SWEET THORNS IN MY BLOOD ⸻ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝

FIVE / "Aye, aye, Captain!"

CHAPTER FIVE
Aye, aye, Captain!

No words can describe how happy Percy felt having breakfast with Michonne again. He couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement upon seeing her. He smiled widely as the woman placed some water bottles on the table in front of him, followed by Carl's bowl and his own. Percy almost instantly dug into his bowl.

Percy's eyes darted towards Carl, who was digging into his own cereal bowl. "Hey, no hat today?" Percy asked curiously, gesturing towards Carl's bare head.

Carl stopped mid-bite and looked up, giving only a bare minimum response of a head shake. "Pity. I like your hat." Percy said.

"I don't care." Carl sung.

"Do either of you have something to say about my extremely comfortable and attractive shirt?" Michone asked with a grin, adjusting her sleeves.

"No, no, no. It looks great." Carl smiled.

Percy couldn't stop staring at Michonne—It was obvious he had a little helpless kid crush on her. Every muscle in his body seemed to tense at once, and his heart began to race. "Y-Yeah, you look amazing, Michonne!" He finally managed to stammer out. "I mean it, you really do. I don't know how you always manage to look so good..." Percy hoped that his words would come across as sincere and flattering, but they just sound like the ramblings of a bumbling teenager.

Carl took notice of a button undone. "Oh, you missed a.." He trailed off when Michonne started fixing it and went back to eating.

Michonne sat down beside Carl, pouring her own cereal. "I wish we had some soy milk." She blurted to no one in particular.

Percy and Carl both shared repulsed looks.

"Seriously?" Carl inquired.

"Yes, seriously!" Michonne chuckled. "Have either of you ever tried it?"

"Percy can back me up on this story. He was there. Okay so," Carl smiled, letting go of his spoon as he begun talking: "My bestfriend in the third grade. He was allergic to dairy." Michonne nodded her head, signaling she was listening. "And every day he would bring this soy stuff for lunch. I tried it."

"And?" Michonne asked.

"I threw up!" Carl laughed.

"Oh, yeah, right."

Carl sighed, still smiling. "Alright, alright. I almost threw up. But I was like, belchh!" Leaning towards his bowl as he pretended to vomit. "It was so gross. I mean, literally! I would rather have powered milk than to have to drink that stuff again. I would rather have Judith's formula —" Carl trailed off. The energy in the room immediately shifting. He sighed: "I'm gonna go finish my book. I have a couple chapters left." He exited the kitchen, going upstairs.

Judith...

Children have always been a touchy subject for Michonne. She doesn't share why, and no one wants to ask. Percy thought it was best to leave too, saying he has to go make sure Carl doesn't mess up the comics he dogeared - shitty excuse, he knows.

✧༺♥༻∞

⸻Percy entered the room, eyeing the space. He noticed Carl laying on the bed, a comic book in hand. "Hi," Percy mumbled. Carl glanced up briefly before returning his attention to the comic.

"Hi." Carl grunted, making no attempt to strike up a conversation. Percy sat down next to Carl. Despite the awkward tension between them, he picked up one of the comics from the floor and began to read it.