I woke up completely naked. I was pretty fucking sure that the top part of the nightie had stayed on for the duration of Negan reminding me of how much he adored me, but- Nope, naked. He was pressed tight against me, clutching at me as though I might disappear if he didn't hold me tight enough, and he was as naked as me. Now that made sense, I watched him undress. Honestly, two days back and he had already short circuited my fucking brain.
"You're thinking too loud," he growled, burying his face in my neck after sliding down further on the bed. I felt his teeth brush against the newly tender skin, and I had a flash that he'd freshened up his little bite on my throat.
My hands were touching his where they held tight around my stomach. "I was wondering how I missed you removing the nightie from me, Negan." His chuckle vibrated against my skin, even as his mouth was feasting on my neck again. "And did you BITE me again?"
His lips were sucking at my pulse and I knew he was using his entire arsenal to distract me. "I wanted to be sure that there wasn't any doubt about just WHOSE you are." As though pissing on my leg in public was too blasé, I rolled my eyes. "Does it bother you, princess?"
"Not as much as it should," I muttered, arching back into him. Rewarded with another growl, I smiled. "Have you turned feral, Negan? Should I have Eric go on a run to a nearby vet's and get you some shots?"
He rolled me onto my back and was between my legs before I could make sense of the movement. "Comparing me to a dog, sweetheart?" His voice was low, but his eyes were twinkling in the early morning sun. Daring me to play with him, I wrapped my legs around his hips and used my feet to press him down into me.
"Are you going to deny you're all alpha male, baby?" I whispered against his lips, then flicking the tip of my tongue out to touch his full bottom lip, I grinned as he took the bait. His mouth snarled down onto mine and for the next few minutes we got back to one of the things we were best at, forcing noises unheard of in polite conversation from one another.
The knock came as I was laying with my head on his chest, listening to his heart beating under my ear. Eric's voice, accompanied by Trey's tiny demand for me, had Negan out of bed with his jeans on as quickly as he'd gotten naked the night before. He was smiling as he opened our bedroom door, telling me to grab something so our boy wouldn't be scandalized by my nudity.
I laughed and shook my head. As though I didn't just shower with Trey most of the time to kill two birds with one stone. Getting out of bed, I realized that all of our things from Alexandria were in the other room, and I was stuck with the ones he had hanging in the closet. Ugh.
I braced myself and pulled open the closet that held my old clothes. Dresses, lots and lots of dresses. I flicked through the hangers, hearing the giggles of Trey forced me to rush and grab the first dress I came to. I didn't pay attention to which one, throwing it over my head after I yanked a bra and panty set from the drawer he'd opened before.
Barefoot, like Negan had been when he rushed to get Trey from Eric, I opened our bedroom door and saw a sight that took my breath away. Eric and Steven, I saw in my peripheral were grabbing their boxes and taking them from the room, but it was the vision I saw on what had once been our family room sofa that was threatening to make tears fall.
Negan, harsh, sarcastic as fuck, Coach Negan was dandling Trey on one knee. He used one of his freakishly long fingered hands to keep my baby boy steady, while in the other he had Trey's favorite stuffy dancing. He was making silly faces, and talking in a truly silly voice, as I leaned against the doorway and watched.
"Mama is watching us like we're crazy, buddy, what do you think about that?" And Trey's giggle carried, causing Eric to give his own laugh as he came back for another load of stuff.
I pushed off the doorframe and stood beside the two of them. "Mama is looking at Negan like he's crazy, because he is, Boo Bear." I opened my arms and Negan helped Trey's attempted leap bear fruit. Trey's eyes were looking me over like he'd never seen me look the way I did, and I realized he hadn't. I was wearing a dress, my hair was braided, and I had no fucking doubt that I looked unbearably happy. "Mama missed you," I kissed his hair and smiled as his fist caught the rope of my braid. "This is a new toy, isn't it?" He flipped my braid back and forth, grinning up at me. "You look happy, baby." Another kiss on his forehead and I realized Negan was studying us.
"So does Mama," Negan offered, quietly. He stood up and wrapped his arms around me from behind so he could stare down at Trey in my arms. "Is Mama happy, buddy?" More baby giggles. "Dada hopes he can make her stay that way."
"Dada?" I asked, leaning back into his bare chest. "Committed already, Negan?" His chin propped on the crown of my head.
"I never stopped being committed to you, Amara," his heart was pounding hard into my back. "And I meant what I said yesterday, not a single fucking day are you out of my sight from here on out."
We heard a sigh from the doorway and turned together to see who was bringing bad news to our happy bubble. Laura, she looked abashed at interrupting, but I could see she was worried about something.
"I have a feeling you won't get a say in that, Boss," she offered, holding up her walkie. "You're needed downstairs, there's a-" She glanced down at the floor in front of her before continuing. "Disruption in one of the supply trucks."
Negan got dressed after asking Laura to grab some food for Trey and me, and Eric and Steven if they wanted to eat with us, and then she was told to stick to us like glue. I watched, after putting Trey in the middle of our bed, as he threw on a clean shirt, put his boots on, and pulled on the jacket I'd bought him so long ago. I picked up Lucille and handed her to him, causing him to sigh.
"I swear to fuck, whoever is down there starting shit is going to wish they hadn't," he muttered into my forehead, after he'd tugged me to him. "Stay here, please?" Not an order, but one that I'd agree to, for now. I nodded, and he kissed me hard as though he was reminding himself I was real. Then he detoured to our bed, picked up Trey and gave him his own kiss on the cheek, and handed him to me. "Stay away from the windows?" Another nod. "I'll be back as fast as I can."
Eric and Steven decided to join us for breakfast. It was tense, since Laura was taking the guarding thing to the literal definition and refused to sit and partake with us. Trey was amazingly serene, taking bites that I made sure were small enough not to choke him as fast as I could cut them up. I wish that I had as easy of a time eating after Negan had to rush away to God knew what.
"He'll be fine," Eric said, seeing me trying to talk myself into a bite. "He survived this long, he has all these people, Coach is indestructible." Sure, I thought, for a HUMAN.
"He's right," Laura's voice shocked me, since she'd been pacing and watching out the windows as well as checking the doors. "Negan is like a fucking cat."
I snorted, but then we heard voices approaching. Laura opened the door and gestured for the four of us to stand back. Then I heard Negan's voice and felt my entire body relax marginally. The second voice, on the other hand, had my anxiety ratcheting up a thousand degrees.
Carl. Rick's teenaged son had decided to take matters, or if I heard correctly, machine gun in hand. He'd killed several of Negan's Saviors, and almost hit Negan if the eavesdropping was to be believed. Jesus. I listened as Negan spoke quietly to the boy. Only catching bits and pieces, but understanding that Carl felt he could do what his father couldn't. Kill Negan.
He'd kept Carl in the outer room, with our family room furniture, while Steven, Eric, Laura, Trey, and I were in our bedroom finishing breakfast. A quiet knock sounded on our door, and Laura opened it a crack. Negan stood there, peeking past her to see that Trey was occupied with some toys that Eric and Laura had brought in with us before he'd come back upstairs.
"Let me in," he whispered, and I realized that Carl was beside him watching curiously.
Laura opened the door wider, and Negan walked purposely to me and Trey. Kneeling down beside us, I could feel Carl staring. "I have to take Carl back to Alexandria," his hand took mine and I had to smile when I realized that Trey was watching Negan like he was understanding the conversation fully. "I will be back, TODAY, Amara." I nodded, and he kissed both Trey and I again. "Keep them safe," he barked at Laura, and with a parting to Eric and Steven he left.
I was fine while he was in the room. Even as he told me he was leaving, I still felt fine, after all he was right there. When he walked out, the door shutting behind me, I could feel the anxiety build. "He's not going alone," Laura again, and I met her eyes as she finally sat down. "Trust me, he'll be guarded, and he'll be safe. They won't get one over on Negan."
I only wish I was so certain, I thought, bouncing Trey on my knee as I tried desperately to force my fears down.
