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“Do you… have time to hang out first?” Violet asked, shyly turning around to face Clementine.
“Sure.” Clementine gladly agreed. Her and Violet had been growing closer in all the time Clem had been at Ericson. Playing War, setting up for the raiders, facing Marlon. When Violet defended Clem, Clementine knew she cared for Violet. Deeply. Despite knowing her for so short of a time, Clementine felt like she had known Violet for years.
Sitting down on another side of the stone building, Violet and Clementine sat with little distance between each other, stargazing.
“You see that one? That one looks like a fish.” Violet pointed to her own custom constellation she found in the sky.
“Oh yeah, I see it!” Clementine chuckled along with Violet, nudging the other girl with her shoulder.
“You pick out one, Clem.”
“Uh… that one looks like a knife.” The black-haired girl pointed to one away from them, tracing the outline of the knife constellation with her finger as she pointed.
“I totally see it,” Violet replied, laughing. Here, with Clem and her. Only them. It was nice, calm. A few seconds of silence stretched between them before Violet spoke again. “Clementine... after you got the medicine for AJ, you could’ve just left. You didn’t have to get caught up with the raiders or help at all. Why... why did you stay?”
Clementine took a second to think. Why did she stay? If not for anything else, she felt indebted to Brody. To Ruby. To Louis. To Violet, especially. For all the kids she didn’t get to know, like Minerva and Sophie. In the brief period she got to know everyone at Ericson, Clem felt like she owed them everything.
“I—I stayed because I feel like you all needed me. And I needed you guys.”
“Really? It’s just... I’ve watched people leave before. Family, friends. They never come back.” Violet breathed in, trying to keep her composure. It was a lot to talk about all she’s lost and never had. “But you did. And, now I can’t imagine what it would be like if you weren’t here.” Violet looked away from Clementine, red creeping up her neck, mildly embarrassed. “Um, shit, that sounds… so much dumber when I say it out loud.”
Clementine looked at Violet, trying to figure out what to say. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. How does she respond? What if she says the wrong thing? What if she doesn’t say anything at all? There are so many things to say in so little time.
“I think.. I mean.. I hope.. we’re more than friends.” Clem looked at Violet, looking her in the eyes, trying to put what she’s feeling into words. “And, I want..” Before Clementine even knew it, her lips were on Violet’s. “That. I want that.” Pulling away, she tried to scoot into Violet, filling what little space was between them.
The blonde looked at Clementine, wide-eyed. “Holy shit.”
Chuckling, Clementine looked at her feet. “That’s romantic.”
“Pfft, I mean, just, holy shit.” Violet looked at her feet also, slowly reaching her hand to hold Clem’s, entwining her fingers with the other girl’s. “Clem, I feel the same way. I’m so glad, I just—I’m so happy.” Violet looked up and turned towards Clem, having them meet eyes. She went in for another kiss, happy to be met with the same enthusiasm. The blonde grinned into their kiss.
If only they could stay like this forever.
“Vi? Clem? You out there?”
Damn.
“Shit-sticks. Probably time for your lookout shift. You ready?” Violet pushed herself up, turning to hold out her hand for Clem.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” Clementine took Violet’s hand and smiled. They kissed again, close to each other the whole way down.
Together, Violet and Clem could do anything.