Friends before Lovers {NUKE fanfic}_@Mintgal2

3

I decided to call it a night; Kenny, Clem and Walter were still outside, so I found it in myself to go upstairs and sleep. As I walked around to a staircase, I saw a box full of supplies. I wouldn't be called nosy if I didn't look inside. I found an old, small blue ski jacket, and set that on the ground. I smiled, as I retrieved fresh bullets filtered in the corners of the box. Something Nick would want. My face dropped as I saw a framed photograph. I picked it up, my hands shaking as I did. What I was holding was so fragile.
There, in the photo, was Walter himself, and his long arm was wrapped around a familiar figure.
The man was shorter than Mathew, tanner nationality, with a line of stubble above his top lip.
The man Nick had killed. I took a heavy sigh. Fuck.
To tell Nick, or it to tell Nick?
No. This would destroy him.
The door opened, and I jumped, and stepped behind the wall, hidden from sight from the entrance. If Walter saw me looking at this, he would instantly find a piece of the mystery somehow. He was smart, I knew that from his perfect dialogued speech. I saw Clementine step inside.
Clementine.
She had the knife...
The knife Walter was talking about. That was Mathew's.
"Clementine...!" I whisper in a harsh tone. Clementine saw me from where I was crouched. I waved her over, and she approached me. "Don't freak out...Listen okay, I need to tell you somethin'.
I pulled out the frame, and watched as Clementine recognised the figure in the photo.
"The guy on the bridge was Walter's friend." I said.
"I know he was. For sure." Clementine said, but the look of concern was still on her face.
"Damnit...damnit Nick!" I cussed. "I don't think Walter knows yet. So we have to keep this quiet. I mean, who knows what the hell he'll do if he found out."
"I won't say anything." Clementine replied. Relief spreader over me.
"Okay. Okay, good." I exhaled. "Now do you still have that knife? Because if it was Mathew's, and Walter sees it, he's gonna put two and two together.
"Its with the other weapons...." Clementine said, and turned her head to the table where all our dangerous processions lay.
"Okay, well, go get rid of it. I'll go find Walter and run interference with him. Oh, and uh...keep an eye out for Nick."
"I'm right here. What's up?" He called, and he walked to where he was standing. Shit.
"Oh, its uh, nothin man. I just wanted to see if you were okay." I scratched the back of my neck. Clementine stayed quiet.
"What? Tryin' to tuck me in?" Nick asked, and smirked. I grit my teeth and laughed.
"Yeah, something like that." I laughed. But Nick seemed to catch something off in the silence.
"Hey, if there's something going on, I want to know." He implied.
"Nah, just go back to bed, Nick." I insisted.
"It's nothing, really. Forget it." Clementine said.
Subtle.
"Look, Clem, just go do that thing, alright? Come on Nick, let's go find a beer or something." And with that, I moved Nick away, and we headed toward the dining area. I put my trust in Clementine to get rid of that knife.
"What's really going on?" Nick asked, as I tried to focus my guilty attention on finding some sort of alcohol to wash Nick's worry away. "You can't think I'm that stupid, I saw something hidden back there."
I bit my lip, and pulled out a bottle container. I peeled back the lid, and a smell of bitter cider entered my nose. I handed it to Nick.
"It was nothing, okay?" I said, and Nick frowned. I nodded at the drink. "Come on. Take a drink."
"Wow." Nick scoffed, but it was tortured. He tore the lid off, and tipped his head back, practically chugging the remains. "You're gonna bribe me with liquor to shut up. Some friend you are."'
I rolled my eyes. "Like I haven't heard that before."
Nick out the drink back. "Tell me. I'm not stupid."
"It's fucking nothing." I snap. "Just..."
I grabbed the bottle, and even took a sip. Moonshine. Strong, but sweet alcohol. But it had a drained, old taste to it.
"Just...its fine." I said, and Nick shook his head.
"I'm gonna find Clementine. She didn't really convince me back there." Nick turned to leave, but I grabbed his shoulders, and twisted around. He pulled away, but I pulled him in closer.
Here goes. Anything to keep him from finding out.
I planted my lips against him, and pulled away. Nick just stood with a shocked expression.
"What the...what the fuck?" He scoffed. "I must be tripping so fucking hard right now....?"
"He he." I said, and cringed. That was so bad! "My bad."
That made my insides want to twist themselves inside out. I just kissed my best friend to distract him.
Nick shook his head, his mouth fell open. "I'm just."
He shook his head again, and turned around.
I grabbed his shoulder.
"Nick, just...stop!"
Nick pulled away, and quickened his pace. I tried my best to get off the stool, but I moved on it wrong, and it fell to the floor with a large thump. I grunted, and got up.
By this time, both Nick and Clementine were nowhere to be seen. I looked around, and found that Clementine probably finished the job, since the knife wasn't in her bag anymore. I shook my head, and went around to the side, and saw just Sarah and Sarita in the couch near the fire. I cussed to myself.
This couldn't be fucking happening.
I began to sweat, a sheen appearing around my neck line and face.
So many things were racing through my head, that heat of the moment kiss. That was nothing! That was me trying to stop him.
I sighed in frustration. Clementine wouldn't tell him. Would she?
I swallowed hard, and sat down upstairs. They weren't anywhere! They were probably outside, but god knows where. The tree line out the back was probably littered with walkers. I didn't want to step into a death trap.
I sighed, and stood up, bomfounded with stress as I step down the stairs. Sarah stepped out of nowhere.
"Luke? What's wrong?" She asked, and narrowed her eyes.
"I'm fine, Sarah. Just...just Nick problems, that's all." I replied. Sarah knows Nick well enough that he has his own self explanatory category.
"Oh." She understood, and nodded. "Good luck...?"
I nodded, and bounded down the rest of the stairs. I saw Kenny, Sartia and Carlos go outside the entrance door. I walked out too, to find a clearly distressed Walter, who, Lo and behold, held the knife in his hands. Clementine was too late.
She stood there, with even Nick by her side, and they both shared the look of uncertainty and surprise.
"What's going on?" Kenny asked, and Nick looked warily up at the wind turbine that was gaining sound and speed. Kenny shook his head.
"We gotta stop it!" Kenny yelled, and went to grab weapons of all sorts. "That thingsa goddamn dinner bell!"