.・゜-: ✧☾　☽✧ :-゜・.

𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐃 arranged for Rick and the governor to meet in hopes of coming to an agreement. Stella almost laughed at the idea. The governor wasn't exactly the agreement type of man.

Daryl and Hershel were the only ones who were allowed to come as the rest guarded the prison. Stella wasn't fond of the idea of her father being in the same room as the governor. However, she didn't hate the thought of staying back this time. She wanted to spend some time with Ellie now that she finally was back. Levi on the other hand, was furious when Rick told him to stay at the prison. He wanted nothing more than to look the governor in the eye when he placed a bullet between his eyes for what he did to Stella, but according to Rick he was not to be trusted mainly because of the way his anger got in control of his actions and he'd probably end up doing something that would result in a full-on war. Not that Rick was perfectly fine with letting the governor live. Matter of fact he wanted nothing more than to feed him to walkers for the pain he caused his daughter but after some time to think he had concluded that it was better to hear him out to prevent a war that might cost the life of his daughter and son.

Rick had placed a kiss on Stella's head before he left, looking her in the eyes as he promised her that he'd return and she didn't doubt him. He always came back. However as the minutes stretched to hours of waiting anxiously, she began to worry.

The group waited restlessly for their arrival. Stella spent the next couple of hours in the guard towers, keeping her gaze plastered on the trees looking out for any movement. She watched mindlessly as the walkers roamed the field.
For a split second her eyes shifted from the forest, fixating on a silhouette in the corner of her eye. The person had their face away from her and she watched as the person snuck out of one of the doors in the prison before hurrying over to the part of the fence that wasn't currently crowded with walkers. They then proceeded to fit through a hole in it, slipping out and into the forest with ease, constantly flickering their graze around to make sure they weren't spotted. It didn't take long before she noticed the signature machine gun that was strapped to the person's back. It was Levi.

Her eyes shifted to the lookout where Maggie and Glenn had been positioned a few moments ago and frowned upon realizing it was now empty. Where the hell were they?

Stella stood to her feet, hurrying down the set of stairs that led to the exit of the guard tower before slipping through the slot in the fence, reaching for her gun just in case before racing in between the trees where Levi had just disappeared.

She jogged through the forest calling out for the boy softly, to not attract any walkers. The boy seemed to have gotten far ahead of her as she didn't see or hear him. She clasped onto her gun as she moved deeper into the forest before finally spotting the brunette walking fast with determination.

"Levi!"

The boy's head spun around at her words.

"Go back, Stella." He said without stopping.

"Levi, slowly down." She tried to catch up to the boy. "Levi, stop!"

Stella exhaled deeply as she gained no attention from him. Not even when she rushed in front of him in an attempt to block his path. The boy kept his gaze plastered on the road ahead without paying any mind to the girl. His face remained a mask as he simply passed her. She jogged ahead, staring up at him with pleading eyes. This was the closest look she had gotten at the boy since Woodbury. A dark bruise trailed down the side of his face, his lip wore a cut over it and a black eye seemed to have inhabited his left eye as well as several cuts and scattered bruises.

"Levi, stop!" She yelled out, placing her hands on his chest before using all her strength to push him back. Even then he refused to meet her gaze as his eyes flickered around the forest in annoyance.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" She glared at him.

"I told you, Stella, go back and let me do this alright?"

"You're going out there, to kill the governor?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "To put my dad in danger? Daryl? Herhsel? You?!" She heard her tone get violently louder at the last word. "That's your plan?!"

"My plan is to go in there and put an end to all this." Levi finally locked eyes with the girl.

"Well, it's a stupid plan!" She raised her voice.

"It's the perfect opportunity! No one will expect it" Levi raised his voice as well, matching the girls' frustration as all he wanted was to pass her to continue his journey.

"It's a suicide mission!" Stella's heart hammered against her rig cage as loud, enraged breaths spilled from her nose.

"So be it!" He marched past her ignoring the hurt look on her face. He had to do it. He had to put an end to all this, no matter the cost. He violated Stella in front of him, had someone beat him up, shoved a walker at Stella, and came seconds away from executing them. The mere thought of him still breathing felt like torture. He didn't eat or sleep. The need for revenge had consumed him, ripping him to pieces from the inside. He had to make it stop.

"How could you say that?" Stella said, grabbing his arm to stop him from walking any further. Her tone was everything but aggressive at this point. It sounded more weak and croaky.

Levi turned slightly, staring at his arm that was being held in a tight grip by the blonde. "How could you say that when my dad is out there risking his life for just a small hope of peace? I can't lose you both."

The boy stared at his own wrist for several moments as a way to avoid eye contact with her before bringing his arm back to join the rest of his body. "Am I gonna have to remind you what he did to you? Because I remember it pretty well. Watching as he laid his hands on you, forced you to strip in front of him while I sat there not being able to do anything about it!"

"Yeah, well killing the governor isn't gonna undo all those things." Stella stared into his brown eyes as she spoke but even though he looked back on her, all she could see was hatred flaming in his eyes.

"No, but he shouldn't let to live after what he did!" Levi turned on his heel but was swiftly brought to a halt as Stella raised her voice once again.

"His death isn't worth your life!"

"At least he'll be dead." He glanced over his shoulder without turning around completely.

"And what about you then?" Stella swallowed the lump in her throat. "What if you're dead? How am I supposed to keep on?"

The girl's words made the boy slowly steady his breathing before turning his head even further to look at her as she continued: "I need you. Alive. Not with a bullet in your head because of some stupid will for revenge. Please, I can't do this without you. I need you, Levi. More than you understand." She paused for a moment, staring deep into his eyes from where he stood a few feet away from her. "What I said at Woodbury, I meant it. It was real. I am real, we are real. The governor, he's just some dream for reven-"

The girl was cut off by the boy pacing towards her, his eyes fixated on hers before she felt his lips pressed against hers. The contact of their lips sent a jolt of electricity through the girl's body, not hesitating before leaning into the kiss as her hands traveled to his shoulders, desperate for his touch that she had longed to feel. His hand met her cheek as he gently cupped her face before it slowly trailed to the back of her head. Shivers were sent down her spine by the feeling of his body and face this close to hers. The boy lost himself in her soft lips that he unbearably had waited to kiss as he trailed one of his hands down to her back where he pressed her closer to him wanting to feel her presence. Their eyes were shut making it seem like they were the only people in the world. Stella felt as the boy took over all her senses leaving her to lean deeper into the kiss. She let her hands trail from his shoulders to behind his neck, moving one of them into his hair. His touch was intoxicating.

The two pulled away for a slight second, staring into each other's eyes as they placed their foreheads against one another. Levi let his gaze dance over her face with endless admiration while his hand rested on her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin. His eyes lingered over her lips before placing his second hand on her chin to tilt her head up letting him place a second kiss on her lips. A much softer and shorter one. Still, it didn't fail to shoot a jolt of electricity through the girl's body. Stella's eyes sparkled as she stared back at his, slightly overwhelmed by the kiss but wanting nothing more than to do it again.

"Promise me you won't go." She whispered against his lips, looking up at the taller boy who shook his head with a growing smile on his face.

"Promise," He said, his breath brushing against her lips.

____________

Once the two returned back to the prison, Stella noticed her father's car parked in the middle of the prison courtyard. They were back.

The teens hurried inside to find out that Rick, Herschel, and Daryl had just returned. As they stepped inside the cell block they saw that the group had all gathered around their leader, eager for answers. Levi and Stella joined them and the blonde immediately felt someone nudge her. She looked over to see Glenn giving her a questioning look. "Where were you?" He mouthed.

"Levi kissed me." She mouthed back, cupping her hand to the side of her mouth to make sure only Glenn heard it. She watched as the man's face dropped in surprise before his features lit up.

"So, I met this governor," Rick said making the two turn their attention back to their leader. Stella's stomach turned at the mere thought of her father and that monster being in the same room. "Sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of you?" Merle asked earning a nod from Rick. "Should have gone when we had the chance, bro."

"He wants the prison," Rick said, tearing his gaze from his boots, letting his eyes travel over the group. "He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead for what he did to Woodbury. We're going to war."

_____ ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ _____
𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟎 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
_____ ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ _____

𝐀/𝐍

ik this chapter is kinda short but I love it sm
slow burn is sort of over guys:(
also I'm so bad at writing kisses