Retribution - The Walking Dead

Momma loves her baby, and daddy loves you too.

"Listen, if you want my advice— "

"I don't." Daryl wasn't interested, he didn't look up from the meat that was grilling on the fire.

Negan continued regardless, " —I'll tell you how I got it done."

"I ain't listening."

"I'm telling you, man it's what worked, you just gotta grip a hold of her ass with one hand" Negan stood up to show Daryl exactly what position he meant. "And reach around with the other. And you just— "

"Dude, shut the fuck up! Sit your ass down."

Negan laughed, he always loved being able to make Daryl raise his voice.

"Hey, I'm just fucking with you. Seriously, just," Negan sighed and sat back down. He picked up a stick and threw it into the fire. "Just, enjoy the trying. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves. That shit'll ruin you, trust me. It'll happen."

Daryl stared into the licking flames as he remembered all that Negan had once confided in him.

"Wom!" Vincent shouted as he bent down to inspect the grass. "Hi, wom!" He poked at the worm he'd found and squealed with excitement as it curled up. "Hello, wom wom wom."

"Shit, c'mon kid." Negan hollered, "Your ma's gonna string my ass up if you get dirty again!"

Daryl was laughing at Negan's expense because his warning almost certainly came too late, Vincent was already on his knees and digging through the dirt.

Negan let his face fall into his hands and groaned before he laughed too. "Fucking kid always fills his pockets with bugs and mud and I'm the one who gets it in the neck! Like I told him to put them there."

Daryl nodded back at Vincent. "Definitely your son, man."

"Wha... " Negan turned around in time to see Vin stomping his foot down over and over on the poor worm.

"Ah, shit. Vincent!" Negan yelled. "Leave the damn thing."

"Uhoh!" Vincent held his hands up. "Uhoh! Oopsies wom, uhoh wom."

He fell down onto the grass and lifted up his foot to inspect the bottom of his shoe.

••• 

"A'right. Come get it, Vince, dude." Daryl called. He was still sitting by the fire and had just finished dishing up their lunch.

Vincent looked concerned, he was staring at the forest line where Negan had just disappeared into.

"He's just gone to take a leak, he'll be back in a minute. Come on, come try some fish. It's real yummy."

Vincent's thumb made its way into his mouth as he continued to stare toward the trees.

"Right, Imma count to three then I'm comin' to get ya," Daryl warned.

Vincent was familiar with this game, he turned and scurried another three feet further away from Daryl.

"One... "

Vincent watched Daryl with a grin on his face, like he was calling his bluff.

Daryl raised his eyebrows. "Two... "

Vincent shook his head furiously and Daryl laughed. He couldn't help it, the look of displeasure on Vincent's face was exactly the same one that Carol wore when she wasn't happy.

"All right! Three! I'm a-comin'... " Daryl stood up and Vincent ran away giggling.

"Got ya!" Daryl easily caught him and carried him back to the firepit under one arm like a football.