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CHAPTER THIRTY;
[ A DREAM ]
[CONSTELLATION || GLENN RHEE]
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Athena woke with a massive headache and a feeling of drowsiness, the pounding that filled her head completely knocking her off balance. She felt as if she were to stand up, she'd collapse. Her body felt weak—limbs like jello and sense of thought churned. Ares could tell this, just by the look on her face, but even when he called Hershel in, there was nothing they could do.
Apparently Athena needed to heal fully, gain back the strength she once had over time. Two days had passed and that had yet to occur, but after another two weeks of being bed bound, slowly did the brunette begin to retrieve the stamina and strength she once had. Temporarily, Athena would have to be accompanied by someone when going out of the grounds, but she didn't really care. Hunting for food, scavenging for supplies, and being out in the world and on the run was what she did best. Although Rick and Daryl were both stubborn on even letting her carry her axe in fear of tearing open her wounds again, they both knew there was no way of holding Athena back now that she could walk.
"Are we almost there?" Athena moaned as she dragged the deer she shot with her hands through the vast forest. Daryl was doing the same a few feet in front of her, carrying his own game towards the prison that loomed ahead. "I'm literally dying."
"Drama queen." Daryl mumbled under his breath as they entered the clearing before the large fences. "I told you that it'd be heavy."
"No shit," Athena snapped back with a light tone as her eyes landed upon Carl, who was sitting by the entrance and reading a comic book. His hat covered his face, keeping him from noticing their presence until Daryl whistled loudly. The boy looked up, eyes widening before he grabbed the rope used to open the gate and started pulling. "All deers are heavy."
As the gate to the prison opened, Athena dragged the animal inside faster so that the boy could close it quickly after them. From behind, walkers snarled, but with their newfound spike fences the beasts didn't stand once chance when it came to getting close to them.
"Need help?" Carl asked as he eyed Athena's struggling frame. She nodded with a small laugh, shifting half of the animal's body to him so that it'd be off the ground. "You guys got lucky today."
"More like Athena finally managed to not scare one off." Daryl said as they made their way towards the prison.
The brunette crinkled her nose, "I feel personally attacked." She whined as they passed Rick's new garden, "What did I do to deserve this mistreatment?"
Daryl rolled his eyes as she and Carl snickered, pulling the animal through the final gate before they made their way into what used to be the courtyard. Over the past weeks, the people of Woodbury had decided to create an area outdoors where everyone in the group would be able to eat meals as a whole. It consisted of tables and benches, an area where meat was cooked, and a few stands that held items that could be traded for other valuables. They had a makeshift market currently being built, and in all honesty, Athena loved it.
She had thought at first that the new arrivals would only weigh down the original group as a whole. Their presence equalled more mouths to feed and the need for more protection, which would certainly put a large burden on the group. But as the days passed and Athena personally got to know everyone and the skills they had, she realized that they weren't a burden—no, they were an addition. Nate and her brother Ares had just as much experience as the rest of them, and showed that the majority of people from Woodbury carried skills as well. The children and teenagers were good at gardening and tending to animals, the elderly were rather handy when it came to washing and creating clothes, and the adults who couldn't shoot were either learning or rather good at cooking. Nate himself was amazing at using natural resources for the benefit of the group, and had provided much more than asked, making him one of Rick's very favorable men.
And for Ares—well he was rather occupied when it came to literally flirting with everyone in sight.
Him and Nate were rather close though, and Athena for the first few days had assumed what everyone else was assuming. They never left each other's side, they constantly bickered and made inappropriate jokes, flirted with one another, and seemed rather and hopelessly in love. But when Athena had questioned her brother as to how long they'd been together, Ares had downright choked on his own saliva and laughed for five minutes straight. Apparently they were 'more like brothers', but Athena doubted that, even when the boy began to pine over Maggie of all people.
"Leave the girl alone!" She called out as they entered the courtyard market, Athena's eyes landing upon Ares watching Maggie carve spears with a smirk plastered across his face. The woman looked rather annoyed, but slightly amused, as Nate rolled his eyes from a few feet away. "Ares, aren't you supposed to be out on a run?"
"Decided to go later since the car broke down." He explained as they drew nearer, eyes gazing over the large animal that her, Carl, and Daryl were carrying. "Well, damn. You guys were busy."
"No shit." Athena groaned before moving past them, glancing sideways at Maggie to see that the woman was flashing her a very skeptical gaze. Quickly averting her eyes, they made their way to the center of the market where the majority of the group were sitting down and eating. A few of them looked up with wide eyes at their game, the rest standing up to thank them as they placed the animals on the ground by Carol's stand. The older woman was grilling food and had a large smile plastered on her face when the two wiped their hands and stood before her.
"Just so you know, I liked you first." The woman told Daryl, and Athena snickered.
"Stop," he said jokingly, rolling his eyes as he popped a strawberry into his mouth. "You know, Rick brought in a lot of food too."
"Not recently. Give the strangers sanctuary, keeping people fed, you're going to have to live with the love." Carol told him, and Athena grinned before she slapped his arm.
"Live with the love," she repeated as Patrick made his way over to them with large eyes and a gapping mouth.
"Uh," he said with a stutter, "Mr.Dixon, Miss.Lee, I just wanted to thank you for bringing in the deer yesterday and the other two today. It was a real treat, and it'd be an honor to shake both of your hands."
Athena quirked her brows at the young teenage boy, looking taken back before she clasped their hands together and flashed him a smile. "It's no problem, Patrick. We all have jobs to do."
Daryl, on the other hand, looked at the both of them before deciding to lick all of his fingers and then shake his hand. Athena rolled her eyes and nudged him before Carol and him took off, leaving Athena alone to converse with the boy. "You coming to the first lesson today?" She asked him as he flipped a piece of meat, and Patrick looked rather shocked that Athena was making conversation with him rather than leaving.
"No thank you." He told her, pushing up his glasses, "I'm not one for handling weapons."
Athena bit her lip, "You should stop by anyways, just get an idea of it?" She proposed. Patrick needed to learn how to defend himself, if something were to happen, he'd be screwed. The boy nodded surprisingly, agreeing to it before Athena saluted at him and made her way over to the part of the courtyard that was clear of stands. It wasn't empty though—a rather large amount of people were standing or sitting around, waiting patiently. Athena bit her lip, cracking her neck as she ran the idea through her head again. Rick had promised the new people that she'd be teaching them self defense, and although Athena liked the idea of helping people—teaching was an entirely different story. And by the looks of it, over thirty newcomers were hoping to learn something from a very injured and very impatient girl.
Making her way over, all conversation fell silent as Athena walked towards the center of their gathering where a table of multiple weapons lied. A few targets had been set up for her, maybe four, consisting of cut outs of human shapes with large red targets pasted on the head, stomach, heart, and leg. Tyreese had found them at a gun shot for her, and with the help of Sasha, Athena was more than equipped to teach.
And although she didn't want to, she needed to.
Athena clasped her hands together before clearing her throat. "All of you are standing here for one reason, and one reason only. To learn how to defend yourself. We live in a world where death lurks around every corner, in a world where none of us know how many days we have left until it's over. We can't stop the inevitable, but we can do our best to prevent it. And the only way to do that is to learn." She momentarily stopped. "I'm sure most of you have experience with a gun, maybe even a knife, but how far will that get you?" She asked, watching as eyes flickered and heads turned. "I'm sure you've all noticed that we're practicing with targets today, targets that are shaped like humans. And that's the hard truth. The dead aren't the only things we need to protect ourselves from—we need to learn how to fight the living too. You've seen what people have turned into now, and I can't guarantee that you'll never run into a situation where your life can be taken by the hands of a living person. What happens when you're cornered? When you've run out of ammo? Or when you've been stripped of your weapons? What will be your defense then? That's the question we all need to have an answer to, which is why I'm here. Which is why my brother and I are here." Athena explained as Ares stepped from the crowd to her side. "Over the next few weeks we'll be showing you an array of ways to protect yourself. Weapons first, and then hand to hand combat. Today we have chosen knife combat and shooting with a bow since ammo at the moment is scarce and the sound of gunfire will only attract more walkers. If you want to learn knife combat, please form a line to your left. If you want to learn bow technique first, please form a line to your right."
Athena watched with squinted eyes as the newcomers divided into two. There were more people wanting to learn knife combat than bow, but even then there was still a good amount of people that Athena would have to teach. With one last small sigh, Athena walked over to the table and grabbed her bow with a few arrows, slinging the container across her shoulder before taking her stance a good ways away from the designated target.
She pulled an arrow from the black holder and positioned it with the bow before lifting up and drawing back. The people close to her backed away as Athena took a deep breath and released the arrow, watching as it flew and embedded itself into the designated red on the target.
Pulling out another, Athena shot again, and again, and again until all of her arrows were gone.
Silence coated the air for a few seconds before applause sounded, and Athena couldn't help but smile before she placed the bow on the table and turned to look at Ares. "Your turn," she smirked as they both picked out their select knives. "Let's see if you can out do me."
"Trust me, sister," Ares chuckled as he twirled the weapon in his hands, "I've gotten better over the past few months.
"And so have I."
Athena grinned before motioning for the group to move back so there'd be room for the two siblings to give an example. She watched as Patrick sat back, Carl by his side along with a few other kids. In fact, the entire original group were watching with amusement while the Woodbury group eyed the pair with worried gazes. Did they honestly think one of them would stab the other? Sure, Ares was pretty stabable when it came to how annoying he was, but Athena would never.
Twirling the knife in her hand, the brunette advanced forward.
It started off quite simple, but after a few minutes the two sibling were fully dedicated to pinning down the other. Athena had almost lost twice, acquiring merely a slice across her arm while Ares received a small wound across his cheek. A full three minutes had passed until finally, Ares had grabbed Athena's arm and managed to pin her to the ground with a knife to her neck, rendering her speechless and impressed.
Another round of applause filled the air before the two siblings were laughing, Athena being pulled off the ground as Ares wiped blood of his face. "Nice try, sister. You kinda suck though." He shrugged, and Athena rolled her eyes.
"You barely won!" She retorted before hip bumping him, "I'll give you it though, seeing as since you have to teach twenty people what you just did to me."
Sticking her tongue out at the man, Athena made her way over to her group of people. Greeting them with a smile, she watched as a few adults looked doubtful to actually learning while every single teenager seemed rather eager to get their hands on the weapons. "So, I hope you all know what you're getting yourself into."
"Trust me, we do." Isabelle—no, Rose—said, and Athena raised her brows. She did not think that Rose of all people would actually want to learn. "So you gonna teach or are you going to keep standing there looking pretty?"
Athena snorted at her comment before handing out the bows they were equipped with, teaching each and every person individually how to hold it and how to place the arrow. And after three hours of Athena successfully not killing herself from annoyance, the majority of her group were landing shots close to the actual target.
"That's it for today, guys!" She called out with relief, clapping a few of their backs before licking her lips. "We'll be having a lesson on Tuesday as well, so make sure to show up if you can. You all did great for the first time."
She earned a few thanks as they fanned out back to their cells and stands, even some praise and gifts much to Athena's dismay. It had been fun, surprisingly, but tiring as hell. And Athena couldn't help but think about just knocking the hell out when she got back inside. Noticing that everyone was almost gone, Athena made her way towards the corner of the prison courtyard to freshen up. After washing her hands in the bucket, Athena then wiped her brow and let out a long sigh. Night was falling quickly and she wouldn't be able to go out on a run like she had planned, throwing everything off schedule. Tomorrow she'd be accompanying Tyreese on a run, leaving no room and time for her to find a gift for Glenn.
The thought of the Korean man filled Athena with a slight tingle, leaving a small bubbly smile on her face despite the fact that they hadn't spoken in almost three weeks. It was primarily her fault after all, for not talking to Glenn about what happened sooner or apologizing for being so rude after the fact. And with his birthday coming up, Athena thought that the best thing for the both of them would be for her to find him a gift, apologize, and put the whole thing behind them. Yes—Athena hopelessly liked him, and she knew he sort of liked her back. But he was with Maggie—he chose Maggie. Which meant that there is nothing but disaster in the future for them if one of them them doesn't put a stop to it.
And that person was going to be Athena.
Rubbing her nose, the brunette turned on her heel and made her way into their cell block. She said hello to Nate on the way, catching notice that the blonde had a knack for writing in a black journal whenever he could. Ares sat—well lied—a few inches away, his legs on the man's lap and head resting on the short brick wall that held vegetables. He was humming, eyes closed, hand touching Nate's free one as he did so. Athena smiled to herself before entering through the threshold that led into their cells, wondering if Ares was having the same problem as her.
"Hey guys," she called out loosely, noticing that the group was chatting amongst each other. At her voice, Beth looked up, along with a few others, and greeted her with equally enthusiastic calls. But the one person she wanted to look up didn't, and Athena felt her heart ache ever so slightly. "Do you know where—"
"Right here." The man she was looking for called out, and Athena whipped around to see Rick standing behind her with a rather large grin. He had been on a run for three days and she had heard word that Rick had finally gotten back while she was teaching. Joy filled her chest as her eyes landed upon him, and Athena let out a small sound of happiness before throwing her arms around his neck. "Looks like someone missed me."
"You've literally been gone for ages you twat." Athena cursed as he rubbed her back, "Did you find what we needed?"
"Of course," he retorted, "If I'm gonna be gone for awhile I'm going to come back with what we need." He told her before pulling away, "Now how about that game of checkers?"
Athena grinned, happy that he remembered that every Saturday they played a series of board games to take their mind off of things. "You ready to lose?" She teased.
"You say that every single time, yet you continue to lose every single time." Rick mocked, and Athena rolled her eyes before they descended into the cells, catching Beth's glimmering eyes for a brief second that screamed something she did not take notice of. "Before I forget, though, I got you something."
Athena stopped walking just as he did, the two paused on the first step leading up to the cells as he fished for something in his pocket. Her mind thought of what it could be: a necklace? A ring? Maybe a bracelet? She did not know, and for some reason, Athena felt the pit of her stomach tingle when he pulled out a necklace.
The chain was silver and held a clear crystal that shined in the light, and Athena didn't even have time to thank the man or express how beautiful it was because before she knew it, Rick was placing it around her neck and securing it so that it'd lay just above her chest. The brunette was at loss for words, lips parted and heart racing.
"I hope you like it." He said calmly as Athena placed her hand on it, clasping the crystal in her palm as Rick cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't know what you might like so—"
Athena cut off his words by embracing him once again, burying her face in the warmth of his shirt as he stuttered in return. The feeling in her stomach only grew as he ran his fingers down her spine—and although Athena should have felt rather comfortable and secure in his arms, she didn't. She didn't because this was what it felt like to touch Glenn—what she was experiencing right then and there was what made it so easy for Athena to be swept off her feet by the Korean. But this wasn't Glenn, this was Rick. He was doing this to her, not Glenn.
Athena dug her fingers into his shirt, feeling her mind swirl. Should she? Or should she not? She liked Glenn—a lot, but she was going to get no where with him. He had a girlfriend, one he loved, and Athena was merely a friend to him. Rick, on the other hand, was a man she knew she felt something for and actually returned the feelings. He had never told her, but the way he acted and the things he did for her said it all. He expressed himself physically, not verbally, and Athena was beginning to realize that the only way to get her message across was to do the same.
She had made her choice.
Athena moved her hand so that it'd rest on top of his, wrapping her fingers around Rick's palm before guiding it to her waist. Athena shivered from his warm touch, but nonetheless continued to move it upwards so that it'd trail up her stomach. It felt foreign at first, but soon it grew familiar. A fire entered her, a storm of unwashed emotions, a hurricane of want. Athena's stomach churned and ached, and soon they were no longer hugging. Her hands were entangled in the front of his shirt, head slightly tilted back as Rick looped his fingers through her jean's belt hoops, pulling her forward as the other hand rested just below her chest. Athena had her eyes closed, making every action much more enjoyable.
She let out a small groan of surprise when he planted his lips on her neck, his mouth locking with the delicate skin for a few seconds before moving upwards and repeating. And Athena grew more and more of a mess as each kiss became rougher than the last.
"W-We should, we should take this into a cell." Athena said breathlessly as she temporarily lost her balance in the waves of pleasure, eyes blinking open to meet the prison wall in front of her. Rick's face continued to bury itself in her neck, his scruff scratching the skin as Athena fought for balance. "Rick—c'mon." She told him as she grabbed his hand after pulling away, mind spinning and thoughts blank.
Yes, Athena had definitely made the right choice.
Pulling him upstairs, Athena stumbled and laughed to herself, feeling heat radiate off of the both of them before she pulled him into her cell. Closing the curtain she had installed on the top, Athena didn't hesitate to start pulling off her white shirt, shivering when the cool air met her bare skin. Rick stood a few feet away, breathing heavily and gapping at her before moving forward and capturing her lips in his.
Athena let out a breathless cry when he placed his lips on her neck again and bit lightly, redness flowing up to the brunette's cheeks when he slipped his hands down her sides.
She had made the right choice, hadn't she?
She hoped so.
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word count; 4057
well, shit
sorry for the lack of updates recently, especially after I literally uploaded five times in a row and then disappeared for awhile. finals are coming up and I've been studying quite a lot, but since I'm not home at the moment I decided why not squeeze in some writing?
so, what are your opinions on nate and ares, and athena and rick? I'd love to hear any thoughts and feedback from you all!
[also, sorry for the shitty and kinda nsfw scene. it was rushed and it sucks.]
once again, I apologize for the inconvenience and lack of updates, and until chapter thirty-one, thank you and goodbye!
—Celeste xx