"Hey you." Negan smiled widely at the display in front of him, shutting the front door behind him as he spoke. "Enjoying yourself?"Ā
Carl innocently looked up at his dad's friend from the couch he was laying on, smirking slightly the closer the man came. He was wearing an impressively small pair of shorts and a tight fitting shirt. "Yeah." He replied simply, eyeing Negan the whole way he walked over to him.Ā
"Move your scrawny ass over." Negan demanded, simply lifting Carl's legs long enough for him to slide under. His hand remained wrapped around one of his slender calves as they rested on his lap. He couldn't help himself. Carl had a way of getting what he wanted.Ā
Negan glanced up at the television, curious to see what Carl chose to entertain himself with, and saw the opening of "law and order" flash on the screen. He scoffed. "You really like watching this shit?" He asked curiously.Ā
"Yeah. This or forensic files."Ā
"You and your weird ass shows..." Negan said nonchalantly, earning him a firm kick to the thigh.Ā
"Ouch" he exclaimed, feigning the pain as he dramatically rubbed his leg, "You're so mean to me! I'll tell your dad on you!"Ā
"Whatever." Carl grinned widely, comfortably stretching his own legs back out on Negan's lap again. "You don't even have to be here watching my "weird ass shows." I don't need a babysitter."Ā
"Yeah but you and I both know you're glad to see me." The man winked, rubbing Carl's calf with his thumb. The boy glared at him silently, feeling a blush creep onto his otherwise pale cheeks.Ā
"What do you mean by that ?" He asked, panic coming to his eyes at the possibility of him knowing.Ā
"I know how much you like me, kid. " The wide grin that slowly curled Negan's lips made Carl's blush intensify by tenfold. He felt his veins run cold at the realization.Ā
Negan chuckled, "Awww look at that pretty red face~"Ā
"You're an asshole." Carl bit back defensively; heart pounding. "How long have you known!?"
"Awww! Don't be like that," Negan leaned over top of Carl, wrapping his arms around him. "Awhile~ but it was fun to make you think I didn't." He reassured, pecking Carl's red cheek quickly before abruptly getting up from the couch entirely.Ā
Carl's hand immediately went to hold the place Negan kissed, wide eyed from the unexpected affection. Negan left him on the couch properly confused and flustered and he sat up once the man was out of view. He watched Negan make his way into the kitchen.
Ā "You hungry?" The man asked, completely dropping the previous subject as though it never happened as he rummaged through the refrigerator.Ā "Hmm.. they didn't leave many options for us to cook. Want me to order a pizza?"Ā
"Um, yeah okay. " Carl agreed, still quite shaken from the encounter. His mind was a fucking mess now. Negan kissed him on the cheek, so that meant he wasn't upset right? Maybe he actually didn't mind the idea- thatĀ maybe he only did it to make him feel like everything was okay between them? Or was he just teasing him for it?..
Negan ordered the pizza quickly, and sat down on the couch adjacent to the one Carl was on. Negan was pleased with himself to see how red Carl's face was. He probably broke the poor thing with the kiss on the cheek. He was just sitting there staring off into space.Hell, the poor kid would probably cream his jeans if he gave him a real kiss. He had to admit, the idea of seeing Carl all hot and bothered for him did a lot more than it should have. To know Carl had a thing for him was just one more reason to enjoy coming over. He knew it was probably just all the hormones running through him- all the fun shit that came with being a senior just finally catching up to him. He doubted this little crush would last long, but even so, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to bust the kid's balls about it. Give them something to joke about in the years to come.Ā
Carl was glaring daggers at him now, "so you're just going to pretend you don't know? Like before?" He asked bitterly, with a hint of fear tinging his voice.
Ā He didn't want Negan to think of him differently- or at least not worse. He'd been best friends with Rick for years, which was why he was asked to check up on him while he and Lori went away on a vacation for their anniversary. Him and Carl had gotten pretty close over that time too. The little teases and the compliments he made towards him were innocent to onlookers but they became much more to Carl. The lingering hugs, and the way he'd positively call him 'his baby boy'.... all of those things just added up until the poor kid was hopelessly in love with him.Ā Ā
"On the contrary" Negan smirked.Ā
"In fact I don't think I'm gonna let you live this one down." He said with a beaming smile.Ā
Oh God. Carl's stomach churned. "Negan please don't- "Ā
Ā "Why not? Seeing you get all worked up over Daddy's best friendā¦even if it's just a little kiss on the cheek..."
Ā Carl's heart throbbed as he listened to the man, his blue eyes focused on the wolfish ones staring back. He cursed himself for ever thinking of Negan as anything more than the dick he was.Ā
Ā "ā¦showing off in those tiny little shorts for meā¦" he continued. "Like you're just waiting for me to feel you up. Don't pretend I don't know what you've been trying to do, kid. It's no secret to me."
"Stopā¦" Carl said, suddenly very self conscious. He thought Negan would like them, that in some sick way, he'd actually take pleasure in seeing him wear them. He was so, so wrong.Ā He didn't expect to be made fun of by him either though. He'd seen the way he'd reduced others to tears with his relentless tormenting, but he'd never been on the receiving end before. Negan was the person he went to for everything. He couldn't help but feel hurt that he was belittling his feelings this way.
Embarrassment turned his cheeks a deeper shade of crimson, and all he wanted to do was run away.Ā
" Tell me Carl, you ever think about me sneaking up into your room at night and crawling into bed with you, or you sitting on my lap while I tell you what a good boy you are? Bet you'd just love calling me Daddy, huh ?" The man poked further, laughing at the look of panic and despair that Carl had.Ā
"That'sā¦Ā not funny." He felt like he was stripped naked before him- nothing hiding his most hidden desires and Negan was exploiting them for his own amusement. He used it as ammunition to hurt him with, and took pleasure in doing so, like he did with everyone else. Carl thought he was off limits to that kind of treatment. He thought he was special to Negan... His heart completely shattered.Ā
Carl suddenly got up from the couch, hiding his face behind his long hair and he tried to speak."Why- how could you think what I feel for you is funny?"Ā
"Aww, I'm only playing." Negan reassured teasingly, but he realized a beat too late that maybe he'd misjudged the kid. His grin slowly faded.
Ā As much as he got off on seeing Carl get flustered, he could tell he'd genuinely upset him this time. "Oh shit kidā¦" he sighed, "Carl I didn't realizeā¦"Ā
He could see moisture glazing over Carl's eyes and he knew he made a big fucking mistake. The sight alone made his heart drop. "Carl⦠I was only playing! I didn't know you actually cared that much- "Ā
Carl stormed off towards the stairwell, utterly humiliated and broken hearted. "Fuck you, Negan." Carl interrupted quietly, in a voice so unlike his own. He held back his tears of frustration as he disappeared up the steps.Ā Ā
"Carl." Negan called back desperately. "get your ass back here..."Ā
Negan heard the boy's bedroom door slam shut and he couldn't help but groan. Guilt filled his chest. He wasn't sure how the hell to fix this oneā¦Ā
The pizza arrived not long after and Negan cursed at himself when the kid didn't come back down. He was too pissed off at himself to eat. He tossed it into the fridge before deciding he should go.Ā
"What's going on with you and Carl lately?" Rick asked curiously, making his final shot at Negan's pool table, winning the game.Ā "you guys get in a fight or something?"Ā
Negan sighed at the mention of it. "I was fucking around, like I always do⦠went too far this time."Ā
Rick's face scrunched in a mixture of concern and confusion, "what do you mean?"Ā
"I told him I knew he had a thing for me and I was teasing him about it. I was just busting his balls but... I hurt him pretty bad. I broke his fucking heart, Rick." He admitted honestly, rubbing his temple to help release the tension he felt in his head.Ā
"Oh." Was all the man said, understanding completely. He recalled the conversation they once had about the way Carl was when it came to Negan. He knew Carl had a huge crush on him, and tried to protect his little secret from Lori as much as he could. God knows what would have happened if she found out he was into him. "I can't say I'm not happy about it. Carl needed to get over his little crush on you."
"I wouldn't call it little. I thought it was just teenage hormones n shit⦠but fuck...watching him walk away made me feel like shit" Negan said, staring up at the wall on his garage. "I made him cry, Rick... I made my boy cry. I don't want to be the asshole that broke his heart for the first time... "
"You've broken plenty of hearts." He reminded him with a pointed look. Negan was a hardcore player. At least he used to be when they first met. It cracked him up to hear about all the girls had he left behind (and maybe felt a little bad for them too) But with Carl? As bad as he felt for saying it, he knew it needed to happen. " that explains why hes been held up in his room at least."Ā
Dammit. He audibly sighed. He almost wished Rick didn't tell him that he'd locked himself away from the world.Ā Negan's chest ached knowing how badly he'd scorned him.
Ā "Yeah, but Carl's my little badass. I hate the idea of him not wanting to come around me anymore. I said some really insensitive shit..."Ā
"He'll get over it. He's a tough kid."Ā
"Yeahā¦. I hope so." Negan said just to end the conversation. He couldn't let Rick know how much he was dwelling on it. He wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with him. The thought of Carl getting over him shouldn't bother him as much as it did. He was way too young for him. Not to mention the fact that his dad was his best friend AND the town sheriff. It had fucked up written all over it but he couldn't help but want to apologize and give the poor kid everything he wanted and more. He fucking loved that boy. He never wanted to hurt him.Ā Ā
It had been a few weeks since he saw Carl, and it wasn't for lack of trying. He would text him and get nothing back.
Rick would let him know he was going to Negan's house and asked if he wanted to come, or he'd let him know he'd be over for the evening and that Negan wanted to see him. Nothing.Ā
Ā Negan would even make it a point to show up a bit earlier than normal just to catch a glimpse of the little brat. No luck there. Even Rick was starting to get worried. Lori had given up on trying to get him out of his room days ago. By this time, Negan was fucking desperate to see him. Between the constant dreams involving him and the heartache he had, there was no way in hell he could deny how much he missed his boy. The guilt was fucking killing him.Ā
Enough was enough one morning when Negan decided he was going to see Carl one way or another. It was a Saturday morning, and Negan came over bright and early with the excuse of wanting to go with Rick to a department store.Ā
"Alright where's that boy at? I'm tired of not seeing his angsty ass." He demanded.Ā
Rick shook his head with a chuckle. "He's still in bed. Probably wont be up for another hour or two at least."Ā
"Huh." Negan said,"Looks like Carl's gonna get one hell of a wake up call then." He said matter of factly as he sauntered towards the stairs.Ā
"You're gonna piss him off even worse." Rick warned with a hint of amusement to his voice.Ā
"He can be as pissed off as he wants but he's going with us today." He called back from half way upstairs. Once he got to the second floor, he immediately walked to the bedroom he knew was Carl's and pounded on the door a couple times.Ā
Carl was woken abruptly by the sound of someone banging on his door. He scrambled to sit up just as he heard a familiar voice shout, "Good morning sunshine~"Ā
A pit filled his stomach. "Negan?" He asked incredulously as the door slammed open and revealed the figure on the other side. He walked in uninvited and Carl, lethargic and on edge, shouted, "What the hell are you doing in my room?"Ā
"Getting your mopey ass out of bed, that's what." He said, tugging the blankets away from Carl. "You're coming with us today whether you like it or not."
"No. Leave me alone." Carl grabbed the blanket from Negan's hand and flopped back down with it. The stubborn man kept ahold of it, and purposefully ended up on the bed too.Ā
"Get off." Carl demanded, flipping around to avoid looking at the man sitting beside him.Ā
"Not a chance kid." Negan stayed firm. "I haven't seen or heard from you in weeks. You're getting your ass up and spending time with me."
"I don't want to." Carl bit back, "you're a fucking asshole."Ā
Ouch. Okay. So maybe it was a lot worse than he thought. "Carl." Negan began once more, much softer this time, "I admit it. I was an asshole. I got carried away and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, kid."Ā
"What the hell ever. I told you to stop and you just kept going."
"Fucking hell, kid.." the man sighed, placing a hand on Carl's arm. "I thought you just wanted the attention like every other hormonal teen. I wouldn't have said that shit if I knew how serious you were⦠I felt like shit about it after I saw how bad I hurt you. "Ā
Carl remained quiet, unsure what to say and the annoying burning sensation of tears in his eyes only made him feel worse.Ā
"Baby boy" Negan whined, laying down and curling an arm around him. Carl was still warm and soft from sleep, and Negan couldn't help but want to kiss that bony shoulder that poked out of his oversized shirt. "I mean it. I'm sorry."Ā
"Fine. You're sorry." Carl sighed begrudgingly, "Just stop calling me thatā¦"Ā
"Why?" Negan protested, "I've always called you my baby boy."Ā
"It's different nowā¦" Carl wasn't proud of the fact he'd gotten off to Negan calling him that and now the words became a sore reminder of what he'd been made fun off.
"Oh, is that right? " Negan huffed quietly. The man hummed in thought. Maybe the kid actually did have a bit of a daddy kink after all. He couldn't stop his mischievous grin from forming. No wonder the kid reacted so dramatically when he pulled that cardā¦Ā
"You know what I mean. I'm not going to spell it out for you."Ā
"Oh I seeā¦" Negan grinned widely, "So you like it when I call you that, sweetheart?" The man propped himself up on an elbow while his other hand gently ran across Carl's arm.Ā
If Carl wasn't awake before, he certainly was now. He hadn't heard Negan talk to him in that voice before. "More than I should have." He said honestly, not seeing how there could be any more damage from telling the truth. The low chuckle behind him startled him a bit. It wasn't like the ones from before.
"So you probably have thought about calling me daddy then..." Negan mused. The idea was pretty fucking hot if he was going to be honest.
There was no real bite to his words as he turned to face him. "I thought you said you weren't going to make fun of me for it."
"That's a yes." the man smiled widely.Ā
"For someone trying to apologize for being a dick you're not doing a very good job at it." Carl huffed back quietly.Ā
"I know." The man grinned, happy to at least be able to see his boy's face. "I've missed you kid." He murmured honestly, bringing a hand to rest on one of Carl's red tinted cheeks.Ā
"Me tooā¦" the boy murmured back, shyly.Ā
Ā Silence fell over them both for several moments before Negan made the decision to press a soft kiss to Carl's forehead. "You're still going to be my baby boy, Carl⦠that's not changing. No matter what okay?" Especially now that he knew how much Carl really felt about it.Ā
The sincerity of Negan's voice caught him off guard. He searched Negan's eyes for any sign indicating that he wasn't serious,Ā but there was none. "Okay."Ā
When Negan focused on those big, glossy doe eyes looking at him so lovingly, it was game over. His heart swelled at the sight and there was no denying how much the kid cared for him⦠how much he cared for Carl.
This whole thing had wrong written all over it but hell, his body moved before his brain did, and somehow his lips were now firmly planted on Carl's.Ā
Carl's mind went blank, besides the galaxies bursting behind his eyes at the realization of what was happening. His mouth instinctively kissed back, slowly and softly, as though savoring each sensation he felt. His whole body caught fire, and Negan felt the boy shiver from head to toe.Ā
Fuck, he didn't think kissing could feel like this again. He felt like a fucking teenager with his heart pounding so hard and out of breath. It was like Carl's mouth was made for his, and his alone. His mouth moved languidly with Carl's as he felt slender arms curl around his neck. By the time they pulled away for a gasp of air, they were both red faced and panting with want.Ā
Carl caught his breath, with his mouth agape. He knew Negan just crossed a huge line for him, and he could hardly process what that meant exactly. Not twenty minutes ago he hated the idea of coming face to face with him, and now they were laying in his bed panting. "N-negan. You?ā¦"Ā
"Yeah." Negan whispered in confirmation, as he sat up. He looked at Carl with a serious expression, "but this shit stays between us okay? Get your ass out of bed and get some clothes on. You're coming with us."Ā