Archive of Our Own

The sound of the front door closing echoed through the house and Rick breathed a sigh of relief.

Not that he wasn’t happy to have the others around, he was, but between Abraham’s booming voice, Maggie and Glenn’s laughter, and everyone else talking over each other, his headache had taken on a life of its own.

Thankfully everyone had disappeared now, Carol even taking Judith for a bit once she saw him wincing at every little noise, a sympathetic smile on her face as she left. Michonne had taken Carl out to go on watch - or more likely to finish their most recent debate on some comic book superhero Rick couldn’t remember - and now the house was blessedly silent. Just him.

And Daryl.

Rick felt his face flush as he eyed his friend in the kitchen and mentally scolded himself; it wasn’t like they were some lovesick couple desperately hoping for the house to themselves or anything. They weren’t anything. Well, anything beyond friends and family in the same way that everyone else in their group was family after everything they’d gone through together. Unfortunately.

While he’d love it if there was more to their relationship, he had to acknowledge that Daryl had never shown any indication of interest in sex or romance with anyone. He was undoubtedly a private man and Rick was loath to pry and make him uncomfortable just to satisfy his own curiosity.

And even if Daryl was interested in men that didn’t mean he’d want Rick. God only knew that Rick could be a basket case as the past couple of years had proven. Not to mention Daryl’s childhood likely hadn’t been the most accepting of anyone in a same-sex relationship considering some of the shit he remembered Merle spouting.

He shook off the thought and turned back to Daryl. “What have you got now?”

Daryl’s eyes flicked up to his and lifted the jars in his hands. “Got some carrots and broccoli,” he said, shaking the jars slightly. “The book said Lil’ Asskicker should be fine with ‘em as long as the lumps ain’t too big.”

Rick smiled widely, walking around the kitchen island and laying a hand on Daryl’s shoulder, leaning over him to see his attempts at making baby food. (If he enjoyed the warmth of his friend’s muscular body, that was between him and his mind. He also enjoyed the fact that the once reticent man didn’t even blink anymore at Rick’s touch or proximity.)

“Looks good. Then again, I think she’d be happy with anything you gave her,” he added with a quiet laugh. “You’re her favorite person, after all.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Daryl scoffed, cheeks faintly red. “Yer her daddy.”

So are you. Rick bit back the words and instead squeezed Daryl’s shoulder. “And you do everything for her just the same.” He nodded to the jars on the counter, grinning teasingly as he sensed Daryl’s self-consciousness. “She’d be thrilled to know you’re her personal chef now.”

Daryl snorted and rolled his eyes, turning to lean backwards against the counter, barely a foot in front of Rick with his muscled arms crossed across his broad chest. “Mashing up veggies ain’t cooking, Rick.” He shot a small smirk at Rick. “Just ‘cause you can’t make anything more complicated than oatmeal.”

Rick grinned back lazily, not thinking before he replied. “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

Maybe if he hadn’t been right in front of Daryl he wouldn’t have noticed, but he was, and so he watched with amazement as Daryl blushed a bright red, dark blue eyes widening as he stared back at Rick. It was different from the embarrassment Rick was used to seeing from the other man when someone complimented him, it was almost … shy. And pleased, with a touch of fear as he realised Rick was cataloging his reactions.

He cleared his throat. Did he take the chance now it appeared to be here? It was the clearest sign he’d gotten that his interest might not be entirely one-sided and he was torn; should he do something and risk making his best friend back off, retreating entirely if he was wrong, or brush it off as a simple joke? He wouldn’t be able to handle it if he lost Daryl, especially out of everyone else in the group.

Then again … Rick watched as the hunter shifted in place, but noticeably remained where he stood and waited for Rick to do something. He wasn’t laughing the word off either, and the way he was gazing at Rick made him wonder what his own expression was doing right now, if it was as hungry as he felt.

“Daryl?” he murmured. “Are you - I mean, can I -”

Rick cut himself off and exhaled roughly, running a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the right words. He licked his dry lips and watched as Daryl tracked the movement, eyes locked on Rick’s face like when he was hunting in the woods. Rick felt his stomach clench at the thought of being the sole focus of the other man and met Daryl’s eyes again.

“Can I kiss you?”

Daryl stilled and stared back, blank expression at odds with the blush covering his face. He swallowed heavily and Rick watched the movement of his throat, wanting nothing more than to sink his teeth in and mark the pale skin.

“Why?”

Why? It felt like there were a million reasons he could give. Daryl’s inner strength, his beauty no matter what he did or wore, his ability to make Rick breathe easier just by being there … They were all reasons, very valid ones which were all completely true, but …

He stepped closer, slowly lifting one of his hands towards Daryl’s face and giving him time to move if he wanted. He didn’t, and Rick gently cupped the side of Daryl’s jaw, thumb lightly stroking the heated skin next to his mouth. 

“Because you’re you.”

Daryl let out a small noise, a light hitch of breath barely heard under the sound of Rick’s own heart thumping furiously in his chest. He stared back at Rick, blue meeting blue, and nodded just once, a small jerk of his head betraying his nerves along with his consent.

Rick just smiled gently, pausing for a moment before leaning in unhurriedly but deliberately. There was enough time for his best friend to push Rick away if he wanted, but once again Daryl remained where he was, and Rick finally closed his eyes as their lips met softly.

It was warm. Tender. Easy in a way that communication between them often was. It was them, and Rick used his hand on Daryl’s face to tilt the other man’s head just slightly as Rick’s free hand found its way to Daryl’s waist and slipped around his back, pulling him in closer to Rick’s body.

He pulled back from the chaste kiss and opened his eyes to see Daryl had done the same, was in fact staring at him intensely, the fear from before all but vanished in the wake of a very decisive kiss. There was still embarrassment painted on the hunter’s cheeks, his fingers clenching into Rick’s shirt over his shoulders as he tried to make sense of Rick’s actions.

Whatever Daryl saw in Rick settled him and he stopped fidgeting. He pulled Rick closer by the shoulders and whispered, so close their lips brushed as he spoke.

“Again.”

Daryl barely got the word out before Rick was on him again, pushing a little harder than before, their lips moving together with purpose. Rick was overwhelmed with the scent of the other man; the oil he used to maintain his crossbow, the coffee he snuck far too much of, the smell of the outdoors which had been a part of Daryl Dixon as long as Rick could remember. It all drew Rick in, arousal settling in to every part of him as their kiss deepened.

Rick’s breath shook and he licked Daryl’s top lip, a barely-there flick of the wet muscle. A flick which had Daryl groaning lowly into Rick’s mouth and parting his lips in surprise. Rick took the chance and licked into the warm mouth, meeting and coaxing the other tongue to join him in a filthy dance as they pressed together.

It was clear Daryl wasn’t the most experienced but the thought did little to turn Rick off, if anything it sent a possessive thrill through him at the thought of Daryl being his and only his. His hand skimmed down Daryl’s back and met his ass, roughly squeezing one cheek and pulling the other man’s hips into his.

Both of their groins came into contact, both clearly hard, and Daryl broke the kiss abruptly, burying his face into Rick’s shoulder and humping forward instinctively and without plan. He whimpered loudly and dug his nails into Rick’s shoulder, his shirt doing little to disguise the sharp points of pain that were almost guaranteed to leave bruises come the morning. The thought of Daryl’s marks covering him for all to see sent a shudder through Rick, a low moan in the back of his throat.

He brought a hand up to Daryl’s hair and threaded his fingers through, pushing the larger man into him harder. Daryl’s hips were still twitching impulsively against his as though he couldn’t contain himself, his warm breath fluttering over Rick’s neck and making his own cock throb uncomfortably in his jeans. Rick’s other hand remained on Daryl’s ass, guiding the uncoordinated thrusts.

“That’s it, sweetheart.”

A high-pitched sound escaped the hunter, practically a sob and he tensed in Rick’s arms, muscles drawn tight and holding himself in place with clear effort. Rick stilled as he wondered if that lack of movement meant what he thought it did. He peered down at the other man and was a touch confused; there was no relief in his larger frame as Rick initially thought. Daryl took several shaky breaths and drew back slightly away from Rick, though deliberately sliding his large hands down Rick's arms and grabbing onto his hands, holding tightly as if he were worried Rick would let go if given the chance.

Daryl’s gaze dropped between the two of them, his head tilting forward as much as possible with the minimal space between them so that he could presumably hide behind the curtain of soft, dark hair that dropped over his forehead. (Hair that Rick had fantasized about stroking in his softer daydreams. Pulling in his more erotic ones.)

“Wasn’t - wasn’t tryin’ to stop, but I didn’t want … I almost …”

After a second Rick swallowed heavily, eyes on Daryl’s bright red cheeks and tense shoulders, the way he was desperately trying to even out his breathing and realised what he was saying.

“Daryl? You almost … came? Is that what you meant?”

Rick watched as the older man flinched and knew that whatever Daryl was thinking was most definitely wrong.

He stepped forward into Daryl once more and dropped his hands from Daryl’s own, quickly bringing them up to wrap around broad shoulders. Rick buried his face in the hunter’s neck, inhaling deeply and groaning loudly at the smell. He pressed his hips into Daryl’s thigh letting him feel just how hard he was as he started pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses onto every patch of skin he could reach.

“Nothing to be ashamed of, Daryl. Fucking hell, sweetheart, you have no idea how amazing you are, do you? So fucking gorgeous. I’m so goddamn lucky. Daryl, sweetheart, you’re so pretty.”

Each word was accompanied by something, a kiss, a stroke, a light squeeze. Rick could feel Daryl let out a tiny gasp with each one, cute little sounds that echoed around Rick’s mind.

“Rick! Rick, I ain’t - I ain’t never -”

Fucking knew it. Rick didn’t stop or draw attention to Daryl’s whimpered confession, just slowly kissed his way up the neck in front of him, sucking a small mark just underneath Daryl’s jaw before scraping his teeth upwards and across Daryl’s cheek, the sensation causing the older man to suck in a sharp breath and grab onto Rick’s waist for dear life.

“With anyone?” he asked quietly, nosing into coarse facial hair and imagining how it would feel scratching other, more sensitive places.

Daryl tried to clear his throat. “No. No-one - I didn’t want nobody, or they didn’t want me.”

“Poor choice on their part.” Rick lifted his head and looked him in the eye, thumbs lightly stroking circles into the back of Daryl’s neck. “Do you want to? With me?”

“I-”

“‘Cause you don’t have to, you know? It won’t make me care any less.”

Daryl’s gaze flickered up his eyes and then away, chewing at his lip as his mind worked over Rick’s words. Words which he wasn’t going to be taking back, no matter how turned on he was right now.

Rick ducked his head. “Hey, I mean that. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, sweetheart.”

Daryl’s blush deepened even more, if it were possible. “Like it,” he muttered quietly.

“Hmm, what’s that?”

“Like it. When ya call me … that.”

Rick grinned. “You mean ‘sweetheart’?”

“Asshole,” Daryl grumbled, punching him lightly in the side. Rick just laughed and pressed a kiss to Daryl’s forehead.

“You never answered me.”

“...I don’t wanna disappoint you.”

Rick drew Daryl into a hug, studiously ignoring both his and Daryl’s arousal for the moment and pressing their heads together, making sure nothing got missed.

“The only thing that would disappoint me right now would be us doing something you don’t want.” Rick spoke clearly, desperately hoping the other man would hear his sincerity and accept his words. “I care about you, more than I admitted to myself for a long time, and maybe if I’d been less of a coward earlier we’d have sorted things between us sooner, but here we are right now.

“I ain’t gonna lie and say I don’t want you as more than a friend or family, it’s pretty obvious I’d be lying, but only on your terms, Daryl. You think any of this is a mistake -” he cut himself off and cleared his throat, hating the idea of them being a mistake but knowing it needed to be said for Daryl’s sake. “You think this is a mistake, we can move on right now and forget it ever happened. Go back to being family like always, no hard feelings.

“But if you want anything with me - anything, no matter what - you should know, it’s already yours.”

There was silence in the kitchen in the wake of Rick’s words, and even though he wanted to know right this second how his life might change in the immediate future, he was glad Daryl was carefully thinking things through. The older man was much less reactionary than when they’d first met in Atlanta, much more likely to gather all the pieces and assess any situation from all angles before making his move. The perfect hunter.

Rick smiled slightly at the thought and carried on stroking Daryl’s hair. He didn’t mind the other man even when he was filthy and covered in God knows what, but the soft, clean hair he was sporting nowadays spoke to a different part of him. Daryl looked settled. Mellowed out. Like he’d finally accepted he could relax enough here to wash off the layers of dirt that he often used as a shield.

Daryl looked at him and smirked hesitantly. “You saying you want there to be an us, Grimes?” He was clearly giving Rick an out, one final chance to pass it off as a moment of madness and go back to normal.

Not a chance. “Only if you do.”

“Shit, Rick,” Daryl mumbled. “Ya think I’d let anyone else touch me like this?” He exhaled roughly and cautiously leaned into Rick another inch, letting the deputy take his weight and relaxing into their embrace.

“Course I want you, ain’t ever gonna be anyone else.”

And really, how else was Rick supposed to react to something like that coming from Daryl? He lifted Daryl’s head and brought their lips together once more, this time not hesitating before invading the other mouth with his tongue. It wasn’t frantic in any way, but it was certainly heated the way they were trying to taste every inch of each others’ mouths. 

Rick let one hand drop down to Daryl’s hip and slipped a hand under his shirt, groaning at the warm skin he found there and feeling Daryl grab the back of his neck in response. He lightly circled the area with his thumb for a few moments before dragging his nails across Daryl’s hip and lower back.

Said man immediately moaned into Rick’s mouth and grabbed his curls with both hands, pulling hard but sucking his tongue so he couldn’t escape. The dual sensations of sharp pain and wet pleasure had him growling into Daryl’s mouth loudly and dragging him closer by the ass.

Rick broke the kiss, panting heavily. “So, do you want -”

“Yes, damn it, I want to fuck you!”

The glare he shot at Rick did nothing to quell the stab of want that shot through him at those words, though the hunter’s debauched appearance wasn’t helping the throbbing need in his dick, either. Daryl’s hair was messy from where Rick had had his hands running through repeatedly, the flush in his cheeks had spread to the tips of his ears and down to his collarbones, and his thin lips were unusually pink and plump from Rick’s teeth, shining and wet under the overhead lights. He looked sinful.

Rick grinned and took Daryl’s hand, dragging him through the house and upstairs to Rick’s room. What should have been a quick thirty second journey took several minutes as they kept stopping to touch or make out, Rick moaning loudly from his position against the wall as Daryl suddenly sunk his teeth into Rick’s neck and sucked harshly. Rick clutched the other man to his body tightly, delighted at the spontaneity. 

“Fuck yeah, mark me up.”

Finally they were in Rick’s room and the door was locked behind them, and Rick could see a hint of nerves flicker across the other man’s face. The deputy didn’t give the older man a moment to work himself up to panic and took Daryl’s face in his hands, pulling him in for another kiss, humming at the taste of his mouth.

He pulled back and grinned sharply. “How’s your refractory period?”

Daryl blushed with wide eyes. “What?” he choked out.

“You think you can come more than once?”

“... Not right away, but … yeah, should be fine.”

“Great,” Rick said as he led Daryl to the bed. “Taking the edge off first should help us last longer. You trust me?”

“Course I do.”

Daryl’s words were almost offended and Rick chucked quietly, gently pushing the hunter down so he sat on the edge of the bed, Rick leaning around him to grab a pillow to put on the floor in front of Daryl.

He met Daryl’s gaze. “If I do anything you don’t want, you let me know, alright?” And then he knelt on the pillow and looked upwards at the frozen and blushing man. “And go easy on me, it’s been a while since I’ve done this.”

“Rick …”

Rick paused and looked up. “You don’t want me to do this?”

“Fuck yeah,” came the breathless reply and Rick grinned wickedly. “I mean, if you want.”

“Daryl, trust me, I ain’t doing anything I don’t want.”

He watched as the other man swallowed and nodded once and Rick smiled back softly. God, he was lucky. He looked forward at the other man’s crotch and was grateful to see the visible sign of interest; despite Daryl’s nerves he still wanted this. Rick placed both his hands on Daryl’s thighs and stroked back and forth, hoping the slow motions would help calm his partner down. It also allowed him a chance to feel just how muscled the thighs were, and Rick lost himself for a moment imagining his head being squeezed between them. Maybe another time.

Rick leaned forward and buried his nose in the bulge, inhaling and groaning loudly at the faint scent he could smell hidden under the layers of clothing. Rick heard a small whimper and rubbed his nose back and forth across the straining denim.

“Fucking hell sweetheart, you smell amazing.”

He pulled back slightly and moved to pop the button on Daryl’s jeans before pausing and looking at the zipper. Rick made his mind up and leaned in to grab the metal between his teeth, peering upwards and meeting Daryl’s eyes from beneath his lashes and slowly dragging it downwards, never breaking their gaze.

Daryl cursed and jerked where he sat, his underwear-covered dick pressing further into the open space of his jeans. Rick let go and slowly reached up, tilting his head in question and getting a nod in answer. He encouraged Daryl to lift his hips for a second so he could pull the jeans and boxers down in one go, making sure to catch the socks as well so Daryl was bare from the waist down.

Rick threw the clothes towards the wall and sat back down, holding Daryl’s knees apart all the while staring Daryl in the eye and noting the tension in his jaw and shoulders. Rick gently kissed one thigh at a time, moving slowly and never breaking eye contact as he did. Slowly Daryl relaxed and Rick winked, prompting a surprised laugh out of his new lover.

The deputy took a deep breath himself and willed himself to calm down. It wasn't going to help anything if he got too enthusiastic and moved too quickly. And Daryl hadn’t done anything like this before. He needed Rick to help him with this, be there for him without making too big a deal out of things.

He finally let his eyes wander down to Daryl’s groin and felt his eyes widen, another lurch of want running through him at the sight before him. Fucking. Hell. Daryl was huge. He was bigger in both length and girth than anyone else Rick had ever seen, the hard length flushed all over. It was a deeper red at the uncut end, the shiny head just poking out from the foreskin and already wet with precome that was dripping down to the balls covered in a light dusting of dark hair.

Rick swallowed the saliva in his mouth and licked his lips at the sight. It might have been close to two decades since the last time he’d done this but that didn’t mean he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed it and how to do it. It was like riding a bike, he thought. He imagined riding Daryl for a second and shivered at the thought. Something to get around to at some point.

Before Daryl could get too self-conscious at Rick’s staring, Rick wrapped one hand loosely around Daryl and leaned forward, licking one long stripe up the hunter’s cock, base to tip, finishing with a flick dipping into the slit.

Daryl moaned loudly, the sound echoing off the walls and making Rick grateful they had the house to themselves. He wouldn’t have wanted to gag the other man. This time, anyway. A large hand sunk into Rick’s curls and gripped tightly, not moving his head but holding him in place. Rick hummed appreciatively as he drifted his lips up Daryl’s length, trailing the vibrations along the whole length.

Rick started stroking the lower half slowly as he moved over the tip, mouthing at it and swirling his tongue in senseless patterns to the sound of Daryl keening. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Daryl’s other hand clenching the edge of the bed sheets tightly, his knuckles white and highlighting a few scattered scars. Maybe he should hurry things in case Daryl finished too early and got embarrassed. The image of a flustered Daryl flashed in his mind, red faced and ashamed after coming too early, his spend covering Rick’s face and dripping down … 

He groaned, both at the taste and at the hand in his hair clenching tighter. He finally loosened his jaw and slid his lips over Daryl, only getting halfway down before he felt the intrusion push too much against the back of his throat. Fucking hell, Daryl was going to ruin him. Rick hummed, sucking lightly as he pulled back up slowly, letting the older man feel every touch of Rick’s tongue as it dragged up the underside.

As he reached the top he made sure to dig his tongue into the sensitive spot underneath the head, relishing in the sound of Daryl shouting as he pulled off with a pop. Rick quickly darted his eyes up to check on his lover, seeing eyes clenched shut and a bottom lip being bitten harshly. He grinned and got back to work, feeding the massive dick into his mouth and savoring the stretch of his lips around the impressive girth.

Rick lost himself in the steady bob of his head, up and down, up and down, one of his hands making sure the bottom half of Daryl’s member wasn’t neglected, the other busy with softly massaging the balls underneath.

“Rick! Rick, I’m -”

He pulled off quickly, ignoring Daryl’s sob at the loss of attention and stared him in the eye. “Come for me, sweetheart.”

And with that he got back to work, sucking and licking at an even quicker pace than before. He felt Daryl’s hips twitch and thrust in place, fucking Rick’s mouth as much as he could from his position and Rick moaned at the sensation, dropping a hand to palm himself though his jeans. Daryl wasn’t the only one close to coming.

Rick felt Daryl’s whimpers echo through him and he took a deep breath in through his nose, relaxing his throat as much as he could and pushing further than before, sucking harshly and humming loudly.

He was rewarded with a loud wail, Daryl pulling him even further onto his dick and choking him slightly, trapped there as the other man came down his throat with several harsh thrusts. Rick swallowed repeatedly trying to clear his throat but he couldn’t move an inch, a fact that had him grinding into his palm and whining at the sensation.

After a while Daryl let go of his hair, Rick’s scalp tingling pleasantly as the pain faded. The softening dick was slowly pulled out of his mouth, a trace of come dragging over Rick’s lips. He absently licked his lips and blinked rapidly, feeling the tears trapped in his eyelashes from being choked. That was … 

“Rick?”

Rick looked up and licked his sensitive lips again. Daryl looked wrecked. His massive chest was heaving, legs splayed to the side obscenely to frame that fucking monster cock, now soft but still impressive in its size. It was shiny and wet from Rick’s spit, a couple of drops of come dotted in Daryl’s pubes that Rick desperately wanted to lick up and savor the taste of.

So he did, ignoring the yell as his nose bumped Daryl’s sensitive flesh. He sat back and smirked up at Daryl. “Was that okay?”

Speaking of wrecked, his voice came out raspy and strained, the sound making Daryl blush with embarrassment even as a satisfied look shot through his dark eyes.

Daryl scoffed. “I came in your mouth and ya ask that?” Before he could reply Daryl dropped his eyes to Rick’s jeans and chewed his lip thoughtfully. He gestured with his chin and looked straight at Rick.

“Can I?”

Rick wasn’t sure what exactly Daryl wanted to do but he was willing to sell his soul to the devil if it got Daryl to touch his dick.

He got up and stepped in between Daryl’s legs, lifting the other man’s hands up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to each before resting them on Rick’s hips. 

“I’m all yours, sweetheart.”

There was a moment of stillness before Daryl sat up straighter, slipping his hands around Rick’s back and pulling him closer so Daryl could bury his nose in Rick’s stomach and nuzzle in there. He retreated and grabbed the hem of Rick’s shirt at the front, tugging the fabric and peering up at the deputy silently.

Rick got the hint and took his shirt off, pulling it off from the bottom and not bothering with the buttons. He threw it over his shoulder without looking where it landed and lowered his arms to rest around the back of Daryl’s neck, watching as the other man dragged his eyes over Rick’s torso shamelessly. He was scarred as everyone else was nowadays but that didn’t seem to deter Daryl’s heated stare, blue eyes roving over Rick with clear want and he shuddered in response.

Daryl noticed and seemed to remember that Rick was still hard and wanting, his trembling hands moving to the front of Rick’s jeans and stopping. Rick opened his mouth but got a sharp glare before he could speak, smiling widely instead before large hands purposefully undid the denim trapping his hard cock and pulled the pants down to his thighs.

His amusement vanished and he gasped as the back of Daryl’s knuckles brushed over the front of his boxers, hips jolting forward without conscious thought. Rick had been able to ignore his arousal for the most part up until now, but now there were hands slowly pulling his boxers up and over his sensitive member and he was suddenly desperate to come. He still had the taste of Daryl in his mouth, the memory of him whining in his mind, his smell having settled into the room, and he was close.

“Daryl,” he groaned, feeling a calloused hand take hold of him and slowly pump up and down. “I’m close.” His eyes fluttered shut and he dropped his head to his chest, thrusting into Daryl’s fist with abandon.

Daryl stopped moving and Rick let out a whine of discontent, only to open his eyes at just the right moment to see the hunter open his mouth and slide it straight down over the head of Rick’s cock.

His eyes rolled back and he moaned loudly, grabbing onto Daryl’s hair like he had with Rick’s. He felt Daryl tighten his lips and suck, laving his tongue sloppily over the dick in his mouth. There was saliva dripping messily from the corners of the other man’s mouth and a hand apprehensively touching his balls every now and then; every one of Daryl’s actions said that he lacked technique and experience and it was so fucking arousing to Rick, all of a sudden he was seconds away from climax.

“D-Daryl,” he panted, trying to pull back. He wasn’t sure if he should come in the older man’s mouth, they hadn’t exactly discussed that before. All he got was a scowl aimed up at him and Daryl grabbing him closer by the ass. One of the hunter’s thick fingers accidentally dug into his crack and grazed the sensitive skin around Rick’s hole, just as Daryl sucked brutally while humming deep in his throat in imitation of Rick’s actions, and then it was all over for Rick.

He cried out wordlessly, the coil of tension snapping sharply as arousal coursed through him in wave after wave. He drove his hips forward erratically chasing pleasure, accidentally slipping free from Daryl’s mouth as he did. Rick watched, chest heaving and clutching Daryl’s shoulders for support, as one final spurt of come landed on his partner’s lower lip. 

Daryl’s tongue poked out and swept over the white liquid, pulling it back into his mouth before swallowing everything in his mouth. Christ, this man. Rick felt his cock twitch at the alluring sight, knowing full well that Daryl likely wasn’t even trying to appear that way, he was just that attractive.

Rick let out an unsteady breath and leaned down, going straight in for a kiss and moaning at the combined taste of both of them, tongues sliding together and sharing the flavors between them. He swallowed Daryl’s whines and pressed them closer together, silently delighting in how his wet dick was pressing into Daryl’s shirt, dirtying it with the few drops of him that had missed Daryl’s mouth.

He gentled their kiss, holding on to the depth and warmth but slowing down, savoring instead of racing forward. Rick eventually pulled away, dropping another quick kiss on Daryl’s lips before looking him in the eyes.

“Do you have any idea how amazing you are, sweetheart?”

“Ya don’t need to keep doin’ that, you know,” Daryl said, ducking his head with a blush.

“What, calling you ‘sweetheart’?” Rick chuckled. “If you want me to, I'll stop, but I thought you said you liked it? And I’m not doing it just for you, either. I like calling you ‘sweetheart’.”

“Stop.” The words were mumbled but the tone was fond so Rick would count it as a win.

“Stop what, sweetheart?” he asked with a grin, expression growing as Daryl made eye contact once more and glared at him, the severe expression not quite having the same effect with the hunter’s bright red cheeks. It was cute.

Rick softened. “Do you want to stop for today, or you wanna carry on?”

Daryl visibly hesitated. “What ‘bout you?”

The deputy stared at the hunter for a moment, making sure Daryl wasn’t doing that thing where he went along with someone else’s wants over his own because of his shit self-esteem. It didn’t seem like Daryl was asking for the sake of simply following him right now, more that he genuinely wanted to know what Rick would like. He could work with that.

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to carry on, but it truly is up to you, Daryl. I want to have sex, sure, but only if that’s what you want. I don’t wanna be doing something that you don’t want just ‘cause you think it’s what you should do.”

He finished with a pointed look that had Daryl rolling his eyes, but huffing and nodding after as he conceded the point. 

“Yeah, alright,” he grumbled. Daryl peered up at him, clearly nervous but not like he was going to bolt. “So … how we gonna go about this?”

Rick hummed, absently playing with Daryl’s hair as he pondered the question. There were many things they could do but it largely depended on Daryl’s comfort and experience.

“I know you said you haven’t been with anyone before, but have you ever done stuff yourself? Like toys or anything?”

Daryl looked like he might combust but Rick’s calm tone was clearly helping. He wasn’t trying to tease the other man or make him uncomfortable, he wanted him to feel secure enough with Rick to discuss these things without feeling ashamed.

“Nah, I don’t - I  usually just -” 

A crude hand gesture was enough to get the point across and make Rick perfectly aware of where they were. If Daryl hadn’t had anything inside him before it might be a bit too overwhelming for him considering it was his first time. Not that it would be a hardship for Rick to take that position, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. He glanced down between Daryl’s legs. Not a hardship at all.

He leaned down and kissed Daryl slowly while trying to take off the rest of his own clothes. The other man noticed and tried to help him, the two desperately trying to keep attached before they broke apart laughing and quickly finished the job.

Rick gestured for Daryl to move back up the bed and lean against the headboard while he climbed on and crawled over slowly, making his way forward until he was on all fours over the hunter. Daryl was staring at him with wide eyes and Rick steadily sat up until he was on his knees hovering over Daryl’s legs.

Maintaining eye contact, Rick took his time lowering himself down to straddle his lover, jolting when their dicks pressed against each other. He wasn’t overly sensitive now, instead a pleasant feeling coursed through him, one that would no doubt soon feel better with more movement and stimulation if that’s what they were aiming for.

“This okay? Not too heavy?”

Daryl shook his head, arms twitching by his sides. “Nah, it’s perfect.” He licked his lips. “You want me to take this off?” he asked while gesturing at the shirt he was wearing.

“It’s up to you. If you feel more comfortable wearing it then keep it on, but don’t think I’m gonna be upset with anything you’ve got underneath.” Rick cupped Daryl’s cheeks and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I’ve seen your scars loads already, they’re nothing new, and there’s nothin’ wrong with them, or any part of you.

“I don’t like how you got ‘em or that they caused you pain, but they don’t make you any less beautiful,” Rick finished with a smile, feeling warm at the shy expression in front of him.

“Shut up, ain’t beautiful.”

“I beg to differ.”

Daryl snorted. “Maybe you need glasses, old man.”

“Aren’t you older than me?” Rick laughed.

“Shut up.” Daryl worked his jaw back and forth before slowly grabbing the front of his shirt with shaky hands, making no move to do anything more though seemingly wanting to.

Rick placed his hands on Daryl’s chest, fingers brushing the top button. “You want me to?” he asked quietly.

No words but Daryl nodded, hands moving off his shirt and grabbing the sheets on either side of him. Rick watched as Daryl’s shoulders slowly relaxed inch by inch, the older man forcibly pushing tension out his muscles from sheer force of will.

Rick slowly slid the top button out of its hole, leaning down to press a small kiss on the worn fabric. He raised his head slightly, repeating the process with the next button. Undo, kiss. Undo, kiss. So on and so on until the shirt was loose on Daryl’s chest, just a sliver of flesh visible between the two halves of material.

He slowly pulled the shirt further apart, starting at the bottom of Daryl’s stomach and the dusting of hair underneath his navel. Rick leaned forward and brushed his nose over the skin there, smoother where it usually lay hidden underneath layers of clothes. The deputy was thrilled at the faint softness of Daryl’s stomach; it was proof that the older man was finally eating well, far from that long winter after the farm fell. He looked solidly built, a steady and present anchor in Rick’s life and the lives of their family. 

“So pretty,” he murmured into Daryl’s stomach. Rick slowly made his way back up, open-mouthed kisses planted up the centre of the hunter’s chest as he moved. Whenever he spotted tense muscles in his periphery he sucked red marks onto Daryl’s body, making sure that they’d leave lasting impressions after getting a rushed nod.

Rick licked back into his partner’s mouth, slowly fucking him with his tongue as he slid the shirt over those ridiculous shoulders and off. He skimmed his hands back up strong biceps and wrapped his hands around the back of Daryl’s neck, growling into his mouth when those same arms crushed their bodies together.

The two of them had started slowly grinding against each other without realising and as great as it felt - which was an understatement if there ever was one - Rick wanted things to go in a different direction right now.

He slowed his movements and panted against Daryl’s mouth, their wet breath mingling between the two of them. Rick closed his eyes for a second to get his breathing under control. He felt like a teenager with how riled up he was. The deputy opened his eyes to see stormy blue boring into him with desire and he bit his lip. God, they needed to get things going before he embarrassed himself.

Rick held onto Daryl with one arm and leaned sideways to reach into the bedside drawer. He felt the hunter take all his weight with seemingly no effort and Rick remembered one of his many daydreams of Daryl throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him off somewhere. One day. He rummaged around for a moment before he found the small bottle buried at the back and grabbed it, sitting back up and brandishing it with a bright grin.

“Here we go.”

Daryl zeroed in on the lube and his faint blush reignited. “Where the hell did ya get tha’ from? Why do ya’ even have it?”

“I found it a while ago when I went out with Aaron. I grabbed some before he could take it all.”

“I don’ wanna know about his sex life,” Daryl groaned. Rick just laughed at him in response.

“As for why I have it …” Rick trailed off, blushing himself despite his recent candor. He shrugged sheepishly and tried to will away the red on his face. “I know what I like.”

For a brief moment Daryl stared at him blankly, clearly not getting it. Rick could almost see the moment it clicked, blue eyes darting wildly between the lube, his fingers and between his legs before settling on Rick’s face once more and growing rounder. That combined with the red hue of Daryl’s face - that Rick wasn’t sure would ever fade at this rate - made the man look mere seconds away from bursting a blood vessel. Not that Rick was much better himself at this point.

Daryl cleared his throat roughly. “So you … you want me to - ” he stopped and waved his hand vaguely at Rick. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doin’ here, Rick.”

Before Daryl could get too worked up Rick leaned forward and brushed his lips over Daryl’s, silencing his anxiety. He leaned back an inch and rested their heads together, rubbing their noses together with childish glee and getting a small laugh in return, more a huff of breath than anything substantial. It was enough to cut through his partner’s panic though, and Rick would count it as a win.

“You don’t need to know everything, Daryl. This isn’t about that. It’s about you and me, and what feels good for the both of us. This’ll be a learning process for me as well as you, sweetheart. What’s good for one person ain’t good for everyone.

“What I want you to do is want to be here with me,” he explained quietly. “I want you to enjoy it, no matter what we do. I want you to tell me what you like, what you don’t, and I want you to be happy.”

The other man snorted and dropped his head down, hiding behind his bangs once more. “Ya a poet or somethin’?”

The sarcastic tone wavered slightly, the mocking tone belied by the red-tipped ears Rick could see poking through the dark curtain hiding Daryl’s face. The hunter wasn’t as tense as before and his hands seemingly had a mind of their own, thick fingers drawing mindless patterns on Rick’s hips while Daryl was lost in thought.

Daryl eventually let out a breath and lifted his head. “So … How we gonna go ‘bout … whatever we’re doin’?”

“Well, I’m gonna need stretching. Quite a bit to take all of you.”

“Take -”

“If you want to do that, that is,” Rick added quickly. “We don’t have to if -”

“You’d let me do that to ya?”

Rick stopped his rambling and flashed him a smile. “Daryl, it ain’t about ‘lettin’ you’. I want it too. It’s us together, you know?”

“... Alright.” Daryl took a calming breath and slowly took the lube from Rick, rolling the bottle around in his palm and staring at it intensely. “I wanna … help ya. Don’ know how. Can guess, but -” he cut himself off and shrugged, not meeting Rick’s eyes. “You're gonna need to tell me how.”

“Okay, sweetheart.”

He pecked the top of Daryl’s head and reached for the lube, the click of the lid sounding far louder than it should have when Rick opened it. He squirted some on two of Daryl’s fingers, hungrily watching as the other man inspected his own hand, pressing his fingers together and releasing them to reveal clear strands between them. 

When Daryl met his eyes again, Rick silently grabbed his hand and guided it around his back and down, shifting in place and raising himself up on his knees so that Daryl had room to move around. The thought of those thick fingers sliding into him, searching and stroking with Daryl’s usual dexterity sent a tremor through him.

He got the hand into place and groaned at the nervous fingers twitching against his taint. “Alright? So like I said I need to be stretched a fair bit to take all of you, and - ”

“Is it a lot?”

Rick blinked. “What?”

Daryl licked his lips. “Ya keep saying shit like it’s … big or somethin’.”

Jesus Christ. “Daryl, it’s fucking massive. If I’m not careful it’ll split me in two,” Rick laughed incredulously. He spotted a flicker of worry on his lover’s face and carried on before it could take root. “Thankfully I’m quite the fan of being full. Getting stretched by all of you is gonna feel incredible,” he finished with a smirk on his face, the expression deepening as he saw how mortified Daryl looked.

He was so fucking sweet, it was unreal.

“Now, you’ll need to start slow, just one for now. Don’t just shove it in though, take your time and work it slow. And Daryl? I’ll let you know if I don’t like something either, okay?”

A single nod and a relieved look was all Rick got in response before he felt a single finger press in deeper between his ass cheeks, almost digging in to get further. Rick moved Daryl’s other hand behind himself and used it to hold himself open. The older man got the hint and took over, taking advantage of having more space to push his finger over Rick’s opening, cautiously rubbing back and forth with the barest hint of pressure.

Rick closed his eyes and hummed. “Yeah, that’s it.” He pushed his hips back, silently encouraging the tentative exploration. The rough skin of Daryl’s hand created a wonderful friction, his nerves tingling as the hunter carried on rubbing. “Doing so good, sweetheart.”

His words made Daryl whimper and Rick grinned, opening his eyes and looking down at the other man. He started rocking his hips a little, small movements that caused the finger to push against his rim even more. It didn’t dip inside but Rick could feel his muscles start to give at the pressure. God, he couldn’t wait to get Daryl in there.

Whether it was Rick’s expression or his movements, something convinced Daryl that Rick was definitely enjoying it and his movements lost some of their hesitation, his finger swirling around Rick’s hole in slow circles as the other hand teased the surrounding skin with calloused fingertips. He looked up at Rick, head tilted back and eyes boring into Rick’s soul. Keeping eye contact, Daryl moved closer and pushed the tip of his finger in.

Rick groaned loudly, eyes sliding shut without conscious thought. He was used to having something in his ass on a somewhat regular basis - he hadn’t been lying about knowing what he liked - but he hadn’t had a chance to enjoy himself for a few weeks now and he felt extra sensitive.

He opened his eyes. “Give me the whole finger.”

“Rick,” Daryl mumbled worriedly. “You sure -”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I know what I can handle.” Rick tilted his head to the side and smirked. “You’re doing so good, Daryl. Can’t wait to feel you in me.”

The sound that came from Daryl wasn’t usually a pitch associated with the gruff hunter and Rick laughed. His man was too fucking adorable; how the hell nobody had ever thought to try things with the gorgeous man was a mystery to Rick. Oh well, their loss.

“If you’re worried just use a bit more lube, sweetheart.”

Rick listened to Daryl hurry to lube his fingers up even more, feeling extra liquid squirt above his hole before Daryl thoroughly spread it around. He likely didn’t need it but it was sweet how much the other man didn’t want to hurt him in any way.

After a second the finger inside him moved, pressing deeper and deeper until it couldn’t go any further. Rick clenched down on it to test the feeling, relishing the sensation of something in him again. And the sight of Daryl gnawing on his lip as he felt Rick spasming around his finger.

“You feel that, sweetheart? Me getting tighter? Just imagine how that’ll feel around your dick.”

“Rick …”

“Crook your finger towards my front. You’ll know when you find it.”

Daryl swallowed heavily. “What am I lookin’ for?”

“Anyone ever told you about the prostate?” Rick asked, slowly rocking his hips up and down to encourage the hunter.

“... Heard a bit. Not too sure what it’s ‘bout.”

“Well, turns out touching it feels really fucking good.” Rick laid a filthy kiss on Daryl, sucking his bottom lip and grinning when Daryl growled into his mouth and thrust his hips up. “You’re gonna help me feel good, aren’t ya? So good for me, sweetheart.”

Rick absently noted that Daryl responded very well to praise and made a mental note to remember that, however most of his attention was on the finger that was now eagerly searching inside him, carefully prodding around.

“Bit higher up, Daryl.” Rick felt the other man adjust his position and then - 

“Oh, fuck …”

Rick groaned loudly, head tipping back and rolling his hips down to chase the pleasure. Daryl was too fucking good with his hands, the finger pressing and circling his prostate at the same time and driving Rick insane.

A soft tongue swiping over one of his nipples had him crying out in surprise, looking back down to see Daryl showering his chest with attention. Making eye contact, the older man thrust his finger in deeper and sucked on the wet, pink bud. Rick moaned and grabbed Daryl’s head, holding it tight to his chest. He thrust forward, rubbing his dick against Daryl’s stomach with abandon.

“So good, Daryl. That’s a good boy.”

It slipped out without thinking and he felt more than heard the whimper vibrate across his chest. Red faced, eyes wet and pretty, Daryl looked so fucking beautiful right now, even with the embarrassment painting itself across his features. Before Daryl could get lost in his head Rick carried on with the instructions.

“Another finger now.”

A second finger joined the first without hesitation, smoothly gliding in thanks to the excessive lube in his ass. Rick rolled his hips down onto those thick fingers without words, a silent prompt that Daryl took as he began pumping the two fingers in and out of Rick’s ass. The slow and steady pace was enough to have Rick groaning as they moved in unison, the rough skin of Daryl’s fingers dragging deliciously over his walls with every movement.

“Try and hit that spot again when you push back in,” Rick breathed into the other man’s ear. “And you can start stretching me now. Just spread your fingers and open me up. Get me ready so you can fill me up.”

Daryl let out another high-pitched noise and suddenly sunk his teeth in Rick’s chest, hand twitching erratically where he was buried in Rick. Those fingers hit his prostate dead-on and he yelled out, the pain and pleasure echoing around his body side-by-side, his wires getting crossed at what he should be feeling.

“Shit, ‘m sorry, Rick.”

“Fuck, don’t apologise, sweetheart. Feel free to bite me wherever you want,” Rick offered with a wicked grin. “Well, except for my dick, of course. Nobody sane wants that.”

Daryl let out a surprised laugh and settled back against the headboard, his focus shifting back to stretching Rick for the most part. He did lean forward to press his lips against the bite mark, the chaste action making Rick’s heart ache for the older man. Something else started aching when the kiss shifted to a deliberate swipe of a broad, wet tongue soothing the flesh. Rick grunted, dick twitching at Daryl’s erotic behavior. He was going to be the death of him.

He noticed the sensation of two fingers was far easier now and he clenched down as Daryl pushed in. He could probably take another one now.

“One more finger, Daryl.”

“Rick …”

“I’m gonna need it, sweetheart. Better we do it now so it don’t hurt later.” He slowly wrapped a hand around himself and stroked slowly, just once and up and down. “You can keep me distracted, if you want,” he said with a pointed look downwards.

One of the hunter’s hands made its way to Rick’s front, gently batting Rick’s hand away from his dick and replacing it, stroking him carefully a couple of times. Daryl took his hand away and brought it up to his own mouth, licking his broad palm to coat it liberally in saliva - apparently forgetting all about the lube - before taking Rick back in hand again. His eyes hadn’t left Rick’s groin, gaze fixed heatedly on the sight before him. The intensity in Daryl’s eyes had Rick shivering.

Rick grabbed Daryl’s jaw and lifted his head, sinking into a kiss as he felt a third finger prod at the edge of his rim. He licked at the roof of Daryl’s mouth and moaned as his lover lightly bit his lip. Rick sucked on the hunter’s tongue in retaliation, inwardly grinning at the resulting groan reverberating through his mouth and making him lightheaded.

His grin surfaced outwards as he felt the third finger finally penetrate him, just the tip of the digit nestled inside his hole with the other two. It wasn’t painful, but it had been a while since he’d been stretched this much. Rick laughed excitedly into Daryl’s mouth, more a series of pants than a proper laugh, but it served its purpose and the other man lost the hint of concern on his face.

The deputy trailed small kisses and bites along Daryl’s jaw and neck, sucking red marks into the sensitive skin. “So pretty, Daryl.” He bit into the meat of Daryl’s neck. “Such a good boy for me.” A lick along the corner of the jaw. “You’re so good at this.” Teeth sinking in a soft ear lobe. “Can’t wait to feel you fucking me, sweetheart.”

Each of his words was another chip against Daryl’s walls, Rick feeling the older man grow more and more bold with every compliment. He could feel all three fingers of Daryl’s carefully stretching him open and rubbing inside, that perfect spot inside being brushed every so often with no rhyme or reason. He couldn’t predict the movements and it was thrilling, not knowing how or when he’d get another jolt of pleasure.

He breathed deeply as Daryl spread his fingers open. God, he was probably gaping open right now. He felt loose and wet, his dick incessantly throbbing with every touch or kiss from the hunter, and if he didn’t get the other man in him soon there was a very real possibility of him coming all over Daryl. Not that he wasn’t planning on doing that anyway; something about the idea of the older man dripping from Rick, smelling like his release, it did something to him, spoke to a darker, possessive part that told him to ensure everyone knew that Daryl was his.

“Daryl, I’m ready.”

The other man stopped all movement and looked up at him, a worried expression on his face, a familiar furrow between dark brows. He slowly pulled his fingers out of Rick, the other hand ceasing the stroking and simply holding onto his dick.

“You sure? I don’ wanna hurt you.”

Rick smiled. “You trust me?”

“What kind’a question’s that?” Daryl scoffed back. “Said I did.”

“So trust me when I say it’ll be fine. And I don’t know ‘bout you, but I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he finished with a teasing grin.

Daryl turned red. “Shut up.” He exhaled a rough breath and met Rick’s eyes. “So what now?”

“Depends on how you want it. I can lay down on my back if you want, or get on my hands and knees? I know that helps sometimes?” 

Though it seemed that any position that put Daryl more in charge might be a bit too much for their first time if the faint panic Rick could see was any indication.

“Or we could stay like this with me on top? I’m quite happy here if you are, though you might need to help me with it after a while. As much as I don’t like you pointin’ it out, you ain’t wrong about me being old.”

“... Like this is good.”

“Alright.” Rick shifted backwards on his knees and grabbed the lube next to them, opening the tube and squirting some on the palm of his hand. He tossed the tube towards the bedside table and ignored the clatter where it completely missed, rolling his eyes at Daryl laughing at him. Asshole.

He reached for his partner’s cock with his slick hand and wrapped it around, stroking up and down to completely cover it. Rick made sure to check Daryl was fully wet - more to assuage Daryl’s worries rather than his - and moved back into position above the hunter, on his knees, legs spread, chest to chest with his arms holding on to broad shoulders.

Rick pressed a gentle kiss to Daryl’s jaw. “You ready?” he whispered.

“Yeah,” came the shaky reply, quiet and hesitant, but a thread of excitement around the word. “Yeah, ‘m ready.”

“Good. Just take it slowly now and I’ll let you know if you need to slow down.”

Rick reached back and took Daryl in hand, holding his stiffness in place as he aimed towards his wet hole. The hunter helped move them together, one hand on one of Rick’s hips, the other on his ass holding him open and ready. Rick gradually lowered down until he felt the blunt head of Daryl’s dick kissing his slick rim, moving his hips in small circles to spread the burning heat around his hole.

“That’s it, sweetheart.” Rick dropped down even further as Daryl guided him down, just a moment of resistance before the leader felt his body give way, his hole opening up and Daryl sliding into him with a loud moan.

It felt tight, a warm, wet throbbing sensation pulsing through him even from just a few inches of Daryl. Rick panted, chest heaving as if they’d been running for their lives. His opening was clinging to the hunter, practically sucking him in and trying to pull him deeper into his body. There was a delicious tension in being so snug around Daryl’s girth but having no pain, and it was that lack of pain that had Rick carrying on without warning.

Rick took a deep breath, once, twice, then took his hand off the older man’s member and dropped all the way down. As their hips met Rick groaned and clenched down, the sound echoing around the bedroom. Daryl had hit his prostate head on and was still pressed against the spot, his hips thrusting upwards in uncoordinated movements that had Rick clenching down reflexively.

Daryl moaned and buried his head in Rick’s neck, desperately trying to muffle the noises escaping his throat. Rick thought he sounded incredible. He threaded his fingers through the hair at the back of Daryl’s head and pulled gently, coaxing that pretty face up to look Rick in the eye.

The hunter was bright red, face flushed and eyes wet. His mouth was wide open, small noises escaping on every exhale and highlighting those wet lips that Rick wanted to sink his teeth into. So he did, swallowing down the whimpers and sucking Daryl’s bottom lip into his mouth, worrying it with his teeth before releasing it to rest their heads together.

“Doing so well, Daryl.” He grabbed the other man’s hands and positioned them on his hips. His knees were already aching a bit from their position, but like fuck was he going anywhere. “You ready?”

“Fuckin’ hell, Rick.”

“You ready?” he repeated.

Daryl sunk his fingernails into Rick’s pelvis. “Yeah,” he panted. “Yeah, I’m - I’m ready, just not sure how long -” He cut himself off and shut his eyes tightly, tension holding all his muscles in place, a vein jumping in the side of his neck.

Rick laughed and brushed his lips over Daryl’s forehead. “Sweetheart, I could come just from feelin’ you in me. I ain’t lasting long, either.”

Dark blue eyes fluttered open and dropped between them, roving over the angry, red length drooling over Daryl’s stomach. Rick really wasn’t lying.

“Remember, you and me, sweetheart.”

“‘Kay. You an’ me.”

Rick slowly lifted himself up, feeling the hard length slip out of him, dragging over his inner walls and setting his nerves alight. He lowered back down, taking his time and keeping note of every sensation; the heat pushing back into him, the slight ache in his thighs from holding himself up, the throb as his rim stretched obscenely, the sharp stab of bliss deep inside him … The sound that left him could only be described as pornographic after finally getting someone to fuck him again after close to two decades.

Daryl dug his fingers deeper into Rick’s hips, his large hands helping Rick move up and down. After a few experimental movements they figured out the rhythm, Rick bouncing wantonly, a punched-out sound every time Daryl’s massive length shoved back inside. Rick angled his head for a kiss, their tongues meeting in a wet mess that made up for the lack of technique with sheer enthusiasm.

The deputy groaned as Daryl hit that spot again. “God, you feel amazing,” he panted into his lover’s mouth. “You’re so good at that. You feel good too?” Rick clenched his ass as it met Daryl’s hips. “Am I tight enough for ya?”

A high-pitched whimper straight into Rick’s mouth was the only response and he laughed breathlessly, the sound perhaps a touch mean as he enjoyed Daryl’s ruined expression. What a good boy he was for Rick. 

“Well, am I?”

Daryl blinked tear-filled eyes at him and nodded once, mouth wide open, saliva dripping down into his beard as he panted harshly. His hands hadn’t stopped even with Rick’s words, repeatedly pulling Rick up and down his dick, the steady slap of flesh ringing around the bedroom. His arms and shoulders were flexing and bulging with every movement, the defined muscles just begging for Rick to sink his teeth into. One day he’d tie Daryl down and bite every inch of him until he sobbed his release.

Rick bared his teeth in a facsimile of a grin. “Tell me.”

The hunter tried to speak but nothing escaped him. He coughed to clear his throat and tried again, the leftover nerves on his face in competition with the desire to do as Rick said. The former was useless against Rick’s order and Daryl opened his mouth.

“Ya … ya feel so good, Rick. Yer tight and … jus’ real good.”

His voice was hoarse and it wavered, clearly unused to being so verbal about something so intimate. Daryl’s words were simple and not very descriptive or emotional, and to someone else they might be offputting. 

To Rick they were magnificent. His hunter wasn’t one for emotions like that, he was more of a ‘show, don’t tell’ person. He communicated through actions far more, and as it was his hands had slid down to Rick’s ass, fingers holding onto him possessively, squeezing tightly as they slammed him down again and again. Daryl’s eyes were on every inch of Rick’s skin, boring the sight of his body into his mind and making sure not to miss any part. That he’d even deigned to say anything said far more than the individual words did.

Rick moaned as his prostate was hit again, a glancing blow that shot through his own dick and caused another drop of precome to dribble out the slit and fall on Daryl’s stomach hair. He dragged his fingers through the wet spot, spreading it up Daryl’s torso before Rick rubbed it across one of the other man’s nipples.

Daryl cried out wordlessly. “Fuckin’ hell Rick, you tryin’ to kill me?”

“You like that?”

“Too fuckin’ much.” Daryl quickly batted Rick’s wandering hand away from his chest. “You do that ‘gain and I’ll come.”

Another jab deep inside him and Rick grunted, tensing as he felt himself teeter precariously close to the edge himself. 

“Daryl, I’m close.” 

“Shit, Rick. Me too.”

Rick slowed down for a moment, panting rapidly to catch his breath. “Like this.” He shifted and pulled Daryl’s legs up, bending them so his legs were splayed and feet planted on the bed. Rick leaned backwards so he was braced on Daryl’s knees, the position stretching his back out gloriously and putting him on full display. His cock was jutting out for Daryl to stare at, said man fixing his eyes on the hard length and licking his lips.

“Don’t even think about it,” Rick laughed quietly. He started riding the other man again, groaning as Daryl almost seemed to reach deeper in this position. “You too. Thrust up.”

Daryl tightened his muscles, bracing himself with his shoulders and feet and snapped his hips upwards as Rick dropped down. 

Rick cried out. It was like a fucking battering ram against his prostate and he spasmed at the feeling.

“Daryl! That’s it, that’s fucking it. Don’t you dare stop.”

Sweat was pouring down Rick’s body and onto Daryl’s, mixing with the hunters’ and highlighting the muscles Rick wanted to lick. Every upward motion of his was accompanied with harsh grunts as Rick’s body was left empty, every drop down joined by vulgar moans and groans that anyone nearby would be able to identify no problem.

He felt a familiar sensation build in his groin, growing and growing with every thrust and rock. Rick swore under his breath; as much as he wanted to draw this out further there was no way that was happening.

Rick grabbed one of Daryl’s hands and pushed it towards his dick, moaning as those rough fingers wrapped around him without question and started jerking him off immediately. 

“That’s it, sweetheart. So good to me. Love your hands, Daryl.”

The hunter whined loudly, his hand tightening around Rick and hips thrusting harder from underneath. Rick gasped, holding back from going over the edge for the moment.

He focused on Daryl underneath him, tilting forward so his hands were braced against that broad chest. Rick was ready and waiting. Just as he slammed down and clenched again he lightly pinched Daryl’s nipples, growling into the space between them.

“Come for me, good boy.”

Rick watched, utterly delighted, as Daryl’s eyes rolled back and squeezed shut, his mouth letting loose a wail that all of Alexandria could probably hear. He thrust up erratically, grinding into Rick’s ass as he chased his high, coming in several warm spurts that Rick knew would soon be dripping out of him and down the inside of his thighs.

Daryl ramming straight into his prostate, trying to bury into him with his dick was enough to punt Rick up to the edge of climax. Daryl unconsciously stroking and twisting around the end of Rick’s length, thumbnail digging into the sensitive spot under his cockhead was all he needed to be sent hurtling over the edge at the speed of light.

He swore loudly, a wordless sound following and reverberating around the room as he fucked into Daryl’s fist several times. Rick’s eyes were fluttering shut, one hand clutching Daryl’s warm hand against his dick so he couldn’t move away from Rick’s unsteady movements. God, that feels fucking incredible.

Rick gradually slowed down, his rolling hips no longer frantically milking Daryl for everything he had. He was leaning forward over the other man, chest heaving frantically as he tried to catch his breath. It had certainly been a while since he’d been out of breath for this reason. He could feel himself jerking with pleasurable aftershocks where he was still filled.

His eyes opened slowly and took in the sweat-drenched face in front of him, dark hair sticking to Daryl’s head messily, face slack with satisfaction as opposed to his previous tension. Daryl was also breathing heavily, hips still twitching with faint tremors where he was buried in Rick. The deputy groaned when Daryl accidentally brushed against his prostate; it was far too sensitive for anything more now even if sometimes he enjoyed that particular burn.

Daryl slowly blinked his eyes open, dark blue roving over Rick’s face and body, face flushing when he caught sight of between Rick’s legs, the area no doubt wet and messy with come. Rick felt himself grin at the thought; it certainly felt like he’d come a lot.

He lowered his head and met Daryl in a soft kiss, the chaste action belying the intensity of their previous activities. Rick softly licked Daryl’s bottom lip, humming when the other man gently licked back, tentatively taking the lead and guiding their tongues together. 

One of the older man’s arms pulled him all the way down so he was laying on Daryl, chest to chest. Rick buried one of his hands in damp hair, the other brushing lightly over the scruff on Daryl’s jaw as they lost themselves to the tender kiss.

After a few minutes Rick lifted his head, smiling brightly at Daryl’s look of wonder. “So, how was that?”

“You seriously askin’ me that after how I acted?” Daryl asked incredulously.

“Just ‘cause you came doesn’t mean it was necessarily something you enjoyed.”

Daryl huffed at Rick’s soft tone. “Yeah, asshole. Liked it.” He shifted his gaze to the side, face bright red. “Loved it. Especially when ya said …”

Rick grinned and nosed at Daryl’s cheek. “When I said what exactly?”

“You know damn well what I mean, Grimes.” 

“Hmm …” Daryl’s angry mutters were hilarious. Maybe once he got more comfortable Rick would tease him more, but for now …

“That you’re a good boy. That you’re my good boy.”

Daryl inhaled sharply and tensed. “You don’ need to -”

“I like calling you that,” Rick interrupted firmly, cutting down the hunter’s self-recriminations before he could spiral. “I enjoy it, and you liking it makes me love it even more.” He turned Daryl’s face back to his. “Ain’t nothing I regret about what we just did. Do you regret it?”

Daryl was shaking his head before Rick finished. “Don’t regret it. Want to … wanna do it again at some point.”

“Well, I think that’s something we can arrange.” Rick finished with a quick kiss and slowly sat up so he was straddling the hunter again. He finally lifted up and winced slightly as he felt Daryl slip out of him, the odd feeling followed by the sensation of something wet sliding out of him. 

He groaned and dropped down onto the bed on his front, knowing he needed to clean himself up but lacking the energy or motivation to do so. Having come in his ass wasn’t a good idea but knowing it was Daryl’s inside him sent another pulse of heat through him. Despite his age, his dick was making a valiant effort to rise to the occasion at the thought, pun fully intended.

“Rick? You okay?”

Rick tiredly lifted his head and looked sideways at his lover. Daryl looked concerned again, teeth chewing on his lower lip as he stared at Rick. He was far too good for someone like Rick.

“I’m good, just tired. Need to clean up,” he murmured.

Daryl snorted. “You got too used to not bein’ covered in sweat.”

“‘S not just sweat, sweetheart,” Rick laughed quietly, “I’ve got your come leaking out of my ass as we speak. You came in me, remember?”

A mixture of guilt and pride flashed across Daryl’s face and Rick smirked over at him.

“Do you need anything in particular? Or just a normal towel?”

Rick felt his eyes flutter shut and buried his face in the soft cover. “Nothing special. I’ll get one in a minute.” When he could muster up an ounce of energy.

He could tell he was on the verge of dropping off to sleep before he felt the bed shift, Daryl moving over and getting off. Rick blinked back to awareness and watched the other man pad over to the door and out the room, heedless of his nudity. The deputy felt some of his weariness fade in the face of the view he just got; a muscled and scarred back, paler round cheeks and thick thighs on complete display for his viewing pleasure. What a day to be alive.

Daryl came back in after a few minutes, skin looking damp but clear of sweat, hair wet with water hastily pushed through the dark strands to try and clean it a little. He was carrying a damp towel, and without a word he leaned over Rick and started wiping him down. His neck and upper back were first, fingers drifting over his skin after the cloth, the contrast making Rick hum contentedly at the gentle actions.

The towel followed the lines of the rest of his body, Daryl very obviously steering clear of anything in the vicinity of his ass. Whether that was because he was too anxious to go there or because he was deliberately leaving it until last, Rick couldn’t tell. Even so, the sensation was heavenly; Daryl was amazing at taking care of him.

Once his legs had been wiped down, Rick felt a large hand cautiously wrap around the inside of his thigh. Daryl pulled his leg to the side to expose him and Rick helped by moving the other one so he was fully spread open. He might have felt embarrassed by his bold actions if it weren’t for the fact that Daryl has been inside him not too long ago. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too long until he got a repeat performance. Or until he got a chance at fucking his hunter until he was a wrecked mess, crying and leaking from sheer pleasure.

A gentle wipe over his hole had him flinching away from his daydream, the area still sensitive after being stretched so much. Rick clenched reflexively as Daryl carried on cleaning him and he could tell he was still loose; Daryl could probably slip back in and start fucking him again at full speed and there wouldn’t be any resistance.

Daryl wiped him down as best he could, outside and in, then tried to flip him over so he could clean the front. Rick wasn’t exactly helpful, feeling dead to the world and not moving from his comfortable spot.

“Oi, move you lazy fuck.”

Rick snorted into the cover and finally rolled over, shifting and frowning at the cool air drifting over his groin. He lifted his head and looked down his own body, raising a brow at the amount of come smeared between his legs. Damn, he had come a lot. And not only was there a lot, it was also drying and sticking to any patch of body hair it touched. This was the gross part of sex nobody warned you about.

Thankfully Daryl was there to save the day, the clean cloth entering his vision and hovering over his dick. Rick flicked his eyes up and smiled at the other man, loving how sweet Daryl’s hesitation was.

“I’m okay, you can carry on if you want. Or I can -”

The damp towel running over him interrupted his words and Rick let out a sharp breath as skilled hands cleaned him up, taking care not to rub too hard. Once he was done, Daryl threw the towel towards the hamper and stood awkwardly next to the bed, shifting slightly as he often did when not hunting or on runs, visibly lost in thought. Leaving this man alone with his own mind when he was like this was a terrible thing, and Rick sat up and beckoned him onto the bed.

Daryl crawled on carefully and Rick maneuvered the two of them so they were both laying under the covers, Rick shamelessly wrapped around Daryl’s back and spooning him, hugging him tightly to his chest and burying his nose in the other man’s hair.

“Should’ve known you’d be a clingy bastard,” Daryl muttered.

“You complaining?” 

Rick slowly lifted his arm as if to remove it and Daryl grabbed it, yanking it back hard against his chest and holding on tightly.

“Who said you could move?”

The deputy grinned and laughed quietly. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” He dropped a kiss on Daryl’s head and felt him finally relax, sinking into the bed and pushing back against Rick’s chest.

“Not goin’ anywhere, huh?”

Rick heard the real question underneath. You promise? Something that didn’t work in the world they lived in anymore; there were no guarantees, and a person’s word was all well and good until the world decided to screw them over on a dime. But the sentiment behind those words …

“You’re stuck with me, sweetheart.” 

Daryl huffed out a laugh and settled on the pillow. “S’pose I’ll have to get used to it then.”

“Guess so.”

Rick closed his eyes at last and let himself drift off, smiling as he finally felt at peace.

I promise, sweetheart.