𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒, the walking dead

3.

❝ 𝖨'𝖬 𝖬𝖠𝖲𝖳𝖤𝖱𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖠𝖱𝖳 𝖮𝖥 𝖬𝖨𝖱𝖠𝖢𝖫𝖤𝖲
𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖥𝖫𝖠𝖶𝖫𝖤𝖲𝖲 𝖳𝖱𝖠𝖦𝖤𝖣𝖨𝖤𝖲 . ❞

thirdwheeling is a curse that breaks all differences of generations. he remembers when his mom was bedridden, he watched his father try to hang out with the Grimes' and get caught in the middle of a lively couple. and Ross is dead in the middle of one of the only couples left in the apocalypse.

he sat in the middle of the backseat, laying back after he quickly gave up trying to make any light conversation with glenn and maggie. with the events preceding the supply run, he was left with a healing gash in his side and and even deeper one in his heart. Losing every parental figure around him was a conceivable event in the environment he's living in but it didn't soften the blow.

the Honda they'd taken to town slowed as Glenn spotted a small store with the door blown wide open.

"Not ideal," he grunts as the car rolls to a stop, shifting it into park. "But there's not much better around."

Ross nods in response has he steps out of the car, cautious of his side as he looks around, taking in Glenn's words. The place was truly torn apart, like whoever was here last wanted to make sure no one else could come back.

maggie was insistent that they would cover Ross, letting him guide with the flashlight in the middle because of his injuries- she got her way, of course, because while not only she is stubborn deep down everyone knows she's always right.

they crept into the store carefully, examining the torn apart shelves and other aspects of the store. the run was going smoothly, much to the likings of everyone involved, the trio moving in a quick 'grab and store' rotation of shoving whatever was still good into their empty backpacks, not once doubting if their eyes were more hungry than their stomaches. the lingering awkwardness from the car ride into town had evaporated into thin air as they bickered about whatever they wanted.

"i have been looking for oreos for months. they all disappeared!" ross groans and throws his head back, ignoring the strange look maggie shot him during his faux-fit.

"You've gotta get your priorities straight. you could die any moment," maggie snorts, shaking her head as she tosses a pack of off-brand cookies at ross.

"it's in the little things, maggie. what hope is there without the little things?" ross carefully stands up from his criss-crossed position on the floor. "you're losing out if you think otherwise."

glenn zips up his backpack, walking closer to the middle of the store where ross was. "you're right. i would kill for an oreo right now."

ross tsks, and raises a hand in victory. "i'm always right. i spent 3 months wandering around alone, i became uber-wise."

"weird way to say crazy," maggie mumbles under a smirk, earning a small huff from ross.

with maggie finally emptying any and all medicine and baby-related items from the already bare shelves of the store, they decided to finally head back to the prison. With the baby waiting, they didn't have a lot of time to spare.

as they walked back out to the car, ross rounded the vehicle to entire on the side farthest from the entrance to the store, setting his stuff on the ground for a second once he was out of their sight and leaning against the car in an attempt to catch his breath. getting your torso cut up isn't ideal and it wasn't exactly properly stitched up. he could feel it- now more so that he's been awake for hours. all he could do for now was breathe and pray that the drive back to the prison wasn't long. he closed his eyes for a few seconds, listening to glenn excitedly ramble about how lucky they got with the baby formula.