Resting her head on the window, Sakiko stares at the woods like they would bring her all the answers and conclusions she's been so desperate for.

"Hey," Ryan speaks, "You okay?"

Sakiko looks over to him, her heart aching at the look of stress in his eyes. Here she was, worrying over her own issues that she hadn't once asked Ryan how he was considering his brother was taken.

"Are you?" she asks, a small piece in the back of her mind wondering when she'd been so worried about someone else's well being.

"I'll be better once they're back," Ryan admits with a sigh.

"Me too," Sakiko agrees.

Ryan lets out a soft yawn and Sakiko finds that newfound selflessness creeping in her mind and chest.

"Lay down," she coaxes, "I'll keep watch."

Ryan begins to argue, but his eyes were too heavy to even try and deny. He starts to lay his head against the seat when Sakiko tugs at his sleeve.

"What?" he asks.

"Here," she pats her leg, "It's okay."

A reddening blush inches up Ryan's neck and he clears his throat before nodding and leaning over to lay down with his head in Sakiko's lap. Sakiko throws Daryl's shared jacket over him to keep him warm, ignoring the fact that she could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

"Just rest. I'll let you know when they're back," Sakiko forces herself to say.

Ryan nods, another yawn escaping before he snuggles as comfortable as he could manage in the small space.

It takes awhile until his breathing evens out and his eyes close. Sakiko breaks her focus from outside to look down at him again, a knot in her throat.

Her hand hovers over his head for a few seconds- her fingers trembling before finally resting in his hair. Gently, she runs her fingers through the locks and holds down the laugh when Ryan sighs out happily with a quiet snore.

Biting her bottom lip, Sakiko continues the motions that seemed to relax Ryan as she found her own nerves calming with the serenity on his face.

When had she even opened up to someone other than Nanami and Daryl? When had she felt so safe.. So reassured.. So strong.. Just because of one person.

The kiss changed them, of course. But, Sakiko didn't regret it. If anything, she found her eyes flicking to look at his parted lips every so often even now.

She had never thought too deep into the 'love' situation. Before or after the walkers started roaming.

Her parents were happy and then Shinsuke became the monster they'd ran from. Other than them, she couldn't recall ever seeing a happy couple in her life until maybe Glenn and Maggie.

It seemed impossible. Both that she would ever find someone that she trusted but also someone that would put up with her and her issues she brought along.

But, here she was.. With a racing heart, blushes, and secret kisses in private. All because of this one guy that made her feel things that she'd never even heard of before.

"What are you doing to me?" she asks the sleeping boy.

When he doesn't respond- only dreaming the problems away, Sakiko chuckles and throws her head back against the seat. Whatever he was doing- she liked it but it also wasn't fair.

--

Nanami wondered if he was dealing with his sister's condition and questioned if paranoia was a part of it all.

He felt like everyone was staring at him- whispering behind his back. Instead of dwelling on it for too long, he continues to search the town for Merle.

Merle wasn't in their apartment, nor at the wall keeping watch. This wasn't a small town, but it's not like it was easy to disappear in the confined walls. There were only so many places the man could have gone.

"Hey, Na," Martinez greets as he passes by.

Nanami skids to a stop, turning to chase back after the other man, "Martinez!"

Martinez jumps, startled as he looks to the teen. Nanami steps in front of him, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Have you seen Merle?"

Martinez purses his lips, combing through his memory, "Nah, man.. Not since yesterday."

Nanami sighs, hanging his head low before remembering Merle's condition.

"What?" he asks, looking back to Martinez.

"Yesterday we cleared some biters from the south wall," Martinez nods his chin in the direction, "I was on watch all night and woke up a couple hours ago."

Nanami thinks back to the cut on Merle's nose- the blood from he and Martinez's 'bet'.

Swallowing, Nanami questions if he can even trust Martinez's words now.

"Right," Nanami nods, "Thanks."

Martinez gives a playful salute to the teen before continuing on his way. Nanami watches him go, a feeling in his gut making him nauseous.

If Martinez didn't give Merle that 'playful' banter of a wound.. who did?

Michonne's fearful determination that Woodbury wasn't what it seemed, the soldiers', Merle's insistent compliments that wasn't like him at all..

Nanami pushes his feet to move again, hurrying to his apartment. Slamming the door closed, he picks up every bit of clothing of his that he sees lying around. As he picks up his pocket knife from the nightstand, he pauses.

Daryl had given this to him on his birthday those few years ago.. Nanami forces the emotions down to swing his bag over his shoulders as he hears the front door open again.

There's silence that follows and immediately, Nanami's blood runs cold. Merle always had some sort of comment to make even if he was talking to himself- this definitely wasn't Merle. Tip toeing to the door just as Daryl taught him to when tracking, Nanami clicks the lock into place and flicks his knife open.

Paranoia was eating him alive as he eases to the window- taking a quick peek out to the darkening sky.

He felt like a kid again as he unlocks the window, pushing his body to make it out. Easing to stand on the window ledge on the floor below, Nanami slides the window closed just as the doorknob jiggles from inside.

Sliding along the window's frame, he climbs down to the second floor before repeating the motion to the first.

Hopping to the ground, Nanami ducks behind a bush as his window opens and Shumpert peers out to survey the area. Despite the distance, Nanami holds his breath until the man goes back in and closes the window.

Nanami takes a deep breath, holding his knife protectively in front of him.

"This group.. If that girl found her way back and brought Michonne along with her.." Governor's voice distantly says- so quiet that Nanami almost didn't hear him.

"They could be out there right now searching for their people," he continues.

Nanami crawls out from behind the brush, placing his back to the building's wall- following the sound of the leader's voice.

"Maggie says that Daryl is still alive."

With widened eyes, Nanami freezes in his place.

Daryl was alive? How did the Governor know Maggie?

Peering over his shoulder, Nanami looks through the blinds to see Governor, Martinez, Merle, and Milton standing together before ducking back down out of sight.

"Sakiko and Michonne could be with them now and they could unite to make an even bigger threat to us. Daryl is your brother. That's your niece out there, too. Now.. Blood is blood, right? It makes me question where your loyalties lie. Where Nanami's loyalties lie."

"Here," Merle answers, "Both of us."

Nanami involuntarily shakes his head.

Daryl was alive. Sakiko was alive. Maggie was alive meaning there was a chance that so many of the others were also alive.

Shumpert was tracking him down while Governor kept Merle occupied. They were hunting Nanami.

Nanami had to get the hell out of here.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

i almost had writers block i was so scared omg