Dead and gone

“You shouldn’t play with those things.” 

“Hostility makes way for vulnerability. You’re threatening me as a sign of a defense mechanism. You can shout all you like, the only bad that is going to come from it is not going to be towards me, but you. You’re going to attract the dead, and sweetheart I like storms, but please, contain it.”

"You certainly have a way with words, though you're wrong. I'm hostile because you've pissed me off not because it's a defence mechanism so don't pretend you know me."

“Well maybe you should start considering listening to others because I think you just gave yourself some dodgy advice.”

“I don’t know you, so why would I trust your advice?” 

“Fuck. Oh shit... You shot me, you crazy bitch. Oh fuck, ow... You call that aiming? The walkers are in that direction, did you plan to shoot me?” Naomi rambled still in shock, not fully feeling the pain yet

“Yeah, I’m the only person I actually listen to.” 

“i thought it’d be funny, if we’re being honest.” and it kind of was – it wasn’t entirely malicious, but it was a little trick that amused her. her finger, bony with a cut on its pad, pointed out an alley behind a set of stores. “it’s kind of creepy, but if we cut through it: we get where we want a lot faster.”

She shrugged smiling, the girl had a point. The brunette followed where she was pointing “I’ve seen creepier, I have a knife too so I’m sure we’ll be fine.” 

“Shit. Have we been walking in circles this entire time?”

“Looks like it.” She replied before looking around and adding, “I have no idea where we are.”

“Told you, that you should have let me lead.”

“Really? That’s what you’re going with, I told you so?”

“oh, yeah – you’re right, aunt mimi. you missed the turn a few minutes ago, wanted to see how long it’d take you to notice.”

Naomi looked at her chuckling, “and you couldn’t have told me that five minutes ago? Come on, kiddo - lead the way.”

“I knew this was a bad idea”

“If you though it was that bad of an idea why didn't you say something beforehand?”

“I don’t need you. You need me”

"Bull. What the hell makes you think that? I only need two people in my life and you aren't one of them."

“A hostile woman then.” he said not at all alarmed by her. Tristan could take of himself. “Are you threatened by me? if you say no, your body language says otherwise.

"Close enough." At his following words, Naomi scoffed shrugging her shoulders at him in nonchalance. "You wish I was threatened by you, pretty boy. You need to take some body language lessons then because your reading is way off." She lied knowing full well deep down she was scared of him, she was scared of everyone - after all she knew what people were capable of.

“It just never seems enough, you know? I keep thinking that I could have done better, saved – It doesn’t matter, it’s no point in crying over it anymore. What’s done is done. What are you doing out here?”

Naomi listened to the male and couldn’t help but to feel bad for him. There was pain in his words, she felt like she could relate to it but decided it was best not to tell him that as she didn’t want to belittle his pain in anyway. “Did you do everything you physically could have done at the time?” She asked wanting to prove that he did all he could. “Talk about it if it helps” She prompted him before adding, “Mourning a friend I suppose, I mean, I don’t if he’s dead but either way he’s lost and you mourn the loss of people, right?” She turned to him wanting confirmation, fearing she probably looked stupid.