Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

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Jo

I woke the next morning before dawn. It was our last night of all sleeping together in the living room. I had slept in the same place near Judith but I didn't think Daryl had come in. Or if he had, it was after I went to sleep and he was already gone. The man needed sleep. It had been days since I had seen him sleep for more than a couple hours at a stretch. 

I padded silently up the stairs into my room. I changed into a new tank top and slid my boots on. I took my shoulder rig off of hanger and put it, my kukri from under the mattress and the knife roll into my backpack. I shouldered my backpack and headed into the basement.

The rec room only had two small windows. I closed the blinds on both of them. Then I took one of the oversized couch cushions and leaned it upside down against the wall. I went over to the far wall, which had the dart board and leaned that backwards against the cushion. I didn't want there to be any visible damage. I opened my bag and slid my shoulder rig on. I rolled my shoulders and was amazed by how much better I felt. I slid Daryl's hunting knife into the spine sheath and my kukri onto my belt. I felt like I could breathe. I shoved the coffee table out of the way opening up a large area.

I started with the workout I had done in Woodbury. I ran through the sequence twice and I was sweating more than I should be when I was done. I pulled the hunting knife and kukri first. I went through a few sequences, pushing my body harder and faster each time. When my heart was pounding and my palms were sweating I threw them down and pulled the throwing knives. I whipped the first blade into the target. I twisted around and threw the second while I pulled the third. I did one of the showy kicks that used a ton of energy but had a lot of power behind it. I flipped off the knife and when I landed I moved into a forward roll, drawing the knife in motion and when I came up I used to momentum to put some serious power into the last throw. I rocked back onto my shoulder blades and threw myself to my feet. 

I was trembling and gasping for breath. I had lost a lot of fitness when I was hurt and then on the road. I needed to get that back. I was going to need some cardio as well. I wondered if a demur housewife/academic got to go jogging. Probably. I pulled the knives out of the back of the dart board, they had all landed in the center within an inch of each other. I slid them all back into the sheaths beneath my arms. They were a little slim for the sheaths but it was doable. I chewed on my lip as I looked at my new throwing knives. If I could find a thigh sheath for them I would be able to carry more of them plus my other knives. Though with my kukri on my right I would have to put them on my left. I was strong with my left, but I was was still right handed. 

I turned back to pick my other blades up off the floor and froze when I saw Daryl standing in the doorway of his room. His hair was rumpled from sleep and he was wearing nothing but his boxers. I sucked in a breath and forced myself to stare at his face and only his face. All the tension, stress and anger were gone. His face was soft and he looked well rested. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Morn'in," he drawled, his accent soft and thicker than normal.

I struggled to swallow. "Morning," I replied and my voice came out a little breathless. "I-I ah," I was stammering now and a slow smirk spread across his face. 

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Sorry," I said. "I didn't know you were sleeping down here. I didn't mean to wake you."

When I opened my eyes he was studying my face curiously, like the big ass had no idea why I was so flustered. He reached up and scratched at his scalp and yawned. I finally couldn't help it and let my eyes travel over his chest and abs as the muscles flexed as he moved. He dropped his hand back to his side and I peeked up at his face, fighting unsuccessfully to keep a guilty smile off my face.