Say I Win

Waking up in the small hut, able to hear the sound of the ocean and with my husband's arms wrapped around me, brought a feeling of serenity I'm not sure I'd ever experienced before.

For a moment, I almost forgot that the world had fallen apart, my mind tricking me into thinking that everything was... normal.

That short period of ignorance was thwarted however, when I shifted slightly, and my eyes fell on the old furniture we'd used to barricade the door - a stark reminder that danger could always be lurking, ready to pounce. Daryl had moved the cabinet to its new spot last night before we slept - probably more out of habit than anything else.

I felt safe here, like we were hidden from the undead - but I knew better. They would always find us eventually. But, for now, I chose to forget about them and focus on the right now.

I turned over slowly, wanting Daryl to keep resting. He twitched as I shimmied out from beneath his arm, but he didn't wake. It wasn't like me to remove myself from his grip - having his arms around me was one of my favourite feelings in the whole world - but I had the urge to move back slightly, just take him in for a minute.

He was lying on his side, facing me, the rise and fall of his chest steady and slow. His rugged features were softened in sleep, the usual tension in his face melted away into something peaceful, almost vulnerable.

His hair - dishevelled even more than usual from the night - fell in dark strands across his forehead. It was getting so long now, and I loved it. It was unkempt, unruly, just like him. And it added to that raw, untamed look he had that I adored so much.

There was something magnetic about him even when he wasn't awake - even when he was unaware of how deeply I was studying him. The way his lips were slightly parted, the faint lines of worry that usually etched his brow were relaxed, the quiet breathing that made it seem like he was far away from all the noise of the world.

His arm was draped across the space between us, fingers slightly curled, a silent invitation to come closer. I could see the outlines of tattoos on his skin, ink that told stories of a past I still didn't know everything about, but had come to understand in time.

His scars - some visible, some hidden - spoke of battles fought, both physical and emotional. And yet, in this moment, none of that seemed to matter. There was no fight, no fear. Just him, here, safe and with me.

I let my eyes trace the lines of his form, the muscles beneath his skin. The soft curve of his shoulders, the strength in his frame, and the solidness of him made my heart ache in the most beautiful way.

I couldn't help but feel lucky. No matter the world we'd found ourselves in, no matter how dark it had been at times - this man was here, beside me, and he was mine.

My hand reached out almost instinctively, resting lightly on his arm, the warmth of his skin sending a gentle thrill through me. I smiled softly, knowing he wouldn't wake but enjoying the quiet peace of the moment nonetheless.

His presence was a quiet anchor in the chaos. Even asleep, he was everything. I couldn't imagine if I hadn't met him. If we hadn't both gone after the deer that day in the woods, if I'd gone on moving around alone as I had been - fighting to survive with nobody by my side.

Without even opening his eyes, he sensed mine on him.

"Why ya starin'?" He rasped, voice heavy from sleep.

I chuckled. Those damn hunter's instincts. "Because you're sexy."

His face tightened. "Ain't."

"You are... idiot."

He peeled one eye open, squinting as it adjusted to the light. "Who ya callin' idiot?

"You." I teased, giggling quietly.

He enveloped me in his arms before nuzzling his face in my neck and trailing gentle kisses against it. "Watch yur damn mouth, Dixon."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll dunk yur ass in the ocean." He threatened, failing to conceal a rough chuckle.

We leaned in at the same time, our lips meeting deliciously in what quickly became a passionate kiss. I threaded my fingers through his hair as his hands moved down my sides.

The morning became a blur of our bodies pressed together, kissing, touching, coming. I'd wager it was long past midday by the time I ventured out of the hut - called by the sound of the ocean - leaving Daryl to regain his strength.

It was hotter today, the sun spilling over the shoreline. A humid breeze rolled in with the scent of salt and damp sand. I wore just my underwear. We were alone here, and Alexandria didn't have bathing suits lying around that I could bring.

I stood at the water's edge, the gentle waves lapping at my feet as I stretched my arms above my head, feeling the warmth of the sun kiss my skin.

"You just gon' stand there, or ya actually gettin' in?" Daryl drawled from the doorway.

I smirked over my shoulder, catching the way his eyes skimmed over me. He had that lazy, amused look, the one that meant he was already plotting something.

"Missing me already?" I teased.

"Nah." He lied.

"You gonna join me? Or you still scared of the cold?"

He scoffed, stepping out onto the sand, his feet bare. He was shirtless, his bottom half covered by his battered jeans. "Ain't scared of nothin'."

I turned back toward the water, waiting, listening. The second I heard the rush of his footsteps on the sand, I bolted.

A laugh burst from my lips as I sprinted into the waves, just in time for his arms to wrap around me from behind. We hit the water together, the shock of it stealing my breath, and when we surfaced, I was already laughing.

"You cheated," I gasped, slicking my hair back as Daryl swiped at the water dripping from his face.

He smirked, pushing wet strands of hair out of my eyes. "Didn't."

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine."

I kicked a wave of water at him, soaking him all over again. He blinked, stunned, and I used the distraction to swim backwards, putting distance between us.

"That's it." he muttered.

The chase was on.

I swam as fast as I could, but Daryl was quicker, cutting through the water with strong strokes. He caught me around the waist, hauling me against him as I shrieked in protest.

"Say I win," he teased, his breath warm against my ear.

"Never," I declared, twisting in his hold.

He grinned, eyes dark with mischief, before he dipped me backwards into the water, soaking me completely. When he brought me up again, I was sputtering, cackling too hard to be mad.

"You're the worst," I accused, water dripping down my face.

Daryl just smirked.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my smile. "Shame I'm stuck with you."

"Yep," he said smugly. Then, with no warning, he kissed me - slow and deep, his lips salty from the ocean, his arms wrapped tight around me.

The playfulness faded for just a moment as his fingers dug into my hips. It didn't matter that we'd already spent hours embroiled in each other today - his mouth on mine still drove me wild.

When he pulled back, I sighed dramatically. "Fine. You win that round."

"Damn right," he murmured, catching my wrist and tugging me back against his chest.

His eyes drifted to the horizon, his lips pursing slightly. I could tell he was deliberating, deciding whether or not to say what was on his mind.

"What?" I asked, splashing him.

He hesitated a moment longer. "Ain't never been in the ocean before."

My eyes widened involuntarily. "Not even when you were a kid?"

He shook his head, a flicker of shame in his eyes. "Nah. Never been to the beach neither... 'til now."

It made my heart ache to hear that he'd missed out on something so simple. His upbringing having been clouded by his mother's death, his father's abuse. We'd grown up so differently.

I reached up, brushing strands of hair from his face. "Well I'm glad I'm the one to pop your ocean cherry." I smiled.

He huffed a small laugh, searching my face, before he dipped his head, kissing me again. The waves rocked us gently, the world narrowing down to just the two of us, the warmth of his lips chasing away the chill of the water.

I sighed against his mouth, my arms looping around his neck as I deepened the kiss, pressing against him. He groaned, low in his throat, his hands tightening on my hips before suddenly...

We went under.

I resurfaced with a gasp, wiping saltwater from my eyes, while Daryl came up laughing manically - a rare, carefree sound that sent warmth blooming through my chest.

"You did that on purpose!" I accused, but I was already laughing, too.

"Maybe," he shrugged, treading water effortlessly.

I lunged at him, wrapping my arms around his neck, and he caught me easily, lifting me slightly above the waves.

"I love you," I muttered against his shoulder.

"Love ya," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the water like kids, lolling on the sand under the warm sun, and laughing - we did so much laughing.

I felt privileged to see this part of Daryl - the playful side. It wasn't like it was hidden from me the rest of the time - we often teased each other, spent hours lying in bed laughing together when we should probably be sleeping, had play-fights (that usually ended in sex) - but this felt different.

He seemed so much freer, so unrestrained. A mixture of how comfortable he felt around me - knowing he didn't have to hide anything - and the freedom from the constant threats we faced, the responsibilities, the violence, the blood... it allowed him to breathe - be completely himself. And I relished it. I also loved that these parts of him were reserved just for me. His wife.

The cove had felt safe - at least for a little while. But as the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky bled into a deep pastel rainbow, that illusion shattered.

The first walker had stumbled onto the shore, half-buried in seaweed, dragging itself forward with waterlogged limbs. Then another, pushing through the trees at the edge of the sand. And another.

By the time we realized how many there were, we were already moving, running back to the hut to grab our packs which contained our weapons.

We'd been naive not to keep them on us for once.

Daryl and I fought them off with our knives, our movements swift and practised. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore mixed with the sickening crunch of blade meeting bone. Blood and decay tainted the salt-tinged air as we worked side by side, back to back, cutting them down before they could overwhelm us.

But they kept coming.

One lunged at me from the left, its fingers clawing at my arm. I twisted, shoving it back, my knife plunging into the soft, rotting flesh beneath its jaw. It went down, but another took its place almost instantly.

Daryl grunted as he drove his knife into a walker's skull, then turned to glance at me. His expression was hard, sharp with determination - but I saw the flicker of something else beneath it.

This wasn't a fight we needed to win.

We exchanged a look, both of us reluctant but knowing the truth - we couldn't afford to stay any longer. The beach had been a dream, a fleeting taste of something normal, but the world hadn't changed just because we wanted it to.

"We gotta move," he said, breathless.

I didn't argue. He was right. Even if we took down this round, they'd been aware of our presence... more would follow.

We ran, moving fast, our feet pounding against the damp earth as the last of the walkers groaned behind us. We didn't stop until we reached Daryl's motorcycle, climbing on and tearing away into the evening.

He pulled over a few miles down the road - once we were out of danger.

My heart was racing, adrenaline still burning in my veins.

We didn't get off the bike. We stayed where we were, my arms wrapped around him. His feet bracing against the machine as they stood strong on the ground.

I sighed, pushing my hair from my face. "Undead party poopers."

"Yeah." Daryl breathed. "M'sorry."

"For what?"

"Wanted ya to have another night, at least."

"Daryl." I squeezed him tighter. "It was perfect. Honestly, I'm surprised we got to relax for as long as we did."

"Me too." He responded. "Ya wanna head back?"

"Yeah." I pressed a kiss to the side on his neck as I crushed my arms around him with all my weight. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"For giving me my dream beach honeymoon, duh."

He shrugged lightly. "Was hardly the Caribbean."

"It was perfect. Honestly. It was exactly what we needed. Just a bit of time alone - me and you."

"Yeah." He admitted, reaching up over his shoulder to run his fingers through my hair. "It was pretty damn special."

A/N: Back to Alexandria, we go.

Thank you for your votes and comments. Let me know what you thought about their trip - it was fun to write something different.