The day came to an eventual halt.
Audrey wipes at the crusty counter, eliminating today's dried up debris of food. She sprays the oven top with a strong solution, managing to get it to shine again. It's deadly quiet around here. Everybody working in the kitchens has already disappeared. She stayed behind. Like she usually does.
"See you tomorrow," Edith waves as she passes the door in the hallway, gelato smudge over her apron.
"Bye!" Audrey waves, glancing over her shoulder for just a second.
Working as a cook has its perks, like grabbing extra food and spending time with Simon when he comes to visit her in the evenings. However, being on your feet all day and skipping meals takes a toll on you.
She yawns into her shoulder after washing her hands with some dish wash liquid. It makes her hands dry but luxury like soap is not easy to come by at the Sanctuary. Besides, dish liquid is worth much less points.
Audrey runs a towel between her fingers, glancing around the area. It seems clean now. The leftovers pies are in the fridge, the plates are stacked neatly, ready to be used for breakfast tomorrow. She looks down at her wrist watch. Nearly midnight.
"Good evening, sweetheart," a charismatic voice makes her snap her eyes up to meet his amused ones.
She smiles automatically, thinking that he wasn't going to show up this late, "Hey, I was just finishing up in here. Do you want some dinner?"
Simon hums and puts a hand on his stomach, "I would love some dinner, honey. What's on the menu?"
He saunters over with confidence that normally diminishes towards the night. He takes her aback when his strong cologne settles right behind her.
She gasps, opening one of the plastic containers full with today's dinner.
"We had, um… roast chicken," she smiles nervously, not used to having him so close. It's not a bad thing. They're been flirting back and forth for as long as she can remember. But actually acting on it is different.
Simon stands directly in front of her, dipping a pinkie into the container to gather some mashed potato. He sucks it off with an appreciative moan.
"You. Are. Amazing," he smirks when she giggles.
"It's literally just blended potatoes," Audrey tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes travelling down to the floor. A blue splodge of colour captures her attention. She points down towards his shoe, "Is that paint?"
Simon raises an eyebrow and his smile vanishes, but then it's back wider than ever.
"Oh, yeah. Had a little accident," he says, going around the girl to place the container into a microwave. The hum of the machine fills the room.
"An accident? How so?" she takes a seat on one of the chairs as Simon waits for his food to heat up.
"Tripped over a bucket," he shrugs, scrunching up his nose, "Silly ol' me."
Audrey giggles again, making him smile.
The microwave beeps and he takes out his food, taking a seat next to Audrey at the table. Their knees touch briefly, and neither of them pull away.
She watches him eat the potatoes and chicken with such enthusiasm that anybody else would think he is faking his joy. But he doesn't get to eat when everybody else does, being the right-hand man and all. It must be a tough job. She'd never get tired of their midnight feasts together though.
"I could clean your boots if you wanted. There's a pretty strong solution somewhere around here," she says, but Simon begins shaking his head before she finishes her first sentence.
"No, doll, come on," he grunts, wiping his moustache with a napkin, "What kind of man would that make me, hmm?"
She smirks slightly, looking down at her lap.
Unexpectedly, he puts a hand on her knees, covering them both.
"Thank you for this, honey. It was delicious," his hand squeezes.
She glances up at him, cheeks burning from the heat. Why is he so brazen?
Still, this could be him making a move. And she is glad that he is because it would have taken her years to work up the courage.
She slides her small hand over his, squeezing his fingers. He turns his palm upwards, cupping her hand. The silence grows along with her nerves and she must speak.
"So, um… where did you go today?" her eyes meet his. They are completely black. It makes her heart jump a little.
"The big boss sent me to do some errands," his words slur, "Just a regular check up on all the communities."
"Is that where you tripped over the paint bucket?"
He smiles slightly, grabbing her chin with his other hand. She bites the inside of her cheek, trying not to freak out. It's happening. It's happening.
Simon looks from her eyes, to the tip of her nose, to her pouting lips. She finds herself leaning into his touch, "Who did you visit?"
He smirks again, thumb skimming over her jawline, "I find it so alluring how you talk when you're nervous."
Her heart pounds at his honestly. He's never spoke like this before.
"I'm not nervous," she lies, making him chuckle.
"Thank you again for dinner, sweetheart," he leans in, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She can't help but feel disappointed at his actions, so when he pulls away, she captures his lips with hers in a desperate attempt to keep him for longer.
He doesn't expect it, but kisses her back nevertheless. His smooth moustache grazes against her nose, making her anxiety crumble to dust and her stomach light on fire. He groans into the kiss, grabbing the back of her head.
She doesn't notice how he grabs her by the ass and sits her on the counter top, legs draped around his torso. His soft touch a few seconds ago turned into a grasp that would probably leave bruises. Audrey moans against his cheek, unsure of how the pain is making her feel so good.
His fingertips dig into her hips after exposing her stomach just a little. The skin on skin contact feels magical after months of daydreams and wondering about the what ifs.
She finds herself smiling as his lips trail down her neck, kissing every inch of skin accessible.
"Fuck, I missed you today, baby," he whispers, a hint of desperation in his voice.
She giggles, hiding her face in his shoulder, "You missed me?"
"Mhmm," he smiles, kissing up her jawline and then her lips, over and over again, "I'm always thinking about you."
Audrey blushes at his words, wondering why he is doing this tonight. Why now? Where was this last night?
Their foreheads press together and she kisses him once more, "Do you… do you want to come over?"
Simon holds the sides of her head, kissing her temples and cheeks. His smile is noticeable underneath his moustache. When he doesn't reply straight away, she feels her heart sink. Did she just ruin this?
"How about my place?"
Audrey bites her lip, nodding between his hands. Her heart is beating faster than ever. She is lost in his wild eyes. After months of flirting, it is finally happening. All the things he said seem to catch her off guard every time she thinks about them. Did he admit to missing her? Did he call her 'baby'?
It's like a dream come true. So many scenarios have been floating around as daydreams, but this one beats them all.
She kisses him deeply, moaning when his arms snake around her.
The event unfolding before Negan makes him happy, but kind of pissed. He watches as Simon runs his hands all over the girl, squeezing her as if to make sure that she is real. She is fucking real. She has been real for a long time. And that fucker is making a move now?
Negan scratches his beard as he leans against the doorframe, certain that even if he banged Lucille against the cupboard, they wouldn't notice him.
This is some quality soft porn. He could be rubbing one out right now if it wasn't for the fact that his right-hand man has disobeyed him. Again. And on top of that, he is taking out his guilt on this poor girl.
Negan glares as Audrey runs a hand down his chest, grabbing one of the buttons on his shirt. She doesn't know the first thing about that asshole. She doesn't know about Oceanside. And from what he is observing, she doesn't know about the poor garbage bastards either.
But he does. And he will make sure that Simon pays for it. Slowly and surely.