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Negan is always learning something new about Carl as each day passes, getting more amused and interested each step of the way. The kid is a puzzle, made of thousands upon thousands of tiny, intricate pieces. A few missing, a few forced to fit together where they shouldn’t be, the edges torn and deformed beyond repair. He’s a fucking mess, but the man can’t come to say that he completely hates him.
One of the best things he’s learned about Carl is that he’s a huge sucker for cuddling.
The kid is hot and cold.
Negan never knows if he’ll get a bitter, moody Carl that glares at him with that sassy, judging expression on his face; his lips pressed tightly together and intact eye narrowed in suspicion. He will say little to nothing at all, merely sitting or standing there quietly; a dark, negative energy radiating off of him in strong waves that Negan can most certainly sense. When he’s in this mood, Negan still fucks with him. Making jokes, teasing him as he always does, getting only a scowl or a clipped answer in return.
And then there’s times where Carl seems to shift into this totally opposite mood. A warmer, more vulnerable one. He wants to be as close to Negan as possible, wants ALL the attention. He can be hesitant to initiate the physical contact, but Negan knows what he wants. He usually sees Carl staring at him; his hands, his lips, and just the man in general, wordlessly begging for attention with just the adorable, needy expression on his face.
When he’s like this, he wants to curl up in Negan’s lap. He wants to snuggle with him while they share a bed. He wants Negan to kiss him, slow and sweet, but sometimes he wants their teeth to clash and lips to be bitten; to taste blood on his tongue whether it be his or Negan’s. He’s torn between wanting gentle, loving caresses and being held down and fucked so harshly that he sobs till his throat is sore. And Negan gives him a mixture of both, and it’s sometimes too much, but he only begs for more. He wants the man all over him, inside him- as close as physically possible.
But when Carl cuddles up to him, sleepy and body radiating warmth, Negan can’t help the way his heart races. The boy is tall and lanky, but it doesn’t stop him from wrapping himself around Negan, resting his head on the man’s chest or hiding his face in the crook Negan’s neck. When the older man has to shift his position, Carl makes a quiet whining noise as a complaint and holds on a little tighter. To see the boy, usually looking so troubled and angry, so peaceful makes Negan’s heart ache.
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere, kid. I got you,” he whispers, holding Carl close. His arms wrap around his lithe, almost delicate, body.
He places a kiss on the top of Carl’s head, rubbing his back. Carl lets out a content, sleepy sigh and Negan can feel any tension that was there leaving the boy’s body.
In each other’s embrace, the dim light of the sun setting over the horizon streaming through the window and covering them in a soft pink glow, they forget about the fucked up world they now live in.