Hi everybody! I've been neglecting this site a bit in favour of ninelives (a whole website dedicated to Caryl? Yes please!)

Anyhow, this is still in the 'The Farm' arc, set after 'The Bookstore' but well before 'Flower Crowns'

Enjoy!

The first time he kissed her, she was covered in dust and bits of hay. She had been busy taking the stale hay out of a few stalls so that everybody had somewhere to sleep whilst Tyreese and some of the members of the other group frantically tried to winter-proof the houses that had been claimed before the winter began. They'd been on the farm for almost a month now, and most people had taken up residence in the many buildings scattered around that had housed farm-hands before the turn. She had gotten coated in the fine grit that rose in clouds from the musty hay as she raked it into piles to be carried to the last stall in the row.

He, on the other hand, had walker guts splattered on his forearms after taking watch, guarding them from the odd walker that strayed far enough from civilization to wind up at the farm.

She had her back to him as he approached, washing her hands and arms as well as she could under the tentative efforts of the hand-pump in the yard.

"Nice." He snickered.

She spun to face him. "What?"

"Y'got handprints on your ass. Who you been rolling in the hay with, hm?"

She snickered back at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He stepped up beside her, joining her in scrubbing his hands under the water. He chuckled at her teasing.

"I was in there by myself, just for the record." She offered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She scrunched up her nose at him as she giggled. He forehead came down to rest on his shoulder for a moment while she laughed at him, her cheeks a little pink. "I guess I deserved that… I've been giving you grief for a long time now."

He shrugged, paused a moment. "I kinda like it." He mumbled. "S'nice bein' able t'joke around."

She shifted from where their shoulders were pressed together around to the opposite side of the pump, reaching for the rag she'd brought to dry off with. She held it under the stream and began dabbing at her face, trying to budge the fine dust that had settled in her pores throughout the day. The scrap of fabric came away filthy and the water ran grey from it while she rinsed it.

She repeated the motions a couple of times before catching his eye. He realised he'd been watching her and had at some point stopped scrubbing walker muck from himself. When she reached for him with the damp cloth, he jerked back in surprise until her other hand came up to cradle his jaw, cold from the chilly water. The cloth pressed to his cheek, wiping dried flecks of black blood away.

"Come here." She murmured, tugging gently at his face with her palms. He leaned in obligingly, but he tried to take the cloth to do it himself.

"I can do it." He rumbled, his voice embarrassingly husky. He cleared his throat. "C'mon, give it here."

"I've got it." She replied. His eyelids fluttered shut and he let her wipe his face clean. "Busy out there, huh?"

"Just a few of 'em, the wall's almost done though. Ain't gonna bother us any."

"I take it we're sharing a stall, then?" He huffed as his cheeks heated up at the laughter in her voice.

He shrugged one shoulder, eyes still shut as she wiped over his forehead. "Alright with you?" She didn't answer, just kept gently wiping his skin clean. "Sleep better with you there… Carol?" He opened his eyes.

Her face was closer than he expected. She rested her forearms on his shoulders and leaned back a little.

"Me too," She smiled softly. "I wasn't sure if I could say it though. Didn't want to scare you off." She teased.

He stepped into the damp patch where the water from the pump had overflowed the bucket below the spigot and placed his hands around her waist. She crossed her wrists behind his neck as he moved closer.

"Y'ain't that scary." He teased back. She grinned up at him, the sunlight streaming over his shoulder making her squint a little as it illuminated her face. "Actually," he offered, rubbing her waist with his thumb, "you're beautiful." His voice crackled nervously. May as well, he thought, and ducked down, pressing his lips to hers.

There was a beat where he thought he'd misjudged her horribly. That her tendency to snuggle into him in his bed at night was formed on a practical basis, and she was too polite to tell him off when he did the same to her. He worried that her teasing and playful flirting was just her way of being friendly.

He was starting to pull back in a panic, when her arms tightened just a touch on the back of his neck.

She kissed him back.

I know it's short but hopefully you liked it!

Thanks to MyName'sBooDixon who sent me a PM and reminded me I had stories to post!

Any and all responses are appreciated, be it constructive criticism or just a couple of words!

Thank for reading, and have a wonderful day/night/whatever!