A/N: Current Poll results:
Finish story as intended, then write non-canonical one-shots: 9 votes (52%)
Continue the story past season 2: 7 votes (41%)
Proceed with the original plan for the story: 1 vote (5%)
Well, I think I know which one is not gonna pan out.
A reviewer by the name of LordInfinitus proposed the idea of finishing this story and writing a sequel, which actually doesn't sound too bad. However, I'm not entirely sure if I'll have the motivation to write a sequel, so for now, we'll stick with the oneshots, and if that option wins the poll, we'll see where it goes after the story is finished.
Speaking of the story…
John
That was… honestly a little embarrassing.
But I appreciate Rachel for it.
Because let's be honest… I needed it.
Bursting into tears in the middle of plain view for anyone to see was not on my bucket list for the day, but I needed to let it out.
I have a very bad habit of bottling up my emotions, to the point that I honestly don't realize that I do it. When I finally burst… well, it's no exaggeration to say that I go off like a bomb, harming anyone nearby or taking it out in my immediate surroundings.
Whether it's physical or verbal, both can be just as harsh. I know there's no excuse for it, but when I get angry, I can get downright cruel with my words, to the point that I sometimes wonder if I'm actually trying to hurt people's feelings when I get like that.
The last time I exploded like that… well, no one wanted anything to do with me for a week, and I don't blame them. And that was just verbal.
Last time I actually hurt someone was when I was fifteen, and that's about the only time I don't regret exploding like I did. I remember sticking my hand in Jason's back and crushing his spine. It's a wonder he was still alive before the base blew up.
Because I severely doubt he got out or was released if the base really did explode.
But I digress.
The point is, even though it's probably inevitable, I'm gonna do my damndest to avoid reaching that point with anyone in the group.
Rachel… she's always been trying to help me with that. Help me get it out, make sure I don't go off. Because she understands.
Rachel has always had a fiery temper of her own. She understands the pain of hurting those around you when your emotions flare up. Hell, she had a living reminder of that practically melded onto Raymond after her powers activated when she was nine.
You know, I don't often say this, because there's nothing good about how I got my powers… but on some level, I think I'm lucky.
When Rachel and Peter's abilities activated, they hurt someone close to them. Rachel scarred her brother and Peter killed his mom. Me… I didn't end up doing that. The most I did was scare Mamaw, Papaw, and Maddie when they got home.
But if I had, say, broken Maddie's back, or crushed Papaw's hand, or hell, if I had leveled the whole house… I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
Rachel has always been there for me in that regard. Whether as a shoulder to cry on, or, as ashamed as I am to admit it, someone to scream at, or vent to, she's never budged. Hell, sometimes, she'd scream right back at me.
Sometimes, I wonder how things might've been, if me and Rachel ever… got together.
After I got with Maddie, those thoughts disappeared, went silent. I was completely loyal to Maddie, with everything I had.
But with her nowhere within my foreseeable future, I can't help it that those thoughts are reappearing. And I'm ashamed of it.
Maddie and Rachel were best friends, and Rachel has only been back for a day, and here I am, thinking like that.
Is this my way of processing the fact that I may never see Maddie again? Or… is this me being a piece of shit?
Is this what a rebound is? Seeking solace in the closest source of comfort?
I mean, like I said, I've thought before about it. I'd have someone unafraid of all the power I hold, and Rachel would have someone she doesn't have to be careful around. Someone whom she could be herself, not feel like she has to chain herself down.
There's many positives, but it's not something I feel right thinking about right now.
After boiling the well, me and Rachel set off to do just what we'd planned: go see Carl.
We told Rick that we'd sit with him for a bit, which he appreciated, mentioning that he wanted to talk to Hershel about some things.
Me and Rachel sat in the chairs set up next to the bed, just looking at him for a while. Rick had mentioned that he'd woken up earlier, from what Lori told him, but he looks like he's in La La Land once more.
After about ten minutes of silence, Rachel turns her gaze to look at me. "Did I get to tell you about Peter and Shiela?"
That catches me off guard, and I turn to look at her with a raised eyebrow, a dumbfounded expression on my face.
Rachel blushes in embarrassment at that. "I worded that wrong." She says with a nervous giggle. "Peter was the one who gave Shiela weapons training." She clarified as she turns to look back at Carl with a small smile on her face. "He told me once that he wasn't sure if he was doing a good job. You had the best aim of all of us, and he felt like he was stepping into a role he didn't belong."
"Peter was just as much her brother as I am, let's be honest." I say with a small chuckle as I glance over at her. "You two were over at the house so much… Peter was like that gentle giant, the older brother that Shiela and James could look to when they needed help. Help that I couldn't always provide." For example, Peter was a master mechanic. When it came to cars, the only person who knew them better was Papaw, and even then, Peter is still probably the better option considering how easily Papaw could get frustrated.
"You are her brother, John." Rachel says, turning to look at me with a soft look on her face. "You're the only real family that she has left."
"That's not true." I say, smiling as I look at Rachel. "Real family isn't made by blood, it's made by bond. You're gonna sit here and tell me that Shiela isn't the little sister you've always wanted?"
Rachel shakes her head at my words, letting out a sigh as she responds. "That's true, but having a real family member, linked by blood? You're all she has left, John." Rachel reiterates her point. "And Peter knew that. That's why he felt like he was overstepping."
"You and Peter both taught her how to survive." I say, before I glance at Carl. "Taught her things that everyone in the world needs to know now. I can't thank either of you enough for that." I turn to look at Rachel, smiling once more as I do. "As far as I'm concerned, Peter was stepping into a role he didn't know he'd earned. You too."
Rachel finally smiles at my words, before turning her gaze back to Carl.
We continue to watch the unconscious boy, waiting for either someone else to come visit or for him to awake, or for someone to come get us. In the meantime, all we have is silence to occupy us.
Until Rachel speaks again.
"Do you… do you ever look back, and wish you'd done things differently?"
At that, I can't help the deadpan look I give her.
Rachel blushes once more in embarrassment, and averts her gaze, letting her hair shield her face. "Right, stupid question."
"What brought that on?" I can't help but to ask. Rachel maintains her silence for a few moments, before leaning back against the chair, crossing her arms as she speaks.
"I wish I'd fought against Alex more." She admits, rubbing her arms in an attempt of self-comfort. "I wish I'd stayed behind, not opted for Montana. I feel like if I had… we all might be together."
My expression softens at her words. I've experienced that train of thought all too well. I've thought about it a hundred times over. But one thing I do know is this:
"You can't change the past." I say softly. "And it's so easy to think like that, but think about how it could go wrong." At that, she turns to look at me in confusion. "I'd still be over here. And I wouldn't have any way back. Sure, Pete might be able to come and get me, but then there's no promise that we don't have to land. Hell, we could be in the same spot we're in right now."
"But we'd all be together eventually." Rachel replies with a sigh.
To which, yes, that's true. But still…
"We can't change the past." I say once more, sitting up and propping my elbows on my knees. "Only thing we can do is focus on the present, on the future." I turn to look at her with a small smile. "We have a group full of good people." I let my hand slide over and grip hers, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. "And regardless of what happens, me, you, and Shiela… we'll still have each other."
Rachel stares at me for a moment, her jaw falling open slightly, before her gaze wanders to where our hands are still connected. With a blush, she pulls her hand away and turns her gaze away, though I can see the faint traces of a smile on her face.
"That's true." She says, brushing some hair behind her ear as she turns to look at me.
That wasn't a move on her, if that's what you're wondering. I do that to close friends and family, a gesture of reassurance.
"So, what brought on the question?" I ask once more, genuinely curious that she felt the need to ask that.
Rachel's smile falls from her face for a moment, before she lets out a sigh, her eyes wandering away from my gaze. "I've… I've been having nightmares ever since we began the trip to Atlanta." She admits, cupping her hands together as she rests her elbows upon her knees. "And they got worse when Peter died. I didn't have it last night, thank god, but… it's been at the back of mind for god knows how long."
"What happens in it?" I ask out of curiosity. Rachel used to have an occasional nightmare about her brother, but she never mentioned it much. For her to be asking me the kind of question she did because of a nightmare…
"All of our loved ones are there, telling me I failed them, that I let them die, and they're either covered in blood or wounds of how I assume they died. Alex, for example, is scorched. And Jason's there too, shaming me."
I can't help it when I cup my hands together and begin squeezing when I hear Jason's name. Anything about him, any mention, any memory, anything, just fills me with a burning hatred.
"And then they disappear… and you show up."
I perk up at that, sitting up in my seat as I look at her. Her voice holds a quiver when she mentions me in the nightmare.
"You're still wearing your flannel, and you look exactly like you did then." Rachel continues, pausing slightly to suck in a breath. "You tell me that I should've stayed. You tell me that I let them die. You're angry at me for it. And then… and then you kill me."
At that, my eyes widen in horror, and I begin to wonder just what Rachel thought of me.
"Rach, you know I wouldn't do that."
"I know." Rachel says with a nod, sitting up, biting her lip a little as she refuses to look at me. "But everything you say is true. If I'd have stayed, if I'd have-"
"Hey, hey, hey!" I can't help it when I get a little loud, and Rachel's gaze jerks to mine in surprise. I got a pretty good feeling of what she's thinking, and I'll be damned if I let that thought continue. "As Shane once said, if you get that monkey on your back, you'll never get it off. What did we just say? The past is in the past."
"But-"
"No." I say, putting a hand over her mouth, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. "None of that. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known, and I don't blame you at all." I tell her, smiling slightly as I let my hand fall from her face. "By that logic, you oughta be blaming me for volunteering to head to Atlanta."
"But you were just trying to help." Rachel responds softly, as if she was trying anything different.
"So were you." I say with a light chuckle. "Guess that makes us both idiots, huh?"
Rachel stares at me for a moment, before she giggles and nods her head. "I guess so." She says, wiping away her tears before they can really start.
At that moment, fate intervenes, as a small groan coming from neither of us sounds out, and we both turn our attention to the boy on the bed.
Carl's eyes slowly blink open, looking around blearily, before his eyes settle on Rachel.
"Rachel?" He asks, looking around once more. "Where's Mom and Dad?"
"Out taking care of some things." Rachel answers, because there's no need to try and explain everything to the kid. "We volunteered to watch over you until then."
"We?" Carl says, moving his gaze back over to her, before he notices me sitting next to her, and his eyes widen in surprise. "John?"
"Hey little buddy." I greet with a small grin and a slight wave. "I know you were looking for me, but getting shot probably wasn't the best way to find me."
Carl actually has the gall to grin at that. "We found you, didn't we?"
"Touche." I say with a chuckle, before giving the boy a teasing grin. "So, what do you think of my sister?"
Rachel giggles next to me, but Carl doesn't understand that I'm trying to tease him, and he answers honestly. "She's really cool." He says with excitement in his tone as he speaks. "She knows how to fight and shoot a gun! And she's also really good at hide-and-seek."
I give Rachel a quick glance at that last bit, and she shrugs nonchalantly, and I let out another chuckle. "So I've learned." I say as I look back at Carl. "So, you like her, huh?"
"Yeah!" Carl nods his head eagerly, and that's when I grin once more.
"Just wait until you're older before you start dating her." I say, causing Carl's eyes to widen and his face to scrunch in disgust.
"Ew!" He says as he finally gets the joke, causing me and Rachel to begin laughing our asses off, glancing at each other as we take in Carl's reaction.
"Ew?" Rachel giggles as she glances at Carl. "I thought you said she was cool!"
"Not like that?"
"Not like what?" I tease, causing Carl to groan in frustration.
"Are you two teasing my boy?" A new voice enters the conversation, and we look over to find Lori standing in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe with a smile on her face.
"Yes we are." I admit without shame as I lean back into the chair. "He just woke up, so you ain't missing much."
"Are you okay, Carl?" Lori asks as she moves over and takes a seat next to Carl on the bed, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah." Carl nods his head. "Where's dad?"
"He's out talking with Hershel." Lori answers. When Carl's brow furrowed in confusion, she clarifies. "The guy who saved you."
"Oh." Carl nods his head at that, before looking back up at him. "Where's Sophia?" He asks suddenly.
"She's out feeding animals with one of Hershel's people." Lori answers with a small smile. "She was in here to check on you earlier."
"She was worried for you." I say, looking at Carl with a small smile. "She can't wait to have her best bud back in action."
"Are you okay?" Lori suddenly asks, looking up at me, causing me to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Just about everyone saw you earlier. I wanted to make sure everything's alright."
"Oh." I say as I get what she's saying. "Yeah, I'm fine. Things just… hit me all at once, I guess." I explain, smiling slightly as I speak in an attempt to deter a somber mood from falling upon us.
Lori looks at me for a few moments, before she smiles. "Well, we're all here for you." She says before nodding towards Rachel. "I'd say you're lucky to have a friend like her though."
At that, I turn my gaze over to look at Rachel with a fond smile. "I'd say so too."
Rachel gives me a smile of her own, but the moment is interrupted by the sound of footsteps.
We all turn towards the door to find Glenn approaching. His eyes meet Lori's and he gets a weird look on his face, but it only lasts a moment before he looks at me and Rachel.
"Me and Maggie are going on a run into town." He says with a small smile. "Figured more hands mean more supplies… and Rick said to ask the two of you if you wanted to go."
"Sure." I say with a shrug of my shoulders. It'll give me something to do, and it's not like we have no reason too. I turn to look at Rachel. "You wanna go?"
"We need to let Sheila know first." Rachel says, looking at Glenn with a questioning glance. "Is she awake?"
"Yeah." Glenn nods, causing both of our eyes to widen in surprise. "She's with Jim. He's teaching her about cars."
That causes my eyes to widen in surprise. I honestly never would've expected Shiela to get into vehicles.
Then again, to her, it's probably like one giant puzzle.
"Alright then." I say as I stand to my feet, giving one quick glance to Lori and Carl. "I'll be back to see you later, buddy."
"Don't get lost." Carl says with a cheeky grin, causing me to roll my eyes.
"I'll kick his ass if he does." Rachel says, giving me a joking smirk.
"I won't." I say with feigned exasperation, before glancing towards Rachel as she stands to her feet. "You coming?"
"Yes, John." She says with a playful roll of her eyes.
Glenn turns around and makes his way out of the house, to which me and Rachel follow. Once we exit the house, he breaks off, moving in the direction of the horse stables, while me and Rachel continue to the RV.
I can see Sheila standing on a little step stool next to Jim, who has the hood of the RV open, and it looks like he's pointing at different things, explaining what they do.
But to me, it's just gibberish.
As we get closer, Shiela's eyes wander over to me, and her face lights up like a Christmas tree, a big ol' grin on her face as she comes running in my direction.
"John!" She shouts with glee as she throws herself at me, her little arms wrapping around my stomach.
"Hey, Shiela." I greet with a smile on my face as I give her back a gentle rub. "How are you doing?"
"Good!" Shiela replies, jumping up and down as she lets go, excitement clear all over her. "Jim's showing me different things about vehicles."
"So I've been told." I say as glance up at the man, who nods his head.
"I was doing some work on Carol's Cherokee." Jim explains, pointing towards the little Jeep Cherokee of Carol's. "She came and asked me what I was doing when she found out you were with Carl. Said she'd wait until you were done."
At that, I can't help but to feel a little guilty at the fact that I've already agreed to go on a run with Glenn and Maggie. "Well, you'll have to wait a little longer." I say, causing her to look up at me in confusion. "Me and Rach are going on a quick run with Glenn and Maggie."
At that, Shiela's face visibly falls, a dejected look on her face. "Oh… okay."
I turn to look at Rachel when I hear the tone in her voice, and she gives me a warning glance, nodding towards Shiela without a word.
But I get the message well enough.
"Tell you what." I say as I turn back to Shiela. "You stay here, and when I get back, we'll spend some time together, just me and you." I offer, causing Shiela to perk up.
"You mean it?" She sounds both excited and hopeful when she says it, and I give her a sincere smile as I nod.
"Of course." I say with a smile, pulling her into my side as I say it. "Now, I'm gonna go ahead and get going, so I'll see you when I get back, and we'll do something, alright?"
"Alright." Shiela sounds satisfied with that, and she wraps her arms around me in another quick hug. "I love you, Johnny."
Johnny. That is a name I haven't heard in so fucking long.
"I love you too, Shiela." I say with a smile as I hold her in the hug for a moment, before she pulls away and walks up to Rachel, who has a smile on her face as she crouches down to one knee.
Shiela wraps her arms around her neck and pulls her into a hug as well. "Be careful."
"We will." Rachel assures, gladly returning the hug, before she stands to her feet and turns to me. "Let's go."
I nod my head, and as Rachel turns and begins making her way towards the stables, I turn to Jim. "Keep an eye on her for me."
At that, Jim gives one of his rare smiles, and nods his head. "Not a problem."
And with one last nod, I turn and begin tailing behind Rachel.
Glenn
Well… this is gonna be interesting.
I'm honestly so used to doing runs on my own, so having not just one, but three other people with me? Not even mentioning two of them are superhumans.
Hershel was nice enough to let us borrow a few horses, although John opted to go without one. When asked why, well…
"I'm seven hundred pounds."
That simple reply was enough of an answer, I'd say.
Although, being fair, he's kept up with us pretty well. When walking, he maintains stride pretty easily, and when we have the horses at a full gallop, John looks like he's jogging more than anything. With a gigantic grin on his face, I might add.
At the moment, we're simply strolling into town, silence among us as we do, and I can't help the way my eyes keep wandering over to Maggie.
I mean… come on… she's hot!
I can't help it when I keep glancing over, and I'm trying to be sneaky when I do, but she doesn't seem too impressed.
Maybe if I said something…
"You know, normally, this is the kind of thing I do on my own… solo." I say with a small grin on my face as I look at her.
I remember too late that John and Rachel are with me, but they don't say anything. I decide not to glance at them and save myself some possible embarrassment.
Instead, I keep going.
"It's kind of my thing, you know? I'm a loner."
This time, someone else does speak up.
"If you're a loner, I'm a priest." John pops up, causing me to turn to glare at him, irritation spiking a little at the amused grin on his face, and I can hear Rachel giggling, and even Maggie is snickering a little.
He catches the look on my face, and chuckles, but says nothing.
I turn to look at Maggie. There is another thing bugging me about her. "You alright?" I ask her.
"I'm fine." She responds shortly, but I'm not sure I believe it.
"I saw the look on your face, back at the well. When you were talking to Shane." I admit. I didn't hear the conversation, but I saw their faces. Shane looked confused when she walked away, but I didn't ask. "Never seen one killed up close before?" When she doesn't respond, I continue. "I guess it's kind of a shock. Being out on the road, we've seen a lot. I guess we've gotten a little numb to it."
"They're corpses." John pipes up, causing us all to glance over at him. He's got an eyebrow raised, like he's questioning why that would be a bad thing. "And something tells me they'll rule this world for a long time."
"Whoa." Maggie says, tugging at the reigns of her horse to get it to stop, before she responds. "I guess so."
We come up to a stop at the pharmacy, and as we climb off our horses, I look at John and Rachel. "Why don't you two check the other buildings? See if there's anything else you can get."
The two nod their heads in agreement as Rachel finishes tying the reigns to her horse to one of the pharmacy pillars, before turning to John. "Shall we?" She offers with a smile.
John chuckles, and nods his head as the two begin walking away. "Let's go."
I can't help but to grin a little.
She's got a massive crush. Last night at the bonfire and some small signs from today are big indicators of that.
But I don't think anything of it. Instead, I turn and move up next to Maggie, who's looking in the window at a cardboard sign propped up.
"Take what you need & GOD BLESS"
We start at it for a moment, before moving inside.
"I'll go see what antibiotics are left." Maggie says as she turns to look at me. "What else is on the list?"
I reach out into my pocket and pull out the list that had been written up, before I hand it to her. "Why don't you go ahead and get started?" I say, causing her to look at me in confusion.
"What about you?"
"I'm gonna look around, see what's worth grabbing." And grab some pregnancy tests for Lori, though that goes unsaid. "Just some general stuff."
I really hope Lori isn't not pregnant. The last thing we need right now is a pregnancy, as bad as that might sound.
Maggie moves off on her own as she begins looking around for items on the list, while I begin shuffling through my backpack.
Now that she's out of view, I pull open the list Lori made up for me, and begin searching through for the items she wants or needs. Or both.
I find the pregnancy tests after a minute or two of shuffling through some different junk, but I put them in the bag, before seeing if there's anything else I can grab.
And then I hear Maggie's voice behind me.
"Whatcha got?"
It catches me off guard, startles me, and I move in a hurry of both embarrassment and alarm as I begin shoving a few random things in the bag. "Um…" I grab a random box as I zip up my bag and stand to my feet, turning to look at her as I show her the box I picked up. "Nothing, just some general stuff." I say as I turn to look at the box I picked up.
Only to mentally kick myself and wish I could keel over right there.
It's a box of condoms in my hand.
"Condoms?" Maggie says in disbelief, before grinning a little. "You got a girlfriend I don't know about?"
"I mean… no." I answer a little too quickly for my liking, which is sad considering it's the truth. "No."
"Then you're a pretty confident guy." Maggie says, still grinning.
It takes me a few seconds to register what she said, before I my eyes go wide and I'm shaking my head almost immediately. "No! No, no no, I wasn't- I would never-!"
"Is something wrong with me?" Maggie asks with a raised eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips.
Well… that backfired completely, and now I'm stumbling over my own words even more than before. "No! No, no, I would never have… sex…" Her words finally process in my head, and I can't help but to look at her in confusion. "…I'm lost."
Maggie stares at me for a moment, and I can see the corners of her mouth curling up into an almost noticeable smile.
"I'll have sex with you."
Oh, okay- wait, what?!
I just stare at her in numb shock as she continues giving me that amused look, and her hand begins pulling the backpack off her shoulder. "Really? Why?" I can't help but ask.
Maggie simply raises an eyebrow. "You're asking questions?"
"Well, I can't help wondering…" I admit, still looking at her in disbelief.
"Well, it's not like our options are vast these days." She says as she sets her backpack on the ground, before removing her hat, setting it down on a nearby box, before she turns to look at me.
And I can only stare.
Is this happening? Is this really happening?
Maggie watches my stunned facial expression for a moment, before she smiles as she grabs my hat and pulls it off my head.
And I can only staring. And then she leans in, and her lips meet my own.
My eyes sink closed and I fall into it almost immediately, feeling a girl's lips upon mine for the first time in… well, I don't know how long.
It only lasts a second, though, before she pulls away, her eyes meeting mine.
"You're not the only one who's lonely."
And just like that, I understand her motivations. It's not just to relieve stress.
Slowly, she tugs her shirt up off her head, leaving her in a white bra, which she wastes no time in in unclipping, slowly sliding the straps down her shoulders, before letting it fall to the floor.
And just like that… she's topless, in plain view, her breasts on full display.
I find my eyes wandering down to gaze at them, before I immediately jerk my eyes out of habit, looking away for a moment, before I settle looking at her face… her oh so beautiful face…
And I can't help but to smile.
John
I can't help it.
I honestly can't help it.
"John, you're a fucking dick!" Rachel shouts at me, her expression a mixture of fury and pouting as she crossed her arms in outrage, glaring at me as I laugh to my hearts content.
"How is it my fault?!" I can't help but to say, and it's a struggle to get it out between the laughter overtaking me. "You were the one who forgot your backpack on the horse!"
"You said you saw me forget it!" Rachel retorts, uncrossing her arms and putting her hands on her hips as she continues to glare.
"I thought you did it on purpose!" A weak excuse, but a viable one nonetheless. "Besides, it's funny as hell."
Rachel pouts for a moment, and my laughter dies down a little, before I get a look at her face.
And I'm right back to laughing.
Rachel struggles to hold back a grin of her own breaking through her glare, and she rushes at me with a gritted teeth kind of smile, as she begins swatting at my arm.
"You. Fucking. Dick!" She emphasizes each word with a slap on my arm, which only makes me struggle harder, even as I pretend to make an attempt to get away.
"It was funny!" I say retort once more in amusement.
After I get that bought of laughter out of my system, I look at Rachel with a small smile. "You enjoyed that, and you know it."
Rachel gives me a small smile in response and yet another playful swat to the arm.
"Dick."
"Bitch."
"Cocksucker."
"Cuntfucker."
I simply grin at that last one and chuckle. "Alright, you got me." I say, waving my hands in feigned surrender. "Alright, let's go back and get the backpack."
We only made it across the street, the first building, before Rachel came looking for me, asking if I had her backpack, which leads to the debacle that just occurred.
We make our way back with smiles on our faces, leaving the building and making our way across the street.
We're not stupid to the risk of walkers, but the town seems rather barren so far, so we can afford to be a little relaxed.
We walk our way across the street, approaching the horse she used, where her backpack is clear on the horse, plain as day.
However, as we get closer, we begin to hear some noises coming from the pharmacy store.
Not just any noises either.
Me and Rachel slow to a stop when we hear the sounds of moans and groans emanating from the pharmacy, and our heads turn to look at each other in disbelief.
"No…" I shake my head, because there is no fucking way that Glenn and Maggie are actually having sex.
"You don't think…" Rachel trails off, but it's written clear on her face that she's thinking the exact same thing I am.
Our eyes slowly wander over to the pharmacy once more, and Rachel moves ahead of me, sliding over to the brick wall of the store and inching her way to the window, and I follow her lead, moving behind her.
At this point, even though it's muffled by the walls and windows, the sounds of sexual interaction are loud in the air.
She leans over and peers into the window, and I can see her eyes go wide and she lets out a small gasp as she stares into the store.
I lean over next to her, my height letting me practically lean over her to see, and my eyes fly wide at the site that awaits.
Within the store, is the site of Glenn and Maggie fucking their brains out, Maggie bent over what used to be a check out counter while Glenn stands behind her, thrusting his bare hips into a completely nude Maggie.
We only stare for another couple of moments, before Rachel quickly turns around, quicker than I anticipate, and she runs right into my chest, causing my gaze to fall down to her.
She brings her gaze up to mine, wide-eyed, and our eyes meet.
Her face is turning a deep crimson by the second, her eyes damn near glowing orange as she stares at me, and the longer I stare back, the more I become aware of the blush across my own face.
Seeing that, and then being so close… it's like our minds are at war with themselves. At least, that's my case, I can't speak for her.
A part of me wants to reach out, touch her. A piece of my mind is screaming at me that it'd be fine, it's only casual sex, or that it's something I already want.
Another part of me wonders if it's a good idea. I'm thinking of Maddie, and I'm wondering how that might impact our friendship, if it might create problems.
But me and Maddie were best friends who got together… would it be so different with Rachel?
But Rachel was Maddie's best friend… wouldn't that be a betrayal?
I just… I don't know… my mind is at war with itself…
Suddenly, it seems like the sounds of moaning grow even louder, only making our blushes grow even more prominent.
Rachel's gaze falls away from me, instead opting to stare at my chest, while I avert my gaze, instead staring directly ahead.
It should be so easy to simply turn and walk away, get away from the scene…
So why does it seem so difficult?
My thoughts are interrupted by the feel of a hand gripping my own, and I turn my gaze down, seeing that Rachel's hand has moved from its spot by her side and is now intertwined in mine. We both stare for a moment, before she brings her gaze up to look at me.
"It's been… lonely…" She says softly, bringing her gaze up to meet mine, a small smile on her face. "And… it's not like there's anyone else our age in the group…"
I simply stare at her for a moment.
Is this a good idea?
My head begins to lower itself closer to hers, still partially hesitant, but non-stopping.
"Are you sure?" I ask softly, my face inches from her own.
"If… if you want too…" It's not often I've ever heard Rachel sound so timid, so unsure of herself. Especially regarding something sexual, admittedly.
She's always been so confident. Before the outbreak, she was just fine showing a lot of skin, in fact.
So what is it about this?
Last chance John… if you do this, there's no turning back…
Am I sure?
Slowly, my head lowers.
My lips meet hers…
…
…
..
.