Asperity - Daryl Dixon

XXIII

Concern etched Vanessa's features as she approached Glenn. The recent tension between him and Daryl lingered in the air. "Hey Glenn, you okay?" she inquired, her worry evident. Glenn, still simmering with anger, responded, "Yeah... just pissed. Why are we keeping a fucking snake in the nest?" He was talking about Merle, Daryl's brother that was now part of their group. He joined them when Daryl came back.

Vanessa acknowledged his frustration, offering a perspective of trust. "I don't know... but Daryl wouldn't put us in danger. If he says we can trust him, then that means we can." Glenn, still grappling with conflicting emotions, questioned, "Weren't you mad at him? You know, for leaving without a goodbye and all that?"

"I am. But that doesn't mean I'm not objective. Daryl is trustworthy, no matter what he has done. He wouldn't do anything to put us in a bad position," Vanessa affirmed, attempting to provide reassurance. Glenn, though still upset, hummed in acknowledgment. "Well, I'll leave you there then. Try not to ruminate over it too much," Vanessa added, pressing Glenn's shoulder in support before leaving him to contemplate the situation on his own.

Heading toward the dining room, Vanessa recognized the need to attend to her neglected nutrition. The girl realized that she'd been neglecting her nutrition for days and that it wasn't a good idea to get weaker just before a war. Yet, her path was intercepted before she could reach her destination.

"Hey, pretty face," a familiar deep voice called out. She turned to face Merle, her expression clearly conveying her lack of interest. "What do you want, Merle?" she retorted. His smirk persisted, and Vanessa sighed, resigned to a conversation she didn't desire.

"Should've guessed ya'd be acting all cold. My bro' wouldn't have liked you so much otherwise," Merle teased, earning another eye roll from Vanessa. Not wanting to talk to him, the girl turned her back to the older Dixon brother and started walking back towards the dining room. Undeterred, he hastened to catch up with her, insisting on engaging in conversation.

As Vanessa walked toward the dining room, Merle persisted. "Wait, wait, wait! I wanted to have a small talk with ya." He matched her pace, and Vanessa, unwilling to entertain him, attempted to dismiss him. "Good. I don't, so you should probably leave." But the redneck was determined to have a talk with the young woman, "My bro' can be a real pain in the ass, y'know? But fuck, he's a good guy, better than me." The Dixon brother tried to convince her, and Vanessa cuts him, "That's not a difficult thing tho." Merle chuckled at that, "Probably not. But I'm here in peace. Just listen to me."

Vanessa halted in her tracks, deciding to give him a moment to speak. Sitting on the stairs, she listened as Merle opened up about Daryl. Merle sat beside her and nodded his head at her as a 'thank you'. "I wanted to talk 'bout my bro." He said, "I figured it out, yeah," she responded, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Merle, undeterred, explained Daryl's motivations and struggles during their time apart.

"I know him. I've known him since he was born, so even if he didn't tell me anything, I know he feels bad." Merle started to explain but Vanessa cuts in "That's his fault. He's done a mistake, he pays for it. I won't just forgive him like that." She abruptly said, "Calm down sweetheart, no need to get all worked up, lemme just explain." He said before Vanessa finally nodded. "Y'know, he only left to follow me. He didn't even want to at first, but he wasn't gonna let his good ol' bro on his own." Vanessa listened intently while Merle was looking at her, talking with his signature smirk on. "When we were out there... shit, I almost didn't recognized him. I'm a piece of shit and Daryl never was but he usually just followed me without question. But out there ? Jesus, he was acting like a saint, not wanting to do anything bad, regretting leaving." Merle paused, thinking back about what happened and the way Daryl snapped at him before rushing back to the prison.