Many, many, MANY thanks to EnglishPoet for all her encouragement for this or I would have never posted! Hope you enjoy!

Broken Men and Fallen Angels

Destruction, devastation, and death were everywhere. Walkers, friends, and enemies littered the prison yard. This was supposed to have been his home, his chance for a new beginning, and the only thing on his mind was defending that home. He was a valued member of the council and people depended on him, looked to him for input, it only took the rest of the world to lose everything for him to find his place. A glance to his left through squinted eyes and he knew there wasn't anything left to salvage and in the blink of an eye everything he had worked so hard for was gone. He was about to take off toward the woods to get as far away from the new red zone as possible, his fight mode quickly turning to flight mode, when he saw him across the yard. Rick was beaten and bloody calling out for his kids in a voice that was so broken it almost shattered Daryl on the spot. It wasn't safe here anymore though and he'd be damned if he lost Rick too.

"Carl!" Rick screamed in desperation and Daryl's stomach churned as he got close enough to see the bloodied car seat.

"We gotta go," Daryl's eyes never stopped scanning the scene in front of them as Rick's screams were alerting the walkers to their presence. "Rick, we gotta go!" Daryl nudged Rick in the direction of the woods and caught his elbow as he stumbled. He worried for a moment that Rick wouldn't be able to get very far on his own. There was no way he would leave him behind but he wouldn't be able to carry him either. Daryl needed at least his right arm free to be able to defend themselves against walkers so with his left he pulled Rick into his side and supported as much of his weight as he could. "Don't look…just…don't look."

"Carl!" Rick continued to plead with whoever was in the heavens listening that by some miracle his son would answer his cries. Judith was…no, he couldn't say it none the less think it, Carl had to be alright.

Part of Daryl wanted Rick to shut up, the noise only sending out a red flag for where they were, and he wasn't sure walkers were the only thing they had to worry about. Another part, the part that won out and kept him silent, understood the anguish of losing the last members of your family as images of a walker Merle flashed through his mind.

X-X-X

Their pace had had turned into a slow stroll, Rick refusing to be helped anymore as he plodded along next to Daryl. The desolate town they had stumbled into reminded Rick vaguely of his old house, his old life. The life where he'd get up in the morning to go to work with his best friend, stand there as Lori went on and on about things that seemed so trivial now, and hear about what Carl had learned at school that day.

"You hear me?" Daryl questioned, eyeing Rick suspiciously concerned he may have gotten hit in the head too many times. When Rick finally focused on Daryl instead of the memories of a life he knew he'd never have again, a life he wasn't sure he'd ever want again at the moment, Daryl repeated himself motioning to the house they stood in front of with a nod of his head. "Going to hold up here for a few days if it's clear."

The house didn't have electricity or running water but it would keep them safe for a night or two until Daryl could think of something else or Rick was well enough to move on. Even half-conscious, Rick was adamant about helping Daryl clear the house. After going room to room and securing the exits Daryl came back upstairs to see Rick sitting on the side of one of the beds taking slow calculated breaths.

As if he could sense Daryl standing in the doorway watching him Rick kept his gaze on the floor as he stated, "I think I broke my ribs."

Rick tried to remove his shirt and audibly gasped when he only exposed an inch of skin. Daryl moved forward ready to help but Rick waved him off and tried again this time holding his breath as he barely raised his shirt.

"Stubborn asshole," Daryl muttered as he watched Rick fight with his shirt again earning him a half smile. Enough was enough and Daryl was getting impatient as he moved in front of Rick and helped him out of his shirt, his fingers lightly grazing Rick's side as he pulled the shirt over his head. Rick winced from the movement but couldn't deny the feeling he got from the calloused hands examining his injured body. Daryl's breath fanned across the side of Rick's neck as he sat next to him and started taking note on how bad things were. "Should see if there is anything we can wrap them with."

"Broken?"

Daryl once again ran his fingers over Rick's side and then his back trying to get an accurate answer. "Not sure…maybe fractured…could just be bruised." His first thought was to leave the room and get Hershel before the sickening reality hit him that Hershel was dead. He could feel the anger surging through his body like someone had flipped a switch but Rick's labored breathing kept a cap on the volcano that threatened to erupt.

"Why didn't you leave me there?" The question came out so softly that if Daryl hadn't been sitting right next to him the words would have gotten lost.

Daryl's first thought was that he couldn't bear to lose anyone else, that he had come to care about the sheriff sitting next to him, but the words would never pass his lips. Instead he handed Rick the red rag from his back pocket, "Might want to clean up your face. You look like shit."

X-X-X

"I need to go back," Rick suddenly stated as he pushed himself up from the chair and swayed a bit on his feet before trying to make his way to the door Daryl had pushed the couch in front of.

Daryl snorted and shook his head as he leaned in the doorway, his hands tucked under his arms knowing that in his friend's weakened state he wouldn't be able to move it. "Ain't nothin' to go back to."

"Carl could still be there and Judith…" he trailed off, his voice thick with emotion. Pushing down the images of his baby girl being torn to shreds by walkers Rick tried to move the couch away from the door. "No, no, no, not her. Not them. Not my kids. I need to go back. Carl'll be looking for me."

"Kid's smart, he knew the plan. We stay here for a few days until you can get around better and then we go find the bus."

Rick pounded his fist against the door, "And my little girl?" When Daryl didn't answer Rick gathered up every ounce of strength in him as he strode over to Daryl and pinned him against the wall. Daryl could have easily moved if he wanted to but he let Rick hold him against the wall by his forearm, piercing blue eyes filled with regret staring back at the baby blues filled with desperation. "I could have found her! I could have saved them both but you…you made me leave! This is on you."

"She was already gone!" Daryl spat back, already feeling the guilt of letting that one-eyed douche walk through their front door and take what was his, what was theirs. They had come together, Daryl being Rick's new go to man after Shane's downward spiral, and had built a place they could call home.

If he was speaking the truth he would have shouted back that he knew it was his fault. He felt the weight of this pushing down on his shoulders harder than when Sophia walked out of the barn, harder than when he had to put down his brother. Daryl thought back to the first time he laid eyes on lil ass-kicker and how she fit too perfectly in his strong arms when he was the first one to ever feed her. He would have done anything and everything in his power to save that little girl. He would have done anything to never see the pure anguish in the eyes of the man in front of him.

Rick's chest heaved with every breath, an unbearable pain quickly surging through his body depleting any energy he had. The arm that was pinning Daryl to the wall let up to the point he was barely touching him at all. Daryl stood perfectly still waiting to see what he was going to do next. He thought for a moment by the blank stare on his face that Rick was going to pass out and he was ready to catch him if he did. Instead Rick leaned closer and did something Daryl never expected- he kissed him.

It was quick and the second their lips met it was over. Daryl stood there with a scowl on his face, not wanting to show any emotion but disgust as his brother's foul words resonated in his head. He wasn't sure how to process what had just happened and though Merle's words never stopped mocking him a part of him was interested in more. Rick seemed just as confused as why he had done it but he couldn't deny that it felt right and that just maybe a small piece of him had been healed.

He walked away, his boots barely making any noise as he climbed the stairs for the night, leaving Daryl standing there trying to process it all. Sleep didn't come easy that night but when it did their dreams ran wild.

Things had been a little different since the night Rick lost any control and kissed Daryl. They still talked but it was short with never more words than necessary. There would be a brush of the arm or catching the other one's eyes scanning over different parts of their bodies. Any time Rick would leave the room Daryl would watch every step, every breath, ready to help if he needed it and then would listen intently as his boots thudded against the hardwood floor.

Rick's swelling had gone down but lacerations and bruises still covered his body. He tried to play it off like it didn't hurt as much as it did but at this point he was sure he'd take the physical pain over the emotional. Daryl had to give it to him though he was holding it together better than he expected.

X-X-X

Rick was anxious to get back out there to the find the bus and Daryl had to admit he was going a little stir crazy locked up in the house for almost a week. It felt good to be back out in the open air with his friend next to him. It was almost like old times except Rick would carry new scars from now on. His ribs hadn't hurt him as bad and both were thankful that it hadn't been much worse. They had walked most of the day and were going to continue on for a few more miles when Daryl pointed out the darkened skies. He suggested they find somewhere to hold up for the night and start fresh in the morning.

This second house was nothing like the first at all, in fact, it was merely a double wide trailer on a piece of land set back from the road. Whoever had occupied the home hadn't kept it clean but it would give them shelter for the night until the storm passed. They had checked to make sure it would be secure but Daryl insisted on checking again while Rick boarded up one of the windows for extra protection. Daryl had come back with a wooden crate full of jars and a small smirk on his face. At that moment Rick didn't care what he had found because whatever it was made Daryl smile.

Rick kept his gaze on Daryl's strong hands as he poured the moonshine into an empty mason jar. He hated the thoughts that were running rampant through his mind about the man that was supposed to be his best friend. Trauma, he reasoned with himself. He had just been through too much and his brain was fried. The kiss, the way Daryl's fingers traced over his bare back making goose bumps litter his skin as he checked the extent of his injuries, the sidelong glances he had caught Daryl giving him, they were all stupid mistakes. Stupid, made-up, fantasies because Daryl was the only one around. If he was thinking clearly than none of it would have ever happened. He had been a married man with two children who never even thought about another man the way he was now. Rick found himself mesmerized by the way Daryl's hair had grown out since they had first met back in the quarry. The wisps of hair once framed his face but now had Rick wanting to reach out and sweep it to the side to be able to see his piercing blue eyes better. The same eyes he could have sworn were able to look past any defense you tried to put up. He followed a bead of sweat with his eyes as it rolled from Daryl's temple, down his cheek, and dripped off his defined jaw line.

*Flashback*

The skies had opened up and rain pounded hard into the Georgia ground with such force it was almost deafening. Rick stood in the doorway of the prison trying to get much needed relief from heat threatening to suffocate them inside the cemented walls. It was a peaceful moment, not that they came along all that often, and he let out a deep breath with his hands on his hips surveying the yard in front of him. The wind picked up and Rick could just make out someone down by the fence in front of a group of walkers. He sighed and stepped out into the downpour, his clothes getting soaked it mere seconds.

Rick stopped short watching as Daryl stabbed walker after walker in the head only pausing long enough to remove the tool before moving on to the next. His hair was plastered to the side of his face, his sleeveless shirt sticking to him like a tattoo, his pants low on his lips, and the muscles in his arms flexing with every thrust. Rick couldn't help but stare at the relentless man in front of him as rain rolled off of his bare arms.

"Goin' to stand there and watch or you goin' to help?"

Wordlessly, Rick grabbed a tool and moved a few feet down from Daryl not trusting his voice at the moment. Aim, stab, pull out, Rick repeated in his head trying his hardest to not chance another look in the direction of his soaked friend.

*Present*

Rick shifted in his chair hoping to hide the bulge in his pants that appeared at the memory. Had this not been just because of everything that had happened? Was it something more? Certainly Daryl wouldn't feel the same way, he was as manly as they came.

If Daryl noticed he didn't comment as he turned to place the rest of the moonshine on the counter and Rick's eyes shifted to the wings stitched into his vest. Daryl never talked about them, if you asked him he'd probably tell you that even the devil had wings, but not Rick. Rick knew Daryl earned those wings being the protector. He wouldn't like to admit that he needed saving but when it came down to it Daryl had swooped in and gotten him away from the prison. If it hadn't been for him Rick imagined he would be dead by now or worse yet, alone. In this new world loss was inevitable; you lost any sense of security, your family, and most lost themselves. Rick couldn't imagine losing Daryl, he would be the last man standing at the end of this.

Not long after the second jar of moonshine was gone the rain started; soft at first, barely audible unless you were listening for it, followed by a low rumble of thunder. There was a point in time where most worried about losing electric but now it was just an escape from reality. The storm would come through and wash away the sins of the men still left on the land, giving them a fresh beginning the next day.

The rain came harder, pelting down on the trailer, as the sky flashed with lightning and empty jars of moonshine lined the counter. Rick kept thinking back to the prison, picturing Daryl soaked from the rain, and he bit his bottom lip to keep in the moan that threatened to escape from the thought.

A scoff from the other side of the room and Rick blinked a few times coming back to the present. Daryl plopped himself down in the worn recliner and yanked on the lever to put his feet up. "Home, sweet, fuckin' home."

Rick turned in his seat and shook the glass slightly causing the liquid to slosh from side to side. "Can't this make you go blind?"

Daryl shrugged as he took a large mouthful, wondering what difference it made since he had already been drinking it. "What's left to see anyways?"

"Don't do that. We're going to find that bus," Rick tried to sound as positive as possible but even he could hear a slight waver in his voice.

Daryl just snorted. Judith was dead, he hoped Carl had made it on the bus, but what was the point anymore? A week? A month? Just when they started to get an ounce of normalcy back in their lives the rug would be ripped out from under their feet again. It would be easier to think they were all dead and move on instead of getting attached again. It was easier to wish for something you never had than to miss it when it was gone.

Daryl took another mouthful from his glass, "Sure thing, Sunshine."

"We are!" Rick put as much conviction behind his voice as he could. "We're going to reconnect with our group and start over."

"Yeah, 'cause that's worked out so well in the past," Daryl responded taking another mouthful from his glass. Rick followed suit and tried to remain quiet but his positive attitude was only pissing Daryl off. "Did that blow to the head give you brain damage?" Daryl clicked the leg rest back into place and rose from the chair. "Do you not remember the CDC? That was a great fuckin' idea, genius." Rick finished his drink as Daryl paced in front of him. "What about Sophia? We should have never been on that main road to begin with!"

"You can't put that on me!" Rick pushed himself up from his chair, leaving his empty mason jar on the table as another crack of thunder shook the thin paned windows.

"What about the prison…the governor," Daryl spat with such distain it left a foul taste in his mouth. He hurled his glass against the opposite wall causing it to shatter to pieces. "He strolled through our front door and took what was ours!"

"I had to do what was best for my family, for the group!" Rick swayed on his feet and Daryl caught his elbow steadying him. Piercing blue eyes stared into matching baby blues as Rick tried to take his arm away and still stay standing. "What you concerned or something, redneck?" When Daryl didn't respond right away Rick had a glint in his eye as he quirked his head to the side. "How far are you willing to go to fix me?"

Daryl shifted on his feet and used his thumb to crack the knuckles on each hand as he weighed his options. A crack of thunder reverberated through the trailer as Rick popped the button on his jeans and slid the zipper down. Daryl ran his tongue along his bottom lip but made no other move until Rick toed out of his boots and let his jeans pool around his ankles before kicking them to the side. Daryl grabbed Rick by the throat and threw the trailer door open, tossing the officer out into the pouring rain.

"You coming?" Rick questioned, baiting the redneck to step out into the storm and get soaked.

The wet thin material of his boxers did little to hide his obvious erection and a deep growl came from Daryl. It a matter of seconds Daryl had Rick pressed up against a tree, his right hand grasping Rick's shaft, while they stood nose to nose.

Daryl's hot breath mixed with his own, "This what you want?" He freed Rick from the material. "This going to fix you?"

"That depends, you just going to stand there and hold it?" Rick taunted, letting the moonshine take away any reservations he ever had about this very moment. Daryl's grasp tightened at the question and Rick tried to not rock his hips but Mr. Observant saw the lust come through his eyes.

Two could play that game though and Daryl began to stroke Rick so slowly he was sure it was a new torture method. When Rick couldn't take it anymore and tried to rock his hips again Daryl used his body to keep him in place as he increased his speed just enough for Rick to inhale deeply but still not fall over the edge.

It was just the right combination of the storm and the moonshine that had Daryl dropping to his knees in front of the officer. He stroked Rick a few more times before flicking his tongue over the tip, tasting the pre-cum that had leaked out and mixed with the rain. Rick threaded his fingers through Daryl's drenched locks and forced himself into his mouth. Daryl hadn't been expecting it but he got lost in the moment and let Rick fuck his mouth. Thunder rolled as Rick's breaths started coming out in short pants, the feeling so good he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, a flash of lightning and he ejaculated down the back of Daryl's throat.

Daryl swallowed as much of it as he could and wiped the rest off his lips with his thumb before licking it off. He rose to his feet and started to take off his own pants. Rick was ready to kneel and return the favor when Daryl stopped him. "Not what I want."

Lightning lit up the darkened sky as Daryl bent Rick over the wooden bench and used his bandana to tie his hands behind his back. Daryl lightly kicked Rick's legs apart a little more so that he was at the right height and used the rain as lubrication. He wanted to pound into Rick, let his demons run free with the electricity in the air from the storm, but he eased through the first barrier and waited to make sure everything was okay.

"That all you got?" Rick grunted.

Daryl growled and slammed the rest of the way into him causing Rick to let out a guttural moan. Daryl kept one hand on the bandana as he thrust in and out of Rick with such force he could have torn the man in half. Rick had awoken the demons inside of Daryl and there was no going back now. Each thrust healed something in Rick as it took away Daryl's demons. The rain slowed to a drizzle until it stopped completely.

Daryl pulled out and came on Rick's back almost like a dog marking its territory. He stood there for a minute trying to catch his breath before untying Rick. As Rick rubbed where the bandana had been Daryl shimmied back into his wet pants.

"Storms over," he commented, glancing to the sky for a brief second.

Rick let his eyes rake over the man next to him, "I suppose it is."