A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! Dialogue-heavy chapter.
Deepee1p: Omg thank you I was afraid it was way too long for one chapter but I didn't want to split it up
HalyeyRenee: Please do it! Honestly, I'm even nervous uploading this chapter.
May 7th
Something for you
As Shane stepped out to fetch the girls from the front, Rick fought to keep his excitement in check at the thought of seeing her again.
Earlier that week, when Shane brought up that Michonne and Sasha would be stopping by for a swim, Rick eagerly accepted the invitation to join them.
The moment the patio door swung open, he felt a rush of anxiety wash over him as the trio made their way down the patio steps toward him
Like the last time he had seen Sasha, he noticed that every aspect of her appearance was meticulous, from the sandals on her feet to the sheer blue mini skirt and shawl draped over her white bikini.
Trailing behind them was Michonne, her head wrapped in a simple brown bandana. She donned a sheer white top, revealing a glimpse of a black bikini beneath. Her faded navy blue wide-legged pants brushed against her wedged flip-flops, and she carried a black tote bag with ease.
When Michonne stepped closer, she greeted him with an animated wave. The glow of her expression eased his tension, suggesting that she might have been anticipating seeing him.
Sasha then approached Rick, placing her black satchel beside him. " Hey Rick"
On his other side, Michonne settled in, quickly shedding her shirt to reveal a black triangle bikini. Her pants hung low on her hips, showcasing the strings of her matching bottoms. The sight momentarily distracted Rick from Sasha.
"Hey, Sasha, how's it going?" Rick asked, his voice carrying his southern drawl.
" I'm good, and I'm about to be even better once I get in this pool," she replied enthusiastically.
"She's using me for my pool," Shane chimed in playfully
As Sasha was about to settle on the pool chair, Shane teasingly insisted that she help him retrieve the cooler from inside. Rick and Michonne exchanged knowing glances as the two made their way up the steps and back into the house.
Once Shane and Sasha were out of view, Rick focused entirely on Michonne. "How are you?" he asked with genuine concern.
"I'm good," she replied, a mischievous smile on her face. "I brought you something," she added, rummaging through her bag.
"You brought me something?" he echoed, intrigued.
"Yep," she confirmed. She produced a CD case and offered it to him
Rick eyed her with a mix of curiosity and suspicion as he opened it. "What's this?"
Inside lay a CD boldly labelled "Rick's Car Tunes," embellished with playful doodles and a tracklist of songs, most of which were unfamiliar to him.
"Sasha and I burnt a CD for you," Michonne revealed
"Was my music that bad?" he chuckled.
"Yes," she shot back with mischief
The morning after their last encounter, he kept his promise and drove Sasha and her home. The two women went through Rick's collection of CDs, searching for the perfect soundtrack for their ride. Ultimately, they settled on a Faith Hill album that belonged to Lori.
" I'm offended but thank you," he said, gently closing the CD case and placing it on the small table beside him.
"You're welcome," she said, as she gracefully loosened her bandana. "The Backyard looks so different during the day, it's so green" she stated, slipping off her pants, revealing the delicate fabric of her bikini bottoms.
" Yeah…it is" he replied, forcing himself to look elsewhere, trying to give her some privacy, but it was a losing battle. Perhaps he was just trying to protect himself from the sight of her curves, the softness of her thighs calling to him.
She reclined in her seat, gathering her hair into a ponytail with practiced ease. " I heard Sasha is going to help you and Daryl find an apartment"
"Yeah, we figured it'd be better to do it now than after I graduate," he responded, now looking directly at her.
" Well, you are in good hands with Sasha, she's a great negotiator," Michonne said
At that moment, Shane dashed down the patio stairs and leaped into the pool, sending a wave that soaked Sasha, who was just a step behind him.
"Shane!" Sasha complained, her voice rising in annoyance.
"What's the fuss" Shane replied, surfacing from the water with a grin.
"You got me!" Sasha shot back.
"Oh no, you got wet at a pool "Michonne interjected with sarcasm
"Sure, but I didn't see it coming" Sasha countered, her irritation evident.
"I was just helping you adjust to the pool temperature," Shane said, feigning an innocent smile before playfully splashing her again.
" You little shit" Sasha laughed trying to dodge the incoming wave. Realizing she couldn't resist his playful antics, Sasha chuckled and tossed her shawl aside, leaping into the pool to join Shane in a water fight.
"Am I crazy or are they kind of adorable," Michonne observed
"Yeah, in a strange way, they complement each other," Rick added.
…
They had no idea how much time had slipped away while they were in the pool. Rick could feel his skin starting to shrivel, and he was eager to rinse off the chlorine. The sun was setting, and the water was freezing.
"Dude, balls are about to fall off I'm so cold," Shane shivered
"I didn't realize you had any to lose," Michonne quipped, wrapping a towel around herself as they headed inside.
"Shane grimaced at her teasing, replying, "You think you're hilarious, don't you?"
" Yes I do, which bathroom can I use to shower," Michonne responded
"The one upstairs; Rick can show you," Shane said with a hint of mischief.
"I really need to wash off this chlorine. I'm going to use the one downstairs," Rick said, urgency in his voice.
"I can show you," Sasha offered.
He made the beeline downstairs Rick felt incredibly thankful that Shane's house had multiple bathrooms.
He was keen to head straight to the shower, wanting to create a bit of distance from Michonne. Earlier, the girls had convinced Shane and Rick into a game of Chicken, with Sasha perched on Shane's shoulder and Michonne settled on Rick's.
Even then, as he stood in the shower's warm water, he found it hard to shake off the memory of Michonne's legs around his shoulder, her chest pressing against the back of his head as she attempted to knock Sasha off balance.
After his shower, he headed back into the kitchen, greeted by the sight of Sasha resting on the island, her legs wrapped tightly around Shane. She barely managed to hold herself up on her forearms as Shane leaned in, their kiss growing more fervent. If they were left alone for another second, she would be lying flat on the island with Shane fully on top of her.
"Jesus you too are worse than Maggie and Glenn," Rick said walking past them to settle at the barstool
The sudden interruption startled them, causing Sasha to flush with embarrassment while Shane shot Rick a confident smirk. "Don't be jealous," Shane shot back.
Shortly after, Michonne entered the kitchen, wearing a baggy brown t-shirt and the same pants she had on before. Like Sasha's, her hair was tucked away in a towel to dry.
" Dad called while I was upstairs," Sasha said as Michonne entered the kitchen, placing herself next to Rick, echoing the vibe of that house party night
"Why?" she asked, her hand reaching for the jar of pickles that Shane had carelessly left on the counter, a promise of sandwiches hanging in the air.
Rick knew that Shane would likely delay his promise until Sasha grew annoyed enough to do it herself. It was a tactic Shane had mastered with the women around him.
" He wants us to have dinner with Spencer's mom," she announced
" Wait y'all are friends with Spencer's mom" Shane replied, his face a mask of bewilderment.
Spencer Monroe was the son of Congresswoman Deanna Monroe. Rick and Shane weren't particularly fond of Spencer; they viewed him as entitled, spoiled, and downright annoying. Rick often questioned how Spencer managed to get on the rugby team, especially since he wasn't that great. Shane always insisted it was his mother's influence that secured his spot.
"We're family friends," Sasha clarified.
"So, your dad's a politician too?" Shane inquired, curiosity piqued.
"No, his a surgeon, he met Spencer's dad in university," Michonne replied, her mouth full as she devoured her second pickle.
"I didn't know you were family friends with that prick," Shane remarked, raising an eyebrow.
" He's not that bad," Michonne countered, glancing at Rick for support.
"His not that bad…just an untalented, privileged prick who isn't a team player" Rick shot back with a smirk.
Sasha rummaged through the fridge, her hands busy gathering sandwich ingredients. "Anyway…I love Deanna, but I just can't handle another one of those dinners where she pushes us to go out with one of her colleague's sons," she admitted, a hint of frustration in her voice.
"Same here," Michonne replied, shaking her head. "I've lost count of how many times I've told her I'm not interested in dating right now, and I really don't want to."
Sasha shot her sister a mischievous wink. "I'll think of a good excuse."
Rick couldn't shake the resonance of Michonne's statement: "I'm not interested in dating, and I really don't want to." The feeling that washed over him was hard to define; it wasn't disappointment, as he cherished their budding friendship. Michonne was certainly attractive, and he couldn't help but notice from time to time. Yet, those words only served to cement the understanding that they were meant to be just friends.
"Come on, Sasha, you don't have to worry about the sandwiches," Shane said, wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a warm hug from behind.
Rick couldn't help but roll his eyes at Shane's exaggerated innocence, just as he had expected.
"Listen here, buddy! I'm not the one whipping those up; that's all on you, just like you promised us," she said, loosening his embrace and handing him a butter knife.
"But I'm terrible at it," Shane whined, attempting to sway Sasha into taking over the task.
" Well, I guess you can consider this as practice" playfully giving him a swat on the ass.
Once they had suffered through some mediocre sandwiches, the four of them migrated to the fire pit. The rest of the night was a blur of stories and laughter around the fire. In a moment of belly-aching laughter, Rick realized that if this was what it meant to be her friend, he was all in.
May 11th
Bias
Rick expressed his gratitude, his eyes darting briefly to Sasha before returning to the road ahead. "Daryl and I are indebted to you"
Sasha chimed in, her voice filled with disbelief. "Honestly, it felt like we stole. A two-bedroom, two-bath, ten minutes from downtown for $650. When I first saw the ad, I assumed it would be snatched up before we could even schedule a viewing."
Sasha, Rick, and Daryl had dedicated their afternoon to viewing apartments in Atlanta. At first, when Sasha mentioned the listings, Daryl and Rick suggested she could skip the outing, but Sasha was adamant about joining them. It didn't take long for Rick and Daryl to quickly recognize the advantages of having her with them; she had a knack for asking all the essential questions.
"No, that was all you," Rick replied, feeling immensely grateful that she had managed to find them a place that fit their budget in a decent neighbourhood.
"Okay, I'll take it. Just make sure you have the lease signed by the end of the week," she stated
" It will be signed by the end of the day. Seriously, thank you" Rick insisted
After the viewing, even though Daryl had picked her up earlier, Rick offered to give her a ride home, feeling it was the least he could do. He might have also been secretly hoping to catch Michonne when he dropped Sasha off.
He had anticipated that without their friends around, he might struggle to find things to talk about with Sasha, but the conversation came effortlessly.
" You don't have to thank me I love doing this kind of stuff I have a question for you though"
"Shoot," he said
" What's Shane's deal?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper, revealing a hint of hesitation.
"Look, I knew Shane's reputation was even before I even met him. I'm not naive; I'm not looking to be his girlfriend—it's just a bit of fun for us. But I have all these girls in my ear telling things, and I just don't know because some of the stories I've heard, yikes," she confessed
Rick thought to himself honesty seemed to be a trait deeply ingrained in the Bentil sisters.
"I'll be honest; most of those stories are likely true. But if you were to ask him about it, he'd tell you straight up. Can he be an asshole? Absolutely. But if you get to know him, you realize that there's a heart under that bravado." Rick clarified.
" I might be biased though, he is one of my best friends," Rick added with a grin
" Probably bias, but the insight is appreciated," Sasha said, her voice laced with gratitude
" I told you Daryl and I are indebted. I'm willing to tell you whatever information you need on him," he joked lightly
Sasha leaned in, her curiosity piqued " So is it true that he was sleeping with two roommates at the same time, and neither girl knew"
He paused for a moment, a smirk creeping onto his face "Well, it's sort of true. One of them knew"
"No way," She gasped her eyes wide with surprise.
"Honestly the stories about the girls aren't the ones you should be concerned about, next time you are with him ask him about the Tractor story"
" Tractor story…okay," she said with a grimace
…
He found himself parked outside the Michonne's and Sasha's condo, where his truck idling quietly as he waited. After dropping off Sasha, she had urged him to wait while she went to get Michonne, who would want to say "hi".
As he sat in his pickup, Rick glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror, running his fingers through his curly hair to make sure he looked decent. A wave of introspection washed over him, and he couldn't help but scoff, asking himself, "What are you doing?"
Suddenly, the door to the building swung open, and Michonne stepped out, walking confidently toward him. Her hair was neatly tied up in a bun, and she wore a fitted black long-sleeve shirt with comfortable basketball shorts. She raised her hand in a friendly wave as she approached the truck.
Rick rolled down the window, prompting her to lean in and look inside the vehicle.
"Hey," Rick greeted her.
"Hey! Sasha told me you found a place. Looks like you're on your way to becoming an Atlanta resident," she teased, her playful tone tugging at him and reminding him just how much he missed her.
"Yep, as soon as we sign the lease, we'll be moving in June," he replied.
"You excited?" she asked
"Yeah, but the hour-long commute for work is going to be a drag until I land a job in the city," he explained.
"You'll get one quick, plus it will be better than living in a dorm once fall rolls around," she said with assurance.
"Wait, what did you think of the mix?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"I liked it. You might have a point about my taste in music," he confessed, having listened to it on repeat for an entire week. So much so that Maggie had memorized the sequence of songs, having been subjected to it every time he picked her up.
"What's your favourite song?" Michonne inquired, her grin infectious.
" Say Yes by Elliott Smith" he responded
" Sasha said that would be your favourite," she replied
"Just one little thing" Rick added. "It's a bit of a depressing mix, you should make me one more upbeat"
"Okay, fair," she said, nodding. "How about we hit up the record store soon and grab a few CDs instead?" she suggested
" Yeah I'd like that," he said, a grin spreading across his face.
"Cool," she said, her excitement evident.
A/N: I felt that Shane would be a weaponized incompetence kinda guy. What do y'all think? Also, I was researching how much rent used to be for a two-bedroom in 2004 when I saw $600 to $700 I almost cried. I should have been an adult in 2004 instead of being a toddler.