𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝒾 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹 - coriolanus snow

'be careful okay?'

warnings: leaving? losing a friend. also this one's like really sad. 

A second ago Elsie was joyous, walking the streets of District Twelve. She had her perfect life, her perfect man, her perfect job. She could feel the eyes on her though, she could hear the hushed whispers and she could see mothers moving their children away from her. She held back her tears, she gave everything to make sure everything stayed perfect. She felt the crisp wind on her skin and the small hairs on her arms pricked up to form hundreds of goosebumps. She didn't care about who knew about her and Coriolanus, she couldn't be bothered to. She felt melted whenever he said her name, whenever he touched her, whenever he came up from behind her and grabbed her hips. She was lost in her thoughts but for the first time they weren't making her terrified to breathe. 

Elsie felt the grip of somebodies hand wrap around her forearm and her heart rate spiked. She could feel her head pounding as she almost tripped over her feet as somebody pulled her to the side suddenly. The grip felt familiar as she looked to see who had just grabbed her arm and she met the eyes of him. Coriolanus' face was not one of happiness, not like hers. He held a sort of serious gaze as he looked at her, his eyebrows slightly furrowing. 

"Coryo?" She was slightly out of breath, "You scared me." She didn't smile, she could tell he didn't want that. He stayed completely silent as he studied her, his sky blue eyes looking into hers. She desperately searched in them for some sort of answer. "What is it?" She continued as her gaze fell down his entire body. His shirt perfectly fit around his biceps, and his muscles had gotten bigger since the first time she met him. 

"I need to leave," He breathed out finally and Elsie felt her stomach dropped, she could feel the tears prickle the bottoms of her eyes as she looked down, "I overheard the commander talking and he is going to stop at nothing to find out who killed the mayor's daughter. I-" He paused studying her face and his twisting to one of regret, she couldn't meet his eyes. Elsie's heart shattered as soon as the words had left his lips and he had realized how poor his wording was. "No, no Elsie." He quickly said bringing a hand to lift her jaw so his eyes could connect with hers. "Elsie you'll come with me?" He asked her and her eyes hopefully darted to meet his as a small smile crossed her lips and the corners of them upturned. "There she is." She smiled at him and nodded her head.

"Yes." Elsie looked at him, the sensation of her stomach going back to normal left her at ease. She had been hopeless a second ago, she could imagine life without him but it wouldn't be a life. 

"Good. Tonight, we'll meet here okay?" He continued, sharing his thought out plan with her. 

"Tonight. Here. Got it." She could feel her heart beating quickly inside of her as she realized what she was going to do. Her perfect life was gone. Gone for him... and she wouldn't have it any other way. He dropped her face lightly, leaving it to hang without his touch. Elsie watched as he methodically turned to walk away from her, glancing back once as she gazed at him leaving. 

She had been back once. One time since their fight. She had gotten more clothes because she didn't bring anything with her when she left the first time. Her knuckles stung for a second between each knock she made to the door. She didn't know what she'd say, or how she'd go about telling Lucy Gray but she had to. There wasn't anything to say, an unspoken agreement not to talk had fallen between the two of them and everytime Elsie felt herself remember her no longer best friend she felt a small pang eat away at her heart.