Previously, on First Kisses – Advice:
"Hey there, sweetheart," Rick greeted his daughter, leaning over and kissing Judith softly on the head.
Rick settled in close beside Michonne, resting one arm behind her on the back of the couch. He smoothed Judith's wispy hair and held her little hand in his.
"She looks so much like Carl did, at that age," Rick said, his voice sounding distant.
"Really?" Michonne asked, intrigued.
She looked at Rick, anticipating a cute story about Carl when he was a baby, but instead felt her breath catch in her throat. All at once, she took in his freshly shaved face, the affection in his blue eyes, the press of his leg against hers, the comfortable way he leaned into her space.
"What?" Rick asked, noticing her odd reaction.
"Nothing," Michonne shook her head, trying to act like nothing had happened.
Rick raised his eyebrow, not buying it.
"What?" he repeated, confused.
Michonne cracked a smile, acting more confident that she felt at that moment, "You smell good, is all."
"It's a nice change, huh?" Rick said wryly.
Michonne laughed, "Yeah, it is."
Rick chuckled and Michonne thought about how good it felt to see him smile. His guarded walls fell down, his eyes crinkled around the edges, and Michonne knew he was genuinely happy.
"Here, can you take her?" Michonne said abruptly, moving to hand Judith over to Rick.
He transferred the baby to his own lap.
"You alright?" Rick questioned, frowning.
"I have to pee," Michonne answered and made a hasty exit from the room.
"Oh. Okay," Rick and Judith exchanged confused looks.
…..
And Now, the Continuation…
Advice – Part 4
The setting sun filled the small room with a low golden glow. Michonne stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
She saw the face of a warrior woman who wasn't afraid of anything, dead or alive, who could slice apart two dozen walkers by herself, who had walked through hell to give her family just one more day with a chance, who knew without a doubt where she belonged.
So what was that about? Michonne thought, frowning at her reflection.
Rick is clean and half naked and smelling nice, and suddenly I lose my cool?
Then her words from that morning came back to her, 'It's always best to be honest. Even if things don't go your way, if you have feelings for someone, it's better to be up front about it and tell them.'
"That's what it is, isn't it?" Michonne asked herself out loud.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking down to where her hands gripped the edge of the sink.
I know how I feel about Rick, what he means to me. That's not new. But the thought of actually telling him…
That's what caught her by surprise, the thought of acting on those feelings, of potentially changing things between her and Rick.
Michonne looked at her reflection again, her expression thoughtful.
"How can I tell Carl what he should do, when I won't take my own advice? I'm a hypocrite, aren't I?" she asked the empty room.
A loud knock on the door startled her.
"Just a sec," Michonne called out.
"Are you brushing your teeth again?" Carl's teasing voice came through the door.
"No," Michonne retorted.
She washed her hands before turning over the bathroom to Carl, then headed to her room at the end of the hall.
Michonne sat on the edge of her bed, listening to the sound of her friends settling in for the night. Next door, Rick was tucking Judith in to bed.
After several minutes, Michonne got up and made her way to the front of the house. She closed the front door carefully behind her and leaned against the porch railing.
The night air was cool, but she didn't mind. In fact, she was hoping that the chill would help clear up her jumbled thoughts.
The street was dark and empty. There was a semi-official curfew in effect these days and everyone was encouraged to follow blackout rules as well. A few residents had protested the strict measures, but a reminder of the three walkers Rick had found within the walls was enough to convince them.
Michonne heard the click of the front door opening again. She didn't have to look to know who it was.
Rick Grimes, now clad in a clean t-shirt and his constable's jacket, came over and leaned his forearms against the porch railing, mirroring her posture.
He didn't say anything right away, but one look at his face told Michonne that he was worried.
"I'm alright, Rick," she said before he could ask.
Rick nodded and looked out over the quiet street, but Michonne could tell that he wasn't entirely convinced.
The quiet stretched out between them until Michonne spoke again, "I guess I'm still adjusting to being here…being safe. It gives you time to think about things you couldn't before, out there."
"Yeah," Rick said thoughtfully.
"It's both a blessing and a curse, isn't it?" he said, probably thinking about his own tumultuous adjustment to living in Alexandria.
"Hmm," Michonne murmured, lost in thought. Why can't I just tell him? What am I afraid of?
"Aren't you cold?" Rick asked suddenly, noticing her bare arms.
"I'm alright," she answered. The truth was, she was a bit cold but didn't feel like going inside yet.
"You're shivering," Rick disagreed.
He unzipped his windbreaker, "Here…"
On impulse, Michonne turned and stepped closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him, under his jacket, and rested her head on this shoulder.
"Oh!" Rick was momentarily startled by the unexpected embrace, "I was going to give you my jacket, but, uh…this is good too."
Rick hesitated for a second, and then relaxed into the hug, pulling the sides of his jacket around her for added warmth. Michonne closed her eyes, feeling lost in the emotions swirling through her.
Over the past weeks and months, she and Rick had become more and more comfortable with each other, but this was the first time that she'd reached out to touch him for no other reason than that she wanted to touch him.
I love you, she wanted to say it aloud but the words caught in her throat. I've loved you all this time…
"Hey…" Rick said softly, and Michonne pulled back enough to see his face.
When he first came outside to check on her, Rick had been worried that Michonne was upset. Now, though, the mood between them had changed and he seemed to sense what she was feeling. For a few long seconds neither of them said anything.
Rick tilted his head and his lips met Michonne's, warm and intentional. The kiss was brief and ended with Rick's blue eyes turning uncertain, as if to ask, 'Did I do the right thing?'
Yes, a smile tugged at Michonne's lips.
She pulled him close again and kissed him back. The kiss felt all at once like a long-held breath being released after a slow swim up from a deep pool and like an old near-forgotten blanket shaken out and wrapped tightly around them both.
Rick leaned his forehead against Michonne's, lingering in her embrace.
"I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do that," Rick said, his voice low and deep.
Michonne blinked, trying to process Rick's words.
"What?" she suddenly felt unmoored, drifting in unexpected territory.
Rick took a deep breath. They pulled apart enough to see each other clearly, but were still very much within the other's space.
"It was back at the prison, when I first started to fall for you, Michonne. When you always came back with some little gift for Carl, how you always made him smile when nothing else could…" Rick confessed.
"Really?" Michonne felt stunned.
She'd had no idea that Rick had such strong feelings for her. In her mind, it could have gone either way. This was certainly a lot more than she'd expected.
Rick nodded, looking bashful but earnest.
"Rick…why didn't you say anything?" Michonne demanded. If I'd known, maybe I would have…
"There was never time, or never the right time," Rick spoke honestly, "We were on the road for so long, then here. I was so caught up in everything else, I didn't see…"
He trailed off, and then started again, "I guess I wasn't ready."
These days, things tend to change so fast that what happened only a few months ago can feel like a lifetime ago. It wasn't all that long ago that Rick lost his wife. Michonne knew he carried a lot of guilt, even still, so it made sense that he hadn't been ready to face his feelings for someone new until now.
Michonne realized that Rick was probably waiting for her to say something, so she confessed, "I think I wasn't ready either. But I am now."
At that, Rick's face broke into a wide grin.
"So that's it? We're really doing this?" Michonne asked, amazed at how quickly things had changed once again.
"I'm yours, Michonne. If you want it, I'll give you my heart, for good. There's nothing else I want," Rick told her, his gaze equal parts intense and vulnerable.
You're my family. You're all I want! Michonne's emotions welled up, threatening to spill over. She barely managed a small nod, Yes!
Rick's expression turned warm and affectionate. He gently cupped her face, wiping away a stray droplet.
"Come here," Michonne whispered, tugging on Rick's jacket and taking a step backwards.
She took another step so her back was pressed against the side of the house and they were deep in the shadows, alone in the quiet autumn air.
Rick rested his hands on her hips and kissed her again, more passionately this time. Michonne closed her eyes and draped her arms around his neck, feeling the electric buzz of a new love fill her body.
In that moment, no one else in the world existed.
….
The End!
A/N: So, what do you think? Was it worth it? I might just have to add an epilogue; we'll see…maybe Carl can be Aaron's love apprentice!
