AN: Probably the last one for the night.
I hope you enjoy!
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Daryl sat, smoking a cigarette, across from Merle. Carol and Andrea were out doing woman things and Merle had asked him to come over, telling him they'd order a pizza and pass the time somehow.
Daryl thought Merle seemed a little strange, though, even for Merle. They were sitting at the table, the pizza half eaten between them, but Merle hadn't suggested any form of entertainment for the evening. He kept fiddling with a half used pack of matches that he got from somewhere, flicking it back and forth on the table.
Daryl could say that he knew Merle pretty well by this point in his life, and he could tell that something was up, but he wasn't sure what. He wondered, briefly, if Merle knew about the kid and was gearing up to give him shit about it. Daryl decided he might as well bite the bullet, tell his brother if Andrea hadn't already run her mouth about it, and let him get his shit out of his system.
"Carol's knocked up," Daryl said. There was no reason to beat around the bush about it and no reason to sugar coat shit, not for Merle.
Merle nodded, sucking his teeth. He didn't stop his activity with the matchbook.
"Yeah…" he drawled. "Andrea said she was."
Daryl waited for it. He knew it was coming. He could only wonder what the hell Merle was going to have to say about this.
"And?" He asked finally, wondering what had his brother so silent.
Merle chuckled a little and leaned back in the chair, one elbow on the back, his fingers on the other hand flipping the matchbook between them.
"What'cha want me ta say, lil' brothah?" Merle asked.
Daryl shrugged.
"Don't know," he said, "but I figure ya had somethin' ta say. Ain't never seen ya fuckin' tongue tied before," Daryl said.
Merle chuckled.
"Ain't too much ta say about it, I reckon," Merle said. "Ya better not fuck up with the kid, I'ma tell ya that damn much. I ain't gon' tolerate two things outta ya, Derlina. I ain't gon' tolerate ya beatin' on that woman, and I ain't gon' tolerate ya beatin' on no young'un. Ya made it, ya fuckin' take care a' it."
Daryl raised his eyebrow at Merle. The Dixon belief system, as narrated by Merle Dixon, was always a complicated belief system. It was comprised, for the most part, by bullshit. The rest was made up of what Merle had twisted life into given his experiences. Though Daryl didn't always understand completely why his brother felt the way he did about things, he could often muddle through how he arrived at one belief or another.
Neither one of them believed in beating women. Their mother had cemented that into their heads. Daryl thought he believed in it even less than Merle did, though. He hated having to put his hands on a woman roughly for any reason. Merle's belief system allowed for a little more flexibility if it was a hellcat that was out of control. Once she went rabid you did what you had to do, but mostly the rule for Merle was you never started it and you never did anything that wasn't necessary to get the hell cat under control.
Daryl couldn't ever see Carol being a hell cat. She had a little spunk to her, and there was a spark every now and again, but he couldn't really see her being the kind of hell cat that would come after him and force him to do something to get her under control. He wasn't so sure, though, that Merle might not have his hands full with Andrea if the mood ever really hit her.
Daryl had never really entered into Merle's beliefs on paternity though. Their father had been a rip roaring waste of human life and he'd done a good job of fucking up most everything he could in their childhoods. To say the least, he wasn't much of a role model. Perhaps, as a result, Daryl had never really thought about fatherhood much before, and he never figured Merle had either. Merle was too busy trying to get away from the hell cats he tamed for a night or two to ever think about making any kids with them. So it was surprising to hear that he was adamant about Daryl taking care of his kid.
"Ya know I ain't never gonna lay my hands on her," Daryl said. "An' I was plannin' on takin' care a' the kid."
Merle grunted. He chuckled a little.
"What?" Daryl asked.
"Nothin'," Merle said. "Just always kinda figured it would be you."
"Be me that did what?" Daryl said.
"Ya know, princess…the whole Brady Bunch shit. Whole nine yards, too. Fuckin' kid an' everythin'," Merle said.
"Ya ain't never said shit about it," Daryl said.
Merle shrugged.
"Ain't got ta say every damn thing I think. Ya always was a sweet 'un. Weren't never like ya ole brothah," Merle said.
Daryl eyed Merle across the table as he continued to flick the matches back and forth between his fingers with the rhythm that he'd established. He kept the steady rhythm, staring at his fingers as he went. His tone of voice was different, though, and not one that Daryl was really accustomed to hearing. It was almost the tone of voice he got when he started drinking and seemed to start feeling sorry for himself, but Daryl knew that Merle had been dry since the night they'd drug his ass home from the Watering Hole and he'd let him have it the next morning.
"Ya say that shit like ya sorry," Daryl said, venturing to see what Merle might offer him as a means of explanation for the change in tone.
Merle sucked his teeth.
"Ain't sorry. Just a fact a' life," Merle responded. "Ya more the domesticatin' type a' animal than me."
"Maybe wouldn't be like that if ya showed some interest in it," Daryl said. "Fuck ya been livin' with Andrea long enough now ya might as well admit ya damn near domesticated. Only fuckin' difference is I got the balls ta admit I like it an' ya ain't got a set big enough ta do the same."
Merle chuckled a little, letting the laugh growl in his throat.
"Ya don't settle down with no hell cat like Andrea," Merle said. "An' she sure as shit ain't fit ta saddle me. An' I heard about ya lil' games ya play with Carol…talkin' 'bout ya feelin's an' shit all tha damn time. Ain't my cup a' tea."
Daryl shook his head.
"So damn proud," Daryl said. "Lemme ask ya somethin', Merle, what the hell ya got ta show for all ya damn pride? Ya got some number a' sleezy ass girl's ya fucked that don't even remember ya name? Ya'd do good ta admit one damn day that ya'd rather have just one who remembered what the fuck ya look like the day after ya boned her."
"Why, Derlina? Sos I can be all sentimental an' shit like you is?" Merle asked.
Daryl chewed at his thumb nail. The last thing he was going to do was let Merle get under his skin. He was pretty sure Hershel was right, and if he'd ever loved anyone before he loved Carol. He might not be positive that love was the right word for it, but he knew he liked being with her a whole hell of a lot more than he'd ever liked it when he wasn't with her.
He was getting used to the house now, and it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. She didn't fuss about his shoes, not even as much as Andrea had. He didn't have anything against Lincoln neither. Dog smelled a little funny, and he didn't like that Carol made him shampoo the damn thing all the time, but he couldn't say he had much against the dog. He was just busy being a hound dog, and you couldn't much blame him for that.
And now Carol was pregnant. Daryl might not know exactly how he felt about the kid right now, but Hershel told him he was going to love the little fucker, so he figured that's just what he was going to do. He didn't know much what was expected of him, but he knew one thing, and that was that he wasn't going to be like his old man. He was going to figure out, somehow, how to have a kid that didn't hate him…and how to have a kid that didn't end up with the same damn issues his brother had, or any that he had for that matter. He figured if he could save the kid from that shit then at least he'd have done a half ass job of being a dad.
"Don't knock it 'til ya try it," Daryl said.
Daryl couldn't really figure out what was different about what he had with Carol and what Merle had with Andrea, other than the fact that maybe they didn't love each other. They lived together, though, and they put up with each other's shit…and as far as Daryl could see that weren't no light load on either side. Daryl thought that Andrea was softer, though, that Merle gave her credit for being. She had a streak of hell cat in her a mile wide, that was for sure, but if Merle didn't fight so hard to bring it out in her, Daryl wondered if it might be different.
"If ya was ta be nice ta Andrea," Daryl said, "ya might just find out ya like it. Ain't gon' lie…an' ya can call me a fuckin' pussy if ya want…but they ain't nothin' disagreeable 'bout havin' someone soft an' nice curlin' up next ta ya an' keepin' ya warm."
"Talkin' 'bout that damn dog?" Merle asked, chuckling.
Daryl shrugged.
"Suit ya fuckin' self. Just sayin' havin' it's a helluva lot better than not havin' it," Daryl said.
Merle grunted again.
Daryl sat in silence then, hoping that the women made it back soon. He didn't mind them going off and doing whatever it was they wanted to do with their free day, but he was kind of anxious to see Carol. They'd slept all day after her doctor's appointment, and all night too, both of them waking up about four when she apparently decided it was time to get up and start what was shaping up to be their new morning routine. When she'd gotten control of herself, though, she'd been real sweet with him, and he was anxious to have her back home and find out if it was going to wear off or not.
When Andrea came through the door a little while later, then, Daryl jumped at the opportunity.
"Where's Carol?" Daryl asked.
Andrea stood in the door, a cup in her hand.
"Nice to see you too, sweetheart," Andrea said. She smiled. "She's gone home, Daryl."
"I'm headin' out then," Daryl said. He didn't really care at the moment if he seemed too anxious. He figured Merle was in a mood and he'd leave him with Andrea. He had things at home…his home…that interested him right now.
"Well bye, Daryl," Andrea said.
"See ya," Daryl said, shouldering past her. "Later, Merle," he called. He didn't wait to hear his brother's grunted response.
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Carol was already in the house when Daryl got home. She was sitting on the couch, with Lincoln next to her, his head on her lap, and she was reading a book.
"Damn, ya must a' run in the house," Daryl said. "I couldn't a' been ten minutes behind ya."
Carol looked up from the book. She smiled.
"I've been home a few minutes. Long enough to let Lincoln out. I just sat down…thought you might spend a little time with Merle," Carol said. She closed the book that she'd apparently just opened and rested it on the back of the couch.
"Nah," Daryl said. "He's in some kinda mood an' I ain't wantin' ta deal with it. Besides, I was wantin' ta see how ya was since this mornin'."
Daryl didn't want to come right out and admit that he wanted to know if she was going to be sweet to him or not, but that was his primary concern at the moment. Since he'd come back she'd had somewhat of a hands off policy and last night was the first time that she'd wanted to be real warm with him. He was hoping that she might want to go a step farther tonight.
"I'm fine," Carol said. She reached down and patted the dog's head that was lying in her lap. "We went shopping."
"What'd ya buy?" Daryl asked.
Carol smiled.
"Nothing, really," she said. "Nothing you'd be interested in."
Daryl figured he'd be interested in anything she was interested in if it made her feel all warm and sweet and cuddly. He'd looked at her blank baby pictures. What else could she possibly have to show him?
"What'd ya get?" He pressed.
Carol smiled again and unfolded her legs, momentarily disturbing the dog who moved over and decided to simply claim one entire cushion of the couch in response.
Carol got up and disappeared into the back of the house for a moment. She came back a few minutes later with a bag.
"I got a pregnancy book," she said. "That's what I was looking at. I thought it might be a good idea to know what to expect. You know, so it's not all a big surprise. I also got these." She dug around in the bag and pulled out a pack of bibs. Daryl took them and looked at them for a minute.
"Bibs?" He asked.
"You know what they are!" Carol said, a look of genuine surprise spreading over her face. Daryl chuckled.
"I'm not stupid," Daryl said. "I know babies drool, an' I know what the hell a fuckin' bib is, but why ya got 'em? Kid's gotta cook for a while, don't it?"
Carol smiled and looked at the bibs. She took them out of his hands and ran her fingers around the edge of the top one.
"I know," she said with a sigh. "Andrea talked me into it. Just sort of a…I don't know…just sort of something to hold onto…something to look at. It's silly," she said, putting the bibs back in the bag.
Daryl reached over and tipped her face up, bringing his lips to hers. She kissed him, enthusiastically. He smiled at her when he pulled away.
"I don't reckon it's silly," he said. "If ya want somethin' ta look at then ya oughta have somethin' ta look at. Ain't hurtin' nothin' an' the kid's gonna drool on 'em when it's done cookin', ain't it?"
Carol smiled and brought her lips back to his. She wrapped her arms around him, and he reached around her, pulling her tight against him. He didn't want to pass on this opportunity if it was really there.
"What's say we go spend a lil' time together?" Daryl asked when the kiss broke. Carol looked up at him with the facial expression she usually got when she was already thinking about sex and he very nearly yipped at the progression.
"What kind of time?" She asked.
Daryl grinned. He started walking, her arms still wrapped around him, pushing her backwards little by little toward the bedroom. She giggled at him and put her head against his chest, peeking a little over her shoulder.
"Ain't gon' let'cha bust ya ass," Daryl said.
Carol let him walk her backwards, giggling almost the whole way until they got to the bedroom.
"Now that you have me here," she said, "what are we going to do?"
Daryl grinned at her again and leaned down, kissing her neck and inhaling her scent. He realized she was still holding the bag in her hand. He backed her up a little farther until she reached the bed. He was already aroused and he could hardly contain himself. He was fighting to hold himself back from what he really wanted to do, which was throw her on the bed and fight her out of her clothes.
He held back, though. He took the bag out of her hand and put it on the floor. He leaned in to kiss her when he stood up.
"Put that on the dresser," she said, when they pulled apart. "Lincoln will get it if you don't."
Daryl sighed and moved the bag.
"Got a damn kid already," he said. "Fucker chews up every damn thing he can get his mouth on."
Carol giggled. By the time that Daryl turned around, she was leaning against the bed with her shirt already off and was fumbling with the clasps on her bra. Daryl grinned at her.
"Damn, ya quick," he said. Carol unsnapped her bra and laid it on the bed with her discarded shirt. She turned to face Daryl and then looked down, unhooking the button on her jeans.
"Am I the only one here that's taking off my clothes?" She asked. "I'm going to be naked and all alone."
Daryl grinned at her again and started stripping out of his clothes, piling them on the dresser. He wasn't sure what exactly had brought about the change in her, but he was appreciating the fact that they'd gone from hands off to let's go.
Daryl stepped forward once he was out of his clothes and she was out of hers. He kissed her, one hand going immediately to her breast and squeezing it, the other going to her ass and pulling her against him, massaging his hand in the soft flesh. Carol moaned into his mouth, already panting a little.
"Ya on all systems go right now, ain't'cha?" Daryl asked, chuckling a little as he pulled away.
Carol got on the bed and he considered, if he wasn't so anxious himself, seeing if she'd ask for it. He didn't want to risk teasing her making her change her mind, though, so he decided to simply join her instead.
Daryl crawled onto the bed, already coming over top of her and kissed her again. He slipped his hand down, rubbing the spot that always got her attention and she bucked into him, whining almost into his mouth. He didn't know why, but it amused him. He pulled out of the kiss, but didn't stop his movements with his hand. She thrashed around a bit, looking at him, her mouth open a little.
Daryl chuckled.
"Ya goin' on ya own?" He asked. Carol bit her lip and closed her eyes in response, another whine escaping. Daryl decided this was entertainment enough, at least for the moment. He backed up a little, bringing his other hand down and slipping his fingers into her like she liked sometimes, increasing his speed and pressure on what he considered to be the magic button.
Carol kept her eyes closed, but she wallowed on the bed, thrashing against his hands. He smiled, bringing his mouth down to suck at her nipples. He liked the whining noise that she was making, whether she intended to be making it or not.
He chuckled a little when it intensified with the sucking on her nipples.
"Go ahead then," he said. "Get on with it. My turn next."
He sucked one of her nipples again, nipping it a little as he went, and then turned his attention more to what his hands were doing. Finally she came undone, screaming out at him like he hadn't heard her scream before. Apparently he wasn't the only one who heard it, because he heard the clattering noise of Lincoln's nails on the hardwood floor coming to investigate.
Daryl couldn't help but chuckle again.
"Alright?" He asked. Carol finally opened her eyes then, panting, and nodded. He teased her once more by making circles over the spot and her body jerked against him. He leaned in, kissing her. "Ready for my turn?" Daryl asked, pulling out of the kiss. In response, Carol wrapped her legs around him and he buried himself inside her quickly. Her arms came around him, her nails biting slightly into his shoulders. He hissed involuntarily at the welcome feeling of her around him. "Ain't gonna last long," he growled.
"Go ahead," Carol panted.
Daryl didn't try to control his speed this time. He let himself go at the rate that he thought felt best and hoped that she would get something out of it. He didn't expect her to be as primed as she was, though, because she shocked him when she cried out against him, biting him, before he reached his own release. When his body calmed down after finding his own climax, Daryl immediately moved from on top of her. He leaned and licked her neck, tasting the sweat there, and bit her gently before he kissed her, both of them still panting a little.
"God it's good ta have ya back," he said when they pulled apart. Carol smiled at him.
"I'm glad you're back, too," she said. He leaned over, kissing her and tangling his tongue with hers once more. When they broke apart, she lie there, looking at him for a moment. "I love you," she said.
It caught Daryl off guard for the moment. It was the first time that she'd actually said it that way. She was so direct about it, so matter of fact. Before they'd only come as far as admitting that they thought they might love each other, their confessions being somewhat timid, but this was a direct statement, a bold statement. For a second it hit Daryl and he felt his heart pound in response. He swallowed and shook his head.
"I love ya too," he said.
Daryl snuggled Carol against him and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. He'd never said it so directly before himself, but he had to admit that it felt nice to say it. And it felt even better to have her in his arms, just like this, when he finally did say it. It felt like something that was a long time coming, but more than worth the wait.