Solitude (Clementine X Male Reader)

Haunted-Knock

You knock on the apartment door. Their building is much cleaner than yours, probably being one of the first taken back after the apocalypse. The one you're staying in was probably one of the more recent reclamations. Yet, you're not upset about it. You've got a nicer place than you'd have ever dreamed. You'd be stupid to complain about it.

Clem: Maybe they're not home.

She says after a few seconds with no response. You shrug and knock again.

You: I can only hope.

Clem: Don't be like that.

You: I don't trust them.

Clem: I can vouch for them. These are some of the only people here that I know, one hundred percent, we can trust.

You: Prove it.

Clem: Are you serious?

You: Yep.

Clem: Ok... There was this guy, Conrad. To put it simply, he didn't like me. So, he grabbed Gabe and put a gun to his head. He said that he'd kill Gabe if they didn't turn me into these guys called the New Frontier. So, instead of screwing me over, Javi backed me and shot the guy.

You: So?

Clem: So, he chose to back me up instead of taking the easy way out for himself.

You look at the door. No one is coming.

Clem: You're still against this.

You: Fully.

Clem: Javier and Kate are solid. You're with me, so they'll treat you like you're one of theirs.

You: Theirs?

Clem: For the short time I was with them, they treated me like family. Honestly, they trust too easily. Javi was offering me a place to stay within the first twelve hours.

You: So they're dumbasses.

You knock one last time, becoming agitated by the fact that they're not letting you in.

Clem: I was young, and they thought I should be with a group. I thought I was better on my own.

You: You were.

Clem: How do you know?

You: Everyone is better on their own. Letting people cover for your weaknesses causes you to be careless. Carelessness causes mistakes. Mistakes get you killed.

Clem: I'm not better on my own now.

You: I didn't mean it that way.

Clem: You've been covering for my weaknesses.

You: Because you need me to.

Clem: I don't think I've been being careless.

You: Clementine, you know that's not how I meant it.

Clem: How did you mean it?

You: Clem...

She watches you, one of her eyebrows raised.

You: I-

Clem: I'm fucking with you.

She faces the door and laughs.

Clem: You don't know how to read shit.

You: I can tell when someone wants me dead.

Clem: Otherwise, you're clueless. Everyone who has made it this far can read someone with hostile intentions.

You: I can read what people mean.

You would have reacted the same way you did when you first met if she hadn't grown on you. All the fight you have in you leaves when she's talking to you.

Clem: We've been together for weeks, so I've noticed. You can't see what someone means unless they flat-out tell you.

You: You're starting to sound like Set.

Clem: See, I'm not the only one who noticed.

You: Yeah, well, he just pissed me off with it.

Clem: What did he say?

You: Something about you. I just didn't know what he meant, and it annoyed me.

Clem: Something about me? Was he threatening me?

You: No, he was teasing me, and I don't know what he was teasing me about.

Clem: Hm.

You get the feeling she knows what he was talking about and isn't telling you. You don't push her to tell you; she clearly doesn't want to.

You: Your friends will top my shit list if they don't let us in.

Clem: We're supposed to be here now. I don't know what's going on.

She hits the door with her right crutch a few times. There's no response.

You: I'm just gonna walk in.

You reach for the doorknob.

Clem: How well do you think that'll go over? It was rude before, and now there's a constant threat to your life.

You stop, lowering your hand.

You: You're right.

Clem: Of course I am.

You shake your head.

You: Javier! Kate!

You yell as loud as you can. Doors open down the hall on either side of you in a hurry. You don't turn to look.

Clem: The hell are you doing?

You: Getting their attention. They knew we were coming, yet they haven't let us in.

The door flies open.

Javi: What? What is it?

He looks worried, and there's a gun in his hand pointed at the floor but raised enough that he could shoot you quick if he had to.

You: Look who finally opened the door.

You smile at Clementine.

Clem: It's nothing, Javi.

He breathes a sigh of relief.

Javi: Thank God. Thought we might be under attack or someone was here to kill me.

He steps to the side.

Javi: Come in.

Clem: You didn't have to do that.

She scolds you as she starts in.

You: It worked.