ORDER (sequel to Trouble) [TWD]

playing favorites

"This place is too hopeful. I don't like it," Sakiko wrinkles her nose in disgust.

Nanami hums, looking at the large cross, "Do you think Jesus was a walker?"

"What?" Sakiko asks, turning to him.

"I mean.. He died and came back and died again. Isn't that what walkers do?"

"First of all, walkers don't do magic shit. Second, that's morbid. And third," she punches his arm lightly, "I'm the one that asks dumb questions. You're stealing my personality."

"I am your twin, we're the same person," Nanami reminds.

"I'm the cooler one," Sakiko argues.

"And I'm the prettier one."

"You.." Sakiko begins, glaring at the back of Nanami's head as he walks away with a smirk.

"Plus, isn't the whole thing like.. Eat this bread cause it's my flesh?" Nanami attempts to recall, "Is that not a walker?"

"Stop, you're giving me a headache," Sakiko complains.

"Now you see how you sound," he says, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up."

The church was a sudden thing- last minute if you asked anyone in the group. Father Gabriel's appearance was mostly due to Carl's persuasion to see why and who someone was screaming for help.

"How many walkers would you kill to eat a peanut butter, jelly sandwich?"

Sakiko groans, tossing her head back, "You can't just switch topics like that! Now I'm just imagining a PB&J with walker skin. God, Nanami!"

"A what now?" Glenn asks, just barely overhearing the twin's conversation.

"Sakiko is being gross," Nanami shrugs.

"You started it!" Sakiko whines.

Glenn tries to wash his mind free of the image that tried to disturb his thoughts, shaking his head at the concept.

"Daryl went hunting. How come you didn't go with him?"

At the question, both of the teenagers freeze up.

"You should hear him out. He cares, you know?" Glenn continues.

"He lied," Sakiko crosses her arms.

"He thought he was helping," Glenn rephrases.

Nanami sighs, slumping in the seat of the pew in front of Glenn and turning to face him, "But.. Why? I almost died out there."

"He didn't even tell me. He told me that he buried Na. How is that okay?"

Glenn frowns, giving the girl sympathetic eyes.

"It's because you're his favorite," Nanami mumbles.

"Huh?" Sakiko questions.

"You're Daryl's favorite. He met you, he talked to you before I even knew. He was protecting you- he didn't care if I died."

"That's not true!" Sakiko defends, "Daryl cares about you just as much as he cares about me."

Glenn points his finger up, making Sakiko trace back over her words. Her shoulders slump in defeat, hating that she admitted that Daryl really did care.

"Maybe. But, you're his favorite. Plus, Merle died for you. Literally. He jumped in front of a bullet-"

"Stop," Sakiko blinks, the image of Merle jumping in front of her sending chills down her spine

Nanami makes a face before turning back to Glenn, "I'm the lesser of us. He wanted to protect Kiko even if I died."

"That's.." Sakiko sighs.

"I mean, Daryl drug me out to go search for you when you ran off on your own. Multiple times. But, I go off to save you and give the others a chance, he doesn't bat an eye."

Sakiko cringes, remembering the sight of that walker behind the door and Daryl getting jumped by those men.

"Why are you being like that?" she whispers, uncomfortable and queasy.

"It's the truth," Nanami shrugs.

"I'm sure that's not the case," Glenn cuts in.

"You remember when we met. The whole reason we were there was because Kiko and Daryl were close. I was an afterthought."

"The whole reason we were there was because of that asshole we lived with. Because I didn't want to keep living there. Me and you were going off on our own- meeting Daryl was just by chance. It was us before we even knew he was coming."

Nanami hums, shrugging at the memory. They had packed their bags on the night of their birthday and agreed to leave. They got up that morning together and left with only the other's company. They ran into Daryl because he made his choice in the end. But, before that, it was Sakiko and Nanami. Like it always was.

"Doesn't change the fact you're his favorite."

"So, what? You're jealous?" Sakiko moves her hands to her hips, "Aren't we too old to be fighting over dad's attention?"

Nanami starts to throw another argument out until her words sink in.

"'Dad'?" Nanami repeats.

Sakiko cowards into herself as she realizes her own words.

She'd said it so many times now- rather that be in front of ex-convicts, other members of the group to keep the image up, joking with Daryl, to just.. pleading with him to stay.

Dad.

Why did it slip from her lips so easily when the man had lied to her?

Daryl was just outside the door, listening in despite the nosiness being obnoxious to anyone.

Dad.

Why did the word make his heart skip a beat?

Nanami looks up at Sakiko, a knowing look in his eyes that turns sadder and sadder by the second.

"'Dad'," Nanami repeats with a nod, pushing himself to stand, "Maybe he's your favorite, too."

"Na!" Sakiko attempts as he walks past her.

"Kiko," Glenn calls softly, a hand on her wrist, "Just let him cool off."

Sakiko sighs, dropping into the seat next to Glenn and resting her arms and head on the seat in front of them.

Daryl starts to step inside, hating the look of pain that his girl seemed to be in. A quick hand up and shake of a head from Glenn make him step back. In Glenn's eyes, Daryl could see what he was trying to say. 'Not yet'.

Daryl nods his head to Sakiko and Glenn returns the motion, his hand that was held in the air resting on her back. Reassuring Daryl that he had her and she was okay.

Carefully, Daryl eases back out of the door.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

the way i start college in a week,, unreal