Just an exercise, trying to get my brain to work! Thought I'd share. This AU deviates from my main story. Michonne & Rick discover their Oasis. Sweet, fluffy, lemony fun. One-shot.
Michonne squinted angrily towards the sky, blinking the burning sweat out of her eyes, the sickening heat nearly bringing her to her knees to pray for relief. It was just around high noon, she estimated, and she and Rick still had a few more miles to hike before they could even begin searching for a new car. She squirmed as fresh drops of sweat trickled down between her breasts, and bugs buzzed about her head, bringing with them the constant threat of bites or stings. It was supposed to have been a quick, easy run to the tack shop for gear they needed for Flame and Spirit, nothing serious or urgent, but the car they had taken from the prison had broken down unexpectedly. They decided to hike through the woods to take a 'shortcut', as Rick had called it, to a nearby town he had spotted earlier. He had been glancing at her the whole time, during the drive, and now, even. It seemed as though he'd wanted to say something, but hadn't as of yet. She figured he'd get around to it when he was ready, but at that moment, she didn't really care what it was about. All she wanted at this point in time was a car with a functioning air conditioning system. She paused to shift the heavy duffle bag and katana she had slung across her back, and swabbed her brow with a hand towel. She gave Rick an annoyed look as he waved his hand around as if trying to trace a gust of wind. That would be nice, she thought as she watched him walk ahead of her, lost in concentration. All she had felt for the past few hours had been the moist, hot breath of the swampy southern heat.
Rick tilted his head as he felt another cool burst of air. Now, he was sure now he hadn't been imagining it. He glanced back at Michonne, who had stopped walking just a few paces behind him, and who was now staring at him speculatively.
He stopped to look at her, "You OK?"
"Yeah," she frowned, "It's muggy today," she said leaning against the nearest tree.
He walked over to join her. They were both filthy, drenched in sweat and smeared with the remains of dead bugs, but even then he found her to be beautiful, with her dark skin glistening with sweat in the hot Georgia sun. She wore one of her lower cut tops, although he knew it had more to do with the temperature outside than with pleasing him. It was the bright orange and white top that complimented her skin tone so well, and despite the sweltering heat, he wanted to touch her.
He pressed his lips to her sweaty forehead, but she gently nudged him away, shaking her head, "It's too hot."
"Let's just take a breather," Rick took one of his bags off of his shoulder and he knelt, rummaging around before handing her a bottle of water. He watched as she took sips from the bottle and dropped her gear, his blue eyes, almost startling against the deep tan of his skin, flickered away from her when she returned his gaze.
She grinned, "Here," she said handing him the bottle. He took a few swigs before returning it to his bag.
Rick idly picked up a thin twig, and snapped it in half, concentrating on its jagged edges as he gathered his thoughts. "I think," he started suddenly, "That when we get back, you should stay."
"Do you?"
"Yeah. And so does Carl", he said, giving her a long, meaningful glance. It had been a sore topic of discussion for weeks now, and with Daryl and Hershel chiming in, she felt as though they'd been ganging up on her, but she knew they were right. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay at home with her loved ones. Rather, it was that she feared something horrible would happen once she decided to stay. As if that life were a mirage that would fade away, as soon as she decided to reach for it.
"Just consider it? Please," he pleaded.
She nodded, 'I'll consider it.'
He settled down to sit on the forest floor. Here, he could feel the cool air even more, and glanced around, determined to locate its source. Looking off into the distance, Rick finally spotted the low-hanging cloud of water vapor he'd been hoping see. Suddenly, he was on his feet, handing Michonne's bags to her, "Come on, I've got an idea."
"Does it involve AC?" She asked hopefully, "Or a pool even?"
He grinned, "Better."
As they closed in on their destination, they could hear running water, and feel the light mist blowing in their direction. They grinned at each other, almost giddily as the cool air dried the sweat on their brows. It was a waterfall. Looking up, they could see approximately where the source was located, perhaps twenty feet above where they stood, but they couldn't see the base, as the path to it was blocked by a series of boulders.
Michonne sighed, placing her head against Rick's shoulder, "Oh God, that's amazing…you think it's safe?"
"Let's go find out", he said, squeezing her hand.
The base of waterfall was sufficiently well-hidden, especially from walkers. They had to climb first up and over a few large boulders, and then down to reach the plunge pool, but it was worth it.
They stood there for a few moments, just marveling at the beauty of their surroundings. She leaned towards Rick, speaking loudly as to be heard over the thundering waterfall, "Best idea ever," she said, playfully gripping his shirt. She felt the lean muscles of his abdomen contract away from her tickling fingers, "Have I told you how awesome you are lately? "
"I could stand to hear more," he said, as a slight dreamy smile spread across his face. She returned his goofy grin with her own, and felt her cheeks burn as they usually did when he stared at her so openly.
They dropped their gear in the driest spot they could find, careful to not slip on any moss-covered rocks. It wasn't quiet, really, but the constant thrum of the water, while almost deafening, easily faded into the background.
Rick dipped a hand towel into the pool before placing it onto his head and face. He lifted it to say something to Michonne, but was rendered speechless when he caught sight of her. She'd stripped down to her boy shorts, and was now fussing with her hair, unbinding it and removing her head band. He stared at her, "What are you doing?" he finally managed to ask.
"Are you kidding me?" She said, flipping her dreads over her shoulder as she glanced at him, "Getting in."
He almost slipped as he followed her to the pool's edge, "It may not be safe."
She lowered herself into the water before he reached her. The icy water stung at her nipples, sent shockwaves up her spine, and her skin immediately broke out into goose bumps. Her skin and muscles tightened up from the cold, but she didn't care. It felt incredible after the day's heat, and it still wasn't enough to quell the heat that seemed to radiate from within her.
Her rather high-cut shorts framed her toned rear and legs as they flexed, launching her towards the base of the water fall. Rick called out to her, gesturing for her to return.
She flipped onto her back regarding him blithely, and interrupting whatever it was he'd been trying to say "It's easier if you take your shoes off!" she yelled.
He could barely hear her over the rushing water. He watched helplessly as she swam towards the less voluminous edge of the water fall, and disappeared behind it.
"Shit," Rick murmured as he stripped to his boxers.
"Michonne?" He called uselessly. Though where they were, there was only a thin wall of water separating them from the outside world, the larger portion of the water fall effectively drowned out his voice. He climbed up into what looked to be a rock shelter or a small cave. He approached her, and halted when he saw what she was staring at.
On the wall, there in front of Michonne, was an array of petroglyphs. They could only see the few feet of the rock wall that was closest to the entrance, the rest, as he was sure the work of art continued into the depths of the cave, were shrouded in total darkness. She looked at him and smiled when Rick gently placed his hand at the small of her back, she huddled close to him for warmth, stooping down a bit to slip her shoulder beneath his arm as they admired the cave wall. As they looked on, a scene played out before them, an ancient story of hunters trekking prey, cornering their quarry, and then going in for the kill, all of it taking place beneath a smiling depiction of a sun god. The men returned home to their wives and children, dined, and there were even depictions of love making in various positions to complete the story. Thorough, Michonne thought humorously to herself. It was getting damn cold in the small cave, and she'd had enough of the cold for now. She shivered, and smiled at Rick as she turned to leave the cave, vigorously rubbing at her arms.
"Hey-"Rick said, quickly looping an arm around her waist.
"What?" She mouthed.
Rick guided her back over to the petroglyphs, stepping behind her so they both faced the decorated cave wall. He blew hot air into his cupped hands before placing them onto her arms, massaging, and rubbing away the gooseflesh there. She relaxed against him, enjoying his warmth, and not at all minding the growing hardness pressed against her lower back. She turned within the circle of Rick's arms to face him, grasping his shoulders as she balanced on the balls of her feet to gently kiss the side of his mouth. He pulled her closer, returning her kiss tentatively at first before plunging his tongue into her willing mouth, deepening their kiss as their hands roamed over one another. Michonne closed her eyes, biting her lip as he thumbed her hardened nipples through the thin fabric of her tank top. His hands slipped beneath her shirt, pulling it up and over her head. She unclasped her bra and tossed it aside as Rick carefully stepped out of his boxers. She palmed his considerable girth, thoroughly enjoying the heat and heaviness of him as he worked at peeling off her shorts. Using his fingers, Rick explored her moist center, gently massaging the hot, fleshy bundle of nerves there before gingerly slipping them inside of her. Michonne's hands covered his, guiding him as he stroked her until he was sure she was ready to take him.
They fumbled a bit, shifting around awkwardly, trying to find a comfortable position that kept them off of the cave floor's wet jagged rocks. There was an easier option, Rick realized, but with this being their first time together, he simply refused to take her from behind. He needed to see her, to watch as her expressions changed, to see how she responded to his touch. Michonne stepped up onto a slight shelf in the rock wall, giving her enough height for them to work with. Rick hooked an arm under one of her legs, leaning towards her with his hand pressed against the wall, bringing her onto the ball of her other foot, precariously balanced. He steadied her with his other arm around her waist tilting her hips up and towards him. He'd have to work hands-free now, not that he minded at all.
Michonne braced herself with a hand against the rock wall, while maneuvering him with her free hand as he pressed into her, gently, slowly working himself deeper and deeper with each tentative thrust until he was fully seated within her. She buried her hand in his hair, gripping onto him for balance. Rick moved slowly and deliberately, bowing his head and gazing down the length of their bodies to watch himself enter her as they moved together. The pace he established was steady and even with just the right amount of force, and Michonne almost regretted that she could already feel the first stirrings of her impending ecstasy. He tasted her skin, his tongue tracing slow, hot lines down her neck and to the peaks of her breasts, she gasped as he took each chill-hardened nipple into his warm mouth. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as her climax overcame her, and while Rick had been gentle, her orgasm was not. It slammed into her with sudden force, causing her head to spin. Michonne's knees buckled, but Rick held her tightly and did not allow her to fall. Rick repositioned them slightly to Increase his speed and pressure, pistoning into her to satisfy his own desire. Not too long after, she felt his entire body shudder and his ragged breath hot against her neck as he came, pressing himself even further into her. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the sensation of him flexing and pulsating within her, as he filled her with his liquid warmth. They held on to each other for a while longer, kissing and gazing into each other's eyes until their breathing returned to normal. Soon, it once again became too cold to remain in the cave, and they left, albeit reluctantly.
They needed to leave soon, or they'd lose the daylight and be stranded in the dark. Rick slowly withdrew from Michonne, letting her place both feet securely onto the cave floor before stooping to gather their discarded garments. They swam back to shore and dressed quickly. Rick eyed her, and was disappointed to see that she seemed troubled, but decided not say anything just yet. He glanced at her as they walked, hoping she'd share her thoughts with him, but she looked off into the distance to avoid his gaze. Rick began to panic inwardly, "Are you OK?" he asked her.
She nodded, then, after some hesitation, she added, "What we did. Was it a good thing?" She asked him quietly as they walked towards the town, "Was it mistake?"
Bewildered, he stared at her. Stepping in front of her to hold her face in his hands, he searched hers for any hint that she could possibly be joking. He could see that she was serious, her expression worried, boarding on sorrow, even. "Shh…" He hugged her to him tightly and kissed her. Pressing his lips to her ear, he whispered softly, "It was the best idea ever."