Negan swayed side to side with Carl in his arms. The boy was pressed back against his chest, glaring out the window. Negan hummed a love song he hadn't heard in years as he kissed Carls neck. "Sweetheart..."
"No." Carl grumbled. "I already told you I'm not doing it. It's stupid." Carl didn't try to pull away from Negan, he gave up on that a while ago. Carl could get away if he wanted to, but he didn't want to. He just complained and shoved Negan around enough to get labeled as "hard to get."
"You're so angry." Kiss. "Wound so tight." Kiss. "Let me help, darling." Kiss. "Hell." Kiss. "You may actually enjoy it." Kiss. "Or even better." Kiss. "Smile." Negans beard scratched up and down Carls neck as Negan placed dozens of kisses across it. "Loosen up." Negan held his hips. He smiled against his neck.
Carl slapped his hand away. "No." He shook his head, leaning back against Negans chest. "This is stupid. I can't relax and I won't try to. This isn't some date, Negan. People are out there dying. You have killed people and so have I. Stop pretending like me being wound tight is surprising."
"Kid." Negan kissed the top of his head. "We've all killed people. That's this world now. Dark and bad filled with angry, angry people. You know that.." He tilted Carls head up, looking sown at him. "There's no changing this world, so we might as well enjoy it."
"Fine." Carl sighed and pulled away, taking Negans hand. He intertwined their fingers and kept his eyes on the floor. "I don't even know how to dance..."
"Humor me." Negan smiled. "You don't need to know how." Negan lifted Carl up and stood him up on his feet. "See? All you gotta do is be willing."
"I've heard that a lot from you." Carl smiled. It was a bad joke, sort of dark, too, but that didn't matter. Carl was smiling. It was small and barely noticable, but it was there.
Negan started to step around the room, humming a new love song. One he used to play for his wife when he would drive her somewhere for a date. "You know... you're right to be stressed out. Alexandria is falling apart. Your people are dying. You have no where to go without it. You have a baby sister-"
Carl rolled his eye and dug his nails into Negans hand, bending his wrist backwards. "I don't need you to remind me, Negan."
Negan winced and jerked his hand away for a second, shaking it. "What I'm saying is..." He took Carls hand again, smiling. "Is that you need to embrace this new world. Rick keeps trying to make a town with jobs and laws, that doesn't work anymore. We aren't in that world anymore." Negan stopped moving and looked around the room. "Look at this place-"
"Negan."
"We evolved, Carl. That's what we were made to do. Your dad... he refuses to and that will get him, you, and everyone else in that family friendly shithole killed." Negan tightened his grip. "My place works. We have rules and punishment and a system. A good system. It hasn't failed me yet."
"But what if it does?" Carl replied. "What if it all comes crashing down on top of you?"
"Then I will evolve again." Negan pressed his forehead to Carls. "Look at me..." He whispered. "Your dad's system is already failing and its only getting worse. Here... here you won't need to worry. Things are under control. People are happy. They're protected and safe."
"I'm not coming here." Carl shook his head. "I'm not leaving my dad or Judith or anyone else. You may be right. My dad is clinging to what normalcy we have left, but that doesn't mean he can't evolve. I will help him. They... they are my home, Negan."
"Then what am I?" Emotion dripped from his words. Negan kissed his forehead and smiled at him. "Am I just that hot man you sleep with because you got daddy issues?"
Carl smiled again, a small laugh escaping his lips. "Yeah, totally. That's the only reason I sneak over here." He pressed his face to Negans neck. "I'm not leaving my family and you won't change my mind."
"Fine." Negan started to move again, gripping Carl close by his hips. "But that doesn't mean I won't stop trying." He kissed Carls cheek, sighing.
"Whatever." Carl looked around the room, biting his lip. He couldn't look at Negan. The idea of leaving sounded amazing, but if he did that he would be betraying everyone he loved. Everyone who protected him.
"Stop thinking so hard." Negan kissed him, stopping his movements. "The whole point of dancing together is to relax. Stop thinking." Negan pulled away and let Carl step onto the floor. He held Carls hand and spun him around before pulling Carl back into his chest. "Just think about how this feels."
"It feels embarrassing." Carl grumbled, looking down at his feet. He stepped on Negans feet again, pulling his hand away and wrapping his arms around Negans neck. They stood still for a moment, Negans eyes on Carl. Carl looking anywhere but Negan. "Are you gonna move or not?"
"That's my boy." Negan stepped around the room again, humming a new song. "Its not that bad." He grinned, pecking Carls lips. "Baby..." Negan rubbed his nose against Carls cheek. "You're safe, it's just us... relax."
Carls shoulders relaxed as he tightened his grip on Negan. He rested his head on Negans shoulder, kissing lazily at Negans neck. "Do you dance with your other wives?" He wasn't sure if he was ready for the answer. "Be careful with how you answer. I could kill you."
"I know..." Negan chuckled, lowering his hands to Carls ass. "But no, I don't dance with them. I drink with them. I fight with them. I sleep with them but..." Dancing was something Negan only did with his wife. "Doesn't matter. I don't dance with people."
"Okay." Carl sighed. He kissed underneath Negans ear, looking out the window. Carl ran his fingers through Negans hair, chewing on his bottom lip. "Negan..."
"Yeah?" Negan was whispering now as if he knew the words that were about to come out of Carls lips were a secret.
"Do you think..." Carl dug his nails into Negans back. Like he was clinging. Like the world was about to tear Negan away from him. "If this didn't happen we would still be together?"
Negan shrugged. "Kid..." he laughed. "How isn't the time for deep questions." He stopped laughing when he felt Carl hold onto him tighter. This is important. "Yeah. No matter what world we're in I would find ya." He cupped Carls cheek. "But if it was normal I wouldn't be into you. The whole missing eye thing is why I'm with you."
Carl slapped his arm. "I'm being serious. Can you not be an ass for a few minutes? Or does or physically pain you to not be snarky?" Carl licked his lips. "How do you think we would have met?"
"It pains me, but for you I will try." Nefan smiled. "I probably tried to flirt with your mama or something. Your dad would arrest me for some bar fight and I would be back at the station when she brings a very angry teenager over for him to watch."
Carl rolled his eye. "I'm not that angry."
"Have you heard yourself? Or seen the glare thats always on your face? It's like you glared so much it fucking stuck." Carl hit him again. "But your dad would have you at his desk doing homework and I just..." Negan slipped his fingers underneath the waistband of his pants. "Can't keep my eyes off you."
"I wouldn't pay attention to you." Carl smiled. "I'd make you wait." He kissed Negan softly, pulling him closer. "And we would play twenty questions, where I ask you all about the bad things you've done."
"And I ask you about all the bad things you wanna do." Negan rested his chin on top of Carls head. "No matter the world, I would find ya. Whatever this is..."
"I would find you." Carl grinned. He was beautiful. "But it wouldn't be hard as long as the world has prison."
"You think I would be in prison?" Negan tossed his head back laughing. "I know where I would find you. You'd be in some old man's lap."
Carl hit him again, laughing. "Shut up! You're such an ass!"
"I'm not wrong, though." Negan tilted Carls chin up and kissed him. "And I'm your ass..."
Carl cupped Negans cheek gently, like he was going to break him. "Yeah." He smiled even wider. Negan promised himself to make sure he saw that smile as much as possible. "Aren't I lucky?"
