traded my life [TWD]

『111』

My fist moves faster than my brain does and I punch Rick in the side.

"Fuck! Shit! God fucking dammit, Rick!" I curse madly.

I place the towel around my neck, my wet hair dripping as I bend over with my hands on my knees to catch my breath.

"Thought I looked scarier with the beard," he jokes, rubbing the spot I'd punched.

I exhale slowly. "Forgot what you looked like under there. Thought some random fucker was in the house. Why were you waiting outside the bathroom?"

"I think we should all stay in one house tonight," he says, moving on to the conversation he was waiting to have. "They took our guns, now they want us in two separate houses. I don't like it."

I stand up straight and resume to drying my hair with the towel. "Okay.. then we all stay here for tonight. Or this week.. However long you think."

He nods slowly. "I'll tell Daryl and Carol. Tell the others you run into."

With an affirmation from me of the order he gave, Rick pats my shoulder and goes to walk away. Before he's out of the hall, I remember Deanna's words.

"You lied to Deanna," I point out. "About me."

"Yeah. I did."

"I went along with it before I even knew-"

"I didn't think she'd believe me if I told her the truth."

I hesitate. "Yeah.. I'm sorry."

Rick turns around and looks at me. I couldn't help but feel nostalgic about his clean-shaven face. I missed those days.. but, I'm glad our bond only got stronger over time.

I felt bad for being some random kid he was stuck with- now an adult that he was still stuck with. I know we're family by choice, but it didn't make me feel any less guilty.

"No, I'm sorry," Rick says. "I should've told the truth that you were my daughter. I said it before I thought it through."

My hand pauses from dying my hair and it falls to my side. "What?"

Rick looks at the ground, then back to me. "That's who you are to me, Hyejin. I'm sorry I didn't claim you as your rightful title back there. You deserve better than that."

"No, it's.. it's okay.." I struggle to comprehend the words he was saying.

"Tell the others tonight's plan and get some rest. I'll be back after I talk to Daryl and Carol."

--

I was grateful that Deanna told the other members of the community to keep their distance until we settled. But, that didn't stop the passerbyers from gawking at the house like it held some kind of childhood urban legend about ghosts.

When night rolls around, the streets were mostly empty. Deanna mentioned something about a curfew to not draw too much noise at night. I sat on the porch, rocking Woojin to sleep in my lap. He had so many questions. So much confusion.

It made me sad. The things that surrounded us were once normal. Though, Shane and I's old house could probably fit in the living room and kitchen of these giant houses. 

I wish Woojin could have a normal childhood. Hell, I wish Carl could have normal teen years. I know that everyone's story is different. The teen years I experienced were far different from Maggie's. And her's was different from Tara's. So on and so on. 

Rick said this was the new normal- the world the way it is. Kids adapt to their surroundings easily as they grow. They're formidable and mirror the events around them.

That just scared me more. Woojin had already seen so many horrors. Felt so much loss. If he grows up to mirror that pain- become someone that favors the dark side.. would I have been a failure? Would the world be at fault?

As my existential crisis continues, the front door opens and Daniel walks out. I purse my lips and stare at the rail in front of me. 

"Hey," he greets, sitting in the chair next to me. "I think I scrubbed two layers of skin off in the shower."

I chuckle, relating to how great the showers felt. 

"Listen, I uh.." I start, already hating the sound of my voice. "About earlier-"

"Don't," he cuts me off. "It's okay. Really."

"He just figured out what it meant. He doesn't.. he doesn't understand yet," I try to explain. "He didn't mean it."

Daniel nods and an awkward silence weighs between us. I run my fingers through Woojin's hair and curse myself mentally.

"You know.. Carol is putting on a show. Faking who she is so no one suspects how much of a badass she is," he finally speaks up.

Whiplashed by the sudden change, I look at him. "Yeah.. I saw."

Daniel picks at his fingernails. "If you want.. I mean we can do something like that. We can say Woojin is mine- ours. It might be safer that way."

"I can't ask you to do that," I deny, shaking my head.

"It wasn't your idea. It's mine," he reminds, looking at me to meet my eyes. "I just.. it could be safer for him. And it would take the weight off of you."

"I don't know," I sigh, resting my head on the chair. "It could confuse him more."

"I think he's already a bit confused," Daniel jokes. "Uncle Rick, big brother Carl, uncle Daryl.. we're a bit dysfunctional."

"Yeah," I agree. "Just a bit."

Daniel shuffles in his chair to get a bit closer. "We don't have to outright tell them the lie. We don't have to put some huge show on.. maybe we just let them assume."

I clear my throat to cut the conversation, noticing Deanna walking over.

"Sitting on the porch with a baby.. been there before," she says, climbing the stairs. "Just wait until you have another two to wrangle at the same time."

I look at Daniel and he grins a bit. I almost scoff- seeing that people were already assuming the situation.

"One is enough," I decide. "You're more of a woman than I am."

"A woman cursed to only have boys," she jokes. "May I speak to Rick?"

"He's inside," I nod at the door. "Just getting settled for the night."

Deanna smiles and knocks on the door. I look at Daniel again. He quirks his eyebrows up and I roll my eyes, causing him to chuckle. I rest my head back on the chair again and look at him. Daniel reaches over and rubs my knee, sending me a teasing wink before laying back in his chair as well.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

I'm sorry but hyejin punching rick bc she didn't recognize him at first without the beard is one of my most favorite things I've ever written

RICK AND HYEJIN BOND IS MY FAV BOND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

and daniel baby,,,,, he's not a step father but he's the father that stepped up ✊

(this can be said for rick AND daniel bc kings)