A few days later Rick is on an early evening watch when a group return from a run. Daryl among them. He watches as Daryl leaves the unpacking and heads up to him. When he gets there Rick turns to walk inside the tower but Daryl stops him.

"No, stay out there." Rick leans back on the balcony wall and waits for Daryl to walk out to him. He smiles and Daryl smiles back, but hesitantly. Then he opens his hand and shows Rick two rings.

Yellow gold, they glint dully in dying light of the day. Rick swallows and looks up into glowing blue eyes. "Yes." He says and holds out his left hand.

Daryl takes one ring and slides it on Rick's ring finger. The ring fits perfectly and he frowns. Daryl grins. "I measured it, knew your size."

Rick holds out his other hand and Daryl drops the other ring into it. Then he hesitates. "I've never worn anything like this for another person, I want you to know that." Rick nods.

"I know, I may have but this," He rubs his thumb over the new ring on his hand in place of his old one. "Means the world, it's never comin' off." And with that he slides the other ring over Daryl's finger. He grins as Daryl frowns at it. "'S okay, you'll get used to it soon enough." And then he draws Daryl in for a kiss.

"And I've been thinkin' I figure there's gotta' be a way we can pay Beth back. But I'm not lettin' Glenn watch us." Rick speaks when they pull apart.

"You serious? You want to have sex with her and Michonne watchin'?" Daryl asks curiously.

Rick nods. "Gotta find out what she wants though."

"I can tell you, she'll want to see you fuck me or suck me." Daryl's tone is certain.

Rick laughs. "Well, maybe I should pick you up after your yoga lesson tonight then, make it a surprise." He quirks a brow at Daryl who stars at him.

"Who're you and what've you done with Rick?" Rick laughs.

"I don't like owin' her and I feel like I do."

Daryl nods. "I get that, guess you're right even though she did get you. She's the only other person here you've fucked isn't she?" He's not really sure whether Rick had any one night stands or anything. He just knew women liked him.

Nodding Rick confirmed his words. "Yeah and that's your fault. I woulda' been just fine with the odd fantasy." They look at each other and shake their heads over the mess their double teaming of Beth had caused.

Daryl stays until Rick's watch comes up to relieve him they walk downstairs together and head in to eat. They separate after dinner. Daryl to his lesson, Rick to the showers. Then he puts Judith to bed and he and Carl spend some time talking and getting him further settled in his new room.

After that, Rick heads out to pick up Daryl. He'd continued taking yoga lessons and doing it in their cell of an evening on the nights he didn't see Beth.

Rick could tell the stretching was helping his joints, especially his shoulder that he'd been having trouble with. He knocks on the door and Michonne calls for him to come in. They're not finished yet so Rick sits in the chair and watches Beth put both Michonne and Daryl through their paces.

Or he watches Daryl. They all bend and stretch and hold before moving fluidly to the next position. When they're finished and doing cool down stretches Rick realises he's hard. And like that he realises he doesn't want to share Daryl with them, with anyone. At all.

Wondering how the hell he's going to convey that to Daryl he's surprised when Daryl stands and heads to the door, "Let's go, I need a shower." Rick grins knowing Daryl had decided he wasn't going to do it either. He says goodnight to the women and they walk to the showers together.

He's already had his but he keeps Daryl company. Neither of them talk about not having sex in front of Beth and Michonne.

When they're back in their cell Rick hands Daryl a comb and though he grumbles he combs his hair while Rick undresses after going to check on Judith one last time.

"I couldn't do it, don't want to share you." Daryl finally says as he gets into bed.

"Me neither, I changed my mind too." Rick says as Daryl enfolds him into his arms. Their kiss is long and languid and they stroke each other's bodies, they're slow, drawing out the anticipation. Daryl pushes back the covers as Rick kisses his neck, sucking softly.

And then he's kissing down Daryl's body, sucking his nipples to hardness, kissing and licking down to his cock. Daryl spreads his legs shamelessly and Rick chuckles. "Fucker." He mutters.

Rick's fingers ghost over him lightly. Daryl hands him the lube they've got. He'd managed to get a couple more tubes today but they were still circumspect with it. The day would come when they ran out, though they tried to stay stocked up.

He feels Rick engulf him in the wet heat of his mouth and his hips jerk up. Then he feels fingers skate over his balls, scratching lightly as they go and then pinch and push lightly at his perineum. Then there is a pause and cold, lubed fingers are at his hole.

Moaning Daryl bears down as Rick fucks two fingers into him, heading straight for his prostate. "Fuck, yes." He says softly as Rick begins to prod it firmly. "Gonna make me come." He mutters.

"That's the idea, then I'll fuck you hard again and you can fuck me. All your stretchin' made me fuckin' horny." Rick says as he continues prod Daryl's prostate. Then his mouth is back on Daryl's cock, sucking firmly he begins to move up and down, his tongue laving the underside of Daryl's cock all the while.

And his fucking fingers prodding over and over on Daryl's prostate until he feels like he's going out of his mind. And then Rick, that fucker pulls back and starts tongue fucking his slit. Daryl had never felt anything like it, he fucking rolled his tongue in and somehow managed to fuck Daryl's slit like he'd never felt before.

When Rick begins to do this Daryl feels his balls draw up and Rick does too because he begins to suck on him again. And Daryl's hands hold Rick's face as he fucks him now, ruthlessly pushing his cock in and out of Rick's open and willing mouth until he explodes in orgasm with a shouted moan he only just manages to muffle with a pillow.

As he relaxes on the bed again. He feels Rick moving and then his cock pushing steadily into him. "Oh, fuck." He moans as the heat begins to make his cock twitch again. Spreading his legs wider he lets Rick fuck into him long and slow.

It had taken Rick awhile to gather his courage to be the fucker, he'd surprised Daryl by being the fuckee first. But when he'd started to fuck Daryl, he'd caught on quick and had learned exactly how Daryl liked to be fucked and then some.

And unlike most men Daryl had known, he liked to fuck face-to-face. Daryl enjoyed it, it got him off seeing other's come, but most men didn't like it. So he'd been happy when Rick had asked him if the position was possible and had wanted to try it and once he had he'd wanted to keep fucking that way as well.

He also liked to ride Daryl's dick like it was a fucking wild mustang. That had surprised him too. In fact, just about everything sexual he and Rick had done had surprised him. When he'd asked Rick about it, he'd said once he realised that he wanted Daryl, he didn't see any point in agonizing about it.

"We only get one life Daryl, I'm fucked if I'm not gonna make the most of it now, especially when it could be taken from me tomorrow. When you could be taken from me tomorrow. Yeah I started out likin' women. But I don't see the sense in agonizin' over likin' and wantin' a man now when we could walk outside now and lose our lives. I'd rather take what I can get, give it too, without gettin' all bent out of shape over the gender of the person I'm fuckin'."

That had been right around the time he'd decided he was ready to be the fuckee. Maybe that was when he'd well and truly fallen for Rick.

Either way Daryl would never forget those words as long as he lived.

Daryl kissed Rick as he leaned down, and then they began to fuck, nice and slow. Rick building him up again so he could be fucked too. It was something he liked, to fuck and be fucked straight away.

Daryl had no problem with that, he wasn't a man who came once and was then useless for hours. Neither was Rick. When Daryl fucked him, he'd come again too.

His eyes roll a little when Rick sucks on his nipples, he'd found out early Daryl like his nipples being played with and he enjoyed playing with them. His tongue flicks at them and he bites them softly, just the faintest scrape of his teeth, Rick was a believer in using teeth.

But delicately. Daryl had never felt the like. When others used their teeth on him he was usually left with bites and bruises, not with shivers and shakes and cries of more coming out of his mouth like now.

He moans again and pulls the pillow over his head as he feels his cock hardening again. Rick the fucker was not speeding up, he was fucking Daryl nice and slow, so slow he wouldn't come. So he could then fuck Rick. When he's fully erect again Rick begins to speed up, chasing his own orgasm now.

Daryl clenches his internal muscles as hard as he can on Rick and it's his turn to moan. "Oh fuck, yes." Daryl says as Rick releases inside him. "Fucking hot." He says as he feels Rick heating him from the inside out.

Collapsing on him for a few minutes Rick breathes heavily. "God, I love fucking you." He says as he pulls out. Kneeling up he shoves his fingers back inside Daryl and pulls them out to suck on.

"You are such a dirty fucker." Daryl says as he begins to jerk his cock off, keeping it hard for Rick. "Prep yourself for me, wanna watch you."

"And I'm the dirty fucker?" Rick says with a grin as he takes up the lube again and puts some on his fingers. He stands and moves to the chair with Daryl turning on his side to watch. Resting one hand on the chair back Rick looks over his shoulder at Daryl. "Comfy?" He asks as Daryl pillows his head on his hand.

"Sure am darlin'." Daryl grins as he answers. Rick shakes his head and then he spreads his legs and pushes his butt out. Still looking at Daryl he pushes two fingers inside his hole, stretching them apart, stretching himself for Daryl.

He's still breathing heavy from coming inside Daryl. And the same fingers that he'd had inside Daryl just moments ago scooping out his come to eat were now in his own backside. He moans breathily at the thought.

And then there are hands on his hips and breath on his backside. And then, "Oh fuck!" He exclaims as Daryl's tongue begins to lick his hole, around the fingers he still has inside himself. Already his cock is hardening again.

Then Daryl is gone. "Back on the bed." His words are husky, aroused. Rick removes his fingers and moves back to the bed. He straddles Daryl's prone form and without further ado sinks down over Daryl's cock, taking it in one long slow glide.

"Fuck." Rick says again as he feels himself spread for Daryl. His hands come to rest on Daryl's shoulders as he finally bottoms out on top of him.

He looks down at Daryl in the low light of their room. They've left a small lantern going, they like to be able to see each other. "I'm glad we didn't fuck in front of them." Rick whispers to Daryl as he begins to fuck up and down slowly on his cock.

"Me too. Mine." Daryl murmurs. Rick smiles as he holds up his left hand and kisses the ring Daryl had put there earlier in the evening. He takes Daryl's left hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing Daryl's ring as well.

Then Daryl is up like a shot, his arms wrapping around Rick's waist and sliding up his back to pull him down as Daryl lays down again. And he kisses Rick. Slow and wet their tongues entwine. Arm's hugging as they continue to fuck each other.

Rick pulls back eventually and arches his back, his hands resting on Daryl's spread thighs behind him as he begins to move up and down faster. Daryl flexes his hips moving up and down faster as well.

Rick feels his hardening cock being taken in hand and looks down to see Daryl's left hand grasping him and beginning to jerk him off. His ring glinting at him makes him smile.

And then his eyes are caught by Daryl's. And time slows and stills.

It's just the two of them, nothing else exists. They move in counterpart but are still together. And as Rick arches in orgasm he closes his eyes though he still sees Daryl's own blazing blue eyes fluttering closed as he released inside Rick as well.

Collapsing down on Daryl's chest Rick straightens his legs and reaches back for the blankets. It's not yet warm enough to sleep without blankets. He doesn't move off Daryl and Daryl's doesn't move him.

As they drift off to sleep Rick grins. "You're mine too, old man." He laughs softly as Daryl snorts and scrapes his nails down Rick's side, tickling him.

But he doesn't disagree.

##########

The next morning Daryl stretches, he feels better for taking lessons from Beth. He grins as Rick kisses the back of his neck before he goes to roust Judith and Carl. Grabbing his weapons Daryl heads down for breakfast. He eats and grabs two mugs of the raspberry tea they were now back to and walks out to Herschel.

"Mornin' Daryl." Herschel takes the tea while Daryl gets settled.

"Hey 'ol timer." Daryl grins as Herschel makes a harrumphing sound.

They sit and talk quietly as always. Make their plans talk about the council stuff they usually do. And all the while Daryl is comfortable, he feels at peace as he hasn't felt in a very long time.

Herschel taps his ring. "Congratulations."

Daryl puts out his finger and stares at the ring. "Well, we're not married, ain't having a ceremony or anything, but thanks."

"It's the thought that counts. And that's why I offered my congratulations Daryl."

Nodding Daryl lets his finger rest back on his mug with a dull clunking sound.

"Thanks, Herschel. Thanks."

They sit there for a further time. Sipping and talking about nothing in particular.

Then Herschel asks a question he's had on his mind for a few weeks now. "Have you talked and sorted everything out with Rick?"

Daryl nods. "Yeah, we're exclusive, committed, I got the kids too. You know discipline and shit?" Herschel nods agreeably. "And we make decisions together when we can. Don't get bent out of shape when we can't. We didn't have this huge conversation, mostly just here and there when stuff came up." Daryl stopped talking as he drank the last of his cooling tea.

"I guess, the thing will be to keep talkin', not get bent out of shape and shit, to talk about whatever the fuck's botherin' us soon as it starts botherin' us. I know Rick needs space sometimes, 'm like that myself and he knows that too." He shrugs. "I think we'll get there, won't always be easy, don't think it's meant to be, anythin' worth havin', it should be worked for I think?" He phrases his last sentence as a question and looks at Herschel for his opinion.

"Exactly right, anything in this life worth having, should be work. Even if it only means you appreciate it that much more. Congratulations Daryl, you're going to be just fine with Rick, just make sure you don't let the sun go down on an argument." Herschel gripped Daryl's shoulder as he got to his feet. Then with a pat he took their mugs and walked back inside. Daryl looked after him until a shadow fell over him.

He squints up and Rick as he kneels and moves so his body is blocking the sun. "Mornin' again." He says as he leans in for a kiss. Daryl kisses him back and watches as Rick sits back, again making sure his shadow keeps Daryl shaded.

Daryl flashed on Glenn all those months ago and how he'd thought he'd been doing the same thing when he hadn't been. He knew instinctively Rick was deliberately blocking the sun for him. It's what people did for their other halves he now knew and realised.

"I been thinkin' where we could go. We need some better maps, I figure the local law enforcement offices might have somethin' we can use. Or local town plannin' office. But I was also thinkin', how local do we wanna' stay?" Rick moved back as Daryl stood up and held out a hand to him.

"Not too local. I been thinkin' on a place, but I need to check it out. I'm thinkin' we need to head for the hills. Harsher climate, 'specially winter, but there's a couple of places I think might do, if they ain't already occupied." Daryl settles his crossbow on his back and he and Rick walk down to the fields together. "Can leave in a day or two, figure I'll take Beth, Bob, Tyrese, Sasha and that Patrick kid. He's damn light on his feet and we could use tiny in some spaces."

Rick chuckled. "Yeah, not Glenn?" He asked as he began to grab the tools he needed. Daryl and Glenn almost always travelled together.

"Nah, he can come with you, if the other's like the look of it. I want Sasha to look at it, Beth will look at it with Herschel's eyes. Bob and Patrick will be lookouts and Tyrese can look at it with a view to wallin' it up."

"I'm okay with it you know, if you want to take Glenn. I know you ain't goin' back there Daryl." Rick says as Daryl walks with him to the fields.

"Yeah, I know that, ain't leavin' him home for you. 'M leavin' him at home for himself." Rick frowned as he stopped at looked at Daryl.

"Shit, really? Now I feel like shit." He says as he realises what Daryl didn't say. Man was a master of the non-verbal answer that was for sure.

"Ain't your cause to feel that way, he never said nothin', wouldn't have made a difference, I never felt that way for him." Daryl turns his head to Rick, looking at him evenly as he speaks.

"Good, 'cause I think I might have dueled for you Daryl Dixon." Rick says softly as he looks into Daryl's glowing blue eyes.

With a snort Daryl began to walk away. "Gotta know how to use a sword for that Sheriff." Rick grinned as he noticed the tips of Daryl's ears were red.

"Yeah yeah." He mutters as he goes about his daily work.

##########

A couple of days later Daryl and his chosen group drive out. The council is aware he's looking at a small town near where he grew up. One that you'd miss if you blinked as you were driving through it, it was that small apparently. What he likes about it, is that its surrounded on two sides, it would be easier to wall off.

Rick doesn't sleep well when Daryl is gone, he hardly ever did when Daryl wasn't with him these days. When he returns after a couple of weeks it's all Rick can do not to kidnap him for some alone time straight away.

That night he and Sasha and the other's talk to the council. It's a possibility, a real possibility. The next group to go take a look includes Rick and Glenn and Michonne and Herschel this time. Unless a herd comes around Herschel should be okay not being able to run too far.

Rick looks at his babies a week later as he gets up to leave. Beth will take care of them he knows. As will Maggie and Carol and T. But they're still his and both their parents are leaving them this time. That is not a good idea.

But, if anyone can make it back alive, it's Daryl. They all travel companionably and quietly. On the way there they look at what can be used to wall the place up. What they can scavenge.

When they get there Daryl is driving. He crests a small rise and stops his vehicle. The other stops behind. Stepping out he moves to the front, everyone else follows him.

"Wow." Glenn says as he looks at the small town nestled at the foothills of the mountain range.

"River's to the north, I've checked the flood lines. Closest house ain't near the highest flood line I found. Gorge to the south and then you got this way in and the mountains. It'd be work, but I like bein' protected, out-of-the-way. Mean longer runs though until we can be fully self-sufficient again. And it's a higher elevation so winter'll be worse." Daryl stops speaking allowing the other's to look their fill.

"If you say yes, I already picked our house." He says softly to Rick.

Looking over at Daryl, Rick smiles. And he shakes his head. "Of course you have." He says with a grin. He knew it would be a strong house, one that had room for them all. Looking back at the town he looks out over toward the horizon. "I like it, I like it a lot. But you're right. Lot of work."

Herschel murmured an agreement as did Glenn. But no one had said no outright. Getting back in their vehicles they head into town. When Daryl had been here the first time, they'd cleared the houses and locked them up tightly. They didn't need to be open yet.

Settling in for the night in what seems to be the town hall they talk. Like the others, this current group all agree, the town has potential. "Unless we find something else quick, I vote we start to prepare to move. I think we should do as many runs as we can and gather what we can so we can move it all together. And we should get a group here now to start on a temporary wall at least." Glenn is already planning.

"Well, we have to broach it with the whole group we've got." Rick rubs Daryl's thigh as he speaks, thinking aloud. "Probably not all of 'em are gonna' want to come and that's fine."

"Do you think your council will be usurped?" Michonne asks quietly. Cutting to the chase as always.

"Maybe, but I think if we're telling everyone they're more than welcome to come along I think we can avoid that." Herschel says.

Glenn agrees. "But all the same, if some people decide to stay, they're going to expect to be left with the lions share of stores we've got now." He answers.

"Ain't gonna happen." Rick said. "We found 'em, we brought 'em to the prison, we still do most of the huntin' and scavengin', we'll take a fair and shared percentage once we've worked out who's gonna stay and whose gonna go. We created that prison, we ain't getting' thrown the fuck out on our asses." His words are firm, they brook no argument.

"So for the purposes of this move, I guess we're back livin' in a Ricktatorship again then huh?' Daryl questions out of the blue.

There is a small pause before everyone bursts into laughter.

Rick looks at them all, even Daryl is laughing albeit not as uncontrollably as the others. "Ricktatorship huh?" He questions Daryl. "Did you come up with that term smartass?"

Shaking his head Daryl said no. "That'd be…I don't rightly know actually now that I think about it. I'd say Shane 'cept he was long gone." He shook his head as he frowned trying to think of who'd said the word first. "Nope, can't remember."

##########

Several years later.

Rick watched as the last sandstone block was lowered into place. He wiped the sweat from his brow with Daryl's bandana and shoved it back in his pocket coping a feel of his backside as he does so.

"Fucker." Daryl mutters as he feels Rick's fingers caressing him.

"Oh now, you know you love it darlin'." Rick laughs as he unbuttons his shirt. "It is fuckin' hot."

When the last slab is slotted into place he just stands and stares as he absently pulls his shirt off and ties it around his waist. Unlike Daryl he still wore sleeves and they came in handy now so he could tie his shirt around him.

Daryl's shirt was open but he kept it on. Rick knew why. All of their original group did, they never said anything but they knew. Like Daryl knew he could take his shirt off in front of them without comment. And indeed when it was just them he would take his shirt off.

But with the number of people they had here now, well he didn't and wouldn't invite that sort of conversation that would occur.

Rick cheered along with everyone else as they stared at the wall. It had taken five years. Five fucking years of blood, sweat, tears and back-breaking labour. Two years of makeshift fencing while getting the blocks and bricks together. And then five fucking years to build it what with having to stop now and then for weather and shit.

Daryl slides an arm around his shoulders and Rick grins at him as he grins back. "Gonna celebrate tonight old man?" He questions on a laugh.

"Fuck yeah." Daryl answers him. His laugh trails off though as he looks over at the small cemetery they had.

With a nudge Rick pushes him in that direction. "Go on, go tell him the good news."

Without looking back Daryl heads to the cemetery. He'd already told Rick when it was his turn he wanted to be burned and then his ashes spread on the wind. And he'd told Beth and Maggie as well and Carl who was old enough to understand now.

Surprisingly Rick had said he wanted the same as did Michonne. But Herschel had wanted to be buried and so bury him they had.

Putting a hand on a fence post Daryl vaults the small fence bypassing the gate as always. He'd been here this morning but this was news that needed to be shared immediately.

"Hey 'ol timer, we finally got the wall finished. And it looks fuckin' amazin'. I wish you could see it." He squats down as always and places his palm on the rough sandstone marker Glenn had carved. His ring gleams in the sunlight.

A little battered now from all that Daryl has put it through, but he'd sworn to Rick he'd never take it off and he hadn't. It had necessitated some dings, but Rick's was the same. They figured that was just an indication of the work they did on and for each other.

Carl wore Rick's old ring from his time with Lori on a leather thong around his neck and Judith was aware she would one day soon get Lori's rings as well.

"Man, it's a sight to see. Can see it from a distance, like how they used to say that wall over in China could be seen from space. Never believed that shit until I was out one day and saw our wall." Daryl mused as he alternated between looking at Herschel's stone and their now completed wall.

"Takes in our fields, woods, goes all the way to the gorge and then picks straight back up and goes to the foothills. You were right to tell us to wall in the fields. Think we'll be expandin' on it the way people are findin' us though. But this wall, it means the most, it's ours, protects ours, keeps ours safe." Daryl stands after a few more minutes of silence and then turns to walk away. "Be seein' you first thing in the mornin' Herschel."

There is no answer, there hasn't been for a few years now. But Daryl knows that Herschel is listening to him, and that he'll be waiting for him each morning when he comes to visit. He grins at the man waiting for him by the gate.

Tall, rangy, no extra fat anywhere on him. Like Daryl he was physically honed to whipcord leaness, absolute strength and adroitness. He had to be to put up with Daryl really. And Ass Kicker who grew more like Daryl every day.

Daryl leaps the fence again and they fall in beside each other on the way to their house.

Their home. Where their family waited for them.