The Ruined Path (Carl Grimes Gay Fanfiction)

Union

-Carl-

I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth as I stumbled back into the damned city of Rochester, a thunder storm looming on the horizon - it matched my mood as I realized that this was one of the only times since the dawn of the apocalypse that I had truly been alone.

Sure, I had felt lonely sometimes - many times, in fact. But that didn't mean my dad or a member of the group was not by my side to protect me.

I could have lost that luxury all together; my dad could have drowned for all I know, and I don't think Michonne or Carol had time to jump off the bridge.

"Riley!" I called almost unintentially, upon recalling that he was the only person who I know had survived the attack on the bridge.

Simon... that worthless monster. With or without my group with me, I was gonna kill him. 

I was gonna make sure he payed for what he did.

"Ri-" I began to yell, before noticing a single walker a few meters away, gnawing on the corpse of an animal. I stumbled backwards, realizing that I didn't have my gun - all I had was Riley's katana.

It was pretty light, but I'd never used such a long weapon before; the only close-ranged weapon I had experience with was knives, and utilizing a weapon such as this was certainly a different matter.

The walker's head turned to face me, revealing its disgusting jaws, strips of the animal's flesh still hanging from them.

I swallowed nervously, raising the weapon with my arms outstretched. Swinging the blade from left to right a few times for practise, I gradually approached the grotesque creature as it shambled  toward me. 

"Alright... come on then," I breathed deeply to myself, raising my blade to the left and swinging horizontally with all my force.

The blade connected with a sickening crack, but it did not give the desired results.

Instead, the sword had became wedged deep in the walker's neck, and despite my best efforts, I couldn't withdraw it.  

The walker limped forward a few more steps, sliding onto the katana and the resultant weight knocking me to the floor. 

The walker gurgled as it's jaws lowered themsleves to my neck, but I barely managed to save myself by forcing both my hands to thrust forward with the lodged katana, knocking the walker back slightly. 

That, however, was all it achieved, as the katana now slid out of the walker's neck but also out of my reach.

"Shit," I cursed - for the first time, I think - as the walker recovered from its injuries, whilst I did not.

You can't injure the dead...

Whatever had happened after we jumped off the bridge must have wounded me badly, because the searing pain in my thigh had returned once more, and it almost immobilized me as the walker slumped atop me once more. 

"Watch your language, Grimes," a voice suddenly pierced the walker's growls, as a bloodied hand brandished the katana.

Before I had time to acknowledge it, the force that had almost overpowered me was suddenly removed, the walker becoming limp as the blade buried itself into the back of the creature's head. 

The blade was then removed, as I shoved the walker aside, struggling for breath.

When I finally rose to my feet following the encounter, I discovered with great relief the identity of my saviour.

"Oh, Riley... Oh God," I stammered, as I found the vast wave of emotions that I had trapped after Rick was shot suddenly release themselves.

His arms, stained with walker blood which he most likely acquired during his trek for supplies, reached out and gripped my shoulders firmly, before guiding me softly against him. I almost collapsed into his embrace, a sense of reassurance and relief finally washing over me.

"Carl, thank God you're okay," he whispered gently, his breath floating by my ear and warming the side of my face, clutching me tight just to ensure that this was really happening. 

And it was. 

Things may have been bad, but they could be a lot worse...

"I told you to wait, Carl," Riley breathed heavily, wiping some of the blood that stained his hands onto his shirt. 

He smiled considerately, just to show me he wasn't angry, but merely worried. He just wanted me safe, and vice versa - but that was too much to ask in this horrific reality.

"I couldn't wait," I explained to him, only just acknowledging the sensation of tears rolling down my face, "not knowing that you could be hurt."

"They're all gone, Riley," I continued with a sudden bolt of anger introduced into the storm of sadness that surrounded me, "dad, Carol, Michonne - they're all dead." 

He bit his lip and sighed deeply, clearly struggling to formulate a response. I was wrong to burden him with the task of consolling me, but I...

I didn't just want him. I needed him. 

"Come on, Carl," he tugged at me gently once we had parted, "let's get the hell out of this place."

I was about to oblige, when I recalled with a burning ferocity the tyrannous man named Simon, who had took the lives of three of my beloved companions. 

"We can't let that guy live," I decided, startling Riley with my desire to end his life, "not after the lives he took. I... I didn't always get on with my dad - I didn't get on with him enough... but I think I owe this much to him, don't you?"

Riley hung his head.

"You think you didn't get along with him?" he replied bitterly, before his tone softened as he continued, "the only thing you owe to him is your safety, Carl - the one thing Rick spent the last 4 years working for."

I smiled at that, and it let me see Riley in an even more intimate light as he gently clutched my hand in his.

"Now we both know that Rick didn't like me at the best of times," he resumed, "and we both know that he definitely wouldn't give the concept of you and I his blessing, but he would say something along the lines of: 'Riley, you take care of my boy, or I'll tear you apart faster than the walkers' will, ya hear?!'"

He quoted my dad in a deliberately cranky, gruff accent, which made us both chuckle. 

"Riley," I began, still mentally debating whether or not to say what I was about you say, as he looked at me expectantly.

"Yeah Carl?"

"I... I love you," I admitted, glancing at his eyes, which softened upon that sentence. 

"I love you too," he replied, squeezing my hand slightly in reassurance, before he gently guided me away from the ill-fated city.

Everything he had told me was true, but that didn't change the fact that I would see to Simon's death.

--

Well, what did you think to that? 

I loved writing that chapter; I think that takes place as #1 for feels (so far at least) don't you?

Let me know what you thought, and please keep voting too. 

More chapters will be up before too long ;)