The Walking Dead - Male Reader x Hailee Steinfeld OC - Already Dead

CHAPTER 53 - AFTERMATH

For the past year, Y/N had been isolating himself from everyone other than Alex and Marcus. The people of Hilltop grew worried, so did Michonne and Carl since all messages were put through Marcus.

For the past year, Y/N would wake up and feel the spot beside him, to find it unoccupied and cold. Sometimes he'd hear their voices, during dinner at the table, in bed just before going to sleep.

Alex was also disheartened at the loss of his sister and mom, the boy would rarely eat and spent of his time in Louise's room. Alex started to ask Y/N to fight, who gladly accepted to teach his son, fear of what happened to Louise is what drove that.

The Kingdom fell, their pipes burst and King Ezekiel deemed it uninhabitable. Y/N agreed to let them seek refuge inside but with The Hilltop having to feed and care for double their people, they needed their leader now more than ever.

"Dad." Alex greeted from his office door, "Marcus is here with Mason. You're needed in Alexandria. Daryl wants you for something to do with The - Y'know."

Y/N stood up and took his pistol from his desk and holstered it. "Me, you, Mason and Marcus can go." Y/N cleared his throat, "Go pack a few things."

Y/N, Marcus, Mason and Alex all arrived at Alexandria, Daryl greeted them at the gate alongside  Carl.

Y/N dismounted his horse and helped Alex down as he made his way to Daryl. The two friends shook hands and then hugged, the pair hadn't seen each other for around a year. "How you holdin' up?" Daryl asked.

"As expected." He responded, "What'd you need?"

"Negan killed a couple Alexandrians. Says he was protecting Alicia." Daryl informed, "He said he ain't sayin' shit unless you're the one who speaks with him."

Y/N entered the cell, Negan was resting on a cot with his right hand under his head. "How's Alicia doing?" Negan asked, his eyes closed.

"I don't know."

Negan glanced at Y/N and chuckled, "Wasn't sure you'd show up. I was expecting you to not come or for you to come in here ol' Negan style and beat my brains in." The man joked, "I wanted to speak with you because of what I've heard happened to you. Father Gabe told me about the shit storm you went through. I doubt you came down here wanting to tickle my ball bag and call me your buddy. I'm trying to sympathise with you, kid." Negan sighed and stood up, "I lost my wife."

"Which one?" Y/N responded with spit.

"My first one, my - my real one. Lucille. That was her name. That's why I named the stupid bat over her. She got cancer, died just a few months after this but... I wasn't a good husband." Negan welled up slightly, "I fooled around on her. My advice: get revenge on those fucks that did it and then move on."

"I ain't taking advice from the man who killed my best friend." Y/N held the cell bars, "You and I ain't never been in a room before. Not toe-to-toe. And there ain't nobody to save you right now." Y/N grabbed the cell keys from his pocket.

"What do you want me to do, Y/N? I mean, the people out there, they are out for blood." Negan said with a smile, "Guys like you and me, we can smell that shit from a mile away." Negan sat down on his cot and placed both his hands on either knee, "I killed a woman who attacked a kid who had nothing to do with what happened to your family. You'd do the same thing, and I know you would. While I was locked up in here, Rick would always say how you did the right thing no matter the consequence."

"There ain't no right and wrong, Negan. I don't give a shit about what you did to that woman, I give a shit about what you did to me. Glenn, Abe, Sasha, Spencer... I've lost everything I love because of you. If Rick was still here, The Whisperers would be dead. And so would you cause we would've showed him what you did to us."

"You wanna kill me? Kill me." Negan's usual cheery voice faded, "Either you kill me now or you'll do it later down the line."

"I don't want you to die now. You deserve to lose much more than a wife."

It was now night-time, Y/N decided to walk around the Alexandria as he couldn't drift asleep.

The crickets chirped and the moon gave little light for those who enjoyed the dark.

One downside to his night walks, the images of Louise's and Lucy's decapitated heads on pikes. Their jaws chomping together and the clang of their now decaying teeth, their pale skin stretching and ripping.

"We have a mandatory curfew." A voice told from behind Y/N, "I could have you arrested for this." The Latina chuckled and motioned to the porch of her house, "Been a while since we spoke. Probably since that night with Abe."

Y/N grunted in response and took a seat beside her. "How's Coco?"

"She's good. How's Alex?"

"He's been better." Y/N answered, "How's things between you and Gabriel?"

Rosita sighed as she passed Y/N a beer, "We've called things quits until this whole Whisperer thing has been dealt with." Rosita kept a fair distance away from Y/N, not too close but not too far. "That Mason guy is new."

"One of Marcus' old pilot friends." Y/N took a sip from his beer, "He's trustworthy."

"If you say so." She shrugged. "You going to bed anytime soon?"

"Probably not. Why?"

"Was thinking we could have dinner, or you could at least have some food."

Y/N exhaled deeply, not wanting to decline her offer, "Alex will get shitty if I'm not in the house soon. He's been paranoid since the whole... thing."

"Maybe another time." Rosita raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe."