"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I don't think I got you're name."
"Because I didn't tell ya my name,"
When survival is no longer living its time to take back their world from the dead. Can they do it together or is being so similar to each other more toxic...
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The compound is loud, people bustling through the cafeteria, others running for supply trucks or headed out on shifts. I'm one of those people today, I don't like being cooped up inside don't wanna be one of them. Negan knows every shift and every schedule if I wanna job, he's my guy.
I knock nervously on the door, suddenly regretting my decision to come here. Maybe he's not here and I can just wander, or spend time re arranging all the new shit I found for Mateo and I's room. It's not about survival anymore right?
"Come in."
I curse, bouncing on my toes, shaking out my hands, I push the door open, swaggering into the room. Negan sits in his usual seat, his gaze set on Lucille as he wipes her down.
"What do you want?" His Gaze doesn't come up from Lucille as I stop before him.
"I need something to do," I explain, my foot bouncing with electricity. "I'm bored."
"Dakota, why the hell would you be-" Negan stops. His gaze settling on my new shoes. The brown suede platform compliments his darker room. His gaze follows my form, up my tight navy skinny jeans and over my form fitting white shirt and faux leather jacket with the hoodie sleeves and hood.
"Holy shit!" Negan stands up. His hands following my form up. "This...Damn." He runs a hand through his hair.
"I don't want to survive anymore, I want to live. Like you do. With a bit of style." I shrug, my fingers wringing through the back of my jacket. Did I really just admit I wanna be like him?
"Well I like it, but are we sure about the shoes? Can you run? Hell can you walk?!" He inquires. I laugh nervously.
"Believe me, I spent the entire night asking those questions. I was practicin' in the front lot this morning. Simon ended up out there too offering advice. The only thing I need to work on is gettin' up a bit quicker." I answer him.
"Well then I think you have successfully rivaled my 'look'." Negan looks up at me. I hold a hand out, comparing his height to mine.
"Hey!" He protests. I laugh again.
"It's only fair. You did it to me when I first got here." Negan crinkles his nose in distaste.
"You want a job? We need a change up of guard on the roof. Think you can do that without falling off?" I nod, bouncing on my toes again.
"I'll be up later to check on you." He waves me off, dropping back onto the couch to scoop up Lucille.
Up on the roof I embrace the cool wind blowing through the grey clouds looking over the compound. The scent of wet concrete is comforting.
I relieve some random guy from the roof, the other sniper looks ready to piss himself, so maybe that's why I chose to leave him up here. Or maybe it was to get to see the view instead of the back gravel field of the compound and the hidden access road.
I rest my foot on the ledge propping the sniper on my knee. It's been to long since I've held this kind of gun.
"If you wanna join the army you have to prove you can do it. This guns gonna put you on yer ass if yer not careful baby D." Dallas explains, the two of us laying on the dirt hill behind our house overlooking the homemade shooting range. "I ain't no baby!" I spit tightening my grip on the gun stock. "Okay, alright sorry. Now aim for slightly below the center. The recoil will most likely go up. When your ready pull the trigger." Dallas scoots back to sit behind me.
"Dakota." I whip around, teetering in the edge of the roof as Negan snaps his fingers in my face. The sniper falls to the rooftop while my fist flies for his face. Negan catches my wrist with ease. "You wanna try that again?" He remarks teasingly. I pale, my mind drawing a sudden blank. What was I doing? Why are we standing so close?
The small flecks of mossy green hidden in the forest of walnut wood are beautiful. The growing fur of salt and pepper stubble on his jaw is so close. So rough looking. I lean foreword, bringing my knee up I force it into the back of his knee. Negan falls backwards, his legs giving out and we topple to the gravel. I roll over him ending up on my back, struck by the lack of air in my lungs.
"Ahh!" I gasp. Negan laughs roughly. "Shit, Dakota..." Negan climbs back to his feet. I unsteadily get up too. "I came up to check on you." He explains, rubbing the back of his neck. I cross my arms, stuffing down the butterflies storming my stomach. "Oh really?" The purr rolls off my tongue with a sharp bite. Finding amusement in Negans flustered expressions.
He clears his throat. "Yeah. I came up to talk to you about the outpost tomorrow." I drop my smile. I forgot about tomorrow. I was planning in spending the day with Mateo.
"Alright. Explain." I wave a hand giving him the spotlight while I pick up the gun again.
"Tomorrow, you're gonna be coming with me to the outpost because I need to have a little discussion with how it's being run, then you're going to take over for the week and if all goes hunky Dory then you'll be queen of the saviors." Negan grins.
'Queen of the saviors' I like that. Not just a lieutenant but queen of the saviors. He's just Negan, he doesn't call himself the king. But being queen...
"What if I don't wanna go with you tomorrow," I nibble on my lip. "You gonna make me?"
Negan's grin broadens. "Wanna bet?" He takes a tentative step closer, like the opening to a dance.
"Prove it. You ain't makin' me even if you tried." My ears warm, I'm walking on ice. One wrong move and I'm going under.
"We'll see about that. I'll see you tomorrow Dakota." He swaggers off the roof. His face showing no signs of the once flustered expression I enjoy seeing.
I fall back on to the ledge, my head practically between my knees. Eyes burning with exhaustion I rub my temples. When did the devil and I become friends?
