Sorry for the delay, I wrote this on Sunday but every time I go to make edits and upload it, I get super tired and fall asleep. :)
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Shane hears Rick call out to him, Shane ignores him and continues into the woods knowing he has other places to be. Making his way through the woods, the only thought running through his mind is how he is going to find Elio.
As Shane was walking through the woods, feeling himself getting tugged in a particular direction, his mind was going so fast that he couldn't make sense out of his thoughts. There was an inexplicable feeling that if he followed this path, he'd be able to find what he was looking for. It felt like he was following a piece of red string to search for the end.
After walking for what felt like ages, Shane smelt burning, looking into the distance through a gap in the trees he could see smoke rising into the air. A still lit fire was burning, even in the day it was like a beacon of light. Shane broke out into a run towards the pillar of smoke, getting closer the smell of smoke got thicker, his eyes started to sting as he continued running, he could see a clearing in the woods not too far from his position.
Shane gets to the edge of the clearing and is shocked at the sight before him of a huge pile of walkers, layer upon layer merging together as the fire melted their rotting bodies. Closer than he was when he first noticed the smoke, more intense scents started registering with him. A sharp smell hitting his nose. There was a clear difference between what he knew was smoke and what he thinks is the bodies being burnt. Shane stands there appreciating the mountain of walkers piled up in front of him entirely focused. Shane instantly knew who could have done this, he couldn't think of anyone more capable.
Pulling him out of his dazed appreciation Shane hears growling, it comes out as a gargled noise coming from the other side of the pile. He makes his way round finding the source. His eyes go wide and stares at the sight in front of him, he's mesmerised.
He sees a man, tall and lean moving around like a dancer. Moving gracefully around the clearing, wearing a black T-shirt that hung loose around shoulders exposing the top of his neck and most of his shoulders with black combat trousers, moving with a grace that didn't belong in a world full of death. In each hand, he gripped a battle axe, swinging them with deadly precision, decapitating the walkers one by one.
I stood there for what seemed like forever just staring, admiring and falling for every movement he made.
Finally noticing the danger around me I made my way, walking towards the group of more than 20 walkers. I took the Tomahawk that was strapped to my waist and moved in from the side after all the training I've been doing recently. My body has felt stronger than it was a week ago, the progress I've made and the change in myself has been astonishing. I can already feel the massive difference. What would've taken almost my strength to kill a few now I could movement with an agility I didn't have before and a sense of awareness of the world around me, allowing me to easily take down a few of these things with one swing.
As we were killing the walkers we made eye contact. Our movements didn't stop but our eyes stayed focused on each other like there was nothing else and this small fight was a dance for the two of us. It felt like I knew for us in this moment a connection was made and nothing had been more obvious to him before, he wanted the younger man, in ways he had never even thought about before in previous flings or relationships. As the last dropped we just stood there 10 feet apart not moving, neither of us were out of breath but looking into those Arvada green eyes, I felt like the air had left my body.
As the tension was reaching its peak, my mouth moved, I felt stupid at the single word making it's way from my mouth.
"Hi."
"Hi." There was a featherweight feeling about him when the sides of his mouth tugged into a smile and his green eyes cooled and went back to their ocean blue with a bit of copper.
And just like that, all the worries I've had. About Rick coming back, losing Carl and never being able to belong with anyone. None of that mattered. In this moment, having him in sight. Everything just felt right — This Soulmate connection is a bit scary.
Ampelio's POV
He came back. He came back to me. I was worried. It's been days since we had last seen each other. The entire time I had this constant feeling of nagging and the need to see him. He was amazing, he was managing to keep up with every movement I was making, following my steps, matching my strikes. It felt like we became one in those moments.
After the final walker dropped to the floor, it felt as though time stopped. There was no movement between us. Only the quick snaps of the Walkers' bodies crackling in the flames and the smell of burning, rotten flesh.
I need to move. I need to say something just that I'm about to move my lips. I hear angels singing in the sound of the word "Hi." I respond back repeating the word. I can tell it's making him feel the same way as it does me.
He looks at me tiredly, "I found you"
"Have you been searching very hard?"
"Honestly? No, it was so easy to find you, like it was right to be able to follow a path straight to you, it was like I never should've been away as though I need to stay right by your side. I felt empty these past days not knowing how to feel not knowing what it is to feel."
I smiled at him, happy. "I know I feel the same way."
He breaks eyes contact and raises one of his hands to the back of his head "You didn't come with me. I invited you and you didn't come with. I kind of thought you didn't want me, that you were forced with this connection, and you didn't want to be reminded of it. "
"Honestly?" I say, repeating the same word back to him it was like we were both scared of the truth with one misstep it could all come crashing down and neither of us wanted that. "I wasn't ready. I needed time to adapt." I went silent before having to confess the thing that had been at the forefront of my mind. "I know things about this world. I know what's to come and it's not all fun. It's like it all depends on me at this moment and if I make one wrong step, everyone dies."
He looks at me searching for another answer. I could see it in his eyes, he knew that wasn't the end of it. He wasn't freaking out like the first time I had mentioned I was from another world. Seeing that he was waiting and wanted to talk and listen, I continued
"the people at the camp don't deserve to die yet, some of them maybe but not all. I... the moment I come to the camp I'm scared of what it would start. If things come ahead of time, earlier than they were meant to. The reason I asked for Rick, to check if he was at the camp, wasn't because I was choosing him over you. It was because I needed to know how much time I had to gather my thoughts and get supplies."
Shane 's head turned to the ground, staring. It was worrying at how all his emotions were laid out in front of Elio. He was embarrassed at being able to read him so easily and thankful that he was able to. And most of all he could see that he was scared, scared that if he were to fall into this sense of security would it just spit him back out? Everything was so clear when looking at him.
"Also, I had to gather some things and rake in a couple of achievements " his eyes flinched a clear tell that he had got some as well. "After all the noise I made, well, we made the other day, I knew it was gonna draw in the walkers —they react to it — so I had to get them before they got us. When i left I made my way to a bar a couple of miles east. I was looking for supplies. Luckily the place I found had an apartment above it and they had these clothes and some food and drink. I gathered everything and put it in a bag. On my way out I looked at the bar to see if I could snag any drinks, I saw these two beauties" lifting my arms that held the two battle axes. "They were just hanging there. Waste not, want not. I wanted them so I took them and they are amazing. Along with the lovely little achievement attached to it." Finishing off with a smile. I looked at him like a child with a favorite toy.
Shane laughed. It was like music to my ears. It was so endearing, and it was mine to hear. His laughter died down after a moment and it sounds like he was chocking back a sob.
"Rick is back" he looks more upset than happy at the statement. I don't know what happened since we last saw each other, but he does look different. He looks like he's understood things more now, he knows what he has to do for the future, I could see it in his eyes, along with the tight muscle growing around him.
Shane's eyes look up from the ground and stay straight into mine. Dark brown eyes meet deep ocean blue. There was a white sheen across them, tears were about to trickle over his eyelashes, and I felt my heartbreak, it was the last thing I wanted to see.
"He's gonna hate me. My brother's gonna hate me. I thought he was dead. I was so sure they got him. And then things moved on. I had to get Lori and Carl out of town, the last thing he would've wanted me to do was leave them die so I protected them and put every ounce of my waking effort into making sure they were safe. And then we slept together, and it just kept happening and happening and so it became natural. But I still felt guilty and I knew I shouldn't have started it. And now he's back and I don't know what to do. I don't know how to look at him in the eyes. And then his Carl, sweet, strong, amazing Carl. I want to be there for him. I understand. I'm not his dad, but I wanted to be the closest thing to it. We've been getting along a lot better nowadays since I broke things off with Laurie but Rick came back and he just ran straight into his arms and it just made everything so clear that I'm alone."
My mind running a million miles a minute had too many overloads at once with Shane's innermost thoughts, there were too many and I didn't know how to process them. But the only thing I could make out of the whole thing was that Shane thought he was alone. I wanted needed to show that I would always be there, prove that I can tell I can't live without him
I dropped my axes and walk over to him with strong measured steps I can't stomach to look into his eyes. He's not looking at me anymore, his eyes in my direction but they're so far off. The only thing I wanted to do was make sure he knew I was there for him, always there for him. I wrapped my arms around his waist as tight as I could. And tightened my hold on him, burying myself into his chest. I felt him put his arms back around my upon my shoulders, they were so tight around my neck he pulled me further into his chest. I felt his chest heaving and he was making sobbing sounds. "you're not alone. You've never been alone. I've always been here. We were just waiting for each other and now I'm here in your arms and I'm not going anywhere.
We stayed like this for God knows how long until the sun started to fall . Whilst still in the hug, I lift my arm enough to see the watch from the bar on my wrist and check the time. It's close to 4 o'clock. Shane needs to go back to camp and this time I'll go with him.
I pulled out of the hug and looked up into his eyes. We smile at each other and everything was perfect. I walk back over to my axes pick them up and throw them behind me. The surrounds space starts to ripple and they disappear.I look back at him showing off my cool new ability from the achievement I got for getting supplies. He smiled at me, inwardly laughing at my childish behaviour. I make my way back over to him and can see his hand is out in the air, palm up. I look into his eyes questioningly and he just raises an eyebrow and smirks. I put my hand in his and as the last of the flames dwindled down, we walked into the woods towards the camp. We started talking and he told me what's been happening the last couple of days, he told me about the jokes he and Carl play. The group coming back from their run, and about the argument he had with Lori. I was tensed when he told me she slapped him not once but twice and try to go for a third time, I promised myself I would get back at her for him.
As we make our way out of the opposite end of the forest after walking for an hour or so. We see the lights from camp. Shane looks down at our hands and stares. His face was entirely blank as he stared. I go to pull my hand out of his as my mind starts having useless thoughts. Before they could separate, he tightened his grip on me. I look up into his face to see him looking back.
Lifting his and along with mine to his face, he kisses the back of my hand and smirks. I smile widely at his action. Our hands drop and we continue our way to camp.