This is almost 100% graphic smut and gooey romantic bullshit so if you're not here for that, this is your fair warning. Please let me know what you think :)

Carol's lips curled into a little smile as Daryl's hands snaked around her waist and she felt his body press against the length of hers. She was baking cookies, forming the dough into little balls to put on the tray just as the early morning sun peeked through the kitchen blinds. Alexandria made her anxious, and she figured if she couldn't get much sleep anyway she might as well be doing something to keep up her appearance of being a meek homemaker. Daryl was gone as usual when she woke, despite how early it was, off on a quick morning hunt before scouting the area with Aaron for the day. The empty spot next to her where he'd been spending most nights for weeks now always made her sigh in disappointment, relishing in the rare mornings he instead chose to spend cuddling her awake, but the memory of the night before had been enough to placate her. Teeth and tongues and muffled whimpers ran through her mind as she had mixed the dough.

"Cookies again?" he murmured into her temple, and she leaned back into him and sighed happily.

"Mmhm," she said, her hands going slack as his lips whispered over the sensitive spot just behind her ear. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going off with Aaron again?"

Daryl spread his hands comfortably over the firm expanse of her lower stomach, holding her tight to him. "I am," he said. "Told him I needed t' take care of some stuff first. Wanted to see ya before I left."

Carol smiled again, but a knot twisted in her stomach as it always did when she thought of him leaving the safety of the walls, even just for a typically uneventful day.

"Jus' doin' a quick check of the area," he said quietly into her ear, sensing her sudden tension. "Nothin' new. Jus' makin' sure."

Carol nodded and tried to mentally shake her worry. Daryl managed to distract her, however, by pressing an open mouthed kiss to the side of her neck just below her hairline. A shiver rippled through her body and she relaxed a little, turning her head slightly to grant him easier access to her skin. Daryl trailed a line of soft, slow kisses down her neck until he had made his way to her collar and he rested his chin on her shoulder. The easy, casual way he held her as she baked felt for a moment like they were living in some parallel dimension, some other life. Carol leaned her head against his, wishing for the millionth time that they could both take a day off from their duties and facades and just enjoy each other uninterrupted for a little while.

"Missed you this morning," she murmured, returning to her task of arranging cookies on the sheet but still yielding into him.

"Next time I have a good hunt I'll take the mornin' after off," he said, which sent goosebumps of anticipation prickling all over her skin. "Promise."

Heat began to pool in her centre as she imagined what a lazy morning would likely entail.

"Is Aaron waiting for you?" she asked in a low tone, a wicked idea prodding at the corner of her mind.

"Yeah," Daryl said. "Didn't say how long I'd be, though." His hands trailed a little lower on her stomach as he spoke and Carol's eyes fluttered closed.

"You got -" Carol checked the stove timer through half-closed lids, "Eight and a half minutes?"

"Could manage that," Daryl said huskily, an unmistakable lump already poking into her back.

Carol barely had time to wipe her hands clean before he'd spun her around by her hips and descended to her lips. Carol let out a little yelp of surprise but quickly yielded into his touch, his calloused hands gripping her waist and the back of her neck possessively which sent heat flooding through to her centre. She loved how confident he had been getting with her, no longer afraid that he would hurt or frighten her, instead knowing exactly what she liked and how she liked it. She wondered how he would take her. From behind, right there in the kitchen, risking anyone happening to walk by seeing? More tenderly, in the bedroom, if they could even make it that far? Would he pull her on top of him on the couch, rough and messy, like a few nights ago? Before she could conjure more hair-prickling scenarios in her mind, Daryl abruptly bent down to grip the backs of her thighs and hoisted her up until her legs were wrapped firmly around his waist. Carol smiled into his lips and dragged her fingers along his scalp until her hands were firmly entangled in his hair, holding his face to hers as she nipped and kissed all over his lips, his cheeks, his nose, and his ears as Daryl guided them both towards the little half bath next to the living room. Carol's mind was swimming and she was glad for his strong, steady hands that held her upright, one bracing her lower back and the other planted under her thigh.

They burst into the bathroom, Daryl bumping her into the doorframe and barely getting out a muttered "sorry" before she crashed her mouth into his, renewed desperation lacing her forgiving kiss. He clumsily flicked on the light and she was already unbuttoning his pants when he set her down on the mercifully sturdy countertop.

"God, Daryl," she breathed into the damp skin of his neck as her hand found its way down his body to grip him over the worn cotton of his underwear. She felt out his already solid length, teasing him by alternating light strokes with firm grasps as he panted heavily into her ear. Daryl impatiently mumbled something about not having time to fool around, though his words died in his throat when she finally pushed his underwear down and gripped him bare. Daryl growled; a needy, primal sound that flooded her with heat, and as he yanked her pants all the way down and shoved her thin underwear aside, her body hummed with the insatiable need to feel him move within her. He stroked her clumsily, more to make sure she was ready than anything.

"You good?" he murmured into her lips and she melted, overwhelmed by how enduringly careful and sweet he was with her even when he had his length positioned right at her entrance and she was panting with desire, all but begging for him. She answered him by digging her fingernails into his shoulders and biting his lower lip almost hard enough to bruise. Still, he held off, and her knees trembled when she realized he needed to hear her say the words.

"Yes, Daryl," she whimpered, apologetically suckling on his lower lip. "Please…"

Daryl exhaled a shuddering breath and kissed her once on the forehead, a silent reminder that she had the power to stop him if she needed to, and then he abruptly gripped her hips and pulled them flush together. They both let out a simultaneous gasp, and Daryl stilled himself for a minute as he let her adjust to him. Carol's breasts were heaving, her shirt haphazardly shoved off one shoulder, and it was all she could do to muffle her little whimpers as he gave a few slow, experimental thrusts. Daryl at least had the sense to quickly turn the tap on in a half-hearted effort to be discreet. Carol held onto the edge of the counter with one hand, though his calloused palms on her waist kept her steady, and wound her other hand around his neck to bring him in for a heavy, needy kiss. Daryl took a ragged breath and sped his pace.

It was quick and dirty. It was just what Carol needed. It was fingernails and teeth and wet kisses and rough, stuttering thrusts interspersed with strangled moans. He thrust into her almost hard enough to hurt, but the sensation of him stretching her to her limit felt too good for her to care. Carol's quick breaths matched his as he snapped his hips against hers, and she blindly reached for the towel rack, the faucet, his shoulders, whatever she could find to grab hold of as he took her higher and higher with every sharp thrust. She was only half-aware of the high pitched noises emanating from her lips, too focused on Daryl's heaving muscles and wet, kiss-swollen lips to notice. His fingers dug into her hips hard enough to bruise, but Carol found herself unexpectedly turned on by the idea that she would be marked for days with the evidence. He started to shudder and she knew he was close, but rather than finish quickly like she expected Daryl instead hitched both her legs further up until her knees were pressing into his chest and the change of angle deepened his thrusts.

"Fuck," the sound involuntarily tore from Carol's lips, the new sensation of him curving up against her walls almost too much to bear. Each slight movement he made within her put pressure on her most sensitive spot and she gripped him tight for all she was worth, barely hanging onto sanity.

Daryl's mouth curled into a little half-grin against hers. She realized with a whimper that he was totally aware of what he was doing, knew exactly where he was hitting her.

"Good?" he panted, his hips meeting hers with barely contained force.

Carol stifled a moan into his lips as she furiously nodded her head. A low burn started forming in her belly and she writhed in his arms, desperately hoping he could hold off long enough to get her there. Daryl totally consumed her senses. All she could see was the little beads of sweat dripping down his temple and his sandy blonde eyelashes as they squeezed shut with each particularly hard jerk of his hips, all she could smell was the earthy scent of the outdoors that permeated from his skin, all she could feel was the heat radiating off his body and the mind-numbing sensation of being totally filled by him, all she could hear were his low grunts mixing with her own breathy whimpers and the ringing in her ears he was causing with each forceful thrust. All she could feel within her was the insatiable need to claw him closer until their bodies melded together and the low burn that was turning into a fire.

"Carol," he grunted. His trembling had turned to full blown shaking and Carol knew he was dangerously close.

"Wait," she pleaded, tilting her hips slightly further back to give him deeper access. "Wait, please, wait just…"

Daryl let out a little whimper of his own that sounded like an animal caught in a trap as Carol's pleasure finally crested and she found her release, tensing and spasming around him with her mouth open in a silent cry. Her back arched into Daryl and he caught her in his arms, allowing her to let go with the knowledge that his grip was firm and unwavering. Just as she was coming down and was able to form coherent thoughts again Daryl jerked his hips erratically and pulled her close until their bodies were flush together. He managed to choke out her name once before burying his head in the crook of her neck. Carol wrapped her hands around his neck and held his head close to her, encouraging him on. Daryl, bracing a hand on the mirror, finally came with stuttering thrusts and a long, muffled groan.

Carol's eyes fluttered closed as she felt his aftershocks pulse within her and listened to his shaky breaths that were coming hot and fast on the damp skin of her neck. She traced her hand soothingly over the firm expanse of his back, realizing with a lazy smile that she had been so wrapped up in the moment that she didn't even know when his shirt had come off. Her fingertips mapped each little bump of his spine and she made a mental note to make him eat more. With her other hand she brushed the sweat-dampened hair from his forehead and kissed him there. As much as she loved, loved, having sex with him, she vaguely thought that the moments afterwards were her favourite. When it was her turn to hold him upright, when their heartbeats thudded the same rhythm, when they had already said everything they needed to with their bodies. When they could just be quiet and still for one blessed moment.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Shit," she muttered, and he groaned into her neck.

"Let them burn," Daryl mumbled, still unwilling to let her go.

"What kind of housewife type would they think I am if I burned the cookies?" she giggled into his temple.

With a reluctant sigh, Daryl stood back and let her down from the counter. Carol quickly cleaned herself up and hurried into the kitchen to pull the cookies from the oven. Daryl followed her a minute later, coming up behind her and settling his hands on her hips once again.

"Ain't never woulda figured you were the type for… for…" he began, but his face coloured and he trailed off.

"A bathroom quickie?" she said, turning around and surrendering into his embrace.

Daryl swallowed and she knew he was about to say something about how he didn't mean it like that, but she cut him off with a swift, chaste kiss.

"Aaron's going to wonder where you are," she teased, twisting the back of his ragged shirt in her fist in a half-serious attempt to keep him with her.

"Think he probably knows," Daryl muttered into the soft, short curls on top of her head.

They stayed silent for a minute, both knowing they had to get on with their days but neither willing to break the embrace. Carol closed her eyes and nestled closer with a contented sigh when his calloused fingers found the sensitive skin just below the nape of her neck and traced gentle circles over it.

"Stay safe," she murmured. Daryl sighed and finally let his arms fall.

"You stay safe," he said in a low tone as he slung his crossbow over his back. "This place gives me the creeps."

Carol smiled slightly and watched him go, the knot in her stomach returning.

"Wait," she called and he paused, already halfway out the door. She strode across the kitchen and placed a small bundle of still warm cookies in his palm and simultaneously pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"You better come back," she said, pretending to fuss with his collar so she could inconspicuously lean in and whisper, "Because I'm not done with you yet."

"That a promise?" he growled, leaning in for another kiss but she just giggled and shoved him out the door.

Carol closed the door behind him and watched him set off to find Aaron with a slight spring in his step and a little smile on her lips.

If you enjoyed this (or if you didn't!) I would love it if you could send me a quick review. Thanks for reading! :)