TWD: Last (Clementine X Male Reader Book 3)

Marinus-4

Dad: Everything's fine.

He smiles at me as he wipes his eyes and nose.

Me: Is Mom ok?

Dad: Moms fine.

Me: Then what's wrong?

He smiles at me again and then pulls a stool close to him.

Dad: Come sit with me, will ya?

I don't hesitate. As soon as I sit down, he wraps his arm around my torso and pulls me into a side hug. He rests his head on top of mine and doesn't say anything.

Dad: I love you.

His voice is shaky.

Me: Are you dying or something?

He chuckles.

Dad: No.

He clearly doesn't want to tell me yet. Maybe I should stop asking about it.

Dad: You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, kiddo.

Why's he being so sappy?

Dad: Thank you.

What's he thanking me for?

I can feel him tremble. I don't know what's wrong, but I'll comfort him. I turn and wrap my arms around him. My head is on his chest now. He brings his robot arm up, putting both of his arms around me now.

Dad: I love you.

He whispers. Is something wrong with me? Am I the one dying?

He's crying. He's keeping silent, probably not wanting me to hear him. It makes me think back to all the nights that he sat with me until the morning came, comforting me.

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Dad: You ready?

Me: I think so.

I was eleven.

Dad: When it starts, you come running to me, ok?

Me: Ok.

Dad: The most important thing to remember out there is?

Me: That you love me.

Dad: Exactly. Do your best.

I hadn't been in a real fight to the death battle before. We were going to attack a community called Arc. First, Dad was going to give them a chance, but if it went wrong, he had a big group standing by.

Brooklyn: It's your first battle, isn't it?

Me: Yeah.

We were waiting just outside, watching Dad address Arc.

Brooklyn: Good luck. It's not like what you read in those books of yours. It's got more feeling to it.

Me: What kind of feeling?

Brooklyn: You'll have to find out. And it's not easy.

I didn't know what she was talking about. The fight broke out, and I rushed to my Dad's side. He'd taken a bullet to his arm. It only grazed him, but it still had to hurt like hell, yet he kept fighting like nothing was wrong. I was hitting, kicking, and trying my hardest to get people on the ground. That's what Dad told me to do. He said that he would kill them when I had them beat. But while he had his hands full, one of them got me. They were overpowering me, and I had to do something. I grabbed my knife and stuck it in his neck as quickly as I could. I still remember the look on his face.