Scarlett (Rick Grimes/OC)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 

The general mood a’ the prison’s whole population is this sort a’ distrusting worry. Everybody’s pretty much stayin’ around directly family and close, close friends only, warry a’ everyone and everything. Nobody trusts anybody anymore, and it’s makin’ things tense. People don’t want their kids around other people without them, people sleep with knives and pistols under their pillows, and everybody is definitely against Rick, Daryl, or any of the other prominent members leavin’ the safety a’ the fences whatsoever. Fer right now, Rick stressin’ that he and the others aren’t goin’ nowhere is enough ta’ soothe everybody, but I know that eventually, Rick is gonna have ta’ do somethin’ instead a’ just talkin’ like he is now. I don’t know what he can do, but the time will come. Michonne, Daryl, Hershel, the others- they know it and so does Rick. It’s stressin’ him out, poor thing. His hands are tied in the worst way at the worst possible time.

 After a few days, Rick let Carl and Judith move back into their own room again, so now we’ve got the whole thing to ourselves. It’s kinda nice, even though we haven’t fully taken advantage of it.

{~~~} 

My watch shift ends well after ten o’clock in the evenin’, and I sneak back ta’ my room, not really tired so much as I am ready ta’ just lay down by Rick. He waits up fer me sometimes, but most a’ the time, he’s so tired that he just passes out in bed, not that it offends me. He’s got a lot wearin’ on him lately. 

Rick is up when I tiptoe in the room. He’s readin’a book by the soft yellow light a’ the lantern on the nightstand, dressed fer bed. His face is clean the slight smell a’ soap hangs in the air: he showered. 

“Hi, darlin’,” he says as I close the door behind me and sat my things down. I smile at him and slide my coat off, happy that Rick is awake. I start strippin’ down, unashamed a’ myself, and exchange my real bra for a sports one. Rick watches me, but I don’t let him see nothin’ but my bare back.

“Your back’s pretty,” he says fondly as I start diggin’ fer clothes ta’ wear ta’ bed. I smile, but don’t look at Rick.

“Thank you,” I whisper back, blushin’. Ain’t nobody ever said I had a pretty back before.

I pluck a semi-clean old t-shirt from one a’ my drawers (I have drawers now.) and slip it over my head, not even botherin’ with pants. Between the blankets and the body heat, I’m warm enough, and I’m too lazy ta’ pick through my clothes more than I already have. I run a brush through my hair, but it in a braid, and then finally crawl up in bed beside Rick.

 “C’mere,” he murmurs, pullin’ me into his lap. I giggle like an imp and give Rick a kiss, hummin’ when I nuzzle my face into his neck and breath in the scent a soap and clean clothes.

“You smell good,” I mumble, kissin’ on his neck a little. Rick laughs a little and gives me a squeeze. 

“Thank you.” 

Silence falls over us, and fer a moment, we just sit there like that together. It’s nice, ‘cause ya’ can’t hear nothin’ but the crickets and the wind, and Rick is warm and solid and he smells so, so good. I almost start feelin’ kinda sleepy. 

“Were you wearin’ one a’ my shirts today?” Rick asks me. I nod into his neck. 

“Yeah. S’that bad?” I ask, lookin’ at him. Rick shakes his head, smiles, and gives me a quick kiss.

“Nah,” he says, “ya’ look too good in it fer it ta’ be a bad thing.” I giggle and bat his chest half-heartedly. 

“Alright, Casanova,” I scold jokin’ly. Rick just laughs and kisses my head, and we fall back into a short silence.