A HUGE "thank you" to my regular and new reviewers for your kind feedback! Your words never fail to bring a smile to my face and it always gives me the push I need to continue with another chapter! You are ALL amazing and I am so thankful for each and every one of you! A big "thank you" to my favoriters/followers as well!

.::.

This chapter is QUITE fluffy and fun! Big moment! Hope you enjoy!

.::.

Refugee

Chapter Nine

"I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my system blow.

Welcome to the new age."

-"Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons

.::.

"Damn, girl. Who was the last person to sit shotgun? A midget?" I somehow managed to cram myself in Molly's tiny Volkswagen Bug. This car was by no means made for a man. I pushed my seat back as far as it would go and was finally able to get comfortable. I ain't but 5'11, I don't consider myself to be extraordinarily tall, but tryin' to fit in this motherfucker was a task in itself.

Molly laughed as she buckled up her seat-belt. I soon noticed that she must have sprayed herself with perfume before she walked out of Lollipops because she smelled like a bouquet of fresh gardenias.

We peeled out of the parking lot and onto the highway and I gripped the door handle tightly, holding on for dear life as I watched her scan the radio for something good to hear. Finally, she settled on my favorite classic rock station and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" immediately began to blast through the speakers. Woman after my own heart.

"You better plan on singing with me, Dixon!" She yelled out over the loudness of the music.

"I can't sing wortha shit."

"Neither can I, but you can't not sing to this one." She turned it up just a little bit louder and put our windows down. Guess she's right. It's a written fuckin' rule here in America.

"Just a small town girl!" She belted out bravely. "Livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train goin' anywhere!" She slapped my knee and pleaded with her eyes.

Oh, what the hell. "Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit! He took the midnight train goin' anywhere!" I chimed in at the top of my lungs.

"A singer in a smokey room! A smell of wine and cheap perfume! For a smile they can share the night, it goes on and on and on and on!" We sound like a herd of dying animals.

"Don't stop believin'! Hold on to the feelin'! Streetlights, people!"

.::.

Several minutes later we were out of breath and hysterical with tears in our eyes from laughing so hard. Neither of us could carry a damn tune to save our lives but it was fun to do it anyway. I glanced over at her as she continued to giggle and took a mental picture of her enthusiastic smile. My heart felt happy.

"Man, that was fun." She said, eying the road ahead.

"Glad no one else was with us. Ear's woulda started bleein'."

"So my dream of auditioning for American Idol is unrealistic?"

I held up my fingers and measured a small amount. She laughed again.

"Whaddaya say, Old man- wanna go to the beach?" She asked me with a playful twinkle in her eye.

I decided to go along with it. "I dunno, sugar. It's getting' past my bed time. I had one too many shots a prune juice tonight. "

"I'll get you to bed." She winked and I felt my ears perk up at the sound of the words. "But not yet." She continued. "Right now it's time to have fun. It's been a long week!" She exclaimed.

"Damn sure has." I agreed. I stared out of the window for only a moment when I asked, "So, you really think I'm a old man, huh?"

She giggled and half snorted. I couldn't help but laugh to myself. "No, I'm just teasing."

"How old ya think I am?" I asked, furrowing my brow curiously.

"Mmm, early thirties. Am I right?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thirty-two on the first of August." Only a couple more weeks away.

"Leo, huh?"

"Yeah, whatever, I guess. I don't pay much attention to that stuff. 'sall bullshit if you ask me."

"I have to disagree. My horoscopes have always been pretty spot on. Though I do believe in coincidences."

I've had too many beers to continue this conversation. "How old are you?" I changed the subject.

"I'll be twenty-eight tomorrow."

"Damn, really?"

"Mhm." She smiled softly at me as she brushed a loose hair behind her ear and we sat in a comfortable silence.

Shit. That mean I'm s'posed to get 'er somethin'? Or is that weird? Should I ask if she wants somethin'? Why am I over analyzin' somethin' so damn stupid?

"All I want is to spend the whole day with you." She said to me in total seriousness. I felt my face heat-en and I swallowed with surprise. I'ont think anybody's ever said somethin' that nice to me before. I was hesitant on how exactly to react but eventually said. "Sounds nice."

Thought 'bout that the rest a the way there.

.::.

The forgotten aroma of salt-water filled my nostrils and I breathed in the relaxing scent eagerly. It had been years, I was ashamed to admit, since I had come here. Last time was with Merle, his girlfriend, and her whacko sister. Tried to kiss me n I cut my tongue on 'er braces, I remembered all too vividly.

It was warm as ever outside as we pulled in the empty parking lot and stepped out of the car. We didn't waste any time to head towards the water and we left our shoes behind. The cool sand immediately filled in the spaces between my toes as I struggled over a sand-dune. Molly was only a few inches behind me and we laughed at the fact that we were already out of breath. "Damn cigarettes. Swear ima quit."

A minute or two later, we found the perfect spot and sat Indian-style only a few feet from the water. I almost found it funny, how cliché it was that I immediately found peace as soon as I closed my eyes and listened to the crashing of the waves. The wind whistled and lightly blew the ends of my hair and I opened my eyes to look at Molly. She had her eyes closed too, but only for a second. Instantenously, her emerald eyes popped open and she said, "Let's do something crazy, Dixon! Something we've never done before."

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Like?"

"Let's go skinny-dipping."

My eyes quite possibly bulged out of their sockets. "Hell naw. I'm good right here."

She stood to her feet and looked down at my with her arms stretched out. "Get up. We're doing it."

"Ain't no we, sweet heart. I'm stayin' right here."

"Daryl Dixon, we don't have a care in the world right now. Get off your ass and take of your clothes."

She fumbled with the button of her jeans and I couldn't help but watch as she slid them down her hips and exposed her sun-kissed skin in peach-colored boy shorts. Damn. I was immediately turned on by the jiggle of her rear as she placed her feet firmly on the ground and had to look down at the ground before my jeans got any tighter. I shook my head, having a mental conversation with Merle, just as I always do in these situations. Get off yer ass and get naked, faggot. That's exactly what I'd hear. Fucker always knows how to motivate me and he don't even know it.

.::.

Hestitantly, I stood to my feet and began to unbutton my jeans just as she lifted her top off, brazenly exposing her naked breasts. Before I got too happy, she covered them delicately with her hands and waited for me to finish. Finally, I did and straightaway she grabbed my hand and we sprinted towards the beach. I can't believe I'm doing this shit! Was the last thought that popped into my head before I felt the rush of cool water crash into my body.

We screamed at the shock of the temperature change and immediately burst into laughter as our teeth began to chatter. "You are crazy as hell." I said as I exhaled into the water.

"I'm as freeee as a bird now!" She sang and smiled at me.

We floated for a couple minutes in a comfortable silence, and I found that I was unable to take my eyes off of her. Maybe it was the moonlight's reflection in the water and the way it made her skin glow, maybe it was the way her nose crinkled when she laughed at herself, or maybe it was the free-ness of her spirit that I so desperately found myself growing addicted to, but I felt a flutter deep inside of my heart and felt an overwhelming urge to be close to her. "Come here." I demanded, without thinking.

She tilted her head and furrowed her brow questioningly for only a moment before she did as she was told and swam closer until we were only a few inches apart.

"Your eyes match the ocean." She said with the most mesmerizing gaze.

I was no longer able to resist the over overwhelming temptation and I pressed my lips to hers and exhaled a deep breath that I didn't even know I had been holding in. I felt my entire body heat up , despite the chilly temperature of the water that my body was slowly getting used to. To my surprise, she kissed me back and brought herself even closer until I could feel the tips of her breasts against my chest. Fuckin' heaven. I tasted a hint of cherry lip balm on her plump, succulent lips and pulled her face closer into my mine and eagerly lost myself in her for minutes, hours, days. Eventually, she opened her mouth ever so slightly and invited my tongue to dance with hers. My heart began to race and my veins felt as if they were passing pure ecstasy instead of blood. I grabbed hold of her waist and she eagerly wrapped her legs around mine, moaning into my mouth. She put her soft, cool hands on either side of my face, and slowly we began to relax the pace until we were back to a simple kiss.

If it weren't for the inconvenience of breathin', I probably could'a floated there with her forever. Hesitantly, we pulled apart and I was instantly greeted by a wide, surprised smile. Her eyes twinkled briefly, just like the stars above and we floated together for a moment in a comfortable silence.

A few minutes later, I plopped my bare ass down on the soft sand and Molly immediately did the same right next to me. I glanced over at her with a sincere smile before putting my arm around her bronzed shoulder. We tilted our heads into each other and out of the corner of my eyes, I looked at the small droplets of salt-water collected on her thick legs. I thought about tasting every single one.

I pulled my phone out of the deep pocket of my jeans to check the time. 12:01. "Happy birthday, crazy."

.::.

There you have it! A first kiss and it was so much fun to write! Also, I apologize for any errors in this chapter. I usually like to go over a couple times before I upload it but sometimes my eyes scan right over it. Anywho, what did you think?!