Brother's Keeper ¹ || The walking dead

33.

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Riley came back with Michonne, and only Michonne. Apparently, Merle let her go, and Riley and Daryl found her before Daryl had sent Riley and Michonne back.

Riven worry was increasing as the minutes passed. He stayed close by the entrance of the prison while the others were around. They were just waiting for Daryl's return so they could go to Woodbury and finish it all.

Quiet footsteps caught his attention, and he instantly knew it was Daryl, but Daryl were the only footsteps he could hear. Did Merle stay outside?

"Merle?" Riven questioned, walking towards Daryl as Daryl walks into the prison,

Daryl stared at him, not saying anything, and Riven noticed the redness in his eyes like he cried, and Riven could feel his heart drop,

"Is he dead?" Riven's voice was barely above a whisper, holding back his emotions, and Daryl looks down, avoiding eye contact,

"I'm sorry." Is all Daryl said, and Riven shook his head,

"He can't be dead.. you're wrong... you have to be wrong!" Riven denied, his eyes welling with tears,

Merle couldn't be dead. He couldn't. They were just making things right. He needs more time with Merle. He needs his big brother.

Daryl surged forward, wrapping his arms Riven in a tight embrace, and Riven just broke,

Riven weakly hit Daryl in the chest, "No, no! Tell me you're wrong! Tell me that asshole is right outside!"

The others quietly walked in, and Daryl ignored them, not caring if they saw his vulnerable side, his baby brother needed him.

"Daryl..tell me he's still alive." Riven pleaded, tears streaming down his face, His voice sounding so broken.

"I'm sorry." Apologizing is all Daryl could do. He didn't know what else to do, and Riven just started sobbing, gripping Daryl's jacket tightly in his hands, hiding his face in his shoulder,

"I got you, baby brother."

⭐️

His hands wouldn't stop shaking, his eyes stung, and his brain was pounding against his skull.

The others had left a while ago, and Riven went into hiding, hiding from everyone, especially Carl, who was trying to apologize to him, but Riven didn't need Carl's apologies,

He didn't need anyone's pity. He just wanted his brother back. There was so much he still needed to say to Merle, so much he needed to apologize and make up for.

".. he's dead now." A voice in the back of his head reminded him, and Riven clenched his eyes shut as he could feel his chest becoming tight,

His throat was dry. It felt like he was in a desert, but at the same time, under water, he couldn't breathe,

Riven brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his leg as he hid his face in his knees, ignoring the pulsing ache in his thigh.

The pain felt good at the moment. The pain was grounding him, and he brought his hands up to his hair, gripping his hair tightly in his hands, clenching his hands.

He flinched as arms were wrapped around him, hands placed on top of his, slowly removing them from his hair, and a low humming was heard,

A familiar humming that made Riven lean into the person holding him.

The person started rocking them back and forth as they hummed, and Riven tried to just focus on the humming,

His breathing even out a few minutes later, but he was still a mess, and he pulled back, wiping the tears that managed to escape his eyes,

Michonne offered him a small smile, and Riven cleared his throat, " 'drea?"

Michonne shook her head, a sad look in her eyes, and Riven nodded, sniffling.

"Want to talk about it?" Michonne quietly asked, and Riven shrugged, sighing,

"I miss him, I mean, yeah, he was such an asshole, but I never thought, Merle dixon would suddenly drop dead." Riven mumbled,

Michonne hums, "I did."

Riven turns to look at her, and she shrugged, "Like you said, he was an asshole."

Riven quietly chuckles, "Yeah."

"How are you feeling? And don't bullshit me, I'll know." Michonne told him with a pointed look, and Riven sighs,

"Like I've been run over by a bus a bunch of times and, "Riven placed a hand over his heart, "this hurts."

Michonne sighs, leaning forward, propping her elbows on her knees, "It's gonna hurt forever,"

Riven looks down at his shoes, "But over time, it's gonna hurt less."

Michonne used to have a son, Riven knew about him, Michonne had told him once about him.

"We never got to spend time as brothers," Riven told her, and he quietly chuckled, "I never got to apologize for stabbing him in the ass."

Michonne let's out a small laugh, "Seriously?"

Riven let's out a small, quiet laugh, "Yeah, figured I owed him an apology, " he frowns,

"Guess I would never be able to do that."

Michonne leans back against the stairs they were sitting on, and Riven stretched his legs out in front of him, letting out a small wince.

He leans back, lying on the stairs beside Michonne,

"..we don't have anything to do, do we?" Riven questioned,

"No." Michonne replied, it was a lie, with the people of Woodbury being at the prison, there was so much to do, but Riven needed her, and everyone else can wait.

"Can we.. just stay here for a while?" Riven nervously and quiet questioned,

"As long as you want." Michonne immediately replied, and Riven leaned his head on Michonne's shoulder as a small gesture of comfort.

The two stayed lying on the stairs quietly until Daryl showed up.

"Hey." He quietly greeted, sitting by the bottom of the stairs,

"Hey." Michonne quietly greeted back, and daryl stared at Riven, who had fallen asleep during these quiet minutes.

".. he's gonna be okay, "Daryl brought his attention to Michonne, who spoke, " but he's gonna need you."

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, and I'm not planning on leaving him again."

Michonne narrowed her eyes at him, "You better not,"

"My sword can cut more than just heads."

⭐️

1013 words

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