The moment Rick's lips reconnected with his, he tuned out the rest of the world, a swirling haze of pleasure and passion consuming him. Daryl doubted himself, only for a moment, reminded that Rick kissed HIM. Even if this was one of those weird misplaced affection misunderstandings, Daryl didn't care. All that mattered was that Rick was kissing him with a hunger that set the soldier's entire body on fire. He had been dreaming of showing at least some affection to this man and he didn't hesitate in pulling Rick's swaying form flush against him.
The two stepped back as one, Daryl's rear pressing into the countertop as he tried to feel every bit of Rick's body. The man was sculpted and he had been dying to see how his hair felt between his fingers. Daryl couldn't resist snaking a hand under the man's shirt, caressing circles over his unblemished back, pulling a throaty moan from the other man that made Daryl weak in the knees. Their tongues battled in heat, passion consuming the pair as they wetly worked their mouths together.
Against his desires, Daryl forced himself away for air, certain that the crimson undoubtedly coloring his cheeks wasn't his imagination. Rick however, was not finished. The officer immediately bit a trail of lips and teeth from his mouth to the crook of his neck, relishing every bit of skin he could find.
The soldier couldn't help but let out a breathless chuckle at the situation. It was everything he imagined and yearned for, yet he couldn't quite believe it were really happening. He expected to wake up any second, sheets tangled at his feet on the living room hideabed, unable to meet Rick's eye for the remainder of the day. But he thanked the man upstairs when a sharp pinch at his neck, courtesy of Rick's passionate nipping, confirmed that he was very much awake. The officer worked circles over his hip in a longing manner, fingers still tangled deep in his growing locks.
It was when a sudden wave of immense and dangerous pleasure coursed through his pelvic region did Daryl realize that Rick had begun grinding into him, pulling a gruff moan from him. He was suddenly aware of how out in the open they were. How loud the sound of their panting was, echoing off the walls of the otherwise quiet house. How present the friction was, the feel of their clothes dragging together. It couldn't be like this.
"R-Rick." He pleaded, gaining nothing in response except the man crossing his torso to the other side of his neck.
"Rick, wait." He tried again, this time tugging at his hair lightly to make his point. This gained the man's attention as he begrudgingly abandoned his exploration to look Daryl in the eye.
"What? What's wrong?" The officer was out of breath, lips already raw and puffy and beautiful and hell, if that didn't make Daryl almost rethink his decision.
"Nothin'. Fuck, your perfect." He paused with a pant, "We jus' gotta slow down. I can't- we can't do 't like th's."
There was a short silence and Daryl nearly feared he had said the wrong thing, until a smile came across Rick's face as he dropped his head for a moment, composing himself. The officer returned to his eye's however, and nodded, "Man, I thought you were about to reject me," he chuckled, "Nah. Nah, you're right." He let out a held breath, "This is still alright though, right? This... thing?"
Daryl smiled, tucking his nose in the crick of the other man's neck, drinking in his scent, "Hell yah. Y've no idea how much I been wantin' this."
"Why didn't you say anything before? Sure woulda' saved us a lot of time." And Daryl felt the man's body tremble with his laughter, his own smile growing wider.
"Didn't kno' wha' you were thinkin'. Stranger comin' inta your house 'n all. Coulda' thought I was some creep. 'Sides, didn't kno' wha' you were inta."
Rick pulled him from his form slightly, only enough to gaze into his eyes, "I'm into you. I've been wanting to kiss you since we picked you up from the airport."
"I woulda' let ya'."
Rick smiled again, bringing their foreheads together. And Daryl was certain his life would be complete if he could make Rick smile like that everyday for the rest of eternity.
The next morning was slightly awkward. The pair had been up before Carl, Daryl keeping Rick company, as he often did, as he got ready for work. Daryl had never been so attracted to a man in uniform before, but after last night, Daryl had to re-situate himself in his jeans, before standing. He crossed the kitchen, taking the steaming mug of coffee from Rick's hand and setting it aside before wrapping an arm around the man's waist. It fit perfectly just above his gun belt, hand coming to rest on the opposite side as he pulled him closer.
Fearlessly, or maybe just too caught up in his own arousal, he brought their lips together. The two service men spent the better part of 20 minutes lazily making out before the sound of footsteps coming down the hall made them jump. The pair parted and just barely managed to take half a step away from each other before Carl entered the kitchen. His eye's were still half closed in sleep and the kid walked right by them in a zombie like fashion as he made his way to the fridge. Without a word he pulled out the milk jug, poured himself a glass and took it back to bed without even a glance at either of them.
It was quite comical but mostly lucky for them. Neither Rick nor Daryl believed the kid was ready for that. Their parting was also a stroke of luck because it made Rick realize that he should have left for work 10 minutes ago. The officer rounded up his keys and wallet in a hurried fashion, exclaiming how he would be cutting it close at making it on time. The man did however, deem it necessary to practically sprint back across the kitchen to take Daryl's face between his hands and plant one final kiss across his lips. This done, he wished Daryl a good day and sprinted for the door, leaving him standing in the middle of his kitchen, smiling ear to ear like a damn idiot.
True to their word, Daryl and Rick did their best at keeping things slow. It wasn't until halfway through the week however that Daryl broke and snuck up to Rick's room at night, laying beside the man as they talked between short make out sessions. They talked about everything and nothing. Their pasts, their families, their hopes, their simple likes and dislikes, until they faded into sleep, waking up tangled in one another's form. It was perfect and beautiful and Daryl never wanted to leave.
the next night he returned to his hideabed, feeling cold and suddenly out of place. But, it appeared Rick had been just as reluctant to return to sleeping alone. The man had padded his way downstairs to ask Daryl to join him and he just couldn't say no to that.
He had been sloppy and reckless though. The following day after Rick left for work, he had decided to get a few more hours of sleep, finding his spot on the hideabed to be too devoid of Rick's scent. When reawoke, Carl had caught him leaving his Dad's room, asking him all kinds of questions that Daryl had trouble dodging. He had lied and said he had forgotten something in Rick's bathroom, returning to retrieve it. He wasn't certain if the kid bought it but he did what anyone would do while backed into a corner, bribed his way out. He talked the kid into going out for breakfast, Carl's choice.
After that, it was nothing but counting down the days.
The night before was a friday, plans of driving to the airport a mere 10 hours away. It was frightening. He was frightened.
Daryl grew up knowing his only escape from home to see the world would be going into service like Merle. He remembered talking with recruiters all throughout high school, counting down the days until his 18th birthday before he snuck from his house without a word. Sometimes he wondered how long it took his father to realize he wasn't coming back. Most of the time, however, he didn't really care.
For the first time since his teen years, he was scared. The thought of leaving King County, leaving Carl, leaving Rick, physically scared him, setting his anxiety in place. And now, as he lay across Rick's bed, the officers dozing form tucked into his chest, he didn't know what to do. Joining the military had been his life, it had been his only dream. He never considered anything outside of service before. For the first time, he feared going back.
Going back meant loneliness. Going back meant he wouldn't have Rick to spill his guts to and kiss furiously until he found wholeness. It meant he wouldn't have Carl to care for and mentor or simply to keep him company. It meant he wouldn't feel content and comfortable in this beautiful house, in this beautiful town, with this beautiful family. He felt silly, really. He had only been here a month after all. But somehow, it felt like this was his entire life. This was were he was meant to be. This is what would complete him.
Daryl let out a shaky breath as he stared at the ceiling, turning his gaze upon Rick's quiet form as he thought. It did surprise him, however, when said man shifted in his arms, "thinkin' awfully loud over there. You okay?"
Daryl smiled, "di'n't say nothin'. How'd ya' know?"
Rick ran a hand up his chest, "you're shaking."
He hadn't noticed before, but Rick was right. When focus was brought, he realized he was trembling slightly, physical representation of the swirling turmoil going on in his head.
"Jus' thinkin'... T'morrow's th' day."
There was silence for a moment but when Rick spoke, his voice betrayed hints of sadness with a breathy pitch, "yah."
The man may have been willing to acknowledge it but it seemed he was reluctant to spew Daryl any false promises. It was a straight forward quality that warmed Daryl's heart, thankful at the man's show of true action rather than fake words. He wanted to keep the silence. Wanted to keep the water still and tantalizing, but Daryl was always the type to throw the rock. To cause ripples in the otherwise majestic calm.
"Wha' happens after this, Rick? After I'm gone?"
The officer pushed himself up, resting over Daryl intimately, if only to hold his gaze, "You won't be. Gone, I mean. You'll just be far away." Daryl smirked as the man continued, "I just gotta know what you want. Where do you wanna go after tomorrow?"
Daryl thought hard about this, unsure if he meant physically or personally, "Nowhere. I don' wanna go anywhere."
Rick smiled widely at this, a warming pull of lips that strummed a beautiful melody on his heart strings before leaning down to kiss him, "Me neither."
There was a thousand things he wanted to do in that moment, sing, scream, make love to this wonderful man before him. It stuck in his mind, taking another step forward with Rick before they parted for who knows how long. Hell, if Rick forgot about him, he may never be with this man again. But he took a leap of faith, convinced by Rick's words that if he left, he would still be here, waiting for him to come back. And so he kissed Rick again, a man who had been nothing but a stranger to him one month prior. He kissed him with everything he had, with everything he was and with everything he wanted to be.