Die For You
Previously…
"Watch out for yourself, alright?" Daryl insisted, hand resting on Carol's shoulder. She nodded.
I offered Carol a wave as we stepped off the porch and headed out into the darkness. Daryl put his hand on my lower back to guide me over Carol's trip lines. I looked back at the porch to see Carol watching us, smiling.
Chapter 15
Daryl decided we were going back to Hilltop in the morning. I didn't argue. I didn't want to stay so close to Carol and act like she didn't exist. It would be easier if there was more distance between us to let her be as she wished. Not telling Carol the truth didn't sit well with me, but I understood Daryl's decision. He did it to protect her, keep her safe for as long as possible. I knew The Kingdom's peace with the Saviors had an expiration date, I could feel it in my bones.
Instead of going to visit Shiva with Daryl, I returned to the room given to us. I could hardly keep my eyes open. Meeting with the King and reunited with Carol had really taken a toll on me. I drew a cauldron full of water and set it in the fire to warm. I filled half the tub with lukewarm water from the tap, using some bubble bath I'd found in the cabinet. I stripped down and slid on one of Daryl's flannel shirts as a makeshift robe.
I lit a few candles, placing them around the tub for some ambiance. They looked hand dipped, probably made right here in The Kingdom. It was a simple set up, but I felt like a queen. Once the water in the fireplace was bubbling I carried it to the tub and poured it in to warm the water. I hung the 'robe' on the hook next to the tub and climbed in.
The water was a little hotter than when I drew a bath in Alexandria, but I knew it would cool down and I'd eventually miss the warmth. I settled back, careful not to spill any water on the floor, letting the peaceful scent of lavender envelope my body. A song came to mind and tears pricked my eyes as the urge to ask Beth or Maggie to sing with me washed over me. I swallowed against the rush of emotion and began to softly sing into the shadows.
Your motive, unstable
You're like an unwinding cable car
Listening for voices
But it's the choices that make us who we are
Go your own way, even seasons have changed
Just burn those new leaves over
So self-absorbed, you've seemed to ignore the prayers
That have already come about
This is the correlation of salvation and love
(Don't drop your arms)
Don't drop your arms, I'll guard your heart
With quiet words, I'll lead you in
Backing away from the problem of pain
You never had a home
You've been misguided, you're hiding in shadows
For so very long
Don't you believe that you've been deceived?
That you're no better
Than the hair in your eyes
It never disguised what you're really thinking of-
A soft scoff pulled me back to reality. My breath caught, and my eyes popped open, sliding over to the doorway. Daryl stood leaning against the door jamb, arms crossed over his chest. He looked thoughtful, like he was actually listening to what the lyrics said.
"Enjoying the show?" I quipped, willing my breathing back to normal.
"That suppose ta' be abou' me?" Daryl asked, eyes boring into mine.
I licked my lips, tearing my gaze away from his. "Maybe." I murmured, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.
"'S pretty." Daryl drawled. "Never heard ya sing before."
I chuckled softly. "Always had Beth or Maggie for that." My voice trembled and I dashed my hand across my eyes, swallowing hard.
"Should sing more." Daryl's chin lifted a little, and I felt my insides grow warm at the compliment.
I blushed. "You like it?" I asked, gazing up at him through my lashes.
"Mmmhmm."
"Oh." I breathed, looking back at the bubbles.
He came closer, kneeling beside the tub. His eyes raked over my bubble covered form, "Look like a queen." He whispered, voice gruff and scratchy.
"Yeah?" I scoffed, with a soft smile. "Hmmm. Kinda feel like one." I murmured, locking eyes with him, my hand coming up out of the water to play along his jaw.
His eyes darkened as he leaned closer, hand dipping into the water. His fingers smoothed along my knee that was popped up above the water's surface, sliding dangerously up my thigh.
"Ya should finish." Daryl murmured huskily, sitting down with his back to the tub.
I smirked. The water had barely begun to cool, but I could tell he was talking more about the song than the bath. "Okay." I whispered, leaning over a little to thread my fingers into his hair. I massaged his scalp, playing with the soft strands while I continued the song:
This is the correlation of salvation and love
Don't drop your arms
I'll guard your heart
With quiet words, I'll lead you in
This is the correlation of salvation and love
Don't drop your arms
I'll guard your heart
With quiet words, I'll lead you in
You're so brilliant, don't soon forget
You're so brilliant, grace marked your heart
You're so brilliant, don't soon forget
You're so brilliant, grace marked your heart
This is the correlation between salvation and love
Don't drop your arms, With quiet words
I'll lead you in and out of the dark!
This is the correlation of salvation and love
Don't drop your arms
I'll guard your heart
With quiet words, I'll lead you in
When I finished the song, Daryl turned to face me and palmed the back of my head bringing my face close to his. "Like a dream." He murmured, warm breath fanning my lips.
"Mmmm." I hummed, "A damn good one, eh?" I quipped, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.
Daryl chuckled, closing the gap between us. His lips were warm and insistent against mine, his secondhand smoothing down my shoulder, drawing me closer to him.
I touched my tongue against his to deepen the kiss, earning a deep groan from his throat. I started unbuttoning his shirt and he helped me finish, fingers replacing mine, a smirk tugging at his mouth. He shrugged the garment off and pulled his t shirt up over his head. I tugged at his belt, communicating for him to get all the way undressed.
Once he was naked, he joined me in the tub, lowering himself down into the water, settling against the tub behind me. I rested my elbows on his bent knees, and laid my head against his shoulder.
"Probably should clean up a bit, Ace." I suggested breathlessly, turning a little so I could look back at him. He caught my mouth in a hungry kiss. I reached for the washcloth when he released my mouth and started wiping away dirt from his face.
Once he was clean the bath had grown cold so we retired to the bed. Daryl scooped me up and carried me over to the bed depositing me gently into the softness. The stress of the last few days must've caught up with him because as I snuggled deeper into his arms, he gave a soft snore.
Morning dawned overcast and grey and I buried my head back into the covers for a moment.
"Gotta get moving, Roz." Daryl drawled from the doorway.
"Five more minutes." I grumbled before slowly sitting up. Usually I was bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning. This morning I found myself groggy and grumpy. I brushed the sleep out of my eyes and yawned.
"Got ya a blueberry muffin from the mess hall." Daryl murmured, producing said item.
Blueberry was my favorite. He was so thoughtful, sometimes it took my breath away. "Thanks, Ace." I murmured back with a sleepy grin. I stretched and pulled on clothes before accepting the breakfast pastry.
We didn't waste any time. After I'd finished the muffin, we gathered our weapons and hit the road. Morgan was sorry to see us go, but he understood. I glanced between Richard and Daryl. I could tell something more had happened between the two of them than just target practice. I suspected it had something to do with Carol. The way Daryl had protected her last night only confirmed my suspicion.
Daryl managed to snag a dirt bike in town that still had a spark of life left in it. So instead of a days walk, we'd be back at Hilltop in time for lunch. I slid on behind him and settled in for the ride. I closed my eyes against the wind and found myself transported back to that first solo supply run we did from the prison. That run changed everything between us.
Maggie and Jesus greeted us when we rolled to a stop inside the gate. Jesus was a little perturbed we didn't stay within the safety of the Kingdom, but he understood we needed to get out and join the fight. We settled back into our old room at Barrington House. Most of the Alexandrians had returned to Alexandria after leaving the Kingdom. Maggie pulled me aside and asked me to help train people in combat while Daryl went hunting. I knew Daryl could take care of himself out there, I just didn't like leaving him alone. At least not right now. He was too volatile and I worried he'd explode at the wrong moment. I share any of my fears with Maggie, I didn't want to burden her any further than she already was. Training the people of The Hilltop for all out war was a big enough task. She didn't have to worry about Daryl too.
The people of The Hilltop were eager. Despite their inexperience, I felt confident in their ability to learn and defend the settlement. Knife training reminded me of the time I caught Carol teaching the little ones to defend themselves during 'story time.' At first I was appalled by her actions, but the more I listened, the more I realized she was just doing what had to be done to keep them alive.
"How's it going?" Daryl asked the second night that we'd returned to the Hilltop from the Kingdom.
I sat on the edge of the bed, braiding my freshly washed hair. "Pretty good." I sighed, securing my braid before flicking it away over my shoulder.
"Hmm." He mused, taking a few steps into the room and closing the door. "They seem grateful." He nodded to a basket of clothes I'd been given from some of the women.
"Yeah." I agreed, palming the back of my neck with a shrug. "You catch anything today?" I asked, biting my lip. He'd only caught a few rabbits yesterday and was getting a little frustrated.
"Mmmhmm." Daryl nodded. "Got a buck."
My eyes widened. "Awesome!" I smiled, standing up from the bed to wrap my arms around him. I buried my face in his neck as he returned my embrace. "You're the best." I murmured, lifting my head to look into his eyes.
Daryl just scoffed.
"I mean it." I murmured, letting my lips form a pretty pout. "Wouldn't be with ya if ya weren't."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Daryl's mouth as I closed the distance between us. Our lips met in a soft kiss and I melted against him, my fingers tangling in his hair. Desire burned hot in my veins as his grip tightened and he parted my lips with his tongue to deepen the kiss.
Daryl was definitely feeling the stress of food becoming scarce so I was glad he'd gotten an animal that would feed us well for a few days. We hadn't been physical since returning to The Hilltop and I was beginning to get frustrated. He spent all day hunting and I spent my waking hours training people. The time apart, paired with odd watch shifts, we were like ships passing in the night. Even Birdie noticed I was on edge. She literally sent me packing, back to the room I shared with Daryl and covered my watch shift for the night.
Having him close to me again, with his arms around me felt simply divine. I could feel myself relax and take a deep breath, seemingly for the first time since we'd returned.
"Been watchin' ya." Daryl murmured against my neck., fingers digging into my skin.
I bit my lip. His tone told me he found me training people attractive. "Oh?" I gasped. "Do tell, Ace. Do tell." I smirked, biting my lip to hold back a deep throaty moan.
"Showin' off yer skills fer all those men." Daryl drawled, his breath hot against my skin. Suddenly he scooped me up and took two quick strides over to the bed. He laid me down, fingers undoing the braid I'd just finished. "They don't get to have ya like this." He murmured, hand sliding under my top to pull it up and off my body.
I giggled a little. I wasn't used to Daryl being so forward with his words. "What's gotten into you?" I asked, shivering a little under his intense gaze.
"Been hearin' 'em talk 'bout ya." He murmured. I cocked an eyebrow as if to ask where he'd heard this lecherous gossip. "Don't matter. Just have." He shrugged, tugging his own top up and off.
I reached out to touch him and his eyes widened. After all this time he still looked surprised whenever I reached for him. "Missed you, Dare." I breathed, sliding my hands over his chest.
"Missed ya too, Roz." Daryl murmured back, continuing to strip us both bare.
I'm not sure if it was exhaustion or the fact that we had been apart for a few days, but everything seemed to move in slow motion. His kisses were long and deep, touches deliberate and sure.
"Ya got watch?" Daryl asked after a moment, hand sweeping aside my hair before smoothing down my back.
Usually I did. I shook my head a little. "Not tonight."
"Mmmmm." Daryl hummed, "Good." He murmured, looming above me while I lay on my stomach. He pressed kisses to my bare back, drawing a whimper from my throat. "So smooth." He breathed, fingers dancing over my exposed skin.
We didn't talk much out loud after that.
"I love you." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them, I was so overwhelmed by our closeness. "So much."
His breath hitched, lips suddenly back at my ear, hand gripping my hair. "Love ya, too." his voice broke.
Tears pricked my eyes. With everything going on around us, this moment was all that mattered to me. The hell with Negan and his immature temper tantrum. We could handle him, we'd handled people like him before. Hearing this man say he loved me made everything else fade away. We were just simply a man and a woman who loved each other, joined in a passionate act of pleasure.
That night, along with my first night with Daryl and his group in the Prison would go down in my memory books as one of my absolute favorites. We lay together, watching the light fade from the sky, only getting dressed to ward off the chill of the night.
The next day, everything went to hell.
"Saviors!"
Aww, hell.
Rosita had arrived yesterday to help "train" people. At least that was what Maggie and Daryl had been told. I knew better. Sasha and Rosita were going out on a mission together to assassinate Negan. I wasn't going to let them do it alone.
So much for planning shit. I murmured under my breath, catching Daryl's eye. He was running towards the escape hatch, Enid and Maggie at his heels.
"We won't make it in time!" Maggie cried.
Enid suddenly changed directions, dashing off towards the Barrington House root cellar.
Daryl stopped for a second to look at me before following the women, giving me a look that said we were going to have a conversation about this later. Oh, he had no idea, really, poor guy. I gave him a quick wink before kneeling down and knocking the hatch shut. I shut my eyes for a moment praying I'd get a chance to see his handsome face again.
"Let's move, ladies!" I shouted in a whisper, crawling out the escape tunnel. Rosita and Sasha fell into step behind me as we made a dash for the cover of the surrounding forest.
Dearest Readers,
I am terribly sorry for the long hiatus. Summer suddenly found me jobless and simultaneously very busy finding work and then learning a new job. Things have calmed down again and I anticipate being able to write more in the weeks to come.
I don't do song fics very often, but this one wouldn't leave me alone! I find it very poignant for where we are in the story and I'm excited to wrap up Season 7. I've got some twists and turns coming that I'm excited to reveal to you in the next couple chapters.
Let me know what you think! Its always great to hear from you.
xoxo
Lumora The White