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[ezekieltheking]

Spending The Winter Months w/ King Ezekiel would include:

Genre: Fluff, A tease of smut Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel Author’s Notes: My original intention was to keep the headcanons (being that they are in bullet format) fluffy, but then this particular one quickly escalated into something smutty. I went back and forth on whether to save that for a one shot or to keep it here and limit the imagery. I concluded that I’d keep it here (but limited) bc I wouldn’t know when I’d actually write a one shot around that smut and post it. Whereas here, you get to read it now. Also, personally for me I don’t care what format I get my smut fix in, as long as I get a chance to read some.

You were out in the garden collecting the last of Fall’s harvest when you spotted the first snowfall of the winter season. After an abnormally hot summer, you were happy to welcome back the frozen white flakes.

In the middle of folding the women’s laundry, you hear a knock against the door. Turning around, you see your king holding up a woven basket and a recently scavenged bottle of wine. With a smile, you drop the shirt in your hands and grab the bottle from him. Back in his room, the two of you lay on a blanket and eat the bread and soup that he brought from the cafeteria. The bottle is passed back and forth as the two of you take swigs of the dark, spiced liquid. King Ezekiel becomes more giggly while your body falls heavy from the wine. You crawl over to him. His open arms welcome you wholeheartedly. You lay your head back against his chest as his thumb rubs circles over your stomach.

The day after a snowstorm, you catch Ezekiel outside shoveling walkways with a few other residents. Hurriedly, you throw on a few layers of clothes and go outside. As if a ninja, you move around him stealthily in an attempt to build up as many snowballs as you can carry. It begins to lightly snow again before you make the first throw. It whizzes right past Ezekiel’s head, missing him by only centimeters. You throw another snowball just as he turns around and it hits him in the face before he could figure out that it was you who threw the first one. The last one in your hand drops to the ground as you lift your hands to your mouth in shock. You didn’t know whether to laugh or ask if he was ok. You decide on the latter before running up to him. Ezekiel shutters as he wipes the soft snow off of his face. His face was now wet and cold. He gives you an annoyed look which you meet with an apologetic one. Silently, he turns around and picks up his shovel. You watch him, with a heavy heart, pick up the snow. Suddenly, he whirls around and tosses the shoveled snow at your middle. You shield yourself but it was of no use as the light, fluffy snow just danced around you in the air like a shaken snow globe. While you are distracted, he makes a snowball of his own and tosses it at you. This begins a snowball fight with The Kingdom as your battle ground.

The two of you get stranded one night in an abandoned house outside The Kingdom. During a scavenging trip, you looked at the clouds in the distance and predicted an oncoming blizzard. With a considerable distance between your location and The Kingdom, the two of you decide to be safe and spend the night at the building you just cleared. Most of the supplies were already looted so there was not much to make a fire with. Despite that, Ezekiel was able to create a small one in the corner. The two of you sat close to it in silence as the winds howled outside the walls. His arm wrapped around your middle, bringing you closer to him. He rubbed your hands, hoping the friction would create heat. Still, he could hear your teeth chatter uncontrollably. It hurt him that he couldn’t do better. To lighten the mood, he gave you a tight squeeze and said “At least we have our love to keep us warm”.

You woke up in your room cold, dark and alone. The fire that you’d lit hours ago was now out. Suddenly, the layers of clothes that you’d worn under the covers were not enough. It was in the early hours of the morning so there was little light to guide you as you walked through the main building. Shivering, you made your way down to King Ezekiel’s room. You snuck into his room and got under the covers. The movement of his blankets woke him up. He looked around with grogginess before laying his eyes on you. With a smile, he asked what you were doing. You told him that you were cold and that you missed his warmth. He caressed your cheek with a gloved hand before unwrapping your scarf from around your neck. He followed this up with removing your first top. You questioned his actions. A silence sat between you two for a moment as he continued to remove the next layer. When he finally spoke, he explained that “...we need to conserve body heat and there’s only one way to do that.” You’d seen what he was talking about before on T.V. To prevent hypothermia, two people would share an enclosed space in the nude. The concept of it seemed illogical, but you were more than willing to try it out with Ezekiel.

Mirroring his actions, you began to remove his layers as well. Eventually the two of you were as naked as your birth day huddled under heavy blankets. After he slid your panties off, your legs immediately intertwined with his. He brought his hand down to grasp your left thigh, lifting it up and hooking it over his hip. His gaze never broke yours as he did. You felt so close to him, almost every inch of your skin was touching his. You were afraid that your cold body would bother him but he offered no reaction other than yearning.

You offered up a mischievous smile before lifting the covers up and over both of your heads. In the darkness, you accidentally kissed his nose. You felt his breathy laugh against your neck before going in to try for a second time. It proved successful as your mouth surrounded his bottom lip. The next few moments were defined by sloppy, open mouthed kisses.

Ezekiel moved slightly to align himself with your entrance. You grinded against him with a melodic rhythm causing him to let out a low moan. The contact never broke. You could feel him becoming hard with every growing moment. You licked the palm of your hand before sliding it down to his middle. Your fingers wrapped around his shaft, starting with gentle tugs. Soon after, your other hand traveled down and grasped his balls, kneading it in the process. Your mouth moved down to the space between his ear and neck. You left low, breathy whispers. It was a build up of stimulation that Ezekiel struggled to control.  

Needless to say, the two of you were more than able to keep warm that night. After the essential body-heat-conservation activity, Ezekiel had to lift the covers a bit to cool off. Your bodies were sticky with sweat and other things. This was the first time in a while that the two of you were not touching. Soon, however, the cool air became too much and you once again lifted the cover over your bodies. Like magnets, Ezekiel’s body attached itself to yours.

For the rest of the winter, the two of you maintained this routine. Neither of you spoke on how inconvenient it was compared to you just moving in with him. Secretly, you liked sneaking around and, given his silence, you figured that he must have too. As the cold days went on, he came to expect you. Some days he would feign sleep and others he would just lay awake in his bed with nothing on but the blanket waiting for you to open the door.

By the time spring rolled in, the novelty of going back and forth wore off. Ezekiel brought up the notion that you move in with him for good. This of which you took no time in agreeing with.

[ezekieltheking]

King Ezekiel being touch starved would include:

Genre: fluff

Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel

King Ezekiel would never have considered himself touch starved before you. Being a leader, he came in physical contact with many people. Unbeknownst to him however, he’d forgotten what it meant to be touched a certain way. The way it felt for your hands to linger against literally any part of his body. The phantom feeling of your warmth radiating off of his own skin.

It’d been many years since the world fell at the feet of the walkers and Ezekiel had been single since then. Between prioritizing survival and keeping a pet tiger, there weren’t many opportunities to have romantic companionship. Being the leader of a whole community added to the unrealistic notion that finding someone would happen. Still, the king was a hopeless romantic.

At first, it was the little things: shaking your hand, patting him on the shoulder, hands accidentally touching when passing items. They weren’t significant actions in general, but to him they were paramount because they came from you. He was convinced that you didn’t feel the same connection that he had. Still, he allowed himself to revel in the way it made him feel.

Ezekiel didn’t know how to describe it. The way your body ghosted his when you taught him archery, for example, relaxed his inner being. It was like a massage but you’d barely touched him. It caused him to crave for more; crave you more.

After a while of knowing each other, you and the king became a couple. Between the two of you, he was more likely to initiate PDA. It didn’t feel the same as when you would be the one to first hold his hand or kiss him, but he knew he was lucky regardless. When the two of you were apart taking care of your respective duties, it wouldn’t take long for him to ache for you again.

In public, his gloved hand would hold yours or your clothed shoulder would playfully bump into his. Even as a couple, he still appreciated those little things, but in private? Skin to skin contact is Ezekiel’s absolute favorite. Whether it was sharing a bed or a bath, he wanted you as physically close to him as possible. He felt the least naked with you when he was completely naked around you. He indulged in the knowledge that he made you feel good when the two of you were intimate. He often pushed off his gratification for as long as he could until he knew you were taken care of first. It was then that he allowed himself to bask in a pool of ease and tenderness that you caused.

When the two of you go to bed together, Ezekiel always has an arm around you. Most of the time, he is the big spoon but has no problem being the small spoon as well. As a matter of fact, he secretly loves it. This all came about when you caressed him in bed after the death of Shiva. You pulled him down to your chest. Silently, he wept with his ear against your breast. He felt the soft beating of your heart through your shirt. Slowly, your fingers slid up his arm, past his neck and found themselves combing through his dreads. He felt your nails softly scratch his scalp causing him to let out a whimper. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he wrapped his arms around your middle, giving you a firm squeeze. From there, he continued to weep.

You often love curling up to him as you listen to his voice read you to sleep. You were not known for your voice like he was in the community so you were surprised when he asked you to read to him for a change. Wanting to hear his voice more, you were reluctant, but he didn’t make the request often. While you would usually tuck your head into the crook of his neck, he would lay his a little lower onto your stomach. He savored how the soft warm flesh would rise and fall as you read out loud.

During the rare mornings that King Ezekiel was allowed to sleep in, he would still wake up early. Each time, he would contemplate whether to wake you or let you sleep. Waking you was him giving in to instant gratification. You would normally try squirm away in desperation to fall back asleep in peace. In response, Ezekiel would pull you back flush against his torso but let you sleep. He learned that if he let you wake up on your own, which he didn’t have to wait long for, you would shower him with touches in an attempt to wake him up. When he starts to hear your breath become heavy, he knows your waking. Just then, he closes his eyes to feign sleep. Like clockwork, you would start by lightly kissing his collarbone before nuzzling your nose in the crook of his neck. You prop your head up with one hand and run the other through the hair on his chest. As well as your physical touch, Ezekiel can feel you gazing at him as you watch for a reaction. You continue this motion up and down his chest for a while before sliding your hand up to his beard, allowing his cheek to rest in your palm. Suddenly, His own hand pops up to gently grab your wrist. With his eyes still closed, he turns to kiss the palm of your hand.

As sophisticated as the man appears, Ezekiel has two left feet. That, however, doesn't stop him from asking you to dance. Even when there’s no music, he would hum his own tune. Dancing was his excuse to get your body next to his. It would start off formal, one of his hands holding yours and the other gently wrapped around your waist. After stepping on your toes one too many times, the two of you would resort to swaying, causing you to position your head on his chest. Sometimes he would lay his cheek on top of your head and just stay there like that.  

[ezekieltheking]

Author’s Notes: This is more like a one shot than an imagine because it is a longer than usual fic. It comes just shy of 2k words. 

Summary: Sequel to Little One. (I lowkey want to make a series from this). You, the Kingdom’s doctor, are raising a baby found by Rick during the All Out War TV story line. (Instead of him giving the baby to Aaron and being found with the name Gracie). Some time has passed from the first part and the baby is a little older. You are trying to teach little Nina how to talk. Ezekiel tries to help.

Genre: Fluff, little Angst

Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel, Nina (O.C.), Nabila

Ezekiel walks down the corridor to your office. He finds the door cracked open with the sound of your voice flowing out of it. Your voice is high pitched and light. Quietly, he slides the door open a little more and leans against the side. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw who you were talking to. Little Nina sat across from you. Her focus was maintained for only a moment before she saw Ezekiel. Before, her face was full of wonder as the words you spoke at her went over her head but the moment she saw the king, the purest smile he’d ever seen spread across her face. You put your index cards down and turn to face him as well, this time with more exasperation. 

“Now I’ve completely lost her.” You say with a sigh. Ezekiel fully enters the room to pick Nina up.

“You’re getting so big!” His voice is deep and powerful yet light and playful. “What are you doing, my little Nina? Laughing? What are you laughing at?” He continues to bounce her as he turns to you. “My apologies for having interrupted, fair maiden.”

He offers a shit-eating grin but you respond with an ice cold stare. “I was teaching her words. She’s over a year old, God knows how old she was exactly before they found her, and she hasn’t spoken a single word.” Ezekiel listens to you whilst making faces at Nina. Between giggles, she waves her arms around and mutters something unintelligible.

He feigns surprise. “Did you hear that? That was a word” His voice is more lighthearted in an attempt to make you relax. “Sure it was not English. Some would argue it was gibberish, in fact.” He looks to read your face.

You sigh. “She’s not developing like other children her age. She should be saying something by now. Simple things, even two syllable words, but nothing.

He loses his kingly voice to speak to you. “She’s just a late bloomer. Look at me (Y/N).” You look up from your cards to see a content Nina play with his locs. “Have faith. Have faith that what you’re doing is working. Have faith that she is healthy. Have faith that it’ll all be fine.”

“How do you know that.”

“I don’t. But you know what I do that helps? I fake it ‘til I make it, baby!” The two of you chuckle at his corniness. “If it means anything, I have faith in you. This baby loves you. If she’s gonna talk for anyone, it’ll be you.” His gaze holds yours for a few moments longer. 

A knock at the door breaks the moment. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” Nabila comes in. She nods her head toward King Ezekiel before turning to you. “Your Highness. (Y/N), Group B returned from scavenging but one of them is injured. I hear it's not serious, but there is still blood. They should be in the infirmary by now.”

You get up immediately. “Thank you.” You turn toward the baby before walking out. Before you can even open your mouth, Ezekiel answers.

“I’ll watch the little one, Don’t you worry.” He says while smiling at Nina.

*****

After patching up the wounded, you make your way back to the office to find it empty. You then proceed to your room to see if the king had put Nina down for a nap. Despite his busy schedule, King Ezekiel would take time out of his day to worry over the baby. Eventually, you began to leave your door unlocked so he could have easy access to her things when you were away. You often found him in there hovering over her cradle. This time, he was not there either. There was only one more place that you could think he’d be. 

You enter the throne room and walk down the long aisle until you meet the stage. There he was, sitting high upon his throne with the giggling Nina in his grasp. Her voice echoed to you before you even entered the auditorium. You didn’t think he would look after her here because it was his meeting room. He arranged alliances and council meetings in this room. It's the perfect room for the bellow of not only his voice but the roar of Shiva to be heard and taken in with all seriousness. 

“There is the fine maiden.” King Ezekiel turns Nina towards you.  “How were your endeavours? The people of Group B?”

“Everything’s fine now. It wasn’t a serious wound, but it still needed to be stitched. Thank God it was not a bite. One of her group members suspected it was.”

“Indeed, that is good news. We are thankful to have you with us and this little one missed you.” He turns her toward you again. This time he motions for you to hold her. You walk up on stage and gently pick her up. Her joviant nature flips like a switch as she begins to cry in your arms.

“Oh, come now. Don’t cry. It's me; you remember me.” Your brows scrunch in curiosity as you bounce her from your waist. “Don’t cry, baby girl. Whatcha crying for?.” King Ezekiel watches as you take laps around the stage in an attempt to calm the baby. After minutes of failure, you stop back in front of the king on his throne. Defeated, you hand her back to him.

Before he could even take her, she stopped crying. “Dada!” She smiled. “Dada, Dada, Dada!” She said again, kicking her legs around. 

You were too shocked to say a word. Your eyes immediately switched from her to the king’s as he took her into his arms. His eyes filled with pride before turning to you. He watched and waited in silence so he could read the emotions behind your eyes. You were overcome to say the least. So many emotions from different ends of the spectrum flashed across your face, fighting to show him what you couldn’t say. Instead you began to shake your head with your eyebrows furrowed. 

A breathy, unintelligible noise escaped your lips before any actual words. “She...wait...How? Did you teach her that?”

“She’s a bright little one. I told you she could do it.” He begins in his most confident voice. One thing he was always good at was faking it. You could tell he was nervous, trying to figure out which words to say. He gives you that megawatt smile that he so often saves for you. “I didn’t think she would say that as her first words. I’ve been teaching her to say ‘mama’ for a little while now. I was hoping that she would surprise you by saying it one day. It was difficult to take her to the infirmary so she could connect you with the word without her seeing the bloody wounds. I would show her around the gardens; tried to get her to say ‘pom pom’. She wouldn’t say that either, but she liked the way it tasted when I offered her a seed.” He smiled down at her.

“But you taught her to say ‘Dada’ too.” You state, choosing to be emotionless.

“I…” He let out a sigh before turning to look at you. “I love this little girl. Nothing motivates me more than seeing the next generation of The Kingdom grow up before my eyes. The drive to make the world more inhabitable for the future feels different when it is for a child that you have a connection to. I never had a child of my own, so to take care of one when their biological parents can not is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.” He sighs before lowering his voice. “I can’t help but think of her like she’s my own.”

“She’s not your responsibility. Rick gave her to me after he found her.” You reply.

“Everyone within these gates is my responsibility, the two of you especially. The circumstances in which she found herself here are bitter, but I’d like to think that we could still make something sweet from it.” He reached out to grasp your hand. “She’s given me a happiness I thought I would never know.” He pauses to think. “I wish I was as confident as I let on. I wish I could have expressed my feelings for you sooner. Nina has been a blessing. Her coming to the kingdom led me to become closer to you.” He squeezed your hand as he released a long awaited breath. “I love you, (Y/N). I always knew that deep down inside. It wasn’t until I saw you with Nina that I was able to acknowledge what kind of love that was. I need you to understand, I’m in love with you.” With every word Ezekiel spoke, he kept your gaze. He willed himself to do so so you could see the sincerity in his eyes. “You don’t have to say it back. Getting to wake up everyday knowing that you and the little one are safe is enough to keep me going during this war.” He stared up at you with his big brown eyes, hoping you’d accept his profession of love. 

“Ezekiel…” You begin.

“You don’t have to say anything.” He replies in an attempt to blissfully stay ignorant. He wasn’t sure if he’d rather hear your rejection or simply not know how you felt about him. He focused on Nina before speaking again. “The love I have experienced for the two of you is something different, something special and I would like to be a part of her life if that's ok. Maybe I overstepped my boundaries when I taught her to say ‘Dada’ and for that I apologize, but you are her mama. That you have to know.”

“I’m not a mother. I just take care of her. She didn’t ask to be here---”

“But she is here and against all odds she has survived long enough so you could be her mother and she continues to survive because of that. You are not only committed to The Kingdom, but our sister communities as well and despite our demands, you manage to bring up a child. I help when I can, but you’ve done most of it. Look at her; healthy, happy! What makes you her mama is the amount of unconditional love you show her. Every time I hand her back to you, I see the smile on your face. No different from any other mother I’ve ever seen who’s birthed their child.”

Gingerly, you reach your hand out to graze Nina’s cheeks. “I never thought I’d become a mother, especially after the walkers.” You look at him. “I’m not mad that you taught her to call you Dada. I’m just mad she said it first.” You chuckle to lighten the mood. He mirrors your reaction, giving your hand another squeeze. “She came to us so young. I don’t know if she ever met her biological father, but when she gets older, she’ll only remember you. You may not think so, but you are important to me because you take care of her and love her the way you do. You’re the only father she knows. She’s crazy about you.”

“You think so?”

“Ezekiel, she loves you…” You take a deep breath. “And I love you too.” This time you squeeze his hand.

King Ezekiel looks up at you with watery eyes and a growing smile. It proves infectious because you feel comfortable smiling too. With his hands still wrapped around yours, he pulls you down onto his free knee. He only lets go to wrap his arms around you both. He kisses you on the shoulder before resting his head in the crook of your neck. You lay your head on top of his while Nina grabs your pinky to play with.

[ezekieltheking]

King Ezekiel being jealous would include:

Genre: Fluff

Characters: King Ezekiel, Reader, Siddiq, Morgan

King Ezekiel never really thought of himself as the jealous type. No more than normal, at least. Protective over the ones he loved, yes, but never jealous to the point of pushing them away; especially you. But he’s only human, however. He wanted to make it clear that he trusted you, just not some of the others; especially those outside of The Kingdom.

He held your hand any chance he got. You weren’t as much into public displays of affection as he, so you rarely initiated it as often as he did. He didn’t mind that; he knew you were shy about certain things and that was ok. It also helped ease his mind that an ulterior motive to being so close to you was to show the public that the two of you were together.

You being The Kingdom’s main doctor brought unwanted thoughts through King Ezekiel’s mind. They were illogical and he knew it. When you were in the infirmary, he couldn’t help but imagine you being alone with men during a checkup. How they might take advantage of you without him around. The thoughts of you intimately bandaging a wounded person also flared up. It made him think of how much attention you showed him when he was hurt by a Savior all that time ago. Your touches would linger through the warmth of your hand as you gently patched him up. Anytime he had the chance, which wasn’t often, he would check up on you at the infirmary. He told himself that he did this because he missed you and wanted to see your face, but he couldn’t help scoping out the room to relieve himself of those thoughts. 

At the beginning of your relationship, King Ezekiel found himself falling victim to his insecurities as he watched you interact with Morgan. He knew you were old friends, but part of him desperately wanted to know for sure if that's all there was between you. He couldn’t bring himself to ask either one of you. Morgan came to be a good friend as well before he left The Kingdom. Despite his insecurities, he did not want him to leave. After he did, King Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel guilty about it all.

After almost two years of being together as a couple, the two of you verbally committed yourselves to each other. You held him as you expressed that you were his. He promised you forever that he was yours. The way you made him feel was something he could only attempt to put into words. He was the happiest with you and found it his duty to protect those feelings. He wanted everyone to know about the commitment the two of you shared. 

Ezekiel already had a ring for himself. It was his father’s. He gave it to him shortly before he died. Since then, Ezekiel’s been wearing it on a chain around his neck. A little while ago, he snuck off from his scavenging group and found an abandoned jewelry store. It was always his intention to find one rather than looting a ring off of a dead walker. There were a few of them inside. Nothing he couldn’t handle with some strategy and his sword. It was all worth it if it meant finding you the perfect ring. He felt he knew you enough to know which one reflected your personality the best. While he knew that you were not the flashy type, he wanted to pick out the one with the largest stone so everyone could see that you were taken. In the end, he chose a stone not too large and not too small. 

While he felt mentally and physically young, Ezekiel was more than aware of your age difference. Generally, he did not allow it to bother him. You made that easy with the little things you did to show him that you love him. As the two of you grew closer together, his jealous tendencies began to fade. That didn’t mean, however, they completely disappeared. Siddiq took a sabbatical at The Kingdom. It was a win-win situation; he was able to take a break from Alexandria, and you got the opportunity to trade knowledge with another doctor on a daily basis. Siddiq was closer to your age than Ezekiel. During his stay at The Kingdom, you and Siddiq were often together. Whether it was at the infirmary, making house calls or scavenging. Ezekiel would catch you two smiling and laughing throughout The Kingdom which would more than likely lead to him brooding in the throne room. It would also make him miss Shiva, as they would have brooded together. Jerry could tell the difference in his demeanor but Ezekiel would never let on to his inner struggle. 

Ezekiel had known Siddiq almost as long as you. He had always been able to trust him. That didn’t stop him, however, from pulling the young doctor aside to have a non-threatening yet firm chat after you and he had a bad fight. He was confident that the two of you would make up, but he still wanted to give you your space first. With this space, you spent more time with Siddiq as a way to throw yourself into your studies. Seeing this occur, Ezekiel wanted to take preventative action; letting Siddiq know that the two of you were still together and that he would always be welcome at The Kingdom so long as he recognized that. 

After a little while, the two of you made up and became stronger than ever. This bond buried Ezekiel’s insecurities over Siddiq for good. The three of you even hung out together during mutual down time. Ezekiel and Siddiq continued to keep in touch after he returned to Alexandria. He even chuckled at himself for being so jealous when he heard that Siddiq had soon after fathered a baby with Rosita. He admitted in one of his letters to Ezekiel that one of the reasons why he left Alexandria was because he did not want to confront his feelings for her.

From time to time, Ezekiel would wonder if you had similarly irrational thoughts about him. If you ever got jealous over him and someone else, you were good at hiding it. 

[ezekieltheking]

Family Fun Day With King Ezekiel would Include:

Genre: Fluff, tiny bit but not really smut, a tease if you will

Characters: The reader, King Ezekiel, you and King Ezekiel’s adopted children: young Henry, Nina (original character based on baby Grace from season 8)

Ezekiel lays in bed next to you as you sleep. He’s thinking about the things he’s been taking for granted as of late. He feels guilty but decides to make it up to the ones whom he cares about the most with a whole day dedicated to them. No interruptions, no meetings, no kingly duties if he can help it. For you, he’ll be just Ezekiel, just another citizen of The Kingdom. Surely everything can run smoothly without him for a day. 

He feels so excited over the idea that he can barely sleep. He tosses and turns, trying to find a position that will put him to sleep. He settles for laying on his side as he watches your body rise and fall in peace. He takes in your features, grazing a hand lightly over your cheekbones. 

Because of his lack of sleep, Ezekiel sleeps in. You let him as he deserves the rest. At least until Nina starts to cry. You go to the nursery to check on her and no more than 5 minutes later you walk back into your shared room with Ezekiel. You were always good with Nina but she has a special bond with him. He has this calming way about him that almost always guarantees her to stop crying. 

Ezekiel wakes to the sound of his Nina wailing. He stretches and you can’t help but notice the flex of his muscles as he does. He gestures for you to place the toddler in his arms. With just a few whispers, she falls silent; even offering up a smile. Ezekiel reflects the same jovial grin as he looks up to you. With his morning deep voice he explains the details of his plan to spend the day with you, Nina and Henry.

After everyone is awake, Ezekiel informs Jerry that he is not to be disturbed and that he is in charge for the day. For a moment, he is not sure if that is the right choice, but the thought quickly fades as he puts his trust in the faithful steward. 

In the cafeteria, Ezekiel helps feed Nina while you catch up and joke around with Henry. While the day is young, you and Ezekiel agree to take the kids out to a previously scavenged field, giving them a change of scenery. You walk alongside Ezekiel. He intertwines his free hand with yours while the other is supporting Nina on his hip. Henry runs ahead, letting the overgrown grass whip across his legs. You smile with a sense of peace, something you did not think you would feel again. You could never let your guard completely down, but there is something about the atmosphere. The gentle breeze, the birds dancing across the sky in patterns, the closeness of your love. You give his hand a gentle squeeze to let him know that you are thinking of him. Your eyes are closed but you can tell he’s gazing at you in response.

The four of you have lunch back at The Kingdom in one of the gardens. You lay out a blanket and arrange the food. Ezekiel eyes Henry, making sure he finishes his vegetables. Your little family lingers in the garden long after the food is gone. Henry carries Nina to a nearby berry bush and plays peek-a-boo with her. She laughs every time he pops up out of a different end of the bush. Ezekiel sits on the ground and leans against a tree trunk as you lean against him. Your ear against his chest and his arms wrapped around your front. The two of you watch Henry, Nina and the rest of The Kingdom. Every so often, you feel the rumble of his laughter and it comforts you. 

Still in the garden, hours later, the four of you play make believe. It begins when Henry challenges Ezekiel to a duel. He picks up a long stick and announces the challenge in his most regal voice, no doubt mimicking his dad. You try to hide your chuckle at Henry’s attempt at a baritone voice. After watching the two spar between the pomegranate trees for a few rounds, they finally rope you in. You show off your skills as you fence Ezekiel with Nina on your hip. It ends with Henry poking Ezekiel in the gut and pretending to die as a result. Being the drama king that he is, Ezekiel puts on a whole show for his son before finally collapsing.

As the two of you walk away from the garden, Ezekiel gracefully plucks a blossoming flower from a tree and places it in your hair. He takes a step back, never releasing his hand from yours, and admires your beauty. He tells you as such just in case you couldn’t tell by the way his gaze held yours. He takes his free hand and cups your cheek. He kisses your forehead before tilting your head up to kiss your lips. It turns into another kiss, open mouthed but still chaste in front of the kids.

After dinner, the four of you head up to the room you and Ezekiel share. With the understanding that the kids would spend the night there, you go to the nursery to pick up some of Nina’s stuff. When you arrive back, you find the blankets and pillows ripped off the bed and strewn across the floor. Henry excitedly explains that you are just in time to help build a fort. A mini pillow fight ensues during the process which leads to Ezekiel and Henry attacking you with tickles. Nina giggles as she helplessly watches on. 

After finishing the fort, Henry crawls inside and Nina follows. About to go in as well, Ezekiel catches your foot and pulls you away. You roll over on the floor and watch as he quietly gets down to straddle your waist. Without thinking, your hands slide up his stomach and to his chest. Gently, he grasps your wrists and pins them above your head without breaking eye contact. His muscles flex as he slowly leans down closer to you. His hair falls down, long enough to act as a curtain for both his and your faces. He allows his lips to graze yours but he only proves to be a tease before moving down to suck your earlobe. After a few moments, he moves further down to your neck. He starts light before moving on to hot open mouthed kisses. Tenderly, he nips at the space between your shoulder and neck before soothing the attacked area with his tongue.

Your breathing gets heavier but you’re careful not to moan. One of Ezekiel’s hands is cradling the other side of your neck, ready to move up and over to cover your mouth if need be. It isn’t his intention to go far with you so close to the children, but he doesn’t know where on your body he should stop. He has genuinely lost track of the time you’d two been at it and for that, he reluctantly lets up. He lifts his head and looks into your hazy eyes. You hold his gaze until he releases your waist. You feel almost abandoned as his weight lifts off of you. He looks at you with apologetic eyes which you understand. 

Ever the gentleman, he allows you to crawl into the fort first. You find Nina out like a light cradled in a bed of pillows as Henry quietly reads a story to her from one of his bedtime books. You settle in and make room inside the fort by adjusting Nina on top of you. Ezekiel tucks Henry in before taking over the story book. His deep voice lulls both you and Henry to sleep. Despite noticing this, Ezekiel finishes the story anyway. He turns off the lantern and whispers goodnight only to hear light snores in return. 

[ezekieltheking]

Imagines Playlist

#1: Checkmate ~ Juliet & Caesar by Cautious Clay

#2: Spring Harvest ~ I Will Follow You by Toulouse

#3: Picnic ~ Valentine by Pentatonix

#4: The Run ~ Come To Think by Gabrielle Current ft Finneas

#5: Everything’s Not Lost pt. I ~ Everything’s Not Lost by Coldplay

#6: Everything’s Not Lost pt. II ~ Everything’s Not Lost by Coldplay

#7: Little Treasures ~

- I’ll Be Seeing You by Billie Holiday

- ‘Round Midnight by Miles Davis

- Take Five by The Dave Brubeck Quartet

#8: Care Giver ~ Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby by Cigarettes After Sex

#9: Little One ~ The Night Me and Your Mama Met by Childish Gambino

[ezekieltheking]

For whoever is reading this and cares,

I'm again re-editing my fanfic posts. I wanted to include a song per submission to listen with the reading all in one post but it messes with the aesthetic of the post. Ik it's annoying to scroll through a post w/o the "keep reading" break and I liked having it to shorten my Imagines but Tumblr does not allow me to include both the break and audio, at least that ik of. I'm going to re-edit and make a playlist that will be linked to the imagines or my page itself and hopefully that will work. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[ezekieltheking]

Summary: The reader is The Kingdom’s doctor and currently has the job of taking care of a baby that she essentially adopts. This takes place during the events of season 8 during the All Out War plot line.

Genre: Fluff (like always)

Featured Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel, Nabila, OC baby

Playlist

Being The Kingdom’s doctor, you assumed responsibility for the little bundle. It was meant to be temporary. Despite taking care of people of all ages, you had the least experience with children. You believed that most women had some type of natural maternal instinct, but then there was you. Children tended to cry while in your care and you would flail in response.

This was different, however. She was different. People from Alexandria, Hilltop and The Kingdom infiltrated Savior work posts and in one of them was a baby girl. With her parents gone, she became alone in the world. The helpless little thing just starred back up at Rick before he swiftly lifted her up in one hand. She was sick, but he didn’t have the will to just leave her there and wait for the inevitable. Rick passed her onto Aaron who gently gave her to Jesus who in turn placed her in my arms.

It was difficult to approximate her age given the frailty of her body. She was malnourished. You guarded her 24/7, sleeping in the infirmary almost everyday. That was months ago. Now, she looks like your average 12 month old baby. You’d grown attached to her in a way others couldn’t. You were scared to take care of such a fragile being, but during a time of war, nobody had the time or will to take care of a baby, nonetheless a sick one. Ezekiel was the first one to ask you of her name. No one knew, so you just called her ‘Little One’. Ezekiel did the same whenever he’d come and visit. Leading his people, he didn’t have much time to visit, but you valued the times he did.

****

“Nabila! Is something wrong?” You ask almost frantically from across the courtyard.

“No. I was just coming to find you actually.” She responds calmly as she walks up to you. Earlier, you’d left the Little One in her care. She agreed to babysit for a half an hour while you took care of other patients. You were on your way to grab supplies when you noticeably spotted her not inside your room, where you relocated the baby after she recovered.

“Is she ok?” You greet the happy expression on her face with an impatient one. How could she be so nonchalant?

“She’s fine. In fact, she was laughing when I left her with his majesty.”

“King Ezekiel is back?” You ask in bewilderment. He had been at Hilltop for almost two weeks and no one had mentioned his arrival. You thought it was odd but quickly explained it away by his desire of wanting to be discreet when traveling, especially with the possibility of being attacked while on the road.

“Yes. Have a good evening.” Nabila says before walking off to continue her chores. She left you standing there like an idiot. You hadn’t seen him in so long and now he’s only but a short walk away.

For the next half hour, you sped through the patient check ups. By that time, most were asleep anyway. You tried to tame your growing anticipation as you climbed the stairs to your floor. The door was cracked open to your room. The sound of Ezekiel’s deep, commanding voice reached your ears as you slowly approached. Quietly, you pushed the door open wider. You resorted to standing in the threshold to avoid interrupting the scene in front of you.

“---When this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” Ezekiel recites Martin Luther King’s speech whilst holding her in his arms. His voice powerful yet soft. You notice her little chubby arms reach out toward him in attempt to grasp his hair as he spoke. Instead, he let her wrap her tiny fingers around one of his. He brings her over to your bed before sitting down. He never removes his gaze from her. “Look who’s back, Little One.” He coos as he tilts her in his arms so that she could see you. She gives the most pure smile as you quietly walk in.

You sit next to Ezekiel on the bed before he hands her to you. “We should really come up with a name for her.” He leans into you as the baby reclaims his finger.

“You’re right. One day, she’ll outgrow the one she has now.”

“I wish she wouldn’t. I wish she could stay this small and untainted from the worldly evils. I hope for a better world to bring her and the other children up in. They deserve more than this facade of a fairy tale.” His hand gently caressed Little One’s head. You could hear the guilt in the tone of his voice.

You change the subject in attempt to keep his thoughts at bay. “When did you get back?”

“Not too long ago. Just before sundown.”

“And when do you leave again?”

He sighs. “The day after tomorrow.”

“You’re doing good out there, you know that?” You lift your eyes from the baby to Ezekiel. “I’m proud of you.” He looks back at you with his soft brown eyes.

“I missed you.” He confesses.

“I missed you too.” You say softly. Ezekiel leans his head in and rests it in the crook of your neck. He kisses your skin before turning back to Little One.

“How about Nina?” He suggests. “It means precious gift.”

“How do you know that?”

“It was my grandmother’s name.”

You look back down to her. “Nina.” You play around with the word out loud. “That sounds perfect for her. Nina.”

[ezekieltheking]

I'm editing my Imagines to include a song from my personal Spotify playlist called Hopeless Romantic that I feel goes with the plot. The songs are most likely what I listened to as I wrote it.

[ezekieltheking]

Summary: You have come down with a cold and the king insists on taking care of his fair maiden. 

Author’s Notes: This is an excerpt from my King Ezekiel X OC fanfic which I have yet to finish or share on any website. From Chapter 6. The OC is named Amelia and she was a botanist with a background in homeopathic medicine. She was recruited into the Kingdom as the camp’s doctor. Mention of Dr. Carson is made, the character from Hilltop who was treating Maggie in the TV show during season 7 and 8.

Genre: Fluff (like always)

Featured Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel, Shiva

Playlist

The next morning, you wake up to a strange feeling. Your throat was dry and itchy while your nose was clogged. You didn’t want to believe you were sick; it’d been years since you’d caught a cold. You felt a bit better after brushing your teeth and washing your face, but the icky feeling continued to linger. Eventually, you drag yourself to the cafeteria for lunch. Per usual, you find an empty table to sit by yourself.

“Is this seat taken?” You hear Ezekiel ask. You shake your head without looking at him. Quietly, he sits across from you. “How did you rest?”

“Fine.” Again, you stare at your food.

“Amelia, look at me.” You do as you’re told. “You look ill. What happened out there?”

You shrug. “I guess I caught something.”

“You should be resting.”

“I’ve already slept. Dr. Carson is supposed to test me today, anyway, so I have to be there.”

“He will understand. Besides, it’s imperative to not spread the illness.”

“You make it sound like I have tuberculosis.”

“My apologies.”

“What are you going to do about it, anyway, keep me quarantined?” You offer a weak, playful smile.

“More or less.” You couldn’t tell if he was playing back with you. After finishing your meal, he tells you to follow him. He takes you through many hallways until he stops in front of a closed door. He opens it and gestures for you to enter first.

You noticed how regal the room appeared. “This is your room?” You ask.

“Yes. Is it to your liking?”

“What does it matter?”

“You’re going to be staying here. You’ve befallen the treacheries of the common cold and you need to be taken care of.”

“I can’t imagine you do this with everyone in The Kingdom who fall ill.” You respond coyly.

He walks up to you. “Only for the one I find most special.��� You back up until you hit the bed. He follows.

A breath hitches in your throat. “You’re going to take care of me?” He nods. His hand reaches up to caress your cheek. Almost instinctively, you let yourself rest in his palm. He leans down and tenderly places a kiss on your forehead.

“Now, stay here and get some rest. I will bring Shiva to keep you company.”

“More like claw my face off.” You whisper raspily. You figured he didn’t hear you, but he chuckled as he left the room.

After leaving you alone in the room, you weren’t sure what to do. Did he really expect you to stay and slip under his covers? You bite your lip as you contemplate what to do. You had the two other options of either going home or finding another guest room. You glide your hands over his satin-like covers. He invited you into his room, his personal space. You imagine him unwinding at night; his shoulders relaxing, him undressing. Quickly, you shake the thoughts, wondering if they were inappropriate, but then you wonder if he’d ever thought of you that way too. You finally decide to get into the bed.

You tried to stay awake for him, but you couldn't help but fall asleep. He was right and you knew it, your body needed rest. It was late in the evening when you woke up again. You were probably going to sleep until the next morning if it wasn’t for Shiva’s roar. The orange light of the sun setting blanketed the room through the windows. Shiva got up, stretched her legs and laid back down on her own make-shift bed. She watched as you got out of bed and made your way toward her. Your steps were quiet and slow, wanting not to startle her. As you got closer, you noticed that she was chained to the wall. The leash connected to it was long enough for her to walk around a bit, but not enough for her to reach you on the bed. Gently, you called out her name to let her know you could trust her. You bend down and let her sniff your hand before petting her head. After a few moments, she started to make a type of purring sound. You took that as a good sign. You propped yourself up against the wall and began petting her stomach. You laughed as she rolled onto her back, asking for more. Eventually, you felt comfortable enough to detach the leash from her collar. She moved closer and laid her head upon your thigh. It was heavier than you thought; like having a six year old child sit on your lap.

The door suddenly opens. Ezekiel peeks his head in and frowns as he finds the bed empty. He walks further in, only to see you and Shiva together. He could feel his heart expanding from the scene before him. At this point, you were drifting in and out of sleep. It took you a moment to notice that he was in the room.

“I’m stuck. She’s been cutting off my blood circulation for about a half hour.” You joke with Ezekiel.

He smiles at you, then whistles to Shiva. “Come, Shiva. Come, here.” Immediately, she picks her head up from your lap. Just as fast, you feel the blood rushing down your leg. Ezekiel calls again, snapping his fingers. Shiva gets up and goes to him. She rubs her face on his leg as he pets her. “I like seeing you two together. I’m glad you aren’t afraid of her anymore.”

“Yeah, we had a talk. It was all just a misunderstanding.” You joke with him.

“It's nice to see your spirits up as well. How are you feeling?”

“A bit better.” You respond. He walks up to you and offers his hand. He pulls you up and walks you to his bed.

“I am glad to hear this. I talked to Dr. Carson and he’s fine taking over your job until you get better.”

“Thank you for talking to him.”

“You’re welcome. Well, I hope you are hungry. I was able to get the cook to make you a bowl of soup. We’ve had an abundance of tomatoes harvested from the garden, so he made tomato soup. I hope that is pleasing.”

You nod. “Well you’re in luck, because tomato soup is my favorite kind.” Ezekiel goes back into the hall to bring in the tray. He sets it on your lap before taking a seat next to you. “Thank you, Ezekiel, really.”

He nods. “Anything for the fairest maiden in the kingdom.”

“Don’t you get tired of talking like that? I know you weren’t raised in the 11th century.”

“No.” He states simply. “Well, sometimes.”

“It's just me you’re talking to. If you want to talk like Ezekiel and save the King, you can.” He doesn’t respond but acknowledges your words. “And also stop watching me while I eat.”

He plays offence. “I’m only making sure you eat everything.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, I will.” You laugh.

He took your empty bowl and told you that he wouldn’t be back until later. You chalked it up to kingly duties and even teased him a bit about it. You found yourself becoming more and more comfortable around him.

******

You wake up worse than the morning before. All of the symptoms came back and they came back strong. Your tongue was dry from breathing through your mouth all night. You spot a glass of water on the nightstand and reach for it, but your body wouldn’t move. You try again, but it was as if you were being pulled back. Looking down, you find an arm wrapped around your waist. You turn around, tracing the arm back to its owner. Last night when you fell asleep, Ezekiel wasn’t there, but he must have come in later.

Ezekiel is still asleep. You’d never seen him look so peaceful. It's now a memory forever etched in your brain. A tickle in your throat reminds you of the water. Gently, you slide out from under his arm. You take the glass and leave the room without waking him or Shiva. He’s probably going to scold you later for breaking his quarantine rule, but you needed to get into your stash and make some tea. After grabbing a couple of lemons and packets of sugar from the cafeteria, you head to your office.

You were on your second cup by the time you found yourself in front of Ezekiel’s door. You were about to knock, but thought twice, not wanting to wake him up. It proved to be a hopeless cause when you opened the door because he was already sitting up in bed.

“Where did you go?” He asks in a raspy voice. You were hoping he hadn’t caught your cold and that it was just his very attractive morning voice.

“I needed to make myself some tea. My throat was very dry.” You hold up your mug. “When did you get up?”

“A few minutes ago.” He replies while patting the side of the bed you slept in not even an hour ago. Immediately, you walk over to him. He slides back down under the covers and watches as you do the same. You weren’t sure what to do once in the bed. Should you two cuddle like before? You settled on laying on your stomach while propping yourself up on a pillow. He held his head in his hand as he laid on his side next to you. “Where are your thoughts, Amelia.”

[ezekieltheking]

Are you still writing ezekiel fics?

I am! I have one new one shot but I usually like to have a few under my belt before I start publishing as backups. I'll post it and whatever else I have on spring break which for me is the last week of March then I'll be more frequent when the semester is over.

[ezekieltheking]

Should I get back to writing King Ezekiel fic?

I've missed him and there's a lot more content for me to write on. I have a large work load this semester but good news is that it's my last semester so definitely by May I'll be posting more King Ezekiel fic.

[ezekieltheking]

Before, Jerry was like a goofy younger brother in an older brother's body, but now he's zaddy. His hair down, he's bearded and I have a thing for black tee-shirts

[ezekieltheking]

Summary: The king visits his favorite person at her house outside the walls of The Kingdom. He brings her a gift that they both enjoy in the form of music. 

Genre: Fluff (like always)

Featured Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel

Playlist

“It pleases me to see you again, my lady.” Ezekiel takes your hand and kisses the back before giving you his 1,000 watt smile.

A smile slowly spreads on your face. “And to what do I owe the pleasure?” You ask as he stands outside on the porch of your quaint, little house.

“Can a man not simply enjoy the company of his favorite person?”

“Oh? I thought Jerry was your favorite person.”

“Jerry is fine for comradery, but you’re…” Ezekiel trails off, never breaking eye contact.

“I’m…?” You curiously ask.

“Different.” He finishes.

“Different?”

“Special.

"Special?" You respond dry yet intrigued.

His smile was followed by a low, awkward chuckle. "I wanted to come by and see how you were doing.”

“I am the same as I was yesterday and the day before. You don’t have to keep coming by. I can handle myself.”

“I enjoy our little visits. Now, will you let me in if I said I came bearing gifts?”

You smile up to him in a teasing way. “It depends on the gift. Is it another pomegranate?”

“No, I brought you that yesterday. This is different; something I think you’ll like.” Before you could say anything, Ezekiel stepped away and retrieved the gift from its hiding place on the porch. He returned with a big square folder in his hands with an abstract painting on the front. He tilted it to the side and a vinyl record slid out. “To go with the record player I found for you.”

“I always wondered what I was supposed to do with that thing.” You say half sarcastically. The other part of you truly wondered why he would want to make so much noise out in the middle of the woods.

He understood your concerns. “There is a volume dial on it. We can still listen without attracting unwanted company. May I?” He gestures to go inside the small house. You oblige.

You watch silently as he maneuvers the record player. It takes him a few moments to crank the handle. Delicately, he slides the record out of the slip and onto the turntable. He smiles toward you as he places the needle down. You had no idea what to expect as the static cracked.

The smile on his face remained as he reached out for your hand. The faint sound of hi-hats and bass began to fill the room. It was jazz. It was a slow number, but not somber. Ezekiel took your hand in his while his other arm snaked its way around your waist. He pulled you closer until your stomachs were just touching. He led the way as he swung and swayed across the floor. His movements were graceful yet swift, careful not to make any more noise than necessary.

You rested you head on his chest as the woodwind sounds began to blend together with the brass. His chest vibrated as he hummed to the tune. You couldn’t help but be in fear of attracting walkers, but you trusted Ezekiel. You had to force your body to feel at ease for once.

“Can I confess something?” Ezekiel began, his voice low and close to your ear. You hum in response, encouraging him to continue. “I care for you, (Y/N). You might not have known that. I like to think you do and that...you may feel the same way. God knows I haven’t exactly been subtle, but I can’t help but feeling happy when you’re around me.” His hand squeezes yours in comfort. The two of you continue to sway as the song transitions to another. You knew, but didn’t know how to approach such an idea. King Ezekiel wants you of all people? You stay silent as you contemplate what to say next. “Do you feel the same way?” He asks.

You suck in a long breath of air before looking up at him. “What if I say that I do, then what happens?” You watch his eyes transition from relief to concern.

“Then we won’t need to be in fear of how we act toward one another. When you come to The Kingdom, I will take your hand in mine,” He says as he squeezes your hand again. “I will tell you how much I’ve missed you since the time we parted. I will tell you to be careful when you go out to scavenge and you will, in turn, give me that teasing smile you always pull.”

“But you already do that.” You chuckle.

“Yes, but from now on you may actually take my goodwill to heart when I tell you I love you before you go.”

“In this hypothetical, do I say ‘I love you’ back?” You teasingly question.

“A man can dream.” He responds.

“You don’t have to dream. I would say it back, Ezekiel.”

He kisses the top your head before grinning a sinful grin in your hair. “Do you know how much I like it when you say my name like that?”

Playfully, you slap his chest. “Like how?”

He shrugs. “It's just the way you do it.”

“Ezekiel?” He hums in response before saying your name. “I love you.”

“I love you too, (Y/N)”.

[ezekieltheking]

Summary: Pt. II of Everything’s Not Lost. After  some time, the reader convinces the king to get out of his slump in the midst of war. 

Genre: Fluff, Angst

Featured Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel

Author’s Note: Sorry this one is shorter than what I usually do, but it is only an imagine.

Playlist

In the middle of the night, you woke to a crick in your neck. You soon realized why after looking at your surroundings. You were still in the doctor’s office. You fell asleep in the chair next to Ezekiel’s bed with your head tilted back. You found his hand surprisingly still in yours. As gently as you could, you wriggled free and laid down on the bed next to his.

***

It’d been two weeks since Shiva’s death and Ezekiel was still in the doctor’s office. Not because he needed to, not by any means. His leg was not fully healed, but with crutches, he was able to move around with general ease. Instead, he continued to stay in the office by choice. He was depressed; it wasn’t hard to tell. He was not ready to face the people yet; he only wanted to see you. Everybody knew about Shiva and they too were heartbroken, but that was of little consolation to Ezekiel. He was not ready to face the people yet. He made you promise to not let anyone in to see him in his current state. With his new order, you became his liaison for the outside world and vice versa.

Life went on outside the doors of the doctor’s office, however you found yourself becoming an impromptu leader of The Kingdom. The transition of power was easy because everyone knew how close you were to the king. Despite that, you didn’t like your new title. It was enough to single handedly care for the health of over a hundred people.

You sympathized deeply with his loss, but he was out of time. You believed that only time could heal, but an impending threat to the camp was saying otherwise. The matter was beyond you. It was time for Ezekiel to step up as king again.

You walk into the dark office to see Ezekiel sitting up on the bed with his eyes closed. You knew he was awake. You laid a change of clothes down for him before ripping the blinds open. The sharp invasion of light led him to open his eyes. He groaned in response.

“It’s time.” You turn to him.

“I can’t.” He shakes his head, knowing what you meant.

“You don’t get to do this, Ezekiel. You are their king, they look to you! You can’t just close yourself out and expect everything to be fine.”

His head lifted with urgency at your tone despite his tired eyes. “What good am I like this?”

“Do you know why those people are still out there? You shut them out, yet they are still here. I am still here.” He looks to you in silence. “They follow you because you understand them. They’re human, like you, which means they understand you too. Don’t shut them out when their sad too.” Your words continued to sit in the silent air. His head fell in shame at your admonishment.

“(Y/N),” He finally began. “Why are you still here?”

“I believe in you.” You say simply.

“Why?”

You shrug. There were so many reasons. “You’re strong. You can see things for what they are and know how to deal accordingly. You put your people first. You’re kind and smart and funny…”

“You never laugh at my jokes.”

“I laugh on the inside.” You say as the two of you share a smile. “Now, come on. Rick and ‘em are coming by later today. They’ve come up with something that they want you to hear.” He huffs before swinging his legs over the side of the bed. You hand him the crutches. He takes your hand as you turn back towards his other stuff.

“You’re stronger than you think, you know that?”

[ezekieltheking]

Summary: This imagine takes reference from 8x04 where King Ezekiel returns to The Kingdom badly injured and you are the camp’s doctor who takes care of him. 

Genre: Fluff, Angst  (Warning: Mention of Shiva’s death)

Featured Characters: Reader, King Ezekiel

Playlist

You were sitting in the newly converted doctor’s office taking notes when you heard the sound of multiple footsteps escalating toward your door. Anxiously, you took your time to open the door. As if on cue, two men trampled through the threshold, almost running into you. They were carrying a horribly wounded King Ezekiel. You were caught off guard by his current state. You’d only said goodbye to him a day ago and he was perfectly healthy. Even the men carrying him were hurt, but they had no time to show it.

You rushed over to a clean bed and straightened it up for him to lay on. You would have been lying if you said that your mind was not a mess. After the death of The Kingdom’s previous doctor, you stepped up to take on the newly empty role, despite being a veterinarian. In the short period since your promotion, the biggest thing you had to deal with was the common cold. It spread quickly between the people, but luckily you were able to treat your patients with herbal remedies. It didn’t take much to see that the king needed more than a cup of ginger and sage tea.

King Ezekiel grimaced in pain as he laid there. You begged the others to climb into the other empty beds so you could check them as well. They all claimed they were fine in attempt to get your attention focused on the king. His people were incredibly loyal, and you could understand why, but sometimes to a fault. For the sake of time, you let the others leave, but made a mental note to look for them later.

The gash on his left leg was the worst external wound of them all. You were quickly able to rule out internal bleeding, even though you wished you had a CT scanner to confirm. Before starting on his leg, you gave him a couple of painkillers. Tilting his head up, you guided the glass of water to his mouth. His breathing continued to waver; you hoped that the medicine would help calm him down soon. You grabbed a pair of scissor and cut up the pant leg to properly expose the wound. It was deep, but luckily one of the men that helped him tied a shirt around his thigh to slow down the blood flow. Gently, you poured a bottle of water on the open gash and followed up with peroxide. He wailed at the contact. Incessantly, you relayed your apologies, but you doubt he’d heard them.

By the time you got to the stitches, you assumed that he blacked out. At least his breathing was even. You released the shirt from around his thigh and smeared his leg with herbal ointment. With the worst over, you quietly left to find the other men.

***

You returned to the office to a sleeping king. Gently, you addressed his more minor scrapes and bruises. After a while, you just sat there. Watching the melodic rise and fall of his chest calmed your anxieties.

In a raspy voice, he spoke up. “(Y/N).” You looked up at him riddled with worry. His face was distraught.

“How do you feel? If it hurts, I can give you another pill.” You searched his face for an answer. Instead, he gazed at you with his big, sad brown eyes. A tear rolled down his face as he grabbed your hand.

“She’s gone.” He says simply. You were confused, but it didn’t stop your chest from tightening. He was hurting and  it was something your medicine could not heal.

“Who?” You ask quietly. His gaze shifts down to your hands. He doesn’t answer. You decide not to press the matter in fear of him crying. You’d never seen this side of him. He’s been soft and gentle before, especially toward you, but never had you seen him cry.

“I couldn’t save her,” He sniffles. “They took my girl.” In that moment, you knew exactly what had happened. You struggled to hold back tears yourself, knowing that you’d never see her again.

Your thumb began to draw circles across his skin. “I’m so sorry, Ezekiel.”

“She’s gone,” He repeats. “I watched them…” He attempted to find the words. “I watched them tear her apart. I heard her cries. I couldn’t save her. They wouldn’t let me.”

“There was nothing you could do.” You reply.

“I could have helped her!” He answers passionately, almost scaring you. “She’d always protected me, and the one time she needed me to protect her, I couldn’t. Shiva didn’t deserve that.” The moment her name came out his mouth, tears began to fall out like a faucet.

You squeeze his hand. “If you would have gone to save her, you may not have made it as well. I know how hard it is to escape a hoard. I’m sure she put up her best fight trying to help you and the others escape, but her death would have been in vain if you died too. Do you know how selfless and loyal your people are? They need you.” He doesn’t respond to your words, but you could tell he listened. You sympathized with his pain, but only knew that time was the best healer. After several long moments of silence, you got up.

His hand was quick to hold on to yours. “Don’t leave, please.” You couldn’t say no to him when he looked at you like that. It made your heart ache.

“Ok.” You sit back down next to his bed. He gives you a smile for the first time today. It was weak, but a smile nonetheless.

[ezekieltheking]

Summary: Influenced by Jerry’s persuasion, you go on a run/scavenging mission with Ezekiel and the knights. You and Ezekiel get some alone time...with the interruption of a couple of walkers. 

Genre: Fluff

Featured Characters: Reader, Jerry, Ezekiel, Richard

Playlist

The sun was beating hard so you decided to take your chores inside. The AC on your floor was broken, but at least there was shade.

“Ahem.” You hear someone clear their throat from behind you.

“Come in.” You say as you turn to meet them.

“Hey,(Y/N).” Jerry greets from the door.

“Hey, what’s up?” You respond. You grinned from ear to ear. He had a way with making you instantly smile.

“Nothing much,” He shrugs. “I just wanted to see what the coolest person in The Kingdom was up to.”

You laugh. “Just checking inventory. It’s just as fun as it sounds.” You say sarcastically. Jerry erupts into a fit of laughter, taking you off guard.

“(Y/N), you are hilarious! You’ve always been great at making people laugh.” He exclaims. You look at him like he’d just grown a third arm. You can admit that you have a sense of humor, but it’d hardly shown since the outbreak. “You know who would love to hear some of your jokes?” You just stare at him with raised eyebrows. “His majesty.” You roll your eyes and turn back to your notebook. “Hear me out, (Y/N)---”

“Isn’t that your job? You’re funny too.”

“He doesn’t laugh with me. He doesn’t laugh much anymore actually.”

“I can only imagine why.”

“There’s more to life than just fighting off the dead. We may as well be dead ourselves if we don’t laugh ourselves… even just a little bit.” He explains innocently.

You scoff playfully. “You sound just like him.”

“Do I?” He beams proudly. For as long as you’ve known Jerry, he’s always admired the king. You keep your eyes on your work, pondering his intentions. “So, what do you say?”

“What do I say to being his personal jester?” You turn back to him.

“Spending time with him. Just making sure he’s alright. It’s like talking to a wall for me; a Shakespeare impersonating wall.”

“I didn’t know it was possible for a wall to do impressions.”

He points to you. “See, that’s the kind of dry humor that he will love.”

“Alright, I guess.” You shrug.

“Great. He’s scheduled to go out and scavenge in a half hour.” He winks then throws up a peace sign. “Deuces.”

******

Ever since the talk between you two, Jerry had been keeping an eye on you and Ezekiel to make sure his plan was falling into place. He watched the main doors from outside, waiting for you to exit them. His sight then jumped to Ezekiel and some of the knights packing up a truck with supplies. He noticed that they were almost done and with each bag they loaded, his heart pounded. Finally, you walked outside, giving relief to his anxiousness. Ezekiel turned at the sound of your footsteps behind him. A glimpse of surprise was followed by pure and unadulterated happiness. His smile reached from ear to ear and Jerry was glad to see it. He’d grown to recognize Ezekiel’s responses to you. No matter the reason, if you were around, he was always elated.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, fair maiden?” He asks.

“I heard y’all are going out to scavenge. I’m coming with.” You walk past him to put your own bag in the trunk.

He gently grabs your arm. “The souls bereft of life are not the only ones to be wary of.” You take his warning in stride.

“I’ve been doing this for a while, but I’m only as good as the rest of my people. Can I count on you?” He nods, you smile.

Before embarking on the mission, he gave you and the other five people one of his famous speeches. Frequently, he would look to you and you’d look back with an encouraging smile. Instead of sitting in his usual spot in the passenger seat, he slid in the back next to you. The immediate closeness was awkward, but you gradually felt ease. You couldn’t exactly explain why.

After a while, the car stopped in front of a decaying strip mall. From the car window, you noticed how most of the stores had already been ransacked, but some were still intact. Once Diane, one of the main knights, gave everyone the all clear, Ezekiel split everyone into groups. With the odd number of people, everyone else went off into groups of threes except for you and him. The two of you began to head toward a veterinary office for medical supplies.

“Thank you for coming, (Y/N).” He says to you.

“Thank you for having me.” You respond with a smile. For a while, there was silence between the both of you. He and you knew when to be cautious in the situation of walkers.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” He speaks up.

“Not at all.” You say nonchalantly.

“Have you always been this way?” He looks to you over the shelves of medicine.

You look back intently. “What way?”

“Fearless.”

You scoff. “I’d be stupid if I wasn’t scared, even just a little.”

He lets his guard down along with his kingly voice. “You’re strong. That’s a better word. I suppose one can be scared and still be strong.”

“No.” You reply simply. He looks to you to elaborate. “People started to die all around me because I was not strong. They needed me to be and I wasn’t. I don’t know if I’m strong now, but I can’t allow that to happen again.”

“Sometimes that happens and sometimes there’s nothing we can do about it despite all our efforts.” He walks up, beckoning you to look at him. “Doesn’t make you any less strong. You walk around with such an unbothered exterior, but the way you care for others is extraordinary. I see it in the little things you do everyday.”

You hated when he did that to you. He always had a way with catching you off guard and making you feel confused. It was an uncomfortable feeling to not be able to confirm your own emotions toward someone. It was difficult enough before the outbreak. As a rule, you never allow yourself to get close to anyone in that type of way in fear of losing them. You’d been torn since the first day you met him. You saw his grandiose role playing as foolish, but couldn’t help but find yourself attracted to his genuine nature. You’d never seen him let his guard down around anyone else and you would be lying if you said that you didn’t feel special after he entrusted you with the secret of his backstory.

You were no good in romantic situations. You basically fall into states of awkwardness. Instead of meeting his eyes, you stare at the staff in his hand. Gently, he calls your name. Hesitantly, you gazed up to meet his big brown eyes. They were so soft and meaningful. You started to sense something strange in your stomach, but you welcomed the feeling. It soon turned to dread, however, when you began to hear an all too familiar sound outside the glass door.

You saw the way his eyes hardened before whipping his head around to confirm his suspicions. A couple of walkers were outside clawing at the glass door which was the only known exit. Your hand automatically found its way to the gun strapped to your hips. Ezekiel was already at the door with his sword.

“There’s only two.” You say calmly. “You take the left. I have the one of the right.”

He nods. “We got this.” You smile at his casual tone.

Quietly, he counted to three. He then swung the door open, waiting for the perfect moment to slice the blade into the rotting body. Your walker came in right after. Half his face was gone and he smelled especially dreadful. You quickly kicked him in the knee, knocking him down. With a crunch, you stick your dagger in his head.

The two of you walk out. “Are you alright?”

“I am. Are you?” You ask. He nods. “We got what we came for. I guess we should head back.” You start walking away.

“Wait, (Y/N).” He reaches out to stop you, only to graze your hand with his. You turn back, waiting for a response. You watch as he struggles with what to say next.

You walk up to him. “It’s ok. You don’t have to say anything.”

“But I do.” He looks to you with the same soft eyes as before. He takes a deep breath.

“Your Majesty!” Richard, one of the knights, shouts as he walks toward the two of you. “We’re ready when you are.” The king looks to him then back to you. Gingerly, his hand slides up your arm and settles on your shoulder.

“You did a good job out here today.” He concludes. “Maybe you can join us again.”

You couldn’t help but feel disappointed by his answer. You knew that you weren’t entirely ready for what you thought he was going to say, but a little part of you still wanted him to say it. He walked past you to the truck and you followed.