Renegades || L.S.

Chapter One

"Christopher. Chris...." he shakes the boy awake.

The little boy wakes up instantly, peeking up at his guardian tiredly. "Is it time to get up already?"

It's very early in the morning from what the boy can guess. The fire from the night before has long since died out, and there's water puddles around the campsite from the rain. It was freezing inside the tent, and the weather was no better outside.

Harry smiles sympathetically. " 'fraid so, kiddo. Damian is cranky and tired with his teeth just coming in."

That's when Christopher's eyes focused on the baby tied to Harry's back, brown eyes open and staring into nothingness. He sure had a voice on him when he was cranky. Harry had spent most of their time during the height of Damian's growth spurt from infant to toddler. He's just learning to keep his head up, and now he makes his own little baby talk. It's dangerous when they're trying to sneak around a group of walkers unnoticed.

"Again?" Chris yawns and goes for his canteen of clean water to gargle his mouth out. He finishes and replaces his green shirt with his favorite red one. Next town they enter Harry promises to wash it. "Is he feverish again?"

Harry shakes his head. "Not really. But he's just going in and out of pain, and I'm worried it will attract walkers. Plus, we're running out of food, fast."

Chris observes that Harry made use of his favorite headscarves and tied that's what he's using to support Damian. "I finished the crackers I had in my bag last night," he whispers sadly. When he sees Harry's lips form in a thin line, he can't help but add, "I was so hungry, Harry. I really was."

"But you need your strength," he informs while leaving the tent. "Now what will you eat to keep you going for the rest of our journey?"

Christopher's lip wobbles, eyes downcast while Harry pulls out something from his own bag. "Here. I can't have you hungry all morning." It's Harry's chips that he had promised to eat this morning.

"I can't take that," replies the frowning blonde. "You need it so you won't be hungry."

Christopher remembers a time when, what once was his neighbor, actually managed to smile. His lively tone and flourished cheeks were now replaced with an everlasting grimace, the palest cheeks that resembled that of a ghost, and his once vibrant green eyes could now perceived to be a dull blue. The only thing that brought Harry joy was him and Damian, which made Chris smile a bit when he thought about it.

"You and Damian my first priority, bud," he grunts, shoving the chips into Chris' hands. "I'll be fine."

Quietly eating the snacks, Chris kept an eye out for walkers while Harry packed up camp. Damian could be heard making his usual baby noises. He was being surprisingly very good today, despite the circumstances. It was undoubtebly freezing to the point where Chris and Harry's thin jackets did little to nothing to protect him. Damian himself was wrapped in a thick blanket that Harry scavenged for while searching abandoned houses. That, and his american headscarf to support his head.

Hopefully, the dark-skinned toddler would stay this way until they were out of the woods, literally.

"Has that rash healed at all?"

Chris looks to the palm of his hand. "I think so. It's not as itchy and red as it was yesterday. I told you I was fine." Harry was one to panic over the tiniest things.

"That's good," Harry says in an uptone-ish beat. "Maybe this day won't be so bad after all."

"It's never a good day with these monsters everywhere."

Chris looks around the trees out of habit, making sure they weren't being followed or a walker hadn't strayed nearby. Judging by Harry's tired eyes, Chris knows he's spent yet another night keeping watch. It saddens the 8 year old to see Harry always working so hard to protect them, but it's also very comforting, endearing rather.