**Here's another one shot about the faves and a few other familiar faces! I meant to get this out by Thanksgiving but FF was not acting right and I couldn't upload the story. Better late than never though. I hope you all had a great holiday and enjoy!
"Ok, let's go over the menu one more time to make sure we got all the bases covered," Michonne said, pulling out her phone and opening her notes app to see what everyone was bringing for Friendsgiving dinner tomorrow night.
This was their second Friendsgiving dinner that they jointly hosted since they all graduated from college two years earlier. Michone, Andrea, and Sasha shared a house together and would be hosting the dinner at their home the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This way they could celebrate with all their friends before everyone traveled to be with their families for Thanksgiving Day.
Rounding out the foursome was their ex-roommate and newlywed best friend Maggie, who moved out earlier this year after marrying her college sweetheart Glenn over the summer.
"My seafood gumbo is pretty much done. Sasha, you're doing the cornbread dressing and potato salad. Andrea, you're picking up the Honey Baked Ham and making the green beans. Maggie, I have you and Glenn down for candied yams and mashed potatoes," Michonne said, listing off the menu items to her friends as they gathered around the kitchen island, sipping wine and munching on an array of snacks.
"Aaron and Paul are bringing a charcuterie board for grazing and some other appetizers," Michonne said.
"Fancy!" Maggie oohed.
"Who's doing the macaroni and cheese?" Andrea questioned. "Please say it's not Carol! We don't need another year of dry macaroni and cheese!"
They all laughed at their outspoken friend. While Carol was an excellent baker, a cook she was not.
"Don't worry! She volunteered to bring desserts this time," Michonne chuckled at her friend. "Rosita said to put her down for mac and cheese."
"Thank God! She throws down in the kitchen so at least we know it will be good this year," Sasha said, grateful not to suffer through another year of Carol's macaroni and cheese.
"Tara and Denise said they would bring the alcohol," Maggie chimed in.
"Yes! We're going to need plenty of it!" Andrea stated. "If I have to be in Shane's presence for the entire night, best believe I'm getting wasted."
All three girls just shook their heads at their friend Andrea and her relationship with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Shane.
The couple, who were off-again at the moment, argued like cats and dogs but everyone knew they were desperately in love with each other. No matter how hard they fought, they always ended up right back in each other's arms. Two stubborn fools madly in love.
"You know you and Shane are going to be back together by the end of the night, so I don't know why you're even being like that," Sasha rolled her eyes.
"You're one to talk Sasha!" Andrea shot back. "Was that Daryl I heard sneaking out of here early this morning?" Andrea questioned, but already knowing the answer.
Sasha and Daryl weren't nearly as bad as Shane and Andrea but they did their fair share of breaking up and making up. With her fiery personality, Sasha was usually the one doing the breaking up. It never lasted long though because Daryl loved Sasha something fierce, and she loved him right back. He let her have her time to cool down, but never for too long. She was a hothead and could be just as stubborn as Andrea, and Daryl was exactly the same. They somehow managed to balance each other out in the end though.
"Nobody was sneaking, Andrea. He had an early shift this morning if you must know. But, yes, we're back together!" Sasha beamed.
Andrea just rolled her eyes at her friend. "Like I said!"
"We all know that will be you and Shane tomorrow night so hush up!" Michonne huffed, exhausted by the back and forth of both of their relationships.
"You know you are both going to end up marrying those fools so I don't know why y'all play these games," Maggie agreed.
"Not everybody can have a fairytale romance like you and Glenn," Andrea shot back.
"We are pretty cute, huh?" Maggie laughed, while Andrea playfully threw a piece of cheese at her.
"Y'all are a mess!" Michonne shook her head and laughed, taking a long sip of her wine.
"Oh no Michonne! Don't think you're getting out of dishing. What's up with you and Rick?" Andrea asked, trying to get the scoop on her friend.
Rick and Michonne, along with the rest of their close group of friends, had been friends since college. Both were in relationships when they met, but they became fast friends and got along right away. Rick went out with Lori for a few years in college while Michonne had dated Mike.
Lori and Rick broke up right before graduation and Mike and Michonne parted ways soon after graduation when Mike took a job across the country.
Even though they both were in relationships back then, everyone with eyes could see their instant connection and how well they got along from the moment they met.
Their friends joked amongst themselves that Rick and Michonne would make the best couple if they were both available.
This is why everyone was baffled that they never got together when they both became single.
"Please tell me this is going to be the year y'all finally quit playing games!" Sasha hoped. After having a front row seat to Rick and Michonne's flirting for years, it was time one of them did something about it.
"It's not like that! We're friends!" Michonne shook her head. All three girls shot her an unimpressed look.
"Friends my ass!" Andrea exclaimed. "If I have to see y'all making googly eyes at each other from across the table, and not do anything about it, I'm going to scream!"
"She's right Mich," Maggie calmly added. "He clearly likes you and you clearly like him, so what's the problem?"
"There is no problem! Like I said, we're just friends," Michonne repeated, desperately hoping this conversation would end soon.
She had heard this argument from her friends more times than she could count. She and Rick did obviously like each other, but he never made a move for anything past friendship so she didn't push it. Not that she didn't want to, but she didn't want to pursue something if it was one sided.
She thought things might change between them after they had come close to sharing a kiss the night of Maggie and Glenn's wedding over the summer. They were glued to each other all through the reception and stayed close on the dance floor. After hours of dancing and needing a break to catch their breath, they eventually made their way outside to get some air.
They found a bench outside of the venue, laughing and joking, reminiscing on their night together. The energy between shifted after being so close all night. They both looked at each other with longing and yearning in their eyes. They both leaned in to each other, eyes closed, lips about to meet.
Before anything could happen though, they were interrupted by a drunk and crying Andrea who had come outside looking for Michone for comfort after breaking up, once again, with Shane at the wedding. Much to her disappointment, neither she nor Rick ever brought up their near kiss again.
"Besides, I invited someone for dinner tomorrow night anyway," Michonne said, shocking her friends.
"What!?"
"Who!?"
"Do we know him!?" they all bombarded her with questions.
"His name's Ezekiel," she shared.
"Wait, wait, wait! When did you meet him? Spill?" Sasha excitedly inquired.
"Literally yesterday at the grocery store," Michonne shared. "He came up to me while I was shopping and we started talking. He seems really nice. A little over the top, but nice. He's new in town so I figured why not invite him."
"Is he cute?" Andrea excitedly asked.
"He's nice to look at!" Michonne teased.
"Wow! Look at you!" Andrea tipped her glass to Michonne, impressed at her friend.
Even though Michonne never let on about her feelings regarding Rick, Andrea knew her best friend had feelings for him. She didn't like seeing her friend not completely happy, so she was proud of her for taking a chance on someone else.
"What do you think Rick's going to say?" Maggie asked.
"What can he say? We're not anything to each other," Michonne said a little too quickly.
"I have to agree. Homeboy has had plenty of time to step up," Sasha interjected.
"Yeah, but it's Rick!" Maggie argued. "I always just figured you two would end up together."
"Look, we all love Rick, but Michonne can't wait around for him forever to grow a pair. We grown now! They've both been single for almost 2 years! He's had plenty of time," Andrea agreed with Sasha.
Maggie just shook her head. Ever the romantic, she was always holding out hope that Rick and Michonne would find their way to each other eventually. She felt her friends deserved to share in the same happiness that she had found with Glenn.
"I'm proud of you Chonne," Andrea hugged her friend.
"Me too!" Sasha said, joining in on the hug, sandwiching Michonne.
"You guys, I'm not getting married! I just invited someone to dinner. Calm down!" Michonne rolled her eyes at her friends.
"Now back to the menu," Michonne declared, happy to change the subject. "The guys are on turkey duty. They want to do a fried turkey this year so Shane and Rick said they were coming early to set up the fryer."
"Well, let's hope they don't burn the house down," Andrea joked.
"Daryl's so excited. He said he's been practicing his turkey marinade," Sasha insisted, bragging on her boyfriend.
The other girls tried to hide the grimace that crossed their faces from Sasha. They knew what kind of eccentric things Daryl liked to cook up so they were a little hesitant that he was in charge of the turkey.
"Can't wait," Andrea said sarcastically, as Sasha swatted her arm.
"Don't even try it! My baby can cook!" Sasha argued.
The other three girls all shared a look and burst out laughing, with Sasha eventually joining in, knowing the strange delicacies that her man could come up with.
"At least he tries!" she defended him.
"As long as he doesn't bring any squirrel jerky, we're good!" Andrea teased, the girls all falling into a fit of giggles.
"Alright you guys, I think that's it. We just need to finish decorating and setting up the dining room table and that should be it," Michonne announced.
"I told everyone else to just bring what they wanted. We'll have a good variety of food to choose from," Sasha added.
"I'm so excited! I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow. I haven't really seen anyone since the wedding," Maggie said.
"You and Glenn have been in your own little love bubble," Andrea teased.
"I don't blame you one bit though, girl!" Sasha said. "You guys probably won't see me for months either once I tie the knot."
The rest of the girls all looked at each other wondering what Sasha was getting at. With so much to get done still, they tabled that discussion for another time.
Once they had gotten the house all cleaned and decorated, they each went out prepping their dishes and continuing to enjoy each other's company for the rest of the evening.
The Next Day
It was just before noon when Daryl arrived to start preparations on the turkey. Andrea answered the door when he arrived and saw he had a huge bag with drops of blood splattered on it slung over his shoulder.
He greeted her and tried to enter the house with the bloody bag, but Andrea quickly pushed him out and made him go around the back.
"Daryl are you out of your mind?! You are not bringing that in this house!" she shrieked. "Sasha! Come get this man," Andrea shouted to her friend.
Apparently Daryl had done some hunting that morning and they would be feasting on some very fresh turkey that day.
The girls were horrified as he plucked and cleaned the bird right in their backyard. He chopped off the bird's head and chased the girls around the back until they all ran back in the house.
By late afternoon, the girls had finished running their last minute errands and were doing some final touch ups to all their dishes, when the doorbell rang. They could already hear Shane's loud mouth outside the door and figured it was him and Rick arriving to come and help Daryl with the turkey.
Andrea groaned and insisted Michonne get the door. Michonne's stomach did a little flip at the thought of seeing Rick. She made a promise to herself to move on, but she couldn't deny that she still had feelings for him.
"Hey Chonne!" Shane wrapped her in a big bear hug as he made his way inside carrying the turkey fryer. He looked past her to Andrea who was in the kitchen giving him the evil eye.
"Damn girl! Well hello to you too!" Shane greeted Andrea. She rolled her eyes and turned her back to him, making herself busy in the kitchen.
He just shook his head and headed to the backyard to join Daryl and Sasha.
"What are we going to do with those two?" Rick sighed as he made his way inside, pulling Michonne in for a hug.
She instinctively wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his hug. "Those are your friends!" she cracked back at him.
"God he looked good,'' she thought. He smelled even better. She didn't know how to describe his natural scent, but it was uniquely Rick Grimes. Masculine, warm, and comforting.
She gave him a quick once over and as always appreciated the view he presented. He wasn't even dressed for the party yet, just sporting a worn baseball cap, some old jeans and a grey long sleeve shirt, that clung very nicely to his perfectly sculpted chest. He really could make anything look good.
She shook her head from her thoughts. "Not today Michonne!" she chastised herself. "We are moving on from Rick Grimes. Get it together, girl!"
"What's this?" she asked, eyeing the foiled covered trays in his hand.
"You know my mama. I told her about your dinner tonight and she insisted on making something for it. It's some of her collard greens and a few sweet potato pies."
Michonne's eyes lit up at the mention of pie. "Oh Rick, you know I think your mama makes the best sweet potato pie in the world! Thank you!"
"I know how much you love them, so I had her make an extra one special. This one is just for you. No sharing," he beamed, handing her her very own pie.
The smile that spread across her face was enough to take his breath away. He hoped he could keep that smile on her face for the rest of the night, and forever if he was being honest.
Tonight was the night Rick decided he was done sitting on the sidelines. He was hopelessly and utterly in love with Michonne and he could have kicked himself a million times over for being so ridiculous and not letting her know how he felt about her.
He knew in his heart that she had feelings for him because he had those exact same feelings himself. It started when he first met her. He was struck immediately the moment he saw her. He had never felt that kind of pull to anyone else in his life, not even his girlfriend at the time Lori.
They were both in relationships so he tried hard to push those feelings aside, but it was no use. The more he got to know Michonne, the stronger his feelings became. She was smart, funny, beautiful and he always felt at ease around her. He didn't have to be something he wasn't. She encouraged him and made him feel like he could do anything.
He felt so guilty for having these feelings for Michonne while he he was with someone else. Lori was a sweet girl, but he knew they were never going anywhere seriously. He knew she wanted more from him, but he knew it would never happen. He didn't want to hurt her, so he stayed.
That's where he went wrong, and looking back he wished he had broken things off with her the moment he knew they didn't have a future.
He knew it was selfish to string her along. She hadn't actually done anything wrong, so he couldn't find the strength to break things off. Whenever he got close, she would tell him how much she loved him and the guilt would creep in and he would lose his nerve. It wasn't like Michonne was available anyway, so he stayed in a relationship he wasn't fully into.
After years of dating and graduation looming, Lori was expecting Rick to pop the question. She thought he might propose any day, but nothing ever came. She finally got so fed up with waiting and asked him straight out why he hadn't proposed to her.
He knew she deserved better than him so he finally got the nerve and told her that he had no intention of ever proposing and thought they should end things for good.
Lori was shocked and angry, accusing him of wasting her time, which he couldn't disagree with. He really did care for Lori, so the hurt he caused her really messed with him, and he carried that guilt for years.
Even when Michonne and Mike broke up, he felt like such a piece of shit for what he did to Lori, he didn't feel right pursuing anything with Michonne. He didn't feel like he deserved her. Michonne and Rick remained good friends though and that would have to be enough for him.
And it was, until the day of Maggie and Glenn's wedding. He hadn't felt that way in ages. Pure happiness and joy. He and Michonne were inseparable the entire night, and he finally felt like this is how it was supposed to be. This is how it should be with her. They were finally going to take the next step but Andrea and her antics had to go ahead and ruin the moment.
He didn't know how to get that moment back with her and before he knew it, it was November.
He was done feeling guilty and now was their time. He figured what better time to finally express his feelings to her than at her Friendsgiving party. It was a time to be thankful and boy was he ever thankful that Michonne had come into his life. He only hoped she felt the same way.
"You sure know the way to my heart Rick Grimes!" she delighted, leading him to the kitchen. She put her pie in one of the cabinets so that no one would find it, and placed the others on the dessert table. "I can't wait to dig into this after the party!"
"You've got the biggest sweet tooth out of anyone I've ever known Michonne," he chuckled at her love of sweets.
She smiled because that was definitely a true statement. "Can I get you anything? Beer, soda, water?"
"Nah, I'm good. It smells real good in here Michonne," he snuck a peek into the pot on the stove where her gumbo was simmering and his stomach growled at the sight. "Now this I can't wait to get a taste of! Anything I can help with?"
"I think we got everything covered. All of our stuff is pretty much done. Everyone else is bringing the rest later. And of course we can't eat until that turkey is done. Now tell me why exactly does it take three men to fry a bird?" she laughed.
"Moral support," he joked.
"Well, can you at least make sure they don't burn down my house! You're the responsible one, so keep an eye on them please!" she laughed.
"I got you, don't worry!" he smiled.
Just then Shane opened the back door and called to Rick to get outside and help him and Daryl start on the turkey.
"Looks like they need you out there," Michonne said.
"Looks like it. You sure you don't need any help in here?" he asked, looking for any excuse to stay in her presence.
"I got it. You go do your thing," she replied.
He nodded. "I'll see you in a bit," Rick said, looking at her longingly, before heading outside.
"What was that look?" Michonne thought. She shook her head and finished up in the kitchen. She figured she would never know what was what when it came to Rick Grimes.
She felt like she had been misinterpreting his signals for as long as she knew him, so decided not to give it much thought. She thought they were on the same page at one point over the summer but obviously she was wrong, so it was time to move on from wanting anything further.
Before she knew it, the sun was going down and it was time for the festivities to begin.
She was still upstairs getting ready when she heard the first guests start to arrive. She gave herself a once over in the mirror and liked what she saw. She put the final touches on her look, spritzed on some perfume, and made her way downstairs.
She wore a black turtleneck with a black and white houndstooth mini skirt, that hugged her curves beautifully, paired with black thigh high boots. Her locs were piled atop her head in a large bun with few tendrils hanging in the front. She felt cute and chic.
She, along with Andrea, Sasha, and Maggie played hosts as they welcomed their friends to the party.
The music was flowing and the food and drink were plentiful as everyone mingled and munched on appetizers, waiting on the guys to bring the turkey in.
The turkey Daryl caught was huge, and the guys may have miscalculated the cooking time, so it was taking a little longer than expected.
It didn't help that Shane and his antics caused them to have a late start on the frying. He kept disappearing in the house for long periods of time and it seemed every time they needed him he was nowhere to be found.
When they were finally finished, Daryl, Shane, and Rick walked into the house carrying the turkey on a large platter high above their heads presenting it like it was Simba straight from the Lion King! Everyone burst out laughing at the dramatic scene, especially when Shane started singing.
The guys actually did have a reason to be proud though because it actually did look quite appetizing. It was perfectly browned and looked fried to perfection.
"Baby! This turkey looks amazing," Sasha complimented her man, giving him a quick smooch. "And y'all had no faith in my man's skills," she turned and teased her girls.
"I'll give it to them. It looks good, but the real test is in the taste!" Andrea noted.
"And we'll be the judge of that!" Michonne playfully added.
The guys needed to get cleaned up before they could all eat so Daryl went to Sasha's room to shower and change. Shane went to the spare room since Andrea said he absolutely could not use her bathroom, and Michonne led Rick to her room so he could take a quick shower and change.
"Here are some towels," she said, handing him a towel and washcloth. "If you need anything else just let me know. All I have is my girly soap, sorry," she laughed, handing him her lavender and vanilla body wash. He took a sniff and smiled. "This is why she always smells so amazing," he mentally noted.
She left him to get ready and made her way back downstairs to join her guests. While she mingled downstairs, he was trying to come up with the best way to tell her how he felt about her. He figured the best way was to just get a moment alone with her and just let fate take its course. Hopefully fate was on his side tonight.
Once he was finished washing up, he went downstairs immediately in search of Michonne. He was stopped by his friend Abe and girlfriend Rosita who pulled him into a conversation along with their friend Eugene.
His eyes continued to search the room for her, but she wasn't in there. He excused himself a while later after the monotone and eccentric Eugene started talking about the likelihood that zombies could walk the earth one day.
She wasn't with the rest of the guests in the living room so he went to the kitchen and that was where he found her, head tossed back, laughing loudly with Sasha, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn and a few other friends.
Michonne spotted him as he entered the kitchen. She took in his cleaned up appearance and her stomach did a little flip at the sight of him. His hair was slicked back and tucked behind his ears, still wet from his shower. He wore dark jeans and a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up displaying his muscular, veiny forearms. Yes, Rick Grimes cleaned up quite well she noted.
The lusty look that passed between Rick and Michonne did not go unnoticed by Maggie. There might be hope for those two afterall she smiled to herself.
"Mmmm! Aaron! These little pepper jelly and cream cheese tarts are divine!" Sasha said, popping another one of the tasty treats in her mouth.
"Thanks babe! Try these. Paul made them. They're so good!" he said, passing her a stuffed mushroom.
"Everything is delicious guys, but I can't wait to dig into this feast!" Tara said, eyeing the spread in the kitchen.
There was so much food, there was no way they would be able to eat it all. Michonne made a mental note to make everyone take to-go plates at the end of the night.
"Me too! Where is Andrea?" Maggie asked. "I'm ready to eat."
"I haven't seen Shane for a minute either," Glenn said.
They all gave each other a knowing look. "Oh God, I'll go get them," Michonne shook her head, knowing she would find them together.
"I'll come with you," Rick volunteered.
They figured they'd find the two in Andrea's room so headed upstairs to go get them so they could all sit down to eat. Michonne knocked on the door but no answer. She slowly opened the door but no one was in there.
"Where the hell are they?" Rick asked.
"Let's try the guest room," Michonne said, leading to the other room down the hall.
Michonne knocked on the door but still no answer. She knocked again and then slowly opened the door, but no one was inside.
The bathroom door was closed, but they heard a steady banging sound against the door.
Rick and Michonne froze as they heard Shane's animalistic grunts and Andrea calling his name telling him to go harder as he pounded her against the door.
Rick and Michonne shared a mortified look before bursting out laughing and quickly moving out of the room and shutting the door.
"Oh my God! Those two!" Michonne laughed. "I called it though! Wait until I tell the girls!"
"I think my ears are bleeding!" Rick laughed, shutting the door and leaning against it, dragging his hands over his face.
"Let's get out of here!" Michonne said, grabbing his hand and leading him back downstairs.
"Let's just say they might be a while! Let's just eat!" Michonne announced to her friends as she entered the living room.
They were going to do this buffet style, so everyone gathered in the kitchen to load up their plates with the large spread of food. They then all headed to the long dining table so they could feast together.
Rick made sure to grab a seat next to Michonne at the table. Shane and Andrea finally made an appearance, Shane sporting the biggest grin on his face along with Andrea as she tried to smooth down her disheveled hair.
All the girls shot Andrea knowing looks to which she just shrugged and settled in next to Shane at the table. He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a kiss, making it known to everyone they were back on.
Once everyone was seated they gave thanks and started in on the food. Conversation was freely flowing as everyone enjoyed their meal and talked vibrantly around the table.
Rick couldn't stop gushing over Michonne's gumbo and went in for another bowl before he even touched the other food.
The two fell into their normal, comfortable rhythm that they always fell into when they were together. Laughing and sharing inside jokes, in their own little world even though they were in a room full of people.
Glenn cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, and he and Maggie stood up to make an extra special announcement.
"Maggie and I have something we'd like to share," Glenn started.
"We couldn't think of a better time to share this news than when so many of our favorite people are gathered together in the same room," Maggie shared. "Glenn and I are going to have a baby!"
The room burst into cheers of congratulations and all the girls rushed to Maggie's side to shower her with hugs and congratulations.
When Michonne got back to her seat, she was beaming. "I'm going to be an Auntie! I'm so excited, Rick!" He loved how her face was glowing at the news they just received.
To everyone's surprise a few moments later, Daryl then got up from the table and got everyone's attention. He gently held Sasha's hand and smiled down at her adoringly before addressing the room.
"Since we're making announcements tonight, I just want to share with you all that My Sasha has finally quit being stubborn and finally agreed to marry me!"
'We're getting married!" Sasha flashed her ring to the table.
Another round of cheers went around the room and everyone rushed the couple to offer their love and congratulations, all the girls admiring the ring Daryl had given her. All the guys hugged and patted Daryl on the back offering him their congratulations.
"Did you know he proposed to her?" Michonne asked Rick, beaming with happiness for her close friends as she went back to her seat. "I can't believe she didn't tell us!"
"Not a clue! You know Daryl doesn't say much. Looks like we're going to be groomsmen and bridesmaids soon too!"
"You mean Best Man and Maid of Honor! This night just keeps getting better!" Michonne said, heart filled with love for four of her closest friends.
If all went according to plan, the night would most certainly be getting better. He wished he could whisk her away right in that moment, and tell her how much he was in love with her.
"Any more announcements? Now's the time!" Shane called loudly from the end of the table, everyone sharing the same sentiment.
He didn't know where this brazeness came from, but Rick almost stood up ready to let everyone know what a fool he'd been for so long, until suddenly the doorbell rang, interrupting him.
It was going so great between her and Rick all day that Michonne had almost forgotten she had invited someone to dinner.
She got up and went to answer the door, leaving Rick wondering who else was coming to dinner.
When she opened the door a loud, booming voice greeted her.
"Please forgive me beautiful Michonne for my tardiness to your lovely affair! Please accept this bouquet of roses as a sign of my penance," he kneeled dramatically and bowed his head to give Michonne's hand a kiss, much to her surprise. "Each rose carefully chosen for one so lovely as you."
His loud, theatrical voice drew everyone's attention and they all turned to look at him as he entered the house, wondering who the newcomer was.
Ezekiel was a tall and handsome man with long, greying locs pulled back in a low ponytail that didn't age him at all, and somehow made him look even more distinguished.
He had a booming voice that commanded the room and a flamboyant and almost pompous air about him like a Shakespearean actor who just stepped off the stage.
Michonne was surprised and slightly embarrassed to say the least by this dramatic display. She remembered he was a little over the top at the grocery store, but this was all a bit much.
She immediately regretted the invitation. Never one to be rude though, she put on a smile and accepted the flowers.
"They're beautiful. Please come in, Ezekiel. We were just about to get started on dessert," she led him into the dining room, leading him around the table making introductions.
He kneeled before every woman in the room and kissed their hands, telling them how lovely they were and what an honor it was to meet them.
Maggie, who was seated next to Rick saw him watching the scene in front of him, confusion clearly written on his face.
"Who's this joker?" he asked her, head tilted, eyes squinted, taking in the pair.
"That's Ezekiel, Michonne's new man," she told him. "They look good together, right?"
He turned to look at Maggie with a horrified expression on his face. "Are you kidding?"
"What? You can't deny they make a good looking couple! We should be happy for her Rick. She hasn't seriously dated anyone since Mike. This could be the one!" she said excitedly, hoping she was getting under his skin. He looked at her like she had two heads.
Rick needed a fire lit under his ass and she was going to say whatever she needed to get it it started. Plus, judging by the fake smile plastered on Michonne's face, Maggie knew Michonne was definitely not feeling the exaggerated grand gestures displayed by Ezekiel.
Michonne showed Ezekiel to a seat at the table after introducing him to everyone. "I'm going to get started on dessert. Ladies, can you give me a hand please?
Sasha, Andrea, and Maggie knew the distress signal when they heard it and all followed her to the kitchen in the back of the house.
"He seems...nice," Sasha said, once they were out of earshot of everyone.
"He's...handsome," Maggie said, trying to find something nice to say.
"Yup….. and tall," Andrea chimed in.
"Oh my God! What have I done?" Michonne groaned, wanting her friends to help her out of this situation.
"Jesus Michonne, where did you even find him?" Andrea blurted out. They all burst out laughing.
"I swear he wasn't like that when I met him. He seemed normal!"
"Girl, he speaks about himself in third person. He's far from normal!" Sasha added.
"Don't worry, girl. We got you! We'll figure something out," Maggie assured her.
"Did y'all see Carol? She couldn't take her eyes off of him. She was eating that shit up," Andrea noted.
"So what?" Michonne asked.
"So….we push Carol on Ezekiel," Andrea suggested.
"Carol and Ezekiel?!" Sasha said, shocked at the suggestion.
"Look, stranger things have happened," Andrea added. "We just need to get the focus off Michonne."
"If you say so," Sasha shook her head disbelievingly.
They loaded up the plates with a variety of different desserts and started to bring them out to their guests.
Once Ezekiel tasted the pecan pie, he moaned loudly and slapped the table, causing everyone to turn to him in surprise.
"Who has made this most delicious morsel of pie that I have just consumed?" he asked the table.
Everyone shared a "what the hell" expression on their face at his outburst.
"Guilty!" Carol raised her hand and smiled at the compliment from the handsome man.
"This pie is fit for royalty! You, my dear lady, are the queen of all desserts!" he bestowed the honor on her, much to her delight. "You must do me the honor of sharing your recipe," he made his way over to be seated next to Carol.
"Well, damn! That was easy!" Sasha whispered to Andrea, Michonne, and Maggie. They all snickered to each other, trying not to be obvious, surprised that they didn't have to do anything to put the seemingly opposite pair together after all.
Carol and Ezekiel stayed close the rest of the evening as the party went on, finding they had much in common.
Both Carol and Ezekiel found Michonne alone at different points in the party and asked if she had any problem with them getting to know each other. Michonne gave them her full blessing and heavily encouraged them to explore where it could go.
Michonne breathed a sigh of relief. She enjoyed her company and celebrated with the rest of her guests as the night went on. There was so much to celebrate that night.
Everyone was having a blast as drinks were freely flowing and party games had started.
Someone was missing though. The one person she most wanted to be with was nowhere to be found.
She excused herself in search of Rick. He wasn't in the house, so she went out the backdoor where she found him, leaning against the deck railing, looking up at the sky deep in thought.
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you," she said, joining him outside. "What are you doing out here?"
"It's nothing. Please, go back inside Chonne. This is your party. You should be with your guests," he said.
"Well you're my guest too," she said, not budging.
"I'm sure Ezekiel is probably missing you."
"Oh I think Carol and her pie has him plenty occupied," she smirked.
He looked at her confused.
"Where have you been? Did you not see him proclaim her the Queen of Pie!" Michonne laughed. "I'm the last thing on his mind, thank God!"
"Wait, I thought he was your boyfriend?"
"Boyfriend? I just met him yesterday! Who told you that?"
"Maggie said…" Realization dawned on his face and he realized what game Maggie was playing. He smiled to himself, realizing he hadn't missed his chance after all. At least he hoped he hadn't.
He shook his head. "I'm so stupid Michonne."
She looked at him confused, wondering what he was talking about.
"I've been a damn fool this whole time Michonne, and I'm sorry," he turned to her, gently taking hold of both her hands in his. He took a long pause, and then laid it out. It was now or never.
"I'm sorry for not telling you how I feel about you. I'm sorry for wasting both of our time for so many years. Years I've wasted not holding you, kissing you, making you feel loved like you deserved to be loved. You deserve the world and more Michonne.
"I'm sorry I made you think you were in this alone. I've been in love with you pretty much from the moment I met you."
Michonne stared at him wide-eyed, not believing she was hearing what he was professing to her.
"You're the most amazing person I've ever had the good fortune of knowing Michonne," he squeezed her hands, hoping she knew he was speaking the honest truth. "I thank God everyday that he brought you in my life."
"I wouldn't blame you if you say I'm too late, but I can't go another second not telling you how I feel. That I love you." He raised one hand to gently cup the side of her face. "I love you. I love you."
Tears filled her eyes at his declaration. He stared lovingly at her, and she saw shining in his eyes all the love he had for her in his heart. Her heart was near bursting with love for this man.
Her arms snaked around his neck and her fingers found their way to his curls. "Well, it's about damn time."
She pulled him close and her lips crashed against his, both of them pouring all the built up passion that they had for each other over the years in that kiss. This kiss conveyed every ounce of love and longing they shared for one another.
"I love you, too," she declared, breathing heavily, catching her breath from their passionate embrace. "This day just keeps getting better and better," she laughed.
He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled the biggest face splitting smile. Her words music to his ears.
They stayed like that for a long time, just enjoying finally being open and free, wrapped up in each other, kissing and making more declarations.
He grabbed her hand and led her back in the house to join the party. Everyone turned to look at the new couple as they entered the room, hand in hand, wearing the look of love.
"It's about damn time!" Andrea shouted, with Maggie and Sasha joining in yelling, "Finally!"
All their friends erupted into a chorus of cheers and congratulations for the new couple as they shared another passionate kiss for all to see. The first of many for the rest of their lives.
END
**Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please remember to leave a review if you liked it! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Stay safe!