𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 - BRAUN, R.

·  ·  ·  · 𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙀𝙉

   The streets of Liberio were bustling with the citizens who inhabited the internment camp. Today was the festival that was supposed to take place before the head of the Tybur family was to give out his speech to the people of Liberio along with other people who have traveled to listen to his speech.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the event. You had never seen so many smiles in one given area, usually so many of these people would carry dull expressions during your time there three years ago. Fortunately none of these people knew you.

Not one moment did your heart stop pounding in the cavern of your chest. Each time you looked up you feared that you'd see one of them again. Pieck had already seen you but you didn't know if she would recognize you or not.

Suddenly you felt a shoulder brush against the back of your fedora. You turned your head slightly, frozen in shock. But it was only Jean. At first you couldn't recognize him because he wore his fedora so low over his eyes you could barely see them.

He motioned his head over to the small empty alleyway just ahead of you. He wore a blank expression on his face, tucking the newspaper he held beneath his armpit.

You internally sighed and hit yourself on the back of your head with an imaginary pan. After five minutes you met up with him in the alleyway where not a single citizen was in sight. Everyone was too busy enjoying the festival.

Without waiting for you to utter a single word he pressed his finger against your shoulder making you face towards him. You blinked your eyes in shock letting your jaw fall open.

"You saw something didn't you? From ten feet away I could see your hands trembling whenever you picked something up." He pulled the front of his hat down and leaned against the wall, flipping the newspaper open.

"What?" Of course Jean saw. You sputtered out, putting your hands up in defense. "I'm not trembling. I'm perfectly fine." You weren't.

A few days back you witnessed him loading a gun up. It was pointed at his head. When you peeked through the opening that shed light into the dimmed room you hoped that your eyes were deceiving you. They clearly weren't.

Reiner fumbled with the bullet shell before inserting it. He lost so much weight compared to the last time you saw him. He had also managed to grow a stubble. You couldn't really see his full face since he was faced the other direction the entire time.

Tears immediately pooled your eyes as you bit down on your lower lip just to fight the urge to call his name. You silently walked away before anyone could catch you.

"Bullshit." He heaved a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes, lowering the paper in front of his face to look at you. "Just don't make it too obvious. Someone might end up asking you if you're okay." Jean pushed himself off the wall and pointed over towards the far end of the alleyway. "I'm heading that way. So go the other way. We'll continue this conversation when we get out of here."

You let your gaze drop to the ground. Staying still in the same spot, listening as his footsteps grew further and further. You inhaled sharply and bit your tongue. The metallic taste that settled in your mouth was almost enough to make you gag. But you swallowed hard just to fight that urge.

In no time you were back in the open where all eyes were on you. You hesitantly stopped at a stall and let yourself pick up a newspaper, dropping a single coin to pay for the expenses. The man who ran the stall cleared his throat in response, letting you be on your own way.

You hid your face behind the paper as you entered a bigger crowd of people. A busy intersection that led to more stalls filled with trinkets and tempting foods. The smell of different foods wafting through the air was enough to make your stomach grumble quietly.