Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead
A/N: Short Richonne fic. Set around 5x1. A small glimpse into our favourite survivors being overprotective with one another. Felt inspired as I was thinking a lot about the lengths Rick, Michonne and Carl went to in order to protect one another in my other fic The Way Forward.
"That's the trouble with caring about anybody, you begin to feel overprotective."
— John Updike
He really is a strange man, Michonne thought as she sat listening to Eugene speak flatly about what he did before the Turn and what the plan was now. The group had found safe harbor for the time being in the form of a church with an odd preacher man. Rick, agreeing with Michonne's suggestion, decided it was best that they find supplies, rest a day or two, figure out what they would be doing and then do it. It also served as an opportunity to speak with the newcomers and find out what type of people they were.
Michonne stayed by Rick's side as he spoke with Eugene, Abraham, Rosita and Tara separately in an effort to discover more about the people who would be around his family; Eugene was the last one they spoke to and after the conversations were had, Rick moved to return to check on Carl and Judith, instinctively looking to see if Michonne was going to follow him.
"You comin'?" Asked Rick as he glanced at Michonne expectantly.
He had become so accustomed to her company that it seemed natural that she would follow.
"Give me a minute?" She asked as Rick looked from her to Eugene, then back to her again. She wanted to try to get her head around his explanation of the cure so she planned on speaking with him further and asking more questions. He seemed interested in her enough to want to continue their discussion.
Rick nodded and walked away, not meaning to glance back over his shoulder at the two of them, but doing it anyway; something that was not missed by both Michonne and Eugene.
"I don't think your boyfriend likes me much." He said to her with his face remaining expressionless.
"Rick's not my boyfriend."
Michonne said, even though she hated to explain it every time someone mistakenly thought they were together; it happened frequently at the prison with new people they let in. Although it was the truth, and they were not together, she and Rick had briefly given in to their mutual attraction to one another before the prison was lost to them. It seemed a natural progression for the both of them; an organic part of their friendship. It happened one evening after she had returned from her quest and Rick went to her cell with every intention of giving voice to his concern about her leaving the safety of the prison. She had asked him why he was so concerned, and he did not have the words to explain it; so he did the next best thing. Rick cupped her face and captured her mouth with his own. Soon they were half naked, writhing and mutedly suppressing moans. Before they even had time to process what had occurred between them, the sickness had spread, then the prison was lost and finally, they were held prisoner at Terminus. Where they were now, camped inside the church walls, was the only time that they really had a chance to catch their breaths.
"Really? Could've fooled me." The man said, his eyes lighting up a little at the news that she did not belong to Rick Grimes.
"Sorry? What?" Michonne asked, her mind momentarily drifting back to another time and place.
"I said, you could've fooled me into thinkin' the two of you were together." Eugene reiterated.
"How so?" She queried, wanting to know how most everyone had said similar things about her and Rick.
"I dunno. Just the vibe I get. He's a little overprotective of you."
"He's like that with everyone." Came her quick reply.
"Nah, I don't really see it with the others, besides his kids; but he covets you. Always keepin' an eye on ya. He's doing it right now." Said Eugene as he motioned to where Rick was seated next to his children, watching them both.
Micohnne had no response for the man; she could not explain why Rick's gaze always seemed to find her; why he would always want to be in her presence. She was not even sure if the two of them sharing an intimate moment in the near past meant anything. Was it anything other than two consenting adults who had not engaged in sexual activity in a long time just blowing off steam? All she knew was that it happened and they had not had the chance to talk about what it meant; Michonne hardly saw the point in discussing it in their present situation either way.
"You're screwing though, aren't you?" He asked unashamedly.
Michonne made a somewhat disgusted face at his lack of tact and shook her head.
"No, Eugene, we're not screwing." She answered, too tired to be truly annoyed with him.
Now his eyes really did light up.
"Interesting. What are your thoughts on screwing? Since Rick doesn't speak for ya, how would you feel about the two of us?" He asked, looking hopeful.
"Excuse me?" She asked, having a fair idea of what the man was asking.
"The two of us, ya know, screwing around?" He explained.
Michonne looked at him and a disbelieving expression played on her features.
"Listen, guy, I don't think that's how you should ask a woman to enter into some kind of sexual relationship, but to answer your question, no I don't want to screw around with you."
He was not like some of the other men she had met at the end of the world; he was awkward. Eugene was, she imagined, not too different from the way he was before; he did not really need to learn how to defend himself because he had his very own personal bodyguard in Abraham. Michonne was an excellent read of character, and she figured Eugene had lived a pretty routine life; work, home, D&D, internet porn and more work. He seemed to enjoy the attention that came with being the purportedly single most important individual in the apocalypse. She could not picture him being any type of ladies' man so she was not really surprised by his bluntness. With that, she felt their conversation was finished and she got up to leave.
xXx
Rick sat down quietly next to Carl who was holding Judith; the boy was making small talk but noticed his father was distracted. He followed Rick's line of sight and saw that he was staring at Michonne and Eugene. Wait, thought Carl; Michonne and Eugene? He thought it did not even sound right in his head. Michonne rarely spent time with anyone other than Carl and his father; the boy knew this, so he was intrigued as to why she would be sitting talking to the newcomer.
"Dad?" He began. "What's that about? Why's she talkin' to him?"
Carl motioned in their direction as Rick shrugged.
"I don't know, Carl. The two of you have spent a lot of time together lately. Maybe she wants to talk to someone else, like an adult." Rick tried to reason, not sounding believable, even to himself.
"Why would she wanna do that with him when she's got you?" He questioned.
Rick shrugged.
"Carl, she's allowed to talk to other people; she can talk to other men." Rick said.
"Yeah, well I don't like it." The boy replied. "That guy looks at all of the women funny. I don't want him lookin' at her like that. She's not for him."
Rick sighed at Carl's comments, unsure of what his son's actual meaning. He had not really had the chance to talk many things through with his son; they had not had the opportunity to talk about the nature of sex and what it meant, but he could guess that Carl understood that sometimes men and women were attracted to one another. Sometimes attraction was not met with reciprocity; and sometimes men wanted something from women, by any means necessary.
"What do you mean?" Asked Rick, eyes still fixed on Michonne and Eugene. He noticed she had rolled her eyes and made a face at something he had obviously said.
"I mean he looks at Michonne like he likes her, Dad. You know what I mean. How Glenn looks at Maggie, how you look at Michonne. He looks at her like that and I don't think you should let him. She isn't for him." The boy said determinedly.
"How do I look at Michonne?" Rick asked, raising an eyebrow at Carl.
"Oh come on, Dad! I'm not a little kid anymore. You guys think I don't notice things, but I do. I see how you are with each other, I see how you look at each other. And if you're lookin' at Michonne that way, then I don't think you'd want some random guy with a mullet to be lookin' at her at all!"
"Carl, it's complicated."
Offered Rick. He was completely surprised by his son's statement. The boy had obviously been taking more notice than his father had thought. Just as others had done, back at the prison, Carl noted that there was something behind the stares and the awkward conversation between Rick and Michonne.
"Really? It seems simple to me. You like her, she likes you; do something about it." He said sternly, just as Michonne stood and began to amble back to the Grimes family.
xXx
"You okay?" Carl asked as she sat down on the floor in front of them.
"Yeah, it's just that man, Eugene, he's a real piece of work." She offered, not necessarily wanting to explain what had just transpired, especially not to Carl.
"What happened? What were you talking about?" He questioned a hesitant looking Michonne.
"Nothin' important, don't you worry." She smiled at Carl.
"If he said something wrong, you tell me and I'll sort him out."
He said in a serious tone as both Michonne and Rick gave the boy questioning looks before letting out small chortles.
"And here I thought your Dad was the overprotective one!" She let out, as she glanced at an amused looking Rick. "Seems it runs in the family."
Rick held her gaze for longer than was necessary.
"Yeah well, you're our family now, so if anyone messes with you, they're messin' with us. Isn't that right, Dad?"
Carl stated firmly as he looked to his father; Rick offered an affirmative nod of his head as the boy stood with his sister and began to walk away.
"Thanks, Carl." Michonne said as she and Carl smiled at one another.
Michonne and Rick sat in silence a moment, exchanging glances before he cleared his throat and spoke.
"So, what did y'all talk about? Get much more outta him than I did?" He asked as they locked eyes.
Michonne shook her head, then offered:
"No, well, actually yes, I think."
Rick looked puzzled.
"What'd he say?"
"Well," she started quietly. "He thought you were my boyfriend…"
Rick involuntarily smiled at hearing that.
"When I said that you weren't, he asked if we were screwin' around…"
Rick unashamedly let his eyes roam over Michonne's body at that moment, before meeting her eyes again; his smile fell away and something else was present in his eyes.
"Then he asked if I wanted to screw around with him." She added lastly.
Rick narrowed his eyes and looked over to where Eugene was sitting, staring off into space.
"What did you say?" He asked, looking somewhat annoyed.
"What do you think I said?" She asked as Rick shrugged a little. "I said no, of course."
Rick nodded his head and replied: "Good."
"Dude's got a mullet, Rick. What do you take me for?" Michonne queried, letting a smile play on her features.
"Oh, I'm not worried about you bein' interested in him." Rick added in a cocky manner that caused Michonne to let her eyes wander over his frame.
"Didn't think he'd have the balls to hit on you when I'm in the same room. Maybe I should let Carl go and sort him out."
At this Michonne grinned and let out a small laugh.
"Really, Rick? Now why wouldn't he hit on me in front of you? Like I told him, you're not my boyfriend." She offered flirtatiously.
Now it was Rick's turn to smile and chortle. He nodded as he looked down at his hands then back at Michonne.
"Yeah, I know. But we can change that."
A/N: So yeah, I think I'm gonna write some more to this.
Thanks for reading!
