QUESTIONING Chapter 1

QUESTIONING Chapter 1

Daryl was walking down the hall, from the back bedrooms, towards the kitchen. He could hear voices. It wasn't his intention to eavesdrop, but he was naturally quiet, and they didn't notice his presence.

"Carol, I would like to broach a subject with you, which may be none of my business and may come off as insensitive. However, if one does not inquire, one does not learn" said Eugene, who was sitting on a stool at the island, while Carol cleaned the kitchen.

"You can ask me anything you want Eugene, but it doesn't mean I'm going to answer" Carol responded.

"Duly noted." Carol gave Eugene a raised eyebrow indicating he should continue with his line of questioning.

"What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Daryl Dixon?" Carol looked a little nonplussed. Daryl wanted to enter the room and tell Eugene to shut up, but he was also interested in how she would reply, so he remained hidden.

"What Daryl and I have is special, ... friendship doesn't seem like a strong enough word for it. He gets me, and I get him. He's my person." Daryl liked the way she described it, she was his person too.

"But, you don't share living quarters, so it's not a physical relationship?" Now Daryl wanted to punch Eugene in the gut.

"I see this is the insensitive part of your question. You're right, it's not physical. That's not what Daryl wants."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Trust me, I've tried a few times, he's not interested."

"That must get lonely sometimes."

"It does, but I've accepted it."

"Would you consider a physical relationship with someone else?" Carol let out a small laugh.

"I see, and I am sure you have somebody in mind."

"I might have a few suggestions."

"Well, I'm not in the market at the moment, but I'll let you know if I change my mind."

Daryl slowly backed down the hall. His lungs felt like all the air had escaped. She didn't think he was interested, that he didn't want her. He returned to his bedroom, he needed time to process what was just said.

(A03)

“The heroes will always be remembered. The best and the worst. And a few who were a bit of both.”  - George RR Martin

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Name meanings of (past) TWD Men (x)

Our story

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Ariana Dancu (X)

NEEDING SOMETHING

"What about Tobin?" he asked

What about Tobin? She had been dreading that question. They were at the Kingdom, in a room that had once belonged to the school secretary, but had long since been turned into a bedroom. There were two cots pushed along either wall, and two utilitarian chairs. Daryl was sitting, she was leaning against the wall staring out the window, her leg hurt if she sat or stood still for too long.

When her family found her she had been both happy and sad. Happy to see them, but also sad because she couldn't be with them anymore. Rick had been full of admonishments, Rosita had been angry and the rest looked world weary and weighed down by grief. Daryl had been mostly silent, but he looked at her with worried eyes. Morgan filled them in on how they had been saved, and how the Kingdom's doctor had treated her wounds. They had fussed at her until Morgan decided to take them on a tour, so Carol could rest. Only Daryl remained, he sat with her, not pressuring her, but slowly asking questions, trying to access the situation. She answered him as honestly as she could. She didn't want to talk to him about Tobin, but if she was being honest about other things she needed to be honest about him as well. She sighed.

"Poor Tobin, he was just a warm body for my bed, and just saying that makes me sick." Daryl gave her a puzzled look. "I was miserable, and I just wanted the voices in my head to shut up. I used him to feel something else for a while, but afterwards the pain was still there."

"If you needed someone, why didn't ya come to me?" She could hear the hurt in his voice.

"Oh Daryl" she said lowering herself into the chair next to his "I couldn't have treated you like that. Plus, you would have known something was wrong, and called me on it."

"Yeah" he agreed, chewing on his thumbnail "but if you really needed something, I would have done anything to make you feel better." That was a pretty big admission coming from him, and Carol was touched.

"I don't want it to be like that between us" she said, grabbing his hand before he could pull away. "You mean so much to me, and if anything happened between us I'd want it to come from a place of joy not sadness." Daryl intertwined his fingers with hers.

"So, no more Tobin."

"No more Tobin." She smiled. Daryl seemed relieved.

"Good."

(A03)