a/n: queenofwands78 on tumblr requested a first kiss the other day, and i got hella into it omg. sorry this is so much longer than usual!
Jesus was a lot of things, but subtle was not one of them. Yes, he could be as sly and as slippery as a fox from any children's fable, but it was part of a switch he flipped if - and when - he wanted, not the other way around.
When Daryl first met the man, the switch was on and he made no wrong turn as he flirted his way into deals and swindled discounts from the unsuspecting workers who had the pleasure of his company - later, those would be Jesus's own words.
He made his rounds around the garage, smiling and laughing at all the right times to guarantee the best (and cheapest) results, but at Daryl he faltered. Whether it was because he sensed flattery would get him nowhere or it was the look of murder on Daryl's face, Daryl wasn't sure (though, Jesus would later swear it was how great he looked covered in grease and soot smeared across his face).
"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?" he asked, his tone genuine and curious, his eyes studious against Daryl's face.
But Daryl didn't answer. He narrowed his eyes at the strange man and ducked back underneath his car, pretending he couldn't hear what Jesus was still saying.
"If the name on that badge is correct, then your name is Daryl, right? I'm Paul Rovia. I've never been to this shop myself, but I came after hearing quite a high recommendation, if I do say so myself."
Daryl didn't have to look at him to know he was all smiles and charm, and he scoffed from underneath the car. "Ain't no one'd give this place praise," he shot back at the man.
"No?" Paul countered. "Well, I'd definitely give someone praise, then."
"Nothin' you say's gonna make this go any faster," Daryl told him, and for half a second he thought he actually heard him begin walking away, the footsteps receding, before suddenly the light by his head cut off. He turned underneath the car to see the disturbance, and saw the man crouching low, a smile settled comfortably on his lips.
"For fuck's sake-" Daryl cursed, sliding out from underneath the car and facing Paul over the roof. "I ain't playin' no goddamn games with you, so either get out of my shit or find someone else to fix your shitty car."
Daryl thought that was the end of it. The smirk on Paul's face didn't lessen but he nodded and walked back toward the front of the building, making pleasant conversation with Aaron and his husband who'd stopped by for lunch. Daryl shook his head and returned underneath the car, determined to get it fixed and him out as quickly as possible.
So when he finally finished - almost two hours later - and came back to the front to find him and tell him that he was done, he frowned at his sleeping figure.
Aaron spoke from the front desk: "He told me he lived in DC growing up but wanted to get out, and he's been gone for a few years. He was on his way back before his car died on him."
Daryl nodded shortly. "Yeah, it's fallin' to pieces. Got it working now."
Aaron nodded. "He's been living in it and just driving around, he says. I didn't ask why he wanted to leave in the first place but he says he's dreading going back. He started falling asleep and I wasn't about to tell him no."
Rolling his eyes, Daryl looked at his watch. He shook his head. "I gotta meet Rick - I'm watchin' Judith and Carl tonight."
Suddenly, Paul stirred. Leaning forward, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked blankly at Aaron and Daryl before offering them a self-deprecating smile. "I'm sorry, you guys," he said, and Daryl was surprised to hear the lack of bravado in his voice. "Is everything done? Here, let me just-"
As he fumbled around his pockets for his wallet, Aaron waved his hand. "No, I've got you covered."
Daryl watched Paul's face fall blank before he shook his head. He pulled out his wallet anyway. "No, I need to pay you, seriously-"
It was such a startling contrast to the man Daryl met with cockiness oozing out of every pore that he forgot to narrow his eyes suspiciously at him. Paul met his eyes for only a second before ducking his gaze.
"When you're living on the road for so long, you stop caring about people and start doing whatever you can to get things fast and cheap," he admitted, "but I… like you guys. And I actually want to pay you back and in full, so let me, okay?"
Aaron met Daryl's eyes sadly and before anyone could say anything else he offered, "Come stay with me tonight. My husband and I've got a room and we always cook too much dinner for just the two of us. Let us help you get back on your feet."
Just before they left, as Daryl was pulling on his jacket and stepping onto his motorcycle, Paul walked towards him and smiled. "Thank you for helping even though I was kind of a bitch," he said, leaning in to kiss Daryl's cheek.
He walked away, side by side with Aaron who snickered under his breath, and Daryl made a mental note to figure out exactly what they discussed about him while he worked on the car.
a/n: friendly reminder that i've got a request page on my tumblr now (user thatsmygvn) so if you're interested, check it out!