BLACK OUT DAYS | THE WALKING DEAD

30 Days Without an Accident

Nate was sure a few months had gone by since they brought in Woodbury's people. It was a lot of hard work, getting to know each and every one of them and then having to help clean out the prison even more and actually make the whole place liveable besides just their singular cellblock. They also put up more gates and got their yard back from the walkers. It was a bit easier now that they had the actual manpower to do it. The governor didn't show his face again, Nate learned with the others that the governor gunned down his own people after they failed to take the prison from them and hadn't realized that he left Karen alive. They were confident enough that he wasn't going to return and wherever he was, Nate hoped that he was rotting.

The first six weeks of peace felt strange. Nate kept having a horrible feeling that it would get taken away from them but with Michonne going out on runs to look for the governor and coming back empty handed every time, Nate started to feel a bit more comfortable with the new-found normalcy in their lives.

He and Carl still didn't talk to the newcomers as much as Rick wanted them to. Nate saw the looks they would give him, trying to figure out how he fit in with the group. He's been asked if he was related to Daryl a few times, since some people were convinced they looked similar(which Nate thought was crazy) and Rick once or twice since he hung around his children so much. Nate just avoided them at all costs after that.

He was sitting behind their makeshift butcher shop, keeping Carol company as she cut up some meat when Daryl walked up to them, everyone greeted him as he walked past their table and he seemed uncomfortable that so many people knew his name. Carol began throwing together a bowl and held it out to him as he approached.

"Just so you know, I liked you first." She said with a wide grin and he rolled his eyes, taking the bowl from her.

"Stop." He muttered, making Nate let out a laugh. Daryl began picking at the meat and eating it with his hands.

"Nate, you wanna take over?" Carol held out her knife and Nate shrugged and took it from her, she moved to go walk with Daryl and Nate noticed that Patrick was walking up to them. The boy's gaze landed on Nate for a moment, making Nate sit up straighter but then he saw Daryl and it was as if he was starstruck. The other boy had wanted to thank him for bringing back the deer and when he asked to shake Daryl's hand, Daryl paused and stared, then he licked the sauce off of every one of his fingers and grabbed Patrick's hand. Nate covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at the look on Patrick's face. He didn't even seem the least bit offended. He's cute. Nate thought as Daryl dropped Patrick's hand and he walked off with Carol.

"Hey, Nathaniel." Nate's stomach pulled forward and his face instantly heated up as he wasn't addressed by his nickname.

"Um, hi." Nate replied, trying to get the blush in his cheeks to calm down.

"Are you going on that run today?" Patrick asked, and Nate gave a nod.

"I'm going to try. If Rick lets me." He said with an eyeroll. Rick's been against Nate and Carl going out of the prison lately, wanting them to convert to his and Hershel's farmer lifestyle. Nate thought it was stupid but it seemed like Carl was actually more lenient to the idea, which Nate never thought would be possible. Patrick's eyes still brightened up though.

"Will you try to see if you can find the next issue of that comic that I've been trading with Carl? I'm almost caught up with him." Nate nodded and he caught a sight of blonde hair and Alice Weaver was walking up to them with a wide smile on her face. Nate still wasn't sure why she was so insistent on being his friend, he kind of wished she would leave him alone.

"Yeah, sure." He replied, his mood suddenly fading.

"Hi, Patrick! Nate, how are you doing today?" She asked brightly and Nate scratched the back of his neck, looking out to where the walker fence was.