Summary: Negan and the Reader use the night in the safe-house to take their minds off the stress and unrest of the last days, before the next morning reveals a shocking surprise.
Warning: Smut
Candle light filled the small living room of the safe-house, enlightening the deck of cards that was sprawled out on the wooden coffee table, while the flickering flames reflected in the glasses that were placed right next to the other clutter on the wood.
It was deep in the night by now, and even though you were tired to the bone, you were glad that you’d decided to take the first lookout shift along with Negan after Gabe and Elijah had arrived. Once you were done with this, you could fall in the bed upstairs and hopefully sleep undisturbed through the night, without being bothered by another shift and even more so, without being bothered by the fuckers that we’re lurking somewhere outside in these woods.
The only thing you’d look forward to waking up in the middle of the night to was greeting Daryl and Dog and watch them arrive after all at this house, but by now, your hopes were shrinking and you started to more and more assume that Daryl had found another way to get away.
By now, you hoped that he was safe somewhere and the realization that no one would get here anymore would hit Maggie tomorrow morning and force her to change her mind about her plan.
With a soft sigh, you shook Maggie off your thoughts and focused on the task in front of you again, finishing up the bandage around Negan’s thigh that had truly needed another change, though he luckily hadn’t bled much more, even though he had put quite the strain on it all day.
Those were good news, finally, and they were enough to boost your mood a little, along with the bit of togetherness with Negan you’d finally been able to snitch with this shift, even if you were just chatting and playing cards to keep yourselves awake and busy.
“Candle light, some stale fuckin’ water and I got my pants down...romantic”, Negan chuckled as you leaned back into the cushions, swirled the salve in your hands shut and tossed it into your bag.
“Yep, definitely my definition of a successful date night”, you snickered while you watched him shuffle his pants back up and zip it up just as you nodded towards the sprawled out cards on the table, “Wanna go for another round?”
“Oh I sure as hell do. I want a rematch”, Negan exclaimed as he threw his hands up and shot you a mischievous grin,”You only won ‘cause I got less sleep than you did.”
“Sure thing, keep telling yourself that”, you chuckled, nudging his hip with your foot as he let out a small snort and shifted to the edge of the couch, nodding towards the door that you’d left slightly ajar.
“Just gonna make a quick round first.”
“You don’t need to”, Maggie’s voice said, audibly drowsy as the door slowly opened further and she stepped inside the room, nodding towards the couch,”I’m taking over now.”
“Well alright”, Negan said, getting up on his feet with a small groan as you shifted forwards to do the same.
“Anything happened?”, Maggie asked in a mumble, still standing by the door as you grabbed your shoes and backpack, and shook your head.
“Nope, nothing”, you said, getting back up on your feet before you moved behind Negan out of the room and into the hallway, only receiving a small nod from her before she made her way into the room, leaving it off the latch behind her.
“‘Cept I absolutely crushed you during the last match”, you whispered only loud enough for Negan to hear it, who promptly stopped in his tracks towards the stairs and turned around.
“Oh we’re so having a rematch next time we get the chance”, Negan said with a playfully dramatic look on his face, lowering his voice as he stepped closer and leaned in,”If that’s at home, we’ll sure as shit play the strip version.”
“Good, can’t wait to see you strip”, you teased back, grinning at him as he let out a small chuckle, trying to muffle himself though as you started to step up the stairs, quiet not to wake Gabe and Elijah.
“Touché”, Negan said quietly, with a grin on his lips as he glimpsed over his shoulder as you passed the room of the others, before you could slip into your room at the end of the hallway and close the door quietly behind yourself.
Dropping your boots and the backpack at the end of the bed, you heard a small sizzling echo through the room as Negan turned on the petroleum lamp on the nightstand that you’d found earlier along with the other supplies in the cellar and filled the room with some of its dim, but warm light.
With a small groan, you stretched your worn limbs and strolled over to the left side of the bed, watching as Negan kicked off his boots before he reached out to pull you closer.
A hum left your lips as you leaned into his warmth and wrapped your arms around his torso, glimpsing up at him only to feel him press his lips over yours in the very next moment. Softly, he groaned into you, one of his hands finding the back of your neck while the other travelled down your back and slipped underneath your top, caressing over your skin in a fashion that you knew all too well and usually meant that he was trying to take things further.
You liked it, no question, but it didn’t quite match the exhausted and yawning man you’d seen earlier down in the living room.
“I thought you were tired”, you mumbled with a small chuckle against his lips as he let go for a moment and a small grin slipped on his lips.
“I am, I’m fuckin’ exhausted”, he mumbled still holding you close as he leaned a little back to get a look at you,”But my damn head is still buzzing like a beehive, ain’t gonna sleep a wink like that.”
He sighed, his thumb circling softly over the nape of your neck as his eyes found yours again.
“I just wanna stop feeling scared, or angry or fucking worried for just a little while”, he said, quiet so his voice wasn’t loud enough to be heard by the others while he shrugged his shoulders softly ,”Just a quick, slow fuck so we can screw this shit out of our brains for a bit.”
You slowly nodded, pretty much agreeing with him as you just wanted to slip from your concerns for a moment and relief the stress so you could dive into a deep and hopefully peaceful sleep for a few hours later.
Tipping up, you moved in to press a kiss over his lips only to feel him chuckle softly against your lips as he pulled you closer in.
“You just gotta stay quiet, don’t wanna wake the priest and the mask dude.”
“I feel like that’s gonna be harder for you than me”, you teased back, watching as he pulled back with a dramatic and playfully shocked look on his face that made a small laugh fall from your lips as you grinned up at him,”What? You’re very vocal.”
“Mhmm”, he just mumbled back, leaning back in to press another kiss over your lips as his hands started to move up your body, finding their way to the hem of his blue flannel that had still loosely hugged your body until now.
Pulling it off, his lips left yours for a moment to look down at the bandage around your upper arm, checking on it with a worried look on his face.
“It’s okay”, you mumbled, giving him a soft smile before you nodded down at the bandage underneath his pants,”You gotta take care of your bandage tho. I can’t renew that right away.”
“Sure thing, boss”, Negan snickered, allowing you to help him pull his shirt over his head and toss it over the rattan armchair in the corner of the room before your eyes fell back on his toned chest. In the mellow light of the lamp, his skin seemed to radiate a soft warmth and your glance brushed over the dark, small curls that peppered his chest, the tattoo over his heart and his broad shoulders that were speckled with a few, tiny freckles for just another moment. You’d seen this sight thousands of times, and it still made you look in awe at him each time anew.
“A bit unfair, huh?, Negan interrupted you, leading your glance up at him as he gestured between the both of you and the difference between your still pretty much clothed body and his own, shirtless figure.
“Go ahead”, you said, still trying to stay quiet, as you grinned back at him, allowing him to go along with pulling the clothes off your body as your lips smoothed back against his.
The cool air was brushing over your skin, only to be chased off by Negan’s warmth as he wrapped you up in his arms and deepened your kisses gradually until you reached down to open his pants, brushing over the growing bulge underneath his boxers that elicited a hum to rumble through his chest.
“He’s been waitin’ for this ever since you defended the shit outta me in that train cart last night”, Negan mumbled with a teasing chuckle against your lips.
“Well, shouldn’t make him wait even longer, huh?”, you teased back, voice lowered as you leaned in for another one of Negan’s intoxicating kisses, another one of those that made you forget for just a moment what kind of mess was actually happening around you.
The mattress dipped underneath you as you laid down and felt Negan crawl in over you after he’d stroked his boxers off, reaching out to pull the red blanket that you’d left tousled on the side of the bed earlier over both of your bare bodies. Moving in, Negan caged you in between his arms, peppering kisses along the side of your neck as you closed your eyes for a moment, relishing in the feeling of his warmth and his touches after the strains of the last two days.
Your hands ran up along the sides of his body and down the planes of his back, caressing him in the same way that he was caressing you. You were both tired, exhausted really, and you could tell so by the slowness of both of your movements, but the eagerness to find relief and comfort within each other added just the right amount of passion to the mix to get your body to heat up in no time.
A shivering breath fell from your lips as you felt Negan’s throbbing erection eventually press up against your core, fueling the excitement that trumped the exhaustion by now before he slowly thrusted himself into you, inch by inch as your fingernails dug into his warm skin and a soft but involuntary moan slipped from your lips.
“Knew it”, Negan grumbled, tease swinging heavily through his voice as he stroked deeper,”Can’t keep quiet when daddy slides his thick cock into ya, huh?”
“You’re big, it’s hard not to-”, you started to defend yourself, only to get cut off as another small gasp interrupted you as Negan adjusted himself to find into his rhythm. Reaching for his jaw, you pulled him in for more kisses, hoping those would swallow any sounds that would fall from your lips as Negan started to roll his hips smoothly in over you, rocking himself deeper.
Running your fingers through his hair you felt him slowly pulling back, grinning down at you as you tried to keep quiet, though you could see him struggling to stifle himself too.
“Fuck, we’re like teenagers trying to not get caught by their damn parents”, Negan snickered quietly against your lips, leaning in for another peck as a soft laugh fell from your lips.
“Yeah…well, at least the bed isn’t squeaking”, you mumbled, humming in response to his slow and rhythmic thrusts. Negan nodded, a small laugh falling from his lips as he moved his lips from your mouth and placed kisses along your jaw, peppering your skin with them as he rocked himself deeper.
“Mhm I love you”, he said, trying to keep the moan that slipped from his lips low before he leaned up to look at you with a big, goofy and smile on his lips and a loving, yet lustful look in his hazel eyes, “So fuckin’ much.”
“I love you too”, you mumbled, stroking his tousled hair back, enjoying the feeling of his warm body pressed up against yours and the sensation of him filling you up as he hit just the right spots over and over again.
Everything felt warm and just so damn good for once, everything felt easy and lighthearted for the first time since you’d left Alexandria, and you clung onto that feeling of ease, desperate to not let go of it for as long as possible.
Just then, another soft gasp fell from your lips as Negan rocked himself with long and dragged out thrusts deeper into you, fueling the warmth and pleasure that was cursing through you while you did your best to keep quiet as the knot in your stomach slowly started to tighten.
Negan’s face twisted in pleasure as he dropped his head into the curve of your neck, muffling his own soft groans as his arms around you tightened and his hands gripped your body while his thrusts slowly but surely grew a little shakier yet heavier at the same time.
You could hear him curse against your skin, stifling his moans as your fingernails dug into his skin while you moved your hips in rhythm with his, allowing the excited tingling within you to grow stronger until it started to flow in waves of heat through your body and filled you up entirely, bringing you closer to your release even though a part of you hoped to swing a little longer in this intoxicating trance of warmth and ease.
Slowly, Negan’s body grew shaky underneath your touch while he muffled his heavier growing pants and he buried his face deeper into your shoulder’s nook, speeding his rhythm that had remained slow and steady until now slightly up, enough for a groan to slip from your lips as Negan rocked his pulsing dick with a harder thrust into you.
You could feel his hand reach up and press in over your mouth, trying to keep you quiet while an amused yet shaky chuckle rumbled against your skin, and you just knew that if he wasn’t as close to his release as he was now, a teasing, smart-ass remark would’ve fallen from his lips instead.
But now, you simply both became undone, entangled with each other as he first brought you over the edge and let a heavy orgasm rupture through you, turning your head blank for a moment and filling it up with nothing but lust and pleasure. Negan stifled your soft moans before he had to muffle his own as his orgasm made him shudder and groan into your skin, stifling his voice enough so only you could hear him as he collapsed on top of you.
Just as you’d hoped, you ended up falling into a deep and peaceful sleep in Negan’s arms, relaxed, with the worries wiped from your minds for a little as you stayed huddled up to him underneath the red blanket until the early morning hours.
You were still a little tired as you found yourself sitting on the edge of the bed, yawning as you pulled Negan’s blue flannel over your shoulders and watched as he stood by the window and glimpsed outside through the small gap between the beige curtains. Part of the relief and relaxation from last night was gone by now, slipped from his body and instead, some tension had laid itself back around him. No one else had arrived at the safe house, no Daryl, no Dog, no Frost, and by now, it was clear, at least to you and Negan, that no one would come anymore, not after all this time, and it just left you hoping that the others would realize this as well and would move along with leaving this place before the Reapers could find you.
You were worried about Daryl and his dog, no question, and you’d woken up hoping that they’d arrived here during Maggie or Gabe and Elijah’s shifts, but there was no sense in waiting here anymore. Daryl would have been here by now if he had been able or wanted to, and he wasn’t and staying here would just get you killed, and that wouldn’t help anyone.
You needed a new plan, you just needed to convince Maggie and the others of it, and that seemed nearly impossible at this point.
“Seeing anything?”, you asked with another small yawn as you leaned down and tied your boots up, glimpsing up at Negan as he shook his head and pushed himself away from the window,
“Nah, nothing, just a squirrel searching for nuts ‘n shit”, he responded, a dry chuckle falling from his lips as he glimpsed over at you,”We gotta think of a plan now though, quickly. No one is gonna come anymore, can’t wait till those psychos get here and slaughter our asses.”
Nodding in agreement you let out a sigh, watching as Negan stepped over to you and reached up to caress over the back of your neck. You glanced up, giving him a soft but still slightly sleepy smile as you got up on your feet and moved in to wrap your arms around his torso, hugging him as you leaned your head against his shoulder.
“I wanna go back to last night”, you mumbled, a soft chuckle falling from your lips even though you entirely meant what you’d said. Sleeping with him last night, cuddling up to him after and falling asleep in his arms had felt like a break from this insanity. It had felt like a bit of a bubble of safety that had wrapped itself around you and it had bursted this morning and pushed you back into the harsh reality, in which your focus had to be on surviving the next day, hell the next hours.
“Me too”, Negan grumbled, wrapping you up in his arms as he leaned his head against yours and pressed a soft kiss against your temple, letting his lips linger on your skin for a moment before he let go with a small sigh and nuzzled his nose into your hair.
“We’re gonna make it. One fuckin’ way or another”, Negan mumbled after a moment of silence, sounding as if he was trying to speak these words into existence and keep both of your spirits up, before a soft chuckle fell from his lips, “And then we’ll come home and fuck as loudly as we want. No holdin’ back.”
“Sounds good”, you mumbled back with a small laugh, trying to play into this slight hopefulness as you cuddled into his warmth, trying to get a bit more of it. You remained like that for another few moments, with your eyes closed and your arms wrapped around his middle, cuddled closely up to him before you leaned slowly back to glimpse up and meet him with a soft smile. Reaching up, you could feel him brushing his fingers softly over the nape of your neck, leaning in to peck your lips for just another small moment before he nodded with a sigh to the closed door.
“Let’s get downstairs.”
Gabriel was just settling down on the small couch by the hallway’s window when you made your way behind Negan down the stairs, watching as Maggie shifted towards the window to stare out through the gaps between the wood planks while Elijah grabbed one of the cans out of the big bag next to him to share for breakfast.
“Mornin’ folks”, Negan said, still sounding quite tired as Gabriel looked up and mumbled a drowsy “Morning” back, same with Elijah while Maggie seemed too focused on the window to even properly recognize that you’d joined the three of them.
Negan plopped down next to Gabriel while you let yourself fall onto the green armchair besides them, and placed your backpack next to it on the worn down wooden floor. Just as its little thud echoed through the room, you watched Maggie grow antsy, watched her brows tense as she leaned in to get a closer look outside before she suddenly moved away from the window and turned around to stare with wide eyes at you.
“We need to go now”, she said, a deeply urging tone in her voice as her breath hitched nervously,”I think they’re here, and I think Daryl’s with them.”
The first part sounded like Negan and your own warnings coming true within these moments, the second part sounded as if it was straight taken from a delusional nightmare, and for a second, you couldn’t quite belief what she’d just said.
But there wasn’t much time to think, not much time to question, instead, you had to get up and moving, collect your supplies as quickly as possible while Maggie stayed glued to the window, trying to see how much time you had left until the reapers would knock on your door.
Stress was cursing through your body, filling you up and bringing the awful tension back over you that started to mix with a feeling of panic as you could hear the clock ticking down in your head, growing louder and louder with each second until the thud of the opening cellar hatchway echoed through your head. Your eyes shot towards the open hole in the middle of the hallway, watching as Maggie hastily waved towards herself.
“We can’t go out, they got into the house across the street, they’ll see us.”
“But we will be trapped down there, won’t we?”, Gabriel asked, pure stress sounding through his voice as you watched Maggie shake her head immediately.
“There’s a hole at the other side of the cellar that leads right out, found it when we got the supplies up. We go down there, wait it out until they’re gone or we move if they get too close to the hatchway, but we have to get down here now!”, she said, shakily breathing by now as she threw another look over her shoulder, trying to see through the gaps of the wooden planks as Negan started to nod.
“Safest damn bet I guess”, he rumbled, glancing over at you for a moment as you nodded, realizing fairly quickly that this was your only chance to get out of here. Hurrying over to the hatchway you threw your backpack over your shoulder, watching as Elijah and Gabriel moved in first down into the cellar, then Maggie after she’d looked one more time outside, before it was your turn.
Quickly, but careful to not trip you stepped down the ladder, keeping and eye on Negan who was kneeling by the opening’s side, his eyes switching from you to the door repeatedly before you hopped down the last two steps and landed in the narrow and low cellar room.
Quickly, he moved onto the ladder, grabbing first the hatchway’s wooden door, then the edge of the thin, round carpet, trying to gradually pull it over the door as he lowered it down, clearly trying to cover it as best as he could.
Then, he landed beside you and just then, just as you all found yourself in this small, dim lit room, you started to process Maggie’s words again.
Daryl was with them.
Did they capture him? Did he try to infiltrate them? There was no way he would just give up where you’d been hiding so there had to be a plan behind this. Was he trying to lead them into a wrong direction, pretend to be one of them only to betray them in your favor? What the hell was he doing with them?
A shivering breath fell from your lips as you could hear footsteps coming up the porch, letting the worn down wood screech below their feet before the door suddenly busted open with a loud, snapping thud.
“Clear”, a voice screamed as you could first hear some of the footsteps moving to the direction of the living room, right before a woman’s voice echoed through to you.
“Over here, it’s still wet”, she said, probably talking about a cloth that you had overseen in the hurry of collecting the important things before the footsteps started to spread out, up the stairs, and down the hallway, and while you couldn’t truly tell how many of them were in the house, it couldn’t be more than three, maybe four judging from their steps and the voices that shouted “clear” one after one. The woman, a man,…and then Daryl.
A shiver ran down your spine as you heard the footsteps coming closer again, down the stairs and towards the hatchway, before you could see through the gap of the wooden plank and the hatchway the familiar but nervous eyes that were staring through them right at you.
“Guess he’s telling the truth then”, you could hear Daryl say as his foot moved slowly towards the edge of the carpet, starting to carefully drag it further over the wood, and managing to cover it all besides a little edge of the door as the footsteps of the other two got closer and stopped somewhere above you
“Nothing”, the woman’s voice said, wood creaking as you could hear Daryl shifting from foot to foot.
“Maybe they went out the back, I can track them”, he said, only to be cut off by the male voice nearly immediately.
“Are you on a hurry to leave?”
“What?”
“Other building, you wanted to stick around and make sure we didn’t miss anything and here, you wanna walk right off, so what is it?”, the other man snapped as the tension that laid like a shroud over each and everyone within the small cellar room seemed to rise with every passing second.
“Look man, I’m just trying to help”, Daryl answered, a thick sigh falling from his lips before the other man’s voice barked back at him.
“And yet you keep on chirping!”
“Fine, if we lose ‘em that’s on you and not me”, Daryl said, anger starting to mix into his voice as the switching sound of a walkie was heard, shortly followed by the voice of the woman.
“Stop Washington, we need a perimeter check, possible runners”, she said, pretty much deciding for you that you had to stick around in this cellar for a little longer if you didn’t want to run right into some of those other fuckers outside.
“Look I don’t have time for this type of bullshit”, she sighed as the walkie sound silenced again, cutting off the other man right away as he was trying to speak up and protest. “I know, I understand, but I don’t need it, now go upstairs and make sure we didn’t miss anything.”
A curse let the man’s lips, loud enough for you to hear before his footsteps moved up the stairs and descended down the hallway that you’d walked along just a little earlier.
“You’re either with us, or you’re not”, the woman said, a cool yet stressed sound in her voice as an audible scoff fell from Daryl’s lips as his foot moved to press in over the edge of the hatchway that he hadn’t been able to cover with the carpet.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Stop pissing off Carver”, she answered, her footsteps starting to move towards the front door before they stopped again and silence filled the room for a moment, while you could feel your pulse pounding in your throat.
Nervously, your eyes found Negan’s, watching as he gulped thickly, standing entirely still and quiet, visibly worried that the smallest movement could make a sound, just like you were, just like all the other within the cellar were.
“Upstairs is clear”, you heard the other man say as he made his way down the stairs.
“They ran, they ain’t coming back here”, Daryl started again, moving away from the hatchway and towards the stairs as a thick scoff fell from the man’s lips.
“What?”
“I mean think about it, you hit ‘em hard. Even if they get more people, they won’t come back here. It’s a bad move, you got what, 20 people in your town?”, Daryl said and it didn’t take much to know that he was trying to feed you intel right there and then, “ You got walls, weapons, you’d seen them come from a mile away. Trust me they ran.”
“Is there a point to any of this?”
Oh yes, asshole, there is, just not for you, you thought to yourself, though realizing that this was all you would get for now.
They were around 20. They weren’t a big group, yet a truly deadly one and you weren’t sure whether Daryl was trying to tell you that 20 deadly and cruel psychos were too much to take on and it was your time to leave, or if he saw 20 a manageable amount to take on considering the sizes of groups you’d faced in the past.
“We should move”, the woman’s voice ripped you out of your thoughts, only to be cut off by the other man once again.
“No we’re missing something.”
“Fine, let’s waste another hour”, Daryl spat now, clearly pissed off and by the tone in his voice you could tell that he was growing more nervous and antsy too,”I ain’t gonna take the blame for that.”
“Daryl”, the woman interrupted again, but Daryl truly was just getting started.
“It’s not my fault he’s too stupid to pay attention”, he called out as you glanced into the group, watching as Gabriel started to nod towards the opening at the other side of the cellar room, while the argument above you continued and started to give you an opportunity to flee, for as long as they kept snapping at each other and were too busy to notice the edge of the hatchway that still peaked past the carpet.
Each of you found yourself silently agreeing with Gabriel and slowly and carefully, you started to move towards the opening, trying to stay quiet, though Daryl’s loud voice was covering up any sounds your footsteps could’ve made. And then finally, you stepped from the dark cellar outside into the light, only to find yourself running in the very next moment.
Running into the safety of the forest.
Running away from the reapers.
Once again.
Just like an awful déjà vu.
I know it’s been a loooong time since I posted here and it honestly was very much needed. I was burnt out and wasn’t planning on coming back. For those of you that liked my content, I truly apologize for leaving.
I’d love to open my asks for the next month for some specific requests. Basically I’m going to be writing Holiday letters from Negan (if you would prefer a different Jeff character, send it in, I may be able to write it. No Jeff himself requests please)
Just send me an ask with the following info:
~Your preferred pronouns (if none is included I default to using “she/her”)
~ Name (if you want it included)
~ Any other things you might want included.
These will be written in the order I receive them and they will be in letter form, so please no long elaborate requests, not sure I have it in me.
Thank you and I hope you all are doing well, I look forward to hearing from you! ❤️
So I was asked to a masterlist of all of my short stories/one shots. I didn’t realize how long this would actually take to put together, but I hope this helps to anyone that wants to read some of my past work. There is a lot of them under the cut and I plan on writing more. People A LONG time ago asked me to do one shots I never got to and with this break I plan on getting some done too.
Characters you will find in the stories: Negan, Joel Miller, John Winchester, Joe Kessler, Billy Butcher, Jason Crouse, Denny Duqette, Max (The Resident), The Punisher, etc.
One Shots
NEGAN ONE SHOTS
The Proposition
Summary: You’ve been at The Sanctuary for a while after Negan saved you. You’re a virgin and more than anything you want Negan to be your first. Sick of waiting to be noticed, you go to him and tell him what you want.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Leather And Latex
Summary: Every year Negan throws a Halloween party at The Sanctuary and this year he asks you to be his date. Endlessly, Negan has asked you to be one of his wives and you have turned him down. So for the Halloween party he tries to get you to dress as one of his wives, but you have something else in mind.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
The Palm Of Your Hand
Summary: Handcuffing Negan to the bars of his cell leaves him open for you to do whatever you want with him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
For I Have Sinned
Summary: Since Negan was brought to Alexandria, you have been attracted to him. One day you find Negan dressed up like Father Gabriel and instantly find yourself turned on by the attire. After fantasizing about him all night, you decide to admit your feelings to Negan in a confession.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Neighbors
Summary: After moving next door to Negan and Lucille Smith you find yourself incredibly drawn to both of them with their flirtatious behavior. One night they invite you over to a dinner at their house and it sets things in motion for you to start a sexual relationship with the both of them.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Returning Home For The Holidays
Summary: When you return to your hometown for the holidays after getting a divorce, you run into your old friend Negan who makes your Christmas better than any you've had before.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
The Perfect Costume
Summary: Negan goes to a Halloween store with his family in search of costumes to wear.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Back Pain
Summary: After you find Negan on the floor of his cell in pain when he hurt his back, you offer to give him a massage. With how touch starved Negan is, you find yourself taking advantage of the moment and make Negan feel good in other ways.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
The Chase
Summary: Negan wakes up bound to chair in nothing but his boxer briefs and the woman that has him captive decides to use him the way that she wants.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Comfort Zone
Summary: Being shy was always a problem, but when Negan expresses interest in you, you have to step outside of your comfort zone in order to get the one thing you have wanted for years.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Something Like This
Summary: Flirting with Negan leads to you being handcuffed to his bed where he has his way with you.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Call Me Daddy
Summary: The reader has a hard time getting used to her mother getting married to Negan after the reader spent most of her high school years crushing on Negan. When her mother leaves them alone to leave on a business trip after graduation, the reader finds herself in a tough situation where she is eager to get to have him in the ways that she always dreamt.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
One Time Thing
Summary: With every meal, a member of Alexandria that Negan finds himself affectionate for comes down to visit him. On this day, Negan lets Y/N know how he feels about her leading to a sexy moment between the two of them.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Everything and More
Summary: Joel, Negan and Y/N end up locked in an apartment together on the top floor of a building after a supplies run gets infiltrated by infected. Together they hide out waiting for the opportunity to escape, but their time together leads to a hot, sexual moment between the three of them.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Weekly Sessions
Summary: Negan is a psychiatrist and one of his patients is highly attracted to him. She makes it known that he is what she wants and she won’t stop until she gets him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Take Me To Heaven
Summary: For Halloween, Negan throws a big party that he invites Y/N to and she has one thing she wants…him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Lead the Way
Summary: Negan and Maggie are in search of Hershel and Annie traveling to New York City together in hopes of finding their loved ones.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Home
Summary: Negan tries to convince the woman that he loves from marrying someone else.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Mother’s Day
Summary: Negan wakes up in the middle of the night to find his daughter planning something big for her mother for Mother’s Day and they work together to make it special for her.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Punishment
Summary: A student in Negan’s college course has been teasing him relentlessly and he decides to punish her for her behavior.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Alone
Summary: Since becoming a teacher at the local high school, Y/N has had her heart set on Negan. The only problem is that Negan has yet to take notice of how she feels for him and she makes a desperate attempt to get him to notice her.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Challenge Accepted
Summary: With the tension between Maggie and Negan when they were alone at that house hiding from The Reapers, what would have happened if Gabriel and Elijah hadn't showed up just in time to stop it from going any further?
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Under the Stars
Summary: It’s been hard for Negan adjusting to every day life in Alexandria after he was released from the cell and things get worse for him with the return of Maggie. Y/N is one of the only people that considers him a friend and they share a moment together under the stars.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Trapped
Summary: After Negan and Maggie become trapped in a home from The Reapers’ attack on the group, they are forced to be together to talk about the tension going on between them.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Coincidence
Summary: After losing Lucille, Negan becomes fixated on one of the nurses that took care of her. Lacking confidence because he feels broken, he instead watches her most nights trying to encourage himself to talk to her. When he sees someone harassing her at a bar, he decides to make his move to protect her.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Fireworks
Summary: After one of the newest women in The Sanctuary turns Negan down on his marriage proposal, he does what he can to win her heart.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Panicked
Summary: After losing Lucille, Negan is full of anxiety when Y/N falls sick with a cold. It brings back old memories for him and Y/N does her best to assure him everything is going to be okay.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Focus
Summary: After finding out she is pregnant, Y/N attempts to tell Negan about it after a long day of him working to help rebuild Alexandria.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Start of Something New
Summary: Negan has been lonely since he was exiled from Alexandria and has been eager to have an interaction with anyone. He’s become desperate and someone keeps leaving packages on his doorstep to help him survive. One day he is able to catch the person that has been sneaking him the supplies and he’s eager to talk to them.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
The Favor
Summary: Y/N comes to Negan asking him for a favor and in return he asks her to do something for him and his wife Lucille.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Touch Starved
Summary: Negan is desperate to be touched and when the reader touches him for the first time, he can’t control the reaction it gives him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Bath Time
Summary: The reader goes to Negan’s cell to prepare for his bath, but this time he asks for something more…
Links: Tumblr & AO3
First Words
Summary: Negan bonds with his and the reader's baby and reacts to being called dada for the first time.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Under the Mistletoe
Summary: Negan pulls the reader away from a Christmas party at The Sanctuary to give her a present.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
The F Word
Summary: Negan and the reader make a bet and the winner gets whatever they want.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Thunderstorms
Summary: The reader starts working at the high school she went to and runs into Negan again where she is reminded of how big of a crush she had on him when she attended the school. On rainy night, she is walking home and Negan offers her a ride home.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Unnoticed
Summary: The reader works for Negan at The Sanctuary and tries desperately to get his attention. Finally she is able to get his attention and have her way with him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
A Slippery Situation
Summary: The reader has her car break down during the middle of a snowstorm and Negan shows up to help her.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
The Icing on Top
Summary: (Rick & Negan SMUT) Rick Grimes returns to Alexandria to find Negan and some of the Saviors there. Rick thinks that Negan is there to cause trouble, but he is there for a more personal reason.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Nothing Has Changed
Summary: (Rick & Negan) Rick and Negan have another fight after escaping the building full of walkers in episode 12 in season eight.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
What I Want
Summary: Negan takes the reader to a room where they can talk alone and Negan tells her what wants from her.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
The Naughty List
Summary: The reader comes back Christmas day after a long day at work to find Negan dressed up in a Santa suit to surprise her and things start getting heated.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Squeaky Clean
Summary: Negan visits Alexandria with The Saviors and the reader is a members of the community. Negan decides during his visit that he wants to take a bath with the reader’s help.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Anything For My Queen
Summary: The OC has a hard day after Negan’s people decide not to listen to her orders and Negan tries to make her feel better.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Ready For Seconds
Summary: Negan & the reader invite friends over for a dinner party and Negan sexually punishes his girl while she attempts to hide what is happening.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
All Depends on You
Summary: Negan finds Shana and decides to take what he wants from her.
Links: Tumblr
The Happiest of Birthdays
Summary: Kat has been having bad luck with her birthdays for the last few years of her life. Her family hasn’t been very good to her and her boyfriend Negan attempts to make her have a nice birthday for once.
Links: Tumblr
JOEL MILLER ONE SHOTS
Lessons
Summary: Finding Joel Miller working on a personal project, you take advantage of him when he's attempting to teach you how to do something.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Sneaking In A Quickie
Summary: Taking your niece to a haunted farm attraction turns out to be a fun night when you convince Joel to sneak off with you to enjoy one another.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Filthy
Summary: Joel Miller is your father's best friend and you've had feelings for him for as long as you can remember. What started as playful sexting between the two of you leads to you meeting up with Joel in the bathroom of a mall to live out your deepest fantasies.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Playtime At The Park
Summary: After Joel Miller gives you a list of requests, he takes you to the park where he demands you to live out one of his sexual fantasies with him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Jealousy
Summary: Jealousy was not something you were used to feeling, but with your older sister Tess with Joel Miller that's all you seem to feel. One day when you're alone on watch with Joel, you tell him how you feel and Joel's curiosity leads to a night of pleasure between you.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Comfort
Summary: Every night Joel suffers from nightmares and you do your best to comfort him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
A Trade Off
Summary: Desperate to finally get some sleep, Y/N goes to Joel in hopes of getting some pills to help her.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Everything and More
Summary: Joel, Negan and Y/N end up locked in an apartment together on the top floor of a building after a supplies run gets infiltrated by infected. Together they hide out waiting for the opportunity to escape, but their time together leads to a hot, sexual moment between the three of them.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Parenthood
Summary: (The Last of Us) Being a parent is hard and exhausting, but being married to Joel makes it so much easier for Y/N after becoming a mother for the first time.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Make You Feel My Love
Summary: (The Last of Us) After Joel has a horrible nightmare, Y/N suggests that Joel finally takes a day for himself so he can relax. The two share the day together and Joel with the help of Ellie ends their relaxing day in a perfect way.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Joe Kessler ONE SHOTS
Turn That Frown Upside Down
Summary: Billy is at home having a hard time dealing with his visions of Kessler. After trying to determine why Joe Kessler is the man that his brain conjured up, Joe reminds Billy why he's certain Billy chose him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Bad Girl
Summary: Billy Butcher & Joe Kessler take you to a motel room where you end up handcuffed to the bed with them using your body in whatever way they please.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
JOHN WINCHESTER ONE SHOTS
Sharing Father and Son
Summary: (Supernatural) After a physical hunt, you finally invite John Winchester into your bed, but you get more than you asked for when Dean comes back and gets involved.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
A Bargain
Summary: (Supernatural) You’re called to watch over John Winchester when Dean and Sam need to run to get supplies. A simple task turns into an erotic one when you realize that John is possessed by Azazel and he’s willing to give you with John what you always wanted.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Halloween Night
Summary: (Supernatural) John Winchester takes the OC (reader) out for a hunt with him while his boys are out on another hunt. The OC gets nervous about what they are hunting and their feelings for each other come into play.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Deacon
Summary: (Supernatural) John Winchester takes the OC (reader) out for a hunt with him while his boys are out on another hunt. The OC gets nervous about what they are hunting and their feelings for each other come into play.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Billy Butcher ONE SHOTS
Turn That Frown Upside Down
Summary: Billy is at home having a hard time dealing with his visions of Kessler. After trying to determine why Joe Kessler is the man that his brain conjured up, Joe reminds Billy why he's certain Billy chose him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Bad Girl
Summary: Billy Butcher & Joe Kessler take you to a motel room where you end up handcuffed to the bed with them using your body in whatever way they please.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
MAX (THE RESIDENT) ONE SHOTS
Fulfilling Fantasies
Summary: (The Resident) Max is infatuated with the new resident in his building and dreams of being with her. He finally gets that chance one night.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
DENNY DUQUETTE ONE SHOTS
Waiting
Summary: (Grey’s Anatomy) The reader is waiting after Denny is out of surgery and thinks about their relationship along with how much she loves him.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
CHARLIE (SHAMELESS) ONE SHOTS
The Present
Summary: (Shameless) It’s Christmas morning and the reader is upset that she has to be working on a holiday and interacts with Charlie about her displeasure.
Links: Tumblr
JASON CROUSE ONE SHOTS
Without You
Summary: (The Good Wife) The reader is being stalked by someone and is in fear for her life. A friend refers her to Jason Crouse and he tries to help her while the reader begins to fall for Jason.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Lucky Enough
Summary: (The Good Wife) Jen waits for Jason to come home so she can tell him some exciting news.
Links: Tumblr & AO3
Short Stories
Man For Hire
Summary: Eager to lose your virginity, you hire Negan who is a male escort to help you with your problem.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 & AO3
Lost & Found
Summary: After escaping New York, Negan finds himself desperate for a place to rest when making his journey to Missouri to find his family. In the middle of the woods he finds a young girl that has been left alone to fend for herself.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (AO3)
Summertime at the Cabin
Summary: Rick Grimes decides to take his family on a summer trip to their cabin and his oldest daughter finds herself frustrated that she's now in her twenties still doing these family vacations together. What she expected to be a boring summer suddenly turns interesting when she realizes how sexy their neighbor Negan is.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 (Not Uploaded Yet) Chapter 4 (Not Uploaded Yet) (AO3)
Misery at the Commonwealth
Summary: Finding a new home where things can go back to normal should be a good experience, but for Y/N it’s misery when the man she loves is no longer in love with her. Will meeting someone new help her or will she find herself lost in her past and afraid to let go?
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 (AO3)
Caught in the Middle
Summary: Daryl Dixon finds himself head over heels for the new teacher at the local high school that he works at, but she has eyes for Negan.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 (AO3)
Redemption Arc Series
Summary: Negan and Y/N are best friends after he saved her when the Apocalypse first started. In their group, Negan is charmed by another woman and it leaves Y/N jealous because she is head over heels in love with Negan. Attempting to get his attention on her, she asks him to help her with something in hopes to get him to realize that he may like her more than he thought.
Links: Just Not My Type Redemption Arc Redemption Arc Part 2 (AO3)
Forbidden
Summary: Y/N is in an unhappy marriage where her husband Spencer is always pitting her job against her. When Negan overhears a fight between them over the phone, he attempts to comfort her which leads to a steamy affair that Y/N never expected to have.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 (AO3)
If Daddy Could See You Now
Summary: The reader is Rick Grimes’ adult daughter and made an agreement to become Negan’s wife in order to save her father’s life.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (AO3)
Why Not Both?
Summary: Negan comes to Alexandria and propositions the OC (reader) while also suggesting Rick to take place in a sexual encounter.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (AO3)
Safe and Sound
Summary: Negan’s relationship with the reader leads to her deciding to take off on her own. What she thinks would be a better world without Negan ends up being a nightmare.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 (AO3)
A Second Chance
Summary: (The Resident) Max has a run in with a stranger on the street while attempting to follow Juliet. Slowly his interest falls from Juliet and the reader/oc becomes his world.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 (AO3)
A Boyfriend For Christmas
Summary: (The Good Wife) Jason is one of Jen's close friends and when she is going to be headed back to be with her family for Christmas, her fears of being single and getting hassled by her family overtake her. Jason offers up to be her date and suggests that they lie and say he is her boyfriend. Their friendship progresses and eventually, leads to more.
Links: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (AO3)
NSFW Alphabet
Negan NSFW Alphabet - Max (The Resident) NSFW Alphabet - Henry Delarue NSFW Alphabet - Ike Evans (Magic City) NSFW Alphabet - Gerry Fenn (The Unholy) NSFW Alphabet - Ray LaSalle (Leopard Skin) NSFW Alphabet - John Winchester NSFW Alphabet
Summary: Peace had a way to be boring and exciting at once, for Tory Miller, it was lonely until it was not. Her life was about taking it slow, one day at a time.
Warnings: SLOW BURN, angst, swearing, death, violence, fluff, hurt/comfort, child endangerment, general trauma, drama, mentions of infidelity and polygamy, general lack or morals, mentions of nudity, graphic sexual scenes (nsfw), mentions of blood, apocalyptic world. As always, I don’t want to give the story away in the tags, read at your own risk.
Author’s note:
••• ••• •••
Peace
Alexandria, VA.
“The purpose of all war is peace”
—Augustine of Hippo
••• ••• •••
Tory sat down to watch the sunset.
It had become a habit of hers, to sit down on the back porch of her home to watch the sunset as the warmth of the day vanished little by little.
Her Peanut seemed to like Mama's peaceful afternoons, as they kicked up a storm inside Tory's belly, like they could not contain their energy.
Yet…
It was quite a lonely existence.
Gabriel was living with her, she had given him the chance to take one of the bedrooms while the reconstruction of the church went underway.
It was funny that her home had mostly been kept fully functional thanks to her being one of Negan's wives, not that she would complain.
These days, Alexandria was quiet, so quiet she could tell exactly what made certain sounds and at what time.
She mostly ignored Gabriel's crying in the nights, it was a very lucrative agreement. She ignored his noise, and he ignored her own. Her nightmares had mostly disappeared, probably because she was too tired all the time to actually have time to dream, the only thing that always featured in her nightmares -every single night- was Negan's open neck, the blood staining the leaves, her hands, his immaculate white shirt splattered with intense red.
Tory had made peace with it in a way, in the same way, she had made peace with her hate for Rick Grimes.
Through all that process, her marked arm stayed silent.
It was the other lucrative part of the agreement, Gabriel took care of Negan -something she would have done if she had been allowed; a tiring and thankless job in her very honest opinion.
Tory loved the man, but that did not mean she didn't know how much of a pain in the ass he could become.
"He is not the same." Gabriel had told her.
"I suppose being so close to dying and away from the sun can do that to people." She had told him in return.
With a long sigh, Tory stood -it was getting difficult, one of these days she'd have to stop sitting on the steps- and went back inside.
The next day would be a long one. Roy would come to fetch her for her prenatal appointment of the month.
Rhodes was extremely… strict about it. At first, he had protested Tory's deal with Rick, but she had told him in no uncertain terms that fucking her did not give him any sort of right over her.
It had shut him up real fast.
After a prolonged silence the good doctor had retaliated by demanding she had prenatal visits once a month and then twice a month closer to her due date. Not that they knew when that would be, it was all approximations.
This was her last monthly visit.
"Victoria, you look tired." Gabriel pointed out, zero tact about it too.
"Gabey," he flinched, she did it on purpose, "please shut it, I know I look like poop these days, but isn't that the miracle of life?" Sarcasm and cynism dripped from each word.
Fuck, Tory thought, even without the cursing I sound like Negan now.
Gabriel's cheeks darkened a bit.
"I suppose." He answered vaguely.
"Cool, I prepared some vegetables in the butter Charlotte sent with Roy, and there's some meat from Hilltop, it's seasoned and well done, your taste." It wasn’t an apology, she felt unable to feel sorry for anyone these days.
"Thank you." The father said, and he did seem grateful.
"It's the least I can do, roommate." She fetched herself a glass of water. "How did the inmate behave today?"
Gabriel grimaced.
"Ah, that says it all." She sighed and sat down after putting a plate in front of him and getting one herself.
"I can understand his need to get a rise out of me," Gabriel said softly after he prayed about their food.
"That does not mean you have to put up with it," Tory said, determined to be fair. "He caused you a big deal of trauma, you're entitled to be angry, religion and teaching moments be damned, Gabriel."
The father smiled.
"You're right."
"Usually am." She answered, taking a bite of her food right after.
••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••
"Your blood pressure is a bit high, are you controlling your salt intake?" Dr Rhodes asked.
Tory frowned.
"I don't have a lot of things in Alexandria, one of them is salt, you should ask my roommate." Tory crossed her arms after the cuff from the pump was taken off.
"I trust that you know what can happen, that's why I'm telling you instead of telling Vera or your father."
Rhodes gave her a smug smile and she threw her shoe at him. He avoided it without even flinching.
"Try to keep your pressure down, we need this little one to stay a little longer inside, okay?"
Tory nodded.
"If you want to keep my pressure down, don't provoke me, you heathen.”
••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••
The next day, when Roy dropped her off with some more groceries for her, Gabriel and Negan, she noticed.
There were more people in Alexandria.
Tory felt relieved, but she also felt sad.
There was no one left from her old days in Alexandria, at least no one she cared about.
She cried a bit as she poured over the book on pregnancy and birth that she'd stolen from The Sanctuary. Her desire to think up baby names vanished when she thought of Martha and Lucas.
They had surprised Rick Grimes with the tight leash they had on the Sanctuary and their people. He obviously expected different, he had expected chaos; but the Sanctuary was more than just Negan, they both -Negan and Rick- had failed to understand it and it had affected everyone.
It had left them in ruins.
Tory was holed up in her room, unwilling to socialize with the people now in Alexandria, and that's where Gabriel found her.
He knocked on the door, it was soft and polite.
"Come in." She called, wiping her tears away.
"Sorry, Victoria, I think you should know, Negan is running a fever."
••• ••• •••
Tory spent most of her night watching Negan from a very uncomfortable chair, putting cold, wet towels on his forehead and chest.
She could see his tattoos, Elle's soulmark and some scars.
Good God, he was old.
Old enough to be her father.
Yet, her heart twisted in pain at the thought of his suffering. She almost cried when he started calling for Elle, for Lucille.
He didn't call for her, and that hurt just as much, but Tory did not stop changing the little towels.
Negan was calmer, by the time dawn broke his fever had broken too.
Tory took his hand, unconscious as he was, he'd never notice that his hand had been over her swollen belly and that their little Peanut had kicked against his hand.
••• ••• ••••
Her water broke in the middle of the day, she was on her way to take a walk around Alexandria.
It was like any other day, it just happened to be quite a busy morning. Tory was surprised, she had read about it, the process, the breathing techniques.
It was still terrifying, still unknown.
Vera was taking care of her children, so Tory would never think to separate her from them, even if she needed the support, calling her was not an option.
She had her pick between Gabriel and any stranger now living in Alexandria.
Even Carl would be good company, compared to them. She was against scarring a kid with things like childbirth though.
Gabriel -her resigned companion- brought the walkie-talkie that Doveport had procured for if they ever needed anything from each other.
"Is Doctor Rhodes available?" She asked, trying to sound calm, while her mind shook in terror.
The walkie squeaked a few sounds, interference…
"What do you need, Alexandria?" Came Charlotte's soothing voice.
Tory would have laughed if a contraction hadn't struck her. She couldn't even scream.
"Can you send Rhodes to Alexandria?"
"He has things to do." Charlotte huffed in annoyance.
"Charlotte?" Tory growled.
"What?" The community leader snapped.
"I'm giving birth, you demented woman!"
There was a long silence.
"He'll be on his way."
It took three hours for Henry Rhodes to arrive.
Tory was wearing a baggy t-shirt that she would gladly burn after this ordeal.
She was sweaty, in pain and felt like crap.
Her Peanut was a tiny asshole, making her go through all this.
"Just like your father," Tory muttered angrily as her body shuddered in the aftermath of another contraction.
"...—bout six minutes between, according to her."
"Thank you, father. Please keep her dad company, the last thing we need is a Dad in Tory's room, make him do something useful like heating water and gathering towels," Good Lord, Henry Rhodes, MD, was an angel of heaven.
Tory sighed as sweet relief coursed through her veins.
"Hey, Tory." The good doctor greeted.
She waved at him with a stupid, desperate little smile.
"It hurts." She declared.
"I'd expect it."
It took her baby another seven hours to come into the world, kicking and screaming, after making her sweat herself up twice while growling and cursing as she'd never done before.
Her baby, all covered in the slimy fluid of her insides was, in Tory's eyes, the prettiest little thing to ever exist.
"A girl!" Henry Rhodes exclaimed, a bit surprised himself.
Tory's head dropped back in the pillow as Henry put her dirty little baby on her stomach and he went about fixing her down there.
She barely noticed as her baby, her little girl, tried to eat her balled fist. Tory stopped her.
"Wait, honey, you got to be clean," she whispered with a raspy voice, after so much pushing, growling and at times, screaming.
"I'll do it."
Tory noticed Roy at the door. He looked as terrified as she had felt all day.
Roy Miller took his granddaughter and cleaned her in warm water, making sure to check her nose and the back of her ears. She had to be a good baby because not one squeak was heard, only little contented gurgles.
Her little girl was then swaddled like a tight burrito, in a little blanket and one of Tory's fluffiest flannel shirts to stave off the cold of the room.
Tory took her baby, finally connecting in her mind that it was her job to check if her child had all her toes and fingers and both eyes.
She did.
Her daughter was perfect.
"Ella Henry Jones," She said. "You deserve a big name, Peanut."
Ella, for Elle, Henry, for Tory's first great love, and the name of the man who had been her father for more than half her life.
A part of her appreciated the irony of what a pretentious name it was, just like her own.
That came from her mom.
As if reading her mind, her biological father approached.
"She would be proud of you."
Tory nodded, suddenly teary-eyed as she looked down at her perfect little girl.
"Yes, she would."
At least they agreed on that.
••• ••• •••
Negan never looked at his arm anymore, but today had been the exception.
Tory was usually silent, still using that amazing control of hers to keep him at bay, even after becoming his wife.
Could he blame her, though?
Hadn't he done his best to break her heart, to reject her and push her away?
It was no wonder she simply stopped coming around. If he had a penny for every time he had asked Gabriel about Tory, Negan would be going for around ten dollars.
Today, spectacularly hot day that it was, seemed to be either special or important.
His little soulmate had taken it upon herself to curse with such creative phrasing that it made him raise his eyebrows more than once.
He had to laugh when her pretty writing came up with 'absolute fucking stick-bitch', whatever the fuck she meant, it made him chuckle.
The cursing helped him forget about his empty stomach; apparently, he wasn't important enough to warrant a damn sandwich. Maybe he'd finally struck a nerve within the good priest and he'd decided to stop coming.
His stomach rumbled loudly and he turned to look at the boring as fuck wall, wondering when his next meal would come and who'd bring it in.
When he opened his eyes, it was dark out.
The lock on the entrance was being pulled open and someone new walked downstairs.
"Hey, boss man,"
For fuck's sake.
"Miller? The fuck are you doing here?" He growled.
"I was the only good Samaritan willing to bring you sustenance, boss man," the man could be a cock-sucking bastard, but Negan appreciated the sarcasm and dry wit of Roy Miller, he missed those traits that Tory had accustomed him to. Listening to Gabriel's forgiveness and repentance monologues was enough of a punishment, and he didn't even want to go into the self-righteous Rick Grimes who came every two weeks or so to check on him.
Roy had a sandwich on a plate for him, and not any sandwich, a good one, judging by the smell of it.
"Made it myself," his former worker explained without prompting. "It's a happy occasion, a kid was born today."
"And you wanted to celebrate with me?"
"You're like… my son-in-law?" He made a non-committal noise as he spoke. Negan's stomach turned at the thought.
"Reluctantly," he agreed. "and I suppose your daughter was helping?"
"She was seriously invested in it, you could say,” he said, his face had a shrewd sort of look as Negan watched him. “The kid is family, you see, one of us.”
“Great, you’ll be changing fabric diapers for the next three and a half years, so what? That’s just plain shitty to me,” Negan spat.
Roy Miller chuckled.
“Probably, but I always wanted more children, maybe I got a shot at not being shit this time ‘round.”
They said nothing for a few moments.
“And?” Negan asked.
“What?”
“What of the kid?” He completed his question.
“Beautiful, looks a lot like Victoria, name’s Ella, Victoria picked it too.”
Negan frowned, wondering just how Roy Miller had gotten anyone pregnant, he was sour like a fucking lemon. He also wondered how the man had gotten anyone up the duff, if he had been too busy to even pay attention to his depressed daughter, how had he made time to fornicate with anyone?
“You put a bun in the oven of that sweet lady from the shop?” he asked, happy to talk about whatever but his own personal life or his past.
Roy made a face.
“Don’t be gross, she was married, I flirted for the good cans, bossman.” his not-father-in-law shuddered. “Ella is the sweetest kid, has these pretty hazel eyes, a bit of an asshole who cried all night–”
“She’s a baby, you asshole,” Negan growled. “You should know that.”
Roy chuckled softly as he leaned back on the uncomfortable looking chair that was usually occupied by either Rick or Gabriel after Miller’s daughter stopped visiting.
“I do know she is a baby, she is the kind of thing that was supposed to make our work worth it,” Roy said, his face going soft.
It hurt.
Negan had always wanted children, first because he liked them, then because Lucille had wanted them, and then like an obsession to maintain a legacy that was no more.
Roy Miller was still looking at him, his eyes trying to tell him something, he had even leaned forward a bit.
“Spill it, Miller, what is it?”
“If I open my trap, it will cause extreme prejudice to Victoria and Ella,” he said cryptically.
“Fucking Rick, isn’t it?”
His not-father-in-law nodded.
“Victoria might explain, just, give her a chance, she had reasons.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“She has reasons too, now,” Roy laid back on the chair, again, looking completely at home on it. “I heard something interesting in an exchange run, talking bitters, how about that? Well, actually, they said it was whispering.”
••• ••• •••
Tory sat down to watch the sunset.
This sunset seemed brighter, better, prettier.
“Would you look at that, Ellie?” she asked her baby softly, holding her closer to her chest. Ella’s pretty hazel eyes blinked up, watching her with those eyes she loved so much. “It’s gorgeous, just like you.”
I think I liked you better when you didn’t have a knife in your hand, Peaches... Chapter 200 - When I close my eyes
When Blake finds herself sold out to the Saviours by her abusive fiancé, she realises that she’s certainly not on her own anymore and finds an unlikely friend in Negan. And Negan does NOT like men who beat their girlfriends, one tiny bit….
Chapter 200 - When I close my eyes
[Brandon confronts Blake about his brother’s whereabouts, but is Blake quite able to handle that conversation so soon?]
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Blake stared in horror at the man before her, the man from a life she had thought was long gone.
He was now a mere ghost from her past, a speck of memory, familiar and yet so foreign.
Brandon was stood before her, blue eyes searching her face, oh-so hopefully awaiting an answer to the question of his brother's whereabouts.
But Blake right now was floundering like a fish, mouth hanging slightly agape, still in shock.
For although Brandon had always been tall and blonde with piercing blue eyes just like his brother, he had always been slightly stockier than David, and was always seen with a large amount of facial hair.
But now, looking like he had lost a significant amount of weight in the last few years since the world had gone to shit, and now clean shaven too, Brandon bore a frightening resemblance to his abusive younger brother.
"B-Brandon," Blake managed to stutter out, as Brandon lifted his hand to the blonde's upper arm.
"I am so glad to see that you made it, Blakey," he said, the corners of his eyes wrinkling slightly as he smiled down at her, in that moment looking so very much like her deceased fiancé. The man Blake had murdered.
Blake felt her heart begin to race inside her chest, as flashes on those horrible moments where David had hit her, yelled at her, inflicted bruises upon her skin, appeared in her mind eye.
"A-And David, is he-"
But before Brandon could finish, Blake had shaken her head and taken a sudden step backwards, flinching away from his touch.
"I-I'm so sorry, I-I-I've got to go…" she just about managed to squeak out, hands trembling, looking like the epitome of a rabbit trapped in the headlights.
And as quick as a flash, knowing that everyone in the room was staring at her, Blake fled, with Brandon calling after her as she went.
The sound of his voice calling her name echoed after her in her ears as she hurried back across the Sanctuary back up the expansive staircases, finally reaching her and Negan's room just a few short minutes later.
Bursting through the door and shutting it closed quickly behind her, finally here, hidden away from Brandon and the ghost of her ex, Blake was able to breathe again.
She let out a shuddering breath of air, hanging her head for a second before sudden voice spoke behind her.
"Everythin' alright, Darlin'?"
Blake almost jumped out of her skin, turning and blinking several times, shaking herself, to see Negan sat there, a look of concern etched over his dark and handsome features.
He was lounging there now, on the bed beside a sleeping Mia, his back propped up against the headboard, t-shirt back on and large bare feet crossed one over the other. Obviously having somehow, by some miracle, managed to get the antsy toddler back into bed and to sleep.
It was then that Blake finally remembered what she had gone downstairs to fetch in the first place.
"I uh…I forgot Mia's milk…" uttered Blake in a distant sounding voice.
Negan pushed himself from the bed and got to his feet, strolling over towards her. And in a second Blake felt his fingers on her chin, tilting her face so that her gaze finally met with his.
"Somethin' happen down there, Doll-face?"
His dark eyes searched hers for an answer, but Blake right now didn't want to give one. She didn't want to admit that the brother of her ex-fiancé, the man she had murdered, was now stood just downstairs. After all this time, here. Just when Blake felt like her life was finally getting back on track. When her old life, a life before Negan, was just a faded memory to her.
But now here it was, her past coming back to blind her, to haunt her with the stark reality of it all. No longer black and white, but colour now. As clear as anything.
"No….I just…" Blake tore her eyes away from Negan's, and moved over to the bed. "...I got distracted talking to Tanya is all."
But it was obvious from his silence and the way he stared after her, jaw set, that Negan did not believe her.
Blake didn't dare look at him now. She would tell him tomorrow. When she had had a moment to think things over.
Bending over a sleeping Mia and brushing a tuft of hair back from her sticky cheek, Blake pressed a gentle kiss to the toddler's forehead, before standing up straight again and heading into the bathroom.
But she had only just made it to the door, when she felt Negan's strong hand on the crook of her elbow, guiding her firmly into the bathroom, out of earshot of the snoozing little girl.
Inside, he turned her around to face him, his face a picture of pure concern, a frown sitting between his thick brows and his eyes wide and sad looking.
"Peaches, Darlin', we really doin' this again? You keepin' shit from me?" he said with a shake of his head. "Look I know somethin' happened, You're as white as a goddamn sheet, and shit, Doll, I can see you're fucking shaking like a leaf."
With that, Negan reached for Blake's still trembling hands, grasping them tightly in his own.
Before she could stop them, Blake's eyes welled with tears.
Fuck. How was he able to read her so well?
"Peaches…" he sighed imploringly, swiping a tear, that dared to trickle down her cheek, away with his thumb.
Blake took a breath steadying herself, giving Negan's hands a squeeze back.
"Downstairs…Simon and Gavin…t-they just came back from their run-" Blake began.
But Negan scowled suddenly.
"I swear, if that stupid moustache-wearin' son of a bitch said anythin' to you, he is gonna feel the full weight of my fuckin'-"
"No, Negan," said Blake, freeing one of her hands from his and pressing it flat against his heart soothingly. "Simon didn't do anything."
Chewing on her lip, she wavered for a moment before continuing.
"Simon and Gavin, they brought a group back and…well…one of them…"
Blake dropped her eyes momentarily, before staring up at Negan again.
"One of them is David's brother."
For a moment or two, Negan didn't react. So much so, that Blake wasn't sure whether to repeat herself.
She was just about to open her mouth to explain further when Negan spoke.
"An', let me guess, this guy was askin' after ol' Davey boy? All concerned about his fuckin' whereabouts."
Blake swallowed hard and nodded.
As always, Negan had hit the nail on the head.
"An' I'm guessin' you haven't told him what happened?"
Blake let out a shaky breath.
"Haven’t told him that he beat seven fuckin' bells outta you, pushed you down a flight of fuckin' stairs, made you feel like shit each and every fuckin' day?" Negan continued.
A tearful Blake shook her head shamefully once more.
"I didn't know how to tell him-" she started, but Negan cut across her.
"You shouldn' fuckin' have to, Sweetheart. That son of a bitch should've fuckin' known what a piece of shit his damn brother was," said the dark-haired man sounding angry, his tongue reaching his back molars in a look of pure annoyance.
He was silent for a very brief second or two before he lifted his hand to cup Blake's cheek.
"Leave it to me, Darlin'," he said in a soothing voice. "By mornin' he'll be gone an' you'll never have to see that motherfucker again."
But at his words, Blake paled, frowning suddenly and giving a hurried shake of her head.
"No please don't," she said in desperation. "I need to tell him myself. I need to tell him what happened. I-I have to. David was his brother-"
Negan gave a sorry frown, gazing at her.
"Fuck that shit, Peaches," he said imploringly. "You don't owe this guy anythin'. An' after what that asshole did to you-"
Negan shook his head again, unable to finish his sentence.
Blake knew why of course. With the Saviour obviously unable to comprehend just how anyone would be able to do something like that to the woman stood before him. The woman he loved
"Please…" pleaded Blake. "Brandon at least has the right to know what David did. You're right. I don't owe him anything. But I owe myself it."
Blake sighed heavily.
"What David did to me, I thought I'd let it go, thought I'd moved on…but it's still there, when I close my eyes, when I think that everything's ok…"
She pursed her lips, gazing up at the dark-haired man before her.
"I just…I need to tell him, Negan."
Blake held her breath, waiting for Negan's reaction, but he was still. And it was only after a few short seconds that he let out a hard sigh of his own and pulled her to him, wrapping his strong arms around her.
"I know you do, Peaches," he said in a low voice, almost humming the words into her hair, as she tucked her head beneath his bearded chin. "Tomorrow though, alright? Shit, I can see that tonight you ain't in the right fuckin'' headspace tonight to be doin' anythin'."
It warmed Blake to know that despite Negan's initial anger at Blake's depressive incident after the loss of their child, he now understood what triggers had caused her to slip into that painful state of mind. Reluctant to let anything that hurt her, set all that off again.
Blake let out a sigh, pulling back from him and wiping at her own tear strewn cheeks.
"Yeah," she nodded, feeling her stomach lurch at just the thought of telling Brandon just who had been the cause of his brother's death. "Tomorrow."
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Sorry, not the most exciting chapter but I’ve just finished the first two weeks of my new job, so slightly distracted atm.
But yay, we made it to 200!! Thank you for all your support guys, it really means a lot that some of you are still reading after so long (even despite all my typos!).
High Priestess is a card of mystery, stillness and passivity. This card suggests that it is time to retreat and reflect upon the situation and trust your inner instincts to guide you through it. Things around you are not what they appear to be right now.
Olivia stared at Negan, open mouthed for a moment before she found her voice. “There was… a lot wrong with that sentence,” she told him.
He chuckled, clearly amused at her response. “Now, don’t be so hasty, lil’ Omega. There are a lot of perks to being a wife.”
“‘One of’ you said. ‘Wives’ you said. Implying there are multiples already.” She wrinkled her nose, glaring at him. “So in plain language you want me in your harem.”
He shrugged. “Look, I won’t force you. Just giving you the option.You can be my wife, not worry about having to earn points, live in luxury and have anything you want.” He paused, his dark eyes sliding up to fix her. “And of course, when you hit your heat you won’t have to worry about being without a mate.”
“No,” she said flatly. His suggestion made her recoil. She knew when her heat came it would be difficult, but she would die of the fever before she let some post-apocalyptic despot knot her, much less mate her. No matter how easy on the eyes Negan was, or how aroused the thought of his teeth on her throat made her.
Negan raised an eyebrow. “Feel free to take a moment to think on it,” he said drily.
“No,” she repeated. She looked away uncomfortably, wrapping her arms around herself. He was asking, at least. It was better than she’d expected, but clearly he still wanted her. If she went into heat, or he had a rut, would it still be a question?
“All right, doll. We’ll let it go at that. I won’t guarantee the question won’t come up again, but for the time being we’ll table it.” If he wondered at her reaction, he didn’t mention it. “I’m still going to put you in with my girls, though.” He held up a hand as she started to object. “Don’t get upset. It’s the safest place in Sanctuary. I’m not going to put you out there with everyone.”
“You don’t trust your people?” she asked.
“Fuck no,” he snorted. “They mostly obey the rules, but I don’t want anyone tempted to mess with you. Or for someone to lose their head because an Omega’s on the property. I don’t want you hurt, and I don’t want to have to kill any of my folks for hurting you.”
She frowned at that, glancing up at him. He’d killed Kevin without a second thought, but that had been a show of dominance to another settlement. Would he really kill one of his own people? The look on his face said he was serious. “I guess if that’s what you think is best,” she ventured.
He nodded. “No one, and I mean no one, gets to go near my wives’ rooms. Except me, of course. And Sherry is an Alpha. She’s got no interest in women so it’ll be like having a mama bear between you and the knotheads.”
“What about you?” she asked.
Negan smiled slightly. “I’m mature, doll. And I’ve been mated. My rut hits the same time as your heat I’ll stay away--if you want me to--but if it’s one or the other I can deal with it.”
She wasn’t sure she trusted him fully, but it was more safety than she’d had in a long time. “All right,” she said finally.
“Good. See? Progress,” he chuckled. “I’m even gonna skip the points for tonight, since you don’t look like you’ve been properly fed in a while. You can eat upstairs with the girls. I’ll show you around and take you to the infirmary for work tomorrow. Sound like a deal?”
It was hard not to respond to his smile. Wide and toothy, dimpled… He was handsome. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t notice. Between that and the heady, attractive scent of him, there was a part of her that wanted to take him up on his offer. But she’d only just met him, and she couldn’t be certain if his charm was only a front. “Yeah. I think I can live with that,” she agreed softly.
“Well then, in that case we need to talk rules,” he said.
“This where you tell me I have to drop to my knees and bow before you?” She didn’t quite mean to purr the question, but it was what happened.
Negan’s eyes narrowed slightly, his smile turning a little predatory. “Baby, I can’t deny the sight of you on your knees sounds hot as hell,” he rumbled. “But, yes. You’re not a wife, you’re just one of my people. And my people pay proper respect. Which also means much as I like that sass, if you’re in front of anyone else, you need to keep a lid on it.” His expression turned serious. “Because I like you, sweet thing, but if you mouth off where people can hear it I’m going to have to address it.”
She hesitated, nervously. “Address it…?”
“I’ll have to punish you,” he said calmly.
Olivia’s eyes flicked to the bat instinctively, and she felt her mouth go dry.
“Calm down, little Omega,” he said gently. “I told you, we aren’t monsters.” He sighed. “I won’t kill you for sassing off to me. Jeez, you need to lighten up, babydoll. You break the rules here, you get punished. Might dock your points, you might get a night in a cell…” His eyes slid over her hungrily. “Might put you over my knee.”
She felt her cheeks flood with warmth and she looked away. Despite herself, she felt a shock of arousal between her legs at the thought. She jumped a little as she felt his fingers on her chin, turning her face to look at him.
“Yeah, I think that might just be the most effective, hmm?” he purred, his thumb feathering over her lips.
She almost melted under his touch, but made herself pull away. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat. “Kneel to you, don’t sass. What else?” She tried to sound firm, but her voice was breathy and low.
He smiled, sitting back in his chair. “Well, now we get into the more serious issues,” he said, as though he had no idea of the effect he had on her. “No theft, no slacking on your job, no attacking others, stuff I don’t expect you to be a problem about.” He drummed his fingers on the desk. “And you don’t leave Sanctuary without my express permission. Hell, in your case probably not without me along. I’ll keep you safe, keep you fed. Abandoning your job and your community after what I’ve given you… that shit don’t fly.”
She nodded a little. So she was a prisoner there. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but at least she knew her situation a bit more clearly.
“Gonna have a few more for you, to keep you safe around here, but the rest is details. The girls can fill you in some. You seem like you’ll be good for me, though, right, baby?” He winked, almost teasingly.
“Yes, sir,” she said, forcing herself to ignore his flirtation. If she was in fact a prisoner, however gilded her cage, she wasn’t at all certain she wanted to get close to her jailor. Or, considering that he was trapping her there and paying her in scrip, her overseer.
“Save the formal shit for public, doll,” he drawled. He stood, hefting his bat over his shoulder. “Come on, let’s show you where you’ll be staying.”
Olivia followed him out into the hallways again, and he led her past more people, this time mostly armed. There seemed to be more Alphas sprinkled through the guards, and she tried to keep her head down and avoid eye contact. They knelt just like the rest of the workers outdoors, but there was a more powerful air about them all. His elite guard, she imagined. She caught a glimpse of one of them, a man with blonde hair hanging in his face, who raised his head as they passed.
One side of his face was a mass of scars with a melted-wax texture she recognized immediately as burns. His eyes caught hers, hard and cold, and she shivered, forced to look away.
She followed Negan up a set of metal stairs and down a far less populous hallway. She could smell perfume and hear music before they got to the door he paused at, rapping sharply before he came inside.
“Knock knock!” he called. “I hope no one’s decent!”
The room they entered was lavish by post-apocalypse standards. It was situated into a sitting area, complete with a stocked bar on one wall. There were plush looking chairs and couches, and in the corner a small stereo played music. What caught her eye most, however, was the other women.
There were five of them, all in sleek black dresses. Olivia suddenly felt very self-conscious of her ragged jeans and threadbare shirt. The tallest woman, with nut-brown hair, stood, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed the air. Her eyes fixed on Olivia.
“An Omega?” she asked, frowning slightly.
Negan put a hand on Olivia’s back, gently pushing her forward. “Ladies, I’d like you to meet Olivia. Some asshole brought her to give to me as a present and she’s feeling a little nervous about shit right now, so be nice.”
The woman who’d spoken stepped forward, and Olivia caught the scent of Alpha, cinnamon and vanilla. “No mating mark,” she murmured, and looked up at Negan. “She’s lucky.”
“Damn straight,” Negan replied. He glanced down at Olivia. “Ok, doll. This is Sherry.” He pointed at the others in turn. “Tanya with the black hair, Frankie the other redhead, Amy with the blonde braid, and Amber drinking me out of house and home.” He said it all pleasantly enough, but the blonde at the bar gave Olivia a withering look.
“Wife number six?” asked Amber sharply.
“No, Liv here isn’t a wife yet.” He gave her a wink. She tried to ignore it. “But I’m rooming her with you ladies because it’s not safe for an Omega to be out among the general population.”
Amber sniffed, taking a drink of wine. Olivia began to doubt that they would be friends.
Sherry, on the other hand, nodded. “You’re right,” she said. “The minute someone thought they could get away with it…”
Negan smiled, tipping her chin up in his hand. “And that’s why I brought her here, doll. I knew you’d take care of her.” He kissed Sherry deeply.
Olivia looked away, an unwanted surge of jealousy rising in her chest. She didn’t want Negan to mate her. She didn’t want him to knot her. She didn’t want him to look at her. She had no reason to be jealous.
She was startled out of her reverie when Negan’s hand dropped onto her head. He winked down at her. “I’ll send up food in a bit. You be good and listen to Sherry. And I’ll see you tomorrow, babydoll.” With that he walked out, leaving her alone with the wives.
Olivia drew into herself nervously. All eyes were on her, and it felt uncomfortable. Like she was cornered. Then Sherry smiled down at her.
“You must be scared shitless,” she observed. “Come have a glass of wine before Amber drinks it all.” She caught Olivia’s hand, pulling her gently to the bar.
“I… yeah I’m kind of intimidated,” she admitted. She accepted the offered glass, sipping appreciatively.
Sherry shrugged. “It’s okay. You’re safe here. Negan put you here to keep you out of everyone’s reach.”
“Except his,” Olivia muttered.
“Well, he’s the boss,” Sherry laughed. She took a breath and frowned a little. “To be honest I can’t believe… An Omega on her own without a mate…” She reached out, brushing back Olivia’s hair gently. “You’re lucky. After everything went to hell…”
“I was a target,” Olivia finished. “I know. I knew it was going to get bad and that a lot of Alphas and even Betas would be after me. I managed this long. If Kevin hadn’t decided to give me to Negan…” She shuddered.
Amber snorted from her perch on a barstool. “So she’s a fuckin’ Omega. That’s no reason for you and Negan to act like she’s some kind of special edition.” Her blue eyes narrowed. “Maybe if they’re so weak we’re better off if they get fucked to death.”
Olivia took a step toward the other woman. “Say that again--” she began.
Sherry’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. While it was unlikely, given Sherry’s orientation, that they would bond as mates, the brunette was still an Alpha. The command, even unspoken, stopped Olivia in her tracks, silencing her.
Sherry turned to Amber. “Don’t talk to her like that again,” she said calmly. “Omegas are what they’re meant to be and there’s nothing weak about that.”
Amber rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything else.
“Now, Olivia,” Sherry said, turning back to her. “Let’s get you settled. There’s a room next to mine. I imagine you have a lot of thinking to do.” She slipped an arm around Olivia’s shoulders gently, leading her away from the bar. “It’s okay to be nervous. You haven’t figured out what’s going on yet and you need some time. If you need to talk things out I’ll be around. But things aren’t as bad as they seem, I promise,” she said gently.
