⤐ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝.
"I need you to listen to me. When we're out there together, if I say run, run. If I tell you to leave me, then damn it, you le...
'you do not just wake up, and become the butterfly. growth is a process.' -rupi kaur
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
⤐
An hour later, Zeppelin sat cross-legged on the porch next to Daryl, watching him inspect his bow and bolts, messing with little parts that she had no clue what were for, but she just liked to watch. The air was crisp and clean, and the sun soaked into her skin like a heated blanket. She leaned back against the siding of the house, comfortable in this silence.
When he walked away after telling her he meant the kiss, every instinct she had told her to follow, to snag him by the back of his shirt and twirl him around, force him to explain himself. But she found the strength to contain her emotions, gave it some time before she headed back home. When she saw him sitting on the porch, muttering to himself about some part of the bow that was giving him trouble, she couldn't help but plop down next to him. He looked up once, then went back to his work.
Rick popped his head out the door and his narrowed gaze softened when it fell on them. He had changed out of his uniform already, now donning a fresh white shirt and black jeans. She had never seen him look so... normal.
"They said explore," he chuckled as the rest of their family piled out onto the porch, filing down the steps and out into the town. "So let's explore."
"Nah," Daryl cut in quickly. "I saw enough with her yesterday." He tilted his head towards Zepp, though he never lifted his gaze from the bow in his lap.
Zepp hid her smile behind a cough.
"Yeah, I'm good," she agreed.
Rick dragged a hand down his cheek, scanning the street for any listening ears before he crouched down to meet their level. "I have one I didn't turn in."
Daryl looked up at that, his brows knitted. "One what?"
Zeppelin scooted closer, scanning the street just as Rick did. "A gun?"
Rick nodded, tapping the waistband of his jeans. "It's hidden outside the gates.. it was before we came here. Just in case, you know? I want to check on it."
"Wait, I'll come with you." Zepp pushed herself off the porch and straightened, wiping the dust off the back of her pants. She looked to Daryl, who had gone back to fiddling with his bolts. "Well?" She pointed her question to him.
"I'll stay."
She rolled her eyes, leaning against the banister.
"You know," Rick murmured, gazing out into the neighborhood. "Lori and me, we used to drive through neighborhoods like this. Thinking one day..."
"Well, here we are," Daryl muttered, finally dropping the bow to wrap his arms around his knees, and though Zepp didn't look at him, she could see him in her peripheral, carefully watching her. "So what are we gonna do about it?"
