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English
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Published:
2016-12-11
Completed:
2021-09-25
Words:
106,069
Chapters:
26/26
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266
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704
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Sunny Days

Summary:

There's nothing left in this world that's not hidden and Negan just found some gems.

Romance novelesque story. Negan finds something greater than anything scavenging has managed to dig up, a woman untainted by the world. Maybe the last woman on Earth that could view him without the veil of fear or greed. A woman, he would do anything to have and keep all to himself.

Notes:

First foray into fan fiction. Not sure what I am doing, but this won’t leave my brain alone. I got this idea when I started thinking about how I would like to spend my days post zombie apocalypse and the movie Blast from the Past kinda popped up in mind. I’m not meant for roughing it.

Chapter Text

His scouts had found the seemingly abandoned house in the middle of nowhere a few days ago and swore up and down that they had seen a girl going in through an upstairs window. When they tried to climb the fence surrounding the property, they were shocked, literally, that the electricity still flowed through it. The short wall of burned walkers around the perimeter made a lot more sense though.  

How the fuck was that fence still electrified?

Negan could see the house boarded up, a flat roofed car port, and a large dilapidated barn but nothing to suggest any kind of inhabitants or fucking technology. This place looked like it had been abandoned long before the world turned to shit.

He had been hiding in the trees beyond the fenced in yard. He hadn’t seen any sign of life all day. Every now and then a walker would meander through. Lucille took care of them easily. He was about to give up for the day. He didn’t want to be out at night especially when he could be balls deep in one of his wives and then tucked into his comfortable bed.  

Well hot diggity dog. Those fucking morons were actually right.

He saw her. She climbed out the second story window, lowering a basket on a pulley attached to the roof. The pale skin of her arms and face practically reflected the sunlight. Her long dark hair was in a ponytail. She scaled the lattice on the wall until she could easily jump to the ground. She grabbed the basket and seemingly without a care in the world walked to a cluster of trees. She scoured the ground and every now and then picked up something up and dropped in her basket.

When she was done scavenging in the dirt, he watched her climb back up, pull the now full basket up and go back inside. He walked the perimeter of the fence and found what he was looking for. One tall tree with a branch over hanging the fence.

Stupid fuckers should have been trimming these branches.

Negan tied a rope to end of his favorite weapon, Lucille, and the other end to his ankle. Up he climbed dragging his barbed wire baseball bat up with him. He sat on the branch and pulled Lucille up rest of the way and tossed her over. He crawled to the edge of the branch and hung over the fence dropping to the ground on the other side rolling into the dirt.

Passing the barn and trees—pecans–she was picking pecans– he walked cautiously looking for traps and hidden dangers. He found none. Circling the house, all the doors and windows on the first floor were boarded up from the inside.

He climbed up to the roof and looked around Lucille resting on his shoulder. The barn roof was mostly gone. He could see the hay loft from here and wouldn’t you fucking know, god damn solar panels. Hidden in plain sight if you could get high enough. Looking around he saw more on the car port roof.

Fucking hell. What do we have here?

He went over to the window. Locked. Using Lucille, he broke it easily enough. He entered into a bedroom. A thick layer of dust covering most things except a trail leading out the door. Out to the hallway, following the trail down the stairs, the place looked like it had been robbed or left in a hurry. Abruptly, the trail ended at a large armoire. Opening the doors, he saw coats and hats. He reached in and felt the back of the wardrobe. Pushing the wooden panel it he felt it give a little. He pushed harder and it opened to a set of stairs leading down.

What the fuck is this? Fucking Narnia?

Negan slowly and descended the stairs, Lucille ready for action. He was met with a door at the bottom. Slowly he turned the knob.


His eyes were blinded by light as he stepped through the threshold. He was in some sort of living room. Couches, tv, shelves, knick knacks, a few pictures. It was the perfect picture of domesticity. He heard a noise from the right and a door swung open.

She walked out. Her eyes widened as they stopped on him. Her mouth fell open. Before he could say anything her eyes rolled back and she fell backwards, her head making a sickening crack as it hit the cement floor.

Fuck fuckitty fucking fuck. I do not have time for this shit.

Negan gathered her up and carried her to the couch. She was light and smelled like vanilla. Her hair look darker in the artificial light. Her skin had a few freckles here and there. Long eyelashes rested on high cheek bones. Full lips. She was young. Really young. Late teens maybe early twenties. His eyes traveled down her body. He laughed. She was wearing ridiculous blue pajamas with hot pink unicorns and rainbows on them. Underneath those she probably had a smoking bod. She was petite….actually really short. He laid her down. She didn’t even take up the entire length of the couch. She had rainbow striped socks covering her tiny feet.

Looks like I found a new outpost and possibly, a new wife.

He left her on the couch to explore. Side tables, guns in the drawers. Under the coffee table a knife taped to the bottom. Cushions of the love seat, rifle.

Who the hell does she think she is? Annie fucking Oakley? Let’s see what else I can find.

Room by room he searched. A master bedroom with a king sized bed had an actual gun safe. Combination lock. Next, what looked to be her room, a queen bed with yet, another, gun in night stand. Kitchen well stocked with cans of food and dry goods. Even some food in the fridge. Closet with some ammo boxes but relatively empty and a lock on the inside. Probably a make shift panic room. Bathroom with running water. He moved all the weapons to the closet, turned the lock and closed the door.

Who the fuck builds an underground house with a decoy house? Who is she? How the fuck has she managed all of this?

He sat on the love sit leaning on his hand, fingers on his lips. Lucille leaning against the coffee table. The woman began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and locked onto him. Green. The green found on a freshly mowed football field. Bright and crisp. She flipped over and tried to reach for the side table.

“Honey, I got all your hidden weapons.”

She turned back around and hugged her knees to her chest. That’s when she saw the menacing baseball bat. Tears immediately flooded her eyes and poured down her cheeks. The one time she forgot to lock the door. She was going to die. In her stupid unicorn jammies.  

“Are you going to hurt me?” she asked her reddening eyes searching his face for any sign of his intentions.

“I’m not into hurting women,” he replied.

“Are you going to rape me?” her voice trembled.

“Fuck no! That would fall under hurting women. That shit is so no cool,” his harsh words making her flinch.

Relieved, she began to sob uncontrollably. “I thought I was the last one,” she wept.

“Last one? On Earth? Not even close, doll. What’s your name?” Negan asked.

She stared at him. The tears were starting to slow and she was taking deep broken breaths.

“Sweetheart, when I ask a question, I expect an answer.” He said with a stern look.

“I’m sorry. I have… to remember… to talk out loud. It’s been a while. Um…people called me Sunny,” she said trying to regain some composure.

“Are you fucking serious? Your name is Sunny? That’s fucking adorable.” he raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

She glared, “No. I said people called me Sunny. I didn’t say that was my name.”

“Well, excuse the fuck out of me,” he laughed,” Are you going to tell me your real name?”

“No.”

“No? Why the fuck not?”

“What’s your name?”

“Me? I’m Negan.” He leaned forward on his knees clicking his tongue to his teeth. God, he loved a hot woman with spirit. The chase was as addicting as the victory. And there was always victory. “Now, don’t try to distract me, sweetheart. Why won’t you tell me your name?”

“I just don’t like it,” she shrugged,” What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“My men saw you climbing into your house, got a nice fucking little shock from your fence, and I came to investigate. You should trim your branches if you don’t want anyone visiting,” he winked at her.

“Dead bodies can’t climb trees so I wasn’t all that concerned. You said ‘your men.’ Where are you from? How many of you are there?” she sat up straight wincing as she felt the knot on the back of her head.

“Nuh-uh. You’re trying to distract me again,” his dimples appeared with curve of his grin, “Why don’t you like your name?” he teased.

“I just don’t like it. If this is the end of the world, I’d rather just forget it,” Sunny tried to sound nonchalant but knew this was not going to end any time soon.

“Is it an ugly name? Bertha? Olga? Prudence? Agatha?” His smile widened. “Come on. Just tell me.”

“No to all of the above. You won’t guess it, and I won’t tell you. Would you like some ice tea?” She stood and immediately regretted it. Dizziness planted her right back on her butt on the couch.

“You hit your head pretty hard, darlin’. You might have a concussion. Why don’t I help you to the kitchen because some fucking ice tea sounds fan-fucking-tastic.” He gently grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet.

“Do you always cuss so much?” Sunny took advantage of their proximity, as he put his arm around her, to look at the first person she’d seen in 2 years. He was tall. Much taller than her. Maybe over a foot. She only reached his chest. He was fit wearing a leather jacket and some sinfully tight jeans. She blushed realizing this was the closest she’d been to a real man… ever. Ugh, he even smelled good. She felt a warmth spread in her abdomen.

Stop being desperate, Sunny. You’ve made it this long…you can keep going. You are a sex camel. You do not need to jump his bones. Why did I have to wear these jammies? Don’t I have anything that doesn’t look like I belong in kindergarten? Why do I even care? I have known him for minutes. Why are you thinking of any of this? I wonder if his stubble tickles. Oh my God, stop it.

He settled her on a stool in the kitchen, “Yes, I fucking do. Where are the glasses, sugar?”

Pulled from her inner thoughts, she pointed him to the right cabinet and watched as he made his way around the kitchen and brought her a glass of mint flavored ice tea.

“My eyes are up here, doll. But I don’t mind you looking. I am quite a fine fucking specimen.” He smiled as her face turned beet red. “How old are you?”

“I turned 20 last month.”

“You know the date?” Negan asked quickly.

“I even know what day of the week it is,” she smiled, “calendar’s over there. I have the next 10 years printed out.”

Negan walked over and studied the calendar with all its little red dashes crossing off the days. It was the first time in forever that he felt the comfort of knowing when he was. It made him feel grounded in a way he hadn’t expected. The things you take for granted.

“So, Sunny,” he turned to face her, “this is a pretty fucking sweet set up. How the fuck did you find this place?”

“Um…I didn’t find it. I lived here before. With my family. I grew up here.”

“You grew up in an underground house?”

“Yes.”

“Care to fucking elaborate, honey?”

“Do I have to?”

“Don’t make me ask twice,” his voice became stern.

“Fine. My parents, may they rest in peace, were crazy. Like, probably, certifiable. My dad was a doomsday prepper and my mom was an extreme couponer.  Add in a winning lottery ticket and that’s how you get this,” she gestured at everything around her.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Your parents won the lottery and blew it on prepping for the apocalypse? Waste of fucking money!” he couldn’t believe it.

“I do believe I said they were crazy. What would you have done?”

“Any god damned thing I wanted! Travel, yachts, extravagance, women. I would have fucking indulged in excessive ways. You were 18 when all this shit started going down. Why were you still here? Why hadn’t you flown the nest?”

“I had a trust fund that I would’ve gotten at 21 so long as I remained in my parents’ good graces. My sister took off at 18 and they cut her off. Never saw her again. I only had a few more years… I would’ve been able to do whatever I wanted. Go where ever I wanted. Now, I’m actually grateful they wanted to live like mole people. I’ve got food, water, and shelter. Even have a pretty good movie selection.”

“These supplies ain’t gonna last forever, doll. The fuck you going to do then?”

“I try not to let myself think about that.” That was a lie. She thought about it all the time. She knew exactly what she would do. She knew it had to be through her brain so she wouldn’t come back. But whether he knew it or not, she had years. She wasn’t sure how much he had seen.

“Soooo, what do you have to eat here, Sunny?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Would you like to stay for dinner?” her mom’s years of hostess training kicking in, “I have some pasta I can make.”

“Oh, I’m not just staying for dinner, sweetheart. You might have a concussion, because I scared the shit out of you. I’m spending the night. Make sure you’re ok. Least I can fucking do.”

“Wait, what?” Holy shit. His royal hotness overnight. Calm down libido! There are a couple bedrooms. He will probably be in Mom and Dad’s and you will be in yours. I need to shave! No! Hairy legs will be your only link to sanity. When is the next time you will find a man as hot as that? He’s old enough to be your dad! He could, definitely, be my Daddy. What does that even mean? Calm your tits and every other tingly body part!

The war inside her head mingled with images of smooth legs wrapped around his waist. Rough fingers and a soft mouth exploring her body. Seriously, how hard had she hit her head?

“That blush is very pretty. Whatcha thinking about, Sunny?” He leaned over the counter top until their noses almost touched. She lowered her head avoiding eye contact. She didn’t want to know what she would find in his.

“Nothing,” she managed to squeak. His hand gripped her chin gently forcing her to look up.

“I don’t like liars, baby. Now, be a good girl, and tell me what turned those cheeks that delicious shade of pink.” His gloved fingers stroked her jaw.

Sunny’s eyes widened and bit her bottom lip. Desire and power. That’s what she saw in his hazel eyes. Her stomach flipped. A slew of word vomit proceeded, “I can’t remember. Concussion. Short term memory loss. It’s a thing. You can sleep in my parent’s room. I’ll get dinner started. Go watch a movie.”

Negan’s eyes narrowed, a slow creeping smile spread across his face. He maintained his closeness as he dropped his hand from her face, “I don’t like taking orders from others either. We’ll discuss sleeping arrangements after dinner, and I’ll go watch a movie, but only because I want to, doll.”

She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. His hand flexed. His dick twitched. He ran his fingers through his chin scruff, his mind delving into possibilities of what her sass could lead them to. She didn’t know any better. A blank canvas. Unjaded by this world and what it has become. What people have become.

What I wouldn’t give—no, not yet—but she could be what I’ve been looking for. If I play my cards right. I’ll just have to wait and see.

He needed her to want it too.

Chapter 2

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Left alone with her thoughts, Sunny gathered things to start dinner and got to work. She could hear the tv on and Negan chuckling in the living room.

Ok, Sunny, you seriously need to get a grip. Just because a tall, dark, handsome, man has entered the picture doesn’t mean you get to swoon. Let’s think about this. He’s a stranger, cusses like—what’s worse than a sailor--, and he has a big ol’ baseball bat with barbed wire. All of those things are red flags. How would you feel if he wasn’t good looking? Like dad’s creepy friend Ed. What if he was Ed? Omg. This has all the makings of horror movie slash after school special. If he wasn’t good looking, I would have tried to get him to leave or protected myself. God, you’re shallow….and desperate and lonely. It’s been 2 years, of course you’re lonely. Ugh, I’ve been blinded by dimples. Damnit. What do I do? I’ll just have to try and keep some distance and convince him that I’m fine. He doesn’t need to stay. Maybe I can reason with him. Oh, please, you can’t even reason with yourself.

Boiled noodles, simmered canned tomato sauce with added spices, bread she had baked yesterday, and some canned green beans. Not fancy. But filling.  She plated the meals and carried them out to the dining room adjacent to the living room. She was not ready for what she saw.

Negan looked over the back of the couch at her and gave her a dazzling smile, his hazel eyes twinkling with amusement. Her stomach clenched. She felt winded. No swooning, indeed.

“Out of all the action movies my dad has, you chose to watch my mom’s Golden Girls dvds?” Sunny laughed.

“4 silver foxes and shit ton of sex jokes, hell fucking yeah, I chose this. The world is one big fucking action movie nowadays. Comedy…that shit’s hard to come by.”

“I guess that makes sense. Dinner’s ready.”

“Smells good, doll.”

Making his way to the table, he pulled off his gloves and gave her a wink that made her knees weak. They sat opposite each other and began to eat.

“So, Dorothy?” Negan guessed.

“No,” she held up her hand as his mouth opened again, “and I’m not any of the other Golden Girls either,” she laughed.

“Rachel?”

“Nope. Not Phoebe or Monica either.”

“Damn. Just tell me your name. I’ve got to know,” he playfully demanded.

“Nope,” Sunny smiled as his grin turned to a frown.

Negan gave a small moan as he bit into the bread, “This bread is de-fucking-licious. The people in my kitchens don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”

“My parents taught me to cook at a young age. You should see what I can do with a fully stocked kitchen.”

“You’re damn lucky they did. Most people have no fucking survival skills and are barely making it.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like out there. What’s it like where you live?”

“It’s fucking big and safe. Which is damn hard to come by. It’s not for pussies. Everybody fucking works. There are fucking rules and consequences when those are broken. But it keeps what we have fucking going.”

“Well, that was a long yet vague answer,” she leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed.

“Tell me your name and I’ll tell you more,” he shifted over his plate placing his elbows on the table setting his chin on his fists.

“Pass. Get your elbows off the table,” she stood to gather their now empty plates.

His eyebrows raised, his hand circled her wrist, “What did I say about giving me orders?”

“Get your elbows of the table, please,” her eyes focused on the large hand wrapped around her. It was warm and strong.

“Try that again, princess.” His thumb rubbed the back of her hand while his fingers exerted just tiny bit of pressure.

“Would you, please, take your elbows of the table?” her voice breathy.

“Good girl. Now was that so hard, baby?”

“No…” she looked from his hand still rubbing hers to his eyes. The smirk on his face revealed how much he was loving this. She couldn’t believe how easily she gave in, “Would you, please, let go of me?” she glared, “I want to wash these dishes before the sauce sets.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely. Now, dollface, mind if I take shower? I feel fucking filthy.” he stood from the table stretching his arms over his head.

“I guess not….you’ll find some clothes in my dad’s room. They’ll be too big and might be a little stale, but they’re clean. You can just toss your clothes in the washer in the bathroom and start it. It should be enough to do a full load. We can even use the dryer. That way you can be on your way before it gets too late. My head is fine. There’s no need for you to stay,” she turned and fled to the kitchen.

He was right on her tail. He spun her around to face him and placed his hands on either side of her on the edge of the sink.

 “Pardon the fuck out of me? Leave? I thought we were getting along so well? Why the sudden need to be fucking rid of me?” he stood over her his deep gravelly voice raised goosebumps down her neck.

“I just don’t—that is—maybe it’s not…”she began to panic.

“What’s the problem, princess? Afraid I’ll try something?” he leaned in further, “Or afraid I won’t.” His chuckle turned her worry to anger.

“Look here,” she pointed at him her finger poking his chest, “I don’t know you. You waltz in here say you’re staying the night, and I’m just supposed to accept that, because you said that’s how it is? Are you serious, right now? You have a bat with barbed wire. You hid my weapons. How am I supposed to react now that the shock of seeing another living being has worn off?” She watched his jaw clenched.

“Yes, you’re supposed to fucking accept it. You’ve been fucking alone for 2 years, and you’ve done a damn good job. Maybe you fucking need to let someone else take control for a night? Yeah, I’m a fucking stranger and yeah, I’ve got Lucille but does that mean I’m fucking evil? There are god damned walking corpses outside, of course, I have a fucking weapon.”

“You named your bat? You do realize that’s, like, serial killer territory, right?”

“Honey,” he leaned closer looming over her and whispered in her ear his voice a low growl, “if I was going to fucking kill you, I would’ve already done it and taken all your shit.”

“Not making me feel better,” she whispered her head instinctively leaned away unintentionally giving him access to her neck.

“I’m staying,” he murmured against her throat feeling her pulse racing against his lips.

“But—“ she weakly tried to argue but her voice seemed fade as he nuzzled her skin his stubble grazing her delicate skin. She sighed.

“No,” he pushed away from her, “I’m fucking staying. You can be fucking mad about it, but the decision has been made.”

She crossed her arms and furrowed her brows. Her eyes coming back into focus after his invasion of her personal space.

“You look fucking cute when you pout, baby,” his eyes swept over all her sulky glory. He tapped the end of her nose, winked, and turned to leave.

She watched him walk away. She had never been so nervous, angry, and turned on at the same time.

What the fuck was that? Oh, great now you even sound like him. How could you just whimper and give in? Have you no pride? No, you have a giant lady boner that has been through a Saharan dry spell. He’s taking a shower. Go join him. No! I still need to shave. That’s your reasoning for why you shouldn’t join a strange man in the shower hours after meeting him? You. Are. Insane. Ok, you can do this. You can resist. Maintain your distance. You’re strong. No, you’re not. You should run to your room, lock the door, and hide until he leaves. It’s really your only choice. You can’t trust him… or yourself.

But she didn’t. Dishes weren’t going to wash themselves. She needed something to do to distract her from thoughts of soap bubbles cascading down his flat abs as his hands lathered up his body. It didn’t help much.

 


 

 

Negan found some pajama pants and a white shirt. Her dad must have been a few inches shorter and a couple hundred pounds heavier. He threw his clothes in the washer, started the shower, and waiting for some glorious hot water.

Maybe, this won’t be an outpost. Shit, maybe I’ll keep this place just for me. A fucking vacation home. I think I’ve fucking earned it.

The hot water hit his body and his muscles started to relax. All except one. Sunny, was getting to him. The way she argued with him and teased him. She had spirit. She may be nervous around him, but she wasn’t scared of him. Not like everyone else. Even his wives. She didn’t know what he was capable of. What he had done. His introduction hadn’t included the death of loved ones. And he was going to use that to his advantage. She wanted him. She wanted him bad. She just didn’t want to want him…yet. Trying to be all moral and shit. So fucking sweet. So innocent. He wanted her to stay that way.

His hand slid lower gripping his dick. He need to knock one out to keep his mind clear. Long fluid strokes setting a demanding pace. Thoughts of Sunny underneath him writhing in ecstasy; his face buried between her thighs as she gripped his hair; turned to visions of her mouth around his cock; her big green eyes looking up at him. A few more strokes was all it took. He came with a soft groan imagining her swallowing like the good girl he wanted her to be.

And oh, he knew she could be. She had potential. She may put up some resistance on principal, but the minute he touched her she melted. He wondered how wet she already was. He wanted her desperate for him. Wanted to be her god damned knight in shining fucking armor. Then she could be his princess.

You could spoil her and she would fucking appreciate it. She wouldn’t bitch for more or act like you owed her for putting out. She would give herself to you because she fucking wanted to not because she made a deal. Not that the wives don’t want this…I mean, you are fan-fucking-tastic. But they don’t give a shit about you. Not a single god damned one. You could take care of Sunny like you should have taken care of her.

A harem had seemed like a good deal when he thought of it. Why stick to one woman? He’d never been able to do it before. All the pussy he wanted. Whenever he wanted. They were all willing. Some of them were even enthusiastic. But he needed more than just a good fuck every night. He just hadn’t realized what it was he needed until he met Sunny.

 


 

Sunny walked out of the kitchen just in time to see Negan walking out holding a shirt with lose pajama pants slung low on his hips. Her eyes drank in the sight and she licked her lips. His wet hair was combed back. Salt and pepper scruff on his face, and dark curls on his broad chest. Flat abs with hard muscles. He was attractive and oh so, tempting. 

“See something you like?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

Didn’t we talk about this, Sunny? Play it cool…

She took a breath and shrugged, “Eh, if you like old guys…”

“What the fuck does that mean? I’m in peak fucking condition for any age,” he said loudly.

“Well, you certainly are in better shape than my dad. You’re probably close to the same age,” she smiled sweetly at him.

 He started slowly stalking towards her his voice low and dangerous, “Are you calling me your Daddy?”

 Sunny face felt like it had burst into flames could he read minds? She sputtered, “No—that’s not—oh my god!” she sputtered.

Negan threw his head back barked a brazen laugh. She was gorgeous flustered. She should have known better than to try and take him down a peg. His ego was backed by years of women dropping their panties for him.

“I’m going to go take a shower,” she walked around him to get to the bathroom.

“Well, shit, if I had known you were a dirty girl, we could have conserved some fucking water and showered together. I thought you were already fucking ready for bed in those jammies, princess.”

“I just like to be comfortable. I don’t actually sleep in these. I get too hot.”

“You sleep in less?” he grinned.

“Yes—no! I sleep in lighter fabrics not less clothing. I’m going now.”

She made her escape to the bathroom. Locking the door, she leaned against it and took a deep breath. How did he always manage to turn the tables on her? She had to admit that this was the most excitement she had had in years though. Being the center of someone’s attention felt sinfully good.

She undressed and got in the shower. Why was she doing this? She didn’t need to shower and shave, because nothing was going to happen. Right? Did she want something to happen? Would that be the worst thing? People had one night stands all the time, right? Why couldn’t she?

Because you would fall in love, pick out hypothetical baby names, and he would take off and leave you alone again just like last time. He hasn’t invited you to his group. He’s flirting with you because you’re an easy target. Once he gets in your pants, you’ll never see him again. He’s only here to make sure you don’t die overnight…or he’s waiting to rob you blind while you sleep.

Thoroughly depressed—when did her inner voice become such a downer-- but pleasantly smooth skinned she turned the shower off and grabbed a towel. That’s when she realized she hadn’t brought a change of clothes in the bathroom with her. She would have to face Negan naked and wet.

Please, don’t see me. Please, don’t see me.

She peeked out the door and tried to quietly open it. The bathroom was in between the two bedrooms but opened right onto the living room. Hopefully, he’d be engrossed in some more of Blanche Devereaux’s racy sexcapades and wouldn’t even notice. She was wrong.

Negan was leaning against the back of the couch watching the bathroom door. Arms crossed against his chest, legs crossed at his ankles, and an evil grin stretched across his face.

“Did you fucking forget something, sweet cheeks?” the glee in his voice made her cringe.

Deciding to ignore him, she gripped her towel tight and walked with her head held high. She made it the few feet when he intercepted her at the door.

“I took the liberty of picking you out an outfit. Wear that and only that,” he said playing with some stray water droplets on her collarbone.

She looked up at him, “And if I don’t?”

“I’d be real fucking disappointed, sugar,” his hand cupped her cheek and he bit his lip as he smiled.

Sunny turned away and entered her room the click of the door barely registered over the pounding of her own heart. Clothing was laid out neatly on her green and blue quilt. To say she was shocked was an understatement. She was well past appalled. She was borderline horrified. Why, just why? Did he just like to screw with her? Hadn’t her unicorn jammies been humiliating enough? How did he even find this?

She put it on anyways. It was really the lesser of two evils. Either be embarrassed or have to deal with his “disappointment” which she wasn’t sure what that entailed. She dried her hair and tried to muster what was left of her dignity. 

“You are seriously sick,” she said rounding the couch.

He turned his head his mouth spreading into a cheshire cat grin as he looked her up and down, “What? That looks fucking amazing.”  

“Out of all the skimpy tank tops and short shorts I have, you chose the nightgown my grandma gave me. I look like I escaped from the prairie.”

Her nightgown was white cotton with itchy lace around the neck, pink bows, and frills at the hems. It had long sleeves and only reached her shins. She placed her hands on her hips and glared.

“Did you want me to pick out something scandalous? Because that’s what it sounds like. Did you want to be my dirty girl?”

“What! No! Oh my god—no--that’s not what I am saying!”

He laughed as she struggled to compose herself.

She was right though, he could have chosen something revealing, but when he had seen that sweet fucking nightgown hidden in the back of her drawer, he had to see her in it. It was too fucking cute. And now to see her wearing it, it was almost too much. The way it hung from the soft curve of her breasts; her pink nipples almost visible beneath the white fabric; knowing she had those white cotton panties underneath…it was teasing him more than any peekaboo lingerie did nowadays. His wives lounged in many states of undress readily at his disposal, but the thrill was gone. Depravity was boring. He actually longed for the days of old fashioned dating. The world had truly turned to shit when he wanted something deeper. That’s not who he was but, fuck, if it wasn’t who he was becoming.

“I mean, I guess, it actually makes sense with your Golden Girls fetish and all, but you’re disturbed if this is what gets your gears going.”

“You have no fucking idea, babydoll,” he laughed, “Now, come sit with Daddy.”

Her eyes widened and her cheeks blossomed into a deep rose, “What? Why?”

“We’ve had dinner, and now we’re going to fucking watch some movies. A fucking proper first date.”

“This isn’t a date.”

“Sure the fuck is. What’s wrong? Never been on a fucking date before?”

“Of course, I have! Just not with someone so much older than me and certainly not a stranger.”

“And how did dating those cunts turn out?”

Sunny just glared and remained silent.

“That’s what I fucking thought. Maybe you need someone older. Someone that actually fucking knows about women. Now, come here and let’s start the fucking movie.”

“What movie?” she asked.

“The Princess Bride.”

Her face lit up. She clapped her hands and squeed, “That’s my favorite! Wait, let me pop some popcorn!”

He smiled at her enthusiasm. He knew she would love this shit. Her room was full of romance novels, and there was a fair amount of rom-com movies to choose from. A true romantic hidden in a world of fucking misery. Maybe he should just keep her here and visit her. Keep her view of the world rose tinted. No. He couldn’t just leave The Sanctuary. He’d worked too hard to build that shit up. And he knew a visit every now and then wouldn’t be enough.

“Here we go.” Sunny placed the popcorn bowl on the coffee table and sat on the far edge of the couch.

“Uh-uh, kitten. Come sit right here next to me,” he patted the couch right next to him.

“Um…”she hesitated staring at him with uncertainty.

He leaned sideways and pulled her next to him his arm remaining around her shoulders, “There. This is nice and fucking cozy.”

She sat stiff as a board trying hard to not actually touch him…or react to him in anyway. God, he smelled good. At least he had put a shirt on.

“Relax, baby, I can be a perfect gentleman,” Negan whispered in her ear.

“You can…but will you?” she turned her head. Their noses were almost touching.

He chuckled, “Touché. You have my fucking word your honor is not at stake,” he sat back.

Nooooo! You just friend zoned yourself! You could’ve had hot hot life altering sex! He actually knows what he’s doing! Shut up! We do not want a repeat of last time. Friend zone is the safe zone. Better to keep our sanity and heart intact rather than give them up for an orgasm. Probably more than one…damnit!

She grabbed the popcorn bowl and held it in her lap and tried to relax. They ate popcorn and watched the movie she’d seen a thousand times.

“Who do you like better? Farm boy or Dread Pirate Westley?” he asked her.

“Pirate.”

“Really? Why? Farm boy was so fucking sensitive and shit.”

“Farm boy could barely even talk to her. Pirate Westley is a man of action and takes what he wants.”

“So you fucking prefer sarcastic men of action to sensitive pussy pretty boys?” he asked with a great big smirk.

“These are hypothetical questions about fictional characters and have no bearing on real life situations.”

He grinned and licked his bottom lip, “Sure they fucking don’t, doll.” 

“What movie’s next?” Sunny asked eager to change the subject.

“Spartacus.”

“Ugh, it’s soooo long.”

“We watched your fucking favorite and now it’s my fucking turn. Fair’s fucking fair, kitten. But go ahead and pout. You know how much I like it.”

She immediately uncrossed her arms and arranged her face to one of indifference, “Fine.”

God, she was so bored. The popcorn was gone. She didn’t care about gladiators. She finally let herself settle back against the couch and felt his hand creep into her hair. She a moan escaped her lips when his hand started massaging her scalp.

“Mmm…You’re going to put me to sleep if you do that.”

The hand stopped.

“Nooo! Don’t stop. That felt soooo good.”

Negan smiled in victory and his hand resumed its magic. With subtle pressure he leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt lips on the crown of her head.

“I love it when you beg, princess.”

She ignored him. She would let him say whatever he wanted and agree to whatever he said, as long has his hand didn’t stop moving. It had been so long since she had been touched with any kind of tenderness. She closed her eyes and just let the feelings consume her. The small noises of pleasure she made going straight to his cock.

He kept rubbing her scalp until he felt her head fall and jerk back up. He had really put her to sleep. He pulled her into his lap and cradled her in his arms admiring her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful.

He turned off the tv, picked her up, carried her to her bed, and tucked her in. He flipped the laundry to the dryer, turned off all the lights, brought Lucille to the bedroom, and climbed into bed next to her. He was sure she would have plenty to say about this tomorrow, and he couldn’t wait to see her righteous fury. She was a perfect mixture of sweet and sass. She was good, but he would teach her to be naughty. But right now, he just wanted to hold her. Savor her. Her smell, the warmth and softness of her small body. He spooned up behind her, wrapped an arm around her and fell asleep. 

Notes:

Author’s note: Don’t think for one second that this Negan is soft. He’ll still Lucille you in a second if you fuck with him. However, in my head, he would eventually get tired of his wives not giving him anything more than physical. He’s been married before. He was at one time probably capable of love. I see the harem as him going wild, like a kid in a candy shop…you know what happens? You get a tummy ache and want real food. So, he wants someone to love him and someone he can take care of (like he should have with Lucille)…he’s not sure about the love on his part. I think he would still see Sunny as somewhat of a possession. He’s not perfect and he’s not about to try and swoon her. Manipulate her body to sway her brain, yes. This is a long con, people. Hope you stick around. I have an ending in mind and a general idea of how to get there.

Chapter 3

Summary:

Sunny wakes up in Negan's arms.

Notes:

Not beta'd. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Text

Sunny snuggled into her pillow. It was warm and heavy…and breathing. She slowly opened an eye and took in her current situation. Negan was sleeping on his back next to her his chest rising and falling rhythmically.  She was laying on her right side, her head on Negan’s shoulder. His left arm was wrapped protectively around her back. His hand cupping her butt. Her leg was thrown over his lean hip. Her arm was stretched over his chest. His hand covering hers. She could feel his heart beating beneath her palm.

Oh my god. How did we end up like this? We didn’t-- No, I’m still in my prairie get up. Look at him sleeping. He actually looks normal and nice. You should kiss him! What? No! Hello, morning breath. How mortifying would it be if mine were worse than his? No one wants stinky cheese kiss. I need to get away without waking him up.

Slowly, she moved her hand out from under his and lifted her leg off of him. She started to turn her body when he suddenly rolled to his side and pulled her back into him. She froze and she felt the hard length of his arousal pressed against her. Hot and flushed, she fought the desire to arch her back and grind on him. She nervously started easing her body away from him.

“Where’re you going?” a husky voice behind her asked.

“Uh…I have to pee,” she wanted to slap herself.

Negan chuckled and let go of her, “Come back after. I’m not done with you yet.”

Holy crap! No. No no no no no. This is not happening. You barely know him. Yes, he’s incredibly sexy. Look at how cute his bed head is. And yes, he is, apparently, built for it, but you cannot go back in that bed with him. Actually, you could. God, I hate myself right now.

She the left bedroom and closed the door quietly behind her. She went to the bathroom and started getting ready for her day.

Keep your routine. Keep your sanity. Keep your routine. Keep your sanity. Saying a mantra in your head seems like you’ve already lost half that battle. Awww… he finished our laundry. The laundry…nothing is ours. Don’t be weird.

She grabbed some clothes from the dryer. Jeans, a green t-shirt from some camp she had to go to years ago, and Hello Kitty socks. She stared at her face in the mirror.

Should I put on some makeup? Why are you even thinking about this? Maybe just some mascara…. He saw you yesterday in ridiculous pajamas and without a stitch of makeup. Do you really think he’s going to care today? Why are you trying to impress him? Because I want him. I want him to want me. He’s too old for you. I don’t care. Why would he be interested in you? It doesn’t seem like he’s disinterested….Ugh! Just stop. You cannot keep doing this to yourself. This is going to be Jackson all over again.

Sunny threw her hair up in a ponytail and left the bathroom. She walked through the living room to the closet. Locked.

That’s weird. Why would it be locked?

She went to the kitchen and opened the junk drawer to find her mini flathead screwdriver. Back to closet and she jimmied the screwdriver into a hole on the knob. A quick turn and the door was open. Inside, she saw all her weapons that Negan found.

At least he didn’t steal them….yet. What does he want anyway? None of this makes any sense.

She opened the door, entered the closet, and closed it behind her.

 

 


 

 

Negan awoke to the smell of coffee. Not that shit they served at the Sanctuary…actual coffee. He dragged himself out of bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so long or so heavy. Sleeping next to Sunny’s sweet little body was something he could get used to. He wished she had come back this morning. He hadn’t wanted to let that feeling of ease go. Maybe his morningwood had scared her off.

He went to the bathroom and found his clothes hanging on the back of the door with a note with graceful looping cursive.

Dear Negan,

Get dressed. Oh, I’m sorry. Would you, please, get dressed?

Breakfast will be ready soon.

-- Sunny

“Little smartass,” he laughed to himself. She really didn’t know who she was dealing with. But he wanted her to challenge him and even defy him… within reason. He would enjoy having her bent over his lap, turning that round ass a nice shade of pink, edging her until she was dripping wet and begging for his forgiveness. He splashed some cold water on his face trying to cool off his desires.

He walked to the kitchen and found her standing over the stove. The smell of bacon greeted him.

“Morning, sunshine,” he said.

Sunny turned and looked like a deer caught in headlights then laughed.

“What’s so fucking funny?”

“Nothing. It’s just you and those pet names. Is it a term of endearment or a way of letting people know they aren’t significant enough for their name to be remembered by someone as important as you?” she asked with a knowing smirk.

He walked up behind her and whispered in her ear, “For you…let’s go with endearment” he nuzzled her ear put his hands on her hips sending shivers down her spine.

Sunny began to lean back into his hard chest then froze. This felt so good but so wrong. She should not be letting him be so intimate with her. She began to feel the panic coming over her but suddenly, he kissed her temple and released his hold on her.

“It smells fucking awesome in here. What’ve you been up to since I fucking know you didn’t come back to bed like I told you to,” he said.

“You couldn’t possibly expect me to take the commands of a man half asleep seriously. Besides I’ve been very busy. Breakfast is bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee. Mugs are in that cabinet. I’d offer you cream and sugar, but my guess is you take your coffee black.”

“Oh, I’d take your cream and sugar any fucking day, princess, but just not in my coffee.”

Sunny blushed furiously and took a deep breath. She could do this, “You may want my cream and sugar, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.”

“Oh, babydoll, it’s not a matter of if but fucking when. The way you fucking blush, the way your body wants to melt into my fucking touch…I could fucking make you scream until you are limp from the number of fucking orgasms I’d give you. All you have to do is fucking ask, kitten.”

Her mind was flooded of images of Negan’s mouth and hands all over her. Her nipples hardened and her panties were already soaked. She squeezed her thighs together to try to relieve some of the pressure that was building.

“I could fucking help you with your little problem there, sweetheart,” he said, “Just ask. Tell me what you want,” he added in a low voice.

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

“Oh, honey, you are fucking anything but fine. You are wound up so fucking tight. Let me help you relax.”

“I can’t,” she whispered.

“Why the fuck not?”

“I’m just not one of those people that can have sex and it not mean anything. And you seem way too comfortable with that idea.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean? Who says it wouldn’t fucking mean anything?”

“Can we just drop it? Please, let’s just eat breakfast?”  

“Fine. But don’t think we aren’t revisiting this later, doll.”

They ate in awkward silence sitting next to each other at the table. Neither one sure of what to say next. Suddenly, his hand closed around her wrist and he jerked her to face him.

“What in the—“ she squeaked.

“Where the fuck did you get fresh eggs, Sunny?”

“What?”

“You’ve been down here for 2 fucking years. You say you haven’t seen another fucking soul, but where the fuck did you get these eggs?”

Her eyes widened at his aggressive behavior. He looked on the brink of rage. But why? They were just eggs.

“I told you I don’t like fucking liars. Was this sugar and spice routine just an act? Who else is there?”

“No one. I haven’t seen anyone but you. If you would just calm down—“

He got up from the table and began pacing in the living room. His hands running through his hair.

“Don’t fucking tell me to calm down! I knew you were too fucking good to be true,” he growled.

“The closet!” she yelled.

He stopped in his tracks. He had been on his way to the bedroom to get Lucille. He needed to feel her weight in his hand… to take back control. He turned to look at Sunny who still sat, her green eyes brimming with unshed tears. Fuck, he was screwing this up.

“What closet?” he asked regaining some composure.

“The closet you hid all my weapons in.”

“There aren’t any fucking chickens in that closet, Sunny.”

“I know, you have to go in and shut the door behind you.”

“Is this some sort of fucking trick?” he glared.

Sunny had never been around someone this angry. She didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t sure what he would do. She slowly approached him. She tried to remember what her dad told her about approaching animals. Remain calm. Offer your hand. Soft soothing voice. She carefully reached out her hand and took his. Her hand felt small and delicate in his large rough grasp.

“No. I wouldn’t lie to you, Negan. I just didn’t think to tell you about it before. Please calm down. Let me show you,” gently she pulled him after her.

“Wait,” he said. He dropped her hand and went to the bedroom. He returned with Lucille. Sunny stared at the man she had been teasing what seemed like moments ago.

What the hell? Why would he feel the need to bring that along?

“You really don’t need that,” she said quietly.

“The fuck I don’t. Lead the way.”

She led him to the closet and opened the door. They both stepped inside. It was a tight fit. She could feel Lucille’s barbs poking her jeans. When they closed the door, the back wall opened up to reveal another room.

“How much fucking money did your dad fucking win? He’s got fucking secret passages all over the house. This is ri-god damned-diculous.”

“$346 million. After taxes he got to keep about $130 million and he spent almost all of it on building and stocking this place. I know it’s stupid. This kind of thing doesn’t really happen, but it did.”

They walked into the first area. Walk-in freezers lined the left and shelves filled with household products and canned goods were on the right. It looked like a small grocery store.

“Holy fuck! Where you going to fucking tell me about this?”

“I didn’t know you didn’t know. You found all the weapons hidden around…how was I supposed to know you didn’t find the rest of the bunker?”

“What’s in the freezers?”

“Meat, some dry goods like flour. Everything is vacuum sealed in small portions. It took me and my mom forever,” she said.

“You do realize you are the fucking luckiest little girl in the whole god damned disease riddled world.”

“Yeah, I know. I feel like crap for complaining about it before. Let me show you the rest.”

They crossed the first room to a door on the center of the far wall. The next room had 2 green houses lit with fluorescent lights. Bags of soil and fertilizer lined the walls. There were shelves with pots and tools. A hose could attach to a small faucet over a sink.

“I mostly have just regular vegetables. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, potatoes, onions. Some herbs. I don’t have a great green thumb but it’s getting better,” she explained, “I eat a lot of salads and eggs because I’m just not sure what to do with it. If you want you can take some back…as a sort of peace offering?”

Negan looked down at Sunny with a frown. She stared back with furrowed brows, wringing her hands. Her offer made him angry and he didn’t know why.

If you weren’t you, I would have fucking killed you and moved here my-fucking-self. Fucking lucky my men didn’t get in here first. All of this shit belongs to me…including you.

Through another door and they entered a smaller room filled with hay and feed. Instead of a door on the other wall there was a ladder. Negan gripped Lucille tight and followed Sunny. Up they climbed until Sunny flipped open a trapped door and they found themselves surrounded by the sound of hens clucking happily. They were in the barn.

Negan looked around, “Why couldn’t I hear them from the outside?”

“Sound proof walls. It was designed to look weathered and old on the outside. You didn’t notice it had glass windows and an air conditioner? My dad originally wanted a cow but didn’t want poachers because of the noise. The roosters tend to get loud too.”

“What the fuck happened to the cow?”

“Never got around to it. I would kill for some milk though. The powdered crap I have sucks.”

“Holy fuck, doll. Your dad was fucking insane, but he was probably one of the fucking few that was actually prepared for this shit.”

“He was prepared for governmental and societal collapse. He wasn’t prepared for the dead coming back and eating the living. Who would be?”

“What happened to him?”

“My mom was visiting my grandma at the nursing home. She called crying saying someone had attacked Grandma, and she needed him to come and get them. He loaded up a gun and left. They never came back. The news had been reporting weird things, but my dad just thought it was drug addicts on a bad trip.”

They made their way back to the living quarters in silence. Negan couldn’t get over what he had just seen. This place was a god damned gold mine. There was a lot of food. It could keep his people at the Sanctuary fed for a while. The chickens could keep them fed with eggs forever. She had a starter garden they could use to expand their own. He needed to think about what he was going to do with all this.

“Are you still mad at me?” Sunny asked as she sat on the couch.

“No, doll. I shouldn’t have fucking lost it like I did, but dealing with someone as good as you seem to be is fucking rare nowadays. There is always a price now.”

“What’s your price? You could take all my stuff and leave me with nothing. Why are you being so nice to me?”

“I’ve been called a lot of things, honey, but nice ain’t one of them. We’ll have to negotiate my price. But right now, I’ve fucking got to get back to The Sanctuary before those dumbasses burn the place to the ground.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“Last night you fucking wanted me to leave.”

“Are you going to come back?”

“When else would we negotiate?” he winked at her.

“When?”

“You gonna miss me, kitten?”

“Eh, not much,” she shrugged.

“Is there anything you need me to bring back?” he asked.

“Well, not need but….”

“Spit it out, babydoll.”

“I dropped my favorite book in the tub while I was reading.”

He laughed. Most people would want food, water, ammo. His princess wanted a book.

“What fucking book?”

“Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte,” she replied, “I would love you forever.”

“I’m going to fucking hold you to that, sugar.” He started heading to the door with Lucille.

“Wait!” Sunny ran to her parents’ room, “Here.” She handed him a remote of some sort. “It opens the front gate so you don’t have to climb the tree again.”

“Thanks, doll. I’ll see you in 3 days.” He pulled her closed and tilted her chin up. Her eyes widened as he leaned down and kissed her. His lips were gentle and firm as they pressed into hers. She felt herself relax and her eyes closed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Her heart was racing and heat was spreading throughout her body. She wanted more. She shifted her lips to deepen the kiss, her hands running up his chest, and he pulled away. She stumbled forward, blinking slowly she looked up and saw the smile stretching across his face.

“3 days.”

“It’s a date,” she smiled shyly.

With that, he walked out the door and left Sunny alone, again, confused, aroused, and counting down the minutes until he returned.

 

 

Chapter 4

Summary:

The date (part 1)

Still not beta’d. I hadn’t planned on splitting this into 2 chapters, but I have’t posted in a while and this was going to get ridiculously long. This is way fluffier than I intended.

Chapter Text

Negan arrived at The Sanctuary and started barking orders at his men as he made his way to his room. He needed to keep up appearances. Sunny was his. Her house was his. He wasn’t about to let any of these dumb fucks know what a god damned gold mine he found.

“Dwight! Fucking find me someone with some fucking construction knowledge. ASAP and bring them to my room.”

“Yes, sir.”

Negan poured himself a drink. His clothes smelled like her. He had 3 days to set his plans into motion. Who knew how long it would take. They might have to find the tools and materials needed if they didn’t already have them. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his French doors.

“Fucking enter.”

“Hey, baby,” his wife’s voice floated across the room to him.

“Not now, Amber.”

“But, you’ve been gone for so long,” she pouted prettily.

“I said not fucking now.”

“What’s with you?” she crossed her arms and huffed.

“I have shit to do that doesn’t include fucking you. What do you want? We both know you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want something so just fucking get to it.”

Her wide eyes quickly turned into a glare, “Fine. I want new furniture. I’m tired of my room. I also want first dibs on things between the wives. I can make it very worth your while.”

“I’ll fucking see what I can do about the furniture. There’s no fucking way I am giving you first dibs and starting that kind of shit storm between the wives. You ladies can fucking figure that shit out on your own.”

Another knock sounded at the doors.

“Get out Amber.”

She turned on her heels with her nose in the air as Dwight and a few men entered.

“Alright, men. Here’s what I fucking want. I am god damned fucking tired of my bedroom doubling as my office. There is a fucking suite on the other side of this fucking wall,” he motioned to the wall opposite the door, “I want the fucking doors to that suite to open in between this room and that one, and the fucking old door hole walled the fuck up. That way I have a fucking private bedroom and office to deal with you assholes. Any questions?”

“No, sir.”

“Do you have the fucking tools and materials? Any fucking idea how fucking long this will fucking take?”

The men shifted and looked at each other nervously. One finally, stepped forward.

“Speak the fuck up, man. Jesus fucking Christ. I asked questions. Just give me the fucking answers,” Negan demanded.

“We should have what we need. The Saviors raided a hardware store a while back. Most of that is in the warehouse. With set up, demo, rebuild, and clean up it’ll take a week or ten days tops.”

“Fucking finally. Dwight, make sure these men have access to what they need. They are to be watched while working. You have the next three days for inventory and planning. I’ll be gone on a solo run for 2 days. Get your demo and the hole filled by then. Cover all my shit. I want to be able to sleep in my own fucking bed when I get back. I fucking want this room cleaned first then you can fucking paint and clean the other room. Furniture and shit I will take care of. Is that fucking clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then get the fuck out and get to work.”

“Dwight, you watch them.”

“Yeah, boss.”

The men filed out the doors. Negan sat on his couch and breathed a heavy sigh. In two weeks, he’d be ready. The question was would she?

 


 

She was finally ready. Winged eyeliner, curled hair, rosy cheeks, painted lips. She had on her cutest dress. It was red with white polka dots. A v neck line that gave a hint of cleavage with flutter cap sleeves and a flounced skirt. She loved it, but she would have killed for a little black dress. She really need to age up her wardrobe. She’d had most of her clothes since she was 15. She wasn’t a teenager anymore. All she could think of was Minnie Mouse at this point.

Three days had creeped by at an alarmingly slow rate. She never realized how boring her life was. Chores, chickens, chores. Rinse, lather, repeat. That was all she did. She changed things up by making an inventory list for Negan. The last three days had seemed longer than the last two years. She actually missed him. He kept her on her toes for sure. It was nice to have some mental…and physical…stimulation. All the while, she mentally battled herself.

Why did you agree to this? He’s hot. There has to be more than that….he’s funny. He’s brash and abrasive yet still charming. How does he do that? He’s temperamental, but I feel safer knowing he’s there. I’m not alone. But I’m not as safe as I thought. Anyone could find me. Is that it? You want his protection? You aren’t a damsel in distress. No, but having someone there to take care of you is nice. It doesn’t make me weak to want that. That’s not all you want. Every time he pressed up against you, all the innuendos, and that kiss. Ugh, that kiss. You’ve been squishy for days on just that kiss alone. Can you imagine?

She could and she did. Her thoughts at night had wandered to his hands caressing her thighs as hers did. How his stubble would graze against her skin. She wondered how different it would feel if his tongue licked where her fingers glided against soft wetness. It was amazing how much faster she came thinking of him. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel him too. Run her hands down his back as he laid on top of her. The friction of his chest hair rubbing against her nipples. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and feel his hips flexing.

It’s better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all. Probably applies to sex too. You can do this. It’s okay to do this. You are a human, and humans are sexual beings. Your feeling are normal, and there is no shame. Damn those old church biddies and their evil abstinence only lectures. I am not used gum and my value as a person will not diminish. Seriously, this may be a once in a lifetime chance. You need to jump him. Those old cows are probably dead. Where did their sanctimonious lessons get them? Not laid by the hottest man you’ve ever seen in person.  And where are you? Alive and hopefully, about to receive many many orgasms. Go team Lust!

A loud banging roused her from her mental sex pep rally. He was here. One final look in the mirror and she started for the door. Another series of bangs sounded. Someone was impatient. Hmmmm…

“Who’s there?” Sunny asked through the door.

“Open the fucking door,” Negan demanded.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t know anyone named ‘Open the fucking door.’ Do you have the right house?” she asked innocently.

“God damnit, Sunny. It’s Negan. Open the door.”

Sunny waited silently on the other side trying not to giggle. She was going to pay for this.

“Sunny!”

“I’m waiting….”

“God fucking damnit,” he grumbled, “Please.”

The door opened and Sunny smiled broadly at the scowling face that met her, “Negan! It’s so nice to see you. Please, come in.”

Negan walked past her. He turned to put her in her place when he was put in his by what he saw. His glare immediately turned in to a smile.

“You look fucking amazing. Did you get all dolled up for me, princess?”

“What this old thing? I wear this for all my gentlemen callers.” Sunny said channeling her best Scarlet.

“There had better not be other gentlemen,” he growled.

“Oh, please,” she approached him and gently patted his chest, “Like I know any gentlemen.” She winked at him and walked to living room.

Negan laughed, “No, you fucking don’t.”

“Well, you’re here a little earlier than I anticipated. It’s too early to start dinner. Whatever shall we do with our time?” She sat on the couch and smoothed her skirt down.

“Oh, I’ve got some ideas,” he sat next to her.

“Really? Because I got out some board games just in case we needed something to do.”

“Are you fucking serious? Board games?”

“I’ve got cards too. Please…it’s been such a long time since anyone has played with me.”

“Oh, I have every intention of playing with you,” Negan leaned closer.

“You do?” she breathed as she felt his lips hovering close to hers. Her eyes closed.

“Yes. I do. So set up your fucking game, sugar. Be prepared for a solid spanking.” He sat back and watched her dreamy daze turn to into a fearsome blush.

“Wait, what? I’m not about to be spanked.”

“We’ll see, sweetheart,” His hands ran through his beard as he bit his tongue and smiled.

Sunny glared at his smug amusement and set up the game.

 


 

“Oh no,” she said with false pity, “It seems you have landed on Park Place again. And you don’t have enough money to pay me. That’s too bad. Care to work out a deal?” She looked at him with wide eyes twinkling with amusement as they sat on the floor by the coffee table.

“I’ve only got fucking one piece of fucking property left,” he snarled.

“No…actually you don’t,” she laughed, “I’ll take that and you can keep–what—well certainly not your pride after that…what was it? Solid spanking?”

“Oh, kitten. You just don’t know when to quit.”

“Oh, I do. The problem is you underestimated your opponent. You see, I haven’t been allowed to play Monopoly for five years. My parents banned it because I was an ‘evil despot that sucked the fun out of what should be enjoyable family time.’ But it sure was fun having a new victim.”

“You fucking wicked little monster! Come here!” Negan grabbed for her around the coffee table. She scrambled to get off the floor but wasn’t fast enough. His large hands found her waist and his fingers assaulted her rib cage in a barrage of tickles. She squealed and kicked. “You fucking kick me and you will be in big fucking trouble. Say you submit.”

“Never!” she laughed.

“Say it.”

“I’m gonna– pee! Please– stop!”

“Say it.”

“I’m not— going to— mean it.”

“We’ll fucking work on meaning it later, doll.”

“Ok—ok—-I submit!”

“Good girl.” He leaned over her and gave her a small soft peck on the lips as she caught her breath. He stood up and offered her his hands. She took them, and he pulled her up into his arms. His hand cupped her face while his thumb stroked her cheek. She leaned into his touch. So much of her resistance from his first visit was gone. He realized with a sense of triumph that she was just waiting for him to make the first move. She probably didn’t even know how.

“Sunny.”

“Mmmm…yes?”

“Let’s go…” He brushed light kisses along her jawline.

“Yes?” she said eagerly.

“…make some dinner.”

“Oh.” Disappointed hung on her voice as her lips settled into a pout.

“Did you have something else in mind?” he asked as his lips grazed below her ear lobe.

“What? No,” No. Only some naked sexy times.

“Are you fucking sure, sweetheart? Because if you want something else….like I said before…all you fucking have to do is ask.”

“Nope. Dinner is fine. Let’s just do that.”

“After you, kitten.”

 


 

Steaks, baked potatoes, and broccoli. Sunny put Negan in charge of the meat while she handled the rest. They talked about movies and music. Surprisingly, they had a lot of favorites in common.

“Aren’t you a little fucking young to be liking that music?”

“It’s what my parents liked and it was what was played.”

“Didn’t the kids at school tease you or at least try to sway you into something more modern?”

“Um…I was homeschooled.”

“Shut the fuck up. God damn. How the hell are you so fucking normal?”

“We weren’t antisocial. I had friends. I went out did things. Co-ops, church…. I even had a job. My parents just didn’t trust the government. That included education.”

“What did you do?”

“I worked at the local library.”

“You were a fucking librarian? That’s hot.”

“No. Calm down. You have to have a degree for that. I just filed books and helped people learn how to use the computers.”

“Yeah…that’s not gonna fucking stop me from thinking about you as a sexy librarian. Little sweater set, glasses…..”

“Oh my god.”

“You have any wine to go with dinner?”

“Um. Yeah, check in the cabinet over there.”

“You a red or white girl?”

“Oh, I can’t drink. I’m not 21.”

“You’re fucking adorable. There’s no government to enforce any laws, sweetheart. Who the fuck is gonna arrest you?”

“Huh…..I kinda feel like I’ve wasted 2 years.”

They sat down to eat at the dining room table. Enjoying the precious cheese and butter on their potatoes Sunny had thawed and bemoaning the lack of sour cream. The steaks were still pink on the inside. The broccoli was fresh. It was the best meal either had had in a long time. Negan refilled their wine glasses. Sunny enjoyed the warmth she felt spreading to her cheeks.

“So, you’re really an actual fucking good girl. Aren’t you? Have you ever had alcohol before?”

“No.”

“Smoked?”

“No.”

“Drugs?”

“No.”

“Sex?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Is it so hard to believe?” she crossed her arms.

“No. Back seat of a car?”

She glared at him. “Empty storage room at church.”

“Are you shitting me? You lost your virginity at church? What happened with him?”

“Ugh. He was captain of everything at the local high school. We went to church together. He acted like he loved me when we were alone, but like I didn’t exist around others. He wanted to keep it a secret. At first, it was fun then I realized too late that he was actually embarrassed of me. He broke whatever we had off after we had sex and said it was fun, but he needed to concentrate on the future. There you go. My pathetic love life.”

“Fucking high school pricks. Those assholes can’t see beyond their own short dicks. He didn’t fucking deserve you that’s for fucking sure.”

“Um…thanks. I guess,” she took a last big swig of her second glass of wine.

“Look at me. He did not deserve some one as amazing as you, and I would fucking kill him if I could for making you feel like you aren’t the most fucking perfect person on this fucking planet.”

Sunny blushed and stared at her hands in her lap. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. Well, her sister had but she was obligated to hate the boy that broke her heart. Negan wasn’t. He actually sounded sincere. She really wanted to believe him.

“Come here.” Negan stood from the table and offered his hand. She took it and gently swayed with a giggle.

“I might be tipsy.”

“Off of 2 glasses of wine? Cheap fucking date.” He led them to the couch and sat down. With gentle tug he pulled her onto his lap, “I got you a present.”

“A present for me?” she grinned.

“Yep.”

“Where is it?”

“You have to find it.”

Sunny turned to face him unaware that she was now straddling his lap and began searching the pockets in his jacket. She helped him remove it and start running her hands up and down the hard planes of his chest and abs. A quick pat of his jean pockets and she frowned in frustration.

“This isn’t an elaborate set up for a ‘package’ joke, is it?”

Negan threw his head back and laughed. He sat up until their noses were almost touching. His hands slid up her thighs and gripped her hips. Her hands rested on his shoulders.

“Baby, you wouldn’t have any trouble finding my package.”

He ground his hips upward, and she felt the hard line of his erection. His lips found hers. She moaned lightly into his mouth as her hips rolled on top of him searching for more friction. His hands moved up her body, along her arms, and around her wrists. He moved her hands wrapping her arms around his waist. Her hands roamed down his back and abruptly stopped. She pulled away from their kiss, smiled, and started tugging at his shirt. Tucked into the back of his pants was her present.

Chapter 5

Notes:

Pretty much all smut. This is your warning. ;)

Chapter Text


 

 

“You didn’t!” she squeed as she ripped the wrapping paper off of her gift, “You did! You found a copy?” She looked at the cover of Jane Eyre. Her smile was contagious. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

“We had one at The Sanctuary. So-“

“Sanctuary?” she pulled back to look at him.

“That’s what we call our community. We have a small collection of fucking books, and it just so happens this one was fucking there.”

She opened the cover and gasped, “Did you steal this from a library?” She looked at the tell-tale circulation book pocket.

“I couldn’t exactly check it the fuck out. No one is fucking missing it. So….Jane? Adele? Helen? Eliza? Charlotte?”

“No to all,” she laughed, “Did you read this?”

“That’s a fucking chick book.”

“That’s not a no,” she laughed.

She didn’t know what possessed her. The present, his interest in her interests, or possibly the wine, but she leaned forward and kissed him. It was soft at first, but she relaxed against him pressing small open mouthed kisses against his lips until he responded. He growled and deepened the kiss. His tongue exploring, his hands roaming up her the sides of her body slowly—thighs, hips, waist, breasts, collarbone, neck—before coming to rest along her jawline angling her head to give him better access. Her hands found their way under his shirt. She ran her fingers up his abs and into his chest hair. She moaned and began to rock her hips on his lap.

Negan, suddenly, grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away breaking their kiss. “We can’t do this,” his hands rubbed his face.

“What? Why not?”

“Princess, you are drunk.”

“No, I’m not.” She leaned in to resume their kiss but was gently pushed back again.

“Touch your cheeks, kitten.”

“Oh my god…they’re numb.”

 “See…fucking drunk. I want to make very sure you know what you are consenting to. I’m not some fuckboy high schooler. We do this, and you are fucking mine. Mine and only mine. Forever.”

“You want me forever?”

“Fuck yeah. I’m not an easy man to live with. There are rules for being with me and being at The Sanctuary and you will obey them.”

“You want me to leave here?” Her eyes widened.

“I’d fucking protect you, baby. You wouldn’t have to worry about anything. I would treat you like the god damned treasure you are. I would give you everything.”

“I—I don’t know...”

“Well, then it seems you have a lot to think about. Maybe we should just fucking call it a night.”

Bitterly disappointed at her loss of potential orgasms, Sunny looked at Negan brows furrowed and she bit her kiss swollen lips.

“Don’t give me that look, doll,” he said.

“We can’t have any fun?” she asked. She pressed up against him and kissed him gently on the cheek and trailed soft kissed down his neck.

“Sunny, I’m trying to be a fucking gentlemen.”

“I don’t know any gentlemen, remember?” she whispered as nuzzled against him.

He grabbed her face and looked her in the eyes. He didn’t want her to have any regrets. But, Christ how he wanted her. He needed her. Her playfulness, her sass, her innocence. He was not a man who denied himself pleasure especially when offered so sweetly. Her eyes flicked to his lips as her tongue wet hers.

“Ugh, fuck.”

Negan greedily kissed her. Her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him closer. She melted into him once more. She didn’t fight for control. Hers was a submission born from desire, not greed for what he could give her or fear of what he had done. Pure blind submission. He stood, lifting Sunny with him gripping her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried to her room and sat her on the edge of the bed.

His hands traveled to the zipper of her dress. She shrugged her arms out of the sleeves, laid back and wiggled out of skirt until she was in the middle of the mattress while he stripped to his black boxer briefs.  Lace adorned her pink bra and panties. She looked up shyly at him as his eyes traveled up her body.

“God damn, you are fucking beautiful.”

He laid on the bed next to her and kissed her. His fingers traveled up her soft stomach to the swell of her breast. He gently kneaded her suppleness.

“Take your bra off, kitten.”

She reached behind her and unclasped her bra. He pulled it away from her body. Her pale skin was luminous. Her breasts were topped with rosy nipples. His lips captured one in his mouth and sucked it into a hard peak. Her back arched, and she hummed as she pressed her lips together tightly as he moved to the other side. His reached up to her face and his thumb caressed her lips.

“Open your mouth. We’re not fucking hiding from anyone. No one is going to fucking catch us. We’re not doing anything wrong. I want to fucking hear you. Don’t you dare fucking hold back from me. You understand?”

She nodded and forced herself to try and relaxed. He lavished more attention to her breasts. Nipping, sucking, massaging. She was soft. So soft. Her body had never been to the brink of starvation. Wasn’t hardened from fighting for survival. His hand finally, traveled lower under the waistband of her panties. His hands traveled over a patch of trimmed hair and found the rest of her sleek and smooth.

“Did you shave for Daddy, princess? God, you are already fucking wet. Such a good girl. My good girl,” his voice low and raspy with arousal.

Negan kissed down her stomach and positioned himself between her legs. He sat up on his knees and pulled her panties down. Her legs resisted his attempts to push them apart further.

“Don’t be shy, baby.”

He kissed her knees and moved his way up along the tops of her thighs. He nuzzled the patch of hair. She could feel his warm breath dance over her sensitive skin.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“You’re not the only one that wants a taste, doll. Open up these pretty thighs.”

She hesitated.

“Honey, we can stop right now. Just say the fucking word….but don’t make me repeat myself.”

Her legs slowly opened. He rubbed his beard on the inside of her thighs as he kissed his way to her center. He stopped and let out a hot breath against her wetness. She tried to retreat but his hand gripped her hips and held her in place.

“Look at me.”

Her eyes were squeezed shut, “I can’t look at you when you are down there and I’m so….exposed.”

“Sunny.”

She opened her eyes. The predatory look in his eyes made her stomach flip, and she felt the smile spread across his lips.

“Don’t be embarrassed. You have the fucking prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”

“I’d don’t even want to think about that right now.”

“Then stop thinking,” He slowly licked up her slit.  Her head flew back on the mattress and a gasp escaped her lips at the decadent feel of his tongue running up and down her silky folds. She moaned when his tongue flicked her clit and his mouth began to suck on her sensitive flesh.

She felt her body begin to climb higher and higher. The pleasure so much more than anything she had ever experienced. Her hands gripped the quilt when he slid two long fingers inside her and began to curve them against her inner walls. It was so intense. Too intense.

“Stop!” she cried.

“What? What’s wrong?” he asked bewildered.

“I—I think I have to pee,” she whispered. Her face flushed.

“Oh, babydoll. You are just too fucking good to be true. You don’t have to pee.”

“But—“

“Trust me?”

She nodded.

“Then let’s see what happens. Just relax and I promise we’re both gonna enjoy this.”

She laid back. He started again with lazy kisses evolving into long slow licks. She was bucking her hips by the time he started sucking and fingering her. Her moans loader and deeper than before. The familiar sensual sensations began to build. As she reached her threshold her entire body trembled uncontrollably. He felt her muscles tighten around his fingers. He sucked on her clit hard and pulled his fingers out to feel her release all over his hands. It was glorious.

As she breathed heavily and tried to recovered, he wiped his face on his shirt and took off his boxers. He crawled over her and laid himself down on top of her kissing her deeply. She could taste herself on his lips. Her nipples tingled with the friction of his springy chest hair. He pushed his erection in between her folds thrusting and coating himself in her cum pressing down and rubbing on her clit in a torturous rhythm.

He kissed and sucked her neck, “You like that, baby? You like feeling Daddy’s big dick, don’t you?”

“Yes. Oh, God, yes.”

“I want you to cum all over my fucking dick.”

She was overwhelmed. Too many feelings. Too much stimulation. It took her over the edge again. He felt her orgasm cover him. He grabbed his dripping wet cock and thrust hard and fast in his fist. He groaned as he came all over her stomach.

He looked down at her, eyes closed and panting, hands tangled in the covers. Her hair was matted, make up smeared, skin covered in a sheen of sweat. Her cum soaking through the quilt and his pooling on her abdomen. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Chapter 6

Summary:

Sunny deals with her feelings after her intimate encounter with Negan and then they both come clean (literally).

Notes:

I swear, I had every intention of moving the plot forward. Then Negan Smut Week happened on Tumblr, and my brain has been firmly in the gutter all week. So, enjoy some more smut. Sorry? Everything I write ends up being fluffy smut. Trying next time for some angst, deep conversation, and plot development. This story does actually have places to go. I live for comments.

Chapter Text


 

 

Negan rose from the bed. Her eyes were still closed, but her breathing had evened out. He grabbed a handful of tissues from the nightstand, cleaned Sunny’s lower stomach as best he could, and patted her thigh. He snatched his boxers off the floor and left the room.

She opened her eyes just in time to see his lean naked form walking out the door. The haze of lust and wine was diminishing. She sat up and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over her dresser. Naked. Thighs still glistening with her release. Her hair was wild, stuck to her forehead and neck with perspiration and teased in the back. Her mascara and eyeliner, so painstakingly applied, smeared into her temples. She looked debauched, and for the first time, she really felt it.  She crawled under the covers trying hide from her own judging eyes. Sitting up she pulled the sheet up covering her nudity, hugged her legs to her chest, and rested her forehead on her knees.

Oh my god. What did I do? You enjoyed yourself….for once. How could I just throw myself at him? Ugh, I can’t even blame the wine. I wore matching undies.  I shaved places I have never shaved before. I gave myself a pep talk to have a one night stand. I made that decision way before he got here. Was it even a good one? Um. Yes! Do you not remember those orgasms from minutes ago? Worth it. Soooooo worth it. When have you ever felt that before? Never. But why do I feel this way now? What’s going to happen? What do I do? What was all that forever talk? He couldn’t have meant it. Why would he? Ugh. Would you just shut up and enjoy the afterglow?

She heard him enter the room. Her cheeks heated as she remembered the state of her hair and her make up. She lowered her knees sitting crossed legged and clutched the sheets closer to her. He sat on the bed, his hand trailing up her thigh.

“A little fucking late for modesty, doll,” he said, “I mean, shit, I was just nose deep in your—“

The sheet dropped as her hands slapped against his mouth. His laugh rumbled against her palm and he pressed a kiss into her hand. His eyes twinkled as they roamed down her body stopping to admire her newly exposed breasts. She released his face and covered herself.

“I know it’s just--“she started looking down.

“That I fucking left the room for 2 god damn minutes, and you started fucking slut shaming yourself? It’s written all over your face, princess. Out with it. Was it too fucking much? Did I fucking scare you?”

“Um no…I think I mostly scared myself. This just isn’t like me. I thought I could--but now—I mean, what we did was really intimate. But I don’t really know anything about you. I guess, I’m just confused.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

She looked away and blushed.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, “I already know...the evidence was dripping off my—“

“Yes! I enjoyed it.”

He laughed, “Then what’s the fucking problem, baby?”

“Well—I—“

“Look, we live in a shit world where nothing is guaranteed. We have to seize moments like this by the balls. Trust me, holding back and fucking taking things slow will only lead to regret. We can get to fucking know each other along the way.”

“You don’t think less of me?”

“You fucking kidding? I’ll be thinking more of you…so much more….the way you were moaning and grinding up against me. Fucking hot.”

She slapped his shoulder, “That’s not what I meant!”

He leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead, “You’re fucking perfect. Now go take a shower. We don’t need you snail trailing all over the sheets.”

“Ew!”

“What? You already made a fucking mess of the quilt.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you ever fucking apologize for coming. The wetter the fucking better, babydoll.”

“Really?” She pointed to her robe hanging on the closet door. He got up and held it out for her forcing her to leave the safety of her covers. Curiously, she felt aroused by the little show of exhibitionism as she let him help her slide in the sleeves.

“Fuck yeah,” he reached around her waist and tied her sash. “The only thing that could’ve made that any better is if I came in you instead of on you,” his low voice in her ear as he nuzzled into her. She squeezed her legs together. He pushed her towards the door, “You better get in the shower before you drip on the floor, kitten.” She shot him a pouting glare as she walked out of the room.

Negan retrieved his backpack packed for an overnighter and Lucille from the secret stairwell outside the bunker door. He was getting sloppy. In his eagerness to teach Sunny a lesson for teasing him, he forgot all about his main girl. Sunny might be the death of him yet.

He snatched the comforter off of the master bed and switched it out for Sunny’s quilt. She could decide how to wash that shit later. He got out a clean pair of boxers then figured he could use a shower too. He had wiped himself with a wet wash cloth but still felt tacky. It wasn’t comfortable sleeping when your balls stuck to your thighs.

He opened the door to the bathroom. The air was warm and humid. He could hear Sunny softly humming to herself. Scent of fruit and flowers filled his nostrils. He took a deep breath. Stripping, he pulled back the shower curtain.

Sunny screamed over her shoulder and clutched her heart covering her breasts, “Oh my god! You can’t sneak up on me like that! You scared the crap out of me! This is what happens in horror movies, you know.”

“And here, I fucking thought it was romantic,” he said as he stepped into the shower bath.

“What are you doing?” She tried to shrink away from him.

“Getting clean. Unless you wanted to get dirty again…”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head with a small laugh. She looked adorable. All the makeup washed away. Bubbles covering her hair and dripping slowly down the curves of her body. She stepped further in the water rinsing the rest of the shampoo out of her long hair.  His fingers brushed her wet skin. She tensed as he moved her hair over her shoulder. She looked back at him coyly.

“Just relax,” he said.

 He filled his hands with body wash, rubbed them together, and began to massage her shoulders. Her head immediately fell forward as she moaned in satisfaction. His dick twitched in response.

He moved her out of the water, “Put your hands on the walls.”

She hesitated but complied facing away from him. She was rewarded as his fingers worked the muscles down her spine to her lower back. His hands gripped her hips, shaped her ass, and traveled down her thighs and back up again squeezing the muscles. His thumbs lightly brushed against her folds as he reached the tops of her legs. She whimpered when he moved his hands to her waist.  He ran his hands up her torso then took the weight of breast in his hands. He kneaded her then pinched and teased her nipples.

He leaned over her small frame and whispered in her ear, “Are you ready to be mine?”

She shook her head no.

“Well that’s a damn shame.” He pulled her up and turned her around to face him. His hand tilted her chin up and he took his time kissing her soft lips until they opened for him. His tongue stroked hers. He gathered her against him. Her hands resting on his chest. His erection pressing against her stomach. Their soft moans filled the air.

“Now?” he said against her lips.

“No,” she whispered with a smile.

 His kisses slowed and he gently pushed away to stand in the cascade of water. She took advantage of his closed eyes and hungrily took in the details of his body. His chest was covered in a layer of tight curls that traveled down his flat abs, around his belly button, down around his stiff cock.

“Take it all in, kitten. I know I’m fucking fine,” said with a wink.

 Sunny giggled sheepishly. She continued to watch has he washed his hair admiring all his tattoos as his arms flexed. He reached next to her, took the bottle of body wash, and handed it to her.

“Here. Make yourself useful.”

Her eyes widened. She didn’t know how she would still be able to tell him no if she started touching him. And oh, how she wanted to touch him. She bit her lip as she started rubbing her hands through his chest hair watching the liquid turn into a mass of bubbles. His nipples hardened under her palms. She ran her hands down his sides and over his stomach then paused.

His hand wrapped guided hers to his erection, “You’re not going to fucking hurt it,” he said with a groan and she tentatively gripped his cock.

She worked him with her soapy hand twisting her hand up and down his shaft. He was thick with a large vein running up towards the head. His head fell back when she cupped his balls with the other hand. The power she felt giving him pleasure filled her with a needy desire. Her clit pulsed. Heat and moisture flooded her core.

A guttural moan escaped his lips as they came crashing down on hers. He angled his head and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, hungry for her taste. His hips flexed as he thrust harder into her hand. It wasn’t enough. He needed more. He grabbed her hands and spun her around. Holding both her wrists in one hand, he pinned them against the wall, and pressed himself into her backside, his dick sliding in between her cheeks as he thrust.

He kissed and nibbled her neck and shoulders while his free hand slid down her body, over her breast, pinching and pulling her nipple, down her stomach, through her patch of short curls, parting her smooth lips until he reached her clit. She arched her back and spread her legs. He pushed his fingers through her slick folds and found her entrance. He slipped two fingers inside of her maintaining pressure on her clit with his palm and began to pump. She rocked her hips into his hands riding his fingers.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he growled as he quickened his pace, “Tell me and I’ll be so deep inside you. I could make you feel so fucking good, baby. This is nothing compared to what my fucking dick can do. Stretching you. Filling you. Say it, princess. Say it,” he demanded as he thrust harder against her.

“N—ahhh,” her response was drowned with sounds of her climax hitting her, his words pushing her over the edge. Her muscles convulsed around his fingers, her legs trembled. He followed her quickly, reaching his own peak. His dick pulsed as he came on her lower back. Their moans softened into pants. He released her wrists and wrapped his arms around her, his hand gripping gently around her throat his thumb stroking her pulse.

“Your ass is in a world of trouble when you finally say yes, sweetheart. I’m going to delight in tormenting you as much as you are tormenting me. Deny it all you fucking want right now, but you know you already belong to me. I don’t like being denied what’s mine.” He gave her ass a quick smack and laid kiss on her temple. She shivered not knowing whether from anxiety or excitement.

They rinsed off and wrapped themselves in towels. Seeing her drowsy kitten eyed blinks, he scooped her up and carried her to her room. He set her down and started to pull at her towel. She tightened her grip but let go at the reprimanding glare she got.

He took his time drying her limbs and body making sure he didn’t miss a single drop. She swayed slightly under his meticulous ministrations. He gently squeezed the excess water from her hair. He retrieved a tank top and some boy shorts from her drawers. He lifted the shirt over her head and pulled it down over her. He knelt down holding her panties out in front of him. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she stepped into the leg holes. He pulled them up placing one small intimate kiss where they covered her body. He led her by the hand to the bed. He pulled back the covers and watched as she flopped down on the mattress with all the grace of a harbor seal. He smiled, tucked her in, and kissed her shoulder.

“Why Sunny?”

“Hmmm?” she murmured.

“Why did they choose the nickname Sunny?”

“Maybe it was my disposition,” she said sleepy yawn.

 He brushed some hair away from her face and tucked it gently behind her ear.

“Negan?”

“Yeah, kitten?”

“I got you a present too.”

“You did?”

“It’s in my nightstand.”

He pulled open the drawer and found a small box tied with string. He pulled the bow open and lifted the lid. In it lay a key ring with two keys.

“One’s to the bunker and one’s to the house….so you don’t have to climb into the window anymore.”

He smiled and kissed her cheek, “Thanks, baby.”

He finished drying himself, put on a clean white shirt, and a pair of black boxer briefs. He made sure the doors were locked and the bunker was secured then set about gathering things he would need in the morning. Finally, he climbed in bed with Sunny and gathered her to him. These were the moments you had to seize. The innocent moments that were hard to find in a world of chaos and violence. He craved Sunny. The reprieve she gave him from the stress of leading the Saviors. He fell asleep inhaling the scent of her shampoo and feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing.

Chapter Text

Sunny stretched languidly in her bed. She opened an eye and took at a look at her clock. She bolted upright. It was almost noon. Had she slept through her alarm? No. She hadn’t set one. Last night, she had been too tired from her encounters with Negan to remember. She glanced over her shoulder to get a peek of him wondering if her momentary panic had woken him. The other side of the mattress, however, was empty and cold.

She left the comfort of her bed, goosebumps raising on her legs as her bare feet touched the cement floor, and quickly threw on some comfy clothes. She tip toed through her bunker in search of some sign that he was still here. The bathroom was empty. No coffee brewing in the kitchen. She decided to check on the chickens. Maybe he was in the barn.

He wasn’t. She went through the motions of her chores. Feeding and watering the chickens. Gathering any eggs. Watering the garden. Putting everything away where it went when she was done. She vaguely remembered seeing a bag and his bat as he dressed her last night in her room and ran to see if his things were still there.

They weren’t. She sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the ground waiting for tears to flood her eyes, for her heart to shatter, but it didn’t. She felt nothing but adrenaline pumping through her veins fueling anger.

How could I have been so stupid? Of course, he’s high tailed it out of here. Got what he wanted…or at least, most of what he wanted because, Lord knows I didn’t make it that difficult for him. I freaking gave into my thunder-lust so easily. Too easily. I can’t believe he just left. Of course, he left. He left without even saying goodbye. And he lied. He’s lying liar. He’s the lying-est liar that ever lied. He didn’t want me forever. He just wanted in my pants, and damnit, he mostly got there. Thank God, we didn’t actually have sex. He probably wouldn’t have even stayed the night. Did he even stay the night? Holy shit. I don’t even know.

She stormed her way to the kitchen. Her movements created a cacophony of clatters and clangs as she set about making herself a late breakfast.

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I think any of the guys I meet would be interested in me for anything other than sex? Why would I convince myself that he was decent? I couldn’t even find a nice guy before the world ended. I should have listened to myself. All the cussing, all the innuendos, of course he’s exactly what he seems to be. I knew it, and I ignored it. Those mother effin’ dimples. What is wrong with me?

She cut some bread and popped it in the toaster. It was difficult to refrain from smashing the eggs in their shells but, somehow, she managed to gently crack them into the pan. She took great joy, however, in maliciously stabbing the yokes watching the yellow slowly seeping through the wounds.

I don’t need him. I don’t need his stupid company. I don’t need his stupid fingers or tongue. I may like them, but I don’t need them. I may want them, but I don’t need them. I could learn to give myself crazy orgasms. Probably. It can’t be that hard. You haven’t managed it yet. Doesn’t mean I can’t. Doesn’t mean you will. You aren’t helping. We don’t need Negan. We were just fine, and we can keep on being just fine. Fine isn’t that great. Ugh….  

She poured herself a large mug of coffee adding liberal amounts of powdered creamer and sugar. A fried egg topped her dry toast with a sprinkle salt and pepper on top. What she wouldn’t give for an everything bagel and cream cheese. Or just some Nutella to drown her worries in. She stood at the counter and took a gulp.

“Mornin’, doll face,” a deep voice resonated behind her.

Hot liquid shot up her nose as she coughed and sputtered coffee. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her face then the counter trying to recover as Negan walked into the kitchen his hair slicked back and damp.

“Shit, you okay?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Fine” she managed to choke out, “I’m fine. You scared the crap out of me. You’re still here?”

“Where the fuck else would I be?”

“I don’t know. I woke up and you weren’t there.”

“I had shit to do. I just took a shower, but you were making so much god damned noise in here you probably couldn’t hear me. You thought I fucking skipped out on you?”

“What else was I supposed to think?” She crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

“Did I not make myself fucking clear last night?”

Her eyes focused on her coffee mug. He walked passed her, his eyes scanning the kitchen.

“No extra coffee and not even a fucking egg after all the hard work I put in this morning. That’s cold, sweetheart.” He reached around her and stole a bite of her breakfast.

 “You were gone. Your bag was gone. Your bat—“

“Lucille,” he muffled through a mouthful of egg and toast.

“What?”

“Her name is Lucille.”

“Seriously? Fine, Lucille was gone. You didn’t leave a note. Tell me: what conclusion should I have drawn?”

“You should have known I would be back.”

“Why because you made declarations last night? Guys make declarations in the moment to get what they want all the time.”

“Who says I’ve gotten what I wanted?”

“What is it that you want, Negan?”

He grabbed her mug and took a swig, “God damn, how much sugar did you put in this? Is that why you taste so sweet?”

The corners of her mouth twitched as she tried to maintain a glare, “Your corny flattery won’t work.”

“Corny? That shit was fucking smooth, and if you weren’t already so fucking fired up, your panties would’ve hit the ground and your thighs would be wrapped around my face.”

She mentally tried to battle the heat she felt in her cheeks as lurid images flashed across her mind. She placed her hands on her hips. She would not be deterred.

“What do you want?”

 “I want you to come with me.”

“I thought I already had…a couple times.”

“Oh, now who’s got fucking jokes? If you want, I could make it several times, princess,” he said with a wink, “Lord fucking knows you could use an attitude adjustment.”

“Pass.”

“That’s damn shame. C’mon. I want to show you what I did this morning.” He reached out to her. Tentatively, she grasped his warm rough hand. Her body lurched forward as he tugged her into his arms. She felt his breath in her hair as he pressed a kiss on her forehead. She inhaled taking in his fresh clean scent.

“I’ll leave a note next time so you don’t worry. Now come see what I did.”

He led her towards the front of the bunker and grabbed Lucille by the door. Sunny saw his bag sitting there as well looking full and heavy. They ascended the secret stairs and exited the armoire. The natural sunlight momentarily blinded them. They walked into the kitchen. She carefully looked around. Everything still looked as dusty and battered as ever. Cabinet doors hung off the hinges exposing the emptiness of the shelves. The refrigerator was knocked over. The door laying open on the ground. Everything designed to look as though the house was picked clean. He moved closer to the door leading to the carport. Her eyebrows raised as she realized something had changed.

“The boards are off.” she said.

“I pried them off with a crowbar and boarded up the fucking window I broke upstairs. You gave me a key to the house. I didn’t want to unboard one of the doors that was visible through the fence.”

He opened the door for her. She stepped outside and closed the door behind them. His truck was parked in the carport next to her very sensible Camry. He led the way, Lucille over his shoulder as he walked into the backyard. She didn’t come out here often. The smell from the corpses around the fence was a bit much. She wondered why they needed to be out here at all.

 But she didn’t smell the walkers. She smelled smoke. Beyond the fence there was a smoldering pile of ashes. He had burned the bodies for her.

“I opted to burn your dad’s overalls and shirt I borrowed this morning rather than leaving it in the dirty clothes hamper.”

“Thanks.” She paused and looked at him.

“Most of those fuckers had holes in their heads. How did you kill them?”

“I stabbed them through the fence.”

“You must play a mean game of Operation, sweetheart.”

“I do,” she grinned, “But in this case, I sharpened the end of a wooden broomstick. A lot less dangerous than those metal tweezers.”

“I did one more thing. I sawed off that branch I used to climb over the fence.”

“Wow. You really were busy. You must’ve gotten up really early.”

“I got up before dawn. Wanted most of the smoke to be cleared before it would be visible. Hopefully, no one saw the fire.”

“Well, I’d say you did earn yourself some food.”

“That all I fucking earned?”

“My gratitude?”

“I was hoping for a blow job, but sure, I guess gratitude is good too.” He turned to see her lips part and eyes widen as that enticing pink bloomed on her cheeks. She was so easy to fluster. “You’re gonna have to open your mouth a lot wider than that, sugar.”

“Oh my god!” She smacked his shoulder as she walked past him, “C’mon. Let’s get you something to eat.”

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him, “Mmmm. I’d love to eat—“

She spun in his arms and pushed at his broad chest, “Stop right there…I set myself up for that one. Just save your breath.”

“What?” he shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t ‘what’ me. You know what,” her finger poked him.

“You have a better suggestion?”

“Food. Actual food.”

“You’re no fucking fun, doll,” he said and followed her back to the bunker.

 

 

 

Negan was forced to settle for an omelet with peppers and onions and some left over cheese from dinner the night before. He ate alone at the dining room table enjoying the mix of flavors and freshness of the ingredients. He wondered why he had eaten so many frozen meals before the world ended.

“What the hell!” Sunny screamed from the bathroom. She stormed out her eyes blazing with fury, “You left hickeys all over my neck and thighs!” She pulled her hair back to reveal one large purple bruise as well as a few smaller red ones.

He smiled at her indignation. He knew she would be mad when she saw those. It surprised him that she hadn’t seen them already. She’d think of him every day until those faded. She might even miss them when they disappeared.

“Stop smiling, jackass.”

“Watch your mouth, princess,” he said sternly as he pulled her onto his lap and admired his handiwork. She bruised easily and deep. He loved seeing his mark on her.

“Are you serious?” She put her arms around his neck as he nuzzled into hers covering her skin with feather light kisses.

“I will take you over my fucking knee if you talk to me that way again.”

“What? You wouldn’t.”

“I’ve been itching to turn your ass pink since the day we met, kitten.”

“Yeah…no thanks,” she giggled, “I think you’ve left enough marks on me.” She tried to wiggle out of arms and off his lap, but he tightened his grip and pulled her closer.

“Now everyone’ll know you’re mine,” he said in a low gravelly voice as he kissed her jaw next to her ear.

“Because I get so many visitors.” She rolled her eyes and tried to push away.

“When we go to The Sanctuary, everyone there will fucking know. They won’t bother what’s mine.”

“Whoa. I can’t just leave.” She fought in earnest to create some space between them and won. She took a few steps away from him.

“Why the fuck not? The boards are off the door upstairs. We can take your stuff straight out to my truck.”

“What about my chickens?”

“Fuck. I forgot about them. We could come back with a bigger truck and load them up.”

“I can’t go with you.” She shook her head and started moving backwards.

“What the fuck, Sunny? Give me one god damn reason.” He stood up quickly his chair scraping the ground and tipping in the process.

“We just met. We don’t know each other.”

“I told you we would get to know each other along the way.” His words were clipped. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t even know your whole name.”

“Says the woman who won’t tell me her’s!” he said exasperated.

“Touché.”

“You gonna tell me?”

“No.” She crossed her arms and looked away.

“Damnit, Sunny.”

“Why can’t you move here?”

“Princess, I have fucking built an entire fucking community. People depend on me for protection and survival.” He started pacing back and forth. He raked his fingers through his hair. “What happens if some asshole takes over after me and decides that raping and abusing women and kids is fucking fair game? Because that shit doesn’t fly under my rule. I shut that shit down. Do you know what kind of people have survived? The ones willing to do horrible things to survive…the end of the world has fucking changed people. There was no civilization until I brought it back. Me and my fucking Saviors did that. And you want me to leave that to play house?” He stared at her daring her say something else.

She sighed, “You’re right. You couldn’t leave that. I wouldn’t be selfish enough to ask. Maybe you could you just keeping visiting me?”

“That’s not good enough.”

“Why not?”

“What happens if you get hurt or sick? What happens if some other group finds you and figures out a way in? Do you know what they’d do to you? I can’t do what I need to do if I am distracted wondering if you’re safe.”

“I’ve taken good care of myself so far. I don’t need you worrying about me.”

“Too fucking late for that, sweetheart. How many times do I fucking need to tell you that you belong to me before you accept it?” His jaw clench and his hands fisted at his sides as he glared into her eyes.

Tears started forming in her eyes. “What--What if my family comes back and the house is empty? How would they find me?” she asked in a small plaintive voice.

His features immediately softened. “Honey, you know they aren’t coming back.”

“But—“ she sniffed, “My sister could be trying to get back. I can’t just leave.”

“I could bring someone back to stay with the house and animals. You could come back with me.”

“I’m just not ready, Negan”

“I should just fucking take you. You couldn’t stop me,” he muttered. His eyes darkened as he stepped towards her.

She looked at him felt his frustration radiated off of him. She started to retreat. “You said you didn’t hurt women.”

“I’d never fucking hurt you. Kidnapping, I may bend the rules for. You’d get over it eventually.”

“Not likely.” Her back hit the wall. He reached her in a few strides, his arms boxing her in as he loomed over her.

“I want you. All of you.”

“You can’t own me.” Her eyes widened and tears finally started to fall.

“Not in the way someone owns a car. I can’t fucking purchase you. But you can, and will, give yourself to me willingly.” His hand graze her jaw line then gripped her chin forcing her to look at him.

“Why would I do that?”

“You need someone else in your life whether you like it or not. Placing your trust in me, allowing me to take care of you and keep you safe, trusting that every decision I make for you is in your best interest can be a liberating experience.” He let go of her chin to wipe away her tears.

“It doesn’t sound like it.”

“You’d have no worries. You’d be treated like a fucking queen. You’d come to crave my guidance and protection as much as my touch.” He leaned in to kiss her but she quickly turned her head to the side.

He growled in frustration and slammed his hand against the wall by her head. She flinched and began to cry again. He picked her up and carried her to the couch cradling her against his chest. He kissed her forehead. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’d never hurt you. I am a man of my word. Shhh…..” He rubbed her back whispering words of comfort into her hair.

She stopped crying a few minutes later. She moved to get off of him. Reluctantly, he let her go.

“I won’t go. I won’t give up everything I have and everything I have ever known.” She scrubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. She walked to the door and opened it for him.

He stood up and walked towards her. “You need me, Sunny.”

“No, I don’t.”

He dumped all her tools he used this morning out of his bag and grabbed Lucille. “Yes, you do. You’re just too fucking stubborn to admit it. You need me.” He leaned closer to her. “Even if you can meet your basic needs, I’m the only one that can meet your baser ones.”

She blushed but refused to say any more.

“I’ll be back in a week.”

She watched him go up the stairs. She should have demanded her key and gate remote back. She should have told him never to come back. Why hadn’t she?

Negan started his truck down the long dirt driveway to the main road. Three days hadn’t been enough. Usually, three days of solitary was enough to break someone. He told her he’d be back in a week. He’d make it two. Let her worry. Let her stew long enough to regret rejecting him. She’d be desperate and willing to come with him. She could only resist so long.

 

 

 

Chapter 8

Summary:

Summary-Negan and Sunny deal with the effects of their argument. Who will bend or break?
Warnings- Angst, Smut, Edging, Daddy Kink, Squirting, Language
Author’s Note- Sorry this took so long to get out. Flu, bronchitis, and plot bunny in shape of Max from The Resident took over my life (go read it if you like that JDM movie). However, since you guys waited so long, I combined what would have been 3 short chapters into this much longer one. Also, I planned this story out before the episode with sad Amber aired. So my Amber is a bitch. And I’m gonna screw around with the time line to fit my story. It shouldn’t make much difference since it’s hard to tell how much time passes between episodes sometimes.
Word Count- 5.7k+

Chapter Text

Negan sat in his office staring at the new bedroom door. He swirled the scotch, the ice gently clinked against the glass, and brought it to his lips. He swallowed the last mouthful in one large gulp feeling warmth spreading down his throat. He had everything ready. All he was missing was Sunny.

She’s too fucking stubborn for her own good. She has no fucking clue how damn vulnerable she is out there on her own. She’ll come the fuck around. She has to. I’ll fucking make her. God fucking damnit.

He walked across the room and flung the door open. His hazel eyes drank in the blues and greens. Dark wood stood out against the soft colors of the bedding and pillows. He didn’t understand why the bedding came with so many fucking throw pillows, but he had put those on the bed too. Framed paintings of large floral landscapes graced the walls bringing beautiful fields of flowers, stilled waters of ponds covered in lily pads, and a grove of blooming cherry blossoms and weeping willows swaying in the wind into the would be office space. Shelves held books, board games, movies, everything she could need to entertain herself. Comfy armchairs much softer than the leather seats he preferred in his office and a fluffy area rug created a sitting area for reading. There was even a fucking chandelier for her. The room was much more feminine than his previous style. He couldn’t imagine Sunny against all that red and black. It was too harsh for her. She should be surrounded by beautiful things. Soft things.

Negan walked over to the bathroom he had fitted for her. He would keep the one in the office for himself. He knew he would get home late, more often than not, covered with reeking foulness. He wanted to shield her from that part of his life. He opened a bottle of lotion and inhaled. He had stocked her bathroom with all the girly smelly shit he could find. She could pamper herself with finest toiletries money once could buy.

Most of what he found came from a ritzy neighborhood of mansions they had ransacked. He’d never been able to surround himself with the finer things in life before the world practically ended. Like hell, he would deny himself now. And with his princess by his side, he would finally have everything.

It had only been three days. Three torturous days. He hadn’t had sex or gotten off since he had been with Sunny. The first thing he did when he returned was get rid of his harem of wives. He didn’t want them anymore. Hadn’t wanted them for a while. He had set them up with a hefty sum of points to live off of. They could get jobs or find a new meal ticket if they needed more. Four of them seemed relieved. Sherry was confused and angry. Amber was just down right pissed and determined to keep their arrangement going.


 

She had come to him yesterday wearing as little as possible. She leaned over his desk that he was working at. Her tits nearly spilling out of her top.

“I understand why you’d get rid of the others,” she said,” but I thought what we had was special.”

“I made it fucking clear I didn’t want anyone here that didn’t fucking want to be here,” he replied.

She walked around the desk and kneeled next to him. “But I still want to be here. I always will.” Her hand rested on his knee then crept its way up his thigh.

He grabbed her hand and tossed it back at her. “But I sure as fuck don’t. You’ve got enough damn points to keep you pretty fucking comfortable. That’s all you’re getting.”

“But what about my new furniture?” she pouted.

“You’re lucky you get to keep the shit you have.”

“That’s it? That’s all I mean to you!” she shrieked.

His eyes narrowed as he took in her transformation from vixen to banshee. “I was your fucking ticket to an easier life. You were my piece of ass. You fucking agreed to that. You consented to every-fucking-thing. Calling you a wife just legitimized the transaction.”

Her hand flew back. A loud crack sounded as she slapped him across the cheek. He grabbed her wrist and said, “If you had done that months ago, I would’ve been 50% more into you. Now get the fuck out. It’s fucking over.”

“You’re going to regret this you heartless bastard!”

“You make any fucking trouble or any other fucking threats, I will kick your ass out and make sure none of the other communities let you in. How fucking long do you think you’d survive?”

Her eyes widened. She turned and fled the room slamming the door behind her.

 


 

A crackling voice over the walkie pulled Negan from his thoughts.

“Repeat that,” Negan directed.

“One of the outposts has been taken out. Everyone was killed. Looks like in their sleep.”

“Motherfucking cunt sucking dick! Who the fuck is did this?”

“We have an idea, sir, but we’re not sure. What do you want us to do?”

“I’ll be there shortly. We’ll have to deal with these assholes quick and make them understand just who the fuck The Saviors are and where their fucking place in our world is.”

He put on his leather jacket, grabbed Lucille, and mentally prepared to fuck up some lives and maybe even take a few.

 


 

Sunny was filled with righteous fury. She could take care of herself. She had taken self-defense, gone on family survivalist camp-outs, and lived in a fairly well fortified house. So, Negan had managed to find a way in. He took down the branch of the tree he climb. How would anyone else get in? It took two years for anyone to find her in the first place. It could be years before someone else wanders around out here.

Who the hell does he think he is? He doesn’t have any right to tell me what to do or what I need. I belong to him. Pfff. I belong to myself. I make my own decisions. I’ve been alone this long. I can keep going. There is nothing he can give me that I can’t give myself. Really? You can lick your own---Stop! Just stop. We do not need to continue down that path. But we may need to start trying that electric toothbrush trick. Still won’t be as good alone. Enough! I’m going to prove to him and to me that I don’t need anyone else. I’ll have this place perfect when he comes back in a week. My answer won’t change. This is my home.

She used all her anger and frustration to scrub the bunker top to bottom. All the dusting and sweeping behind furniture she had ignored finally got the attention it needed. Cabinets got a layer of oil that made them shine. She washed tile and grout on her knees. She even cleaned her parent’s room beyond a cursory dust and vacuum. All the linens were washed. Couches were vacuumed. Guns cleaned and oiled. When she was done with the living space she went to the storage rooms and dusted shelves, cans, and swept weeks of neglect from the floor.

She worked relentlessly the entire week completing her ever growing list of chores. Finally, she was done. He would be there today. She had baked fresh bread that morning making the whole space smell divine. She decided to bake some herbed chicken stuffed with dressing and sauté some lemon green beans. She would be calm and collected when he arrived. She wore a light blue button down blouse and some khaki pants. She couldn’t trust herself in a dress. And she didn’t want him getting the impression that she was trying to look sexy for him. She didn’t need him. Right? Right.

Sunny set the table and waited. And waited. After the food had cooled, she decided to put it away. They could reheat it when he finally got there. She decided to watch some tv to occupy her mind. She had been rehearsing make believe conversations in her head for days and was exhausted. She needed something light. Something long. She settled on the second season of Saved by the Bell her mother had bought them, because it looked ‘wholesome’. She could get lost in the early 90’s camp for a few hours. It seemed so ridiculous that their main concerns were breaking an Elvis bust and getting addicted to caffeine pills, but she loved it anyways. The simplicity of it. Everything was bright colors and goofy predicaments. She wondered how Zach Morris would have fared with a walker. Curled up on the couch, she watched them as they bumbled through whatever scheme Zach had concocted.

Her eyes opened and saw the main menu of the dvd playing. It had been hours. She sat up and looked around. No Negan. She decided waiting up for him would be stupid. He’d show up eventually. He was probably just trying to scare her. Fat chance. She undressed and climbed into bed.

For the next few of days, she convinced herself that he was just trying to prove a point. But she often found herself in the living room upstairs peering through the wooden boards covering up the front windows hoping to see a cloud of dust signaling the arrival of his truck. It never happened.

After the fourth day, she began to worry. What if he had been hurt? Or bitten? Or killed? She would never know if he couldn’t or just didn’t want to see her again. At least with her parents, she knew they would have come back if they could. She had no such assurances where Negan was concerned.  And yet, she still watched out the window knowing he might never come back. Why would he? She had turned him down, basically told him he wasn’t worth leaving an empty home for.

Regret soon seeped into her mind, body, and soul followed closely by fear. Sunny lamented her decision to stay and cursed her stubbornness and pride. Her thoughts were filled with the dangers that could come for her. No longer did she fear the dead as her primary foe. Negan had opened her eyes to that. She feared discovery; afraid of what would happen if violent people should happen across her house. What would they do to her? These thoughts bled into her sleeping mind creating nightmares that left her scared to close her eyes again. In those quiet moments as she clutched her blankets to her, she grieved for him. She missed his presence. His smile and stupid innuendos. His cocky self-assurance and promises of safety. She mourned the lost opportunity to know him on a deeper level. She wanted to know him, his likes and dislikes, who he was before all of this happened. And Sunny admitted to herself that she did want his protection and guidance as much as his touch. Her body craved him. She had so far been unsuccessful in her attempts to quench her thirst for him. She was so confused. She felt lost, adrift without him to anchor her even though they had just met. She had no idea what the future held, which left her feeling vulnerable and so much more alone than before. And time kept passing without any signs of him.

By the third week, it was all Sunny could do to get out of bed to take care of her garden and chickens. She stopped cleaning. What was the point? She showered only because being clean made it easier for her to sleep. Eating and cooking were no longer priorities. She would drag herself out of her room for a bite of food when her stomach pains interrupted her sleep. She begun to hope she wouldn’t wake up. He must be dead. It was the only explanation for his not coming back after 3 weeks. He was dead and she turned down a chance at happiness, companionship, and love for what? Like so many nights she cried herself to sleep wondering why she had chosen to stay.

 


 

Three weeks, it had been three weeks since he had last seen Sunny. He had told her one, meant to stay away two, but life has a way of screwing your best laid plans over. Three weeks of jerking off instead of fucking. Of dealing with assholes from Alexandria rather than bringing his little girl home. He hoped she had had time to think about what he said and come to the decision he wanted her to make. If she hadn’t, taking her would have to be the next step. She would resent him at first, but eventually, she would come around. Hopefully, it didn’t come to that.

He pulled up to the house, unlocked the door, and took his bag and Lucille inside. Like every abandoned house nowadays this one gave him the creeps. It reminded him of those haunted houses you see in the movies. He always expected to see things move from the corner of his eye. He went down the hidden stairs and tried the door. Locked.

Good girl, he thought. He unlocked the door with his key and was met with blackness. Panic overtook him. He flipped the lights on and started scanning the room. A fine layer of dust cover the tables. He went to the kitchen. Dishes sat unwashed in the sink. Did she leave? Did she try to find him? His stomach turned and bile rose to his throat. He hadn’t thought of her leaving to get to him. He just assumed she would wait. God fucking damnit.

He rushed to her dark room and turned on the light. He sighed in relief as he saw the giant lump cocooned in her blankets. Why was she sleeping in the afternoon?

He gently sat on the edge of the bed and slowly pulled the covers back. Her hair was a tangled mess. It looked like it hadn’t been brushed in days. She looked paler than usual but maybe that was just the artificial light. He looked closer at her face. He brushed his knuckles over her tear stain cheeks. “Sunny,” he said, “it’s time to wake up, baby doll.”

Her lashes fluttered as her eyes opened revealing the dark circles under her eyes. She looked like hell. She looked up at him her eyes furrowed, “Negan?”

“Yeah, princess.” He tried to smooth out her hair but she sat up too quickly.

Her eyes were brimming with tears and she launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his neck. Her body wracked with sobs. “I’m—so—sorry,” she repeated over and over.

“Oh, honey, shhh…it’s alright. Everything is going to be fine. I’m here.” He held her and tried to soothe her, but her crying only increased. Her whole body was shaking. This was not the reaction he had been expecting. “Baby, shhhh. You’re breaking my fucking heart here.”

“I th--thought you were dead and all I c--could think about was how stupid I had been. I should’ve come with you. You w-were right. I need you. I don’t want to be alone anymore. Please don’t leave me alone again. Please.”

There it was. She was his. He looked at her bleary bloodshot eyes. He couldn’t help feeling a tinge of guilt mixed with his victory. He had wanted her to bend to his will not break completely.

“Are you going to let me take care of you? Are you going to listen and follow my rules?”

“Yes.”

“That’s my good girl.” He kissed her forehead and held her close to him. “That’s all I’ve wanted. Now, let’s get you all cleaned up.”

He lifted her in his arms. She felt lighter if that was even possible. “When was the last time you ate a fucking meal?”

“I don’t know.”

He growled in frustration. Three weeks had been too long. He hated to see what kind of toll it had taken on her. He would have to work hard to take care of her and get her back where she needed to be emotionally and physically. He carried to the bathroom and set her down on the toilet. He rinsed out the tub and started to fill it with hot water. “Bubble bath?” he asked. She pointed to the cabinet above her. He leaned over her grabbed a bottle and poured the liquid into the running water. Soon the top of the water was covering in white foaming bubbles. “I’m going to leave the room. You need to go the bathroom, get undressed, and get into the tub. Don’t get your hair wet yet. You have five minutes.”

She nodded her head and stood waiting for him to close the door.

He went to the kitchen and searched the cabinets looking for a large ice tea pitcher. He found a plastic one and filled it with warm water from the sink. There was no sign of cooking in the space. No dirty pots or pans, just a few plates, cups, and spoon or two in the sink waiting to be washed. He would get to those later.

He carried the water back to the bathroom. He didn’t knock. She was already soaking in the tub. Her hair was clipped on top of her head. He couldn’t see her body under all the bubbles but that was for the best. Now was not the time to pop a boner. She needed a different type of intimacy first.

Negan grabbed a towel and rolled it into a little pillow for her neck. He had her turn sideways and lay her neck on the edge of the tub. He gave her a warm wet wash cloth to drape over her puffy eyes. He unclipped her hair and took her hair brush off the counter. He brushed the ends first working out all the tangles as gently as he could. Once her hair was brushed, he sat her up and poured some of the clean water over her hair, careful not to pour it down her face. He squirted shampoo on her head. Remembering their first night together, he began to massage her scalp building a rich lather. He used his soap slick hands to massage he muscles in her neck and shoulders until she was moaning. He rinsed, conditioned, and rinsed again. He squeezed as much water from her tresses as he could and clipped it back up.

“I want you to finish washing yourself, shave whatever needs to be fucking shaved, then rinse with the shower. I’m going to go make us some fucking food and you will eat whatever the fuck I put in front of you. Understand?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said in a small voice looking up at him.

He went to the pantry and took cans of soup out. He dumped them into a bowl and zapped it in the microwave. It wasn’t gourmet but it would fill her tummy. She probably shouldn’t be eating rich food after starving herself anyways. He found some crackers and a couple of sodas. He brought everything to the living room and picked out a movie for them to watch. Something to lift her mood. Hopefully.

 


 

Sunny felt better after scrubbing and shaving. It felt like her worries were washed away in the process. But something was still troubling her. She felt relieved to see Negan, happy even, but she was so unsure how to proceed. What were his rules? What did he expect? Was she supposed to hand over all control over every aspect of her life? She had never been in a serious relationship before or a real relationship for that matter. She barely knew him. What happens next? She dried her hair and tried to remember who she was before Negan arrived. Deep down she knew she could never be that person again. She wanted different things now. She just wasn’t sure how to get them.

 


 

She came out a few minutes later wrapped in a towel with freshly dried hair. She looked so lost. Where was his confident girl? God damnit this wouldn’t do.

“Go get dressed and come sit down with me.”

“You’re not going to pick out my clothes?”

“You’re perfectly fucking capable of choosing your clothes. I may have preferences every now and then but not tonight. Get dressed or you can just come sit with me buck fucking naked.” He patted the open spot next to him.

“Oh, okay.” She frowned slightly. She started to turn towards her room.

He was so confused. Why was she acting so disappointed? She didn’t even react to his indecent proposal. No blush. No eye roll. “Did you want me to pick out your clothes and help you?” She looked at him and nodded. “Well fuck, princess. All you ever have to fucking do is ask when you want something.”

Negan went through her drawers and found some things for her to choose from. He laid everything out on the bed. “Now which panties do you want?” He raised his eyebrows at the thong she had picked out. He thought for sure she’d go with the boy shorts. He watched the towel fall from her body. She lifted each foot in turn to step into the white lace. His pants started to feel tight as he was presented with her freshly trimmed and shaved pussy at eye level. He cleared his throat and asked, “Shirt?” He lifted the old ratty t-shirt she pointed to over her head noticing how her breasts lifted and nipples tightened as he skimmed her sides. He hadn’t realized the shirt was so old that it was practically see through. He chose it because it was soft. He could see the pink outline of her perky nipples through the sheer fabric. “Shorts?” She bit her lip and shook her head. Little tease. At least she was feeling a little better.

“C’mon, kitten, let’s eat.”

He had to reheat their soup. When he came back to the living room Sunny was bent over the couch, legs spread one the cushions and one on the floor, her round ass in the air. He could see her slit through the thin piece of white lace. Her shirt hung away from her body. He could see the curve of her breasts swaying as she dug in the seat cushions. He almost dropped the hot soup.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Looking for the remotes. They sometimes get stuck in the couch,” she said batting her eyes innocently.

“Really? You sure you just didn’t want to give me a fucking show? Because I just got a big fucking eyeful, doll.”

Sunny blushed, but her mouth widened into a victorious smile as she pulled a remote from the depths of the couch. “The show was just an added bonus,” she said with a wink.

There she was. It would be okay. She would come back from wherever her mind had taken her with some time and attention.

They began to eat their soup siting on opposites ends of the couch. He pulled the coffee table closer so they could reach their crackers and soda easier.

Finally, she broke the silence. “Where were you?”

“I had to deal with some shit caused by another settlement. They came through one of our outposts and killed everyone in their fucking sleep. About 2 dozen of our people. Good people. Hard fucking workers.”

She gasped and covered her mouth in dismay. “Why?”

“Apparently, those shit for brains fuck heads didn’t like the way we run business. Thought they could take us out instead of just fucking talking like civilized people.”

“How do you do business?”

“We clear walkers and people give us supplies. It’s called providing a mother fucking service. And those assholes didn’t like us collecting what is due to us.”

“Those people sound horrible.” She finished her soup and put her empty bowl on the table. He follow suit.

“Well, we fucking taught them how things are in this world. They fucking know how it works now and they even work for us too. So it’s all good, baby doll. It just took a little longer to knock some sense into them especially their leader, Rick the Prick.” He picked up the remote and turned the tv on then started the movie.

She snuggled up close to him. He draped an arm over her shoulder as she stretched out her legs across his lap. “I’m glad you’re alright. I was so worried.”

“I’m here now, princess. You can quit your worrying.” He ran a hand up and down her smooth legs and gave the soft flesh a squeeze.

 “We’re watching Pretty Woman? You have the weirdest taste in tv for a guy.” She laughed.

“I fucking picked it out for you, you little brat.” He smiled, happy to some life return to her. He squeezed her ribs and she shrieked as he tickled her. “I could turn on another fucking gladiator movie…I know I saw Ben Hur in there somewhere.”

“No! This is fine. I love this movie. I just don’t know why you would want to watch it that’s all.”

“Julia’s smoking hot bod, hooker with a heart of gold, rich smug guy…what’s not to like?”

They sat cuddled together and watched the movie. It felt so good to have her in his arms. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes savoring the feel of her. He felt her shift her weight and a hand caressed his cheek.

“You shaved,” she said as her fingers rubbed against his five o’clock shadow.

“Yeah, it needed to be done. I was starting look like a god damn grizzly.”

“I liked it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She leaned up and trailed kisses up his neck towards his ear. “I especially liked the way it felt when you kissed me.”

“When I kissed you where?”

She took his hand and led it to the apex of her thighs. “Here,” she said before placing a kiss on his lips.

He growled against her mouth and started rubbing her through her soaked panties. “God damn. You’re already fucking wet.” Their kiss deepened tongues swirling, moans swallowed by each other. He pulled back and looked at her. “You ready to be mine?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Go to the bedroom, clear off the bed, and get undressed.” He gently pushed her off his lap. He followed her but turned towards the bathroom. He took a few clean towels from the cabinet and went into the bedroom.  He folded the towels in half and laid them on top of each other in the center of the bed.

He turned to look at Sunny and saw that she was standing naked in front of him her hands clasped in front of her hiding her breasts. He walked towards her. He took her hands and lowered them to her sides. “You have gorgeous fucking tits. Don’t ever try to hide them from me.” He smiled as he saw her face flush. He stepped out of his boots and pulled his white shirt over his head. She reached out to help him with his belt but he playfully smacked her hand away. “You don’t get to touch me yet. I told you were in a world of trouble when you finally admitted you were mine.” He watched the shock spread across her face. “I’ll give you choice. You can take a spanking right now and get it out of the way or I get to tease the holy hell out of you for however long I fucking want.”

“Tease. I choose the teasing. I don’t want a spanking,” she said quickly.

Negan chuckled at her innocence. “Trust me. Someday you’ll choose the spanking. Lay down.” He watched her crawl slowly up the bed. She looked over her shoulder and smiled shyly at him. “You keep sticking your ass up in the air like that I may just spank you anyways. God damn, baby.”  He finished stripping and laid down next to her.

He leaned over her and kissed her deep exploring her mouth with his tongue. His hand rested on her neck feeling her pulse quicken the longer the kiss lasted. He moved his hand down her collarbone and over her breast. He took his mouth away from hers and circled her areola with his tongue. He blew gently on the wet skin watching the nipple bud tighter. He lavished attention on her breasts sucking and pulling at the nipples with his teeth, leaving small bruises on the pale curves. He pinched and rolled her nipples between his fingers enjoying the arch of her back and the gasping moans when he let just a bit of pain mix with her pleasure.

His hand traveled down her abdomen. He loved her patch of trimmed hair that lead to her smooth shaved lips. Such a contrast of textures. He parted her folds as he slid his finger down the center of her wet slit. He rubbed her wetness up and down her pussy making sure it was slick everywhere.  Gently he slid on long finger inside her. Whimpers of pleasure escaped her lips as he fingered her. He could feel the tension building inside her and pulled out. He circled her sweet spot until her hips moved trying to make him touch her bundle of nerves. Finally, he pressed down on her clit then moved his fingers in a circular motion. He watched her hands flexing in the sheets, her head turning side to side, back arching, muscles tensing and he withdrew his hand from her body. Sunny’s eyes flew open and glared at him. Her lips turned down in a pout. “You chose this as your punishment. I get it to tease you as long as I like. Take it like a good girl.” She huffed and crossed her arms. Negan gave her pussy a light slap. Her eyes widened. “Did you like that?” he asked with a wicked grin.

“I-I don’t know,” she replied.

He laughed and kissed her forehead. “Oh, princess…I am going to show you things you’ve never even imagined.”

Negan slid his fingers into her tight heat and began hooking his fingers as he pumped them in a steady rhythm. She lost count of how many times he brought her to the edge only to stop right before she fell over into bliss. He was grinding his dick into her. Her thigh was sticky with his precum. Her forehead shimmered with a fine mist of sweat.

His mouth kissed a trail down her body until his tongue swept through her folds. His stubble created a delicious friction. Her hips started gyrating against his face. He grabbed her hips holding them down against the mattress. “You are not in charge. You’ll cum when I let you,” he growled from between her legs. His lips caught her clit and started to suck. One of his hands released her hips and slipped into her center pumping at the same speed as he worked her clit. Her moans grew louder, her thighs closed around his head as her body tensed, tears spilled from her eyes. He stopped and sat up and watched her reaction as orgasm retreated out of her grasp.

Negan spread her thighs wide. Her pink pussy dripped with arousal. He positioned his throbbing erection at her entrance, slowly push himself inside. “Fuck. You’re so tight. I can feel how fucking close you are.” He pushed himself in to the hilt then withdrew and thrust back into her. Her inner muscles were already quivering. He stilled his movements.

“Don’t stop,” she whimpered.

“Don’t stop what?” he asked

“Don’t stop please,” she cried out begging for this sweet torture to be over.

“Say my name.”

“Negan.”

“No, I want you to call me Daddy.”

She stared at him. Her cheeks blushing furiously and her mouth gaping. He pulled out completely and stroked his erection. The feeling of emptiness left her desperate. Her body burned for him.

“No, please! Please don’t stop….D—Daddy,” she stumbled over the name.

He thrust into her and waited looking her in the eye expectantly.

“Daddy,” she pleaded.

Negan pulled back and snapped his hips forward. He sets his pace to her chanting his new name picking up speed until she could only moan and writhe under him. He reached between them and circled her clit with his thumb. Sunny gripped the sheets with white knuckles as her climax finally washed over her, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her inner muscles contracted so hard for what seemed like minutes that he had to fight to stay inside her. He pulled out, and she squirted all over his dick. He slammed back into her before her muscles could relax. He pounded into her chasing his own release. She wrapped her legs around his hips tilting her hips allowing him deeper into her body. A few more thrusts and she felt his cock pulse inside her as he came.

He rolled off of her. They laid next to each other panting, trying to recover from their explosive climaxes.

She pressed up against him on her side and said, “You were right.”

“Hmmm?”

“Next time I’ll choose the damn spanking.”

He reached over and slapped her ass making her squeak.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“Watch your fucking language.”

“Are you serious?”

“You wanna test me?” he asked in low voice.

“No,” she smiled and ran her fingers through his chest hair. “What happens next?”

“We take a shower, sleep, probably fuck again, I’ll bring someone here to take over, and then you, my dear wife, will come home with me.”

“Wife?”

“Yes, wife.”

“Do I get a ring?”

“Did you want a ring, kitten?”

“Well, I’m not getting a dress, a ceremony, or a honeymoon…”

“Okay, okay. Damn, doll. I’m sure I can find you a ring.”

After they showered and laid in bed holding each other Sunny marveled at the fact that she started her day mourning the loss of possible romance and love. Now she was married with an exciting unknown future in front of her.

 

 

 

Chapter 9

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Negan laid in bed for hours holding the sleeping form of his new bride wondering how the hell he was going to get her home. He wanted to keep her sheltered. He wanted… no he needed her innocence. He wanted it all for himself. He’d have to drive her back at night so she couldn’t see the ghost towns and hordes of walkers. He definitely didn’t need her seeing what guarded the walls of The Sanctuary….at least not until she was on the inside.

God damnit, he was going to ruin her. He couldn’t just stay here…he was needed to keep order, to make sure his people moved past just surviving. He couldn’t leave her here either. He needed to know she was safe. He needed to be with her as much as he could. How the fuck had he gotten in this mess? At least with his wives he had never felt like his happiness had been on the line. He could live without any of them. If something happened to Sunny…there’s just no going back. His world had begun when the walkers rose. He climbed to a position of power he never would have had before. He lifted the dregs of society into a community that was thriving. And it could all end with this small woman sleeping beside him. She didn’t even know what kind of power she had. Pulling her close to him, he finally fell into a restless sort of slumber.


Sunny woke with her legs wrapped around Negan’s. She looked at his sleeping form long and strong. Her hands ran through his dark chest hair then down his abdomen following the trail of short springy curls under the sheets. He was already hard when she softly stroked the silky skin. She gently moved down the bed under the covers. She had wanted to do this, to taste him for weeks. She had been so disappointed that she had never had the chance. She lifted his shaft in her hand her thumb rubbing the smooth head. She wet her lips with her tongue before encircling the tip with them. She swirled her tongue and lowered her mouth further down his erection. His hips thrust. He moaned as he stretched his lean body.

“God damn, doll. This is quite the fucking wake up call,” he said a lazy smile stretched across his face.

Sunny pulled the sheets back and smiled at Negan. The sight of him at her mercy with ruffled bed head sent a rush of wetness between her legs. She maintained eye contact as she licked her way from his balls up along his thick dick caressing his veins with her tongue. He threw his head back, eye squeezed tight, as he let out a low groan. She began to bob up and down his length taking more with each movement, her hand working the base squeezing and twisting.

“Oh, fuck. That feels so fucking good.” He ran his hand through her hair and gripped it tight. He loved feeling of her mouth working his cock, how she turned side to side creating pressure and friction in alternating patterns with every dip of her head. He looked down at her between his legs; his spit slick dick disappearing into her lips, cheeks hollowed as she gently sucked on him, and sweet ass in the air behind her. He pulled her hair gently until she stopped her ministrations.

“I’m gonna fucking come in that sweet mouth of yours if you don’t fucking stop, and I want to sink my dick in that pretty pussy of yours.” He sat up and patted the bed next to him. “Hands and knees, baby. Let me see that fine fucking ass.”

Sunny obediently crawled up the bed as Negan moved behind her.  She looked over her shoulder biting her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure what to expect. She knew of this position, of course, but never experienced anything beyond missionary. The butterflies in her stomach were nothing compared to the throb between her legs. Slickness spread across her upper thighs as she squeezed her legs together trying to dull the ache. A loud smack danced in her ears before she registered the hand across her cheek. She let out a small cry of surprise. He had spanked her.

“Uh-uh, princess. Spread those fucking thighs. I’ll take care of you. Me and only me. I can fucking see how wet you are. Did sucking my dick turn you on, baby? You like having my cock in your mouth, don’t you? The evidence is dripping down your thighs. My perfect dirty girl.” His hand slid up her thigh before palming her mound. She rocked back against his hand hoping for some friction. She squeaked when he slapped her pussy. “I said, ‘I’d take care of you’. Don’t try to get yourself off again unless I tell you to. Understand?”

“Yes.” Fighting the urge to move against again she tried to concentrate on her breathing. In and out.

“Yes, what?”

Her head whipped up and she glared over her shoulder taking in his shit eating grin. That was a onetime thing. She couldn’t even believe she had called him that in the first place, but she had been so desperate. She would have done anything, said anything, called him anything to get him to move inside her.

Crap. If I don’t call him Daddy he’ll probably spank me. Is that a bad thing? Are you serious? Of course that should be a bad thing. But you liked it. Oh my god. I did. Is calling him Daddy in bed really the worst thing? It’s weird though, right? Does it have to be? Ugh, why do I do this to myself? I have my ass in the air, a hot man behind me with his hands between my legs and I—

She arched her back and moaned when his hand made contact a second time with a wet smack. She lowered her head into the pillow putting her weight on her forearms forcing her ass higher.

“Well, fuck me. You fucking like that don’t you, kitten? God, I’m gonna have so much fucking fun with you. Who knew under that sweet little Sunny face there was some freaky deaky going on? Damn, I’m a lucky man. Now, what’s my name?”

“Negan,” she muttered into the pillow. She prepared herself for another blow but it didn’t come. She looked back at him. He was stroking his cock watching her.

“Try again, honey. In our bed, what’s my name?”

She watched his hand move up and down his shaft his balls stretching as his strokes grew stronger.

“I will finish myself off and leave you a wet frustrated mess. Don’t play with me little girl.”

“Daddy,” came a defeated whisper from the pillows.

“There it is. Good girl.” His hand left his dick. His fingers spread her slick folds as he moved up towards to her clit. The pads of his fingertips rubbed her sensitive nub in slow circles.

She moaned in relief. She knew she was on a dangerous path. She was addicted to his touch. But she couldn’t drum up the strength to care, to fight him on principle when his talented touch brought her such pleasure.

Negan’s fingers dipped into her entrance. He curved his fingers dragging his fingers against her inner walls as he pumped and flicked his wrist. Her hips started rolling and her fingers dug into the pillow, her moans muted by soft plushness. He leaned over her and snatched the pillow out from under her head.

“I want to fucking hear all those beautiful noises you’re making, darling.”

Sunny whimpered as his long fingers left her body and moaned when they pinched her clit. His palm was flat against her entrance while his fingertips played and rubbed her bundle of nerves. His pace quickened. He could feel her muscles starting to contract. He bent lower on the mattress. He lowered his palm and licked her slit. He continued to lick upwards towards her puckered hole. Her entire body lurched forward trying to get away from the foreign contact. His free hand clamped down on her hip pulling her back towards him. He licked her ass and rubbed her pussy until she screamed as her orgasm swept through her. She squirted into the palm of his hand. He took her cum and stoked his erection coating it until it dripped. He rubbed the head of his dick along her slit teasing her as she came down from her climax. With one strong thrust he buried himself deep inside her until his hips with flush with her curve of her backside.

“Fuck, you’re so fucking tight. Always so fucking wet.”

Sunny braced her hands against the headboard. Her orgasm had hit her hard. The new sensation of his tongue lapping at her in forbidden places had sent her spiraling over the edge. Now he thrusted in her at a new delicious angle, hitting spots that made her clench and quiver. He stretched and filled her to new depths. She spread her legs father apart sinking lower on the mattress. He groaned as she bent his dick down. He trust harder squeezing her round cheeks in his hands pulling her back to him. She rolled her hips down bending him further.

“Oh fuck yeah,” he grunted.

Her hips began to roll in rhythm with his. He stopped thrusting but remained buried inside her. Her movement faltered.

“C’mon, baby, keeping fucking me. I love watching you fuck me.”

She began working his dick thrusting up and down, impaling herself backwards until she took him to the hilt. Encouraged by the ragged grunting and breathing behind her, she worked harder to quicken her pace.

“Fuck. I’m gonna cum.” He grabbed her hips and began slamming into her. His thrusts became uneven as his cock shot thick streams of hot cum in her cunt. He leaned over her breathing heavily between her shoulder blades placing light kisses on her sweat dampened skin.

He pulled out and rolled onto his side pulling her against his body. His hand rubbed her breasts as their breathing and hearts slowed.

“Shit, baby, I think I am going to demand you wake me up like that every morning. Where the fuck did you learn to fucking move like that?”

Sunny giggled. “I don’t know. I just did what felt good.”

“You know what else felt good?” he asked a smile tugging at his lips.

“Hmmmm?”

“Me licking your—“ He grunted as an elbow slammed into his ribs. “What? It’s okay. A lot of people like anal—“

Sunny rolled over her face bright red. Her hands slapped down his mouth. “Just stop!”

Negan laughed against her palm and pulled her closer. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. He imagined briefly a world where he could stay in bed with her forever lazily worshipping every part of her body.

He sighed, “C’mon, babydoll. As much as I would like to stay in bed, we have shit to do.”

Sunny pouted and snuggled further into his chest with a little whine.

“Sugar, we stink like musky sex and need to hit the shower before we fucking crust over and you drip cum all over the sheets.”

“Ewww!” She pinched his nipple and tweaked it a little.

“What?” He laughed. “It’s the fucking truth. Now get up and use the bathroom. You have 5 minutes before I join you.” He rolled her away from him and lightly slapped her ass. She grabbed a discarded shirt off the floor, threw it on, and tip toed out of the room with her thighs clenched together. Negan laughed at her efforts to not drip down her legs.


After showers, Sunny set about making them breakfast while Negan offered to take care of the chickens and plants. His willingness to slip into domesticity surprised her. It was nice having someone to share the work with. A husband.

Holy crap. I’m married. I have a husband. What do I even do with a husband? Did this morning not give you ideas? Shut it. I’ve barely had boyfriends and now I’m committed forever. What if we live together and he decides I’m not worth it. Is there divorce when there aren’t actually any laws? Do you just breakup? Calm down, Sunny. You are going full out whackadoo right now. Let’s just focus on the honeymoon period and see if the apocalypse has improved marriage success rates. It is a different world now after all. Honeymoon…I don’t get a honeymoon.

“What are you pouting about baby?” Negan asked as he walked into the kitchen.

She turned from the stove where she scrambled some fresh eggs. “We don’t get a honeymoon.”

He laughed. “Where the fuck do you want to go? Everywhere is infested with walking dead corpses that want to eat fucking you.”

“Where would you take me if it wasn’t?” she asked hopefully, scraping the eggs onto a plate and putting some bacon on the pan.

“Fuck. We’re gonna play this game? You’re gonna make me fucking talk about this?” He smirked as she nodded eagerly. “God damnit. Where would you want to go?”

“Do we have a budget?”

“What the fuck? Of course not. Anything you fucking want in this hypothetical game of what if.”

“Well….Europe. I was going to go there once I got my inheritance. Just travel from country to country soaking up all the different cultures. Or Disney World, I’ve never been.”

“There’s a big fucking difference between Europe and Disney World.”

“Where would you go?” she asked, flipping the strips of meat frying in the pan.

“Fuck if I know, Sunny. Probably somewhere with a beach and a lot of booze.”

“Ooooh!!! We could do a Disney Cruise. You get to spend some time at Disney World and then go on a cruise with ports with beaches. We’d save Europe for an anniversary.”

“You realize none of this is fucking real, right?” He walked up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing the crown of her head before resting his chin on it.

“Yeah….but don’t you like escaping reality in your head sometime?” she asked.

“I don’t think my head is quite as fucking colorful as yours, doll. I was never much into imagination….unless you want to count bedroom roleplay. Then I can get all fucking kinds of creative.” He kissed the curve of her throat nuzzling her soft skin. His hand playfully grabbed her hips pulling her back into him.

Sunny wiggled out of his grasp. “You’re so bad. I thought we had stuff to do today.”

“We do, damnit.” He moved around the kitchen, grabbing two mugs, and poured some hot coffee into them while Sunny divided the food onto two plates.

They carried their breakfast to the table and sat across from each other. Sunny looked around at their cozy surroundings.

“So tell me about The Sanctuary,” she said before taking a bite of eggs.

“It used to be a factory—“

“So, it’s big?”

Negan took a sip of coffee. He was not ready for this conversation. “Yeah. It’s fucking big.”

“How many people are there?”

“A lot.” He filled his mouth with food hoping to avoid more questions.

“I can’t wait to meet them,” she said with a smile.

Negan choked on his bacon. Like hell he was sharing her with all those people. She was his. He needed to steer this conversation away from social time and back to just them. “I redid my quarters. Expanded them so we can have some fucking privacy. An office and a big fucking bedroom. You’ve got your own fucking private bathroom too.”

“You redid your rooms?”

“Yeah. Redecorated them too.”

“Before I agreed to come? That was a bit presumptuous wasn’t it?” She leaned back in her chair with her arm crossed.

“Doll, I’m a man who gets shit done and gets what he wants. I wanted you. I did what I had to fucking do to get you. Now, I didn’t know how long it would take, but I make plans for the future, not plans to fucking fall back on. You were always going to be mine. Why wait to make the necessary changes?”

“Someone needs to take you down a peg.”

His eyes gleamed and an evil grin stretched across his lips as leaned forward on the table. “I’m not opposed to a little pegging every now and then.”

“What’s pegging?”

Negan threw back his head and laughed. God, he needed this. Needed her. He hadn’t been so amused or aroused in years.

“What’s so funny?” She glared at him knowing she was the butt of some joke she didn’t get.

“Oh, honey…I’ll tell you when you’re older.” He winked at her and chuckled at the outrage playing across her features.

“Fine. Be that way.” She sulked and played with her food pushing it with her fork. “Why do I need my own bathroom? Why can’t we just share one?”

“Stop playing with your fucking food and eat it. You lost too much weight while I was gone. I come home covered in fucking blood and guts more often than fucking not, sweetheart. You’ll be god damn grateful not have that shit near your stuff. It’s not like a have 9-5 desk job.”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense.”

Sunny sensed all the questions she was asking were irritating him…maybe not irritating but definitely making him uneasy. She finished her breakfast contemplating what her new home would look like. What would a room decorated by Negan look like? A brothel. Oh god…she was moving into a leather clad sex dungeon.

“What the hell are you thinking about? You look like someone just murdered a puppy.”

She blushed and giggled. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to imagine what our room will look like.”

Negan scowled at her. “I will have you fucking know, I have great taste.”

“I know you do…I sampled it this morning.” She winked at him.

“God damnit, girl. You just made my dick twitch. Let’s wash these dishes before I drag you back to bed.”

Once the dishes were clean, Negan started gathering his things.

“I’m going to go get someone from The Sanctuary to watch the house. You pack up some of your things while I am gone. I’ll be back after dinner time. So eat and be ready to leave when I get here.”

“What should I pack?”

“Some of your favorite stuff…not all of it. I’ve got plenty of new stuff for you at home. New clothes, toiletries, and shit. I’ll be coming back here regularly to check up on it, and I’ll switch out movies for you if you like. We should leave most of them here so she doesn’t get fucking bored out of her mind. Oh, and wash the fucking sheets while I’m gone.”

He put on his leather jacket, picked up Lucille and his bag and headed to the door.

“Wait, Negan…” She pulled at his arm until he turned and face her. “Um…” Her eyes fell to the floor, her weight shifting nervously side to side.

“What is it, princess?”

“You said there were going to be rules. Are you going to clue me in?”

“Oh, that is a talk for later. After you’ve settled in. Don’t worry about anything now, baby. Just let me take care of you.” He bend down and kissed her gently on the lips. She hummed against his mouth when his tongue spread hers open. Her body pressed against his. With a small growl, he pulled back.

“Fuck, doll. Stop fucking tempting me.” He kissed her on the forehead.

“You’ll be back?” she asked.

“I promise, I’ll be back tonight. You better eat lunch and dinner while I am gone.”

She reached up settling a hand on one cheek and a kiss on the other as she whispered, “Yes, Daddy.”

“Fuck me.” He groaned. “You keep teasing me and see what happens later.”

“I look forward to it.” She giggled as she watched him walk through the front door.

Sunny got up and locked the door then set about pulling the sheets from the bed and throwing them in the washer. Negan was right. They did stink.

She quickly dusted and vacuumed the house. She lit candles so it would smell nice. She didn’t want the person who stayed here to feel unwelcome.

Now, she was faced with the task of packing. She hadn’t realized how much sentiment she had attached to her things. She got an empty boxes from the storage room and put all her family pictures in them. The new person wouldn’t want to be surrounded by dead strangers. She packed away all the certificates and awards hidden away in a desk drawer with her name written on them. What was her new last name? She’d have to ask Negan. She took the box, sealed it up and with it her old life, then walked it up to the attic of the house to be forgotten with the Christmas ornaments and baby clothes her mother had saved.

She started putting her favorite clothes into a duffel bag. She packed one photo of her with her parents and another that she had kept hidden under her mattress of her and her sister. She grabbed her new copy of Jane Eyre and a few romance novels. Last was the daunting task of picking a few movies. How do you chose? How would she know what she would be in the mood for? She finally decided to grab two from each genre reminding herself that Negan said he would be able to switch them out for different movies when he came by. But how often was that going to happen?

Sunny decided to go all out for dinner and make her favorite dishes. Whoever lived here next could have the leftovers. She baked herself a loaf of bread and ate it warm from the oven….usually she had the strength to wait until it cooled. Steak, sautéed potatoes in rosemary and olive oil, and green beans with lemon juice. She ate all of it not know what kind of food she was going to have from now on.

She had just taken all this for granted. She should have thanked her parents more. Her tears mixed with the dish water as she cleaned the kitchen for what may be the last time looking at the dish pattern painstakingly picked out by her mother. She remembered her parents arguing over them. Her father wanted something plain and utilitarian. Her mother had won and gotten flowers but in plastic not glass so they wouldn’t break. Compromise. She had been so lucky to have parents who worked together.

Sunny dried the dishes and her tears. She finished the laundry, remade the bed, and put on a movie that she was leaving behind. She sat on the couch and looked at the room around her. It seemed foreign without her family smiling at her. She realized it was no longer her home. Home was with Negan. Wherever that was.

She turned her head as she heard the lock of the door click and the door swing open.

“Honey, I’m home,” Negan yelled.

She smiled broadly as she watched him cross the threshold. Her smiled faltered as she saw the tall beautiful woman follow him into the room.

“Hi,” the woman said with a smile. “I’m Sherry.”

Notes:

Come visit me on Tumblr. I always give a hint about what I am posting next and give Sneak Peeks of upcoming chapters. I also post a lot of JDM eye candy.

Chapter 10

Notes:

Ok, guys. Here is the next chapter! If you like it, please let me know. Leave me a comment. If you give me feedback about what you like, I can keep doing that. Thanks! The plot should pick up after this point. If you need something to read in between updates, I have another fic I am working on. It's based on the movie The Resident also starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan. You can come and chat with me on Tumblr, ask me things, and get updates about what I am working on. Same user name. -Thanks!

Chapter Text

Sunny could feel her mouth hanging open as she stared at the woman standing next to Negan. She knew she should get up and introduce herself, but all she could do at this moment was sit frozen, a caricature of every cartoon character she ever saw as a child, jaw on the ground, eyes bulging out.

Oh my god! She’s so—so beautiful. What the hell is a freaking glamazon doing in the apocalypse? How is she still here? Of course, she’s tall, fit…. Look at how long her legs are! Short, soft girls like me were probably the first to go. Survival of the fittest. I can’t out run anyone with these stumps. I’m just a fun sized walker treat. Is she wearing makeup? I should’ve put on makeup. I need to learn how to do a smoky eye. Are all the women at The Sanctuary like this? I can’t do this. I need to stay in my little pond where I am winner of every superlative.

Negan set Lucille down by the door, walked over to her, and pulled her to standing. He gripped her chin and tilted her head giving her a slow kiss. He grinned as she gently pushed him away her cheeks flushing a bright pink. “Not an exhibitionist?” he whispered into her ear. “Sunny, this is Sherry. She has fucking graciously volunteered to watch your house and take care of shit.”

“All by yourself?” Sunny asked. “I mean, hi. It’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand and shook Sherry’s. “Come on in. Make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa.” She groaned. She could hear how lame she sounded. She watched Sherry walked to the couch and sit down gracefully.

This is it. This is when Negan realizes I’m a total whackado, so completely crazy, and leaves me here to go shack up with super sexy Sherry. What if they’ve already shacked up? Holy shit. Is this what I am being compared to? It’s not fair. My only basis for comparison was a dumb high school boy. You need to calm down. No…freaking out is appropriate. Look at her!

“Oh, I’ll enjoy the solitude,” Sherry said, smiling warmly. “It’ll be so nice not having to share everything with roommates,” she continued, her eyes flicking to Negan sending him a wink. “But eventually, someone else will join me when I get tired of being alone.”

Negan shot Sherry a stern look. “Sherry, honey, the kitchen’s right there. Why don’t ya get yourself a fucking drink?”

“Sure thing, Neg.” She stood, her long legs mocking Sunny’s existence as their long strides passed her, curvy hips swaying enticingly.

He sat on the couch and pulled Sunny into his lap. “Hey, princess, what the fuck’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he asked. His fingers ran through her hair, twirling it around his long thick finger.

She fidgeted with the zipper on Negan’s jacket. “I just—well Sherry is so—“

“Smokin’ hot?” he provided.

“Well, yeah.” Her brow knitted in concern as she nibbled on her bottom lip. “I guess I just wasn’t prepared. I mean, I figured if you went for me, pickins were slim, but seeing her—“

“Excuse me? The fuck do you mean ‘slim pickins’?” He grabbed her face forcing her to look him in the eye. “You think I’m fucking slumming with you? No. Look at me. Is that what you fucking think?”

“She’s tall and beautiful. Confident. Older. She’s everything I’m not. How could I not be intimidated? I mean look at her fucking legs!”

“That’s one,” he said firmly.

“What?” Sunny asked.

“I told you to watch your damn mouth, didn’t I? We’ll address that later. Did you ever stop to fucking think that maybe you’re everything she’s not? If I fucking wanted her, I’d sure as shit be with her. God damnit, Sunny. You’re fucking gorgeous and sexy as fuck.” He pushed her hair over her should and nuzzled into her neck while running his hand up her thigh. “I dream about being between your legs. Making you cum all over my face. Your body is so fucking responsive to my touch. I’ve never been with anyone so fucking perfect.” She moaned as he pressed down on the seam between her legs. She squirmed against his touch. “You also aren’t a stone cold bitch like most of the women nowadays. You’re so god damn sweet and innocent…”

“Not so innocent anymore,” she said her lips against his.

“Yes, you are, baby girl. I’ve only just begun corrupting you.” He gripped the back of her head pushing her lips against his. Mouths opened as the kiss intensified.

Sunny jumped back when she heard a throat clearing across the room. Sherry leaned against a wall seemingly unphased by their display.

“Sorry, to interrupt, but I can only admire the kitchen for so long. How about a tour?” Sherry said brightly.

Sunny shot to her feet. “Oh my god. Sorry, of course. Follow me, Sherry.”          


She led the small group around the bunker, showing Sherry the food storage room, the green house room, and the barn. All the rooms had written instructions for what needed to be done, relics from her father’s control issues. Sunny could sense Sherry’s shock, but she didn’t ask why or how and for that Sunny was grateful.

“Here are the bedrooms. This one has a king. It was my parents, but I moved all their stuff out. I washed their sheets too. And this one is mine. There’s still some clothes and stuff in the closet. You can move those out if you want.”

“No worries, sweetie. I’ll take the other room. You’ve got quite the set up. Sorry, about your family. Negan told me,” said Sherry.

“Thanks,” Sunny said with a week smile. “

“So, Negan. Why don’t you come help get my stuff from the truck while Sunny makes sure she’s got everything?” Sherry motioned for Negan to follow her.

Sunny watched them leave as she looked around her room. Her heart clenched. This was it. She started rummaging through drawers, under beds and couches making sure there was nothing she had forgotten.


 

“Are you out of your damn mind?” Sherry asked Negan as they left the house and made their way by moonlight to the truck.

“What?” he said with a shrug, Lucille over his shoulder.

She crossed her arms and glared at him “Oh, don’t you ‘what’ me. I know you, unlike that poor little girl down there. How old is she anyways?”

“She’s fucking twenty. The fuck is your problem? It’s a bit god damn late for you to play jealous wife, isn’t it?” he sneered.

“Jealous? Oh no. God no. I pity her. But I see why you like her. She is sweet and cute. Everything that this world has destroyed. She’s falling for you hard. God, her smile when you walked through the door. It was like you were her god damn knight in shining armor. It was precious. I get it, I really do. But, Negan…you’re going to ruin her. Taking her to The Sanctuary. Are you serious? You are going to extinguish everything you like about her.”

“You think I don’t know that’s a fucking possibility. I’m gonna do whatever the fuck I have to do to protect her!” he yelled. He gripped Lucille tight in his fist with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other.

“Oh, yeah. Locking her in your penthouse? You actually think going from being alone in this house for two years to alone in your little penthouse is going to make her happy. She’s going to want to be around people. And those people are going to paint a very different picture of you and The Sanctuary than you’ve probably lead her to believe. I don’t understand why you are going through all this for her? Just leave her here. I can watch out for her. You can have your conjugal visits. Why take all these risks?”

Negan grabbed Sherry’s bag from the truck throwing it to the ground and slammed the door.

She needs to shut the fuck up. She is fucking lucky that I don’t hurt women, because if a man talked to me this way he’d have a broken jaw by now. This is none of her fucking business.

“Oh my god,” she said. “You love her! You! This is worse than I thought. You’ve just painted a big ol’ target on that sweet child’s back. Please just leave her here with me. If you love her, leave her here where she’ll be safe. You know things are getting bad out there and not just with the walkers.”

“Enough! She’s coming with me, because I fucking want her with me. I will fucking keep her safe. I can make her happy.”

“I’m sure you think you can.” She looked at him with pity in her eyes.

“Is everything okay? I heard shouting,” Sunny said behind them holding her bag and hugging her pillow.

Negan smiled at his beautiful girl and took her bag from her putting it in the bed of the truck and her pillow behind the seats in the cab. “Every thing’s fine, princess. Sherry here’s just worried you’re too fucking young for me.”

“Oh.” She looked between Negan and Sherry.

Sherry shot Negan a dirty look. “Look, Sunny. It’s nothing against you. I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into.”

Negan threw an around Sunny’s shoulder. “Sunny wants to come with me, don’t you, darling?”

“Yeah, I do. I want to be with Negan.” Sunny curled into his chest and let him wrap his arms around her. He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“There, you fucking happy now? She wants to be with me,” he said.  

“If you’re happy, I’m happy, Negan,” Sherry said, rolling her eyes. “C’mere and give me a hug goodbye.” As Negan let her put his arms around him she said, “Take care of her. Really.” She stepped back and looked at Sunny. “You too, Sunny. Get over here.” She squeezed Sunny close to her. “Please, be safe. Listen to him. Do as he says even when it seems crazy. He really does have your best interest at heart,” she whispered.

Sunny nodded at the woman knitting her brows together and turned toward the truck. Negan held the door open for her and gave her butt a light smack as she climbed in.

“See ya, Sherry. No fucking smoking in the god damn house,” Negan said as he walked around the truck watching Sherry go back in the house. “I’ll be by in a week or so to collect eggs and shit!” he yelled after her.

Negan climbed in setting Lucille between himself and the door, started the engine, and turned on the lights. Music started playing softly on the radio. Classic rock, the kind she listened to with her dad. He opened the gate and started driving. Sunny turned around and watched her house get smaller as they drove down the dirt driveway. It only took a minute for it to be completely obscured from view by darkness.


 

Negan watched Sunny wipe away a tear rolling down her cheek from the corner of his eye. Her arms hugged around her knees as she looked outside. He was glad he was taking her home in the dark. She wouldn’t know just how fucked up the world really is.

“So,” he started, “how about we talk about some fucking rules.”

Her head perked up and turned in his direction. “I thought we were going to wait until I was settled in.”

“Now’s as good a damn time as any. We have a few hours to kill, kitten.”

“We do? It’s that far?” she asked.

“Well, going slow since we can’t see too well it’ll take longer. Gotta keep the lights low because walkers are attracted to light, smell, and sound. We don’t want to attract a fucking herd.”

She gasped. “A herd?”

“Yeah, a group will form and just start following each other, all looking for food,” he explained.

“Oh my god.” Her hand went to her mouth. She started biting at her thumb nail.

He grabbed her hand. “Stop that. Everything will be fucking fine. I’ve done this damn trip a couple times. I know where the fuck I’m going.” He kissed her hand and returned it. He patted the bench sit next to him.

“Sorry. Ok, so what are the rules?” she asked, scooting closer to him.

He put his arm around her shoulder. “Rule number one: watch your mouth. No cursing.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “You curse all the time? Why can’t I?”

“Because it’s a dirty filthy fucking habit, and I’m not going to let you start, princess. I’m too fucking set in my ways to stop.”

Sunny crossed her arms and pouted. “What else?”

“Rule number two: you do what I tell you to. No questions. You said you’d listen to me, and I fucking expect you to obey.”

Sunny nodded. She had been expecting that one especially after Sherry’s advice. She listened as he listed off the rest of her rules.

“Rule number three: no lying. Rule four: If you need something, you fucking tell me. I’m not a god damn mind reader. Rule five: you tell me when you fucking like or don’t like something in bed. Rule six: no touching yourself without my permission. That pussy is belongs to me now.”

“Is that all?” she asked.

“If I pick out something for you to wear, you wear that and only that.”

“Okay. What happens if I break a rule?”

He moved his hand from her shoulder back to the steering wheel. They were getting to a stretch of road with a few abandoned cars to maneuver around. “You get a punishment. Spanking, teasing, orgasm denial. Just depends on what you do and how I feel.”

“Orgasm denial?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll bring you right to the fucking peak and leave you there.”

“For how long?” she asked.

“As long as I fucking see fit, sweetheart.” He looked over at her face illuminated by the dashboard. He could see her overthinking what he had just laid out for her. “Now, we have a long fucking drive ahead of us. So why don’t we play a little?”

“It’s a little too dark for I spy,” she laughed.

“That’s not what I had in mind, darling. Take off your clothes,” he said in a low even voice.

“What? Are you crazy?” she protested.

“Oh, darling. That’s two. Now, are you going to do what I fucking say or are you going to go ahead and keep breaking rules?”

She looked at him. He could see the uncertainty playing across her face, but slowly she lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She kicked off her shoes and socks then unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her legs. She sat next to him nothing but a white cotton bra and panties.

He licked his lips, his hands flexing on the steering wheel. “All of it.”

She reached behind her unclasping her bra and pulling her arms through the straps. Finally, she pulled her panties down leaving her bare. She sat with her legs together and her hand resting in her lap not knowing what else to do with them.

Negan watching her breasts bounce with the movement of the car. Just watching her undress had his dick hard and leaking.

“Spread your legs,” he commanded.

Slowly her legs opened a little. Her hands her blocking his view of her pussy. That just wouldn’t do.

“Wider. Clasp your hands behind your back.” Sunny did as she was told. Her new position thrust her breasts out making the movements from the car easier to see as they swayed and bounced. “That’s a good girl. Look at that beautiful little cunt you got. Is it fucking wet yet, princess? You thinking about all the things you want me to fucking do to you?”

She nodded.

He clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Oh no, sweetheart. You need to use your fucking words when I ask you question.”

“Yes, I’m thinking of you,” she said in a breathy voice.

“And what are you thinking of, doll?”

She squirmed a little wanting nothing more than to rub her thighs together. “You touching me.”

“Keep those legs open. I like seeing what belongs to me. Now where I am touching you?”

“On my—um—on my pussy.”

He ran a hand up her thigh cupping her mound. Her hips reflexively rolled against his palm making her hum in relief. “Like this?”

“No, your fingers—circle my—my clit.”

The rough pads of his fingers pressed down on her little nub and began to move clockwise. He heard a small moan and her breathing quickened. “What else, baby?”

“You slide your fingers inside me.”

Negan slid first one finger deep inside her relishing the wetness he found there. He spread that wetness around her folds and up to clit until her whole slit was slick. He pushed two fingers in, feeling her stretch around him. He rested his palm against her pussy pushing down and rocked his hand back and forth fucking her with his fingers and grinding against her clit at the same time. He looked over and saw her hips tilting in the quick pace he had set, her head thrown back against the seat, back arched, tits swaying vigorously. He could feel the first flutters of climax around his fingers. He pulled his hand away listening to her moans of protest. He licked his fingers clean of her sweet juices.

“Only good girls get orgasms, kitten. Have you been a good girl today?” He glanced at the shock and disappointment playing across her features.

Suddenly, her naked body was pushed up against him. She kissed his cheek, his neck, nibbled on his ear and whispered, “I can be a very good girl…Daddy.” Her hands were on his lap tugging at his belts then his fly. He could hear the zipper of his pants lower and feel her hands dip into his boxers rubbing and gripping his hard cock as she pulled it out of its confines.

Leaning over, Sunny licked the weeping head enjoying the salty taste of him. She lowered her mouth over his shaft slowly taking him in inch by inch. He groaned his hips bucking when he felt her tongue swirl around him.

“Fuck,” he hissed between his teeth when she began to bob up and down his length, the head of his dick hitting the back of her throat. “God damn, baby. Yeah, suck my cock, sweetheart. Shit, just like that. Such a good girl.”

He looked over and saw her ass reflected in the passenger window. Her pussy spread for him between her pale thighs. He slid his hand over her backside gripping the soft flesh roughly before giving it sharp slap that made her gasp, her throat constricting around his erection. His fingers found her dripping wet. He began to pump his fingers in her pussy, wet sounds accompanying the music in the background. “Oh, god you are so fucking wet. Sucking my dick gets you wet, princess?” She moaned her answer sending vibrations down to his balls.

He was getting close. He had to stop this truck before he came down her throat. He found a guardrail and parked the truck next to it protecting them from at least one side of the road. He turned the engine and the lights off. Only the moonlight lit the small cab.

Negan grabbed her hair and lifted her mouth off of him. He moved to the center of bench seat and pushed his pants and boxers down to his ankles. His hands lifted her at the waist and she straddled his lap eagerly. He held his dick to her entrance stroking the slick slit. Shyly, she slowly sank down his length. Impatient, he pulled her down until he was buried deep inside her. “Fucking ride me, baby. Go as fast and hard as you want.” He captured her mouth in searing kiss their tongues twisting and curling, soft moans and low growls swallowed.  

Frantically, Sunny started pulling at his leather jacket. “Please. I want to feel you. Oh god.”

He shrugged his arms out of the jacket and pulled his white t-shirt over his head. She leaned into his chest. Her perky pink nipples budding at the friction from his dark chest hair. She rose her hips and sank back down rolling her hips at the base. Faster and faster until she stopped and ground her clit against his flesh. Her panting and moans filled his ears. He leaned his head down and brought her breast to his face sucking hard on her nipple, stretching it as he pulled with his teeth. Her body tightened, he could feel a rush of fluid that signaled her release. He gripped her hips and started thrusting his hips up pounding into her pulsating muscles that squeezed at his dick. It didn’t take long for him to come deep inside her.

He wrapped his arms around her bringing her head to his shoulder. Their breathing slowed. He had softened and slipped from her pussy, fluids dripping off both their bodies.

Negan moved Sunny to sit next to him. He reached under the seat a pulled out a pair of hand towels. He handed one to her as he wiped his body off before pulling up his clothes. He grabbed his shirt and tugged over his head. His jacket he threw behind the seat.

Sunny delicately wiped at her body then moved to pick up her clothes. She sat naked staring at Negan with a suspicious smile. “Did you have towels prepared for this car ride home?” she asked, as she started dressing herself.

“Actually, I have clean towels in the truck in case someone gets fucking shot,” he stated. “Only thing I shot this time was my load but still comes in handy.” He looked at her sending her the smile that made her blush every time. That knowing shit eating grin that only he had.

She laughed and shook her head. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe you’re supposed to be the mature one,” she said, putting her shoes back on.

He laughed as he started the truck back up and headed down the road. He turned the radio up a little, and they listened to music making meaningless chit chat about what they missed in the world. She sat close to him, his arm around her shoulder, her head resting on his. They drove for what seemed like hours. Finally, Sunny’s head began to nod on his shoulder.

“Baby, your pillow’s behind the seat. Pull it out and get some fucking rest.” He gave her a little push to motivate her to move from her comfortable position. Sunny put the pillow against his leg and slept with her head on his lap. His hand ran through her hair in calming strokes, massaging her scalp.

When Negan was sure she was asleep, he turned the car around and pointed them in the right direction of The Sanctuary. He had been driving the wrong direction, waiting for her to fall asleep. He didn’t want her first impression of her new home to be an old factory surrounded by a wall of walkers, or dirty Saviors holding machine guns. She would wake up in a clean bed in her beautiful room, and she would be his happy sweet girl for at least one more day.

Chapter 11

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sunny slowly opened her eyes and snapped them back shut against the bright light that assaulted her vision.

Why are the freaking lights on? Who does that?

She sat up rubbing her eyelids with her palms and tried again. Her eyes adjusted and focused on her new surroundings. Her hands flew to her mouth, smothering her gasp. She sat alone in a beautiful king sized bed with the softest silkiest sheets she’d ever felt. There was luxury dripping off everything in the room. She had never seen, let alone been in a room as beautiful as this one. She was almost afraid to touch anything.

She threw off the downy comforter eager to explore. Goosebumps raised along her bare legs and arms. Looking down, she saw she was clad only in a pink satin slip with black lace that hung low on the tops of her breasts from two spaghetti straps. Her back was completely exposed. The hem reached the tops of her thighs and two slits on either side worked their way up to her hips. Apparently, no panties had been provided. Moving to slide off the tall bed, she looked down and saw two kitten heel slippers with black feathery fluff.

“Oh, he has got to be kidding me,” she said, smiling and shaking her head.

Sunny slipped her feet into them. They were a little too big, which wasn’t a surprise. Finding shoes in the women’s section to fit her had always been a problem. Her heels clicked against the hard floor and she moved around the room.

She explored to the book case in the sitting area near the frosted windows. She was disappointed she couldn’t see outside, but very happy with books she had. Some of her favorite classics were among the titles as well as some new books she hadn’t seen. All seemed to be young adult or romance novels.

Turning around she looked at the room again. The paintings, the books, the bedding, all these things screamed Sunny. There wasn’t a trace of Negan in the room. He really had set all this up for her.

Her heart had started to race. She could feel the panic bubbling up from her stomach.

Why would he go through all this trouble? How did he even get all of this?

Crossing the room to two closed doors opposite the wall of windows, she opened the one on the right and found a small walk in closet. Filled. She looked at the clothes and read the tags. There were designers she had only read about in magazines in her closet, and everything was in her size or really close to it. All seasons were represented. Dresses, blouses, skirts, jeans, sweaters all hanging according to style. There were heels, ballet flats, and boots on shelves.

When would I ever wear these?

Slowly, Sunny backed out of the closet. She turned and spied a few dressers. She was sure she’d find them full as well of equally expensive underthings. It was all overwhelming. She hadn’t given any thought to what he had said about making preparations for her. To think he went to this extent, frightened her. What would happen if she disappointed him? It was all too much to live up to.

She opened the door to the right and found an elegantly appointed bathroom. Expensive soap and perfume were displayed on shelves. She found a hair brush in a drawer and ran it through her dark locks before she pulled it up in a bun. She splashed cold water on her face and reached for a soft teal hand towel to dry her face. She took care of the rest of her needs, trying her best not to freak out.

Vulnerable and out of place, she left the bathroom in search of comfortable clothing. A t-shirt or yoga pants. Anything that would make her feel more like her, giving her a measure of control over her situation. She wasn’t meant to have such nice things. Even growing up wealthy, her parents would never have wasted money on anything they could find cheaper at Wal-Mart.

Sunny’s bag was nowhere to be found. Drawers were opened and contents shifted. As she had guessed, lingerie filled the large piece of furniture. She hadn’t found a single pair of panties that wasn’t crotchless. One pair just had a string of pearls instead of cloth, the thin waistband hanging from her fingers.

The door opened with a forceful swing as Negan crossed the threshold holding a tray. The smell of pancakes followed him as he walked past Sunny and placed the food on a table next to two chairs.

“Good morning, sunshine,” his deep voice resonated softly through the quiet.

“Good morning, Negan,” she replied with a bright smile as she felt her anxiety melt away in his presence.

Negan looked at the bed and turned quickly. “Fuck. You’re already awake. I wanted to see your fucking reaction.” His eyebrows raised at the sight of her holding kinky panties in her lingerie and heels. “Whatcha looking for, doll?” he asked, a grin spreading across his face.

Shoving the pearl thong into the drawer and closing it quickly behind her, she replied, “I was just trying to find some underwear. Someone seems to have forgotten it.”

“Now, kitten, don’t you fucking think that if I had wanted you wearing some panties, I would’ve just fucking given you some? Now get your sweet ass over here. I wanna see you in that fucking thing.”

“Honestly, I’m kinda surprised you dressed me at all.” She giggled as she sashayed towards him doing her best not to roll her ankle off the heel. “And that I slept through it. But seriously, what am I wearing? And what are you wearing?”

“What? I own more than just white shirts.” He held out his arms letting her see the black v-neck shirt that hugged his chest and lean torso. He wore his customary belts low on his hips over his jeans. “And you look fucking hot in that lingerie. I may never let you wear real clothes again.” He leaned back on the table and twirled his finger as he watched her approach. “Give me a fucking spin.”

Her lips quirked in a devious grin. Instead of a slow modelesque turn, Sunny spun on the ball of her foot. Her short slip lifted at the momentum all the way up the slits and twirled like a tutu around her waist.

Negan’s mouth went dry at the flash of dark hair between her legs and the curve of her ass, not to mention the generous helping of side boob. God damn, she was a fucking vision.

“Do that again.” He adjusted himself palming himself as he did. The long outline of his erection pushed painfully against his tight jeans.

She closed the distance between them. “No. I’m hungry.” Her lips formed a kissable pout as she gently rubbed her belly.

Negan pulled her close kissing her softly, his hands trailing down her silk covered curves until his hands slipped under the lingerie and cupped her ass. His lips moved down her jaw to her exposed neck leaving a trail of nips and kisses that raised goosebumps across her skin along their way down to her shoulders. He pulled one of her legs up over his thigh and ran his fingers along the underside of her skin until he met her soft wet folds. He teased her flesh until she was rocking against his fingers. Her hand cupped his face, sucking on his ear lobe. He groaned and pushed her away. “You need to eat before I fuck you on your pancakes.”

Ignoring his protest, she leaned into him and gave him a quick peck as her hand pressed its way down his length. “But I’m hungry for something else now.”

He growled, grabbed her shoulders, and walked her backwards into a chair. He lifted the lid to her food revealing a stack of pancakes with strawberry eyes and a bacon smile. “No means no. Now eat your god damn food, Sunny,” he said with a laugh.

“Are you going to eat with me?” she asked as she moved the fruit and meat off her pancakes and cut into the doughy circles.

“Already ate, princess. I got up too fucking early to check on somethings. Fucking dig in.” He sat at the other chair at the small circular table watching her take her little dainty bites. It was rare to see someone eat like they weren’t starving, shoveling as much in their face as fast as they could. “So, how do you like the room?”

Sunny’s hand covered her mouth as she tried to answer while chewing her food to one side. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never been in a room this nice before. I thought you said this was factory.” She swallowed her bite and took a drink of bitter coffee. Her face screwed up into a grimace that made Negan laugh. “Oh my god, that’s awful.” She took a drink of water but it did nothing to dull the nasty aftertaste sitting on her tongue. She quickly took another bite of pancake trying to drown her tongue in sugar coated carbohydrates.

“It was a factory. These were the executive suites. I got most of the stuff here from some mansions out in a gated community. Weirdest shit ever seeing corpses walking around with Rolexes and diamonds. Saw one’s ear fall off because the weight of her earrings was too much. I decapitated one with his fucking 24 carat gold chain. Yanked it from behind. Gave him a good kick on the back and it sliced right through his neck. Bunch of dead purse puppies. Fucking crazy.” He looked over and saw her glaring at him.

“If you want me to eat, you’re going to have to stop with the disgusting stories. As if that coffee wasn’t enough to turn me off my food.” She picked up a strawberry and bit into the seedy sweetness sucking on it so the juice wouldn’t flow down her chin.

Negan shifted in seat. “Actually, I fucking need to go read through some shitty inventory lists. You eat up and come see me when you’re done, and I want you to finish every fucking bite on that plate. I’ll be right through here.”

Sunny watched him walk through the double doors. She finished up her breakfast, careful to avoid any more coffee. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth then set off to see what was behind the dark French doors.

She peeked her head out, checking to see if Negan was alone. He was. Sitting at a large black wooden desk, Lucille propped against the desk. He looked up and grinned at her.

“Can I put some clothes on now?” she asked.

“Nope. Get your cute ass over here.” He scooted his chair back and patted his lap. He watched her wander into the room, her head turning trying to take in the new environment. Unlike the bedroom, his office was elegantly masculine. Everything from furniture to knick knacks was in black, grey, or silver.

“Well this makes a lot more sense,” she said, sitting on his knee.

He pulled her against him, stroking her thigh pushing her slip higher with each pass of his fingers. “What makes more sense?”

“Well, the bedroom is beautiful. It’s like my dream room, but it definitely didn’t look like a place you’d live in.” Her fingers toyed with the edge of his v-neck lightly brush his neck and the chest hair that was visible with this shirt.

He captured her hand, kissing her palm, and nipping at her wrist. “You saying I can’t fucking like pretty things? Because I’ve got a pretty little thing perched on my fucking knee, and I fucking like her a lot.” He grabbed Sunny’s jaw and pressed his lips to hers coaxing her them apart with his tongue. He loved the way her body relaxed into his. So trusting. He pulled back to look down at her. Her lips were a deeper shade, eyelashes fanned over her cheeks. A strap had fallen off her shoulder, the black lace around the edge of her nightie was resting precariously over her pert nipple. Her eyes flutter opened and met his.

She pulled the strap back over her shoulder and asked, “Can I get dressed for the tour now?”

“What tour?” he asked back, shifting her on his lap.

Her eyebrows knitted and her hands began fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. “Aren’t you going to show me around?”

“Not today, princess. You still have a punishment coming for yesterday. And then I have work I have to do that’s too dangerous to take you along.”

Her arms untangled themselves from his waist to sit on her hips. “Punishment for what?” she demanded.

“Oh, honey, your fucking language yesterday. And also, not obeying me right away in the damn car. I fucking told you I was fucking counting. How about I go easy on you though?” He smiled at the wide eyed dismay on her face. “Stand up.” He pushed her to her feet. “Now, hands and forearms on the desk.” She stared at him, her mouth gaping.  “Are you going to make me ask twice?” He asked crossing his arms and his eyebrows arching.

Cautiously, Sunny bent at her waist over the black desk careful not to disturb the ledgers and laid her forearms against the desk, palms flat on the cold surface. Cool air wafted up her legs as he pushed her skirt up her waist exposing her ass.

He tapped her shoe with his boot. “Spread those legs. Fuck yeah just like that. God damn, I wish I had a camera. I could jack off to this view forever.” His hand smoothed over her back, around her waist, gripping her breasts and tweaking her nipples. He could see her biting her lip as her hips gave a subtle wriggle.  “Now let’s see. I think 10 good fucking spanks for the disobedience and a fucking time out of the cussing. How’s that sound, baby girl?”

She nodded her head staring at the desk. She dreaded and loved being exposed to him. The thought of being punished terrified and aroused her. Her heart was racing, blood rushing in her ears making it hard to pay attention to anything.

He pinched the side of her thigh elicited and squeak. “What did I say about using your words?”

“10 spanks and a time out sound good,” she said, quickly adding, “Sir.”

“Ooh. Sir. I fucking like the sound of that. I think I want you to fucking call me that when you’ve been bad girl. Fuck yeah, that’s some sexy shit right there. Got me all hard and ready to bust a nut in my god damn jeans.” His hands massage and spread her cheeks giving him ample views of her holes. “Now, I want you to count. If you stop, we the fuck over, got?”

“Yes….sir.” She squirmed in his grasp. She wanted him to touch her. She didn’t care how. Her mind was racing. The danger, excitement, and lust was all getting to her. She couldn’t discern her emotions from each other. All she could focus on was his touch.

His palm massaged her cheek in a circular motion, his fingertips dipping in between her thighs almost to her pussy. He pushed her hips down when her back arched trying to give him more access. He raised his hand and spanked her soundly on her right cheek, a gasp escaped her lips.

“One,” she said.

Negan grabbed her and lifted up her cheek and watched it bounce as he dropped it. “Good girl.” He smacked the left and right in quick succession watching her breast sway under the silk that hung away from her body.

“Two..three,” she grunted.

He took his time setting up for the next round, dipping his hands between her legs his thumbs ghosting over her lips. He could feel her body making small adjustments trying desperately to get him to touch her. He grabbed her hips and held them still. “Quit fucking squirming.” His hand descending once more with a little more force.

Sunny let out a small moan for each strike. “Four…five…six.” Her breathing shallowed into small pants. Her forehead rested on the desk.

His hand kneaded and worked her supple curves before delving to her center. He kneeled down behind her, spreading her pussy lips with his thumbs. “God damn, kitten, look at how wet you fucking are.” A shiver ran up her spine as his warm breath dance over her exposed fleshed. “You know this is supposed to be a punishment, right?” He laughed and bit her thigh causing her to jump. He alternated the last four spanks, two on each side watching how she arched up into each blow.

“Seven…eight…nine…ten,” she counted breathily.

Negan stepped behind her once more. Sunny could hear the soft click of his belt buckles coming undone and the hum of his zipper being pulled. “Look at that beautiful fucking shade of pink. Fuck that is fucking gorgeous.”

“Please,” she begged. And she waited. Waited to feel him thrust into her. To stretch and fill her as only he could. She needed the release he provided and to feel him quivering as he came deep within her.

She turned when she heard him grunting. Peeking over her shoulder, she saw his dick in his fist as he stroked his erection. The look of horror on her face when she realized she wasn’t going to get what she wanted was enough to send him over the edge. He squirted long thick streams of cum on her warm pink cheeks.

“Stay right there. Don’t move.” He tucked himself away and went to the bathroom.

When he returned he sat in his leather chair holding a wash cloth. “God damn, I should just have you stay like that all day. I could fucking look at this work of fucking art all damn day.” He, finally, cleaned her off and stood her up. She crossed her arms and moved to go back to the bedroom.

“Oh, don’t pout, baby.” He pulled her onto his lap and nuzzled into her neck. “Now you be a good girl the rest of the day and I’ll take care of you when I get home.”

She pushed him back, looking at him with concerned eyes. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve just got some work I gotta do. Running this fucking place takes a firm fucking grip on the reins. I’ll be back for dinner. Now you see that fucking cabinet right there? It’s got a mini fridge and snacks. You better eat some fucking lunch. I want to see empty fucking wrappers when I get back. Since you’re in a time out let me lay out some fucking rules. No touching yourself with your fingers or anything else. I better not find any fucking wet pillows or arm rests, missy. No showering. No changing clothes. And you better be as fucking wet when I get home as you are now.”

“Will I get a tour then?” she asked.

“We’ll see how well behaved you are,” he said with a wink.

“What am I supposed to do all day?” Her fingertip traced his jaw line up to ear and tugged on his earlobe.

“Read, watch a movie, take a nap. Hell if I know. Just stay in the room and no playing with yourself.” He pushed her gently off his lap as he stood.

She reached up and gave him a kiss. “Don’t be too long. And be careful.”

Negan watched her retreat into their bedroom. He left the office and quietly locked the door.


 

Sunny was going insane. She had never wanted to touch herself so badly. Her body screamed for release. Being told she wasn’t allowed to, was as arousing as it was frustrating. She was aching for Negan’s touch. A clock on the wall said it almost 5 o’clock. He must be coming home soon.

A few minutes later the doors banged open as Negan burst through with two trays. He walked to the table and sat them down before turning and asking, “Where’s my princess?”

He was almost knocked off his feet when she launched herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, planting hungry kisses on his lips and jaw. He gripped her by the waist trying to pull her off, laughing at her enthusiasm. “God damn, doll.” He stopped laughing when her tongue pushed into his mouth. He growled and started tugging at his belt buckles. She wanted to fuck….he’d fuck her raw.

He walked over to the wall and pushed her back into it while pulling out his cock. He lined his leaking head up to her dripping sex and thrust into her hard. She screamed in relief as he began pumping into her a bruising pace, not caring that his belt dug into her thighs. He shifted his arms under her knees spreading her wider, the base of his dick rubbing against her clit. On the verge all day, her muscles clamped down around him as she quickly found the release she had been craving all day. He soon followed after as his thrusts shortened and his body shook under her.

“Fuck, sweetheart. I could fucking get used to a welcome like that,” he said panting as he pulled out and put her down gently.

“Can I have a shower now?” Her slip was clinging to her sweat dampened skin.

“After you eat. Don’t want your fucking dinner cold.” He led her to the table and pulled back a chair for her. He sat opposite her and watched as she scarfed down her meatloaf and potatoes. No dainty bites. “Doll, slow the fuck down before you choke.”

“Sorry, I just really want a shower. I’ve been wet and sticky all day and now it’s even worse.” She sent him a playful glare.

“Don’t you cut those green eyes at me, princess. You’re the one that fucking jumped me.”

Sunny resumed eating, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She could feel their fluids leaking out, soaking into her satin slip. She looked across the table where he grinned with a knowing look as they finished their dinner quickly.

As she laid her fork down, she was about to stand when he stopped her. He got up and turned her chair away from the table. He knelt before her. “Open your legs.” A fierce blush spread across her cheeks but she complied. Why would he want to see her in such a state? He used his hands to widen her knees taking in the pink folds dripping with his white cum. “So fucking perfect. Fuck, I have to find that fucking Polaroid camera. It’s being fucking wasted in the field.” He grabbed her neck and pulled her into a kiss. “Let’s get you cleaned up, honey.”


 

Negan started the shower and pulled her tacky nightie off. He licked and sucked on her nipples until they were tight rosy buds. He stripped himself and pulled her into the shower after him. He washed her hair his fingertips digging into her scalp. He massaged her shoulders and back. He kneaded, pinched, and pulled on her perky breasts. He rinsed her off and washed himself quickly before turning the water off. Handing her a towel he watch her rubbing her body with the soft cotton.

“I think you have been a very good fucking girl today,” he said. “I think you deserve a treat.”

“A tour?” she asked hopefully.

“Better.” He grabbed a few towels and carried them in the bedroom laying them on the bed. “Lay down” he said. He went to the closet and grabbed a box from the top shelf. He pulled out something long and pink. “Have you ever used a vibrator before?” he asked.

“No.” Her eyes widened. She had never seen one let alone used one.

“Spread your legs. Just relax and enjoy.” A buzzing filled the room and he clicked it on. She jerked as he worked the toy up her thigh before sweeping through her slit.

She arched and moaned. “Oh my god.” She could feel a climax fast approaching. The vibrator moved to her clit. She could hear herself talking a mixture of praise and jibberish but couldn’t stop. She sputtered as the toy moved from just the right spot.

“Here you hold this.” Negan handed her the pink wand and watched her timidly apply pressure between her legs. He slid his fingers into her. Pumping and curling them into her soft wetness. Her hips bucked as she writhed in pleasure. She moved the vibrator off her clit as her muscles fluttered then squeezed his fingers. He pulled out watching her squirt on the towels. He spread the liquid up to her clit then pushed his fingers back into her heat. He took her hand that still held the buzzing vibrator and put it back to work. He lost count of many times she came. She was limp, her eyes closed, fingers no longer able to grip the toy. He wiped her down with a dry edge of the towel, pulled the wet towels out from under her, and went to wash the wand.

She was asleep in her afterglow by the time he returned. He pulled the covers down and tucked her naked body in.

He went back to his office and sat at his desk staring and inventories and maps, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything but the sleeping beauty in his bed. How long could he keep this up? How long before she figured out she traded one cage for another? How long until she resented him? Everything seemed so simple and clear before she arrived. Now he had her here, he needed to think of ways to keep her distracted, happy, and safe. Secluded.

Notes:

Leave me a comment. It really motivates me to keep going. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 12

Notes:

Hey guys! Please leave a comment if you like the story! It really helps motivate me to keep going. Also feel free to follow me and message me on Tumblr. I love answering random questions about my story and characters.

Chapter Text


 

 

Negan established a routine for the two of them over the next few days. Setting a few boundaries and expectations for her would help her transition into her new life. He’d waked up early and quietly pick out an outfit for her, laying it on the foot of their bed. He’d gather dishes from the day before and leave them outside the office door in the hallway for someone else to deal with…they always disappeared before he returned. He’d dress and get ready in the office then leave and check in with the Saviors for the overnight reports. He’d make the rounds then end up in the cafeteria getting yet another tray set for two. By the time he’d make it back to their suite, she’d be dressed and ready for the day. He always looked forward to seeing how she looked wearing the outfits he chose.


 

Her second day, he set out a black garter belt, thigh highs, and some platform stripper heels he scavenged from a sex store. No panties. No bra. As he set the tray down, she walked out of the bathroom. She walked slowly with a little wobble every now and then, her hips swaying, naked breasts bouncing. Her dark hair pulled into a pony tail. Her pussy outlined by black lace. His dick went instantly hard. His mouth dry, wanting to quench his thirst between her legs.

Sunny walked towards him and gently pushed him down into the chair. “How do you like my outfit?”

“Fuck, princess. You look good enough to fucking eat. Turn around let me see that sweet fucking ass.” His fingers ran through his scruff. He shifted in his seat, his cock straining against his pants.

Sunny turned and peeked at Negan over her shoulder, watching his eyes darken as he drank in her body. She stepped back between his legs and lowered herself onto his lap, leaning back against his chest. She draped her legs over his, spreading herself on top of him. His hands immediately traveled over her body. One stopping at her breast squeezing the soft curve, pinching and pulling her nipple into a hard taut peak. The other skimmed down the flat plane of her torso, touching the intricate pattern of the lingerie before his fingers slid through the hair on her mound reaching her smooth wet slit. She moaned when he spread the wetness he found over her folds covering her delicate pink flesh up to her throbbing clit. He pinched the bundles of nerves causing her to arch and push herself into him. His fingers thrust into her wetness stretching her to accommodate the thick digits. Her hips rolled grinding her ass on his dick as his curved his fingers inside of her.

“Fuck, doll,” he groaned as she gyrated on him. He removed his hands from her body. “We’re going to have to fucking wait till tonight. I got shit I’ve fucking to go do.”

Sunny whimpered at the loss of his fingers. She slipped off his lap and turned around to face him. Sinking to her knees, she started tugging at his belts.

Negan grabbed her wrists. “I said we’d have to fucking wait. As much as I’d love to sink my dick into that wet pussy of yours, I’ve got to go.”

“You haven’t even eaten yet,” she pouted. “Please don’t leave.” She stretched up, wrists still in Negan’s hands and gently kissed him on the lips.

He growled against her mouth. “Sunny, I’ll fucking be back tonight, and then I promise I’ll fucking eat until we are both fucking satisfied.” He stood and pulled her pony tail tilting her head back, kissing her deeply. He sucked on her pouting lip as he pulled away. “Be a good girl. No touching yourself, kitten. Who does this pussy belong to?”

“You, daddy,” she whispered sweetly, nuzzling into his neck.

“Fuck me. You aren’t making this easy. Before I go, thought you might want that.” He motioned to her duffle bag, kissed her forehead, and walked away.

He had left her to go jack off in some broom closet like a fucking teenager. He needed her to be a wanton horny mess when he got back. Distracted beyond reason. Desperate for him. And she had been.

 


 

Her third day he changed tactics. He set out a t-shirt, boy shorts, and knee high socks. He left a note with breakfast and got the fuck out of Dodge. He couldn’t have another case of blue balls following him throughout his day. Fist fucking in a closet, drained his balls but did nothing for his desire. It was never long until he thought of his little girl grinding on him and coming around his cock.

That night when he brought dinner she was reading, all cozy in her chair. She smiled brightly setting down the book and practically skipping to see him. His stomach clenched as she wrapped her arms around him.

“How was your day?” she asked still smiling.

“Fan-fucking-tastic. I found you something today.” He scooped her up and carried her back to the chair, sitting down with her on his lap.

She wiggle in excitement. “What’d you get me?”

His hands stilled her movements trying to calm his dick down. “Oh, I think you can fucking ask nicer than that, don’t you?”

“Please can I have my present? Pretty please.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling into him. “Don’t make me wait. I can’t take it.”

“Oh, honey, I know for a fucking fact you can take it all. In several positions.”

She swatted at his chest. “You’re so bad,” she said with a laugh.

“Sugar, you’ve no idea how fucking bad I actually am.” He pulled out a small box from his pocket and handed it to her.

Sunny slowly opened the box to reveal a beautiful emerald cut pink diamond surrounded by smaller round white diamonds on a platinum band.

“Oh my god! It’s beautiful!” She grabbed his cheeks and peppered his face with kisses. “How did you—Where did you— This didn’t come of a rich dead person, did it?”

Negan’s threw his head back as he barked out a laugh. “Would it really fucking matter?” He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. “It came out of a fucking abandoned jewelry store. Never been fucking worn before. That thing would’ve cost more than I made in 6 fucking months.”

“Oooh! What did you do before?” Her eyes left her new bauble and locked onto his.

He furrowed his brows. “What’s your real fucking name?” he asked.

She stretched out her hand admiring her ring once again and sighed. “Fine. I don’t care.” She shifted her weight like she was about to get up.

He wrapped his arms around her waist trapping her on his lap. “You’re going to fucking tell me someday.”

“You can try and make me,” Sunny said, relaxing into his hold effectively turning his warning into an embrace.

Negan’s grip loosened and his fingers ran through her long flowing hair. “Please, if I wanted to I could have you singing like a fucking canary. Or moaning. Or screaming “daddy” as I fuck you seven ways till Sunday.”

Soft lips caressed his jaw trailing kisses to his ear. “Or you can just accept defeat,” she said. Her tongue traced the shell of his ear then drew his ear lobe into her mouth sucking gently.

He turned his head and captured her lips with his. His hand slid up her shirt playing with the weight of her breasts. Squeezing and molding them to his touch. Soft caresses and kisses lasted a few more minutes until he stood forcing her to her feet as well. Clothing landing in a trail towards the bed.

He kissed and touched her, worshipping every inch of her body from her head to her toes. His restraint and gentleness had her begging for him to take her. Shaking with want. No filthy words filled the air, just soft praises in his low gravelly voice, whispered in her ear as her body responded to his touch. He took her slowly, drawing out all her orgasms with measured thrusts until he could no longer hold back from his own.  

 


The fourth day he set out average clothes. Some shorts, a shirt, socks, and boots. Letting her think he was taking her out that day. He came home covered in walker guts. The stench was so strong and wretched, it drew her out from the bedroom into the office. Her eyes widened as she saw Negan drenched in tissue and blood. He showered and went down the kitchen for dinner.

As they ate, he wove some bullshit story about being on a run and a herd attacking the group. Reality of it was he just bashed the bodies of walkers on the wall that had separated from the heads. A fresh one too since they’re juicier and have a larger splash zone. She didn’t ask anything from him after that. She put on a movie and coddled him all evening.

When they climbed in bed that night she crawled between his legs, massaging his cock until it hardened and lengthened in her hands. She licked the precum off the tip before wetting his shaft with her spit. She worked his dick with her hands while sucking on his balls. He moaned when she suddenly took him into her mouth and began to bob up and down. His hand gripped her hair, his mouth spewed filthy words of encouragement, as she took him deeper and deeper until he could feel the back of her throat, her muted moans vibrating his dick. All his concentration was lost when he felt one wet finger massaging between his ass cheeks. It took a lot to make him feel dirty, one little finger made him cum with three more thrusts. Sunny swallowed it all.

“Where the fuck did you learn to do that?” He asked still breathing heavily from his release.

Sunny wiped her hand on a tissue. “I found your porn stash.”

“You fucking found my—You went through my shit?” Fuck what else had she found?

“You didn’t say I couldn’t. You haven’t told me anything here was off limits. It’s not like a big open box in your closet is exactly a good hiding place.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. Fine, don’t watch porn without me and don’t go through my shit.”

She yawned and snuggled up next to him. “Fine. I didn’t think it was that big a deal. You didn’t seem to mind the new tricks I picked up.”

“Shut up, you little brat.” Negan breathed an internal sigh of relief and mentally added some new items to his to do list. There were certain things she didn’t need to see. He needed a small safe to keep those secrets hidden. Better yet, a bonfire.

 


 

 Today he hadn’t set anything out. He knew being naked all day and not getting off the night before would put her mind on overdrive. Once her brain was full of dark tantalizing thoughts, her body would become overstimulated as well, seeking release as soon as he walked through the door. He loved it when she attacked him like a starved predator. A kitten who thought it was lion. He counted the minutes until he could see her again.

 


Sunny waited in the office for Negan to return. He was late. It was already dark. She had helped herself to food from the fridge a couple hour ago.

She’d been here for 5 days, almost a week, and hadn’t left these two rooms. Five days of reading, watching movies, and being bored out of her mind. The get ups he had her wearing weren’t helping her situation. Being exposed, seeing herself in the mirror looking every bit a woman instead of a girl had kicked her libido into high gear. She couldn’t even touch herself. And she really wanted to try out her vibrator in private. There’d be no way to hide the evidence though, not with the way the thing made her squirt. So she jumped Negan as soon as he walked through the door. He rewarded her enthusiasm every night.

But today, he hadn’t left anything out for her to wear. She dressed in jeans, a button down plaid shirt with a white tank underneath, and her boots. Layers were going to protect her from losing focus tonight. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, out of her way. No distractions. Her heart jumped at the sound of the lock of the office door.

Negan walked through, set Lucille by the door, and stopped, staring at her in confusion. “What the fuck are you wearing?” He shook his head and clicked his tongue at her. “Oh, baby girl, that’s one.”

Sunny looked down at her outfit and back at Negan. “No, it’s not! You didn’t set anything out so I picked.”

“I didn’t fucking set anything out, because I wanted you fucking naked.” He crossed his arms walking towards her.

“But you said back home—“ she started.

“This is your home.” He stood in front of her, arms crossed, looming over her.

She jumped to her feet, resting her hands on her hips. “You said back at the house that you wouldn’t always pick out my clothes. If you wanted me to wear nothing, you should’ve left a note.”

“Watch your tone.” His voice was low and even as he glared at her.

“You watch your tone. I haven’t done anything wrong.” she said, adding silently yet.

He threw himself down on the leather couch, pinching the bridge of nose. “Fuck, you’re right. I’ll leave a fucking note next time.”

She knew that was as close to an apology as she was going to get. She wasn’t about to push him any more than necessary tonight. “Rough day?” Sunny asked kneeling in front of him.

“Same shit different day,” he said leaning back to look at her. She looked cute even dressed like a lumberjack.

“You know what would make you feel better?” She covered his mouth with her finger when it opened. “Save your breath with the sex joke. I get it. You have dirty mind and a filthy mouth. I was going to suggest a walk. I haven’t been outside in days.”

“Not tonight babe. I’m fucking tired.” He watched her waiting to see if this would escalate.

“Poor baby.” She rested her head on his knee, her hand rubbing the length of his thigh. “You want me to help you feel better?”

“Fuck, babe. I always fucking want you to make me feel better. I’ve been walking around half hard thinking of you all fucking day.” This was going better than he thought.

Sunny ran her hands up his pants and over his growing bulge. She started on his belts pulling them apart and worked on the button and zipper. She pulled his pants and boxers down to his ankles and kissed her way up his thighs as her hand gripping his hard cock. She licked the thick vein running up his shaft before taking him in her mouth. He groaned and closed his eyes savoring the feel of her mouth as she worked his dick.

Her mouth left him, but her hands kept pumping. “You know there’s just two things though.”

“What’s that, princess?” he asked between moans.

“You forgot to lock the door, and I can run faster scared than you can angry.”

Her hands left his body. She bolted for the door and found herself in a hallway. A door to the left had an exit sign over. She just had to hope it was unlocked. It opened onto a fire escape. Sunny took the stairs as fast as she could. She knew she didn’t have much time.

 


Negan’s eyes flew open just in time to see her disappear through the door. “God fucking damnit, Sunny! Get your ass back here!”

He jumped to his feet and scrambled to pull his clothes back on and tuck his dick in his pants. He grabbed Lucille on his way out the door. The fire escape was closest exit so he went that way. Sure enough he saw her a few levels below taking the corners of the turns as fast as she could. He ran down the steps skipping two and three at a time with his long strides. He saw her hit the ground and start running towards one of the side walls. She wouldn’t make it far before she was stopped. He reached the ground and took off after her.


 

Sunny rounded a corner. She knew Negan was on the fire escape. His legs were so much longer she had maybe minutes. There would be hell to pay.

“Stop! Get on your knees with your hands up!” yelled a strange voice.

Sunny froze looking at the man in front of her. He couldn’t have been more than a year or two older than her. She complied as she heard the distinct sound of a shot gun being racked.

“What the hell are you doing out past curfew? Deserters have to wait ‘til 8 a.m. to leave so I suggest you get back to your bunk and reconsider.”

Kneeling on the ground, her hands behind her head, she considered how to best get out of this situation when she heard a low slow whistle coming around the corner. “Well what the fuck do we have here?” Negan asked swinging Lucille in circle.

“Sir, she just came running this way. I was sending her back to her room,” the young man said, the confidence in his voice shattered.

“Oh, I’ll fucking handle this from here. You get back on patrol and do your fucking job,” dismissed Negan. The young man wasted no time following orders.

She stared at the ground as her husband walked a slow predatory circle around her. Her breathing was labored from running and her heart pounded from fear. Or was it excitement?

He stopped in front of her and knelt, lifting her chin with the flat end of Lucille until her eyes met his. “You’re in some deep shit, princess. Hope you’re comfortable on your knees, because you’re going to be spending a lot of fucking time in the position.”

Chapter 13

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“What were the rules I gave you? The rules you asked for?” Negan stood, glaring down at his young bride still on her knees before him.

“Um…no cussing,” Sunny said batting her lashes at him innocently.

“Don’t fucking go all doe-eyed on me. That shit won’t work. What are the other fucking rules, Sunny?” He swung Lucille over his shoulder, his other hand resting on his hip.

“No, lying. Wear what you tell me. No touching myself….”

“Damnit, Sunny. You fucking know which rule I am talking about,” he growled pinching the bridge of his nose.

She sighed and averted her eyes to the gravel between his black leather boots. “Do what you say, no questions asked.”

“That’s fucking right.” He paced in front of her. “And does starting a blowjob and running out the god damn door sound like something I would tell you to do? Because I sure as shit know I would never fucking tell you to stop sucking my dick. And I know I fucking told you to stay in that room. What the actual fuck, doll?” He stop in front of her once more. “Look at me.”

Sunny raised her eyes. Negan was as mad as she had ever seen him. Furious even. Lips pressed together. The corners of his mouth turned down. She knew she probably deserved some of it, but not all of it.

“Five fucking seconds of freedom and you almost got yourself killed. What do you have to fucking say for yourself?” He knelt down, Lucille in front of him, his chin leaning on the flat knob.

“You think I don’t know what you were doing?” she asked quietly.

His eyebrows drew together as he stared at her. “The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re treating me just like he did,” she accused.

“Who the fuck are you talking about?” he yelled.

“Distractions and excuses. Every time I asked for a tour. Just like Jackson. He always had a reason why we couldn’t go out on a real date. Or hang out with his friends…are you ashamed of me too?”

She thought of the heartbreak she felt when Jackson threw her aside. The pain of her sister leaving like half of her was missing. The hopeless loneliness when her parents never came back. Dead puppies…anything to start some waterworks.

Negan watched as her eyes filled with tears. Fuck. Fucking Fuck. He sighed. “God damnit, I’m not ashamed of you.”

She dabbed her cheeks with her sleeve. “Then why do you lock me in?”

“I’m not locking you in. I’m locking all the other motherfuckers out. I keep tabs on all the communities that work for us…maps, inventories, people…plus all our outposts. You name it. I fucking know it. I am the only person that has all the information. It’s the only fucking way to keep this place running without some asshole trying to take over.”

“But what if there’s an emergency while you’re gone? What if I get hurt or sick? How do I find the doctor? What if there’s a fire? How would I know where to go?  Why don’t you want to show me?” Her tears were openly flowing as she watched his reaction. Tears had always worked on her father. Her sister had cried her way out of trouble too many times to count.

He shifted on his heels, his eyes closed and opened them again. He laid Lucille down and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Don’t fucking cry. Fuck. I just wanted to keep you happy. God damnit.”

“By locking in me in our room?” Her head tilted to the side. Her red eyes searching his as she sniffled.

“It’s the fucking end of the world. You’ve been holed up all cozy in your fucking childhood home surrounded by familiar things that felt like home. This place is a fucking shithole of miserable bastards just trying to make it to the next day who have fucking done and seen things that have changed them for the worse. Why the fuck would I want you to see that?”

“So, you don’t think The Sanctuary is pretty enough for me? That’s so cute.” she asked, biting her lip trying not to smile.

“That’s not what I said. And don’t you dare smile. You are still in a fuck ton of trouble, little girl.” He snatched up Lucille and stood.

“I’ve seen Beyond Thunderdome and Planet of the Apes.  I think I can handle a dirty old factory.  I wasn’t expecting Technicolor Oz, you know. Please?”

His eyebrows raised. “Are you fucking shitting me? You think I’m going to take you on a tour now after the stunt you just pulled? Oh no, sweetheart. You’re going to learn who’s in charge here.”

“We’re already out. Please, I’ll be a good girl. I promise.”

“Open your mouth.” He tugged at this belt.

Sunny’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Are we going to add this to your list of offences? You want to be my good girl. Prove it.”

“But we’re outside. Someone might see.”

“If you wanted privacy you should have stayed in our room. I said open your mouth.” He reached into his boxers and pulled his hardening cock out, stroking it in front of her.

She licked her lips and opened her mouth. Arousal flooded her panties. Her heart slammed in her chest.

Negan held his cock in one hand. Lucille in the other. “Suck.”

Sunny raised up onto her knees and took the leaking tip into her mouth swirling her tongue around the head. She felt his hand move up the back of her head and grab her bun at the base. Without warning, he thrust deep into her mouth hitting the back of her throat. She gag and choked as he stayed buried inside her. Her eyes teared once again as she looked up and saw him watching her. He pulled out then snapped his hips forward watching her struggle to relax and take all of him.

She placed her hands on his hips, feeling the muscles working, giving her time to anticipate his next movements. Closing her eyes, she worked on steadying her breathing through her nose as his Negan’s cock cut off air supply through her mouth. She forgot all about her surroundings. They were the only two in existence at that moment. No guards. No walkers. No survivors. Just them. Finally, she was able to take his length, moaning as much as she could as he set a quick pace using her mouth.

With her lips covering her teeth she applied pressure on his shaft. She would have tried tilting her head but the hand in her hair was keeping her firmly in place. She knew this was a show of dominance. She would not be allowed to take charge. The throbbing between her legs increased as he voiced his pleasure in guttural moans.

Negan pulled her hair forcing her back on her heels. He let go of her head and pumped his dick hard in his fist. “Open.”

Sunny obeyed immediately. She watched his hand work his dick until sticky streams of cum shot into her open mouth. She finally swallowed as he started tucking himself back in his pants.

Negan held out his hand. “C’mon, princess.”

She took his hand and gingerly climbed to her feet. Her knees hurt from the gravelly cement. That wasn’t the only part of her that ached.

“Hold her for a minute.” Negan passed Lucille to Sunny as he zipped his fly and buckled his belt.

Sunny lifted the bat and let it sway in her hands. It was heavier than she thought it would be. Solid. Powerful. “So what are we going to see first?” she asked hopefully.

He snatched Lucille out of her hands and swung her over his shoulder. He threw his other arm around Sunny, pulling her close while leading her away. “Like fuck you’re getting off that easy,” he said.

“You did,” she counters playfully shoving him with her shoulder.

“Watch it, doll,” he warned.

“Please? We’re already outside. And we both know I won’t see the light of day any time soon. Please? Pretty pretty please?” she begged.

He continued to walk towards the fire escape. “I should just throw you over my fucking shoulder and chain you to the fucking bed.”

“You were probably going to do that later anyways. Please.” She hugged him around the waist stopping him in his tracks.

Negan looked down into those green eyes. He glared her. “You better not make me regret this,” he growled.

Sunny smiled brightly and threw her arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses. “Thank you.”

He gripped her chin and pulled her face away from his. Looking into her eyes he said, “You won’t be thanking me later, kitten. You haven’t won anything. This little ‘victory’ is going to cost you.”


God fucking damnit. How did this get turned around so fast? What the fuck kind of voodoo did she pull to actually get her way? Why the fuck didn’t I lock the door behind me? He thought to himself.

Negan knew he was going to have to double down to keep her in line after this. She did have a point about emergencies and needing to know where to go. And fuck, those tears. She had thought he was embarrassed by her…that would have fucking broken his heart in another life. He was thankful that at least only graveyard shift guards were out. He looked down at her walking…no practically skipping next to him…he had definitely underestimated her. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Sunny stopped as they headed toward the main gates pulling on his arm. He turned to look at her. Her eyes widened in fear. Snapping jaws and snarls mixed with sound of metal clanging. “Do I hear what I think I hear?” she asked.

“We use walkers to protect the gates. It’s pretty effective.” He place his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward. “You wanted to see this.”

Putrid rotting flesh filled her nostrils. It smelled like the fence line at home before Negan cleared it out. She could only imagine how bad it must reek during the heat of the day.

“We have to protect what’s ours. Best way to do that is with a shit ton of weapons and these walkers.”

“Doesn’t the noise they make and the lights attract more walkers? How does that make you safer?”

“We’re always in fucking need of new walkers. They don’t stay fresh forever. We have people that corral any new comers and add them to the wall.”

“I don’t envy the people stuck with that job,” she said, covering her nose and mouth with her elbow.

“That job is reserved for those who fucking break the rules. The rules are there for a reason. They keep us safe. You might want to try to fucking remember that. Stay here.”

Negan walked off approaching two guards facing away from them. The men turned and immediately looked to the ground, their knees bending.

“Don’t bother kneeling,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I need whichever one of you sorry shits that has the walkie to radio the other guards tonight and tell them I’m walking around. If they see me, they need to get the fuck out of my way. No kneeling. No fucking talking. Just move the fuck along. Got that?” he said to the men. Last thing he needed was a bunch of pricks kneeling in front of Sunny making him look like the asshole he actually was.

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison. Negan shook his head and started back towards his girl who waited obediently…finally.

Sunny watched the exchange. She couldn’t hear what they were saying. Neither guard looked towards her the whole time. As Negan left them, one picked up his walkie and started talking.

“What was that all about?” she asked.

“Had to make sure no one else pulled a fucking gun on you,” he said. “C’mon.”

They walked the perimeter of the yard until they came to a makeshift garden with raised beds. Sunny could see a variety of vegetables growing. She thought of her greenhouses. She should have brought some seeds with her. She had more than she would have ever been able to grow.

A little ways past the garden was a chicken coop. She sighed and thought of her barn full of chickens. She forgot to tell Sherry that a few of them liked to pet. Would they miss her? Poor Camilla, probably wondering why she wasn’t getting any love.

“What’s that face for?” asked Negan.

Sunny shrugged. “Oh, I was just thinking of my chickens. Do you think Sherry will cuddle them?”

Negan laughed. “Fuck no. Why? Did you cuddle them?”

“Chickens can be very sweet. Some of them like hugs. Don’t judge me.” She crossed her arms, her eyebrows knitting into a scowl.

“No judgement. I mean—I knew you liked cocks—but I didn’t know you liked chicks too.”

Sunny smacked his shoulder and laughed. “You have a dirty mind.”

“You like my dirty mind and my dirty fucking mouth, because you are my dirty girl.”

“I’m not a dirty girl,” she said indignantly.

“You just sucked my dick outside while guards are patrolling. You could have said no, but you didn’t. And I bet you soaked through whatever panties you’re wearing.” He pulled her into an alley between buildings and pushed her up against the wall. “Why don’t we see just how fucking wet you are, princess?”

He popped the button on her jeans, the zipper slid down as he slipped his hand under the waistband of her underwear. He was met with little resistance as the slickness in her folds coated his fingers.

Sunny’s breathing hitched as he stroked her heat. She felt another rush of fluid and moaned when he circled her clit. Her hips rolled trying to deepen the friction, but he pulled his hand away from her.

Negan raised his glistening fingers and licked them clean, savoring the flavor of her juices. She stared mesmerized by the sight of his tongue lapping at his long digits. “See? Fucking soaked from sucking me off. I could fuck you right now and you’d fucking love it. Dirty girl.”

He’s right. What the hell is wrong with me? I am a dirty girl. When did that happen? What happened to my moral compass? His stupid magnetic personality is messing it up. That’s what. Do I even care? Of course you do! What would your parents say? They’d freak out…if they ever found out. Oh my god….I’m lying to my hypothetically alive parents. That’s a red flag. Really? That’s the red flag and not going down on your husband in a public area?

Negan’s hand tipped her chin up until her eyes focused on his. “Hey. There is nothing wrong with enjoying what you enjoy. So you like the thrill of getting caught. Who fucking doesn’t? I can tell you are over thinking this and beating yourself up. I like you being my dirty girl. Hell, I just busted a nut and am half hard already thinking about how fucking sexy you would be bent over against this wall with your pants around your ankles and my cock stuffing your wet cunt.”

She felt her pussy clench as she pictured him slamming into her from behind. Her hands bracing against the strength of his thrusts on the cold walls. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down towards her. Their lips crashed, tongues twirled as she pressed her body against his. She didn’t care where they were only that this ache between her legs went away.

He pushed her away and held her at arm’s length. “Oh no. I’m not fucking you right here. When I finally get my hands on you, it won’t be some quick bang in an alley. Fuck that. Do up your pants. We’re finishing this god damn tour.”

Frustrated and wet, Sunny had no choice but to follow Negan. They walked by a collection of vans, trucks, motorcycles, and cars on the way to the warehouse where new shipments secured on runs or taken from other communities in exchange for protection were inventoriedHe showed her the commissary where everyone spent their points on items they might need. The kitchen and cafeteria which served two meals a day breakfast and dinner in hopes of making supplies last longer. The room with the large furnace served as a meeting place when announcements needed to be made. There was a barracks of sorts where point workers slept. When rooms became available they were sometimes moved into more private quarters.

As they climbed the stairs back to their floor, Negan explained that the basement floors were used for prisoners and rule breakers. Doc had an office on the first floor so they wouldn’t have to carry injured people up so many flights of stairs. The laundry rooms were also on the first floor. Easy to get the machines in and people could pick up their clothes to or from work. The saviors had floors dedicated for their rooms and a couple rec rooms where they could unwind. She was to avoid those. A floor or two was converted for point workers, mostly families and single women to live in with a couple rooms set aside for a nursery and classrooms. The floor they lived on was empty except for them, because Negan needed his privacy.

“It seems a little selfish to keep all these rooms empty when there are people who could use them.”

“Fuck yeah, it is. But I don’t fucking care. I need some place where I can get away from all those dickheads.”

Negan opened the door letting her walk through the threshold first. He stepped through the doorway, turned and locked the door behind him pocketing his key ring. He followed her through his office into their bedroom.

Staring at her, he said, “You know I would never let anything hurt you, right?”

Sunny turned suddenly. “Y-yes,” she said confused by his leading question.

He closed the distance between them, bringing his hands to her cheeks. “You know I love you, right?”

She had not been expecting the night to take this kind of turn. They had never discussed their feelings before. She knew he cared about her but had never thought of labeling his feelings or hers as love even though they were technically married. “You do?”

“Of course, I do.” He whispered bringing his lips to hers. “I want you to remember that. Because I’m about to fuck you like I don’t. Now strip.”

Notes:

End conversation was based on this https://kellyn1604.tumblr.com/post/162960044597/badsongwinchester-kellyn1604-i-seriously-need

Chapter 14

Notes:

This chapter is pretty much all smut. If you don't want to read smut, then you could probably skip this and not lose many plot points. Lol. I live for feedback and comments. It gets really discouraging when I see I get a couple hundred hits and no comments when I post a chapter. If you have a Tumblr, you can follow me there. I post writing updates to let people know what I am working on and where in the process of writing I am. Thanks and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Text

 

 


Sunny woke the next day alone. She rolled over to find the other side of the bed empty and made. A note rested on Negan’s pillow. She unfolded the paper and tried to adjust her blurry eyes to the neat print.

Princess,

Get up and get showered. You can wear whatever you want today.

-N

She knew Negan would be back soon with their food. She threw off the covers and slid to the floor. She winced at the soreness between her legs, heat spread across her cheeks as she remembered the cause.

Gingerly, she made her way across the room to the bathroom. She stopped shy of the door staring into the full length mirror next to it. Her messy bun lay haphazardly on the side of her head loosened by Negan’s grip. Strands that had escaped the hair band stuck out in odd angles like broken spider legs. Purple and red trailed down her neck, breasts, and thighs where his mouth had staked his claim. Bruises marked where Negan’s fingers had gripped her hips as he steadied her against the brute force of his thrusts. If she tried hard enough, she thought she could see the outline of his hand on her throat where he had squeezed until she no longer drew breath.

Negan had kept his promise. He had fucked her mercilessly. Any time she got close to orgasm, he’d cease dominating her body, slamming her peak into a brick wall, before changing positions, bending her body and twisted her limbs in ways she had never thought possible, to let the pleasure build once more. It was the first time her pleasure hadn’t been a priority, and the first time she hadn’t come. Far from being scared of the ferocity of his passion, her body pulsed with want, desire for more. Need.

Not knowing how long she had until his return, Sunny decided to grab some clothes from the closet before showering, wanting to cover the evidence of last night’s punishment. She opened the closet and gasped.  She hurried to her dressers, opening all the drawers one by one. Empty. All of it gone. Not a single item of clothing was left in her bedroom.

She tried the door leading to the office where Negan’s closet was, but as she suspected it was locked.

“Son of a biscuit,” she muttered to herself as she looked around the room. He had said to wear anything she wanted….he didn’t specify it had to be clothes.  She grabbed the sheet from the bed and stomped her way to the bathroom.

Sunny showered and shaved in record time. She dried her hair and brushed the long dark locks out. Finally, she folded the sheet in half, draped a corner over shoulder, and wrapped the rest around her waist twice until she could tie the loose corner to the one on her shoulder. It was by no means a perfect or pretty toga, but it would do. She only wished it covered all the hickies on her neck.

She stumbled out of the bathroom, tripping over the sheet before lifting up the hemline. She first noticed the door to Negan’s office was open then she saw her husband leaning over the little table setting their meal for them. Her teeth nibbled her bottom lip as she drank in the sight of his long legs in black cargo pants and his broad back in his signature classic white t-shirt.

“Drink it in, kitten. I know you fucking want to,” his voice floated over his shoulder. He rotated to face her, his eyebrows rose as his eyes traveled over her body. “What the fuck is that?”

“You said I could wear anything I wanted. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for a toga,” she said with a smile.

“Perfect opportunity? Do you fucking see any frat boys or kegs? Take it off.”

“No. If you think I’m wasting my chance to finally use all the nerdy stuff I learned during my Ancient Greek phase, you are mistaken. You said ‘anything.’ I haven’t broken any rules.”

“Are you fucking arguing with me? You’re just determined to add to your punishments.” Bemused, he shook his head. “Not that I mind. I mean, it’s your ass after all.” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the table.

“What punishments? I thought last night…” her voice trailed off.

“Last night? That was just me blowing off some god damn steam. I’d never fucking punish you while I was actually angry. Fuck the shit out of you, yes. But punish you? No. And last night I was really fucking angry.” He clicked his tongue and licked his lips. “You still have a shit ton of punishment coming your way, princess.”

She tried to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. Her stomach churned as she realized her balance had not been cleared and she was, in fact, up to her eye balls in debt.

Slowly, she undid the knot at her shoulder and let the linen fall to the floor, her nipples contracting as air swirled around them. Goosebumps covered her pale skin as she stepped over the crumpled sheet and stared at the floor.

“Looking a little cold there, sweetheart. You know I’m not a complete asshole. So I brought you this.” A black lacy thong with ribbons on the sides hung from his fingertips. “C’mon here, baby.”

Sunny’s eyes met his as she tip toed towards him. His warm hazel eyes danced with mischief as he knelt down and helped her into the panties. Warm lips grazed her belly and rough fingers trailed up her thighs, pulling the lace up with them. Something hard rested between her legs when the dainty fabric was finally in place.

“What?—“

Negan held up his finger to silence her. “Take a fucking seat, and eat your lunch, honey.”

“Lunch?” she asked.

“It’s fucking noon. I let you sleep in today. I had the kitchen whip up some food for us though. You’re going to need your strength today.” He winked at her.

She sat down across from him at the table, shifting uncomfortably when the hard object wedged itself between her folds. She grabbed her fork ready to eat her chicken and rice when vibration shook her core. The fork flew behind her as she jumped and squealed. The sensation ended as abruptly as it had begun.

Negan’s head flew back as his laughter reverberated throughout the room. “Holy shit! You should have seen your face. Fucking amazed your eyes didn’t pop out your head.” He wiped a tear from his eye as his merriment subsided.

“So, your idea of punishment is essentially shock therapy?” she asked, arms crossed glaring across the table.

“Don’t cut those pretty eyes at me, sugar. I’m not the one that fucking broke the rules,” he said, his brow creased in amusement and his smile growing wider as he observed her petulant behavior. This was going to be fun.

Sunny rose searching for her lost fork. She let out a scream, doubled over, and fell to her knees as her panties buzzed. With her as much dignity as she could, she stood on shaky legs and retrieved her eating utensil returning to the table with her head held high.

“You’re juvenile. May I eat my food now? Or are you going to wait until I have a mouthful of rice to attack?” She wiped her fork with her napkin before violently stabbing her food trying to ignore her racing heart and wet heat.

Negan laughed. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll try to fucking hold back.” He winked at her across the table then took a bite of chicken.

Sunny ate slowly knowing this would be her only reprieve. She did not like the idea of being at his mercy, but there was no denying the reaction her body was having. She was as excited as she was nervous. Finally, she ate her last bite after pushing it around her plate for a few minutes. She looked up and saw Negan leaning back in his seat grinning at her, his long fingers tracing the edge of a small black remote.

“Go freshen up in the bathroom while I get things set up, kitten.”

Negan watched her hips sway, the ribbons holding up the black thong bouncing with every step. He looped a short length of chain around each poster of the bed, any scars left on the wood would serve as a reminder. At the end of each chain was soft leather cuff. She was going to learn what happened to bad little girls.

She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. Her hair had been pulled up. As he watched her walked towards him, he noticed the panties slipping down her hips.

“Oh, fuck no, sweetheart. C’mere,” he ordered.

She stopped before him her hands clasped in front of her naked body pushing her breasts together. A carefully crafted look of innocence played across her face.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you loosened those ribbons.” He untied one side, lifted the ribbons until he could see the vibrator flush against her body, and tied them tightly then repeated the process on the other side. He slid his hand over her mound making sure the toy rested over her clit. He smacked her ass hard and said, “Get on the bed, bad girl.”

Sunny crawled onto the mattress and rolled onto her back in the middle of the bed. She rested her hands on her stomach and waited. “So, what’s the plan?”

Negan took one of her hands and raised it to his lips pressing a kiss on her palm. “You’ll see.”

He laid her hand above her head and slipped the cuff around it. Her head whipped to the side to watch his hands tighten the leather bracelet and adjust the length of the chain stretching her arm. He noticed the subtle change in her breathing and the way her body squirmed, testing the limits of her bonds as he restrained the rest of her limbs.

He viewed his wife spread out before him. He could see all the marks he had left on her the night before. His dick twitched as thoughts of all the depraved things he could do to her in her vulnerable state flashed in his mind. He ran his hand up her thigh, settling in between her legs before clicking the button the remote. Her legs strained against her bonds as her body tried to protect itself. Satisfied that the toy was making sufficient contact his finger held the button down to turn off the toy.

Negan leaned over her and kissed her.  “Be good,” he whispered against her lips. “No cumming. I’ll be back to fucking check on you later.” He chuckled as he made his exit from the room closing the door behind him.

The door had barely clicked shut when the first set of pulses coursed through her clit. She yelled in surprise. Instinctively, her body fought against the shackles keeping her body open to attack. The vibrations ceased. She let out a shaky breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

Concentrating on her breathing, Sunny attempted to not let the anxiety of anticipating the next set of vibrations overwhelm her. She tried counting her breaths in and out. She tried counting the space between buzzing barrages, but there was no consistency, no pattern, no discernable rhythm to help calm her mind.

The duration and intensity of each session lengthened as time passed whether slowly or quickly she couldn’t tell. They would start with a low buzz that changed in octave with every increase in power. The sensations were too much and not enough at the same time. She could no longer tell if she was trying to increase the friction or buck the toy off of her. All she knew was she was no longer fully in control of her body.  

Her skin was feverish, a fine mist of sweat covered her body, the sheets sticking to her damp skin uncomfortably. Her muscles ached from pulling on the secure chains holding her in place. Her clit was already overly sensitive, tingling and pulsing even when the vibrator was off.

Sunny’s small shrieks of surprise when the bullet switched on turned to wanton moans and whimpers of pleasure. She could feel a climax building.  It was becoming harder and harder to hold back.

In her moments of clarity, she imagined Negan stalking around The Sanctuary, Lucille in one hand, and the small black remote in the other, a cocky smile on his face. Anger started mixing with her frustration and lust. She didn’t know if she wanted to punch his face or sit on it.

Another wave hit her. She wasn’t going to be able to stop her climax from washing over her. Her heels dug into the mattress. Her head pushed against the pillow. Her back arched as a quivering mewl   escaped her lips.

“Son of a bitch!” she yelled as the buzzing stopped and her peak plummeted out of her grasp.

 


 

Negan heard her choice words through the door to his office as he sat at his desk, going through the mountains of inventories, census data, and reports from all his outposts.

“There it is,” he said to himself. He pulled out a clean piece of paper and took note of her colorful language.

He’d been listening through the door to her delicious noises all afternoon. His dick was straining against his pants. He pressed the button on again, listening to her moans turn to screams of ecstasy when he clicked it two more times to max speed. Just as her noises started to crest he held the button down until the light on the remote turned off.

A frustrated cry came from the other room. “God damnit!” she cried.

Negan scribbled that down as well. He wanted nothing more than to go in there and make her scream for him instead of at him. His name on her lips as she tightened around him. Unfortunately, his spoiled brat needed to learn some serious lessons.

Keeping tally of all her infractions, Negan toyed with wife. He must be rubbing off on her more in ways than one with the variety of new vocabulary words she voiced. Chains rattled as her frustration and anger grew. He wondered if she had ever been pushed this far before. Was he being too hard on her? A vision of her running through the door while his spit slick cock throbbed, reminded him that she deserved to know what blue balls felt like.

He looked at the clock, he’d been teasing her for close to 2 hours. He stood, pocketed his notes, and grabbed a bottle of water. He entered the room quietly wanting to observe her in peace for a moment.

Her skin glistened with sweat, hair sticking to her forehead and neck. Her face was flushed. Her bottom lip red where she had bitten it. Her eyes dazed and glassy.

“You thirsty?” he asked.

She nodded.

He sat on the edge of the bed and lifted her head. He brought the water bottle to her lips and watched her puckered lips close around the edge. She drank as though she had battle the heat of the dessert.

“Why aren’t you letting me out?” she whispered.

“Because I told you to be good, and you’re fucking determined to break rules.”

“What are you talking about?” She turned to look at him.

Negan pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and held it out for her to read. He watched her eyes widen as she realizes what she was looking at.

“That’s not fair!” she cried.

“Why the fuck not?” he asked, refolding the paper.

“Because I didn’t know you were listening.”

“That’s just the thing, kitten. See the rules are fucking in effect even when I’m not around. That how rules fucking work. You’re supposed to follow them even when you think you won’t get caught.  Apparently, that’s a lesson you still need to fucking learn. And now you can fucking think about the decisions you’ve made while we start over.”

“No, please! I’ll be good,” she pleaded.

“I know you fucking will. Eventually.”

Negan walked out the door and sat back at his desk. Tedious desk work was so much more interesting with the sounds coming from the next room. He always worked better with background noise. And her frustrated moans were music to his ears.

 


Sunny’s thoughts had floated between petty revenge, elaborate murder plans, and tantalizing daydreams that only served to enhance her torture. Her body ached. Her muscles sore. Her pussy throbbing. She envisioned tying him up and teasing him until he hurt as much as she did.

Exhaustion was making it hard to keep her eyes open, but she managed to focus on the door as it opened and her husband walked through smiling. She watched him peel the layers of clothing off his body before climbing over her. She moaned as his chest hair rubbed against her nipples and his mouth claimed her neck. She arched her back, pressing into his body, wishing she could wrap her arms and legs around him.

His kisses followed the trail of marks from last night, down her body until he reached the hemline of her panties. A tug to each hip and the ribbons opened. The torturous lingerie was pulled away from her body. His warm breath played against her wet lips. She cried in relief when his tongue finally swept through her swollen lips in soft soothing laps. He circled her clit, then pressed down flicking the sensitive nub. She protested in whines and whimpers when his mouth left her body unfulfilled.

Negan raised to his knees, cock in his hands. He pulled her body onto his lap, until there was no slack left in the chains holding her arms. He slipped his dick through her folds, sliding in the slickness with ease.

She rocked her body against his the best she could, chasing her orgasm, sure that he would finally let her cum. “Oh yes,” she moaned as she felt the familiar build of pressure.

He thrust into her pussy coating himself completely in her wetness. He pulled out and plunged back in. He felt her muscles starting to contract. Slowly, he left her body until only his head was buried. His fist wrapped around his shaft and started pumping. Her hips gyrated trying to coax more of him inside of her.

Her eyes snapped open. Her mouth hung open in horror as she watched him stoke his cock withholding her orgasm once again. A small flicker of anger flashed in her eyes. It was he needed. He watched her pussy fill with his cum as his dick pulsated in his hand. Her body is still writhing, searching for the source of pleasure that left her.

Negan slipped from the bed and trudged to the bathroom, his own orgasm taking more out of him than he thought. He filled the tub with warm water and some fancy scented oil he knew women liked. These were supposed to promote relaxation. If anyone was wound up tight, it was his princess.

He returned to find Sunny half asleep. Her eyes blinking slowly. Her body now lax. His hands worked the cuffs removing them from her wrists and ankles. He lifted her, cradling her to his body as he carried her to the bathroom.

He lowered her into the water and placed a folded hand towel behind her neck.

“Don’t drown. I’ll be back in a few minutes. You know the fucking rules.” He kissed her forehead and left her to soak or abused body.

He threw on some clothes then set about fixing the room. The chains were taken down, the marring of the wood was minimal. Sheets were changed and the bed remade. The table was set with a few sandwiches, bags of chips, and water bottles from his mini-fridge.

Sunny willingly accepted his help getting out of the tub. She let him dry her body then apply lotion to her chafed skin. She only ate a few bites of her meal and asked to go to bed. Negan sat up reading and watching her sleep until he too decided it was time for some rest.

He woke up sometime in the middle of night with Sunny’s leg draped over his. She was grinding against his leg. He laughed and rolled her off of him, pinning her hips to the mattress watching her squirm and pout in her sleep until her body finally rested.


 

Sunny slept in the next day as well. She woke to find herself alone but the door to the office was open. She snuck past it to the bathroom, hoping to be able to get ready for whatever hell he had planned for her in peace. She got her wish.

Feeling clean and refreshed, she entered the office wrapped in her damp towel. Negan was lying on his couch, an arm draped over his eyes.

“Negan?” she said timidly.

His arm lifted and turned to look at her, a lazy grin stretching across his face. “Morning, sunshine. It’s about damn time you woke up. I was fucking giving you 15 more minutes.”

“Looks like you could’ve used them. Tired?”

“Yeah, someone keep fucking waking me up humping my leg. You know I call you kitten, but maybe I should fucking call you puppy instead.”

Sunny faced burned. She fidgeted with her towel, taking a deep breath. “I’m hungry,” she said, desperately trying to distract him.

“Well fuck. I got a special fucking bone for my puppy.”

“Oh my god. Stop. Food. I need food. Real food. Not your bone or your sausage or your meat stick or whatever else your filthy mind would come up with.”

Negan laughed. “Someone’s in a mood today. Remind me not to fucking let you get hungry in the future. I saved you some pancakes and bacon. It’s in the fridge. Shouldn’t be too fucking cold just yet.”

Sunny grabbed the plate in the fridge and sat in the couch opposite Negan devouring her food, not caring for utensils or syrup. Long legs stretched across the entire length of the furniture. With his eyes shut and his arms behind his head he looked peaceful, normal. No mischievous grin or cocky smile. No lust dancing in his eyes as he undressed you in his mind. It was in this peace, that he was the most handsome. Devastatingly so.

“You done eating and staring at me, doll? We’ve got fucking things to do.” He sat up and stretched his long arms, his shirt rising just enough to show a peek of his stomach.

“What are we doing?” She stood and placed her empty plate on the coffee table.

He clutched a couple throw pillows in his hands and walked to his desk. “I’m fucking working. I didn’t get all of this shit situated yesterday because someone kept distracting me.” He threw the pillows on the floor next this chair and pointed at it. “And I want her to keep fucking distracting me today. Go ahead and drop that towel, sweetheart.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she said with a saccharine smile as she tossed the towel over the back of the couch.

“Don’t think sweet talking me is going to make me go fucking easy on you, sugar.”

“I would nev—“

“Never fucking try to manipulate me to get what you want? Do you not fucking remember what you did that landed you in this mess?”

She sighed in defeat. She knelt down, a knee on each pillow, her hands resting in her lap.

“Now spread those legs, let me get a good look at you. God damn, you have such a pretty fucking pussy. I want you to stay just like that.”

“How long is this going to last?” she whined.

“Until I think you’ve learned your lesson. Which you obviously haven’t. Besides, don’t even fucking act you don’t like me looking at you. You’ll be fucking dripping on the floor any minute.”

A knock on the door, resounded in the room. Sunny panicked. Her hands covered her breasts and her legs closed.

“Go to the fucking bedroom and wait for me. I gotta sort this shit out.”

Sunny dashed through the door and closed it behind her. She jumped into the bed and pulled the sheet to her chin. What if they hadn’t knocked? They would have seen her naked, kneeling before Negan. She would have died of embarrassment.

A few minutes later, Negan came through the door carrying a black stick. His were hard, his jaw clenched.

“Sorry, princess. Change of plans. I’ve got to go deal with some assholes who don’t know how to do their fucking jobs.” He tugged the sheet out of her hands. He placed the black bar near her feet and grabbed the leather restraints off the night stand. “Roll over.”

Confused, Sunny did what he asked. She felt the leather cuffs circle her ankles and heard the click of metal. Before she realized what was happening her legs were spread wide. She looked back and saw that her ankles attacked to the bar that had stretched.

“Get on your knees, ass up,” Negan instructed.

She pushed her butt into the air, bending at the knees. He reached through her legs, and grabbed her arms then fastened her wrists to the bar as well. A plastic click sounded behind her, but she couldn’t turn to see what was going on.

She lurched forwards as she felt something cold and wet push against her asshole.

“Shhh…relax,” he coaxes as she tried to struggle away from his exploring digit.

He pushed his finger into her carefully, gently pumping his finger into her tight hole until he felt her body relax and accept the unusual intrusion. He added a second finger working her body, stretching it. She heard the plastic click again and felt something large and hard widening her hole. A slight burning sensation accompanied every small push into her body. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief as her body adjusted and encompassed the entire object.

“Now isn’t that a pretty fucking sight. Your ass looks fucking hot with that plug.” Leaned down and bit her cheek before giving it a playful smack. “I’ll be back in a little while. Don’t go anywhere.” His laugh could be heard even after he had closed the bedroom door.

Sunny laid there trying to remain calm. This position wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the one she found herself in yesterday. At least yesterday she could subtly shift her body around.

The worst part (or was it the best?) was there wasn’t a buzzing vibrator to distract her from her thoughts. She was more turned on than she wanted to admit. Her arousal was starting to drip down her legs.

What the hell is wrong with me? How can being trussed up like a turkey turn me on? I was raised to be independent. One man comes along, and I find myself waiting ass up for a punishment I’m looking forward to. And, seriously, why couldn’t he put on a movie or some music before he left? Really? That’s what you’re angry at him for? Not the days of orgasm denial? Not the fact that he’s reprimanding you like a child? Oh please, there is nothing childish about these punishments. In fact, the only real punishment is me being left alone with my thoughts. I’m punishing me worse than Negan ever could. Maybe you deserve that punishment too.

She finally began counting and breathing to the numbers she was mentally saying to give her brain something to focus on other than her sexual proclivities or the feeling of fullness she noticed every time she moved her rear.  Occasionally, her brain would wonder whether trying to roll over would be worth it, but she decided be spread facing the bed was better than facing the ceiling.

Time crawled by agonizing second by agonizing second. She had no real way to measure how much time had passed. She really needed to ask for a clock.

The bedroom door open with a bang. “Daddy’s home. How’s my girl doing?” Negan walked in. His usual bright white shirt looked gray and dingy.

“Oh thank god, can you please get me out of these things and get that thing out of me?”

“No. And yes.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not fucking done with you yet.”

Sunny heard the rustle of fabric as Negan began stripping. The faint smell of smoke wafted through the air. The mattress dipped behind her and a small thud sounded off to the right as he tossed an object onto the bed.

She tried to turn to see what was going on, but her current position stopped her. Her heart raced as his hand slid down her spine then back over her ass. His fingers dipped in between her legs.

“You are fucking soaked.” Negan bent down and nipped her butt cheek. “Damn, baby. You fucking love this don’t you?”

Sunny moaned as she felt him pull gently on the plug between her cheeks while his other hand stroked her slick folds until her muscles released the bulb.

“I have been wanting to fuck this ass for weeks.” Negan spread lube along the length of his dick. He lined the head up with her stretched hole and slowly pushed himself in. He rocked his hips, pushing himself further into her, listening to her moans, pausing at her whimpers, letting her body adjust to his size. He took his time working his way into her, enjoying how she squeezed his cock. Finally, he was buried to the hilt.

“Fuck you’re tight,” he said. He gripped her hips, steadying her body, but remained still.

She felt so full and yet it wasn’t enough. She lifted her hips and felt him move inside her. His hands flexed into her flesh, a guttural moan resounded in his throat. She rolled her hips feeling him sink deeper into her, ignoring the slight sting as she stretched around him.

“You keep fucking me like that, and I’m not going to last long,” groaned Negan.

Slowly, he pulled out and thrust back into her. Long deep thrusts into the warmth of her body. He felt her lean back into his movements, heard moaning as his dick disappeared within her. His hips flexed as his speed increased as he drove his cock into her.

She was completely surrendered to him, her body accepting his forceful thrusts. He knew in this moment, the spreader bar and restraints were no longer necessary. She would have remained in position without them. The control he had over her was enough to send him over the edge. He pulled out and pumped his dick, sending long thick streams of cum on her ass.

Sunny ached all over and wanted more. Her mind was cloudy, all she could concentrate on was needing release until she heard the shutter of a lens behind her.

“Did you just take a picture?” she shrieked. She could feel his cum running down the curves of her body.

“Oh, fuck yeah. This is going into the fucking spank back for sure.”

Horrified she couldn’t protest before the mattress shifted. She could hear his bare feet padding on the hard floor then the sound of water running in the bathroom. When he returned a warm wet washcloth cleaned her skin. His hands finally freed her from her restraints. She stretched her body to its full length, rolling onto her back.

Negan crawled over her body. His lips crashed into hers, swallowing her moans as he deepened the kiss. He could feel the heat radiating off her body. He knew she was desperate after being denied so many times. There was just one more lesson she needed to learn.

He trailed kisses down her body, sucking on the marks he’d already left and making new ones along the way. Spreading her legs, he let the hot air of his breath tease her delicate flesh and watched her hips buck in response.  He ghosted over the salty sweet strait with his tongue giving her a hint of pleasure.

Again her body rose trying to force contact between them. His hands splayed across her thighs, pinning her lower body down. His mouth continued to tease, licking the space between her thighs and lips, nibbling lightly at her smooth lips, gently nudging her clit with the tip of his tongue.

Her hands gripped his hair and forcefully pushed his head down determined to finally get off. His hands circled her wrists, squeezing until she released his hair, then held them down, pressing them into the mattress. He wouldn’t give into her attempts to goad him. His tongue traced all the valleys between her folds, his beard brushing lightly against her.

Sunny’s legs wrapped around his head pulling him closer. He turned his head and bit into her flesh. He let go as a shocked scream erupted and her legs opened once more.  

Negan’s eyes gleamed as his thumbs massaged around her pussy. Her wetness dripping down her center. Frustrated cries ripped through her throat and tears gathered in her eyes. Her body went lax as she gave in to his teasing ministrations.

“There’s my good girl,” he muttered as his mouth closed around her clit and began to suck the small bud.

Sunny’s back arched, her heels pressed into the mattress as he added two fingers into her pussy. He curved his fingers, massaging that sweet spot over and over. Her orgasm hit her hard, but he didn’t relent. Again and again he watched her cum, squeezing around his fingers, her juices dripping down his chin.

Black spots danced around her vision. The pleasure and release was almost too much. Almost. Tears flowed down her cheeks as days of frustration melted away into a feeling of euphoric bliss.

Negan’s dick was hard. Throbbing to cum inside her dripping wet pussy buried to the hilt. He lifted her legs over his shoulders and thrust deep inside her. His fingers circled her clit, flicking and rubbing as he pounded into her.

“Yes, oh god, yes.” Her words were drowned by the sound of her screaming as another orgasm shook through her body.

He pulled out, her pussy squirting all over his dick before he plunged into her depths once more. Her fingers clawed at his biceps, needing an anchor as another wave of pleasure washed over her. Her pussy clenched around him, and he sought his own release shaking as came deep within her.

Negan pulled her against him, holding her trembling body to his. “All I want is for you let me take care of you. I can’t do that if you don’t fucking trust me and follow my rules. I could make you so fucking happy if you’d only let me,” he said, his deep voice soothing and calm.

As she lay against him, sleep quickly setting in, she thought of his words. He was right. She hadn’t truly trusted him. She second guessed his decisions. She really did want to make him happy too. Tomorrow she would try. She would be his good girl.

Chapter 15

Summary:

Sunny thinks about her life at The Sanctuary and comes to a decision.

Notes:

little bit of angst, smut, and fluff. This should have been longer but I broke the chapter into 2 parts. That way it's not so daunting a task when I edit and you get something sooner. If you like this story, please leave a review and let me know. It doesn't have to be long. Just anything. It's pretty hard to gauge what I'm doing right, when I get lots of hits and almost no feedback. Makes me feel like the story may not be worth it if no one cares enough to comment. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Text


 

 

One week. Seven whole days. Sunny had been good as long as she could. Movies, books, nothing could hold her attention. She was going insane as she began to pace the room.

Her entire existence was now tied to Negan. Her life only had meaning when he was present and that was only a few hours in the evening most days. She could feel herself slip into the familiar cycle of boredom and loneliness every time he walked out the door after breakfast, her heart sinking as she watched him. Desolate and despondent she waited for him to return, like a puppy waiting for his boy to get home from school.

Ugh. I’m so bored. You thought being a princess sounded pretty good two weeks ago. Well, yeah….I just didn’t know I was going to be the one locked in a tower. Now I’m begging for a chance to be Cinderella or Snow White. I would totally take some dwarves to clean up after and civilize. Or some woodland creatures. Maybe just a puppy. Do those even still exist? Oh my god, I may never see a puppy again in my life time. No more cat videos either. Damnit.

Sunny had been raised to be productive. There had always been work to do at home, but here she had nothing. Nothing to do. Nothing to keep her mind occupied. Nothing to challenge her. Nothing but Negan. She hated feeling lazy and dependent.

She slowly opened the door and peeked out, tip toeing into Negan’s office which was once again open to her. She still hadn’t managed to earn back her clothes. She’d grown accustomed to her own nudity in the last week. She had to admit that she loved the feel of her skin against Negan’s rough pants and leather jacket as she wrapped herself around him when he came home in the evenings. But she needed something to touch her. Something of his. She grabbed one of his white shirts from his closet and pulled it over her head. She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent giving her a sense of calm in her mind and arousal in her body. How did he manage to have such an effect on her when he wasn’t even here? She had managed to be alone for 2 years without cracking up. Why was this so different?

Her mind started wandering towards Negan’s declaration from the night she ran. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to say it back yet, not knowing if it were true. Thankfully, he hadn’t repeated those sentiments. She should love him, right? He was her husband. Did she love him? Did he really love her? Their relationship looked nothing like her parent’s or any of the adults she had met. But that didn’t necessarily mean theirs was wrong. Did it?

Sunny shook her head, trying to clear the invasive thoughts from her mind. She’d dwelled on it too often this week. She needed a break from her thoughts. She needed someone to talk to. Someone who wasn’t involved and able to smooth talk her or fuck her into complacency. She needed friends.

Sitting at Negan’s desk, she opened a drawer and took out a sheet of paper and a pen. She curled her knees to her chest, tucking them under the soft white cotton, her nose nuzzled under the neckline, breathing deeply as she started writing lost in her thoughts.


 

Negan carried a tray of dinner from the kitchen’s to his room. No one had asked why he needed to two plates. No one dared. He knew tongues were wagging though. Amber had made that clear enough to him the other day.

“Who is she?” she had demanded.

“Watch your tone. Who is who?” He cut his eyes, staring at the furious woman in front of him. She had been sweet and shy when she first became a wife. But he had watched her turn bitter and resentful when he had brought new girls into the fold.

Why she was persistent in her pursuit of him now, he sure as hell didn’t know. She didn’t love him. She didn’t even like him. There were plenty of other guys she could live off of if that’s what she wanted or jobs she could do if she needed anything. Was it all wounded pride?

“You take two trays upstairs every night and every morning. Is this why you broke up with me? Did you think I would care if you brought in another wife? I don’t mind sharing.” She ran her hand up his sleeve.

“This is none of your god damn business. I didn’t want you or any of the other wives any more. The novelty fucking wore off. Get the fuck over it, Amber. Everyone else has.”

Glaring at him, he noticed a slight tremble in her bottom lip. Fuck. He hadn’t meant to shut her down so harshly, but weeks of her badgering him to reinstate their agreement had finally worn his patience to threads. He couldn’t tell her the truth. She’d run her mouth to everyone. The more people that knew about Sunny and his feelings about her, the greater the chance that an enemy would find out about her, making her Target. He wouldn’t let that happen.

Negan pushed Amber to the back of his mind. He wasn’t going to let anyone ruin this for him. It was his favorite time of day. The only time when someone was happy to see him. The way she smiled when she saw him, made him grin like an idiot when he thought about it. He couldn’t remember a time when people acted genuinely around him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this way about someone else. Perhaps Lucille at one point. He’d fucked that up, and by the time he knew what was going on, it was too little too late. He hadn’t pushed the issue with Sunny. He knew she needed time to realize what he already saw in her eyes.


 

The clicks of the lock on the front door alerted Sunny, to Negan’s arrival. The door swung open. A tray with two covered plates crossed the threshold followed by the man carrying it. She watched him cross the room, walking passed her without notice, into their bedroom.

“Where’s my baby girl?” he voice echoed from the other room. He reentered the office, his brow furrowed until his eyes locked onto her. “There’s my sunshine. What are you doing at my desk, sitting like a fucking turtle? You’re gonna fucking stretch out my shirt, doll. And did I say you could wear clothes?” He stalked towards her.

Sunny popped her head and legs out of the white shirt. “I was lonely and this smells like you.  And I didn’t want to be naked at your desk while I worked. What if you came home with someone?”

Negan picked her up and sat down, draping her over his lap. “Poor baby was lonely? What were you working on?”

Leaning her head on his leather covered shoulder, she said, “A list.”

He snaked his hand up her thigh, under the his shirt, and coming to rest to on her hip. “A fucking list? Of what?”

“Things I’m good at,” she said, fiddling with the zipper on his chest.

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on her palm. “I’d got a few things I’d like to fucking add to that list.”

Sunny pulled her hand away as she felt his grin spreading against her skin. “I’m serious, Negan. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought… I would like a job.”

“No.”

She pushed away from his chest. “No?” she asked, knitting her brows.

“Why the fuck would you want a job?” he asked.

Her eyes fell to her lap, her hands twisting the shirt. “It’s just….I’m…well…”

“Spit it out, Sunny.” He lifted her chin with his fingers.

Her green eyes searched his hazel. She sighed and explained, “I’m just bored. I have nothing to do, and I’m going crazy.”

“Bored? You’re fucking bored? You know most people would fucking kill to be in your shoes, princess,” he said, his voice dripping with disapproval.  

She could feel the heat spreading across her cheeks. Nervously, she shifted her weight in his lap. “I know, but I want to help. I want to contribute.”

Negan wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “You are. You keep me fucking sane. You’re helping everyone by making me less of a fucking asshole.”

“But I can help in other ways,” she said hopefully, reaching for her list. “Look, we both know I can cook. I can clean. I can sew-ish. I can change a tire. I’m not so good with shooting, but I can garden.”

“You can’t fucking shoot a gun?” he asked incredulously.

“Of course, I can shoot a gun. I just hate it,” she replied.

“How the fuck can you hate shooting?”

“You remember those Pillsbury cans? The ones you had to pop open?”

“Yeah…,” he said confused.

“I hated those. The pop and the anxiety of not knowing when it was going to burst…a gun is a million times worse, because I know as soon as I pull the trigger the gun is going to bang. It makes me a nervous puddle of anxiety. I may have cried the first time I shot one.”

“Are you fucking serious? The Pillsbury can scared you?” Negan laughed.

“There are still other things I could do besides shoot a gun. I was homeschooled and helped with the littles in our co-op, so I could probably teach. Please,” she begged.

“No. You’d be taking away points from others that need them by filling a spot they fucking could’ve worked up to. “

“Oh,” she said, crestfallen. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Look, doll, I know you’re used to working pretty fucking hard. Probably have been your whole life, but you don’t have to anymore. Let me spoil you.”

“But—“

“Sunny,” he warned.

She could tell that it was useless to keep pleading her case. She knew the chances were slim that he would have agreed. But you never know unless you try as her mother always told her.

“Okay.” She switched gears. Maybe she could still get something she wanted. She turned in his lap to face him, straddling his jean clad thighs. “Well, can I at least have my clothes back? I’d like to do the workout dvd’s you got me. Working out naked is not comfortable.”

Negan’s hand slid further up her shirt, his large hand cupping her breast. He leaned forward and nibbled on her ear lobe. “So, I’m the only one that gets to make your tits bounce?”

She laughed and leaned her head to the side granting him access to her neck. “Yes. Only you. Please?”

“Well you have been a good girl,” he said.

She reaching down, she pulled the shirt over her head and tossed to the floor. She pushed him against the back of the chair, leaning into his body, loving the feel of the cold leather against her warm skin. “I can be an even better good girl.”

“Really?” he asked huskily, his eyebrows raised daring her to prove herself.

Her hands reached between them and tugged at his belts. Her lips trailed kisses up his scruffy jaw. Lightly, she whispered, “Oh, yes, Daddy.”

Growling, Negan stood, lifting Sunny in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing and sucking at his quickening pulse while her legs encircled his waist. He crossed the room, kicking the door to the bedroom open.

Tossing Sunny onto the bed, he peeled his clothes from his body, leaving them strewn across the floor. The mattress gave way under his knees, as he climbed over her. He pressed his body into her as his lips sought hers. Pushing his tongue in her mouth, she moaned and ran her hands up his chest.

Sunny pushed his shoulders to the right, rolling Negan onto his back. Leaning back, her hands on the mattress between his spread legs, she straddled his cock rolling her hips, sliding along the length of his shaft.

“I think we can get you fucking wetter than that, sweetheart.” His thumb circled and flicked her clit, pressing down on the swollen nub until she was moaning and panting.

Wanting to tell him to stop as the intensity became almost unbearable, she let the pleasure and pain meld, knowing that it would give her a more powerful orgasm. Her head fell back. Her thighs squeezed his hips as her muscles contracted.

“Come on, baby. Cum all over me.”

His low voice commanding her was all she needed. Her moans caught in her throat. Black spots danced in front of her eyes as she came, squirting on his dick.

“Turn around and ride me. I wanna see your pussy working my cock.”

Sunny turned facing away from Negan on hands on knees straddling his body. She arched her back, sticking her ass in the air, letting him look at her body, loving the feeling being on display gave her. She reached one hand back, taking his dripping erection in her hand. She stroked his dick, listening to his groans before lining it up with her entrance and sliding down its length, rocking her body, her weight shifting to her hands.

Negan watched his dick slipping into her, glistening with her slick. Her pussy lips pulling along the sides of his erection when she rose. Her ass pushing into his hips when she lowered.

“Fuck. I’m not going to last long if you keep this up.”

Looking over her shoulder, she smirked and said, “Then don’t last long.”

He gripped her hips, knowing he might leave bruises the next day on her pale skin. He thrust up into her. She moaned and tried to meet his movements with her own, bracing herself against the mattress with one hand, cupping and massaging his balls with the other. One last thrust, and Negan spent himself inside her.

Dismounting, Sunny turned and crawled up the bed, lying next to Negan, her hand draped over his chest twirling the hair covering it. Her sigh of contentment was drowned out by the rumbling of her stomach.

“Guess we should fucking get you something to eat, huh, doll. Hang on a minute.” Negan stood, pulled on his white shirt and gray boxers, and left the room.

When he didn’t immediately return with the trays from the other room, Sunny wondered where he had gone. She really was hungry. She walked to the door and peeked inside the office. Their food was still on the coffee table, probably cold by now. She jumped and ran back to the bed when the door to the office slammed open.

A few seconds later, Negan came in carrying a box with a large stack of clothing still on the hangers laying across the top. He dropped the box and took the other garments to the closet, hanging them as quickly as possible.

Sunny squealed in delight as she rummaged through the box. She looked at Negan expectantly.

“Go ahead, princess. Why don’t you find a pair of pj’s. I know there’s a few pairs in that fucking mess somewhere. We can eat dinner and watch a movie.”

She beamed at him as she found a soft pair of pants with matching tank top. Giggly and impatient, she pulled the clothing on.

Negan brought their now reheated food into the bedroom, and settled on the floor next to Sunny. They sat watching Demolition Man, speculating about subterranean communities possibly existing now in order to avoid walkers, living off of rats, whether or not any celebrities had survived, and reminiscing about their favorite fast food chains. Neither chose Taco Bell.

Lying in bed later, Sunny listened to sound of Negan breathing next to her. She was so happy when he was with her. He made her laugh. Made her think of things and do things she never imagined. He challenged her. But her heart sunk as she thought of him leaving her alone again tomorrow. No matter how she wanted to please him, she was going to go crazy sitting in this room day in and day out without anyone else to talk to. She had to do something.

She closed her eyes and tried to think of ways to convince Negan. Ways to make him see reason. After their discussion today, she knew she needed to take another route. With an idea forming in her mind, she drifted off to sleep.


 

The next morning, Negan brought breakfast as usual. Oatmeal seasoned with cinnamon and sugar with a few berries on top.

“So what’s on your agenda for the day?” Sunny asked.

“Riding out to some of the outposts. Have to make sure those sorry shits are doing their jobs.”

“Are they far?”

“Some of them are way the fuck out in BFE. We’re not going out that far today.”

“What time do you think you’ll be home?”

His eyes narrowed, he laid his spoon down, leaning back in his chair. “Why so fucking curious?”

Sunny crossed her arms and glared at him. “I worry about you when you’re late, okay?”

His brow smoothed and he chuckled. Standing, he walked around the table, and kissed  her head when he reached her. “Now you’re sounding like a fucking wife. I’ll be home around the same time. Stay out of trouble.”

She grabbed his jacket, pulling him down to her. She kissed him goodbye and watched him leave. She quickly unpacked her clothing, placing them in the drawers they had inhabited before the purge. She found her old cargo pants, a t-shirt, and her boots.

Dressing quickly, she put her hair in a ponytail and covered it with a baseball cap. She found two bobby pins and carried them into the office. It had been a while since she had picked a lock. He father thought it might come in handy if they ever needed to escape a situation. She had never asked what type of situation he meant, assuming he had just watched too many action movies, but she was fairly certain sneaking out of a love nest was not one of them.

Bending one bobby pin and straightening the other, Sunny worked the lock until she heard the tail tale click then turned the pins successful unlocking the door. She slid the pins into her boot for safe keeping.

Taking a deep breath, Sunny opened the door and stepped into the empty hallway.

Chapter 16

Summary:

Sunny explores the Sanctuary a bit.

Notes:

So, I’ve had this story planned out since December 2016 when I started posting and I’m not changing anything because of canon. There will eventually be people that are dead in the series alive in my story. There are plot elements that weren’t part of the show until the finale of the past season, and when I saw it I was so upset because they got to it first. The smut is going to be taking a back burner to actual plot from now on. It’ll still be present but no longer a focus now that Sunny is trying to expand her world.

Also, I know it's been 84 years since I've posted. You can follow me on Tumblr to get writing updates and see what's up in my life. I'm really easy to get a hold of over there. Thanks for reading! Leave me some comments! They help motivate me. You can thank this chapter getting done to the couple of people who have asked about this story on this site and another.

Chapter Text

Sunny looked down the empty hall and made her way slowly towards the stairwell. She knew their floor was typically empty, only hearing movement in the hall moments before Negan would come home, but she’d only seen it after curfew. Who knew if there were patrols during the day?

Her heart pounded. Her hands were clammy, but excitement was over riding her fear. After all Negan had said, “Stay out of trouble” and everyone knows, you’re only in trouble if you get caught. She had no intention of getting caught again.

Dun dun dun da-dun. Dun dun dun da-dun. Do do do. Do do do. Do do do. Do-do. Ok, Mission Impossible, stop thinking about theme songs. Being stealthy does not include a soundtrack. If you get caught you will be chained to the bed forever. And tortured. Deliciously tortured. Don’t think about that. That’s only going to make you want to get caught.

She opened the door to the stairwell and listened closely. Leaning over the railing, she peered down trying to catch a glimpse of movement, maybe guards, but saw none. Quietly, she stepped down the tiled, winding staircase. Dust muffled her steps some, but she could hear the squeak and creek of the soles of her boots. She was thankful none of the doors to the different floors had windows. She took a deep breath as she reached the first floor. Her hand hovered over the door knob. Her wedding ring sparkled in the florescent light above, and her heart sank.

Is this worth making Negan mad? What would really happen if he got mad at me? Would he send me home? No. He’d be mad for a while, but he would see how useful I could be and how safe I am here. It will all work out. And people. You’re going to get to talk to people. No more lonely days.

She took her ring off and pocketed it. This was it. There was no going back. She slipped into the hallway on the first floor, ready to blend in. She kept her head down as she made her way to the laundry room. She knew she would be less likely to be seen tucked in that corner of The Sanctuary.

She tried not to look at the people she passed. Most of the ones she caught a glimpse of looked tired, maybe a little bit dirty. Their clothes were stained and well worn. She’d have to make sure to keep wearing the same clothes. No one greeted each other as they passed. A small group gathered to one side of the hall, speaking in hushed tones. It was eerie and unsettling like walking into the funeral of a person no liked, but everyone felt obligated to attend.

The rumble of machines filled the air as she crossed the threshold of the laundry room. Bags of dirty clothes lined the walls on the left. Machines filled the back wall under frosted windows with two more rows of machines back to back in the center of the room. There were even a few large buckets with honest-to-god old timey scrub boards. Tables were pushed against the right wall with people standing in front of them sorting and folding the clean sheets, towels, and clothing.

“Who are you?” a raspy voice barked behind her.

Sunny jumped and turned to see a man with a clipboard eyeing her warily. “I’m new. I was told to come here today.”

“What’s your name?” he asked. He was short, maybe average and she was just used to tall now. He wore glasses on the edge of his nose. Dark greasy hair hung over his forehead.

“Jane –“

“You’re not on my list,” he said curtly as he flipped through his papers and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

She felt her face begin to heat. Don’t panic. You can do this. “I just got here today. They told me to come here and then they’d figure out a permanent job for me,” she explained.

The man glared at her. “Who sent you?”

“I don’t remember.” She stared back unblinkingly. If there was anything she had learned from her sister, it was that most men couldn’t handle direct eye contact from a woman for sustained periods. They had made a game of making men look away first as they walked by. Nothing was funnier than a man flustered by a woman who didn’t shrink away from their open ogling.

His glare intensified for a brief moment before his eyes averted to his clipboard once more. “Tell those assholes that they need to let me know before they send me new people, temporary or not.”

“Okay. I will. Where should I go now?” She glanced around the room. There were a few people sitting at the buckets scrubbing stains off shirts. Most people were shuttling clothes to washers and dryers. Several others were folding clean clothes at the tables. The scrubbing and shuttling seemed tiring. At least the people folding didn’t look like they were sweating.

“Go over there and fold,” he grunted pointing to a table with only 2 women folding.

She walked toward her station, trying to ignore all the glances and glares cast her way. She had never been treated in such a hostile manner before. Never not been trusted. Had she made a mistake? Could she just leave right now without causing a scene or raising suspicion?

Reaching the table she said, “Um, I’m supposed to help over here today.”

The older of the two looked down at Sunny assessing her.  She had short blonde hair with a fair amount of grey creeping in along her darker roots. Her dingy denim shirt hung loosely over her khaki cargo pants. “Well,” she said, “don’t just stand there. Start folding. Names or numbers are marked or sewn on the inside of the clothing for identification. Same number they use to keep track of your points. Fold and stack according to those id’s. Easy enough. Take extra care of those with names. They belong to the Saviors and you do not want to be on their radar if something goes missing or gets ruined.”

“Okay.” Sunny started folding some ratty t-shirts speckled with rusty-brown spots that were probably blood. She moved on to jeans, socks, underwear all belonging to number 87. She wondered who they belonged to. Was the blood theirs, a walker’s, or did it belong to someone they lost? She glanced sideways at the two women next to her. Neither one seemed concerned nor curious about the state the clothes were in.

“I’m Jane by the way,” Sunny said hopefully.

“Karen,” replied the older woman. “And this is Sarah.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Sunny said with a smile.

The two women exchanged a dubious glance then smirked. They turned back towards their work, apparently happy to leave their conversation at that.

“So….how long have y’all been here?” Sunny asked.

“Look, we have a lot of work to do. We’re not here to make friends or be besties. We’re here to work. To earn points. We have to get all these folded and ready to go before the dryers stop,” Karen countered.

Sunny turned back to her pile of clothes. “Oh. Sorry. I’ve just been alone a long time.”

Karen shook out a shirt, laying it out on the table. She let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve been here about 6 months. Sarah’s been here about 3.”

“Do you like it here?” Sunny balled some socks together that were badly in need of some darning. Stacked them on top of number 87’s pile.

Sarah finally spoke, “It’s safer than out there.” She shrugged and opened a clean pillow case and put clothes inside.

Sunny searched for a pillowcase labeled for number 87 and found it in her basket of clean clothes. Apparently, that’s how people turned in their clothes. Slipping the stack inside the pillow case as Sarah had done, she continued her questioning. “What did you do before you came here?”

Karen seemed to perk up a little. “I was a PHD in literature. I was a published author and had finally made tenure at the university I taught at.” She gave a little laugh. “Seems like all those years of academia were wasted. Not much use for Shakespeare nowadays.”

“Oh, but now is the perfect time for Shakespeare. Who doesn’t need an escape from reality?”

Karen looked at Sunny curiously, her brows knitted as she studied her. She seemed to be in her late forties maybe early fifties. She definitely had an air about her that made her seem more refined than her current outward appearance let on.

“At least you don’t have to worry about student loans anymore?” quipped Sunny.

Karen laughed. “I would have been paying on those for another 5 years. It just seems so insane now. All that money for a piece of paper to tell me I’m smart.” She shook her head as a rueful grin stretched across her face.

Sunny turned towards Sarah waiting expectantly for her answer. When none seemed forth coming she gently prompted. “Sarah? What did you do?”

Sarah looked to be about 10 years older than Sunny. Long dark hair was swept back in a ponytail. Her brown eyes avoided Sunny’s but she said, “I was a stay at home mom. I can’t believe I ever complained about doing 2 loads of laundry a day.”

“Are your kids here too?” Sunny immediately regretted asking as she watch Sarah’s eyes fill with tears. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Sarah.”

Sarah nodded as tears fell down her cheeks and she concentrated on her task at hand. “I had 2 kids. A boy and a girl. We were camping outside of town in the woods, trying to get away from the city. There were so many walkers there. We thought we would be safer in the wilderness. A herd came through and massacred our campsite. I barely made it out. None of my family made it. The few of us that survived were picked up by Saviors a few months later and brought here.”

The women worked in silence for a while. Sunny couldn’t imagine the horrors of seeing your family ripped apart. The anguish of not being able to do anything in that moment. She tried to focus on her job, but the awkwardness that had fallen between the three women was too much for her to take.

“So was all this here before? Or did the Saviors bring in all the machines?” she asked looking at all the washers and dryers. “They had to have been here before because all the washers had water connections.”

“The factory used to wash uniforms to prevent contamination of whatever dangerous particles from getting spread around,” Karen confirmed.

“Well that was lucky for us. So what do you guys do for fun?” she blurted out, smiling at them. She knew instantly that she had said the wrong thing again.

“Fun?” Karen looked aghast at the notion. “Look, Pollyanna. We’re points workers. We don’t have fun. We do our jobs, follow the rules, rinse, and repeat. We’re all just trying to survive. How can you be so cheerful?”

Sunny shrugged. “I’m just thankful to be around people. I’ve been alone this whole time.”

“Where’s your family?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t really know. I, mean, I know that my family is gone. But since I didn’t see it happen…I can—I can pretend they’re still out there surviving too. I guess there is still some part of me that has hope.”

Sarah looked pityingly at Sunny. “There’s not a lot of room for hope here, Jane. The best you can do is accept that this is as good as it’s going to get and make the best of it. Keep your head down and don’t attract attention to yourself.”

Karen quickly added, “Especially when the Saviors are around.”

Back in her room, Sunny stripped her clothes from her body. Her body was tacky from the humidity coming from the dryers. Her feet ached from standing all day. She folded the clothes and hid them under her bed. She would blend in better the dirtier they got. She decided to jump in the shower, wash away the evidence that she did anything other than lounge naked in bed.

Scrubbing her body with her sugar scrub, her stomach twisted with guilt knowing Karen and Sarah were struggling to even buy a regular bar of soap. They had taught her ways to survive and how to save points. Most people only showered a day or two a week. They used wash clothes to clean themselves everyday sometimes twice if they didn’t have deodorant…’hobo baths’ they called it. Shaving was no longer a thing. Razors were too expensive. Tampons and pads were getting harder to come by so women were starting to buy rags and safety pins like their grandmothers had done decades ago. Everything Sunny had taken for granted was now a luxury. These people had lost so much and would continue to lose if things weren’t changed.

She dried her hair and hung up her towels, crossing the room naked since Negan had not left out an outfit this morning which, now, seemed a lifetime ago. She crawled in bed, pulling the sheets over her body. She needed to see him. To feel him. Hold him. Touch him. She needed to feel wanted. She’d never felt lonelier than in a room full of people with no hope, no happiness, and no chance of making their lives better.

Sunny heard the office door open and close followed by his bathroom door. He’d shower and change then go their dinners. But she couldn’t wait. Throwing off the covers, she quickly crossed the room and peeked into the office. She saw Lucille leaning against the desk and his leather jacket laying across the top.

She heard the water turn off. She grabbed the jacket and slid her arms through the sleeves, pulling the leather against her body. She hopped up on his desk, crossed her legs, leaned back on her hands behind her, arching her back, and waited, a small smirk tugging at her lips.  

Negan wrapped a towel around his waist. He needed some food and a good fuck. He walked into the office and stopped. Perched on his desk like a playboy bunny was Sunny.

“How was your day, dear?” she asked.

“Fan-fucking-tastic now, sugar.” He stood in front of her, crossing his arms. “What are you doing, Sunny?”

Sunny sat up, uncrossing her legs. She leaned forward, spreading her legs as she as she gripped the edge of the desk. “Nothing.”

He groaned as her pussy spread in front of him. His dick throbbing as blood rushed to it. She reached out and tugged his towel off his waist. Her hands gripped his hardening length, massaging his shaft with her soft hands. His eyes closed, letting her explore, stepping between her legs. She kissed his chest and pulled his head down towards her, sucking on his neck. His hand ran up her thigh, but she stopped its progressed and whispered, “No.”

“No? What has gotten into you?” he asked as she lined the head of his cock with her pussy, rubbing it along her slit.

“Hopefully you.” She nipped at his ear lobe.

Negan gripped her thighs, pulling them wider. He pushed into her entrance. It was tight, not nearly ready or wet enough for this. But she didn’t seem to mind. He worked his way into her pussy, her moans encouraging him, until his thrusts met with no resistance.

Sunny tugged the leather jacket off and laid back. Her hands ran up her body squeezing her breasts that rocked with the force of his thrusts.

“Harder,” she moaned.

He pulled her hips off the edge of the desk, extending his range of motion. The desk creaked and shook with the power of his movements. He reached out, placing a hand on her neck. Her body immediately tensed as she came around his dick. “Fuck,” he growled. He threw her legs over his shoulders as he leaned forward, pounding in to her. Her pants and moans grew louder. Once last deep thrust and he spent himself in her quivering cunt.

“What the fuck was that?” he asked as he regained the power of speech and pushed up from the desk.

“I wanted you. Is that so wrong?” She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest listening to the cadence of his heart slow.

“No, but now my jacket is going to smell like a sex, and I’m going to be fucking walking around like a god damn teen with a hard on all time.”

“I’m sorry. How is that different from any other day?” She hopped up and walked away from him, receiving a resounding slap on the ass as she walked by causing her to yelp. She rubbed her pink cheek and pouted.

“You wanna keep being cheeky? Because I would love to spank the other side.” He raised his eyebrows when she walked back and bent over the desk.

“Then do it.” She looked back over her shoulder and grinned adding, “Daddy.” She spread her legs giving him a good look at the mess he just made.

“Holy fuck. If I hadn’t just blown my fucking load, I would be busting a nut right now. God damn, princess. Are you trying to fucking kill me?” He pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. “If you still want to play later, you fucking say the word, and I will spank that ass raw then beat off all over your red cheeks. But right now, I’m fucking hungry. I’m going to go get our dinner. Go put some pj’s on.”


Sunny sat across the table from Negan watching him tear a piece of bread as she poked at a green bean. “So,” she paused not wanting to sound overly knowledgeable, “the Saviors have that rec room where they can have fun and blow off some steam…what do the rest of the people have?”

“What?” Negan asked with a cheek full of food.

“Well I’m just wondering what the workers do for fun?” She took a bit of food and waited for his response as he finished chewing.

He took a swing of coke. “Fuck if I know.”

“Well aren’t you concerned?” she asked.

“Fucking concerned about what exactly?” He leaned back in his chair, his elbows resting on the arms as his fingertips steepled under his chin.

“Didn’t you ever see A Bug’s Life?”

Negan’s eyebrows nearly met as he said, “What in the fuck are you taking about?”

She rolled her eyes, “It’s a Disney movie.”

“No, I haven’t seen a fucking kid’s movie.”

“Well it’s based on Aesop’s fable The Ant and the Grasshopper. Those were popular when you were a young, right?”

Negan’s laugh filled the room. “Watch it, brat.”

“Oh no…” She held up her hands in mock surrender. “What are you going to do? Spank me? I think we’ve already established that not a punishment today. Basically, the ants do all the grunt work and the grasshoppers get all the reward.”

“My Saviors do a lot of fucking work. Who do you think is out there facing fucking walkers?” he snapped.

“No, need to yell at me. I know y’all are out there fighting fights. But you did tell me you had groups that scavenge for you in exchange for the Savior’s protection….and that’s kinda like the movie.”

“What is your fucking point, Sunny?”

“Well, it just that you should start thinking about moving past survival and start thinking about actually living again. Your workers outnumber the saviors, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, it would be in your best interest to keep them not only safe but happy. If they begin to feel like they are being treated unfairly, they’ll realize they have the numbers and can and will have a coup to raise their standard of living. They keep this place running. Keep the Saviors comfortable with cooked food and clean clothes. Once scavenging stops being the main means of survival, the workers are going to be the ones providing, and they aren’t going to see the Saviors as necessary.”

Negan’s eyebrows raised. “And what the hell do you suggest?”

She watched his features shift from annoyed to blank. She couldn’t gage his feelings as she continued. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to let people enjoy themselves. You could get a movie screen and projector and have movie nights that didn’t require points to view, people could bring their own snacks or if you wanted to be really awesome you would make popcorn or candy.  You could have a family matinee followed by a more grown up comedy or something…probably not horror. It could be set up outside so people could have a picnic and kids can run around and play…is there a playground here? That’s another thing you should think about if you don’t already have one.”

“Seriously. What the fuck has gotten into you today?” He glanced suspiciously at her. “All this talk about workers. Why do you care?”

“I have a lot of free time to think.” She shrugged. “I worry about you. You’ve worked so hard to protect these people. Someone has to try to protect you.”

He reached across the table and held her hand. “Well don’t you fucking worry your pretty little head about those ants. I think if anyone needs to relax it’s you. You’ve gotten yourself all worried over nothing. C’mon.”

“Where are we going?” She stood and followed him.

“To the parlor. You need some fun and distraction so we’re having a game night. But no fucking monopoly.”

 


 

Sunny swayed slightly as she took yet another drink. “This game is stupid. You can’t have any strategy with War.”

“Exactly.” Negan smiled. “Fucking win-win for me. You have a horrible tolerance for booze so it’ll take me twice along to get drunk even when I do lose.”

“Why not play quarters or something?” she slurred.

“The fucking fact that you know what quarters is let’s me know that I never want to play with you.” He laughed as she glared at him.

Whispering as loud as possible, she leaned forward and said, “I’m ssssuper good at quartersss. My sister taught me.” Sunny sat back up and shuffled the deck before dealing new cards between them. “So what’s our last name again?”

“What’s your first name?”

“What do you want it to be?” Her mouth opened as she clumsily winked at him.

“Did you just Pretty Woman me?” he asked amused.

“Did you just recognize a chick flick reference? The room is spinning. Why is it spinning?”

“Oh shit. Damn, princess you really are a light weight. You’ve only had like 3 drinks. C’mon before you puke on my nice rug.”

Negan led Sunny back to their rooms detouring to the bathroom. He held her hair as she wretched in the toilet. Tucked her in bed and placed a cool cloth on her forehead.

He sat in bed thinking about what she said. He hated to admit it, but she had a point. Scavenging for necessities was going to become harder. The groups he was in charge of would come back with less and less. Maybe it was time to start planning for the future rather than living in the present. How the fuck was he supposed to make that kind of transition? From yielding a blood soaked bat to tilling a garden? Hosting ice cream fucking socials and movie nights? He’d be fucking laughed out on his ass by the Saviors. God damnit. Like he needed one more thing to worry about. Why was she even worried about it? Because she was fucking raised to worry about survivalist shit like this. Why couldn’t she just let him handle things? Every other woman in this place would love to pampered. How had he managed to find the one, that would be ready and willing to build a new world? How could he keep her safe if she was front and center in the creation of a new era? One that the strongest would want to reject? The answer was: he couldn’t.

Chapter 17

Summary:

Sunny keeps pushing her boundaries. Will she like what she discovers?

Notes:

Hey guys! I know I am a slow updater but I am trying. Here's a pretty good chunk of a chapter. 6.2k words-ish. Time to get the plot moving forward. As always, please let me know if you like the story by leaving kudos and comments. They give me life and motivate me to write sooner rather than later. Thank y'all for reading!

Chapter Text

Her eyelids fought to stay closed. Her temples throbbed. She was dead or at the very least dying. She would open her eyes and, hopefully, see the pearly gates instead of fire and brimstone. Cracking her eyes, she saw the other side of the bed, empty. Gingerly rolling over, she saw the chandelier in her room she shared with Negan. Not heaven or hell, well definitely not heaven…just Earth.

Sunny recalled drinking, having fun the night before, but the cotton mouth and churning stomach didn’t seem an equal punishment for a card game and some booze. Never again would she let that devil tempt her with a good time. At least not a drunken good time.

She dragged her body in a sitting position, pulling her legs momentarily to her chest, resting her forehead on her knees. She glanced at the night stand and saw a glass of water and two little white pills. Not caring about wasting medications, she popped the pills in her mouth and swallowed them as she gulped down the water. Guilt would be tomorrow Sunny’s problem.

Sighing, she knew she needed to make it to the bathroom before Negan burst through the door and splash some water on her face…cold water. Maybe even a cold shower. She dragged herself from her bed and moved with all the grace of a rotting walker to the bathroom. Crossing the threshold, she recalled leaning over the toilet last night, Negan holding her hair and rubbing her back as she vomited. She lost the card game and tossed her cookies. She was never going to hear the end of this.

A few minutes later, feeling a bit cleaner and her mind a bit clearer, she opened the door to the bathroom and groaned. Negan sat at the table, his chair turned to face the door. His long legs stretched in front of him crossed at the ankles, his chin resting on his fist while a Cheshire cat grin spread across his punchable face.

“How’s my pukey princess this morning?” he asked.

Sunny glared and growled as she cut a wide path around her husband, but not wide enough. His hands snatched her hips and pulled her down on top of his lap. “Don’t cut those eyes at me. It’s not my fucking fault you suck at cards and drinking.” His fingers worked their way up her sides playing her ribs like a keyboard until she squealed.

“I don’t suck at cards.” She laughed, trying to squirm out of his grasp. “You suck at dealing. It’s your fault I lost.” She swatted at his chest, out of breath. “Let—me—go!”

Negan’s grip on her loosened, and she found herself lurching towards the floor, preparing to hit the hard surface. Strong arms wrapped around her once more and pulled her close. His voice rumbled against her ear, “See what happens if I fucking let you go?”

Snuggling into his chest, she breathed the scent of his cologne and sighed. “Maybe you shouldn’t manhandle me…then you wouldn’t almost drop me.”

His chest vibrated as he chuckled. “You like it when I manhandle you.”

“Not before breakfast I don’t and definitely not hungover. You’re lucky I didn’t puke on you.” She pushed away from him and stood straightening out her tank top and boy shorts.

He slapped her ass and pointed to the chair across from him. “Have a seat, baby doll. You need to get something on your fucking stomach. I only brought you toast and fruit. Bread they bake here is fucking dense as rocks but it’ll help settle bubble gut.”

Sunny sat and took a swig of some tea sweetened with honey grateful to have something with flavor and caffeine. Lifting her apple to her lips, she bit the sweet flesh and contemplated her next words. “I could teach them how to bake, you know?”

“I thought we discussed you having a job?” he replied, his tone laced with warning.

She shrugged, trying to keep the conversation light. “Not a job. Just a lesson. But I’m sure they’ll figure it out eventually. It’s mostly trial and error anyways.” She could feel Negan’s eyes on her as she took a bite of toast smeared with peanut butter. It really was dense. They probably either didn’t active the yeast properly. Or maybe they were working the dough too hard. It really was just a matter of practice.

“Quit overthinking everything, princess. Just eat your breakfast and nurse that fucking hangover.”

“I’m fine. Headaches pretty much gone.”

“Good.” He stood and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to go do some work in the office for a while.”

Sunny finished her food. Leaning back she sipped her tea. How much longer were they going to have luxuries like this? At some point, everyone was going to have to do without. What would be worse? The walkers or a bunch people going through caffeine withdrawal at the same time?

“Sunny!” Negan’s voice boomed from the other room.

She scurried to the office. Her eyes widened when she saw him, arms crossed, glaring at her.

“You’ve been a bad, little girl,” he said in a low dark tone that made her quiver.

That shouldn’t turn me on. What is wrong with me? Oh shit. He knows. How does he know?

“What?” she asked tentatively.

“What happens to bad girls?” He took a step closer.

“They get punished.” She felt her heart beat racing as her body fought the urges to run away or mount him, instead remaining frozen in place.

“I told you when you got here that you were to eat lunch. That I wanted to see the fucking wrappers. You know what I don’t see? Fucking wrappers. And there’s the same fucking number of sandwiches and chips from yesterday. Why didn’t you eat?”

Damn. How could I forget that? At least he doesn’t know about my field trip. But shit. I’m still in trouble.

“I forgot?”

“You forgot? What were you doing that was so fucking important?” he asked, his gaze predatory as he now stood over her.

Oh no. No no no no. Maybe he does know. If I lie and he knows, I’m going to be in so much more trouble. Her stomach fluttered with excitement or was it dread?

She took a deep breath. “I was reading.” She looked at the ground, avoiding his eyes.

“Reading? You put your heath at risk for a fucking story?”

“I don’t think missing one meal—“

“Excuse the fuck out of me? That’s two,” he interrupted, holding up two fingers. “You wanna keep adding to the fucking list?”

“No…sir.” She snuck a peak at him. He looked angry, but there was no mistaking the lust that flashed in his eyes when she called him ‘sir’.

“Go get the book you were reading and bring it here.”

Sunny ran to their bedroom and grabbed Jane Eyre off her night stand, bringing it to Negan as quickly as possible.

His eye brows raised as she handed it to him. “Really? A book you’ve read a fucking hundred times kept you from eating and following the rules?”

“I like it.” She blushed as she added, “It’s romantic.”

“Romantic? Well that’s no fucking reason to not take care of yourself. Let’s see if we can’t fucking figure out a way to help you remember.” He took the book and place it on his desk. “C’mere.”

Sunny stepped forward, unsure and yet expectant. His hands reached for the hem of her tank top and pulled it up over her head. Her nipples hardened as the cool air moved over them.

“Open the book. Hands on the desk and start reading,” he commanded.

“Wh-what?” She stood still staring at him.

“Are you going to make me repeat myself?”

Sunny opened the book. Her lips smirked as she realized what chapter she had opened to. A large hand push her back, bending her over the desk.

She started reading, “’My eye rose to his; and while I looked in his fierce face—“’His hand landed in a hard smack on her ass. She gasped and continued, “’I-I gave an involuntary sigh; his gripe was painful–‘“  A succession of spanks alternating on her cheeks, made her cry out and her voice faltered as she read, “’and-and my over-taxed strength almost exhausted.’”

Negan ripped her boy shorts off her body and spread her legs with tap of his booted feet. “Keep reading.”

She lost her place and picked a random sentence once her eyes refocused. “’(And he shook me with the force of his hold.) ‘I could bend her with my finger and thumb:’” Her moans mixed with her cries as the spanking continued. “’A-and what good would it do if I bent, if I uptore, if I crushed her?’” She closed her eyes, the sensations of pleasure and pain washing over her.

“Don’t stop,” Negan said. His free hand squeezed and massaged her breast, tweaking and pulling the nipple while his other continued it barrage of spanking.

Breathless and panting she tried to finish, wondering how much more she could take. “’Whatever I do with its cage, I cannot get at it–the savage, beautiful creature! If I tear, if I rend the slight prison, my outrage will only let the captive loose. And it is you, spirit–with will and energy, and virtue and purity–that I want: not alone your brittle frame.’” Her legs shook, her ass stung, but her pussy was dripping with arousal. She moaned as his fingers slipped between her folds and whimpered as his fingers left her body.

“This is a punishment, baby girl. Bad girls don’t get to come.”

Her pout turned to panic as a loud hard knock on the door resounded in the air. She stood, looking at Negan who was scowling at the wood separating them from their unwelcome intruders.

“Go get dressed. A sundress. No panties.” He winked at her as she winced with her first step. He walked to her to their room and closed the door behind her.

 


 

Negan opened the door and saw his two top men standing there. It must be important if they were seeking him out in his private quarters.

“What the fuck is it now?”

“It’s time to visit Alexandria again. Probably the other communities as well,” said Dwight.

He stepped aside letting the men enter his office. They sat on the couches. “Time for Rick the fucking prick to learn another lesson?”

“We figure leave today, stay at Alexandria keeping those assholes on their toes, hit up the Hill Top and then back tomorrow for dinner,” said Simon.

“Is there a reason we need to hit both? And right now?” asked Negan.

“We think they may still be working together.”

Fuck. Overnight. Who the fuck would take care of Sunny? He had just left her yesterday. He didn’t want to do it again so soon. Shit fucking god damn pulsating cunt muscle. The honeymoon’s apparently fucking over.

“Simon, you and I will head out in an hour to go take care of these fuckers. Dwight, I need you to stay behind and fucking take care of something…well, someone for me.”

The two men looked at each other warily as they watched their boss leave the office to his private bedroom. There had been rumors about a new girl but no one had any proof. Yet.

 


 

 She could hear deep voices as picked out a white sundress with pink flowers and took it to the bathroom. She brushed and braided her hair in a single French braid. She was surprised when she heard the bedroom door open again. Negan appeared behind her in the mirror.

“Come with me, sweetheart. I’ve got some people I want you to meet.” He took her small hand in his.

“Really?” She smiled. It was finally happening. He was going to introduce her to people.

Negan led her to the office where two men waited. She tried not to stare at the first whose face was half covered with horrific looking burns. The other was smiling broadly at her, a thick mustache covering his upper lip.

“This here is Dwight.” Negan pointed at the man with the scars. “And this is Simon. This is Sunny, my wife.”

“Your wife?” Simon looked her up and down. “Well congrats, boss.”

Sunny extended her hand out, Dwight stared at it for a second and then looked to Negan. He was tall and lean, his hair hung in his face. Simon, on the other hand, took her hand and shook it vigorously. He was extremely muscular, his thighs and biceps seemed to want to Hulk out of his clothing.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “Um, can I offer you guys anything to drink? I think we have some water bottles…”

“Princess, that sure is nice of you to offer, but we’ve got ourselves a fucking business trip we have to get ready for.” Negan said. “Simon here is going with me. Ol’ Dwighty boy is going to be in charge of bringing you your breakfast and dinner, and ensuring your safety while I’m away. Isn’t that right, Dwight?”

“Whatever you say, Negan,” Dwight said as he nodded.

“You guys go get the teams and trucks ready. We’re going to need some fucking guns and ammo too. I’ll be down in an hour or so.”

“Sure thing boss. Milady.” Simon bowed to Sunny still smiling. Dwight nodded and followed the other man out of the office.

Sunny couldn’t help be feel a wave of disappointment sweep through her. Her second encounter with people at The Sanctuary was a bust too. No way were those men ever going to be her friend. She was the boss’ wife. Socializing at The Sanctuary might prove harder than just sneaking out of the room.

Her thoughts of subterfuge were interrupted by a pair of strong arms pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist, placing a kiss on his chest. She was going to miss him while he was gone. Even if it was only for a day. The sound of her zipper being pulled caught her attention. She looked up at Negan whose eyes were already heavy with lust.

“I thought I’d been a bad girl?” she asked coquettishly.

“Oh you have. But there’s no way I’m leaving without a proper good bye.” He pushed her dress down her body until it lay in a heap around her ankles. She stood naked in front of him. She tugged at his belt buckle then his fly. His shirt was over his head and on the floor before she could get his pants off his hips. He chuckled and swatted her hands away, kneeling to untie his boots. He stayed on his knees after removing his boots, pulling her close, and swept his tongue through her slit. He lifted her right leg over his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her while his other hand cupped her breast. He licked and sucked her clit until her hips rocked, riding his face. Her balance faltered as her pleasure began to build.

Negan pulled away and pushed his pants to ground as he stood. She swayed slightly, he took her arms and circled them around his neck. He lowered himself lifting her behind her legs, pulling them wide, her knees resting over his elbows. She squealed as he grabbed her tender ass, guiding her over his cock until he was able to thrust into her. Her head fell back, moaning as he stretched and filled her pussy. His arms lifted her, she did her best to hold some of her own weight with her arms on his shoulders. As he let gravity pull her down on top of his cock, she rolled her hips. He walked a few paces, she used the movement of his body to ride him, grinding her clit against the base of his shaft until he pushed her up against the wall. His mouth sought hers as he drove himself into her wetness, her moans muffled by his mouth.

“Fuck, you feel so good. Wrap your legs around me.” He moved his arms over her legs, she hooked her ankles behind his back. His fingers slipped between them, his thumb stroking her clit. Rarely were their movements so rushed. Desperate.  

Her pussy clenched around him, her thighs pulling him closer as her orgasm exploded. He quickened his pace, seeking his own release, focusing on his pleasure. He could feel another orgasm building as Sunny’s whines built to cries of ecstasy. He lost himself as she came again. He pulsed inside her as her body shook from the force of her climax.

Negan pulled out and gently lowered her to floor. He pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’ve gotta get ready to go, sweetheart.”

Her hands ran through the hair on his chest, pausing to trace the tattoo over his heart. “Is it going to be dangerous?” she asked.

“Fuck no. These assholes just need a little reminder of who’s in charge. Nothing we can’t handle.”  He kissed her again and pushed off the wall to gather his clothes. “Go get cleaned up while I pack.”

He watched Sunny walk to the other room, her back as red as her ass from rubbing against the wall.  He smirked. She’d think of him for sure the next time she sat down. He dressed himself, knowing he would regret not taking a shower while he had the chance. Maybe he’d shower at Rick’s. Use up all the hot water.

He grabbed a change of clothes and stuffed it into a black leather bag. He donned his leather jacket, a gun hiding in his waistband of his pants. Knife in his boot. Last but not least, he picked up Lucille.

“You really need all that?” Sunny asked leaning in the doorway wearing a t-shirt.

“Hell yes. Never know who else is out there and this shit is cool.” He smiled at her watching her roll her eyes and shake her head.

Pulling a key chain out of his bag he took a key off the ring. “This is for emergencies only.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a key to the office door. I want it to remain locked at all times. Dwight’ll have the only other key. Understood?”

“Yes.”

She joined him as he walked to the door. He turned to face her, his eyebrows stern. She held up her hand before he could speak. “I know, I know…Don’t get into trouble,” she said.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, princess.” He pulled her into a deep kiss.

“Tomorrow,” she sighed as he closed the door behind him, the lock clicking into place.

 


A whole day to herself. The adrenaline was running through her veins at the possibilities before her. She could be a good girl and stay in her room like Negan told her to. Or she could explore the Sanctuary some more and maybe make some actual friends. Nothing bad happened yesterday. Well except the drinking and that was her husband’s fault. And although the people she had met hadn’t given her the warm and fuzzies, she was determined to find a place where she could be useful and appreciated. She had already decided where to go next long before this opportunity arose. But should she really take it?

She paced the room wondering how long it would take for Negan and his team to clear out of the area. There was no way for her to know without leaving the room. She paced watching the minutes tick by.

Okay. You’re going to have to make a decision. Are you going to stay in your ivory tower or are you going man up and make your own destiny? Oh my god. Why am I so corny? Too many Disney movies? Yeah, cuz there is such a thing. Just get dressed and go. You’ll regret not going more than any punishment. Besides, Negan would never actually hurt you.

Sunny pulled her clothes from yesterday out from under her bed and dressed. She was sure her braid was messy from their sexcapades but it would add authenticity to her appearance. Leaving the key on the desk, she used her pins to pick the lock once more making sure to lock the door behind her as she found her way back downstairs. 

She knew exactly where she wanted to spend her day. A place she could actually be helpful. The kitchen. Even if she didn’t get to cook, she still could help with a suggestion or two. Getting them to listen might prove to be the biggest challenge if they were as open as the people she met in the laundry.

The cafeteria was empty except for a few workers wiping down tables and sweeping. No one talked. It was as if everyone had forgotten how to make small talk in a world where your ability to keep quiet could be the difference between life and death. She passed by with her head down through the kitchen doors trying not to be noticed.

The kitchen was busy with people washing dishes, pots and pans, and every surface until the stainless steel shined. Others were busy cutting vegetables in preparation for dinner, shelling peas, and peeling potatoes.

A boy who looked to be around Sunny’s age approached her, “Who are you?” He looked her up and down in a way that made Sunny feel like she was on the menu.

The lie worked yesterday, no reason it wouldn’t today. Best to spice it up though. “Elizabeth. I just got here. They sent me here to help today,” Sunny said.

He eyed her suspiciously. “I’m Scott. You wanna check in with Ava over there. She’s in charge of the kitchens.”

“Ok, thanks.” She walked over to the woman who was delegating cooking assignments for the day to people. Sunny waited until she seemed to have stopped making her rounds and introduced herself, “Hi, um…Ava? I’m Elizabeth. I’ve been sent here today to help. I just got here—“

“Sorry, honey. I don’t care about your sob story. I’ve got a lot of work to do. You can help clean and wash dishes.” She motioned Sunny towards the sinks in the back of the kitchen.

“I can bake,” Sunny blurted out as Ava had turned her back. The older woman whipped back around.

“What can you bake?” she asked.

“Bread. Cakes. Pies. Cookies. Biscuits. Anything. I’ve been baking since I was little.”

“Baking from mixes and boxes doesn’t really help us now a day,” Ava said dismissively.

Sunny wasn’t about to be cowed. “From scratch and from memory.”

“Ok. I want you to bake a loaf of bread. Nothing fancy. Just plain white sandwich bread. You do that and if it’s any good, we’ll see if we can put you to use.”

Sunny set off gathering the tools she needed to bake and got to work. She mixed ingredients, worked the dough by hand, let it rise while she cleaned up her mess, punched it down, the finally put it in the oven to bake. She felt her all muscle memory coming back to her as went through every motion. It felt wonderful to be doing something, creating something again. It felt like home.

Ava and most of the kitchen staff had watched her process as they completed their own tasks, but no one talked to her until she pulled out a beautiful brown loaf to cool on a rack. The smell was divine.

“We usually let the mixers knead the bread. And why were you measuring the water with a thermometer?” A woman’s voice sounded behind her. Sunny turned and saw the voice belonged to a woman with a pixie cut and a black and blue flannel shirt open over a black tank top.

“It’s easy to over knead in a machine. If you do it with your hands, you start to feel when the dough is right. The temperature of the water is important for the yeast. If it’s too hot it kills it, too cool and it doesn’t activate. That’s how you get bread that feels like a brick instead of a cloud.”

“You think your bread is as fluffy as a cloud?” Ava asked with disdain.

“Well, no…a cloud is probably pretty soggy, but my bread is usually pretty good,” Sunny replied confidently.

Ava sliced a piece and took a bite of the warm bread. Her eyes closed momentarily, and Sunny knew she had won her over. Her eyes opened as she swallowed and Ava said, “I want you to bake another loaf. You.” She pointed to the boy who greeted Sunny earlier. “Write down everything she does and says. And you three,” she pointed to the pixie and two other workers, “watch everything she does and copy her.

The kitchen was abuzz with movement as people rushed to get more ingredients, bowls, and pans. Sunny washed her hands and started giving instructions to everyone once they were set and ready to go. For the next hour, she was able to forget that world had ended, that she was breaking rules, and just enjoy what she was doing. She was more than a wife and sex kitten. She was teaching these people a skill that could help them survive and thrive. It was thrilling to see the look of excitement on their faces as they saw how much their dough had risen. Anticipation was high as they waited for their loaves to bake.

“Where did you learn how to do this?” asked Delilah, the girl with the short hair as she helped Sunny wash the bowls they had used.

“Girl scouts,” Sunny lied.

“Huh…and here I was thinking y’all just peddled those crack cookies once a year. Man, I miss Thin Mints.”

“No no no…the Samoas were the best,” said Scott, the boy Sunny had met upon arriving in the kitchens, while his hands worked a towel over the clean bowl Delilah handed to him.

“How do you really pick a favorite though?” asked Sunny.

“So what else did you do besides bake bread and sell cookies, Lizzie?” Scott pushed his wavy brown hair away from his face.

“I was waiting to go to college.” She suddenly felt uncomfortable. It felt wrong to be talking to him.

“Waiting for what?” he asked stepping closer to her.

“For the money to pay for it.” She concentrated on scrubbing the bowl in her hand.

“Someone as pretty as you shouldn’t have had to wait like that. You know, someday, I’m going to be a Savior working for Negan. I won’t need points anymore. You stick with me, and you won’t have to worry about points either.”

“Still sounds like waiting to me.”

“Oh, c’mon. It’s won’t be long. I know a guy that’s going to talk to Dwight for me. Get me a chance to prove myself.”

“Dude, Scooter. She’s clearly not interested. Go peddle your bullshit somewhere else.” Delilah snapped.

Scott glared at her. “It’s Scott.” He whispered to Sunny as he stroked her arm, “Think about it when you start to run low on points.” He turned and left.

“Sorry about him. The Saviors tend to get most of the available women, but that’s no excuse for him to be creepy. It’s not easy for young guys here. They’re all desperate.”

Sunny shook her head. “Seriously. Did he think that would work?” she asked.

“It’s worked for a fair amount of the Saviors.” Delilah shrugged.

“Classy.” Sunny rolled her eyes as she finished her last bowl and dried her hands.

“You obviously haven’t met too many of the Saviors…classy isn’t high on their priorities.”

The timer dinged. And the group gathered to watch Sunny pull out four more beautiful loaves of bread. The smiles and pride on everyone’s face was contagious. Ava pushed through the small crowd gathering over the bread to inhale their scent. “Good. Okay, we need to get everything set and ready for dinner. We start serving in two hours.” 

 


 

Two hours later, a steady stream of workers and Saviors worked their way through the line getting trays full of chicken and rice casserole, veggies, and bread. Ava brought Sunny a tray. “Go and eat. You earned it today. You’re going to be a big help keeping all these people fed.”

“Well, I’m not sure where my permanent assignment will be, but I was happy to help.”

“I don’t care whose ass I have to beat. You are going to part of my team.” Ava handed her the tray and winked at her.

Oh shit. If she goes around trying to find me, my ass if the one that’s going to be beat. Sunny carried her tray to a table in the cafeteria to eat alone. Maybe making friends wasn’t the best idea. Worry and panic were steadily seeping through her feelings of pride and accomplishment.

She looked up and a pretty blonde in expensive clothing sat down in front of her setting down her own tray. “Hi. You must be new. I’m Amber”

“Yeah, I am. Elizabeth.” She smiled and the new comer. It was weird to see someone wearing a dress and heels. She even had make up on.

“So, how are you liking here so far? Not much is it?” Amber asked picking at her casserole.

“It’s fine.” Sunny answered noncommittedly. She didn’t know if this was some sort of trap. It felt like a scene out of a teen drama where one girl would bait the other into talking trash. Sunny had learned that lesson in real life the hard way.

“Well, it’s better than being out there, but compared to before…not exactly how we thought life would turn out, huh?”

“I guess not.” Unless you’re my dad, she thought to herself. “You seem to be doing really well, though. Are you a Savior?” she asked.

Amber laughed. “Oh my gawd, no. I did alright. It’s a shame you didn’t get here earlier. You would have done well for yourself too.” She pinched a bite of bread off the slice and popped it in her mouth.

“What do you mean?” Sunny took a forkful of casserole. She really was hungry. Working had definitely improved her appetite.

“Hey Frankie! Tanya! Over here.” She waved two more beautiful woman over to their table. One had ginger hair pulled to the side in a braid over her shoulder the other had a dark ponytail with bangs across her forehead. Neither was wearing a dress but their clothes looked decidedly newer than anyone else’s in the cafeteria. “This is Elizabeth. I was just telling her she got here two months too late.”

The two women looked her over. Tanya spoke, “Oh yeah. She is total wife material.”

“What are you talking about? Wife material? For who?” Sunny asked.

Amber leaned in. “For the big boss man. Negan, of course. We were all wives.”

 


 

Negan rode shot gun with Simon driving a truck. The other Saviors were piled in trucks and vans used to move their loot.

“Ok, boss. If you aren’t going to bring it up, I am,” Simon blurted out.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Don’t play coy, man. Sunny. Where did you find her?” Simon prodded looking at the man who sat beside him.

“Simon, I am not fucking discussing my private life,” Negan snarled.

Simon turned his eyes back on the road. “Ok. I can see why you would keep a sweet little thing like her hidden away.”

Negan’s head snapped in his direction sending a threatening scowl at his right hand man.

“No disrespect,” Simon added quickly. “But you should know, people are talking. Rumors are flying and curiosity will always get the better of people. What are you going to do?”

Negan’s gloved hand pinched the bridge of his nose as he exhaled deeply. “I can fucking take care of what’s mine…” He sighed and looked at Simon. “I just need your fucking word that if anything happens to me, you’ll take her home.”

Simon’s mouth gaped beneath his bushy mustache. “Shit, boss. You actually care for her. Shit.”

“I’m fucking aware of that,” Negan grumbled.

“Never thought I’d see the day…a one woman man.” Simon laughed.

Negan didn’t join in his merriment. “Your fucking word, Simon. Just fucking keep her safe.”

Simon’s smiled faltered. “Sure boss.”

“Good. Now enough of this mushy fucking bullshit. We need to get ready to deal with those Alexandria assholes. Rick just doesn’t seem to be accepting this new world, is he?”

Simon shook his head. “He’s a stubborn bastard.” He looked at his leader and wondered just how long it would be before Negan finally lost his edge and went soft. Would he be able to keep everyone in line?

 


Sunny choked on her water. “Wives? Plural? He had 3 wives?” Her heart stopped.

“Well no. He had 5 total,” Amber said casually.

“Did you hear the rumors about a new girl?” Frankie whispered. “He’s been taking two trays to his room every morning and every night.”

Tanya added, “I heard there’s women’s clothing in his laundry…not his size so they know he’s not cross dressing.”

The women laughed as Sunny stared. They had to be joking. There is no way Negan was married to all these women. At once.

“Don’t look too shocked. We had a great arrangement with Negan. We took care of him, and we didn’t have to worry about anything. No points. First pick on every truck load. Everyone won.”

Sunny didn’t know what to think. “Why aren’t you wives anymore?” She felt bile rise in her throat as she asked, not knowing if she really wanted the answer.

“That’s the thing. We don’t know. He just up and told us we were done about 2 months ago or so. Wouldn’t tell us why. He gave us a huge credit of points to cover us for a long time but other than that nothing.”

“I expected him to at least ask for a massage if not a blow job by now.” Frankie chimed in twirling the end of her braid between her fingers. The others laughed. Sunny didn’t.

“Look there’s Dwight. He was an ex of one of the wives.” Tanya whispered. “Sherry. I think she went to an outpost or something.” Sherry? Sunny turned to look and saw the recognition dawn in his eyes when he saw her. “See his burns…” Her whispering stopped as they saw Dwight approaching them.

“Hey, Dwight,” said Tanya and Frankie in unison.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Dwight asked her, ignoring the other women and motioning for her to join him.

“Um, sure,” said Sunny as she stood. She nodded to other women who stared at her.

Dwight’s hand pushed her lower back, and she began to walk. She was terrified and grateful for a reason to leave the other women. “What do you think you are doing? Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

“You’re only in trouble if you get caught.” It was the mantra she had been repeating to herself the last two days.

“You are supposed to be in your room. The last thing I need is some girl not knowing her place. If Negan tells you to stay somewhere, you do it. You have no idea how much trouble I would be in if he found out anything happened to you on my watch.” He opened the door to the stair well and guided her inside.

“But nothing’s going to happen. How is he even going to find out?” She looked at his face flushed blending in with angry smooth scars.

“How many Sunny’s do you think are at the Sanctuary?” Dwight asked testily.

“Just me. But how many Jane’s and Elizabeth’s are there? Probably a couple.”

“This isn’t a joke, Sunny.” He glared and unlocked the door to the office.

She sighed. He was right. She wasn’t thinking about anyone but herself. Dwight getting in trouble because of her hadn’t even occurred to her. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been so bored.”

“I don’t want to hear about your boredom. I’m not your friend. I’m your warden.” He shut the door and locked it.

Sunny looked around the office. It no longer felt the same. It felt foreign. Her husband, a stranger. He had five wives. Five! How was she going to compete with five? Oh my god. They were all gorgeous. And Sherry. She had been right to be jealous of Sherry. How could he bring Sherry to her house like it was no big deal? Why was he with her when he had had all of them? She didn’t know how to give massages. She wasn’t sure of anything right now.

She decided to take a shower and wash first, undressing and hiding her clothes again. She didn’t know if she wanted them anymore. All she knew right now was that she felt hopeless and dirty. Six. She was number six. Had he called them pet names? Touched them the way he touched her? Told them he loved them? Did he even mean it? She felt the tears welling in her eyes as she started the shower. She let them fall washing away with the flowing water. She tried to scrub the day’s stresses away but never felt quite clean. Giving up, she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body.

She put on a t-shirt and some panties then raided the fridge in the office for some food. She grabbed a pbj and some chips making sure to leave the wrappers where Negan could see them. She found a chocolate bar and a coke and decided to indulge. She took them back to her room and flipped on the tv. Setting up a movie, she sat back and tried not break.

She failed. She ended up in her bed sobbing. When would he get tired of her? Would he just cast her aside? Would another man be her only other option? The thought of Scott made her shudder. Would Negan take her home? Did she even want to be with him anymore? She fell asleep with smell of him on the sheets no longer the source of comfort it once was.

Chapter 18

Summary:

Hey guys! I know it’s been a while. I hope y’all are still here. We’re going to be moving along pretty fast plot-wise. I’ve reworked my outline and condensed some things so we will finish in less than 10 chapters rather than another 15. Thanks to everyone who has read and kept reading in the last year. If you like it and want me to keep going, let me know! Thanks again!

Chapter Text

A loud banging reverberated in Sunny’s brain, jolting her awake. She had tossed and turned all night, haunted by harems that harassed her nightmares. Dwight’s yell told her breakfast was waiting in the office, the sound of retreating boots and the slam of a door were welcome as she sat up and wondered what she should do. Her stomach growled making her first decision easy.

She brought the pancakes into her room, setting the tray on the table. She picked at the fluffy circle, pulling it apart, before popping a piece in her mouth.

How am I going to ask him without him knowing I snuck out? Do I just up and ask, “Hey, Negan, ever had a harem? How do you feel about concubines? I’m asking for a friend.” Ugh. No. “So, Negan, ever been a polygamist?” Oh my god. I just can’t. “Hey, Negan, are you an old school Mormon?” Do I even want to know? Do I even care? What if he wants more wives again in the future?

 

Her stomach lurched, the pancakes threatening to come back up. He would be back tonight. Instead of excitement, dread created a fine mist of anxiety in her palms. She stood from the table and grabbed her working clothes determined not to sit and make herself sick with worry the rest of the day. She knew she needed some distraction and distraction was not to be found within the confines of these walls.

It took her longer than she thought to get to the gardens trying to avoid as many Saviors as possible. When she finally made it out of the former factory, the sunlight seemed to sizzle off the concrete even though the weather was mild. She strained her eyes trying to adjust to the brightness of the sun, wishing she had sunglasses in addition to her baseball cap. She really needed to get out more.

 Not bothering to find the person in charge today, she found an empty space next to a raised bed. Kneeling next to a stranger, she mimicked their movements and began pulling weeds from the garden. Looking around her, she could see some people harvesting vegetables.

“Give that one a few more days,” she said before she could stop herself.

The man’s hand on the tomato stopped. He eyed her suspiciously. “Really?”

“Yes, a few more days on the vine and then it will be perfect.” She spoke in hushed tones without really realizing it. This whole place felt like a funeral home. No one was talking. No one was interacting. Maybe it was the Saviors who frequently walked by with guns. Maybe the stress of providing food was too much. Either way, Sunny felt anxious and really fearful for the first time.  

 “If I wait a few days and it rots, who do I blame then? Because I’m not taking the dock in points.”

“Darcy. My name is Darcy.” Dock in points? Do they really get punished for such simple mistakes? Gardening was not an exact science by any means, especially for beginners. How could they expect them to know everything?

She watched the man move on to other tomatoes, examining them, pulling a few free, and adding them to his basket before returning to her own work. She had a small stack of weeds she had pulled, dirt under her nails, and sheen of sweat on the back of her after another hour or so. A Savior with a gun stood by a water cooler and announced a break. Everyone around her stood and waited in line for a cup of water. Sunny joined them waiting for anyone to speak, but no one did.

Finally, she leaned into woman close to her and whispered, “What’s with the scary men with the guns?”

She seemed startled at being spoken to. “They’re here to make sure no one steals.”

“Has that been a problem?” Sunny took a sip of cool water, hoping the woman would open up.

“Not recently. But a while back some people were caught. And they were punished. They were sent to work on the wall.”

“So, they move the walkers on the walls?” she asked, thinking of what Negan had told her the night of her daring escape.

“No.” The woman’s amber eyes were filled with pity, her topknot swayed as she shook her head. “They became the walkers on the wall.”

Sunny’s stomach dropped. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. “Executed?”

“Yes. We have rules for a reason. You break them you pay the price. It’s how we survive.” The woman seemed so unbothered by the whole system.

Sunny had heard something similar to that from Negan. How could he think execution was acceptable? How could he call this justice? “What other punishments are there?”

“Some people who break rules get The Iron. You’ll know who they are by looking at their faces.”  

A whistle sounded through the air. Everyone instantly dropped to their knee. A hand grabbed Sunny’s elbow tugging her down. Staring at the ground before her, she saw black boots and the tip of a barbed wired bat passing through the workers in front of her. Turning her head, she saw her husband walking away, a group of leather-clad people trailing in his wake. As soon as she could, she sprinted away from the gardens, away from the crowd of people who had bowed in subjugation.

Not caring who she ran past or how much attention she drew to herself, Sunny sprinted through the building to the stairwell, hoping she could make it to the room before Negan. Taking steps two at a time, she pushed through the stitches in her side. She came to a halt as she saw a tall dirty blonde man at the door of her room.

“Get your ass in here,” Dwight hissed. “He’ll be up any minute. Jesus. You’re covered in fucking dirt. Jump in the shower. If he finds outs….”

“Thanks.” She crossed the threshold and turned looking at the man about to lock her back in her cage. “Dwight, I have to ask…what happened…”

“Don’t ask. You’re better off not knowing. Now get in there and get clean.” Dwight shut the door and the lock clicked into place.

Sunny shed her clothes, stuffing them under her sink. She turned the shower on and jumped in not waiting for the water to warm.

Fuck! It’s freezing. This is what you get for breaking rules. Curiosity killed the cat. Here it can get them killed, burned, and who knows what else. What did you just see? Did all those people really bow to Negan? Does he kill people for being desperate? Burn their faces?

Her brain bounced between the Negan she thought she knew and the one who had been described in the last few days. Her Negan was passionate, kind, and protective. He was overbearing at times, but she never thought he was capable of what she had heard. Hoarding wives. Mutilating faces. Killing people for being hungry. None of this made sense. There had to be a mistake.

The water warmed, heating her skin, but the cold dread still filled her stomach. She focused on washing her skin, removing the dirt from her arms and hands. As she worked lather across her body, the shower curtain pulled back revealing Negan, naked, stroking his erection as his eyes traveled over her slick body.

He stepped into the shower. “It’s a little late in the day for a shower. What’s my princess been doing all morning to get dirty?” His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him, his cock pressed against her abdomen.

Does he know? Did he see me? Did Dwight tell? Heart pounding, she replied, “Exercising. I’m not gonna fit in my clothes if I keep eating and not doing anything.”

“You act like not fitting in your clothes is a bad thing. I’d love having you naked all day.” His hand snaked through her hair, gripping it gently, tilting her head back. He lowered his lips to hers.

Sunny melted in his arms. The warmth and strength of his body, the way his tongue moved in her mouth, nothing else mattered but this. Her hands slid up his chest, a satisfied rumble vibrating beneath her fingers. Negan gripped her waist, lifting and pinning her against the cold tiled wall. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he positioned himself at her entrance. She wasn’t prepared for the slow torturous way he stretched and filled her as he pushed inside her. She could feel her muscles already clenching around him, ready to keep time with his usual punishing pace. But it didn’t come. His thrusts were slow and deliberate, letting her feel every inch and he pushed in and pulled out. She wanted to scream at him or cry. It was too much and not enough. “Please,” she begged.

“You want more?” he asked against the curve on her neck, his teeth scraping against the tender flesh.

“Yes,” she moaned, rolling her hips trying to goad him into thrusting harder, but he kept her pressed against the wall.

“You want me to fuck you, princess?” Negan snapped his hips, thrusting hard to the hilt. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her back arching off the tile.

“Oh god, yes,” She whimpered. Her body was so close to the edge, her sweat mixing with the steam and streaming water.

“Say it. Tell me you want me to fuck you.” His hazel eyes stared into her green eyes. His brows furrowed as if holding back his movements caused him pain.

Sunny whined as he pulled out and waited. “Fuck me.” Her body was shaking with need as she continued to plead. “God, Negan. I want you to fuck me.”

He growled as he pumped into her with renewed power. The sound of wet skin slapping against each other was drowned by the crescendoing of her cries. Her muscles contracted as her body fell over the precipice of pleasure, the intensity only building as he prolonged her orgasm with his powerful strokes. It only took him a few more minutes before he followed her over the edge, his cock pulsing as he shot thick streams of cum inside her.

Lowering her down, Negan kissed Sunny’s forehead. “Now that I got you fucking dirty again, let’s clean up, and I’ll go get us some dinner.”

 ______________________________________________________________

 

Something was wrong. Negan stared at Sunny across the table. She was quiet. No questions about his trip. No playful teasing. She pushed her hair behind her ears and went back to picking at her food. She wasn’t even looking at him. “Ok. What’s wrong, doll?” he asked.

She met his gaze her eyes widening. She sighed and said, “I just keep realizing I don’t know anything about you. When you are here nothing else matters. But when you leave, reality sets in. That’s all.”

Negan leaned back, his arms crossing over his chest. “What is there that you need to know? Our pasts don’t mean anything anymore.”

She moved her food around with her fork, stabbing a piece of potato. “You know my past.”

“Fine,” he grumbled. “What do you want to know?”

Sunny seemed to be thinking. She hesitated then asked, “What did you do for a living?”

He grabbed his fork, loading it with food said, “I was a gym teacher,” before shoveling it in his mouth.

Her eyebrows sprang into her hairline, her lips trembling as she struggled to maintain a straight face. “Seriously? Did you say a gym teacher? Like short shorts and a whistle?” His glare was all the confirmation she needed. “Oh my god. Does anyone else know? Is it weird to wear all that leather now? Do you still have the short shorts?”

“Is there anything else you need to fucking know? Or are you satisfied with that juicy bit of info which I am sure I will never hear the fucking end to?”

She took a deep breath. “Were you—were you ever married? I mean, you’re older…so I figured you probably must have been at some point….”

Negan’s back straightened. He put his fork on the table. How could he not have thought she would want to know all this shit? “I was married before. She died of cancer right before all this started.”

“Did you ever have any kids?” Her voice was quiet. Her eyes softened with anticipatory pity.

“No. We never had kids.” Negan pushed the thoughts away. He didn’t like to think about his wife, Lucille, and how he had treated her. They had tried for kids, and he was grateful it never happened. That he hadn’t had to see his kids trying to survive in this kind of world.

“What about after?” Sunny watched him as he shifted in his seat, his brows furrowed.

He took another bite of food. “What do you mean after?” he asked out of the side of his mouth.

“Were you married after everything fell apart? Before me? It’s been 2 years…I doubt you’ve been celibate, Negan.” Her stomach turned at the thought of him with all those beautiful women.

What the actual fuck? Why would she even ask that? Should I tell her the truth?  Did Dwight say something? No, he wouldn’t be so stupid. He lifted his bread to his mouth, tearing off a piece with his teeth. The fluffy bite nearly melted in his mouth. The last time he had bread this good was….

“Where did this bread come from?” His voice was gravelly as he fought to keep his emotions in check.

“I’m assuming you got it from the kitchens.”

“The recipe, Sunny. Your recipe. How did they get it? Those shits haven’t made a decent loaf of bread in 2 years. I’m gone 2 days and suddenly they figured it out?”

“You mean the recipe I got off the bag of flour? It’s not some family secret.” Her heart hammered. That wasn’t technically a lie. “Don’t try to evade the question at hand with accusations, Negan. Have you been married after the world ended before me?” She waited not knowing if she wanted him to lie or not. How would she feel if he did? How could she ever trust him? Ever really know him?

He was cornered and he knew it. Was he lashing out over the bread for nothing? Would she have snuck out? He wanted to believe she would listen to him and trust his judgment, but how could he expect her to trust him if he was thinking of lying to her? He pinched the bridge of his nose and ran his face down his cheeks over his stubble. “Yes, you could say I was married. It wasn’t a conventional marriage. It was an arrangement with a group of women who called themselves my wives. We took care of each other. I ended it all when I met you. I didn’t want that anymore. All I wanted was you.”

“How many?” She stared at him, not knowing if she was relieved or heartbroken by his admission. He said he ended it all for her. But what if she wasn’t enough?

“Five. Not my most brilliant idea, but I was selfish and it bolstered my reputation.” His eyes met hers. “I swear it ended as soon as I met you.” He could see her innocence slipping away as she processed what he had told her. Had it been the right thing to confess? The one thing he wanted was to protect her and he couldn’t even protect her from his past.

“Five….” Sunny stared at her plate. Her body felt like it was on autopilot as she lifted her utensil and began to eat once more.

“May I remind you that your favorite book is about a sheltered young woman who falls in love with a married man. At least, I got rid of my wives before marrying you.”

Gasping and sputtering, she responded, “That’s a fictional story, not a self-help book! Just because I like to read something doesn’t mean I want to live it.”

“Ok. Ok.” He held his hands up in surrender. Seeing the outrage on her face, he relented. “Sunny, they didn’t mean anything to me,” Negan desperately tried to explain.

She shook her head, her shoulders lifting and falling. “I don’t know if that makes it better or worse. I think I’m just going to go to bed now. I can’t eat anymore.” She rose from the table and crawled into the bed. “Good night, Negan.”

Negan remained seated. He let her escape him into her own thoughts, knowing she had no other place to go to process all that he had said. How had she known to keep asking after he told her about Lucille? Shouldn’t an admission about one wife in his past have been sufficient? He stared at his food. Grabbing the bread, he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in the space of time he had gone.

________________________________________________________________

Warmth and wetness gathered between Sunny’s thighs. Her body arched in response to the delicious dream she was having. Beard scraping against her soft skin. Teeth nipping. Lips sucking on her delicate folds. Her eyes fluttered open to see a dark shadow resting between her legs. His hazel eyes met hers with a wink that sent her head back to the pillow as his attention turned to her clit. Her thighs squeeze against his head, shaking as she climaxed against his tongue.

He kissed her hips moving up to her stomach before taking each of her nipples into his mouth in turn. He crawled up her body and kissed her forehead with a lazy “Good morning, baby. I gotta go. Your breakfast is on the table.” He kissed her again and his weight was lifted off the bed.

Sunny watched him go, her afterglow fading quickly as she remembered their conversation last night. She looked at the table. Her stomach churned. She didn’t feel like eating. She felt like wallowing. Wallowing in her own self-pity. Which she didn’t deserve because she had followed a stranger down a sex-laden path only to be surprised when she found out he was still a stranger. Physical intimacy does not mean you know someone and that was a lesson she still needed to learn.

She needed help reconciling the Negan she thought she knew and the Negan the rest of the world saw. Her Negan would never do the things she heard. But she had seen him walk past kneeling workers as if he demanded that kind of reverence and devotion. Which Negan was the real one?

She gathered her clothes and dressed in them once more. She wondered how many more times she should wear them before they officially became offensive to other’s nostrils. No one liked the smelly kid.

She figured she had an hour or two. Maybe she could get some more info out of Karen and Sarah in the laundry. They seemed to know everyone’s in’s and out. Or maybe Delilah. Cooking always helped with her troubles in the past. Nothing like making something to feel like you have some control in times of chaos.

She inserted the hairpins into the lock like always and waited for the click. She grabbed the handle and turned, pulling the door open. Her exit was blocked by the back of a person standing in the hall. A woman with short blonde hair pulled back and a tattoo on her neck turned and glared at her.

“Did you need something?” she asked.

“Who are you?” Sunny demanded.

The woman’s hands rested on her hips, pushing her jacket back, revealing a gun on her hip. “I’m the person Negan put in charge of making sure no one goes in or out of this door. So I suggest you go back inside and paint your nails like a good little wife.”

Sunny slammed the door in woman’s face, hoping maybe it had made contact with her stupid smug face. A guard! Negan had put a guard at her door. Didn’t he trust her? No, obviously he didn’t. No more than she trusted him it seemed. Neither had been entirely truthful. And without trust what did they really have?

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Negan approached the door where Laura stood. She opened it for him and whispered, “You were right,” before turning walking down the hall.

God fucking damnit. He should have known. He had suspected after last night, but he should have known she would have snuck out. Should have had a guard posted from the beginning. That is one fucking mistake I won’t be making twice.

He entered the office and she was sitting on his couch with her arms crossed. He slammed the door behind him.

“A guard, Negan? Really?” she snapped.

“I fucking wouldn’t need to post a guard at the door if you could follow the fucking rules, Sunny. You care to explain why my head cook is losing her shit asking where some fucking chick named Elizabeth is? Or how about Jane from the laundry? No one knows where these women came from or where they are. But fucking funny thing…they both match your description. I told you that key was for emergencies only!”

“I didn’t use the key! I picked the lock!” She was on her feet, her hands balled in fists at her sides. A pink flush was creeping over her cheeks. “The door shouldn’t have been locked in the first place. I should not be a prisoner here.”

“You aren’t a prisoner. I’m keeping you safe!” Negan ran his fingers through his hair. “Don’t you see that?”

“No, I see a man who is interested in keeping from seeing how the world works. The world he created where people kneel to him.”

 

“You are in a world of trouble, little girl. Come here. Hands on the desk.” He moved some things over on the desk, clearing an area on the wooden surface.

“No.” Her arms crossed, feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes never leaving his. 

 

“Excuse me?” He walked towards her, towering over her, trying regain control over the situation.

She didn’t falter. “I said, ‘No.’ I’m not playing games right now. I didn’t mind the rules and punishments when it was fun, and I had hope of things changing. Of you letting me be a part of this community. But if that’s not going to happen, I want to go home.”

Negan froze. “This is your home.”

“No. This is a gilded cage. At least I had a purpose at my house. I had animals and plants that depended on me. Here my only job is to satisfy your needs. Which you can obviously fill with anyone…and have.”

“You are not leaving me.” His hands gripped her arms, pulling her against him., wrapping around her.

“Then let me have a job. Give me some freedom. Please, I can’t stay in these rooms without going crazy.”

“No. You’ll get used to it and you’ll realize I’m right. I can’t let anything happen to you.”

Tears shone in Sunny’s eyes as she pushed away from him. Negan’s heart felt like it was ripping in two, knowing he was the cause of her pain. But he refused to back down on this. She was safest here with him. And he would be damned if he let anything happen to her. She would calm down in a day or two, and everything would go back to the way it was. She turned her back to him and left him alone in the office. 

Negan walked out the front door, locking it behind him. He crossed the hall and entered his entertaining room. He poured himself a scotch, adding a few drops of water to open the flavor. Sitting on his leather chair, he sipped and wondered how everything had gone to hell to fast. She had been happy. He’d been happy. And now?

He drank the rest of his glass and poured another, staring at his surroundings. Never would he had been in possession of such fine things before the end of the world. He drank cheap beer in a camping chair in his garage most days. His affairs were conducted in motels that charged by the hour. Now, he had the finest liquor and furniture he could loot. He had built an empire from nothing. A civilization where once there was none. Couldn’t Sunny just be happy being taken care of? Any other woman would be. But she wasn’t any other woman. And he’d never be able to replace her as much as she may think he could.

Fuck. He was going to have to give in. Just a little. Enough to keep her happy but also keep him sane. He couldn’t stand her unhappiness and he wouldn’t let her leave. A nice safe job. Maybe in the nursery or the school. Reading stories and snuggling babies. Maybe the kitchen. He could have someone watch over her, maybe just to walk her places.

He put his drink down, the bottle half empty after hours of ruminating. He returned to their rooms and looked at Sunny sleeping in their bed. He still believed she was meant to be his. He knew the first minute he met her. They could work through it and tomorrow they would. He undressed and climbed in bed next to her.

________________________________________________________________

Sunny laid awake next to Negan for what seemed like hours, listening to sound of his light snoring. Gingerly, she sat up and slid off the mattress. She grabbed the clothes hidden under her bed and dressed quickly. She pulled out the bag she had packed with an extra set of clothes and her favorite book. Tiptoeing, she turned cracked the bathroom door and turned on the light, closing it soundlessly. Hopefully, he would think she was in there and it would buy her a few more minutes.

In the office, she took the sandwiches, chips, and water bottles, stuffing as many as she could into her backpack. She rummaged through his desk for the knife she knew he kept there. Searching the left side, her stomach flipped when she saw a Spark Notes guide to Jane Eyre. He hadn’t read it after all, but he tried. She found a map in the center drawer. She unfolded it a few times and saw it had The Sanctuary as well as other communities circled in red. She put that in her bag too. She wasn’t sure which way home was exactly. In the right drawer, she found what she needed, a knife and a compass. Grabbing both she left their rooms.

Peeking around corners and avoiding guards, she made her way to the front gate. She hid between some cars and waited in the dark. She knew people were allowed out at 8 a.m. Negan woke up well before then most mornings. Hopefully, he wouldn’t realize she was gone until much later. She needed a head start.

The sun started to rise. It was now or never. Sunny approached the gate. A Savior with a large gun stopped her. “It’s not 8 a.m. go back to your room.”

“I can’t afford a watch. I’m already packed. Please just let me leave. What difference does a few minutes make?”  You stared at this poor man’s face, hoping your lies wouldn’t cost him too dearly. “Please, I have to get out of here.”

“It’s not any better out there,” he warned.

“I know.  But I need to leave.” Her eyes glistened with tears whether from fear or regret she didn’t know. “Please, help me.”

He shook his head and dropped his weapon, letting it hang from its strap over his shoulder. He undid the chain and opened the gate enough for Sunny to slide through.

“Thank you,” she whispered as the gates shut behind her and she faced the world for the first time alone.  

Chapter 19

Summary:

Summary- Sunny is on the run and Negan is the last to know.

Word Count- 4.7k

Warnings- Angsty feels...no boning. Shocking, I know. But get used to it. We’re in plot mode now.

Notes:

Do I know it’s been a year and a half since my last update? Am I aware that I have written 28 other stories since starting this one? Yes, it haunts me. I’m using Camp NaNoWriMo to get this story up and moving again. Wish me luck. Also, this was canon adjacent when I started it way back when. There are going to be a lot of old characters that aren’t in the show anymore because I’ve had this planned out since, what, December 2016? lol. Yikes.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

 

 

 

 

 

Negan woke with a long, languid stretch of his limbs. His hands reached to the other side of the bed for the warm body of his wife, hoping to nestle his morning wood into the curve of her backside, but his grasping fingers were met with only air and silky sheets. He cracked open his eyes. The bed was empty. Shit. 

He sat up, the bedding falling to his waist, his hands scrubbed the salt and pepper stubble on his chin before running through his hair. He scanned the room for Sunny but her small figure was nowhere to be seen. His brows knitted together, blood racing, before noticing the light that shone from under the bathroom door. 

Grabbing his jeans from the floor, he pulled them on. Tugging the corner of the comforter, he made the bed. He may not be able to bounce a quarter of it, but it was good enough. He chose not to pick out an outfit, she probably wouldn't wear whatever he chose for her anyways in a fit of rebellion. She made it clear she was done with the rules and games they played.

He left the room to get the rest of his clothes from his closet in the office. He would let her cool off a little more. She was obviously still mad and needed some space if she had gotten up before him to hide. 

Normally, he could just fuck her silly until she forgot what was bothering her. However, last night was the first night they hadn’t had sex since she arrived. And this time it wouldn’t be enough. He would have to talk to her. He prided himself on being more of a man of action. Typically, that action was either fighting or fucking. Communication had never been his strong suit.

Right now, however, he would do what he always did. He would make his morning rounds. Get the newest reports. Then bring Sunny her breakfast. Going through the motions would give him something to do to keep him from brooding on that closed door and the possible walls she was building between them.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he locked the door behind him. He felt his mood souring. He didn’t want to deal with anyone. He only wanted her and what kind of a pussy-whipped fool did that make him? Did he even care? 

He half listened to the reports on any incidents that happened during the night. It was pretty quiet. A few walkers needed to be replaced on the wall. The remnants of one or two were no more than a snarling puddle having decomposed through the chains and poles that bound them. Not exactly the height of fucking security.

As he left his office, crowds of survivors knelt as he passed, heavy boots hitting the floor in the silence of their deference rang in his ears as never before. Their unkempt clothing a sign of their station in life. Ragamuffin children leaned into their mothers, hiding from his gaze. 

The warning Sunny had given him, replayed in his mind. How long did they really have before the workers realized they didn’t need the Saviors. Didn’t need him? What would happen to them?

He knew what he would fucking do. He would grab Sunny and Lucille and high-tail it out of there as fucking fast as he could. They would live in her house without anyone ever knowing. The two of them and Sherry, he supposed, would live a comfortable life. It actually seemed like a dream now. But he would make sure there was no need. No uprising. No mutiny. He could keep this ship afloat. Hell, he was on his way to having a whole fucking armada of outposts and communities at his disposal.

Negan took a tray from the kitchen and made the trek back upstairs to their floor. Breakfast seemed to be some sort of oatmeal concoction with a few sad berries on top. If she didn’t like it she could grab a peanut butter jelly sandwich from the fridge. Better than nothing, he thought. But not as good as she was eating at home. He shook that truth from his mind. 

Hopefully, she’d be out. They could have their fucking talk and figure out what she could do that would both keep her safe and happy. Then they could move the fuck on with their lives.

But when he entered the bedroom the bathroom door was still shut. Fuck. Hell hath no fucking fury...  

He set down the tray on the table. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the bathroom door. “Sunny, I’ve got your breakfast out here.”

Silence.

He leaned against the door, his gravelly voice reverberating against the wood. “Babydoll, you’ve got to eat something. Why don’t you come out and we can talk?”

Still nothing. 

He bit back a growl. “You can’t stay in there forever, honey. I’ll be back at lunch. And we will be talking.”

Negan grabbed Lucille. Blowing off steam and gathering more walkers seemed like the only thing he could do that wouldn’t result in the death of some ill-fated fucker that was unlucky enough to cross his path.

 


 

Trees loomed over her, the branches shading her from the noonday sun but doing nothing to help with the humidity that made the air thick and sticky. Her shirt was already damp with sweat. Her hair had been thrown into a ponytail but stragglers still stuck to her neck and forehead. 

Sunny had been walking for what seemed like forever but in reality, was only a few hours. She kept off the main roads, just inside the tree line. Her ears were on alert for the rumble of engines or the groans of walkers, every snap of a twig sending her into a panic though she had spotted neither yet.

The world was so different. Abandoned cars lined the roads. Buildings were empty, their windows either broken or boarded up. So many were being overtaken by plantlife. It was everything apocalyptic movies had promised with the added threat of reanimated corpses ready to eat her if they got the chance. 

She palmed the knife at her side for the millionth time that morning. Her only weapon would require close contact. Why hadn’t she stolen a gun? 

Because you wouldn’t have shot it anyways, Sunny. Why did you leave? It wasn’t so bad? So you were a prisoner. Now, you are prey. Is that really any better? I mean, how dare Negan over sex and keep you safe? That is not the point. He had no right to lock you away. You are still your own person. A person who very well may be dead in the next few hours but at least you died free.

Sunny stopped. Her brain and feet were at odds once again. She had kept herself from turning back several times. Her heart broke a little more with each step but the further she got from The Sanctuary, the easier it was to keep moving forward. She knew she was doing the right thing, but that didn’t make it suck any less.

It had hurt when she realized as she stared long and hard at the map that he had lied from day one. Her home was in the opposite direction she believed it would be when she took off from The Sanctuary. 

What else did he lie about? Thoughts had circulated in her brain for hours. Did he even love her? Was she just a trinket? A novelty to pass the time until he found another wife? 

She cursed herself for being so taken in by him. She had loved him. Did love him even though she hadn’t managed to say those words out loud. She wanted to be loved so badly. She let herself believe that it was real. But now she wasn’t so sure. 

Sunny watched her feet, careful not to trample the undergrowth. No need to alert anything within earshot of her whereabouts. She would get over this. Loss was a part of life. But would Negan ever really let her go?

 


 

Hot water ran down the planes of Negan’s muscles as he scrubbed the guts and gore from his body after exorcising his frustrations on the dead. There was no need to worry Sunny with visions of him covered in blood and filling her nose with the stench of rotting corpses this close to lunchtime. 

Dressing in a clean pair of dark grey tactical pants and a fresh white shirt, he pulled the doors open to the bedroom. The tray remained untouched on the table, the oatmeal surely having turned to cement. The bathroom door remained stubbornly closed. Had she retreated when she heard him come in? Had she come out at all?

“Sunny!” he yelled. This behavior was immature and beneath her and frankly was starting to piss him off. 

Nothing. 

He pounded on the door to the bathroom. “That’s enough, Sunny. Get your butt out here.”

Cold seemed to spread through his body, ice extending from his heart to his fingertips as he reached for the doorknob. A mist of sweat broke out across his furrowed brow. The knob would not turn. It was locked from the inside. He thrust his shoulder into the wood. Once. Twice. Three times until it burst open into the bathroom.  

His stomach plummeted as he pulled back the shower curtain praying to see his wife soaking in the tub. Empty.  

“Fuck,” he spun hoping to see her standing behind him. “Holy fuck.” He ran to the bedroom throwing back the covers, looking under the bed, checking every nook and cranny in vain. 

He ran to the office. She was gone. Grabbing his walkie on the desk he called for Dwight and Simon. They would have to sweep The Sanctuary. Discreetly. He couldn’t have the whole of the compound knowing he had a wayward wife. If any rumors started, he would know who to blame and could deal with them swiftly and publicly. 

A loud knock resounding in the empty room. Negan stepped outside looking at his two right-hand men. “Sunny’s gone. I need a thorough sweep of all the fucking rooms to see if she’s hiding out. She likes to work so see if she’s blending in with the workers. Don’t fucking breathe a word to anyone what you are doing. I will fucking handle her...quietly. I don’t need any stupid fucks getting the wrong idea. Do you fucking understand?”

Dwight nodded as he stared at the linoleum in the fluorescent light of the hallway. This was bad. The whole of the compound better pray that woman was found and fast because heaven help the bastards that have to deal with a disappointed Negan. 

Simon’s usual shit-eating grin was wiped from his face as he listened. “Of course, boss. You got it.” He exchanged a subtle glance with Dwight, his expression mirroring his own bleak thoughts. Shit was about to hit the fan if that little honey pot of a wife wasn’t found and returned to her nest.

Negan sent them to go look in the warehouses first. He would search the most likely places. His “inspections” of the gardens, looking at every dirt-smudged face, and the kitchen, where everyone scurried around like cockroaches, turned up empty. He was headed to the laundry room, groups of people hurrying to get out of his way, kneeling against the walls, avoiding his gaze, when a body threw itself in his way. 

Amber stood in front of him. Her blonde hair had darker, sandier roots growing. Her low cut top giving him a glimpse of her push-up enhanced cleavage. “I know what you're looking for. Or should I say who?” 

The curve of her lips set his blood to boil. “Get the fuck out of my way, Amber. You don’t know shit,” he snarled. 

“I saw Dwight and Simon searching. Now you’re heading to the laundry room? As if you would ever go there. You always sent some lackey to pick up your stuff.” Her fingers with their chipped manicure walked up his chest, tugging gently at the neckline. “You know, I would never run away.”  

He grabbed her hand throwing back at her. “I wish you would. Keep your fucking mouth shut, Amber. You talk to me again and I will send you to the fucking furthest outpost imaginable. Your points settlement won’t mean shit. And if I hear one fucking word about this that comes back to you, I will have you working the wall until you fucking rot.” 

Her blue eyes widened, tears welling as her lip trembled. Good, he thought. Maybe she finally understands. 

The walkie-talkie blared in his hand, breaking the glare he had set on the woman before him. 

“Boss, you need to come to the front gate,” Simon’s voice crackled over the frequency.

Careful not to react, Negan turned his back to Amber. He barely registered anything or anyone. His blood pounded, stomach twisted and turned with every step. The front gate. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. But did he really know what she was capable of?

Simon and Dwight were both at the main entrance to The Sanctuary deep in conversation. Each stopped the second they caught sight of him. Their features said it all. They looked as though they faced the gallows and Negan was the executioner. 

He stopped in front of them. His arms crossed in front of his chest, preparing himself for the worst. “Well?”

Simon shifted on his feet, his heavy scuffed boots crunching the gravel below their soles. “Well, it seems that one person left this morning just before eight. A young woman. Dark hair. Green eyes.” His teeth tugged at his bottom lip taking in Negan’s reaction. 

The world froze. The sun no longer provided warmth. The colors seemed to drain from his surroundings. Steel replaced any emotions he had. Any and all softness he had possessed was gone. Just like her.

“Get the fucking trucks and motorcycles ready. We’re sending a search party. The person who brings her back alive and unharmed gets first pick from any hauls for the next fucking year.”

“Yes, sir,” said Dwight. He wiped the sweat off his brow, his thin ashy hair sticking to the side of his face as he immediately headed to the motorcade anxious to get away from Negan. He did not need to be near him when he regained his senses and rage took over. 

“Don’t worry, boss,” chimed Simon, his mustache lifting in an encouraging smile. “No way she’s gotten far. We’ll find her and she’ll be safe and sound soon enough.” He clapped Negan on the back before making his retreat. 

Negan fought the urge to scream. To walk over to the nearest person and punch them until his knuckles bled. He would get Sunny back. And if he had to chain her to his bed to keep her safe then so fucking be it.

 


 

Sunny ran further into the woods, ducking behind a tree. The roar of multiple engines passed slowly on the road. She couldn’t take the risk even if those vehicles weren’t looking for her. Humans were just as much a danger as the dead now. 

How many motorcycles and trucks had she seen now? Too many to be coincidence. He was looking for her.

She’d been walking for a few days now. Her sweat-soaked t-shirt clung to her. Dirt dusted every inch of her. She was surprised the men on the road hadn’t found her simply from the smell emanating from her.

Pulling out a peanut butter sandwich, she took a bite and then another followed by one sip of water. She had to conserve. She had no idea how long she would be out in the wilderness. 

So far, it had been like one of her family’s survival trips her dad would take them on a couple of times a year. Except if she was with her dad, she would have had better tools. 

What she wouldn’t give for some rope to help her climb these trees. Sitting in a branch until walkers passed would be easier than rushing to try the doors of abandoned cars, hoping they were empty and unlocked. Sweating until it was safe. Nights were the worst when she was forced to hide in the stale air of musty cars, trying to sleep so she could continue her trek the next day. 

The roads were becoming familiar. She recognized more and more landmarks as the days progressed. She was close to home now. 

Fields were overgrown. Tractors sat in neighbors’ acreage, covered in years of dust and dirt. Rust creeping over the metal bodies. Yards, where kids had once played, were empty. Tire swings swayed from frayed rope in the hot breeze. Houses showcased a variety of broken windows. Her neighborhood no longer felt like home. There was nothing welcoming or reassuring about walking down this street. It was just another place in the world that had gone to hell. 

Sunny cut through the woods behind her nearest neighbor’s farm. She suspected Negan would come for her here. Probably have a few men waiting to take her back. But she had to at least try. 

She stared at the large tree that once had a branch that hung over their electric fence. If only Negan hadn’t cut it back. There was no other way to get in without walking through the front gate. And just as Sunny suspected two young men with motorcycles kept watch. They wore leather vests with dingy white shirts underneath. Saviors.

Her only hope was Sherry. If she was still there. What if Negan sent her home? What if he was there waiting for her? She hadn’t really thought of what would happen if he found her. Did she want to risk it? She was too scared to try another community. What if they were worse? 

She paced behind the tree line. Unsure of what she should do. She didn’t have enough food and water for another long journey on foot. And she had no car to make a quick getaway. She could go camp out in a neighbor’s house, she supposed and hope the men would leave but that didn’t solve her food and water dilemma. Shit, she did not want to admit defeat. That she needed Negan. She didn’t. She just needed to get back inside her own home where she could take care of herself. 

Movement at the back of the house caught her eye through the fence. Sherry was out back, her hands raised a lit cigarette to her mouth, smoke billowing with her exhale. 

Sunny waved her arms wildly, trying to catch her attention.  She moved closer to the fence, stepping over the legs of a burnt, decayed walker that had met its doom the same way as so many others before. 

Sherry’s head turned swiftly. Her eyes widened. She quickly looked behind her to make sure none of the men could see her as she walked to the fence. “Oh my god, Sunny. Holy shit. You’re alive. I’m so glad you’re alive.”

Sunny looked at the woman through the fence. Sherry was clean and beautiful as ever. How must she look covered in days worth of dirt and grease? It’s not a beauty pageant. Stop being stupid. There are more important things going on right now.  

“Is Negan here?” she asked the older woman. Sunny shifted on her feet, her nose crinkling at the smell of the walker behind her, trying to stave off the queasiness she felt. 

“No. He was. He showed up and set those two dumb assess at the gate hoping you’d show up.”

“Is he mad?” Sunny managed to ask, fearing the answer.

“Mad? It looks that way. But deep down I think he’s more terrified than anything. He wouldn’t speak to me. Only barked a few orders then left.” 

How was she supposed to process this? Was she relieved he wasn’t here? Or upset that he wasn’t? Did she truly believe Sherry? That he wasn’t mad? Could he really just be worried about her? She was too tired and hungry, too dirty to know how she felt anymore.

Concerned, Sherry continued, “He’s out there looking for you day and night. He’s not one to sit still. Honey, if you don’t want to get dragged back to The Sanctuary, you’ve got to get out of here.” 

Sunny’s voice cracked. “I don’t want to go back there, but I don’t know where else to go.” She reached inside her bag. “I-I have this map.” She pulled out the paper and began unfolding. “Are any of these places safe, do you think?”

Sherry stole a glance over her shoulder before squinting as she peered through the chain link. “Most of those are outposts. They’ll be on the lookout for you.” She took another drag of her cigarette then pointed with her two fingers. “Hilltop--no. Their leader is Negan’s biggest dick sucker. He’ll hand you over with gusto in the hopes of getting something for himself.”

“What am I going to do?” If she stayed here, she would get caught. If she just wandered, the wilderness that was once civilization, she would surely die. By walker or starvation. 

“Alexandria. Right there.” Sherry pointed to another red circle on the map. “Don’t tell them who you are or where you come from. They will take you in...they’re good people but there is no love lost between them and Negan.”

Sunny turned the map in her hands and gauged the distance between here and Alexandria. It would take her several more days. “I don’t have enough food and water…” This was impossible. Why did she think she could do this? 

“Sunny, why did you leave?” Sherry finally asked.

“He was too controlling. All I wanted was to help, and he wouldn’t let me have a job. He wouldn’t even let me leave the room. ” 

Sherry shook her head. “Fucking knew it,” she muttered. “I knew it. Look, I’ll distract the guards with some food. They aren’t supposed to come inside. Negan doesn’t want anyone else knowing about your place, but I can get them to the back of the house. Once they’re out of the way, I’ll leave you some water, food...do you have a gun?”

“No. I have a knife though.” Sunny’s hand went to the blade at her hip.

“Jesus Christ.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, tossed her cigarette on the ground, and snubbed it out with her shoe. “A gun and some ammo too then. You really sure you don’t want to go back?”

“Not the way it was. I don’t see him changing.” She was near tears now. As much as she hated it, hated what she was doing, she didn’t see any other way. “A gilded cage is still a cage. I didn’t go to The Sanctuary to be pampered and locked away. I wanted to be with Negan. To help him. Be a part of a community. At least here I had a purpose however small that was.”

“Okay, then. I’ll work on getting Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum away from the gate. Once you get the stuff, high-tail it out of here. Spend a few weeks at Alexandria. Lay low, don’t bring attention to yourself. Then sneak back here if you don’t like it. We’ll figure everything out once things calm down. Hopefully, by then, Negan will be so thankful he’ll do whatever you want.” She looked at Sunny like she desperately wanted to believe what she was telling her. 

“Thanks, Sherry. I really appreciate all of this.” 

Pity shone in Sherry’s eyes. “Good luck, Sunny.” 

Sunny watched her return to the house. Her house. A house she may never see again. Would she ever be able to stop running and hiding from Negan? What was worse? Being miserable with him or miserable without? She felt so stupid. Sherry had obviously seen this coming in some way, shape, or form. Why hadn’t she? Because Sherry knows Negan better than you do, a snide voice chimed in. 

She waited an hour for Sherry to drop a pack over the front gate. Rushing forward before the guards could come back, Sunny grabbed it and hauled it over her back. She would condense it all into one bag later when she was a safe distance away. No need to carry two and needlessly encumber herself more than she already was. 

The sound of a truck up ahead quickened her pace. Taking one last look at her old home, she turned and started on her way to Alexandria through the overgrown brush and trees.

 


 

Negan pulled up to Sunny’s home. It had been days almost a week since she disappeared. He hadn’t found her yet. This was the first place he had checked after she left even though he knew she wouldn’t be there without a vehicle. If she was heading this way on foot, she should have made it by now. Shouldn’t she? 

Sherry was outside, but those god damn idiots he left here weren’t. What the fuck?

He opened the gate with the remote Sunny had given him and pulled into the drive. He parked the black truck, dusty from the day’s trip, and jumped from the cab. “Where the fuck are those two assholes I posted here?” he yelled.

“Well, hello to you too,” Sherry replied. “They’d been out here for days. I made them some sandwiches, and they’re eating them on the back porch. Give them something else to look at besides the empty road. I’ve been standing watch for the whole 10 minutes they’ve been back there. Poor kids. It’s just their luck the one time I convince them to take a break, you show up.”

“I told them to stand here and look for her--” he was gearing up for a righteous rant.

Sherry held up her hand. “I know, and I felt sorry for them so I’ve been looking out. Nothing has happened, Negan. If she sets foot inside this property, you’ll be the first to know.” It wasn’t a lie, but he also didn’t need to know she was no more than a mile away by now. 

Negan glared. He hadn’t spoken to Sherry the first time he’d come by looking for Sunny. The “I told you so” was firmly planted across her features, and he did not need to hear her bullshit especially since he knew she was right.

“If anything happens to her…” His hands clenched in fists as he fought the urge to imagine the worse. It had been too long. Was he going to come across a Sunny walker in his searches? Would he have to put her down? Put a bullet in her brain? Watch as Lucille smashed her once beautiful face? 

“Negan, go inside. You look like shit.” Her eyes traveled over his usually immaculate form. His hair was disheveled, his natural curl no longer plastered to his head with pomade. His stubble had grown into the beginnings of a thick beard. Dark circles hugged his eyes. “Let’s have some dinner, maybe you can take a nap?”

Negan’s body stilled. He couldn’t go in there. He couldn’t be surrounded by everything that was hers. Everything he selfishly took her from. It was bad enough sleeping in his bed every night alone, her scent fading from her pillow. “No, get those shit for brains back out here before I fucking kill them for leaving their post. I’ve got to go back out and look for her. If she’s not here, then she’s still out there.”

She stepped forward, her hand cupping his cheek. “Sunny is a survivor, Negan. She’ll be fine. She’s tougher than you think. If she decides to come home, I will take care of her and let you know, but she needs to be able to make her own decisions. Those might not include you.”

He jerked away from her touch at her last remark. “She is mine. I won’t live without her.” Turning his back to Sherry, he gave a defeated sigh. “I can’t.”

“You can. And if it’s really what she wants, you know you will.”

Notes:

Ok, so there here we are. I’m immediately starting the next chapter. I have always had the whole things planned but my muse just quit on me a while back. Luckily, I’ve got some friends working on their stories for camp too so the motivation to get it done is back. Thanks to everyone who has stuck around. Let me know if you are still reading and if you like it!

Chapter 20

Summary:

Sunny makes her way to Alexandria.

Notes:

Holy shit, I updated and it hasn't even been a year yet? What? And I've already started the next chapter? Who am I? This is a Sunny heavy chapter.

So, there are some WARNINGS for this chapter. I want to give people the option of looking at them if they are concerned with possible triggers, but still give those that want the surprise a chance to be surprised. The WARNINGS will be in the author's notes at the end so click or scroll down to those if you want those WARNINGS ahead of the chapter. Hopefully, this is a good compromise? I'm trying.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

 

 

 

Sunny’s back ached. Her whole body ached. Every muscle was sore and screamed at her with every step. Her eyes were heavy, the many sleepless nights weighing them down, promising relief if she would just close them. 

 

The thought of reaching Alexandria was the only thing keeping her going. A shower. A meal that wasn’t a protein bar. A bed. All those things were worth the struggle.

 

You had all of those things and you, literally, walked away. If you hadn’t been such an idiot, this wouldn’t be a problem in the first place. 

 

A wave of overwhelming exhaustion overcame her. She started her trek earlier in the morning at the first hint of light in the air. The overcast sky and still air did nothing to help her mood. She could just sit against a tree for a second. Her body needed a break. She could take a bite of food and a little sip of water. Ten minutes. She would give herself 10 minutes then she would get up and keep going. She was within a day or so of Alexandria depending on how far she walked every day. 

 

Sunny took off her bag tossing it to the ground and settled with her back against the scratchy bark of a pine tree. Pulling the zipper, she opened the black backpack to the dwindling supply of food and water. She needed to find more soon if she didn’t reach Alexandria. Maybe there was a little town nearby that wasn’t already cleaned out of essentials. 

 

The skies above rumbled and a breeze picked up. It was fitting to her mood. Never had she felt so tired. So defeated. What was little rain? Maybe it would feel like a shower. Lord knew she could use one. 

 

She took a bite of a protein bar which tasted faintly of the peanut butter it purported to contain. It mostly tasted like chalk. It was hard to chew and even harder to swallow. Nothing seemed able to settle her stomach. The stress and anxiety of her world right now had set her entire system on edge. What she wouldn’t give for a greasy hamburger from her favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant in her hometown or even the charred ones her dad used to grill. Those were the only things that sounded appetizing at the moment

 

Her heart lurched thinking of her family. Her parents were weird and strict, but they did their best. And though her upbringing was unconventional, to say the least, would she have lasted as long as she had without all they had provided? No.

 

She never should have left home. Her parents left and never came back. Her sister too. Would she ever get to go home again? To be in a place that felt like home?  

 

Sunny pulled her knees to her chest as thunder rumbled overhead. Rain fell a few pitter-patters at a time before the skies opened up. She was soaked within a few minutes. Instead of washing the dirt and dust from her body, she was now covered in mud-like paste. She would be crusty when it dried. Wonderful. 

 

Lightning zapped across the sky, loud enough to make her scream and cover her ears. Branches cracked and swayed violently as the wind whipped through them. It had been years since her sense had been assaulted so forcefully. 

 

Huddling against the tree, she closed her eyes, resting her head on her knees, shielding herself from the din surrounding her. She shivered as the clothing clung to her, cooling with every gust. The creaking and cracking of branches seemed to be getting closer. The wind groaning and snarling at her. Too close. 

 

Sunny’s head popped up. A walker, face oozing off its skull in the heavy downpour, lumbered towards her. Grabbing her backpack, she sprinted away from the corpse, hoping she was heading in the direction of the main road she had been following. There had to be a car, anything for her to hide in. From the rain. From the thunder. From the dead. 

 

The road was barely visible through the trees and deluge. Her face was soaked. Eyes blinking rapidly trying to shield her from the rain. Her feet slipped in the mud, struggling to climb over roots and underbrush. 

 

There was a white sedan fifty feet away down the road. She adjusted her course and headed for shelter. She didn’t know how far behind the walker was. She didn’t dare look back. She had to keep going. 

 

Her fingers tried to lift the flat handle of the back door on the car but lost traction on the slick surface. Her hands shook as she finally got a solid grip and pulled the door open. 

 

A wave of foul rotting putridity hit her only seconds before a dried-out corpse lunged forward. Its face sunken in and shriveled. Every ounce of moisture seemingly sucked from its shell of a body. 

 

Sunny fell, her feet flying out from underneath her on the wet pavement. Her head bounced off of the road, spots and colors flashing before her eyes, ringing blaring in her ears. The walker tumbled on top of her. It bared its teeth, gnashing as it snarled. She lifted her hand, pushing the brittle neck away from her, fighting against the withered arms that clawed at her, while her other reached for her knife at her hip. She had not come this far to die now. 

 

The rain pelting down on them made the walker slick, almost slimy, as the mummified flesh rehydrated. Sunny choked as fear turned to genuine terror and panic. She fumbled with her knife, trying to pull it while keeping the monster’s mouth at bay. 

 

Her fingers finally found the right grip, pulling the knife up, she stabbed at the thing’s head over and over until it stopped moving, what was left of its brain and blood falling on her in congealed chunks. 

 

Rolling over, she pushed the body off of her, retching onto the road, heaving the last remnants of anything she had ever eaten. From the corner of her eye, she saw the first walker emerging from the trees. How had it found her? Had the struggle been loud enough for it to hear over the storm?

 

She crossed the road and took off. Her blood pounding in her ears drowned out any further rumbles from the sky. She’d find another car. She’d remember to tap on the window this time. How could she have been that careless? She knew better. Had already been startled by one her first week, though she saw it before she could open the door. 

 

As the tempest dissipated, all that was left was a few drops falling from leaves and branches above, Sunny’s body shook. From being wet and cold or from the shock of her near-death experience she didn’t know.  She picked at the chunks of gore that were on her chest and in her hair, hoping she had found most of them. Kneeling behind a tree, she dry heaved. Her lip trembled and eyes burned with the need to cry.

 

Not yet. Find a safe place and then you can cry.  

 

There was another abandoned vehicle up the road. An old heavy-duty truck. The kind of classic her dad had once owned, swearing up and down he would never get rid of it. She tapped on the glass. Peered inside the window. Empty. Now was it unlocked? She tried the door handle, it opened with a heavy clunk. 

 

Climbing in, she cracked the back window of the cab just enough to let some fresh air in. She locked the doors and laid across the bench seat trying to ignore the foul stench of walker guts that clung to her.

 

Tears that had remained steadfastly unshed finally freed themselves. Falling down her temples into her hair. Dizziness started spinning the world around her as her body wracked with small sobs, too scared to cry as loudly as her soul demanded. She laid there silently weeping until her body was heavy, eyes fighting to stay open, every nerve frazzled and frayed. 

 

Her hand reached up to the back of her head where a large knot was forming. Her head throbbed. No sleep. If she had a concussion, she needed to stay awake, according to what her mother used to tell her, even though her body ached and stomach churned. 

 

Sitting up, she pulled out the map. It was still mid-morning even though the overcast sky made it look later. She could make it to Alexandria in a few hours with any luck. Her knee bumped into something setting it swinging. A key chain...the keys were in the ignition. But would it turn over? 

 

None of the other vehicles she had tried and worked, sitting too long in the elements. Gasoline separating, the water evaporating until all that remains is thick gunky fluid sure to kill what was left of the vehicle. But what was the harm in trying?  

 

Her fingers gripped the key. Foot pressing down on the brake. Rolling her fingers forward, she held her breath. The engine chugged and sputtered then died. She pumped the gas pedal. Turning the key again, the truck engine struggled but started. 

 

Finally, something was working in her favor. In no time at all, she would be clean and dry. 

 





Negan swirled his bourbon watching the amber liquid spin around the two ice cubes that clinked against the glass. He sat at the head of a long table in the room that served as a meeting place for the few Saviors he felt he could trust. His boots were propped up on the corner of the hard surface, Lucille leaning against his chair. If anyone had glanced at him they would have thought him bored. But his men knew better. 

 

This was not the stance of a man relaxed. In the last two weeks, Negan had regained the ruthless volatility that had garnered him the respect and loyalty of the degenerates surrounding him. His anger was palpable. The energy of The Sanctuary, while never warm and welcoming, had become hostile. 

 

Everyone was on edge. Walking on eggshells, trying to avoid the big bad wolf who threatened to blow every single one of them down if they so much as looked at him the wrong way. Though no one really knew what brought on the sudden change. There were rumors. But no one would confirm if they were true and no one was stupid enough to ask. 

 

“Boss, we gotta do something soon, or we’re gonna have problems,” said Simon, bringing Negan out of his thoughts. His fingers traced the path of his mustache around the corners of his mouth. 

 

Without breaking his gaze from his drink, Negan asked, “What fucking problems?”

 

Dwight shifted in his chair, being on Negan’s radar was not something he wanted, ever. But being at the top near him was better than being at the bottom. He looked to Laura staring at her hands in the corner, not yet afforded a seat at the table. The other members exchanged glances. No one wanted to speak up. He tugged at the string that once held a button on the cuff of his plaid shirt.  “The Saviors are getting restless, sir. They’re complaining about not having any action the last two weeks. It’s starting to affect morale and when morale is low, violence is high.”

 

“Well, we can’t fucking have that now, can we?” Negan took a sip. “It’s about time we start making the rounds, collecting our shit from those fucking communities. Get trucks ready, divide people into teams. We’ll head out tomorrow.” He downed the rest of his drink and waved the people in the room away. No one had to be asked twice. 

 

Negan kicked his feet to the floor. He grabbed Lucille and swung her over his shoulder, the leather of his black jacket protecting him from the barbs. 

 

Maybe those assholes were right. Maybe getting out and cracking some skulls, making sure those communities toe the line would help keep his mind off of her. 

 

Sunny hadn’t shown up at her house. He was so fucking sure she would have. Where else would she go? He had probably scared her away from any groups or communities. She was all alone. Or dead. And it was all his fucking fault. 

 

Entering his room, the extravagance that surrounded him made him want to rage. The opulence and perfection only masked the deception and dishonesty, much like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. This room was still just a room in a fucking dirty factory, filled with the weak and the vile. He knew where he stood on that spectrum.

 

The last thing Sunny had wanted was to be alone. His selfishness drove her away. He learned to take what he wanted when the world ended...even before he had put his own needs above others. But he couldn’t do that with Sunny again. Even if he found her and locked her up, he could never have what he wanted. Her love and affection, freely given. Her spirit, innocent and uplifting. He would never have them if they even still existed. 

 




Sunny’s luck ran out a few miles away from Alexandria. The truck that had been the miracle she needed to keep going, ran out of its last bit of gas. Hiding the map in the glove box, just in case her bag was searched or confiscated, she abandoned it like so many other vehicles on the road and set out on foot. 

 

It was afternoon. The sun behind the clouds was creeping closer to the horizon. The air was humid, all the morning rain evaporating making the heat of the day viscous. 

 

Her head had stopped throbbing which was good. It made walking easier but her stomach was still queasy. She had tried to eat a few bites after puking her guts up this morning but every time it came right back up. 

 

The street in front of her had cars lined up creating barriers. Ruins of once beautiful homes stood on either side of the avenue. At the end, there was a wall. Armed lookouts stood on scaffolding behind the barrier. 

 

Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward. Catching a glimpse of herself in a car window, she saw her reflection. Her hair was matted with grease and walker guts. She was so dirty and disheveled that she wouldn’t blame anyone for mistaking her for a reanimated dead corpse. She felt as good as she looked.

 

Sunny lifted her hands and continued forward. Her eyes watched for any movement from her periphery while keeping the guards in her sight. 

 

She heard shouting, though what was being said was lost to her in the wake of her nerves until she had almost reached the gate. 

 

“Stop right there!” a woman’s voice bellowed.

 

Sunny froze. Would they take her in? Shoot her down? At this point, she wasn’t sure she cared. Rest was rest. 

 

The gate began to creak as it slid to the side revealing a small group of people. The welcoming committee , she thought. Or executioner’s squad. 

 

A man with a cowboy hat approached her followed by a man with greasy shoulder-length hair that hung in eyes and a woman with short gray hair. 

 

“Who are you?” the cowboy rasped. He had a revolver tucked inside a hip holster.

 

Shit. She hadn’t thought of a name or background story. She couldn't tell the truth. “Darcy.”

 

The woman took a step forward, hugging the shotgun she carried to her waist. Her finger resting above the trigger. “How did you find us, Darcy?” 

 

“I’ve been walking for a long time. Trying to find food in houses.” Sunny dropped her arms, tired from holding them up.

 

The many with the long hair raised his crossbow, setting her in his sight. She raised them to her chest.

 

The cowboy, obviously the leader, glared at her. “I’m going to ask you three questions, and I want you to answer honestly.”

 

Sunny nodded her head. These were the good people Sherry had mentioned?

 

“How many walkers have you killed?” The man’s hand rested on the handle of his gun.

 

“I don’t know. I mainly try to hide from them in cars or buildings if I see them before they see me. I killed one today while running from another. Forgot to check the car to see if it was empty first.”

 

“How many people have you killed?”

 

Sunny’s eyes widened. If she answered truthfully, would they think she was lying? “None. I’ve been alone.”

 

The man in the hat regarded her. “Why?”

 

“I’ve been hiding mostly from the dead but also the living. I’ve seen a few groups from a distance. I didn't think I would have been safer with them than I was on my own.”

 

“Why do you need people now?” the older woman asked.

 

Sunny swayed. “I don’t think I’ll last long on my own anymore. I’m running out of food and water. Having a hard time finding more. I’ve never seen anything like this so I thought I’d take my chances.”

 

The world started to tilt. Am I falling? Strong arms caught her, lifting her. She saw flashes of the cowboy above her, his salt and pepper beard, blue eyes looking at her in concern, houses, the grey clouds behind him. 

 

There was a bustle of activity around her as they entered one of the homes. Two women hurriedly worked to clean her arm. A slight pinch then a rush of cool ran through her arm. “It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay,” a blonde woman with glasses said before Sunny’s eyes closed. 




Sunny’s eyes opened. Sun shone through several windows into a living room turned infirmary. She laid on an exam table. A metal-framed bed covered in a quilt was on the wall to her right. A fireplace with a table for medical tools was behind her. A screen was to her left. She slowly sat up, leaning on her elbows. 

 

A young woman with short dark brown hair wearing camo pants and a dark top under a plaid green shirt walked into the room. “Oh, hey.” She walked towards her, yelling over her shoulder to the entryway behind her, “Denise! She’s up!” She got closer to Sunny, offering her a hand to help her sit all the way up. “I’m Tara. Denise is the doctor around here so…”

 

A wave of nausea flipped Sunny’s stomach. “Puke,” she groaned.

 

“Fuck.” Tara turned on the spot, searching for a proper receptacle. She lunged for the small wastebasket next to the bed and rushed to push it in front of Sunny’s face.

 

Sunny gagged a few times though nothing ever came up. She took a few deep breaths but that did not help to ease her queasiness thanks to the smell that clung to her clothes, skin, hair...everything that touched her reeked. 

 

Denise, a woman with long curly blonde hair and glasses, walked in, clipboard in hand. “Hello. So I have to ask you, have you been bitten?”

 

Sunny hugged the small plastic trash can. Her mind felt like it was lagging. Everything was out of sync. Her processing slow. “Bitten?”

 

Denise looked up from her clipboard, her glasses sliding down her nose a bit as her blue eyes concentrated on the dirty mess of a woman before her. “By a walker. Are you sick? You showed up covered in guts and passed out. We didn’t search you because that’s creepy, but we need to know.”

 

Closing her eyes, Sunny tried to remember anything after arriving at the gate but had no memory of how she got inside this house. “How long have I been here?”

 

Tara chimed in, leaning against the bed frame.  “About 18 hours.” Sunny could see the outline of a gun holster jutted out against her flannel shirt and a knife tucked into her heavy boots.

 

“I fought a walker yesterday. I wasn’t bitten, but I fell and hit my head on the pavement.” She reached back and felt the knot on the back of her head, cringing at the matted mess that was her ponytail. 

 

Denise crossed the room, grabbing a book off the mantel over the fireplace. “Hmmm. Any headaches, nausea, vomiting?”

 

“Um, yeah,” replied Sunny. Though her head didn’t hurt today.

 

Flipping through the pages she mumbled to herself before letting the other two women in on her research. “Possible concussion. That would explain the symptoms.”

 

“Well, now that we have that figured out. Your name’s Darcy, right?” asked Tara. 

 

Sunny nodded, glad someone had relayed that lie back to her. She needed to concentrate. She could possibly be Darcy for a long time. Whatever info she gave, she needed to be able to commit to the part she was going to play. 

 

“So, you wanna take a shower?” Tara continued.

 

“She needs to rest and be still.” Denise glared at Tara before continuing to skim her medical textbook. 

 

“She needs to wash that shit off of her. She will rest better if she doesn’t smell like a week-old walker that died in a port-a-potty.” Tara faced Sunny, “You don’t want to smell bad, do you, Darcy?” 

 

“Tara!” Denise looked mortified. She glanced apologetically at Sunny. 

 

“It’s okay,” Sunny said. “I would really like a shower, please. I’ve been still for 18 hours. I’ll be fine.”

 

“Probably have to pee pretty bad too, huh.” Tara laughed. “Denise pumped you full of fluid--

 

“You were dehydrated,” Denise interjected as she wrote on her clipboard.

 

“I’m surprised you didn’t bust on that table.” Tara helped you to your feet. “Let’s get you to the bathroom and some freaking candles lit in this room. Open the windows, Denise.” She laughed and nudged Sunny a little. “Don’t worry, we’ve all been the stinky kid in class at one point. No one lives in this world and doesn’t get covered in blood and brains.”

Tara opened the door to a large bedroom towards the back of the house. She led Sunny through the room to the en suite. The bathroom was nothing short of luxurious. Marble countertops, a large bathtub with jets, and a walk-in shower. Sunny noticed her bag on the floor and a clean change of clothes sitting on the edge of the tub. Inside the walk-in closet, there were shelves of toiletries, towels, and other necessities. 

 

“Grab some soap and shampoo. I would say we’re trying to conserve, but you might need a lot to get that shit out of your hair. Here’s a comb. Toothbrushes are down there. If you need some lady products grab a handful. Our supply of tampons and pads are dwindling so you might as well enjoy them while we still have them.” Tara awkwardly looked around the small space then took a few steps backward shooting finger guns in Sunny’s direction. “So...I guess I’ll leave you to it.” 

 

“Thanks,” said Sunny. She felt overwhelmed and still tired even though she just slept 18 hours. 

 

She stared at the shelves. There were several bottles of shampoo and conditioner. She smelled a couple before just choosing random scents. It didn’t matter what smells she chose. No one cared what she smelled like as long as it wasn’t eau de corpse anymore. 

 

She decided to grab a handful of tampons but then opted for a menstrual cup. It would last years. She should be due soon. She knocked over a pregnancy test as she picked up the box for the cup.

 

Standing alone in the closet, Sunny tried to remember when her last period was. Time was a hard concept to keep track of when every day was the same. She kept track on a physical calendar at home for that reason. But she left it in her house when she moved to The Sanctuary. 

 

Okay, the last time you had a period was when Negan left for 3 weeks before you moved. You were at The Sanctuary for 3 weeks and you’ve been walking for almost 2 weeks. Sunny froze as she counted on her fingers. Shit. Shit. Shit. It’s been--what--8 weeks. Two months. 

 

Sunny shoved her items back on the shelf. She couldn’t believe she was about to do what she was about to do. In a panic, she grabbed a pregnancy test. Ripping it open, she read the directions as she walked into the water closet. Her hands shook as she took the test.

 

No. No. No. she chanted in her head. But no matter how much she wished for it, there was no denying the two pink lines that appeared within a few minutes. The longest minutes of her life.

 

Her body felt like it was on autopilot. She turned the shower on then gathered her supplies. Stripping out of her filthy, crusty clothes and taking down her ponytail, she stepped into the hot water. She watched blood and dirt run down her body, gathering at her feet before flowing down the drain.  

 

How could she be so stupid? Why hadn’t pregnancy even occurred to her? Had she learned nothing from all the crappy teen movies and shows about the importance of safe sex? Apparently, not. 

 

Tears fell from her eyes, running down her cheeks, mixing with the water pouring over her. She hoped the sound of the shower masked her sobs. The hot water relaxed her sore muscles. She lathered shampoo through her hair, working the bubbles to her scalp. 

 

Did she even want to bring a child into this world? It’s too late to think about that. She was going to, whether she wanted to or not. There were no other options. No abortions or adoption. No hospitals or epidurals even. Would she survive? Would the baby? What would happen if they didn't? She scrubbed her body with a bar of soap and washcloth. Pausing over her lower abdomen. What was she going to do?

 

And Negan. Fuck. Did she tell him? Would he care after she had run away? Would he want a baby? Or would he find someone else? Several someones? 

 

After washing and rinsing several times, until her skin was pink and the water ran clear, she turned off the shower, wrapping a fluffy towel around her body and another around her head twisting it on top of her head. 

 

She took the test and trash from the box and shoved them in her bag. No one needed to know. She was only going to be here for a few weeks. She would be gone long before anyone saw any evidence of her condition.

 

She found a trash bag under the sink and threw her old clothes inside of it. There was no hope for them. She got dressed in the t-shirt and jeans that were left for her. They were a little too big for her but she supposed that worked out in her favor. It would raise suspicion if she asked for bigger clothes soon after arriving. 

 

Sunny left the bathroom. Crossing that threshold felt like she was entering a different world. She was no longer alone. No longer only responsible for herself. Everything she did now affected someone else. The world was infinitely scarier now. 

 

“Holy shit!” Tara said with a slow whistle. “You clean up real good. Are you hungry, Darcy?” 

 

Sunny nodded. She worried another wave of nausea would overcome her, but her stomach growled, and she wasn’t the only one that needed nourishment now. 

 

“Kitchen’s through here.” Tara turned and walked away. 

 

Sunny followed, looking at all the rooms that looked like they were professionally decorated. Everything was coordinated and looked as though it came directly from a showroom floor. It made her miss her mismatched home even more. What they had was hardly trendy, but it was welcoming and it didn’t make her feel like she shouldn’t touch anything. She sat across a small circle table from Tara. Denise was already in the kitchen dishing out something into three bowls. 

 

“Carol made a casserole. She would have stuck around, but you’re supposed to be in quarantine until we can make sure you’re fine. I swear she can take the most random ingredients and make them into something good.” She set a bowl in front of Sunny. 

 

Sunny inhaled. She smelled ranch and chicken. There looked to be rice and probably a cream of something soup. It looked good after almost 2 weeks of progressively stale peanut butter sandwiches and protein bars. She took a bite, thankful her queasiness seemed at bay for now. 

 

The two women chatted with each other, seemingly nonplussed that Sunny wasn’t trying to keep up or join in. They talked about runs people were on, supplies they hoped they could find, gossip about a teen seen sneaking out of another’s bedroom window, and the weather. 

 

Finally, Denise turned to Sunny. “It’s normal for newcomers to be quiet for a while. It takes some getting used to living like this again. Once you’re cleared, we’ll have to find you a place to live.”

 

A place to live. A new home. New identity. New life. 

 

A commotion came from the street. Tara and Denise rushed to the front of the home. Sunny followed in their wake. Trucks were pulling up and parking outside. 

 

“Shit!” yelled Tara. “They’re early.” She checked her weapon to make sure it was loaded. “I’ll be back soon. You two stay here.” She ran out the front door.

 

Denise drew the curtains then peeked out the window. 

 

“Who’s here?” Sunny asked. The change in the atmosphere was unsettling. Denise, who had been smiling not minutes before, looked scared and nervous. 

 

“The Saviors,” she whispered. 

Notes:

Warnings- Angst. So so much angst. Some violence and gore in the form of walker attacks. Pregnancy. I mean, are we really shocked? Probably not. Negative thoughts about pregnancy. Mentions of abortion, adoption, and other pregnancy-related concerns. I know pregnancy and babies are not everyone's cup of tea. So, I wanted to forewarn those that dislike or are triggered by these topics.

Chapter 21

Summary:

Negan arrives at Alexandria. Sunny must make a choice.

Notes:

Warnings- Le angst and le smut

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Negan’s truck pulled through the gate of Alexandria with two more following behind. Dwight drove which was preferable to Simon who couldn’t stand silence. The man never knew when to shut up and coming from Negan that was saying something. The ride was long but blissfully quiet. He had no fucking desire to spend that time going over plans for the hundredth time or listening to another fucking pep talk. 

 

He didn’t want to hear about how Sunny was probably still out there. No one had seen her in two weeks. If she hadn’t shown up somewhere by now, the chances of her still being alive were slim to fucking none. 

 

What he needed was a distraction, and Alexandria was the perfect diversion. It was his least favorite group of survivors but the most fun. Rick was the easiest to rile and his submission the most rewarding. Not all the leaders of the communities they visited were limp dicks like Gregory, but most rolled over without much effort. Negan had to actually work to get this group under his thumb. 

 

The glares from the people atop the gate fueled his acrimony. If anyone deserved to be the scapegoat for all the shit he was feeling, this group was it. They could all eat a bag of dicks.

 

The neighborhood was idyllic. Beautiful houses lined clean streets. Grass grew in the yards and flowers bloomed in raised beds. It was a huge fucking leap up from an old dirty factory. It would be a sweet setup if it weren’t for the puffed-up prick who thought he was in charge. 

 

This is what Sunny had deserved. A home in a gated community. The only things missing were white picket fences and PTA meetings. 

 

Rick came down the street followed by his backup dancers, Daryl and Carol. His bow-legged strut, hands on his hips, made the sadistic smile spread across Negan’s face. Showtime.

 

Negan hopped out of the truck. He swung Lucille with a flick of his wrist before flinging her over his shoulder, careful not to snag his leather jacket with the barbed wire.      

 

“You’re two weeks early, Negan,” growled Rick in his southern drawl. He wanted to punch that smarmy look off that asshole’s face. Beat him until he was as bloody as Glenn and Abraham had been. If anyone deserved a slow painful death, it was Negan. 

 

“No, hello? No, how are you? Where’s the hospitality, Rick? Are you sure you want to take that tone with me?” Negan was itching to teach someone a lesson. Please let it be Rick , he thought.

 

Rick’s eyes dropped to the ground. His jaw clenched, but no more hostility came spewing from his mouth. “We’re not ready. We don’t have enough yet,” he said, shifting his weight in his cowboy boots. 

 

Negan knew they hadn’t had enough time to meet any quotas. But he didn’t care. Not anymore. “Well, that sounds like a fucking you problem that you better not make a me problem there, Rick.”

 

A small group had gathered outside. People on porches, peeking behind curtains. Everyone watching. Waiting. Rick sighed in defeat, knowing there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop this. Any form of defiance would result in someone’s death and he knew he could shoulder any more guilt on his shoulders. 

 

Negan approached Rick, throwing an arm around his shoulder. His men followed in his wake just waiting for his word. “Let’s get this show on the road here, Rick. Our audience is waiting.”

 

 





“The Saviors?” Sunny asked, feigning ignorance. Why was the universe against her? Or was this a sign?

 

“They come once a month and take half the stuff we’ve scavenged as payment for them ‘protecting’ us from hoards of walkers.” Denise looked at the young woman near her. She had to warn her. To help her protect herself a little. She seemed so innocent. “They’re a bad group. The worst. I’m going to go hide some of our medicines. Stay inside. You might want to go hide upstairs. It’s best to avoid these assholes.” 

 

Sunny stood alone in the entryway. A bad group. They were bad? Denise had to hide medicine from them so they wouldn’t take it? Her brain tried to wrap itself around this information. Negan was bad? Oh god, was he with them? Was he outside?

 

Shouting had commenced. There was no mistaking the deep timbre that bellowed outside. Negan was less than 50 yards away. Did he know she was there? What would happen to the people around her if they found her here? Would they be punished for harboring a fugitive? If they weren’t now they would be when she was obviously pregnant in a few months, and he found out. They didn’t deserve that. 

 

Sunny fetched her bag. There was only one thing to do. She had to protect the people who lived here. And she had to do what was best for her baby. And Negan would do whatever he had to protect her. To protect them....she hoped. 

 

Getting her first real glimpse of Alexandria, she was shocked at how domestic and clean it appeared. It was untouched by the world outside the gate. No windows were broken or boarded up. Lawns were manicured. It was the kind of neighborhood she had only seen on television.  Only the people standing in it reflected the state of the world beyond its borders in clean but mended clothing and their weapons strapped to their bodies or ready in their hands.   

 

She took in the scene before her. The trio of people who had brought her inside were facing off with Negan who had his own group of people behind him that looked like they could be a biker gang, all of them dressed in shades of black and grey. The tension in the air was high as though any small spark would set the whole place ablaze. 

 

Sunny pushed past a few people standing in front of the house that acted as a hospital. Her eyes met Tara’s who shook her head at Sunny, trying to warn her. They wouldn’t understand. Not really. The guilt at her deception tugged at her heart. Shoving it aside, she walked into the street. 

 

She was a few feet away before The Saviors all turned their weapons on her. Negan’s arm dropped from the cowboy’s shoulder. His head turned to look at his people who were cocking their guns. He spun around to see what they were locked on. 

 

Sunny stared into his hazel eyes as they drank her in. He took half a step, his mouth slacked in a stunned moment of silence before his brow furrowed and teeth clenched. He raised his hand to call off his people then closed the distance between. Everyone else seemed to disappear with every step he took. 

 

She yearned to run to his arms. To wrap herself around him. To beg him for forgiveness. But she stayed put although she could feel the gawking and hear the whispers of everyone around them.  Letting him come to her. To handle this reunion how he saw fit. To keep the situation under his control. Because after all, that is what he wanted. Wasn’t it?

 

 





Negan heard the clicks of guns being aimed behind him. He looked behind him to see what the hell was going on. All his Saviors had their guns pointed at a lone figure approaching him. 

 

His breath caught. Sunny. She stopped. Not moving with the guns pointing at her. He raised his hands to call off his hounds. She was clean in clothes that were either too big or she had lost weight in the last two weeks. She had scrapes on her neck and bruises on her arms. What the hell had she been through? 

 

He fought the urge to run to her. To drag her to the nearest bed and fuck her senseless, losing himself in her, showing her over and over who she belonged to. But all the fear and anxiety meshed into a wave of burning anger. For her to show up here. For these fuckers to have had her. 

 

His brain was running through all the possible scenarios that could have happened. Did they know who she was? Did they hurt her for information? The fact that she was walking freely towards him seemed to debunk that theory. But what if...

 

How long had she been here? Was she trying to get home? Did she regret leaving? Negan set his teeth. It didn’t matter. None of it did. The only thing that mattered now was getting her home and keeping her there. 

 

He walked forward, towering over her. He gently grabbed her upper arm, leading her towards the truck. “Dwight, ride back with the others. Leave their shit. Give them the extra two weeks. Make it known I expect some good fucking returns for the extra time.”

 

Negan opened the passenger door for Sunny and closed it behind her as she sat silently staring at her hands in her lap. He sent one last glare to Rick who watched the two of them with confused interest. Let that dickhead wonder. Let them all twist what they are seeing into another boogie man story to keep them straight. He climbed in, backed out, and put the truck in drive. 

 

Stealing glances at the small form next to him, he couldn’t believe she was there. Alive. Next to him. His mind flashed with visions of the last time they were in the truck as he drove her to The Sanctuary for the first time. No...it was not time to be thinking of that. He needed to get over the shock, over the hurt, anger, and overwhelming relief that fought for dominance in his mind. 

 

He wanted to hold her close. Cover her body with his, keeping her against him as he breathed her in, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t trust himself not to give in to her completely. There had to be a balance. Until he could deal with their situation without losing his fucking mind, he would say nothing. 

 

He needed to just get her home. If he could just see her in their room, he could calm down. He didn’t know if he could even talk right now without sounding furious. The thought that she could bolt again, kept his mouth shut. Something that rarely happened. 

 

Sunny watched Negan’s hands gripping the steering wheel, the knuckles white as they squeezed. He hadn’t said anything to her. Nothing at all. Was he even happy to see her? She thought maybe he was at first but he’d turned so cold. So angry. 

 

“Negan?” she whispered. “I’m so--”

 

“No.” he interrupted abruptly through gritted teeth. His self-control was slipping. Emotions threatening to bubble to the surface. The urge to fall to his knees, crying, begging her to never leave him warred with the need to yell, to tell her how stupid and careless she had been. He had to remain calm. 

 

She realized then how much she had hurt him. How was she going to tell him? Would he listen? Did he even still want her? Was he just taking her back to The Sanctuary for show? She endured the rest of the ride in silence. Contemplating what was ahead of her. Trying to hide the tears that silently slid down her cheeks as she watched the trees and scenery speed past her window. 

 

As the world outside turned from rural to urban, the factory loomed ahead. A great gray mass or metal and concrete. So cold and desolate. Nothing at all like the beautiful homes and trimmed lawns within the walls of Alexandria or the open fields and farms of her home. 

 

As they pulled into The Sanctuary, Sunny realized it was the first time Negan had been seen with her. He walked her through the grounds and building, his hand wrapped around her wrist as he led her to their rooms. People kneeled as they walked by. Curious eyes flicking up at her. He was making sure everyone saw them. That everyone knew who she was this time around. There would be no anonymity, no sneaking around, no fake names. Everyone would know who she was and who she belonged to. 

 

Negan opened the door to their room, propping it open for her. Just having her here made the room feel like home again. Even with everything unsaid between them. He walked into the room as she lingered by the door and sat on the couch. He looked up at her as she chewed on her bottom lip, her hands holding her backpack in front of her. She looked so lost. With a flick of his wrist, he motioned for her to sit in a chair opposite of him. He couldn’t trust himself to sit next to her. 

 

Sunny took her place. What exactly did he want? He had rebuffed her apology in the truck before she could even finish. 

 

“Well?” he prompted. He didn’t think he could wait another excruciating minute, but he also didn’t know if he wanted to hear what she had to say. 

 

She looked at his face. He was angry. So angry and hurt. The circles under his eyes were deep and dark. His lips tugged into a frown that seemed to etched lines that weren’t there just two weeks ago. His stubble had turned to a beard. She could tell breaking down the walls he had built because of her would be difficult. She watched him, not knowing how she could do that. How could she make any of this right?

 

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself?” he asked coolly.

 

“Sunshine,” she said.

 

“Excuse the fuck out of me? Now isn’t the fucking time to be asking for pet names.” His brows lifted in incredulity. She had to be kidding. She couldn’t actually expect him to coddle her right now? After everything he had been through the last 2 weeks, everything she had been through according to the marks he saw covering her arms. 

 

“It’s not.” She shifted in her seat, tucking her legs underneath her. 

 

He leaned back, his arms crossing. Fine, he’d play her game. “What the hell are you talking about?” 

 

This was it. There was no turning back. There was no time like the present to break this particular chunk of wall that had always been between them. “Sunshine. It’s not a pet name. It’s my name.”

 

“What do you mean?” There was no fucking way that was her actual name. “I’ve called you Sunshine plenty of times.” 

 

Her shoulders lifted in a coy shrug. “But you never officially guessed it.”

 

“Are you fucking serious?” Little brat! He’d called her by her name and she never let on. Let him keep using it without knowing what it meant. 

 

“It gets worse…” She couldn’t believe she was about to tell him everything. But if this is what it took to melt the ice surrounding his heart, then this is what had to happen.

 

He glared at her. “How?” He had to hear this. How could it possibly get worse than being named Sunshine? That’s a fucking name for a cartoon character, not a person.

 

She sighed in defeat. “My full name is Sunshine Meadow Lark.”

 

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” The corners of his mouth twitched. His hand moving instinctively to smooth them back down into a grimace. “What the fuck was wrong with your parents?”

 

Her eyes focused on the ceiling as she took another deep breath. “It gets worse…”

 

The energy around him had shifted. The dark aura lifted as his curiosity got the better of him. “Worse? How?”

 

“My sister.” Her hands covered her eyes. She couldn’t face him knowing the words that were about to come out of her mouth. “We called her Rain.”

 

“Jesus fuck. Sunshine and Rain?”

 

Sunny shook her head. His eyes were brimming with amusement. She fought her own smile. 

 

“Worse?” Negan leaned forward, his elbow resting on his knees. “Please tell me it’s fucking worse.” 

 

Sunny nodded. “Rainbow Hummingbird.”

 

Negan could no longer contain himself. His head fell back as he barked out a loud laugh, filling the room with his mirth. “What the actual fuck?”

 

“My parents were second-wave hippies. For the first few years of my life, I grew up in a commune. All the kids had names like Apple Blossom and Ocean Sky. I mean, I knew a kid named Shining River Stone. It was all fun and games until the leader decided they should share everything...including wives. He went after my mom. My dad did not take kindly to that and beat him up pretty bad. We were kicked out. After that, my dad trusted no one. That’s why we lived as off-grid as possible.”

 

“Holy shit. Sunshine fucking Meadow Lark. God damn, honey. No wonder you didn’t want to tell me. How the fuck did you turn out so normal with parents like that?”

 

“Being normal was pretty much the only way to rebel against parents like mine,” she said, picking at the leather on the arm of the chair she sat in. 

 

He stared at her, the amusement slowly fading as they sat in the silence that followed her confession. “Why did you leave, Sunny?”

 

Her gaze turned to the carpet on the floor. “You know why.”

 

“I was going to get you a job that day. I was waiting to see you, to tell you.”

 

Was that true? she thought. Could this have all been avoided if she had just stayed and trusted that it would all work out?

 

“Why did you come back? You could have stayed hidden in Alexandria. How long were you there? Did they hurt you?”

 

“I only got there yesterday. They didn’t hurt me. I got scraped up walking through the woods. I’m fine.” She noticed his grim expression sneaking back across his face at the mention of her trek in the wilds. “I came back because I missed you. I almost turned around so many times. I thought what I was doing was right. Convinced myself to get going. Thought I knew what I wanted, but I finally understand.” Her pulse quickened, stomach churned as her palms began to sweat.

 

“Understand what?” he asked. 

 

“Why you wanted to keep me safe at all costs.” Her voice cracked with emotions she’d been able to keep inside most of the day. But she feared the dam was about to break. Would he rescue her from drowning in them or run from the flood?

 

“You do?” he asked, his deep voice a whisper. He wanted her to understand. He wanted her to know that everything he had done had at least come from a good place. A place where he cared more about her safety and well-being than anything else. 

 

She nodded, trying to stay the tears she could feel threatening to build. She had cried enough. Maybe it was hormones or maybe she was just scared, she couldn’t tell. “Yeah, because that’s how I felt when I found out…” 

 

“Found out what?” he prompted.

 

“I’m--um--” She took a deep breath, filling her lungs which refused to work. 

 

“Spit it out, Sunny.” What could possibly be so difficult to say? Didn’t she know she could tell him anything? He would never hurt her or leave her. If anything horrible happened to her while she was gone he'd never forgive himself.

 

She mustered up her courage. Meeting his gaze, she let the words come. “I’m pregnant.”

 

Negan sat back. He felt the color drain from his face. Without a word, Negan stood and walked out of the room.

 

 


 

 

Negan poured himself a bourbon. And then another. He paced the room across the hall. All the horrible things that could have happened to Sunny played in his head again and again as they had the last two weeks, but this time the added terror of a baby was in the forefront of his imagination. He would have never known. 

 

Fuck. A baby? What kind of world were they bringing a child into? Why hadn’t he thought to prevent this? He should have known better. His other wives had always taken care of those things. He had never had to think of anything or anyone but himself. 

 

What if something happened to Sunny? What if something happened to the baby?  How could something as small and innocent as a baby survive this world? This fucking world left too much to chance and too many fucked up horrible things could happen. Had he given his beautiful little wife a death sentence?

 

All he wanted was to keep her safe. No. All he wanted was to keep her for himself. Selfish arrogant prick. He had put her in more danger. Rick was bound to find out who she was, putting the target Sherry predicted firmly on her back, and now she had to survive bringing a baby into this world full of death and suffering. 

 

He was a terrible husband, always had been. He wasn’t that great of a teacher. He only knew how to lead through fear and intimidation. What kind of father could he possibly be?

 

Why couldn’t he have left her alone? Because you wanted her more than anything. What was he actually capable of giving her in return though? A room, guards… But could he love her and a baby the way they needed? 

 

Taking another drink, he set down the glass. He may not know what he was doing anymore. But that sure as shit wouldn’t stop him from trying. Trying to show her how much they meant to him, trying to build a future, and trying to be deserving of their love.

 

 




Sunny curled up in the chair. No matter how isolated she had been in her house waiting for her family to come home, she’d never felt as alone as she did right this second. Was he going to abandon her? Send her home to deal with this on her own?

 

How else could she have expected him to act? She ran away and showed up at the enemy’s home only to come back pregnant. He probably didn’t want her anymore. Maybe he brought her home so she wouldn’t be a liability. 

 

What kind of life would she and their baby have? A broken home in a broken world. The real victim in all of this was the innocent life she carried. They didn’t ask to be conceived or brought into a world where the dead roamed.

 

She laid there, drifting in and out of sleep. Worry and exhaustion catching up with her. The lights flicked on minutes or hours later, Sunny couldn’t tell. 

 

Negan knelt in front of the chair. “Sweetheart, why didn’t you go to bed?” 

 

She lifted her head off of the leather arm of the chair. “I wasn’t sure it was my bed anymore.”

 

He scooped her up, cradling her in his arms. “It’s always yours.”

 

Sunny leaned her head against his shoulder as he carried her to their bedroom. “Negan, I’m so so--”

 

“No.” He sat her on the edge of the bed, his palm cupping her cheek, thumb grazed her bottom lip. “I’m sorry. So fucking sorry. I shouldn’t have left you all alone. Not before and not just now. I didn’t know how to deal with the fact that you could have been killed. And I’d have never fucking known. Having to live the rest of my fucking life not knowing if you were still out there.”

 

“So you still want me?” She felt stupid for asking, but she needed to hear it.

 

“I’ll always want you.” He tugged her shoes off her feet before pulling off his own. 

 

She shifted to the side as he climbed on the bed next to her. “And the baby?”

 

“Of course the baby.” He laid down, gathered her close to him, savoring the feel of her in his arms. It broke his heart that she had to ask, but he couldn’t fucking blame her.

 

Her fingers picked at this t-shirt. “I thought you were angry.”

 

“I wasn’t angry. I was fucking terrified. I’ve never had so much to fucking lose.”

 

“So, you’re not mad? Not disappointed?” She hadn’t figured him to be a family man. Was he really okay with becoming a father? She still couldn’t wrap her head around any of this. 

 

Negan grinned. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m not saying this is an ideal situation. But how could I not love our baby? And on top of that, do you know how hot you're gonna be? All round. How big your boobs are gonna get?” 

 

Sunny slapped his shoulder and laughed for the first time in weeks. “You mean, how fat I’m gonna get?” 

 

He pressed his forehead to hers, his hands grabbing handfuls of her ass. “Mmmm. More to fucking love, honey.”

 

Pressed up against him, his body so long and strong, Sunny reached up, pulling his face closer to hers before pressing her lips against his. His kiss tasted of alcohol. She opened her mouth, coaxing him with her tongue, needing to feel him. To know that he still wanted her. 

 

His throat rumbled with a growl that sent shivers down to her toes. His hand gripped her thigh, pulling it over his hip. He pressed his hardening cock against her, grinding into her. It was almost too good to be true. 

 

The last two weeks had been torturous. The stress, the anger, the celibacy. He had dreamed of her every night, fucking his fist to feel some sort of relief. He needed to bury himself deep inside her. Lose himself in her wet warmth again. Maybe then he would know truly that this was real. 

 

Their bodies rocked against each other as their hands pulled at one another, desperate to be closer. It was still not enough. 

 

Panting, they pulled away just far enough to clumsily tug and tear at each other’s clothes. Laughing as their shirts refused to go over their heads and pants caught around their ankles until they were bared before each other. 

 

They sat on the bed staring at each other. Neither one moving. Sunny’s laughter faded as she saw predatory gaze darken her husband’s eyes as he gazed at her.  

 

“Come here,” he said, his voice graveled from desire.

 

Sunny straddled his lap, her hands gripping his cock lining it up with her entrance. She didn’t care about anything else. They could take their time with each other later. Spend hours kissing, touching, and tasting. Right now, she needed him inside her. Had needed it since she first saw him. She rubbed the head of his cock against her slit, until it was slick, coating her folds and his cock. 

 

Negan watched her body move over his. His cock leaking in anticipation. Sitting up, he leaned back on his hands, his head falling back as she worked him with her soft hands, spreading her wetness over him. He moaned as she lowered her body slowly. She worked herself down his length in short shallow movements before sinking down all the way to hilt. 

 

Her hands came to his shoulders to steady her pace as she rode his cock, rolling her hips at the base. Leaning, forward she kissed him again, his beard tickling her chin. She shifted her weight, trying to find that perfect angle that would give her the friction she needed. A gasp caught in her chest as his teeth nipped her bottom lip. 

 

“Not yet,” he commanded, sitting upright. His voice rumbled against her throat as he gripped her hair and gently pulled, tilting her head back. His other hand cupped the weight of her breast before pinching her nipple, releasing it with a slight pull. 

 

He knew the feel of her coming around him would be his undoing and he wanted this to last as long as it could even if only a few more minutes. She was so tight. So wet. The sounds of their bodies working in tandem filled what little space was between them. 

 

He opened his legs wider allowing her to sink down further. “Hands on the mattress.” 

 

Sunny complied, leaning back on her hands with her legs thrown over his extending behind him. 

 

Negan’s eyes drank in the sight of his cock buried in her pussy. His thumb spread the slickness that gathered where they were joined until her clit was coated. Each gentle pass made the muscles in Sunny’s thighs twitch. 

 

“Do you want to come, honey?” he asked, knowing the answer, feeling the quiver that ran through her body as he teased and tormented her.

 

“Yes, please.” Sunny arched trying to gain leverage in her position.

 

His thumb circled her bundle of nerves, slowly building up speed until she collapsed on her elbows. Her knees bent, feet planted on the mattress by his ass. She pushed against it to ride his cock. 

 

“I want you to come on me. I want to feel that sweet pussy squeezing my dick.”

 

“Yes,” she panted. “I’m so close. Please.”

 

“Tell me you’re mine,” he whispered, a mixture of command and plead. 

 

Sunny looked into his hazel eyes. “I’m yours. Only yours.”

 

His thumb worked in tandem with the pace her body set until her muscles contracted around him, her back arching, legs pressing against his sides. He pulled her up to sitting, against him before rolling her onto her back.

 

Negan loomed over her, his hands on either side of her shoulders. He thrust inside her as aftershocks of her orgasm subsided. Her legs fell open as he quickened his pace. He couldn’t hold back. He’d needed this, needed her for so long. Her moans below him spurred him on. His pace faltered. His cock pulsed as he came deep inside her, falling to his elbows as he shook from the intensity of his climax. 

 

Sunny wrapped her arms around him, stroking his back with her fingers as he recovered. She had missed him more than she realized. She did feel safer with him than anywhere else. Happy even though she knew there was so much more to say and to plan ahead of them. That was tomorrow’s problem though. 

 

Negan fell to the side, pulled back the bedding currently underneath them then tucked them in. He rolled to his side, draping an arm over Sunny’s abdomen. His breathing even out as they laid there, saying nothing. Just basking in the relief of being near one another. He watched her eyes droop and close, her lashes fanning over her cheeks, before allowing his to do the same. He fell asleep hoping she would still be there when he awoke, fearing that this would all be a dream.

Notes:

Thanks so much for reading! If you like it, let me know. I appreciate all the feedback I've been getting and it's been keeping me going. I actually only have a few chapters left of this story. I'm hoping to keep the momentum going to finally get it finished. I've already started the next chapter.

Chapter 22

Summary:

Life at the Sanctuary. Sunny tries to be content but Negan has other plans for her.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Sunny sat on the sofa in her room, a blanket draped across her lap. She turned the page of the novel she read, marveling in the sophisticated societal structures of the Regency Era. Would any level of civilization exist again? Would there come a time when survival was not the only focus of everyone’s lives? 

 

She rubbed the slight curve of her stomach. Her pants still fit but just barely. Soon she would have to start wearing the maternity jeans Negan had found for her. One thing at a time, Sunny. Don’t think about anything but today. There was nothing she could control but what was in this room. Everything outside it was variabled, dangerous. It was better to stay here where things were safe. 

 

She knew now that Negan had been right. She was safe in her ivory tower. She should be content. She did her best to ignore the growing restlessness she felt railing against her own complacency. 

 

She was exhausted and sick for the first month after she returned. It was easy to let herself be babied after facing the realities of the world and of the consequences of her actions. Once she was feeling better, he had offered her the freedom she had so fiercely fought for, but did she really want to face people? Would they judge her if they knew who she was? Would they treat her differently? Would they hate her? How could she ever make genuine friends here?  

 

Negan walked into the room. He saw his wife snuggled into the corner of the couch. Where he always found her. He was worried about her. She had been quiet, submissive even, since she returned. She greeted him with open arms every evening. Their sex life improved once the morning sickness eased, and she was now insatiable. Everything he thought he had wanted. But he missed her spirit. 

 

She hadn’t asked for a job. Hadn’t argued or hinted at wanting more than the small corner of the world he had carved out for her. There was only one thing she asked for since coming home.

 

He’d come home to find her curled up, watching a movie. She smiled when he entered the room but it didn’t reach her eyes. He knew something was on her mind and asked her what she was thinking of. 

 

“Well, I was just wondering,” she said, hesitantly, “if the next time you went to check on Sherry if you could grab my Sesame Street DVDs?”

 

“I don’t think muppets are high on the list of things we need, sugar.” He could see her shoulders sag. She wasn’t going to try to get her way. She was just going to accept his judgment. “Why?” he asked.

 

“I thought it would be good for the baby. For education, but also to see what the world was like before. I loved it when I was a kid. So much I bought it for possible future offspring. I used to think the theme song was my song and they sang it just for me.  But it’s okay, we don’t need it. Not really. There are more important things going on right now.”

 

Negan sighed. “Next time I go isn’t for a while, but I’ll get those DVDs for you and the baby.” He gathered her up, holding her against him. If giant fucking bird and colorful puppets made her happy, then damnit, that’s what he’d get. Anything to yank her the fuck out of this funk. 

 

A Sunny, who blindly did what she was told, was sad. There were no locked doors, but she stayed inside. It was alarming, to say the least. What was she still scared of? Him? The others? There had to be more going on but any time he asked she just said she was happy where she was. 

 

He had been trying to get her out. Encouraged her to pick a job, any job. She could do whatever she wanted. But she threw his old argument back at him that she didn’t want to deny anyone the opportunity to earn points. And she would smile, telling him she didn’t need anything else but to be with him. But he could see the worry and anxiety in her eyes. She wasn’t happy. She was hiding.  

 

“Sunshine,” he called to her, earning a quick glare. It was the only rise he could get out of her these days. And it was worth it to see some of that fire spark.

 

Sunny put her book down and crossed her arms. Regretting ever telling him the truth, but after a playful conversation last night she finally had the ammunition needed to tease him back.  “Yes, daddy?”

 

He stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowing. “I told you not to call me that anymore.”

 

Her lips curved into a teasing grin. “But you used to love it.” She stood and stretched before approaching him. 

 

“That was before I was going to be an actual fucking father. There is a damn good chance this kid is going to call me that, and I just can’t fucking deal with it right now.”

 

“Then stop calling me Sunshine, daddy.” She reached her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes. 

 

He gave her ass a playful smack. “I will throw you over my knee right now, little girl.”

 

“And I will count every spank, daddy,” she said, nuzzling against his stubbled neck. 

 

He groaned and pushed her away. “Okay. Okay. You fucking win.”

 

“Of course, I do,” she said. She slipped on her shoes, protecting her feet from the cold hard floors in the room. 

 

“So, I’ve been thinking about everything you said…” Negan walked through the bedroom doors to the office.

 

Her head cocked to the side as she followed him. “Everything I said? When?” Her anxiety spiked suddenly, heart racing, stomach plummeting. She thought they had to come to some sort of an agreement since her return. What else was there to think about?

 

“When you told me about the fucking ants and grasshoppers. You were right. We need to start becoming more self-sufficient. Thinking long fucking haul instead of short term.”

 

“Oh, well that’s good.” She was, honestly, surprised. She never thought he would take what she said to heart. 

 

He turned and ran his hand up and down her arms before taking her hands in his. “I’m glad you think so because you’re gonna tell us what we need to do.” Took a step back and then another, pulling her towards the door. 

 

She tried to dig her feet into the floor, pumping the brakes, but her shoes only squeaked against the tiles. “What?! Negan, I can’t. Can’t I just tell you, and you tell everyone else?”

 

He kept them moving to the exit. “Nuh-uh, sweetheart. You are the survival expert. Tell me you didn’t spend your childhood listening to your dad rant about how to survive the end of the fucking world.”

 

Sunny wanted to slap the smug smirk off of his face. He knew very well she had spent her childhood that way. They had talked about their pasts extensively in the last few weeks. Finally, they were being open and honest. She knew about Lucille and about how he spent the beginning of the end and became the man he was now. She knew the good, the bad, and the ugly. As many horrible things he did, he had done a lot of good too. But right now, he was the devil. 

 

Her father had indeed loved to lecture them on the best ways to circumvent society. Everyone else would be looting stores for short-term solutions, but he knew exactly what he would do to ensure their long-term survival. 

 

“You don’t need me to say all that. Who would listen to me anyway?” She struggled to get her hands out of his grasp. 

 

“Everyone. I’ve created a small council of Saviors and civilians. They will all listen to your ideas because hell if any of them know what to do. You, princess, are the bridge between them. Married to the big bad boss man but one of them.”

 

“I don’t know.” She hesitated at the threshold as Negan held the door open for her. She hadn’t passed over it since she came back. 

 

“Well, you have until we get to the conference room to think about it. Everyone is already waiting.” He tugged her arm, sending her tumbling through the doorway. Seeing her still hesitate, he said, “You need to get out. We can’t make this a community without you. I don’t want our baby growing up in this depressing shithole. It’s up to us to make it better.”

 

She thought about their baby. They deserved more than just these two rooms. She knew what it was like to grow up isolated. She had always wished she had been more involved in the community growing up. She had co-ops and field trips with other homeschool kids but there weren’t things like football games or fancy proms. She had friends, but she still felt very alone in the world back then. She didn’t want that for them. 

 

Taking the first step, she nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”

 

Entering the conference room, she noticed a few famil iar faces sitting around the long table. Simon’s mustache spread into a toothy grin and he waved at her. Dwight nodded behind his stringy blonde hair. Ava from the kitchen crew looked nervously around the room, her eyes widening when she saw Sunny walk in escorted by Negan. 

 

“Sunny, you know Simon and Dwight. I have a sneaking suspicion you know Ava. The badass right there is Arat. We’ve got Arnold from the gardens. Camila and Lenny from the commissary.” He pointed to everyone in turn. “This is Sunny, my wife. She’ll be heading up this little task force with me. Anyone have any problems with that?”

 

Glances were cautiously thrown around the table. It was well known that Negan’s wives in the past were no more than decorations. None of them had ever contributed to life at The Sanctuary in a meaningful way. Most of them still didn’t, preferring to live off the generous point settlement that Negan gifted them when he kicked them to the curb. Everyone here could see now why he had, but no one would have the gall to speak of it outside of their own skulls.

 

“Let’s get down to brass tacks.” Negan held a chair out for Sunny before sitting next to her. “We all know that supply runs are coming back with less and less. We’ve cleared most of the small towns around here. The big cities are still infested.”

 

“For now,” interjected Sunny. 

 

All the air in the room seemed to disappear with the audible intake of breath from the other members sitting around the desk. No one dared to interrupt Negan. They all waited, their lungs refusing to exhale until Negan looked down at his wife. 

 

“For now?” he asked. He leaned back in his chair, amused at her audacity, but clearly waiting for her to explain herself. 

 

“Well, yeah. Eventually, the walkers will decompose to the point where they aren’t really a threat anymore. They can’t survive forever.”

 

This was true. “Still going into a big city will be a major risk and undertaking. Until then we need to find ways to be more self-sufficient. What we need to do is assess what our immediate needs are and how to go about filling those needs without relying on scavenging.” 

 

“What about the other communities under our protection?” asked Dwight. The animosity between the groups they took from and the Saviors always benefited the Saviors. If they continued to take from the other groups without truly needing the scavenged items, mutinies would mount faster than they could quash them.

 

“Nothing will change until everything is set up. If we get a good thing going, we’ll figure something out.” Negan knew his Saviors wouldn’t take kindly to letting the groups go. They got off on terrorizing them. If he didn’t give them an outlet it would turn inward. The promise of being on top of the food chain was what kept them in line. He had to tread carefully.

 

“Well, what do you suggest, boss?” asked Simon. He looked to Negan and his pretty young thing next to him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the old man was going soft. But so far, he’d never led them wrong.

 

“That’s where this fucking group comes in. Sunny here’s an expert in this kind of planning. She’s gonna help us take stock of our situation at present and help us figure out where to fucking go from here.”

 

All eyes were on her. Take stock, right. “The first thing we need to do is inventory. We need to know what we have and what we’ve used so that we know what items are high priority. Things in high demand in the commissary.” She looked at Lenny and Camila then turned to Ava. “We need to know what ingredients and food stocks you use the most. Meals that you make the most, that feed a lot of people. We need to know what we need to learn to grow and make ourselves like flour, oats, canned goods…”

 

Ava started writing notes down on a battered notebook. “No problem. We can get that info pretty easy. We keep good logs to cut down on thievery.”

 

“Good.” Sunny turned to Arnold who pushed his taped glasses up his nose as soon as he came under her scrutiny. “For the gardens, we need to make sure we are collecting seeds and starting new plants as much as we can. Our goal is to go from gardening to farming when we find the space and we’re going to need to be able to plant and transplant as soon as possible to expand how much we can grow.”

 

Arnold just nodded. “Um…”

 

“Yes?” asked Sunny.

 

“How do we do those things? We’ve always just used packets of seeds from stores.” He looked ashamed of this fact but he, like many others, had never had to grow anything prior to any of this. He was manager of a grocery store before...food just showed up on trucks, and they put it on the shelves. No one ever wondered how it was grown, processed, and packaged. It was just the magic of modernization. 

 

“I’ll come give you guys some lessons--the kitchen too because we shouldn’t be throwing out seeds from fruits and veggies before we cook them. I can’t be the only person here who knows about gardening.”

 

Arnold spoke up. “No, plenty of people gardened but only as a hobby. Mostly flowers or failed vegetable gardens. It’s different when it’s about survival. Everyone is too scared to speak up for fear of getting in trouble if something goes wrong.” He cast a sideways glance at Negan before quickly lowering his head. 

 

Negan’s brows furrowed. He could tell by the way Sunny’s shoulders stiffened he’d be getting an earful later. They’d already discussed the way he ran things. He knew she didn’t approve but since her return, she said nothing about changing the lives of the workers or how the other groups viewed him. He wondered if it bothered her. If she thought less of him but never sought the answers outright. 

 

Dwight turned to Sunny. “What are the Saviors going to be doing during all this?”

 

Sunny thought for a moment. “We still need people to fight walkers and to scavenge. But what we need now is knowledge and equipment--”

 

“Tractors aren’t exactly going to get us anywhere anymore--” 

 

“No. That’s why we need to start looting museums. Getting as many old tools as possible to reverse engineer what we need. Wagons, spinning wheels, looms. We need books on farming, carpentry, hunting, animal husbandry, anything and everything we can to learn how to provide for ourselves.” 

 

All eyes were on her. Skeptical and leery. She swallowed her self-doubt. Negan wouldn’t put her front and center if he didn’t believe in her. She had to believe in herself.

 

“If we’re lucky,” she continued, “there will be some livestock that have survived. Cattle, horses, goats, sheep. If we can find them, we can breed them and use them. 

 

“We have to plunder every craft store we can. Sewing machines, thread, all the fabric we can find, yarn and needles, all the books we can find on sewing, knitting, and crochet. The clothes on our backs will wear out. We need to learn to make more.

 

“We need school supplies. Books, writing tools, paper, desk. We need kids to have a basic education. We also need to be able to record what we’re doing. What works and what doesn’t. We need to start training everyone to be a jack of all trades. No one can hoard knowledge if we’re going to move past survival and back into civilization.” She finished her speech and took a deep breath, readying herself for pushback. It was a tall order but these things needed to be priorities before it was too late.

 

“Well that’s all fine and dandy, but just how are we supposed to find all these places? Where are we supposed to look for livestock?” Simon asked with a smirk. “ Gas is precious. Can’t waste it driving over hill and dale hoping to spot a cow, and we can’t exactly google that shit?”

 

Negan glared. Simon was lucky he was so useful. That bordered on disrespect and Negan didn’t want to lose his right-hand man, but fuck if he would tolerate much more.

 

Sunny laid her hand on Negan’s forearm. “I thought someone your age would remember phone books?”

 

Negan laughed. He knew his kitten had claws. He should have expected her to be able to handle herself.  

 

Simon's bushy brows met in confusion. “They still made those?”

 

“Yeah. And maps too. Maybe someone can teach you how to use one. Corner stores, ice houses, gas stations, government buildings...should have them. If we grab some from the surrounding areas then we can find what we need.” Sunny waited. Waited for them to laugh or to tell her she was crazy. 

 

Dwight, Simon, and Arat cast dubious glances at one another. Negan knew getting them on board was key to keeping the rest of those fuckers in line.

 

“Is there a fucking problem?” Negan asked.

 

“No, boss. Just wondering where we’re supposed to grow all this food and keep all these animals,” Dwight stated. It should be clear to anyone that a factory in a concrete jungle isn’t the best place to start a farm. How did Negan expect this to work?

 

“Well, we’ll have to get some farm outposts won’t we?” Negan countered. 

 

“If we divide and conquer, we’ll split our numbers, and we won’t be able to protect what we have against outsiders.” Simon’s voice was firm. He knew what would happen if they took their eyes off the other groups. As soon as they let up, those groups would retaliate. 

 

“If we don’t branch out, there’ll be nothing left to protect in a few years,” Sunny said. 

 

Negan stood, his chair scraping against the floor. “She’s right. There are risks to every god damn thing in this fucking life. But the biggest is doing nothing. Do you have any better ideas? Because the status fucking quo isn’t good enough anymore. If anyone has any fucking problems they can come see me. I’ll deal with them.”

 

No one spoke. Eyes shifted between the peoples seated around the table but no one moved to argue. 

 

“Everyone knows what they need to do. We need inventories, phone books, and maps to start making plans for runs. I want updates in 3 days to see where everyone is at. Dismissed.”

 

The group of people shuffled out of the room, muttering and whispering amongst themselves as they filed out of the door leaving Negan alone with Sunny. 

 

Sunny sat back in her chair, her hands absently rubbed the small curve of her belly. “Well, that could have gone better.”

 

“Could’ve gone a lot fucking worse too.” He leaned down and placed a hand over hers.

 

“I don’t think they liked my ideas very much. I’m not sure anyone will listen…”

 

His voice lowered as he envisioned his people breaking ranks. “They’ll listen if they know what’s good for them.”

 

“I don’t think threats are the best way to win them over.” She didn’t want to create more strife and she certainly didn’t want Negan to have to get into any kind of altercation on account of her. 

 

“Sometimes it’s the only way. You don’t word your pretty little head about that though.” He pulled her up out of her seat. 

 

Sunny crossed the threshold into the hallway, turning towards the way they came to return to their room. Negan spun her around and led her in the other direction. 

 

“Where are we going?” she asked. She had already talked to a room full of strangers to a tepid at best reaction. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do anything else. 

 

“Just trust me, princess.” He kept walking. She needed a distraction. Something fun that would keep her thinking of other things.

 

She knew there was no point in arguing. He was a man on a mission. What that mission was though, she would have to wait and see. 

 

He stopped outside a door with a window in it. Sounds of laughter and music were muffled through the wood. Peeking in, Sunny saw a room full of kids doing what looked like the Hokey Pokey. There were several preschool-aged children engaged in the dance, a handful of toddlers just happy to be moving, and several babies in swings and bassinets.  

 

“What are we doing here?” she asked. She stared in awe of the small figures smiling and giggling and spinning. How long had it been since she had seen a child? Or heard their tiny little voices? She had never stopped to wonder if their baby would have actual friends their age. She was just trying to survive the pregnancy and giving birth. 

 

Negan opened the door. “This is your new job. They always need help here no matter how many people we have available so you won’t be taking any points from anyone else. So no more fucking excuses. You wanted a job and now you have one. Well two, you’re also in my committee. Shit three, you have to teach people how to collect seeds and can food too.” Was he putting too much on her shoulders? Or not enough? She needed to feel useful and be kept busy. She was not an idle person by nature. He knew that much. He wanted her to be happy and healthy. Getting her involved seemed like the best way to do that. The busier she was the less time she had to be in her head. 

 

Sunny looked up at her husband. She shook her head and laughed, wondering how they had reversed roles so quickly. Here he was dragging her out of the nest while she tried to claw her way back in. But perhaps he was right. She did need to get out. This was her home. These were her people, and she could help make a big difference. She had to make this world a better one. 

 

He walked over to the two women who were in charge of this motley crew of ragamuffins. It did not escape Sunny’s attention that they all scattered. Some running to the teachers, others just huddling together. She would have to do something about his image. Fear was the tool he used to keep people in line but hope was the one that would help them build a future. 

 

“Ladies, this is Sunny, my wife. She will be assisting you a few days a week. She has experience with kids and homeschooling. So, tell her what you need and will see what we can do.” He lifted Sunny’s chins with his gloved finger. “I’ll leave you here for now. Someone will be here shortly to escort you back to the room when you’re ready.” He gave a nod to the women and turned to leave. It was better for the kids for him to not linger much longer. Let them get back to their day. He knew their parents must have told them to stay away from men like him and they were right. 

 

Sunny watched him leave, shutting the door behind him. The kids peeked around to see if the coast was clear. The woman who had been leading them in music started singing and clapping again to brighten their spirits. In no time at all, they were all smiles again. 

 

“Hi, I’m Aracely,” said the woman with a baby on her hip. She was older than Sunny. Maybe mid-thirties. Her hair showed signs of what once was probably a beautiful ombre amongst her long curls that were clamped in the vise-like grip of the infant. “That’s Dominique. So, you’ve worked with kids before?”

 

“Yeah, it’s been a while but I’ve helped with kids before. I used to help at church and stuff. Never had younger siblings though.” Sunny picked up a fussy baby from a bassinet and gently swayed her body side to side, rocking him until he quieted. 

 

“Looks like you're a natural. It’s good to have more help. These kids have been through so much. I can’t imagine what it’s like as a child in a world like this.” 

 

“It must be scary,” Sunny admitted. When she was a child, monsters were only real in stories and movies. To the kids now, they will never know anything else. She looked around the room there had to be something they could do to make their world a little happier. 

 

As she spun slowly, movement at the door caught her eye. The blonde with the neck tattoo Sunny had run into when she had tried to sneak out was outside. As their eyes met, the blonde just shrugged with a wry grin and went back to keeping watch. Sunny rolled her eyes. Of course, she would be her bodyguard. I guess she was better than the multitude of hardened Saviors Negan could have chosen. 

 

“So, tell me. What could we do to brighten this place up?” Sunny asked her new colleagues. She took her small charge to a changing table. Grabbing a clean diaper and some wipes, she unbuttoned the onesie he was wearing. 

 

Dominique smiled as she blew bubbles for the kids to chase and pop. “I have some ideas.”

Notes:

Thanks so much for reading! We only have a few more chapters left (3-4). I'm trying really hard to keep my momentum for this story going but my magpie brain is eyeing my shiny other WIP. So if you like this story let me know, help me stay on this path. lol.

Chapter 23

Notes:

Shorter chapter this time around just so you guys have something. I actually split a chapter in two just to be able to post. The closer to the end I get the harder it is to keep going. It's going to be weird when this is finally finished. I only have 3-4 chapters left. Next chapter will be short too.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Sunny watched the children run around the new playground the whole Sanctuary banded together to build. A playscape that had been sitting in the back of one of the storage areas, the lumber and hardware just waiting to be used for anything other than its intended purpose, was built complete with rainbow roofs over the different levels providing shade and shelter. Slides and climbing apparatus surrounded the structure. Swings hung from a long beam that jutted out from a tower. 

 

Barricades were erected to shield the children’s eyes from the outside world. A sandbox was filled, teeter-totters and obstacle courses of old tires arranged on astroturf stolen from a nearby high school football field. The Saviors had even stripped an old truck leaving just the seats and steering wheel for the kids to climb on and pretend to drive. Some of them too young to remember ever riding in one. 

 

Schools were raided per Sunny’s requests. The first things they used were the art supplies. The hallways for families, nursery, and future school rooms were painted with whatever bright colors were on hand to cover the dingy gray of the factory. Paper decorations the kids had worked so hard on hung from the ceilings. Handprints of the kids and their families decorated the walls forming murals of flowers created by tiny hands. Everyone’s names were written by their hand. No matter what, a piece of them would always exist. 

 

Sunny loved her work with the kids and helping to make their surroundings a home. She had become more confident that their baby would be able to thrive there. She had already seen a remarkable change in the attitudes of the parents and their kids. They were happy and hopeful. 

 

The kitchen had the inventory lists ready a few days after the initial committee meeting. They were learning to harvest seeds and regrow from scraps of greens and roots. Canning and making preserves was a work in progress but progress was being made. 

 

Yet there was still so much to do. She wanted to get as much of it done before the baby was born or before she was too big to help. Her stomach seemed to pop overnight. She was finally in maternity jeans. They assumed she was approaching the halfway point but without a sonogram or exact dates, it was hard to know for sure. Negan had promised he would figure out a way to get one for her. Adding to the list of many things they needed. 

“Dominique!” Sunny shouted across the playground. She waved the woman over to her. “We should probably think about getting them inside. It’ll be time for dinner soon. Their parents will want to get them.” 

 

“I think we should let them keep playing. It would be good for their parents to get to see them like this. Spend a few minutes playing with them too.” 

 

Sunny nodded. “You’re right.” Everyone should get to see such pure joy. Far be it for her to deny them such a simple pleasure. She took the hand of a precious 5-year-old who tugged her to the swings. Helping them up, she took her spot behind them and started to push, smiling at their cry of “higher” with each pass.  

 





Negan oiled Lucille, running the rag up and down her handle as he sat alone in his office. It was strange to be in this room without Sunny flitting in and out from their bedroom. Lonely even. But she was at work and he had plans to mull over.

 

It was the weirdest thing. The world essentially ended. He lost everything and everyone who had ever meant anything to him. And yet, he was almost happy for the first time in his life. He wasn’t looking for greener pastures. Wasn’t avoiding his responsibilities. He was all in. But a nagging part of his brain was just waiting. Waiting for the other shoe to drop because a bastard like him didn’t deserve to be happy. 

 

It was getting harder to maintain control. He was still sending Saviors to other communities to collect. But those groups of enforcers were getting smaller with every visit especially since he had his people out there looking for other resources now. 

 

Keeping everyone under his thumb was difficult. There were whispers of alliances. People from three of the groups were spotted in other communities. Negan had Dwight and a few others watching them. Waiting to see if they’d make a move. They didn’t have the firepower, but they did have the numbers. 

 

To make matters worse the Saviors were also getting restless. It was only a matter of time before they started shit. It was tough to keep the reins tight when you were being pulled in a thousand different directions. So far, no one had said anything but he could tell the tension was coiling ready to snap. 

 

In the middle of their plans, he had men and women scattered across the area following Sunny’s directions, but also a few of his own. One to surprise and the other to protect her. 

 

He had worked out training schedules for the outposts. Evacuation routes were drawn up and ready to implement. If the time came, to defend themselves they would be ready. 

 

For now, though, he wasn’t all that worried. Dwight would tell him if anything was going down. So far, it just seemed like those groups were all bluster. 

 

What Negan wanted to focus on was making The Sanctuary better. Making it a home. He could see a boost in morale since Sunny started making changes. She was a natural leader whether she believed it or not. People liked her. Wanted to follow her. And they were happier for it. 

 

He was looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully, she’d be surprised. It took a lot to keep it under wraps but the people putting everything together were sworn to secrecy and they seemed to be excited to be part of the event. 

 

The door opened, Sunny walked in and smiled. She looked beautiful but tired. Faint shadows cradled her eyes. Her smile not quite reaching all the way to her eyes.

 

 “Rough day at the office, dear?” he asked.

 

She chuckled. The thought of him playing the happy homemaker was enough to have her biting her lip to keep from teasing him as the vision of him with a cute little apron, slippers, and drink in hand waiting for her to bring home the bacon flashed through her mind. “Not rough, just busy. I don’t know how those kids move all day every day. If I wasn’t pregnant, I’d be losing weight chasing after them. Luckily, I also get to spend time in the kitchen and Ava insists on using me as a taste tester.” 

 

“Maybe you should take a day off. Get some fucking rest.” He was happy she was out and keeping busy but she didn’t need to kill herself. “They can handle a day without you.”

 

“But I like it. Wait, a minute. You practically shoved me into these jobs and now you want me to slack off?” She crossed her arms in front of her, the effect diminished as they rested on her curving belly. 

 

“I don’t want you to do too fucking much. You need to take care of yourself. Your fucking awesome at what you’re doing, but you don’t have to be the one to do it day in and day out. Delegate. No one will think less of you.” 

 

“I don’t want to be treated differently. No one else gets a day off.” She meant it. Sunny didn’t want to lose the few friends she had made because she was the boss's wife. Resentment had a way of creeping through any cracks in a foundation and bringing whole relationships to a crumbled ruin. 

 

Negan looked at her. She was so sweet. Too sweet for this world. “Well, that’s too fucking bad, honey. You’re my wife. Carrying my child. You will be catered to in a way no one else fucking will because I am in charge. And what I say goes. Right now, I say that you go lay down while I rustle up some fucking grub and you take tomorrow off.”

 

She opened her mouth the protest. Her chest swelling with a deep breath ready to let him have it.

 

He held up his hand. “I’ll scrub your tub so you can soak all day tomorrow and find some of that lotion that smells so fucking good you want to eat it and rub your feet.”

 

Sunny’s lips pursed in her usual pout. A soak in a tub she didn’t have to clean and a foot rub? Her parents didn’t raise a fool. “Deal. But you have to tell people you made me take the day off. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m a spoiled brat.”

 

Negan barked out a laugh. “Oh, princess, you are a spoiled brat. But we’ll let them think you aren’t for a little while longer.” He stood and kissed her brow. Patting her on the ass, he gave her a gentle push towards the bedroom. “Go lay down for a few minutes. I’ll be back soon.”

 





On his way back carrying their trays of what looked to be some sort of noodle casserole. He saw two figures lurking outside his door, the fluorescent light flickering over them casting their shadows on the linoleum. There was no mistaking their profiles. Dwight and Simon were waiting for him and that never boded well. 

 

“What the fuck are you two doing out here? Shouldn’t you be watching the other groups,” he glared at Dwight and then to Simon, “and don’t you have Saviors to keep in check?”

 

“That’s what we’re here about, boss.” Simon nudged Dwight. “Tell him.”

 

“Tell me what? Quit fucking pussyfooting around whatever you have to say and just fucking say it.” His dinner was going to get colder than it already was. 

 

“We--” Dwight took a deep breath. Being the bearer of bad news was never easy especially when the recipient was likely to beat the messenger with a barbed wired bat if he didn’t like what he heard. “We think the other groups are planning something.”

 

“A party?” Negan scoffed. This wasn’t a surprise. He nodded for Simon to open the door for him, the two men following in his wake as he set the trays down and turned to hear what nefarious plans were afoot. 

 

Dwight continued cautiously. “Actually we know they’re planning something. An attack or a full-on war, we’re not quite sure. The widow from Hilltop, the King, and Rick have been meeting. We know they have guns. No idea where they got them, how many they have, or where they’re stashing them.”

 

“You’re telling me, I have people tailing these sons of bitches, and not a fucking god damn one knows where their fucking artillery is?” This was un-fucking-believable. How did they find enough guns to have a stash? He was sure they had cleared most of the groups in the surrounding areas. “What the hell are The Saviors good for if we can’t keep these groups isolated and unarmed?”

 

Simon winced. “That’s another issue, sir.”

 

“What?” Negan glanced at the doors to their bedroom. He needed to keep it down, heads would roll if Sunny woke up.

 

“Well, the men aren’t happy with the changes that are happening.”  Simon toed the edge of the carpet in the small sitting area with his scuffed boots. 

 

Negan was prepared for something like this coming up. Knew it would but he had hoped it wouldn’t. Thought given some time everyone would understand. Apparently, he had given them too much fucking credit. “Such as…” 

 

“They didn’t sign up for raiding schools and museums. They’re concerned that the ranks they worked hard for are going to be obsolete.” If Simon were honest, the same thoughts had crossed his mind. He had no desire to be overthrown by some civilian with a green thumb. 

 

Fucking assholes. “There’s always going to be a need for fucking muscle and violence in this world. But what we really need are thinkers and doers. They’re the ones with the fucking brains and know-how to keep us from starving.” 

 

Simon’s lips pulled into a frown. That was not the answer he had wanted nor would it thrill the Saviors. Maybe they were right. He never would have thought it. “I’ve tried to tell them, boss, but they’re getting bored and all pent up. They think you’re going soft with your sweet new bride.”

 

Negan bristled. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was an insult and a thinly veiled threat. “Anyone who wants to say that to my fucking face is welcome to. Me and Lucille will happily help them see the fucking light.”

 

Noting the feral change in his voice and stance, Dwight nodded and made his way to the door. Simon in his wake with a quick, “Yes, sir.”

 

Negan took the food from the trays. “Fucking cold.” He nuked them in the microwave he couldn’t wake Sunny up to cold noodles. The food turned as the microwave buzzed. He pinched the bridge of his nose. These issues would have to wait. He needed time to think. Time to plan. But he knew deep down he was racing his own timer. Which would go off first? Rick? The Saviors? The birth of his child? Was this even a race he could win? 

 

The important thing now was to keep his wife and child safe and happy. He would burn the world down to protect them. But he was tired of fighting. Maybe he was going soft. The microwave beeped at him bringing him out of thoughts.



From behind the door, Sunny took her ear from the wood and tip-toed back to bed. 








 





Notes:

Thanks so much for reading. If you like it let me know. Reviews keep me going and we're heading into the home stretch.

Chapter 24

Summary:

Summary- Negan surprises Sunny.

Warnings- Fluff and Angst

Word Count- 7.2k

Author’s Note- A little bit of a longer chapter this time around. We only have 2 chapters left after this one. I want to thank everyone for sticking around. I can’t wait to see y’all’s reactions.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Sunny watched the last of the bubbles bursting as soaked in the tepid water. Her toes clung to the edge of the clean tub. Trying to ignore the guilt gnawing at her gut, knowing all her friends were still working, she pulled the plug and let the water drain around her. It was difficult to accept being spoiled while everyone else toiled, but part of her job, she discovered, was keeping Negan happy. If he was stressed, it bled throughout The Sanctuary. 

She had heard about the weeks she was gone. Everyone was walking on eggshells afraid that any mistake or slight would earn them a meeting with Lucille as Negan stalked the grounds like a caged beast ready to lash out at anyone who would dare approach him. She had no desire to do that to everyone again. 

Taking a day off and soaking was an easy way to keep him sane. Was it really such a burden? She asked herself as she wrapped a towel around her. Oh no, you have to sit on your ass and do nothing all day. Poor you. Get a grip, Sunny. Nobody is going to hold it against you. 

Well, maybe some people would. Sunny had tried not to worry about what she overheard the night before but failed miserably. Was she being too much of an influence on Negan? Was she making him lose his edge? What would happen to him if he no longer garnered the fear and respect he fought so hard to instill? What would happen to her and their baby? 

Her dreams last night shifted from mundane to macabre, running from walkers and Saviors, trying to find Negan but never reaching him. What was scarier? Running from walkers or losing Negan? She couldn’t decide. At least with the walkers, it would be over quickly. Living a life without Negan? She didn’t know how she would go on. 

Dwelling, as her mother always told her, never solved anything. Shaking her morbid thoughts away, she left the bathroom and found an outfit waiting for her on the bed. He didn’t always pick out her clothes but apparently, he really meant for her to not do anything today. She smiled at the maternity dress he had laid out. It was a simple sky blue cotton maxi dress. Comfortable and already hemmed so she wouldn’t trip on it. She slipped on the ballet flats and walked to the office to raid the fridge. 

Sunny’s appetite had finally returned in full force. It was hard for her to think about her pregnancy. She was excited, but she didn’t feel that mysterious glow her mother and others had spoken of. She felt fat and slow. And she would only get bigger. The fact that there was a human inside of her was bizarre. And that tiny human would have to come out. The birth terrified her. She refused to think about it. That’s tomorrow Sunny’s problem. 

Sitting on her couch, she turned the tv on and started watching an old DVD, she snacked on a sandwich and some chips. How much longer would she be able to enjoy something as simple as this meal? The chips were stale but it was still better than nothing. The supply would run out and soon all the prepackaged food of her childhood would be a distant memory. Something old folks told younger generations about with fond nostalgia. 

What she wouldn’t give for some meat. Red meat. Grilled with garlic, thyme, and butter. But that was impossible here. Maybe Negan would take her home so she could cook for them. She’d like to cook for just the two of them again...three if you count Sherry. It could still be nice. Getting away. Living in their own little bubble even if just for a day or two.

 


 

Negan entered his office, dinner trays in hand. He glanced at his usually tidy and ordered desk which now was littered with wrappers. Little brat loved to follow his “rules” in the most passive-aggressive way. 

He’d been gone most of the day. Everything was ready. It had taken a certain amount of MacGyvering but the civilians were so excited about this opportunity they found a way to make it work. 

Dinner would be a light one-dish affair tonight. Some sort of chicken and dumpling-looking mess. It smelled good so that was enough for him. 

“Sugar lips! I’ve got dinner--” he walked into the bedroom and stopped as he saw his dainty delicate wife, cheeks full as she chipmunked a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Her eyes widened as a soft wash of pink spread across her face. 

“What?” Her hand hovered over her mouth trying to hide the food threatening to fall out of her mouth as she labored to chew.

“Well, I brought you dinner but it seems you’re already storing enough for winter.” He set the trays down at the table, laughing. 

Sunny glared, her mouth chomping at the bit to reply but still occupied with the peanut butter stuck on the roof of her mouth. 

Negan sat, reaching for his spoon. “I don’t know if you’re still hungry, but I’m fucking famished.” 

Finally managing to swallow, she approached her husband giving his temple a quick peck before sitting. “Well, it would be rude and wasteful not to eat this carefully prepared meal.”

His black brows raised. “Mmhmm.” He wasn’t fooled by her bullshit any more than she was his. He loved her newfound appetite and the new curves it had created on her body.

“I’m not on the menu. Quick your leering.” She smiled even as she scolded. She’d seen that look before. It usually preceded her clothes miraculously hitting the floor before she even knew what happened.

Negan leaned forward, elbows resting on the table as he stared at Sunny. “You’re fucking dessert, sweetheart. You know I have one hell of a fucking sweet tooth.” 

She laughed, her hands rubbing her belly as it bounced with each chuckle. “Well, your sweet tooth is gonna have to wait until I finish this.” She grabbed her spoon and motioned to her dumplings. The cooking had definitely improved. She liked to think she had a hand in that even though this particular meal was all Ava and the kitchen staff.

“It’s gonna have to last longer than that. As soon as you’re finishing we’ve got shit to do.” 

“What? It’s almost night time. Everything is shutting down. What could we possibly have to do?” she scoffed.

He ate casually ignoring her questions, knowing it would get her gears going. She was so cute when her brain was spinning faster than she could keep up with. 

Sunny tried to concentrate on the food in front of her, but her mind was reeling, trying to figure out what he could possibly have planned. Curfew was a strict rule. Even Negan rarely broke it. 

Was something wrong? Was there an emergency? Oh, god, this was about the Saviors hating all the changes. She was going to be formally voted out. All of her hard work was about to be undone all because some probably neanderthal felt she should get back in the kitchen. 

“Whoa there, killer. Now I don’t know what the fuck is going on in your brain right now but you’ve got your kitten murder glare going so you need to calm down.” He recognized the signs, hackles up, eyes fixated, body tense ready to pounce. All that was missing was a cute little ass wiggle before she struck. 

Broken from her thoughts her head tilted, eyebrows raised. “Kitten murder glare?” she asked.

“Yeah, you’ve worked yourself up over nothing, ready for a fight. It’s cute, but totally off fucking base. Retract those claws. It’s just a surprise I’ve been working on.” 

She sat up a little straighter. “A surprise? For me?” What kind of surprise? What would require an evening reveal? A telescope? Stargazing? Candlelight dessert? Oh wait, I’m dessert. Books? No. Something for the baby?

Negan’s head fell back as his laugh reverberated through the room. “Princess, never play poker. Stop overthinking. It’s going to be fucking fun.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. Everything should be ready. It felt like fucking Christmas. Hmmm, that’s something else Sunny could bring back. Maybe Thanksgiving too. “Get a jacket and grab a blanket, doll.”

 


 

Nervous excitement buzzed within her. Her cheeks hurt as she smiled down the halls following Negan hand in hand. She had a chenille blanket in her arms. It was lightweight but able to keep her warm at the same time. A cardigan covered her arms. Her hair was pulled back in a simple braid. She was ready for anything and everything he could possibly have planned. 

Through the factory they continued, each turn making her wonder where they were going. Finally, he pushed the double doors opened to the blacktop loading dock where trucks brought in the latest hauls. But gone were all the vehicles. All the metal roller doors were closed. But the real shock was all the people.

So many people gather in one place. Loitering. Being noisy. 

Sunny’s heart thumped loud and hard in her chest. She searched Negan’s face, worried she would find anger and confused when his countenance revealed nothing. She took in the scene again, focusing on the details around her.

Families were camped out on blankets, their kids running between groups finding their friends in a frenzy of excitement. The smell of popcorn wafted through the air. A large screen was hung on the factory wall. 

He watched her working through the scene around them. Gauging her reaction. It really all came down to this moment for him. The rest of the night could be a disaster but it would all be worth it for just one second. 

“Are we--are we having a movie night?” she asked cautiously, trying not to get her hopes up. It was too late though. Her hopes were high. For that to be true, would mean that he listened to her. That he was trying to do better. To be better. To make this place better for everyone. And he did it for her.

Negan shrugged. “Gotta keep the ants happy.” It was mostly true. He recognized the wisdom in her words even if they did come from a fucking Disney movie. 

He remembered, she realized, beaming. “Don’t you try to shrug this off, mister. You didn’t have to do all of this, but you did. It’s amazing.” She clasped her hands and bounced on her toes. “I’m so excited. What are we watching?” 

He smiled down at her. She radiated such genuine warmth and happiness. He would do anything to keep her this way forever, even if it meant putting on ridiculous events for the workers. She was a benevolent queen to his tyrant king. “You’ll have to wait and see. Let’s go get some snacks.”

A line of people along the side of the building chatted eagerly. The queue led to a popcorn machine that burst with fluffy buttery goodness. Everyone was holding tickets and smiling. Genuinely smiling. She’d never seen so many happy people here. 

Negan took Sunny’s hand, pulling her to the front of the line. She planted her feet, looking back at all the people patiently waiting. “Negan,” she insisted. “The line starts back there. We can’t cut.”

He turned to look back at her and then past her at the back of the line. There was no way he was waiting in line with the rabble. Being the head honcho had to come with some perks after all. “The hell we can’t.” 

She resisted when he tried to pull her again, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “It’s not fair.” Her head tilted up as he stretched to his full height. She could see the warning in his eyes as they flicked to the Saviors watching him then back to her. “Fine,” she mumbled. 

As people noticed their presence, they dropped to their knees. It was a sign of respect but mostly fear. She hated being a part of anything that broke these people out of their revelry. But she knew appearances were important. Perceived weakness could be life or death. All they had to do was get their snacks and sit then everyone else could go back to having fun. 

He felt her stiffen as everyone dropped. Now was not the time to address this. There wasn’t anything he could do to change it now. Unfortunately, it was something she would have to accept when they were together in public no matter how much it bothered her. Maybe in a world where the Saviors integrated with civilians or were banished to outposts, most likely, they could be normal again. For now, they had to pretend and treat this like any other date. 

As they reached the front of the line, Negan paused. His stomach clenched as he turned to Sunny, his arm dropping to his side. He led her away from the crowd and asked, “Is this your first date?” He always forgot just how young she was and how this apocalypse cut short her life experiences. 

“What?” she scoffed. “No. I mean, I cooked dinner for you...that was a date.” Her cheeks were tinged with a hint of pink as she avoided his eyes.

“Sunny, no one ever took you to the movies?” He had thought to recreate a fun pastime for people. He hadn’t thought about it being a first. He should have changed clothes or dressed up. Who knows when they would be able to pull something off like this again?

“I’ve been to the movies. I lived in a bunker, not under a rock.” Her arms crossed. Lip pouting as she bristled against the line of questioning. He knew she had never been openly dated. Knew she was a dirty little secret for the only boy she ever fancied. She really didn’t need the reminder.

“But never on a date.”

“No, never on a date,” she conceded. Why was he pushing this so hard? Why was it such a big deal? 

Negan nodded, his fingers ran over his lips as he came to a decision. He cleared his throat and asked,  “Sunny, will you go to the movies with me?”

“Don’t be dumb,” she said. She motioned to her belly. “I think we’re a little beyond this now.”

“I’m serious. Will you go to the movies with me?” he persisted. 

Her mouth opened then closed, her brows knitted together. “Stop. Let’s just go get snacks.” She didn’t like being teased this way. 

His hands rested on her shoulders, preventing her attempts to brush past him. He pulled her close, his rough voice low and soft against her ear. “Sunshine, I’m asking if you will go out with me. On a proper date. You deserve a proper date at least once in your life. Let me give it to you.” 

She wrapped her arms around his waist. It didn’t make sense. There was no reason for him to do any of this or to go out of his way for something as silly as a date. But he wanted to make sure she had the best of everything. He always did. Tears welled in her lower lash line as she nodded, her mouth spreading into a smile as she stepped back to look at him, to commit this moment to memory. “I’d love to.” 

Negan offered her his arm which she accepted with a giggle, tucking her arm in his. He walked her back to the concession stand. He approached the table and the terrified teenager behind it. “Two popcorns, a coke...What do you want to drink?” he asked Sunny.

“Oh--um--are there any Dr. Peppers?” She felt sorry for the poor boy shaking as he dug around in a cooler for her.

“Yes, ma’am.” He pulled out their sodas then scooped their popcorn. His voice cracked as he continued to help them. “Anything else? Candy?” 

Sunny looked down at a makeshift sign, her eyes alighting at the words that jumped out at her. “You have Little Debbies?”

The teen’s eyes shifted from Sunny to Negan. “Yes, ma’am. Um--we’ve got Nutty Buddy, Cosmic Brownies, and I think Zebra Cakes.”

Her mouth started salivating. Little Debbies were the first stash she went through of her father’s hoard. How could she have known she should have savored them? Saved them. She didn’t know it was the end of civilization. That the industrial revolution was going to come to a screeching halt. She didn’t know it was the last mass-produced sweet cake ever. She finally had a second chance. 

“A Nutty Buddy please.” Heavenly peanut butter and chocolate layered between crispy wafers. It was everything her pregnant brain wanted. Sweet, salty, crispy, creamy...all in one. “What are you getting?”

“Gummy Bears.” Negan took their bags of popcorn in one arm and soda cans in his other hand while Sunny grabbed the sweets. 

“Really? Gummy Bears?” She bit her lip to keep from laughing. Her big mean man was going to eat tiny candy teddy bears. 

“I’m not allowed to like candy?” He threw a quirked eyebrow at her. 

She adjusted the blanket in her arms trying not to drag it on the ground or drop the candy. “I just didn’t figure you for something adorable and fruity.”

“What would you think I’d like?” He wondered at the assumptions she would make. This seemed like one of those make-or-break personality quizzes all the girls in high school used to make everyone take that didn’t mean a damn thing, but everyone held as gospel. 

Her eyes traveled over his long lean figure dressed in his typical leather jacket attire. “Dark bitter chocolate? Black licorice? Those super sour things.”

He laughed as he led her through the crowds. “Bitter. Sour. Licorice? What the hell kind of person do you think I am? I like candy and sweets as much as the next person. I just prefer to indulge in other vices that don’t cause cavities in a world without dentists.”

“Yeah, those other vices have no consequences whatsoever. This is so much easier than yanking out a tooth.” She circled her hand over her ever-growing belly.

“Tou-fucking-che, princess.” He winked at her, dimples shadowed in the lights shining off the building. “You are the only sugar I really need. And I’ve got one hell of a sweet tooth for you.” 

Her eyes rolled to the heavens. “Oh my god. Please stop.” She smiled and waved at one of her kiddos who sat on a blanket with her parents, their chubby little hand greasy with buttered popcorn. God, I hope no one heard us. 

Negan laughed. He could almost see a blush crest on her cheeks. She may act like she hated the attention but he knew she loved it. 

She followed him through the clusters of families. The energy was infectious. Spreading through the population faster than any plague. Everyone was excited. Happy to have a diversion. 

Towards the back of the makeshift theater, a leather couch sat empty. Far enough away from the rest of the crowd but still close enough to have a good view of the screen. Two small TV trays were unfolded and waiting for them. 

“Back row, raised seating. Just for you.” He motioned for her to sit. 

“Why thank you, sir.” Setting down the snacks and laying her blanket over the arm of the couch, she sat down, glad to relieve a little bit of the ache in her back. Negan sank down on the soft cushion next to her. 

The lights on the outside of the factory went out. Sunny looked up immediately to the night sky. It had been a while since she had seen the stars. She missed being able to climb on her roof and lay under them waiting for shooting stars to wish on. What did she wish for back then? Her family. Always for her family to show up. They never did. But now she had one. She just hadn’t expected it to show up with the tall dark stranger wielding a barbed wire baseball bat. Funny how things work out. 

The projector shone on the screen. Music blared out of speakers placed strategically around the area. 

“Is it safe to have something this loud at night?” she whispered. 

“It’ll be fine. We’ll probably have some new recruits for the wall which isn’t a bad thing.” He draped his arm around her shoulder. 

She looked at his hand drawing circles on her arm. “Are you trying to put the moves on me? The movie hasn’t even started yet. It’s still the previews which I’m impressed that they stole the preview reel too. A plus for commitment. How do you even pull all of this off? Without me knowing?”

“Fuck yeah, I’m putting the moves on you. That’s what the back row and blanket are for.” 

She swatted his wandering hand away. “I’m not making out with you in front of everyone.”

“Not an exhibitionist?  We’ll see about that.” He leaned in, whispering in her ear. “There’s a first time for everything you know.”

Her elbow collided with his ribs. “Stop avoiding my other questions.” 

“There’s not much to tell. We gutted a movie theater and a couple electronic stores. The local high schools had some good sound systems we picked off. Everyone agreed to help keep it a surprise under penalty of death.”

Her eyes widened. Lips parted as she gauged the weight of his words. He wouldn’t. Would he?

“Sunny, I’m joking. Everyone wanted to surprise their families with something fucking fun. No one had a hard time keeping it a secret. But everyone knew by this afternoon when they started setting up.”

Ignoring the previews of coming attractions that would never be seen, she asked “Is that why you wanted me to take the day off? So I wouldn’t see?” 

“Shh. Movies about to start.” He turned to the screen.

 Giggling, she nudged him with her shoulder. “You did! That’s adorable.” 

He cut his eyes at her, his finger pressed against her lips. “Shh.”

“What movie are we watching?” she asked, her lips squished against his finger.

“Are you going to talk the whole fucking time? It’s a surprise. Just sit there and enjoy it before I take you back to the room and shut that pretty mouth for you.” He passed her snacks over. “Here. Eat these if your mouth needs to move.” He pressed popcorn to her mouth until she opened, glaring at him momentarily until the taste of salty perfection closed her eyes as she savored it. 

He tossed a couple of fluffy white kernels into his mouth. Damn, that was good. So much better than the bagged ones made in the microwave. Or maybe the nostalgia made it taste better. Either way, this was worth all the effort and scheming. 

Familiar tinkling music over melted chocolate appeared on the screen. He watched her eyes light up, her hand filled with popcorn paused in the air. Gasps and small cheers were heard peppered throughout the audience. 

It had been difficult to settle on a movie. The movie theater had a selection of older movies they used during summer programs for daycares and camps. When he saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, he knew not only would it be family-friendly, Sunny would love it. Hell, even he had enjoyed it as a kid. 

As they watched the movie, snacks in hand, loved one near, it almost seemed like they were in a drive-thru. It was easy to forget that a few feet outside the fences were monsters that would tear them limb from limb easier than Augustus Gloop could tear through a Wonka Bar. 

Sunny’s teeth sank into her Nutty Buddy, a little moan vibrated in her throat as all her taste buds rejoiced. It had been so long. Chalky protein bars had nothing on this perfect balance of sugar and more sugar. 

She offered a bite to Negan who smartly refused. He knew better than to get in the way of her foodgasm, having once eaten her last bite of potato which resulted in a rush of hormonal tears. 

She leaned her head on his shoulder, cuddling up to him. Draping the blanket over them, they settled back, bellies full of sugar and salt, and watched the rest of the movie. Everyone was riveted as the actors on the screen were in awe of the room containing trees, flowers, and grass that were all made of colorful candy surrounded by a chocolate river. 

Negan had to admit Sunny was right. This kind of event would be essential moving forward. Making sure everyone was not only surviving but thriving. It was the only way they would be able to move forward. 

The moon was high in the sky by the time the movie finished. Several parents carried their children back to their rooms, the little ones already asleep in their arms. Everyone helped gather trash and blankets or did their best to take down the speakers and screens so they could be used again in the near future. 

“This was an amazing night,” Sunny said. “Look at how happy they are.” Her arms opened gesturing at the people around them, a contented smile tugging at her dreamy countenance. 

Negan grunted and shook his head. He wasn’t nearly as idealistic as his little wife. And he didn’t need her thinking he was. “I don’t care how happy they are. I only care how happy you are.”

Ignoring his nonchalance, she leaned in, kissing him gently, her lips ghosting over his.“Well, I’m very happy.”  

“How happy?” he asked, his voice tinged with a gravelly husk. 

Sunny stood with some effort after disentangling herself from her husband. She reached out a hand, stumbling as she tried to pull him up from the leather sofa. “Come upstairs and let me show you how happy.” 

Needing no further invitation, Negan followed.

 


 

For the next week, everyone’s spirits were high. Sunny was regaled by all her little toddlers about candy and Oompa Loompas. It was the first time for them to see a movie so big and to taste movie theater fare, something their parents would never waste precious points on. 

A suggestion box Sunny placed in dorms was filled to the brim with movie suggestions and ideas for other social events. People were taking an active interest in life again. 

She felt proud over the changes she had seen taken place here. Not only in the people around her but in Negan. And herself. He had shown her that he loved her, really valued her thoughts and opinions. Had anyone asked her months ago, if she thought this was possible she would have said no. 

He’d been gone a lot this week, speaking in hushed tones with Saviors and his right-hand men. He was with them now as she waited in bed for him. It was hard for her to sleep without his steady breathing and heavy body next to her. 

The bedroom door opened, a disheveled Negan crossed the threshold, his stubble a few days shy of an actual beard. “What are you doing up, sweetheart?” he asked. 

“I couldn’t sleep.” She pulled back the covers, waiting for him to join her. 

He climbed in next to her. “Why couldn’t you sleep?” He spooned up behind her, holding her in his arms. 

“Bad dreams.” She didn’t want to say anymore. It had been the same type of nightmare that had followed her her entire life. Running through mists, trying to find someone, anyone. Only to realize she was alone. 

“Poor baby. You’re safe now. I’ve got you. It’s late. I’m tired as fuck.” He kissed her shoulder, a soft snore following shortly after. 

Tomorrow, Sunny resolved to tell him he needed a day off like he had for her. Anyone that crashed this hard was burning the candle at both ends. Now that he was there with her, grounding her, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her as well.

 


 

Negan shot up, his hands fumbling for a weapon from the nightstand. What the fuck was that noise?

“What’s that?” Sunny mumbled from her pillow. 

“Someone’s at the door,” he growled. “Stay here.” He strode to the other room and wrenched the door open. 

Dwight stood there looking every bit the dead man he was standing under the flickering fluorescent lights that highlighted the grease in his stringy hair. 

“What the fuck? Why are you fucking waking me up in the middle of the god damned night?” Negan snapped. 

“I wouldn’t risk it if it wasn’t important. Rick is gathering his supporters. They are talking war. They could strike any day.” Dwight looked him in the eye. Something he tried to avoid but he needed him to understand this was not just a minor irritation. This was about to be a full-scale battle royal. 

If Negan wasn’t fully awake before, he sure as hell was now. His whole body felt like he was suddenly doused in ice water. “Fucking prick. First light, get the families, women, and children out of here. Take them to the furthest outposts. Make sure you take food and water.” His heart hammered in his chest. Shit. He needed to get Sunny and the baby to safety. “I want all civilians out of here by the end of the day. If they stay, they fight. We’ll talk weapons, supplies, and strategies when I get back.”

“Where are you going?” Dwight asked. How could he leave at such a critical time? Was he tucking tail and running while he could? He wouldn’t blame him but a man that cocky better have some bite to match all the fucking barking. 

“I’m going to get ready for war.” He turned and closed the door behind him. The click of the doorknob deafening in the darkened office. Fucking shit. He flicked on the light switch, his eyes squeezing shut against the onslaught of light. He had to start packing. Getting Sunny to safety was his first priority. Making sure she had everything she could ever need was second. 

He grabbed a few bags. He shoved clothes, shoes, and toiletries in one. He raided her movies and books packing all her favorites. Baby clothes, gear, and formula were next. He loaded everything he could in his truck making multiple trips while she slept soundly unaware of the approaching danger. Unaware that the happy future they had been building was now teetering precariously on the edge of a cliff.

But like hell, he would let them fall.

“Sunny,” he said in a low whisper as he gently stroked the soft skin of her arm. 

She grunted and buried her face in her pillow. 

“Babydoll, I need you to get up now.” He nudged her hip, rocking her until her eyes opened one at a time before squeezing them shut again. 

“It’s still dark out. Why are you waking me up?” she whined. 

“Sunny, we’ve got to go.” He pulled back the sheets and laid out some clothes for her. He helped her sit up and tugged at her shirt. 

She lifted her arms out of habit, her brain lagging as it fought its way out of a sleepy fog. “Huh? Go where? Why?”

“I’ll tell you when we get to the truck. Get dressed, sweetheart. We leave as soon as you're done.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

Sunny pulled on the t-shirt laid out next to her. The urgency in his voice was enough to shake the last vestiges of sleep from her body. She tried not to panic, but her warning bells were blasting in her brain. She shimmied into the jeans, stretching the long blue band sewn to the waist over her belly. Socks were next. She shoved her feet into her tennis shoes, struggling to tie them as she bent over. Finally, giving in she propped her feet on the bed next to her and looped, swooped, and pulled the laces tight. 

She walked into the office as Negan tucked a gun into the waistband of his jeans before picking up Lucille. 

“Negan, what’s going on?” she asked.

“I'll explain everything soon. Right now, I just need you to trust me. Okay? Can you do that for me?”

She nodded even though she didn’t understand. But she knew he would only ask something like that if it was important. 

Negan opened the door, taking a look at everything left behind. Their home. He didn’t want to drag this out any more than needed but guilt tugged at him knowing she would want to take her time to make sure she had everything she could possibly want while she laid low. Time was not on their side. He had to have her home and be back before the mass exodus of civilians began. He threw Lucille over his shoulder and held his wife’s hand as he headed down the hall. 

Sunny followed Negan wordlessly as he led them through the stairwell and hallways until they were finally at his truck. It was still dark outside. Stars shone above while the promise of dawn lined the horizon to the east. 

He helped her climb up before getting in the driver's seat and starting the engine. Pulling up to the gate, he noted the way the young guard’s eyes widened when they saw who was asking to leave. Not waiting for the grunt to ask questions, Negan rolled down his window and spoke to the boy. “I’m taking my wife to visit a doctor in another community. I’ll be back in a few hours.” 

The young guard looked at Sunny and her hands resting on her stomach in the passenger seat. He nodded and opened the gate for the old truck. Hopefully, he wouldn’t look in the back where bags and baby stuff were tied down. He didn’t need rumors of desertion meeting him when he got back. Morale would be low enough without lies adding fuel to the fire. 

She stared at him as they pulled away from the Sanctuary. She turned to look back at the towering structure. In the bed of the truck, she saw bags packed in tight. In the back seat, a few boxes with her movies and books tossed haphazardly inside were lying open.

“Negan, tell me what’s going on.” She felt like all the air was sucked out of her lungs. What the hell was happening? “ Why is all my stuff in the truck?”

His eyes glanced towards her before returning to the road ahead of them as he navigated the streets filled with debris.  He let out a sigh, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel. “ Remember when we first met, the group that murdered all the people in one of our outposts?”

“Yeah…” She tried to remember. That was the reason he was gone for a few weeks and she thought something horrible had happened to him or that he didn’t want her anymore. “It was awful.”

“Well, how do you think I fucking felt finding you with them?”

The whole world stopped. He couldn’t possibly mean-- “Alexandria did that?” she asked weakly, unsure if she wanted the answer.

“Yeah. Fucking Rick. Now he’s decided to have a pissing contest and has wrangled a few other groups to whip out their dicks too.” He could feel his blood pressure rising. He should have killed his whole group in that lineup. Nipped it all in the fucking bud but people were a commodity now, and he thought they would have gotten the fucking memo about who was in charge in the past few months. 

“So, he’s going to fight you?” 

“He’s going to try.” He looked over at her wide-eyed and nibbling at her bottom lip. 

“Then where are we going?” She looked around as though a road sign with their destination would appear at any moment. 

“I’m getting you and the baby the hell out of Dodge,” he said.

She pivoted to face him. Hoping he was lying. “What? No! I want to stay with you.” 

“Honey, I can’t do what I need to do if I’m worried about you. I need to know you are safe.”

She shook her head. Flashes of her students and friends, the families they had just started improving their lives played in her mind. “What about everyone else?”

“We’re evacuating all civilians to other outposts. Getting them away from The Sanctuary. I needed to get you home first. Sherry will be there to wait it out with you. Keep you company. You can paint each other’s nails or whatever the fuck  girls do at a sleepover.” 

“You can’t seriously expect me to just sit at home and wait?” 

He turned his glare on his wife. “Yes, I fucking do because that’s exactly what you are going to fucking do.” Threats started running through his head. He’d have to make sure it was very clear to Sherry what would happen if Sunny left. 

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. What was happening? Everything had been going so well and now this. Was this how life would always be? Just waiting for the other shoe to drop...the next crisis? She knew it was foolish to think their happiness would last forever, but she had hoped it would last a little longer. Her hands rubbed her belly and her heart dropped. “Negan, I can’t do this without you.”

He took one of her hands in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. “You won’t have to. There is nothing more important than you and our baby. I have to fucking do this to make sure you two are safe and have the lives you fucking deserve.”

She and the baby would be safe but he wouldn’t. There were no guarantees he would win. No guarantee that something stupid wouldn’t happen. No guarantees he would be back in time for the birth of their child if at all. “You don’t have to do this. We can just disappear. Let Rick have The Sanctuary. We don’t need it.”

“You know I can’t fucking do that. I can’t abandon everyone who followed me.”

Her lips trembled, vision blurred as her eyes watered. She quickly brushed away the tears that fell down her cheeks. 

“Hey now.” His hand rubbed her thigh, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “It’ll be fine, Sunny.” He didn’t know who he was trying to convince more. Her or him. But he couldn’t dwell on that. He had to focus on protecting his people. There was no way he was going to let some asshole like Rick or that hill-billy Daryl take everything he’d worked so hard to build. 

They rode in silence the rest of the way. The only sounds were an occasional sniffle from Sunny who slid across the bench seat and leaned against her husband. She dozed off and on. Thinking and overthinking. Negan put his arm around her back, holding her close. His hand wrapped around her to cradle her belly. 

Pulling up to her house, the sun rising on the horizon, Negan opened the gate with the remote Sunny gave him what seemed like a lifetime ago. He parked and helped Sunny out. 

Sherry sat on the front porch, her brows drawn into a scowl. Cigarette in hand, she took a long drag before standing, throwing the butt to the ground, and stamping it out with her shoe. 

“Well, holy shit. Long time no see.” Sherry’s eyes traveled up and down Sunny. “Apparently, a lot longer than I thought. How are you, honey?”

“Fine,” she replied weakly. 

Sherry glared at Negan, her arms crossing in front of her. “What’s going on?”

“Help me fucking unload and I’ll fill you in. Sunny, why don’t you go inside for a minute?” He watched her bristle at his not-so-subtle attempt to get rid of her. 

Sunny opened her mouth to argue, but her bladder had other plans. She turned in defeat as she was reminded that her body was no longer her own. She was at the mercy of the tiny being that resided inside her. 

Entering the living room, she was surrounded by everything that should have brought her comfort. Everything that should have felt like home.

But it didn’t. This place, any place without Negan, could have never be home now.

 


 

Negan tossed the last bag on the porch. “I’ll be back when the dust settles. I need you to keep her safe and keep her here. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Sherry nibbled at her thumb. “I’ll keep her safe. But Negs, you be careful. Don’t do anything stupid. Like getting yourself killed.”

He chuckled, a smile creeping across his face. “You almost sound genuinely concerned.”

“I am. You have a wife that clearly loves you, who is carrying your child. I get your need to protect The Sanctuary but is it worth never seeing them again?” Sherry asked in a hushed voice.

“Everything will be fine. Those pricks aren’t anything we can’t handle. We just have to lay down the law. Pick off a few at the top and put them back in line.” He dismissed her worries, ignoring how they gnawed at him inwardly. He could not view this as anything but another lesson for Rick to learn. The minute he showed weakness would be the minute it was over for him. 

Sunny returned and looked between them sensing the tension. 

Sherry wrapped her arms around Negan. “Please be careful.” She stepped to the side and grabbed a bag, ready to take it inside.

Negan approached Sunny. His hands rested on her belly before wrapping around her. “I’ve gotta go, baby.” He kissed her forehead, relishing the feel of her in his arms, wondering when he would feel it again.

Tears rushed to Sunny’s eyes. She wasn’t ready. Not ready to let him go. Not ready to face the unknown. Her ability to remain calm, to put on a brave face shattered. 

“No. Just stay here. You don’t have to go. They can sort it out without you.” Her words were broken with sobs as tears streaked her cheeks, soaking his shirt. “We can live here quietly. Forever.” She clung to him, her fingers digging into his arms. 

His heart clenched, his resolve faltered but he extricated himself from her embrace ignoring how it hurt.  “Baby, if I could do that without feeling like a piece of shit, I would. Everything will be fine. I’ll be back before you know it.” 

His heart shattered as she clung to him, sobbing. “I love you, Sunny.” He looked to Sherry whose eyes shone with emotions as she watched. He motioned for her to help. She took Sunny gently by the shoulders and pulled her back. 

“No,” Sunny cried, reaching out for Negan as he walked away. She needed more time. She needed him.

Negan got in the truck and opened the gate. His eyes burned, his throat was tight. He turned and waved. His last view was Sherry wrapping her arms around Sunny as she screamed his name. He watched in the rear view mirror as she disappeared from view.

Notes:

Never fear guys, this will have a happy ending but to quote an 80s movie...it has to hurt if it's to heal.

Chapter 25

Summary:

Sunny and Negan deal with the aftermath of the war.

Warnings- Angst. So much.

Notes:

I would be sorry for all the feels but I'm not. I promise it's going to be okay. And to make matters better, I already have the last chapter done and will post it next Saturday. Thanks to everyone who has stuck through this and read along.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Sunny stared at the boxes before her. Taking the red marker in her hand, she crossed off another day on the calendar. Today would mark two months since she had returned home. Two months since she had seen Negan.

At first, she and Sherry tried their best to soldier on. To keep their hopes high, focusing on their chores during the day and watching movies at night. But with each day without any news that passed, the slumber party mood in the house soured, overshadowed with doubts and fears.

Sunny climbed the stairs and walked out onto the porch where she often found Sherry. She had run out of cigarettes a few days ago but still sat outside every time she felt anxious or stressed. Sitting in a rocking chair they had dragged out of the house, Sherry stared at the dirt driveway that led to the road. Her back and forth motions were steady, creaking wood keeping time in their little world where time meant nothing.

Sherry’s gaze turned to Sunny. A weak smile turned the corners of her lips but didn’t reach her eyes. “Is it dinner time already?” she asked.

“No, not yet.” Sunny didn’t know how to address the elephant in the room. She decided directness was her best bet. “It’s been two months.”

The rocking stopped. Sherry nodded, her eyes back on the road. “I know.” She pulled her legs up on the chair, hugging her knees to her chest, her bare feet curling over the edge of the wooden seat.

“Do you think it’s over yet? Do you think we won?” Sunny asked. She wasn’t sure if she wanted the answers.

“Honey, if it’s over and we won, you know he would have been here in a heartbeat. Something went wrong. How wrong I don’t know. But I know Negan, and he wouldn’t just let you sit here waiting for nothing.”

Tears threatened to build, but Sunny swallowed them down. They had never voiced these thoughts out loud before, but they had both been thinking it for a few weeks now. She knew Sherry was right. If things had gone their way, she would be back at The Sanctuary right next to Negan. Instead, she was here.

“What should we do? Should we go see what happened?” Sunny leaned against a post, her hands rubbing her belly. It was still weird that it sometimes pushed back. The baby was so active, rolling and kicking. It was bizarre to look down and see her entire stomach shift with the movements within. Negan was missing it. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to think of anything else.

We won’t be doing anything,” Sherry said, providing a much-needed distraction.

Sunny couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She thought for sure Sherry would want to know what happened. She had talked about Dwight enough in the last two months for Sunny to know that there were still deep-rooted feelings there. How could she not want to know what had happened to him? Where he was? How could she not want to find him? “We can’t just sit here and wait forever.”

“No, we can’t. But you can.” Sherry’s aura shifted. Her mind seemingly made up as she stood tall, determination creasing her brow. “I’m going to go. You are in no condition to be out there. And Negan would kill me if anything happened to you.”

“You can’t leave me here. Alone.” Panic rushed through Sunny’s body, her heart rate raising as she contemplated what Sherry was saying.

“I don’t have a choice. You’re right. We need to know. But you’re in no shape to travel. I can drive out there and back in a day. I can run, shoot, and protect myself. You are a sitting duck right now. I can’t protect you and the baby.”

Sunny hated that she was right. Hated being so useless. “You’ll go and come right back?” Sunny asked.

“Of course, I would never abandon you. Whatever I find. I’ll come back.” Sherry stepped towards Sunny, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, rubbing her back.

Sunny leaned her head on her shoulder savoring the contact. They had grown so close in the last two months. Honestly, it felt like having a sister again. But despite her assurance, Sunny could only think about how Rain promised to come back, so did her parents, and so did Negan. Where were they all now?

 


 

The next morning, Sherry had a pistol, two knives, and a small cache of bullets loaded into the car she arrived in. They had taken pains to start her car and Sunny’s car every week to keep it running. Hopefully, that had done its job and she would make it there and back.

It took all of Sunny’s strength to keep going. To keep busy. She didn’t know what was worse. Not knowing the fate of those she loved. Or knowing.

She could pretend her sister was somewhere in the world. Happy. Safe. living. She could pretend her parents were just lost and making their way back home someday. She could even pretend that Negan was busy making their home perfect for her return and the baby’s arrival.

But knowing that they were dead. That the worst had happened. That was something she didn’t think she could handle. She didn’t want to. Denial was so much easier.

She paced the front porch, the boards creaking underfoot, as the sun dipped beneath the trees and distant hills, the horizon burning red as a blanket of darkness stretched over the sky. She maintained her silent vigil as stars dappled the heavens and the sounds of the birds and breeze were replaced by cicadas and rustling groans she hoped were branches swaying in the wind.

She dozed in the rocking chair for minutes at a time until light graced the clouds, painting everything with pastel strokes. Dew hung in the air, misting her vision. Or was that the tears?

Sherry had promised she would be back the same day. She’d promised. But so had Negan.

Sunny was alone. Again. But this time she wouldn’t just sit and wait. She wouldn’t accept this fate once more.

 


 

A few hours later, Sunny slowly maneuvered her old dusty car down the street as The Sanctuary came into view. She didn’t have to get close, and wouldn’t want to with the fences down, to see that something was terribly wrong. The sun that usually reflected off the windows only highlighted the shattered remains of glass that clung to the frames. Leaving the building a derelict monument in the skyline.

There were no signs of actual life. No guards with rifles. Even the corpses that once worked the wall were mere puddles of writhing body parts. Beyond the chain link, the silhouettes of shuffling masses told Sunny all she really needed to know. What she had feared all along. They had lost.

Her chest clenched, air refusing to fill her lungs as she struggled to turn around. Surely, Sherry would have seen the state of it and just come home. Where was she? Had she been stupid enough to look for survivors? Had she never made it this far? Did she decide to go after Dwight?

Her mind ran circles through all the unknowns that ate at her. Was Negan back there? His hazel eyes clouded over. His once imposing figure hunched over as his dead body lurched without purpose, leather jacket hanging off his frame. Don’t think about it. She wiped her tears, fingers gripping the steering wheel as she changed direction.

Sunny had planned for this. She knew deep down that something terrible had happened. She needed help though. And she didn’t want to be left alone. There was only one place she knew to go. Hopefully, she could persuade them to listen to her and take pity on her.

She had to pull over twice on her way to Alexandria, the tears too thick to see through. Each time she thought she was done, thought she couldn’t possibly have more to shed, her vision would blur.

She arrived at the gates, hoping her red swollen eyes didn’t convey disease. The last thing she needed was for them to think she was infected. Sad and pathetic, for sure, but she was healthy nonetheless.

The guards shouted as expected. She exited the car with difficulty, maneuvering her belly behind the steering wheel. She raised her hands as she shuffled off the seat and stood.

“I’m not armed!” Sunny shouted.

“Stay where you are,” one of the guards shouted atop the scaffolding as they stared down their scopes at her.

She froze, adrenaline coursing through her veins. It was too late to consider whether or not this was, indeed, a bad idea. Last resorts often were. But desperation was all she had.

The rusty reinforced gates screeched open slowly. Rick, flocked by his people, walked out.

“I remember you,” he said in his southern drawl, looking every bit the cowboy in his hat. He looked her over, his eyes stopping on her middle, brows furrowing. “Is it his?” he sneered.

Her lip trembled as she nodded, lowering her arms and wrapping them protectively around herself.

“Did you come here looking for him?” Rick asked. The people behind him joined him in glaring at her. The disgust they collectively felt was clear.

“No. I’ve come to make a deal.” She turned and opened the back door, ignoring the clicks she heard as everyone raised their guns. Reaching inside she pulled out a small bottle. She cautiously waddled towards Rick, handing him the orange plastic container filled with pills. “It’s antibiotics. I have more.”

Rick’s mouth opened then closed. He cleared his throat. “How much more?”

“I have a small pharmacy’s worth of medications and drugs. Not to mention chickens. Freezers of food. Garden. Toilet paper.”

He stared at the pills then raised his eyes to her. “Where?” he demanded.

“Someplace only I know the location of. I’d be willing to take someone back with me. There are lots of farms and equipment that could be salvaged where I live. It would be good land for people to work.”

“Why should we trust you?” the gray-haired woman behind Rick asked.

“Yeah, why don’t you hunt down Saviors and ask them for help?” a man wearing a vest she recognized from her first encounter asked. She struggled to remember his name. Daryl? That sounded right.

A group had gathered outside the gate. All of them holding weapons. Staring at her. A woman with umber skin and long dark locs held back with a headband stepped forwards next to Rick, a katana in her fist.

Sunny thought of the Saviors. She had been kept separate from most of them and with probable good reason. “I don’t know them--”

“You don’t know us either,” Rick countered.

He had a point. Sunny didn’t know them. But she knew from her last experience that they had the capacity for empathy and kindness, probably more so than Negan would have for a stranger. “You were kind to me when I ran away before. I was hoping you would be again. If I’m wrong, I’ll go. I have chickens that need feeding anyways.” She turned to leave, hoping someone would stop her.

Gripping the bottle in his fist, Rick muttered, “Wait.”

Sunny stopped, her hands resting on the door handle of her small coupe.

Daryl stepped towards him. “What’re you doing? We don’t need her. Let her leave.”

“She has medicine and food. We may not need her, but we do need those.” Rick countered. “What do you think, Michonne?” He turned to the woman with the sword next to him.

“Ask her what she wants in return,” Michonne responded. She stared at Sunny, her expression hard to read.

“What’s in it for you? What are you hoping to get out of all this?” Rick asked. His hands rested high on his hips over the belt where his holsters hung.

Sunny took a deep breath. “I can’t do this by myself. I don’t want to give birth alone. Or be alone.” She was waiting to be laughed at. Waiting to be run off. But that didn’t happen.

The woman with the short gray hair stepped forward. “I’ll go with her. If she has all she says she has, then we’ll make a trade, and I’ll stay with her until the baby is born.”

Daryl growled. “The hell you will. You really believe she would have all that? That Negan wouldn’t have taken it all for himself? For all we know, this is some sort of trap.”

Hearing his name, made her stomach flip. They hated him. And probably her too by extension. She understood nothing she said would convince them otherwise. Her hackles were raised by the grungy man passing judgment on her without knowing a thing about her as if he were any better.

“Well, I’m not really in the position to be making enemies. For that matter, how would I be able to overpower anyone? I can’t even tie my own shoes anymore.” She motioned to herself. “I can’t make you trust me. You either come or you don’t. But if you don’t and I die giving birth, you’ll miss out on a lot of hard-to-find things.” She set her eyes on Daryl. “Like shampoo. Deodorant…”

Rick’s mouth quirked at the corners before he regained his composure. He held up his hand, to keep Daryl back. “Fine. Carol will go with you. If you have everything you say you do, we can work something out.”

“But don’t think that means we trust you or that.” Daryl pointed at your stomach with the end of his rifle as he spoke.

Sunny nodded. She wasn’t stupid enough to think any of them would be too pleased about her presence knowing who she was and who she had been with. All she needed was someone to get her through childbirth. Some sort of alliance for the future no matter how tenuous it may be was necessary for their survival.

In time, they would see that she could be trusted and valuable. And time was all she had at the moment.

 


 

 

Negan stared at the bars next to him as he sat on the dusty floor that marked the end of his world. He was once king of his domain and now he had only enough room to take three strides forward. By the angle of the sun, shining through the boarded-up window to his basement, he knew he should be getting a tray of food soon.

Those bastards wouldn’t let him die. They were determined to make him watch them thrive and survive in spite of him. To drive him mad thinking of how much they accomplished without him or the Saviors. What they didn’t know was how little they actually meant to him.

All he cared about was her.

He hadn’t been able to keep track of the exact days after the battle and being near death at the hands of Rick. But he knew it had been about 2 or 3 months. Sunny should be getting close to giving birth soon.

He was going to miss it. He’d never meet his child. He promised Sunny he’d return and of all the horrible things he’d done in his life, that was his one regret.

Thank god, Sherry was there. It was his one comfort.

The door swung open, Negan rolled his eyes when he saw who was standing at the threshold. Fucking Spencer. Little prick never missed a chance to preen like he was cock-of-the-walk. He wouldn’t be so high and mighty if there wasn’t iron between them.

Spencer dropped the tray to the floor in front of the jail cell. “Eat up, asshole.”

“Fuck off, pencil dick,” he quipped back.

The smirk on Spencer’s face turned positively sinister. Negan knew better than to antagonize this piece of shit. The last time his temper had gotten the better of him, his food had ended up on the floor, taunting him through the bars just out of reach. At least when Rick showed up, he was rewarded with a meal for suffering through his endless monologues of their daily successes.

The young man leaned against the wall, looking down at Negan. “Now now, Negan. If you aren’t a good boy, I won’t tell you all about your little bitch that showed up at our gates today.”

His heart froze. Sunny. Here? Why the hell would she be here? Sherry promised she would keep her safe. Was she alright? Was the baby born? Did she know he was here? Was she trying to make a deal, negotiate his release?

Negan’s brain flicked through every question imaginable with the speed of a teen channel surfing. If he played this wrong, he wouldn’t learn anything about Sunny. “You’ll have to be more specific. Which bitch?”

“Young, cute. Dark hair.”

“Son, I had 6 wives. You’ve just described half of them.” He reached for his food. The water had spilled creating a soft corner of his sandwich. He ripped the soggy part off and bit into the tomato and lettuce sandwich. Damn, he missed turkey and bacon. Even mayonnaise.

“This is the little runaway that ended up here. You took her back with you. Should’ve known you’d lose the entire Sanctuary when you couldn’t even keep one tiny woman in line.”

“Oh, that one.” He forced himself to sound bored as if ennui dripped from his every pore. “How was my darling wife?”

“Well, she was practically begging Rick for help. Too bad he was there. If I had guard duty I would have been much more aggressive in negotiations.”

If that fucking little weasel touched one hair on her head, he would rip off his dick and shove it down his throat. “What was she negotiating for?” He focused his eyes on his food. It felt like sawdust in his throat as his anxiety dried his mouth.

“Well not you if that’s what you're wondering. She didn’t mention you once. Probably glad to be rid of you. She didn’t want to be alone. Said she had things she was willing to trade. Medicine and food. Probably embezzling from you all along. How does it feel to know she doesn’t give two shits about you? That she isn’t going to do a fucking thing to help you?”

“You think I give a shit? She’s doing what she’s always done. Making deals to take care of herself. Can’t really fucking hold that against her.” Mention the baby. He repeated in his mind. Don’t make me ask.

Spencer kicked off the wall standing straight up. “Well if you’re not interested, I guess I’ll just leave.” He strode to the door. His hand reached for the knob.

“Wait. What about the baby?” He regretted it as soon as his mouth opened and he saw the triumph play across the sadistic son-of-a-bitch’s face.

“What baby?” he asked. The smirk on his face grew to a smile. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he left without further delay.

Negan threw the last few bites of his sandwich back on the tray. He crawled to his cot and pulled himself up. Burying his face in his thin pillow, he hid the tears that soaked through his bedding. He cried. More than he had in years.

For the loss of his home. His wife. His baby. And for knowing he deserved it all.

 


 

 

Carol had only needed a few minutes to pack a bag, but Denise and Tara convinced Rick to let them check Sunny’s health while she waited. They wanted the practice they said. Although they didn’t have a sonogram, they were able to find the baby’s heartbeat. A strong healthy flutter that wooshed through the tiny speaker.

Maggie and Michonne and forced them to eat before leaving. And Sunny hesitantly complied. She didn’t want to take food out of their people’s mouths so she gave them the bag of pecans and box protein bars she had in her car. She wouldn’t let anyone accuse her of not pulling her weight.

When all was said and done, the two women left in separate vehicles so Carol could leave of her own free will if needed.

As Carol pulled into the driveway, she looked skeptically at the house as she made her way to the porch with her bag in hand. Her skepticism was replaced with awe as Sunny showed her the rest of the bunker, answering all the questions of why and how when she saw the extent of their hoard.

After finishing the tour, Sunny sat on the couch grateful to have a chance to put her swollen feet up. “So, do we have a deal? You’ll stay here and help me?”

Carol nodded, joining her in the small living room. She fiddled with the crocheted blanket thrown over the back of the couch. “I don’t understand though.”

“What?” Sunny expected people to have questions about her parents and their unconventional ways. She had learned at an early age that everyone had an opinion on how they did things.

“How did someone like you end up with a monster like Negan?” the older woman asked.

That Sunny wasn’t expecting. Not yet anyway. She was hoping to have time to get to know people before they pried into her recent past. Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip, chewing the chapped skin. How did she answer this? How could she make someone who would only believe the worst about him understand that he was so different in private?

“Look, I know it can be difficult to talk about abusive husbands. I was with mine for years. He was so kind and collected in front of others. No one would have believed me if I had said anything or asked for help. No one ever knew what a monster he was. But we all knew Negan, we’d believe you if you said you were forced.”

“That’s the difference though. He wasn’t a monster. Not to me. The world made Negan who he was to survive. Only I got to see the real him. The part of him that loved me. He worshipped the ground I walked on. Would have done anything for me.”

“Then why did you run away?” Carol asked. “I remember you showing up at our gates covered in walker guts looking half dead yourself. If things were so great, why did you leave?”

God, this was going to sound so stupid. “I left because Negan cared too much. He put me up in this beautiful penthouse suite. He gave me everything I could have ever wanted before the end of the world. But I was raised to work. To contribute. The one thing Negan wouldn’t give me was a job. He wanted to protect me. And to him, that meant having me laying around eating bonbons while everyone else worked. I couldn’t do that. I wanted to help.

“Say what you want about him. He did bad things to survive. Horrific things I’m sure. But it was to protect the people around him,” Sunny said.

Carol shook her head. “Your husband was a monster out of cruelty. He enjoyed killing people. Toyed with them. If you think it was out of necessity, then you are just as bad as he is.”

Sunny studied Carol, trying not to let the woman’s words get the better of her. She remembered something Negan once told her. “So, you’re saying you’ve never killed anyone to protect your people? Never murdered people in their sleep?

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing is worse than a whole pack of wolves. At least you know what to expect from a wolf. Your group presents themselves as morally righteous compared to the Saviors. But you’re all just the same. No one in this world will leave it innocent.

“Why did you come here, Carol? If you feel that way about me?” Sunny asked.

Carol's fingers flexed into her thighs. “You’re right. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. Things I want to get away from. I need some time to think. To process. To repent. What better way to make up for all the lives I’ve taken than to help bring a new life into the world?”

“Even if it’s the baby of a monster?” Would her child have to deal with this stigma their entire life?

“Your baby had no choice in who its father was. I won’t hold that against them. Or you. Although I do question your choice in men. I will grant that pickings were slim especially if you were hidden away here for two years. But seriously, Sunny…”

Sunny smiled. She would never be able to talk about Negan with any sort of affection with anyone from Alexandria. He would stay locked away in her heart until their child was old enough to hear about him from her.

She sighed. “Look, I know you don’t understand and probably never will. I’m guessing you don’t even like me all that much. But I appreciate you coming here and not killing me and taking all my stuff.”

Carol shrugged. “I thought about it.”

“But you didn’t do it and that’s a start. Now I’m starving. What do you say we raid the freezers and grill us some hamburgers? I’ve got some buns I made the other day. We have ketchup, mustard, mayo, tomato, lettuce, pickles, and even some cheese. French fries too...or are you a tater tot woman?” She rose and headed towards the kitchen.

Carol watched her shrewdly. Her lips curving into a grin. “Why not both?”

 


 

The next few weeks were a flurry of change and preparation. When Carol left to report back to Rick, she brought back Aaron and Eric. The upstairs was cleaned and restored to the best of their abilities. The electricity was reconnected which was a blessing when the air conditioner kicked on and the stale air was refreshed with cool blasts through the vents.

Refugees from Hilltop, The Kingdom, and even Alexandria moved out to the neighboring farms. They were fixing fences, clearing land, getting it ready for planting. Everyone was working tirelessly to build a farming community that could provide enough food for everyone.

No one had been mean to Sunny but she could feel looks and hear the whispers when she met new people. They all knew of her before she could even introduce herself. Was being infamous better than being alone? She wasn’t quite sure but it was something. And something was often better than nothing.

She wiped the dust off her hands as she opened another box from the attic in the house. Her mother, bless her heart, had saved her daughters’ baby things with loving care. Holding up a tiny outfit her mother had sewn, painstakingly picking out adorable strawberry buttons to adorn it, Sunny sniffed back the tears that seemed to never be too far away. Stupid hormones.

Day to day, she thought of her father and everything he taught her to survive. Skills she never thought she would actually need, had proven to be the key to her survival in a world they never could have predicted. But the closer she got to having this baby, the more she thought of her mother. The patience and kindness and love she had instilled in her. As much as her dad tried to toughen them up, their mother was always there to teach them that softness was also important. Sunny longed for that patience and love right more than ever.

Love. What she really needed was love. Unconditional love. She needed Negan. But he would never know his baby.

Sunny never asked about him. If he was alive, he would have come for her by now, and she didn’t want to know how he died. Asking for details and the fallout of her reaction would do nothing but remind everyone that her loyalties were not as clear as theirs. She needed them far more than they needed her. She could not forget that.

Aaron walked in with an armload of fresh linens. The crib was finished and set against the wall in her bedroom. He started making the baby’s bed, chattering at Sunny but she didn’t hear a word he said as she focused on her breathing and unpacking the last of the baby clothes, not a moment too soon.

She’d been having what she thought was Braxton Hicks all day. But these pains were growing in intensity and the minutes between them dwindling.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, pausing as he spread a teddy bear comforter over the mattress.

Sunny grimaced and nodded.

Horror etched his face and realization struck. “Oh god. No, you’re not. Where’s Carol? Why isn’t she here? Are you in labor? You’re in labor.”

As the pain subsided, Sunny looked at the panic-stricken man. With all the carnage he’d seen, this is what sent him into a frenzy? “My contractions are still a few minutes apart. I didn’t want to freak everyone out. I think Carol’s feeding the chickens. She’ll be back soon. Everything’s fine.”

The poor man stood in place, his eyes wide, watching her every move. There was no mistaking his indecision and discomfort.

“If you need something to do, you could go find Carol. I’ll be fine,” she lied as another contraction slowly built. Her muscles in her stomach and lower back tightening until her face screwed up and she forced herself to exhale.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked as he crossed the room.

“No,” she grunted. “Not unless you have an epidural handy because this already sucks.”

 


 

Negan was ripped from his dreams. His brow was covered in a cold sweat as fear gripped his heart. His hands wrapped around his neck.

He had been dreaming. Kneeling on a hill. Rick towering over him.

He remembered the feeling of defeat. Of knowing he had failed Sunny. Failed everyone. He woke as he always did just as the knife began to slice his throat. What should have killed him, only incapacitated him enough for them to set him up for life in this small hell hole.

He struggled to even his breathing, willing his heart to slow. He closed his eyes and thought of her. Always of her.

His escapes always featured the two of them. Watching movies. Cooking dinner. All the domestic bullshit he always overlooked. But now his daydreams included a third. Sometimes a girl. Sometimes a boy. Rocking them to sleep. Spaghetti smeared on every surface. Baths that ended with most of the water outside of the tub. Everything his friends and colleagues talked about but he never saw the draw. Who would want a tiny human who did nothing but cry, shit, and make a mess?

He did. But now like everything else good it was just a dream.

 


 

Several hours, a lot of cussing and pain later, Sunny held her baby girl in her arms. She was perfect. Ten fingers. Ten toes. Tiny cupid’s bow on top of her pouting lips. And two dimples in her cheeks. Just like him.

Tears rained down on the blanket that swaddled the pink-faced infant as she slept. Unaware of what would be missing from her life. Of who would be missing from her life.

She kissed the smooth brow of her daughter. “You’re daddy would have loved you.”

Notes:

How are we feeling people? Are we ready for the end of this story? Did we ever think we'd finally get here? Next Saturday, I will be posting the last chapter. It's for real already written. Crazy, right?

Chapter 26

Summary:

Summary- Life at the end of the world goes on.

Word Count- 4k

Warnings- Explicit

Notes:

Let’s remember I planned this fic out in December 2016. So during the first part of season 7. There is a lot that is not canon. Gracie doesn’t exist. Maggie is not stone cold. Rick is still very much a thing. Negan never hooked up with Alpha. Just roll with it. Enjoy the nostalgia. And thank you to everyone who has followed this story. I cannot believe we’re finally here. I had doubts that I would ever find this particular muse again but the thought of even just one person caring about this story made me determined to finish. Thanks to @flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash for cheering me on as we worked together this year to finally finish our Negan fics. We did it!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

18 months later…

Sunny loaded the wagon with the last of their things. Aaron and Eric were walking her daughter to pet the horses at the front of the rig. Carol had long moved on from the house finding her own place of solitude until she felt like she was ready to be a part of a community again. 

She turned, blocking the early morning sun from her eyes as she gazed upon the house. People were busy with chores. Feeding chickens. Milking the cows that they finally found. Unloading the supplies sent from Alexandria and loading fresh food to send back. People walked down the street to visit neighbors and take them new supplies.

They had established a system that kept everyone comfortable. Trades were flourishing. Thanks to some museum runs and a good harvest, people were learning to make clothes and tools from scratch. It was a far cry from the scavenging everyone had relied so heavily on at the beginning of the end of the world.

There were still dangers in the world. The communities had come together to defeat The Whisperers when they arose to terrorize. And there would be more dangerous people in the future but for now, everything seemed quiet. Although it was easy to live life waiting for the other shoe to drop, Sunny had taken to reminding herself of all she had to be thankful for.

Never had she imagined that she would be anything other than a useful outcast. But she had earned everyone’s trust. And thanks to Carol, Aaron, and Eric, she had even gained some responsibility. She attended meetings to give reports on the farming village jokingly called The Sticks due to its distance from everyone else. She was listened to when she gave suggestions. She was even asked for opinions. 

When she was asked to move to Alexandria, she was a little taken aback. Leaving her home again, her comfort zone, was something she had never planned on doing again. But Maggie and Rick had suggested that she help take over the schooling of the kids since she had experience with what homeschooling could look like since most everyone else had only experienced brick and mortar schools. It would also be good for the baby to have friends. They arranged a home for them. It was getting crowded in Alexandria, but they were used to sharing a house. 

So, she packed their things and decided to hitch a ride with the supply wagon. Aaron and Eric waited for Sunny to climb into the back of the cart and handed her the toddler after squeezing and kissing her several times. Once she was settled next to her mother, they handed Sunny a small wrapped present. 

“What’s this?” she asked, staring at the rectangle covered in an old washcloth.

“Open it and find out,” Eric said. He wrapped his arm around Aaron’s waist, nervous energy causing him to bounce on his toes as he waited in suspense. 

She tugged at the frayed twine and unfolded the washcloth. She smiled as she saw a framed polaroid of the two of the men holding the little girl. “Thanks, guys. This is really great. I love it.”

“Don’t let her forget us,” Eric begged as his eyes went misty. “As soon as we can find replacements here, we’re going to be moving back.”

Aaron patted his husband’s shoulders reassuringly. “We’ll be there as soon as we can. Make sure none of the other babies are mean to her.”

Sunny laughed. “You guys. It’s not like we’ll never see you again.” She stopped as she realized what she said. In this world, nothing was ever guaranteed. Tucking the frame into her bag, she said, “I’ll make sure she never forgets her two wonderful uncles who loved her more than anything.”

“We’ll see you, Sunny.” Aaron pulled Eric away from the wagon. They waved as it rolled away.

Holding onto her daughter, she held the little girl’s hand waving it at the two men who had grown to love her. Sunny hoped she would be able to know them. 

The trip took hours, the scenery crawling past them, but that was to be expected when the wagon tapped out at two horsepower. Still, it was better than walking. 

It was early afternoon when they entered the gates of Alexandria. A team of people were waiting, ready to get the food out of the hot sun and into the pantry for distribution. They swarmed the wagon, working quickly around Sunny, greeting her warmly but determined to do their jobs. Soon, all that was left in the wagon were a few boxes of Sunny’s things. 

Rick walked up pushing a dolly. “Thought you might need a hand getting your stuff to the house.” 

“Thanks, Rick. I guess I hadn’t exactly planned what to do when I got here.” She handed the little girl, eager to stretch her legs down to the sheriff who smiled at her then gave his hand to Sunny, helping her out of the wagon. 

“We’ve got a house at the end of the street that has room. Your roommate is gone on a run but they’ll be back later.” 

“And you’re sure they’re not gonna be mad. I don’t want to step on any toes.” The last thing she wanted was someone who didn’t want her around. She wished she could have met them prior to actually moving but traveling from The Sticks wasn’t always easy. 

“He’ll get over it.” Rick grabbed the boxes, stacking them neatly on the dolly before leaning it back and pushing it in front of him. 

Sunny held her daughter’s hand, diaper bag and duffel bag slung over her shoulder. It was hard not to bring the whole house but somehow she had managed to just pack things that were important to her. 

As they entered the house, Sunny took in her surroundings. It was like every other house in the community. Decorated probably professionally by the people who once owned it. She would have thought it was a model home. It was nice but didn’t give off the feelings of being lived in. It was too impersonal. 

“So who lives here?” she asked. But when she turned Rick was already out the door. Her boxes abandoned by the front door. Was there an emergency? Should she follow him? A little whine next to her reminded her that she had other things to deal with at the moment. 

Sunny set about getting her daughter fed and down for a nap. Lord knew what kind of terror she would be that night if she missed that nap. The world was full of enough monsters.

A shower later, in a clean tank top and shorts, Sunny took the time to listen to her own body and she realized she hadn’t eaten yet today. First things first, to the kitchen. No one needed her to turn into a hangry monster either.

 


 

Negan, fresh from his decontamination shower in the infirmary, opened the door to his house. After two weeks on supply runs, he comes back and is told he’s getting a roommate. Fucking bullshit. No one liked him. They had made that clear time and time again even after he had played a pivotal role in taking down The Whisperers. 

He’d been freed according to Rick but he was still a prisoner. His house was just a bigger cage. His every move was watched. Scrutinized. His every motive doubted. Now they’d have a snitch under the guise of roommate. 

He saw open boxes as soon as he walked in. How much shit did one person need? “Fucking fuck!” yelled, ready to punch Rick in his smug fucking face. He knew this would annoy the shit out of him. 

The sound of shattered glass resounded in the kitchen. He walked through the small foyer turning to the left at the staircase to the living room that opened to the kitchen. He threw his leather jacket on the couch as he passed. “What the actual f--” his voice stopped. 

Sunny stood behind the kitchen island. Her dark hair damp. Clean and fresh. Her green eyes widened, brimming with tears. “N-Negan?” she whispered. 

“Don’t move,” he said. He rounded the island. He found the source of the noise in the form of shards of a drinking glass that littered the tiled floor. “Did you cut yourself? Shit, you’re barefoot. Come here, honey.” He lifted her, setting her on the countertop, ignoring the way she stared at him. The glass crunched under his heavy boots. He checked her legs and feet for knicks and cuts, finding none.

“Negan,” she said again. “You’re alive?” He was as tall as ever, towering over her even from her perch. His beard was thick with a heavy sprinkle of gray in it now. His once slicked hair was a mess of wild curls. His eyes looked tired. The lines around them deeper. 

Her hands reached out to him, scared he would dissolve in front of her. That she would wake up alone again. His chest was solid. Strong and warm. She dissolved into tears. Heavy sobs wracking her small frame. She couldn’t believe it. No one told her. Why wouldn’t they have told her? You didn’t ask, stupid. All you had to do all this time was ask.

“Sunny, princess, don’t cry. Not over me.” He wrapped his arms around her. He had dreamt of holding her again, never thinking he would. Convincing himself she was better off without him. That she didn’t want him anymore. 

She pushed away from him, looking up at him. “Why didn’t you come for me?” she managed between shuddered breaths. Did he not care? Did he not want her? How could he have been here this whole time and never come to her?

He wiped the tears off her cheek with his thumb, cradling her face in his hands. “If I could have, I would have. I’ve been locked in a fucking jail cell. I was only let out to help fight the Whisperers. I didn’t want to risk leading any of them to you.”

She sniffled. “And since then?” Her hands raised to his shoulders. She didn’t know if she should push him away or pull him closer, but she had to touch him. Had to know for sure he was real. 

“I’ve been a prisoner, baby. I swear to fucking god. House arrest. Watched like a hawk by everyone. I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me. Who told you I was dead?” He wanted to kill the asshole that lied to her. Probably Spencer. Fucking Spencer. He’d gut him the next time he saw him. 

Sunny’s head hung in shame. “No one told me you were dead. I never asked. I figured if you didn’t come back you must have died. I never wanted to hear the details of how.” Her lip trembled. Almost two years. She could have been with him or at least had some hope for the last two years. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know, Negan. I swear.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Ever.” Their lips met in a hurried rush of desperate passion. Their tongues swirling, tasting, devouring. It was too much and not enough.

He spread her legs stepping between them, pulling her to the edge of the granite countertop. His fingers kneading the softness of her thighs. She was everything she ever was and more than he had ever dreamed. She was real. Sweet, open, and accepting. He wanted to bury himself inside her, forgetting the last year and a half. But what did she want? What did she need? “Wait--Sunny--wait. Maybe we should--”

Sunny’s hands went to his belt buckle. “No. Please, Negan. I need you. Please,” she begged. She had to show him. Needed him to know how much she loved him. How much she wanted him. They could talk and sort everything out in the future.

His fingers quickly hooked the waistband of her shorts and panties. She shimmied side to side as he pulled them down, tossing them on the counter behind him. 

She pulled out his cock, her body reacting to the hard velvety length that throbbed as she gently stroked it. Every lonely night. Every heartbreaking morning. She wanted to forget it all. Wanted him to make her forget it all. 

“Fuck,” he hissed as her small hand lined his dick up with her sleek and swollen pussy. He’d bury his face in it for hours later. But he needed to be inside her. 

Her nails dug into his shoulders as he slowly pushed into her. Her back arched as he stretched and filled her. A sensation she had given up ever feeling again. Something her fingers had never managed to replicate. 

Negan’s throat vibrated with a growl as he was enveloped in wet warmth. He was met with no resistance and the thought that her body reacted to his presence after all this time, that she wanted him as much as he wanted her almost made him come right then and there. He pulled back and snapped his hips thrusting into her.

Sunny pulled him down in a kiss, moaning into his mouth as he set a brutal pace. She wanted it hard. She wanted to feel the soreness that would follow for hours. The reminder that he was real. That he was here. “Harder,” she whispered.

He held nothing back, her sweet cries driving him. “I’m not gonna last long if we don’t slow down.” 

“I don’t care. Don’t stop. Please.” She was so close already. Her body in overdrive as her mind grappled with the reality of what she was feeling emotionally, mentally, physically. She was overwhelmed and overstimulated. 

Negan reached between them, his thumb rubbing the slickness coating them over her sensitive clit. “Come for me, princess. I wanna feel your pussy squeezing my cock.” A smile tugged at his mouth as he watched a wash of pink color her cheeks. Still innocent after all this time. 

The wet sounds of their bodies, panting breaths, and crunch of the glass under his boots filled the kitchen. She clung to him as a heat coiled in her abdomen. Her breath caught in her throat as her muscles tightened. Her head fell back as waves of pleasure washed over her, a rush of arousal covered his dick as he prolonged her orgasm, pumping in and out of her body while she constricted around him. 

His hand grabbed her hair, he forced her to look at him. Their eyes meeting in a haze of lust and desperation. Was there anything he wouldn’t do for her, to see her look at him like that again and again?

She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, his belt buckle loose around his hips, digging into her thighs. God, she never wanted this to end but she longed to see him lose himself, shaking with the force of his climax, knowing she was the one to make him lose control. 

“I love you,” she whispered against his lips before kissing him. 

He groaned, his thrusts stuttered as he chased his orgasm. His dick pulsed deep within her. His grunts labored as his body shook with the force of his release. Months of fantasies could never compare to this. 

His senses were flooded, grasping to remember the details, weight of her body, warmth of her breath on his neck, the rush of blood through his veins. He wanted to savor it all, replacing their last encounter where he left her crying, not knowing he would be breaking his promise of return. He leaned his head on her shoulder, withdrawing his softening dick slowly, tucking it in his pants. 

Sunny watched Negan fasten his pants. His boots popped more shards of glass on the floor. He tossed her shorts to her then grabbed a broom from the pantry. 

“Negan?” she asked tentatively now that the shock was wearing off. He concentrated on sweeping up the broken glass, emptying the dustpan into the trashcan a few times before he was satisfied. He crouched on the floor searching for any hidden remnants. “Negan,” she repeated after dressing again.

He finally looked up at her. She wasn’t sure what she saw in his face. Concern. Determination. Fear. 

“Are you sure you want us here?” she asked. Was he having second thoughts now that their heads were clear?

“Us?” he asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

A cry sounded from upstairs. Negan shot to his feet. The small plaintive voice upstairs hitting him like a punch in the gut. He thought, had assumed when Spencer...he would kill him. He would murder that bastard and never think twice about it. 

“Is it safe for me to get down now? She’s awake.” She looked to the floor for a space to hop down. 

Negan nodded dumbly as he watched Sunny dismount. “She?” he whispered. His voice was graveled, stuck in his throat. 

Sunny took his hand. “Come and meet your daughter.” She pulled him along after her. Tugging at him whenever he paused. Her stomach churned. This moment had built up in her head for months on end. What would he think? How would he feel? Would the baby love him?

Up the stairs, down the hall, he stopped at the door. His daughter. His child was just through that thin plank of wood. His whole world was upside down. He was sure the stress of everything had caused Sunny to lose the baby. It was just another way the universe had punished him. No one had ever told him. He was going to have a fucking talk with Rick. 

Sunny opened the door, the hazel-eyed baby was standing in her pack and play. Her mess of dark hair standing in a fine array of bedhead. She lifted her arms to her mother, with excited babbling issuing from her little mouth. 

Sunny turned to face Negan, the little girl laying her head on her mother’s shoulder. Her breath caught as she saw him blinking rapidly though his face remained passive, body stiff. “Negan, I’d like to introduce you to Moonbeam Chrysanthemum.”

His eyes widened, mouth hung agape. “Are you fucking serious?” he asked. What the actual fuck? How could she? He was going to have to say that name for the rest of his life and his poor little girl was going to have to hear it for hers.

Sunny laughter pealed through the room like bells on the wind. “Oh my god. Your face. Charlotte. Her name is Charlotte.” He looked more like her Negan now. The tension leaving his body, eyes sparked with emotions. 

Negan let out a deep breath. “You are gonna pay for that you little brat. Scared the shit out of me.” His cheeks hurt from the smile that stretched across his face. It’d been so long since he had genuinely used those muscles. So long since someone had given him a reason to. Now he had two. 

“I’m sorry, but you looked like you were about to throw up. I thought some humor might ease things. I know there is a lot for us to take in. To adjust to. To talk about.” She kissed the girl’s forehead. Staring at Negan as he took in the two of them. She couldn’t believe they were a family again, just as they always should have been. “Charlotte, this is your daddy.” Charlotte’s chubby hands clung to her mother as she nervously eyed Negan.

He wanted to touch her. To hold her. His daughter. It killed him a little that she didn’t know him or trust him. But that might be for the best. He reached out, his finger tracing the pudgy curve of her elbow. “I’m a daddy.”

“You always were.” She gave him an encouraging wink. “Come on,” Sunny said. “I’ll show you the quickest way to her heart. Have her eating out of your hand in no time. Snacks.”

The little girl’s head popped up at the mention of her favorite word. She smiled and said, “Cookie.”

Negan grinned. “Let’s go find some fucking snacks.”

 


 

They spent the rest of the evening talking. Occasionally, they would reach out to one another, needing to feel them. Needing reassurance.  

After dinner, Sunny played with Charlotte slowly pulling Negan into their games, giving them both a chance to get used to one another until she whined nuzzling at Sunny’s chest. She nursed her daughter until Charlotte nodded off to sleep.

Sunny lifted the sleeping child and laid her in her father’s arms as he sat on the couch marveling at the tiny human. He could see bits of himself in her. The eyes, the dimples. But she was as beautiful as her mother. Although she was only 18 months, he felt like he had missed a lifetime of her developments. 

They talked of all they had been through the last year and a half. Sunny told him about giving birth, building a farming community, and how she missed him every day. He told her about his year of solitary followed by his deal to kill the leader of The Whisperers in exchange for his release and his dreams of her.

As the night grew darker and the hour later, Negan carried the baby to her bed upstairs. “She’s beautiful. Perfect,” he whispered as he laid her down.

He’d never been a religious man. Never gave it much thought. After the world turned to shit it was hard to imagine a higher power ever letting this amount of suffering happen in the world. But looking at the child they brought into this world, the multitude of miracles that had to happen to make her, he could almost believe in God. 

Leaving Charlotte in the room Sunny had thought they would share, she closed the door quietly and followed Negan to his, now theirs, down the hall.

Making up for lost time, they undressed in a slow waltz of touches, lips grazing skin. Minutes and hours melted together in a haze of silent declarations of love hidden in each tender exploration. They took their time until they spent their passions, exhausting themselves, and slept in a tangle of naked limbs. 

Sunlight danced across Sunny’s eyes as she squinted against the harsh brightness. Blinking, she looked around her unfamiliar setting and panic woke her more quickly than an alarm ever had. She sat up and remembered where she was. She was home. With Negan.

The sun was peeking up over the roof lines of the house outside the window. What time was it? She hadn’t slept in like this since…

Charlotte. 

She rushed to find some clothes and hurried downstairs, slowing as she heard the rumble of a deep voice and a familiar melody playing.

The boxes that had been left by the front door, were open, rifled through. She peeked around the corner and saw Negan’s salt and pepper head sitting on the couch. He leaned down passing a cookie to his daughter who sat next to him. 

We’re going to have to talk about what counts as a healthy breakfast.

He motioned to the show playing on the television as Big Bird ran across the screen “Hear that, baby? That’s your mama’s song.” 

Covering her mouth to hide her emotions, she bit back tears. He remembered. 

She took in the sight of them. Committing each detail to memory. She wanted to keep this moment forever. To always remember this snapshot in time where everything was perfect. 

The world was a dangerous place. Filled with dangerous people. She was married to one of the most notorious villains of their time. But watching her husband and her daughter nibbling on early morning contraband as muppets sang and danced, she was filled with hope. 

They could never be certain of their future. But this moment right now, the small everyday moments they all took for granted not that many years ago, made everything worth it. Made life worth living. Together they would make each day count.

The End

Notes:

Ok, there we go. It’s finally done 4 years and 9 months-ish later. Thank you so much for reading. I still can’t believe people actually did. If you love these two as much as I do, let me know. They are my babies and I’m going to miss them.

Some notes about the story-

The Title. For those of you who didn’t grow up watching Sesame Street. Look up the lyrics. Yes, I’ve had that scene planned the entire time. It’s my favorite. But for those that don’t want to look it up the song starts out, “Sunny day sweepin’ the clouds away.” And that’s what Sunny did for Negan.

Why didn’t anyone tell them about the other? Sunny never asked. She was too afraid to know how he died. When she never asked, everyone else assumed she didn’t want anything to do with Negan anymore so they never brought it up. Those closest to Sunny knew she still loved him because they heard her talking about him to her daughter when she thought she was alone. They all thought Negan would die in the prison cell anyways. Once Negan started proving himself and gaining a trickle of trust, they decided something needed to be done but no one wanted to deal with it directly. So they parent trapped their asses. Sunny and Negan get over it.

We never find out what happened to Sherry. It’s the nature of the world. Maybe she found Dwight. Maybe she’s still at The Sanctuary. Like Sunny, not knowing is usually easier to deal with because you can decide for yourself.

And that’s it. Feel free to send me asks on tumblr or dms here if you ever wanna talk about Sunny and Negan. And again, thank you for reading and letting me share this with you.