Hey all! This is a one-shot for a ship I have kinda become obsessed with since I've read The Old World by my lovely friend and up-and-coming-author, Edward Clyde (also known as Ward :P).
Ward, I fucking hate you for getting me obsessed with Ethan/Pen now. I swear, if they don't end up being canon or shit, I will shake you.
Anyway, this is a sort of drabble one-shot, so I hope you enjoy it!
Ethan has so many things he wants to tell her.
He wants to tell her that she's pretty. That she's not weak, that she's never been weak since the world went to shit. That she's strong and brave, even though she had to go through some fucked up shit. That she's understanding even though she was disgusted at them for killing others for food.
But he mostly wants to tell her that he's sorry.
Sorry that he had always been a douche to her, that he never treated her right. That he never let her join them in he and the other guys' hang out time. That he was fucking stupid for thinking she couldn't join them on their runs to search for food and other people.
And now, sitting beside her bed, leaning against the rifle he had, he watched her sleep. Not in a creepy, stalker way, but in a protective way.
He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath, as she turned on her side, mumbling a little. He smirked when he heard her say, "Allen, I'm not a kid anymore," in her sleep.
Ethan reached out a hand, planning on moving some hair out of her face. He froze when her nose twitched and she sniffed, mumbling something incoherently. When she didn't wake up, he sighed with relief, and moved her hair to the side and behind her ears. He let his hand graze her cheek softly before he pushed himself to his feet.
As he looked down at her, he could only muster two words out of all the words he wanted to say.
"I'm sorry."