Chapter Text
Daryl's punchiness had been grating on him for weeks. The hunter had been downright surly, to the newcomers and Rick alike. Sure, Rick knew that if Daryl saw something that needed to be done he'd do it but all these people and their needs and wants, it was too much and his temper was constantly on edge.
Rick was willing to tolerate it until he crossed the line and threatened to actually leave, storming off alone with his crossbow and knapsack, muttering about "more useless mouths to feed". Rick hadn't found out that he had actually left the prison until hours later. He was furious as it was that the idiot guarding the gate had just let him out alone,but he figured Daryl's reputation had proceeded him and the kid hadn't wanted to be on the receiving end of his notorious temper.
So Rick went off alone as well, thinking to himself that at least he had had the sense to hone his own tracking skills enough that Daryl could no longer say he couldn't track for shit. He was going to find him and drag his ass back to the prison whether he wanted to come back or not. He even brought along the handcuffs he often carried for good measure. He was going to keep his cool but there was no way Daryl wasn't coming back with him.
He had a pretty good idea that Daryl was just blowing off steam, not really leaving, and that pissed him off even more because he thought he was done with this kind of tantrum-throwing. Going out alone was too dangerous, even for Daryl. And he hated how worried this actually made him.
As it turned out, Daryl hadn't gone that far at all, and hadn't bothered covering the tracks he did leave. Rick came up on him as he was seated on a tree stump, fixing the fletching on some of his bolts. The way he didn't even look up told Rick that he had known he was approaching for awhile. Figures, he thought. He was still not the most silent at stalking in the woods, and Daryl's hearing was practically like an animal's in Rick's estimation.
"You wanna tell me what the hell you think you're doing , running off like this when I need you back there?" he asked when it became clear that Daryl wasn;t offering any explanation.
"Tyreese looks like he can handle some shit, why don't you pester him?" Daryl answered with a shrug.
"You can't just run off like this, alright? We can't afford to be down a man when we need to be making runs every week and keeping the yard clear."
"You got a whole prison full of people," Daryl replied, still sounding like he couldn't give a shit." Guess someone needs to train 'em up."
"That someone is supposed to be you," Rick said evenly, thinking to remind him of how much he was needed. It dawned on him that maybe him mentioning Tyreese was his way of saying he felt like he might be replaced.
"You think I ain't been doin' that? " Daryl snapped, standing up and starting to pace back and forth in front of Rick as he spoke.
Rick sighed. Of course Daryl would take it wrong, think it was Rick slighting him for not doing enough. He watched as Daryl wound himself up for a fight. It was still his only reaction to being hurt, even after all this time.
"Wasn't my idea to drag all them people back here so you could play Governor, " he spat out venomously.
Rick grit his teeth in frustration. Daryl had a way of going too low with his words when he vented, he should be used to it but it still pissed him off.
"Look, just pick up your shit and come on back to the prison. " Rick did his best to keep his tone calm, though it took some effort. "you know you're not really leaving."
"Yeah?" Daryl snarled, "How do'ya know that?"
"Daryl-"
"Maybe if you spent more time keepin' an eye on your son 'stead of gettin' into everyone else's business he wouldn't be havin' so many problems."
Rick's patience snapped at that. Even Daryl looked like he knew he went a little too far, but Rick knew not to expect him to take it back.
"Look, you're coming back with me now, end of story. You need some time to be alone, I get that. But you already wasted enough time having me look for you."
"That ain't my problem," Daryl snapped. " Like you could track me if I didn't want to be found."
"That's not the point, " Rick sighed. "You need to tell people where you're going."
"You ain't my daddy," Daryl shot back huffily.
"Then stop acting like a child, " Rick growled, stepping into Daryl's space now, so that their faces were inches apart.
"Fuck you, " Daryl snarled, pushing Rick forcefully out of his face.
Rick went to put a placating hand on his shoulder in a last attempt to just calm the situation, but Daryl was too far into his own defensive anger to recognize the gesture and took it as aggression.
He reacted with a hard shove that nearly toppled Rick over backwards. That sent a shock of anger through him that unleashed more frustration than Daryl had expected. Rick surged back at him and before sending a fist crashing into his jaw that could've caused real damage, thought better of it and instead backhanded him across the face. The force of the blow was enough to knock Daryl off balance so that Rick was able to spin him around and snap the cuffs on him before he could regain his footing.
Furious at having his arms trapped behind his back, Daryl caught Rick on the top of the nose with a vicious headbutt. Rick reeled from the pain, tasting the coppery blood in his throat. The thought that his nose might be broken infuriated him, after he had just pulled his punches with Daryl. He grabbed Daryl roughly by the arm and hurled him forward. He fell hard over the thick tree stump, the fall knocking the wind out of him so that he lay still, bent over it , catching his breath.
Rick's mind was spinning, his anger fueled by the intense pain in his nose but something else was coiling through him as he recalled the way Daryl's warm skin felt under his firm grip. That dark neediness in his eyes when he had gotten close, the same look he had more and more over the past few months every time their eyes met for too long. And something about the way he was bent over the stump like that...he was undoing his belt buckle all of a sudden, without a thought in his head as to why, dragging the leather through his belt loops until it had all the way cleared. He felt his groin tighten unexpectedly as he held the strap in his hand. What the fuck was he doing? he thought to himself for a split second before he folded the leather over once.
His mind was running through all the times Daryl had frustrated the hell out of him, running off and putting his life in danger without a second thought, abandoning the group, and HIM, as though they hadn't spent nearly a year watching his back better than anyone ever had. And then this. Forcing him to chase after him like a bitch.
Before Daryl could get up, he drew his arm back and brought the strap down across his ass, so hard that a startled "mmph" escaped the hunter's lips, his body jolting from the impact. Rick took advantage of his shock to land another few blows in quick succession, each as hard as he could. He was startled at the wave of arousal that crashed over him, as he released what was left of his anger.
Daryl twisted off of the stump, the movement hampered by his arms trapped behind his back. He fell hard onto his side, glaring up at Rick with fury and indignation. His face was flushed, chest hitching in and out rapidly. But Rick saw something else as he looked down at him. Daryl was stiff as hell under his worn and faded jeans.
His own dick was straining in his pants. He wasn't going to get a better chance than this, alone out here, far enough away from prying eyes. He reached down and grabbed hold of Daryl's arm again roughly, jerking him up and shoving him back over the flat surface of the tree stump.
"What the hell are you-?" Daryl started to say, his voice sounding slightly panicked.
Rick leaned over him, gripping the back of his neck roughly, holding him down as he started to resist. He brought his head close to Daryl's ear.
"You're gonna stay there and take what I give you, " he growled, his own voice sounding foreign to him.
Daryl stopped fighting at that, breathing hard. Rick let go of his neck, somehow he knew that Daryl wasn't going to move now. He was pushing Daryl's jeans down, then his boxers, his hand brushing over his stiff cock as he did so. The fact that Daryl had stilled and had let Rick strip him down was all the encouragement he needed.
He stood up , regarding the hunter, bent over and exposed, waiting for him, not resisting. Like he was acknowledging Rick had the right. He took the belt in his right hand again and brought it down, hard. His dick pulsed at the way it left a red welt across Daryl's ass, the way Daryl jerked at the impact.
He did it again, and again, and again, the sharp sound of the leather striking flesh echoing through the barren woods. He felt such a possessive lust as he whipped him, watching his ass turn a blistering red, listening to the sharp, guttural noises that escaped Daryl's throat as he struggled to take the punishment.
It wasn't enough. He dropped the belt on the ground and knelt behind him, his throbbing cock pressed against Daryl's hip as he leaned in, winding his fingers tightly through his messy, sweat-dampened hair. Daryl was breathing heavy, his forehead pressed against the hard surface of the tree stump.
It was like he couldn't move to look back at Rick, it would be too much like acknowledging what was going on. Rick could feel the heat radiating from his body this close. Saw the erection bobbing between his legs even as he held himself perfectly still.
A tiny part of his brain was screaming at him to stop, that he was going down a dark road, but there was already no going back, with Daryl all but offering himself like this. He ran his hand roughly over Daryl's ass, the skin was hot and smooth and Daryl's sharp intake of breath at his touch sent him off the deep end.
Rick recalled that he had done this once with Lori and the method came back to him. He had to force that out of his mind, that part of his world that was truly gone. This was what he had now and he was suddenly willing to take it.
He was grateful that he had brought his first aid kit, it had some KY in it. He grabbed the small bag and pulled it out. Part of his brain was still screaming in the distance that this was crazy, this was Daryl , no way this could happen and one of them not wind up dead. But Daryl still lay in front of him, panting and flushed, not making a move to resist. He had already let it go this far.
Without thinking, he got up behind Daryl. He wet his finger and slipped it in, feeling the tight ring of muscle clench around it. He half expected Daryl to come to his senses and headbutt him again, but instead he made a noise that was halfway between a whimper and a moan.
Rick leaned forward, covering Daryl's body with his own,and began slowly sliding his finger in and out,waiting until he felt Daryl open up to him more to add another. He felt like he was watching himself from a distance as he went in deeper and felt Daryl suddenly push back against him with a shudder as he realized he had gone in far enough to hit that spot.
Rick considered removing the handcuffs before he went to enter him, but he didn't trust the hunter not to lash out once he realized what he was allowing him to do. He knew Daryl wanted this now but he wasn't sure that he would think that was enough.
After a minute Rick slowly slid his fingers out. Daryl moaned, a soft desperate sound that Rick had never imagined a man like him could even make. It made him too eager to get inside him, just to hear him make more noises like that. He wanted to claim him, make him lose control the way he himself was feeling out of control.
He took himself out, squirting a mess of KY into his hand and slathering it all over his dick. He was so hard getting in was easier than he had thought, but still Daryl began to struggle a bit as Rick pushed in further. The short, panicked sounds he made as he was entered almost made Rick come right there but instead he slowed the entry, shushing Daryl gently as he rubbed a hand soothingly between his shoulderblades. It gave him a thrill as Daryl seemed to relax at that, arching his back into him as if to give him more room.
Rick gripped Daryl tightly by the hips,his fingers leaving red marks where they pressed in, and started to fuck Daryl with long, deep thrusts that brushed his prostate, making Daryl gasp with shock and pleasure. He was pushing back to meet his thrusts now, any hesitation now gone. Rick gave a thought to the fact that he still had Daryl's hands behind his back and reached around to give him some relief. Daryl bucked hard as he felt Rick's hand close around his dick and run a thumb over the leaking tip.
The needy whine that forced from Daryl's lips made Rick quicken his pace, suddenly unable to restrain himself. He stroked Daryl's dick as he rocked his hips into him, the small whimpery noises Daryl made were making Rick crazy. It felt so good he didn't want to come too quick so he slowed again.
He took his hand off Daryl, a thought in his mind to make him beg. He doubted he could but the thought almost sent him over the edge right then and there. Daryl squirmed under him, his body craving the contact again, but Rick wasn't having that yet. Instead, he fucked him slow and steady, going deep enough to keep Daryl breathing in desperate, stuttering gasps.
As he felt himself getting closer, he reached around and took Daryl's cock in his hand again.Daryl thrust into his hand with a groan, the tip leaking precum over Rick's fingers.
It only took another few strokes and Daryl was coming too hard, a choked off sob torn from his throat as if against his will. That was it for Rick. With a shuddering moan, he came harder than he had in years,colors bursting beneath his closed eyelids, clutching Daryl to him so tightly he took his breath away.
For long seconds Rick stayed like that, coming down, feeling Daryl's breathing start to slow beneath him. He withdrew his softening dick, his senses returning reluctantly. He pulled up Daryl's boxers and jeans, the welts he had left on his ass still arousing him slightly. He had marked him, there was something primal in that he never could have acknowledged in the old world. Daryl winced slightly as the fabric pulled over his bruised skin.
"Think I can uncuff you now?" Rick asked half-jokingly.
Daryl murmured something that sounded like agreement and Rick undid the restraints, moving back and standing, putting himself away and zipping up his pants.
He watched Daryl kneel up and re-fasten his jeans, getting to his feet slowly, but not turning around. Rick was starting to wonder if Daryl would ever be able to look him in the face again. He was already bracing himself for a blowout, now that the heat of the moment was over.
But instead, Daryl calmly went and picked up his knapsack. Then his crossbow. He shouldered it with a quick shrug, and turned in Rick's direction. He kept his eyes on the ground,chewing his bottom lip. His gaze caught on the leather belt Rick had discarded on the ground and his face flushed red as Rick hurriedly went to pick it up, slip it back through the belt loops.
There were a few seconds of awkward silence. Daryl was shifting his weight from side to side, unable to raise his eyes to Rick's just yet. Finally he huffed impatiently.
"We headin' back then, or what?"