Life I Left Behind (A Daryl Dixon Story)

Chapter Fifty-Four

Author's Note:

Lots of crossover related updates today! If you don't read PWF, I ask you from the bottom of my heart to give it a chance. Merle starts to grow on you after a while, I promise. Thank you, as always, for all the love. You guys are truly awesome.

-Nikki

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Charlie

“You awake, girl?” I heard Daryl’s low drawl in my ear.

I groaned curling up onto my side. I could feel the heat of his body against me and moved closer. “No.” I mumbled, my eyes still shut.”

He let out a low chuckle and I felt him sit up before his weight lifted off the bed completely. A shiver rippled over me, suddenly realizing how cold I was without Daryl right next to me and no blanket. “Almost forgot I told Glenn I’d take over watch later.” He said.

I forced my eyes open, catching a glimpse of his bare chest before he was pulling his shirt back on and buttoning it into place. “Do you have to?” I asked sleepily, shutting my eyes again. Daryl tossed something onto the bed next to me and opened my eyes to see my shirt lying by my head. I narrowed my eyes at him and he gave me a smirk in response.

“Trust me, I want nothin’ more than to lay around naked in bed with ya’ all night, but Glenn will be pissed as hell if I don’t show up to relieve ‘em.” His smirk grew as I sat up, his eyes lingering on me long enough to make me turn red.

I started to pull my clothes on, letting out a sigh. Daryl was leaning his shoulder up against the door, watching me. I perked an eyebrow at him as I stood up, shimmying back into my jeans. “Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?” I asked playfully.

His smirk grew and he was suddenly crossing the room, wrapping his arms around my waist. Before I could say another word, he had his lips pressed against mine. I sighed against his mouth as I leaned into him, breathing in his familiar musky scent. I felt his fingers sliding underneath the waistband of my jeans and forced myself to pull away. “You know, it’s not really fair of you to ask me to put my clothes on and then go and kiss me like that.” I said, giving him a small smile.

He smoothed back the hair and pressed his lips against my forehead before taking a step away, towards the door. “If ya’ didn’t take such a long time to put your clothes on, maybe I wouldn’t be so tempted.” He shot back.

I rolled my eyes as I pulled my boots on and combed my hair into a ponytail. I walked past him on my way out the door, stopping to brush my lips against his once more before we were heading back down the dimly lit corridor and back to the cellblock. It was quiet as we stopped at the metal steps that led down the first floor and to the main door.  

I turned to look at Daryl, chewing my lower lip. “You sure you can’t come back to bed with me?” I asked, giving him a coy smile as I stood on my tip toes to press my lips to the scruff of his chin.

I heard him let out a sigh as I pulled away. “Now who’s the damn tease?” He murmured, and I could see his blue eyes glinting with amusement even in the darkness of the cellblock. I laughed, my arms locking around his waist as his fingers twisted around my ponytail. “Go on and get some more rest. I’ll see ya’ at breakfast.”

I put on a mock look of disappointment for him before he was heading down the steps and through the lower corridor. I waited until his footsteps faded away before moving back into my own cell. I sank down on the bed, toeing out of my boots and trying not to think about how weird it was to finally be back in my own bed after the past couple of hours I had. It was bizarre, though, how everything looked exactly how I left. To anyone else, it looked like I’d never even left at all.