you were wandering the aisles of the small store, your eyes scanning the dusty shelves for anything useful. most of the shelves were bare, picked clean by scavengers long before you got there. still, you were hopeful—places like this sometimes hid treasures in the strangest places.

you rounded the corner into the next aisle and stopped in your tracks.

there he was. carl grimes. crouched low near the bottom shelf, his messy hair falling over his face as he squinted at something in his hands. the dim light from the cracked ceiling flickered, casting shadows over his focused expression.

you stepped closer, trying to see what had him so captivated. that’s when you realized.

he was holding a box of condoms.

you couldn’t help it—a snort of laughter escaped before you could stop yourself. carl flinched, his head whipping around to look at you. his one hand still held the box, frozen mid-movement. his wide eyes locked with yours, a mix of embarrassment and panic flashing across his face.

“what—i—this isn’t—” he stammered, scrambling to shove the box back onto the shelf like it burned him.

you folded your arms, leaning casually against the shelf. “you were just… what? checking the expiration date?”

“no!” he snapped, his face rapidly turning red. “i wasn’t—i mean, i didn’t mean to grab them. they were just—”

“relax,” you said, smirking as you watched him trip over his words. “it’s not a big deal, grimes. you’re curious, i get it.”

“that’s not—ugh!” he groaned, burying his face in his hands for a second before standing up. “i wasn’t even thinking about it, okay? i just—i wasn’t paying attention.”

you raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “sure you weren’t.”

he glared at you, his lips pressing into a thin line. “you’re never gonna let this go, are you?”

“not a chance,” you replied, grinning.

carl muttered something under his breath, refusing to meet your gaze as he moved past you, heading toward the next aisle. you followed him, your laughter echoing softly in the quiet store.