Hi Everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always follow to receive updates for new chapters. I've had a couple private messages from readers that have had questions or comments and I want you all to know that I welcome it! Don't be shy guys. After reading, please, please, with a cherry on top write a review. Happy Reading, A.
Chapter 12
Alex stirred in Daryl's bed as the sun poured in through the window. She turned onto her side and took a deep breath. She could still smell his scent as she lay on his pillows and she felt more safe than any other time that she could hand reached out to the other side of the bed, searching for Daryl's warm body only to find a cold empty space where he should be. Alex shot up in bed and saw that she was alone in his room. She felt her whole body ache from the day before as she carefully got out of bed. She tip toed down the stairs, hoping to find him in the kitchen. Instead she found Carl and Michonne standing against the counters, eating what looked to be cereal and whispering quietly to each other. Alex slowly began to back out of the kitchen, as to not to intrude before the teen boy called for her to come back.
"Alex?" Carl spoke loud enough to get her attention. Alex slowly came back into the kitchen. He pushed himself off of the counter to retrieve a bowl from the cupboard. He filled it with cereal and milk and laid it on the counter in front of him and scooted it towards her.
"You should eat." He said sternly, but in a way that made her feel a sense of comfort and familiarity. He sounded just like his dad. Alex stepped up to the counter and thanked him before taking small bites of the sugary cereal. Alex sensed they were talking about either her or Daryl before she walked in and knew that they knew where he was. The three of them stood and ate together in silence before Alex spoke.
"Where's Daryl?" Alex asked. She remembered him being with her when she went to sleep and was certain she would have noticed him leaving. Her mind was fuzzy, but she was certain he had said something to her before she delved into a deep sleep. Michonne avoided eye contact and stirred the floating cereal in her milk before answering. "He just went to Aaron's real quick. Getting some parts for his bike. He should be back any minute." Michonne moved to rinse her bowl out into the sink, hoping to avoid any further questions about Daryl's whereabouts. Alex sensed that something was off but decided to play it cool. She would find out one way or another.
"Oh ok, I'll head over there in a few." She said as she finished her breakfast. Alex thoought she was calling her bluff when she noticed Michonne's shoulders tense. Michonne turned around and forced a smile on her face.
"Oh no, he'll be back soon. You should really be getting back up to bed. Get some rest." Michonne led Alex back upstairs and tucked her back into Daryl's bed. Alex laid back obediently onto the pillow and thanked Michonne for being so kind. When she heard the light footsteps of Michonne retreating back down the stairs, she quickly threw the blankets off of her and moved to the window. She pushed it up just enough so that she could shimmy her way out and onto the roof. She was thankful that it was still early enough that most of the community was asleep or else they think she had gone mad. She lowered herself down from the roof and grabbed hold of the gutter, letting herself drop quietly to the ground. Once her feet hit the grass, she took off towards Aaron's house. She had a gut feeling that Daryl went out last night, probably to find those men and her heart was beating out of her chest. She was angry that he had left, but scared to death that he wouldn't make it back. When she finally came upon Aaron's house, she was relieved to see the garage door wide open, with Daryl inside tinkering on his motorcycle.
Daryl picked up his bow from the ground and pulled himself together as he stood by the tree. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and grit his teeth as he shoved Alex's torn clothes into his backpack. His hands shook from anger and he kicked himself with regret for not killing the men while he had the chance. He tried to track the many foot prints left surrounding the area with no luck. They could be anywhere by now. They could be miles away for all he knew. He was too full of rage to go back to Alexandria so he kept falling the same path that had led him and Alex to the strip mall. He figured that if he was out there, the least he could do was scavenge a bit and hopefully make it back before the sun came up. He cautiously entered the same store that he and Alex had ventured into and found it left the same way as when they had left. He noted that there were tons of clothes and shoes that could be needed in Alexandria, especially since it was getting colder. He exited the store and moved onto the next one. It used to be a restaurant and he was sure there would be more or less nothing to be found inside but ventured inside anyway.
The building had been closed up for so long that a musty odor clung to the air inside. The floors were checked with red and white, styled in a 1950s fashion. Daryl made his way to the kitchen and he was able to find a few odds and ends inside, but nothing significant enough to bring back. He located the manager's office towards the back and opened the door slowly. Of course, it too was empty. Daryl rummaged through the desk and found a bag of unopened gummy bears. He thought it would be a sweet gesture to bring them back to Alex and shoved them into his pocket.
When Daryl exited the restaurant he noticed that the sky was beginning to lighten to a lighter shade of blue and he would need to be getting back soon. He walked underneath the tattered awning of the trip mall before a boarded up shop caught his eye.
Kirkman's Jewelers
Daryl turned his head and kept walking faster before Alex popped back into his head. He remembered how she looked sleeping in his bed and the comfort that the image brought him. He turned on his heels and walked back to the door, pulling boards off to gain entrance. The store was dark and Daryl pulled his flashlight to illuminate the room. Dust clinged to the glass display cases as he looked inside, standing awkwardly as he thought of how in his life before, he couldn't even afford to wipe his shoes off on this store's front door mat. He slung his bow over his shoulder as he continued through the store, wiping off the glass cases as he went. He jumped quickly and turned with his bow raised when he heard a thumping sound coming from the back of the store. He slowly made his way around the cases and stood in front of a door that must have led to a back office or some other employee only room. The sound was definitely a walker, probably someone who had held themselves up inside early on in the outbreak. Daryl carefully opened the door a crack and waited for it to approach. When the walker emerged he pulled his hunting knife from his belt and put it out of its misery. He pushed the door the rest of the way open and tried to ignore the overpowering scent of decay as he entered. He shown his flashlight around the room and realized it was a vault. Safes and more display cases lined the walls. He kicked aside empty food cans as he inspected the room. Daryl tried to pull open the doors to see if what he was looking for would be located inside but found that they were still locked tight. He moved back over to the corpse now lying on the floor and searched it until he came upon a set of keys. He opened and searched through many of them only to find various pieces of jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, dozens of watches. He finally came to stand at a small lock box at the end of the wall and slid the key into the lock. When he turned it and opened it, a wide smile grew in his face. He shoved the contents of the locker securely into the bottom of his backpack and walked out of the store. The sun would be rising soon.
"Shit!" He exclaimed as he ran quickly towards Alexandria.
Alex was relieved when she saw Daryl was exactly where Michonne had said he was. She felt a vibe coming off of him that was hard to read as she moved closer to him. He quickly wiped his hands and pulled Alex close to him, hoping that she wouldn't notice that his heart was beating out of his chest and he was still trying to catch his breath.
"How ya feelin'?" He asked as he rubbed the back of her head. He pulled her head back to inspect her split lip that seemed to be healing quickly.
"I'm okay." She replied. She still felt woozy and almost drunk from the pill she had taken last night. She wondered how strong it was and never remembered a time that she felt this out of it from one valium. She felt Daryl's hand travel to the neck of her shirt and cautiously pull it aside to take a look at the bite on her shoulder. He was surprised to see how quick it was healing as well, despite the injury just being sustained the day before. He searched her face for any sign of being uncomfortable with his touch as he carefully moved the shirt back in place.
"What are you doing up so early?" She asked as she looked around him and at the parts laying across the table. Daryl moved to quickly kick his bag under the table as he picked up another piece.
"Nothin' just figured I'd organize this mess." He placed the part back down on the table and looked at Alex. She wasn't looking at his face but at his shoes. They were still muddy from his night in the woods. She quickly pieced everything together.
"You left last night?" She asked, feeling hurt that he lied to her. She felt her dizziness getting more intense and leaned against the table for support. Daryl came to quickly grab her to keep her from falling and pulled her gently out of the garage. He decided to avoid answering her question and get her home.
"Ya need ta get back in the damn bed before ya pass out." He replied frustratedly. Alex wanted to argue with him, question why he lied to her but decided it best to just let him take her back. Aaron walked out of the garage, rubbing his eyes from just waking up and saw Daryl and Alex standing in the garage. He ran up to Alex and wrapped his arms around her, thankful that his friend was okay. Daryl watched them embrace, also thankful for the woman he called his own but his eyes kept flicking over to his pack under the table. If she saw the contents inside of it not only would she know why and where he went and that he had lied to her, but something more would be revealed all too soon. Daryl cleared his throat to get their attention.
"I was just gonna take her on back to the house." He realized how much of a dick he sounded like and tried to think of a way to alter the way he came back. "Jus' tryin' to take care of her." He added quickly. Aaron pulled Alex away at arm's length and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"If you need anything, you know Eric and I are always right down the street." Aaron said softly to Alex. She nodded her head and smile at Aaron before giving him another hug. She moved to Daryl's side and laced her fingers with his as he lead them back down the street towards his house. When Daryl opened the front door, it was easy for them to both hear the loud conversation going on in the kitchen.
"This house is crowded as it is. I don't see anything wrong with her own apartment. We do not know her." Carol's voice echoed loudly throughout the house.
"She was only here for one night. Daryl kept her here after what happened out there yesterday. I just don't see the problem in her being here one…" Michonne abruptly stopped talking as Carol interrupted her.
"One night turns into two, and eventually every night. We already have our food rations which she's already helped herself to, and the wine." A cabinet slammed angrily and you could hear Michonne sigh.
"Daryl made her something after they left the clinic last night. One can of soup is fine to spare and you know there is plenty to go around." Michonne responded in defense.
"That is not the point. We do not know her. He has barely known her for a few weeks and he's already falling her around like a puppy dog. He wasn't even here last night to babysit her. He just snuck out and left you here to watch her." Carol immediately stopped talking as Daryl slowly walked into the kitchen, keeping Alex behind him. He knew that his cover was blown and he would have to explain why he left to Alex later, but he needed to take care of this first.
"There a problem?" Daryl asked angrily. Michonne leaned back onto the counter with her arms crossed and looked towards Carol. Michonne had no issues with Alex, she even liked her, but Carol felt completely different about the new girl. Carol peered around Daryl at Alex and put on her new signature Betty Crocker smile.
"I'm sorry sweetie but we just don't have the room for you to be staying here." Carol looked back at Daryl seriously.
"I think ya forgot I live here too. I have a say in who can stay or not." He stood up straighter and felt angrier, even more so than he normally would combined with his frustrations from the last couple of days paired with his lack of sleep. Rick walked in from the back porch holding Judith and immediately sensed the hostility in the room. Michonne reached out to take Judith from Rick and walked quietly past Daryl and Alex into the living room. Alex tugged on Daryl's arm and leaned into his ear.
"I'm going back home." She said sternly as she turned to leave. Daryl pulled Alex back to him.
"Nah, you're staying with me." He responded. Daryl was fed up with all the shit surrounding the past few days. The last thing he was going to deal with was anyone excluding Alex, especially after what she went through. Rick was noticeably irritated and turned to Carol.
"Carol we already talked about this. It's settled. She's with us now. Morgan and I have to take Pete's body outside the walls later and I'm not hearing any more of this when I get back." Rick didn't give her a chance to respond as he walked towards the living room. He put his hand on Alex's shoulder as he passed her. "You can stay here as long as you want." He continued to walk into the living room, joining Michonne and his daughter.
Daryl turned Alex away from the kitchen and began to lead her towards the stairs but not before giving Carol a warning glare as he walked out of the kitchen. Once inside Daryl's room, Alex immediately began making the bed and straightening everything up. She tended to clean when she got nervous, a habit that still stuck from the time she spent with her ex husband from before. She picked up the half empty bowl of soup on the night stand and stopped in her tracks when she noticed a small chunk of pill that Daryl missed when he stirred it into the soup the night before.
"Stop. Ya don't have to do any of that." Daryl said as he walked over to Alex. She turned holding the bowl out to him, demanding an explanation. He stepped back, looking away and ignoring the outstretched bowl in front of him.
"You drugged me?" She demanded. There wasn't an ounce of fear or reservation in her voice. She slammed the bowl back down on the table and picked up the pack of cigarettes that lay next to it. She lit one up and stood at the window, not taking her eyes off of Daryl.
"I had to go out there to kill them bastards after what they did to you. You wouldn't have let me if you were awake." He said defensively. He ripped the covers back from the bed and pointed at the pillow.
"Get in the damn bed." He sounded more angrily then he wanted.
"Fuck you, Daryl Dixon." Alex responded as she took another drag from her cigarette. In one quick sweep Daryl moved in front of her and yanked the cigarette from her hand and made her sit on the bed. His grip was tighter than he meant for it to be and he didn't notice he had grabbed her by her injured shoulder. Alex winced at the pain in her shoulder an Daryl pulled back quickly after realizing what he did. He slammed his fist into the drywall and cursed, angry at the entire situation. Alex sat there stunned as she watched him take in deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. She didn't fear Daryl, she knew his intentions and could tell that he was exhausted. Daryl turned his head to look at her.
"I know I shouldn'a done that. I'm sorry. Only went out there cause I love you. What happened out there's on me." He pulled away from the wall and stood in front of Alex. "If ya wanna go, go." He said as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He squeezed his eyelids shut tight, knowing that if he opened them his anger would turn to sadness and she would see his weakness. Alex stood up and quietly moved to stand in front of him. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him softly. Daryl opened his eyes and looked at her through sleepy before pulling her to his chest.
"Daryl, I just want you to hold me." She said with a mixture of want and need. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips onto her head as she rested into him. Daryl only wanted her happy, to be safe. He kicked his shoes off and laid down with her in his bed. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and breathed in the scent of her hair. She still smelled of a clean vanilla mixed with something else, something even better: a combination of her and him.
"Could get used to this." He grunted as he shifted comfortably on his side, spooning her closer to him.
"Hmm?" Alex asked sleepily.
A small smile grew on Daryl's face. "Nothin'." He replied as they both drifted into a much needed deep sleep.
Later that evening, Daryl stirred as he heard a knock coming from the front door downstairs. He peeked over at Alex who was still passed out next to him and gently rolled off the bed and tip toed down the stairs, noticing the house was empty. He rubbed his eyes as he opened the front door to see Aaron standing there holding Daryl's back pack up. Daryl had forgotten that he left it there in a hurry to get Alex home and in bed and accepted it, appreciatively.
"Thanks." Daryl said as he was closing the door. Aaron put his hand on the door, not having finished his full purpose in his visit.
"I'm sorry, you're normally up. I knew no one else would be here so I figured now would be the most convenient time to return that." Aaron pointed to the sack and Daryl looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.
"Who gives a shit, it's just a back pack. Coulda waited." Daryl responded, not hiding his crankiness. Aaron lowered his head a bit to hide his smirk. Daryl knew Aaron had more to say but was withholding whatever information it was. Daryl was unamused and ready for him to get on with it so he could go back upstairs to bed. Aaron pulled a small velvet bag from his back pocket and dangled it in front of Daryl's face. Daryl looked behind him quickly before snatching it from his hands and shoving it into the bottom of his pack frantically.
"The fuck you goin' through my shit for?" Daryl hissed quietly yet angrily. Aaron put his hands up in front of him in defense.
"I swear I didn't go through it. Your pack was under the table and must have fallen out." Aaron replied defensively. Daryl stared at the backpack, upset that its contents were found out.
"Don't say nothin' bout it. Not yet." Daryl said sternly. Aaron nodded, and even felt humbled to know of this secret. He chuckled a bit and stopped immediately when he saw Daryl didn't join in as well. He stood up and tried to explain his reaction.
"I'm sorry, you just don't seem like the kind of guy to.." Aaron was cut off by Daryl.
"The kinda guy to what?" He asked, ready to defend his actions against anyone. Aaron saw there was no use in trying to make light of anything with Daryl yet and was understanding, considering everything.
"Alex. Is she okay?" Aaron's face changed to a more serious and compassionate tone.
"Mhmm." Daryl grunted. "She's tough. She will be. Between us." Daryl warned again as he lifted his pack. Aaron held his right hand up. "Scouts honor." Daryl closed the door and quietly walked back up the stairs and into his room. He opened his closet door and dropped the pack inside. He thought about just doing it, right now, expose his small secret that lay carelessly in the closet but forced himself to hold off until it was the right time. When he turned around and looked at the bed, Alex was now sitting up and watching him curiously.
"Everything okay?" She asked. Daryl quickly pulled some clothes out of the closet and walked over to her.
"Yeah, Aaron brought my bag over. Musta forgot it. Ya alright?" He smoothed her tangled hair away from her face and kissed her softly. Even her hair a mess and half awake, she was intoxicating to him. He couldn't help his eyes from wandering down to her chest where her nipples were visibly protruding from his tshirt. He remembered to retrain himself and quickly averted his gaze to her eyes. Alex's mind was clearer now that she slept off the drugs. She wanted to be mad at Daryl still, but just couldn't muster up those kinds of emotions towards him.
"Yeah. I'm fine." She replied. Daryl knew that at some point, she had to talk about what happened. He wanted to help her through it, any way that he could.
"Wanna talk about it?" Daryl held his breath as he waited for her to respond. Alex put on a strong face when she replied. "Can we forget about it? I'm really fine."
Daryl nodded as he pulled her hands into his lap. He knew that she was strong but even strong people have to be weak sometimes. He chose not to press further and would wait until she was ready to talk and decided to carry on as if nothing happened.
"I'm gonna shower real quick. Need anything?" He asked as he stood and walked towards the door. Alex got out of bed and stretched. Her back was sore from being in the bed so long and she winced as she moved around.
"I think I'm going to go home and change." She noticed she was still in Daryl's clothes when she looked down. "I'm sure you want these back." She said jokingly. Daryl smiled at her when he heard the lightness in her voice again.
"Nah, they look good on you." Daryl blushed as she came and kissed his cheek. She walked down the stairs and heard the shower water come on. When she reached the front door knob, she heard Daryl's loud footsteps racing halfway down the stairs.
"I'll come find ya later?" He stated it more than asked.
"Yeah, meet me at Aaron's." She said as she walked out the front door. Daryl remembered the secret between him and Aaron and rushed to shower and get over there before she did.
Alex's mind was clustered with the many things that occurred in such a short span of time. She walked home and noticed some of the people in the community eyeing her as strolled through the street in men's pajamas. By now, everyone knew that her and Daryl were together so she decided not to pay them much attention as they watched her. She walked through the doors of her apartment and saw that it was the same way her and Daryl had left it. A blanket was rumpled up on the couch from where they had sex just a few nights ago, along with Daryl's towel. She folded the blanket and sat it in a nearby chair and carried the towel upstairs and tossed it in the laundry basket in the bathroom. She straightened up her room, smoothing out the comforter on the bed and organized the brushed by her easel. When she looked out her window, she looked towards Daryl's house. She noticed he seemed different somehow after he came back from his run outside the walls. Like there was something he wasn't telling her. The memories of the men and the tree came to the forefront of her mind and she realized that had to be it.
She walked into the bathroom and stripped off Daryl's clothes and showered. She scrubbed her skin clean until it was bright red and stepped out of the shower. She wiped the steam from the mirror and saw that the bruise around her busted lip was already fading quickly. But, she still looked so tired despite the many hours she had slept since they had come back. Alex searched through the drawers around the sink until she found a small makeup bag. She patted on concealer until she was satisfied that the bruising was unnoticeable. She walked into the bedroom and flopped onto her bed. She felt her chest tighten as the weight of what had happened was finally caving in on her. Alex cried and screamed until she couldn't cry anymore. It was as if she screamed out the trauma, the humiliation, the anger.
Either he killed them or they're miles away from here. There's nothing I can do to change it.
She realized her thoughts actually made sense and came to terms with it.
"Alright. You wanted to start a new life here so here it is. Suck it up." Alex slowly got up and walked over to her closet and scanned over the hanging clothes. She began to pull out the most comfortable pair of sweat pants and tshirt she had before she realized she was repeating the same habit from before, when her husband would violate her. She pushed aside the loungewear and found a fitted sweater that hugged her curves and a dark pair of jeans.
I am not a victim. She repeated over and over in her head.
She quickly dressed and made her way to Aaron's house.
Daryl showered quickly and arrived at Aaron and Eric's home shortly after Alex left. He made small talk with them as they drank beers and sat in the living room. Daryl noticed Aaron and Eric exchanging glances and realized Aaron had already spilled the beans to Eric.
"Scouts honor, huh?" Daryl quipped as he took another swig. Aaron and Eric smiled in unison as they looked at Daryl.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it. I had to tell him. He can tell when I know something he doesn't." Aaron looked at Eric who was still smiling widely at Daryl. Eric leaned toward Daryl and sat his beer on the coffee table. "Don't worry Daryl, you're secret is safe with me." Daryl looked at him and back at his bottle. He turned it around in his hand nervously.
"Did you look at it?" He directed his question toward Aaron. Aaron's eyes grew big as he remembered the contents of the small bag. "Oh yeah." He replied excitedly. "Do you know when?" He asked as Daryl's head shot up.
"Dunno. Rather sooner than later." Daryl answered. He jumped when he heard a quiet knock at the front door and tried to put on a poker face, knowing that it was Alex. His eyes widened when she walked around the couch to sit next to him. She looked incredible, a far cry from the girl he carried into the clinic just the day before. Daryl had a hard time to control his mind from racing but in the end, he could only come up with one word to describe how she looked.
Wow.
Daryl had a difficult time not staring at her and even noticed that Aaron and Eric noticed how attractive she was. He put his arm around her and let her rest into him. She felt warm and once again, he felt an energy between them like the electric buzz that had been between them so many times before. By the way she shivered when their bodies pressed together, he knew that she felt it too. Daryl sat quietly as they made small talk and joked around as if nothing had happened the past couple days. He began to wonder if she was still in some sort of shock or denial.
Alex felt like she was becoming her own self again. Taking back what anyone had tried to take from her. She still felt heavy from the weight of it all, almost caged in and ready to break through the bars at her first chance but she decided to fake it 'til she made it. She knew she certainly looked like she was ok, and from the way she noticed Daryl occasionally stealing a glance at her chest she knew he thought so too. If she could convince everyone else around her that she was fine, maybe she would be, eventually. It was getting dark outside and she was growing anxious from being in the house. Daryl sensed the change in Alex. She walked in projecting confidence and ease but he began picking up a growing tension within her.
"Wanna go for a walk?" Daryl whispered in her ear. A look of relief came over her face as she nodded her head. They said their goodbyes to Aaron and Eric and made their way outside. The night had a chill in the air and Daryl was ready to give up his leather jacket to Alex so that she would stay warm. When he looked at her, she seemed unfazed by the cool night, she seemed to relish in it. Alex took a deep breath of the crisp air and closed her eyes, enjoying the quiet. Daryl reached out for her hand instead, letting his fingers lace with hers as they began strolling through the streets. Most of the Alexandrians had retreated back inside their homes to have a late dinner or to call it a night. Other than Sasha and Abraham on watch, Daryl and Alex were the only ones outside and Daryl felt more at ease without the prying eyes of some of the more nosier residents.
Although an odd looking couple, they were a good looking couple. Her softness paired with his roughness like whiskey and water. He brought the strong, boldness that drew her in and she was renewing and smoothed out his coarseness. Daryl had endured more than a lifetime of heartbreak and disappointment that had hardened him to a point that even he thought that he could never return from, but somehow, she miraculously was bringing something out of him. Something he didn't quite understand or even thought possible. He thought back to when he brought her back to Alexandria after the attack in the woods and worried about if she would be ok, if she would harden. Instead she saw a blue bird and still saw something good in the world. Daryl found himself smiling, something that he hadn't done in a long time. That was the moment any doubt or insecurities about the velvet bag diminished.
They talked about their pasts as they walked around the community. Daryl told her about Atlanta, the prison, even the trek from Georgia to Virginia. She told him more about her art, her home in King County, and the many months alone before she arrived in Alexandria. Daryl found it strangely easy to open up to Alex. Soon, they began telling jokes and teasing each other. Daryl even found himself laughing, something he really couldn't remember doing before he had met her.
Suddenly, Alex stopped walking and came to stand directly in front of Daryl in the middle of the street.
"Close your eyes." She said with a mischievous smile on her face. Daryl lit two cigarettes and past one to her.
"Why?" He asked, curious as to what she was up to.
"Shut up and just do it." She said as she took a step closer to him. He took a deep drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke up into the air. He closed his eyes, expecting her to kiss him. She felt her move even closer, close enough to feel her body heat through his clothes. He felt his chest tighten with anticipation as he noticed her breath on his face from the closeness. Her lips grazed his ear softly as she whispered softly in his ear.
"You're it."
She darted off down the street laughing as she looked back at Daryl standing in the road, surprised by the misdirection. He flicked his cigarette on the ground and took off after her. She ran quickly, dodging his arm each time it came within reach. She scurried into the shadows between the houses and hid quietly. She stifled her giggling by placing her hand over her mouth and kept her body pressed closely to the wall of the building which she realized was the pantry and armory. She could hear Daryl's footsteps get closer and then further away. Soon, she didn't hear anything at all. Alex decided that he had went into another direction and that she should probably step out so that he could find her. She began to take a step out from the shadows before she felt a rough hand grab her arm and pull her back. She spun around to two deep blue eyes bearing into hers.
"Gotcha." Daryl whispered as he gently pushed her back against the building. He moved to fill the space between them and kissed her softly on the lips. He breathed in her clean scent and his skin tingled as they brushed against each other. Daryl looked at Alex's face and how he had her pushed up against the building and images flooded into his mind of how she had been pinned against the tree. He felt guilt over how he had just put her into a position that may upset her or make her feel that he was pressuring her into doing something she was not ready to. He pulled back for just a second before she grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him back to her lips. She kissed him deeply, with an urgency that he couldn't resist. He ran his hands up and down her body and rested them at the hem of her sweater. He abandoned any hesitance he had prior when she took his hand and glided it back up to her breast. Daryl felt his jeans tighten instantly and pressed his hips into hers, wanting her to feel his want for her. He smiled as she let out a soft whimper. Alex began to move her hands to the front of his jeans, wanting him and needing him more than she had before. Daryl quickly grabbed her hands and pushed them away. He looked around, wanting more privacy than the shadows of a building.
"Not here." He grunted as he pulled her behind him towards his house. Alex grew nervous, not wanting anymore confrontation over her spending another night there.
"You sure?" She asked with uncertainty in her voice. Daryl looked back at her for a second, and continued towards his destination. The windows in the house were dark, and it was obvious no one was home.
"They all must be at the other house." He said as he pointed next door to the house next door. It's windows were illuminated, an obvious sign that they must have met up over there for the evening.
"Like I give a shit." Daryl mumbled as they walked up the steps. Alex and Daryl entered through the front door and stood in the dark living room, listening for any sound of occupancy and heard none. The entire house was empty. They didn't hesitate to come together like magnets, kissing each other sloppily as they pulled each other clothes off. The chill that clung to Alex's skin quickly ceased as she felt Daryl's rough hands roaming over her body. Daryl dropped his jacket to the floor, feeling like his clothes were ore of a hindrance than ever. Alex managed to kick her boots off as they made their way through the house, attempting to reach the stairs. She unbuttoned Daryl's shirt and pushed it down his arms as Daryl carefully slid his hand inside Alex's jeans. He felt his cock grow uncomfortably against his jeans when he felt her wetness and began sliding his fingers rapidly against her clit. She leaned into him, panting heavily before he removed his hand and pulled her quickly towards the stairs. They couldn't keep stop kissing each other hungrily as they ascended the staircase clumsily, a single misstep caused them to tumble onto the stairs. Alex couldn't wait anymore as she quickly unbuttoned his jeans, letting them fall below his knees. She laid down on the stairs and watched Daryl as he pulled her jeans off and tossed them to the ground floor below them. He settled himself between her legs and entered her quickly. She winced at the sudden penetration but still pushed her hips onto him, needing to feel him deep inside of her. He pushed her hair back from her face and kissed her as he pushed himself in and out of her, faster each time.
Alex's pleasure was intruded by the thought of the man with the W. She felt panicked with Daryl on top of her and resisted the urge to push him off. She was determined to not be a victim or to stop living her life. She pushed Daryl off and down onto the stairs and smiled when she saw the stunned reaction on his face. He anticipated her leaving and was beginning to become angry with himself before he noticed Alex climb on top of him and straddle him. The sudden change in position excited Daryl more and he clawed at her sweater, pushing it off over her head, revealing her breasts. He took her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard and biting softly. She reached down between them and helped him enter her once again.
She slowly rocked her hips back and forth on him before picking up a faster pace. He wrapped his hand around her and held her steady by the small of her back as she moved harder on top of him. Daryl watched her in the darkness as she moved, focusing on the look of pleasure on her face. He moved his free hand to her now swollen clit and flicked over it, pushing her to orgasm. He thrusted his hips deeply inside her and came just as hard as she did. She slowed her movements gradually until she was still, letting Daryl sit up and wrap his arms around her.
Suddenly, the lights came on and they both froze on the stairs. They didn't hear the front door open and close during their time together and heard footsteps quickly coming towards them. They didn't have enough time to move from their position before Glenn came upon them.
"Shit…Sss… sorry." Glenn managed to say before he spun on his heels and back out the front door. Rick and the rest of the group was making their way onto the porch as Glenn walked out, with a clear look of embarrassment and shock on his face. He managed to stall them long enough for Daryl and Alex to run up the stairs and into Daryl's room. He tossed Alex some more pajamas from his dresser and buttoned his shirt back up. As they came back down the stairs, Daryl made eye contact with Glenn, who managed a small smile at him and shake his head, signaling that they were spared the embarrassment of the entire group knowing what he had walked in on.
Overall, there was a very serious tone in the living room as he pulled Alex to sit with him near the window. Alex knew her cheeks were red and it was obvious to everyone in the room what they had been doing before they arrived. She crossed her arms and leaned into Daryl before noticing her sweater still lay on the floor. Maggie stood near the sweater and casually kicked it under the couch unnoticed.
Alex's relief was short lived when Rick began to speak.
"There are walkers in a quarry, not far from here. Hundreds, maybe even more than that. If the barriers break, they'll all be headed our way."
And just like that, Alex was snapped back to the reality that they all lived in.
