13 Chapter 13

The next morning you gathered supplies and made a sign on the window of a yellow mustang for Sophia in case she came back. You got on the back of Daryl's bike wrapping your arms around him. You got to the Greene's driveway hopping off the bike you went over and opened the gate waiting for everyone to drive through and closing it again.

Pulling up to the house you see Rick and Lori coming out of the door Gleen and T along with others you didn't know following. "How is he?" Carol asked talking about Carl. "He's going to be fine, thanks to Hershel and his people," Lori said everyone hugged each other and went about introducing themselves.

We were all gathered around for a service for the woman named Patricia whose husband died risking his life to save Carl. Shane told a story that sounds like a load of shit to you. You never trusted Shane he could be a hot head and more so now that Rick was back and he couldn't have Lori. After everything was said we all went our separate ways. Your group set up your camp under the trees.

"Hey Daryl, do you think maybe I could share a tent with you?" You asked. "Why? Don't want to be alone?" He asked you. "Yeah, and I feel safer with you." You said looking down biting your lip. You looked up at him through your lashes waiting for his answer. Daryl felt that feeling in his stomach when you told him he made you feel safe. He knew he shouldn't let things keeping going the way they were. The casual flirting here and there. He wasn't good enough for you. He was just a redneck nobody who had always followed around his older brother just drifting around Georgia and did whatever Merle told him. But at the same time, he wanted to know what it felt like for someone to love him and care about him. So he agreed to let you stay in his tent what harm could it do.

You were huddled around the car with Rick, Shane, Daryl, Hershel and Hershel's daughter Maggie. Looking at a map so you could properly get the search for Sophia underway. "Alright now we can do this search right. " Rick said. "Not you. You just gave 2 units of blood. You wouldn't last five minutes in this heat. You either. With the way your ankle is you push you'll be laid up for weeks." Hershel said. "Looks like that leaves me." Daryl said, "I'll go with you." You told him. "Nah, I'm better on my own." He came over to you pulling you to the side "Stay here keep Carol company." "Yeah sure. Whatever." You said trying not to get to upset that you were put on babysitter duty. But you could understand why.

You were sitting in the RV with Carol watching her sew and casually talking. You had helped her clean the RV up she said she wanted it to look nice for Sophia. You were talking when you heard someone coming in the RV. You looked up to see Daryl walking to the back where you and Carol were at carrying an old beer bottle with a white flower in it. He set it down on the self saying "it looks nice in here. Almost thought I was in the wrong place." "I wanted it to look nice for Sophia," Carol said. "A flower?" "It's a Cherokee Rose. The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the trail of tears the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much 'cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure and disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders, they, uh, said a prayer. Asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits, give them strength and hope. The next day, this rose started to grow right where the mothers' tears fell." Daryl told you. "I ain't fool enough to believe there are any flowers bloomin' for my brother. But I believe this one bloomed for your little girl"

You walked out of the RV with Daryl. "That was really sweet of you. You're keeping her hope alive." You told him. "It was nothing." He said. His face turning a light pink. "It was more then you think." You stepped closer to him taking his hand. Daryl tensed up when he felt you grab his hand and before he could think or stop himself he pulled his hand away. "Sorry... i-i didn't

mean...." You just shook your head and walked away. Daryl felt bad he didn't mean to pull away like that. He wasn't used to these kinds of feelings. Wasn't used to people caring about him. He wanted to go after you but he was afraid he made you mad.

You headed over to sit by the fire sitting in one of the chairs. You weren't going to lie you were upset, embarrassed, confused all in one. You knew Daryl wasn't one to talk a lot or be touchy-feely with people. He was a reserved person always kept to himself. But you knew he was a kind and gentle man he cared about everyone in the group whether he would admit it or not. He had a kind heart and him looking for Sophia as much as he is and bringing Carol that flower proved that. Maybe with some time, you could get him to warm up to you more to the point he doesn't pull away from you.

Daryl watched you walk over to the fire and sit down on one of the chairs. You seemed to be deep in thought. Daryl wondered if you were thinking about him. He just stood there staring at you. Admiring how beautiful you were. The way your H/L H/C hair blew lightly in the breeze, you S/C skin seemed to glow in the sun. He especially liked you E/C eyes sparkled when the light hit them or how they brightened when you smiled. And you smile you gave him every time you looked at him or would joke around with him. That smile did things to him, made him feel things he's never felt before. He got a weird feeling in his stomach, his heart rate picked up, he felt tingly all over, it was a bolt of electricity was going through him. He saw you getting up stretching your shirt riding up just enough to see a little skin and the shorts you were wearing hugged you just right. Daryl started fidgeting trying to not think about how good it would feel for your body to press against his as his hand ran down your sides to your ass. How good it feels to have your lips on his skin and your nails scratching down his back. Daryl felt himself get even harder if that was even possible. He couldn't take it anymore and went off into the woods to take care of things before anyone noticed.

Once Daryl got back it was already dark. Walking to his tent he unzipped it and walked in zipping it back up. He turned around to see you asleep on you cot on the other side opposite of his cot. At least he thought you were asleep. He went and sat down on his cot taking his shoes off and laying down. He was looking up his mind wandering to places he couldn't help think about. It was frustrating him every time he was around you he couldn't think straight couldn't help the dirty downright nasty thoughts he had about you. He was getting hard again and absent-mindedly started rubbing himself through his jeans. "Daryl?" He heard you calling making him jump up. Clearing his throat he said, "Yeah, it's just me sorry I didn't mean to wake ya." "Where were you? You just disappeared." You said turning to face him. There it was that look, the look of innocence your big E/C eyes looking up at him slightly wide with confusion, and concern in them. "I went back out for a little see if I could find anything else." He told you. "You're such a sweetheart Daryl Dixon. Looking for that little girl." Daryl scoffed looking down his cheeks heating up. "Go back to sleep." "Okay, goodnight Daryl." "Night Y/N."