𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔽𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 | Daryl Dixon

27 | GOODNIGHT, LOVE

The next few days seemed to breeze by as the group got to work on fixing up the prison, making it more secure of a home. Dawn broke over the brick and metal-fenced building, sun rays seeping through the thin windows of cell block C.

Daryl's eyes opened, waking up when he felt the warmth of the sunrise reflecting off the wall and onto his back. Tori had convinced him to move off the floor and into a cell, where they had taken apart the bunk to set it up like a double bed. It now took up almost the entire cell, only a little bit of walk space between the bed and the wall, but they made it work.

As he sat up, Daryl turned around to see Tori was already awake, sitting up with her shoulder to the wall, wedged between it and Daryl. A pillow propped up behind her to soften the way she leant back against the metal bedframe. Her knees were up, a book rested on her thighs as she studied the pages. He let himself take a few seconds to just look at her, admire her without her seeing.

She was simply adorable to Daryl, the way her eyebrows were furrowed, her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, really concentrating on the words she read. Her hair was tied up in a half-up bun, the long strands frizzy at the ends, glowing bronze in the narrow beam of sunlight.

Her headphones were covering her ears, the orange muffs brighter than anything else in the dingy cell, except the sparkle of her eyes. Under the thin blanket, her foot was tapping to the beat of whatever song was playing on her Walkman, which rested between her body and Daryl's.

"Hey," he rasped sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

She didn't hear him, the music too loud, her mind too focussed on her book. Daryl tapped her side twice, finally catching her attention.

"Hi, sorry," Tori chuckled, taking the headphones off her ears, pressing the stop button on the device. "Couldn't hear you."

"Clearly," Daryl chuckled as he sat up beside her. "Mornin', by the way."

"Morning," Tori smiled, leaning across to kiss the side of his head while rubbed his face with his palms, wiping away the sleep in his eyes. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah, good," Daryl replied. Even after all this time, it still shocked him just how well-rested he could feel after sleeping beside her. He was still a light sleeper – always had been, always would be. But knowing Tori was right there next to him made him feel like he didn't have to be on high alert. He felt like he could relax, let himself have proper rest. "What you reading?"

"A book on pregnancy and childbirth," Tori replied, showing him the cover.

Daryl's face went completely white, "Wha- uh.. Are-are you..."

"What? No, dumbass!" Tori laughed at his panicked stuttering. "You think this is how I'd tell you?"

"I don't know," Daryl shrugged. "Woke up and you're sitting there with a book. Felt like anything was possible."

Tori scoffed in mock offence. "Rude. I can read. Also, big question-" she tilted her head. "When exactly could you have gotten me pregnant?"

Even though they'd set up their cell and had a little privacy, they both felt uncomfortable doing much intimate stuff with the rest of the group all sleeping in cells downstairs. It was becoming a little (very) frustrating, especially now, when they had a place they could sleep holding one another close. There was a lot of teasing movements and shuffling, but it never went far.

"Hey, last night, I said we coulda' gone out to the courtyard, you weren't havin' it," Daryl chuckled.

"The dusty, dirty courtyard where the concrete is soaked in dry walker blood," Tori hummed slowly, giving him a deadpanned look. "I swear, it's like being a princess with you."