AN: Hi again! So…we've got maybe two or so chapters after this unless I'm fooling myself.
This is a Merle/Andrea chapter.
I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!
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If anyone had observed the scene, which they weren't, they might have thought that Merle was kidnapping Andrea as he helped her out of the truck in the Watering Hole parking lot.
Since the whole shooting she'd been much less interested in going out than she once had been…mostly because she was still recovering and still had a good way to go before she could even remotely be considered "back to normal"…but she also complained about always being home, inside, cooped up.
She'd been somewhat excited about the "date" that Merle told her he was taking her on. She'd gone through the effort of at least getting dressed up a little and doing more to her hair than tying it back in her typical ponytail. She'd also taken the time to put makeup on, so that in itself was an improvement over the "I'm wearing sweatpants and don't care if I ever shower again" attitude that she'd been sporting around the house.
But her excitement about the date seemed to drop as Merle came around and helped her out the truck so she wouldn't jar herself too much by dropping down out the old rusted thing.
"The Watering Hole, Merle?" Andrea whined. "You said we were going on a date…"
"We on a date, sugah," Merle said, not letting her sour puss attitude affect him at the moment.
He stopped, lighting a cigarette, and stood there smoking it while she went through a range of emotions in the light cascading over the parking lot from the street lamp that made it look like she was entirely undecided if she wanted to cry or get angry about the whole damn thing. Merle, in contrast, slowly puffed at his cigarette and wore something between a smirk and a smile as he watched her.
"There's nobody even here, Merle," Andrea whined, looking around the abandoned parking lot.
Merle glanced around the parking lot like he hadn't paid it any attention when he'd pulled in. It was empty. It was far emptier than it typically was. Tonight was not a happening night at the old juke joint.
Merle chuckled and puffed his cigarette.
"Was ya hopin' ta see some damn body or somethin'?" Merle growled.
Andrea growled in response and then bit her lip.
"No…I just…I thought we were going out," Andrea said.
Merle chuckled again.
"Damn sorry I didn't make ya ass happy, Andrea," Merle said. "Thought'cha liked drinkin' down at the Waterin' Hole…'specially when ya ain't gon' be the damn one waitin' on our asses."
Clearly, since the shooting, Andrea had been out of work. Limited use of one arm…which was still spending most of its time in a sling under doctor's orders…and the inability to lift much substantial weight with the other…coupled with the natural fatigue and overall stoned nature that went along with meds and recovery…had kept Andrea away from waitressing positions, or any position for that matter, since she'd gotten out of the hospital.
Andrea sucked her teeth and frowned deeply.
"I don't mean to be a bitch…" Andrea said.
Merle chuckled.
"But'cha 'bout ta be?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her and dropping his cigarette butt on the parking lot ground and grinding at it with his toe.
Andrea frowned, not giving any verbal response and apparently deciding not to say whatever it was she'd been considering saying.
"Let's go inside," Merle said. "Say hey ta Loretta, have a drink or two…then if ya still not satisfied I'll take ya wherever the fuck ya wanna go."
Andrea frowned again, but nodded her head slightly and turned, walking toward the bar with all the general nature of a child leaving a toy store after being told that they can't have anything, but that maybe, if they're good, Santa might bring them something in six to eight months.
Merle, a smirk still plastered on his face, followed after her.
As soon as Andrea walked through the wooden door of the bar, Merle straining behind her to reach around and hold it open so she didn't have to push too hard against it, her face changed from disappointment and sadness to a look of confusion, and Merle smiled too.
He'd been expecting the transformation…if that's really what you could call the little that had taken place…but it was still nice to see the finished product.
Merle had slipped Loretta the money earlier to make it happen, and she had come through with her part of the deal. The place was clean, probably cleaner than it had been nearly thirty years at least, and it smelled clean too. That alone was enough to have made the look of confusion cross Andrea's face…the lack of filth made it almost seem like a different bar entirely.
The place was also cleared out. The regulars had all received the notice the night before that the bar was "rented" for the night and none of their asses were welcome. They could drink elsewhere or stay the fuck home, as Merle had put it…he didn't care where the hell they all ended up for the night, as long as they weren't at the Watering Hole. That, too, would cause confusion because even on her slowest nights Loretta had at least eight to ten assholes holding down stools or leaning on pool tables.
Andrea looked at Merle, her eyebrows furrowed, and Merle smirked again, strolling right up to his customary seat at the bar. He already knew that Loretta and her husband Roy were in the back…but Andrea didn't have to know that shit.
"There's no one here," Andrea said, looking around.
"Ya done covered that shit, sweetcheeks," Merle said. "Or ya meds makin' ya go addle brained?"
Andrea frowned and narrowed her eyes at Merle.
"I mean no one, Merle," Andrea said. "Where the hell is everybody?"
Merle chuckled and shrugged, reaching the bar with Andrea walking unsurely behind him.
"How the hell should I know?" Merle asked. "Fuck…maybe it's the end a' the fuckin' world…the damn rapture or some shit…an' we the only two people left…"
Andrea chuckled at that.
"I think if it was the end of the world the population of the Watering Hole would be safe," Andrea said. "I don't think either of us have a first class ticket through the pearly gates…but we can't be worse than some of the regular assholes that come here."
Merle snickered and patted the bar stool next to the one where he usually sat.
"Saddle on up here, darlin'," Merle said. "Lemme get'cha somethin' ta drink."
Andrea sighed a little but got onto the bar stool and leaned on the bar that was no longer sticky…she ran her finger across it, marveling at the fact that nothing unidentifiable got stuck to it.
Merle went around the bar.
"What'll it be?" Merle asked.
Andrea shrugged.
"I don't think I should drink with the meds," Andrea said.
Merle chuckled.
"One damn drink, Andrea," Merle said. "I'll make sure ya get home all safe an' don't no asshole fuck with ya…'cept the one ya was already goin' home with."
Andrea chuckled and smiled.
"Whiskey," she said.
Merle fumbled under the bar a few moments, pouring the drinks for himself and for Andrea down below the bar instead of making a show of it in front of her.
He slid one of the glasses next to his spot and then he took hers in his hand and started around the bar, saddling up on his stool while she reached for the glass and he moved it out of her reach. She furrowed her brows at him and he cleared his throat, taking a second.
He sat the glass in front of her and Andrea stared at it a minute. Merle stared at her, staring at the glass, and finally set his jaw.
"I'm a proud ass man," Merle said. "An' I ain't gettin' down on one damn knee an' I ain't got no damn white horse…but I figured it was fittin' ta give ya that here since it's the first damn place I ever laid eyes on ya…first night we rolled inta town."
Andrea continued to stare at the glass a moment and Merle shifted, obviously a little uncomfortable, on his stool. Then Andrea looked at him, tears brimming in her eyes as she reached and fished the rings out of the glass.
Merle reached over and grabbed a couple of napkins off a stack on the corner of the bar and passed them to Andrea who balled them up in the napkin to dry them, still not having said anything.
"Well say somethin', darlin'," Merle said finally. "Tell me I'm an asshole or tell me ya gonna let me make an honest damn woman outta ya…but don't keep all shut up like a liquor store on Sunday over there."
Andrea smiled, though it was still evident she was considering crying. She fingered the now dry rings in her hand and looked at Merle again, swallowing.
She nodded.
"Maybe I'll make an honest man out of you," Andrea said. She smiled.
Merle smiled, relief washing over all his features.
"Ya already did," he said.
Andrea furrowed her brow after a moment.
"You're not supposed to give me the wedding ring, though…" she said. "Not yet."
Merle reached and took the rings out of her palm and reached his hand out, delicately touching the one of hers that was trapped in the sling. He moved the cloth aside enough to gingerly slip the diamond on and then grunted at it.
"Don't quite fit right," he said.
Andrea looked at it.
"I can have it sized," she said.
Merle sucked his teeth, turning the other ring between his fingers before he reached in his shirt pocket and fished out another band that was larger. He held them out to Andrea.
"I ain't the kinda man likes ta get all dressed up in no fancy clothes," Merle said. "An' I don't reckon ya gonna be wearin' white any damn time soon."
Andrea smiled.
"I think if I wore a white dress, God might strike the whole wedding party with lightening," Andrea said.
Merle chuckled and then sucked his teeth again, nodding his head. He cleared his throat.
"Loretta's in the back, back there…she's got her husband, Roy, here tonight," Merle said. "I took a big damn chance an' went on down ta the courthouse an' fished us up a license…an' Roy's got all the power an' shit ta marry people…I was thinkin' we might could go ahead an' make it official."
Andrea sat there for a minute and then she smiled.
"Here?" She asked. "Now?"
Merle shrugged.
"Ya got a better damn idea?" Merle asked.
Andrea looked around at the empty bar.
"Don't we need witnesses?" She asked.
"Just the one…that's what Loretta's here for," Merle said.
Andrea looked thoughtful for a moment.
"What about the others?" Andrea asked. "Daryl, Carol, Michonne?"
Merle chuckled.
"I ain't marryin' them," he said. "We can tell 'em tomorrow…or hell let 'em find out when the hell they find out…ain't gotta if ya don't wanna."
Andrea shook her head and then shrugged, chuckling.
"No…I want to," she said. She shrugged again. "I've done most things in my life on my own…why stop now?"
Merle frowned at her.
"Ya gon' stop now if we do this shit," Merle said. "If we do it then ya don't do shit alone…we stuck doin' it together…don't matter how damn bad we might hate each other sometimes."
Andrea smiled and nodded her head slightly.
"I'm in…let's do it…for better or for worse," she said, winking at Merle.
Merle smiled and leaned in, kissing Andrea quickly. She was smiling when he broke away.
"Get on out here, Loretta! Roy! She said alright!" Merle called toward the back of the bar where Loretta and Roy were waiting to find out Andrea's reaction.
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When the vows were said and Loretta had served up fresh drinks and congratulated the happy couple while Roy sat smiling at the corner of the bar, Loretta crossed the space and went over to the juke box. Merle wrapped an arm around Andrea, pulling her toward him gently and kissing her forehead as she looked up at him.
"Dance with me, darlin'?" He asked.
Andrea smiled.
"There's no music…and I don't think I'd be a very good dancer right now," Andrea said.
"Loretta's 'bout ta put us on some music…an' I can't dance for shit neither so we oughta do just about right," Merle said.
Andrea smiled and nodded at him, letting him lead her out to the center of the open floor of the bar. He turned her around, gently by the shoulders, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him so that she was leaning against his chest. At best the two could sway together a little in this position…perhaps complete a lazy turn or two…but there was no one to impress with their skills anyway.
"Loretta helped me pick out the song," Merle said. "Ya know I don't listen ta a whole buncha music…but I liked it an' I hoped ya might think it was alright."
Andrea glanced up at him before sighing and resting her head back against his chest. She didn't look at him again when the staticky sounds of the juke box speakers kicking on finally spilled out "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge, but she did squeeze Merle a little tighter with the arm she had wrapped around him.
Their dance wasn't impressive…it wouldn't have caught the attention of a single onlooker if there had been any besides Loretta and Roy who were holding down bar stools at the bar and keeping quiet while the couple shared their first dance as man and wife…their first dance ever.
They swayed, completing a few half circles as they shuffled about, hardly ever leaving the same two square feet of flooring on the old bar floor. Andrea stayed pressed against Merle's chest, her hand lazily rubbing at his back, and Merle kept his chin rested on top of her head, his arms gently draped around her until the song had come to a crackling end.
"This weren't too terrible, was it sugah?" Merle growled, his voice low.
Andrea looked up at him, her eyes as damp as they had been for the most of the night.
"I think it's pretty much the best night it could have been," Andrea said. She smiled at him.
Merle tipped his head and pressed his lips to hers, tangling their tongues together.
"I love ya, Andrea," Merle said, pulling away from the kiss and keeping his voice at the low growl he'd adopted. "An' ya can't say was nothin' made me say it 'cept I wanted to."
Andrea smiled, one of the tears that had been fighting so hard for its freedom finally escaping and sliding down her face. Merle reached and wiped it away with his thumb.
"I love you too, Merle," Andrea said, her voice straining a little.
"Damn sure better," Merle said with a smile. "Ya good as stuck with my ass now."
Andrea laughed and Merle pulled him to her again, still swaying to the sound of the song that had long since run its course but continued to echo in their ears.