Sunday night, a week after the series finale, and I am missing my merry little band of prison survivors. Especially one very handsome hunter. This was my coping mechanism.
The title and summary is a Delta Rae song- if you have not listened to them go do so right after you read this. Their music will fill up your soul.
In a country house with the windows lit by burning wicks
And the walls held up by wood and bricks and ghosts that wander through
An old man died, but the help won't come till Monday next
And he's gone to meet the architects of the only world he knew
And he's lonesome
And the family mourned, at the wake he lay in front of them
Just as silent as he'd ever been to any young child's eyes
And by buried skin, they shed their laughter and their tears
The pain of all those early years where innocence had died
But now they're lonesome
Memorials that we may build
They won't the holes forever fill
There is a deep and aching chill
That settles in our bones
'Cause we're lonesome
Did you ever love somebody?
Did you ever lose someone?
'Cause we're lonesome
In a country house with the windows all lit up - Country House by Delta Rae
Kate nervously peered out the window. It was getting dark. Stormy clouds were rolling in over the Northern Georgia Mountains, covering the late afternoon sun.
She pulled her sleeve over her fist and smudged away some of the dirt that had built up on the glass. They had left before sunrise, promising to be back before dark. It would be daylight for a few more hours, but they hadn't anticipated this storm. The unpredictable late fall weather had a way of throwing kinks into the best-laid plans.
Worrying on her bottom lip, she looked around for something to keep her occupied while she waited. The card game the three of them had been playing last night was still laid out on the camping table in the crowded kitchen. She had been winning, and planned on kicking their asses even more tonight. Moving to the wood stove, she stoked the low burning fire before glancing out the window again.
Big, fat raindrops began to ping against the glass.
They would be hungry when they got back. She moved back to the woodstove and checked the meager stew that simmered in the dented pot on top. The last of their venison, and some random canned goods the brothers had picked up on their last run. Stirring the goop slowly, she kept her eyes focused outside and searched through the raindrops for any sign of movement.
A huge sigh of relief slipped past Kate's lips when Daryl's lean form crested over the hill and came into view through the small window above the sink of the Dixon's hunting cabin. She hadn't even realized that she had been holding her breath until now. Silently, she watched and waited, looking for Merle who should be bringing up the rear.
The unsavory brothers had been her angels for the past 3 months.
Three months that seemed like a lifetime.
It had been one hell of a ride before they crossed paths.
Seeing Daryl set the fire inside her off again. Damn. She was insatiable. She blamed the pregnancy. The hormones. God, she missed Justin. Her late husband's absence burned a hole clear through her heart everyday. Despite the ache, the attraction to Daryl still beat steady.
She tried to understand it. He kept her safe and oozed testosterone. He was handsome. Not like Justin, who was sweet faced and clean-shaven, but more rugged and unconventional. His body was built for survival and fighting. While Justin had loved the outdoors, he owned the lean, sleek form of a long distance runner. Her husband would never have been strong enough to chop wood and take down the geeks like Daryl did with such ease.
Grieving her husband and being attracted to another man. It didn't make sense, no matter how much she tried to reason it out. Yet, when Daryl was around her stomach clenched and her skin ached for his touch.
A touch that she would never, ever receive. She had never met such a skittish guy in her life. Merle, on the other hand, had no problem offering himself to her on a silver platter.
"Hey sweetheart, I'm bored as hell. Meet me in the bedroom. Let's kill some time."
"Kate! I'm horny! Come help me out!"
"Hey honey. How come we ain't fucking like rabbits, yet?"
She had no idea how many times she had told him no. It didn't matter how horny her hormones made her she never would get in bed with Merle Dixon. Soon enough Merle's come-on's became a joke between the two of them. He would think of the most perverted way to suggest a roll in the hay and Kate would pretend that the offer enticed her, leading him on before shutting him down with another rejection.
It helped to pass the time. It was sometimes amusing. But, the innuendos combined with the most intense hormones she had ever felt sent her mind to places that only made her ache for Daryl more.
The quieter brother always chuckled a bit at their game. Other times, when Merle was particularly over the line, she would catch him shooting his brother a dirty look. He never joined in though and kept an incredibly safe distance.
Her period had stopped as soon as shit went down. First she had suspected that it was stress. Loss. Fear. Malnutrition. She had thought of every conceivable reason that her like clock work monthly visitor had stopped coming.
She didn't want to consider the alternative reason. The most likely reason.
While they were out on a run, she had managed to slip a pregnancy test into her loot. Then mustered up the courage days later to actually take it.
It had been the most awkward conversation she had ever had.
So- uh- guys? Remember when you found me holed up in your hunting cabin and I told you that I just had to put my husband down? Hey, so turns out he knocked me up before he got bit. Lucky me.
As soon as she told them they made her stay in the house. For months she had been fighting by their side. Now, she was cooped up. The overprotective brothers never let her do a damn thing anymore. Merle especially. It was all about traditional gender roles with that guy.
"Katie, sweetheart. You're real good at cooking and other wife shit. Stick to that. Daryl and I will handle the geeks."
It pissed her off. But, she was starting to love the brothers anyway. They cared. In their own special way.
There was something in the way Daryl was walking. Heavy and weighted down, as if he was carrying a burden. Not the light, cautious steps that she was accustomed to seeing him take. His broad shoulders slumped, raining pelting down over him.
He was almost to the house now. With no sign of Merle. Daryl would never come back without Merle. Unless….
Kate's stomach clenched.
Shit. No.
She hurried to the door. Fumbling with the locks and barriers, she threw it open for him. The rain was practically coming down in sheets now, but Daryl didn't seem to be in any hurry to get inside.
He didn't acknowledge her when he crossed the threshold. Stalking in, he by passed dinner and went straight for the bedroom, briefly pausing to throw a string of squirrels on the table, disrupting their card game. He didn't bat an eye and firmly closed the door behind him.
Kate glanced back out into the rain.
Still no sign of Merle.
She let her mind wander to the unthinkable. Dixon's weren't supposed to succumb to those things. Dixon's were unstoppable.
But, Daryl's stormy silence could only mean one thing.
Hot, angry tears pricked at her eyes. Another problem with hormones. She had never been a crier. Kate wiped tears from her eyes and tentatively knocked on the only interior door. "Daryl?"
Silence.
She knocked again.
"Leave me be!" Daryl growled through the closed door.
Feeling defeated, Kate moved away and collapsed onto the sagging, brown couch on the other side of the main living area. She covered her mouth and let silent tears flow.
For Merle. For Justin. For everything the dead had taken from them.
Daryl took in a shaky breath, feeling guilty. It didn't matter that he had just had to put a knife through his brother's skull. He shouldn't have snapped at her. Kate was all he had left now.
He didn't understand why this girl needed him. Hell, why did she even trust him in the first place? Girls never liked him before this shit went down.
He had been an observer all his life. He might be a redneck, but he wasn't stupid. Kate felt something for him. She watched him with trusting, caring, needing eyes. Just his luck. It took a damn apocalypse for a woman to even glance in his direction. It fit, though. Nothing good ever happened to him.
The worst part of it all? He hated admitting that he felt something for her too.
Her pretty, round face surrounded by wild strawberry blonde curls and those muddy green eyes that saw him for who he was. It drove him nuts. His heart hungered for her. Stopping when she moved. Beating wildly when she was near him. His need for her had set up camp and seemed to be making a permanent home.
But, the girl was carrying her dead husband's baby. And baggage. She was carrying baggage like no one's business.
When Daryl exited the bedroom, Kate was still on the old couch. Her eyes puffy and rimmed in red. He rarely saw her cry. Only a few times right after her husband had passed and he and Merle had found her hiding out in their cabin. She was strong. A fighter. Only cried in her weakest moments.
She stood when she saw him; the little bit of extra weight was starting to make it difficult for her to lift up off the couch. For a moment he wondered if he should help her.
"Daryl." She whispered tentatively. "I- I'm-"
He shook his head. He didn't want her pity.
She wiped away another tear. She knew what it was like. Pure, torturous hell that made you wish you were the one who was dead.
She lifted a weak hand and gestured to the wood stove. "Are you hungry?"
He nodded and moved towards the metal kitchen counter where she had three bowls sitting out. She had been waiting for him and Merle to eat, he noted. Silently, he grabbed two and crossed the short distance to where the stew simmered.
They ate in silence. It wasn't tense, but it wasn't comfortable either. They were both inwardly battling haunting demons.
Kate worked on an especially tough piece of venison while watching Daryl from the corner of her eye. His strong jaw moved as he chewed. She wondered what had happened out there. What had managed to take tough Merle down? For her and Justin, the geeks had taken them by surprise.
She and Justin had been backpacking a part of the Appalachian Trail. They had always been outdoorsy and adventurous, and had been planning this trip for months. Starting in their hometown right outside of Asheville and making their way down to Cohutta National Forest. Camping along the way, meeting new friends, making love in the tent. Young, newly married, totally in love and on the adventure they had dreamed of. It had been blissful.
As they traveled, they heard rumors of a nasty virus going around. During one stop, they had called to check in on their families. Their parents had shown concern, saying that there wasn't much information on the sickness although it seemed to be running rampant. However, they encouraged the lovebirds to keep going. Logically, being away from anyone infected meant that Justin and Kate were as safe as could be.
Not wanting remember anymore, Kate shook everything away. Without thinking too much, she reached over and grabbed his work-roughened hand that sat on the table.
Daryl tensed, but didn't pull away. He needed her comfort more than he cared to admit.
After eating, they both did their own thing. Sitting on opposite ends of the couch; Daryl making more bolts and Kate trying to read by the light of a camping lantern. Merle had picked up a baby book for her on one of their runs. For being a big oaf, he sure had been thoughtful.
The rain didn't stop. It continued to pour while lightening clashed against the darkness. Each flash momentarily lit up the small cabin with brilliance, every clap of thunder made Kate jump.
"Ya okay?" Daryl asked her after a particularly loud boom.
She nodded and shifted on the couch, pulling her feet up underneath her. "Are you?"
He shrugged and dropped his eyes back down to the long stick in his hand.
"You want to talk about it?" She prodded, gently. It was a bold question. She had quickly learned that getting Daryl to talk required patience and carefully worded sentences. But, she was too tired for that tonight. Her emotions couldn't handle dancing carefully around him right now.
Daryl's hands stilled and he rested his elbows on his knees. He stared down at the dented wooden floor and remained silent. Kate waited.
"Ran into 'bout a dozen of 'em." He finally said, his voice unwavering. "Thought we got 'em all, but there was a straggler."
Kate closed her eyes and took in a shaky breath. "Did you?"
He knew what she was asking and nodded his head.
"Oh Daryl."
Her small, warm hand touched his shoulder and he didn't flinch this time. To his surprise, he practically melted at her touch. Neither of them was sure who pulled in first, but they found themselves clutching each other in the center of the couch. Hanging on for dear life.
It was awkward for Daryl at first and he held her gently. Her small rounded stomach pressed into him and he tried not to hurt her. But, the way Kate clung to him encouraged him to tighten his grip around her middle.
She smelled good. She must have bathed while they had been out. In an effort to conserve the well water, she usually only took a bath once a week when he and Merle went out hunting. Discreetly, he sniffed her hair. Vanilla. The most comforting scent he had ever smelled.
She pressed her body into him. In this tender moment all Kate wanted was physical comfort. It was becoming almost impossible to deny the lust that had been building for months as Daryl's hands rested on the small of her back. She felt like a hussy. An inappropriate hussy.
Yet, she couldn't deny the fire in her belly.
Her hands ran from his shoulders to the long hairs at the nape of his neck. Daryl tensed, but as she began to soothingly play with them he relaxed. Then he felt something wet and soft brush his jaw.
Oh dear God. She was kissing him.
There it was again. Another gentle brush of her lips. Closer to his earlobe this time.
Terrified, he roughly pushed her away.
Kate blinked at him in surprise.
He couldn't look at her in the eye, surely his face was as red as a beet. "Sorry." He mumbled, realizing that he had probably hurt her feelings. This is what he had wanted right? Kate's lips, her body, the chance to feel her pressed against him. What the hell was he doing?
Her heart was beating wildly inside her chest. Anger and lust flooded her senses. Damn him. She needed this. They both did. She was lit now. Unable to be extinguished.
Slowly, she reached for him again, not wanting to spook him. Lighting cracked through the sky and her hand touched his knee. When he didn't pull away, she moved closer and took his face in her hands.
His sad eyes met hers. It was like he could see straight into her heart. His gaze set a heat inside of her.
Daryl was the one to lean forward first this time. His lips brushed hers and electricity shot through his nerves. He pressed in a little harder and she pressed back, her lips firm yet gentle in the way they caressed his.
Thunder roared, drowning out the moan in her throat.
Her lips parted and his tongue, practically with a mind of it's own, made it's way into her sweet tasting mouth.
Kate's fingertips dug into his shoulders and she pushed him back against the back of the couch. Without breaking their kiss, she straddled his lap. Daryl's hands found her hips and held her steady as their tongues fought for dominance. He kissed her. Kissed her until he couldn't think. He could only feel …. feel her body moving slowly, sensually against him.
He was hard; she could feel him through their jeans. His cock pressed into her, turning her on even more. When he broke away from her mouth and moved his lips to her neck, Kate squirmed against him.
Her movement made his cock jump with excitement and Daryl stilled.
Sensing his hesitation, Kate pulled back and looked into his eyes. Stormy blue meeting lustful green. Daryl frowned, out of habit, as she searched his face looking for confirmation to continue. Kate wanted this, but needed him to be on board.
The hardness pressing through his jeans should have been the only reassurance she needed.
His eyes shifted downward and his hand moved from her hip to rest on the small bump of her stomach. When he lifted his eyes back to hers, Kate nodded and answered his unasked question softly. "It's okay."
Daryl didn't know what kind of animal inside of him was turned on by the sight of her healthy, glowing body. When she had told him and Merle about the baby, it was as if a switch had flipped inside of him. Although Kate had always been beautiful to him, she was now irresistible.
She leaned down and gently kissed his thin lips with her own soft ones. Her tongue barely ran across his bottom lip, yet it was one of the most pleasurable things he had ever felt. Knowing this wasn't going to be easy for him, she broke away and slid off his lap and down to the dirty cabin floor. Kneeling between his legs she reached for his belt.
Daryl caught her hands tightly. "Ya don't have to."
"I want to." She answered while breaking free from his grasp and back towards his buckle.
The feel of her hands gently brushing against him as she undid his pants had him almost ready to blow. He needed to calm the fuck down or this was going to get embarrassing really quickly. As she slid his zipper down and reached into his pants, Daryl took in a huge, barely calming, breath.
Her tiny hand wrapped around the base of him, barely fitting all the way around, and she pulled him out of his boxers. Kate held back a moan of appreciation while Daryl tensed.
From the floor, her big eyes looked up at him. "Why Daryl Dixon. I have never been so pleasantly surprised in my life."
The tips of his ears turned pink. "Shut up."
She giggled and bent her head.
Oh God. His hands splayed out on the couch cushions, bracing for impact.
Her mouth surrounded him, hot and wet. His right hand moved to her hair. He released the clip and her wild curls cascaded down, brushing his thighs as she bobbed her head. It was better than anything he had ever felt before. And ended too soon. Two broad strokes of her flat tongue and some light twisting with her hand was all it took for him to cum straight into her mouth.
As he climaxed, Kate didn't miss a beat. She sucked hungrily on his throbbing cock, swallowing everything.
Turning a deep red color, Daryl stood up abruptly, hiking his pants up and roughly pushing her aside. She was another man's wife. Pregnant with his child. And he just came prematurely in her mouth. What the fuck was going on?
Kate moaned in frustration as soon as she heard him slam the bedroom door for the second time that day. She knew he was embarrassed, but didn't care about what had just happened. Hell, it had been a long time for her too.
Now, she was hot. Wet. Throbbing. In desperate need.
She thought about banging down the door. Making that asshole come back out and finish what he started.
Forget him. She could do it herself. Pressing her back to the couch, she undid her pants, kicked them off and spread her legs.
She reached down around her swollen stomach and awkwardly began to rub herself with her fingertips. God, she was soaked. Who cared if Daryl walked back in and caught her? She needed release. As she worked herself over, she made sure to let the moans carry through the cabin.
Daryl threw himself down on one of the beds. What the hell had just happened?
Then he heard her soft whimpers.
Shit.
She was taking care of things herself. Now, he felt like an even bigger asshole.
He stood and paced the floor, unsure of what to do. Go back out and face the music or pretend like nothing happened?
She moaned and his cock jumped. Damn thing had a mind of it's own and it wanted Kate.
He couldn't let her finish herself off.
Before he changed his mind, Daryl busted through the bedroom door. There she was, spread eagle in front of him with her fingers rapidly working around her swollen pink mound.
She wasn't even embarrassed, her hand just still and she raised one questioning eyebrow his way.
He strode across the room and reached for her. He pulled on her and she rose to her feet, all curvy and feminine. Kate's eyes widened, like saucers at his newly found take charge attitude.
"I'm sorry." He said as his hands worked their way up her shirt, caressing her soft skin.
When he stopped, both hands on her bump, Kate shook her head. "It's okay. It's….," she trailed off and searched for words. "Weird. I know."
Daryl's teeth worked on his bottom lip. Yeah it was weird, but his need overcame the weirdness, because it was also sexy as hell. Feeling a surge of confidence he met her eyes. "Yer beautiful."
Blushing at his words, Kate reached down and lifted her shirt up above her head. His breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her round breasts spilling over. She reached for him and pulled him close, their lips meeting in another deep kiss. Her body was so close, but it wasn't enough. Daryl needed skin to skin. He had too many clothes on.
As she kissed him, Daryl felt her hands slowly undoing each button of his ratty flannel. She wouldn't care about the scars. Merle had told her what their daddy had done. She had shown nothing but compassion. Without breaking their kiss, she slid the fabric off his shoulders. Now, they were pressed together. Skin to skin. Heartbeat to heartbeat. She was as soft as he was hard.
Her lips traveled down his collarbone, his chest. Every need jerked alive inside of him. She ran her tongue across the tattoo above his heart, breathing over the wet skin.
Kate wanted to taste every single inch of him. Her lips worked on his skin loving the texture, the hardness, and the masculinity.
Daryl started to push her backwards, aiming for the couch that he knew was behind them. Kate stopped when the backs of her knees met the furniture and Daryl gently lowered her down.
She was already naked from the waist down, her little self-exploration session taking care of removing any garments that would get in his way. When she spread her legs, excitement surged through him. He could smell her. She was sweet, practically intoxicating.
Dropping to his knees, Daryl ran his hands on the inside of her thighs pressing them further apart and watching her most intimate place become fully exposed to him. She didn't resist his touch and offered herself completely to him. He ducked, kissing the outer lips and feeling her twitch underneath him.
After a few tentative kisses, he looked up, noticing that she had removed her bra. The sight of her heaving breasts and pink nipples was hot- fucking hot- and made him want to bury his face inside of her. His tongue found it's way into her slit and Kate moaned, bucking her hips upwards meeting each lick with a thrust. Up and down he moved, licking and sucking as she became wetter and fuller. Her hands wound themselves into his hair, massaging his scalp as he drank her in. Sweet and salty.
"Daryl." She said his name in one long breathy syllable.
He paused and she took the opportunity to grab at his shoulders. She needed to feel him inside of her, but she didn't want to beg. Hopefully he would understand this non- verbal cue.
Thankfully, he took the hint and stood, leaving her legs shaking and heart racing. In one swift movement he shed his pants. Now fully naked, his cock pointed towards her and Kate felt the fire in her belly growing. Before she could make a move, he was sitting next to her and pulling her towards him. Using his body as leverage, Kate straddled his lap and met his lips in a hungry, devouring kiss.
Everything was exploding. It had been so long and her body was extra sensitive.
His cock throbbed against her ass, begging for entrance. Teasingly, she slid over it causing Daryl to moan into her mouth.
"Kate." he panted between kisses.
She pulled up to her knees, grabbed him tightly and lowered herself over him, his cock slowly slipping into her. They fit like a glove. Daryl blew through his mouth and tried to focus on her face.
"You feel so good." Kate whispered, nipping at his earlobe and moving against him. "I've needed this."
Her voice was like silk and it wrapped around him. His hands found her hips and he helped to guide her motion, slowing her and speeding her up as he saw fit. He held on this time, his endurance impressing even him as she worked her body over his. Her small belly pressed into his tight abs, soft breasts rubbing his hot skin. He nipped and licked her shoulder, her neck, and her jaw.
"Me too." He managed to grunt out, his voice laced with desire. She started moving faster and his head fell back onto the couch. "Don't stop."
"Wasn't planning on it." She answered as her inner walls gripped him tightly, rippling around him.
"Fuuuuck." He moaned and opened his eyes as lightening lit up the room and illuminated her radiant face.
She came, shuddering and crying out, pulsing around Daryl's cock and encouraging his own orgasm. Lips parted, head back and heart beating wildly Daryl let out a groan and released himself inside of her.
She collapsed against him, burying her face in the crook of his neck and breathing heavily. Daryl's hands splayed across her back, refusing to let her move and not pulling out, letting his cock soften inside of her.
They held each others sweat soaked bodies for a long time, coming down from their orgasmic high.
After a few moments, Daryl felt her hot breath hit his neck and wondered if she had fallen asleep. He didn't dare move to check, not wanting to do anything to disrupt this moment. He blinked away the tears he had been holding back since Merle got bit early that day. He had once thought his brother was the only one who would ever care. Kate had just proved to him that wasn't true. She cared. She needed him. They were all each other had now. They couldn't do this without the other.
Thunder clapped and Daryl gripped her tighter before letting his own eyes flutter closed.
Amidst all the horror, something good had finally happened to him.