Here we are! Chapter 10 is up. I am not really happy about what I am writing (but it's a rare occasion when I like it) so I hope you'll like it.

I have read some comments about how Carol and Daryl have a mother/son relationship and I can't really understand. I know that if my dad or my mother would look at me the way those two do to each other I would have called the police and have my parents arrested. I really don't get it.
I am trying not to read spoilers about the season finale but I have read and seen some interviews. I am kind of freaking out because there are Lennie's declarations and Melissa's hint and what Norman almost says but really doesn't... I really hope that episode 16 will be what we deserve.

Ok, let's do this. Reviews are appreciated!

Chapter 10

"Daryl!" Ben's voice shook him from his trance.

"What?" he barked. He was daydreaming. It was lunch time, he could see now people going back and forth from the inside to the tables to have their meal together. He wasn't paying attention to these guys training because he was thinking back to that morning.

He woke up with Carol nestled on his side and they spend a little time in their bubble, enjoying each other presence after so much time. Daryl had loved those moment, Carol's head on his chest, her hand caressing him lightly almost afraid to make her presence known too much. He was thinking how much he liked having her near him, holding her in his arm, breathing her soft scent. He knew by now that he might be in love with her. He didn't really know for sure, he didn't really love anybody beside Merle but this was different. Obviously. He knew it but didn't really know what to do with this information. Did she felt the same? And if she was? Or worse, if she wasn't?

"Can we have a break to eat? Our arms are aching" Ben said again.

"You're a bunch of spoiled princesses. Have lunch, we are done for the day" he said taking his crossbow. He tried to avoid Morgan who was on his way to the shooting range. He didn't want to deal with him today. He wasn't so lucky.

"Daryl!" Morgan screamed "Daryl!" He just ignored him and sped up, making his way in the woods with long, decided strides.

He decided it was time to hunt. He didn't really had time anymore to do it and he jumped at the occasion. He would spend some hours in the woods and bring dinner home for Carol to cook. Well, not that she was his maid or anything it's just that she was damn good at it and he missed her skills.

He went deep into the woods, keeping his eyes open for threats and some prey. He walked slowly and without making noise after so many years of practice, crossbow ready to shoot at walkers or dear or whatever crossed his path. It took him a few hours but before all the light was out he was carrying a nice dinner toward Carol's house.

He didn't came right in, he needed to take care of the deer before, so he went to the well and he filled a basket of water. He seated crosslegged on the grass and started skinning the animal. He always used to do it, when he was a kid Merle taught him how to do it and since he mastered the skill he was the one who took the work upon himself. Using the knife didn't really engaged his mind, it was muscle memory at his point so his thoughts wandered back to the house's occupant. A little part of his brain was racking his brain to have her back in his arms tonight.

It was almost dark when he came through the door. Carol looked up and smiled when she saw what he was carrying.

"You brought dinner!" she said happily advancing him "You didn't have" the smile never leaving her face, not even when she saw the state of the clothes he was in. He was covered in the animal's blood and who knows what else.

"I had time so I went into the woods" he explained not really knowing what to do with her gratitude. He put the deer down and cleaned his hands on his pants. Not a smart move, he thought after a moment and grimaced in disgust.

Carol looked at him talking note of his sweaty hair, his arms and hands were also covered in the deer's blood and his pants were now even dirtier. "Why don't you go have a shower while I make us dinner?" she proposed.

"I can help you" he was ready to say. She didn't have to do all the work, he could help. He knew his way around this kind of cooking.

"I know you can, but I don't want you too". His lips turned down and she knew he misunderstood her words. "I mean, I want to make you dinner to thank you for the wall and..." she stopped. She didn't know if he would appreciate her thanking him for his support the night before. In this regard, he was still much like the man who joined her group with his brother when everything started. He changed a lot during these months but she didn't want to risk their new peace.

"And?" he prodded. His heart was beating faster and he didn't even know why. He was pressing his luck, trying to make her confess something that could ease his mind about the next step.

"And tonight." The tension in the room was palpable. Daryl knew he had so much to say to her still and tensed thinking about it. Carol seemed to know his thoughts were taking the dark route so she decided to joke. "It was nice sleeping on you"

He almost smirked before reigning himself and scowl down at her "Shut up. I am going to take that shower. I stink."

She chuckled and went to work on the meat. She had always enjoyed cooking. Even back home, when she was still married to that excuse of a man who went under the name of Ed, it was something she did with pleasure. Sophia loved eating, sweets above all but she like almost everything her mum made and always praised her. Ed, on the other hand, always found fault in her plates: too much salt, too little salt, too much oil, not enough oil. Every excuse was good for beating her. After the apocalypse she took upon herself the cooking: the group, excluding Ed of course, enjoyed what she made even if it wasn't much. She managed to make everything taste good with that little they had. She wasn't a good shot by all means, she wasn't good with knives or anything else so she had to contribute with her housewife's skills.

Now it was time to outdo herself. She really wanted to thank Daryl and what was better than a good meal to say thank you? Well, she could think of a thing or two but she didn't think Daryl would appreciate the way her mind was swimming in the gutter. She blushed thinking that he was now naked in her bathroom cleaning himself for their little dinner. She didn't have any right to fell like this. They were just roommates having dinner together. They lived together, it was only normal.

It took a lot of work to guess the right combination of the ingredients but she was proud of herself. She left the meat cooking and went to prepare the table. She lay down everything, lighted a few candles (it was only practical, she said in her mind to the little voice nagging her) and went back to the kitchen. When Daryl opened the door she turned toward him and her mind just blacked out. He had cleaned up nicely: his hair were still wet but well combed, his goatee trimmed, his arms clean and on display by the shirt he rolled on his forearms. He looked good. More than good, if she had anything to say.

"Who knew you could get cleaned up this good?" she smiled at him, giving him a sultry look and making it obvious to look him over.

"Consider yourself lucky, not many had seen me this way." he decided to go for the truth hidden by a joke.

"Oh, I consider myself lucky, so very much" she whispered turning back toward their dinner.