AN: So here we go, the first of the honeymoon chapters. I thought I'd get this one out before bed. There are probably going to be at least 3 related to the honeymoon time. So sit back and get ready for the fluffy feels…
I hope you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think!
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It was about a four and a half hour drive, Hershel had informed Daryl when he'd given him maps and driving instructions, having already packed some extra clothes in the truck for Daryl and Carol. Miss Jo had packed them a picnic basket for a stop on the way up and for dinner when they got there, and Daryl was pretty sure there was enough food in the giant basket to feed them the rest of the time they were there.
He'd also accepted from them instructions on what to check, instructions on how several things in the cabin worked, numbers to people in the area that he could call if they needed anything, and keys to everything.
After he'd left them, thanking them for everything, he'd swung by the house and picked Carol up after a few moments of loading all that she'd packed into Hershel's truck and listening to her fill Andrea's ears with instructions about Lincoln that the blonde was likely to have forgotten before they even made it into her head.
"Just don't let him piss on the floor," Daryl said to Andrea when Carol had headed for the truck. "An' if he do, clean it up."
Andrea smiled at him.
"Be careful…don't drive like an idiot," Andrea said.
"Not hardly," Daryl said, turning around and heading to the truck.
Once they'd gotten on the road, Daryl had reached over and took Carol's hand in his. She was grinning so much that he thought her face had to hurt.
They drove along in silence. There wasn't that much to talk about, and the silence was kind of nice. Daryl didn't mind the silence when he knew it wasn't because Carol was mad at him about something.
The drive would have been shorter, too, but Carol seemed to have to pee constantly so Daryl had stopped a lot more than he normally would have. Each time she went into a store to use the bathroom, he'd walk a few paces around the truck, taking in the cold of the air around him, or he'd smoke a cigarette…since he didn't dare to smoke in Hershel's truck…and watch the people that milled in and out of the store. Most of the people they saw were touristy types or obviously on long drives, and Daryl liked checking their license plates to see where they were from.
They'd planned to stop at a picnic spot and eat on the road with a view, but they both agreed it was too cold to get out of the truck and decided to wait and just eat when they got where they were going.
Daryl didn't protest at all when Carol, obviously having exhausted herself with her excitement, nodded off to sleep, leaning against the window and snoring slightly, though she would have protested until she died that she didn't snore.
He was glad she was asleep, actually, once they hit the really curvy roads. Hershel had been right and it had snowed in the area. Snow was something that Daryl wasn't overly familiar with and he certainly wasn't comfortable with. Sometimes it snowed in Georgia, but it wasn't all that common and when it happened he couldn't remember ever actually having driven in it.
Now he had to drive around really winding roads in the snow…at the twilight hours when it was hard to see…and it had him so tense he could barely breathe. His mind was feeding him terrible images of running the truck off the road and killing them all…and Daryl didn't care for any of the scenarios that his mind was offering him.
So he was glad that Carol was asleep and not witnessing his nerves as he crept along the road…lengthening the trip a good deal…at about thirty miles an hour at the fastest, tapping his brakes frequently to convince the cars building up behind him that they should either pass if they felt confident enough to do it or resign themselves to travelling along at the pace that he had set because he wasn't going any faster.
Finally, though, he'd found the cabin, off the road, just like Hershel said he would. He'd come to a complete stop at the start of the winding driveway that led to the little cabin and looked at the numbers on the old post out there for a good three or four minutes before he'd pulled in and driven up to the place. He didn't want to be at the wrong place and risk maybe encountering and startling some hot headed mountain person.
When Daryl pulled the truck to a stop in front of the little log cabin, he couldn't see too much because of the failing light. He shook Carol awake and she stirred.
"What's wrong?" She mumbled.
Daryl chuckled.
"We're here…get'cha ass out so we can go in an' get the place warmed up," Daryl said back to her.
He opened his door and got out, immediately opening the back door to the truck and getting a few of the things out that he could carry. Carol opened her door a moment later and got out. She opened the back door on her side.
"Don't get nothin'," Daryl protested. The ground was covered in snow and he didn't want her trying to carry anything and maybe slipping and falling.
"Why not?" She asked, her voice not entirely void of sleep.
"'Cause I don't want'cha ta slip an' get hurt," Daryl said. "I seen ya 'round the house an' ya 'bout fall over on the flat floor. This shit's ice an' ya could get hurt."
Carol sighed but didn't protest. She started toward the cabin and Daryl followed behind her, watching her every step and thinking that he'd feel much better once he had her inside.
When they got to the door, Daryl unlocked it and let Carol into the dark space. She immediately found light switches and Daryl left her checking out the place while he rushed back and forth, nearly slipping himself once, bringing in everything from the truck.
Once they were settled inside, Carol was walking around and making high pitched noises at everything.
The cabin was really a nice little place. It was a living area with a little kitchen attached and there was one bathroom. Off from the main room…the living area…there was a little bedroom visible and there was a loft area where Daryl imagined there was more space to sleep, but he didn't think he was going up there except to give it a quick once over to tell Hershel he'd checked everything…and he certainly wasn't letting Carol go up the ladder.
"Look at it! Oh, Daryl! It's so perfect!" Carol cooed while Daryl was walking around and checking everything that Hershel had told him to check and turning on the hot water heater as per instruction.
Everything looked to be fine, though, and he quickly turned his attention to starting a fire in the fireplace, chuckling a little from time to time at Carol who had walked every inch of the main floor of the place at least four times.
"Isn't it perfect?" She pressed.
Daryl got the fire started and worked on getting it blazing enough to somewhat warm the frozen place so that they wouldn't be forced to be shivering and bundled up the entire time.
"Yeah," he responded. "It's damn near perfect."
Carol walked over, standing beside him while he worked. He sat back on his heels, watching his little fire grow for a moment and wrapped his arm around her leg just enough to pull her a little closer to him. He kissed her leg through her pants and she reached down, scratching the top of his head.
"Do you think Lincoln's OK?" Carol asked. "It's the first night he's been without us."
Daryl chuckled.
"I think the fucker's just fine. He's prob'ly on the damn couch eatin' popcorn an' ice cream an' shit with Andrea an' don't even know we gone," Daryl said.
"I told her that she had to put his steps next to her bed so he could sleep with her," Carol said.
Daryl grunted a little.
"I'm sure she did, an' I bet he's gonna love it. From the tales they tell, Lincoln's the only dude in Sweet Junction that ain't been in Andrea's bed yet," Daryl said with a snort.
Carol responded by smacking him hard in the back of the head.
"Ow!" He protested, still chuckling and rubbing the back of his head.
"Don't be mean!" Carol said. "You know that's just people talking and it really hurts Andrea's feelings when you say things like that."
Daryl looked up at her. She sounded like her feelings were hurt.
"Easy," he said. "Was a joke…an' she ain't even heard me, I promise."
"I don't like it when you say that…" Carol said.
Daryl chuckled again, more at the fact that she seemed as genuinely upset right this moment as though he'd said it about her instead of Andrea.
"I'm sorry," Daryl said. "I promise…I ain't meant it. Was just a joke an' I wouldn't say nothin' like that ta Andrea. I know she don't like it."
Carol nodded at him and turned, walking back toward where he'd piled all their stuff near the door. Daryl turned around, staying where he was, and sat cross legged on the floor watching her. By the time that she wrestled the picnic basket loose and drug it over to where he was, her mood had lightened again.
Daryl got up and went into the kitchen, checking through all the cabinets until he found glasses and filled them with water so they'd have something to drink. He brought it over and joined Carol who was already sitting on the floor on the fluffy rug there, her back against the couch. She was digging through the basket.
"Sandwiches?" She asked, opening a piece of wax paper and passing him the two sandwiches stacked one on top of the other. He accepted them. "I knew they were yours," Carol said.
"'Cause there's two?" Daryl asked.
Carol shook her head and smiled.
"Because Miss Jo wrote your name on the wax paper and drew a heart," Carol said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you and Jo Greene had something going on," she teased.
Daryl felt himself blush.
"Ain't nothin' like that," Daryl said.
"I know," Carol said, going back into the basket. "I'm just teasing you."
"She ain't a bad lookin' woman, though," Daryl said over a bite of his sandwich. Carol looked at him and smiled.
"You DO have a crush on her!" Carol exclaimed. "Daryl! She's my mother's age!"
Daryl chuckled, almost choking on his sandwich and had to wash it down quickly with some water.
"I didn't say that!" He protested. "I seen pictures of her, though, when she was younger…I'm just sayin' she ain't never been nothin' ta turn ya nose up at."
Carol pulled a sandwich out of the basket and turned toward him, cocking her eyebrow at him in the firelight.
"I don't know how I feel about this," Carol said, assuming a somewhat fake pout.
Daryl chuckled again.
"Ya know…ya oughta feel damn good about it," Daryl said.
"And why's that?" Carol asked, making no move to open her own sandwich though he was halfway done with his first.
"'Cause she looks like ya," Daryl said. "Or ya look like her…or however the fuck that works."
Carol narrowed her eyes at him.
"What?" Daryl asked. "I'm serious. Ask ta see the picture a' when they got married. Sits up on the mantle in the dinin' room. She looks like ya…coulda been ya damn aunt or somethin'. So I'm just sayin' that she ain't bad ta look at…means ya ain't gon' be bad ta look at when we old neither."
Carol stared at him and then smiled.
"Do you look like Hershel?" She asked.
Daryl shook his head.
"Nah…don't know who the fuck I look like," Daryl said. "Ya just gonna have ta fuckin' wait an' see what'cha get."
Carol smiled.
"I'm going to think you're handsome," Carol said. "I'll always think you're handsome."
"Might look like fuckin' Merle…an' who the hell knows where that train's goin' on down the line," Daryl said.
Carol chuckled.
"Merle's only a little older than you…and Merle's handsome too," Carol said. "Andrea doesn't like him just for his charming personality, you know."
Now it was Daryl's turn to give her a look.
"Ya lookin' at my fuckin' brother?" Daryl asked.
Carol laughed and flipped her sandwich over to open it. Daryl caught a glance of the letters and a heart on the wax paper. He pointed.
"Ya got fuckin' hearts too!" He protested. "Givin' me shit an' she drew hearts on every damn thing in there I bet!"
Carol laughed so hard that she forgot about the sandwich for a minute. She covered her mouth, embarrassed by a snorting sound that she made.
"I was just teasing you…" Carol repeated. "You're the one that admitted you had a crush on Josephine Greene!"
"'Cause she fuckin' looks like ya!" Daryl said. "You the one said ya was checkin' Merle out!"
Carol laughed.
"I wasn't checking him out," Carol said. "I was just making an observation."
"Well," Daryl grumbled, "that's all the hell I was doin' too."
Carol started eating her sandwich in silence and Daryl resumed his interest in his food.
"If it makes you feel any better," Carol said after a moment, "I would have liked you best, no matter what."
Daryl scoffed at her and sucked his teeth, but he couldn't help but smile at her too.
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After they'd finished eating, there hadn't been much to do in the cabin. There wasn't a television, and neither of them felt like reading, so Daryl had moved beside Carol on the rug, wrapping his arm around her, and they'd settled in just silently cuddling. Daryl kept his hand on her belly, rubbing it every now and again and the few times that their daughter decided to stir, Carol would silently take his hand and press it to the spot where he could feel the now familiar bumping against it.
Daryl sighed. It was nice being in the cabin alone with Carol. The place was warm now from the fire and it was quiet and peaceful. There was just something about the space that made it feel inviting and comfortable.
Daryl turned and kissed the side of Carol's face, just at the temple, inhaling the smell of her hair as he did.
Carol turned, smiling softly at him, and brought her lips to his. At first she simply kissed him softly, but then he felt her tease his lips with her tongue and he let her pass it into his mouth, teasing his tongue against it.
Daryl was surprised when Carol moved and straddled his legs, sitting back on her heels which placed her also on his thighs. She kissed him slowly and lazily and their tongues danced together. She slid her hands under his shirt, pushing it up, and he hissed a little at her when she gently twisted his nipples between her fingertips, not breaking entirely with the kiss.
Daryl knew that Carol was getting into the kiss and he knew what was on her mind when, without breaking the kiss and ignoring the fact that they were fully clothed, she rose up a little from him before bring herself back down, grinding into him.
It was Daryl that broke the kiss then, pushing her back a little. In the firelight her eyes were glimmering at him and she was panting, her expression the drunk look that she got when she was turned on and wanting more. Daryl reached between them and caught the bottom of her shirt, pulling it up. She raised her arms and let him pull it over her head, dropping it on the floor.
Daryl leaned up and let her do the same for him, freeing him from his own shirt. Carol reached around and unhooked her bra for him, letting it join the clothes they'd already shed and freeing her much fuller breasts for his viewing pleasure.
Daryl reached up and gently massaged her breasts in his hands and she hissed, pushing herself into him, her belly rubbing against him with the motion. She brought her lips back to his, sighing as he returned the kiss that she started.
"Gotta get outta our pants," Daryl said into her ear as he brought his mouth to it, letting his tongue dart out and lick her ear lobe. She moaned but pulled away from him a second later, working her way out of her pants and underwear without any attempt to save some kind of decorum.
Daryl followed her lead and lost his own quickly. When they were both naked, Carol reached over and stroked him, bringing her mouth back to his and he reached toward her, finding the magical button that made her gasp and make a throaty sound at him.
Daryl let her go…he let her be in control…because that's what she looked like she wanted at the moment. Normally she protested such a position, but right now she didn't. Before he even really knew for sure that she was going to do it, Carol raised herself up and straddled him, lowering herself onto him, her hands on his shoulders.
Carol moaned and mewed more than Daryl thought he'd heard her ever do it before, but it was making him feel amazing. Carol was into it and the fact that her face looked lost in the feeling between them just made Daryl think it was that much more electric as she held to him, riding him, every now and again bringing her lips to his before she threw her head back with another moan.
In fact, he was enjoying whatever it was that was happening to her at the moment so much that he wasn't sure he was going to be able to hold out long enough to get her where she wanted to go. He leaned a little, bring his mouth to catch one of her nipples and she called out. He brought his hand down, rubbing her and trying to keep pace with her as she quickened her own movements, starting to whine and almost growl at him, the friction against him making him growl in response.
Daryl closed his eyes and used every ounce of energy within him to keep from letting go before she did, and when she finally clenched hard around him, her fingers digging into his shoulders, crying out at him, he let himself go…not even caring that the sounds that escaped him were much less than manly and mixed with her own cries.
And after they'd come down from it all, soaking wet from sweat from exertion and the heat radiating off the fire, Carol remained in his lap, panting and curling against him.
Swallowing and still panting, Daryl wrapped his arms around her. He was surprised, for a moment, to feel that where her belly was pressed against him, he could feel the baby moving. They'd, no doubt, disturbed any sleep that she was hoping to get.
Daryl moved his head a little and kissed the side of Carol's head lightly, just where he could reach without disturbing how she was curled into him.
"Thank ya for agreein' ta marry me," Daryl said, kissing her face again.
Carol turned her head slightly and kissed his neck, her breath coming in short bursts as she was still slowing her panting.
"I'd do it again," she said. "Everyday…forever."
Daryl chuckled softly and rubbed her back with his hand.
"Me too," he said.