"...and then Eric and I hit the road and found Alexandria." This was his third story of the day, and Daryl had to admit it had been the worst one yet. Shit about pre-apocalypse parties and fancy wine drinking, and the spilling of fancy wine onto family members- actually that one had been the worst.

Daryl had been pretty good about nodding and listening, despite it all, he knew he wasn't gonna treat this guy like a complete asshole. He seemed to be one of the only people from Alexandria that he could stand to be around.

Aaron smiled at Daryl's blank expression and let out a dejected breath, "I'm losing you. It's okay, I'll be quiet." Daryl didn't respond, he simply kept picking at his jerky by the dying embers of their campfire.

"How about you talk?" Aaron suggested in vain, leaning back on his elbows.

"Ain't much to talk about." Daryl stoked the embers with a stick he found by his foot and looked up at Aaron. He was looking at him with just about the dumbest expression.

"What?" Aaron continued to stare.

"On the road for two years and you have no stories. Unbelievable." Aaron sighed and Daryl's eyes narrowed.

Hadn't felt like two years since the world went to shit. His world had been shit from day one. The times they were in now just felt a little more lonely, like he was keeping time until his family became smaller and smaller until he was the last man standing. It had gone like that with his blood family, and it wouldn't be long until he'd have to start over again. Only, in Alexandria, fate would have to get through many others before it got close to anyone he cared about...

"Okay, I get it now. I struck a chord; I'm sorry. I don't know what you've been through."

Daryl lifted his head and mumbled, "Damn right," Aaron yawned, "and I ain't got no bedtime stories either."

Aaron lifted the corner of his mouth slightly and chuckled, "So you noticed. Mind if you take first watch?"

"Sure." Daryl got up and grabbed the sleeping back from the trunk of their vehicle. He threw it at Aaron, who let it crash into his chest and fall just inches from their fire pit.

"Not much of a catcher are you?" Daryl chided and sat on the hood of the car.

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" Aaron gave Daryl an exasperated look and he cringed.

"Oh, man. Sorry." He fumbled with his crossbow awkwardly and rested it against the bumper near his feet.

"It's okay. You know I've been thinking, and I know it's a bad segway..."

"Thought you were done talkin'." Daryl remarked bluntly

"I know, I know, but I need to know," Aaron continued as he was setting up his sleeping bag on a fresh patch of leaves, "who were you with before the Turn?"

"Had a brother. Dad. My brother, Merle, liked to beat up guys like you behind bars in town. And my pa liked to hit anything living under his roof." Daryl figured over-sharing might shut him up. People always got so clammed up when your response wasn't what they expected.

Aaron didn't miss a beat, "Nice family."

"Nah, buncha pricks," Daryl dismissed, "didn't you say you were tired?"

"Well, I got you talking, I figured I might wanna stay up for this."

"I'm still getting your ass up in a couple hours, your loss." Daryl was surprised this conversation hadn't come up earlier, but he was glad something was going to keep him entertained on watch.

"Your brother didn't make it?" Aaron asked it gently, not wanting to make it seem too overtly like a statement.

"Nah, got himself killed by some prick after the Turn trying to save our asses." Daryl was shocked at his own honesty, but, if Aaron was as tired as he said he was, he wouldn't remember a lot of this tomorrow.

"Thought you said your brother was the prick?" Aaron smiled at Daryl's vocabulary.

"Call a lotta people that."

There was a long pause and Daryl glanced at Aaron, checking if his eyes were still open. Daryl looked around their campsite and stretched out his arms, grunting at the slight twinge that came from his shoulder. Aaron shifted in his sleeping bag so he was facing Daryl, and he smiled.

"Lighter topic. Any ladies in your life before all this?"

"Christ, I thought you were asleep." Daryl rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You didn't answer my question."

"No. Don't got any juicy love stories for ya." What was this, a fucking sleepover?

"You don't like talking about yourself." Aaron stated matter-of-factly and rolled onto his back.

"Who told ya?" Daryl's response was thick with sarcasm. This guy wasn't going to quit. He wondered if it would be impolite to knock him out so he could get a few minutes of quiet.

"Okay, what if we talk about the other people in your group?" Aaron clearly had an agenda and Daryl didn't like where this was heading.

"Yeah, they all had families, too, some even stayed with us for awhile. Christ, I'm not their keeper. Talk to them yourself."

"Don't think Rick likes me much." Aaron scoffed.

Daryl let out a momentary chuckle, "You went down like a ton of bricks." He remembered the sight of Aaron dropping to the ground in that barn the day they learned he'd been following them.

"Yeah. What about now?" Aaron laid his arm under his head.

"What about it?" Daryl definitely didn't like where this was going.

"Any ladies in your life now?"

Daryl avoided the question "Few in the group. Been with others, but you know..." He trailed off and Aaron shifted uncomfortably in the sleeping bag.

"You know what I mean, Daryl." Something about his tone made Daryl feel very indignant.

"Look, ya followed us for two-"

"Three." Aaron corrected

"Fine, three weeks. You'd think ya wouldn't need ta ask who's with who. Woulda been obvious if I was with someone."

Aaron chuckled, "Alright, looks like I misjudged you."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, goodnight, Daryl."

"Finally." Daryl breathed and did a quick survey of their surroundings.

"If it's any consolation, I kiss Eric on the forehead all the time."

"Cheeky prick." Daryl kicked at the dirt at his feet and Aaron braced against the dust cloud that assaulted his back. Daryl was gonna wake him up extra early for runnin' his mouth like this all night.

"Goodnight, Daryl."

"Mmmmhmm." Daryl remarked around his thumbnail. This was going to be a really long run.