"You're really gonna get me in trouble," Michonne purred, slowly easing herself out of Rick's strong arms.

Distance.

That's what she needed to keep a clear head. Being too close to Rick was just too much for her to handle. Laughing and talking on the surface didn't seem like a big deal to anyone else but to her it was the ultimate foreplay. Someone who stimulated her mentally and physically. Yes, Rick was more than the good looking Southern ladies man with an accent and amazing blue eyes. He was actually funny, witty and much deeper than she thought. Then again maybe that was all an act too. The girls in her dorm didn't call him Slick Rick for nothing.

"What just happened?" he asked, slowly approaching like she was a caged animal that he was afraid of scaring off. "You spaced out on me again." His lip curled up when he saw her chest slightly heaving, her full breasts even more on display in her low cut red tank top. She was aiming for casual but there wasn't an outfit on the planet that could downplay her sexiness.

Michonne gasped when he was so close to her that she could smell the remnants of peppermint on his breath that he picked up on the way out of the pizza place she insisted on going.

Low key and distance.

That was the name of the game. But the only person "losing" right now was her.

"Whatcha thinkin about?" he asked, his gaze quickly dipping to her lips and back to her eyes. "Tell me."

"Nothing," she lied. "I was just thinking...Do you want to watch a scary movie?"

His eyebrow lifted in amusement and he chuckled darkly. "A scary movie hunh? I thought you didn't do the Halloween thang."

Michonne smirked at the way he said thing. His accent had gone from annoying to sexy in the few months since she'd known him. "Well it's Halloween, figured we may as well do something a little traditional," she said nonchalantly walking around him over to the brown sofa that had been in her family for as long as she was alive.

Rick folded his arms, his biceps on display and she quickly looked away much to his amusement. "Are you sure you aren't using this as a way to come on to me?"

The laugh bubbled out of her and she quickly stopped herself, covering her mouth in shyness. Moving close to her, he removed her hand, eager to see the beautiful smile that had more of an impact on him than he was ready to admit.

"You really are a cocky jerk," she said playfully slapping his hand away. "I want to watch a movie and you assume it's me coming on to you. I know that's what you're used to with all the little cheerleaders and everything that flock around you."

Rick scooted back on the sofa, one of his legs crossing over the other. His crisp white shirt and jeans were a simple ensemble but it had done nothing to tamper down her attraction to him. "Well if it were a drama or comedy, I may have just thought it was about entertainment," he smirked. "But a scary movie means I'll have to get close to you and protect you when you are afraid."

She laughed again but this time didn't attempt to hide it. It felt good to laugh. Not worrying about grades, or classes or all of the typical college drama happening around her. "Protect me hunh?" she smirked, easing back into the couch closer to him. "Sounds like another cheesy line but I'll let it—"

Michonne was quickly silenced by the feel of two of his smooth fingers under her chin. He turned her head gently towards him and said something he felt she really needed to hear. "How about we make that the last comment about me and other women tonight?"

She was startled at his bluntness and tried to pull back but he held her close and continued talking. "I know what you think about me. I know what your friends have said about me. I know I have a reputation. Some of its true and some of its not. One night we'll talk about all of that. But for now I just want you to know, you're not like any of them. So stop comparing this," he gestured between them, "to anything else you've seen or heard about me. Because it's nothing like that. Ok?"

She couldn't stop staring at him. Despite all the warning signs going off in her head, every line she's heard from guys before, she believed him. God help her but she believed him. "Ok."

He nodded, satisfied and hopeful that he'd gotten through to her. "Now how about you go on and put on your excuse to snuggle up under me, I mean your scary movie."

Crossing his hands behind his head, he sat back proud of himself as she grinned. "Whatever."

Thirty five minutes later she was firmly engrossed in "The Strangers" much to Rick's dismay. Of course she would be the kind of girl that was into the plot, loathing the way the couple kept running instead of just confronting the attacker with the shotgun.

"See that's just stupid," she complained. "Everytime you run and go to another place you put yourself at a disadvantage. They should've just sat on the car with the shotgun in hand and waited for them to attack."

He intently watched her as she talked back to the television, hogged most of the popcorn and the throw she pulled of her old recliner. Normally he would've been thoroughly annoyed but as with most of the dynamic with him and Michonne, nothing was the same.

None of it was normal.

The way her laugh instantly made him happy no matter how crappy his day was. The way he tried to be wherever she was and act like he was supposed to be there. The way that her mere presence made the hair stand up on his arms. If he was ever lucky enough to get those lips of hers to touch his, he would die a happy man.

"What are you staring at Grimes?"

He was busted. And the cat ate the canary grin that she was sporting was making his jeans a little tighter. For a second, he thought about telling the sweeter truth. The one that had nothing to do with the curve of her ass or the swell of her tits but there were some things even he wouldn't change. Well at least not yet. So he did what felt right in the moment. He dipped his eyes to her lips, slowly down to her chest and let his gaze linger. In what seemed like an eternity he was rewarded with the swell of her nipple visible through her tank top. His grin mimicked hers from just a few moments ago.

Rick could hear her breathing become more shallow but couldn't meet her gaze. There was only so much restraint a man had.

"Rick," she panted, demanding his eyes. But he couldn't. This thing between them was something that suffocated him sometimes. It would've been easy if it were just physical. Hell he could've made his move and tried to fuck her months ago. She was attracted, he knew that. But the more they talked, the more she challenged him and the more intrigued he became.

"Rick," she damn near begged. Her body was involuntarily squirming on the couch. He bought it. Yes she was paying attention to the movie and the way the dumbasses made themselves an easier target but she was aware that he was watching her. At first it made her nervous but then it made her confident. She slightly shifted knowing that none of her moves were going unnoticed. It made her feel powerful being wanted this way. It was different than the power she felt wielding a sword in fencing class. Guys were attracted to her, but there was something in the way he treated her, stared at her that made her feel something she'd never experienced before. Her body was on fire and there was only one way to quell the need that consumed her. "Touch me."

Within a second, his hand was on her thigh. Rubbing, caressing. Just a few inches from where she ached the most. He had to slow this thing down or it would take a wrong turn. Her pleasure was his main focus but there was a large part of him that dreamed of laying her down on and driving into her without abandon until she came crying out his name. But there was time for that. If there was anything that Michonne would have of him, it would be more of his time.

Touching his hand, she caressed it lightly before moving it up to cup her breast and squeezing it. Once she got a taste of his touch she was powerless to stop. She manipulated his hand to touch her nipple, flicking his finger back and forth on the pebbled nub. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, muffling a moan. Goosebumps spread over her skin and she felt a light sweat. "Jesus," she thought in her head but realized she said it aloud when she heard his low chuckle.

Rick moved her hand ready to take over. She held her breath as his fingers stilled on the thin strap of her tank top. Her heart throbbed in her ears, blood rushing to every part of her body. "You're so beautiful Michonne." As she got ready to respond, there was a loud scream from the movie that made them both jump.

"Shit." He grabbed the remote struggling to either mute the volume or turn down the television. "Sorry bout that."

Michonne didn't move, eager for him to pick up where he left off. Rick placed the remote back on the coffee table, his palms rubbing his knees instead of returning to her aroused body. When he cradled his head in his hands she knew.

"Oh." She sat up, embarrassingly fixing her shirt and smoothing out her dreads. "I'll just—"

"No," he said quickly reaching out his arm to stop her. This wasn't going how he expected. "Just give me a second," he sighed.

She avoided his eyes attempting to stop the embarrassment that was creeping into her senses. When the seconds dragged on, she attempted to move again. "Rick it's fine. You don't want t—"

"I want to!" he said louder than he meant to. "I want to," he said quieter this time. "I don't think I've ever wanted to this much in my life. So just—-." He squeezed her hand, willing her to put the pieces together so he wouldn't feel like even more of a rambling idiot. "I told you this is different with you and me so I don't want to do things the same way. So even though I want to, god knows I do," he said staring at her chest for emphasis, "I'm going to pump the brakes this time. I want you to be more sure about me. About us, before we do. Ok?"

Logically she understood what he meant but there was a part of her that still felt a bit rejected. Either way, he was right. Tonight wasn't the night for this. Reading her mind, he sat back on the sofa, tilting his head at her. In a second, her gaze landed on the very obvious tent in his pants.

"Like I said. I want to. Don't doubt that for a second Michonne." He smoothed the hair off her shoulder and kissed her sweetly between her neck and shoulder.

She sighed, kissing him back on the cheek. "Slick Rick indeed."

They both laughed softly, breathing each other in for a few moments before he sat up. "Ok, so what do you say we finish the movie?" he asked lifting his arm up for her to lay on his chest. Michonne lied down folding herself into him, allowing the feeling of safety and excitement to wash over her.

"I can't believe you would have us just sit on the car and wait for them to attack. A huge part of me thinks it's a brilliant plan, the other part thinks we would get ourselves killed," he joked kissing her on the forehead.

"Us? Killed? Never. I think we'd make a great team against any force." She pulled the blanket tighter across them, weaving their fingers together. "We don't die Grimes. We're the ones who live."