Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

56

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Jo

I pulled back from Daryl blinking up at him stupidly. "What?" I asked, barely able to breathe. One second things were entirely awkward between us and then he kissed me. What the hell was going on?

I expected him to pull away but instead he stayed close and stared down at me, his blue eyes were serious. "I'm not going no where," he repeated patiently. "I know you been through stuff, and I'm here if you want to talk about it, or not. But I mean it about us being able to start over. Together," his voice was gruff as he said the last word.

My mind was racing a thousand miles a second. I had wanted this from Daryl, didn't I? I had wanted him to admit
to having feelings for me for the longest time. But now, I didn't know. I didn't trust myself to know if that was what he was actually saying. Of course it was nearly impossible to misread a kiss. Though it was a fairly conservative kiss compared to our last one, he wasn't the type to go around just kissing his friends. My mind fluttered back to that morning with the coffee in the tombs. I felt a blush start creeping up my neck. There had been no mistaking his intentions then. But so much had happened, so many things had changed. How could we possibly go back to what had felt like such a carefree time.

He reached up and tucked back a piece of my hair that had managed to grow long enough to reach behind my ear. He tilted his head so he could look me in the eye better and I swear he was watching me think.

When I didn't respond his mouth pressed into a grim line and he nodded.

"Look," he said glancing down at his feet. "I know things ain't always been easy and I'm an ass. I said some stuff," he frowned. "Or didn't say some stuff, I'm not really sure how I got myself into that one," he chuckled once and looked up at me through his shaggy hair. "I know ya ain't like that, I never thought ya were but I never got to apologize and then ya got sick..." he shook his head and looked away as the memories assailed him.

I reached out and placed my hand on his forearm.

He looked up at me again and I was suddenly very aware there was only a few inches separating us. I licked my lips nervously and his eyes followed the motion.

"I just...I want things to be good...with us..." Daryl shook his head and I was pretty sure my surly friend had reached his word limit for the day.

"You're my..." I pressed my lips into a line as I fought for the right words to describe our relationship with one another. "Partner," I finally said. "Things were always easy between us. From the very start, even when I had trouble trusting anyone else, it was always easy with you...I want that back."

It could have been my imagination but Daryl seemed to deflate at my word choice. But he nodded along with what I said regardless.

"So we try and start over?" I asked, I tried to keep my voice as upbeat as I could but just the thought of trying to let go of everything that had happened seemed entirely overwhelming.

Daryl dipped his chin, "mmhhmm." I looked at him for a long moment. He seemed different since the prison. I hadn't noticed it before with The Claimers and Terminus, but he had changed. He seemed more comfortable with himself, more at ease. Maybe even happier. I wondered if his time with Beth had had anything to do with the change. I couldn't imagine it was his time with The Claimers.