Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Shit…” Daryl sighed as he exhaled a long curl of smoke and stubbed out his cigarette. He flung the butt away and propped a leg up on the railing, leaning his body forward as he studied the fence line. Tyreese, Sasha, and Maggie were hard at work stabbing the heads of walkers that piled up but more kept coming, making it seem like they were barely making a dent.

The hunter’s deep blue eyes squinted into the bright Georgia sun and he watched as the chain link fence wavered back and forth. Daryl knew it was only a matter of time before that fence came down and it was the ongoing source of all his cursing.

“It’s looking pretty bad, huh?” A voice piped up from behind him but Daryl didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Glenn. He’d heard the young man practically crash up the steps to the tower to swap out for guard duty.

“Yea…” Daryl replied slowly. He eyed the barrier’s movement for a moment longer before scratching his chin and turning around. “Gonna have to fix it…sooner the better.”

Glenn nodded in agreement and held out his hand to take the rifle they used for watch. “Talk to Rick, I guess. Figure out what we’ll need and we can go on a run.”

Daryl glanced back over his shoulder to the troubling structure once more before giving Glenn a brief nod of acknowledgement and heading down. He stepped briskly into the prison and walked to their makeshift kitchen where Carol was handing out lunch. She gave him a soft smile and a can of peaches. “Light lunch today, pookie,” she teased and Daryl gave her a small smirk before peeling the top off, using his fingers to dig the slices out.

He knew he needed to go check the traps if all they were getting was a can of fruit for lunch but the fences seemed to be a slightly more pressing matter. “Seen Rick?” he asked her between bites. He looked around the tables and found their leader’s face missing from the bunch.

“Not since this morning, but I’ve been doing laundry outside. Ask Carl,” she said and gave a nod towards the table on the other side of the room. Daryl followed her gaze and found Rick’s son sitting with a few other kids as well as Beth, who was feeding Judith a bottle.

Traveling the few feet over to the group, he came up next to Beth and gave Judith’s hand a quick squeeze. “How’s Lil Asskicker doin’ today?” he mumbled quietly.

Beth smiled and gave the baby a little pat on the butt. “Good. A little fussy this morning but she settled down with a bottle. Thanks for the extra formula, by the way.”

“No problem,” Daryl replied, his neck flushing slightly. “Whatever she needs…jus’ let me know. Hey, you seen your dad?” he turned to ask Carl, eager to change the subject.

The younger Grimes looked up from one of his comic books when he realized that Daryl was addressing him. “Huh? Oh yea. He went to lay down a few minutes ago.”

Daryl glanced over to the entryway that led to the cells and had an inner debate with himself. He wanted to let Rick know about their fence situation. Those chain links could give way at any time and then they’d be in deep trouble. But he hated to interrupt Rick if he was sleeping. Their leader barely had any time to himself and Daryl knew the man probably got hardly any rest as is, what with the safety of not only his family but their whole group on his mind at all times.

But their safety was being threatened right at this very moment while he weighed the pros and cons of bothering Rick while he slept. Daryl tipped the can back and swallowed the last bit of peach juice before he sighed and made his way into the cellblock.

He stepped up to Rick’s cell, the bars covered with only a thin brown sheet, and knocked on the side of the wall. “Hey, Rick,” Daryl called out and he pulled the curtain back a few inches. He’d always done this when he needed to talk to Rick while he was in his cell. It’s not like the man shared the space with anyone besides Lil Asskicker and, like Daryl, he always slept fully clothed in case there was an emergency and they had to move quickly. Besides, Rick was usually a man who had nothing to hide anyway.

Apparently today was different though because as soon as Daryl pulled the fabric back and light spilled into the dark, small space, Rick, who wasn’t laying down at all but sitting up on his cot, whipped his head left and shoved whatever he had in his hand behind his back. “Huh? What!?” Rick asked in a high voice that almost had Daryl scratching his head.

Their fearless leader had his blue eyes wide open as his body hunched forward and he tried to nonchalantly rub at his scruffy chin. “Uh…sorry to…interrupt. Need to talk to ya ‘bout the fences,” Daryl said, holding his hands up innocently.

“Oh! Uh…okay. Just…gimme a second,” Rick mumbled after briefly looking down and then to his right at whatever he was hiding from the hunter. Daryl had to hold back the smirk that threatened to work its way across his lips as he gave the man a small nod before stepping away, letting the curtain fall closed.

Seeing Rick this bent out of shape made the hunter curious about what the man had been so quick to hide when he’d poked his head into the cell. Hell, Daryl felt downright nosy wanting to go back in there to find out what it could’ve been but before he could think about it some more, Rick stepped out from behind the curtain.

He smoothed back his hair and cleared his throat, giving the hunter a small smile before walking out with him out to the yard. Daryl explained their situation with the fences and they talked for a good long while about what could be done to fix it before settling to go on a run and get some supplies to reinforce all the weak points. But the whole time they strategized, all Daryl could think was what the hell was Rick hiding behind his back?

It’d been three days. Three long days since Daryl had stuck his head into Rick’s cell and caught him doing…something. Daryl still wasn’t sure what that something was though. They’d gone on their run and gotten wood and sandbags, using any and all measures to keep their fence held firm. The past two days had been spent luring walkers away while they scrambled to get everything in place.

Now that the barrier between them and the rest of the world seemed to be a bit stronger, everyone looked almost relaxed as they munched away on their breakfast this morning. Daryl sat at a table with the rest of their main group as he cleaned his bow, occasionally darting quick glances in Rick’s direction as the man fed his daughter.

Rick seemed happier than usual, smiles forming across his face easier than they’d had in the past few months. Daryl liked seeing their leader in a good mood. Hell, if anyone deserved it, it was Rick for as hard as he worked and as much stress as he took on. But Daryl couldn’t kick the niggling feeling that Rick’s mood had to do with what he’d been hiding.

Daryl tried to drop it, tried to kick the thought from his head and focus on the tasks he needed to get done. Fix the fence and find food for the group. But even as he held up support beams that Glenn nailed into place or as he checked his traps and managed to take down a few rabbits that Carol could make into stew, his mind kept drifting back to what Rick had shoved behind his back.

Maybe it was just porn, he figured. But if it was just porn, why would Rick try so hard to hide it? It’s not like Glenn and a few of the other guys (heck, maybe even some of the women) had their own little stashes. People had itches to scratch and even Daryl knew that.

But worse than porn, what if it was something that showed Rick was going off his rocker again? After losing Lori, Daryl had worried that they’d never get the man back on the right side of sanity. But once he saw his daughter, saw how much everyone around him needed and depended on him, he slowly but surely came back around and Daryl had never been more relieved in his life.

But as soon as his eyes popped open this morning in his cell, his first thought was of Rick and what he could be hiding in his cell. Dammit, he just couldn’t shake this feeling. Screw it, he decided. Today was the day he was going to find out.

Daryl waited patiently at breakfast. He took his time eating, cleaned his bow, made small talk. Well, as much small talk as he could muster, and finally people started filtering out to get on with their daily duties.

“Well, think I’ll go check the garden. Might have some tomatoes coming in soon,” Rick said to no one in particular before handing Judith off to Beth. He stood up from where he sat next to Daryl, giving the hunter a quick clap on the shoulder, before heading outside. Beth scooted off to start some laundry, Judith in tow, so the only people left were him and Carol.

“What’re you still doing here?” Carol questioned him as she stood from the table. She started to grab all the dishes leftover from breakfast and Daryl got up to help her. Carrying the armload to the washing bins, he quickly deposited them and gave a small shrug in response to her question.

“What? You need something to do today? Because I’m sure Beth could use help with the laundry or Rick with pulling weeds in the garden.” Daryl scoffed and gave her a light nudge with his shoulder, earning a chuckle from the short haired woman.

“Think I got enough to do,” he grumbled half-heartedly. Looking around at the mostly empty common area, Daryl figured this was his best chance for a peek into Rick’s cell. “I’ll see ya later…” he mumbled before walking off towards the cellblock.

He was sure that Carol was probably giving him a curious look because he hardly ever spent the day in his cell. Usually he was the first one out the door, always feeling ridiculously cramped inside these concrete walls. But he ignored the feeling of her eyes on him as he walked past the threshold into the cellblock and stepped quietly to Rick’s cell.

Daryl took a deep breath and lifted a hand to the sheet covering the doorway. Before he pulled it back, he paused for a second and asked himself if he should really be doing this. But he brushed the question away just as quickly, reasoning that he was doing this just as much for Rick as he was doing it to satisfy his own undeniable curiosity.

Either way, he pulled the curtain back and stepped inside. Rick kept his cell pretty clean, or at least Beth kept it tidy when she dropped Judith off at night, so there weren’t too many places for the man to hide things. Going straight to Rick’s bed he checked under the pillow and found nothing. He lifted up the blanket to the unmade bed and while there was nothing hiding under there, he got a big whiff of what could only be described as the smell of Rick Grimes.

It was a distinct smell of the soap that they all used but also a mixture of earth and maybe a bit of sweat. Daryl shook his head and pushed the smell out of his nostrils, trying to ignore the weird swirl of emotion that floated around in his chest. Instead, he ran his fingers along the outer edge of the mattress and came back with nothing.

Changing paces, he went through the other few belongings in the tiny room. Judith’s makeshift bed, the garbled arrangement of Rick’s clothes that he made sure to leave exactly the way they were, and then the few random books that Rick had stacked next to his bed. Daryl found nothing and sat down on Rick’s thin mattress with a sigh of frustration.

He thought for sure that he’d find whatever Rick was hiding within thirty seconds of stepping foot in this cell. Instead, he was still left in the dark and he fell backwards onto Rick’s pillow, silently berating himself for not only invading his friend’s privacy but also because it had proved fruitless anyway.

Daryl flung his arms to either side of him and almost cursed out loud. Maybe this is what he got for being so darn interested in the first place. Maybe now he’d never know. He sighed again and closed his eyes, Rick’s smell starting to drift up and around his head. The aroma was almost relaxing and his fingers tapped at the metal sides of Rick’s small prison bed as his body sank into the thin mattress.

Just as he was about to call it, his left hand tapped at something that felt different than the cheap metal frame under his fingers. It felt smooth, but thin and hard, and Daryl’s brow furrowed as he ran his hand up and down the side of the bed. He soon realized that something was rolled up and tucked under the mattress and the edge was just barely poking out, the only reason why he felt anything at all.

Popping up into a sitting position, Daryl wrestled his hand between the wall and the bed, lifting the mattress slightly before yanking the item free. He smiled at himself in triumph because this surely had to be what Rick had been hiding. Otherwise, why tuck it under your mattress in the first place?

Turning towards what little light there was, Daryl angled the cover until he could finally read it, his eyebrows shooting up as high as they could possibly go once he realized what he was holding. He’d been so sure it wouldn’t be porn because that was never anything worth hiding unless you were Carl’s age but what he held in his hands was, in fact, porn. But not just any porn.

The cover of the magazine had the word Beefcake scrolled across the top in big, bold, yellow letters. Just below the title were two pretty muscular shirtless dudes embracing one another, their lips locked together in what Daryl imagined was the personification of the term “soul-sucking kiss.”

Daryl’s breath froze as everything clicked into place, only for his head to immediately fill with a million more questions right after that. Rick was hiding gay porn in his cell?! Was Rick gay? But he’d been married to Lori and they’d had kids. Even if he was, why’d Rick feel the need to hide it from him? He thought they were as good a friends as two people could be. Saved each other’s lives more times than he could count. He trusted Rick as much as he could ever trust anyone, so why didn’t Rick feel the same with him?

Daryl looked back down at the glossy pages held between his hands and his brow wrinkled in even more confusion. Even if Rick was into men, Daryl couldn’t picture his leader being into dudes like the ones on this cover. They had thick bulging muscles, all tanned up and slightly shiny with what Daryl assumed was oil. Reading over the descriptions of what was inside, Daryl saw that it was the “Outdoorsman Issue” and he snorted out an amused laugh. Figuring what the hell, he held the magazine in his right hand before using his left to flip through pages.

He stopped on a spread titled “Bass Fishing in the Buff” but before he could get a good look, he heard the familiar and defining steps of Rick Grimes’ boots scuffing along the concrete as he made his way to his cell. Daryl’s eyes flew to the doorway and his heart barely had a second to double its pace before Rick flung the curtain aside and stepped past the threshold.

He clearly wasn’t expecting anyone to be inside because his eyes flew wide and then narrowed in suspicion. “Daryl, what the hell you doin’ in here?” Daryl tried to think quick on his feet, but his mind was still a little rocked from finding the porn and he was coming up empty. Rick’s eyes darted down to what Daryl held in his hands and then the strangest thing happened.

“Oh…uh…” and Rick huffed out a nervous laugh and pointed at the magazine before dropping his hand, his face going up in flames. His mouth flapped open and closed for a second, making him look a little like a fish. Daryl would’ve found all this funny if it’d been any other day of the week, but he was still currently searching for an excuse to be in here and he darted his eyes around the tiny room.

His gaze landed on Judith’s bed and the small rattle that was lying on the floor next to it. He bent forward and picked the toy up, standing up straight afterwards with the magazine still gripped in his left hand. “Mm…Beth asked me to grab this for Asskicker. Looking ‘round for it and…jus’ found this on the floor. Sorry…” he mumbled quietly. His eyes darted down in shame as he gently laid the magazine onto Rick’s bed.

“Oh…it’s…it’s fine. I…uh…it was a joke really,” Rick stammered. He was still acting nervous as he wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, refusing to make eye contact with Daryl. “Michonne brought that back from a run once. Left it in my cell and I just…I hadn’t gotten around to throwing it away yet.” Rick gestured to the magazine and finally looked back up at Daryl, their eyes meeting briefly before he half-smiled and gave an anxious chuckle.

Daryl bit his lip as he tried to process his thoughts. He’d known this man awhile. After everything they’d been through, Daryl could read Rick’s voice and body language like a book. It’s what made them such a good team. And it’s how Daryl knew Rick was lying. What the hunter was currently debating on was whether he should let it go or call Rick on his bullshit. Something like this was sensitive and he didn’t want to push the man into admitting anything he didn’t want to, but Daryl just didn’t have it in him to completely drop it either.

So instead, he decided to have a little fun with it. “Well…guess I can take care of it for you,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “Glenn’s got trash duty this week and if he finds it, who knows what he’ll say. Guy’s got a mouth on him.”

“Ah, nah…You don’t have to do that,” Rick countered, his hands coming to rest on his hips. Daryl could see Rick’s brain working to try and think of something to say to dissuade the hunter. Rick was a quick thinker too so Daryl knew he needed to be quicker.

“S’fine. I got it,” and he grabbed the magazine and rolled it up before shoving into one of the deep pockets of his pants. “Better get this to Beth.” Daryl shook the rattle in the air before walking towards the doorway, forcing Rick to step aside.

“Um…okay. Thanks,” Rick mumbled, looking down with a scrunched up face of what Daryl assumed was frustration.

“No problem,” Daryl replied before patting Rick’s shoulder and walking out of the cell. He held back a smile for as long as he could, only making it to the cellblock exit where Carol watched him walk in. 

“What’s got you looking so happy?” she asked with a sly look.

“Good day…that’s all,” Daryl replied with a shrug before heading outside to check the traps, occasionally brushing his hand over his pocket to make sure the rolled up magazine was still tucked away.

Chapter Text

Daryl was practically skipping, well not skipping, but walking with a bit of a spring in his step as he made his way back in the prison that night. He’d managed to get a good haul from the traps earlier so he knew they’d be good on meat for a few days. Then some spare parts he scavenged for his bike ended up working out better than he expected, making his ride just a bit smoother.

But even with all that stuff, he’d spent most of his day thinking about the magazine rolled up and stowed away in his pocket. A brief smile would ghost across his lips every time his hand brushed across it and he thought of Rick’s almost worried look as he strolled out of the man’s cell that morning.

Walking up to the table with his plate, he sank down next to Carol and couldn’t help but smirk when she looked over at him. He took a bite off his fork as she eyed him with curiosity. “Daryl Dixon…in a good mood. Thought I’d never see the day,” she said with a shake of her head.

Daryl rolled his eyes and made to grab a bite off her plate but she yanked her food away before nudging him in the ribs. Daryl snorted a short laugh before looking around the table. The meal was especially good tonight so everyone crowded around to enjoy the food and good conversation that went with it.

His eyes scanned the room and they stopped when he saw Rick sitting on the farther end of the table, looking at him. Rick’s eyes were a little hard to read but Daryl could tell that he had something going on inside that head. Rick’s gaze darted away quickly though when he realized Daryl had caught him looking, turning his attention back to the bottle he was feeding Judith.

Daryl hid the small smile that wanted to work its way across his mouth. He could only imagine what Rick was thinking right now. Probably wondering what Daryl had done with the magazine and the hunter’s hand instinctively slid over his side pocket to make sure it was still there.

“You know, Carol, I think you’re right. Daryl brought me Judith’s rattle today when I didn’t even ask him for it.” At the mention of his name, he was pulled away from his thoughts on Rick and turned to see Beth smiling at him. She reached over and gave his cheek a little pinch that he immediately pulled away from. “Look at him. Blushing just ‘cause he was being nice.”

But Beth calling him out out for being unusually thoughtful wasn’t the source of his flushed appearance. Glancing Rick’s way again, he found the man with a confused expression etched across his features, his mouth halfway open like he had a question just on the tip of his tongue. Shit. Now Rick knew he wasn’t in his cell for any good reason other than going through his stuff.

“So what? Know she likes that rattle. Figured she needed something to play with while you did laundry.” Daryl bit his lower lip and cursed inwardly. That was the shittiest excuse he could come up with and he knew it. Judging from the way Rick was gathering his plate, he knew the man was about to get up and come over to talk to him.

Thankfully, Carl grabbed his dad’s shoulder and started rambling about some comic book in his hand and that caused Rick to pause in his seat. Daryl sighed in relief because that gave him some more time to think of a reason, any other reason, to have been in Rick’s cell.

“Aw. Don’t look so worried, Pookie. We all know there’s a sweetheart buried underneath that tough exterior. You don’t have to act big and bad all the time,” Carol said to his right. His face must’ve look more stressed than he thought if Carol felt the need to say that, so he gave her a weak smile before shrugging and shoveling the rest of his dinner down his throat.

Once he finished, he watched as Rick finished with Carl, only to get caught by Hershel next. The old man was nice but also long winded, something that Daryl was very grateful for at this moment. He used the opportunity to slip away to his cell. He turned his lantern on and pulled his boots off before lying back on his bed.

He was halfway nervous that Rick was going to come to his cell tonight and bombard him with questions. He waited it out, cleaning and sharpening his knife that had gotten messy after today’s kills. After about an hour, he figured that Rick wasn’t coming by and he decided to chance pulling the magazine out.

He’d almost looked at it more than once today, but there’s hardly any time to relax when you’re outside the prison walls and even less privacy once you were inside of them. Pulling the rolled up pages from his pocket, he sat up on his bed and smoothed them out. Looking at the ridiculous cover again, he chuckled and started to flip through it.

Daryl had seen his fair share of porn but that’d all been porn with women. And it's not like gay porn would’ve been easy to come by in his neck of the woods anyways. If Merle had even sniffed anything like that, he would’ve gotten his tail whooped six ways to Sunday. So this was all pretty new to him and he wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about it.

The magazine was filled with, of course, plenty of naked guys. They all had huge, rock hard dicks that made Daryl feel a little more than inadequate, but most porn did that anyways. Some of the spreads had guys alone, each photo showing them with less and less clothing until they were completely naked and jerking themselves.

Then there were the spreads that had two guys. They would steadily start cuddling and kissing, hands roaming over each other. Then that led to rubbing over each other’s crotches, then zippers coming undone and cocks being pulled out. Then some spreads led to blowjobs while others led to full on sex.

Daryl didn’t know how to feel about seeing a man’s dick in another man’s ass. Their faces were wrecked with pure ecstasy but didn’t that have to hurt? Seeing as the guy who was taking it still had a pretty big hard on, eventually leading to a photo of him coming while getting fucked, it must’ve felt good on some level.

The hunter suddenly realized that his jeans felt a little snugger than usual and when he looked down he saw that his own cock was half hard. Biting at his thumbnail, he wondered if that meant anything but then figured it was just the fact that he was looking at porn in general and it had definitely been awhile since he’d taken care of himself in that way.

Flipping the pages again, he came upon a spread that was titled “Buck Wild.” This one showed only one man who happened to be walking in the woods, holding a rifle as he stared down the sightline. Daryl raised his eyebrows in surprise because the man was actually holding the gun right unlike some of the other assholes in this magazine who had no idea how to be an actual “outdoorsman.”

Looking closer, the man was wearing a flannel shirt tucked into jeans and an actual pair of hunting boots. He wore a hat with flaps over the ears but in the next picture he’d taken it off while sitting on a log and Daryl saw that he had darker hair that had a slight curl to it.

Sitting up a little bit straight, Daryl stared at the image for a few seconds before realizing why it interested him so much. The guy looked almost a little like Rick. He tossed his head back and laughed a little once the realization hit him but brought his attention back to the page quick enough.

In the next few photos, the guy was slowly pulling bits of clothing away until he was shirtless with his jeans undone and a long cock sticking out from his hips. Something about the image had Daryl huffing out a sigh and he looked down at the now full erection that was tenting his pants.

Biting his lip in uncertainly, Daryl decided fuck it and he reached to down to undo his jeans. His cock sprang free and he wrapped a hand around it, holding back a groan because it’d been awhile since he touched himself like this.

Running his thumb and forefinger from the base to the tip, he gave the dark head a squeeze before turning his gaze back to the magazine he had spread out next to him. Leaning back a little and curling his body to the side so he didn’t strain his neck, Daryl’s eyes flitted from photo to photo as he jerked himself off.

He started out slow but soon his pace quickened, his hips rolling into his hand, as he watched the man in the magazine get himself off as well. He flung his left hand to the corner of the page and flipped it over to see the man shooting come onto his chest and stomach, his face contorted into a frenzied look of bliss.

Seeing that image sent Daryl over the edge and he stroked himself through is orgasm, spilling onto his hand until he’d unloaded every last drop. He held his breath as he finished, trying to hold back any grunts and groans that threatened to pass his lips. Finally exhaling, he opened his eyes that had been squeezed shut and wiped some sweat from his brow with his non-sticky hand.

“Fuck,” Daryl growled when he looked down and realized he'd shot a little onto the picture he’d been getting off to. Grabbing a random rag off the floor, Daryl wiped his hand and dick off before using a clean corner to pat down the page. Even after getting most of it off, there was still a nice sized wet circle where the dollop of come had landed.

Sighing, Daryl ran a hand through his shaggy mop of hair, wondering if he should do a lot of introspection on the fact that he’d just jerked off to a gay porn magazine. Not just a gay porn magazine but a spread featuring a guy that reminded him a lot of Rick. In the end, he decided he was too tired to bother with it and cut off his lantern. Lying back on his bed, he rolled up the magazine and smiled to himself when he tucked it under his mattress right next to the wall.

The next night Daryl dragged himself down the tower steps after Maggie finally came to swap guard duty with him. It’d been a long ass day of clearing the fence line, fashioning more bolts for his crossbow, and then taking the evening shift for watch. He felt even more exhausted because the entire day had been spent keeping one eye out for Rick, that way if he saw him coming he could go in the opposite direction.

Thankfully, evading the man hadn’t been too hard. Daryl sighed in relief as he made his way inside the prison but he also wondered how much longer he was going to be able to keep this up. Deep down, he knew he was kind of hoping Rick would just let it go but he also knew that Rick never really let anything go.

Walking through the common area, a few people were scattered around tables chitchatting or playing cards. On the opposite end of the room, Daryl saw Rick quietly talking to Hershel while he bounced his daughter to sleep in his arms. Seeing Rick with her always made Daryl want to smirk just a little, but he knew this was another chance for him to slip by so he darted for the cell block.

Once he stepped past the threshold into his cell, his shoulders finally relaxed after feeling tense pretty much the whole day. He shrugged off his vest and then practically collapsed onto the bed, rubbing hands over his tired eyes. Not only had he managed to avoid their fearless leader all day long, but he also forced away any thoughts about what he’d done the previous night. In the world they lived in where food was scarce and death was constantly knocking at your door, he didn’t even want to think about questioning his sexuality.

Instead, right around lunchtime he came to the calm decision of just rolling with it and saying screw you to the voice of his brother yelling in the back of his mind. You a faggot, Darylina? Daryl shuddered at the thoughts and actually held his hand in the air, giving his brother’s ghost the finger.

Afterwards, he couldn’t help it when his left hand slid to the side of his bed and slipped in between the wall and his mattress. Running his fingers up and down the tight space, he felt nothing but the cold metal of his bed frame. What the fuck? Daryl sat up and searched again, coming back empty handed.

Next, he actually stood up and yanked his mattress up, tossing it to the floor after his blanket and pillow went flying. But to his extreme dismay, the efforts were fruitless. The magazine was gone. Daryl looked around his sparsely decorated room just to be sure but he knew it wasn’t there. And that left only one place for it to be.

Stomping out of his cell, he flew down the steps with every intention of searching the one cell he’d already been caught red handed in once before. As soon as his feet hit the landing though, he stopped dead in his tracks. Rick was leaning against the outside of his cell, his sleeping daughter cradled in his arms.

“Lose something, Daryl?” Rick asked and his face split into the smuggest smile that the hunter had ever seen the man wear. Daryl pursed his lips as his nostrils flared in silent outrage. The man had gone in his cell while he was on duty and taken the magazine back and Daryl was furious even though he had absolutely no reason to be. He’d done just the same to Rick, hadn’t he?

“Hey, are you feeling okay?” he heard a voice call out and his eyes turned to find Carol walking into the cell block with a stack of clean towels. She got closer to him and reached a hand out, resting the back of it on his forehead. “You got a fever or something? You look a little flushed, pookie.”

“Nah…I’m fine,” Daryl grumbled, pulling his head out of her reach. His eyes cut to Rick who still wore that same damn smile.

“She’s right, Daryl. You do look a little hot. Maybe you should go rest. It’s been a long day,” Rick said, turning to take Judith into his cell. Carol didn’t catch it, but Daryl could hear the edge of amusement and false sincerity in Rick’s voice.

“Yep. So you just turn around and go right back up to that cell, mister. Get some sleep,” she said as she pushed his shoulder, forcing him to turn around.

“Fine…” Daryl grumbled but as he made his way back up the steps, he turned his head and made sure to give Rick a look that said this isn’t over. Rick’s only response was a wink that made Daryl’s stomach do a small flip.

The next morning, Daryl’s plan was the same as the first time he went into Rick’s cell, wait it out. Unfortunately, Rick seemed to be anticipating that and for every activity Daryl did to bide his time, Rick had one of his own. This went on for almost an hour until there were hardly any people left at the breakfast tables.

“A little late in the morning for you to be still watching Judith, ain’t it Rick? That garden won’t tend itself,” Hershel teased as he stood with his crutch. “And more bolts, Daryl? Thought you made plenty yesterday.”

“Mmm…can’t really have enough,” Daryl mumbled as he ran his knife along the edge of the wood. Daryl knew there were plenty of other things he should be doing, but waiting out Rick was the only thing he wanted to be doing right now. They’d barely said two words to each other this morning but they sat across the table from one another, their eyes occasionally meeting in mild amusement and maybe a little annoyance.

“You’re right, Hershel. I better hand this little lady off to Beth,” Rick said, finally giving in. Daryl’s eyes perked up at that and he laid down his make-shift bolt. “Think you oughta go check those traps, Daryl? Don’t want any of that meat to go to waste.” Rick raised his eyebrows at the hunter, practically daring him to go into the cell block.

“Don’t you worry ‘bout that,” Daryl bit back in response. He knew it sounded a little harsh, but he didn’t mean it that way and Rick’s bright eyes told him that he didn’t take it that way either. Instead of saying anything back though, Rick turned and headed off to go deposit Judith into the care of Beth.

After Hershel hobbled away, Daryl gathered his things and was just about to head for Rick’s cell when none other than the man himself came walking back in. He gave Daryl a smile and headed right to the cell block, his boots clopping on the cement floor. “Oh! Forgot my work gloves. Must’ve left ‘em in my cell,” Rick said with a clap of his hands, his voice sounding vaguely amused.

Daryl couldn’t help it when a deep sigh slipped past his lips and his eyes rolled all way up to the ceiling. Mother fucker! He wasn’t going to make this easy. The hunter knew his chances for this morning were pretty much gone so he gave in and headed outside to start his day.

It was late in the afternoon as Daryl helped a few people clear a southeast corner of the fence that had gotten a small buildup. Well, he was mostly there because of the good angle it gave him on the garden where Rick was currently working. The day had proven to be pretty busy and he hadn’t gotten a chance to slip away undetected. Especially considering that half the time he glanced Rick’s way to see if the man was distracted, he’d caught Rick watching him for the exact same reason.

This proved beyond frustrating and Daryl found himself stabbing walker heads with a little more force than normal. After about an hour, his eyes found their way to Rick again. The ex-deputy stood around with his son and Glenn, their attention on the leaves of what Daryl assumed was a tomato plant.

A minute went by and they were still crowded around the same area, heads dipped in concentration. Daryl didn’t know how much longer that would last but he knew that this would probably be his best chance he’d had so far today. “Be right back,” he muttered to no one in particular.

Sitting his fence weapon down, he stepped away from the group and stole his way into the prison. The inside was practically empty this time of day and he easily crept his way into Rick’s cell. He almost sighed with relief when the curtain swung closed behind him. He honestly wasn’t sure if he was going to get an opportunity today.  

First, he checked Rick’s original hiding spot between the bed and the wall. Unsurprisingly, he came back empty handed. Daryl bit it his lip as he did a brief 360 degree turn around the cell. He knew he didn’t have time to check every damn place. Slowly, he slid his eyes closed and tried to think. Where would Rick hide it this time?

Rick knew that Daryl would come looking for it and given enough time and energy, he could find that magazine no matter how hard Rick had hidden it in this cell. But Rick had also stolen it back and waited for Daryl last night. He’d been so damn smug, almost teasing in his tone, as he asked Daryl if he’d lost something. Rick was playing a game. He wanted Daryl to come looking for the magazine.

And if he wanted that, then he probably wouldn’t bother trying to hide it really well. He’d leave it in a place just to fuck with the hunter. And if Daryl knew Rick, which he was pretty sure that he did, he’d leave it in a place that the hunter wouldn’t typically ever go. Opening his eyes, he turned his attention to Rick’s pile of dirty clothes.

Rick tossed them in the corner like Daryl did and somebody, usually one of the women, would come by and scoop them up for laundry. Stepping closer, Daryl crouched down and pulled aside a couple of Rick’s button-ups and a pair of jeans before he found what he was looking for. A pair of black boxer-briefs lay at the bottom of the pile, laid out flat like they were just waiting to be found. Tucked neatly inside with just the top showing was the magazine, the bright yellow word Beefcake practically shining like a beacon.

Daryl actually had to give this one to Rick. He thought he knew how to deter a man like Daryl but he also forgot that the hunter didn’t back down, not for a second. So he picked up the top of the magazine and flung the underwear onto Rick’s bed in the process. Just as he was about to tuck the glossy pages away, he caught the edge of a slip of paper peeking out from the corner. Pulling it out the rest of the way, Daryl saw it was a ripped piece of notebook paper and scribbled on it were the bold words “Don’t even think about it!”

His mouth split into a big grin before balling the note up and tossing it down next to Rick’s dirty shorts. Walking out of Rick’s cell, Daryl almost wanted to head back outside and shoot Rick the biggest shit eating grin he could muster. Instead, he turned left and headed to his own cell, figuring he could reward himself with a catnap before dinner.

Stepping into his own space, he shrugged off his vest and kicked his boots off. Pulling the magazine out of his pocket, he smiled to himself again, practically giddy with the anticipation of seeing Rick’s face once he found out. Daryl couldn’t help himself so he flipped through the pages as he laid back on his bed.

He quickly flipped through all the spreads he’d seen the day before until he got to the one that had him yanking his pants open. Licking his lips, his eyes scanned over every image again and again he found a familiar bulge starting press against his zipper. Turning through the pages quicker than the last time, he got to the end and his hands paused on the page.

The stain he left had dried into a small, light colored circle with a slight wrinkling to it. On any other piece of paper, you wouldn’t think twice about it but on a picture like this, it was kind of obvious what it was. But that’s not what had Daryl halting his movements.

On the next page was an even bigger stain. This one was twice the size of Daryl’s and the hunter took a deep breath as he realized Rick must’ve spilled his whole load onto the page. Rick had cleaned his up the same as Daryl, but there was no mistaking what had happened. Daryl’s heart started racing as he thought about Rick on his knees with the magazine spread out before him, jerking his cock and spilling onto the page right next to the one Daryl had marked.

“Fuck…” he breathed out. Without a second thought, Daryl laid the magazine down on his bed and got to his knees. He jerked his belt open and quickly undid his pants, sliding them down to hips. His cock sprang free and already had a few drops of pre-come glistening from the tip. Resting his left hand on his pillow, he leaned his body over the magazine and started to frantically work his right hand over his hard length.

The entire time his eyes never left the page that Rick had proudly emptied onto. As his hand squeezed up his shaft, he wondered what Rick thought about while he made that. Was he thinking of Daryl? Did he come with Daryl’s name on his lips? Did he stroke himself slow and steady or as fast as Daryl was going right now? Did he smile when he finished, thinking about how Daryl would feel once he saw it?

He felt his peak building quickly and he pumped his hips into his hand as he thought about Rick spilling every last drop onto that page. His eyes wanted to squeeze themselves shut but he forced them to stay open so he could aim. With one last jerk of his hand, his orgasm exploded through him and he shot long white streams across the page he’d already accidentally made a mess on, though this time was clearly on purpose.

“Goddammit…” he huffed, squeezing himself from base to tip to make sure it all got on there. Falling back onto his heels, he tipped his head back and took a deep breath. Once his heart rate slipped back into a normal rhythm, he looked back down and smiled at his masterpiece.

Grabbing a ragged shirt, he carefully mopped up the mess, trying not to disturb the pattern he’d made. He pulled his pants back up and then closed the magazine, tucking it into his pillowcase because he couldn’t think of a safer place to keep it. Lying down, he drifted off to sleep with a ghost of smile playing on his lips.

Chapter Text

When Daryl made his way to dinner that night, he grabbed his plate and sat down next to Carol with Rick situated directly on the other side of the table. He ate quietly, not that that wasn’t unusual for him, but he barely looked up from his plate. He wasn’t sure he could look Rick in the eye after earlier, after seeing what Rick had left for him and what he didn’t even hesitate to do afterwards.

He sighed and rubbed at his chin, thinking on the magazine that he’d left tucked into his pillow. He doubted Rick would go for it tonight. Maybe Rick didn’t even know that he’d nabbed it yet. Glancing up, he automatically found Rick’s eyes on him, amusement playing at the corners of his mouth as he fed Judith. Yep, he knew.

“You’re a little quiet tonight,” Carol said offhandedly, nudging him with her elbow.

Daryl’s dragged his eyes away from Rick and looked at Carol, giving her a shrug. “So? I’m always quiet.”

“Mmm, I guess,” she conceded. Briefly, she laid her head on his shoulder before sitting upright again. “Can’t help but worry about you. Didn’t see you much today.”

“Yea, where’d you get off to this afternoon?” Rick piped up across the table. He hid the smile that threatened to spread across his face but Daryl saw the man’s quiet mirth bubbling underneath the surface.

“Had shit to do. What’s it to you?” Daryl’s voice sounded a little bitter, mainly because Rick was egging him on at the table in front of everyone. He already felt embarrassed enough about being unable to control himself.

“No reason,” Rick shrugged, clearly brushing off Daryl’s tone. “Could’ve used your help in the garden. Think we’re going to start building…” and just like that Rick fell back into his usual self. He talked about various odds and ends to do around the prison and some of the weirdness Daryl was feeling faded away. Dinner was over soon enough and Daryl gathered the plates to give to Carol for washing. “Missed one,” he heard from behind him and he turned to find Rick’s blue eyes on him.

Daryl gulped and took the plate with a brief nod of thanks. “So, Glenn said you’re taking his watch tonight?” Rick asked as he leaned against one of the tables.

“Mmm…yea,” Daryl mumbled with a shrug. “He asked me to.”

“Well, don’t wear yourself out. We all need rest, ya know.” Rick gave him a light pat on the shoulder while his eyes put out a look of sincere concern. Daryl was always surprised at how much Rick looked out for him, for everyone really, and he momentarily wondered if Rick knew that he cared just as much for him. Instead of getting all mushy though, Daryl couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease him just a little.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. Got plenty of rest this afternoon. Got kinda wore out today…” Daryl crossed his arms as he spoke, his eyes shifting slightly downward because he couldn’t quite look Rick in the eye. He knew he was blushing just a fraction but when his gaze darted up he saw a flush working its way up Rick’s neck. He felt inwardly triumphant for being able to cause that.

Rick smiled, just a small one that only Daryl saw, and he ran a hand through his curls. “Yea? That’s good, I s’pose. Don’t get too bored on watch tonight. Take some reading material.”

Now Rick’s whole face was flaming red and Daryl was pretty sure his matched. But he smirked all the same and turned to head for the guard tower. Before he walked away though, his hand landed on Rick’s side, giving him a small pat. “Nah, think I’ve done plenty of reading for one night. But maybe you should work on them dirty clothes.” He didn’t bother to wait for a response before walking away.

The next few days provided an interesting distraction for Daryl. A good distraction really from all the death and decay that their lives had become. Now he woke up with a smile on his face and an eagerness to jump out of bed. An eagerness that was only fulfilled once he saw Rick and his smirk of mischief because of their little game.

They’d stolen the magazine back and forth from each other every day and each time the hiding places got a little bit lazier. Daryl had come back from the night watch he took from Glenn to his pillow left of the floor, knowing that Rick had been there.

The next day Daryl snuck away at lunchtime and found the magazine in a spare pair of boots Rick had under his bed. Although, there wasn’t much need to sneak around. At breakfast, neither man had bothered to outwait the other, a nonverbal agreement that had Daryl wondering just what the hell they were doing.

Either way, Rick found the magazine the next day tucked away under Daryl’s spare bolts and later Daryl took it back when he checked around Rick’s shower supplies. No matter where either man hid it, the other found it quickly and after each time, Daryl would creep back to his cell and flip the pages open eagerly.

He knew he shouldn’t get off so much to seeing another man’s come stains, but he practically salivated as he flipped through each page of naked, muscular men to find the newest one Rick had left him. He would already be halfway hard as he started going through Rick’s cell and then sporting a full on tent in his pants once he stepped back inside his own, trying to ignore some of the excitement that shot up his spine as he searched through the nudie mag.

Once he'd found it, he’d shove his pants down and quickly get himself off. His eyes would concentrate on the image in front him, never really seeing the man in the picture but focusing instead on the man who’d left what he was looking at. Rick had jumped from spread to spread, his markings interspersed throughout the pages. But whenever Daryl got close to his own orgasm, he’d always flip to the spread that got him started.

Each time he’d finish on the face of the man in the woods until Daryl had almost every image marked. He couldn’t say exactly why, but something about it just felt right. Then he’d tuck himself back in his pants, blot the page, then close the magazine and hide it for Rick to find later.

“Shit, it’s hot,” Daryl sighed, wiping his handkerchief over his forehead. “We done yet?” He leaned against the shovel he’d been using all day in the garden, helping Rick, Carl, and Glenn. Apparently, this would help the soil get more air and drain better but Daryl was just about past the point of caring.

“Ah, yea. Think that’s about as good as it’s gonna get,” Rick replied. He stood up from his crouched position and stretched his back, his arms lifted high in the air as he groaned and yawned. Daryl tried to keep his eyes from raking over Rick’s body, instead looking down at his hands as he pulled his work gloves off.

“Oh man! What happened, Dad?” Carl’s changing voice hit a high note on the end and Daryl had to hold back a small chuckle. The last thing he wanted to do was make the poor kid feel self-conscious. He followed Carl’s outstretched hand and found it pointing to a spot on the side of Rick’s torso.

There was a bit of blood pooling on his shirt and Rick’s body curved awkwardly as he tried to get a good look at it. “Huh? I don’t know. Must’ve happened when we were moving those fence posts around. Felt it scrape me but didn’t think it did any damage.” Rick looked back up and shrugged, his blue eyes saying that he wasn’t worried about it.

“Better get it cleaned up. You know Hershel’ll give you hell if you don’t.” Rick nodded at Glenn’s suggestion before turning to put up their tools.

“Hey, go grab the first aid kit and we’ll meet ya up there,” Daryl told Carl. The younger Grimes dashed off towards the prison, eager to fulfill the task given to him. Daryl waved Glenn off who looked pretty beat and he finished up helping Rick put all the tools away. Afterwards, they walked up to the tables that sat outside and plopped down, chugging water and wiping sweat from their faces.

“We'll sleep good tonight…” Daryl mumbled while they waited for Carl.

“Been sleeping pretty good anyways,” was Rick’s reply and Daryl caught part of the smile the tugged up at the corner of Rick’s mouth. He flushed a little pink, crossing his arms and then uncrossing him when it didn’t feel right, not knowing exactly what to say back to that.

This had been part of their game too. Saying some offhanded things to make the other one blush. Usually it was around other people who didn’t fully understand but it wasn’t enough to inquire further and made their inside jokes all the more fun. This was actually the first time one had said something to other while they were completely alone, which made it all the more nerve wracking for Daryl.

Before he could think of something to say back, Carl came running up like a man on mission. “Here ya go. Hershel said to use plenty of antiseptic and change the bandages frequently.” He smiled once he finished, proud in the fact that he’d done something useful.

“Yea, think we know how to clean a wound by now…” Daryl grumbled before grabbing the kit and opening it up. “Alright, let’s see it.”

Rick nodded and started to unbutton his shirt, untucking it from his pants in the process. Daryl tried to ignore the increase in his heartrate as he grabbed some alcohol and a cotton ball. “Carol asked me for help with dinner. I’ll see you guys later.” And just like that, Carl was off again.

Daryl cursed inwardly because he kind of liked having the kid there as a buffer. Being alone with Rick was making him nervous. Rick finished unbuttoning his shirt and he pulled it to the sides, exposing his pale but muscular torso. Daryl gulped and tried to look interested in only the wound.

He found it easy enough, a three inch diagonal cut on Rick’s right side. It wasn’t too deep but still needed tending to. Daryl dabbed the cotton ball over it and Rick hissed a little. “Hey! Be gentle!” Rick chided.

Daryl scoffed and rolled his eyes, cleaning it exactly as before. “C’mon, Grimes. You’ve taken worse than this.”

“Yea…but not from you…” Rick’s voice was quiet and gentle. Daryl had to make every effort not to look up into the man’s eyes because, quite frankly, he was scared shitless at what he might see and subsequently feel. Instead, he grabbed a bandage and opened it up, firmly applying it to the cleaned cut before tossing the trash back into kit. Eyes on the ground, he stood up and wiped his hands nervously on his jeans.

“Good as new…” he mumbled.

“Yea? Hope it doesn’t leave a bad scar. Think it looks okay?” At Rick’s request, Daryl finally let his gaze travel up and he sucked in a deep breath once his eyes took in what he saw. Rick was sitting slightly leaned back with his shirt opened, chest and stomach on display. His head was tilted slightly to the left while his hands rested on the tops of his thighs. Rick licked his lips and gave Daryl a wicked smile.

Rick knew exactly what he was doing and it made Daryl ten different kinds of furious. You asshole. It wasn’t just how good the man looked, or how cocky his expression was, but it was the fact that he was situated in an exact position from the magazine, from the spread Daryl always made sure to finish on. His mouth went completely dry as his brain just about short circuited.

Rick waited, obviously hoping to get a rise out of the hunter. But Daryl honestly had no clue what to say, probably because his stomach was a twist of emotions that he couldn’t even comprehend. “Uh…I gotta go…” and with that he whipped his body around and stalked into the prison.

He went straight to the showers, ignoring the greetings that were flown his way as he walked through the halls. Stripping out of his clothes, he sank under the cool spray and washed away the dirt and sweat of the day. He had hoped some of his confused feelings would fall away as well, but things were only getting more muddled.

Shit, did he want Rick? Had he wanted him this whole time and just been in crazy denial? He’d been playing along in their game, enjoying himself and the excitement he’d been feeling, but could it lead to more? Did Rick want more? Fuck, things were only getting more mixed up inside his head.

Taking a deep breath, Daryl tried to calm himself down and clear his mind. The only thing that was coming across clearly right now was that he’d certainly liked what he’d just seen outside. His current hard on sticking up in the air was a big indication of that. So, did that make him gay? Did it even fucking matter anymore? They had so little now in a world gone to shit. Shouldn’t people just do what made them happy?

Daryl ended up skipping dinner that night. He even refused Carol’s offer of bringing food to his cell. He just wasn’t hungry. He thought and thought and thought some more about what to do about Rick, but nothing was clear. Instead, he just laid back on his bed and rested his eyes.

After an hour, he heard Rick call out to someone on the other end of the cellblock. It must’ve been Beth because he said he was going to take care of Judith’s bath tonight. Daryl snorted a little at the image of Rick playing rubber duckies in the tub with his daughter.

But then he realized that Rick’s cell would be empty for awhile and remembered that it was his turn to go find the magazine. Were they still playing? He’d left things a little awkward from earlier and honestly didn’t know. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he wasn’t quite ready to give it all up.

So he dragged his body up off the bed and crept down to Rick’s cell. He figured that Rick would’ve left it in another easy hiding spot, but after a minute, Daryl was coming up empty handed. Shit. Was Rick done playing? Did he toss the magazine out like he said he wanted to do only a week ago?

Daryl’s heart sank at the notion but he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. Digging in his heels, he began to search in earnest. Checking under every surface, shaking out every piece of clothing, even going through Judith’s stuff. He’d just got down on his knees to double check under Rick’s bed when he heard, “Looking for this?”

Daryl popped back up quick as lightening and whipped around. Rick stepped back into the cell, a sleeping Judith curled in his arms, when he reached into his pocket and pulled the magazine out. He held it in the air before tossing it on the bed.

“That was a quick bath…” Daryl mumbled, his face a furious shade of red at being caught mid-search. He brought a thumbnail to his mouth and began to nibble on it nervously.

“Yea, she fell asleep on me right in the middle of it. Beth must’ve worn her out today.” Rick half-smiled before laying her down in her bed. Daryl glanced into the makeshift crib and watched her for a second before turning back to Rick.

“Didn’t hide it…” he said quietly, more of a question than a statement but he nodded at the curled up pages all the same.

Rick sighed a little, making Daryl worry slightly, before he sat down on his bed. He grabbed the magazine and tapped it against his knee. “Yea. When I didn’t see you at dinner, think I got kinda worried. Figured something was up and maybe this was the only way to get you to stick around so I could talk to you.”

Daryl rolled his eyes and groaned a little. He hated this kind of thing. Mostly he hated talking about his feelings when he didn’t even know what they were yet. Sitting down on Rick’s bed as well, he hunched forward and ran his hands through his hair. “M’fine.”

Rick was silent for a full minute and Daryl refused to meet his eye. The silence was tense and aggravating and Daryl almost got up to walk out before Rick said, “Alright. If you say you’re fine, then I’ll believe you.” Daryl was sure his shoulders visibly sagged as some tension drained out of them. “In fact, I’ll let you have this magazine, free and clear, if you answer one question for me.”

Daryl bit his lip and squeezed his hands together. Fuck, why did Rick always have to make things so hard? “Okay…” Daryl said, his voice filled with trepidation. Daryl didn’t really want to have the magazine. He wanted them to keep up their little game, but he couldn’t resist giving into Rick.

“Why this one?” Rick asked quietly. His voice was soft and it curled into Daryl. So much so that the hunter had to raise his eyes to the man to see him as he spoke. “Why always on this one?” Rick’s own gaze went down to his hands and Daryl followed him, seeing that Rick had opened the magazine to the spread that Daryl favored so much.

Daryl’s entire body heated in shame at being confronted with what he’d been doing, even though Rick had been doing exactly the same thing. Fuck! What was he supposed to say now? How could he really explain that? There really wasn’t any way to explain it without coming completely out with it.

“He your favorite?” Rick asked and Daryl gulped before nodding.

“Guess so.”

“Why’s that?” Rick wasn’t going to let up for a second and Daryl pursed his lips as he shook his head.

“Ain’t that more than one question?”

“C’mon, Daryl. After all this,” and Rick flipped through the pages. Daryl blushed all over again after glimpsing everything they’d left for one another. “Think you can do me this one favor. Just tell me why.”

Daryl huffed out a breath and stood up, casually pacing the cramped cell. If he did this, there was no going back. He couldn’t ever deny it and Rick could very well turn him down. Turn him out. Take away everything he was so desperate to keep. But if it went the other way…

Daryl stopped abruptly right in front of Rick and held his hands out. “Because he fucking reminds me of you!” Daryl almost yelled, but he was vaguely aware of the sleeping Judith next to him so he whisper-yelled it while looking Rick dead in the eyes. This was one time where he didn’t want to miss the man’s reaction.

Even still his body was ready to bolt at any second and Rick could sense his urge for flight. Grabbing the edge of his vest, he pulled him towards the bed. “Sit down, Daryl.” Rick’s eyes were soft, his face hadn’t really changed at all after Daryl’s confession and that frustrated the fuck out of Daryl.

He sat down anyways and went back to biting his thumbnail. Rick tugged his hand away though and then slowly, gently, rubbed his thumb across Daryl’s cheek. “You know…we don’t have to…” Rick sighed as he tried to find the words. “We don’t have to do this.” He picked up the magazine with his unoccupied hand and shook it for emphasis.

Daryl closed his eyes for second and absolutely relished having Rick this close to him, touching him like this. Then he thought about it all ending and that made him uneasy. “But…I like this,” he countered with a voice that was barely over a whisper.

Rick smirked and scooted a little closer to the hunter. “I like it too. I’m not saying we stop. I’m saying we do…more.” Daryl’s eyebrows rose at what more could possibly hint at.

“Like what?”

Moving in slowly, Rick got close to Daryl, who was frozen in place, and he gingerly laid his lips over Daryl’s. Rick’s mouth felt warm and soft, his lips were so full but they fit against Daryl’s so much better than he ever could've ever imagined. The hunter held still for a full second as he felt Rick’s mouth close over his own. Then he felt something give way inside of him and he leaned into Rick’s embrace.

The warm embers that burned inside him every time he looked at that magazine and thought of Rick turned into a full on raging inferno as they kissed. Rick went gentle and slow, turning his head this way and that as he tasted Daryl.

Daryl knew that Rick was doing this for his benefit, trying not to scare him off. Fuck that! They lived in a world where they could die at any moment and he’ll be goddamned if he has to bide his time when that’s the last thing he wants to do. Darting his tongue out, he licked at Rick’s lower lip and begged for entrance.

Rick’s lips curled into smile before they parted and his own tongue slid out to meet Daryl’s. Fuck…Rick tasted good. Daryl could get use to this. Before he got too caught up in the moment though, Rick pulled back and looked at him seriously.

“So, is this something you want? Get rid of this,” and Rick nodded at the magazine between them. “And then have…more of this.” He leaned forward and gave Daryl a quick kiss before pulling back again, his hand resting on the back of Daryl’s neck to hold him firmly in place.

Daryl knew he wanted to say yes. He was probably more sure of that than anything else in his entire life, but there was also a tiny part of him that was sad to see their game end. He’d unknowingly become somewhat attached to that magazine, kind of like a security blanket. But he didn’t want that to come in between him and Rick and what they had going now. “Yea…” he mumbled, nodding his head. “But…”

“But what?” Rick leaned forward, their foreheads brushing together as he waited.

“Mmm…” Daryl hesitated. He didn’t know how much Rick would be into something like he was thinking. But he’d been thinking about it for what seemed like ages now.

“What is it? You can tell me.” Rick gave him another quick kiss.

“’Fore we get rid of it. Wanna to see you…see how you did it…” Daryl’s face felt like it was on fire as he made his request. He licked his lips and looked away in embarrassment.

He felt a puff of breath against his cheek as Rick exhaled in what sounded like amusement. Rick’s soft lips nuzzled against his ear. “You mean you want to see how I jerk off to the magazine? You want to watch me come on the pages?”

Daryl sucked in a deep breath and growled a little. Rick’s dirty words were making him strain against the zipper of his pants and he nodded in rapid succession to answer Rick’s questions. “Been thinking ‘bout it too much. Gotta see it just once.”

Rick blew a hot breath into Daryl’s ear as his hands trailed down the hunter’s well-formed biceps. “Okay. But you gotta do something for me. You gotta touch yourself while you watch me. Only fair.”

Daryl smirked as desire coursed through him a little more. This night was turning out much better than he could’ve planned. “Yea…okay,” he agreed, not even showing a little reluctance because he didn’t really feel any.

“Good. But first…” and Rick grabbed at Daryl’s chin, turning his face towards his and their lips crashed together again. This kiss wasn’t gentle or slow. It was frenzied and hot and messy as their tongues lapped at one another. Daryl’s arms wrapped around Rick’s waist, dragging the man into him so there wasn’t an inch of space keeping them apart.

Rick’s hands dug deep into Daryl’s hair and tugged. Daryl groaned as the nerve endings on his head lit up and sent a shiver down his spine. Dragging himself away from Rick’s lips, he kissed his way down the man’s stubbled jawline until he got to his neck. Sticking his tongue out, he licked a stripe along the salty skin before sinking his teeth in. “Oh, fuck…” Rick said, almost choking on his words.

Pulling back on Daryl’s hair, he dragged the hunter off of him and kissed his mouth fiercely before attacking his neck in the same manner. Daryl could see the reason for Rick’s cursing as a bite sent a shockwave right down to his dick. Daryl’s breathing turned ragged and he let a hand slip down from Rick’s side to fumble over the man’s crotch.

It only took a second for Daryl to recognize the very clear outline of Rick’s cock, all hard and firm in the rough denim of Rick’s jeans. He tentatively ran his fingers over it, a little nervous about what to do. He never thought he’d want to touch another man’s dick but right now it was all he could think about.

Rick groaned into his neck and he raised his pelvis into Daryl’s hand, urging him on. With that little boost of confidence, he laid his palm flat against Rick’s hardness and stroked him over the pants. A small, choked sob slipped out of Rick’s mouth as his body went slack. Burying his forehead into Daryl’s neck, he trailed his own hand down Daryl’s chest and stomach until he found the hunter’s cock.

Daryl had already been about to come in his pants and when Rick’s hand found him, he had to bite his lip to keep from yelling out loud. Rick rubbed him at the exact same pace as Daryl and soon they were rocking into each other. Daryl lowered his head and caught Rick’s lips, their kiss sloppy and uncoordinated as they focused on what their hands were doing.

Daryl didn’t know how much longer he was going to last but he knew that he needed to see Rick come before he did. Pulling himself away, he held a hand over Rick’s to slow his movements. “C’mon. Show me,” he begged the other man, his voice ragged with want.

Rick bit his lower lip in what looked like frustration from being stopped but he huffed out a breath and finally nodded. Getting up, he moved a few inches down the bed and situated himself so he was sitting back on his heels. Quickly, he unbuttoned his shirt and yanked it out the waistband of his pants, so now it was hanging open at his sides similar to earlier that day.

Then he brought his hands to his pants, unbuttoning them and pulling down the zipper. In a move that had Daryl holding his breath, Rick hooked his thumbs into his pants and underwear, dragging them down to mid-thigh. His cock sprang out, all dark red and hard, glistening with moisture at the tip.

Daryl’s mouth dried as he took the man it. Goddamn, he looked amazing. Rick’s face was all flushed and he half-smiled at Daryl. “Sorry, I ain’t as big as him.” Daryl glanced down at the magazine spread Rick had left open, the one he’d gotten off to so much.

He reached out and flipped the page to something random. “Nah,” Daryl reassured. “You’re better…you’re real.”

Rick chuckled before he brought a hand up to his stiff length, holding himself at the base. “Remember our deal…” he reminded, raising his eyebrows in question.

Daryl bit his lip and nodded, scooting to where his back was flush against the wall behind him. He fumbled with his own pants, pulling them open and down just enough so that he could get his cock out. He was just as hard as Rick and he wrapped a hand around his shaft.

Looking back up, he watched as Rick’s eyes darkened. He licked his lips and stared at Daryl for a second. “Fuck, you look good.”

Daryl snorted shortly before nodding towards him. “You even see yourself right now? Think I got the better view.” Rick looked down and merely rolled his eyes like he didn’t want to argue this. Daryl didn’t either. They had more important things to do. “Go on. Show me.”

Rick took a deep breath before he slowly started working his hand. He rubbed himself from the base to the head, his fingertips swirling around the tip. Some of the moisture from his slit gathered on his finger and he brought his hand to mouth, darting his tongue out to lick it off. Daryl’s breath hitched in his throat as his hand squeezed around his dick. “Fuck, Rick,” he growled out.

Rick gave him a mischievous smile before he went back to stroking himself. His eyes would dart between Daryl and the magazine, eager to show Daryl what he wanted to see but also unable to keep his eyes off the hunter for more than a few seconds at a time. “This what you wanted?” Rick asked him through heavy breaths. “Wanted to see how I’d get off? How I’d think about you doing the same thing?”

Daryl grunted and nodded his head, his hand working in earnest as he watched Rick fuck his palm. Rick’s hips rocked forward, stroking himself quicker and quicker. Fuck, Rick looked so good right now Daryl wanted to toss the man back and fuck him into oblivion.

“Let me try something,” Rick huffed out, gesturing towards Daryl’s body. Daryl only nodded in response, his brain too fuzzy to form coherent words. Leaning forward, Rick balanced himself on his knees and one arm while he still pumped away. In a quick move, his head fell over Daryl’s mid-section and before the hunter could ask him what he was doing, Rick’s mouth swallowed the head of Daryl’s cock.

“Shit!” Daryl hissed and his hips involuntarily shot upwards. He felt Rick’s warm tongue swirl around the tip while Daryl’s hand kept stroking around the base. Rick’s lips sucked at him and he knew he was almost there. Looking down at Rick’s body where he was still working his own cock while his mouth was wrapped around Daryl was the fucking hottest thing he could’ve ever imagined.

“Fuck…Rick…not gonna last,” Daryl whimpered. He threaded his hands into Rick’s curls and tugged lightly. “C’mon. Wanna see you…”

Rick seemed to understand because he gave Daryl one more lick before pulling back and sitting up on his knees. “Come with me, Daryl,” Rick all but commanded and started to groan as he spilled onto his hand. As soon as Daryl saw Rick come undone, he followed not a second later, hips lifting into the air as he shot his own load.

“Oh, fuck…” Daryl bit out, his empty hand clawing at Rick’s side while he watched the man’s cock empty out onto the magazine. Both men finished with ragged breaths and Rick fell back onto his heels as his shoulders sagged in exhaustion. Daryl felt his own body sink into the wall behind him, his head lolling to the side.

“Shit…” Rick sighed and then his mouth split into a silly grin. He rubbed his clean hand over his face and chuckled. “I think I like ‘more’.” Daryl merely nodded in agreement before reaching out and grabbing Rick’s sticky hand. He pulled it towards his mouth and lapped his tongue across one the fingers, curious as to what another man tasted like.

To his surprise, he actually liked it so he kept licking at the appendages. A second later, he felt Rick grab his own messy hand that laid idle by his spent and softening cock and then Rick’s tongue was cleaning him up as well. Once they finished, Rick shifted to a sitting position next to Daryl, closing the magazine and tossing to the other end of the bed. “Guess we don’t need that anymore,” he said after a yawn.

“Mmm…” Daryl nodded in agreement. “I’ll take it out on the next run and get rid of it. Don’t need no one finding it here.”

“You mean like you did?” Rick teased, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he rested his head on Daryl’s shoulder.

Daryl shrugged as he tried to find a response. “Can’t blame a guy,” he finally said. “Caught you hiding somethin’ behind your back. Ain’t really the type to keep secrets. At least not from me. Guess I was worried.”

Rick laughed and shook his head. “Yea? Didn’t seem too worried when you walked outta here with it.”

Daryl smirked and leaned into Rick, burying his nose into Rick’s curls. “I guess by then, I knew. Couldn’t stop from myself, really.”

“Uh-huh…sure,” Rick replied incredulously but then he sighed in contentment. “Ain’t like I’m mad though. Kinda glad you did it. Otherwise, this wouldn’t have happened.” He gestured from his body to Daryl’s.

“Yea. Kinda glad I did too,” and he settled further into Rick’s bed, letting his hand find its way to Rick’s, their fingers lacing together and holding tight.

Daryl shivered as he walked his way into the prison. Fall was settling into the air and today was chillier than he’d anticipated. Stepping briskly, he made his way into his cell and found his spare set of gloves. Shoving them into his pocket, he turned to head back out so he could finish working on his bike.

Glancing towards his bed, he stopped short and walked over to it. Picking up his pillow, he turned it towards the light and found an all too familiar wet spot right in the middle of it. Rick! Daryl tossed the pillow to the floor and made a mental note to wash it later. But right now the only thing on his mind was finding his lover and teaching him a lesson.

Daryl thought maybe he deserved this one because of what he’d left on Rick's last clean pair of underwear last week, forcing him to go without for a couple days. That had certainly been fun and Daryl grinned at the memory. Walking out to the garden, he figured they could probably steal away for a good thirty minutes before anyone wondered where they were at. His step quickened just a bit as his body shivered in anticipation.