western nights ( shane walsh )

1.15 ; for to go

Although a strong desire to assist him surged within Natalie, fatigue weighed heavily on her. Instead, she expressed her support with a gentle kiss on his cheek, a silent acknowledgement of his efforts. With a flush colouring her cheeks, she swiftly moved away, seizing both of their soiled clothes in her grasp, ready to tackle the next task on their never-ending list.

Rising from her position, Natalie ambled down to the Quarry, her arms laden with a bundle of clothes. As she descended, the sounds of camp life echoed around her—muffled conversations, the crackling of distant fires, the occasional shuffling of feet. The air carried a hint of tension, an ever-present undercurrent in their world.

Upon reaching the Quarry, she found a gathering of women engaged in the laborious task of cleaning clothes by hand. A communal effort unfolded as they scrubbed away the stains of survival, their hands working in tandem with the rhythm of necessity.

"Here," Natalie approached Cassie, presenting the clothes with a quiet determination. Cassie, hands on her hips, sighed in response, a weariness etched on her face. Natalie recognized the fatigue that clung to every member of the group, a weariness born not just from the physical exertion but from the weight of their shared struggles in this post-apocalyptic world.

Standing in the water with her sweatpants rolled up so that they weren't getting wet. "Why can't you clean it; I feel like my legs are getting numb" Complaining with sweat in the corners of her face. "When did you get all those clothes, Iris-"

"I stopped by Shane's and got his dirty clothes" Explaining to her shortly Cassie shook her head and looked down at the brown shirt that she was cleaning. "Shane wants me to help, him and Carl catch frogs" Being honest and placing the clothes down on the rocky sand that was beside the lake with the other separated clothes that weren't yet done.

Joking; "Is that code for having sex?" said Cassie.

"No." Rolling her eyes with her arms crossed inside of the jacket that she was wearing. "It's code for Carl wanting to find frogs."

Cassie sighed relaxing her shoulders and looking at the blonde-haired girl deeply inside of her eyes. "Don't you find it weird that he's trying to be a father figure to Carl, and then fuck you...." She had pointed out; that Natalie never really thought about the fact that Shane was trying to be the father figure that they didn't have at the moment since it was nothing but fun between the two of them.

"I find it fun."

Acting like she was gagging on her finger that was wet from the water below her. "Ew gross," Cassie's laughter echoed through the Quarry as she turned away, the rhythmic sounds of the camp continuing in the background.

Down the path, Shane ambled toward the Quarry, each step deliberate, with two buckets in hand. His other arm was draped over Carl's shoulder, guiding him in a gesture that spoke of camaraderie and a shared understanding between the two. Natalie, observing the scene unfold, found herself in a moment of uncertainty, questioning the nuances of Shane's interactions with her brother.

As she bid farewell to Cassie, her best friend, Natalie began her journey around the Lake. Shane and Carl were now kneeling in front of the Quarry, engrossed in their dynamic. Natalie's emotions were a swirl of confusion, grappling with the realization that the benevolence she perceived from Shane might have deeper implications.

Claire, observing Natalie's departure, couldn't hide a twinge of jealousy in her gaze. "I don't find it fair that she can go off without doing laundry today, after being told to do it a week ahead," she complained to Andrea, who was diligently working beside her.

Andrea, finding amusement in the situation, chuckled and retorted, "Everyone knows; she's secretly sleeping with Shane. He got her out of doing this work."