The Third Dixon [The walking dead]

Chapter ten

Morning came softly, light slipping through the curtains in pale bands instead of alarms or shouting. For a moment, Measi didn't know where she was—only that she was warm, held, breathing in and out to a steady rhythm that wasn't her own.

Nathan.

She became aware of him in pieces: his arm firm around her waist, his breath warm against the back of her neck, the slow rise and fall of his chest behind her. Her own arms were tucked close to her body, fingers curled near her sternum like she was still guarding herself even in sleep.

She stayed still, afraid that if she moved, the moment would break.

The house was quiet in that rare way that came after a long night—no tension yet, no raised voices, just the faint sounds of people shifting in other rooms, floors creaking, someone coughing down the hall. Normal. Almost.

Nathan stirred behind her, breath hitching slightly as he woke. His arm tightened instinctively, pulling her closer before his mind had fully caught up.

"You awake?" he murmured, voice rough with sleep.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Didn't want to move."

He smiled against her neck, she could feel it. "Good call."

Silence stretched between them, comfortable but heavy with what they both knew was coming. A run. Another one. Another door closing behind him while she stayed behind the walls.

Measi turned just enough to look at him. His eyes were already open, studying her face like he was memorizing it.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded, then hesitated. "I hate this part."

"Me too."

She pressed her forehead into his chest for a second, grounding herself. "Don't do anything stupid."

He snorted softly. "I was gonna say the same to you."

That earned him a weak smile. She slid out of his arms reluctantly, already missing the warmth, and grabbed her jacket from the chair. By the time they stepped outside, the day had fully woken—voices, boots on pavement, the low hum of preparation.

Noah stood near Eugene, holding out a gun fitted with a silencer.

"Oh, no, thank you," Eugene said immediately, hands lifting like the weapon might bite him.

"Just take it," Nicholas muttered.

"You gotta protect yourself," Noah insisted, pushing it closer.

"Not if I don't go," Eugene replied, earnest as ever.

Aiden cut in, impatience sharp in his tone. "We're not driving all that way just to drive back with the wrong shit."

Eugene lifted a small bundle of components. "It's a dozen of these. They are consistent in appearance across manufacturers. The shit will be right. I will install said shit. Then the grid will be fully operational again."

Noah didn't give him time to argue. He pressed the gun into Eugene's hands and stepped back.

Measi helped Nathan strap on his gear, fingers quick and practiced. She shrugged out of her jacket and handed it to him without thinking.

"You'll need it more than me," she said.

He took it, then caught her wrist gently before she could pull away. "Hey."

She looked up.

"I'll be back," he said quietly. Not a promise. A statement. Something he needed to say out loud.