The Ruins Part 2 (Sequel to The Ruins)

Chapter 43

Negan left the old road and went by himself with Tom along the way as the Saviors head down to find other hunters. They found what used to be a highway, so they turned and followed that. Despite the fact that Negan was mustered with energy to look left and right, left and right, checking every shadow under every tree for some sign of movement, he was more looking for any signs of Mal. She never really made her promise of staying with Negan and maybe never. He understand her grief and revenge, but risking yourself to die.

I can't allow that, he told himself, but his inner voice- the less emotional and more rational aspect of his mind- replied, If you hurry your ass up to get to her.

"Who is Preacher Jack? Never heard of him before."

"Preacher Jack is somewhat new," Tom said. "Lived through the Black Night. I got a description of Dreaded Skillz and he works on the Wawona hotel."

"I think we'll have to watch our asses," suggested Negan.

"And you are right."

Suddenly crossing over to an old building, once to be a small gas station with a restaurant, and there's a body laying on the overgrown grass, a stab in the man's throat.

Inside the store was a massacre of many bodies, bodies of Bounty Hunters that would be working with the KillGames and White Bear. Their bodies strewn in various rooms, the hallway, the main store; one man lay by his mangled feet as Negan went over to the blood to inspect, his blood pooling and staining the floor beneath his lifeless body.

He chuckled. "Mal did this."

"Mal?"

"She fought these men. She's the only person who likes to brutally murder a man's penis." He pointed at the man's crotch, split apart from an upward swing.

"What?" Tom said, confused blindly. Negan didn't answer back.

He went further outside, hoping she isn't far enough.

When he gets to the lot of used to be a parking lot for employs, a cold metal lightly pressures on his neck. Raising his arms in surrender, but not letting the fucker take a hold of Ellie.

"Negan?" A soft, surprising familiar voice made Negan's heart ache.

She takes her machete away from Negan's neck. She looked like a crazed person, her machete is covered in blood, a fee bruises on the line of her jaw and splatter of blood grazed on her cheek. Both of them stare in surprise, happiness, and most importantly, awkwardness. He felt weird and so conflict as Mal smiled but didn't look at him in the eye. He tentatively reach his hand to wipe the blood off her cheek with his thumb, hoping there's some recognition of their friendship, their time to show their feelings, and their kiss. She twitched a smile but it faded.

When Negan was about to open his mouth Tom intervenes. "Mal? What happened with the others?" Tom interrupted and Mal replies.

"The group is fine. Was chased by a mother rhino-"

"Are you OK?" Negan said worriedly.

"I'm fine. Then found a few hunters that were talking about the children and bets, so I had to do it. Kill them and had no answers. Let's go, you guys are probably close to the monk station."

As they walk back to the highway, the more he thought about his own actions towards Mal. He'd been kicking himself for the last hours over kissing her, he'd already classed their relationship as inappropriate especially given the less than fucking decent thoughts he'd had about her. Kissing her had made it a thousand times worse, it wasn't just crossing the line it was shitting on it as he took a running leap over it. Knowing what he knows now, he wondered whether what Charlie had done had influenced their relationship at all. He had no idea how Charlie had messed with her head, had she only kissed him out of some obligation or had she really wanted to do it? Did Mal genuinely have feelings for him or was she just picking up on Negan's own inclinations? He quickly dismissed that last thought, at the very least he'd always kept his feelings under control around her. He made a promise to himself to keep a distance in the future, keep any romantic elements out of their relationship until they both knew what Mal wanted. Fuck, until they both knew what they wanted, even Negan was confused by his feelings. He wasn't going to lie, Mal was attractive, thinking about screwing her didn't exactly come as a surprise to him but the feelings that had grown were definitely a shock to the system. It was love, it was more of a feeling of finding someone that matched him, someone that he couldn't help but want to be around all the damn time. He wants to love her, but what is her feelings.