❝︎︎ goddamn, sweetheart, give me a fucking chance. ❞︎︎
❝ ︎︎is saying 'bite me' in poor taste? ❞︎︎
────── 𝙄𝙉 𝙒𝙃𝙄𝘾𝙃,
they are born of chaos,
cauterized by loss,
and terrified of love.
【︎︎ the last of us x the walking dead crossover 】︎︎
【︎︎ jo...
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"who do you think had the best diving record in king county public pool?"
—
HOPE AND DOUBT WERE AT WAR IN INDIANA'S MIND.
What came next?
No CDC, hardly enough gas, and losses they couldn't seem to shake.
Indiana wasn't close to Jaqui, but she liked Amy well enough. They'd died within a week of each other, and Morales' family's departure only stressed everyone out more.
Less mouths to feed, Shane said, but less people to count on, Rick argued.
Indiana glanced over at her father; her leg pressed against the table across from him in the RV. She knew he was taking it all hard. The guilt, the deaths, the losses.
He and Rick were struggling to find a balance in leadership. Shane was radical, Rick was pragmatic. Both were good leaders, in entirely different ways.
"How're you feelin', Indie?" Shane asked finally, cutting through the silence.
Indiana removed herself from her mind, shrugging acutely. "I just keep thinking about everyone," she confessed. "How long is this shit meant to go on for? How are we supposed to keep everyone safe?"
Shane laughed humorlessly. "That's a damn good question, lev."
Nostalgia filled Indiana at the nickname, a bittersweet smile taking over her face. She'd always loved animals growing up and had more stuffed animals in her bedroom than she knew what to do with.
Shane had been the one to take her to the zoo for the first time and he'd sat next to her outside the lion's area for nearly three hours before she finally moved. Even still, Indiana didn't know what compelled her to them, but something about the ferocity of a lion inspired her.
During their ice cream break, he'd remarked that she was like a lion. He claimed her own bravery was different than the animal, but stronger in another sense. She'd endured insurmountable odds and came out with a dimpled grin and selfless heart.
To Shane, Indiana was equally as tenacious and brave and resilient.
And from that day on, a nickname was born.
He called her "lev", which held a dual meaning to both his heritage and affection. Hebrew for heart and Russian for lion. Both were languages he grew up around and both were languages he hoped to teach her one day.
