𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂 | 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

𝑵𝑬𝑼𝑹𝑶𝑻𝑰𝑪

𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘚𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕 

☼

Absentmindedly, which felt like quite a habit these days, absentmindedness, Delaney began to pick at the dirt that was crusted onto her boots, scratching at it and flicking it onto the tinny roof of the RV that the group had brought back. Aaron had told the truth, and his vehicles had been left behind a road block of fallen tree's, which is where Michonne's group had found it. After they had searched the area for any sign of Aaron's partner, the vehicles had been searched too, revealing the cans of food that were stocked inside of the RV. 

Everyone was inside the barn, getting their rest, eating their share, whilst they waited for complete darkness to start their journey. In her opinion, driving in the darkness down a route that Aaron said hadn't been cleared was a dumb ass decision, but Rick was having none of it. He did not trust Aaron, which she understood, she did, however there was a part of her that was screaming Rick's being an idiot. He had those tendencies she'd noticed, those fleeting decisions he based off of a gut feeling - and yes, they were most of the time right, but sometimes, sometimes they were also wrong. 

Personally, Delaney thought that Aaron seemed okay. She didn't trust him, and probably wouldn't ever, but that was just her and her dealing with past traumas. Hell, the last time she'd trusted someone, she'd ended up locked inside of a slaughter room for weeks. Earning Delaney's trust was hard to do, and whilst Aaron had yet to lie to them, he was also a complete stranger. 

Delaney had escaped the barn after listening and watching everyone else eat had began to make her feel queasy. It was pathetic, knowing she was starving, but also - not hungry. It was stupid and borderline suicidal, but she just wasn't hungry. So, she had left the barn and climbed her way up to the top of the RV, where she had been sitting and watching the sun set over the tree's. The sky had been such a pretty shade of orange, the glow casting low over the horizon.

With her legs folded beneath her and her fingers picking at her boots, Delaney began wondering what it might feel like to genuinely have a decent place to live now. A safe place. A normal one. A place where people didn't eat other people, where they weren't sadistic cops, or wasted potential. She wanted simplicity. God, knew she deserved it at this point.

There was a thump of boots hitting the ladder of the RV, but she didn't turn to check on who it was, eyeing the last of the amber glow of the setting sun before it disappeared. 

"You need to eat." Heavy boots landed beside her and at the roughed out statement, Delaney tipped her head up to look at Rick Grimes. He was standing with his hip cocked, his arm resting on the top of the machete, eyes searching her. In his other hand he held an opened can of something - of which she could smell. Whatever it was, it had been warmed up and she felt the grumble of her stomach as soon as she caught a whiff of it. "...more than any of us." 

He extended the can her direction and wordlessly, Delaney took it. She scrunched her nose a little at how hot it was, setting it down on top of her boot as Rick added, as an after thought - "It's hot." She flashed him a look, but otherwise, didn't say anything. 

Things had been a little weird. She'd openly admit it, but there was something awfully intimate about what had happened in the barn, between the talk they'd had and then the moment following where the two of them had sat down and fed his daughter. She could still feel the way his eyes had focused on her as Judith lapped up the Applesauce, sitting comfortably on Delaney's leg. It made her squirm, the thought of it.