The Replacement

Part Three

Warning: swearing

************

"Ha! You landed on one of my properties, time to pay up Warden!" Negan chuckles out. "Yeah, yeah. Just play your turn" you respond, handing him the dice and monopoly money.

Negan rolls the dice in his palm and then throws it on the board, he then starts moving his character piece, "1-2-3-4-5! I'm buying it!" he yells out upon landing on a vacant properties slot.

"That's not fair! You're buying out all the properties!" you cry out. Negan lets out a snicker, "stop being such a pus- I mean cry baby" he quickly corrects himself.

"Hey, just because I have a pussy, doesn't make me one" you arch your brow in retaliation, causing Negan to choke on air as you caught him off guard with your response.

"What? You think you're the only one that can be vulgar?" you nonchalantly stare at Negan as he continues choke coughing. "Er... it's your turn-" he finally clears his throat, still surprised at what a spitfire you were.

Shrugging his response off, you take your turn and throw the dice, "1-2-3!" you make your move and land on the Chance card-drawing space.

Taking a card from the top of the deck, you read it out, "Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not past begin- Urgh!" you grumble.

"Ha! Looks like you'll be joining me in here Warden!" Negan chuckles at your misfortune, tongue poking out and dimples flashing as he stares at you in amusement.

"In your dreams, big boy" you grumble out, a faint smirk threatening to spill from your lips at his antics.

"Aw come on, it'll be fun... I'll be the best roommate you ever had- I won't hog the bedsheets I promise-" Negan remarks with a devilish dimpled smirk.

"Technically we already are roommates, what you're suggesting is something totally different" you snicker in amusement.

Tongue poking out, Negan shrugs his shoulders, "can't blame a fella for trying-" he chuckles.

You guys end up playing monopoly until it was almost lunch time, the game is paused and you leave to go upstairs to make lunch for Negan and yourself.

*****

Negan sits silently study Y/N as they're eating while continuing their game of monopoly. Negan finds himself deeply lost in thought as he watched Y/N's fascial expressions while she played her turn.

The one thing Negan noticed clearly about Y/N, was that even after only knowing each other for one day she genuinely was enjoying the time she spent with him, which was something Negan had not experienced in years.

Everyone that Negan had come into contact with in years that he's been imprisoned had only been done out of obligation to Rick and none of them seemed happy about having to do so. Sure, Gabriel spent time counselling him, but that was only Gabriel doing his duty as a priest to try and 'save his soul'.

With Y/N it was different, she saw him as person and not just a job. Shit, she's the one behind him finally having a decent meal again after all this time being stuck in this shithole. In fact, she's also the reason why he wakes up in the morning looking forward to seeing her beautiful when she brings him breakfast.

"Hey... Negan-" you snap your fingers in front of his face. Snapping back to reality with a shake of his head, "sorry- what?" Negan looks at you confused.

"It's your turn to play-" you inform him, a bit concerned at his behaviour.

"Oh yeah- sorry about that" Negan responds with a faint smile and rolls his turn.

Just as Negan's about to make his move; you reach out, placing your hand on top of his, "where did you go to?" you gently ask him.

"What?" Negan stares at you confused with the question you asked.

Gently squeezing Negan's hand and staring deeply into his eyes, "you zoned out for quite some time. Where did your mind wonder off to?" you ask in reply.

Looking down at your hand on his, Negan clears his throat replying with a nervous chuckle, "Um... was just thinking how fucking delicious lunch is."

"Glad you're enjoying it" you respond with a smile.

After playing for another 20mins you could hear the sound of children playing outside coming through the window of Negan's cell.

"Well, that's the sound of duty calling-" you state getting up from your seat. "Where are ya off to Warden?" Negan asks looking a bit down at your departure.

"I've got a 2hr training class with the kids" you inform Negan. "Training?" Negan curiously enquires.

"Yeah, I teach them basic self-defence against Walkers and humans alike" you respond.

"So not only are you a smoking hot warden, but ya a badass too!" Negan remark, tongue poking out as his eyes travels up and down your body.

"Well, it was a skill that came with the job I had before all of this" you shrug your shoulders.

"That so. I have got to know what that job was then-" Negan responds with a smirk. "You'll have to wait till later then. So, be a good boy, behave yourself and I'll see you at dinner time-" you tell Negan and then leave.

*****

Making your way downstairs and heading to the kitchen to start dinner, you suddenly heard a little girls voice deep in conversation with someone of what seemed to be coming from the front door.

Opening the door, you found Judith getting up from the steps as she was about to leave, "Hey, Judith. Where are you off to kiddo?" you greet her.

"Hey, Aunt Y/N. I was just heading home-" Judith turns around to greet you, her eyes looking towards the window of Negan's cell.

Curious about her behaviour and about what she and Negan were talking about, you then procced, "would you like to keep me company while I make dinner? I baked some cookies earlier and I could sure use a taste tester."

Thinking it over carefully for a minute, Judith answers, "sure-"

"So... do you often visit with Negan?" you ask Judith as she sits at the kitchen counter eating cookies while watching you cook.

Taking a long pause while she contemplates things over, Judith then replies, "yeah. Negan sometimes helps me with my homework. Sometimes he also tells me stories about my dad and Carl."

Surprised by what you heard, you turn around to look at her "ok-" you state.

"Please don't tell my mom!" Judith begs you. "Don't worry sweetie, I won't. I think it's nice of Negan to be helping you and that he has someone to talk with too-" you respond with a smile.

"He's really not that bad- I know he's done bad stuff, but I think he's changed a lot since then. Negan's just very lonely-" Judith tells you.

"I know, honey" you reply with a sad smile. "You know, he seems much happier now that you're watching over him" Judith remarks with a knowing smirk.

"Is that what he told you?" you arch a brow curiously at her. "No. But he doesn't need to, because I can hear it in his voice when he talks about you-" Judith tell you.

"He talks about me?" you state, surprised by it. "Mhmm-" Judith nods her head in answer.

Astonished by what Judith told you, you stand zoning on it all when suddenly Judith's voice interrupts your thoughts, "I better get home, it's almost dinner time and my mom's probably waiting on me. Thanks for the cookie Aunt Y/N... Oh, and you should give Negan some, he'll really like them-"

Going back to finishing dinner, you couldn't help your mind from wondering to what Judith told you about how your being in charge of Negan's wellbeing had made a change in his mood of lately.

Was your being around him really such a good influence on Negan as Judith made it out to be?

You knew he was very lonely, that much you figured out pretty easily. And you believed the same things that Judith did about him too, that he truly was a changed man from what he used to be.

Deciding not to think about it any further for now, you continue on to finish dinner.