if you love me, don't let go

If You Love Me

A/N:

So I keep getting confused with the timeline I set up so I think I might just write it out again in case you're also getting confused. Magna went to prison when she was 17 (almost 18). She met Yumiko when she was 19 (almost 20). And was released around about 21.

this flashback scene was sort of inspired by the ending scene of Spring and that one in s9 we're they're all sharing a drink on the couch (such happier times can we please return to them?)

Whelp this has been an absolute labour of love and I'm kinda sad to see it end. I hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm honestly still so surprised I managed to get it finished - that's basically unheard of for me.

Sidenote: after watching Spring I got inspired to start writing a fic (that would sort of be an AU spinoff set after this one) where Magna gets bit but doesn't turn (at least, not into a walker). And it's also a bit inspired by Z Nation. Is that something y'all would be interested in? I will probably break your heart in it but I am also not like the twd writers - I will be putting that shit back together again and giving you a happy ending. Also, Connie, Kelly, Judith and Daryl would feature a bit in it (I'd write Luke cos he's awesome but I honestly don't have any idea how to write him so nope).

Again thankyou so much if you've left a review, and also you know just for reading this in general. Again, if there's something you want to see in one of the sequels, let me know :) Also, telling me your favorite scenes/parts are like my happy place, I super appreciate when people do that.

. . .

"I love her and that's the beginning and end of everything."

— F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Letter to Isabelle Amorous"

. . .

Two years following the end of the world, and the two had finally managed to find a moment of peace in the storm; to relax and revel in each other's company. Something that Yumiko felt they'd been sorely needing for a long while.

It was strange to consider but, although they were practically in each other's pockets almost every minute of every day, there hadn't actually been a lot of time to enjoy each other. To talk about things that didn't revolve around life and death matters: finding their next meal; their next shelter; what direction they should or shouldn't take; and analyzing their supplies, trying to determine whether they would have enough to see them through the next week, let alone the next month or winter. The essentials ruled their thoughts and their words. Occasionally they would veer off into territory more familiar to the days of before, when the world had still been safe and easy to understand, but it was difficult to maintain. Being constantly on edge, not to mention exhausted from the endless moving around, fighting, hunting, and keeping watch at night wasn't exactly conducive to pleasurable conversation. They'd had more intimate talks back when Yumiko was only seeing Magna every other night during her work shifts and the occasional coffee date.

She missed those times - and not just because she hadn't been continuously in fear for their lives then. She missed being able to just be with Magna.

In the past two years, Yumiko had felt almost like she was losing her, bit by bit, even when she was standing less than a breath away.

Losing herself, too.

But tonight their bellies were full and they'd found a shack that didn't appear to have seen any visitors for months. There'd been no sign of the dead for days, or the living for that matter.