Eyes Wide Open [TWD]

°•twenty-six•°

Glenn turns around and begins to guide me out the door where everyone else was making there way in at the sounds of screaming and arguing.

"Isn't that the same thing Shane told you?" Merle asks gruffly as he slowly stands, knowing what I told him.

"For you to stay away from his daughter? That he was the only person she needed? Face it Glenny, I was protecting her, training her. What'd you do? Read her bedtime stories?" Merle taunts from behind us.

Glenn takes a shaky breath and clenches his fist. He turns around, about to go after him but I quickly jump in front of him, holding his arm.

"Dad, it's not worth it. We've gotta focus on other things," I tug at his sleeve to gain his full attention as he hasn't looked away from Merle.

I glance behind him and look at who else was there. Maggie, Beth, Carol and Daryl looked on wearily. Daryl looked like he was ready to tackle whoever needed to be.

"Dad," I whisper and pull his arm a bit harder.

"You stay the hell away from my daughter," Glenn growls through clenched teeth and ushers me out the door, finally getting away from the problematic situation.

--

That following night, Rick, Carl, and Michonne made it back with the guns and ammunition we needed. When everyone began making their way to bed or their respective guard shifts, I made my presence in Carl's cell.

"Hey," he yawns restlessly, exhausted from the run.

"Hey," I mutter and crawl into the bed beside him.

"Long day?" He asks glancing over at me.

"You have no idea," I sigh, adjusting the spare pillow he'd left here for me, "You?"

"I-" he begins as if he were about to tell the story of his day before groaning, "You could say that."

A small laugh leaves my mouth and I too yawn.

"I can now tell when you've had a long day though," He nods knowingly.

"Can you now?" I ask teasingly.

"Mhm.. Been the same way for our whole lives. You run to me," he chuckles.

"You're my safe place," I shrug lightly.

He grins and pulls the sheet over us.

"I can't sleep alone," I admit with a sigh, "Ever since the farm.... If I sleep alone I get nervous. Nightmares start. The first year of me being in Woodbury I was always waking Katie up climbing in her bed," I explain.

"That's cause Glenn and Maggie made you sleep with one of them back at the farm," he laughs.

"And cause I ran to you at nighttime. Even before everything," I smile.

He returns the smile and nods.

"So, you're saying I started it? You're really blaming me?" He jokes, I chuckle and nod.

"How bad was your day?" He asks after a passing minute of silence.

Merle's words echo in my head and I shake my head.

"Had better," I say, not wanting to get into details.

He sighs and rolls onto his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, his hand tangling in my hair.

"Sorry," he whispers in my ear.

I hold back my emotions and move closer to him too.

"Me too," I whisper back, laying my arm around his waist and burying my face in his chest.