Borrowed Time | Daryl Dixon [Book 1]

The Bucket List

Rick had come in on us the first night we had come up with the game and I saw how thankful he was in his gaze that I was there keeping him company. Carl didn't have many kids his age around, besides Lizzie. I also found that I liked hanging out with Carl on those nights. It made me feel like a kid again.

I hopped off the table and he gave me a genuine smile from under the hat and we both reached our fists out to one another and fist bumped, "It's a date, Carl." He chuckled as he got off the picnic table to follow Rick back inside. I noticed Carol was trailing after Rick and she gave me a small wave. I noticed that left Daryl by his lonesome under the tent.

I smirked as I waltzed over, but his motorcycle sitting so perfect near the gates made me stop in my tracks. I had never learned how to ride a motorcycle like that before and I frowned lightly. I had been on dirt bikes with Henry, but he never trusted me enough to ride one solo. There were so many things I had yet to do..there had just never been enough time.

But, maybe..

I perked up as an idea started to form in my head. We all still had time. And in that moment I started to form a post-apocalyptic bucket list in my head. Number one? Learn how to ride a motorcycle. I walked into the tent and leaned against the table and Daryl shift on the hammock.

"Whadya want?" His voice startled me and I turned to look at him as he frowned despite the red bandana covering his eyes. "I was thinkin'.." I started and stopped briefly to gather how I was going to ask him.

"That's dangerous.." he mumbled and I furrowed my brows at him and rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "I wanted to start a post-apocalyptic bucket list." I said it with enthusiasm and the more I thought about it the more excited I got. It really was the little things that made me happiest.

He now shifted and pulled the red bandana from his eyes revealing two sets of blue eyes that bordered on annoyed and curious, "Tha' hell for?" He grumbled out. I knew he was tired from the run yesterday and when he was tired he got moody. I knew I had to keep it short.

"Well, there are a lot of things I never got the chance to do. And a lot of things I might not ever get to do." I started and he quirked a brow at me, motioning his hand out as if to tell me to get a move on with what I wanted to say, "So, I decided to start a fresh new bucket list. One that fits with the walker world we live in."

He stared at me and his eyes held nothing as far as emotion, but there was a hint of curiosity in his posture. I was getting better at reading him these days. He quickly became guarded as something came to his mind, "Ain't doin' nuttin' weird with ya'..if that's what yer' askin'." I let out a melodic laugh at his assumption. "Weird like what?" I asked in between laughs.

He shrugged, feeling a little foolish now because I could tell in his demeanor. His eyes did a very quick once over of me and I knew in that moment he was afraid I was going to ask him something else..something that might be about intimacy between us. "Ionno." He answered lamely. I pursed my lips at him and tried to hide my laughter. I could tell he was embarrassed. "Well, lucky for you I haven't hit the weird part of my bucket list yet."

He looked relieved and a little hue of red tinged his cheeks. We had never spoken of anything like that before so I decided to gloss over it and continue on with my question, "It's much more reasonable, actually. I wanna' learn how to ride your motorcycle."

Without a beat, he answered quickly, "Ain't happenin.'" I guffawed at his quick response, "And why the hell not?" I challenged back hotly.

"Because I said so. Ain't got a place for you to learn anyhow." He answered with a grumble before twirling an arrow around in his hands.