Okay, so this little one-shot that takes place at the same setting as "After" in season 4, but Carl is older.. Hope you like!

And remember, non-members can comment too!

Disclaimer: No, sorry, not owner of TWD. Only my OC, Lilly.

The atmosphere lay cold and hard as Carl strides in front of Lilly, pent-up anger and fustration evident in his blue eyes. Nothing but cold, dead silence strains the air as they walk aimlessly. In some twisted fate, Carl and Lilly ended up escaping together, since their campsite got raided. Everyone in their group getting seperated in the process. And Carl couldn't be more pissed. After stocking up at a little barbecue resturant, they ended up at an anbandoned house about another mile out. Carl begins to take the lead, but Lilly's voice, raspy from the silence and lack of water, rings through the air as they step inside. Both drawing their weapons.

"Carl, wait for me," he turns to her, blue eyes looking at her disgusted. Until this point he hasn't said a word to her. But his eyes scream his feelings towards her loud and clear.

"Don't tell me what to do," he spits out furiously...But they've always scouted out areas together. They've practically been partners ever since the beginning. They have been for a good 6 years now, ever since her and her family joined Rick's group, "I got it. By myself," slightly hurt, Lilly goes to the messy living, knife in hand as she passes the corner. It's clear, and she's able to turn the couch upright and against the front door, in her weaken state, as Carl makes his way back downstairs, after making sure the second floor was emtpy. He reaches his hand into the sack with their latest haul, and begins to loudly eat at the pork rinds they found. He knows how much she hates loud chewing, and after the third one she can't take the sound anymore.

"Carl, shut it," she sips at her water bottle, finally getting the refreshment she needed. She didn't eat much before that horrible night a week ago, and she's paying the price with an empty stmoach.

"No, stop telling me what to do," he chews even louder, and her hands ball up at her sides as stands before him, towering over him with narrowed eyes. You would think that she was the mature and older one between them. But no, as the first one maybe true, Carl was older than her by 22 days. And since technically Carl's birthday passed about 3 weeks ago, making him 18, she trails a little behind him at 17. So, he still towers over her when he stands up to look her in the eye. Matching her pissed off look.

"What the hell is your problem? Ever since the raid, you've been acting like an asshole!"

"Like you don't know! I've been sacificing my ass for you! BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU ISN'T IT?"

"DON'T MAKE THIS ABOUT ME!"

"WHAT? CAN'T HANDLE THE FUCKING TRUTH? YOU'RE USELESS! A BURDEN! WE NEVER NEEDED YOU. I DON'T NEED YOU!" The words hit her hard as she looks at him with disbelief. She knows she's not the toughest, and she knows she's not the strongest. But Lilly is not useless, or a burden. For the past 6 fucking years she has held her own. She's always done whatever she could to do right by the group, and for her once close friend, and partner to say this? She's crushed. Their yells causes walkers to start banging at the blocked door, the groaning filling the house.

"Fuck you too," with a lump forming in her throat she retreats. Running upstairs with tears droplets falling from her cheeks as she finds a bedroom. And by the looks of it, it's a teenage boy's paradise with a game console, video games, 50 inch flat screen, and tons of comic books. She discards all of this as she plops down on the bed. The pillows are soft, and the blankets still look clean. She falls asleep within moments. Finally feeling somewhat safe and secure, but not being with Carl, makes her feel tense. She hates being alone, it's one of her biggest fears, but that's just how things have to be for right now. Carl has been rude and cold to her for the past 7 days. Some space between them is what they need to be able to work together soon... But the thought of working together with Carl? That sounds impossible at the moment. And it's a strange feeling because they've never agrued like this before. She hears the sound of a door loudly shutting before she's dead asleep. Now she knows she alone..

.....

Step. Step. Step.

The sound of feet walking up the stairs outside the room makes Lilly immediately grab her knife. It's a reflex. By now, six years in this hell of a world it's considered natural. Her eyes adjust to the darkness, she must've been out for a good 3 hours, this being the most sleep she's ever gotten. The moonlight coming from the window beside her proves enough light for her to see Carl walking into the room, turning on the dim light. She huffs out as she sits up against the wall. She notices his missing shoe almost instantly. Only hearing one boot, and not the other.

"Where the hell's your shoe?"

"I, uh, I lost it to a walker, but I found pudding," the word walker echoes in Lilly's head.

"Wait, walker? You could've gotten yourself killed!" Lilly stands up, scolding him. She's asleep for about 3 hours and her friend almost became lunch. The undead had to be close enough to take off his shoe, probably pinning him down. And he's acting like it's no big deal.

"I'm fine! I told you I can handle myself!"

"No, you can't, Carl! You keep telling yourself that, but you can't! Not on your own! You still need someone with you!"

"I'm back! Do you see any bite marks? No!I. Can. Handle. MYSELF!"

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU!" Lilly looks him dead in the eye, as tears begin to well up. Carl looks at her surprised. He wasn't expecting this..

"W-What?"

"I've lost my dad, mom, and brother! Everyone that I loved is gone! Everyone I fought for is gone!.. Everyone.. Everyone expect you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you! I can't lose you, too, Carl!... I just can't..."

Lilly lost her family over the first months of the outbreak, it was as if they were being picked off one by one. First, it was her mother. She was ill, and her cause of death was natural. She was buried at Lilly's home before it was overrun.. Then it was her father.. She'll never forget seeing him getting bit at Hershel's. The thought giving her chills everytime. They weren't even able to see him again, because his screams caused more walkers to come over... Then.. Then it was her brother.. Her baby brother, Jason.. The tears run down her cheeks at the image of seeing her 9 year old brother as a walker. No one knows how he died. But with shaky fingers, and gasping for breath, 11 year old Lilly shoot him. Right in the head, after missing, due to her sobs. She had to. No matter how much it hurt. He wasn't human, he was the living dead, and he was coming for her. Carl looks at her, stunned... They've always been friends. But what she said.. She must feel something more. Carl stands up in front of her, and in the moonlight mixed with the dim room light, he can see the tear sliding down her face. He gently wipes the droplet away with his thumb, his hand lingering there as they gaze into each other's eyes.

"I can't lose you, either," he admits, as he softly glides his palm over her bandaged hand, the brim of his hat touching her forehead, "I've been trying to push you away.. Because if I got too close.. I thought I would end up hurt in the end.. But really, I have nothing to lose anymore.. You're all that I have," he leans in, and presses his lips against her's passionately. Their eyes fall shut, as his hand glides down, landing on her waist, pulling her closer to his chest. She kisses him back, finally, once in her life, she feels a sense of happiness.. They both lost so much, they both didn't want to lose another person that cared for.. But they can't turn back now.. They've always had this connection between each other, there's always been something there. People like Maggie, Carol, Lori, and even Rick have seen. There was always that shine in Carl's eyes whenever he would see her. And in that moment, the two teens finally express those deeper feelings for one another that they were both scared of it coming to the open. In this fucked up world, it is hard to focus on your humanity. Love comes second when survival is always key. It's hard to love when you're afraid you'll lose everything. But there. In each other arms. They feel whole again. They feela sense of purpose again.

The two end up laying in the bed. Carl on his back, and Lilly on her side, under his arm, head in the gap of his neck. He plays with her dark, curly hair that's under her bandana, as he holds her close. She feels safe. A sense of security. No danger.

"Sorry, for being a dick earlier," he apologizes, taking a strand of her hair, glancing at it, and twisting it around his pointer finger, "I didn't mean any of it."

"It's okay, you're my dick," they both laugh, her statement having two completely sepearte meanings. It's been years since she's heard him laugh. She almost forgot what it sounded like. She missed it.

"Sure thing, and guess what?" she looks at him questioningly. And he flips them over. He's hovering over her, putting little pressure on her body, as she gazes up into his eyes, those sweet, sky blue eyes, "Happy Birthday!" he pecks her cheek, and she smiles.

"You remembered." She can't believe he actually kept track. It's been 6 years since people have used calendars, you just guessed by the weather, daylight, or sun position what time, day, or season it is. All the days after the outbreak seemed to come as one.

"Of course I did, Lil'," he cooes, saying her long forgotten nickname. Butterflies tickling her stmoach.

"What's my present?" she questions as a sly smile forms on his face. An idea in his head.

"Guess.."

"Is it.. A kiss?"

"No," he still pecks her on the lips. His smile getting a little bigger.

"Is it.. Your hat?" she glides her fingers along the edge of his sheriff hat, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"No," he kisses her longer this time, and his right hand goes from her thigh, up her waist, pass her ribs, and to her jawline. Chills going down her spine.

"Then what could it be?" she knows exactly what he's thinking. He softly sprikles little kisses from the gap of her neck, to her jawline, and to the shell of her ear, and whispers.

"Just.. Don't make a sound.."

"No promises."

Okay, so, uh, that almost got pretty rated M. If you want a full ending, then comment below. And I hope this at least made you smile or a little warm inside!

If you did like, please fave or comment.

xxLi7MissBTRxx