Here We Are Now

26

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Subtle yellow dripped from the bars of the staircase. Ann gripping tightly to the handle as she spit up the remaining pieces from her sickness. "I guess I should take those pills back. They haven't worked for shit." She chuckled, wiping the liquid from her lips.

"I can see that." Negan leaned up, the splatter more than he was comfortable with. "Have you eaten today?" He rubbed her back and she nodded. "No. But I've just been having a lot of morning sickness. I'll be fine." She leaned back up. Holding onto her stomach in a protective manner. "You have to eat something, Ann." Negan spoke with care.

"What would you have me do? Go to McDonald's?" She snapped. But he took no offense in the tone. "I'm just saying, you are pregnant and we need to find you more." She shook her head.

"Listen, we will leave. But please let me make sure you are at least fit for a trip." The concern was clear in his voice. But there was more. It sounded like he was frighten. And that's why she stayed. "Fine. Only for a little."

"Only for a little." Negan repeated the words back to her. Nodding as he did. He grabbed her waist, and helped her back up the stairs.

"There we go." Negan helped Ann into bed. Placing a fluffed pillow under her head. "Now, I'm gonna go find something. Please don't move and i'll be right back." She nodded. This was like the last time. Different, but his care for her all the same.

"Negan..." he turned to look at her. "Thank you." It took him back. But he only smiled, dimples bold and deep. "Don't mention it." He knew that took a lot for her to say.

"Hey." Ann awoke to Negan standing over her. "Hey." She began to get up. Noticing the room had darkened. "Damn, how long was I out?"

"Like 5 hours. I think you were more tired than you realized." He sat down on the chair he had placed beside the bed. 

"Can you blame me? I got barely any sleep last night, you took up all the room." He chuckled. Watching her as she arose from the mattress.

"And you snore." He got up, walking behind her as they stood in front of a wooden dresser. Sprawled out was various items of food. Crackers, chips and some canned goods."

"I do not. You're the one who snores." Ann scoffed. Picking up a bag of saltine crackers. "Oh, I snore too. But you're just louder." She rolled her eyes and ignored the smile he had plastered. "So, I was thinking."

"Sounds dangerous, but ok." He ignored that one. "I was thinking we can have a bit of relaxing tonight. Just for tonight." He raised his hands, stopping her before she could say no. "We have been out on the road for days, we need some time to just recharge from everything." A part of her agreed. A part was so tired. So tired of worrying. So tired of being strong.

"I don't think there's time for that anymore, Negan." She gave an amused smile. "There's always time if you make room for it." He grabbed her hand, turning her to face him. "Please. Just let me try to make you feel a little better."

"That's a really loaded statement, coming from you." She looked up at him. Thinking, how much of Negan seemed to still be in there.

"What do you have in mind?"

"No." Ann looked at the scene before her. A few candles had been lit around the edges of the running hot tub. Dripping wax into the bubbling water.

There was a desk that looked out of place. Propped close to the side of the machine. Adored with the food Negan had managed to come up with.

A picnic of misfit foods with some warm bottles of water an a single bottle of beer. "Come on!" Negan walked closer to the display. And began to take off his jacket and shoes. "Do you remember the last time you tried this?" She reminded him. "I remember thinking it wouldn't be so bad if you weren't so stubborn." She rolled her eyes. But she couldn't deny the sight delighted her. The sight of him standing there. It was more than she could decline. She felt herself moving. Walking towards him. It wouldn't hurt. She was sick. This could help me. Ann thought, maybe she could let her guard down. What happens here, stays here. This won't change anything.

Ann began to undress. First unbuttoning her jeans, slipping off her shoes, but kept her shirt on. Leaving herself in nothing more than her underwear and top.

She climbed into the tub. Sitting down on the staircase, dipping her legs and hips into the warm, relaxing waters. "Fuck, that feels better than I expected." Her muscles responded nicely to the low jets. She watched as Negan removed his clothes. Climbing all the way in.

"What did I tell you." He smiled. Grabbing the warm bottle of beer and popping the cap off the side of the tub. "I'll admit, It's nice." She smiled. Just once. Just once she will enjoy this. She will enjoy him.

"Brings back memories. But nearly everything I do does." She didn't make eye contact. Instead she turned to grab a stack of saltine crackers.

"Hmm, what kind of memories?" He took a sip of the beer. Keeping his eyes on her. "The time we got a rash staying at a motel on the side of a highway." He laughed, remembering the events of the night and what followed. "Didn't we have to be on antibiotics for like a week?" She smiled, nodding her head.

"And smearing each other in ointment. You got it in some unsavory places." They both laughed. Something that hadn't been genuinely done between the two since she left him. "I'd give anything to go back to those days. Even if it meant rubbing ointment on my ass." She smiled again.

"Trust me, I would too. To be in our home, my job...to see my baby's face." She looked down. Watching the water topple over one another.

"He would have been so handsome." She whispered. It still hurt. A year, another baby on the way, it still hurt. "Ann." Negan's voice was soft. He put the beer down and swam over to her. "He may be gone, but we have another chance." He placed his hands gently on her belly.

We she thought, he can't possibly believe that. "Will we raise it at the sanctuary? Will he inherit your bat when he comes of age?" She chuckled. Tears were in her eyes an a broken smile.

"I'd give everything up if it meant to have you again. Nothing else will ever matter to me expect you and this." He kept a firm hold to her stomach, stroking it with his thumb. "That's not going to fix everything." She stopped. They stared at each other for a moment. Silence seemed louder than the water splashing against the inner tub.

Negan raised his upper body, grabbing Ann by her face and placing a wet kiss to her lips. She held there for a moment. Tears running down as her body instinctively pressed closer into him. It felt so good. She ran her fingers through his damp hair, drawing a quick breath in between the contact. He lifted himself from the water, Ann wrapped her legs around him. Forgetting everything. All the pain, all the problems. Before she knew it, he carried her up back to the room. They stumbled back to the bed and Negan was on top. Straddling her with his hands gripping her leg, another lifting her arched back. Anything to be closer to her. It was so easy to forget. But she stopped. Reality crossed her eyes and she realized what she was doing. "This, no, I...I can't."

She began to get up. Walking out of the room.

Man these chapters suck. But anyways comment and tell me whatcha think cause I'm struggling. I feel like the story has gotten pretty boring between now and what I wanted to do with it. As always thanks for reading and have a great day :)