requested by paullrovia on tumblr! my twd-dedicated blog is thatsmygvn!
Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick….
Somehow, the sound was soothing. Steady, simple. It resonated throughout his wood paneled room of the Barrington House.
Tick, tock.
One year ago, Daryl would have crawled out of his skin if he woke up to those very same four walls and forced to listen to the incessant ticking and tocking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room.
One year ago, he would have fought, kicked, and screamed to be free of it - to surround himself with trees, the wind blowing his hair all about him and the sun's rays beating against his back.
But he wasn't that man anymore.
Instead, he nestled back into the mattress, his ears trained on the rhythmic beating of the clock. Steady, simple.
He looked over, cracking one eye open to time the rise and fall of his partner's chest with the clock. Steady, simple.
Jesus shifted slightly over the mattress, enough that his cheek pressed into his pillow and he faced Daryl completely. Daryl's eyes lingered over his form. As the sun rose, its light shone through the window and illuminated his partner in an unearthly glow.
As his eyes fluttered open - cross eyed and dazed as half-asleep eyes tend to be - the sun caught them just perfectly. Bright blue, with a touch of green closest towards the pupil, and dazzling against leather brown skin.
Jesus reached forward, clumsily brushing Daryl's hair out of his face, a hazy smile beginning to tease at his lips.
One year ago, Daryl would never have believed himself so lucky as to find something so beautiful at the end of the world, but he did. As Jesus continued blinking himself awake, Daryl himself leaned towards him and brushed his lips over his forehead.
Loving Jesus was soothing. It was steady and simple, just like the clock that woke him up every morning and laid him to rest every evening.