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Since his dad and Michonne broke up a few months prior, Carl was not happy because it meant his dad was always on his tail. It wasn’t a nasty breakup. They’re still friends. They just weren’t meant to last. But since that, his dad had too much free time and used it to be an overprotective father. Carl couldn’t even go out of the house without being interrogated.
Damn it! He just wanted to go see his girlfriend and make out with her!
“I think your dad needs to get laid,” Enid offered while cleaning her knife.
“Don’t use the words “getting laid” and my dad in the same sentence,” Carl said. “It gives me the creeps.”
“Well, I’m still right,” Enid continued. “He needs to find someone and fast. This hovering is getting very annoying.”
She raised her head to watch Carl’s dad on the other side of the lawn. He was “playing with Judith” but really, he was just keeping an eye on them. And this was starting to get really old. Carl and Enid never got to be alone for a few minutes so it was really hard to make out or have sex.
Rick saw them watching him and waved his hand at them. Enid sighed and went back to her knife while Carl watched his father say something to Judith. Carl loved his dad. He really did. And he knew his dad went through some serious mental shit a while ago and he needed to be near his children to feel more human or something like this. But maybe Enid was right.
“You’re right,” Carl said.
Enid raised her head and tilted it to the side, her hair falling in front of her face. Carl really loved it when she did that. It was making her a little bit more vulnerable. Not that he was ever going to tell her that. She was so rough and badass and it was really rare to see her lower her walls.
“But there is not a lot of options about dating here,” Carl considered.
“Who said something about dating? All he needs is…”
“Nope! Not hearing it,” Carl said shaking his head.
Enid snickered but didn’t add a thing.
“My dad needs someone who will understand him. Understand us. What we’ve been through. Someone strong enough to support him and be there for him but also someone who is not going to let him get away with his shit.”
Enid nodded and a smile appeared on her face.
“I think I know the right person for him,” she said.
“Yeah? Who?”
“Look.”
Carl turned his head and watched as someone was approaching his dad.
“Really?”
“Think about it! They would be perfect together! Who could better fulfill your terms?” Enid said.
Carl really thought about it. And he had to admit Enid was right. He always knew there was something deep between them and maybe this was what was missing all this time.
“Okay,” Carl said. “And bonus, I already know how he feels about Judith and I.”
“So let’s start planning,” Enid said with badly hidden joy.
“You’re really enjoying this aren’t you?”
Enid laughed, free and happy and Carl smiled.
“So, my dad and Daryl?”
“Your dad and Daryl,” Enid confirmed.
It would take a lot of planning on the two of them. Carl didn’t know more oblivious men when it came to feelings.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
“Two fucking weeks and we’re not even close!” Carl sighed.
They were at his house in the living room, watching Judith. The little girl was coloring and the teenagers were sitting on the couch. The last two weeks had seen their plans failed one after the other.
“I can’t believe them!” Enid groaned frustrated. “During those two weeks they’ve acted like a married couple but none once have they been close enough to kiss!”
“It’s like they made each other unavailable for that kind of physical contact,” Enid added.
They were so engrossed in their talk they didn’t see Carol had entered the living room.
“Maybe you should not talk about something like that in the living room where anybody could hear you,” Carol suggested with a smirk.
Enid and Carl jumped off the couch while Carol laughed at them. The woman bended down to kiss Judith on the head and motioned the kids to follow her in the kitchen.
“It is my understanding you’re trying to play matchmakers?”
The teenagers looked at each other, not sure what to say.
“It’s alright kids. I just want to make sure you’re not pushing your father too far,” Carol added.
“How do you know it’s about my dad?” Carl said.
Carol raised an eyebrow.
“You two were always hovering around the last few days and I couldn’t figure out why. But now I know and I want to help. Rick deserves to be happy.”
“And to get laid,” Enid added in a whisper.
Carol bit back a laugh.
“Yeah that too, but I don’t think it should be your main concern. We have to find him someone he likes enough to be relaxed around them.”
“We already have the right person! But they’re so oblivious around each other and it’s making us crazy!” Enid said.
“So I guess you two also saw what each and every one of our group knew since the beginning,” Carol said with a fond smile.
“Really?” both the teenagers exclaimed.
“Oh yeah! And Carl, if you are okay with that, I think I’ve got the perfect plan to make things work.”
“Of course I’m okay with it! Daryl’s been like a second father since…Ow I see how you could think they were perfect for each other since that long,” Carl said.
Carol smiled that tiny smile of her and the three of them got to planning.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
“Rick?” Daryl called while entering the house.
Everybody was at Carol’s house. She was having a party and she asked him to go get Rick. The man was supposed to be on patrol duty but one of the Alexandrians agreed to take his turn. So Carol sent him to get Rick and bring him back to the party.
Footsteps stomped down the stairs and giggling teenagers came down with huge trash bags.
“Hey Daryl!” Carl shouted “My dad is in the shower. He shouldn’t be long.”
“Have fun,” Carl’s girlfriend said with a smirk.
The kids disappeared through the front door, probably to Carol’s house.
“What the fuck?” Daryl shook his head.
He made himself comfortable against the wall.
A few minutes later he heard an angry shout coming from upstairs and ran up the stairs to see what it was about.
He found Rick in only a towel, standing in front of an empty dresser.
Rick raised his head to look at Daryl and showed him the emptiness.
“Where the fuck did all my clothes go?” Rick said, angry and confused.
Daryl remembered the huge trash bags in the kids’ hands.
“I think your kid pranked you,” Daryl snickered.
Rick watched him with these intense blue eyes of him.
“Why would they take my uniform? I can’t go on patrol in a fucking towel!”
“Good you’ve got no patrol to go to then,” Daryl said.
“What?”
“Carol sent me to bring you to her party. Said another dude agreed to take your shift so you could come.”
“Yeah? Well I guess I ain’t going anywhere,” Rick said, sitting on his bed. “Why would Carl do something like that?”
“They’re kids! That's what they do,” Daryl observed. “Come on I must have something you could wear. I intend to bring you at the party or Carol will skin me.”
Rick laughed but followed Daryl to his room at the end of the corridor. But when they got there, his dresser was empty too.
“Oh fuck kids! You messed with the wrong man!” Daryl shouted.
Daryl turned around when he heard Rick laugh.
“That’s not funny Grimes! Your kid should know better about not messing with my stuff! Fuck it, they even took my underwears!”
Rick lost it completely and laughed so hard that he had to hold his towel with a hand to stop it from slipping all the way down.
“Stop laughing, damn it!” Daryl shouted angrily.
Rick was too far gone to stop and Daryl pushed past him to get away but Rick stopped him. Daryl tried to take his arm away but Rick wouldn’t budge.
“Wait…Daryl,” Rick said breathless.
The cop was red and his eyes were all moist from laughing so hard.
“Oh shit,” Daryl said turning bright red and turning around.
“What? Oh…”
Rick’s towel laid flat on the floor of Daryl’s bedroom, leaving him in all his nakedness.
“Sorry,” Rick apologized and picked it up.
“Don’t need to apologize. Didn’t do nothing wrong.”
“That’s not the way I envisioned myself naked in your bedroom.”
The sentence was said so quietly that Daryl wasn’t sure he really heard it.
“What?”
“Shit didn’t mean to say that aloud!”
This time it was Rick who tried to get away. But Daryl grabbed him and pushed him farther in his room. Rick dropped his towel once again but didn’t try to pick it up this time.
“If there is something you want, you will have to do the first move,” Daryl said quietly but firmly.
Rick watched the other man for a few seconds before saying:
“Fuck it! I waited too long!”
And he threw himself against the archer, took his face between his hands and kissed him with all he got.
Daryl answered as intensely.
They closed the door and never made it to Carol’s party, but the woman never resented them for that. The morning after, they found their clothes back in Rick’s room but neither one of them was mad about it.
.
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.
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THE END.