A gift for RJ for giving us amazing X Readers (especially The Walking Dead series) and for her consistency in giving us worthwhile updates :) This one's for you my friend!
-animeangel
        

Warning: This story will contain slightly mature scenes, language, dark themes, and gore        

A faint greyish blue hue filtered through the boarded up window of yours’ and Clem’s shared room. Judging from the lighting and the fact that the sun had yet to peek over the horizon, you guessed it had to be somewhere between six and seven in the morning. Had it been summer time, harsh rays of daylight would have filled each and every room in the school by now, rousing everyone from sleep so they could work busily through another day of survival.

Fortunately, the dog days had been behind you for a few weeks now and fall had finally set in, relieving everyone from the intense heat. As much as everyone was glad to be rid of sweat and sunburn, the cool winds and falling leaves brought new concerns to the table.

Winter was coming and it closing in fast.

In the past, fear of starvation and merciless raiders had constantly hung over Ericson like scavengers over dying prey. Always present, always watching, always waiting.

In the present day, almost three years later, those fears were merely scars of the past, reminders of what used to be and what would never happen again. Not if you could help it ,anyway.

It was astounding, really, what all had happened in the few years since Clem had taken over as leader and made this place a permanent home for you and AJ. The new era of Ericson had begun with a fresh start; from sorting through old junk to eradicating the boundaries of the safe zone, the boarding school slowly made a complete one-eighty. Supply trades were made with passing survivors deemed trustworthy while others were given fair warning to stay the hell away or else. Those stupid enough to test those warnings learned very quick how much weight they carried. 

Repairs were made right away with what materials were lying around or what the supply runners could salvage. With enough sweat and elbow grease, things started coming together. Soon enough the greenhouse was flourishing, the kitchen was cleaned up, and the basement became an armory and storage unit for extra supplies. 

On the whole, Ericson had truly become a place worth fighting for. All that was left was to rename it.

Violet had been the one to bring the idea up when construction had finished. Nobody argued. A new beginning deserved a new name...that and the guy was a complete dick. Contrary to it’s (sorta) renewed state, it was henceforth dubbed The Rotting Shithole. 

A home at last.

You smiled to yourself at the memories. It’s hard to believe everything worked out so well in the end, for once. In the corner of your eye, you spied two drawings on the wall, paper yellowing with age but still holding up nonetheless. The corners of your lips twitched down as the uncolored portrait ,specifically, caught your attention. Well...almost everything. Exhaling wearily through your nose and your eyes slid shut in solemn acceptance. What’s done is done.

The rustling of blankets shifting beside you made one eye peek open. When a soft snore followed, the smile returned to your face. Propping your arm up, you rested your head in your palm and gazed down at your bed partner.

Though you both had finished growing, Clement had reached the final stages of maturity in appearance. Dark curly hair fell over his face and the nape of his neck in messily chopped locks while a very light stubble outlined his jaw, becoming slightly more prominent as it reached his chin. Where Lee had been tall and broad in physique, Clem was slender and only a few inches shy of six feet. Thin yet powerful muscles lined his body, hardened by many years of running and toil.
                
“Y’know you’re staring right?” Clem mumbled groggily, lips barely parting. “That’s not good manners, (y/n).” Your eyes widened a fraction. So he wasn’t as deep in sleep as you had previously thought. Despite being caught you played it off. “Kinda hard not too, Clem.”

He smiled and opened his eyes. “Heh, I could say the same for you...” his amber gaze lifted and he laughed lightly “...especially with the lovely bedhead you got going there.”
               
You scoffed before giving one of his longer locks a playful tug. “As if you have room to talk.”

He rolled his eyes and batted your hand away. “Yeah, yeah.”

The old mattress creaked as you sat up and stretched, rolling the stiffness out of your shoulders and earning a satisfying ‘pop’ from your spine.  “What’s on the agenda today, boss?”
                
“Same old, same old,” he mused. “Toby, Aasim, and Louis are going to try their luck at hunting deer again. Hopefully they’ll be able to bring something in by the end of the day. AJ and I are going to check out the stream later. Last chance to fish before it gets too cold.”
                
Toby was a freckled boy in his late teens, about a year or two younger than you and Clem (Or at least you thought; the two of you had to be at least 19 or 20 by now). He had joined the school a few months after it's restoration. You, Violet, and AJ had found him during a supply run. Him and his sisters were being held at gunpoint by a group he had stolen ammo from. The group had at least fifteen people and you were greatly outnumbered. While you contemplated on whether or not to get involved, the leader put a bullet in his younger sister’s head. She was only twelve.
               
From there all hell broke loose. Walkers appeared and more gunfire was traded (this time by you and your company). What few members the group had left retreated, leaving Toby wounded and his older sister (who he said was named Iris) bit. The herd was huge and there was no possible way out without getting mauled. Seeing the hopelessness of the situation, Iris snatched AJ’s gun, ran out of hiding, and went trigger happy, drawing a majority of the dead towards her. Her distraction created the opening you guys needed. The last thing she shouted was for everyone to run and to take care of her little brother. 

She saved the last bullet for herself.

“What about you?” Clem asked, breaking you away from the sad memory.

“Same old, same old,” you echoed with a smirk. “Supply runs in the morning with Violet then helping Ruby in the greenhouse when I get back. Until then, her, Willy, and Omar are hanging back to watch the school.”

“Speaking of Willy, he and AJ are usually the only ones up at this time to switch shifts.” He pointed out as he sat up. “Why are you up so early?”

“I’ve been asking myself that for the past week or so,” you grumbled. Concern swam in his eyes. “What’s the matter?” He combed a few hairs from your face, brushing his thumb across your cheek. “You ok?” Humming in content, you leaned into his touch and closed your eyes. His hand was so warm and you were beyond exhausted. “I can’t sleep.”

It was then he finally noticed the dark circles forming under your slowly reddening eyes. He frowned. “Nightmares?”
You shook your head. “No. Not in a while actually. I just can’t sleep, period.”
He raised a brow. “Insomnia?”

“Maybe,”you shrugged,“it’s like...I’m tired and I want to sleep but my body won’t let me.” Peering up, your expression deadpanned. “And by that I mean it’s been aching and cramping like crazy. Even when I do manage to snag a few hours it doesn't feel like I got any at all.” With a groan, you let your head fall on his shoulder. “To sum it up I feel like shit.”

Clem’s frown deepened. “Maybe you should take the day off, try to rest up. Toby can go with Violet.”

Smiling, you pulled away. “Nah.” As tempting as the suggestion was, there was a lot that needed to be done. With the temperature dropping at such a rapid rate, everyone needed to pull their weight. “I’ll just work hard today and try again tonight. It’s probably just Mother Nature being a bitch as usual.”

The worry didn’t fade from his face.  “I don’t know...”

Hearing the uncertainty in his voice, you tugged him forward and placed a kiss to his forehead. “Don’t worry.” A kiss to his left cheek. “I’ll be careful.” A kiss to his right cheek. “Everything will be fine.” You pulled away to look deep into his eyes, smile turned gentle. “I promise.” And finally a kiss to his lips.

All tension and resistance inside him withered away as he melted into you. It never ceased to amaze Clement how you could have such an effect on him with nothing but sweet words and soft, innocent pecks. How you did it, was beyond him but it was one of the mysteries that attracted him to you all the more. And when your lips left his, he found himself following, not ready for it to end.

Simpering at his dazed expression, you asked him expectantly. “So?” Blinking a couple times, he mumbled dumbly. “I can’t tell if I feel more focused or less.”Rolling your eyes, you gave his shoulder a playful nudge. “C’mon, be serious.”

He sighed, giving in. “Alright you got me, just do my nerves a favor and, at least, check in with Ruby when you get back.”

“Gotcha.”

“Good.”

With that being said, he took your chin between his fingers and guided your lips back to his.

You understood why he worried more than he use to. Losing a third of his leg had done a number on him both mentally and physically. The whole experience had scarred him for life. The helplessness of being on the verge of death and the feeling of being powerless to stop it had been too much. He had given up. And as he bowed his head in the barn that day, he had been ready to accept death and ready to take an axe to the head

Instead it took to his leg.

Next thing he knew, he was waking up in the school to you sobbing and screaming at him and a stump where his left foot should have been.

In that moment he could hardly believe what he had almost let happen. Just what the hell had he been thinking? He had a fighting chance and he almost let it slip through his fingers. Had it not been for AJ’s disobedience he’d be dead. You had every right to curse him out and deliver that smack to his shoulder.

After all, Lee had taken the same chance with his arm.
      

The moment increased in passion. Slowly, you crawled into Clem’s lap, straddling his waist and gripping his shoulders. In return, he grasped your hips, massaging little circles into the skin. Even through the thin material of your shirt, you could feel the callousness of his thumbs.

He brushed the tip of his tongue against your bottom lip, begging for entrance, to which you responded with a coquettish grin, playfully denying him.

“Teasing's not very nice either,” he grunted.

Your grin turned devious. “So? What are you gonna do about?”

A smirk made its way across his face, his eyes flashing with mischief that reminded you too much of the little boy he used to be when you first met. “I could think of a thing or two.”

“Care to tell?” You whispered, seductively.

“How about I show you instead?” He suggested, huskily.

Trailing his hands upward, he wiggled his fingers over your sides, mercilessly. Caught off guard by his sudden tickling, you snorted. Clem took advantage of your mouth the second your lips parted, swallowing the laughter that bubbled out. His lips molded effortlessly against your own as he claimed everything you had selfishly held back from him.

After what had almost happened in that barn, he’d never take a single second with you for granted.

When he finally pulled away, you barely had time to catch your breath before he started lowering you backwards, forcing you gently to the mattress and taking his place on top. He wasted no time in attaching himself to your neck. Up and down, he trailed both kisses and love bites alike. Tilting your head back, you allowed him better access and moaned softly when he found that certain spot.

“Better keep it down,” he purred against your skin, his smirk widening. “People are still sleeping.”

You blushed profusely. Had AJ been present neither of you would have been caught dead in the position you were in. Since about a year and a half ago, however, he decided he wanted more independence and had settled in a room just a few doors down. Following his absence, you and Clem had pushed the bunks together to create a more spacious bed. Not that either of you minded being pressed snuggly together, but having the extra space to sprawl about was much appreciated.

Especially in heated times like this.

Clem noted the redness in your cheeks with satisfaction. But, oh, he wasn’t done yet. You were going to pay for teasing him. Big time. He started abusing the same spot that had earned him that adorable little sound. At the same time, he started to grind his hips into yours.

Tangling your fingers in his hair, your eyes fluttered shut at the pleasurable friction. A sharp intake of breath followed when his hand disappeared under your shirt, dragging it up over your head and dropping it to the floor. After giving your neck one last nip, he finally abandoned it so he could start trailing his way down. You bite your lip hard to contain an especially noisy moan. Though the both of you were breathing heavily, you could still hear your heart thumping rapidly in your chest.

Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump

Your grip on Clem’s hair tightened as he reached your stomach. It was so loud...you wondered if Clem could hear it.

Thump Thump Thump...KNOCK!KNOCK!KNOCK!

Wait a second...

“Clem! (Y/n)! Time to wake up!”

You eyes snapped open.

Both you and Clem whipped your heads up at the door, froze in place. It was AJ.

Neither of you answered his call.

That was a stupid thing to not do.

The door handle jiggled and you sprung into action. Literally. You shot up from the bed trying to reach for your shirt at the same time that Clem tried to get off you. The result ended in a headbutt to the poor guy’s nose.

“Ow!”

You grabbed your head as he clutched his nose. Sadly, it wasn’t over for Clement because as he drew back from you, he misjudged the height of the bunk and smacked his head on the bed above.

“Fuck!” He hissed, forgetting his nose to clutch his now throbbing head.

Meanwhile, you had rolled away and, in your haste, had fallen off the bed and to the floor, dragging the blanket with you.

This was how AJ had found you, his surrogate parents, when he swung the door open. You tangled in a blanket on the floor; Clem hunched over on the bed clutching his head.

“Uhhh...guys?”

Having landed on your back, you could only groan at the pain that wracked your already sore body. Your fingers curled into the blanket which had mercifully wrapped around you during the struggle. “What is it ,Goofball?"

“I was just...” he trailed off. Suddenly he glanced at Clem and his eyes widened. “Clem!”

Turning your head, you understood the cause for alarm. Clem’s nose was gushing.
You winced at the sight. The agonized twitch on his face when he pinched it to stop the bleeding only magnified the guilt knotting in your stomach. Clem noticed the look on your face.

“It’s ok. I’m ok.” He said, waving the two of you away.

AJ made a face. “No you’re not.”

Clem looked exasperated. “AJ-”

“I’ll go get Ruby!”

Before either of you could argue he ran off to fetch said redhead.

With the blanket still hanging loosely around your shoulders, you picked yourself and your shirt up off the floor, brushing away the dust that had collected in the process.

“I think we both learned something from this.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” Clem asked, his voice becoming nasally.

You slipped the garment back over your head and sighed. “Next time, lock the damn door.”

Again this is by my friend, animeangel, and I will update this story when they update it. This is all animeangel's idea and it was a nice surprise when they said they did this. And now I want to share it with you guys cuz I thought it was awesome!
Hope you guys enjoy!!!
LayceJ25