Chapter Text
Carl didn’t want to go. He felt so safe here, cradled in Ron’s arms being kissed all over. But all things had to come to an end, and Carl had to go home.
“I gotta go.” Carl pressed a quick kiss to Ron’s lips before pulling away and untangling himself from the other boy. Getting to his feet, he brushed himself off and ran his fingers through his hair, not wanting to look like a total mess when he got home.
“Aww, come on. You can’t stay just a little bit more?” Ron whined, joining Carl in standing up; hugging him from behind and kissing him on the neck lightly, which made Carl giggle.
“My dad will freak out, you know that.” The brunette squeezed Ron’s hand before making his way to the bedroom door. “Walk me out?”
Both boys made their way as silently as they could down the stairs, silently cursing at every little squeak that came from a miscalculated step. At the front door, they exchanged another longer kiss before Carl slipped through the door and onto the streets of Alexandria.
It wasn’t a long walk from Ron’s house to his own, and before he knew it he was inside his own house and face to face with his father, still awake and worried.
“Carl, where were you?” Rick asked, placing his hands on the sides of the boy’s face.
Carl shook his head to try and get them away. “At a friend’s house, dad. We just lost track of time, I’m sorry.”
Rick looked at Carl with narrowed eyes for a moment before letting him go.
“Alright. Just try to be home before dark next time, okay?”
“Okay.”
With that, both of them went to bed; Rick checking up on Judith before he lay down himself.
--
The next morning, everyone rose bright and early like they did every other day. Carl and Rick met at the dinner table along with Michonne who had stayed the night, holding Judith and giving her her morning formula. Again, they all had cereal.
While Rick was pouring Carl’s cereal, Michonne gave him a skeptical look.
“Carl?” She got his attention.
“Hm?”
“Are you okay? Did you leave the walls at all last night?” She narrowed her eyes.
“No, I didn’t. Why?” He was confused instantly. He wouldn’t leave the walls alone. He would at least be with Enid or Ron if he was even thinking about leaving the walls without his parent’s consent.
Rick then realized why Michonne was asking these questions.
“Carl, were you bit?!” He almost dropped the milk as he quickly put it on the counter; running over the Carl and putting his hands on the boy’s neck. “Carl?!”
Carl instantly turned beet red.
“Dad! I’m not-” He cut himself off. He didn’t know how to explain himself without making things worse and giving away his and Ron’s relationship. So, he just shut up and let them believe that he was bitten.
Michonne almost dropped Judith when Rick finally brought it up.
“We have to get you to medical, come on, Carl!” He took Carl’s hand, weary of his presence, pulling him out of the door to medical. He didn’t even give the boy time to get properly dressed, still in an undershirt and pajama pants with no shoes.
The gravel hurt under his feet and he kept trying to get his dad’s attention as he was pulled over to the medical building. Anyone out on the streets this early in the morning looked at the duo confused.
“Denise?” Rick tried not to be too loud this early in the morning, not wanting to wake up any of her other patients. “Denise?”
“Right here, Rick. What’s the problem?” She ran into the room, out of breath. “I was just with another patient, sorry.” She put down a few instruments she was using, pulling off a pair of gloves. “What’s the problem?”
“Carl.” Rick motioned to the boy. “I think he was bit.”
Carl just stood there, blushing like a madman, unable to explain himself.
“Oh, geez.” She perked up, running over and looking him all over. “Where?”
“The neck.”
She narrowed her eyes as she looked over his neck, examining the bruises and bite marks over the sensitive flesh. Carl flinched as she poked and prodded at him with her fingers.
“Didn’t break the skin.” She whispered to herself, making an observation. “Do you feel like you have a fever?”
“N-No-”
“You’re warm.” She cut him off, suddenly having a spike of anxiety. “The most I can do is keep him here and watch him. If you think he was really bit, we can’t have him walking around among everyone else.”
“Keep him here. Watch him. Please.” Rick looked like he was going to cry, giving Carl a quick hug. “I’ll be back to check on you, I promise. Denise, please take care of him. Get my attention if anything… anything goes wrong.”
Denise just nodded in response, and even though he didn’t want to, he left the infirmary, leaving Carl and Denise all alone.
--
In a span of minutes, Carl was laying down in a bed in his own room, staring up at the ceiling and wondering why he was even here in the first place. Why didn’t his dad know what a hickey was? Why couldn’t he understand that if he was bitten, he would be in much worse of a state?
For now, he had to stay in bed and take what was happening to him.
--
“Did you hear what happened to Carl?” Carol brought up when her and Daryl were hanging out.
“What? Is he okay?” Daryl asked, suddenly feeling nervous.
“Oh, he’s perfectly fine.” She laughed. “Rick and Michonne think he’s been bitten.”
“Holy shit, was he?”
“No, no.” She just laughed harder. “Seems like he has a little boyfriend and they got a little… you know.” She elbowed Daryl lightly in the ribs.
Daryl gave her a confused look, the gears turning in his head before...he got it.
“Oh.”
“Yep.” She nodded.
“Should we tell them…?”
“No, no. God, no. Just let them figure out on their own. It’s better that way.”