Rarl one-shots.

19.2|Soulmate.

The days go by fast for Carl, until he realizes that he already has a month in Alexandria. His interactions with Enid, Mickey and Ron increase with each passing day, but he was closer to Ron than to the other two. Sophia brought it up every chance she got.

Speaking of Sophia, she had become quite close to Enid in the short time they had been here, as if they had an immediate connection and indeed it was, because recently had they discovered that they were soul mates. Carl can't help the pang of pain in his chest, maybe jealousy. Why was everyone finding his soul mates and he still not?

Here in Alexandria there were also people who were soul mates. They had Aaron and Eric, who would sadly get criticism and quick looks of disgust when they passed by or were together. Enid and Sophia keep their connection a secret from the others, but Tara almost screwed up once, luckily she didn't.

Carl can't help but wonder what will happen when he meets his soul mate. Were the others going to accept it? Was his soul mate going to accept him? He wanted to talk this through with someone and tell he the truth, not Rick telling him he won't think about it, not Sophia too happy with Enid to try.

For some reason, same-sex soulmates were frowned upon, when everyone knows you have no choice in who you're attached to. Carl thought that this would change in the apocalypse, but many people still think badly about it... his family luckily doesn't belong in that category and that makes him feel better.

Carl rushes downstairs in the morning, following the smell of toast, and smiles as Sophia, Carol, and Daryl were having breakfast with them.

Everything is fine and normal for ten minutes, until Carl feels like a knife has been plunged into his arm and they decide to cut it open. So Carl groans in pain and falls off his chair, squeezing his arm against his chest as he writhes in pain. He feels a kick to the ribs and then a punch to the face.

Rick, Carol and Daryl are next to him, trying to help him, but it doesn't work, because it's not his pain, he just reacts accordingly.

Still, Carol places an ice pack on his arm and Sophia places another on his bruised and bruised eye.

"Are you okay, son?" Rick asks, minutes later, hugging Carl against his side.

Carl nods and sobs. Not because of the physical pain, but because of how emotionally bad he always leaves him, not being able to help his soul mate.

"Nothing like this has happened in a while..." Carl mutters, lifting the ice pack onto his arm. His arm was irritated and with a slight scar of about ten centimeters that would later disappear completely.

Rick runs his fingers through Carl's hair and kisses his forehead.

"Your connection sucks, boy." Daryl says, sitting on the floor with Judith next to him eating waffles, oblivious to everything that's going on.

"Mom always said the same thing. I'm used to it..."

"You're not supposed to."

Later that day, with makeup on the bruise that was going to fade in the morning, Carl goes looking for Ron, he needed to talk to someone and Ron seemed like the perfect fit. He also wanted to spend time with him.

When he arrives at the Anderson house, Jessie opens the door and looks nervous, in fact she doesn't even let him in, she just tells him that she will tell Ron and closes the door in his face. After a few minutes, Ron comes out and Carl can't see anything inside the house, he doesn't mention Jessie's strange behavior, nor Ron's slow walking.

"Remember when Mickey asked about our soul mates? Well I...I think I took the prize for weirdest and most dangerous connection."

Ron looks at him in confusion as he starts to speak, but Carl ignores him, along with the throbbing pain in his arm that won't stop for a while.