After Daryl had told her that everyone back home was okay Carol heated up some stew and they sat down for dinner. Carol didn't eat though. She just sat at the table and looked at him, a smile playing at the corner of her lips, shaking her head in disbelief. While he ate, she supported her face with her hand and couldn't take her eyes off him. She couldn't believe he was really here, that he found her and sat right next to her on her table, eating her food. She had missed him most of all.
He ate in silence, glancing at her through his long hair once in a while. She told him about the kingdom, about Ezekiel and Shiva. He didn't push her, didn't ask why she left them. Him. And Carol was not ready to tell him. Not yet.
"I need to go back to find the others. I can't just be here, doing nothing." He told her after a while. Carol nodded. She knew him. Daryl was always busy, always doing something.
After he finished his stew he got up and walked towards the door, opened it and walked into the dark night. Carol stepped outside the door, hesitant, not sure how to say goodbye to him, not knowing when she would see him again. Daryl stopped, he fidgeted and turned around. With two steps he was with her and pulled her into an embrace. Daryl pressed his nose into her shoulder and breathed her in. He had missed her so much. Not knowing where she was, if she was even alive, had driven him insane.
Carol hugged him tight. Fighting back the tears that were building she closed her eyes and tried to memorize every detail of how Daryl Dixon felt in her arms, his strong muscular body against hers and his typical musky scent. She grabbed his long hair and tried to get as close as possible, tried to make the moment last. He was the first to break away from the embrace. He looked at her and said "Watch out for yourself, alright?" She nodded, not knowing what to say. All Carol wanted was asking him to stay but she knew she couldn't ask that of him. And then he was gone into the darkness and she just stood there, unsure of what to do now. She hesitated, wanted to go after him. But she went back into the cottage and closed the door, trying to convince herself that the others needed him more than she did.
As soon as Daryl rounded the corner of the cottage he suddenly came to a stop. He stood there for a while, fidgeting, not sure of what to do. He weighed his options and turned around to go back to the cottage. "I have to do it before hell breaks loose" he thought to himself. The hunter took a deep breath and once more knocked on the door of the small cottage.
Carol had just started to clean the dishes off the table as she heard the knock on the door. She grabbed her knife and slowly opened the door. She was surprised but also relieved that she saw Daryl standing there. "Daryl, what are you…" but he interrupted her. "Carol, there's something ya need to know, something I need to do. Before it's too late." He tried hard to look her in the eyes although they were his favorite part about her. Now and then his eyes drifted to the ground before his feet, he was nervous. "Too late for what?" Carol asked. "Promise me you won't be mad, okay?" "I don't understand…" "Please, just promise okay?" He sounded desperate. Carol put her hand on his forearm, trying to calm him down. "Okay. I promise." She looked at him expectantly, not sure what this was all about.
"Close your eyes." He whispered. Carol looked at him. He was the only person whom she trusted completely so she did as she was asked. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Daryl looked at her, really looked at her. Studied her features, all the lines and the little freckles he liked so much. She was beautiful. The hunter took a step forward, his face now inches from hers. He lifted his hand and brushed a silver lock behind her ear with a shaky hand.
Daryl took all the courage he could find, leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. As soon as their lips touched a spark of emotion shot through him. Her lips were warm and soft and better than all of his dreams. Carol gasped slightly when she felt his mouth on hers. It took a moment to process that Daryl Dixon was actually kissing her but when she registered how perfect and warm his lips were she melted in to him, her hands winding around his neck, holding on to him.
He couldn't believe she was kissing him back. As he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, his hands grabbed her small waist and held her tight. Carol opened up to him and their tongues met in an eager fight for control. The kiss that started soft was now full of all the emotions they held back for so long.
Kissing him felt like the most exciting but also the most normal thing in the world, like they've been doing this for years. It felt perfect, it felt right and Carol melted into him even further, grabbing his hair, never wanting this moment to stop. She had loved him for so long.
When the need for air eventually drew them apart, they slowly opened their eyes and looked at each other, blue on blue. Daryl saw tears shining in Carol's eyes and she smiled at him. He had missed that smile so much. He swiped one tear away with his thumb and pulled her close, breathing her in. "You okay?" he whispered into her hair. "Yes. Now I'm okay." She smiled into his chest.
"I have to go back to fight with Rick and the others but when this is all over, I'll come back for you and we'll go wherever you wanna be, okay? Here, Alexandria, I don't care. I just wanna be with you."
"Okay", Carol whispered and pulled him in for another kiss, not yet ready to let him go.