#King Ezekiel headcannon

[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]

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]

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.