ELEANOR . NEGAN

098.

The ounces of hours before still lingered on the small group. Even as they sat around a fire in the large lobby with people drinking poor whiskey that tasted like petrol and this homemade liquid a man called Luci made — even in the high spirits, confusion still stayed put.

"I don't get it," Frank whispered. "The armour? The burnt carriage, that's- that's extreme warfare."

"Not that extreme." Elle mumbled back, taking a swig of her drink as her eyes stayed put Negan. He was talking to Annie in a dark corner, eyes flickering from her face to Frank. Weird. "I just don't want to tell Ian."

"Yeah, he's a bit of a psycho." Then he laughed, and it was so weird how Frank was always smiling and giggling like he was a teenage girl. Except he wasn't. "Are you scared?"

Was she scared? Was she fucking scared? Frank watched as her hands locked over each other and her eyes wavered over to Negan once more. "I'm not scared." It was the truth. "But I am." And that was another truth.

"I get it." Frank mumbled, his jaw resting on the flat of his palm. This time he looked over at Annie. "I'm scared all the time." He admitted, "I don't want to die, but I think me protecting my people trumps that feeling." Ain't that the truth. "Is that how you feel for him?"

She laughed, "Yeah, I guess so. Except I don't care what happens to me as long as he's alright."

"That's not healthy."

"It's the healthiest I can be." Elle shrugged carelessly because she wasn't lying — it was the truth. "Anyways, can we lighten this up or what?"

"Fine, fine." Frank smacked her on the back with a deep laugh, it spilled across the room and caught Negan's eye. "So, these rotters... I think there's a community out there, you know? Maybe it relates to the MRE's we get."

"Maybe so." Elle mumbled although she knew the answer. "I'm sorry for not telling anyone else, mate... but you have to understand why-"

"I get it." Frank cleared his throat. "Those eight weeks are a lie—"

"Now, hold your fucking horses."

Frank just laughed, a blessing to her ears really. "It's fine, Ellie Belly." Her eyes doubled and it only made him laugh more, his stomach hurting from it. The fuck did he just call me? "You and Negan? You got more chemistry than the stars and the moon."

"You're pathetic."

"No, I'm honest." Then his laugh died down. "I'm just saying... I- I know. You're trying to keep people safe, I don't blame you."

"So, you're not pissed off?"

"For not telling everyone else? Not at all! You're like our own John Wick."

"Okay, now you're a nerd."

"Takes one to know one, bitch."

"Don't call her a bitch-"

"Don't call me a bitch-"

Voices were mixed together with velvety smoothness and a coarse touch, Frank wide eyed when Negan loomed over the pair with Annie stifling laughs to his side. Their presence was abrupt that it took a moment for Eleanor to realise he was really there next to her. I suppose the physical motion to it was when Negan plopped down beside her, their thighs touching as were their shoulders. It was mundane, why was her heart beating ten times faster?

Annie too sat down, this time in the gap between Elle and Frank as her face already turned to look over at man. The flutter of her lashes and the upturned corners of lips made it all clear; they were fucking. To put it nicely or whatever.