Chapter 2 – CDC's bathroom
It's amazing how happiness is able to fill a person's body even when this is not expected. Obviously death is not an precursor of happiness, but pain and contemplation. However, to Carol, and that God would forgive her, death had brought her happiness above all.
The sense of peace and tranquility was overwhelming after the tears. She was free and fully capable of bringing out to life the real Carol. Finally she could bury next to her husband's remains that humiliated and suffered woman, the woman with no expectation he create. Her conscious was clean and she felt completely satisfied to know that Ed would never lay a single finger on her, he would never oblige her to subdue sexually to his wishes again and would never cause any damage to Sophia. Her daughter was safe.
Despite the large portion of her guilty happiness that come from her husband's death, the fact that they are safely in the CDC was also an important fator in Carol's feelings. From that night on she would not have to sleep in a tent or in a tight vehicle with her daughter, clinging to each other for fear that at any time a walker arose and brought with it destruction.
No, now they had a roof and walls. They had supplies, offices to turn in small apartments, water and even electricity. If the CDC was not the paradise in an apocalypse like that, then Carol did not know what was a paradise. She felt a smile on her lips as she stood with hwe head under the hot water.
The wine was another factor responsible for her present state of mind. Jenner had offered them a good dinner and a fair number of bottles of wine so they could celebrate their arrival at the CDC safely. They all drank and laughed, even Andrea took a few smiles and Daryl was smiling and laughing openly nonstop, acting absolutely different from the taciturn hunter she knew.
The truth was that everyone had their own wounds to heal, but for tonight everything was forgotten and they plunged into the wine's euphoria.
Carol let herself get distracted by the water running in her hair, down the neck, shoulders and back, like a real caress. She had not realized how much she missed a real bath until now. The water relaxed her tense and tired muscles and after a few minutes she felt ready to face a real army of walkers if needed.
Her thoughts intoxicated by the sensation caused by the bath and wine returned to wander toward Dixon as her hands slid the soap throught her body.
Carol got rid of a stormy marriage, a real torment, but by no means the redneck had failed to get her attention. Well, what first caught her attention were his arms, especially the way his muscles flexed and as gave his arms beautiful contours. Daryl Dixon was always doing something, carrying something, chopping wood, hunting, always flexing those arms she secretly adore without drawn to it because the last thing she wanted was Ed noticing the way she looked at Dixon.
"Screw, Ed." She thought.
Carol could not deny that the redneck was a good distraction to take her mind, much less the fact that hi was populating her fantasies when she lay down at night and let herself wonder.
Now, though wonderful, the idea that she could watch Daryl Dixon's muscles without guilt or fear was a little scary. What if he notice? What if others notice? A recently widowed woman should not face a man shamelessly, it could give the wrong impression, or worse, the right one. Besides, she was sure that neither he nor any men from the group would look at her like a possible choice for some sort of romantic or sexual relationship.
She allowed her hands to slide even further, taking south on her belly while a gentle heat start to rise inside her cheast and spread. Whit her eyes closed, she allowed herself imagine how would be the rest of Daryl's muscles and how his hands would feel on her body. The idea of Dixon with her there, touching her, was exciting and Carol sighed. If only she had managed to hide the vibrator in the bag... She could make use of it now.
She then decided it was not the time for that, Lori was with the kids and she had promised to look after them so Lori could take a quiet bath too. Her fantasies would have to wait for another time. Finally she closed the shower and took the towel, wrapping it around her body. And it was only when Carol got out shower stall that she found a Dixon with open shirt and barefoot coming insed the shower area. The surprise made her stop and she stared at him holding the towel against her body.
Daryl stared at her with a fierce glare and let his eyes wander slowly through her body before saying hoarsely.
"Ya shouldn't walk around like this."
Carol noticed that Daryl was staring at her, unable to turn his eyes away. They seemed to follow the way the drops were running down her neck, clavicle and between her breasts to vanish in the area covered by the towel. The simple fact that he was there caused warmed her body again, but the way he looked at her... Oh God.
"There's a bunch of guys here that haven't tasted a warm pussy for a while, could be dangerous." Daryl had a smirk across his lips.
She felt silly standing there not knowing exactly what to say staring back at him. Carol held the towel against the body harder than necessary and looked away from his face. She did not know if he was trying to be funny or not, but his comment was true. Most of the group was male and, well, as far as she knew, many were without sex for some time.
"Go on woman, get the hell out of here before I do something stupid, it's been quite some time since I had a clean and warm pussy to enjoy."
Daryl was obviously drunk and he clenched his teeth for a moment, trying to control himself. His pupils were dilated, his face flushed and he seemed restless, alternating the support of the body's own weight to one foot, then the other. Carol couldn't keep her eyes to travel down his body and held her breath sharply when she noticed a visible erection contained by Daryl's jeans.
"You wouldn't." Carol whispered.
"You don't know me." He challenged her.
Carol began to wonder if his erection was something to do with the simple fact that he was close to an almost naked woman or whether it was the fact that she is almost naked in front of him. Her stomach twitched and Carol found herself hoping his erection was for her as her own body seemed to react to it and a moist heat took the apéx of her thighs.
To her surprise Daryl stepped forward, stopping a few inches from her and she stared at him, watching the way his eyes seemed to look for something on hers. Would it be consent? A shiver ran down Carol's spine and her body betrayed her. Her eyes closed when the tip of his fingers traced the line of hers jaw, gently going down her neck and stopping on her shoulder. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she felt his breath on her face. Daryl had slightly rough fingers and Carol can not prevent her imagination ran wild. How would it feel to have his fingers caressing other parts of her body.
"You're not the kind of womany that want quick fuck." He growled and Carol opened her eyes slowly. Daryl nibbled his bottom lip, trying to hold back. The fight his intoxicated mind fought with his body was clear and Carol put her hand on his chest, feeling the his strong heart beat.
"You don't know me." She imitated him and let her hand gently slid down to his waist. His skin was so soft.
What was she doing? She did not know and definitely did not want to find out. Daryl's body leaned forward and their noses brushed softly. With their lips separated by a few millimeters, Carol and Daryl shared the same breath. It was all a dream or an illusion and time seemed to stand still. His fingers were again on her neck, now rising to her jaw and Carol resisted the temptation to end the space between their mouths so that those five seconds before the kiss would last forever. So that's what a woman felt when was about to be kissed by a man, she thought.
Daryl groaned in exasperation and stepped back, away from her altogether.
"Go back to your daughter. Just go, please."
Carol suppressed a sob and looked at the floor feeling the dumbest creature in the world, but Daryl was right, she was not that kind of woman. With agility, Carol collected the bank's own clothes and headed for the bathroom door, turning to look at him one last time. He was still in the same place, watching her and on her face the disappointment was evident.
"Thank you." It was all she could say.
Thank you for show me respect, she thought and went back to her room.
AN: First I must thanks the lovely reviews and follows! I do love it! There another two bathroom's scenes to go. What do you think? Reviews are gold :D