With chapter three, cranesinthesky is back to give us more Rick and Michonne goodness. Not only do they explore and discover things about themselves, someone comes to the realization that the King County sky doesn't have to be the limit.
Be sure to check out her other stories on her FF page
-We're The Ones Who Write
Chapter 3: Having Perhaps The Better Claim
May
"I need a job for the summer," Michonne said matter of factly to Sasha as they secured their spot at the lunch table in the corner of the cafeteria. Their junior year was coming to an end, signaling the beginning of their summer break in just a few short weeks.
Sasha's eyebrows jumped with excitement at the statement. "Work with me at the pool! We have one more spot left for lifeguard. Plus," she leaned in closer to Michonne, lowering her voice even though the cafeteria was full and noisy. "It will keep Rosita from trying to apply. Lord knows I've seen enough of her this year."
Michonne sighed. "My mother supposedly has a position at the university lined up for me.I'm trying to convince her to let me do my own thing, maybe get a job here in town." She thought back to the conversation she had with her mother during breakfast that morning. How her mother was so determined for her to take the job so she could spend some time with her only child before the upcoming busy senior year started. It was a nice sentiment, but Michonne knew that there was another alterior motive that her mother was trying to keep her from.
Rick Grimes.
Ms. Renaud wasn't the biggest fan of Rick, the boy who had captured her daughter's attention- and heart- over the past seven months. In fact, she thought that Michonne could do better. Better, as in Terry Williams who lived down the street from them in their upscale neighborhood. He had his future already lined up- Princeton for undergrad, Wharton for his MBA right after, and then maybe Harvard for his law degree. With his charisma, confidence and intellect, he was a perfect fit for her daughter but, unfortunately, Michonne didn't see it the same way that she did.
Rick didn't know what the future held for him, so he tried to just go with the flow and that's what scared Ms. Renaud. She didn't want for her daughter to be set up with disappointment. The divorce was hard enough for Michonne and she didn't want to see her heartbroken over a guy who failed to know what he wanted.
"See if you can talk her into it," Sasha commented, taking a sip of her water. "You know you can talk your way out of everything. I swear, you'll make a great lawyer someday."
Michonne laughed. "Now you know she's a lot smarter than me and wouldn't let that slide."
Sasha shrugged. "You never know."
Michonne thought about it for a few seconds but was quickly interrupted when her eyes fell on Rick across the room. He had just walked into the cafeteria with Daryl, chatting away. He sensed her, his gaze immediately finding hers in the roomful of people. He smiled, those dimpled cheeks causing her heart to beat wildly in her chest as it always did whenever she thought of him or saw him.
She was falling for him, she knew it. Even through all of the unnecessary stress she put herself through with school work and preparing for the SAT's and college applications, he still found a way to make her day better. She had began to realize that he wasn't at all what her mother thought he was; no, he was much more than that and much more of a man than Terry could ever dream of being.
"The mechanic shop isn't that far from the community pool," Sasha attempted, noticing her friend's gaze. "Just throwing that out there."
Michonne nodded, catching on to her friend's suggestion. She smiled. She knew what she had to do. "I'll talk with my mom."
Michonne moaned as she wrapped her arms around Rick tighter, his lips locked on hers in a passionate kiss. She ran her fingers through his curls while his hands ran up her sides, the sensation causing a chill to run up her spine. She loved the feel of him, loved the taste of him and she felt like she couldn't get enough.
She climbed into his lap, knocking their textbooks down on the floor in the process. What was supposed to be an exam study session in her living room turned into a full on make out session, the day having been long and hard for both of them. They needed a release, a break from the stress of both home life and school, and this is what would solve it.
Rick's hand made their way down to her ass, rubbing and grabbing her cheeks through the jeans that she wore. Michonne let out a shaky breath as she rocked against him, gasping in surprise when she felt the bulge beneath his own pair of jeans. She felt a pressure and eagerness rise inside of her, a signal that she was ready for something more.
"Rick," she sighed before pulling his lips back to hers for another kiss. Their tongues dueled each other and she melted in his arms, right in the place where she was supposed to be.
"I'm ready," she whispered to him, her eyes on his clouded baby blues.
His eyebrows wrinkled, making sure that she was saying what he thought she was saying. "Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "I don't want to rush you."
"You're not," she shook her head. Her hands slipped down his shirt, her nervous, shaking fingers attempting to undo each button of the blue button down shirt. "You're the person that I want to be with."
He stared at her again, searching her face as she continued to undo the buttons. He could tell that she was serious and he wanted this more than anything, but something felt… off.
He placed his hand over hers, stopping her task. "Not yet," he replied gently, begging her to understand before he finished. "Not here," he emphasized. He glanced around the living room. "This isn't exactly the place where I pictured our first time would be. Not when your mother can walk in on us in any moment."
She wanted to argue with him, tell him that her mother was out for a girls' night and would be gone for a while, but she knew that he was right. It wasn't exactly what she had in mind either for the both of them.
She grinned in realization. "You've thought about this before."
"I have," he nodded, returning her grin.
She tilted her head, curious. "So.. how did you imagine it?"
"Well," he said, resting his back against the arm of the sofa. She was still on his lap and he kept her hand in his, his thumb massaging hers. "I was just thinking that it would be a little bit more romantic than this. No interruptions. Just you and me someplace serene. Where our worries wouldn't follow us."
His face fell then, his gaze averting away from her. She knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about his parents, his mother in particular, since her troubles seemed to have followed her home over the past couple of weeks. The burden was put on Rick's shoulders, a lot for a teenage boy trying to make it in this world.
"Just not like this," he finished, looking back at her. He pulled her fingers to his mouth and kissed them, grateful for this strong young woman that had stood by him through everything. "One day."
"One day," she agreed. She hoped that day was soon.
They both grew quiet, the only sound around them was the clock ticking on the wall. Rick glanced at the time on his cell phone and an idea suddenly sparked in his mind. He turned to her, a mischievous smile on his face causing her to frown in confusion.
He may not have been able to give her what they both wanted tonight, but he promised that he would give her the best night of her life in another form.
Within twenty minutes, they were at the community pool. It was dark out so the pool was technically closed and the gate was locked, but Rick found a way for them to get in through a secret entrance around back.
"Daryl and I used to sneak in when we were kids," he explained to Michonne as they made their way to the poolside.
"I'm glad that he was your first in that regard," she scoffed jokingly, laughing when he threw an arm around her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked, concern and worry starting to build up inside of her. Breaking and entering wasn't exactly on her list of things to do.
"We'll be fine," he assured her, kissing her on the temple. "Live a little, Chonne. Do something out of the ordinary just this one time."
He stopped to take off his shirt and then his boots and jeans, leaving him only in his boxers. Michonne's breath caught, her eyes roaming over the beautiful sight of his body. This was torture after what they had just decided.
He nodded at her, his hands on his hips and a smile on his face. "Your turn."
She removed her clothes as well, everything except her bra and panties. She watched as he looked at her with satisfaction and she could practically see the wheels of regret turning in his head.
Deciding to take a risk and break the doubts, she jumped in, splashing him with water. He jumped in after her, pulling her towards him once he came back up for air. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against his and placing a kiss on his nose. His eyes. His cheeks and then his neck.
"We're supposed to take our minds off of sex, not on it," he remarked amusingly as she continued to kiss him.
"Swimming partially naked was your idea," she reminded him. "If anything, you started it back up again." She chuckled. "For someone as smart as you, you could have thought about a better plan."
"I wanted you to remember this when you go off to college next year. So you'll have something to remember me by."
She paused. "You sound as if we'd be saying goodbye forever."
He shrugged, careful to choose his next set of words. "You'll go off to some ivy league school and I'll be here."
"In college?"
"I don't know," he shrugged, sensing the mood change in the air. He dropped his hands to her waist. "It wasn't exactly on my mind."
"It should be," she said in a serious tone. "Rick, you're smart enough to get into any school you want. All you have to do is take the SAT's and fill out the applications. I guarantee you'll get in."
He was already shaking his head before she could finish her sentence. "Not me," he said, his accent coming out full force.
"Why not? " she prodded. "You can do it. If it's something that you wanted."
"It wasn't something that I wanted before," he confessed, pushing his fingers through his hair. "I don't have the best background and colleges aren't really looking for that."
He paused, looking down at the water that surrounded them then back at her. "You have to respect that. I don't see that for myself. At least, not right now."
She sighed, defeated, but nodded anyway. If this was what he wanted than she would oblige… for now. But she would make it a point later on down the line to show him just how much his future held if he gave it a chance. "Okay."
