Barely Surviving // TWD // Daryl Dixon #Wattys2016

XXXI -- A Rat

I had gone back to my room, I checked on Daryl first and he was lying on his stomach, apparently sleeping, probably pretending. He was really upset about people wanting Merle out and I understood that but I also understood Glenn.

I was resting on my bed when Michonne came to my cell, grabbed my arm and pulled me up, I just stared at her in an oddly way.

"Come on!" she said to me. "We need to relieve some stress."

Michonne led me back to the 'kitchen', she stopped in the middle of the room where there was a big empty space and sat down on the floor.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Working out, thought it might be a good idea, come on!"

We stretched first for around three minutes before we started to do some push-ups, my wounded arm hurt and I was scared I was going to pop a stitch so I stopped doing them and instead did some lunges, beside Michonne.

My mother just eyed us weirdly, she was cooking something behind us. Michonne, Andrea and I but mostly the two us kept in form all these months by exercising regularly. We would do easy things that didn't need any equipment, which made my legs, stomach and arms tone in a very nice way, and all the running I was forced to do to keep alive burnt lots of my body fat and that helped my legs to have a better shape and to let my muscles show more and not being under the fat.

But due to not eating a lot, my body used part of my muscles as fuel as well, so I really wasn't as toned as I should be with all those workouts but I preferred it that way. I didn't want to look like a man or bulk up a lot, but it felt good to be in shape.

At that moment, Merle walked in, he had taped a knife around his right arm once again. He smirked when he saw us working out. As soon as we finished stretching, I had taken off my shirt to not sweat it, I barely had clothes now and we weren't sure when we could go out so I wasn't going to waste our soap, but now that Merle was in front of me, looking me up and down, I felt self-conscious and I would have preferred to be wearing my shirt, even when I was wearing a sport bra, so it didn't look that vulgar.

"Smart to stay fit, nice abs by the way," he said to me as both of us got on the ground to start doing crunches. "I always knew you were hot but not this hot, Blondie."

"Hey!" my mum exclaimed, Merle just raised his arms in surrender and leant backwards as he let out a small chuckle.

"Don't leave out the cardio, girls," he said and then looked from me to Michonne. "You know, if we're gonna live under the same roof, we should clear the air."

Michonne didn't even glance at Merle, she kept her eyes fixed in front of her as she kept doing the crunches. I was really impressed with Merle, letting my lips turned into a small smile. Merle apologizing, well kind of, that must be a first.

"This whole hunting you down thing, that was just business, carrying out orders."

"Hmm," Michonne muttered, not believing his bullshit. "Like the Gestapo."

"Yeah, exactly. I've done a lot of things I ain't proud of, before and after," Merle told her. "Anyway, hope we can get past it. Let bygones be bygones."

Then Merle stood up and turned to leave but stopped in his tracks and stayed put for a few seconds before he turned around again, his eyes on me as he walked to where I was. He knelt in front of me and smirked.

"You know," he whispered so my mother wouldn't hear him. "I just realized my baby brother actually has good taste in women."

"Excuse me?" I asked as I sat up and stopped my workout, I was too focused on Merle now that I didn't notice the smirk on Michonne's lips.