I try to upload as fast as I can. It's been crazy with work, and learning how to drive. I'm pleased to say that I've passed my theory test so at least I won't have to study for that every day anymore.
Added a little surprise to this chapter. Hopefully none of you are too sensitive when it comes to animal death.
A few nights of freezing in their flimsy tent and they have finally learnt their lesson. They didn't know how many more days, weeks or even months of enduring this temperature they could take, so Maddie set out a game plan for both of them.
She stated that she was going to go outside and collect materials, for a little while. At least until Negan's wound has healed. She would bring back the materials he would order and his job would be to insulate this room. While he was at it, he could cook dinner.
Before Negan could even open his mouth, Maddie already set off. This plan had to work. She knows this city better than him anyway.
This lasted for about a week. Once Negan understood that he could not stop her, the only option left was to finish all this building and insulating as quick as he could so that she would stop going outside by herself.
He knew she was more than capable. However, adding the snow storms, the cold and unknown communities to the walkers already endangering the area, he had reasons to be worried. Every time she would come back when it got dark, he would breathe a sigh of relief as if he has been holding his breath for the whole day.
On the last day, Maddie pushed the door open and walked into their little sanctuary. The air already felt warmer than the corridor leading up to the room.
"Quick, shut the door," Negan points at her. Maddie hurries inside with two bags worth of loot, slamming it behind her and lowering the wooden plank he has fastened to keep it locked.
She looks at him again.
"I think I've finished it, doll," he smirks slightly, gesturing around the room.
They will be keeping the tent up, just to sleep in. The walls have been covered in blankets, duvets and any other fabrics Maddie has managed to find. He has hammered them in place, which seemed to do the trick for keeping the heat in; Grey tape is outlining the edges. Most of the floor is lined with candles, which should do instead of a camp fire.
There is a balcony on the same level of this building anyway, they can build a fire there.
"It feels warmer," she comments, taking off her hat. Much warmer. She can feel her red cheeks heating up.
This is a secure little place for the winter. The only thing that freaks her out is the lack of windows.
"Come on, doll," he grabs the bags off her, tossing them towards the tent, "I've prepared some food."
They eat in silence like they always do. Negan keeps glancing at her, hoping for her gaze to soften. But it never does. Her eyes are tired and depressed. Whenever there is a loud noise, they jump towards it.
Negan sighs, holding back his urge to talk. Nothing will come of it. He learned that the hard way when he tried to crack jokes on their second night. Instead of taking them like she always did, her eyes were empty.
Maddie deems the insulation a success when she feels comfortable enough to sleep without a coat. She curls up into a ball in her sleeping bag with Negan beside her.
She doesn't know that she has fallen asleep until a bang in the building jolts her awake. She gasps when a hand presses firmly on her shoulder.
"It's alright," Negan shushes, "It's just the wind."
Relief floods through her, as the warmth of his body and the kiss he places on her forehead takes her back to the feeling of being safe. She closes her eyes as he wraps an arm around her.
She allows him to comfort her until she realises that Simon is far away, and that being with Negan is going to keep her safe. But then she remembers about the person that he is. And she has to turn away.
SHSHSHSHSHSHSH
Negan finally felt stable enough to go out, so they did. The snow storm died down, but the sky was still white, making it hard to see anything too far away.
Oddly, most of the buildings that haven't managed to burn down or collapse have a substantial amount of loot. It varies from canned food to clothes to even the dry snacks that have yet not gone out of date. Maddie rolls her eyes. That's how you know how much chemicals have been pumped into them for preservation.
Nevertheless, she grabs the bag of chips and starts eating.
Negan smirks at her, "Come on, it's going to get dark soon."
They step back out into the snow as the temperature starts to drop. Negan looks into the distance to see movement on the horizon but doesn't think too much of it. If it's a walker, it would never reach them anyway.
They keep walking, taking their time as the sunset turns pink on the horizon. He feels brave enough to ask her what she wants to have for dinner (a glamorous choice between spaghetti hoops and tinned peas). Surprisingly, she answers him without a snide remark about his past, or an attitude. Progress.
Suddenly, there is a long howl and Maddie stops in her tracks. Negan keeps walking, already planning how to plate their romantic meal, "Negan, stop!"
He raises an eyebrow, turning around.
"Did you not hear that?"
"I heard wind," he shrugs. She gives him a look of disapproval before the howl is heard again. This time, they look around the street, desperate to find the source of the noise.
Maddie clutches her knife, ready to attack.
"Holy shit," Negan says suddenly, his upper body becoming rigid.
She turns her eyes to the wolf snarling at them from a few feet away. If it wasn't for his icy blue eyes, they would have never spotted it. Its fur blends into the snow, becoming an immediate danger for them both.
Maddie jumps to the left when she sees movement from the corner of her eye. Another one. Her heart starts to race, the possibility of them being surrounded by a pack becoming very real. There are no humans in the city. Animals are rare. And these predators are hungry.
She steps so far backwards that her back slams into Negan's. He grabs one of her hands, chuckling slightly.
"They are fucking breath-taking."
Maddie glares in his general direction, "They won't be in a few minutes when they're pulling at your intestines."
It amazes her how naïve he has become. Or maybe he was always like that.
"We can take them."
"No, we can't!" she starts to get frustrated, squeezing his hand. She sees two more white wolves emerging from behind a car, "Listen, we have to run."
He sighs, nodding mostly to himself, "Yes. But they will be so much faster, sweetheart."
Maddie locks eyes with one of them, watching the animal size her up.
"Do you have your rifle?" Negan asks quietly.
She nods, bringing her hand up to her shoulder to touch it, "Yes."
"Good. I'm gonna need to you start shooting, doll," she feels his arm move and then the click of his own handgun is heard, "On three. And then we run over to that entrance."
She can't see what he sees, but without letting go of his hand, it won't be too hard to follow him. She doubts that he would leave her to fend for herself anyway.
"Are you ready?"
She takes a deep breath, feeling slightly nauseous, "Yeah. I think so."
Maddie counts at least five wolves before she feels Negan jolt forward. Her ears start ringing as the panic sets in.
"Three!" he yells, pointing his pistol towards one of the beasts. Maddie scrambles for her weapon, and doesn't bother to aim. Instead, she sprays the bullets in every direction before Negan must pull her away.
It all happens so fast that she doesn't register him speaking to her. And she can hardly remember them finally reaching one of the buildings. All she sees is one of the wolves sprinting away, and another one snarling after them.
Negan pushes her through the door and slams it behind them, "Go that way!"
She follows his orders, running up some flights of stairs and then down again, before jumping over a gap in the floor. She hears noises behind them, and the crumbling of concrete as they stomp over the fragile ground.
Negan glances over his shoulder and continues nudging Maddie forward. She guesses that they are still being chased when he starts shooting blindly behind them.
There is a piercing sound of a whimper before a loud thud is heard. They run for a few more feet and then stop. The cold air hits them again when they find themselves outside in the snow. There are so many gaps in the buildings, that they stand more as shells.
"Okay," Negan pants, "Okay, we're good."
"Is it alive?" Maddie widens her eyes as he nudges the wolf with his foot.
"No," he sighs.
They stand for a few minutes in silence as if to honour the dead. Next, Negan grabs the corpse and throws it over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Maddie asks.
He shrugs, "I'm not putting this fur to waste, darlin'."