Solitude -> The Walking Dead

18

My eyes opened the next morning when the light hit them. It was then that I felt the arm wrapped around my waist. In a flash, the events from last night went through my head.

My eyes snapped shut as I grimaced at what I had said and done. It was stupid and sudden and... right. It felt right to be with Daryl and to allow myself to feel. Maybe he was right about me liking that we were similar.

All my life, I could never find someone who truly understood what it was like to be abused. But when I first met Daryl, I only saw a reflection of all the things I hated about myself. It was only later that I saw that we were alike in some ways. It's hard to ignore the similarities when someone screams them to your face.

His arm pulled me closer to him and I shifted to face him. He was awake as well. A part of me expected him to say that this was a mistake or that he'll show some kind of annoyance. Yet his lips pulled up into a soft smile. I'd never seen it before.

"Hi." He said.

His voice was pretty hoarse from just waking up. It felt nice to hear it, to know he wasn't always so tense. Though I couldn't blame him for not relaxing in a world where the dead want to eat you.

"Hey. I think this is the first time I've seen you smile." I said.

He shrugged as his hand, hesitant for a moment, found mine. His eyes were anxious at the touch but I slowly intertwined our fingers letting him know it was okay. This was new to me as well.

Being this close to the him should've felt wrong, and yet I found myself craving to be closer. All that anger and resentment was only a rouse for what really laid inside my heart. I didn't realize it until last night, though I suspect Daryl did.

"I haven't had a reason to smile in a while." He replied

The answer made me smile a bit before fading away. For the last few months, we've argued and hated each other. And now, suddenly, we sleep together? It felt like a bad joke though I had no urge to laugh.

All of this could very well be a giant mistake. Yes, accepting that I feel something for Daryl feels great, but that doesn't mean all our issues are gone. As if that wasn't enough, I don't want a relationship. I'm not cut out for it, I never have been.

"Do you think this was smart? Us hooking up?"

"Probably not. That don't mean it was wrong either."

I hummed in agreement at his words. It felt too good to be wrong though the timing was probably off. The group wasn't in the best mindset currently and I don't think I'd want them to know about Daryl and I. Not until I know what this is.

"Let's keep this to ourselves, okay? We can figure it out as we go." I suggested.

He nodded and I bent down to connect our lips. The kiss was more hesitant and soft than the ones we shared the night before. That was need, this was something else. Something yet to be uncovered.

----

"We couldn't just leave him behind. He would've bled out. If he lived that long." Rick stated.

So what if he had died? He and his buddies tried to kill them in cold blood. I think that's reason enough to just end the boy. All of our current problems would simply go away.