Negan could hardly identify how many days had passed since he gained his consciousness. He had been falling in and out of sleep and he had no idea how long he was out. Could've been minutes, hours, days. He only knew he was getting better because his appetite was back.

Xavier was coming to him and tirelessly kept checking his wounds and vitals. Nico and Dottie showed at the side of his bed as well but none of them would give up anything that was not necessarily regarding his immediate being. Only Xavier was trying to talk some sense into him when it came to Sally, but Negan was not really sure he wanted to see her.

Regardless of his wishes, one of these days, he woke up and found her sitting on the sofa to his left side. She was not moving, he was not even sure she was breathing, but her eyes were glued to him.

He looked her over. She was not the same as before. Her hair were no longer reaching her waist, it gently brushed her collar bones. Her features always softened when she was with him, but not this time. Not anymore.

Her face was relentless, almost heartless. It was like looking into a broken mirror. She was put together but the fallout was maniacal. The newborn scars on her right side were the proof somebody sawed the wrong person inside.

He had to avert his gaze. No matter the circumstances... He did that to her.

"Where am I?" He cleared his throat.

"You're at my home, now," Sally said as a matter of fact.

"You brought me here."

"Yes," she nodded.

Negan kept looking up on the wooden ceiling. He was at a big disadvantage. He was hurt and in a strange place. Pushing Sally into the corner was not an option. There was no cell, no iron... This was her queendom, she had him at her mercy and he was not used to be in that position.

Negan mulled her words around in his head. He needed to figure out a way how to triumph, but his thoughts didn't stay uninterrupted for long. The empty space between them screamed for the silent treatment to end. The wooden logs sighed heavily.

"Jesus," Negan blew up, "what is this place, anyway? Can't get a good night sleep here, it won't stop creaking." He lost count how many times the high stressed material yanked him from his slumber.

"We're in a treehouse," Sally let him know.

"What the hell?" He grabbed the bedsheets as if trying to stop himself from free falling.

"It's a walker free environment," Sally shrugged.

He noticed how at ease she was with the whole situation. He never saw her that idle at his place. It gave him a sense of safety, however brief.

"There's never a dull moment with you, that's for sure." He sunk back into the pillows. But he knew the truce was short-lived.

"So what's my sentence?" He asked. "Are you taking some sick revenge on me? Got some sweet deal with Rick?"

"There's no deal. I had left Rick's group, then I ended up here. In fact, right now, I'm the only thing keeping you alive. They don't want you here."

"Even the headache guy? My heart's broken, he seemed so caring."

Sally almost smiled. Sarcasm always got her. It let on more than intended. "He just needs glasses," she defended Xavier. "We didn't come across any, recently."

"I thought you could have anything you wanted," Negan kept on mocking.

"Oh, Negan," Sally smirked,"your crown is shining, but your halo is rusty."

He couldn't argue with that. And even though he could say the same to her, he skipped the quibble.

"Help me up?" He tossed the blanket away, sitting up. He was wearing only a t-shirt and sweatpants they got him. His bare feet hit the ground. "They won't let me."

Sally instinctively moved to him. But his head spun from the sudden change of position and gave her enough time to reconsider.

"I would have to go and find crutches, is it okay if I..." She indicated she could help him herself.

He looked her up and down. She wasn't exactly in suitable condition for heavy lifting but she had to do. He nodded slightly and lifted his arm so he could hook it around her shoulders.

They were both wincing in pain as they were trying to get him on his feet, but Sally kept pulling him up and Negan used his healthy leg as much as he could. It took a while for Sally to steady him, he bounced on one foot for a bit and then finally found his balance.

"Are you good?" She asked him with her hand splayed on his chest in case he dove forward.

"Yeah," he steadied his laboured breathing, "lead the way."

"You won't get far anyway. The porch is the destination. The bridges are too much to handle one-legged."

"What the hell is this place?"

"See for yourself." She pushed the door open and the direct daylight blinded them for a second. Negan kept his hand in front of his eyes, but the moment they adjusted, his pupils went wide.

"Oh, fuck me!" He usually watched his mouth around her but this curse was so genuine, nothing could describe the view better.

Negan's eyes roamed other sheds up in the air similar to the one he was staying in, they followed the rope bridges until the strings led him to the biggest residence. And it was beyond him how they raised a housing like that with three freaking stories in a tree.

He was bending his head backwards to take in the whole monstrosity, but even when he turned away, he still felt like it was casting a shadow down on him. It even had a watchtower.

Only when the sparks of the novelty died off, he became aware of the stares not only from the lookout spot above, but from the neighbouring porches, too.

He identified Xavier, Nico and Dottie at once. They had been taking turns tending to him. He took it, they were the most equipped to knock him out if he tried anything. Their task was to keep everybody safe from him, but Sally let him wrap himself around her neck. She was always a handful, the task force was alarmed.

Xavier straightened his back, squinting his eyes. Nico subconsciously hunched ready to take a swing on a rope and materialise next to them. Dottie held the railing tight trying her best to put all her trust in Sally and believe she knew what she was doing.

But there were no shady moves left in Negan. His head did not appreciate him being up too high in the clouds and his leg was killing him as it was. He brought more of his weight on Sally's back, but he didn't want to go back just yet.

It was easy to resist her when she wasn't near him. Being mad at her was a breeze up to a point he saw the person that displeased him in the first place was not there anymore. But he would do anything to bring her back.

He wound his arm around her neck tighter, rested his lips on her temple and breathed her in. It felt like she never took her flower crown off. The scent of those colourful petals soaked right into her. They bloomed right under his beard.

The scruff on his face was back and it was scratching and itching Sally in her hair, but she didn't dare to move unwilling to lose his touch.

"Take me back," he whispered to her ear when he made sure everybody saw them in the intimate embrace.

"Too much attention for your liking?" She teased, but they made their way back.

"Wow, I'm quite surprised they didn't come by and push me down over the railing," he said as he touched the bed.

"They care about me." She set camp sitting down on the ground by his feet.

"Just like you care about Rick?" Negan was all up in her personal space, he needed her unbound reaction.

"There never was anything between me and Rick, he was still with his wife back then. Nico is actually married to Dottie. And there is no need to worry about Xavier or anybody else... I've got you, Negan." The last part left her lips almost inaudible. She couldn't vouch for him to be feeling the same way anymore.

She needed to back away from the situation at hand. She thought she could play dirty with him, but approaching him without tenderness confused her to the point of madness. She got up on her knees to stand up but it was as far as she got.

Negan caught her hand and held her back.

"Cross your heart?" His voice rasped.

He asked for an unrestricted access and she gave in. On her knees, she moved closer to him and knelt between his thighs.

Putting her hand at the nape of his neck, she pulled him down and brushed her mouth against his so he could taste the words leaving her lips. "And hope to die."

His lips sweet-talked Sally for a kiss, but she silenced them with her fingertips that trickled down to his chest.

Sally placed her hand over his heart and pushed back. It was pounding under her palm as she laid Negan down on the bed.

Without losing the touch, she followed him right after being cautious about his wound. Kneeling, she lingered over him while he adjusted and running out of patience, he maneuvered her to sit onto his lap, his hands barely missing the gunshot on her side.

She leaned in over him, prepping on his chest, but he halted her halfway, holding her at the length of his arms.

She held her breath. He was sweeping over her face.

"I'm so sorry about these." He ghosted his fingertips over her scars.

"You've got one from me, too." She put her hand back on his thigh. There she was! All worried about him. He could finally kiss his girl.

"That I do," he smiled bringing her down to him and finally their lips crashed together. Only this time around they weren't drowning. They weren't dragging each other down...

This time it was like the first lightning that strikes and the thunder releases all the tension in the air. She was the morphine to his aching body, he was the valium for her restless mind.

"It's up to you now, sweetheart." Pointing at his wounded leg, he let her know he was in no condition to take a lead.

"I got you." She abandoned his mouth and slipped lower. Striking down on the side of his neck, she blinded him for a moment. The storm touched the ground and sent fire throughout his whole body.

Sally kept setting the course, her affection could hardly let him open his eyes. He only did so when she withdrew from his collar bone. Her cheeks were burning bright red and it happened that for the moment all her scars seemed to evaporate.

His hands run down along her spine and she shivered even though her body radiated scorching warmth. Little did he know she was only reflecting the heat of his body. He was burning up and ignited an outbreak of melting minds, hearts, souls and bodies into each other.

After the time of separation she needed to be as close to him as she possibly could. However blurry the boundaries between them used to be, this downpour washed them all away.

She kept showering him with kisses and slipping lower. By the time she reached between them to tear away the last layer separating them, they were already forsaken. The clouds darkened above them and they got drenched in the storm they brought upon themselves.

___

Author's Note:

It should be illegal for it to take this long to write a chapter! Just wanted to make sure it's 🙌  as much as it can be at the moment! 💋

In case you want to keep in touch with me on Tumblr as well, you can follow here: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thestormycloudshorizon. If you feel like spreading a word about our stories, bringing in new lovely readers... don't hesitate, show the love, I love hearing from you... or if you know about some super cool blogs I should follow, absolutely let me know! Spending nights creating The Crown fan art? ( 😂  ) Let me know million times over!

Hope you're having as much fun with this story as I am! 💜

Love, 

🌩