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helloalycia · 7 months

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the Clarks [four] // alicia clark

summary: the last thing you expect is for the world to basically end, but you're grateful you have the Clarks by your side as it does.

warning/s: mentions of the dead, blood, death and drug withdrawals.

author's note: this chapter was originally one super long one so i split into two short ones, hence why this is a little on the shorter end compared to others. Hope you like it nonetheless! one part left after this 🥰

one / two / three / five / masterlist / wattpad

A few hours later, as the sun was setting, my mum finally made it home in one piece. As soon as I saw her car pulling in the driveway from the Clarks front window, I was about to go and check on her per Madison's request, but Madison beat me to it and insisted she come with me.

"Okay...," I agreed with confusion. "But she'll be fine. She wasn't sick this morning and I doubt she's suddenly caught a cold between then and now."

Madison was unconvinced but joined my side nonetheless, but not without casting a final glance at Alicia, saying, "Don't leave the house. We won't be long."

Alicia rolled her eyes but nodded, joining her brother on the couch. Madison and I left for my house, myself letting her in and hoping my mum wouldn't be in a mood and start berating me or, even worse, Madison.

"Mum? You home?" I called out, closing the front door and going into the living-area. "Mum–?"

"Will you keep it down!" her familiar voice hissed from the couch, and Madison and I stopped when we saw her laying across it, head under a cushion. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

I sighed, rolling my eyes and shooting Madison an 'I told you so' look. "Okay, sorry. I'm heading over to the Clark's house."

"Whatever."

Remembering why I hated being here, I dragged Madison back out the front door and we walked back to hers.

"See?" I said knowingly. "Nothing out the ordinary. Still as hostile as usual."

Madison glanced back at my house. "Hmm, yeah... d'you wanna stay at ours tonight? I'm sure Alicia would appreciate the help with Nick."

"You sure it won't be too much with Travis and his family coming around?"

She shook her head, patting me on the back as she motioned for me to go through the front door. "Of course not. There's always room for you here, you know that."

I smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, Madison."

When we returned to the living room, Nick was trying to listen to the radio as Alicia was distracted by her phone, probably messaging Matt. When she saw us returning, she looked back to us both.

"How's your mum?" she asked, earning Nick's attention, the two of them waiting.

"Still hates me," I joked, making Madison tut disapprovingly, and I was forced to change my comment. "Sorry. I meant, she's still her usual tired self after a long day of work. Happy now?"

Madison sighed and headed for the kitchen as Nick and Alicia gave me sympathetic glances, but I shrugged them off and sat on the armchair. Alicia put on the TV and we put on the news, per Nick's request, confused at all the chaos happening in the city with some protests. We didn't get to watch it long enough to understand the issue however, as the electricity suddenly cut off, leaving us in the bare bones of light of dusk coming through the windows.

"Kids? You okay?" Madison called out from the kitchen, and we yelled in confirmation. Not long later, the blonde returned with candles and matches. "Help me light these."

As we discussed why the power had suddenly gone out, Nick started mumbling about the power grid and losing control and a bunch of other nonsense that Alicia and I exchanged looks at. Maybe he was still a little delusional from his withdrawal, who knew?

After we finished lighting and spreading out the candles, we all heard a high-pitched scream from outside, startling everyone and making us run to the front window to see what was happening. My own eyes widened when I saw the neighbours across the road running as someone chased them, attacking them with a weapon of some sort. There was blood covering their clothes and it didn't look good.

"Mum, we have to do something!" Alicia exclaimed, before tugging my arm to the door.

"No! You can't go out there!" Nick shouted, and Madison jumped in front of us both before we could leave.

"Your brother's right, it's too dangerous!" she said sternly.

I looked at her with disbelief. "Madison, they need help, we can't just sit and–"

"Nobody leaves this house, understood?!" she ordered, and I breathed out with surprise. She looked to Nick, saying, "Lock the windows and doors now, son."

I blinked, glancing at the window. "I have to go back home. Mum's alone and–"

"Is everything locked up?" Madison asked, sensing my concerns. "Doors? Windows?"

I nodded, almost sure. "I think so. Unless she opened something before she passed out. But she doesn't usually–"

"Then she'll be okay," Madison said with certainty. "It's not safe out there, Y/N. Stay here, okay? Just until Travis gets back and then we'll check on your mum together."

I wasn't convinced, but it definitively wasn't safe out there and I wasn't sure what else to do. Mum would be fine, right?

"Stay here," Alicia said after a moment, taking my hand and earning my attention. "I'll come with you later."

If I wasn't convinced before, I certainly was now. Anything Alicia asked, I was sure I'd do – this included. So, with a reluctant sigh, I nodded and gave in.

How was I supposed to know what this 'sickness' was? How was I supposed to know that the news and the neighbours and the electricity going out were all signs for what would happen?

After everything went wrong that night, the neighbours changing right before our eyes, Travis and his family returning, looking like they'd seen a ghost, Alicia almost dying... I dreaded what that could mean for my mother.

It wasn't until I raced to the living-area with my heart in my throat when I saw my mum snarling at the wall, her back facing me. It should have been obvious what was wrong, especially after what I'd seen moments before, but I refused to believe it.

"Mum?" I asked nervously, taking a step forward. "You okay?"

Her snarling quietened as she paused, tilting her head, then she turned around and I saw the worst. Her jaw was slacken, bloody and spit around her lips, eyes grey and blank, skin rough... she looked dead, just like the others, and tears burned my lids.

"Y/N, stay away from her!" Madison exclaimed, tugging me back before my mum could grab me with her outreached fingers.

Travis rushed in behind us with the shotgun he used to stop the neighbour with earlier and pointed it directly at my mum.

"Wait, just wait–" I tried to make them stop, hoping I could figure out something else. Maybe she wasn't one of them? Maybe it was reversible?

"Y/N, honey, we gotta go," Madison said, trying to pull me back, but I fought against her.

"Just wait! She might be okay! She might–!"

"Maddie, get her out of here!" Travis warned, moving backwards as my mum approached him.

"Y/N, come on!" Madison shouted, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the front door.

"Just wait! Please, just–!"

BANG.

She was my mother. A bad one who probably hated my very existence, but she was still my mother and she didn't deserve to die like this.

"We need to go back inside, sweetie," Madison said softly, pulling me towards her for a hug, but I could barely hear her, the sound of the shotgun repeating in my mind.

The last ever sight of my mum was an undead, bloody mess and I wasn't sure I could ever un-see it.

19 years old — 21 days later...

We'd found some abandoned-looking hotel to take refuge in for the moment – Madison, Alicia and I, along with Strand and Ofelia, some friends we'd made whilst escaping the city. Everything had gone so horribly wrong these past few days, with the Abigail being taken, Travis leaving to find Chris who'd gone on the run after trying to kill Madison and Alicia, and Nick choosing to leave his family altogether.

The last one was the one I couldn't quite understand. How could he choose to leave his family in the middle of an apocalypse? You don't just leave family behind, especially not now, not when surviving is impossible without them. It hurt, even more when he asked me to come with him, but how could I? How could I just leave Madison and Alicia?

I was pissed off and hurt to say the least. He should have been better to them, no matter what. And it had clearly affected Alicia more than she was letting on.

Madison and Strand were having a look downstairs in the hotel to make sure there were no infected. Meanwhile, Ofelia, Alicia and I took to the upstairs to check the hotel rooms. As Ofelia wandered off down the hall, I used this as my chance to check in with Alicia.

"Hey," I said quietly, falling into step with her. She glanced at me, expressionless, so I continued, "You okay?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

I tried to read how she was feeling, searching her eyes for something beyond this feigned nonchalant persona she had, but there was nothing. "Nick."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she said, "He chose to leave. I can't change that."

I tilted my head slightly. "I know that, but it's still shitty and he shouldn't have done it."

She released a deep breath as she looked down, avoiding my eyes. I knew her well enough to know that she cared a lot for him, even if she tried to pretend she didn't.

"I can go and look for him if you want," I offered, wanting her to be okay. "Bring him back."

At this, she immediately stopped walking and looked to me like I was insane. "Hell no! You're not going out there, risking your life because he wants to have a pout! You're not cleaning up his messes for him again!"

I swallowed awkwardly, surprised by her sudden outburst. "Okay, you're right. Sorry, I didn't mean to–"

"No!" she exclaimed again, flustered and irritated and in disbelief. "Why would you even say something like that?!"

"Alicia, I–"

"He chose to leave!" she reminded me with a glare, and I soon realised it wasn't aimed at me. "He– he thought it was safer out there than it was with us, so he can live with that! But you– you're not going! I'm not losing you, too!"

Frowning when I saw her eyes tearing up, I tried to take back my words. "Alicia–"

"It doesn't matter," she said stubbornly, before looking away and pushing past me to go to Ofelia.

I watched her go, my heart squeezing with guilt. For God's sake, Nick, why did you have to leave?

As we searched a few rooms, soon realising the ones with a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door handles were full of infected, we stayed in a room to use the shower and get into a change of clothes. Thankfully, by a miracle, the water was still working and we didn't know for how long, so Alicia showered first. Ofelia left to get some fresh air and I was stuck gathering some clothes for my shower next, whilst also wondering how to talk to Alicia without upsetting her yet again.

Soon enough, I heard Alicia leaving the bathroom and turned to see her walking to the mirror, fully dressed but with wet hair and a towel in hand.

"You can go," she said briefly, before facing the mirror.

I nodded, chewing my lip awkwardly and standing up. I hesitated, glancing at her as she wiped her face with her towel, then decided to grow a pair and talk to her.

"Alicia?"

"What?"

"D'you wanna talk about it?"

She paused, still not turning to look at me, then answered firmly. "No."

Figuring it was too soon, I respected her decision with a nod and was about to go to the bathroom. Then, she spoke up again, stopping me.

"Why did he go?"

I turned around, seeing her looking at the counter with sad eyes.

"Why would he just leave?" she continued, voice so quiet she sounded like a kid. "He's supposed to be my brother."

I approached her cautiously, not wanting to push her away when she was finally opening up. "I can pretend to understand Nick's decisions, but I never have. I understand why you're upset, Alicia. I am, too. He was supposed to stick by me, too. I didn't think he'd just go."

"He asked you to go with him," she said, neither accusatory or upset, and looked up at me. "Why didn't you?"

"Why would I?"

She pursed her lips, green eyes darting between mine as if trying to find the truth. But I was telling it, she had to know that.

"He's your best friend," she started, but I stopped her, knowing where she was going with it.

"He's an arsehole," I said, my frustration peeking through without meaning to. "He shouldn't have left you. His job is to be there for his family. That's what family does! There was no way I was going with him, Alicia."

She nodded slowly. "Please, don't go after him. If you go too, I wouldn't know what to do."

Without thinking, I stepped forward and cupped her cheek, forcing her to meet my eyes and see the honesty. "I promise you, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you. Okay?"

She nodded, lips curving into a frown, before suddenly pulling me close and hugging me. Her arms wrapped around my neck tightly, not letting go so soon, and I returned the gesture, not quite ready to either.

21 years old...

Never did I think the Clarks and I would find a place to call home again since we lost our own over two years ago, and yet that's exactly what we'd done. Built a home in the Dell Diamond Baseball Stadium in Texas, of all places.

Sometimes, I could barely believe it was as safe and well-equipped as it was, that we didn't have to worry about infected or rival gangs or anything. We could just live and build a new life in a shared community, and that was enough. Madison had worked extremely hard to make this place what it was, and we'd all worked with her to keep it a safe haven.

Some of the benefits included actually being able to eat a proper breakfast every morning, such as now. I was sat with Nick, who was bugging me and trying to dare me to put chilli powder on my scrambled eggs.

"Nick, please fuck off," I said as politely as I could, making him smirk.

"Buzz kill."

"No, I'm just not five," I said knowingly, looking at him over my coffee cup. "I don't do dares."

"You didn't seem to have that attitude when you dared me to jump in the river the other day," he said with a quirked brow.

I tried not to smile at the memory. "You're the idiot who agreed. Not my fault."

He rolled his eyes playfully as Alicia and Nick's girlfiend, Luciana, approached our table and joined us.

"Nick, are you annoying Y/N again?" Luci asked as she shoved him in the arm slightly. "Leave her alone."

"Unfortunately, he hasn't left me alone since we were kids," I told her before he could answer, making him scoff and Luci smile.

"Good morning," Alicia said, flashing me a smile as she sat beside me with her breakfast tray.

I returned her smile, trying ever so hard to ignore the butterflies I'd felt for her for an embarrassingly long time now. "Morning."

"You still on for the supply run today after lunch?" she asked as she started to dig in to her eggs.

I nodded in agreement. "Definitely."

It was supposed to be her, me and a few other residents, and I always loved going on a supply run. I suppose it helped when my partner was Alicia. What could I say? If you fell in love with someone over the course of your lifetime, it was kind of hard to just get over it.

After enjoying breakfast together, the others went their separate ways whilst Alicia and I stuck to our usual morning routine of doing the rounds around the stadium, checking in on all the different stations. It was the best start to my day, for obvious reasons.

We checked in on the gardens, the greenhouse, the kitchens – everywhere – before reaching the final station, the training area. One of the new residents we'd accepted into the stadium recently, Rick, was stealing the show as he threw knife after knife, hitting every target in the centre like a pro. It would have been impressive if he wasn't so flirty with Alicia since he'd arrived. Unfair of me, I know, but I was allowed to be jealous, surely.

"Wow, someone's been practicing," Alicia commented with an impressed smile once he was done.

He smiled, shrugging. "I've just got good aim."

She shook her head, crossing her arms. "Seriously, Rick, that's so good. Where did you learn?"

"Just comes with time," he admitted in a perfectly polite way, and yet I hated it.

She hummed, glancing around. "You ever thought about teaching it? There's a lot of people here who'd love to learn, I'm sure."

He mirrored her stance, crossing his arms, and met her eyes with mischief. "That depends. Would you be in the class?"

Taken aback, Alicia's cheeks began to turn pink. "I– well– possibly. I could always learn something new."

"Then how could I say no?" he played along with a cheeky smile, checking her out.

I couldn't help the face I pulled as I looked between them both, instantly getting put off. It was hard to tell if Alicia was interested in him, but she was definitely flustered by his obvious flirting and suddenly turned into a blushing mess. Deciding I didn't want to witness it however, I left them to it as they continued chatting and flirting and overall making me regret eating breakfast because I was certain I was gonna vomit.

"Hey, grumpy pants, what's up?" Madison appeared out of nowhere as I walked away, then glanced behind us at Alicia. "New guy'a really taken a liking to Alicia, huh?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "I guess."

Madison raised an eyebrow with amusement. "What? Don't approve?"

Hiding my jealousy the best I could, I shrugged. "It's none of my business."

"Huh, okay," was all she said, hiding a smile, before she asked, "Can you help me with something in the greenhouse? Could use an extra pair of hands."

"Sure thing."

"You sure Alicia won't mind me stealing you?"

I swallowed hard, nodding. "She's a little preoccupied. She won't even notice."

Madison chuckled before patting my back. "Alright, sweetie, c'mon."

#alycia debnam carey #alicia clark #fear the walking dead #alicia clark imagine #alicia clark x reader #ftwd #alicia clark x you #fear the walking dead imagine #feartwd

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helloalycia · 5 months

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 [𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑] // 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐤

summary: with only your guilt to sit with, you can't help but worry for Alicia's wellbeing and think about what you said to her.

warning/s: mentions of death and injury.

author's note: and this is the final part! hope the person who requested this feels i met the brief haha, that’s all for now but i’m working on some other stuff :)

one / two / three / masterlist / wattpad

After cleaning up and getting into a fresh pair of clothes, all with Ofelia's help, I was able to get into a less volatile state and return to the Clarks, who were still pacing outside the medbay. When they spotted me, they paused and smiled a little, putting me at ease.

"Hey, sweetie, how're you feeling?" Madison asked.

"Better," I answered truthfully, before looking between them both. "I just want to apologise for before. I was hysterical and it wasn't appropriate. Not when your family member is in there, hurt."

"You don't need to apologise," Nick said, nudging my arm. "You're scared. We all are."

I swallowed hard, unsure what to say.

"They're almost done in there," he told me. "They're just wrapping her wounds and we can go in."

At this good news, my heart seemed to return to its normal pace for a moment. "She's okay?"

"She will be," Madison assured me. "It looked worse than it was, but you got her back in time."

I could have cried again at hearing this, but I figured they'd seen enough of my tears, so I settled for a sigh of relief.

The three of us stayed out there for a little longer, Ofelia soon joining us, before we were allowed inside to see her. It was hard for me to imagine anything other than the bloody mess I'd left her there as earlier, but when we approached her bed and saw her looking much better, cleaner and safer, I knew she was truly okay.

Madison and Nick rushed to her side instantly, taking a hand each as she was still unconscious. I felt like I was intruding as Ofelia and I stood to the side, giving them a moment. And then Madison looked up, nodding to me.

"D'you wanna see her?" she asked encouragingly, but I shook my head.

"It's okay," I politely declined, feeling incredibly awkward and also unable to look at her without feeling a sense of shame wash over me.

They didn't say anything about it, and I risked glancing at Alicia once more, my heart aching, but in a different way, when I saw her pale skin, closed eyes and still figure. I couldn't stay here, not when I knew what I'd said to her last – so I dismissed myself before giving them some space, knowing it was for the best.

A few hours later, I was sat outside my cabin, fingers playing with the zip of my jacket mindlessly, when Ofelia found me.

"She's awake," she rushed out breathlessly, a smile on her lips.

I raised my eyebrows, standing up instantly. "She is? Is she– is she okay?"

Ofelia laughed, nodding. "Of course. She's asking for you, c'mon."

She was asking for me? Even after everything I'd said to her?

I nodded slowly, then quickly, then followed after Ofelia when I realised Alicia was waiting for me. It was as if a stone was lodged in my chest as I approached the medbay, walking inside and seeing Alicia's bed, surrounded by her family. When Nick and Madison saw me, they smiled with relief.

"You're here," Madison said, before looking to her son. "C'mon. Let's give them a minute."

I swallowed thickly as they left for a moment, Ofelia squeezing my hand before doing the same. Sucking up a deep breath, I approached Alicia's bedside, eyes falling to the conscious Clark girl as she looked up at me, eyes tired but alive.

"Hey," she started when I didn't, her voice raspy and quiet.

Naturally, my eyes took in the state of her, double checking to make sure she was truly okay. The colour had returned to her cheeks and she seemed pain-free, probably because of the meds running through her IV, and her body was covered by a blanket, so I couldn't see her bandaged wound. Still, she looked pretty weak and it left me with a horrible taste in my mouth, knowing it was because of me.

"You weren't here," she continued, taking a slow breath. "They said you left."

I opened my mouth, "I–", but stopped when my voice broke, taking a second to collect myself. For God's sake, why couldn't I keep it together?

"It's not as bad as it looks," she tried to reassure me, glancing down at her body, before offering me a small smile.

I blinked my tears back, shaking my head. "Isn't it?"

Her smile faded, green eyes boring through mine cluelessly, and I began to frown guiltily.

"You wouldn't have gotten hurt if we hadn't argued," I told her regretfully, "if I hadn't said what I did."

"Y/N, you couldn't have known it was booby trapped," she said, before reaching out her hand towards me.

I grabbed it, squeezing it gently, but I still felt horrible. "But we could have gone together if I hadn't pushed you away."

Embarrassed yet again, I turned my head and forcefully wiped my tears away, the thought of almost losing her reigniting them.

"It's okay," she tried to reassure me, tugging my hand with what little strength she had.

"It's not," I muttered, voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Alicia."

"Don't be," she said sternly, tugging my hand harder, forcing me to look down at her and see the determination in her eyes. "You brought me here when I could've died. You saved me. I should be thanking you."

I clenched my jaw, trying to stop the trembling, and let go of her hand. She began to frown, eyes flickering between mine.

"Don't push yourself away again, please," she begged, eyes becoming glossy. "You might not need me, but I need you."

My heart ached as she stared at me, refusing to look away, her heart on her sleeve. I'd almost lost her, just as I'd feared, and it hadn't mattered whether I was with her or not. Losing people was impossible to prevent and it could happen, just like that. It almost had with Alicia, and I could've lost her having acted so horribly towards her. God, I was a fool.

"When my mum died, it happened so unexpectedly," I suddenly said, knowing I was making no sense, but everything was coming out all at once. "I wasn't prepared, and it's the hardest thing I've ever had to go through."

"I'm sorry," she said considerately.

I shrugged. "You don't need to be. It happened randomly. Just like losing people in our tribe did. Death doesn't have a warning label, and I stupidly thought I could push people away so I'd never have to feel loss again."

I closed my eyes, pausing as I tried to collect myself, not wanting to cry again. And then Alicia's hand slipped into mind, and I opened my eyes, holding tightly as I met her green, attentive stare.

"My dad, he won't talk about it, but he does the same. It's why he struggles to trust people," I continued. "As much as I hate that about him, I take after him. And I don't want to anymore... I'm tired of being alone. I... I don't want to push people away anymore."

"You don't have to," she said with certainty.

"I know," I murmured. "Because almost losing you today only reminded me that it could happen any time, anywhere, no matter the circumstances. And I just– I don't want to ever lose you, not like this, not after all the horrible stuff I said to you."

She looked between my eyes, searching. "What are you saying?"

I took her hand between both of mine. "I'm saying that I need you, too. And I'm so fucking sorry. And, if you forgive me, I'd love to have a second chance. One that I won't screw up."

My heart was hammering so loudly in my chest that I wouldn't have been surprised if she could hear it in the silence that followed. Her hand between mine made my skin go numb, and the longer she said nothing, the more anxious I grew. Had I fucked it?

"Of course, you idiot," she finally muttered, before smiling weakly.

I exhaled deeply, feeling a weight off my chest, and then she pulled me down and wrapped her arms around my neck the best she could, hugging me. I tucked my head into her neck as I tried my best to return her hug, despite her laying down, and my guilt was somewhat shrinking.

"I know I'm not good at talking about how I feel," I said to her, pulling away but cupping her cheek, hovering above her as I held my weight up with my other hand. "I'm going to try to be better, I promise."

She closed her eyes, hand behind my neck and pulling me closer so our foreheads were touching. "I know. I appreciate it, Y/N."

I revelled in the moment for a few seconds longer before pulling back, smiling down at her. "You should rest."

"I will," she promised. "You'll stay this time, right?"

I squeezed her hand in response. "I'm not leaving."

Her lips curved into a tired smile, eyes watching me and making me nervous, before closing contently.

As promised, I kept Alicia company for as much as I could during her recovery. Over the next few days, when her family weren't sat with her, I'd stay by her side and try to take her mind off things.

One lunchtime, I was making her a tray of food to bring back to the medbay when my father bumped into me on the way back to her.

"Hey," he said with a smile. "What're you up to?"

I lifted the tray in my hand slightly. "Just getting some lunch for Alicia."

He nodded, eyebrows raising. "Ah, yes, of course. Y'know, it's nice to see that you've both resolved whatever argument you were having. It was starting to get weird, watching you ignore each other."

I smiled a little. "Yeah... it was my fault, but we've sorted everything out now."

"Well, you've been spending basically every waking moment with her since she got hurt, so you'd find the time, wouldn't you?" he joked, but it still made my face heat up with embarrassment.

"I just want her to be okay, dad," I tried to say dismissively, but it wasn't very believable.

He nodded, humming in agreement, eyes looking out ahead. I assumed the conversation had ended there, until he looked back to me casually.

"You like her, don't you?" he asked.

I blinked, trying not to choke on my own spit. "I'm sorry?"

An amused smile appeared on his face as he gave me a knowing look. "Y/N, dear, I'm not blind. I know my own daughter. You care for Alicia, in a way more than a friend does."

If I wasn't warm before, I certainly was now, especially the longer he stared at me, awaiting confirmation. But I was too cornered to speak. It's not that Alicia and I were hiding it, but there was nothing to share just yet, with everything being so new. I hadn't even had chance to prepare an answer.

"it's okay," he assured me, noticing I wouldn't speak. "I won't say anything to Madison. But she's not blind either."

Swallowing hard, I finally looked up at him. "Is it wrong of me to like her?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. Alicia's a good girl. And she seems to care about you a lot. And as far as I'm concerned, that's all that matters."

I wasn't sure what I was expecting him to say, but that seemed good enough as I began to smile with relief, glad he approved. He pulled me in for a side hug, wary of the tray in my hand, before squeezing my shoulders gently.

"You should head back or she'll be wondering why you're taking so long," he said lightheartedly. "After all, you've breathed the same air for the past forty-eight hours."

"Dad," I whined, embarrassed yet again.

He laughed before leaving me to it, and only after I was sure I wasn't bright red in the face did I head back to Alicia. When she spotted me, she gave me a smile, already sat up.

"Here you go," I said, returning her smile and setting the tray on her lap.

She looked down at it, grabbing her fork. "Ooh, it looks great, thanks, Y/N."

I took a seat on the chair beside her bed, quiet as she dug in. My eyes drifted to the bed as I zoned out momentarily, thinking about my exchange with my dad earlier.

"You okay?" Alicia asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked up, meeting her eyes. "Oh, yeah. I... just thinking."

She quirked a brow, amused. "About?"

I leaned back into my seat. "My dad knows about us both."

She paused, fork lowering to her plate. "What?"

"He just said it then. I'm not sure how he knows, he claims he's not blind, but yeah. And he thinks maybe your mum knows too."

She was surprised, but nodded. "Oh."

I hummed, looking away awkwardly. We hadn't talked about telling anyone, so I wasn't sure what she was thinking.

"Is that a bad thing?"

I glanced at her, raising my brows. "What?"

She nodded slowly, looking at her plate. "If they know that we both... that we're more than friends. Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course it isn't," I said, surprised at her reaction, though I wasn't sure what to expect. "I just– I wasn't sure if you wanted them to know."

"I don't mind," she admitted, before smiling a little. "If my mum brings it up like your dad did, then great, otherwise I'll tell her soon."

I nodded in agreement, hiding my smile. "Okay. Sounds, er, sounds good."

She nodded too, stifling her own smile as she returned her attention to her food.

"Okay, pick another letter," Alicia said, pen to the scrap of paper as she waited. "And not 'a', 'e' or 'u'."

"So almost all the vowels aren't in the word," I said with impatience. "Seriously, what word did you pick?"

She laughed, saying nothing as she waited for me to choose again. We were playing hangman and I was losing terribly, but it didn't matter so much because it was keeping Alicia's mind off her injury.

Before I could think of another letter to guess, the sound of someone approaching made us both look up and we saw Nick walking towards us, probably to spend some time with his sister.

"Ladies," he nodded towards us, settling on a chair on the other side of Alicia's bed.

"Hey," we greeted him in unison, and I was about to ask if he wanted to play with us before he spoke up again.

"So, you guys are dating now, right?"

I widened my eyes slightly, as Alicia looked just as surprised, neither of us expecting his bluntness.

"What?" she asked him.

"Mum mentioned it," he explained.

Alicia cursed quietly, whilst I wasn't sure how to respond. I knew she'd told Madison yesterday, but not Nick. Not that it was a secret, but we didn't know he knew.

"Relax," he said, laughing. "I'm just teasing you. Thought it would be funny to see your faces, and right now, they're hilarious."

Alicia and I exchanged embarrassed glances, her cheeks dusting pink, before looking back to Nick.

"For the record, I called it," he added with a knowing look.

Alicia rolled her eyes playfully. "Not funny, Nick. But at least you know."

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks yet again, especially when he began to laugh, glancing between us both. At least everyone important to us knew now.

It was almost two weeks later when Alicia was growing antsy in the medbay, adamant on getting up and stretching her legs. Of course, she was still wounded and couldn't do just that, but we'd managed to source her some crutches to let her enjoy at least a little bit of time outside.

"Okay, carefully now," I told her as she swung her legs off the side of the bed. "No rush, Alicia, okay?"

"I know, sorry, I'm just excited to get out of here," she admitted, before gently pushing herself off the bed and into a standing position.

I stood before her, ready to catch her in case she fell. Once she straightened up, she toppled forward slightly and I was luckily able to stop her from going anywhere, my concern taking over.

"Careful," I repeated nervously, not wanting her to aggravate her injury. "You okay?"

She nodded, squeezing my arm reassuringly before accepting the crutches I handed to her.

"Harder than I thought, sorry," she mumbled, before settling her weight on the crutches.

"Maybe there's a wheelchair or something we can find," I tried to help, "if you're not up for walking just yet."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "C'mon, I'm not completely useless, am I?"

I rested a hand on her forearm comfortingly. "I didn't say that."

She sighed, before shaking her head. "I'm okay. Just want some fresh air."

"Okay," I agreed, before taking a step back. "Whenever you're ready, Alicia."

We took a stroll out of the medbay and around the ranch, giving her time to get used to walking with the assistance of crutches and also letting her enjoy the fresh air and change of scenery. A lot of the ranchers were happy to see her, having befriended her in the past, and shared some conversations with her before making sure I promised to take care of her. It was sweet, and it especially made my day to see Alicia looking a lot happier than she had these past few days.

"You've gotta show me the garden now," she said after another rancher greeted us. "I've gotta see how ruined it is since you've been slacking on your duties."

I couldn't help but crack a smile at her joke. "Last time I checked, I was slacking to keep you company in the medbay."

She laughed, before leading the way to the garden.

"Ofelia has been keeping an eye on it," I assured her, before we stopped in the field where the section Alicia and I managed was. "See? Just like it should be."

"Mhm," Alicia hummed, before shooting me a smile. "I suppose it's looking good."

I rolled my eyes playfully before tugging her towards a nearby bench. "C'mon, you need a break."

"Sorry, mum."

I refrained from glaring at her as we both sat down, and I chose not to comment on the relieved sigh she let out when she had a minute to relax. An 'I told you so' would have felt good though.

"How're you feeling?" I asked instead, resting a hand on her knee.

She grabbed it instead, holding it as she spoke. "Not in any pain, if that's what you're worried about. The fresh air is nice. So is spending some time with you."

I tried not to laugh as I raised an eyebrow her way. "What, like the past week hasn't been enough?"

With a deadpan expression, she shook her head. "It hasn't."

I didn't know what to say, sensing half of her teasing self was being serious. Instead, I looked the other way, feeling my cheeks heat up as she smiled, still watching me.

Thankfully, she changed the subject and we both sat there for a little while longer, talking about the garden and the ranch and anything else she wanted to. It was funny how, even though we'd spent the past two weeks keeping each other company, I still had so much to talk to her about. She was the best company to be around.

Eventually though, I checked my watch before realising we'd been out for too long.

"Your next dose of meds is due soon," I said regretfully, not wanting to leave. "We should head back."

Judging by her quiet groan, she didn't want to leave either, but she nodded and straightened up, stretching her arms.

"Back to the medbay we go," she said, yawning.

I stood up before stepping before her to help her up too. I didn't anticipate how close she would be stood to me though, and when she smiled softly, I grew very, very distracted by her lips.

"Y/N," she muttered with amusement, making my eyes flicker to hers briefly. "The crutches?"

I nodded, eyes falling back down to her lips. "Yeah..."

She laughed when I didn't move, but I couldn't help it. Her lips were pink, soft-looking and enticing, and all I wanted to was lean forward and kiss her. I hadn't found the courage to kiss her properly, not since the last kiss we shared when I ran away afterwards. She'd forgiven me for it, sure, but I didn't want to push my luck and rush things between us. It had only been two weeks since we'd started up a relationship.

Swallowing hard, I stepped back and tried to snap out of it, instead grabbing her crutches that were leaning against the bench. As I was about to hand them back to her, she called my name, making me look up. I didn't get chance to think as she suddenly pressed her lips to mine, hands cupping my neck and pulling me close.

I closed my eyes in a second, melting into her touch and her lips and wrapping my own arms around her waist, refusing to let go. It was amazing how perfect she seemed to fit against me, and how I didn't want it any other way.

My lips were numb when we finally pulled apart for air, and when I opened my eyes, I was submerged in pools of green.

"You think too much," she said quietly, a soft smile on her face.

I swallowed hard. "I know."

Her hands were still around the back of my neck, fingers moving and sending shivers down my spine. "Sometimes, it's okay not to."

I exhaled gently, smiling a little. "If only it were that easy."

She let out a sharp breath from her nose, trying not to laugh. "You'll get there," she promised, before kissing me again, though this time much slower and softer than before.

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