requested by anon_reader1234
Riley couldn't take it anymore. The constant fights, the rising tension, and the criticism. They locked stuffed their stuff into their bag. Their lip was caught between their teeth, tears threatening to fall from their eyes. They had to be strong. Their options panned out in their head, stay or go? Leaving meant being alone and having no one to watch out for them. Staying meant dealing with the constant feeling of not belonging, the hatred behind everyone's eyes except for lees and clementines. The choice was easy and to Riley it made sense. Leave.
They waited until nightfall to leave. No sense in saying goodbye to anyone, there was no one there who valued them. Except for lee and clem. They sighed as they made their way towards the pairs room.
"What's up, Riley?" Lee looked down at the person. Riley couldn't meet his eyes. "i've got to go. i just wanted to tell you bye. just so you wouldn't think i was like brutally murdered." they smiled up at lee weakly. "why would you go out there by yourself?"
"i'm hated here lee, no one likes me excerpt for you two. i can't keep living every day feeling like i'm some awful person because everyone here treats me like one." riley tried to be strong, but they just couldn't look at lee.
"we need you here, riley. you can't go out there." he attempted to reason. though he could tell that no amount of words would change this. their mind was made up from the second they knocked on his door. "you can't just leave when things get hard, you have to power through."
"lee, you can't tell me you haven't noticed the looks i get, the things they say to me, tell me you honesty thing there's anything here for me." lee took a second to think of his next words. "i need you, riley." they looked up at him finally. lee thought maybe things would change. "tell clem i said goodbye." riley turned to leave finally. lee watched as they walked away before chasing after them.
"think about what you're doing here." he advised. riley looked at the barrier separating them from the horrors of the new world. "this isn't going to be the last time you see me. i promsie." riley smiled, a real, genuine smile. lee couldn't bring himself to fake one, even for them. they took their hunting knife from their side and took a deep breath. "goodbye, lee."
lee was mad at riley for a while. how could they make him care and then just leave him? deep down he understood their reasons, and the blame shifted from them to him. how could he let them leave. let them venture into the dark, horrifying world. how could he lie to everyone about what happened to you? then the blame was on the group. how could they chase you away with their constant criticism of you? all the questions and blame in the end didn't matter though, because you were gone and he had to keep surviving. the last words you said constantly replaying in his head. 'this isn't going to be the last time you see me.'
lee had been chased into the sewer system by numerous walkers. he peeled back a sign on the wall, and behind it he found a large opening. he looked behind him, at chuck's body, and decided to go through the hole. he looked around the room he was now in, concluding it must have been an old fallout shelter of some kind. he opened a door connected to the room and was met with horrified faces. he looked around before his attention was shifted to a man holding a gun at him.
"who are you?" the man questioned. "lee?" a familiar voice spoke up. his eyes scanned the room, thinking maybe he had been shot by this man and was hallucinating. "put the gun down vernon, i know him." it was riley. lee couldn't believe that they were standing right there in front of him. "i told you i'd see you again." riley tried to make lee laugh or even crack a smile. lee looked back at riley before pulling them into a hug.
