ELEANOR . NEGAN

038.

Negan lied when he said he went to her house when he got his first taste of freedom. He lied a lot about that day actually. So entering her house after he blocked out all the judgmental stares from the outside was like a delicate touch of normalcy. Domestic and sweet, something the man believed he would never get again.

He didn't want to fuck it up like last time.

Her house was small but cozy, clearly decorated by the two women of the house. Maya's books were all across the furniture and so were her paintings, the ones that have clearly grown overtime. Faux plants that Elle found on runs covered the corners that looked lonely, and her settee? Fucking hell. He could already imagine getting nice and cozy on that, maybe even stick his feet up on the table, light the fireplace, get Elle to join him.

He shook himself out of his reverie and stepped further through the house. Brown eyes dragged across the laminate and over the open kitchen. It was clean, which he would never have guessed from Elle. But hey ho. She also had aprons stuck up the wall, two of them. One had dainty flowers which were clearly painted on and the other was just plain black. He knew which one was which.

He turned to look at the stairs with the turn in the side, but he couldn't go up and see before Elle had her hand wrap around his forearm. "Come on, doll." He whined. "Let me go explore. You know, I need to stretch my legs and shit... it sucks ass getting old-"

"Oh, boo fucking hoo." She sneered. "Sit down, I need to hide the knives."

"You trying to be funny?"

Elle furrowed her brows and gave him the most serious look. "I'm not joking." But then a smirk creeped up on her lips and he knew it all too well. "Just sit."

He obeyed, (because what else could he do?) and plopped his ass down on the settee. Instantly, it felt like years of back pain was relieved. "Fuck me," he groaned, sinking further into the comfort. He could hear Elle shuffling in the background and as much as he wanted to turn around and look, he needed this softness.

Couple of minutes later, Elle showed up in front of him. "Feet off the table." There goes that idea. He didn't listen though, not until she came over and kicked his feet off the table with her foot. "We need to lay some ground rules."

"Fucking hell, doll." He rolled his eyes, "Can't I just have a day to this fucking heaven? Please?"

"Uh, no. We are laying ground rules, so when Maya comes home, you don't start being the teasing twat that you are so well known for." With a charming smile, she dropped down next to him and cleared her throat. "Gabriel told me if you do anything fishy then I have to tell the council. Michonne said if you do anything annoying then I can shoot you."

"Wait, come on, doll-"

"You're getting on my nerves!" She sang, he shut himself up. "No going in my room, Maya's room or any room you know you shouldn't go in."

"Is there a specific room that's a bit frisky for the innocent eye-"

"I live with a sixteen year old. Please shut the fuck up." He smirked but not without putting his feet back on the table. She didn't say anything about it, but he saw it. The way her green eyes flitted from his to the coffee table said enough. "There's guards at every exit and entrance of Alexandria. So you can try and escape when it's all dark and gloomy and you think you're fucking Batman, but you won't get far."

"Right..."

"And you're not allowed a weapon. At all. Even in a crisis."

"It's like they're prayin' for me to get killed."

A sour chuckle left her lips, "They are." Whatever, he thought. "Gabe, 'cause he's a semi-saint, is sticking you in the gardens. Be a dick and your guard will hit you, understood?"

"Hang on a second, doll-"

"I asked to put you in the bathroom, there was a bit of a problematic side to that, so you take the spare room. It's empty, bare, do what you wish with it." Elle cleared her throat and looked up at him. "I will be checking it out from time to time, so don't try and be sneaky."

"Fuck me sideways, sunshine. What are you, some fucking drill sergeant?"

So close, but so far. "I mean it, Negan."

"Yeah, I can fucking see you mean it." Scratching the side of his jaw, he puffed out his cheeks and looked back at her. "Is there anything I can fucking do?"

She thought for a moment and looked over at her kitchen. Hm. "You can practice sitting there like a good boy and keeping quiet. Or you can cook. Kitchen is up for grabs, only Maya uses it."

"What do you fucking eat then?"

Elle rolled her eyes and nodded her head towards her living room window, the glass which overlooked Daryl's temporary house. "I just steal his shit."

"Fucking hell-"

"He doesn't even realise!" She giggled. Daryl does realise, he just didn't care. If it meant she was eating and getting happier then it didn't bother him. "Still, listen to the rules, be good, or back to the cell you go."