Rolling his eyes, Daryl complied to the request of a kiss. He leaned forward slightly, into the other man's space, closing his eyes as they neared, lips brushing against each other chastely. Connor held him close, running his hand carefully over the strap of the crossbow before tugging at it. Daryl grunted his disapproval into the kiss before Connor brought their bodies flush against each other, thrusting their hips together. With a soft whimper, Daryl broke their kiss, looking deep into Connor's eyes, trying to express his hesitancy without words.

Connor's hand came up to his face, cupping his cheek softly. The hunter's flinch at the touch was slight. He was slowly getting used to how handsy the Irishman seemed to be. "Jus' a kiss, me Daryl. Don't be so nervous."

Daryl snorted, thrusting his hips back against Connor's, brushing their hard cocks together through the confines of their respective pants. "Seems like more'n just a kiss."

With a grunt of approval, Connor wrapped his arms tight around Daryl's waist once again, keeping their bodies flush together. "Can be whate'er ye want it to be." Fingers threaded through belt loops as their lips met once more. "We seem safe," he mumbled against the other's lips, slowly starting an easy grind of their bodies. The fire between them ignited as Daryl submitted to the game, hands grasping Connor's ass as his hips gyrated against his own. It was sweet, caring, deliciously forbidden, and hot the way they felt grinding against each other, their pants catching buckles, zippers, and buttons as they moved. With a particularly hard thrust against the hunter, Connor silently wondered to himself how he was going to stop if Daryl suddenly decided this was too much too soon. The hunter was normally closed off around the group; a silent, stoic man who just did as needed but wasn't exactly a warm, fuzzy, sexy teddy bear.

But Daryl just moaned back, pulling at the back of Connor's shirt before finally exposing enough skin to get his hands on. "Ya like gettin' dirty in the woods?" Moving his lips down, he kissed around his strong jawline, moaning as the Irishman's hands found their way down to his ass once again, squeezing it hard.

Connor hummed his agreeance as he pulled back, pulling his shirt over his head. "Ay, 's quiet in t'e woods. Private." He pulled Daryl in closer, chucking off his angel wing vest before working on the tattered shirt underneath it. "I want to lay ye down, Daryl, but not if ye don't want to."

He saw the caution in those blue eyes and the nervousness twitch through his strong, square shoulders before he was given a single curt nod. "Yeah. I wanna…"

Connor smiled, hands instantly flying to Daryl's belt and pants. It felt like seconds before they were naked and down on the soft fall leaves. A soft shiver coursed through Connor's body as a breeze rustled the leaves around them. Daryl's hands wound around his shoulders and down his back, trying to warm the other man up as he ducked his head into the redneck's neck, placing soft kisses along the dirty skin. Instinctually, he moved his hips against the hard cock pressing against his stomach.

"Fuck," Daryl grunted, thrusting his own hips up against Connor's. "That feels better than it should."

Connor snorted, sitting up on his elbows over his hunter. "Ay, 'tis. Fockin' angel from God, ye are," he whispered, before leaning down and stealing another kiss, dominating the warm mouth as he adjusted his legs around Daryl's hips, thrusting down against him. The blush crept down from the hunter's cheeks, to his neck and into his shoulders. Connor nipped and bit where he saw the blush go, kissing back up the neckline to his ear. "You're beautiful," he whispered, flicking his earlobe with his tongue.

Daryl grunted and moaned as he wrapped his arms tighter around Connor's body, clinging to the other man as he thrust his hips up. "Fuck, I'm not gonna last ya keep doin' that."

Connor chuckled, burying his face in Daryl's neck again, biting and sucking on the tanned, salty skin. "Then let go, me hunter dear."

Minutes later, Connor lay nearly passed out, spread lewdly over top Daryl, sexually sated and sticky as hell as their cum and spent cocks lay between their exhausted bodies. "''Twas not exactly how I wanted our first time ta be."

Daryl snorted. "'S all right." He wrapped his arms tighter around Connor's back, burying his face in his shoulder. "We should keep goin' though. Ain't gonna feed everyone on one rabbit." However, he made no effort to move from his spot.

The leaves around them blew as a cool breeze swept through their section of forest. A shudder went through both their nude bodies, the warmth of their passion wearing off. Connor sighed, unwinding himself from Daryl's arms and standing up slowly, grabbing a handful of leaves to wipe them both off before tugging on his shirt. Sighing as he got dressed, he couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed now that the act was over. It was both everything he had wanted and yet nothing at all, but to Daryl… the other man looked at him sideways and smiled softly at him before turning back. Connor felt his heart grow warmer just at the thought that their hasty and fairly crappy sex meant the world to him.

Back at the camp, Murphy dabbed Shane's busted face with a cold, wet piece of ripped up t-shirt. "I warned ye not ta say anythin' like that in front of Connor."

Shane grunted, pulling away from Murphy's administrations before waving him off. "It just came out. Plus, what should he care anyway? He's fuckin' that redneck piece of trash. His tastes have clearly gotten worse."

Murphy grunted his agreeance, but he still felt the urge to defend his brother, even if it was just to Shane. "Ay, but I think Con really likes him."

"Yeah, but Rick don't like your brother none. You see, Rick had somethin' goin' with Daryl before y'all came in. He don't realize I know that, but you can't keep much a secret these days. I don't know how its goin' to end for your brother if he keeps sniffing around Daryl like that." Shane looked over at Rick. His friend was fraying around the edges, that much was clear. Having the carpet ripped out from under them at the CDC had pretty much done him in. The group had been looking to him to be a leader, to keep them safe, and they thought they had found solace. The lies they found in the apocalypse seem to be bigger than any others.

Running his hand through his hair, Shane stood up from the bumper of the car he had been sitting on, pulling Murphy into his strong chest and holding him there. For a few moments, Murph just let himself be cradled in the warmth of the other, enjoying the heat radiating off his larger body. In the past week, Shane and he had been spending more time together, much to Connor's chagrin. Murphy questioned himself frequently, asking himself if he was really developing feelings for the former police officer or if he was just in this for the touch and to make his brother jealous as hell. Either way, he had already condemned himself to hell so he knew that when his brother came back to him, he would be ready.

Shane watched Rick from over the flop of brown hair on Murphy's head. Rick paced anxiously, going between the map, the road, the trees, and his family. He knew that look. It was the same look the man had gotten when they had lost a suspect somewhere and were in the search process. Releasing Murphy with a small kiss to his forehead, he walked over to his former partner. "Hey, Rick. Want to sketch out a plan? Maybe we could head to Fort Benning. I bet they got a lotta supplies over there-"

Rick stopped dead in his tracks, looking at Shane with a wild eye. "You think any place is going to be safe at this point Shane? You think any government run place is going to be safe? Look what happened to us at the CDC. I have to keep my family safe. I have to keep these people safe. I can't just go wandering off to Fort Benning because it might be a good idea."

Shane huffed, looking back over at Murphy, standing and watching the two men quietly argue. "Look man, I'm not accusing you of nothin' and I don't think anyone else here is either. I'm just saying Fort Benning because… well shit. It's gotta be close and they gotta at least have some kind of firepower that can help us fight these fuckers off with."

"Yeah, and us. What if they turn that firepower on us, Shane? We have women and children. I can't risk it." Rick ran his hands through his growing hair and down over his growing beard. The last good shave he had had was at the CDC. Who knows when they were going to get another one? Shane watched as Rick continued his anxious pacing. He figured he'd just let the other man wear himself out and he'd take over his watch for him that night. Maybe he could convince Murphy to stay up with him. Hell, with everyone asleep maybe they could get some kind of something something in.

The sound of laughter broke up the silence a few hours later as the group huddled down in the ditch over a small fire. Daylight was fading fast and a handful of people had asked where Daryl was. Murphy noticed that no one asked about Connor. Shifting on the stump he had been sitting on it made him uncomfortable to think that people didn't like his brother now. People always liked Connor. He wondered what had happened between the quarry and now to make them turn away from him. If they kicked his brother out of the group… he shook his head. They wouldn't. They knew they came as a package. If one brother goes the other goes and Shane wouldn't let that happen. Somehow he needed to convince Shane that his brother was worth keeping around, but that also meant that he had to convince Connor to behave himself. Normally it was Connor telling him to be nice…

The grin on Daryl's face as the two men approached the fire was unmistakable. He plopped down their load of rabbit and squirrels with a slight whoop of success. "Connor bagged half of 'em. Damn good shot with that pistol." He nodded down at the other's leg before dragging his eyes back up his body.

Murphy shook his head. Connor looked… disheveled… dirtier… different. He couldn't place his hand on it until the blond walked by him. He recognized the smell of a few hours old sex on him. Fuck they finally did it. Looking over towards the truck, he saw Rick's eyes follow Connor's every move. Maybe that was the real reason why people didn't like Connor now. They sensed the animosity between him and Rick and with Rick being the undeclared leader, they felt they had to choose a side. Well shit. There was no way he'd convince Connor away from Daryl fast enough to change everyone's minds.

Connor's grin lit up his face as he sat down on the ground next to his brother. "Daryl nearly walked by the first rabbit."

"Yeah yeah, rub it in Irish. It was a nice shot, even if he did miss the next one he shot at," Daryl chided from across the fire, pulling out his knife to start to skin their kills.

Within the hour, there was warm meat roasting over the fire. Their bullies rumbled at the smell of hot food cooking. Rick still paced the perimeter of their small encampment. Every man and Andrea remained armed and ready in the event of a sudden attack. All ears were perked at every sound with their belongings still mostly packed just in case they needed to make a quick and quiet get away. Taking the rabbit leg Daryl offered him, Rick finally came back towards the fire, eating the meat hungrily, licking the juices off the bones. Murphy saw this as his opportunity to get some time with his brother. "Oy, Con, let's go get some more wood from the forest line right over there. Need to keep this fire goin' durin' t'e night."

Connor nodded, standing up and toss the bones from his meal back in the fire. Murphy looked over at Shane, giving him a small nod and patting his weapon at his side to let the other know that he was armed if they came upon a threat. "Won't be gone more'n fifteen."

He saw Connor glance at Daryl much the same as he looked to Shane. The rest of the encampment hardly even noticed them stand up and leave. As they neared the forest, Connor looked to his brother. "What did ye want ta talk ta me about?"

"How'd ya know?"

"You're easy to read, brother."

"Shane says that Daryl and Rick had somethin' goin' before we joined t'e group. I just don't want ye to get caught up in that nonsense."

Connor was silent for a moment as he bent down and picked up some sticks. "Aye," he said after awhile. "I knew about that. Daryl told me as did Rick. I'm already caught up in it."

"Ye fucked him in t'e woods."

Connor shrugged, but smiled his confirmation. "I promised him ta behave. Rick threatened to kick me out of t'e group. I'll play nice and not beat up your boyfriend but I don't like it when he calls ye 'lucky charm.'"

Murphy grinned. "It's his nickname for me. 'S kinda nice to me." Connor grunted as he bent to gather more wood. "Just… I don't want anything ta happen to ye brother. Especially not over Daryl."

Connor stopped and looked at his other half for a moment. Murphy saw the debate run through his mind on whether he wanted to take offense to that or not. "And I don't want something ta happen to ye 'cause of Shane. That man isn't stable, Murphy."

"He's more stable than ye think. I can handle Shane."

"And I can handle Rick and Daryl. Don't get yourself involved in that. Its more messy than ye think."

"Ay. That's what I'm worried about."

That night, their group slept around them as Rick stood watch, python out and on his leg at the ready. His gaze settled over the cars where everyone slept, huddled under blankets and clothes. Worrisome thoughts ran through his head. What if he fell asleep? What if something happened that he couldn't wake up in time to get away? What if something happened to him and no one knew? Daryl rounded the truck, crossbow slung across his back. "Why don't ya go get some sleep with your family? I can take your watch."

Rick snorted. "Nah, but some company would be nice."

Daryl nodded, sitting down next to Rick on the hood of the car. They sat in silence for awhile, both men deep in their thoughts. Daryl side-eyed the other man sitting silently next to him before quietly saying, "Ya know, Connor ain't a bad guy. He was just defending his brother, just like you defend Shane."

Rick snorted and looked over at Daryl, challenge in his eyes before looking back forward. "Connor shouldn't be your concern. Don't know why you're defending him so bad."

"Cause I like him, Rick. He's…" Daryl fidgeted slightly. He was never a man for words and the end of the world didn't change that. The only people he ever found himself defending was his family and that usually ended up in a fist fight. "He's a good man," he just ended up repeating.

"Yeah, so's Shane. So are you. Connor just incites violence in the group. I can't have the group separated when all we have is each other."

Daryl grunted. "I think Shane incites violence but you don't see that cause he's your best friend. Connor ain't gonna be a problem no more. Just give him a chance. He's a good hunter too. Can help me and keep the group fed. What if somethin' were to happen to me, Rick? Where would y'all be then? You can't hunt. Shane and Glenn can't hunt. You gonna put T-Dog out there?"

Rick sighed. "Ain't about that, Daryl."

"Nah. I know what it's about and you're pissed but you need to be pissed at yourself. You turned away from me. Now I'm with Connor and you don't like that."

The statement hung in the air between them, both men surprised that it was finally and officially out in the open. "So its like that now? Y'all are together."

Daryl sighed, looking everywhere but at Rick, hoping the other man couldn't see his blush. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Tonight is his last night, Daryl. Shane and I already discussed it earlier. He's a threat and I can't have that around our children."

Daryl felt as though he had been punched in the chest. "Then tonight is my last night."

"No. You're staying with us. You have no loyalty to him."

"Ain't got no loyalty to you either. You left my brother on a roof. The fuck I gotta care about you for?" He couldn't help his defensiveness. He tried not to raise his voice but he couldn't help it. There wasn't much fair in the old world and it seemed to be that rule carried over into this world too. He knew that alone he and Connor would do okay, but it was safer in a larger group. There was more fire power and less of a chance they would be taken over by any other group of survivors or a large herd of walkers. More people meant they could fight off larger numbers. "What do I gotta do to get you to let him stay?" he asked quietly.

"Ain't nothin' you can do, Daryl," Rick answered just as quietly.

"Bullshit." Silence engulfed them once again, each man lost in their own thoughts. Daryl plotted what he was going to say to Connor. Should he go wake him up now so they could make their escape? Would Rick let them take a vehicle and some gas? Probably not. How would the group eat without the two of them? Could he really leave them like that, knowing that they'd probably starve to death? Looking over at Rick, the other man's eyes were hollow; age lines that hadn't been there previously were etched deep in his face.

He didn't think his actions through as he dropped to his knees in front of the other man, allowing his crossbow to drop down carefully in the dirt. He pulled roughly at Rick's legs, shoving them apart before going for the belt buckle and button. "Daryl, what are you doing?"

"What you apparently need. If I do this then you gotta let him stay."

"Ain't gotta do nothin'."

"Then I tell your wife and Shane that you fucked me back in the quarry and then had me suck your cock to get Connor to stay."

"You wouldn't."

"Willing to place a bet on it officer?" Daryl licked his lips before pulling down Rick's zipper and releasing his soft cock from its confines. Stroking it a few times, feeling it stiffen in his hand, Daryl knew he had won. Running his tongue over the head, he felt Rick's hands in his hair. Looking up at him under too-long bangs, Daryl recognized the need in the other's blue eyes. He had seen it back in the tent that day so long ago at this point. He knew the relationship between Rick and Lori was waning. There was hardly any time for them to get together privately so he knew Rick needed this release. He needed something and if it would buy Connor more time to prove himself then so be it.

He latched his lips on the head, sucking eagerly. In no time, Rick was hard as a rock and throbbing in his hand, a full participant now as he flexed his hands on the back of Daryl's head, resisting pushing him down like he so obviously wanted. But Daryl hummed, keeping only the head in his mouth as he teased him, running his tongue around it before giving him a short suck. He knew they had to be quick in the event someone woke up. He wasn't entirely sure who was supposed to take watch next or even when Rick was to be relieved. They were under a time limit and as much as Daryl wanted to torture him, he knew tonight wasn't the night, especially with the delicate reason he was on his knees. Slowly, he took more cock into his mouth, sucking hungrily as his hands pulled Rick's legs even farther apart.

Rick grunted, thrusting his hips up into the warmth. The delicious drag of his cock along the other man's tongue was almost too much to bear, especially when the cool air hit the spit-moist cock as it slid out. With a stutter of his hips, the evidence of their deed was swallowed down Daryl's throat.

Standing up, he rights himself, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth as he bends over to grab his crossbow from the dirt. "Connor stays."

Rick nodded, shame coloring his cheeks. Daryl turned in front of him, intending to walk away, but Rick's hand on his arm stopped him. Standing up, he seemed to falter on his words. Instead, he ran his hand down the other's arm, interlacing their fingers as he leaned in, brushing their lips together in a chaste kiss. "I wish it could be different. With Lori and Carl… I just can't."

Daryl nodded, squeezing Rick's hand in his own. "Maybe one day it can be different. Until then, let me have Connor."