i love you too, cowboy. rick flag/june moone

the aftermath

A/N: go read My Coolest Cats by HayleyJoMyers. it's great!!

Rick was having the same nightmare again. June. Doctors pronouncing her dead and removing the machines from her lifeless body, and there was nothing he could do about it. He cried out her name, but it was no use. He woke in a cold sweat, and instead of having June in his arms, she was thrashing wildly beside him. This was not unusual, but what she was saying- well crying- was. She cried out for him and screamed things like, "No!" and "What have I done?". He tried to wake her, but received a blow to the nose from her flailing arms.

"June! June, come on! Wake up! It isn't real!" he shouted to her.

She only screamed louder, tears squeezing through her closed eyelids and pouring down her distraught face. She kept screaming NO, over and over again, until Rick threw himself onto her. Pressing his lips to hers to silence her cries and hopefully calm her. Thankfully, it worked. She jolted up, breathing harder than he had ever seen anyone breathe.

"June? June, it's okay. It was just a dream." Rick told her.

She looked at him for a moment with wide eyes, then threw herself onto him and wrapped her arms around him while sobbing into his chest. He held her even tighter and stroked her hair while she trembled in his arms.

"Shh, it's okay. It wasn't real. What happened?" he asked her.

"Sh-she came back. She ki-killed you and let me see what I had done. I couldn't stop her. There was, s-so much blood. I-I-I thought you were, g-gone." she said between sobs.

"It's okay. Look at me June." he said, gently taking her face in his hands and wiping the tears from her face with his thumbs.

She looked him right in the eyes.

"I promise you, June Moone, I will never, ever, leave you. I love you so much, and I will always be here." he told her.

She stared at him with an unreadable expression. Then, she began to cry again. Oh god, had he put too much pressure on her? Had he overwhelmed her with his confession of undying love for her?

Just then, she gently pressed her mouth to his. He deepened the kiss, and she kissed him back just as hard. Neither of them pulled away until they had no air left in their bodies. He wrapped his arms back around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too, cowboy." she whispered into his ear before pulling back slightly so she could look him in the eyes.

He kissed her again, and even though it was more gentle, the both of them enjoyed it thoroughly, and June's lips were puffy by the end of it.

She nuzzled into his chest and sighed deeply before closing her eyes.

"Sweet dreams, Princess." he whispered, lightly kissing the top of her head.

"You too cowboy." she murmured drowsily.

Not long after that, Rick drifted into a peaceful dreamless sleep.