Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your patience! I'm home now so I hope I can update a little more regularly! I mentioned at the start this would be a short one, so it's winding down. If all goes well I'm hoping to finish it up with one more chapter either tomorrow or monday. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Carol knew in her head that what she was about to do, about to ask… It wasn't the best time. But what was the best time anymore anyway? Time was fleeting, faster than it ever did before the turn.
She was nervous but he'd already kissed her before he left the first time so it wasn't like it would be their first one. But he wasn't in a hurry to leave this time so how far did she allow things to go? Especially knowing Daryl didn't approve of sex without love… Maybe it was better to tell him first and go from there… No, she decided a kiss was a better place to start.
While she was pondering her options and playing over the pros and cons in her mind Daryl spoke. "Ya know… we could just start over… again… one more time…"
Carol looked up in shock. "But…" She eyed him almost suspiciously. "We have so much to talk about, so much I need to explain… so much you want to know?" She ended with a question.
Daryl shook his head. "Nope. It's fine."
"What?" Carol was absolutely confused and feeling extremely lost. "But don't you want to know? To understand… why…"
Daryl shook his head again. "The stuff I needed to know about we've covered. I'm good."
"But… but… you can't be…" Carol stammered. "Can you?" she added, looking into his eyes with uncertainty.
"You did what ya needed to do. Even if you explained it…" He shrugged. "I probably wouldn't understand cuz we ain't the same. You've been through things… done things… I ain't done…" Daryl paused for a moment. "But you're here now, and you're better, right? Morgan - he helped?"
Carol nodded. "I'm better than I was, but Daryl - I'm not the same. You're here - Rick, Carl, Michonne… you guys are here because I need people who can kill to protect this place. I'm not that person anymore."
"I ain't here for that," Daryl said softly. He looked down and his hair fell in his eyes. Carol was struck with the urge to move it away, but at the same time she loved the shy and innocent way it looked when he was half hidden behind the wisps. "Not right now anyway," he added, looking up. He was staring at her - the room was completely silent and Carol could feel her body vibrating from the intensity of the way he was looking at her. "You haven't changed that much," he added, his voice low and tender. "It don't matter to me if you can't or don't want to kill anymore. You're still you - still Carol… Still the same caring and strong woman that I… fell in love with."
Those words - from his mouth - it felt like the very thing she had waited an entire lifetime to hear. Ed said he loved her, but it wasn't love at all - she knew that. But Daryl, this was different… The way he was looking at her… It was that same look she'd had seen so many times before, but now, finally - She knew exactly what it meant - what it had always meant. He'd loved her for a long time. She hadn't known and very likely he hadn't even known himself. "You love me?" Carol whispered, feeling a smile spread across her face. Daryl blushed immediately, but he didn't look away, instead he nodded slowly. "Me too," Carol said quickly. "I mean you… not me, I love you… I do…" she stammered awkwardly.
Carol shook her head and took a deep breath. This wasn't like her - she wasn't awkward and she didn't get flustered. She closed her eyes, opened them and tried again, "I love you too," she said, clear and calmly.
They started at each other for a long time, neither moved or spoke. Finally Carol smiled and Daryl's intense look cracked too, then they both started to laugh. "So now what?" Carol asked.
"Exactly what I was thinking," Daryl replied as they both chuckled again. It wasn't an awkward moment, they were far too comfortable with one another for awkward, but it was new, honest and raw - and they genuinely weren't sure what was supposed to happen next.
"Well, the way I see it," Carol started, moving a little closer to him. "We have to options. We can either.. Uh… talk… or…" She moved a little closer again. "Or we could…"
Before she finished Daryl clearly picked option number one. "Will you come home?" he blurted out.
"Daryl," she sighed. "You know I can't."
"I know," he agreed. Daryl smiled. "But I had to ask."
"Where does that leave us?" she asked hesitantly. Carol knew that he really didn't want to leave Alexandria and she couldn't leave Hilltop.
"Long distance dating in the apocalypse?" Daryl joked. Carol knew he wasn't completely serious but at the same time… maybe that's what they were left with. She couldn't go there. He didn't want to leave. What other choice was there? "Don't look so sad," he said, catching her attention. "We'll make it work," he added, his voice soft and hopeful.
"How?" Carol asked with a defeated shrug. "You can't leave Alexandria, your family…"
"Ask me," Daryl replied.
"What?" Carol tried to ignore the hope bubbles.
Daryl's voice made her shiver. It was so sexy. "Just ask me if I'll stay. It's the right time to ask." Carol looked at him and finally she couldn't resist moving the hair - she needed to fully see his eyes. "You ain't gonna ask?" Daryl prodded when she hesitated.
"I want to, but I don't want to be the reason you leave your home… your family - all those people who love you," Carol sighed.
"Can't think of a better reason to leave," he replied, his voice barely a whisper. "A big part of my family is right here."
"What if you resent me?" Carol said softly.
This time Daryl sighed. "It ain't that far away. I can visit - and people are coming here every week. Unless… you ain't ready?"
Carol took a deep breath. "Will you stay?" She asked, smiling at him. A couple weeks ago she wasn't ready and didn't know that she ever would be. But things were very different now. They were in love and she couldn't imagine giving that up.
"I'm gonna need to think about that for a while," Daryl teased. "And we'll need to work out terms, conditions, a weekly schedule of baked goods…"
Carol shook her head. "Never thought I would say this… but you're talking way too much… get over here…" She grabbed his shirt and pulled him forward. "I'm gonna kiss you now," she whispered. "That okay?"
Daryl didn't answer, instead he closed the little gap that was left between them and pressed his lips to hers. Carol felt her body heat up, instantly. It was so different than when she'd kissed Tobin. So completely different. This kissed affected not just her entire body, but her mind too - it wasn't just physical, it was deep and emotional. She parted her lips, something she'd never done with Tobin, inviting Daryl to take it deeper. When he slipped his tongue into her mouth she was ready, greeting him eagerly with her own tongue.
She felt Daryl's hand on the small of her back, drawing her closer, while the other hand was lightly rubbing the top of her thigh. Her body felt tingly, all over, and hot - so burning hot. Carol let go of his shirt and moved her hands to his shoulders, for leverage, as she shifted to straddle him.
She sank down into his lap and twisted her arms around his neck. God, how could this possibly feel so amazing and so natural? Daryl moved his hands to her hips and then up her back, wrapping her tightly in a hug, crushing her against his chest and continuing to kiss her passionately.
He tasted sweet like the cookies he'd been eating and Carol wanted nothing more than to devour him - she felt like she was starving but in a different way, certainly not for food. She shifted her hips and Daryl groaned deeply into her mouth. The vibrations made her shiver with delight. His hands moved to her ass and he pulled her down on his groin area. She knew he was hard by that point and that knowledge intensified the heat at her core.
By then Carol wasn't the least bit nervous. She was a thousand percent curious though. What would it be like with Daryl? Not just the physical sex - she really wasn't worried about that at all. The kissing was amazing and she just knew the rest would be every bit as great. But she was thinking about what Morgan brought up about her never having been in love before. Now she was in love, deeply in love with Daryl. How would that change things? She honestly couldn't wait to find out.
He released his grip on her enough to work his hand up inside her shirt, grabbing a handful of her boob and squeezing gently. Carol broke the kiss and leaned back to give him better access, moaning as he squeezed again, a little harder. It was hot. So hot. She wanted to tear off her clothes, but Carol knew it wouldn't do a thing to cool the fire raging inside her. Daryl pulled the t-shirt off over her head. Nope, she'd been right. It wasn't any cooler - if anything it made her even hotter, especially when he reached for her bra clasp and left her exposed.
The second he took a nipple in his mouth and sucked lightly Carol felt like she was going to explode. Like, she legitimately felt like she was going to have an orgasm any second - she was that turned on. All she had to do was grind on him… just a little… Carol put her hands on his waist and started to move slowly, experimenting on finding just the right spot. Ahhhh, yes, right there… She leaned back and kept rubbing her groin against him.
"Jesus," he hissed, releasing her nipple and groaning. He only stopped for a moment before moving to the other nipple with his mouth and grabbing the breast he'd just let go of with his hand, toying with it, teasing her.
Holy God… she was so close to the edge… She wanted it - she wanted that release more than anything… But suddenly it all came to a crashing halt… "Wahhhhhhh. Wahhhhhhh." There was wailing coming from the room. Judith.
"Nooooooo," she whined, climbing off Daryl and flopping on the couch, feeling defeated. "I love that kid but dammit, her timing sucks," Carol said with a pout.
"I'll second that," Daryl grumbled, adjusting himself. Carol started to gather her shirt and bra. "I'll go," he said with a sigh as the wailing continued. "I guess this is what being cockblocked feels like," he muttered, kissing her forehead on his way by. Carol grabbed his hand briefly, letting go as he moved on by. She quickly got her clothes back on.
Daryl returned moments later with Judith in his arms. She was smiling, her cheeks pink and rosy. Carol walked over and kissed one of her chubby cheeks and then tickled her chin, making Judith giggle. "Gotta go find diapers," Daryl mumbled. "And someone to change her," he added sheepishly.
"I could…" Carol started, but the look Daryl was giving her made her stop. "Or you could find Carl or Rick and then let them know you have plans for the evening," she added with a smile.
He nodded eagerly. "Um Carol… where might one find rubbers 'round here?" Daryl whispered, covering Judith's ears as if she might know what he was talking about. He nodded towards the baby. "You know, just in case…"
Carol giggled. "Meet me back here as soon as it's dark… I'll take care of that." Daryl nodded and left and Carol set to work on creating a night neither one of them would ever forget.