Dark Past (Gabentine fanfiction) #Wattys2018

•Chapter 29: Decision•

3rd person's POV:

After the conversation, the two sighed and smiled at each other. Clementine backed away from Gabe and walked towards a chair where she sat and took her hat off.

"Gabe can I ask for a favor?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, sure. Anything." Gabe said with confidence.

Clementine grabbed a pair of scissors at the table beside the chair and held it in her hands. She then looked back at Gabe who held a confused look.

"Can you cut my hair for me?" She asked.

"What? Why? You look beautiful with that hairstyle?"

"I don't care what I look, as long as I'm safe, I'm okay. And this hair length is gonna get me killed. Remember the Conrad incident?"

Gabe took a sigh and say, "Yeah I remember."

"So please do me a favor and cut my hair."

"Okay..." He said as he walked over to Clementine and grab the scissors.

Clementine took her pigtails off, letting her short curly hair fall onto her shoulders.

"Oh, and one more thing, don't fuck it up." She said as she placed the hair clippers at the table.

Gabe chuckled and rolled his eyes

"I won't..." He said then he started cutting pieces of Clementine's hair.

"Better not." Clementine replied as Gabe started to cut off her hair.

As the sound of the clipping scissors were heard, Gabe couldn't help but notice that Clementine was thinking about something. Not sure what it is, but him being him, he asked his friend.

"Clementine?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you so quiet? What are you thinking about?"

"Uh... A lot?"

"Pft, a lot. Come on, you know you can tell me anything."

"Gabe... I don't know."

"Just tell me."

"Fine... Remeber Aj?"

Gabe stopped cutting Clementine's hair and stared at the back of her head thinking about her plan of leaving and hoping that she won't.

"Yeah... What's with him?" Gabe asked as he continued cutting Clementine's hair.

"Well, since he isn't here... I'm gonna go out and look for him." Clementine said with her voice toning down a bit.

"I know you're going after him. And I'm gonna go with you." Gabe said.

Clementine just snickered and shook her head and looked back at Gabe.
"I'm not gonna let you do that... Your family needs you here. Plus, you're safer here."

"I don't want you out there. Its a dangerous world we're living in and I don't want you to die... Because of me. So please, just stay here and keep yourself safe." Clementine said as she shifted back to her old position.

"So... You don't like me being with you?" Gabe asked with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"No! Its not like that! Its just... I'm so sick and tired of losing... Everyone I love." Clementine said. Gabe's eyes widened because of what he just heard while Clementine's eyes widened as well as she realized what she just said to the boy she clearly likes.

"Like-- I lose every person that came too close to me. And I love those people. Like you, I love you like my brother." Clementine said.

"Oh..." Gabe said trying to hide the fact that he's disappointed.

Does she really just see him as her brother? Isn't there anything else? Gabe hoped for something else but if that's what Clementine wants then she can have it...

She can have it...

Maybe I can try to forget my feelings for her...

Maybe I can change...

Gabe thought over and over as he finished cutting Clementine's hair.
"I'm done."

Clementine then stood up and faced her friend.
"How does it look?" Clementine asked. 
"Uhhh... Remind me to never touch scissors ever again." Gabe said as Clementine snickered and punched his arm.
"Ow."
"Wimp." Clementine said with a smile.

~Time skip~
As soon as Clementine finished packing her stuff, she finally walked to the gates of Richmond where she met up with Javi, Kate and Gabe who had their eyes fixed up on Clementine. Clementine just smiled at them as she continued walking towards them and as she reached them, she stopped and look everyone in their eyes.

First was Kate's. Clementine gave her the warmest smiles a mother should receive then she hugged her. Then to Javi, she mouthed 'thank you' before hugging the guy who was the man reason why she met Gabe. Speaking of which, she turned to him. She gave him a cheerful smile. One that Gabe loved seeing and the reason why it made him fall for the brown haired girl. After a few moments of stares, she finally walked closer to him and gave him the tightest hug possible as if she never wanted to let go.

She didn't. She didn't want to let go. She wished that it would just stay like that but it can't. She has to get a move on to find Aj. Even if it means not seeing the Garcia's, she would do it.

After a few seconds of hugging, she finally pullled away from Gabe's hug and looked at everyone again.

"Thank you." She said with a soft tone in her voice. She then turned her back on everyone and started walking north with her gun in her hand.