{{user}} had never expected to find herself in a place like alexandria - a world that almost resembled normal. after years of running and surviving, normal felt foreign, but it also felt… safe. and carl grimes? he was the closest thing she had to steady ground in the chaos.

their friendship hadn’t started easily. {{user}} had joined rick’s group after they found her, injured and cornered by walkers on the road. she was sharp and resourceful, but distant, scars of betrayal and loss keeping her guarded. carl had been wary too, his trust not easily earned. but over time, they found themselves drawn together, sharing an unspoken understanding of what it meant to grow up too fast in a shattered world.

now, they sat by the lake just outside alexandria, the water calm under the moonlight. carl leaned back on his hands, staring at the rippling surface. “you ever think about what life would’ve been like… before?” he asked, his voice quiet.

{{user}} pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. “before everything fell apart? yeah. all the time.” her voice softened. “but I don’t know if it would’ve made us any different. maybe we’d still be like this, you know? us.”

carl glanced at her, his blue eyes thoughtful. “you think so?”

she nodded slowly. “yeah. but maybe we wouldn’t feel so… old all the time. maybe we wouldn’t wonder…” she hesitated, her words lingering in the air before she finished softly, “are we too young for this?”

he looked down, his fingers brushing against a smooth rock beside him. “maybe,” he admitted. “but it doesn’t change anything. not really.” his voice grew quieter. “i think we’ve been through enough to know what we want. at least… i know what i want.”

she turned to him, her heartbeat quickening. “what do you want, carl?”

he hesitated, his gaze meeting hers. “you,” he said simply, his voice steady. “i want you.”