Triggerfinger ➳ Daryl Dixon

n i n e t e e n

"You could have just asked for a car." Aaron said. The dusty car gurgled as it continued down the road. She brought her knees up and set her feet onto the dash. He rolled down the window further for Zeva to hang out of. Presley watched in amusement as the dog nearly fell out of the window from hanging so far out. 

"I didn't think I could get one." 

"All you had to do was ask." He hummed. "Alexandria isn't a prison."

She sighed quietly, twirling a dark tendril around her finger. "Go easy on these people, yeah? They're good people, just... troubled."

"We'll give them a proper chance." He said, frowning. "You say that like you won't be joining them."

She bit her bottom lip, fumbling with the static of the radio. "I never wanted to be in a group. Delving into one only to end up in a larger one? Nuh uh."

"They seem fond of you." He said. "Nearly everybody was alarmed when you left." 

"They'll be okay." She was the one that would suffer.

"And Rick? He's the leader, right?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"What will he do without his right hand man?" 

She rolled her eyes. 

"He'll still be there. He'll still be with them to protect them." She said calmly. 

"You and I both know that wouldn't be the case." Aaron said, sounding.. smug, perhaps? "He would go with you, or if he couldn't do that, he would vanish. You are the reason that man has a purpose. Don't you dare be the one to take that away from him, Presley Scott."

She sharply turned her head toward him, "Do not tell me what to do. You do not have that authority." He shrank away at the cold iron in her tone. "I am a different person than I was five years ago. I know you don't want to accept that, but I am. Do not speak to me as though I am one of your minions or you will quickly learn your place in my eyes, you brash fool." 

He stared at her for a long moment before he looked back to the road. 

"If I want to leave, I will leave. Nothing you say will deviate me from that." 

"You say you're not the same person, yet here we are... Five years later, having a very similar conversation to the one we had then." He said quietly. "You said that you would never join a group, and now you're saying that you're going to leave them. Look what happened the first time."

She glared at him, her jaw taut as she clenched her teeth. She looked feral and angry, her pale blue eyes blazing as though she were staring into a wildfire rather than a simple man. "You best watch yourself."

He smiled faintly at the road, as if the entire conversation amused him. "You're absolutely terrifying, Presley Scott, but I am not afraid of you."

"You should be." 

- - - 

Daryl, unsurprisingly, was the first one to appear once Aaron's car rolled through the gates of Alexandria. Presley kept her eyes downcast from him, acting as though she didn't see him. Well, that worked until she stepped out of the car and he grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him. She cringed at the ferocity of his touch-- though he was gentle enough to ensure that there would be no harm. Still, she shrank away from him.

"What the hell, Presley?" He growled.

"Do we seriously have to go through this every time I leave your sight?" She muttered, staring hard at a rock between her boots.

"What was that?" He spat, ignoring her question. "Yer like a fuckin' child throwin' a tantrum 'cuz she didn't get what she wanted, and then ye just run off?"

"Basically, yeah." 

He made a strange guttural sound that resembled a growl and pulled away from her, glaring down at her. "Do ye have anything else to say?" 

"Um." She shrugged, "You kind of need a breath mint." 

There was a long silence. Long enough that Presley figured he was fighting the urge to smack her upside the head. She peaked up at him through her lashes, pursing her lips at the sight of his face twisted and reddened with anger. 

Instead of saying anything, he just walked away.

Just... walked away.

She watched him in amazement. It was far less painful than she'd been expecting, actually. 

Rick was the next one who appeared, glancing down at her with a curious gaze. Apparently, he'd been smart enough to gather the pieces of the puzzle instead of simply getting mad at her. "So... what was so important that it couldn't wait?" 

"Something." She said with a shrug. 

"C'mon, Presley." 

She shrugged  again, "It truly isn't your concern. It won't harm you-- I assure you."

His eyes narrowed. "Alright." Was all he said before he dropped the subject. He started walking and she followed. "I'll show you the houses we were given. We'll all be sleeping in the same one for the first night." 

"Actually, can I go into an empty one? With my dad? I need some private time with him." He stopped, turning to look at her. 

"Without Daryl?" He sounded perplexed. All she could do was roll her eyes.

"Yes, without Daryl. He'll be fine for a night." 

"He's worried about you, Presley. Hell.. I kinda am to." 

"There's no need to be worried." She said simply, walking again. "All is fine and dandy." 

"If you say so." He mumbled. 

I still feel bad about taking forever to post, so here's a slightly earlier one. I'm trying to get back into a system xD 

However, after this, we are going back to the old ways. In order to get a fast reply, you have to leave a comment! More comments = faster updates c: 

Tell me what you thought <3 I love you all. You're my perfect little ravenous tigers.