Everyone was hungry, tired, and dehydrated. We were taking a break. Daryl was digging a hole, I sat a few feet away in silence. Katie was with Carl. Daryl brought me out here without saying anything. I didn't know if he wanted to talk or what was happening. I picked at my finger nails. He pulled a worm out of the hole.
"Want one?" he asked, I shook my head, he shrugged and ate the worm. Gross.
"You wanna tell me what's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing's wrong," I replied, not taking my eyes from my nails. I picked the dirt out from underneath them.
"Ya don't have to lie to me," He stated, sounding slightly hurt.
"What makes you think something is wrong?"
"I saw ya in the woods. Tanner talked to ya though, guess ya told him wha' was wrong," He retorted sounding jealous.
"He was just there, Daryl," I defended.
"I'm here now," He shot back, he sounded slightly frustrated.
"You weren't before, anyways it doesn't matter," I snapped, "I'm fine."
"If It didn't matter, ya wouldn' of been cryin."
"Just- I guess I'm just tired of losing people. Trying to figure out what I should've done to keep it from happening. People I'm- we're all close to," I said softly.
"Me too," He replied.
"I just don't want ya to feel like ya can't talk to me," He stated.
"I didn't need to bother you, Daryl, you just lost someone too."
"Still."
"Are you jealous or something?"
"No," He replied too quickly.
"I love you, Daryl," I said softly.
"I know, and I-I," He started.
"You don't have to say it Daryl," I said softly, I know it was hard for him to say it.
"I love you, too," He replied. I moved over to him. He wiped the dirt from his hands onto his pants. I leaned against him, he leaned against the tree. His arm wrapped around my body. I layed my head on his shoulder, he leaned his head against mine. I put my hand on his knee and rested it there.
"I'm sorry," I whispered softly.
"For what?" He asked sounding genuinely confused.
"It's just..... I'm trying."
"I know," He said softly, "I know."
*
Daryl and I walked around looking for a stream, an animal, anything. We ran out of water a day and a half ago. Same with food. We still had 60 miles left to go to get to Washington. We found nothing, so we headed back to the group, slowly. We were exhausted and we weren't really walking, it was more like a shuffle.
*
The next day, we drove again, we didn't make it very far though. The van ran out of gas so we had to walk. Everyone got out, Katie and Carl walked together along with Mason. A large herd of walkers weren't too far behind.
"We're not very strong right now, we'll get them when it's best," Rick said. Everyone was quiet, just walking along. Daryl and I walked together, he wouldn't let Katie fall behind us. So the three kids stayed right in front of us. Everyone was still more shuffling than walking. It's been 3 weeks since Beth died. Daryl still struggled with it. We all did.
YOU ARE READING
The Light in my Storm
Fanfiction"Daryl, you're the light in my storm," I whispered in his ear as we lay in bed. "And you're mine, sweetheart" He whispered back as he pulled me closer to him.
