Chapter 24: Good
After a few moments of Daryl opening and closing his mouth without words or air or anything, Carol felt a wave of anxiety hit her. What was she thinking? They were just hanging out as friends. It wasn't supposed to go like this. But, God, her body was thrumming. She wasn't sure if it was from the bike ride earlier in the day or from the fact that he'd called her beautiful, but whatever it was that had her horned up like a college frat boy was making her head swim and her core throb.
She got up and started to look for her keys, and Daryl's eyes followed her.
"You're leavin'?"
"I'm sorry. I made this weird," Carol stammered. "I should go." She couldn't look him in the eyes, and she was certain her face was as red as the shirt she was wearing. Daryl scrambled up from the couch.
"Why? It's not…it's not weird. I just didn't think…" She was still gathering her things, and Daryl didn't know what to say or do or think. All he knew was that up until this moment, this had been one of the best days of his life, and he didn't want it to end. And he didn't want her to leave. "Please. Don't leave." He reached out and curled his fingers around her wrist gently, giving her hand a little tug. Carol stopped then, and she turned and managed to look up at him.
"It was stupid. I don't know why I said it."
"It wasn't," Daryl insisted. He let out a shaking breath, and his hammering heart was distracting, beating out a stuttering symphony against his breast. "I like you." Carol's breath caught in her throat, and Daryl felt every insecurity slithering up his spine, curling around his throat and whispering into his ear. He thought back on the last several months with Lucy and how he'd started to wonder who the hell he was as a person, who the hell would ever want someone like him when he was so clearly nothing to her. But when Carol took a step toward him and entwined her fingers with his, he felt all of that insecurity melting away. There was something about her that made him forget the past for a while and just focus on her, on her beautiful smile, on the way her eyes sparkled and seemed to stare right into the center of who he was.
"I like you, too." Her voice was soft and sweet, and he squeezed her hand.
"Not sure I know how to do this anymore," he admitted.
"I can walk you through it," she teased, getting a little laugh out of him.
"You know what I mean."
"I know," she murmured. She looked down at their entwined hands, and she nodded a little. "You give years to someone you think you're gonna spend your life with, and you can't imagine starting over and doing this with someone else. It's scary. I can't imagine what it's like when you've been hurt by the person who's supposed to love you." Daryl looked down then, and Carol brought her free hand up to his cheek, gently strumming her thumb down his jaw. "Hey." He looked up to find her looking right at him. "You make me laugh. When I'm with you, I don't want to be anywhere else. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. I like that we're friends, and if that's all this is, that's okay." She felt his thumb brush over the pulse point on her wrist, and she shivered.
"Spent a lot of time thinkin' I done somethin' to deserve bein' treated like I was nothin'. Think it comes from growin' up the way I did. Sometimes, I look in the mirror, and I see all them awful things she used to say I was. But when I'm with you, it ain't like that. To be honest, I ain't sure how any of this is supposed to go anymore. I thought I knew what good was, and then it all went to hell. But when you're here, everything feels good again. Feels like what good is supposed to feel like." Carol's face lit up, and she let out a little laugh, and she nodded toward the couch.
"C'mere." She squeezed his hand and led him back to the couch, and this time, when he sat down, she sat down right beside him, turning a little and placing her hand on his thigh. She watched his chest jump as he sucked in a sharp breath, and then he dragged his gaze up to her face. "We don't have to."
"I want to." His words came out in a stuttered chuckle, and Carol grinned, biting her bottom lip. "Thing is, I like bein' with you. I don't wanna just fool around. I wanna know you. I wanna be with you. Scares me a little."
"Me too," Carol admitted. "But I guess that first step is always a little scary, right?" Daryl nodded then, and he leaned back against the couch, relaxing a little. "Maybe we could take that step together and see what happens." She looked down at his hand placed between them on the couch, and she ran her fingers along his knuckles.
"Yeah," Daryl murmured, curling his fingers around Carol's again. Her lip trembled in a nervous smile.
"Yeah?" she asked, voice barely a whisper. Daryl's gaze flickered down to her lips again, and he knew it was now or never. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek, and then his fingertips gently caressed the back of her neck, encouraging her to come closer. She let out a slow, shaking breath before she leaned into him, pressing her lips softly against his.
Her mouth was soft and warm, and her free hand curled into the neck of his shirt, and he could feel his heartbeat pulsing in his ears. He let her take the lead, and he sunk back against the couch a little. She was leaning back with him, but the hand that was entwined with his against the couch moved up to stroke down his neck, and just the touch of her fingertips made his skin tingle. A little moan escaped the back of his throat, and he could feel her smile against his mouth. She let out a soft laugh and pulled back just a little.
His blood felt like fire, and he shifted on the couch when he dick twitched with interest. Carol leaned in again, kissing him again, this time tugging on his bottom lip with her teeth, encouraging him to kiss her back. And he did. He brought his hand up against her neck, softly stroking the hollow of her throat and the freckles on her collarbone as her warm breath mingled with his. He felt her tongue against his lip for just a moment, and it was enough to elicit a gruff little growl out of him. Carol giggled in surprise, and she let him take the lead.
He reached for her. His hands guided her hands to his shoulders, and before either of them knew it, she was crawling over him, straddling his lap and looking down at him from behind heavy eye lids. Her lips parted, and her breaths deepened as she leaned down to kiss him again, curling her fingers in his hair. He met her mouth with a more insistent kiss, teasing her bottom lip with his tongue until she opened up and moaned against his mouth.
Her hands moved down his shoulders and bunched into his shirt, and he leaned up a little, sliding his hands over her hips and her back, feeling the warm skin where her shirt and jeans gapped. She shivered when he touched her, and her knees squeezed against his thighs. He could feel the heat of her core through his jeans and hers, and when her hips gently bucked against him, she gasped. They both froze for a moment. They both knew it, they both felt it. He really felt it. And she pulled back, her lips pink and a little swollen from the kiss. She looked right into his eyes, and he knew this was going somewhere fast. He wanted it. She wanted it. And God, he hadn't wanted anything as much as this. Ever.
She smiled then, and she kept her eyes on him as she grinded against him again. He groaned, and his head fell back against the couch. His eyes fluttered close at the warmth and the friction, and he was pretty sure if he wasn't careful, he was going to have a mess in his jeans.
He needed her. He craved her. And when he opened his eyes again, she was looking at him with such desire. He'd never felt so needed before, and the idea that the rising color in her cheeks and the ragged breaths coming from her lips were because of him absolutely boggled his mind. She wanted him. She really wanted him.
"Hey," she whispered, getting his attention as her hands stroked down his chest. He met her gaze again, and her smile widened, bringing one to his own lips.
"Hey," he murmured.
"You ok down there?"
"You gotta ask?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at the innuendo.
"Oh yeah. You're ok down there," she whispered, placing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth before she slipped her hands between them and pressed her hand against his erection. His hips bucked off the couch, and his hands gripped her hips. Then her hand moved away, and he groaned.
"Fuck, Carol," he panted.
"Yeah," she whispered. "Kind of the idea." Daryl snorted, and she laughed, pressing her forehead against his. Daryl took the opportunity to grip her hips in his hands and flip her off of him and down onto the couch. She gasped, and he crawled over her as she lay back against the couch cushions. He stared down at her as he settled between her legs, and she grinned up at him. "Hi."
"Hi," he chuckled.
"Daryl?"
"Hmm?"
"Kiss me." He stared down at her for a moment, and her hands moved up his back and over his shoulders, and even through the fabric of his clothes, every place their bodies touched felt like fire. It was excruciating and exhilarating at the same time. He needed more of her. He needed to taste her, touch her, hear her moan his name. He needed it all.
He kissed her slowly, hungrily, teasing her lips with his own, trailing his fingertips down her sides until she was giggling beneath him. The sound of her laughter was quickly muted by a moan of pleasure when his hand slipped between her legs and stroked her over her jeans. She kissed him harder then, her lips and teeth almost bruising as hunger took over.
"Hey," he whispered. "We ain't in no hurry."
"Mmm," she whined, "Daryl. Please." She took his hand and guided it to her breast. He gave it an experimental squeeze, and she pushed herself into his hand. Her hands were now tugging at his belt, and he let out a little laugh against her lips at her eagerness. But he didn't want this to happen like this. Not on the dusty couch covered in potato chip crumbs. He stopped, and the little whine that escaped her lips made him smile. He started to get up, and she reached for him.
"Daryl?"
"C'mon," he murmured, taking her hand and helping her up. He pulled her flush against him, tracing his hand down her back before tipping her face toward his with his thumb. He kissed her softly and took her hand in his.
"Where are we going?" she asked with a nervous laugh. He took her hand in his and stared for the back of the apartment.
"I'm takin' you to bed."
Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! Your feedback means so much to me, and I hope you continue to let me know what you think. I always look forward to the comments and hope this chapter didn't disappoint! Thanks again, guys!
