A/N: This was based on a dream that slytherin-26 had. It was submitted to me as a fic prompt request. I hope you like it!

"It's too late to uninvite one of them, now," said Glenn as he ran his fingers through the back of his hair. "And that's a shitty thing to do."

"Well, what're we supposed to do?" asked Maggie, as she sat cross-legged on their sofa.

"Just go with it," Glenn replied.

"Just go with it?" she repeated, doubtfully.

"Hey, we wouldn't have to if someone didn't invite a couple of exes to our dinner party without thinking it through."

"Someone is you, babe," Maggie reminded her husband.

"I know," he replied. "I know. And I'm a dumbass."

"Aww, no you're not," she cooed. "C'mere."

Glenn flopped down beside her and she took hold of his hand.

"Rick and Michonne are just gonna have suck it up and be in the same room as one another for a couple o' hours," said Maggie. "And they will, for us."

xXxXx

No one else really knew why they had broken up in the first place. Both were so suited to the other. To hear Michonne tell it, Rick didn't want to move with her for work. To hear Rick tell it, well, he never spoke about it. Pushed it so far down inside of him that it never saw the light of day. That's how he dealt with losing Michonne. But now, she was back in town for the holidays, and joining their friends for their dinner party.

Michonne was on time with her date in tow. A tall, handsome fellow named Ezekiel. Maggie had told her to bring a date, so she asked the guy who owned a local café who had flirted with her. It wasn't anything serious, and he was cute, funny, and sweet. Besides, she wasn't going to be at their annual Christmas get together dateless if everyone else was going to be there with someone. She really didn't care, but the possibility of being there if Rick was going to be there with some other woman on his arm, made her feel like having a date for the night would not be so bad.

Rick showed up ten minutes late because his date was late getting ready. Everyone was still getting drinks and settling in when the couple arrived.

"Sorry we're late," said Rick as he hugged Glenn and Maggie.

"It's okay, man," said Glenn. "We haven't started yet."

"Y'all remember Jessie?" Rick asked as he nodded to his date.

"Yeah, hey there," said Maggie as she went to shake her hand; Glenn followed suit, and the blonde woman greeted them with a sweet smile.

"Grab a drink and a seat," said Glenn. "Food'll be ready soon."

Rick nodded his head and glanced around the room. All of their friends were there. He hugged, waved, and smiled at them as they chatted amicably, and he introduced his date. It was good seeing everyone together in one place: Friends who were home for the holidays; friends who he had just seen in the line at the grocery store. And that's when he spotted her helping Maggie carry food to the dinner table: Michonne.

It was as if Rick's breath hitched when he saw her, clothed in a form fitting red dress and wearing the same beautiful smile he always loved. She had not seen him, as she helped their friend, so he was afforded the opportunity to take in her appearance without being caught. It had only been five months since they had gone their separate ways, but his heart still swelled when he saw her. Maybe he would never get over her. Maybe he didn't deserve happiness with someone else, after all, he had not been supportive of her career choice. Rick shook those thoughts of regret from his mind and focussed as Jessie got his attention.

"Grab a seat, everyone," said Maggie. "Dinner's served."

Michonne and Ezekiel took their seat directly opposite Rick and his date. Her eyes went wide a moment when she finally realized Rick was there. They shared an awkward smile. She said hello, and he replied with the same greeting and a dip of his head. Of course he had to be wearing a stupid, ugly knitted Christmas sweater. And of course he had to look fine as fuck in it regardless of how tacky it was. They held one another's gaze for longer than was appropriate, before Glenn got their attention.

"Well, thanks for coming, everyone," Glenn started. "We've been doing this dinner for a little while now, and it's always been great to have the people we love most in the world here with us. Michonne even traveled all the way from Atlanta to be here. We appreciate it."

"Don't even mention it," she replied with a smile. "You know I'll always be here for the two of you, no matter what."

It was at that moment, Michonne shot Rick a quick look; her remark held a double meaning. A way to take a jab at him without actually directing any further words at him. He knew, too. Feeling a slight throbbing in his temple. This was going to be a long night.

…..

The night started off with introductions. Rick did not really know what to say about Jessie. They had been seeing one another for a few weeks. She was nice and all, but there wasn't anything there. There wasn't a spark. She was just keeping him from being lonely. His second attempt at dating someone after he and Michonne ended things.

Rick was finding it difficult to focus on his date with his ex sitting across the table from him. Michonne was laughing with her date. It was Ezekiel who owned the café on Main Street. Why was Michonne here with him? They weren't even friends when she did live in King County. Had she kept in contact with him when she moved? Were they 'talking' the whole time? Rick found himself staring daggers over at the other man every time he would say something witty or charming, causing the stunning woman at his left to throw her head back in laughter.

"Everything okay?" asked Jessie, as she placed a hand to Rick's arm.

"Yeah," he said flatly, not looking at her, before finally asking a question of Ezekiel. "So, how'd the two of you meet?"

Michonne turned her head abruptly and glared at Rick. What was he playing at? She thought. Maybe he was just trying to get to know the rest of the guests' plus-ones? Highly unlikely. Sasha had brought a date and Rick hadn't even asked that guy if he was enjoying the mild weather.

"Funny story," said Ezekiel; Rick had to physically stop himself from rolling his eyes. "I'd seen her around before a little while ago. Always thought she was beautiful and was thinking of asking her out. And then, for some reason, stopped seeing her around. Except for yesterday, when she came in for coffee. Found out she had moved away, and was in back in town for a minute, so I knew I had to ask her out. Gotta live a little. Seize the day and all that. And here we are."

Some guests made aww sounds; Rick sighed loudly, thinking that story was not funny at all.

"Yeah, man," said Rick. "That's real funny."

Michonne narrowed her eyes in Rick's direction. Rick gave them both a dry smile that did not reach his eyes. She could tell he was annoyed by the way the vein in his temple was throbbing.

"Yeah, gotta live a little," Michonne said with a smirk. "Get out of your comfort zone."

That was aimed at Rick, and he felt bad. He always played it safe. That was one of the reasons he didn't want to move to Atlanta with Michonne; he felt comfortable in his hometown.

Rick looked away and started to shift his food around on his plate. Michonne sipped her wine; Glenn cleared his throat and asked, "How's the chicken?"

…..

As the night wore on, Rick kept staring at Michonne even though he was trying to entertain Jessie. Jessie was all over him, kissing the side of his face, wrapping her arm around him, stroking his hair; but Rick's attention was elsewhere: He was focused on Michonne.

His eyes kept falling from her face to the red form fitting dress that was clinging to her body. God, he missed her. She was so goddamn breathtaking. How did she manage to do that? Manage to look like she was walking the red carpet or a runway when it was just a dinner party in King County? Rick's gaze stayed on her. She could feel it.

Her skin was warm from where he was staring. She needed to drink some more wine in the hope that it would cool her down. It just made her head swim and her inhibitions fade away. Before she could stop herself, she was glancing up at him; their eyes met and there was that intensity within them that caused her body to shiver. Damn him for having this effect on her still. Damn him.

Rick could barely focus on what Jessie was talking about. Michonne just glanced over at him. Her deep brown eyes still so captivating. He could have sworn she bit her bottom lip in that way that he has always loved. She wasn't looking at him a second later as she laughed at something her date had said. Rick shot the man another unimpressed glare.

A little later, dinner was finished, and more drinks were flowing. Glenn began to clear the table away, and Michonne got up to help him. Soon, Rick was offering to help as well. Michonne gave him a questioning look that he pretended not to see as he scooped up empty plates.

"Well, that was great," said Sasha as she leaned back in her chair. "What's for dessert?"

"We've got warm apple pie and ice cream," said Maggie.

"Pie's nearly ready," said Glenn.

"I'll get the ice cream," Michonne proffered.

"It's in the cooler in the back room," Glenn replied.

Michonne nodded her head and then traipsed off, leaving the others to finish clearing the table. She stepped into the back room and switched on the light. The cooler was sitting at the back of the room. She walked over, opened the lid, and retrieved a tub of ice cream. She set it down on the small table that was off to the side and then heard someone approaching.

She heard the distinct sound of Rick's footfalls. She'd recognize them anywhere. When she turned he was approaching her slowly. His eyes steely and intense; they roamed all over her body as he instinctively licked his lips. He stopped, tilted his head to the side, and regarded her for a moment longer.

"I like this dress," he said in his deep, slow drawl.

"You followed me in here to tell me that?" she scoffed. "After all this time, that's all you have to say to me?"

Rick inhaled deeply before saying, "I'm sorry. I miss you."

Michonne would be lying if she said she did not feel the same.

"What do you want?" she asked as she stared Rick down. Her stubbornness was one of the things he loved about her.

"I think you know what I want," he replied, keeping his gaze fixed to hers and his voice low. "And if you don't want it, too, then just tell me to go and I will."

Silence passed between them as they each stared at the other. Rick kept his expression firm, hiding that his heart was racing. She knew what he was proposing, so if she didn't want the same thing, he'd be crushed; he'd respect her choice, but he would still feel awful.

Michonne knew what he was proposing. But she was there with someone else. She did miss Rick, though. Just being near him for the evening reminded her of how much she missed him.

"I want it," said Michonne. "And I want you to stay."

A smile broke out on Rick's face. A cocky fucking smile and Michonne wondered if she was making a mistake; her good sense was telling her that it was. As he drew nearer, her good sense left her. Rick closed the distance between them and without warning, scooped Michonne up and lifted her body. She let out a little squeak and a giggle before covering her mouth with one hand and gripping onto Rick with the other.

He sat her down on top of the cooler, and then positioned himself between her legs. She draped her arms over his shoulders as they stood staring at one another. Michonne made the next move when her lips came crashing against Rick's. She threaded her fingers through his hair as his hand trailed up under the hem of her dress. The kiss was desperate and feverish; all swollen lips and lapping tongues. Rick let out a little moan as they broke apart, panting in an effort to catch their breath.

Out of nowhere, Glenn walked in, looked at them with a smirk on his face, picked up the tub of ice cream, and then walked out.

"Shit," said Michonne as she buried her face in her hands while embarrassment washed over her.

"You okay?" said Rick, before helping her down from the cooler. She fixed her clothing and then found herself in Rick's embrace once again. He drew her close and peppered kisses all along her neck.

"Yeah, it's just that I'm here with someone else, and so are you –"

"I don't wanna be here with anyone but you," said Rick, as he snaked his arms around her waist. "And if that kiss was anything to go by, I'm pretty sure you feel the same."

Michonne bit her bottom lip and nodded her head before saying, "You're right. I only want to be with you."

"I really am sorry for everything," said Rick. "Maybe this is a step in the direction of you forgiving me."

Michonne ran her hands over the pattern of his ugly Christmas sweater and then said, "Yeah, maybe."