Two Broken Ones (Daryl Dixon X Male OC)

27. Settling Down

With each day and week and month passing it got only better and better. Rick and Daryl brought in more people, Mishone went off looking for the Governor all the time, Daryl went out with her at first but then stopped concentrating on making prison liveable together with everyone else. When it started getting warm again they started growing garden, Rick abandoned his gun altogether playing a farmer, they now had pigs and even a horse. It was great, there was plenty of irritating things too like kids, they had a lot of kids, some of them Lowell liked, like Beth and her new boyfriend Zach, he was a good kid, most of them he didn't like. Lowell was surprised he didn't find any other hunters yet, he didn't understand how normal people could survive and hunters didn't. Lowell got his own room, well cell but it was like his room now. He hang up posters he found on some runs on his walls and overall he made it nice and cozy hanging blanket over the doorway for privacy. He even found himself a small cassette player so he could listen to music outside the car but his best find was a small thingie that allows to plug in two sets of headphones into the player so he could listen to music with Daryl.

Lowell still didn't believe that this place will stand forever, it wouldn't, there's nothing that lasts forever, so Lowell packed everything he would need into a duffle bag for the time they'll need to leave. He put a colt, handgun, shotgun, different types of bullets, machete, few knives, Bobby's flask with holy water, his father's dairy, few spare shirts, pants, sweater, John's leather jacket. And that was everything important he ever owned. It was surprising that his whole life could fit into small duffle bag, well maybe not all that surprising, he always lived on the road.

Lowell laid in his bed trying to fall asleep under warm blanket as it was still pretty chilly outside. Everyone was asleep long ago as Lowell laid in total silence. Then he felt his bed dip behind him, immediately his body moved on reflex his hand gripping onto the knife that he kept under his pillow and in split second he was straddling intruder and pinning the man down to the matrace with cold blade against his neck.

"Hey, hey, it's me, it's me. Jesus" Lowell sighed hearing Daryl's voice, he sounded scared himself as he raised his arms up. It was pitch black night and he could barely see outline of body of the other man.

"Are you nuts? I could've killed you." Lowell hissed, pulling his knife away from Daryl's neck and sliding it back on its place under his pillow. He sighed deeply, trying to calm his racing heart, that scared the shit out of him. After years of hunting his reflexes were polished to perfection of eliminating the threat in any state.

"Didn't think you'd pull a fucking knife on me. Why do you even have a knife under your pillow?" Daryl mumbled propping himself up on his elbows under Lowell. Once realizing his compromising placement literally straddling Daryl's hips he got off plopping down on his bed beside Daryl. It was small single bed but big enough for the two to fit if they're close enough.

"Old habit." Lowell said simply as he breathed in and out still feeling his heart beating loudly in his ears. He couldn't really see it but he could tell Daryl raised an eyebrow at his answer wanting to know more but Lowell didn't provide him with additional information on his habits and addressed the elephant in the room. "Why're you in my bed?"

Daryl fell silent for a while before mumbling quietly.

"I donno." He could hear hint of something in Daryl's voice, some emotion maybe, but he didn't know what it was, it was subtle.

Lowell sighed turning to lay on his side facing the man.

"You can stay." Lowell said quietly. He didn't know why Daryl would come here but now that he was dlowell didn't want him out. Daryl didn't answer nothing only turning to his side with his back to Lowell. Younger didn't know if that was an invitation or Daryl's attempt to put some space between them.