The Wolf You Feed

Chapter 79

Jesus had been awake for at least an hour. He knew he needed to get up and start his day. There was always more to do in a day than he had time for. Even when he got up early. But Aaron's arm was draped across his chest. He could feel the warmth of the other man's body soaking into his side. In his sleep, all the pain that Aaron showed in every expression of his handsome face was gone. Jesus didn't think it was intentional but he noticed that Aaron was always careful to maintain his physical distance from him. If even their hands brushed together accidentally, Aaron was quick to back away. This was the most physical contact Jesus had ever had with him.

After Carol went over the side of the bridge, Jesus searched for her. He, Sherry, and Grey Wolf walked up and down the edge of the water for miles, hoping the woman had been able to swim herself to safety. Jesus could tell that Grey Wolf was winded after about the first hour. But the man was relentless. He pushed them on until they started losing the light and had no choice but to head for the Hilltop.

Jesus wasn't sure where else to put his sanctuary stowaways. Coming back after dark had been a blessing in disguise. Gregory wasn't awake to throw a fit. So Jesus took them back to his trailer. Aaron was still awake, waiting for him to get back.

The sleeping arrangements up until then had been simple. Jesus slept in his bed. And Aaron was sleeping on the couch. But there weren't separate sleeping accommodations for two more people. And there hadn't been any discussion about what to do. The pretty young woman that had fled from her position as a member of Negan's harem had simply balled herself up on the couch and passed out from exhaustion. Grey Wolf lifted the girl's head, sliding slightly under her, so that Sherry could use his leg as a pillow. Then he leaned his head back against the wall. Within a few moments he was as dead to the world as she was.

This left Aaron and Jesus sitting together awkwardly at the table, trying not to look at each other or his queen sized bed. Jesus cringed a little, remembering what he said about it. There's plenty of room. I can give you your own blanket. Jesus wasn't afraid of anything. He killed walkers. He fought the good fight. He was a martial arts instructor before the turn. But for some odd reason, Aaron turned him into a fumbling stammering teenager again. Aaron was handsome. But Jesus had been with better looking men before. There was just something about him. A sort of je ne sais quoi. Aaron had a quality that Jesus would be hard pressed to describe. If he had to try he would say it was like Aaron's kindness and inner beauty just shined out of him.

Aaron took the extra blanket Jesus gave him and used it to cover up Sherry's bare legs. Then he laid down on the edge of the bed and faced the wall, his body stiff and uninviting. Jesus took the opposite side of the bed. He felt a little awkward since Aaron had taken the side of the bed he usually slept in. But the stress and physical exertion of the day caught up to him faster than he thought it would. And before long Jesus was as dead to the world as the people on his couch. When he woke, Aaron was in the middle of the bed, cuddling into his side. Jesus knew the man would jerk away the moment he realized what was happening. But for the moment, Jesus just kept still and enjoyed the comfort of his warm touch and the minty manly smell of him.

"THEY'RE HERE! THE SAVIORS!"

The shout came with the slam of his door against the wall. Jesus and everyone else in the room woke abruptly and started scrambling for their shoes. He didn't even get a chance to thank the person that had flung his door open and warned him. The man was already gone, doing the same thing to everyone else that had the misfortune of attempting to get a little extra sleep.

Grey Wolf was cursing like a sailor and Sherry was hugging her arms around her body, tears already forming in her eyes. They both readily followed Aaron when he led them to the door of an underground root cellar and ushered them inside.

"Don't you need to hide?," Grey Wolf asked.

Aaron shook his head. The saviors had already been there once and seen him. None of them had recognized him. He was just another faceless sorghum farmer to them. Grey Wolf was not going to be able to blend in and hide that way. Just the scars on his forehead would be enough to give him away. And all of the Saviors knew what Sherry looked like. Negan paraded his wives around in front of his people as often as possible.

Sherry started searching the small dark room, looking for the best place to hide. But when she turned, she could see that her companion was not doing the same. He was holding a steak knife in a white knuckle grip and peeking out the crack in the door, waiting for Negan's soldiers to come. The man was clearly crazy if he thought he had any chance at all against Negan's men. Especially with nothing but a small serrated knife. He was going to get them both killed.

"Come on," Sherry urged. When Grey Wolf ignored her, she darted forward, grabbing him by the back of the dirty sweatshirt he still had on. "Please," she begged, "...we have to hide."

Grey Wolf took one more lingering glance out through the crack of the door. But Sherry's ragged heavy breathing was drawing his attention. She was terrified. And she was already starting to cry. He didn't know what exactly had happened to the woman back at the Sanctuary. But he could guess. And even if she wasn't traumatized and terrified, she was in no position to make a fighting stand with him. He took a step back from the door and let Sherry lead him towards the back of the cellar to hide.