I passed through the threshold, stepping into my room as Negan followed closely behind me. As I maneuvered around my bed and toward the bathroom, Negan made himself comfortable on my bed, resting his head against the wall and his feet propped on top of the mattress with Lucille resting across his legs.
"Can you get your filthy shoes off of my bed, please?" I requested as I reached for the bathroom door knob. I twisted the knob and pushed the door open, placing myself in front of the sink. I turned as I noticed movement out of my peripheral vision, seeing Negan swing his legs over the side of the bed closest to the bathroom. He sat up to watch me clean my wound, Lucille now resting against the edge of the mattress between Negan's legs.
I turned on the faucet and cool water began to flow. Before I stuck my finger under the running water, I turned to face Negan, catching him looking me up and down. When his eyes met mine, he began to grin, and let out a deep chuckle.
"Sorry, I just can't fuckin' help myself," he shamelessly took in my appearance once more. I shook my head and turned back to face the running water, sticking my finger under the cool liquid. I gently washed around the cut, using my index finger and a touch of soap on my opposite hand. Subtle stinging ran through the cut when the soap directly touched the irritated wound. I reached for the faucet and turned the water off before drying my hands on my single towel. As blood continued to seep through the stitches, I decided to throw my towel into my dirty laundry pile in my bedroom, Negan watching my every move out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. The towel spread across the soiled clothes that I had worn since my arrival weeks ago.
"You don't have a goddamn hamper? What is this a fucking pigsty?" Negan scolded, standing from the bed and approaching my side. I gave him a quick side-eye and shook my head. "I'll be right back," he said as he promptly made his way to the door, swinging it open and stepping into the hall.
"Where are you go-"
"Don't move a fucking muscle, Jade!" He called back as the door shut behind him.
So I stood there and waited for Negan to return. After a few minutes of shifting my weight from one leg to the other, I decided to sit on the edge of my bed. I looked down at my finger, which rested on my lap, seeing that the bleeding had finally come to an end. My gaze looked past my hands and landed on my boots, and I noticed a few drops of bright blood at the tips of the leather, atop my toes. It wouldn't be the first time these boots have had blood coat their surface, between walkers and dangerous survivors, I have had my fair share of the maroon liquid on my boots and clothes. It was inevitable at this point. I turned to the door as the click of the latch pulled me from my thoughts, and I watched as Negan made his way back into my room. He had a large laundry hamper in his hands and had Lucille resting in one of the bins. He dropped the hamper next to my dresser and turned to face me.
"There, now pick up those dirty ass clothes," he said, lazily motioning toward the grimy pile in the corner, next to the hamper.
I rose from my seat and shuffled over to the new addition to my room. I removed Lucille from the bin and placed her against the front of my dresser.
"Where'd you get this from?" I asked, turning to face Negan.
"My room," he stated, shrugging his shoulders.
"Negan," I huffed loudly through my nose.
"It's not a big deal, so don't go making seem like some grand fucking gesture," he said, raising his eyebrows, which created a few lines on his forehead. I faced the hamper yet again, noticing that it had three separate bins. "I'll get a new one from the commissary," he added.
"You separate your clothes?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. I turned my head to face him.
"Yeah," he said matter-of-factly. "In dirty, really fucking dirty, and I should probably throw that shit away," he said as he pointed from each bin, left to right.
I hummed in response and began to pick up the clothes from the pile. I first held the towel in front of me, knowing that I had used it after each shower and now it had a minuscule amount of blood on the fabric.
"Dirty," I said, tossing the towel into the first bin. I continued sorting through the pile without throwing any clothes in the last basket, I couldn't afford to throw any clothes out when I only had a few pieces to choose from. Negan eventually sat back down on my bed as he watched me separate my laundry.
"You hungry?" He asked in a low tone.
Harry and I usually ate after our shifts, and because I am a complete dumbass and cut myself, I missed our shift and breakfast. I nodded my head in response as I continued to sort my dirty clothes. The same static from Dr. Carson's office momentarily filled the room before Negan's voice took over.
"Dwighty boy," Negan called through his walkie-talkie, the static sounding again once he released the button.
"Yes, sir," Dwight responded in a matter of seconds.
"Bring my breakfast to Jade's room," he demanded. I turned to face him, watching as he tossed his walkie-talkie onto the pillows behind him. Dwight confirmed Negan's request, but his voice was muffled by the pillows surrounding the walkie-talkie.
After throwing my final shirt into the really fucking dirty bin, I walked over to the head of my bed and sat down. I hunched over and unlaced my boots then slid them off, before shifting to lean against the wall and extending my legs in front of me. Negan turned his head first, looking at me over his shoulder. The corners of his eye crinkled as a dimple took shape on his left cheek, a smile clearly growing just out of sight. As his palms quickly met the surface of my comforter behind him, he swiftly threw his legs to the side of the bed, turning his body sideways. He rolled his weight onto his left hip and propped his head up with his hand, his arm resting beneath. His other arm draped itself across his torso, his fingers tracing over the fabric under his body.
That smile never left his face.
I narrowed my eyes as a grin threatened to make its way between my cheeks. The look on his face revealed that he was up to no good.
"What?" I questioned softly, tilting my head upward in his direction.
"You wanna go to Alexandria tomorrow?" His voice groveled, his grin stretching further, which seemed nearly impossible.
My eyes shot open immediately. "Really?" I asked, earning a few nods in response. I thought back to our last conversation about Alexandria, on our run to the shopping center, when we found Soul. It had been a few days since then, and it was the start of a new week, so it must be time for their next run.
"Hell yeah I want to go," I exclaimed, happiness dripping from my tongue. I hadn't seen my people in weeks, and that was the worst punishment of all. I could take not eating for days, I could take being beaten. I couldn't take being away from my family. "Thanks, Negan," I grinned from ear to ear.
"Of fucking course, gorgeous," his eyes examined my face.
A knock echoed through the room, catching both mine and Negan's attention. I pushed myself off of the wall, but Negan sat up quickly and brought his hand up, signaling me to stay seated.
"I got it, sugar," he said as he made his way toward the door. My eyes followed him as he turned the doorknob, swinging the door wide open and catching the side of the door in his palm. I couldn't see who was standing on the other side, but I did see a tray peek through the threshold.
"I thought you already ate breakfast," I heard Dwight mumble. Negan snatched the tray from Dwight's fingertips and pulled the meal close to his body.
"It's not for me, dumb fuck," Negan snapped, slamming the door in his face. My jaw dropped and my eyebrows raised as I scoffed in shock. He was such a dick around other people. He made his way back over to me and held the tray of food in front of me. I examined the plate of eggs, home fries and fresh fruit before taking it from his grasp.
"Thank you," I mumbled as I placed the tray in my lap, then began to dig in. "You're a lot more tolerable when you're by yourself," I said as I stuffed a bite of eggs and potatoes in my mouth.
"What?" Negan asked in a chuckle as made his way to Lucille, grabbing her by the handle as he approached her.
"You're not such a dick when it's just you and me," I explained as I picked up a raspberry and popped it into my mouth.
"Well, sweetheart," he sauntered back to my side and stared down as he towered over me. His tongue poked out between his lips as he drew in a long breath. "Not everybody gets this nice of a breakfast either, but then again, not everybody is you."
"What the hell does that mean?" I implored, offering Negan one of my raspberries. I should probably share if I want to stay on his good side, I tell myself.
He took the small red berry from my fingers with his own and placed it between his front teeth. A wide grin painted itself across his face, his teeth shining brightly against the red fruit between them. As he closed his lips and began to chew the berry, he brought his index finger and thumb up to my chin, softly pinching the skin as he shot me a wink.
"I got some shit to take care of," he said as he released my chin. I nodded and looked down at my tray, taking another bite of food.
"I've got to get back to work too," I said, beginning to rise from my position on my bed.
"The fuck you do," Negan said as he stuck his hand in front of me. "Sit back and eat your breakfast," he made his way back to the door and opened the exit once again. I moved back to my previous spot, pressing my back against the wall. Negan offered a gentle smile, unlike his more frequent mischievous grins, and made his way out of my room, closing the door behind him.
I sat on my bed, my legs hanging over the side, as I continued to eat my breakfast in silence. I smiled softly to myself, Negan was kind to me when it was just the two of us. I wondered if I could get him to treat others with more kindness, kind leaders are respected, not feared. Alexandrians respected Rick, but I could not name anyone in our town who feared the man. If I could convince Negan to lighten up, maybe I wouldn't have to kill him.
A knock at the door startled me, causing me to jump in my spot, and my now empty plate clattered against the tray on my lap. My hands shot to the sides of the tray, stifling the rattling noise that took over the empty space. I brought my feet to the floor and stood from my bed before making my way to the door. Releasing the tray with my right hand, I reached for the doorknob and swung the door open to be met by Sherry and Harry.
"Hey, J" Sherry greeted me first, making her way into my room and taking the tray from my grasp. "Negan told me to come pick up your tray. Harry just wanted to tag along," she said as she moved toward my dresser, placing the empty tray atop the surface.
"Actually, Dwight said I needed to tell you that you have the day off," Harry followed Sherry's lead and entered my room as well. I closed the door behind them as I watched Harry fall onto my bed, sitting on the edge where I had just finished my breakfast.
"Seriously? I'm fine," I huffed as I rolled my eyes. I looked at Sherry as she sat at the foot of my bed, twisting her torso to face me by the door. I backed myself up against the wall and slid down, my knees bending as I got closer to the floor. My gaze fell down to my hands in my lap. I examined the cut again, feeling the skin surrounding the stitches throb rhythmically.
"Guess who I saw, Jade?" Sherry chirped. I shot my head up to meet her eyes and hummed quizzically. "Daryl," she said as a smile grew on her lips. My eyes went wide as I sat forward, not expecting her to say my friend's name.
"Holy shit," I exhaled. "Is he okay? Where is he? How did you see him?" I rattled off the thoughts in my mind. God, I just hope he's okay.
"About as good as he can be, I guess," she shrugged her shoulders. "He's still in his cell, Negan had me take breakfast to the prisoners."
I furrowed my brows in thought. If I could find my way back to the cells, I'd be able to let Daryl free. I know he's not being treated as well as I am, he tried to attack Negan the night the Saviors trapped us. He'd probably been eating sandwiches compiled of dog food and stale bread. That's it, I thought to myself. A devious grin spread across my lips, earning questioning stares from the pair on my bed. I would deliver the next meal to the cells, that way I could find which door Daryl was being held behind for the near month we had been at The Sanctuary, and eventually set him loose.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Harry asked, crinkles forming in the corners of his eyes as he squinted at me, knowing I was up to no good. I turned to face Sherry since she knew Negan the best out of the pair.
"Would Negan let me take a meal to the prisoners?" I tilted my head slightly as the words spilled from my mouth. Sherry chuckled as her eyes quickly dropped to the comforter as she emitted a light chuckle, looking back at me again.
"Negan would let you set this place ablaze if that's what you wanted," she shook her head obscurely.
"Yeah, fucking right," I let out an abrupt chortle.
"He barely pays attention to his wives. This morning, when he called me up to the catwalk, he asked me about you," she said, eyebrows raised, as she gracefully placed her hand on the comforter and shifted her weight onto the ball of her hand. I began to chew on the inside of my lower lip as my heartbeat began to intensify, he must have a serious soft spot for me, my conscious spoke. I hummed in response to Sherry's observations of Negan's behavior and attempted my best poker face, hopeful not to display my thoughts on the subject.
Harry's face remained straight with no emotion, seemingly unamused by Sherry's comments. My heart fell a bit, I only saw Harry as a friend. I didn't think he felt any differently either, I hope he doesn't. He's one of my only friends in here, and life within these walls would be nearly unbearable without him to talk to every day.
"What do you think, Harry?" I invited him to share his thoughts. He looked at me, the corners of his lips turning up slightly.
"I think," he cleared his throat. "I think you should be careful."
-
Staring ahead, the familiar grey and rusted walls just in front of us, I exhaled through my nose.
"Hey, Negan?" I spoke. This was my chance to ask him, we were alone, and he was always extra sweet when we were alone.
"Yes, sweetheart?" He questioned, his voice smooth. I couldn't help but notice my heart thud against my chest at the name he used.
"Can I take meals to the prisoners? I'm bored out of my mind since you won't let me work," I trailed on in an attempt to explain my reasoning, hoping he wouldn't catch onto the real motive behind my request. He tapped his finger against the steering wheel, his other hand gently caressing his stubble. After a long silence, in which Negan was clearly debating his response, I promptly added, "please?"
He turned to face me as the truck came to a stop while we awaited the opening of Alexandria's gates. His eyes flickered from mine, down to my lips, and back to my eyes.
"I don't know, sugar," he started. "Your friend is still down there, I don't want any funny-"
"Daryl?" I played dumb as I interjected. A barely audible mhm escaped his lips. "I won't do anything stupid," I lied. "You don't trust me?"
"I would, darling," a sarcastic smirk painted its way across his features, "But, you did try to kill me not too long ago."
"I promise," I said, holding my pinky out to him. "I won't do anything stupid if you decide to let me feed the prisoners." I felt guilty for lying, but it wasn't technically a lie. I was going to give him food, real food, and explain my plan to have him escape the night of the party. Then I would do something stupid.
His eyes flickered to my pinky, his teeth beginning to shine behind his pink lips. He took ahold of my pinky, firmly wrapping his around mine. I extended my thumb backward, bringing my lips to the pad of my finger. He furrowed his eyebrows questioningly, unsure of what the hell I just did.
"The fuck are you doing?"
"This is how you make a pinky promise," I looked at him through my eyelashes. His eyes crinkled as he narrowed his gaze, before he brought his lips to the pad of his thumb as well. Lifting my thumb halfway, Negan copied my movements, meeting mine in the middle. We pressed them together as a grin reappeared on his lips.
"Was that our first kiss?" He arched an eyebrow, clearly enjoying my method of a pinky promise. I ripped my hand away, releasing my grip on his pinky and crinkling my nose, hoping I appeared disgusted.
I turned to face the windshield as movement caught my eye, the trucks in front of us pulling into Alexandria one by one. I pointed forward as I felt Negan's eyes on me and the truck began to follow suit, pulling through the threshold and into my town. As we came to a stop and Aaron closed the gates, I put my palm on the door handle and swung the door open, my boots hitting the concrete beneath me. Turning back to face the truck, I caught Negan's eyes on me as I closed the door, he offered a gentle smile and I returned the action by offering one of my own. I turned back to the town, familiar faces approaching, as the sound of Negan's door opening and closing behind me rang through the air. He soon came to my side, flinging an arm around me. Scanning the growing crowd, my eyes fell on Rosita, her expression clearly pissed. I quickly looked to Negan as I tapped his hand with my own, crossing my arm over my chest to reach him.
"Not here, please," I pushed my lips to one side of my face, not wanting my friends to get the wrong idea. I thought Carl would explain my plan to everyone, but perhaps he hadn't. I knew I would have to explain this to Rosita. "I'm going to socialize while you collect everything," I said as I felt his hand fall from my shoulder.
"I'll come to find you, doll," he gently pushed me forward with his hand and I stepped away, heading in Rosita's direction, where Rick was now standing beside her.