Over the course of a few weeks into November, Maya has been off restrictions but is still being watched like a hawk by several of her group members. She has been secretly meeting Violet on her off times and carving her own spirit animal she is making for her. Maya put down her knife and stared at the sky as the cold wind nipped at her skin. Maya ponders on what to say to her girlfriend on saying the big three words that scare Maya to death of saying.
Hey, Vi…the air is nice. Almost feels like spring out with your beauty. Oh, and I love you. What the fuck…Hey, I was looking at the sunset the other day and reminded me of you. I love you and want to share my heart with you. Okay, that is better than the first but still is lame. Maya heaves a sigh and finishes putting the chord of a necklace around the carved panther. Just then, Robert comes up behind her and sees what Maya is doing.
"I thought you already have an animal for your spiritual thing. You are switching animals now." Robert asks.
Maya looks at him, "It doesn't work like that, Rob. You don't switch out an animal once it is assigned to you by the elders and spirits. I am still a hawk and will be a hawk."
"Okay. Then who is the panther for?" Robert asks as he leans on a tree truck eating an apple.
Maya rubs her thumb over the panther's head and then looks at him, "Someone very important to me." Maya glances up at him and looks at the apple he is eating, "You know those could have worms in them. You should be careful eating wild apples." Maya advises him.
"Haven't encountered one yet, besides not like I have a farmers market to go to and get fresh ones. If mother nature gives me the fruit of its labors, I will eat it." Robert looks at Maya as she shakes her head at him.
Robert then slowly walks away and Maya stops him, "Robert. Can I ask you for advice or just something only you have experience of."
Robert looks at the apple and then at Maya as he chucks the rest of the apple over the fence into mother nature, and turns his attention to the older teen. "Sure what's on your mind?
Maya glances around the small courtyard of their encampment making sure no unwanted ears hear what she is about to say to Robert. Maya then looks up at the older black man, "This may be a personal question to ask and I don't wish to bring up painful memories of your life before the world went nuts. But how do you know, or can you give me advice on how to say I love you to your partner? Like how did you say it to your wife?"
Robert looks at the teen and sees her fidgeting with her green flannel buttons and chuckles a little bit at her nervousness, "Just…say it from the heart Maya. There are no magic words. You are going to say it to this girl you have been sneaking out of camp and up with." Maya looks at him with a shocked look. "Yeah, Maya I've known for a while. I didn't say anything because I knew you are crazy about her."
Maya looks down at her feet, "I don't want to be a fumbling idiot and mess it up. She is the first I…I feel this way about. And gets me melting. And I am asking you because you had a wife you were happily in love with until.." Maya trails off.
Robert looks at Maya and feels slightly proud she is coming to him. Kind of feels like a father and daughter bonding moment, "Well kid, I wasn't always a charmer. Let's see….I got the dry heaves when the first time I tried to say those words to my wife Monique. And the second time I was too much of a chicken. Then finally I blurted it out as we had our first argument." Robert casts his brown eyes on her, "Yeah…I am not the best role model to look up to with this kind of thing. But what I can tell you. Say it from the heart, and do not overthink it. Women respond better when you are being real to them and not putting on a fake show. Trust me they can see right through it."
Maya slowly nods and then looks up at Robert, "Thanks, Rob, you are somewhat of a help."
"Told you I am not the best person for this kind of thing." Robert shrugs.
"I think you are better than you think, and you are right. We do respond better when someone is being real with us, than someone who is faking it." Maya gave him a kind smile and walks to her tent for a late afternoon nap. Before she heads to her tent with Violet's totem necklace Robert calls her name.
"Maya, if this girl loves you the way you love her, I have no doubt in my mind she will reject you. You have a good caring heart. She will choose you, I know it. I'm happy for you. The both of you." Robert gave a kind sad smile to her and wishes her all the happiness in the world.
Maya smiles at Robert's words and turns to head for her tent, thinking about her Spring Meadow Beauty and how to say those bonding words to the love of her life.
Arvo watches in the shadows of Maya and Robert's conversation. He then slips off and heads to Alberto's tent. "We have a traitor amongst us Albert."
Alberto was cleaning his hunting knife as he looks up, "What? Who?"
Arvo looks at him, "Maya. She's in love with a girl from that hostile group of kids in the woods. I knew that dyke was trouble."
Alberto looks up at Arvo, "I see…" Alberto puts the rag on the create.
"You are not going to do anything?" Arvo leans forward.
"Not at this moment, no. Actually kind of works out." Alberto smiles an evil grin.
"How is this working out? She could be leading the kids to us while we are unprepared." Arvo objects.
"I don't think that is on Maya's mind. Think about Arvo, with Maya's mind on this girl…she will not interfere with our strategy." Alberto said. "It works in our favor, but if you keep going after her it may not work out for us and our plan."
Arvo looks at him and nods as he makes sense. "So when are you thinking to do this."
…..
Violet and Aasim are out collecting some wood from the material they got when stealing the supplies from the Raiders a few months back. Willy and Omar have been working hard to build a second layer of fencing with sheet metal and wood, with Aasim's help.
"You think this will be enough?" Violet asks Aasim as he is a defense coordinator of this project Clementine has made him.
"I think so. I want to ensure the walls are secure enough to last us the winter." Aasim looks to Violet, "Snow and ice break down our gates, and stone walls over time Need to have support struts in them to make them last longer."
Violet nods to that, as she gets Aasim's logic. Then she looks at the frame Willy and Aasim started weeks ago and points out, "Would the frame be I don't know expose to the same elements as well and will weaken the very thing we are avoiding here by collecting wood from the train station and our supplies from the Raiders."
Aasim chuckles, "No not exactly, my plan to solve that issue is to encase the metal wall from in the wood, so it is less exposed. That is why I asked you to come with me to gather as much wood from the train station and what we have from the Raiders. Willy, Louis, and I have been taking apart the Train Station to get more materials."
Violet looks down and thinks about it then looks to her friend, "Hmmm that explains why Louis was carrying a saw and come back from a whole bunch of trees he cut down. So how is the frame coming along."
"Actually we have just finished. And I need your help to fortify it to the main gate if you are up for it." Aasim smiles. "I know how much you like to work on big projects like this, at least it is something."
Violet looks down at the dirt pathway and then at the school where Willy and Omar have leaned it to the outside wall next to the cart left over by the Raiders. They use it to transport materials to and from the school. Although Violet still gets a cold chill running down her back when she sees that cart. The manipulating mind games from Lily, Violet being terrified of Lily threatening to kill the people she loves most in the world if she fought back. And the most betrayal is Minerva leaving her and choosing them over her. She still hears Minnie's voice that day that had broke Violet's heart and turned it into bitterness for some time after.
"Minnie…why…why are you doing this? Don't you even care for me?" Violet pleads as she is thrown in a jail-holding cell.
"Of course I care, I always have," Minerva spoke.
"Then come back with me! The Minnie I loved or used to know will not stand for what this psycho bitch is doing, and you are better than this!" Violet tries to get through to her former lover.
Minerva looks at Violet with cold eyes. Eyes that never felt so cold and distant to Violet. "That was a long time ago Vi. I've changed and not the same 14-year-old girl who fell for you. I have a new home now Violet and it is not with Ericson."
Violet's eyes turned into an angry glare, "What? Minnie...You don't mean that!"
Minerva looks Violet straight in the eyes, "Yes I do. Please Violet if you want to survive this, don't fight it, or you could end up being killed, or someone you and I care for. Do as Lily says, and you should be fine."
"Minerva…what have they done to you?! What…why are you doing this to me, to us! I don'—" Violet looks at her former lover.
Minerva reaches through the gates and holds onto Violet's hand, "I am doing this to protect the thing I love and you. I don't want to see you…get killed. Don't fight this please!" Although Minerva was lying and playing with Violet's heart the whole time. Her heart was no longer with Violet's, as the Delta is her home now.
Aasim looks down at her, "You okay Vi?"
Violet shakes her head not letting Aasim know, "Yeah I am. So what is your plan to approach the task?"
Aasim looks at Violet and then at the huge sheet metal, "You or Willy hold the frame in place as Omar and I hammer the nails into the stone wall."
Violet gave a snarky comment to his suggestion, "Aasim, I love you as my friend but just because I am a female, doesn't mean I can't do manly things as well. I can hammer into the wall, then be a support beam for the damn thing."
Aasim blushes on his own words he said to Violet, "Sorry, I didn't mean to come off misogynistic. If you want to hammer away into the wall, be my guest, I just thought you…never mind. Your call on the matter." Aasim grits to himself.
Violet nods his apology for his arrogance at times being a guy. Violet felt a cold chill, as the wind blew at her and Aasim's back. Violet looks up at the sky as Maya has been teaching her how to sense when a storm is coming, "We should hurry up and get the wall up this afternoon. I feel a major storm coming."
Aasim looks at Violet and then up at the sky. The air felt cold like dropping temps but nothing that will cause a storm, and looks at Violet, "How do you know it is going to storm?"
"I don't know…I sense it. The air feels heavy and can feel the dampness. Hard to explain." Violet casts her green eyes to the side avoiding Aasim's gaze not revealing how she knows this.
But Aasim is no fool no matter how hard Violet hides it. "Maya been teaching you hasn't she."
Violet looks down and remains silent for a bit. Then looking half at Aasim, "Yes. She is very resourceful you know. Knowing how to tell time with the moon, sun, and stars, knowing how to listen and read the earth, and sensing the different weather patterns. Honestly, learning so much from her and what her ancestors used to do before the modernized world came in and ruined everything including her beautiful culture and way of life." The last sentence she spoke surprised herself, as she has falling in love with her native girl and her culture. "I know…Clem doesn't want me to see her, but.." Violet slowly stops as she confesses to Aasim, "Can this stay between me and you?"
Aasim silently nods as Violet is opening up to him for some strange reason. Violet takes a deep breath and confesses to Aasim on her love for Maya, "For the first time since….Minerva, I have found love in a person I least expect to be loving let alone having to receive love in return. I fell in love with her people that she speaks of in a faraway place, her culture, and with her. I never knew a love like this existed until…we got close. And now, she is all I think about, day and night and all the hours in between." Violet slowly eyes Aasim. "Please don't tell anyone. I already feel and get looks from some people here questioning my loyalty to this group."
Aasim was surprised this came from Violet as she confines in him her love feelings for Maya. "I won't. I am just surprised you even turn to me on this matter and not Louis. Considering Louis is your best friend or closest friend here."
"Well Louis is all lovey-dovey with Clementine, so I doubt he will find the time to hear out my heart. Plus I don't trust him on keeping it to himself as you will." Violet admitted. "I know you keep secrets well and live by a set of code."
Aasim nods to that as people come to them for their problems and hold secrets. Aasim turns to Violet, "You are right on that." Then he half smiles at Violet's last sentence, "I guess psychology really does run in my family." Violet turns to look at him out of confusion, "My mother was a practicing psychologist who specializes in group therapy of wounded soldiers in combat and tackles their PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when coming back from war zones, and learns to manage and treat their mental state. My parents pushed me into doing some kind of field in psychiatric medicine to keep in the family business….but I didn't want that for my future and wanted to be a pediatrician and help kids fighting illnesses instead of practicing psychology. But now I come to realize since being at this school, the psychologist in my family is speaking to me."
Aasim sighs as she looks at Violet, "You really truly love this person don't you?"
Violet nods, and a slight smile is on her face when Maya's name runs through her mind and sees her sweet face, "Yes…for the first time in my life, I feel loved, and wanted by someone." Violet then pushes her mushy feelings down and moves forward to the front gates. "Just….pretend I didn't get all mushy back there when talking about her."
Aasim kind of chuckles at his friend. He knows Violet doesn't like to show her softer side to people and it is rare for her to show such emotion He can tell Violet is not comfortable being open as she clams up a little. Aasim walks with her as he and Violet brought the materials inside the gates of Ericson.
Violet pounded away at the wall as she and Aasim boarded up the main gate of Ericson. Clementine and Ruby returned from the greenhouse with some fresh veggies Ruby is trying out. Violet looks at Clementine and rolls her eyes as she continues to put more nails into the protective wall. Willy was trying his best to hold tight to the wall, but his tired arms felt weak, and he let go for a split second.
As Willy shakes out his arm the part of the wall came undone and he heard Aasim yelling at him to get back to holding the wall, "Willy the wall, hold it steady!"
"I am, I am." Willy groans as he places his hands back on the wall. He sees a metal beam coming loose as Violet was moving toward it, "Violet be careful of the—" But it was too late.
Violet felt a twinge of pain as she shrieked out in pain holding her arm, "Fuck! Damn it Willy!"
Aasim jumps down from the top of the wall to attend to Violet's injury, "Let me see it." He sees blood oozing from the wound as he applies pressure to Violet's arm to stop the flow.
Willy steps back from the half-secured wall mount, "I am sorry really. I tried to warn—"
"Go get Ruby!" Aasim yells at him. Willy took off and catches Ruby before going into the dorms with Clementine.
Violet lets go of the hammer and winches at the sharp pain. "I'm fine it is probably just a scrape, you don't have to hold my arm, Aasim."
"Vi you are oozing blood, this more than a simple scrape. I don't need you passing out from blood loss okay." Aasim looks at her.
Ruby and Clementine came to stand beside Aasim with Willy slightly behind the two older females, "What happened?"
Violet glances up at Clementine, "Nothing I am fine."
Ruby knelt down and nudges Aasim to move his hands. Blood oozes out, and Ruby applied her rag to Violet's wound. "This is going to need some suturing Vi?"
Violet looks away and winches at the pain and nods to Ruby, "Just fix it up okay."
Clementine eyes her old friend, and helps Violet up but Violet shoves Clementine's hand away, "Fuck off I don't need help from you, I am capable of getting up myself." Violet still holds anger at Clementine for keeping Violet away from seeing Maya. Violet holds Ruby's rag to her arm and slowly moves to the admin building to get patched up by Ruby.
Ruby looks at Clementine with empathy and goes to Violet to attend to her wound. Aasim looks to his leader, "Give her space Clem."
Clementine sighs out a frustrating sigh, "I've been giving her space. And all I get is her resentment."
Aasim sighs as he picks up Violet's hammer and nails, "She is just dealing a lot right now, need to be patient with her and give her some slack. She will talk to you when she feels she can trust you and you hear her out."
Clementine looks at him, "She talked to you?"
"Yeah," Aasim spoke.
"She tells you why she resents me?" Clementine holds the wall steady.
Aasim nods silently and then looks at his leader, "I swore to her I will keep what she told me to myself. I think part of it is you are not hearing Violet out on this whole Maya thing. My best advice Clem, listen to her and let Violet speak. The problem I think is you two have a miscommunication going on and not hearing each other. Violet thinks you are barring her from Maya because of people in her group, which I know is not your intention to do, but that is how Violet feels. And Violet is not seeing it from your perspective because….well because of her fondness of the new girl in the other group." Aasim doesn't want to tell Clementine what he just promised Violet that she is in love with Maya.
Although Clementine picked up the hint that Aasim said, "I know….but I have this feeling, call me predictable or superstition, but I feel we all will get crossed and burn if I let Maya in. See how well that turned out when I try to trust Minerva, and almost cost me my life as well as others I care about. I am trying to keep us all safe here." Clementine sighs as she looks at the wall, "You want help?"
"Sure," Aasim said as Clementine holds the wall.
…..
Ruby was attending to Violet's arm and wrapping up her arm. Already she misses Maya's sweet touch to heal her. God, I am going crazy here. Ruby puts a small layer of gauze over her arm. Ruby quietly talked to Violet, "It doesn't look to be that deep, but try to keep this wrap on for the next several days."
Violet nods, and Ruby puts away her medical supplies, "You know Clem was only trying to help you. She wasn't going to grill you or anything."
Violet looks at Ruby, "I know. Maybe I shouldn't have been so mean, but you and Clem do not understand what I am going through."
"Then talk to us, Violet?" Ruby turns to face her.
"Why should I when you all look at me funny when my heart chooses someone you all hold judgment to? Yeah, I see how you all look at me. The only people who don't question my loyalty and don't judge me are strangely Aasim and Louis." Violet climbs off the table and storms out, leaving Ruby in the nurses' station alone.
Violet sneaks out of the admin building and while Clementine, Willy, and Aasim are busy with fixing up the wall task, Violet goes to Clementine's treehouse and sneaks out to go find Maya, and let her heart be soothed in the arms of her true love. Little did Violet know, her heart wanted more than just soothing from Maya and wanted her to have a passionate night.
…
Maya was on hunting patrol and Maya is finding it harder to find any food. With the threat of snow on the way it is going to make things difficult to find food for everyone. And she doesn't even know how Violet's group is handling the situation.
Maya looks to the sky and feels a thunderstorm is on the way. And looks to Bonnie and her sister, "We should probably call it a day guys."
Bonnie turns to look at Maya, "But we barely caught anything. Surely there is more game around."
"I think all of our fury animal friends are in their dens because of the coming storm." Maya scans the woodland area.
"We hunted in the rain before," Bonnie said, making an observation.
"Not when it will be thundering and winds. Even wild animals flee from big storms like that and take refuge someplace safe and out of the storm." Maya said.
"As much as hate to agree, Maya is right. Animals sense a major storm on the way and they hide. We have to ration what we got Bonnie." Aniya said.
Bonnie pauses in her step and heaves out a sigh, "Alright, Shit. Well, I guess some people will go hungry tonight if this is all we can catch."
Aniya heard the frustration in her voice, "We will scout out tomorrow morning Bonnie it will be alright."
"No, Aniya it won't be. I'm afraid when winter comes, we all might not last as a group if we can't find things to eat. And winter months a brutal that what we have now." Bonnie feels a bit discouraged. She then picks up the pace and heads for camp.
Maya eyes her sister and walks beside her as they make it into camp. Bonnie and Maya lay their catches on the butchering table as Maya sees Alberto sharpening his knife. He looks at the killed animals and, with a disapproving scowl on his face, looks up at the two females. "This seriously all you girls can find! What am supposed to do with these animals with hardly no meat on it."
"Alberto we spent so many hours hunting…" Bonnie tries to explain.
"Well you didn't do a good job now, did you? Phff even Arvo has better success than this?" Alberto said.
Maya got a little fed up with his manly attitude, "We did all we could Alberto, in case you don't know a storm is coming, a big one and animals flee when they fear a bad storm is nearing."
"A little rain won't do no harm." Alberto dismisses Maya's warning.
Maya was about to lay into him when Bonnie places her hand on Maya's shoulder, "Maya go put your bow back and I will explain to Albert here as well as Robert what we are up against. You did well for what we got."
Maya looks to Bonnie then to Alberto and heaves a sigh as she walks away as she walks away she heard Bonnie laying into Albert on their task. Maya puts her bow in the armory tent, as Arvo was on watch. Maya then sneaks to her tent and opens the board to see if Violet left a message. It has become their new thing to get each other's attention when they are not on watch lookout duty. Maya sees a new message as she sees her code name Star Bird and a first aid symbol. Maya's heart sank as something was up with Violet.
Maya sneaks back through her camp's wall and goes into her tent. She grabs her bag and grabs whatever medicine she has on her side of the tent. Aniya looks up from her bed, "What are you doing."
"Violet needs me." Maya hisses.
"Is she hurt?" Aniya asks.
"I don't know, but packing this in case. Do me a favor, keep this to yourself the fewer questions you ask the better for the both of us." Maya said.
"Wait you're going to see her now!? But the storm, you will never make it back in time." Aniya said.
"I know…look when the storm passes I will come back, I will be back around dawn, and if Bonnie asks if I want supper, tell her Alicia should have my share. I can deal without for a day or so." Maya said.
"Maya…you are acting insane," Aniya spoke.
"Well, sis, love drives you a bit insane." Maya looks at her sister. "Look I will be careful it won't be like it was several weeks ago, I promise." Maya then disappears out of her tent and head to the border wall, slip right through the loose board, and gently places it back.
While Arvo is looking at walkers and killing them every now and then that got close to the wall, Maya slips in with the shadows of the trees to go find Violet who is waiting for her. It didn't take long to track her trail as her heart led to her.
Maya sees Violet by the familiar meeting place, "Vi?" Maya hissed in the darkness. "Violet? Are you here?"
Violet looks behind a tree, "Maya?"
"Are you okay? I got your message?" Maya asks as she comes closer.
Violet winces as she holds her right arm from pain. Maya stands before her girlfriend and sees she is injured. "What happened?"
"Dumb accident of me patching and boarding up a wall. My friend Ruby patched me up, but…" Violet looks into Maya's brown eyes, "I really could use your medicine." Violet sighs as she admits Maya does have a healing touch with her native herbal care. "I admit it, you do have a magic touch with your skills in ancient medicine."
Maya tilts her head to one side and smiles at her, "Are you a believer in my grandmother's secret of herbal medicine?"
"I didn't say that. Just….your medicine does have healing properties to the human body." Violet is still on the offense of trusting Indian medicine.
Maya looks at Violet's arm in the fading light, "Well…I haven't had time to scavenge for herbs. And the stuff I need is found by the water, like a small creek. You know where one is around here?"
Violet looks to Maya and nods as she moves a little forward, "Actually I do. Come on."
Maya looks at her and follows after Violet and walks by her closely, as Violet looks down and slowly and softly links her fingers to Maya's as she is taking her to the old fishing shack or near it close to Ericson as she is getting comfortable now with Maya and knows in her heart she trusts her. By the time Violet took to where Maya needed to go, it was night out and there were walkers nearby.
Maya looks to Violet, "I can't see what I need to find in the water without some light. You think you can distract that banshee…er..sorry walker, over there by the cluster of trees and I kill it."
"Why do I have to distract it?" Violet asks.
"Okay, do you want to kill it then?" Maya looks at her. "Someone has to distract, and someone has to kill."
Violet glances down at her arm and then back at Maya, "Fine…only because you are charming in trying to heal me." Violet mumbles and slowly stalks a male walker.
Violet was a few feet from him and whistled to get its attention. The zombie turns and a few more were behind it following the noise of Violet's whistle. Shit. Violet backs away and was thinking to herself come on Maya anytime. Violet has her meat cleaver handy as she tries to look for her lover, as Maya is nowhere to be found. Soon one of the walkers grabbed Violet and she kicks at the walker to get free. Panic floods her as she scrambles out of there. Soon the walker that grab Violet made a gargling sound as Maya slashed it with a knife Violet has never seen before.
Violet comes back to Maya's side and looks up and sees the other walkers dead, and she peers back at Maya, "How did you manage to do that?"
"Be one with the trees." Maya smiles.
"No seriously, like you were invisible, I didn't even see you." Violet looks at her girlfriend.
"I will tell you another time," Maya said as she cuts a piece of fabric off of a dead walker. Maya silently breathes in as she thanks the falling walker for its purpose and saddens that it died. Maya takes a stick that is not wet from the trees and rock, and she strikes at it to create sparks to start a fire. Once the fabric was ablaze with flames, Maya takes the stick of fire and hands it to Violet. "I need you to hold the light or fire while I go….fishing."
"Fishing?" Violet asks as Maya begins to roll up the cuffs of her pants. "Are you serious? Going in the water, it is freezing."
"Yes, it is one of the ingredients in my grandmother's stuff. I need a special root that is found in shallow waters. And for the record, I've been in much colder waters out west. Ever waded in mountain water before? It can't be worse than that." Maya said. Maya takes a deep breath and sinks her toes in the icy waters. As the cold water rushed around her ankles she braces herself against the cold water until she manages her body temp with the coldness. "Okay…give me the light,"
Violet hands Maya the fire torch as she sees Maya focused. Maya soon spots the root she is looking for and takes out her antler knife and cuts away at it. She leaned over to her bag and gets out a turtle shell she dips the turtle shell in the water and dumps water out of it until a small amount is in it, and soon climbs out of the water to work her skills of abstracting juices from the plant to make a paste-like substance. Maya then soon comes to Violet as they sat on the wooden bridge, "Okay, hold still, it will sting for a moment, but the healing properties of the lily root, will be a soother of the sting. It will help keep the infection from it."
Violet lets Maya unwrap her arm what Ruby did to patch it up this afternoon, and Maya very tenderly places the substance on her wound. Violet winces at the sing. Maya tenderly rubs the paste-like substance on Violet's skin and lightly blew on it to soothe it, and add a lover's feel to it. Maya soon rewraps Violet's arm as she looks at her. "Feel better?"
Violet had no words except for one thing on her mind as she leaned over and planted a kiss on Maya's lips and laced her fingers to Maya's. Maya was out of shock with that as she blushes big time for Violet and somehow Violet read Maya's heart the whole time she was patching her up. When Violet pulls away from Maya's lips and stares into her beautiful brown eyes and held her face in her hands. "Yes."
Maya's heart was beating, and she doesn't know if this is the right time to say those words her heart is telling her to say them. Maya looks into her eyes and melted in Violet's green pools. Maya swallowed hard as she bit her inner cheek to say it. "Violet, I love you." Maya looks down for a moment before raising her eyes to look into Violet's eyes as her cheeks blushed hard as she held Violet close to her. "You bewitched and captured my soul, that….I can't see loving or knowing a greater love than I feel for you. I truly with all my heart, fell in love with you." Maya searches Violet's eyes as Violet was speechless at what Maya just told her. Maya gently said, "Now would be a great time to say something."
Violet releases the breath she held as she was shocked by how well Maya spoke true love of words to her. Violet now blushes as she looks at Maya and feels love in her eyes. Violet reaches for Maya's tribal jacket, and instead of telling her through words, she showed it by the action of kissing her over and over with her kisses to let her know she fell in love with this rugged Indian warrior.
Maya melted in her kiss and felt Violet kissing her differently, and in that moment she knew Violet is communicating through her kisses she loves her back. Violet and Maya were passionately kissing confessing to each other the new love they found within themselves when the storm took flight, and Violet pulled Maya into the fishing shack to continue their passionate kiss. She knew the other kids will not worry and closed the shack up for the winter. This is the first time Violet let Maya close to the school. She fully trusts her now and knows she is good and has no ill intent to misuse her heart.
Once inside the shack and Maya and Violet are in and out of the rain, Violet pins Maya up against the door to the fishing shack in which closing the door with the force of Violet's action of passionately kissing Maya and making out with her new girlfriend. This shocked Maya Violet being this bold. But Violet is no longer driven by fear, only by love, as she locks her mouth to Maya's, letting her know she is in love with her.
Maya gulps and kisses Violet back and pulls her close to her holding her tightly and never letting her go. She has never been this close to anyone and for the first time felt weak in the knees which is something that doesn't happen to Maya. Maya felt Violet's hands on her chest as she makes her way to Maya's forearms.
Violet pulls back kissing Maya as she stares intently into Maya's rich chocolate eyes. She feels Maya's heart racing with her own, and Violet closes the gap and nuzzles her nose to Maya's before latching her pink lips to hers and holding Maya's face with her hands. Violet then slowly moves her hands as she deepens the kiss, inside Maya's soaked tribal jacket, and removes it, and lets it fall to the floor along with Maya's bag. Violet then moves her kisses off of her lips and moves her lips across Maya's check bone soaking in her beauty, before moving her lips down the slope of her neck, and tenderly kissing her there. She can hear Maya's shallow breathing as she knows Maya is in heaven enjoying this.
Violet subconsciously works her fingers to remove Maya's other wet clothes so she can feel her smooth wet skin. Violet has never been this far with someone, and she wants to share this moment with Maya.
Maya can't believe how smooth and open Violet is. And she was on cloud nine, enjoying her touches. She feels Violet is thinking the same thing she is, and although Maya has never been intimate with someone before, she wants her first time to be with Violet. Maya then felt Violet trailing her kisses up Maya's neck before crashing her lips to hers once more.
They make out by the door for a few more moments, until Violet leads both her and Maya to a more intimate spot. Still having her lips linked to Maya's, Violet guides Maya to the bed near the back. She never had sex with anyone before and came close with Minerva on several occasions back then, but this is all new to Violet. Violet slowly lowers her body down and lays on her back on the old mattress as Maya climbs on top of her. When Maya is hovering over Violet's body, Violet looked up into Maya's soft brown eyes.
She never envisions giving her heart to a girl like Maya before, until now. Looking at Maya and into her beautiful brown eyes, Violet knows in her heart she wants to. Violet reaches out, strokes Maya's chest, and sees her necklace dangling in front of her. Violet reaches up and feels the animal totem necklace she is wearing. Without the words being spoken between them, Violet clasps her hands around Maya's necklace to bring her lips to hers.
Violet crashes her lips to Maya's and feels Maya's body lowering down onto hers as Maya and her heavily make out and feeling each other out for a night of passion they both want to share together. If Violet ever wanted to give away her virginity to someone, she wanted it to be with someone who will go to the ends of the earth for her, and looking into Maya's eyes that night, she knew Maya would do just that.
….
Clementine comes in from the down pouring rain and makes sure the gates are secure from the big storm that has been threatening all day. She shakes the rain off of her jacket as Aasim closes the door behind her.
"Crazy how fast the storm came. Almost thought It would miss us." Aasim said as he peers outside.
"Let's just hope the gates hold," Clementine said casting out into the sheets of heavy rain.
"Yeah, the last thing we need are walkers invading our walls." Aasim looks at Clementine as worry sets in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm sure the extra support of scrap metal from the raider's supplies should hold it. We will inspect it once the storm passes. Willy and I will keep watch of the dorms tonight, just in case. You should get some rest, you did well today Clem."
"Thanks." Clementine heaves a sigh of relief. She knows AJ will be sleeping with Tenn for the night as Tenn always has issues with big storms, so it looks like it is a Lou and her kind of night.
Clementine makes her way to her room and opens up the door, and to her surprise, it was romantically lit with candles and a lantern beside the desk. There were sheets aligned at the bedside as well as stacks of pillows. "Louis?" Clementine asks as she closes the door behind her.
Louis pokes his head out from underneath the bed sheets, "Oh there you are."
"What have you done with our room?" Clementine asks as she questions him and looks around.
"Figure we can have a date night since we haven't had one in a while, and build a pillow fort," Louis said all innocently which always melted Clementine's heart.
"A pillow fort really?" Clementine asks.
"Yes really. It will be like we are camping just without a tent. Well, sort of…Besides, I got some pretzels waiting for you." Louis incises her a bit. Clementine giggles and joins him under the fort.
"When did you have time to do this?" Clementine asks.
"Well, when you were out prepping for the storm. I know I should help but with the day you had, wanted to give you something to look forward to when all is said and done." Louis eyes her. "And AJ is with Tenn tonight, so figure you, and I can have some romance time."
"You are so cute, and I got to admit this is really romantic." Clementine smiles. Clementine blushes as she tries to hide it from him. She hates it that he can get her to soften her tough girl look, and become all mushy.
The thunder outside begins to pick up as the hard rain can be heard splattering on the glass and wood on the window. Clementine looks at him, "So any plans for our romantic evening or just this."
Louis looks at her and softly comes over to sit behind her, "Well was thinking of playing a game of cards with you, but with how stressed you are, I will offer you a massage if you want it Or we can sit and talk about what hap-" Louis started to say, but when he mentioned it Clementine got emotional and shuttered away. He bit his lip and wanted to take away whatever it is that is upsetting her.
"I don't want to talk about it. At least not right now Lou." Clementine finally spoke after a moment of silence. "I don't want to spoil the mood."
Louis nods to that, "So massage then? I promise I won't hurt you. I am pretty good at it, giving massages I mean."
Clementine smiles and nods to that. She knows how well he read her mood and knows when not to push things. Being a leader is tough, and he knows this, so being her rock when she needs him to be is all Clementine can be grateful for. Louis begins to massage her tighten shoulders as Clementine stares at the flickering light of the candle and lantern. She closes her eyes to feel the tension leaving her body as Louis loosens up those strained muscles. "I tried to help her, and she shoves me away…" Clementine voiced out loud.
"Vi?" Louis asks.
Clementine nods in silence. It has been several weeks since Clementine found out Violet is being extremely friendly to the girl Maya from the other group she has trust issues with, and since then Violet and she are still on shaky ground. Aasim told her how Violet got injured and when Clementine tried to help Violet shoved her hand away and told her to piss off. Ruby was the only one besides Tenn that Violet allows to talk to and sometimes Louis.
Louis didn't say anything and just kept working on Clem's shoulders. "She yelled at me this afternoon after getting cut from securing the gate and the walls for the storm. I came and offered to help her get up so Ruby could examine her. She told me to fuck off pretty much. I don't understand what I did to hurt her. I wish things could back to where they were. I miss having her as my friend another girl I can talk to, besides just Ruby."
Louis finally speaks near Clementine's right ear; "I can try talking to her if you want. I know her a bit better than you do. Vi and I kind of go back a ways."
"I don't want her to hurt you the way she has hurt me." Clementine looks at him with worry in her eyes.
"As I said, I know how she runs. She uses her cold heart to push away people as a defensive mechanism the way I use jokes, to protect her heart from getting broken." Louis confesses. "She isn't trying to be mean and cold towards you darling, that is how Vi is sometimes." Louis tucks a lock of Clementine's beautiful soft curly hair behind her right earlobe. And kisses her cheek for reassurance. "She will come around. Just got to give her time and space."
Clementine heaves a sigh as he does that, "It's been several weeks, Louis."
"I know. But she will come around." Louis kisses the back of her neck and shoulders. Clementine smiles, as she feels loved by him. She leans her back against his chest and lets him hold her for a while. They listen to the storm rage outside for a bit then Clementine looks at him and reaches inside his coat pocket grabbing his deck of cards.
"Hey." Louis shouted, "Those are mine."
"Truth or dare?" Clementine looks at him with a cheeky smile.
"I thought you didn't want to play a game?" Louis asks as his eyebrows rose.
"To take my mind off of what happened, besides I need the distraction of the shitty day I had." Clementine said as she shuffles the cards, "So truth or dare?"
Louis raises his eyebrows in a cocky way, "All right. Bring on your best game Clem." And gave Clementine a smirking grin.
Clementine slyly smiles at him and placed the shuffle cards in the middle as she draws one from the pile, and so does Louis. Louis has the eight of hearts and Clementine has the two of spades. Louis eyes her, "Well I guess I win, hmmm let's see, Truth. Would you rather eat a spider or kiss a snake?"
Clementine blinks up at him, "What kind of question is that."
"A warm-up one for later." Louis challenges her. "So which one? Eat a spider or kiss a snake."
"Kiss a snake no contest." Clementine answers.
"Why?" Louis said with curiosity, "Some snakes are poisonous and can bite you, you know."
"So as some species of spiders. And I hate spiders. So if I have a choice between a snake and a spider I will take my chances with a snake thank you." Clementine confesses.
"Interesting. So you are afraid of spiders, duly noted." Louis snickers.
"I'm not afraid…. I just don't like them." Clementine plays it off cool that she is not afraid of them when she actually is, and Louis saw right through it.
"I will kill every spider that comes your way darling, and I will protect you from the big bad eight-legged creature." Louis teases her as he made his hands gesture and move like a spider.
Clementine rolls her eyes and playfully smacks Louis with a pillow as she smiles at him for defending her honor. She takes another card from the pile, and Louis does the same. Louis drew three of the clubs, and Clementine drew ten of the diamonds.
"Let's see, dare." Clementine looks at Louis and sees his face flush a bit.
"I dare you to lick the mushroom." Clementine pointed to the plant on the broken bookshelf.
"Really, that it?" Louis looks at her.
"Well that or run outside in the storm streaking to tease the walkers, but it is too dangerous outside," Clementine said kind of teasing him.
Louis nods and then goes, "Okay." He gets up out of their mishap tent and goes over to the bookcase where Clementine has her collection of animal skulls and a plant. He takes the vase that holds the mushroom and licks it. His face scrunches up as he spat the nasty taste from his mouth. As he did that Clementine laughs at the sight of Louis doing that. He loved to hear her laugh, which made the task worth it.
Louis rejoins her underneath the bed sheet fort and looks at her with amusement, "As much as that tasted nasty it was worth it to hear you laugh."
Clementine looks at him with eyes glowing with love. She takes another card already and waits for Louis to draw a card. Louis drew his third card, and it turns out to be the five of hearts, and Clementine flips her card over to reveal the jack of spades. Louis drops his head, as Clementine's smile grows ever more. "Looks like I win again."
Louis looks back up at her, "Just don't ask for any more dares that will ruin my image."
"No dares this time. Uh… truth." Clementine said. She thought of a question she had wanted to ask him for a while, "What is the significance of the tan jacket you always wear?"
Louis looks at her and smiles, "It belongs to my dad. One of the things he accidentally left in my boxes when I got shipped here after I destroyed my parent's marriage. I guess it is my last memory of my parents and life before everything went to shit." Louis answers her.
Clementine nodded and gently added, "And that is why you go to sleep with it on every night?"
Louis looks to her, "Uh….you only get one question for that, and you asked it what is the significance of."
Clementine nods to that, "Well…since you kind of confirm it with my question earlier, I will take that as a yes."
Louis shyly looks away from her, as she guessed right. He draws another card from the pile between them, and Clementine does the same. Louis showed his card as Clementine did too. Louis has the King of clubs and Clementine has the nine of hearts. Louis smiles and looks at Clementine, "Since you asked something personal of mine that I always keep near my heart, what is the significance of the raggedy old hat you always wear or used to, now that AJ wears it."
Clementine smiles at him. She usually would get mad at anyone teasing her about her hat, but Louis, who she fell in love with makes her want to share a bit of her life before the outbreak started, with him. "It belonged to my dad. He used to wear it all the time when he did yard work or play with me out in the yard. It was his favorite baseball team, I forgot the name of it and what the D actually stands for, but Javi told me it is a famous baseball team he used to remember." Clementine paused briefly to look at Louis, and his hand met with hers. She felt his thumb rubbing her knuckles to her left hand. She then took a breath and finish telling him about her parents, "before he and my mother went to Savannah for a trip and left me with my babysitter Sandra, he told me I could borrow it not keep it. Then the world ended, and I never saw my parents again. So I kept it all these years as my remembrance of my parents as a keepsake."
Louis looks at her as she shared a bit of her life story with him. "Well, I'm sure your dad would be proud you kept his favorite hat all this time. And even pass it down to little AJ."
"Yeah, he would've." Clementine looks at him with admiration.
Then she reaches for another card, and Louis does the same. Although Louis was still in a trance of what Clementine just told him about the significance of her hat and what it means to her. He now understands why she gets a bit mad whenever he tries to take her hat from her. Louis flipped his card over and revealed the king of hearts and Clementine had the Jack of clubs. Louis gleefully did a victory pump in the air, "Yes, I win again. Um…dare this time."
Clementine braces herself for the dare she is about to receive. Louis pulls out two pieces of old candy. "Okay, pick your poison. I dare you to eat a stale old gummy bear or a rock-hard piece of taffy."
Clementine looks at him suspiciously, "You knew I was going to play a game with you tonight, didn't you."
Louis shrugs, "Wasn't sure about your mood darling, but since you suggested it I wasn't going to say no. Besides, I always come prepared." Louis smiles. "So what will it be stale gummy bear or rock-hard taffy."
Clementine reaches for the gummy bear, took it in her mouth, and ate it. It was bland and out of flavor, but it was better to go down than rock-hard taffy. Now it was Louis's turn to laugh at Clementine's face as she scrunched it up with the bad aftertaste. Clementine looks at him, disregards the game, and lunches after him, tackling him in their fort tent. When she does that the sheets fell down as well as the pillows that held them up tumble down onto the floor destroying their beautiful fortress. Clementine and Louis didn't care as she tickles him until begs her for mercy and his insides couldn't take any more laughter.
"Okay…okay….stop…stop that tickles…" Louis shouts in between laughter. "Please, Clem…." Louis tries to speak in between laughter, "I can't take…..it any…more."
Clementine has him pinned on his back with his head a few feet from the dresser stand as she held his hands above his head. For her being one-legged and small, she sure has a firm grip. "Not until you say, uncle?"
"Okay…" Louis looks her in the eyes as he reaches up and plants a kiss on her lips that seems to have shocked Clementine as she loosens her grip on him and kisses him back. Something sparks in her heart that night, as she wanted him at that moment. Like really wanted him. He pulled back just a bit to look Clementine in the eyes and smiled, "I guess I win with that, huh…."
Clementine looks at him and breathes profoundly, "Louis can I ask you something?"
Louis looks at the fort, then back at her, "Kind of ruined the game a bit, but sure.."
Clementine lightly smiles at his reply then she looks at him deeply in the eyes, and being serious for a moment. "Have you thought about….you know….how can I explain this in a way that doesn't freak you out…" Clementine looks away, unsure how to ask this of him. She closed her eyes and softly spoke the words she wanted to say to him, "Going farther than second base with me."
Louis eyes her now as his mouth runs dry at what she is proposing here. His heart thumps in his chest as he stares at her unable to speak. Clementine notices his silence as she looks back into his eyes, "Louis?"
Louis coughs as he tries to say something serious and not in a joking fashion, "You mean, have I uh…thought about moving past that and going the full home run with you." Clementine nods as he is picking up her baseball analogy of having sex and hooking up. Louis looks a little shy at first, but there is a calmness in his eyes as he looks deep into her golden depths. He leans up and places his hands on her cheeks and seductively kisses her deeply as he responds to her question. He always felt that way about her but never knew how badly she wants to be with him. He was waiting for the more opportune time but this moment with her with him like this was more than he could ask for. He pulled back to look her in the eyes and breathlessly said, "Yes."
Clementine looks at him and smiles, feeling the fire in her soul and heat with him. She then leans back down to continue to kiss him passionately and seductively, as he wanted this as badly as she did. She was saving this question later in the game of truth or dare but she got her answer. Louis kisses her deeply as she feels his tongue collide with hers. Her hands move up his chest to his collarbone as she strokes the smooth skin. Louis soon breaks their kiss as Clementine allows him to sit up. He soon goes back to kissing her tenderly and works up the next move he plans to do. Still keeping his lips locked with hers, he moves his hands up by her shoulders and slides them down her arms and sides until he finds the ends of her denim jean jacket and slowly tugs on it to take it off.
She felt Louis slip off her denim jean jacket as it falls behind her. She looks at him and closes her eyes again as he kisses her tenderly. Clementine soon moves her hands up around Louis's upper arms and soon do the same taking off his long coat jacket and letting it fall behind him. He kisses her lips once more, and she lets out a pleasing moan at his touch. Louis's heart was beating insanely fast with the rush of excitement. But he wants to savor this moment between her and him and tries not to rush it. Louis breaks contact with Clementine's lips momentarily as he moves down the slope of her neck, leaving hot kisses behind with each movement down to her collarbone, where he sucks on her soft flesh some.
Clementine felt electricity flow through her, as she never felt this way with anyone before. And when she felt Louis kissing her neck, she felt like she was in heaven, and for the first time, let her walls come down and just be loved. The feeling Louis is giving to her was out of this world. She wonders if this is what true love is like. Her head tilts back as Louis kisses her neck, and her eyes roll back some to feel the intense feeling Louis is giving her, as Clementine's mouth agape a bit. Louis moves back to her lips as she crashes with his movements without missing a beat. Everything was a blur, leaving Clementine feeling lightheaded with love when Louis flipped her on her back as he posed above her. She smiles at him a loving smile when she felt his nose rub against hers in a tender way, as he breathes heavily along with her own breath. She doesn't know which is louder her own heart beating wildly with Louis's or the thunder booming outside.
Louis looked at her and breathlessly spoke, "My heart is pounding."
Clementine places her left hand on Louis's chest as she feels his heart beating wildly along with hers. She looks up into his soft chocolate eyes, which she loves so much, and never breaks eye contact with him. Clementine found the end of the collar on his green shirt, and with her fingers, she gently tugs on the collar to lower his lips back down to her own as she kisses him profoundly, moving in seductive ways for a little while until the passion was growing, and they wanted something more. Her tongue collided with Louis's once more as she felt him cupping her face with his thumb caressing her cheekbone. They kiss like that for a bit until Louis pulls back and takes Clementine's hand to guide her to sit up with him. It made it easier for them to remove each other's shirts. She feels Louis as he slowly unzips her white-stained hoodie and lets her hoodie glide off of her. He soon lifts up her white undershirt so that her bra remains the only piece of clothing left at the top half of her body. Clementine does the same removing his green shirt and letting it mingle with her denim jean jacket and her two other white shirts. They both stare at each other with loving eyes as they admire one other of their bare skin.
Louis looks in awe at the woman before him and sees the battle scars on her left arm. Her scar on her lower forearm and what looks like a branding mark on her upper left shoulder. He knew Clementine comes from a dark past, just never knew how much. He reaches out and tenderly strokes the brand on her shoulder. Feeling the indented skin under his fingertips. He felt Clementine flinch a little at his touch. He can tell she never let anyone know what was done to her. Louis then looks upon Clementine's sympatric face when she looks up at him. No words spoke between them, but their eyes said everything. Louis then did something that she was not expecting him to do. Louis kisses her brand on her shoulder tenderly and softly, moving down to the scar on her lower arm. He wants her to know that none of her battle scars matter to him. He loves all of her, and he wanted to let her know that and not just say it but let her feel it.
Clementine closes her eyes and grips the bed sheet she is sitting on top of to Louis kissing her scars as she is being open and vulnerable with him to have him love her like that. Clementine lets out a soft pleasurable moan when Louis kisses her sensitive skin. She never let anyone see, not even AJ, of the scars she had to endure when she was younger and all the painful memories and sacrifices that came along with it.
She felt his lips run over her scars, then back up the slope of her neck and finally to her lips. She let out a satisfying moan against his lips as he made contact with them again. Clementine momentarily breaks her contact from his lips as she eyes the man before her. Clementine looks at Louis as his torso is smooth, and she smiles when she notices his very fine abs and chest. A soft look came over her eyes as she reached out and touched the smooth skin on his chest. Caressing her fingertips over his soft, smooth flesh, smiling at every touch. His adorable freckles scatter down his nose, his cheeks, neck, and onto his chest. Making him even cuter and more handsome, and she can't believe her luck in finding such a man who is a reflection of her. She can make her own star constellation in his freckles.
When she touches his torso, Louis closes his eyes as she sees him holding back tears of joy and love, as if someone loves him for the first time. Clementine smiles as she kisses his neck hard, leaving love bites down his neck for the first time, and slowly moving to his collarbone as her fingertips continue to roam over his smooth torso. She smiled, and a little giggle escaped her lips as she felt Louis twitch a bit from her touch and explore his chest with her fingers.
Then she felt an old scar on Louis's right side of his torso that made her stop kissing his neck and chest as she gazed down onto his body and where her fingers rest on. She notices Louis also bares some battle scars of his own. Near the right side of his torso, just above his ribcage, was a deep scar; on his back, she feels healed up deep scar tissue. She sees the pierced skin on his left shoulder where Abel shot him. Clementine closes her eyes on the gunshot wound on his left shoulder for a moment. With a sigh, Clementine opens her eyes as she does the same action Louis did to her moments ago and reaches out and touches the bullet wound scar upon his left shoulder tenderly. Feeling a bit guilty that she was the direct cause of letting this happen to him.
She looks up at him with awe in her eyes just then. Then she reaches over and kisses a tender kiss on his bullet wound to his left shoulder, which is healed up, and kisses his other battle scar on his chest. Letting him know she loves him with scars and all just as much as he loves her. She felt Louis tremble as she kissed his scars and trailed back up his body towards his lips again and crashing her mouth onto his as she encircled her arms around his strong neck and pulled him back down to the bed of pillows that now lay scattered on the floor.
Louis lets out a satisfying moan of pleasure when Clementine kisses his own battle scars. When she leads him down onto the bed of pillows to make love to her for the first time, he is in heaven and knows for sure she wants to be with him at this moment just as much as he wanted to be with her. She let her one good leg fall as Louis moves his legs in between hers. Clementine moves her one good leg over Louis's as she entwines them. Louis continues to foreplay a bit with her as he removes the last remaining clothing from him and her as, for the first time, they are both naked with each other. Louis uses one of the loose sheets as a blanket to cover his lower abdomen as he lowers his body onto Clementine as she closes her eyes. She felt Louis kissing her neck and slowly moving up to her jawline as he caresses her ribs and moved his arms up hers until he finds her hand and fingers. She looks at him and moves her head to kiss him tenderly and deeply, giving him all of her love.
Clementine feels Louis getting in position as he entwines his fingers to hers. And slowly, he moves against her body in a slow rhythmic way. She squeezes his hand tightly and feels ecstasy for the first time as Louis makes love to her. When both she and Louis reach the climax of their lovemaking, she feels Louis's whole body tremble and shake of the love he is feeling from her. Clementine's body trembles, too, with the love she feels from him and the pure ecstasy bliss that makes her weak in the knees. She still feels Louis's toes curl inward with the pleasure he is still feeling with her.
Louis crashes down near her as he rolls onto his back feeling very happy and satisfied. Still breathing hard, trying to find his breath as he pants with what he and Clementine just did moments before. Clementine is still trembling with the sexual excitement she just did with Louis. Both of them lay in silence as the rain poured outside until they regained their breath to speak.
Louis is the first to break the silence. "Wow….that was…..wow. You were, wow…."
Clementine uses Louis's jacket to cover her naked body some as she gazes up at him, "Is that all you can say,….wow."
Louis looks at her as he slides closer to her and reaches out to caress her sweaty cheek tenderly, "Yes, because, oh my god, that was amazing. You are amazing and so incredibly beautiful. You leave me breathless. I may have died back there and was in heaven with you. Because, oh my God. And got to say, with all the practicing I have done in my early teen years, nothing compares to the real thing of doing it. And you….just amazing." Louis was so speechless he couldn't form words to express how happy she made him.
Clementine smiles brightly at him and tries not to laugh at his expression of them having sex for the first time. Clementine closes the small gap between him and her and kisses him again. Partly to quiet her boyfriend on the rambling of his happiness with her and because he was too cute to not have a lip lock again with him.
In the midst of kissing him, Clementine moves slightly to be on top of his body with Louis's coat draped around her shoulders as she peers down into his chocolate-brown eyes. Louis gaze up at her all love-struck. Then without even realizing it, she says the words her heart told her all along. "I love you, Louis." Louis's eyes were wide with shock, and so was Clementine's as she said those words for the first time. Clementine bit her lower lip as she looked at him, "Shit, Sorry, I meant to say that to you before we…and just never came out until now, and I didn't know how to express what I felt or how to say those words and me. a-" Clementine started to ramble as Louis reached up to passionately kiss her.
Louis smiles at her and thinks she is so adorable when it is her turn to be flustered and doesn't know how to respond. Louis shuts her up with a kiss to her lips as he reaches from behind her head, which causes Clementine to lose focus as he intimately kisses her in his response to her words.
When he pulled back and moved his hand on her cheek and stroked it tenderly as he smiled very brightly, looking into those beautiful golden depths of hers when he repeated the words right back to her, "I love you too, my darling Clementine." Clementine reaches her hands to meet his, where Louis is cupping her face, and her smile widens. Clementine moves her head to touch her forehead to his and nuzzles her nose tenderly to Louis's. Louis then guides her head to rest on his beating heart and entangles his fingers in her hair as he smiles at her love for him.
The night fell upon them, and when Clementine was fast asleep next to Louis. Louis watches in awe of her as she dreams. He eventually moves to blow out the candles and turn off the lantern so he doesn't set fire to their room. Louis tucks a piece of Clementine's hair from her face behind her ear and kisses her forehead. He then felt her unconsciously move closer to him and nuzzle the nape of his neck with her little nose. He smiled at that gesture and holds her naked body near his under the sheet that they were wrapped in, although Clementine ended up using Louis's long brown coat as her blanket to snuggle up in. Louis smiled at her and thought it was the most adorable thing to have her wrapped up in his jacket. Every man's dream is to have their girl in their clothes, which melted Louis's heart. Between the rain falling outside and the soft breathing from Clementine, the sounds from both soon drifted Louis off into a nice sound sleep. Louis slept in Clementine's embrace until the following morning.
….
The storm raged outside, making this moment between Maya and Violet magical, as the two of them started to get heated in their making out. Maya was heavily making out with Violet as she felt her heart racing with Violet's. Maya felt under Violet's green shirt to feel her soft white skin against her fingertips. Maya kissed Violet's neck, and a soft moan came deep inside Violet's throat from being pleasured. Just when Maya was about to take off Violet's shirt, as she was lost in the moment with Violet, suddenly Maya's mind got transported to another time and space where she blacked out in front of Violet and was unresponsive. Fuck!
Violet was enjoying the touch from her new girlfriend, and when she saw Maya unresponsive from her kissing, she thought she had gone to sleep, "Maya? Maya. Okay, you got me going there." When Maya was still unresponsive, Violet was getting to be concerned. "Maya! Maya, this isn't funny anymore. Wake up! Maya!" Jesus Christ, what do I fucking do now! Violet slides out from underneath her girlfriend and props her up on the back wall near the sign. This place is cursed and waited.
Maya's world went black, and her heart stopped for a moment. Violet disappeared, and Maya was in another world. She looks and is in a bedroom. "Violet?" Maya calls out, and no answer. She looks around and looks to be a child's room. Maya places her hand on her head as she slowly rises from the floor. "Where the hell am I?" Maya spoke as she shook her head. She looks into the space before her, and in the dim light, she sees drawings of a spaceship, comets, a girl shooting hopes on one wall, and lots of basketball references. Above her were the glow-in-the-dark sticky stars you put up on the walls of a room. It was in the shape of one of the constellations. Draco. Maya glances over at the closet door of this room, and a name in purple writing stands out to her as Maya's eyes open wide. Violet!
Am I in Violet's room when she was a little girl? Why? Just then, a noise from the tv set in another room broke Maya's thoughts of questions as she turned out of what looked to be Violet's bedroom and wonders down the hallway. She touched the plastered wall and noticed pictures of her past. Her mom and what looks to be her grandparents. Then her eyes fixated on a little girl standing with her grandmother next to a school sign, Alexandria elementary school, in the photos. Violet.
Maya reaches out and traces the smile on her face, and stares into her eyes so love so very much. Maya sees that Violet looks like a happy kid by the look of these pictures, but smiling at times can be deceiving. Maya moves down the dark corridor of the hallway and sees an old lady in a rocker, and a little blonde girl sitting below her feet. Maya watches from a distance, and it pains her to see her new girlfriend so in pain. She looked and saw a young Violet watching tv what looked to be a disco band of veggies. As Maya turns her attention back on this old woman, which she guesses is Violet's grandmother, she looks so sad and crying as she holds tight to a picture of what looks to be her late husband. The look in this old woman's eyes told Maya everything.
Maya watches as this lady gets up from a rocker and heads out down the hallway where Maya is standing and disappears into the master bedroom. She was only gone for a few seconds, and when the old lady came back out with a .22 rifle Maya's blood ran cold. Maya wanted to scream and shout don't do it, but her voice had no power here as this was a vision of the past. Maya watches in horror as the old woman pulls up another chair behind a young Violet and put the rifle on that chair. Maya watches as this old woman puts the barrel to her chest, reaches down, and pulls out a back scratcher. Maya shook her head and then screamed, "No, no, no! Don't..Don't!"
Maya wanted to close her eyes not to see what she didn't want to see, but she witnessed it all and heard a bang from the rifle, Maya sees the old woman slumped over in her rocker, blood pooling out of her gun wound, and the gun hit the floor. Maya turns back and sees Violet glued to the tv set, traumatized by hearing her grandmother commit suicide in front of her. Maya looks at her and to the dead woman, and now she understands fully why Violet is so standoffish. Jesus. Maya thought and couldn't imagine that pain and image. She then sees a time jump as a young Violet enters Ericson Academy for Troubled Youth. Holy fuck, the same school Robert sent Louis to! It really does exist out here. Maya looks at the gates and the crest of the school. She sees Violet's mother walk past her exiting the school, turning her back on her daughter with a good soul. Violet's mother had the same shade of spring meadow eyes and blonde hair as Violet. Maya watches Violet's mother hop in her silver car and take off, never to be seen again. Maya closes her eyes and felt the betrayal in her own heart of seeing a parent walk away from their child.
Maya turns back to look at Violet standing at the gates, watching her mother leave. It pained her to see her lover so small, and felt forgotten. Maya wanted to go to her and hug her, but the world around her flashes to white, and she hears Violet's voice calling out to her to bring her back to the world of reality.
Maya! Maya!
Maya snaps forward, panting at what she just saw and taking deep breaths.
Violet was shaking her to get her to come to, "You passed out or something, and when you didn't respond, I got scared. You scared the shit out of me. What the fuck is going on?" Violet spoke as panic set in her voice. "What the fuck happened to you."
Maya took deep breaths as she tried to regain what she had just seen. Once her heart was evening out, she looked into Violet's eyes, "Sorry about that. I never wanted you to see me like that when I have these visions…it just happens at times. I'll be fine."
Violet still doesn't understand shook her head as she glares at Maya, "Maya, you are freaking me out here. What is happening to you, what…." Violet looks to her at her with her hands on her cheeks, stroking her.
Maya took a moment as she looked at her girlfriend, "I saw everything."
Violet, still confused, look at her, "I don't follow you. You saw everything? Of what?"
"Your past, Vi. How your grandmother committed suicide in front of you, pretty much. And your mother left you at Ericson's Academy for troubled youth." Maya leans forward with a pounding headache and blood dripping from her nose. Fuck hadn't had this bad vision before to cause a nosebleed.
Violet looks at Maya with wide eyes, "That…that is..impossible. How can you know of this, and how do you even know about Ericson?"
"Cause I saw it in my vision just now." Maya winces at the burning pain in her nose from the blood coming out. She leans her head against the cloth tapestry behind her as she explains to Violet everything of her past, "You grew up in a trailer park outside of Alexandria, Virginia. I saw your room when you were a little girl. Had drawings of spaceships, comets, and a girl playing basketball. And up on the ceiling were glow-in-the-dark stars in the shape of a constellation of Draco, the dragon. And your closet had your name written in purple. Then after you witnessed your grandmother's suicide, your mother sent you to a school, and the look in your eyes as you saw your mother drive away…." Maya said as she closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at Violet, "I now understand why you keep people from your heart and why you are scared of falling for me. Because everyone you look to has left you feeling abandoned or unwanted." Maya closed her eyes and felt her pain as Maya let out a heavy sigh.
Maya looks up at her, "I am not lying when I tell you am a clairvoyant. I get visions where I go back in time and relive past events as if they are happening in real-time., like how I saw you and your friends on the beach of the river and the aftermath of the Delta's boat blown up. And just now, I relived your past on your worst day." Maya wipes the blood from her nose as she leans back against the wall, pitching her nose to stop the bleeding. "I don't know why now; it gave me visions of your past as a warning or letting me know how to care for you."
Violet was just shocked that Maya told everything precisely to the fine details of where Violet lived before she came to Ericson, that only Violet would know. She looks down, "How often do you have these 'visions' of yours."
Maya looks to her, "Not that often, just when it serves a purpose for me to know what is important. It's a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I can use my gift to help others, and sometimes…." Maya pauses and looks away, "Sometimes I wished I didn't have this gift and wished I could have something else.." Maya confesses.
Violet scooches closer to her girlfriend and asks, "Why?"
Maya looks down over her left shoulder, "Because sometimes I wish I didn't see the gory details of my visions. Those images stay in my mind. And I can't unsee them.." Maya looks out over the mattress and closes her eyes.
Violet nodded and then asked Maya the question she wished she never had asked, "Did you see…her killing herself…." Violet spoke and the she, Violet was referring to is her grandmother. Violet looked at Maya and the expression on Maya's face as she squinted her eyes tighter when she asked that Violet knew and Maya didn't have to verbally say it as a confirmation.
Violet leans her head on Maya's left shoulder and reaches out to touch her left hand and hold it. Knowing that vision shook her. Maya had seen something that Violet didn't have the courage or was too afraid to witness herself. Violet then, in a soft voice, said the words she had withheld for a long time and only said these words to one other person. "I love you, and everything that you are, Maya. Even your gift you view as a curse. I love everything about you, and wouldn't change a single thing. I love you, my rugged Indian warrior." Violet snuggles her head on Maya's shoulder and left kisses on her bare skin giving Maya all the love in her heart for her.
Maya looks over, wraps her arm around Violet, and lovingly kisses her head. And the two hold each other in silence, listening to the rain fall outside, until they fall asleep in each other's embraces the rest of the night.