The Bet
A/N: This was my challenge to see if I could do a one shot in under 1000 words, failed. But I will keep trying. I hope you enjoy it though.
Friday nights at Dale's pub was always a scary mixture of regulars and some out of towners when it was hunting season. But on this particular night in June there weren't many out of towners around, but still it was always an adventure.
Carol Chambers and Maggie Greene thought they were used to it, but every week it was a surprise all over again, as if the week before didn't happen. As if they didn't live in east jabib Georgia where a Friday night brought out all of the colorful people in the area.
There were a lot of colorful people that lived right in their town too.
Carol was Dale's niece and he had raised her alone after both of her parents died when she was ten and came to live with him from Atlanta. She had grown up around this bar, eating dinner and doing homework in the back room while her uncle worked to keep the place a float. As she got older he started teaching her how to make drinks and the rest was history.
She grew up knowing all the customers by first name and went to school with most of their kids. This was small town America at its best, complete with a drive in movie and a soda shop.
She didn't mind it and she wasn't planning to go very far away when school was done.
Carol and Dale were each other's only family and they grew very close over the years. She would never leave while he was still alive and he wasn't going anywhere.
They lived above the bar in two separate apartments now. When Carol turned eighteen and the latest tenant moved out, Dale allowed her to move in to her own place. He was still right across the hall if she needed him and Shane the bouncer was on duty most nights until three am.
Shane rented the smaller apartment on the ground floor behind the bar and kept an eye on things too, almost too well.
There were a few regulars who looked out for her and Maggie too if any of the out of towners got grabby. Most of the guys around were ones that they grew up with and they could all be counted on both for defense and to do what they always did.
They were predictable as the sun rising and setting every day.
Glenn Rhee would come in and sit at the end of the bar to wait for Maggie to finish working because they were dating, he would arrive at seven and drink two beers then switch to water until last call. Rick Grimes would play pool in the back with the Dixon brothers, Axel Dillon and Oscar Mathews and they would bet for rounds of drinks.
One of them would ease off on the booze around nine and be designated driver for them if they all decided to get trashed.
They would all watch the bar from the sidelines and tip Shane off if there was trouble. It happened from time to time and each one of the regular guys there got into it with an out of towner over Maggie and Carol once or twice. A black eye was a small price to pay when you were defending a lady, and all of them we good men.
They were friends since grammar school and did not allow the girls to be treated like poorly by anyone.
Rick and Axel drank imported beer, Oscar drank rum and coke and the Dixon's drank Jameson. Merle drank it straight up and Daryl mixed it with coke. Predictable and like clockwork, as they drank Rick would start hugging everyone, Merle would kick everyone's ass at pool and Daryl would start hitting on Carol.
Tyreese Foley and Bob Stokey would play darts all night long and drink whatever was light on tap. Carol knew them all, what they drank and all their quirks and tics. She and Maggie had been bartending for ten years and slowly getting through college. There was no rush and they had good lives.
On Friday nights Rick always waited for Lori Watson to come in after her shift at the diner and then he would drive her home. Merle chased every new woman in a skirt and constantly tried to get his brother laid. Specifically, with Carol, but not exclusively and so far it was Merle's pipe dream and no one else's.
Merle was an equal opportunity ladies' man, but she and Daryl had known each other since fifth grade. She knew it was all a big joke, and Daryl needed no help getting laid and to her knowledge Merle rarely went home alone either, unless it was his choice.
There was a time in high school when she thought things with Daryl would go beyond flirting and teasing, but it never happened. There was no regret there on either part and they both went on to be with other people, the banter remained though, as always and it had been ten years exactly since graduation.
Many years of teasing and innuendo happened both at school and later in the bar between the two of them. Still, she stood by while he left with other women and he stood by through her on again off again thing with Shane.
The thing was currently off with Shane and would remain so, they were done for good this time. He lived on the bar grounds and they worked together and it was way too much. Shane didn't make waves because that's not what they did here. He didn't need an ass beating from any of the guys.
This was life in a small town, everyone knew each other and everyone knew who was doing what with who.
"Heads up Carol, Merle's coming for their first round." Maggie said to her as she wiped down the bar. "A shot of Jameson, a Heineken, a St. Pauli Girl, one rum and coke, two light beers on tap and a Jameson and coke."
Carol giggled as Merle walked up and Maggie already had started mixing the drinks and getting the beer bottles.
"Evening ladies, how's tricks." He said sitting down on a barstool and sliding a hundred-dollar bill over to Carol. "No change cookie."
"Thanks Merle, you're paying our way through school with all these tips." Maggie said as she placed the drinks on the bar for him.
Both she and Maggie would buy Merle drinks that night if he wanted them.
Maggie and Carol were both photography majors in school, with a minor in journalism. Their goal was to own a newspaper one day.
Merle's tips and all the other tips of the guys that came in helped both of them work towards that goal.
Carol came around to the other side of the bar and grabbed three of the drinks and Merle got the rest. When she wasn't busy she always helped people carry their drinks to the table or wherever they were going.
The place was small enough and the few tables were close enough, there also weren't any waitresses. Tara Chambler would be in soon to bartend too, and they all took turns pseudo waitressing. Dale and his protégée's Andrea and Amy worked in the kitchen making bar pies and burgers. Shane was at the door and that was the entire staff.
Rick and Daryl were chalking their cues, leaning against the pool table when Merle and Carol arrived and sat the drinks down on the raised table that was next to the pool table. Merle always bought her and Maggie a shot too, so he sat down Carol's tequila along with the other drinks he had.
"Lookin good Car." Daryl said from his spot next to Rick, giving her his award winning panty dropping smile. "When you gonna make me a happy man and take me up those stairs." He pointed to the back door of the bar where the stairs to her apartment were and Dale's.
She turned and smiled back at him. "Just so happens, Daryl that I'm done dicking around with you, try not to get too loaded tonight and I'll take you for a spin after last call."
Merle almost broke his neck turning around to see what the fuck hid brother was doing. He knew Daryl had two beers before they even left the house and clearly it turned him into a mouthy bastard.
Daryl grabbed Merle's shot glass and drank it in one shot, slamming the glass on the table. "You aren't serious."
"Hey, that's my drink." Merle said laughing, because this was the best entertainment he had seen in a while.
She grinned. "You won't know if you don't stay sober."
Merle watched them, there was an electric current in the air that sizzled low key when they were acting this way, but it never got like this before.
Cookie had thrown down for real with his brother and Daryl suddenly developed some alcohol courage. Merle could barely believe his eyes and this night was going to be interesting to say the least.
"Cheers Merle." Carol said going for her shot now.
"You make sure you stay sober Carol." Daryl said as she reached for her drink and threw her head back to take the shot. "You know, like when that asshole Eugene comes sniffing around wanting to buy you those martinis you like."
She sat her shot glass down. "They're dirty martinis Daryl, my favorite."
She turned to walk back to the bar but her trapped her against the column in between the two rooms. He had one hand on the column on either side of her shoulders.
"Why don't you let me take care of anything dirty you might be needing tonight." He whispered in her ear and his voice was hot as fire and deep as the ocean. She felt his breath on her neck and goosebumps erupted along her collar bone.
She didn't take her eyes away from his and she wouldn't back down, not this time.
She wasn't letting him have the last word. "Bring it." She purred back at him and brought her lips within inches of his, their eyes locked in in a trance.
"You won't." He said openly staring at her lips now.
"Wont I?" She said not letting her eyes leave his. "I will bet you your Harley, be at my back door after last call and for god's sake don't let my uncle see you."
"And if you back out? What do I get?" He teased, although this was far beyond any flirting they had done before.
She slid out from under his arms just as he was moving closer to kiss her and when she turned she saw Maggie and Tara staring at her with eyes as big as saucers.
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Rick turned to Merle and shrugged as if to say 'Did you see what just happened.' Merle nodded and watched as his brother's eyes followed Carol's ass back to the bar. It was ten pm and last call was at 1:45 am, this was going to be a long night.
Glenn came up behind Merle and said. "What was that all about."
"Got me swinging, kid. I thought we were here to play pool."
He sincerely hoped those two would just fuck and get it over with already. This messed up thing they had going on was getting annoying.
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Eugene Wallace and his two buddies Abe Ford and Milton Mamet came in around eleven thirty. They were old friends of hers from school too and they came in to play darts with Tyreese and Bob a few nights a week. Ty's girlfriend Karen and his sister Sasha were there by that time too sitting at the bar talking to Maggie.
No one was talking about what almost happened between Carol and Daryl earlier, but it was there in the room, like the proverbial elephant. Eugene waved to Carol as she watched them come in the door Tara shook up a drink next to her and then sat the Martini on the bar in front of Carol.
"That's from Daryl, he said Eugene isn't buying you any dirty Martini's tonight." Tara laughed and made a quirky face. "Whatever that means."
"It means I have a big mouth is what it means." She laughed.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to." Maggie chimed in from behind them.
"I wanna." Carol replied. She did want to sleep with him, there was something so attractive about him tonight and the fact that for the first time in a long time they were both single.
"Yeah we know." Tara said and even Sasha laughed at that.
"Maybe he was kidding." Carol said but she knew he wasn't kidding, he had bet his motorcycle on it and he had tried to kiss her. He hadn't tried anything like that since they were fifteen and playing spin the bottle.
It was on.
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"You're drunk." Carol said to Daryl in the hall way by the stairs that led to her apartment. Everyone had gone for the night, Shane was in his cave downstairs and Dale had gone to bed.
"I'm not I told you I was staying sober tonight." He grinned at her and reached for her in the darkness. He missed and ended up pinning her against the wall. "Oh, this is good." He whispered.
He settled against her and ran his hands up her arms as his lips ghosted along her neck and over to her lips.
They had never kissed before, except that one time and that was over in two seconds. This time wasn't fast at all. He slid one hand up to the back of her head to hold her in place and touched his lips to hers.
Carol had always wondered what it would be like to kiss him, he was gentle but his lips were firm. He also took control of it, sliding his tongue along her lips until she allowed him access. Her heart leapt into her throat as he glided his tongue against hers.
He was a good kisser, not too wet not too sloppy, he was just right.
He sucked on her lower lip and held it between his teeth briefly until she let out a little squeak. Then he smiled at her and put his forehead to hers.
"What? Not like we haven't kissed before." He said.
She laughed. "We were fourteen and you didn't stick your tongue in my mouth."
Daryl grinned. "That's true."
He kissed her again and she let out the little squeak again. He liked the sounds she made that he had never heard before.
Even though they had known each other so long, there were so many things they didn't know about each other yet.
"You want to go upstairs now." He said. "We can do a lot more kissing."
Carol nodded her head slowly trying to figure out why on earth she hadn't called his bluff years ago. But she knew the answer to that. Timing was the reason, she had been with Shane on and off and Daryl had been with whoever he had been with.
Now the timing had been spot on and they both had the balls to put words into action for once.
He kissed up her neck dragging his tongue over her skin that tasted so good. He just knew she would taste sweet and she did. He brought his tongue up to her ear and blew a hot breath into her ear as he whispered hotly. "I'll kiss you anywhere ya want me to."
Her whole body almost burst into flames at his words and she felt along the wall for his hand, once she got his hand she was pulling him up the stairs and into her apartment.
Her apartment was a small studio sized place with everything in one room and a small bathroom at the far back of it. The walls were painted lavender and the bedspread and curtains were also a lighter purple.
There was a lot of purple in her room.
"Guess you like purple." He said as they both kicked off their shoes and he draped his leather jacket over the kitchen chair. He was right back to her as if he couldn't bear to be not touching her now that he was allowed to.
"You know that." She replied and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Was kidding you." He kissed her again, this time pulling her close with his hands on her ass. It was a different kiss than before on the stairs. This one was more demanding and filled with the promise of so much more to come. She could feel him against her abdomen hard as stone.
Carol wanted that and told him so as her hand came down between them and over the bulge in his pants.
She never wanted anyone the way she wanted him right now. She pulled him towards the bed, not caring how eager it made her seem. She held both his hands, so that there was no mistaking her intentions.
"You sure Carol." He asked as she sat down on the bed and pulled him down next to her.
"Are you?" She asked and he kissed her again maneuvering so that they were laying down and he was half on top of her.
He nodded and touched her stomach gently bringing his hands up towards her breast. "Yup. I'm sure are you?"
His fingers slid over the lace of her bra and reached her nipple and she arched her back. "Yes, yes I'm sure." She sucked in a breath and he grinned a wicked grin.
"You like that sweetheart." He crooned into her ear not stopping what he was doing and kissing her sweetly."
"Jesus Daryl." She squirmed around on the bed. "Should we talk about anything."
"Clean." He kissed down her neck. "Get tested every three months. Always use condoms."
Then his lips were down her neck over her other breast and she almost levitated off the bed. She let out a moan from deep in her chest and tried to find the word to talk.
"Me too." She sucked in her breath as he swirled his tongue around her nipple. "Blood tests and condoms. Oh my god…"
She sat up and pulled her shirt over her head and unhooked her bra. Then she started unbuttoning her pants and looking down at him.
"Come on, let's go." She reached down to his pants and ran her finger over the bulge there and unbuttoned his pants.
She pulled her jeans off and was just in her underwear, he had seen her in a bathing suit before but this was different. This was so different and all because of a bet.
He would have bet her years ago if this had been the outcome.
"You are overdressed for this party Dixon." She pulled at his shirt up and over his head. "Now strip."
Carol unzipped his pants and pulled them down as he rose up on his elbows watching her. She was amazing and so free with him. There was none of that first time awkwardness between them. He felt nothing but anticipation and longing, and no nervousness at all.
The window was behind her and the moonlight was shining in and making her hair shimmer and he realized he could look at her for the rest of his life.
He already had been looking at her for years. "You're beautiful."
He sat up next to her holding himself up with one hand and looking at her with different eyes now.
"You don't have to say that." She started to shake her head.
He reached over to her and touched her hair, pushing it behind her ear. "Its true, and I'm not just saying that, you do know me right?"
She knew him, he was frank and straight to the point, and he never lied, that's how all the Dixon's were and everyone knew that.
He leaned over and kissed her again, slowly getting her laying back down on the bed, so that he was next to her and he ran his hands over her body. She was soft and perfect in his hands.
"You tell me, what feels good. Anything you want and anything you don't want, just tell me." He said to her and she nodded.
"You too." She murmured. "Just tell me what you want."
He brought his hand back through her hair and over her lips, followed by his own lips. To her neck and down always his hand and fingers first, followed but his lips.
"This ok?" He hummed softly against her neck as his hand swept over her breast again.
She nodded and he kept going, paying attention to every sound and sigh she made. He committed every movement she made to memory, watched what made her breath catch in her throat.
"Good?" He asked.
"Yes, so good." She reached her hand down into his hair and wound her fingers through it. She couldn't help pulling it a little and he groaned out loud.
He liked having his hair pulled.
"Oh sorry." She said as he continued kissing her breasts and going lower towards her stomach.
"I like it, feels good." He groaned, kissing and licking her stomach. Then he looked up at her. "Can I?"
He brought his fingers down along the apex of her thighs and lower as she nodded. She felt his fingers against her skin and knew he was following that with his lips eventually but god, this felt so incredible.
Carol felt herself start to tremble at the way he was touching her, he was gentle and slow and she kept her hands in his hair the whole time. He groaned as she ran her fingers around his scalp and massaged his head.
She wanted to make him feel as good as he was making her feel.
Daryl could not believe how responsive she was to him. Her skin was hot, like she had a fever and she was so wet. He slid his fingers along her folds and one inside of her. Her legs hit the side of the bed as she totally let herself go and he smiled to himself against her thigh.
Then he ran his teeth along her inner thigh and licked where his teeth had just been. She tightened the grip she had on his hair.
"Oh my God, Daryl." She said holding his hair and trying to make him groan the way that he was doing to her.
"Yeah, you should probably hang on." He said and they he set out to attacking her pussy with his lips and tongue.
A woman can tell if their lover was into what they were doing or not. Carol knew men that went down on you so you would return the favor, and men that just didn't like to do it. Most just did it because a woman wanted it, but she was sure he was doing it because it made him feel good.
She had let go of his hair because her body was rushing towards sweet oblivion and he was still groaning the way he did when she pulled his hair.
He liked doing this to her and between his fingers and his tongue she already felt the fire burning in her stomach. She had never been ready to come so fast before and she felt the rush of endorphins flowing through her body like a tidal wave.
"I need…I need to." She cried moving her head back and forth and grinding herself into his face. This was not how she usually acted, but she was too far gone to think about it now.
"Let it go sweetheart. Come on." He whispered and brought himself up to her face giving her the hottest, obscenest kiss she had ever had while still rubbing his fingers against her until she came screaming his name.
He was sure his dick was going to explode listening to her and tasting her. He was aching from the need he felt for her, it was overwhelming and more powerful than anything he ever felt before.
This wasn't going to be a casual fuck and they both knew that was why it never happened before.
Daryl barely had time to catch his breath from all the thoughts he was having before she was rolling him over on his back and climbing on top of him.
"Ready?" She said.
He nodded. "Ready."
She slid down onto his dick with a thud and a gasp and he felt like the wind was knocked out of him in the best way possible.
"Oh fuck me!" He moaned as he reached for her hips but she grabbed his hands and pulled them over his head. She held his hands down over his head and leaned down to kiss him, teasing him because he couldn't touch her.
"I'm going to." She grinned down at him and moved her hips around in a delicious circle that made his eyes roll back to his head. She was so hot and wet around him and he thought for sure he had died and gone to heaven. "You glad we made that bet Daryl."
He nodded, not really able to speak at the moment. He could barely croak out a breathless 'Yes.'
She still held his hands down which equally frustrated and turned him on and he knew he wasn't going to be able to hang on for long.
"You want your hands back." She said kissing him as he bucked his hips up against her and she met him thrust for thrust.
He shook his head. "No." His voice barely an audible whisper. "I fuckin love it."
She grinned down at him with her hair framing her face and he tried reaching up for a kiss with his head. He still couldn't get enough of kissing her and he knew it would never be enough now. He wanted it so desperately and she was hovering just out of his reach.
"Kiss me… Carol." He pleaded as she leaned down to him and kissed him sweet and soft all the while moving her hips faster and faster until he broke apart under her. "I'm gonna, oh fuck me, fuck me."
She pressed down against him and held his hands and kissed him as everything went white behind his eyes, it the overpowering orgasm of his life.
She let go of his hands and he pulled her down close to him.
"I always wondered what it would be like." He said against her shoulder. "How you would feel."
She sighed softly. "Me too."
"Now we know." He said.
"That it's mind blowing." She whispered softly.
"I'm just going to say this alright?" He rolled her over so that they were facing each other. "We've always been able to say anything to each other, so I'm not holding back now."
She nodded, curious about what was on his mind. You never knew with Daryl; he could be telling her he was going home to forget it happened or he could be telling her he was in love with her.
Either way she wasn't sorry.
"I have been thinking about it." He said. "For a long time you and me, and I want to take you out on a real date."
She smiled. "Ok, but you should know I don't put out on the first date."
He laughed a loud, jovial laugh and she did too and there was no sound in the dark room except for their laughter. There was no light except for the moon coming through the window, they hadn't turned the lights on when they got there before.
"It's a yes, then?" He kissed her forehead.
She nodded. "I always liked you, and I like you even more now. And I like you best naked."
Daryl smiled in the dark, she had always given him a run for his money for as long as he had known her and now he couldn't wait to see what was next for them.
He never was a betting man, and he hoped his Harley would forgive him this once because he had needed this bet. There was no other woman that was worth putting his motorcycle on the line except for her and he had known that all his life.