A/N: Prompt from Crii (which is very cool btw): Michonne, Sasha and Maggie discuss ideal impromptu dates while trying to set Tara up with someone; Rick Grimes overhears. Set in ASZ after the group has been there for a while and I'm imagining everyone as being happy! Pure fluff because I need some fluff in my life.
Sasha sat still on the floor in front of Michonne in the living room of the house she shared with Tara, Daryl and Noah; her French braids were almost finished when there came a quick rapping at her front door. The ladies could see through the window that it was Rick, and Sasha called out for him to enter the unlocked door. Rick stepped through and offered the two women amiable greetings. Michonne lifted her head and gave Rick a small smile; he reacted in kind and held her gaze for longer than was necessary, something Sasha did not miss.
"Hey, lookin' for Daryl?" Sasha asked.
"Yeah, is he in?" Said Rick.
"Might be a little while. He's still in the bathroom. Thinks it was somethin' he ate." She replied, laughing a little.
Rick let out a small chortle and shook his head.
"Go on and make yourself a cup o' coffee." She offered and Rick nodded.
"Thanks." He said and then found himself watching Michonne as her adept hands quickly finished off the final braid.
"Your hair looks good."
Said Rick to Sasha who thanked him for the compliment, as he headed toward the kitchen. He caught Michonne's gaze and the corners of his mouth turned upwards in a crooked smile.
"Is there anything you ain't good at?" He asked Michonne who simply grinned at him. "I mean, you're obviously good at everything."
"Oh Rick, you have no idea." She responded a little more flirtatiously than she had intended, especially in front of their friend, but the wide smile on Rick's face was worth a little lively banter.
He went into the kitchen and then Sasha turned her head, raised her eyebrows and gave Michonne a knowing and teasing look.
"Oh don't even start with the looks again." Michonne said as Sasha got up from the floor and sat beside her on the sofa.
Oh Rick, you have no idea, Sasha mouthed placing her hand over her chest and batting her eyelids.
Michonne shook her head and rolled her eyes before playfully hitting Sasha with a cushion. Both women were still chuckling when Maggie came through the door looking thoroughly amused. She took a seat on the armchair across from her friends and began to speak.
"You'll never guess who I just saw flirting!" Maggie said excitedly.
"Michonne?"
Asked Sasha as another cushion went flying towards her; Rick, listening to their conversation while he waited for the coffee to brew, smiled at realizing he was not the only one who saw that Michonne was flirting with him.
"What? No. I saw Tara flirting with Lynda, the cute redhead." Maggie explained. "We should totally set them up on a date."
"A date?" Michonne asked, thinking it was not really a common occurrence in their day and age.
"Yeah, why not? They obviously like each other, but Lynda won't make the first move, and Tara has no idea she likes her back." Said Maggie.
"I dunno, Maggie. Let 'em figure it out on their own. Do you really wanna play matchmaker?" Sasha chimed in.
"Yes! Of course I do! I've been talkin' to Lynda a lot lately, and I think I could get her to go on a blind date." She exclaimed.
"Okay. Say they agreed, where would they go on this date?" Michonne asked.
"I don't know." Maggie replied. "If you could have a spur of the moment date, what would you like?"
"Well, I think I'd just like to go for a moonlight walk. Talking and getting to know each other is always good." Said Sasha. "That's easy and simple"
"Yeah, you're right. It could be easily done." Came Maggie's response. "What about you, Michonne?"
While Rick did not intend to continue listening in on their conversation, he was intrigued as to how Michonne would respond. He and Michonne had been dancing around their mutual attraction for some time. They shared a house and were both raising his children together, but they never really addressed their feelings; both not knowing how to bring it up to the other. Rick took a seat at the kitchen table and strained his ears to hear Michonne's answer.
"I don't know. Not much you can do these days, but I think it could be nice to dine alfresco. There's somethin' nice and romantic about it and… and don't think I don't see you lookin' at me like I'm crazy, Maggie." She said.
"You really wanna eat outside after we spent so much time eatin' outside?" Maggie asked, and the three women laughed.
"Maybe. I mean, I used to like it before all of this happened. Having candles, wine and a nice dish that you didn't have to cook yourself with the stars overhead. I do miss the finer things in life." Michonne said.
"Yeah, that sounds nice but not really spur of the moment. Some planning's gotta go into it." Said Sasha.
"I suppose you're right, but hey; a girl can dream." Offered Michonne.
The friends laughed again and talked about how Maggie could go about setting up the blind date for their friend.
Some time later, after the details were sorted and Maggie was ready to leave with a solid plan, Rick and Daryl entered the room and Rick stood beside the couch where Michonne was sitting. He used his hand to gently nudge her arm in order to gain her attention. She turned her head and looked up at him.
"Hey, what time will you be home tonight?" He asked slowly.
"I'm scheduled to do two self-defence classes so I might be a little later than usual." Michonne replied, noticing Maggie's amused look as she watched the pair.
"Alright." Said Rick. "I'll go ahead and get dinner started."
"You sure?" Asked Michonne, knowing Rick was not the best cook in the world.
"Yeah it's fine, I'll whip somethin' up." He replied, ignoring everyone else in the room.
"Sounds good. Get the kids fed and you go ahead and eat too; don't wait for me. I'll see you later." Michonne said with a smile and Rick responded with a smile of his own.
After the men had left, Maggie was still staring at Michonne with a goofy grin on her face.
"You and Rick sure do act like you're married." Said Sasha before Maggie could make the same statement.
Michonne felt tired and heavy as she walked into the house that she and the Grimes family shared. She noticed that it was quiet and dark; she thought it was odd but just reasoned that Rick had fed the children and they were all in bed. She made her way upstairs to the bathroom and quietly disrobed. Her muscles ached a little from the classes that she had delivered that evening and her stomach growled slightly. She would wash away the sweat from her workout and then find the food she knew Rick would have left for her.
After her quick shower, Michonne made her way back down stairs and entered the kitchen; to her surprise, there was no food left out for her. That, she thought, was odd; Rick always left food for her when he knew she would be working late, and she did the same for him. Suddenly, the back door opened and in stepped Rick.
"Hey." He offered amicably. "I was waitin' on you."
"Yeah, took a little longer tonight because of the double-up." She said, not wanting to ask if he had cooked anything.
"The kids okay? They're quiet tonight." She then added.
Rick nodded, still leaning against the doorframe.
"Yeah, fed 'em and sent 'em off with Glenn and Maggie for the night."
"Why?" She asked, thinking it strange as Rick kept them fairly close.
"I wanted you to have a night off." He said.
"Rick, I don't need a night off from them." Michonne replied as she took a seat at the kitchen table.
"I know, but I wanted to do somethin' nice for you, to say thanks for everything you do for us." He said, holding her gaze.
"You don't have to thank me." Was her response.
"Of course I do. Now get up and come with me." Rick said as he stood up straight.
"Where are we going?" Michonne asked, curious as to what Rick was up to.
"You'll see." Was all he said as Michonne followed him into the backyard.
She could not help but smile when she saw what he had done. The outdoor furniture was set up on the lawn and adorned with a bunch of fresh flowers and a sprinkle of candles in the middle of the table. A cast iron pot was hanging over the fire pit not too far away; the last of the dying embers still glowing beneath it.
"What's all of this?" Michonne asked when she got closer.
"It's for you." Said Rick as he drew a chair out for her to sit on; Michonne took a seat and continued grinning at him.
"We've got jambalaya, which is about the only thing I know how to cook, and I even found a bottle of wine." Rick said proudly as Michonne chuckled.
"I like jambalaya, and wine is a bonus." She replied as she examined the bottle of pinot grigio.
"I overheard what you said today about what you'd like to do for a date." He then added, watching her expression.
"It's great. You didn't have to, but thank you." She said, placing the bottle of wine back on the table and watching Rick serve up their meal.
"Yeah, I kinda did have to do it." He offered. "I mean, since I wanna date you."
Michonne thought she'd heard Rick wrong.
"I'm sorry, did you say this was a date?" She asked.
"Well, yeah. You deserve a nice evening and, I wanna spend time with you alone." He said as he uncorked the bottle and poured Michonne a glass, and then one for himself.
She found herself grinning coyly.
"On a date?" She asked again, wanting to make sure he was saying what she thought he was.
Now it was Rick's turn to chuckle and smile.
"Yes, Michonne. A date. Ain't that what you do when you like someone? I'm a little rusty, but I think I recall sharing a meal and wine with a woman I was attracted to once or twice." Rick said, staring into her eyes as the flames from the candle light flickered in them.
Michonne felt her stomach doing little flips and her heart racing. She grabbed her wine glass and drank the contents in one swift gulp in order to calm herself. Rick continued watching her amusedly as she refilled the glass.
"Is that okay? For us to do this?" He asked, growing concerned that she did not want what he wanted; which was to shift their already close friendship to a different level.
"If you don't want it to be a date, then it doesn't have to be…" He started before she interjected.
"No, I do want it to be a date. I like you too, Rick."
Rick grinned and took a sip from his glass; he then reached across the table and gently patted the top of Michonne's hand with his.
Rick put some more wood on the fire until it blazed once more as he and Michonne sat on a blanket on the ground and continued drinking the wine and talking. Every so often, their arms would brush against each other when they swayed; the heat from their contact warming them more than the fire could. They sat quietly a moment and whenever Rick would look at Michonne, she was wearing grin.
"What are ya thinkin'?" He asked.
Michonne turned to face him, wine glass in hand and a smile on her face.
"I was thinkin' about self-defence class today." She started.
"Oh yeah? Anything exciting?" Asked Rick, thinking that watching Michonne in her workout gear sounded fairly exciting to him.
"Mrs. Byrnes has gotten really good. Like she's scary good now." Said Michonne, her face lighting up.
Rick was pleased that she could put one of her many skills to good use and help people at the same time.
"Really? I remember you said at the start she was so shy and scared." Rick replied.
"You remembered that? Rick, I said that months ago." Michonne said softly.
"I know, but I remember everything you say." He said with a smile; Michonne felt like kissing him right then and there, but opted to continue with her story.
"You're kinda adorable. But, yeah. Mrs. Byrnes, she did this move where you can disarm the attacker and break their arm at the same time, you know it?" She asked, feeling slightly tipsy.
"Yeah I might recall it from my years in law enforcement." He said teasingly.
"Of course, duh. Sorry, this wine is goin' to my head." She said while Rick chortled at her.
"Well, when she did the move she almost pulled my arm outta the socket. My shoulder is still sore." Michonne said while rolling her right shoulder.
Without another word, Rick moved from where he was seated and flopped down behind Michonne. He place his hands at her shoulder and began to gently massage the spot that was causing her discomfort. Michonne let her head fall to the side and her eyes roll shut as Rick worked over the tender area. She sighed and then let out the most captivating sound Rick had heard in ages; he wanted to run his hands all over her body, but restrained himself. This night was not about him, it was about Michonne and what she wanted.
Suddenly, she grabbed his hand in an effort to get him to stop his ministrations. Michonne then turned so that they were facing one another. Their eyes locked and Rick smiled; Michonne, however, kept a straight face as she leaned in to Rick. His smile suddenly fell away as he realized what was happening; not because he did not want it to happen, but because I could not believe that it was finally coming to pass. His eyes closed just as Michonne's lips pressed gently to his; they both tasted like wine and spices and found themselves in heaven.
Carl returned home early in the morning with Judith and placed her down on the floor of the living room. He thought it was odd that his father was not in the kitchen drinking coffee like he usually did of a morning, and neither was Michonne. Carl noticed that the back door was open and he quickly rushed back and scooped up his little sister. He glanced around to ensure that the house was clear before walking out into the backyard. What he saw left him feeling a little confused at first, but then he just smirked. He saw what was left of a dinner on the table and realized why his father had sent them away for the night; he wanted to be alone with Michonne. Carl smiled and took in the rest of the scene. Lying on a blanket on the grass near the burnt out fire pit and an empty wine bottle was Michonne; she had another blanket draped over her for warmth and directly behind her was Rick. He had her locked in his embrace and her head was resting on his arm; they both were still fast asleep.
Carl smiled at them and then glanced at his sister as he tickled her tummy.
"I don't know about you Judy, but I'm sure glad they're not pretending that they don't like each other like that anymore." He whispered.
With that he walked back inside and closed the door behind him.
Michonne was suddenly shaken from her slumber as she thought she heard the backdoor closing. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the morning and she felt Rick's strong arm over her waist. She smiled to herself then turned to face him, waking him in the process. Rick blinked rapidly a few times then beamed widely at her. Rick used his hand to stroke her face gently as he marvelled at her beauty. She then pressed her lips to his like she had countless times the night before.
"Is there anything you ain't good at?" He asked her with a grin as he relished in the afterglow of her skilful kisses.
"Oh, Rick. You have no idea." She replied before capturing his mouth again.
They broke their kiss and Rick placed a gentle peck to her forehead before saying:
"Maybe so, but I intend to spend a lot of my time findin' out."
A/N: I had so much fun with this that it turned out way too long to be a ficlet. Thanks for reading.