AN: I lied. This one wasn't done with me. I think there might be one more after this. -jb
They've been running all night chasing after that black car with the white cross. In the moonlight, he can see that she is exhausted but stubbornly refusing to slow down. He admires her for it, appreciating how far she's come. But it makes him think about what they're doing out here on their own, just the two of them, and he realizes they need to stop and rest for a least a few hours.
Atlanta is crawling with the undead. Weaving through the city streets, it's not easy for them to stay far enough behind the other car to remain undetected. They lose track of the car between several large buildings, one of which looks like it used to be a hospital. Suddenly, the cross in the rear window makes sense to them both.
They need to ditch the car to get closer, but the approaching dead don't make it easy and they have to retreat to safety and find another way around.
They crawl up the fire escape of an apartment building to a second story unit. Luckily, it's empty and they can hole up in there for a few hours. Once inside, they both know the routine. They secure all the exits and then scavenge for supplies. There are two bedrooms, but one of them is a kid's room, a teenage girl, they determine from the dusty decor left in it. Neither of them can stomach the idea of sleeping in there. It reminds them both of what's at stake here. They exchange a look and then both retreat into the other room.
They barricade themselves inside the master bedroom, too. Carol starts to dig through the dressers and closet for clean clothes, but decides she's too tired to truly care and collapses onto the bed instead. Daryl lays down beside her equally spent, but he can't stop his mind from racing. Both are consumed by their thoughts, so neither of them stops to think about the fact that they are sharing a bed. But it's not the first time they've huddled close out of necessity, so it barely registers.
With their minds so restless, sleep won't come easy to either of them. He lay there thinking about their mission. They both needed it to succeed, but he thought she might need it more after what she'd told him in the car. And then he wanted it more because of it. It seemed to him, when it came down to it, that it had always been this way for them, chasing after a girl. Somehow, the two of them were destined for this path together because it kept happening. It was what brought them together. And after all this time, it was what kept them together.
The thought makes him feel more deeply connected to Carol than he had ever considered. He turns his head to look at her. Not surprisingly, her eyes are wide open. She's a million miles away from him although her body lay mere inches from his. Suddenly, those few inches seem as deep and wide as a ravine to him. He can't tolerate her distance any longer.
"Can't sleep either, huh?" he asks.
Pulled from her thoughts, she glances at him and shakes her head.
There are too many thoughts still left unsaid between them, but he just needs her closer.
"C'mere," he says reaching out to her.
She hesitates. He's never asked her to move closer to him before.
"Ain't gonna bite, I promise," he teases her.
She smiles nervously but scoots her body a little closer to his and turns on her side to face him. Her distance continues to goad him.
"C'mon," he says more seriously pulling her closer still, until her head is resting lightly on his shoulder. Her arm falls naturally across his chest.
Initially, he's tense. He's never done this before, but for some reason, it just feels right to wrap his arms around her. He takes a deep breath, inhaling her scent, and finds it relaxes him.
She's shocked by his actions, and she's a little tense at first, too. But she can't remember the last time she was really held by anyone like this. The heat from Daryl's body feels welcoming and begins to unravel the hard knot she still feels in her chest.
The space between them slowly evaporates as they melt into each other's embrace. Holding each other seems to give them both strength.
She looks into his eyes and feels seen by him. They are just two survivors clinging to each other, hoping to find their redemption.
"Whatever happens," he begins.
"We're in this together," she completes his thought.
And at that moment, they each feel perfectly whole and complete.
Daryl isn't really certain what will happen next. But he is in no hurry for the sun to rise. He only knows that he would give his life for this brave woman before him. He would do anything to make her happy. This is the woman he loves. The only person he has ever trusted completely. She is lying in his arms, and he feels so incredibly lucky to have her there.
"Carol," he utters her name like a prayer.
"Yes?"
"Never been able to tell you this before, but you deserve to know. I want you to know. You're the strongest person I ever met. You care about everyone so much. And I know what you did, everything you've done, is all because you were tryin' to protect us. And you need to know, ain't nobody in my life ever fought so hard to keep me safe. And it don't matter what you do, I'll always love you for it."
Tears are stinging in her eyes and she realizes as she gasps for air that she had stopped breathing altogether. What it took for him to tell her means everything to her.
"I know you will, Daryl," she says as she reaches both hands to his face and brushes the hair away from his soulful eyes. "And I love you, too, so very, very much."
Without thinking, she is kissing him on each cheek where his own tears have begun to fall. She pulls her head back to look at him, her chin quivering with overwhelming emotion. The sight of it makes him reach for her face. He wipes away her tears with calloused thumbs, memorizing every freckle and gentle wrinkle on her porcelain skin. It's important to him that he remember exactly how beautiful she looks in this moment. Clumsily, his hands begin to stray towards the unruly tufts of hair by her ears. He lets his fingers glide through her soft curls. It is the ultimate riddle to him. He doesn't quite understand how she can feel so soft yet be so strong.
His touch is so delicate, barely gracing the tips of her ears, sending a shiver down her spine. He stiffens at her reaction, unsure of what it means, so he pulls his hands away like he'd been burned.
She can't stand the loss of his touch. Urgently, she presses forward to meet his lips with her own. The kiss is awkward and hard, but the spark from it kindles a fire deep inside him.
She pulls back, ashamed of her audacity, covering her lips with her fingers. He looks at her quizzically, like he doesn't quite understand why she stopped. Slowly, removing her fingers from her lips, he closes the gap, bringing his head forward to meet them again. It's softer this time, curious. The kiss lingers as he savors this new experience of her. He appreciates the warm softness of her lips. He panics as he feels the rush of heat building in his belly and running the full length of his body. This time, he's the one that pulls back. But he can't stand to be too far from her so he rests his forehead against hers, panting.
They both pause to catch their breath while their hearts begin to beat out a syncopated rhythm. He pulls his head back just enough to gaze into her eyes. The need to see her and be seen by her is overwhelming. He searches her eyes with an unspoken question, but finds the answer written on her graceful mouth.
Leisurely, he drags his lips across hers, exploring their edges. His fingertips return to slide down the back of her head, weaving between her silky tresses. He feels the tip of her tongue feather across his lips and it sends a chill down his neck. Sucking in a breath, he gradually begins to open his mouth. There is a sudden current that rushes through them when the tips of their tongues find each other. He can't hold back the groan that rises in his throat as his body twitches alive.
She feels him wind his fingers more tightly around the curls on the side of her face as he draws her closer to his greedy lips. Their tongues curl around each other and the wet heat of it surges through both of them. Like two waves crashing into each other, neither of them can tell where one of them ends and the other begins. What is happening between them is both thrilling and terrifying. They both pull away from the sheer magnitude of it.
Instantly, the doubt billows up in both of them from its wake. They shouldn't be feeling this good, not now.
"Carol, I-" he doesn't have the words to begin to explain what he is feeling. He doesn't have any experience with this sort of passionate thing that was flourishing so quickly between them. Daryl knows what sex is, he was no cowering virgin like Merle used to tease him, but he'd never felt anything like this type of intense yearning before.
But the timing of it seems off to both of them. This was a distraction, a welcomed one at that, but they also had a responsibility to Beth. They were so close to finding her now, they had to stay focused.
"We can't do this right now," she says understanding his hesitation. He's not sure why he even doubted her.
"It ain't 'cause I don't wanna," he adds because he still feels the need to explain, so there is absolute clarity between them.
She smiles at him while caressing his face. "There will be plenty of time later," she agrees.
She winks saucily at him and he feels both relieved and disappointed. Yet, he can't stop the worried thought that wiggles its way into his brain. Will there be?
He pushes the fear away as Carol settles against his shoulder once again. She lets the sound of his heart beating lull her to sleep. They stay entwined until the inhospitable dawn breaks them apart.
