Good Morning! I wish I could have posted this sooner but I've been unable to get online on my laptop for a few days. So, this one is finally over and I can't promise I'll have anything else finished soon. I'll definitely try like hell, though! So, until next time! Thanks to every one of you that gave this little prompt a shot!

Chapter Six

Daryl stood up, just realizing that he hadn't tasted a damn thing he had eaten and it was a shame since Carol had probably been the one to do most of the cooking, but damn if he wasn't distracted. The dress wasn't provocative in any way. He had seen hundreds of women, dressed a lot skimpier, but he'd never had much of a reaction. He attributed that to the fact that those women weren't this one.

Whether they were Ed's whims or her own almost all of her clothes hid everything about her figure and he'd gotten used to that. He had been a little surprised back in that room when he had discovered that she had been hiding a lot. But as modest as this dress was, it still clung to all the right places, reminding him that there was a lot of beauty to explore underneath.

"I'm sure there's more if you're still hungry," she said, a nervous edge to her voice.

The woman had no idea just how hungry he was. He shook his head, glancing around the darkened yard. "Everybody else stayin' inside tonight?"

She looked over her shoulder towards the house and then shrugged. "I don't know about the others but Sophia is sleeping inside." She met his eyes briefly before she stood up, tugging at the waist of the dress and smiling slightly. "I should probably change."

She made a move to step past him but he had no plans of letting her do that. He wasn't drunk at the moment. She hadn't made so much as the slightest move to show him that she was interested and after the ass he made of himself when they had actually been physical, he didn't blame her. He knew what he had done, was even embarrassed about it, but when he gripped her arm she made no move to pull away and keep heading to her own tent. He desperately wanted her to know how he felt about her but he couldn't say it. He couldn't tell her that she had already made so much progress since her bastard husband had died, wanted to tell her that he couldn't stop thinking about her, wanted her to know that whatever she was doing to him, just by being her, was making him a better person. He wanted to tell her but the words stuck in his throat.

"Daryl?"

He blinked, realizing that he was still holding on to her arm and hadn't done a thing but stare at her while he dealt with his own silent battle.

He cleared his throat and dropped her arm. "The reason Ed wouldn't let you wear anything like this is cause he knew someone would mention how..." Say something, goddamn it. Tell her what she needs to hear. "Everybody would mention how good you looked." Why couldn't you just tell her she's beautiful you inarticulate redneck! He tried to ignore the harsh voice in his head, even though it made some good points.

She blinked a few times, like she hadn't heard him right and then she smiled, her whole face lighting up in a way that he'd never seen before. He kicked himself mentally for not using the word beautiful. If she was this happy about being told she looked good then that would have made her whole goddamn year. "Thank you."

He nodded, feeling like shifting on his feet but forcing himself to stay still.

One more grin and she turned.

Fuck.

He grabbed her arm again, wishing he was better at this, or at least wishing for a shot of something strong so he wouldn't feel so self conscious. Or maybe if she had given him some sort of sign. This time he stepped in front of her and refused to let his mind over think. He kissed her, remembering how last time his mouth had crashed into hers almost violently. This was different. It had to be different. His lips barely brushed hers at first. He had to do this right this time, if she was actually going to give him a chance. No rushing it.

He pulled back slightly, because he needed to know if this was okay and when his eyes met hers they were wide and almost disbelieving, but she didn't seem to be afraid, and she didn't seem unwilling to let him have another go at it so he came back in, more pressure this time. Relief washed over him when he felt her hands, warm and sure, on the sides of his neck. He knew she could feel his pulse throbbing fast and hard but he didn't care. The fact that she was touching him was promise enough that she wanted the same thing he did.

Her lips parted and he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding along hers as she ran her fingers through his hair. He pulled her closer and couldn't resist the urge to slip his hands around from her hips to her ass. He still wasn't exactly sure where she stood but she seemed to be into it this time so he figured he was onto something. He kept his movements slow, because if he let himself get carried away he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop himself from having a repeat of what had happened that first time and she deserved so much more than that.

He had to admit that this was actually a lot better for him. He was able to take the time to appreciate more, like the way her body arched into his and the taste of her mouth, sweet like the tea he knew she had been drinking inside.

She finally pulled away but her hands trailed down his arms and her eyes shone in the darkness, reflecting the firelight. He searched her face when she started pushing the bow strap away from his shoulder. He caught it before the bow could clatter to the ground and then she turned, reaching behind and grabbing hold of his hand. He followed, his eyes trained on the sway of her hips.

Without a backwards glance she bent down and disappeared into her tent. He worried his lip, his eyes taking in the immediate vicinity and deemed it safe enough for now. He dropped the bow next to the opening and then crawled in after her. She was on her knees, her fingers nervously running over the neckline of the dress. His eyes followed the movement and then he moved closer, gripping her hands and pulling until she was flush against him again.

Her arms wound around his neck and she smiled before she kissed him. He ran his hands up her back, fingers seeking some way to get the goddamn dress off of her, a button or a zipper. She smiled against his lips but pulled away, meeting his gaze before she brought her hands around and started pushing the vest away from his shoulders. She wasn't going to let him get away with keeping his clothes on this time, and that was okay. She'd already seen him, and she hadn't judged. Once she had his shirt undone he shrugged it off and waited as her eyes ran over him, wanting to squirm under that heated gaze but refusing to do it.

He tensed when the sound of the screen door falling back into place shattered the silence and then muted conversations from the others drifted over. She didn't seem to even hear it, her eyes still running over him, like she'd never seen a man's physique before, and the strangest thing of all was the obvious want in her eyes. He wasn't accustomed to a look like that from a woman like her and it gave him pause, wondering if maybe his assessment of himself could have been a little off. That look was doing wonders for his self esteem.

Her hands came up, fingertips trailing lightly over his chest, a feather light caress that had the muscles in his stomach jumping and blood rushing south so fast it left him light headed. He swallowed when her hands went to work on his belt, shoving it open almost violently before her mouth was on his, hot and greedy. He had to wrap his arms around her just to keep from falling backwards. He grunted and reached down, stopping her before she could shove her hand down his pants.

She broke the kiss and pulled away slightly, her wrists going slack in his hands and her eyes dropping. "I'm sorry. I-"

Well fuck. He didn't want her to think he didn't want this, he just didn't want her doing anything just yet. Words to reassure her failed him so he pulled her arms up and around his neck again and then kissed her lightly once, twice, three times until she smiled against his lips and the tension left her body. He smiled right back. "If you wanna get anything outta this this time, you might wanna keep your hands to yourself for a bit."

She laughed quietly but he saw relief in her eyes. He was sure that for a second she was thinking that he might be rejecting her. He reminded himself that her wounds were a lot more recent than his were, and he needed to be careful. He wanted to show her that the past was staying where it was and she wouldn't ever have to deal with anything like that again. She was the best person he'd ever known and it infuriated him that she was still stuck with all those insecurities that a man that never deserved her had put into her head.

His lips went to her throat and her head fell to the side, giving him better access while his hands still searched the back of the dress for a zipper. When he couldn't find one he finally just bunched up the skirt and started working the whole thing up her body. She dropped her hands from around him and helped him work the material over her head. Without a word she reached behind her, unhooking the simple white bra that covered her and let it slide down her arms. Now it was his turn to stare.

The other time he had been so out of his mind that he hadn't really taken his time to appreciate her so he was planning on getting his share of it now. Unlike him, however, she couldn't control the urge to let her nerves get the better of her and her arms came up, crossing over her chest, her eyes once again downcast.

He didn't try to pull her arms away but he placed a finger under her chin, lifting her head up until she reluctantly met his eyes. Without a word he pressed his lips to hers again, his hands going to her hips, running up her sides and back down, hoping he could sooth her nerves. She let out a breath and dropped her hands, placing them flat against his chest as his lips trailed over her jaw. He moved forward, gripping the back of her thighs and lifting her slightly until she was wrapping her legs around his waist.

As soon as he had her on her back he settled between her legs and tried hard to ignore the urge to rush this, but Jesus he remembered how good she had felt inside and wanted it again so badly that it hurt.

She made a low little moan in the back of her throat when he moved his head down, running his nose down the valley between her breasts, inhaling the sweet scent of her and stifling a groan and even the sound of footsteps outside the tent didn't deter him.

"Is that Dixon's bow?" Shane's voice, low and questioning sounded nearby. For once the man's voice held no sign of malice, just curiosity and slight disbelief.

Carol froze but Daryl just kept moving and when his lips closed over the peak of one breast the breath exploded from her lungs and her fingers threaded through his hair, anchoring him to her and causing her to squirm.

He scraped his teeth against the sensitive bud and was rewarded by a gasp before she arched into him. He grinned against her skin, his hand dropping to the back of her thigh so he could drag her leg higher over his hip. God, he wanted to get his fucking pants off! But he'd wait. He'd do this right even if it killed him. She deserved to know that she deserved better. She deserved better than a sick sadistic husband that abused her and she deserved better than getting stripped and pawed at by some drunken overeager redneck in a storage room at the end of the world.

There was a sheen of sweat covering her now despite the cool temperatures that nightfall had brought to them. She was trembling under his touch and he was amazed that he was getting this reaction out of her. It filled him with a single minded purpose. He never imagined that anyone could respond to his touch like this and it was driving him crazy, almost as if her body was a drug his mind was hazy. He abandoned her breasts, moving back up so he could kiss her one more time before he moved. Her mouth was hot and greedy on his, a stark contrast to the way she had kissed him thus far but he approved. When he pulled back her eyes were wide and vulnerable.

Coming up on his knees he looked down at her, hooking his fingers through the waistband of her panties and tugging lightly until she lifted her hips.

~H~

She cursed her husband to the fiery pits of hell once Daryl had removed the last bit of clothing she had on. Bracing herself, she fisted the blanket in her hands and waited for him to realize that he didn't want to be here with someone like her. Waited for the pain she'd feel at his rejection. A huge part of her knew that she was wrong, that Daryl would never treat her like that, but she was conditioned to feel otherwise. That first time, that had been different and she knew it, fast and frenzied and he had been drunk. This was something else and she couldn't help but fear that he was only setting her up to hurt her. No matter how much stronger she was becoming, she couldn't shake this particular fear.

He met her eyes in the dim light and his narrowed slightly before his hands landed on her knees, which had somehow closed together tightly without her telling them to. She wanted to cry because she knew he wouldn't understand. He would think it was him because his own self worth was as torn apart as her own. He would think she didn't want him and to cover up his own pain and humiliation he would cloak it in anger. Either way, she would be left hurting.

He studied her eyes for a few more moments and then his expression cleared and he chewed his lip, letting his hands slide down her outer thighs. Her heart was thundering hard in her chest and she wished they hadn't done this. Wished they could go back to their easy friendship, but they could never do that. And really, she'd never stop wanting him this way so there was no point in trying to hide from it. Or there hadn't been a point until now.

He swallowed hard and nudged her knees apart, his body moving forward until he was braced over her. She tried to force that earlier feeling to return, just focus on how different this was, being with him like this, knowing he wanted her, but it was so hard. She was pretty sure that she was in the middle of a mild panic attack. This man had the ability to destroy her worse than Ed ever could have and she had never felt so exposed before.

"If I had it all to do over again I never woulda did what I did back there at the CDC," he said, his voice low and husky.

She flinched and she was sure she could hear the sound of her heart breaking in half. Horrified tears sprang from nowhere and overflowed. Here it was. Him telling her that she disgusted him. That what had happened had been a mistake that he wished he could take back... That he hadn't meant for them to get this far and...

"Because you deserved a whole goddamn lot better than that," he went on, his eyes earnest as they searched hers. "You deserved more than Ed ever gave you and you'll deserve more than I'll ever give, but I'm gonna try, alright? If you'll have me, I'll die tryin'."

Her heart stopped for a few beats and she was sure she had heard him wrong. Surely he didn't-

"Throw me a bone here, woman. I kinda just laid it all out there," he whispered, worry lacing his words. "You and the kid are all I got so this is kind of a big deal and I need to know. I ain't got a lot to offer but, like I said, I'm gonna try like hell to give you both everything I got."

Fresh tears spilled over and she felt like her chest would explode with the emotion she felt for this incredible man. He sighed heavily and made a move like he was about to sit up but she reached up, cupping the back of his head and pulled him down until his mouth crashed against hers. He grunted at the impact but the intensity of the kiss had him lowering his body until he was nestled between her legs.

She would never be able to express how relieved she was and how touched she was that he would go so far out of his comfort zone to put himself out there for her. And he still had no idea how amazing he was, and how lucky she was that he felt this way, and how him including her daughter, knowing they were a package deal and he wanted them both, was too much to contemplate right now.

Despite the emotion roiling through her, the heat of his body pressed against hers and the soft caress of his tongue as he traced the seam of her lips caused her to remember that she was very naked, and he very much wanted her. Wanted all of her. Not just for a fun romp in a tent at the end of the world, but wanted to be with her.

He broke the kiss and once again his mouth was moving away from hers, blazing a daring path down the center of her chest, his teeth nipping the taught skin above her belly button before she realized what his end game was and the fire in her belly spread through her veins, her chest rising and falling with the breaths she struggled for. She'd had the pleasure of kissing the man, had had the pleasure of watching that erotic tongue of his any time his fingers got messy from eating and the thought of him using it on her had her mouth going dry.

He took his time, like he had to pay close attention to every dip and curve of her body and she had never felt anything like it. He made her feel things she hadn't felt in a very long time. She felt sexy, wanted. This was so much different from that first time and she knew that he was letting her know that there was more to him, more to them, than a quick drunken tryst on the floor of a storage room.

Her patience worn thin and she threaded her fingers through his hair, pushing boldly and was rewarded with his warm breath cooling her skin as he chuckled at her impatience. But he took the hint graciously and she came up on her elbows, gasping for breath when she felt the hot flat of his tongue taste her in one long fluid lick.

His eyes snapped up, meeting hers and then he gripped her behind the knees, shoving her legs up higher until her heels were resting on his shoulders. Her mouth dropped open when he winked and then went to work, showing off a cocky side that she never would have expected him to possess. As much as she loved the shy and awkward man that she had grown so used to, when they were alone, she could really get used to this more confident Daryl.

She clamped her hand over her own mouth when his lips enclosed that small bundle of nerves, sucking gently as he eased two fingers inside. White pinpricks of light danced behind her eyelids as her world seemed to explode around her. The pleasure was sharp and surprising in it's intensity and she must have cried out because despite her own hand covering her mouth, he brought his up quickly, covering her own as he kept up a languid pace. This was all too much for her body to handle and without her telling it too she tried to move away from the pleasure, her feet slipping from his shoulders and digging into the blankets she was lying on, but he was having none of it. His free arm went around her and he pulled her back, holding her still and forcing her to breathe through it.

She had never been one of those lucky women that achieved orgasm easily and she was in a mild state of disbelief that he was able to bring her to that precarious brink so fast. Finally he moved his hand away from hers and her arms dropped, limp and useless to her sides.

He came up on his knees, breathing heavily himself as he pushed his hair back from his forehead. "You okay?" he asked, the cocky look was gone and was replaced with a look disbelief, eyes wide.

She nodded and felt a slow grin spread over her face.

He snorted, shaking his head but then he graced her with a grin of his own, a full on smile that was part bashful boy and part self satisfied man. He dropped over her, catching himself with one hand while the other went to unbutton his pants but she beat him to it, her hands sliding down his stomach and brushing his own away. As soon as they were open she started shoving them down and he stifled a laugh between her neck and shoulder. She gave up and used her feet.

His mouth was on hers again as soon as he had his pants kicked away. He shifted slightly, came down on his forearms and then she felt him moving into her, slower than the first time. He broke the kiss, his eyes meeting hers as he filled her, jaw clenched tightly. She knew what he wanted to do. He was holding back for her and she loved him for it but she needed the same thing he needed right now. She raised her hips swiftly, taking the rest of him in and saw his eyes narrow on hers.

Before she could blink he dropped his head, his teeth teasing her skin, putting just enough pressure and then he was moving, holding on to that self control he'd discovered. He pressed her into the pile of blankets, his body moving with hers as they found a rhythm that seemed to heighten their pleasure.

She felt his hand sliding down the back of her thigh, over her hip, exploring every inch of skin he could reach while she did the same, mapping out the muscles moving under her fingertips as he moved into her, his back flexing as his arms strained as he held himself up. Time ceased to exist to either of them as they explored one another.

"Damn it," he breathed, his forehead dropping to hers as his body tensed.

She knew he was trying to hold back but when he stopped altogether and pulled away she was stunned.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Sure, she wasn't expecting to be able to join him but that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying it! She had never been able to get off simply by having sex.

He shook his head. "That ain't how this is gonna play out," he said, his voice intense. "Roll over."

She gaped at him but he looked dead serious, her face flushing but he only huffed at her and raised one eyebrow. She chewed her lip and decided that she may as well do what he wanted, since he'd gone out of his way for her earlier. She did as he said, nearly crying out when he gripped her hips and hauled her up until she was on all fours.

She hated to admit that she had never had it this way but she didn't have much time to think about it before he was pushing back into her. The angle was different, his thrusts deeper and she heard a strangled sound before she realized she was the one that had made it. She arched her back, pushing into him harder and tried to keep quiet, knew she really needed to, but her body was coiling like a spring, her nerve endings tingling as he kept up those deep powerful thrusts. Pressure mounted and she was shocked, knowing she was about to come undone, knowing he was driving her to that place that apparently only he was capable of taking her.

The build up was much slower but once the pleasure exploded inside her it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Suddenly his hand was clamped over her mouth and he was hauling her up until her back was flush with his chest.

"Good girl," he crooned into her ear and the sound seemed to vibrate through her just as his other hand slid between her legs, playing over her skillfully and driving her even further out of her mind. She heard him growl close to her ear and then his thrusts faltered but heat pulsed inside of her and she knew he had finally let go.

His forehead dropped heavily to her shoulder as his chest heaved against her back, trying to catch his breath. She was grateful for the arm he had wrapped around her to hold her in place because she was sure without it she would fall flat on her face. Her body was still shuddering hard as aftershocks rocked through her. After a few long moments he gripped her hip and eased away from her and then flopped gracelessly onto his back on the pile of blankets. She scrambled to join him, dragging the sheet that was puddled around his hips up over her chest as she stared, still dazed, at the peaked roof of the tent.

A few seconds later a strange sound reached their ears and they both raised their heads before sharing a look. They both must have realized what the sound was at the same time, their eyes widening in unison.

At least four people were clapping from somewhere outside.

"Oh my God," she hissed, covering her mouth as her head hit the pillow. "They heard all of that? How?"

He shook his head and ran a hand over his face. "Cause you got a loud mouth," he muttered.

She was worried for a second but then she risked a glance at him and was surprised when he met her eyes and then laughed. The sound made her heart swell.

"I guess if anybody has to hear me in action, it might as well be this time instead of the first, huh?"

She grinned. "You were a complete stallion that night and don't think any differently."

He rolled over, half pinning her and flashing that grin again. The one that did very strange things to her heart. She reached up, pushing a strand of hair from his eyes. He turned his head just a fraction and pressed his lips to her palm.

After everything they had just done, it was that moment and that sweet gesture that sealed it for her. She was in love with this man, and she was certain that he was in love with her and from here on out, neither of them would ever have to face the pain of loneliness again.