The End of the World - A Negan Love Story (The Walking Dead)

Chapter 1 - The Supply Run

Hi fellow Negan admirers! I'm here with a new story I've been working on, a Negan/OC fic with lots of angst and enemies to lovers tropes. I hope you do enjoy, please feel free to let me know any of your thoughts.

Happy reading!

The Supply Run

The afternoon had been a crisp one in Washington, turning even cooler as it quickly rolled into evening. It had been a couple of hours since they'd left Alexandria and the day was already darkening, rain clouds painting the sky a deep blue in the distance.

They'd packed for a few days journey —several containers of food, bottles of fresh water, a thick blanket to cover them at night— the usual supplies needed for a basic run. Lily was just glad to be outside the walls, to be doing something useful.

Leaves crunched beneath Lily's boots and swirled around her legs as she continued down the smooth asphalt road leading to a nearby town a couple miles away from home.

Home.

Could she even call it that? A month ago perhaps, before that night with the Saviours, the night they lost Glenn and Abraham.

She shook the memory from her head as a sharp whistle sounded from the tree-line to her right. She caught Daryl's eye as he nodded ahead and signalled for her to follow him quietly.

They'd traversed this road a number of times before, bracketed by thick woodland on either side, usually peppered with the dead, though their numbers were low enough to handle.

There was a small town up ahead where they planned to make their first stop. They'd scope out a few stores, eat, and then continue on their way further west.

The small list remained tucked in her back pocket, items she was hoping to find along with all the food, medicines or ammunition they could get their hands on. But just like with those items, hope was scarce these days.

The rifle in her hands fell to her side as she manoeuvred down the grassy embankment towards Daryl, careful of her footing.

"Movement up ahead." He breathed, motioning with his crossbow towards a run down paint shop that could be seen partly through the trees. The white industrial building still stood relatively untouched, with a sturdy-looking wooden fence surrounding it, some planks missing here or there. She could see a few black clad figures near the entrance.

Lily rifled through the satchel at her waist, bringing out a short set of binoculars, her skin bumping as the wind picked up. It rushed past them, leaves dancing in the trees, and brought with it the muted shouts of men.

The rim of the lens was cold against her face. "I count five, maybe six." She glanced behind them and handed the binoculars to Daryl. "Could be more inside."

"Looks like they're about leavin'." His brows furrowed slightly. "Saviours." He confirmed.

In the distance, a vehicle door slammed shut, raised voices cutting through the silence. She turned and gave Daryl a cautionary look, one he returned. We need to be careful.

They crossed the forest floor, staying low as they crept closer, twigs breaking and snapping under their weight. Daryl held out his right hand, motioning with a quick flick of his wrist for her to head towards the back of the shop while he scoped the front.

She nodded and double-checked that her knives were in their holders at her waist before taking off towards the edge of the tree-line, near some large bins at the back of the store.

Lily was used to taking direction from Daryl on their runs, he was one of the few people she trusted, and likewise, she was one of the only people he let join him on hunts. They were comfortable around each other, both quiet and contained within themselves, yet fiery and fierce when provoked. They had found that last similarity out very quickly.