The whole cast wants a piece of the action and I have got to say, my Dale muses are kind of wicked. I think I like them….
Just Offering, by MissMishka
DISCLAIMER: The usual warnings, I claim no ownership of these characters, they are simply borrowed with love and adoration from the original creators to have their stories embellished on a little more than the show may do. Not for any profit.
Dale looks up as T-Dog climbs up the ladder to join him on the roof of the RV. Knowing it was more that the younger man just needed a place to be than wanting to help keep watch, Dale just gives his friend a nod of greeting. The nod he gets in return is terse and the older man frowns with concern at the tenseness in that big body.
Before he can ask what was wrong, he hears it.
The thumps below them of two bodies rolling off the bed and hitting the camper's floor…again, followed by twin bursts of laughter, one awkward, the other a rowdy shout of encouragement. He can easily picture Glenn's red face as the kid realizes there was no way the whole camp wasn't hearing them…again. Maggie's laugh was cut off and Dale didn't let his thoughts wonder to how Glenn was silencing her.
Despite the man's angry air, he knew T-Dog didn't begrudge the pair of their enjoyment of the flesh. In times such as these, people needed people. The Grimes' had been reunited, but Dale doubted there was much enjoyment of the flesh being found in that tent. The group elder didn't even want to think of Andrea off with Shane and instead found comfort in knowing that Carol did not sleep in the darkness alone as he contemplated the pairings in their group.
Daryl was remarkably discreet about it, which surprised Dale more than the match, the redneck slipping into the grieving mother's shelter only after the others went to sleep and exiting with the rising sun. If he hadn't seen it happen each night for the past week, Dale would never have believed they were together. There was never a telltale noise or rustle from within that tent to betray what happened on those nights, but having known the contentment of a good woman's loving, the old man knew that it Mr. Dixon was finding some in that small space with Carol. He knew, though, that none in the group would hear any intimate details from the gruff woodsman and his admiration for Daryl grew daily.
T-Dog's restless shifting on the roof as he searched out a cigarette drew Dale from those particular musings. There was a frustration in being one of the only ones without any possible partner to find relief with, he knew, and while Dale was old enough not to be bothered, the black man was young and robust.
There was only so much comfort to be found in your own hand.
A now familiar moan followed quickly by grunts of completion from below them earned a dark eyed glare from the black man, who mumbled angry and incoherent while lighting his cigarette. As his friend settled down to smoke, Dale didn't miss the hand that adjusted the front of the young man's pants as he tried to find a comfortable position for his not so little problem. This was the fourth night in a row that some variation of this scene had played out and Dale thought it only his duty as a brother in arms to finally make the offer.
"You know," he began without any bashfulness, given his age and experiences in this world, "I could help you with that."
His more serious musings of a moment before were replaced with genuine amusement as he watched the unintended consequences of his, he thought, generous invitation.
The big guy's body froze in mid-inhalation of smoke as his dark eyes widened in disbelief at what his ears had heard. The burn in his lungs set the man to convulsing with coughs to expel the acrid vapors after a minute of complete stillness and T-Dog quickly snuffed out the cigarette while getting a hold of himself. He turned his head to look at Dale in shock, clearly questioning whether he had heard what he'd heard.
"Just a helping hand, if nothing else," Dale said helpfully to confirm that there was nothing wrong with the young man's ears, knowing the words only added to the growing panic in those dark eyes. His friend continued to sit unmoving, jaw going slack as he stared at the old man, who smiled with the amusement he suddenly felt and allowed his gaze to drop to T-Dog's lap.
That got the big body moving.
"No…" T-Dog said slowly, rising with caution and beginning to creep toward the ladder. "No, man. I'm good."
Dale bit back a laugh as the other man barely managed to catch himself from a backward tumble to the ground when his sneakers caught on the lip of the roof.
"Just thought I'd offer," he called out, laughing openly after his fleeing friend.
That should change the script for tomorrow, he thought, oddly pleased with himself, all things considered.