Carol stopped and bought puppy chow, and a tether for in the yard. When she pulled into her drive way Daryl looked up a smile hinting at his lips without his concent. Carol was beaming as she got out. She shut her door carefully and popped her trunk. She struggled to pull something out of it, and Trick chucked his shoulder while he watched her.
"Go help her boy!" He told him, Daryl gave him a strange look, but hurried over to help her trying to play it off as him just doing as he was told.
"Here." He said taking what he realized was a huge bag of puppy chow.
"Thank you! It was much easier to get into the trunk then out of it." She explained, he looked up at the bag on his shoulder curiously.
"You thinkin about gettin a dog?" He asked, she covered her face in her hand embarrassed that she'd brought home a stray.
"Actually, I kind of already got one. Herschel needed someone to take care of him, and he's just so cute. You don't mind do you?" She asked looking up hopefully through her fingers, he chuckled.
"Ain't bug me none, always liked dogs." He told her, she dropped her hands beaming up at him.
"Thank God, his name is Hunter." She told him going over and scooping him out of the car. She nuzzled against Hunter as they walked towards the camper.
"You got a thing for takin in strays ain't ch'ya?" Daryl teased her, she looked over a little confused.
"This is the first one." She countered, he cocked his eyebrow dropping the food bag in the closet.
"I'm here ain't I?" He offered back taking the stake for the tether from her and heading back outside. He heard her giggle as he went out driving the stake into the ground before he went back to work.
It didn't take long for Carol to get hunter on his tether, the puppy happily jumped and yipped quietly while it played and watched the men work, and Carol cook. He danced up on his hind legs to beg for scraps from Carol.
"I made you boys chicken, potatoes, and corn on the cob, so you'll have to come and get it!" Carol called out Trick laughed, it was like she didn't want them to finish. Carol sat at the table, and the opposite side filled up fast, but they left her side empty until Daryl sat beside her.
"So when are you takin her out on a real date redneck?" T asked, Daryl turns red nearly spitting out his chicken.
"We ain't even..!" Daryl started to choke out, but before he could finish Trick cut in.
"Ya, sweet girl like our Miss Carol deserves a right and proper date. You'd like that wouldn't ya girl?" He asked, Carol was almost as red as Daryl, they had just gone from a quiet lunch to a full on interrogation.
"I would, but we're not to..." She started, this time Daryl looked over at her in shock.
"See!" T stopped her, he couldn't stop the little half smile that found it's way to his lips.
"Ya would?" He mumbled quietly, Carol's hand went to her neckless nervously.
"Well, yes, but I'm not even divorced yet, much less ready to date, so you boys keep your nose's out of it. We aren't even together." Carol chastised them, T and Trick looked down at their plates like scolded children.
"Sorry Miss Carol!" They said in unison, which only made her laugh, she was so damn beautiful.
"What the hell was ya gettin up to out in the woods if ya ain't together?" A large Hispanic man named Jesus asked, Trick groaned.
"Jesus, Jesus way to be subtle!" Trick scolded tossing a napkin at him.
"What?" He was born and raised in Georgia, and just s tacktless as the rest other crew.
"Daryl and I just got to talking and fell asleep, that's it, if you boys don't stop jumping to conclusions I might have to stop cooking." She warned, there was a chorus of apologies at that. Even hunter Yipped mournfully from his place chasing down scraps around the boys. Daryl just laughed, it felt good, like he really belonged here, he'd never really had that before he met Carol.
"Sorry I almost made you late." Carol apologized once everyone had left, Daryl shrugged flopping down onto the bench of the table to scratch hunter behind the ears.
"Was my own damn fault, just glad I didn't sleep in while I was in bed, never would a heard the end of it." He dismissed as Hunter jumped up into his lap.
"I'm glad you like him, Ed hated animals." Carol told him, he fell into Daryl tail wagging as he scratched his butt.
"No surer sign of an ass hole then hatin animals, damn but he is a goofy lookin thing." Daryl teased, Hunter whined, which made Carol laugh.
"It's okay baby I think you're perfect." Carol told the little fluff ball, scooping him off Daryl's lap. He froze at the nearness of her, she smelled like almond and roses today, and he wondered how she did that.
"Yer gonna spoil that thing rotten ain't ya?" He teased her, she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Maybe, I need some one to love, who loves me. Ya, you cutie, I know you'll never hurt me will you? Either of you." She added looking up at him with that smile that made him feel like nothing bad existed.
"Got that right, can't risk ya punishin me by cuttin of the vittles." He teased heading into the RV, Carol giggled following him in.
"If you wanted to wash up I'll make us something to eat. Do you want anything special?" She asked setting hunter down, he shrugged shifting past her in the small space to drop his shoes by the door. Carol couldn't help but smell him, he was pretty sweaty, but she loved it. He had this sent that was all man, and the outdoors.
"Surprise me." He offered undoing his top button as he headed to the tiny shower. Carol swallowed hard fanning herself slightly, he was just too damn hot, and he had no idea. Carol sighed opening the fridge and pulling out the ingredients for a nice chicken alfrado.
Daryl stripped out of his sweat soaked clothes, he was sure he smelled foul. Hell he could smell himself, he stepped into the tiny shower wondering if it bothered Carol. Hell maybe he'd get some lighter shirts and shit so he wouldn't sweat so bad. He wished he could take his damn shirt off when he worked.
Then his mind wandered to Carol without a shirt while he was soaping off the daily grime. His hand lingered on his dick, which had gone hard as fucking oak at the idea of her all sweaty, and bare ass naked. His soap slick hand slid up to the tip, and back down the shaft. He needed a release or he'd never get to sleep.
He set the soap down closing his eyes while he worked his cock, imagining it was Carol's hot little hands. Just thinking about her was enough to send him spilling over the cheap plastic shower. He rinsed off quickly feeling a bit dirty about wacking it with Carol only a few feet away.
Carol looked over her shoulder to be sure Daryl wasn't done in there before stripping, the food was done, and she just wanted to put her pajamas on and relax. Not that she'd done much, but Daryl put her at ease, and she'd never had that before.
Carol pulled on her cotton shorts, and picked up her shirt, but then Hunter yipped jumping up at her. She smiled bending down to pet him before she finished dressing, which was when Daryl stuck his head out.
"Hey Ca..." He started, his voice dieing on his lips when he saw her bare back, as she held the shirt over her chest. Had he just seen her tits? Not well enough to say he really had, but well enough to have his spent cock jump at the idea.
"Shit, sorry!" He finally managed slamming the stupid little vinal door shut a few times before it stayed. His mind wouldn't let go of the image of her bare back, her milky smooth skin marred by one jagged scar that wrapped around her side, and a few other, smaller scars.
"I'm decent, I'm sorry, I thought you would take longer." Carol called out, Daryl shook himself out of his thoughts.
"Ya, uh, just wanted ya to hand some clothes, gotta start stashin some in here with how often I forget." Daryl mumbled embarrassed that he'd caught her changing because he was too stupid to remeber his clothes.
"That bathroom is too small to stash extra towels much less clothes, besides I don't mind. Here." Carol said tapping on the door. Daryl stuck his hand out taking the clothes without looking.
"So, ah, what happened?" Daryl asked pulling on his boxers, he'd have to wash clothes soon.
"What happened when?" Carol asked not entirely sure what he meant.
"To yer side." Daryl clarified stepping out while he buttoned the last button on his shirt. He reached out nearly touching the place on her side where it was.
"Oh, Ed, he slapped me, and I fell back onto the corner of a rod iron fence. All my scars are from Ed, well except this one." Carol said pushing the elastic of her shorts down half an inch to show off an arched scar.
"This one I got from... Now you can't laugh!" She ordered, he held one hand over his heart, and the other in the air while he tried to peel his eyes off that inch of creamy skin.
"I got it cow tipping when I was in highschool." She told him, Daryl's face contorted in an effort not to laugh.
"You! You went... Cow tippin, was... Was it yer first cow tippin?" He asked, she scowled good naturedly at him and pointed.
"You swore not to laugh now, and no I went twice before that, I was a rebel." She told him, and he lost it, he actually doubled over with laughter.
"Hey!" Carol scolded hitting him with her pillow, he just laughed harder, Carol broke and laughed with him while he stopped her pillow mid swing snatching it from her, she tried to reach it getting much closer to him in the process.
"You ain't no rebel." He teased, she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Am so, I even have a tattoo!" She informed him, that got his attention.
"I ain't buyin it." He goaded, she pulled her shirt up, and her shorts down slightly showing off the rose vines wrapped around a scrawled date.
"That mean somethin to ya?" He asked, she touched the ink lightly with a little sigh, her face fell slightly.
"It was the day my baby was born, and the day she died. Ed he... He pushed me down the steps, when she was born, she was premature, her brain was so damaged that she couldn't breath, and her heart just... Just stopped." Carol told him, he reached out not sure if he should, and put his hand over hers gently.
"Ain't sure that makes ya a rebel, but ya would a been a good mom." He told her, she smiled weakly brushing her thumb over his.
"Wow, sorry, I'm kind of a downer." She mumbled, he shook his head.
"I ain't got a date, but I got this." He said unbuttoning his shirt two buttons down, and showing her the word Norman in heavy black ink on his chest.
"Norman?" She asked, he nodded biting his lips to keep from showing his expression.
"He was the kid next door, had a real shot at bein somebody, smart and shit. Me and Merle, we used to get into shit, he sold, so we always had somethin, Norman, he didn't have too many friends. I just figured he could use one, so I asked if he wanted to do a bubble, um, meth and shit. He did, and he just, he didn't wake up, he was allergic to some a the shit in it or somethin, kid suffocated. Ain't touched the shit since." Daryl told her, she reached out slowly giving him time to stop her, and touched that heavy ink.
"Daryl, that wasn't your fault." Carol told him, he shook his head brushing his thumb over the little rose bud.
"And that wasn't yers, don't change how it feels." He whispered, Carol looked up at him her hand still splayed over his bare chest. He leaned down closer to her, and her luscious kissable lips. Just before they could kiss Hunter barked, startling them into jumping apart.
"Hey now!" Carol scolded, she looked back up at him blushing nearly as red as him.
"Will you let him outside, I'll dish up the food?" Carol asked, she was glad Herschel had potty trained him, but his timing was the worst.
"Ya." He opened the door for the dog, who promptly ran to the nearest tree to relieve himself.
"Gotta train ya when it ain't time fer barckin ya cock block, hell a few more seconds, and it would a been fine." Daryl grumbled quietly when the dog ran back to him. He whimpered, and Daryl scoffed.
"Ya, ya, go on." Daryl said opening the door, they ate in companionable silence, that was maybe a bit more awkward because of the almost kiss.
"So... Do you have any other tattoos, besides the ones on your arm I mean?" Carol asked when she finally came up with a topic that wasn't 'were you gonna kiss me?'
"Got a bigger one on my back, two devils that Merle did when I was lit out a my head." He admitted, Carol smiled looking up at his shoulder like if he turned she might see it.
"Can I see?" She asked, Daryl cringed, he didn't want her to see his scars, hell he didn't like Merle seeing them much less Carol, sweet, sexy Carol.
"Naw, it... I... It just ain't a good idea." He told her, Carol frowned, did he not want her to get the wrong idea, was he trying to say he didn't like her that way, or was he just self conscious.
"Why not?" She asked, the way she said it was so innocent, but Daryl didn't want to answer.
"It just ain't for fuck sake!" He growled getting up to wash his plate so he had something to do, Hunter growled at his raised voice, and he felt even more of an ass.
"Daryl, what? You saw mine, I'm not gonna jump you if you take your shirt off, it's fine." Carol pushed, Daryl threw the plastic dish down into the sink wiping his hands on his jeans angrily.
"Why fuckin not!? That's why not ya fuckin happy!" Daryl snarled whipping his shirt off, and turning his back to her, it was marred with thick ragged scars, but her eyes were drawn up the hard muscular plains of his back to the dark ink depicting two devils grasping at one another.
"Daryl, it's amazing, why wouldn't you wat me to see it?" Carol asked her finger just barely ghosting over his hot skin leaving goose flesh in it's wake.
"It... It ain't the tattoo, it's the scars. I ain't... They..." He was so thrown by her response he couldn't even form a proper sentence.
"Oh, I... I didn't even notice, I'm so used to mine. Who did this to you?" She asked brushing her finger over a raised scar on his side as he turned. He had a few more on his front that Carol reached out to touch gently.
"Buck, my ah... My dad. When I got out a line, with his belt. Did it to Merle too, he took most of it before he left. Fuck, how do you do that shit, I ain't never told anybody about that shit, not even Merle?" Daryl mumbled, Carol smiled up at him like he was the world.
"I guess I'm easy to trust, it's not like I have anyone to tell besides you." She whispered, he looked down at her hand on his bare chest, then back up at her lips.
"I best get some sleep." He managed, clearing his throat, Carol dropped her hand like she'd been burned.
"Right, well goodnight Daryl." She said leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. He blushed turning to go back towards the bed.
"You can sleep like that you know, I know how hot it gets in here. I don't mind." She told him as he looked down at the shirt dangling from his hand.
"Goodnight Carol." He said without turning to look at her tempting body again. He dropped his shirt on his bag, and flopped down on the bed. Carol grinned grabbing her plate, and washing the dishes before folding the table down to go to sleep.
"Hey Carol?" He asked just as she sat down, she looked his way, but it was too dark to see.
"Ya?" She replied quietly, he ran his hand down his chest trying to remember ever feeling comfortable around anyone else the way he did with her.
"Thanks fer lettin me stay here." He whispered, she hardly even heard him.
"I'm glad you stayed." She whispered back, Hunter perked his head up from his spot next to Daryl, the fuzz ball was so still he hadn't even noticed him. He hopped down as Carol laid back and went to lay by her. Ya, he would lay next to her too if he had a choice.
Carol patted his head letting him curl up beside her, but just as she was falling asleep he whimpered pathetically getting up and moving back to the bed with Daryl. Carol smiled sleepily, she wished she could sleep back there too.
Hunter proceeded to do this over and over for an hour before Carol got up and closed him out of the back so Daryl could at least get some sleep. When Daryl woke up Carol was already awake, breakfast was ready, and she was reading with one foot over Hunter to pin him in place.
"Ya alright?" Daryl asked, she rolled her shoulder sending a mock glare to Hunter.
"Ya, this stinker just wouldn't let me sleep, it seems he wanted to sleep in both our beds. Every time I started falling asleep he would whimper and switch beds, so I locked him over here. Which made him whimper and push at my hand with his nose instead." Carol told him, Daryl frowned taking his plate of ham, and chive omlet, and hashbrowns.
"Should a put him outside on that tether." He told her sitting across from her, she frowned looking down at Hunter.
"Ya, but I was up, and he just wanted love, plus I think he would have howled. Plus this bed always gives me a crick." She told him rolling her shoulders again, Daryl sucked his fingers clean wiping them on his pants, he still hadn't thought to put on a shirt.
"Here." He said motioning for her to turn, he was so used to waking up fully dressed he didn't even realize his chest was bare as he moved to sit behind her. That was how comfortable he was with her. He wiped his hands again and started rubbing her shoulders.
She melted into his touch with a little moan, her shoulders were so tight. He blushed realising how intimate this was, and how he was dressed. She looked over her shoulder at him with a little mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"What?" He asked pausing in his shoulder rub, she grinned like a school girl.
"Pretty romantic, wanna screw around?" She asked pouting her lips out at him. She was so tired that the look of startled bewilderment made her giggle.
"I'm a eat." He grumbled, she tried to stifle her laugh.
"Even better." She burst out laughing, he groaned at her bad pun pulling his plate over and staying on her side.
"Stop." He grumbled, she sighed leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Sorry, I get silly when I'm tired." She said with a cute little yawn. He smiled slightly holding his bacon out for her, she giggled taking a bite of the delicious bacon.
"Come on." He said once he'd finished eating, she hummed half asleep as he slid out of the seat scooping her up. She gasped wrapping her arms around his bare shoulders.
"Where are we going?" She asked, he nodded back towards the bed.
"Yer fallin asleep on me, ain't keen to find out if ya drool." He teased shifting forward and setting her down on the bed, she groaned keeping a hold on his hand.
"Stay, I'll never be able to sleep back here alone." She pleaded, he looked over at the window, he'd have to get to work soon.
"Ya." He agreed laying beside her, Hunter happily wromed himself between them on the small bed. Carol reached over taking his hand and bringing it back over to rest on her stomach intwined with hers.
So, what does everyone think so far?