Family Portrait.
We Look pretty normal.
she stretched her legs shaking off the last of the sleep, she could hear a familiar rattling and clunking from outside the marked single pane window, she smiled to herself and rolled out of the small double bed, she shuffled through the trailer pulling her hair back in to a messy un-brushed ponytail and leant against the open front door, watching silently as Daryl threw a rusted bike part in to the heap in the corner, the hot Georgia sun beat down on the dry ground, causing him to wipe the sweat from his brow roughly, he turned to face her his usual smirk spreading slowly across his lips, she smiled back, her heart rate picking up slightly.
Admittedly she wasn't what he would normally go for, but there was something about the intricate designs inked in to most of her skin and the way her thick platinum tresses tumbled to the small of her back that captured his interest 6 years ago in the run down highway bar that they had met in, he never had any idea that he would be setting up home with her after just a sleazy drunken kiss, he took a second to refocus only to see her now stood in front of him, his t-shirt hanging from her slender frame, he hated her sleeping in them because it left them out of shape but she looked so darn cute in them, she gently pressed her lips against his,
"Wanna beer baby?"
She asked, her voice still thick with nicotine from the day before, he nodded quickly taking her up on her offer, she turned on her heels walking quickly back to the trailer, the hot dry ground burning the soles of her bare feet, she pulled a cold can from the small fridge using her hip to close the door behind her, she jumped slightly noticing he had crept in behind her, she cracked the beer open and handed it to him with a smile,
"thanks babe"
He muttered as he drunk half of the can in a few mouthfuls, he pushed her self up on to the work top kicking her legs and watching him as he drank,
"Aint you having one?"
He questioned giving her a sideways glance, she shook her head,
"Nah dont feel like it"
He shrugged it off slamming his now empty can down on the work top next to her, he placed his hands on her slender waist and pulled her down to his level, placing a soft kiss on her forehead,
"I'm nearly done on the bike if you wanna go out later on?"
She shook her head slowly, chewing the inside of her cheek
"Actually Daryl I have something to tell you"
His heart dropped slightly as he watched her walk in to the bedroom, he stood motionless waiting in silence for a few painful seconds until she returned,
"Close your eyes hold out your hands"
He did so obediently and waited as something light was placed in his hands,
"Open"
He looked down confused at the small white stick with tiny blue markings that was now in his oily palms,
"Yeah? what?"
He watched her shoulders sag as he tried to piece together the scene in front of him,
"I'm pregnant, you're gonna be a daddy"
they stood a heavy silence sweeping across the room,
"where have you been keeping this?"
He asked his voice quiet and deep,
"under my pillow I took it yesterday"
"you peed on this and let me put my head near it? woman you're gross!"
He laughed and pulled her towards him holding her tightly excitement engulfing his core, he pricked his ears up at a low metallic rumble in the distance, he listened intently as it drew nearer his excitement slowly being replaced with dread as the rumble stopped just short of the trailer, he furrowed his brow as he heard a metallic squeak followed by a slam, he allowed Lily to slip out of his arms, they stood staring at the door for a few seconds,
"Go get dressed"
He whispered knowing exactly who was about to walk in, he braced himself as she walked away savouring a the last few seconds of silence before he appeared at the open door,
"Hey little brother!"
His booming voice rattled through her, she screwed her face up and pulled her clean jeans on, it's not that she didn't like Merle, she didn't like the way he treated Daryl as if he where inferior to him in some way, the way he threw his weight around and slurred at her made her skin crawl.
He kicked his heavy boots off and sprawled out lazily on the sofa,
"What you doin' here Merle? We agreed that these visits would be arranged! You can't just drop in after months!"
"Relax little brother" he laughed from his horizontal position, tucking his arms behind his head "I just need somewhere to crash for a few days"
Daryl rolled his eyes and sighed,
"You can't keep turning to me and lily for help Merle! We've got our own...responsibilities now we can't keep getting you outta trouble!"
The elder man sat up slowly his eyes burning in to his almost childlike younger brother watching as he shuffled from foot to foot,
"You got the whore pregnant didn't you?"
"She's not a whore Merle shut up!"
"Didn't I teach you nothing little brother? Use a condom now you're stuck with her and a screaming kid for life!"
"Maybe that's what I wanted!"
The elder brother winced at the words and flopped back down on to the sofa.
Admittedly she wasn't what he would normally go for, but there was something about the intricate designs inked in to most of her skin and the way her thick platinum tresses tumbled to the small of her back that captured his interest 6 years ago in the run down highway bar that they had met in, he never had any idea that he would be setting up home with her after just a sleazy drunken kiss, he took a second to refocus only to see her now stood in front of him, his t-shirt hanging from her slender frame, he hated her sleeping in them because it left them out of shape but she looked so darn cute in them, she gently pressed her lips against his,
"Wanna beer baby?"
She asked, her voice still thick with nicotine from the day before, he nodded quickly taking her up on her offer, she turned on her heels walking quickly back to the trailer, the hot dry ground burning the soles of her bare feet, she pulled a cold can from the small fridge using her hip to close the door behind her, she jumped slightly noticing he had crept in behind her, she cracked the beer open and handed it to him with a smile,
"thanks babe"
He muttered as he drunk half of the can in a few mouthfuls, he pushed her self up on to the work top kicking her legs and watching him as he drank,
"Aint you having one?"
He questioned giving her a sideways glance, she shook her head,
"Nah dont feel like it"
He shrugged it off slamming his now empty can down on the work top next to her, he placed his hands on her slender waist and pulled her down to his level, placing a soft kiss on her forehead,
"I'm nearly done on the bike if you wanna go out later on?"
She shook her head slowly, chewing the inside of her cheek
"Actually Daryl I have something to tell you"
His heart dropped slightly as he watched her walk in to the bedroom, he stood motionless waiting in silence for a few painful seconds until she returned,
"Close your eyes hold out your hands"
He did so obediently and waited as something light was placed in his hands,
"Open"
He looked down confused at the small white stick with tiny blue markings that was now in his oily palms,
"Yeah? what?"
He watched her shoulders sag as he tried to piece together the scene in front of him,
"I'm pregnant, you're gonna be a daddy"
they stood a heavy silence sweeping across the room,
"where have you been keeping this?"
He asked his voice quiet and deep,
"under my pillow I took it yesterday"
"you peed on this and let me put my head near it? woman you're gross!"
He laughed and pulled her towards him holding her tightly excitement engulfing his core, he pricked his ears up at a low metallic rumble in the distance, he listened intently as it drew nearer his excitement slowly being replaced with dread as the rumble stopped just short of the trailer, he furrowed his brow as he heard a metallic squeak followed by a slam, he allowed Lily to slip out of his arms, they stood staring at the door for a few seconds,
"Go get dressed"
He whispered knowing exactly who was about to walk in, he braced himself as she walked away savouring a the last few seconds of silence before he appeared at the open door,
"Hey little brother!"
His booming voice rattled through her, she screwed her face up and pulled her clean jeans on, it's not that she didn't like Merle, she didn't like the way he treated Daryl as if he where inferior to him in some way, the way he threw his weight around and slurred at her made her skin crawl.
He kicked his heavy boots off and sprawled out lazily on the sofa,
"What you doin' here Merle? We agreed that these visits would be arranged! You can't just drop in after months!"
"Relax little brother" he laughed from his horizontal position, tucking his arms behind his head "I just need somewhere to crash for a few days"
Daryl rolled his eyes and sighed,
"You can't keep turning to me and lily for help Merle! We've got our own...responsibilities now we can't keep getting you outta trouble!"
The elder man sat up slowly his eyes burning in to his almost childlike younger brother watching as he shuffled from foot to foot,
"You got the whore pregnant didn't you?"
"She's not a whore Merle shut up!"
"Didn't I teach you nothing little brother? Use a condom now you're stuck with her and a screaming kid for life!"
"Maybe that's what I wanted!"
The elder brother winced at the words and flopped back down on to the sofa.