"Shh, Judy. We have to be quiet." Daryl stirs vaguely hearing words. Then he feels cool air as a blanket moves over his shoulder and someone tucks it in around him.
"Sorry son, everything okay?" The words are whispered.
"Yeah Dad, Judy just wanted to see Daryl and I saw you hadn't slept in your bed. I got worried." There is a pause and a shuffling sound and then the sound of clothing being pulled on. "Are you and Daryl together now? What about mum?" The words make Daryl's heart beat faster though he stays still and relaxed.
He ignores the small body that lies down on top of the covers, snuggling to him from behind. Until tiny hands grab hold of his hair and pull. "Ouch, Ass Kicker. You know you shouldn't wake me that way." He says, his voice a low, raspy rumble, thick with morning huskiness.
Before Rick can apologise he has turned and grabbed Judith, enveloping her in the covers he digs his fingers mercilessly into her ribs and she can do nothing but scream delightedly as Daryl has bundled her so tightly, she's wrapped like a mummy.
"Unca!" She squeals repeatedly before he finally sighs and stops. Resting his forehead on hers they star at each other for a few seconds. Blue eyes twinkle down into the black coffee coloured yes grinning back up at him.
"Hey Dad?" Carl asks quietly, no longer whispering as everyone in the room is awake.
"Yeah?" Daryl see's Rick out of the corner of his eye sitting the chair as he pulls on his boots. He can hear the smile in his voice.
"Mum would be okay with it I think, Daryl makes you laugh and she'd like that. But you guys need a bigger bed."
Daryl sits up, drawing the sheet with him so he remains covered from the waist down. Judith sits up and crawls into his lap and he hugs her as she settles down, her cheek resting on his chest tattoo. "Why do we need a bigger bed?" He looks straight at Carl as he asks the question ignoring Rick.
"So we can sleep with you, you know when you have bad dreams and stuff." Carl shrugs without looking at anyone.
"When we have bad dreams huh?" Daryl says quietly as he flicks a glance at Rick.
Carl nods. "Yeah, I know you have them, so do dad and Judy," Carl pauses without saying anything further.
"And you." Rick says quietly as he reaches for his son with his heart in his mouth. It was the first time Carl had mentioned them to him, though he knew he had them. But he'd never acknowledged them, to anyone that he knew of.
"Yeah, me too." Carl flings himself suddenly into Rick's arms. "I miss her, but she'd want us to be happy and I'm glad you are but I miss her!" His voice breaks as sobs tear his frame. Daryl holds Judith tighter as she tries to go to Carl.
He jerks his head at Rick and he picks Carl up and climbs into bed beside Daryl and Judith. They sit side-by-side as Daryl holds Judith and comforts her from Carl's crying and Rick holds Carl and lets his tears escape for the first time he can remember since Lori had been gone.
"It's okay to miss her Carl, I do every day. Every single day." Rick says into Carl's hair as he kisses him over and over on the top of his head.
They both ignore the few people who stick their heads around the curtain and they get the message and move back, leaving them alone.
Daryl nudges Rick when Carl stops crying and lies on his chest exhausted. Jerking his head at his sweatpants he raises an eyebrow at Rick. Rick nods and reaches for them, snagging them he gives them to Daryl.
Making sure Judith is still snuggled to him he manages to slide the sweatpants under the sheets and wriggle into them with a modicum of fuss. Judith grumbles at him disturbing her but simply moves with Daryl's body like a limp noodle as he moves around and hitches a hip from side to side to pull the pants up.
Eventually he hitches them to his hips and settles down again. He feels Rick's arm and leg beside his. And then the last relaxation of Judith's body as she drifts to sleep. He watches for Carl to do the same and he does soon after.
"So, they right? Do we need a bigger bed?" Daryl asks Rick quietly. Now is opportune. Neither of them are going to go off their heads with children in their arms.
"I guess, I was thinking a bigger everything." Rick says.
Daryl looks over at him, moving away slightly so he can look at Rick without cracking his neck. "You want to leave?"
Rick shakes his head. "No, but I think we need to leave. This isn't a place that'll ever be a home. I thought it would be but it's not. Not unless we find a way to make the cell blocks more like apartments or somethin'. People need that Daryl. This is okay for now, but not long-term. What if this is all? What if there isn't some government laboratory underground still searchin' for a cure? What if, this is all that is left? I think we need to start assumin' it is, that there is no rescue comin' for us." Rick breaks off to take a breath.
Silence descends on them for a time. Carl and Judith continue sleeping. "Our kingdom for a structural engineer." Daryl says softly out of the blue sometime later.
Rick snorts. "Fuck yeah."
Daryl smiled, he knew Rick would understand what he meant. "Okay, so then you want to look at leaving? Just the group or everyone?" He asked quietly. Rick always had the bigger picture in mind. If he said they needed to think longer term and assume there was nothing else coming then that's what they needed to do. Daryl dealt with the here and now, it was his forte.
"You should know though, I'd be just fine here and I never thought help was comin', not since we left the quarry." He spoke as he looked at Rick.
Rick looked at him. He looked down at his daughter lying comfortably in Daryl's arms. Nodding slightly he looked at Daryl. "That's okay, I have hope enough for both of us." And before Daryl can move he leans over and kisses him soundly.
Pulling away with a smacking sound that makes Daryl smile he sits up and moves Carl to the bed letting him lie down on his side. "We've got to get to work." Daryl nods and slides Judith down where she snuggles into his bedding.
Standing he lets Rick block him while he changes into his jeans and dresses properly. He sits in the chair to lace up his boots. "Compound." He says the word quietly without looking at Rick.
"Not bad, one with room for expansion." Rick says. "And our group if they want to come, I don't expect all of them will. And any others who want to come."
Daryl nods as he stands. He shoulders his crossbow and looks down at the children sleeping in his bedding. "They mine now too?" He looks up at Rick as he asks.
Rick looks down at his children. Were they Daryl's now too? He closes his eyes as he feels inside his heart and then he opens them and looks at Daryl. "Yeah, they're yours now too, you up for that?"
"I'm up for it." Daryl answers. "Ain't my father." He goes to turn away but Rick grabs him. He really needs to remember how fucking quick the man can be.
"I never thought you were like your old man, not from the moment I met you. I'm more like him than you are." He says vehemently.
Daryl's blue eyes look at him quietly for several long moments. "Nah, you ain't like him, wouldn't have touched you if you were." He watches Rick as he speaks and sees Rick swallow.
"Still can't believe you did that." He pulls back with a small smile that tells Daryl his mind is wandering down memory lane.
"I can't believe you asked the fuckin' shit you did." He laughs lightly as he remembers the questions Rick had asked him about having sex with men.
"Well, I was having all these fuckin' feelings, what the fuck was I supposed to do?" He questioned in a grumpy tone as they walked down to breakfast.
"What, even then?" Daryl stops and looks at him in shock.
"Why the fuck is that such a surprise Daryl? Like Glenn fuckin' said last night you're as deservin' as anyone." Rick is exasperated but Daryl suddenly surges forward and engulfs him in a strong hug, his lips crashing into Rick's with purpose.
Rick slides his arms around Daryl's hips and palms his backside. Daryl's crossbow leaves him no other choice and he liked the idea of touching Daryl's butt anytime anyway. He pulls him forward even as Daryl's pushes him back and they land against the wall with an oomph sound.
"Get a room you two." Beth calls up to them just as Daryl's hardening cock pushes on Ricks and he groans.
Daryl pulls away, resting his head on Rick's shoulder as he breathes. "Can't say fuckin' shit like that Sheriff, 'm not responsible for my actions when it comes to you." He steps back and palms Rick's cock quick as a snake. "Hold it until tonight, I'll make it worth your while." He adjusts himself before he begins to walk down the stairs.
Rick closes his eyes on a shudder as he tries to get his wayward pulse under control before he follows Daryl. He watches him brush a kiss over Beth's messy hair and she twinkles up at him. Unlike these past months it didn't set his green monster on the warpath. He knew for sure now that Daryl would only ever be in his bed from this day forward.
He gets his serve of breakfast and sits beside Daryl. "You serious about what you said before? Movin' on?" Daryl questions Rick as they eat. Beth joins them with her own breakfast after serving others.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm thinkin' like you said, there's gotta' be a compound we can fortify, maybe an old mansion we can do up, somethin'." Rick says.
"You're lookin' to move on? Just you and the kids?" Beth asks in a shocked tone.
"Beth, this place," Rick looks around. "Unless we pick up a structural engineer sometime soon, it's not ever really and truly going to be a home. Our kids, everyone's kids and all of us, we deserve to have a proper home." Beth smiles at the emphasis Rick placed on the word our. Rick smiled back.
"Daryl, you should talk to Daddy when you take your coffee out. He's waitin'." Beth stands. "I'll get your coffee now, only got about another day of it left."
They watch her leave. "She reminds me of Herschel." Rick says musingly as he scrubs his hand over his beard.
"Me too, has done for a bit now." Daryl answers. He finishes his breakfast and takes the coffee Beth brings back, she takes his dish and spoon in return, holding out a hand for Rick's as well. Daryl walks off to have his morning meeting with Herschel and Rick is just about to head to the fields when Beth and Glenn sit down in front of him.
"Rick," Glenn takes a breath. "I don't care what you think of me. Daryl and I, we had an arrangement. But I want you to know, if you hurt him anymore than you've already done, you will regret it. Like I said, he deserves happiness. I think you'll give him that, but you take care of him. You hear me?" Rick looks at his smiling face.
"Why do people always think you're such a fuckin' pussy?" He asks out of the blue.
"Because I'm cute." Glenn says simply.
Rick snorted. "Yeah, cute as a fuckin' poisonous snake." Glenn laughed as does Beth. "I get your meanin' Glenn. Can't say we won't argue, but I'll do my best not to hurt him." Glenn nodded.
Beth sat back for a few seconds. "So, am I ever gonna get a repeat of the three of us?" Glenn wiggled his eyebrows as Rick choked on the water he'd just drank.
"Ah, I…don't think so?" He wasn't interested in fucking Beth, he'd had her because of Daryl and because she'd wanted him. His fantasies had been just that, until Daryl had decided otherwise. But he didn't need or even want anyone other than Daryl. He watched as she crossed her arms and pouted at him.
"Then I get to watch you guys go at it, me and Mich. You used me, consider it payback." Rick gaped at her. Glenn laughed long and loud.
"She's got a point Rick, she told me what happened you know." He stood, "I'd like to watch too, that would be one sexy fuck." He put out his hand to Rick who stared up at him. "You take care of him now." Rick stands and puts his hand out as well.
"As much as he'll let anyone, yeah I'll take care of him." Glenn shook his head even as he shook his hand.
"Not good enough, you're the only one Daryl will actually let take care of him, I never even got to scratch the surface, you take care of him Rick." Glenn's last six words are said as he clamps tightly to Rick's hand and drags him in. Off balance Rick can only stare as he uses his other hand on the table to keep balance. "You understand me?" Glenn questions softly as Beth leans in and smiles beguilingly.
"Rick, we love you. You're family. But we love Daryl and he's family too. Like Glenn says though, we never even got to scratch the surface. You have done more than that. He loves you, he's in love with you. You treat him nice and we'll be fine, you don't treat him like you treated Lori at the end, not ever." With Beth's last two words she unsheathed the knife she carried on her hip and rested the blade delicately across the fingers Rick had splayed on the table.
Without moving in any way she looked up at Rick again. "Capisce?"
Nodding Rick waited for them to release him. "Holy fuck, I thought he was nothin' but a toy to y'all." He watched them both release him and stand and look at each other with a shrug.
"Its how he thinks of himself, it's not how we think of him." Glenn says. Beth nods and walks away without another word. Glenn nods at him as well and then follows her.
"Jesus fuckin' Christ." Rick wiped a hand over the back of his neck feeling the cold sweat that had gathered there. His balls had drawn up in fear at the twin looks of homicide that Glenn and Beth had carried on their faces. "Fuck." He mutters again as he grabs up his gloves and heads out to work off his shock.
Out in the fields Rick works on autopilot. Running over the conversation he'd had and not had with Daryl. Did they need to talk further? Yes, they did. They both knew that. Just as they both now knew they'd be returning to each other night after night, they still needed to talk. And they would. But there was no rush now.
Some things Rick just knew. That Daryl now belonged to him. That he belonged to Daryl. That they wouldn't fuck around on each other. That Daryl would now be there for Carl and Judith as much as Rick himself would be there for Daryl.
So yeah, some things he just knew. And some things he still didn't. Taking a breather in the shed he wiped his brow with Daryl's bandana that he'd taken away a while back. He never did give it back and Daryl had never asked for it. Holding it to his nose Rick inhaled fancying he could still smell Daryl on the cloth. Taking a drink he closed his eyes and wandered down memory lane.
##########
It was a hot and humid night. He was still sweating like a pig from the daylight hours though the sun had been down for some time. Looking at the illuminated hands of his watch he sees it's nearly time for watch change. Walking to the balcony Rick leans on it and takes in the stillness.
He was restless. Had been for a few weeks. He missed sex. Closing his eyes on a breath he let it out again. Why did he take so long to admit that to himself? That he needed sex? Companionship, a warm body. All of those things that were in short supply for him.
He looked over at their graveyard. She'd had no body to bury, but they'd put a marker up for her anyway. "Why?" He whispered to her. She never answered, not anymore. "And why is that now?" He asked that question as well. When had she deemed him well enough to leave him alone? Or had he deemed himself well enough? "Fuck knows." He answers himself quietly.
"First sign of madness." Daryl says laconically behind him causing Rick to jerk.
"How the fuck do I never hear you comin'?" He asked in an irritated tone. In the moonlight he catches the surprise in Daryl's eyes before he schools everything from his expression. "Oh, don't be fuckin' like that I'm just pissy is all." Rick says to him in an even more irritated tone.
"Why you pissy then Sheriff?" Daryl asks him as he leans a shoulder against the doorway.
"It's hot, summer, dry, too many mouths, not enough food, I sleep alone, ain't got someone, tired of using my hand to jack off." He stopped, mortified he'd actually taken such a personal turn with his whining. Stiffening his shoulders he turns around to Daryl. He'd been taught to look a person in the eye when he apologised.
"I'm sorry Daryl, there was no call to say such to you." Rick brushed past him on the way back inside. But he stopped as he breathed in passing Daryl. His brain fries at the scents wafting from him. Leaning in Rick puts his nose to the hollow of Daryl's throat and inhales deeply now.
He is unsurprised to find himself slammed back against the other side of the doorway. But he is unapologetic this time. Looking into Daryl's eyes he says what he's thinking. "You smell like sex."
Daryl frowns. "So fuckin' what?" He keeps his palm flat against Rick's breastbone, he doesn't realise it but one of his fingers is pressing tightly against Rick's nipple. He feels his nipple respond to the touch that is not his own. Rick frowns. This was Daryl.
Before he can say or think on anything further Daryl's hand has gone, it leave a curiously cold patch on Rick's skin underneath his shirt in place of its heat. "Guess you could say I'm envious." He finally answers Daryl.
"Shit, I ain't stupid all you gotta' do is crook your fuckin' finger Sheriff and any woman here will come runnin'." Daryl answers with a sarcastic tinge in his voice.
"Don't want 'any woman' Daryl, I want…" Rick trails off. "It don't matter what the fuck I want anyway, it ain't gonna happen." Rick curses himself softly for all of his complaining and stupidity tonight. "Night Daryl, you have a good watch now." He vanishes out the door and down the stairs leaving Daryl staring after him.
A few nights later he was on watch again. He felt even more restless now. He'd felt restless to the point of jumping out of his skin ever since he'd smelled Daryl. It had been a very long time since he'd had enough sex that he'd smelled liked Daryl had. He hadn't realised he'd missed it.
Closing his eyes he breathes in deeply, imagining he can smell that heavy, sharp and musky smell again tonight. After he's breathed it for a few minutes it slowly dawned on him that he is actually smelling it, not imagining. It.
Daryl, Daryl was behind him. Rick breathed in one more time before he turned around. "I still got over an hour of watch left Daryl, what's up?" He prays Daryl can't see his expression too well. He tries for casual, leaning back on the railing, his hands resting on it behind him.
"Oh nothin'," A grin flits across his mouth as he leans in the doorway before he pushes off it with his shoulder. Rick notices he's not carrying his crossbow. "I figured you might like another whiff, since you're missin' sex and all."
Rick narrows his eyes. "You messin' with me Daryl? Why?" Daryl shrugs as he moves to stand silently in front of Rick.
"A mouth's a mouth Sheriff. I'm flexible like that." Rick frowns.
"What's that mean, a mouth's a mouth? I don't know what the fuck that means."
"It means, I'm offerin' you the services of my mouth, if you want it." Daryl puts his hands on the railing, slides them adroitly between where Rick's own hands are spread away from his body. But he doesn't touch Rick in any other way. Merely looks at him.
"I, what the fuck Daryl?" Rick is frozen by Daryl's eyes. He suddenly sees knowledge in them that he'd never noticed before. Knowledge that Rick spent years trying to achieve only to fail miserably. He knew he'd never been successful with women, then he'd met Lori and been grateful they'd had the feelings they did for each other.
It became easy, they settled into a comfortable if staid intimacy quickly. But Daryl's eyes told him that he knew things about sex, they told him Daryl just plain knew sex. They promised Rick a good time. More, they promised him pleasure. A lot of pleasure.
Finding his cock hardening at the thought of being inside a mouth however was a shock. This was Daryl for fucks sake. Daryl, his friend. He was practically Judith's uncle or godfather. And a man. Daryl had a cock of his own. Yeah, he was offering Rick's mouth but surely he'd expect recompense?
Another shaft of arousal tightened Rick's cock. What the fuck? Before Rick can move to push Daryl away he moves himself. "All good Sheriff, offer is there if you change your mind." He tosses over his shoulder as he walks back inside.
Rick is on him before he can pick up his crossbow again, his arms winding around Daryl's shoulders from behind as he hugs him desperately. His nose buries itself in the side of Daryl's neck as he inhales deeply and presses his cock into Daryl's backside.
Stiffening but not moving away or fighting the embrace Daryl speaks. "I offered the services of my mouth Sheriff, not my ass. You ain't gettin' that." His words are firm but he still doesn't move away. Rick can tell he's sensed his desperation to be near another warm body.
"I," Rick pushes his cock deeply into Daryl's backside, trying to find the groove between his buttocks. When he finds it he moans. "I don't, I'm not, I need." Is what he finally finishes with.
"You need huh? Tell me, what do you need Sheriff? I can help, but you gotta' tell me." His words are soft, whispered like warmed honey as it drizzled over oatmeal of a morning when Rick was a child.
"Hold me." Rick isn't even sure if he's spoken aloud but it's the single coherent thought that comes clearly to his mind at the top of a long list.
A sigh leaves Daryl a he twists somehow in Rick's arms without him moving or loosening his hold on Daryl. Rick's head moves to Daryl's shoulder without thought as his arms slide up under Daryl's arms, pulling his shoulders closer. He feels Daryl's arms come around him. Slowly they move around Rick's shoulders, one moves up to stroke his hair. The other strokes his back.
Using long broad strokes up and down Rick's back, Daryl calms him emotionally. Rick leans all his weight on Daryl knowing he can take it. The hand stroking his hair stills after a bit and joins the one stroking his back.
Losing track of time Rick just stays with Daryl. He doesn't speak, doesn't whisper and doesn't say the soothing nothings that women always say. He just holds him, offers him the comfort of an embrace.
Before Rick is ready to release Daryl though, Daryl stops and pulls back. His hands hold Rick's face and pull him away. "No." Rick isn't ready to leave the warmth he's finally found.
"Gotta', watch is over and I'm not on shift tonight." Daryl says. Rick closes his eyes. Swallowing, he stands up straight and moves away, back to the doorway to the balcony. He stops there looking out as he listens to Daryl preparing to leave.
"Thank you Daryl," He turns back to look at him, owing him his eyes. "You don't know what that means to me."
Flashing his half grin Daryl answers him. "Oh no, I do. Which is why I'm gonna say this. You ever need a warm body Rick, you can come to me, may not always be there, but I eventually turn up." He nods and is gone without a sound. If Rick hadn't seen him go he wouldn't have known he'd gone.
When his watch is over he goes back inside. Checking on his children Rick looks at his own empty bed. Sitting on it he thinks of Daryl's offer. Calling himself a fool he takes his things and heads to the showers. He is somehow unsurprised to see Daryl there. He knew he liked to shower when the fewest people were around.
"Hey." Rick speaks as he steps into the showers.
"Hey Sheriff." Daryl answers him.
Rick feels that warmth Daryl had given him before sliding over him again though Daryl was nowhere close to him now. He strips economically and moves to the shower closest to Daryl without thinking of how it looks. He has never done it before on the occasions they'd been in here alone.
Daryl looks at him but doesn't comment. He rinses his hair and after letting all the suds move down his body to the floor he switches off his shower and steps away. Rick watches as he soaps himself up and laughs to himself as he sees Daryl rub his towel over his hair to get the excess water and then he bends over and shakes it out, wipes it a couple more times and ignores it.
He wipes his body and then dresses in a pair of sweatpants and stamps his feet into his boots but leaves them unlaced. Grabbing his dirty clothes he slings his towel around his neck and exits the showers without further speaking to Rick.
Several nights later Rick finds himself pacing outside Daryl's room. He knows its empty, he's already checked inside. Daryl had told him he was okay to wait inside but he didn't feel comfortable doing that. Sometime later though he gives in and moves into Daryl's room. Sitting on the chair Rick makes himself comfortable.
When he catches himself falling sideways as he dozes off, he gives in and moves to the bed. Taking off his boots he lies down on his side facing the wall. He's asleep before his head hits the pillow. Later he feels strong arms hugging him and a strong body surrounding him. He pushes back into the warmth without thought.
Waking to his internal alarm in the morning Rick stares at the wall for a while before he realises it's not his wall. He's not in his bed. Then he feels the body behind him and sees the strong brown arm looped around his waist.
He'd come to Daryl. Daryl had let him stay. Daryl who had offered him his mouth. At that stray thought Rick feels his morning erection become rock hard. He shifts forward a little, trying to put some space between himself and Daryl, though Daryl can't feel his erection.
Daryl tightens his arm though, keeping Rick close in his embrace. "Don't usually sleep with someone, new experience for me." He says by way of a good morning. "You okay now?" He asks Rick as he rolls away to sit up.
"Yeah, I am. Uh, thanks." Rick says as he stays still, facing the wall so Daryl can't see his aroused state. This was Daryl, it wasn't Lori, wasn't Andrea whom he'd had a passing fantasy about until he'd realised she'd started bumping uglies with Shane. It wasn't Beth, his usual jerk-off fantasy. It was Daryl.
Rick's body didn't care.
His cock wanted the person sitting on the bed beside him. Wanted inside their warm mouth as they'd offered. And God help him, wanted to fuck them. Wanted to be fucked by them. His hole flexes at the thought of Daryl being inside him. Rick tried telling himself he didn't do casual, he didn't do men, didn't want men, but nothing worked.
Pretending to still be half asleep he waited until Daryl had dressed and left before he rolled over and pushed his hand down his jeans. A few awkward tugs and it was all over. And no one had to know what had been on his mind when he'd jerked off. That was his own business.
##########
But he begins seeing Daryl in a whole new light. A desirable light. As the days go by Rick sticks to his own bed, but his wants, needs and desires are hungering for something. For someone.
It is Michonne and Beth declaring themselves as a couple that slaps him in the face. They didn't even declare it so much as stop acting like they weren't a couple. They began to touch, to sit closer, stroke each other sometimes, an arm, a shoulder. And one night Rick saw them kiss. He couldn't help replacing Michonne's face with his own as he watched them.
And so that fueled his close personal relationship with his hand for a while longer. And things may have stayed that way, until he smelled Daryl again one night when he came to take over watch. "Sorry, Rick. Didn't have time for a shower." Daryl says as he moves inside the guard tower to take over watch.
"It's okay, I'm good." Rick lies easily even as he breathes deeply.
Daryl snorts, "Yeah, guess that's why I'm seein' friction burns on your hand then ain't it?" He questions casually.
"Fuck you." Rick tosses off as he moves to the stairs.
"Yeah, but you want to don't you Sheriff?" Rick turns at Daryl's words.
"Why do you call me Sheriff?" Daryl had never been one to call anyone other than Glenn a nickname on an ongoing basis. And suddenly, a shiny, copper coated penny dropped in Rick's mind. "You and Glenn? What about Maggie?" He watches as Daryl frowns at him.
"Not tryin' to tell me you didn't know?" He asks, But the look on Rick's face says it all. He didn't know.
"That you're homosexual? How the hell would I know that?" Rick asked in an irritated tone. "I just thought you were fuckin' a woman, or women, how the fuck would I know that shit? You know I ain't a gossip Daryl."
"Ain't a fuckin' fag." Daryl says in an angry tone.
"Well then what do you call it?" Rick is getting angry now but before Daryl can answer another realisation hits Rick. "You call me Sheriff, or you do now. You never did before, not until…" He trailed off trying to figure something in his mind.
He forgets Daryl until the man pushes up in his space. "I like dick, I like ass an' I like pussy. Guess you could say I'm flexible…Rick." Daryl places emphasis on Rick's name.
"Flexible huh?" Rick ignores Daryl being up his space as he looks into his stormy blue eyes. "I can live with that. Guess you could say I'm kinda' obtuse when it comes to relationships and shit because I really had no idea." Daryl stares at him for another few seconds.
"Okay, then yeah. Me an' Glenn, we're fuck buddies. Sometimes he brings Maggie in, sometimes he don't. And sometimes I fuck others too." Daryl nods and steps back. He turns and takes up his position at the balcony for watch.
Rick stares after him. He walks forward and stands in the doorway. "So, I wouldn't be the first cock you've sucked then?" He questioned. For some reason that thought that he wouldn't be Daryl's first left him feeling hollow.
"No." Daryl says no more.
Rick hesitates and then turns to leave. At the stairs he stops and then turns back. "Guess I'll wait for you in your bed then?" His heart is beating ten to the dozen at what he's just asked. His palms are sweating and his cock is rearing like a wild stallion in his jeans.
Daryl looked at him over his shoulder for a few unfathomable seconds. "Yeah, that's fine Sheriff."
And so he'd put aside his fears, his prejudices, his doubts, and taken that moment.
Repeatedly.
When that moment had become something more was still kind of hazy, but Rick was sure it had happened well before he'd actually realised it. Of that he was certain.
Shaking his head Rick finished drinking his water. God, that felt like years ago, his journey of self-discovery. He remembers it like it was yesterday though. The wet heat of Daryl's mouth, the rasp of his bearded face. His fingers skating over his skin, touching him. Knowingly, the man knew how to touch another man that was for sure.
Rolling his shoulders against the jealousy that still now wanted to take over, Rick stood. Finishing his work for the day he went in to wash up.
Their first time...
He sat on Daryl's bed, naked and unsure. Daryl knelt between his legs, legs he had his hands resting on, his palms warm and callused. "You sure Sheriff?" His question is whispered quietly in the dead heat of the night.
Rick licked his lips. "'M sure Daryl, but...do I, uh...do you pull away when I...uh...come?" He stutters his way through the question trying to ignore his raging hard on dripping, it's front and centre, right between them. Hard and red and literally oozing pre-come.
"No, I swallow Rick, less' you got a problem with me swallowin' you?" Rick shakes his head, he is shocked to realise there is a thread of vulnerability in Daryl's blue eyes as he looks up at Rick. The small lantern is off to the side, half of his face is in shadow but Rick can see enough.
Vulnerability is not an option. Before he even realises what he's doing Rick reaches for Daryl with a hand and brushes the back of it over Daryl's cheekbone, then he palms his cheek before sliding his hand around to the back of Daryl's neck and carding his fingers through Daryl's hair. He fists his hand gently and pulls Daryl's face up to him.
"Ain't stupid Daryl, you're doin' the suckin', 'm well aware you'll be the one in charge. You wanna swallow my come, by all means you fuckin' swallow."
A blinding smile greets his words and Rick cannot help himself. He takes that final leap and for the first time in his life he kisses a man, truly kisses a man.
Not a buss on the cheek, not a quick peck on the lips, not an exploratory kiss or the first kind of getting to know you type kiss. A full on, mouths-meeting-teeth-clacking-tongue-twining kiss.
It is a game changer. He tongue fuck's Daryl's mouth and moans when Daryl returns the gesture immediately. Rick moans again when Daryl's teeth come into play and they don't just suck on his tongue, they fucking bite his tongue. Bringing up his other hand Rick slides it around Daryl's shoulders and pulls him close, he moans again when Daryl's shirt covered stomach brushes against his hard cock.
Pushing against Daryl's torso Rick tries to grind his cock between them enough to get off. But Daryl laughs lightly and pulls away. Both of their beards are coated in saliva, they're dripping. Rick shocks himself with the thought that he wants them to one day be dripping with each other's come. He wants to lean in and just lick himself off Daryl's face.
"Fuck, that I wasn't expectin'." Daryl murmurs as he looks at Rick.
"What's that?" Rick questions as he looks down slightly at Daryl, his hands are still wound around Daryl and he's on the verge of pulling him in close again.
"Thought you'd just wanna be sucked off is all." Daryl answers him as he begins to lower his head.
Rick stops him by grasping his hair again. "Is that all you want?" He questioned, placing emphasis on the word you.
A shrug is his answer. Rick narrows his eyes. It was an answer without being an answer, but it was still an answer. "I expected you'd want me to reciprocate Daryl?" He questioned further.
Another shrug. But Rick gets it now. And so he pulls on Daryl's hair before he can lower his head again and kisses his lips, softly this time though. Then he kisses down his neck to his chest where he licks softly. His hands move to the front of Daryl's body and he tweaks his nipples, just like he does to himself.
Unlike his, Daryl's respond better, "Oh now, that is a pretty sight." He says softly as he sees them all pink and pert and standing there on high beam for him.
"You fucker." Is groaned at him as he swoops down to kiss and lick at them. He grunts a chuckle even as he allows himself to nip, just a little, nice and soft. But he can tell from the jerk of hips that Daryl likes it. He keeps going, kissing and licking and nipping as far as he can go in his current position.
Then he feels himself pulled away and pushed back. "My mouth, your cock, now." Daryl says and Rick can only swallow at his firm words.
Leaning back on his elbow he watches as Daryl's hands slide from his own nipples down his stomach, scratch through his hair and then grasp h
is cock. "Wait, you should be naked." Rick says to Daryl.
Daryl looks up at him. "You sure?" Rick nods.
"'M not alone in this Daryl, if we're doin' this, we're doin' it together. Naked, kissin' jerkin' off. Blowin' and shit." Rick says as he stops shy of saying the word fucking. Daryl allows it though.
He stands and disrobes economically. He pauses before he turns his back only doing so when Rick says simply, "I've seen 'em before."
When he's naked he turns and kneels again before Rick. This time he doesn't delay. Rick barely gets the chance to see Daryl's own hard on before his head is falling back on his neck as Daryl's wet mouth engulfs him. "Fuck yes." Rick says as he lets himself fly. "Not gonna last long." He mutters as he feels hands on his hips imprison him.
Feeling Daryl's snorting laugh around his cock Rick grumbles back at him. "Fucker." But he can't say anymore. Daryl's tongue is flicking along his cock, his breath is hitting him in all the right places and his balls are drawing up. A hand leaves his hip and begins to roll his balls, the palm is rough and warm on them, then though, then it leaves his balls and strokes over his perineum, just strokes.
Over and over until a part of Rick he'd never thought of his in life came alive with nerves and tingles and goose bumps. And that is an overload. Just when Daryl's blunt thumb skates across his hole Rick releases inside Daryl's warm mouth.
"Fuuccckkkk.' He draws the word out as he feels his come ooze out of his cock and into the haven of Daryl's mouth. He raises his head and opens his eyes to watch Daryl swallow.
"Sexy, fuckin' sexy." He mutters as he watches Daryl's dilated eyes look lazily up at him. He pulls off once Rick stops coming and Rick watches flabbergasted as Daryl then proceeds to lick his cock clean. He wouldn't even need to wipe himself down.
Not even realising what he's doing he sits up again and pulls Daryl up to him, his mouth closes over Daryl's without concern and his tongue winds into his mouth, searching deliberately for his own taste. He needs to see how it compares when it's inside Daryl. He moans as Daryl pushes his last mouthful into his own mouth.
Rick swallows himself down and pulls back a little. "You saved it for me?" It's a question. He's never had someone do that for him, to him before.
Daryl just nods. But his lips twitch a little. "Wanted to see if you liked come, you know since you want to reciprocate an' all." His words are dry and it takes Rick a second.
"Yeah, I do. I will. You got a problem with me workin' up to doin' that?"
Shaking his head Daryl stands. "Nope." He sits on the bed beside Rick and Rick sees his own cock isn't hard anymore.
Glancing down at the floor he sees come splattering it. Looking back at Daryl's cock he swallows as he feels saliva pool in his mouth. Before he can second guess himself he reaches and swipes his hand over Daryl's thigh, gathering up the few drops of come there. Then he brings his hand to his mouth and sniffs.
He looks over at Daryl who has stilled and is watching him carefully. "May I?" Rick questions him softly.
Another shrug is his answer. Still looking at Daryl Rick licks his palm. A long broad swipe of his tongue over the fleshy part of his palm. He closes his mouth as he and Daryl stare at each other unblinkingly. And then he rolls Daryl's taste around in his mouth, slowly getting used to it. And then as he blinks slowly Rick swallows him down.
He cannot help smiling at the faintest hitch in Daryl's breathing. Closing his eyes briefly Rick licks the last bit of Daryl off his palm. As he swallows he opens his eyes to see Daryl still looking at him. He knows Daryl is waiting for him to say something and he will. But not what Daryl is expecting.
"We taste good together." Is what Rick says. Soft and quiet. His words float across the small space to Daryl as his eyes widen briefly in surprise.
And then he smiles as he leans in and Rick meets him more than halfway to share their joint taste with him.
