"You haven't been sleeping."

The crease that had permanently settled between Michonne's brows deepened. He wasn't accusing her, merely stating an observation.

She glanced at him, refusing to meet his eyes for more than a few seconds at a time – a habit she'd adopted as of late. She knew it was cruel but couldn't help it. Just like she knew she should be sleeping but couldn't bring herself to seek a moment of rest.

Rick quietly studied her stony response, detecting the flurry of emotions storming beneath the surface. Anger and sadness had fractured her soul into a familiar array of pieces, too painful to mend on her own.

"You're not okay," he bluntly stated, staring at her still figure. "I know."

Of course he knew. Though she'd done her best to hide it, he knew. And yet, the question filled the thick air between them.

"How?"

She stared at him as he looked down at his boots, silently nodding as if to ponder her question but then quickly looked up, catching her off guard.

His eyes were more red than blue. They sagged tiredly, the brightness that once ignited their fury dimmed to cold ashes.

Finally, his gruff voice admitted a truth he'd been hiding, a truth they both knew they'd spent too long denying.

"'Cause I'm not."

Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach, sorrow wringing the air from her lungs. It was true. They were shattered. Both of them. And yet the pain had managed to unite them once again.

Her lips trembled as she gazed at him for the first time in days, her head tilted in compassion.

"Oh, Rick," she whispered in a broken voice, tears tumbling from her eyes.

He swiftly closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, finally feeling the warmth of her body penetrate his armor of numbness.

So I must have been up in my feels about this season more than I realized. I woke up in the middle of the night to write this.

I'm trying to cope with this season but it's been difficult. I don't know if I want to see the mid-season premiere or the rest of the season, for that matter. I love Richonne but I have my limits.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind me sharing this with you. It's all I have for now. :)

Your coping writer,

semul