Walking Dead Game Collection

"Sour Dreams"

Title: Sour Dreams
Characters: Clementine, Luke
Summary: When Luke has a nightmare, Clementine steps in to comfort him back to sleep.
Author's Note: Sequel to "Sweet Dreams". For context sake, feel free to read up. For the most part this can stand on it's own as well :)
Requested By: aly4son
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It felt like ages since Clem's infamous night of nightmares. The questions Luke had been prodded with the day after were immense. The attempt to deflect them, however, was the hardest part.

If he could help it, he was going to shelter the poor girl from any potential embarrassment. He promised to protect her and take care of her, and her emotional health was just as important as her physical well-being.

If he could, he would ensure that the girl never shed another tear for as long as he lived. While difficult a task, frankly impossible a task, he was determined. Clementine was under his care, and as long as he lived, as long as he breathed, they were a team.

It never became clearer than after that night. But more specifically, one of the nights to follow.

Moons had passed, and since his night of ensuring the child of her safety, Clementine had slept soundly. There hadn't been the slightest stir, and every morning she emerged well rested; bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

The sight had set Luke's alarmed heart at ease knowing she was recovering well, and even better knowing that her new-found confidence in promise had increased her happiness. Her attitude had changed drastically, and he had to admit it, it filled him with pride that something as simple as assuring her of his dedication to her safety calmed her that greatly.

However, threats still lingered. That, of course, did not set his heart at ease.

"Stop!" Clementine's struggling against the walker, having now pinned her to the ground, strengthened. "Luke! Help me!"

"I'm coming!" He called, slashing another beast directly through the forehead.

But he was too late.

Her screams grew louder as the creature punctured her neck, her wails of agony fluttering hauntingly into the air, as if tormenting Luke with the knowledge of his failure.

His one job, to keep her safe, he had failed.

His body flew upwards in a panic, cold sweat clinging to every inch of his skin. Her glanced around the room, all others lying still and silent. His brows pressed, his breathing remaining haggard, as he brushed his clammy palms against his arms and chest.

He was here, all in one piece.

"Clem." The words had hardly left his lips before he was standing, rushing to the door and exiting as quickly as he could. He didn't stop to close the door, hell he didn't even consider that his rapid movements may have disturbed his roommates, but he didn't care.

He was on a mission. One apparently, his dreams had failed to keep.

At the thought his brows thickened, pressing deeper into one another. He didn't hesitate throwing open the child's door, his socks slipping nervously against the hardwood beneath him. "Clem!" His voice was tense and tight, his free hand grasping at his shirt collar upon noticing how fragile he sounded.

At first, there was silence, a kind that made him want to flick on the lights and expose the figure he prayed was laying in bed. Just as his fingertips were dancing against the light switch, the bed creaked.

"Luke?"

His name had hardly escaped when he bolted to the side of her bed, kneeling and settling the back of a hand against her forehead. She was warm, but not too warm; the kind that perfectly demonstrated her health.

He sighed, his hand falling atop the mattress in relief. "Oh thank God." He breathed, head lowering and shoulders drooping, all tension vanishing from his body.

Confused silence filled the air, and only a gentle voice dared to break it. "Luke? What's going on? What happened?"

"It's nothing, Clem." He claimed, lifting his head and waving a hand, forcing a smile in hopes of calming her curiosity. "I just got worried about you."

She hesitated before reacting, allowing her eyes to shift back and forth from him and the door, as if searching for a threat. "Why?"

"It's--" Luke cut himself off with a frustrated sigh, running both of his hands through his hair as he attempted to clear his mind. He pushed himself to sit on the floor, no longer kneeling for support. Both of his legs, now propped up, worked as arm rests to hang his cold, quivering fingers. He clenched them in attempt to hide the sight. "I had a feeling you were hurt. Or weren't doing well." His eyes remained locked with the ground, refusing to shift. "That's all."

Suddenly, after several beats of silence, he heard a soft chuckle. "I'll always be okay."

His gaze lifted, momentarily meeting with hers before her golden hues closed, sending him a warm smile. He gathered the impression she reserved such a grin for those special to her. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you told me." Her eyes opened as she spoke. Her expression, while it had grown slightly more serious, still allowed a smile. "You promised me you would keep me safe, and I know you will."

"Clem," he began through a sigh.

"I trust you." She claimed, cutting him off and halting his sentence from starting. "I know nothing will happen to me with you around. I know you'll keep me safe. You'll keep all of us safe."

His gaze rested against hers, searching her expression for a trace of misunderstanding or foolery, even a sign that she was lying to quell the anxiety in his chest.

He found none.

It amazed him how trustworthy she seemed to be regarding his abilities, especially given her past of seeing how cruel and unforgiving the world around them was. She had seen and experienced firsthand how quickly and unexpectedly one could be taken from everyone and everything they ever loved.

Yet still, despite it, she was here putting her faith into him, almost without a second thought.

It seemed surreal that someone that had suffered such pain could so easily open her heart to others. She was unique in that way. It was easy to see why Kenny had grown so attached to her.

Luke scoffed, clearing his throat. One of his hands rubbed at his neck and shoulder, smiling up at the child. "You know, for a kid you sure are wise."

She shrugged, a smirk dancing on her lips. "I try."

Luke, as if that was his cue, pushed himself to his feet. He brushed his hands against his shirt, releasing the last of his shaky sighs before giving her a kind smile and salute. That was always their playful way of saying goodbye.

Her smile faded partially, growing slightly more serious. However, her playful tone remained. "You know, as an adult, it's nice to have you alive."

For a moment, he hesitated in the doorway, the hand he had lingering against the doorknob quivering slightly. His gaze softened at the ground in secondhand pain before turning to face her. He forced a tender smile. "I try."
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