I wake up this morning on my stomach, one arm and half of my leg draped over the edge of the bed. I'm surprisingly not hungover, but my neck hurts and I feel stiff all over. My body's on the left side of the bed, which is strange considering I usually sleep on the right. I turn myself over onto my back and it's when I go to peek at the alarm clock on my right side table that I start to remember.

I don't ever make my bed, because it's always a task I can't be bothered with since it just seems pointless, however, I know the reason why that sides tossed like it is. Negan was here last night, or rather early this morning. He insisted on making sure I got back alright, since I had been drinking, but I think it was just some ploy to get it in one more time, before he had to go home. He's an asshole, but I'll admit I like him.

A glasslike clink abruptly comes from outside my room and what sounds like the kitchen. I sit up, listening. I hear footsteps and the kitchen sink turning on, which sends my heart into a panic. I quietly scramble to get into my purse on the floor for my pepper spray. I unlock it and steadily foot my way to my bedroom door.

I listen to the rushing water and more steps as I ease myself out of my bedroom and down the hall. I grow increasingly nervous as I slowly walk towards the apparent intruder in my kitchen. However, as I get closer, I'm relieved to hear a familiar whistling, much to my annoyance. I lower my pepper spray and pad into the kitchen.

"You almost got pepper sprayed." I dryly inform him.

Negan looks over his shoulder at me, smiling as he whistles again. "And a good morning to you, too."

"What are you still doing here?" I take inventory of some bottles by the sink. "Did you make coffee?"

"Yes and I called Lucille and told her I met a coworker at the bar, who needed to be babysat for the night, since they were such a surly drunk."

I scoff, crossing my arms. "And she was perfectly fine with you being gone all night?"

"After the argument we had? Damn right she was fine with it. She barely asked any questions."

"Sad when your spouse doesn't care if you spend the night at another woman's house, just so she can get a break from you."

"You've clearly never been married," Negan chuckles, "And I didn't tell her I was with a woman coworker."

"Sneaky," I retort, not necessarily amused, "Hey, that's my good gin!"

"Correction," Negan takes the bottle and tilts it, letting it pour down the drain, "It was your good gin."

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"You fuckin' said you wanted me to help you get your drinking under control and that's exactly what I'm doing."

I go to save another bottle from him, but he's too quick. "Damn it, Negan, don't do that!"

He shakes the last few drops from a bottle he mercilessly emptied into the sink. "Whoopsie daisy!"

"This...this is not what I meant!"

"How the fuck else are you gonna sober up, if you got all this temptation lying around the house? Oh, and I found the ones in your bedside table, right next to the lube you forgot to mention you had last night, so don't try to go lookin' for it."

"You went through my bedside table? Have you ever fucking heard of privacy?"

"I also went through your medicine cabinet," He grins, "But that was just out of curiosity."

I roll my eyes, before they widen. "Hey, no, let me keep at least one!"

"Nope, it's all gotta go."

"You-" I push his shoulder when he snatches the last bottle, "Fucker!"

Negan laughs. "All gone!"

"Do you know how much of my money you just poured down that fucking drain?"

"Yeah, probably about half of what you spent, considering most of these were half gone."

I huff, flustered. "Go home, you pain in the ass!"

"Did I push one button too many?" He grins.

"There's none left to push," I growl.

"You'll get over it."

"Yeah, as soon as you leave."

"Or..." He takes a step closer to me, "As soon as I lay you out on your table."

I scoff, "I'm not exactly in the mood to be plowed on the table I eat on."

"I smell like gin."

"That only makes me want to drown you."

"How about your countertop?" He chuckles, inclining to kiss me.

I put my hand on his chest to stop him. "Uh-uh, I don't think so," I say, regrettably letting a giggle slip out.

"Oh, really?" Negan smiles, "Because I was hoping to maybe replicate what we did last night and the kitchen does seem like the appropriate place to do it."

"You kind of turned me off when you dumped all my booze down the sink."

"I was doing it for your benefit," He claims, bending a little, so he can slide his hand along my thigh, "Because I like you."

"Oh, yeah?" I feel my breath climb. "You think you like me?"

"I know I fuckin' like you."

"Well, I don't like you."

He snickers. "Is that right?"

"Yes it is." I put my hand on his as it touches my inner thigh, holding it place.

"But you like that?" Negan grins, "My hand being there?"

"Maybe," I smirk, "Maybe hands there in general."

He smiles, snickering, just before kissing me. "Asshole."

I chuckle, then I let him consume me. He snakes his hands around to the other side of my legs, before hiking me up onto the counter. I don't have to wrap my legs around him, because he does it for me. Negan trails up under my long sleep shirt, probably to find my underwear to bring them down. He furrows his brows at me and smiles.

I laugh. "Already off, champ."

"God, I love you." Negan chuckles, crashing his mouth on mine. My eyes take him in after he says that. I know it was said casually, like last time, but knowing what I know about him now worries me. "What?"

I shake my head, as I start to undo his belt. "Nothing."

We go at it, hot and heavy. Every time Negan bucks into me, the cupboard doors below us bang, which causes us to chuckle between moans. I wrap my arm around his neck, while bringing him closer to me with the other hand on his back. I try not to cry out like I am, but it sort of distracts me from the whirling thoughts of him and Lourdes. Plus, he's really good, not that I'll ever let him know.

Negan feverously peppers my skin with his mouth, almost desperately. I take my hands off him, placing them on the counter, as I feel it coming. I close my eyes, tilting my head back until it touches the cabinet.

"Oh, god, Negan!" I moan, breaking into a chuckle and then snapping up into another moan when another twinge of pleasure strikes. The sound of a car pulling into my driveway has me opening up my eyes again and peering outside the window. Fuck, it's it my dad and Jolyon. I push Negan away. "Stop, stop!"

"What?" Negan follows my gaze out the window.

"My dad's dropping off Jolyon." I leap of the counter and practically bolt for my bedroom to put a bra and underwear. A knock on the door arrives a minute later. "Coming!"

"Hi!" I hear Jolyon beam right after the sound of the door opening. "Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year, kid." Negan chuckles, "Hi, I'm Negan."

"Hello," Dad says with a hint of uncertainty, "I'm Joe."

"Nice to meet cha." Negan replies with that usual friendly manner of his.

I hurry back to the front door, where my dad immediately looks over at me, bewildered. "Hey, Pipsqueak."

"Hi, Mom!" Jolyon runs over to hug me.

"Hi, Jol," I pick him up, "Did you have fun last night?"

"I didn't get to throw confetti, because I fell asleep."

"Well, we'll have to make up for it," I look over at Dad, "Thanks for watching him."

"No problem."

My eyes follow his as they eye Negan. "Negan and I work together."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, Lourdes and I ran into him last night and I let him sleep on the couch, because he had too much to drink."

Negan knits his brows at me, slowly grinning at my lie. "Yeah, Pippa is a real good friend." Jolyon turns his head in Negan's direction at those words.

"That doesn't sound like her." Dad says flatly, before both of them laugh.

"Ha-ha!" I chuckle, smiling towards Jolyon, who's eyes still seem to be pondering Negan.

Dad smiles, "Well, I gotta go," he opens the door, "Your mom and I are heading up to Audrey's."

"Oh," I lower Jolyon to the floor, "She invited you?"

"Yeah, she does every year," Dad looks me over, "She didn't call you?"

"No, but it's okay," I dismiss with a smile, "Jol and I were gonna go ice skating, or go to the movies, or something."

"Can we go to Loralee's?" Jolyon asks up at me.

I snicker, "Yeah, we can go to Lorelei's."

My dad sighs, "Well, I'll see you two later. Call your sister." He glances at Negan. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Negan smiles.

After Dad leaves, I look at Negan like that was a close call, before exhaling. "Alright, take your coat off, babe."

"It's chilly out there!"

"Yeah? Well, I'll run you a bath."

"Can I have some hot chocolate?"

"Uh, yeah," I move past Negan and go back into the kitchen. I set some milk on the stove to heat up.

"Dad seemed nice, Pipsqueak."

I scoff. "Yeah, he is, but I'll thank you not to open my door next time."

"It's fuckin' rude to let people stand out in the cold for too long, am I right?"

"Yeah," Jolyon agrees, which makes Negan chuckle.

"See?"

I make a face at him. "Well, I don't want him to think poorly of me."

"Well, he's already established that you're a liar, so so much for that."

"Shut up," I peer down at Jolyon sitting at the table, "I'm gonna go run you a bath, alright?" I then return my eyes to Negan. "You can leave."

I go into the bathroom and turn the bath faucet on, slipping my fingers under the water until I've found the right temperature. I sit on the ledge in wait. I can hear their voices just barely over the running water, which means that Negan hasn't hit the road yet.

"Are you and my mom friends?"

"We are, for the most part." Negan answers. "Sometimes your mom's a bitch."

"Hey, you're not allowed to call names at our house!"

"My apologies," Negan retorts, humored, "Your mother gave me a different impression." There's a moment's silence and then a more sincere; "I'm sorry."

Jolyon's quiet for a second, before; "Are you very good friends?"

"You could say that, yeah."

The bath fills about a fourth of the way up before I shut the water off and exit to get a towel from the laundry room.

"Mommy has another very good friend." Jolyon says.

"She does, does she?"

"Yeah," Jol confirms, slurping what I can only imagine is hot chocolate, "He came over to our house and we ate pizza and watched Christmas shows. And then, Mommy and Dwight were naked in Mommy's bed."

"They were?" Negan asks, curiously spurned.

"Yeah, Mommy said they were having sex, because that's what grown ups do when they're very good friends," Jolyon innocently relays, "Do you and Mommy have sex?"

"Jolyon!" I gasp, embarrassed, and they both look over at me. I meekly look away from Negan. "You're bath is ready, so go wait for me, please."

Jolyon slinks off the chair and walks out of the room. Negan stares at me with a mixture of disappointment and frustration. I sniff some leakiness from my nose, before clearing Jolyon's mug off the table.

"So, this other asshole has a name?" Negan finally asks.

"Doesn't everyone?"

He bitterly scoffs behind me, "You know, it's funny; I recall awhile back you griping how you didn't want to have sex when your kid was around, because you didn't want him catching us. In your home, to be more fuckin' specific."

"Yeah, I still stand by that." I reply.

"But not with this...Dwight asshole?" Negan glances over, brow raised. "Is he the exception to that rule?"

"It was an accident," I bluntly claim, staring back, "He came over, unannounced, he ended up staying for awhile, Jol fell asleep, and...exactly what I didn't want to happen, happened."

Negan moves his tongue around inside his mouth, mulling this information. "It was only that one time?"

I scoff, "Yeah, he only walked in that one time, but it was enough."

"I meant, did you screw him here, while Jolyon was home, just that one time, but I think got my fucking answer."

I lick my lips, annoyed. "That's none of your goddamn business and I don't know who the fuck you think you are asking me this shit."

"Who the fuck is this guy that he has some sort of fuckin' platinum status that waves the 'not while my kid's around' rule?"

"Why is it so important to you?" I retort, almost shouting, before I catch myself. "I don't feel like I should have to justify why I don't want to have sex with anyone while my son's down the hall."

"But you have?" Negan rotates the mug in his hand on the table. "Had sex while the kid's home?"

I sigh, both angry and tired. "Yes, I have. A few times," I sorely chuckle, "Satisfied? Does it feel good to know that I waited until Jolyon was asleep and then snuck this guy in, so I could let him...have sex with me and then leave?" Negan just stares at me with a unreadable face. "Well, does it?"

"I don't know," He says, "Does it?"

The question hits me like a bullet, but I remain standing where I am, though I'm sure he knows. I rub the side of my cold arm, thinking about the answer, before I look down to the floor. "Yes."

"Yes?" Negan asks, incredulously. "It feels good to be someone's sneak around, good time gal?"

"No, but...yes at the same time."

"How fucking so?"

I proudly swallow the lump in my throat. "Because when I'm with him...it makes up for all the time that I'm not with him."

"Even if it means he comes and he goes?" He grins, amused by his own play on words.

"Yes," I shuffle my feet, "But like I said, you don't understand."

"Jesus," He gets up from the table, "Alright, then."

"Don't patronize me."

"I didn't say shit," Negan chuckles, "Except maybe you pay for the motel rooms from now on, since you insist we go out the way to fuck around.'

"You live three towns away and don't have a job that would explain why you're not home until after midnight."

"Oh-ho-ho!" He laughs huskily. "So, he's married?"

"Go home," I faintly sneer, "I have to bathe my kid."

"Damn, honey, you really know how to pick 'em."

"I'll remind you that you are one of them," I follow him to the door, "And you're definitely the bigger asshole."

"I'm always the bigger everything." He winks, before throatily chuckling. "Alright, I'll see ya around."

"Yeah, I'll see you at work."

"Ta-ta."

"Bye, Negan!" Jolyon calls from the bathroom doorway.

"See ya, kid." He looks at me one last time, pointing. "Don't buy anymore fucking gin."

"You've hardly left me in any condition not to need a drink."

Negan just chuckles as he leaves my home.

I put my hands on my hips and shift my body in Jolyon's direction. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Jolyon walks back into the bathroom.

He undresses them climbs into the bathwater. I heat it up a little more, since Negan and I's conversation gave it time to cool down. Once the water's fine, I sit down on the stool next to the tub and dip the soft, star patterned washcloth in.

"I wanna wash myself, Mom." Jolyon reaches for the washcloth.

"Okay," I hand it to him, "Don't forget to wash your face."

"I'm a big kid," He proclaims running the cloth along his arm, "I know how."

I snicker into a smile. "Alright, big kid."

"Mommy, are you mad?"

I slightly furrow my brow, puzzled. "No, I'm not mad. Why do you think I'm mad?"

"Because I didn't keep the secret," Jolyon looks at me like he's done a bad thing.

"Oh, well, that's okay, but remember that we keep that kind of stuff private from now on, okay?"

"Okay," Jolyon watches his rubber shark float by, "Mommy?"

"Hm?"

"Negan said he was your very good friend."

"Yeah?"

"But I thought Dwight was your very good friend."

Fuck. I slowly nod my head, unsure of what to say. "Yeah, he is."

"But you said very good friends have sex."

"Sometimes," I clarify, "I said sometimes. Not all very good friends...have sex." Christ, it feels so weird talking about sex with my three year old.

"Do you and Negan have sex?"

"...Um, We have."

"But you said not-"

"Not all friends have sex, but Negan and I...are very good friends that sometimes like to be with each other like that."

Jolyon opens up his palm, so I can distribute some soap. "Okay."

"Jolyon, we're not gonna talk about sex anymore, alright?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not nice to talk about what people do in private and it's not polite to ask what people either."

"Oh, okay."

Something tells me I'm gonna have to watch him.

...

Winter break finally ends and I'm more than glad to be back to having something to do with my time. I haven't had a drop to drink since Negan poured out my gin, but don't go praising just yet. I did substitute it with smoking like a chimney and even burning some of that shit Simon gave me. That and dragging Jolyon around town, so I won't have to be at home and undistracted.

Lourdes asks me to coffee after work today and I agree, since I haven't talked to her since the staff holiday party. When I tell her I have to take my life insurance policy forms to the front office to mail, then pick Jolyon up, she offers to run down and get him for me, since I technically haven't filled the forms out yet.

I get a knock at my door shortly after Lourdes leaves. "Yes?"

"It's Ravinder."

I look up and see her face in the window. "Oh, come in."

"Hi," She smiles, "I don't mean to bother you, but my sister left without me again."

"Go ahead." I point to the phone.

"Thanks."

Her sister's such a brat. I don't think Audrey was ever mean to me for the hell of it like Nanda is to Ravinder. I glance towards my phone, contemplating calling her. My dad told me to the other day, which means he knew we must have been arguing. She was so appalled by my confession on Christmas that she could barely stand to be in the same room as me the rest of the time she was here. When she hugged me goodbye, it was airy and distant.

"Okay, I'm gonna go wait outside."

"You sure?" I ask, "It's pretty cold outside."

"Yeah, it's okay," She goes to leave, before halting, "Hey, Ms. Barnes?"

"Hm?"

"I was wondering, if you heard about the Smithsonian trip in April?"

"Uh, yeah, I heard," I reply, "Sounds like fun."

"You should think about chaperoning," Ravinder suggests, "It's like the biggest trip of the year and they only do it every other year."

"I'll think about it." I smile.

"Okay, see ya."

"Bye, Rav." Just about the time she closes the door, my phone rings. I glance down to see it's Lourdes. "Hello?"

"Hey, is Jolyon's last name not the same as yours?" She asks over the phone.

"No, it's Porter."

"Oh, really?" Lourdes huffs, "They're being such asses about it, because I didn't know his correct last name."

"Just put 'em on."

There's a hard to hear exchange of words. "Hello? Ms. Barnes?"

"Hi, Miss Jessica," I greet.

"We have Lourdes Alvarado here, claiming she's here to pick up Jolyon for you?"

"Yeah, I sent her over."

"Okie dokie, then!" Miss Jessica says with her typical sweet voice. "I just wanted to double check with you!"

"Thank you." I hang up the phone and fill the rest of my forms out.

After all that's done and Lourdes returns with my son, we all go to the coffee house that Lourdes likes. Jolyon asks for a gingerbread cookie, but picks off all the individual white pearl sprinkles off, so that occupies him for a great while.

"Jessica is such a gag!" Lourdes gripes as we sit down at a little table. "She's so saccharine and bubbly, uh! Annoying."

"I think she and Ne-"

"Yeah, they are," Lourdes answers before I can finish, "At least they might be still, I don't know."

"How did he even meet her?" I chuckle, trying not appear as if I'm snooping out of jealousy. I'm really not jealous, I just am curious.

"God only knows." She rolls her eyes. "I really don't see what he likes about her, except maybe that she's a pretty face. She's so sweet, it has to get on his nerves. She spends way too much time with preschoolers."

"Well, maybe she's different when they're alone."

Lourdes scoffs, taking a sip from her coffee. "Please. Negan use to say she was too giggly and his ears ring for an hour after she climaxes."

At that, I scoff. "What an asshole!" I look over at Jolyon. "Sorry, Jol. I mean, how rude to talk about someone like that to another person. Why does he keep fooling around with her, if she's so irritating?"

"Because he's asshole...sorry, bebé."

I irritably drink from my cup. "So, how was our holiday?"

"It was alright," She shrugs, "I called my family, but they didn't pick up."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. Simon and I drove down to Charleston, which was nice. We had a good time."

"I'm glad."

"How was your Christmas?"

"I wish I could say it was good, but aside from the morning, it was...pretty shitty."

"Oh, really? Why?"

I take a quick look over at Jolyon. "Well, I got a little tipsy again and...I told my sister about Dwight...and Negan."

Lourdes' eyes widen in shock. "Oh, shit, what?"

"It went over about as well as you'd think."

"Damn, Pip," She chuckles, "That sucks."

"Yeah."

"Here." Jolyon pushes over the napkin of sprinkles.

"Thanks."

Lourdes smiles. "Is it edible now?"

"Yeah," He nods, taking a bite, "Do you want to share?"

"Oh, I'm good, but thank you, sweetie." She sighs, longingly. "I love your son."

"I love you, too!" Jolyon cheers.

"Oh, you are so the best!" Lourdes kisses his cheek. "I want a kid just as sweet as Jol."

"Have you thought about having a baby?"

Lourdes sits up in her chair and shakes her head, while glancing down at her latte. "Uh, no. Simon doesn't really want kids and...and yeah."

"What is it?" I inquire, because I get the notion that she meant to say more, but didn't.

She licks her bottom lip. "Um, I...I had a miscarriage over the summer."

There's a familiar tightening in my chest. "Oh...I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Lourdes faintly smiles, "I, um...I didn't know that was, um, pregnant." She peers back into her coffee, then looks off to the side. "Simon said maybe it was for the best."

"What?"

"He said we weren't really in any shape to be having kids and, well, he doesn't want kids, so...it was okay. I guess maybe he was right. We...should probably clean up a little, before anything."

"But you still want kids?"

She shrugs her shoulders, cupping both hands around her cup. "Yeah, but maybe...I don't know. Maybe he'll change his mind down the road."

I wish I had it in me to tell her that I don't think he'll change his mind, but I can't. Not after what she's just told me. It does make me hate Simon, though. When she smiles, semi-hopeful at me, all I do is smile back.

"No one knows," She adds, "At work, I mean. I'd prefer if they didn't."

"No, of course! I would never."

"Especially him."

I nod my head. "Okay."

She leans back a bit, exhaling, then gets up. "I'm gonna order something from the bakery, do you want anything?"

"No, thanks."

I take a few good, deep breaths to release the emotional tension I feel inside. I want a drink. My phone beeps, alerting me of a text message and when I see that it's Dwight, I have to ignore. I just can't. Not now.

"I can't believe Lucille spoke to me at the party," Lourdes says, sitting back down with a cinnamon roll, "That woman is bold and fearless."

"Well, at least she was fairly cordial."

"Yeah," She takes a bite.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure."

I contemplate for a moment on whether or not I should bring it up. "Um, when Simon and I were dancing the other night at the party, he said that you and Negan were pretty close."

Lourdes wipes frosting off her upper lip with a napkin. "Oh?"

"Yeah, he...he said that you and him were actually pretty serious for some time and that...well, that Negan might have said some things that may have suggested that he'd leave Lucille."

She stares mild, but troubled at me. "Simon doesn't know what the hell's he's talking about."

I shrug. "I'm sorry, I just...it just seemed unlike Negan, so I thought I'd ask. Sorry, again."

"No, it's fine," She side glances over to Jolyon, who's coloring in his coloring book, before sighing, "Look, Negan and I were...we meshed well, I guess you could say, but I would never want to be with him full time."

"Oh, okay."

"...He may have said that he loved me, but it wasn't any damn promise and it certainly didn't mean shit to him. He'd say it and it'd sound real, but then he'd be just so cruel to me for no reason. It was just something to reel me in, so he'd have something to do while his wife was making something of herself."

"She does seem rather independent."

"Oh, for sure!" Lourdes nibbles on her pastry. "I'd bet my bottom dollar she could be without him and be just fine. Thriving even. But the other way around? God, no."

I chuckle meekly. "You think so?"

She taps her finger on the side of her coffee cup. "Okay, look, don't tell anyone this. I'm sure Simon may have mentioned it to you already, if he told you about Negan and I, but just don't say anything."

"I won't," I nervously promise, "What is it?"

"When Lucille found out about the two of us," Lourdes lowers her voice, leaning toward me, "She packed her bags and went to a friend's house for the a few nights."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and he left her about a million voicemails, apologizing, swearing it would never happen again, and asking her to come home, so they could work things out."

"That...that sounds awful." I say, actually feeling sorry for that asshole, even though he was the wrongdoer and still is.

"He cried in his office," She continues flatly, "I never told him I saw, or hear, but I did."

"Wow."

"Yeah...she took him back obviously, but I don't think they're marriage has ever been restored. I mean, she has to know there are others and that he didn't end the affair with me right away. Shit, I was the one who ended things. But, still, Lucille's a smart cookie; she knows him better than anyone."

"Yeah." I somberly agree, taking a drink from my americano.

"I don't think he's ever been able to get her back the way he wants to and it kills him."

"All he has to do is stop lying and cheating on her."

"I know, I know, but he's Negan, so...he does what he wants and hurts the people who care about him, then wonders why w-they retract from him."

...

I wait by the door, nervous and impatient. Jolyon got asked to spend the night at his friend's house again and I let him. Paula seems like a nice lady and her daughter's such a sweetheart. I just hope she doesn't educate Jolyon on anything that I'll have to further fumble over my words with a sad excuse of an explanation.

His truck finally pulls up around eleven at night and I have half a mind to not answer the door to him. He's an hour late. I barely even wanted to give him the go ahead to come over, after that conversation with Negan. I open the door as soon as I hear his feet on the porch steps.

"You're late."

"There was a fender bender on the road home," Dwight says with a shiver, as he stalks in, "It caused a little traffic."

"Oh."

He shrug off his jacket. "Thank god, you got the heat on."

"How was your holiday?"

"I got home around six, so I had left overs, but it was good. Sherry stopped being mad at me."

"That's good."

"How about you?"

"It was good," I lie, "I got your package. I loved it, thank you."

He smiles. "I'm glad you liked it."

I chuckle at his attempts to not appear like he's freezing. "You want me to make you some coffee, or something?"

"No, I'm okay, "Dwight comes closer, "But I wouldn't mind a hot shower."

A smile picks up on my face. "Right this way."

We go to my bedroom's bathroom, where I turn the shower on. Steam fills the room and we dress down for the shower. I'm naked first, so I step into the shower, waiting for Dwight to follow shortly behind. He gets in, gently closing the glass door behind him, before pulling me close.

He fervently kisses me on the mouth as the water runs over us. "I love you, Pippa."

I open my eyes, despite the water. "I love you, too."

Dwight kisses me again, deeper. "I love you."

My brow puzzles as I let him walk me back to the tile wall, lifting up one of my legs. He continues to work his mouth on my wet skin, while I observe his fervor.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," He says, breathy, "I just missed you."

"You could've come to see me before now."

"No, I couldn't. That's why I haven't."

"Why?"

Dwight sighs, "I just couldn't, okay?"

"...Okay." I reach down and grab him, making him flinch.

He's already hard, so I stroke him, until he moves my hand away so he can enter me. Dwight lifts my other leg and after a little maneuvering, we wrap my legs around him. It's warm, and steamy, and he feels so good. Except, he comes before I can, unlocking my legs, so he can pull out. I move around him to wash off in the water. His body presses against mine, his hands touching my belly and snaking down between my legs.

I extend my arm to the wall at the feeling, putting the other over his as he moves up and down. Dwight trails his free hand to my breast, while he plants soft kisses on my back. I'm struck silent, before I finally cry out and he stops. We both breath in place for a few moments.

"I love you, Dwight."

He pecks my bare, wet shoulder, before moving away, slicking his hair back. "I gotta go home pretty soon."


Hope you all enjoy! I had finals this week, so I was unable to work on both fics, but I figured since I only got to Save Yourself last week, then I'd write this new chapter this week. Thanks for reading!

CLTex: Interesting, I agree that Negan and Pippa are definitely more entertaining, as well as destructive to one another. He sort of buoys her up, while Dwight seems to pull her down emotionally, but that could just be because she has high expectations of Dwight and you know what they say about great expectations.

k : That certainly a valid ship lol! Glad you enjoy the two pairing. What is it you like about N/P?

StTudnoBright: It definitely could bring them closer. Negan likes helping people and he doesn't seem like a half-asser on what he sets his mind to. Plus, it'll give him and excuse to hang out with her more!

Kara315: I'm glad you found/enjoyed the story! It is sort of hard to decided which she's best suitable with, considering the married situation and that she seems to give and take from both of them.