Michonne couldn’t keep the smile from off of her face as she quietly made her way into the bedroom, moving slowly to keep the small plate in her hands steady. The plate held a single chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting, a lit candle smooshed into the middle of it. It was the birthday boy’s favorite and what better way to celebrate than a little birthday surprise in bed.
He was right where she had left him earlier that morning- lightly snoring as he slept on his back with his arm thrown across his face to shield himself from the sunlight that poured in through the slightly parted white curtains. His body was bare of any clothing and the bedsheet was strewn across his lower half, the sunlight practically dancing off his glistening skin.
As she edged closer to the bed, she stepped over the clothing that she and Rick had hastily removed from each other’s bodies the night before, greedy and eager to feel their skin against each other for the first time in months. She wore his plain, white t-shirt now, the hem stopping just below her hips. It smelled of him and she would take a whiff every few minutes or so, hoping to memorize his scent and embed it in her memory before leaving for back home.
“Happy Birthday to you,” she sang softly as she sat on the bed beside him. He shuffled slightly at her voice.
“Happy Birthday to you,” she continued, the smile on her face growing even wider when he removed his arm and squinted up at her. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but that didn’t stop the smile from forming on his lips. “Happy Birthday dear Rick, happy birthday to you.”
She held the plate up, her smile as bright as the candle. “Make a wish.”
He chuckled as he sat up, his brown curls disheveled from their late night and early morning. “You really didn’t have to,” he said groggily.
“I know,” she shrugged. “But I wanted to. You deserve it. Now, make a wish.” She nodded at the candle. “Hurry or wax is gonna get all over your cupcake, which I woke up early to make, by the way,” she pointed out.
“I would rather have you in bed beside me,” he said suggestively, the grogginess in his voice causing her to consider it right then. But she held the plate towards him more, watching as he closed his eyes for a minute before finally blowing out the candle.
“What did you wish for?” she asked curiously.
“If I tell you, it won’t come true,” he winked, sliding his finger across the milky white frosting. He put it to his mouth for a taste.
“Oh, wait. You got a little something…” Michonne smirked as she set the plate down on the nightstand beside the bed. She leaned in closer to him, eyeing the small dab of frosting that was left on his bottom lip. “Let me clean that off for you.”
She pressed her lips to his, licking the sweet substance off of him before he pulled her down on the bed with him. She could barely contain her laughter as he explored her neck with his lips, his hands exploring her body as if they had not been well acquainted for six months already.
“How much time do we have?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes meeting hers.
The smile on her face falters and she reaches up to run a hand through his silky, brown curls. God, how much she would miss him. “Twenty-four hours,” she replied back sadly.
He nods, averting his eyes away from hers, but not before she could see the disappointment and sadness that had filled them.
He turns back to her, the corners of his perfect pink lips lifted into a small, optimistic smile. “Let’s make the best of it.”
They spent the remaining of their day in bed- talking, eating, singing along with the radio, making love and sleeping. Doing whatever they could to distract their minds of Michonne leaving the next day. They stuck close to each other, cuddling, to simply relish in the other’s presence.
They should have been used to this by now-the short visits and the goodbyes- but this particular visit was harder for Rick. Not only because she was leaving the day after his birthday, but because he had begun to feel something stronger for her that he was sure cause even more pain once she went away.
It took him long enough to realize it. Back when they first began seeing each other, love wasn’t originally part of the plan, as crazy as that seemed. It was supposed to only be a quick summer fling. But that summer fling turned into something more real, something that was worth fighting for- and he wanted to fight for this.
He just wasn’t sure if now was the time.
While she was asleep, he slipped outside to the back porch. The crickets chirped a melodic tune to the full moon the distance and a gentle breeze shifted the fall leaves across the yard.
He sat on the steps, staring up at the tiny dots of stars in the sky. He chuckled softly when he remembered Michonne on that camping trip months ago where they had first met and her astonishment with the nightly scene. She had never seen such a beautiful sight, she had remarked. They had stayed up all night staring at those stars, letting mother nature be their companion for the night.
“Hey, you,” a voice behind him said.
Michonne was beside him within seconds, a smile on her face as she threw a blanket across their legs. She cuddled up against him, sighing contently as he slipped an arm around her and pulled her into him.
“You should be in bed,” he whispered into her hair, closing his eyes as he took in the scent of her. They had precisely eight hours before her flight left.
“Can’t sleep without you there,” she said, glancing up at him. She rubbed her nose against his cheek. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just thinking,” he sighed. “I really enjoyed today.”
“Good. I’m glad you did.”
She glanced up at the sky and gasped in excitement as a bright light flashed across the sky. “Rick! A shooting star! Make a wish.”
He closed his eyes and gave the same wish that he had gave earlier that morning, praying and hoping that it would come true.
She playfully nudged him. “Mr. Grimes, you got two wishes in one day.” She rested her head on his shoulder, her brown eyes searching his. “Were they for the same thing?”
His lips parted slightly and he glanced up again at the stars in the sky. “Yeah. Yeah, they were.”
“Are you ever going to tell me what you asked for?”
He placed his lips on her for a gentle kiss, his fingers tracing her jaw as he pulled away. “You.”
written by: @cranesinthe-sky | ff.net: Cranesinthesky
