Just before dusk, Shane and Daryl emerged from the woods, filthy, exhausted, and with nothing to show for it except for a few squirrels and two rabbits that Daryl had bagged along the way. He took them back to the main camp, skinning them with heavy eyelids.

Shane sat on the picnic bench, watching the group gather and disperse at the sight of them and the fresh meat. Rick sat down next to him, never really leaving his side nor saying anything until most of the people had gone about their business. "Hershel asked that we not have our guns loaded and out on his property anymore. Said he this was his home not an armory."

"Yeah well, Hershel ain't been everywhere we have. He don't know what its like anymore and every fucking place should be an armory," Shane groused. He watched Daryl's hands work with a few slips, showing his tiredness.

"Yeah, well it's still his property. Said he wants us gone as soon as possible. I'm trying to convince him otherwise."

"Better keep Glenn away from the farmer's daughter then."

Rick snorted. "I think it's a little late for that. She's done some pursuing of her own too."

"Yeah, I seen that. Poor kid doesn't know what he's gotten into with that girl I think."

"She's got a strong personality, that's for sure."

"Yeah."

"How'd it go with Daryl today?" Rick asked, casting his eyes sideways at Shane, checking for any body language that would give him away.

"Just fine," he said. "He had a panic attack though. Had to hold him until he calmed down," he added, turning to face Rick, daring the other man to say something.

Rick nodded as if he had expected as much, but the bright blue of his eyes showed his surprise. "He let you hold him?"

"Yeah, for a bit. Tight as a fucking wire but eventually he relaxed against me. Let me rub his back and stroke his hair even," Shane grinned at the last part, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I have to say, it was nice feeling his head on my shoulder and his hand on my chest."

Rick snorted, but turned to watch Daryl. "What'd he have the panic attack about?"

Shane shrugged, hands on top of his head as he got more comfortable on the bench. "I told him same thing I've been telling you. That we're chasing a ghost. He swung on me, hit me square in the jaw so I grabbed him. Musta had flashbacks from his family when I got him pinned down to the ground."

"That's rough, man," Rick mumbled, watching as the hunter stood, wiping his blade off on his pants. He looked over at the two men, first Rick then at Shane, blue eyes downcasted before he gave them a curt nod and headed off towards his camp.

Shane watched him walk away, enjoying the curve of his back as it smoothed over his round ass. As Daryl dipped into his tent, Shane stood, grabbing a bucket of water and a rag. "Gonna go make sure he's all right," he told Rick.

Rick stood, hand on his arm as the other reached for the bucket. "I think I'll take care of that for you. Don't need to be setting him off on another panic attack."

Shane let him take the bucket out of his hand. He wanted to fight, but honestly, he was too damn tired. The Georgia heat had taken out any fight he had left and he himself needed to get washed up. He knew he stank ten ways to heaven. So instead, he let Rick take the bucket of water over to Daryl. Let him figure out on his own that Shane didn't lie to him. He hadn't actually tried anything with him in his vulnerable state except for holding him until he calmed down. Shane was pretty damn proud of himself for that too. Let Daryl tell Rick himself that he and Shane make a good pair. Rick can pour salt in his own wound.

Shane stood there and watched until he saw Rick call out to Daryl and see the man emerge from the tent, looking down at the bucket. He saw the look of confusion on his face as he looked back towards camp and return his gaze to Rick. Shane smirked. Maybe Daryl had expected him to come out to his camp. Perhaps the surprise of someone else out there might drive Daryl into his own tent later. Shane hummed as he made his way over to another bucket, taking a cloth and wiping his chest, arms and face down. Perhaps he'd go down to the lake in a bit and really wash up before he went to bed.

Daryl stood outside his tent, eyeing the bucket Rick had in his hands. "Shane was going to bring it, but I thought maybe you had had enough of him for the day," he smiled sheepishly, holding the pail out.

Daryl just snorted, taking the bucket from his hands and mumbling his thanks.

"He said you had a panic attack," Rick continued before Daryl could disappear again.

He thought about just ignoring the comment and going in his tent, but at this point he knew better. Rick was a persistent fucker. "I swung on him."

Rick nodded. "Yeah, he said that too. Said he caught ya and got ya pinned down and you started to panic."

Daryl sighed, sitting the bucket down and looking up squarely at Rick. "You wanna talk about my feelings now?"

Rick shrugged, trying to not look threatening nor defensive. "Just wanted to make sure that Shane didn't overstep his bounds."

"Like he did with you yesterday in the woods?"

Daryl's look was challenging. Rick backed up a step, hands going to his hips. "Something like that."

"He hurt ya before?" Daryl asked quietly.

Rick smirked, "Since we did this discussion get turned to me?"

Daryl shrugged, sitting down on the stump next to him. He figured if Rick wanted to talk, his bath was going to be awhile away. "He told me 'bout y'all and Lori. I won't say nothing but thought it was only right for you to know."

Rick nodded sitting across from Daryl in the dirt, knees drawn up, resting his arms on his legs. "Yeah, that was a long time ago. Once I got with Lori though, it was over between us. And no, he never hurt me physically. He's a manipulative man, though, Daryl. You need to know that."

"Kinda figured that out already," he said, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees.

"So did he overstep his bounds?"

"Nah." Running the toe of his boot in the dirt, Daryl considered the events of the day. To be fair, Shane hadn't really overstepped anything. Did he want to have a panic attack? No. Did he want to be cuddled in the other man's strong arms? Not really, but it wasn't an awful experience. Just fucking uncomfortable.

"He said he held you to calm you down. Did he try anything?"

Daryl snorted. "Can take care of myself." Rick looked pointedly at him. "No, he didn't try anything. Woulda knocked his block off." Rick nodded at that. "Ya sure he never hurt ya?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure. I've fought against him before." Daryl didn't like the sound of that. He had fought against his dad and brother before, that didn't mean that they didn't hurt him.

"Lori?"

Rick sighed. "She gave him those scratches on his face back at the CDC. She said he tried to get up on her but he was drunk. He disappeared back to his room after that."

Daryl nodded hesitantly. He had no good way of telling Rick that Shane reminded him of his dad and brother. They were both manipulative assholes who would promise you the world and then beat you into the ground if you tried to make good on it. Hell, even if you just breathed in their general direction. Daryl had many bruised ribs and broken arms because of walking through the front door at the wrong time. He sensed that Shane had that in him too and that if Rick wasn't careful, it would be directed at him and at the wrong time.

Rick gave him a little smile, bending to catch his downcasted gaze with his own sapphire blues. "I can handle Shane. If ya don't want him around ya anymore, just tell me."

"Sure looked like ya can handle him with ya pinned against the tree yesterday. What woulda happened if I hadn'ta followed ya into the woods?"

Rick sighed, looking back over at the main camp. No one was really paying them any mind. "He woulda let me go. I doubt he woulda done anything with everyone so close."

"So what if y'all go on a run? Huh? Ain't safe, Rick. I know his kind. Hell, I lived with his kind. You're our fucking leader. What would happen if we lost ya?" Daryl's face burned hot with closely bridled anger and pent up frustration with the man in front of him.

"I didn't want to be a leader-"

"Well ya are," Daryl cut him off. "He's trying ta take over. Ya can't…" He sucked in a breath.

Rick moved over to sit next to Daryl. "I won't. And you won't. We're in this together."

Daryl scoffed, looking over at him. "Ya lose your mind back in Atlanta? In case you haven't noticed, it's every man for himself out here."

Rick shook his head. "Nah, it ain't. We all depend on each other here. Everyone does their part."

"Yeah? What's Andrea's part? Dale? Huh, smart man? I fuckin' feed y'all. Ain't none of y'all made out for a world like this. I've always been in a world like this. Every damn day is about survival."

Rick felt the tension coil in the man beside him. "Exactly. So we need you. I'd love it if you taught me to hunt and track like you can. Hell, even to be half as good as you. I admire you, Daryl. You're a good man," he said, resting his hand on the base of his neck. The tension in his shoulders surprised him.

Daryl huffed, the fight leaving him slightly at the warmth on the back of his neck from Rick's hand. In less than 24 hours he had had two men care for him more than his own family ever really did with positive touches and words. It took the fucking apocalypse for him to find decent people? Arms crossed over his chest, he looked over at Rick, taking in the kind, soft features, gentle and encouraging smile. He didn't fight back or raise his voice when Daryl had; he hadn't raised his hand to him or shoved him down face first in the dirt. He had told him he was a good man and that he was needed.

Rick Grimes was one of the best men he had ever met.

Daryl broke eye contact, looking down at the ground, at his muddy boots and dirty pants. He felt like he wasn't even worthy of being in this man's presence like this. He huffed, standing up. "Ya can take the bucket back to someone else. I'ma head down to the lake to wash up proper."

Rick nodded, watching as Daryl disappeared back in his tent.

Standing waist deep in the lake, Daryl took in the setting sun as its rays dipped beneath the treeline. In minutes it would disappear entirely, leaving the hazy dark blues and grays of the early evening. Taking his bar of soap, he continued to scrub his body and hair, trying to get the past few days worth of grime and walker blood off his skin. He'd never admit it to anyone, but it felt good to go to bed clean. Neither running nor warm water was ever really a luxury he had had growing up, so bathing in the lake was nothing to him. Most often the money meant to pay the electric and water had been used for meth or alcohol before it ever made it to the utility company.

Daryl sighed at the coolness of the water on his hot skin. Surely he was sunburnt in some patches, but that would disappear in a day or two. A minor sunburn was nothing to him. He dipped beneath the water to get the soap off his skin and hair, relishing in the feeling. Maybe once he found Sophia, Carol would let him bring her here so she could go swimming.

"Well, well, well, looks like I'm not the only one who wanted to take a real shower this evening."

Daryl whipped around, facing Shane on the bank of the lake, shirtless with a towel thrown over his shoulder. "Shit," he mumbled to himself.

"Don't let me stop ya," he said. "Just came to do the same thing." He stripped down, leaving his clothes on the riverbank before wading into the dark water. Daryl watched as he peeled his underwear off, tossing them haphazardly up on shore. "Forgot to bring clothes to walk back in," he said wading out to Daryl. "Hope the ladies don't mind me walking back in just a towel."

Daryl huffed, looking away. "Lake is yours, I'm finished." Wading back towards shore, Shane reached out, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"Hey wait," he said, pulling the other man back to him. "I just wanted to make sure you're all right, after what happened this afternoon. Rick thought I had damaged the goods. 'S why he wouldn't let me bring you the bucket."

"Yeah. I'm all right," he said, turning to go again but Shane had yet to let go of his arm.

He pulled back once more, this time turning the other man so his back was facing him. "Fuck, Daryl," he breathed, taking his other hand and running it over the long scars along his back.

Daryl twisted out of his grasp. "Ain't your concern," he grumbled, escaping from the other man and wading towards the shore.

"Might not be in your mind, but holy shit, man. Your brother do that to ya?" Shane called after him as he soaked his body in the lake water, working the bar of soap over his skin quickly.

The crickets chirped as Daryl refused to answer the question. As he approached the shore, Daryl realized he had forgotten clothes as well. And a towel. Fuck. He stood, looking at the shoreline, waist deep in the water. He could towel off with his dirty shirt and wear his dirty pants back and change in his tent.

"You can use my towel," came Shane's voice from behind him. "Can have you wrapped around me later then."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Your lines ever work on any women?" he called back, still not moving from where he stood.

Shane waded up behind him, his shaved head making showering a hundred times faster. "Like you wouldn't believe, brother," he grinned. "Come on, now. Let me dry ya off."

Daryl snorted, but stayed put. "How about you just throw me my clothes?"

Walking up the shore and grabbing his towel, Shane shook his head. Daryl averted his eyes from the other man's nudity. How could he be so comfortable naked? "Nah, I think I'd rather have you come get them," he said as he bent over, toweling off his legs and then up his torso.

Considering his options, Daryl knew they were too far from camp to get someone else to bring him anything, not that anyone would anyways. Rick might and Carol, but the rest of those people could go to hell as far as he was concerned. And here Shane was, offering to share his own towel.

"Come on, man. I don't bite hard," Shane grinned, still naked on the shore but holding his towel out.

"Shit, fine," he said. Goosebumps began raising on his skin as the evening breeze passed through. Slowly he came out of the water, quickly reaching for the towel in Shane's outstretched hand.

Snatching it back, Shane laughed as Daryl nearly fell forward onto him. "Whoa there. Ya all right man? A little off balance there?"

Daryl grumbled and turned abruptly, heading for his clothing, but Shane caught his arm, bringing him back closer to him. and wrapping him up in the towel, rubbing his over his hair, face and shoulders before wrapping it around his back and pulling him in closer. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist."

The air was electric around them as Shane pulled him closer in the towel, wrapping it around Daryl's waist and securing it. Reaching up, he ran a hand through the unruly hair before cupping his face softly. "And now you look like an adorable drowned rat."

Despite himself, Daryl blushed, trying to twist out of the other man's grasp, realizing just how dangerously close they had become in the last few moments. Shane's half-hard cock stood before him, and Daryl would be lying to say he wasn't semi-stiff as well, but he pushed that thought away as an arm wrapped around his waist. "I had fun with you in the woods today," Shane said softly.

Mild panic started to bubble through Daryl's chest again. Placing both hands on Shane's strong chest, he pushed back. "Ain't like that, man."

"Come on, man. Who's going to know out here? I'm just saying I had fun with you is all. You going to run off and tell Rick now? That the way its going to be after I gave you my towel and everything?"

Rick. A warmth spread throughout Daryl's chest at the mention of the other man's name, his words from earlier ringing through his head. I admire you, Daryl. You're a good man. If only Rick really knew him, he wouldn't be saying those words, but he had said them often enough that even Daryl was slowly starting to believe him. But he knew Rick was a good man. A damn good one.

"You still goin' after him?" Daryl asked quietly.

"Why?" Shane smiled smugly. "Ya askin' if I'm single?"

Daryl really wanted to punch him, but he remembered what happened last time and here they were both naked away from the group. He doubted things would go in his favor. "Askin' if you're still goin' after him like ya did last night."

A minor flash of confusion darkened Shane's features in the moonlight, loosening his grip on Daryl's waist. He watched as the hunter back away, bending over to pick up his clothes, throwing them on quickly before handing him his towel back. "I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it," he finally answered as Daryl was pulling his boots on.

Daryl nodded standing up straight and looking Shane in the eye. "Ya touch him, ya ain't gettin' nothin' from me. Includin' goin' back out in the woods." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Shane standing there butt naked, towel in his hands, dumbfounded.