Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

RP: FTWD: Survive With Me (randomname98766789 x greenandgold)

There was a spark in Braden’s eyes. Alicia knew just how much her husband loved it when she talked while there was a gag in her mouth. It meant even more to Braden when the words she said were “I love you”. Of course, Braden responded with a hoarse “I love you, too” because the fervent fucking had quickly taken his breath and ability to speak. His strong hands firmly gripped Alicia’s breasts, massaging the mounds of flesh through the material of her wedding dress. A single, pure note of passion left his lips in a loud moan. Thank God they were on a level by themselves. It was their wedding night and Braden wished to not hold back.

His shaft continued expanding, growing harder during the thrusting. The slick, wet walls of Alicia’s tight tunnel firmly gripped his cock, making him grow even more aroused. Keeping some variety, Braden would wiggle his hips left, then right – his cock coiling up inside of Alicia and caressing her g-spot at different angles. Keeping his eyes open, the look of love was showing despite the brutal nature of his thrusting. Continuing to kiss Alicia over the gag, his tongue probed and prodded against her mouth as if he were going to slide his tongue inside of it had the gag not been there. His Princess being gagged would never stop him from a passionate kiss.

------------------

Thinking back to his own father’s funeral, Nick recalled how difficult of a time it had been. Madison shut down and Alicia was uncontrollable. As the older sibling, it was Nick’s job to calm her down and assist however he could. Unfortunately, that had not been possible since he was too busy doing drugs. Honestly, Nick had no idea that Madison shut down the way she did because it happened during a time where Nick was in and out of the house. The only thing he could remember was how often Braden was at the house with his sister. Clarke helped take care of things around the Clark home.

Braden did as well, but he spent the majority of his time comforting Alicia. He dealt with all her crying fits and rage episodes. He recalled feeling jealous, not thinking he had anyone to hold him like Braden held his sister. It was obvious now that Nick should have utilized Clarke’s friendship more than he did. Instead of talking about it, he turned to drugs. Often, he turned down the chance to hang out with her or some of their friends because he wanted to use. That decision was so painful to think about.

“Talking about these things has gotten me thinking. I can’t believe how many things I regret. I realize how shitty I’ve been in the past. Thank you for this, Clarke. I needed it badly. I don’t think I would ever deal with the problems or these feelings if you had not brought up the subject. Even though I can’t change the past, I can change the future. Like you said, I’m clean now and I have no choice but getting clean and staying clean. This is more than just about me now. It always has been, but I just could not see it.”

Pausing, Nick grabbed both of her hands and squeezed them. “You have given me hope for a better future. Thank you for that. It might sound ironic that I have so much hope now considering our situation. I hope this could change your mind as well. I know you sounded pretty down the last few days. I hope that I can help you open up and become more optimistic like you have helped me. I see the beauty in life now thanks to you. I realize that even if everything around us looks like shit, we always have each other.”

With a smile on his face, Nick released the blonde’s hands just to wrap his arms tightly around her shoulders. Squeezing her firmly, Nick rested his chin onto her shoulder. Then, his fingers started stroking through her long hair, just slowly moving through the locks.
 
At one point, she started to struggle against the bindings, and started to talk to Braden through the gag over her lips. Trying to tell him to untie her, so that they could carefully take her dress off. She didn't want to damage her dress. It might not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but the dress she was wearing was her wedding dress, and she didn't want to damage it. "Baby, stop.." The brunette tried to say against the gag over her lips, but she wasn't sure how well the words came out. As he continued to thrust, she sat there passive, and waited for him to come out of the haze lust he was in.

When he did, she shook her head and tried to get his attention, trying to figure out how to get him to remove the tape from over her mouth. She started to struggle against him, knowing that it would get his attention and cause him to wonder what was wrong. Which was just what the young woman needed to get him to realize that she wanted him to stop thrusting and remove the tape, because she had something to say to him. So, as he continued to thrust for a while, she just remained there, sill and not participating in anything that he did, knowing it would get his attention.

___________________

Clarke was silent for a moment, as she laid down in the bed beside Nick. A few moments later, she began to speak. "I wish that I could see the world the way you see it, but I don't know how to do that anymore. I just feel like I want to fall into bed and hide under the covers for the rest of my life. But I can't do that. I couldn't do it before the world ended and Braden wasn't in danger, and I especially can't do it now that he's going to be in danger for the rest of his life. I mean, our parents taught us to not be selfish. To always put others needs before our own, so that's what I do."

"When my father died, I took care of Braden and our mother. It kept me so busy, that I never had time to process or really understand the loss. And then when Bellamy died, I had to get out of Ohio and get to LA to make sure Braden was okay. And then our mother died, and it was my job to take care of my brother once more. I don't regret taking care of my brother. I love him. He's a good kid. I just wish that someone had been there to help me to comfort me. But it never happened, and so I just push those feelings deep down inside, and try not to think about them."
 
Their sex was passionate and heated. It continued until Braden released inside of his wife while she was bound, gagged, and wearing her dress. Not long after Braden reached his orgasm, he felt Alicia collapse over the edge as well. Since they had both reached their orgasms, Braden naturally started untying Alicia now. The dress she wore was unharmed. It was not torn or even wrinkled. Soon enough, Braden removed every piece of bondage from Alicia’s body until she could move and speak freely. After that, he watched the brunette get the opportunity to remove the dress from her body. It was fun making love to her in the wedding dress but it was important to keep the material safe.

When they were both nude, Braden placed the chairs back where it belonged. This was their wedding night so the sex surely was not over yet. However, he needed time to recharge and they both needed time to relax. Sitting down in the bed, Braden pulled Alicia into his arms. A smile was on his face as he peppered a few kisses onto her lips, sliding his tongue gentle against her lips. “That was so much fun, Princess. Next, I just want to make love to you nice and slow. It will be a nice change of pace.” He whispered, wrapping his arms tighter around her shoulders.

-------------

It was disappointing to hear Clarke say these things. It made Nick feel even worse about himself for not being there. The male should have comforted Clarke throughout all the issues she had gone through. Unfortunately, he had not been there. It was nobody’s fault but his own. As often as Nick kept saying that the past was in the past, it was not that easy to move on. He could still feel himself being held down by guilt and regret but this was an opportunity to change the outcome of the future. When Clarke finished, Nick wrapped his arms gently around her again, stroking her face slowly with the back of his hand. A sad smile was on his face at this point and he touched their lips together.

“I’m here now. I will always be here, starting now. You can talk to me if you want. You can count on me now.” Nick offered, hoping that Clarke would talk if that made her feel better. Plus, it might strengthen their relationship even more. He felt that it was stronger than ever but this could take things to another level. He hoped for that anyways. Nothing made him happier now than to think about Clarke being happy because of him. “Do you want to talk? Better late than never, right?” Nick suggested, thinking if she got some of these things off her chest, it might help.-
 
Once they had both come, and Braden had freed her from the bondage, she reached out, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him sweetly once, before pulling back. "I was just trying to say that I wanted to make sure my wedding dress didn't get messed up. I want to save it as a reminder of our special day." Once all of their clothes were gone, she watched as he moved to sit on the bed and smiled when he pulled her into his arms. When he started to kiss her lips, she was happy to wrap her own arms around his waist and then kiss him back. She nodded at his words a moment later.

"I love that and can't wait for us to do that together.." The brunette said and started to pepper kisses of her own down his neck, and all over his face. "I love you, baby. And I know that I say it all the time, but I'm glad that you're okay and that you're here with me. I love being married to you. Being your wife is one of the best things in my life. I just hope that when the time is right, we can have the big family that we've always wanted." A smile was on her lips as she spoke, and the young woman enjoyed curling her body up beside her husband's in their bed.

____________

Clarke gave Nick a sad smile when he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. She had needed this kind of contact for a long time, but had always been too afraid to ask for it. Well, except when it came to her brother. But Braden had more important things going on in his life, and she couldn't burden him with this stuff. He was with the woman that he loved, and happy. The blonde refused to do anything to ruin that for him. She was grateful that Nick was back in her life. She had really missed having her best friend around to talk to and spend time with.

The blonde leaned into his touch when he started to stroke her face. She saw the sad smile on his face and when he leaned in and kissed her, the young woman kept their lips connected for a long time, before finally letting him pull away. "I miss my parents," The young woman admitted to him softly. "And seeing Braden and Alicia get married without either of our parents there just drove home how wrong it feels that they're not here with us. And it makes me wish I had done better for them. I was selfish, and I left my mother behind. She was here by herself and we didn't talk that much."

"I hate the idea of her being alone. With me in Dayton, and Braden off at his college, she was alone for years. I keep thinking that I should've talked Bellamy into having us move back to LA so that we could be with her. I just.. I wasted so much time, and apparently I didn't learn anything from losing my father, as I still made the same stupid fucking mistake over and over again. I wasted precious time that I could've had with my family. And now my mother's gone, too. And I don't want to waste time any longer on things that don't matter. My family matters, my friends matter."

"Those are the important things that I was always too busy to think about or focus on."
 
“I can’t remember a time where we weren’t together.” Braden recalled softly, burying his head against Alicia’s neck. “Even before we officially started dating in middle school, I knew you were my best friend. Honestly, how many kids that got together when we did ever stay together? I can’t believe how far we’ve come. Even after going through things we did and all the change we have suffered through, being in each other’s lives has been constant. I wouldn’t have made it anywhere in life without you. I wouldn’t have the strength to get through each day without you. I love you more than words can explain. If there’s such a thing as a reality where you’re not mine, I never want to see it. I want you to be mine until my dying day and even after that.”

Squeezing her for a tight hug, Braden raised his head and continued. “’Til death do us part doesn’t even cover it. I know our connection will never be broken, not for a million years. You’re everything that I want and everything I need. I’m so lucky to have you as my wife. I love you so much, Alicia. I love knowing that you’re now Alicia Patterson. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Gently, he peppered a few kisses along her neck, filling her skin with the gentle little touches.

----------------------

Without a father, life had been tough. Nick could not imagine how difficult it must have been for Clarke without either of her parents. He related to everything she said once she stated that she missed her parents. Nick missed his father greatly. Multiply that by two and Nick probably realized just how tough it was on the blonde. Instead of interrupting her, Nick just stayed quiet. His hands slowly stroked through her long, blonde hair and let her talk. Not only did he let her talk, but he truly listened and hung onto each and every word that she said. With their eyes locked together, Nick made sure he paid attention to the woman. It was important that he did.

“You are not at fault, Clarke.” Nick started once Clarke had finished. “You could not put your life on hold just to stay with your mother. The things that happened to her were not your fault. She was so proud of you, you know? She was proud of you and Braden both. It is also not your fault that she died. This infection has taken so many people. You could not have stopped the infection from happening. I agree that those are the important things in life. I’ve ignored family and friends, too. I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to focus on these things. That’s why I am so happy right now. Even if Braden and Alicia are getting married in a tough time, I love that they are finding the good in the world now.”

“If we are going to survive as humanity, then we must move on. We must keep pushing forward and keeping out hope for the future. We still need marriages and kids and hope. I really love what happened lately and it’s helped me see things in a new perspective, too. It’s made me realize that life is really way too short, especially now, and there’s no reason for holding anything back. I never want to hold back from you again. I want to go all out in our relationship and just see where it takes us.”
 
"I should start by saying that I love how easy it is for you to say what's in your heart and on your mind. I wish that I could do the same thing. I know that I have trouble expressing myself. Expressing my feelings. I love you, and I know that I don't tell you every day, but I hope you know how I feel. I wouldn't have stayed with you for so long if I didn't love you, and I wouldn't have married you if you didn't mean the world to me. I wouldn't hurt you like that. You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and I never want that to change between us."

"I can honestly say that I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. So please, be careful. Don't take any unnecessary risks or try to play the hero. I can't stand the thought of losing you." She fell silent after speaking and then wrapped her arms around Braden's waist, holding her husband close against her. A small smile came to her lips as he peppered kisses along her neck.

___________________

Clarke smiled softly at Nick, and nodded at his words. "I'm scared of losing you the same way that I lost Bellamy," She admitted softly, as the smile left her lips a few moments later. "I know that whatever happens is going to happen, but I don't think I could handle going through that again. Please be careful, Nick. Not just for me, but for your mother and sister, too. They love you more than anything and the last thing they want, the last thing we all want, is to lose you. I'll protect you as much as I can. You know that already. I just don't want you taking any crazy risks."
 
Their conversation continued for a few more minutes. Braden and Alicia were both acting sweet and romantic towards one another. Even though it was generally easier for Braden to say these things, he was proud of Alicia. She made wonderful progress. He never doubted her love, though. Within a few minutes, it felt like the male was recharged and ready to go one last round for their wedding night. Since they were kinky most of the time, he decided to slow things down for this last session. The male suddenly rolled over onto his back and pulled Alicia over him until she straddled his lap.

Now, her crotch was pressed against his cock. Thanks to this, the erection was starting to form against her thigh. Looking into her eyes, Braden gave her a wink. “I want you to ride me, baby. You can have some control tonight. I want to make love to you like this. You can kiss me and touch me all you want. You won’t be tied up or anything like that.” He whispered, thinking it was a nice change of pace for their wedding night after all.

--------------------

It was admittedly easy to imagine how Clarke might feel scared of losing him since she lost Bellamy. Since Nick had never truly cared for someone like that, he could not depict how Clarke must have felt. Thankfully, she must have been willing to look beyond the worry and beyond the possible tragedy. She was giving them a chance. He heard her ask him to be careful and not to take any risks. In a typical setting, this would have been asinine to ask of Nick. However, these were truly atypical times. Nick could calm himself down for Clarke.

“Of course. I will protect you as well. I don’t want you taking any crazy risks either. I care for you so much and I don’t want to lose you. Please promise me the same thing. We’ll figure out things together.” Besides, he was off drugs now. He had no choice but to be clean because of their environment. That meant he could make better decisions and have better influenced around him. Nick thought that part of his life had at least gotten better thanks to the shit they were going through.
 
Alicia couldn't keep the goofy grin off of her lips, once she and Braden had made love once more. Now, they were curled up together in the bed, with her head on his chest, and their hands clasped together. "Hopefully we'll all be able to find some place to settle down soon and or we find some camp other people. There has to be a way for us to make it somewhere. I know that we've only been on the boat for a few days, but it feels like longer already. We need to find other people that are still around nearby, a community. It's the only way we're all going to survive."

______________

Clarke smiled softly at Nick as he spoke. "I always hoped that one day I'd get my best friend back. The amazing guy who I could talk to about anything, and who I could trust to have my back no matter what. I've never been as glad to see anyone as I'm glad to see him back. To see you back. As for the both of us protecting each other and the others, we'll do it. We'll figure it out. We're partner's and between the two of us, we'll keep our family safe, and each other." She leaned over a few moments after speaking and kissed him. "We should get a few hours of rest."
 
The present night and following day was peaceful. Braden and Alicia enjoyed a relaxing day together on the waters. However, around the evening, things changed. An unknown ship was spotted on the waters. Strand decided they needed to hide the yacht for a while. The nearest location was Catrina Island so that was their new destination. It also contained a ranger station on the island with supplies and possible access to a radio. Everyone refused to believe that everything was dead. Something had to be there, right? Braden was hopeful as were the other adults. It was late in the evening, possibly close to eleven or midnight, when they reached the island.

When they closed in, Madison spotted a flash of light from inside one of the houses. It was almost like the flash was deliberately drawing them in close. When they reached the docks and hitched the boat, everyone exited the yacht except for Strand, Daniel, and Ofelia. The Salazaars wanted to keep a close eye on Strand since they did not quite trust him yet. He had not told them an explicit plan so everyone had been weary of him despite his actions saving all their lives.

--------------

That night and the following day was extravagant. Nick could hardly believe that Clarke liked him. Well, she did. It was difficult to deal with this. Adjusting was hard, but worth it. Nick went throughout his day with a smile on his face. It was rather uncommon to see. He spent as much time during that day with Clarke as possible other than when he jumped into the water after Chris jumped ship. Since he was so mentally unstable, Nick wondered if Chris was trying to kill himself. He did not take his mother’s death well at all. Thankfully, it appeared Chris was fine for the moment so they returned to the boat.

An unknown ship showed on the radar, causing them to take a hiding position when they reached the island. Nick was one of the first to volunteer to check it out. Once everyone was ready to go, Nick decided to try and take lead. Travis was right beside him, too. Either way, Nick was now hypervigilantly looking to protect both his sister and Clarke now. Even though Clarke could hold herself, it never hurt to have someone looking out in a time like this.
 
"Are we sure that leaving Strand back on the boat with Daniel is the best course of action?" Alicia couldn't help but ask as they exited the boat and started to walk around. They all had some kind of weapon on them, whether it was knives, a few guns, or just anything with a sharp edge. One of her hands remained at her side with a knife in it, while her other hand held onto one
of Braden's hands. Truth be told, even though their wedding day and night had been wonderful, she didn't feel any differently for him. The brunette had loved Braden for as long as she could remember.

And they had been together for most of their lives. So while the young woman was happy to be married to her husband, her feelings were just as they had always been: A very intense set of feelings of love, lust, and of wanting to see his face first thing in the morning and the last thing every night before bed, for the rest of their lives. A small smile was on her lips as they followed her mother and the others. Her mother and Travis led the group and Nick and Clarke brought up the rear, with her and Braden right smack dab in the middle, which was because the others probably thought it was safest.

_____________

Clarke held onto one of Nick's hands as they walked and took in their new surroundings. She had seen how he had wanted to take the lead and was prepared to follow him, when Madison stepped in and asked them to be the rear of the group so that they could keep Alicia and Braden in the middle where they would hopefully be safer. As they continued to talk, she squeezed
his hand to get his attention. "How are you doing with all of this?" She made sure that it didn't seem like she was pressuring him to talk. That she was just leaving the door open in case he wanted to do so.
 
“I think Daniel can figure out where exactly we’re headed. I’m fine with it.” Braden admitted to Alicia. This far, nobody had a clue where they were going: only Strand did. The male was not forthcoming with the information. Braden counted on Daniel to snoop around. As they walked, Braden held Alicia’s hand tightly, keeping a handgun in the other. Hopefully, they would not need to fire a shot. The male was hoping for an easy interaction but that was not quite what happened. They reached the house and the door opened. Travis spoke up first, about to introduce everyone when there was a gunshot fired.

It sounded like a shotgun and it was not aimed at anyone, just in the air in general. With insane reflexed, Braden quickly pushed Alicia down behind a car they just passed. Travis and Madison took cover behind a couple trees nearby and Braden could not see Nick and his sister. “Keep your head down, Princess.” He whispered to Alicia, clutching her tight and making sure that even with the vehicle in front of them, he could keep Alicia covered with his body. Sure, she could handle herself, but if Braden could protect her, then why would he not?

--------------

“I feel uneasy. I don’t like going to this place where we don’t know who occupy the station. They might not be the best of people. On the other hand, I do like our chances better than if we stay on the water and remain sitting ducks.” The other boat tracked on Strand’s radar was significantly faster than the Abigail. It was moving at least five miles per hour faster than the yacht’s top speed. Hiding was the only option. When they reached the house, Nick watched closely. He saw the door open and a man exited. Only a few seconds later did he see the gun right before it shot off.

Since Clarke was holding his hand, it was easy to pull her to the side of the house and out of sight. After the gunshot quieted down, Nick had this reckless idea. He knew Braden and Travis had a gun but he did not want them to use it. Instead, he peered around the corner with his hands raised. “Hey, don’t shoot. We’re not looking to cause any harm. We just need to dock here for a night. We’re being pursued in the water by someone. This island was the closest thing we saw.” Nick pleaded, walking out right into the open, hoping that this man had no evil intentions.
 
"I still don't like the idea of leaving them alone. I feel like doing that means we're allowing Daniel to kill Strand if he gets it in his head to do so." A few moments later as they walked around, Alicia flinched at the sound of the gunshot, and then sighed as Braden grabbed her and pushed her down behind the car nearby. "This is going well so far," The brunette mumbled sarcastically. Her eyes quickly scanned the area around them, looking for the person that fired off the shot. She also looked around for her mother and Travis, and Nick and Clarke. Her mother and Travis were easy to spot.

Nick and Clarke not so much. That is until she watched Nick come out from the side of the house and approach where she assumed the person who had fired the shot, was. The young woman met her brother's eyes and quickly shook her head at him, mouthing the words, 'go back,' to him so that he wouldn't risk getting shot. She began to struggle against Braden as she tried to break free and get to her brother, but obviously, her husband was stronger than she was. "He's going to get himself killed!" She hissed at her husband in alarm, as she kept struggling.

__________

Clarke tried to reach out and grab Nick's shirt to stop him, when she felt him let go of her hand and then saw him start to round the corner of the house. "Nick!" She hissed his name, trying
to get him to come back. "Nick, get back here!" The blonde kept her voice down so that she wouldn't be heard by anyone else. Panic flooded her when he stood in the middle of the property with his hands up. She shifted the gun in her hands and immediately started to scan the area for possible threats. If anyone made a move against Nick, she was going to take them out, no questions asked.
 
Soon enough, Alicia’s struggling was futile. A young boy ran outside along with a girl just a little younger than him. The male looked to Nick for a moment and finally lowered his weapon. “Alright. I’m sorry about the scare. You just don’t know who you get up here anymore. Now, all of you can come inside.” The male murmured before lowering his gun and inviting them in. Once they entered, he held onto the rifle a while until he felt comfortable disarming himself. Still, he introduced himself as George Geary: his wife was Melissa, there was an older son, a younger son named Harry, and a girl named Willa.

The group chatted for half an hour. Travis talked mostly with George. Madison spoke intently with Melissa. Finally, everyone from the Abigail regrouped in the living room and decided to head back down to the yacht for the night. During the walk, Braden made sure he was holding to his wife’s hand, keeping her close and feeling thankful that this did not get worse than it was. They were relatively lucky after all.

------------

Nick hardly knew what he was doing until he had walked out. In that moment, Nick somewhat regretted it but his face softened at the sight of the kids. It appeared that the male was only worried about intruders. Now that he saw that the family was no threat and they meant what they said, he let them inside. They all spent time talking as Nick played with the two younger kids for a while until they were ready to get some sleep on the yacht. On the walk back, Madison said that something was off: it felt like Melissa turned that light on purpose to get their attention. Madison wanted to come back up here on the next day to see if they could figure out what was going on. “What do you think about everything, Clarke?” Nick asked while walking beside her, wanting to know what her read on the family was.
 
"We are so lucky that went well," Alicia murmured once they had all gotten back onto the Abigail and she and Braden were alone in their room and getting ready for bed. "So, what do
you think of that family? Do you think they have something here that could be long term? We could add to what they have. We might not known much about farming, but we can be
taught, and then all of us could contribute by taking care of animals, fruits and veggies and stuff around the place. We can kill the dead that show up, and we can all live here and be
safe."

______________

Clarke was relieved when Nick didn't get shot for sticking his neck out and trying to make contact with the owner of the house. As they got back to the boat and headed for their room,
she shrugged. "I don't know what to think except that I can't help agreeing with your mother. I feel like there's something off about that family, but I just can't put my finger on what
it is. Do you get the same feeling? Aside from when we showed up, I didn't feel threatened. I just felt, weird. I don't know how else to describe it. Something is off with that family."
 
“I think you might be right. I like to think of us finding a home finally now that we’ve been on the run for so long. But something does worry me about them. I might just be paranoid but I can’t quite place it.” Shrugging, Braden eventually pulled Alicia into his arms and fell asleep, beginning the next day by smothering her in kisses and love and affection until she was wide awake, smiling, and giggling. After his princess had woken up, Braden got dressed and got ready for the day. They should be leaving soon but they were heading back up to the Geary’s house for a few more hours before that happened.

“I don’t know for sure. I didn’t feel that way until Harry mentioned something about a power pill. He said it will make him live forever and keep himself. It might just be me but that sounds like some kind of suicide pill. I don’t know what it is, though. I hope to not find out. I guess we can just play it by ear tomorrow. Keep an eye out. We’re leaving in the afternoon anyways.” With that, Nick fell asleep with Clarke in his arms, still getting used to the feeling. They woke and he was happy to see the blonde in his arms – it was a sight he could get used to and while he wanted to stay there all day, he knew they needed to get going.
 
"I just don't have a good feeling about this," Alicia admitted once she and Braden were awake, had showered and gotten dressed once more. "Have you ever just gotten a feeling like something bad was going to happen? That's how I feel, and no matter how much I try to shake it off, I don't think this feeling is going to go away any time soon. You're not paranoid.
I feel it, too. I just can't seem to quite put my finger on what it is." A few minutes later, the two of them stopped talking about the situation, laced their hands together and exited the
Abigail.

_______________

Clarke hadn't slept well the night before. Even though she knew that she was safe in Nick's arms, something had bugged her all night long, though the blonde couldn't figure out what
exactly made her so uneasy. When the sun rose and morning came through, she rolled over in his arms, kissed his lips, and held him close for several moments, before she pulled away,
got up from the bed and went to get dressed for the day. "What should we do today? Start exploring the place?" The young woman asked as she took a seat on the floor of the boat and waited for the others to join them. They didn't want to get separated.
 
Soon, everyone exited the Abigail and walked back towards the house. Though Braden agreed with his sister that they should not separate, the older adults had different ideas. Everyone practically ran off to do their own thing. Chris found Seth and they took out a number of infected near the fences. Travis went to find George again and he helped mend some fence that was being broken down. Madison found Melissa again and got to talk to her alone. In fact, she did flash the light on purpose. George and Seth were bought into this end of the world stuff. They wanted the family to die together here on the island when the time came.

Melissa wanted Madison and her family to take the two younger children with them to wherever they went. Maybe they could still have a chance. Since everyone was separating, Clarke and Nick went to explore the house and hang around the kids. Braden decided to do something different with his wife. He suggested they just take a look around the island. Maybe they find supplies. Maybe they find something interesting to do. Nonetheless, he held her hand as they walked towards the abandoned ranger station.

--------------

Honestly, Nick agreed with Clarke. He did not wish to separate from anyone. This was giving him a bad feeling. Unfortunately, his mother devised a plan to get Melissa alone if Travis took care of George since seth and Chris were already hanging out together near the beach. Nick thought this would end poorly. There was nothing they could do to help this family. It only put themselves in danger but whatever. Nick was not leaving his Mom alone in that house and he sure as hell was not leaving Clarke either. So, there they were.

Nick suggested they play with the kids and look around for a bit. While Clarke was with the two kids, Nick said he was going to take a look around to see if he finds anything suspicious or noteworthy. The old Nick would have been scouring for drugs or anything to get high on but he was keeping his composure well so far. He did overheard a conversation Madison had with Melissa so he quickly turned away, listened, and then went to go tell Clarke about what he heard and to see what the play was. He doubted they could do anything until Madison said something, but he wanted her to be aware.
 
Alicia held Braden's hand tightly as they walked around and explored the area. They were in an unfamiliar place with people they didn't know and probably couldn't trust. As they walked around, she made sure
to lean into her husband's side occasionally. "I don't like this. Something about this is just too weird. They don't seem all that worried about the Infected. Have you noticed that? I noticed it right away. It's almost
as if they don't think the Infected will hurt them. Sure, they've killed a few since we got here, but it feels like they think they live in some kind of safe bubble. If we're gonna be here for a while, we should help them."

"Keep an eye out for anyone who looks suspicious or for any Infected that might be getting too close." After a few moments, the brunette fell silent and just squeezed her husband's hands that held hers. They lapsed
into silence as they continued to walk around the place and check it out. "I really hope that we can figure out some kind of agreement with them, figure out a way for us to stay here and help, and just find a good place
to live." Her eyes were constantly moving as they walked, taking in as much as she could as quickly as she could. They didn't want to get caught by anyone dangerous, or surrounded by a horde of Infected, so they had
to be careful.

________________

Clarke had a smile on her lips as she played with the kids. It was the first one in a long time, that wasn't aimed at Nick. He and her brother had been the only reasons she'd had to smile in a long time, and now here was another. She played with the kids and it wasn't complicated, they liked card games and hand games, and the blonde was happy to oblige. It reminded her of when she was a kid and used to do the same things with her parents and friends. The smile on her lips started to fade as she thought about her parents, but she forced it away and instead focused on the kids. She continued to teach them hand games and they even played many different cards games, like Poker, Battle, Go Fish.

Things like that. She knew what the deal was, and was fine with keeping the kids busy while everyone else talked and figured out what they were going to do next. For now, something as simple and kind as making the
kids smile was all she wanted to do anyway. As one of the kids beat her in a round of Go Fish, she laughed and picked up the cards to shuffle them, and then handed the cards out once more, to start a new game. She
could only hope that things were going well for the others as they talked and tried to figure out what their next move was. The blonde laughed and teased as she beat the kids in a game, and then grabbed the cards, shuffled, dealt and repeated.
 
Less than five minutes ago, Jake Otto made love to Alicia Clark. It was euphoric and perfect. Her body was pristine and untouched, so Jake took it slow with the dark-haired girl. The smile on her face when he kissed her was not something he could ever forget for as long as he lived. Their first interaction involved a rocky helicopter ride to his family’s ranch. They were shot down but Jake helped ensure that Alicia made it to safety with her family at the compound where they were all staying in the apocalypse with dozens of others.

Even though his brother was unstable, it appeared that the Clarks were trusting enough. Earlier that morning, a fire broke out in the Broke Jaw community where two elderly were killed in the fire. Jake spent much of the day helping fight the fire and save anything they could. After it was done, the male returned to his home for some rest. It was getting late and Jake was reading. Now, he was never one to lock his door. It was always open because he trusted the people of this community. It surprised him to see that the person entering his bedroom was Alicia Clark.

Earlier that day, he talked to her at breakfast and she was jumpy and acting all weird around him. They talked for a bit and after Jake showed Alicia that even though they might not have a “normal” life again, they could still be happy – together. They kissed and slept together. Just now, the male calmed down from his high, making no attempt to pull any clothes on. Instead, he admired and enjoyed the moment with Alicia, her head on his bicep and his other arm loosely around her shoulder. There was something on his mind though.

“So… this isn’t just a one-night stand… right? I like you. A lot… and I want to be with you. I want to be yours. I want you to be mine.” It might not have been “normal”. Jake was 26 and Alicia was 18 but the age difference did not matter. Plus, Alicia had told Jake that he was her first for sex and first kiss tonight, so he hoped that bode well for his chances. If she had never even kissed before, it had to mean she thought highly of him, right?
 
"I'd like for things to be more than sex," Alicia agreed softly. A few moments later, she turned in Jake's arms and faced him. "I'm worried," She admitted to him. "About your brother, your father, and my mother. The three of them are like a bunch of powderkegs about to go off at any moment. My mother's not coping with losing Travis, at all. And I'm just worried that the smallest thing is going to push her over the edge in the wrong way. And that doesn't even bring into account my brother, who's always going to be dealing with and struggling with his drug addiction."

The brunette sighed softly and buried her face in his chest a few moments later. "Sometimes I just wish I could block out the rest of the world. Simply for a few hours or even a day, and not have to worry about other people and their problems. I know that it's selfish, but it's how I feel. I'm always taking care of someone else. Keeping them in line or helping them deal with their problems or emotions. My mother, my brother, other people. I can't remember a time when I wasn't the caregiver in my family. I can't even remember what life was like before my father died."

"All I know is that since he died, I've always sucked everything up and taken care of everyone else. It's all I know. And sometimes, I just get really tired of being in that role. I've been a parent to both my brother and my mother for so long that I don't know how to do or be anything else. I can't remember the last time I had a normal relationship with either my mother
or my brother." She laughed bitterly. "How screwed up is that? And what's even worse, is that I know my mother's going to ruin things here at the farm. She can't help herself. It only
took me a little while to figure out why she ruins every safe place we come across. It's because she's searching for something like she had with my father. I don't have the heart to tell
her that she's never going to find it."
 
“Thank you for talking about this, Alicia. I can’t imagine the things you’ve been through. I know you’re a tough girl. I know you’re strong. However, you need a break. With me, you don’t have to act alone anymore. I will help keep you safe. I will help keep your mother safe, keep your brother safe. I know we’ve known each other for only a week but I cannot deny how strongly I feel about you. It makes me happy to know you want more than sex, that you want this relationship as much as I do.”

Jake paused, offering the girl a smile before pecking her lips. “I’ll assist however I can. You can escape from the real world with me. I can’t express just how much I want the same thing as well. Just like tonight, I was able to escape. When we are together, I feel myself get lost in the moment. I believe that everything will work out, that we will have a happy ending. I know those supposedly don’t happen anymore. I know I haven’t seen much that tells me that things will be alright but I don’t care. I believe anything is possible with you, Alicia. I care for you so much.”

Sighing softly, the young man pressed one final kiss onto her full, sweet lips. His right hand stroked through her long hair, placing his left one onto her cheek. “I know that I can’t take away all your worry. I know that I need to keep you safe and I will. Thank you for accepting this, Alicia. I want to know everything about you. I want to know how I can make you feel safer. Keep talking to me, Alicia. Tell me how we make this easier for you. I want to see you smile – I need it. I need you in my arms as often as possible.”
 
Alicia wrapped her arms around Jake and simply laid there beside him in bed. "Just be with me," She said softly. "That's what I need. Someone who can hold me and listen to me. Who will let me say what's on my mind without judging. And someone who will let me be there for them, too. I won't always want to talk, because talking doesn't always fix everything, and it's not going to fix the mess that my family is. I need a place where I can just be myself, where I don't have to be strong and act like I know what the hell I'm doing, because I don't. I can barely keep my head above water, so to speak."

"But I can't tell my Mom or Nick that. They need me to be strong for them all of the time. They need me to do what needs to be done. The things they can't do. To make the tough decisions that they can't. So I do, and I will. Because I always do what's expected of me when it comes to my family. I don't know how to do anything else. I don't know how to get out of this role that I've been forced into for as long as I can remember. I knock myself out trying to take care of them, trying to keep them safe. And they don't see it that way. They see it as me trying to be in control."

"They don't understand the reality of our situation, and they don't understand me. I just want to be normal again. But it's been so long since I was, that I don't remember what it's like," Alicia whispered, and closed her eyes as she forced back the tears that threatened to fall. "I love my mother and Nick, there's no question about it. I would and will do anything for them. But I'm tired of doing everything for them. I know that I'm being selfish, but I've been stuck so long in this state of putting others before myself, that I feel like I should be able to to be selfish. At least just a little."
 
Luckily for Alicia, she found the perfect man for the job. Every quality she described: Jake had it. Even though Alicia’s situation was much more dire than Jake’s, they were one in the same. Regarding family, Jake’s brother was a psychopath and his father was not much better. Under Jeremiah’s control, the ranch was on a downwards spiral, leaving Jake to pick up the pieces and hold everything together with glue and duct tape. Sure, Alicia had been through so much more shit than Jake had, but he could understand and empathize with her. Hearing her talk and hearing about her story in-depth did wonders for Jake. It made him care about Alicia even more than he already did. It also told him that she must think he was pretty damn special if she was telling him everything, showing that she was vulnerable. Jake appreciated it and showed it by looking into her eyes, hearing every word, and letting the new information sink in. Once the male was certain that Alicia finished, he started talking.

“One thing I admire most about you: I’ve seen it from the start, is how strong you are. I know you hold your family together and you do such a damn good job at it. I can’t imagine other things you’ve gone through in life. I know that it is too much for anyone to bear alone. I’m here to tell you that you are never alone, from here on out. I am serious about being here for you. I’m serious about us, I’m serious about this.”

His hands gently cupped Alicia’s face, tilting her head sideways for a quick kiss. “You’ve become one of the most important people in my lives already. I hate to see you sad and I hate to know you feel this way. I know that you’ve been in this role for so long, but how do you feel about sharing it? Promise me that you’ll come to me if you need any help. I want to be there but I can only be there if I know what to do. Your family has now become my responsibility as well. You’re not alone anymore, Alicia. I care about you and your family, too. I hope you can understand that and I hope I will be good enough to deserve such a beautiful, sweet girl like you. I won’t ever let you out of my grasp. I am so thankful for you, Alicia Clark.”
 
Alicia smiled and remained silent as she listened to Jake speak. She was happy to have found him and hoped that they would be able to be together for a long time. "Jake?" The young woman asked softly. "What's going to happen when things blow up? Because they always do. My mother always manages to find some way to piss off whoever's in charge, because she refuses to let herself, or any of us be happy. It's only a matter of time before she gets in your father's face and does or says something to get us kicked out. I'd never ask you to choose between your family and me. That's not fair to you."

"But I just.. don't think that I can taking losing another person. So many bad things have happened over the last few years and while I've gotten good at forcing myself not to react to whatever new disaster we find ourselves in, I'm afraid of losing you. I know that we haven't known each other for very long. But that doesn't matter. I know that I could fall for you, if
given the chance. And I'm worried that I, or well, we, won't get that chance to find out." She sighed softly and stopped speaking a few moments later. The brunette just buried her head
into Jake's chest.
 
“Well, if I am forced to choose between my family or you, I know the answer already.” Tilting Alicia’s head towards his face so their eyes could lock, Jake responded. “I choose you. Every damn time. I know I’ll fall for you. I know that I see a future with you. I won’t let this world ruin it. No matter what, I will take every precaution necessary to prevent anything from happening to your family. If I fail and my father wants you three gone, I’m leaving, too.” It showed how much Jake cared about Alicia. He was not simply telling her this because it would make her like him more or anything like that – he said it because it was true. Jake truly meant it and he hoped Alicia would accept that.

“I can’t put it into words, Alicia. You’ve changed my life since you’ve entered into it. I haven’t felt this much to live for before meeting you. I never want to lose that. I never want to lose you, Alicia. Don’t ever feel like it would be a choice for me. It’s not a choice – I know what I want and what I need. You are everything, Alicia.” After telling her this, Jake pressed a sweet kiss onto the girl’s neck, holding it a moment before traveling to her lips. “So, since we’re talking, is there anything I can help with now?” He asked quietly, his hands stroking through her hair. Whether he needed to talk to someone about an issue or just merely lay here and cuddle, Jake was willing to do anything she needed from him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom