Carol paused in front of Daryl's cell, smiling softly at the last few stragglers at the block before they shuffled off to bed. She stopped when she realized that he was in his bunk, peering at him through the open door.

"I didn't see you at dinner tonight," She said quietly.

He looked up at her, but didn't say anything, eyes harsh and face nearly set in stone. She groaned inwardly, knowing she'd have to proceed with caution. She stepped slowly into his space and when he still didn't respond, she tenderly sat at the edge of the bunk facing him. "You must be hungry. There's still some left. I'll bring you a plate here if you like."

He remained silent.

Her mouth set in a line. "Do not shut me out," she said firmly.

He turned his eyes back to her. "You weren't here when I got back."

She nodded. "I went with Glenn and Tyreese on a run. We got a little… held up."

"I could've gone out," he replied, still coolly.

She folded her arms across her chest. "You were out hunting with Rick. People needed things."

"But you're supposed ta be here."

She raised an eyebrow. "And do what?"

He shrugged in response. "Where are the kids? Or do you not care?"

"Kids're fine. They're with Beth and Hershel. What's this really about?"

"You're supposed ta be here."

She laughed. "Am I always supposed to be waiting for you?"

"You weren't here!" He shouted. "You're supposed ta be here when I get back, and you weren' here!"

"Daryl…" She breathed, placing a steady hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't know where ya were," he mumbled without looking at her. "And I need you."

She nodded. "I know," she replied softly. "But I'm here now." She raised her hands to his face on either side and tilted his head back to look at her. "And so are you."

"You'd better be careful," he whispered, his breath hot on her face.

"I'm always careful," she whispered back, leaning closer.

"Not right now, you're not. You should know, there's no turning back. It's your choice, either way," He said, a little gruffly. "Make it."

"Alright." She barely had enough time to register how his eyes widened slightly in alarm right before she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips softly against his. "I need you too."

It only took a second for him to begin kissing her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her slender waist and pulling her flush against his body as he eagerly slipped his tongue into her mouth.

They were both breathing heavy when they finally pulled apart. Carol rested her forehead against his, eyes still closed.

"Probably not the best choice," he managed once he'd caught his breath.

"Oh." She untangled her arms from around his neck, lowering her eyes.

"Hay." He tapped a finger under her chin. "I didn't say it wasn't the one I was hopin' for."

"Oh," she said again, suddenly self-conscious.

"Are we doing this now?" He asked, sliding back across the bed until his back was against the wall.

She nodded. "Yes," she whispered as she crawled towards him, covering his mouth with hers again.

He raised his hands to grip her shoulders, holding her tight against him. She lowered her mouth to his neck, nibbling softly at the sensitive skin above his collar bone. He leaned his head back and she felt more than heard the slight hitch in his breath.

She raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"It's fine," he murmured. "Just found a sweet spot. You don't have to stop."

"Really?" She grinned mischievously, returning to her assault on his neck. "How sweet?"

He shifted his position at the same time she moved forward again and she gasped when she felt something hard against her leg. "Um…" She slid her hand down the front of his shirt, pausing on his belt buckle.

"Don't have to if you don't want to," he reminded her, groaning softly at the more insistent feel of her teeth and tongue on his neck. "Although if you keep that up…"

"It's not that," she said, running her shaky fingers along the soft skin behind the waist band of his jeans. "It's just… been a really, really long time since I've touched a man… intimately."

"Ain't much to it," he assured her. "Just do what feels right."

"Alright," She breathed, unzipping his pants slowly as he impatiently shrugged out of them. She gripped him firmly, her thumb circling his tip and her fingers tight around his shaft.

He sucked in a breath as she began to jerk him slowly.

"Just let me know what feels good," she said quietly.

"Uh-huh," he murmured, eyes closed as his breathing started to pick up.

She increased her speed, silently hoping that she was twisting her wrist at the right times until he started squirming beneath her.

"Oh, shit," he moaned softly, eyes still closed. "You really know how to touch me."

Suddenly, it wasn't enough to have her hand wrapped around him and she released her grip, sitting back.

"What the-" He protested, opening his eyes in time to see her grab his hips firmly as she yanked him to the edge of the bed before dropping down to her knees and ducking her head between his legs.

"Ohhhh," he moaned as she took him into her mouth, and he thought for a second that it was such a pretty mouth, much too pretty to have his cock shoved up inside of it but then she did something sinful with her tongue and he lost all comprehension.

She licked along his underside, circling her tongue around his tip before tightening her lips around him. She reached one hand out to squeeze his balls, the other had to stretch all the way up to cover his mouth and quiet his soft moans as she went up and down his length.

"Fuck," he moaned as she took him deeper, eyes rolling back into his head. "Carol, shit…" He gripped the edge of the bed tightly, both sets of knuckles turning white as he fought to restrain himself from pressing his hands to the back of her head.

"Oh, shit!" He shouted as he came without warning, and his eyes shot open when she gave a little yelp. "I'm sorry," he murmured, watching her wipe at her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Just felt so fucking good."

"Ssh, it's fine," she insisted, smiling impishly. "Was it really that good?"

"Fuck yeah," he assured her, his face slightly flushed.

She grinned. "I've never actually wanted to do that before."

He grinned back. "C'mere." He lifted her up onto the bed easily, kissing her thoroughly as his hands groped for the slightest bit of bare skin.

"I can't promise that the return favor will be as good," he said as he made quick work of unbuttoning her pants. He slid his hand into her panties, groaned when he found her soaked. "Fuck. I've barely even touched you. Are you really this wet just from sucking me off?"

His cock twitched at her breathless nod and he eagerly slipped his middle finger inside her. "So tight," he murmured, adding his index finger.

She moaned loudly when he crooked his fingers inside her and he clapped his free hand over her mouth, just as she had done for him. He pressed his thumb against her clit as he fingered her and she whimpered softly into his hand.

He settled down beside her as he found a steady rhythm and she turned her head to bury her face in his chest, letting the fabric of his shirt muffle her moans. He moved his hand to find a deeper angle as he slid his fingers in and out and she cried out suddenly. "That feel good?"

"God, yes," she moaned.

He felt her start to flutter around his fingers and he increased the pressure on her clit until she cried out his name.

"I wanna put my dick inside you," he said without thinking.

"Do it," she urged, grabbing for him and gasping in surprise when she found him hard again.

"If- if we do this now, there really is no turning back," he said quietly, his eyes searching her face.

"I know," she whispered, tugging at his shirt.

He lifted his arms up to let her pull it off over his head, then lowered his hands clumsily to the buttons at her chest. Her hands were everywhere then, and he had to really concentrate on slipping the buttons through their holes one at a time. Finally, he was impatiently sliding the garment off her shoulders and reaching around her back to undo the clasp of her bra.

He fumbled with it for a few seconds, frowning. "How the fuck…?"

She laughed, sliding the straps down her shoulders and shrugging out of it when he finally figured it out. She moved into his embrace then, pressing herself against him, chest to chest, and he had to close his eyes against the feelings that overwhelmed him when he felt her hands all over his back.

"Okay?" She asked, moving her hands over his muscular chest and flat stomach.

"Yeah," he answered, sliding a hand between her thighs to make sure she was still wet enough for him and letting out a desperate "Oh" when he realized she was. "Ready?"

She nodded. "I've always been ready for you," she whispered.

He leaned forward, lowering her onto the bed and gripping his cock to guide himself into her.

She sighed softly as he stretched her open.

He watched her face for any sign that he was hurting her, letting out a shaky breath as he slid further in. "Good?"

"Good," she agreed, grasping at his hips.

"So tight," he moaned as he thrust into her.

She pushed back and it took a few clumsy tries before they found a rhythm they both liked. She let out a deep moan when he found a deeper angle.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he groaned, grinding his hips into hers as she cried out in pleasure.

"Right there," she moaned. "Oh, God."

"Right here, baby? That your spot?"

"Oh, yes. Yes..." she cried. "Don't stop."

"I won't," he promised as he thrust harder. "I won't ever stop."

"God, Daryl. That's so good," she whimpered.

He could kind of tell when she was getting close and he wrapped one hand around her hip, the other braced himself against the top bunk as he thrust harder and faster until she was crying out against his skin. She bit down hard on the side of his neck as her orgasm ripped through her and it wasn't a second longer until he was spilling into her with a loud grunt.

"Holy shit," he murmured. "I haven't come that hard since I was a teenager."

"Twice," she added.

"Naw, that never happened before."

She idly traced the muscles in his bicep.

"Now ya see why you should always be here when I get back?"