Lunacy Fringe [COMPLETE]

Part 6

Five minutes, that was what he told her, and he was late. Thirty minutes fucking late. He all but ran to the house, panicked and scared by what state he would find her in. He didn't want a repeat of the shower incident and he felt the guilt swelling inside of him.

He hadn't planned on being late, of course he hadn't, but Carol was there and she seemed determined not to let him leave just yet. Until he eventually yelled at her and just left. He couldn't help but feel like she was doing it on purpose and that irritated him, that wasn't the plan he and Rick set out for her, to ease her into it.

He burst into the house like the Kool-Aid guy, like he was expecting to see her swinging from the damn rafters or lay in a lifeless heap on the floor. His heart was hammering so hard. All he could hear was his blood whooshing in his ears, his chest heaving rapidly. It wasn't until he stopped to glance around that he heard the faint humming from the kitchen. His eyes found her and he walked over cautiously. She was cooking something, something that smelt fucking delicious, and humming softly to herself. Daryl couldn't help the confusion, the shock and the tinge of disappointment that she seemed just fine without him. He knew he shouldn't have felt like that, but it fucking happened anyway.

She turned around when she heard him and gave him a large smile, one that warmed his heart and he raised his eyebrows at her a little. He couldn't remember her ever smiling like that since he'd known her.

"Hey! So... I made a stew, but I don't think it's any good," she sighed, pouting just a little and making Daryl want to nibble on her lower lip. Stop bein' a fuckin' creep. He blinked at her like she had two heads as he tried to process what was going on. She wasn't a mess, she was smiling, fucking cooking for him. He couldn't help but marvel at how...normal she looked. Like she belonged there in his kitchen cooking him a meal. It made him feel all kinds of weird shit and he had still yet to talk. She blushed slightly when she noticed him just staring at her. She didn't know what to say so she just turned back to the food and stirred it, a small smile creeping on her lips. He felt his chest puff with something, pride maybe? That he had made such a pretty little thing blush, made her smile. He didn't know how he managed that but it made him feel good. It was fucking strange.

"Ya okay?" he asked hesitantly like he couldn't believe his eyes at the fact she was fine, happy even. She glanced at him shyly, feeling embarrassment work its way through her, knowing he had expected her to be a mess. She couldn't exactly blame him when that's exactly how she had been before.

"Mhm, I kept myself busy and I just kept telling myself you were fine, you were inside the walls," her casual words stunned Daryl into silence. The fact that he seemed to be what she was worrying about, the fact he was safe. He hadn't expected that at all to be on her list of worries, let alone the main one. He didn't know how to deal with the information. It also shocked him how easy it was for her to say. She wasn't shy about it, wasn't ashamed to feel that way about him, to worry about his safety, like she didn't think it was wrong to feel that way. He was still at a loss for words so he took the spoon from her hand, slurping it up greedily. Fuck, that's some good shit right there.

"It's real good," he said softly, giving her a small half-smile. She grinned at him, her cheeks turning that lovely shade of pink that Daryl was starting to love on her.

He wondered just when his life became a damn chick flick. How he looked at her like the sun shone outta her ass. Was this what love was like? He didn't have a fucking clue. He'd never been in love before. He'd had a string of one night stands in the past, but he was as drunk as were the girls he'd sleep with. There was no emotion behind it. Just simple gratifying sex. He wasn't interested in a relationship, he didn't think he was good enough for anyone. It was easier to just have drunk sex where expectations were ridiculously low. But now here he was, looking at the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, even before the turn. And she was blushing, smiling for him and no one else. He had shown her his scars and she hadn't run, she didn't recoil in disgust. She hugged him, fucking hugged him and got mad at his father for ever laying a hand on him. She wanted to be around him, only him it seemed, and he wasn't quite sure what kind of upside-down world he had woken up in to be so fucking lucky, even if she didn't feel the same way. She was fucking gorgeous, with her long dark hair, her smooth alabaster skin, her lush pink lips and cute button nose. Her wide blue eyes, light blue with a ring of dark blue around them. How she blushed when she got embarrassed or flustered, nibbled her lower lip when she was thinking about something.