The cool morning air settles into the school, the sun peaking into each person's window, awakening them for the day. Clementine's eyes flutter open, she sits up and glances over at AJ, who was at his desk, drawing, a smile of relief plastered on her face as she stood from her bed, she walked over to AJ.
"Good morning, goofball." He didn't even bother correcting her this time, his smile began to grow and he glanced at her and back at the drawing.
"Morning, Clem." She ruffles his hair and grabs her backpack from the edge of the desk and puts it on.
"Well, kiddo, those animals aren't going to volunteer to get in our stomachs, Louis and I will be back before noon, you and Tenn have greenhouse duty today." AJ nodded in understanding and stood up from the wood chair, he hugged her waist, she smiled and hugged back.
"Be careful, Clem, watch out for the monsters." Clem's smile began to widen.
"Will do kiddo, have fun with Tenn in the green house." AJ nodded and continued his drawing, Clem slips her boots on and heads out of their room. She makes her way to Louis' room, her knowing him, he was probably already asleep. She did a double knock on his door, he answered fairly quickly, with a smile.
"I take it you're ready to travel through dangerous lands to gather quite tasty animals?" Louis joked. Clementine rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Yep, now come on, move your ass."
"Woah! Sassy much? I'm moving, I'm moving." He held up his hands with a devious grin across his face. The two start heading toward the exit of the school. Louis' expression softened and he glanced at her, she was looking straight ahead, lost in her own thoughts. He admired her, her ambitions, smarts, and the fact that she could protect everyone. He had very strong feelings towards Clementine, but he hadn't gotten a chance to tell her how he felt.
'Today is the day,' Louis thought to himself.
"Hey, Clem? After we're done, can we talk?" Louis questions. Clementine shrugged.
"We're already alone and talking, so what is it?" Clementine asked. Louis took a moment to think about his next words carefully.
"What do you think of me as?" The question caught her off guard but she glanced at him with a sure look in her eyes.
"As a friend."
"Not a brother? Or anything of that matter?" Clementine raised a brow, she shook her head 'no'.
"You and the others are someone I share a home with, we come together as a group everyday to make everything work, that makes you... Family of some sort, but I see you as a friend, if that makes sense." Louis nodded his head in understanding, he rested his weapon 'Chairles' on his shoulder. He glanced down while walking, getting lost in thoughts.
"I... I have something... To confess." Clementine stopped dead in her tracks, she turned to Louis, glancing at him.
"Is this what I think it is?" Louis glanced down and shrugged a single shoulder.
"Uh... Probably..." Clementine turned the other way and sighed.
"If... If this happens, and... I lose you?" She turned to him, "then what would it be worth?" Louis' expression fell, frowning. He turned away from her.
"I can handle myself."
"Yes, you can, for now, what happens if you're out there? And walkers sneak up behind you? Or what if a group of people decide to attack us? We... We've already lost so much, I just don't know if I could handle losing someone... More than a friend, it'd almost be equal to losing AJ." Louis paused for a moment and glanced at her with an eyebrow raised.
"'Almost'?"
"Hey, I raised that kid, so you'll probably never be as close to me as AJ is, sorry to say." Louis shrugged and turned the other direction once more.
"I just... Saw a family with you, us being together one day, raising AJ together... It's what I've wanted for a long time now, and now, that I've confessed, I have to know, how do you feel?" Clementine paused the words were on the tip of her tongue, and then she was unable to say anything, she froze up. Louis exhaled audibly and nodded his head in understanding.
"I get it, I'll go hunt, you don't have to worry about going with." He started walking toward the exit, she grasped his forearm and pulled him toward her. The eye contact was heavy, the seriousness in her expression, and then, it was the way she smiled, that made Louis smile too.
"I've wanted that for us for a long time now," Clementine told him. He pulled her to his embracing, cupping a hand on her cheek, caressing it soft with a thumb, he inched in closer and their lips meet.
"What are you guys doing?" They heard AJ behind them, instantly breaking their kiss.
"D-Don't worry about it, go work on your chores." AJ gave her an odd look before heading toward the green house. Louis and Clementine share a joyful expression.
"Let's go kill some animals," Louis said, she pecked his cheek before the embrace broke, they started heading towards the woods for the night's feast.