Down by the water • TWD

Homes Where The Heart Is.

Then.

"What ya thinkin' 'bout?" Daryl huffed at the girl sitting on his bike beside him. Avery stared at the dark sky with beautiful stars shining through. 

The girl hummed at his question. "I think I'm eleven years old now." She didn't notice him staring at her, the way she smiled when saying this. "I don't know exactly where we are in winter, but I think I am." 

"Then happy birthday I guess."  He murmured under his breath, hoping she wouldn't hear.

"Thanks," Avery said awkwardly because she did hear him. She didn't know why he was being extra quiet tonight, but she didn't want to push it. He had days like this more often recently. He would be silent, and keep to himself. Which sounds normal, but not with Avery. He stopped being blunt towards her, he started to give her the time of day. Only recently did he start making Avery feel like a burden to talk to.

That wasn't the case.

"So ya birthdays in the start of winter?" Daryl asked the girl looking at the same stars in the sky. He could hear her breathing steady, it was so quiet. It was just them out here. The rest of the group were sleeping. These two never could sleep, it was a common occurrence for late-night talks.

"Yes. December 1st." She answered with the sad memories of her birthday flooding back from before. 

"Good to know." The man said smirking to himself. "Sorry, I ain't gotta present for ya."

Avery chuckled at his words. "A present?" She echoed lightly. "I don't know the last time I got a present for my birthday." She didn't say this sadly, she was able to joke about it.

"Me neither." Daryl agreed with a straighter face. Avery looked at him and caught his eye, he looked at her with sorrow, and they shared that. How similar were they?

The two sat in silence after their moment of vulnerability. Avery thought about random things that came to mind. Like, what would they do tomorrow?  Are there any dogs left in this world? When was the last time Daryl showered? She smiled at the previous thought. 

"Do you ever think about what your nickname would be?" She asked out loud as it came to mind. She worried he would think she was asking stupid things. 

"Nah, my name ain't like that." He answered thinking about how no one ever called him by a nickname. People only called him 'Dixon' if they wanted to change it up.

"Oh." Avery paused feeling sympathy for the bowman. "I do. It's always been an idea of mine to come up with one."

"For ya 'self?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows as she hummed in response. "Ain't they 'posed to be given to you by someone else?"

"I guess." She murmured feeling a bit crushed that he didn't agree with her idea. Daryl noticed the hurt on her face and sighed to himself. 

Why did she make him feel this way?

"I got a birthday present for ya." He watched her eyes light up as he said those words. The girl looked up at him waiting for the reveal. He took a breath thinking of what he would come up with. "Aves." 

"What?" Avery asked confused about what he said.

"I gotta nickname for ya." He paused glancing at her. "Aves." The girl's face lit up, she was smiling wide as she let it linger.

She had a nickname, and it was given to her by Daryl. She would only allow him to call her that, she decided it the moment the word left his mouth. He just didn't know it yet.