Dixons Divided | Daryl Dixon

Chapter 9

16 years old

Daryl and Ava were just beyond the girl's backyard, up in a tree. Daryl had several nails pressed between his lips as he worked to hammer the board into the thick branches. Ava was doing the same, but on the other side. Her long, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and sweat soaked the back of her shirt. Daryl wasn't fairing much better, though, so he didn't tease her for it. He was actually pretty sure he was in worse shape, his hair sticking to the back of his neck.

"Who knew building a tree house would be such a pain." Ava complained, leaning back and wiping the sweat glistening off her brow. "You done yet?"

"Almost." Daryl grunted, bringing his hammer down hard a few more times. 

Ava watched, leaning against the trunk of the tree. She'd gotten a lot taller, having recently hit a growth spurt. Not only that, but her body was beginning to mature, just as many of the other girls' her age were. She was looking less like the scrawny kid that had dragged Daryl into her backyard and more like an actual woman. 

Daryl, in comparison, was far taller and bulkier than before. He'd even started to shave his face due to the little hairs that were beginning to sprout up on his upper lip. It was a strange transition from what had felt so normal before, but it was gradual and Daryl didn't begrudge it. It was just... different. That's all.

"There." The Dixon grumbled. Ava grinned.

"Oi, what're y'all doin up there?! Knockin boots?!" The voice of Merle Dixon made Ava groan. Daryl scowled, the tips of his ears turning red as he leant forward to look down at his older brother, who was grinning up at them. He had a few friends with him, Daryl noted with some distaste.

"You think he'll go away if we ignore him?" Ava asked hopefully. Daryl pulled the nails from between his lips and set them down on the board they'd just hammered down, sighing and shaking his head.

"You wish." He grumbled. "You know Merle."

"I can dream." Ava defended, sighing heavily. They both grimaced. 

Ava and Daryl were still just as close as they had been when they were kids, maybe even closer. They still spent all their time together, never at Daryl's house, but always at Ava's. Now that they were both older, they were spending more and more time outdoors in the woods behind the house. They were responsible enough to take care of themselves without needing to check in every hour.

They fished, caught snakes bigger than an Earth Worm, and were now building a tree house to call their own. It kept them busy, and the project gave Daryl a sense of purpose and odd excitement. He liked doing things with Ava. Making something that would be just theirs-- it was nice. 

Both the teens were tanned from the constant beat of the Georgia sun, but as always, Ava didn't let that slow her down. She always had to be doin' something, whether it be rigging a snare for a rabbit, or repairing the roof of her dad's shed. And Daryl was always there half a step behind her, ready to lend a hand. 

"What th' hell do yeh want?!" Daryl called down to him, afraid the older boy and his friends would start climbing if he didn't respond. The thought of Merle desecrating their spot with his presence before it was even complete made him sour.

"That's no way to talk to your older bro, Daryl!" One of Merle's friends chimed.

"Yeah! We jus' came by to say hello!" Merle grinned in agreement. Ava rolled her eyes at them again, looking like she was genuinely debating chucking her hammer down and nailing one of them in the skull. Daryl couldn't say the thought wasn't tempting. 

"Let's just ignore them. We're almost done with the floor, anyway. It'll be easier after that since we'll have something solid to stand on." Ava encouraged, nudging him with her boot. Daryl pursed his lips, gazing at the fading marker doodles they'd done on them when she first got them.

"Yeah, alright." Daryl agreed after a moment, sniffling. 

Merle's teasing had remained consistent throughout the years. Only now it was beginning to affect him, more so than he would've thought. He wasn't sure why. Hormones, Daryl supposed. He and Ava weren't kids no more. Hell, in a few years they'd be graduating high school! They still had sleepovers in the living room and did all the same stuff they used to, but it felt... different now.

Ava had grown up real nice. Prettiest girl Daryl had ever seen, probably would ever see in general.  And Daryl, he... well, Daryl liked her. Always had, but not like this. This was something that simmered. It was fond and warm in unfamiliar ways. He shook his thoughts off slightly, swallowing and turning his attention back to his hammering.

A few more weeks passed, and they finished their tree house. Ava insisted they pimp it out so they could hang out in it comfortably. She even ran several long extension cords from the house to the small structure, attaching it to a power strip. Daryl thought putting in that much effort was a waste of time, but Ava didn't care. She did what she wanted to do. She was a force of nature when she put her mind to it.

It was late out now, but an old lamp Daryl'd picked up off the curb combated it, fending the darkness off in their small tree hovel. They'd piled it full of old blankets and pillows, and now sat side by side in silence. It was companionable, and Daryl reveled in it.

"Hey, Daryl?" Ava asked. He hummed a bit to show he was listening. "I still want to be a doctor, but... but School." She frowned. He immediately knew what she meant. It was something he'd thought about too. 

If she wanted to be a doctor, she had to go to college. That much was obvious. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the fact that she had to leave. If she was going to practice medicine, she'd need a good program. They didn't have those here-- not in this podunk, junky place.

She would have to get a dorm or apartment of her own, away from this dinky little town. The thought if her leaving made Daryl's heart sink every time, and while he wanted to be selfish and ask her to stay, he didn't dare. Because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would. If he asked her not to go, Ava wouldn't. 

"It'll be aight. I can visit you." Daryl assured her, voice quiet. His heart constricted. "And you'll come back for the summer. And for the holidays and such."

"I guess so." She frowned. "Will you still be my best friend?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "I just said I'd visit yah, girl! Wouldn't do that if yah weren't my friend." He scoffed, but it came out less irritated than he'd wanted it to. He flushed up to his ears. If Merle could hear how disgustingly sappy he sounded he'd throw a fit. 

"Well, what if you've met a girl by then? You'll forget all about me." She whined dramatically. Daryl rolled his eyes at her in response, snorting. 

"I ain't gonna find 'a girl.'" He scoffed at her again. "I got you, don't I?"

He saw her smile a bit in the low light, and his stomach did a flip. A flip that he quickly stomped into the ground and into submission. Like hell. Human emotions could catch his hands. Especially ones like... like that. 

"Yeah," Ava whispered. "You've got me."