ribs || carl grimes x reader

so nice so smart - kimya dawson

I refuse to have this be a fic where Enid is all jealous and hates you btw...

1 year later

You'd been at Alexandria for about a year now. Not much had changed. A few new faces here and there, but for the most part things were going great. You loved the plush comfort of being inside the walls, but you couldn't handle being inside all the time. You and your new friend Enid would go outside the walls and explore almost every day. You loved going to this strip mall a few miles away to try on fancy clothes and jewelry and act like you were pre-apocalypse teens, worrying about boys and homework.

Today, you and Enid were heading back from a fun afternoon beyond the walls when you two saw a group of people crowding around the front gate. The two of you hide in a burnt down house to scope them out. You bend over to tie your shoe as Enid watches them.

"It's mostly older men and women. Oh and they have a baby. And it looks like a boy about our age there." she says skeptically.

"Great. More testosterone." you joke with her. You two head around the side of the walls and sneak back over. 

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Enid gives you a last look. You nod as her and she sets off to her house. You climb up the ivy-covered lattice on the side of Deanna's house, slipping into your bedroom window and shutting it behind you. You unzip your backpack and take out all the goodies you found. One of which was the greatest thing you've ever owned and your new prized possession: Invincible volume 4! You've been rereading volumes 1-3 for years now. Although, you hoped it didn't end on a cliffhanger like volume 3, since there will never be a volume 5. As you skim through your new book, you get a small whiff of your oder. Crinkling your nose you decide to head to the shower to rinse off the dirt and sweat. 

As you stepped out of the bathroom you heard unfamiliar voices downstairs, assuming it's the people from the gate before. You bend your ear down the stairs, listening to Deanna speak to whomever she was interviewing . You jump slightly when you feel a hand on your shoulder and see Spencer behind you.

"Alexandria's about to get a LOT bigger (y/n). You ready?" You shrugged, not really knowing what to expect. The only person here newer than you was Enid, and she came alone. You had a hard time thinking of what to expect with a huge group coming in. 

"I don't know. We've never let in a group this big." you say cautiously. Spencer chuckles, shaking his head and going to his bedroom. You hear the front door open and close again as a new person enters. Deanna greets them, but the greeting she gets back is soft and a bit muffled. You slowly descend the stairs, cautiously spying on whoever was being interviewed. It sounded like it was the boy your age now. You listen to his soft voice as you get closer. Your face heats up, unable to stop yourself from already forming a crush on this new guy. It didn't help that you had to 3rd wheel Enid and Ron all the time, watching them cuddle and hold hands admittedly made you jealous. You hoped to have a connection like theirs one day. You slowly creep down the stair as the boy slowly comes into view, boots first, then jeans, then-

Your heart drops at the sight. He looked a lot different than he did when you last saw him, but also exactly the same. He still had his bright blue eyes and his dark brown hair, although a lot longer now. He was really dirty, just like you were when you arrived, and he looked exhausted.

"This is the kind of place my mom wanted for us." you heard him recite to the camera.

"Carl." you call out to with a whisper, almost involuntarily. This catches his attention and he turns to look at you. At first he was upset that someone was eavesdropping, but that quickly dissipated when he realized who you were.