Status: Unpaused!
The "Z" Word
The Only Thing that Never Changes
Night fell, everyone had gone to bed except Daryl and Slater. They had offered to take first watch of the night, and even though Rick had objected at first, they promised to be awake and alert for their trip to town.
Slater sat by the dying fire and Daryl walked close to the highway, his crossbow in hands, ready to shoot anything that might attack them. Slater picked up a long, skinny stick and shoved it in the fire, stirring up the ashes trying to reignite the embers. She sighed when they started to catch but went back out. She dropped the stick and stood up, brushing sand from her bare legs. She wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself. The chill autumn air made living outside difficult, especially with only shorts and tank tops to wear. "You cold?" Daryl asked, walking over to her.
She gave him a small nod and said, "Just a little chilly." He walked over to his and Merle's tent and quietly slipped inside. When he came back out he had a small blanket in his hands. He slipped it over her shoulders and she grasped the edges, holding it tight against her. "Thank you," she told him, a small smile appearing on her lips.
He shrugged, "It's nothing." She caught the small shudder he was trying to hide, and her smile grew. Daryl was cold too. She stepped closer to him and draped part of the blanket across his shoulders. He looked down at her and returned her smile. He slipped the hand that wasn't holding the blanket around her waist and rested it on her hip. She started to resist, but after one look into his blue eyes the smile reappeared on her face and she leaned into his side, wrapping her arm around his waist as well. Her head rested against him and they stared out at the ocean, watching the waves crash down in the moonlight.
They didn't speak for hours. They just sat there, enjoying the company of another living, breathing, human being. The blanket wrapped tightly around them, blocking out the chill of the wind. Slater closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the smell of the salt water. When she reopened her eyes she laid her head on Daryl's shoulder and looked up at the sky. The moon was full again. "You stare at the sky a lot," Daryl commented, his voice low.
"It's beautiful."
"Yeah..."
She blinked away the few tears that had started to well in her eyes at the memories she had begun to think about.
"What's wrong?" Daryl asked, noticing the small water droplets on the tips of her eye lashes.
"Nothing, I was just....It makes me think of before. When I was little, and I'd spend the summers with my grandparents, my grandpa and I would come outside on nights like this, and we'd stare up at the sky. Counting the stars. He'd point out different constellations and we'd just sit there, enjoying each other's company." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Every time I look up there I hope for a shooting star. I want to just wake up and find out that it's all been just a horrible dream. I want to find myself back in my apartment, in my bed. My parents...my parents alive. The world alive."
"I think we all wish for that."
"It just....it seems like the sky is the only thing that never changes. Even in the day, the stars are out, you just can't see them because of the sun." She blinked away more tears before tilting her head up to look at Daryl.
He tried to find something comforting to say. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it back. What was there to say? We'll be safe one day? Everything's going to be okay? He'd said it all before. By now, all it had done is lost it's meaning, and wouldn't affect her. Without thinking, he let go of the blanket he was holding and traced his finger along her jawline. She didn't seem to mind his touch. She shuddered slightly as the wind blew across their exposed skin and he pulled her closer against him before placing his lips on hers.
She didn't fight him this time. Her arms, and the blanket, wrapped tightly around him. Her fingers tangled in his unkempt hair. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped inside her mouth, finding hers. They held each other close, the kiss seemed to last forever, though in reality, it was only seconds. He pulled away from her and glanced out at the water. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I shouldn't of-"
"It's okay," she cut him off. "I'm used to you surprising me with kisses now." A small smirk played across her lips and she could have sworn his cheeks turned pink in the moonlight.
Slater sat by the dying fire and Daryl walked close to the highway, his crossbow in hands, ready to shoot anything that might attack them. Slater picked up a long, skinny stick and shoved it in the fire, stirring up the ashes trying to reignite the embers. She sighed when they started to catch but went back out. She dropped the stick and stood up, brushing sand from her bare legs. She wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself. The chill autumn air made living outside difficult, especially with only shorts and tank tops to wear. "You cold?" Daryl asked, walking over to her.
She gave him a small nod and said, "Just a little chilly." He walked over to his and Merle's tent and quietly slipped inside. When he came back out he had a small blanket in his hands. He slipped it over her shoulders and she grasped the edges, holding it tight against her. "Thank you," she told him, a small smile appearing on her lips.
He shrugged, "It's nothing." She caught the small shudder he was trying to hide, and her smile grew. Daryl was cold too. She stepped closer to him and draped part of the blanket across his shoulders. He looked down at her and returned her smile. He slipped the hand that wasn't holding the blanket around her waist and rested it on her hip. She started to resist, but after one look into his blue eyes the smile reappeared on her face and she leaned into his side, wrapping her arm around his waist as well. Her head rested against him and they stared out at the ocean, watching the waves crash down in the moonlight.
They didn't speak for hours. They just sat there, enjoying the company of another living, breathing, human being. The blanket wrapped tightly around them, blocking out the chill of the wind. Slater closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the smell of the salt water. When she reopened her eyes she laid her head on Daryl's shoulder and looked up at the sky. The moon was full again. "You stare at the sky a lot," Daryl commented, his voice low.
"It's beautiful."
"Yeah..."
She blinked away the few tears that had started to well in her eyes at the memories she had begun to think about.
"What's wrong?" Daryl asked, noticing the small water droplets on the tips of her eye lashes.
"Nothing, I was just....It makes me think of before. When I was little, and I'd spend the summers with my grandparents, my grandpa and I would come outside on nights like this, and we'd stare up at the sky. Counting the stars. He'd point out different constellations and we'd just sit there, enjoying each other's company." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Every time I look up there I hope for a shooting star. I want to just wake up and find out that it's all been just a horrible dream. I want to find myself back in my apartment, in my bed. My parents...my parents alive. The world alive."
"I think we all wish for that."
"It just....it seems like the sky is the only thing that never changes. Even in the day, the stars are out, you just can't see them because of the sun." She blinked away more tears before tilting her head up to look at Daryl.
He tried to find something comforting to say. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it back. What was there to say? We'll be safe one day? Everything's going to be okay? He'd said it all before. By now, all it had done is lost it's meaning, and wouldn't affect her. Without thinking, he let go of the blanket he was holding and traced his finger along her jawline. She didn't seem to mind his touch. She shuddered slightly as the wind blew across their exposed skin and he pulled her closer against him before placing his lips on hers.
She didn't fight him this time. Her arms, and the blanket, wrapped tightly around him. Her fingers tangled in his unkempt hair. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped inside her mouth, finding hers. They held each other close, the kiss seemed to last forever, though in reality, it was only seconds. He pulled away from her and glanced out at the water. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I shouldn't of-"
"It's okay," she cut him off. "I'm used to you surprising me with kisses now." A small smirk played across her lips and she could have sworn his cheeks turned pink in the moonlight.