The "Z" Word

Daryl changed into a different set of clothes. He wasn't really in the mood to take a shower, but he needed to get his sweat-soaked pajamas off. Once he had redressed, he left the room and headed downstairs. He could see the kitchen light on through the doorway, and he could hear muttering coming from the room. "...control, what does he know about control? How dare he try to act like he knows-"

"Everything okay?" he asked from the doorway, interrupting Slater's spoken thoughts.

"Just fine!" she said through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure?"

She didn't answer. She shut the cabinet she had been rummaging in with a loud bang and turned around to reveal a bottle of wine in her hand. "What's wrong with you? You look sick."

"I'm fine."

Slater eyed him suspiciously. Daryl's skin did look paler than usual, and he was sweating. His skin looked clammy. Slater frowned, still taking in his bedraggled appearance. She shook her head slightly and walked over to the cabinet where the glasses were. She grabbed a glass for herself and right as she was about to close the cabinet she stopped herself, "You want some?" she asked, turning the bottle in her hand as she glanced at Daryl.

He shrugged, "Sure." She grabbed another glass and filled them each with the wine. As she handed Daryl his glass he said, "It's funny, I originally came down here for water."

"Are you sure you're okay? You're not feeling sick or anything?"

"I'm fine, I just....I just had a nightmare, that's all."

"What kind of nightmare?"

Daryl opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it back. He didn't really want to tell her the details of the dream, so he said, "I dreamed I was back at that camp where the cannibals had taken us."

She gave him a silent 'oh' and looked away as she pressed her glass to her lips.

They sat in silence for awhile, and then Daryl finally broke it. "What about you? Why are you up in the middle of the night?"

"Dream...same thing," she lied. Slater didn't feel a need to tell him that he had so casually invaded her dream.

They sat in silence a little while longer, than Daryl broke it again, "You know what your problem is?"

"What?" she asked, more in shock that he had asked her the same thing Dream Daryl had asked her, not really concerned with what he thought was her problem.

"You don't like not being in control of the situation. I've realized that over the last couple of days. Every time something falls out of place, falls out of line with your plan, you become angry, almost bi-polar. Like when your car broke down on the way here. It was a hitch in your plans, so you kicked it and insulted it." He let out a soft chuckle, before leaning forward and saying, "You're lucky it was an inanimate object, because people don't take too kindly to being kicked and insulted."

Slater glared at him, refusing to make a response.

Daryl leaned back, a small smirk on his face. He continued, "That's why you were going to run away. You can't control your dad going insane, and you can't control the fact that you like me. You want your dad to be okay, and you don't want to like me, so you were going to leave."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Slater finally said. Her voice was lower than she had anticipated, and she didn't sound as confident as she had hoped.

"Yes, I do. And you know that, that's why you're refusing to admit it."

Slater clenched her teeth and drew in a deep, ragged breath.

Daryl leaned close to her again and almost in a whisper said, "Just admit it."

She opened her mouth to deny it, but with Daryl that close to her, she couldn't think straight. She shut her mouth again as her eyes focused on his lips. They were parted slightly. Slater was sure that if she were any closer to his she'd be able to see his breath passing between them. Before she could even realize what she was doing, her lips were on his. She held his head in her hands, letting her fingers tangle in his hair. Without breaking the kiss, she moved from her chair to his lap. His hands immediately fell to her waist and she opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to slip inside.

You're not thinking straight she told herself as Daryl's hands slid up her back. I don't care. she silently replied. One of Daryl's hands went into her hair, holding the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, while his other hand rested between her shoulder blades.

When they finally pulled apart to catch their breath Slater stared into Daryl's eyes. He leaned forward to kiss her again, but she pushed him away. Quickly, she got up and left the room. She went back upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom.