Built For This World

CHAPTER 11

“Ya don't have to, ya know?”
“Yeah, I know”
“But ya'll do it anyway, dontcha?”
I sigh deeply trying to stay calm.
The archer's strong yet delicate hands gently caress my back as I snuggle against his chest.
His steady heartbeat punctuates my breathing.
“I know.But I have to.I won't let you carry this burden alone” I murmur against the damp fabric of his shirt.
It stopped raining a few hours ago and now, hugging each other inside Daryl's tent, we are waiting for the fateful moment.
According to Rick we need to get rid of our problem as soon as possible.
Finally the decision was made.
Randall will be executed tonight.
And as much as I know it's the safest choice for us, there's still that little voice in my head that wonders if we're really doing the right thing.
“I can hear yer thoughts from here, sunshine” Daryl whispers, pulling away just enough to look me in the eyes.
The darkness around us is interrupted only by the dim yellow light of an old lantern lying in a corner of the tent.
His hands move from my back, in a delicate caress that slides along my arms and then finds their place on my face.
His blue eyes carefully study my face in search of any sign that could show my real nervousness so he can immediately use that pretext to convince me not to go.
And even though I would like to stay in this tent far from what awaits me, I know I can't.
Him, Rick and, why not, Shane too already carry a big load on their shoulders and with my presence I just want to lighten their souls.
Make them understand that they are not alone, that they can count on my support.
I shake my head weakly, bringing my lips closer to his in search of another kiss.
The umpteenth.
I absentmindedly wonder if he'll being sick of it.
But his mouth, as hungry as mine, quickly cancels out this thought of mine.
My hands caress the man's muscular biceps, my fingers travel undisturbed following the contours of the veins.
Daryl sighs resting his forehead against mine.
“It's just…” I whisper against his lips, “I know we have to keep our people safe, that's it our duty...it's just stressful.That's all”
The archer shakes his head in response.
“Ma’ duty is to keep ya safe.Not just from the walkers but from these things too”
The sweetness of his confession makes the corners of my lips lift up.
I bring my hands into his hair, pushing it back, pushing the messy wild locks away from his face to get a better view of the magnificence in front of my eyes.
“You can't protect me from everything, big boy.You know it?I am a strong and grown up girl.I can take care of myself”
He chuckles, with that half smile capable of making me melt.
That half smile that every single time awakens a pleasant sensation in my lower body.
That half smile that make my pants go on fire.
“Oh, I know” he whispers, grabbing my hips and scooping me so I can find myself straddling his lap.
Our chests touch.
I can feel every curve of his body molding against mine.
“Ya’re my strong and brave girl but tha’ doesn't mean I don't wan’ to protect ya anyway”
I pinch my lower lip between my teeth to try to stop the satisfied smile that threatens to spread across my face.
Again that pleasant sensation in the middle of my thighs, the same place that is currently rubbing sensually against the crotch of his jeans.
Trying to distract my mind from those thoughts, I bring my attention back to his words.
“So…I'm your girl, now?” I tease him by digging my fingers into the hair at the base of his neck.
His.
Oh, I know so many ways I could really be his…
Ways that involve a lot of things and no clothes on.
I gently rock my hips trying to find some relief to ease the pleasant sensation I feel teasing the point where our bodies meet.
A flash of lust seems to cross the man's blue irises while his digit forcefully digs themselves on the skin of my hips.
I already feel that will leave its mark, but it's something I'm not complaining about.
I would gladly and proudly carry those marks on my body every single day of my life.
His lips crash against mine, his tongue raids my mouth, tearing the air from my lungs.
His velvety muscle explores every crevice of my mouth with ferocity, with such lust that it makes me dizzy.
His hands travel up my back, insinuating themselves under my shirt, making me let out a pathetic moan.
The man swallows it happily as his teeth grab the flesh of my lower lip, pulling it slightly.
Slowly with a wet obscene sound he loosens his teeth's grip leaving my lips swollen and plump but without stopping.
His lips immediately find my chin continuing their descent along my neck leaving a wet trail in their path.
It's amazing how this man can reduce me to a panting mess with just one kiss.
“Why?Dontcha want to be mine?” he whispers against the sensitive skin of the juncture between the neck and collarbone, “Would ya like someone else?Maybe Shane?”
His mouth doesn't stop, slowly moving up until it stops in that small portion of skin behind my ear and then lightly scratches my lobe with his teeth.
This time I can't stop the smirk that presses against my lips.
“Are you jealous, big boy?”
Daryl snorts as his lips resume their journey across my skin.
“Wan’ me to ask ya?Like with some official bullshit?”
I shake my head no at his question, trembling under the sweet torture of his lips which finally stop their race at the corner of mine.
“Ya mine?”
Unable to find my voice I just nod.
“Words, sunshine”
His words are followed by his fingers gripping my hips tightly.
His lips still at the corner of mine.
It's a sweet torture.
“I'm yours”
How could I not be his as his mouth tastes everything it can reach.
How could I not be his as his fingers dig furrows into my skin, burning in their wake like molten lava.
Every inch of my body belongs to him.
Every single piece of my soul belongs to him.
“Good” the man murmurs with his lips pressed against mine, “Good.’Cause I hate sharing”
Another sweet bite on my upper lip and then his tongue takes possession of my mouth again but this time with more sweetness, more calmly, as if he wanted to enjoy every moment to the fullest, aware that maybe we won't have any more moments so only for us.
When the archer's mouth moves away from mine I find myself panting heavily.
All hot and bothered.
Shit!
I smile like an idiot as I look at his beautiful face.
With the tip of my finger I trace the line of his nose and then slowly go down and caress the mole above his lips.
My hand moves slowly, as if dancing to the rhythm of an ancient melody.
The soft and irregular beard under my fingers is an invitation to tenderness.
His face is a mosaic of lived stories, tears and pain.
His blue eyes, deep like the stormy sea, capture me and drag me into a vortex of emotions.
Around his eyes his skin is furrowed by a few small wrinkles, now more relaxed than when he is out in the world, with that frown that often makes him appear older than he really is.
Running my fingers around them I can feel every little roughness, every sign of time, and yet I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Moving down, I trace the outline of his lips with the tip of my finger, tracing a path of love that has gone through storms.
The man closes his eyes, as if he wanted to imprint every detail in his memory.
His breathing is calm and regular but I know that beneath this apparent calm there are oceans of feelings hidden.
His cheeks are warm under my touch.
Suddenly a realization hits me.
I never asked him how old he is.
No that this would make any difference after all.
I'm just curious.
“Daryl?” I ask in a whisper, afraid of interrupting the magic that surrounds us.
“Wha’?” he breathes towards my lips without opening his eyes.
“I was wondering...how old are you?”
I immediately regretting it when I feel him stiffen under my touch.
I remain silent, holding my breath for fear of saying something wrong.
After a few moments the man's shoulders relax imperceptibly, reopening his eyes and gracing me again with their splendor.
“Does it matter?”
“No” I reply with conviction and without giving him time to dwell on it too much I grab his face in my hands kissing him again.
This time I'm in charge and I try to dominate.
Daryl lets me take control.
With my tongue I trace the boundaries of his lips silently asking for permission.
I would never do anything to make him feel uncomfortable.
And so, erasing all my fears, he opens his lips allowing me to feast on his mouth.
Pressing my knees against the hard ground I push myself further against his body, I press myself with so much force against him that it is difficult to understand where I begin and where he ends.
A tangle of limbs, tongues and souls.
Something sublime that goes beyond mere physical pleasure.
It is a communion of souls, of kindred spirits.
The famous two halves of the same apple.
Timidly my hands descend along his broad and rocky chest until they find the hem of his shirt, a border that I overcome putting my hands under it.
The skin of his abdomen is like velvet covering the steel that is his muscles.
From the defined abdomen I move up towards his pectorals where I find defined muscles that welcome me flicking under my touch.
Daryl moans into my mouth as one of his hands grips the back of my neck forcefully while the other hand rests on the crown of my head, grabbing a fistfuls of hair between his fingers, pulling it forcefully.
I moan back.
With our lips locked together we swallow each other's moans, welcoming them as a thirsty person would welcome a sip of fresh water.
We part ways only when the need for oxygen becomes more burning than our passion.
Daryl brushes the tip of my nose with his and then his forehead rests on mine.
In a gesture that now comes naturally to him.
Almost domestic.
“’M old” he whispers, taking me by surprise.
I move away looking for his eyes who promptly denies me.
“Daryl” I call him softly, a note of pleading envelops the syllables of his name and his eyes shyly return to mine, revealing to me a labyrinth of doubts, an intricate path in which every step is uncertain and every crossroads hides a choice difficult for him.
“You're not old.How old do you think I am?” I giggle, kissing the tip of his nose.
Daryl shrugs.
“Dunno.Maybe, twenty?”
I wrinkle my nose smiling.
“Twenty-four.Almost twenty-five.I don't think you're much older than me.And if you don't want to tell me, I don't care.It wouldn't change anything for me.I don't care how old you are, big boy”
I stroke his hair again trying to convey the truth into my words and gestures.
I don't care about his age.
It's enough for me that he's here, with me.
And that he considers me his.
That's all I want.
His eyes carefully examine my expression looking for some hidden lie and I let him do it because I'm sure he won't find any.
He brings his lips closer again, slowly rubbing them against mine, letting me get drunk on the essence of his breath which delicately breaks on my face.
“Thirty-five”
His words are so whispered that if there had been a stronger gust of wind at that moment they would have flown away and I would have lost them.
His eyes don't leave mine probing my reaction to his revelation.
Maintaining my composure I wink in his direction earning a raise of his left eyebrow in response.
“Wha’?” he asks.
My smile widens into a grin.
“I like old men.I think it's because of my daddy's issues.This would make sense…I don't know” I blather, gesturing frantically with my hands in front of his face.
The archer looks at me with confusion written all over his face.
“Sunshine, ya know tha’ I didn't understand anything of wha’ ya said, ya know tha’, righ’?”
I laugh, throwing my head back and placing my fingers behind his neck.
“You're lucky you're cute, my big boy”
“’M yours?”
He promptly replies to my statement, his sly eyes hide an infinite sweetness.
I bite my bottom lip between my teeth as I squint at him from under my lashes.
“Don't you like the idea?” I whisper languidly with my lips brushing his earlobe.
Without waiting for his response I grab it between my teeth and then suck it.
And the sound Daryl gives me makes every inch of my body crawl.
It is a sound between a moan and a whine.
But before I have the chance to delve deeper into this sweet sound, the sound of footsteps resonates loudly and decisively on the grass outside the tent.
Immediately every excitement dies bringing me to the harsh reality.
Time has come.
I lift myself from Daryl's lap, my knees creaking in protest at the prolonged position they've assumed.
I leave the tent without saying a word while Daryl follows me closely, positioning himself at my side with his arms crossed over his chest waiting for the two men to reach us.
When Shane and Rick pass us, Rick nods towards the barn.
Sighing deeply, I walk behind the two friends but a steel grip around my wrist prevents me from doing so.
“Ya sure?”
The archer asks for the umpteenth time.
And I nod for the umpteenth time.
But despite this, the grip around my wrist does not loosen, on the contrary, it tightens as the man forcefully pulls me against his chest.
I cast a quick glance towards the barn where Rick and Shane are about to cross the threshold.
I look back at Daryl as his face gently drops towards mine.
Just a breath from my lips he whispers three simple words.
Three simple words that have the power to make me go weak in the knees.
“’M yours too”
I smile again and standing on my tiptoe I kiss him for the umpteenth time.
It is a moment suspended in time, an instant in which everything else fades away.
I wish I could stop the world, stay here forever wrapped in his warm embrace.
Words are superfluous, because our souls are already communicating through this delicate contact.
Right here, between the folds of his beard and the deep gaze of his blue eyes, I know I have finally found my home.