Negan and I came to a very good understanding after our ride in the conference room. And after he spanked me to a burning red tint. And after he made sure that the dripping wetness that him spanking me caused was thoroughly taken care of. We understood that while we adored Trey, and our routines with him, even new-ish parents deserved alone time. Overnight, evening, date time, alone time.
Eric was smug, the fucker. "'I'm not a sex toy,'" he mocked me, taking the bag I'd packed for Trey's first overnight stay after Negan and I agreed to the new terms of our relationship. "Sure, Mara, and I'm also sure that Coach's big, hard-" Trey poked him in the cheek and he stopped talking. "Hey, Boo, ready for fun times at Uncle Eric's?" I smirked at the quick turn in conversation. "Let's get away from these straight squares and go to the-"
"Flaming fun house?" I offered, grinning at my best friend. "Get out, but first," I kissed Trey with a loud smacking smooch. "Dada and Mama are right here, baby, so just-"
"Mara, stop it." Eric was rolling his eyes. "Trey will be FINE. He LOVES time with Steven and me, you know that." He turned away, tossing a warning of his own over his shoulder. "Just give a shout if Coach needs some 'flaming fun house' times, K?"
"Thirsty whore," I muttered, closing the door behind him. Negan was downstairs, finishing up a meeting with Steven and a few of the outpost leaders. He'd be back soon, he promised, and he NEVER broke a promise now. Not after being forced to by Carl's sudden appearance when we first arrived.
I tidied up the entry room, tucking Trey's toys into his crib, smiling because Negan had found a travel crib for Eric's rooms, one on wheels in case Laura had to take him overnight. Picking up the books that I'd read him during the morning, stacking the plates from lunch, and putting them outside our door, I took a look around and felt that the room looked decent. I moved into our main living area and repeated the process, taking the time to remake the bed, fluff the pillows, and pick up any dirty laundry that had been missed. I was fixing a t-shirt that was hanging out after Negan wasn't as careful as he usually was during dressing when I came across the small black velvet box.
Biting my lip, I thought about NOT opening it, but curiosity won out. Flipping open the box, I shook my head. It was clearly the wedding band that he'd chosen for me. Dainty like my pair of rings still secure on my finger after all these years, it was dotted with tiny round diamonds, almost like Morse code. My finger touched the band gently, wondering if the world hadn't gone to shit if we would have been able to get past- I sighed.
"It means 'Forever,'" Negan offered, leaning against the doorframe and studying me. "I- I wanted it to be on your finger forever, so it seemed appropriate." I bit my lip and waited for him to come closer. He walked slowly, leaving Lucille leaning by the door. "It should have been right here," he took my left hand in his and touched my ring finger where the other two sat, "a long fucking time ago."
"Then put it there," I held out the box to him, but he shook his head and my heart clenched painfully at the rejection.
"Oh, princess, I AM going to put it there," he wrapped his arms around me after releasing my hand. "But I plan on doing it in FULL view of every-fucking-one." It was my turn to shake my head, but my face was cradled against his chest so my movement was stifled. "And I hope you'll wear the dress you picked out." That made me pull back a little and look up at him.
"Did you peek?" I watched his face, feeling like I would be able to tell if he lied about this. He shook his head and I felt a rush of surprise. "Really?"
"When they brought everything back," I'd known, because he'd finally told me what it had taken to empty our house and bring it all to the Sanctuary, that he'd sent minions to get EVERYTHING. "Since the bag isn't fucking see through and the label is from a wedding gown store, exactly what it was, but I hoped, Amara-"
"That you'd find me?" He nodded and swallowed hard. "You did, didn't you?" I smiled up at him and I finally got the kiss I'd been waiting for. "Stop trying to redeem yourself, Negan, I love your ass and the rest of you." He chuckled against my lips. "So you haven't a clue what it looks like?" Another negative. I bit my lip. "When?"
"When-" he raised an eyebrow.
"When can we do it in front of 'every-fucking-one', Negan? I think we've waited long enough, don't you?" His eyes seemed to light up. "I'm serious, I want my damn ring." That got a laugh and then he finally took the box from me, but he snapped it shut and tucked it back in the drawer where I found it.
"I think-" he scooped me into his arms and I grinned into his neck. "That FIRST I want to make sure I should buy the cow-" I slapped his shoulder playfully. "I mean, I already have the free milk, right?" Another smack and he tossed my ass onto our bed. "Now, princess, you were being nosy in Daddy's drawers, what do you think I should do about that?"
I licked my lips and watched as his eyes went from playful to predatory. "I don't know, Daddy, what do you think?"
Lying together on our bed, my head on his chest, my ass burning I was smiling. "You look pretty fucking pleased for a woman who just got her ass turned ruby red by my hand, princess." I bit my lip, thinking about his face when he FINALLY sees me in the dress he swore he hadn't peeked at.
"I'm wondering-" hiding my face in his bare chest, my smile grew.
"What?" His voice was heavy with curiosity. I considered what I wanted to ask, something I hadn't asked in the years before the world went fucking tits over ass.
"Why did you pick me?" Not looking up at him, just letting my fingertips tease the spattering of chest hair that I loved. "I mean, when I was still a school girl and you were-"
"Your asshole gym teacher?" I smiled, kissing his skin and waiting for him to continue. His fingers slid down my bare arm, touching as gently as if I were made of spun glass. "I don't know, I won't lie and say I never LOOKED while I was teaching. I'm not dead." His fingers slid back up to the back of my neck and tugged so I knew he wanted me to meet his eyes. "Then you walked in, looking like you'd like to smack the living shit out of me, eighteen years old and ready to take on the world. You said, 'yes, sir' and I felt something deep down inside of me unlock, and then it was temptation after temptation with you." I smirked up at him. "I can still see your skimpy as fuck gym clothes, Amara, and I thought I'd burst into fucking flames every damn day you jogged and stretched in that fucking gym in front of me." Biting my lip, I listened as he told me a better story than he could tell Trey. "I couldn't fucking find it in me to even TRY to keep my distance. Hearing that you had ALL those fucking offers for Homecoming, then having you actually say yes to that moron Joe, I wasn't lying when I said I was in knots. I knew that I should tell you to go off with a guy your own age, but fuck, princess, I knew we were meant to be. Didn't you?"
I let what he said digest for a couple beats, feeling more loved by the man I was wrapped up in than I ever thought possible. "I think I probably knew when you spanked me the first time," his smile made his dimples peek out from the scruff he'd regrown at my insistence. "I wouldn't have let ANYONE do that to me, but I never once questioned YOU doing it." I pulled myself up his body, my lips meeting his and then pressing my forehead against his. "You have opened my world wide open, Coach, and I think I'd rather die than be separated again."
"Same, Amara, same." And then he rolled me onto my back, and he let the rough scruff of his face drag down my body, burning until he settled between my legs. "I'm hungry." His lips met my other lips and I felt like the world was tilting as I arched into his mouth, thinking our date nights were head and shoulders over any fucking other date nights that have ever been had.
