Merle wasn't one for feelings, never had, never thought he would be.

He especially never expected to ever have feelings for a cop.

Rick Grimes had quite literally fallen into his life, and well Merle, somehow he caught and swept the officer off his feet.

Rick was checking the top floor of a drug bust gone kidnapping when the ceiling fell through. Merle had called in the bust, his little brother was taken by a gang because he hadn't paid up when he tricked their asses into giving him drugs to deal he never did. Rick watched the burley man with big eyes as he helped him to his feet and covered his back through the bust.

"My baby brother, he's here somewhere, those fuckers."

"We will get him back, my names Officer Rick Grimes. Your name?" Rick asked as he kept going.

"Merle, Merle Dixon, I was the one who called in." Merle admitted as he followed him carefully, gun fire and shouting was all around them. "My baby brother, I worry he's not gonna pull through whatever they did to him.."

Rick looked behind him as he pushed Merle out of the way and shot at the man coming around the corner. "You saved my life." Merle said with big eyes.

"You caught me when I fell through a ceiling, we are even now." Rick smirked. Something about Merle was intoxicating to him. He didn't know what exactly to do about the little butterflies that were threatening him with each glance at the eldest Dixon. "What's your brothers name?"

"Daryl. He's only twenty two has his whole life ahead of him... and I messed it all up for him."

"We will find him I promise." Rick said as he rubbed his arm before they continued through the building. Rick kicked open a door and Merle let out a soft sob.

"Little brother, little brother wake up."

Daryl's head was hanging low, his wrists chained behind him. His mouth was duck-taped and blood was dripping from a head wound, he had a split lip, a bruise on his right eye. Merle was terrified to see what was under his top, he assumed a few cracked ribs and he knew there would be a garden of bruises. "We need medical!" Rick yelled.

Merle found the keys and uncuffed him. Daryl's unconscious body fell forward. Rick laid him down on the ground while Merle checked over his wounds. "Little brother.."

It wasn't long before they had Daryl on a stretcher and Merle was with him in the ambulance. Rick was told to go with, they didn't know if Merle was or wasn't dangerous. Rick watched Merle dote over and worry about his younger brother.

One of the most important thing to Rick was family. He had always wanted to find someone to build a life with, he didn't care who they were, he just cared about finding the right person for him. As he watched Merle he started to feel like maybe he had found that person in a known criminal.

Three weeks of visiting Merle in the hospital as well as to check on Daryl later Rick was starting to feel more for the elder Dixon. Rick would bring him a meal when he arrived, it was clear to him that Merle wasn't leaving his little brothers side for anything. He answered any and all questions in the hospital room, every checks the doctors did Merle had to be there.

After a month and a half of Daryl being in a coma Merle was seeing Rick daily, he would call Rick whenever he needed someone to just tell him Daryl was going to be okay. Rick showed up at the hospital the next morning with breakfast sandwiches. Merle lowered his head into Rick's shoulder, he sobbed hard. "This is all my fault, I got him into this mess.."

"Hey, it's going to be okay. We will be here, we are here together. I.. am here for you Merle, we are here for Daryl. We are going to be here for him when he wakes up, and we are going to bring him home."

"I don't even have a house.. we live out camping.. we.. we don't even have a home how am I supposed to take care of him.. oh shit.. I didn't' even think about it.. how am I supposed to.. how am supposed to take care of him while he recovers.. oh I.. Rick I didn't even.."

"You're going to come live with me, you and Daryl. I have plenty of space, I have a home with space that I'm not even using."

"You'd do that? Officer friendly why..why would you do that?"

Rick smirked at the nickname. "Because for some reason when I look at you all I want to do is hold you and make sure you know it's going to be okay... tell you it's going to be okay. I want to be here and help you, I don't have to show up everyday like I do. I don't expect you to give me anything in return but.. I just want you to know my home is open."

Merle looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "I never thought I would even want to thank a cop let alone kiss one." Merle's eyes got wide. "Did I just say that out loud.."

"You did." Rick smirked before tilting his chin up and kissing Merle. Merle returned the kiss with a smile on his face for the first time in a while. "I never thought I would want a criminal as a partner but I do."

Merle smiled as he held onto Rick before kissing him again. Daryl looked over waking, his eyes got wide. "Well shoot big brother, I almost die and you find a boyfriend.."

"Daryl! Oh thank god you're alive..."

Rick smiled watching them together. "How long have I been out.."

"Over a month."

"Damn.." Daryl coughed as he nodded to the man who his brother seemed to be into. "Don't hurt my brother or I will kill you."

"Cross my heart." Rick smiled seeing the Dixon's together. Merle smiled before stepping into Rick's hug, things were looking up for him now. Daryl smiled seeing his brother finally happy. That wasn't a normal thing to see in the Dixon's world.