#and then she keeps her head on violets shoulder as she pulls away so clems chin gets dragged with it like she doesnt want to let go

[spacedlexi]

"sounds nice... having a partner"

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

[didn’t realize you were a scientist]

It’s cold outside so Clementine and Louis cuddle. 

There’s other stuff too but who cares about plot when there’s cuddling to be done. 

[screenshot from @pi-creates​]

 Read on AO3

Winter hit hard and fast. 

Despite their best efforts, many windows within Ericson weren’t fully insulated and boarded up before the first snowfall. Though it seemed luck remained in their favor-- this first snowfall was barely more than a flurry. Still, paired with the harsh winds and gloomy skies, it left everyone scurrying for heavier coats and extra socks to wear as they finished the last preparations for the cold.

Well, everyone besides Louis, who still donned his favorite jacket and tattered, green shirt. Clementine thought maybe he didn’t have anything else until Ruby chewed him out that morning, demanding he go put his other coat on before he gets sick. 

His response was to button up his jacket, then pat Ruby on the head with a smile. Ruby, cheeks flushed red with both annoyance and the cold,  made to punch him in the arm. Louis expected the blow and took it with a snicker, still grinning as she continued to scold him. 

“Maybe you can talk sense into him,” Ruby told Clementine before she walked away. “Sure as hell ain’t listenin’ to me.” 

She could be heard grumbling something about the greenhouse and frozen soil as she made her way towards Aasim, AJ, and Tenn by the gates.

As it turns out, even Clementine couldn’t talk Louis into departing from the jacket in favor of something warmer, though he did eventually do up another button with a “There, okay?” look when she grew sterner with him. Not that it made a difference. 

Once that was settled, Aasim put them in charge of boarding up the remaining dorm windows so that no one would be snowed on tonight. Louis only gave him a little bit of a hard time about it, mostly for his own amusement. Once Aasim was worked up enough, Louis waved him off. 

With a wink in her direction, Louis held out his fist to Clementine.

“Team fun?”

She rolled her eyes but smiled as she connected her fist to his. 

“Team fun.” 

They spent the day bringing in scavenged planks of wood and old, musty blankets no one wanted anymore to board up dorm windows. That was their only task for the day, but a big task at that with eight large windows to cover, which required plenty of nails they had to search every nook and cranny of the basement for.  

Luckily they had each other’s company, which made the work less tedious and the time pass quickly. 

If only the cold hadn’t leaked within the walls of the dorms. While Louis seemed fine working in the chillier environment, only offering an off-hand complaint about it once in a while, Clementine had a harder time. Not only did the cold bother her leg, but it always made her think of when AJ was just a baby, and their time spent at Wellington. Not all awful memories, of course, but for every good memory, many bad ones followed. 

“Did you know that if walkers get cold enough, they stop moving?” she asked him absently when they finished up Violet and Brody’s dorm. 

“I did not know that,” Louis raised a curious brow at her. “And I take it you know that from experience?”

“We lived in a community up north for a while when AJ was just a baby. We got stuck in a storm after our truck ran out of gas and-- well, I had to walk through a bunch of them. They were frozen like statues, and it was snowing so hard that you couldn’t really see them until you almost ran into one. It was…” she trailed off, but Louis seemed to have the idea.

“Terrifying? Eerie?” 

“Yeah, something like that.”

He didn’t push any further.

It was especially cold in Willy’s room-- his window had no glass left in it, allowing plenty of snow to fly in, leaving the floor slippery. The painful wind whipped against their skin as they worked.

It made her hands tremble, which didn’t help Clementine keep the boards straight while Louis nailed them in place. After he asked her if she was okay for the third time since they got there and she assured him through chattering teeth, Louis ran back to his dorm. He came back with a pair of thick gloves, helping her slip them on despite her protests. 

He teased her, clasping both of her gloved hands in his and rubbing warmth into them. She would’ve bitten back with a remark of her own, but she was sure he would’ve let go, so she thanked him instead. 

By the time night fell and they were back in her dorm covering the final window, Clementine’s fingers were sore and stiff from the cold seeping into her gloves. 

Leaning against the frame of her bunk bed with a lit lantern in hand, Clementine watches Louis kneel on the dresser, a couple of nails poking out from between his lips as he hammered away, securing the second to last piece of wood over the window frame. Luckily the wind outside calmed down and the snow stopped, making this window the easiest to secure. 

With him so intently focused on hitting the nails rather than his thumb, Clementine allows her eyes to wander over him without getting caught. 

Not that it’d be a big deal if he caught her staring again, just as it’s not a big deal when she catches him. 

Clementine tugs at her necklace absentmindedly, curling the chain around her finger as she watches him, enjoying the quiet song he’s humming as he works. 

The curve of Louis’ nose shouldn’t be so interesting, she decides, nor should the freckles spreading over his cheeks. And his lips definitely shouldn’t be as interesting as they are. 

Clementine smiles, gripping the small charm dangling from the chain-- a piano key. 

“I want you to wear this. For luck.”

“Really? But--”

“No buts, Clem. When we bring everyone home and we’re all safe and sound, then you can give it back, but until then I want you to wear it.”

Louis shifts uncomfortably, muttering “shit” through his teeth as he moves to sit cross-legged on the dresser. 

“You okay?” 

He spits the nails out, mouth twisted in discomfort.

“My legs are asleep.” 

“Wake them up.”

“Has anyone ever told you how hilarious you are?”

“Every day.” 

Louis smiles at her, giving a little shake of his head. Glancing down at her leg, he asks, “Still doing okay?”

She gives him her best reassuring smile. 

“No worse than usual.” 

“But no better?”

“My leg’s okay, Lou.”

He resumes his work of putting the final nail on the board, and Clementine resumes studying his profile. 

Usually, his dreads fell over his face from this angle, obscuring her view.  Today’s different.

When they were boarding up the window in Tenn’s room, Louis let out a small sigh as Clementine spoke about… something? Honestly, she can’t recall what they were talking about, but she definitely remembers Louis setting his hammer down and pulling something from his wrist-- a hair tie. Then, he tied his dreads back before resuming his work, as if doing this was nothing. 

Well, it probably was nothing.

Rather, it should be nothing, something she doesn’t think twice about, and if she does think about it, something she shouldn’t feel nervous to comment on. Clementine should be able to tell him she likes it when he pulls his dreads back from his face. 

She already knows what he’ll do. He does the same thing every time. His dark eyes will go wide for just a moment at the compliment, then as if realizing he has to make of joke, he will. 

Then she’ll tell him she’s serious. His cheeks will flush, and with such sincerity, he’d thank her.  

However, the problem tonight isn’t that Louis’ first instinct is to joke about every compliment she gives him or that she’s too nervous to tell him how nice he looks. 

It’s started weighing on her mind-- her feelings for him, his for her, their friendship, and whether or not this is the right move to make. 

Next to AJ, Louis is her closest companion. Her best friend. He stuck by her side from the beginning, despite everything that happened with Marlon and the raiders, and she realized quickly that she loved him. 

And he loved her, too. 

That wasn’t presumptuous of her to believe, not when he himself told her so.

Last year when Clementine came limping through the gates with AJ practically holding her up, Aasim and Ruby were there to grab and rush her to the dorms. It wasn’t much later after Ruby cleaned and stitched her room that she heard Louis and Aasim arguing outside the door. From what she gathered, Aasim didn’t wake Louis up to let him know they made it back safely, choosing to let him sleep after he practically passed out from exhaustion the night before. 

He wasn’t sure they made it, not after they got separated from him and Tenn. He brought Tenn back to the school and wanted to turn right back, but Aasim had stopped him. 

The relief he felt fell from his eyes in the form of tears upon seeing her in bed, leg a mess, and her smiling at him. She touched the piano key charm.

“It worked.”

Weeks turned into months as Clementine healed, but Louis visited her every single day. When spring came around and she got better enough to move around with crutches, he took her for walks around Ericson.

It was when they were sitting together on the steps leading into the admin building. Her leg started to bother her, so Louis forced her to sit down and rest. He sat beside her, close enough for their shoulders to touch. As they watched AJ and Tenn practice their shooting with Aasim in their makeshift archery rage, he said it. 

“Clem?”

“Yeah?”

She remembers his hesitation, the contemplation playing loud in his eyes before the words came out quiet but sure.

“I love you.” 

When she didn’t say anything-- she didn’t know what to say-- he looked at her, not breaking their shared gaze as he continued. 

“I just-- I thought you should know that. I’m glad you’re not dead, and I’m glad to have you for a best friend. I’m glad you’re here.” 

She could’ve kissed him-- she should’ve kissed him-- but instead, she grabbed his hand and held it with both of hers, rested her cheek on his shoulder, and exhaled a shaky breath before saying it back. 

God, she should’ve kissed him, or at least made it clear that she loved him as both a best friend and something more. Hell, she should’ve told him so the night of the raider’s attack, though at that time, she had an excuse-- with the impending raid, she couldn’t let herself become distracted with romance, despite her feelings. 

What’s her excuse now?

“Please tell me we’re not outta nails,” Louis says, his casual words nearly making her jump. Clementine sets the lantern down to reach into her pocket, struggling to get the nails remaining out. Yanking the glove off, she ends up stabbing her fingers but successfully freeing them. 

“No,” she clears her throat. “We should have enough to finish this.”

“Y’know, maybe we should relocate somewhere warmer,” Louis says, holding out his hand. “Like Texas, or maybe Florida since it’s closer. Wait, no, I hear they have huge mosquitoes.”

“Mosquitoes? I’m sure the alligators are a bigger threat.”

“That settles it, we’re going to Texas.”

Clementine places the nails in his open palm, fingers brushing against his skin. The contact left her whole hand tingling. 

“I’ve never been there,” she says, flexing her fingers, not bothering to put the glove back on. She takes a slow intake of air through her nose in hopes of calming her excited heart. 

“Neither have I, but I hear they don’t have to board up their windows so they don’t wake up covered in snow.”

Together, they line up the final board. Clementine holds it firmly in place as Louis hits the first nail. 

“You know how long it’d take us to get to Texas?” 

“Well, we can make it a road trip,” Louis says with a grin, hitting the nail into the board for extra oomph. 

“That’s a long trip. Think you can handle being apart from Ericson that long?”

“Hell yeah,” Louis replies with no hesitation. “Change of scenery, some adventure, warm weather-- a real vacation.”

“No piano, though.”

Louis cocks his head, pointing the hammer at her. 

“Bold of you to assume we’re not taking the piano with us.”

That gets a laugh out of her.

“Oh, is that so?” she asks. “We’re just going to strap it to the top of the car we don’t have?”

“Yep,” Louis grins. “I’ll drive.” 

“You don’t know how to drive.” 

“Well, neither do you.”

She narrows her eyes at him and the teasing smirk happily playing on his lips. 

“Uh, actually, I’m pretty sure I know how to drive a lot better than you.”

Louis gives a slow, thoughtful nod. 

“Hmm… Remind me, out of the two of us--”

“Don’t.”

“--who has crashed the most cars? Because, and please correct me if I’m wrong, I believe it’s still one to zero.” 

“Alright, Belouga-” Louis shoots her a look, “-you can drive, and when you back us into a tree or run us off the road, just remember that not only will I be there to laugh at you, but the piano will also probably be destroyed.” 

He opens his mouth to speak but changes his mind. After a moment, he sighs. 

“Fine,” he says. “AJ can drive.”

She practically snorts out a laugh. 

“AJ can drive,” she agrees. 

“Perfect,” Louis grins. “Aaaand we’re done!” 

He hops off the dresser, straightening out his jacket as he studies their handiwork. 

Finally, Clementine thinks. Having a broken window during the summer, spring, and even early fall is nice, but once morning becomes increasingly cold and the daylight barely warms anything up, it’s far less nice. Especially when it’s the middle of the night and she’s trying to fall asleep. 

“Where’s the little dude?” Louis asks. “Figured he’d be back by now.”

“He’s patrolling with Tenn,” Clementine says. “They’re having a sleepover tonight.”

“Really?” Louis says, surprised. “And he’s gonna be okay?” 

Clementine shrugs. 

“He said he would be. They’ve been talking about doing this for a while now. Something about Tenn’s comic book collection got AJ really excited.”

“Ah, Science Dog,” Louis nods but leans back against the dresser with arms folded over his chest. “It’s just… you guys haven’t been separated since the Ranch.”

“Right…”

“Are you okay?”

Words weigh heavy on her tongue as Clementine glances down at the floor. She is okay with AJ sleeping in another room, and it’s not as if she can’t sleep in the dorms by herself. It’s much different than when they were separated before she found him at the McCarroll Ranch. Here she knows she’ll see him again tomorrow. 

That doesn’t make Louis’ concern any less sweet. 

“I’ll be fine,” she says, reluctant to admit that it’d be lonely--

Lonely. Having the whole dorm to herself, the dorm that she’s freezing her ass off in. Even if she grabs the extra blanket from the closet, she knows she’ll have a hell of a time getting warm and comfortable enough to fall asleep. But… perhaps something could be done about that. 

Clementine bites the inside of her cheek, her beating heart quickening at the idea. 

It’s forward, far more forward than she probably should be, and this time she has no idea how he’ll react to such a suggestion. She’s not even sure how she’d react if he were the one to suggest such a thing.

“Okay,” Louis says, setting aside the extra board they didn’t use. “If you’re not worried about it, then I’m not worried about it. And hey, that’s a mighty fine looking window if I do say so myself. In fact, we worked hard today. I say we celebrate.”

“Celebrate?”

With a wide smile, Louis grips the flaps of his coat and says, “Got this new song I’m working on. You wanna hear to before bed?”

“Sure--” she cuts herself off. “Wait, no, actually. I’m really tired so I think I’ll stay here.”

“Oh,” his smile wavers a bit, and she can see the disappointment lining his eyes, but he bounces back like it’s nothing. “That’s okay.”

“Maybe you could show it to me tomorrow?”

“I’d love to,” he grins warmly. “Well, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll let you get some rest. I’m sure Aasim’ll have us up and early tomorrow. It’s our turn to clean out the rabbit’s--”

“Louis,” she cuts him off, stepping forward to stop him from fully reaching the door. 

He pauses to look down at her curiously, attention fully focused on her. Even though Clementine has faced far more intimidating situations than this one, she still finds lead filling her stomach, mouth going dry at what she was to propose.

“I, uh, y’know, I was wondering-- since I’m here by myself tonight, I thought maybe we could-- that you could stay here. With me. Sleep here, I mean. Instead of sleeping in your dorm. If you want.” 

The dorm goes silent following her words. It takes all her willpower to not look away, eager to gauge his reaction. 

He stares back at her, blinking slowly, and Clementine knows the warmth reddening his cheeks isn’t from the cold.

“I...Yeah. Yeah, Clem, I can stay here if you want,” he says, then smiles. Clementine already knows what’s coming before his voice goes light, humorous. “We can have a sleepover of our own. Though, I assume you don’t have any cool comics to share, yeah?”

“No comics.”

“Damn. Neither do I. I do have some magazines I found in the headmaster’s office, though they’re not as fun as Science Dog. Guess our slumber party won’t be as cool,” he forces a chuckle that falls flat as he turns to look over AJ’s bed. “You sure AJ won’t mind? Don’t wanna sleep in the little dude’s bed just in case he comes back... Though, the top bunk doesn’t look too bad. Little dusty.”

She could drop the rest, she thinks. Hang out here with him until they’re both tired, and beat herself up for being a coward all night. 

The worst that can happen is he says no, which Clementine is perfectly fine with. She’s not fine with not knowing for sure. 

“Louis,” she brings his attention back to her. “It’s cold.”

“Yeah, Clem… it’s winter. Hence why we spent all day searching for nails and wood to patch up all the windows.”

“I mean, it’s really cold in here.”

“I know?” he says more like a question. “Do you want me to grab some more blankets?

“No, I have some-- Look, since it’s so cold, it’ll be hard to sleep even with extra blankets, so wouldn’t it make sense for us to not be cold?” 

Going off the way he’s looking at her like she’s speaking in riddles, Louis isn’t understanding what she’s getting at. Though, it’s not like she’s being entirely clear, either. If it didn’t feel like she was going to vomit up her own erratic heart, maybe she could just come right out with it.

I want to fall asleep in your arms and keep you warm, you idiot.

“Together,” she tries instead, glancing back at her own bed for emphasis.

That seems to do it. 

His dark eyes search her face for anything to indicate she's kidding but finds nothing within the look he knows too well.

“I--” he clears his throat, hands pushing his jacket back to plant on his hips. He goes to continue, but presses his lips into a tight line instead, at a loss for words. 

With every silent second under his gaze, her anxiety tightens its grip on her belly. Finally, she lets out a long sigh. 

“Nothing? Not even a joke?”

“Clementine.”

The use of her full name, something he rarely does, sends a tingle through her arms and down her spine. 

 “Are you asking if I want to cuddle?”

With how seriously he asks that, it should be funny. It would be funny if she wasn’t such a mess. 

Clementine finally looks away, peering down at the floor. 

“Yes.”

“Huh… Wow, okay, uh…” Louis seems to loosen up, arms falling to his side as a nervous chuckle escapes him. “Hmm, this isn’t what I thought was going to happen tonight. Me ending the night with a busted thumb or a bunch of splinters? Yes, of course.”

“Lou--”

“Sitting down and playing the piano with my best friend Clemmy to help relax after all the exhausting labor we were forced to do today? Obviously. The same Clemmy asking me to spend the night so we can fight the cold by cuddling? ...No. Admittedly, I didn’t see that one coming.” 

“It makes sense, alright?” Clementine interrupts, defensive now that she can’t tell if he’s taking this seriously or not. “If we want to be warm instead of freezing, then sharing body heat is the best way. It’s science, or whatever.”

Louis smirks. 

“’It’s science, or whatever?’ Didn’t realize you were such a scientist, Clem.”

“I-- Look, Louis, If you don’t want to, that’s okay.”

“No, no, no!” Louis hands his hands up, shaking his head and stepping closer to her. “It’s not that! I’m just... y’know. Didn’t expect this. Not that I’m complaining or anything because...” His gaze goes soft, sincere, as does his voice. “Uh… Yeah. Yes. Clementine, I would-- I would like to.” 

“Okay,” she breathes out. The urge to kiss him is back, but she’s not about to push her luck. Not yet. 

Louis leaves briefly to change into more comfortable clothes and grab a few extra pillows-- “Unlike you, Clem, I don’t sleep with only one pillow like some sort of heathen” -- leaving her with a few moments to pace about the room and collect her thoughts. She tries wiggling the nerves out of her hands, shaking them until they’re tingly. 

This is happening. 

As she moves, her leg grows more agitated. While most of the long, painful wound has scabbed and healed over, the nerve damage left behind left Clementine to struggle with even the simplest things, like changing into the pair of thick sweatpants Brody gave her when she and AJ first arrived. 

Pulling the extra blanket out, she laid it over the bed and smoothed it out, peering back at the door every few seconds with anticipation. 

Eventually, a soft knock breaks the silence. Clementine lets him in, finding his arms heavy with four pillows-- what the hell does he need four pillows for?-- and another blanket. 

There’s little talk between them until they stand side by side, both gazing down at the made bed. 

“So...” Louis breaks the tension. “Which side do you sleep on?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Okay... then, I guess I’ll, uh...” Louis scratches the back on his neck, reaching to pull the blanket back before he dips down to crawl close to the wall. Clementine blows out the lamp, leaving the room pitch black. For a moment, she tenses up, then realizes of course... the window. Not even the moonlight can illuminate the dorm. 

“Do you need help?” Louis asks, awkwardly. “I mean, because of your leg.” 

She can’t help but laugh. Not because there’s anything funny about her reaching out into the cold darkness in search of the bed frame or about Louis being concerned she might trip. It’s just the situation.

“I got it, just scoot over.” 

Well, aside from bumping the top of her head off the metal frame, she did manage to climb in next to him with ease. It’s only then did she realize just how small her bed is. 

“Ow.”

“Sorry.” 

“Louis, the pillows.”

“Are super comfortable, yeah?”

“No, they’re in the way.”

“Ah, well, here lemme--”

Eventually, after much awkward situating, they found themselves on their backs, shoulders and legs pressed firmly together beneath the heavy blanket. Clementine was correct, though-- it was much warmer, but the position left much to be desired. 

Clementine let out a loud sigh, shifting her whole body on its side to scoot closer to him, draping her arm around his waist and nuzzling her cheek into his shoulder. Much better. 

“Wow, okay--” Louis let out a nervous laugh. “We’re just gonna-- Cool. Super cool. Really cool.”

“Louis.”

“Hmm?”

“Shhh.”

“Okay.”

Louis rests his hand on her arm, finally relaxing into her touch. While it wasn’t said, they both quietly agreed that this was the warmest they’d been all day. 

Her hand moves to rest on his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her palm. There’s something soothing about its rhythm. 

“Is this okay?” she asks. 

“Yeah,” Louis says. “This is nice. I’ve... well, I’ve never done this before.”

That makes her smile.

“Neither have I, not like this. AJ and I used to huddle together in the back of the car before, but... y’know.”

“Right.” After a beat, he adds lightly, “Didn’t know best friends did stuff like this. Should’ve said so sooner.”

“What, you and Marlon never did this?” she teases. 

Louis laughs. 

“No, I can definitely say that Marlon and I never cuddled.”

His laughter dies down. Clementine frowns, realizing that Marlon’s still a bit of a sore topic. 

“Hope he’s alright,” Louis says. “Last I talked to him, he was still fortifying the windows in the backroom. Found a bunch of stuff beneath and inside the trains. I offered to help, but...”

“He didn’t want it.”

“No. Didn’t want me to keep Aasim waiting, apparently.”

“He has a roof over his head and a bed to sleep in,” she reminds him, knowing that’s only partially the worry. “He’s safe there.” 

Louis doesn’t say anything, but his fingers trail down her bare arm, tracing the jagged scar, and slip down to hold her hand. Like that they stay, enjoying the quiet darkness in each other's embrace. Clementine's still in disbelief that they're both actually here. 

"You know... it's probably going to be this cold all winter."

"You're probably right." 

"I think your scientific hypothesis--"

"Oh, my god."

"--about this body heat thing might be correct." 

"Might?"

"Well," Louis shrugs. "Can't just test a theory once and declare it conclusive."

"Louis, are you asking if we can do this again?"

"Yes, Clem."

They carry on with idle conversations about this and that. Only when Clementine's eyes grow too heavy to keep open does she find her confidence to ask him one of many things occupying her mind. 

"Louis?"

"Hmm?"

"What would you do if I kissed you?"

He doesn't answer right away.

"...Is that a trick question?"

"No."

When he doesn't say anything, Clementine brings his hand to her lips, pressing a light kiss against the inside of his wrist. 

Louis lets out a quiet giggle. 

She smiles. 

"...And what would you do if I kissed you?" Louis asks.

She doesn’t hesitate.

"Kiss you back."

Louis grips her hand tighter. 

"Good to know."

[ericsonclan]

Competition Flows Through Their Veins

Summary: AJ and Allison have a competition for who can take down the most walkers when suddenly something happens that stirs up bitter memories.

Word Count: 2035

Read on AO3:

Willy had spotted ten walkers all spread out in front of the gates. None of them seemed to be a huge threat but it was better to be safe than sorry. That’s what Clementine had always thought and it seemed that over the years people had agreed with her on that. Normally a few of them would already be out there, clearing out the walkers with Rosie in tow. But today before Clementine could send out Aasim and Omar she heard a booming voice.

“Clem!” AJ barreled forward, his knife and hatchet whacking against his hips as he moved forward. Skidding to a halt, AJ ended up kicking some dust into the air making both himself and Clementine cough.

“AJ, what’s wrong?” Clementine looked over at him with concern, giving a few sharp coughs to get the dust out of her throat.

“Nothing! I just...” AJ paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “I want to clear out the walkers by the gates with Allison. We’re gonna make it a competition.” AJ spoke proudly as he brushed a finger under his nose to stop himself from sneezing due to the dust.

“AJ…” Clementine picked up on the fact that he had heard the worry in her voice.

“We’ll be super safe! I already got Aasim and Willy to agree to give us backup if anything goes wrong,” AJ watched Clementine closely. “I’m strong.”

His words made Clementine look over at his eyes and notice the hardened determination in them.

“I know you are, kiddo. I don’t doubt that for a second,” Clementine gave a soft smile. With a deep breath she spoke once more. “Alright, but I’m taking watch with my bow just to be safe.”

“Okay,” AJ gave a short nod; he knew that if he wanted this competition he had to agree to the base rules Clementine put in place. Clementine’s smile remained and she ruffled his afro fondly. “Alright, go get set up and remember-”

“I know, I know, always aim for the head,” AJ ran off, giving a small smile back at Clementine before wandering off to find Allison and share the good news.

Soon everyone knew of this competition. Some of them were more for it like Louis and Willy who knew that AJ and Allison could handle themselves and that there were plenty of traps in the area to use if needed. Others were more cautious about the whole thing such as Prisha and Aasim who were well aware of the world’s random cruelty that it bestowed upon the living. Still, all of them knew that Allison and AJ were both too stubborn to stop the competition now. Competitiveness flowed through their veins and they were both incredibly ambitious when it came to becoming stronger.

After a couple minutes those in support roles were in position while Ruby and Omar stayed inside the dorms with the little kids. Clementine stood on the watch tower while Aasim and Willy stood outside, right by the gates.

“Good luck, Allie!” Willy leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Allison’s cheek. The romantic gesture made Allison grow flustered and she stared at her boots.

“Thanks,” Allison brushed her hand against his before giving it a small squeeze. “AJ is totally going to lose this one,”

Those words set a fire in AJ who puffed out his chest. “I’m winning and when I do, that new weapon you’re making with Willy is gonna be mine!”

“Okay,” Allison casually strolled forward, taking out her spear hammer. “But when I win and you lose you have to give Garbage a bath,”

“Ugh, why?” AJ looked over at his best friend.

“I don’t know,” Allison shrugged, “I think it would be funny.”

AJ frowned at those words and with a grumpy grumble took out his knife. “I’m winning, dummy.”

Allison laughed at that. “Keep telling yourself that,” Her eyes scanned the area and she spotted the first walker she wanted to take out. Dashing forward without warning, Allison swung her spear hammer. Using the spear end to hook into the jaw, she dragged the walker along and slammed it into a tree with a sharp lower branch. The branch burrowed into the walker’s gut, causing blood and intestines to coat it. Allison quickly spun her weapon, switching to the hammer side, and with a deadly blow caved in the walker’s head. Brain matter began to spill out of its misshapen head as its body went limp. “That’s one.”

AJ huffed and mockingly said her words under his breath before he spotted his first walker. Jogging forward, he stayed a few paces away in order to properly take this walker down. Waiting for the ideal moment, AJ kicked out the walker’s leg then proceeded to plunge his knife deep within its eye socket. The eye popped from the attack, spurting its juice onto AJ’s face.

“Bleh,” AJ spat a couple times to make sure none got in his mouth. Allison’s quiet laughter made his eyes shoot over to see her smug, competitive smile. “Whatever, stupidhead. Watch this,” AJ unclipped his hatchet and with a mighty throw sliced through the skullcap of a walker. With a thunk the hatchet embedded itself into the tree just as the walker it had sliced through fell down, lifeless.

“Not bad,” Allison swung her weapon, her aim missing the mark slightly due to the sudden swaying movement of the walker. The spear ended up hooking underneath its cheekbone too firmly and with a strong tug Allison tore off its lower jaw. Flicking it onto the ground, Allison unsheathed her knife and jabbed it into the walker’s head before it had a chance to move any closer.

Allison’s move made AJ’s eyes shine with awe. That was so cool. He definitely wanted to beat her in this competition now. Plus with her compliment on his last move he  knew he had what it took to win.

“Wooo! Go, Allie! You’ve got this!” Willy cheered on his girlfriend then proceeded to cheer for his best friend as well. “Go, AJ!”

“Yeah, go AJ! Show those stinky deadheads who's boss!” Louis called out from the gate and watched as AJ took down another walker by plunging his blade right through the back of its skull before retrieving his hatchet. AJ turned around and saw Louis who gave a big thumbs up and smile. Louis continued to watch AJ before glancing over at Violet who seemed a bit tense. “Gonna cheer too, Vi?”

“Maybe,” Violet’s eyes watched Allison from behind her glasses. Her hands were wrapped tightly around her arms as she crossed them.

“Loosen up, Vi,” Louis hooked his arm around her shoulder. “Everything will be okay. First sign of danger and the smelly patrol will have all of us to deal with.”

Violet gave a small nod. Louis studied her expression for a moment and decided to try and lighten up the mood.

“Or is it that you think Allison can’t take the heat?”

“Heh, she’s gonna win. Allison is gonna kick AJ’s ass.” Violet smirked over at her best friend who returned it in kind.

Hear, hear,” Prisha smiled as she walked forward. Immediately Violet’s tension seemed to dissipate if only a bit as she let her arms fall to her side before taking Prisha’s hand in hers. Louis could see the same concern that Violet had in Prisha’s eyes as well. He looked over at Clementine. After seeing that she was tense too, Louis slipped away just as Prisha and Violet started to cheer Allison on.

Allison was in the midst of bludgeoning a walker’s head but for some reason it was still moving. So when it opened its mouth Allison speared it through to make sure she got to the brain then tossed it to the ground. Her score was tied with AJ’s now.

“Are you doing okay?” Louis slowly climbed up the ladder to the watchtower and noticed Clementine glance back his way. Immediately her eyes softened and the two shared a quick kiss.

“What are you doing up here, Lou?” Clementine smiled as Louis’ fingers intertwined with hers for a moment.

“I thought it had to be lonely being up on this watchtower alone. So I thought I’d grace you with my company,” Louis leaned forward and stole a soft kiss. “And kisses,” The two shared a smile before Clementine remembered the competition and looked over at AJ. AJ grinned confidently as his hatchet sliced a walker’s face nearly in half.

“Look at our little man go,” Louis hugged Clementine’s shoulders for a few moments.

“Yeah, he’s really grown up,” Clementine held on to Louis’ arms for a couple of seconds, letting her bow rest by her leg. “Allison is no pushover though,” She nodded over at Allison who dodged and sliced through a walker’s fingers before spearing it through the head and tossing it onto a rock.

“Yeah, it's really close. Only two walkers left,” Louis commented and the two continued to watch on in somewhat silence.

Only two left. Allison knew she had to get both to win. One was over by that weird-looking tree that Willy had climbed in order to impress her on their first date together. A soft smile pulled on Allison’s lips at the memory before she refocused to find the other walker. Once her eyes caught sight of the walker’s location, however, she felt her heart tighten.

It was wandering over towards the old car that had crashed right outside the gates. Within the car was a small garden of pink flowers. Flowers that Allison had placed in memory of Renata. Flowers that she had kept safe ever since she planted them after Renata’s passing. Allison gritted her teeth, her anger and sorrow mixing within her gut as she sprinted forward.

“You get the fuck away from that!” Allison’s sudden shouting drew everyone’s attention as the walker mindlessly grasped at a pink flower. Allison dug her fingers into its soft, rotten back flesh and spun it around. Taking out her knife, Allison began to blindly stab the walker out of pure rage as tears stung her eyes. The walker groaned, its milky white eyes staring blankly into Allison’s as it continued to try and consume her flesh and blood. All of her attacks were in spots that wouldn’t put it down.

“Allison!” Willy notched an arrow and aimed at the walker while Prisha and Violet pulled open the gate door to go and help. The world around Allison seemed to fade away as she lived in her emotions, watching as the walker’s teeth threatened to bite her until she finally plunged her knife into its skull. The walker fell down to the ground, limp, any sign of life drained from its eyes. Allison stared at the walker before spitting onto it. She remained frozen in her spot until she felt arms wrap around her.

“Allie! You’re safe!” Willy held onto her tightly and pulled her further into the hug. Allison felt her throat burn as she glanced at the walker then at the pink flowers.

“Allison!” Prisha ran forward along with Violet. “You weren’t bitten, were you?”

“No, I wasn’t,” Allison mumbled but the others still checked her for bites.

Soon AJ jogged forward, fresh blood on his blade from the final walker he took down with a stab to the side of its head. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Allison whispered, still wrapped up in Willy’s arms. “It’s a tie.”

“Yeah, it is,” AJ took a deep breath then furrowed his eyebrows “What do you wanna do? Another competition?”

“No, I don’t,” Allison’s eyes focused on the flowers before she glanced over at her best friend. “Let’s just say we both won. Okay?” “Okay,” AJ gave a short nod and watched as Allison slipped out of Willy’s arms. Slowly she walked forward and picked one of the pink flowers.

“We should probably head inside,” Allison walked in and soon the others followed. Not sure what to say or do, they watched Allison as she examined the flower. Slowly she twirled it between her fingertips, a single thought soon appearing in her mind. It was time that she visited an old friend.

[scullyy]

Afterglow

Pairing: Clementine x Louis

Word Count: 2k

Summary: Once the party has finished, the children sulk off to their rooms, worrying about the fight ahead. For Clementine and Louis, the night is still young.

A/N: welp….I was gone for longer than I thought. It was a nice break, I hadn’t realised how much I actually needed it. Despite that, I missed everyone, I missed being here. So I figured what way to come back than by posting a one-shot I’m high-key proud of?

Enjoy xx

-

Does the darkness have a name?

As AJ blew out the last candle, that’s all there was. Darkness. The odd ray of moonlight poured into the room, shining through the wooden beams covering the window. It was on all of their faces, shadows making them appear older. They all felt it, together. A sombre harmony.

Clementine watched her friends slink out of the room, whispering their goodnights. She noticed the gentle shake on Ruby’s shoulders, her hands held tightly together, trying to comfort her own mind. Tenn and Willy walked away together, thankful that their friendship wasn’t long gone, thankful for the pleasant distraction.

She wondered when it first appeared, this darkness. Had it crept into their lives as children? Already apart of the world long before they were ever born, or was it new? Festering on the decay and newfound rot. She pulled her jacket around herself, trying to conceal the darkness that was definitely within her.

She was so wound up in her brooding thoughts, she didn’t even notice the small presence beside her until he tugged at her pant leg. “Clem?” Her goofball looked up at her with tired, sunken eyes. “Can we go to bed?”

Clementine would have taken his little hand and gladly dream of lighter things if there still wasn’t someone in the room. Hiding away from the moonlight, wrapped up in more darkness than anyone, Louis. His hands now lay empty beside him, the keys on his dear piano lonely. A few minutes ago he was lighting up the room with his tune, capturing the attention of everyone. Now he hid away into himself, a form Clementine hadn’t seen from him before.

“You run off kiddo, I’ll be there soon,” Knowing he would want to stay by her side, she gave AJ a little push out the room, quickly waving goodbye until the door was shut completely. He was still so new, he didn’t understand what the darkness even was and why it won’t ever go away. She turned back to Louis, finding him now tracing the edge of the keys. The silence was haunting, he didn’t fit into it at all. “I can tell that something is on your mind.”

He inhaled deeply before answering. “I’m wondering what Violet is doing right now.”

Clementine froze on the spot, her feet attached to the muddy carpet only because he was brave enough to say what everyone was thinking. “I don’t know. If Lilly wants soldiers I’m sure she won’t hurt any of them.”

“Yeah, you might be right,” Rather he hoped she was. All of them; Aasim, Omar and Violet. This woman, Lilly, was so ruthless. Yet it exposed just how blind Louis was, how unsafe and vulnerable they had been this entire time. “How many more of us have to die before the dust finally settles?” Hearing Willy and Tenn list off the names of their old school mates unlocked memories Louis filed away, hoping to never tread across again. The kid they found chomped to bits by the river, the debate club president they found hanging from the basketball hoop, the girl Louis used to sit next to in art class was barely recognizable when the walkers left her by the river. Her neon purple socks being the only telling feature.

Clementine felt it again; that strange thump in her heart, out of tune with the rest of her body. If the darkness did have a name, she assumed it would be her own. Bringing death and war wherever she went; the motor inn, Marsh House, the cabin group, Howe’s Warehouse, hell even the Garcia’s. People ran or they died and Clem couldn’t decide which was worse. “We’re going to be okay-”

“You can’t promise that!” Louis whipped his head right at her, revealing the red veins popping in his glazed eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck, pressing at the tight knots that never seemed to go away. “Sorry. I’m just scared. I’ll, uh..I’ll sleep it off, that should help.” This was everything.  His parent’s divorce. Marlons’ death. Violet’s, Omar and Aasims’ capture. Every shrapnel of pain, guilt and grief throwing him into the shallow end.

She knew it all too well. “Louis, you’re not going to bed,” Clementine recognised the look on his face, she had seen it on AJ countless times before and it always lead to nightmares and restlessness. She glanced inside the case for the classical record, finding another one inside, secretly hidden away. Lady luck was on her side for once. After setting it all up in the gramophone, she twirled over to him extending her hand. “Dance with me.”

He looked at her hand then back at her, trying to decipher what she was doing. “What?”

“C'mon, or can you not dance?”

She could see it, the darkness rolling off his shoulders like a wave lurching off a steady rock. A cheeky smile appeared on his face slowly, her Louis was shining through once again. The silly boy she had fallen for. “Oh, I can dance. I’m just not sure you’ll be able to keep up with me.” He hopped up, rubbing his sweaty palms against his jeans. When did it get so hot in here?

Clem took a final step closer, their shoes now touching. “Then show me.” She breathed into his ear, enjoying her little sense of pride as the roaring moonlight exposed his flustered expression. No longer were his eyes hollow and empty, now returning to their glowing form.

The gramophone sprang to life as the song began to fill up the room, an entity all of its own as it seemed to brush away the dark clouds nesting around them. Or perhaps it was love, crawling under their skin as they slyly glanced at each other. Either way, what bliss.

I’ll be seeing you In all the old familiar places

Louis shook his head, trying to string together a sentence. “Let’s…uh, how do we start?” They readied their hands into the right position, even if it was entirely based on what they saw on tv as children; his hands crossed around her waist, hers snaked around his neck. “You want to stand on my feet?”

Clementine’s eyebrows pursed together, her nose crinkling. “Is that a short joke?”

He hummed it over, purposefully ignoring her stubborn gaze with a slight glint in his eye. “It is now.”

That this heart of mine embraces All-day and through

Louis twirled her around beneath their natural spotlight, letting the sparks from the moon push against the claws of the darkness. It fell away from their minds just as quickly as it took ahold of them. “Never took you for the dancing type.”

“There’s still a lot you don’t know about me, Lou.”

In that small cafe The park across the way The children’s carousel

He pulled her in rather closely, placing his lips against the tip of her ear. “I look forward to finding out more then.”

The chestnut trees The wishing well

A fleet of giggles broke free from both of them as he twirled her for the umpteenth time. Clementine found the room still spinning once she was back in his arms but she didn’t mind, he was there to keep her close. He was the only thing she was certain of these days. “Told you we would have plenty of time for dates.”

Louis madly grinned from ear to ear. “This is another date? Damn, two in one day. I think that might be a new record.” His normally chipper voice had somehow reached a new level of glee, making her already frantically beating heart soak in the sound.

I’ll be seeing you In every lovely summer’s day In everything that’s light and gay I’ll always think of you that way

Clem bit at her lip, considering what exactly he had proposed. “I don’t think it is…”

“It is now, I decree it!” He sang out loud in his typical fashion.

She rolled her eyes, a common reaction to his quips. But unlike the other kids, Clem was still smiling. “You can’t just make up new records, there’s a system, it takes time.”

“Of course I can!” He twirled her with a tad more ferocity this time, letting her get distracted from the silly debate as she couldn’t help but squeal, her feet at frantic work to keep her level.

I’ll find you in the morning sun And when the night is new

Louis pulled her in closer than they originally were before, gazing down at her. His eyes softer, radiating warmth. A warmth she hadn’t seen in another human for quite a while.

“Time doesn’t exist anymore.”

Clementine gently patted his shoulder, returning to her original stance. “Let’s just get through tomorrow, then we can discuss our future.”

Their future.

I’ll be looking at the moon But I’ll be seeing you

Their future could be anything; her wish was his law. Anything she wanted or desired for the chance to show her he could be it all. He could be hers and she could be his and they could be together and it would work.

As if he wasn’t already hers the moment she graced his lowly life with her presence.

I’ll be seeing you In every lovely summer’s day

“Ow!”

“Sorry!”

“Maybe I should stand on your feet.” Clementine huffed as she attempted to shake the pain out of her foot. The heel of his boot was a lot harder than she had considered, then again she never gave his shoes much thought. Not when there were other more charming factors about him to focus on.

In everything that’s light and gay

His eyes shot down to his feet, watching carefully with every step he took. “Maybe I’m not that good at dancing.” There was no beat or melody to their odd little dance, their feet just stepping wherever and however.

I’ll always think of you that way

Gently placing her finger beneath his chin, she raised his head back up, forcing their eyes to meet. “You’re not too bad, we’ll just have to practice.”

“Oh ho ho! Practice? More dates? I like the sound of that!”

I’ll find you in the morning sun

She considered her next words carefully, not wanting to burst this enchanted bubble they had made. “It means you can’t die on me tomorrow.”

Louis almost didn’t hear her over the music, until the words settled and the weight of it clicked. It was there; death and the darkness that came with it. Not just for the war they were about to embark on, but every day after that too. “You can’t die on me either. This is a two way street.”

And when the night is new

She knew the weight of these two simple words, yet declared them anyway. “I promise.”

His much larger arms clung to her much smaller waist and gently dipped her to the floor, her hat tumbling down, though neither of them cared. She clung onto his shoulders tightly, her nails digging into his warm coat, wondering if he was trembling the same way she was. “Me too.” He promised, with nothing but love on the mind.

Their eyes remained linked; copper melting with bronze. The darkness had sulked away, letting the moment remain in a light bliss shared by the two. A new, hopeful harmony.

I’ll be looking at the moon But I’ll be seeing you

[angelsunflowers-fanfics]

[TWDG] Louis x Female!reader (Reuniting)

“hi!! could you do a Louis (twdg) x fem! reader where they’re dating and they’ve escaped the boat and get separated for a bit and just a real fluffy reunion at the end (pls no tongueless Lou please sksksks) “

Genre: Angst-fluff

Linktree

~~~

Louis kept Minnie distracted while Clementine figured a way out of her cell, though the boy was quickly losing his temper. (Y/n) placed a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him down, but he barely noticed over his rising temperature as the anger flourishes through him.   

"After everything, she’s done? You’re just gonna help her? FUCK You!" Louis screamed.  

Louis gripped the bars tightly in his hands, wanting to rip them off completely. 

Luckily, his little outburst was more than enough for Clementine to slam open the door to knock Minnie to the ground and let herself and Violet out. Clem quickly released the lock on the cell opposite to hers before she turned to the group. Violet kneeled next to her ex-girlfriend, not wanting to go back to school now that she had seen Minnie for the first time in a year, and after all that time she spent mourning.   

Minnie is knocked out as Violet brushed her fingers through her ex-lover’s hair; missing how long it used to be.  

“Violet, we need to go. She isn’t the same Minnie she was a year ago. I’m sorry,” (y/n) said.

(y/n)’s words almost stroke a chord in her, enough to leave the boat and Minnie? Violet only shook her head in response, not knowing who or what to believe anymore. After everything Lily and the rest of the Raiders put her through, she didn’t know if her own thoughts are hers. What was she supposed to believe? (y/n) glared at the floor before she decided to stay with Violet to convince her to go back to Ericson’s with everyone. 

"I'll stay with Violet. You guys should go while you can," (y/n) said. 

Louis took a step forward to say something to convince her and maybe Violet but couldn’t get a word out as Clementine grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the exit, trusting (y/n) to take care of Violet for her. 

Louis hated leaving (y/n) anywhere, but he didn’t have a choice in this scenario. Not when everyone he knew was in danger. He, along with Aasim and Omar immediately headed off of the boat and into a semi-safety zone as Clementine dealt with Lily. 

But (y/n) was stuck with Violet, trying to console her and convince her to come back home. But it was taking more time than they actually had. (y/n) wasn’t even sure when the bomb was actually going to go off, but she had to keep trying. 

“Vi, please. I can’t imagine what Lily and the other raiders said to you but it’s not true. I know how much you loved Minnie, we all did… but she’s not the same person she was a year ago, I’m sorry,” (y/n) softly said. 

Violet was hesitant, it was normal. Nobody but her and the raiders knew what happened to her psyche. 

Becoming mentally abused was just as bad as being physically abused. 

But she gave (y/n) her hand to pull her up and leave the boat. She, and everyone else, just wanted to be rid of the past few days worth of memories. 

Violet didn’t say a word as she followed (y/n) out of the boat, what did she even say to make up for her former actions? It was probably better to deal with it later, maybe when they were all back home, safe and sound. 

By the time the boat exploded, most of the students were on the cart carried by the horse, leaving already. But Louis didn’t feel comfortable leaving (y/n) for the second time that night. It would feel wrong to leave the person he cherished most in the world for raiders and walkers. 

“Louis, come on. She can take care of herself. You can come back for her after everyone else is safe,” Aasim disagreed. 

Another moment of hesitation was all it took for Violet and (y/n) to enter Louis’ sights, making a beeline toward the cart full of injured students. 

“(y/n), babe--” Before Louis could say much else, (y/n) pushed Violet into the cart before she looked to Aasim as he was the oldest of all the former students of the school. 

“Go, I can hold them off for a while, but you need to go now,” (y/n) said. 

Before Louis could gain her attention, she shoved him into the small space as well, not letting him have a word. 

Louis wasn’t able to hop out of the cart by the time the horses took off toward the school. He could only watch helplessly as the love of his life fought for her safety. Though Louis tried to escape the cart to go help, Aasim and the rest of the kids were quick to catch onto his plan and hold him back. 

"No! I have to help her! I can't lose her…" Louis’s voice cracked as he struggled to get out of the grip of Aasim and Violet. 

All of their heart's broke at the broken look on Louis' face, but they knew (y/n) wouldn't be happy with Louis being in danger, so they kept their grip tight on him. 

Luckily, the way back to the school didn’t feel very long with the horses and all the students occupied with keeping Louis away from the dangerous site. But the second the horses stopped in the school, Louis was out of their vice grip and was turned to them, 

“I’m going to find her, I can’t leave her in the woods all alone,” Louis spoke up. 

The group was silent for a few moments, they just wanted everyone to be safe, but Louis wasn’t going to stop fighting until (y/n) was safe in his arms once again. 

Aasim stepped forward and grabbed Louis by the shoulders, giving him a stern look before he spoke, “Okay, stay safe.” 

Louis straightened out his outfit before he gave Aasim a confident smile. 

“Well, Safety is my middle name,” Louis joked. 

Aasim and the rest of the kids stared at Louis with a deadpan look. It was no time for jokes, but of course it was in Louis’ nature.     

“Isn’t it Jamie?” Louis gave Aasim a joking glare before he turned toward the forest and searched for his beloved. 

…

Luckily it didn’t take more than a few hours for Louis to find (y/n) aimlessly wandering the woods. She was never good with directions. 

Louis released a relieved gasp to see his love all in one piece and healthy, or she looked to be from the distance at the very least. 

Louis picked up the speed with his feet until he was only a few yards away from (y/n) before he yelled out to her, “(y/n)!” 

(y/n) pointed her gaze to Louis, happy to see a familiar face in the endless woods. A smile broke onto her face and without any warning, she jumped into Louis’s arms. 

Though he almost lost his footing, Louis wrapped his arms around (Y/n), securing her to him so if they both fell, they’d be falling together.

“Lou. I’m glad you got out safe,” (y/n) said as she pulled away and onto her own two feet before continuing, “Is everyone safe, the children?” 

Louis was hoping that Clementine and the kids would be safe as well, but it looked as if (y/n) had been on her own for the past hour. 

“No, but I’m sure we can find them together. Alright, Babe?” Louis offered.

(y/n) was grateful for Louis’s optimism, she would have lost hope a long time ago without it. She granted Louis a quick kiss on the lips, one of her hands slipped into his before she pulled away. 

“Okay. But I don’t want you leaving my side for a while.” 

Louis leaned in to rest his forehead against (y/n)’s, his tone lowered to one that could be compared to a whisper, “Of course, Baby. I want to be by your side the whole way.” 

Getting onto the task finally, (Y/n) and Louis, hand-in-hand, set out to find Clementine, AJ, Tennessee and James: unscathed and safe. 

[fivecatsinatrench-coat]

A Second Date

Clementine and Louis have a second date to continue getting to know each other better.

“I hate you,” she jested. “I love you too.” He smirked. “Even if you do have a weird thing for cowboys.” “Damn it, I do not! You’re never gonna let this go, are you?” “Absolutely not.” 

~  AO3  ~  FF  ~

Clementine grit her teeth and dug her nails into her bed sheet as a sharp pain shot up her leg. She  raised her head slightly and looked to the foot of her bed where Ruby was busy dabbing the limb with a wet cloth to clean it. The redhead insisted on cleaning it every day until it scarred over. It was already a miracle that Clementine had survived the amputation; Ruby didn’t want to test their luck with an infection. She gave the other girl a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry, hon. I know it sucks, but it’s gotta be done,” Ruby said, rubbing the injured girl’s other leg in a futile attempt to soothe her. 

“I know,” Clementine grumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and resting her head back against her pillow. Of course she was grateful to Ruby for looking out for her, but God, did this suck.

It had been a little over a week since she returned home, and her recovery was going a lot more smoothly than anyone expected it would. The color had returned to her skin, and she was able to stay awake for the better part of most days. The pain was still overwhelming at times, but with the help of painkillers and emotional support from the other kids, she was able to push through it. 

AJ had been particularly attentive-- not that that was at all surprising. He spent most of his time by her bedside when she was awake, keeping her spirits up and making sure that she had everything she needed. He wasn’t beside her today, however. This was the first day he had left the walls of the school since they came home. He had initially been reluctant to go too far away from her, as even though she was improving, he was still terrified that something would go wrong. He was still terrified that he’d lose her. But that morning, Clementine was finally able to convince him not to worry-- that she wasn’t going anywhere, so he hesitantly agreed to go hunting with Aasim and Louis. 

When he headed out, leaving her alone in her room, part of her regretted telling him to go. Having him around kept her from thinking too hard about her condition. She tried her best to suppress it, but she couldn’t help the grief she felt over the loss of her leg. She knew that her disability would make life a lot harder from here on out; there were so many things she’d probably never be able to do again….

A light knocking at the door brought Clementine out of her thoughts. She propped herself up on an elbow and called out, “Come in.” 

The door opened and Louis stepped in. 

“Hey,” he greeted her with a grin and shut the door behind him.

“Hey, you.” She smiled affectionately at him then raised an eyebrow when she noticed that AJ wasn’t with him. “Where’s AJ?” 

“He wanted to help Aasim get a rabbit ready for dinner,” he told her then glanced at Ruby, who was still busy tending to Clementine’s leg. “Uh, I can come back later if you want.”

“No, it’s ok.” She stared down at her leg and frowned before meeting his eyes again. “Honestly, I could use a little moral support.”

Louis mirrored her dejected expression and walked the short distance to her bed. He crouched down beside her and took her hand in his.

“I’m so sorry, Clem. I--”

“Hey, I said I need support, not a pity party,” she interrupted.

He dropped the rest of his sentence with an amused exhale and squeezed her hand. “Right. Sorry.”

“So… how was hunting?” Clementine asked, wanting to shift the conversation away from her plight.

“Pretty good. We caught a couple rabbits, and I showed AJ how to reset the traps.”

“That’s good.” She chuckled before adding, “Guess you’ve replaced me as his sidekick, huh?”

“Hey, he’s the sidekick,” Louis joked, earning another light laugh from the girl. Of course, the sight of her laughing brought a grin to his face, as it never failed to do. 

Clementine looked lovingly at him for a moment before extending her arms to him for a hug, which he happily gave. 

“Thanks,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“For?”

“Just, y’know... being here. It helps.”

He pulled slightly out of her embrace and kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll always be here.”

A soft giggle from the end of the bed caused the pair to separate. Ruby had finally finished cleaning the girl’s wound and was looking fondly at them. They both blushed and lowered their eyes; they had almost forgotten she was there….

“Y’all are too cute,” Ruby remarked, shaking her head. She noticed the redness on their faces and gave them a small reassuring smile. “You don’t have t’ be embarrassed. It’s real sweet how close you two have gotten.”

Ruby picked up a roll of bandages and turned her attention back to Clementine’s leg. 

“I’m a lil’ jealous,” the redhead admitted, still looking down as she began to wrap the fresh gauze around the limb. “Not, y’know, of either of you specifically,” she quickly clarified. “Just of what y’all have, I guess.”

Ruby paused and looked back up to them. They were staring at her expectantly, apparently waiting for further explanation, so she continued:

“I used t’ read those sappy romance books the old English teacher kept in her desk and wish I could experience somethin’ like that,” she continued and smiled sadly at her hands. “I stopped a while ago, though, when I realized it wouldn’t ever happen.”

“Well, how do you know it won’t?” Clementine cut in gently. 

“I dunno… Not a lotta people left... And I doubt any of ‘em would like me.”

Clementine was surprised to hear that she felt that way. Did she really not realize that Aasim had a massive crush on her? He wasn’t exactly very subtle about it….

“You don’t know that. Maybe somebody does,” the brunette hinted.

She looked to Louis, who had his hand over his mouth in an attempt to hide the huge knowing grin that spread across his face. He dropped his hand and opened his mouth to speak but was stopped short by a light tugging on his wrist. He glanced down to find Clementine gripping it then shifted his gaze to her face and gave her a questioning look. ‘Don’t,’ she mouthed, knowing exactly what he was planning to say. As much as she herself wanted to just tell Ruby about Aasim’s crush too, she knew that they shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Louis pouted but obeyed and stayed silent.

Ruby raised an eyebrow at their behavior but chose not to question it.

“I don’t think so,” she sighed as she tied off the fresh bandage on Clementine’s leg. “Well, think I’m all done here.” Ruby stood and wiped her hands on her pants. “Anything else I can get’cha?”

Clementine shook her head. “I’m ok. Thanks, Ruby.”

She gave a little nod in response and turned to leave the bedroom. Clementine and Louis watched as she exited the room and gently closed the door behind her. They stayed quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of her footsteps down the hall fade away.

“I can’t believe this,” Louis quickly broke the silence, shaking his head in incredulity.

“I know, right?” Clementine agreed. “She really has no idea.”

 “I gotta tell her.” He turned to Clementine. “Come on, you shoulda let me tell her. This is too perfect.”

“No, he needs to tell her.”

“But he won’t, Clem. It’s been, like, a year.”

“Just... give it a little more time. He’s not very good at hiding it; she’s gonna find out eventually.” 

Louis crossed his arms and quirked his brow at her, clearly unconvinced. Noticing his skepticism, the girl continued:

“What if someone else told you that I like you?” she asked. “Wouldn’t that have kinda ruined it?”

“Honestly, I would’ve just thought they were fucking with me.” He stared at the door and frowned, pausing to consider her point for a minute before sighing in defeat. “...I guess you’re right.”

“Of course. I’m always right.”

He smirked at her. “I’m still gonna keep harassing Aasim about it, though.”

Clementine snickered. “That’s fine; you should. Just don’t tell Ruby anything.”

“Deal.”

Louis looked down in thought for a second. He sat down on the bed beside her and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “So, um...anyways... I actually came in here for a reason,” he said.

“Oh? What’s that?”

“Well, y’know, I figured you must be bored laying in here all day, so I thought, ‘Hey, what better time for our second official date?’” He pulled his deck of cards out of his coat pocket, set it on the bed between them, and looked to her with a hint of anxiety on his face as he waited for a response. 

She gave him a soft smile. “That’s a good idea. I am pretty bored.” 

Louis smiled and let out a breath of relief, which Clementine took notice of.  

“What? You thought I was gonna say no?” she asked as she sat up and rested her back against the wall.

“I mean, not really, but”-- he shrugged-- “you never know. Maybe, in the last thirty seconds, you realized you actually hate me.”

Clementine rolled her eyes. “No such luck,” she joked before focusing on the deck of cards sitting on the bed. “So, did you have a game in mind?” she asked the boy.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Y’know, I still don’t really know a lot about you, so I thought we could play the game we did the night you first got here. Remember? Highest card asks a question?”

“Yeah, I remember,” she confirmed. “Is War the only card game you know?”

“Of course not; it’s just the easiest. I know Golf, Spades, Cribbage, some that I made up...” As he listed off card games, Louis split the deck in half and handed half of the cards to Clementine. “I also know how to play Poker, but I hate it.”

“Why?”

“It’s boring.” He paused before mumbling, “And Violet always beats me.”

The girl chuckled. “Really?”

“Yeah. She’s impossible to read. I think she’s secretly a lizard-person,” he said, somehow keeping a completely straight face.

Clementine burst out laughing. 

“Don’t tell her I said that,” Louis added, as he laughed along with her. 

“Don’t worry; I won’t.” The girl’s smile faltered. “She… doesn’t really talk to me anyway.”

Not wanting to ruin the mood, Clementine quickly changed the subject. “So”-- she held up the stack of cards Louis had given her-- “are we gonna play?”

Louis nodded and gave the cards in his hand a quick shuffle. They each drew a card from their respective stacks and flipped it over; Clementine won with an eight of diamonds. 

“You win,” Louis said. “What do you wanna know?”

Clementine looked up and thought for a second. She couldn’t think of anything particularly creative to ask, so she just asked the first question that came to her mind:

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Damn, we’re already starting with the real hard-hitting questions, huh?”

The girl smiled and rolled her eyes in response before looking back at him expectantly. 

“It’s green,” he told her. “What’s yours?”

Clementine raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. “Hey, I thought only winners got to ask questions,” she teased.

“Ok, new rule then: losers can ask follow-up questions.” 

“Fine,” she chuckled before answering, “Mine is pink.”

“No way. You’re lying.” 

“What? What’s wrong with pink?”

“Nothing!” he laughed. “I just wasn’t expecting that. I thought you were gonna say something hardcore like black or blood red or something.” His expression softened. “That’s kinda cute-- that it’s just pink.”

The girl snorted, trying to hide the slight blush that crept onto her cheeks at his words. “If you say so.”

“Wait, what kind of pink, though? Hot pink?” Louis suddenly asked. 

“Ew, no.” Clementine wrinkled her nose at the thought of that obnoxious color. “Just regular pink,” she specified.

“Ok, good,” he chuckled and took the card she had drawn out of her hand, stacking it with his and setting it to the side. He motioned for her to draw again for the second round. “After you.”

Clementine drew another card from her stack and flipped it over: six of spades. Louis followed and produced a three of hearts.

“I win again.” The girl smirked at him. 

Louis shook his head and said flatly, “You’re cheating.”

She scoffed. “What? How do you even cheat at this game?”

“You stacked the deck.”

“It’s your deck!” she laughed.

“Alright, fair point… I got my eye on you, though.” He winked at her. “What’s your question?”

This time, she already had a question in mind. “Where are you from?” she asked. “Before you came here, I mean.” 

Louis smiled and answered, “Baltimore.”  

“That’s cool; that baseball guy I met was from there,” Clementine shared.

He raised his eyebrows. “No shit? What was his name?”

“Javier Garcia.”

“Wait, seriously? I’ve met him.”

Clementine’s eyes widened. “Really? When?”

“Yeah. Well, kinda. My grandparents used to take me to the baseball games in the city sometimes. He signed a ball for me. I think I still have it somewhere...” He shook his head and chuckled to himself. “I can’t believe you met Javier Garcia and didn’t tell me.”

She giggled at his enthusiasm then shrugged. “You never asked.”

“Alright, you gotta tell me everything now. How’d you meet him?”

“Well… I, uh…” Clementine sighed, slightly embarrassed of how she had acted back then. “I almost shot him; then, I tried to rob him.” 

Louis snorted. “Really, Clem? I mean, I knew you were edgy, but damn.”

She rubbed the back of her neck and said sheepishly, “Yeah… I was going through some shit at the time… He was pretty cool about it, though.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. He was a pretty cool guy in general,” she said and placed her card atop the other discarded ones. “He’s kinda like you-- little less dorky though.”

“Dorky!?” Louis clutched his chest and feigned offense.

“In a good way!” she quickly added with a laugh before switching focus to her stack of cards. She held them up and asked, “Round three?”

“‘Round three?’ You’re really gonna act like you didn’t just insult me like that?” He continued pretending to be offended as he drew another card. Before Clementine could respond or even draw a card herself, he blurted out, “I win.” and revealed that he had drawn an ace. 

“Not necessarily,” she protested. “What if I get an ace too?”

“I’d be very shocked.”

Clementine picked the top card off her stack and lifted it up in front of her face so that he couldn’t see it. She smirked. “It’s an ace,” she told him.

Louis looked at her skeptically and peeked over the top of the card to see what it really was. “That’s a four, darling.” 

The girl sighed and dropped the card. “Fine... I guess losers do deserve to win at least once.”

“Exactly,” he agreed before asking his question: “What’s your favorite kind of music?”

Clementine smiled; that was such a him thing to ask. She pursed her lips as she considered the question. Music hadn’t really been a part of her life like it had Louis’. When she and AJ were living on the road, they avoided it for the most part; it was unnecessary noise. She had probably heard more music in the past month at the school than in all her years on the road. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. I never really had the chance to listen to much music before I came here,” she admitted. “Sometimes me and AJ would listen to some rock CD in the car; I guess that was pretty cool.”

“Rock? That makes sense.”

Clementine shrugged and moved to draw another card, but Louis interrupted her:

“Wait, you’re not gonna ask what mine is?”

“I already know what yours is.” She smirked at him. “It’s obviously super girly pop music.”

“Ah, shit! How’d you know!?” he joked. 

“Gut feeling,” she joked back as she grabbed the next card off her stack.

She drew a Jack, beating Louis’ draw of a nine.

“Yes!” Clementine pumped her fist in celebration of her victory. “I have a good one this time.”

“Oh boy,” Louis said, slightly worried. “What is it?”

“What’s your biggest irrational fear?” she asked.

He eyed her suspiciously. “Um, you’re not trying to get ammunition to use against me are you?”

“No!” she laughed. “I’m just curious.”

“Ok...” Louis sighed before answering, “I’m terrified of wasps.”

“Wasps?”

“Yeah. I hate them. A couple years back we found a wasps’ nest under the lookout tower. I wouldn’t go outside for a week.”

“Are you allergic to them or something?” the girl asked.

“No, they’re just… fucking demonic, y’know?” he replied as an involuntary shiver ran down his spine at the thought of the wretched insects.

Clementine giggled. “Yeah, I guess they kinda are.”

“I’m glad you understand,” he chuckled then raised an eyebrow at her. “So, what’s your irrational fear, then?”

 “Oh, I’m not scared of anything,” she responded matter-of-factly.

“Everyone’s scared of something.”

“Not me.”

 Louis pouted. “Come on, I told you mine.”

She stared into his pleading eyes for a moment before groaning and giving in. “I guess I’m kinda creeped out by mirrors,” she confessed.

“What? Mirrors? How could someone as pretty as you hate mirrors?”

“Ha ha,” she replied sarcastically before explaining, “They give me a weird feeling... like they’re watching me or something.” She shuddered. “I don’t know how to explain it; they’re just creepy.”

The boy gave her an amused look. “Not gonna lie, that’s… a pretty weird fear. Was not expecting that,” he said.

“Hey, don’t judge me.” 

“I wasn’t.” He held up his hands. “There’s nothing wrong with you being scared of mirrors. In fact, if you want, I’ll go smash every mirror in the school for you right now.”

Clementine snickered. “I think I’ll be alright.”

“Ok, if you say so.” Louis picked up his stack of cards, preparing to draw for the next round, but before he did, he added, “If you ever change your mind, though, lemme know. I will do it.”

“I’ll let you know,” she promised. 

The pair each drew another card, and this time, Louis won with a seven of clubs. He held his card up to his lips as he considered whether or not he really wanted to ask the question he had in mind. Clementine cleared her throat and raised her wrist as if she were checking an imaginary watch, teasing the boy for taking so long to ask his question. So he decided to just go for it: 

“Alright, I gotta ask… And I’m not judging, ok? But...” Louis reached over her and picked up a book that had been laying on the opposite side of her bed. He held it up in front of her and asked,“What the fuck is this?”

“Oh God.” Clementine could feel her face begin to burn when she saw the cover. It was one of those cringeworthy western romance novels with a shirtless man in a cowboy hat on the front. The terrible thing was mixed in with a stack of a few books that Ruby had given her a couple days prior. The girl tried to explain herself:

“It’s a book Ruby brought me to read when I get bored. She gave me a few different books, and-- and I already read all the others. So y’know, I thought reading it would at least be better than staring at the ceiling. I--It’s super dumb. I swear I’m only reading it to laugh at it.”

Louis smirked at her babbling. “Right. Sure.” 

“I promise!” Clementine really wasn’t lying. The book was horrible-- probably the worst thing she had ever read in her life. It was almost impressive how bad it was, and that made it hilarious to her. But of course, Louis wasn’t going to let her off that easy.

“So what’s it about, then?” he asked as he scanned the pages, stopping when his eye caught a particularly cringeworthy passage. He smirked at the girl beside him and began to dramatically recite it:

Annabelle watched with wide eyes as he dismounted the horse, his bare six-pack glistening in the afternoon sun. God, he was sooo hot. He took off his cowboy hat and ran his fingers through his hair before turning to her and smiling. “Howdy, baby. I have come back for you,” he said in his deep, sultry voice.

Clementine lied back and buried her burning face into her hands. “Please stop,” she laughed. Of course, he ignored her and continued reading:

“Oh, Bill. I knew you would.” She ran into his arms and kissed him passionately. He tightened his hold on her and pulled her to the ground with him. He tenderly stroked her-- 

Louis cringed. “Oof, that’s a little inappropriate,” he mumbled to himself and quickly flipped a few pages ahead until he found a different section to read. “Here we go.”

Luckily for Clementine, before he could start reading whatever awful new passage he found, the dorm door opened and someone stepped inside. Louis lowered the book and turned around to see who it was. He smiled when he saw that it was AJ.

“Hey, little dude!”

“Hi,” AJ greeted the older boy then raised an eyebrow when he caught sight of Clementine lying back with her hands covering her beet-red face. “Uh, what are you doing?”

“I’m just reading Clem her favorite book,” Louis replied nonchalantly. 

“It’s not my favorite book! I hate it!” the girl blurted out. 

“Oh, stop lying, Clem. Your secret’s out; you might as well own it.”

“I hate you,” she jested.

“I love you too.” He smirked. “Even if you do have a weird thing for cowboys.”

“Damn it, I do not! You’re never gonna let this go, are you?”

“Absolutely not,” he laughed, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. 

“Lou, I swear to God when I get out of this bed...�� Clementine playfully threatened.

“I’ll go into hiding,” he chuckled and stared down at the book in his hands. Something suddenly occurred to him. “Wait, so Ruby gave this to you?”

Clementine nodded. “She did.”

“I wonder if this is one of those sappy books she was talking about.” He mindlessly flipped through the pages then slipped the novel into an inner pocket of his coat and flashed her a sly grin. “I’m gonna show it to Aasim-- tell him to take notes and act it out for her.”

“Great idea,” she snorted. “You can torment him instead.”

“He is pretty fun to torment.” He grinned mischievously then glanced at the door. “...I’ll be back.”

Clementine watched as Louis stood and rushed out of the dorm room, his coat flapping behind him. She chuckled to herself as she heard him running down the hall. She loved that idiot.

“...I don’t get it,” AJ suddenly said. “What just happened?”

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo,” Clementine chuckled. “He's just being a dork.”

End Note: Thanks for reading! ♥

[agarserv]

Adversary | III

Words Count: 5113

Violet still waits for her moment to end. For everything around her to disappear and for the shoreline of her friend’s voice to return to her. That maybe she’d reunite with those she cared about. Maybe with Tenn or Brody...hoping that it’d be quick and not in this regretful stance she finds herself in now. As the sounds around her escape and simply become nothing but ringing. She’s confused, almost daring herself to open her eyes.

But a voice shouts out again, and she blinks them open on realization.

“Violet, give me your fucking hand, now!” Clementine yells, keeping her death grip on the blonde’s wrist as she finally gets wind of what’s happening. Not wasting any more seconds believing she’s going to die or plummet down the lengths of the skyscraper. Not thinking about what or who she’d see and who she’d miss.

She wasn’t going to fucking die after that.

She rips her other arm up, feeling the grip of Sophie and Clementine pulling her up as quickly and as tightly as they can before she realizes she’s back on the ground, and the once glass gap behind them is now nothing but a steep drop for them to worry about. Shaking momentarily as Sophie places a hand on her shoulder, worriedly glancing at her friend.

“What the hell happened?!”

“I blanked out I think...I...I just- I don’t know.”

“You can not do that again, Vi. We almost lost you!”

“I know! I know...I just-“

“Just what?”

“I thought I was dying! I didn’t realize someone had caught me…” she mumbles, looking over to Clementine as the girl has her arms crossed, glancing to the piles of shattered glass around them that had yet to take the plummet.. Enough noise to gain the attention of walkers, sure, but they were too high up for them even get near them.

“Looks like we won’t be going back here anytime soon.” Clementine says, turning around as she heads for the entrance to a hallway the previous collisions of rocks had blocked. Leaving a startled Sophie and Violet to get up on their feet, and quickly.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Vi?”

“My ass almost fell a hundred feet, but I’m good. Let’s just find out where she’s going before she actually leaves us for dead.”

Sophie nods, helping violet off the ground as the two jog towards the doorway. Met with an old coffee room as items as scattered. The tiles grayed and dulled as they were cracked beyond belief. Old and new dust blocking the usual light as it still flowed within similar to snowfall. Only letting a very opaque light shine through and off the bits of tile scattered across the room.

Violet’s attention was turned to the wooden desk. Now full of bullet holes, scratches, and other damages she couldn’t quick make out from the coffee supplies —well I expired, scattered and broken across the rest of them. 

“Damn...I miss coffee...even the smell.” She mutters, wishing she could at least get a remembrance of that if she couldn’t have the actual drink itself. Instead only getting that same murky smell of the old metals around her, along with the dust and the water that flooded the subway as long as she remembered seeing it.

“If that was what we came here for, I’d cry.” Sophie adds, looking through the old packets as she starts to get confused over some of the flavors. “Though the spice of pumpkin doesn’t sound that great.”

“Really? You don’t like pumpkin?”

“I like the look of them, doesn’t mean I’d eat it.”

“Oh…” Violet shrugs, turning just as Sophie adds something else.

“I remember that Halloween by the way, don’t even try and escape it.”

Dammit Violet cringes at the memory. Knowing she’d been a bit too eager to go and look at the jack-o-lanterns and other pumpkins and practically became the equivalent of a starving dog looking for food when she’d found out about what was inside of them.

She’d never admit it, but it tasted pretty good. 

She was as happy as can be in her small scarecrow outfit. Her parents? Not so much. And her friends still haven’t let her live it down.

“I’m surprised you remember, considering everything that’s happened.”

“When they first took me and Minnie to the Delta we were given journals. Everyone wrote in them since that’s what basically kept them sane. I of course, wrote all the stories I could remember. I even still have it in my bag if you’d ever like to read some of them.”

“I might take you up on that, Sophie.” She smiles, though her curiosity is brought to what Clementine might’ve written within it. If she had a journal for herself and wasn’t a soldier anymore — though Violet was unsure if she was actually sane, maybe she could find out more about her. 

She definitely had to remember that for later.

“What are we looking for, anyway?” Sophie asks, peaking over one of the nearby shelves as she looks towards Clementine. Noticing the girl wasn’t near the exact pair of shelving from before. Knowing her curiosity might bring her into more trouble, the redhead puts a hand near her holster. Peering her eyes as she tries to listen for anything going wrong around them. And giving a knowing glance towards Violet a the girl did the same, pulling out a cleaver just in case.

“Clem? Where’d you go?” Violet calls out, wondering if she was being too loud or obnoxious and that it had just sealed their fates. But with a dead silence ringing around them, neither girl really knew what to do except to continue on forward.

They pass by a similarly damaged hallway, finally seeing Clementine’s figure standing at the edge of a doorway. Her head tilted gently to the side as she looks into a room that is currently off view from the other two. Curiously glancing as the small light pours in through the side, casting a warm glow onto half her side, showing the sleeve-torn demon jacket and the white hoodie that shows beneath, lingering its sleeves at the base of her palms as Clementine doesn’t even turn to register the other two had come close to her. Her curious stance almost confusing to the two girls, as it’s almost peaceful.

Definitely not something they would have expected out of Clementine, even if they had known her for a short time.

“What is it?” Violet asks, putting her cleaver away as she lingers closer to the doorway. Watching as Clementine doesn’t stop her, still staring forward with a lingering expression that was definitely not fear or horror. Almost like it was just a simple sight.

Something that was nice and nostalgic.

Only that certainly wasn’t that way for Violet as she turns her head, nearly jumping back at the sight as Sophie quickly runs up too, not as silent in her shock as the blonde had been.

“What in the actual fuck!”

“Jesus…I know you said there’d be a dead guy up here but not...not like this shit!”

Clementine stares forward as her casted eyes darken in the realization of what it was. Looking to Sophie expectantly, almost as if she’d expected her to act more calm over such a sight.

Though she had escaped long before Clementine had. Almost giving her hope that maybe she’d return to her roots as well.

Clementine glances back to the sight in front of her. Towards the man she’d chased out and shot, looking now as it seemed to do more damage than she might’ve expected had it not been for the butcher knife at the man’s hand.

Meaning he’d done it to himself.

Clementine stares at his face, how the dead eyes and the part of him that must’ve once been a walker—or close to it, was gone. Enough to show the slightly aging blood that was widely pooled around him as his literal insides were displayed outwards. Cascading in every which way Clementine looked. Almost as if there would be nothing left in his chest at that point as some of them were splayed across one of the nearby cabinets and in his other hand. The smell radiating it was just as bad as the dead that were walking. Enough for the sight to almost resonate something within the girl.

But it did nothing.

“I thought you said he was injured, what the hell did you use on him?” Violet asks, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve as she still stares at it. Genuinely wishing she wasn't, but it was too much of something that caught her eye to look away, as everywhere else was simply red with blood that reflected some of the old surfaces.

“A gun.”

“Did that gun have explosive ammo or some shit?!” Violet asks, knowing she wouldn’t be surprised if Clementine had said yes or not. But when the girl approaches the dead man, leaving her boots to walk across the bloodstains that immediately cover the bottoms of them, she’s even more confused.

“What the fuck? Just- why.” She says, a loss for words as Clementine isn’t even fazed by it. And Sophie merely watches with slight horror, but also a look that worries Violet.

As if she’s seen this before. Again she wouldn’t be surprised, but it didn’t mean she didn’t worry about what else the two might’ve experienced back at Delta or wherever else they’d been. It was simply the unknown that was terrifying.

“He gutted himself. Enough to cause him to not be able to move as a walker as they basically just...slid out of him.” Clementine shrugs. “Or he got some sort of head injury. I don’t really know it care.”

“Of course you don’t” Violet sighs. “So uh- why exactly did he decide to do this?”

“Beats me. People go a little nutty when they think they’re gonna die. No doubt in hell this guy did too.” She smirks. “Guess it’s a good thing I fell.”

“Right…so uh, now that we found your little gut buddy, we going home or something?”

“Nope. I gotta look for something.” Clementine says, moving her hands towards the extremely bloodied jacket of the man as she pauses, looking over towards Violet and Sophie with a raised brow. “I take it you two don’t wanna help?”

“God no I-“ Violet starts, getting an elbow from Sophie as she mouths something to the girl. Shrugging her shoulders after.

Violet didn’t know what the hell that meant.

“God...just...fine. I don’t know why in the name of fuck we’re doing this but alright.”

Violet cringes as she tries her best to step around the blood. Knowing she had to give up at some point as soon as she hears the apparent splash by it, as well as the cold feeling splattering onto her legs soon after.

“Hate this hate this hate this.” She mumbles, hovering  over the body as Clementine begins to check his pockets, rummaging through quickly and with little regard to how disgusting the situation actually is.

“So...what do you need us to do again?”

Clementine doesn’t look up from where she’s checking. “Check his other pockets. He should have something. You’ll know it when you see it.”

“What if it’s something dumb?”

“Just check his fucking pockets.”

Violet sighs again, cringing as she sees the giant hole in the man’s cheek and jaw that reveals the stringy flesh barely keeping it all connected. Darkened in the deep crimson like the rest of his body. Only the sounds as she moves his head are enough to make her simply want to just leave and plummet through the glass again.

She moves one of the top pockets in his jacket, previously hidden by the broken neck that was splayed to the side and full of the dripping blood on top of it. Enough to see a beige paper sitting folded inside as Violet picks it up, her bloodied hands leaving a red thumbprint on it as she does.

“Is this it?” She asks, not getting a verbal answer as Clementine quickly snatched it from her hands. Opening it quickly as her eyes scan through it. Almost like she was rereading it over and over again for memorization. And the way her eyes light up slightly are enough for Sophie to ask out of curiosity again.

Curiosity killed the cat.

“So uh...what is it?”

Clementine glances over to them. Letting out a soft exhale as she stands up again. Still holding it delicately as if she was scared of it. Before finally speaking up.

“Sophie, I take it your remember Delta’s symbol?”

“Well, yeah. You and I both have tattoos on our wrist of it.”

“So this is it then, right? This is real?”

Sophie raises a brow as she is handed the note. Reading some of it aloud carefully and relatively quietly as the words sink in all at the same time.

“Rockingham recruit, report to Teller’s bridge by 0600 of the twentieth of October. Convoy will arrive to pick you and any other recruits there. Stay vigilant, stay with the Delta’s currents.”

Violet looks on confused too the other girls as they widen in their eye contact. Knowing what it necessarily meant, just not what it specifically meant to Clementine herself.

“Why do you need Delta’s note? What are you going to do? Prevent people from going to them?”

“Not exactly.” Clementine shakes her head. Her hands clenched into fists as she walks back and forth. Rubbing her hand at the bandage still on her head before turning to them again. “I’m getting my revenge.”

“Wait what-“

“Lilly is going to die. And that’s a promise.” Clementine tells them. Her face darkening in seriousness as Violet feels a shiver down her spine. “And I’m going to be the one to kill her.” 

Violet and Sophie simply stare at the girl in concern and skepticism—and a bit of fear, as she makes that promise to them. While Violet’s never met the woman herself it sounds damn hard to kill someone within a terrifying community such as Delta. And by the look on Sophie’s face it certainly seems that she’s feeling the exact same way.

“Clementine are you sure that’s a good idea?” The redhead asks, wary of their distance suddenly as she glances between the gutted body of the man on the floor and to the brunette again. Remembering what she’d done the past night and what she must’ve been capable of. “I don’t think Lilly-“

“You don't have to worry about that. I find my way back to Lilly’s little false promises and lies...and you two will get to see Minerva again. Maybe even bring her back home.”

The two girls freeze at that. Their breaths hitching among the cold air to the point where it almost stings at their lips, their faces contorting into a mixture of worry and hope. The turmoil inside of them lurching in their stomachs as they didn’t know what to say.

It all sounded like a suicide mission...but if they could see Minnie again…

“I thought Minnie was still with them?” Sophie grumbles, crossing her arms as she looks off to the side. Knowing that she can’t hold up this much hope. Not even for her own sister. “You said it yourself, she didn’t seem to ever want to leave..and I doubt she would if we all arrived there anyway.”

“I never said you had to go with.” Clementine tells them, leaning against one of the cracked pillars nearby as her nails absentmindedly scrape some of the small bits and chunks away. Her eyes moving to look between the girls. “I’m saying if you want that chance again...this might be your last one.”

“This might just be a suicide mission. Not just for you- but for us as well.”

“At this point? I don’t really give a shit of what happens to me, Violet. What I’m saying is that if you two aren’t there? Not only will Minerva disappear if I kill Lilly, but if she gets in my way and tries to stop me? I can’t promise anything.”

Sophie’s glare deepens as she steps further in the room. Watching Clementine with caution as she grits her teeth, knowing she has to choose her words carefully. “If you lay a hand on her-”

“That’s only if she tries to kill me. If she’s still loyal to the Delta? She’s as bad as the rest of them. But I’m not going to waste my time to be some damn savior and bring her back when I have Lilly and the rest of the Delta to deal with. If you really want a chance to stop her? I recommend you come with. Convince her that Delta is not the group she should be staying with.”

The girls are silent as Clementine’s eyes stare at the tumultuous blonde in front of her. The both of them knowing what she was actually meaning by those words. Even more so as her next simply confirm it. 

“Violet especially. If Minerva is still mad at me and Sophie--which is highly possible, Violet is our best shot.”

“If you’re insinuating she’s going with you alone…that isn’t happening. It’s my sister and my friend going along with you. I’m not letting her do it alone.”

“Wasn’t insinuating that. If anything you will be our best bet. But I don’t think I can bring the others along.”

Violet quickly shakes her head, her brows furrowed in confusion and slight anger as she tries to piece it all together. Knowing her own answer and opinion on it were fully conflicting. “The fuck? Why not?! They can’t just-”

“It’ll get far more attention from not only those bandits, but Delta will think something’s up. They’ll know that something is wrong. Your friends will be in far more danger on the road to them than they will back here in the city. Trust me. There’s a lot less hiding places than there is here. And you’ve already got caught once.”

“But you saved us! What are they going to do if they get caught again?!” Violet asks, pacing around the room now as she thinks of the two guys at Clementine’s apartment. Knowing they’re probably worried sick--and will be when we’re gone!”

“That’s why I’ll leave them with some of my gear. My shotgun and one of my pistols, along with all the food there. Everything in that apartment except for what’s in my backpack will belong to them. Period. Even the map with the layout of the subway, marked with the non-flooded areas if they really need to run to it for safety. They’ll be fine if they made it this far out and in the world. Even I know that.”

“Just- fuck I don’t want to leave them. They’ve been with us through everything…” Violet mumbles, biting on one of her nails as Clementine gently shakes her head. Almost as if she knows what being in that sort of situation was like.

Maybe she did know…

“If you want to protect them? You’ll tell them to stay here in the city. There’ll be ways to know they’re safe. Trust me.”

“But it isn’t guaranteed.” Sophie points out. Obvious that she’d already made her decision, but it wasn’t exactly hers to begin with as she looks back to the blonde. Playing more of a devil’s advocate if anything.

“Nothing here is. But their chances will be better. They’re survivors. Just like you. But you don’t even have to go to begin with. You can stay back if you’re that worried about them,”

“Just- we need to find Minerva too. Or else she’s as good as dead. Even if she already is...we need closure. It’s been too long.” The redhead mutters. Leaning back against her own pillar as she hauls herself up to sit on it. Looking back down to the green eyed girl as she awaits her decision.

“How long do you think we’ll be gone?”

“All depends on us, and how Lilly and the Delta might’ve changed. Otherwise? We’ll come back here...if you get her. I just wouldn’t if I was going by myself knowing how Minerva can be.”

“Violet-” Sophie turns to her friend. “This is our only chance. And without that? We’re leaving her behind. Just like before...I can’t force you but...I’m asking you. Please do this. Aasim and Louis will be fine. They’ve got Chairles and her guns and places to hide. They’ll stay out of danger-”

“I know!” She yells, quickly correcting herself as she takes a deep and shaky breath. “I know. It’ll be hard...but I think we’ll have to do it.” She mumbled, knowing the others heard her by their sudden looks of attentiveness. “Let’s do this.”

“Good. One less thing for me to worry about. With you two, I might have a lower chance of being at knifepoint by Minerva. I’ll just have to worry about my own finding Lilly’s throat.”

Violet scratches at her own neck at those words, opening her mouth to ask Clementine why she was so dead-set on killing Lilly and going back to the Delta instead of spending her time within the freedom she had. When she’s cut off. Not by a sound she hears.

But one Clementine does. Enough for the brunette to place her palm over Violet’s mouth. Getting a tight grip on the blonde for her to be silent as Sophie catches on almost immediately, taking place near the side of a way as she tries to listen in as well.

“Sounded like footsteps.” Clementine whispers, whisking Violet off to the adjoining wall with her as she slowly retracts her hand, keeping a finger to her own mouth to signify for Violet to be completely silent. And as if the force of her grip on her mouth wasn’t enough, the look in the amber eyes certainly was.

Violet listens to something--trying to make out a sound that isn’t her own beating heart as she looks to the body--the gutted one that’d left trails of blood there. Enough for Violet to also remember that Clementine initially said it was a group of people. Not just one singular man. 

Were they hiding out here the whole time? 

It certainly didn’t take long for Violet to figure out that the answer was a resounding yes as a shrill voice echoes and bounces off the walls into their room.

“You monsters! I know you’re the ones who killed Jeremy! Ol’ Stephenson pulled out his own guts because of you freaks! And now I’m gonna make sure that you’re all gonna do the same thing!”

It’s quick to reveal their hiding place as a wave of bullets fly into the room. Hitting the walls and window in front of them as it sends pieces and shards back in every direction from both concrete and glass. And all Violet can look at is how one of them hits the body--Jeremy, somehow sending more blood to splatter across the cracked tile floor, even as her hearing rings as more bullets fly through the room, she barely notices the harsh grip on her arm once more as Clementine starts running--then sprinting, towards the now open window.

“Run! Now!���

“Wait- what the fuck are you doing?!” Violet yells, bracing herself as Clementine sends her and the blonde flying outside of it--with Sophie hot on their heels, as they are fast to land on a nearby rooftop harshly. Stunned at the feeling of the tough brick their bodies hit as the girls catch their breaths.

But only for a second.

The remaining man is quick to make it to the window, not jumping out after the girls but rather raising his automatic rifle once more. His glare enough to pierce through the already broken glass as he shouts something incomprehensible. Preparing to fire at the teenagers once more.

“Follow me!” Clementine yells to them, beginning to sprint across the rooftop as her companions are quick to follow. Letting their feet take them as quickly as possible as their hearts pound in their chest. Doing anything Clementine does so long as it’ll ensure they make it out of this situation. Even as Clementine jumps once more, landing across an adjacent rooftop.

But Violet doesn’t mind the gap. Closing her eyes as she and Sophie both leap across it as well, continuing their hard sprints as soon as a single foot hits the adjoining roof as they still hear gunshots in the distance.

Luckily none that are too close.

“What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck!” Violet yells as she turns her head, following the girls as they hop rooftops over and over. Slowing realizing they’re being lowered from the shorter buildings as they continue to hop down rather than across them.

“Just keep going! We’re almost there!”

“Didn’t realize we were going to be doing some fucking freerunning, Clementine!” Sophie pants. “Is this your way of getting out after that damn glass shattered?”

“Yes.” She tells them, as if it’s obvious. Her attention building back to what’s in front of them. “But right now isn’t the time to talk about this so keep fucking running!”

Violet does exactly as she says, knowing this is certainly not any sort of time to argue before the brunette makes a short jump, almost looking as if she wasn’t going to make it. That the leap to the apparent brick and cracked building ahead was simply too far.

“Clementine!-” Violet yelled, sprinting as if she’s preparing to catch her arm, but the sound as Clementine slips from her view quickly becomes apparent what’s happening, as does the sight of the brunette sliding down a tin roof. Echoing out into the overgrown cityscape as the others are quick to follow. Listening to the sounds of them also hitting the tin siding as it screeches within each inch they slide at a quickening speed. Barely enough for them to register the ground coming into view.

Clementine lets out a huff as she hits the ground. The partially flooded floor splashing up at her ankles as she’s sure to bend her knees upon landing. Watching as the other two are quick to join her--albeit not so gracefully.

The redhead stumbles through the water as soon as she hits the bottom. The splashes becoming deeper as her steps become more vertical than angled before she regains her balance, not quick enough to realize Violet was quick behind her, though not even enough for her to register the ground before as she’s quick to fall over on her elbows. Sending bits of water in every direction with a loud splash.

“You alright?” Sophie asks her, helping the blonde up as she’s quick to attempt to hide her smirk, though it fails as Violet spits out some of the old water she’d unfortunately caught in her mouth.

“Fuck. That.” She breathes out, wiping the leaves and moss off her face and body as she looks at her half-soaked self. Cringing at the feeling of the other leaves that'd stuck to her body and went inside her shirt. Scraping at her already sore muscles and pounding heart.

“Well. That was...something.” Clementine jokes, looking back and to the skyscraper as the window if far out of view.  Whereas the man who was shooting at them must’ve been gone as well. “Do you two always attract the attention of crazed men with guns?”

“No, not usually.” Violet rolls her eyes. “Thought that was more of your type of thing considering the only ones we’ve encountered was when you were just nearby as well. Unless you count Marlon for that matter.”

“Marlon?”

Sophie places a hand up to Violet as she decided it’s probably best for her to explain--primarily because of the sulking look on Violet’s face as soon as she remembers the name she’d literally just mentioned.

“He’s the reason me and Minnie were sent to the Delta. Traded us to protect everyone else.”

“Oh...sounds shitty.”

“It was, but it didn’t exactly end well for him either.”

“I think you’re forgetting the fact that he didn’t protect us. The dumbass basically made a deal with the devil and the raiders killed him the next time they came along. We all moved after that and ran into Sophie along the way...came to this damned city and, well...here we are.”

“Quite the journey if I do say so myself.” Clementine quips, looking past some of the flooded waters as she steps into a nearby and slightly heightened abandoned building to wipe off some of the murky water that’d seeped into her boots. The thick smell of old and rotting wood quickly filling her senses as the others follow suite.

“What about you? With the way you’re acting I bet you’ve got a longer one.” Sophie smirks, her curiosity showing through again as she knows she definitely wouldn’t be getting the full answer.

“Definitely for another day. Bit too much to recollect if you ask me.” She sighs, leaning her feet up on the side of a couch as she sits down. Letting herself relax. “Besides, I think we should rest a little bit. We still got a bit to walk through before we catch up to your other friends--and right after we tell them everything, we’re out of here.”

“Oh…” Violet mumbles somberly, moving her sleeves up to prevent the soaking wet piece of clothing to cling to her arms as she finds a chair as well, curling up within it as she lets herself fall deeper into the comfort of it. “I guess that’s a good idea.”

“Trust me.” Clementine says, moving her bandage up slightly before placing her hat over her face. “You’ll want as much sleep as you can get, though I bet you already know that considering the shit we’ve all probably been through.”

“Yeah...I guess so…” The blonde mumbles once more, looking over as Sophie's already fallen asleep on a couch. A light snore emitting from her as the room falls into a peaceful bliss. Though her heart hurts at the thought of leaving her friends--she knows it can’t be for too long. That they’d return.

But what she didn’t know was if it’d be with Minerva alongside them or not. Something that stays in her mind even as sleep comes to her within the small abandoned building. Keeping her light nap to drift to whatever thoughts she might’ve had upon it.

[quinlinkin]

take it from me ( i’d be lost without you ) ↳ Q’s twdg writing challenge

character(s): willy, mitch, ruby, aasim, louis, violet, omar, rosie, aj, tenn, clementine ship(s): aasim/ruby ( rusim ), clementine/violet ( violentine ) word count: 1462 author’s note: i mean, when aren’t we all in need of some pure, wholesome willy moments? takes place in the spring after the events of tfs ( in which everyone is alive bc to hell with canon sometimes amirite )

[   ao3 link   ]

*credits to the wonderful @stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale​​​​​​​​​ for creating this challenge! you can view the entire prompt list + further details here. happy writing!!

                                                         ― ☼ ―

                                          day thirteen ; hug.

It’s on an early, sunny spring day in which Willy declares a brand new, totally legitimate holiday.

National Hug Day. Well- Ericson Resident Hug Day, at the very least. He also realizes that he doesn’t actually know what the current date is, but he’s fairly certain Aasim does. He’ll be sure to not only ask him about it later, but request that he write down this new holiday so they can remember it every single year from now on.

The idea is promptly born as Willy sits upon the admin building’s front staircase, idly practicing the knife tricks that Mitch had taught him over the long winter months. Though his attention only remains focused on twirling the blade around between his fingertips for so long, and eventually, he finds himself looking out across the expanse of the courtyard.

Today is the first nice day they’ve had since the cold weather had finally begun to lessen. The sun is bright and warm, just enough for them to safely ditch their heavy winter gear in favor of lighter, more comfortable clothes. Louis isn’t wearing his trench coat anymore, the sleeves of his baseball tee rolled up past his elbows as he cleans arrows from their earlier hunting trip. Mitch leaves the admin building in a simple t-shirt, ruffling Willy’s already wild hair as he passes him on the steps.

Though, even with how normal everything appears to finally be, Willy can’t help but feel as if there’s a certain something missing. Winter, as always, had taken its toll on everyone. They’d only barely scraped by on their dangerously low food supply, suffered through the bitter cold and heaping snow, forced to all sleep in the common room to conserve body heat that ultimately left everyone largely irritated with one another for several different reasons.

Willy may be used to Mitch’s snoring, but that certainly doesn’t mean anyone else is.

Yet, even as the weather steadily improves and everyone is slowly but surely able to return back to a far more comfortable schedule, they all still seem… off.

There’s not enough happiness around here, Willy eventually decides. And so, he sparks the plan to change that. Besides, everyone likes hugs, right? They’re supposed to make people feel better, and that’s exactly what he intends to do.

He starts with an easy one. While he and Mitch don’t exactly hug each other on a regular basis, they are brothers. It wouldn’t be the strangest thing in the world. Willy approaches him as he’s stacking up freshly chopped firewood, and wordlessly wraps his arms around his waist.

Mitch tenses for a fraction of a second, before realizing it’s just Willy.

“Uh… what’s the hug for, man?” he rasps, patting Willy on the back as he returns it anyway. His voice has improved somewhat over the past few months, but it still sounds different. Scratchy and hoarse, like someone with a really bad flu.

Not that Willy minds, of course. The main thing that matters to him is that he’s here , and not dead like Lilly had very nearly succeeded in achieving. It doesn’t bother him in the least if his voice sounds a little funny, now.

“I decided today is hug day,” Willy explains simply, letting him go after a moment. “I think everyone really needs one. Y’know, after the winter and… everything.”

Mitch instantly gives him a warm smile. “Sounds like a great idea to me.”

Willy nods affirmatively. “Totally! So, you can go hug someone too, if you want.”

Then, before Mitch can formulate a response, Willy is off once again in search of the nearest person. Which, happens to be Ruby as she tends to the horse they’d brought back from the Delta. As usual, Aasim is right there with her, though he keeps a safe distance from the animal. He refuses to admit it, but Willy knows he’s definitely scared of it.

“Hi, Ruby,” Willy chirps, and again, without waiting for a reply, simply goes in to hug her as well.

“Oh- ” she exclaims in mild surprise, but is quick to recover. She hugs him back sincerely, one hand still grasping the rope attached to the horse’s halter.

Willy wastes no time between his rounds. Once releasing Ruby, he heads straight for Aasim.

“Wait, wha-” Aasim manages to utter before Willy is enveloping him, next. He may not be much of a hugger - well, towards anyone that isn’t Ruby, of course - but today, Willy vows to make sure everyone is.

Squeezing his arms around Aasim briefly, he steps back in order to clarify, “Today is hug day.”

Aasim quirks an inquisitive brow. “According to…?”

“Me,” Willy states proudly, beaming a big smile.

“Is that so?” Ruby says, wearing a smile of her own that’s incredibly fond around the edges. “Well, in that case… We’d better participate, right, hon?”

And with that, she’s leaning up on her toes and wrapping her arms around Aasim’s neck to pull him into another hug of their own. Unlike with Willy, he doesn’t remain stiff and awkward towards the contact, having no apparent problems with returning it in earnest.

Perfect! Willy thinks, grinning even wider. It’s working!

With his trend now catching on, Willy enthusiastically moves onward. Louis gets a hug next, where he’s still cleaning arrows, and it seems to immensely brightens his day judging by how he cheerfully laughs and thanks him. Then, it’s Violet’s turn, who, much like Aasim, isn’t the biggest fan of hugs even though she returns it all the same.

Omar receives his hug as he prepares dinner, Willy even making sure to include Rosie as she begs for scraps next to the large, steaming pot of food.

Finally, Willy reaches AJ and Tenn where they sit upon the ground as they color together. Willy kneels down in order to reach AJ’s level, making sure not to sneak up on him as he remembers the younger’s particular response to such sudden actions.

“It’s national hug day,” Willy tells him as he gives him a quick embrace around the shoulders. “That means everyone gets a hug.”

As he turns to Tenn, however, he finds himself hesitating. While he’s long since expressed his forgiveness towards what happened with Mitch, sometimes, he can’t help but still feel as if it’s technically his fault. It’s taken Willy a long time to come to terms with his big brother’s injury, and after watching him be taken away by Lilly and her people without knowing whether he was even alive or not, it remains a frightening memory.

But, like he said: everyone gets a hug. It’s not like he’s still mad at him, at least.

Tenn tentatively returns the gesture when Willy wraps his arms around him. When they pull back, he’s smiling genuinely, and Willy suddenly feels better about including him. They all deserve to be happy in his opinion, and that most definitely includes Tenn.

“Um, thank you…” Tenn murmurs quietly. Willy gives him a friendly nod.

And as he turns to survey the courtyard once again, he’s met with a promising sight. Louis can be seen moving in to dramatically hug an obviously annoyed Violet, and Willy laughs to himself as he catches sight of her one-eyed glare from around her eye patch.

There’s still one person left, however. As if right on cue, he spots her hobbling out from the dorm building, and Willy races forward to meet her.

He spares a fleeting look towards the prosthetic leg she’s currently balancing on. It’s the newest model, worked painstakingly hard on by himself, Mitch, Aasim, and AJ. He’s happy to see her getting used to it, and he’s sure she’s happy to finally be rid of those pesky crutches.

“Hey, Willy,” Clem greets with a smile.

This time, Willy does at least manage to spare a quick “Hi ” before moving in. He makes sure to be extra careful, however, not wanting to knock her over with an overly forceful hug. Yet even as slow as he winds his arms around her waist, he makes sure to squeeze with an equal amount of force as he showed towards everyone else.

“Today is hug day,” he explains again, for one last time. “We can all celebrate it every year.”

He can hear Clem chuckle softly as she returns the sentiment. “Every year, huh? Then I guess we’d better make sure to have Aasim write it down on his calendar.”

“Yeah! That’s what I was thinking!” Willy exclaims as he backs away.

And with that, his task is done. He and Clementine part ways, and he watches with bright, sparkling eyes as the first thing she does upon approaching Violet, is hug her.

Their first ever hug day? He thinks it’s safe to call it a smashing success.

[goofygomez]

In the dead of night - Clouis Oneshot

Description: A different take on the raid scene, as told from Louis’s PoV.

Wordcount: 4959

Another new story, I appear to be on a roll. Don’t worry, it won’t last. I made this as a double birthday gift for @randomfandom-bs and @bluebutterfly1 I hope you guys enjoy this angsty fanfic. 

As always, comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated. 

---

BANG

The gunshot rang through the silent courtyard like a cannon, followed by a grunt of pain. Louis swiveled to see Omar on the ground, clutching his bleeding leg. Before he could run to the boy, another gunshot sounded from somewhere outside the school and an explosion of dirt to his left rooted him to the spot.

“Hide, now!” he heard Clementine yell, and he obeyed. Turning to Tenn, he took his arm and led him through the courtyard toward the hallway outside the dorms. Together with Violet and AJ, the four of them knelt behind the brick wall.

Louis chanced a look over the ledge and saw Clementine dragging an injured Omar behind the tables they’d set up in front of the admin building. Genius, Clementine, he thought triumphantly.

His elation, however, was short-lived. A cold, calculating voice rang over the walls, seemingly magnified tenfold by the walls in the silence of the night. Louis recognized it as the voice of the woman who had pinned down Clementine in the forest with a rifle.

“Clementine! I know you’re in there!” the voice said, sending shivers down Louis’s spine. If he’d thought he was prepared for this raid, he had been sorely mistaken. Another shot whizzed through the air and landed just beside Omar before he was carried out of sight behind the tables.

His eyes darted to the trees beyond the walls, the only logical place a sniper could be. In spite of his best efforts, it was much too dark to spot whoever was behind the rifle, but their presence was surely noted. Another shot hit the side of the table in the middle, and Louis heard Tenn wince and shrink in on himself. AJ placed a small hand on the boy’s shoulder, and Louis’s respect for Clem’s young charge increased tenfold.

“Open up, kids!” another voice yelled, much raspier than the woman’s. It was the man who had been at the train station. Before he could relate this realization to Violet, a flash of light in the night sky caught his attention.

A flaming bottle had been flung over the wall and landed on the pile of rubble they had managed to set up against the gate as a barricade. Unfortunately for them, they hadn’t counted on the raiders using fire, so their defenses were mostly made up of wood, which sparked almost instantly.

“This doesn’t have to get any uglier!” the raspy voice shouted again as a resounding crash came from the gate.

“They’re gonna get in!” whispered Violet alarmed, covering her mouth with one hand and holding her bow in the other.

“Don’t worry,” Louis said, with much more confidence in his voice than he could have dreamed of. “Clementine knows what she’s doing.”

He decided another peek at the courtyard wouldn’t hurt and managed to glimpse Clementine vaulting over a table with dexterity and grabbing Marlon’s compound bow. The sniper chanced another shot at the girl and missed by mere inches as she got behind the tables. With surprising strength, Clem lifted the table and tipped it so it would provide cover for her. That’s my girl, Louis cheered mentally.

A cold autumn breeze blew past them, its whizzing, eerie sound almost mocking them in their struggle to keep their breathing steady. Another crash came from the door, and Louis could see its hinges beginning to give. Much like sardines in a can, they would be trapped between the admin building and the raiders.

“It’s alright, we’ll be okay–,” Louis was about to say to Tenn, but the deafening slam of the gates crashing open silenced him immediately. From his underprivileged vantage point, he could barely catch a glimpse of the top of a carriage-like contraption being pulled by what could only be a horse.

The sound of boots and hooves hitting the hard-packed soil was the only thing they could hear, along with the crackling of the flames behind the raiders. He turned to Tenn, whose eyes were wide as plates, and pressed a finger to his lips, begging him to remain still whatever happened.

“The fuck is this shit?” a deep-voiced man said as Louis heard them halting to a stop.

“Focus, they’re just scarecrows,” another female voice responded, sounding annoyed. So much for the element of fear, Louis thought with sorrow. The heads-on-spikes idea had been his, after all. He heard the raspy voice say something incoherent and then the commanding voice of their leader replied in kind.

“Spread out,” she said to the courtyard at large, a bored tone to her demeanor.

Silence. It was all Louis could hear at that moment. His heart was pounding so fast and hard he feared it would give him away any second. He peeked over the side of the wall, careful to remain as hidden as humanly possible, and saw Willy and Mitch hiding behind a bush barely ten feet away from them. The rustle of the bush’s leaves caught a plump raider’s attention, and Mitch’s face of terror was the last thing Louis had expected to see.

At that moment, however, another, more enticing target captured the raider’s interest. From the middle of the courtyard, Louis spotted Clementine standing tall, Marlon’s compound bow in her hands. The arrow between her fingers was trained on Lilly’s heart.

“Lilly!” she roared. All eyes and guns pointed in her direction at once, and Louis saw Lilly turn slowly to the girl, her eyebrows raised in bored interest. “Move and I’ll shoot!”

“You won’t get the chance,” the man with the raspy voice said, standing beside a large, bearded man with a hunting rifle in his hands. Clementine, what the hell are you doing?

To his surprise, Lilly’s open hand shot in the air, probably signaling whoever was in the trees to stand down momentarily. From the sidelines, Louis had a perfect view of the standoff the two women were engaging in. Unarmed, Lilly stepped forward toward the admin building, determination in her demeanor. She held little fear in her eyes, despite the fact that an arrow was aimed right at her.

“Where’s our new recruits,” she asked derisively.

“They’re not yours!” Clem spat back, fire in her eyes. Her hand was steady as she pointed at Lilly, the D on her hat flapping softly in the breeze.

Lilly took a few tentative steps forward as if testing the water’s temperature. When no arrow was forthcoming, she turned to her lackeys. “Search the yard,” she commanded, gesturing to the multiple points of cover the kids had set up in advance.

The plump woman stepped closer to the bush Mitch and Willy were cowering behind, almost hungry in her stance. The balding man who’d threatened Clementine was approaching their wall and Louis had to pull Tenn closer to him to keep him from being seen. Their bodies pressed to the bricks, Louis hoped against hope that Clem had an actual plan.

He heard Lilly mutter something to one of her men, and the deafening silence made its appearance once again as three pairs of feet shuffled through the yard in search for Lilly’s “recruits”.

“We’ll find them, Clementine,” Lilly said. “And then we’ll take them, and you, and your little boy.”

“I don’t think you wanna kill me,” he heard Clementine shoot back, venom in her voice, “just like you didn’t want to in the woods!”

“Shut up!” Lilly shot back lamely.

The small distraction was all it took, Louis saw. Mitch and Willy managed to sneak around the bush and behind the cart the horse had been pulling.

“You can’t fucking do it, can you?”

Tenn pressed closely to his body, Louis shut his eyes tight and hoped Clementine knew what she was doing. He knew she was treading on thin ice, especially given that at least two guns were pointing directly at her. Please, be alright…

He heard Lilly sigh deeply and the shuffle of dirt as she shifted position. “You’ve changed,” she said to Clem, almost longingly.

“I grew up,” Clem replied, more calmly. “I had to in this fucking world, remember?”

“I can see that,” Lilly said carefully. “God, you are just like him.”

Like him? Louis thought. Who could they be talking about? His curiosity was stronger than his survival instinct, and his head peeked once again over the railing of the brick wall. Thankfully for him, all eyes were glued to the two women in the middle of the courtyard. He saw Clem’s face harden at the sound of the last words, her glare intensifying.

“Lee would have been heartbroken, knowing he taught you all the wrong things,” Lilly continued. Clem’s eyes burned like a fire in the night, her muscles tensing even under her clothing. “That the sweet little girl he protected turned out like this…”

“You’re right, Lilly, I am just like him,” Clem said defiantly, “and if he saw me now, he’d be proud of who I am!”

That’s it, get her, Clem. It was all he could do to keep himself from rushing to her side and stand beside her. His eyes traveled from the girl he liked to the woman he despised. Her hands were at her hips and her short hair was flapping in the wind as it picked up speed. Behind them, Mitch and Willy were setting up the bomb they’d devised, getting it ready for detonation. Let’s hope it works, Mitch.

“Why? Because you pick fights you can’t win?” Lilly sneered. “Right, I’m sure that made all his sacrifices worth it.”

Clementine stared at Lilly with a steely glare, as if looking at something disgusting stuck to the sole of her shoe. Louis looked back at Violet, who was also looking at the exchange, transfixed. He knew how she felt. It had never occurred to any of them how much more Clem had had to live through while they were holed up in this school for eight years.

“Get out!” Clem said coldly.

“If you won’t help me find the others, I’ll find someone who will,” Lilly said, turning to the courtyard at large. “We’ve recruited from this school before.”

Violet and Louis exchanged another meaningful look. It had been a year since the twins had mysteriously disappeared under Marlon and Brody’s watch, only for them to find out they’d been taken to the raiders’ camp as soldiers. It was clear what Lilly’s approach would be, yet it didn’t make it any easier for Louis to hear Lilly speak next.

“Minnie wanted to come along tonight!” she said to her hidden listeners. “To tell you how well she’s adjusted to her life, how happy she is.”

“That’s bullshit,” Violet spat under her breath, hurt flashing in her eyes for a second, yet enough for Louis to notice.

“She said she had a girlfriend back here,” Lilly moved on. Violet’s eyes went wide, and Louis gave her a look that he hoped conveyed sympathy and reassurance all at once. “Friends she missed, one guy who could always make her laugh, no matter what.”

Thoughts of their stolen nights at the music room, playing their favorite songs on the piano as Sophie sang to them, swam into his mind’s eye. He’d longed for those moments back for some time now, yet he knew he’d never get those back, no matter how hard he tried. The past is gone, what matters now is the present.

“And her little brother. She missed him the most.”

Tenn’s head perked up at the mention of him, and Louis felt dread rise up in his stomach. As resilient as he and Violet could be to such mental tricks, he knew Tenn wouldn’t be as brave. His eyes landed on the boy and he almost screamed for him to stop, yet it was too late.

Tenn had risen up out of cover, his hands together in the same way he usually interlocked his forefingers. Cursing under his breath, Louis perked up and chanced another look at the scene, watching with horror as Tenn approached the tall woman.

When he reached her, he stood straighter. “Where are they?” the boy asked timidly, looking up at her.

“Let me take you to them,” Lilly said in a convincingly pleasant tone, but Louis saw right through her. “You’ll be happier where they are. They miss you.”

“WAIT!” Clem’s voice rang through the courtyard, and everyone seemed to freeze in their tracks. Even Tenn inched backward towards Louis and Violet. “Take me instead.”

No, what are you doing, Clementine?

Lilly turned to Clem with a slight smirk. “It’s a little late for bargaining, Clementine.”

“That’s what you came for, isn’t it?” Clem said, clearly stalling. From behind the cart, Louis saw Mitch give him the thumbs-up and lead Willy back to the bush. “You came to find soldiers, and you can have me.”

Lilly seemed to hesitate for a second, raising an eyebrow at Clementine’s bravado. Louis’s heart was thumping hard as if calling out to her to do the right thing. He didn’t know what exactly the right thing was, but he knew he was afraid to find out either way.

“And what would you have me give you in return,” Lilly asked cautiously, crossing her arms. “I don’t doubt you have all sorts of demands.”

“I’ll go with you as long as you leave this school and the group alone,” Clem spat, her bow still poised. “I’ll fight your stupid war, so long as my friends and family are safe from your hands.”

“That’s a lot to ask, girly,” the raspy-voiced man said, stepping forward. “You would have us come back with just one scrawny little girl?”

“That scrawny little girl kicked your ass,” AJ said suddenly, standing up out of cover. His fists were clenched at his sides and his teeth were bared in a feral way Louis had never seen in him. Lilly turned to the sound and let out a throaty chuckle at the sight in front of her. The boy was inching forwards with his trusty revolver in his hands, aimed right at Lilly’s head.

“And who do we have here?” she said, scanning him up and down.

“That’s the kid that was with the girl, back in the woods,” the man beside her supplied, spitting on the ground. He then turned to the boy and bared his yellow teeth in a malicious grin. “How’s that buckshot doing, kid?”

AJ ignored him, his eyes glued to Lilly. “If you take Clem, you’ll have to take me too.”

“No, AJ!” Clem shouted, and Louis heard the fear in her voice. “Stay down and let me handle this!”

The boy looked from his mentor to the woman in the middle of the courtyard and his stance wavered. His moment of hesitation was all Lilly needed.

In a swift motion, Lilly took hold of Tenn’s arm and forced him to his knees. With her free hand, she drew her gun and held it to Tenn’s temple. Louis let out a scream of rage from his hiding spot, yet he could not move. He felt glued to the spot.

“Anyone moves and the boy here will meet the same fate your leader did,” Lilly shouted, pressing the barrel to Tenn’s head. His eyes were shut tight and a small trickle of tears was streaming down his cheeks.

Lilly turned to Clementine, tugging Tenn with her, and smirked. “You see, Clementine,” she said slowly. “You can’t fight this.”

Louis turned to Mitch and saw that he was inching closer toward the bomb. “Mitch, stop!” he whispered as loud as he could, yet it was too late. The fuse had been lit, and Mitch was already back behind cover.

A deafening roar of sound of flame rose up from behind the raiders, launching the burly man ten feet forwards, where he landed face-first into a small wall. He lay motionless there, and a trickle of dark blood oozed from what little of his forehead Louis could see.

“NO!” he heard the plump woman shout as she raised her gun and aimed at the spot where Tenn had revealed himself from. “You’ll pay for this!”

In the middle of the courtyard, Clementine chanced an arrow at Lilly, but it whizzed past the woman’s head by mere inches. At the sight, the plump woman trained her gun on Clementine and took a shot that nearly got her before the girl disappeared behind the tables once more.

Mustering all the courage he could, Louis rose from his hiding spot and aimed his rudimentary bow at the raiders. He shot an arrow in the general direction of the balding man, yet he was too quick for his atrocious aim and swerved out of sight. The man raised his shotgun and fired a shot at them, missing their hiding spot by about a yard.

“Tenn, come here!” Violet yelled to the boy, who raised his head and spotted Violet beckoning him forward. He lifted himself off the ground as Louis shot another arrow at the man, which also missed.

“Oh no, you don’t,” he heard Lilly say coldly, raising her gun.

It was over in a second.

Before Louis or Violet could call to him, the bullet has already penetrated Tenn’s back and exited just below his chest, a dark pool of blood staining his blue sweater. His eyes went wide for a moment before he collapsed to the ground and fell with a deafening thud.

It couldn’t be real, Louis thought numbly. Tenn wasn’t dead, he was just hurt. He couldn’t, wouldn’t believe it. He heard a cry of pain as an arrow pierced the plump woman’s leg, and saw with triumph Clementine holding the compound bow in her hands.

This time, however, she was not ready for the shot. The bullet came from somewhere in the trees and lodged itself in Clem’s left shoulder, making her cry out in pain and duck, disappearing behind cover.

“Clementine!” Louis yelled, firing another useless arrow somewhere in Lilly’s vicinity. Lilly darted behind cover as the balding man and the other woman fired shot after shot toward Louis and Violet’s hiding spot.

From somewhere to his right, Louis heard Aasim yell for them to duck, and so Louis did. He saw Aasim stand tall over the brick wall and fire an arrow that somehow found its target as Louis heard the balding man yell with anger.

“Now, go!” Aasim said. Aasim, AJ, Willy, and Mitch managed to slip through the temporal ceasefire while Louis and Violet kept the shots at bay with their bows. When they were safely inside, Louis spotted the man with the shotgun and the plump woman follow them in. He was about to warn them but another shot made him duck under cover. Violet followed his lead and the two of them were once again pinned down with no way to escape.

“You think they’ll come for us?” Louis asked under his breath. “They know we’re here.”

“I don’t think so,” Violet said in an equally low voice, yet almost confidently. How she could be so sure, Louis would never know. “They know Clementine is their greatest threat so they will just want to keep us at bay.”

“When did you become a master strategist?” Louis asked incredulously. Even in the slight darkness of dusk, Louis saw his friend smirk.

“While you and Clem were making out in the music room,” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

“You, uh, how do…” Louis stammered, averting his eyes, but his demeanor gave him away too easily.

“I knew she liked you,” Violet said truthfully. Louis had learned to discern between Violet teasing him and her being honest ages ago. It was one of the perks of being her best friend. “I’m happy for you.”

He looked down at his hands, forgetting for a moment that they were being gunned down by raiders and remembering the times when he and Violet would sit on his bed and just talk all night. They would usually talk about the rest of the kids, and who they liked the most. He had been the first person she’d talked to about her crush on Minnie, and it had been he who set them up three years ago.

A resounding crash brought him back to reality. Through the windows on the upper floor of the admin building, Louis could see the soft tendrils of flame eating away at the structure. On the balcony off of the principal’s office, Clementine and the tall man fought for control of his shotgun. He landed a blow at the side of her head and she almost collapsed, but AJ stood beside her and managed to poke the man in the ribs with the hearth poker.

His cry of pain was barely muffled by the creaking of the balcony. A second later, the entire structure had given way beneath them and Clem and the man were plummeting to the ground below. She landed over his body with a thud, and for a moment, Louis feared she was unconscious. To his great relief, she raised her head and looked over to where he and Violet were hiding.

Violet seemed about to say something when they spotted Lilly striding over to the two figures in the middle of the courtyard. She stood over Clementine, using the butt of her rifle to hit the side of her head. With a grunt of pain, Clementine lay on her back, leaning on her elbows for support. The barrel of Lilly’s gun was pressed against her forehead.

“Do it, then!” he heard her yell, fury irradiating from her. “I’ll see you in hell.”

“Oh, you’ll be there a long time before get there,” Lilly sneered, her finger caressing the trigger.

Leaning forward and pressing her forehead tighter against the metal, Clem said, “I don’t mind waiting.”

As Clementine closed her eyes and fear started seeping into Louis’s body, he noticed a movement to his left. To his surprise, Violet had risen to her feet and was sneaking toward Lilly, her trusty cleaver in her hand. “Violet!” he whispered, reaching for her yet unable to touch her.

He stood up as well, raising his bow toward the middle of the courtyard, where another woman Louis hadn’t seen before had just wrestled Mitch to submission and pinned him down. As her eyes scanned the rest of the scene, they fell on Violet and widened.

“Oh no,” Louis whispered, but it was too late.

“LILLY! Behind you!” the woman screamed, and it was all Lilly needed to know.

In a swirl of movement, Lilly had jumped up and rounded on Violet aiming the rifle at her and pulling the trigger, enveloping Louis’s ears in sound. He heard nothing as he watched the red stain on Violet’s lower back expand, nor did he hear Clementine’s cry of fury as Lilly rounded back on her and Violet’s knees gave way.

“VIOLET!” he managed to yell after he’d broken out of his daze. Throwing caution to the wind, he threw his bow on the ground and rushed to Violet, kneeling beside her. No other yell filled the void that had fallen upon the courtyard. His ears were ringing, yet he heard Violet’s voice as sharp as if she’d been screaming.

“Louis,” she said, gripping his left sleeve with one hand and clutching her stomach with the other.

“You’re gonna be okay,” he said, shaking his head, willing his body not to collapse. “You’re not dying, you’re okay. I won’t let you.” Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto Violet’s face. This could not be happening, he thought.

“It’s okay,” she said, coughing. Her lips red with blood, Louis was surprised she managed a smile. “I’ll be with Minnie now.” No, stop it! Don’t say that!

Before he could disagree with her, however, she shut her eyes and breathed deeply. After a few seconds, she breathed her last and her body lay still under Louis’s arms. He knelt over her body, hunched over, unwilling to raise his head. This is all just a dream, he told himself. Just a messed up dream, and any moment now, Violet will come wake me up.

But Violet’s voice never came; never would again. He heard the heavy thuds of boots hitting hard-packed soil coming towards him. Strength had left him. What point was there in fighting back? A rumble of voices echoed from the admin building, rushing towards them at surprising speed.

He heard Aasim first, his voice strained from running, off in the distance. His yell of, “LOUIS!” was the last thing he heard before the butt of a gun hit him in the back of the head and darkness consumed him. He welcomed it, eager to join Violet.

-

Hours later – or it could have been seconds, he couldn’t be sure – he awoke in a dark, grimy room. The wallpaper was moldy and peeling off in places, and the floorboards creaked under his weight. Still dazed, he stumbled up and leaned on his elbow and looked around.

A small, circular window stood over him, moonlight seeping through it and bathing the small room in a silver hue. It was then that he noticed the place itself was rocking.

“We’re on a boat?” he muttered to himself. His voice was hoarse as if he hadn’t used it in days, and he tried to recall the events that led him to be there. The raiders had come into the school, set the admin building on fire, and…

“No,” he whispered, shaking all over. “Violet…”

He searched for a way out and found a barred door on the other side of the room, half of it covered by a dark metal sheet. A bolt locked it in place from the other side. He reached for it, but his fingers barely scraped the metal. The hallway beyond was lit by a small, yellowish lamp that hung from the ceiling, swaying gently with the rest of the boat.

“Hey!” he called out, knowing that no one would respond yet eager for something to do. Anything to keep his mind from the school and the rest of his friends.

He banged on the bars of the door but no one came. Giving up the effort, he kicked a small bucket, which clanked and banged until it halted to a stop near a moth-eaten mattress on the floor. There were three other doors outside: one in front of him and two to his left. Two of them seemed empty, and he could make out a silhouette in the third on the opposite side, yet the figure did not present itself to him.

“Hey, you,” he called to them, hoping they were friendly. Shadows shrouded the person from view, swallowing them whole as they rocked back and forth in a fetal position. “What the…?” he muttered, tilting his head.

A few minutes passed in silence, the only sound the splashing of water against the boat’s hull. He didn’t dare speak again, lest he frightened the figure further. A soft breeze was blowing past the open window from one of the empty cells. He shivered.

He slumped down and sat against the wall beside the door, tapping his finger on the floor, humming. He recalled a number of songs from his youth. Most of them wouldn’t fit his situation, however. Before he could settle on a gloomy enough song, he heard a noise come from outside his cell.

It wasn’t speech, he could tell, but it was definitely a person making that sound. He pressed his face to the door and strained his ears. It was crying. The figure in the cell was crying. A girl. Was it Ruby? Or maybe… Violet?

Questions flew through his mind and vanished as soon as they came, for the voice that came from the figure belonged to neither Ruby nor Violet.

“Fuck,” Clementine said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her cries turned to sobs, and Louis was too speechless to even provide comfort. How could Clementine be taken? It must have been pretty bad back there…

Before a question could escape his lips, something else escaped Clem’s. It was singing. Not the most melodic of songs nor, perhaps, the most appropriate. Louis fell silent as he listened.

“Happy birthday to you,” Clementine sang in an undertone. It would have been hard to hear her if the rest of the hallway wasn’t so silent. Entranced, Louis let her continue.

“Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday, dear Clementine…”

It felt like a knife had been plunged through his heart and had ripped it from his chest. The whole night; the events that had transpired, from the moment her lips had touched his, seemed to belong to another life altogether; a world less cruel than the one he and Clem currently inhabited.

“Happy birthday… to me.”

As she finished the song, Clementine bowed her head low and begun sobbing again, the full weight of her actions and their consequences dropping on her shoulders at last. It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault, it is.

That was the only thing Clementine seemed capable of thinking, yet she didn’t argue. It was true, after all. No matter where she went, no matter how far she ran, death always loomed near, ready to tear her apart. She was sick of it, tired. What was the point? She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Louis, who was looking at her from the other cell. She could feel his eyes boring into her back. His judgmental eyes…

He probably hates me, was the last thing she thought before her eyes drooped and sleep finally consumed her, providing the relief she craved so badly. At least, now she couldn’t hurt anyone else…

[the-walking-memelords]

A2 - Chapter 7: Safety Out-Numbered Part 1

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 

Series is rated M

Word Count: 1799

There herd was populated by more than just the dead .

Read it on Ao3!

Read it on Wattpad!

Clementine’s hand found the handle of her machete only for her wrist to be seized by another. Cold fingers gripped her skin as she felt the presence lean in from behind her.

“Shh.” A gravelly voice whispered in her ear.

The hand pulled on the fabric of her shirt trying to turn She obliged, turning to see a person the same height as her. Under the smears of guts and gore, he wore a military green raincoat with the hood pulled up, but through the shadows, she could make out the toothy grin of someone she had never been so happy to see.

‘Willy?’ She mouthed to him with a smile as he reached out his hand to her quickly yet carefully, urging her to take it.

Taking one last look around, she took his hand as she followed him through the herd. Wiping the mix of rainwater and walker blood dripping into her eyes as she followed his careful movements turning into a near sprint as they escaped. Clementine followed around a sharp corner, smacking right into Louis and stumbling backwards.

He caught her before she fell, saving her from stumbling right back into the herd’s view. The young woman barely had time to regain her footing and smile up at him before something else threatened to knock her off her feet.

“Clem!” AJ said as he hugged her tight.

“We found them!”

“Nice of you finally show up at our little party.” Willy joked as he opened a cellar door off the side of the building, moving the squeaky hinges slowly as to not alert the dead.

“Fashionably late as usual.” Louis whispered back.

“Good thing I actually found you guys. Maybe Brody won’t be as pissed about me sneaking off.” WiIly looked back up and his face dropped.

“Who the hell are you?!”

Clementine whipped around to see Eli winded as he caught up. He looked back at Willy quizzically.

“Eli.” He waved awkwardly.

“Long story, let’s just get inside.”

---

“Hey guys, look what I found!” Willy’s voice grew to its usual excessive volume as he grinned ear to ear after the door was latched shut.

As they descended into the dim lighting of the windowless storm shelter, Clem breathed the hot musty air into her lungs. The space was lit with the unsteady light of lanterns whose batteries strained to keep going along with a few flickering candles. 

The stunned faces of her friends greeted her as Clementine stepped out of the shadows with the others in tow.

“Is that them?” A frantic voice broke the silence from a cot near the far wall.

Violet’s good eye squinted in the faint light as an exasperated redhead nearly had to pin her down as she untied a darkly stained cloth from her left shoulder.

“Please sit still, Vi.” Ruby quietly begged.

“Are y’all hurt?”

The smile on her face told them she was happy for their safe return, but the weariness in her eyes said she was nearly at her wit’s end.

“We’re okay.” Clementine smiled as she let out a sigh that felt like a breath she had been holding since they arrived at the empty school.

Hearing Clementine’s voice was enough for Ruby’s efforts to calm the blonde woman to be in vain as she tore away from Ruby’s grip to hug her best friend tight. 

Clementine could smell a tinge of blood as she hugged back tightly. When she finally pulled away, she saw the rip in the stained blue fabric of her shirt, revealing a nasty jagged wound in her flesh held together by small, even stitches. Fresh blood still slowly oozed out of it from her sudden movements.

“Glad you’re not dead.” Was all the injured girl could say before she stumbled back a few feet where Ruby caught her shoulder.

“She lost quite a bit of blood on the way here so she’s a little out of it.” Ruby said as she guided Vi back to the bed.

“I patched her up best I could but my medicine bag is back at the school so we’ve just been makin’ do with that we could scavenge out of here when the walkers showed up.”

“Some old uniform shirts, a few bottles of water I snagged on the way out of the school, and a mostly-looted first aid kit.” Aasim said dissatisfied.

“We also found a few cans of food but it won’t last long.”

Guess this place isn’t even a temporary shelter.

“We wanted to look for you guys but we couldn’t get around the walkers.” He continued.

“This is pretty much the only place we’ve had to rest for long.”

The school was marked so there was no going back yet, and probably not for a while. They could wait until the herd moves on to search the buildings but who knows how long that would take. The occasional boom of thunder along with the constant rapid pittering of the raindrops against the rusted door reminded her that there would be no way for them to camouflage as long as the rain poured.

Looks like we’ll be fighting our way out of here.

“Who the hell is that?”  Mitch stepped forward when he noticed the stranger half-hiding behind Louis.

“I-I’m Eli.” He looked at the floor, knuckles white as he gripped his sleeves with nervousness.

“Hey, It’s alright.” Clementine calmed them, passing the boy a small smile.

“We saved him from the people that invaded the school. He knows stuff about them he can help us avoid them.”

“Does he know why they’re after us?” Aasim questioned, biting his lip.

“We barely got out of there in one piece, and then those assholes jumped us on the bridge.”

Eli only seemed to sink deeper into himself as he tried to pick his words carefully. With all eyes on the new kid, AJ stepped up right next to him.

“It’s okay.” He said with a smile.

“We know you’re not bad, so they will too.”

Eli smiled and shakily relayed what little he knew. The school’s transformation and why he was there. It wasn’t any more than what he had told them before, but it was clear that was all he knew as well.

“I just do what I’m told.” He said.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. No one ever tells me the ‘why’ just the ‘what’.”

“You sure about this?” Brody said in a barely audible voice.

Clementine nodded in response. There was no way she could leave this kid to try to make it on his own.

“You guys got to the school?” Omar questioned.

“It must’ve been overrun. The herd came at us from all different directions just as Mitch, Brody, and Aasim got back.”

Louis paced with his brow furrowed in anger. The sights they saw of what they’d done to their home after forcing them out had to frustrate him beyond belief.

“These assholes decided to do some renovations.” He let out a short disheartened laugh.

“All the dorms were barred up and filled with walkers. Probably more in the other buildings too, but we got spotted before we saw anything else.”

His words hung in the air as a hopeless silence filled the dark dingy basement. No home, few supplies, and a herd of the dead prowling the area above them. But they were alive. That’s a better outcome than a lot of the other scenarios Clementine had been through on the road. 

Even though no one spoke it was clear that the same thought danced through each of their heads:

“What do we do now?”

“Even if we can’t stay here for very long, these buildings might be our only shot to get supplies for miles.” Clementine paced as she planned.

“If the buildings are at least half-decently secured from the outside the herd shouldn’t have wandered in unprovoked. There's a few different buildings around here. Something’s gotta be left.”

“It’s risky…” Aasim pointed out.

“Who knows what’s locked in there.”

“Everything we do is risky.”

“Fair.”

“Let’s wait and see if the storm lets up.” Louis suggested.

“Check out some buildings quick and be in and out before the walkers even notice us.”

“Where will we go after?” Willy asked softly, uncertainty in his tone.

“When can we go home.”

Can we ever?

Images of the ranch came to mind. Voices of the people around her became drowned out by the distant screams of her memories. 

The blood. 

The fire. 

The bodies falling around her.

The weight of the little boy in her arms before her balance was ripped out from under her as a bullet ripped through her leg.

The day her life and freedom were left in the ashes of the place she called home and replaced with the brutal hell that almost stole what remained of her humanity.

So much blood.

I’m covered in it.

Was this the beginning of history repeating itself? Losing her home once again just to be captured and forced into a war. Clementine suddenly felt far away from the current situation lost in the visions of what may end up being a premonition. 

A gun pointed.

Innocent people screaming.

A bullet.

And her behind the trigger.

Never again…

Never…

I cant…

I’d die before I went back.

She won’t take me again.

“Clem?” A comforting presence appeared at her right.

“Are you alright?”

Clementine opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. Louis took her hand with a worried expression in his eyes. She wanted to respond but couldn’t force any coherent sounds from her dried throat. Pain shot up her left leg as she took a step, what remained of it begged to be released from the prosthetic as each step sent an ache down to her bone.

“Let’s get some sleep.” She mumbled out almost slurred before limping to one of the cots and nearly collapsing.

Clementine didn’t have to move to remove it, which was good, because she didn’t have the energy to. Her eyes fell shut as she pushed a deep breath from her lungs.

Louis carefully undid the straps from her thigh and gently removed the wooden leg attachment. She felt his fingers softly graze the crisscrossed scars across her stump, the skin an angry red colour and sensitive.

Louis and Ruby mumbled at the end of her bed something she couldn't comprehend as mental and physical exhaustion overcame her.

The weight of the cot shifted as someone sat down next to her. Louis’ warm hand brushed through her cold, wet curls as he hummed that song we wrote for her the night before the Delta attacked.

Normally, the song meant safety and warmth and love.

But now it brought her a creeping feeling of impending doom.

[mydarlingvioletine]

“Getting Better at Being Romantic” - A Violetine Ficlet

Media: The Walking Dead Game (Season 4)

Pairing(s): Violet / Clementine, with some background Ruby / Aasim

                 Violet's never been one for those cutesy pet names.

She glanced over Ruby and Aasim’s heads to Clementine, who was also watching the new couple exchange some sappy lines. Clem met Violet's eyes and smiled shyly, the fire they were sitting around illuminating her soft features. Violet responded by pretending to gag at the overwhelmingly cute couple, to which Clem giggled.

           Ruby's head immediately turned to face Violet, her signature pout forming as she saw what Violet was doing.

        "What's the matter, Vi? Jealous of how cute we are?" Ruby asked, tilting her head and sending Aasim into a blushing fit.

"Pfft, no. Just kinda reminds me of how Marlon talks to Rosie." Violet snarkily replied, earning an angry "hey!" from Aasim. 

       Ruby rolled her eyes, cupping Aasim's embarrassed face in her hands. "You love something, you make damn sure it knows."

Clementine glanced at them, a thoughtful expression across her face. Her expression quickly shifted to a mischievous one, one that Violet was all too familiar with.

           Clementine stretched her arms out and yawned, a smirk on her face as she raised her arms over her head. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and raised an eyebrow at Violet.

"C'mon dear, we've got lookout duty in a bit." As soon as the word left her mouth, Louis perked up his head from his book, a huge annoying grin on his face.

          Violet blinked a bunch, face reddening as Ruby and Aasim joined in on the giggling. Clementine proudly looked at Violet's blushing face, easily spotted due to the warm light from the fire.

                   "Aw, Violet. Don't be mad, we can go on some cheesy double dates together!" Ruby chirped up, "Oh! Have you guys ever been to a drive-in? Man, I miss going to those. Every Saturday night, my dad would take us out to one. I'd sit up on top of the car roof and just watch whatever was on for hours. Didn't have to be PG. Hell, they didn't even have to be English. I loved 'em all. My big sis went on a couple dates there. Sat in the back of her pickup truck with blankets and pillows, and just snogged with her boyfriend..."

   Ruby continued to be engulfed in her memory, not even noticing that Violet had begun walking away, head low and one arm seemingly holding the other one to her side. Louis and Aasim wistfully recalled their own memories, giving Clementine enough cover to follow Violet without being noticed.

Violet sat down next to Rosie on the steps, one hand fidgeting with the bottom of her jacket, and the other gently petting the top of Rosie's head.

        "Hey, what's up?" Clementine sat next to her, leaning against her and snaking an arm around her to pet Rosie.

Violet looked up, gave a small smile and gently placed her hand on top of Clem's. "Nothing. It's just kinda weird."

                                                      "What is?"

        "It's just.. Uh.. I've never been on the receiving end of that cutesy shit. The PDA. It's weird." Violet quietly admitted, a stray piece of hair falling from behind her ear, casting a shadow helping to hide her awkwardness. 

             "Not even with Minnie?" Clem asked softly, to which Violet snorted and shook her head. 

    "Well, we've gotta get you used to that, honey bun." Clementine almost cringed herself from the sappiness of the title, but was taken aback by a blush covering Violet's face, which she then buried into Clem's sweater.

A squeaky muffled voice from Violet went "stop", but Clem could feel the smile through the thin, worn fabric. 

Clementine wrapped her other arm around her, pulling her into a close hug. Placing her chin on top of Violet's head, she looked over at Louis and Aasim listening to Ruby. "So... no pet names?" Clem whispered, locking eyes with Louis, who gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. At first, Louis had tried to be subtle about his support, but he was incapable of keeping his happiness to himself.

                                             "No pet names."

                                          "You don't like them."

         "I don't like them. Gross. Disgusting. I am absolutely repulsed." Violet's warm breath tickled Clementine's neck. A giggle escaped from her, which she quickly tried to smother, but it was too late.

       "Riiiiiight, okay." Clem sneered, glancing up to see Mitch and Willy descend from the tower and start heading towards them. "C'mon, it’s time."

Clementine stood up, watching as Violet scratched Rosie's head, getting a slobbery lick on the face from Rosie as thanks. Violet immediately reeled back, grabbing at the handkerchief that her grandmother had given her, and tried to wipe the slobber off her face. 

                                       “Gross... Gross! Bleh.”

              “Vi, I’ve watched you smear walker guts all over yourself. Rosie kisses are a gift that one must accept with open arms.” Clementine giggled as Violet threw the soggy handkerchief over her shoulder.

“You let her slobber all over you then.” Violet retorted, trying and failing to tug Clem towards the source of the slobber. “Come on, I’m sure she’s a better kisser than you are.”

                                            “Oh, yeah?”

                                                “Yeah.”

“Your turn, dorks.” Mitch greeted, crossing his arms and looking down at the two. “Make sure you take breaks when you’re smooching up there. At least actually do your job for... I don’t know.. 10 minutes out of your 4 hour shift?”

       Clem snorted, as Violet ignored Mitch and kept petting Rosie. "Shut up, dummy." Clementine elbowed Mitch, while Willy giggled uncontrollably.

  Clem rolled her eyes and ducked down to whisper to Violet. "Let's go, sweetie."

Violet immediately sprung up, startling Rosie. "You motherfuc-"

           "Swear!" AJ shouted at the top of his lungs from across the courtyard, pretty much deafening Tenn beside him.

       Violet lunged after her girlfriend, but she narrowly escaped her grasp, smiling wider than Violet had ever seen her.

                                      Violet does not like pet names.

        It was around 3 in the morning when Omar rushed inside to tell everyone about the herd of walkers making their way towards the gate. Clementine, tired and disheveled, stumbled out the door and into the front yard, almost tripping over Rosie.

"About time you got up." Violet giggled at the sight of bed-head and droopy-eyed Clementine, her weapon of choice slung over her shoulder. "Full of energy, my ass."

          The playful flirting was interrupted by the loud screech of the gates being pushed open by Marlon. "Let's get this shit over with so we can all go back to sleep," Marlon grumbled, picking up his bow. "Clem, you're with me, Aasim, and Brody. While Vi and Lou protect the gates and take out the ones in the front, we're going to make our way behind them and start slicing through them. Y'know, sandwich style."

Violet shot a worried glance towards Clementine, then reached out to grab her hand. She was always taken aback by how soft Clementine's hands were, despite everything. "Be careful, okay?"

         "I'll be alright. See you in a bit, babe." Clem grinned and quickly kissed Violet’s cheek. By the time Violet had time to register the interaction, Clem had disappeared into the herd with Marlon. Violet shook her head, keeping her eyes on the walkers ahead of her so she wouldn’t have to face Louis and his big dumb grin.

                                                        “Don’t.”

                                                                  “Wouldn’t dream of it, Vi.”

“How does Rosie know to look into our eyes? D’you think she knows the function of our eyes and can connect it with her own? I haven’t seen her ever look in a mirror. That’s weird.”

               “Clementine. I have patrol duty first thing in the morning. Please, for the love of Omar’s cooking, let me go back to sleep.” Violet groaned, wrapping the pillow around her head to try and drown out her girlfriend’s 2 AM discoveries.

                      “Mmm, I can’t sleep either.” Violet heard the clunk of two feet hitting the floor, then softly walking towards her. “There’s a draft above my bed. Scooch over.” Violet sighed, lifting her sheets so Clem could slide next to her. Clementine was warm as hell, but Violet didn’t say anything. Clem was like her own personal space heater, which was helpful for nights like this one.

Violet buried her face into the back of Clem’s hair, dropping the ‘I’m annoyed’ facade to cuddle her girlfriend. Sleepovers between the two had become a much more common occurrence lately, since Tenn and AJ insisted on sleeping in the same room to draw and play action figures until they passed out when they both had the next morning free. 

        Happy with her victory, Clementine relaxed her muscles, practically melting into her girlfriend’s arms. The gentle happy humming coming from Clem was enough to make Violet forget all about her morning shift, only a couple hours away.

Clem’s soft, sleepy voice broke the silence.

                                                   “G’night, Vi.”

Violet squeezed her arms around Clem’s waist, earning a happy squeak from her girlfriend. Violet didn’t consider herself a sentimental type, but damn, something about Clementine stirred something new in her. Kinda like gratefulness, but kinda not. It was moments like these where Violet just imagined that Clem was the only thing in this world. That nothing existed outside that door. No walkers. No murder-hungry ex girlfriends. No danger. No morning patrols. Nothing that could ever take Clementine away from her. She was absolutely head over heels and love for the dork in her arms who licked salt lamps when she thought nobody was watching.

                                           “Goodnight, beautiful.”

As soon as the word left Violet’s mouth, she wrenched her arm out from under Clem and cupped it over her mouth, as if she could shove the word back in. 

Too late.

Clementine gave an exaggerated gasp, sat up and turned quickly to face Violet, a dorky smile on her face that almost rivaled Louis’. A rush of heat crossed Violet’s face, as her girlfriend beamed down at her.

                                           “Heard that!”

“Dunno what you’re talking about.” Violet retorted, throwing the blankets over her face to hide her blush. “Go back to sleep.”

Clem snorted, lowering herself to plant a kiss on Violet’s exposed forehead. “Whatever, dork.” She lifted the cover over herself to push up against Violet, placing her hand across her chest.

                            Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum.

“Don’t even think about telling Ruby.” Violet whispered, placing her hand atop Clementine’s. When Clementine didn’t immediately reply and resumed her low humming, Violet squeezed her hand. “Please? I’ve got a reputation to keep.”

                                                                      “Wouldn’t dream of it, Vi.”

[ericsonclan]

Learning to Dance Again

Summary: Clementine is having a rough time with her prosthetic and doesn't want to work on getting used to it until Louis comes up with a new idea.

Word Count: 2269

Read on AO3:

Clementine lay in her bed, her eyes staring blankly up at the metal beams of the bed frame above. It was a new day which meant there were plenty of chores to be done, plans to be made for the future and of course mastering the latest prototype of her prosthetic.

Clementine stared at the prosthetic with disdain; she was really getting sick of it. The numbing yet ever growing pain it gave to her stub, the way it felt like she couldn’t walk for more than a few steps before landing on the ground again… it weared at her. She always needed someone to lean on and help her as she worked to grow accustomed to the prosthetic. She knew that none of her friends minded helping her, but she wanted to be able to do things on her own. Clementine continued to study the hated object for a few seconds then glanced over at her crutches. Maybe she could just walk around on her crutches, though that in itself came with its own set of hurdles. Still she’d rather have sore armpits  than look like a barely functioning person in front of the others. Clementine hated looking that way in front of everyone. So she opted for the crutches.

Swinging her body to the side, Clementine hobbled on her one foot, awkwardly hopping for a few moments before she successfully tucked one crutch under each arm. A happy smile appeared on her lips at the small victory and she started to make her way through the door. The soft thunking of her crutches was the only sound as she swayed her body with each step forward. Soon new sounds mixed with the tap of her crutches. Using her shoulder to open the door, Clementine was greeted by the familiar sight of the courtyard. The ratty old t-shirt on the flagpole blew gently in the wind as Aasim held a conversation with Willy who was up on the watchtower.

“How many walkers do you spot?”

“Three. One has its foot caught in a log but the other two are messing with some of the traps.” Willy leaned on the railing of the watchtower as he answered Aasim.

“Damn it. I hope they don’t break any of the traps. They’re a pain to reset and repair,” Aasim angrily scratched the back of his head.

“Don’t let your beautiful head of hair turn grey or you may lose Ruby,” Louis gave a teasing smile and strolled forward. The freckle faced jokester pulled gently on the sides of his coat, satisfied with his own joke.

“Louis, I don’t have time for your jokes. The traps could be damaged.” Aasim crossed his arms and frowned at Louis.

“Well then, let's head out there and make sure that doesn’t happen.” Louis suggested before his eyes caught sight of Clementine. He gave a happy smile and waved energetically over to his girlfriend. His bright aura made Clementine’s heart grow warm as she returned the gesture. Quickly her attention was pulled away from her boyfriend when she heard the friendly barking of Rosie. The pitbull moseyed over, her stub tail wagging happily at the sight of Clementine.

“Hey there, girl,” Clementine gave some pats to Rosie that soon turned into headscratches.

“Clem, would you mind helping with prep?” Omar asked while carrying over some logs for the fire pit. He always was super attentive when it came to keeping the fire pit the cauldron stood over in good condition.

“Sure,” Clementine readjusted the crutches then slowly made her way over to the picnic tables. Leaning the crutches against the table, Clementine hopped towards the seat and plopped down. Her eyes quickly caught sight of the bowls that held the herbs and other ingredients that needed to be prepped. With a deep breath, Clementine began the monotonous work.

There was nothing wrong with food prep, but when it was one of the only chores she could do right now it quickly became boring. She really wanted to be able to walk around and help out with some other chores again. Clementine wanted to go hunting again with Aasim and Louis and be able to go to the greenhouse with Ruby without her friend panicking about leaving her alone out there. She wanted to reach her new normal already.

Clementine’s fingers slowly pulled at the leaves of the herbs as she looked around the courtyard. She saw Violet walking forward with AJ who was proudly proclaiming to be her walking buddy. He had volunteered for that for the last few days here and there ever since Violet had nearly seriously hurt herself while strolling off on her own. Ruby had declared that Violet needed a walking buddy from that day forth. Violet had grumbled and crossed her arms at the thought. While Clementine knew that a part of her did resent the need for a chaperone, she knew a deeper part of Violet enjoyed the company of her new walking buddy over the last few days.

AJ walked beside the blonde while they made their way over to where their newest animal companion Molly waited excitedly for the meal the pair was bringing. AJ placed down the bucket of food and the horse immediately began to eat. Violet reached out her hand and lightly brushed the horse’s side. AJ looked confused by this but after a quick explanation from Violet he seemed to understand. The afroed boy hesitantly reached out his hand before brushing his fingers against the horse’s side. He stared in awe at this new discovery. AJ laughed and smiled up at Violet who gave a small smile in return.

Clementine had a happy expression on her face at the interaction. She soon continued her work. After a while the prep had been finished and Clementine got back onto her crutches and moved on to her next set of chores and then the next. Her armpits were slowly but steadily growing more sore. She could feel them starting to ache as she made her way back over to the stairs in front of the admin building to rest for a moment.

“Taking a break?” Louis’ warm voice drew Clemenitne’s attention to her boyfriend as he happily strolled forward.

“Hey, Lou. Yeah, just getting a bit sore from the crutches,” She nodded over to where they lay on the steps beside her.

“Oh, well then you could switch to the prosthetic if you want. We can take a lovely, romantic stroll around the courtyard. I can show you all the wonderful sights there are to see!” Louis beamed over at his girlfriend but saw her hesitation and the frown on her face. “Or not. Walking is overrated.”

Clementine laughed slightly at his joke but then gave a long sigh. “No, it's not that I don’t want to go on that small romantic adventure. It’s just walking on my prosthetic. I’m sick of it and it's starting to really wear me down. I’d like to just like to use my crutches to get around for today.” she mumbled then glanced down at her stump.

Louis’ eyes followed her gaze. He wanted to say something encouraging, to say something motivating that would reenergize Clementine’s determination. The only way to get better with the prosthetic was practice. Although he knew Clementine knew this, he couldn’t blame her for growing sick of it. Louis’ eyes stared off into the distance, his mind trying to come up with some sort of way to make practicing with the prosthetic easier. His gaze slowly looked around this way and that until it stopped on the doors of the admin building. That was it.

“Clem, can you meet me in the music room in five minutes?”

Clementine looked confused by Louis’ question. Her eyes searched his face for answers but she couldn’t seem to find them. “Okay,”

“Great. I’ll be back before you can say ‘leprechauns love lazy leopards!’” Louis’ sentence made Clementine chuckle and she watched him run off with amusement. After a minute she rose up to her feet and tucked the crutches under her arms once more. Clicking across the steps, Clementine began to venture towards the music room.

It had been longer than five minutes. Clementine wasn’t sure how long it had been but she knew that. She was starting to wonder what was taking Louis so long when the doors pushed open and Louis jogged forward holding her prosthetic leg with one hand while a vinyl record was tucked under his other.

Louis smiled brightly and noticed the look on Clementine’s face. “I know what you’re thinking. What master plan has Louis come up with this time? Well, my dear Clementine, I have an answer to that question.” He held up the vinyl record that read Greatest Classical Hits. The dreadlocked young man strolled towards the record player, the tailcoats of his coat swaying gently with the movement. “I thought it would be fun to switch things up from the old, stale, boring routine of learning to walk again and I thought instead you could learn to dance again.” He placed the needle on the record and slowly the sounds of classical music lifted up into the air and swirled around the room. “And what better dance partner is there than me?” Louis held out his hand towards Clementine and gave a playful wink. The smile on his face soon faltered though and his eyes began to question whether she would like this idea or not.

“Sounds fun,” Louis’s smile immediately returned; the sight caused Clementine’s heart to gently flutter in her chest. “But I’m going to need some help getting my prosthetic on.”

“Oh, right, of course!” Louis ran over and knelt before his girlfriend. Ever so carefully he worked to get the prosthetic on Clementine’s leg. His hands wandered around securing every strap and his mind went over the steps  that Willy had told him for this new prototype again and again. After he was certain that he had secured it properly, Louis rose up with a soft expression. “Alright, my darling, are you ready to learn to dance?” He held out his hand.

Clementine gave a soft smile and took it. She stumbled on her feet; it always took her a minute to regain her balance. Louis carefully kept his hand on her back and helped her as she got her balance back. Slowly the pair walked to the center of the room. Louis placed Clementine’s right hand on his shoulder then moved his right hand out and held Clementine’s. Slowly his left hand wrapped around her waist, causing both of their heartbeats to quicken. Louis looked at Clementine for confirmation that she was ready. She looked in his eyes and gave a small nod. Louis smiled then began to take the lead, going slowly as Clementine’s eyes focused on her feet. All her concentration was poured into making sure her feet could even do the right steps. It seemed like she was doing well when suddenly she lost her balance and began to stumble. Louis noticed this immediately and caught her with ease before picking her up and twirling her around once.

“Starting again,” Louis smiled and soon the dance continued anew. Clementine’s attention quickly returned to her prosthetic as she worked to get the steps right.

“One, two three. One, two three,” Louis whispered the beat into Clementine’s ear, his breath tickling it slightly. His continuous support warmed Clementine’s heart again and again even as she felt herself stumble. Each time Louis was there to catch her, always twirling her around with a carefree, joyful smile and reassuring her that they could start the dance once more.

After a few attempts Clementine decided to take a risk and focus on Louis instead of her feet. The two looked at each other, getting lost in one another’s eyes as Louis guided them through the simple dance. All of the sudden Clementine lost her balance once more. This time when Louis caught her, however, he let her bend back in a dip. Louis looked at Clementine with a playful smile that quickly turned shy as he worked to lift her back up. Once she was back on her feet, Clementine stole a quick kiss that made her boyfriend practically melt with joy.

“Let’s take it from the top one more time,”

“Okay,” Clementine had a peaceful smile on her face as she danced with Louis once more. After a few more minutes though she knew she needed a break. Her stump was starting to ache and she could feel the sweat forming on her back. Louis saw this and quickly guided her over to the piano bench. The two sat side by side. Clementine’s chest rose and fell faster than Louis’. Dancing was hard work.

“Well, how was the dance, m’lady?” Louis looked over with a smile.

“It was fun. Learning to dance again is way better than learning to walk again,” Clementine mirrored her boyfriend’s smile.

“Then maybe we should make this a more frequent activity,” Louis’ suggestion made Clementine’s smile grow.

“I’d like that,” Clementine leaned her head over and rested it on Louis’ shoulder. Soon Louis’ head rested on top of hers and the two basked in each other’s presence. Their fingers intertwined as they enjoyed the small victory that dancing had brought. They would continue to win these small victories day by day, together. Clementine looked up at her boyfriend’s warm brown eyes and felt her heart grow content. Maybe having someone to lean on wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

[scullyy]

OMG how abouts hcs of something like, Clementine's on her period but no one else really knows about that, (aj does), and shes having a particularly bad day with her cramps and shit that she keeps death glaring most of the kids and they get scared at her stare lmfaooo! but then Louis comes in to save the day after he finds out why shes acting weird and even though hes a little scared that she might actually stab him in the throat or slap his cheek, he manages to get her back to her room to rest.

Huwueuehuehseuihfisfdgbs yes Louis be an amazing boyfriend. Seriously lads help your pals with the ovaries when they bleed shit’s not fun

Clem is already scary enough when it’s not that time of the month

AJ knows how she gets during that strange time all too well

Extra quiet, kinda grumbly and super impatient

She sorta explained it to him once

“You remember how I said boys and girls have different body’s? Well, girls go through something once a month, we bleed-”

Poor kid freaked the fuck out thinking she was going to die

But now that he’s bigger and knows more stuff, he gets it now

Kinda

He understands more than Louis at least

Louis noticed something was off about her when she was getting angry at something new every ten minutes

First, it was how she kept stabbing herself with the needle as she tried to fix a hole in her jacket

Then it was how her prosthetic wasn’t attaching properly

Then she dropped a spoon

The kids steered clear of her after that

If she was capable of getting that pissed off over a spoon they didn’t want to know what she would do to a person

This wasn’t new though, the other girls got like this once a month too

Except Ruby just cries a lot

And Brody used to be extra anxious

Violet just becomes....more Violet

Clementine just wanted to be left alone

By day three Louis could barely handle it

None of his jokes were making her laugh

No song he played cheered her up

Eventually, AJ just blurted it out

“Something about blood, I think she called it a...uh, peri-”

And then it clicked

She didn’t want to be cheered up or sung to

She just wanted help

But the stubborn girl refused to ask for it

He found her sitting by herself beside the greenhouse, plucking at the grass

“Hey, pretty lady,”

Clem didn’t smile, but she also didn’t huff, a good sign.

“Sooo AJ told me why you’re feeling kinda...blaahh.”

Her face and ears immediately turned blood red pun intended

“I don’t know much, but Violet has complained to me a lot in the past so I have a vague idea. No fun, huh?”

She slowly shook her head, her arms curling around her stomach

Kate never told her it would be like this 

“Well, I happened to have some of these stored away. They’re usually for Ruby or Violet, in case of an emergency but I think this counts.”

A discovery he hadn’t cared for much at the time

But now he was over the moon with his past self

He pulled out a small packet of pads from his coat pocket

Hoping it would do the trick

Hoping it would help

And for the first time in three days, she ran up and hugged him

Taking that as a good sign

“You wanna lie down for a while?”

Her head slowly nodded yes against his shoulder

Together they made their way back to her room

And as she lay in bed

For the first time in days, she smiled

[angelsunflowers-fanfics]

Mitch x Female!reader (Possessive)

Request: Hello, happy new year!!! ^.^ I just found your blog and omg I love your writing style I'm hooked ❤️

could I maybe request a Mitch x reader please where she is best friends with Clementine and in love with Mitch and vice versa. When the raiders come to take them Abel goes after the reader and Mitch gets really possessive over them which results in their confession. Thank you so much and keep up your amazing work ❤️❤️^.^

Fandom: The walking dead Season 4

Pairing: Mitch x Female!reader

Pov: Reader’s

Linktree

~~~~

“--All I’m saying is that you don’t need to do everything she says,” Mitch said. 

He really wasn’t the biggest fan of Clementine. I was hoping everything would be resolved after the greenhouse but I guess I was wrong.

“Mitch, I’m just trying to help Clem out. The Raiders will be here tonight and I don’t want to be… I don’t want the raiders to take me,” I voiced my concerns. 

A wave of shock resided through my body as Mitch grabbed one of my hands to calm me down. I never pegged him to be the sensitive type. I could feel his thumb tracing shapes into my skin. Somehow, it was actually calming me down.

“I promise you, on my life, that they won’t take you. Not if I can help it.” He was serious. He’d protect me? “Come on, you can do Clementine’s task later. Everyone is fine. We’re all almost ready. You can come with me and help me make my bombs,” He said, wanting me to accompany him whilst he made the bombs.  

I gave him a look, he already knew what I was about to say but it didn’t seem to get through to him. My words went in one ear and out the other. God, those eyes. He had the worst puppy dog eyes, it was like they just pulled you in and didn’t let go… but--

“Mitch, I don’t know how I would be useful. I have no idea what even goes in bombs. I need to go back to Clem. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” 

I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before pulling my hand out of his loose grip. I granted him a small smile before I slowly walked away from him and his finished bombs. I may not know too much about bombs but I did know that he had been finished for at least 20 minutes. What if I had said yes? What would he want to do with me? Talk?

Well, he was the last person to check on, besides Violet and Louis, but then I needed to go check in with Clem.

Great. I was sure the three saw everything. I walked up to Louis who was trying to figure out how to work the bow.

“Hey, Louis. Everything okay over here?” I asked.

The taller boy slowly put down his bow and turned to me, a light smile spread across his features.

“Yeah, I’m kinda getting the hang of this. But what I really want to talk about is you and Mitch. What was that whole thing over there? You guys were having a moment. You two would make a cute couple.” 

I pressed a hand to my face, hoping to cool the hotness as my blood quickly rushed to my face within a matter of seconds of hearing mention of his name. I liked Mitch, I do. I was sure he felt the same considering how he held my hand and everything.

“He was comforting me about this whole Raiders thing. I’m really scared about it,” I explained. 

Louis’ eyes became softer, a hand reached out to console me but he stopped short as his gaze met something behind me. He let out a small laugh before letting his hand lay limp at his side.

“You don’t need to worry about it, Mitch looks like he's ready to attack me after just trying to touch your shoulder. I think the Raiders should be afraid of him. You should talk to him about how you feel after this thing is over, okay?” 

I smiled up at Louis, thanking him silently before I turned around to check in with Violet and Clem. God, they were in love. If their aura with each other wasn’t enough, they always seemed to be holding hands with each other.

But Mitch…

I turned slightly to the other side of the yard to see Mitch sitting on the park bench and staring at me intensely, I did want to talk to him, like all day, but I should check in with Clem. I gave Mitch a small wave. I could see his face flaring up from over here.

“(y/n)! Stop flirting and get over here!” I jumped in my spot and quickly ran over to where Clem and Violet were sitting. I could feel how hot my face was right now, it was kind of making me dizzy. But that was no excuse. “How is everyone? Are we ready?” 

I gave Clem a small nod and gesture vaguely with my hands. “I mean, there were a few arguments, but I got them settled. We’re all ready.” 

Violet nudged Clementine in the side, she was smirking. Were they planning something else for the Raid? What else could we do? We barricaded the gates, everyone was armed, we had traps, bombs, not to mention that the school was in the middle of a forest and was difficult to find.

“And Mitch? How’s he?” Why were they asking about Mitch? Did everyone watch us while we talked?

“He’s ready too. His bombs work great and he’s got plenty for the Raiders,” I answered. 

Clementine shook her head lightly, standing to her feet and stretching lightly.

“That’s not what I meant. He has like, the biggest crush on you, you two should talk about that after this thing is through.” 

I narrowed my eyes lightly and crossed my arms over my chest. Did everyone know about this? First Louis and now Clem?

I opened my mouth to tell her that I had already planned on it when Willy shouted from the top of the watchtower, “It’s the Raiders! They’re here!” 

Louis ran over to me quickly and handed me the bow before arming himself with Chairles. The rest of the kids got into position as the gates were knocked over. I thought there was going to be some sort of negotiation but I barely had enough time to shoot enough bows into some of the Raiders before I was tackled into the dirt. My bow flung out of my grip as a heavy adult settled on top of me.

I could feel my body squirming to get him off of me, but he was too heavy.

“We could have made this really simple, you just hand over a couple of kids and we leave you alone for a good bit. Simple enough, right?” 

I glared at the man on top of me, Abel. Clem found him in the woods while she was trying to get food for the school. There was no way she could have known that Abel was part of the Raiders or that she knew the leader from a long time ago.  

“Why would we do that? So we can win your little war for you? And then you’ll just feed us to the Walkers? No thanks,” I snarked at him.

A whimper escaped my throat as a knife was pressed against my neck. Clementine was busy facing Lily to help me. If I could just reach for the knife in my pock--

I felt shock overwhelm me as Mitch appeared out of nowhere and roughly shoved Abel off of me and stabbed his leg, preventing him useless for the rest of the fight. I was shaky as Mitch pulled me to my feet and tossed my bow toward me.

“We’re talking later,” Mitch grunted to me. 

What did he mean? About what?

I couldn’t think about it now. I needed to make sure that everyone was alright. Mitch ran to the side of the building, lighting bombs and throwing them into the field, blowing away half of the army.  

“We’ll be back for the rest of you!” 

Mitch pushed me behind his back at the sound of Lily’s announcement, I didn’t fight with him about where I was positioned. Abel, he… I could have died if it weren’t for Mitch.

“Are they gone?” I asked.

Mitch held a hand out, blocking anybody from coming near me, not that anybody was in the vicinity. At the sound of Horses' trotting away, Mitch gave me a small nod of his head and grabbed one of my hands gently, turning his body to face me.

“Are you okay? Hurt?” He fretted over me, checking my body for any cuts or bruises.

He was so worried about me? Why? I shook my head softly, I had a headache and some bruises but I’d be okay. “Just a headache and scrapes, nothing I can’t handle.” 

Mitch dragged me to the front of the school where Clementine, Violet and the rest of the kids were waiting.

“Is everyone okay?” Clementine asked

Clem’s face brightened a touch once seeing me, but she carried on her leadership duties of checking on everyone. 

I turned to Mitch, my hands were still shaking from my encounter with Abel. “And you? Are you okay? I didn’t really see you until… until you saved my ass.” 

Mitch ruffled my hair lightly, his fingers combing through my locks lightly. He was smiling at least, That was good.

“You don’t need to worry about me. My bombs did most of the heavy lifting for me anyway,” He replied. 

I jumped toward Mitch as a yell was ripped into the air. Abel. I glanced at the boy next to me for a moment before staring at Abel as Clementine threw him in front of our small group.

“Who stabbed him?” 

Mitch immediately came forward, not ashamed that he did that to someone. I guess Louis was right.

“If I didn’t, he would have killed (y/n),” Mitch answered, a stoic expression on his face. The air was still so tense. I thought things would be better afterward, but… It was almost like it was getting harder to breathe. “Do what you will with that information, but I would gladly do it again if the opportunity came up. I’m going to bed. (y/n), come on.” 

The yard was silent as Mitch dragged me into the dormitory building. Why were they being so quiet? Maybe planning an attack on the raiders? Mitch was tense as we walked up to his room, should I leave? I didn’t really know what he was planning.

Mitch pushed me lightly to his bed before shedding himself on his jacket. Somehow, the buildings were always warmer than the weather outside. Even after all of this time.

“Why were you on the front lines?” He abruptly asked.

Was that what he was worried about?

“It was purely a coincidence, but Clementine wanted me next to her to fight,” I answered truthfully. 

Mitch sat next to me on the bed. He still had something else he wants to say, didn’t he?

“You got hurt.” I bit my bottom lip lightly in an attempt to keep the tears in. I had never been more scared for my life than I was at that moment. “Oh, shit. You’re crying.” 

I tried to use a hand to wipe away my tears but more just appeared in their place. I reached over to grab Mitch’s hand but he ended up engulfing me in his arms, a hand combed through my hair to soothe me.

“I felt so helpless, I couldn’t reach my knife or my bow… I couldn’t do anything,” I cried out, my hands shaking from the sobs racking through the body. 

Mitch’s hold on me became tighter and tighter.

“I won’t let you feel like that again. I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner.” I glanced up at him and feel an urge overtook me. “I like you, like a lot. Tonight only proved that further. When I saw him on you, I snapped. I’m surprised I didn’t kill him.” I leaned forward to gently press my lips to his, he quickly returned by kissing back. He slowly pushed me so my back was on the bed. “I promise that I’ll take care of you. That’s not going to happen to you again. Besides, you’re more suited for Stealthy, not right in the middle of the action.” 

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

I was glad that he was there to save me. I thought something might’ve happened to me.

Or him.

Mitch was holding me like I was his lifeline. I think he’d keep his promise.

I trusted him.

[transguydustin-old]

When Violet told her she had a surprise for her, she didn’t exactly expect Louis to somehow be involved.

He was sat at the piano, waving excitedly at Clem.

“So, I know the last time we danced it was a tiny bit awkward without any music, so I got Lou to help us with that.” Violet took Clem’s hands pulling her gently towards the middle of the room. 

“And he promised to be completely professional and just play the piano and not stare at us.” Violet gave a stern look to Louis over her shoulder.

He nodded, his facial expression telling them they could trust him to keep his word.

“Am I gonna be okay dancing with my leg?” Clem looked down to her homemade prosthetic, made by Willy and Aj, out of old belts and whatever wood they could find. 

“We’ll just take it easy and slow.” Violet smiled softly, extending her out of for Clem to take it.

Louis took this as his queue to begin, throwing his leg over the piano bench so he was facing the piano, soft music beginning to play. 

Clem took Violets hand, Violet pulling them close together and resting her hands on Clem’s shoulder while Clem rested hers on her waist, swaying them gently.

Clem pulled them closer together, snuggling her head into the crook of Violet’s neck, Violet wrapping her arms around Clem’s neck. 

And god, after everything she’s been through, this is what Clem needed. Holding her girlfriend close, soft music being played by her best friend. It made her forget everything else. All the pain, her leg, all the death, losing Aj when he was little. It all melted away.

[jayjay1665]

There For Her

Written for @stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale​  writing challenge. Day #19 Helping Hand.

Summary:  After Clem returned to the school, unconscious, missing a leg, and what looks like on the brink of death, Louis vows to always be there for her. Sequel to It's Okay To Not Be Okay.

Note: the idea of this actually sprung from a post @bluebutterfly1​ made a loonng time ago. i had it saved on my computer and was trying to write for it, but no good ideas came to mind, so i figuered i’d just keep it and maybe comeback to it eventually. And i finally did after like...months...lol 

Word Count: 923

A03

Wattpad ( i made it a seperate work on A03 and Wattpad, but it’s also added to It’s Okay To Not Be Okay as a part 2)

~

Louis sat on a chair besides Clem bed as he silently observed her current features. The sickly pale, almost grey skin, such a contrast from her usual light bronze tone. And the most prominent feature… Louis allowed his view to wandered to the lower half of her body. He felt a sick twist in his stomach as he looked at what remained of her left leg. A stump wrapped in gauze with blood already starting to seep through.

He swallowed hard, but regretted the action before ha had a chance to fully carry it out due to the pain that sprung from the back of his mouth. Another reminder from the traumatizing past 24 hours.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it as gently as possible, as if too much pressure would cause the whole limb to disintegrate. As he gently stroked her hand with his thumb, his mind wandered back to the recent event of her arriving. He didn’t want it to, but he has learned that the mind will sometimes make you think of things you’d rather keep locked away.

~hours earlier~

Louis sniffed loudly as he gently pulled himself away from Ruby’s shoulder. The tears and snot that weren’t already absorbed into her shirt still stuck to his face. Ruby grabbed a napkin off of the nightstand and proceeded to gently wipe his face for him.

“There ya go, hon.” Ruby said softly. She grabbed another fresh napkin and pushed it to his nose.

“Now blow.” She commanded gently.

Louis raised his eyebrow at her, a questioning look in his face that seemed to ask, “Are you serious?”

She raises an eyebrow back at him “You heard me. Blow.” She commanded with a sterner tone in her voice.

Louis rolled his eyes but obeyed. Ruby nodded at his cooperation and threw the used napkin into a small wastebasket by the bed.

Louis felt himself smile a genuine smile. Something he’s felt as if he hasn’t done in forever. Ruby mirrored his expression and asked,

“So, I take it yer feelin’ a bit better?” Louis thought for a moment before he slowly nodded his head.  He noticed his mind felt a little lighter. Ruby’s smile widened.

“Good. And remember,” she placed a hand in his shoulder, “I’m sure the others would help ya just as much, but I’ll always he here if ya need-”

 “OH MY GOSH!”

“WHAT THE-

“WHAT HAPPENED!”

 Ruby was interrupted as terrified screams and shouts erupted from outside. Her and Louis’ head snapped to the window before looking at each other, concern pained on their faces. They rushed outside as fast as they could and were met with a horrific sight. A sight they both knew no one would ever, or could ever forget.

AJ, from head to toe, was covered in blood and guts. Even thought the offending substance covered his face, the tears and sheer exhaustion in the boy’s face was apparent.

But that wasn’t all. The small boy was holding up a wheelbarrow, and inside of it holding up a wheelbarrow, and inside of it was Clementine’s seemingly lifeless body. And the most glaring feature, her left leg was cut off from below the knee. The appendage resembling nothing more than a bloody stump.

Louis’ eyes widened and his heart began to race. He felt as though whatever blood was left in his face had completely drained away. His breathing quickened.

“Oh…my…” Ruby’s voice quivered as she spoke.

“What?!- H-How…” Aasim stuttered, barely able to stand straight.

Willy was unnaturally quiet. He was just staring at the horrific scene, his face pale, looking like he could pass out at any moment.

Omar’s breathing was quick and heavy as he tried to stall the growing nausea growing in his stomach. He soon realized his efforts were in vain as he covered his mouth and ran towards a nearby bush to empty his stomach onto the forest floor.

Violet visibly trembled stepped closer to AJ and Clem. “Wh-…What… AJ?” She stuttered.

“Clem…sh-she got …I had t-to…she…” the poor boy struggled through tears. He could barely comprehend the situation even thought he had lived it himself.

“AJ..” Violet said trying her best to remain calm, “What happened?”

AJ was quiet for a moment as he tried to contain himself. He took a shaky breath before answering.

 “She got bit.”

 Louis felt a horrible tremor shake through his body. As if all his organs had collapsed on themselves, leaving him with no way to think or breathe. He dropped to his knees crying out a garbled mess as his worst nightmare was happening right in front of him.

-

Ruby worked on Clem for a couple of hours before letting anyone else see her. She only allowed AJ and Aasim to be present. AJ so he could explain to her what happened and if he did anything at all to keep the wound somewhat sterile until he got back to the school, and  Aasim was there to help her out and lend moral support.

She’s never had to patch anything up this bad before. After a couple of hours, she deemed Clem’s condition as stable, but all they could do now is wait and hope for her to wake up…

~

Tears clouded Louis’ vision as he continued to gaze upon Clem’s virtually lifeless form. From where he sat, he made a silent promise to her. If she…no, when she wakes up, he vowed to give her all the patience, support, and help she deserves.

He furrowed his brows as determination sunk in.

He will always be there for her.