Calm as still water

Reality

Arya

"I'd be fine if you died." Carl's voice carried into the room Arya was laying in. She hadn't slept at all, she sat there debating on going to look for Carl or staying in case Rick had needed her. Arya decided that she would go looking for Carl soon if he hadn't come back before sun rise.

She heard him the moment he came in through the window. Relief washed over her, she didn't know what she would have done if something had happened to him. She wouldn't have known what to say to Rick either.

Arya felt her heart break for Carl as he sat there and yelled at an unconscious Rick. This new world was cruel, it had broken her and it had broken Carl. When she heard Carl leave the house again, she knew this time she couldn't sit there and debate on going to look for him or not. She got up and got dressed quickly and threw needle over her back.

Arya was going to drag Carl's ass all the way back to the house, she would tie him up if she had to. Rick couldn't lose the last thing that meant something to him, and the same could be said for Carl.

Arya secured the house for Rick and made sure it was only accessible by the window in the kitchen.

She had no clue where to search for Carl, she wasn't a tracker and couldn't go around the neighborhood just yelling his name. She cursed at herself and wondered why he was such a stupid boy.

For all she knew, he could have left the neighborhood entirely. Arya hoped that wasn't the case and started searching houses.

After killing five walkers and searching 3 houses, she walked into the fourth house on the left side of the street. She'd search every damn house on the street if she had to.

As soon as she walked inside she heard something going on upstairs. Arya closed the front door as quietly as she could and readied Needle.

Panic and excitement were the only things she could feel in that moment. Panic at the fact it could be just a few walkers, or strangers entirely.. And excitement at the fact that it could be Carl, or someone from the prison.

As she climbed the stairs she heard familiar grunts and cries. Arya went up the stairs quicker now, taking two at a time but the steps seemed to never end.

As she finally made it up the stairs, she saw Carl. His back was facing her and he had just closed a bedroom door.

Arya figured he hadn't known she was there yet because he looked on the ground around him and found a piece of chalk and went to write on the bedroom door.

Arya waited to speak until he was finished writing, "Quit trying to get yourself killed, Carl."

Carl jumped a mile and immediately pointed his gun at her.

Arya rolled her eyes at him. "I think if that were loaded, you would have used it to kill that dead dumb bastard in there." She pointed into the room behind him. "And that's the second time you've pointed that thing at my head."

Carl smirked at her.

"I found something cool." He said and walked past her and went down the stairs.

Something cool. Arya thought to herself. This idiot almost gets himself killed and he's caring about something cool he found in the house.

Arya turned to read what Carl wrote on the door.

Walker inside. Got my shoe, didn't get me.

Arya smirked to herself and followed the stupid boy downstairs. When she reached the bottom she saw Carl holding a large can with a gleaming look in his eyes.

"What is that?"

"112 ounces of chocolate pudding." he answered straight away, staring right into her eyes.

They both began to laugh uncontrollably, each dropping to the ground while holding their stomachs. After everything they had been through, it was shocking that they could even stifle a giggle, let alone laugh like maniacs.

After ten minutes they both calmed down and were laying on their backs on the floor of the kitchen.

"Carl. I heard what you said to your dad." Arya looked at him, his face was dirtier than her hands were, and that was pretty dirty. He had walker blood on his left cheek and a cut on his forehead. His hair was sticking to his face while his hat rested on his chest. But his face remained emotionless.

"Yeah, and?"

His wall was back up.

"And? You didn't mean what you said. He needs you! You need him!"

"You don't know what I need. You don't even know me."

Arya stood up and looked down at him.

"I know you more than you think. I know that you're hurt, I know that you want nothing more than for all the pain to just go away. I know you think you can do everything by yourself, and that you don't need anyone to help you. But that's just it, Carl. You can't do it all by yourself. You need people. Being alone is what's going to get you killed."

Carl stood up abruptly and walked over to the drawers near the stove and pulled out two spoons.

"Let's eat."

They sat up on the roof and ate all of the pudding. Every last spoonful.

After chucking the empty can off the roof, Carl turned to Arya and stared into her eyes.

For a moment, Arya didn't think he was going to say anything but he breathed in quickly and shook his head.

"What?"

Carl leaned his head in, never breaking eye contact with her. "I don't wanna be alone." He whispered to her.

Carl put his lips on hers and they left just as quickly.

He climbed down off the roof and called up to her like nothing happened.

"Let's go, before it gets dark."

Arya brought her hand up to touch her lips. She could still feel the warmth from his.

"I'm gonna leave without you!"

"I'm coming, officer."