Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

32

Jo

Late that night I was sitting out on the deck of the tower a rifle across my lap when Daryl joined me.

I looked over my shoulder at him, there was enough of a moon to cast shadows across his face. He looked exhausted. He was still wearing the same clothes from two nights ago and the bags under his eyes were a deep purple. "it's late," I said.

He dropped down beside me. "Mmhhmm," he agreed and he stifled a yawn.

"When was the last time you really slept Daryl?" I asked maybe sounding a little more pushy than I had intended.

He looked thoughtfully up at the sky and glanced over at me. "With you," he said with surprising honestly. "You?" He asked in a good imitation of my bossy voice.

I looked away. Part of me wanted to tell him that it was the same for me. That when he didn't come back last night from hunting I had sat out here until nearly morning and had only gone down to the tombs when the inactivity had nearly driven me crazy. But the words died in my mouth. As much as I wanted to I just couldn't make myself that vulnerable. I peaked at him under my hair but he was watching the stars once more. He already knew the answer.

"Daryl-" I started to say, but stopped. I didn't know how to do this anymore. That person I was before The Governor, she would have been with Daryl for months now. She would have seen what she wanted and done what she needed to get it. She could have helped Daryl get over whatever his hang ups were by being the steady one. But I was anything but steady these days.

He turned to face me but I didn't have anything to say. I just stared into his blue blue eyes and let myself get lost for a minute. He gave me a grim smile and then very slowly his fingers reached out and covered mine where they sat on the cold metal of the deck. We were supposed to keep our distance, everyone was but I couldn't find it in me to care.

I wanted more than anything to just curl up in Daryl's arms and sleep. I wanted to let myself pretend that everything was safe, that the only enemies we had to face could be killed with a knife.

Daryl slid back so his back was propped up against the wall of the tower.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "You should be inside getting some sleep."

"You're tak'in night watch ain't ya?" He drawled in a tired voice.

I nodded, fiddling with the rifle in my lap. He nodded too and leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Wake me in a few hours and we'll trade."

He shifted a few times but couldn't seem to get comfortable. Finally he sat up and glanced at me once before he lay down and put his head on my thigh. I sucked in a breath in surprise but didn't say anything. I let my one arm drape over his back more comfortably and after a few short minutes he was snoring. He slept fitfully and finally settled with his head on my thigh facing my stomach, and his arms wrapped around my waist. When he would stir I let myself run my fingers through his overgrown hair. He would hum in the back of his throat and settle back in. I had no intention of waking him. I could go without sleep a lot longer than anyone else and he needed it.

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Jo

The next morning Daryl was still sleeping on my lap and I was watching the treeline when I heard the screaming. I whipped my head around but I couldn't see anything, we were on the wrong side of the tower.