in a dark meadow -- daryl dixon

look after him

word count: 5350

"Well, well, well. If this ain't a walk of shame."

Avery and Daryl stood beneath the doorway to the communal room early the next morning, their steps frozen when they came upon a smirking Merle. They had both forgotten about him, hoping to sneak back into their cell, undetected, before the others woke up. The man sat at one of the tables, paging through a random book before he slammed the cover shut, having found something better to amuse himself with. It was obvious what the duo had been up to - Avery's hair was comically tousled and there was a red, lip-sized splotch above her collarbone.

"And where was y'all off to last night? Don't think I didn't notice. Waited up for 'ya all night, lil' bro. Was worried 'bout 'cha."

Heat crept up Daryl's neck as he prepared himself for his brother's torment. His gaze briefly slid to the woman to his right, his fist clenching. He wouldn't allow Merle to say a word about her. But Avery looked unembarrassed, stiffly crossing her arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes at his older brother.

"Go ahead and say whatever perverted spiel you've prepared so we can get this over with."

"Whoa-ho, firecracker!" Merle grinned at her, eyes running over her body while Avery contained a shudder. "Let me take my time with this, like my lil' bro did last night-"

"Merle," Daryl growled dangerously - a threat.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Merle dropped his teasing smirk and rolled his eyes. "Sheesh. Nobody likes to have any fun 'round here."

To prove she was unrattled by Merle's taunting, Avery volunteered to cook breakfast while Daryl headed back to their cell to change. He raised his eyebrows slightly, giving her a silent "are you sure?" to which she shrugged, as if to say she'd be fine. Daryl tossed his brother one last glare before leaving the room.

Avery pretended Merle wasn't in the room as she retrieved the large stove pot and began assembling their lumpy, gray breakfast. She found it hard to conjure up an appetite as the oats cooked. When this mess with the Governor was over, she vowed to go out and find some pancake mix and sticky maple syrup, her stomach groaning at the mere thought of it. 

Merle watched her work, eyes fixed on her backside. "Shit, if I'd have known the nurses looked like 'ya, I would've sent myself in to donate blood instead of Darlina all those years."

Avery gave him a look over her shoulder. "Didn't you have gonorrhea?"

"Aww, don't be like that, girl. I'm clean."

"Yeah? Where?"

Merle threw his head back and howled. "'Ya can give it! But can 'ya take it? Or should I just ask my brother? Y'all was out there all night, after all. Makin' sweet love under the stars-"

Avery rubbed her temples, head pounding. Her night of no sleep was creeping up on her, and Merle's taunts irritated her more than usual today. "Can you shut the fuck up?"

"Ooh! Say my name slowly an' I'll do whatever 'ya want, sweetcheeks."

"Merle - can you shut the fuck up?"

He chuckled as she grumbled beside him, bringing him his own bowl of food despite her annoyance with him. Slowly, their cell block began to rise for the day, the morning sun casting barred shadows across the concrete flooring. Daryl re emerged first, followed by Carol, who seemed surprised to see Avery already seated and eating. She peered into the stove pot, eyeing its contents carefully before turning to Avery.