Same Love

26: Run

He ran. His lungs burned, toned muscles cried out for him to stop but he didn't. He felt free, granted he was running from a crazed horde of walkers yet he felt safe and confident in his own abilities. Those inside the gates watched with bated breath as the hunter drew the group away from the fence in a last-ditch attempt of saving them. Beth bit her lip nervously. Daryl would not be happy when he heard about this. Carol and Rick were out, Daryl and Michonne were out so it was really just Sam left to man the fort. God knows where Maggie and Carl were. Beth swore she saw the grin stretch even wider across the running man's face as he led the horde away, an arrow knocked yet his bow not poised to shoot. She shook her head as they disappeared into the forest. Carl approached Beth, a bundle of nerves as he thought about telling his father of Sam's little mission when Rick returned, he wasn't doing it alone that was for sure. He hoped that Sam got back before Daryl or his father did.

"I'll help, don't ya worry" Beth read the teenager's mind, hands loose by her sides as she registered the sigh of relief the boy breathed. They parted, the crowd by the fence dispersing as Rick pulled back into the prison. He searched for Sam to tell him that he left Carol out there for the prison's safety yet couldn't see the stoic male anywhere. Now he came to think of it, he hadn't seen anyone but Carl since he arrived back. He thought nothing of it though, setting to work on tasks. All of a sudden, gunshots rang out and the group grabbed assault rifles to defend themselves against the onslaught of walkers. It seemed things in Cell block A had got out of hand.

"Where the fuck is Sam?" Rick yelled as he killed yet another corpse. Once all the corpses were dispatched the van carrying those out on the run returned, not expected a full view of bloodshed on their return. They asked what had occurred yet were met with a half-hearted explanation. Daryl's throat went dry. Surely Sam would have been in the thick of it, in the action shooting down walkers. Where was he?

"Where's Sam?" He asked, trying not to sound too worried. Rick flashed him an angered look, a scowl followed by a deepening in his frown.

"You tell me, not heard a peep since I got back"

"You sure he's o-"

"HEY!" A yell broke through the trees and all heads simultaneously snapped up to watch the sweating hunter shoot at the relentless barrage of hungry undead people.

"Oh shit!" He kept repeating as he shot, eventually clearing out the area, panting, his brow slick with sweat. He ambled up to the gates, being let in and almost immediately flopping onto the ground, laboured breathing was the only sound heard. After a while he stood up, eyes falling on Rick in guilt.

"I can explain" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and yet it wasn't Rick who seemed angry, it was Daryl. The sullen redneck grabbed Sam by his arm roughly and tugged him to a secluded area, crystalline orbs blazing, like a forest fire smouldering dangerously. Sam was shoved against the wall, pinned by the intimidating male who ground his teeth in annoyance. It was all he could do to not avert his eyes, feeling more than a bit fearful.

"Ya think ya can just disappear?!"

"No, I was helping. I went to clear out the walker infestation on the fence. I tried to hel-"

"Bullshit! Helpin' ain't swannin' off into the forest when it all goes down!"

"I didn't know"

"Sure ya didn't. Ya forgot to mention anythin' about goin' out dumbass!" Daryl's eyes betrayed him, his anger had begun to seem unreasonable even to him and yet he still stood firm, Sam's body sandwiched between his and the wall. There was something about the smile that crept onto Sam's face that he found calming yet infuriating at the same time. Desperately Daryl's fist found Sam's shirt, pulling him impossibly closer and he felt warm breath fan over his face as his chest heaved, face contorting into one of confusion. It all happened in slow motion it seemed, in a secluded area on a hot summer day after a tense session of shouting and glaring. It wasn't ideal but it was perfect in an odd sort of way.

It wasn't one of those cliché fireworks moments that you get in sappy movies, one of those perfect and everlasting silences that are neither awkward nor weird but it had a strange appeal.

Sam leaned forwards, his soft lips meeting Daryl's slightly chapped ones. Sam's lips moved, he kissed Daryl like he was never going to kiss again, a desperation overcame him and yet Daryl did not react as much as he would have liked. He did not pull away. After a few seconds, Daryl regained the power that had been stolen from him and pressed back hesitantly against those soft lips. They tasted unique but not at all unpleasant. It was when Sam broke the lip-lock for air that he realised the gravity of what he'd done and broke down into tears, running off into the cell block and leaving Daryl standing, eyes fixated on the place he was seconds ago and a sudden cool breeze washing over him. It was unbearably trivial. He was crying, why had he cried? Daryl's own sense had not yet returned, trapped in a daze. Had he....enjoyed it? Did he even know? 

Just like that Sam had gone from being an innocent and playfully adorable friend to much more than that, he wondered if things would ever go back to the way they were. Within seconds anger had turned to shock and shock had turned to comfort.

He replayed the kiss over in his mind countless times yet no amount of replaying could ever satisfy him. He needed answers.

A simple kiss had changed surviving into living.