Disclaimer: I don't own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters, wishful thinking aside.

Authors Note #1: This is set post-season 5 finale, it isn't really time specific so off in the grey areas of a potential season six. This is a daaronic fic: meaning a Daryl/Aaron/Eric threesome pairing

Warnings: Spoilers for 5x16 but nothing hugely specific. *Contains: adult language, adult content, oral sex, fingering, anal sex, established relationship (+ Daryl) willing initiation of a threesome, first time (in terms of Daryl's participation), references to past child abuse: physical, mental and emotional as well as the homophobic bigotry referenced to have been experienced by Aaron and Eric.

Consensus (lets make a poetic sort of sense out of this)

Eric's lips tasted like the blood tricking down from the cut on his cheek and the ghost of the mint flavored gum he'd been chewing that morning. His mouth tasted better. An honest jumble of staleness and red - the sweet zing of mucus and the backwash of sweat. Everything he'd figured a proper kiss between two men should be.

But then, it wasn't just the two of them, was it?

Because Aaron was there, insistent but not overwhelming. Hands running across each of them in turn. The weight of them, firming down his skin – his back, shoulders, arms, chest, everywhere the man could reach - was marveling and shot-through with the sort of eagerness that told him he hadn't been the only one wanting. Enough to prove that all three of them were gagging for it as Eric and Aaron pulled him in. Pulled him close.

There were baser sounds curling out in favor of words as relief and adrenaline wrecked him through. Leaving them giddy and wanting as the moment stretched and found him greedy. He felt bottled up. Wanting what happened next despite every fiber of his childhood telling him he should want the exact opposite. That he was wrong and twisted, speckled with dark rotting colors on the inside. Damned. Just like the old ladies used to whisper about in the front pews at church. But he didn't care. Merle himself could have sashayed into the room, angrier than a dog with mange, and it wouldn't have changed the fact that he wanted it – this. Wanted it more than he'd wanted anything in a long ass time if he was being honest.

It was only the dawning reality of it that brought him up short.

Not the close call that'd somehow led to all this.

But what it would mean afterwards.

When the rush wore off and the morning light found their actions wanting.

"I don't…" he started, uncertain if there was a right way to say it. Some way to get across how much he was here for this. But at the same time, almost equality unsure if this was something that should even be happening at all. He had no idea what he was doing. No experience that would even hold a candle to whatever they'd been working up to during these last few months. He didn't do well with breakable shit and more than anything, he didn't want to cause a rift between-

"We know," Aaron hummed, sending him a smile, genuine and welcoming as Eric pulled him down onto the bed beside them. Centering him between them as every movement grew languid and full.

They gave him a moment to breathe - to watch – as Aaron's hips started rolling slow. Hitching into the curl of Eric's thigh as the red-head sucked a line of bites down the tanned-pale of his neck. Playing his lover with a beautiful sort of familiarity that translated like a sucker punch right to the sack. Reminding him of everything he hadn't let himself feel in just about forever.

"It's alright. I promise," Eric hummed huskily, taking him in with half-lidded eyes as Aaron groaned. Jack-knifing into Eric's hold when the red-head leaned down and firmed his hand around his cock, pumping him with a lazy rhythm that looked more torturous that anything. Never once taking his eyes off him as Eric met his stare head on – uncensored and completely unapologetic. "Anything you want."

He nodded. Because really, what the fuck else could he do?

He broke away from Aaron's lips when the man started thumbing at the coarse hairs of his belly, whispering ghost-like under the hem of his shirt in a way that made him want to either lash out or bend his neck. Feeling the light pressure of Eric at his back as the man worked his thumbs into a knot of soreness below his right shoulder blade. Something he'd been carrying around for god knows how long and had no idea anyone would even care to fix.

"No," he grunted, hand closing around Aaron's wrist when the man caught his lip between his teeth and started working his shirt up. Trying to keep his voice level as the heel of Eric's hand stroked against the tent in his jeans, teasing him with all the things he could be having if he hadn't opened his god damned mouth. "Shirt stays on."

Aaron just nodded. Meeting Eric's pointed gaze from somewhere behind him until the silent tension became too much and he found himself leaning back. Willingly leading into the next portion of the dance as he circled – curious and determined - around the hard pebble of the red-head's nipple. Internally basking in it when Eric bit his lip and sent him a sly smile. Catching Aaron's hand in his as he arranged himself back against the pillows. Arching a brow in clear invitation.

He knew it was pathetic, but he was pretty sure he ended up defining the term over-eager after that.

He wasn't sure how but Eric had someone managed to twist himself, pulling off some crazy gymnast shit that allowed him to suck his dick and give him the world's best view of his ass at the same time. But lord alive was he ever grateful.

He groaned unexpectedly - pulling an appreciative sound from Eric's throat - at the lithe give of it in his hands. He didn't even know that the hind end of someone could look like this. Dappled over with freckles and flushed red with the abuse he'd already dealt out. Watching it change color, flexing and clenching in turns. The man's ass was pert and perfect and like any sane person he already had two handfuls of it.

"Fuck," he hissed, shuddering through it as Eric quivered at his tone. Upping the ante by leaning down and fuckin' humming around his dick. Making him seize in place as his hands buried themselves in the thick of the man's hair – completely forgetting his earlier hesitation as he encouraged the younger man to take him deeper.

"Ain't gonna last," he stuttered, swearing. Feeling like he was completely outside of himself, a stranger in his own skin as his spine arched. Head tipping back as old wants rose – heady, loud and quick – completely lost to it as Aaron hemmed him in from behind - supporting him.

"That's the point," Aaron replied, pressing a gentle, wicked grin into his skin as he mouthed his way down the slope of his shoulder. Hands settling firm on his hips as Aaron ground his hardness up against the plush of his ass. Lazy and not really going anywhere despite the fact that he found himself responding to it. Centering himself so the man could really lay into him, hard cock nudging against his crack. Biting his lip as he skated between excitement and discomfort as Eric worked him over like it was his fuckin' job.

He huffed out a breath, feeling his knees sink deep into the crappy mattress as the sharp of Aaron's teeth grazed down the side of his throat. Soothing the sting with a line of open-mouthed kisses as his hands roamed freely. Encouraging him to lean back so that he was sandwiched between them. Feeling a whole lot like a fuse that'd been lit on both ends as Eric swallowed prettily around him, watching him through stupidly thick lashes as the freckled-pale of his throat worked around him.

Oh Christ. Oh fuck. He wasn't going to-

He watched, transfixed, as Aaron's hand came down to stroke Eric's cheek, tapping his lips once in request. Making the ginger's lashes flutter in pleasure as Eric opened his mouth and sucked his lover's fingers obediently. Sealing his lips around both the fingers and his cock - slick and tight and perfect - like there was nowhere on earth he'd rather be. He shuddered through it, greedy for every inch of it as Eric's lids slung low, prick leaking steadily against a coltish thigh.

Christ on a-

He nearly pitched right into the heavy of it when Aaron added another finger, tracing the seam of Eric's lips enough to make them both whimper as the attention made Eric double his efforts. Stretching his mouth another impossible few inches as Eric slicked one finger after another. Making an art out of it as his gut clenched in want. Forcing the man to keep his chin tipped up just so he could watch Eric struggle through each and every swallow.

He tensed when Aaron pulled away, trailing spit-slick fingers across his ass. But Aaron just shushed him. Leaving him torn as Eric pulled off, licking delicately at the very tip as he tried to make both his upstairs and downstairs brains work at the same time.

"Don't worry, it's not for you, least not the way you're probably thinking," Aaron assured, pupil's blown. Sending him a smile that was one part understanding and another part want before he rolled onto his front, legs hitching up - spread. Working himself open as Eric shifted, moving to help. Swallowing the man's gasps as Eric spread Aaron's cheeks, giving him a first row seat to the pliant pink of the man's hole as Aaron chewed on his lower lip – expression like pleasure evolving. Eying him as glistening fingers traced his rim, stretching him from the inside.

He had the base of his dick in a strangle hold, hips jerking into open air as he fought the urge to blow his load right there. Suddenly wanting nothing more than to watch Aaron do it. To watch him fuck himself open, free hand clenching at the covers. Imagining how it would feel to be the one to fuck him right. To give him that feeling back ten-fold. To see him, pinned and pretty, caught on his dick as he leaned down and teased the man's cock. Growling wordlessly in his ear as Eric shuffled forward and had him swallowing his dick in inches. Fucked at both ends as sparks pinged across tightly closed lids.

He blinked, seeing spots of red flash across his vision as the roof of the RV gradually took shape above him. He inhaled, shaky, sending up fond thoughts to whatever was left of his self-control as the sound of lazy kisses permeated through the haze.

He hadn't even realize he'd closed them. When had he-

"Daryl, please…"

And oh-

Oh hell.

He'll freely admit that he kinda lost track of things after that.

It wasn't until after. Until they were hanging half on top of each other to avoid the wet-spots on the mattress – or at least that was the excuse he was using. Breathing deep and sated through what he figured people called the afterglow, that Eric spoke.

The younger man was carding his hands through his hair with a firm sort of lightness that almost had him purring – toes curling. Somehow working out just the right amount of pressure as Aaron snored softly. Snuffling into the crook where the Eric's hip met with his ol' beat up thigh as he blinked slowly - fighting the urge follow suit.

"The thing about scars is that some don't show," Eric remarked softly, looking off through the window of the RV and into the midnight clear. Giving him the privacy to do what he wanted with his face as his muscles stiffened reflexively. "Some do. Some don't. I get that. But don't assume we don't have any just because you can't see them. No one makes it through the world unscathed – before or after. We just show it in different ways."

This time when he didn't reply, it wasn't because he had nothin' to say.

But rather because he didn't have to.

They already knew.

Christ. They already knew.

He rubbed his hand over his face, shading his eyes as Eric hummed somethin' sweet sounding under his breath. Teasing clever hands around his scalp until the movements turned rhythmic and molasses-slow. Turning the realization over and over in his mind as his cheeks burned red under the dirt and dark-splattered blood. Keeping it close to his chest as Eric yawned, giving him the moment to own as the man's eyes gradually fluttered closed above him.

He didn't have to explain himself. He didn't have to justify the way he felt. What he did and why. He didn't have to beat himself up over not making the grade curve. Not being everyone else's sort of 'normal.' Without any words involved, they - maybe more than anyone else alive – understood him completely.

Hell if there wasn't something damn near providential about that.

A/N #1: Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed! This story is now complete.