A one-shot ficlet for the Richonne Writing Network AU Scene Challenge.

Song featured: Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy"

May 1999

"Need some help?"

Michonne spun around at the sound of someone's voice over her shoulder. She found the owner to be a man just slightly taller than her, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a cute smile.

"Hi, Rick."

"Hey. You got anymore of those?" He gestured to the large contractor bag in her hand that she'd been filling with Solo cups and soda cans.

"Yeah." She pointed to a big box of them on a nearby table. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. So, how'd you score this place, anyway?" Rick inquired, looking around at the basement level of the local pub where Michonne had been able to host a year-end celebration for the Georgia State University Class of 2000.

"The owner's an alumni. He took pity on us since the Panthers were so abysmal this year, according to him."

"You disagree?"

"I don't know about basketball."

"Ah," he nodded. "Well, trust me, he's right."

"I'm sure it's sacrilege, but if it gets us free venues, I hope they keep sucking."

Rick clutched his chest in mock anguish, making her laugh.

"I guess the party was worth it," he conceded.

"I wouldn't know. I think I was in over my head." As pathetic as it sounded, this was the most peace she'd had all evening - cleaning up at one in the morning after most of the guests had gone home. "I feel like I haven't had two seconds to breath."

"I didn't realize you were doing all of this yourself." He felt like an idiot for not seeing how swamped she was.

"It's okay."

"Well, next year, I'm your guy. Anything you need, I'm there."

She believed that. One thing she'd learned about Rick in their three-year acquaintance was that he was a man of his word. She'd also found him to be calm, kind, and earnest. Most notable of all, he was a friend - a real friend - to her.

It was the reason she felt confident she could ask him for a favor - friend to friend - without things getting weird.

"Actually, I could still use a little help tonight."

"Name it."

"Well, like I said, it's been crazy. And I haven't had much of an opportunity to da-"

"Nope," he interrupted when he saw her eyes travel to the dance floor. "I don't dance."

She let out a puff of air. "There's nothing I could do to persuade you?"

"No," he replied without hesitation, returning to his garbage.

"Twenty bucks?"

He scoffed. "I'm more expensive than that."

"Okay, how about..." She wracked her brain for something that would entice him. "It's been an exhausting night. I've barely been able to enjoy my own party, and just one dance would make me really, really happy."

He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again, caught off guard by her vulnerability.

"Please," she continued. His shoulders dropped, his resolve weakening. "I'll lead, I'll hold up your end of the conversation. All you have to do is say 'yes.'"

He groaned and buried his face in one hand, and she knew she had him.

"What song?" He mumbled, wearily.

"Any song. If you'd prefer something fast..."

"God, no." He searched the recesses of his mind for a magical song that would make dancing more tenable, but he came up with nothing. Just as he was about to leave the decision up to Michonne, the next track began on the radio.

Hangin' round, downtown by myself

And I had so much time to sit and think about myself

And then there she was

"This one." Rick set his trash bag down on the floor.

Michonne wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Why this?"

"Because it's short." He grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the center of the mostly vacant dance floor.

Like double cherry pie

Yeah, there she was

Like disco superfly

He faced her awkwardly, opening his arms to indicate he was waiting for her to make the first move. She stepped to him so that they were chest to chest, slipping one hand into his and resting the other on his shoulder. Rick's free hand came to sit at the small of her back, and they fell into a leisurely rhythm.

I smell sex and candy here

Who's that loungin' in my chair

Who's that castin' devious stares in my direction

Mama, this surely is a dream

Yeah, mama, this surely is a dream

"What are your plans for the summer?" She asked.

"Internship. You?"

"Visiting relatives in Savannah for most of it."

"Guess I won't see you around much, then."

"No. But I'll be at that fundraising dinner for the basketball team. Will I see you there?"

"Definitely. I'm surprised you're going."

"I was...invited."

Hangin' round, downtown by myself

And I had too much caffeine and I was thinkin' about myself

And then there she was

"Ah, a date," he deduced. "Can I ask who with?"

Michonne bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling, knowing what his reaction would be. "Mike."

"Richie Rich."

Mike was an out-of-state student from Virginia - and, yes, he was loaded. It's what earned him the social status of a celebrity despite the fact that most people found him to be condescending, superficial, and plain rude.

And Michonne couldn't say she disagreed. But when he'd asked her out, he'd been sweet and respectful. Deciding she may have made too many assumptions about him, she opted to give him a chance.

"Shut up," she warned.

"I barely said anything," Rick defended himself.

"You're saying plenty for a guy who's perpetually single," she quipped, eager to steer the conversation away from her love life.

"Hey, easy now. I get around," he assured her.

"Oh, yeah? When was your last romantic liaison?"

"You don't remember?" He asked, casually. "You were there."

Like platform, double suede

Yeah, there she was

Like disco lemonade

She lost her rhythm momentarily. For a split second, she thought she misheard him.

But she knew exactly what he was talking about...

There had been a blow-out at one of the sorority houses right before the holiday break. They bumped into each other in one of the master suites, both of them drunk and searching for a rare, unoccupied bathroom. They'd shared small talk as they usually would, but as they were about to part ways, Rick drew her into a hug - something he'd never done before. When they pulled apart, it happened.

Still wrapped in each others arms, he'd kissed her. And after her initial shock, she kissed him back. It didn't last long. After only a few moments, the resident advisor had burst in the door and thrown them out. When they saw each other again after the holidays, Rick had acted like nothing was different between them at all. Assuming he had been too intoxicated to remember what happened, she simply let it go.

"You never said anything."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Neither did you."

"Fair enough."

I smell sex and candy here

Who's that loungin' in my chair

Who's that castin' devious stares in my direction

"We were both a little smashed," she offered as an explanation.

"So?"

"So, sometimes we do things when we're drunk that we otherwise wouldn't."

"Well, I can't speak for you, but I'd do it again right now. And I haven't had a drop all night."

She raised her eyebrows - partly in surprise, partly as a challenge. For a brief moment, she thought he was going to go for it. Vividly recalling the softness of his lips and the smell of his aftershave from before, she found herself wishing that he would.

Mama, this surely is a dream

Yeah, mama, this surely is a dream

But he didn't.

"What are you trying to say?" She ventured, enjoying the flirtatious turn their dance had taken.

"Just that...it was pretty good, wasn't it?" He answered her question with his own.

"It wasn't bad."

He grinned. "So if I did it in the future, you'd probably kiss me back? Again?"

"Probably."

I smell sex and candy here

Who's that loungin' in my chair

Who's that castin' devious stares in my direction

"So what do we do about that?"

"Honestly, I don't know." All she knew was that in the span of this stupid song, Rick had gone from the friend she'd made out with once...to the only person in the room. "I'll let you know when I figure it out."

"Better hurry up. The song's almost over."

Mama, this surely is a dream

Yeah, mama, this surely is a dream

"I don't suppose I could convince you to go one more."

He made a show of throwing his head back in exasperation, but he knew he was going to do exactly as she asked, and as many times.

"Okay," he agreed, rather easily, and not for the last time that night. "One more."

Yeah, mama, this must be my dream.