Negan literally pranced down the stairwell, bubbled up with determination, "it's a beautiful fuckin' mornin'! Sun's shinin', I have fuckin' waffles and mother-fuckin' glorious pancakes, today is a fuckin' goo-"

But his airy tune died at the sight of her. "Whoa...darlin', if shit could shit it wouldn't look as shitty as you. What the fuck ya doin' to yourself?"

Aaliyah was in the far corner, her arm removed from her sweater as she literally licked her wound, her little pink tongue freezing inside the deep gash when their eyes met. She looked surprised.

Wow, if she lay still she'd pass as a corpse. And the cell was bright with a purple dawn, leaving every inch of her exposed by the light.

Her eyes appeared sunken, her signature platinum lined with bags so black she looked like a mutant raccoon. Her hair was one huge knot, still thick with globs of walker blood, and he caught a glimpse of her ribs, so exposed and jutting he could have played them like a xylophone.
And her poor lips were so chapped the dry skin had reached around the corners of her nose, peeling and bright red.

He realized he was staring, mouth wide open, not to mention his grimace at her pungent and overpowering smell that reeked like death, shit and a million ashtrays, and instantly turned that frown into his trademark beam. "No sleep, huh?"

He was pleasantly surprised she didn't retreat under her bed, instead, she removed her tongue, washing it over her fuzzy teeth, making no attempt to pull her sweater down when it caught under her breasts, curling up her legs drum tight to her chest and glaring at him.

Doing a balancing act and hyper-aware of the effects of concrete on his ass, he grabbed the chair, the legs dragging against the floor before he placed it in front of her bars and flopped down into it, placing breakfast and a hot mug in the one-foot space between them.

He rubbed his hands together, crossing his legs, "smells good, looks good, there's syrup too!"

He tapped the brim of the steaming yellow cup, and she strained her head away to avoid eye contact when he winked at her, "plus a little caffeine to kick-start those lazy god damn bones of yours."

He whistled for the full half an hour it took her to inch close enough to stretch her arms through the bars to apprehend a single waffle.

And when her hand was only an inch away, he coughed, making her jump back, giving him a glare so deadly he should have been pushing daisies.

Her little head jutted out in aggression when he stood up, wiggling his finger and tsking, "I can't let ya eat like that anymore, it's fuckin' gross."

Aaliyah's heart sank, and it showed in her posture, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes.

"Enough with the crocodile tears." He retrieved the keys from his back pocket, jingling them lightly, "today, we need to make a fuckin' step forward, imma come in there and put this shit on the bed for you."

The poor girl jumped to her feet, rapidly shaking her head and pacing tirelessly on her feet, wanting to beg him not to but unable to form the words.

And when Negan rested his forehead against the bars, she burst with unbelievable speed to the back wall.

"Easy, easy. I swear, I won't hurt ya. I'll open the door, and just slide it in, ok?" His hands clasped together like he was praying, wanting to get this over with quickly, it's always best just to rip off the band-aid. He had his plan if she tried to bolt.

Ali descended into an animal as he slowly fitted the key into the lock, on full defence instead of hiding. There was never any use in cowering under the bed, he could pull her out so easily.

She sweat like caught in the grips of fever, what was left of her nails turning up ninety degrees with how she scratched the wall, her legs so weak they buckled.

Finally, he creaked open the cage door, leaving it only wide enough for the tray and coffee.

But Aali did exactly what he expected her to, she blew her top.

And with a scream birthed straight from hell, she dashed like a zooming hare straight at him, desperate for freedom.

As she scrambled past him, his strong arms wrapped around her waist, but she was so light, Lucille felt heavier.

But Aali was frantic as she waved her waggling fingers, her clenched fists wrestling in a futile struggle against his impenetrable biceps, struggling in an anxiety-riddled moment like a tiger caged or some lamentable creature tearing at its own tail in rebellion against its confinement.

It was a battle of sweaty, thrashing limbs flailing in all directions when he lifted her three feet off the ground and crushed her against his chest with a single arm, apprehending her like a china doll or a chihuahua having a tantrum.

A glossy lashing of sweat covered both their faces, and he pulled her far back into the cell with every ounce of his strength as his veins and tendons twanged and bulged, a red tide swelling over his mug and chest as his strained grunts extinguished droplets of snot like a leaky firehose.

The ex-saviours free hand flashed quickly in front of her face, and she squeezed her eyes, clenching her teeth, just waiting for the final blow.

But it never came as her breath hissed out in hollow, trembling puffs.

Instead, Negan wrapped his arms around her shivering frame, cooing to her in the most comforting tone he could muster, hiding his wry grin.

And he suddenly became so soft her core of molten anger was smothered in his strangely affectionate embrace. "Shh, shh, shh."

His legs swept hers, the sudden falling sensation inspiring her to cling onto his shoulder's like a barnacle, and he lowered her to the floor, the panic stricken girl landing straight into his lap.

She froze, not able to respond, so dazed and confused and exhausted as he just held on tight. "See, I'm not goin' to hurt ya, you're all wrapped up on me and I'm not tryin' to harm ya."

He could feel her tremble, she reminded him when he was a young boy, and his pet rabbit had escaped down the street, he was chasing that little brown fucker for hours, and when he finally caught it, it shivered so bad, it's heart thundering so quick he thought it might just die from shock.
Actually, it fucking did.
"Just relax, calm the hell down. Or it's Benny all over again."

He couldn't stop himself from running his fingers through her hair, not that he could, but he smoothed down her untamed frizz, using his thumb to wipe away her tears.

They stayed that way for twenty minutes, and she still shook violently, but he could feel her heart relax, returning to a steady rhythm, her little chokes had stopped, and even her head was resting again his chest. She seemed sleepy, her eyes so half lidden she barely looked awake.

For every second he held her, Aali was a hurricane of conflicting emotions, it began as pure terror, just waiting for him to attack her, then exhaustion as the adrenaline fizzled away, but it ended in something she had never felt before, the flickers of comfort. He was warm, soft, no cruelty in how he rested his chin on top of her head. And she had a strange thought, maybe she could actually trust him, maybe he was just genuinely kind, maybe he actually wanted to take away her pain. She felt safe.

And he seemed to enjoy it too, not in the same way other's had, but like he needed the contact too, like he needed to feel human again.

"There we go, sweetheart." It took her a few seconds to realize she had been released, his arms draped at his sides, but as soon as it clicked, she was back under her bed.

Negan scooted to rest against the wall opposite her, stretching out to grab the food and coffee and put it in front of her. Genuinely relieved she didn't shrink at his proximity. "Go on, eat ya brekkie."

And she did, pulling it underneath her cover.

But he grimaced when she spat it out and rapidly inspected the half-chewed remnants. "Fuck. Is it really that bad? Some new girl made a batch fresh this mornin'"

Aaliyah wrinkled her lips, shoving the food away. She must have not been used to so much sugar after surviving on bland whatever the fuck she had been consuming for the last few years.

But her hands reached out for the drink, bringing it to her nose to sniff. Something was odd about it, and her Spidey senses tingled. She hadn't seen coffee in years, but there was something, something odd about it.

Yet, she was thirsty, craving this lukewarm brew, it's infatuating smell so tempting.

Negan didn't know it, but what she was about to do was one of the biggest steps she'd taken in years.

She timidly wriggled from her hidey hole, holding the cup tightly and tilting it so Negan could see the contents inside.

He looked curiously, scratching his stubble and wondering what the fuck she was showing him, so he shrugged. "I promise ya, doll. It's safe to drink, s'only fuckin' java."

At his confirmation, she had one last sniff, then downed the lot.

*

"Look, honey. That wound really needs a fuckin' lick clean. Not in the way you've been doin' it either. This shit needs to go on it." Negan urged the young woman, in the hour he had been sat there, she had managed to sit only a few feet away from him.

But the way she was staring at him was hella uncomfortable, she was cross legged in front of him, waffle clutched in one hand, her eyes like narrow slits as she watched, not in a wary, im going to kill you in the next ten seconds look, but like a art student assesses a Monet.

His breath caught when she swallowed the last bite of her food, shuffling on her knees towards him, leaning in close only an inch away from his face.

Her fingers raised hesitantly, before her index finger traced his upper lip.

She was fascinated, touching him like he was a new species, entranced on his features and the way his lips flickered into a smile.

He was desperate to return contact, and he ensured his own fingers was in her field of vision as they rose up towards her cheek.

She slumped when he touched her, so gently along the apple of her sharp bones, dusting his fingers over the dirty skin. And fireworks exploded in every inch of his body when he swore she leaned into his touch.

But Ali began to feel strange, a wooziness taking over, vision dimming, for a second she thought he could have had some magical powers that made her feel lightheaded and terribly sleepy.

Yet it only grew, that warm whoosh of tingling bliss from his fingers replaced by something that felt like she was being dragged underwater.

Then it clicked, the strange coffee, why he wanted her to drink it, why he touched her. Poison. Poison to make her sleep, then he could do whatever he wanted. Just like Carson did.

She flung herself back with such ferocity Negan darted to his feet. "Shit, what's wrong."

Ali was on her own feet in no time, but it was a struggle to stand, her feet not working, legs going numb, cotton lining her mind and eyes like a lead weight in their war to stay open.

She hated him, the lies, the deceit, he'd tricked her.
He only held her like that to get her guard down, he didn't care, he never would, and she hated herself for being so naïve, for actually daring to believe in goodness and basic humanity.

Negan began to panic, thinking she was having a heart attack or the underlying infection had finally turned into sepsis. "Fuck, I'll get Siddiq."

And he caught her as she fell to the ground, no more strength left in her legs to stand, losing the battle against sleep.

He slapped her cheek, "come back around, come on. Fuck. HEY DOC!"

He gasped when she gripped his white t-shirt, a look so perilous and hurt in her eyes he almost dropped her.

And she whispered one word, this time loud and growling. "Liar."