#like clem may not have two legs but she certainly has two hands for louis AND violet why are we arguing

[that0nebird]

Violet/Louis stans are some of the most annoying mfs of ANY telltale-game fandom imo. Like why can't yall get along like John/Selina enjoyers???

[ericsonclan]

Rockabye

Summary: Clementine and Louis are out in the woods when they hear a baby cry.

Word Count: 2856

Read on AO3:

“Been a long time since it was just you and me out here,” Clementine noted, smiling over at her husband as they walked through the woods together.

“That it has,” Louis agreed, flashing her his signature smile. “You could almost call this a date: you and I alone together, the ambient noises of the forest providing the perfect backdrop for a romantic moment or two to be stolen before we head back,”

“I would hardly call checking traps a date… but it is nice,” Clementine reached out, her hand taking Louis’. The pair let their intertwined hands swing back and forth lazily as they strolled deeper into the woods. With Maisy and Lee Kenny still so young there was rarely time where they could afford to both go out for the day. But Willy and Allison had promised to keep an eye on the kids and she and Louis had both jumped at the chance. Clementine loved her kids with all her heart but having some breathing space from the chaos was a gift to be enjoyed, one so rarely received she almost didn’t know what to do with it.

“We should take the scenic route. A little tiptoe through the tulips perhaps?” Louis grinned playfully, causing his wife’s nose to wrinkle in amusement.

“Alright. Five minutes. Then we get back to work,”

“But of course,”

Before Clementine could protest, Louis had swept her off her feet and was striding off the beaten path to a nearby patch of wildflowers. “Louis!” she exclaimed before devolving into giggles. “Put me down!”

“And risk you stepping on one of the flowers? No, my darling Clementine, leave it to me to safely navigate us to our final destination,”

“And where might that be?”

“That, my dear, is a secret,”

Clementine rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. Leave it to Louis to still come up with little adventures even after all this time. Nearly ten years together and she was just as smitten as the day they’d first crossed paths. After a few steps further, Louis placed his wife down upon a fallen log that lay near the wildflowers. Sitting down beside her, he took her hand once more. Clementine rested her head upon Louis’ shoulder, nuzzling it gently. “This is nice,”

“Best five minutes I’ve had in a long time,”

They were silent for a moment, enjoying the stillness and peace of the forest around them. There hadn’t been as many walkers around this past month, likely because most of them had gone with a large herd that had swept through the area a few weeks back. Clementine had never been more thankful to be surrounded by brick walls than when she saw the size of the herd as it slowly passed by. It had been somewhat difficult to stay behind those walls as the woods cleared out, but the time spent in lockdown had shown all of them how truly self-sufficient the school had become. Still, Clementine hoped they wouldn’t have to face anything like that again for a long time to come.

“Hold still for a sec,” Louis’ hand reached out toward her face, pausing at the corner of her eye before drawing back. On his index finger lay a single eyelash. “Go on, make a wish,”

“What?”

“Make a wish then close your eyes and blow the eyelash off my finger. Trust me, it’s a thing,”

Clementine considered her wish carefully. What did she want that she didn’t have? For years growing up on the road all she would have wished for was a home and now she had that. Not just a home, but a family that she could never have even dared to imagine. Truth be told, she didn’t really wany anything more. She just wanted things to stay the same. With that thought in mind, Clementine closed her eyes and blew away the eyelash.

The sound of a baby’s cry carried through the forest. The sound immediately tore through Clementine’s heart. Her eyes shot up to meet Louis’. They were both thinking the same thing: the children. Sprinting toward the source of the sound, both ran with all their might, their minds frantic at the possibilities of what could have happened.

The cries were coming from the opposite direction of the school. It made no sense but there was no time to try to sort through how this had happened. Clementine almost tripped, causing Louis to pause to help her. “No! Go!” Clementine screamed. Louis looked torn for a moment then ran ahead, Clementine following behind as she struggled to match his pace.

Moments later they broke out into a clearing, the sounds louder than ever. Clementine’s eyes scanned her surroundings, searching for Maisy or Lee Kenny. Neither were there. Zachariah and Savannah were nowhere to be found either. She looked to Louis, but he appeared just as lost as she was. They ran through the clearing, still searching in a panic, but there was no child to be seen. Clementine paused for a second, trying to refocus her senses to hone in on the direction the screams were coming from. There, just across from them! Grabbing Louis’ hand, Clementine ran toward the cries.

They froze as they drew near. There at the base of a large tree were at least a dozen walkers all with heads and arms lifted toward the source of the crying: a basket that dangled from one of the lower tree branches.

“It’s not one of the kids,” Clementine whispered, eyes large in disbelief.

“No,” Louis shook his head. “It’s a baby,”

“Who the fuck leaves a baby in a tree?”

“Someone desperate? Either way,” Louis drew out Chairles, “We have to act now. If they haven’t returned at the sound of its cries, they may not be coming back at all,”

Clementine nodded. Drawing the compound bow, she aimed at the nearest walker. “As soon as I hit one, the rest will see us,”

“I’ll make some noise, draw a few of them off to the side,”

“It’s a risk. If there are more getting drawn in by the baby’s cries…”

“We can do this,” Louis gave his wife a look of determination. “We have to,”

He was right. “I’ll take the first one,” Making sure her aim was true, Clementine let out a centering breath before letting the arrow fly. It shot through the air and struck its target, braining a walker before it even knew what hit it. The corpse dropped to the ground, the sound temporarily drawing the attention of the other walkers away from the baby.

“Hey!” Louis shouted, walking away from his wife to get some of the heat off of her. “Over here, deadheads! Come at me!”

The walkers eagerly gave chase, their withered legs moving as quickly as they could. Drawing another arrow, Clementine shot another one. Her aim was a bit off though. Instead of going through the brain it knocked off the walker’s jaw, already dangling by a thread of sinew. Swearing under her breath, Clementine drew again. But this time there was another walker that was nearer with one more right behind it. With barely any distance between them Clementine shot an arrow directly between its eyes before drawing her knife to face the other.

“You’re doing great, sweetie!” Louis called over before swinging out to bash in a walker’s skull. The one that Clementine had de-jawed was now making its way over to him at the sound of his voice. “Oh, you want some more pain?” Louis quipped. Swinging upwards, he hit its head so hard that the neck snapped. The walker’s head flopped over to the side, still connected to the body but dangling as uselessly as its jaw had been. With the walker posing no more immediate threat, Louis kicked it backwards, sending it tumbling into the next two walkers behind it. Striding forward, Louis brained the collapsed walkers one after another.

The baby’s cries had picked up again, its wails more like screams. The sound was drawing the walkers back and from what Clementine could hear in the forest surrounding them there were more walkers nearby. Stabbing the walker she’d been grappling with through the eye, she dug in deep, twisting the knife to pierce the brain. The walker’s milky eye burst on contact with her blade, dribbling down the hilt of her knife and onto her hand. The walker collapsed as its brain ceased to function and Clementine quickly flicked the eye and brain matter from her knife before sheathing it and redrawing her bow.  

Seeing his wife was aiming for the walker nearest the basket on the left, Louis headed right. Drawing back Chairles once more, he slammed it against the side of the nearest walker’s skull from behind before backstepping quickly. He needed to spread out the remaining walkers if he was going to be able to take them out without getting bit. A walker crumpled to the ground by the tree, an arrow embedded in the back of its skull. That was another one down. Four to go. Unless… Louis glanced backwards. A pair of walkers were approaching them from behind. Those needed to be dealt with before they got the jump on them. “Clem! We got some stragglers. You good with me stepping away for a sec?”

Clementine nodded. “Go!” She could see Louis running behind her out of the corner of her eye before she refocused on her next target. A particularly tall walker looked like it actually might have a chance at reaching the baby. Its outstretched hand brushed against the base of the basket, causing it to sway back and forth. “You get the fuck away,” Clementine growled. Her next arrow struck right on target, going through the walker’s brain and embedding itself in the tree. The walker’s corpse slouched lifeless, held upright by the very arrow that had killed it. Three more to go. Behind her, Clementine could hear Louis struggling. “Need help?”

“Nah, save your arrows! These two are just being extra cranky! Isn’t that right, fellas?” Louis looked up at the pair he was facing. He’d gotten a few hits in, but one had missed and knocked an arm off instead while the others hadn’t been enough to take down the nearer walker. “You, sir, have a remarkably thick skull. I wonder if that made it hard for your teachers when you were in school. It’s certainly an inconvenience for me,” Drawing close, Louis decided to take an alternate approach. Jamming Chairles into the walker’s mouth, he used the leverage to push the creature backwards. Kicking out the other’s knee to buy himself time, Louis walked forward, forcing the walker to stumble backwards till its back hit a tree. Perfect.

Chairles was lodged firmly in the walker’s mouth, so when Louis drew his weapon back the walker came with it. “Nice try, buddy, but no cigar for you,” Thrusting forward, Louis bashed the walker’s head against the tree before forcing it forward once more to prepare for another hit. The tree grew red with the walker’s blood before finally Chairles burst through the back of its skull, killing it instantly. Louis grinned proudly at his work before realizing his mistake. This walker was dead, but Chairles was now wedged inside its skull and there was another walker mere steps away. “Clem! A little help?”

Clementine spun round to see a walker about to grab her husband. “Louis!” The walker was inches away from her husband who was desperately trying to rip his weapon out of the dead walker’s skull. There was no time to think. Drawing her bow, Clementine immediately shot it, praying her aim was true. Before she could know, a grisly hand pulled her backwards. She’d let one sneak up on her. With a frantic cry, Clementine thrust her knife behind her, hearing a loud crunch as knife scraped bone then embedded in flesh. There was the warm feeling of blood spilling upon her shoulder before the dead walker collapsed, taking Clementine down with it and pinning her beneath its weight. Clementine groaned, her breaths labored as she struggled to get out before another walker reached her.

“Clem!” Louis was at her side in seconds. Her aim had been true after all. Grabbing his wife’s hand, Louis tried to pull her out from beneath the walker. But there were more pressing problems. A walker was approaching his pinned wife and looked intent on biting her exposed ankle. “Think again, fucker!” Louis yelled, leaping forward and swinging with all his might. The blow tore off the top of the walker’s skull. Its hair fluttered back and forth on the piece of bone dangling off the side of its head. That opening was all he needed. Sending Chairles crashing down from above, Louis obliterated the offensive creature. He then spun round to check on his wife. “Clem, are you-”

“I’m alright! Just help me get the rest of the way out!” Clementine grunted with effort, struggling to free her trapped prosthetic from under the corpse. Louis rushed over, lifting the walker just enough to let Clementine slip the rest of the way out before letting it fall once more to the ground. The couple smiled at each other before glancing over to the tree where the basket dangled. Only one walker was left, reaching for the basket in dazed desperation.

“Do you want the honors, my darling?”

“Nothing would please me more,” Withdrawing her knife one last time, Clementine snuck up behind the walker and thrust the knife deep within its skull. The walker went still and she tossed it to the side, finally breathing a sigh of relief. “We actually did it,”

“That we did,” Louis smiled proudly at his wife, stepping forward to join her. Both looked up at the basket. The baby was still crying, louder than ever. They didn’t have much time before all of this would be for naught and more walkers would come wandering in. The pair shared a look. Louis dropped to his knees. “Hop up on my shoulders. I think that’s our best bet to get the basket down safely,”

Clementine nodded and climbed on, gasping slightly as her husband got back to his feet.

“You good?”

“Yeah. Take a step to your right. One more…there,” Clementine looked down into the basket for the first time. The baby couldn’t be more than a few months old. It was dressed in a ratty, oversized t-shirt and wrapped in a blanket. Its dark skin was hot to the touch, from the heat or its prolonged screams Clementine couldn’t tell. She tried to calm it for a moment before realizing that was futile until they had it safely down. Holding the sides of the basket, she looked down at Louis. “Step back slowly. We’ll have to go bit by bit till we get it off this branch,”

Louis nodded and followed suit. Inch by inch they guided the basket off the branch as the baby wailed and writhed within it. The forest seemed quiet, but they knew that could change at any second. Clementine gripped the basket tightly, adjusting and tilting it slightly to get past the bumps and grooves of the branch. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime she pulled the basket the last few inches and it was free, the weight of the basket and baby shifting to Clementine’s arms. She held it close to her chest, smiling softly down at the baby as she shifted her grip to the handle. “Gonna hand the basket down to you then hop off your back. OK, Lou?”

Louis’ hands rose to receive it. “Gotcha,”

Once she was sure the basket had been safely transferred over, Clementine slipped down from her husband’s back. She circled round to look at the crying baby Louis now held in his arms. The baby was still wailing, clearly too overwhelmed to be comforted simply through cuddles. She needed food, water, maybe medicine. “We have to get her back to the school. Then we can head back out in search of any parents or guardians she might have,”

“Look,” Louis tugged on the corner of the blanket the baby was wrapped in. On it was sewn a single word in messy, tangled thread – a name. Juliet. “Think that’s her name?”

“Maybe,” Clementine pressed the back of her hand to the baby’s forehead. Her temperature was troubling. “You carry her. I’ll cover you with the bow,”

“Alright,”

“Just give me a minute to grab the arrows,” Walking round the corpses, Clementine retrieved her spent arrows. She wondered if the person who’d left Juliet was still nearby. Did they want her? They’d left her somewhere safe, but they hadn’t come when she cried. So were they dead or simply gone? Answers would have to come later. For now their priority had to be Juliet. Rejoining her husband, Clementine notched an arrow, bow at the ready. “Let’s go,” The pair headed out side by side, the baby still sobbing against Louis’ chest. One thing was certain: they would keep Juliet safe. No matter what.

[ericsonclan]

Trust No(One)

Summary: Louis and Clementine get into a fight regarding Louis' injury and his inherent willingness to trust the newcomer Sophie.

Clementine paced outside the door as Ruby patched Louis up inside. She’d wanted to be in there with him, but Ruby had shooed her outside, saying she didn’t need her help on this one and certainly didn’t want the pressure of her watching. Now Clementine was left alone to reprimand herself for how things had gone down. How could she have let Louis leave the boat with a complete stranger? She knew he trusted them thanks to her history with the street rats, but Minnie had that exact same history and the last time they’d seen her she had maimed two of the members on this ship. Her peg leg tapped against the wood floor as she paced, a constant reminder of the dangers this new member brought their way. Ruby exited the room quietly, meeting Clem’s gaze as she ran over to her. In her hands lay Louis’ bloody shirt, in need of a wash and repair. “He’s stable now. Should be waking up soon. You can go in if you like,”

Clementine clasped Ruby’s hands in her own as a silent gesture of thanks before hurrying into the room. Louis lay still on top of the bed, a new shirt over the bandages that covered his injury. Sunset was approaching and the light from the porthole cast a warm glow on his somewhat pale face. How much blood had he lost before being brought back to the ship? A pint? Two? There had been a puddle of blood in the bottom of the rowboat when Sophie got back. Clementine circled the bed, crawling up to lay beside him, absent-mindedly brushing a dreadlock back from his forehead. It had been over two years since she woke up from certain death to find this boy smiling as he crouched over her and A.J., his crew huddled around him with wide eyes. Now she was waiting for him to open his eyes, praying that he wouldn’t make her wait a moment longer. Her fingers brushed against his brow: warm, but not sweaty. Her mind told her he was safe, but she wouldn’t be able to believe that until he opened his eyes. The minutes dragged by as she watched him, trying to read meaning into every tick and twitch of his face. She took his hand in her own, their promise bands reflecting the waning light as they nestled together. She needed him to be OK. She had anchored her heart to him irrevocably. She couldn’t lose him.

Louis’ face twisted in a grimace as he woke with a groan. “I’m home? Sophie… is she OK? She must have dragged me back,”

“She’s on deck. Ruby went to look at her wound after she finished with yours,” Louis’ face fell. “She got hurt? I must not have blocked the attack fast enough. Damn it,” He tried to sit up, but quickly collapsed back on his bed, letting out a sharp hiss of pain. “Another shot to the ribs, huh?” “You were bleeding heavily,” Louis lifted up the corner of his shirt, examining the bandages. “Should make a pretty sick scar,” “Don’t joke about that,” His eyes went up to hers. Tears were forming in her eyes. “Clem,” he whispered, extending an arm. She pulled back. “No, don’t try to brush this off. What were you thinking, jumping in front of a blade like that?” Louis shrugged. “I was aiming to block the attack, but couldn’t get my weapon up in time. It happens,” “You could have been killed! And for what?” “For a friend,” “For a stranger you only just met! Louis…” Clementine rose from the bed, pacing the floor in anger. “You can’t keep doing this! You can’t adopt every stranger we come across with open arms!” “Well, that doesn’t seem fair coming from you, now does it? That’s how we got you and A.J. Prisha too. Besides, Sophie isn’t just anybody. She’s Tenn’s sister,” “Minerva was Tenn’s sister too,” Clementine’s voice was grim. “She isn’t anymore,” “Sophie isn’t Minnie,” Louis shook his head. “She’s different. You can see it in her eyes,” Clementine scoffed. “Is that so? Tell me, Louis, how close were you when you saw Minerva’s eyes? Because I sure got a close look at them when she cut through my leg,” They were both silent.

Louis sighed. “What do you want me to say, Clem? That I’m sorry I defended her? ‘Cause I’m not. I would do it again,” “I want you to think about yourself for once instead of jumping into danger at every turn! I want to know that when I take my eyes off of you, I can trust you to have the sense to stay safe, not get yourself dragged back bleeding and unconscious!” Clementine’s chest was heaving with emotion now, her heart racing as her anger swelled. “You shouldn’t have gone on that mission alone with Sophie! What if what you ‘saw in her eyes’ was wrong? What if she turned on you? What then? You would be dead!” “That’s not what happened!” “You can’t go putting your life in the hands of strangers you’ve just met!” “Strangers? Clem, she’s family!” “Not your family!” Clementine’s voice cracked with emotion. “Not everybody can be your family. A.J. and I, we’re your family, Louis. You made a promise to me that you’d stay by my side, forever. So don’t hold your own life so lightly,” “Clem…” “I-I need space, Louis,” She quickly exited the room. “Clem, please!” She ran up the stairs blindly. She had to be alone right now. She couldn’t contain all that she was feeling.

It had been a few hours now. Clementine stood in the crow’s nest, the wind blowing through her hair as she watched the empty sea. She shouldn’t be up here. She should be with Louis. But she couldn’t get herself to go back down. Part of her wanted to punish him, but for what? Being a good person? Having a sacrificial heart? Those were the same qualities that had endeared him to her so quickly. Yet they were the same traits that were driving her mad. Louis wasn’t built to be a pirate. He had slipped into the role accidentally, and he’d never truly fit the mold. The Ericson Pirates code, their constant willingness to take in whatever lost waif their boat came across, these weren’t the traits of a true pirate. Clementine was sure the moment she met Louis that if he were met with the murderous faces of those she’d been forced to walk amongst, he wouldn’t stand a chance. Yet instead of being disgusted by his apparent weakness, she’d sworn to protect him. Not just as her captain, nor simply as her friend. After she had sworn to herself that she had closed her life off from all purposes other than keeping A.J. safe, Louis broke through her walls with a warmly extended hand. He’d proven himself far stronger than she’d given him credit for. His body was littered with countless wounds, the worst of them received in the defense of others, just like this latest one. He seemed to shake them off, not holding any sort of malice toward those in whose stead he had been injured. Unlike most captains, he didn’t gain his crew’s obedience through a firm hand or a merciless demeanor. He held their respect because they knew how deeply he valued each and every one of their lives. He would die before he let any of them fall. She would kill before she lost him. Their code allowed for life to be taken if absolutely necessary. Louis hadn’t found that line yet. Clementine had crossed it several times before meeting him. She knew where the line of taking a life lay for her and that it was far closer than Louis’s would ever be. He must know this to be true. They had never spoken of it though. Were they simply tricking themselves by letting that conversation go unspoken, pretending that this difference would not test them to the point that it may someday tear them apart? Was she willing in loving Louis to take the risk each time he jumped into battle that she may lose a part of herself she could never fully regain?

Clementine looked down to the deck below. Sophie was sitting beside Tenn, drawing again. She knew this went far beyond Sophie. Yet Sophie was exactly the sort of enigma that proved how different she and Louis truly were. Louis couldn’t help but trust her. Clementine could never lower her guard. Time would tell which one of them was right. She hoped it would be Louis. She prayed it wasn’t her, that is, the part of her that looked in Sophie’s eyes and saw the murderous rage in Minerva’s eyes as she landed that blow, the one that took her leg. They had tried to reason with Minerva, to trust that she could change. Now Violet would never fully see again. Louis’ way didn’t always work, no matter how much they wanted it to. Eventually, she couldn’t stand it anymore. The pain of being away from Louis - of leaving things like that – was worse than whatever gain could be made in trying to prove her point. Perhaps believing that abandoning him proved any sort of point was a mistake in itself. Clementine descended from the crow’s nest, avoiding the eyes of her crew members. She wasn’t sure what she would see within them. Her mind was muddled enough as it was. When she opened the door to the captain’s quarters, she was surprised to find that Louis wasn’t alone. A.J. lay curled up beside him, his head resting on Louis’ shoulder as he softly snored. Louis raised a finger to his lips as she closed the door behind her. Clementine took a seat on the edge of the bed, careful not to shift her weight in a way that might cause the mattress to pull against his wound. They were silent as they looked at each other, trying to read each other’s hearts from what laid upon their faces.

Clementine spoke first. “I’m sorry I left like that,” “I’m glad you came back,” “Has A.J. been here long?” “A few hours. He fell asleep in the middle of my story about the Dread Pirate Ericson. I was very insulted,” Clementine chuckled. “You do realize the point of a bedtime story is to put a child to sleep?” “I wasn’t aware it was a bedtime story till it did just that!” A.J. shifted against Louis, mumbling something incoherent. The two of them stilled, waiting for him to settle down. After a minute, Louis continued. “Violet came by too. She mentioned that from the sounds of things Sophie would have just gotten nicked by that bandit’s blade if I hadn’t jumped in front. Guess I fucked things up,” “I’m sure she’s grateful for what you did,” “Still, you were right. I should be more careful before jumping into things,” “Louis,” Clementine took his hand in her own. “What I said back there, I was scared. I wasn’t choosing my words wisely,” “I’m the reason you were scared. Anything that was said, I deserved,” “No, Louis, no,” Clementine raised his hand to her face, cupping it against her cheek. “I’m sorry I ran off. That only made things worse. I should have been brave enough to face what I was feeling and to acknowledge that the reason I was so angry is because I was so afraid of losing you. I love you, Louis,” “I love you too,” Louis murmured, running his thumb along her jaw. “The truth is we won’t know what sort of person Sophie is until some time has passed and we’ve fought beside her. I want your trust to be the right call. I want her to be good,” “But until she’d proved that to us, I should probably take some others along with us on any adventures,” “Please. That would help,” Clementine looked over at A.J. “For the longest time, I had just one thing driving me, just one person who owned my heart. Now that number has grown, and I still don’t know how to handle that at times, how to live with the fear of losing all that I’ve gained,” She looked back at Louis. “But the answer isn’t to shut everyone else out. I know that much,” Louis smiled at her weakly. “It’s getting late. There should be room beside A.J. if you want to squeeze in,” Clementine nodded, coming around to the other side and taking a spot beside A.J. She heard Louis stifle a groan as he turned to wrap an arm across her and A.J. He smiled at her concerned expression. “Don’t worry. Ruby’d give me hell if I pulled out my stitches. I’m being careful,” The moon cast a faint light across his face, illuminating his eyes. “I promise you this Clem: from now on I’ll be more careful, for you and A.J.,” “For yourself too,” “Alright, for me too,” Clem crossed her arm over A.J., resting it tenderly on Louis’ side. “Thank you, for loving me,” Louis’ nose wrinkled in confusion. “How could I not? I adore you, Clem. Nothing will ever change that,” Clementine raised her hand, letting her ring catch the glow of the moonlight. “Forever,” Louis’ hand joined hers. “Forever,” An eternal promise. An unbreakable bond.

[ericsonclan]

Walking a Knife’s Edge

Summary: Marlon considers his friendship with Sophie and if it could ever be something more.

Read on A03:

Notes: Wrote this for @stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale ‘s TWDG One Shot prompt for May. Was able to get all the points and still make it sound natural, so I’m super happy with it :D

Marlon sat on the bannister of the deck on Ol’ Kickass, his expression somber as he looked out at the calm sea. He was thinking back on the scars Sophie had inadvertently shown him when they’d gone to that cave for a swimming lesson. To think that she’d been beaten so badly in her time on that other ship that her scars would never truly heal… the thought sickened Marlon. He wished there was something he could do for her, some way to ease at least a small part of the internal pain she carried, but he was coming up empty. All he could do was be there for Sophie as a listening ear or a supportive sounding board whenever she wanted to talk. It wasn’t enough, but it was all he had.

“Hey, Marlon,” Brody’s voice was cheerful as she approached him. “Mind if I sit with you while I have my lunch?” Her face fell when she saw the look on his. “Shit, am I invading your privacy? I know that’s hard to come by on a ship. I’ll just leave-”

“You don’t have to go. I’d actually like the company,”

“Well, alright then,” Brody plopped down beside him, pulling an apple out of her pocket. A dagger was in her other hand. Carefully she began to peel the apple. The curling peel fell in pieces under the waves beneath their feet from time to time as she worked.

Marlon smirked at her as she took her first bite. “Really? All you’re having for lunch is an apple?”

Brody shrugged. “We’re running low on supplies. And my stomach can’t handle another stew right now. Omar’s been making them really rich lately,”

“Still, no meat to supplement it? Not even a roll?”

“They’re full of weevils,” Brody responding, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

“Ok, that’s fair,”

They sat in silence for a few moments, legs dangling off the edge as the waves crashed against the gently rocking ship. Brody wasn’t saying anything, but Marlon could tell that she wanted to.

“You’ve got a question?”

“It’s just… you’ve seemed awful quiet these last couple days. It isn’t like you,”

“Just had a lot on my mind,”

“Was it something that happened when you and Soph went swimming?”

Marlon looked over at Brody, studying her eyes. What did she suspect? “It’s not my place to say,”

“Oh, OK,” Brody returned to kicking her legs, looking out at the endless expanse of sea. “Y’know, for what it’s worth I think the two of you are cute together,”

“What?!” Marlon’s shocked expression was mirrored by Brody’s.

“Damn it, did I misread things? I’m sorry!” Brody looked down in shame. “I just thought with how close the two of you have been lately that maybe there was something more there. That’s how it started with Mitch and I. Though I guess it was a lot more teasing and bantering on our end. The affection came later. You and Sophie seem to get along so easily. I’m glad she has someone she feels she can trust,”

Marlon shrugged. “I don’t know how much help I’m being. Sophie’s been through so much… being lost at sea for all those years just to wake up and find out what Minnie’s become, what she did to her own friends? I don’t think having a friend is going to fix it all,”

“Well, it certainly can’t hurt,” Brody glanced over at Marlon uncertainly. “And feel free to disregard what I say next if it’s not true, but if there are feelings there with Sophie, I’d just give it time. Not every romance has to be expeditious,”

“Expeditious?” Marlon’s brow quirked in confusion. “Where did that come from?”

“Did I not use it right?” Brody blushed in embarrassment. “Prisha said it the other day when she was talking about some sort of strategy with Clem. I figured I understood what it meant so I thought I’d give it a whirl,”

“I mean, I think you used it right. It was just a bit unexpected,”

“What I’m trying to say is every couple’s different. For Louis and Clem it only took a few months before they knew they wanted to be together while it took me years to figure out why Mitch was so special to me. All I’m saying is you don’t have to get everything sorted out all at once,”

“All this assumes Sophie even likes me,” Marlon responded, his boot dully thumping against the side of the ship.

Brody’s eyes widened at his tacit acknowledgement of his own feelings, but she quickly contained herself. “No matter what I know you mean a hell of a lot to Sophie. Don’t sell yourself short on how important that friendship is,”

Suddenly the door that connected the lower and upper decks burst open. Mitch strode out, his arms cradling something wooden. His eyes brightened when he saw his girlfriend. “Holy shit Brody, you gotta see this!” He ran over, holding out the item excitedly. “You know how Willy and I have been working on alternate peg legs for Clem? Check it out!” Suddenly he unsheathed the peg leg, showing a hidden blade within. “Knife leg! If anyone every tries to disarm Clem, she can just whip out this baby and do some serious damage!”

Brody smiled at Mitch’s excitement. “That’s great! Are you going to be able to convince Clem to wear it though?”

“Willy’s trying to convince her now. We were thinking maybe if we had support from someone besides the two of us she might be willing to give it a try,” Mitch looked at his girlfriend, his eyes silently pleading.

“You want me to convince Clem to try out the knife leg?”

Mitch nodding silently, clutching his creation.

Brody let out a good-natured sigh. “Well, it’s worth a shot. I’ll see you later, Marlon,”

“See you,” Marlon watched as Brody walked away with Mitch, her expression warm as he chattered excitedly about the new leg. He couldn’t deny that he was jealous of what they had. He knew Brody meant well with her encouragement that things between him and Sophie might develop into something more, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. It would be selfish of him to do so. Sophie was trying to navigate a brand-new life right now, struggling to reclaim the freedom that had been torn away from her when she and Minnie were captured. She didn’t have the time or energy to worry about things like his silly crush right now. That would only get in the way of the long road to healing that she had begun.

There was only one right thing to do. He would tamp these feelings down. Squash them before they got in the way. Brody was right about one thing: the best thing he could be to Sophie right now was a friend. Everything else was irrelevant. Marlon got up from his place on the bannister, shaking the numbness out of his legs. He should find Louis, figure out if there was anything that needed doing. Maybe that would finally distract him from the dull, nagging ache in his chest.