Shooting Stars

Stars

"Only because you sleep like a bird." Andrea answered as she pushed one hand under her head to cushion it; the other she dropped lazily on her stomach.

Daryl chucked as he heard the sarcasm. "Nah, someone's creaky bed kept me awake."

Andrea snorted and rolled her eyes, "If you'd sleep in a cell, you wouldn't hear half as much of it."

Daryl let the statement go, favoring silence for a moment before asking, "So, whatcha doin?"

The woman pointed with her free hand, "I stopped to stargaze."

Daryl glanced up at the sky and Andrea took that moment to gaze up at his face, marveling at the shape of his nose, the slope of his forehead, the way his unkempt hair flopped in the wind, the way his lips pulled upward in a smile. "Can't make that many wishes."

The comment was unexpected, and Andrea blinked back to reality with a single word: "Huh?"

Daryl lay down and pulled her into the crook of his shoulder so she could use it as a pillow. He wrapped that arm around to lie on her stomach while he used the opposite arm as his own pillow. Times like these were rare and Andrea might have been nervous about the intimacy of his touch had he not instigated it. Instead, she moved the rest of her body closer to him, reveling in his warmth. A sense of complete safety washed over her.

"Never heard of it?" He asked, his voice low. "See a shootin' star and make a wish."

"Oh," Andrea said with a ghost of a giggle, "I've heard of that. You're right; there are a lot of wishes up there tonight. Wonder how many."

Daryl grunted in a non-syllabic way in answer. For a while, she stared up at the sky and counted the wishes. Soon, however, she felt herself begin to slip into sleep. She was lulled by the still of the night and Daryl's unconsciously repetitive stroking motions on her stomach. Each stroke sent tingles deep into her skin but even these could not rouse her enough to stay awake. It didn't help that she had her head pressed against his chest and the sound of his breathing and the beating of his heart were so regular that they seemed almost like metronomes further lulling her.

She was just on the edges of sleep when his voice startled her back into awareness. "There's so many of 'em."

Andrea pried open her eyes and looked at the sky to see two more streaks flash through existence. After shifting her body into a more agreeable position, she sighed and muttered sleepily, "Make a wish."

Daryl snorted, "I don't believe in makin' wishes."

"But you just said-"

"I know what I said, Blondie," He murmured back softly and without a trace of anger. "But I don't wish for things. I'll leave that t'you."

"Who said I made wishes?" Andrea countered back sarcastically, but sleep drugged her tone.

"Fine, then. Give the wishes to someone else." Daryl mused.

Andrea sighed and sleepily elbowed his side like a child, which elicited a small jump and a cry of 'hey' from the man next to her. She yawned and nuzzled into his chest, "Fine, what should I wish for?"

"A new puppy. Hell if I know. What do you wish for?"

"I don't."

She imagined a scowl crossing Daryl's face but was surprised, faintly, that his voice was calm as he said, "Pretend."

Andrea yawned, "Um... I'd wish for more food, ammo, I don't know. More certainty? Less walkers."

"Nothin' for yerself?"

"Who said this was for anyone else?"

"Y'ain't like that, Blondie."

Andrea grinned into his shirt. "I've never thought about it, honestly. Since this hell, I haven't seen a need to think about myself... since trying to die, that is.

"Maybe I want to be immune, but we all know that idea's stupid. Mmm, how about I wish for a hot guy to come and sweep me off my feet."

Daryl snorted. "Cinderalla story? Didn't think you were that kinda gal. Ain't you already got a man?"

"Do I?" Andrea asked as she looked up at him. He was looking at her seriously and even in the dark she could see his eyes glittering at her sharply. She smiled up at him. "Okay, then... I wish for a hot shower, new clothes, and new episodes for my favorite TV shows."

"Not very interesting." He mused.

"More interesting than you. Bet you'd wish for a better crossbow and bolts."

"And a new knife."

Andrea chuckled and settled back down. Daryl resumed his unconscious gesturing on her stomach. She closed her eyes and he turned to look at the stars again. A long while after she had fallen asleep, Daryl leaned over and kissed her on the top of the head before settling down himself, arms wrapped possessively around her.

"But I already got all I could wish for."