𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒚𝒑𝒔𝒆 | 𝙹𝚎𝚊𝚗/𝙴𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

|07|

It's the first morning in a while that you've been able to wake up on your own. Jean isn't shaking you and commanding that you get dressed and packed so you can head out on another days worth of walking in treacherous heat.

Your arms stretch out to your sides as you yawn and you bring your knees up from the bed with a groan. The bed isn't the most comfortable, but it's better than the floors you've been sleeping on.

You slide out of your covers and rub away the bags under your eyes while also clearing them of any muck that built up over the night.

It's light outside, but you have no idea what time it is and you don't really care either. You have no motivation to find this prison today, what-so-ever. You can't handle anymore disappointment.

The door to the room you're in is rather heavy and it takes all the strength in your achey muscles to pull it open and allow yourself to exit.

"Mornin sleeping beauty," Jean stands at the window facing the city with a can in his hands. He turns and faces you with a cringed face. "Oh...never mind."

Your eyes narrow into a glare. "Fuck off, prick."

He chuckles and the sound awakens your heart, causing it to sing in your chest. You swallow your smile and sit down at the table, bringing your knees up to your chest and your toes curl over the edge of the seat.

"What's on the agenda today?" You mutter tiredly.

Jean leans against the wall and crosses his ankle over the other and folds his arms, the can still in his grasp.

"Well we should either find supplies or find the prison. Up to you."

It's not that you don't want to find the prison, it's that you don't know if you can keep chasing after something that doesn't exist. A safe place? As if.

Nowhere is safe.

"The lack of zombies is alarming. I've been watching the streets and have seen nothing alive or dead," Jeans eyes cast to his right where another window is located. "But nonetheless, that means it'll be easy to find rations. So whatever you want to do, we'll do."

You hate that he's leaving the decision up to you. The last few days you've enjoyed him making the decisions for the both of you and you being along for the ride. But you appreciate his efforts to make you two seem like equals.

"Fuck it, let's find the prison," you let your head fall back and your eyes close. "Might as well...right?"

Jean hums a response.

"Fruit cocktail?"

Your eyes flicker open and your head falls back into place and you see Jean gesturing out the can to you. With a weak smile, you take hold of the can and begin to take out fruit. 

~

You're all packed up and ready to move out.

"From what I've seen on the city map down at the front desk, the prison isn't too far from here. If we go straight through the city, it's on the outskirts north of here," Jean states. "We'll be there before five."

You nod and follow him out the front door. He stops abruptly and you run into his backpack, muffling your grunt.

"What the hell," you frown.

He looks back at you, "I'm just making sure it's clear before we go out."

You take a step back and allow Jean to do his thing and once he is confident you're in no danger, he leads you out onto the empty street.