Part 2: But Something About it Felt like Home Somehow

Daryl looked around her tiny apartment uncomfortably, he had been in girls houses before, that wasn't it. He'd just never been in someone's house that he actually respected. He continued to stand beside the door shuffling his feet and looking at the pictures on the wall around the living room.

Finally Alba came from out of her bedroom and started laughing, "You can come in and get situated ya know? I don't bite."

She had changed into a pair of sleeping shorts and an old Slipknot t shirt. Daryl felt himself blush before he stared back down at his feet. "Listen, maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Why not? Don't act like you've never had a sleepover with a girl before, Dixon, I know better than that." She laughed as she opened a closet door and grabbed a blanket and extra pillow. When he didn't say anything, she looked over at him. "C'mon Dixon, have a seat. I'll grab some more alcohol if it'll make you feel better. I promise I'm not gonna do anything."

She walked over and laid the stuff down onto the end of the couch and disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing shortly with a bottle of Jim Beam and two glasses. He walked over and sat on the couch as she walked around the coffee table and sat on the other end of the couch, sitting the glasses down and pouring a shot in each.

"To saving Dixon's ass tonight!" she proclaimed as she raised her glass towards him.

"To having a crazy redhead threaten to shoot someone to save your ass!" she threw her head back and laughed before taking her shot. Daryl couldn't help but feel some of the tension melt off his shoulders and allowed himself to smile back at her. "Would you really have shot them?"

Alba paused as she was pouring them another shot and looked over at him, completely serious, "I'd kill anyone that tried to hurt you, Dixon. Figured you knew that by now." Then she looked back over to finish pouring the drinks.

Daryl was obviously shocked at her answer but tried and probably failed to cover it up. "What's that sposed' ta mean?"

"Oh please, it's obvious I've had the biggest crush on you since we were kids." When Daryl didn't answer she looked over with wide eyes, "Wait, it wasn't obvious?"

He shook his head and looked down at the shot in his hand, "No, can't say I ever noticed."

She let out a laugh and then tossed her shot back, "Well a lot of good that ever did me then, huh?"

"I 'spose not." Then tossed his shot back too.

There was an awkward silence while she poured another one and screwed the cap back onto the bottle. "After this one I think I'll take myself onto bed, I think I've made a complete ass out of myself good enough for one night."

Daryl wasn't really sure what made him do it, and he can't even say he thought about it. It was like his body just reacted without once questioning it, it felt like he just absolutely had to do it. After they both threw back the last shot, she stood to go into the kitchen.

When she walked past him, he stood and easily grabbed her wrist, turning her to face him. Her wide green eyes met his trying to understand what was happening, and before either of them could comprehend it. He leaned in and kissed her.

The shock of it made her stiffen against him, but after a second it felt like her body melted into his. She dropped the bottle onto the carpeted floor and wrapping her arms around his neck. In response he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled him into her tighter.

When they finally let go, he looked down into her eyes as she looked into his. He swore she could see through to his soul, her cheeks flushed, he couldn't help but look at her pouty lips.

"So..I guess that's fair to say I didn't make a complete ass out of myself, huh?"

He pressed his forehead to hers and laughed, "No I guess ya didn't."

She took a step back from him and tugged at the end of her shirt. "Well goodnight, Dixon."

"Goodnight, Finch."

With that she turned and walked into her bedroom, looking back at him and smiling before shutting her door.

He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, like what the hell was that? And why was his heart racing as hard as it was? He didn't believe in falling in love or having feelings for anyone as a matter of fact. Don't get him wrong, he'd always had a crush on her too, but for her to feel the same? What did it even mean? He ran both hands over his face before kicking his boots off and laying down on the couch. He'll be damned if he gets attached to her though.

Even though it felt like it took forever to get his heart to stop racing and go to sleep, it was the best night of sleep he'd had in a very long time. When he heard her alarm go off that morning, he sat up and started to fold everything before she could come out.

Dressed in a ripped pair of skinny jeans and a Metallica shirt, she strode out into the living room, making his heart do a weird flip again. "Ready to go find you some tires, Stud?" she quirked an eyebrow up at him.

"Stud?"

"I mean I'm sure I could come up with something else if you'd like, but that was the best I could do in a nervous panic."

"I make you nervous?" he said crossing his arms and looking at her like she'd grown another head.

"Well…yeah, you're Daryl Dixon." She said, mimicking his stance.

"What does that even mean?"

"Well, I've only been trying to get you to kiss me since we were 12. And you did, and now you're probably regretting it. I know I'm not a lot, and you can get any woman you want, cause well, you're Daryl and all the women want you, and I've seen what you leave the bar with…well and I look nothing like any of those women. So.."

Before she could continue her nervous ramble, Daryl closed the distance between them and locked his mouth onto hers, silencing her. Once again, her body just melted into his and she immediately threw her arms around him, running one of her hands thru his hair at the base of his neck, bringing out a small moan from him.

Then everything just happened fast from there, he leaned down and grabbed her legs, which she readily jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Their mouths never parting, he walked over and sat her on top of the kitchen counter. Her hands leaving his shoulders to grip for the bottom of his shirt, ripping it off over his head and tossing it across the room. That's when she started working on his belt, he tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it in the floor.

They stopped and stared at each other for a moment, his heart was pounding out of his chest, and her ragged breathing made him feel like she was having the same problem. He picked her up again and carried her to her room, where he laid her onto the bed, laying down on top of her and kissing her neck. When she arched her back into him, he felt something break in him. He yanked her pants off and kicked his to the side before joining her back in the bed, resuming kissing a trail down her body.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

She let out a breathless giggle, "Yeah right."

As he kissed his way back up to her mouth, she ran a hand up his back, touching one of his numerous scars. He immediately tensed up, in the heat of everything he had completely forgot, he normally just left his shirt on. She instantly noticed the change in him and sat up, she watched him closely as she moved around him, and then very gently leaned in and kissed one of his scars.

"Alba…just…"

"I remember when you got these, Dixon. You don't have to hide them from me, you know that right? Cause you're still just the most gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes on." She leaned in and ran her mouth across another one.

At that moment his heart felt like it was going to burst, he turned around and grabbed both sides of her face and put everything into that kiss before laying her back down on the bed. He broke the kiss to look into her eyes, "You sure about this?"

"As sure as I'll ever be, Dixon." With that he rolled his hips into her.