A/N: Just a quick note to promote the two 'Then' segments in this chapter as they lay the foundation for the love story building between ZA Rick and Michonne. Enjoy!
Then – Age 14
"Okay, which shade of pink do you want for the flower petals? The hot pink, the hotter pink or the hottest pink?" Andrea asked as she slid the three bottles in front of Michonne while they both sat on the floor in Michonne's bedroom. Andrea had just learned how to do nail art from her older sister and was excited to try out her new skills on her friend.
Humming along to Rihanna's 'S.O.S' playing in the background, Michonne made a big show out of considering the three shades of pink with the smallest of variation. After squinting her eyes and tilting her head for a few moments, she grabbed the last bottle in the line with a grin. "Gotta go with the hottest, of course."
Andrea grinned in response as she gestured for Michonne to rest her hand on the ottoman between them. "Excellent choice. Okay, now hold still while I perform my artistry. This flower is simple but small so I need you to not bop around like you usually do when the queen is singing."
Michonne replied with a smirk and a roll of her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of holding still for a couple of minutes, jeez."
Andrea glanced up from her work on Michonne's index fingernail and let out what was very close to a cackle. "True art takes time, my friend. Ten minutes at least."
Her eyes wide, Michonne glanced at the alarm clock next to her bed to mark the time and made a silent vow to not move, something she was fairly incapable of doing during her waking hours. Her mama had sometimes called her Little Miss Hummingbird when she was being particularly mobile.
She smiled with that memory and was grateful, as she always was these days that she could think of her mother without wanting to burst into tears. Maybe time did heal after all.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you. I set Ashley up with Brian and they're going to the movies with me and Shane this weekend. I'm positive they'll hit it off because I've got a talent for this matchmaking stuff."
Narrowing her eyes at her friend, whose blonde head was just a couple of inches above her finger as she slowly drew her nail design, Michonne realized that Ashley and Brian were the latest in a long line of eighth grade couples Andrea had brought together. She deserved some answers at this point.
"Can I ask you a question?"
A nod and distracted 'mm-hmm' were her answer as Andrea continued her work.
"What's wrong with me? Am I ugly or something? Too bossy? What?"
Sitting up straight and putting the brush back into its bottle as she grabbed the next color, Andrea stared at Michonne as if she had multiple heads. "Are you nuts? You're gorgeous and you know it. And, yeah you're bossy but usually just to your inner circle and we're used to it. What are you talking about?"
"You've never tried to set me up with anyone and I'm your best friend so I'm feeling a bit rejected at this point. I mean, Ashley? Really?"
Sending her a relieved smile, Andrea laughed as she once again bent over Michonne's hand, this time with a bright green brush for the miniscule leaves. "I'm a matchmaker, not a homewrecker, Michonne. You've already got a boyfriend."
Widening her eyes, Michonne tapped Andrea's shoulder with her free hand, indicating for her to stop. When she had her friend's full attention, she responded. "Who the heck is my boyfriend? Please introduce him to me."
"Rick, of course. Hey, hold your hand still," Andrea commanded as she continued to paint her tiny design on Michonne's nail, oblivious to the shock she had just dealt her friend.
"What are you talking about? Rick's my friend, not my boyfriend. Explain yourself."
With a sigh, Andrea put a quick final touch on the bright flower she had just painted and returned the brush to the bottle of polish, knowing that Michonne would be relentless in her quest for answers. Leaning back on her hands, Andrea tilted her head and smiled at the stunned and concerned look on her face.
Time for a wake-up call, Michonne.
"Rick is your boyfriend in every way but the label." Sitting up, Andrea held up her index finger before continuing, "Exhibit number 1. He blushes when you compliment him and you giggle when he teases you, behaviors you each display under no other circumstances."
Michonne rolled her eyes. "Weak and assumptive. Try again."
Andrea grinned at Michonne's terse tone. She held up several more fingers in quick succession. "Exhibits number 2, 3 and 4. You have your own short hand language that only you two understand which accompanies your freaky mind meld thing. You attend each other's games and meets without fail and on the extremely rare occasion that you are not in each other's company, you can be counted on to mention the other at least once but usually several times."
Michonne leaned forward wagging her finger at her smirking friend, even as her heart raced. "We're best friends! Everything you listed is simply the behavior of two friends who think highly of one another and support each other, nothing more."
Andrea nodded slowly as if considering Michonne's defense, an act that was thrown out the window when she leaned forward and whispered, "Bullshit."
Michonne's eyes widened and she reared her head back with a gasp. "What do you mean bullshit? Are you calling me a liar?"
Andrea shook her head quickly, not wanting to escalate this eye opening event into a fight. "No, you're not a liar, not at all. I believe you believe what you're saying and I know Rick would present the same defense. That's what makes this so funny to watch. You're totally crushing on each other but you just don't see it."
Michonne stood up and paced her room, stopping only when Andrea lifted herself off of the floor and walked over to stand in front of her. After several tense moments, with the silence broken only with Michonne's rapid breathing, Andrea shot her final salvo in a calm, almost soothing tone.
"You are best friends, no one would argue that. But do platonic friends clench their fists and jaw like Rick did when Ben Tillerson flirted with you when he was your lab partner last month? Do platonic friends develop a scowl like you did when Lori mentioned that she was working up the courage to ask Rick to the spring dance? I say no, but that's just my opinion."
Andrea was seeing things that weren't there because she'd been dating boys since sixth grade and assumed every kid their age was ready to get romantic.
Pleased with that very logical conclusion, Michonne willed her heart to beat more slowly to reflect her newfound calm. With a brisk nod, Michonne resumed her seated position on the floor and gestured for Andrea to do the same.
"I know what it looks like and it makes sense that you'd think Rick and I like each other as more than friends. But I know that we don't and that's it, pure and simple. I'm not even fourteen yet and am just enjoying being a kid still and Rick is too."
Andrea nodded, conceding the argument for the time being, as she opened the bottle nail polish for her second design. "You haven't most likely been a kid since the age of five, but I hear you. Dating isn't something to rush into." Bending her head to once again hover just above Michonne's nail, Andrea wielded her brush in delicate strokes as she muttered, "Twenty bucks that you and Rick go to junior prom together and I'm standing firm on that."
With an image flashing through her mind of Rick in a tux pinning a corsage on the strap of her shimmering gown, Michonne shook her head and returned her focus to present day. "Deal."
Now
Shit. I fucked up. Rick thought as he watched Michonne's face go still, her eyes wide and her lips parted in a gasp that morphed into quiet, fast breaths. While he was happy to voice the feelings that had been bottled up for years, he realized it was a selfish move. It had made him feel better but he couldn't imagine what it did to her.
He had to make it right. Quickly.
"Miche….I'm sor-"
Slender, trembling fingers quieted him with a soft press against his lips and Rick's heart quickly accelerated to a rate usually reserved for the end of a race. Removing her fingers after a too brief moment, Michonne shook her head and smiled.
"Don't you dare. You put it out there and you meant it. Now give me a second to process it."
Rick pulled his lips in to suppress his grin. It was going to be okay because instead of pulling away, Michonne was taking the lead in what came next, a position he knew she was most comfortable with.
He had all day and would give her as many seconds as she needed as this was too important to be rushed.
As she moved her gaze to stare out of the large window behind him, Rick watched her expressive face inform him that she was juggling a hundred different thoughts, fears and hopes in that brilliant mind of hers and he could only pray that she came to the same conclusion he did.
Finally, she returned her gaze to his and his heart thudded as those big brown eyes looked up at him.
"If I hadn't left for Japan, you had hoped we would be more than friends and, if the world hadn't ended, you would have tried to make that happen when I got back to Atlanta. Am I understanding this correctly?"
He wanted to hug her, she was so goddamned adorable with her mind trying to wrap reason and logic around emotions and dreams he'd had since forever. Determined to reassure and comfort her, Rick replied in language she understood.
"That's right. I don't know when exactly I would have asked you to be my girlfriend but I'm pretty sure it would have early on in high school because I was really close at the end of eighth grade. The only reason I didn't ask you out then was I didn't want to screw things up as I was just an idiot boy who didn't know anything other than the high point of my day was you."
This was happening. This wonderful man, her person, was laying it all out in the open and it was overwhelming. Overwhelming in a wonderful, fantastic and miraculous way.
Eyes welling with the same emotion that sent her pulse racing, Michonne slowly lifted her hand to cup Rick's cheek, feeling compelled to touch him and erase the distance between them. "Whenever and wherever you asked me, I would have said yes, I promise you."
He could conquer the world. This awful, violent, dangerous world. He could conquer it because this amazing woman, who had never left his heart, was at his side and was ready to leap into the unknown with him. With Michonne's reciprocation of his feelings, Rick stood taller and felt stronger than he ever had in his life.
He wasn't an idiot boy any longer and he knew exactly what he was going to do next. Something he'd wanted to do since the day they reunited a week ago and, if he were honest with himself, most likely since he understood just how different girls were from boys.
Taking a step closer so only inches separated them, Rick leaned down and rested his forehead against Michonne's, reveling in her quiet gasp as her hand slowly moved down from his cheek to grip his shoulder. Wrapping his arm around her slender waist and moving his hand to the small of her back, he rasped, "I'm gonna ask before I do, because my mom raised a gentleman. Is it okay if I…."
Moving a half step closer so no air separated them, Michonne placed a finger on Rick's lips to quiet him then moved it slowly down his bottom lip as she replied with a whisper. "My mama raised me to dive and not wade so….."
And with that, Rick flashed a quick grin before tilting his head and bringing his mouth to hers, their lips pressing, moving, giving and taking as if it was their thousandth kiss instead of their first. Hesitation and awkwardness never arrived as their lips opened against each other and the bottled up yearning brought on by buried feelings was allowed to breathe fresh air.
So this was passion. This was what the poets wrote and the singers sang about. As Michonne pressed even closer to Rick, standing on her toes to better align with every inch of his muscular body, her fingers dove into his thick shaggy curls, her mouth greedy on his as it laid claim. As their breaths mingled, Michonne felt a bolt of heat unlike one she'd ever felt shoot through her and, as Rick's tongue tangled with hers, she gripped and tugged those curls as a moan made public the frenzy going on in every feminine part of her body and soul.
A muffled shout and distant bark of laughter dragged Rick out of the bliss of Michonne's kisses and he slowly lifted his head, his mouth tingling with the need to go right back to where it was and forget about the world around them. Opening his eyes, he looked at the plump lips only an inch from his own then moved his gaze to Michonne's, groaning at the heat in her dark brown eyes. Heat that his kisses had put there.
After a few fleeting seconds of heavy breathing while they both recovered, Michonne's eyes crinkled slightly as her mouth curved into a grin. "First kiss and you went there, G?"
Lowering his brows in confusion, Rick caught up a moment later as he realized that his hands were cupping Michonne's ass in a position that could only be described as proprietary. Definitely not appropriate for a first kiss.
Standing straight and stepping back, Rick removed his hands and raked them through his hair, his breathing still coming out in fast pants. "Shit, sorry, Miche, I wasn't thinking…."
Her grin widening, Michonne placed her finger over Rick's mouth again, repeating the earlier gesture that had started them on the path to their kiss. "Hush now. You don't hear me complaining do you? I like a man who knows what he wants." Her sassy reply, coupled with her gaze of a well pleasured woman, put him at ease.
His face flushing, Rick returned Michonne's grin with an embarrassed one of his own. "I'm kind of obsessed with it and I guess my hands knew where they wanted to be."
Wetting her lips with a quick dart of her pink tongue, Michonne slowly moved her hand up Rick's chest and then down again to rest on his flat stomach. "Who are we to argue with our very smart hands?"
Jesus, she was going to kill him.
Just as Rick was about to move his arm around Michonne's back to pull her in for another kiss, Abraham's gruff Texas drawl intruded on the silence of the room, making them draw quickly apart.
"Alright kids, whatever you were about to do or about to deny doing, table it for later because you've got about 90 seconds to make it to lunch before breaking rules."
Wanting badly to stay right where he was and focus on nothing but kissing and touching Michonne, Rick's resentment of Negan's rules bubbled to the surface, causing his fists to clench in frustration.
"Sorry Abe, we're right behind you," Michonne apologized with a smile as she nudged Rick forward and they walked quickly down the hallway toward the cafeteria. Halfway there, they ran into Nina, a tall brunette in her mid-twenties who they had met yesterday while touring the infirmary. With a flashing smile, she joined their race-walking group.
"Running late for the noon cattle call I see. Don't sweat it, you're newbies so they won't throw you in the dungeon quite yet," Nina teased before asking Michonne about their new classroom, allowing Rick to fall back to walk with Abraham.
"Not even one day, Grimes, and you're proving me right," Abe said, amusement clear in the low tone meant for Rick's ears only.
Feeling his neck flush as he remembered his proclamation that he and Michonne were just friends, Rick forced a casual shrug as he glanced up at the former soldier. "That was a true statement yesterday."
Abraham slapped Rick across the back as their group entered the cafeteria just in time to get into the tail end of the food line. "Well congratulations my friend. Glad you came to your senses."
And with that, the flush on Rick's neck traveled to his face and he could only nod in response and mutter his thanks before grabbing a tray and moving to stand directly behind Michonne as they waited to be served. As he listened to her make small talk with Nina and laugh at the woman's remarks, Rick was relieved that their giant leap into new relationship territory didn't seem to have a negative impact.
Lunch couldn't end soon enough. There was a great deal of unfinished….business….between them and they needed time and privacy, two things that were a luxury around their new home. Once figuring out the nearest place where they could continue their conversation, Rick relaxed a bit and told himself to enjoy the meal with their new friends.
Her lips still tingling from the kisses she had just shared with Rick, Michonne was grateful for the distraction Nina provided as it prevented her from analyzing and then over-analyzing every moment leading up to them. She could simply enjoy the feeling of being thoroughly kissed by her best friend and not worry about what that could mean for them going forward.
There would be time to figure all of that out.
As the group sat down with their trays at an empty table, Michonne watched as Nina grabbed a chip off of Abraham's plate and then playfully slap his arm when he responded in kind. With a raised brow, she glanced over at Rick to see if he had caught their flirtation and then took a quick intake of breath when she found his eyes solely focused on her as they took their seats across from each other.
Oh my, oh my, oh my….Michonne thought as she returned his gaze, wondering if his eyes had always been that blue and that…intense. She felt her body warm and her face flush with the realization that she and Rick didn't have to hide their attraction to each other anymore. It was out there to do with what they wished.
With Nina and Abraham's chatter as muted background noise, Michonne decided to dip her toe into their brand new pool of possibilities and held Rick's gaze while ever so slowly running her hand up the water bottle on her tray and then bringing it up towards her mouth where she took her sweet time wrapping her lips around the opening before taking several languid sips.
Watching as Rick looked like he was about to combust, if his blazing eyes, clenching fists and shifting body were anything to go by, Michonne gave herself an inner nod of approval as the power of her femininity was confirmed.
Nope, nothing to be nervous about at all. She had this.
"So how are you guys settling in? Sleep okay within our land of cots?" Nina's question re-directed (albeit reluctantly) Rick and Michonne's attention from each other to their companions and they each sat straighter in their chairs while smiling their responses.
Considering she had slept on a makeshift pallet in a storage closet instead of the cot provided for her, Michonne buried her twinge of guilt as she replied. "We're settling in just fine, right Rick?" At his quick nod, she continued. "Everyone we've met so far has been very welcoming and I'm sure we'll figure out the ropes in not time."
After swallowing a bite of his sandwich, Rick leaned forward as his response wasn't meant for mass consumption. "This place is great and we're grateful to have a safe place to stay but I gotta ask you something…."
Nina smiled, "Shoot."
"What's with all of those rules? They just seem….I don't know….a bit 'Big Brother is watching'."
Nina chuckled in response as she nodded. "They are a bit extra, I can't argue with you there. It didn't surprise me when Negan came up with them, though. He's always been a bit of micro manager."
Michonne turned her head to face the woman sitting next to her. "Always? Did you know Negan before?"
Nina nodded as she grabbed another chip off of Abe's plate, winking at him after doing so. "Yeah, I've known him for a few years now. I worked for him while putting myself through nursing school."
Shooting Rick a quick glance confirmed that she wasn't the only one interested in what Nina had to say so she continued her interrogation disguised as friendly conversation. "You worked for him? What was he, a politician or business owner or something?"
Taking a swig of her water bottle, Nina chuckled at Michonne's guesses. "Definitely not a politician as Negan likes to answer only to himself but, yeah, he owned his own business. I worked part-time as his office manager and helped with the books."
Not even pretending to be interested in her lunch, Michonne swiveled in her seat to face Nina completely. "What kind of business did he own? I bet he sold cars, right? He seems like that kind of guy."
With a bark of laughter that drew several gazes their way, Nina lowered her voice as she answered, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "He is that kind of guy, for sure but, nah, he sold insurance and had his own agency. He milked that '15 minutes, 15%' stuff for all it was worth and was pretty successful."
Her eyes wide, Michonne swung her gaze back to Rick just as he lowered his brows in apparent confusion before returning her gaze, sharing the same thought she had. The leader of a large end of the world community was an insurance salesman? Seriously? Michonne had to hand it to the guy, he had seized an opportunity and taken it, giving himself a big fat promotion in the bargain.
"So the rules are his way of keeping a tight lid on this place?" Rick asked, still trying to understand their leader and his ways.
Nina shrugged and nodded. "He hasn't come out and said so but, yeah, he's always been really big on keeping things in order. Keeping everything organized and predictable. I guess with the world ending, the rules are his way of maintaining some of the law and order that we used to have." A quiet chuckle and then, "Or, you know, he could just be doing it to get his rocks off."
Probably a combination of the two, Michonne thought. Knowing they only had a couple of minutes before the end of lunch, Michonne asked one last question. "Has Negan ever punished anyone for breaking the rules?"
Nina darted her gaze around their table as if to make certain no one was listening and then she leaned in and replied in a low tone. "Only once and it was just a few weeks after we'd settled here."
Leaning forward as well, Rick replied, "What happened?"
Shooting a glance at Abraham, Nina responded after his quick nod. "There was this guy, Will something or other. A real loner. I can't remember how he joined our community but he must have put on a good act to get in because he was not right. Extremely not right."
"Not right? Like crazy not right?" Michonne asked.
Nina nodded. "I've been trained not to call someone crazy because there is always an underlying disorder or illness but, yeah, this guy had serious issues. He'd talk to himself, have fits of rage and just generally didn't play well with others. He was warned several times to behave and for a couple of weeks he seemed to be falling in line but then Simon found Will's stash while looking in a janitor's closet for a mop."
"Stash?" Rick asked as he quickly looked around to make sure their conversation remained a private one.
Nina sighed. "Knives. Big ones, little ones, serrated and smooth, he must have had twenty knives in that closet."
Michonne's brows came together in confusion. "How did Simon know they were Will's?"
"Because Will was the janitor in charge of said closet and because he flipped his shit when Simon came out with them in a box."
Well, damn.
"So what did Negan do?" Rick asked, curious about how a brand new leader handled a dangerous and unpredictable situation.
"He met with Will, told him he'd broken too many rules and wouldn't be allowed to live here any longer. Then he banished him."
"How?" Michonne asked.
"He gave Will some food and water, blindfolded him and had Simon drive him to a town about thirty miles away. It might seem like a harsh sentence, sending one off alone like that but there weren't a lot of options. Still aren't."
Nodding his head, Rick replied. "Yeah, I get it. We're all winging it at this point."
As the lunch bell rang, Nina stood and picked up her tray. "It's been peaceful here since then and, as ridiculous as the rules are, we've only had a few minor incidents so I guess they're working, right?"
As Rick and Michonne nodded their agreement, Nina smiled and waved goodbye before making her way back to the infirmary. Watching Nina walk away with a smile of the reluctant besotted, Abe then turned his head toward the group making its way toward them from the other side of the cafeteria. "Looks like your Cabbage Patch kids are anxious to get working on your classroom so I'm gonna get out of your way."
"Any chance we can recruit you for some heavy lifting later?" Rick asked as he smiled a greeting at Glenn and the girls as they approached.
"Count on it. Just have to finish my shift and I'll head over." With that promise, Abe waved and walked away.
"We thought lunch would never end!" Glenn announced as he stood before Rick and Michonne with his hands on his hips. "Can we start working on our school now? There's a lot to do to get it ready."
Wanting a couple minutes with Michonne, Rick replied, "You run ahead, okay? Michonne and I will be right behind you, I promise."
With a huff, Glenn looked the two of them in the eye, his arms crossed across his thin chest and then, with a reluctant nod, told them not to be too long before leading the girls out of the building.
Michonne chuckled. "That kid's gonna lead his own community someday, mark my words. He's a force to be reckoned with."
"Reminds me of someone I know." Rick replied with amusement as they made their way to the courtyard between buildings.
"You're not talking about me are you?" Michonne asked with a grin. At Rick's raised brow, Michonne winked and replied. "Now you're just being polite, G. You know I was way bossier."
Laughing as he agreed with Michonne's assertion, Rick walked toward the picnic table he had spotted earlier, looked around to make sure they were alone and then turned to clasp Michonne's hand in a loose hold, loving the feel of her but still nervous as he tread new territory.
He'd never been a boyfriend before and knew there were only a few ways to get it right and a million ways to screw things up.
"Hey, uh…..so are we…uh… good?" Real smooth Grimes.
He was too cute, Michonne thought as she squeezed his hand. "We're good and we'll figure it all out. It's what we do, right?"
Returning her smile with a small one of his own, Rick indulged himself and allowed his gaze to linger on his favorite face in the world with special attention being spent on the lips he wanted to spend way more time exploring.
Exploring, ravaging, licking, nipping….With a deep intake of breath to calm his rampaging hormones, Rick squeezed Michonne's hand and replied, "Right."
And with that agreement put out to the universe, they shared one more moment of privacy before breaking their hand hold and heading over to their new school, their minds filled with endless possibilities that would have been overwhelming if not for the knowledge that they had always had each other's backs and always would.
Shortly after returning to the new classroom, Michonne asked Maggie and Rosita to help her unpack the cleaning supplies while Glenn started to clear out some of the clutter into the hallway. After taking a quick look at a silent Beth who seemed a bit lost in the middle of the room, Rick smiled and grabbed some supplies out of the box that had been delivered earlier. Crouching in front of the small girl, Rick handed her a few sheets of paper and some markers.
"Can I give you a super important job, Beth?"
Her eyes widening, Beth nodded.
"I need you to draw a picture of what we should paint on that big wall over there next to the windows. We can do better than that plain light brown, right?"
With a quick grin, Beth replied, "Can I draw a field of tall grass and a horse and sunshine and blue, blue skies?"
With a gentle hand on her shoulder, Rick gave a reassuring squeeze then stood up. "Absolutely. That all sounds like a perfect mural for our new classroom."
As the young girl skipped over to one of the empty tables and settled in to work on her assignment, Rick headed over to the front of the room where Michonne and the other girls were getting started on cleaning the large windows, Michonne's imitation of Cinderella's wicked stepmother eliciting a giggle from Maggie and a small smile from the normally sullen Rosita.
Standing in the exact spot where he had kissed Michonne not even an hour earlier, Rick resisted the urge to close his eyes and relive the moment (actually several very long moments) like a lovesick fool. There would be time to talk about what this change in their relationship meant, what it would mean for them going forward. For now, he would show Michonne that their friendship didn't have to completely change just because they were now something more.
And the easiest way to do that was to act like an idiot.
"Are guys allowed to participate in this cleaning fest or am I relegated to moving old furniture and boxes out of here?" he asked, his grin widening as Michonne didn't even skip a beat and tossed him a roll of paper towels, gesturing for him to tackle the window at the end of the row.
"Whistle while you work, G. I want this glass to sparkle like Beyonce's engagement ring."
"Yes Ma'am. I aim to please," Rick drawled as he caught the paper towels and winked at Michonne, chuckling softly at her quick intake of breath and widened eyes. As he walked over to his work area, her muttered 'good to know' made his step falter as the image of just how he could please her flashed in front of his eyes.
Needing a distraction before he embarrassed himself, Rick made a show of standing in front of the windows with his fisted hands on his hips as he scrutinized the big job in front of him. "You know what we need? One of those movie songs where the characters look like they're having the best time in the world. I think I have just the one. Ready?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maggie nod her head vigorously and Rosita give him a small shrug. That was all the encouragement he needed (not that he needed any of course) as he ignored Michonne's eye roll and 'Oh no, here we go', and sprayed the window with cleaner before belting in his best rocker voice the song that made Tom Cruise famous all those years ago.
Wiping the window clean with eyes closed and face tilted to the ceiling, his hips moving to the beat that was set by his enthusiastic singing, Rick gave himself a pat on the back as the sound of collective, youthful laughter echoed through the large room. Opening his left eye just enough to peek at Michonne as he raised his voice to belt out the chorus, he caught her facing him, paper towel clutched to her chest as she smiled at him with more affection than a simple country boy deserved from someone like her.
Has there ever been a more adorable man ever born in the history of mankind? Michonne asked herself as she watched Rick charm and amuse everyone in the room while also making her heart feel too big for her chest. To avoid turning into a puddle of feels on the floor, Michonne relied on old habits to keep her upright and on track. With a dramatic groan, she threw her head back just as Rick neared the end of the song, his head bopping in a strange 'Mick Jagger having a seizure' sort of way. "Please someone tell me we have real music in this place!"
"You mean like this?" Glenn piped up right behind her, causing Michonne to turn in surprise to see the boy holding a boom box in one hand and a pile of CD's in the other. Tilting her head, Michonne's brows drew together in contemplation. With everyone's attention on her now that Rick had finally finished his song, she bent down to meet Glenn's gaze and asked in a low, serious tone.
"Glenn, are you a wizard?"
With a roll of his eyes and shake of his head, Glenn bent to put the music player on the floor and popped the lid open to place one of the CD's inside. "You're so weird, Michonne. No I'm not a wizard."
Spotting Rick out of the corner of her eye, Michonne sent him a grin and a quick wink before turning back to Glenn. "Are you sure? Because you make yourself invisible to get around this place, appear from the inside of walls and now you're granting wishes out of thin air. Seems like wizardry to me."
Looking up at Michonne from his crouch on the floor, Glenn gave her an overly patient look as his finger hovered over the 'play' button. "If by granting wishes you mean grabbing this CD player from the room next door once Rick started hurting my ears….." both Glenn and Michonne ignored Rick's affronted 'Hey!'…. "then sure, I'm a wizard."
As Michonne and Rick exchanged another glance of shared amusement, Glenn pushed the button and upbeat, synthesized music filled the room. After taking a second to observe the bopping heads of the girls as they returned to their tasks, Glenn stood and crossed his hands over his chest while giving Michonne a satisfied nod. "Much better."
Finally letting her grin bubble to the surface, Michonne ruffled the boy's hair and laughed when he half- heartedly swatted it away. "Okay Harry, thanks for saving the day. Now how about you and Rick go grab Abe and some of the other guys to clear out the rest of the junk in the back, okay?"
Happy to be included in the 'man' group, Glenn returned Michonne's grin and gestured for Rick to follow him out of the room on their errand. Yelling that he'd catch up in a second, Rick walked up to Michonne, stopping only inches away. Tilting his head, he whispered in his raspy drawl. "Looks like I'm not the only one you have wrapped around your finger."
Her fingers twitching with the need to slide up the muscled arm so very close to her, Michonne responded to Rick's flirtation with a salvo of her own. "Wrapped around my finger, huh? Does that mean you're mine to command?" As his intake of breath and heated gaze made Michonne revel in the power of her femininity, her victory was short lived when Rick responded with another whisper, this one more growl than drawl.
"I'm counting on it."
And with those few words sparking delicious, very explicit thoughts, Michonne held Rick's gaze for a heated moment, her heart racing as his eyes moved from hers to her mouth and then slowly back again. On instinct, Michonne's tongue darted out to moisten her lips, almost as if in preparation for what Rick's words and actions promised.
His eyes molten, Rick's own lips parted with his panted breaths until, with a gaze to the ceiling as if asking for strength and then one more lingering gaze at her mouth, Rick turned, muttering what Michonne could swear was the word 'Fuck', as he finally walked toward the door to catch up with Glenn.
Her hand covering her racing heart, Michonne squeezed her legs together as heat filled her core and whispered "Yes please," while staring at the door Rick had just walked out of. And with that wish thrown out into the universe, she heaved one last calming deep breath before composing herself and turning to face the girls who were thankfully oblivious as they enjoyed the music while they worked.
"How's your drawing coming along, Beth? Can I take a peek?"
Nothing like a child's drawing of horses and sunshine to kick the naughty out of one's mind.
Well, most of the naughty anyway.
Later that night
Her heart hammering in her chest as the door clicked quietly behind her, Michonne met Rick's gaze across the room they would sleep in once again, the risk of breaking community rules overpowered by the need to be together.
The rest of the day had been filled with chores, hunts for supplies and lots of lists as their school started to take shape. There hadn't been any more private moments, just a lot of glances, shared smiles and incidental touches that had both energized and frustrated Michonne.
When one enters a romantic relationship, one should have many hours with which to indulge and explore shouldn't one?
The end of the world truly was a formidable chaperone.
Lifting her hand from the door knob, Michonne walked slowly towards Rick, her path lit by the soft light of the lantern placed on the floor next to their pallets. As she neared, Rick closed the distance with a few quick strides and didn't stop until he was close enough to hold her hand.
"I wasn't sure if you'd still come," he whispered, his eyes roaming her face as if looking for signs of a change of heart in the hour they had spent apart.
"Of course I came. Why wouldn't I?" Michonne replied, her head tilting in question as she closed the distance between them with another step.
"I don't know. I wasn't sure if you'd feel weird sleeping next to me after we…."
"After we made out and admitted that we're hot for each other?" Michonne replied as her eyes danced with amusement.
Letting out a sigh of relief along with his quiet chuckle, Rick cupped Michonne's face and ran his thumb gently over her lower lip. "Yeah, something like that. But you're here so the weirdness was only in my head."
Michonne nodded and in a dry tone responded. "As it always is, G. As it always is."
Loving that the same woman who owned his heart could also poke fun at him and make him laugh, Rick bent his head and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, affectionate kiss, willing himself not to pull her hips towards his and give his hands free reign like they always had in his dreams.
Closing her eyes and giving herself over to the warm, slow kiss that was just as devastating to her senses as the frantic, passionate one they'd shared earlier, Michonne wondered if this was the type of kiss Rick would have given her when he dropped her off at her dorm room after taking her out to dinner and movie.
She'd never know would she? She and Rick would never have the chance to be a normal couple with the normal struggles of finding time to date while juggling their studies and work and friends.
Instead, they'd build their relationship in a world filled with uncertainty, danger and limitless potential for loss.
With a sigh, Michonne pulled away from the kiss, squeezed Rick's hand and led him to their pallets, gesturing for him to sit across from her on the floor.
As soon as he sat down, mimicking her cross legged position, Michonne took his hand once again and met his gaze with a small smile. "We're not in King County anymore, Rick."
Nodding his head, Rick ran his thumb along her palm, and leaned in, ducking his head to better see her eyes in the dim light. "No we're not. Not by a long shot. But we're gonna figure it all out, I promise. No matter what, we're survivors and if anyone can find a way to make a life out of this, it's us."
As her eyes misted with the memory of those who hadn't survived, Michonne squeezed Rick's hand and grabbed his other one, needing the contact. "We're raising the stakes with this step and I don't want to screw it up. You're too important to me. I don't want to do anything to lose you, okay?"
Letting go of Michonne's hand to swipe the tear escaping from the corner of her eye, Rick nodded, knowing exactly where her fears came from.
They were all they had left in this world and each day carried the risk of one final loss that neither was willing or able to consider.
"We're survivors and fighters, Michonne and we're going to kick this world's ass, you hear me?"
A watery smile and nod encouraged Rick to continue.
"We're still healing, still figuring out what we're doing to live here and we're still kids so sue us if we don't have all the answers right here and now, right?"
Another nod but this time with a brighter smile as Michonne sat up straight. "Right."
"So we take it one day at a time. We get to know each other all over again. We kiss when we want to kiss and touch when we want to touch. We figure out how to flirt with each other and we stay friends and give each other shit like we always have in order to reassure each other that we're okay. How does that sound?"
He was her rock. He always had been and she hoped to God he always would be. So she would be his. Leaning forward, Michonne tilted her head and moved her lips over his in a kiss that was obvious in its message.
I'm ready for this new world, Grimes, as long as you are.
After several delicious moments of stating her message, Michonne pulled back and smiled as Rick leaned forward as if to prolong their contact.
He really was too cute.
"Sounds like a plan. One day at a time and we do what feels right. So…you think we can sleep next to each other without wanting to tear each other's clothes off?"
With a hoarse laugh and small groan, Rick looked to the ceiling as if asking for help from whoever was listening and then stated what he thought was the obvious. "Being within a mile of you makes me want to tear your clothes off but I promise I won't act on it until we're both ready."
As heat shot to her core at his proclamation of lust, Michonne's body scolded her head and heart for their choices and she almost caved to her baser instincts but, in the end, the need to do this right won the day as she instructed her hands not to wander over the muscled chest in front of her and responded with a simple smile.
"I promise too. Clothes tearing shall commence at a future date."
Rick groaned as he flopped back onto his pallet. "I really need you to not use the phrase 'clothes tearing'. Help me out a little, okay?"
Moving to mirror Rick's position, Michonne turned her head to get one last look at her brand new boyfriend before the lantern was turned off for the night. As Rick stared up at the ceiling, her eyes roamed his profile, the curls lying on his forehead, his strong nose, the chiseled jaw that marked him more man than boy and then back to the mouth that had opened up a whole new world for her.
Giving her brain an early light's out, Michonne acted on impulse and scooted over to Rick, ducking under his arm to rest her head on his chest and her hand on his stomach. Tilting her head to meet his heated gaze, Michonne gave him a soft smile.
"Is it okay if we try sleeping like this or would you rather stay separate? Keep temptation at bay as it were."
Rick's answer was to reach over with his free arm to extinguish the lantern and then wrap it around Michonne to bring her closer. With a soft kiss on her forehead, Rick whispered, "This is perfect. Just keep your hand above the belt and we should make it till dawn."
Burying her laugh in his chest, Michonne murmured. "Night, G."
One last squeeze and then, "Night, Miche. Sweet dreams."
And with that, exhaustion took over and sleep won out over young passion.
There would be plenty of time for that.
Then – Age 14
He didn't want to go to the dance and had made that very clear for weeks. He had listed the dozen other activities he'd rather do than leaning against the gymnasium wall while music blared and strobe lights flashed. He had turned down Lori's invitation to be her date. He had even gone so far as rent two movies to watch in lieu of participating in this awkward adolescent ritual.
But then Shane had made an offer he couldn't refuse and here he was, sipping warm punch and watching his oldest friend dance with and around a group of giggling girls. With a sigh, Rick leaned his head against the wall and barely stopped from banging it in frustration. Recalling Shane's weak pleas earlier in the day, Rick felt like he had been conned.
"Come on dude, you gotta come. We haven't gone to any of these things and this is our last chance before leaving middle school forever."
Rick shook his head and chuckled as he tossed the football back to his friend. "You're only going because you have a girlfriend and she wants to go so you're being dragged along."
Holding the ball under his arm after catching it, Shane shook his finger at Rick. "Your turn is coming, believe you me. The world is only as happy as the women living in it so our lives are easier by just giving in."
Rick held out his hands and gestured for Shane to throw the ball, running backwards once it was in the air and catching it with ease. "My turn is years away because I'm in no hurry to start dating. Seems like a whole lot of work with little pay off. At least at this age."
Shane chuckled. "Of course you're in no hurry to date. You already have….." Shane's sudden quiet had Rick tilting his head in curiosity.
"I already have what?" he asked.
Fishing his cellphone out of his pocket, Shane made a big show of reading his text messages. "Never mind, I gotta go home for dinner….uh….anyway here is my final offer and I won't take no for an answer so save your breath."
Juggling the ball in his hands as he walked toward his friend, Rick shook his head with a grin. "No way Walsh. There's nothing you can offer that would make me voluntarily go to the dance, nothing"
Especially since he knew Michonne wasn't going either. Maybe she'd be interested in watching the movies he'd rented….
"I'll weed your backyard free of charge."
Shocked at the outrageous offer as both boys loathed nothing more than the spring ritual of pulling weeds from their mothers' gardens, Rick stopped in front of Shane with widened eyes and then without any further hesitation stuck his hand out to be shaken. "Deal."
The movies were a three day rental so he still had time to watch them anyway.
The booming bass of the dance mixed song accompanied by the high pitched squeals of at least a dozen girls dancing nearby brought Rick back to his annoying present and he slid his gaze to the large clock hanging over his escape route….the gym exit.
Had it really only been fifteen minutes since he'd arrived?
Squelching a sigh of resignation and focusing instead on the joy of finishing his weeding chore in half the usual time, Rick stood up from his place against the wall and made his way over to refill his punch glass. He wouldn't drink it of course because it sucked and was too warm, but it gave him something to do other than looking like the bored loser that he was.
As he approached the gym doors, the punch table only a few feet beyond, a flash of sparkling purple caught his eye and he turned just in time to meet Michonne's gaze as she stood in the entryway.
He almost dropped his punch cup.
In the few seconds that it took Rick to look at her and internalize her appearance, while getting over his shock at seeing her at the dance, he came to one conclusion that he knew beyond any doubt to be fact.
Michonne Payton, his best friend, was the most beautiful girl at the eighth grade dance, their school and all of southern Georgia.
The shimmery purple fabric of her knee length dress coupled with her braids pulled up high off her neck put all focus on her wide eyes, full lips and her beautiful, beautiful dark skin. Swallowing hard and willing himself not to sweat like an idiot, Rick pasted a friendly smile on his face and walked over to greet her.
"Hey."
He was lucky to get that short word out.
Relief lighting her brown eyes, Michonne grinned as she continued her entrance into the gym. "G! I didn't think you were coming. It's so cool that you're here."
Willing himself to speak in whole sentences, Rick replied with a thumb jerked over his shoulder at the dancing throng behind him. "Shane bribed me into coming….gave me an offer I couldn't refuse."
Michonne laughed. "That's why I'm here too. Andrea gave me puppy dog eyes and tried to make me feel guilty skipping our last hurrah of middle school and when that didn't work offered me her nail salon gift certificate that her parents gave her for her birthday." A shrug and then another grin. "She knows my nails are my vanity so here I am."
Returning her grin and relaxing for the first time since arriving, Rick nodded and then gestured toward the table in front of them. "I was just going to get some more punch. You want some?"
"Sure!"
A few minutes later, punch cups in hand, Rick and Michonne slowly walked around the perimeter of the gym and provided commentary to each other about the craziness that was occurring on the dance floor, the least of which were the two friends who had dragged them here. As they completed their circuit, Rick gestured to the bleachers next to them and Michonne nodded, happy to hang out with her friend.
Her friend who looked especially handsome and grown up in his pressed khakis, shiny brown loafers and blue shirt and tie that made his eyes more amazing than usual. Giving her head a quick shake as if to rid her mind of non-platonic thoughts, Michonne focused on keeping up her end of the conversation.
Just as she was about to comment on the music, Michonne felt a stare drilling a hole into her and when she saw who it was, turned to Rick. "Why is Lori giving me the death stare?"
Swiveling his gaze from Michonne to the crowd in front of them, Rick grimaced as he took in the simmering anger of their classmate. "It's not you she's pissed at, it's me. I told her I had a conflict when she asked me to come to the dance with her."
Tilting her head, Michonne replied while sending Lori a smile and wave. "I'm pretty sure she's willing me into non-existence but, sure, she can be mad at you too."
"Michonne, I thought you had to go visit your grandma tonight and couldn't make it!" The loud rebuke, spoken by Brian, the boy who had asked her to be his date, was delivered in the brief lull between songs, causing several heads to swing their way.
So much for staying under the radar, Michonne thought as she gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Brian, I gave you that excuse because I really didn't want to come to the dance. I'm only here because Andrea bribed me."
Rick smothered his surprised laughter at Michonne's brutal honesty but a small snort escaped despite his efforts.
Brian shoved his hands into his pants pockets as he moved his gaze from the pair sitting an inch apart on the bleachers in a darkened corner of the gym to over his shoulder and then back again. "You mean the Andrea who hasn't left the dance floor since your arrival?"
Swallowing past the guilt that bubbled up to the surface as Brian was a nice kid, cute and smart too, Michonne replied with an apologetic smile. "That's the one."
With a final glare aimed at Rick, Brian muttered, "Maybe we can dance later then," as he walked away and headed to the punch bowl.
"That went well," Rick observed in a dry tone. "Our social standing shouldn't plummet at all after tonight."
Michonne groaned. "We're terrible people, G. Selfish, self-centered, terrible people. We're heartbreakers."
Rick nodded and stood up from the bleachers, his quick mind devising a solution to Michonne's lament. "I'm going to grab a bag of popcorn and talk to Shane, who's headed over there now, and you can go dance with Andrea and the other girls making all of that noise over there. Then after we blend for a little while, we can meet back here and get back to our commentary. This way it doesn't look like we're here together."
Even though they were, Rick wanted to declare out loud but wisely kept to himself.
"Excellent thinking. I love this song anyway. Meet you back here in twenty?" Michonne replied with a grin as she backed her way to the dance floor.
Five would be better.
Matching Michonne's grin with his own, Rick shouted "Twenty!" over the music now blasting throughout the gym.
As Michonne quickly made her way toward Andrea, she decided that school dances weren't so bad after all and that tonight might actually turn out to be pretty damn fun.
"Michonne! You look gorgeous!" Andrea yelled over the pounding bass of the music blaring throughout the gym as she gave her friend an enthusiastic hug. Holding on to Michonne's shoulders, Andrea said in a low tone in Michonne's ear, "Is that big ass grin because you're watching me dance terribly to Pink or because you've just spent some quality time with one Mr. Rick Grimes - eighth grade stud muffin?"
Pushing Andrea away and playfully slapping her arm, Michonne laughed. "You're relentless! I ran into Rick when I got here and we were commiserating about the awkwardness of school dances, that's all."
Turning her back to the group of girls dancing behind her, Andrea grinned as her eyes sparkled with mischief. "I just love it when the match-ees have no clue they've been matched by the master."
Michonne narrowed her eyes at her friend. "What do you mean, match-ees? Rick and I just ran into each other…." And, at that moment, it all became very clear. Moving her gaze from her triumphant friend, Michonne spun around just in time to see Rick look across the gym at her as Shane grinned at him and slapped his back, obviously just been told the same thing.
Andrea had worked with Shane to bring Rick and Michonne to the dance in an effort to match them up.
Her friend was as diabolical as she was brilliant and since Michonne admired the effort, she would wait to break the news to her until the morning.
Rick was her friend and only her friend and no amount of matchmaking would change that.
Right? Right.
Leaning in, Michonne yelled '"You got me good, girlfriend!" before joining in the circle of dancing, giggling girls.
Twenty minutes later, slightly out of breath from dancing, Michonne walked back over to the spot she had left Rick, giving him a small wave as he broke away from the group of boys hanging out by the refreshment table, a fresh bowl of popcorn in his hand.
As he took his seat next to Michonne, Rick tried out the line he'd been practicing since Shane had shared the scheme he and Andrea had cooked up to bring them together. "So, is your friend as crazy as mine?"
Michonne let out a snort as she scooped up a handful of popcorn out of the bowl set between them. "Crazier. She's the mastermind after all. I told her that you and I were only friends but she's got it stuck in that blonde head of hers that we're 'meant to be' or something like that. Crazy, right?"
Rick swallowed past the lump in his throat as his gaze roamed over Michonne's pretty face before scooping out a handful of popcorn and replying with casual disregard that, if he were was honest with himself, wasn't totally sincere.
"Crazy. Right."
Even though Rick's quick agreement was expected, Michonne would be lying if she didn't feel a tiny jab at his response. As she shook that feeling off, Michonne forced her attention out to the dance floor, needing to get control of the night once again.
"Okay, now that we've established that, let's move onto to much more important things. We'll look for the clumsiest dancer and the most miserable chaperone, okay? We'll each get a minute to judge and then I'll count to five and we'll shout out the name. If we both say the same name, we'll leave and go watch the movies you rented and if they're different, we'll torture ourselves for another twenty minutes. Deal?"
Sending a quick prayer up to heaven for a matching answer as watching movies with his friend was much preferable over watching a bunch of sweaty classmates pretend they were cool, Rick slid a sideways glance to Michonne and replied, "Deal, start the timer."
Two minutes later, Rick and Michonne race walked out of the gym as they argued over which movie to watch first, both grateful that everything was right in the world again.
A/N: Thank you very much for returning to this story after an unexpected hiatus. I needed to focus on being a mom these past few months as my son worked through a mental health crisis. He's on the mend and I'm now able to spend some time doing what I love- writing about my two favorite characters! I can't express how much I appreciate your words of support and encouragement for both my story and for me as I worked through this difficult time. I can't wait to continue this story as there is so much more story to tell! Thank you again- your support is everything to me. Love, Mama.