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choerypetal · 6 months

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Reunited / Rick Grimes

summary: With Rick Grimes alive, escaping from the bridge proved to be a daunting challenge for everyone, especially for you and the others you had encountered, many of whom had since passed or moved on to different parts of the city. While the CRM focused on rescuing new victims from a nearby vault, you, like many others, had believed Rick to be dead. However, his unexpected return brought about a reunion that revealed a deeper, more profound connection between two lovers.

ps: english isn't my first language so i appolagize for any grammar errors (which i will be editing them if seen through out) but i do hope you enjoy!

Rick was keenly aware of your hiding spot. Tracking you down, though, was simply a waiting game. Fortunately, you slipped away after the chaos on the bridge. Everyone, including you, thought Rick had perished. Michonne's desperate scream and Daryl's uneasy sense confirmed the loss of the man they all relied on. Forever.

However, this time was unlike any other. Rick found himself recruited by the army stationed outside the city's main gates. It wasn't until he and Donald caught wind of a nearby enclave of survivors in need of rescue that their journey truly began. It was during one of these escort missions that Rick spotted you, utterly vulnerable. Within the vault, amidst a mix of shattered families and strangers burdened with the trauma of living in a city overrun by monsters, you were just one among many in desperate need of aid. And what truly killed Rick more was the fact that he, himself couldn’t even get near you.

Still reeling from the shock, you struggled to muster your remaining energy. Amidst the escort, you caught sight of Jadis, but even recalling your own surroundings was a challenge. The sight of living, talking humans proved more daunting than you had anticipated, let alone considering what might transpire once you were among them.

Rick had to be halted just before catching sight of you. His mouth, ready to whisper your name away. Y/N… Without exchanging a word, Donald swiftly grasped his left shoulder, their shared glance conveying the need for patience, particularly considering your recent ordeal. ‘She'll receive immediate care,’ Donald whispered, knowing well that you were among the select few the army had been searching for.

Throughout your time there, you hardly ventured beyond the confines of your room, following strict orders to remain within. Occasionally, brief strolls outside the base were permitted, but always under strict time constraints. Initially, you couldn't shake the feeling that this place resembled a prison rather than a refuge. Yet, despite your reservations, something within those walls compelled you to stay longer than you had anticipated, much to Rick's dismay.

Rick watched you from afar. A lost soul he did not believed to be reunited with, let alone feeling your presence amongst himself. How you would exist from your room to get some fresh air, sitting near the lake that separated a journey you once tried to forget. And the others, imagining what it would’ve been if everyone was here. With him. So he simply kept his distance. Nothing to scare you of course.

Days passing, now felt like months and you were already assigned in your first years of training. Although you had offer your help in the nursery section, which thanks to Donald whom made sure that you get the position, it was during your first day working amongst other nurses, that you actually met in. In flesh.

Rick had to be cautious. He understood your potential reaction, especially if you were to discover that he, along with other military colleagues, was the one privy to knowledge about your area. Moreover, encountering him in person felt like a nightmare you wished hadn't occurred. As your eyes fell upon the patient, injured like others who arrived, his world shifted entirely upon hearing your voice utter, "Coming right up."

Upon returning from preparing the bed for your next patient, you were unprepared for the revelation of Rick's presence and how he came to be here. The moment this realization hit, your eyes and mind aligned abruptly. Despite striving to maintain professionalism, the sight of the man shook you to the core. A man everyone had believed to be dead, now standing alive before you. What unnerved you most was his well-being. Nonetheless, you pressed on with your duties, mustering the courage to ask the first question: "Any injuries?" Rick, anticipating your reaction, responded promptly and simply. He claimed only his arm required the usual annual check-up, though both of you suspected there might be more beneath the surface.

During his appointment, Rick and you did barely say a word. As you tendered his wounds, you noticed his gaze softens everytime your fingers would be delicately clean his new arm rest. It was something he had missed from living outside the base. When Carl was still alive, you had been with them for sometime already and you would be keeping Judith while he went to gather some material for the week. Enough so to keep them alive and with more and more allies during your stay, foes such as Negan where a doomed faith would be met, ever since the bridge he couldn’t get his mind off anyone. Michonne included, who you had the joy to meet and talk during your off times.

As the silence enveloped the room, you found solace in softly murmuring a sweet melody, a habit you had maintained since earlier days. Rick had always been captivated by this tune, ingrained in his mind whenever you tended to anyone at camp. In those moments, he longed for the return of such days, free from the threat of walkers. However, he knew deep down that this hope existed only in his dreams, far removed from reality. So he did the same, in his head. Before actually breaking the silence. Enough for you to force an habit to even begin talking with a man you thought once dead.

"I'd be remiss not to ask how you're doing," he said, his voice familiar yet slightly rough, even hoarse. However, there was an unexpected calmness to it, as if nothing troubled him since his rescue by the army. Your gaze lifted swiftly from his wound, allowing yourself a brief moment to absorb the sound of his voice once more. "You're right, please, tell me," you replied, pausing briefly, your eyes steadfastly meeting his. "How are you?"

He almost felt a chuckle bubbling up inside him. The irony of your unwavering presence hadn't faded since the last encounter. You, someone who had seen it all, just like him, had managed to find solace in humor. You owed that partly to Daryl, who could be either a good or bad influence, depending on one's perspective. For Rick, it was undoubtedly a positive one. However, he knew he had to temper his eagerness with patience. "I could have my good days," he teased in his familiar voice, one you had grown accustomed to and secretly missed hearing. "But now that you're here..." He approached cautiously, noticing your slight flinch, yet your eyes conveyed an attempt to appear unaffected by his presence, which he found oddly endearing. "And you?"

Of course, you couldn't evade the question. Instantly, you hesitated, but Rick's approach, the way he initiated the interaction firsthand, signaled that he was still the same Rick you knew. A Rick who, albeit a bit "sane," still carried the essence you remembered. Like Michonne, you felt a glimmer of hope in this world knowing he was still around. "Couldn't say I've had my best days either," you admitted.

He chuckles. “Funny, isn’t?” He lowered his gaze his fingers grumbling within each other, playing with his watch soon after. “How we all have our best days.” He said in a way that made you fivers down your spine. His words spoke like butter in your ears and yet, you wanted to embrace him instantly in his arm soon after. The only thing was that you couldn’t guess if what he meant was real, or simply a mutual feeling you both had once years ago? Especially after the bridge.

"Guess it's just luck," you shrugged innocently, completing the final touches of tending to his wound. Rick couldn't help but admire your face, and before he knew it, his hand was cupping your cheek, his gaze meeting your lips. Without giving you a chance to speak, he brushed his lips against yours, a kiss that instantly brought back memories of your time outside the city. He had wanted to kiss you then, to taste your skin, to have you all to himself.

"God damn it," he murmured softly after another shared kiss, his forehead resting against yours as he tried to catch his breath. A chuckle escaped him, prompting you to question what was amusing him. His answer was simple, "You have no idea how hard I searched for you. I owe Donald for that one." Oh, he certainly did.

You smiled softly, feeling reassured by his response. If it weren't for Donald, who knows where you would be now. The thought of ending up like so many others frightened you. But then you reunited with Rick, and from that moment on, being with him was all that mattered. For both of you, being together was everything. You belonged to him completely.