ELEANOR . NEGAN

006.

[ CHAPTER SIX ]fucking eugene

It was a fight between light and dark. The small strip of yellow luminous light roamed around the metal door, getting through the small gaps just to fight the sickness that clung onto the small molecules in the atmosphere. Whereas the darkness loomed around her feeble body, gripping and nipping at her bare skin, it created an illusion that there was no light at all.

The dingy cell was even worse than anything she came across. Long, dragging night of star littered skies, led against sharp sticks and prodding stones was better than this shit. Fuck, she missed those nights. When the sound of snarling walkers ricocheted through the woods as each snap of a twig woke her – calling quits to a one-hour long nap.

But the cell with the freezing concrete floor, covered in every single bacteria you could come across? That was driving her crazy. Even more so with the addition, or rather subtraction, of the necklace around her neck.

Eleanor was stuck in a cell with Eugene. She guessed it was temporary as there were saviours checking in on them at any chance they could get, but she didn't appreciate it. Since the death of Spencer and Olivia, and the whole bullet fiasco, it would only make sense to keep Eugene alive. Eleanor reckons she'll be the punching bag instead of him.

"Can you shut up?" Eleanor snarled. You couldn't blame her – Eugene was crying like a little bitch. "Christ."

"I- I can't help it!"

Eleanor deadpanned the slobbering mess of a man and sighed. "Yes. You can. By growing a pair of bollocks!"

Eugene gulped and stopped talking. It was bad enough they were in this cell in the first place, even worse that it was Elle with him. She pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, pissed off at him and maybe the world for being in this mess in the first place.

Her battered converse were kicking rocks into the side of the wall, the noise bouncing across all four walls, as Eugene stared at her. Despite all things, he looked up at Eleanor. Maybe not with the mentality but definitely physically. He liked that she protected anyone and everyone, liked that she had the loyalty to keep the group as safe as she could. She was strong, and badass, and it was hard not to like her.

"Rise and shine!" That irritating voice bellowed from behind the closed metal door. Eugene started to cry a bit more now and all she could offer him was a timid smile. She was trying to reassure him that everything would be okay, and it would for him at least, but maybe not so much for her.

The metal door creeped open and the light filled the dark room. Eugene was too worried about dying to look up at the man whereas Eleanor faced him as soon as the door even croaked. Fucking Negan. He was standing there in all his glory with his stupid steel-tipped shoes and that equally stupid bat. There were two other people behind him, one blonde called Laura and a man called Joey.

"Stand up." Elle huffed and kicked the final rock to the side before getting up, sparing Eugene a look as he shakily nodded at the order. "How did you sleep?" Negan asked with a shit-eating grin.

"Oh, amazing." She responded.

Meanwhile Eugene was whimpering (an ugly whimper paired with a snotty cry) and looked back at the cold floor. Fucking hell. Negan looked at him, then at Eleanor, raising his eyebrows. "Is he always like this?"

Eleanor shrugged. "Where's my necklace?"

Joey scuffled forward at her exclaim but Negan raised his hand to stop him. "What'd you say, doll?"

"I said, where the fuck is my necklace?"

He let out a deep chuckle and stepped inside the cell. "I got you locked up and you're asking about a Goddamn necklace? Must be some hefty shit."

"It's called sentiment, prick."

She watched with deep confusion as his posture changed and a grin made its way onto his face. She was no psychologist, but someone had some sort of behaviour disorder. "You're a Goddamn mouthful, holy shit!" He boomed. "Do you speak to everyone like that?"

Eugene slowly stopped to cry when he realised no one was going to get hurt. Not with Elle and Negan making weird conversations. She wanted to say she only spoke to Negan this way, but that would be a lie. She had a foul mouth, so what?

He laughed, "Don't worry, doll. I know the answer to that." Eleanor glared at him but Negan ignored her stare (of course he did) and focused on Eugene instead. The man shook more vigorously at the attention change, tears spilling once more. "You – what's your name again?"

"E-Eugene, sir."

Negan licked his lips and narrowed his eyes at the quivering man, giving him a strict and sinister glare to freak him out even more. Scare-tactics really was his strong suit. "You're going with Laura."

Eugene's eyes flitted between Negan, the blonde woman and the male brunette. "Who- who is Laura, sir?"

Eleanor cringed and kicked him gently. "Be fucking serious."

"Right, right." Eugene gulped and brushed past Negan (more like stayed against the wall just so he didn't spook him) and went towards the blonde woman.

Eleanor didn't say anything as she watched him walk towards Laura, but she kept her eyes on him hoping he stayed safe. Laura was quick to grab his arm and pull him down the hall, out of sight to her and everyone else.

She swallowed away worries and looked up at Negan. "Where is he going?"

"Don't worry–"

She snapped. "Where is he going?" Fucking hell, she hated repeating herself.

Negan looked down at her and smirked. "You ask a lot of questions, doll." He stepped forward and rested Lucille to the wall on the side. "I didn't appreciate you lying to me, no, not one fucking bit."

Elle rolled her eyes at his words. Eugene wasn't here anymore so she could say whatever the fuck she'd like. They would only hurt her now. "Oh, give me a break–"

"Do not have that fucking tone with me." She blinked. "I'm taking you under my care, doll. Feeding you my expensive hospice all for free." Negan smirked and craned his head, biting his lower lip. "He's gonna be fine. We're keeping him somewhere... safe. Gotta get these bullets made, Ellie–"

"Don't call me that."

Negan just looked at her, his eyes running across her features. He jumped from the little crevice between her eyebrows that became prominent whenever she got pissed, to the way her bottom lip jutted out. She was amusing. He let out a chuckle and grabbed Lucille and with one swift movement, closed the metal door – leaving Eleanor alone in darkness.