Breathless

The gates of Hilltop swung shut behind us. Its residents - alongside people from Alexandria and the Kingdom - gathered in a wide, buzzing crowd. The tension of the day still lingered in the air, but something new had settled in alongside it - relief. Hope. The war was over.

Rick stood at the front, facing the crowd, his voice steady and firm as he addressed them. Daryl and I stood behind him, alongside the others who had fought at our side. Blood and dirt clung to our skin, but the reason for it was no longer a concern.

"They're done," Rick declared. "The Saviors that are left - they've surrendered. Their leaders are gone. There won't be any more war. It's over."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"We're gonna exist together. In harmony. Build something better. Stronger." Rick's voice carried, steady and sure. "We survived because we fought for each other. That's how we move forward. Together."

A weight lifted from my chest as his words settled over us. This was it. The moment we'd all been fighting for.

"It's going to take time, co-operation-" Rick continued.

I barely registered what happened next...

Daryl had made a decision.

Without warning, his arm was around my waist. I let out a startled gasp as my feet left the ground. Before I could react, he had me lifted, cradled effortlessly in his arms. The crowd stilled, eyes widening in confusion. Even Rick faltered, his words cutting off mid-sentence.

Every pair of eyes followed us as Daryl strode past them without so much as a glance. His jaw was set, but the glint in his eye was unmistakable.

"Daryl?" I laughed, clutching onto him, though there was no real fear of falling. My giggle echoed across the lawn, light and infectious. "What the hell are you doing?"

He didn't answer. Didn't acknowledge the stunned silence behind us. He just kept walking, his arms locked around me like he had no intention of letting go.

I could feel eyes on us - wide, bewildered stares. But Daryl didn't care. Not one damn bit.

And, honestly? Neither did I.

A giggle bubbled out of me as I clung to him, my arms looping around his neck. "You do realize there's an audience, right?"

His lips brushed against my ear as he muttered, low and rough, "Don't give a shit."

Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading fast.

Behind us, the murmurs had started up again, hushed whispers mixed with chuckles of disbelief. Rick was shaking his head now, a crooked smile pulling at his lips.

"Guess the speech is over," I heard someone say.

The muscles in Daryl's arms flexed as he carried me through the large doors of Barrington House with ease. He didn't slow down as he moved through the hallways, the creak of the old wood beneath his boots barely audible over my breathless laughter. Every time I caught a glimpse of his face, that rare, boyish grin of his only widened, making it impossible for me to stop giggling.

"You're insane," I choked out, struggling to contain myself as he tightened his hold.

"Ain't stoppin' ya from smilin'."

We reached our room, the door looming ahead. He didn't bother fumbling with the handle - he just kicked it open, the force sending it swinging inward.

He didn't put me down. Not yet. I clutched at his shoulders, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. Daryl stepped inside and gave the door a sharp nudge with his boot, slamming it shut behind us.

The laughter was still trembling on my lips when he finally let me slip to my feet, but the second my boots touched the floor, his hands were on me.

Before I could say a word, I was pressed against the door, the cool wood biting into my back. Daryl's fingers tangled in my hair, his warm palms cupping my face as his lips crashed against mine. It wasn't gentle - it was raw and hungry, like he'd been waiting for this moment forever.

A soft whimper escaped me as I kissed him back, my hands fisting in his vest to pull him closer. He groaned against my mouth, his fingers gripping my waist like he couldn't stand the thought of letting go. The weight of him, the warmth of his body - it consumed me.

His lips moved desperately against mine, tasting, savoring. I could feel the smile still lingering there, even through the passion. His stubble scraped deliciously against my skin, grounding me in the reality of this - of him.

"Daryl," I breathed, the sound of his name lost between kisses.

The way his hands roamed down my sides, the way his mouth trailed along my jaw, said it all.

"Yur everthin'," he murmured against my skin, his voice low and possessive.

My head tilted back, granting him more access as his lips traced a searing path down my neck. "So are you."

He growled softly, the sound vibrating through me, and I shivered. He didn't stop kissing me as he pulled me away from the door, his hands gripping my waist with a bruising intensity. Every step we took was frantic, our mouths colliding like we couldn't get enough. His teeth grazed my bottom lip, and I gasped, the sound swallowed by his own ragged breath.

"Baby-" My voice broke on the word, but he didn't slow down.

He reached the edge of the bed and spun us around, his rough hands clutching my hair as he kissed me deeper. My legs buckled, but he was already lowering me onto the mattress, his weight following. The old bed creaked beneath us, but neither of us cared.

I tugged at his vest, desperate to feel more of him. He tore it off without a second thought, the leather hitting the floor with a dull thud. My fingers fumbled at his shirt, and he impatiently yanked it over his head, exposing the grime-smeared skin beneath. Dirt streaked across his chest, remnants of the battle, but it only made him look wilder. Stronger. Alive.

His mouth was on mine again before I could think, his body pressing me down into the mattress. I ground against him, the roughness of his jeans scraping my thighs as his hands roamed. The filthy fabric of my shirt clung to my skin, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except him.

"I need ya," he rasped, his lips dragging along my jaw. His breath was hot, labored. "Now."

I couldn't respond - not with the way his hands slid beneath my shirt, palms skimming across my ribs. My heart pounded, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I arched beneath him. He growled low in his throat, the sound sending a shiver straight through me.

Daryl pulled my shirt over my head, his eyes darkening as they raked over me. Dirt smudged my skin, mingled with dried sweat, but the way he looked at me - like I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen - stole my breath.

"Yur unbelievable," he murmured, his voice thick.

I barely had time to respond before his mouth was on me again, his teeth grazing along my collarbone. I writhed beneath him, the sensation of his rough hands exploring every inch of me driving me wild. There was no patience in his movements - no slow build like usual.

This was different.

Harder.

Needing.

He pulled back, and the rest of our clothes were torn away in a frenzy, the room filled with the sound of our heavy breathing. The bed creaked beneath our weight as he pinned me down again, his body flush against mine. Every scrape of his calloused fingers, every desperate kiss, ignited something primal inside me.

Every inch of him was hot and demanding as his hands gripped my thighs, spreading me beneath him as he settled between them.

I felt him, hard and pulsing, pressing against me. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, heels digging into his back, urging him closer. His eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense, searching. Even now, amidst the raw desperation, there was a flicker of something deeper. Something that held me captive.

"Say it," he growled, his voice trembling.

"I love you," I panted, my nails raking down his back. "God, I love you."

A low growl escaped him as he pushed forward, driving deep inside of me. The sensation stole the breath from my lungs - the delicious stretch, the overwhelming fullness. My nails dug into his shoulders as he filled me completely, his body claiming mine in a way that left no space between us.

"Fuck," he groaned, his head dropping to the crook of my neck. His teeth grazed my skin, biting just enough to send a jolt of pleasure racing through me.

I arched more beneath him, my hips instinctively rising to meet his. The rhythm between us was anything but slow. It was frantic, desperate - a release of everything we'd been holding in. Every thrust, every moan, was a reminder of everything we'd fought through to get here. There was no gentleness, no restraint. Just raw, unrelenting passion.

His name spilled from my lips, a breathless plea that only seemed to spur him on. Daryl's hands roamed my body, rough and demanding, as though he needed to feel every inch of me.

"Yur mine," he growled, his voice thick with need. "Ain't no-one gonna take ya from me."

"I'm yours," I gasped, my body trembling beneath him. "Always."

His lips crashed against mine again, muffling the desperate moans that echoed through the room.

Our bodies moved together in a desperate rhythm. The intensity of every thrust drove me closer to the edge, the tension building with a force that threatened to consume me whole. My nails dragged along his back harder, the tension coiling tighter with every pulse of pleasure.

"Daryl," I gasped, his name a broken cry on my lips. The heat inside me was unbearable, surging higher and higher until I couldn't hold it back any longer. My body bucked beneath him, my thighs trembling as the wave of release crashed over me.

It was overwhelming - pure, unrelenting ecstasy. My walls clenched around him, and I felt the deep, shuddering groan that tore from his throat. His grip on me tightened, his fingers digging into my hips as he drove into me harder, chasing his own rapture.

"Ath-" he rasped, his forehead dropping to mine. His pace faltered, his body trembling above me. Every thrust sent aftershocks through my already spent body, my moans mingling with his.

Then, with one final, shuddering movement, he came. I felt the sudden warmth of him spilling deep inside me, the force of his release leaving him breathless. His arms trembled as he held himself above me, his face contorted in pleasure.

"Fuck," he growled, his voice low and strained. His hips rocked lazily against mine, drawing out every last pulse. The feeling of him filling me completely only heightened the lingering pleasure that still coursed through me.

We stayed like that, tangled and breathless, our hearts pounding in unison. His forehead pressed against mine, the damp strands of his hair brushing my skin. I could feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest, the lingering tremors that ran through him.

"I love you," I whispered, my hands running gently along his back, tracing the lines of his muscles.

"Love ya," he murmured, his lips brushing softly against mine. "More than anythin'."

Neither of us moved, savoring the warmth that lingered between us. The grime of battle still clung to our skin, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was him - the way he held me, the way he filled me, the undeniable bond that bound us together.

It was everything.

A/N: I don't even know what to say... Too far? 😂

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