Prompt:
TF trying to get them under the mistletoe
They both stood on the sidelines, shoulder to shoulder as they watched their family get very merry indeed, with the help of alcohol.
They sipped on their own beers silently, Carol occasionally doing a round to get them another plate of buffet food.
"Y'know I ain't feeling this Christmas thing yet," Daryl commented eventually as he opened his next beer, the Christmas music blaring away loudly.
"Hm, you and I both," she replied, necking the rest of her own beer, taking Daryl's now open beer out of his hand.
He gave her a dirty glare earning a grin from her as she took a long drink.
"Thanks," she said with a smirk causing him to roll his eyes with his own smirk as he went off to retrieve two more beers.
Wrapped up in their own conversation they failed to see that they had an audience sat around the table across the room.
"Good god I wish those two would hook up already," Tara sighed, watching as Daryl took his place again back next to Carol, making sure the beers were out of her reach.
Glenn snorted at that, "don't know why you're complaining, you haven't been watching them dance around each other from the beginning of this whole thing."
"Well it's about time we did something about it," she grinned, "it's Christmas after all and who doesn't love a Christmas romance."
"It's not gonna work," Rick input from the head of the table, his thumb running over Michonne's knuckles.
"Sure it will," Tara quipped back confidently, "Glenn go grab a mistletoe and stick it over their head, the rest will do itself."
"Hey no Glenn I'm no so sure-" Maggie started but he cut her off, his drunken state getting the better of him.
"No Mag' it'll be fine babe," he slurred pressing a kiss to her cheek, "I got this."
She shook her head as stumbled to the doorway plucking down the mistletoe before making a beeline for Daryl and Carol.
"Come you two turtledoves," Glenn announced holding the mistletoe high over their heads.
Everyone at the table other than Tara was cringing in their seats, wincing when Daryl right hooked him in the stomach telling him to fuck off.
Glenn came back with a little less spring in his step as he slumped down next to Maggie who was shooting him a I-told-you-so look.
Tara sighed putting the mistletoe back in place, Daryl's eyes watching her suspiciously as she shot him a smirk, she'd leave them in peace for now.
After their next drink Tara's brain started ticking again, "Aaron you got your camera?"
"Uh yeah why?"
"Well you're up, get them under that doorway for a photo then casually drop in about the mistletoe above them, I'm sure he'll go for it this time, just a little kiss on the cheek that's all I'm asking for."
"You want it so bad why don't you take the photo?" Aaron questioned trying to pass the camera over.
"No no no it can't be me, I'm the brains of this operation, you have to be the brawn, now go go go," she demanded thrusting the camera back into his hands.
"Fine," Aaron muttered, "Rick, Michonne, come on."
"What? Why us?" Rick asked.
"Because I can't just go over and ask them to have a photo and not photograph anyone else, it'll make it seem inconspicuous, y'know?"
"I'd like a photo any how," Michonne said rising, taking Rick's hand in hers going over to the doorway, Aaron lining up the camera.
Daryl and Carol's attention was caught at the movement of their family.
Aaron took the shot and cautiously turned to Daryl and Carol, "come on you're up next."
"Huh? No I ain't havin' no picture taken," Daryl grumbled.
"Would it really be that bad to have one picture taken we me Dixon?" Carol questioned tugging on his sleeve, "come on tough guy."
He shot her a glare but the sighed in defeat, "alright, one picture."
Carol's face beamed as she hauled him to his feet over where Aaron was directing them in the doorway.
Daryl positioned himself so he wasn't looking at the camera, his body angled towards Carol, his arm cautiously coming around her waist. His touch made her look up at him in surprise, a smile forming on her face as his own mouth twitched back.
Aaron took the opportunity to quickly capture that moment, Tara watching with wide eyes wondering if they were going to go ahead and kiss anyway.
"Hey would you look at that, mistletoe," Aaron tried to mention casually, "what say you and-"
"No," Daryl abruptly interrupted, tugging Carol by the wrist away from the mistletoe.
"Good lord what is up with them," Daryl muttered to Carol who was now giggling.
"What's so damn funny huh?" he grumbled necking the last of his beer.
"You," she snorted back, "you know if you just played along they'd stop."
"Played alon- woman ya know what their tryna get ta do right?" Daryl retorted.
"Of course I do," she laughed, "and I'm not saying I'd object to a handsome man giving me a Christmas kiss under the mistletoe."
Her eyes were challenging and mischievous now making Daryl nervous.
"Ya drunk, y'know that?"
"No more drunk than you," she quipped cocking a brow at him.
Back at the main table Tara was starting to get more and more frustrated.
"Well that was a flop," she muttered as Aaron took his seat across from her.
"Not a total flop," Aaron corrected, "I mean we all saw the way they gazed up at each other right? The camera did at least."
"Maybe they just need some privacy?" Maggie suggested, being the only sober one she was able to see what they couldn't. "Daryl's a very private person and Carol very rarely lets her guard down. You need to make them think it was their idea, make sure they think they're alone."
"But if they're alone then how will I know it's happened?" she whined.
"I said they need to think they're alone, not that they are alone. I mean if you want to be really creepy about it then there's a mistletoe out on the front porch and from my bedroom window upstairs-"
"Say no more, you guys go get them outside, I'll wait upstairs," Tara said upping suddenly bolting upstairs.
All eyes now fell on Maggie for an idea of how to get them outside on such a cold evening.
"Okay," Maggie breathed thinking of a way to get them out there.
"I got it," Glenn blurted suddenly standing up from the table.
"Glenn what is it? Don't just go over there and-" Maggie hissed at him but it was already too late.
"Hey Daryl," Glenn called as he approached him.
"What is it now Glenn?" Daryl questioned, an amused expression on his face.
"Come get me," he smirked before slapping him hard in the face.
Good god Glenn had not thought this through.
Daryl's hand came up to clasp his cheek as his form rose, towering over Glenn who at that moment began to bolt for the front door.
"Son've'a'bitch!" Daryl yelled chasing after him.
Carol followed outside after him as the group watched with wide eyes at the scene that was unfolding.
Daryl may have been stronger but Glenn was faster, quicker with direction changes as he turned and sprinted towards the front door. He brushed past Carol and slammed the door behind him, locking it so neither could get back in.
Once he had caught back his breath he took a drunken bow, collapsing on the couch closest to him.
"He's going to kill you dead," Maggie warned, fighting off a laugh.
"It'll be worth it, tell me if they kiss, I'll just be here, sleeping," Glenn mumbled the drunken haze pulling him under.
Daryl banged on the door trying to wrench it open, shouting threats at Glenn through the door.
"I'm gonna fuckin' kill 'im," Daryl growled.
"Oh calm down you big baby," Carol teased leaning against the porch pillar.
"Calm down? He slapped me across my face Carol, fuckin' hurt as well lil shithead."
Carol gave him an easy grin as she watched him let off steam his anger slowly subsiding as he leant against the pillar opposite.
"You think he did it on purpose?" Carol asked.
"Well it's not like his hand just happened to accidentally fall on my face is it?" Daryl replied sarcastically.
"Not that you dick," Carol bit back, almost laughing at Daryl's reaction, "brought us out here I mean."
"Whatta ya mean?"
Carol chucked her head upwards, Daryl's eyes following to where there was a mistletoe hanging between them.
"For fuck sake," Daryl grumbled, "they don't know when ta quit."
"Offers still open."
"Offer?"
"To play along, it's not exactly like their here to watch anymore," she said, her gaze going to the window a smile playing on her lips as a group of them jumped back away.
"Is that what ya want?" Daryl asked, alcohol fueling his new found confidence that was starting to emerge, "for me to kiss ya?"
"Wouldn't hear any complaints from me," she confessed, her eyes now casting downwards.
Daryl shifted from one foot to the other as he considered whether to kiss her or not. He wanted to, hell he really did, and she wanted to, so at this point it was just nerves holding him back.
Carol could see the inner conflict on his face and decided it was time to take action into her own hands.
She stepped forward, her hands softly planting on his chest, despite the coldness surrounding them, he was surprisingly warm.
"Car-" but her name died on his lips when hers came up to meet his instead. She didn't move her lips just put medium pressure against his, holding it there as she let him decide whether to go any further.
Her lips were like pillows against his, soft, plump, warm and right now all his. He'd be a fool not to kiss her back.
His lips slowly moved against hers, a hand coming up to snake around the back of her neck. Bravely he traced the tip of his tongue against her lower lip, asking for entrance. She needed no further prompting than that, opening up her mouth to him as her hands came up to either side of his jaw, holding him there. The kiss quickly became something deeper, physically and emotionally. Years of built up tension being burst with a single kiss, a kiss they'd both wanted for so long. Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her in close to him before finally pulling his lips away, his eyes still closed as his forehead came to rest against hers.
"That felt like a little more than playing along to me Daryl Dixon," Carol murmured, her eyes still closed too.
"Believe me, it was."
From the window above a Cheshire cat grin grew on Tara's face, they could thank her later.
