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The Nerves Are A Good Thing

The first thing I heard when I walked into the Grimes' house was music and laughter from upstairs. I shut the front door and followed it, stopping at the top when I saw Michonne, Carl and Rick at the entrance to the bedroom.

"Here," I held out the toothpaste in my hand to Michonne, "but it's only got a little left, and I still need to use it." She scowled but agreed, allowing me to use it first. "You guys got any soap left?"

"There's some in the shower." Rick answered, nodding his head as he adjusted his belt.

"Cool, thanks...while you're at it, do you have any hot water?" I asked quickly, a hopeful smile on my face.

Michonne rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, Belle, you can use the shower."

"Thanks." I started towards the bathroom but Rick's voice stopped me.

"You might wanna hurry it up, Daryl and I are leaving soon." He called, turning the music back up.

I stepped into Carl's room, shuffling through some things before I heard him walk in. "Did I leave some clothes here?" I asked, turning to face him. He dropped the ball in his hand and opened a drawer, pulling out a pile and handing it over.

"You, um, you look pretty." He avoided my gaze, rifling through some comics as an excuse.

"Shut up, I haven't even showered yet." I laughed, brushing my fingers against his as they stopped moving. I pressed a light kiss against his lips and smiled, leaving for the shower.

I thought it was best that I didn't use up too much hot water, so I kept my shower relatively short before finally hopping out, slipping into some underwear and rubbing my hair with the towel in an attempt to dry it. I paused when I heard a knock on the door, a hesitant voice following.

"Belle." It was Carl. I quickly wrapped the towel around me and pulled the handle down, cracking it open. He had a nervous expression and he kept his eyes on the floor. "Um, Michonne's busy, could you- can you-" He pointed to the bandage around his head and I had to hold back my surprise. He had always gone out of his way to avoid this.

"Sure, come on." I pulled the door all the way open, moving so he could sit on the edge of the bathtub. I leaned against the sink, gathering up the new bandages as he took off the current one, his gaze on the floor and his head low. I frowned, standing up straight and tilting his head up slightly.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, looking away from me. "You know, you're allowed to break up with me."

Where one eye used to be, instead there was a slight indent. Denise had tried her hardest, and if it wasn't for he wouldn't even be alive right now, but something like this would never fully heal. The injury was too big. I sighed deeply, leaning down and placing a finger on my arm.

"This is from when I got shot, back at the prison." I pointed to the prominent white line on my forehead. "This is from when the Wolves attacked, and I got this," I pulled the towel up to show my stomach, "from when I stupidly fell on my own sword." I showed him my shoulder last. "This is from Daniel."

"You've seen all my scars, you know how they got there and you know the stories behind them. Does it make you look at me my different?" I softly asked. He shook his head, surprisingly meeting my eyes, and I smiled. I just wanted him to understand.

I pulled out a length of gauze, letting him hold it against the injury as I wrapped it around his head, keeping it firmly in place. Footsteps walked past the door before slowing to a stop, the person back stepping slightly and tapping on the wooden frame.