Lori stepped out into the room, her eyes meeting Natalie's with a small, reassuring smile. The dim light in the farmhouse cast a gentle glow, attempting to conceal the shadows that lingered beneath the surface. Lori approached Natalie, her maternal instinct guiding her actions.
"He's going to be okay, they're starting now," Lori whispered, pressing a tender kiss to the side of Natalie's head. The warmth of the embrace offered a momentary respite, a fleeting escape from the harsh reality that surrounded them. Lori's attempt to project reassurance, however, couldn't fully mask the vulnerability in her eyes.
The room held an air of quiet tension, punctuated only by the distant sounds of the others in hushed conversation. Natalie closed her eyes, briefly shutting out the world to process the haunting image of Carl convulsing on the bed. The weight of helplessness bore down on her, and she couldn't shake the memory of his lifeless gaze.
"He looked dead, I co-" Natalie began, her voice catching on the edge of panic, but Lori gently nodded, silencing the desperate words. Lori held onto her daughter, an anchor in the storm of uncertainty.
"We can't dwell on that, Natalie. Focus on the fact that they're doing everything they can for him now," Lori murmured, her voice a steady presence in the tumultuous quiet. The shared vulnerability between mother and daughter lingered, the unspoken acknowledgement of the fragility of their world.
There was the sound of a truck outside causing Natalie to turn her head to the front door with everyone else slowly going towards it. "He's back," Rick announced quickly rushing out of the door. Natalie right away knew he was talking about Shane and Otis.
Pulling into the farm once more, Shane grabbed the keys getting out of the truck. He looked shaken grabbed everything, and came back to the group. Natalie was stopping everything trying not to jump into his arms in the moment biting onto her lip and holding in her smile that he was okay. "Carl?" Shane said with a limp to his walk.
"There's still a chance," Rick explained to him shortly.
Overwhelmed by concern and an urgency to reassure, Natalie approached Shane with a determined stride. The air in the room seemed to thicken as she enveloped him in a tight, protective embrace. His body, still recovering from the intensity of the moment, responded to the grounding touch.
"You're okay," Natalie whispered, her voice carrying both a mantra and a plea. Her hands cradled his head, fingers threading through his hair as if trying to anchor him to the present. The room echoed with the rhythmic sounds of Shane's laboured breaths, each exhaling a testament to the adrenaline that coursed through him.
The weight of the situation hung in the air, and Shane's vulnerability lay bare in the aftermath of the close call. Natalie, driven by a mix of relief and genuine care, held onto him as if she could shield him from the lingering echoes of danger. Her words became a whispered reassurance, a lifeline in the aftermath of chaos. He chuckled into her neck holding onto her tightly.
"You're okay... Jesus," Natalie continued, the repetition of the affirmation revealing the depth of her own shaken composure.
The connection between them transcended words, a silent exchange of shared relief and unspoken gratitude. Rick observed the scene, the unfiltered emotion playing out before him, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words in the face of Natalie's unwavering concern for Shane.
"Otis." Hershel had let out causing Natalie to pull away from Shane, wiping the tears that were in her eyes and turning to the group again. Rick ducked his head at the name of the man who wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Shane, still gasping for breath, shook his head in disbelief. The tension in the air was palpable, and Maggie, struggling to hold back her emotions, mirrored the sentiment.
Natalie's gaze shifted to the distressed woman, and without hesitation, she approached Maggie, wrapping her in a comforting hug. In that moment of shared vulnerability, Maggie clung to Natalie, seeking solace amid the unsettling events.
Hershel, sombre and composed, addressed the group standing outside. The young women released their embrace, turning their attention to him. "We say nothing to Patricia," he instructed with a tone of urgency. The gravity of the situation pressed upon them as they nodded in acknowledgement. Hershel rushed inside to prepare for the surgery which couldn't afford any further delays.
Natalie's focus shifted to Shane, still visibly shaken. Her hand gently rubbed Maggie's back as she took in the horror-stricken and worried expression on Shane's face.
Rick, understanding the need for support, approached his best friend, pulling him into a comforting hug.
Shane, wrestling with the trauma of the recent events, began to explain, his words stumbling over the weight of what he had witnessed. "They kept blocking us at every turn, man. We had nothing left. We were down to 10 rounds. Then he said—he said he'd cover me. And that I should keep going. So that's what I did. I just..."
Struggling to articulate the rest, Shane's breath hitched. Natalie felt a pang in her stomach, a helpless ache at being unable to change the course of events. "I kept going, but... I—" He stammered, attempting to hold back tears, "I looked back, and he—"
Natalie tightened her grip on Maggie, who stared at the ground, rendered speechless. "I tried," Shane confessed, anguish evident in his voice.
Rick, placing a reassuring hand on Shane's shoulder, met his eyes. "He wanted to make it right," he affirmed, his words offering a semblance of solace.
As Shane caught his breath, Maggie turned, burying her face in Natalie's shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. Natalie nodded, a silent acknowledgement of the shared sorrow, providing the support that words couldn't convey.
𓇻
As the Farm lay enveloped in the cloak of darkness, nearly an hour had silently slipped away. The group gathered near the truck, a palpable tension hanging in the air. Natalie occupied the space beside Shane, the weight of the uncertain news pressing on them.
Rick, firmly holding onto Lori, mirrored the collective anticipation for any update.
Natalie stole a glance at Shane, his eyes still glistening with unshed tears, his gaze meeting hers. The darkness seemed to amplify the unspoken emotions between them. At that moment, Natalie yearned for a sliver of solitude with Shane, a chance to share the unspoken fears and hopes lingering beneath the surface.
The sounds of the door creaking open caused all four of them to turn to Hershel coming out of the house one more time wiping his hands. Natalie stood up, with Shane needing help up with his leg injured from falling. "He seems to have stabilized." He gave the news to them, Natalie smiled letting out a small laugh, rubbing the side of her neck.
Glenn followed Hershel with a small smile on his face. Shane had held onto Natalie as she laughed holding onto the man softly holding him tightly. "I don't have words." Lori thanked him silently.
"Neither do I." Hershel had ducked his head down. "How do I tell her about Otis." Shane had turned looking up not saddened but this look in his eye; Natalie placed her head on the man's shoulder as he let go of her waist.
Rick had turned to Lori and Natalie. "You two go to Carl," He instructed finally getting his mind back. "I'll go with Hershel." Natalie nodded walking past the group and into the house to go and see her brother again. Scared to do so, but knowing he needed her putting him over her mindset.
Once Natalie crossed the threshold into the house, the foreboding sensation lingered. She instinctively ducked her head, veering away from the room where Carl lay. Choosing an alternate path, she navigated her way to the kitchen, where Maggie awaited.
Lori, observing Natalie's deliberate diversion, comprehended the weight of the situation.
She proceeded into the house, where Patricia, upon hearing the news, had crumpled to the floor. Rick and Hershel struggled to console the distraught women. Shane, entering the house, registered the scene with a bowed head, an air of remorse surrounding him. His gaze shifted towards Carl's room, an unspoken acknowledgement of his role in this tragic circumstance.
Silently stepping into the room, Shane was met with the poignant sight of Carl lying in repose. Lori, holding her son's hand, cast a grateful glance toward Shane. Her plea,
"Stay for Natalie," hung in the air, a poignant reminder of the shared grief they endured. Shane, dipping his head with a tremulous nod, kissed Carl's hand in a gesture of respect. Lori limped out of the room, leaving Shane with jagged movements, evidence of the struggles etched on his bruised biceps.
Exiting another room, Natalie approached Shane, offering him clothes and blankets procured by Maggie.
His eyes sought comfort in hers, and as she nodded reassuringly, a soft gaze lingered between them. Maggie took the lead, standing before Natalie. "Bathroom's upstairs. I brought you some clothes."
"Thank you," Shane acknowledged, nodding in gratitude.
Maggie, hands resting on her hips, explained, "They won't fit well. They were Otis's." Shane nodded again, his attention now fixed on Natalie as Maggie left the room.
"Hey, let's get you cleaned up, okay?" Natalie suggested, her eyes searching his for a semblance of solace.
Leaning in, she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, a silent gesture of support. Shane nodded in acknowledgement, his grip on her hip conveying a silent plea for connection amid overwhelming grief.
𓇻
Assisting Shane in removing his shirt, a low groan escaped his lips.
The confines of the small bathroom couldn't contain the palpable tension in the air. Natalie stood before him, her eyes scrutinizing the bruises that adorned his body. The dim light accentuated the marks, casting shadows that danced along the contours of his skin.
"Rick stopped me from coming to get you," Natalie informed him casually, her voice breaking the silence.
Shane laid his shirt down on the toilet lid, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken words. Her fingers traced the edges of the bruises, her head tilting slightly as she absorbed the sight before her.
"You were the last person, that needed to be there." He muttered to her softly. "I- I...Couldn't even...I tried to save him" Shane seemed to hold his breath, caught in a moment where vulnerability and shared understanding hung in the air.
Placing her hand softly on his jaw nodding her head and shushing him. "Don't blame yourself..." Trying to get into his head the same thing her mother tried to get into hers. "You're here, and that's all I care about right now."
In a moment suspended between reality and their world, Shane seemed to drift into a brief state of blankness.
"Shane," Natalie called for him, a note of concern in her voice. Without a word, he swiftly pulled her into a kiss, a sudden connection that left her momentarily shocked. Yet, within that touch, there was a peculiar sense of safety that enveloped her.
Ducking down, Shane moved with urgency, shedding his pants and carefully placing his gun aside before reconnecting their lips. His hands found their way up her shirt, pulling it off in a swift motion. As their lips parted for a moment, Shane pressed himself against her, the intensity of the encounter palpable.
"You should lay do—Shane," Natalie tried to interject, her fingers gently holding the sides of his face as their lips parted momentarily.
He hummed, shaking his head. "Just... Let me forget for a second," he pleaded, his eyes searching hers with a sharp intensity.
Natalie hesitated, her gaze locked with his, before finally nodding, surrendering to the shared desire that enveloped them. Their lips met again, and Shane's hand wrapped around her neck, the connection between them growing deeper with each passing moment.
Guiding her hand down she grabbed his dick; not disconnecting their lips stroking him softly. Shane groaned in her mouth silencing himself and reaching over to turn the shower on to compress the noise.
Finishing taking off her clothes as she stroked him wrapping the pre-cum more around his dick. "Hold on, Sweetheart." Shane muffled grabbing the side of her face and looking at her. "I'm okay," Finishing they could tell she was worried.
"I know" Nodding her head; Shane grabbed her ass connecting their lips again and guiding the two of them into the shower.
In the urgency of the moment, Shane pressed against Natalie from behind, his hands gripping her as he thrust into her. She clung to the wall for support, feeling the intensity of his movements and the water cascading over them, soaking them both.
The physical connection seemed to be an outlet for some unspoken emotions, a way for Shane to release pent-up anger or frustration.
Suppressing a moan, Natalie let the water envelop them, the sensation mingling with the intensity of their encounter. At that moment, it was as if the world outside didn't exist; there was only Shane and her, seeking solace in each other's embrace and trying to escape the harsh reality around them.
Shane's touch, though forceful, carried a sense of urgency and emotional support that Natalie craved. His hands on her body were a grounding force, momentarily shielding them from the uncertainties that surrounded their lives.
As Shane continued to thrust, Natalie, mindful of his injuries, assisted in finding a rhythm that accommodated both of them. Eventually, he turned her around, their lips meeting in a passionate connection.
Shane's kisses held a sense of desperation as if he wanted to savour every moment, every sensation, as if uncertain of what the future held.
His hands explored her face, searching for something beyond the physical. Natalie, with a furrowed brow, gazed back at him, sensing there was more beneath the surface—a narrative that went beyond the physical act they were engaged in. "Is everything okay?" She asked one more time, her eyes searching his moving from left to right. The complexity of their emotions hung in the steam-filled air, leaving a lingering tension that extended beyond the confines of the bathroom.
Hesitating for a second he nodded his head. "No-Now..." Muttering to her; causing her to smile a little bit. The water had continued to fall on them, wetting Shane's hair.
Entering her again, Natalie moaned softly sending her head back. Shane held onto her neck a little bit, pressing a kiss into it. The two continued with Shane facing her, taking in everything that had been happening. Holding onto each other's hands, and squeezing onto it tightly.
Their foreheads pressed together, Shane and Natalie breathed heavily, locked in an intimate connection. He continued to thrust softly and carefully, both of them clinging to each other as the hot water pounded down between their entwined bodies. Natalie's soaked hair clung to her skin, adding to the intensity of the moment.
In the steam-filled bathroom, Shane ducked down, deepening their connection with a passionate kiss. One of his hands gently arched her back, their bodies moving in a synchronized dance under the cascading water. The heat and fervour of their union intensified with each careful movement.
Natalie reached her climax before Shane, the pleasure coursing through her as he continued to thrust a few more times before finding release. Moans and pants filled the air as they held onto each other, the aftermath of their shared passion palpable.
After the final moments, Natalie grabbed Shane's head, bringing it in for a soft and lingering kiss. The warmth of the water, the closeness of their bodies, and the shared vulnerability created a unique bond, a momentary escape from the harsh realities of their lives outside that bathroom.
"I love you too," He was a couple of days later saying it sober. Kissing the top of her softly as the water just fell on top of them, separating from one another.
Nodding her head in his grip. "Good to know," Softly said into his head. Running her hands through his hair, there was a small patch missing from it causing her to look into his eyes. "Something happened here," He guided his hand up to it feeling the patch.
"You finish" Shane kissed her back softly, stepping out of the shower.
The water cascaded down on Natalie, embracing her in its warmth as she continued to stand beneath the showerhead. Shane stepped out, droplets glistening on his skin. He approached the mirror, his eyes locking onto the patch Natalie had pointed out earlier. A moment of reflection unfolded as he remembered the tumultuous events that had led them to this point.
Panting, Shane caught his breath, his gaze lingering on the mirror. Opening the cabinet, he retrieved a razor, the cold metal reflecting the gravity of the situation. Inside the shower, Natalie closed her eyes, the rhythmic flow of water providing a brief respite.
The sound of the razor became a backdrop, a subtle reminder of something deeper that Shane struggled to conceal. The air in the bathroom thickened with unspoken emotions, leaving an invisible but palpable tension hanging in the steamy atmosphere.