𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 - The Walking Dead

sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ || ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏs
ꜰɪʟʟᴇʀ

❄︎

That night, Daryl found himself sleeping in the girls' bed, both of them tucked up on either side of him. He had only meant to stay until they drifted off, just to make sure they felt safe. But somewhere in the quiet of the night, exhaustion crept over him, and sleep claimed him faster than he realized.

By morning, Ottilie was sprawled across his chest, her small hands gripping onto his shirt like it was a lifeline. Her breathing was soft, her little body rising and falling with his every breath. On the other side, Addy was curled up against him, her head nestled close to his shoulder, just at the base of his neck. Her breaths came slow and steady, the peaceful rhythm a stark contrast to the way she'd broken down the night before.

Daryl stirred first, the weight of Ottilie shifting slightly as she sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, still groggy and sluggish. She blinked at the dim light filtering into the cell, her hair a mess of tangled curls sticking up in all directions. She hated mornings, always had, but right now, she just wanted the warmth and safety of Daryl's chest. As soon as she realized he was awake, she slumped back against him, cuddling in close as if she could keep the morning at bay a little longer.

Daryl smiled slightly at that, his hand instinctively coming up to stroke her hair. The gesture was natural now, after all this time with the girls. He looked down at her, seeing the traces of yesterday's trauma still clinging to her in the way her face tensed up and her body curled protectively against him.

On the other side, Addy began to stir as well. At first, she groaned softly, turning her head to press it more firmly into his shoulder, as if trying to block out the world for a few more moments. But as Daryl shifted to sit up, she too began to wake. She sat up more reluctantly than Ottilie, rubbing at her eyes and yawning, though she was quicker to shake off the sleep. It wasn't long before she was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her bright eyes scanning the room with the usual readiness that came with starting a new day.

The girls' cell had changed so much over the past six months. Where it used to be bare and stark, it was now vibrant with life. The walls were covered in drawings and posters, crayon sketches of flowers, animals, and people they loved, along with pictures torn from old magazines. The girls had made it their own space, full of everything they cared about and all the color they could bring into a world that had gone so gray.

Daryl stretched his stiff limbs, his muscles aching from a night spent in a bed too small for someone his size. But he didn't mind. Looking at Ottilie still wrapped around him and Addy sitting up beside him, it was worth every crick in his neck.

"You girls sleep okay?" he asked quietly, his voice still rough from sleep.

Ottilie just grunted in response, her face buried in his chest. She wasn't ready to talk yet, not until she'd fully woken up. Mornings weren't her thing, and she'd cling to Daryl for as long as he let her.

Addy, on the other hand, nodded, her voice more awake than her sister's. "Yeah... better than yesterday," she said, her tone soft, as if she didn't want to disturb the quiet peace they had right now. She looked at him with those bright, searching eyes, as if making sure that he was still there with them, safe and real.

Daryl smiled at her, a small but genuine smile. "Good," he said, squeezing her shoulder gently. He could tell the weight of the past day was still there, hanging over both of them, but at least they had made it through the night. One step at a time, that's all he could ask for.

Ottilie finally lifted her head, still bleary-eyed but more awake now. She looked around the room before she leaned back into Daryl's side, not quite ready to fully leave the comfort of his arms. Addy, meanwhile, swung her legs over the edge of the bed, already itching to get up and start moving.