A/N: Background. My OC has known everyone since she was a kid, near the beginning of the apocalypse. She is near Carl's age, and is actually a close friend. She lost her brother and during that time grew closer to him. She is an orphan (self-proclaimed, she has no idea what happened to her parents when the apocalypse started, as they were separated). She has bright red hair, blue eyes and freckles all over her face and arms, and then they just scatter on her body. This fic is called The Morning After for a reason, guys ^-^ and the time frame is after the mid-season premiere, but before last night's AMAZING episode.

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As the sunlight shone into the room, I woke for the second time that morning.

I felt his arm around me, pulling me closer and closer to him in his sleep. His breathing soft... in and out... in and out...
It was comforting. I looked back at him. His eye (he had lost his other, and now it was covered up with a bandage) was closed, his mouth open slightly in his sleep. I stroked his soft, brown hair. It was so much longer now than when we first met. He was a kid then. A kid that was terrified about this new world around him. God, had he grown up these past few years. He wasn't a child anymore. He was a man.

This world does that to you.

I started to get up, and I heard him groan a bit as he pulled me closer again. The warmth of his bare chest against my back almost made me reconsider getting up and leaving, but I knew I had to. What had happened last night was wrong. It was so wrong on so many levels. Why had I done what I did? Hell if I know. If his father found out, he'd be one angry motherfucker for sure.

I got up again, and he rolled over to his other side in his sleep. Good. Maybe it would be easier.

I got dressed, putting my long, red hair into a ponytail. Slipping my faded, blue Converse on I hurried out of the bedroom and out of the house, into the cool morning air. I started walking down the street, jogging every now and again to get to my house in a quicker amount of time. I didn't want Carl to come out sooner than I wanted him to. I didn't want to even talk to him right now. I'm not sure if I could even look at him. Not now. Not yet. Not after last night.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. At all. We were friends. Since we were kids. We weren't supposed to become lovers. Not after everything we've been through.

No. No I wouldn't let it happen. It was just one night. Only one night. In the heat of the moment. It just happened, and it won't happen again. I won't let it.

I walked into my house and locked it, sliding down the door afterwards. I put my head in my hands, biting my lip.

Carl was just a friend. He had to be. I didn't like him. Not like that.

I sighed, shaking my head. I had to talk to him today. Tell him it was a mistake. That it wasn't supposed to happen. I bit my lip more, only stopping when there was a nasty taste of iron in my mouth. Oh, lovely.

After a moment I stood and made my way upstairs, going to take a shower. I wasn't sure what to do anymore.

Maybe if I talk to him about it, he would understand. After all, there are worse things I could do, right?

Last night just seemed like such a normal night. Like nothing would happen at all.

Such bullshit.

"Stop wincing."

"It hurts."

"You lost a fucking eye; it ain't supposed to feel like Heaven."

At this, Carl laughed a bit. I nodded and put the new bandage on after cleaning it out. "Alright, ya big baby. There you go."

"First of all, I wasn't being a baby." Carl smirked a bit. "Second of all, I didn't cry at all when this happened."

"No, you just fainted." I teased him. He chuckled quietly. We stayed silent for a moment before he spoke up.

"Do you maybe... want to go find your parents tomorrow?"

I blinked at him. "What? Just up and leave?"

"Well, no. I'll tell my dad and Michonne first."

I bit my top lip. "Carl... I don't know. I don't think we should. They're dead by now. They gotta be."

"How do you know?"

"Because. I haven't heard any news. With all this running around we've been doing, we would have been able to find them."

"Jackie-"

"Carl. Just... drop it, okay?"

He nodded, and after a beat he spoke. "But if you do want to go, I'll go with you."

I looked at him. "Thank you." I gave him a brief smile and lay back on the bed. I put my hands over my stomach and sighed, thinking to myself.

"You sigh a lot." Carl teased, lying next to me. I laughed.

"So I've been told." I looked over at him. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Were you scared?" I saw a smirk cross his face again.

"Of course I was. I thought you were a goner when you collapsed." I poked his cheek. He smiled before answering.

"You know, I don't really remember any of that." Carl said quietly. I raised my eyebrows.

"Really?" He shook his head in response. "What do you remember?"

"Jesse getting bit and then it's just black from there. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in the hospital and my Dad is, like, so happy he was crying."

I messed with his hair for a moment before nodding.

"He hardly left your side. Like at all. Every time I went to see you, he was right there." I smiled a bit. "He's a great father, Carl. Don't take him for granted."

"I'm not." I raised my eyebrows. "At least, you know, not anymore."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." I looked at the ceiling. "You think this world will ever get back to what it was? You know, actual civilization? Not just... scattered places like Alexandria."

"Well..." Carl thought to himself for a moment. "I don't think it'll be exactly like before. I think people are going to be more prepared for sure. There's always going to be walkers. No matter what happens. Like if someone doesn't shoot another person in the head after they die or whatever, then it just... happens, you know?"

I bit my lip. "Would you do it for me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Without a doubt. I wouldn't want you living like that."

"Why not?"

"Because... you deserve better." he stroked my hair. "You don't deserve to waste away, craving human flesh like a monster."

I got a little closer to him. "And why do you say that?"

"Because it's true." He said quietly, cupping my cheek. He then leaned in and kissed me.

I felt the hot water cascade down my body, and I let my hair down. I watched the steam appear on the glass in front of me, and lifted my finger to draw shapes on it.

I just hoped to God Carl didn't want to talk. What would I say? How would I say it? What was the fucking point in even liking someone nowadays? They just die anyway.

I stopped drawing, feeling the fresh cut I had made on my lip with my tongue. It stung a bit, but I didn't stop.

It was nothing compared to what Carl would have to go through later when I talked to him.