I'm With You ➝ Daryl Dixon

behind closed doors.

twelve.

Steam rumbled up through the spout of the kettle and nestled into drops onto the counter above it. Images of her condensation filled windows on a winter morning flitted through her head and she could almost hear her Mom's dehumidifying machine shake and rattle as it attempted to control it.

Two sugars and milk. That's how she and her Mom used to have it. A lot of Americans drank it cold but with her mother growing up in the UK cold tea was never a normal sight in their household. Two sugars and milk was how she was having it.

"Want one?" Layla asked as she spooned a sugar into her tea and reached for another mug in the cupboard above her. She could feel his eyes on her from behind.

"Sure." Daryl nodded quietly, knowing he didn't actually like tea all that much but wanted to entertain the younger woman. He swigged the last of his drink as he leaned against one of the kitchen counters and watched her make a third cup of tea.

"Can you count?" Daryl asked, noticing the extra cup.

"For Andrea," Layla said shooting him a look of amusement more so than of anger.

"You really think this place will last?" Daryl asked, the question coming as a shock to Layla. She passed him his mug of hot tea carefully, the bewilderment of the question apparent on her face.

"Why would it not?" Layla asked sipping at her tea before placing it on the counter, "You think something will happen?"

"I don't know," Daryl sighed, "It aint important."

"It is," Layla said making her way over to the table they were previously sat at, "Your concerns are important Dixon."

Daryl bit the edge of his finger nervously as he watched her clear the table of beer bottles and wipe it clean of any spilt alcohol. He hadn't realised straight away what that comment meant to him, but it made him feel included, recognised...visible. Like he was an important member of this group.

"You gunna just stand there and stare or you gunna help me?" Layla said with a smirk.

Daryl coughed awkwardly and walked to the table to help pick up some bottles, feeling a little paranoid at the fact he was caught staring. He wondered if she had spotted his stares at other times too.

"Swear, you got eyes in the back of your head." Daryl mumbled and Layla laughed.

"I must be turning into my Mom," Layla smiled, giving out a loud yawn.

The cleaning didn't take long and was done mainly in silence and when Layla was about to head to Andrea with her hot tea Daryl felt a little sad to watch her leave.

"I'm gunna see if I can sleep," Layla said awkwardly, smiling at the man and going to make her way away from the kitchen.

"I got some temazepam," Daryl said, "Picked 'em up in Atlanta, if you want any?"

"Sleeping tablets?" Layla asked curiously.

"Got a bunch of stuff out of Merle's stash too...painkillers and stuff."

"Sure," Layla smiled, "Why not?"

-

She followed Daryl down the corridor towards his room, passing doors full of familiar snores, whispers, muffled cries and Glenn's painful wretching. Layla attempted to keep her laughs in upon hearing the latter, and would have held her hands to her mouth if she hadn't been carrying mugs of tea.

Noticing Daryl's own smirk as they passed his room Layla whispered with a laugh, "That is so your fault."

His room was a lot further down the corridor than Layla's. Daryl practically shoved the door open, placed his own mug down and began to riffle through backpacks and bags that were thrown messily on the floor. Layla felt a little awkward, stood in her night clothes at the foot of Daryl's door, not daring to step inside as she watched him search through his and Merle's things.