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Settling into Alexandria was a good idea, Glenn can give Rick that at least - well… whenever he stops giving Jessie goo-goo eyes. Seriously, dude, her husband died not too long ago (not that he can feel too bad, considering Pete was kind of a dick - scratch that a really big dick).
He and Maggie have settled as well as they can in one of the houses, and it feels downright euphoric to rest in a place where they’re not constantly watching their backs. He snagged a bottle of whiskey earlier that day when scavenging for supplies - Maggie might enjoy a little gift like that. While being physical is something both parties enjoy, it feels nice to go traditional and give his wife a gift.
Is whiskey a traditional gift? Maybe wine was a better choice? He could ask one of his neighbours if he could borrow-
“GLENN!”
Maggie’s shout brings him out of whatever train of thought was running through his head.
“Yeah, babe?”
“Get up here, I need you!”
“Oh, ‘kay, be right there!”
It’s not the most elegant thing in the world be rips off a bit fabric from the bottom of his shirt to tie a small bow around the neck of the bottle. Nothing glamorous but it’s the best he can do so short notice.
He runs up the stairs, a little extra kick in his steps that almost makes him fall over once he gets to the top. He leans against the doorframe, bottle hidden behind his back, wethered fabric tickling his wrist from the loose threads.
Maggie’s sitting in one of the bedrooms (from the wallpaper it looks like it used to be someone’s grandma’s), her fingers drum against the mattress she can’t seem to get comfortable on, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. Her hair is all mussed up and frizzy like she’s been running her hands through it all day, Glenn can’t tell if it’s greasy or damp.
“Baby? You okay?”
Her eyes dart from his face, to her knees, and then back to his face again over and over.
“Maggie, what’s wrong?”
“I-” She starts before swallowing and rubbing the back of her hand against her face, “It’s not like I’m unhappy, but- it’s, I don’t know! I don’t know how to feel.”
“Did something happen?” Glenn pushes off from the door and sits on the bed next to her - far away enough to make sure she doesn’t feel crowded but close enough that it doesn’t feel obnoxiously far.
“How do you feel about unexpected things?”
As if on cue, rain begins pattering against the windows. Glenn tilts his head at that. Did she see the whiskey? Does she not like whiskey? He thought southern people liked whiskey?
“Like surprises? Cause I like surprises a lot.”
Maggie sighs, “No, Glenn, it’s, well- it’s not bad but,” She slides off the bed to trace her finger over the indented flowers in the wallpaper, “It’s like comin’ home and findin’ out your mom and dad adopted a kid without you knowin’.”
That was oddly specific.
“That would be a shock, yeah,” Glenn nods, “I think I’d learn to deal with though.”
“Even now?”
“I’d like to think so, I’m not a kid anymore.”
“And what if you were?
“I think I’d like it, having another sibling I mean. My older sisters wouldn’t be able to bully me if I was in a team of two. No?”
Maggie snorts, “See, this is why I fell for you, Glenn Rhee.”
Maggie pulls him up by his hand so they’re both standing in front of the window, she smiles at him but it doesn’t reach her eyes before she turns away.
“And that’s what terrifies me.”
He leaves the bottle somewhere behind him before wrapping his arms around her middle - she’s gotten skinnier. Glenn rests his head on her shoulder and inhales her scent as they watch the water droplets run down the glass. She smells like home.
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter, pitter, patter, pitter, patter.
Glenn feels her heart racing under his arm, “It scares me too.”
She hums inquisitively.
“How I fall more and more in love with you everyday.”
She laughs dryly, “You’re an idiot.”
“Who’s really the idiot? The idiot or the idiot who falls for the idiot?”
And that’s the thing that makes her grin reach her eyes.
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter, pitter, patter, pitter, patter.
The rain picks up as he sways them both, going on until her heart finally settles underneath his hands.
“I’m pregnant.”
Glenn freezes.
Maggie doesn’t want to turn around, so she doesn’t - this is exactly what she was afraid of.
“I-I took a test last week and again today, they’re both positive,” She feels Glenn’s hands fall to his sides, “I’m not upset but with the walkers and all-”
She feels wetness on her shoulder and she turns so fast it almost gives her whiplash.
Glenn stares at her tears running down his cheeks, a wobbly smile upon his lips.
“A baby? We’re having a baby?”
Maggie nods, her own tears starting to fall as she watches the quiet excitement play across Glenn's face.
"Yeah… yeah," she whispers. "We're having a baby."
Glenn lets out a sound that's half-laugh, half-sob, and pulls her close. His hands shake as they come to rest on her shoulders, then cup her face, thumbs brushing away her tears even as his own continue to fall.
"This is-" he starts, then stops, searching for words. "This is the best surprise. The best unexpected thing."
"Even with everythin’?" Maggie asks, her voice trembles Glenn notices despite the badass that she is. "The walkers, the scavengin’, the people out there?"
Glenn pulls back just enough to look at her properly. "Especially with all that," he says firmly. "Maggie, this means something, you know? It means we're not just surviving anymore. We're living. We're making a future. Our family, a little us, y’know?"
She lets out a shaky breath, "I've been so scared to tell you. Scared you'd think I was crazy for lettin’ this happen, scared you'd—"
"Hey, no," Glenn interrupts gently. "No way. This is ours, Maggie. Yours and mine. And yeah, I might be shitting my pants a bit, but..." He glances toward the window where the rain has slowed its steady rhythm. "But we've gotten through everything else. We'll figure this out too."
Maggie's shoulders finally relax, and she leans into him. "We're gonna be parents," she says, testing the words out loud, “I wish my mom and dad were here to see this.”
"We're gonna be parents," Glenn repeats, disbelief in his voice, "I'm gonna be a dad. Oh man, I need to- we need supplies, and- wait, do you need to eat differently? You felt a bit skinnier- NOT THAT THAT’S A BAD THING, you’re still beautiful I mean-” He bounces on his feet, tapping his fingertips together, “Are you feeling okay? Should you be standing?"
Maggie almost grabs his lips in her fist but catches herself. "Glenn, I'm fine. We've got time."
"Right. Time. We've got time." He's still grinning like an idiot when he suddenly remembers. "Oh! Wait here."
He scrambles to retrieve the whiskey bottle from where he'd abandoned it, the makeshift bow slightly undone from being set down too hastily.
"I was gonna give you this, but maybe that's not the best idea now," he says sheepishly, “Maybe I could find you juice or something? You like apples, right?”
Maggie takes the bottle anyway, running her fingers over the fabric bow. "It's perfect," she says softly. "We can save it. For after."
"For after," Glenn agrees, smiling so hard his cheeks hurt ache. Yet. for some reason his eye itches.
