Tomorrow Will Be Kinder {IHOFIL Sequel}

Chapter 10: "For The Life"

So, someone posted something on tumblr that sounded just like the song Beth sang in Chapter 57 of IHOFIL so that's kind of annoying. Anyway, please like and comment, would mean a bunch to me. Let me know how you like this one! Many more chapters to come.

When he saw her, it was like the whole world stopped. Her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail while she moved around a piece of wood, letting out a string of curses when her hand slipped and touched the flame of the fire.

And when she turned and caught sight of him, the colour drained back into this world of black and white. Her eyes went round and wide while she stood, tears burning her already blood-shot eyes.

Michonne slept on the ground and so did Carl as well as another woman with a child, and when Beth began to near him, a cut above her left brow, those asleep stirred.

"It's really you," she said softly. "I mean, I keep seeing you everywhere, in everything and dreaming and it never turns out to be you. Is it you this time because if it isn't then I can't keep doing this?"

"It's me," he whispered, flinching as she moved to hug him.

"Daryl," she frowned, "I missed you-"

"How much?" he asked, the pain in his voice carefully disguised as anger.

Before any words were spoken, she took his rough hand in hers. "This much..." she proclaimed, giving it a gentle kiss. She pressed herself closer to him, her lips now on his neck. "And this much..." Her lips pressed a gentle peck to his cheek before the final 'And this much' was muttered and she wove her lips with his creating words that didn't even exist.

When she pulled her soft lips away from his, she was crying. "I thought you were dead and I'm so sorry. I love you, Daryl. I love you more than words can explain and I thought that maybe if I pretended I didn't have feelings for you, you'd grow stronger and I thought that breaking you would put you back together."

"I-I love you too," he choked out, moving forward to claim her lips once again and this time, she moaned into them, her nails biting into his skin as she pulled him closer.

{________________}

"Daryl left," Aislynn said as Rick leant up, eyes still heavy with sleep. "Said he saw some smoke, thought it might be our family."

She pulled her knees up to her chest, staring off beyond the trees. "D'you think he knows?"

"I don't know."

"I hope we find them soon," she said softly. "Daryl said it might be them but until he comes back, we won't know. I-I think he saw me kiss you last night. If he did, he didn't say anything. I figured he would but he woke me up this morning, said to tell you that it was a long shot but he think he found them and then he was gone."

Rick cleared his throat, more of a nervous habit than an actual action. "I think he heard me last night."

"Heard you what?" she asked, turning to him with eyebrows raised.

"When you fell asleep last night, I said 'You’re beautiful' and I think he heard,” he lied. Sure, Daryl had heard him say something but it wasn’t ‘You’re beautiful’. It was ‘I love you’ and Rick wasn’t quite sure he could say that to her romantically just yet.

 She refused to meet his eyes, chewing on the inside of her gum as a blush rose to her cheeks.

Rick nodded, staring at her. "You're still wearing my shirt."

She glanced down like the thought hadn't crossed her mind and it was only when he noticed she was wearing just his shirt- and her underwear- that he smiled at her.