Chapter Ten

It took several days of Rick and Daryl tip-toeing around each other for things between them to settle. Rick would jump and apologize any time he so much as brushed up against Daryl without a warning, and Daryl wouldn't touch him at all, too frightened of what he was capable of.

With any of his past conquests, the sobbing mess Daryl had reduced Rick to would have been the ideal. He got off on the power of it, knowing he could do that to a person, be everything to them in that moment. But if any other sub had begged him for touch in such a state, he would have denied them. Daryl had refused dozens of subs the same, and never cared much about the consequences.

But Rick was different. The thing was Rick was always going to be different; he'd known it from the start. The hours or days it would have taken Rick to pull himself back from a drop would have put the entire community at risk. But more than that, it would have been torture for Daryl as well. He hated to see Rick hurting. A deep hurt, not like the way he'd writhe under the sting of Daryl's palm.

The tension wouldn't dissipate, and only worsened the first time Daryl brought up recruitment. Rick didn't want him to go. Didn't think it was worth it when things were so uncertain back in Alexandria proper, but more than that, couldn't stand to let Daryl out of his sight when things between them were still so fragile. Daryl wanted space, felt useless hanging around Alexandria when he could be bringing more good people to relative safety. But Rick couldn't see it, couldn't see much past past the helpless panic he felt whenever Daryl walked away from him, or spent the night in Judy's nursery. The fear that Daryl wouldn't come back- of course he wouldn't, not if Rick let him go- ate away at Rick constantly. They could fix this, he knew. They just needed time.

Then, out with Morgan, Rick spotted the herd.

Whatever heartbreak and anxiety they both still felt, it was put on the backburner from the second Rick returned. They started planning. Decided without argument that Daryl would be the one to lead the herd away, because he was the best man for the job. The one Rick could trust without question. The one Rick knew would die before he failed.

Daryl resumed his place at Rick's right hand, nodded along when Rick gave out orders, because that was what they did. They supported each other without any hesitation, whenever it counted. Even when it left them anxious and unhinged. Even when it hurt.

Hours later, they walked into the armory together, and saw Carter pointing a gun in the face of a cowering Eugene.

"What the hell is going on?" Rick said. "What are you doing?"

"Taking this place back from you," Carter said, voice unsteady.

Rick took a step inside, looked to the other Alexandrians. "Is that what you were talking about in here?"

"That's what he was talking about," Spencer said. Tobin refused to meet Rick's gaze, and the others shook their heads numbly. Not one came to Carter's defense, and that was all the confirmation Rick needed.

"See, I would have set up some lookouts," Rick said, inching further into the room. "That would have been the smart thing. You know, if I had-"

A fraction of a second, and Carter was kneeling on the ground, his gun in Rick's hand.

"You really think you're gonna take this community from us?" Rick seethed, gun pressed to the back of Carter's head. "From Glenn? From Michonne? From Daryl? From me?!"

Rick licked his lips. No one moved towards him. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

Carter released a shaky breath. "It was just me."

"What?" Rick snapped.

"It was- it was just me. Just- just kill me," Carter begged.

His words hung in the air, almost a challenge. Rick's eyes stayed on the back of the kneeling man's head, while Daryl's darted from Rick's face, to Carter's, and back.

Daryl took a half-step forward. "Rick," he said. Quiet, demanding.

Rick looked up at him, and felt the anger inside give way. The tension left him in a rush, and his shoulders slumped, muscles going lax.

"I'm good," Rick let out. He uncocked the gun and presented it to Daryl. "I'm good."

He could feel Daryl's eyes on him still, fiery and intense, pleased even.

Rick kept his focus on the man at his feet. "You can try to work with us. You can try to survive. Would you do that?"

Carter turned slowly, looking up at the constable with wide eyes.

"Yes," he whispered after a beat. "I could...I could do that."

"Good," Rick said. He grabbed Carter by one arm and pulled the man to his feet. "Then we have work to do."

TWDTWDTWDTWD

When Daryl and Rick walked up the steps into their home late that evening, the sun had already sunk low and out of the sky. They'd spent the day planning, arguing quietly and mostly amicably about how- if, though Rick would never admit it aloud- they might move the herd out of its enclosure and far, far away from Alexandria.

Inside, Morgan sat in the living room, seemingly meditating. They could hear the gurgle of water that signified Michonne taking yet another shower upstairs, and walked by Judy's room to see Carl reading to her in a soft voice. Rick stopped outside the door, watched with a small smile as Daryl continued down the hall to his room- their room- and slipped inside.

"Hey," Rick said as he stepped in. He padded over to Judy and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, ruffled Carl's hair. "You want me to put her down?"

Carl shook his head and looked down at his sister fondly. "Nah, that's okay. I like doing it."

Rick smiled at him. "You're a good brother. Your mom would be proud."

Carl's eyes jerked up to meet his father's, a hesitant expression on his face. "You think so?"

"I know so," Rick assured him.

"You don't talk about mom, much," Carl said slowly.

"No," Rick replied, "For a while there, I didn't have the space in my mind for it. But now we're here," he gestured to the room around him, "And...I don't want to forget her. I don't want you to stop yourself from talking about her, because of me."

"I don't, Dad. Really," Carl said. "And I won't forget her, I know you won't either." He sighed, and carefully set Judy down in her crib. "It just feels like such a long time ago, now. A different life. It's hard to imagine her being here, still. With things the way they are. But...we're happy, you know? You and me and Judy, Michonne, Daryl… we're together. And pretty happy. And that's gotta be what counts, right?"

"Yeah," Rick agreed softly, "Of course it is."

"Then, you don't need to worry, Dad. I'm not going to forget. And she'd be happy. That we're happy."

"I know she would," Rick said. He curled his arm around Carl and pulled him into a hug. "Don't stay up too late, now."

"I won't," Carl promised with a grin, "And, Dad? I think Mom would be happy that you're happy. I know I am."

Rick stopped inside the doorframe and watched Carl's face carefully. "What do you mean?"

Carl gave him an incredulous look. "Daryl stopped sleeping on the couch," he replied in explanation. "And that's a good thing, really. Daryl's been family for a while now. I always feel better when I know he's close, so, it's okay if you do too."

Rick gave his son a soft look. "You've really grown up, you know that?"

Carl scoffed. "You say that now. Won't be singing the same tune when you catch me reading comic books at 2 AM."

"Then don't let me catch you," Rick laughed. "Alright, goodnight son."

"'Night, Dad."

Rick turned and finished his journey down the hall, entering his room with a smile still on his face.

"What's got you so giddy?" Daryl asked. He placed the book he was reading- some western as thick as Rick's calf- down on the bedside table and stood up.

"Carl," Rick said. He toed off his boots, let his gun and holster fall the floor with a dull thud.

"What about him?"

"Well, he approves of us, apparently."

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Shit. He knows…?"

"He figured it out," Rick confirmed, "And apparently, he thinks it's a good thing. Reminded me that you're family, and that wanting you close isn't a bad thing."

Daryl sucked on his lower lip and nodded slowly. "Guess it was gonna happen eventually- people finding out. Hell, Carol's been giving me knowin' looks since the night it happened."

"You told her?"

"Nah. But you know that woman. She fuckin' reads minds, I swear. Keep catching her winkin' at me whenever you and me are in a room together."

Rick snorted and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Well as long as she isn't planning to steal you away from me…"

Daryl groaned, "Like she could. Woman knows she ain't nothin' close to my type. All that flirtin' back in the day was just to get under my skin. And yours too, m'thinkin'."

"It worked," Rick said. "But I still never would have done 't risk it."

"It's starting to look like it was worth the risk, though," Daryl replied quietly. "Today…"

"Shit. I knew you'd be pissed. I wasn't gonna kill him, not really, I-"

"Rick, I ain't mad," Daryl cut him off.

"You- you're not?"

"'Course I'm not. You had to put him in his place. I would have done the same. But when I asked you to back down, you did." Daryl placed two fingers under Rick's jaw, and tipped the man's head up to meet his eyes. "You did good, Rick. I ain't anything close to mad right now."

"Then...then what are you?" Rick asked, voice just shy of breathless.

Daryl's eyes flicked down to his own crotch, where his hard length was plainly visible through his cargos. Rick swallowed hard.

"I told you once that I'd never fuck you as punishment," Daryl said, voice taking that low, sultry timbre that always made Rick shudder with want. "But you were so good, today. Punishment's the last thing on my mind. You need something else entirely, don't you Rick? Do you know what I'm gonna give you?"

Rick looked up at him with blue eyes wide and disbelieving. "A...a reward?"

"Yeah," Daryl replied with a soft smile, before leaning down to claim Rick's lips. He kissed the man slowly, deeply, until he had to break away with a sharp gasp. "If you still want it, that is."

"I want it," Rick said quickly. "I want you. I do. I swear."

Daryl grinned at him. "Then get yourself naked, and get on that bad. Hands and knees."

Conscious of Daryl's eyes on him, Rick skimmed out of his clothing at record speed. He tripped out of his jeans, cursed, and when he looked up again Daryl was smiling.

"Eager?"

Rick shot him a no-nonsense glare that fell flat when a wave of worry hit him.

But Daryl, observant as ever, stepped forward when Rick's face fell.

"Nothin' wrong with eager," he said, one hand on Rick's hip. "I like seein' you like that. Gonna like it even better once I'm inside ya. That's what you want, right?"

"Yes," Rick whispered.

Daryl dipped his chin towards the bed, one eyebrow cocked. "Well, g'wan then."

Shakily, Rick crawled up the bed onto his hands and knees. A part of him still rejected outright such an obvious display of submission and vulnerability, but the knowledge that Daryl wanted this, Daryl was watching him, had Rick hard and wanting. From behind him, he heard clothing drop to the floor, two boots kicked to the side. A calloused hand hand curled around the inside of his thigh.

"Wider," Daryl said. His voice was lower now and honey-thick.

Rick spread his legs wider, just enough so that he could feel it. He clenched his eyes shut.

"Good," Daryl murmured, "That's real good, Rick."

A slick finger circled his entrance, and pressed inside when Rick couldn't but rock back against it.

"Fuck," Rick gasped. He let his head drop down, clenched his eyes shut.

"That's the idea," Daryl replied. Rick could hear the smile in his voice, and couldn't help but grin himself. It was hard to remember a time when sex had been like this for him- new, exciting, fun.

Scary, if he was being honest with himself.

One finger became two, and then three. When Rick began to buck back against Daryl's fist, Daryl clamped a hand over Rick's hip to stop him.

"Yeah, you're ready," Daryl murmured.

Rick heard the distinctive sound of skin on skin as Daryl slicked up his cock. He let his shoulders drop, pulled in slow breaths to try to counteract his rabbit-quick heart. He shuddered as his ribcage expanded.

"Rick?"

A hand was back on his hip, another rubbed slow circles across his back.

"Rick?"

He wanted this. He'd been so sure. He'd wanted it more than breathing. But, but-

"Rick."

The ex-Sheriff jolted noticeably. "S'fine. I'm fine. Just," he shifted his weight, pressed his lower half closer to Daryl, "c'mon."

"You're not fine," Daryl said quietly. His hands left Rick, and the latter fought through another shiver at the feeling of abandonment.

Daryl walked forward on his knees and curled himself around Rick's body. He pressed his palm to Rick's chest. "You're scared. But there's no need to be. Not this time."

Rick shivered when Daryl pressed his lips to the crook of his neck. "Not scared. Just...nervous. Never done this before, ya know."

"I know," Daryl replied, smiling. "That's why m'thinkin' I should warm you up a bit, first."

He reached a hand under Rick's body, found his still-swollen cock and jacked him slowly. "I'm warm," Rick said.

"Not warm enough." Daryl padded around to the side of the bed and pulled a handful of objects out of a box that contained all the things he used to make Rick squirm. The ex-Sheriff couldn't see what the younger man selected, but he knew the feel of it when Daryl eased a cockring down his length, fixing it securely in place.

"Tell me your safeword."

"Red," Rick groaned, as a device he knew all too well worked its way inside of him, curving just right to hit his already abused prostate.

"And what do you say, if you need me to stop?"

"Red," Rick repeated.

"Good boy," Daryl growled. He flicked on the toy, and Rick's hips jerked forwards on instinct, cutting through damp air. The archer pressed in close from behind him and wrapped a slick hand around Rick's cock. And held it there.

"Daryl…" Rick moaned.

Daryl pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "Fuck my fist."

It was all the direction Rick needed. He rocked forwards into the tight grip of Daryl's sure fingers, breath catching in his throat at the way Daryl squeezed him just right.

Daryl pressed on his shoulders, and Rick dropped all the way forward, pliant and needy, ass in the air. A sharp tap to the inside of his thigh, and Rick spread his legs wider. Frog-legged and panting, he fucked into Daryl's fist, pressed forward into his perfect grip then jerking back when the toy inside him trilled right against his spot, massaged against it with the force of his movement.

It felt so perfect, so tight and slick, and the ring around the base of Rick's cock was making him far more sensitive than usual.

"Look at you," Daryl rasped from behind him, sounding just the right amount of out of breath, "Look how bad you need this."

Rick arched his back and moaned towards the ceiling, hips fucking forwards faster, harder.

"Need you. Need you."

"Yeah, I know you do," Daryl told him. "Like a bitch in heat. Such a good boy, fuckin' my hand when you're already stuffed so full. Bet you wanna come, huh?"

"Please, please."

Daryl reached down and turned the knob at the end of the plug to its highest setting, a steady hum filled the room, only to be overshadowed when Rick's body tensed, ass popping up into the air as he let out a high-pitched keen into the comforter. His balls pulled up tight to his body, and he jackhammered his cock into Daryl's slip grip, whining high and long, trying, begging for release.

Only for Daryl to drop his cock so suddenly it left Rick reeling, sobbing into the bed with how much, how badly he wanted.

"Daryl, please. Please. I, I want you, I swear I want you so bad, just let me-"

"Not yet." Daryl punctuated the statement with a sharp slap to Rick's ass. The ex-Sheriff whined again, and it fleetingly occurred to Daryl that the man might not know how he sounded right now. Might be inching towards that floaty, out-of-body place that Daryl understood only by association. He turned off the vibrator, and pulled it gently from Rick's body. Then, he made up for it by draping himself over Rick's back and wrapping a strong arm around his chest.

"Shh, shhh," Daryl soothed against Rick's neck when the man let out a whimpering sob. "You're doin' so good. You're so good, Rick. Even better than I thought. You want me to fuck you now? You want me inside you?"

"Yes, yes, oh God, please-"

"Shh, I know," Daryl murmured, and he was falling back onto his knees, taking his own cock in hand while with the other, he carefully rolled the cockring off Rick's rigid length. "Gonna give it to you. Gonna give it to you so hard. Make you feel so good."

Rick felt Daryl line himself up, moments from pressing inside. But this time, there was no fear. No anxiety or apprehension, just desperation. Daryl pressed one last kiss to Rick's shoulder.

"You can come once I'm inside ya, but not one second before. Understand?"

It took Rick a moment to answer. But when he did, it came out as a groan. "Yes."

"Put your hands on the headboard," Daryl demanded, and Rick did so on autopilot, wrapping his hands around the bars so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "You move them, I stop."

"I won't. Swear I won't. Just- please."

It was exactly what Daryl needed to hear. One moment, Rick felt himself breached for the first time. The next, Daryl had bottomed out inside of him in a single, harsh movement.

And Daryl hadn't managed to so much as thrust before Rick spilled all over the sheets.

"Oh, fuck," Daryl gasped when Rick's body tightened all around him, "Fuck, Rick."

But the ex-Sheriff could only moan, eyes clenched shut as his cock twitched and pulsed untouched.

"Jesus Christ," Daryl groaned, but he began to move his hips in slow, deep thrusts that got harder with every passing second. He grabbed Rick's chin and forced the man's cheek into the bedspread. "Look at me."

Rick's eyes were shiny with unshed tears, but his pupils were like saucers, overtaking his cerulean eyes the way oil blots out the blue of the ocean. For a moment, Daryl lost pace, breath hitching at the sight.

The archer swallowed thickly. "I'm not stopping," he said. And then, in a gravel-deep voice. "But you don't want me to, huh? Nah, you're hooked now. Gonna be beggin' me every goddamn day to fill you up the way you need, fuckin' own you." He ground forwards, gripped Rick's hips hard enough to bruise. "You love my cock so much, don't ya Rick? All I had to do was slip inside your sweet ass, and you were comin' like some fuckin' teenager. Muckin' up my sheets 'cuz you just couldn't hold it any longer."

Daryl reached down and palmed over Rick's length, grinned when he found the man was still hard, overly sensitive.

"Daryl…"

It was the first coherent word Rick had managed in some time, and Daryl was glad for the audience participation.

Leaning forward, Daryl sucked an angry mark onto Rick's shoulder. "I'm gonna make you come again," Daryl promised him. "You want that Rick? Wanna come on my cock like a good boy?"

Daryl thumbed over the crown of Rick's length, and the older man keened. "Ah. Please, please…"

That was all Daryl could take. He pulled Rick up by the shoulder and slammed him face-first into the wall. A calloused fist wrapped its way around Rick's throat with none of the gentless he'd demonstrated jerking Rick's aching length. And when he snapped his hips forwards, then again, and again, well, Rick couldn't really be faulted for waking the house with his scream.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Daryl gasped, pounding into him harder. "That's it. Fuckin' take it."

Rick could only moan. He shoved his hips back in an uneven rhythm, desperate for praise, crying from overstimulation. It was so much, and he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, before-

"Oh, gonna come. Oh god, please say I can. Please, Daryl. Oh please. Please. Please-"

"Yeah, my cock feel that good inside you?"

"Yes!"

"You my good boy? My good little bitch?"

"Yes, yes! Yours."

Daryl slammed into him hard. "Then come."

And Daryl would be fucked if there were any prettier sight than watching Rick, his Rick, come on demand. The ex-Sheriff didn't make a sound. Not as back went ramrod straight, or as his cock swelled again and shot sticky streams of white onto the wall. His mouth opened in a silent scream, and Daryl used him hard. Fucked into him faster, viciously, until the tight, sweet heat of Rick's body was finally too much.

"Fuck, fuck yes," Daryl groaned. He jerked forwards, as deep inside Rick as he could be. "Rick."

When Daryl began to come inside Rick, shooting off in hot spurts, the ex-Sheriff abruptly reanimated.

"Yes," Rick hissed, "Fuck. Thank you. Thank you."

And Daryl didn't teach him that, not those words in particular. But it does it for him just the same. He groaned, and sunk his teeth into Rick's shoulder, biting harder with every roll of Rick's hips. By the time he'd emptied himself completely, poured himself out into the man below him, Daryl was shaking.

For a few minutes afterwards, the only sound that filled the room was their panting. But eventually, Daryl realized that he was going to have to ease Rick back into reality, be the dominant all his past lovers had wanted him to be. He may not have been comfortable with it, not quite, but this was Rick. And he couldn't let him crumble.

So Daryl pulled out of him gently and eased the man onto his back.

"You were so good," Daryl whispered. "So fucking perfect for me, Rick. Everything I wanted."

Rick hummed a contented sound and curled into Daryl's body, burying his face in the younger man's neck.

And it may have still felt unnatural- especially when for Daryl, a good fuck was usually immediately followed up by a slap on the back and a ride home on his bike- but Daryl curled his arms around Rick's body and held the man close. He continued to praise him, softly, and didn't balk at the way Rick clung to him and nuzzled at his skin.

"So good. So good for me," Daryl told him, again and again until he began to feel Rick coming back. The tension in his body didn't return, but shifted. And even though he remained putty against Daryl's strong form, the archer could feel it when Rick finally blinked himself back to reality, and tilted his head up to look at the other man properly.

"Hey," Daryl murmured. "You alright?"

Rick licked over his lips before answering. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm better than alright."

"Good."

"And…" Daryl hated to see the uncertainty in Rick's eyes. "It was good? It was what you wanted?"

"You were perfect," Daryl replied, both because it was true, and because he understood that Rick was still vulnerable right now, fragile in a way he hardly ever allowed himself to be. Grinning, he added, "All things considered, was probably the best sex I've had."

Rick bit his lip to keep from smiling like a loon. "Yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Daryl hummed, "First time I ever had sex with someone I care about. Made it better, I think. That it was about the both of us, not just me."

"It was good for me too," Rick said.

Daryl snorted. "Well I figured, with the way you came like a fuckin' freight train." Rick blushed and hid his face, but Daryl dutifully ignored it. "Oughta get some sleep."

The archer pushed at Rick's shoulder, urging him to roll onto his side, but Rick wouldn't budge.

"S'wrong?"

Blood sprang to Rick's cheeks. "If I move. It- it'll- your"

After a moment, Daryl grinned in understanding. "You liked it when I came inside you, huh? Like the way it feels now?"

Rick nodded, a little jerkily. "Makes it like you're still there. Inside me. Makin' me yours." The words were a quiet confession, one that Daryl didn't take lightly.

"Got just the thing for that, then," Daryl said. He pulled out the bedside drawer and plucked out one of the smaller toys they'd never bothered with. "Roll on your belly for me, alright?"

This time, Rick did as Daryl asked. Up on his knees, Daryl groaned in appreciation as he spread Rick's cheeks to take a look at his abused little hole, still clenching around nothing.

"Relax for me," Daryl instructed. And when he saw Rick's thighs sag open, he worked the little plug quickly inside. Rick let out a sharp whine, and looked back at Daryl over his shoulder to find the man slowly kneading at his ass. "You like that?" Daryl asked him. "Like the way it feels?"

The plug wasn't very large. Just big enough to feel, to know it was there without the incessant, pleasurable toll of stimulation. Rick's eyelids drooped.

"It's perfect," he mumbled into the pillow, hardly registering when Daryl chuckled from above him, then slipped behind to wrap himself protectively around Rick's body.

"Yeah," Daryl breathed, letting exhaustion take him. "It is."