A War On Her World | TWD: D. Dixon

Ch. 36

"Good morning," I yawned, stretching out my arms and legs, the action sending a pleasurable shiver through my body.

The sun had barely risen above the horizon, leaving the morning with a certain edge -a certain chill and coolness in spite of the warmer season. It was a great contrast to the warmth radiating off my skin from where it was once under the covers. I automatically drew the blankets up under my chin in an attempt to escape the unwanted difference in temperature. The remnants of heat Daryl left behind encased me, making it unbelievably hard for me to want to leave the bed.

He had gotten up to start his day early, preparing for the supply run scheduled in the afternoon. Some days I would stay in bed until Benji came to wake me up, but on most others, I'd find myself up early to take part in the morning hustle and bustle with Daryl. After moving into the same bed as the man, I had been getting a sleep that could only be described as phenomenal, a significant change from the days we spent in between permanent homes; I hadn't slept that well since long before the pandemic and it seemed to always leave me feeling rejuvenated and ready to go.

"Mornin'," The man replied, shifting his weight around the dull-lit room while getting ready. As he did so, I found my eyes wandering over to the back corner of the room where I'd often find my attention being drawn to a particular object. It wasn't much, but it caught my eye every morning without fail. On top of a small set of wooden drawers, amongst the bit of personal clutter strewed across the top, it sat as a sort of reminder.

"You can go back t'sleep," Daryl said quietly, walking over to the edge of the bed like he did every day. It was a habit we created together, a way to always say goodbye every time we parted for any amount of time so that neither of us would ever regret our 'last' interactions.

He knelt on the ground, lowering himself to my level, as I simultaneously lifted myself up to meet him. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck, my right hand met where my left one should have been, a strange feeling I had gotten used to when hugging this man and my son. I hadn't completely gotten used to living with one hand and there were still aspects of life that I struggled with, but I was fully healed and capable of doing most things I used to do with two hands.

Without hesitating, Daryl's hands found their way to my waist. The blankets slipped off of my shoulders as the warmth from his hands spread across my bare skin in the exact way the blankets had done previously. A shiver spanned my body from the slight chill in the air and I connected my lips to his, partaking in our morning routine.

It was sweet and endearing the way he could be so gentle and warm behind closed doors compared to his more private demeanour when in the eyes of the group population. The way he held me and the way our bodies moulded together, it was a gentle action, one that was meant for comfort, not for lust or desire.

"I'll get up, too," I whispered against his lips as I pulled away first.

"How come?" Daryl asked, pulling the blankets back up over my shoulders as he stood up, ready to leave.

"'Cause I'm on library duty with Carol again today," I began, shifting into a cross-legged position on the bed, my body completely engulfed by the bed covers. "And I want time before then to do other things."

I didn't know what other things I wanted to do or if I had anything in mind, to begin with, but if I slept in like how I sometimes did, I wouldn't have any time to myself before I would have to start my day.

"Can you wait for me to get dressed?" I asked, once again exposing my skin to the morning air as I got out of bed.

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

Going over to the cupboard containing our clothes, I picked out something more comfortable for the day, knowing I wouldn't be doing much strenuous work and it would be a lot more enjoyable in cotton than in denim. It was just a worn-out t-shirt, a light jacket and a pair of shorts, nothing fashionable, but it did the job.