Friends before Lovers {NUKE fanfic}_@Mintgal2

12

Luke
Nick left, and I threaded my fingers through my hair.
"Jesus." I said, and leaned against the wall. What did I just do? What did we just do?
I mean, we obviously kissed, but that's...that's where I draw the line. Nick and I can't be. For my sake, and his. Nick doesn't know what he's doing. But I do.
I shook my head.
"I swear, I cannot deal with this shit no more." I said, and sighed. "Just...god...just focus on getting out of here."
I nodded to my own demand, and sat down behind the counter. I was still shaky, and obviously the sexual motivation had caused...a little bit of a hard attention there. I sighed, and just leaned against the wall.
Did I like Nick? Yes...but not in that way. He was too overeager, and I was too desperate. Like I said, I'm certain I'm interested in girls. But that can't be true, because I wouldn't have this sort of attraction towards Nick if I was. But maybe that's it. Maybe it's not the sexuality. It's the person. Nick, Nick, Nick. The guy I've met since school, and nowadays in a shit cramped psycho maniac camp. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.
I think I'm losing my mind.
Nick
I knew I was crazy for what I was doing; but if anything, I wanted more. There was nothing to lose by liking Luke; if I'm honest, I've...never had feelings towards anyone like this before. So I have no clue about stuff like this. Yet this feels right. If Luke didn't feel the same way, then too bad. I would make him see from my perspective.
I walked back with Kenny, the pen not far from where we headed. I had just told Kenny about Luke and the radio plan he had with Clementine. I didn't tell him about the small makeout session we had, yet Kenny saw something on my face.
"You're glowing." He teased. "Nah, I'm just kiddin'. Look, I just want to get the fuck outta here. Whatever plan Clem agrees to, it's probably the right one."
"R-right." I said. "I just...man, I'm sorry for being such an ass back at the lodge. I just...I'm sorry."
Kenny nodded at my apology.
"It's okay. Just next time you take your pissoff mood out on me, you'll regret it." Kenny laughed, and I even managed a smile. "Nah, I'm sorry too. Just...let's just focus on getting outta here."
"Yeah." I said, and even though Kenny had just pointed it out, I still continued to glow.
...
"Because you know what happened this morning. I don't know what that crazy sonuvabitch is gonna do next!" Kenny said, just as Clementine entered through the gates.
"So you wanna ring a dinner bell for a herd of walkers to show up? How is that any better?" Mike said from beside me.
"'Cause this place will be fucking chaos when that thing hits. No one will be paying attention to us!" Kenny said.
I, on one hand, was convinced that Luke would be able to get us out of here due to his find when he gets that radio. But Kenny's plan had a lead. "And that's when we go. That's our opening. We just gotta figure out a way to draw them to us."
"You're friend here wants to get us killed by lurkers before Bill can do it." Rebecca said, who was also sitting beside me. Clementine frowned at her remark. Clementine sat down across the fire.
"Maybe Luke could help us...He's outside. He wants a radio to keep an eye on the guards." She said, and grinned.
"Thank you!" Rebecca smiled. "That's the plan I vote for!"
Clementine looked at the group. "You know about Luke?"
"He flagged us down when Troy wasn't lookin'. Told us his plan...mentioned he had spoken to you." Mike told Clem.
"If Luke can tell us what's going on with the guards, we can use that to pick a good time to escape." Rebecca said.
"That seems reasonable." Sarita said.
"Who knows when that'll be?" Kenny asked, grumpy. "There was a girl back at Crawford who used church bells to send walkers all over the city. We just need something really loud."
"The P.A system Carver is using is quite loud." Sarita interjected.
"There's some speakers pointed out to the parking lot." Mike said.
"He's right. I saw them too." Clementine said.
"Really..." Kenny said, and I knew he was thinking of something.
"It's all controlled in Bill's office. There's a switch that'll turn them on." Rebecca said.
"How do you know that?" Mike asked.
"I used to make a lot of announcements back in the day...I had it flipped on once...luckily there wasn't much around the time to hear it. It was plenty loud, though." Rebecca said.
"That's perfect! We just need to find a way into his office! Why didn't you say something sooner?" Kenny asked.
"The most sensible thing is to get Luke the radio and wait for an opening." Rebecca reasoned.
"You're real difficult to deal with, sometimes." Kenny complained.
"Kenny..." Sarita started, and frowned.
"No, it's alright. You're not exactly a peach, either." Rebecca said.
"Why can't we do both? Even if we bring the herd to us, it's probably good for Luke to tell us where they're coming from." Clementine suggested.
"You know what? Fine. I can get behind that." Kenny smiled. "Okay, so we get that turd a radio, he keeps us posted on the herd's movement, and we fire up the P.A thing, and bring the walkers to roll over this place."
"And then what?" Mike asked.
"Get some guns, and shoot our way out, I don't know! Whatever we can! We improvise." Kenny said.
"Then that's not a plan. You don't plan to improvise." Mike replied.
"I figured out what your problem is. You don't think this stuff through. If the end of the plan is to just stroll though a herd of walkers, then you know from the get go that that is not going to work." Rebecca said.
"Actually..."
came a voice behind us. It was the strange woman, who Mike had currently told us her name was Jane.
"I do it all the time." She said, and put a hand on her hip.
"First words I ever hear you say, and it's just some crazy, stupid shit." Mike said.
"Hush." Sarita said. "What do you mean?"
"When you cover yourself in their scent, rub the walker guts all over you, they can't tell you from one of them." Jane said. I frowned.
"Now I don't know who's crazier." Rebecca replied.
"Trust me, I've walked through herds before. You just have to keep calm and make sure you're good and covered." Jane said.
"I've done it too." Clementine turned to the group.
"What?" Kenny asked, shocked that his youngest friend had to endure such a gross action.
"It's how we got out of the Marsh house. Lee covered me, and we walked right through." Clementine responded.
"Really?" Kenny asked. Clem nodded. "Holy shit. Good one, Lee."
"Alright! What are we waiting for? Let's get that stupid radio!" Kenny said, standing up.
"We still have to find a way into the stockroom." Rebecca stressed.
"I gotta plan for that, too. Come on kid, I'm gonna need your help." Jane said, and led Clementine away.
"Where the hell did she come from?" Kenny asked. I shrugged. I guess...I guess I wasn't in the talking mood. If I'm honest, I wasn't really that involved with the conversation. Mostly...just...my mind was on about before. With Luke. God. I had told myself to put it out of my mind, and just try to focus on the plan, but whenever I thought about him...it distracted me.
I heard the others talking, when finally Clementine shrugged.
"Now or never, I guess." She said.
"That's my girl." Kenny smiled. "We gotta get that rope down. Mike, you wanna boost her up?"