- NATE DIDN'T EXACTLY ENJOY being behind large walls, high enough that he couldn't see the outside, and he couldn't see the dangers that may or may not be coming for them. In the prison, they had their own on guard, keeping an eye out at all times throughout the night, the day, twenty-four-seven, but he didn't know the guards here, he didn't know how good they were, or how concentrated they were on their job, and it made him uncomfortable.
It isn't like he didn't appreciate these people for letting him and his family in their home, but even if they hadn't done anything bad as of yet, it didn't mean they wouldn't in the future, and that's what was making him tense, and taking it out on those around him wasn't what he wanted to do.

He didn't sleep in the same bed as Zoe last night.

He slept close, close enough that he could hear any dangers coming for her, and close enough that he could do something about it if it were to happen.

The man knew that he had upset her, it's the last thing he wanted to do, but when he was stressed, he lashed out, and that's something that he had always tried to fix, but unable to. During their days of travelling, he had never felt this uncomfortable staying in a place he didn't trust - every single place they had stayed, they had trusted the people there, enough to stay for a long time. But he was still unsure with this place, and he hated that the thought was at the back of his mind, constantly prodding at him and reminding him.

When he woke up in the morning, Sasha was already gone, she had left early in the morning to go hunting - the group still didn't feel one hundred percent eating all of Alexandria's food, so they tried to limit what they ate with them. He left Zoe to get some more sleep in the morning, knowing that she needed it, and with everyone here in the house still, he knew that she would be safe with them.
The group still didn't feel at ease, he could feel it. Rick, Carol and Daryl had gone out and arranged a meeting, that they were keeping quiet, but obviously, Daryl told Nate - all he had to do was wait for them to get back and wait for their plan to kick in.

They wanted their guns back, that was clear. That was their main goal - even if it was safe from walkers in this place, none of them felt safe without them, and they all hated the fact that they weren't carrying, they felt naked without them.

Rick and Michonne now had police uniforms on, and it was strange to see Rick wearing something similar to when Nate first met him - he remembered coming back hunting with Daryl one day to find Rick in the camp, talking about how they left Merle on the roof back in Atlanta, and god was he pissed about that.
He made it right by going back to get him, and even if they didn't bring Merle back, he could sense that Rick was a good person. He didn't like to admit it back then, but he knew deep down that Rick would become their leader. Not Shane.

It felt like a lifetime ago that he met Rick, but he remembered it just like it was yesterday. They had all been through too much.

There was going to be a party tonight, and Nate didn't want to go, why would he?
But Rick had told him that he and Zoe had to attend, whether they wanted to or not.

He couldn't understand why in this day, they would be throwing some sort of party. He got that it was because they wanted to meet them, but he just couldn't wrap his head around it.

These people were lucky they have survived this whole time, they were weak, they didn't know the outside like they did, and it was going to be their downfall, Nate could sense it. The fact alone that they can't carry their weapons within the walls is a clear indication that they didn't know what they were doing - they didn't know that the people out there was just as dangerous as the walkers, and because of that, it was going to be the death of them.

Nate sat at the table in the kitchen with a longing look as Rick and Carol walked in, looking like two completely different people. They were back from their meeting outside the gates, and they looked like they had a plan set in action. "Daryl stay out there?" Nate asked, noticing that his brother wasn't amongst them as they entered their new home.

Rick nodded, as he gave the man a knowing look, that their plan was set in action and he just had to keep his eye out for any chance that they are catching onto what they are doing. Nate nodded in response, hearing Zoe's footsteps coming down the stairs - when he looked up at her, his breathe caught in his throat.

Her hair was down, looking more beautiful than ever, and she was wearing a summer dress, something that one of the other residents had picked out for her, and that her father told her to wear as a sign of good gesture. He could tell that she hated wearing it, adjusting it as she walked towards them, but he couldn't believe how beautiful she looked, and how lucky he was that he was able to call her his.

"I hate this." Zoe stated, looking up at her dad with a scowl on her face. She was grateful to the woman whom had lent her the dress, but she felt like she was a child again, and in this day and age, wearing a dress is the last thing she should be doing. She had no pockets for any of her things, and it genuinely made her feel ridiculous. "I look ridiculous." She added, as Nate smirked at her actions.

"You look nice." Rick stated, as Carol smiled brightly at the girl, reminding her of Sophia wearing sweet dresses when she was younger - the woman truly wished she could have seen Sophia grow up, it breaks her heart that she never got to witness her teenage years. She envied Rick for having his children, for being able to witness them grow up, and being able to be there for them, to keep them safe. And now he has Judith, and Carol couldn't be more happy for him, but deep inside, she wished she had Sophia back.

"Do we have to go?" Zoe asked, standing behind Nate as he shook his head in amusement. He didn't exactly want to go, either, but if it meant seeing Zoe in dresses like this, then he didn't mind. He was still in his hunting gear, and Zoe noticed that, when she saw him smirk and shake his head. "What're you smirking at? You have to dress up, too." She stated, placing a hand on her hip as she looked down at him now with a smirk of her own.

This made Nate's face immediately fall, his smirk disappearing to a panicked look, looking back at Rick for confirmation. He knew that Zoe had been given a dress, but he would not be seen dead wearing any of the clothes that this community wore.

Rick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance at the two of them - why they couldn't just follow along with the plan was beyond him. "Just.. Be ready for the party. No one wants to go, I know. But we need to make a good impression." He said, leaving it at that before he left the room, upstairs to see how Michonne was doing.

Zoe was now the one that was smirking down at her fiancé, knowing that there was a matching outfit for Nate upstairs, ready for him to put on. Although she was annoyed with the man yesterday for being so overprotective with her, the look on his face right now was priceless, and she would keep the image in her mind forever.

When Rick walked off, Nate held his head back in frustration, closing his eyes as he let out a large sigh, standing up from his seat and pointing a finger at Zoe, who was still smirking with her arms crossed against her chest, waiting patiently for him to go and change into his new outfit. "You'll pay for this." He threatened, as Zoe raised a brow at him, watching him walk up the stairs in a strop like a little boy..

——




Nate was nervous, that was for sure - as he looked in the mirror at his t-shirt and chinos, he hated the way he looked. Before the end of the world, he would have never been seen dead in clothes like this, he was someone that didn't have money, that didn't have a mother, and that had a dead-beat dad who beat him and his brothers up when he got too drunk. He wore hand-me-downs from Daryl and Merle, and they were always too big for him because he was a slow grower, and was too short for their trousers. It wasn't until his growth spurt that people started taking him seriously, but he believed it was because he finally fit into his own clothes.

As he adjusted the waist of his trousers, he saw Zoe in the mirror, standing by the door as she gazed at him like she was seeing him for the first time in her life.

"Don't say anything. I know how ridiculous I look." Nate said, huffing and puffing as he turned away from the mirror, unable to look any longer at how stupid he looked.

"I think you look great." Zoe said, smirking as she slowly walked up to him, looking at how tight the top was around his biceps and muscles, clinging to him and showing just how well built he was. Zoe felt a little protective over him, she didn't uwant other girls seeing him like this, because he was hers, and she didn't want any other girls eyeing him up. "It's not fair you look this hot, every other girl in that room is going to want you." The girl whined, grabbing his waist and rubbing her hands over his stomach towards his back, keeping her hands there as she looked up at him.

Nate annoyed her yesterday, that was clear, but she knew that you shouldn't dwell on things that have happened in the past, because they may not have a tomorrow. She loved this man, and that was all that mattered to her, and she hoped that Nate had the same mindset.

And he did.

He loved the girl with all of his heart, and when Zoe wrapped her arms around her, he knew that she wasn't holding a grudge against him, and he couldn't be more glad.

With a smirk on his face, he grabbed Zoe's behind, lifting her up as she wrapped her legs around him, gripping onto him tightly as she draped her arms around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers and initialising a deep kiss that he instantly responded to.
The couple felt like they melted into each other whenever they held one another, and being able to do it in a room where there was an actual door, giving them privacy, was something that they haven't had the pleasure of experiencing.

But their moment didn't last long, because they heard their names being shouted from downstairs, Rick, Carol and Carl all waiting for them to get ready and come down to leave for the party.

Zoe groaned in annoyance, leaning her head back as Nate placed his face into her neck, breathing in as he didn't want to let her go, he would keep her in here for the rest of his lives if he could, but they had a plan to carry out, and they needed to attend this party, even if it killed them to do so.

Leaning their foreheads together, the pair kept their eyes closed, taking in the moment before they eventually pulled away, Zoe's body sliding down his as he gently let her down on the floor. Looking up, Zoe smiled, pressing her lips to his one more time before slapping his behind playfully, winking as she left the room, leaving him stood in surprise, liking this new side of his fiancé.

He couldn't wait to marry her.