AN: So, here's the first part of Truth or Dare night. There's a sort of division of things, as you'll see. This was also threatening to get super out of hand/long because these two have so much to talk about and experience with each other.

Most of your questions were excellent and very much in the same vein as what I wanted for these two. I've incorporated (and will incorporate more) what really fits with the mood that I want for this evening. Maybe I should say moods, since we'll see even more coming up. I thank you for your input and, if you didn't input any questions, I thank you for your enthusiasm and encouragement to continue with the story!

At any rate, here's the first part. The second is, hopefully, soon to come.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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Carol helped herself to another beer as soon as they were in the house. Daryl skipped the beer, but helped himself to some of the candy that Carol told him was still in the cabinet. He also refilled his water glass and lost his shoes before getting comfortable on the couch. Carol placed two candles on the coffee table, and she lit both of them before settling in.

Daryl leaned and invited her for a kiss, and she took him up on the invitation. For a few minutes, he wondered if they might forego their game entirely and settle for simply kissing on the couch—each of them testing different slight variations on the theme as they prolonged their exchanged kisses.

Carol was smiling at him, her eyes practically sparkling with the twinkling candlelight, and Daryl touched her cheek. She let her eyelids flutter closed at the simple affection, and Daryl's whole body seemed to respond with warmth over the quiet affirmation of pleasure.

When she opened her eyes, her smile broadened, and she raised her eyebrows at him before reaching for her beer and getting comfortable.

"You want to go first?" She asked.

"I told you—you could have it," Daryl said. "I'ma take truth first."

She hummed to herself.

"I don't know where to start," she said.

"Somethin' good," Daryl said.

"Something good?"

Daryl laughed to himself and shrugged.

"Hell, if we're gonna do it…"

Carol nodded.

"Fine," she said. "Anything?"

"We can pass if we want to," Daryl said. "We make the rules anyway. Hell, it's our game."

Carol thought for a moment and licked her lips.

"You said before that—you'd tried to have what you wanted with women before. That they ran. They weren't the right kind of women…"

"I said I weren't the right kind of man," Daryl corrected.

"And I fixed it," Carol said with a smile.

"But you know that—so it ain't a question."

"My question is—how many women, Daryl, have you been with?"

"Shit—right to the damn heart of things," Daryl said with a laugh. He helped himself to some of the candy. He offered it to Carol, but she waved it away.

"That's what you wanted, right? I can pick something else."

"No—no…but…do you mean like how many women have I…how many women have I done what with? Had sex with? Or—tried to…have somethin' else with—not just a one-night thing?"

"Either or. Your choice. Or both, if you want to be generous."

Daryl laughed.

"Truth is—I don't know…I never actually kept count. I'm guessin' sex…maybe fifteen?" He saw Carol's eyes bug slightly. "Shit—is that bad?"

"I'm not judging," Carol assured him.

"Maybe fifteen. Give or take. But I grew up with Merle and…you just gotta know Merle. He's a connoisseur of pussy. So, when I was growin' up, I guess for a while I thought that what was right for Merle had to be right for me, you know?" Carol nodded. "As for—tryin' for somethin' more? I'd say three. There was a woman named Claudia. I live with her for about three months. Then there was—a woman named Allison. We didn't live together. And it didn't last more'n two weeks."

"That's only two," Carol said.

Daryl's chest squeezed in response.

"I don't know the end of the third story yet," Daryl offered. A faint smile played at Carol's lips as she realized what he was saying. "What about you? How many?"

"Sex? Or…more?"

"Your choice."

"Do women count?" Carol asked with a laugh.

Daryl was a little surprised, and a touch amused, by the question.

"Anything you want to count, counts."

Carol hummed.

"Four?"

"You don't know?" Daryl asked with a laugh. "Shit—I ain't judgin'."

"Ed," Carol said. "He was—my first. My longest relationship." Daryl nodded. "And then—after Ed, something with a friend. A woman. Just sex and…honestly? Just—this is embarrassing."

Daryl laughed.

"Go ahead. I swear—judgement free zone, Carol. I ain't here to judge you."

Her face was red.

"It was just about me. It wasn't about her." She raised her eyebrows and took a swallow of her beer. "My first orgasm with somebody, and not just with myself."

"You mean you didn't never come with Ed?" Carol shook her head. "The whole damn time you was married?" Carol shook her head again, this time a little more dramatically.

"No. I actually thought I couldn't. I mean I could on my own, but…not with him. I thought maybe I couldn't do it with someone else. Like—I was broken. Now I know it was that—I couldn't ever relax with Ed. There was too much pressure. Too much worry. That's kind of what led to the thing with the friend. She just—wanted to prove to me that I wasn't broken."

"And she was right."

"She was right. But—it wasn't anything serious."

"One of your friends? Like your still-got-'em friends? Carol—I don't care. It ain't like I'ma…throw nothin' or freak out."

The strained expression on her face relaxed and she nodded.

"Good," Daryl said.

"Good?" Carol asked with a laugh. Daryl caught her smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm glad you're still friends. And—that you got friends that…I don't know…want you to feel good. And want you to know that you ain't broken. You're fine. Who else?"

"A guy I tried to date. Works at the hardware store uptown."

"I probably know him," Daryl said.

Carol frowned.

"I didn't think about that."

"You still seein' him?"

"No."

"So, what does it matter to me? Ain't like I'ma be pissed about it. I told you about mine."

"I never really saw him regularly. It was more like—a date or two. Here or there. When I was just feeling…I don't know. Anyway, I did have sex with him. Twice."

"Your expression says it weren't that good," Daryl said with a laugh.

"I thought I was broken again," Carol said with shrug. "Honestly—I did it twice just to be sure, but…it didn't work out." She watched him as she took a swallow of beer.

He cleared his throat.

"I know it ain't my turn, but…you didn't seem so broken last weekend. Was that real or fake? You ain't gonna hurt my feelings. Because it felt real, but…"

Carol smiled to herself.

"Real," she said. "Very, very real." She sucked in a breath, clearly held it for a second, and let it out in a rush of air. "I'm not just kissing your ass, but…you made me feel good."

"You mean—like the sex was good?"

"I mean the sex was good," Carol said. "The—feeling was good. I don't know how to explain it. Please don't make me try because I just don't know how. I only know—I felt good."

"That's good enough for me," Daryl said. "But—for the record? If you ever…don't feel good or…you think somethin's broken again? It's the same as the sayin' no, Carol. I prefer honesty, even if it stings. I'd rather you just tell me. Hell—maybe then I can fix whatever's broke."

Carol smiled to herself and nodded.

"OK," she said. "Your turn."

"Yours," Daryl said. "I just went. I'ma take truth."

"I don't think you went. I think we just—accidentally slipped into conversation."

"Don't matter. You go. Truth."

"OK," Carol said. "So—fifteen women, huh?" Daryl nodded, feeling his face burn warm.

"Give or take."

"Do you have—a favorite…thing…you like to do?"

"You mean like—a position or like a kink or…?"

"Either."

"Fuck," Daryl teased. "Mighta been better goin' with strip poker. Woulda took me longer to get hard." Carol laughed.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

"You want me to ask something else?"

"No—'cause I'm already thinkin' of shit I'ma ask. Alright—I gotta be honest…"

"I wouldn't expect anything different."

"If it's just—a fuck? Like—when I thought I had to be Merle about shit? Always the same. Always doggy. Minimal contact."

"You like that?"

"I didn't always like what I was doing," Daryl said. "Just felt like—I oughta do it. Like it would somehow be the way or some shit like that. I'd get all the answers I needed and things would fall into place, I guess…shit…I've been a dumbass."

Carol smiled at him.

"It seems like you're past that," she said.

"I don't mind that position, but…like…with you?" Daryl cleared his throat. "I might be boring."

"I didn't think you were boring," Carol said.

"I liked missionary," Daryl said. "And I really liked you on top of me like you were Saturday morning. But—I like seein' your face."

The face in question blushed with color.

"I like seeing your face, too," Carol said. "Your turn. Truth."

"Hell—as long as I'm torturing myself," Daryl teased. "You read these books. Which—by the way—right now I'm on the one you give me where they were high school sweethearts, and I'm really likin' this one. But—you read these books chocked full of your cheesy porn. You—uh—got some kind of favorite fantasy or kink or whatever that's come from readin' them?"

"I really don't—have that kind of experience," Carol said. "I prefer not to think about most of…what I've done in the past."

Daryl nodded.

"Fine, I get that. What about—a fantasy then? Maybe you ain't done it, but…you'd like to."

"Mmmm…I have a few," Carol said. "A lot. But—just to pick one…I think one would be…to play."

"To play?" Daryl asked, laughing in his throat at the absurd visions that drifted through his mind. Carol looked a little embarrassed and he felt sorry for laughing at her. He reached a hand over and patted her thigh. Then he massaged the muscle with his fingers. "Hey—I wanna…know what you mean. Play…what? You mean like games?"

"Like games," Carol said. "Like—OK—to just…play. To have fun. Like—there are toys and things you can buy. The only toy I have is a vibrator."

"You have a vibrator?" Daryl asked.

"That's a lie, actually. I have two," Carol said.

Daryl swallowed back his amusement.

"You got a collection," Daryl said.

"Well—one's a…" Carol stopped. "Do you really want to hear this?"

"Oh—I absolutely wanna hear this," Daryl assured her. "Go on. You an' your vibrators got my full fuckin' attention. I promise you that."

She was so beautiful when her face flushed with embarrassment. But there was something else there, too, beyond the embarrassment. She looked younger. She looked lighter. She was enjoying this, and it was evident as it practically shone on her skin.

"One is small. Just…for…stimulation. The other is—more for…simulating the full act."

Daryl ignored, as best he could, his whole body's reaction to Carol's words. She looked embarrassed, and he almost welcomed the distraction. He laughed to himself.

"What? You want me to embarrass myself or somethin'? Make you feel better? Hell—I normally just use my hands. Lube if I got it, so…I'm a lil' bit fascinated by the fact that you got accessories."

She covered her face and laughed to herself. She drank the rest of the beer she was holding in almost one gulp.

"I mean hands work, too," she offered, gaining some obvious fortification.

Daryl reached up toward the back of the couch, tugged down the throw that she had up there, and rested it obviously over his lap.

"OK," he said. "Now—go ahead. You was tellin' me that you got toys to play with, but…they ain't what you want. So—what do you want?"

Carol was laughing, openly, at his placement of the throw. Honestly, that's what he'd intended, and he was glad it had the desired results. Her laughter was genuine. His erection was every bit as genuine, as well, but normally he wouldn't have bothered to cover it. He would have figured that she would know it was there—especially with this kind of conversation and the overwhelming attraction that he felt for her—and there was no need to worry about hiding it. He wasn't truly concerned about hiding it now, he'd only wanted to distract her, and to make her feel more at ease.

It seemed to be working. She settled back into the couch, some of the tension clearly leaving her body. Daryl felt himself relax in response.

"I have the toys but they're just like…for me. I've only ever used them for what I needed them for. You know? But there are like—games, too." She sighed. "Do you want to know this?"

"Shit, yes!" Daryl said. "Yes—I wanna know all of it. That's why I asked."

"Ed—it wasn't nice with Ed. I didn't have fun. I didn't have a good time."

"That's why you like the cheesy porn novels," Daryl said. "Because you said they're enjoyin' it." Carol hummed and nodded.

"I just think it would be nice to enjoy it all kinds of ways. I guess—I want to experience a lot of things that I've never experienced. But one of those things is just…having fun. Playing. Knowing that it's…just safe, I guess."

"That you can relax?" Daryl offered.

Carol nodded.

"Yeah," she breathed out. "I guess so."

"I wanna make a—dare," Daryl said.

"OK," Carol said with a smile creeping back across her lips.

"You accept it?" She looked nervous for a moment, so Daryl decided to reassure her. "It's safe. An' you can always say pass. Change your mind whenever you want."

"Go ahead," she urged.

Daryl wet his dry mouth with water from the glass he'd poured for himself.

"I dare you to—play with me," Daryl said. Her face was trapped somewhere between amusement and visible anxiety. "Not tonight—I meant what I said. But—we plan a game night. That kinda game night. Saturday, even, if you want. We go shoppin', I can think of a place right now off the highway. Far enough we ain't too likely to run into nobody so you don't gotta be embarrassed. Pick out some shit. We make it a date—the whole thing. Whatta you say? You can pass if you want, but I dare you to trust me enough to…play with me."

She wasn't smiling—not exactly. Her eyes were huge. She was breathing heavier and faster than before. Daryl gave her a reassuring smile in case she needed it.

"You can pass if you want," he reiterated.

"I don't want to pass," Carol said.

"Good," Daryl said. "Because I don't want you to pass. But—I am gonna…have to use your bathroom to get through the rest of the game. And—then I'ma smoke a cigarette or two."

"You need a hand?" Carol asked.

Daryl laughed to himself.

"No," he said. "But—if you of a mind on Friday, you let me know."

"Anticipation makes the fruit taste sweeter?" Carol teased.

"I'm bankin' on it," Daryl said. "Shit—I'll be back. You can come smoke with me—after I'm done in the bathroom."

"We don't have to play anymore," Carol said. "Just so you know. Not if you don't want to. I'm not sure we're doing it right, anyway."

"I'm sure we're doin' it just right for us," Daryl said, standing up. "Just—start thinkin' about where we go from here. Maybe we change the subject."

Carol laughed.

"Sounds fair to me," she said. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't you be sorry for shit. I'm havin' a damned good time. Too good. That's my biggest problem. Come smoke with me in a few minutes?"

"Just call me," Carol said. "I'll be here. Let me know if—you need anything."

"Trust me, you done plenty," Daryl teased, his face was burning hot, but he was feeling entirely invigorated by the evening.