Irresistible Danger

Gentle Heat

Author's Note: Woo for another chapter! These Friday updates make me even more excited for the weekend, so I hope it does the same for y'all. I also hope you're ready for this third outing with Negan ;)

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At 4:57pm, you strode down the hallway and towards the front door of the Sanctuary. You had Ricardo hefted up over your shoulder, and gave him a little twirl reminiscent of a certain leader with his own handy-dandy weapon. Your brain and subconscious walked excitedly on either side of you, both of them happy, content, and finally on the same emotional page since the conversation with Negan last night.

When you informed Ben at the beginning of dinner prep that you had to leave once the food was ready, he had flashed a knowing smirk and gave a sassy 'mmmm hmmmm' in response, earning himself a playful shove. He had laughed and then said he'd make sure to leave two containers of leftovers in the fridge for when you got back. When you hadn't corrected the container amount, he had only grinned harder, and you couldn't help but smile in return. Ben and Negan would never be best buddies, but you could finally see the potential for them to at least be cordial acquaintances, a thought which caused another of those darned warm and fuzzy feelings in your chest.

Mind returning to the present, you pushed open the heavy front door and squinted into the warm rays of sun that would last for a couple more hours before sinking into the horizon. When your vision had adjusted to the light, you saw that Negan was already waiting at the front gate, gaze fixed in your direction. Fighting the ridiculous grin that tugged at your lips, you started walking purposely across the asphalt towards him, perhaps putting a little more sway to your hips than was necessary. Your eyes took in his tall and delicious form, subconscious almost tripping over its own feet at the sight. A white tee was peeking out the top of his slightly unzipped leather jacket, and his gloved hands held Lucille. Vowing to have them also hold you by the end of the outing, you felt a spark of excitement at the thought of that soft leather running over your skin, this time with no interruptions.

Stopping a foot away from him, both of you raked greedy eyes down over the other. While you tried to be a bit discreet in your ogling, his stare was blatant, taking in your peach-colored t-shirt, form-fitting jeans, and boots. A grin curved those sinful lips as he drawled, "Afternoon, doll."

Unable to help a tiny smirk in return, you calmly replied, "Good afternoon, Negan."

Eyes twinkling knowingly, he turned and looked over at the Savior on gate duty. A subtle nod of Negan's head was all it took for the man to hurriedly unlock and open the well-oiled metal.

Once you were out of view of the Sanctuary and enclosed on all sides by trees, he stopped and turned to you. "Well, doll?"

"Well, what?"

He lifted Lucille straight out in front of him and panned her over the surrounding forest. "You're running the fucking show, so where to?"

Delight lit up your face at the realization of what he was offering. He's letting you be in charge this time! Your subconscious procured a red cloak and tiny wicker basket out of thin air and frolicked off into the trees, while your brain took out a magnifying glass and started studying an odd-looking insect resting on a nearby bush. Torn between which one to follow, you landed on a mixture of both, and started off in a random direction with a bit of extra pep in your step, taking everything in.

You wandered around that way for a while, taking the time to explore all the wonders the forest had to offer now that you weren't faced with a mission of picking berries before the clock ran out. Negan was a good sport about it, following dutifully behind as you slowly meandered around in a haphazard pattern. It dimly registered that you didn't even hesitate to worry about where you were going, trusting him to reign you in if you strayed too far from the Sanctuary or caused him to lose his bearings.