Walking Dead 1. Coming Home

**Submitted by Anon via tumblr: **Coming Home by Skylar Grey

**Coming Home on YouTube:** watch?v=IRCQKFIqNYQ

**Word Count: **907

Wind whipped through the ghostly sheers as she sat on the floor beside the window intently looking out, awaiting his return. Ten more minutes. She'd give him ten more minutes before she'd weather the brewing storm outside and begin searching for him. He'd been gone almost five hours longer than she expected and worry began to form into knots in the pit of her stomach.

She never thought it would be like this. That after all that she'd been through with Andre and Mike, she'd be able to love like this again. The thought was staggering, confusing and here she was in the thick of it, head over heels in love with a man and worried about his safety. Rick going out on runs was nothing new. It was just the way things were now and she was okay with that. She easily accepted it, even contended that she should go in his place but for some reason he was adamant this time, insistent even, and she didn't know why which caused her much grief when he didn't return when he said he would.

A blurry figure from the woods emerged, deflecting her current thoughts to its presence. It had to be him. She needed it to be him. Tightly gripping the katana laced across her back, Michonne stood up from where she sat, sliding the sheer curtains aside to unobstruct her view. It was Rick, tattered and torn, bloodied and bruised stumbling from the thick mass of greenery.

"Rick," she gasped aloud as she burst forth through the door of their tiny home, studying his busted lip and the deep gash at his temple as she approached. "What happened?"

He grabbed and held her close, his bloodied lip resting on her bare shoulder.

"I barely got outta there," he mumbled into her skin.

"We were ambushed. Damn near fought off five guys. All I could think about was Carl and Judith and," he stopped, lifted his head and stared into her eyes. "And you. I just couldn't leave you."

"Let's get you cleaned up and then we can talk about it," Michonne whispered as not to allow her voice to break at the thought of Rick having to fight yet again just to live another day.

* * *

"Carl and Judith are with Glenn and Maggie," she called over her shoulder as she trudged towards the tub in the bathroom, drawing warm water for a bath.

Rick stood motionless in the doorway, staring at Michonne with sad eyes as she stood up and strolled towards him. Not a word was spoken as she aided him in the removal of his clothes. Not a word was spoken as she examined his bruised ribcage. Not a word was spoken as she lightly touched the peeling skin from his lip. The unspoken language between the two remained. He just stood there, studying her face when they happened to make eye contact and obliged as she motioned with her head for him to get in the tub.

His eyes narrowed in as she came to rest on her knees beside him. She soaked the towel and began to wash away the dirt and blood from around his busted lip before making her way to examine the deep gash at his temple. Pouring some peroxide on a cotton swab, she brought the solution to his head and immediately began to blow to cushion the sting as she applied it to the wound. Rick winced but stayed still as the burn seemed to overwhelm his torn flesh.

After the long silence Rick finally spoke, "Why'd you have your sword?"

"I was gonna go look for you," Michonne answered quickly, soaking the dirty towel in the water, washing it of its contents.

"I'm glad you didn't," he whispered back. "I can't afford for something to happen to you."

"Like I can afford something to happen to you," she rebutted. "Don't put less value on yourself. We're in this together s-"

"But I can't let Carl lose like that again," Rick started to protest, his voice raised ever so slightly.

"And he needs you. Judy needs you," Michonne cut Rick off. "Just as much as I need you."

She scoffed and a small laugh escaped her lips. She shook her head and threw the towel in the water. "Look, Carl, Judy, you… you're all I've got. And that's always going to be worth searching and fighting for. Not this house. Not ASZ. But you all. You're my home. You're my family and I will always come back to you. I will always look for you. No matter what."

A heavy sigh escaped as she wiped her eyes clean of the fresh forming tears. She moved to get up from where she sat when Rick gripped her wrist with his wet hand.

"I'll always come back to you too," he admitted before releasing her and placing his hand behind her head, bringing her face towards his. He rested his forehead to hers for a long while as she submitted, accepted his truce. He pulled away slowly, placed a kiss on her forehead and released her to do what she needed to do.

She went to the medicine cabinet to grab a needle and thread to stitch up his head wound and a small smile appeared before her in the bathroom mirror. It was a smile of peace, joy and relief. He was home and so was she.

* * *

**A/N:** Anon, I hope I have the right version of this song for you. It's very beautiful and I hope you enjoy the ficlet.


	2. Slow Motion

**Submitted by thecinemajunkie via tumblr: **Slow Motion by PHOX

**Slow Motion on YouTube:** watch?v=tcnQ9-qWSfc

**Word Count: **997

Warmth surged through Michonne's body as she glared at the clock. Rick would be there to pick her up in five minutes, which in terms of time wasn't long but anticipation made seconds feel like hours. She'd never felt like this. Not even with any of her past relationships but since Rick told her he was taking her out for a proper dinner a week ago, her stomach was nothing more than a swell of fluttering butterfly wings. Rick was her friend. They'd fought side by side, had many conversations, laughed and even shared meals together but this was different. Everything between them was different now. Sasha re-entered, toting a compact bag.

"What's that," Michonne demanded, her eyes growing wide in curiosity.

Sasha giggled, "Its body glitter."

"Seriously," Michonne panicked. "I'm not really a glitter kind of-."

"Rick's gonna love it," Sasha ignored Michonne's objection and began to warm the iridescent lotion with her hands. Without hesitation she applied it the Michonne's shoulders. "You have amazing bone structure."

"Thanks," Michonne replied uncomfortably.

"Don't be nervous," Sasha beamed as she walked around to face Michonne, grinning from ear to ear. "You look beautiful."

"What if this is a mist-"

Sasha cut her off. "No ma'am. We've waited too long and have come too far for this to happen and you are not going negative on me."

"_We_," Michonne questioned, completely puzzled.

The doorbell rang and Michonne felt her heart stop beating and all her motor skills decelerated to a stall. Reluctance to move kicked in but her body caved and moved almost mechanically towards the living room. The front door felt miles away as she stood awaiting its opening.

"Iiiiitttt'ssss… fooooorrr… yooooou," Sasha echoed almost dreamlike as the front door crept open, revealing Rick holding an origami lotus in his palm and wearing a small smile.

* * *

His legs were heavy like lead as he made his way around the corner to pick up Michonne. It took an eternity for him to get ready. At least that's what it felt like. The closer he got to the front door, every motion he made, every sway the tree limbs gave way to, every wing flap of a passing bird, delayed to an almost idle state like a scene from a movie. It took him a year to get up enough nerve to actually ask Michonne on a real date. She was his friend and he just didn't want things to get awkward or worse, lose her. They'd been through so much together and he felt his hesitation to moving forward was warranted. That was until he saw Michonne laughing at a joke some guy told her. He didn't know what about that particular situation sent him over the edge but it made him seethe with anger. Maybe it was the way she smiled or the laugh she bellowed. He hadn't heard her laugh that loud at anything he or anyone else in their group had ever said. It unnerved him to the point that he actually stopped talking to her. That lasted about two full days before she called him out. That was their first real argument, at least in his mind it was.

His knock felt sluggish as he made himself known. The door creaked open and his eyes immediately drew themselves to her. She was stunning with her hair pulled up and out of her face and he swore her skin was glistening.

"It's for you," Sasha spoke lackadaisically as he nervously held out his palm for Michonne to take the paper flower.

She sauntered towards him and hooked her arm with his before removing the flower from his hand.

"Beth made it," he answered before she could ask. "Said she thought you would like a lotus."

"She's was right," Michonne replied. "So where are we going exactly? Not like we have a ton of options."

Rick smirked. "Ah," he began. "I'm really not sure." He reached his free hand in his pocket and retrieved a piece of paper. "Carl made me some kinda map."

The two giggled as they followed the path drawn on the paper, finding themselves at the children's park. They were met by a picnic table under a large willow tree with a few lanterns dangling from the branches.

"This is what she meant by _we_," Michonne whispered to herself as Rick pulled out the chair for her. He made his way to the other side of the table and took a seat himself.

"Look," he began. "I'm no good at this. I've only been in one relationship my whole life but I need you to know that - "

"It's hard for me too," Michonne added before he continued.

"But it's really not hard," he returned. "If I'm honest I've had feelings for you for a long time. I just didn't know what or how to say that to you. And I'm just slow… Moving that is. Slow moving."

"I don't scare so easily. Besides, you shaved and I know that was for me," she affirmed with a smile. "I know how much you loved the beard."

"I miss it… a lot actually," he grinned before taking a sip of wine and adjusting his tie. "But what I really wanted to say was I love you Mich and I want it to be just us all the time."

Her eyes grew wide and his heart plummeted to his stomach at her silence.

"I love you too, Rick," she finally admitted. "For a long time."

Impulsively, Rick reached across the table and pulled Michonne towards him, kissing her long and hard. She just as impulsively gave in and accepted all that his mouth had to offer in that moment. Just as the mood lightened, Beth began to serenade them with her sweet voice and a new found ukulele. Rick released Michonne and offered her his hand.

"Was it worth the wait," he asked.

"Here's to moving slow," she answered as they began to dance.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for the song suggestion thecinemajunkie! I've found a new band to listen to. I really enjoyed this song immensely and writing this ficlet just made me smile the entire time I wrote it. I really hope it is to your liking. It's pretty fluffy. I actually had another idea/scenario that would apply beautifully to this song. I may write it and post it a little later. Anyway, thanks again! :)


	3. You And Me

**Submitted by siancore via tumblr: **You and Me by Lifehouse

**You And Me on YouTube: ** watch?v=mktKCuAeq64

**Word Count:** 988

This morning, for the most part, wasn't any different from any other morning. Michonne woke up at her usual time, before dawn made her glorious appearance. She continued to lie down, taking a mental account of all her tasks for the day. Though things were typical and as mundane as ever, there was one thing that clashed with her routine. She consented to avert her eyes' attention from the ceiling to a slumbering Rick. It was her first time staying the entire night with him in his bedroom.

They'd been sneaking around for months now, hiding their intimate moments from others in the group, Carl in particular. Michonne didn't want to risk Carl walking in on her in his father's bed for fear he'd view her differently. It was never her aim to take his mother's place but she desired to be a part of his life and did not want anything to interfere with that, especially something like this.

Rick was their leader and she refused to allow herself to be a stumbling block for him to do his job to his best ability and she certainly didn't need or want him worrying about her well being. She respected Rick's judgment and wanted nothing more than to see him succeed. She'd do anything to keep him and the group afloat, even if it meant denying her something she really wanted.

She never thought about days of the week as she use to because time was a funny thing nowadays; tricky even. She wouldn't even know what day it was had not someone from the camp reminded her every day. It wasn't really too much of a concern anymore in regards to the events of the day but it was very much a concern when it came time to talk about where a person stood with someone else. She wasn't sure why she didn't want to admit that she was in love with Rick. It wasn't fear of rejection or even a fear that if she admitted to be so something terrible would happen. Maybe she just wasn't fully ready to move on. Maybe there was some other fear lurking in the shadows of her brokenness.

The battle between her head and heart was in constant flux, pushing and pulling her physically and mentally. She didn't want to fall for Rick and honestly she had no intentions to but the man got under her skin with confessions of needing her by his side and trusting her with his and his children's lives. That was something she wished she had before. Something she'd always longed for and needed but never received.

Sometimes she thought she was undeserving but Rick would always come around and say something to rescind any notions of that. She recalled the first time he kissed her. Though impulsive, the kiss itself was gentle and sweet. The imprint of his mouth on hers was more than just a memory. She often sensed that first kiss, the taste of his tongue melding with hers. It was still there.

She'd been on guard at the perimeter of the camp they stayed for a while when a herd of walkers besieged them. She barely got out alive, when Rick saw her fall, a decaying walker inches from gnawing a piece of her arm, made its way up her body. Before Michonne could muster enough strength to fight the walker off Rick's large boot rammed into the face of the undead, hauling it a few feet into the air. She shuffled backwards on her elbows, gasping for fresh oxygen to reoccupy her lungs. Rick ferociously and repeatedly stomped the skull until it resembled road kill before making his way to Michonne. He helped her on her feet and immediately began to examine her arms and shoulders for scratches or bites before stating that she was alright. Shortly after the group managed to take out the rest of the herd, they made their way back to their tents. Rick pulled Michonne aside, asking her to come inside his tent to talk for a few minutes. After a brief conversation about what happened at the perimeter, Rick asked Michonne to stay with him a little while. In that moment he confided in her a little more about seeing Lori just after she passed. Michonne shared that she, even to this day, still had conversations with Mike. Before she realized it, admissions of affection and endearment arose and she found herself in Rick's embrace, his lips sealed with hers.

"What's the matter," Rick announced, breaking Michonne's train of thought. "I've been staring at you for the past ten minutes."

"I thought you were asleep," Michonne admitted, as his question caught her off guard.

"I was," he confessed. "What you thinkin' about?"

Michonne's eyes locked onto Rick's bright blues and she moved her fingers to her lips. She hesitated before answering, "Us."

Rick reached across Michonne and grabbed his pants from the bedroom floor, retrieving his watch from the pocket. He examined the timepiece, squinting to make out the time.

"It's still pretty early," he began. "If you want, you can ma-"

"No," she cut him off. "I'm ready."

Rick rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. "You sure," he asked staring at Michonne as he caressed her jaw with the back of his free hand.

"Yeah," she simply replied. "I'm all in… with you. If you want to tell everyone, I'm okay with that. There really is no point in keeping this to ourselves anymore. Things are good now. We can push forward together. I'm very much okay with that now."

"I've been watitin' for you to be okay with this, with us," Rick smiled before kissing her once more. "And even if you weren't, I'd still wait. I knew you'd know when the time was right. I trust you."

"I know," she agreed. "And I trust you too."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much Siancore. I'm a Lifehouse fan and this song has always been a favorite. It really does fit Richonne nicely. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the rec! :)**


	4. Lady

**Submitted by lanie-love09 via tumblr: **Lady by D'Angelo

**Lady on YouTube: ** watch?v=-d6_LmLFhjA

**Word Count:** 964

Bones crushed as his fist contacted the jaw of the older man. He was sure of it because a shooting pain radiated from his balled up fingers to the tip of his shoulder blade but he didn't give a damn. The only thing he cared about at the moment was defending Michonne's honor and making it crystal clear that she, and him for that matter, were not to be fucked with.

Pound after pound, Rick's fist continued to impale the face of the offender, his fingers now swollen, discolored and covered in another man's blood. He heard the cries for help and the pleas to stop but he had no intention of letting this guy get away with what he'd done.

Thick hands landed on Rick's shoulders and struggled to pull him away from the curled up body lying nearly lifeless, drenched in his own cruor and dirt. A younger man snatched Rick up by his collar in an attempt to scare him into submission. Instead it just pissed Rick off even more. He swung his bruised and broken arms up, breaking the young man's hold.

"Get off me," Rick hollered as he stepped back, his hands held high in the air.

"Grimes," the young man countered. "What the hell is going on?"

"That son of a bitch was groping one of the women in my group. She told his sorry ass to stop but the asshole wouldn't listen."

Rick spit and wiped the sweat and grime from dripping into his eyes. "I tried to reason with that jack ass but he decided he was gonna talk shit."

"Did he put his hands on you first," the young man continued to question.

"Hell no," Rick stared at the groaning man on the ground. "But he put his hands on her and that was enough for me to step in and do something."

"Come with us," another younger man attempted to grab a hold of Rick's arm but thought better of it when Rick stared at him, his eyes wild like a roaming beast.

"I know where to go," he declared as he turned around and walked towards the office of the main council member.

* * *

Michonne flew through the doors of the infirmary and down the hall to where Rick was detained. The nurse just finished wrapping up Rick's damaged hand as Michonne approached them, her legs moving slowly over the threshold of the door.

"It's definitely broken," the nurse stated propelling her eyes between Michonne and Rick. "We'll try to get it casted in an hour or two."

She smiled at Rick before speaking once more. "To be honest, Richard deserved it. He's a pervy old man who's been getting away with harassing women since he got here. Used to slide his hand down the back of my pants until my boyfriend threatened him."

Her eyes met Michonne's and her smile remained.

"You're lucky to have someone like Grimes. I'll leave you two," she grabbed her bag and closed the exam door behind her, securing the closure.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He remained seated on the exam table as Michonne made her way in front of him and stood with her arms crossed her chest.

"I know," Rick began. "Before you start talking about being able to defend yourself let me just say that man deserved that beating and I don't give a damn if you like it or not. You can be mad all you want at me 'Chonne but I'm not gonna to let him or any other man, get away with touching you like that."

"Rick," Michonne interjected. "I did defend myself and I'm not mad. You almost killed that man though and for what? We need to stay in this place. I can't do living on the road again, Rick."

"I know that Mich. I know this is a good place for us. I'm not trying to fuck that up but his hands were all over your body," Rick growled. "What was I suppose to do, sit there and watch?"

"No."

"Well, then," he spoke much calmer this time but his jaw was clenched. He was contemplating what to say next. "We can't keep what's between us a secret anymore."

"But Rick," Michonne began to contend.

"No," he stated firmly shaking his head slightly from side to side. "They don't know about us so they think you're for the taking. No. I'm not having any of that shit."

"So what do you suppose we do," Michonne questioned, her arms wrapped tighter around her waist.

Rick's eyes roamed over Michonne's face and down her body. She was accustomed to this exchange between the two of them. His eyes never wandered where they didn't want to. He wore his heart on his sleeve and his emotions on his face. She'd grown to know when Rick was pissed, when he was tired or hungry, even when he was horny just by the expression he wore on his face. His current countenance caused a chilling sensation to disperse throughout her body. She wanted him more than ever, especially knowing he was willing to take someone's life for just touching her inappropriately.

He came to his feet and stood before her. His free hand snaked around her waist and drew her body into his. Their eyes connected for a moment before Rick rested his head on her shoulder, planting a smoldering kiss on her neck. Her hands instinctively glided up his arms and made their way to the nape of his neck, her fingers intermingled with his soft curls.

"You're my lady," Rick whispered as his lips parted from her mocha skin.

Michonne smiled, "And you're my man."

"Damn right," Rick smiled back. "And everyone needs to know."

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you lanie for the song suggestion. I haven't listened to D'Angelo in years. Brought back some memories. Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this one, especially rough and tumble Rick. I hope you enjoy the ficlet!


	5. Is This Love

**Submitted by starkchemistry101 (Heartosteel) via tumblr: **Is This Love by Bob Marley, Covered by Corinne Bailey Rae

**Bob's Is This Love on YouTube:** watch?v=CHekNnySAfM

**Corinne's Is This Love on YouTube: ** watch?v=tVxaf2booV8

**Word Count: **1076 (yep I went over my limit but I literally couldn't get rid of any more words… it would have completely taken away from the story)

Suppressing the lump lodged at the base of her throat, Michonne quickly disappeared behind the first bedroom door she contacted and locked herself inside. A heavy sigh escaped as she attempted to calm herself down. The flat of her palm rested over her heart as she shut her eyes tight, not yielding to her body's compulsion to cry. Leaning against the door, her eyes fluttered open and her heart began to race. Of all the rooms in the house, she had to walk into his. How could she not know? Was she that caught up in her feelings that she neglected to realize she'd sought refuge in the very room of the man she'd just argued with? Her eyes rolled as she slid down the length of the bedroom door and took a seat on the carpeted floor.

Wiping away the single tear trailing down her cheek, her eyes caught the heap of fresh laundry piled on the edge of his bed. Pulling herself together, she stood up, made her way to the foot of the bed and began to sort and fold. The task came back to her as naturally as breathing. She hadn't noticed how much she missed domestic life until that moment. Folding the last of the clothing, a tiny pair of yellow flowered socks, the argument she just had with Rick moments before surfaced. She didn't know why she let him get to her, why his words stung her to the core. It was stupid really. The whole argument was foolish and she should have just let it go but for some reason she just couldn't because his words were cruel. How could he have forgotten something so important to her; something indicative of her character? Something she thought was also important to him.

He seemed agitated when she broached him with the topic; Almost dismissive and she probably shouldn't have pushed the subject but she felt it was something that needed to be addressed. Maybe she should have waited. Maybe she should find someplace else to stay. It was hard enough living under the same roof as Rick Grimes, hiding their affection for one another from his children while sneaking into his bed after they were fast asleep. The truth of the matter was she was all up in her feelings because she was in love with him and his ill tempered reaction to her suggestion hurt her feelings.

"Michonne," Rick called as he rapped lightly against the bedroom door. "Can we talk 'Chonne?"

Staring at the door with her arms crossed over her chest, Michonne willed herself to remain still and not unlock that door. She wanted to hear him out but not right now. She just wasn't ready. A folded piece of paper slid underneath the door, beckoning Michonne to draw near. Tipping ahead, she snatched up the paper and tried not to grin as she read Rick's horribly scrawled handwriting of her name and a sad smiley face.

* * *

Clearing her mind was a necessity, as was reading the letter Rick left her, so she decided to take a walk. The fresh air offered her some much needed clarity and perspective. He had been beside himself because one of the residents in the safe zone had deserted his task of sealing off one of the borders and a small horde of walkers got in, attacking a small child. He had just returned from being berated by some angry parents. The issue with the fence was not technically his fault but because he was the one in charge he received the verbal assault. When Michonne approached him about potty training Judith, all he heard was more criticism, not considering that Michonne was there, as she'd always been, to offer him all the support he could ask for in helping him in raising his children right.

As soon as she returned home, she quickly made her way upstairs to her bedroom. A shocking surprise met her eyes as the door swung open. It was completely bare with the exception of a piece of bright red paper in the middle of the bedroom floor. In large letters someone wrote _follow the lotus_. She backed out of the room into the hallway to find a trail of paper lotus flowers strategically placed along the hallway, leading her towards Rick's bedroom.

Turning the knob, she let herself in and found Rick sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees. His eyes shot up as she made her way inside and took a look around. Everything that once graced her bedroom was now integrated with his belongings in _his_ bedroom.

"I hope you don't mind," he drawled, rubbing the back of his neck as he came to stand. "Thought it was 'bout time."

"Rick," she whispered, her voice caught in her throat, shocked at his open act of accepting her as his.

"I'll understand if you don't want to. Especially the way I spoke to you earlier. What I said. I forgot. I promise you I forgot Michonne and I was goin' through some thangs with those people and I didn't mean it. And you deserve better than me. What I did earlier today is not how you should be treated," Rick apologized, fumbling for the right words. "I need you. We need you, especially Judith. I can't teach her how to be a young lady but you can. And I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry for what I told you earlier and I swear I didn't mean it. I forg-"

Michonne's lips met his, cutting his words short. Her hands snaked around his neck, tickling the soft hairs at the nape of his neck with her long fingers. His hands grabbed a hold of her hips, bringing her closer to his body as he deepened the kiss, lightly sucking her bottom lip. She pulled away just as his large hands groped her plump bottom. Rick sat down and leaned back on the bed, bringing Michonne down with him.

She kissed him once more before examining his face. "Apology accepted."

"Shit, I'm glad to hear that."

She rolled over onto her back and lay beside him in _their_ bed. He took a hold of her hand as they accepted the stillness of the house.

"I love you Michonne," he uttered the words for the first time into the quiet.

"I love you too Rick," she returned, squeezing his hand tightly.

* * *

**A/N:** It took me 25,000 years to get to this song request but I must say that once inspiration struck, it flowed like milk and honey. This one was a delight to write. I had a lot of fun with the apology from Rick. Anyway, thank you soooo much starkchemistry101 for the fantastic song request. I love Bob and Corinne's versions equally and listened to both on repeat over a dozen times. I hope you enjoy!


	6. Plain Gold Ring

**Submitted by Me ****J****: **Plain Gold Ring (Nina Simone, covered by Kimbra)

**Nina Simone's Plain Gold Ring on YouTube: ** watch?v=AQ2NwPi0LXU

**Kimbra's Plain Gold Ring on YouTube:** watch?v=IyNDiLXjuvE

**Word Count: **1,019

He always thought she was fast asleep but that was never the case. She'd lie there, staring at his bare back as he hunched over his legs, twisting the thin plain gold ring on his left finger. He'd resort to that every time they made love. It bothered her but she understood. It would appear he wasn't quite over her. Michonne knew Rick's pain, shared in his agony because she too had been there. Hell some days she still was there, waking up with blurry eyes filled with the ghost of Mike, smiling at her from above as he did many, many mornings ago. She'd smile back, wipe the sleep from her eyes and like a thief in the night he was gone without a trace.

The first time she noticed Rick fumbling his thick fingers around the smooth gold band was after their first time together. There was no apprehension, regret or fear on his part, though she fought the urge to be with him, even that night. He was truly beside himself, a bit out of his normal character. They'd been in Alexandria for a few weeks when it happened. She'd like to have something to blame his sudden need to be with her but there was none. It was just him and her chatting about strategies to secure the community, when the conversation suddenly halted to awkward silence. A sudden urge to flee overcame her and she abruptly stood to exit, when Rick grabbed her arm and came to a stance, his hands drawing her closer to his body. The quiet surrounded them like a compelled audience as he drew his face to hers, his eyes roaming her face for confirmation to enter. Without a second thought she relented and closed her eyes as his lips merged with hers, a smoldering rush raced throughout her body as their tongues danced into the unknown, her heart rate accelerating at a breakneck pace. Before long they were unclothed and tangled up in each other on the sofa.

Shortly after their encounter, Rick found his way to the kitchen and perched himself against the counter, a glass of water in his hand. He thought Michonne was asleep but she'd tiptoed her way around the corner and peered at the man. The last drop of water entered his mouth and he quietly placed the glass down and stared at his wedding band, his hand shaking ever so slightly. She wondered if he'd regret it. Being with her. Was he having second thoughts about what they'd shared? Would he want to do it again? Leaving him with his thoughts, she quietly made her way back to the sofa and sheathed herself in the chenille throw that was housed on the back of the sofa, willing herself to sleep. Maybe it would be best not to think about it. Better yet, maybe she should just forget about it altogether.

But that wasn't the end all be all. Rick came to her room more frequently than ever after that first night. Often times, not much was spoken between the two. He'd just make his way into her bed or she into his and they'd commence, as if that was what they were supposed to do. Their relationship had grown into this mutual understanding of each other from a mental standpoint to the physical. He knew how to pleasure her in all the right ways. He was so in tune with her body's response to his touch that he quickly adapted and learned what she liked and didn't like without ever speaking a word to each other. And yet after every encounter, Michonne would find Rick contemplating, deeply engaged in the twirling of his plain gold ring.

She wanted to stop. Push him away altogether because the truth was, as long as he wore that ring he was and never would fully be hers. His heart, it seemed belonged to someone else. Someone long gone. It also appeared that the presence of the ring and the growing knowledge of their physical relationship caused some unwelcome stares and judgment but Rick didn't seem to give a shit; so why should she? But she did and she hated that she did.

"You awake," Rick's voice drawled into the cool night air, breaking Michonne's thoughts. "You're always awake, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she returned, her voice soft and low.

Rick turned around to face her and the bright light from the full moon glowing through the window lit his face in full. She looked up as his hand came closer to her face. The gold ring was now positioned in between his right thumb and index finger. Staring at her face for a moment, Rick placed the ring in the palm of his right hand and presented it before Michonne.

"This," he began, "Was something that tied me to Lori but she's long gone. I want you to have it. You don't have to wear it but I want you to keep it."

"But why," Michonne questioned, taking the ring from his palm.

"I've been thinkin'," Rick started, a bit of hesitation in his voice. "For a while now about it. I don't want the reminder. I don't need this guilting me, especially with you. I need to move on and I want to do that with you."

Michonne swallowed hard to prevent the lump in her throat from overcoming her. She didn't know what to say but she managed to utter 'okay' after a long moment passed between them. He lay down beside her, draped his arm across her body and nestled his chin against her shoulder before murmuring into her ear, "And I'm still with you."

Flushed by his words breathed over her body, she clutched the ring tight in her hand and fell asleep to the beating of his heart against her back. At that moment she knew she was fated to love that man until the end of time and him giving up that plain gold ring, was her sign that he'd love her just the same until the day they had to part.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hi all! It's been some months and Sundays since I've written a thing but alas, I was able to pen something. Inspiration struck so I had to get it out. The song choice was one I'd been personally playing with for a while. There was a lot of chatter about Rick and the wedding band last season and I had planned on writing a story for this song then but I just couldn't get it formed right in my mind. This song is so haunting and quite dark so I tried to add some of those elements into the story and yet tried to bring it full circle for a nice resolution for our lovers, unlike the song. I couldn't do that to Michonne though. I'm such Richonne trash! LOL! Anyway, if you want to leave a comment, please do. If you don't that's fine too! I just hope that if you read it, you enjoyed it.

Thanks! :)


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Walking Dead, Drama, Hurt-Comfort