Friends before Lovers {NUKE fanfic}_@Mintgal2

38

Nick
It was cold.
But the more I kept swimming around, the more numb the water was against my skin. I couldn't see at first, the water straining my eyes, before focusing on a figure thrashing the water next to me. Luke.
My legs became restless from trying to keep myself up, and the air in my lungs ran out, forcing me to breathe. But I couldn't.
Luke tried harder than me, moving to a different piece of ice, and began to kick on it. I knew that wouldn't work. Clementine and Bonnie couldn't save us now.
...
Luke
I kept kicking, my sore leg bleeding out in the water due to the amount of pressure, but nothing I could do could break the ice. That was, when I saw a figure through the thin ice. Clementine. I don't know what she did, but she started to hammer down on the ice wiht something. Cracks started forming in the area; right where she was kneeling. As she hit the ice one more time, release came to the surface as she too fell in. Shit. She was smaller than me, her body would freeze in a matter of seconds. Her being on the water and with lower lung capacity. She could die because of me. She started to struggle in the water, but I saw her getting tired and sick. That's when someone reached in and pulled her out. I tried swimming after her, when I too was gripped, and pulled out into the air.
Cold air hit my skin, freezing any water that I was covered with. I shivered, as Jane picked Clementine up, and ran away. Bonnie helped me up.
"C'mon!" She said, and dragged me away from the cracked area, and I couldn't see Nick anywhere.
As soon as we got to the land, I fell to the ground, cold and sore. My limbs shook violently as Bonnie helped me up. I kept on walking, and as soon as we got in the house, I saw Clementine and Nick.
Nick was gone, asleep. He lay against the fire's surface, his jacket strewn on the ground. And he wasn't alert. Clementine was beside him, leaned over and holding her arms. The flame heated me up as I was sat down.
"How the fuck did that happen?!" I heard Kenny, say, and after that, I too closed my eyes. The cold was too heavy.

Nick
I woke up, leant against the fireplace. I opened my eyes, my head heavy and sore. Like there was thumping in my left temple. I looked around, the black edges of my vision clearing up to see Clementine, sitting beside Jane, she too freezing for some reason. Luke was passed out in front of the fire, curled upright. Arvo was crying and tied up to a half constructed post, his face beaten in. Mike, Kenny and Bonnie were no where to be seen at this moment.
"Ow." I said, and coughed, and irritation in my throat.
"You alright...?" Clementine asked me.
"I'm...what happened..?" I asked groggily. "Are you okay?"
"You went to help Luke, and you just both fell in." Bonnie explained, a distressed look on her face. "Of Clementine hadn't shattered it for a second time, I don't know what would've happen."
"T-thank you." I said, my teeth chattering. "God...is Luke okay..?"
Clementine looked over at Luke, who was still washed.
"I think so..." Clementine answered, and shivered at the fire cackled warming. "I'm scared. Now that Arvo has shown us here, what will Kenny do with him?"
"Mike and I will make sure he won't do anything, don't you worry." Bonnie sighed. "Where are we these days?"
"Where's Kenny?" I asked.
"Outside, getting some old truck to work. He's goin' mad." Bonnie concluded.
"He's just...he thinks he's doing the right thing." Clementine said. "For all of us. For AJ."
I sighed, and shivered.
"I thought I was gonna die." I swallowed.
"S-same." Clementine said. "When you and Luke fell through, I-I thought that was it."
"We're okay..." I heard Luke's weak voice say. I looked over to see him waking up. "We're...okay."
"You alright?" Bonnie asked. "Do you need anything?"
"I need warmth, and I'm alright." Luke chuckled. He shifted upright, and groaned. "Thank you, Clementine...and Bonnie." Clementine just looked away, with Bonnie nodding.
"What about me?" I managed a smile. "Aren't you gonna say thank you to me?"
"I told you not to come over, you asshole." Luke rolled his eyes. "But thanks."
"Welcome." I said. "You guys got any food?"
"There's two bags of supplies." Bonnie said. She stood up. "I'll get get you guys something."
"I'm going so see Jane and AJ." Clementine said, slowly getting up, and walking into another room. Luke sighed.
"I...we nearly died." Luke shook his head. "You and Clem. I would've been responsible."
"Look." I said. "I wasn't going to just stand there and not try to help you. If you died, I would have to keep living knowing I couldn't done something."
"I'm grateful that you tried." Luke said. "But Clem...she-what could she have done?"
"She shattered the glass so that Bonnie and Jane could get us out." I explained.
"Still. I'd rather one person dying than three." Luke concluded.
"You're all I have left." I said. "If you died..."
"You have Clem, and Bonnie and Mike." Luke shook his head. "It wouldn't matter if--"
"You're my best friend. I don't want to be alone. Imagine being that last cabin survivor." I said, breathless.
"Okay, okay." Luke nodded. "I understand."
I sighed, and rested my head on his shoulder.
"Never leave me again." I said in his ear. "Not even for a second."
Luke nodded, and closed his eyes.