Rio bounced on the balls his feet nervously whilst he looked into the prison, peering through the wired gate. Everyone surrounded Rick as he stood before it, hand hovering over the clips he'd used to lock the gate and fence together the night before.
"Ready?" He asked, turning to face everyone, making sure they were prepared for the task ahead: clearing out the yard.
Rick unclipped the clips and swung the gate open after numerous cautious nods of confirmation. A walker clad in prisoner gear inched closer, but T-dog was quick to stab it through the head before it posed a real threat. Daryl grabbed the next one by the scruff of his shirt, pushing a knife through its forehead. He threw it to the ground.
Hershel closed the gate quickly after them, before any walkers could make their way out of the courtyard, or incase anyone who wasn't supposed to, made their way in. He turned to face Carl and Rio, satisfied that they hadn't tried, as much as they'd protested earlier.
Rio watched for a moment as the group formed a small circle, taking down more walkers as they all stood back to back. He hurried away soon enough, grabbing pipes or guns and clashing the barrel of them against the gate.
"Come on, over here!" Lori shouted, holding her stomach as she yelled.
"Yeah, this way asshole." Rio shouted to one Walker as it was getting closer. It hobbled over to Rio and he banged an old pole across the metal, making noise. It tried to grab at him through the gate but Rio shoved the pole into its eye, blood splattering back onto him as he pulled it back out. He grimaced, wiping his cheek. "Gross."
He did it again, as did everyone else, trying to distract as many walkers as they could.
"I can't see them, can you see them?" Lori asked Carol.
"Back there?" She guessed, looking closer.
"She can't see them." Carl repeated to Rio. The two boys squinted, trying to find their group but Lori was right, they couldn't see them. Rio continued to lure a Walker closer before shoving the pole trough its forehead again. He pulled it out and let it clatter on the floor.
A few seconds passed and all the surrounding walkers had been taken out. There was nothing they could do but wait, listening as the groan of walkers they couldn't see grew louder.
There was shouting and a rattle of a gate before Glenn bounded into Rio's view, jogging over before coming to a stop. He walked over to closest end of the fence, trying to see what was happening.
"There." He nudged Carl who followed behind him. "They're by there."
Rio watched as Rick spoke to them. Not even Carl could make out what he was saying, but soon they headed off again. Rick swung open a flimsy looking door, the group entering the nearest cell block though another hallway.
More minutes passed before Glenn and Maggie hurried out, telling everyone to get their things. 'Their things' wasn't much, it was maybe a backpack each if that person was lucky, filled with the bare minimum of supplies. Still, he couldn't complain. This was probably the best they were doing since leaving Hershel's farm.
"What's it like?" Rio asked Glenn, pulling his bag closed after making sure nothing had fallen out.
"You'll see now." He responded, wrapping up some blankets before passing one to Rio.
"Can't you just tell us? Please?" He asked, throwing his rucksack onto his back and holding the rolled blanket Glenn had given him in his hands.
"Is it cool?" Carl added, contributing to the non stop interrogation. The man handed him a sleeping bag to carry.
"I guess?" Glenn replied, unsure of his answer. "What do you consider 'cool'?"
"Living in a prison." Carl answered, enthusiastically, as they entered the hallway Rio had just watched Glenn disappear through.
"Okay, it's not as cool as you're making it sound."
"Awe."
They went through a room, it was surprisingly empty. Not even a noticeable amount of blood or dirt. Glenn led them through another room into C-block.
"What do you think?" Rick asked them, walking down the stairs. Daryl followed behind him crossbow in hand.
"Home, sweet, home." Glenn replied sarcastically.
"For the time being." Rick said, a small smile creeping onto his face.
"Is it secure?" Carol asked.
"This cellblock is."
They all looked around in awe, they actually had a place to stay, and they had beds. Rio turned to Carl, just as exited as he was the night before.
"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel asked, taking a look around.
"In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria and infirmary." Rick answered.
"We sleep in the cells?" Beth questioned.
"I found keys on some guards." The man nodded, holding them out. "Daryl has a set, too."
"I ain't sleeping in no cage." Daryl stated, heading back up the stairs and setting down his bag. "I'll take the perch."
"Come on." Carol said to everyone.
Rio and Carl followed Beth to the upstairs cells.
"It's pretty gross." Beth said, setting her bag down on the bottom bunk.
"Yeah... remember the storage units." Carl grimaced.
Rio ignored them, pulling himself into the top bunk. He lay down, a weird feeling to be back in a real bed. His own bed."Carl get up here, the beds are actually comfortable." He called down.
Beth let out a surprised laugh as she flopped down. "They are!" She exclaimed.
Carl clambered up, lying next to Rio. "Oh my god, your right."
Hershel walked in, standing, smiling in the doorway. He watched the two boys who were laughing with Beth. "You find your cells yet?" He asked.
"Yeah, uh, yeah. We were just seeing Beth." Carl stumbled over his words. They both climbed down, Rio holding back a laugh and headed out. He shouted 'see you soon' to Beth just before Carl hurried him away.
They looked between the two cells next door, unsure of which one to take.
"We could share if you want." Carl suggested, turning to Rio. The other boy thought for a moment. He'd never had his own bedroom before.
"I don't know." He said teasingly. "Maybe I'll just go next door, you snore too loud."
"That's such a bad excuse."
"I think I'll go next door, I wanna have my own room."
"It's cool." Carl replied, honestly not bothered by the rejection.
"Cool." Rio mocked, doing his best impression of Carl. He just shook his head and dropped his bag into his cell. Rio sat sown next to him, bag still on his back.
"I though you were taking next door."
"I am," he replied. He just looked straight ahead, letting out a long sigh. "It just— it doesn't feel real, does it?"
"No." Carl laughed in agreement.
Rio flopped backwards onto the bed. "We're so lucky."
"Yeah." The other boy did the same. "We are."
Rio suddenly remember something, sitting up straight. He grabbed his bag, rummaging around in it until he pulled out three comic books, well graphic novels, Carl had tried to explain the difference.
"I found these two days ago? I think." Rio started, handing them over to Carl who was now sat up. "I've seen you read these ones so I tried to fit them all in my bag. There was some more I wish I could've brought them all—."
Rio watched as Carl looked over at the comics, waiting for him to say something. He didn't. He put the comics down on the bed before wrapping Rio in the tightest hug ever. He let out a laugh as the other boy mumbled "thank you" into his ear.
"You can tell me all about them when you're finished." Rio said as Carl pulled away, still smiling.
"You don't want to read them with me?"
Rio thought for a moment. "You can read them first. Then I can read them with you if you want. Only the good ones though and you'll have to explain almost everything to me."
"Yeah," Carl replied, nodding happily, "Yeah, okay."
***
Rio couldn't sleep that night. He wasn't sure why, maybe the bed was too soft, maybe the room was too cold. Whatever the reason, he couldn't sleep. He rolled around in the new bed, trying to ignore how it creaked under his every movement.
Reluctantly he gave in, pulling on a pair of socks and his hoodie and heading out. He opened the cell quietly hoping to make as little sound as possible. There was a small set of stairs leading to a higher platform at the end of the row, he was going to head up there.
The small light coming from Carl's room didn't go unnoticed as Rio crept outside, filling him with a weird sort of warmth. He brushed the feeling away as he jogged up the stairs, finding Daryl sat upright, fiddling with his crossbow bolts.
"Couldn't sleep?" The older man asked.
"No." He admitted, sitting down besides the man. He pulled his knees to his chest as they talked.
"Where are your shoes?"
"I took them off to sleep."
"This place is filthy. Put them back on if your walking around." Daryl told him, scuffing his shoe on the floor and kicking up dirt to prove his point.
"Yes Mom." Rio scoffed, waving the dust away as he laughed.
"Or don't." He grumbled in response. "I really don't care what happens to you."
"Yeah you do."
"Nope I don't." Daryl pushed him away teasingly. "Go back to bed."
"I don't like sleeping alone." Rio blurted out, still holding onto the man's shirt sleeve. He didn't mean for it to sound as pathetic as it did.
"Thought so." Daryl hummed. "Why don't you go share with someone, you still need to sleep."
"You?"
"I ain't sleeping tonight."
"Okay." The boy sighed, getting up from his spot.
"Night kiddo." Daryl mocked.
"Oh my god. Never say that again." Rio laughed walking back to his cell. He stopped before he reached it, noticing Carl's flashlight was still on. He pushed open the cell door, closing it quietly behind him as he headed inside.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure." The other boy shrugged in response, he moved over to one side of the bed, pressing his arm against the wall. "You okay?"
Rio nodded, laying down on the bed besides Carl. "Changed my mind, don't like being alone. They any good?" He asked, pointing at the comics.
"Yeah, they are." Carl answered, placing one down on the pillow between them. "Want me to read it?"
"Yeah, please."
***
Everyone had scavenged the prison early the next next, dumping what they'd found upon the table in the center of Cell Block C.
"Not bad." Daryl exclaimed, considering all they'd found. Rio stood beside him turning the flashlights on and off, checking if they worked.
"Flashbangs, CS Triple-Chasers." Rick held them up to his face. "Not sure how they'd work in walkers, but we'll take 'em."
Daryl picked up a riot helmet and turned it over. Rio ducked to avoid the gunk and flesh that fell out of it. "I ain't wearing this shit." Daryl said.
"We could boil 'em." T-Dog suggested, also holding a piece of riot gear.
"Ain't enough firewood in the whole forest. No." Daryl shut down, swinging a baton in his hand. "Besides we've made it this far without 'em right?"
Carol walked into the room, standing besides the door as she spoke. "Hershel." She asked for. He zipped up his rucksack and sling it over his shoulder, heading over to her.
"Everything alright?" Rick asked.
"Yeah. Nothing to worry about." She assured him before leaving, Hershel following her closely behind. Nobody said anything for a while, checking their things in silence before rick spoke up.
"We gotta get moving." He said firmly, loading up his gun. "If we wanna take the cafeteria and infirmary by today, we gotta start now."
Everyone started gearing up, putting on the cleanest of the things they'd found. Rick helped T-dog fit the gear properly as Daryl wiped his crossbow clean. Rio handed him some gear and he mumbled his thanks.
Carl placed a helmet upon Rio's head, grabbing a second for himself. It slipped off of his head, whacking his nose as Carl laughed. Beth let out a laugh from the steps and Rio walked over, asking if she wanted to try it on.
She laughed again, shaking her head before changing her mind. Beth held out her hands and Rio passed it to her. She fitted it on herself, lifting the visor so she could see.
"How badass do I look?" She whispered, looking behind to make sure if Hershel had heard here. He had just came back, Lori and Carol too.
"Super badass." Rio laughed back, getting a look from Hershel. Guess he wasn't as quiet. Beth placed it back upon his head, stating that he need it more than her. Rio thanked her before turning around again.
Carl ducked his head, sliding his helmet off before Rick walked over, taking it from his hand. He held out his hand to Rio and the boy pulled the helmet off of his head too, passing it to Rick.
"You won't need that. I need you to stay put." He instructed.
"You're kidding." Carl tried to protest.
"We don't know what's in there." Rick reasoned with the boys. "If something goes wrong you could be the last men standing. I need you to handle things here."
"Sure." Carl replied, flashing Rick a smile.
"Great." Daryl grumbled, not wearing the riot gear Rio had handed him earlier. He scuffed the boys hair up when as walked past.
"Let's go." He called to everyone else, waiting besides the unopened door.
He headed out the room with Glenn, Maggie, Rick, Hershel and T-Dog following behind. Carl and Beth locked the gate after them, watching as they walked away.
"Do you think they'll be many walkers?" Beth asked sheepishly.
"I don't know." Carl replied. "They'll be fine though."
"Yeah. They'll be fine." Beth repeated, walking over to sit on the steps besides Lori. The girl bounced her leg and Lori clasped her hand in hers.
"I don't like this. Daddy and Maggie being gone... it's making me nervous." She tried to chuckle and Lori gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.
"They'll be okay."
***
just to put how much the relationship have changed into some sort of perspective, tlou takes place over eight months. It's been seven since the farm, so a lot of people will be closer than they were when the fic left off
I just felt the need to say something bc someone on ao3 mentioned it 😭😭