Happy chapter 50! Can't believe I've made it here (and there's plenty more to come!)

I have no idea if there's many people still with me at this point, but I do know there's at least a little handful of you still into this story, and even if it brightens one person's day to be able to fall into this fic and escape reality for a little while, then it's worth my time writing it.

I wish this could have been a more exciting chapter, but... it's not. Haha, sorry! But it is necessary to set the scene for the next one, and I hope you enjoy it all the same!

Chapter 50 - Takin' it public

Awake well before sunup, Tahlia rolled out of bed and headed straight to the hillock to clear her head and put her worry aside. That was certainly easier to do while breathing in the dawn of a new day rather than lying in the murky hours of the dead of night which were always laden with worst-case-scenarios and inflated fears.

Concentrating so intently on yoga, she didn't hear the soft pad of Rick's feet coming to join her until he was at her side.

"Morning Tahls." he greeted her with a yawn. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hi." Tahlia breathed from an impossible-looking position balancing only on two hands with her chest parallel to the ground and both legs kicked straight out to one side, hovering off the ground. "Eight-Angle Pose. Have a go. I'll help you."

"That pose looks like it defies the laws of gravity!" laughed Rick. "Downward Dog is enough of a challenge for me, thanks!"

"You wait!" Tahlia told him as she unwound herself and stood up. "Another couple of months and you'll be Eight-Angling right alongside me! Wanna do some Sun Salutations?"

Shaking his head a little, Rick muttered, "I'm really glad no one else is up at this time to see this."

"Don't pretend you don't love being a yogi! I know that at the very least you've noticed your muscles loosening up a little." retorted Tahlia. "And not to mention all that inner peace! I can practically see it flowing out of you!"

"Shut up." chuckled Rick, giving her a flick on the arm. "Let's get on with it, then."

When they were done, Tahlia rolled up her mat, then they headed down to tend to the animals.

"How're you doing this morning?" Rick asked, surveying Tahlia with a sideways look.

"I'm good!" she smiled, but didn't offer anything further.

"You must be a little worried about Daryl. And Glenn."

Tahlia knew that Rick added 'Glenn' as an afterthought because really, it was clear to everyone that there was only one man at the forefront of her mind.

She nodded. "Yeah. I am. They were only supposed to be gone a couple of hours."

"I know that feeling. They're on my mind too, but I also know that things can go sideways out there real quick. There are a hundred unexpected things that can happen to set you back, and one little drawback can add hours onto the trip. Remember when you and Daryl went on that gas station run? You were only supposed to be gone less than a day, but didn't come waltzing back in here 'til the next evening. And you guys were fine."

"Ugh, that's so true." conceded Tahlia. "You're right. I'm sure they're fine. Thank you for being so logical and stopping me from panic spiraling!"

"I can't have you spiraling today." Rick told her matter-of-factly. "I've got so many jobs lined up for you, I'm gonna need all your focus on those. You're barely even going to have a second to breathe.

Tahlia smiled at him gratefully. He knew that keeping her busy was the best way to keep her spirits up and her mind off Daryl. "Sounds like exactly what I need."

True to his word, Rick made sure Tahlia was occupied all morning, leaving her no space for worrying. They had been in the process of building a new shed on one side of the garden area for a week now, and they had Ryan (Lizzie and Mika's father) who had been a builder in his previous life, leading the charge on this. The foundations had already been laid, so today, Tahlia was at Ryan's mercy to measure and cut and lug materials around as needed so they could build the frame - and he was certainly happy to keep her working at break-neck pace.

It was mid-afternoon when they heard a loud shriek from the direction of the guard tower and they all looked up in alarm. Then Maggie burst through the lower door of the tower and started running along the fence line, just as Tyreese opened the gates to let the station wagon in.

The sun was glinting off the windscreen and Tahlia couldn't make out who was inside. Her heart lodged in her throat as she let herself imagine for one second, just one crushing second that he wasn't there. That something had happened to him and he was lost to her. But before she could fall off that cliff, a hand clapped heavily on her shoulder, dispersing her dark thoughts, and Rick's voice was low at her ear.

"They're back. You'd better go say hi."

Expelling a long breath, Tahlia nodded and started off towards the vehicle bay where the car had rolled to a stop.

Glenn stumbled out first, looking exhausted but in good spirits – even more so as an overjoyed Maggie ran straight into his arms, and they embraced tightly, peppering each other with kisses.

Striding up, Tahlia was almost there when Daryl finally pushed himself out of the driver's seat, taking a moment to shrug his shoulders and stretch his neck. His eyes were dark with weariness and he was filthier than usual, but, of course, he was fine.

"Couple of hours, my ass!" Tahlia called indignantly as she neared.

Daryl's stomach flipped warmly at the sight of her. "Hey to you, too." he said wryly, taking a couple of steps in her direction.

She didn't slow her pace as she neared and flung herself at him, winding her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him fiercely.

"Whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed in amusement at her overzealous greeting, but hugged her back all the same, breathing her in, instantly relaxing into her.

"What took you so fucking long?!" she asked against his neck.

"Bit of car trouble, bit of walker trouble, bit of blocked road trouble. Nothin' major, just slowed us down."

"Goddamn, you had me worried." Tahlia released her hold on him, sliding her hands down his arms before taking a small step back, gazing up at him, her eyes shining with relief, and something more. One tiny tear slipped out of the corner of her eye.

"Shit." she mumbled, quickly dashing it away.

"Tahly!" laughed Daryl. "What's up? I was away on that other run for a week and a half and ya weren't in bits like this!"

"That was different!" she protested. "That was a proper run! This was just meant to be a drive-by, gone a couple hours, but then you didn't come back and I thought something had happened to you and that maybe you-"

"Hey. Everythin' was fine. We're fine. Just late." Daryl reassured her gently, a wave of fuzzy emotion washing over him at the sight of how genuinely distraught she had been and how genuinely elated she was to have him back.

It put him in mind of his musings last night while holed up with Glenn in the back of an abandoned truck. Glenn had not so subtly steered the conversation around to Tahlia and had asked what was going on, if they were together, then gave a very disbelieving set of 'mmm-hmm's' when Daryl brushed him off and quickly shut that line of questioning down. But that got Daryl thinking on Tahlia's comment about Brody not knowing that she was spoken for, and he tried to remember why he'd wanted to keep things between them a secret.

At first, it really had been for the reason he'd given her the night they'd talked in his cell – he'd wanted to get his head around being able to do stuff with her. Or, more specifically, get his head around what it took to be in a relationship. With very little relationship experience, he hadn't been sure how to make that leap from friends to more than that, and he certainly hadn't wanted to navigate that jump under the scrutiny of others. But, it only took one night of sleeping on it to realise that being in a relationship with someone was pretty much just caring for them; putting them first; looking out for them; knowing them. And he'd been doing all of those things with her for a hell of a long time already. The only difference now was the physical intimacy, and it wasn't like that was hard because they were already so damned comfortable with one another, and she'd been constantly setting fires of desire burning inside him since he'd met her.

The only other reason he had to keep things under wraps was, because their friendship had been forged in private, out in the woods, away from the eyes of others, there was a part of him that had wanted to conceal this deeper development between them for a little longer. The secret touches, stolen kisses, the knowledge of what they really were to one another. Hold all that tightly in their hands just for a little while. Especially in this world where nothing was really private anymore, nothing really belonged to anyone because whatever you had could be taken from you without warning or reason in a second. So to have something that was theirs and theirs alone felt like a little prized gem to be hidden away.

But those things just didn't make sense anymore.

The only thing that made sense now was to never squander a second with her, regardless of where they were or who was around.

Which led to this.

This next bit that made all the sense in the world.

Catching her around the waist, he drew her back in against him and lifted a hand to run his thumb gently down her cheek before slipping it through her hair, behind her head as he leaned in, kissing her softly at first, then deeper and deeper until they had both tumbled headfirst into it.

"Well, wouldya look at that!" exclaimed Maggie happily as she caught sight of Tahlia and Daryl making out in the middle of the vehicle bay.

"I knew it!" crowed Glenn, banging his hand on the roof of the car. "I knew it!"

With his eyes still shut and his lips on Tahlia's, Daryl just extended a middle finger in Glenn's general direction to the sound of Glenn's, "That's awesome, man!"

When they finally broke apart, Tahlia held his shirt in her fists. "Shit. You taking us public now, Dixon?" she breathed headily.

Daryl gave her a lopsided grin. "Think ya can handle it?"

Tahlia beamed then shot him a pointed look. "You might wanna ask yourself that question, coz my hands are gonna be on you 24/7 now!" she told him, sliding her hands around his waist and then straight down to his ass.

Chuckling, Daryl caught her wrists and pinned them behind her back with one hand, raising the other to rest lightly around her neck as he leaned his mouth against her ear.

"Still gotta behave, girl." he said lowly, before nipping her lobe, making her gasp a little.

Releasing her, Daryl said, "You are definitely comin' with me the next time I go out there. Don't like bein' away from ya."

Raising her eyebrows, Tahlia gave him a blank look. "Oh, you were gone? Can't say that I noticed."

Daryl jabbed his index fingers hard into her sides, eliciting a squeak from her this time, before retorting, "Says the girl who cries when I come home coz she missed me so damn much!"

"One tear!" remarked Tahlia obstinately, trying to frown at him, but the laughter shaking her shoulders undermined her efforts.

With a smug look, Daryl quirked a brow. "Still counts." Then he indicated the car. "Just gotta unpack the stuff we found. Came across an overturned truck with a few boxes in the back and managed to scavenge a couple other bits on the way too. So, let me sort through that then I'll find ya later." And with affection added, "Crybaby."

"I'll look forward to it, you jerk." Tahlia retaliated with mirrored affection and a punch to his arm before making her way back down to the gardens where Rick was standing with his hands on his hips, watching her approach.

"They're fine. Just like you said they'd be." she announced, relief washing through her words.

"I saw that." Rick said pointedly, mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Saw what?" Tahlia's innocent tone was belied by the smile tugging at her lips and the blush staining her cheeks.

With a delighted laugh, Rick closed the distance between them and threw an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tight. "About goddamned time!"

That evening, Daryl was sitting next to Michonne on one of the 2-seater sofas half-listening to the conversation around him but mostly focusing on Tahlia and her svelte figure that was on display in dark-grey marle leggings and fitted white tank top. She had been working on the shed right up until the evening meal began, taking only a few minutes to freshen up and change out of her dirty clothes and into the ones she was wearing now before helping serve up dinner to the older folk, taking this time as she normally did to chat to people and check in to see how they were doing.

After what seemed like an eternity to Daryl, dinner was finally cleared away and she sauntered over to the den area to join them.

"Well, if it isn't Cinderella, finally finished with her chores!" Michonne quipped as she approached.

"Straight from the mouth of the wicked stepmother herself!" retorted Tahlia with a cheeky grin, quickly ducking as Michonne frisbeed a cracker at her head.

Shifting a little, Daryl patted the very small amount of seat between him and Michonne.

"My butt's not gonna fit in there." remarked Tahlia as she made her way over to them.

"Just sit on Daryl's knee. I'm sure he won't mind." teased Michonne, causing Daryl to shoot her a withering look to try and detract from his hot cheeks.

Tahlia wriggled in between them and crossed her legs as she gave Daryl a little nudge. "Cosy."

Without really thinking about it, Daryl dropped one hand onto her thigh, tucking his fingers underneath and Tahlia immediately shot him a faux-shocked look.

"Whoa! Watch it with the PDA!"

With a frown and an indignant grunt, Daryl squeezed her thigh hard before moving his hand away again. Quickly catching it with a laugh, Tahlia placed it back on her leg, holding it there firmly with her own.

"I'm kidding. Leave it. I'm in heaven." she grinned, leaning her head on the back of the sofa and turning her face to him. "You know, it's taking every scrap of my self-control not to climb into your lap right now and paint you with kisses."

Daryl's eyes widened in horror. "Doncha dare!"

"Ok, ok." laughed Tahlia. "Baby steps. We'll work our way up to that."

Watching on with interest, Sasha waved a finger around at them. "Ohh?! Is this a thing now?"

Tahlia and Daryl shared a look, then Tahlia turned to Sasha and schooled her face into a bored expression accompanied by a noncommittal shrug.

"What, ya gonna flake out on me now?" Daryl ribbed her as he jabbed an elbow into her side. Then he nodded shyly to Sasha. "S'a thing."

"Oh my God, finally!" Sasha exclaimed dramatically. "It's been soo painful to watch the 'will they, won't they' for weeks now!"

"I know, right?!" agreed Michonne. "Think you two were the last to know that you were in a relationship."

"Oh shit, we're not labelling it. Don't say 'relationship'. You'll freak Daryl out." said Tahlia casually.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Shuddup."

Sasha kicked at her brother's boot next to her. "I win, Ty! I told you they'd get together! You gotta do my shift tomorrow!"

"OhmaGawd." muttered Daryl glancing around at all the grinning faces, realising that things between him and Tahlia had probably never been as clandestine as he'd imagined.

"Damn it!" cursed Tyreese in jest. "I knew I had a losing bet!"

"Shit, sorry Ty!" laughed Tahlia. "I just couldn't hold out. I mean, look at him! He's irresistible!"

Daryl groaned and turned into Tahlia, dropping his face onto her shoulder to hide away.

"Aren't ya, sweetcheeks?" she goaded him with a nudge.

Moving his hand up to Tahlia's waist he pinched her side, keeping his face buried between her shoulder and the sofa.

"You are the WORST!" complained Daryl, his voice muffled against her.

"Sorry baby, I didn't mean to embarrass you. Lemme give you a kiss."

Everyone laughed and then Michonne shook her head. "Shit Daryl, it's gonna be real character-building for you to be with a girl like Tahly!"

"Regrettin' it already." muttered Daryl, still not lifting his head.

"I actually feel sorry for you." commiserated Sasha. "Tahly, go easy on him!"

"No way. I'm gonna torment him endlessly." Tahlia deadpanned.

Daryl gave her another pinch, but she also felt him shift his head a little and kiss her shoulder.

Conversation stirred up again and eventually Daryl deemed it safe enough to show his face, and settled back into the sofa as Tahlia gazed at him with a smug look.

He shook his head slowly. "You're a real pain in the ass."

"I'm nothing if not consistent!" she said sweetly. "Bet you're sorry you said we could go public now, huh?"

"Naw." replied Daryl, completely serious. "Not at all."

The night closed in around them, and Daryl scrubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes and stifled a yawn.

Concern shadowed Tahlia's face as she watched him. "Oh shit, I bet you've hardly slept!"

"Nah. And you look like y'ain't had much neither."

"I haven't." admitted Tahlia. "Was up all night worrying about... Glenn."

She earned herself another hard squeeze on the thigh with that comment, then Daryl said, "C'mon. Bed." He pulled her up before adding, "Yours."

Tahlia raised a brow at that, then waved a hand at the group. "We're out. Night everyone."

There were a couple of catcalls as they started to walk off, and, feeling equal measures brave and keen to get the upper hand on Tahlia after her teasing around the fire, Daryl suddenly scooped her up bridal-style making her squeal loudly in protest and carried her the rest of the way out of the courtyard to the delighted laughter of the others.

Once in her cell with her feet back on the ground, Tahlia lit the candle on her table and soon felt Daryl's hands on her waist as he stepped in behind her and drew her into his arms, kissing her shoulder then working his way up her neck. Slowly turning around to face him, she wound her arms around him before falling into a long, deep, heady kiss, his hands moving on a leisurely exploration of her body.

Pulling back with shallow breath, Daryl gave Tahlia a pointed look. "Tahly, lettin' ya know now - the only thing that's happenin' in that bed tonight is sleepin'."

Tahlia made a face at that.

"Mean it."

"Can we at least do skin to skin?" asked Tahlia hopefully with a twinkle in her eye.

"Giiiirl..." groaned Daryl, raking his hands through his hair. "Playin' with fire."

"You know how much I love fire..."

Daryl chewed his lip for a second, then pulled his shirt off and dropped it to the floor before catching the hem of hers and slowly pushing it up over her waist, her chest, dropping his head to follow its track with his lips, burning a wet trail on her skin, then hovering over the top of her cream satin bra before finally slipping the tank top over her head and tossing it down to join his own shirt on the floor.

"Well," drawled Tahlia, "If you're set on only using the bed for sleeping tonight, this desk is a pretty good spot for... other things."

"Shit." Daryl dropped his forehead to her shoulder, then sighed and stepped back from her and climbed into the bed. "Naw, not tonight. C'mon."

Drawing the corner of her bottom lip in and out her mouth thoughtfully for a bit, Tahlia hesitated. She could understand his reluctance with the guard tower, and even the woods, but now they were in the privacy of her cell in the safety of the prison, and he was still putting her off. With a sinking feeling, she thought she might have an idea why.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

Daryl snorted. "You askin'? That's a first. Normally ya just say whatever's on ya mind whether anyone wants to hear it or not."

She couldn't help but snicker a little at that, then reached for her top, quickly pulling it back on before sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"Ok, so I think I've made it embarrassingly clear how much I'm into you and keen to... uh... take things to the next level. I feel so comfortable with you, I... I don't feel the need to wait... but..."

Raising his eyebrows, Daryl stared at her curiously. He'd very rarely seen Tahlia act awkwardly about anything, and the fact that, of all things, she was stumbling over a sex conversation, was laughable. He was about to tease her for it when he saw a flicker of something pained in her eyes that made him hold his tongue.

"...I'm getting the feeling you're not into it, which I totally understand-"

"Tahly!" Daryl interrupted and grabbed her wrist, tugging her down to lie next to him on her back. Propping himself up on one elbow, he stroked her cheek gently with his thumb before leaning in and kissing her languidly. Then he pressed his hips into the side of her thigh and rubbed his very obvious erection against her.

"This feel like I ain't into it?" he asked softly, gazing down at her with a little quirk of his lips.

But Tahlia didn't smile back, just furrowed her brow a little. "That's just a bodily reaction. I mean not being into it in your head."

Quickly growing serious, Daryl sat up and frowned. "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?"

Having this conversation while lying down made her feel too vulnerable, so Tahlia sat up as well, crossing her legs again as she took a deep breath.

"Because obviously... you know what happened to me with Rosco and those guys, and maybe that bothers you, or puts you off, or makes you not want to... you know, do anything more with me. I totally understand if that's how you feel, but... but if that's the case then I just need you to tell me so I can stop trying to move things in a direction you don't want it to go." She tried to make the last bit sound light-hearted and managed a small smile, but Daryl's face held no amusement as a sudden spike of pain shot through his heart at the fact that she could even think that. He reached out and dragged her into his lap so suddenly that she let out a startled gasp.

"Naw baby, naw, naw." he murmured into her hair, crushing her against his chest. "Don't ya think nothin' like that! Ain't it at all. Wanted ya for a long time, Tahly, and knowin' what ya went through don't change that one bit. Only makes me wanna keep ya close. Promise. Ain't that." Tangling his hand in her hair, he pulled gently on a fistful to draw her head back so he could look into her eyes. "Bein' with ya is all I think 'bout sometimes. All the shit I can't wait to do to ya."

He saw her pupils dilate at that as she sucked in a lustful breath. "Like...?"

With a smile, Daryl kissed her hard and fast on the mouth. "Settle down, girl. Not tonight. If ya keep baitin' me I ain't gonna be able to stay here with ya. Hard enough as it is." He gave a quick flick of his eyebrows as Tahlia laughed at his double entendre.

"Alright, give me some cooling down room then."

She pushed away from him so that she was sitting facing him once again, then grew serious. "Uh... there's probably something else I should tell you. So, Rosco wasn't the last time that... I mean, I've been with someone since then. Someones, actually."

At that admission, a hot flare of jealousy sparked in Daryl's gut, and he leaned back against the wall, trying to maintain a neutral expression as he waited for the rest of this story.

Tahlia sighed. "It was a while after... I was with this group and there was a guy who... we became friends, he was really kind and lovely, and eventually he let me know that he... liked me, so we ended up... you know, together."

The words were conjuring up painful mental images of Tahlia in the throes of passion with a faceless man, and Daryl was struggling to keep them under control. Obviously he knew that she had a history, like everyone did, but that logic didn't help alleviate his desire to beat anyone who had ever touched her to a pulp. He did his best to push these thoughts to the side and concentrate on what she was saying.

"... I wasn't really into him like that, it was more friendship from my side of things, but I just really didn't want the last touch that I'd had to be those guys, the violence. I felt like if I could be with someone else then it would kind of wash away some of the... awfulness from before, dilute it somehow. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but that's what I thought. And, it did help. He was sweet and gentle and patient, and worked through stuff with me, so... yeah. We were together for three or four months, I guess."

At her explanation Daryl's insides calmed to a more manageable light simmer, and he found that he actually felt a small amount of gratitude towards this man who had looked after her, treated her right. "Where is he now?"

"Dead. Got bit. I put him down."

"And if he weren't?"

Tahlia gave him a questioning look.

"Would ya still be with him?" asked Daryl quietly, afraid of the answer but needing to know.

After a long pause, Tahlia met Daryl's blue stare with her own unwavering green. "No. He was a good man, but my heart wasn't in it. I let it drag on too long because I didn't want to hurt him. Didn't know how to end it. Then we were overrun by walkers before I could."

Daryl was quiet for a long moment as he picked at his thumbnail, then he fixed his gaze back on her. "That's same as us. Friends first, then more. Might go the same way."

"It's not the same." replied Tahlia softly. "Not at all. Nobody I've ever known even comes close to being like you. Being what you are to me."

Although feeling heartened by her words, Daryl couldn't help but frown again. "Don't want ya to ever drag anythin' out with me if y'ain't into it. Would hate that. Endin' it would be better than thinkin' you're just with me for the sake of it."

"Wouldn't do that to you. I have too much respect for you." said Tahlia sincerely, before adding, "The same goes for you."

Daryl looked a little surprised at that, because he couldn't imagine ever feeling anything but this total immersion in her. Couldn't imagine the flaming torch he carried for her ever being extinguished.

"Wouldn't do that to ya either." Then he thought for a second. "You said 'someones'."

"Oh." sighed Tahlia. "Yeah. Only just one other. When I was on my own before you guys found me, I crossed paths with this guy and we travelled together for a couple of days. I don't know why I... but I did." she shook her head. "Bad judgement. It was just one night. But not a good decision. No idea where he is now." She heaved another sigh and shot Daryl an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I should have told you all this earlier. If you weren't put off me before then I'm sure you are now."

"Naw. Don't talk crazy. Ain't nothin' gonna put me off ya. And ya don't owe me an explanation for anythin' before us."

Feeling like she needed to move the spotlight away from her, Tahlia arched a brow and smiled. "So, what about you? Now's a good time to tell me about all your sordid romances before I hear about them from someone else and flip out and set your bike on fire."

Her facetious comment relaxed Daryl and his lips quirked briefly as he drummed his fingers on his thigh for a second. "Ain't been none of them."

"Really? Ok, how about just quickies in the woods?"

"Oh ma Gawd." he muttered. "Hate talkin' to ya sometimes, y'know that?!"

Tahlia laughed. "Come on, Dixon, you know my one role on this earth is to lighten you up!"

"Or put me in an early grave." he muttered, then sighed. "Naw. To that question too. Ain't been no one since long before The Turn."

"Wait, what? Are you serious? You haven't been with anyone since before?"

"Naw." he replied with a defensive frown.

"Oh." she said contemplatively, then clocked the look on his face. "Sorry, I'm just surprised, that's all, because it's you. I mean, I could name at least ten people just from this group that would drop their panties for you-"

"Tahly!"

"And that's just the ones I know of!"

"Gawd!" Daryl gave her a little shove on the shoulder as his cheeks flamed and she laughed. Then he rubbed the back of his neck. "Naw. Ain't been interested in no one... 'til now. So that's kinda why..." he trailed off then snapped his mouth shut.

"What?" she pressed gently.

"Naw." Daryl shook his head. "Stupid."

"Hey! There's nothing you could say that I would think is stupid. And even if I did, I promise I'd keep a straight face."

He took a deep breath and refocused his gaze on his hands. "Y'ain't like no one I ever known, Tahly. Ain't never felt like this. Didn't even know I could. No one I been with meant nothin' to me before but... you do. And this-" he gestured between them, "-does, too. So, I just wanna get it right."

That reason was miles away from what Tahlia had imagined she'd hear, and she melted a little at the sentiment, even more so knowing how difficult it would have been for Daryl to put that into words.

"Daryl, to me, just that fact that it's with you makes it right."

And at that, he could feel himself crumbling because this girl knew, she fucking KNEW how much men could hurt her, how much they could take, what they were capable of, yet from the start she'd trusted in him implicitly and looked at him like it was just set in stone that he wasn't like that, that he'd never hurt her. And he wouldn't, but the fact that she had always believed this even when she didn't have a shred of proof to lean on filled him up in a way he couldn't even begin to describe and made him swear silently on his soul that he would never let her down. And then, like a light had been switched on, he realised that this unexplainable trust went both ways, because he'd always known that he was safe in her hands too.

This served only to strengthen his reasoning behind wanting to get it right with her. He didn't want some quick fuck in a grimy old guard tower or in the woods or even here in a weary cell where he could hear footsteps echoing up and down the block and the conversation between people just down the row and even some fucker snoring. He wanted to make it memorable, treat her with the reverence she deserved, take it slow, make her focus only on him and let everything else melt away. He only had one chance for a first time with her, and if she felt for him anywhere near what he felt for her, then it would be the only first time with the only person that would ever matter.

But there was no way he could vocalise any of that, so he lay back down on the bed, and opened an arm to her again. "C'mere, babygirl." Then he held up a hand. "Wait. Take that shirt back off first."

Laughing, Tahlia stood up and removed her tank top again, Daryl greedily drinking in the sight.

Then lazily he said, "So... did ya count yourself as one of the ten?"

"One of the ten, what?" asked Tahlia blankly, resting her forearm on the edge of the top bunk as she stood before him in her bra and leggings.

"One of the ten that'd drop their panties for me." he replied with a roguish grin.

Tahlia's expression quickly became sultry as she ran the fingertips of one hand slowly over her bra and all the way down her bare midriff until she reached the waistband of her leggings, and, hooking a thumb under the elastic, she stretched the band out and down a little, giving him a teasing glimpse of a touch more skin, then she arched a brow. "Well... I would have, but... I guess I'd have to be wearing panties to be able to do that, wouldn't I?"

Daryl's mouth dropped open and then he raked both hands over his face as he let out a loud groan.

"Giiirl! Don't go sayin' shit like that to me right now! Ain't gonna be able to get much sleepin' done thinkin' 'bout that!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." replied Tahlia as she turned around and moved over to the desk. "Of course I'm wearing panties. See?"

Shooting him a devilish smirk over her shoulder, with two hands she slipped her leggings right down over her ass, revealing Brazilian cut red lace panties framing the top of her perfect pert cheeks, then she blew out the candle and the room plunged into darkness.

"Fuck!" Daryl choked out as he felt her slipping into bed next to him. "Ya better keep them fuckin' pants on, coz I... coz... fuck!"

With a low giggle, Tahlia tucked herself up against him, sliding a hand over his chest and brushing a kiss on his lips. "Shh now, baby. This bed's only for sleeping, so shut your eyes."

With a wry laugh, Daryl hugged her tight, his cells fizzing from the blissful sensation of her smooth, warm skin against his and the scent of her in every breath. And although he had the biggest hard-on of his fucking life which he knew would be raging all night, he could cope with that, because if things went according to plan, then this was the last night that he'd be making them wait.