Work Text:
"Hey, uh, be careful. There are stairs ahead." Clementine spoke softly, holding onto her blind girlfriend. Violet's mouth twisted into a small pout, and she went still.
"How close?" Her voice was quiet.
Clementine's heart broke to hear her sounding so timid. "Only a couple of steps. I'll say when we're at the top."
"You're my eyes," Violet confirmed.
"You're my legs," Clementine said back.
A small smile tugged at the blonde's lips. "I'd probably be lost in the forest without you. I'd earn the 'world's shittest walker' award."
"That's not a bad award..."
Clementine knew Violet had raised an eyebrow underneath the thick bandage that covered one of her emerald eyes. She would do anything for Violet to feel comfortable enough about her face to take it off. Her eyes landed on the edges of the scar; it stretched across her nose and wrapped around her visible eye.
"You're looking, aren't you?" Violet announced. Even blind, she could read her like a book.
"There's nothing wrong with it, Vi..." She replied as they made it to the steps. "We're at the stairs."
Violet nodded and slowly pressed her foot down on the first step. As soon as she was comfortable enough, she put her other foot on the same stair. Clementine hopped down next to her, sticking close to the blind girl.
They repeated this painfully slow process until they made it down the stairs. They were now on the ground floor of the admin building. "The door's a little bit ahead." She said, noting how badly they needed to fix it.
"Locked?" Violet joked.
Clementine smiled and rolled her eyes, and then realised Violet couldn't see it. "You made me smile with that."
Violet beamed. "That's good. You deserve to be happy."
"I am whenever I'm with you." She responded without missing a beat. She saw the conflict on Violet's face (hidden beneath her blush) almost like her emotion were at war with each other about what to show. Clementine wasn't stupid; she knew that Violet had troubles expressing herself, often resorting to anger to try and deflect people away. "You don't have to say anything."
A flash of guilt splashed across the blonde's scarred features. "T-Thank you..."
"Don't feel bad." She murmured gently, resting her head on Violet's shoulder.
"Sorry... I can't help it..."
"Don't worry about it." She reassured. "How are you feeling?"
Violet took a deep breath. "You know I hate these questions..."
"Answer it, please. You keep half of your beautiful face hidden." She smirked playfully. "It makes it harder for me to see what you're thinking."
"Exactly. I'd kick your ass at poker if I could see the damn cards." Violet sighed. "I-I'm doing okay, I guess; not being able to see the stars with you anymore kind of puts a dampener on things."
"We'll figure out a way around it."
"Clem... Don't lie to me. You know it never works."
She looked down sadly. "I should've saved you."
Violet frowned. "Don't say that... You made the best choice you could. What was it you overheard Lee say?"
"That when you think back on it, you have a choice and that in the heat of the moment, when things are really out of control? You don't have a choice." Clementine whispered. "B-But that doesn't change that I let them take you..."
Violet halted their movements. "I'm not there anymore, am I?"
"No, but now you're blind because of it, and it's all my fault."
"I decided to follow Minnie. Me being blind is my fucking fault. I let her get into my head." Violet chuckled sourly. "I only realised how wrong I was when she locked me in that fucking boiler room."
Clementine's curiosity was piqued. Violet never talks about what happened in the boiler room.
"She did it to save herself. She closed the door to block herself from the explosion. Speaking of explosions; Willy isn't doing anything explosive, is he?" Violet sounded genuinely distressed. After the last time Willy set an explosion off near her, and she dissolved into a crying mess on the floor, ravaged by the claws of PTSD, Clementine couldn't blame her girlfriend for being worried.
"No, he's not." She confirmed.
Violet's posture relaxed. "Thanks, are you ready to walk again?"
Clementine hooked her arm back around Violet. "Yeah, I am." The pair began walking again. "Any news on the peg leg?"
"AJ is ecstatic about it, Louis is too. The issue is no-one has a single fucking clue on how to do it. They've gotten around to shaving a chair leg, but they'd need to measure the..." Violet fumbled for a word. "The air where your leg used to be. Unfortunately, the walkers started walking before any of us could get a good enough education to do that shit properly."
"That's a shame." She responded as they made it outside.
/-/-/-/-/-/
"Christ... You'd think Louis would go easy on me considering I'm blind and all, wouldn't you?" Violet quipped as sat down on the dark green covers of the bed.
Clementine sat next to her, chuckling. "You agreed to the challenge."
Violet pouted and crossed her arms. "You don't turn down an arm wrestle! That's like, against the rules."
Grinning at her girlfriend's antics, Clementine flipped on a lantern. Judging by Violet's head cocking towards the sound, she had noticed.
"Aw, thanks, Clementine. I can see so much better now."
She quickly pecked Violet on the cheek. "Aren't I the best girlfriend ever?"
"Don't get too big-headed. It's already enough dealing with Louis every day."
Clementine smiled. "Lay down?"
"Uh, sure?" Violet replied, laying down on her side. Shuffling, Clementine worked herself behind Violet and wrapped her arms around her; pressing her front against the other girl's back. She trailed her finger up Violet's cheek and hooked a digit under the bandage. Violet froze, her breath caught in her throat.
"It's okay; it's okay..." She whispered. Violet nodded, feeling a small tear roll down her cheek.
"W-Why do you want to see it?"
"Why wouldn't I..." She responded, brushing the tear away with her thumb. Violet sniffled and curled up a little. Carefully, she peeled the bandage off, exposing the flared, pink skin to the world. "It's healed a little."
Violet stayed still.
"Vi, I know you don't like it, but I want you to understand that you'll always be beautiful to me."
"Y-You mean that?"
"Of course I do," Clementine said like it was the most simple thing in the world. Her amber eyes noticed the faintest bit of skull exposed on the side of Violet's face, from where the explosion had ruptured and melted the skin, she assumed. Her gaze then fell onto Violet's eyes. They were glassy and had lost their vibrance.
"How are the stars tonight?"
"Uh... Very star-like."
"Clem..."
"I'm not really sure what you want me to say..." She admitted and blushing. "It'll sound cheesy if I describe them."
"But I want you to describe them. I can fill the blanks in my head from what I remember. I want you to remind me every night; so I never forget the stars. I don't want to forget the stars, Clementine." She begged.
Clementine hated how broken Violet sounded. "Alright. So, Jasper-" Violet snorted. "-is looking as bright as usual. Same with Katie, she's looking pretty hot, not going to lie to you-"
"Clem, you don't have to describe the hottest woman of the year."
She paused. "Hottest man of the year instead?"
"H-How would that appeal to me?"
Clem shrugged. "Fine, I'll be serious now." She took a moment to stare at the stars through the barred window, noting Violet's anticipation. "They're filling the sky, and they're very bright. Some are bigger than others, but most of them are specks. The moon is out, like that night on the belltower. It's peaceful."
Clementine felt her heart swell at the cute smile on Violet's face. "That sounds like it looks really nice. Thanks, Clem."
She hugged Violet tightly. "No problem."