Maggie an' I step out from the brush an' I tell her I'm takin' Beth out to hunt. She doesn't respond, just smiles at me. It's obvious she's still tryin' to work this shit out in her mind. Least she doesn't want me dead. I look up to see Beth still standin' by that tailgate, lookin' relieved. Probably 'cause neither of us had killed the other out there.
Beth stares at me an' I smile over at her. The good feelin' slips away when I see Mullet standin' at her side. Guess he thought she needed to be comforted. He's really startin' to get on my fuckin' nerves. I walk right up to her, ignorin' him speakin' to me. I look him over, not a big fuckin' threat to me. But it doesn't matter. Call me animalistic, but I know when somethin' I want is bein' coveted by someone who ain't me. It's stupid as fuck, but I need to mark what's mine. 'Sides, what difference does it make, now? We've already been put out in the open.
I pull her to me, both hands hold her face firmly. I can feel one corner of my mouth turn up when I look at the surprise in her eyes. Before she can say anything, my mouth's on hers. It's almost a violent kiss. I don't know why I put so much force into it, maybe it's a primal urge. It just felt right. Her lips move against mine with equal strength. I feel her hand grab hold of my hair, crushin' me to her. The tip of her tongue brushes my bottom lip an' my mouth opens just enough for her to access. The only way to describe that moment is to say it's like bein' drunk. The taste of her makes my muscles relax, my thoughts get blurry. I'm completely lost in her. But I finally remember where we are.
It takes more power than I thought I had to separate us. My hands still hold her face as I look down at her. My favorite smile is spread wide 'cross her perfect features. I can feel my insides ignite. I don't know how people can go 'round feelin' like this all the time. I kiss her forehead, my arm now over her shoulder, an' turn to Mullet.
"What were you sayin'?" The smile is long gone from his face as he looks over us both. He tells me not to worry 'bout it before he sulks back over to Abraham. You better fuckin' walk away, Mullet.
I reach into the truck bed an' pull out my crossbow, swingin' it over my shoulder. Her hand closes over mine. I glance 'round to see Glenn an' Rick starin'. Glenn's mouth is set like a fuckin' bull frog gapin' over at us. Rick smiles at me. I've always said it, but now I needed it most. He's always trusted me an' he gets me. Rick's my brother an' even though I don't need his approval, I can't help but appreciate it. I tell them we're goin' out to bag some food. Just before we set out, Abraham speaks.
"Make sure you're back soon. We can't stay in one place more than we need to. Gotta long way to go to get to D.C." I nod to him. I've come to respect Abraham. He's got a good head on his shoulders. I lead Beth out into the wild. Once we're outta earshot from the others, she laughs.
"I can't believe you just did that! Poor Maggie probably had a heart attack."
"Don't worry 'bout Maggie. She ain't against us no more. 'Sides, it's Mullet that needed to see it." She laughs again. It's contagious, I don't even try to hold back my own. What I did back there was stupid an' impulsive. I don't really know what came over me. But she loved it. That makes it okay.
We're a little further out now. I have my sight set on a nice, fat squirrel a few yards away. I focus all my effort on my aim. The rodent moves a little higher up the tree. I steady my breathin', finger on the trigger as I lead my sight. The little bastard moves 'round too much. I just need him to stay in one fuckin' spot. Finally, he settles an' I let out my breath as my finger squeezes the trigger. My arrow cuts through the air, pinnin' him to the lowest branch.
Beth's face lights up as I pull him down. She's a sight starin' back at me with her messy curls an' fiery eyes. In that blue shirt, I think 'bout how smooth her pale skin is. My mind drifts back to what happened just a little while ago back at camp. I remember how fuckin' good her lips felt against mine. How great she tasted. Jesus. Everything 'bout her has me fucked in the head. I wonder why I acted like that, but only one thing makes sense: I felt threatened by another man. I know he's nothin' to her. I just saw how his eyes raked over her, an' somethin' stirred in my depths.
I feel like a far more feral instinct in me is tryin' to claw its way to the surface. I'm kiddin' myself to think I can hold it down much longer, what little shred of conscience I have is hardly enough to ward it off. She looks so sweet smilin' at me, completely unaware of the storm ragin' right in front of her. But she was just as untamed as me underneath that good-girl skin. My lips ache at the memory of how roughly she kissed me back. I need somethin' to take my mind off shit, so I pull out my smokes an' light one up. I take a soothin' drag as I smile at her.
"Your turn."
I've got his bow out in front of me. My form is all wrong an' I know it, but he hasn't corrected me. When I shoot at the rabbit I go too far to the left an' it takes off. He doesn't seem mad, he's actually smilin' at me. He takes the cigarette outta his mouth an' tips it between his fingers to drop the ashes.
"Gonna needa teach you the basics again, girl."
He retrieves the arrow outta the dirt, wipes it on his pants an' sets it back up. The way he stalks over to me, bow at his side with the cigarette back to his lips, reminds me of a predator honed in on its prey. The corner of his mouth pulls up an' there's a wicked gleam in his eye. I feel like a stupid teenager when I realize I'm gawkin' at him.
But I'm paralyzed by his gaze; the little rabbit cornered by the big, bad wolf. He's at my side when he holds the bow out to me again. I take it with tremblin' fingers. He's startin' to set up my stance, an' it's almost like the night we burned the cabin. Only, this time, his fingers linger on my arms. They trail slowly up, leavin' a blaze of fire in their wake. When my form's been corrected, he moves behind me. He leans down to my ear an' I feel the smoke on my skin as his voice purrs.
"Steady your breathin'."
I do my best to remain in form, but my breathin' is shaky when he stands so close to me. His hand pulls at my shoulder to keep me from hunchin' too far over. It grazes down my side, over my ribs an' to my waist before he flattens it against my stomach. Then he tugs me back an' I'm pressed against him. I see his other arm reach out 'til it becomes a tan outline of my own, his trigger finger over mine.
"Aim at that tree. Pull the trigger."
His voice is husky, he stays perfectly still against me. I let out my breath an' squeeze the trigger. When I hit my mark I turn to see his reaction. I'm lookin' at eyes burnin' into me. After takin' a long drag of the cigarette, he flicks it to the ground, grindin' it down with his boot. He blows the smoke outta the corner of his mouth, makin' it so it doesn't get in my face. The hand that's stretched along mine pulls the bow away from me an' sets it down beside us. When he stands up again, he pulls me back against him.
I can feel myself shakin', but I know I'm not afraid. This side of Daryl sets fire to my veins. Hadn't I told him before that I like how undomesticated he is? Both of his hands are firm on my hips now. A shiver runs through me when one reaches up to my jaw an' turns my face to his. I catch his familiar scent of tobacco an' sweat. I don't wait for him to make the first move, my arm reaches back as my fingers run through his hair. My grip is firm when I pull his lips to mine, the taste of his last cigarette is in my mouth.
Everything seems to go in fast forward then. His hand tugs my own hair back an' he controls our movements now. He grabs my chin between his thumb an' finger, holdin' me still as he kisses along my jawline an' down the side of my throat. I feel his tongue brush against my skin before his teeth nip at me. When I cry out he smirks against my neck; I'm not the only one enjoyin' this. His finger skims the top of my shoulder as he slips my shirt strap aside.
Everywhere his mouth touches me is on fire an' I feel like I'm gonna burst into flames any minute. I'm tryin' to be still an' let him take the lead, but his free hand holds flat against my stomach like before an' I squirm against him when he pulls me tighter. I don't know how far this is gonna go, how far he wants it to go. My nerves are shot just thinkin' about what he may be after, an' it makes me feel stupid. Just yesterday I pushed him for the same thing, why be nervous now? He's completely caught up in this, an' it may be my only chance to get what I wanted.
I never had the opportunity to go too far with Jimmy or Zach. There's a part of me that wishes I had so I would know everything I'm supposed to do, but there's a bigger part that's excited that it can be with Daryl. Adrenaline surges through me at the thought of how bad we both want this. I wasn't expectin' it so soon, the way he talked yesterday. I can't imagine what changed his mind, but I don't want to ruin anything by askin'. I push my hips back against his when his lips brush my ear. He lets out a low hiss at the friction an' next thing I know, I'm facin' him. I take the moment to stand on my toes as I run my lips down his throat. He lets out a groan when my fingers dig into his shoulders. I'm caught by surprise when he grabs my hips an' lifts me up, but instinct kicks in an' I'm quick to wrap my legs 'round his middle.
The moment is now playin' out in slow motion, there's a change in him. He gently kisses me, my arms wrap 'round his neck an' he slowly lowers us to the ground. The twigs an' leaves scratch at my skin, but I don't care. All I can focus on is him kneelin' over me, the warmth that's come to his eyes an' the sweet smile he gives me. The sight before me is devastatin', so beautiful my heart just might explode. He leans down an' kisses me softly before he sits back up an' his hands go to his buckle.
This is it. Everything we want is right in front of us. He's more than I coulda ever hoped for or imagined in my entire life. The broken man who wants me to hold him together. The man who can be rough an' dangerous but still has a sweeter, gentler side. An' he opened that up to me. He wants me just as much as I want him. I smile up at him.
"I love you, Daryl."
His hands still at the button of his pants. It takes a moment before he looks me in the eyes, an' I'm worried that what I said scared him. But the smile he gives me now is unlike any I've ever seen. He leans back down an' cups my face with his hands. His lips lightly touch my own before he lets go an' holds tight to my gaze.
That's when the first round of gunshots rung through the air. He's fast on his feet to pull me up. His bow swings over his shoulder as he's lettin' out a string of swears. He reaches for my hand. His voice is hardened.
"Son of a bitch!"
We take off in the direction of the camp, followin' the sound of the gunfire. My heart pounds with the exertion an' my mind goes numb at the possibility of what we'll find when we get back.