That Line We Walk (Rickyl)

Exchanging Lies

Rick stopped and held his hand up, pistol raised. His back to the wall, he slowly craned his head around the corner. He felt quiet eyes beside him, watching, waiting for a word.

Carefully, Rick lifted his gaze, finger brushing the trigger of his gun. It was heavy in his hand, heavy as the silent air in which he held his breath. A soft shift of fabric next to him and the scuff of a notched arrow. Daryl was waiting for a signal, a confirmation, anything. He wasn't the kind of man to charge round a corner, guns blazing. No, he'd let the leader go first. Rick was grateful for that.

Around the corner shuffled seven walkers. Two female, one withered and limping, the other sinewy and wide-eyed under its lank blonde hair. Five males. All groaning, aimlessly shambling in circles. Rick turned back to Daryl, whose eyes flicked up to meet his. He was leaning low, ready to move.

"Seven," Rick whispered. Daryl didn't speak but his head nodded a fraction. He raised the crossbow to his face, squinting down the sights. Again, waiting for Rick's signal. The sheriff breathed in slowly then exhaled. He nodded.

The two burst around the corner. Rick swung his knife into the nearest walker's head, splitting skull and spraying brains across the ground. It fell, gurgling bloodily. The next went down as easily as the first. Across from Rick, Daryl swiftly took the two female walkers down before they could even turn, arrows shooting straight into their eyes. He drew a serrated blade from his belt and slashed another across the throat before driving the blade into its eye. Daryl looked across, gaze matching Rick's. The crossbow swung up and an arrow was fired. Rick barely had time to blink as it whistled past his face into the forehead of a walker directly behind him.

"What're you lookin' at?" Daryl shouted. "Get your ass moving!"

Rick shook his head before turning, drawing his knife back and plunging it into the rotted cheek of a walker. The blade crunched upwards, into its brain, splattering blood over his hand. Behind him, Daryl dispatched the final walker with a nightstick to the eye. The sound fell back to wind and bugs chirping, above which Rick could hear his and Daryl's panting as they caught their breath. Daryl slung his crossbow back and fixed the sheriff with a narrow eyed stare. Rick looked back.

"What?" he asked. Daryl snorted, a dry 'pffft' sound Rick had heard often.

"You know what," he said as he crouched to search the walkers' bodies, rummaging through their pockets. He tossed some rusted coins, lint and wrappers over his shoulder. Rick watched one roll past his foot and ran a hand through his hair.

"I know?" he asked. Daryl stopped and looked up at him.

"Don't play dumb. You stop fightin' just to stand and watch? What, you want my bow or somethin'?"

Rick didn't reply. He kept his eyes out towards the fields they had crossed for any stray walkers. Eventually, Daryl stood, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Nothin'," he muttered. No bullets, pocket knife, no useful items at all. He snorted again. "And you. Stop lyin' or this ain't gonna work out."

"I ain't lying," Rick replied, though he hesitated slightly. He knew Daryl would've caught on to his tone. If he had, he said nothing, just shifted his crossbow again. Fixed Rick with another stare.

"Let's go."

They continued on, pushing past the parking lot and towards the abandoned gas station store. No walkers inside. Rick rattled the door and groaned – it was tied on the inside with rope. Daryl looked across.

"Come on, idiot, just cut it with your knife."

"I can't, the door's too heavy to do both," Rick shot back, holding it open with his back. Even then it was a strain. Daryl drew his knife and wordlessly reached across, elbow brushing Rick's chest, sawing the rope. It was tougher than it looked and he had to pause, readjust the knife. He glanced at Rick – that half-second flick of the eyes he often did, possibly checking Rick's face for expression, maybe just ... looking. Rick felt a strange tightness in his chest but he swallowed and it went away. Mostly.