"I need to go back." Carl muttered, his head pounding. He had felt like this for hours. Negan's doctor said it was a cold. His nose was runny and his throat was raw from coughing, but that didn't stop him from climbing out of bed and getting dressed. "My dad will worry. They need me there-"
"I can radio over, say we found you and took you in and will bring you back when you are well." Negan stepped in front of Carl, blocking his path to the door. "You should be resting. Not leaving. It's cold and you have a thin jacket. You are already sick. Don't be stupid."
Carl glared at him. "Move out of my way or I will move you myself. My dad needs me." There was a reason Carl snuck around and always made it home before Rick noticed he was gone. His father relied on him and his loyalty. Carl did not want to crush him like that. "I can make my own choices-"
"Just because you can make them doesn't mean they are good." Negan cupped his cheek. "We have doctors. Medicine. Heat. Stay. Let us take care of you..." Negan cupped his other cheek. "Let me take care of you."
Carl pulled away. "Sweet talking won't make me stay. Just let me go." If Carl wasn't already so weak he would have been fighting Negan. Shoving him out of the way and yelling at him for attempting to control him. But Carl was simply too tired. "Negan-"
"Just over night. You can get some dinner and breakfast and a good nights sleep." Negan didn't need to get Carl to agree to staying, he just needed him to settle down for a couple of hours. Get used to relaxing. "Then I will drive you close to the gates and you can hurry in."
"And what about my dad realizing that I am gone?" He crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring how each of his bones ached with every move he made. "Give it a rest-"
"A supply run. Just say you went out on one. The car you used broke down and I took you in-"
"He won't trust you."
Negan cracked a smile. "He doesn't need to." He kissed Carl's forehead. "Come on. Lay back down and let me take care of you. You are burning up."
Carl sighed, closing his eye. "One night. And that is it. I can go home and get the same treatment there..."
Negan snaked his arms around Carl's waist. "Yeah... but your home doesn't have me."
"Yeah..." Carl nodded, relaxing under Negan's touch. If it was any other day Carl would yell at Negan for being too gentle, but he felt too bad to argue. "Too bad, huh?"
Negan kissed his nose. "Yeah... it is too bad."
