Chapter Text
It took only seconds for their attackers to lose sight of them amongst the trees, but it felt like a small eternity. They continued to run long after the bullets stopped coming. Until the deafening roar of walkers, gunshots, and screams was but a distant echo. They ran until their sides ached and their lungs burned. Finally, when she couldn’t run anymore, Clementine slowed to a stop, Gabe stumbling into her and knocking them both to the ground in their shared exhaustion.
“Sorry.” he gasped out between frantic breaths.
She waved off his apology, unable to draw enough breath to speak at the moment. They lay there for several minutes, each trying to get their breathing back under control. The quiet of the surrounding forest was welcome, but strangely eerie in the wake of what had just transpired. It felt unnatural. After a few moments, Clementine realized that it was unnatural. All the animals and birds had been scared off when the shooting started. Shaking off her unease, she was the first to pull herself together. Sitting up, she reached out a hand to Gabe, which he gratefully took, and pulled him into a sitting position. His coat was still hanging off one shoulder, and the blood from his injury had turned the upper part of his shirt sleeve a deep red. Getting right to work, Clementine removed Gabe’s coat the rest of the way and ripped his shirt sleeve completely off, tearing it up into salvageable strips and discarding the blood-soaked portions. Luckily, he’d opted for a long-sleeved shirt that morning, so she had plenty of material to work with.
As she worked, Gabe got his first real look at his wound. A deep gouge in the flesh of his upper arm, exposing muscle and tissue, framed by torn edges of skin, and a steady stream of blood making its way down his arm. Now that the adrenaline was fading from his system, the pain was catching up with him. A deep, burning ache. Gabe had never really been squeamish at the sight of blood, but somehow this was different. He’d been shot. There was practically a hole in his arm! They were stuck out in the middle of nowhere all alone, with some crazy assholes out there trying to kill them, not to mention a herd of muertos, and he was bleeding from a hole in his arm! What were they going to do? What if he bled out before they found help?
He was startled back to reality by the feel of Clementine cleaning the blood off his arm, then wrapping the torn strips of his shirt around his wound, winding them tightly but gently. She was so focused, so calm, so efficient, despite the hopelessness of their current situation. She wasn’t letting fear or uncertainty stop her from doing what needed to be done. He, on the other hand, had been completely useless so far. These were qualities that he had always admired about her, but right now, it was just really pissing him off. Didn’t she ever have moments like the one he was having right now? Like the one he’d apparently been having since that horrible night Pipo had died? How was she always so sure of herself? Why couldn’t he be more like her? What ever gave him the idea that someone as perfect as Clementine would ever even look twice at someone like him? And why was he thinking about something so stupid at a time like this? He even fucked up in is own head. He just could not win. A small part of his brain that was still functioning properly warned him that he was letting his anxiety and anger at himself dictate his thoughts. That he wasn’t really mad at Clementine. But that small part was drowned out by much louder thoughts of self-loathing and fear.
“What the fuck are we supposed to do now!” he shouted suddenly.
Startled slightly by his unexpected outburst, as well as the anger in his voice, Clementine paused from her work and looked up at him uncertainly. His eyes spoke volumes. He was scared, and angry. Most likely at himself. She knew the feeling well.
“Well, first I’m going to finish bandaging your arm. We can talk about the rest when I’m done.” She tried to project calm with her words, but was sure she wasn’t succeeding. Lee had had a real gift for that, but unfortunately, it was one of the many things that she had failed to learn from him.
Despite his desire to unleash his frustrations, Gabe felt some of his anger fade at that. He just couldn’t be mad at her when he was actually looking at her. None of this was her fault, and she was doing everything in her power to help him. And he was going to repay her by, what? Yelling at her? Just because he was scared? What the fuck was wrong with him? That sounded just like something his dad would do…
Oh.
Guilt washed over him so heavy in that moment, he swore he could actually physically feel it. Followed by a rush of memories he’d thought were long forgotten. Raised voices from across the house. Muffled arguments heard through walls. Slamming doors. Silence at the dinner table. The tension so thick, it was suffocating. Mariana clutching her beloved stuffed animal on the bed. His father sitting alone in the dark late at night. Stumbling upon Kate crying in the bathroom. That look in his father’s eyes. The things his father had done with The New Frontier. The horrible way he’d treated Clementine. He took her son away from her. The way he’d beaten Javi, his own brother, to a bloody pulp, and showed no signs of stopping if Clementine hadn’t shot him. He wasn’t even sorry afterwards. The terrifying drive through the herd. Gabe pleading with his father. “Please Dad, just listen to me for once!” The crash. The muertos closing in. The awful, awful noise. His father, turned, lunging at him. The sickening crunch as he’d bashed in his father’s skull with the first thing he could get his hands on. He’d never have to see that look again. He’d never get to see that look again.
Clementine jerking his arm suddenly slammed Gabe back to his senses. His eyes were wide and his breathing labored as he looked at her. His wound had apparently started bleeding heavily while he was zoned out, leaving her to frantically remove the now soaked dressings and attempt to apply pressure to stave it off. Her hands were steady, but her expression spoke of worry. His throat was suddenly far too dry. When was the last time he’d had anything to drink? He couldn’t remember. His chest shouldn’t feel this tight, he was sure. It shouldn’t be this hard to breathe. He felt lightheaded. Was this the blood loss? Was he losing his mind? Was he going to die? Would Clementine have to bash in his skull now? It only seemed fair. Like father, like son.
“Gabe!”
“Gabe!”
“Gabriel!”
The sound of Clementine frantically screaming his name finally penetrated the dense fog of panic that had enshrouded him. Her hands were clutching his shoulders in a desperate grip. She’d been shaking him and he hadn’t even noticed. He locked eyes with her urgently, finding genuine fear there, but a fear that was quickly being overtaken with relief now that he was looking at her. Gradually he became aware of his own short, frantic breaths, and the sweat sticking his shirt collar to the back of his neck.
“Oh, thank God!” Clementine exclaimed. “You scared the shit outta me! Are you alright?”
Swallowing a painful lump in his throat that refused to go down all the way, Gabe attempted a coherent response. “I… I’m… I’m bleeding!” It’s not what he’d meant to say, but it was all he could manage at the moment.
“I know, I know! I’m taking care of it. Look, I promise it’s not that bad.”
“That’s what you keep saying, but look at it!” He immediately felt guilty for raising his voice, but despite his best attempts, his anxiety had gotten the upper hand in this fight.
“Gabe! Calm down! It’s just a graze!”
“Just a graze?! Are you fucking crazy!?”
“Alright, granted it’s a deep graze, but it’s still just a flesh wound! It didn’t hit anything important. The bullet’s not still in there. As far as gunshot wounds go, this is pretty much the best you could hope for. You’re gonna be alright, okay?”
“Oh, so I suppose you’re just an expert on gunshot wounds then.” He knew he was just being petty now, but dammit everything was pissing him off at that moment.
“Well, actually… Yeah. I am.”
That stopped him in his tracks. It was less what she’d said and more the way she’d said it. And suddenly, it hit him. Clementine didn’t think his wound was that bad because she’d had much worse and survived. It should’ve been obvious, he supposed.
“You mean… You’ve been shot before?” he asked, almost afraid of her answer.
“Yeah.”
“What? When?”
She hesitated for a moment, seemingly calculating the time that had passed since the incident. “Maybe a couple years ago, I think. Long before I knew you.”
She said it so casually. Like she was commenting that the weather was going to be a little humid that day. Meanwhile, he’d been freaking out like a two-year-old. Shame reared its ugly head, quickly taking the place of his anxiety. What a monumental idiot he’d just been. He couldn’t imagine what she must think of him. He didn’t want to know what she must think of him. But he knew what he thought of himself.
Clementine wasn’t sure what did it, but at that moment she could actually see all the fight leave Gabe’s body. He slumped forward slightly, staring forlornly at her, his mouth half open but producing no sound. Deciding to take advantage of his sudden change in demeanor, she picked up the strips of cloth she’d dropped earlier and resumed treating his wounded arm. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on with him right now, but she was no stranger to the effects of stress and panic attacks. She just hoped she’d be able to get him back on track soon. This definitely wasn’t the best place for a breakdown.
As she held a wad of shirt material firmly against his arm, Gabe shifted slightly and cleared his throat loudly. She chanced a glace at his face, noting his much calmer expression and his now even breathing. She offered him a small smile of reassurance but it didn’t seem to help. Removing the soaked material, she leaned forward to inspect the wound up close. Satisfied that the worst of the bleeding had passed, she gathered up what remained of Gabe’s shirt sleeve and began re-wrapping his arm. The silence between them was suffocating. She’d have given anything in that moment for him to say something dorky to break the tension like he usually did. She always teased him about it but honestly, she found it strangely cute. Sometimes she wasn’t sure what to do with that feeling. Attempting to break up the dreadful atmosphere herself, she opted for a bit of humor. He always seemed to appreciate that.
“Look on the bright side. At least you’ll get a cool scar out of all this.” It was a lame attempt sure, but she wasn’t exactly at the top of her game at the moment.
“Since when are scars cool?”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could take them back. Clementine’s hands froze, resting against his upper arm. The thin material of the wrappings did little to reduce the warmth of her touch. He quickly looked at her, hoping it was just a coincidence she had stopped at that exact moment, but she wasn’t looking at him. He followed her gaze downward to her hands. Specifically, the missing finger on her left hand. Against his will his eyes traced a line from her hand down to the long, jagged scar that ran the length of her left arm, visible beneath the bunched up material of her jacket. His mind further tormenting him by supplying images of the large, swirling burn mark he knew was hidden beneath that jacket. The moment had barely lasted a second, but it was the most agonizing second of Gabe’s entire life. By the time he was able to get his mouth working again, Clementine had resumed her work.
“I guess they aren’t.” she said quietly.
If he hadn’t already felt like the biggest asshole on the planet, her words definitely would’ve done the trick.
“That’s not what I… I didn’t mean-”
“Relax, Gabe. I’m not that sensitive.”
Normally, no, she wasn’t that sensitive. But for some reason when he said it, he had hurt her feelings. She could deny it, but he knew it was true.
Great going, Gabriel. That’s what, the fourth time today you’ve been a total ass to her. Goin’ for some kinda record here or something?
He’d never felt so low in his entire life. He royally fucked everything up today. And not just the mission. In fact, right now the mission was the last thing on his mind. He’d ruined his friendship with Clementine. One of the most important relationships in his life. Really now, how long did he expect her to just sit there and take his shit before she got sick of him? He’d pushed things too far today, he was sure. All he’d ever wanted since the day he met her was for Clementine to be happy. And yeah it would be pretty cool if he could be a part of that happiness. He wanted to be a part of that happiness. But apparently he was incapable of maintaining a healthy relationship with anyone. His dad had had that problem too…
And he was right back where he started. He just couldn’t get away from it. Javi and Kate had tried, but now he knew. He would never get out from under the shadow of his father. The man had been a real asshole true, even though it had taken Gabe a long time to see it, but at least he’d been a useful asshole. His father had real skills. He’d contributed. Gabe didn’t do anything. Except get in the way. He had all of his father’s bad traits and none of his good ones. None of his mother’s traits, either.
The awkward silence stretched on as Clementine finished applying the bandage to Gabe’s wound, and continued as he mumbled a quiet but sincere thanks and slid his arm back into his coat sleeve. For several long moments they simply sat across from each other, staring at the ground. Although there was barely two feet between them, in that moment the distance felt impossible. After a small eternity, Clementine finally gathered up enough courage to look at him. His expression was completely unguarded, baring his soul for anyone who cared to look. He was still scared, she could tell, but the dominant emotion in his eyes at that moment was sorrow. She’d never seen someone look so broken down. And she’d seen a lot of broken down people in her time. She felt her heart break for him. He didn’t deserve this. She knew she should be saying something now, or at least insisting that they get a move on, but her mouth stubbornly refused to obey her commands. For the hundredth time, she found herself wishing she wasn’t so terribly inadequate when it came to maintaining relationships. Then again, she’d always been a terrible friend, so why should things be any different now.
“I’m sorry.” Gabe finally said.
Only two words but they carried the weight of all his guilt, all his shame, all his anger, and all his failures.
“It’s okay.” Clementine assured him.
“No. No, it’s not. It’s not okay at all.”
With a heavy sigh, Gabe finally lifted his gaze from the dirt to the girl in front of him. She was starting at him intently, a nervous aura about her. She shifted about anxiously, almost as if she couldn’t decide whether she should sit still, or move toward him. But most importantly, she didn’t look mad. Gabe thought she should definitely be mad at him, but she just looked worried. About him. Even after how awful he’d been to her today, she was still looking out for him. He didn’t deserve a friend like her. If they were even still friends after this. Regardless, he couldn’t leave things like this between them. Closing his eyes tightly, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. When he felt ready, he once again fixed his eyes on hers.
“There’s… There’s no excuse for the way I’ve acted today. There’s no excuse for the way I’ve treated you today.”
She looked ready to protest to his statement, sitting up straighter and opening her mouth, but he held up a hand and shook his head to stall her. “Please. Just let me finish.”
Slowly, she settled back down and closed her mouth, nodding slightly to him. She didn’t look happy about it, but for now it seemed she would honor his wishes. Briefly turning his eyes skyward, Gabe took a moment to regather his thoughts before continuing.
“I’m just… I’m scared alright? I’m fucking terrified. And I’m mad. I’m mad at myself, and I’m mad that I’m scared and… Sometimes I just don’t know what to do with that.” He paused briefly, struggling to turn the twisting, confusing thoughts in his head into actual words. Part of him wanted to stop talking. There’s no way he could make this situation any better, no matter what he said. But he wanted to be honest with Clementine. He owed it to her.
“I just really wanted to get this right, ya know? I wanted to be useful. I wanted to prove to Javi and everyone that I wasn’t a failure. I wanted to prove to you that… That I’m worthy to be your friend. But I fucked everything up, just like always.” To his horror, he felt tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke. Unable to bear her reaction, he turned his face away from her in shame.
After a few seconds, Clementine quietly spoke. “What are you talking about? You didn’t fuck anything up.”
Turning back towards her in surprise, Gabe rubbed his eyes roughly with the back of his hand. “Yeah, I did.”
“No, you didn’t. What happened wasn’t your fault. No one could’ve predicted it. And you did fine out there today.”
He almost couldn’t believe his ears. Had she not been paying attention to anything he’d done that day? “Fine? I didn’t do fine, I didn’t do anything!”
“Yes, you did.” She sighed. “Gabe, look at me.” Her words were spoken calmly, but firmly. She waited until she had his complete attention before she spoke again. “You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You stayed put. You didn’t needlessly run out into the line of fire, unlike someone else sitting here right now. You returned fire without wasting bullets. You were scared, hell, you were shot, but you didn’t let that make you do something stupid. And you saved my life.
“I’m the one that fucked up, and you were there when I needed you. Even though you were scared, you didn’t hesitate to rush out into a literal storm of bullets to save me. That’s not nothing.”
Her eyes were impassioned and her tone one of quiet intensity. And in that moment, something clicked with Gabe that he hadn’t considered before. From her perspective, he really hadn’t messed up. She didn’t think he was a failure. Only he thought that. The revelation almost floored him.
“I… I guess I just didn’t see it that way.”
She smiled slightly at that. “I know the feeling. Sometimes it’s really hard to look at yourself and think that you’re good enough.”
“What? How could you possibly think that you’re not good enough?” The concept was so absurd to him, he couldn’t even wrap his head around it.
“I dunno,” she said, looking a little unsure as she did. “Maybe… the same way you do?”
He found he didn’t have a response to that. Slowly, almost shyly, he felt himself smiling at her. A weight he didn’t even realize he’d been carrying lifted off him when she smiled back. He let the moment linger for a few seconds, before he felt the need to possibly ruin it.
“I didn’t mean to yell at you. And I definitely didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’d never want to do that. Ever.”
“Gabe, it’s okay. No, really, it is.” At his disbelieving look, she elaborated. “What? You think I can’t take a little rough patch in our friendship? You think I’ve never been so scared or so mad at myself that I’ve lashed out at someone who didn’t deserve it?”
That took him by surprise. “Well… Honestly? Yeah. I mean, I’ve certainly never seen you like that.”
“Maybe I’m just better at hiding how I feel than you are.”
Again, he didn’t have a response to that. “Well, I’m glad I haven’t ruined everything with my stupid attitude. But that doesn’t make what I did any less wrong. I don’t have any excuses. Only an apology. I’m so sorry, Clem.” A deep sigh. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Her response was immediate. “Of course I forgive you, dork.”
He looked relieved, but also a little sad. “I wouldn’t forgive me.”
His words were mumbled, and she’s pretty sure she wasn’t meant to hear them. She’d always known Gabe had some serious self-image issues, but to honestly think she wouldn’t forgive him just because he’d been a bit of a dick? Then again, she supposed she should’ve expected this. He’d been surprised that she’d come after him when he’d left Richmond with his dad. Like he’d expected everyone to just move on and forget all about him without even trying to save him. That had never sat well with her then, and it didn’t sit any better now. With a determined scowl, Clementine closed the distance between them and gripped his shoulders firmly with both hands. He looked up at her a bit startled, his questions dying on his tongue when he looked in her eyes.
“Listen to me. You are a good person, Gabriel García. The best. You’re sweet, and kind, and thoughtful. And yeah you’ve got a bit of a temper, but who doesn’t? You always put everyone else before yourself, and you genuinely care about people. That’s a hard thing to do in this world. You’re smart, and much braver than you think you are. You are a wonderful person, and I’m glad to call you my friend. Never doubt that, okay?”
The look on his face broke her heart all over again. And, if she was being honest, kinda pissed her off. Had no one ever told him how wonderful he was before? Or was he just so shocked and oddly awed to hear her saying these things. She winced inwardly at the thought. She didn’t mean to be so harsh all the time, but it just kinda came naturally at this point.
“I’m not brave.” There were a thousand and one things he wanted to say at that moment, but somehow, Clementine telling him he was brave was the one thing he just couldn’t get past.
“Why do you say that?” She asked, unconsciously removing her hands from his shoulders.
“Because I’m always scared.”
“And? Gabe, you can’t be brave if you’re not scared. Think about it. Someone who rushes headlong into danger and isn’t scared at all, they’re not brave. They’re stupid. Or at least, totally out of their mind. Being brave is hard, and it’s not hard if you’re not scared.”
When she said it that way, it made sense. Then again, Clementine had a way of making everything make sense to him. “I never really thought about it that way before.”
“Yeah well, you’ve got a pretty weird way of looking at things.” She cringed slightly as she said it. It had just slipped out, but she wasn’t sure if they were back to the point where they could poke fun at each other again.
“Shut up.” He was smiling as he said it, the kind of smile he always had when they teased each other, and instantly all her anxiety about the future of their relationship evaporated.
They sat staring at each other for a few precious seconds. The silence this time blessedly free of all the tension from before. Turning his head slightly, Gabe attempted to nonchalantly wipe the growing wetness from his eyes.
“Are you crying?”
“No! Youareshutup.”
She laughed quietly at that. It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.
“You want a hug?” she asked.
“I always want a hug.”
She said it jokingly, but was only too happy to comply. Almost in unison the both of them leaned forward and eagerly wrapped their arms around each other tightly. With a relieved sigh Gabe buried his face in the space between her neck and shoulder, smearing a few tears on the side of her neck in the process, no longer feeling ashamed of them. He felt a brief thrill that settled into a comfortable contentment when she did the same. The movement tugged painfully at his injury, but he payed it no heed. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
Unconsciously griping the material of his coat in her fists, Clementine felt her heart rate increase at his close proximity, her cheeks coloring slightly in response. Why she was having such a reaction to a hug, she had no idea. Surely she hadn’t become that reclusive.
Oh, come off it. You know why.
Shoving that thought far back into the recesses of her mind, Clementine settled comfortably into his embrace, drawing strength from his warmth. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, allowing all her stress and worry to seep out with it. They no doubt had a long, dangerous journey ahead of them. She needed this moment.
They stayed that way for some time, just feeling each other breathe and listening to the muted sounds of the wind in the trees around them. When the time felt right, Clementine slowly released her hold on him, waiting until he did the same before pulling away completely. All traces of fear and guilt were gone from his expression, and in their place was one of the brightest smiles she’d ever seen on his face. She couldn’t resist smiling back, her heart warming at the sight.
“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, ya know.” he said.
“Now that’s just sad.” she replied with a smirk.
“No, it’s not. It’s awesome.” Somehow, his smile became even brighter.
“Dork.”
Sighing lightly, she straighten up, fixing him with a serious look. “Alright. I hate to be a downer, but we really need to get moving. I’m not even really sure where we are anymore, so I have no idea how long it’ll take us to get back home.”
“Right. So, what’s our first move?”
“Well, I think we should circle back around and try to find the rest of our group.”
His expression changed subtly at her statement, displaying his uncertainty.
“I know it’s dangerous,” she continued. “but I really think it’s best that we hook up with the others. But, if you have a better idea, I’m all ears.”
He thought about it for a few moments before responding, his expression set. “No, you’re right. We should try to find the others. We can’t just abandon them out here.”
“Okay then. Now, before we get going I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me.”
Sensing the seriousness of whatever she was going to ask, he sat up straighter, giving her his full attention.
“I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but… I need you here, Gabe. So… Are you good?”
“Yes. I’m good.” His reply was instant, no sign of hesitation or uncertainty to be found in his eyes. That was good enough for her.
Nodding to him, she stood to her feet, wincing slightly at stiff legs after so much time spent in the same position. When she was sure she wouldn’t topple over from the added weight, she reached out a hand and pulled Gabe up alongside her. He swayed a bit once he was on his feet, and she grabbed him with both hands to steady him. He hadn’t lost too much blood, but she’d need to keep an eye on him just to be safe. The moment passed quickly, leaving him feeling slightly embarrassed.
“How’s your arm?” she asked.
“It’s okay. Sorry I freaked out about it so much.” He scratched the back of his head in his ever increasing embarrassment, inadvertently displacing his hat. With a frown he reached up and pulled it off, leaving his sweat-soaked hair sticking out wildly in all directions.
A muffled chuckle brought his attention to Clementine, biting down on her bottom lip to contain full on laughter at the sight of him. Gabe raised an eyebrow at the odd face she was making.
“What?”
“You look ridiculous.” she managed through barely contained giggles.
“Geez, Clem. I know I’m not exactly handsome, but that’s a bit much.”
“No you dork, your hair.” When he just stared confusedly at her, she elaborated. “It’s sticking up all over the place!”
She could practically see the light bulb switching on in his head. “Oh!”
Reaching up, he frantically attempted to pat his hair down to a respectable state, but only succeeded in making it worse. Unable to contain her mirth any longer, Clementine dissolved into laughter, only just managing to keep the noise level relatively low to avoid attracting unwanted attention. She knew now wasn’t really the time for such things, but she just couldn’t help it. Gabe’s face reddened, his embarrassment having reached peak levels, as he redoubled his efforts to tame the unruly mop he called hair. After several seconds of wasted effort, he threw up his hands in frustration, wincing as the sudden movement pulled at his wound. Holding a hand loosely against his injured arm and clutching his beanie in the other, he stood there angrily pouting at her as she continued to laugh.
“Are you done?” He glared at her for added effect.
Making a valiant attempt to curb her amusement, she held up her hands in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. But trust me, if you could see yourself you’d be laughing too.”
He doubted that, but anything that made her smile was a win in his book, so he couldn’t be too upset about it. Taking pity on him, Clementine crossed the few steps of space between them, reaching a hand out toward his head. She paused, looking to him for permission, which he granted with a slightly sheepish nod. Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair, not at all fazed by how sweaty he was, gradually coaxing it back into place. She was concentrating on his head and not his face and for that he was immensely grateful as he felt heat rushing to his cheeks for what felt like the millionth time that day. His heart jumped up in his throat when she leaned in slightly on tiptoes in an attempt to get a better view, unknowingly reducing the space between their faces to mere inches.
Just be cool. You’ve already made a big enough ass of yourself for one day. Besides, this isn’t the time to get all flustered. In case you’ve forgotten, we’re still stuck out in the middle of nowhere.
But God, she’s beautiful.
Completely unaware of his internal battle, Clementine took a step back to examine her work. Gabe was finally able to breathe. Satisfied that he no longer looked like he’d stuck his finger in a wall socket, she held out her hand towards him, gesturing at his hat. He handed it over with only a marginally anxious feeling. Bunching it up in her hands and stretching it out a bit, she reached up and slipped it over his head, taking a moment to adjust it to her liking. Stepping back completely out of his space, she gave him a final once over and a nod of approval.
“Thanks.” he said shyly. And he meant it, he was just having a hard time shaking off the effects of her face having been so close to his.
Desperate for a distraction, he went to retrieve his rifle only to realize that he’d left it behind when they’d made a run for it. A quick glance around revealed that Clementine’s rifle had likewise been forgotten back at the tree. He felt his heart sink slightly.
“We left our rifles.”
“Yeah,” she said with a resigned sigh, reluctantly swallowing her disappointment that their moment of levity was over. “That was my fault. We might be able to go back and get them, but I’m not sure if it’ll be worth the risk. I wasn’t planning on going back to the actual battle site. Anyone who survived will have fled by now.”
“No, I definitely don’t think we should go back for them. The muertos are probably still there...” he trailed off before he finished his thought. He didn’t need to. They both knew the only thing that kept the dead in one place was fresh corpses.
“Don’t worry, Gabe. We’ll be fine without them. We still have our pistols and our knives. And we have each other. We’ll get through this.”
He smiled. “Yeah, I know we will.”
Nodding to him, Clementine turned to survey the area around them, trying to ascertain which direction they’d come from. It wasn’t too hard to figure out. They’d made an awful mess of the surrounding bushes in their haste. She took a moment to be thankful that their attackers were unable to pursue them through the swarm of undead.
For the next several minutes the two teens discussed the direction they believed would be their best bet for finding the survivors of their group. The way they’d come from was a good starting point, but as was already decided, they didn’t want to accidentally stumble back into a field of feeding dead. When their plans were settled, the two set out in the agreed upon direction, Clementine taking the lead.
“We need to be careful now that we’re on the move.” she said as they walked. “Those assholes are still out here, no doubt gunning for us, not to mention the muertos. I think it’s safe to say this area is probably thick with them.”
“Yeah. We need to-” Gabe blinked in surprise. “Did you just call them muertos?”
Clementine stopped mid-step, groaning quietly. “…Shit.”
“Ha! You did!” Gabe’s voice was triumphant.
With a sigh, she continued walking. “Oh great. You and Javi are starting to rub off on me. Fantastic.”
“Ha! Good!” he said, only just remembering to keep his voice down. “You can’t make fun of me for calling them that anymore if you’re gonna start doing it too!”
“Oh no, one less thing that I can make fun of you for. Whatever shall I do? Oh gee, that only leaves me with, what? Five hundred thousand other things?” She grinned wickedly at him over her shoulder.
“Oh you’re just so hilarious.”
“Yes. Yes I am.”
Rolling his eyes, Gabe fell into step behind her, watching their rear for threats. Despite the seriousness of their situation, he found all his earlier fear had dissipated. He and Clem would get through this, and their relationship would be stronger for it. And maybe, if he was lucky, he’d come out of this whole thing a little bit wiser.