survival | clementine + violet

2 - under attack

( later in the story, there will be some of violets pov too)

clem's pov

i stared at violet, who had gotten to the top of the tower a little before me, and was now starring back down at our defences.

i walked up towards her.

i read violets worried expression.

"are you okay?" i asked her softly.

she scoffed.

"no. clem what if, what if the raiders take someone else? i- i've lost so many people, i-" violet started stuttering.

i had never seen her like this,

so vulnerable.

"hey. we're going to be okay vi. look down, look at everything we've done." i said, gesturing to all our planned defences.

"we're prepared vi. those raiders don't stand a chance" i whispered.

violet smiled smally.

"yeah, i know, and it's all thanks to you" she said gently.

"but- what if it isn't enough?" she asked.

"listen vi, even if it isn't, i won't let them hurt anyone. i promise you that" i assured her.

she sighed, and stood up straight.

"i know you won't" she smiled.

i smiled back, but felt an enormous  amount of stress.

it was my responsibility to make sure nothing bad happened to anyone. i had to protect these people.

"hey clem, i need to ask you something" violet spoke.

"what is it?" i asked.

"i know you came back here to get medicine for AJ but, after that you could have just left. avoided all this shit with the raiders. but you didn't. you stayed, and now you're putting your self in danger to help us. why?" violet asked.

i looked down.

"violet when AJ.. when he shot marlon, everyone turned against us. everyone but you. you went against all of your friends to help us. you don't know how much that means to me. now you're the leader of this group, and it's my fault there coming to attack you. i owe it to you to stop them. you protected me, so now i'm going to protect you" i spoke determinedly.

violet looked caught of guard, then looked away and smiled.

"clem it's not your fault the raiders came back. they're monsters, and you're.. well, you don't have a bad bone in your body" she sighed.

i smiled.

"alright, well if it's not my fault i guess i can just go ahead and leave then" i joked, starting to walk away.

"clem!" groaned violet, reaching out to pull me back.

i laughed.

"don't worry vi, why would i go anywhere else if you're here?" i asked.

"well, i'm glad you're not going anywhere. you know.. i've watched a lot of people leave before, they never come back. it's always hard. but, you came back and now i don't know how i would have gotten by if you didn't. it's actually pretty hard to think about" violet admitted.

i felt my heart pumping out of my body.

i couldn't hide the way i felt any more.

"violet i don't know if this is just the totally wrong timing, or if you just aren't feeling what i am, but there's something i need to say right now, before the raiders get here" i sighed, surprised at myself for what i was about to say.