TWDG- Louis x Reader 【oneshots】18+

Ch 11: Protective,

< imagine: Clementine invited her friend, James. You and him immediately got along after an hour- Louis however, started to get annoyed.

• "Everyone! I have someone you'd like to meet!!" Clem's voice rang out across the school.
• and just like ants running from water, everyone started to gather around.
• I was the last one to the scene...
• Louis was even already there! I stand next to him and wait for Clem to show her friend. Supposedly this is the guy who made the sickness remedy.
• finally after what seemed like forever, the guy stepped around the gates and revealed himself.
What I saw made me gasp as well as the others.
Willy of course liked the look of him... he ran up to him, "wow! You're so cool!!"
Thankfully Ruby stops Willy before he could ask the question to try on James' mask.
• "hello-uh... I'm James." He introduces himself nervously. It's obvious that he isn't comfortable with talking to new people, if any at all.
• one by one, everyone introduced themselves formally- but it didn't surprise me that Louis was goofing around. James didn't seem too fond of his personality though... he just stared at him awkwardly.
• "tough crowd.." Louis mumbled. I decide to interrupt the tension, taking a huge breath and I introduce myself.
• I walk closer to that I was yet again next to Louis. "Hey James,"  i tell him my name to which he nods thoughtfully.
• my eyes bored into his strange mask- "What are you wearing?" I ask motioning to all the weird clothing he had.
He without no hesitation,  "it's walker skin. This helps me to become one of them"
• my eye twitches at the absurdity.
"Say what now?" Louis speaks up confused and shocked.
• "I wear this so I can walk with them" James replies calmly.
• "uhm... wow" I breathlessly let out, "why do you walk with them?"
James reaches for the back of his mask and slowly removes the rotten skin. And to my surprise, he actually looked normal! Very good looking even.
• "So I don't have to hurt them.." James answers my question.
I almost choke on air, "what do you wean by not hurting them?"
• he looks at me with sincere eyes- "Walkers are still very much alive. There is always something left behind that made them what they used to be" Jame takes a shaky breath, "I become one of them, then I don't have to kill"
• I swear if I was holding something breakable it would've shattered by now. Louis stood there wordless for once.
"O-oh.." I try not sound like I want to run from him as far as possible. But my unsure tone said it all.
"Alright cool! But I think I'm just gonna stick to the killing, y'know?" Louis admitted confidently.
James gives a displeased look his way, "that's hurting them... people that still remain there"
I almost choke again at his words.

I clear my throat, "Well If was nice meeting you James! We'll see you later" I say my goodbyes as he just nods and begins to walk to the campfire where everyone else was huddled.
"So that guy is pretttyyy weird" Louis murmurs. I halfheartedly nod. But maybe there is something more than that strange exterior.
Maybe James was as normal as can be... just has his different preferences with some things.
"We should probably get some food, I'm starving!" Louis exclaims. I couldn't help but laugh- "Yea sounds good" I agree with a grin.

•••

After dinner was finished, everyone started to leave the campfire slowly. It wasn't until only me and James remained.

I sat stiff on the log I retrieved. James still had his mask off and was casually poking a stick in the fire- 'come on! Start a conversation!' My thoughts coax myself.
I clear my throat abruptly and got his attention.
"Hey.. um. I'm sorry for being weirded out earlier, it just that you have a different way of dealing with walkers.." I watch as James' face contorts to a uneasy one, "and I'm totally fine with it!" I cut in before he could get offended.

He perks up and shows a shocked glance. "Rea-.... thank you." It sounded as if he was excited to hear I was somewhat okay with the whole 'Walking with walkers' thing, but interrupted himself to remain calm and collected.
I think for a bit for another thing to say, "It's really amazing how you can make walker skin into a disguise..."

James cracks a little smile. "Yea.. it is"

Move on to another topic!
Uhhh....
"So how long were you out there?" I ask unsurely. James gives it thought before returning with an answer, "since I turned 10. The outbreak started not too long after my birthday" he sighs.
Another question popped up- "all alone?"
His eyebrows furrow, "Yes." He answers simply.
My heart sank at the thought of being alone out there like that... "for that long?" I ask in disbelief. He follows on with a nod.

"I'm so... sorry" I whisper barely inaudible, but he heard me loud and clear. "It doesn't matter. I survived without harming anyone or anything so that's all that I care for."

I look back into him seemingly content eyes, "if you don't mind me asking... w-what happened to your family?" I stutter.
Dread and pain washed over his face, "raiders."
His blunt answer was enough for me to know the full story. I've bumped into raiders before and they can be extremely dangerous and unkind.
"I..." lost for words, I stare into the fire instead.
Some silence fills the air, "what about you?" James suddenly spoke. I slightly jump.

"Well... me and my family would travel together in our little car. The outbreak was the cause of us moving constantly...
My parents feared that I wouldn't make it and they were ready to sacrifice themselves for me.
I was sick and my parents were getting weaker.. so weak that the couldn't protect or look after me anymore. So they made a decision that they thought was right.
They stumbled upon this school full of adults and other kids. I was left here... and I never saw them again."

I didn't notice a tear that escaped my eyes while I was telling my backstory. I furiously wipe it away and look at James- his face was worried and pitiful. "That's horrible.." he muttered, the look in his eyes told he was truthful.

"It's in the past now though. I don't usually think back to what my life was before walkers roamed everywhere."
James nods at my words.

It looked as if he were about to say something, his hand was on my shoulder reassuringly before my name was suddenly called out loudly across the courtyard. We both jumped and snapped out attention to the direction of my name. It was Louis, he didn't look too happy.
He hurried on over, James quickly retracting his hand off me.
"Why are you two still out here?" Louis puts both his hands on his hips expectedly.
"And why were you about to kiss her?" He rises an eyebrow at poor James who looked as shocked as I was.

"What! Louis, he wasn't going to ki-

"Then I might be blind because what I saw was this guy making a move on MY girlfriend" he cut me off.
James puts up both his hands in surrender, "I can assure you I was not doing any of the sort to kiss her"
Louis shakes his head angrily, still not believing what any of us said. "Look, I'm into guys!"

Louis and I froze. "What!?" We both screamed in unison. "Well I'm bi.. but I prefer guys more..." James laughs awkwardly. Silence fills the air, until a big cough and cackles were heard- I look around and then I saw it.. I could see Marlon and Mitch in the background. Their faces full of amusement, pointing fingers, stumbling and slapping their knees. Crap.. we have an audience!

"Oh... then my bad. Uhm.. I'll just leave then" Louis' face was full of embarrassment. He ran off into the building once again and as soon as those large double doors shut tight- the boys that were once holding in most of their laughter was now bursting out, gasping for breath and wiping tears of joy away.
"Sorry... that I had to do that- he just wouldn't understand." James murmurs to me.
I nod agreeing. "That will teach him to hold his tongue from now on" I laugh, James joining in as well. (See what I did there? 'Hold his tongue'? XD)

And after that, You and James got along for most of the night. Making jokes and telling each other more about yourselves. And in your newfound opinion on him..
James was a pretty cool guy. ~