Friends before Lovers {NUKE fanfic}_@Mintgal2

35

Luke
It started getting dark, and colder, as we continued to walk down the trail. As we walked,w e reached a dip, and saw an electrical outlet, along with a secured bar around.
"Is that it?" Kenny asked Arvo. Arvo didn't respond. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"
"What?" Arvo asked, and turned around. "It? It what?"
"What do you mean 'what'? The place you're fucking takin'us!" Kenny exclaimed.
"Arvo, that's not what you're taking us to, right?" Clementine asked him. "How much further is the house you were talking about?"
"Answer her, goddammit!" Kenny yelled.
"Still more walk." Arvo said. Seriously? We've been walking for a day! "Some more hours."
"Goddammit. I knew this was gonna happen. This guy fucked us." Kenny said. Nick set me down on another leg.
"Thank you." I said.
"It's gettin' dark. Maybe we should stop for the night." Bonnie suggested.
"This is bullshit!" Kenny said.
"Relax." Jane said.
"Don't tell me to relax!" Kenny snapped. "He's been lying. He's been lying this whole time."
"Luke needs a break...we probably all do..." Clementine said. I had felt bad for getting pissed back in the woods. I realised it's just different. Clementine talks about her feelings. I...sometimes don't.
"Look, I'll do whatever you guys want, okay? But I could...I could really use the rest." I said.
"It'd be safer to rest in there. Where there's a fence." Clementine looked down the hill. "Can we just try to have a calm, quiet night?"
"That sounds nice." Bonnie said.
"Yeah...yeah it does." I said, and Nick smiled towards me. The baby started to cry.
"Oh, shit, sorry about that...it's alright, AJ, it's alright..." Kenny said, calming him. I knew Kenny had settled for a name for this child...Alvin Junior.
"If we're staying, we should scout this place out." Jane said.
"Alright, y'all wait here. I'll go see if this isn't some walker nest we're locking ourselves into." Kenny said.
"I'll go with you." Jane volunteered. Kenny nodded, and handed AJ to Clementine.
"See if...see if you can calm him down a bit." Kenny said. Kenny and Jane started to walk down. Clementine looked over at Mike, Nick and I, nervous with the child.
"No, that's all you." Mike said. Clementine bit her lip, before sticking her tongue out at AJ. The baby calmed down, his face relaxing to a plain, cute measure.
"I wouldn't have guessed that would work." Mike said.
"Me neither." Clem admitted.
"I think he likes you." Bonnie said, walking over to Clementine. "Calmed right down for ya."
"He's cute. I like him." Clementine said.
"Yeah, he is, isn't he? Most babies are pretty ugly this soon after being born." Bonnie said.
"That's true. They usually look like weird little aliens." Mike said, and I shook my head as Nick laughed.
"Here, I got him." Bonnie said, and Clementine placed AJ back in her arms. Kenny and Jane walked back over.
"Come on over, it's safe." Kenny said.
...
Nick
We were gathered around the fire, me being next to Mike. Clementine sat in the far side, her face focused as she watched the fire, which was a great warmth to our faces. Kenny and AJ were leant up against the building, Kenny giving AJ the same adoring look he had when AJ was first born.
Whereas Arvo was far away, tied to a post. I couldn't agree with Kenny anymore to just tie him up.
"Today's my birthday." Luke said. I smiled over at him. I guess that was about right. When we lived further toward the city, Winter was always that time for him. "Near as I can tell at least."
"That's right." I recalled, and laughed. "Happy Birthday."
"Well...Happy birthday, Luke." Bonnie smiled over at Luke.
"Yeah, man. Happy birthday." Mike smiled.
"How can you even tell?" Clementine asked.
"Been keeping track of the day's. Been a few times when I thought I wouldn't see my next birthday." Luke said.
"Well, ya did it." Kenny smiled.
"Guess that's, uh, worth celebrating." Luke smiled. I looked back at him, and grinned. God. I really did love him.
"So? That makes you what? 27?" Bonnie asked Luke.
"That's...that's right. I'm surprised you remembered." Luke said. "Sure as hell feel a lot older."
"Don't even start with that shit." Kenny said.
"Got outta college five years ago...god, feels like a million years ago." Luke said. "At least I don't have to worry about paying off those student loans."
"I hear that. I'm sure there's some asshole, sittin' on that paperwork, watin' to collect." Mike said.
"I really liked school." Clementine smiled.
"Just a waste of money." Kenny said.
"Well, the major in art history hasn't helped too much over the last few years." Luke said.
"You were such an art nerd." I rolled my eyes.
Kenny chuckled. "Sounds like you majored in working in a coffee shop."
"Pretty much." Luke agreed.
"Oh, stop it." Bonnie said.
"Did get a minor in agriculture, though. Keep the old man happy." Luke continued.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Bonnie said, turning to her bag. "Was savin' it for a special occasion, and well, it being your birthday...I figured...this is as good as any."
And with that, Bonnie bought out a fancy bottle of alcohol, rum of some type.
"I'd like a sip. I mean, after you, obviously." Clementine said. Ha. I knew Clementine would. That time we were stuck in the shed...she shared a swig of whiskey with me. Didn't like it much, though.
"Really?" Luke asked.
"No!" Kenny snapped.
"Oh, what's a sip going to hurt?" Bonnie asked.
"You are not drinkin'. That is that." Kenny said, looking at the rest of the group sternly.
"Feel a little guilty taking the first--" Luke began.
"Whoa, wait. You gotta make a toast." Bonnie said.
"I'm not really the uh..." Luke said nervously.
"Come on, birthday boy. It don't have to be fancy." Bonnie urged.
"A toast means, we all got something to drink." Mike said.
"We can just pass the bottle around afterwards." Bonnie said. "Go on."
"To the loved ones we've lost along the way, and to the hope that we will see them again. Someday." Luke said. I looked down. All I could think about was Pete, and Rebecca. An Alvin.
"Here, here." Mike said.
"That was real nice." Bonnie said.
"Oh yeah? I didn't mean for it to rhyme, that was..." Luke said, nervously.
"Well, I got first watch." Kenny stood up, and walked away.
"I think the fence has got us pretty secure." Mike objected.
"You can't be too sure." Kenny said back.
"Come on, Kenny." Clementine asked. "At least have a drink."
"Nah. Maybe later." Kenny said.
"Clem..let him go." Bonnie said.
"I'm gonna go post up near the hole in the fence over there. Holler if you need anything." Kenny said, and with that, he walked away.
"Thanks, Kenny." I said.
Luke looked at the bottle, and tipped it back, drinking.
"Fires real nice! Plenty of room if you want to get warm!" Bonnie called over to Jane, who was standing away looking out to the fence. God, I hope she doesn't come over.
"Maybe in a bit." She called back. Thank god.
"I...didn't expect her to come back. Just when I thought I figured her out, she up and surprises." Bonnie said.
"It's a good thing. She saved our ass." Mike said. Ugh.
"I know, I know, I just don't know what she's getting outta all this." Bonnie wondered.
"She usually travels by herself. That has to be hard. Maybe she's lonely." Clementine suggested.
"Well, that'd explain a few things." Bonnie looked over at Luke, who turned red. I looked away, and. Luke caught my gaze, and sighed. "Oh come on. I'm just teasin'."
"It was stupid." Luke said, and shifted uncomfortably.
"I understand. She's a pretty girl. Once you get past all the mud and guts." Bonnie said, and Mike handed me the rum. I took it, and took a large swig. I didn't want them talking about Jane and Luke like that. It made me...mad. I swallowed the rum, and handed it back to Mike.
"I don't know...I guess I just..I wanted to forget all this shit for like, ten minutes." Luke sighed.
"Ten minutes? Man, that's longer than I'd last at this point." Mike said.
"Hey!" Bonnie laughed.
"Alright, alright, it wasn't ten minutes." Luke laughed. Luke looked over at me, and smiled. I laughed too.
"Come on. We got a little one around." Bonnie said, and we all looked over at Clem, who seemed oblivious to what we were talking about.
"Sorry!" Mike said. "Forget I said anything."
"I know what you guys are talking about..." Clementine said. Luke, Mike and I shared a awkward glance. Oops.
"I certainly hope not." Bonnie said.
"You're talking about kissing stuff." Clementine concluded.
"Uh, yeah! Yes, yes. That's what we were talking about." Luke covered up.
"Was there any kissing?" Mike asked, and I shoved him as we laughed.
"You shut your mouth right now, the both of you!" Bonnie exclaimed.
There was a silence as we laughed.
"Maybe she cam back for you..." Bonnie suggested. I sighed, and Mike looked over at me.
"Ugh, Bonnie." Mike said. Bonnie looked over at us.
"What?" She asked, and I looked away. Mike gestured toward me. "Oh! Shit, I am so--"
"It's. Fine." I said. I hoped that wasn't true.
"I don't know what to say to that." Luke said.
"I'd come back for you." Clementine said. We all looked at her, a strange feeling settling on myself. "You know what I mean..."
"Thank you, Clem. I'd do the same." Luke said.
"Luke's a regular Casanova." Mike said.
"Hey, shut up." Luke said.
"Don't be modest. Your moves are working on all the ladies." Mike laughed. And one guy...
"Worked on me." Bonnie said, and took a swig of the rum.
Fuck, Luke! Why does every girl like you?!
"Shit." Bonnie sighed. "I just did it too, didn't I?"
Luke looked away awkwardly.
"Sorry. It's the drink talkin'." Bonnie apologised.
"They say a drunk man's talk is a sober man's thoughts." Mike implied.
"Well, I'm not a man, so 'they' can take that shit somewhere else." Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Clem, go see if you can go get Kenny and Jane by the fire. It's too cold for them to be out there."
Bonnie handed Clementine the bottle.
"Oh, and, maybe a sip of this will change their minds." Bonnie said. Bonnie sat back down.
"Now, I don't wanna make things awkward--" Mike began.
"Well, when you say that, you know it's going to be anyways." I interrupted. Mike laughed.
"Yeah, maybe." Mike smiled. "I'm just wondering..."
Mike stopped to look over at Luke.
"Are you two...?" Mike gestured between both of us.
Luke looked away.
"Right." Mike said, and he studied my face. "It's obvious, you know."
"Oh, don't hassle them!" Bonnie said. "It's not like anyone cares about... that shit anymore."
"Yeah." I sigh. "Can we uh...can we talk about something else?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure." Bonnie smiled.