Walking outside of the prison, Katy noticed that everybody was standing around and talking casually apart from one person who she decided to visit. He was leaning across his motorbike fixing something or cleaning it perhaps, she wasn't really sure.
"Hey Dixon" He grimaced slightly at the nickname which made the woman smirk. "What's going on today?"
"You gonna keep calling me that?" She nodded simply to him. "We're going on a run."
"Who?"
"Glenn, Maggie and me."
"I wanna come." She put herself forward to do something different but Daryl's face turned firmer than usual.
"No."
"Why?"
"You're annoying." Katy scoffed at his half-hearted insult.
"You'll be third wheeling otherwise." She pressed on. "Give me a good reason and I won't go."
"Never seen you fight." He tried to think of a reason. "You could be bad."
"I'm good." She smirked smugly. "I guess I'm going."
"I've had to save your ass twice already."
Katy's face fell at the insult that was almost a low blow to her because those times had been hard and she couldn't argue back with a valid point because his words were true.
"Shutup Dixon, they were flukes."
She turned around and made her way over with a smile to Rick Grimes, she swore as she walked away, she could hear Daryl chuckling but she didn't think to check either way.
"Rick, can I go on the run today?" She asked the leader. "I'd love to get out for a bit."
"Sure, you can never have too many people." He nodded with a smile. "You were talking to Daryl, everything sorted now."
"He's still a dick but I can deal with it." Rick laughed loudly at the girls' words and shook his head slightly.
➳
The foursome traveled to what would have been a corner shop before the world ended; the drive had been longer than they had planned it to be and they realised that they would be better staying overnight in the small store instead of driving back to the prison in the dark.
Daryl led the way inside followed by Glenn, Maggie and then Katy, all of whom were ready with their knives in front of them and looking out for any walkers. Once inside, Katy traveled to the back room which appeared to be the break room for whoever had owned and worked in the store.
She found only a few useful supplies before opening the wardrobe that resided in the room -- a semi-preserved looking walker fell out clumsily and onto the floor, she put her knife through its head easily and left the room safely.
"Find anything?" Maggie asked.
"A few things." She shrugged. "The back's clear."
"I found some chocolate." Maggie smiled.
"We're sharing it between ourselves." Glenn piped up quickly.
Maggie smirked at her husband and shook her head teasingly. "I didn't say you could have any." Glenn pulled a face before kissing her forehead chastely.
After loading all of the supplies they had found into the car they began to think about the sleeping arrangements that they would have to make for their stay overnight.
"There's a big couch in the back of the shop." Katy informed them.
"Two in there and two in the car."
With Glenn's words, Katy stupidly assumed that it would be her and Maggie sharing and then Glenn and Daryl, only because she and Daryl had only just learned to be civil. The others thought differently.
"You two go on the couch." Daryl nodded to Maggie and Glenn. "Me and Katy will go in the car."
The auburn haired woman didn't show her shock at the rednecks' words and began to dread the awkward night that she assumed would be ahead of her. Daryl didn't know why the words had come from his mouth, something in him had just nagged him that was the correct decision to make.
All three looked to Daryl with curious eyes because he was never the type to want to be with somebody. He shrugged and began to justify his decision.
"The car has more room and you two will get closer together. We'll keep our distance."
They continued a minimal conversation before saying goodnight to each other and reminding their friends to block the doors that separated them and the dangerous world outside because safety was the number one priority in those days.
"It's cold." Daryl grunted.
"I remember before, just cuddling up with a blanket when it was like this and waiting for my m-" She was cut off abruptly.
"Don't talk about before." He said harshly.
"It's nice to remember." Even though it hurt sometimes, Katy liked to think about before.
"Some of us don't have a lot of nice things to remember." He mumbled and it hit her like a strike in the chest evoking sympathy.
"The point of the story was that it's cold."
Katy was in the front seat of the car and Daryl in the back -- they both assumed that keeping distance would work better for the volatile pair however once in the awkward silence of the car together, creaking and noises from outside making them look both ways and the air sending cold chills their way along with the conversation that didn't seem to be working so well, Daryl decided that he couldn't let either of them go through the night being that uncomfortable.
"Come here."
He said quietly making her stomach flip strangely and she wondered if he was implying what it sounded like he was.
"What?"
"Sharing body heat helps to survive." He cleared up, to both of them.
"What if I wanna live not just survive?"
"Shutup and get back here."
Katy barely believed what was happening but despite that she pulled herself into the roomy back space next to the man, they didn't collapse into each other's arms but lay side by side, heat radiating through ones body and into the others. It was the closest that either had been to somebody else in a while and they both strangely liked it.
➳
Daryl Dixon woke up and noticed that Katy's head had fallen onto his shoulder and his arm had somehow made its way around her, almost mechanically. He had never been that way with somebody and it unnerved him but as much as he wanted to move away quickly, seeing her peaceful figure formed a barrier between his emotions and his actions.
He had no idea why.
She began to move frantically, screaming aloud and thrashing wildly. Daryl shook her as gently as possible, not wanting to hurt her but hating the fear that leaked from her.
"Wake up."
She moved upwards quickly, their faces almost colliding together but stopping just before they could hit. She gulped visibly when she realised that Daryl had seen her in such a vulnerable positon, plagued by the nightmares of her parents. She pushed herself away from the man as quickly as possible and opened the door of the car to jump out.
"I'll go and get Glenn and Maggie." She said quickly as she wiped her face.
"What the hell was that?" He asked with wide eyes.
"Don't worry about it." She went to run away because that was what she was used to doing but that didn't work with Daryl Dixon and he grabbed her hand stopping her from leaving.
"Tell me."
"It was nothing."
"Stop lying." He insisted.
"It was nothing!" She shouted both of their tempers short, especially with each other.
"Please." He said in a low tone and it stirred something inside of her. She clenched her eyes closed and exhaled.
"Seeing your parents eaten by walkers is slightly mentally scaring." She explained, her mind flashing back to the event before she could shake it off.
"Did you kill them when they turned?" He asked cautiously.
"I couldn't." She shook her head with regret. "I left before I saw them like that."
Katy turned away leaving Daryl standing there in thought as she rushed through the shop and into the back room where she expected Glenn and Maggie to be. She assumed that they would still be sleeping but instead they had used their alone time together like couples in love do and she witnessed the results of it as they lay naked on the large couch.
She let out a shocked squeal and covered her eyes. Glenn and Maggie shot up, awaking with the yell and fumbling around for their clothes.
"Well, this is awkward." Glenn said loudly.
"I'm sorry." Katy said with embarrassment. "I just wanted to tell you that we're leaving soon."
She ran out of the shop before they could reply and Daryl noticed the effect of running when he saw her emerging from the door.
"Did you scream?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are Glenn and Maggie alright?"
She scoffed with a giggle. "They had a great night."
At first, the drive back to the prison was slightly awkward but Maggie and Glenn had become quite good friends with the new woman in the group and they quickly laughed about it together. Daryl caught on to the situation and although he was amused, he didn't comment on it. When back at the prison, they quickly unpacked everything they had found before Glenn turned to Katy.
"We're sorry about what happened." He said clearly embarrassed.
"It's fine, I get it." She laughed softly.
"She can't resist me." He joked.
"Glenn, I heard that!"
Maggie shouted as she walked past them with supplies, he turned to catch up with her leaving just Daryl and Katy together. They stayed in a comfortable silence before Rick swiftly made his way over to them with a nervous disposition.
"Something happened when you left." Rick told Daryl.
"What?"
"The Governor wants to meet with me to make some sort of deal." Rick inhaled deeply and went to say something else before a drawling voice cut him off and addressed Daryl.
"Hey, brother."
• Edited •