A/N: Hi everyone! This one-shot is in response to a prompt request I received from Mrs GrimesGrant: "Can you write a Richonne story where it's Michonne's first time and they're on their honeymoon?" So here it is! Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Title taken from Amel Larrieux's "Make Me Whole"
"Are you sure you want to do this, son?"
Rick looked up from his hands in his lap to the older man on the other side of the mahogany desk. He peered at him over his glasses with a seriousness that made nervous sweat bead at Rick's temples. He inhaled and sat up straighter, a confidence bursting through him as he rubbed the small object he held in his hand, giving him the courage to go on. His future was at stake here and he needed to make this conversation worthwhile.
"Yes, sir, I am," he said. All nervousness and doubts of this visit quickly went away as he thought about why he was there in the first place. "I've been thinking about it for some time now and I'm positive that I want this to happen. With your consent, of course."
The older man nodded once, his eyes never leaving Rick as he leaned back against his chair. "And what do you think my daughter will say?"
Rick nearly smiled at the mention of his girlfriend, Michonne. "I'm hoping she'll say yes, Mr. Anthony."
"Hmm." Mr. Anthony took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, thoughts scrambling through his head. Michonne was him and his wife's only child, a smart young lady who was well on her way to big things in her future. The last thing she needed was a distraction along the way.
However, as he looked at the young man sitting across from him, he realized that if it hadn't have been for this Rick Grimes, he might not have had a daughter to dote on anymore. The accident that Michonne was involved in last year was tough on their family and the aftermath almost emotionally broke her, but Rick was by her side helping her through it every minute of every day. Mr. Anthony was not too fond of the question Rick had laid on his desk, but he was glad it was from a man who he knew he could trust with his daughter.
"Can I see it?" he finally asked after a moment of silence.
Rick nodded and held out his arm to hand him the object.
Mr. Anthony tried to keep his face as expressionless as possible but one look at the round cut diamond ring that he now held in his hand broke that rule. The corners of his mouth twisted into a small side as he continued to observe it.
"It was my mother's," Rick explained proudly. "She gave it to me to pass it on to my future wife. She's hoping to start a tradition with it," he chuckled nervously. "I know Michonne isn't into anything flashy, so I figured it was the perfect choice. If not, we can always-"
"What makes you think I will say yes?"
Rick stopped, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "Sorry, sir, I- I just got ahead of myself…"
The man laughed, waving his hand then passing the ring back to him. "I'm kidding, son."
"Oh." Rick nodded, taking the ring back, relieved.
Mr. Anthony sighed as he leaned forward on his desk. He opened his mouth and then paused, hoping he was making the right decision. "You have my blessing. You can marry my daughter."
A smile broke out on Rick's face, finally exhaling the breath that he had been holding since he walked into the room. "Thank you, sir," he stressed. "I promise I will take care of her and-"
"I know," he said. "I know you will." He stood and held out his hand. The young man's smile was so contagious that he caught himself smiling as well. "I'm not too happy with the idea, considering how young both of you are, but I won't deny Michonne love. Especially with this second chance at life."
Rick mirrored his stance, shaking his hand tightly. "You won't have to worry about her, sir. I'll protect her for the rest of my life."
"Go," Mr. Anthony said, taking back his hand. He waved towards the door. "You have a long drive home; you're not in Georgia anymore." He shook his head. He knew the young man must have been serious considering he drove all the way up to Alexandria, Virginia, just to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. "I'm pretty sure Michonne is waiting for you."
As Rick thanked him again and walked towards the door, the older man stopped him again with a question that his parents had just asked him the night before.
"Why do you want to get married now?"
He turned, the smile never leaving his face. "Why waste time when you find the right one?"
•••
Michonne sighed contently as she rested her head on Rick's chest, silently counting the number of times his chest rose and fell with each breath. They were sprawled on the bed, tired after a long but eventful day, too tired to even get up to order dinner or change out of their clothes. They basked in each other's presence, listening to the gentle sounds of the serene beach right outside of their small rental house. They were married now, having made the lifelong commitment that morning in front of their parents and closest friends.
She lightly moved her hand up and down his chest, her gaze lingering on the diamond ring on her finger.
"We'll have the big ceremony one day," Rick said quietly, watching her.
She gave a small smile and shook her head. "What we had this morning was enough for me."
He chuckled as he thought back to nearly ten hours earlier. Instead of a big ceremony with close friends and family, they opted for a much smaller intimate one at the church that only included both of their parents and their best friends, Glenn and Maggie, who served as the best man and maid of honor. With Michonne leaving in just two months for her summer internship and graduate school, they wanted- and needed- to save money and to be with each other before she left. Their parents finally abandoned their offers to help them after both Rick and Michonne turned them down, offering instead to pay for their four night stay on the beach as a honeymoon.
"I really wanted you to experience the whole nine- have the bridesmaids, pick out the dresses, find a venue and all of the other things a bride does."
Michonne shifted her body so that she was facing him, taking his hand in hers. "None of that matters to me. You know that; I'm not the traditional type. As long as I'm with you, the venue and the dress doesn't matter. Although," she looked down at the long white halter dress that she was wearing. "I will say that I did enjoy picking out the dress."
He smiled, bringing her delicate fingers to his mouth for a kiss. The moonlight was shining through the double french doors a few feet away from the foot of the bed, illuminating its light on his wife. She looked beautiful. Her shoulder length locs were hanging loosely against her shoulders and had a few pieces that were decorated with small gold cuffs, an accessory that she loved and wore often. His gaze flickered to her large brown eyes, getting lost in them, and he instantly wondered what he did to deserve her. Whatever it was, he was glad she was there. If there was one thing that were true, he was sure he was born to love her.
He gently pulled her down so that she was on top of him, cupping her face to pull her lips to his. Their kiss deepened with urgency, their tongues dancing before finally pulling apart so they could catch their breath. She rested her forehead against his. He could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. They both knew where this was going.
"We don't have to do this tonight," he said. "We can take our time. Do whatever else you want. We're out here for four days so we have time."
She grinned at his thoughtfulness. They had been together for nearly a year before the accident and were close to the point of being intimate, but that one dreadful night had put a wrench in their plans. She was in the hospital for a while, physical therapy started once she was out, and her confidence in herself was low, so they had some things to work through before taking that step. He was patient with her, showing her in other ways how much he loved her- staying by her side through the pain, helping her start up school again and finish, supporting her. All of it was a sign of his love for her.
But tonight was different. She had lost a piece of herself that night of the accident, to the point where she didn't feel whole. When she was with Rick, she felt herself coming back together again.
Michonne intertwined her hand with his and bent down for another kiss. "I want this," she whispered. "And I want you."
They spent the next few moments exploring each other's bodies, clothes slowly coming off as the ocean waves outside of their room became the soundtrack of the night. Rick licked every part of her, tracing her lines and curves with his fingers, thanking the angels for leading him to her. He led a trail of kisses from the top of her head to the lower half of her body, paying special attention to the long scar on the side of her knee. Her battle scar and a testimony of how she had won the fight.
It wasn't long before he was hovering over her naked body as she shyly looked up at him. He helped her relax by placing kisses on her shoulder and neck, tasting the saltiness of her smooth skin. When he entered her slowly, she kept herself from crying out, noting the slight pain that it had injected. He paused, stopping until she patted his waist with her hand, signaling him to continue. As he went on, he whispered sweet sentiments in her ear and she found herself moving along with him, their bodies rocking to the motion of the ocean waves. She tightened her arms around his back, finally accepting his soul into hers as they exchanged their love for each other.
He was the other half that made her whole.