The rest of the year flew by, as they got the houses ready, and crops taken care of, they where really building on, and growing Hilltop and Alexandria.
Summer turned into Fall, and Fall slowly turned into Winter, as they settled down one night, it was the middle of December. Melanie sat back on the sofa with her feet propped up, drinking a cup of tea. The kids were snug and asleep in their beds. She finished her cup placing it on the table.
"Tired mama?" Harlan asked sitting down beside her, he had just gotten home a little while ago, Maggie had her twin boys about a week ago, they naming them Remington and Gunner - Maggie was worried something was wrong with one of them, and asked for Harlan to go look at them.
He slowly undid the laces on his boots and took them off, he groaned relaxing back into the sofa. Michonne had her baby about a month ago, a little girl named Georgia. "Dogs are really barking tonight.."
"Always. I bet you are also.." She smiled slightly shifting a bit, moving her legs from the coffee table to the arm of the sofa and laying her head on his lap. "Much better.."
"I love how you just claim property over my lap as a pillow." He smiled down at her slightly pushing her hair from her face, he nodded slightly. "I am."
"Well your lap is pretty comfortable." She smiled opening one eye up and peering up at him.
"Baby behaving?" He asked glancing down a her stomach. The kids took the news of having a new baby in the house very well, Sarah, Ford and Charity asked about their dad a lot, and they talked with them. Sarah was excited to have a new little sibling that was apart of her dad.
Melanie was in the end of her 8th month and doing really well, having no issues at all.
"For now - much be sleeping." She shifted a bit. "Wish my back would stop hurting so damn much."
Moving his hand to her stomach, and rubbed it slightly. "Want a back rub?" He wasn't usually one to offer, he knew her back had to really be aching for her to say anything about it. She never complained about anything else. She had had a pretty mellow pregnancy, no issues, and just trying to relax and not worry at all about anything.
She peeked up at him with both eyes, she wasn't sure she heard him right. "You're offering? Did I die and go to heaven." She shifted and sat up smiling slightly, laughing a little.
"Nope, still here." He smiled. "Figured you needed one.." "He moved back a bit, grabbing the lotion from the coffee table and laughed slightly at her heaven reference.
"Would be amazing."
"Get comfortable." He shifted and turned more to her. Melanie had on a nightshirt and shorts. She lifted it up and exposed her back leaning over the side of the sofa, with a few pillows for support. Harlan warmed the lotion up in his hands after squirting a good size amount in it, he went long up her spine, and down the outer parts of her back and did small circles going back up, and just continued doing that pressing more with each one.
Melanie relaxed and let out soft groans as she felt him rub her back and continued. "Goodness.. Still good." She closed her eyes, he rubbed her back a lot during her last pregnancy she was in a lot of pain - between him and Negan rubbing her back last time, she felt better.
Harlan smiled slightly, as he kept going, rubbing along her back. He looked over the angel wings she had tattooed on her shoulder blades, he never really looked it over before - it was beautiful. It was white with a hint of purple cascaded in the feathers. "When did you get that?" He asked softly.
"About a year after Ford was born..I got it in spite, Negan and I were fighting all the time. One of the guards used to be a tattoo artist, and I asked him to do it for me. Negan was so pissed." She smiled slightly. "He eventually loved it though.."
"Any reason for the angel wings?"
"Not really. I just picked it because it was pretty." She smiled up at him a bit.
"Look's really good on you." He smiled back, and kept rubbing. "Feeling good?"
"Very good." she groaned relaxing more, laying her head on the pillow smiling more.
Harlan rubbed her lower back, and tried not focusing on her groans. It was killing him, he wanted to lean down and kiss her but - he knew she wouldn't accept that ever. He sighed softly, he wished sometimes that things had gone different with him and Melanie. He missed her, he knew that was odd to say considering she still lived with him, raising her kids plus their child together.
He let go of her back, and shifted. Melanie moved, and sat on the coffee table, she removed his socks and started rubbing his feet. "Good?" She smiled, watching him lay his head back.
He let out a groan in response, relaxing as she rubbed his feet for a while, he swore he could have fallen asleep then and there..
"Harlan?"
He didn't move or flinch, just kept his eyes closed relaxing.
"Harlan?" Melanie shifted a bit, she didn't know how close she was to him after sitting beside him, and brushed her lips against his.
He snapped out of it slightly, and looked at her, as she accidentally kissed him. He put one hand up on her face and pulled her closer and kissed her.
She groaned softly kissing him back, she sat up more moving closer, she wrapped her arms around him and shifted more. She groaned feeling his hands move to her hips. Melanie had missed this type of intimacy, she had missed Harlan - sure that lived together, and spent time together but it still felt like there was an awkward fat elephant in the room - by elephant, she meant her occupied uterus. She knew he didn't mind it, but she sometimes wondered if she hadn't gotten pregnant by Negan before his death - if they would have moved forward sooner. She shifted a bit, turning around all the way moving closer to him. She felt him wrap his arms more around her. She let out a groan as she melted more into the kiss, slightly partying her mouth and sliding her tongue into his mouth.
Harlan groaned and kept kissing her, pulling her into his lap. He moved his hands pushing her hair from her face lightly combing her hair with his fingers, and groaned more. Melanie broke the kiss, kissing down his jawline to his neck, breathing softly. "Doing okay?" he asked laying his head back.
"I'm alright." she smiled slightly, shifting and sitting up. "I…"
He stroked her head for a minute, and shook his head. "Nothing to say sorry for." He smiled. "Come here." He grabbed the pillows putting them behind him laying back pulling her close.
She shifted and laid on top of him, on her side, her back against the back of the sofa. Harlan grabbed a blanket, putting them over themselves. She nuzzled her face against his neck and sighed softly. Harlan wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Goodnight Melanie."
"Goodnight Harlan." She smiled up at him slightly.
