The Devil Dances With the Scorned

Negan smirked at her, glad that she was catching on to the game. He was glad that she realized she just needed to listen to him. Listen to him and you live. Don’t heed his words or his advice—and well—you find yourself shit out of luck, fed to walkers, or be at the mercy of Lucille. He nodded his head as he looked down at her, his hand reaching out to grip the door knob.

“You can roam around or go do what you want on the compound,” He said. “Shit, I don’t care if you stay your pretty little ass in here.” His tongue flicked across his bottom lip as his mind flashed to the very things he might do to her in the future… Bringing himself back to reality he nodded at her once more. “But, like I said before. Stay the hell away from any other men.”

As he opened the door, he turned to look at her over the shoulder. “If you find yourself needing some—advice? The other wives like to have their little gatherings and shit inside of the library.”

Sherry was sure that the surprise she felt leaked onto her features as she looked up to Negan. She blinked, a small frown forming on her lips as she tilted her head to the side. "Anywhere?" The word fell from her lips before she could even think about question. Sherry couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Negan was okay with her just walking out and pretending as if life was normal? Of course, with the added stipulation that she was to avoid any men. She didn't know all of the rules yet but she had noticed the other wives tended to keep to themselves.

At the mention of the other wives, Sherry hesitated, her gaze dropping down to her lap. She thought it would be nice to go and see them, maybe see if they had any inside advice on how to deal with Negan and her new life but then sh wondered if they would be upset that she was there. Would they feel like she was intruding on their space? Clearing her throat, Sherry looked up to Negan with a shy smile. "Thank you."

Waiting a good ten minutes after Negan disappeared, Sherry pulled herself out of bed and headed down to the library, wondering just what she was going to stumble upon. Would they even be there? Would they welcome her if they were?

A group of the wives were huddled down in the library, speaking in hushed voices. There was word of another wife being added. Some of them saw it as an exciting event—that way they could work in numbers. Others, who were head over heels and infatuated with the man, saw it as a threat. Another wife meant even more divided time; thus, taking away the time they could have had with the man.

One of the nicer wives, who just so happened to think it was a good thing, noticed Sherry approaching the group. She offered her a kind smile, beckoning her over to sit.

---

Negan thought that it may be a good opportunity to go visit Dwight. He made his way out to the storage containers. When he reached Dwight’s designated container, he smirked. “Oh Dwight,” he sung out as he got closer. He took Lucille in his hand, rapping her a few times against the door—surely startling poor Dwight inside.

“I got your girl and now I got you right where I want you,” He called out. “All this shit coulda been avoided, Dwight. But you acted on impulse. That shit just does not fly Dwight. You know that.”

Walking through the warehouse with her head lowered, Sherry could still feel the eyes on her as she walked. It was no secret what they had done, it was no secret that Sherry had ran away and tried her hardest to keep hidden from Negan. If it hadn't been for the Saviours who found Dwight and her, they likely still wouldn't be back in the Sanctuary. But they had been found and she needed to deal with the hand that she had been dealt.

Sherry glanced up once she entered the library and offered a shy smile to the woman who welcomed her. She headed straight over to the woman, quickly sinking into the chair beside her. "Hi," she whispered, playing with the edge of her shirt. "I... uh, my name's Sherry. But I guess you probably already know that, huh?"

---

Dwight was all too ready to kneel at Negan's feet, ready to say and do whatever the man deemed necessary. He shifted around in his position, trying to find something comfortable but laying on the cold, hard ground, there was no hope for laying down. He sighed under his breath, forcing himself to lay down. Maybe if he closed his eyes, he could manage to catch a few minutes of sleep.

It was the bat smacking against the door that had Dwight jolting awake. He groaned, sitting up slowly while he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His heart sank as he shrank away from the door, desperate to get awa and all at once, needing to get this over with.

The woman offered Sherry another kind smile. She had remembered being put in her position a few months ago. At times, the group of women could be a bit overbearing. There were a few particular women who thought that the wives needed to go through a process to be deemed “worthy” of Negan—and more importantly the friendship of the other wives.

Sandra, which was her name, was still out casted at times. “It’s okay to be nervous,” she said quietly to Sherry. “I still am sometimes.”

---

Negan opened the door, finally revealing Dwight huddled in a corner. He let out a low chuckle, “Aw shit would ya look at that? Are you actually scared?” Negan looked at him for a good few moments, then placed his eyes back on the bat that was clutched firmly in his leather-gloved hand. He raised his eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips. “I mean, shit I don’t blame ya… But you were so tough before? What happened to all that?”

When Dwight didn’t speak, Negan crouched down to his level, forcing Dwight to look him in the eye. “Pretty sure I asked you a question, Dwight. What happened to your balls, man?”

Sherry offered a shy smile as she gave a nod of her head, pulling the chair into the table that everyone was sitting at, so that her back was straight. She looked up, only to freeze when she noticed pretty much everyones' eyes on her. Paling, Sherry suddenly wished she hadn't come down to the library. She knew that Negan had expectations of her that she couldn't deny but now, she felt like she had to please the wives as well.

"I'm not... I'm not trying to take Negan from any of you," Sherry piped up, dropping her gaze to her lap. She twisted her fingers in her lap as she shivered, wanting nothing more than to go and fight her husband. Wrap herself in his arms and feel protected from everything. She liked to believe if roles had been reversed, Dwight would have done the same for her.

"I'm sorry if I'm overstepping boundaries by being here," Sherry continued, suddenly pushing back from the table. "I should probably go."

---

Dwight flinched away from the light that flowed into the room as Negan opened the door. His eyes narrowed as he looked up to the man but said nothing in response to the questions that he asked. Dwight didn't think that there was anything for him to say, he didn't think that there was anything that he would say that could possibly calm Negan's temper so he opted with staying quiet.

Forced to look up at Negan, Dwight shrugged his shoulders. "Must have lost them somewhere on my run out of the sanctuary."

Sandra placed a hand kindly on Sherry’s thigh. She shook her head, her eyes sad as she looked at Sherry. “The more you run and avoid them,” she spoke in a low voice so that only Sherry could hear her, “The more weak and feeble they are going to find you. They will target you. Stand your ground. You are allowed to be here as much as anyone else is allowed to be here, I promise.”

Sandra offered Sherry a smile with a small nod, “You’ll find your way.”

---

“Atta boy,” Negan grinned in Dwight’s. “Now, just cuz you said it doesn’t mean ya meant it. I want you to think about that. Think over all the options I have extended to you.”

Negan stood up and took a few steps back away from Dwight, looking down at him once more. “I’m only trying to help ya out here pal. I’m gonna leave you alone for a while and let you make your own decision. You are in control here, Dwight.”

Sherry let out a bitter laugh at Sandra's words. Did the other woman honestly think that Sherry's life was going to get easier any time soon? She knew it was going to take far too long and for that matter, she wasn't sure that Negan would ever forget her transgressions against him. She had no intention of ever going against the man again but she had no clue how to prove that to him. Maybe if she could, he might even take it a bit easy on Dwight...

She turned to Sandra after a moment, a small frown on her lips as she leaned forward so that only her new found friend would be able to hear her. "What does Negan want? What makes him happy?"

---

He bit back the growl that slipped to the tip of his tongue. Dwight was still so full of anger that it was taking all of the self control he had to not lash out at Negan. He certainly didn't have the upper hand, ticking Negan off would do no one any good. "What do you want me to do? Tell me, please. Whatever it takes, I'll do it to get out of here."

Sandra looked at Sherry, a sad smile dawning her lips. “Not much really,” she said quietly. “Loyalty. Obedience. Extra circulars…” Sandra mumbled off as she felt the other’s eyeing them. When she saw Sherry raise her eye brow at her choice of words, she leaned in closer in order to speak into her ear. “You know, like please him. He likes to pop in for random quickies and stuff. But he takes care of us.”

---

Negan clucked his tongue against his teeth, the same shit eating grin stuck on his features. “What do you think I want from you, D?” He asked rhetorically. “The same shit I expected of you when I first brought your sorry ass here. But you wanted no part of that, so this is what you get. You want me to just up and change my mind? After you pull shit over on me?”

I cant remember if I tagged you

(bae u could just tell me u posted ? )

Sherry's stomach flipflopped when Sandra mentioned Negan just stopping by. She knew that romance and complete alone time was hard to come by now but at least with Dwight, it hadn't been an expectation ever. It just sort of was, she didn't had to think, she could just do and it felt right. Would she even be able to please Negan? She knew what Dwight liked, he had never said anything particularly bad but she had only ever had Dwight. How different would Negan be? When would he expect her to sleep with him for the first time? Would he force it? Or at her own pace? So many questions swirled in her mind but she didn't voice them because she didn't think Sandra could answer them, only the man himself could.

She drew in a deep breath, offering a small smile to Sandra. "But... does he really mean no men? What if I stop in the cafeteria for food and there's only a man working at the time? Or what if I need to ask someone something..." she trailed off, her brows knitting together. "He can't possibly mean ever, can he?"

---

Dwight's shoulders sagged as Negan spoke. He knew this game wasn't going to end any time soon but he was hopeful that if he at least played along, that it was shorten it at least a bit. Some was better than nothing. "No. Negan, I just want to make up for my mistakes. I know what I did was wrong and I want to fix them, I want to work for you."

Sandra shook her head, giving Sherry a small sad smile. “Just don’t ever get yourself in a situation that could make it seem like you have ulterior motives and it will be just fine.” Sandra’s tongue flicked across her bottom lip, “Unless you want someone to get hurt that is…”

---

Negan gave Dwight a menacing smile before banging the bat on the outside of the storage container once more, chuckling softly when he watched Dwight nearly jump and scramble as far away from Negan as he could. “Just to be sure,” Negan breathed out, “I want you to spend some time in here thinking about exactly was you did wrong.”

Negan’s brows furrowed as he took a small step back. He started to close the door, but poked his head inside of it once more. “Don’t want you getting any other ideas, now do we?” He asked, condescendingly. “That just wouldn’t be good for anybody. Fuckin’ no one actually, it wouldn’t be good for no one.”

With one last small laugh, Negan slammed the door shut, locking it behind him as he went. Negan made his way back to the inside, hauling Lucille over his shoulder as he went. He tipped his head and nodded at everyone who knelt as he passed, his pride almost spilling over into the grin that was placed on his lips. When he passed the library, he saw the wives huddled around a table. “Ladies,” he commented, his voice coming out at smooth as velvet.

As easy as it would have been for Sherry to nod her head and agree with what Sandra said, she wasn't so sure that she could believe that it was that simple. Even if she didn't have any ulterior motives and all she needed was a simple answer to a question from someone, Negan had told her to stay away from all men. She had nothing to offer up other than herself and she had already given that to Negan, she was left without a bargaining chip. To gamble would be too dangerous.

Just as she opened her mouth to thank Sandra and excuse herself, his voice called out, sending a chill down her spine. Sherry's eyes widened as she looked to the other wife for some sort of cue. What was expected of her? The other wives were more seasoned, some even wanted Negan. They would be more desirable, surely. If she just sat here and stayed quiet, Negan would want nothing to do with her.

Settling her eyes in her lap, Sherry swallowed around the ball of emotion in her throat. She closed her eyes, giving her head a small shake so that her hair would fall in front of her face and hide the color in her cheeks.

Negan looked around at his group of women, his heart swelling with pride and lust. Negan had the cream of the crop, the picking of the land—all around at one table. But then his eyes fell to Sherry, she was refusing to look at him. His eyes narrowed in on her, hadn’t they told her she was supposed to regard him with the utmost attention that she could? That she was supposed to regard him as the highest? With a raise eyebrow he spoke, “It is nice to see all of you fine ass ladies playing nice and getting along.”

Negan grinned at them and motioned towards Sherry. “And I expect that you all are treating our newest as nicely as possible, isn’t that right?” The surrounding woman all nodded, some smiles true and some smiles fake, mumbling small ‘yes’s’ and ‘of course.’

“Miss Sherry.” He called out, waiting for her to look up at him. He gave her a wicked grin, his leather clad hand running a finger across his lips. “Be by my room in ten minutes. We need to have a little chat, okay?”

Sherry's breath caught in the back of her throat when Negan spoke directly to her. Her head shot up, her eyes searching out his gaze without any more need to be prompted. Her heart sank as she nodded slowly, biting down on the inside of her bottom lip. "Of course," she answered, surprising herself by just how strong her voice had come out.

Negan disappeared after that and she sighed as she set her hands on the edge of the table, pushing herself out of her chair. "Thank you," she whispered, setting a hand on Sandra's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze before she turned to leave the room.

She shoved her hands into her pockets before she began making her way up to Negan's room. Sherry hesitated outside of his room, counting down from ten before she finally found the courage to lift her hand and knock on the door once, twice, three times before she stepped back.

When the resonating knock came through, Negan pushed himself off of his bed and made his way to his door. He all but flung it open to reveal Sherry standing on the other side. He gave her a small smirk, stepping out of the way and ushering her into the room. “Make yourself at home, doll.” He stated, pointing towards a chair and the bed. Negan closed the door behind her, watching as she tried to decide where to sit. “Anywhere is fine, Sherry.” He laughed, going over to sit in a chair himself.

“So here’s the thing,” he said, crossing his leg and sitting back in the chair. “I get that all of this is weird, and new, and out of the norm—I get it I really, really do. But the biggest thing with me is respect. I need you to respect me, pay attention when I am around, fuckin’ look at me if I am around.” He stated, his eyebrows furrowing at her. He was trying to pick his words wisely. “Does that make any sense to you? Do you understand where I am coming from with all this shit?”

Sherry looked from the chair to the bed, back to the chair, and over to the bed again, trying to decide where she should sit. Nowhere seemed like the right answer so she decided that she could just stand in place and not make a fool of herself. She had already done so much to paint herself in a bad light in front of Negan, she couldn't afford to do anymore. She only relented when Negan chose the chair, sinking onto the ver edge of the bed but not daring to move any further.

Drawing in a deep breath, Sherry looked up to Negan when he began to speak. Her eyes widened at his comment, now realizing how big of a mistake trying to just be looked over had been. "I... I do," she spoke, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. "I just didn't want to step on any of the other wives' toes by vying for your attention..." Sherry swallowed the lump in her throat, wondering if she should just go for it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." Sherry settled with, smiling uneasily.

Negan grinned at her, pulling his bottom lip in between his teeth, his tongue running across the supple skin. His eyes were half lidded as he watched her all but squirming. And he hadn’t even touched her yet… But when he did. Negan ran a hand through his hair, trying to decide what he wanted to say to the girl. He could tell she was nervous, it was written all over her face… As she should be.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He soothed, his voice coming out an octave lower than what it generally was. “You don’t have to worry about any of them, I promise. And shit, if they say anything or do anything, you fuckin’ tell me and I will take care of it okay?”

Negan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “This isn’t about you just makin’ me happy, ya know that right? My girls ain’t gonna make me happy if I ain’t keepin’ them happy. It’s all about communication, doll. The more open you are with me the better I can help you. You know that right?”

Of all the reactions that Sherry was expecting from Negan, it certainly hadn't been the acceptance of her apology. She had expected him to lash out and show her why she should listen and yet, here he was being the kind man that he always preached about being. Her shoulders sagged under the amount of relief she felt, her eyes closing for a brief moment so she could just breathe.

Sherry's eyes opened again just as Negan began to speak. She frowned, tilting her head to the side. "No... I don't..." she trailed off, shifting around, trying to dislodge the discomfort she was feeling.

"It is though. This is about me keeping you happy because if I don't, it'll mean trouble. Won't it?" Sherry asked, honestly not intending on coming off as disrespectful as she probably had. "What I want, it doesn't really matter. Does it?"

Negan raised an eyebrow at Sherry, his head tilting to the side. Was she not listening to anything he had been saying? If Negan wasn’t making sure that his girls were satisfied and content in their lives, how did he expect for them to please him? Sure, it wasn’t like he was going to turn the reigns over and let them run free, but there were different freedoms and privileges that came along with agreeing to be a wife.

“The thing is doll,” He spoke lowly. “I have to make sure that there is still a will for you to want to please me. If you’re all pissed and fuckin’ depressed all the time, do ya really think I am going to get what I want out of you?” It was more of a statement rather than a question, so Negan continued to talk. “Of course, if you step outta line there is gonna be hell to pay—but I still need you in a good mood, don’t I?”