This started out as a role play between myself (gunslingerdixon) and my Carol rp partner untapdtreasure (nolongeraxburden), and it was mutually decided upon to share with the rest of FF as a fanfiction. So here it is! Enjoy!

If y'all are interested in following us just go to: nolongeraxburden. tumblr .com or gunslingerdixon. tumblr .com

Also: we own nothing in regards to The Walking Dead. All rights belong to the copyright holder.

Daryl:

He heard the bite in her voice as she called him out on his words. She knew that he knew what she was talking about. He was trying to play it aloof in case what he assumed she was talking about wasn't the same as what she was thinking, but her response begged to differ otherwise. Her tone was sharp and to the point. Glenn liked teasing him about Carol when they were out of earshot of the others and he always scoffed claiming there was nothing going on between them and there hadn't been.

There wasn't. At least that's what he told himself.

He swept everything under the rug as if the subtle flirting and gentle touches were nothing more than just teasing between friends. Of course, they all knew better. Daryl just didn't want to let on that he was weak to allow someone over the walls he had built up for so long. He just didn't want to admit that there was someone that actually cared about him. Someone that actually wanted him. That he in turn actually did care.

And that right there, truly scared him.

The tension was knotting itself up in his gut even more when her hand came to settle at his hips, fingers clutching tight the material of his clothes. He gulped; throat bobbing as he swallowed down the anxiety that came to the coils of tension inside his stomach. There was somersaulting in his chest and pin prickles ebbing up and down the tips of his fingers. Daryl was sure his breathing had stopped altogether as he coughed trying to take in a breath, chest heaving some.

When her hand came to settle at his hand that he'd dug into his pocket, Daryl's head snapped up eyes meeting hers for a brief second before averting elsewhere to some rusty pipe he could barely make out in the dark. His mouth fell open a little unsure of what to say or to really react to her bold actions. Shutting his mouth, Daryl squared his shoulders standing more upright before replying, "Mrs. Richards wanted me t'find a jasper stone fer her old man. Fer his grave marker. If I could when I was out on that medicine run."

Removing the green stone from his pocket he held it out for her to take, if she chose to. It was just a little lopsided green stone. It had been his means of calming down after his tussle with Bob when he'd found the bottle of liquor and nothing else in the other man's bag. A means of resolve with his irritation directed at Michonne for leaving as she did when they both knew the Governor's trail was stone cold. He'd already told her before that if the trail were hot he'd be out there hunting him down.

When Carol didn't ask about the stone in question, Daryl ducked his head a little before he met her gaze. "It's meant t'provide protection… Give balance… Zen so to speak. 'Least that's what Mrs. Richards says." He gruffed a little embarrassed about the explanation, working his jaw as he observed her for some sort of reaction.

His eyes studied her features carefully assessing the wear of the world that was marked in her features. The grey of her hair a little more prominent than before, the makings of frown marks imbedding themselves from the lack of luck that they seemed to endure. Her eyes though shone of brilliance and a lit fire that he seldomly recalled to smolder down. There was always some flash of hope in her eyes that he sought out and it eased his own worries when he caught the flicker of her gaze on him.

The quell of anger from earlier had fizzled out and he felt a complacent sense of calm despite the ever impending scratching and thumping of walkers at their door. He'd learned to drown out the ever present death knells they seemed to bring about with them wherever they went. He reckoned it had more to do with how commonplace and routine it all was to him— just the same old same old like the world before ceased to exist.

Carol:

Carol noted the nervous swallow, watching his Adam's Apple bob in the moonlight. It was one of the most adorably awkward things she'd ever witnessed about him and so much different than the actions previous to this night. She kept her one hand fisted in his shirt, afraid that if she lost all contact with him that the moment would be broken, that it would be over before it had even begun, and she wasn't ready for that.

She needed him. She wanted him in the worst way. And not for sex. They had something so much more important than sex, but she supposed it was the natural order of things, and they'd come to it when and if the time was right. She wasn't about to rush things. She hadn't even been kissed by him yet, and here her mind was wandering to sex. She had to refocus on the moment at hand and what he was telling her.

A stone? A jasper stone. She gave a slight nod when he showed it to her. It was a dull looking rock, and she had no idea of its importance or its meaning, but it must have been important to the old man and woman alike for Daryl to look so hard for something. It showed her once again that he was already taking what she'd said to him and been running with it. He was learning to live with the love. And that warmed her heart more than anything in that moment. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, letting his words wash over her.

Her hand lifted from his pocket where she'd hooked her fingers and up to his hand. Her fingers danced across his palm, delibrately and slowly before she took the stone and held it in her hand. "This little rock does all that?" She tilted her head and brought it closer to inspect. She was awstruck that he took the time to talk to the older lady and learn so much. She chewed at the inside of her cheek a little bit before lifting her eyes up to search his.

He'd been watching her. She could feel it, making the butterflies in her gut all the more crazy. She wanted to clear her throat or take a step back to make them settle again, but when could she remember feeling this good? This alive. She quite liked it. Her hand against his other hip loosened its hold on his shirt but remained where it was and gently stroked his hipbone. Again it was a deliberate action. Almost as if she was getting him ready for more intimate touches and feelings. Guiding him through the steps to their many sets of firsts. She never allowed herself to think of any lasts they might encounter on their journey. She wanted to live in the moment, move forward and face the days together. No matter how many they might have.

"Has it worked for you?" she asked, a softness to her tone that begged for the honest truth from not only his mouth but from his heart. She slowly deposited the stone back into his hand, curling it into his fingers with her own and somehow managing to hold it together with him.

She felt that she already knew the answer. That it had indeed helped him some or he wouldn't have been so desperate to keep it tucked away in secret there in his pocket. She slowly let her hand fall from his, but keeping her other hand in place. The same pattern was traced over and over again with her thumb. Her eyes moved up again, flicking up to meet his in the darkness.

Please review and let us know what you thought! Cheers!

*Note: This is also not 100% written by myself. I owe a lot of credit to my wonderful partner as she is Carol and does a phenomenal job. Send her some love too at untapdtreasure here at FF!