Jinx || Daryl Dixon || The Walking Dead Fanfic

-10-

DARYL

He shuffled his bag around so he could lean back against it as Jinx rifled through her own and pulled out one of the books he'd seen in their shared room at the CDC. He pulled his crossbow into his lap and started fiddling with it, he didn't actually need to do anything with it, but it kept his hands busy and stopped him from staring at the girl sharing his tent.

He'd been caught off guard when he found her in there, but he guessed it made sense, much like when they'd shared the room before. He'd been doing well at keeping that night out of his mind, but now she was so close to him in the small tent, it was all he could think about.

He closed his eyes for a second and took in the scent of her that filled the enclosed space. It was different than that night at the CDC, that night she'd smelled of the generic shower gel and shampoo provided in the showers, now there was a fruitier smell, strawberries or raspberries, he couldn't quite put his finger on which. The same undertone was there though, that was hers alone. It reminded him of a cool breeze on a moonlit night.

He glanced over to where she was sitting, she'd turned around now she had the book, so she was facing the entrance of the tent instead of his side. Her long hair pulled around so it fell over the shoulder closest to him, it hung like a curtain hiding her face from view. He could see the book on her lap though and the way she fiddled with the page she was about to turn as she read it. He noticed a ring on her right hand, an oval shaped amethyst surrounded by smaller clear stones. It was beautiful and he was sure she hadn't been wearing it before, he would've noticed.

He put the crossbow aside and leant back on his bag, tucking one arm behind his head, he closed his eyes, feigning sleep, while really wondering what the ring could mean. It wasn't lost on him that it was on her right hand rather than her left. It irritated him that he cared, but he couldn't shake the image in his mind of a faceless stranger offering it to her on one knee.

It was getting dark quickly now and he sensed her movement, she leant over towards him and switched on the lantern between their beds. He opened one eye and watched her as a fine gold necklace chain slipped out of the high-necked top she was wearing, he hadn't noticed that before either. She stayed facing that way, lying on her front with the book on her pillow so she could read it by the dim light the lantern gave off.

Daryl scowled; he couldn't understand why he was so fascinated by this girl. When he closed his eyes, her scent surrounded him, and he remembered what it had felt like to hold her before. She'd felt so fragile in his arms, he'd never wanted to let her go and risk anything damaging her. He opened his eyes again, since apparently closing them was not the way to go, but he couldn't help looking over at her. Now she faced the other way he could see the side profile of her face, her hair tucked behind her ear, all except one slightly shorter piece that fell down in front. He resisted the urge to reach across the small space and push it back out of the way.

He sat up, supressing a growl of frustration over the feelings he didn't understand, she flinched at his sudden movement, and he forced himself not to acknowledge it. He climbed out of the tent and went to find something more substantial to eat.

___

When he made his way back to the tent it was dark, and he assumed the girl had finally fallen asleep. He winced at the sound the zipper made as he moved it around far enough for him to get in, why does everything always seem so much louder when you're trying to be quiet? Once inside he repeated the same movement in reverse and waited a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He hovered watching the outline of her chest rise and fall under the comforter as she slept. He unbuttoned the shirt he wore and climbed into the sleeping bag he'd unrolled earlier. He didn't want to risk her seeing his back, but it was also too damned hot to sleep with it on, so he took the chance.