Kendall stood across the room, taking clothes out laundry basket, folding them then throwing them in their allotted drawer. Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, watching her. She hadn't said much to him all day, even when they woke up she had simply gotten out of bed and went to the bathroom to do her hair and make up, no 'good morning' or any recognition at all, for that matter, which only infuriated Daryl more. Kendall picked up the last of Daryl's thermal shirts and folded it against herself and put it in the top drawer of the dresser, then shut it and put the wicker basket back in their closet.
"What?" Kendall asked when she turned and saw Daryl looking at her.
"Nothin'," Daryl replied in a shrug as he got up to his feet, grabbed his pack of smokes off of the top of the TV on the dresser and walked out of the room. Things had been rocky the last few months, to say the least. Since the accident, things just hadn't been the same. Both of them blamed one another and couldn't seem to stop bickering, ever. The fact that Merle still hadn't gotten a job, and was still crashing on their couch didn't help things much, either. Merle only seemed to get Kendall all the more worked up, and seeing Merle eye Kendall like he did got Daryl more angered, as well.
"Stupid bitch," Daryl muttered to himself as he lit his cigarette and leaned against the porch's railing. Daryl wanted things to be normal again. Kendall and him used to be happy together. Really happy. They both used to work through the day, but Kendall got out about an hour before him, and when he'd get home from work she'd always have dinner ready for him then, often times, they'd lock themselves away in their bedroom and make love all night. She had been intoxicating to Daryl. He couldn't seem to get enough of her. Daryl blew out one last cloud of smoke before throwing it into old, empty coffee can that was placed by the steps for cigarette butts. Daryl turned and walked back into the house.
"Breakfast is on the table," Kendall said flatly. The tone in her voice made his blood boil. Why, he wasn't sure. But it did. He grunted, and walked to the table and sat beside Merle, who was shoveling his pancakes into his mouth like a five year old. Daryl looked down at his pancake and sighed.
"Fuckin' pancakes again?" Daryl groaned and slid his plate across the table a bit from himself.
"Yes, Daryl, fuckin' pancakes again," Kendall said as she placed a hand on her hip. "I have to go to work in a half hour, and still had some mix from yesterday."
"Well fuck this, I'm gonna have cereal," Daryl said and got up from his chair as loudly as he could, making the legs of the chair screech against the wooden floor.
"Daryl, that pancake is perfectly fine. I'll make you something new tomorrow," Kendall said.
"Listen woman, I don't want a fuckin' pancake," Daryl protested and reached over her head to open the cupboard where the Cheerios were stored.
"Well hon, it's all we have. Merle finished your cereal last night while he was watching the Wonder Years," Kendall said as Daryl looked into the empty cupboard. Daryl looked over his shoulder at Merle, who looked up from his syrup covered plate and gave his little brother a sheepish smile.
"Son of a bitch!" Daryl yelled and slammed the cupboard's door, making Kendall who stood next to it, flinch. "Didn't you just go grocery shoppin' yesterday?" Daryl asked.
"Yeah, I did. Merle finished the cheerios after I went shopping," Kendall replied. Daryl groaned.
"This is exactly why the accident fuckin' happened. You can't take care of nothing'," Daryl said coldly as he turned around and headed back up the stairs to their bedroom.
"Daryl Dixon!" Kendall screamed after him, as she bounded the stairs a few feet behind him. "Don't you bring that up!"
"I'll bring it up all I want!" Daryl said and turned to face her. There were tears welling in her eyes, and he instantly felt guilty.
"Daryl, I told you it wasn't my fault," Kendall said quietly, defeated.
"Ken, fallin' down the stairs is the biggest cliché in tha fuckin' world," Daryl said flatly and continued up the stairs again.
"Listen, I was just as excited as you were," Kendall said as she followed him through the bedroom door. Daryl plopped down onto the bed and ran both of his hands over his face.
"That's easy to say now, isn't it?" Daryl asked, his tone sharp and making Kendall hurt all the more.
"I can't do this anymore," Kendall said softly as she looked down at her socked feet. "After work tonight, I'm gonna get my stuff and go back to my Mom's,"
"Fuckin' go fer it, Ken. I'll throw a god damn bon voyage party fer yah," Daryl heard himself say. Kendall left the room and soon after he heard her car start and leave the driveway. He laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes. She wasn't going to leave, she never did before, she wouldn't now, he assured himself.
An hour later Daryl went to work at the auto shop, and tried to throw himself into his work more than usual to forget about this morning. He couldn't believe he had lost it over pancakes, he really was turning into his father. To his dismay, when he came home Kendall was in their room, packing her things into a big duffle bag.
"What're you doin'?" Daryl asked from the doorframe. Kendall stopped what she was doing to look over her shoulder and shoot him a death glare.
"I told you, I'm leaving, Daryl," She replied as she zipped up the white bag and slung it over her shoulder. Everything was silent for a moment between them, the only thing they could hear was Merle downstairs yelling profanities at the TV.
"T' fuck you are!" Daryl exclaimed as she walked past him and headed down the stairs.
"Why the hell should I stay?" She asked once she got to the front door. Daryl looked into her blue-green eyes and sighed; he used to tell her, when they first got together, her eyes looked like the ocean.
"I'd miss yah," Daryl finally said after a long silence. Kendall faked a little laugh and turned towards the door.
"Oh my god!" Kendall exclaimed. "Are you okay?" She asked and rushed out into the yard, Daryl looked out and saw a man covered in blood, who had part of his jaw missing, exposing teeth and gore, stumbling through their yard. Daryl ran after Kendall to try and help the man.