good morning my beautiful people!! as you know I posted on tik tok about a new Ronnie fic!! I was honestly shocked by the reactions I got from you guys!! I got bored one day and made a Ronnie edit on my tik tok (IYKYK) and that inspired this...
I really hope y'all enjoy it as much as I do!!
let's get spooky with Ronnie
-dal
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Zombies. Ronnie wished his chief, Cliff, and fellow officer, Mindy, believed him when he told them that's what they were dealing with.
Reanimated. The undead. Gotta go for the head.
He repeated this over and over again to them. Cliff was an old man, but he pulled his weight in their survival. Mindy on the other hand... was the weakest link of the group. It was obvious. Ronnie and Cliff were fighting the undead while she sat in the backseat of the cruiser, hyperventilating.
Now, Ronnie wasn't into all the zombie movie tropes. He knew better than that. There were obvious ones that he would follow, like 'Double-tap' and 'Don't be a hero.' You could never be too safe when it comes to the undead. He also would never go out of his way and risk his life to show off. During the times like these? He would have to be stupid to do that.
Ronnie also knew that he needed to warm up before going into the 'battlefield.' Limbering up was important. He would do lunges with his machete before leaving the station. Jumping jacks if he was feeling particularly stiff. It was good to get the blood pumping and muscles contracting. It was sometimes the only thing that would differentiate himself from the zombies.
Ronnie was always quiet and to himself, sure, but sometimes he needed excitement. Passion, even. He was a simple man, but sometimes he needed a change of pace. That's why he started taking night drives by himself. He knew it was safer in a group, but he just needed time to think. Time to be alone. He would zig-zag through the streets, avoiding the zombies like it was some sort of game. Anything to keep him from going insane. It was just the same thing night after night. The same car, the same route, even at the same time. Just like clockwork.
The biker zombies would hang at the diner, the jock zombies would roam the football fields and various courts, blah blah blah. Ronnie was almost annoyed. It was like a broken record that he couldn't fix. Almost like Groundhog Day. Ronnie was pretty good at being stoic but lately, he's been rolling his eyes... a lot.
It was one particularly boring night when Mindy was on her shift to rest. Cliff paced back and forth, humming the same song over and over again. It seemed like Ronnie couldn't get out of this never-ending loop.
They were pretty confident in their setup since boarding up the front door and windows. The only way in and out was through the backdoor of the station.
"I'll be back in a few." Ronnie would say every night.
"Now you be careful, Ronnie." Cliff would say back, looking at him over his glasses.
There was only one radio station on the air left, and they barely played music. Mostly talked about what they saw outside their window and what they missed before everything changed.
Going to the movies, baseball games, and picnics. That's what Ronnie missed the most. He tried remembering the last time he did any of those things, but it seemed like it was longer than he thought. Even before the undead started roaming the streets, he was stuck in a boring loop. This made Ronnie clench his jaw. He needed something different. He needed to branch out. Well, only a little. He could get into some dangerous situations if he branched out too far. It was a while until he finally decided what to do. He tapped the radio with his fist, shutting the radio off. He needed his full attention.
He was going to take a new route tonight. This might not seem like much, but it was to him. It was only a simple adjustment. Nothing too crazy, but crazy enough where he can finally scratch at that itch that's been bothering him for so long.
When the undead first started showing up, Ronnie remembered visiting Danny Perkins, the owner of the motel in the outskirts of town. First, he was complaining that his cats never came back home, but then pointed out some hipster tourists. That was a moment he was always going to remember. Separating the heads of those hipsters... That seemed so long ago. He took a souvenir from them that night. A Sturgill Simpson single, 'The Dead Don't Die.'
It meant something to him, but he didn't know why. He kept it with him at all times in the car. But he only played it for special occasions. Which meant he hasn't played it in a very long time.
Ronnie swerved around the zombies, making his way towards that motel. He was already starting to feel better. Usually, the groans of the zombies in the streets annoyed him, but it was refreshing to have something different. Something other than that depressing radio host.
The neon sign from the building lit up his eyes, even from down the street. A sense of ease washed over him... but it didn't last long. Ronnie never got used to the power still being on. Cliff and he always conspired to say that the polar fracking caused this.
His face twisted as he heard something other than the normal groans from the undead. He clenched his jaw once again as he rolled the windows down, trying to get a better listen. It was a woman from what he could tell. The more he got closer to the motel, the clearer it got. It was shouting. Ronnie's eyes widened as he sped up a little. A few grunts from the unfamiliar voice filled his ears. It was obviously a woman in desperate need of help. Let's face it, she was probably being eaten already...
Ronnie parked his car in one of the spots facing the front of the building. One of the rooms was open. Ronnie felt slightly bad. The woman was going to know he was going to sit there and watch her die... but he didn't feel that bad... She won't remember it. Even if she did, he would go for her head anyway... Until then, he sunk into his seat patiently waiting for the show.
Something was different though. Something landed on the hood of the car, almost startling Ronnie. When he sat up a little straighter to get a good look at it, his eyes widened again as he saw a severed head. Dust practically pouring out of its trachea.
"Well, that's new," Ronnie mumbled to himself.
Another head flew out of the room, landing on the pavement next to his car.
This woman seems to know her stuff in zombie killing... Ronnie thought to himself.
He was almost tempted to get out and help her. But that was one of the rules he hated. Don't be a hero. It was too risky. He thought he made up his mind as he sat back in his chair.
That was until he actually saw her.
Ronnie blinked a few times, trying to make sure what he saw was real. A swinging axe in the hands of a nurse.
He had an affinity for nurses...
He tilted his head as a wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. She was so different from Mindy... She was so comfortable with her weapon. She even did a few tricks with it, twisting it behind her, hitting a zombie right in their neck. She wasn't timid or taking a break to hyperventilate. There was something he started to feel... Almost like a strong pull to her... something he couldn't explain. Almost like this was meant to be... but why? How?
The more he watched her fight, the more he got to thinking. There was one rule Ronnie kept in mind since the beginning. He, of course, never had the chance to use it until now...
'Have a kickass partner.'
He almost smiled watching her. He noticed she was so busy trying to fight three zombies, she didn't even notice Ronnie studying from his car. Watching her from a distance. His eyes watching her movements, almost like the axe was a part of her. The shouting caused him to snap out of it. He made a snap decision that he hoped he wouldn't regret.
Technically he would be breaking one rule... but obeying another...
He quickly grabbed his machete and got out of the car. He had to be quiet, not to attract other zombies. He snuck his way over to the wall next to the open door. Her grunts filled his ears as he popped his head in.
He was shocked at what he saw. The three zombies she was taking on her own were down. His eyes widened again as he saw her wipe blood from her face. He stood there for a moment. He was lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice her looking up at him.
"You just gonna stand there or are you gonna help?"
The knot in his throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed his awkwardness. He was doing a horrible job at doing so. He did a quick glance over, getting a good look at her. She was a full-bodied woman, which he couldn't complain about. Her work shoes were scuffed and covered in dried blood. She must have been in the area for awhile... how come he didn't notice her before?
She was resting her axe over her shoulder, with her other hand over her full hip, waiting for him to answer. He shook his head, coming back to reality.
"Help?" He couldn't explain the feeling he had. It was almost like when you weren't paying attention in class and the teacher called on you. Stunned, maybe?
"Yeah... There are fresh bodies here. We gotta-"
"-go for the head." Ronnie finished the sentence.
"Exactly... We'll split them."
Ronnie nodded his head, timidly walking into the room. He practically gulped as he adjusted his grip to his machete. There were four warm bodies lying across the floor and beds. Ronnie took a quick breath in as he noticed she was already getting to work on the ones on the floor. He shook his head as he lifted his machete. His head wasn't screwed on right.
Oh, the irony.
It took a couple of movements, but he finished his part of the work. He glanced over at her quickly, making sure she didn't get a peek. He looked around the room. There had to be at least five zombies she took all on her own.
Impressive.
He took a deep breath, noticing there was a towel on the floor. He cleared his throat, bending down to pick it up. He carefully wiped the blood off his machete, almost being gentle with it. He was distracted by her again. Watching her hips sway side to side as she walked around the room, stepping over the bodies.
Ronnie watched as she set her axe down, leaning it against the wall. She rolled her head back and grabbed her shoulders, rubbing them. He could tell she was trying to loosen her muscles. He figured she didn't have time to properly stretch or limber up.
He could hear her take a deep breath before bending down, grabbing a couple of bags. He was once again watching her every move. He couldn't help but stare as she bent down once again, grabbing her axe.
"You on your own too?" She questioned, turning around to face him. Ronnie stood there, feeling the slight breeze coming from the open door.
Maybe she had the same rules as him. Maybe she liked what she saw and wanted to join him. Maybe she was thinking the same thing as him...
"No, actually." His eyes followed her as she walked past him, crossing the threshold. Going out in the open.
"Hey- wait, where are you going?" Ronnie questioned, he would have to circle back to that conversation later.
"I gotta find a new place to stay. Can't really stay in my room anymore, can I?" She stopped in her tracks, turning around to point toward the room she was once in.
Ronnie blinked a few times before taking a step closer to her. He didn't want to scare her off with his question. Was it too soon?
That's when Ronnie got the confidence he needed to ask. They were in a zombie apocalypse for God's sake.
"Well, why don't you come back with me to the station?" He was quiet with his question as he took another step closer to her. Deep down he hoped. Hoped that she would even consider it. Hoped that she said yes.
"You can meet the others." Ronnie was too scared to take another step. He didn't want to overwhelm her.
He watched as she cocked one of her eyebrows, putting her hand on her full hip again. It took everything out of him to keep eye contact with her.
"How many others?" She was so sassy in her question, almost like she was starting to consider it.
Again, Ronnie was a simple man. He was stuck in the loop for so long, doing the same things over and over again. He hardly got excited about anything.
Except this. The sass she was giving him seemed to help too. He flashed a soft smile while taking a few more steps closer towards her.
"Two others." He fidgeted with the towel in his hand for what seemed like forever, waiting for her response. He didn't know why he was so desperate for her to say 'yes.'
She took a slow deep breath while looking around, which he took this moment to finally look at her hand over her hip.
"We'll come back later for supplies. I know the area, it's not too bad during the day time." She didn't look back at Ronnie before walking over to the cruiser. She opened the backseat, bending down to get a good look at it. Ronnie tilted his head to the side, stuck in his thoughts as he was watching her again. He realized she was making sure the backseat was empty before throwing her bags in the back.
Ronnie made sure to maintain his stoic statue as he watched her sit in the front seat of his cruiser. He turned slightly, throwing the towel back into the room. He turned his head, making sure she was still in the car. That she didn't leave him to go back to the never-ending loop of his life.
When they caught eyes for a moment he shut the door behind him. It was almost ironic again.
Ronnie promised to himself that he was never going to go back to how he was. Keep going forward. He was going to enjoy the little things. Things like this.
Ronnie was once again playing the game of avoiding zombies in the streets. The boring groans from the undead were louder than ever, but he couldn't help but feel the silence as he sat in the cruiser with her. He would occasionally look over to her, causing her to turn her head over. They would lock eyes for a few seconds, getting lost before he had to pull away to focus on the road in front of him.
He would follow her in looking out the windows, watching more of the aggressive zombies get close and pound on the windows. He cleared his throat, yanking both of their attentions.
"I have music. Let me just..." He trailed off without finishing his sentence. He grabbed the steering wheel with one hand while reaching over to the glove department. He almost flinched when he grazed her knee. A good flinch, if you will.
He shuffled through the items for a few seconds before handing her something.
"Put it in." He pouted his lips, waiting as his ears filled with her following his order.
"The dead don't die?" She questioned as she watched the stereo suck the CD up.
Ronnie smiled to himself as the first few notes rang in his ears. It was so long since he listened to it. He knew it had to be something really special to make him bust it out.
Her humming along to the tune made him turn his head over to her again. She was leaning her head against the window with her eyes shut. Ronnie would quickly glance at the road in front of him, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He felt like if he did, he would miss out on something.
It was almost like they were in some sort of story.
Right as the song ended, they pulled up to the station.
"Hm. Perfect timing." Ronnie mumbled to himself. He was quick to return the CD back to his original home, and to get out of the car, rushing over to her side.
"I can take your bags." He held his hand out. She hesitated, but she nodded her head. She handed over the biggest bag she had. Ronnie wanted to smile as he took the bag from her. She wasn't afraid of what he was going to say. She was confident.
"Uh-Follow me." He stuttered as he looked around, making sure they were clear. The grip on his machete loosened as he realized they were safe.
He maneuvered his way through unlocking the entrance, holding the door open for her. Ronnie held his breath as she walked past him.
"It's dark, but just keep heading straight." He whispered, not wanting to wake Mindy.
"This is the breakroom." He pointed towards a door as they walked past. "We turned that into a bedroom." He whispered again. Mindy spends most of her time there.
It was only a few steps for him, considering how large his stride was until they reached where Cliff was sitting. He was still humming the same song from before. Ronnie didn't mind it as much anymore. He set her bag on top of one of the desks. His old desk to be exact. Her stuff needed to be in a place he trusted.
She was quick to put the rest of her things on top of the desk, standing close to him. He could tell she stopped breathing for a moment as they looked over to each other. They were practically touching.
"Hello?" Cliff's shaky voice broke their gaze. Ronnie pouted as he walked around the corner to Cliff, revealing himself.
"It's just me." Ronnie watched as she slowly made her way over, standing next to him again.
Ronnie watched as Cliff's facial expression changed. He was confused, almost like seeing someone new was taboo.
"Fresh meat." Cliff flashed a soft smile over to her. Ronnie looked over to her, seeing she smiled back. He was once again studying her. The way she stood up straight, once again showing her confidence. The way her eyes got slightly smaller when she smiled.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" Cliff held his hands up, acting offended.
Only one corner of his mouth turned as Ronnie chuckled.
"Well Mindy is sleeping in the break room," he noticed her eyes were already focused on him.
"-and this is Cliff." her eyes shifted over.
"Howdy."
It was a few moments of silence before she looked back up at him.
"My name's Ronnie... What's yours?"
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WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK!?!??!?!