✰ ClemxLouis Oneshots ✰

Grateful

Warnings: Some swearing

Word Count: 996

In a world as corrupt as the one they were living in, where people were being eaten and thoughtlessly murdered, it was difficult for Clementine to feel grateful most days. Her life became a routine the moment her long-time babysitter turned into a walker—a routine of wake up, just survive, and repeat. It was tiring, and once she reached the age of about twelve, left alone with a helpless baby, she didn't know if it was even worth it. That is, until she'd look at that baby, clumsy and somehow hopeful, and realize that she was alive for more than just herself. She was alive for him, just to make it through.

AJ was her best friend, even though conversations between a child and a teenager become dry over time. He had stuck around longer than anybody else had—Lee, Christa, Luke, Kenny, Javi. Not like he had too much of a choice, though. It was acknowledged and appreciated by the two that both of them wouldn't be alive without the other. AJ for pure survival, and Clem for her happiness.

She never thought she'd be as grateful for anyone else as she was him. Even if they found a group, they'd probably end up leaving, or dying, like everybody else did around Clementine. So, in her drowsy state, seeing AJ being taken by somebody who wasn't her and waking up in a foreign place only to be welcomed into one scared her. And not much scares her.

Until the trench coat-clad, piano playing boy turned his head and looked at her. Compared to most others, he didn't look broken. Maybe it was just hidden beneathe those freckles and that way too charming toothy grin. Whatever it was, Clementine was drawn to him, despite how hard she tried to repress it. That feeling of turbulence, chaos occurring in her head would not leave for the life of her. He, in such a short amount of time, somehow convinced her to think of the world differently.

"This moment is the only thing any of us got."

It broke the cycle of her thinking surviving and living were simply synonyms. Surviving was eating rabbit stew for weeks, patching up your own bullet wounds, always having somebody on watch. Living was the echo of Louis' serenades to her when she couldn't sleep, the jokes with Violet, seeing AJ understand something he claimed he never would. To her, there was a clear difference, and she had no idea how she had never noticed it until after that moment with Louis. She had so much to thank him for. So much that she didn't think she'd ever be able to express. 

She cautiously turned the dulled knob to the music room, the squeak of the hinges whirring a knot in her stomach. She should've been used to it, seeing as she'd been spending most late nights and early mornings in there recently with the company of Louis. He would listen to her stories as she would his music for hours and hours.

He finished playing one last chord before gazing over at the girl, putting on a fake pout. "So sorry that had to be your entrance, that chord was sloppy."

The corners of her mouth flipped up. "I'd never think of your playing as bad. Even if you think it is, Louis."

"Well, I'm glad to be of service," he smiled. "What would you like to hear today, princess? Beethoven? Maybe some Bach, just to be crazy with it?"

"Instead of playing," she took a seat close to him on the bench. "I thought we could just talk. I'm sure the rest of Ericson is tired of the piano, anyway."

He brought a hand to his heart. "That may be the most hurtful thing ever said to me. And trust me, Marlon and I were ruthless to each other as kids."

She stared at him, mouth sporting a teeny, tiny grin. "You know I'm your biggest fan."

"Why, of course, Clem. And for that, my fingers won't tickle the ivories for the duration of our talking."

Glancing at the hardwood floor, she admitted, "I just wanted to say thank you. For everything." She moved her amber eyes to meet his. "I kind of don't know what I'd do without you."

His face lit up like a beacon. Jokingly, Louis said, "You sure about that? You made it a pretty long time without me."

Clementine laughed softly. "Well, I don't know what I'd do if you weren't in my life right now."

The moon illuminated through the large windows, bouncing off the dark, oak piano while Louis stayed silent for a moment. His silence made her nervous, but excited.

"You're, like, really gorgeous, Clem. You know that?" Louis finally said, face going white quickly after. "Shit, I didn't mean to be so blunt about it."

To quiet him, she put her hand atop his between them. His hand was warm, knuckles course from years of hardship between instruments and zombies. He glanced from their hands to her face and stopped talking.

"I like honesty," she told him. "Thank you, Louis. Nobody's ever said that to me."

"Seriously? I don't really know how. Not even that Gabe kid?" He gaped, genuinely confused at the girl in front of him.

"Not even that Gabe kid."

"He really should have, then. I guess he didn't know what he was missing out on. It's really a shame tha—"

Clementine shushed him with a kiss, reaching up to the nape of his neck and pulling him down with both hands. He was still for a moment, but almost immediately kissed back and placed his hands gently around her torso and back.

She eventually pulled away shyly, leaving him lingering for a moment, the feeling of her mouth on his replaced with cool air.

"Holy shit," he beamed, broken out into a whole smile.

"Holy shit," Clementine replied, admiring his ecstasy over the seemingly simple thing, a kiss.