Gray Skies (A Carl Grimes love story)

Closer

*two months later*

CARL'S POV

I carefully placed a small white candle on the table and straightened the white table cloth. I made sure the vase of wildflowers was centered correctly in the center.
Tonight I was preparing a special date for California. Yes, we were boyfriend and girlfriend, but we STILL haven't gone on our first date yet. But that was about to change.
I had sneaked around earlier and found a ladder leading to the roof of the prison. Up there it was completely peaceful. I found a small table and two chairs and hauled them up, then used what I could find around to make it romantic. You couldn't hear the walker's moans from the fence, and when it when it was midnight you could look up and see a milky cloud of stars. It all looked like sparkly dust. She would love it.
I found the most elegant clothes I could, which was a white long sleeve button up shirt and a pair of black pants. Beth gave me a bow tie to wear that she made, but it suspiciously looked like a girl's hair-piece.
I fixed my hair the best I could and checked myself in the mirror. Pretty good, especially for a fifteen year old boy trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.

I brought up the two small plates of food that I prepared earlier. It wasn't much, just a piece of neatly sliced chicken with a rosemary bud on the side. It looked okay, but it took forever to get it like that. God, I would suck as a chef.
The sun was starting to set and soon everyone would be heading back to their cells from their mini jobs. Cali had fence duty today. I snuck into her cell and place a small note on her bed. it read: CALI. PUT ON THE BEST CLOTHES U HAVE. MEET ME ON THE ROOF AT 12 2NIGHT. I included the directions to the ladder that lead to the roof on the back.

CALIFORNIA'S POV

When I was finally released from fence duty, I headed back to my cell. On the way there I was looking for Carl, although he was nowhere to be seen. I walked into my room and there was a note on my bed from Carl. I looked at it for a while and smiled, then decided to go talk to Beth. I have no good clothes.
"Hey," I said walking into her cell. "Do you have anything fancy I can wear?"
"Yup. Let me guess; Carl?"
"How did you know- oh yea he probably told you," I laughed. "So do you know what's going on?"
"You'll see." And she handed me a red dress. I thanked her and changed in the bathroom.
I looked at myself in the mirror, flattening out the ruffles in the dress. My hair was tied in a loose side braid and to tip it all off, I touched up my lips with a shiny lipgloss that I always kept stashed in my bag. Hey, who knows. It might come on handy one day.
Once it was twelve, I picked up the note and followed the directions to the ladder. I climbed up and peeked my head through the hole.
There was Carl, standing out in front of me holding a daisy. Behind him was a small table with a candle, two plates of food, and a bouquet of wildflowers in the middle.
"Carl! This is amazing!" I stepped onto the roof and spun around admiring the view.
I gave him a big hug and he handed me the daisy.
"Sorry it's not a rose." She said sheepishly. "Couldn't find one."
"It's perfect," I said. "Tell me, how did I get so lucky to have you?"
"I'm the lucky one," he responded as he pulled out a chair for me. I took it and he sat across from me.
"So... What's this for?" I ask curiously.
"Oh. I just wanted to take you on your first date." He paused then looked at me suspiciously. "This is your first date, isn't it?"
I laughed. "No, but it's my first date with you. So it's special."
He nodded an approval and winked at me.
We dined and talked for a long time, and when we were full, we just kept talking.
"So... Who's this other guy that had you first?" He said, sounding sarcastically angry. I chuckled.
"Oh. There was this boy named Chandler and we dated for about a month when I was thirteen. I stayed with him and his parents for a couple nights after this all started. You wouldn't know him." I continued. "He was a real jerk."
"What did he do?" He asked, now being protective. But I loved it.
"Cheated on we with some chick," I looked down and kind of stabbed at the remains of my chicken.
"I feel bad for him, then."
"Why?" I looked up.
"Because he let go of a girl like you."

We talked a bit longer until Carl got quiet.

"I want to show you something."
Carl leaned over and blew out the faint light of the candle. Now it was pitch black on the roof, but then I looked up.
Stars coated the dark sky, twinkling down at me. I stood up, amazed. The galaxy was beautiful. I never saw this before. Maybe because there was always some form of light around, or maybe because I never looked up.

CARL'S POV

I rolled out a blanket and laid it down on a place on the roof I dusted off.
Cali was still awestruck. She was so beautiful, looking at the stars.
I laid down on the blanket and she laid down next to me.
"This is beautiful," she whispered.
"So are you," I smiled shyly.
"Carl..." She put her head on my chest. "Thank you."
"For what?" I asked curiously.
"For everything. For being my boyfriend. For saving me. For showing me that there is still happiness in the world." She smiled weakly.
"Well... Your welcome." I whispered and I wrapped one of my fingers around a piece of her golden hair hanging loose from her braid.
A couple hours went past as we cuddled and stargazed. After a while, Cali fell asleep. I smiled to myself as I looked down at her; she looked so peaceful.
I wrapped my arm around her waist and her eyes fluttered open.
"Hey," she whispered and leaned up to kiss me.
After all this time, I STILL blush when she does something like that.
The sky became tinted with an orange glow in the east.
"We should get up. The sun is rising." I said. She nodded.
California got up and began to try to pick up the dirty dishes and fold up the table cloth.
"What are you doing?" I arched my eyebrow.
"Cleaning up," she offered. I wasn't going to let Cali clean up. She needed to go get ready.
"No no no no. I clean up. I was the host of this date." I said and smirked.
"...Fine," she said and smirked. "You're such a gentleman. I'll be downstairs."
I began to pick up the blanket and off she went.

•
*WHO CAUGHT THAT CHANDLER PART.
*WHOA THERE ACTOR REFERENCE.
*YAS.
•