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Chapter Text

Ever since the new ones arrived in Alexandria, Ron had been looking forward to meeting Carl so much. Saw him and his group get in in, then her mother told her that she met Carl's father and was insisting for a long time that she ask Rick if he would allow Carl to come to he house.

When Jessie told her that she had Rick's permission for Carl out to home, she made sure to tidy up her room and even did her hair a bit. He was going to be honest and admit it once to himself. Carl liked him. He was like the cutest boy he'd ever seen in his life. Maybe he could befriend him if he wasn't lucky to be something else. That was enough for him.

When Carl got to his house, he looked like a scared puppy and Ron thought he was cute.

Carl got along with Mikey right away, but it was a little more difficult with Enid, she just had no interest in Carl.

"We have another friend, she's in the infirmary with a fever, so you'll have to wait a bit to meet her." he told Mikey the first day they formally met Carl.

Carl just nodded and shyly sat down next to them to play video games.

The days in Alexandria were now better for Ron. He knew Carl more and more and in the short time that he had known him, he had no doubt that he was in love with him. He hadn't even liked Enid as much as Carl. The guy was just...great.

Carl's shy personality faded completely as the days went by and Ron liked that. He liked knowing that Carl trusted them to be more open.

"I think I'm ready to tell her how I feel..." Mikey says suddenly. They had been hanging out in front of Ron's house, just sitting on the grass.

"Than?" Carl says, confused.

Obviously he would be.

"If she rejects you, I don't want you coming to me crying, Mikey. First warning." Enid takes a quick look at Mikey and pulls up another piece of grass to play with.

Carl narrows his eyes and then seems to understand what he meant and nods.

"She already has to be discharged to leave, we can go look for her if you want." Ron shrugs.

"Or she could just go to Aaron's. It's late enough now, I don't think he's still there if you think he's been released." Mikey smiles and gets up quickly from the ground, brushing off his clothes.

The others imitate him and walk calmly towards Aaron's house, which happens to be very close to Carl's, so he can make an excuse to leave. I don't know, maybe Daryl wants help with something or some shit. Being around Ron was annoying and made he stomach ache. He felt like throwing up.

"Mikey has been in love with her since she arrived, I never thought he would have the balls to tell her that he likes her." Ron whispers to Carl, letting out a small laugh.

Carl nods and puts his hands in his pockets. Listening to everything Ron whispered to he, not answering anything, just paying attention.

When they get to Aaron's house, they don't even have to knock, because a blonde girl comes out of the house, smiling when she sees Enid, Ron and Mikey, but her smile fades when she sees the fourth person with them.

"Holy crap..." Carl mutters, his mouth almost open.

Ron and Mikey look at him in confusion, before Carl lunges at the girl and hugs her tight.

"Sophia!" Carl exclaims, his voice cracking.

Sophia wraps her arms around Carl's neck and lets him carry her, wrapping her legs around Carl's hip. They don't last long like this, falling to the grass and immediately breaking out in laughter.

"We thought you were dead!" Carl says, with a huge smile and his eyes glassy with tears.

"Almost. After I got lost in the woods, I just...started running. I found an empty house that happened to have supplies and stayed there for a while. When it was over, I covered my body with pillows and ribbons so I could get out. without getting bitten. I had no luck getting back to where we were, I was lost and…" Sophia sobs and runs her hands over her cheeks, wiping away her tears. "Aaron found me two weeks later, I was surviving on sheer luck, and he brought me to Alexandria."

"Such a smart girl..." Carl mutters, rolling over onto his stomach and covering his face with his arm. "Your mom is going to be so happy to see you..."

Sophia breaks down at the mention of her mother and gets up from the grass, forcing Carl to get up.

"Take me to her, Carl...please." Pray Sophia.

Carl nods and puts his arm around his shoulders, pulling the girl closer to him as they head to the houses at the end of the street.

Ron clearly sees Carl kiss Sophia's temple and swallows the lump in he throat. They knew each other and it seems they had a thing... Of course Carl wouldn't like boys.

"I think he beat you, Mikey." Enid says, arms folded.

"I didn't even have a chance with her anyway…" Mikey mutters, sighing and following Carl and Sophia.

Ron and Enid are not far behind and follow Mikey. Ron wanted to go home and cry for the rest of the day, but if his dad saw him, he'd beat him up for being a fag. So he actually prefers to stay here with them with a broken heart and not a bone.

When they arrive at Carl's house, the door was open and they heard several people crying. The three of them look at each other before deciding whether or not to go inside. They don't have to think long, Carl sees them and nods them inside.

They see Sophia hugging a woman who appears to be her mother and then a guy who looks like he hasn't bathed since World War II. Then Sophia is introduced to a blonde girl named Beth.

Ron just watches Sophia reuniting with her family and glancing at Carl from time to time with a smile. Carl is not far behind, he looked at her with such affection that he felt even worse. He knew he didn't stand a chance with him, but now he made it very clear. He never expected Carl to meet Sophia, but he still makes him happy knowing that she was able to find her family.

Ron doesn't remember when he left, but he did and climbed up a tree and stayed there, for so long that he blacked out. He had cried a few times and vomited once before climbing the tree.

It was silly to feel this way about someone he'd known for a week, but no one had ever made him feel this way before and it was a new feeling that he didn't want to experience again.

"Ron."

Ron jumps at hearing his name out of nowhere in the silence and looks down to find Carl with his hand on his hat and his head thrown back to look at him.

"Do you intend to stay there all night? Dinner will already be ready and Carol has invited your mom and brother to dinner. Move. You don't know the war that is waged at that table as soon as the dishes touch the table. Although they promised to behave Anyway, hurry up." Carl shrugs and smiles slightly.

Ron watches him dumbfounded and has no choice but to go down. Him crying like stupid and Carl so calm inviting him to dinner...

"What were you doing up there?" Carl asks, walking next to Ron, back towards his house.

"Nothing, thinking." Ron shrugs and never looks Carl in the face.

"Do you think with puffy eyes all the time? Why were you crying?" Carl stops and I lift Ron's face gently.

"I wasn't crying." Ron frowns and pulls away from Carl's touch, even if he didn't want to.

"You look like shit. I look like that when I cry too. Everyone actually. I've seen too many people cry to know you've done it. So tell me what's up." Carl insists, resting his hands on Ron's shoulders.

"You and Sophia..." Ron mutters, not sure he should ask this question. "are you and her dating?"

Carl wrinkles his nose, shaking his head.

"Nope, I sent her fishing."

Ron seems quite confused by Carl's response, but then he thinks it must be some joke between them.

"So...you like Sophia." Carl says, looking away and running his hand around his neck.

"No!" Reply Ron.

Ron didn't want Carl to think that he liked Sophia, he wanted he to understand that he liked him.

Carl looks surprised for a second at the brusque response, but then he smiles and takes two nervous steps back.

"So..." Carl invites him to continue talking, almost unable to contain his smile.

"You..."

Carl nods and bites his lip to keep from smiling. Then he extends his hand timidly to Ron, he takes it faster than he should and they both left, walking as slowly as possible towards Carl's house.

Chapter Text

"For our one year anniversary as a boyfriend, I never imagined it would end like this, honestly." Ron says, arms crossed and lets out a sigh.

Carl walks to the edge of the roof and takes a quick look at the dozen or so walkers surrounding them.

"Seems to me it's going too well, actually." Carl shrugs and steps back from the edge, not wanting Ron to have a heart attack.

"Okay, what do we do now, pretty boy?" Ron asks, sitting down on the ceiling.

Carl imitates him and crosses his legs, thinking. The old frame house shakes and Carl growls. They didn't have long here before the house fell apart.

"Do you still have flares left? With that we can distract some and when it is clear enough, you will go down. I will make a space for you, you are fast, so you will not have a problem." Carl explains as he took Ron's backpack and searched for the gun with the flares. There's still one left, great.

Ron takes Carl's hand and shakes his head.

"Hey, I get this, that you're immune to them, that you can't convert and your smell doesn't attract them is great, but I still can't let you throw yourself into a sea of walkers." Ron frowns in concern and Carl sighs, that was coming.

"Ronnie, love. You said so, they won't do anything to me, but I can lure them with a lot of noise as you go down the road and walk away towards and I'll follow you, I promise." Carl grabs Ron's face and he moves closer to him, brushing his lips. "I understand that you're afraid, but it's the only idea I have to get you out of here safely."

Ron closes his eyes for a second and nods. Carl smiles and strokes a cross-shaped scar on Ron's cheek. Some guys who kidnapped them had done it after Ron sacrificed himself so they wouldn't hurt him. It was an impulsive, stupid, dangerous move that made Carl tremble with love. They had beaten up his boy and Carl retaliated by shooting them in the back when they no longer paid attention to him. Ron wasn't too happy that he killed them in cold blood, but at least he was happy to still be alive and that Carl was okay, so they didn't talk about it anymore, but Ron had a reminder of the day where his boyfriend was almost raped in he face.

"I still worry about the fact that you're not totally immune, Carl." Ron mutters, tangling the fingers of his left hand in Carl's long hair.

"We've already done too many tests and I'm totally immune, you saw it. You'll get down here, run to the road, I'll catch up with you, we go home and have a stupidly romantic date for the rest of the day."

Carl plants a quick kiss on his boyfriend's lips and stands up. Ron follows suit and gives him a quick hug, whispering that he loves him in his ear before pulling away. Carl smiles and almost winks at him, but he remembers that he only has one eye and Ron will just think he was blinking. Stupid asshole who shot him in the face.

Carl doesn't remember much about that night after he was shot in the face, but Rick told him that a scared man had started shooting and hit him in the eye. He was eaten by the walkers. When he woke up, his father was there, talking to him, and he saw Michonne and Judith at the door. Ron was gone and Carl panicked. They still had a pretty bad relationship back then, but when Ron came into the room and lulled him to sleep, it was one of the only moments in all this mess that he felt calm. For a second he had thought that he lost the only person who made him awaken such beautiful and strange things in him.

Carl won't be in the same position of seeing Ron on the brink of death if he can help it. Carl won't let some stupid living zombies take him away.

"Hey you morons!!" Carl yells, shooting the flare to the left, to get to the road they had to run straight ahead.

The walkers are drawn to the flare and Carl, with Ron's help, manages to climb down from the roof, starting to shout and clap his hands to get the attention of those around. With the noise that the few that were at first made, they attracted more.

Carl gets as far away as he can to give Ron time to get down to safety. There were only one or two left, nothing difficult for Ron. He choked a guy when he almost cut him off from a arm, Carl has to admit that he was too horny and almost got Ron to fuck him in the middle of the woods. Luckily Ron is a reasonable person and it made him remember that only he was immune to walkers. Ron would be too conspicuous.

Carl watches as Ron manages to get off the roof without difficulty, plunges a knife into the head of one Walker, then another, and waves for him to come back.

"Go ahead, I'm going to push them away a bit more!" yells Carl.

Carl sees Ron roll his eyes and shake his head as he runs back to the road. This was a losing fight for Ron and he knew it very well. Carl loves that his boyfriend is so smart.

When Carl returns to the road and catches up with Ron, his boyfriend is with he arms crossed and looking like he wants to kill someone. Carl only knows that his victim will not be him... or so he hopes.

"Grimes, don't ever do something stupid like that again, immune or not, it's dangerous." Ron walks up to Carl and points his finger at him, he didn't sound angry, more like relieved.

Carl puts his arms around Ron's shoulders and smirks.

"I'll put it on the list of things I don't care about." Carl kisses Ron's nose. "The only thing that matters to me right now is that you're okay and alive. I intend to keep it that way, okay, Anderson?"

"We better get back before your father wants to come looking for us and doesn't let us out again." Ron sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, wrapping his other arm around Carl's waist.

"Aww, how boring you are. Wouldn't you rather have sex in the woods?" Carl asks, smiling flirtatiously and leaning his face closer against Ron's.

Ron just lets go of him and turns around, walking towards Alexandria with his little boyfriend giggling behind him as he ran over and took his hand.

For his first year as a boyfriends, it wasn't too bad. At least they were still alive.

Chapter Text

Carl sighs with relief at finally finding Ron. He had searched for him throughout the house, wondering if his company would be welcome or not. It had been two weeks since Jessie and Sam died, he didn't really know how Ron was doing, he hardly spoke to him and worse to the others, he didn't even look at them.

Carl hesitates, but steels himself and walks over, closing the door behind him and standing in front of Ron.

"Can i sit?"

Ron looks away from the rain and looks at him wearily, nodding. Carl sits next to him, keeping some distance between his bodies, he was quite uncomfortable here as well.

He's never been good with words, as he used to be quite blunt and crude, so he wasn't sure if he should be here or not, but he wanted to be honest with Ron now and make him feel better.

"How are you?" Carl looks at Ron with concern, he's back to looking at the rain again.

"How should I feel...I guess." Ron shrugs and Carl is happy to hear more than grunts or low whispers of yes or no.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened. Not with your father, I'll be honest with that, but you know that. Jessie and Sam didn't deserve anything that happened." Carl whispers, not daring to look at Ron, he didn't want to make the situation worse or get thrown out by him.

"Maybe if Sam had agreed to go with Gabriel, things would have turned out differently…or maybe things would have turned out the same and we would have just condemned Judith too." Ron purses his lips. "I don't want to blame him or anyone, but…I don't know. I've been thinking about how things would have turned out differently and I'm eating my head. No one was to blame and it was something that could happen."

Carl looks at Ron and his chest sinks as he sees tears in his eyes. How many times had Ron cried without anyone noticing?

"You know, I do too. When we were at Hershel's farm…I killed Shane. He tried to kill my father, I followed them and when he wanted to shoot my father, I pulled the trigger first. Sometimes he asked me If only things would have been different if Shane hadn't become obsessed with Mom. Maybe he'd still be here with us, making things easier…or harder than they already are."

Ron was looking at him now and he looked upset, maybe because of his family, maybe because of what Carl was telling him. Maybe for everything...

"Shane was…he knew how things worked in this new world, he knew what he had to do to survive, but he became obsessed with my mom and it led to his own death. I don't regret what I did, because if It wasn't Shane, the one who would be dead would be my father and probably everyone here now, my family, would also be dead because Shane would have abandoned them. Maybe he would have abandoned me after my mother died." Carl sighs and throws his head back, closing his one eye. "What I want to say. The future is uncertain and to think about what would happen if something, no matter how small, was different, things would also be different. There is no way of knowing what would have happened and I think thanking you for being there I live is enough. I'm not telling you to forget or stop crying, I'm saying move on..."

Ron doesn't answer, but Carl knows he's listening and smiles slightly.

It was now or never.

"Ron..." Carl whispers, his voice just too sweet. Nothing like himself...

Ron looks at him curiously and confused. Carl thinks he looks pretty by frowning. Carl takes Ron's hand and slips a silver ring onto Ron's right index finger.

"It was your mother's. When…when she let go of my hand, her ring slipped off and stayed with me. When I woke up in the infirmary, Denise told me that me had been clenching my hand too tightly and there was no way i could I opened it. It seems I had been subconsciously protecting this. It's not much, but it's the only thing I have..."

Ron looks at the ring on her hand and doesn't push it away even as Carl continues to gently hold he hand, he just entwines his fingers with Carl's and smiles slightly. Carl feels his stomach churn with joy and flutter with butterflies. Ron was smiling…and, dear God, he was holding his hand.

"It's perfect. Thanks, Carl." Ron looks at him, a little shy, and gives him another smile, very small, but too sincere that makes Carl melt.

Carl knows he won't be going anywhere for a while, so he just settles back and rests his head on Ron's shoulder, enjoying the night rain.

Chapter Text

Carl rubs his hands together again, trying to cut the ropes around his wrists.

When the burning on his skin becomes unbearable, he stops and growls in annoyance.

He had argued with his father and ran away from Alexandria, as a result, some guys caught him on the highway and kidnapped him.

He was alone now, unarmed and scared, begging not to be killed or something worse.

When his kidnappers enter, there are only three people. The two who took it and a boy about his age.

Carl is embarrassed to say that the boy was cute, because he was on the enemy side and had a rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Do you like our new toy? We found it alone on the road. Just like you."

The man laughs and kneels in front of Carl, patting him on the cheek.

"Well, what do you say you have a little fun with him?"

The boy glances at Carl and then at the man who was still laughing.

"No, I have to keep watch tonight, right? If I do this, then I'll be too tired and he can run away. I don't want some preschool brat to kill me." The boy rolls his eyes and leans against a wall, arms crossed. "I'll do it tomorrow, when the responsibility of taking care of him is someone else's. You want to see how I fuck him, I don't want to be exhausted to make sure he doesn't kill us while you sleep."

"It's the end of the world and one of these days, I'll make you do it. You know it very well, you owe us, but for being so obedient, I'll let you go. The third time's the charm, remember that."

Both men leave the room and the boy sits across from Carl, sighing.

"Man, this is so exhausting. We're not in a porn video, I'm not going to fuck anyone because they have fetishes for it."

Carl thinks he's just telling him that to keep him calm, which is a relief, because he was hearing his heart beating too hard. Still, he doesn't discount the fact that he can lie.

"It's going to be a long night," he sighs. "I know you don't trust me, but if you want to sleep, you can. I'm not going to kill you in your sleep, I promise."

Carl glares at him and relaxes a bit more against the cool wall behind him.

"I'm Ron, you don't have to tell me your name if you don't want to."

Ron doesn't speak again for a long time, he only leaves the room once to go to the bathroom and he had even locked the door when he did. He back in less than ten minutes.

Carl doesn't know what time it was, but he was sure that it was very late, his body said, tired.

Carl remembers his eyes closing and when he wakes up, Ron was in front of him playing with his watch.

"It's four in the morning. You slept for three hours." Ron says, getting up from his spot to go over to him, his rifle and machete out of reach. "I'm glad you woke up, I had to talk to you."

Carl raises an eyebrow and snorts. Ron smiles.

"I can get you out of here."

Carl looks at him suspiciously, why so suddenly? Still, Carl has a little hope that he's telling the truth, he doesn't want the other idiots to come back.

"Your only option here is to do as I tell you and trust me. If you don't come, then they will come and do horrible things to you. They won't kill you, at least not until they play with you and spill the last drop of blood on you? What do you say?"

"Why should I trust you? You are on his side." Carl says through his teeth.

"I'm not here because I want to. You heard it, I owe them a debt. When all this started, I was separated from my family and I was alone for a while, until they saved my life from several of those things. I've been with them ever since." Ron explains, in whispers, casting quick glances at the door between words.

"If you save me, then I will be in your debt and we would be in the same situation. No thanks." Carl shakes his head.

"I want a favor in exchange for your freedom. That's all." Ron shrugs.

"What would?" Carl narrows his eyes suspiciously.

"Take me with you wherever you go. No one survives out there alone, least of all a child or teenager. You have a place to stay, your clothes are too neat for you to have no safe place, and your hair is clean. I have more reasons. if you're interested."

Carl wrinkles his nose in disgust. This boy was smarter and more observant than the other idiots here.

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

Ron thinks about it and then shakes his head.

"Nothing. There's nothing I can tell you or show you to trust me, because I know you won't do it lightly. Just my word. But right now, your only chance to get out of here is me." Ron looks at his watch again and moves closer to Carl to undo the ropes around his wrists.

Carl winces as he feels Ron's callused fingers against his skin, but he doesn't say anything and lets him continue. The ropes around his feet are something Ron leaves up to him.

"You have seven minutes to decide whether to go with me or get blown to bits like everyone else." Ron shows him his watch and picks up his weapons, turning his back on Carl.

Carl rolls his eyes, confused at how confident Ron seems to be in turning his back on him and letting go. He wanted me to take him to Alexandria, but what if it was a trap?

"I planted a bomb that I made out of things I found all year, it was hard, but I got it. They never let me go scouting, I didn't get a chance to get a grenade or anything like that, so the range won't be too, we have plenty of time to get out and get them away. I've also put gasoline outside their rooms. Now move." Ron walks over to Carl and takes his arm, leading him out of the room where they were. Carl notes that it was a basement.

When they go upstairs, the hallways are dark and Carl feels Ron moving, until he turns on a flashlight and then Ron passes him one.

The way out of the house is actually too easy, just not to make noise. Apparently the idiots who kidnapped him were just that, idiots.

As they leave, Ron closes the door and whispers that he has a motorcycle hidden a few feet away.

Carl frowns at that. This was planned...Ron wasn't planning to take him at any time, he was just using him and Carl feels stupid, because Ron himself confirmed it and he thought wrong.

He wasn't used to people helping you without something in return, so he let his guard down a bit just because Ron was cute. And how not to do it? He was ash blonde, had rather pretty brown eyes and a cross-shaped scar on his cheek and another on his lip. He was hot.

Ron tells him that they are halfway there and when he looks at his watch, he tells him to get down. When they both do, they hear the loud explosion and the fire is noted among the trees. If those idiots weren't killed by the explosion, they will be killed by the number of walkers that were approaching. He made just enough noise to clear the way… Carl was more amazed at how smart Ron seems to be.

"Come on. We're close."

Finding the motorcycle, Ron also takes a backpack and looks for a bottle of water which he gives to Carl, but he forces Ron to drink first, after he does, Carl gulps it all down. Ron gives a small laugh and hands Carl his backpack.

"I think you can come with me." Carl mutters, sitting down behind Ron.

Even though it was for convenience, Ron had saved he life, even if his family was looking for him, if they had, it wouldn't make sense if he killed in the explosion.

"That's good to hear," Ron says, starting the motorcycle. "I was going to get you out even if you said no, I didn't want to see anyone else die because of these guys. They raped, tortured and killed for fun, that's what they would do to you. I was going to leave tonight anyway, you gave me good luck and maybe a place to live."

Carl can't help but slip his arms around Ron's waist and relax against him. Maybe he didn't do it as much out of convenience as he thought.

"I'd still like to look for my family, maybe they got lucky like me and are still alive..." Ron mutters.

"That sound good."

Ron speeds towards the highway and Carl just mutters to where he needed to go to get to Alexandria. The path is not easy, in fact it is too difficult. They had to stop in a town to get more gas (Carl lost his shoe again to a Walker) and had to spend the night in a barn when the rain caught them up.

Lying on straw was not comfortable, but it was better than the ground. Ron had bandaged his bruised wrists long ago and now he was changing the bandages.

"Thanks for everything." Carl whispers, slumping back against the pile of straw.

"Don't say thank you. You're cute, it was like my first thought when I saw you." Ron shrugs and plops down on the straw, just like Carl.

Carl may or may not have blushed, but he doesn't let Ron notice.

Since all this started and since before, no one besides Lori, Rick, and Michonne had told him he was cute, no one had taken an interest in him, and he hadn't taken an interest in anyone…until now. Carl felt the butterflies flutter in his stomach from the moment he saw Ron walk in, with that rifle hanging from his arm, he just fell before him, even if he was one of the 'bad guys'.

Now that same boy was telling him that he was cute.

Carl swallows hard and picks up courage from who knows where, slides into Ron's lap and sits on top of him. Ron opens his eyes and smiles at him, he didn't seem surprised or disgusted.

"You know, if my father saw this right now, he'd be beating me to death." Ron says, letting out a small laugh.

"You just brought all the shame out of me with that domestic violence comment." Carl can't help but laugh either.

"Have you ever had sex?" Ron asks, sliding his hands to Carl's waist.

Carl holds his breath for a moment and leans closer.

"I haven't even had my first kiss." Carl admits, his face flushed.

"My only two girlfriends were never really into kissing or physical contact, but I think I can give you a good first kiss. Make it worth it..." Ron whispers against Carl's lips before kissing him.

What happened after that, Carl remembers in great detail and it was incredible. All the kissing, the touching, Ron being too good, soft and kind. Carl no longer has any doubts that he was in love with him. God, if he dad thinks for one second about kicking Ron out of Alexandria, he'll throw a tantrum and go cry to Jessie to convince he dad to let Ron stay.

Ever since they took Jessie away from Pete, she and Sam had been with them, he dad clearly had a crush on Jessie and wouldn't interfere, if it made he dad happy, he was fine. The only reason Pete was still alive after so much mistreatment of his wife and son was because Deanna forbade Rick from killing Pete. Even if he was the leader now, Deanna still had too much authority.

As dawn breaks, Carl wakes up snuggled against Ron and enjoys Ron's warm hug and breath.

Carl runs his fingers across Ron's chest and abdomen, tracing his scars with his fingers. Cigarette burns, minor and longer cuts, some bruises, and more of all of the above. His father was such an idiot, he wished he was dead.

"Hey, pretty boy, good morning." Ron waves, running his fingers through Carl's unruly hair.

"Hello." Carl waves, smiling.

Ron kisses Carl and he kisses him back in amazement. For a second he had been thinking about the possibility that Ron really didn't like him and only wanted him because he was the only teenager he knew. But...you don't give your virginity to the first teenager you meet, do you?

Ron even gave him a nickname, it was impossible not to like him.

"Are you ready to go?" Ron yawns as he gets up and reaches into his backpack for water and peanut bars, which are pretty awful.

"I would have liked to continue to sleep like this a little longer, but I would like to get there, I don't want to worry my father more than he should already be." Carl yawns too and reaches over to grab his clothes off the floor.

After a small breakfast and a change of clothes, they both leave the barn and head back to the road. The rest of the way, Carl indecently enjoyed hugging Ron, he also joked about it a bit and held his hand most of the way.

They arrive in Alexandria at night, bad luck for Ron, he won't be able to rest until Rick questions him.

Eugene was on duty and tells Ron to identify himself. Carl suppresses a laugh.

"Eugene, it's Carl, open that door." Carl turns his body to the side, so Eugene can get a good look at it.

Eugene sighs and quickly goes downstairs so he can open the door, muttering complex and nonsensical things that sometimes give him a headache.

"Your father is very worried, I don't think he will be very happy when he finds out that you disappear for four days and come back with a boy you don't know." says Eugene, between scolding Carl and being relieved that he was there.

"I'll take care of that later." Carl shrugs.

Carl tells Ron the way to his house and they park his motorcycle in the driveway, the house lights are on and Rick gets out when he hears the motorcycle engine.

"Carl... my God." Rick gasps and rushes to hug his son tight. "I was so worried, I'm so sorry for fighting, don't ever leave like this again."

Carl isn't sure if he was being scolded or Rick was worried, but he takes it anyway.

"Who is this boy?" Rick asks noticing Ron leaning against the motorcycle.

"He saved me, it's a long story, but in short, they kidnapped me and he helped me out before they kill me or worse." Carl shrugs and steps away from Rick to take Ron's arm. "I'll introduce you to the others."

"Wait..." Rick says, stopping Carl. "How many walkers did you kill?"

Carl rolls his eyes and crosses his arms to wait for the stupid question quiz.

"Many." Ron answers.

"How many people did you kill?

Ron takes a second to count them.

"Thirteen."

"Why?"

"Because they tried to kill me or they were bad people."

Rick looks at him and nods.

"You'll stay where I can keep an eye on you anyway, I still don't trust you, but thanks for saving my son."

Ron smiles and now he is dragged inside by Carl.

As soon as Carl walks in, Michonne throws himself at into a tight hug and scolds him for running away. Carl apologizes under his breath.

Carl leads Ron into the living room and they both sit on the sofa.

"I would like a more extended version of what happened. And I want it from you." Rick sits across from them both and points to Ron.

Daryl settles in behind Rick, glaring at Ron. Michonne was sitting next to Rick with her sword at her back, ready to strike.

Ron doesn't seem uncomfortable or scared, like he's been in the same situation before or he's just confident they won't do anything to him.

"The men who kidnapped Carl called themselves the Destroyers. They literally destroyed everything, raped, tortured and killed for fun. They found me when this started and made me kill a man to show loyalty...they found Carl and I offered to watch him while they rested, they forced me to rape him but I refused, if I didn't, any of them would in the morning. I already planned to escape and get rid of them, but I couldn't leave Carl." Ron explains, leaning against the sofa, too calm.

"Why couldn't you just quit?" questions Rick.

Ron shrugs.

"It didn't seem fair to me. I didn't know him and I didn't know if he was good or bad, but I also told him that I would release him if he brought me with him. I was going to release him anyway, but I wanted to try and find a place to stay. I just released it because I didn't want to see anyone else die because of them, in this case it would be mine and I don't like carrying more blood on my hands than I already have."

Rick seems to think so and sighs. Daryl lowers his crossbow and relaxes a bit. Ron must admit that he was a bit intimidated by this man.

"And because his son is cute." Ron added.

Michonne's eyes widen and she stifles a laugh. Daryl does laugh and Rick glares at Ron. Carl blushes with embarrassment when his father looks at him and he looks away.

The door opens and the voices of Carol, Tara and Jessie can be heard.

"Maybe Tara or Carol will agree to stay with you. I don't feel comfortable leaving you in my house since this new discovery." Rick narrows his eyes and Ron laughs.

"Dad!" scolds Carl. He now he couldn't sleep comfortably with Ron in a bed because of his father.

"Carl, is that you?" Jessie walks into the room and smiles to see Carl safe and sound. "My God, I'm so glad to know that you're okay."

Carl smiles at Jessie and walks over to her to thank her for her concern and give her a hug. Jessie was too nice and Carl really liked her.

Tara and Carol are glad to see him too and quickly give him a hug. Tara says that she will go tell the others and runs off.

"Carol, Jessie, he's…" Carl turns to introduce Ron, but is interrupted by Ron.

"Mom?" Ron mutters, looking dumbfounded at Jessie.

Jessie's eyes widen in astonishment and they quickly fill with tears, covering her mouth.

"Ron…" Jessie mutters, running to hug her son tight and cry against him.

Ron wraps his arms around Jessie's back and mutters against her. Also crying a lot. Carl overhears Ron asking about Sam and is so happy to hear that both Sam and Jessie were okay and were the family of his new boyfriend. How small was the world.

"I suppose he will stay here." Rick growls. Carl smiles and sits next to Michonne. "Where's Judy?"

"Sleeping in her room." Michonne answers.

Carl gets up and runs up the stairs looking for he little sister, he had missed her so much and he just wanted to kiss her goodnight, he wasn't going to wake her up.

In the end everything went well. Carl is actually glad he ran away from Alexandria, he found a new boyfriend, and Jessie found her family.

Things aren't always bad after all.

Chapter Text

Ron remembers the first time his father hit him. He is four years old and coming out of preschool, he was excited because his new teacher was great.

In the car, Pete told he that he'll shut up and call him a faggot. When they got home, Pete grabbed the first bottle of beer he could find and at the shortest time, he started arguing with Jessie. Pete hit Jessie and she fell unconscious. Ron was scared and ran to help his mother, but he couldn't do much because now Pete was hitting him.

And that was the first time in years of abuse and violence in his family.

When his brother was born, Ron was happy and scared. He didn't want this new little brother to go through the hell that his mother and he had been going through. Pete was less severe with Sam, but still hit him and treated him badly.

If Ron was given a flower for every time Sam cried into his room to sleep with him, then he would have a huge garden.

If Ron were given a dollar for every time he thought his mother was dead after a beating, then Pete would have enough money to get drunk for years.

If Ron got hit for every time Pete called him a fag...

When his father went to a psychologist and got professional help, everything was fine for a while, until he started drinking again and then all this doomsday shit started.

In Alexandria, Ron thought that everything would be different, that they could be a happy family, that Pete would love them. He was wrong.

With his job as a surgeon and the only doctor in Alexandria, Pete was spending a lot of time away from home and Ron was actually grateful for it because he was able to enjoy the day. The problem came at night...

There wasn't much alcohol, but there was enough to make Pete violent and I hit them. Ron was tired, his body ached, and he was afraid. He was afraid for Mom and Sam... But he still loved Pete and hoped that one day he would change.

Ron knows he wouldn't, he wasn't stupid, he just had a stupid fantasy.

So the abuses continue. Ron being afraid that Jessie won't wake up continues. Sam entering his room crying continues. Ron needed to do something, but he was afraid and he didn't want to be selfish to the others in Alexandria. Pete was more important than a hairstylist and his two children.

So Ron stays quiet. He covers up his bruises and wounds with makeup, hides his scars and bruises with big clothes, and spends as much time as possible outside the home.

When things in Alexandria get tense when Rick and his group arrive, a part of Ron wishes they would do something against Pete, they had the nerve to do it... Ron didn't.

Ron wanted to be able to protect himself and the family from him, but he was too much of a coward to even try. When Deanna begins to be more flexible with the new ones, somehow Rick convinces her to teach classes in handling weapons and protection in case something happens. Not many went the first few times, in fact no one did besides Rick's own group.

Ron befriended Rick's son Carl and was sometimes envious of them. He would have liked to have the same relationship with his father, he would have liked to be able to protect his family...

One day, Ron goes over to their secluded spot for target practice. Carl was there, alone, playing with his own gun.

"Bored?" Ron asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Carl looks up and smiles slightly when he sees Ron.

"Well, there's been no one here for almost two weeks. What do you think?" Carl puts the safety on the gun and puts it down on the table.

"It must be very boring then."

Carl nods and looks at him sideways.

"Are you coming here to keep me company or to teach you how to drive one of these?" Carl looks amused and crosses his arms.

"Do I have to choose one or can I say both?"

Carl shakes his head, smiling and picks up the gun that he had left on the table. Carl hands Ron the gun and walks over to him, standing next to him.

"For now, always keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire." Carl says, holding up Ron's arms, unless he was planning to shoot a worm, he was doing it wrong.

When Carl raises Ron's arms to chest height, he lets out a little moan and Carl frowns in concern.

"Ron, are you okay?" Carl asks, very concerned. He hadn't hurt him and the weapon wasn't very heavy.

"Yeah, I…I hit my shoulder last night, but I'm fine, don't worry." Ron brushes it off and keeps his arms up.

Carl doesn't let go of his concern and removes Ron's finger from the trigger.

"It seems difficult at first, but it's easy. Don't be intimidated by how heavy they can be, you get used to it later." Carl takes the gun and removes the fully loaded magazine, then puts it back in and secures it. "Easy, you do it."

Ron imitates Carl and misses on the first try, but gets it on the second and Carl can't help but grin.

"Great. Now, if you don't take the safety off, you'll do absolutely nothing. As long as the gun is stowed, the safety should always be on, as soon as you take it out of its holster, remember to take the safety off. Andrea didn't know how to use it and the safety always it was on..." Carl gives a bitter laugh and hands the gun back to Ron.

Ron doesn't ask who Andrea was, because he knows that she must be dead and he didn't want to make Carl feel bad.

"Do you want to take a test? I have permission." Carl takes the gun from Ron and points it at the cans in rows that have been laid out on some logs. Carl fires twice, hitting the two cans he was aiming at with no difficulty. "Now you."

Ron almost opens his mouth in astonishment. A boy two years his junior, he had fired a gun flawlessly and hit the target twice. He understood that Carl spent a lot of time outside and had more experience in all these things, but Ron never imagined that he was that good with weapons.

"Don't be afraid. Fear is your greatest enemy in these situations." Carl explains, getting behind Ron and running his hands through Ron's on the gun. "It's scary, but you have to think, don't let yourself be dominated by the rest because it will be your sentence. He Aims and shoots if you're sure you'll hit the target."

Carl's whispered voice in his ear was making him flinch and Ron held his breath for a second. He can do this. That Carl Grimes was holding his hands and being so close to him meant nothing.

Because Ron doesn't feel his stomach flutter with butterflies. Because Carl's closeness didn't bother him at all.

Ron swallows hard and when Carl lets go of his hands, he tells him to shoot. Ron does, and unsurprisingly, he misses the mark.

"Once again. Take your time, remember that you are practicing, there is no real danger."

Ron visualizes the can of tomatoes and shoot. He fail again.

"One more time."

The third didn't hit the mark either. Not the fourth, not the fifth time...

Ron puts the safety on and jerks the gun down, this wasn't working.

"I guess this is not for me." Ron sighs and hands the gun back to Carl.

"Ron, I'm not telling you to be perfect on your first try. I failed the first time too. Don't worry, you just have to practice and believe in yourself." Carl puts the gun down on the table and places his hand on Ron's left shoulder. Ron stifles a groan of pain and hides his wince with a smile.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks anyway."

Carl shakes his head and removes his hand.

"Come tomorrow to practice again, you'll do better, I'm sure."

Ron nods and walks over to a tree to sit under. Carl sits to the side, too close together, shoulder to shoulder.

"If guns aren't for you, maybe a machete, crossbow, or sword would. Don't get discouraged." Carl tries to make him feel better and Ron can't help but smile.

"I guess I can try."

Carol nods and removes he hat from he head, setting it on the grass. Ron rarely sees him without him and had to admit that he liked seeing him without him better.

"Ron, are not you hot?" Carl asks.

Ron shakes his head and grabs the sleeve of his jacket to pull it down as low as possible. Of course he was hot, he was sweltering, but he couldn't put on cooler clothes because his body was a mess of scars and bruises, he couldn't let anyone see him. Especially Carl...

"I'm fine."

Carl looks at him worriedly for a second but then sighs and drops his head on Ron's shoulder, luckily it was his good shoulder.

"Tara got flavored food coloring, she said she'd make ice cream so come on bring Sam if you want. And please take off this jacket and put on shorts, if the walkers don't kill you the heat will. Or maybe I will make."

Ron doesn't think Carl is capable of killing a human being, but he ignores it.

"Maybe I'll go, and I already told you I'm fine."

Carl rolls his eyes and takes his hat to wave it in front of both of them. Ron silently thanks him.

"Maybe if you want…you could stay at my house, Deanna is having an adult meeting tonight and I'm not sure what time the others are coming over. I'll be watching Judith. So it would just be you and me." Carl tilts his head back a little to look at Ron, crossing the fingers of his free hand that he says yes.

"I'll ask mom." Ron nods and Carl smiles.

"I'll let you into my house on the condition that you wear lighter clothes. You're going to give me a heat stroke." Carl gets up and puts his hat on his head. "Then I'll be waiting for you, I have new comics."

Before he leaves, Carl gives Ron a rude kiss on the cheek and runs off in the direction of his house, but returns almost immediately to collect all the weapons he left on the table and Ron laughs, his face flushed and his heart beating a thousand per hour.

When Ron gets home, Pete was there and he gets beat up for the simple fact that Pete was in a good mood and wanted to play with something...

Ron wonders what Pete would have done if he saw Carl kissing him. Ron wonders what Pete would do if he found out that he liked Carl...

Ron hopes he never finds out.

Chapter Text

Carl walks into the infirmary and the first thing he notices is Ron sitting on the floor, covered in blood.

Ron was too skilled with everything that medicine encompassed, he knew the theory of too many things and that saved many people's lives in recent times, plus Denise's help. They were supporting each other on this and making it work.

Ron gets up off the ground and walks over to him, smiling at him. He had huge circles under his eyes and he looked exhausted. Ron's face was covered in blood, as were his clothes.

"Difficult day?" Carl murmurs, there were two people resting and he didn't want to wake them up.

Ron nods and his eyes close for a second.

"Sorry. Denise and I have been working non-stop since dawn. I can't tell my left hand from my right anymore." Ron lets out a small laugh and takes a quick look at his two patients. They'd had surgery an hour ago, but Ron was still worried that something would happen to them if he left.

Carl cups Ron's face in one hand and strokes his cheek, dragging the blood away with his finger.

"You look sexy with all this blood on you..." Carl whispers, pulling Ron closer to him for a kiss.

Ron doesn't break away from the kiss very much, but he tries to pull away without much real effort.

"I'm all dirty, I'm going to stain you."

Carl shrugs and puts his arms around Ron's shoulders.

"Then I'll be happy for you to fill me with blood. Now shut your mouth and kiss me before I drag you to sleep."

Ron smiles between kisses and wraps his arms around Carl's waist.

"Now to bed, Doctor Anderson." Carl sticks his tongue out at him mockingly and grabs Ron's hand, dragging him out of the infirmary.

Ron doesn't have time to whine and make an excuse as to why he has to stay, but Eugene walks into the infirmary just as they're leaving. Ron just hopes Carl hasn't threatened Eugene into staying here.

"If you weren't so exhausted, I would have asked you to fuck me like that." Carl smiles flirtatiously and now this was the moment where he would love to have two eyes so he could wink.

"Do you have a blood fetish, Grimes?"

"It seems so. I found out five minutes ago."

Ron laughs and leans over to hug him sideways, kiss his cheek, and let Carl lead him to his house. He didn't think Denise and Tara would mind Carl staying the night...

Chapter Text

Carl was bored playing this farmer thing, he had to do something more productive, he wanted something more fun. He wasn't going to behave like a child like Patrick and the others, because they don't understand much of what he and his family had to go through. Almost all of them have been in Woodbury since the end of the world came and others barely had to go from one place to another to hide before ending up here.

So when Daryl and Glenn return with a boy about his age, cautious and alert enough, he gets all of Carl's attention.

That boy was called Ron, he was fourteen years old, he lost all of his family when he got separated from them and he had been running around with a bunch of crazy murderers and rapists. Little did he know, but Daryl found him sitting in a tree, watching a burning house that he himself admitted to setting on fire. In there were the people who saved him from the hell outside to give him another under four walls.

Ron was always used as bait, much like Glenn, but he was left behind without a thought. Ron always came back to them because he was alone and scared in a world where a child couldn't even survive by chance.

When Daryl found him and asked what he would do if he didn't go with them, Ron just said that he would stay in the tree until he died. Between Daryl and Glenn they managed to convince him to come down, they gave him water, food and they brought him to the prison without much difficulty. The boy simply followed after they assured him that no one would harm him.

Carl had been trying to reach out ever since he arrived, but Ron only talked to Glenn, Daryl, and Maggie. It hurt Carl to be ignored, Ron was more interesting than all the kids here and also much prettier...

One rainy night, Carl comes out of his cell with a candle in hand to light his way. Inevitably his gaze drifts towards Ron's cell and he takes the courage to approach it, there wasn't much chance that he was awake, but he didn't rule out the opposite either. When Lori died, he had had trouble sleeping for weeks.

Carl gently slides back the sheet they used as a curtain to notice that Ron's arm was dangling off the bed and he was awake... not only that, he was staring at him. Carl feels his face burn and hesitates not knowing whether to leave, let go of the curtain or anything, when he accidentally drops the candle and the clang echoes through the room. It was only a matter of time before he had everyone worried.

"Idiot..." Carl mutters to himself.

The candle was still burning and Carl reaches down to pick it up, but Ron does it for him. When he had gotten up?

"S-sorry..." Carl whispers. "I thought you'd be asleep."

"I was…you were making too much noise to walk. Don't drag your feet like that." Ron replies, standing up with the candle in his hand.

Carl blushes even more and hangs his head, clearing his throat.

It was the first time he had heard Ron speak and he felt his stomach turn.

"I didn't mean to wake you up either."

Ron shakes his head and puts the candle down on a piece of furniture he used as a desk or something, Carl guessed.

"What were you doing awake?" Ron asks, sitting up on the bed.

Carl hesitates, but sits next to Ron, shoulder to shoulder. Even in his shirt, Ron's skin felt warm.

"I couldn't sleep and I wanted to take a walk. I didn't mean to go near your cell, I just…I don't know, I thought maybe you'd be awake and we could spend the night together getting to know each other. Or I don't know, I wanted to talk with you ever since you got here, I think you're great and all." As Carl talked more, his face got redder and redder.

Ron can't contain a small smile and laughs. Carl was cute.

In all the time he had watched Ron, it was the first time he had seen him smile and Carl felt his heart pounding against his eardrums. Ron was seriously cute and made his body react strangely, he should ask Maggie or Hershel about this later. He maybe he was sick.

"This is weird. Here…everyone treats me well, even if I don't talk to them or ignore them. Where I was, if I ignored someone they beat me up. This place is good…" Ron mutters, shrugging into place.

Carl looks at him sadly and slowly moves his hand over to Ron's to take it.

"Here nobody is going to treat you badly. We are all together against this world of shit and the living crazy people." Carl smiles and Ron smiles back. "And if someone here hurts you, tell me and I'll take care of it."

"How? Are you going to beat him up?" Ron can't help but sneer and Carl would be offended if he wasn't happy that Ron was laughing.

"Something worse." Carl assures.

"I can't believe it of you, Sheriff." Ron shakes his head, holding back a laugh.

Carl bursts out laughing and Ron tries to shut him up so as not to wake the others. At some point, they are both trying to silence their laughter and end up tearfully lying on Ron's bed.

"Tomorrow...Would you like to help me with the garden? I don't think my father will let me do anything more fun than that." Carl asks sheepishly, fiddling with the buttons on Ron's shirt, blushing.

"Sure, is this some kind of date? Let me tell you that I have no experience in either of those things."

Carl feels his face burn even more and is happy that the candle is out. It was all dark and Ron couldn't see the effect it was having on him.

"I've never dated before, but Glenn and Maggie still do sometimes. Going to plant seeds doesn't sound like a very attractive date to me. But maybe it's a good thing." Carl shrugs, continuing to play with the buttons on Ron's shirt.

"If it goes wrong, we can have another one. I once read a comic where they said that on the disastrous date they had, it was great because they were with each other, maybe it's the same."

Carl holds his breath for a second hearing that. They could have more dates...

"I'd like that…" Carl yawns and Ron chuckles softly reaching out to pull their sheets over them both.

"Good night, Carl."

Carl smiles and snuggles up against Ron.

"Good night, Ron."

When Rick wakes up the next morning, the last thing he expected was to find his child with Glenn's new adopted/kidnapped child, Maggie and Daryl, cuddled up sharing a bed. To say that he made a scandal is an understatement.

Chapter Text

At first, Carl felt in a dark void where he only heard Rick's voice asking him to wake up, but no more.

Carl remembers waking up once, like when he took that first shot three years ago that he left them at Hershel's farm.

"Dad?"

Rick quickly gets up and moves closer to Carl, taking his hand.

"Carl, oh God...you had me so worried, are you okay?"

Carl nods and looks around the room for something, then stops on Rick.

"We did it?"

"Yes, son. We did it."

Carl doesn't say anything for a few seconds, just looks at Rick and feels a pang on the right side of his face. He wants to go back to sleep, his eyes felt heavy and he felt like things around him were spinning.

"Is Ron alright?"

Rick's face shows surprise, worry and sadness, all in the same second and too much for Carl to pay attention to, not with this headache and pang in his face.

"Yes, Carl...He's fine."

With this new discovery, Carl is able to fall back into the world of dreams in peace.

The second time Carl wakes up, it's a week later and this time is final. In he room there was only Judith, on Carl's lap playing with her pacifier, Michonne and he father. Denise said that the fewer people in the room, the better for Carl.

"Denise said if you're in pain or discomfort, say so right away. So don't be stubborn and don't keep anything to yourself." Michonne warns him, pointing a finger at the boy.

"Yes, I will do it."

So far Carl has only been able to sit up in bed and he is not sure if he will be able to get up without falling on his face. He had been shot in the face and lost an eye, it was hard to adjust to and I actually hated it. He didn't see, but he touched and felt how horrible his wound was.

"Dad...I know Denise said no one else was allowed in, but can you tell Ron to come over?" Carl mutters, taking Judith's pacifier which she decided to drop and leave everything covered in drool.

Michonne frowns in confusion and looks at Rick, searching for answers.

"Carl, what are you talking about? Ron is dead." Michonne says.

Carl's head snaps up. Serious mistake, since he received a pang of pain, but he ignored it, the pain in his broken heart was getting more painful.

"What? No, what are you talking about? Dad said..." Carl stops abruptly and feels his lips tremble. "You said he was fine...You lied to me. Again!"

Rick presses his lips together and closes his eyes for a moment.

"Carl, listen..." Rick begins.

"No! This is the second time you've lied to me. First you told me that Sophia was fine, when she was missing, and now you lied to me saying that Ron was fine when he wasn't! Why!?"

Carl didn't want to fight with his father, but he didn't want the searing pain in his body and heart either. He felt betrayed and was heartbroken.

So Judith chooses the perfect moment to start crying. Carl looks at Rick with his one eye filled with tears and pain before snuggling Judith against he chest and trying to calm her down.

"I didn't want to overwhelm you. You needed to rest and you wouldn't if you knew this. It was the same with Sophia, I'm sorry..."

Carl shakes his head, running his shaking hands over Judith's back and hair.

"You don't. How did he die?"

"Carl, listen..." Michonne says.

"How did he die?" Carl repeats, emphasizing each word.

"I killed him."

"What you what?"

Carl raises his head and Michonne wishes he didn't, because that look and expression of betrayal was too much for her. Carl was looking at her as if there was the most heinous and unforgivable crime in the world.

"You killed him... No, you... Y-you didn't have the right, why?" Carl sobs and hits his head against the wall behind him.

Michonne swallows the lump in his throat and fights back tears. She hated seeing Carl like this; she hated that he was like this because of her, but she had to.

"Ron was the one who shot you, Carl." Michonne says, her voice cracking.

"I was able to talk to him! They killed his family in his face! How did you want him to react?"

"Carl, I'm so sorry, but Ron hurt you, why are you defending him?" Rick hesitates to speak, but he does and sits next to Carl.

"Because I loved him! And she killed him! I promised him that we would be fine, I told him that none of us would die..."

And then Carl breaks down in tears. Rick rushes to try and hug Carl in an attempt to comfort him, but he punches him and yells at him to get away.

"Carl...Carl, you're bleeding." Michonne says, scrambling out of her seat, but when she tries to get closer, Carl throws one of her pillows at her and yells at her to stay away.

"Go away! I don't want to see you, go away!"

Rick and Michonne can't do anything but comply with Carl's order and leave the room, casting one last look of pain and regret at the boy who was sobbing inconsolably hugging his little sister.

Chapter Text

Enid found a complete set to tattoo with her needles and inks. The problem was that she didn't know what to do with all this.

So when Carl goes away for two days with Rick, Daryl and Glenn to get groceries, she has the perfect idea to piss off her ex-boyfriend now that he's parted ways with he flea boyfriend.

"Ron," Enid calls, smirking as she begins to take out everything and arrange it on the table.

Ron looks at her and raises an eyebrow at everything she was doing.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to tattoo Carl's name on yourself."

Ron doesn't even hesitate before agreeing and with Enid's help (they made a few messes when they spilled ink), they managed to write 'CG' above Ron's right ankle with a hat on top of the letters. Enid got a tattoo of a turtle covered in blood, Ron didn't question her.

Two days later when Carl returns, after kissing his sleeping little sister's forehead in her room, he runs to Tara's house looking for he boyfriend. He had missed him so much in just two days.

When he arrives, Tara greets him and tells him that he is going out with Sasha before leaving the house. Carl smiles when he realizes they're alone and makes his way up the stairs as noisily as possible.

"Hey, the pretty boy's back." Ron places his of Green Arrow comic on his chest and smiles at his boyfriend.

Carl walks over and kisses Ron's lips quickly before looking for a comic of his own in Ron's library.

"How did you do?" Ron asks, sitting with his back against the wall.

"Okay, I got some new comic issues. Then see which ones you're missing." Carl answers, not taking his eye off the library.

"Of course. You didn't get hurt, right?"

Carl smiles slightly at Ron's concern and pulls out a comic.

"I'm fine. Just a scratch when I hit a tree. I didn't see it."

Ron suppresses the urge to laugh and just smiles. Carl could hit him with the comic and he didn't want that.

As Carl walks over to lie down next to his boyfriend, he sees a piece of plastic sticking out of Ron's white stocking.

Carl sits on the bed and grabs Ron's foot, pulling him towards, leaving the other boy lying down with his foot close to Carl's vision.

"What do you have here?" Carl lowers the stocking and looks in confusion at Ron's tattoo on his ankle. "Ronald, what the fuck is this?"

"A tattoo?"

"Yes, but why the initials of my name?"

"Because I love you?"

"Enid?"

"Yeah."

Carl hadn't expected to arrive and find his boyfriend with his fucking name forever tattooed on his skin, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited. It wasn't the best tattoo in the world, he was a little shaky and the hat had no color, but this was too much for him.

He was so in love with this goofy boy.

"Enid said we should leave the lyrics halfway through."

Carl wipes away his smile immediately and Ron shakes his head with a smile.

"Damn bitch. She'll see when I finds her." Carl rolls his eye and pulls Ron off his legs, settling between them. "But now, you're going to know how much I missed you."

Ron grins toothily at the thought and lures his boyfriend into a passionate kiss.

Chapter Text

"Okay. He's like that. Every time we go out he always has to take center stage. Either he got shot while deer hunting, got his eye blown out, or gets sick when we're surrounded by walkers. Good luck to us. It is fun."

Ron just nods. He completely agrees with everything Sophia said and from how angry she was, he was not going to contradict her, even less when she was wielding her knife with force.

"I'll check the bathroom for medicine. Make sure he doesn't get up."

Ron tossed his backpack onto the floor next to the couch where Carl was left passed out on. They managed to enter a house that was thankfully empty before the crowd of walkers saw them. If they were surrounding them, then they were dead. In the hypothetical case that did happen and Carl wasn't flying with a fever, then he would have shooed them away while he and Sophia left the house. Advantages of being immune to walkers; being able to create distractions when they are in a large group and get away unscathed.

On many occasions, Ron and Sophia were more than happy that walkers weren't attracted to Carl's scent, they were only interested in the noise he made.

When Ron returns, he shakes his head and sits down on the floor next to Sophia who was soaking a washcloth with water.

"Nothing. At any moment he's going to wake up with a horrible headache and I don't have anything to relieve it." Ron sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. They were already having a shitty day for everything to have gotten worse like this.

"Don't hurt yourself like that. You didn't know Carl was going to get sick, it's not your fault and we're going to figure it out. Knowing Carl, he won't say a word if he has a headache. Unless he feels a drill against his skull."

Ron smiles at him and nods. She was right, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel bad. Always carried medication with him, the one day he doesn't, this happens.

"I hope you're not thinking of dating..."

"Well, it seems you know me well."

Ron gets up off the ground and grabs his backpack again, taking everything out and leaving only a bottle of water and a can of fruit, in case he takes too long or gets stuck somewhere.

"Ron, I can't let you go alone. Carl is fine. He wouldn't want you to go out, really."

Sophia takes Ron's hands and tries to convince him to stay, but it doesn't work. Men could be so stubborn sometimes that it made her sick, but she also agreed to go out, Carl needed those medicines and she would have done it without hesitation.

"Take good care of him, try he not to get up too suddenly and if he asks you for more blankets, don't give them to him, his body temperature should drop, not increase it."

Ron says goodbye to Sophia and leaves the house in complete silence. Sophia goes to the window and slides the corner of the sheet they hung up so they couldn't see inside. Ron was able to get into the house across the street with no problem. She hoped there would be no problems inside either.

Not giving Carl more blankets was hard. They was fighting almost yelling at other, until out of nowhere he fell asleep again. The second time he woke up, he didn't remember the previous fight and just kicked off the two blankets he had on him, because he was hot, even if he was shivering.

Sophia took care of him with all the patience she had, but it was difficult. When Ron came back, he would take care of Carl, he had more patience with him and he was something like a doctor, he knew what he was doing. Even if Ron only knew the theory of things from the books he read from home before the apocalypse, everyone trusted that he could do a good job... and also because he was the only one with the knowledge and courage to try to do something. They had doctors, but they were all dead. It seemed to be a curse, so they silently vowed not to give Ron a medical degree, maybe he would die and nobody wanted that. The last thing he wants is to lose a friend and watch Carl lose his mind and murder everything within a mile radius.

The next time Carl wakes up, Sophia is startled because he opened he eye so suddenly.

"I'm pissing myself."

"Well, good morning."

Sophia looks at him wearily and continues her work of wringing the damp cloth through the water and Carl's sweat.

"Sophia, I'm about to pee myself. Can you walk me to the bathroom? And where's Ron?"

Carl quickly looks for Ron in the darkness of the living room, and Sophia sees the concern and alarm in he eye.

"He's fine. Let's go to the bathroom."

They made it to the bathroom almost falling face down on the floor, but they made it and that was the only thing that mattered, not that Carl stepped on Sophia twice.

"Do you have to do that?" Carl asks, his back to the door.

"What? Watch you pee while I make sure you don't run away? Yes."

"Why would I run away? That's ridiculous."

"It's not if I have in mind that you know Ron isn't here, and you can be stupid enough to want to go looking for him without having a clue."

"You have a point there, but it's still weird."

Sophia raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms.

"Why? As far as I know, men used to always piss next to each other. Even the most straight man has seen more penises than his wife."

Carl chuckles and wobbles, bracing his free hand against the wall. Sophia quickly reaches out to grab him around the waist before he kills himself in the most stupid way. She couldn't put on he grave something like; «He died while he pissed. May he rest in peace ».

He would hate her forever.

"Wow, I get why you didn't want me to see you pee. You don't have much to brag about around here." Sophia scoffs, chuckling.

"Says the girl with the flat ass and tits. I have a better ass than you, get over it."

Sophia could swear that Carl had winked at her, but it was hard to say keeping in mind that he only had one of he own. Maybe he just blinked.

"The fever is getting to you. I can't carry you by myself if you pass out in the bathroom, move."

Once Carl ends up asleep on the couch barely putting his head down, Sophia can't help but look at his flat chest and touch her behind. She maybe she should work on them a bit.

The next time Carl wakes up, he swears to kill Ron if he doesn't come back or some shit, he was actually babbling while he was drooling and seemed like he was saying something else. The only thing Sophia was sure of was that Carl would do something to Ron. It can be either very painful, or very sexual. It depends on the context or how much Carl is drooling.

Sophia nods and jerks awake to hear the door open. She could feel the rays of the morning sun against her face and she closed her eyes in annoyance.

"Sorry..." Ron apologizes, closing the door behind him and walking over quietly.

"Ron!" whispers Sophia, sighing in relief. "I was very worried."

"I'm really sorry. There wasn't anything we needed on this street and I had to keep going, but I found a van parked on the other corner."

Ron takes off his backpack and looks for the medicines he got. Enough if by bad luck all three end up sick.

"Carl, pretty boy, wake up." Ron whispers, fifteen minutes later, stroking Carl's hair damp from sweat.

When Carl wakes up, he smiles slightly at him and he almost falls asleep again. Ron manages to keep him awake.

"Open the mouth."

Immediately Carl opens his mouth wide and sticks out his tongue, waiting, patient. Ron raises an eyebrow and shakes his head.

"Not for that."

Carl seems dejected and takes a pill on his tongue. He immediately swallows it and then drinks the water Ron gave him.

"I missed you. Where were you? I thought you had abandoned me." Carl says, hugging Ron around the waist and slumping against him.

Ron puts his arm around Carl's waist to support him and with an effort manages to break away from him. It seems that Carl was affectionate when he was sick.

Adorable.

"I wasn't going to abandon you. Don't ever say that again."

Ron kisses Carl's forehead and sits on the ground next to him, stroking his boyfriend's long hair.

"We'll leave after Sophia wakes up. So she rests."

Carl shakes his head.

"I'm fine. Can you kiss me? I missed you."

"But you were sleeping all the time." Ron laughs and shakes his head. "And I'm sorry, I can't risk catching it, but I will when you get better, I promise."

"So you're saying you don't love me? Good. Perfect."

"I didn't say that, Grimes..."

"Well, that's how I felt."

After a tantrum from Carl and Ron's suppressed laughter, he ended up giving him a peck on the lips, but Carl grabbed his face and they ended up in a make-out session. Being interrup.ted when Carl wanted to expel the snot from his throat with a spit. Ron didn't kiss him again and Carl fell asleep.

Now, Ron was going to find out if that truck still worked.

Chapter Text

Carl can't help but pick up the shirt in his hands and bring it up to his nose.

Even though a month had passed, he still had he scent on his clothes.

Ever since he was able to walk without dizziness or bumping into the air itself, Carl had been pretending to walk, when in reality he managed to slip away in the blind sight of others and into the old Anderson house.

He never stopped to look anywhere in the house, just went upstairs and locked himself in Ron's room. He would close the curtains and collapse on the hardwood floor or in the bed, simply remembering or mourning his lost love.

In the fifteen years of his life, he had never thought that he would fall so much in love with someone, let alone a boy. His mother used to have strong opinions against gay couples, even in the apocalypse, but Carl didn't think much of it until he realized that he liked Ron. Unfortunately, he found out when he was already gone.

But if Ron hadn't died or realized his feelings before him die, he knew very well that nothing would ever happen between them or that he would never have the courage to confess his feelings to he.

Now Carl says how much he likes Ron; in the solitude of his old room, in front of his empty grave or his name engraved on the wall. But never to him, never to someone alive in front of him who answers him.

He still felt the tingle of Ron's warm hand taking his own. He still remembers that night very well and it still hurts, how even though he had refused to let go of Ron's hand, he did and things ended so badly.

Carl knows that Ron didn't have the nerve to shoot; Carl knows that Ron would have missed because he didn't have a good aim. Carl laughs remembering Ron's attempts to hit the mark... But he cries remembering it.

Carl knows that Ron never wanted to hurt him and could never be mad at him for the accident. What was that for; an accident.

He had never thought about what had happened until he started locking himself in here. Ron shot him after Michonne stabbed him and he doesn't want to blame it on her, but he's sometimes so angry or sad about what happened that he can't help but think about it. If Michonne didn't do anything, would he have been able to convince Ron to put the gun down? May be. Carl understands Ron, he lost his family in an instant in his face and his reaction was normal. Carl was no better when Lori died, he treated everyone badly, including his father and blamed him for many things. So Carl doesn't judge Ron or get mad at him; Carl wants Ron back so he can tell him.

Rummaging through Ron's room he had found a few little things like bracelets or necklaces. He definitely already has them on and likes them a lot, and not just because he belonged to the boy he loves. He also found a picture of him in that blue beanie he almost always wore and it looked so pretty that Carl choked back a sob. Ron looked so alive and joyous in this photograph, which he wasn't before he died. Carl watched it slowly go out until his flame went out for good.

Carl also thinks about what would have happened if they never made it to Alexandria. He would never have met him and maybe everyone here would have died anyway. In none of his imaginations was Ron still alive. Even if Ron would hate him for life, he didn't care if it meant he was still here...

He has seen many people die over the years and he never thought that another death would affect him as much as his mother's. Ron did. Of course he did...

Carl gets up and wipes the tears from his face before stuffing two of Ron's shirts into his backpack. He liked to sleep with them, because he hoped that the intoxicating scent of him would bring him luck and he could dream of him. He was kind of a stimulant that hadn't worked yet, but he someday he will.

Maybe in another life he could go back to be with Ron and tell him how much he had loved him...but not in this one, he never could have in this one.

Chapter Text

When Carl meets Enid, he just gets that feeling of familiarity. Because Enid knows what it's like to be outside and that was comforting in a way.

Enid's attitude towards him when he meets her is irritable and despicable, but Carl understands as soon as Ron tells him that Enid had arrived in Alexandria eight months ago and it took him two weeks to say anything about her.

Enid understood what it was like to live outside, but she didn't understand what Carl really felt, deep down, what he never told her.

So Carl follows Enid when she comes out of the walls of Alexandria and they spend time together, not a lot and Carl is fine with that, he didn't want to spend a lot of time with her either.

The only thing that united Carl and Enid was the feeling of recognition; knowing what it's like to be outside. Nothing else.

Lie. There is one more thing they have in common and that is Ron.

Ever since Carl met Ron, he couldn't help but have this instant crush. Ron was intriguing in his strange way, with his long clothes when it was hot, with his slightly long hair always covering his face, his strange way when he walked, when he sometimes flinched when someone touched him...his sad and distant look even if he was smiling, his eyes reflected nothing but pain.

And Carl treated Ron as selfish, why would someone who was always safe in the walls when him fought for his life look so sad and broken and scared? What was Ron afraid of? Why was it like this? Why did Carl want to make that his problem?

So Carl likes Ron. Enid was Ron's girlfriend...

Carl was never a demanding person, not before the apocalypse, much less now that everything was scarce and staying alive was already lucky. But he wanted to be hard on himself about Ron. He wanted Ron, he wanted everything from him and he wanted to be the one who could get closer than what was strictly and quietly established between a friendship. Carl doesn't know or understand how a relationship works, but he's seen too many couples around him to try to figure it out. Enid could reach higher steps than Carl ever could.

Enid could do things with Ron that Carl couldn't.

Enid probably hugged Ron.

Carl will never be able to hug Ron for whatever reason he was.

Enid probably kissed Ron.

Carl could never kiss Ron.

Ron loved Enid.

And Ron would never loved Carl.

So yes. Carl was jealous, he wanted to be selfish and hard on himself to try and get Ron.

He tries and fails.

Ron hates him for what Rick did to Pete and it hurts like hell. Carl had nothing to do with it, why does he pay broken dishes?

Carl finally understands why Ron looked so broken. He would have liked to help him put the destroyed pieces together, but Ron wouldn't let him. So they fight. Every chance they get and Carl hates it so much he tries not to cry. He picks up the broken pieces of his heart off the floor and slides over to his bed where he tries to dream of a place where Ron wants him the way he loves Enid.

So Carl loves Ron. Ron loves Enid. Enid...she loves Carl.

Carl doesn't notice at first, who would? Enid was anything but nice to him. He notices when she takes his hand as they sit looking at the lake. Carl gently and carefully removes he hand. If he's lucky, Enid will get the message that he's not interested in her and leave him alone.

She does not do it. But even so, Enid leaves and Carl still worries about her, but he is also relieved.

And the invasion of Alexandria happens.

Everything happens so fast for Carl, when he realizes it, he's holding Ron's hand and it feels like a good start to fix things; for Carl to fix Ron.

Until things go wrong.

Jessie and Sam end up dead in seconds.

Carl refuses to let go of Ron's hand when Sam and then Jessie are eaten, but Carl couldn't let go of Jessie's hand, he tries and it doesn't work. So with all the pain in the world, Rick cuts off Jessie's hand. Carl falls to the ground and lets go of Ron's hand.

And the last thing he remembers is the look of pain on Ron's face. His eyes filled with tears and as he finished breaking...

Michonne stabbed him when he pointed his dropped gun at Rick and he fired.

Carl never questioned why he didn't take out the weapon he still had, to defend himself against Ron…Defend against what? Ron had just lost his family and he understood the pain in him, Carl would have done the same in his place. Carl didn't draw his gun because he knew he could convince Ron to put the gun down and get to safety. Carl knows that he could do it. Michonne didn't, so she killed him instead of taking the gun.

Carl is accidentally shot that took not just one of his eyes. He took the love of his life in a second; the last second he could see Ron before he fell to the ground and was eaten alive by the walkers.

Carl knew which pain was worse. Watching Ron die and be eaten in seconds. In his face he felt nothing, just like in his heart that ended up being destroyed.

Carl wanted it all to be a dream, but his eye was gone and neither was Ron.

So he lived with it.

And things never get better, because they were down on their luck and Carl was already dealing with too much internal shit for Negan and his saviors to come along.

His relationship with Enid is the only more or less stable thing he has at the moment, he is more aggressive sometimes without realizing it and he is rude, but she seems to understand him and doesn't say anything. Carl apologizes later...

On their way to the Hilltop, they skate together and Enid takes he hand. When she does, Carl can't help but remember that night when he took Ron's hand for the first and only time, the only intimate thing he could get from him. Enid's hand was smaller than his, Ron's hand was larger, rough and calloused, but still Carl felt much more comfortable and comforting holding Ron's hand what of Enid's soft, delicate hand.

Before separating, Enid stops him and takes he face in her hands.

"Be careful, Carl." she pleads.

Carl nods and when he wants to notice, he kisses her. He kissed Enid. He really did.

Carl realizes how horrible it was when he just imagines that he's kissing Ron and not Enid.

Carl never tells him when they part ways and walk different paths.

But he does, he tells Enid, because he'd rather be honest and hurt her now than lie and hurt her forever.

When Carl visits the Hilltop a week after his assassination attempt on Negan, Enid runs up to him and kisses him. Carl immediately breaks up.

"Carl, what's wrong?"

All. Everything was wrong.

"It was a mistake. All this. Sorry I don't like you, not like that. I was selfish."

"What are you talking about? But, you…kissed me and…" Enid stutters and backs away, confused. "I don't understand..."

"I didn't kiss you because I like you. I don't like you..."

The lump in Carl's throat was choking him and his body felt tense and heavy. Enid's expression of pain was inevitable. Betrayal too...

"I like…I liked Ron. I kissed you because you're the closest thing to kissing him."

Carl doesn't feel regret or guilt saying it, because it was the truth and it was the least Enid deserved, even if she flirted with him when she was still Ron's girlfriend and never made things clear to him. Maybe it was some kind of karma.

Enid blanks, stunned in her place as her tears slowly slide down her cheeks, her broken heart escaping from an attempt to hold it with both hands, but pieces of her slipping between her fingers spaces of her fingers.

Carl closes his one eye and waits for the slap that comes a moment later and reverberates loudly.

Now his face hurt, but not enough to know that he would never have he selfish desire to have Ron for himself.

Carl had no one now.

It was his fault and he was fine. Carl was cruel, but he was also sincere and that was better than nothing.

And as Carl heads off to find his dad to tell he how he felt, he can't help but regret not kissing Ron when he wanted to in his conversation in Jessie's room...