in a dark meadow -- daryl dixon

protect you

word count: 5398

"A school?" Avery peered between the branches, observing the large, one-story building. She turned to look at Daryl, who was crouched beside her. "What do you think?"

Winter was heavy upon them, their breath coming out in silvery clouds. The frozen wind pulled back the folds of her jacket and she shivered. Closing the zipper, she anxiously rubbed her gloved hands together.

Months had passed since their kiss, and they'd long abandoned the remote cabin. Daryl's wildlife haul had gone stale, and walkers began passing through the area at a higher frequency. Three temporary homes later, their group was currently holed up in a water-logged farmhouse, the previous homeowners having blown their brains out in the kitchen. Home sweet home.

Sometimes, Avery would transport herself back to that cabin, that one night, on the picnic bench, never wanting to forget the feeling of his hand on her waist and his lips against hers. Everything and nothing changed between them. She wanted to talk to him about it - about them. The stress of keeping their group alive weighed them both down, and she just never found the right time to have a conversation.

"Few biters on the outside. Might be empty." His narrowed gaze bounced between the broken windows and the chain locked door. "Might be overrun."

"Could've been a temporary military post. Might have medical supplies. Food. The cafeteria could be a goldmine."

They'd stumbled upon the school by accident. She joined Daryl on his hunt that afternoon, insisting on doing so, as the weather was icy and unforgiving and she didn't want him out there by himself. The outline of a paw, maybe from a small coyote, led them to the schoolyard. Frozen rain pelted them as they stood in the treeline, observing the seemingly abandoned building.

Daryl glanced over at her, flakes collecting on her eyelashes as she squinted through the wind. A black knit hat was pulled down over her ears, her long braid spilling out over her shoulder. Cheeks dusted pink from the chill. Part of him screamed "No! Don't you bring her in there!", and he wished he hadn't allowed her to come today. Blinking away the snow, she looked for his answer.

"Stay close to me."

She nodded before withdrawing her knife, thumb anxiously rubbing along the handle. He stayed low, dashing out from behind the brush and sprinting to the nearest cover - an overturned bus. Avery was right behind him, matching his posture and speed, as if she were his shadow. He listened for her breath before moving to the next point, remaining undetected to the walkers in the schoolyard. Pressing themselves up against the outer brick wall, Daryl looked for their point of entry while Avery kept an eye on their surroundings.

"See a way in?"

"Yeah," He mumbled, nodding across the wall. "Broken window."

They crept over and hopped onto the raised garden bed built against the wall. The flowers, long gray and wilted away, crunched beneath their feet as they crouched beneath the open window. Daryl raised himself on the balls of his feet slightly, peering inside. The room was dark and still. He nodded at her before carefully lifting himself through the window, with Avery following closely behind. Daryl balanced his flashlight on top of his crossbow as he checked each unseen corner of the room with stealthy precision.

The room provided little warmth from the chill outside. It was dark. Crinkled papers with messy watercolors and colored-pencil drawings were plastered on the wall, lifting slightly when a breeze passed through the open window. The chalkboard at the front of the room was blank but smudged with old scribblings that had not been completely erased away. Student desks and chairs were scattered at the center of the room. Avery peeked inside one of the small desks, eyes falling over the kid-friendly scissors, colorful notebooks, and pencil cases covered in stickers.