Author's note: Hey lovelies. Sorry it has taken so long to get this story updated. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little bit of fluff. I just couldn't help myself. Keep leaving your wonderful comments. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter.
On the way back to the cabin, Glenn and Daryl take the van while Maggie and I take the car. I figured this would be the perfect time to tell her. I don't even have to bring it up. Maggie immediately starts probing once we are on the road.
"I promise I am not being nosy.... But I couldn't help notice before the run, things between you and Daryl seemed awfully tense and now it seems like everything is all good. Did you two kiss and makeup over whatever it was you were fighting about?"
I can't contain my laugh at her choice of words. "Actually that is exactly what happened."
Her eyes get big. "You two kissed! I knew something was different after the grocery store. What happened? Tell me everything. What were y'all fighting about to begin with?"
"Well we weren't exactly fighting. He was avoiding me."
"Why was he avoiding you?"
"Remember two days ago, when Daryl and I got back from our archery lesson?" She nods. "Well I had been working at it all morning and I finally hit the target tree. I got so excited. I turned and hugged him. The next thing I know he's leaning in and kisses me-"
"You kissed days ago and I am just now hearing about it?!" She interrupts.
"Mags.."
"Sorry. How was it?"
I sigh. "It was... amazing."
She is grinning from ear to ear for a moment, then gets a confused look on her face. "So why was he avoiding you? Because you kissed?" She looks to me for confirmation. I simply nod. "Why would he do that? He initiated the kiss. He clearly wants to be with you. It doesn't make any sense."
"Because he is Daryl. That's what he does. He gets close, doesn't know how to deal so he runs away from it."
"What happened today then?"
"We got stuck in the grocery store, locked ourselves in an office and I forced him to talk about it."
"I would have loved to see that."
"It consisted of a lot of yelling at first. Him at me that it wasn't the time. Me at him arguing it was the perfect time to be a man and tell me how he feels. He got all quiet and wouldn't say anything for a while. I got frustrated and went to turn away and then he grabs me and kisses me. Then we talked and now we're together."
"Are you happy?"
"Very happy."
"Good. That's all I need to hear. But you know I will have to give him the talk right?" I roll my eyes at her in response.
When we get back to the cabin, it is dark out. Everyone is still up so they all help us unload. Then slowly people start calling it a night. I'm laying on my spot on the floor for about twenty minutes when Daryl finally comes into view. He is one of the last people still awake besides myself and Abraham who is on watch. I can see he looks apprehensive as he approaches. He stops further away than normal and starts taking off his jacket.
"What are you doing all the way over there?"
"Going to sleep what does it look like I'm doing?" He answers defensively.
"Over there?"
He sighs frustrated. "Yeah, where'd you like me to sleep? I told ya I ain't into all that snugglin' shit."
I roll my eyes at him. "I know you're not." I sit up on my elbow. "I want you to sleep where you normally sleep."
"This is where I normally sleep."
"Bullshit you sleep about half that distance and you know it." I shoot back. I lay down, "C'mon Dixon, don't make it weird." I say in a teasing tone.
He huffs and moves to his normal spot. He lays down and puts a hand behind his head. He chews his thumb then looks at me looking very shy. "I ain't tryin to make it weird. This is where I normally sleep but it's different now. It's jus'... I don't want to make you uncomfortable or think I'm expecting somethin' or... whatever." He shrugs and looks away.
I turn to my side, facing him more fully. "It is different now. Remember what I said earlier. Just do what you normally would do and we will go from there. I know you don't expect anything. Honestly I don't either. I know myself though and I am a naturally touchy feely person. But I know you aren't. So the physical stuff will come in time and that's okay. I am going to let you set the pace because I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I promise I will tell you the minute I am not okay with something if you promise to do the same."
He hums in agreement looking much more at ease. "So can I put another quarter in the jukebox?"
I smile at him, but stop myself from saying yes. I look around the room and everyone is asleep. "Nope I don't accept quarters anymore. Sorry."
He ruffles his eyebrows in confusion, then realizes what I'm getting at. He gives me a small smirk and leans forward. His lips touch mine very gently and he kisses me slowly. His mouth opens and I willingly do the same. His tongue circles mine once and then he pulls away. "How 'bout now?"
"What do you want to hear?" I can't wipe the dreamy smile off my face after a kiss like that.
"Don't matter." He shrugs his shoulders.
I narrow my eyes at him playfully. "You know you're going to have to start giving me some requests. I can't always pick."
He hums in response while I think of a song. It only takes a second because it's so fitting. I sing softly as a ballad.
Oh yeah I'll tell you somethin'
I think you'll understand
(I hear him huff a chuckle and he intertwines our fingers)
When I say that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
Oh please say to me
You wanna be my man
And please say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
And when I touch you
I feel happy inside
It's just a feeling that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide
Yeah you got that somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I feel that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
We sit in silence for a few moments. "I ain't ever heard that song like that before. All slow."
"My mom loved the Beatles. I have have always loved that song. One day I heard it like that and it became my favorite all over again. Did you like it?"
"Think it might be my new favorite G'night Evergreen."
"G'night. Daryl."
I woke up with the sunrise the next morning. Everyone else was still sleeping so I took the opportunity to practice my recurve bow. I've been practicing for an hour shooting at a target I drew on the side of the barn out back. I feel like I'm not getting any better though and my arms are already tiring out. I knock one last arrow declaring after this one I am done, but I said that to myself five arrows ago. I take my stance, trying to remember everything from the other day. The lesson was overshadowed by the kiss but I really focus on what Daryl said before. I adjust my hips, check my anchor, breathe and release. The arrow lands just below the target. Best shot of the day.
"Nice shot." I jump out of my skin and spin around to see Daryl watching me.
I relax at the sight of him. "You scared the giblets out of me. You need a bell around your neck."
"Would really put a damper on huntin'." He jokes as I roll my eyes at him. He walks close to me and gestures at the target on the barn. "How'd ya do?"
"Well at least I can say I can hit the broad side of a barn." I joke back. This time he rolls his eyes. "You saw the best shot. I wasn't doing so hot before."
"We'll do another lesson in a day or two." He looks away for a minute then looks back at me uncertain. "I'ma check snares. Come with me?" He asks shyly.
I smile and nod at him. How one man can seem so sure of himself all the time then be so shy at other times baffles me. I grab my crossbow and follow him out into the woods. We walk in the treelike in comfortable silence for a while. After our second empty snare, he finally speaks. "What cha got on the string for today?"
"Not much this morning. I'm on Judy duty this afternoon. You?"
"They found a car in the barn while we was gone. Rick asked me to take a look at it. See if I can't get it runnin'."
"Sounds like this is our only time today then." Determined to make the most of it, I reach out and take his hand. He hums in response and interlaces our fingers so he can hold my hand better. We go back to our comfortable silence while we check the last of the snares. All empty. Expecting us to head to the cabin, I turn to go in that direction but I feel his hand hold me back. I glance at him over my shoulder.
"We ain't gotta head back just yet." He pulls me to him and the other hand grabs my face. He leans in and kisses me with a confidence I have yet to see in him. I hum in appreciation. The kiss is firm but not hard. His tongue plays with mine but the kiss never turns hungry like other times before.
When we finally break apart, he puts his forehead to mine. "Hmm what was that?" I ask pleasantly surprised.
He shrugs. "Jus' wanted to say good mornin' is all."
I blush. "You should tell me good mornin' like that every mornin'."
The whole day was super busy after that. Daryl worked on the car all day and said he was close to getting it running. He comes in the next day around mid morning and finds me. "Hey did you get the car workin?"
"Yeah. Let's go hunt."
I notice he has a backpack on today and I am curious what that's all about. Typically when he hunts he travels light. I ask him about it and he just says "You'll see." My interest is peeked. It isn't until we get to the place where we had our archery lesson that I get an answer. He stops and puts his crossbow down and takes off the backpack. "You hungry?"
"Sure." I watch as he takes out a blanket and lays it down and then starts placing cans down on it. I sit down and grab the cans seeing what he brought. Beans. Peaches. I bust out laughing at the next can. Pigs feet. "Where did you find this?"
He gives crooked grin. "In one of the houses the other day on the run."
I study him for a moment and realize, "You planned this."
He shrugs it off. "Figured I can't take ya out to dinner and a movie so I figured a redneck lunch and cloud watchin' would have ta do. It ain't nothin'."
I smile from ear to ear. I can't believe he is taking me on date. It is the simplest gesture but it warms my heart. It means so much to me that he did this. All for me. "No, it's something."
After we eat, he lays down and I follow suit. The spot we are at has a tiny clearing between the trees. Just enough to see the sky and the clouds above. We point out cloud rabbits, ships and dinosaurs for a little while. He clears his throat and points out we should get to hunting. I begrudgingly agree. He cleans up and puts everything back in his backpack. I give him a kiss, "Thanks for the date."
He clears his throat clearly affected by the kiss. "Well go on then woman. Let's hunt."
I smile and lead the way. We snag a couple of squirrel and head back. The woods have been pretty quiet all morning. We are almost to where we had our date when I see a track that stops me instantly. "Daryl." I say harshly.
He is at my side in a millisecond and I nod my head at the ground below. Clear as day is a human footprint. We didn't come this way, so I know it's not ours. Daryl bends down and examines it closer. "It's fresh." He stands right next to it and looks around. He points ahead and I see the log right next to where we had our picnic.
"They were watching us?"
He nods. "Stay with me. Stay ready. We will circle the perimeter and head back."
I do as he says. We see another footprint just behind one of our snares. It's not as fresh as the first one we saw. Whoever it is has been watching the cabin and it looks like they have been watching us for a couple of days.