[Introduction – This story is a mash up between elements found in AMC's 'The Walking Dead' and Discovery Channel's 'Naked & Afraid.' This story showcases a relationship between Michonne and Rick Grimes. This story is also the sequel to a previous story I wrote titled "Token Black Girl (A Richonne Story from The Walking Dead)." Check that one out before reading this one for a solid contextual foundation. Enjoy!]
The last thing she could remember was hearing the news about some outbreak that had people turning into flesh eating savages.
[13 hours earlier]
No one really had the story straight but the media had been flooded with clips of human beings literally tearing at the flesh of other human beings.
Everyone in the airport was in a panic and was trying to get flights out of the city as soon as possible. Her flight number had been called and she was up next to board the plane. She was alone in the city but was hoping to reunite with her family as she had been away on business. She took her seat and even though she was trying to stay calm her body had taken to trembling.
"Please, Jesus, give me peace. Please give me peace."
She was so scared. She didn't understand what was going on in the world but she just thought to herself, If I have faith, God will make a way. He will make away. She tried focusing on that, her faith in God to take care of her, instead of focusing on the panic that was happening all around. Her thoughts were interrupted with a message over the plane's intercom.
"Passengers, please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts. We are preparing for take off."
That's when a man wearing an expensive business suit sat down hurriedly next to her. He hadn't even bothered stowing his carryon in the loft above. He shoved her as he collected himself and hastily fastened his seat belt around himself.
"Sorry about that," he said without making eye contact.
There was no room for offence to be taken. He was scared. She was scared. They were all scared. They were hoping that this flight was going to take them somewhere far way from the mayhem that had taken over the city. He, like her, was trying to just keep it together long enough to get to where ever was home.
"It's no problem," she assured him. As she glanced over his profile, she realized that something in his face looked familiar. She could not quite put her finger on it, but she knew him. She broke her glance and refocused her thoughts on prayer.
With engines roaring, the wheels of the plane started to rotate and they were gaining tremendous speed. The momentous velocity forced her head back on the headrest and with her eyes closed she felt the smallest ounce of relief while thinking to herself if we can just take off, I'll get home. I can get home. And with that, the plane's wheels gently floated off the runway and they were airborne. She could hear the familiar man next to her exhaling strongly. Apparently, she was not the only one relying on this flight's successful take off. She glanced at him in the corner of her eye to see that he was still breathing heavily with his own eyes closed. His knuckles had grown pale from where he was clenching the grips of the armrests next to him.
The flight attendants were pacing up and down the aisles doing their best to keep all the patrons calm offering cold beverages to anyone interested. She took a moment to admire how in the midst of all this chaos, they had maintained a calm demeanor and were professionals right on through this whole mess.
"Sir, please take your seat. The plane is still ascending," the attendant called out to a man who had gotten up and headed towards the rear of the plane.
"I'm really not feeling so good. I've got to get to the bathroom," he explained.
"Sir, I understand, but I need you to take your seat. It will only be a few moments. Once we reach a certain altitude it will be safe for you to head on back."
With sweat dripping from his brow he grudgingly complied and took his seat. There was something very wrong with him. He looked ill. She thought to herself, His nerves must be doing a real number on him. Some were a little more affected by the news than others and it was clear that this man was not holding up well.
Thirty minutes or so had passed and the gentlemen from earlier had finally gotten a chance to go to the restroom and came back looking markedly better than when he had gone in. For whatever reason, seeing him doing even slightly better gave her a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, things were going to be alright.
By now the plane had made considerable headway and was somewhere over an unknown body of water. In the far distance she could make out what looked to be an island, but she was not sure. With her gaze out the window, her thoughts began to drift back to the news reports she had seen just before take off. What was happening to all those people? Was it some kind of terrorist attack? Had the water been poisoned?
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" A woman several rows back screamed out. Before she could even sit up from her seat to turn around, the flight attendant from before was running down the aisle toward the direction of the screaming.
"Sir, get off of her!" the attendant commanded futilely, "someone get him off of her!"
It was the most bizarre thing. The same man that had gone into a sweating spell during take off, had sunk his teeth into the arm of the woman sitting next to him and would let go for nothing. When others nearby were able to pry the man from the screaming woman something in his eyes looked different. His eyes were cloudy; unclean like murky drinking water. He said nothing, only grunted just before he lunged and attacked the attendant who had made her way to the back of the plane. In a matter of minutes the entire plane was in pandemonium.
What happened after that was a blur as her memory was distorted and she couldn't make out all that had happened. All she knew was that once the murky eyed man bit someone else, they too got those cold murky eyes and went on to bite others. Whatever it was that was changing them was spreading throughout the plane like hay fever and eventually even the pilot succumbed. Control over the plane was lost and they were going down. The plane had crashed in the ocean, not too far from an island. Probably one of the very same islands she had seen while looking out of the window back when things were still hopeful.
But now everyone was dead.
She was alone.
She woke up choking on water and knocking against debris that was now sprawled in the ocean water. Weak and confused from the impact, her attempts to swim to, and hold on to a floating seat were clumsy and largely ineffective. She could not seem to get enough control over her limbs to coordinate any effective movement towards her only lifeline. All she could think of was how cold and tired she was. She just wanted to rest, give in, and let the water take her… take her to peace. But just as she closed her eyes to let herself sink beneath the surface of the water, images of her family flooded her mind. With an upward jolt, she pushed herself back to the surface wildly gasping for breath. She thrashed about in the water until she caught hold of something, anything she could steady herself with. With the last bit of determination and the cushion pressed tightly against her chest, she doggy paddled towards land until she was just on the shore. She lied there face down until her fatigue took over entirely.
Some time later she awoke to the sun beating down on her so bright she could hardly open her eyes. Had it been a couple hours? A couple days? She could not know for sure. She sat up in an upward position with her feet tucked under her, and her knees pulled tightly in to her chest. Scanning the scene before her eyes was shaking. The wreckage from the plane was violently strewn everywhere. Among the rubbish there was no apparent sign of life remaining.
She was really all alone.
She felt a familiar fear begin to creep up into her spirit… the same fear she felt before the plane had taken off. But before the fear could be fully realized she felt a hunger pang hit her hard in her side. It was then that she realized her lips had cracked and were crusted over with a thin layer of blood. She needed water. She got up and immediately made her way to the ocean. She knew she could not drink the ocean's salt water but maybe she could find some bottled water floating from the stash the stewardess had in her isle cart. She pushed forward until she was wading in waist deep water.
Not too far off she spotted something that was reflecting the sun's light. It looked a little like a flashlight being turned on and off as the waves carried it in and out of view. It was a sprite can floating just below the surface. She could hardly grasp it because it was covered in some mysterious greasy film that made it extremely slick. While busy trying to seize the evasive can she barely noticed the noise. It was no louder than a whisper but it was steady, like a fuse, or passing air. Something was leaking.
The slippery substance floating above the ocean's water was explosive jet fuel released from the plane's engine. The tank carrying the aircraft's gas had been punctured and was making a whistling noise as it spewed out gas just above the water's surface. Unbeknownst to her, all that thrashing about she had done in pursuit of the sprite can had her clothes drenched in flammable fluid from the waist down.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
It was metal beating against metal. Contrary to what she believed she was not alone. There was another survivor and, whoever they were, they preoccupied with beating the metal interior of what remained of the aircraft.
"Hey! Is somebody there?" she called out, "Who's there!"
Whoever was inside the mangled plane stopped their beating but not soon enough. The metal crowbar they were using to get at something had scraped some iron lining that caused a single spark to fly. In a single moment the water caught fire. It was an astounding sight to see. Imagine burning water. The floating gas only made the ignition more profound.
She, and her mysterious guest were now surrounded in flames. In panic she dived down to escape the flames. She tried to stay under for as long as she could but her lungs urged her back upwards. She rose from the water to catch only the glimpse of a man's figure.
"Hurry! Get back down and get to the shore!" He yelled out.
She took a single breath and submerged herself back in the water and swam as hard as she could.
Meanwhile, he jumped from the planes cockpit, through the flames and into the waters that were now in full flame. She beat him to the shore, but not without escaping the flames that were now engulfing her clothes. She let out a shrill of panic and frantically pulled at her clothes that were quickly heating her flesh. The man found himself in the same situation once he emerged from the water also.
The only two living human beings were ablaze and fire fighting their own clothes for dear life.
She dove towards the sand and began to through it all over her in an effort to kill the flame. She did not succeed but the sand, in combination with her rolling back and forth, did suppress it enough for her wiggle out from the khaki slacks she was wearing and eventually the rest of clothes, or at least what remained of them.
That's when she saw the man still fighting his own flames. He was but 20 yards away from her and without thinking she took off towards him.
"Lay down!", she called out to him, "Stop flailing! Lay down!"
He hit the sandy ground with the full weight of his body, still in panic.
She ran with so much momentum she nearly fell on him kicking up sand with her hands.
"Roll! Roll! Keep rolling!" She urged.
Just as had been the case with her, the sand and rolling diminished the flames enough for her to work his burning shirt from his body. Still in a frenzied rush, he pulled his upper body forward and wrestled his pants away along with his undergarments.
Everything happened so fast.
"Are you burned?" She did not wait for his response and proceeded to examine his body closely and diligently.
"Well, are you!" she demanded.
"No. No, I'm not burned. I just… just got smoke in my lungs," he admitted, "I'll live."
"What about you?" he returned, "You alright?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm ok. Just a little scared out of my mind."
"I thought I was alone out here," he said, "After the crash I didn't see anyone so I figured I was the only survivor." She nodded while listening to him recant his story but she was still looking down at the ground trying to catch her bearing from everything that had just happened. For all she knew, she could have died…. For the second time counting the plane crashing.
"Hey…", he said waiting.
"I'm sorry. What?" she questioned.
"I asked you for your name." he responded.
That's when she looked up at him and saw him; really saw him for the first time. He was the man from the plane. The one in the expensive suit that sat next to her and pushed her while fumbling around with his seatbelt.
"My name? Oh, yes. My name. My name's Michonne."
"Nice to meet you, Michonne. I'm Rick."
It was then that she could finally remember from where she knew him. It was Rick! Rick Grimes from high school! Of all the people in the world… what were the chances that she was going to be leaving the city, boarding a flight, and surviving a plane crash with this man. What were the odds?
"I would say that it's nice to meet you too but I believe we've already met." Michonne returned.
"Have we?" Rick questioned.
"We have. You went to Palmetto High, right?"
He chuckled, '"I sure did. Are you saying I know you from high school? Wait, what's your last name?"
Before Michonne could respond, the realization hit him.
"Michonne?" His eyes stretched wide, "You were in my Literature class!"
She smiled while nodding in confirmation, "Yeah, that was me…"
"I remember you beaming me in the face with a paper ball for asking about some assignment."
She was laughing out loud now, "You remember that? I'm surprised. That was over 8 years ago…."
"How could I forget? Hit me straight in the eye!" He laughed aloud.
The laughter between them settled and she stood to meet his gaze. It was in the silence that they both realized that they were nude. Up until this moment they were very much like Adam and Eve passing time in their secluded tropical paradise. Shame passed over them both and she raised her hands to cover her bosom, and he to cover his member. They remained in silence for several uncomfortable moments.
"It's, uh… it's getting dark. What do you say we find a place to sleep?" Rick suggested.
Sleep. Right. She had forgotten about that. She supposed she had been asleep for several days but then again, she could have been unconscious. She could not know for sure. But she was conscious now. And she was not alone now. She was with him and it was time to sleep. Naked.
"Yeah, let's do that. Let's find a place to sleep…" Michonne replied.
They set off back towards the trees, still covering, or attempting to cover, their bodies. They fumbled about each other nervously as they tried to gather oversized palm tree branches to create a make shift sleeping area. Eventually the work became too physically involved to allow their hands to be used for modesty. They worked side by side with exposed bodies before the sun had completely hidden itself.
For twenty minutes or so, Rick got a fire going. Michonne thought to herself You'd think he'd be a little bit more efficient with fire starting, considering he just set the ocean ablaze not too long ago. But she decided against sharing her thoughts.
"I think I'm going to just let the fire go until it burns itself out while we sleep." Rick announced.
"Sounds good. Lord knows we're going to need it. It's already cold out here. This tropical weather ain't all it's cracked up to be," Michonne scoffed.
"Tell me about it," Rick replied.
"So do you care which side of the bed you get?" Michonne asked.
"I guess not. Ladies' choice."
"Alright then, Ill take the side closest to the fire. This cold is getting in my bones."
"Fair enough. See you in the morning," Rick trailed off right before lying down.
Two hours had passed and Michonne was not yet asleep. It was far too cold. The chill rattled her awake every time she felt herself dozing off and to combat the crispy air her body went to shaking violently to generate heat. Her teeth must have been clapping against each other because Rick called out to her.
"Michonne, are you still awake?"
She did not answer right away.
"Yeah. You can't sleep either?" she replied.
He rolled over to face her direction.
"Not really. I'm freezing." He returned.
"I always appreciated having clothes on my back but this is giving that notion a whole new meaning." She confessed.
He stayed silent for a moment before opening his mouth to speak.
"I know this whole thing has been a little uncomfortable, but I was thinking… just for the sake of staying warm…."
He paused again before finishing his statement.
He continued, "I was thinking maybe we could sleep a little closer together. Its just so cold out here…"
"You mean like… spoon or something?"
He chuckled before looking down, "Yeah, spoon, I guess. If you don't mind…"
"Well, I mean… We could both use the warmth…."
Before the words had even rolled off the tip of her tongue he was making his way over to her.
"Is it alright if I wrap my arm around you?" he asked bashfully.
"Yeah, sure."
She pretended to be as calm and collected about the situation as she could but she was lying naked next to a man who ironically she did not know well, but also happened to also be the love of her life in days past. All she could think about was how she could have only dreamed of being this close to the Rick back in high school. He had not taken the slightest notice of her when they were teenagers and now she was literally wrapped in his arms. His strong arms. Her thoughts were interrupted….
"Michonne are you holding your breath?"
"Who, me? No. Of course not… no." she replied clumsily.
"Oh, ok. It just felt like you weren't moving, so I thought…"
"No, I'm good," she interrupted.
"Well, good night. Hopefully, for real this time…"
"See you in the morning," Michonne closed.
She tried to relax and settle in but the butterflies were flittering about wildly in her belly. She was as giddy as a child the night before Christmas.
She was deep in rest lying there still pulled into Rick's body. She had indeed fallen asleep as did he and they were both better for it. She felt a gentle warmth rising up from her leg, then to her thigh. Soon the warmth was spilling across her stomach and dripping towards her chest. The sun was making its way up into the sky and was showering its rays down on her and him gently ebbing them awake from their slumber. Her eyes parted slowly and slightly. She became aware of their positioning as if realizing it for the first time again. His forearms rested right below her bust, and her bottom was firmly pressed against his two stones and very firm pillar. He had not yet awakened but certain parts of him certainly had.
She tried to gently pry herself from him without rousing him from his rest.
"The sun's up…"
She had failed.
"Yeah. Sorry. I was trying not to wake you," she apologized.
"Nah, I need to wake up anyway," he reassured.
He groggily stood to his feet, not yet noticing that other parts of his body were also standing on their own.
"Your um…." She motioned with lowered eyes.
"What…" he did not grasp what she was getting at.
"Your um, your… You're…" Michonne was at a loss for words.
"What… What! Just spit out!"
"You're hard." Even though it was not her that was in the compromising position she was embarrassed none the less. For the both of them. His eyes shot down and immediately blood rushed to his face and flushed his cheeks red.
"Oh my God. I'm so.. Oh, God." He covered himself with his hands and turned his back towards her.
"It's ok, really. Really. It happens…" She said.
"I just need a few minutes. It'll go away." He reassured.
The silence was as loud as the sun was bright.
"Uhm, I'll be back. I need to… I need to take care of this," he relented bashfully.
He hurriedly disappeared behind the shrubbery not too far away.
She was not too sure what to do. Should she just sit there and wait? The truth was he was till close enough for her to hear him. So she did not think it appropriate that she remain there listening in. She decided to busy herself and headed toward the water. They needed water and food. Water mostly, but food also. They were going to have come up with some sort of plan or they would dehydrate. She sensed Rick's presence from behind. His member had been to put to rest and he was ready to show himself again. He started conversation without acknowledging the deed he had just done.
"We need water," Rick asserted.
"We do. I was just thinking the same," she returned, " I was considering going back and scavenging the wreckage for left over beverages but, to be honest, the threat of fire still has me a little shook." Michonne conceded.
"The fire has mostly died down though," Rick replied.
"You're right. But if you look closely you can still see the gasoline floating on top of the water still. It didn't all burn out. I just don't want that stuff on me again. Should a spark fly, we wont be so lucky without clothes to serve as a first line of protection…"
"Good point. Well, we could set up some rain catchers to collect drinkable water once the rain comes. And it is definitely coming… look over there… you can see the grey clouds heading straight for us…"
"That's actually a good idea. What about if we use some coconut shells? Over by our bed there's a few trees with coconuts… we could crack them, drink the milk, then set up the shells as our rain catchers…"
He didn't speak, just smiled at her.
"We might survive just yet…. Keep thinking like that and we'll be expert survivalists," he smiled.
"Well, it was your idea, Rick," she smiled in return, "we make a good team."
The moment was sweet and they reveled in their accomplishments in silence.
He interrupted the moment, "Ill go and get those coconuts…"
Night fall came and they had gotten a small amount of drink from the coconuts and had successfully set up the shells to catch the rainwater that had begun to fall just as Rick had predicted.
"It looks like we might be in for another sleepless night," Michonne said.
"It is coming down pretty hard. I wonder if we…" He got up to investigate his options before finishing. He continued, "there's pretty good overheard coverage up there in those trees. I wonder if we should climb those and sleep up there for the night."
Michonne looked up at the trees he was considering and marveled at their height.
"Aren't you afraid of falling asleep and falling out?" She questioned.
"We'd have to tie ourselves to the trunk of the tree." Rick replied.
Michonne was not too sure about this plan and her silence intimated as much.
"Will you trust me on this one? Just this once. I think this might work and it could mean us actually getting some sleep tonight… Tomorrow we can worry about building a shelter on the ground level." Rick pleaded with her.
"…Just this once, Rick." Michonne agreed.
"That a girl."
Together they climbed up the tree until they were seated on a branch just below the thickest parts of the canopy.
"So what do we do now?" Michonne inquired.
"Well, we get comfortable… or as comfortable as we can … and I'll tie these vines around us."
"Wait around us both? Or…"
"Yeah. Look… like this .. Ill sit with my back against the trunk, and you can sit facing me… and then Ill tie the vine around our waists."
"So… you want me to straddle you?" Michonne asked with a incredulous look on her face.
Rick chuckled at her, "You seem to really not like the sleeping arrangements these past couple of days…"
"Well, I mean, do you blame me? First spooning now we're straddling in trees?"
"C'mon it can't be all that bad. If I remember correctly I was a hot shot amongst the ladies... especially one particular lady, Michonne…"
"Um, Rick, what are you getting at?"
"I'm getting at the fact that I know you had a crush on me, so… isn't this like a dream come true."
Michonne laughed so loud, it almost made him blush with embarrassment. He feared he had it all wrong.
"Ok, Mr. Hot Shot I may have had a crush on you then, but that was nearly 10 years ago. People change, you know…"
It relieved him to know he had indeed been of some interest to her, even if it weren't the case anymore.
"Well you know what they say…" He smirked.
"And what's that…" She replied.
"Old habits die hard." He said with an all too sly grin on his face, "Bring it in… just think of this as giving me the hug you always wanted to give me…"
With that she moved in closer to him and straddled her legs around his hips resting her thighs on top of his hips. Her breasts were now resting on his chest and it gave them both pause as they understood just how close they really were. How close they were becoming. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. He looked in her eyes, and saw her looking back at him. Somehow, in the transition, his hand had found its way to the small of her back and, credit it to being in the moment, he started gently dragging his fingertips across the supple surface of her skin. They stayed in that moment, taking it in. Enjoying the silence, the intimacy it ushered in.
"Rick…"
"Yes, Michonne…"
"…the vine."
"Oh. Yes, the vine." He remembered.
He wrapped the vine around the both of them until it forced them even closer than they were a moment before. The tension was snug and a little uncomfortable, but they would stay restrained through the night so they endured the discomfort.
"Do you mind if I lay my head on your chest? I can't really lay in any other…" She said.
"Of course, Michonne."
"Thanks," she replied.
He relaxed his neck and rested his head against the tree trunk.
"Good night, Michonne."
"Night, Rick."
Several weeks had passed and they had become rather efficient in collecting rainwater for drinking. Michonne had developed an effective technique for catching and storing fish and Rick captured a wild boar that provided enough meat for several days. They were thriving.
With their more fundamental needs like, food and water being met, it created room for thoughts other than surviving to enter Rick's mind. He had been seeing this woman in the nude for what felt like months but it was as though he was just beginning to behold her… and her beauty. She was petite in stature. She was probably no taller than his collarbone. Her skin was brown but had become darkened with regular exposure to the sun and had become even richer with melanin. Her skin looked like ground up, moistened coffee beans. He loved to watch her walk. The sway of her body gave him fever. She was heading towards the ocean water to bather her body. He sat underneath the nearby palm trees watching her.
She cupped the ocean's salt water and brought it to her face. He watched as the water trickled down her neck and over her breasts. Her breasts were not markedly large, but pleasingly proportional to her stature and fit her frame perfectly. They were perky and jerked from side to side in accordance with the motion of her body. Her nipples were darker than the rest of her body and in his fantasies they beckoned him to kiss them. Her palms slid along the length of her arms, from her shoulder down past her elbow, then to her fingertips. She turned her back to him and raised her hands over her head and crossed her hands behind her neck. She stood still breathing; almost posing. Her posture accentuated her rounded hourglass figure. He wanted to run his hands along the back of her neck, her shoulders blades, dipping inward at her narrow waist then out again against her broad hips. His eyes landed on her brown buttocks. The conditions they were now living in had changed her physique in some ways but only served to strengthen and make more pronounced her bottom. Just enough muscle to give it shape, just enough fat to cause it to wiggle as her hips swayed. It was mesmerizing to watch her form in motion. While they would sleep at night, it had not escaped his mind that her perfectly rounded behind was entirely pressed against him and it took everything in him to not slide down and bite down on her mass. It became so that the thought crossed his mind four to five times every single night.
Watching her bathe had aroused in him a pelvic awakening. Michonne was just about finished with her bath and would be coming back towards him any minute now. She turned slowly in the ocean water and walked slowly back to their camp. He felt he needed to get up and hide himself but he could not help himself from taking her in visually as she walked towards him. Her frame, her breasts, the sway of her body… he could not peel himself away from their tree branched bed. He wanted her. He wanted her badly and he was not sure he could go about hiding it anymore. He was not sure she wanted to hide it anymore.
So he sat there. Seated, yet still standing at attention. She hardly noticed his arousal until she took her seat next to him.
"Rick! Oh my God!" She exclaimed looking away to give him privacy, "It's not even morning… what's going on with you?!" She said between embarrassed laughs.
Only he was not laughing with her, nor was he making any motion to move. "You," he replied.
She looked back at him now confused, "What?"
"It's you. You are what's going on with my body." He replied calmly.
She hesitated, "I'm not sure I'm following."
"Michonne, you're a beautiful woman. And I'm just a mere man," Rick admitted.
Michonne did not know what to say, so she said nothing and just listened.
"I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. That's not what I was trying to do here," Rick offered.
"No, I'm not uncomfortable." Michonne paused to choose her words carefully, "I'm just confused. What are you trying to do here?"
"Well, I guess, I was just telling you I think you're beautiful."
"I got that part. But, why now?"
Rick was at a loss for words. He sensed that the conversation was going in a direction other than he had originally intended.
"I mean, how long did we know of each other in high school? Did you think I was beautiful, then?" she inquired further.
"Well, it just never occurred to me…"
"What never occurred to you? That I was even there?"
"Look, I was a kid back then; Just a high school knucklehead caught up in football and being cool. Whatever that means. I just didn't take the time to notice you."
She scoffed aloud, "Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Now that I'm the last woman in the world, at least in your world, I'm beautiful." She continued on saying, "Just like I am here right now, I was there back then. It's because you have no options that you're taking notice. How is that supposed to make me feel?"
"Michonne, no, that's not what…"
"It's ok. You don't have to explain, Rick. I can't really blame you. It's like you said, 'you're just a man.' Men have needs. I'm a woman and so you just put 2 and 2 together."
"Just wait a minute..."
"No, really its ok." She reached out placing her hand over his looking him in the eyes. "I appreciate you saying those nice things about me and, I will admit, its nice to hear you say them. God knows I waited a long time to hear it when we were younger but, I can't do whatever it is you have in mind."
"And what is it that you think I have in mind?"
"Well for starters, I'm thinking whatever it is that had you erect is what you had in mind…"
Rick's face filled with blood in embarrassment.
"I can't do… that. As much as I liked you, hell, I may have even loved you, I can't. I can't sell myself short like that. I deserve more."
"What can I do to fix this? Is there not even room for a chance here?" he asked sincerely.
"I don't see how, Rick." She returned with resolve.
They went about their respective jobs in silence. Rick tended to the fire and gathered additional firewood in preparation for that night's heat. Michonne went on to rearrange the coconut shells to catch water should it rain overnight and reinforced their palm tree canopy with extra leaves.
Nightfall came and filled the night sky with darkness save the light radiating from the stars above.
Without speaking they lied down side by side as they had always done: Michonne, little spoon, Rick big spoon. He gently rested his arm over her waist but he did not pull her in tightly as he had gotten into the habit of doing. Their conversation earlier had left them both awkward and hesitant around each other and neither one was sure if things would ever go back to being the same.
Two or three hours passed and the fire burned out as it always did.
"Michonne, are you awake?"
For two or three minutes there was no response.
"Yeah, everything alright?" she asked while beginning to turn and face him.
"No, don't move. You can stay like you are…"
She returned to her previous resting position.
"I've got something to tell you. But I need to get it all out before you respond. Can you just listen?"
"Yeah, of course, Rick."
"Earlier today I said, 'I never noticed you' back when we were in grade school."
He stopped for a moment, "that was a lie."
Even though Michonne could see nothing, her eyes widened with curiosity as if opening her eyes more would help her hear better.
"I noticed you. I noticed you the very first day you showed up in our school. I remember your first day and how you struggled with finding a place to sit in the lunchroom not knowing anyone. What a coward I was. I saw you, and wanted to invite you to sit at my table but, I was too afraid so I did nothing. Then, you ended up being in practically all of my classes, and that's when I learned your name. Months passed and people got more and more familiar with you and you were less of a mystery to me."
Rick paused to laugh to himself, "I even remember when you and Daryl became the best of friends and how jealous I felt. You guys were always together, and the way you would laugh with him… he got to really know you. Know you in a way that I could only dream of. I thought you were so beautiful. You weren't like any of the other girls in our school. You had that funny Florida accent, and even your slang was different. The thing I remember most was your radiant smile and … your hair. You hair was so black it was almost blue. It was always shiny and I could always tell you had spent time doing it. I remember one time in Literature class you fell asleep and your hair was splayed across Daryl's desk and he just played with your hair while you slept. What I wouldn't have given to trade places with him. To be able to run my fingers through your hair. To pull it and watch it spring back into place. Your hair was always curled at the ends back then. I remember every detail about you. I noticed you, Michonne. I couldn't get you out of my head, Michonne."
"So why didn't you ever try talking to me? Really talking to me?"
"I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
He did not respond and the silence between them lingered until finally he spoke.
"I was afraid… afraid because you were black. I know it sounds terrible, but I was afraid. What would people think, what would they say? You were the only black girl in our entire school. Everyone knew who you were and I wasn't sure what people would think of us together. Back then, everyone kind of stuck with their own and I wasn't brave enough to pioneer interracial dating in our school."
Admitting the truth was freeing for Rick but it also brought with it bitter disappointment for Michonne. Those years of Michonne's life were sprinkled with experiences that always reminded her that in this white school, in this white world, she was a black girl and before people really saw her they saw her color. It had been her defining characteristic that had stood between her and others on more than one occasion.
All she could say was, "I see."
Again they had met at an awkward impasse.
"All that to say, I noticed you, Michonne. Earlier today, I didn't tell you that I thought you were beautiful because you're my only option, but because I really think you are beautiful. I thought I was showing you that the man I've grown into is not afraid to go after what he wants, like the boy I used to be was. Besides, black, white… none of it matters anymore. It never did, but I'm just now realizing it."
Michonne still said nothing in return. She just listened to what he was saying and considered it.
He pulled her into him tighter and they lied there feeling the warmth of the other. Not sure of where this was going, but at the same time being completely comfortable with that.
"What do you say today we just take a break from work and jobs today and just enjoy this beautiful beach we're on?" he looked over to her as they sat just beyond the shore line.
"All we've got is time right?" she replied with a smile across her face.
Together they walked forward and entered the ocean's warm crashing waves. They splashed against their thighs and as they went deeper, against their chests. She had not totally braced herself for the force of the waves and found herself being pushed on her side. She flailed her arms to regain balance and caught Rick's hand.
"Whoa, there. You got it?" he asked.
"Yeah, these waves are literally knocking me off my feet."
Another series of waves came crashing down on them causing him to lose his footing and push into Michonne. There arms were now tangled in one another. They caught each other's eyes and steadied themselves. She rested her arms around his neck and his around her waist. Her feet were suspended just above the ocean's floor because of their height difference. In the water he gently caressed the small of her back with his thumb. The waves kept coming trying to sweep her on her side again until she wrapped her legs around his waist. Still they said no words. She rested her cheek against his and held her face there.
She gently whispered in his ear, "I forgive you."
She could not see his face, but she knew he was smiling as she felt the muscles in his cheeks tighten. He held her even tighter, "thank you."
"Whatever happened in the past is in the past. This is our now. The world has come to an end and yet we've been given a second chance. I wont be so foolish as to waste it."
"That's the best thing you could have said to me, "he said between smiles, "and I forgive you too."
She jerked her head back violently laughing, "For what! What did I do!"
"I forgive you for hitting me in the eye with that paper ball."
They both rocked with laughter as they held each other.
"Now that that's out the way there's something I've been meaning to do." He said sliding his hands upward on her back.
He steadied his yes on hers once again and slowly leaned his face in towards hers. It was a kiss they shared 1000 times amidst their eyes before finally feeling it on their lips. She laced her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth in deeper until not even air flowed between their lips. Their passion was feverish and made his hands roam all around the backside of her body. What a beautiful sensation to experience the warm body of such a beautiful woman in his hands, on his chest, and in his mouth. While still kissing, he turned back toward the sand. In a matter of moments she was lying on her on her back against the hot sand.
The moments that followed cemented a long overdue love and unspoken commitment to each other. This new life was unknown and harsh, but now, they would not have to do it without each other, without love.