Brother's Keeper ¹ || The walking dead

7.

-

Riven sat on the stairs of the RV, Sophia sitting next to him, both quiet as they watched everyone move around, packing up their cars,

The group made a decision to leave and head towards a CDC lab that Rick suggested, Shane had suggested Fort Benning.

The younger kids and Riven didn't have a choice in the decision-making, so now they were waiting while the adults were packing.

Riven stood up, and Sophia lifted her head, looking at him, "Where are you going?"

"Be back in a sec, stay here." Riven muttered in response, walking away from the RV, and towards the Graves,

"..hey, where you headin' off to? We're about to leave." Lori spoke as Riven walked past her,

"Be back in a sec." Riven told her, and Lori watched as he headed towards the Graves, and she let's out a small sigh, knowing that Riven cared about Amy, but not like "I have a crush on you." Type of like,

It was almost like Riven accepted Amy as a friend. It surprised Lori at first, but she was glad that Riven was making friends even if his best friend was a twelve year old girl.

Lori turns away from Riven and looks at Carl, "You done packin'.."

Riven neared Amy's grave, Andrea was still there, but Riven saw her pack her stuff earlier,

Andrea turned her head towards him when she heard footsteps nearing, "I ain't Rick, so no need pointing guns."

Andrea smiled a little, chuckling as Riven stood beside her, and he cleared his throat,

"Not one word about this," he told Andrea, and Andrea raised an eyebrow at him,

"I admit, you were my friend, Amy," Andrea smiles, "and I hated when you literally dragged me out of my tent by my legs."

Andrea laughs, remembering Amy did extacly that, she had grabbed Riven by one of his legs and literally dragged him out of his tent to join them by the fire,

Everyone thought it was hilarious, and the kids had gone to help Amy, Riven looked furious, but he didn't snap at the children or Amy.

"..I'm grateful that you did..shit, I should've admitted I actually liked your company even if I was being a complete ass about it, and..uh, Carl was the one who put that grasshopper in your pillow."

Andrea laughs, "Are you serious?"

Riven shrugged, "Carl isn't here to deny it."

Andrea turns to face him, "Thank you for being her friend, even if you didn't admit it,"

Riven tensed as Andrea pulled him into a hug, "Thank you, Riven."

Riven slowly lifted his arms and hesitantly hugged Andrea back,

This was possibly one of the first hugs he ever got, beside Sophia, nobody has ever hugged him, and he admit it felt nice, it was like he could let himself lean everything on the other person even if it's just for a moment.

He felt his eyes sting, and he pulled back and cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact, "If you ever need to talk.. or whatever, I have two ears."

Andrea let's out a watery laugh, "Come on, the group might leave without us."

Riven nods before turning around and walking back to the RV, keeping his head down. Andrea followed behind him, wiping the tears that had fallen.

"..you cryin'?" Daryl questioned as Riven walked past him, but Riven ignored him and headed into the RV, disappearing inside,

Daryl stared for a moment before scoffing and shaking his head.

Riven dropped himself on the seat in the back of the RV, leaning his back against the wall, propping one leg up on the seat, and the other on the floor,

He held back his emotions, even if all he wanted was to scream and cry for his fallen friend, but he didn't.

He didn't have his safe space anymore, and he didn't like to cry openly in front of people. It embarrassed him crying in front of people.

"..I'm sorry about your friend.." Riven turns his head and sees Jim, the man who dug the Graves and got bitten when the dead attacked.

"She was a good one." Jim breathed out, and Riven leaned his head back, closing his eyes,

"..yeah, she was."

⭐️

Jim was dead. Riven barely knew him, but he hated just leaving him behind, but it was Jim's final wish, so Riven couldn't argue with that.

He sat in front with Dale now, in the passenger side, twirling his knife around in his hand, while staring out of the window,

They sat in a comfortable silence, Dale had tried making a conversation, but with Riven's lack of response, he decided it was just best to leave the teen be for now.

It wasn't long before the RV stopped parking in front of a building, and Riven stood up, getting out of the RV, taking in the scene in front of him.

Dead soldiers laid all over, and the group started to walk towards the building while Riven stayed behind,

He saw a bigger knife, one of the soldiers, and decided to take it,

He glances over at the group as he hears them arguing, and he glances around as he hears snarling, their arguing was attracting the dead.

"Riven! Get your ass over here!" Daryl snapped at him, and Riven looked at him before scoffing and headed towards the first walker as Rick liked to call them and use the knife he took from the dead soldier to kill it

It was sharp but not sharp enough. He needed to sharpen it,

"Riven! You deaf or somethin'!?" Daryl grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the building,

The metel doors were now opened, and Riven squinted his eyes at the bright light, and a man emerged from the light with a gun aimed at the group.

"Anyone bit?" The man questioned,

"One of ours was..he's gone now." Rick replied, and the man looked at everyone, but his eyes stopped on Riven, who had blood dripping from his knife.

Riven noticed, and he gave him a small grin, "It's not mine."

The man nodded, lowering his gun, "I'm doctor Jenner, and if you have anything you want to bring, I suggest you do it now cause once those doors close, they aren't opening again."

"I'll bring yours and Sophia's stuff." Riven told Carol, who nodded in appreciation as she held Sophia close to her,

"Be careful."

⭐️

1078 words

Thoughts?