Irresistible Danger

Damage Control

The kitchen staff was still staring, and you had no clue how to respond. Trying to reason with them or give an excuse seemed pointless at the moment, seeing as how your brain had left the building and no intelligent responses were to be found. Then the thought hit: you're in charge here! You don't have to explain yourself to them.

Deciding to take a page out of Negan's book, you constructed what was hopefully an authoritative tone and commanded, "What are you people staring at? Get the hell back to work!"

There was a pause as people continued to look shocked, whether still from the exchange with Negan or now because of your tone of voice, you weren't sure. However, after a brief hesitation, everyone appeared to start moving again at once, going from staring openly to actively avoiding any potential eye contact with you.

Well, everyone except Ben.

He continued to openly gawk, and you could practically hear the gears whirring in his brain as he tried to process what the hell your interaction with Negan meant. Turning away from him, you walked over to start mixing together the cheese and sauce for the ziti. Once that was finished, you turned back to the sink to retrieve the strained ziti, a quick glance confirming that Ben was still frozen to the spot.

It was as you went to lift up the first strainer of ziti that you saw movement out of the corner of your eye.

"I got it," Ben said, finally unfrozen and back into work mode.

It carried on this way for the rest of dinner prep; Ben was strangely silent and contemplative, while everyone else seemed afraid to make eye contact, which you were fine with. In fact, you now understood why Negan used fear tactics to help run the compound. Things were so much easier when people were afraid to speak, since there were no pesky questions or stares. Only Trixie appeared unaffected by your outburst; a permanent smirk was fixated on her face as she bounced around the kitchen, baking rolls and arranging them in baskets before skipping them out to set on the multiple cafeteria tables.

Dinner was almost finished being served, and you were almost convinced that it was possible to finish your duties and leave for the evening without any interrogation. However, after a server had taken the last round of pasta bowls through the door into the cafeteria, you felt a hand lightly touch your shoulder. Looking over, you saw Ben standing there with a look that showcased a mixture of shyness yet determination.

"Can I talk to you in the pantry for a minute?"

Your stomach dropped. More than anything, you wanted to decline or use some excuse as to why you couldn't, but knew that would just make the situation look even worse. Nodding begrudgingly, you followed Ben across the tiles to the back of the kitchen, aware of the gazes that followed both your retreating backs.

Stepping into the pantry, you couldn't help but notice how different the atmosphere was in here with Ben compared to Negan. With Negan, the pantry had felt tiny when filled with his presence, as well as seeming like a safe haven. It had almost felt like a pocket of space where time was suspended and no one was able to intrude, which was why you both had let down your guards when last in here. However, with Ben, the pantry felt so large as to be imposing, the rows of shelves seeming to loom all around, as if the various cans and boxes were a jury trying to prove your guilt.

Fidgeting his feet, as if unsure where to start, Ben finally appeared to gather his courage. He took a deep breath and finally looked you square in the eye while asking, "Wanna tell me what that was all about with Negan earlier?"

Sweat started to break out on your palms as you floundered for a response. You knew this had been coming, but were still unwilling to be honest. What if Ben judges you? Or even worse: what if he doesn't want to be your friend anymore when he hears you've been hanging out with Negan?!