A/N: I'm doubting myself a little with this, I feel it could be a cop out but I posted anyway. Obviously Caryl is endgame, I just need my plans for the story to pan out so they can't get together too soon. It won't be anywhere near as painfully slow as it is in the show, and I'm no Gimple so please stick with it. You will be rewarded :)
Goosebumps broke out on her skin as she realised their lips were centimetres apart and he had her eyes on hers. Carol instinctively bit her bottom lip as time ticked by, silence settling over them like a blanket.
A thought flitted across her mind, which she initially attempted to ignore.
She heard him take an intake of breath and at that point, she knew she had to bring up the subject, it was like a band-aid which needed to be ripped off. She simply had to know if the words she'd heard were a delusional fantasy or wishful thinking.
"Daryl?" she breathed into the quiet.
"Hmmm?" he murmured, his eyes still on her lips, licking his slowly, deliciously, if she was honest.
"When I was asleep earlier," she was choosing her words carefully, avoiding his eye and hoping not to spook him, "I thought I heard you whisper something. Maybe?"
That broke the moment. Daryl moved away slightly and Carol knew he was wary of what was coming next.
Daryl felt like his world tilted on its axis in that moment. She had heard him. It was now fight or flight time. Instinct kicked in, and he knew he had to get himself out of this moment until he had time to mull it over. It wasn't that the words he had spoken weren't true. The problem was that they were, but he was totally unprepared to discuss them."I – I – I'm not – er – I don't think so…." His words trailed off, a blush spread up his neck and face and he lowered his eyes.
Carol shifted her body, watching him. His reaction confirmed that he knew what she was talking about. She knew him well enough to read him and his reactions. Perhaps she should be upset that he was now almost denying it, but this was Daryl, he didn't do feelings easily. Plus, she was mature enough to understand that anything he did feel was completely alien and new to him - he'd never so much as expressed any romantic interest in anyone, even since those first days back at the Atlanta camp.
She smiled a knowing smile, about to reassure him when he gathered himself up off the bed.
"Gonna go see when they're havin' the ceremony, so's you don't miss it." He muttered, focusing on the floor. He made to back away as Michonne appeared behind him.
"Shit!" he cursed as his foot caught on the leg of the chair beside the bed, and he almost tripped, his face aflame. He ignored Michonne who was eyeing him with interest.
"Daryl, it's ok," Carol began soothingly, trying to rescue the situation. She knew she should have resisted bringing it up, despite Glenn's notion that this was the time to grab the bull by the horns.
"Pfft," Daryl was muttering, backing out of the room as though it was on fire. "Make sure ya rest," he directed to Carol who now had a bemused expression on her face, trying not to smile.
He rubbed the back of his neck, still blushing, "Ah, see ya in a while." With that, he disappeared, both women observing him in silence.
Michonne turned to Carol, eyebrows raised, "What the hell was that about?!"
Carol laughed a little, "Oh," she shook her head, "You know Daryl, he was just…..being Daryl."
"Yeah, but I haven't seen him blush quite like that before," said Michonne, with a smile on her face, "Everything ok?"
"Yes," sighed Carol, shrugging, "It will be, I think."
Michonne looked confused but she gathered herself together. Daryl and Carol tended to operate on their own level and most of the group had accepted that their bond was unique, sometimes it was best not to question it too much. Just let them get on with their often non verbal communication.
"How are you feeling?" Michonne perched on the end of the bed.
Carol ran a hand through her hair, "A little weak. And grubby, truth be told." She pulled a face and surveyed her outfit. "I look and smell hideous too, I bet." She thought back to the teasing between herself and a pregnant Lori when they first arrived at the prison a couple of months ago.
"You look incredible for a woman who's had a life threatening illness," scolded Michonne playfully. "But, Glenn asked us to put the generator on, which we did. He's had a shower, but as he's as weak as a kitten, he almost passed out in there. So I have been sent to be your shower buddy." She gave her friend a huge smile.
"Shower buddy?" asked Carol cynically. "I've been in worse states than this and had to clean myself up, believe me. I think I can handle a shower." She snorted, if only Michonne knew the full extent of the situations she'd been in after Ed's violent outbursts. Nothing could ever be as bad as those.
Michonne raised her sinewy arms in mock surrender, "I know, I know. So maybe I'll just hover in the doorway of the shower block and you holler if you get into difficulty."
"What if I pass out and can't shout?" questioned Carol, raising an amused eyebrow.
"Then I'll come a runnin' when I hear the thud!" laughed Michonne, "Come on, honey. We only got an hour before…." Her words trailed off.
"The funeral" finished Carol. The women exchanged sorrowful looks. "You think maybe Beth should be buried with her guitar?" Carol suggested, "She loved music so much."
Michonne leaned over and rubbed her friend's arm, "We'll make sure of it, if it hasn't all ready been arranged. We've all missed you, Carol. You know that, right?"
Carol rolled her eyes which were in danger of spilling fresh tears, "Yeah," she snorted, "You missed my cooking, you mean! I heard all about how you burn everything!"
"Huh," Michonne mocked outrage, "Dixon been running his mouth? I'll kick his ass. He can't cook for shit either."
Carol grinned. "Hmmm, I also heard the other jobs kinda fell by the wayside too."
"Yeah," sighed Michonne, "There wasn't many of us not affected and the other kids were put in the administration building out of the way. Then we had the run for medication and that weak fence to deal with. Plus, there's still bodies to get rid of, and it was hard to keep on top of everything. We were all worried about our friends in here." She looked at her friend, "Some of us out there were more worried than others. A certain Mr Dixon was quietly out of his mind. Over you."
Feeling her cheeks colour, Carol tried to change the subject. After his eagerness to run away just now, Carol didn't want to even think about Daryl or his feelings or that box in her mind which threatened to spill over at any time. She wasn't hurt or angry at his reaction, but it was just too much to analyse at that moment, her bones still ached with fatigue.
"Shouldn't we be getting to the shower block while there's warm-ish water? I don't want to miss the ceremony." She made to stand up, momentarily dizzy.
Michonne rushed to take her arm but Carol declined, taking a second before being able to remain steadily upright.
She had to soldier on, there was no time in this world now to wallow or succumb to weakness. The sooner she returned to normal, the better. Lives depended upon it and she refused to be the burden she had feared she was back in the Atlanta camp.
Together the two women moved out of the quarantine block and Carol savoured her first taste of fresh air, thankful to be alive.