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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 5 years

Text

with you [2/6]

Summary: Clementine pops the question.

Preview:

“Fine.”

Violet pulls her cleaver out and tosses it down the hallway.

“You wanna talk?” She shoves her door open, turning to glower at Clementine. “Let’s talk.”

She walks into the dorm room, straight to her desk. She takes her chair, turns it around, and sits facing Clementine, waiting.

Suddenly, she’s terrified. Not the kind of terrified like when there are walkers, or like the terror she feels when someone gets hurt or doesn’t come back on time. This is a terror of facing Violet with the possibility of saying the wrong thing and shattering that little piece of lost hope for their friendship.

This is her last chance.

Warnings: There’s a little passionate smooching but no actual sexual content. Willy doesn’t know how to knock. Mitch is a level 10 tsundere. Violet’s very angsty this time around. Angry arguments happen. This one is pretty long, too.

Author’s Note: Ha ha remember when I said this’ll only be a 2 part story?? Well, that was before I went an got an idea that added two completely new scenes and made this WAAAAY too long. However, I’ll be posting part 3 after I finish up the new scenes and edit. Might take me a while but this story has thrown me into hell already so I’m committed.

EDIT: ha ha remember when I said this’ll be 3 parts? I lied it’s 4 it’s 5 now.

---

Before breakfast, Clementine sneaks away to give the string back to Mitch.

When she finds him, he’s digging around in one of the hallway drawers, muttering curses to himself. He takes the string without a word and hurries back outside. Odd, she thinks, but sometimes Mitch is hard to figure out. So, she lets it go.

She needs to find AJ now.

Considering he didn’t come back to the room last night, she assumes he had a sleepover with Tenn last night.

Thank goodness, she thinks. Not only would he have walked in on something, well, intimate, but AJ has a hard time leaving Louis alone after one of his nightmares. Clementine’s warned him about being clingy, but all AJ says back is, “I just want him to be okay.”

Louis always insisted he’s fine, that the nightmares aren’t really that bad, that he barely remembers them. She knows he still tells AJ that to reassure him. He used to tell her the same thing, only she knows better.

She can still remember the first time she told him to stop lying to her.

“Louis, stop. Just… stop. Lying to me isn’t going to make it any better. You can’t carry this on your own and I can’t fully be here for you unless you’re completely honest with me.”

She’d never held someone whose entire body rocked and crumbled with so much regret, so much fear.

That was the first night they slept in the same bed.

He moved in two days later.

She can only hope that tonight will be better, that he can find peace in his dreams again.

Clementine leaves the school and steps out into the fresh morning air and inhales the intoxicating scent of dew ridden grass and dirt. She spots AJ at one of the tables, scarfing down his breakfast next to Louis, James and Tenn. Even from a distance she can see how tired Louis is, even if he’s smiling and laughing with the others.

“Clem!” Omar waves her over, holding up a plate. That’s when the scent of breakfast hits her, causing her stomach to growl. She’s about to hurry over there until she sees Violet loading up her bowl. Their eyes meet for a split second, and that’s enough to make Violet jerk around and head to the farthest table possible. Clementine watches her go as she approaches Omar.

“Good morning,” she greets him.

“It is, isn’t it? I’m glad there’s a little breeze today,” he says happily.

“Yeah,” she agrees. She crosses her arms and brings her voice to a whisper. “Hey… did she say anything to you?”

Omar gives a sad frown and shrugs a shoulder. “Just thanks. Nothing else.”

“Oh.”

“Hey, have you seen Mitch this morning? He hasn’t grabbed his food yet.”

“Oh, um, I haven’t,” she lies.

“He’s in the basement!” Willy exclaims from behind her, causing her to flinch. Somehow that boy manages to be both too loud and too quiet. He’s a good sneak, she’d give him that.

“Again?” Omar asks thoughtfully. “He’s been down there a lot this week.”

Ruby comes over to them now with anger knitted in her brow and her cheeks puffed red.

“Oh, he’s been banging around down there all mornin’! I went to fetch him fer breakfast and he hissed at me like some sorta rodent,” she scowls, “tellin’ me to fuck off, he’s busy! What’s he been doin’ down there that’s so important?”

“He’s making something super awesome!”

“Oh, God,” Ruby groans. “And what would that be?”

Willy shrugs with faux innocence before shooting Clementine a knowing smirk that makes her freeze.

“What’s he makin’?” Ruby asks more sternly.

“It’s a surprise!” Willy exclaims before pointing at himself, “And I’m helpin’ him with it.”

No, no fucking-

Clementine has to refrain from slapping her forehead. So much for keeping quiet.

“It best not be another cherry bomb ‘cause I will whip his-”

“It’s not! Honest! Don’t worry, you’ll see!” He smiles at Clementine again, baring all his crooked teeth. She glares back. That seems to straighten Willy out. He looks down at the dirt and says nothing else.

“Well, either way,” Omar hands Willy a plate, “take that to him. I don’t want to hear him complain he’s hungry when he finally comes outta there.”

“On it!” Willy almost spills the food when he takes off towards the basement doors.

“Willy!” Clementine calls after him. “Hold it!”

He stutters to a halt in front of the basement doors. When she gets closer, she can hear a repeated banging echoing from down the stairs. They both look around to make sure everyone else is out of earshot. Deeming it safe, she leans down and demands, “What did he tell you?”

Willy grins. “Said he needed my help fixing your wedding ring,” he loudly whispers. Clementine’s hand shoots out to cover his mouth.

“Shhh!” Clem glowers. “Who else has he told?”

“No one,” the boy answers honestly, shaking his head. “And I ain’t gonna tell anyone either, I swear.”

“Willy-”

“Really! I even promised Mitch!”

“Clem!” She hears AJ calling for her. She turns to wave at them, letting them know she’s coming.

Willy gives her a sincere smile. “Don’t worry, Clem, we got it all figured out. Just leave it to us.”

With that, he hurries into the basement, calling out for Mitch. She sees some of the food slosh over and fall on the stairs.

She can’t help but sigh.

At this rate, Louis’ll find out before she even has a proper ring.

Doing her best to ignore the nervous frustration spreading in her belly, Clementine grabs her breakfast and joins the others at the table.

Interestingly enough, she finds that they’re done with their food. Instead, papers and colored pencils are scattered all over the table. AJ and Louis hunch over their papers in full concentration mode. James is sketching all over his paper lightly, his eyes darting up constantly to look at AJ.

Just as she sits down, Louis sits back, flashes a big smile and holds up his picture. “Ta-da!” The other three boys stop and look up. They say nothing as they study the drawing. Clementine leans over to see as well.

“...What is it?” AJ asks.

“What is it?” Louis repeats, his confidence wavering. “What does it look like?”

“Like…” AJ squints, cocking his head to try and piece together what the drawing depicts. Finally, he settles on, “A bunny?”

Louis’ eyes go wide. “A bun- what?” he exclaims. He re-examines his picture. “It’s not a bunny! It’s Rosie!”

When Clementine gets a better look, she can tell that it’s… sort of like a dog. It’s the same color as Rosie, but the face is very… odd. And the ears are definitely too big.

AJ takes the picture from Louis and shakes his head. “No, not Rosie.”

“Everybody’s a critic,” Louis snatches the picture back and holds it up to her. “Clem, you can tell it’s Rosie, right?”

She blinks up at him before slowly shaking her head. She can’t help but grin a little at the distress on his face as he looks at his drawing.

“I think it kind of looks like her,” Tenn says.

Louis sulks, resting his chin in his palm and slouching over. “Thanks, Tenn.”

Clementine rubs his back and offers an encouraging smile. He grins back at her and steals a potato chunk off her plate, popping it into his mouth.

“Clem, look!” AJ hands her his drawing. It’s of him, her and Louis standing together with a large beach ball hanging in the air. “We’re playing catch!”

“Wow,” Clementine beams. “You’re really becoming a great artist.”

Louis leans against her shoulder to look. His face scrunches up in consideration. “Hmmmm,” he turns the picture upside down for a moment, then right-side up. He glances at the young boy with a smirk. “Looks great, little man. This’ll look awesome on your wall.”

Pleased with the compliment, AJ laughs. He takes his picture back and signs it. When he goes to grab a new paper, he asks, “What’re you drawing, James?”

“Huh? Oh, um,” James snaps his head up, his hand instinctively moving to cover his page, “I was just… well,” he gives a sheepish smile, “I haven’t had a chance to draw in a very long time, so, AJ, I hope you don’t mind but…”

When he holds up his paper, Clementine gasps.

The portrait of AJ on the paper looks so… real.

“Dude!” Louis exclaims, amazed.

“Hey!” AJ gasps. “That’s me!”

James puts the paper down and looks away. “I-I’m a little out of practice, you see. The proportions aren’t exactly right, and I always had a hard time with ears-”

“Dude, are you serious?” Louis laughs. “That looks just like him!”

Clementine can tell the portrait has left Tenn astonished. And a little insecure. He covers his picture with his arm and starts pressing his fingers together nervously.

“Where’d you learn to do that?” asks Louis, dumbfounded.

James smiles. “It’s what I used to do, before. Charlie and I… we both drew. He’s a lot better at it, though.” He picks his pencil back up, looking fondly at the portrait. “He could do amazing things. These huge scenes with so much life and so much character. Me,” he chuckles lightly, “I could only ever do people.” He looks at Louis with a comforting grin. “I’m terrible at doing animals, too.”

“Damn,” Louis breathes.

“You’re a real artist!” exclaims AJ. “Just like Tenn!”

Tenn stills, looking back at his picture and tucking it under his stack. James notices the young boy’s hesitation and looks to Clementine with questioning eyes. She returns his look with a smile and a small gesture towards Tenn.

“Um,” James awkwardly places a hand on Tenn’s shoulder, “I could show you. How I draw like this, I mean. If you want.”

“R-really?” Tenn stutters. He takes a glimpse at the portrait. “I could draw like that?”

“Of course,” James smiles, “anyone can.”

“Even Louis?” Clementine teases, pointing at his picture of Rose.

“Hey,” Louis takes the picture and holds it to his chest protectively, “I worked hard on this.”

“No doubt,” Clementine laughs. Then, she turns to Tenn. “Taking lessons from James could be a lot of fun, Tenn. What do you think?”

The young boy nods, still not entirely sure, but willing to try. “Yeah, I,” he turns to James, “I want to draw like that.”

“Me, too!” AJ butts in.

“Actually, AJ, I need your help with something today,” Clementine says.

“Me? Why?” AJ complains.

Clementine picks up her plate and stands from the table. “C’mon, kiddo. You can draw with Tenn and James afterward. It won’t take too long.”

“But, Clem,” he whines.

“What do you need help with?” Louis asks. “Maybe my services could be used instead?”

She grins at him but shakes her head. “Sorry, Lou, need AJ for this one.”

“But-” AJ tries again.

“Now,” she says firmly.

James offers AJ a comforting smile. “I’ll give you a personal lesson when you get back,” he says. “Promise.”

“Okay,” AJ sighs.

Just as AJ and Louis are going to stand, James says, “Actually, Louis? Can you stay?”

“Dude, don’t mean to undermine your talent, but I don’t think even you could teach me to draw like that,” Louis tries to laugh.

James shakes his head. “No, it’s not that. We need a model.”

“A model?”

“To draw,” he explains, “drawing from life is the best way to learn.” He gives Clem a knowing look. She’s relieved at how intuitive James can be.

“Modeling, hm?” Louis sits back down, puffing out his chest and adjusting his jacket. He flashes a big, bright smile. “How do you want me? Happy? How about sad, distraught? Seductive, perhaps?” Pursing his lips, Louis winks up at Clementine.

“Still, looking straight ahead, please,” says James.

“Right, gotcha.”

AJ sighs loudly.

She nudges him, eyes warning. Before they can turn to leave, Louis reaches out for her hand.

“Hold on,” he says, pulling her closer. She leans down and he plants a sweet kiss on her cheek. “Have fun,” he smiles.

She squeezes his hand. “You, too.”

James places two blank sheets of paper in front of him and Tenn and hands him a pencil. Tenn takes it eagerly.

As she and AJ walk away, she hears Louis say, “Make me look good, fellas!” and she can’t help but giggle, just a bit.

“Can’t we go on patrol later?” AJ asks.

“Trust me, kiddo, this can’t wait,” she says. “It’s pretty important.”

“Did something happen?”

“No,” she says. “Not yet.”

---

Rosie’s tail wags happily as she trots out through the gates. She doesn’t go far, always sticking close to them as they walk the perimeter. If she ever does wander too far all Clementine has to do is whistle and Rosie will rush right to her side.

“James is a really good artist,” says AJ, “even better than Tenn.”

“He’s had a lot more practice than Tenn has,” she replies. ��With enough help, Tenn can be as good.”

“You think so? You think he can teach me to be that good?” AJ asks hopefully.

“He said he would, didn’t he?” she smiles at AJ’s excited face.

AJ continues to gush about James as they walk. Clementine remains mostly quiet, only answering when AJ expects her to. When he’s run out of things to say, they’ve already gone all the way around.

“No monsters,” AJ says firmly. “And nothing else.”

“Looks like we’re clear.”

“Yeah,” AJ nods. He starts for the gates. Clementine places a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s walk around one more time,” she says.

“Why? It’s clear.”

“I know,” she nods. “But, I need to tell you something, remember?”

AJ frowns. “Is it bad?”

“No, not bad at all.”

“Oh.”

Clementine whistles for Rosie and they continue walking. She takes a deep breath and speaks the words she’s been repeating in her mind the entire walk.

“AJ, you remember the couple at the train station, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“And, you remember what Louis said about them? After you found that picture?”

“Their wedding picture,” AJ nods. “He said they were in love.”

“Right.”

“A kissing love.”

“Right,” she says again. AJ waits for her to continue, but now, she feels at a loss for words. She stops walking and scratches at the back of her neck. “AJ, you know that I love Louis, right?”

“‘Course you do. You guys kiss all the time,” AJ teases.

Clementine feels her cheeks flush. “Yeah, yeah, right,” she murmurs. She goes and sits on one of many bulging rocks thrown about and inhales deeply. Rosie sits by her feet, dropping the stick she held in her mouth.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” she finally says, “about that day and about that walker couple. You may not fully understand it because it was before you were born but… I’m going to ask Louis to marry me.”

AJ doesn’t say anything, not immediately. She can tell from his puzzled eyes that hundreds of questions are forming in his head. He starts with, “What does that mean?”

“Well,” she starts, “it means that, if he says yes, he won’t be my boyfriend anymore. He’ll be my husband.”

Husband.

Let me introduce you to my husband, Louis.

“And you’ll be his, uh…” AJ thinks hard, trying to remember the word.

“I’ll be his wife.” Just saying it makes her feel strange. Not a bad strange, of course, but a… nervous strange.

“His wife.” AJ sits on this information, mulling it over. “And you’ll be married. So, things will be different?”

“Well, no, not really. We’ll have rings on- well, he’ll have a ring on, maybe. But, nothing drastic.”

“A ring?”

“Remember the walkers?” she asks. “At their wedding, they gave one another one to seal the deal, I guess. That’s what that picture was.”

Then, AJ gets excited. “Okay,” he says. “So, you guys’ll have a big party?”

“Maybe we will, but I have to ask him first,” she says. “Last week, when I went to look for James, we went back to the train station to take their rings. Couldn’t find the lady’s, but the man still had his on.”

“You’re gonna give it to Louis?”

“That’s the plan.”

AJ has a wide grin on his face. “This…” he draws out, “this is a big thing, isn’t it?”

“It kind of is,” she answers honestly, “at least, to me, it is.”

“Me, too,” AJ laughs. “I like this. We’re gonna throw a huge party! We haven’t done that in forever! We can pull out that, uh, that… music thing! And play games! And-”

“Woah, hold it,” she stops him. “I haven’t even thought of a way to ask him.”

“Well, go ask him now!”

“No, AJ.”

“Why not?”

“That’s not how it works.” She stands up and places a gentle hand on AJ’s shoulder. “I want to do this right. If I just asked him like it was any other question, then it really wouldn’t mean anything. There’d be no weight to it, no point. I want it to mean something. I want it to be special,” she looks back at the school, “in a world that’s so fucked up, that’s taken away so much from all of us, where any moment could be our last… I want him to know how much I love him. How much I want to be with him in... a different way. That’s why I went back and got that ring, and that’s why I’m not just going to ask, I’m going to propose.”

AJ’s mouth parts silently as he stares at her.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is,” she sighs, “I love him, and I want to give us something that we thought was lost forever. Does that make sense?”

AJ grabs her hand. “I… I think I get it.” Then, he wraps his arms around her waist, holding her tight.

Clementine hugs him back. “Good. So,” she giggles, “that brings me to what I really wanted to ask you.”

“What?”

“Do I have your blessing?”

“My blessing?”

“Are you okay with me asking Louis to marry me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay? I love you, and I love Louis, too. We’re family.”

Clementine’s throat tightens, and so does her grip on AJ. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”

---

Once they pass through the gates, AJ goes straight for James and Tenn. Louis is still sitting there, cracking jokes and trying his best not to move while the two boys draw. James points to various parts of Louis’ face before motioning to Tenn’s paper.

She figures she can safely leave AJ to catch up on art lessons with James. He promised her he wouldn’t breathe a word of this until she had everything all planned out.

She spends most of the day helping around the school, doing usual repairs to the gate and their walls. She helps Omar clean out the fire pit and gather fresh wood. When the sky finally turns a lovely mixture of pink and orange, she decides to go inside.

Louis is kneeling on AJ’s desk with a roll of duct tape hanging from his mouth when she walks in. There’s a stack of papers next to him. He’s taping up one of the portraits of himself on the wall.

“Ey!” He waves at her before spitting the tape out. “Look at these!” He hops off the desk and points at the one he just hung up. “That’s the one James drew. Charming, isn’t it?”

She’s startled at the amount of detail put into it. It’s a fully shaded-in head portrait of Louis that seemingly stares right at her. Even the little details, like his freckles and the scar on his chin, are noticeable.

“It’s way weirder than I thought it’d be,” he says, “having someone stare and dissect every part of your face. Did you know I have a very angular jawline?” He tilts his head up to prove his point. “And James said I have a nice eye shape,” he smirks.

“He did do you justice,” she says, still admiring the picture. “Very handsome.”

His chuckle comes out loud and anxious, clearly not having expected her to say that. “Hah, yeah, except,” then Louis pushes his jacket back to place his hands on his hips, “um, do you think my nose is big?”

“What?”

“James said I have a wide nose. He drew it bigger than it actually is, right?”

“You have a very cute nose.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Clementine giggles. “Your nose is fine, Louis.”

He eyes the portrait, still uncertain. He brings his thumb and pointer finger up to measure the width of his nose. When he pulls his hand back, he becomes sullen.

Then he gasps as if he’s just remember something. “Oh, wait though, ready for this?” He searches through the pile before plucking the one he wants out. “This is the one Tenn drew.” He proudly holds it up.

She can’t say she’s not impressed. It’s nowhere near as proportional or advanced as James’, but Clementine can definitely see the charm within the lines. Definitely Tenn’s work.

“Wow,” Clementine smirks, nudging him. “I see it now. James is right, you do have a big nose.”

“Hey,” Louis reaches up and playfully pinches her nose, “big talk from little button nose over here.” Louis sticks Tenn’s portrait on the wall, next to James’. “There. We’re getting quite the art gallery.”

“One’s missing, though.” Clementine grabs Louis’ picture of Rosie off the desk and tapes it up.

“Seriously?” he asks sheepishly.

“Oh yeah. We’re never taking that one down.”

“Terrific.”

Louis continues to look through the rest of the drawings. He hums to himself lightly, a tune she recognizes but can’t place. He sticks more drawings on the wall; ones that AJ drew of him and Tenn, one he drew of Disco Broccoli.

He pauses when he comes across the one of AJ, Clementine and him. The one with the beachball. He smiles fondly at it before sticking it up there with the rest.

She sits on AJ’s bed, leaning against the frame. She closes her eyes and listens to his cheerful humming.

She’s come to realize that one of the many things she loves is the comfort she has when he’s around.

Like now. It’s a comfort she never thought she’d find again. Before the school, she and AJ never had time for comfortable peace. When it was just them, there was always that lurking feeling, that bitterness, that lingered in her thoughts. Now, she had a place they could call home.

Clementine can’t imagine where they would’ve ended up had she not crashed the car. They’d still be out in the world, scavenging every little bit they could to survive. They never would’ve met the people she now considered family.

She and Louis never would’ve met.

That’s a real shitty thing to think about.

She sneaks a glance at him, and thinks, he has no idea.

He’s staring at her.

She raises a brow. “What?”

He shrugs, his grin sorrowful.

“What?” she asks again.

“You.”

It’s like the weariness of their previous night has caught up to him, like something triggered a sinking reality that weighs him down. The shadows along his face from the setting light do nothing to hide the sadness betraying his eyes.

She slowly approaches him and reaches out to grabs his hand, tugging him closer to her. “Hey,” she murmurs.

“Hey.”

“You feeling any better?”

“Of course.”

“Really?” Clementine locks their fingers together. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had one that bad.”

He keeps his stare focused on their hands. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Louis.”

“Clementine.”

She uses her free hand to tilt his chin up. “It was about that woman, wasn’t it?”

He says nothing, but she can see the answer clear in his eyes.

Yes, Clem, you know it was. It always is.

The first and only living person Louis ever personally killed, and it was purely accidental. It frustrates her that it still haunts him and that it’ll always haunt him. She knows. That kind of guilt, no matter how irrational, never stops.

“Dorian.”

“Hm?”

Louis closes his eyes and leans forward to press his forehead to hers.

“Her name was Dorian.”

“Lou…”

“I know.” He pulls back, squeezes his eyes shut and forces a smile. “I know.” His gaze falls on her nose. He pinches it again. “I don’t wanna talk about it right now. Is that okay?”

She smiles sincerely. “Yeah. Just… want to make sure you’re alright.”

“Well, I’m always better with you around, so...” He bites his lip, shakes his head and lets out a dry laugh. “You don’t have to worry about me so much, Clem. There are more important ways to spend your time.”

With a quirked brow, her eyes dart down to his mouth.

More important?

Well, she wouldn’t put it that way.

Without any hesitation, she kisses him. It’s a quick, soft, comforting peck that catches him off guard.

Another kiss to his lips, and then another. She holds onto the nape of his neck and moves to his chin, his cheek, placing soft, intimate kisses against his warm skin.

He looks at her with lidded eyes before his hands caress her cheeks.

He kisses her, eager for every press of her mouth. He doesn’t stop kissing her, even when she tightens her grip on his jacket and pulls him back with her. The desk hits her hip. He lifts her up onto the surface, almost knocking over her venus fly trap.

A pleased sigh escapes her lungs. She desperately moves to his jaw, down his neck. His breathing is quick, shallow. His pulse is as quick as hers.

“Clem! Clem!”

Louis yanks back, their lips parting quickly with a loud smack. She nearly topples over when he rips himself away as the bedroom door slams open and in barges Willy.

She’s disoriented, lightheaded, blinking rapidly and frantically searching for any sign of danger. All she finds is Louis, who’s now over at AJ’s desking humming incredibly loud, and Willy hurrying in with a triumphant smile.

“Clem, it’s read-!” The second he sees Louis, he stops and gasps. “Oh no!”

“Oh, look, darling!” Louis stops pretending to look at the pictures and glares at the young boy. ��It’s Willy, the boy who doesn’t know how to knock! Nice of you to pop in unannounced!”

Willy’s face flushes a scarlet red as his gaze darts between the two.

Clementine slips down from the desk and tries to casually straighten out her jacket and adjust her hat with an unfazed face, even though she’s positive that her skin is blotchy with redness. However, it seems that even Willy got the sense of what was happening before he ran in.

“I’m sorry!” he blurts out. “I’ll knock next time! I swear!”

“Uh-huh,” Louis frowns. “Said that last time, didn’t you?”

Now she’s not sure who’s redder, her or Willy.

“Willy, what do you want?’ Clementine sighs. She composes herself and approaches the boy.

His eyes went to Louis before meeting hers. That’s all she needs.

“Is it Mitch?” she asks calmly.

Willy nods.

“Alright, I’ll be there in a minute. Go wait outside.”

Willy leaves without another word. Clementine holds back an annoyed sigh. The previous mood is completely gone now.

Louis gives a thoughtful frown. “I’m a little worried about him,” he says, “about Mitch, I mean. He’s been down in the basement every day for the past week. I went to check on him yesterday, down in the basement.”

Panic shoots through her stomach and into her heart.

Louis continues, “When I tried going down the stairs, he threw a shoe at me.”

“A shoe?”

“Yeah, he about hit me in my big nose!”

“Oh boy,” Clementine rolls her eyes. “Again with the nose thing?”

“I’ve accepted its abnormally monstrous size,” he says. “Anyway, I don’t know what he’s doing down there and I’m not sure I want to know. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone shout ‘no!’ and ‘out!’ that many times in a ten-second time frame. It was pretty terrifying.”

“Mitch is…” Clementine’s at a loss. While she’s thankful for Mitch’s ability to think on his feet so quickly, she wasn’t sure if she approved of the shoe method. “...Hard to understand sometimes.”

“Understatement of the night,” Louis grins. “So, why does he want to see you? Not to throw the other shoe, I hope.”

“He’s working on a project,” she says lamely. “He probably wants a second opinion on it.”

“A bomb project?”

“Yeah.”

“Better not let sweet Ruby know,” Louis says. “She’s still got a personal grudge towards Mitch’s bombs ever since that thing in the greenhouse, you know.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” she smirks. “ ‘A bomb? I will whip his ass!’”

Her Ruby impression gets a chuckle out of him. “Hope he knows a shoe’s not enough to stop her. If anything, that’s just provoking the beast.”

“He’ll have to learn that for himself,” she smiles. “Will you be okay?”

“Don’t worry about me, darling.” He grabs her hand and kisses her cheek. “I was gonna go tickle the ivories a little bit anyway. Maybe you can pop in when you’re done? Assuming Mitch doesn’t blow you up, of course.”

“Tuning the piano?” she asks with a grin.

“I’m thinking we try a real duet. You up for it?”

“Absolutely.”

She gives him a long kiss goodbye before she leaves. Her face still feels warm after all the excitement, and she’s still a little annoyed at the interruption, but if she’s right about what Willy was trying to imply, then she has to hurry. She can only hope that Mitch found a way to fix the ring.

The wait is starting to make her anxious.

---

Clementine yanks the basement doors open and a nauseating scent of vinegar knocks her in the face. “What the hell?” she gags.

“C’mon!” Willy grabs her arm and hurries down the stairs, dragging her with him. “Mitch! Clem’s here!”

Something heavy and metallic drops hard to the cement. “Shit!” Mitch curses. “Told you not to do that, Willy!”

“Sorry!”

She follows the young boy deeper into the basement and finds herself amazed at Mitch’s set up. The work desk is completely covered with drills, hammers, saws, files, batteries, a few of their solar panels and other machines she didn’t recognize. Flashlights are wired in the air pointing directly at the anvil Mitch sits in front of. There’s a chipped bowl filled with a clear liquid sitting on top.

“Finally,” Mitch says when he sees her. He stands from his stool and tosses a dirty rag away. Willy rushes to help him scoot the various tools aside so Mitch can reach something closest to the wall. It’s a small, brown box.

Clementine approaches the two boys, trying to hide her eagerness as she asks, “Well? Were you able to fix it?”

Mitch scratches at the back of his neck and turns away. “Not exactly,” he says, “It sorta snapped when I messed around with it.”

Her heart drops. “You broke it?”

Mitch whips around, holding up a hand. “Don’t cry about it,” he says quickly, “it was a shitty ring, anyway.” He grabs a small wrench from the table and swings it around on his finger nervously.

“Mitch,” she can’t help that her voice came out so miserably angry. “If you couldn’t fix it then you should’ve left it alone! What am I supposed to do now?”

“Woah, hey, don’t freak out, just listen,” he says. “I, uh, didn’t mean to break it. I started messing around with some stuff to try and melt it back together but there was no saving that thing. Kind of a piece of shit. So,” he looks away as he shoves the brown box towards her, “I did you one better.”

Willy’s practically vibrating with excitement next to them as he motions eagerly to the box. “Open it! Open it!”

Clementine takes the box and pulls the lid off. It takes her a moment to process what she’s seeing.

There’s a clean piece of fabric bunched up at the bottom, and within the folds rests two matching silver bands. Her head snaps up and her jaw drops. His shit-eating grin is enough of a confirmation that what she’s seeing is real.

“Oh my god!” she gasps. “Where did you get these?”

“Made ‘em,” Mitch says.

“What? You-” she blinks up at him in disbelief, “-you made these?”

“Super awesome, huh?” Willy laughs.

“It’s not a big deal. Oh, and the smell’ll wear off, too,” Mitch says, “had to polish ‘em with vinegar.”

Clementine carefully lifts the bigger of the two rings out of the box. “How- How did you-?”

“Quarters,” Mitch smirks. “Willy here keeps a pretty impressive coin collection.”

“We made a shit ton of them!” Willy reaches into his pocket and pulls out various different rings, most of them scratched up or disfigured in some way.

“It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it,” Mitch shrugs. “Just gotta hammer them then drill out the middle, do some filing and hammer some more. Once I knew what I was doing, I used the measurement I took of your finger and made yours. Just needed Louis’ to complete the set. ”

Clementine runs her finger over the smooth surface, “Mitch, this is-” she stops when she notices something engraved on it. She blinks, but it’s still there scratches into the shiny surface.

C + L

“That part was Mitch’s idea,” Willy points at the tiny letters, “had to use a really sharp nail to get it that clear.”

“We’ve all seen the piano,” Mitch quickly explains, rolling his eyes, “figured it’d be a good finishing touch. No big deal.”

She puts the box on the workbench. Without any warning, she throws herself at Mitch, wrapping her arms around his now very tense body.

“Woah, hey, um-!” Mitch panics and sticks his arms out to avoid touching her.

“Mitch, you have no idea what this means to me.”

“Uh-!”

He turns to Willy, bewildered. The young boy begins to laugh as he points at Mitch’s panicked face.

Then, like the realization that they’re hugging finally hits him over the head, he jerks back. He nearly trips over his feet when he turns away back towards the work desk. He clears his throat.

“Said it’s not a big fucking deal, just,” he grumbles, fumbling with the wrench, “... consider it a wedding present, or whatever.”

Clementine can’t help but laugh at how weirdly cute it is that he’s embarrassed. She picks up the rings again to pull out the smaller one. It fits perfectly on her finger.

“I don’t know if I could ever thank you two enough for doing this.”

“Yeah, well, y’know,” Mitch nervously scratches his cheek, a rare smile betraying his lips, “whatever.”

”Mitch! Ya still down here!?” Ruby’s voice echoes from the top of the stairs. “Lou’s in the music room! Did’ja find the box of spare candles? We’re gonna need a lot to fill the whole place up!”

“Oh, shit-” Mitch hisses.

Clementine closes the small box and shoves it into her pocket before turning to face Ruby.

“Clementine!” she gasps. Now, it’s Clementine’s turn to receive a surprise hug when Ruby practically tackles her. “Oh, hon, I heard the news! Why didn’t ya tell me!? This is so excitin’!” Ruby pulls away to ask the boys, “Did’ja give ‘em to her yet?”

Clementine slowly turns to glare at the two boys.

Willy lowers his head in shame and Mitch fake coughs into his fist. Neither of them answers the question, nor do they dare look Clementine in the eye.

“Mitch-”

“Before you flip the fuck out,” Mitch starts, ”she’s the one who came in here demanding to know what we were doing! She tried to wack me with one of Omar’s wooden spoons!”

“Oh, no I didn’t! I said I would wack ya with one if ya didn’t explain yerself!” argues Ruby. “I thought ya were makin’ another bomb!”

“I haven’t messed with that shit for, like, weeks!”

And, suddenly, Clementine’s exhausted.

“Okay, stop!” She raises her voice above theirs. The basement’s quiet again. She takes a deep breath. “I’m not mad.”

“You sound mad,” says Willy.

“I’m not. You guys were going to find out about it anyway, though I can’t say I expected it to go down like this. Does anyone else know?”

“No,” says Ruby and Mitch.

“Uhm, well…” Willy nervously laughs.

“Dude,” Mitch frowns down at the young boy.

“I didn’t mean to! Aasim saw me going through my coin collection earlier! Then he started asking all these questions and it just came out!”

Great, she thinks. She’s not worried about it, though. Aasim is a lot of things, and a great secret keeper is one of them.

“Anyone else?” Clementine asks.

Willy shakes his head.

So, of the people in their group, AJ, James, Mitch, Willy, Ruby, and Aasim all know.

That just leaves Omar, Tenn, and…

And Violet.

She’s about to speak, but Ruby grabs her hand to admire the ring. “Wow, it’s even prettier on,” she gleams. “Gotta say, boys, ya did a real good job.”

“Well, yeah.”

“How’re ya gonna ask him? We were thinkin’ that you do it in the music room, of course, and we’ll help ya decorate it with candles and lanterns, make it real romantic.”

“Gross,” Mitch murmurs.

“Hush,” Ruby warns him. “Or, on the roof, under the pretty stars! Or, we can even decorate your bedroom! Whattya think? Omar can cook ya something special and, oh! I found some real pretty classical records fer ya to play!”

“We can make some cool fireworks, too!” Willy exclaims.

“Oh, no you won’t! No bombs, no fireworks!”

“Wow, Ruby,” Clementine’s astonished at the girl’s excitement. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

“‘Course! I know I may be buttin’ in a little but I never thought I’d get to witness somethin’ like this after all that’s happened! I mean, ya don’t hafta take my suggestions! You can ask him any way you want! Just know that we’re all here to help! Oh, and the wedding!”

“Oh, God,” Mitch groans.

“We’re definitely plannin’ a wedding!”

“Geez, who’s really getting married here?” Mitch asks, irritated. “You or Clem?”

“Oh, can it! Why can’t you just be excited?”

“Excited about what? Does nothing for me.”

“Y’know, thinkin’ ‘bout someone else fer a change won’t kill ya!”

“Okay, please stop fighting!” Clementine interrupts them. “Look, let me get through the actual proposal before we start doing anything else.”

“Shit,” Ruby curses herself, “sorry, Clem. Guess I got a little excited.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Willy asks eagerly.

Clementine peers down at the ring on her finger, and says, “I think I’m going to do it tomorrow. In the evening. I like your idea, Ruby, about the candles in the music room.”

“Thought ya would,” Ruby grins. “We keep a bunch of ‘em down here. We’ll all help ya decorate, ‘cept keepin’ Louis outta there might be a task.”

“That’s easy,” Mitch says. “Send him hunting for the day, him and Aasim.”

“My goodness, there’s an idea,” says Ruby, “that way, Aasim can keep an eye on him and make sure he don’t wander back here unannounced.”

“James, too,” Clementine adds. “Just in case Louis doesn’t listen to Aasim, or they get in a tight spot.”

“Right!” Ruby claps her hands. “Oh, I’m gettin’ excited again!”

“I think you’re more excited than she is,” Mitch shakes his head.

“No,” Clementine smiles. “Believe me, I don’t think anyone’s as excited as I am.” She holds up her hand to admire her ring one last time before slipping it back in the box. “We just have to be careful now. Louis can’t know anything.”

They all turn to Willy, who hangs his head in shame once more.

“I said it was an accident.”

“I know,” Clementine sighs. “Maybe you should avoid him for now, Willy. Just in case. And, Mitch,” she turns to him, “don’t throw any more shoes at him.”

“Hey, you want him wandering down here? No, you don’t. Thought we established that. ‘Sides, the ring’s done. Nothing left for me to work on.”

“Right, but still, you can’t be acting suspicious. He’s already worried about you. That’s why he tried to come down here yesterday.”

“Pfft,” Mitch scowls. “Worried…”

“Well, while we know Lou’s in the music room, I’ll gather everyone and we can discuss the plan. Don’t worry, we’ll be discreet,” Ruby assures her. “Mitch, yer on candle and match duty. Willy, tomorrow mornin’ I want ya ta go out and pick as many pretty flowers as ya can.”

“Aw,” Willy pouts, “how come I got flower duty?”

“It’s either that or ya gotta help Omar cook. Yer choice.”

Willy doesn’t argue. Omar’s a genuinely nice guy, but he’s also brutally honest and a very particular cook. Willy wasn’t going to willingly put himself into that nightmare.

Soon, they have all the details worked out.

Aasim and James will take Louis far away to go hunting until evening, giving them a few hours to set up.

Ruby will work on setting up a little picnic area for them on the floor and figure out the music. Willy will go around with Tenn and AJ to pick enough flowers for a bouquet, as well as decorate an old vase to put them in. Omar will cook them something extra special, and Mitch will gather all the candles and place them in the safest places around the music room.

As for Clementine herself, she’ll help fix things up in the piano room, sure, but there’s something else she wants to try. Something that she’s been contemplating for the past week.

She hides the box in her jacket with a big, dumb grin stuck on her face. She still can’t believe that Mitch and Willy actually made her a matching set of wedding rings. She tries not to show it, but the very thought of both her and Louis wearing them makes her giddy.

But, there’s still an issue pressing in her mind.

“Ruby?” Clementine’s grin is replaced with a worrying frown. “Are… are you going to tell Violet?”

And, just like that, the room becomes tense.

“Violet?” asks Willy.

“Oh, well, shoot,” Ruby mutters, “didn’t even think of Vi.”

“Don’t fucking bother,” Mitch snaps. “She’s not gonna give a shit, and if she does, she’ll just ruin the whole thing.”

Ruby looks up at Mitch with distraught eyes. “We gotta tell her, Mitch. She’ll be left out-”

“Oh, don’t start with that bullshit. Why do you anyways try to include that bitch?”

“You bite yer tongue, right now!”

A sick feeling comes over her. Clementine can’t quite place what it actually is, but it always boils within her whenever the idea of talking to Violet strikes her.

Over the past two years, she’s tried talking to Violet. Not big things. Saying, “Hello,” or “How are you?” or “Are you okay?” And every single time, Violet doesn’t mutter a single word. All she gives is a glare and the view of her back as she walks away.

She’d told Louis once how much she missed Violet.

He had watched her suffer after losing Violet as a close friend. There were a few nights just after the delta that Clementine found herself crying, and he was there to hold her, to promise her that Violet would come around, she just needed time.

When Louis tried to fix things between her and Violet, it became apparent that he just cares too damn much.

She can still remember that night. He’d snuck into the darkness of the room. AJ was fast asleep.

Clementine can remember the rage filling her insides when she saw the bruise forming on his face and the tears slipping down his cheeks. She barely made it to the door before Louis grabbed her, begging her not to go after Violet, that she didn’t even know what happened. AJ woke up, and Louis lied about what was wrong. It was only when they were alone in the hallway that he told her what happened.

They’d gotten into an argument, Louis and Violet. An argument about her. Louis defended her and tried to understand Violet’s animosity but she refused to talk. She only cussed and shoved him away. He’d gotten too close, and like a reflex, she swung.

Violet didn’t come out of her room for two weeks after that. She spoke to no one but Tenn when he brought her food.

She didn’t come out until Louis spoke to her again.

And it all happened because of her…

“Don’t worry about it, Ruby,” Clementine speaks up. “I’ll tell her.”

“The fuck you will!” Mitch‘s brow furrows in fury and his fists curl.

“It’s not like she’ll try to stab me just for talking to her,” Clementine argues.

“Oh yeah? Just like how she didn’t try to stab you after the delta, right? For fuck's sake, had Louis not stepped in you would’ve had a nice big gash right between your eyes! She’s a fucking traitor, Clem!”

“Mitch!” Ruby gasps out. “Don’t talk so ugly! Maybe it’s time they finally sort this out-”

“Fuck that!”

Clementine straightens herself out and confidently stands up to Mitch. “I appreciate your concern, Mitch, but-”

“My concern?” Mitch glares. “What, my concern that I’ll have to dig your grave when that bitch snaps and puts a cleaver in you?”

“Mitch!”

“She wouldn’t really do that, right?” Willy says, eyes widening.

“No, she wouldn’t,” says Clementine. “And Ruby’s right. I’m tired of this. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life avoiding her. It’s time to end this. Maybe we won’t ever be friends again, but we can at least be on speaking terms."

“How can you say that? After everything she did? She’s not gonna give a shit. Fuck, if anything, she’ll sabotage your wedding!”

“Not when Louis is involved,” Clementine meets Mitch’s glare. “I’m going to talk to her whether you like it or not. She’s not going to hurt me, and she’s not going to do anything. She may hate me, but if she really does care about Louis, she won’t try and hurt him again.”

Mitch fumes with rage, his lips pressed into a hard, thin line. Willy cautiously grabs ahold of Mitch’s sleeve, worried about what he might do. Ruby steps up beside her and places a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

“If it’s really what’cha wanna do, I can’t stop you,” she shoots Mitch a look, “and neither can he. Just... promise you’ll be careful?”

“Thank you, Ruby.”

“Fucking shit,” Mitch hisses under his breath before pointing at her. “You’re not going alone. I’ll go with you and make sure she doesn’t pull anything.”

“You don’t have to-”

“Yeah, I don’t have to do anything,” he frowns. “But, I’m gonna.”

Clementine softens a bit. She had to admit that having backup did make her feel a little bit better. While she was sure Violet wouldn’t try to physically hurt her, it didn’t hurt to be careful. Then again, she might be doubly pissed to see Mitch, as well. “And you won’t threaten her?”

“No promises.”

“Mitch.”

He stares, then lowers his head in defeat. “I won’t say nothin’ unless I gotta.” Then, he turns to Willy. “You okay to clean this place up yourself?”

“Yeah, no problem.” Willy smiles.

“Well, ehm, guess I’ll get Aasim and James and tell ‘em ‘bout the plan,” says Ruby. “Violet should be in her room. She usually turns in early when she doesn’t have watch.”

Clementine nods. The feeling’s back, twisting in her gut and accelerating her heart.

With that, they leave the basement.

---

Violet’s door is shut.

Clementine makes no move to knock.

Mitch is beside her, waiting.

Her arms feel heavy, weighed down with dread. She didn’t even know what to say. She ran through different scenarios in her head and they’re all a jumbled mess.

She hears a sigh. Mitch leans over and knocks on the door.

They wait.

He knocks again, this time harder.

Nothing.

“Shit,” Mitch mutters. “Either she’s not here, or she’s ignoring us.”

Neither option would surprise her.

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she whispers to herself.

“I coulda told you that,” Mitch mumbles. He knocks again.

Footsteps turn her attention down the hall.

Violet stands alert, angry eyes focused in on the two of them and arms crossed. It’s enough to send any normal person to hightail it out of there, but not her. Clementine closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, telling herself to remain calm.

“Violet,” she says, though not with confidence.

“What the fuck do you two want?”

It’s like someone injected ice into her veins. “I-” Clementine clears her throat. Her voice feels so small, insignificant. She pushes all her feelings aside, just like how she used to. “We need to talk.”

Violet scoffs.

“It’s important, Vi-”

“Fuck. Off.”

Then, they’re close, face to face. Violet’s glare bores straight into her. Mitch pushes her back and stands in between them.

“Watch it,” he warns.

Clementine moves from behind Mitch and pleads, “Please, Violet. I just want to talk-”

“I don’t really give a shit what you want.”

“Can you just fucking chill?” snaps Mitch.

“Can you go fuck yourself?”

“You-!”

“Mitch! Knock it off!” Clementine exclaims. “You’re not helping.”

He backs off, but not much. He keeps his attention on Violet, watching the girl’s every move.

Clementine tries again. “It won’t take long. It’s about Louis.”

That catches her attention.

“Can we talk?” Clementine asks again, this time much softer. “Privately?”

“Before that, though,” Mitch holds out his hand. “Give it.”

Violet doesn’t move.

“I know you have it.”

The tension between the two as they scowl at each other is suffocating. Clementine reaches and pulls out the knife she always carries.

“Here,” she offers it to Mitch.

He doesn’t take his eyes off Violet, even when he takes the handle.

“I’m unarmed now,” Clementine says. “Please, Vi…”

She breaks her gaze away from Mitch to look at the floor.

“Fine.”

Violet pulls her cleaver out and tosses it down the hallway.

“You wanna talk?” She shoves her door open, turning to glower at Clementine. “Let’s talk.”

She walks into the dorm room, straight to her desk. She takes her chair, turns it around, and sits facing Clementine, waiting.

This is her last chance.

Mitch gives her a firm nod. “I’ll be right out here.” She knows he says it more to Violet than to her.

Clementine closes the door behind her.

They’re alone.

Fuck.

Where did she even begin?

She can’t bring herself to look at Violet, so she does a quick glance over of the room. It’s similar to hers, but with only one bed and nothing to decorate the walls. It’s empty.

“Well?” Violet asks.

Clementine digs deep inside herself. She decides that she has to be as honest as possible, otherwise this whole thing could backfire.

“It’s been two years,” she starts. “Two years without really talking to you. I know that you still hate me, and I know that I’ll probably never be able to change that, but I just don’t understand why.” She waits for a reaction but gets none. “I don’t want to fight with or avoid you anymore. I- ...I really miss you, Vi.”

“You are un-fucking-believable.”

Clementine bites the inside of her cheek. Breathe in, breathe out. She tries to ignore the absolute loathing that vibrates from the other girl, and she recalls that last time someone looked at her like that.

Why… that had to be when Sarita died.

“Is that really all you have to say?” Violet asks. “You miss me? Fucking really?”

“We used to be friends before everything happened. Remember my first night here?” Clementine asks. “When you came in looking for that pencil box and we talked? And the card game and-”

“I remember,” Violet interrupts, “I remember being grateful to have another girl around to talk to. You said I kicked walker ass. You were so nice, and you listened to everything I had to say.”

She looks down to the wooden floors.

“I also remember AJ shooting Marlon. I remember everyone turning against you, ready to throw you both out right then and there. I also remember stopping them. I stood between you and a group of kids ready to tear you apart with nothing but my meat cleaver.”

Violet leans forward with her burning gaze.

“You know what else I remember? I remember voting for you to stay. I remember telling them that it was bullshit that you had to leave. I remember leaving you out there in the woods and then seeing that boot on your neck and shooting my bow to save your life. I was at your side the entire time, being the only one to defend you, to listen to you! I let you back into our school! But, do you know what I remember the most?”

“Vi-”

“I remember when the raiders finally got here and the bomb went off. I saw you fall off the balcony and I saw Lilly point her fucking gun right at you. And I stopped her. I tackled her to the ground.”

Violet stands.

“I saved your life.”

Clementine remains still, even as Violet advances towards her, slowly, one step at a time.

“And I remember looking for you. Seeing you.”

They’re barely a footstep apart now.

“And you just let them take me.”

“That’s not what happened!” Clementine protests.

“Then, what did happen, Clem? Why didn’t you save me?” Violet spits. “Because I have a pretty good idea.”

“What? Vi, I told you, I- I didn’t have enough time or a clear shot-”

“Bullshit,” Violet says. “Tell me the truth.”

Clementine searches the fury held in Violet’s eyes and finds she can’t speak. She opens her mouth, stuttering.

Violet leans close, whispering.

“You chose him.”

The words hang in the air between them.

“You chose him,” she repeats. “He wanted you gone. He wanted to leave you out there in those woods to die. He wanted nothing to do with you or AJ. And you still chose him.”

“Vi, that’s not-”

“Shut up!” Violet snaps. “I was there for you, not him! And you still saved him! Why? Because he batted his eyes at you and said sorry?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about-”

“The fuck I don’t! You two barely said a word to each other the whole time we prepped-!”

“That’s not true-!”

“-and then we play some stupid card game and you’re suddenly putty in his hands? Suddenly you have feelings for him? You decide to play that stupid piano with him instead of preparing for our fucking doom? Like fucking around with him was more important than our lives?”

“That’s not how it went down and you know it!”

Violet lets out an angry groan, turning around and kicking at her bed frame. “Just admit it, Clem, you left me to rot so that you and Louis could live to kiss another day!”

“Don’t twist it around like that!” Clementine glares. “I couldn’t let them take him-”

“Oh, but you were happy to let them take me?”

“No! I saved him but that doesn’t mean I didn’t try to save you or anyone else!”

“Bullshit!”

“Raiders were everywhere and then the walkers came in! I did the best I could to try and protect as many of us as possible!”

“Well, you did a shit job.”

Clementine’s nails bite into her palm as her fists tighten. Her heart is hard in her chest, it’s beat vibrating her entire body. “I’m sorry that they got you, Vi, I am. I always will be, but there wasn’t anything I could do except plan to save you. We all risked our lives to go back for you!”

“You should’ve just left us-”

“How can you say that? You’re here, alive and at home because of what we did!”

“So? You have no fucking idea what it was like on that ship, Clem. What they did to us.” Violet turns back to face her. “What they did to Minnie. They threatened us with inhumane things like it was nothing- Like we were nothing! Just dogs ready to be mutilated and thrown out if we didn’t sit down and roll over!”

“Then how can you say that I should’ve left you?”

“Because at least I would’ve had Minnie-”

“Violet, you were there when she admitted to killing Sophie! You were there when they tried to cut Louis’ hand off! When they took AJ away! They threatened you! And you still tried to stop me from breaking out! We’d all be dead if I hadn’t done anything and you know it! That wasn’t the Minerva you knew! How could you-”

“Do you know what it’s like to lose someone twice? Someone you loved more than you could ever love yourself? No, you don’t! Minnie never would’ve let them hurt me! She protected me, told me how to be safe while I was locked up! All you ever did was abandon me when I gave you so much. I never would’ve left you.”

“If that’s the case, then put yourself in my position!” Clementine roughly pokes Violet in the chest. “If it’d been you with the bow, and you had to try and save both me and Minerva, what would you have done?”

For the first time in several minutes, the room’s quiet.

Clementine steps back to steady herself. “You already know your answer. You would’ve tried to save us both but you also know that you would’ve tried to save her first.”

“It’s different- I loved Minnie-”

“I loved Louis-”

“You barely knew him!”

“I barely knew you!”

“It’s not the same thing, Clem! You may love him now but you didn’t love him then, so don’t even try and pull that shit with me!”

Violet turns her back to her, still shaking with resent.

Clementine’s throat is sore, and her chest aches. Frustration wets her eyes. Her head, filled with so many thoughts and so many emotions, feels ready to cave in under the pressure of the room.

“...What do you want me to say?” Clementine whispers.

Violet shakes her head. “There’s nothing you can say. It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change that I thought you cared about me more than you really did.”

“I did- I do care about you, Vi. Why do you think I’m here?”

“Because Louis sent you.”

“No, he didn’t.”

Violet scoffs.

“He didn’t,” Clementine reassures. “I’m here because I want to be. I meant what I said, Vi. I miss you, and I want us to be friends again. I know that’s asking for too much, that you will never forgive me for what I did. But, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Violet. I hate that I can’t just talk to you like I could before. I hate that we can’t play stupid card games together with Louis. I hate seeing you hide away from everyone. We all miss you.”

Violet faces her again with an unreadable expression.

“Okay, Clem,” she says slowly. “Say I forgive. Say we work this out and become friends again. We’ll play our stupid card games and have a grand ol’ time.” Violet shrugs her shoulders, weakly motioning to her. “Everything’s all sunshine and rainbows. But, what happens when a new set of raiders come knocking on our doors?” She brushes her bangs out of her face, holding her hand against her head. “What happens when they break in again and I need your help?”

“That’s not going to happen-”

“No? It’s not?” Violet gives a dry laugh. “Let me tell you what’ll happen, Clem. I’ll look for you, and all I will see is your back when you run to Louis’ side.”

Clementine closes her eyes and lowers her head.

“You’ve made your choice,” says Violet. “And I won’t be hurt again because of it.”

She moves to the window, peering out. Clementine watches her with nothing to say. What can she say? That none of it is true? Keep denying it so they stay in this constant loop of arguments.

“Most days, I hate him, too.”

“What?” Clementine asks.

“Did he ever tell you what happened? After you knocked Minnie out?” Violet peers over her shoulder at her.

“Just that he and Aasim helped you out.”

Violet turns back to the window and runs her finger over the glass, smudging it.

“Louis had to carry me out. I kicked, punched, screamed, scratched, bit… anything I could to get him to put me down. Got him right in the chin a couple times, made him bleed. And he just wouldn’t let me go. He dragged me out of there… and we just left Minnie lying there.” She presses her forehead against the cool glass.

Clementine knew that they’d left Minerva there. Louis had confessed it to her one night after one of his nightmares. He had cried about it until he physically couldn’t anymore.

Even though Louis hated her in those last moments, hated what Minerva had become, he still occasionally wept for the girl he used to know.

“Know what he told me? After we got back?”

Clementine almost doesn’t hear her she’s so quiet.

Violet smiles, actually smiles. “He said he loved me. Called me family.”

Clementine’s lip curls, just a bit, into what could be a smile, as well.

Until Violet says, “I hate that he loves you.”

“...What?”

“It drives me insane, the fact that you love each other. He thinks the world of you, y’know. He never talks about you when he’s with me, but I can just see it on that stupid face of his. He fucking adores you. You and AJ.” She goes quiet. “You’re his family now.”

“He still loves you, Violet.”

“I know,” she murmurs. “He tells me all the time.”

“So, why do you hate him? Because of Minerva?”

Violet shakes her head.

“Honestly?”

Clementine risks taking a few steps closer.

“Because now I’m no one’s first choice,” she whispers. “He’d pick you first, always. He proved that after we escaped… after I attacked you. He didn’t even hesitate.”

After the delta ship completely sank and they all regrouped, Violet had lunged at her, knocked her to ground. But, she didn’t stand a chance, not with everyone there. Not even with the knife she’d stolen off of Clementine.

But, it was Louis that stepped in front of her, shielded her from the distraught girl she once called a friend. He was ready to wrestle the knife away from her if words didn’t work.

Thankfully, it never came to that.

“I’ll always be taken.” Violet’s voice cracks.

It takes the tears spilling over to make Clementine realize she’s actually crying. Her first instinct is to reach out and grab her, but then Violet turns and glares at her again.

“Violet-”

“You got what you wanted. We talked. I don’t think there’s anything else left to say.”

That’s far from the truth. There’s still so, so much more.

I wish I could take your pain away.

I wish I could have saved you, too.

Louis loves you. Tenn loves you. I love you. We all love you.

We miss you.

You don’t have to be scared.

You don’t have to be alone.

And, of course, the whole reason for this.

Violet, I’m asking Louis to marry me tomorrow.

But, she doesn’t say any of those things.

Instead, she wipes tears off her cheeks.

“I’ll never let anyone take you again, Vi,” she musters up all her confidence. “We’re family.”

“...You need to leave.” Violet turns her back to her one final time. “We’re done.”

She doesn’t want to.

She hesitates, waiting for Violet to change her mind.

And when she doesn’t, she leaves.

Mitch is there, right next to the door with a sullen expression. There’s no doubt in her mind that he heard nearly every word spoken between them.

The door closes with a soft click.

His hand touches her shoulder gently.

“You okay?”

She shakes her head.

“It’s late,” she says. “I- ...I need to find Louis.”

Mitch nods. With a comforting hand on her shoulder, the two head down the hall.

They stop when there’s an anguished scream and the sound of broken glass.

Clementine whips around and dashes for Violet’s room.

The door flings open and Violet runs out. She goes the opposite direction, turning the corner and out of sight.

“Violet!” Clementine calls.

Mitch stops her from going after her.

“She’s probably going to Tenn’s room,” he says. “Best not to get in her way.”

Shit.

She feels Mitch watching her. She rubs at her tired eyes and pushes all the air out of her lungs in a heavy sigh. She looks over into Violet’s room. The cause of the breaking glass sound is evident on the floor. From here, she can see it’s a framed photo of Violet, Minerva, and Sophie.

“Look,” Mitch says, “I’ll follow her and make sure she gets to Tenn fine, okay?”

She glances up at him and tries to smile. “Thank you.��

He pats her shoulder one last time before going down the hall.

Now, she’s alone in the middle of the hallway with a lump in her throat and an overwhelming desire to be in Louis’ arms.

---

“Oh, there you are!” Clementine finds him back in their room.

“I was starting to get worried when you didn’t show up to tune the piano. I thought Mitch really did blow you up this time.”

His laugh is warm and contagious.

“I got caught up…” she says.

“Right, well, I was about to leave to go find you and-”

Now that he’s closer, it’s no doubt that he can see the redness ringing her eyes or the stains on her cheeks. She turns away from him, slipping her jacket off and putting it over the back of her chair.

“Clementine?”

His warm hand grabs hers tenderly. The lump is back. Her chin quivers.

“Hey,” he pulls her to look at him and seeing his sincere, beautiful face breaks something inside her. She buries herself in his chest and holds onto him for dear life. She’s immediately enveloped in his warmth.

Violet’s words echo and repeat in her mind. The guilt, the sorrow, it makes her knees weak. She crumbles.

Louis is there to hold her up.

He rubs her back, kisses her forehead, her cheeks. His thumb brushes away any loose tears. He murmurs reassurances in her ear.

They end up in bed, wrapped around each other comfortably with an old CD player resting on Louis’ hip. They share a pair of old, dingy headphones. Classical, soothing piano hums in her ear.

It’s their favorite CD.

Sometimes, Louis’ nightmares get so bad that the music is the only to bring him back. Sometimes, when it’s been a particularly stressful day, or when the exhaustion catches up with them, they lie in bed and listen. They enjoy the comfort of each other’s touch, of each others breathing and beating hearts.

He traces the letters of her name on the back of her hand.

She plants a tender kiss on his chin, right where his scar is.

“I talked to Violet,” she murmurs against his skin.

His hand stills.

She doesn’t say any more. He doesn’t need her to. He pulls her closer, pressing her free ear against his chest. His heart thumps calmly as if in beat with the calm piano.

She tries to put Violet and her words, her face, out of her mind. She thinks about how filled with glee AJ was when she told him the news. She pictures her and AJ standing side by side with their arms hooked together, ready to walk. It brings a small smile to her lips.

She thinks about the rings tucked safely away in her pant pockets. She tries picturing the ring on Louis’ finger. That makes her smile grow.

She considers pulling them out now. She could do it. She could propose now, and they could celebrate the night away.

But, she won't. Not when she has something even better planned.

She glances up at him. His eyes have fluttered shut. A grin remains on his lips.

Tomorrow is so close.

“Louis?” She whispers.

“Clementine?”

“I love you.”

He doesn’t hesitate.

“I love you, too.”

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