely shuts the light and closes the door.
The family’s back together and Risa couldn’t be happier.
Risa was actually quite nervous. In the midst of all the wedding planning (having Cassie help was certainly making things a hell of a lot easier), the blonde was faced with a new challenge: teaching her fiance to dance.
She had managed to clear out a space at the Scouting Legion's headquarters that was big enough to learn something simple. Dressed in her usual dance attire of black leggings and a pink cardigan over a white sports bra, Risa rocked back and forth on her heels waiting for Jean to arrive.
In all the years they've known each other, and had been together, Jean had never seen her dance. That made her more nervous than teaching him.
