It was just after noon on Thursday and Daryl had just gotten out of class. He'd taken three finals today and he had two more tomorrow and he'd officially be done with his junior year of college. Assuming he passed all of his classes, of course, but he wasn't too much worried about failing. He would have to pretty much bomb his finals to end up failing any of his them, and even if he did, there was still a good chance he could scrape by with a C in most of them anyway.

Hell, this had actually ended up being one of his best semesters, academically speaking, so far. He was pretty sure he was going to end up with four A's and even manage to get a B in his hardest class. He had a feeling he'd done well on the three tests he'd taken earlier, now all he had to do was do well on those two that were left tomorrow. Too bad that one of those classes was biochemistry, which happened to be the class he was hanging on the balance in between a B and C.

So, instead of coming home and relaxing on his Thursday off, it pretty much meant he was going to need to be spending the majority of his day studying and cramming.

()()()

Carol was sitting on the front porch when she heard Daryl's bike coming towards the house a little after lunch time. She'd been sitting in her new swing reading when she heard the telltale roar of his bike's engine long before he even pulled onto their street.

She'd bought the swing earlier in the week. They had a spacious front porch and back deck. But both spaces were bare and had been since well before she moved in. Well, other than the grill that was on the back porch that is. She'd mentioned something about it being a shame that there was all that space and nothing there to take it up. Especially since the house they lived in was such a cute little place. She'd thrown out suggestions on things to do to spruce the outside appearance up, and Rick and Daryl hadn't exactly been enthusiastic about jumping on decorating the place, but both men had given her the green light to go ahead and change or add anything she wanted to.

With her last pay check she'd bought the swing she was currently sitting in and also added a few hanging baskets and potted pants. Begonia's, ferns, geraniums, azalea's and roses were now strategically placed along the front and back of the house.

Once she'd started decorating the place, Daryl had finally thrown a few artifacts of his own choosing in the mix. He said that he didn't mind all of the damn flowers or nothing, but he still wanted people to be able to tell that guys lived her too. He'd found two old turtle shells out in the woods a long time ago and placed them on the front porch as his very own decorative ornaments, along with some type of skull that he claimed came from a deer.

Rick hadn't really had many ideas to contribute, other than where he thought things should be placed. He wasn't the type to really care about home décor. As long as the grass was kept at a reasonable length and the bushes weren't overgrowing, Rick was happy enough with the outside of the house.

And that was okay with her, not everyone liked the same things, and she didn't really expect two college aged guys to really care that much about fancying up a house that they were renting temporarily. At least her brother and Daryl liked to keep things relatively neat around the place. They'd leave cans and paper plates lying around here and there, sometimes Daryl left his clothes in the bathroom floor or forgot to put the toilet seat down, but overall they were neater than you'd expect most guys their age to be. Hell, they both picked up after themselves a hell of a lot better than Ed had. And not once had either of them asked her to clean up their mess for them, though sometimes she did, simply because she couldn't stand for things to be dirty or unorganized and she'd tire of looking at it before one of them got to picking up the mess.

As she heard Daryl's bike enter their driveway she turned her attention from her own thoughts. She dog eared the page of the book she'd been reading and then closed it completely once she saw him pull under the carport. She watched him as he pushed the kickstand down, then flung a leg over the bike in an effort to climb off. He pulled his helmet off, leaving his hair in that slight disheveled, yet completely sexy, way it always did. She watched him give her a sideways grin the moment he noticed her sitting in the swing and it made her stomach do one of those weird little flip flops she'd grown so accustomed to feeling whenever he smiled at her, or told her something sweet, or held her close to him.

He rested the helmet on the handle bars of his bike and jogged towards the porch, quickly taking a seat beside her in the swing after he slung his backpack off his shoulders. "Hey."

She grinned at him, bringing a hand to the side of his face and pulling him in for quick peck on the lips. "Hey." She replied once she pulled away, still grinning. "You think you did okay on your finals?"

"Mhm. Just worried about the two I got left tomorrow."

"You'll do just fine. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

He felt the corner of his lip turn up at that as his cheeks tinged pink. She was always telling him something good about himself. Encouraging him in some way. She'd told him on more than one occasion that she thought he should apply for vet school. She'd said he was smart enough and had the passion and the drive to make an excellent veterinarian. He still didn't think he had the grades to get in or the patience to do four more years of school after next year, but it made him feel good to know she thought he was capable. ""What were you doing before I got home?" He asked her, feeling the need to get the attention off of him before she decided to start on all of that talk again.

She glanced around the porch, landing her eyes on the turtle shells and the deer skull, then smirked at him. "Just spending some time out here, hanging out with your creepy, little dead friends."

He feigned a hurt look and scoffed at her. "Hey, don't make fun of the way I choose to decorate. This is my damn home just as much as it is yours."

Home. That word hit her hard. Sure, this place was where she'd been living for over a month. It's where she helped pay the bills. It's where all of her stuff was. But she hadn't come to the realization that this was her home before he said it just now. It wasn't supposed to become that. It was supposed to be a stopping place on her journey to get back on her feet. A place of refuge for her during a difficult time in her life. She'd planned to live here a few months and get back on her feet, get her life together, and find somewhere of her own.

But over the time she'd spent here, it had slowly become hers just as much as it was Rick and Daryl's. And maybe that's why she'd had such an urge to add her own touches to it lately. Maybe it's why she kept trying to leave her mark on the place. Because maybe her heart realized it was her home before her head did.

She'd found herself again here. In this place, in this small town, with the people that had come into her life since she'd moved here And inside the walls of that house she'd found something she hadn't even been looking for. She'd found Daryl, and in him, she'd found she could open herself up again. That she could still let someone in. That she could still feel it.

She looked up at Daryl, her eyes shining brightly. "You're right. This is our home. You get a say so, too." And with that she moved her hands to his chest, gripping his shirt firmly as she pulled his lips towards hers once again, this time demandingly and full of passion.

He moaned as her lips connected with his repeatedly and he felt her run her hands down her chest, slowly, until one of them came to a rest at the crotch of his jeans, she stopped and gave him a firm squeeze that had his low moan turning into a rough growl against her lips.

"Wanna screw around?" murmured, as she turned her attention from his mouth and began peppering kisses from his jawline down to his neck as she continued to maneuver her hand over the outside of his pants on the bulge that was now forming there.

He should go inside in study. He should get be getting in all the extra time he could in preparation for tomorrow. But all he could think about right now was getting inside of her. And fast. "Mhm." He muttered, as he gripped her thighs and pulled her into his lap in one swift motion. She gently suckled his neck as he gripped her firmly around her ass and stood up quickly with her in his arms, walking them both towards the door and inside their home.

()()()

After their little tryst earlier Carol had decided to get out of the house for a while and give him a little peace and quiet to study. She knew if she stayed around the house all day she'd end up distracting him and he wouldn't be able to fully focus on what he needed to do.

She'd ended up going to the athletic complex with Maggie, Glenn, and Shawn. The four of them had gone swimming and then grabbed a bite to eat at a sandwich shop downtown. While they were swimming, Carol couldn't help but notice the occasional glance Shawn would shoot at her in her bikini.

It wasn't that she was really bothered by it. He didn't know that she and Daryl were some sort of thing, and he had admittedly been attracted to her or he wouldn't have asked her on that date a while back and admitted he was hoping it would end in them hooking up. She knew it was natural to steal a glance at someone here and there that you found attractive. It wasn't exactly a big deal and he hadn't been forward or made a move on her. He seemed to respect where she'd told him she stood after that date, and she liked him as a person. He was fun to be around and she thought of him as a friend

But it did make her worry about how Daryl might react this weekend if he happened to see the other man's eyes lingering a little too long on her. She had a sneaking suspicion he might have a jealous side when it came to her. One that he probably wouldn't be too good at hiding if something was right in his face like that.

She made her way home that evening a little after six. She'd grabbed Daryl some food to go from the sandwich shop and she was currently making her way to his room to see if he could use a bite to eat. She found him lying on his bed on his stomach, his bare back exposed, with his head propped up in his hands while he looked down at his notes. He was still only wearing a pair of basketball shorts he'd slid on after they finished up earlier.

She knocked softly on his open door when he didn't look up or seem to notice her presence. That did the trick to get his attention, because he looked up and gave her a nod. "You hungry?" She asked as she held up the bag that his food was in.

"Starving." He mumbled as he pushed his notes out of the way. "What'd you get me?"

She walked over and took a seat beside him and handed him the bag. "Here."

He pulled out the contents, revealing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a Capri sun, and a bag of chips. He couldn't help but chuckle.

She eyed him carefully, not knowing if she should be offended or not. "What's so funny? You don't appreciate me bringing you food?"

He shook his head as he pulled the plastic off the sandwich and took a bite. "Nah. That ain't it. It just reminded me of something from when I was a kid."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"See, I had this teacher in second grade, Mr. Horvath. He uh..." Daryl suddenly paused, as if contemplating on whether or not he should continue. But when he looked up and met her eyes he must've decided that he could go on, because he started talking again. "He used to make us read out loud in class. But every damn time he'd call on me I refused. Wouldn't say a damn word. I'd just look at him like I thought he was an asshole. Any other teacher would've sent my ass to the office and got me paddled or called my old man and I would've got worse at home. But he didn't do that. Instead, he made me stay after class one day. Wanted me to read the chapter. Just me and him." He looked down shamefully. "I couldn't. I couldn't barely read a damn word of it. That's why I ain't ever wanted to read out loud in class back then. Everybody'd laugh at me and shit, call me stupid, or a dumb redneck, or trailer trash."

She gave him a sympathetic look and rubbed his back, trying to encourage him to keep talking as she noticed him grow quiet again.

He looked up and gave her a weak smile when he felt her run her hand over his back. "Anyway, after that, he started making me stay after school every damn day. Said he was gonna teach me how to read, that by the end of the year I'd be reading better than most kids in my grade. I was pissed at first. You know? Made me feel even worse to know I needed that extra help. That I wasn't as good as everybody else in the damn class and I did feel like a dumbass. I wouldn't do nothing the first few days. I'd just stare at him with my arms crossed over my chest. But he'd always give me a damn PB&J sandwich every damn afternoon. That, a snack cake, and some chips and damn Capri sun or Koolaid Jammer. Every damn day he had something like that waiting on me. And after a week of me being a little shit and not saying nothing, he told me if I wouldn't help myself he couldn't help me and that I'd just have to go the rest of my life not being able to read and to see how far that'd get me."

"And that made you wanna do better?"

"Pffft. Hell no. I didn't think a damn thing of what he said back then, but I did realize my ass would be having to go back to that house an hour earlier each day if I didn't stay with him and that I might be fucking going to bed hungry some nights if I didn't get that meal from him. So, I started letting him help me. Started trying harder. And guess what? I fucking learned to read, too. Got a damn award or some shit by the end of the year for reading the most books in my class."

She brushed his bangs back, exposing his forehead and then leaned down and planted a soft kiss there. "Sounds like your teacher was a good man. And sounds like all you needed was for someone to care enough to help you. You weren't ever dumb, Daryl. You just didn't have the same advantages some other kids have. In fact, I admire you for how far you've come. For how hard you've worked to get here."

He blushed at that and muttered out a, "Thanks."

"Anyway, I better let you get back to studying. I just wanted to see if you were hungry."

She went to push herself off the bed, but he grabbed her hand before she could move. "You can stay and hang out in here with me. If you wanna."

"You sure? I don't wanna get in your way."

He nodded. "I'm sure. I want you here."

()()()

Eventually, he finished eating and had to put his nose back in his notes. Carol stayed in there with him and after a while she'd crawled on top of his back and had started massaging him. He tensed when he felt her start kissing his shoulder blades and threaded her fingers through his hair. "What are you doing, woman?"

"You don't like it?" She teased.

"Fuck yeah I do. But we just did it earlier. That wasn't good enough for you?"

"Oh, it was." She grinned, as she leaned in and caught his earlobe with her teeth. "We aren't gonna be alone all weekend. I figured we could make up for all that missed time now to tide us over. Besides, you've been studying hard all day. You deserve another break and some time to….de-stress."

He pushed himself up and then rolled, flipping her off of him and onto her back. He maneuvered himself on top of her and captured her lips in his. "You're worse than I am. You know that? I think you're one of them dam sex addicts or something."

()()()

Daryl had just pulled her shirt off and was about to go for the clasp on her bra when several loud knocks on their front door startled them both and had him snatching his hands away from her. "Who the fuck could that be?" He growled as he rolled off of her and onto his back.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know, but I'm going to kill whoever it is." They didn't get visitors often. Never anyone outside of their friends circle, and they would have called first. It couldn't have been Rick, because he had a key, so she really was stumped on who would be showing up at their house right now.

The knocks grew louder and Daryl groaned, looking down at the budding erection he had poking from behind the flimsy material of his shorts.

"I'll get it." Carol offered. "No need for anyone to see how excited you are right now." She reached on the floor and grabbed the first shirt she saw. It was actually the one Daryl had one earlier when he'd gotten home from class, but at the moment, it didn't matter. She just needed something to cover her half naked body when she answered the door. It didn't matter that it was an oversized blue t-shirt with a fish on it.

Carol made her way out of his room and became even more annoyed as the knocking grew louder and angrier. Whoever this was better have a good excuse for interrupting what she had planned and violently banging on their door the way they were doing. "I'm coming." She snapped, as she forcefully reached out and swung the front door open.

Behind it was a very muscular man with a buzz cut, wearing a sleeveless shirt. He had piercing blue eyes that were very striking familiar to her. "Can I help you?" She asked, raising a brow in confusion at the man she'd never seen before in her life.

The man looked her up and down and licked his lips. Then glanced around the front porch, taking in the sight the flowers and the swing. "Actually, I think I might have the wrong damn house." He ran his hand along the scruff of his chin and gave her a sly grin. "But darling, a pretty little thing like you, yeah you might still be able to help me out."

She tilted her head at the suggestive tone in his voice and she didn't try and hide the sass in hers as she folder her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Excuse me?"

Daryl heard the exchange and came running out of his bedroom and almost tripped and face planted in the living room on his way to the front door. He stood behind Carol, staring in disbelief at the man standing at the door.

The man extended his arms widely when he noticed Daryl and a huge grin lined his face. "Well, I'll be damned. It is the right house after all. Don't just stand there, baby brother. Come give ole Merle a hug."