Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It has always been a dream, to go to Switzerland, he didn’t even know why, really, but his grandfather always told him about it, and he made it sound so heavenly and so special, with all the rivers, mountains and valleys, the cows with their bells that were peacefully grazing on stunningly beautiful mountain pastures in the Alps. He remembered he was very small and was sitting on his grandfather’s lap listening to his every word and hanging on his very lips.

Now finally the day had come, and he and Carl were packing for their trip to Switzerland. Three whole weeks in a beautiful hotel, one of the best, the guy at the travel agency had assured him. It was located in Verbier in 4 Vallées which meant 4 valleys, he had explained, and it apparently had all one could hope for. Carl would be so happy to hear that the ski slopes were close to the hotel. He was thrilled that he would finally learn how to ski. The guy also explained that for him though, the obviously exhausted father, there was this spacious and huge high-tech Spa with heated in and outdoor pools, fitness, and if he liked some fun in the evenings they had live DJ’s, bars, even a nightclub and a perfectly styled lounge in the meeting points. He also more or less implied that if Rick wanted “some action” there were surely lots of single ladies there to help out an “attractive guy like him”. Rick told him that he had to watch his son, and that he just wanted some peace and quiet, and mister “action” then assured him that the hotel was the best place for that as well.

He booked ski lessons for Carl and himself, because he had learned how to ski when he was a boy, and also his parents took him skiing during school holiday, but all that seemed like such a long time ago that he wasn’t sure anymore if he still had the skills.
All other activities they would check out as soon as they were there. He was just very happy to spend some quality time with his son. Carl had been very mature about the whole divorce and custody thing. He even told him that he thought that they should have done it a lot earlier, and that he actually had known for a long time that Rick and Lori didn’t really get along anymore. Rick had been dumbstruck and speechless. Carl was almost thirteen now and it was not a very easy age, but they managed. He hoped that Carl would be happy to spend some time with him there.

His parents waved and Carl and he waved back, then they went on to board the plane. Inside they found their seats and sat down. He was happy to see that it really was worth it to spend extra money on the seats. Carl seemed to be happy in his window seat, he had put on his headphones and seemed to enjoy whatever game there was on his pad.
Rick had used some of his own money to buy them business class seats, he really needed this trip to be the best thing they had had for a long time, so he wanted to make it as comfortable as possible for the both of them.

Rick took out his book, he had started it almost six months ago, and he decided to finish it on the flight, when he looked up and looked directly into the eyes of a rugged looking man. The man was looking at him with squinting eyes and a frown on his face, his longer bangs covered most of his right eye. The brunette looked up at the space above the seats, then at the numbers, then back at Rick. The frown still very present on his face he then looked away and over his shoulder at a woman that was standing directly behind him. She shrugged her shoulders. The man turned back and then looked at him again, his eyes a bit more open now, and Rick could actually see their color, they were ocean blue, deep and kind of dark. Rick was fascinated with the color.
He was brought back into the “here and now” when the guy addressed him.

“You seem to be sitting in our seats.” He said kind of gruffly in a rough and low voice.

Rick again had to shake his head to wake up out of his oblivion.

“Ugh, I don’t think so, I .. let me check.” Rick pulled out the ticket sections and was just about to show them to the man with the irresistible blue eyes when he realized and with great embarrassment that he in fact was in the wrong seat, and so was Carl. They were in the right row but their seats were actually in the middle row of the plane, and at the moment they were occupying the ones on the left side. Rick blushed furiously, he raised his head to look into the ocean blues again and smiled kind of awkwardly.

“I’m so terribly sorry, I didn’t realize, I asked for a window seat for my son because it’s his first flight to Europe, there must have been some mistake. Wait let me get my stuff, and I will tell Carl…. “

The woman that had been quiet the whole time now intervened. “Actually I don’t need the window seat, it’s fine by me, let him sit there. I’m Carol by the way, and this is Daryl.” She pointed to the object of Rick’s fascination, the man with the unruly long brown hair and the ocean blue eyes.

“Rick. And this is my son Carl.” He stated matter-of-factly and looked first at her and then at the man with the intriguing eyes, whose name was apparently ‘Daryl’, and who gave him an almost invisible nod. “Are you sure? I really can move, that’s fine. I’m so sorry.”

“That’s fine.” She told him with a wave of her hand and a half smile. “Really.” Daryl turned to her and murmured something about it being her first flight also, and that she should have the window seat. He seemed worried about her. Rick wondered if they were married, or boyfriend and girlfriend, or just friends.

He then again tried to tell her that he was fine moving the both of them into the two middle seats, but Carol wouldn’t have it, and it was settled then, they were allowed to stay and Rick was actually relieved because he knew that Carl would have been terribly disappointed to give up his window seat. He looked over at his son. Carl hadn’t noticed that there had been a problem with their seats, he had immersed himself deeply into that virtual world.

Rick’s eyes then were drawn back to Daryl. He attempted not to be too obvious about it but he was kind of watching him move the luggage up into the overhead compartment. Daryl was standing right beside Rick, with his back to Rick. Daryl was wearing only a thin black t-shirt now, his leather jacket had just been put into the compartment, and Rick simply wasn’t able to not notice his strong arms and nice biceps and triceps. When Daryl took Carol’s bag and also put it up there his t-shirt rode up and his black worn jeans slipped down just a tad Rick had a rather lovely view at Daryl’s backside and broad back. All of a sudden it sunk in that he was checking out the guy. Rick averted his eyes and in doing so he noticed Carol’s knowing eyes. She apparently witnessed the whole spectacle of Rick’s ’Daryl watching’. She was smirking at him. Rick again felt so very embarrassed, not only because Carol noticed but also because Daryl was a man, and Rick hadn’t noticed a man’s, any man’s attractiveness so to speak, for a very long time. Rick knew that he liked both genders when he was about eleven and realized that he checked out his male classmates as much as his female classmates. In all honesty, he never really acted on this attraction to males, except for one very hasty kiss in the locker rooms, but it was always there. So far he hadn’t met anyone that stirred up his bisexuality, however it seemed that his body and mind seemed to like this ruggedly handsome guy that was now sitting directly beside the aisle in one of the seats in the middle row that originally belonged to Carl and him.

Rick needed to get a grip on himself, well he at least told himself to do that. Daryl’s whole body was turned away from him and to Carol, who was sitting right beside him, on the other side. Rick couldn’t see her very well, but they seemed to be talking. They were very quiet. He wasn’t able to understand any of the words.

Rick decided then and there that he would forget about Daryl and Carol, would be grateful for their kindness, and would just enjoy the book and the flight, and looking forward to going to Switzerland.
He lay back in his seat and got comfortable. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Daryl hated people, they were loud, touchy and nosy and usually just hateful. And now, today, he added stupid. Was it really that hard to compare two numbers? That guy and his son were just two dumbasses who took their seats, and now Carol, kind as she was, couldn’t say no, because of the kid. He knew it, it was just because of the kid, had it been the guy and his wife, he was a hundred percent sure that she would have insisted on their seats. The kid probably was a little younger than Sophia ….was, were …
It was still hard for him to think of the little girl. She had been so sweet and lovely, shy and also not that much of a people person, and he understood, they had understood each other, both having a raving lunatic for a father. Why her? He asked himself that lots of times. He taught her as much as he could, and Carol always said that it wasn’t his fault, but somehow he still felt responsible. Six months ago Sophia was out in the woods with a few of her friends and a poisonous snake bit her. She didn’t notice until it was too late. It was too late.
And Carol, well she was holding up well enough, but he knew that fake smile of hers, and she was wearing it lots of times lately.

He needed to cheer her up, she was his best, and his only friend, the only person, that knew who he was, and still liked him, wanted to spend time with him. Sure there were some of his employees that were nice enough, but they all knew him as Daryl Dixon, owner and manager of Dixon Hunting Bows.
Also they knew not to get on his bad side, at least those who still wanted to work for him.

Carol protested a lot when he invited her for a holiday, she knew she needed some time away from all this, but still she would tell him it was too much and so on. Sophia’s funeral as well was six months ago, and still Carol had not been able to get back into her old life. She seemed lost, and from time to time Daryl was afraid that she might try and kill herself, so he decided to try and be there for her even more. They spent almost every day together in the first four weeks after her daughter’s death, then it was every second day and now it was three days a week, and Carol started to work in his business, she was actually fantastic with the customers, and in her shift not one person left the shops without at least some extra arrows. She knew how to handle each and every one of them.

They had talked about so many things over the months and Switzerland came up more than once. There was something in her voice when she talked about it that he couldn’t but notice that it obviously was a dream of hers to go there.
Daryl decided then and there that he would surprise her with a trip to Switzerland, a stay in a classy hotel and all the extra luxuries that she would never buy for herself, even if she had the money. And he didn’t think so, Ed was a drunk and a casual laborer. They only ever had just enough back then when he was still alive. He died seven years ago in a car crash. He was drunk, and thankfully the girl in the other car survived. Carol would have been devastated if she had died as well. Everyone who knew Ed was glad that Carol now could find some peace. It was an open secret that he beat his wife. So everyone was shocked when they heard about Sophia’s death, however not one of them offered help or asked her if she needed to talk or whatever. They were all selfish assholes, Daryl thought, and Carol knew then that all her so-called friends weren’t friends at all. So she turned to him, they knew each other from way back, when Ed and Carol came into one of Daryl’s shops, then he only had the one, meanwhile there were six of them, and a place where he taught cross bow hunting, and Ed wanted to buy a cross bow for hunting.
It had clicked immediately between them, and they secretly stayed in touch. Ed was extremely jealous and after Carol tried it once to ask Ed if it was alright if Daryl came over for dinner, and even explained that Daryl was gay and they only liked each other as friends, she got beaten up so very badly that she never even mentioned his name to Ed ever again.
Daryl visited her in hospital, it was a safe zone, because Ed didn’t come, not even once. That also was the time Carol became pregnant with Sophia and was always afraid that the next time Ed beat her she would loose the baby. So she tried to be as silent and as accommodating as possible, to not give him an incentive to beat her again. It worked out well, Ed had good work at the time, and was away more than he was at home, and the baby could grow big and strong and was born without any complications.
Carol was the best thing that could have happened to him she helped him through some very bad times and he would do anything to make her smile again, a genuine smile.

Merle had thrown a fit when Daryl told him that he would go to Europe and not go to Amsterdam to bring him some of the nice stuff. Daryl always hated it back in the day when Merle used, and he was glad that he didn’t really any more. He stopped three years ago when he almost overdosed and then realized that life was in fact precious. Since then Merle was genuinely trying to change and it worked more or less. Daryl knew that Merle only wanted to get a rise out of him by mentioning Amsterdam, and he indulged him.

Merle was trying and that was all that counted. He loved his brother, he was all the family that he had left and all the family he cared for. Well except Carol, she was family as well.
He remembered the discussion they had before Daryl left the house this afternoon to pick up Carol. Merle offered to drive them to the airport and Daryl was surprised.

“Oh little brother, old Merle cares about you, and so I will drive you lovebirds to the airport, so that you can go to pretty Switzerland.”

“You know that she is only a friend. How many times do I have to tell you that?” Daryl barked at him.

Merle held up his hands. “Easy now easy boy, I was just kidding. I know you like dick, and I don’t understand it, but you’re my brother, brother. Now get your scrawny ass in the truck, I drive.”

Daryl watched with an open mouth and shook his head. This day was obviously full of surprises. Merle knew of course but he never acknowledged it openly. He was as homophobe as they could come, but apparently he made an exception for his little brother. It was unbelievable, but who was he to argue with old Merle. Well, miracles did happen or so it seemed.

Daryl left Martinez in charge for the next weeks but he needed to check in from time to time, he knew there would be questions, because he never before had been away for more than a couple of days. Merle promised to call him in an emergency or if he needed any help. Merle was involved in the hunting lessons and usually did the smaller groups with the guys who thought they didn’t need any lessons but never in their life actually had held a cross bow in their hands.
Daryl checked his phone one last time, and then put it away. He loathed having to use a mobile phone at all, but it just didn’t work without it, still it didn’t mean that he had to like it.

He looked over at Carol again, she had her eyes closed. She tried to relax. It was her first flight she was nervous. He took her hand into his, she squeezed it and looked at him with a grateful smile on her face.

The plane and her crew was getting ready and he squeezed her fingers softly again to tell her that everything would be fine. She lay back in her seat and so did Daryl. He attempted to convey to her that she didn’t need to be nervous, that this would be a safe flight, and it seemed to work, the plane was in the air and they now had some hours to relax and enjoy the flight as much as possible.
Carol seemed to calm down and her tense muscles also loosened up when she realized that her expectations of turbulence and sudden movements were only in her mind.
She started to really enjoy it and that made him smile.

Daryl then also started to get comfortable. He got out his ipod and headphones and sighed deeply when his music filled his senses.
He then for the first time really looked around in the business class part of the plane. There were altogether only five rows and in each row there were six seats divided by the two aisles, therefore always two seats together. The business class was fully booked it seemed.

He looked to his left where Rick and his son were sitting in their seats, he still was somewhat pissed about it.
Carl seemed to be asleep in his seat and Rick had his eyes closed, Daryl couldn’t say if he was actually sleeping.

He seemed very at ease, in his lap there was an open book that was draped over his right thigh. His left hand was lying in his lap. The right hand was lying on the book cover. Daryl could see the wedding band. The hand was very elegant, it had a fine bone structure, but it didn’t look like a woman’s hand, it was very masculine, but also very finely sculpted. He’d like to stroke over the fine bones of every finger, and see how sensitive they were……

‘Whoa, Daryl thought to himself, don’t go there, buddy, the guy is married. And even if his wife isn’t here, he is probably as straight as they come. He wouldn’t look at you twice. Forget it.’

Daryl turned away again, and closed his eyes. He concentrated on listening to his music.

The taxi was very nice and very extravagant. It was a nice ride altogether.

The flight also had been really pleasant, still in the end they were both happy to be standing on solid ground again.
At the airport everything went really well. Rick said goodbye to Daryl and Carol in the plane, and again thanked them for their kindness, he saw them again when they picked up the luggage. Then again when both of them got into their taxi, and Rick tried to ignore that little pang in his gut, when he thought about never seeing those beautiful eyes again. He let go of the thought and of the man and kept his focus on the main reason why he did this, his son.

They were glad to finally arrive at the hotel, the cold was something else, really, he hoped they had enough clothes to stay warm, otherwise they needed to go shopping.

Rick followed his son into the hotel. Carl seemed to be in a hurry, Rick wasn’t even able to take all of it in, but he guessed that there would be time enough to have a look at all of it, outside and inside, by daylight.

“Dad, come on, let’s get to our rooms, I’m hungry.” Carl whined.

“Yeah, just a second, I’m coming.” Rick went after his son. They pulled their luggage after them until they reached a friendly smiling guy, who was standing behind the reception desk.

After some instruction and introduction Rick received the plastic key cards for the suite. They had a small suite, with two sleeping rooms, so that Carl wouldn’t be alone, but still had his privacy.

They thanked the concierge, their luggage would be brought up into their suite, so Rick decided that they would get something to eat now and then afterwards go into their rooms, it was fine with Carl, or course.

Just when they turned around he saw two familiar figures walk over to the reception where Rick and Carl were standing.

Both Rick and Daryl were staring at each other for some seconds before they both looked away.
Carl looked at his dad, with a confused look on his face. “Aren’t those Daryl and Carol who let me stay in the seat?”

“Yeah.” Rick grunted. He let his head hung and then turned to Carl and tilted his head. “Let’s go eat?”
Carl nodded enthusiastically.

Rick nodded to Daryl and Carol in passing. Carol grinned at him. He didn’t know if he liked that they were staying at the same hotel, but if he could trust his gut, then it might be a good thing because something inside of him was jumping up and down, and gave him a tingly, squishy feeling all over.