The Most Important Thing Here Is We Need To Stay Together. @jeremangled

❛ The most important thing here is we need to stay together. ❜ @jeremangled

THE WALKING DEAD SEASON ONE SENTENCE STARTERS

★ — Gregory's never been outside the wall before.

The thought sits heavy in his chest— this is all completely new to him— a constant weight, a steady, thrumming fear. He has no clue what to do, how to maneuver this terrain, how to get where they're supposed to be going. Michael and Jeremy navigate like its second nature to the pair, and Gregory is acutely aware that he may as well be dead weight.

He sticks closer to Jeremy for the simple fact that the man makes him feel less terrible about that than Michael does.

Gregory hears ( more than he sees, eyes practically glued to the ground as if he can will the rocks and rubble to not shift under his feet and cause him to stumble as he walks ) Jeremy come to a stop and shuffles his feet to mimic the abrupt stop. Blinks in response, a little confused.

"Um — 'kay."

He lifts his eyes to nod in agreement, taken aback by the seriousness in his tone. A beat of silence passes. Gregory opens his mouth to ask a question— promptly closes it. He'll just annoy them. Jeremy turns to lead the trio once again, and nearly as soon as they take their first steps onward once more —— yeah, he can't help it.

"Why? Where are we going? Is there gonna be infected? Or is it more FEDRA patrols? Does FEDRA patrol this far out? Do you guys see fireflies when you come this far out?"

there’s nothing reassuring about what you just said.

this has DEFINITELY been in my inbox for like a year

★ — Nose scrunches up in obvious distaste ; Gregory shies a little closer to Freddy, tucking himself just close enough to his leg that he could dart behind the animatronic should he feel the need to. If the bear notices, he doesn't comment — likely for the better.

"What? All I said is Freddy's been helping me. He's not like the other animatronics — obviously, cause he's standing right here and not doing anything."

Freddy seems to shift uncomfortably at this comment. Gregory lets his eyes flicker back towards him, but doesn't acknowledge it more than that.

"The others can't see me when I'm in his stomach hatch— I know it's for cake, but I fit, and there's nowhere else for me to hide! It's how I hid from the security guard the first time! And we're careful about not using too much power!"

❛ See, this is why no one lets you make the plans. ❜ ( from cassidy in her SB AU who is absolutely about to come up with a worse one ( said jokingly obv ) / @ladyseidr )

inbox spring cleaning

★ — "Hey ——!"

Quickly shouted in slight - offense, his brows furrowed and mouth forming a small ' o '. He manages to pull himself together before continuing, pulling his volume into a hissed - whisper.

"Screw you, I'm great at plans!" ( highly debatable, if their current predicament were anything to judge ). "Like you could come up with anything better."

❛ I won't leave again. I promise you that. Not for anything. ❜

THE WALKING DEAD SEASON ONE SENTENCE STARTERS

★ — Really, it was only a matter of time before Gregory got sick. The kid hasn't been around large groups of people for extended periods of time in nearly a year.

He hasn't been able to leave his bed all day, spending most of the time drifting in and out of consciousness. Fever is high enough that he's practically radiating heat beneath the blanket — he's barely there, even in the time he does manage to keep himself awake.

Even so, it's clear he's trying to hold himself together. Trying to not whine, to not make himself a nuisance, a burden. An old, ingrained fear bubbling to the surface while Gregory's not aware enough to keep it hidden ; what happens when he's more trouble than he's worth? He's mumbling apologies each time he's awake enough to notice Michael slipping in and out of the room, making sure he's drinking, has something to eat if he needs it, taking care of him, making sure he's comfortable.

At some point, the dam finally breaks.

It feels like a simple question: Aren't you gonna leave? M'no good.

( dead weight like this. bad luck all of the time. a bad kid. trouble ).

After fending for survival as long as they had together, leaving someone this sick behind seems like the natural option. ( he hadn't left michael behind. they're family, now. they're safe, now. it's not only about survival in the commune, it's about community. home. thriving ). He hadn't meant for it to reveal so much — wouldn't have said anything close had he been in his right mind. But when Michael asks what he means, all Gregory can do is whine a little bit and bury himself deeper into the comforter of his bed.

Like Michael had wanted to do when he had first seen the bite. Like he'd wanted to do when heading to Bill and Frank's. Like he'd wanted to do when they reached the commune the first time. Like he almost had, bleeding on a mattress.

Bleary - eyed, he looks towards his guardian. Had he said anything? Or did Michael know from silence? Gregory's not sure. He sounds so serious when he says it though, like he's intent on the promise getting through the fogginess of the sickness. If he didn't feel so warm already, he thinks the words would make him feel the pleasant kind of warm ; right now, all he can do is nod.

"M'kay,"

Mumbled into the blanket he hasn't quite lifted his head entirely out of. He can feel his consciousness fading fast, lulling him back to sleep. He doesn't think he imagines the hand in his hair, unable to confirm the sensation's truth as his eyes flutter closed of their own accord.

" .... love you."

Michael doesn’t exactly how to approach this. He knows Gregory’s birthday, he needed it for their… not-so-legitimate legal documents, but he has largely no idea how Gregory feels about it ( based on the fact that the kid hasn’t brought it up beyond that, though, he can guess ). Michael’s history with birthdays doesn’t help in the slightest. Still, he refuses to ignore it, and had luckily paid some attention where Gregory wouldn’t: he’ll return home from school to a couple gifts: two of which are toys he remembers catching Gregory’s eyes lingering on, and the other a thrifted GameCube that came with a handful of classics. “Wasn’t about to let you get off scot-free on your birthday, sorry.” He comments with a small smile. “There’s a bit of cake in the fridge, which might be branded, but I did get it for free.” Aka he stole a Fazbear cake. 

★ — It's not that Gregory had forgotten about his birthday. He'd known the date was approaching with some sort of awareness, but had planned to let it come and go like any other. It's been years since anyone had pretended the date was special for his sake — lucky if a foster family would even offer him a passing ' happy birthday ' throughout the day, and ( unfair as it might have been ) ..... he'd honestly expected the same from Michael.

He hadn't expected him to remember ; didn't think it would strike his memory as something worth keeping track of.

Which is why he's so surprised when he walks home to presents, and glances up as his guardian to see that small smile. Eyes go wide, flickering back towards the toys, and to the fridge when it's mentioned.

"Oh,"

He can feel his cheeks flushing, chest and throat feeling tight, and it's —— embarrassing. He shouldn't feel this excited about his birthday being not only acknowledged, but celebrated by his ( favorite, definitely his favorite of all time ) guardian, but he is, teeth sinking into his lower lip to try and bite back the little smile tugging at them. He's decidedly not looking at Michael as he drops his backpack and steps in to take a closer look at the gifts, eyes sparking with light.

It's when he gets to the GameCube that he finally looks back at Michael, slight tilt to his head.

"What's this?"

WHAT'S CHILDHOOD LIKE? IT'S A LITTLE LIKE DYING, A LITTLE LIKE BEING BORN. WHICH IS TO SAY, IT'S NOTHING YOU CAN REMEMBER, BUT YOU KNOW THERE WAS BLOOD.

independent gregory of five nights at freddy's: security breach. canon divergent and heavily headcanon based. as adored by lune. ©