Let me lower all your expectations for wedding night smut. I try to concentrate on the emotions surrounding the event more than the actual "coupling". Just use your imagination or take somebody else's smut and insert to your heart's content.

Getting Started

Carol reminded Michonne that she wanted to break the news that she and Daryl considered themselves married after Daryl came home. Michonne nodded, and she parked close to the barn. Carl and Eugene came running out and caught Carol up into a hug. Carol hugged him back and assured him that Daryl was alright and would be coming back later with Morgan.

Carl and Eugene walked with them back to the house. Carl chattering that Rick and Elijah were on a run with Abraham and Glenn. Carol was relieved that she didn't have to face Rick first thing this morning. It felt good to be home; Judith immediately holding out her arms to be picked up out of the playpen. Carol picked her up and hugged her close. Judith snuggling against her. Beth left the dishes that she was washing and hugged Carol close.

Eugene was alarmed that Daryl wasn't back but he surprised Carol by hugging her too. "The place isn't the same without you and Daryl". Carol told them that she and Daryl had been cut off by a herd and had found refuge in a church for the night. They unloaded the clothing and supplies from the back of the truck. Michonne teasing Carl that he was growing so fast that they would have to go on another run next week.

They separated the clothes into piles according to who they would fit. Carl took his and his dad's up to their room. Carol had picked up Daryl's stack with her own and carried them upstairs. Beth saw what she was doing but kept quiet. Eugene carried the clothes that went to the men in basement downstairs. Then he and Carl went back outside to work on a load of firewood that needed split.

Beth followed Michonne to her room to get the scoop and she told her that Daryl and Carol had exchanged vows in the church. They were married; Beth hugged Michonne and they both cried a little. "You and Morgan are next", Beth had noticed that Michonne made it a point to be wherever Morgan was.

Michonne frowned at Beth; teenage girls thought everybody should be in love. "Mind your own damn business, Beth". The words were pure Michonne but her guilty grin took the sting out of what she said.

Carol hung their clothes in the closet. Daryl's clothes on the right and hers on the left. She went downstairs and carried his backpack up to their room and put his clothes away. Carol adjusted the two chairs by the window and sat down and looked at their room for a few minutes. Their clothes, their chairs, and most glaring of all…. their bed. Carol mentally mulched Ed's head again and wished she had taken a whack or two at his male parts while she was at it. Sex with Ed had been had reminded her of a Thomas Hobbes quotation, "Nasty, brutish, and short". Ed was well into her past but Carol was afraid that the hard lessons that she had learned with him would seep into tonight with Daryl. She knew how to have sex with Ed. You sent your mind to a better place and your body endured. You never showed your disgust and pain and you just got through it. She was not afraid of Daryl; she was afraid of herself. Afraid that she didn't know how to be anything else but the woman who just let it happen and hoped it would be over soon. Carol shook those thoughts off; she had work to do downstairs.

Eugene came back in with splinters in his hand for Carol to dig out. Judith needed a nap but she seemed determined to hang on to Carol and wakefulness. "I'll hold the infant primate if you will take the splinters out". Judith had protested the change but she seemed fascinated by the expressions he made as Carol probed for the splinters.

Beth came back downstairs with Michonne. She took one look at Carol, burst into happy tears, hugged her, and told her how happy she was that she and Daryl were married. Carol looked at Michonne who had the good manners to look guilty.

"You and Daryl got married? He's a fine man. Rough and uneducated, but he is kind underneath all that. I'll never be much of a warrior, but Daryl told me that this world needs men like me too. I want to contribute to the group in my own way". Eugene beamed at Carol and she smiled back. Carol could have kissed Eugene for reminding her that Daryl was a kind man.

Daryl and Morgan got back later than Carol thought that they would but they had found a good supply of food. Daryl accepted all the teasing from the others with good humor. Eventually the occupants of the other house made a trip over to wish the newlyweds well. It became an impromptu celebration and even Rick seemed happy that his two friends were finally together.

Daryl's arm around Carol said very plainly that she was under his protection. He had "claimed" her as his wife. Carol's happy smile said very plainly that she loved Daryl. She had his backand she "claimed" him as her husband. It wasn't about ownership; it was about partnership.

The party broke up as the twilight came on. The power was turned off and the oil lamps came on. Judith seemed especially adorable tonight. She was starting to walk and they were all busy keeping her out of things. Beth said that she would put her to bed that night and Carol and Daryl went upstairs.

Daryl took a shower and Carol cut his hair in their bathroom. She hated the long hair that he had been sporting lately. She swept up his hair while he jumped back into the shower to get rid of the itchy hair. He came back into their bedroom wrapped in a towel. "My clothes are downstairs. Do you think they would notice if I sneaked downstairs and brought them up?"

Carol smiled, "I would have noticed, but I brought your clothes up today. This dresser is yours and the rest of your clothes are in the closet". She gathered up her things and went into the bathroom.

Daryl prowled around the room. His clothes were in a dresser of their own and in the closet beside of Carol's. They had so little possessions but they were hanging side by side like they belonged together. He had brought his run bag upstairs and he looked through the things that he and Morgan had found today. The things that said, "I love you" to Carol.

He found a pair of sleeping pants and a t shirt. He had slept so long with all his clothes on that it felt odd to be so comfortable. He was at home in this house and particularly this room. This was where they would talk, fight, sleep, and have sex. He had no illusions that they wouldn't fight. Last night in the church they had exchanged a few bitter angry words. Carol was not the submissive wife of the past. He wasn't her boss; he was her partner.

Carol was in the bathroom having a few insecure moments. She loved Daryl but she was not young and sexy. She felt old and drab. She and Daryl had never been intimate; what if they were a bust? Daryl might have expectations that she couldn't meet. Finally, she came out of the bathroom to find that Daryl had lit the lamp and placed it on a dresser.

Daryl was sitting on a chair and he stood up as she came into the room. Maggie had come over today with a pair of blue silk pajamas that she had found in the other house. Maggie had laughed and said, "Something borrowed and something blue, but you should keep them. You'll look great in these."

Daryl took a deep breath, "You look beautiful." His eyes followed every inch of her body appreciatively and Carol began to gain a little self-confidence. Daryl wanted her or he wouldn't have married her. She took in his outfit, "I think I like the towel better".

Daryl flushed a little, "I think I like you naked better, but I have something to give you that I want you always to wear". He motioned her to sit at the chair while he moved to his run bag and pulled out a bag. Carol sat in the chair as he got down on his knees before her and pulled out three rings. They were gold with inset diamonds. He put the first one on her third finger of her left hand. "This one is for loving me when I wasn't very damn lovable". He put the second one beside the first one. "This one is for marrying me today". Daryl took the last one, "This is for loving me through eternity", and he put it on last. He kissed the rings and got to his feet rather gingerly. "I am getting old, good thing I nailed you before I get too feeble to do anything about it".

He sat down in the other chair, "I got one for me too. I am way too hot to be running around without a wedding ring on. Gotta knock those hot chicks back". He handed Carol his wedding ring which was a simple gold band and she put it on his hand. She kissed his ring finger and he pulled her into his lap.

"How did you know the size?" The rings fit perfectly. They were simple but elegant.

Daryl said," When you went to sleep last night I took a piece of paper and put it around your knuckle on that hand. I marked the distance and Morgan and I went shopping this morning. You are way too hot to be running around without a wedding ring on. Gotta knock those hot studs back".

Carol laughed at him. He was being silly but she was feeling more self-confident and she kissed him then. "Don't distract me, Carol. I have another present to give you." He kissed her back and then gently shoved her off his lap. He crossed over to his run bag and brought out some books, "These are for you".

Carol sat back down in the chair and Daryl handed the books to her. Six hardbound copies of each of Jane Austen's novels. He had remembered that she loved Jane Austen. "They're wonderful, I can read them this winter. I love them." She stood up and kissed him. "I love you more".

Daryl still had a silver antique mirror in his bag but he decided to leave it there and give it to Carol in the morning. "Carol, will you still love me if our sex life is just ordinary? I am not a real experienced guy. I need you to let me know what works for you and what you don't want. I ain't ashamed to say that I don't know too much about pleasing a woman. I just want to know how to please you. Now that I have lowered your expectations, can we please go to bed?"

Carol saw that he was serious. "Are you expecting me to tell you what I want?"

Daryl grinned suddenly, "Don't mind a little feedback is all I am saying. Let's just take our time and enjoy being together. Stay with me here".

"Lowered expectations sounds good to me. Don't …don't let me go away." Carol gave a relieved laugh. "Let's go to bed".

Daryl glanced at the bed, "Which is your side? Will you take the side closest to the bathroom?"

Carol looked at the bed. He had chosen the side closest to the door. Daryl always put himself between her and any danger coming their way. "That's fine. Do you want the lamp off?"

"Let's leave it on. I want to see all that I have been missing. You wear all those damn low cut tops and I still couldn't see your nipples." Daryl smirked at her.

"I did appreciate your interest though." Carol smirked back and Daryl picked her up and placed her on her side of the bed and went around and slid in his side. They met in the middle and he kissed her slowly and gently on the lips and then her neck and shoulders. Daryl undid the buttons on her pajamas tops and bared her breasts. "Oh, yeah".

Daryl knew more than he wanted to about having quick hurried sex. That was what he specialized in before. He wanted more with Carol and he knew instinctively what her sex life with Ed would have been like. He was just going to show her that he wanted her and try to please her.

Daryl kept watching Carol's face. She had laughed when he said, "Oh, yeah". Her eyelids sorta fluttered when something pleased her. He had taken his time kissing and suckling her breasts. That really worked for both of them. He whispered in her ear that he wanted her that too and then moaned with pleasure when she did. He kept talking to her and she began to talk back.

He pulled her pajamas off and then waited until she took his off. He enjoyed looking at all of her and her eyes fluttered a bit and Daryl hoped that was a good thing. She was smiling at him and he kissed her again. He put his hand between her legs and felt the warm wetness and lazily explored her with one finger. He settled his mouth against her breasts and tugged a little harder against the nipples. Moving from one to another when it felt right.

Carol brought her hand to his and showed him that place within her that brought pleasure and release. He began to stroke that little nub and she moaned her pleasure and then later her approaching orgasm. Her body tensed up and then released itself.

Together they lined him up to enter her and she put his hand back to the little nub. He struggled at first. This part had always been fast and furious and he wanted it to last longer than that. Carol began to move with him but at a slower pace and gradually they began to move together. She was the one to initiate a faster pace and he rubbed more desperately at the nub because he couldn't hold out much longer. She put her hand over her mouth to hold back the sounds she was making and he knew she was there and he let go completely and emptied himself in her.

They both stared at the ceiling while their breathing returned to normal. Carol said, "Lowered expectations, my ass. You are a sex machine". She was only half teasing; it had been way better than she had expected.

Daryl laughed, "I must have lowered your expectations to the basement if you think that." He rolled over and kissed her shoulder and her neck still amazed that he had managed to please her. "Now don't expect that next time. It might have been a fluke".

"Stop with the lowering of expectations; I know better now". Carol kissed him. This easy familiarity with affection was new to both of them. Daryl told her about his run with Morgan and she could tell that he and Morgan were becoming close friends. She told him that Eugene was a hidden gem. He was good with children and according to Carl good at fixing machines. "He told all those lies because he wanted to live, and that may have been wrong but wanting to live is a good thing. I like him." Carol understood not knowing how to defend yourself; she had been lucky enough to find a group that nurtured her until she could.

Daryl was tired and he wanted to turn over and go to sleep, but Carol was lying there naked. He couldn't seem to stop looking at her. Carol stretched herself enjoying the way Daryl's eyes followed her every move. She stretched again and said, "Wanna screw around".

Daryl kissed her stomach. "Hell, yeah."

AN

I hope your expectations were in the basement.

You read so please review.