Till Death Do Us Part: A Daryl Dixon Story (The Walking Dead)

9

Daryl

Three or four years ago

I sip my drink as she approaches me. She stops in front of me. I cannot seem to pull my eyes away from hers. My eyes are blue too, but they cannot be as beautiful as hers. My lashes are long too, but they cannot be as delicate as hers. 

I cannot speak when she asks me where the bathroom is because my tongue fails me.

Instead of becoming irritated or walking away, she stays.

Her smile grows wider than it already is and she tucks away a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. 

I finally find my voice, and I say 'That way.'

She laughs, and the sound is heavenly. I suddenly wish I was a funnier person so that I could keep her laughing for the rest of her life. 

She says something again, but I did not hear because I was watching, mesmerised, by the way her lips moved as she spoke. I lift my eyes to hers and say, 'Huh?'

She laughs again, the sound even more heavenly than before. I smile stupidly myself. Maybe I am funnier than I think I am.

'Could you show me?' She asks.

I nod shamelessly.

She is beautiful. Her scent is beautiful. Her eyes are beautiful. Her lips are beautiful. I never want to leave her side.

I walk before her, guiding her through the crowd. I turn my head back every now and then, unsure if she is real or if I had made her up. But she is there every time, a shy smile on her face. I find myself wishing that time would slow down. Or if the walk to the bathroom could lengthen. I don't want to talk to anyone else. I don't want to look at anyone else. 

I stop in front of the bathroom door. My stomach twists over as I say, 'Here ya go.'

She smiles at me. It is a sweet smile that shows in her eyes. 'Thank you.'

I smile back at her. But I am not happy. I do not want to walk away. 'I'm Daryl.'

'Erin.' She tucks that same piece of hair behind her ear. 

'Nice to meet ya, Erin.' I whisper. 

It is more than nice. 

'It is nice to meet you too, Daryl.' She whispers back. 

I hope she thinks it is more than nice too.

She opens the door, backs in while facing me, and pushes it shut until only her face shows. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips are rosy. 'Goodbye, Daryl.'

I take a while to answer her because I cannot believe the shape of her mouth, the curve of her lips as they say my name.

'Goodbye, Erin.' 

She shuts the door. I step back until my back is against the wall. I breathe in. I hear the background noise again. The people in the hallway become visible. How had I not noticed them before? The noise becomes too much. I find a quiet room to collect myself in. I have to lie down on the bed. 

Erin is so cute I have to lie down for a few minutes. 

I rub my hands over my face. I smack each cheek. 

Erin. 

I say her name out loud once more.

I love the way my tongue and lips moves and stretches to pronounce her name. It's exotic. It's sensual. I want to run my tongue down her neck as I say her name. I want to stroke my finger along her cheek as I tuck that piece of hair behind her ear.