Closer (Negan X OC)

Chapter 7

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The first thing that I saw were stars.

Above me, were the constellations, swirling in beautiful patterns, the full moon illuminating the night sky. For a moment, I twirled slowly in a circle, taking it all in. I had always been enthralled with space, specifically because it was unknown. The number of galaxies, the planets that could sustain life...it was all so enchanting to me. And then I came back down to earth, taking in my surroundings. I looked to the sides of me, realizing I was on a roof, probably several stories from the ground. Immediately, my eyes went the only source of light—multiple candles arranged on a dining room table, which looked like it had been set with plates and silverware. The scent of food hit me not long after, making my mouth water and my stomach turn. But it wasn't long until my senses were claimed by another scent. Whiskey, gunpowder, wolf...

Negan.

He was standing a few feet away from the table, his eyes intent on mine, silently beckoning me to move closer to him. And I began to cross the roof, moving towards him like a moth to a flame.

My inner voice was screaming. Here I was, in some unknown location, walking towards what appeared to be a moonlit dinner with an alpha wolf. What the ever loving fuck was I doing? I took an unsteady breath, convincing myself that I needed to play the part if I wanted to get out of here.

Negan's eyes never left mine as I moved to him, crinkling in the corners from the large grin plastered on his face. He began to take me in, and I allowed myself to do the same. He was dressed in the same leather jacket ensemble from before, minus the scarf and gloves. In that moment, I realized that something about him took my breath away, something in my gut that told me I wouldn't get tired of looking at him.

Even now, on what appeared to be our first date, he still had Lucille gripped loosely in his right hand. I felt certain at the fact he wasn't going to use her on me, knowing she was more of a quirk for him than anything. For a moment, I couldn't help but wonder the backstory of his prized possession, wanting to ask him about her. But I made a mental note to ask him another time. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Like the fact that he claimed me as his mate.

Something surged inside of me when I was standing less than a foot away from him, something that made me want to close the distance between us. But I ignored it. For a moment, we stared each other down, my face neutral, his shit eating grin plastered on his, both waiting for the other to speak first. He raised his eyebrows at me, eyes twinkling, challenging me. Then, his eyes moved down to my outfit, his face not giving anything away. The way he was staring at me made me feel rather naked, so I crossed my arms around my chest, which made Negan's attention go back to my face.

"Good choice, doll," he finally said. "Good fucking choice. Although, I would have loved to see you in that little black lace number, but hey, maybe that's best saved for another time," he said, winking.

I couldn't help but find myself sighing in relief at his statement about my clothes. It made me feel oddly confident that I could maybe figure out this man in front of me. After mentally congratulating myself, I realized that he was looking at me, waiting for me to speak.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.

He chuckled. "Straight down to business, huh doll? If you insist...but trust me, this conversation is gonna be a hell of a lot more fun over dinner and drinks. What do you say?" He asked.

"Sure," I said, trying my best to hide my reluctance. I was in the unknown with an alpha, but I knew that the only way I was going to get out of this was if I played along. Taking a deep breath, I walked past him and over to the table, choosing on of the chairs. Before I could pull it out, Negan beat me to it, and I lifted my eyebrows in surprise at his behavior.

"Thanks," I said, giving him a small smile.

"Don't mention it, princess," he said, while taking the seat on the opposite side of the table, leaning his bat on the table near him. In front of us were plates covered with a silver tin, a bottle of wine nestled in the middle of the table amongst the candles. Everything started coming together. The candles, the wine, the food that smelled amazing, the privacy of the rooftop.

Negan was trying to romance me. Why? And would I let him?

"So..." I said, deciding that I was going to start this conversation. He smirked at me.

"Soooo..." he said, drawing out the word. I couldn't help but smile.

"So why did you bring me here?" I asked once again, trying to sound serious.

He shook his head. "All in due time, baby girl. But first, let's eat!" He pulled his cover off of his plate, revealing his food. It looked like it was chicken, with a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables. He picked up his fork and began eating. Sighing quietly, I followed his lead, closing my eyes and moaning quietly at the taste of the food. It was completely delicious. A laugh brought me out of my haze and I opened my eyes to find Negan staring at me.

"Good, ain't it?" He asked. I nodded my head.

"You a wine drinker?" He continued.

I shrugged. "I'm not much of a drinker, but that's fine," I said truthfully. Years of being the designated driver and my brother's problem was the reason for my adversion to alcohol. I reached out to grab the bottle, but Negan's hand was there first, popping the cork and filling my glass halfway before doing the same to his. I allowed myself to take a sip. Yeah, definitely not a wine drinker, but perhaps being intoxicated would make this whole thing easier.

We continued eating in silence, Negan stealing glances at me, and me adverting my eyes every time he did so. He made me uncomfortable. I wasn't scared of him, no...I was nervous, but in the way that a girl was nervous around her crush during their first date. It was both unexpected and odd. I had never really been interested in boys until college, dating casually here and there, not really caring if nothing lasted. After that, I didn't bother dating; taking care of my brother and working full time took away all my energy. Sitting here in front of Negan, I couldn't help but compare him to the boys I had dated. They were completely inadequate compared to him. And Negan was far from being a college boy...no, he was one hundred percent man.

It terrified me...but somewhere deep down, hidden in the part of me that I didn't like to admit the existence of, it excited me too.

Finally, we had finished our food and drained our glasses. Noticing my empty glass, Negan gestures towards the bottle and I shook my head. He proceeded by pouring himself another glass.

"Alright Carson," he paused to take a sip of wine before continuing. "Now that we're done with our grub, let's get down to the fun stuff. But before we start, let's get two thing clear," he said, leaning forward, his eyes boring into mine.

"One: You're a hell of a girl, Carson. I'd expect a girl as goddam gorgeous as you to have screamed at the sight of...well, Chester and Jay's noggins outside of their heads. But you didn't. No, you're such a badass, you took Lucille, held her like a fuckin' pro, and bashed Jay's head in. Yeah, you fainted after, but hey, it was pretty rigorous work!"

He leaned forward, putting both elbows on the table, taking me in.

"And two: Well, you already know two. Because I already told you. You're my mate. Hell, I always thought that mates was some hocus pocus crap, but from the moment I saw you...I knew."

I gulped. "Knew what?" It barely came out a whisper.

He smiled, but it wasn't as cocky as usual. It was genuine, filled with an emotion that I couldn't decipher.

"That you're it. You are the only woman I'm ever going to want. And oh, do I want you, Carson. In every way fuckin' possible. I want you to be mine."

This was all too much. Sitting here in front of this man, everything that he was saying...it was unbelievable and completely insane. But was it unwarranted?

"So that's why I brought you here! To try and woo you, hearts and flowers and candles and shit. So tell me, Carson Gardner...would you do me the honor of becoming one of my wives?"