Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead

The third day of walker-induced relaxation went by slowly, with the thick summer air in the cabin even grating on Carol's nerves after a while. As for Daryl, he didn't think he'd ever needed to go outside so bad. The herd had thinned a bit more over the course of the day, but the walkers outside still seemed to number in the twenties, and those were just the ones he could see through the peephole. If he was a betting man, he wouldn't give the two of them very good odds against a herd that size.

If there was any light in the whole situation, it was that the herd did seem to be slowly trickling away as the scent of passing wildlife reached their noses. Daryl thanked goodness for small favours every time he saw one distractedly wandering off into the distance.

After their conversation that morning, Daryl was much less concerned by Carol's behaviour. Sure, he still thought she was batshit crazy for acting like this was some kind of vacation from the relative safety of the prison, but he supposed he could understand her point. The folks back at the prison did often treat her like a glorified housewife, cooking, cleaning up after them and watching the children. Granted, most of the Woodbury kids didn't have parents left to watch after them, but it still didn't seem fair that those responsibilities unquestioningly wound up in Carol and Beth's hands. Daryl made a mental note to talk to Rick about the division of labour if – when– they made it back to the prison.

"You think we should make a run for it tomorrow?" Carol asked sometime after the sun had set on the third day. The pair had been watching the diminishing numbers closely all afternoon.

"Either that or settle in for a while longer," Daryl said, peeking out the peephole once more before joining her at the fire. She had laid out a blanket to serve as a make-shift picnic area, and had set out bowls of canned vegetables and Spam for them to eat for dinner. Daryl wasn't one to complain about a meal, but after three days on Spam, he was about ready to curse the former tenant for his god-awful taste in canned meats.

Daryl propped his crossbow against the wall and slid down onto the blanket, the food in between him and Carol. She picked at some beans slowly while Daryl grabbed some peas.

"I think we should take our chances," she said assuredly. Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you'd be all for for extendin' your vacation," he teased lightly.

"All vacations have to end sometime," she said simply.

"So what's the plan then?" he asked. "Go out in a blaze of glory?" She huffed a small laugh at that.

"I was thinking of something a little more elegant."

"If the numbers keep goin' down tonight we'll make a run for it in the mornin'," he allowed.

"You should sleep tonight, in that case,"she suggested.

"Someone's gotta keep watch."

"Daryl, you've secured and re-secured any weak points. If they were going to get in, they'd be in by now."

"Still. Don't wanna get caught with our pants down," he returned. She offered a sly grin at that.

"You planning on us taking our pants off tonight?" Daryl's eyes widened at the implication.

"Ain't what I meant," he backtracked.

"Hey, I'm not saying it's a bad idea," she pressed, amusement etched on her features. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Good Lord, woman."

"What? Fire, warm bed, privacy... not going to get a better chance than this."

"You're trouble," he said, pointing his fork at her to emphasize his point, making her laugh.

"You have no idea." She laughed once more as Daryl's expression went slack. "And you're too easy to get a rise out of," she teased. He pulled himself together and used what little self control he had to glare at her.

"Easy woman. One of these days I'm gonna think you're serious," he shot back, pleased when her grin morphed into an expression of surprise. He wasn't sure what it was about the whole scenario that made him feel loose enough to engage with her flirting, but he couldn't deny the small sense of pride he felt for making her blush. He took a self-congratulatory bite of his dinner, only to choke on it at her next statement.

"Who says I'm not?" she asked, her eyes trained squarely on him. He coughed the lodged pea out of his throat as best he could.

"What?" was all he could squeak out. He mentally berated himself for sounding like a fourteen year old boy.

"I'm just saying," she began, all humour suddenly gone, "if it's going to happen – if you want it to happen – now's the time." Daryl watched her with a mix of shock and awe as she continued. "After tonight we're either dead or back at the prison, where privacy is hardly something we can count on. Wouldn't you rather just do it here?" Her self-assuredness threw him for a loop. As someone who had never been certain about anything when it came to the opposite sex, he could hardly believe how brazen she was being.

"You're serious?" he questioned, clarifying. She set her bowl down and clasped her hands in her lap, showing, for the first time, a hint of nervousness.

"Look... if you're not interested just say so and we'll pretend I'm joking around," she offered. He eyed her tentatively for a moment.

"And if I am?" he forced the words out. She offered a small smile at that.

"Then maybe I'm serious." Daryl blinked at her for a long moment, feeling a pull in his gut that he'd rarely experienced since the world that gone to shit. He could see her nervousness showing, and the rational voice in his head was telling him to say something, do anything to alleviate the tension.

So he said the first thing that came to mind.

"C'mere woman," he ground out, his voice thick. Before he had a moment to re-evaluate his stance on the matter, Carol was across the picnic blanket, pushing him onto his back and straddling his hips.

The first kiss Daryl barely participated in at all, a frenzy of motion stealing his attention as he attempted to catch up with her. When he did catch up, it was all he could do to keep from mauling the woman.

"You sure about this?" She asked somewhere between heated kisses. He hadn't bothered to respond, instead moving his lips to her neck and tasting the skin he'd admittedly wanted to taste for some time.

Daryl wasn't the most experienced when he came to sex. He'd had a few trysts over the years, nothing serious or worth mentioning, and nothing recently. Since Merle was last out of prison five years earlier, the brothers had spent most of their time together. Daryl didn't make much time for anything else.

But being here on the splintered floor of an old rickety cabin, tangled and heated with Carol, he could feel all of those long lost memories coming back to him; the way it felt to be deep inside a woman, the way he was always left unsatisfied when they left before morning.

Carol wouldn't leave before morning – and he knew it wasn't just because of their circumstance. Almost more than the inevitable sex, he was excited for the next part. Being together. Sleeping together. Holding her in his arms. He moaned into her neck at the thought and pulled her tighter against him. Daryl wasn't a needy man by any means, but he needed Carol. He wasn't fool enough to pretend he didn't.

Somewhere between the kisses and searching hands, the pair pushed up off the hard floor and fumbled their way to the bed, clothes disappearing as they went. Daryl noticed her eyes on his scars, which normally made him want to hide, but for some reason he felt safe in her sights. She didn't judge him, or pity him. She related to him. She was him, in so many ways.

As they sunk into the uncomfortable mattress, Daryl slipped easily between her thighs, letting her guide him home as they finally came together after what felt to him like a year-long game of cat and mouse. He needed to feel all of her, and when he finally did, he knew there was no way this could possibly last long enough – not just this moment of intimacy, but this moment of privacy, this vacation from the group and all of the realities associated with life in the prison. Part of him just wanted to stay here in this cabin with Carol and never go back.

Daryl dropped his head into her neck as he set up a slow pace. He didn't want to rush this moment, it felt too important. But he also knew he didn't have a lot of time left in him, so he wanted to make it last as long as possible for her. For them. Being together like this was something he'd wanted for far too long, but had never really expected to be able to do. He had to make it last.

He sighed into her throat as she wrapped her legs more tightly around his waist and tangled one hand in the hair at the back of his head.

"Daryl," she whispered. He pushed up enough that he could see her, stilling deep inside of her. She smiled and he couldn't help but return it, dipping down to kiss her lightly before resuming his movement.

It didn't take long, and it wasn't perfect, but Daryl managed to hang on until he felt the woman coming apart in his arms. When they finished, he fell to the side and pulled her tightly against him, tangling their bodies together as they let sleep find them for the last time in the cabin.

Daryl peeked out the peephole and felt an odd sense of dissatisfaction at the sight of the few walkers that were left over. Since he'd last checked, they'd lost at least half of their remaining following, leaving an even ten walkers that he could make out, few enough that he and Carol should have no trouble dispatching them.

"What are our chances?" Carol asked from the bed. He turned to see her sitting up, sheets pulled up to her chest, bare shoulders peeking out. He sighed lightly.

"We'll be fine. Just gotta be smart about it," he allowed. He was standing across the room shirtless, his pants on, but unbuttoned. She nodded her understanding, a small frown on her lips.

"Don't suppose the offer to extend our vacation still stands," she joked lightly. He chuckled a little at that and crossed over, settling himself on the edge of the bed, leaning in close to her and snagging the briefest of kisses.

"I dunno," he muttered. "Could stay here awhile. Give 'em a chance to miss us." She giggled lightly at that and leaned in to kiss him a little longer. The ease of their morning after wasn't lost on him. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but he was relieved that they seemed to be on the same page.

After a few moments, Carol pulled away and sighed.

"We should get a move on," she suggested. He nodded slowly and she watched him, nervousness etched on her features. "Daryl?" she questioned.

"Yeah?"

"When we get back..." she let her sentence drift off, and Daryl knew what she was asking.

"I'm in if you are," he offered. She smiled genuinely then, and nodded her ascent.

"I'm in," she confirmed. He nodded, feeling a strange contentment forming in his belly. He wondered if this was the feeling she had had all along.

Hours and a dozen dead walkers later, the pair finally emerged from the thick wilderness at the gates of prison. A relieved looking Rick was there to meet them, pulling the gates open for them.

"We thought you were dead," he said bluntly. Daryl passed his pack full of canned vegetables, Spam and instant coffee over to the man.

"Nah, man. Just went shoppin'," he joked. Rick looked down at the contents of the bag and then up at them curiously. He looked like he might have more to say, but Daryl and Carol didn't bother waiting around. Days away had been enough for them to miss the prison and all of the crazy people within, and they were eager to get back inside and see their adopted family once again.

Daryl grabbed Carol's hand as they made their way toward the cell block. Vacations were always nice while they lasted, but nothing ever felt quite as good as coming home.

End

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