Chapter 20
It’s after dark when I finally make it back ta’ Rick and I’s room. I’m exhausted and frazzled from today, and I feel like I’ve been jerked every which way fer the last four or five hours. Everybody’s been needin’ me fer somethin’ today, and I’m tired of it.
I walk into my room quietly, findin’ Rick passed out on the bed on top a’ the covers, still in his clothes from today. I sigh and smile a little as Rick makes a little snufflin’ noise and nuzzles his face farther down into his pillow. I wonder briefly why he’s layin’ off ta’ one side, but then my smile widens: he left room fer me.
Quietly, I walk over to the edge a’ the bed and give Rick a kiss on the forehead, careful not ta’ move too much and wake him. He makes a quiet noise, but keeps sleepin’. I run my fingers through his hair and then turn away from him ta’ strip and get ready fer bed as quietly as I can.
I ease open the top dresser drawer and start lookin’ fer a clean shirt, be it Rick’s or mine. Over the last little while, his clothes are becomin’ mine out a’ laziness. Rick doesn’t mind anyhow, so it’s not a bid deal if I wear his stuff durin’ the day or at night. We normally keep underwear in this particular drawer, but due ta’ the craziness of the last few days, things have gotten jumbled. I really should reorganize everything tomorrow.
My fingers brush somethin’ odd at the back a’ the drawer. It feels like a sizable box, and I know there shouldn’t be once in there. We keep everythin’ that could be in a box (ammunition, gun cleanin’ stuff, things fer Judith, etc.) in the next drawer over or on top a’ the dresser.
I pull the box out slowly, not wantin’ ta’ make noise and wake Rick up. It’s a box a’ condoms, I come ta’ find out. Now I’m a big girl, and I’ve seen plenty a’ condoms and boxes a’ condoms in my life, but findin’ this particular box where it is comes as a surprise. It’s never been in there before, and I can’t imagine that Rick has just been keepin’ condoms around fer no reason or usin’ ‘em since the box ain’t opened; he obviously picked them up on the run. It doesn’t really bother me so much as it surprises me. I’m glad Rick thought ahead though. I mean, one day we are probably gonna have sex, and he and I already got one baby ta’ take care of.
I hear shiftin’ behind me, the bed creaks, and then I hear feet the floor. I try and hide the box a’ condoms, now fully aware that Rick awake. I probably wasn’t supposed ta’ find the box ‘til much later, and I don’t know how he’s gonna react.
“Didn’t mean for ya’ ta’ find those,” Rick says from behind me, voice thick and rough from sleep. I try not ta’ focus on how goddamn sexy it sounds and throw on a shirt. I say nothin’ and slip my pants off. Rick gets up and I feel arms slip around my waist. He’s warm from sleepin’, and I don’t have a hard time meltin’ against him. Goddamn this man.
“It’s OK,” I say finally, voice a little lower than I meant fer it ta’ be. “You thought ahead.”
Rick laughs a little, and I feel his breath tickle my neck, in turn makin’ me giggle. “Michonne threw ‘em at me when we were lookin’ through the pharmacy stuff together. I threw her a box back and told her ta’ put ‘em ta’ use with Daryl.”
“How are ya’ still alive after talkin’ to her like that?” I laugh, turnin’ in Rick’s arms ta’ face him. He’s grinnin’, but he still looks a little tired. I kiss him and Rick kisses back. One of his hands slips down ta’ my hip and the other fists loosely in the hair at the base a’ my skull. I have ta’ cover a shriek when Rick picks me up off the ground and lightly tosses me on the bed.
From there, things get heated. Rick and I are finally alone and we’re happy ta’ see each other, and better still, we have some form of protection. So, we keep on kissin’, peelin’ off clothes and whisperin’ consent after we both decide that we’re gonna take this as far as possible. Rick retrieves a condom from the box in the dresser and comes back ta’ me, tellin’ me how beautiful I am in a low, husky whisper, starin’ at me with half-lidded eyes. I’ve never felt so cared for in my life.
Just as we’re about ta’ start, I flip us so that Rick’s underneath me. I know he’s tired and stressed- more stressed than anyone should ever be, really- and I think he needs somebody ta’ just take care of him fer once. He opens his mouth ta’ say somethin’, maybe protest what I’ve done, but I don’t let him start. “Hush,” I coax quietly, “and just relax. You’re always takin’ care a’ everyone else; let somebody take care a’ you fer a change.” Rick just smiles at me almost gratefully and kisses my hand.
It’s over quickly- for both of us- but I enjoy it more than I’ve enjoyed anythin’ probably ever. We end up beside each other in bed, both of us tryin’ ta’ catch our breath. Rick cleans up a little and then comes back ta’ bed, promptly pressin’ kisses long the side a’ my face and my neck. I sigh and snuggle up close to him, loose and pliant and sleepy feelin’ from the sex.
“’Night, darlin’,” Rick mumbles against my shoulder.
“’Night.”
{~~~}
Michonne is in good spirits the next day. She makes jokes and huffs when I say she can’t be leavin’ her bed fer the next few days at least. I run into Daryl on my way outta their room, nearly knockin’ over the plates a’ food he’s got balanced in his hands. He’s still playin’ Mother Hen, and I suspect he’ll keep at it ‘til I give Michonne the OK ta’ leave her bed.
Most everyone knows what happened ta’ Michonne, but there ain’t been a fuss over it. These things happen now, and people have become numb to it. If it doesn’t happen inside the fences, it doesn’t seem ta’ matter to most of ‘em. I mean, they care that Michonne got hurt and people wanna know if she’s doin’ alright and everything, but nobody’s caused a stir or somethin’, and honestly, I’m glad. I don’t think none of us could handle another uproar in the community right now, especially with the murder still unsolved. We’ll have a real riot on our hands if one more thing goes wrong.
I haven’t really thought about the murder in a while. The woman who did it is still runnin’ around here somewhere among us, and I haven’t forgotten that, but nothin’ else has happened. Maybe she just lashed out. Maybe she had some unknown problem with that woman. I don’t know what problem two people could have with one another that’d constitute murder that we wouldn’t know about, but it’s possible, I guess. I hope the lady’s worked out whatever’s she was workin’ out before. I don’t want somebody else ta’ die and I quite frankly don’t think this community could handle it civilly if we did catch the woman in the act. I’m not sayin’ she should just be left alone and go unpunished, but nobody deserves the lynchin’ she’d get. They’d chew her up, spit her out, stomp on her, and then leave her fer the walkers, probably, or maybe they’d do somethin’ else. Whatever it would be though, it would be savage and it would be ugly… Gives me the chills just think’ about it.
***
Author's Note-
A few things:
1. ThEy DID tHe FRICkle fracKLE.
2. I want you all to imagine Rick and Michonne throwing boxes of condoms at each other and teasing each other like teenaged friends on the condom aisle in an abandonded pharmacy. You will laugh and/or smile, guarenteed.
3. THE NUMBER OF READS ON THIS STORY IS APPROACHING 3000 AND THERE IS 100+ VOTES. HOW UNBELIEVABLE IS THAT? I MEAN, THIS WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE SOME SELF-INDULGENT THING FOR ME THAT I POSTED ON HERE TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. FOR FUN.
But seriously, thank you thank you thank you sooo much for all of the reads and the votes and the comments. Each and every one means so much to me and I'm so glad that so many people enjoy reading this story and actually want to see it get updated and everything. I just had no idea it would get as big as it did though! I just wrote this because I was like "Hey Rick is hot and you've been told you're a half-decent writer, why not write some fanfiction and post it for fun you've got nothing to lose" and now here we are! I love ya'll soooooo much!!! *kisses all of your foreheads and gives you gold stars* *hands you each a Rick and gift certificate to somewhere close to you that sells heavenly baked goods* *whispers* Yay. Go be happy. ( ^-^)
- With so much love, Madison <3
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Scarlett (Rick Grimes/OC)
FanfictionScarlett Bradford, a twenty-three-year-old ex-nurse, roams what's left of the world alone. After a narrow brush with death in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, Scarlett has taken on a "never say die" mentality and spends her days trying to survive on he...
