Firecracker ➝ Daryl Dixon

Chapter 13: Threat

All Daryl wanted was five minutes alone. Five minutes to process the craziness that had occurred over the last two hours. "Your mighty leader said I'd find you here," the female voice shattered the silence Daryl had been craving. Talia grasped onto the bars of the lookout tower, leaning forward and whistling at how high up they were. "Nice view."

Daryl didn't respond. He was hoping that if he simply ignored the newest member of their group that she'd go away.  She didn't. "Thanks again for letting Hank and I stay. Haven't been in a place this safe since everything went down."

"No need to thank me," Daryl mumbled, leaning his forearms on the railing and watching as the heavens became streaked with red and purple.

Talia mimicked Daryl's stance, "Still feel like I should oh and still sorry for knocking you out or I guess for having Hank knock you out. Just had to be careful, your head feel alright?"

Daryl nodded his head once, “You should be apologizin to Arden.”

Talia hummed and hung her head, blond locks creating a curtain which hid her face, “I tried, but she’s in no mood to talk.  She always get like that when someone brings up Matt?”

It was one thing to talk to Talia but another to talk to her about Arden.  That odd feeling was bubbling up inside of him again.  This feeling of needing to protect Arden from everyone and everything and that included Talia.  “None of yer business,” Daryl hissed.

“You and Arden seem close,” Talia ran her hands through her hair, “Obvious you two like each other.”

“Ain’t like that,” Daryl responded almost too quickly, “And ain’t nothin obvious.”

Talia grinned, “Maybe you don’t see it, maybe she doesn’t see it either but I can see it.  You want to protect her.  Make her happy.  You’d do anything to see her not be so upset and right now that means reuniting her with Matt even though you know that if that happens she’ll leave and you’ll lose her but you’re willing to do it because she makes you feel different.  She makes you care which is something that is so hard to do in this world we live in.  She makes you a better person and you make her a better person.  Obvious.”

Daryl clenched his teeth together because how could Talia’s words ring so true?  How could he feel something so stupid and sappy and when all this time he couldn’t figure it out yet here this girl came in and explained it perfectly.  He glanced over at her and noticed that her eyes were red and she was sniffling to try to hold back some tears.

“I’m just guessing though,” she shrugged her shoulders, “I mean that’s how I felt about Matt.”

“You sure you shouldn’t be tellin Arden this?”  Daryl didn’t know what to do in this situation so he settled for staring down at his dry and rough hands.  He analyzed the dirt underneath his fingernails and said a silent prayer that Talia wouldn’t start sobbing because then he’d have no choice but to leave.

“She wouldn’t get it,” Talia wiped her eyes with the bottom of her tattered t-shirt, “All she wants to do is find Matt she probably doesn’t even realize the effect she has on you.”

“Girl ain’t got no effect on me,” Lies.  Daryl was lying because since day one that girl had an effect on him.  She used to piss him off to no end and soon that anger turned to pity until one day it turned into something else.  Something new and unexplainable and it made his head spin and palms sweaty and it made him feel like someone else because Daryl Dixon would never let a girl break down his walls.

Talia laughed and if Daryl wasn’t feeling so conflicted he would have glared because how dare she mock him.  “All Matt used to talk about was Arden.  At first it was sweet then it was annoying because it was blocking his view.  He couldn’t see how good he had it.  Our camp was safe or so we thought and I mean we had food and supplies and people that were easy to get along with but that didn’t matter because all he wanted was Arden.  It made me mad,” Talia clenched her fists and sniffled, “Because I was right there the whole time but he never saw me.  Never really saw me, but I think Arden sees you.  I think you’re lucky.”