A/N: So this was supposed to be my entry for an 'ice' challenge but I screwed up and published it early... so I wrote "Princess of Ice" for that instead and unpublished this until that was released. Confused? Awesome.
Violet and AJ stood, spears poised above the cold river rapids, attempting to catch everyone's dinner. They worked in silence as the cold air surrounded them, a light breeze blew, causing AJ to shiver.
"You should have worn your jacket." Violet looked down at AJ protectively. "It's starting to get really cool out." As if on cue the wind picked up, snowflakes caught in stream as they tumbled through the sky and down to the earth. Violet smiled as she held her hand out, trying to catch a large one. "First snow of the year." She smiled down at the boy.
"Snow is bad." AJ frowned, looking up at the white flakes, as they increased in size and amount.
"Bad? No, snow is fun." Violet held her spear in front of her, leaning on it with both hands as she looked at AJ in dismay.
"Clem says that snow makes the walkers slow, which is good, but it can hurt us too. If you get too cold you can die and that's bad." AJ speared a fish, keeping focused on his task.
"The snow isn't all bad." Violet went back to spearing fish beside the diligent boy. "Haven't you ever built a snow man? Or had a snow ball fight?"
"What's a snow man?" AJ giggled, dropping a fish into the bucket. "And how do you fight with snow? It's soft and mushy."
"You smash the snow together so it sticks and you make a ball, then you roll it around on the ground and it gets bigger and bigger. Then you stack the balls on top of each other and then you make a face with rocks and sticks.... what were you and Clementine doing out there during the winter all this time?" Violet smiled, picking up her spear and looking back into the stream.
"We stayed in the car a lot... Clementine would hug me to keep me warm and tell me stories about Lee and Kenny and my parents." AJ stared into the stream without really seeing it, "When we ran out of gas we would go on adventures to find more. Clementine would build me a fire and give me her jackets when she'd go hunting, she said she didn't need them when she hunted because she got warm enough running around the woods... but I think she was just protecting me."
Violet looked sadly at the boy, he had missed out on so much fun because they were so busy just trying to live. Her heart fluttered thinking of all Clementine had sacrificed just trying to take care of him. "I think we have enough fish. Let's go." Violet said, AJ smiled and grabbed the spear from her hand, running to put it back in the shack.
Violet picked up the bucket and started walking back to the school, AJ ran out of the shack and caught up with her. "As soon as we get some good snow on the ground I'll show you how to build a snowman, make a snow angel and we can all have a snow ball fight."
"Yeah!" AJ grinned, dancing slightly as they walked down the path.
"My two favorite people!" Clementine grinned as she opened the gate when they arrived, leaning on her crutches for support. AJ hugged Clementine before running off to sit next to Willy on the couches.
Violet closed the gate behind her, set down her bucket, wrapped her arms around Clementine's waist and pulled her in for a sweet kiss.
"What was that for?" Clementine asked with a sheepish smile, rocking slightly on her crutches as Violet loosened her grip.
"Just for being you." Violet leaned in and pecked her lips again.
"Then I need to be myself more often." Clementine grinned.
Violet chuckled as she picked up the bucket and brought it over to Omar.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The winter was a harsh one, snow piled over the picnic tables and couches. Meals were had inside and except to perform their duties or have some fun, the citizens of Texas Two rarely went out. Violet had been true to her word and taught AJ how to build a snow man and even orchestrated a school wide snow ball fight. The victory went to Violet and her team, of course.
"I'm starting to like the Winter." Clementine admitted, wrapping an arm around Violet's waist, nuzzling into her back as they laid together in Violet's dorm bed.
Violet grinned, pulling the blanket up around their shoulders, "Oh yeah? How come?"
"Sharing body heat of course." Clementine mumbled into Violet's neck.
"We can share body heat any time of the year," Violet scooted back in the bed until her body was flushed with Clementine's.
"I told it to AJ and I'll tell it to you, I do not snuggle in the Summer." Clementine chuckled.
Violet rolled onto her back so she could look Clementine in the face, "No Summer cuddles?" She pouted at the brunette girl.
"No, it's too hot for cuddling." Clementine giggled at Violet's pouty face.
"You don't want to get hot with me?" Violet leaned over capturing Clementine's lips. Clementine kissed back eagerly, trailing after Violet's lips as she pulled away. "Come on, I have something planned for you and AJ today." Violet got up from the bed, stretching.
"You're just going to tease me like that and then leave?" It was Clementine's turn to pout as Violet changed out of her pajamas and into her jeans.
"I want you to come with me." Violet smirked at the brunette, still wrapped up in the well worn blanket.
"You know what I meant." Clementine sat up and threw her pillow at Violet, hitting her in the face. The look of surprise Violet made sent Clementine into a wave of laughter. Violet growled in mock anger and tackled Clementine back onto the bed, pinning her down and tickling her mercilessly.
"Laugh at me?" Violet raised an eyebrow, Clementine laughed so hard that tears began to form at the corner of her eyes. "This'll teach you to laugh at me."
"I-I'm...s-sorry!" Clementine stuttered out between fits of unwilling laughter. "P-please!"
Violet tickled for another few seconds before letting up, tears now streaming down her girlfriend's cheeks. Violet stayed poised over her for a few moments, watching as Clementine took deep shuttering breaths trying to regain her composure, her chest heaving to collect the oxygen it lacked. Violet leaned down to press her lips against Clementine's only to connect with her cheek as she turned her head.
"Uh-uh, no rewards for tickling." Clementine slipped out from underneath Violet and got out of bed, leaving a frowning Violet behind. She hopped over to her desk, removing the sweat pants Violet had found for her, with the help of her desk chair and put on her cargo pants. "So what do you have planned?"
"It's a surprise!" Violet smiled, handing Clementine her crutches and leading her out of the room to get AJ.
~~~~~~~~~~
The three trudged through the forest off the beaten path. Snow everywhere. Clementine's crutches kept getting stuck in the brambles and underbrush but she didn't complain. She didn't want Violet to think that she didn't appreciate the gesture and she didn't want to look incapable just because she was missing a foot.
Violet held big branches out of the way, trying not to look pityingly on her girlfriend, she hadn't thought about how unbeaten the path to the pond was. How difficult to get through. She was regretting her decision to come all this way, but cheered at the bright smile Clementine gave her.
"The snow is beautiful when you don't have to sleep in it." Clementine said, trying to draw the attention away from her struggles.
"I like the snow now Clem!" AJ smiled, always aware of how far he was in front of Clementine. Never more than a few paces ahead.
"Me too kiddo." Clementine agreed.
"Here we are!" Violet announced as they reached their destination. Violet pulled a large tree branch out of the way to reveal a small clearing. An oasis of sorts in the middle of the forest, and in the center a frozen pond. "What do you think?"
Clementine moved into the clearing so that Violet could release the branch and her heart froze as solid as the pond.
"Before the whole mess with the twins, we used to all come out here and skate on the pond." Violet explained, staring out at the frozen surface, "We don't have actual ice skates, just our shoes, but still, we would slide and push each other around on the ice... it was fun." Violet smiled at the memory, her breath fogging out in front of her as she spoke. "I thought AJ might want to try..."
When she turned around her smile faded at the look on Clementine's face. "Clem, what's wrong, are you alright?" Clementine was staring off into the distance, remembering things she hadn't thought about in years. The feel of the ice cracking beneath her feet. The shock of the freezing water, the forced inhalation of some water as she plunged in. The walker grabbing her foot before Luke pulled it off, sinking into the depths... The uncontrollable shaking as Jane ripped her from the slush.
"Clem!" Violet set her hands on her shoulders, clearing her thoughts, "What's wrong?"
"I-uh... it's just..." She mumbled to explain as AJ approached the edge of the pond curiously, tapping it with the tip of his foot. "AJ NO!" Clementine propelled herself forward with the crutches, throwing herself at AJ, knocking him to the ground away from the frozen surface.
AJ winced as he sat up, rubbing his sore elbow. Clementine pushed herself to her knees beside him, crutches abandoned on the ground, one hand red from touching the icy surface. She looked into his eyes, "No AJ, we don't walk on frozen water, it's not worth the risk."
"It's not worth the risk." AJ nodded in understanding.
"It's perfectly safe Clem, we used to do it all the time," Violet said, walking towards the edge of the frozen pond.
"Please don't Vi!" Clementine begged from her knees but Violet didn't listen. She continued to slide out onto the ice, arms out to her sides for balance. AJ grinned watching as she cautiously slid toward the middle of the pond. His fists clenched, arms bent in excitement. Clementine was breathing faster than normal as she nervously watched Violet out on the ice. "Okay, you can come back now Violet!" Clementine called out to her, still on her knees on the edge of the pond, AJ stood up beside her, eager to try it out for himself but not wanting to outright disobey Clementine.
"Come on AJ! Come skate with me!" Violet yelled as she slowly turned around to face the two, Clementine looked back at her sternly.
"Violet please," Clementine said almost desperately, "If you fall in... I don't know if I can make it out there to save you..."
"I'm telling you Clem," Violet lifted her foot and stomped it hard on the ice, "It's perfectly sa-" cracks spider-webbed across the ice, originating from underneath Violet's foot. Clementine's eyes widened in shock as she watched helplessly from the shore.
"Don't panic! Just... try not to move." Clementine yelled out to Violet, sounding only mildly panicked herself. She took a deep calming breath, "Stay on the side AJ, whatever happens, don't go out there." AJ stared worriedly at Clementine and only gave her a slight nod in recognition.
Clementine looked around trying to formulate a plan, she saw her crutches an arms length away but she knew there was no way she would be able to walk across the ice with those, the only option was to crawl. It was probably the safest way to reach Violet anyway, spread out her weight. She leaned forward, pressing her hands onto the ice, cringing at the painful sear going through her hands at the contact.
Violet was looking nervous. Frozen to the spot in fear. AJ continued to watch helplessly from the sidelines, anxiously shifting from foot to foot.
Slowly Clementine shuffled out to the center of the ice on her hands and knees, trying to continue her forward momentum on the ice without her foot proved more difficult than she would have thought. She ignored the stinging in her hands as she got halfway to Violet. She pulled her jacket off and slid it on the ice to her, "Okay Vi, can you get down like me? Use my jacket to protect your hands." Clementine tried to keep her voice smooth and calm as Violet slowly crouched down, the cracking sound of the ice sent Clementine's heart running wild.
"Don't get too close, I'm going to back up and you just keep your eyes on me, okay?" Clementine said soothingly, "I'm just out here in case..." she was going to say 'in case you fall in' but thought better of it, "in case you um, need me." Violet nodded, eyes filled with terror as Clementine backed up across the ice, Violet followed, jean jacket buffering her hands from the ice.
Violet kept her eyes trained on Clementine, ignoring the small cracks shooting out across the ice. Clementine's foot knocked against the snowy bank, AJ wrapped his arms around her as she sat down on the edge of the pond, hands reaching out to Violet as she continued to slowly ease her way in her direction. As soon as Violet got near, Clementine reached forward, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her into a hug and off the frozen pond, "Don't you ever scare me like that again." Clementine chastised, as she laughed into Violet's neck full of relief.
"Clem, I'm sorry. I swear we used to do this all the time." Violet frowned into Clementine's shoulder, "I mean... we were smaller then I guess...I-I'm sorry."
Clementine moved back to look into Violet's face, unable to keep the smile from forming on her face, "Thank you for sharing this place with me." Violet stared into her honey eyes, "Maybe in the Summer we can come swimming here, there's sure to be a few walkers at the bottom to make things interesting."
Violet smacked Clementine on the shoulder, "That is not funny..." Clementine leaned in and pecked Violet on the lips.
"A little bit?"
Violet rolled her eyes, "no..."
AJ reached down and picked Clementine's jacket off the ice, "Here Clem." He smiled as he handed it to her, she took it with a wince. Violet saw the pained look on her face and trailed her eyes down to the brunette's hands.
"Clementine!" Violet yelled, gently holding her hands out in front of her so she could see them, "Your hands!" Violet's mouth was agape as she examine her red, blistered, palms. "Clementine..." Violet didn't know what else to say as she looked at the girl who injured herself while protecting her. Giving Violet her jacket so that she wouldn't hurt herself.
Clementine shivered, holding onto her cold wet jean jacket. "Here," Violet said, taking the jacket from her, before reaching down and helping her stand. AJ, eager to be helpful rushed to grab the crutches and handed them to Clementine.
"Thanks AJ," Clementine smiled before attempting to use them, putting all the weight on her burned hands made her gasp in pain.
"Clem," Violet frowned, "Get on," Violet turned her back toward Clementine.
"You want to give me... a piggy back ride?" Clementine chuckled.
"You can't make it back to the school with your hands trashed like that, give AJ your crutches and come on." Violet said, motioning for her to climb up.
"I don't know..." Clementine said warily, self conscious about being too heavy for the girl to carry.
"Just do it." Violet growled, and Clementine complied. She wrapped her arms around Violet's neck as Violet grabbed onto her lower thighs, shifting her into a comfortable position and holding on to keep her steady. AJ took the crutches and the three began to head back towards the school. "So... why were you scared of the ice?" Violet asked, dodging around a low hanging branch.
"I'm not scared of ice." Clementine tried to sound as offended as possible. "I'm scared of frozen bodies of water thank you very much. After what just happened, I think it's obvious why I'm scared..."
"Why?" Violet insisted, trying to avoid talking too much, saving her breath for the effort of carrying Clementine.
"I fell in the ice once trying to help... someone died saving me from an underwater walker... and someone else saved me by pulling me out. Thankfully they were fast at getting a fire going to warm me up but part of me was afraid that I wasn't going to wake up when I fell asleep that night..." Clementine frowned at the memory, leaning her head against Violet's as they continued to trapeze across the uneven terrain.
AJ ran to open the gate as soon as they arrived, giving Violet space to enter. Violet set Clementine down as soon as they came in, unable to carry her any further, shaking her arms out as she wrapped Clementine's arm around her shoulder, wrapping her own arm around her waist. She helped as Clementine hopped her way inside the dorm building and back to her bed. AJ ran off to get Ruby's help treating Clementine's hands.
"I'm sorry for all that... I'm sorry I got you hurt...." Violet looked guiltily at her feet. "It was dumb."
Clementine tilted Violet's face up to look at her with the back of her hand, "It wasn't dumb, it was sweet and... you helped me overcome my fear... so thank you. I've avoided frozen bodies of water for years, terrified to set foot near one, but I didn't even think twice when you were out there... I'm glad you're okay."
"Does that mean you'll go back out with me when it's had a chance to freeze over again?" Violet asked with a hopeful grin.
Clementine leaned in, millimeters away from her lips and whispered, "Not a chance."