Tiptoe Through the Tulips

“You need to sleep.” Tyreese told me, halting the bike outside the gas station.

He hopped off, sending a stab of pain through me as the bike jerked.

I watched him as he walked towards the couple of pumps, “They’ve already been here.” I said quietly, noticing that the door was wedged open, he looked round at me and frowned, “Or at least someone’s been here lately.”

He chewed the inside of his cheek and came back over to me. Grabbing the shotgun he had smartly remembered after he had killed those men, he checked there was still ammo, “Only one.” he muttered, sighing. I joined him with a frown of my own, I had searched through the side bag cautiously as we had driven away, all the time nervous they would somehow follow us.

No gun, no ammo.

“I’d rather we kept going...” I said warily, watching as his eyes searched over me again, he shook his head.

“We both need sleep, you especially. If we hide the bike, barricade ourselves in the office if they have one and spend a few hours here. Your group won’t have gone too far, plus,” he added trying to lighten the dismal look off of my face, “It’s pretty much one long road, it shouldn’t be that hard to find them.” I nodded, defeated both by his argument and by the last few hours.

I did need sleep.
And some kind of painkiller if there was any left in the shop.

Tyreese went into the shop first, checking it was empty, “Someone definitely came through here,” he said, “There’s shit everywhere.”

“Well it’s not like anyone plans on coming here to clean up is it?” I snapped, instantly regretting my words when I saw him tense up

I apologised quickly, cursing myself for snapping at him.

This man was the reason I was alive.
I had no reason to ever be mad at him.

He came over to me and gently helped me off of the bike, his mouth pursing again as I saw him stare at the dried blood on my thighs, “We need to get you cleaned up as well,” he paused uncomfortably, “Especially if you don’t want anyone to know...” he frowned and bit his lip again.

He did that a lot.

“My friend Marc would always moan at me if I bit my lips,” I told him, trying to lighten the mood, “ He would have a fit if he saw you, all you seem to do is bite yours.” He snorted, letting go of the argument that had been brewing.

“Well if I remember I’ll grab some chap stick.”

“I used to have strawberry flavour,” I mused, making him chuckle lowly, “I used to put it on just so I could lick it off.” he continued to laugh as I stood, watching him as he moved the bike slightly into the shop, gesturing for me to follow and closing the door afterwards.
The conversation stayed on juvenile topics, silly things.

Anything rather than what had just happened.
As was the norm.

I walked slowly around the shop, there was definitely more gone than when Glenn and I had come here, I winced thinking about him.

Glenn thought I was dead.
Would he be as upset by that as I would be the other way?

I stopped myself before I let the poisonous thoughts flood my head.
Of everyone just moving on.
We had done it before, with Sophia, Dale.

Daryl had taken that quite easily in retrospect, would he forget about me quickly?
Turn to Carol.

I had seen the looks she kept giving him.

They definitely meant more than I had allowed myself to believe earlier.
Would he just be with her?
Forget me.

I growled, earning a confused look from Tyreese to which I returned a small smile, which grew slightly as I noticed there was a pack of baby wipes left on the dusty shelf.
At least I could clean myself up a bit.

I muttered a quick word to Tyreese and entered the small toilet the garage luckily had. With him not around I had the chance to sink back into myself.

I wanted to act stronger around him now, after he had seen me collapsed before.
I didn’t want him to think I was a liability.

If he was all I had now, depending on what had happened to the others then we needed to work well together.
Otherwise he might leave as well.

I peeled my clothes off slowly, wincing every time I raised or lowered my arms. The mirror was dirty and smeared but I could still see the bruises forming on my body, along my hips, my shoulders. My ribs were swollen, a whirlpool of black and purple.

The same was to be said of my inner thighs, I heaved as the pictures played back into my mind, as if a physical pain, I could practically feel his hands all over me, his body pressing against mine.
Each thrust.
I turned and threw up into the grubby toilet, sinking to the floor once again as tears erupted from my eyes.
My throat aching with each sob.

The door opened with a creak and I knew it was Tyreese.
Once again seeing me half naked, sobbing.
He must be disgusted by the sight of me.

Once again I found his muscular arms softly and surprisingly reaching around my waist, pulling me into his chest as I continued to pitifully cry.

“I’m sorry.” I choked out, causing him to sigh as his hands engulfed mine, his thumbs stroking across my dirty palms.
“You have no reason to ever be sorry.” He stated, pulling me up into a standing position. He picked the wipes off of the floor and got one out, turning me around to face him I felt like blushing at the intensity in his eyes.

He raised the wipes, gently wiping my face, almost seductively rubbing it across my lips.
He kept eye contact; his eyes reminded me of a wolf, such a pale blue.

“We’ll stay safe.” he said.

And like the idiot I am I almost believed him.