Trespassing (Daryl Dixon x OC)

Stage 4 Fear Of Trying

"If I face my fears, will the skies be all but clear?"

I woke up the next morning nearly at the crack ass of dawn. The only other people up were Daryl and Dale, since he was on watch. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before strapping my hunting knife around my upper thigh and slipping my gun into the waistband of my jeans. I walked over to Daryl who seemed to be getting ready to leave. 

"Mornin' sleeping beauty," he said. 

"If you wanted to make fun of me you could've at least used the right movie," I joked, causing Daryl to chuckle. "Where you going?" 

"Huntin'." 

"Can I go with you?" I asked.

"Sure." 

I smiled as Daryl picked up his crossbow. I stuck my hand out towards it as he jerked it back, almost glaring at me. I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Dixon. Please? For old times' sake?" After much silent begging from yours truly, he finally agreed and handed me the bow.

We walked together in silence for a few minutes. Silence that, once before, used to be comfortable now felt heavy and suffocating. Maybe it was the way the world went to shit and how we're hunting to survive rather than for the hell of it. Who knows, maybe it was me getting in my own way, or maybe it was humid out and I didn't notice. One way or another, this hunting trip felt different.

"So," I said, trying to reduce the panic settling into me, "how you like the group?" 

Daryl shrugged. "They're alright. Like some more than others." 

"Me too," I nodded in agreement. 

"Notice you been hanging around Carl and Glenn a bit." 

I glanced over and noticed Daryl quickly move his eyes away from me. Taking a quick breath, I replied, "Yeah. Glenn introduced me to everyone and I feel kinda bad this is the world Carl's gonna grow up in, y'know?" 

He grunted in response. "Just be careful, alright? Don't want you getting involved with the wrong people." 

"You worried about a ten-year-old, Daryl?" I joked. 

"You know what I mean, B. Y'all have been spending a lot of time together and I don't want anything to happen to you." 

I stepped in front of Daryl, causing him to stop. "Is that jealousy I hear, Mr. Dixon?" I asked playfully and with a smile. 

He sighed. "Come on, were supposed to be huntin'."

We went back into our silence, the crunch of the leaves beneath our feet seeming to screech in my ears. I noticed a rabbit in the near distance, stopping in my tracks to avoid scaring it. I raised up the crossbow, keeping the arrowhead pointed at the small creature. Its ears twitched, nose sniffed, looking for any possible danger. I breathed in and out before pulling the trigger, the arrow going through its small skull. Daryl chuckled beside me, causing me to drop the bow from its raised position and turn to him. 

"What?" 

"You still got it, B." I did a small curtsy before we went to get the rabbit.