𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃; jean k.

chapter 13

^ listen as you read :)

"alright, now that we're here i have a few ideas on what we could do" i ask jean with a smile while he ties his horse onto a nearby fence post.

"why don't we look around first, hotshot?" he jokes while tying the final knot in the rope and patting his horse before walking to my side.

"we can do that too" i reply, "will your horse be okay?".

"trust me, he's built for this kind of stuff" jean replies while we walk together.

"for standing around tied to a fence?" i ask jokingly.

"it's his life's purpose" he shrugs while laughing. as we walk, we finally reach the town's marketplace full of people and different stalls and shops.

"see anything you want to do?" i ask.

"why don't we stop in that shop over there" jean suggests while pointing across the street. the store is stone with thick vines climbing the sides and a glass window with numerous books on display. the two of us walk across the stone brick path and into the shop. the walls are covered in dark wood shelves filled with multicolored books of different shapes and sizes. warmth from the fireplace fills the shop.

"do you read much?" jean asks while scanning the shelves.

"i do my fair share" i shrug with a smile while looking at the leather-covered spines, "oh, i have an idea. how about you pick one for me and i pick one for you".

"okay, but you better pick a good one. i can be pretty picky with books" he replies before we both part ways to shop for each other. instead of trying to find a new book, i instead think of all of the ones i've read and try to pinpoint which one he'd like best. after doing some thinking, i walk over to a shelf on the far wall and locate the navy leather-bonded book.

"done yet?" i ask jean while walking over to him.

"yeah, but that was a lot harder than i thought," he says while scratching his neck with a red book in his other hand." we walk up to the counter and give the clerk our money before leaving the shop.

"okay, let's do the big reveal," i say while speeding up so i can turn around and face the tall brunette, "close your eyes".

"why do i have to close my eyes?" jean asks.

"well its not a surprise if i just hand it to you, now is it?" i say with a smile. he huffs before squeezing his eyes close and holding out his hands in front of him, where i then place the book.

"you can open your eyes now," i say. he opens his eyes and smiles to himself while gazing at the novel,  i think you'll like it, it's a good story".

"thanks," he says with a smile. he then steps closer to me and puts his hand over my eyes to keep me from peeking. i hold out my hands and feel the weight of the book fall into them. "open them". i open my eyes and see the navy-coated book he had chosen in the store. the cover reads something in another language.

"what does this say?" i ask while flashing my teeth.

"it's in french" jean explains, "i wasn't sure what to get you so i got one of my favorites. i know you probably can't read it but i can teach you how". 

"that's so sweet, thank you," i say while flicking through the pages before i notice some white specks fall onto the pages. i look up at the sky and watch as flurries fly down from the grey clouds above.

"crap it's snowing," jean says.

"do you not like the snow?" i ask as i look down from the sky to meet his gaze.

"eh, i've never really been a winter person" he replies, "do you?"

"the snow isn't bad" i say, "it's nice to look at". a strong gust of wind howls through the town and sends a chill down my back.

"let's wait out the snow in there" jean says while nodding his head towards a nearby tavern. we walk in together accompanied by the ring of a small bell and immediately the warmth relieves us from the winter weather. groups of people are gathered by the bar as they take swigs of alcohol from their glasses. i look around the room and find an empty table for us to retreat.

"follow me" i say to jean before walking across the tavern and sitting down at the wooden table.

"nice call" he says while sitting in his seat.

"can i ask you something?" i ask.

"go ahead" he replies.

"how do you know french?" i follow up. 

"my mother taught me when i was a kid. way before the walls and all that my family came from there so it's been passed down" he explains.

"that's so nice, i wish i could speak another language," i say.

"yeah, it has its perks. like, i can swear in front of the captain and he would have no idea" jean says with a smirk.

"and how would that sound?" i ask. he then thinks to himself and clears his throat.

"espèce d'enfoiré, je vais te tuer" he says, "that's what i'd say to eren".

"well, that sounds very badass" i joke before another small bell is heard. i look over jean's shoulder and see a large number of people leaving.

"i guess it stopped snowing" jean says, "we should probably head back now before it comes down harder". i nod in agreement before the two of us head out into the street and relocate jean's horse.

"before we go, i want to say thanks" jean admits stubbornly while looking down at his boots, "i actually had fun".

A/N:

bit of a shorter chapter next chap tho is back to business

also i just now realized that i messed up bc the cadets are supposed to choose which corps they want to go into soon but i already made that happen oops :,)