I wrote this as a one shot and then had to break it up into chapters so this one is way longer than the other two. Hope that's okay. Also, if smut isn't your thing then you might not want to read the last half of this chapter. We're getting some seriously bad weather tonight so wish me luck! Thanks for reading!
Chapter Three
He hadn't been expecting anything like this. He had silently hoped that there would be something out here but he'd had his doubts that he would actually find anything. The two of them stood in front of a stone wall that rose above them at least nine feet. It stretched out on either side of them.
"What the hell is this place?" Carol asked, as she idly ran her hand over the rough gray stone.
He shook his head. "I don't know but we're about to find out," he said, lacing his fingers together and bending down. "Up and at'em. We're burnin' daylight here."
She stared at his hand and then at the wall. "Are you serious?"
"Either I boost you up or you boost me. Either way, lets do it quick."
She huffed and finally put one booted foot in his hands. She braced her hands on his shoulders and then let out a muted cry when he lifted her easily. She groped for the top of the wall, caught it and started lifting herself. He dropped his hands when she had a good grip on the wall but then wrapped his arms around her thighs so she wasn't just hanging there.
"What's over there," he asked when she pulled herself the rest of the way up.
She straddled the wall and then looked down sharply. "You aren't going to believe this. Get up here!" She hissed, her eyes wide and bright.
He remembered another time he'd seen her eyes alight like that and then he shook the memory. He jumped, grabbing the edge and then lifting himself up until he was straddling the wall himself. The stone was old, covered in moss and surrounded something that had his mouth dropping open.
"Jesus Christ," he muttered. "I forgot all about this place." He looked at the massive stone structure that spread out over the property.
"What is it?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He shook his head in disbelief. Back when he'd been a kid, no older than fifteen, he had gone with Merle and a bunch of his buddies and ended up at this place, drunk out of his mind. The driveway had been taken over by the woods and him and the others had walked for what had felt like miles to get to the gate. And then once they had gotten there they'd all scaled the wall. Daryl had been buzzed by the time they had made it but he remembered.
The place had been closed down for at least a century but at one time it had housed a bunch of psychos. At least that was what he had always heard growing up.
"Daryl?"
He looked over at her, taking note that she looked pale in the waning light. "I think it used to be an old asylum. I've been here before, back when I was a kid. It was closed down long before I ever came here. There's a gate but it should still be chained. Wasn't too many people around anymore that knew about this place."
"Do you think someone else has taken it?" She asked, still keeping her voice low.
He shook his head. "It don't look it. It's private property. Some old bastard with old money in his pocket. Just let it sit here. If this place ain't already taken by somebody then me and you just stumbled onto the holy fuckin' grail, woman."
"It sure as hell doesn't look like anyone has been here for a while," she said.
He bit his lip to keep back a grin. She looked scared to death. "What's got you so jumpy lookin'?"
She turned wide eyes on him. "It looks haunted."
He tried to hold it in but it didn't work. He laughed. "You've fought off walkers with nothin' but a pig sticker without batting an eye and now you're gonna tell me you're scared of an old building?"
She scowled at him but this only made it funnier. He was in a damn good mood now. This was beyond anything he'd ever dreamed of finding. The property was massive, there was a goddamn wall surrounding the whole thing and they were miles in from the nearest road. The driveway had been so overgrown Merle had barely been able to find it 30 years ago so it had to be worse now. "I'm not afraid of a building," she muttered.
He laughed again and then his eyes scanned the yard. There was no sign that anyone had been here in years. The grass was high, the trees wild and there was an air of isolation around the place. He hopped down, landing lightly on the balls of his feet and then turned, motioning for her to do the same.
She took one more look at the building and then she jumped. The look on her face reminded him of someone that knew they were about to jump into cold water. She looked up at him then, smiling slightly. "Okay, lets do this."
He nodded and then did something that surprised them both. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. He didn't miss the look on her face and he nearly stopped right there. His nerves kicked up but the nervousness quickly turned into anticipation that had his pulse kicking up. If this place was clean, the walls intact, then there wasn't any reason not to figure out exactly what the fuck would happen if he were to kiss her again.
"We can check the outside first while there's still enough light to do it. That wall seemed solid enough but this place is old as dirt. Then we'll find a room to hole up in till mornin'. We can check the rest of the place once we got light," he said, veering off towards the front. He wanted to check that gate. It had been thirty years since he'd been here and anything could have happened.
~H~
Their luck held, which was shocking since the entire winter had been nothing but a long streak of horrible circumstances. It was high time they were finally able to take a moment to breath. She felt bad because she knew the others hadn't found anything like this and she prayed they were okay.
Further back from the main building, was a small stone house. Carol supposed that whoever ran the place had lived on site, or maybe the doctor that treated the patients here. Either way, not being forced to stay in the main building was a blessing in her opinion. She knew that she would get used to the place eventually, just like she got used to everything else life seemed to throw at her, but tonight, she was grateful for the house.
And she was grateful that the wall was solid and the property was devoid of walkers. The well house proved to still function and even though the water smelled a little sulfurous, they had at least been able to wash off a few layers of filth and Daryl deemed it safe to drink.
"I'm thinkin' about tellin' Rick to kiss my ass and call this house for myself. You know he's gonna claim it." Daryl muttered as he worked at getting a fire started. It wasn't freezing or anything but it was still cool enough and he must have wanted to take advantage of every amenity that the little house had to offer, starting with the fireplace. Being on the road so long, she didn't blame him.
She grinned and sat another candle on the side table. They had found a bushel of them in the old supply shed. They were ancient but they still worked. "You should. You found this place and it probably saved all our asses."
"We," he said absently. "We found this place, and you're right. As of right now, I'm a dignified home owner. Rick be damned."
She laughed, the sound echoing through the room and causing him to look up with an easy grin that she would never get used to. "I can see it now. Deer heads mounted above the mantel, your dirty socks lying around. Your bed never made. If you want I could come and clean for you. You don't strike me as the type that would take too kindly to housework."
He gave her a dry look. "Shows how much you know. Deer heads have been out of style for nearly a year now. You really wanna make a decorative statement, you mount walker heads up there. Let everyone know you're a good shot."
His face was so serious as he said this, which only made her laugh even harder. She shook her head and lit another candle just as he dusted off his hands and stood up.
"Has it really been nearly a year?" She asked, not looking at him.
"Yep."
"I wonder what day it is."
"April twenty third," he said without hesitation.
She turned then, eying him to see if he was still teasing and then remembered that there was no way he could have known the significance of the exact date he had given her. "Are you sure?"
He nodded, his eyes going back to the fire that was beginning to roar in the fireplace. "Yeah, I'm sure. Been keepin' track of shit like that."
Her hands went to her hips and she glanced around the dusty old room. "Well this is just perfect," she laughed.
That got his attention. "We've already established that."
She shook her head. "No, not that we found this place, but that we found it today of all days."
He narrowed his eyes. "What's today?"
She grinned. "My Birthday. Not that it's ever really been a big deal but I didn't even realize that it was that time of year again."
His hands went to his hips and he looked around the room. "Well shit," he muttered quietly.
"What?" she asked, tilting her head to the side to study him.
He shrugged. "The only thing I got to hand over is my house."
She laughed, incredibly pleased at this new light attitude of his. "You want to give me a house for my Birthday?"
He shook his head. "Hell nah, I worked for this. You can have half though and you agree to pick up my dirty socks. Fair trade."
She schooled her features but it didn't last long. She was grinning at him and the corner of his mouth turned up.
"You tired?" He asked suddenly.
She glanced around the room and then shrugged. "Not as tired as you'd think actually. The excitement has me a little wired. I never expected to find something like this out here. You?"
He shook his head. "Not really." He held her gaze for a few long moments but she wasn't able to read the look this time. It was a heavy and intense look. She saw something she hadn't seen before but she didn't have time to try to figure it out because suddenly he looked away and stormed right past her and out of the room.
She frowned but stayed still, her eyes going to the fire. Maybe he was going to bed after all. There was one bedroom in the place but she didn't mind taking the sofa. It was antiquated and dusty but it would beat the hell out of the frozen ground so she didn't mind at all. Before she could go test it out he was back, wrestling the mattress from the bed in the other room through the doorway.
She gaped at him as he fought with it and then pushed it over on the floor a few feet from the fireplace. When he turned that strangely intense look was still in his eyes and he closed the distance between them in just a few long strides.
She felt her eyes go wide when he didn't stop in front of her. He kept moving, his hands going to her waist, his thumbs pressing into her hipbones, until her back hit the wall. She was trapped between the wall and his solid form. He didn't make another move. He searched her eyes and she realized that he wasn't going to make another move until he knew that this was what she wanted.
Her hand snaked around and pulled his face to hers, their mouths colliding in a kiss that was instantly filled with heat. He moved quickly so she didn't even know what he was doing until her feet were off the floor, her legs wrapping securly around his waist, her back still pinned.
That was one of the great things about Daryl Dixon. Once he was in, he was all in. He didn't hesitate. He didn't show one second of insecurity as his tongue invaded her mouth, seeking. She returned it just as forcefully, needing him to know that she needed this and she needed it badly. Whatever beast he had woken up months ago on that cold ground had been pacing back and forth inside her mind, demanding to be set free but she had kept it tamed.
It wasn't in the mood to be tame anymore. Her hands moved down and she tried like hell to unbutton his shirt, but her fingers were trembling too badly and she was just too damn impatient. She'd mend it later. She pulled hard, the small sound of the buttons hitting the floor barely registering in her mind.
He pulled away then, his eyes dark and feral. She shoved the shirt from his shoulders, marveling at the wide expanse of muscle there. If she hadn't already been more turned on than she'd been in her life then this would have done her in. She pulled his face back to hers just as he stepped away from the wall, sure footed as he turned and headed towards the mattress that he had obviously brought in here for this very reason.
She tightened her legs around him when he dropped to his knees, barely catching himself with one arm once her back was on the mattress. A low growl rumbled in his chest as her hand slid down his stomach, pulling desperately at his belt. This was much better than just the second kiss that she'd been hoping for.
It took both hands for her to get his pants undone and he raised his hips away from hers when her seeking hand started working it's way into his pants. Once her hand wrapped around him he tore his mouth away from hers and panted into her neck, cursing in a low voice that she barely recognized. She explored his size with wide eyes. Running her hand up and down the thick length of his erection she smiled to herself but then he was jerking his hips away, his hand gripping her wrist and pinning her it above her head.
He raised his head and then shook it as he looked down at her. That wild look in his eyes was even more prominent now. "No good," he said, his voice a half growl.
"You didn't even let me get started," she argued, almost angrily. If he wanted good then she'd give him better than good for Christ's sake, if he'd give her a damn minute.
He laughed breathlessly. "I didn't mean it didn't feel good. I meant this ain't gonna be any good as it is. You know how long it's been since I've gotten off?"
Her mouth dropped open at that. "Probably not as long as it's been for me, trust me. Get off of me," she shoved at his chest until he came up on his knees, a look of confusion on his face. She scrambled up until she was on her knees in front of him and then her mouth went to his throat, her teeth sinking into the firm skin there and eliciting another of those predatory growls from somewhere deep in his chest.
She couldn't keep her hands off of him and he didn't seem to mind when they wondered over the expanse of his chest while she nipped his earlobe playfully. He was worried about not being able to last long enough to get the job done right so she'd do him a favor and get the first round out of the way.
He didn't try to stop her when her lips traveled down the center of his chest, her hands working once again to free him from the confines of his pants. She was thankful for the well house they'd found. They hadn't had any soap but the smell of his clean skin, all masculine, all Daryl, had her head swimming and her imagination going to places it hadn't ventured since she'd been a much younger woman. A woman that hadn't yet had to deal with the heartache of marriage and loss.
She scooted back and then dropped her head quickly, catching him off guard. He hissed when she took him into her mouth, not bothering with teasing the man. She forced her throat to relax and she moved her head down lower, impressed with herself because she very well should have been choking at the moment. But she wasn't, and the string of broken curses that tore out of his throat had her wanting to give him more, but it was impossible.
Her ass was in the air now, her mouth moving over him as her other hand came up, giving him a firm squeeze. She felt his rough hands dragging her shirt down in the back, exposing her skin and then she felt his hand slide over her ass until his fingers were pressing against her center. She moaned, the vibrations in her throat causing him to jerk slightly, curse once more and then he pressed his fingers against her harder.
She cursed herself for not thinking about taking off her goddamn pants before starting this but she didn't have much time to dwell on it because suddenly his hand moved, gripping her shoulder.
"Fuck," growled, "You gotta stop."
Well wasn't he sweet? She certainly had no plans of stopping but she appreciated the warning.
"Goddamn it, Carol," he panted, his hand going to the back of her head and his body shuddering hard. Her eyes snapped up then, meeting his gaze. His teeth sank into his bottom lip and then she felt another shudder before he came.
The look in his eyes nearly had her moaning out loud. Seeing a man like him reduced to a trembling cursing mess because of her did wonders for her ego. The raw pleasure in that gaze had her half crazed herself. She needed him to touch her because if she didn't find her own release soon she would explode.
She tucked him back into his pants before she started to raise back up on her knees but he wasn't planning on giving her a chance. He pounced then, his mouth going to her throat as her back hit the mattress. Her startled laugh ended in a surprised cry when his teeth sank into her skin.
He let go and sat back up, his fingers going to her belt, undoing it quickly. "You owe me a shirt," he said, his fingers hooking into her pants, sliding them down her legs quickly.
"If we're getting technical then yes, I owe you a shirt. And you owe me one hell of an orgasm."
His eyes widened and then he was tossing her pants to the side. He grinned, dropping over her but catching himself at the last moment with one arm. His free hand was working her shirt up so she helped him out with it. "I 'spose you're right," he drawled, dropping his head and running the flat of his tongue between her breasts. He kept himself propped up with one hand but the other slid between her legs.
Her mouth dropped open when she felt his rough fingers playing over her. How long had it been since a man touched her like this? She couldn't even remember. He moved his head and then she felt the sweet sting of his teeth grazing her nipple. At the same time he pushed two fingers into her, his thumb circling her bundle of nerves skillfully.
Her breath exploded from her lungs and her fingers tangled into his hair, dragging his mouth back up to hers. He kissed her hard and she kissed him back desperately, her body tensing already. He wasn't the only one that hadn't had anything like this in a long time and the fact that it was him only made it that much better. Even if he hadn't been quite as good as this, it wouldn't have mattered because she cared about him.
She was so close that the sensations he was strumming from her body were nearly excruciating and she knew that it was only going to get better. She felt herself start to tip over that edge and she could tell that he knew she was right there because he raised his head, met her eyes and then smiled coyly. Then he moved his hand away.
She came up on her elbows, almost gasping for breath. "What the hell are you doing!" She barked, the empty feeling left inside her was vast.
He shook his head but then, to her surprise, he started kicking off his pants. She was impressed that it hadn't taken much time for him to recover but her body was wound so tightly that the only thing she could think about was relieving the pressure.
"That was an awful thing to do," she growled when he slid back up her body.
He grinned. "You'll get over it."
She narrowed her eyes and squirmed under him impatiently but then he was moving, and the feel of him filling her up had her eyes widening and she clamped her mouth shut to keep from crying out. His forehead dropped to hers and his body stilled though she could tell that he was tense.
"Fuck," he groaned, his lips meeting hers quickly before pulling away again. "Can you get pregnant?"
She shook her head quickly and that was all he needed to hear. He started moving and her legs wound around his waist. His mouth went back to the spot where his teeth had been earlier, his tongue tracing what she assumed was a bruise already. This bruise wasn't one that she would look at later and feel ashamed of, though.
"Sorry," he muttered before he nipped her ear.
She ran her hand up the side of his neck and pulled his face back to hers, kissing him hard as their bodies rocked together in a rhythm of their own making. He was trying hard to be a gentler man than he was used to being and she loved him for it, but he didn't have to be. "I'm not gonna break. Stop holding back," she whispered against his lips.
He pulled back, staring at her for a few moments. She gasped when he gripped her by the back of the knee and hauled her leg up, thrusting hard, hitting deeper, touching parts of her that no one else she'd been with had been able to reach. His mouth was back on hers, his tongue fighting hers for dominance now and she kissed him back just as fiercely.
Only seconds had passed before she felt herself soaring towards that peak again but this time she knew he was going to let her fall. She was so worked up that she was flying now, her whole body vibrating around him. It couldn't have been a full minute since they had started but that didn't matter. Each thrust brought with it a whole new sensation and finally she felt it all shatter inside of her. His name tore out of her mouth, edged with desperation.
He dropped his head and she heard him chuckle darkly next to her ear but that was all that she registered as she rode out the pleasure and the heat racing through her. Her back arched painfully but he didn't let up. He cursed but kept up that hard rhythm until it was over until she was finally able to focus once more on what was happening. He slowed then but even with the change of pace their was a calculation to his movements, a single minded ferocity that insured that that first time would not be the only time that his body would guide hers to that explosive high tonight.
She didn't know how much time had passed, or how she had ended up on top of him, when it was finally over. The fire had died to nothing but embers and the candles she had lit were nothing but flickering stubs. A fine sheen of sweat covered them both and the only sounds in the room was their mingled pants as they both worked on catching their breath. Before she could make a move to crawl off of him he rolled until she was on her back again and then he rolled off of her, landing heavily on his own back.
She felt the chill of the room then and scurried to get the blanket pulled up. Her body was already aching but she would never complain. It was a very satisfied ache. Her lips felt swollen and the bruise on her neck throbbed but even that was a pleasant sort of pain. She stretched like a cat and then rolled over so she was facing him. Despite everything that had happened she felt sleep already trying to pull her under. The last thing she remembered was him rolling over himself, his arm going around her loosely. She was pretty sure that she fell asleep with a smile on her face.