Love and Life.

They sat in silence, both their gazes fixed upon Ellie's forearm. The events that had transpired that day were a rollercoaster, and it had just come to an abrupt halt. Riley thought back to the kiss, she wondered if Ellie really meant it, or if she would ever get the chance to know. They'd sat there, feet dangling and mouths silent for what felt like an eternity. Riley finally spoke up:

"We need to clean that" she declared.

"What's the point anyway?" Ellie fired back.

"Because I want to keep anytime we have left, maybe it's just two days or just two hours, I want to make the most of it"

"Fine".

"What that's it? Fine! That's it? Ellie, I am trying to help you enjoy your last fucking days in this fucked up world, and you just don't fucking want it!" Riley was yelling now, and Ellie started to sob.

"Riley I just wanted to be with you, more than anything or anyone else, everyone I've ever known is gone or dead, everyone fucking except for you! I just want to live my last hours with you, so just stay with me, please?"

"Ellie" Riley was now on the verge of tears, "Ellie, I will never leave you, and I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, all mine. If I would have just done what I was supposed to do, this never would've happened, and you'd be fine and I wouldn't be alone and, and you wouldn't be dead"

"Riley, you know I don't blame any of this on you, its no-ones fault. It could have happened anytime to anyone"

"Thanks, even though that was complete bullshit, sap" Riley said with humor in her tone and a smile forming on her cheeks.

"Whatever" Ellie said with the same smirk Riley had and gave her a playful shove.

"C'mon El, lets go get our packs" Riley declared.

They arrived in the music store where everything had transpired, the kiss, the infected, the song just walking back into the store had frozen Ellie in thought. It was broken when Riley spoke up

"Are you coming or what? I figured we'd spend your last days exploring, not staying stuck up in here"

"Yeah, sorry I was just thinking about something"

"Something you'd like to tell me about?" Riley asked inquisitively with a poorly hidden grin

"Riley, earlier did you mean it? The kiss?"

"I don't know"

Riley kissed Ellie, it was sudden and made Ellie jump back out of reflex, Riley blushed, but then it was Ellie's turn to surprise her she kissed her back even deeper than Riley had. Riley broke away:

"I'll take that for a yes"

"I love you"

she said with tears running down her face, reality had set in, she loved Ellie and Ellie loved her, but Ellie going to die.

"I love you too"

Riley grabbed her pack along with Ellie's and tossed it to her.

"C'mon El, there's a whole world out there to see!" she said smiling, she had to be strong, not just for Ellie but for herself.

"Yeah, let's go!" reality resetting in.

Riley walked over to her, running her hand over her forehead, not just to comfort Ellie, but to check her for fever. Which she'd shown no signs of, but she'd been bitten for less than an hour

"C'mon El, please just do this for me, besides I have a place in mind that you'll love"

She gave emphasis on that last word, just enough to spark Ellie's mind with interest

"And where's that?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out, now come on!" she said with a grin.

They set off out of a window in the mall; Riley hid her map from Ellie and led the way to wherever they went next.