Rick could not comprehend what had just transpired. Three minutes ago, he was on the floor playing back all the chaos of day over and over in his mind. The only thing he knew to be true was that life under Negan wasn't going to work. Then, he glanced her there in the doorway. She stuttered like she had something to say, but he needed to touch her, confirm she was really there and not, well, a mirage. It had happened before. They embraced, but only briefly as she pulled away. His breath hitched, this too had happened before.

Then, Michonne spoke. Lori had always wanted Rick to speak first. She would goad him, argue with him, anything to get him to speak. But now, Michonne, his quiet warrior, was filling the room with declarations he had never heard directed to him before. She said she realized she wanted "our way. Me and you." She said life, one worth living anyway, will only work if "we do this." As she spoke, her voice trembled. Her tear-rimmed eyes pleaded with Rick to accept her precious words.

It was the most Michonne had ever spoken to him since he met her over a year ago, and it was a declaration of love. And even more unbelievable to him, a declaration of devotion to "us," here and now, after all of this, all of his failures. His body reached for hers. He wanted to show her what her declaration meant to him, that he was ready too. Her eyes searched for some kind of confirmation. Rick managed to compose, "I know that now." Repeating his commitment before hungrily taking his beloved's trembling lips with his.

Now, her strong, slender fingers were stroking his hair and gently massaging his scalp. He stared deeply into her eyes. His heart was pounding. This is not at all how he thought the end of this horrific day would turn out. He leaned in and kissed her deeply again. He could taste her salty tears that had fallen to her lips. He wanted her here, now, but the practical side of him intervened. "Let's go home," he whispered on her lips. He felt her lips curl into a smile against his. Her hand brushed down his arm till she laced her fingers in his. Rick led them out of the cell.

They walked close together, holding hands, their arms and shoulders touching. She rubbed his thumb with hers. He squeezed her hand tighter. "Do you need to eat," he asked her as they finally entered the house. Michonne thought to herself for a second and suddenly felt famished. She smiled. Rick told her about the spaghetti in the fridge. "You eat. I've got to shower," he proffered. Michonne nodded, having spoken her peace earlier, she seemed to have run out of words.

She stood at the kitchen island absently twirling forkfuls of spaghetti. She thought about the Savior she killed today and how the woman had requested death. It was in that moment Michonne realized she was lost in her way. Rick needed to see this, to know this. She needed to discuss with her best friend what lay ahead and weigh the options. But more than that a new need ached inside her. Michonne could not compartmentalize her feelings anymore. She actually hadn't realized she was even doing it. She looked across the seat at the slumped form that had just wanted it all to be over and she longed for Rick for what they had become to each other. She longed not to be alone in the fight, not anymore. Her hands started to tremble as she drove away from Negan's camp. She had to win Rick back from his grief because she had lost her heart to him.

Michonne was so deep in thought that she shuddered again when she felt his finger grasp her waist. "I wanna show you somethan," he whispered into her ear. He pulled away and she turned to follow him. They headed upstairs to Carl's room. He nodded to Michonne to peek inside the door. There on the floor lay Carl and Judith. Carl had his arm wrapped protectively around his baby sister and Judith slept close to his chest.

Michonne exhaled. She almost lost him today. She almost lost that precious, reckless boy to Negan. She absent-mindedly reached for the M on her necklace as she looked at her children. Rick caught her hand, though and whispered, "come on." Once in their bedroom, Rick closed the door behind him and locked it.

Michonne stood in the center of the room like she was visiting. Things between them had changed, but this still didn't feel like home. He watched her there. Her words from earlier rushed through him again. "We're still here, the two of us." He was ready to show her.

Rick walked up to her and kissed her while both of his hands caressed down her arms. He leaned back to look into her eyes as his hands went to her waist. He lifted her shirt up and Michonne raised her arms to assist. He pulled the shirt over her head and she gently shook her hair to let it fall to the floor. Rick ran his hands again down the sides of her slender waist. His left hand rested on the hip of her jeans as his right hand traveled up her strong back to undo her bra. The clasp open, Michonne crossed her arms in front of her and removed the straps one shoulder at a time. She lowered her arms as the bra slid down and tumbled to the floor.

Only now, as they both stood there bare from the waist up, did Rick break his eye contact to look down at her beautiful breasts. Her dark nipples were already firm, reacting to the intimacy. Rick's left arm pulled Michonne into him from the waist. He groaned as her chest pressed into his. He leaned down and kissed trails along her clavicles and back to the spot on her neck where her golden initial lay. "Michonne," he said like he was reading the sacred symbol out loud. He kissed it.

Rick's adoration was heady. Michonne felt her knees buckle. His right hand spread wide, embracing her back between her shoulder blades, supporting her as she leaned to give his mouth access to wherever it desired. Her hands caressed his arms her fingertips remembering every hill and valley. She curled her fingers around his triceps, pushed up onto her tiptoes and pulled him as close as she could into her. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her till neither of them could breathe without the movements of their chest pressing into the other. Rick nipped at her shoulder, at the calloused spot where her katana sheath rested. "So beautiful," he said into her shoulder. They both trembled with desire.

Michonne released his arms and ran her hands across his shoulders. Her left arm draped around his shoulder as her right hand plunged into his damp curls. Rick lifted his head allowing his nose to trail along the nape of her neck, her earlobe, her cheek. His hot breath caused goosebumps on her skin. Finally, his lips crashed into hers. He sucked on her full lips, the top being his favorite. Michonne gently nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth. Rick pulled away to breath. He kissed the corners over her mouth, her bottom lip. Michonne moaned and Rick's tongue lapped at her luscious mouth.

His right hand moved north to the back of her head as he twisted his fingers into her dreadlocks. His left, traveled from around her waist south to palm her firm round ass. The smooth texture of her tight jeans meant he couldn't get a good grip and could only caress wantonly at the outline of her as she pressed her hips against him. He tasted her mouth over and over, their tongues licking and exploring. Rick groaned as his dick stiffened in his lounge pants. He hadn't put on boxers, so there was no disguising what her hunger was doing to him.

Rick released Michonne from his grasp. She lowered from her tiptoes back to her heels. She felt her calves twitch from the prolonged stretching. Rick undid the button of her jeans and slowly pulled the zipper down. He looked at her. Michonne blushed. His firm hand pressed at her center as he trailed up to the waist of her panties. He needed to feel her, but he lingered there for permission. "Rick," Michonne whispered with a mix of lust and surprise at his act of chastity. Michonne took her hand over his and pressed at her core. His right hand crossed under her waistband, over her curls. Meanwhile, Michonne slipped both of her hands into Rick's pants and dug her fingers into his hips and grazed her fingernails gently along his ass cheeks. She whimpered as Rick's fingers glided between her wet folds. Rick licked his lips.

He pulled his hand away and brought his glistening fingers to his mouth. He licked them clean, making a faint popping sound at their release. He was driving Michonne crazy with lust. She moved her right hand to the base of Rick's achingly firm cock. Her fingertips caressing his balls. Rick had been so distracted by Michonne's taste, he gasped at the touch. He grinned and pulled her hand away. If he was going to take his time, there would have to be a sequence to this. Michonne pouted briefly as Rick wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and leaned down to lap at her nipples. He slowly continued down her body, nipping and kissing her skin till he finally fell to his knees.

Rick looked up at Michonne as she tilted her head down to meet his gaze. He hooked two fingers at her waistline and pulled her pants and panties down together. Michonne stepped out of them and Rick tossed them to the side. He was so hungry. "Baby," Michonne whispered, "lie down."

Rick complied, crawling backward till his head rested on a pillow. Michonne pulled Rick's pants off and straddled him backward. "Fuck," he said as he pulled her thighs toward his face. Michonne leaned down, resting on her left forearm. She caressed him with her right hand, holding his cock at the base as she licked the head, gently sucked at the sensitive vein of his long shaft, and finally took him into her mouth. Rick's toes curled. When her tongue pressed at the base of his head he purred, "yes, baby, do that again. Fuck." Michonne moaned with satisfaction. She loved hearing him say "fuck" in his gravelly southern drawl. And most of all, she loved learning what made him purr. She could feel herself getting wetter as she took more and more of him into her mouth.

Rick could smell her fresh arousal and his stomach growled. He grabbed her hips and bucked her beautiful ass over his face. He lapped at her folds and thrust his tongue into her, rolling and sucking at her heat. He pulled her more into him and encircled her clitoris. Michonne could barely hang on to her concentration, her thighs started to shiver. Rick smiled. He dragged his left thumb through her wet folds and rested it at the entrance of her anus. Michonne's mouth let go of Rick's cock. This was too much, if he was going to explore, then she lost all focus. "Yes, Rick," she called out. He continued to suckle her clit while she slowly bucked into his thumb. "Yes, more." Rick finger fucked her ass, relishing her flinch and writhe at his grasp. Michonne bit Rick's thigh to keep from moaning too loudly as she came on his face.

Rick licked his lips as he helped Michonne's quivering body to the floor. He needed to be inside her. Michonne looked at him with a questioning smirk. "Michonne, you put that beautiful ass in my face. I had to." He grinned, proud of himself. Then he wrapped her right leg around his waist and place her left on his shoulder. "Please, I need you," he growled. Michonne's breath hitched as she pulled at his arms summoning him closer. His cock plunged into her still quivering center. They both gasped. Michonne dug her nails into his triceps.

Rick went slow and deep. He shuddered every time he felt her tremble on his cock. "Fuck." His right hand reached for her supple breasts and he alternated her nipples between his fingers. Their bodies were covered in sweat. Michonne squeezed her thighs around him. She lifted her hips into him, urging him to increase his pace. Rick dropped her left leg around his waist and leaned down into her. He kissed her, breathing in and taking her breath away.

Rick planted one hand next to her on the pillow. He could feel her tighten around him, she was so close. Her eyes fluttered open and closed as she began to get lost the building wave of her pleasure. He looked at this beautiful fight on her face. "Michonne," he said deeply as he palmed and kneaded her luscious ass with his right hand again. Her hips bucked into him. Her eyes met his and he pushed deeper into her heat. Her lips parted. "Do you love me," he asked smiling at her ecstasy because he knew the answer. Michonne broke apart. From somewhere deep within her chest, she moaned, "yes." Her body clenched. Her eyes filled with tears as she forced them to stay open and look at Rick. "I love you. I love you, Michonne," Rick repeated as a sacred prayer as he pushed into her orgasm over and over. The truth proved too much for Rick as well as he felt himself climax, he broke away from her released his hot seed on her quivering thigh.

The crashing wave receded. Rick shift his weight to his left hip and collapsed in Michonne's arms. His lips lightly kissed her sweat covered breast as his breath recovered. Michonne rocked into him slightly so their legs intertwined. Her arm cradled his head as her fingers played in his hair. Michonne had gotten her Rick back. Her heart was safe for another day and so she slept.

I hope you liked it. My apologies for no prison cell sex. Rick needed a shower after that house boat ordeal. Besides Richonne is always better with a little patience. ;)