❝last man standing doesn't matter when it's a pile of bodies you're standing on. so you fight but you be good.❞
[twd seasons 1-?]
Ⓒ 2019║asgxrdians i own nothing except lindsey and her plot
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chapter twenty seven: adrenaline 7395 words
When Lin blinked her eyes open, Daryl was already awake at her side. His eyes were still bleary, still half shut against the sunlight of the morning so he couldn't have been awake much longer than her. His fingers were up on her shoulder, the one that wasn't pressed against the thin mattress, rubbing at the skin underneath her dirty button-up. She really needed to change it.
"Hey," she whispered into the air between them. His fingers moved a little bit more, closer to the hem of her shirt to push underneath it, his warm fingers against her collarbone. He just grunted a little bit, under his breath. The pleasant domesticity of lying there beside him, a roof under their heads and a mattress under their bodies, just about smacked her across the face as she looked over at him. It made her sleepy, her months of exhaustion finally catching up with her. She thought to herself, as her eyes slipped closed, that she'd be more than happy to sleep in Daryl's arms for the next week.
Daryl watched her fall back asleep, his thumb moving in slow circles on her clavicle to help her slip away. They could do the work without her; Lori could let her sleep, for just one day. He eased away from her slowly, standing once he was sure that she was still far away in dreamland.
Everyone was beginning to return to the real world, waking up inside their respective cells. Rick met Daryl's eyes from where he stood on the lower level and he nodded. They still had work to do, halls and wings to clear. This block was a win, the greatest thing they'd had since the farm but there was more to be done.
Daryl decided then that Lin wasn't coming with them. Whatever the plan was, however long and however far it took them into the prison, Lin was staying right in this block. If she woke up before they were gone, she was going to try to argue with him, he knew it. That's why he wanted to leave before she woke up. It was kind of a shitty move but she knew he could handle himself out there. He was willing to take the risk of her being mad if it meant that she was safe and resting.
Carl brought the riot gear helmet up to his head, slipping the far too big article on. It hugged his scalp for only a moment and then fell into his waiting hands.
"You won't need that," Rick reached for the helmet, taking it for his son. "I need you to stay put with your aunt."
"You're kidding," Carl scoffed.
"We don't know what's in there. Something goes wrong, you could be the last man standing. I need you to handle things here." Rick had confidence in his son to hold the fort down. He had confidence in his sister-in-law to help him if he needed.
Carl exhaled. He understood what his dad wanted him to do. "Sure."
"Great. Let's go."
Daryl looked up to where he could see Lin still lying on their mattress. He wanted to kiss her one more time but that felt too much like a goodbye. He'd kiss her when he came back, not if. He gathered his crossbow up and led the group out of the block, leaving Carl to lock the door.
