control . negan

04; king

"Can we cut the shit?" She spoke abruptly, lips parting and eyes widening in the slightest when she realized who she was speaking to. Negan's whole body perked up and his eyebrows raised, eyes glistening with no more than a deranged humor. He put one foot forward, steel toe boot clinging against the floor and causing her to shut her eyes in fear.

"Where are your fucking manners, Winona?" He jerked his head, expression suddenly dropping. "I saved your ass despite that weasely shit you just pulled and still I get no fucking gratitude. What do you take me as?"

"Let me go home." She tightened her jaw and refrained from meeting his eye. The sight of him, yet frightening, made her blood boil like no other. His persona, the way he presented himself and everything about him screamed egotistical. Those were the kinds of people Winona steered clear from.

"That's a big fucking no." He twitched, lips curling upward as his fingers danced gently along the tip of the bat. Every muscle in Winona's body relaxed and was replaced by a jolt of anger, surprise, and fear all bubbling in one. She jerked back and sent a glare of sheer venom, the meanest look she could conjure.

"Excuse me?"

"Did you go deaf just now, sweetheart? I said you're staying right fuckin' here." He moved forward. If Winona couldn't feel every pulse, every pump of blood running in thick, heavy streams through her body she would have cowered back just at his expression. His deep ebony eyes narrowed and his torso tilted forward, knees bent, the man could go from mood to mood with the snap of a finger.

"I heard you. And it's not gonna happen." She jerked back as he leaned into her, pupils dilated and blazing. She wanted to clench her fist and give it to the side of his jaw, callous, anger, and frustration pent up inside of her, but she held onto the sliver of hope she could sway his decisions before she did anything rash.

Negan's shoulders relaxed, rolling back on the heel of his foot and shuffling away with a callused hand to his scruff. He fleetingly glanced back, eyebrows shrugging as he took her in as a whole. Her head to her feet and her stance, her arms to her hips and her angered, bestial glare. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip and allowed himself to smile.

"Oh man," huffs of unhumorous laughter escaped his semi sealed lips. "Fucking rich. Sweetheart, c'mere." He jerked his finger, holding it close to his chest as his insensitive eyes roamed the girl. She stayed sealed in place, her feet not giving the slightest twitch or jerk. Negan shook his head slowly, his whole bottom lip clasped between his teeth. "You're special, honey. I'll give you that. Fuckin' special. But that doesn't give you the god damn right. You may like being in control, and I get that. Hell, I think it's fucking hot but when I tell you to do something, you don't take one goddamn second to think about it."

Winona clenched and unclenched her jaw, keeping her feet glued to the carpets beneath her. The only thing on her mind was her family, her poor elderly grandmother at home in bed fear stricken, assuming her granddaughter was dead in a ditch somewhere. It was the one thing that kept her from quivering in fear under Negan's gaze.

She crossed smooth arms over her chest and tilted her chin. "And what gives you the right? You don't own me. I choose who to follow, and it sure as hell isn't gonna be you." She took a step forward, getting a little too close for her own comfort, but necessary for the point she was determined to prove. "You can keep me here. You can try. But I'll be gone by tomorrow. If not tomorrow, the day after that."

Negan's expression lightened up like she never expected it would have. He only closed the space between them, making Winona hurry back as quick as her feet could stumble beneath her. He spoke in a deep, hoarse voice. "You've got a fuckin' mouth on you. I kinda like that. But not when it's directed at me. Oh fucking no. That is some shit you will not pull again." Negan only continued stepping forward as she hurried back on her heels. "And Winona, sweetheart. I owned you the minute you put your shifty little fingers on my property. The fucking minute you stepped through these gates. You brought this all upon yourself, sweetheart. So good fucking job. But you're mine now. All mine. You – you're gonna work for me."

"Why are you doing this?" She spoke so quickly after him that she wondered if she'd cut him off. The slimming of his lips confirmed her answer as he took one last slow and menacing step in front of her. The malice man placed a hand above her shoulder and hovered to where she stood stiff against the wall.

"Because I don't need some group coming back here and gunning down my men. It's easier to keep you here. Easier for everyone. You'd be a hell of an asset, too." His eyes flickered down to her stomach then back up to her eyes. "Can't say It's not a little bit for my own personal gain."

"I won't- I," she stuttered, clenching her eyes and then regained herself. "I won't bring them back. I won't even tell them about this place."

Negan hummed, rolling on the balls of his feet. He squinted his features, eyebrows creasing in the middle. "You think I made it this far by being an idiot? Fucking no, Winona, I sure as shit did not. You lied to me. More than once. What do you peg me as?"

"Have some empathy." She glared, ignoring his question.

"Empathy?" He jerked his head. "Empathy, really?" He raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Just because you spat some fucking sob story at me doesn't mean you get to run off and live happily ever after. Doesn't work like that, Winona. You did your deeds and here you are, paying for them."

"You're-" she started with fists balled in anger, but he sharply cut her off.

"I'm what?" His tone was challenging. Winona's chest heaved and Negan's eyes flickered down, lips twitching. She wanted to push him away with all her force but instead, she stood with her arms limp by her side and no idea what to say next.

"H-horrible." She sputtered. Negan jerked forward furrowed his eyebrows, clutching onto the pit of his stomach with huffs of laughter.

"Well that was anti fucking climatic. I was expecting better than that, sweetheart. C'mon." He squinted down with his chin tilted up. She finally balled her fist and sent the side of it to his chest. But it was more a pitiful rage than an endeavor to hurt him, so she just slumped against the wall and watched as he smirked at her.

"That was kinda cute," he said in a breathy tone, head tilting closer to her. Suddenly, without warning, he jerked away by pushing himself from the wall and ambled over to the kitchen counter, pouring a generous glass of wine. "You're a firecracker, sweetheart. A ball of condensed fucking rage and if you ask me, I think you need to loosen up a bit."

"I didn't ask you," she shot back sharply, not taking notice of how weak her retaliation was.

He whistled. "Too bad." Handing her the glass of wine, he tilted forward once again and placed his arm in the same position, above her right shoulder. "Go on. Take a sip, Winona, I'm not fucking poisoning you."

She held the glass between her fingers, her knuckles turning pale and white and she thought for a fleeting second if she was angry enough, the glass would shatter in her grip. Negan, humming impatiently, finally raised his eyebrows and gave a slight jerk of the head. "Your call. Go ahead and stay fucking cranky, but I'm gonna have me some of this." He hurriedly took the cup from her and placed it to his lips, giving a sly wink when he touched the brim.

Letting out a sigh of satisfaction, he took a step back and eyed down the girl. His brows furrowed and his chest hitched as he glanced at the ornate door. "Come with me. I've got somethin' I gotta show ya."

He ambled over to the door, wine glass still between his fingers as he crossed the threshold, not taking one glance back. Winona tentatively stepped forward and stared at the door, eyes traveling up and down the base.

She figured she had no other choice. After all, he was the one in control.