❛ now daryl, daryl was gray. he always seemed to be bitter and emotionless with no other dimensions to himself; his mere presence was the only one. gray was intriguing, almost acting like an acquired taste, but it had the potential to be beautiful t...
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thirty five.
A loud crack of thunder made me jolt awake as it rumbled the cabin, large raindrops pelting the roof with fury. I rolled onto my side to face Daryl. He wasn't directly next to me, but he was up against the wall drinking a beer he's found hidden in one of the closets.
"This thunder's killing me... I can't sleep," I mumbled, rolling over even more onto my stomach. I winced at the pain that caused my leg to ache and sting dully.
"Me neither," he said before taking another swig. I stared at the beer bottle.
"Can I have a drink," I asked him, smiling softly. Daryl stopped mid-sip.
"You deserve somethin' better than this lousy beer." He continued on his way, taking another drink and leaving half the bottle left. I sighed and propped myself up on my elbows.
"If it's so lousy then why do you keep drinking it," I challenged.
"'Cause I ain't gonna waste it. Can't waste anything nowadays."
"C'mon, just let me have a sip," I held my hand out towards him. "Pretty please," I begged. He eyed me weirdly, a small smirk on his lips like he was about to burst out laughing from how dumb I was acting right now. I started to push for a drink even harder. "Just one sip! My leg is burning up and maybe it can numb some of the pain; that'd sure be nice, wouldn't it? So you would't have to keep listening to me bitch and moan?" I winked at him, laughing under my breath a little bit. Daryl stared at me long and hard before handing over his bottle, letting out a disbelieved laugh and shaking his head.
"Go nuts," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Some mindset ye're in. Weirdo."
"Hurtful," I jokingly gasped. I took the bottle from his hands. "You can't tell me before all this shit you didn't think about drinking to numb the pain."
"Can't say I haven't," Daryl admitted with defeat.
"Gotcha," I sing-songed, putting the bottle to my lips and sipping away. It tasted flat and sour, like it was expired. I swallowed it as fast as I could without gagging. Daryl snickered at the disgust on my face. I coughed to get the taste out of my throat, clearing it soon after.
"Jesus... gross. You can take that shit back," I remarked, shoving the bottle back into Daryl's hands. "I'll never ask for your drinks again, promise you that." He smiled at me before taking a sip. I sighed, laying back down flat on the mattress. It was silent for a bit while I listened to the rain drenching everything outside. Daryl set down the now empty beer bottle, suddenly moving from his spot towards the ladder and starting to make his way down.
"I have an idea," he smirked, staring at me. He stood there like he was waiting for me to follow.
"What," I questioned, sitting up. He motioned me to come towards him.
"C'mon," he chided. I glanced down at my bandaged leg, raising my eyebrows at him like he forgot I was injured. "I'll carry you, I promise," he said, reading my mind. Daryl held out his arms to me as soon as he finished climbing down the ladder. I sighed, scooting towards the ladder while making sure to not put too much pressure on my leg. I carefully hopped down a few of the steps before I hesitantly let go of the railings. I almost fell flat on my face, Daryl catching me just in time. His grip on me was strong, ensuring he wouldn't let me go. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he quietly carried me past Carol who was sleeping on the couch. He carefully opened the screen door and gently set me down on the porch. The damp wood was cold on my bare feet. He left me behind and ran out into the rain.
"Oh hell no," I whisper-yelled, not wanting to wake Carol. "Daryl, are you serious? I can't even go out there!"
"C'mon!" Daryl held out his arms to me. "I'll put a new bandage on and everythin', I promise!" His hair hung over his eyes, his wet clothes clinging to his skin.
"No way! You're crazy," I laughed at him while he looked up at the sky, the raindrops thundering on his skin. He looked back and started to run towards me. "Daryl, no," I hollered, smiling and starting to turn the other way. I just started to open the door, stepping foot in the cabin as he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up off the ground. I let out a shriek, laughing with my whole chest. "Put me down," I shouted, letting out the first few genuine laughs I've let out in a long time, my mind completely content as he carried me out into the rain. I gasped once the coldness hit me, drenching me to the bone immediately. Daryl set me down a few feet away from the porch. I felt like I couldn't catch my breath from how cold the rain was.
"I can't believe you right now," I tucked my hair behind my ears, my hair heavy with water. "You're insane for this, you know that?"
"I had to," Daryl smirked.
"Too bad I can't run away." I shoved him playfully. "I totally would've been back inside by now."
"No way," he said, his voice raspy. "You couldn't run fast enough; I'd have you back out here in seconds." I grinned, shaking my head in disbelief. He was unbelievable, the good kind of unbelievable. The rain poured down on the both of us as he began to close the gap, pressing his forehead against mine and snaking his arms around my waist. I placed my hands on his cheeks, unable to take the smile off my face. I pressed my lips against his, my hands sliding back so my fingers could entangle themselves in his wet hair. Daryl and I stood there as one, melting into each other; nothing but us and the rain.
