Mortala

3.

Most of the group is outside on the training grounds learning about how to fight if you're surrounded by multiple people and it's just you. Adrian, Vaughn, and Elania are in charge of half of the group while Magna, Nyle, and Inejra teach the other group. Though they tried to protest, Adrian forced her old group to train as well. Her excuse for making them go through the training was that they just fight, they have no skill or moves which results in them just barely making it out alive. Adrian decided to split them up so that they weren't doing anything stupid so Daryl, Negan, and Ezekiel are with her, and Eugene, Gabriel, and Yumiko are with Magna. 

During the training, Negan walks over to Adrian. "Hey, can I talk to you?" Great, what on Earth could he want to talk to Adrian about? Adrian hesitates but agrees and motions for him to walk to the side with her. While walking away, Vaughn and Elania don't take their eyes off Negan and Adrian, though they trust Adrian so they allow her to go with Negan- bodyguard-free.  

"What's up?" Adrian asks a very slight hint of irritation in her voice only she was able to pick up. 

"Is something wrong?" Negan questions, crossing his arms and staring down at Adrian. 

She doesn't even know how to answer that. No, nothing's wrong, but then again, everything's wrong. Every time she hears her own name, it feels like she shouldn't respond because that's not her. She hasn't felt like herself for years, not since her best friends Abraham and Glenn died, anyway. Adrian can't even remember the last time she smiled or belly laughed for that matter. Her little sister used to say "Why survive if you're not living?" But now, Adrian's not surviving for herself, she's surviving because she made a promise. She can't live, not anymore, not now. Plus, the people who saved her multiple times hate her guts now, which, she doesn't know if she hates but she's leaning more towards not minding. 

The words in Adrian's throat get stuck, almost like there are no words to say. Negan used to be her safe space for everything and now she can't fathom the thought of confiding in him; or anyone for that matter.

"No," is all she manages to say. 

He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head, "I'm not fuckin' blind, Adrian. I've known you since before the apocalypse happened. What the hell is-" 

"Negan," Adrian quips, narrowing her eyes. "I said no. What? Are you pissed I'm not fallin' back into your group's arms? Shucks, man, guess not everyone finds you guys their guardian angels." 

Negan sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, not really knowing how to respond. This isn't how he expected their reunion to go. He didn't expect to be the one kneeling in front of her this time, barely recognizing the face standing before him. The sound of her voice, the dead look in her eyes, and the lack of color on her face. Everyone knows why, but then again, they haven't seen her in almost seven years. Maybe something else happened that they don't know about. 

"You just seem different, is all." he finally says. 

"Oh, shit? Really? Well, fuck, that's my fuckin' bad for not jumping for joy every time I see y'all. I'll make sure to do that more often." Adrian hisses back. One of her biggest pet peeves is being asked if she's okay, or if something's wrong. And one of her bigger pet peeves is not being believed- even if she's lying. "Get back to trainin'." Negan glances once more at Adrian before retreating back to the group and disappearing behind the heads of training fighters. 

"What was that about?" Vaughn asks as Adrian stands next to him.

"Nothin', he just thinks he's my bestest friend in the whole wide world, still." 

Vaughn snickers, "Fuckin' dumbass. Oh, I glanced over at Magna's group and Gabriel was trying to talk to Inejra but she wasn't having it." 

Adrian nods in approval. "Good. I don't know if they're tryin' to get through to us to let Maggie or them go, or whatever the hell. But if we crack...everythin' could spin out."