Sunday Morning
Daryl woke up, his eyes peeling open, reading 10.02 on Kate's digital alarm clock. She was, of course, missing from the bed when he reached around to find the space where she had been sleeping, now long cold. He never realised how horrible it was to wake up alone before now or how unfeeling it was when he had refused to spend the night with the women he had sex with. He was getting a good taste of that now.
He plodded into the ensuite and took a leak before opening her bathroom cabinet and helping himself to two paracetamol for his hangover. He wasn't feeling as bad as expected but that probably had something to do with the fact that he'd woke up at around 6AM dying of dehydration and had stumbled his way to the bathroom to drink his fill directly from the faucet.
Today was supposed to be a continuation of Jim's bachelor party, a whole day filled with hunting in the hopes they could snag a wild boar to feed the guests at his wedding reception. As much as Daryl liked hunting, and he loved hunting, he would much rather find Miss Uppity and carry her back upstairs to spend more time with her in her big bed but It was probably best to not test his luck too much. He couldn't believe how lucky he had got last night and the memory of it served as a reminder that no matter what Kate said, she wanted this just like he did. The only difference was that he was prepared to admit it and she was the most stubborn woman in the whole state of Georgia.
He needed to stay focused. He couldn't let her push him away again, not when the clock was ticking by so quickly. It was already Sunday and this time next week the clock would be counting down to her final hours in the US. The thought was enough to make him feel sick.
What the hell was he going to do with this woman?
He cleaned his face and hands, borrowed a spray of her deoderant and pulled on his clothes to go and find the woman in question and see what she had to say for herself this morning.
/
Kate sat at the breakfast table reading The Sunday Times with a cup of tea and a half consumed punnet of blackberries when Daryl finally thudded downstairs.
She'd spent the last hour and a half anxiously thinking about Daryl and waiting for him to come and find her. It had occurred to her that despite trying to ignore things she had to at least admit to herself that she was developing feelings for Daryl. Which meant that more than ever she needed to be resolute. Last night was a moment of weakness. She wasn't ready for feelings. Ever.
"Mornin'," he finished buttoning his shirt as he stepped into the kitchen, announcing "I'm goin' huntin'."
She felt her heart quickening, a soft little sigh blowing through her lips as she enjoyed the sight of him like a lovesick teenage girl. Then she shook her head and ignored it. She was a grown woman not a girl. She carefully folded her paper in half and pulled her nightgown tight around herself like it might be a barrier to whatever it was about Daryl that was turning her into mush.
Before Kate could say a single word his hand was wrapping around hers as he pulled her into her arms to kiss her, sweeping her ever so slightly off the floor as her nightgown fell open and away from her shoulders.
"What are you doing?" she tried to sound annoyed but the words came out more like a whisper.
"Kissin' ya goodbye…" he kissed the back of her hand before his eyes locked with hers, "but I'll be seein' ya later when I come over an' cook ya dinner."
Kate pulled her hand from his and stepped away from him, "that's a little presumptive don't you think?"
He shrugged carelessly and he was smiling like he knew precisely how presumptive it was, "ya need to eat don't ya?"
"I might already have plans."
Daryl snorted, "ya don't have plans."
Kate let out a sharp annoyed huff, suddenly wishing she'd taken the time to dress this morning, "Perhaps I don't want to see you later," she spat.
"We both know that ain't true," his fingers ran along the cord of her nightgown tugging it open, "are ya always so goddamn difficult?"
She felt her temper start to bubble, there was nothing she hated more than being told how to behave or what to do. "You can't just climb in my bloody window and do…what…. you like… then invite yourself back over for dinner. It doesn't work like that, Daryl Dixon."
"I think that's exactly what ya want me to do," his hands invaded under her nightgown, wrapping around her waist as he tried to kiss her again but she pushed him off.
"You don't get to make my decisions," she protested, stepping around the table to get some distance from him. He made it impossible for her to think straight when he held her, kissed her or even stood within one foot of her.
"Ya only have a week left in Georgia an' I might never get what I really want from ya but I'll be damned if I don't spend the rest of this week with ya... an' makin' ya dinner, whether you let me in the door... or not."
Kate picked up the sport section of her paper and threw it at him, "you're a bloody lunatic. Get out of my house at once!" She figured the entire broadsheet might be a tad painful at full pelt.
Daryl sniggered, picking up her cup and downing the last of her tea with a devilish smile he said, "I'll see ya at seven darlin'."
"Well… I won't be here!" she shouted to his back as he retreated down the hall.
"Yeah ya will," he decided, giving her one long look before he shut the front door and was on his way.
Kate caught her foot on a kitchen chair and sent herself stumbling as she stormed over to the front door, flinging it open and glancing both ways down the street until she spotted him. "No I won't."
He didn't speak, he didn't turn around, just lit a cigarette and kept on walking.
/
Daryl made his way over to the strip club to get his truck then drove to the hotel to get Jim and Jason. When he stepped in the room that smelt of stale beer and sweat he felt his stomach tumbling over. Jason was curled on a two seater sofa, cuddling his hat while the rest of the bachelor party were sprawled everywhere else. He found Jim passed out in the bathroom, his entire body squeezed around the toilet.
"Rise and shine," Daryl kicked Jim's foot.
"Oh god," Jim groaned, his eyes bloodshot, his beard matted with… lumps.
"Ya ready to go shoot shit?" Daryl laughed knowing that Jim looked like he needed about 6 hours more sleep.
"Urgghh," jim squeezed his eyes shut and hugged the toilet, "I ain't feeling too good."
Daryl snorted, "clean ya face an' we can go get breakfast… bacon, eggs, mmm fried greasy breakfast..."
Jim heaved and brought up more of last nights indulgences. It was obviously going to take longer than anticipated to get out of this hotel and into the wilderness but Daryl waited patiently down in the lobby with a cup of coffee and a copy of some hunting magazine.
"I was wondering where you were," Irma called when the boys finally arrived at the farm for the start of their trip.
She'd packed them some snacks and made them sit down for a glass of ice tea before they set off.
"I can't believe all this is gonna be yours," Jim said as they walked across a field to where the trees started to form into forest.
"Who cares 'bout that, I wanna hear 'bout last night…" Jason grinned.
"What happened last night?" Jim said, rubbing his eyes which were still painfully red.
"I went to Kate's."
"He decided he weren't gonna take none of her shit…" Jason laughed, "you tell her that you're desperately in love with her?"
Daryl tripped on the undergrowth, "what?"
"Last night, when we were walkin' to her place you were sayin' you loved her, sayin' you were gonna tell her an' ask her to stay with you," Jason said and for the first time this morning Jim laughed.
"Well well, this is a pretty turn of events…"
"I was damn drunk… not that damn drunk…" Daryl had considered saying those three words before deciding he had more chance of spending the night with her if he didn't say it. He'd already been horny as hell but the second he'd seen her in that little nightdress he'd been completely desperate. "I ain't gonna tell her anythin', she don't wanna hear it an'... I don't wanna look like an' idiot." At least no more stupid than she already made him look when he was hauling his ass up the side of a building for her.
"If you don't tell her you'll only regret it," Jason said.
"We all have our secrets, at least he's told his friends…" Jim said and Daryl just looked at them both.
"Am I missin' somethin' 'ere?"
"No, let's just get this over with," Jason snapped as he doubled checked his rifle and marched along the trail.
Sunday Evening
Daryl knocked on Kate's front door and waited. He had no idea if she would actually be home but just hoped that she would. He wasn't sure how long he was waiting, it felt like a long time but it couldn't have been much since he held his breath for the duration until the door was opening and she was leaning one hand against the frame.
She was wearing a navy and white striped dress that didn't hug her figure like the ones she wore to work but it did stop mid thigh to give him a nice view of her smooth toned legs. She looked like she might have put that dress on because he was coming over.
"Ya 'ere then," he teased and like he knew she would she blushed.
"I didn't want you causing another scene…"
"Right," he stepped in the house, shutting the door behind him before he dropped the cooler box filled with dinner supplies down to his feet.
He reached out to hug her, his fingers brushing along her waist but it was the way her breathing halted, her body's reaction to his touch that made him want to kiss her. When his lips were pressed against hers and he was pulling her body against his he knew that he couldn't just kiss her. Dinner would have to wait.
They made out in the hallway like teenagers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands cupped along her ass until he was commandeering her into the darkened living room. This was a great way to say hello, he decided as they fell onto the sofa to make out some more. He'd never quite enjoyed simply kissing someone so much as he did now. The way her lips felt against his, the way she tasted, the way her hands explored his body urging him closer, sending tingles straight to where his length pushed anxiously against his jeans.
He felt his way over her dress, fumbling for the zipper so he could ease her out of it just as she eased him out of his clothes until he was pushing inside her and they were making love on the sofa. Every thrust flanked by hot, heavy kisses until they were groaning, panting and utterly spent. Together they lay entangled, a layer of sweat glistening over their skin as his fingers slowly tickled along her spine. Kate's head rested against his chest, planting a small kiss over his heart before she let out a long contented sigh. He loved the sound of that sigh, he loved the way she felt in his arms right now.
Daryl nuzzled his face in her hair breathing in the smell and memorizing every inch of her as his eyes adjusted to the low light that was glowing from behind the heavy charcoal drapes. He couldn't help but stare at the shiny silver photo frames that sat in one corner of the room. He wasn't sure he was allowed to talk about those frames, yet his need to know everything about Kate made his mouth run away from his brain, "ya were real young… I mean… when ya got married an'..."
"Had a baby?" She sat up, peeling herself from his embrace, leaving his arms miserably empty.
"Yeah," he tapped his leg nervously. He wanted to know more but talking to Kate about this was intimidating. He didn't want to upset her or overstep the mark that only she knew the location of and he suddenly cursed himself for starting this conversation when he was completely naked, his flaccid penis between them.
"It wasn't planned. I didn't plan on having a child or getting married until my thirties," she said, but not unkindly as she reached for her panties and slipped them up her legs.
"So..." he stared at the picture of her husband before deciding he was going to need some pants on at the very least.
Kate sat cross legged in the corner of the sofa, a big silver velvet throw cushion covering her torso, "do you want to know about Ryan or Harry?"
"Ya don't have to tell me anythin'."
She cocked her head to the side and contemplated him for a moment, "but you're curious… I would be too."
"I just…" he placed his hand on her thigh, "I wanna know ya."
Kate licked her lips, her eyes getting a vague far off look that told him she was deciding what to say or deciding if she was going to say anything at all. "I met Ryan at University. We were in the same halls. He was… nice. When the first year finished... I couldn't go home for the summer. He invited me to stay with him at his parents…" she rolled her eyes, "second home."
"So ya…" he cleared his throat, "weren't his girl?"
Kate tucked her hair behind her ear and considered it for a moment, "I knew he had a crush on me. I knew that's why he was inviting me to stay with him." Her face changed. "Ryan and I dated on and off for a couple of years. Then we conceived Harry… and… I agreed to marry him."
"You didn't want to?"
"I wanted... to do the right thing. I used to think..." she stared at the photo's.
"What?"
She shook her head slightly, her brow creasing, "I don't know."
"Yeah ya do."
She turned to look at him, her big brown eyes turned down, "I used to wonder what my life would have been like if I never had a child. And now I know. Just like I wanted to..."
"Everybody thinks things they don't really mean." Daryl wondered where he was and exactly what he was doing all those years ago when Ryan was swooping to Kate's rescue and offering her a place to sleep, his bed, the idea made his stomach turn over. "Why couldn't ya stay with yer folks?"
"Thats... a long story."
Daryl sat back in the sofa, " I ain't goin nowhere."
Kate rested her chin on the cushion she was clutching to and she looked so little. "My parents couldn't take care of me. It didn't really matter if I was a toddler or twenty one and heavily pregnant. Ryan could… so I let him. I'm not exactly proud of it."
"An' now ya can take care of yerself," he blurted, thinking of all the times she had demanded exactly that.
"Yeah..." she laughed, but her laugh was hard and bitter rather than glad of the fact. "Mostly… tell me something, a secret… you know all of mine..."
He reached for the cushion that she held in her arms and eased it to her lap before he lay his head there and it felt good, resting against her while her fingers raked gently through his hair. "When I was a kid... I got lost in the woods for nine days. I thought I was gonna die out there, and when I got home… nobody had even noticed I was gone."
Her eyes were wide, her fingers trailing along his hair stopped, "not even your Mum?"
"She died before that," he sighed heavily remembering the day, remembering the feeling, "she fell asleep, beer in one hand, cigarette in the other they reckoned. I remember watchin' the fire tear the whole house apart an' all I could think was... at least she didn't have to put up with my Daddy no more."
They both just looked at each other before she bent forward and kissed him, soft and light, her lips against his while the side of his face was pressed snugly against her breasts. "Do you want to do something crazy Mr Dixon?" she whispered, the glint of mischief in her eyes.
A/N- Thank you for reading! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Jeanf- I love that you found some custard but I just hope you're not too disappointed. I do wonder if its the sort of thing you have to grow up with to appreciate. Cake and custard is like comfort food, it reminds me of primary school dinners. I like it best on sticky toffee pudding in the winter time or you could use the powder to make custard cream biscuits which go lovely with a cup of tea ;)