Between Arrows and Hearts - Daryl Dixon

Not the time

Last night had been one of the strangest nights of Cass's life. She was pretty sure she'd spent at least two hours lying in her sleeping bag, wide awake, replaying the kiss with Daryl over and over again. Every time she thought about it, a goofy grin would creep onto her face, followed by a quiet giggle that made her feel like a stupid teenager.

Thankfully, the rest of the group seemed blissfully unaware of her late-night giddiness, or at least the men did. The women, however, had sharper eyes. It didn't take them long to notice the new necklace hanging around her neck —a necklace Cass couldn't stop fiddling with— and the silly smile that seemed permanently glued to her face.

To their credit, they didn't press her about it. Instead, Lori and Carol simply exchanged knowing smiles, teasing her with their looks without saying a word. Cass appreciated that, even if their silent acknowledgment made her blush harder.

She'd spent half the night agonizing over how to act around Daryl the next day. After all, she couldn't just walk up to him and act like nothing had happened, could she? But the more she thought about it, the clearer it became that normal was the best approach. Whatever was going to change between them, she'd let Daryl decide. He seemed more reserved, more hesitant about it. 

If she took the lead, she'd probably overwhelm him, or worse, scare him off completely. So, yeah. She'd let him set the pace.

Except, she hadn't even seen him when she woke up. 

Apparently, he'd gone hunting early in the morning, and Cass occupied herself packing up the last of their supplies. They were moving out of the house they'd stayed in for the past couple of days, and with everyone on edge, she hadn't had much time to think about Daryl. Not until she saw him come back, walking toward the cars as he helped Lottie load something.

Cass tried to play it cool, raising a hand in greeting and flashing him a casual smile. But she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, and that dumb grin she'd spent all morning trying to suppress made a swift comeback.

Daryl, for his part, seemed unfazed. He greeted her with a nod, same as always. 

Except... was that the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips? And did his eyes linger on her just a little longer than usual?

Before she could read too much into it, Rick called the group together.

"We'll head out now," Rick began, unfolding his map on the hood of one of the cars. He pointed to a small town a couple of hours away. "We'll bypass the main roads, same as always. Circle the area and find a spot to set up camp before dark. Tomorrow, a group will head into town to scavenge. For now, we focus on getting somewhere safe."

Hours later they finally found a small cabin where they would stay. It wasn't much to look at: A weathered structure with peeling paint, a sagging porch, and shutters hanging loose. The inside wasn't much better: a cramped kitchen, a tiny living room, and a single bedroom with an old bed that would go to Lori, given her pregnancy. There was also a small bathroom that they would keep closed because of the strong smell of stagnant water.

It wasn't the house they'd just left behind, but it would do.

Once they were inside, Rick assigned tasks to the group. "We'll secure the cabin and set up for the night. Tomorrow, we'll send a group into town. In the meantime..." Rick turned to Daryl. "There's a condominium on the outskirts of the town. Could be worth checking out."

"I'll go." Daryl replied simply, adjusting the strap on his crossbow.

Before Cass had even processed what was happening, she heard her own voice. "I'll go with him."