Negan was sitting on the edge of the bed with Carol standing in between his legs as she towel dried his hair.
"Boy am I glad I knew where to find you." He squeezed her ass causing her to fall closer to him.
"What took you so long anyway?" She chuckled and hung the towel around his neck before fixing his hair back.
"Well, I was commandeered by one of Maggie's merry-men. It was weird. They had some kind of parole bullshit to go over with me. Apparently, I'm no longer gonna be under watch but I have to check in, morning and night? They think it'll stop me running off again."
"Will it?" She stroked his jaw.
"I got a couple other things keeping me around now." He smiled and turned his head to kiss her hand.
"A couple?"
"Yeah, I am real interested in seeing how that new fence pans out. Seriously, how weird is that though. I try to run and they reward me? On the plus side, I'm good for sleepovers now." He pulled her in closer to him again.
"They're just trying to keep you sweet. Daryl told me today that they're gonna ask me to step down from council."
"Yeah they told me that too. You're right. They're trying to play us."
"They're gonna give me an ultimatum."
Negan thought for a moment. "You know, I'll understand if you choose them."
"No," Carol shook her head. "We'll fight this."
Negan stood up and took her into his warm embrace. "You wanna eat?"
He kissed her hair.
Carol put her hands on his bare chest and stood back. "You go ahead, I'm gonna freshen up."
"I can help with that again if you want."
Carol playfully rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "Go make me some damn food." She winked.
"Yes ma'am"
•••
"Take it eeeasy."
"You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me." Daryl walked into his kitchen to find Negan cooking and singing, wearing nothing but the towel that was wrapped round his waist.
His damp hair hung over his eyes before he brushed it back when he looked up with a grin."Hey, smiler! Omelette?"
Daryl dumped the possum he'd been holding in the sink. "Where is she?"
"Upstairs buddy, but listen, when a lady says she needs a moment, you gotta give her a moment, hell, give her a few." He turned down the heat on the stovetop. "And, after the moment we just had, she's definitely gonna need a moment." Negan blew on his eggs before tasting them. "Damn, I've done it again. This shit tastes good!"
"Everythin's just a big joke to you ain't it?"
"No, it ain't." He pointed at Daryl with his spatula. "But this is the first time I've been this happy in a long ass time. You remember what being happy feels like? Boy, your face would just crack into tiny pieces if those lips of yours moved too much, wouldn't it?" He looked at Daryl, waiting for a reaction.
"Man, put some fuckin' clothes on."
Negan's grin returned as he ran his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip and nodded. His attention turned back to his cooking and he continued to sing.
"Who's killing the cat?" Carol was glowing as she all about waltz into the room. Her hand was already squeezing Negan's bicep before she noticed Daryl was there too. "Oh. Hey."
Daryl nodded at her. "Hey."
"Have I missed out on anymore secret meetings in the past hour?"
Daryl bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. "I'm gonna go wash up." He grabbed the possum and left.
"Oh, there's no more hot water by the way!" Negan called to Daryl after he'd left the room. "He's really gonna take that thing with him?" He gave Carol a look.
"Oh Negan, stop."
•••
"Daddy, Daddy!"
Carol's heart absolutely swelled as she watched the small, mousey-haired boy in his baseball kit run and leap into his father's arms.
"Whoah! Hey buddy!" Negan lifted him and swung him round.
"Did you see me!? Did you see me win!?"
"I saw ya kid! You were amazing out there. Momma and I are so proud of you. Hey, we gotta work on that swing of yours though!" Negan looked up from his son and grinned at Carol, the same time as a gun went off. Bang.
Carol screamed, "Daryl, no!"
Daryl stood with a smoking rifle aimed at where Negan had been standing, but he had disappeared.
"Can't be both of us." Daryl's voice sounded far away.
"Daddy, Daddy!"
The kid from before ran into Daryl's arms. He picked him up as Negan swung a fatal blow to Daryl's temple with a baseball bat…
Carol woke up with a gasp. Her dreams had been getting more vivid and more unsettling each night. She rested her head back down on her pillow, relieved to be awake.
The smell of cigarette smoke hit her. She got up to peer out the window. Daryl was sitting out on the porch.
Carol sat down on the step beside Daryl. It was a pleasant, cool night.
"You're up late." He greeted her with a hint of a smile and an open cigarette box.
"Thanks." She took one from him and leaned in so he could light it. "Couldn't sleep."
"Nightmares again?"
Carol nodded and leant into Daryl's side.
He wrapped his arm around her and soothingly rubbed her shoulder for a moment before letting her go again.
Everything about Daryl was comforting, his smell, the rumble of his voice in his chest, his gentle touch. Everything was easy and familiar.
"Listen Daryl, I'm sorry I was snarky earlier."
"Nah. I shoulda told ya about it sooner."
Carol lay her head down on his arm. "Yeah, you should've."
"Why don't he stay over? Save you being alone."
"Oh, that goofball would have me up all night. Laughing." Carol added, realising her words could be taken in a different way. "I don't let him stay. I don't want you to feel like you can't be here. But I do wish you two could get along, or at least try."
Daryl shrugged, "You should go back to bed."
Carol nodded, feeling dejected. "Will you come sit with me for a bit?"
"Yeah, alright." Daryl flicked away his cigarette butt, his eyes followed Carol as she left. He stood up with a heavy sigh.
•••
Daryl sat on top of Carol's bed and watched her try to fall asleep like he had done a hundred times before. He fidgeted with his knife, folding and opening the blade over and over with a soft click. Although he was silent, his mind was in overdrive thinking of the many ways Negan could walk in and kick his ass, or how he could kick Negan's ass, or how everything could be just fine and dandy as Carol was so desperate for it to be. How could it be though? How could she lay with him? Daryl shook those thoughts from his mind. She was happy, all Daryl ever wanted for Carol was happiness. And after the loss she had suffered already in this lifetime, she deserved it. No matter what form it came in.
"You sleepin'?"
"Yup. But please, click that thing louder. Just incase I wake up."
Daryl snorted softly. "Alright, smart ass." He put the knife down on the side table. "What was your dream about this time anyway?"
Carol turned so she was lying on her side and facing him. She reached out and squeezed his knee. "I don't really remember." She lied.
"I've been thinkin'."
"Uh oh."
"Stop. I've been thinking that, in this world we live in now, you never know how much time you have left. You should spend that time being happy, whatever it takes, whatever makes that happen. So… I'm gonna fight in your guys corner at the meeting. I know he feels for you, and if you can trust him, then maybe, so could I. Our people need you. "
Carol could feel her eyes beginning to fill up. Whether Daryl was being sincere or not, his words mattered so much to her. "Thank you, Daryl."