Work Text:
Shelby was sick.
And they really should’ve moved been looking for more resources….but Shelby was sick
And that was okay, she’d get better surely…..
•
“Uh hi” Katherine waved, the girl froze, “I’m uh, not gonna hurt you…..that…sound suspicious though doesn’t it?”
“….I…uh” she giggles, “a little bit”
“My names Katherine” she smiles
“Mines Shelby” she gives a weary smile back
“Mm, are you hungry?”
•
Shelby eeps, stumbling to not drop the food she was carrying, Katherine looks up concerned and Shelby gives a nervous laugh, “sorry, im pretty clumsy”
“That’s fine, just be careful, I don’t want you to hurt yourself….”
Shelby blushes and looks away, not that Katherine noticed, she looked out the window and frowned
“there’s so many of them….I’m surprised none are up here, you’d think a warehouse would have more zombies”
Katherine glances towards a broken door, “yeah well, you can’t be to careful….”
“Mm, you know this would make a good base, if we move the shelves to the walls and uh, found some stuff it’d make a good home!” or a makeshift one….
“Well it is on a hill so…..maybe, we could also move all the shelves to one side, take off the top two and it’d be like a second story”
“Yeah! Exactly, and it’s got a ton of food and water and other drinks!” Shelby continued to ramble on and Katherine smiled at least someone was optimistic
•
“So you were a college student?” Katherine asks
“yeah Im uh, 19”
“Huh, youre younger then I expected to be hones”
“Wha- are you calling me old looking?”
“Well, no just, the bags made me think you were an experienced college student, im 23…. So I really can’t call YOU old….what were you studying?”
“Oh just, biology, the science classes were the only ones I was flying though, the others I was….well, barely passing” she shrugged, “so I don’t really miss it”
“Well, I used to own a tailoring shop, though as you can see that didn’t get in the way of me weight lifting” she jokes flexing her muscles, Shelby blushes and looks away with a shy smile
•
“Well I didn’t mean to-“
“Yeah? So what? You aren’t helping Shelby!” katherine yelled frustrated, pacing, “You’d be more helpful if you just stayed back instead of tagging along like a defenseless target-“ she froze realizing Shelby was staring st her eyes wide and tears in their corners
“…do you think I’m a burden?” She asked in a quietly, heartbreaking voice
Katherine swallowed thickly, “fuck, Shelby I…..I didn’t…that’s not what I....I shouldn’t have….” She struggled to get the words out
Im sorry
“im….I’m gonna go on, you should go back to the base…” she says turning away from her
•
A ear piercing scream stops her form going to far
Shes still to late at chopping off the zombies head
•
It takes an hour to carry Shelby back to the base, not that Katherine would leave her. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t
She didn’t want to lose Shelby, she couldn’t, so she prayed. Something she hadn’t doen since she left her parents house.
not since she discovered she was gay and had to grow up in that hateful household
But God above, she really needed his help right now.
•
“I can’t believe your in that freezing cold water” Shelby said, wrinkling her nose
Katherine giggled, “I can’t believe you aren’t it might be cold but it’s nice, comforting, cool, clean…did I mention clean?”
“Yeah you did”
“okay, cool, anyways, hand me the uh, spear?”
“Here- ah!” she yelped as Katherine pulled her in, “Katherine!” she shouted as said girl laughed
“Yes?”
“these are the only clothes I have you know!”
Katherine shrugged, “the warehouse has more, plus you can always leave them out to dry”
“well-“
“I will to don’t worry” Shelby glared with a light blush dusting her cheeks
She was cute
“Hey if you don’t wanna wear any other clothes I won’t tell you not to…..or complain~ as long as you leave the wet ones out to dry” she said, pulling Shelby up and close
Shelby flushed harshly, “well I- uh….” She looked away blushing and Katherine smirked pressing a kiss to her forehead
•
“am I gonna die?” Shelby asked in a wobbly voice
“no.” Katherine answered instantly, “absolutely not”
Shelby shuffled, curling up on the couch, “….im sorry if I was a burden to you”
“Oh Shelby no- I- I didn’t mean that I just….I just didn’t want you hurt, everything’s just gotten more and more dangerous and I…I shouldn’t have said that, I’m sorry” she could feel her own tears pricking in her eyes, “I’m so sorry” she whispered
“….you know, I….” she bite her lip and let out a shaky sigh before swallowing down tears, “I think this past year has been the happiest of my life” she said with a smile, it was shaky, and she felt like crying, but she didn’t want to
“Oh Shelby….”
“what? It’s true, I mean, I didn’t really have any friends in college, I was bullied all throughout highschool and middle school, and my parents didn’t even want me, my grandma took care of me and she….died, after I started college”
Katherine nuzzled her cheek and Shelby felt some tears fall, “and then this all happened and I had you and-“ she sucked in a breath, “I feel happy again…’
“I think I had a good life before this but….you’ve made it so much better” she paused, “hey do you think we would’ve met if this hadn’t happened?” Katherine asked quietly
Shelby sniffles, “may- maybe, I mean, I think we would’ve”
“Yeah? I’m sure we would’ve to, maybe because you needed a fitting or, something. I would’ve been able to give you more sunflowers I know that much”
Shelby giggled, “I think the 3 you gave me was enough”
“mmm…” ironic how their dying now, “I think we need a nap Shel”
“…..yeah?”
“yeah”
“…okay”
And with that Katherine got onto the couch and tangled herself with Shelby and pulled her closer
Outside was a disaster
And there was a loaded gun on the table behind them
And a unmade bed in the corner
And petals falling off the sunflowers
And Shelby was sick
And soon Katherine would be to