Unbreakable threads

Chapter One Hundred: The welcome party.

Carl drifted off quickly, joining Enid and Ron in a corner. Alyssa noticed him laughing at something Enid said, and for a moment, she felt a pang of envy at how easily he seemed to adapt. She lingered awkwardly, nodding her head at a few people who tried to greet her but not engaging in conversation. She wasn't great at this. It wasn't her thing.

As she made her way around the living room, she nearly bumped into Noah, who was standing by himself, looking a little out of place but far less uncomfortable than Alyssa felt.

"Hey, Alyssa," Noah said, his face lighting up when he saw her.

Alyssa nodded, offering a small smile. "Hey, Noah. Enjoying the... festivities?"

Noah chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, I guess. Not really my scene, though."

"Same," Alyssa replied, glancing around. "Feels weird, doesn't it? All this... normal."

Noah nodded, his gaze fixed on her. "Yeah. But you... you look good. I mean—you know, for a party. Not that you don't always look good, but, uh—" He trailed off, his cheeks flushing as he realized he was rambling.

Alyssa raised an eyebrow, amused but also completely oblivious to the depth of Noah's feelings. "Thanks... I think?" she said, her tone teasing.

Noah quickly tried to recover. "I just meant, uh, it's nice to see you not, you know, covered in dirt and walker guts."

Alyssa snorted, shaking her head. "Don't get used to it."

Noah grinned, his eyes lingering on her as she looked away, scanning the room. He was practically head over heels at this point, but Alyssa, as usual, didn't notice. She was too busy feeling out of place, too preoccupied with scanning the crowd for threats, and too wrapped up in her own guarded nature to realize how Noah looked at her.

Noah shifted on his feet, clearly nervous but trying to make conversation. "So, uh... have you gotten used to Alexandria yet?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.

Alyssa smirked faintly, tilting her head. "Not really. Too clean. Too... normal."

Noah nodded quickly, like he agreed with her completely. "Yeah, same. It's kind of... unsettling, right? Like it's all gonna fall apart any second."

Alyssa chuckled softly, her arms crossed. "Exactly. Feels like we're waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Noah brightened a little at her response, encouraged that he hadn't completely fumbled. "Well, at least you're here. Makes me feel safer, you know?"

Alyssa raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the comment, but before she could respond, Maggie and Glenn walked over, saving Noah from digging himself into a deeper hole.

"Hey, you two," Glenn said, smiling warmly. "Enjoying the party?"

Alyssa shrugged. "It's... a party," she said flatly, glancing around the room.

Maggie smirked. "You look like you're ready to bolt any second."

"Maybe I am," Alyssa shot back, her tone teasing but her discomfort still evident.

Noah laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's... uh, great at small talk," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Glenn chuckled, patting Noah on the shoulder. "Don't worry, man. Alyssa's not exactly the life of the party, but she grows on you."

Alyssa rolled her eyes but didn't argue, her smirk softening as she glanced at Maggie. "You two seem to be settling in pretty well."

Maggie nodded. "We're trying. It's not perfect, but it's better than what's out there."