world's end ━ the walking dead

( 𝟎𝟔𝟔 ) threatened

— NATE DIDN'T GET AN INCH of sleep throughout the night, not whilst he was surrounded by men he wouldn't even trust with an article of his clothing; throughout the entirety of the night, he sat against a tree with his hands tightly on his crossbow, keeping his eyes peeled on the men sleeping around him, ready for in case any of them decided to pounce on him and his brother and try to kill them while they sleep. Daryl slept throughout the whole night, not knowing that Nate had stayed up too keep watch, but just because the older Dixon didn't believe that the group would kill them in their sleep, it didn't mean that Nate believed that, too. This group didn't work in the same way that their old group did, they didn't strike Nate as people whom cared about one another, and it was a dangerous business to be near. Hours felt like days as he sat up on guard to protect him and Daryl in case they attacked, and throughout the whole time in doing so, Zoe riddled his thoughts, Nate unable to rid her face — it was like torture, imagining the girl he loved, but being unable to even touch her. Because she wasn't there, and it was messing with his head.

It was only when the morning sky began to seep into the tree lines, did the girls face slowly begin to fade away, the younger Dixon nudging just older brother to indicate that it was finally time to get up and start hunting to get some breakfast; Daryl and peeled open his eyes slowly, forgetting for just a second where exactly they were and whom was around them, before he remembered, eventually sitting up and getting a good look at their surroundings. It wasn't the most ideal situation to be in, but it was better to have a group of them in case a group of walkers attacked them; Daryl slowly got up with his crossbow to make sure he didn't wake any of the guys up, and Nate followed suit, going to grab their bags, only for Daryl to shake his head at him. Nate didn't trust the group at all, especially not with their bags, but they couldn't argue right now, not without the risk of waking the rest of the group up.. The second the two brothers were out of earshot of the sleeping group, Daryl spoke up quietly. "Did you even sleep?" He asked, noticing the large bags under his younger brothers eyes from the lack of sleep.

"No." Nate answered, keeping his eyes peeled around at their surroundings, like they had been doing all night long. When he finally looked back at his brother, he saw the older man giving him a look, which Nate rolled his eyes at, "What do you want me to do, man? I don't trust these guys." He said, shaking his head at the man's look directed at him.

Daryl sighed at his brothers words, annoyed that he didn't get any sleep for today and the energy they needed; they didn't know what was going to happen today, and they both needed to be prepared for anything. "I don't trust them either, brother. But we don't have a choice, safety in numbers until we find our group. If they're even out there anymore." Daryl said, knowing now, that without Beth, he hardly had any hope it finding any of their family again.

"Don't say that, not now." Nate instantly told him, not wanting to get into mindset, especially since Beth had tried so hard to get his hope back, by giving him the ring. He couldn't let Daryl change it all again, since he was finally hopeful that they will be able to find their family again. For days, he had been lost with the feeling that he was never going to see Zoe again, and it was ripping him apart, but with Beth's words of wisdom, he really opened his eyes about the fact that he could see them all again one day, if he fought for it. "They're out there. They have to be." He added, when they finally came to a small clearing.