𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 [ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 ] ✘

Serious Piggy-Back Ride

Carl groaned and Rick let out a snicker.

"Don't groan! I'm not that heavy," I reprimanded him as he hoisted me up higher onto his back.

Michonne and I had been reunited with them a few days ago. And I was so grateful for that stroke of luck. Carl had been my boyfriend for a little over a year now and we couldn't have been happier...until the Governor showed up. He ruined it all for us. Thanks to him, our home was lost, our friends, family. After that, our lives changed drastically.

Everyone got separated and for what seemed a long time, it was just me and Michonne. She had been best friends with my mom, Andrea, though so I was close to her. But still, I'd missed Carl - his smile, laugh, the warmth of his hand in mine, the press of his soft lips on my own. We were back together now though and that's all that mattered. We'd been walking for such a long time to try to get to Terminus to meet up with the others. My legs had gotten tired though so Rick suggested Carl give me a piggy-back ride.

He had begrudgingly agreed and I was now perched on his back, his hands under my thighs. My arms were wrapped around his shoulders and I nuzzled into the strands of brown hair at the nape of his neck beneath his Sheriff's hat. I bit my lip, loving the feeling of his fingers digging into the backs of my legs. His body was warm against mine and I snuggled deeper into the soft material of his t-shirt. Rick, Michonne, and Carl's footsteps crunched loudly on the gravel as we walked along the train tracks. Carl let out another groan and this time, I slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Are you trying to make me feel fat or something?" I questioned, arching an eyebrow.

He grumbled something incoherent from in front of me and hoisted me up higher.

Hesitantly, he answered, "No..."

"Then why are you groaning?" I pressed him.

"Just...maybe you should have left off that bag of gummy worms we found," he shrugged.

My mouth formed into an 'O' and I whacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow!" he hollered just as Rick and Michonne started laughing.

"Carl...you should know not to tell a girl she eats too much," Rick told him, stifling another laugh.

Michonne nodded, grinning, "And if you do, you better start groveling,"

I leaned around slightly to were I could see Carl's features. His cheeks were beet-red and he his blue eyes behind his Sheriff's hat.

"Sorry," he mumbled and I nodded, smiling triumphantly.

Silence passed between us for a second before he spoke up again.

"You're still kinda heavy, though..." he muttered softly.

"Hush, Grimes, this is a serious piggy-back ride." I admonished him as I began to slide down his back again.

With a defeated sigh, he hoisted me up once more and I snuggled into his back, strands of his hair tickling my cheek.

"It's not about the money, money, money, we don't need your money, money, money. We just wanna make the world dance...forget about the price tag..." I sang the lyrics of the Jessie J song quietly, muffled by his t-shirt as we walked on.