Clementine & Louis One-shots

Afterglow

Word Count: 2k

Summary: Once the party has finished, the children sulk off to their rooms, worrying about the fight ahead. For Clementine and Louis, the night is still young.

A/N: If you don't follow me on tumblr then you wouldn't know that I took a little break from writing and the internet (if you're not following me wtf you doin' it's scullyy c'mon dudes) It was a nice break, I hadn't realised how much I actually needed it. Despite that, I missed being here in the community. So I figured what way to come back than by posting a one-shot I'm high-key proud of?

Enjoy xx

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Does the darkness have a name?

As AJ blew out the last candle, that's all there was. Darkness. The odd ray of moonlight poured into the room, shining through the wooden beams covering the window. It was on all of their faces, shadows making them appear older. They all felt it, together. A sombre harmony.

Clementine watched her friends slink out of the room, whispering their goodnights. She noticed the gentle shake on Ruby's shoulders, her hands held tightly together, trying to comfort her own mind. Tenn and Willy walked away together, thankful that their friendship wasn't long gone, thankful for the pleasant distraction.

She wondered when it first appeared, this darkness. Had it crept into their lives as children? Already apart of the world long before they were ever born, or was it new? Festering on the decay and newfound rot. She pulled her jacket around herself, trying to conceal the darkness that was definitely within her.

She was so wound up in her brooding thoughts, she didn't even notice the small presence beside her until he tugged at her pant leg. "Clem?" Her goofball looked up at her with tired, sunken eyes. "Can we go to bed?"

Clementine would have taken his little hand and gladly dream of lighter things if there still wasn't someone in the room. Hiding away from the moonlight, wrapped up in more darkness than anyone, Louis. His hands now lay empty beside him, the keys on his dear piano lonely. A few minutes ago he was lighting up the room with his tune, capturing the attention of everyone. Now he hid away into himself, a form Clementine hadn't seen from him before.

"You run off kiddo, I'll be there soon," Knowing he would want to stay by her side, she gave AJ a little push out the room, quickly waving goodbye until the door was shut completely. He was still so new, he didn't understand what the darkness even was and why it won't ever go away. She turned back to Louis, finding him now tracing the edge of the keys. The silence was haunting, he didn't fit into it at all. "I can tell that something is on your mind."

He inhaled deeply before answering. "I'm wondering what Violet is doing right now."

Clementine froze on the spot, her feet attached to the muddy carpet only because he was brave enough to say what everyone was thinking. "I don't know. If Lilly wants soldiers I'm sure she won't hurt any of them."

"Yeah, you might be right," Rather he hoped she was. All of them; Aasim, Omar and Violet. This woman, Lilly, was so ruthless. Yet it exposed just how blind Louis was, how unsafe and vulnerable they had been this entire time. "How many more of us have to die before the dust finally settles?" Hearing Willy and Tenn list off the names of their old school mates unlocked memories Louis filed away, hoping to never tread across again. The kid they found chomped to bits by the river, the debate club president they found hanging from the basketball hoop, the girl Louis used to sit next to in art class was barely recognizable when the walkers left her by the river. Her neon purple socks being the only telling feature.

Clementine felt it again; that strange thump in her heart, out of tune with the rest of her body. If the darkness did have a name, she assumed it would be her own. Bringing death and war wherever she went; the motor inn, Marsh House, the cabin group, Howe's Warehouse, hell even the Garcia's. People ran or they died and Clem couldn't decide which was worse. "We're going to be okay-"