"Wow, did someone not sleep?" Rue's voice asks as Y/n turns her head towards the girl. "Oh god, you look like the walking dead." A slight chuckle escapes Rue's lips at the comment she made as Y/n rolled her eyes shaking her head from side to side. She turns away from Rue, looking back out and letting her eyes scan the area. "Seriously, you didn't sleep?"
"You know I don't Rue," Y/n responds, calmly.
Rue shrugs. "I just thought it'd be different. We're in a safe house with a bunch of people. You have slept."
"Right. Just sleep peacefully like you after what has happened. I can't and you know that."
"Y/n, if you're talking about the fire-"
"I'm talking about all of it Rue. Everything we've done. What he's made us do," Y/n cuts Rue off, the more she spoke the lower her voice got. Rue stood beside Y/n, tilting her head and squinting her eyes. Y/n shakes her head, clenching onto the shot gun. "Just because you're able to sleep and live with everything doesn't mean everyone else can."
"Oh my god. Come on, you have to grow some thick skin, Y/n."
"Thick skin?" A chuckle escapes Y/n's lips shaking her head. "Before you came along Rue, I watched someone get eaten alive by one of those walkers. I walked away and left her for dead. I'm walking around with a lot of guilt and regret because of this damn group."
"Then stop walking around with the guilt and regret. This is just how it is nowadays Y/n. It's how we survive." Y/n swiftly spins on her heels and locks eyes with Rue's.
"Life shouldn't be about surviving Rue, that's the point. It should be about living, but we can't even do that."
"What do you suppose we do? We have an obligation to this group Y/n, you more than anybody. Fredrick took us in, provided us a home."
"A home? That's what you call that place?"
Rue bites her lip, flicking her eyes back and forth between Y/n's eyes shaking her head. "Where is all this coming from, Y/n? Does it have to do with this group? With that girl Alicia? You two seemed awfully close yesterday. Went off on your own. Hell, you went and got her real late at night. Where'd you go?"
"It has nothing to do with them Rue. I've had these thoughts for a while now and secondly how'd you even know-"
"I was awake Y/n. I heard you two. I told you to get close to her, but it seems like-"
"Y/n! Rue!" Someone shouts cutting Rue off. Both of their head's snap to the side, to the source of the voice to find Travis motioning for them to come on. Y/n ran her hand over her face shaking her head.
"We're not taking anyone from this group Rue. We need to leave, I'll take the fall for it, but there's others out there," Y/n speaks, her voice low before heading away from Rue. Rue tilts her head, watching Y/n walk away for a moment. The brown eyed girl squinting her eyes, her mind running but says nothing and follows after Y/n. The two get to Travis and he heads inside where everyone was gathered.
Y/n looks at Alicia briefly but decides to stay standing, walking over to a wall and leaning against it. Alicia looks at Y/n, biting her lip noticing how the girl decided to stand instead of taking a seat beside her. However, Rue walked in and walked over taking the empty seat beside Alicia. The green-eyed girl glanced to the left of her and met eyes with Rue's. Rue gave the Clark sibling a warm smile before Travis and Madison stood in front of everybody, beginning to speak.
"We need supplies. I along with Chris, Strand, Nick and whomever else wants to come along are going to go scout the area," Travis speaks, looking to everyone. Y/n's eyes go to the wooden floor, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'll come too," Y/n spoke up, clenching her jaw and nodding. She picks up her head and locks eyes with Travis who gives a small smile nodding back at the girl.
"I'll go too," Alicia spoke soon after. Y/n's eyes flick to the girl's before looking away.
"Well, if those two are going I don't see any reason for myself to go," Strand spoke up, leaning back in the chair. Travis nods.
"That's fine-" Travis says, pausing briefly. Y/n could feel eyes on her so she lifted her head finding Rue looking back and forth between Alicia and her. A low, barely audible sigh escapes Y/n as she leans up from the wall. "Gather your stuff and meet out front."
Everyone gets up and leaves. Y/n immediately heads towards the front hearing Madison and Alicia talking. But she kept walking until she was outside the door, feeling a cool breeze hit her face. She closes her eyes and shakes her head before hearing someone else come out the door. Y/n opens her eyes and glances over her shoulder to find Rue.
"It looks like Alicia jumped the moment you did," Rue spoke, her voice low. Y/n shook her head.
"So?" Y/n asks, but Rue shakes her head.
"Do you two know each other? Do you know these people Y/n?"
"No Rue-"
"You're lying," Rue said, taking a step towards Y/n and pushes the girl. Y/n stumbles back letting go of the shot gun.
"You need to stop."
"Me? Ever since we saved them from the hoard you've been acting different."
"Different? We literally saved them yesterday, Rue." Rue shakes her head, looking back and forth between Y/n's eyes.
"What happened last night when you went and got Alicia? Where'd you two go?"
"Why does it matter?"
"It matters Y/n. Just answer the question or I can go radio Fredrick and have the boys here in minutes." Y/n clenches her jaw and shakes her head from side to side, looking away from the girl. Neither one of them speaks and Y/n sighs.
"Alicia and I went to the same high school. But I didn't know her like that," Y/n finally said and Rue cocked her head to the side before a chuckle escapes her lips. Y/n's brows furrow before feeling a strong punch to the face causing her stumble over to the left, her eyes going wide. Her hand flies up, holding her face as Rue stands shaking her head, getting close to the girl.
"You fucked up, Y/n," Rue spoke through her teeth shaking her head before turning on her heels and walking away. Y/n turned her head and watched Rue get to the house and walk past Alicia, Travis, Nick, and Chris as they were exiting the house. Alicia and Y/n lock eyes as a concerned look spread across Alicia's face as she hurried towards Y/n, but Y/n slightly shook her head.
"Y/n, you okay?" Nick asks walking over now too. His eyes looking at the girl as Y/n just nods, removing her head from her face. "Jesus."
"I'm good," Y/n quickly says shaking her head. "Rue and I had a disagreement. It's fine."
"She punched you," Alicia spoke low and Y/n shrugged.
"It happens. We should go, don't want to lose day light," Y/n says, shrugging what had happened off. Alicia's eyes were filled with concern looking back and forth between the girl's eyes. Y/n shakes her head and tears her eyes from Alicia's as she turns around. She walks following Travis and Chris. Nick and Alicia exchanging a look before following after the rest of the group.
<<<<>>>>
Y/n and Alicia were told to stay outside, behind the trees and bushes as Travis, Nick and Chris head into the last little store before they head back. The whole time it's been pretty awkward, silent to say the least.
"Why'd she punch you?" Alicia asks suddenly out of the blue. Y/n keeps her eyes on the store, shaking her head from side to side. "Y/n, come on. We used to tell each other-"
"Alicia, it's better if you don't know. Safer," Y/n said, cutting the girl off. Her head turns to lock eyes with Alicia's confused look. However Y/n shakes her head gripping onto her shot gun. "That was super confusing but just trust me."
"Then trust me," Alicia responds back. Y/n cocks her head to the side, clenching her jaw.
"That's not fair."
Alicia shrugs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Pretty sure life isn't fair Y/n. Come on. You two are pals, you've been through this whole thing together for how long? You two seem close-"
"We may seem close but... It's complicated Alicia," Y/n tried to explain, cutting Alicia off. Their eyes staying locked. Alicia however shakes her head from side to side, taking a step closer gently reaching out placing her hand on Y/n's arm.
"You told me not to trust her. But I know you. Ever since we were 10. I trust you but I can't help, none of us can help if you don't let anybody in..." Alicia kept her voice low, flicking her eyes back and forth between Y/n's. "You were always bad about that. Letting people in, but now more than ever you have too."
Y/n's eyes shift between Alicia's, feeling herself relax a bit. Her eyes softening a bit.
"You're the only person I've ever let in. Everyone else... They only use what you tell them against you."
"I would never do that." Y/n nods, knowing Alicia's words were true.
"I know, but Alicia she hit me for a reason that is hard to explain. But last night I couldn't sleep after your mom found us on the roof-" Y/n pauses feeling Alicia's hand slip off of her arm. She glances down looking at the spot Alicia's hand was before glancing back up. "My mind was racing with all these thoughts but it wasn't till now that I feel like I can get out of the situation. Just like what you and your mom, and brother and your group need to do."
"Y/n, you're scaring me."
Y/n nods, letting go of her shot gun while taking a step closer to Alicia, gently reaching up her hands and cupping Alicia's cheeks in her hands.
"I know that my words are super confusing and probably scary but I'm telling you, Rue is dangerous. The situations I have been out into are bad."
"The barn fire. Y/n-"
"She started that fire. She set the fire to kill those people. I went in to save everybody, she pulled me out because she had too. Not because she wanted too."
Alicia's eyes fill with concern, horror and curiosity. Y/n nods glancing away from Alicia's eyes but her hands remained cupping Alicia's face.
"You all have to get out, as soon as we get back," Y/n whispers.
"What about you? Rue's going to know Y/n."
Y/n nods picking up her head. "I'm going to distract her while you all leave. I'll be okay."
"Y/n-" Before Alicia could finish her sentence Y/n leaned in and locked their lips. Both of their eyes close and just as quickly as the kiss started it's just as quickly as they pulled away. Y/n took a step back, removing her hands off of Alicia's face. Their eyes lock, shock filling both of their eyes but neither of them have a chance to speak as Travis, Nick and Chris walk up.
"Alright let's head back," Travis says as he walks past the two girls. Nick eyes both his sister and Y/n curiously, picking up on the tension but says nothing following after Travis and Chris. After they all got a decent amount of distance Y/n glances to Alicia, their eyes instantly meeting one another's. Yet no words exchanged. Only a look from Y/n before she tilts her head towards the group as they walk beside one another, following behind.