Richonne (Short Love Stories) Out of Order Part II (Chapter 29)
A/N: As always, thanks to all the awesome supportive readers. I appreciate each and every review, follow and fave.
Michonne is finding it hard to concentrate on anything, knowing that she and Rick are planning to become intimate tonight. Maybe she should've put it off for a while to give them both time to consider what they are doing. It's been three months and no pregnancy so this is the logical next step. It makes sense, right? She watches as Andrea walks through the office, reading some documents. She wants so badly to share the information with her friend, especially since Andrea had inquired about her talk with Rick. For some reason, she can't bring herself to admit anything to her. She just wants this evening to go smoothly and she doesn't need Andrea to reinforce her already uncertain feelings about this. She watches the clock as she plans to leave work a couple of hours early.
She smiles as her cell phone chimes, alerting her that she has received a text message. She checks the phone and just as she suspected, it's Rick. She must have conjured him up thinking about him the way she was.
Do I need to bring anything tonight?
Before she knows it, she has typed out Just you and was about to hit the send button when she read it again and thought it over. That sounds too suggestive or seductive even. Maybe that's the wrong response. She deletes it quickly and just sends a simple No.
Meanwhile, Rick is seated in his office, looking at the one word reply she sent, wondering why she was so short and terse. He hopes everything is ok and that tonight is still a go. He doesn't know what to expect from tonight or even if this is the right move for them, but if it's what Michonne wants, then he is willing to give it a try. He just hopes they are still able to remain the best of friends even after sharing everything together. The only other person he has shared this level of intimacy with is his ex-wife and that fact makes him question exactly what role Michonne should have in his life. He shakes his head, deciding that those thoughts were too heavy and too serious at the moment.
Hours later, Rick is driving to Michonne's place after having a light dinner and a shower. He pulls into the driveway, grabs his overnight bag and makes his way to the front door.
Michonne is agonizing over what to wear when the doorbell chimes. She thought about a nice lacy teddy or just plain pajamas, but she can't make up her mind. She is now in sweatpants and a t-shirt and surmises that this is not an outfit for seduction. Wait a minute. Is this a seduction? I should want to arouse him, right? She wipes her sweaty palms on her pants and walks down the stairs to invite him in.
He is dressed as he normally does outside of his uniform in jeans and a t-shirt. Her eyes zero in on his overnight bag and her heart slams even harder against her chest. She can't help the excitement she feels anticipating sleeping in her bed with him all night. Sure, he has stayed over before, but never in the same bed as her. She wonders if she's reading too much into the overnight bag. Maybe he'll opt for one of her guest bedrooms.
"Hi," he greets softly.
She returns the greeting just as softly and asks if he has had dinner.
"Yeah, I ate something before coming over. You?"
She nods. "I had a salad not too long ago." For some reason, she was hoping he would say no and she would have to prepare something for him and prolong the inevitable. She shouldn't be nervous, but she is.
She offers him some wine as a means of relaxation but he opts to forego the libation. He doesn't want anything to cloud his judgment or hinder this experience in any way. Michonne opts not to drink as well.
Minutes later, they are in her bedroom. She has placed his bag on the dresser and the two of them are seated at the foot of her bed. They look at each other tentatively, both giving hesitant smiles.
"Would it be ok if I just hold you for a minute?" Rick asks with a little uncertainty.
Michonne is surprised by the request as in her experience, most guys would just want to dive in. She nods slowly and sighs as he pulls her into his arms. She rests her head against his shoulder, her face turned outward.
They hold each other like that for several minutes, getting used to the feel of the other. She turns her head to face inward and can't help taking in his scent. She can detect sandalwood and something else that's a bit like pine trees. She shudders as he caresses her arms lightly before placing a soft, tentative kiss to her shoulder.
Rick can't believe how incredibly soft and smooth her skin is. He can smell lavender and coconuts. He's not sure if it's her skin or her hair, but it is intoxicating and drawing him in with every whiff. He wants to taste each and every inch of her and he wants to take his time and savor every moment. He's not sure if this will be a one-time experience, but just in case it is, he wants it to be memorable. He places another kiss to her shoulder, then moves to her neck, to her cheek and finally her mouth.
They both lean back slightly, searching each other's faces before locking in on the other's mouth. Michonne leans in and kisses Rick softly. He returns the kiss, opening his mouth against hers, inviting her to do the same.
She's not sure what she expected. She was afraid kissing him would feel like kissing her brother if she had one, but Rick is definitely not her brother. She welcomes the taste of him, pulling his tongue into her mouth then returns the favor by allowing him to pull on hers.
He drops a hand to her hip and gives her a squeeze, pulling her closer. Kissing her feels so right and it's making Rick wonder why they have never done this before. He wants so badly to take it slow, but he really needs to be closer to her right now. He moves his hand lower to the back of her thigh and lifts a leg to his waist as he moves their bodies backward, lying her on the bed as he rests between her thighs.
They continue to make out like two horny teenagers, kissing and caressing each other feverishly. She moves her hands underneath his shirt, reveling in the feel of his smooth, broad back. He reaches a hand back over his shoulder and fists his shirt, pulling it off.
Michonne allows her eyes to travel along his shirtless upper body, appreciating the wide shoulders, the defined pecs, the flat stomach. She lifts her upper body and removes her t-shirt. She hesitates for only a moment before reaching behind her to unhook her bra.
Rick's sharp intake of breath was all the encouragement she needed to pull him to her and finally feel his skin against hers.
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The next morning, Michonne slowly opens her eyes and wonders what time it is. She blinks several times, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She moves from her side to her back and wonders at the slight discomfort in her body. She looks over to her left and notices a sleeping Rick. Her eyes pop as everything they shared the night before comes flooding back to memory. She rolls her eyes up to the ceiling with a sigh, remembering how their bodies connected, remembering how consumed she felt, and remembering how explosive the sex was.
She can't recall ever feeling so overwhelmed and so connected with a person. She has had some good sex in her day, but this was incredible. She steals a glance over at Rick again and surmises that the sex had to be a fluke. They were just really lucky to be so in tune with each other. Besides, she hasn't had intercourse in a long time, so of course getting some after so long would blow her mind.
Was it really a fluke though? What if we are just that good together? Curiosity gets the best of her as well as an overwhelming need to feel close to him again. She turns onto her side to face him and reaches a hand over to gently caress his curling hair. She waits patiently for him to wake up and smiles when her brown eyes connect with his blue ones.
He returns her smile. "Morning." Well, she's smiling and still looking me in the eye, so I guess we did something good last night. He shakes his head as the memory of last night causes a slight tremor to course through his body. Damn.
He searches her face just to gauge her mood as she has yet to say anything. He recognizes the look and doesn't think twice as he feels his body awakening in more ways than one.
Michonne takes his hand and starts to place tiny kisses on each of his fingers before kissing him fully on the palm. She then brings his hand to one of her breasts and squeezes her hand over his. She smiles even wider as Rick wraps his other arm around her waist and pulls her to him.
They are body to body and she is feeling the same quivering sensation course through her as before, her body basically anticipating what it knows is coming. She wraps her legs around Rick's waist as he rolls over on top of her and enters her slowly.
The contentment she feels at their connection is indescribable. At the same time, Rick can't believe how good she feels. It makes him wonder how he will ever walk away, knowing what he knows. Those thoughts are soon forgotten as he feels her clench around him and latch on to his neck, suckling him softly.
They work together in perfect unison, striving for the ultimate release. Michonne pulls back to stare up at him, amazed that he feels just as good, if not better, as he felt the time before. Her last thought as he sends her over the edge is….Oh shit! It's not a fluke.
For the next week, they go to work and immediately afterwards, meet at her place or his for more mind blowing sex. The desire to become pregnant the only excuse they need as they are both in denial that it could be something else.
A break is forced upon them as this weekend is Rick's weekend with Carl. The three of them take in dinner and a movie on Friday night and although Michonne is tempted to return to Rick's place and wait until Carl is conveniently asleep, she opts to go home and allow him some quality time with his son.
The next day, she spends a lazy Saturday at home, getting caught up on some things that she placed in a "to do later" file. Her concentration is continually broken as she can't seem to get Rick off her mind. She wonders what could possibly be wrong with her. She laughs as she knows exactly what's wrong with her. A taste of something exceptionally good has her wanting more and more.
She slams the file on the table and decides to distract herself with an exhaustive swim.
Meanwhile, Carl is losing his patience with his Dad. They are at a local sports shop, trying to decide on some new gear for Carl's upcoming baseball season.
"Dad, you're not paying attention. The sales guy keeps asking you the same questions over and over again. Should we just do this another day? What gives?" Carl demands.
Rick shakes his head, trying to drudge up some concentration as he can't very well tell his son that Michonne is flitting through his mind constantly. He wonders what she's doing right now, if she may be thinking of him. He's not sure if he can go an entire two days without seeing her. What is wrong with me?
"I'm fine, son. Just got a lot on my mind. Work stuff. Come on, let's see what we can find," Rick grabs Carl by the shoulders as they engage the sales person with full attention this time.
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At least six weeks have passed and Michonne can't contain her excitement as her cycle has not made an appearance. Rick is coming over tonight, so she'll wait until they're together before utilizing one of the dozen or so home pregnancy tests she has in supply.
He is already there, waiting for her, having started dinner. She absentmindedly gives him a quick kiss on the cheek and tells him what she suspects.
Rick wonders if she is even aware of some of the things she does. Her quick kisses always affect him somehow and she moves right along like it's nothing. He follows her upstairs to her bedroom and waits patiently outside the bathroom door. Moments later, she allows him in as they wait for the test results.
Five minutes later, the test reveals a blaring pink plus sign which indicates a pregnancy. Rick laughs as Michonne lets out the loudest whoop he has ever heard. She practically jumps into his arms and starts placing sound kisses all over his face. She finally plants her lips on his and before they know it, they are in her bed, celebrating in the most intimate way. It doesn't dawn on either of them that the sex has already accomplished their goal and is no longer needed.
Two days later, they visit Michonne's gynecologist and he confirms her pregnancy, giving her a gestation period of approximately 6 weeks. Michonne looks over at Rick, realizing that he impregnated her their first time together. He smiles back, realizing the exact same thing.
They leave the doctor's office and drive to the local park where they purchase ice cream cones and take a walk together.
"I don't know if I've said it before or not, but….thank you. I can't tell you how happy I am right now." Michonne smiles widely as tears start to form. She places a hand over her mouth and stops walking for just a moment.
Rick pulls her into his arms, both holding their cones at an angle away from each other. "It's fine. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you so happy."
She looks up at him. "What did I ever do to deserve a guy like you?" She steps back and they continue their walk. "So, what should our next step be?" She laughs as she realizes she didn't consider anything past getting pregnant.
"Why don't we just sit tight for now? We don't have to make any decisions right this minute." Rick reminds her.
"You're right. Let's just bask in the good news. Are you coming over tonight?" Michonne is basically asking out of habit. She's not realizing that things can sort of go back to normal now that she and Rick have accomplished her coveted dream.
"Sure. The usual time?" He asks.
"Yes and I'm preparing the juiciest steak you've ever had," she tells him.
Rick smiles despite the inner turmoil he is feeling. Now that Michonne is pregnant, he can't help but wonder what it will mean for what has developed between them for the last few weeks. He doesn't want to imagine going back to being best friends, not being able to love her, caress her, and kiss her. Now that he has had a taste of what they could have together as a couple in love, his heart is telling him that's exactly what he wants.
They part ways soon after, Michonne telling him she is looking forward to tonight.
Moments later, Michonne feels as if cold water has been splashed in her face. She informed Andrea of her good news, swearing her to secrecy until she is ready to share the news with others.
"Gosh, what are you and Rick gonna do now that you can't fool around?" Andrea asks.
Michonne falters slightly as Andrea's words sink in. There really is no reason for her and Rick to have sex again. She cannot hide her disappointment as that is exactly one of the things she was looking forward to tonight. She groans as she crosses her arms over her chest and wonders how she missed that little detail. She certainly can't jump his bones now. Damn. She swallows visibly, wondering if she should cancel their dinner tonight. Of course not. This is Rick. It'll be ok.
Hours later as Rick is slamming into her over and over again, Michonne can't fathom how she is ever going to give him up. Rick is taking this coupling in a totally different context. He thinks this means that their relationship is only moving forward as in them being together.
The following week, they are at the doctor's office again for their first ultrasound. Michonne has chosen to put aside the talk she and Rick need to have and Rick surmises that they don't need to talk because they obviously feel the same way.
The technician administers the ultrasound and the room is filled with the sound of a rapid thumping. "That's your baby's heartbeat." She politely points out the small embryo and notates that the baby is developing as he or she should.
Michonne smiles widely as she looks over at Rick with amazement in her eyes. She gasps and immediately tears up when she sees the tears in his eyes. "Rick, it's ok. The baby's ok."
He nods slowly. "I…..I just never realized I could be this happy." He sighs deeply as he takes her hand closest to him, wrapping both his hands around it. "I need to tell you something and I need to say it right now."
Michonne gives him her full attention. "Ok."
"I….I love you." He hesitates, allowing his words to sink in. "Michonne, I'm in love with you."
Michonne is clearly taken aback as that is not what she expected to hear from him. She looks from him to the technician to the tiny life on the ultrasound screen and back to Rick. "You….you're just really emotional right now. We'll talk about this later."
Rick frowns as does the technician. "Are you trying to tell me how I feel?"
"No….no, of course not. I just…..what are you doing?" Michonne is so confused in that moment. She wants so badly to tell Rick the exact same thing, but realizes this would be a huge step for them, one she is not sure she is ready for.
"What am I doing? What are you doing? What have we been doing for the last 4 or 5 months namely the last two?" Rick demands.
The technician attempts to excuse herself, but Michonne stops her.
"No, it's fine. We should see the doctor now, right?"
The technician nods and finishes up the procedure before informing them they are free to leave. The remainder of the visit goes smoothly, but Michonne can tell Rick is very upset.
They make it back to her house and she immediately goes into Suzy homemaker mode, moving around in the kitchen, telling him she is about to start dinner.
Rick walks into the kitchen and takes the pan out of her hand, placing it on the stovetop. "Are you going to pretend that I didn't just hand you my heart on a silver platter and you stomped on it?"
"Don't be dramatic. That's not what happened," Michonne returns.
"Then tell me what happened?"
"Rick….please don't ruin this. Everything's been going so….."
"Being in love with you is ruining this…..ruining us?" Rick stares at her in disbelief.
"You're not in love with me. It's just the sex," Michonne determines.
Rick rears back as if she slapped him. He scoffs. "I can't believe you just said that."
The silence grows between them until Rick finally says, "I think I should leave."
"I'm….sorry. I just….this wasn't part of the plan…." She trails off as Rick gives her harsh look.
"Good night." He walks away before he allows Michonne to tear into his heart any more than she already has.
She attempts to call Rick for the remainder of the night, but he is obviously not accepting her calls. This continues into the next day. He won't even take her calls at work. She realizes how profoundly she must have hurt him, but if she could just talk with him, she knows they can straighten this out.
In her desperation, she decides to leave work early and go to his house. She lets herself in using the hidden key underneath the cushion of the porch swing. For the next three hours before he is scheduled to arrive home, she cleans the house and prepares dinner for him.
At exactly 6:04 pm, she can hear Rick's key in the door. She moves to stand in the living room, checking the area one last time, proud of the way she spruced the place up. She frowns as she detects his voice and another more feminine one. The door swings open and Rick allows his companion in first. She is obviously a co-worker Michonne surmises as she takes in the female's uniform. Rick's eyes pop when he sees Michonne. He steps into the house behind his companion, his eyes never leaving Michonne's.
Well, he didn't waste any time, Michonne thinks to herself.