I don't like this chapter. Hopefully you all do.
Carol checked the clock for the seventh time in two minutes – 6:55. Time was moving at a snail's pace. Her nerves are at an all time high and she's adjusted her clothes constantly. Her hair that she'd finally tamed is no longer sleek. It's now tousled and mussed thanks to her nervous ticks. She can't remember the last time she'd felt this nervous. It certainly wasn't ever with Todd. That alone has her snorting because distance really is a great thing. It's opened her eyes to how terrible the relationship truly was.
Carol eyes the table setting and hopes it isn't to formal. Sighing to herself she walks over and starts adjusting things. Again. The doorbell rings stalling her movements.
Carol is across the room and tearing the door open. Her eyes stay on his face just barely. The sound of the rain behind him is calming despite the thundering of her heart. He tilts his head and she opens the door wider for him.
"Hello." She smiles.
As he slides past she is forced to face the fact that he'd gotten soaked waiting on her to open her door. His white shirt is clinging to him in all the right ways. Instead of looking like a drowned rat like any normal person it just ups his appeal. When she peels her eyes off him and meets his eyes again she's caught and knows it. He raises a brow at her and she flushes.
Despite him being soaked he still manages to make her feel disjointed. She's got a tight red dress. It was something her mother bought her a few weeks ago. She never thought she would have the occasion to wear it. Her mom – eternal optimist thought otherwise.
When he stays quiet Carol feels her nerves climb. His face is neutral except the slight twitch to his lips. "You aren't having a stroke or something are you?"
At that he snorts and shakes his head. It causes rain water to slide down his throat and she swallows. "Not likely."
"Do you need a towel? You're all wet."
He shrugs his coat off and she steps forward to take the sodden leather. Avoiding staring at him. Reminding herself that he's here because she has to thank him so how. And cussing at him constantly doesn't seem to be the right way to go. Coming back into the living room she hands him a towel. He takes it without saying a word and starts drying his hair. Carol's lips part and her breathing hitching. He looks up at her and smirks. Her world tilts just a little bit.
They're interrupted by the phone ringing and Carol lunges for it. "Hello."
"Carol! Sweetheart I'm glad I caught you home."
Carol shoots Daryl an apologetic look and he just leans into the door frame watching her. His stare is intense and she needs a drink.
"You knew I would be home." Carol deadpans to her mother.
Her mother laughs through the phone loudly. "Not really. I thought you'd be out with that new boyfriend of yours."
Carol's momentarily distracted by Daryl moving and barely registers what her mother says. When she does her eyes widen.
"Excuse me?"
"Honestly Carol I don't know why you didn't just tell me. I had to hear from Todd of all people that you were with someone new." Her mother scolds.
Carol's sure Daryl can hear every word being said. If the look on his face is anything to go by. He looks far to amused. Hearing like a fucking bat this one. She scowls at him and he barks a laugh suddenly. It's all the confirmation she needed.
"OH! He's there isn't he?" Her mother squeals on the line and Carol's face flushes. "I'm coming over!"
The line is dead before she can say a word. She's left sputtering and staring at her phone. When it's taken from her hand she gapes up at Daryl. He's fighting laughing in her face. He hangs it up and looks at her again.
"She – no." Carol shakes her head. "My god."
Daryl runs his hand through his hair the mussed up look is enough to distract her from her crisis. He looks around the room before looking back at her. When he does he looks expectant.
"Did you hear that?" Carol questions.
"Yes."
Carol swallows. "I can't believe she's just on her way here! She's never done this before."
Daryl shrugs at her and she resists cursing at him again. When his eyes land on the oreos and fluff she'd forgotten to put up earlier she flushes.
"Listen we should reschedule. I need to explain to her that we're absolutely not dating." Carol rubs at her face. "Fucking Todd."
His face is neutral again but his eyes change just slightly. She isn't sure what she's seeing but it gives her the distinct feeling she's treading on thin ice. He nods at her and turns grabbing his leather jacket. She has the urge to stop him leaving and just refusing to introduce him to her mother. She can just explain everything at the door. She's stopped from saying anything though when she realizes that her mother will be at the wedding.
"Fuck." Carol mutters and catches his arm. "Daryl."
When he looks at her again she swallows at the intense stare. "What?"
"She's going to be at the wedding." Carol feels her face heat up.
He isn't saying anything and time is running out. Her mom doesn't live that far away. She knows why her mom is acting like this and it's her own fault. She has a tendency to get wrapped up in her own world and forget to tell her important things. For instance she dated Todd for eight months before thinking to mention it to her mom. Todd was mad and Carol's mom was hurt. Now it seemed her mom was going to head it off before Carol could do it again.
"Okay." His cool demeanor is enough to have her calming down. He seems unflappable. He shrugs the leather coat off again and it's just in time when a knock at the door interrupts them. He looks at it briefly before a smirk tugs at his lips.
"You're an asshole." Carol mutters walking by.
He's laughing behind her when she opens the door. Brooklynn Thorn is the older version of Carol, her daughter. Except there is no jaded look to her eyes and she has laugh lines. Her eyes are bright and vibrant green. Almost emerald and Carol's always been told she got her father's eyes.
"Well let me in already." Brooklynn admonishes.
She steps around Carol and breezes right in. When Carol turns it to seeing Daryl on her couch with her bitch of a cat in his lap. It's enough to stall her out. Buffy hates everyone but Carol and at times that's even debatable. The loud purring that's coming from the cat has her mother beaming.
"You must be Daryl!"
He smiles. It's charming and open. Her mother's eyes glaze for a second and he slowly pulls himself to his feet. He moves like ink in water and Carol swallows. Her mother steps forward and holds her hand out. Daryl shakes it immediately.
"And you're Carol's mother."
"So you've heard about me but I didn't get the same consideration." She shoots Carol a look before smiling at Daryl again.
He snorts and shrugs. "She's easily distracted."
Her mother laughs and nods. Carol's slightly stunned watching the easy way her mom talks to him. It's just another difference that she sees now. It was never this easy with Todd. It always felt forced and her mother didn't exactly approve when he proposed. Her mother going so far as to get up and leave the room while he was down on one knee.
Carol reminds them that she cooked and her mother invites herself to dinner. Carol sighs but maybe it's for the best. It'd be a buffer and keep her from saying or doing something stupid. While her mother slyly pulls information from Daryl she serves them. She discovers he has a brother and they own their own business. That he moved here because of his brother that he originally lived in another state.
"How did you meet Carol?"
Daryl sips his whiskey and shoots her an amused look. Her mother misreads it and starts smiling even more. She's already dreading hearing what her mother has to say when he's not here.
"Mom." Carol huffs. "Let him eat."
"Carol." Her mother retorts just as annoyed. "Let him answer. God knows you won't."
Daryl is smirking and watching them. "We met at a bar."
Her mother nods at them and then looks to the clock. Three hours have passed. They've long since stopped eating and instead slowly started drinking. Well her and Daryl. Her mother is as sober as a judge. And interrogating them like she is one. Daryl doesn't seem bothered though but more amused. It's the same amusement he had at Todd's hostility to him at the bar.
Her mother stands and her hand goes to Daryl's shoulder. "It was so nice meeting you. Carol are you bringing him to Ryan's birthday party tomorrow?"
Carol flounders and helplessly looks to Daryl. He's silent. Of course he's silent. Even though he doesn't make a sound she can see the laughter in his eyes. When his brow climbs up she knows she's digging this hole deeper.
"Yes."
Her mother beams at them. Carol shoots Daryl a withering look as she stands to walk her mom out. He chuckles. The sound low and deep. It settles somewhere between her thighs. A shiver races up her spine and she walks away quicker.
When they're far enough away her mother latches onto her and smiles. "He's amazing, Carol. Really. I guess it explains why Todd was so whiny."
"Why were you talking to Todd?" Carol questions.
Her mother shrugs. "He ran into me while I was out and opened his mouth. He doesn't seem to like Daryl. He said he was a rude, arrogant, and that he was taking liberties with you."
At her mother's look Carol's face heats. She shakes her head. "Ignore him, really. He met Daryl for all of five minutes and they butted head."
Her mother hums while opening the door. "I can see that." Her mother gets a downright mischievous smile. "Though I think it could have something to do with how gorgeous he is."
Carol covers her face and feels like she's sixteen all over again. Her mother's laughter is bright and delighted.
"Hold on to him." Her mother winks and leaves after that. "I've never seen you smile so much or laugh like that."
Carol makes her way back into the house and finds Daryl bent down and scratching on the ground at Buffy. The cat is slinking towards him ready to pounce. He looks over at her and his eyes slide over her quickly before he looks back at the cat that has wrapped around his hand.
"Well that wasn't awkward at all." Carol states immediately making it even more awkward.
Daryl looks at her and shakes his head. "Why did you date Todd?" He stands and Carol's forced to look up at him. "Out of curiosity."
Carol stares at him hard. "That's not really any of your business."
"You're clearly not stupid," He says completely disregarding her comment. "and you're really quite attractive." He rolls his shoulders. His shirt tightens across his chest and her mouth goes dry. "When you try that is."
She's reminded that he's seen her drunk, hungover, and in his sweats. It's not a good record.
"Do you have a problem minding your own business?" Carol questions. "First at the bar, the store, and now this." She narrows her eyes.
"There's a lot I don't know about you, Carol. I don't like not knowing things and especially about the women I'm pretending to date."
"Is this a common occurrence for you then?" Carol challenges.
He gives her an amused grin that could be described as devilish. "This is getting us nowhere. You were telling me about Todd." He looks at her innocently.
She sighs shaking her head. "We were friends for a long time before we dated. We thought we were in love so then we dated. Then we got engaged. He didn't like how much I worked. He wanted me to quit and stay home. We fought a lot about it." Her voice is bitter. "Then you met Aurora."
"What do you do?" It isn't the question she expects. She has the feeling it isn't the question he wanted to ask either.
"Nothing terribly interesting." Carol shrugs. "I consult on the art that comes through the University and museum helping to date it."
"But you don't love it."
"What?" Carol sputters. "Of course I love my job. If I didn't I would have never let it interfere with my relationship."
Daryl raises a brow at her and she's starting to realize this is a signature look for him. He rolls his eyes at her and shakes his head. "I'm not an idiot, Carol. Anyone with half a brain can see you and that ginger twat weren't going to last." he holds his hand up silencing her. "And not because of your job."
"What do you do for a living Daryl?" Carol forces the attention on him.
It was something her mother didn't get out of him. She just knew he worked with his brother. He held his cards close to his chest.
"I build and design bikes." He says smoothly. His accent rolls off his tongue like a shot of whiskey. It burns.
More than that though she can hear that he does enjoy it just from his tone. He's picked a career that he actually enjoys unlike her. It taste bitter in her mouth.
"That's incredible."
He smiles then. It's bright and lights his face up. "Want to see them?"
"You mean now?"
"Yes."
That was how Carol found herself in a showroom for bikes. They weren't just ordinary. Everything here looked amazing. Unique and to know he done this had her eyes widening. He was walking around and flipping lights on. The glass of the front of the shop showed her that the storm was still going but she didn't care at the moment. The lights made the paint shine bright and sparkle.
"These are incredible."
His breath fans her neck and she stills. His lips are right at the shell of her ear. "Wait till you see the rest."
His hand is on her lower back and he's guiding her further into the shop. Her eyes are widening at the amount of bikes and other vehicles on show. She looks at him and his eyes are ahead of them. He looks relaxed more than she's seen before. If she'd never seen him here before she would have never noticed how tense he'd been before.
"This makes me feel so small."
When he looks over at her then she's having trouble breathing. His eyes are blue. They've always been blue but now she can see the sharp jets of onyx around the edges. How the light is making them shine and it looks like flakes of snow are in the them. Despite the frosty appearance his eyes aren't cold. She remembers thinking he was attractive before and thinks that maybe she was wrong. Daryl is a lot more than just looks. He's beautiful and there is no other word for it.
"We need to go over the plans for Sunday." He says suddenly.
Carol sobers from her delusions. "Yes, that's good I have some rules I want you to follow." She says sternly.
