Chapter 10:
Negan stood leaning against her door, Lucille resting against his leg, just watching her with a smile on his face. He was getting to know his new wife and to be honest, she had been one of the more interesting ones. His eyes followed her as she hobbled over to her bed to take her arm crutches over, limped over to her dresser to take her pills dry, then sat back down on her bed. A frown creased his lips as he watched her sit down with a pained face, her body bent over so she could rub her sore legs. He pushed himself off her door and walked over to her, grabbing her by her ankles and swinging her to lay on the bed some as he sat down, her legs over his lap.
"I was going to suggest Frankie do this while I watched," he winked at her, "but this is way more fun," he told her pushing up her jeans to mid-thigh. He cracked his knuckles and his strong hands started to massage her leg calves warmly, strongly.
Charlie grunted as he pulled her into position before she could protest he was massaging her which shut her up for a moment.
"Oh no, no Frankie, I'm not completely sure her work didn't include happy endings," Charlie smirked, propping her head up so she could look to him better. "Tho, shit, that would make it more enticing to you wouldn't it?" she asked with a scoff.
"Damn yeah it would! Show some initiative and hook up with one of them will ya? I bet you could convince them, hell knows I've tried," he grinned.
"OH my god, set up your own 3 some, slack-ass," she shook her head as she lit up a cigarette.
"Those things will kill you and I don't like my wives committing slow suicide," he warned her.
"Negan, If I'm to leave this world...it will be because of something I did to myself so, like...fuck off with your concern," she told him blatantly.
"You know you are not very nice."
"Anyone born in the last 60 years knows that cigarettes will kill you. I'm not a child, I do not need to be reminded," she firmly.
"Point well taken," he said. "So I have to ask, how does someone in your condition last this long?" he asked.
Charlie shrugged, "raid pharmacies, stick to myself, cut and dry shit," she explained.
"Is that all? No...problems?" he asked.
"People underestimate me all the time and when I surprise them they have to deal with the fact that a 'cripple' is kicking their ass when it comes to surviving," she mused. "The thing is if I'm not useful in some manner...Im not going to be welcomed anywhere. Hell, I usually only wear the crutches when I'm alone. I don't want people knowing my business. This place is nice and all but...real talk? It's a lot easier being on your own."
"So...with all your damned talents, you have no urge to make something out of this fucked up situation?" he asked.
Charlie laughed, "what do you think will happen Negan? The walkers will go away and everyone will have lemonade? We'll have wifi again? Fuck that rebuilding noise. Shit is buns. Its every man and woman for themselves."
"You're a pessimist."
"I'm a realist."
"You know, everyone in Sanctuary believes in what I'm trying to do here," he told her softly.
"Uggghh," she groaned and moved to prop herself up on her elbows. "Fucking...seriously? Just because I don't believe in your lil mission statement doesn't mean I'm not giving it 100%. I don't believe in god but it doesn't mean I didn't pray to him when my doctors were trying to see if they could fix my legs."
"Lip service then?"
"More like...I'm here but I'm not drinking the kool-aid."
Negan smirked a bit, his hands climbed up to right below her knee. "Well then, I'll just need to turn you into a convert."
"Jesus Negan, 'convert' is the verb. You want to 'convert' me," she informed him.
"It's a noun to smart-ass," he smirked, leaning over to kiss her kneecap softly.
"If I feel that again or your hand climbs any higher, my foot is gonna convert your dick," she told him.
Negan laughed, "Remind me why I wifed-you up?" he asked her.
"Because I'm different and not one of your Stepford wives?" she guessed.
"Ohhh good answer gimpy," he grinned.
"If that becomes your pet name for me I will murder your face," she frowned.
Still smiling, he moved to lay beside her on his stomach.
"You're a sweet-talker you know that?" he asked, reaching over to twirl a bit of her hair around his finger.
Sighing she looked to him. "Look, you choose me okay? So apparently there is something about my personality that you like and something about the 'personalities' of your wives you're tired of. I'm 'sorry' I'm not all soft and cuddly and a vixen of sorts," she said frowning to put him on.
Negan lifted his hand to rub his thumb over her high cheekbones. "Shit, any wife that can out-curse me and do her equal share of work...well fuck, that's pretty fucking sexy to me. I'm a bullshitter Charlie, a big damned asshole, and you see thru all of it. You're the one skeptic I have here and its pretty fucking refreshing."
"Huh, that's new," she mused.
"What is?"
"Someone appreciative of my...'ways'."
"If I wanted more sycophants, I could get 'em," Negan shrugged with a cute smile.
Charlie blinked. Her time at Alexandria was not like this, she always got shit for how she was even tho she did her work and did it well...she was not expecting this from Negan of all people.
"I do appreciate that you know. I hate when everyone else is a bucket of sunshine and rainbows and you're the one rain cloud," she chuckled, her gaze dropping from his.
Negan lowered his head so his eyes could look up to hers."Shit, I love a rainy day." Thinking he was being romantic, he lifted her chin and suddenly kissed her lips. He was pressing his lips hard against his for a few moments when he opened his eyes to look at her only to find her narrowing her eyes at him. He pulled back.
"I dare you to do that again," she said to him lowly.
"Ahhhh, shit, I'm sorry Charlie. I thought I was being all sweet and shit," he said apologetically.
Charlie sighed. She knew icing him out completely might not be the way to go so she grabbed his scarf gently and pulled his face back towards hers...laying a big ole kiss on his lips.
Negan grunted in surprise but smiled to himself as his hand came up to hold the back of her neck.
Ater a bit, Charlie pulled back, a smirk on her face. "Remeber, 80/20. Go in 80 percent and see if I go in the 20," she informed him.
He grinned his beautiful smile, "Mmm good idea sweetheart. Don't get too soft on me now, I like my hard-ass lil wife."
Her face immediately soured, "Oh get the fuck outta here with that," she scoffed, pushing him away.
Laughing, Negan sat up, kissed her forehead then moved off the bed. To make him think she was softening up more, Charlie thought of something. She put a cute nervous look on her face and crossed her arms over her chest while he looked himself over in the mirror.
"Negan. I don't wanna hear any shit about the question I'm about to ask you, okay?" she started, her voice harder than her body language.
"I love warnings like that," he smirked.
Charlie let out a soft sigh, "I know you like my personality or whatever but...do you think I'm like...sexy? You know, like your other wives are?" she asked him embarrassedly.
Negan stopped and turned to her. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he asked incredulously, walking back over to her. He pointed to her, "You are fucking hot!" he exclaimed. Once at her bed, Negan leaned over, his hands on the bed on either side of her, their faces close. "You may be tough but you're reeeeaaaal fuckin' easy on the eyes...and other body parts," he said flashing his grin.
Charlie willed herself to blush, smiling as she looked down to lap. "You playin' me right now?"
"What's all this shit about? Usually, no one can't tell you shit," he asked tilting his head.
She pursed her lips together but said nothing, putting all her acting skills out to the front right now. Charlie was doing her best to seem like the archetype 'tough on the outside, sweet/soft/nervous on the inside side" girl.
Negan frowned as she seemed embarrassed, he kneeled where he was standing and pushed her head slightly to look him in the eyes. "Is this shit about your legs?" he asked in a low voice, his fingers twirling the ends of her hair.
Camille shrugged, "They're dead-ass gross." She noticed their faces were close to each other once again.
"Sweetheart," he started, smiling as he was starting to like that pet name for her, "I ain't gonna bullshit you and act like I don't see how they really are. Fucking fake-asses say shit like that. I see them, they're ugly as shit...but I think they're awesome. Awesome as shit...because they're attached to you and they managed to bring you here...to me and that's reeeaaal fucking awesome," he said very firmly to her."Actually..." he mused, reaching down to run his hand lightly along her legs, "they're still long and smooth, they're just kinda facing the wrong way...still pretty fuckin hot in my book," he said grinning to her.
Camille felt something stir inside of her but told herself to put an embarrassed smile on her face, "Ok ok. Enough of this pep talk, thank you," she mewed softly. Her eyes look into his for a moment before she gave in and kissed his lips softly, quickly tho.
Negan more than happily obliged her, kissing her lips sweetly in return before she pulled back."I know I know. My tough lil wife doesn't need much in the way of compliments to keep her going. A low-maintenance woman you are...and I fucking love it," he said pulling back then winked to her. He stood back up and grabbed Lucille, "I'm going to let you decompress in peace, I'm sure you've been wanting to chase me out for awhile now," he smirked and left her room, shutting the door behind him.
Charlie stared at the door for a few moments before blinking and shaking her head. "Christ, he knows how to spit some shit," she muttered to herself, remembering Daryl's words. BUT, things were going well. She knew she had to make more of an effort to be the most preferred and trusted wife, all while making it seem natural considering her personality. A plan came to her mind and she smirked to herself.