A/N: This was written because of a headcanon prompt from an Anon on Tumblr asking about Richonne's first kiss.
Word count: 717
It was so quiet in the Safe-Zone, Michonne thought as she sat on the front step of the house she shared with Rick and his children. The warm afternoon sun shone down on her and made the page of the book she was trying to read seem brighter than it normally would; squinting her eyes, she closed the pages and sighed. It was as if nothing she did in an attempt to get her mind off Rick worked. He had been gone on a diplomatic mission to The Hilltop that was meant to last three days; it had been almost a week and Michonne was worried.
She knew he could take care of himself and was in good company; what she was not ready to admit to herself was that she missed him. She missed his surly demeanour; she missed watching him fuss over Judith; she missed the sound of his slow drawl; she missed his musky scent; she missed their nightly ritual of sitting up late and talking about everything and nothing. She missed the way his entire face changed when he smiled.
Michonne shook her head and placed the book down on the step; she should be more concerned about his welfare than daydreaming about the way his bright, blue eyes lit up when he was happy. She should have went with Glenn and the others to look for him, but his children were entrusted to her and she would never forgive herself if something went wrong while she and Rick were both absent. She stood and placed her hands on her hips, taking a few strides; it was then that she heard the whistle. Seconds later, the familiar sound of the heavy gate opening stole her attention.
She felt a fluttering in her stomach as mixed emotions of hope and fear churned inside of her. Was this the return of their people, all of their people? She said a silent prayer and walked hastily towards the gate. Her heart was racing when she saw the two vehicles stop and her friends climbed out. She did not see Rick; the cars were empty, and Rick was not there.
It felt like all of the air was forced from her body as panic set in; a loud ringing in her ears drowned out the chatter of the others as she walked closer. Her feet were heavy and a lump had formed in her throat. Her eyes were glazed over as she took shallow breaths; she lifted her arm and tapped Glenn on the shoulder. He turned and gave her a cheerful smile. Michonne was confused and when her friend noticed, he began to speak.
"Hey, he's okay. He jumped out of the car to take care of a few stragglers, he should be coming through the gates…"
Michonne did not wait for Glenn to finish his explanation, instead she rushed out of the opened gate. Just up the road, Rick was placing his machete to his belt after he had dispatched the last of the stragglers. He lifted his head to see Michonne headed quickly in his direction; his stern expression softened and a small smile played on his face. Instinctively, Rick moved to meet her halfway; his stride faster than normal. A deep need encompassed his whole being; a need to be near her.
Once the distance between them was closed, Michonne threw her arms over Rick's shoulders and drew him into a tight embrace; Rick wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and burrowed his face into her hair. After what seemed like an eternity, the pair reluctantly drew away from one another; Rick's hands rested on her hips as she pressed her palms to his chest. His eyes bore into hers as a look of craving washed over him; Michonne went to step backwards, overwhelmed by his intense stare. Rick gripped her waist again and pulled her body flush against his as he brought his mouth to hers; he deepened the kiss as he snaked his arm up her back and held her head in place.
They broke the kiss and rested their foreheads together with closed eyes. Finally, she shifted so she could gaze at his face again. She ran her hand over his stubble and smiled before whispering: "I missed you."