Mature Content in this chapter, rated MA and not for children under 18.

Fan the Flames

Jamie sighed blissfully as she arched backward, letting the water run down her chest and stomach, her hands rising up to rinse along her neck. She tipped her head from side to side as the water ran along her skin, the warmth fighting away all of her troubles. She remembered how she had felt like her muscles just melted away when she was in the shower at the station, but that was nothing compared to now. She didn't have near as much weighing on her shoulders as she had before, allowing her to ease herself into relaxing much more smoothly.

A strong set of hands suddenly slipped along her hips from behind, the calloused skin gliding along her water slicked flesh. She tipped her head back again, finding a strong shoulder to rest it on. Those strong hands glided forward along her sides to her stomach, a pair of lips pressing against her exposed neck. She took a careful step back until she was flush against his body, skin to skin.

"I never got to say hello," she whispered through the silence, lifting her hands to place one on top of his and run the other through his hair. Daryl pulled her closer again him, the feel of her slippery skin making his heart race. His lips pressed against the crook of her shoulder, his tongue darting out to lick up beads of water that lingered on her skin.

He could hear her breathing beginning to pick up, the feel of her quick pulse reaching him through her back as her heart thrummed wildly. His lips continued to press kisses along her throat until he reached beneath her ear, nipping the tender skin that met him. His hands slipped up along her stomach, feeling the ridges of her ribs as he passed over them, until he came to the swell of her breasts. She took in a deep gasp of air as his palms covered over her breasts, pressing on them lightly.

Her arm hooked around his neck as she arched into his hands, seeking more touch and pressure. Just as quickly, she turned herself around to face him, breaking his contact with her for just a moment. Her lips found his as soon as she was facing him, pulling him forward and under the spray of water. His hands were firm on her back, the wine in her system dulling the tenderness of her back and side, keeping her locked against him.

His tongue brushed over her lips quickly, immediately gaining entrance to her mouth as she opened herself up for him. His tongue met hers, pressing, dancing, challenging. Her breath hitched as soon as she pulled back, the feel of him pressed fully against her drawing her attention to his hardening erection. He ground his hips against hers, drawing another gasp from her and quickly sealing her lips with another breathtaking kiss.

He pushed against her until he had her back against the cold tile of the wall, chilled water sending a jolt through Jamie as her skin touched it. Bumps rose along her flesh at the feel, her back arching her body forward into Daryl. He didn't pull back from the kiss to allow either of them to breathe until he was sure that he was sated, the touch of her lips leaving a hot feeling in their wake.

"I love you," she gasped out as her hands wrapped around his torso, pressing her lips to his ear as she began to chant in whispers, confessing to him over and over again. Her hands roamed along the toned muscles of his back, the water slicking his skin against hers, allowing her body and mind to familiarize with him once again.

Daryl leaned on his forearms against the wall behind Jamie, his breath panting heavily against her forehead as he tried to keep himself under control. The feel of her caressing hands, however, was nearly too much to bare. He stepped back once, dislodging her hands from his person, before he took a hold of her sides and lifted her off her feet before she had a chance to notice that he was gone from her reach. Her legs wound around his waist as her arms mirrored the action around his neck, drawing his face against her chest. He nipped the skin gently with his teeth, hearing the hitch in her breath from the action, before he lifted his head up slightly to swirl his tongue in the hollow at the base of her throat.

She gasped loudly for breath, her hands digging into his wet hair and pulling. Daryl's head tipped back from the tug on his hair, looking up to meet her hazel eyes. His own bright blue eyes were dilated, his lips parted as he panted heavily. Her hands soothed the places where she had pulled on his hair before moving to stroke his face with her fingers tracing his goatee before she lowered her lips to press against his in a kiss.

"Please," she begged softly against his lips, her hands framing his face as the water from her long hair dripped down onto his face. Daryl grunted at the one word that she uttered, the desperation in her voice spurring him into movement. His hands gripped at her thighs, pressing her back against the wall by pushing his chest against hers. He used his grip on her thighs to adjust her placement enough to press his erection against her core, the feel of her heated skin sending shivers down his spine.

"I'm right here, Babe," Daryl gasped out in a husky voice, pressing his face into her hair. He groaned loudly as she rolled her hips accurately, beginning to slide him inside of her moist heat. One of her arms stayed firmly wrapped around his neck and shoulder while her other threw out to take a hold of the hollow part of the wall that acted as a shelf in the small shower.

Jamie's head fell back, mouth open in a silent scream as Daryl thrust his hips up to fully embed himself inside of her. His hands clutched at her thighs in a near bruising grip, the muscles of her legs tense as she helped to keep herself up against him and the wall. She nearly whimpered when he pulled back just slightly before thrusting up again, pressing her back into the wall and drawing a short scream from her lips as her nails dug into his back. The tendons in his neck stood out with the tension inside his body, his arm muscles flexed as he held onto her legs tightly.

"God," she gasped loudly, rocking her body against his and adding to the rhythm of his hips as he began to thrust in a rhythmic pattern. "Daryl," She drawled out, drawing out his name to nearly four syllables. Daryl bit down on the flesh of her shoulder to hold back the noise that he was sure to make at the sound of his name coming from her lips, leaving teeth marks on the skin.

Her back slapped on the tiles behind her, filling the bathroom with the sound of her skin hitting against the wet surface, covering up her quiet gasps and the odd grunt that Daryl released as he thrust his hips up. Steam clouded the room, covering the mirrors and glass shower door. It was thick in the air, catching in the lungs of the lovers in its midst.

He could tell when she was getting close to her release, her nails digging down into his back shoulder again, the sounds that were coming from her throat getting loud and then louder, and finally the tightening of her inner muscles around him every time he pulled back before thrusting forward again. He could also tell that she was fighting it, waiting for him, trying to hold back until he was ready.

"Now, Jamie," he bit out against her neck, sure that she heard him. She seized up a moment later, a chocked sound catching in her throat as she held back the scream that was fighting to come free as her orgasm crashed over her, every muscle in her body coiled up like a spring. Her body quaked with aftershocks as she slowly returned to herself, her eyes opening to the spray of the shower. Her heart was racing like never before inside her chest, jolts like electric shocks shooting through her limbs.

Daryl stilled as soon as he felt her tighten around him, slowly beginning to lower them toward the floor of the shower until she was sitting on his thighs, allowing her legs to relax. He pulled away from her shoulder, seeing the indentations of his teeth left behind and feeling a sense of pride that he had marked her, and looked into her eyes as she slowly regained her shattered composure.

"Hi, baby," she finally said, lifting a trembling hand to his cheek. The water that streamed down his face transferred to her hand, sliding down her arm in a steady stream. She smiled to him, her cheeks flushed with pleasure as she continued to pant for breath. "You're amazing."

"I know." Daryl smirked, causing her to laugh softly for a moment before she drew him down to place a gentle kiss to his lips. She could feel the hard length of him still inside of her and knew that he wouldn't last long. She slowly let her back slide along the slippery wall until she was lying down on the floor of the shower, pulling Daryl down with her until he was laid out on top of her. The shower barely accommodated them lying down, but they managed by turning their bodies until they lay corner to opposite corner in the space.

Neither said another word as the rhythm began again, their lips pressing, tongue's dancing and teeth gnashing together. Jamie's hands pressed on the wall above her head to stop her body from sliding along the wet flooring, water raining down on them in a steady, warm current. Daryl wasn't as gentle as he had been, slamming his hips against hers until she cried out at the feeling. He didn't stop moving as she squirmed beneath him, her hands roaming about on his body when she wasn't scratching them against the wall.

Every pant, arch, thrust and gasp was seared into the memories.

Jamie's back arched off the flooring of the shower as her hands lifted to grip at her own hair, a drawn out moan vibrating her chest. Daryl groaned along with her, his hands gripping at her sides. Her thighs squeezed his hips as she bucked up against him, pushing his erect manhood as deep into her as she could. He thrust erratically a few more, short times before he fell still, holding himself deep inside of her as he came, warmth flooding her.

They remained lying on the floor of the shower, spent and shaking against one another. Daryl was the first to move, pulling himself from her and moving back. He admired the view of a wet, flushed and panting Jamie as she lay on her back, starting up at him with dazed eyes. He finally smirked down at her and helped her to gently get up, her muscles still twitching from exhaustion. They washed up half-heartedly, mostly just caressing each other in afterglow before they stumbled out into the office area where the couch and their things were, the door locked and giving them their personal time.

Daryl lay on his back on the couch as he watched Jamie get dressed for the night, pulling on his long sleeved shirt just as she had done the previous night. He inspected her bare back when it was turned toward him, seeing that the bruise was already beginning to lighten slightly but would still be very tender. When she turned to face him after brushing her hair through he opened his arms invitingly—since he was taking up the entire space of the couch—and raised an eyebrow to give a sexual insinuation.

She let out a breathy chuckle as she stepped up to the couch in nothing but his shirt, her undergarments hanging in the washroom to dry after she washed them quickly before she had jumped in the shower. "Just as insatiable." She leaned a knee on the edge of the couch on the right side of his stomach, swinging her other leg around to straddle his stomach and sit back on his hips.

"Guess that's why we're so good together," Daryl sniped back, sliding his hands up her thighs until the rested on her toned ass.

"Hope that's not the only reason you've got." She ran her nails down his bare chest slowly, watching the muscles jump at the feathery sensations and slowly grinning down at him. She couldn't say anything further before she was forced to turn away and cover her mouth as she yawned, their reunion in the shower finally taking its toll on her.

"Time to sleep," Daryl said, knowing that it was a mixture of the amount of alcohol she had consumed and the sex that had drained her so efficiently.

"No," she said quietly, "I want to talk. Why don't you tell me about what's been going on since the outbreak. Anything big happen while you were travelling with Merle?" she asked him, changing her position so that she was lying on her stomach with her arms folding on his chest, resting her chin on them. Her legs were on either side of one of his, straddling his thigh.

"We moved around a lot, there's not much to tell," Daryl said in a bored tone as he looked up at the ceiling, one of his hands moving up from her ass to glide along where her tattoos would be. "Ran into a few groups that were after our weapons, killed hundreds of walkers…."Daryl trailed off as he looked like he was thinking, leaning his head against the pillow on the couch. "I shot a guy in the ass with an arrow couple of hours before you nearly shot me."

"Hey! I thought you were a walker!" she protested, getting a smirk from her boyfriend when she played right into his hands. She glared at him for a moment before lowering her face into his chest to yawn again, his small amount of chest hair tickling her forehead. When she looked up again Daryl was giving her a look that told her she was going to sleep whether she liked it or not. She sighed softly and rose to her feet to go and turn off the lights in the room, hearing Daryl shuffle a bit on the couch just before she flicked the switch.

ᵻ

Everybody was crowded in the lunch room, forks scraping on plates and glasses clanking around. T-Dog was serving out eggs and there were plates of bacon around the table, as well as a pitcher of orange juice on the counter nearby with a fresh pot of coffee in the coffee maker. Glenn groaned in pain as he tried to force away the killer hangover that Daryl had basically forced him into, Carl finding complete amusement in the behaviour of the adults around him.

"Should we go wake up Daryl and Jamie?" Dale asked as he looked around at the faces that sat at the table, startled when there was a sudden laugh from T-Dog as he placed the pan of cooked powdered eggs aside.

"Trust me, they're awake," he said with a laugh in his tone still, taking his seat at the table. "My room was right next to theirs, they ain't missin' anything." Glenn chocked on his orange juice in surprise as Jacqui, Andrea and Lori shared a laugh at the guy's discomfort. The kids still looked confused, but decided not to question when their mother's shook their heads in a silent 'no' at their questioning looks.

"Bet you had a wonderful sleep then," Andrea said with a faint smile as she ripped off a piece of bacon to eat, getting a huff from T-Dog.

"It wasn't last night that was the problem. This morning, though-"

"Not another word, T-Dog," Jamie said as she stepped into the room, her hair wet from a recent shower and a flush to her skin. The girls in the room shared a look at the glow that seemed to surround the woman as she walked over to pick up two plates from the counter, cleaned from the night before, and moved over to begin getting food.

"Sleep well?" Lori asked, getting a raised eyebrow from the blonde with a knowing smirk on her lips.

"It was…exhilarating," she finally answered, getting another round of high pitched laughs from the other women around the table. Daryl stepped into the room at that moment, his own hair still slightly damp. The kids took no notice, but the adults didn't miss the fact that they wouldn't both have wet hair if they had showered separately; and Daryl had shorter hair. It was still strange to see the subtle difference in Daryl as he stepped right up to Jamie, wrapping an arm around her good side and greeting her with a kiss before he moved aside to get himself a coffee.

"How's the head Chinaman?" Daryl asked as he looked over to Glenn, getting a groan from the younger man that had everyone grinning in amusement.

"I'm Korean," Glenn moaned in pain, placing the cold glass of orange juice to his forehead to try and alleviate the pain faster. Jamie laughed softly and shot Glenn a sympathetic look before handing Daryl his plate and moving over to sit at one of the two empty seats at the table, snatching a glass and the orange juice as she walked past.

"No coffee?" Andrea asked as she looked up in surprise, thinking that with the amount of wine that the other woman had taken in the night before, she'd be dying for a coffee.

"Love the smell, hate the taste," Jamie answered, looking up to Andrea as she spoke. "There have been many people over the years that have tried to get me to like the stuff, nothing's ever worked." She poured herself the glass of orange juice as Daryl leaned back in his chair with his coffee in hand and couldn't help but to be half tempted to make it Irish.

Andrea faked a look of astonishment as she shook her head, asking, "How do you wake yourself up in the morning?" Jay smiled as she took a gulp of her orange juice, swallowing before she could say anything. She pointed to her left, where Daryl sat giving her a look, and grinned.

"He works pretty well."

The room erupted in noise as the adults caught on, laughing at the slightly uncomfortable and awkward look that came to Daryl's face when there was so much attention on him. Jamie shrieked in protest when he stole a piece of her bacon in retaliation, leaning away when she tried to snatch it back and biting into the pork.

"You monster," she glowered, smacking his thigh. Everyone noticed how Daryl seemed to get smacked a lot and briefly wondered if there was a reason behind it. Her smacks were never hard enough to hurt but they knew that she did slap him when a situation that called upon it arose. Such as him trying to kill a man or saying something embarrassingly vulgar to her that left her flushed and in denial.

Dale noticed the change between the two. They were no longer two people that had lost one another, but two lovers that had finally reunited. Last night had been the night that they needed, the moment that they could greet one another properly. He smiled faintly at the look on Daryl's face as he watched Jamie smile, the look of a protective, content man that was loved and in love. He tried to mask it, and he did a good job most of the time, but there were moments when he guard slipped and his feelings were exposed on his face.

Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, as wind extinguishes candles but fans a fire.

Season Finale tonight! Oh, this is going to be good! I can't wait to see how they did this after last week's episode. I hope everyone loved the scene between Daryl and Jamie, it is the closest thing you'll ever get to a sex scene in this story.

Chapter 15 – Pulse, Cold, Arise

"Come on, none of that," He said as he helped her straighten again, the hit on the table not even hard enough to redden the skin. She looked more irritated the depressed, unlike all of the others, and he was glad that he didn't need to deal with an emotionally traumatized Jamie—he had had to do that when her parents died, it was bad enough then and he didn't care for a refresher.

Jamie shrieked faintly in surprise when he knelt down and slipped an arm between her legs, holding her onto his shoulder as he kept a hold on one of her thighs so she didn't slip. She cussed him out at first, breathless from the sudden change in position. She didn't demand to be put down, already knowing that he would simply ignore her or do something to shut her up. Probably slap her on the ass if she knew him as well as she said she did.

"Bastard," She growled out as he started down the hallway that held all of the rooms they occupied, no one else standing around. Several doors were open but empty, belonging to the men that had gone down to the basement. He made sure not to knock her against the doorframe as he stepped into their room, closing and locking the door behind them, before he threw Jamie down onto the couch, one of her legs draping over the back.

She gasped at the sudden change in position, her hair throw up over her head, draping across the armrest of the three seated couch. She looked bewildered for a moment before her eyes slanted over to Daryl as he picked up the bottle of alcohol that he had brought with them to their room. She watched his throat as he took deep swallows of the amber liquid before he placed the bottle on the table in front of the couch, placed a knee on the edge of the far cushion before he leaned his body over hers, the strong smell of the drink on his breath.