This is just a bit of pointless fluff to give me a break from 'Comfort'... It's pretty self-explanatory, and is set about six months after 'First Kiss'. As always, reviews are always appreciated!
The house was a little dusty, but she'd changed the sheets and pillow cases on the king-sized bed in the master bedroom and laid out a new duvet. The air was pleasantly warm and the breeze carried the first hint of summer as it slipped through the house.
She and Daryl had claimed it now that the repairs were complete. It was too big for the two of them and Mika, but they both preferred each other's company over sharing a house with a few others.
She headed for the bedroom with the intention of curling up in the sun and patching the bundle of torn clothes she had in the hamper in the corner, but as she entered it became clear the room was already occupied.
Daryl was spread-eagled, face-down on top of the comforter, asleep in the afternoon sun. She paused for a moment before she kicked off her boots and crawled up the length of the bed beside him. He woke at the gentle movement she caused.
"Hi, sleeping beauty." She whispered.
He blinked blearily at her and gave her a sleepy quirk of the lips. "You got the afternoon off?" His voice was rough with sleep.
"I have a friend on the roster committee who gave us the same time off." She replied.
He snorted, knowing full well that she was the only member of the 'roster committee'.
"You know," She murmured, running her fingertips over his bicep. "I had plans for this afternoon."
"Yeah?" He asked lazily, shifting so he was propped up on his elbow, facing her.
"Uh huh." She said coyly. "Seeing as we both have the afternoon off…" She began drawing swirling patterns up his arm and down across his chest. He growled playfully and kissed her firmly. He'd just rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him, when the sound of hooves clattering across the courtyard interrupted them. Daryl groaned in defeat when someone hollered "Daryl! A little help!" and let Carol up after stealing another kiss.
"Jesus H!" He grumbled as he pulled his boots on.
Carol laughed at him. "Are you pouting?" She giggled.
"No." He pouted.
He sighed dramatically as she buttoned up the few buttons he'd managed to get undone on her shirt and climbed off the bed.
"Was that a horse?" She asked, pressing up against him in the doorway.
"Who cares?" He groused. "It's probably sorted by now," He said, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "We could jus' go back to bed."
She kissed him gently. "Go fix it." She said. "I'll be here when you get back."
He sighed again and stomped down the hallway, making her laugh at his put-on utter disappointment. She slipped back into the bedroom and flopped on the bed in the warm sunlight. She debated getting started on the mending for a moment, but the heat of the sun seeping through her clothes was making her sleepy, and eventually she dozed off, her face buried in Daryl's pillow.
Richard had been in the process of trimming the horse's hooves when a couple of children had come racing around the corner of the barn into the courtyard, laughing and squealing as they chased each other. The horse had jumped at the sudden appearance and Richard had lost his grip on its foreleg, dropping the trimmers with a clang into his box of farrier's tools. The box had toppled over and spilled rasps, horse shoes, and nails along with a host of other tools under the front feet of the nervous animal and it had pulled away from the hitching rail and taken off at a gallop across the courtyard, headed for its pasture. Almost everybody was out working on the wall construction, hurrying to finish the last section so that they could live without the fear of walkers. They had only been at the farm for six months, but the wall enclosed the many farmhouses, the barns and courtyard, and ten or so acres of pasture that housed the fifteen head of cattle and five horses that had somehow survived in their pastures in the years since the Turn.
The wall had been under construction every day, regardless of the weather, for five months. They'd built it from large river stones and cement mix, and it stood eight feet tall, wide enough to walk safely along the top of whilst carrying weapons. The final ten metres were under construction and would be complete within the next day.
Daryl had helped Richard corner the prancing, head-tossing horse despite his trepidation about getting too close to any flying hooves.
"Don't worry." Richard had said, wiping his nose. "He's playin' with us." Daryl wasn't convinced as the horse raced between them, bucking and snorting gleefully, but once the horse had finished running rings around them he stood still, snorting and blowing, whilst the two men closed in on him. Once Richard had a hold of its dangling lead rope, the horse snuffled his pockets for potential treats and followed him docilely back to the courtyard. Daryl snorted at the entire situation and headed back to their house, noting the smell of venison beginning to cook. He sped up, just a little.
As it turned out, there was no point in rushing back. Carol was flopped gracelessly across the bed, snoring lightly, fast asleep.
He chuckled to himself and kicked off his boots, nudging her gently until she moved over enough that he could lie down with her.
"Sorry." She mumbled into the pillow. "I don't think we have time now…"
"S'a'ight." He yawned as he settled down on his side. "Looks like y'needed a nap anyway."
She said something into the pillow that he couldn't make out and he placed his hand on the small of her back, running his palm up and down her spine.
"You mad?" She raised her head to look at him. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Yes." He deadpanned. "I'm furious."
She made a face and he snickered. Her hair was sticking up and there were faint lines across her cheeks and the ridge of her nose where the wrinkled pillowcase had left impressions in her skin. She squinted sleepily at him as the late-afternoon sun slanted into her eyes and he stroked her back.
"What's so funny?" She mumbled, smiling lazily.
"Nothin'," He laughed softly. "You're pretty, is all."
She scrunched her nose up. "I'm pretty sure I was drooling just then." She countered.
He poked her in the side. "Take the damn compliment." He groused.
"You need a haircut." She murmured, rolling from her stomach to her side and brushing his hair out of his eyes.
"Y'ain't too sure on this whole 'compliment' thing, are ya?" He teased. "Supposed to say somethin' nice back."
She poked him in the stomach. "You're not getting fat, yet." She teased.
He guffawed.
"You bring me food on a regular basis?" She carried on, beginning to giggle.
"Smartass." He laughed.
"You make me laugh," She wriggled closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And you're brave, and sweet…" She kissed him sweetly. "And you have fantastic arms…"
"Stop." He muttered, going a little pink.
"You're the one whining about compliments." She teased and snuggled closer.
He snickered and nuzzled into her hair. "We got time for a snooze before dinner?" He asked.
She mumbled something indecipherable against his chest.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." He muttered.
Yeah, unrepentant fluff and silliness! Hope you enjoyed it before the inevitable angst-fest that will explode across our screens come Monday night :/