𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑, rickyl

like minded individual

Later that evening when the sun had begun descending over the horizon, everyone had gathered inside for a feast. Rick was one of the first people to arrive but soon after the civilians started flooding in. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd, looking for one face in the stampede.

Rick was certain that he would be able to spot Daryl out of the horde of people, and yet five minutes went by and Rick still wasn't able to find him. He grew worried as the last of the people drained inside and took their seats. He started aimlessly walking around, hoping that he had just missed the redneck when he entered.

After scouring every inch of the dining room he was certain that Daryl wasn't there. He hurried and ate the remanding food on his plate, not wanting to waste a perfectly good meal before tossing out the scraps. He walked over to the front door only to see Jesus offering bottles of booze to anyone who walked in.

"Hey Ricky, what can I do for you?" Jesus asked, seeing the man approaching him from the corner of his eye. "Have you by chance seen Daryl?" Rick asked, if anyone knew where he was it would be Paul. He was pretty good at keeping tabs on people that were wandering around.

"Oh, he's outside under the big oak tree." He answered almost instantly. Jesus grabbed two bottles filled to the brim with the bitter liquid from inside the cooler and handed them to Rick. "While you at it, take him one of these would ya?" He asked before striking up a conversation with the people who kept rolling in.

Daryl let out a long sigh as he pressed his back firmly against the trunk of the tall oak. The pleasant feeling of the bright sun beaming down on him, after being locked up for weeks on end with not a ray of the outside light, felt nothing less than nice as the sun gently kiss his skin.

He basked in the sunlight as the wind whipped his dark brunette hair in various directions. It was a constant reminder that he was finally free. After hearing the faint footsteps approaching him from the side he was quick to shoot an eye glance. Rick walked over to where the archer sat on the bed of the tree.

"Ya know the party is inside, right?" He asked, seeing as Daryl had been locked up for a while he assumed the redneck would be more excited about a home cooked meal.

"Mhm," Daryl answered in a low groggy voice. He didn't seem to enthuse about Rick coming out to check on him. He glanced off in the distance, focusing anywhere but where the sheriff was standing.

Rick shrugged it off and slumped down next to him. With everything that's been going on with the saviors he figured Daryl shouldn't be alone, not when there are troops of Negan's men out somewhere searching for him. Seeing that he was more than likely going to be here for a while Rick popped open one beer bottle and offered it to the redneck.

"Here, it looks like you could use one right 'bout now." He said, gesturing for Daryl to take the bottle. Their eyes met for a split second before the redneck's orbs trailed down to the bottle in Rick's hand. He wasn't much of a drinker, out of fear of becoming an alcoholic like his father he steered away from drinking, and he tended to be a lightweight.

But then again, one bottle couldn't hurt. Daryl took the bottle of beer from Rick's hand and held it to his lips, taking a few large swigs of the bitter liquid. Rick did the same with his bottle before taking a sip. "Gonna get somethin' to eat?" He asked.

"Nah," Daryl answered, taking another swig from the glass bottle. A brief moment of silence washed over them like a wave. Though there was a lot to think about, there wasn't much to say that hadn't already been said. But still, that question lingered in the back of Daryl's mind.

"Why did ya do it?" He asked in a hushed raspy voice, still staring blankly at the hilltop's protective wall a few yards in front of them. Rick gave him a confused glance, not understanding what he meant.

"Do what?" He shot a confused glance in the redneck direction. "Don't play dumb, back there why'd you kiss me." He asked in a barely audible whisper. Rick was taken aback by the question, not expecting that he would have to explain himself after they both exchanged the kiss.

"It was spur the moment, it won't happen again I promise. You were vulnerable and I shouldn't have taken advantage." Rick apologize, seeing as the redneck had been acting strangely distant around him, he figured that he must have what pissed Daryl off.

Though Rick apologize for his actions, that wasn't the answer that Daryl was hoping for, he looked almost disappointed. The sheriff took note of this odd behavior as Daryl stared down at the uprooted roots.

"Why didn't you push me away?" Rick asked the hard hitting question. Daryl could have easily shoved the sheriff off him and made a break for it, and yet he kissed back. Reciprocating the intoxicating feeling of their lips pressed against one another.

In response Daryl kept quiet, but that behavior wasn't common when he didn't know how to respond. Awkward silence set in stirring the tension between the two.

"I ain't never asked for an apology," Daryl said, making it clear that he wasn't looking for an excuse. Rick turned to Daryl, trying to figure out what he was insinuating. If he wasn't looking for an apology, then what was it he wanted?

"So you didn't hate it after all," Rick said with a slight grin curving the corners of his lips. Finally catching onto what the redneck had been hinting at. "Now you're twistin' my words." He growled defensively.

"Is that so," Rick asked, having only one clear way of testing if he was right. He glanced in the redneck's direction only to meet his eyes for the second time since he sat down. His ocean blue orbs swam with a small amount of longing before inevitably turning his head and facing away.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence that followed tiny the glimpse of eye contact. Daryl lifted the bottle to his lips before feeling a small tug on the glass. The drink had been swiftly taken from his hand by the other man sitting next to him. The redneck's eyes narrow at the sight of the sheriff with his bottle of booze.

"Aye, that's mine give it-" Daryl started to testify before his mind went blank, cut off by the sheriff leaning forwards and placing his lips gently against the rednecks. Daryl wanted to push him away, to prove once and for all that Rick was wrong about him being infatuated with something as small as a kiss. But he couldn't bring himself to break the intoxicating feeling.

It was a display of affection that Daryl had never experienced before. Being so close to someone that he could feel the hot puffs of heavy breathing brush against his skin. Lips connected in unison as he craved the intoxicating feeling like a drug, if not careful he fears he might become addicted to the feeling.

Moments later an alarming sound rang bells in the archer's mind. Seeing as the two of them were out in the open on a moonlit night anyone could see what was going on between them. The redneck quickly shoved the other man off him, pushing hard in the center of his chest.

People's voices were growing near as someone approached the small town. Panting heavily, Daryl wiped the remaining saliva from his glossy lips. He turned his attention back to Rick who had a look of disappointment written all over his face. Almost looking hurt by being shoved away so forcefully.

Daryl let out a small grunt and abruptly stood. There was a small amount of shame that stuck with him, not wanting to get caught displaying any sort of affection. After all, he was supposed to be the tough one who didn't feel any sort of emotion. Though it was all a big act.

Without another word exchanged between the two of them, Daryl turned his back to Rick. And without another moment wasted the redneck turned a blind eye to the man he left by the oak tree. Rick sat there as a range of different emotions flooded through him. Maybe he was wrong about it after all.