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It was then two years later after Maggie had been back home from her travels. The war against the Reapers ended two years ago, but it also ended many lives, those of which the guilt she carried was burried by that church when they came back for Alden.
•
Until this day, she clearly remembers what it was like walking the path back to that church, the sense of dread and fear not even her hatred for Negan could tamper. Because she knew that hatred was slowly melding with the trust he was gaining, even more so when he wouldn't let her go back to Alden alone in case there was a Reaper in the field who wasn't killed during her massacre at Meridian.
Her throat burned at the feel of Alden's name slipping out of her mouth, the silence of not having a reply was beating against her chest louder than the sound of the church doors' creak. When a Reaper who is no longer recognizable appeared as a walker, she froze, the fear clouding her mind distorting its image with the face she loved.
The man she loved.
Negan had grabbed the walker before she was able to stab it in the head, the shock leaving her breathless and scared and anticipating for the worse as she took more and more steps inside the place.
Feeling sorry for all the things she didn't say, for the things that could've been. Because for all she knows he could be dead.
But at that moment, he wasn't.
The gasp that left her was the one that broke the silence as she raced to Alden's side, his eyes weakly looking at her direction as he laid still on the church bench, his breathing slow and heavy.
Amidst the shuffling sound as Negan fumbled around with the medical supplies they took from Meridian, Maggie took Alden's hand in hers and whispered, "I'm with you. Just hold on for a little longer, please?"
When Alden's eyes slowly closed, Maggie's own met Negan's in silent panic, but it did not last long as Negan's hand that was holding the anticeptic wipes accidentally dropped and landed by Alden's injury, the latter's eyes opening wide with a stifled groan, tightening his hold on Maggie as his eyes snapped open.
"Maggie," he managed to utter, immediately getting her attention, her eyes brimming with tears of worry that wouldn't go away at every twitch of his lips or the wince in his face at how much he was hurting.
Raising her other hand, she let her fingers comb through his hair, the promise of the future they planned lingering between them as he whispered, "Let's go home."
•
That was two years ago, when Hilltop was in ruins, Negan was still widowed and alone, Alden was injured in ways he never thought he'd ever recover from, and Maggie felt as if she was broken beyond repair.
But things were changing for all of them as the days and months went by.
And years later, Maggie stood on the grounds of Meridian with a smile on her face and a bag slung over her shoulders, her arms carefully wrapped around the gorgeous baby girl within her hold. The gates of the place that was once again one of her homes were reformed and strengthened, offering sanctuary to friends, family, and survivors alike. Hilltop wasn't fully restored just yet, but it was starting to feel like home once again. The reconstruction was still ongoing, and some of her people had been residing at Meridian for the time being, while some decided to be at Alexandria.
Adjusting her hold on the baby, Maggie felt the chill pass through the fabric of her jacket, her eyes briefly looking at the grayish clouds as the crunch of stones sounded behind her.
"You ready?" Alden asked, feeling his touch on her lower back as he stood beside her, both of them looking down at the precious result of two people in love.
"There's a part of me that doesn't want to leave..." she whispered, and she felt his hand move up to her shoulder, warm and comforting, soothing the knots in her muscles.
"You always feel that way whenever you see her," he said, gently tugging on her, pulling her close to him, and giving her body a light squeeze.
Within the next minute, no goodbyes were given, Maggie still feeling the comfort of once again holding a baby in her arms when loud steps hitting the cement staircase took their attention, seeing Negan walk towards them, extending his arms out as he got close.
"Alright, you need to go, Rhee," he said, reaching for the baby, and Maggie adjusted the girl in her arms almost at the same time, causing Negan to drop his arms down to his side.
"You can't tell me what to do," she shook her head at him mockingly.
"I can, because—" he started, once again reaching out. "...number one, you're holding my daughter, and two—"
Maggie let go this time and carefully transferred the little girl into her father's arms, Alden reaching out for a moment to wiggle her tiny hand.
"—you need to get going now before the rain pours or else you two will get to Hilltop looking like drenched puppies," Negan finished, sparing a look up at the skies.
"She'll be here on your next visit," he reassured, earning a nod from her and a small smile she realized she's been willingly and more casually giving to him since the past year. The people of the Riverbend had been welcomed to Meridian since then, and Negan and Annie welcomed their little girl there, the place that is now also their home. Maggie still resided at Hilltop, and wherever she went, Alden followed, leading by her side. Lydia had been staying at Hilltop under Maggie's care, shall she need any, a mother's daughter indeed.
The new world order was restored, entrusting Meridian in Negan's hands, Alexandria on Aaron's, and Hilltop once again on Maggie's.
"Take care of this place for me," she said, looking around before eventually setting her gaze on Negan, ready to go back home to Hershel, Lydia, and Adam at Hilltop after two weeks spent at Meridian for the help they needed as the season started to change.
"Always."
Negan took a few steps forward, moving a little past her to walk them to the motorcycle Daryl lent them, but pausing just when he was beside Maggie, leaning in a little closer to whisper, "Oh, and uh, since it's just you two out on the road, you might wanna—" he teased with a suggestive wiggle of his brows that earned him a smack on his arm from her whose ears were turning a light shade of pink.
"You're disgusting," she complained, and he continued walking with a chuckle.
"Hey, your favorite godchild was conceived with my help!"
Alden shook his head in disbelief, but a smile was playing on his face as they started walking towards their ride. "How is it possible that he's already in his second marriage—a happy one at that—and I haven't even experienced it for the first time?"
Maggie raised an eyebrow at that, her head turning towards him, lips parted in concealed shock.
"I wasn't aware you were looking for a wife."
He shrugged. "Well, I just have someone in mind."
"Really?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her. She really wasn't aware of that kind of plan of his, nor did it ever occur to her that he was even dating someone. And it struck her as strange, taking more space in her mind. He had spent a lot of time with her since she came back from her travels, and they always talked about all sorts of things, from work to the community to their kids to even random things they missed about the old world. But not once has he ever mentioned liking anyone in the present.
And if he did, she wonders how she could've missed it.
"Yeah, let's go," he dismissed, getting on the motorcycle first, and starting the engine.
Maggie hated to admit that on the road home, her mind wandered off to all the different people he could've fallen for. And there's no way in heaven and hell would she ever consider jealousy as the reason.
She wasn't jealous, because there's no reason to be.
Or maybe that's just her mind reminding her heart that she had no right to feel that way.
•
As the sunlight continued to fade, the air grew colder and the road became more dangerous as the dark clouds approached. Alden continued to drive, but neither of them were oblivious to the drops of rain that were pouring over them quicker and quicker, carefully not driving too fast on the damp road.
When they once again reached the cabin they already stopped at and marked two weeks ago during their travel on the way to Meridian, Alden's short hair was already almost fully soaked, the tips of the curls in front of his face delivering droplets of rain onto his cheeks. He pulled up by the roof extension of the cabin, and once Maggie got off, she hurried off to round the corner to reach the main pathway, killing a walker on the way when the undead went towards the sound of the engine that was just shut off. Continuing her movements, her hand immediately held onto the bamboo railing when her footing slipped on the staircase by the porch.
She pulled out the keys for the padlock they installed weeks ago, and opened the door just in time when Alden was about to reach the porch stairs. Moving over towards the edge, Maggie extended a hand out for him, making sure he won't slip as he walked up the stairs.
Holding his hand in hers, they walked inside together, shutting the door behind them, and resting their backs against it after dropping their bags onto the floor. Chest heaving, heart beating quicker than normal. Was it just the sprint towards the inside of the cabin, or was it also the fact that neither of them wanted to let go of one another after their hands found each other?
She was the one who moved first, bending down to reach the pocket of her bag on the floor, holding a lighter in her hand, the other still not letting go of him. When she straightened up, she kept her hand in his until she couldn't anymore, unwillingly letting go as she approached the old coffee table to grab some magazines to start up some fire for the fireplace, lighting them up while Alden walked towards the table they moved to the side weeks prior when they used it to reinforce the door. When she was done, she followed him, and they moved the table to be placed in front of the door once again.
When Alden got onto removing his wet jacket and hanging it over a chair, Maggie dug into one of their bags for a towel, and then stood by the fireplace where she waited for him to get close. Once he did, she raised her arms and gently wiped the mist of the rain on his face before starting to dry his hair, trying to avoid his gaze as he looked at her intently, the fire reflecting on his eyes. She took another step forward, a step bigger than she probably should've as she heard the faint sound of the toes of their boots as they bumped into one another.
She didn't need to be that close, but she knew she wanted to be. Moving the towel to the back of his head, briefly wiping the nape of his neck, her eyes wandered off to see his face, her heart skipping a beat at how nervous she got as she realized she noticed so many things about him all at once. The way his eyes would roam her face before stopping at a certain point—as if staring at it with consideration, as if deciding about something, but he never did anything else but continue observing her. The droplets on his skin glimmered like crystals in the soft glow of firelight, and she was enjoying being that close to him, close enough that she could faintly feel his breath, heavy but controlled, as if his heart was beating loudly in his chest, and he was trying so hard to control it.
She enjoyed it too much that she forgot where she stood, who she only was to him. In the back of her mind, she wondered why his heart was beating that fast, who was it beating so hard for. She wondered who he was thinking about when he's with her, because she didn't dare assume it was her that makes his heart race, the one that has that much power over someone that you shake up their entire existence within a stare.
But maybe she had the right to at least silently consider—hope for that as he reached out his touch, his fingertips lightly grazing her temple has he took stray locks of her hair, and tucked them behind her ear ever so gently before moving his hand to caress her cheek, carefully wiping off the dampness from the rain.
Maggie finished with his hair, letting her hands down to her sides as relaxed as much as she could, but could not help the deep inhale she took when Alden's hand lightly trailed down to the leather material of her jacket, his skin briefly brushing against hers as he held the zipper between his fingers, pulling it down with ease that she had to look away from him, suddenly feeling like he was too close, and everything else burned—his touch, his distance, or rather, the lack of it—the desire to touch him, the fire in the deepest pits of her heart.
She had fallen hard, and despite what she believed, she wasn't alone, for he already fell first long ago.
Winding up the courage to step away, Alden moved to stand behind her, a heavy exhale leaving him once there was a little more space between them. He kept his focus, but he felt the way her shoulders briefly tensed at his touch when he helped her remove her jacket, the both of them growing uneasy at the sudden heat from their bodies even during the strong rain outside. Heart beating loud, cheeks flushed, Alden walked away, her jacket in hand, leaving plenty of space between them as he placed the piece of clothing over another chair before looking back at her, the silence between them heavy and unsettling.
Hearts screaming each other's name, but their mouths remained shut.
Clearing his throat, he started, "I'm just gonna..." and he trailed off, waving an awkward hand as a gesture towards the kitchen of the place in the other room.
"Yeah," she replied quietly, almost just for the sake of creating a conversation to break the ice after what just happened, though they had no idea exactly what just occurred between them.
His legs stiff, Alden walked as normally as he could towards the other room, trying not to make it seem as if he couldn't wait to get rid of her, because that certainly was not how it was. He wanted to be close to her, he wanted her so badly, and it was beautiful and terrible enough all at once that he could be so close to something he wanted but couldn't have.
Briefly looking back at the direction he came from, he already felt the longing that took over him. Resting his hands by the counter, his body leaned a little forward instinctively, the front of his jeans bumping against the stone, the material bumping against his leg right where the front pocket of his jeans were, reminding him of the feel of the tiny objects there, their circular shape reminding him of the day he found those during a supply run just a few months ago.
•
"Take it," he remembered Aaron say to him at that time. It was after they had gathered some bigger clothes for the kids at an abandoned mall, and Aaron decided to stop by the jewelry shop to surprise Gracie with something, picking out a necklace he knew would suit his daughter as Alden looked down through the broken glass case of wedding and engagement rings, his eyes fixed on a specific pair.
"Why?" Alden looked up at his friend. "I'm not getting married."
"Well, maybe not now, not yet," Aaron shrugged as he put the necklace inside his bag.
"I don't know if I ever would," Alden said in a low voice, looking back at the rose gold pair of rings, one with three tiny diamonds that adorned it while the smaller one had tiny diamonds all throughout the surface in two neat parallel lines.
Walking towards him, the other man spoke, "What I do know is that the moment you saw those—" he nodded at the rings. "—there's someone that immediately came to your mind."
Alden shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, looking up and mustering the most innocent puppy look he could manage.
Aaron's lips curled into a smile as he walked over towards his friend to see the rings. "That's exactly what someone who knows what I'm talking about would say."
Reaching a hand out, Alden carefully moved some of the big glass shards to take the rings into his hands, taking a moment's pause to admire them, his mind reeling in what it would be like to give it to her.
"...is it that obvious?" he asked in a whisper, emitting a soft chuckle from his friend.
"You really have to ask?"
"I'm pretty sure everyone could see it except you two," Aaron continued, moving to stand behind Alden to rummage through the drawer of boxes and bags the shop had to package the products.
"Hell, even my daughter asked me about it."
"Really? What'd she say?"
Aaron picked up a velvet box and gave it to Alden before replying, "She asked why aren't you two together yet. She's a very curious kid."
"If Gracie could memorize all the capitals of the states of this country, she could memorize how you react everytime you see Maggie."
Patting his friend on the back, he comfortingly said, "Just try it. Tell her how you feel. Start with that."
On the way home, he advised, "Maggie isn't the most open book anyway. You'll never truly know how she feels about you unless you ask her."
"I'm scared to," Alden admitted.
"You've been to multiple wars, and this is what you're scared of?" his friend scoffed.
"I just don't want to lose her again."
Giving him a stern look, he reminded him, "You never lost her, Al. As long as you love her, you never will."
Because she will always be in his heart whichever community, state, or lifetime she may be.
•
Months after that run, Alden and Maggie were set out to a trip to Meridian, though he did not know why he brought the rings with him, he just knew it felt right, keeping them close to the person he always wanted to marry.
And now, standing in that kitchen with the rain still pouring hard outside, its loud noise almost sounding like a cheer, he mustered up all the courage left in him after being so close to her merely minutes ago.
He ran a hand through his hair as he walked towards the doorway, his steps unbelievably slow, his mind somewhere far away, thinking about what to say and how to say it.
Finally standing by the doorway, he crossed his arms on his chest and just looked at her for a moment, relishing the calm and also the wave of emotions she brought out in him. She sat on the floor by the fireplace, hugging her knees to her chest with one arm while the other was stretched out, her finger tracing the outline of the cap of their water jug.
Alden let out a deep, calming exhale as he leaned against the doorway, one that wasn't unnoticed by her as she turned her head to look at him, her eyes meeting the soft smile he was giving, but it was still evident that he was in deep thought.
Returning the smile, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
You
But what only came out from him was another big exhale and a hint of a mischievous smile. "Want to do something crazy?"
Maggie's brows scrunched up a bit, observing the way he stood there, casual stance but shoulders tense, less tense than when he walked out earlier, so that was an improvement. And she knew there was something in his mind, something that changed in his mindset, causing that light tug on the corner of his lips. She blamed it as a trick of the light at how his cheeks look flushed. Or maybe he was just getting cold. But there was something the excited her about it, they way he looked giddy about something.
"Okay," she lightly shrugged, not being able to hold back her own smile of interest. "What are you thinking?"
He gave a shrug of his own, pushing himself off of the doorway, and started approaching her, the casualness almost seeming fake at how nervous he still was.
"Any ideas?" he asked.
And Maggie's thoughts ran wild for a moment. Kiss me
She raised a brow at his question, and stretched a hand out to tap the space beside her, inviting him to sit down
"Oh, come on, I know that look."
His eyes darted from her hand to her face. "What look?"
"That look."
"There's no look," he argued, crouching down to her level.
"That 'I've got an idea' look. You're my best friend, I've seen that look multiple times."
Fully sitting down, he asked, "Oh yeah? When?"
She turned her body towards his direction, a glint of excitement in her eyes as she recalled, and almost like an automatic machine, she said, "When you carved out a toy for Hershel, when you fixed the working shed at Hilltop, when you realized where to find the architectural sketch we misplaced after we got drunk in my office—"
"Yeah, okay I get it," he interrupted with a chuckle, and reaching a hand out to briefly squeeze her shoulder.
"So," she started enthusiastically, clasping her hands in front of her. "Let's hear that idea of yours."
He opened his mouth in protest, but didn't get to say anything at the panic going on in his head. Was he thinking of an excuse? Or was he thinking of how he's going to say what he needed to? He was too shy either way at how he was acting, at the way the smile on her face kept growing wider, her amusement making his ears turn a light shade of red.
He nervously rubbed a hand on the nape of his neck, and shook his head. "I don't think you should."
"Why not?"
She spared a look towards the windows, and as the strong rain continued to smack against the structure of the cabin, she spoke, "Look, we're not gonna be able to do much until the rain stops anyway, and I'm pretty sure it won't stop soon, so we might as well do something."
"I'm up for anything if you are," she said, looking back at him.
Scooting closer, she leaned forward towards him, as if whispering a secret, but a part of her knew she was using it as an excuse to be close to him, closer than she already was, still wanting more. And it's been like that for so long—crossing lines, wanting to be more with him.
"I hope you're not thinking of killing each other," she whispered with that shy smile of hers spreading across her features, earning an adoring chuckle from him.
"So," she started, reaching a hand out to her side to reach for their water jug, holding the container in her hand. "What's that crazy idea?" she asked as she unscrewed the cap, and lifting the jug up to her lips.
The water felt refreshing, not freezing unlike the rain outside, just cool enough to ease the rushing thoughts in her head at having him close, cooling down the heat rising in her cheeks at every minute she spends feeling his presence so near to her touch, but not having the courage to move away.
He took on the way she averted her eyes, sipping on the drink as if it was a mere excuse not to look at him, but he couldn't stop looking at her, nor could he stop the soar of his heart, or how his throat bobs in nervousness. But amidst it all, there was that strange breeze of comfort in the soft firelight, in the way the rain was blocking out the noises of all the things he could overthink.
Amidst everything scary and uncertain, there was something beautiful. Her being so close to his reach, his heart and mind being at one—knowing exactly what—who he wanted.
It was like realizing he's in love with her all over again. Because maybe it's exactly that. He fell for her in that one fateful moment, and he still continues to fall for her even more every single time.
For every future there is, he pictures it with her. For every struggle that passed and will still come, he knows he'll choose her to struggle with. Through every smile, laugh, cry, and danger; through every summer, spring, fall, and winter; through every year and every decade to come—there will only be her.
There was never a choice to be made, because to him, she was and will always be the only option.
No matter how hard his heart was pounding, his lips couldn't help the smile that grew from him as he looked at her, and with a decision made final in his mind, he moved closer to her and placed a gentle hand on her knee, telling her what he's been aching to say for so long.
"Let's get married."
It was those words that changed her life, her thinking, her interpretation of things in mere seconds. It distracted her in more ways than one, her chest slightly heaving with a cough as if the water she was drinking was shocked as well, diving into the wrong pipe as she drowned in the shock of what he had said. Whatever she was thinking was put to a stop, but her heart picked up its pace. It seemed like an explanation and a question at the same time, an explanation for how he had been acting around her, his plans for marriage, the nervousness he couldn't hide but they both tried to ignore. But it was also a confusing question of what exactly is between them, of what they are, of what's next for them because it's just something they can't come back from, not when there's too many feelings and desired touches and imagined futures involved.
Putting the water jug back on the floor, she purposely tilted her head down, letting her hair cover the the side of her face, trying to avoid his nervous but hopeful gaze.
After taking a steadying breath, she unconsciously started fidgeting with the jug cap, and whispered, "I don't appreciate this kind of joke, Al."
Without wasting time, he replied, "It's not a joke." His voice was calm and comforting, but they both knew he was sure with what he was saying. "And it's surely not because I'm just rushing to get married or that you're the only one available."
Even if she didn't want to admit it, the longer his words stayed in her mind, the stronger they pierced against the demons that haunted her nightmares whenever they got too close to crossing the line between them in the years that passed.
"He doesn't like you, not really," those voices echoed over and over, reminding her, breaking her. "You're just the closest thing he has to being Enid. A replacement. A doll similar enough to the real thing. That's all."
And she feared that those screams in her head were right. It grounded her, and it scared her—telling her to push him away, and she did, only sometimes, because there's always a part of her that remained fighting, saying that he would never do that. Not the Alden she knew. The man who protected her, chose her, defended her way before he got close to Enid.
Raising her head, she looked into his eyes with a bitter smile she couldn't control anymore. "You don't even like me—well, not in that way," she said, rather truthfully, because it was the only truth she's ever known, and also because it was the only one she had the courage to fully consider.
A small smile made its way to his lips, raising a hand that made its way near her face, twirling a lock of hair around his finger before tucking the strands behind her ear. A comforting gesture, disagreeing with what she said, and also a little disappointed that his actions may not have been enough to let her know just how much he cherished her through all the scars, the painful past, the challenges and misunderstandings that made them who they are, friends who understood each other more than anything—friends who could be more.
He shook his head lightly, and let his fingers trace the curve of her jaw, his eyes locked on hers. Behind those gentle greenery of her eyes, he could see the hint of fear, worry, and confusion in them, and across that, his own eyes never stopped in telling her how he felt all along as his hand rested on her cheek.
"You sure about that?" he asked pertaining to her statement, guiding her to the conclusion that who she is to him is far more than she thinks. Somehow, a part of her always knew. In the rarest moments of the past, there was a longing that pulled her to him, and him to her, like a perfect fit just waiting to get a little more closer to each other. But whatever it was wasn't strong enough to move on from Glenn then, not enough to stop her from leaving, or to keep him from being in a relationship with someone else. It wasn't enough, but now it is, way more than enough. A sudden realization, but no longer overwhelming, because it had always been there, working its way to the surface throughout the years.
Placing a hand over his on her cheek, she asked, "How long?"
Her other hand crept under his chin, tilting his head up to meet her eyes.
"Almost a decade now," he answered, but even without the need for words, they know they've waited long enough. There had been enough space between them, enough tragic romances and wars fought alone, ending it all as the air between them became limited with a pull of her hand, beckoning his face closer to her until those stubborn lines were crossed as their flesh came together, their lips meeting at last after all those years of hesitation, distance, and unproclaimed desire.
Her hand moved to the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer without intention to push him away from her life anymore, letting her actions say what she couldn't put to words all these years. He willingly gave in to her touch, melding into her control as much as she did with his as he cupped her cheek, letting his other hand rest gently on her leg, his thumb comfortingly moving back and forth on her clothed skin.
Taking a pause, he took back the breath she took from him the moment he first saw her, breathing in life, knowing she would be right there with him. His face remained close to hers, and he felt the way she moved closer to him, his hand on her leg unconsciously moving up a little at her motion.
"I didn't know," she spoke, leaning her forehead against his, letting her hand slip from the back of his head down to his chest while her other hand stayed on the nape of his neck.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He caressed her cheek softly and leaned in to steal a gentle kiss before starting, "Well, I wasn't exactly your favorite when we met..."
She let out a hum, not exactly disagreeing with his observation, letting him continue into saying, "So, I thought I'd never really stand I chance. Ever."
Pulling away to see his face, she looked into his eyes and recalled, "I didn't like a lot of people when I met them first, but now, they're my family."
"It was different for us," he sighed. "...with the group that I came from..."
As disappointed as she was with herself for a short moment, it didn't sprout regret for what she did and how she acted then, but maybe—just maybe, if she had seen it earlier that not all of the Saviors were monsters, that not all of them were a copy of the man whose orders they were forced to follow, then maybe a decade between them wouldn't have been wasted.
She raised her head a little, pressing her lips against his forehead in a firm kiss before pulling away just a little, her flesh grazing his as she whispered, "It wasn't your fault."
His hands let go of her for a moment as he placed them on top of her hands, gently pulling them and holding them in his own hands.
"Remember when I went on that run with Aaron months ago?" he asked, leaning in and playfully bumping the tip of his nose against hers.
As she giggled, he continued to remind her. "At the mall. When we got back..."
"Gracie was staying with me at the time, and Aaron had a gift for her," she continued his words, their minds now dancing around the same memory. "A necklace that you guys got from an abandoned jewelry store. Gracie kept beaming about it, about how nice and shiny the pendant is."
Squeezing her hand, he said, "It wasn't the only thing that we got from that place."
He let one of her hands go, reaching into his pocket and getting ahold of the rings in his palm.
"What I said earlier, it wasn't a joke," he sincerely said, his eyes now looking at her face, seeing her eyes glossing over the sight in his hand.
"When I saw these that day, it reminded me of things that could've been. So, I thought, might as well do it and be straight to the point about it for once."
He lifted her hand up to his lips, giving her knuckles a soft kiss, and seeing her look at him with a fond look in her glassy eyes.
"When I was in that church, I remember being so damn scared...and I thought of you," he confessed, his own tears pooling in his eyes "...and how much I wished I was at home with you and Adam and Hershel."
"The kids," she smiled. "Our kids."
"Our kids," he repeated. "It was those thoughts that gave me peace."
"Maggie, I could die tomorrow. You..." He choked back on the sudden pause, a single tear escaping his eyes at the mere thought of what he was about to say. "You could leave again."
Despite listening to him intently in silence, she couldn't help the way she immediately shook her head at what he said, at the same time, raising a hand to wipe the tear on his cheek. She knew the moment she saw him again that she wouldn't have the courage to leave him behind again.
"And in all those years that I've longed for you, I realized that if I get to have another chance, I wouldn't waste it. When I die, I want to be sure that I said what I always wanted to—that I at least tried to ask what I always wanted to," he said with much determination in his voice, and they both knew that question was coming, and every millisecond that ticked by in silence seemed like an eternity.
"Will you marry me?"
It might as well be one of the scariest moments of his life, but if he could repeat it all over again, he would, because she made everything worth it at the way her hand went on top of his, their palms enclosing the rings, and her other hand rose up to his cheek as she leaned forward to give him a kiss on the corner of his mouth, quick and steady, and while it was enough answer from her, she still met his eyes with that smile on her face that he always adored.
"Let's get married," she reaffirmed, her finger tracing the outline of the rings in his palm, taking the bigger one into her hold.
"Right here, right now. I want to."
"Yeah?"
The smile that appeared on his lips was as warm as the feel of his hand on her left one, lifting it up to his lips, looking down at Glenn's ring on her finger with devotion and a hint of sadness in his eyes, reminding him of what was, but also encouraging him to move forward to what will be as he leaned down to press a kiss by the ring before setting down her hand, and getting ahold of her other one on his cheek, pulling it down right in between them.
"I do," she spoke her words, keeping and meaning them as her oath, as honest as she was the first time she let her guard down and used her courage to admit to herself that she loved him for the very first time, knowing that from that moment on, the future she was building will always be with him, and they were both sealing that the moment his fingers grazed hers as he slipped that ring onto her finger.
Catching his left hand in hers, her mind briefly looked back at the moment when she thought she had lost him, when his hand felt limp, his pulse faint, his soul lonely in that church seemingly so long ago. As she slipped that ring onto his finger, she looked into his eyes and conveyed the promise of being with him for the rest of their lives, in one form or the other, within each other's reach or not, in good times and the bad.
As sincere as he had been with her from that fateful day they met, he spoke with utmost sincerity, "I do."
His hand held onto hers, his ring firmly touching her skin as he squeezed her hand, and she felt his other hand on her waist, her body immediately responding to his touch as she leaned forward to press a firm kiss on his lips. Getting on her knees, she felt the way his hand moved along her body, his arm wrapping around her waist, and pulling her closer. She dropped his hand, and hers clung to his shoulders, slowly moving onto his neck as he wrapped both of his arms around her, pulling her into him until her legs were straddling his own.
When she pulled away, she met that look in his eyes, full of thought and admiration, but the step forward that was taken in their relationship came the stronger fear of the unknown. She always meant so much to him, but there was a heavier pang that came with the new title she claimed, and he wished to every spark in the firelight, to every drop of rain, to every breath he took that he wouldn't lose his wife.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked, lightly tapping on the nape of his neck.
"Something my brother used to say," he lifted a shoulder in a shrug, remembering the rocky road his trust was built on when the undead started to roam the streets and everyone was a man for themselves.
"If something is too good to be true, it probably is."
"Well, not this one," she assured.
"I chose you long before I realized I did," she admitted. "Because I didn't just choose you to be a part of my community, I chose you to be a part of my life. And before I even had the courage to admit it to myself, I already chose you as something more. The moment I tried to convince myself I didn't love you was the moment I realized I did. You're someone I'd die for, and also the one I'd love to spend a long life with."
He clasped his hands together behind her, feeling the ring on his finger, reminding him just how real this is, that it isn't some delusion or a dream he would have almost every single night.
Looking into those soft green sea of her eyes, drowning in their shine and beauty as the words came pouring out.
"I love you. I have for a really long time. I love you today more than I did yesterday, and I will love you tomorrow less than I would the next day because I will always love you more and more every single day."
"I love you too," she whispered, and he started kissing her again. Her response was immediate as if it was an emergency and that it's a matter of life and death every single time her lips were not on his, pulling him closer at that moment, and pulling him closer into her life permanently—as a part of her community, as her best friend, and most importantly, as her husband whom she loves and will continue to love unconditionally.