HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

040: road to terminus // A

Rio walked alongside Daryl, still reluctant to let him out of his sight. They walked along the tracks a few paces behind the others. The boy bit down on his lip nervously, cursing when he drew blood. The cold air probably wasn't helping. He held his hoodie sleeve to his mouth, little drops of blood now on the cuff. He folded it over, ignoring it.

"Are you okay?" Daryl asked.

Rio nodded his head as an answer.

"Are you really?"

"I couldn't sleep last night." The boy admitted, letting out a sharp breath.

"I guessed that much." Daryl sighed. "Don't think anyone slept."

Rio let out a hum of acknowledgement, then he burst. He needed to get it off his chest. "I heard everything you and Rick were saying, by the car."

"Everything?"

"Mhm." The boy confirmed then he shook his head. "Well not everything but I heard enough."

"And?" Daryl urged him to continue as he stopped walking.

"It's just—." The boy trailed off, shaking his head again. He didn't want to continue anymore. He fiddled with his sleeve, pulling on it as he stalled.

"Actually, you don't have to talk about it." Rio almost accepted the offer but then grew annoyed. If he didn't say it now then when would he?

"No, I want to." He let out a long breath. "When Rick said that you were my father whether you liked it or not..."

"He didn't—." Daryl began to cut in.

"You've been my dad for a long time now. I just... I wanted you to hear it from me." Rio finally admitted.

The man was silent for a while and then let out a long sigh. "I know." Daryl said finally. He smiled and Rio reached out to the man with his one arm, pulling him in for a hug. "Thank you."

"I won't call you dad or anything." He whispered.

"No." Daryl laughed, pulling back.

"Not yet anyway. Maybe one day." Rio specified then the two continued walking, aware of Rick's impatient eyes on them.

"Fine by me." The man replied, bumping his shoulder.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Daryl shrugged. "Round the prison people asked if you were my kid, got to a point where I stopped correcting them."

"I'd correct them." Rio smiled.

"Of course you would."

"Don't have to now." He said, growing happier by the second.

"Well, I think you just adopted yourself." Daryl laughed at the boy, trying to keep him from shutting himself out.

"Oh well," He replied. "You picked me."

"I don't actually think I did that either." Rio pretended to be offended but he couldn't keep it up any longer.

Caught up in the moment, he admitted something, wishing for once he'd just bite his tongue. "You know, when I was younger I'd wish my brother's baseball coach would adopt us. He was the only one who knew how big of dicks our parents were. He was kinda cool as well."

Daryl went to reply but Rio hurried forward, realizing what he'd said and tapping Carl on the shoulder, walking beside him silently. The man didn't bother to interrupt them.

The group came across another sign dropped on the floor, Rick wiping away the dirt and leaves with his foot. It was Terminus, again.

"We gotta be close."  Rio said.