You and I - Chapter 1
Welcome to my new Caryl fic, "You and I". I plan for this one to be short - a few chapters, maybe. It's based off the song "You and I" by Lady GaGa, so if you've heard that, you can kind of guess what this is going to be about. It's going to be written entirely from Daryl's perspective.
I will still be doing my other fics, but I'm currently having writer's block for them. To break that, I decided to write this. Daryl may seem a little OC, but what are you gonna do.
I don't own the Walking Dead. Sorry.
1
Daryl rested his elbows on the counter and leaned forward, putting the weight of his upper body onto the counter. There were a few men seated at the bar, nonchalantly sipping their drinks. There were a few that were sharing a dirty story about some girl from the next town over. The tables that were laid out before him were predominantly empty. The only one that was occupied was a small table in the corner were a cute blond was giggling as Merle Dixon tried to seduce her. Daryl rolled his eyes as his brother put his arm around the blond, making her giggle even more. His brother always was the ladies' man.
Ever since Daryl and Merle Dixon had bought this rundown old bar, it was clear that Merle was far more interested in the women that came inside, as opposed to actually running it. So while the older Dixon chased the women and gave them free drinks, Daryl managed the place—made sure no fights broke out when some of the guys got rowdy, made sure everyone paid their bills, and made sure that either he or Merle paid for the drinks his brother gave out to every woman with a nice rack. It seemed to be an easy job, and in some aspects, it was.
The brothers didn't have to work during the day, only afternoons and nights. Also, in buying the bar, they got a free house, (for all intents and purposes) out of the deal. Their "house", as Merle insisted they call it, was just the small apartment upstairs from the bar itself. It was only three rooms—a bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen—and made Daryl feel claustrophobic. As a man that loved the outdoors and liked to hunt, he hated feeling contained, or trapped, and that apartment made him experience all those things. So, he rarely spent time up there. When Merle would hang out up their while the bar was closed, Daryl would do chores outside, or inside the bar. He'd organize the liquor again, polish the counter, or the tables, write checks to pay their bills—anything he could do to avoid spending time in that "house".
That evening was no different. The bar had just opened a couple hours ago, and Daryl was already making a to-do list in his head. There were so many things that would need doing. Once all the customers left, he'd clean up, try to get their electrified sign to work (he had no idea where Merle got the piece of shit, but it was practically useless), and from there, he'd find small little tasks to do, just to prolong the time he had before he went to that prison up there.
Lost in thought, he didn't hear the bell chime as the door opened. He didn't notice the lone woman that entered his bar and walked up to the counter self-consciously. It was only when she spoke, that he looked up.
"Um… hello?" His head snapped up and he came face to face with the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. They were the color of sapphires, and they shone like the stars. Even though Daryl saw traces of pain and nervousness in them, he could not help but be overwhelmed by their beauty. The eyes of this woman seemed to penetrate him, and stare into his soul. He was helpless under their gaze, and all he could do was stare. He didn't dare look away in case they disappeared; he never wanted to lose sight of them. Nothing he'd ever seen could ever match their perfection.
"Sir?"
The woman's voice broke him out of his daze, and he allowed his eyes to wander over the rest of her face. The woman was shorter than him, and seemed to be a year or two older. She had short, silver hair that was slightly spiked. Her face was pale, but it looked kind. She had an innocent, sweet look about her that made Daryl feel weak in the knees. And not only that; the rest of her was just as beautiful as her eyes! Her slender neck, her curvy face, her small, pink lips—they were driving him mad. There was just something about her that drew him to her like a moth to a flame. Hell, he didn't even know her name, and yet he wanted to leap across the countertop and pull her into his arms, and hold her there forever.
Daryl's own desires were frightening him. He'd never felt such things about anyone before. Was this how Merle felt whenever he saw a beautiful woman? If so, Daryl understood why his brother was always chasing women. If Merle wanted them as much as Daryl wanted this woman, he finally understood why.
"Uh… hi," Daryl finally mumbled. He knew that she had to have noticed the way he outwardly stared at her. He knew that she must have noticed how he was studying her face, committing it to memory. "What can I get ya?"
The woman eased herself onto one of the barstools and thought for a moment. "How about a Jack and Coke?"
"Sure." As Daryl made the drink, he could feel the woman's eyes on him, and suddenly felt hot. Was she studying him and wondering why he had gaped at her, or was she checking him out? By the looks of her, she hadn't come to flirt, but you could never be too sure. Daryl glanced up a few times, but the woman always averted her gaze to her hands, or to the other customers.
When he set her drink on the counter, she gave him a smile that nearly made his heart stop. "Thanks." When Daryl didn't move from his position in front of her, she arched an eyebrow. "Why do you keep staring at me?"
Daryl could have choked on his tongue, and would have welcomed it. "I… I… uh… I just… I thought that ya looked like someone I know s'all."
The woman blinked before taking a sip of her drink. "Oh," she murmured, after she swallowed. "I thought it was something else."
Somethin' else? Those words made Daryl's heart beat fast. Was she hoping that he found her attractive? "So… Haven't seen ya 'round these parts before."
The woman smirked. "So you've determined that you don't know me. No, I'm not from around her. I'm not from Georgia at all, actually."
Daryl could tell by her lack of an accent, but her words still made him curious. Something about him made him want to know everything he could about her. "So where are ya from?"
"I thought good bartender just listens?" she asked with a playful smirk.
"I never claimed ta be a good bartender," Daryl pointed out, feeling proud of himself for giving her his comeback without hesitation.
The woman considered this for a moment before sighing. "I used to live in Connecticut. I lived there most of my childhood, but then I met my husband. He was from Georgia and… when we got married, we moved down here."
Husband? His heart fell. He should have known that it was too good to be true. Besides, a woman like her would never be interested in someone like him. Shoulda known better. "Oh… He meetin' ya here?"
She watched him with confused eyes. Daryl shifted nervously under her gaze. Had he sounded too disappointed? After a while, she shook her head, looking a little sad herself. "I don't think so. I hope not."
"Ya hope not?" Daryl said, perhaps a little too quickly.
The woman smiled sadly and took another sip. "I left him… Yesterday, actually."
Yesterday? Daryl stared at her, unable to believe his luck. He had a chance . However, the moment he thought it, he shook his head. Tha hell ya thinkin', Daryl? Woman jus' left 'er husband. Ya think she'd wanna get with some dirty redneck? "Oh… any reason in particular ya left?" he pried nonchalantly. He tried to sound uninterested, but knew he was failing. If she left, the guy had to be an asshole… or maybe she was in love with someone else. Someone that wasn't Daryl. The thought sent jealousy pulsing through him like a fire in his blood. Where this possessiveness came from, he had no idea.
It scared him.
She sighed and downed the last of her drink. "Can I have another?" she asked, avoiding his question.
He nodded and took the glass to get it refilled. While he worked, the woman started talking again. "My husband's an asshole… I just… couldn't take it anymore."
Daryl knew better than to ask any more about it. When the glass was filled, he gave it back to her, and took a step back from the counter. He glanced around at the other customers briefly. Merle was still holed up in the corner with that blond woman, and the men at the other end of the bar seemed docile enough. "You got awful quiet," the silver-haired woman commented, watching him with her piercing sapphire eyes.
He met her gaze and tried to give her a small smirk. "I don't know what else ta say."
She smirked back. "You haven't even asked me my name."
"I thought you said bartenders are supposed to just listen?"
The woman laughed. It was a quiet one, but Daryl though it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. "My name is Carol," she told him with a smile.
Carol.
"How about you?" she asked. "Mysterious bartender that looks more like a biker."
Daryl chuckled. "Name's Daryl Dixon, ma'am."
"Well, Daryl, you're very nice to talk to," Carol told him
"I can talk all night, woman," he jested, feeling almost comfortable with her. There was something about her that made him want to keep talking.
She smiled. "I'm looking forward to that, Mr. Dixon."
Carol stayed at the bar all night. It was only a weeknight, so it never got very crowded. When closing time came around, Daryl was actually upset that she had to leave. They had talked almost the entire night, and there had been many times when Daryl had found himself laughing, or telling amusing anecdotes from his childhood with Merle. Sometime during the night, Merle had taken the blond upstairs to their little apartment, so Daryl was even less eager to go up there.
When all the other customers left and the two of them were all alone, Carol started looking around nervously. "Where'd everyone go?"
Daryl smirked. "It's closin' time."
Her eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me? I never meant to keep you!" She got up immediately and began to rummage through her purse. When she handed him the money for her drinks, he waved it away. "Don't worry 'bout it."
"Daryl," she practically pleaded. The sound of his name on her tongue made him shiver. "Please, take it."
"Forget it, woman."
Carol frowned and set the money down on the counter. "Well, I'm not taking it. Use the money to pay for all the free drinks your brother was giving that blond," she said simply. "I'm not going to let you waste your own money paying for my things."
Daryl stared at her for a few moments in shock. She met his gaze somewhat apologetically before turning around. "I should be going…" she murmured, walking toward the door.
"Wait!" Daryl shouted after her. She stopped instantly and turned to face him. "Are ya… I mean… Will I ever see ya again?"
Carol gave him a wry smile. "We'll see, Dixon… See you around." And she walked out the door.
A/N: So what do you guys think so far? Leave a review and let me know! :D