Between Arrows and Hearts - Daryl Dixon

Dopey and Charmer

Daryl's gaze flicked up as Cass sauntered into the room, her energy somehow managing to fill the space like a damn sunrise. He hadn't invited anyone in —not that he ever really did— but he wasn't in the mood to throw 'em out either. He'd planned on spending the night alone with a half-empty bottle of whiskey he'd found stashed in one of Doc's hiding spots. Quiet. Simple. No one botherin' him.

Cass walked in the room like she owned the place, with a stupid grin on her face. She was wearing sweats that barely clung to her, hanging dangerously low on her hips. And a t-shirt —with a really stupid print— that was too small, not in a trashy way, but enough to show a slice of skin when she moved. The sight tugged at something in his gut, sparking his curiosity to want to see more.

A curiosity he quickly masked by taking another long swig from the bottle in his hand, the burn of the whiskey grounding him.

"Nice! We have cards!" Cass's voice cut through his thoughts, her excitement contagious, though he'd never admit it. "I know a good game."

She started rattling off the rules, her voice animated as she set up the cards. Something about guessing if the next one was higher or lower. Sounded dumb to him. Too easy.

But Cass had added a twist: if you lose, you drank. If they win, she drank. It wasn't long before T-Dog and Glenn were pouring themselves refill after refill, Cass's laughter spilling out every time one of them lost.

Daryl stayed on the outskirts, watching more than participating, his bottle steady in his hand. He noticed Cass glancing toward Dale when he came in, her smile dimming just enough to show she was worried about Andrea. Even while having fun, she couldn't fully shake whatever weight she carried.

When Dale reassured her Andrea was fine, Cass lit up again, that damn smile back in full force. She started explaining the rules to Dale, her hands gesturing wildly as she talked.

And then her attention snapped to Daryl.

"You wanna play, or are you too chicken?" She teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Before he could answer, the rest of them piled on, making clucking noises like damn fools. Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks, not just from the whiskey. Cass was grinning like she'd already won, her head tilted just enough to make her look like she was sizing him up.

"Stupid game," He repeated, leaning forward in his chair. "Anyone with half a brain can guess if it's gonna be higher or lower."

"Then you won't have any trouble winning." She shot back, still smirking.

He let out a scoff but moved closer to the table, dropping down next to T-Dog. "All right, let's go, dopey."

Cass raised her eyebrows, amused, as she shuffled the cards. "What's dopey?" She asked, turning to Glenn.

"One of the seven dwarfs." Glenn piped up, already tipsy.

"Which one?" She pressed, her tone full of mock curiosity.

"The dumb one." T-Dog quipped, barely hiding his grin.

Daryl chuckled, a rare sound even to his own ears, as Cass pretended to look offended.

"Oh, so you're calling me dumb or short?" She asked, crossing her arms but keeping that playful edge in her voice.

"Both." Glenn said with a laugh, and Cass rolled her eyes, shoving him back in his chair with enough force to make him laugh harder.

Daryl's eyes lingered on the exchange longer than he intended. There was an easiness between them, a closeness he didn't quite understand. Made him wonder how tight they were, even if he'd never admit it.