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:

The soft grazing of her fingers along his palm sent a shiver tingling down his spine and a wash of anxiety through his entire being— feeling like a cold breeze had blown right through him. He shivered not realizing that it had caused such a reaction from him. She was doing it on purpose. This much he knew. The mischievous glint in her eye was quite evident from the light that bounced off her pale blue irises in the dark. She always did like riling him as she did, poking and prodding until she hit his limit and he put his foot down: a stern glare and a drawled stop.

Pausing her intricate dance along the lines of his palm, her fingers deftly plucked the stone from his outstretched hand examining it as he spoke— explaining its reasoning; a subtle reasoning to why he had sought it's comfort. Daryl could see the visible twitch of a smile on her lips as he watched the multitude of thoughts swirling through her head. A furrowed brow arched dubiously, curiously at her. What was she thinking? What made her smile like she was now? He wondered keeping his staring to a set minimum of stolen glances beneath the fringe of his bangs.

His breath hitched when she played along his waistband, fingers brushing lightly along his hip. He uttered a choked shudder immediately feeling like a teenaged-boy: fool-hardy and stupid. His cheeks burned from the heat of embarrassment as he looked away keeping his eyes fixed on something else, not daring to look her in the eye. He felt ashamed that her touch like that, be it innocent or not, had him getting worked up over it… Flustered to a fault.

The jeering voice of Merle echoed in his ears, silently taunting him from beyond. Had the bastard been alive he was sure Merle would have been teasing him 'till the roosters crowed and the cows came home. Even before the world went to shit and it seemed to spin on a less off-kilter axis, Daryl had never been any good with women. Both he and Merle knew this well. He, of course, would never admit that being touched as he was by a woman damn near scared him to kingdom come.

It wasn't just the touching or the affection that got under his skin. It was the idea knowing that once they saw who Daryl Dixon really was… they would just leave him and find another. Whether it was out of boredom or simply giving up on him, they left all the same as any other person did that came into his life. And they would look for someone that was better looking. Someone more competent. Someone more deserving. Someone that was good enough. Someone with a better car and a better house. Someone that was worth their time. Dixon's weren't worth much more than they could be thrown. Everyone knew that.

How was it that she didn't know that? What made him seem so worthy of her attention? Why? Why was he worth any of her time? Why didn't she just give up on him already?

He shook his head absently before answering her question. He'd forgotten that she had asked him something lost in a trail of his doubts. "Yeah, helped me some," he finally grunted out hoarsely welcoming the cool of the rock back in his palm, her fingers wrapping about his as they held the stone together.

Together.

Why did things like this suddenly matter? What did he care if he had anyone? He never needed nobody and he sure as hell didn't now… and yet somehow, he felt that wasn't completely true. In the great scheme of things, he was very much alone in this world. He was the last of his kin. Her thumb rubbing along his hip as she was currently doing was driving him crazy as it fell in rhythm with the ever-present crescendo of his heart thrumming inside his head. It was a noise buzzing heavily in his ear along with the doubts that wouldn't let up. Without a word spoken, Daryl held her hand firmly in place. The gentle stroking ceasing along the dip of his hip as he glared at her not sure why it had suddenly bothered him causing a twinge of anger stirring in his belly.

In his mind he felt this was all some weird twisted dream of the hidden wants and desires he dared not utter allowed or let be known. He felt vulnerable and it bothered him to his core that Carol rendered him so useless like this— incapable of proper functioning like up was down and left was right. It made no damned sense and it was frankly getting to the point of being abhorrent that he simply did not understand it. He growled low under his breath hoping that she hadn't heard him over the clawing and scratching of the walkers on the other-side of the door.

Daryl removed himself from her space, taking several steps back, before beginning his pacing once more, hands raking through his hair, jasper stone fisted in his hand as he kept it close trying to ease his troubles. He was a torrent of mixed-emotions. The calm before the storm, he was sure. He hadn't felt this torqued up since he had come across the severed hand of Merle lying on the rooftop of the building in Atlanta, all eyes on him as he paced back and forth unsure of how to deal with what he'd been staring it.

Huffing loudly, Daryl paused at the door staring absently at it, eyes bouncing back and forth, swallowing the thick air that stilled around him. He hoped he could hold himself together… that he had enough willpower to keep from lashing out… that he was capable of making sense of these emotions, doubts, and thoughts all running a rampant marathon inside his head.

Carol:

Carol knew she's sparked a reaction when she'd took her time getting the stone. She knew she'd caused something in him that would conflict him, but she hoped to guide him and reassure him. She wanted nothing more than to show him that he deserved to be happy, to be loved like she loved him. She wanted to share her life with him. In. Every. Way. Her eyes were soft as she kept them steady on him, listening and trying to pick up whatever cues he was giving her about where his mind was at.

His body reacted to her touching his hip. Just exactly what she'd wanted and needed at that very moment, but she wanted her touch to relax him. It only keyed him up again, and she was too afraid to stop now. Afraid of sending the wrong message to his already over stimulated mind. She leaned in just a bit more, watching his eyes as she did so. Something flashed there. Albeit momentarily, it was there just the same. She swallowed hard. Her throat dry again as she did. So many emotions radiated through him, off of him, around him. And she wasn't sure she was doing the right thing by constantly pushing it and him to the breaking point. They'd been through enough in the last hour or so, but something deep down inside wouldn't let her stop.

She hadn't imagined the flash in his eyes when their fingers were wrapped together and holding the very stone that seemed to bring him that peace that nothing else could. It was why she'd given it back. He needed it more than most. And she wanted to give him whatever he needed to feel comfortable and standing there with her. Her fingers fell from his hand and she stood there, the only touch being the one at his hip. She curled her fingers into his hip bone slightly before picking up the gentle touch.

His hand around her wrist, stilling her, made her look up, meeting his eyes. She saw something there that thrilled her to the very core. He was fighting her, fighting his feelings for her, and fighting her feelings for him. Wasn't it how it always was with them? Didn't it always come down to this? Didn't it always come down to how far they could let the other push back before one of them caved and just let it go? She'd always stopped, letting it go to fight again another day. Today she didn't want to give up and just stop. Today, she wanted to press the envelope. Today she wanted to see just how far she could go without him lashing out and putting them four steps back after two steps forward.

The low growl hit her ears. She felt a rumbling in her belly as her heart skipped a beat and then repeated the experience. She felt her very toes tingle at the prospect that maybe she was on the verge of a breakthrough with him. Her hands fell to her sides, unable to hide the emotion as it was reflected in her eyes. She closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath. She took a hesitant step forward, not letting him leave her space completely.

"Why won't you let me love you?" she breathed out. Her voice was a hiss in the darkness. The rejection was finally getting to her. Finally shining through her carefully placed wall. Her heart completely on her sleeve. She'd never known there was a man like Daryl Dixon in the world. Not when she'd saddled herself with Ed so long ago.

And she'd told herself she was happy. That she'd make a life for herself. She wouldn't be alone. And for a long time that had been enough. Then she'd found herself pregnant, and he hadn't wanted children. Or maybe he had, but not with her. He made that perfectly plain with every sharp word that left his forked tongue. Everything was fine until Sophia had been born. Then the drinking got heavier and heavier. He'd taken to staying out at all hours of the night, and when that wasn't enough to dull him to the noise in his house, the beatings began.

For the longest time, she told herself that it was her fault. That if she'd only be a better wife and mother, that he'd change. Everyone could change. She'd convinced herself of that. And she remembered the promise that she'd made to herself long ago when her own mother struggled to raise her and her brother while being a single woman. She promised herself that no matter what happened, she'd make her marriage work. She'd not give up and be alone to raise her child.

She shook her head, taking a shaky breath. She was unable to look at him then. Ashamed that she'd been weak. That she'd shown him that weakness inside her. Even if it had only been for a moment. She loved him. With every fiber of her being, and she had accepted awhile ago that he might not ever be ready for her. And she'd promised that she wouldn't push. That she'd be happy no matter how she had him. Being near him was enough. It had to be. Then Rick had exiled her. He'd thrown her to the wolves outside their door without so much as a second thought.

And she'd though she'd lost him forever then. Then he'd shown up. And everything went bottom side up, and she was still struggling to catch up with it all. And she'd never been more afraid of anything in that moment because the words she'd just spoken she couldn't take back.

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!