Tranquility

Part 5

Daryl laid back on his couch trying to ignore the intruder, Paul, who was currently rolling around on his floor with the dog he'd found in the woods. They were fighting over some toy he'd brought for her to play with and seemed to be having a good time. Which he wouldn't mind it so much if they weren't being so loud about it.

"Do you think you could be a little quitter?" he fusses without looking away from the tv for too long.

"Sorry," Paul chuckles and tosses the toy for Riley to fetch. Then stands up to reclaim his seat he'd abandoned earlier, "she's got a ton of energy."

"Well she is a puppy."

"Yeah I know," he pants, and takes the toy back from Riley, only to throw it again, "but it's been a while since I've played with one."

"Is that so?" he sips off his beer trying to act uninterested, but can't help notice how happy he seems.

"Yeah, I was never allowed to have one growing up because my mom was allergic to them. So the only time I got to play with one was when I'd go to my friend's house." He stops and starts to laugh, "Even now that I've moved out I still have to go to someone else's house to see a dog, crazy huh?"

"I guess." He sighs.

His irritation wasn't genuine, and in truth, he didn't know why he was being so rude to Paul, but it felt like the right thing to do; to keep him at a distance for his protection and Paul's. Even now he relishing in the fact that he could hear his movie for once instead of the old couple down the road complain about their pains. Even still, a part of him wanted to tell Paul to leave him alone, and to stop just showing up at his house; but an even bigger part of him wanted him to stay.

"Why am I so torn over what to do with him?" he wonders.

"Do you normally watch movies like this?" Paul asks him.

"What?" he glances back just as what he'd asked registered with him, "Oh, the movie. Yeah, I mean, I guess; it's really all I have. I don't really have Cable or anything, so I just watch whatever movies I buy and it's typically action movies."

"I see, so you like action and adventure. I like romantic comedies myself." He admits, "You get some laughs along with the love story and they typically leave all the heartbreaks stuff out."

"I wouldn't know;" he sips off his beer, "I don't go for those kind of movies."

"Well, what if I bring you some to borrow. Who knows, you might find some you like and broaden your interest some."

"Umm, sure, thanks" he agrees though he doesn't really think he'll enjoy them.

"No problem, after all, it's what friends do."

"What?" Daryl glares, "What did you just say?"

"Oh, well, I mean, I know it's early and all, but I just," Paul flusters and looks away, "I thought we both agreed we got along, so I just assumed that"

"We're friends?"

"Well, yeah," he shrugs, "but 'acquaintance' works too if you think the word friend is to,"

"Nono, no that's not what I mean," he sits up and stares at the table for a moment. "What I mean is, you consider me," he looks back at Paul completely confused and lost, "a friend?"

"Oh, well, yeah; don't you?"

"To be honest," he rubs his arm nervously, "I hadn't given it much thought. Actually, I found it odd that you seemed so thrilled to hang out with me in the first place."

"Oh," Paul looks disappointed, "I see."

"Not that it's bad, just that many, well most people don't."