Stupid fuckin' Walkers, always mucking everything up. Coming in the middle of the night, and disturbing the peace. There were screams all around the small camp; it's like their asking for zombies to come. These people know nothing about surviving, and now I have to save their asses.
I quietly and efficiently took out a couple of stragglers, not that anyone seemed to notice anyways. "Daryl!" I would know that voice anywhere, because it's so annoyingly loud. I took my time sprinting over to Glenn, who was cornered against the side of the RV.
The walker easily went down, my arrow burrowing deep into the back of its head. Silence befell the camp, as everyone gathered together. "Thanks." Glenn said, seemingly grateful. "Whatever," I pulled my arrow out of the mushy flesh, and turned away from him.
I never liked getting into group discussions, unless it had to do with me. And most of the time it did, because they all seem to distrust me. Don't know why they would though. I have done nothin' but save them time and time again. And without anyone bothering to say thank you, except Glenn.
That kid annoys the shit out of me. Maybe it's his blatant disrespect for safety, or his high pitched squeal. Or the way he relies on the others, too heavily. I give him credit for his street knowledge, but out here he's a sitting duck. The whole camp is sitting around waiting for incidents like tonight.
Everyone slowly dispersed to their respected tents, and the RV. As usual, I stayed sitting on the tailgate of my truck. A mediocre fire crackled away, as Dale and Glenn sat around chatting. Geeze, don't they ever sleep? Then again, I never sleep either.
How can I sleep? When every noise makes my stomach churn and my mind run wild. When at the mere cracking of a branch, I'm at the ready with my crossbow. I never took my eyes off the tree line and I never liked to bring anyone with me.
"Um, Daryl care to join us?" Dale held up a warm beer, and who was I to turn a beer down. I grabbed the bottle from him, and sat across the fire. The flames instantly heating my legs, and warming my core. The warm, stale beer made me warmer.
"Well," Dale stretched his old arms. "I'm going to bed. Don't wonder too far off." He handed Glenn a pistol, probably with the advice of Rick. That man went around handing out guns, like it was Christmas or something. It would come to bite him in the ass, soon enough. I'm not even sure the kid can use it. I've only ever seen him whack a few Walkers with a baseball bat. With me around to protect him, he barely had to lift a finger. I swear they take advantage of me. Why do I keep helping them? Why don't I just go look for Merle, by myself?
"Daryl." Glenn brung me back to reality, his voice making my trigger finger itch. "What the fuck you want?" I know being rude to the kid, is not right. But I can't help it when he looks at me all pathetic like. "No need to be like that." I just hissed in annoyance. "Anyways, will you take me hunting with you?" He played with the pistol like a toy, and I prayed that the safety was on. "No way." Because I only work alone and he would just slow everything down. "Why not?" And it took me a minute to go over all the reasons.
I ended up saying the first thing that I could think of, "Because your useless to me." Then he was silent and just staring at me. I could tell I had hurt his feelings instantly when his eyes glazed over. I hadn't meant to hurt him; it just came out because I can't seem to shut my mouth. "Well, if I'm useless than why am I sitting here with you?" He dragged his chair away from the fire, and away from me. Damn it I went and messed everything up again.
(Break)
I decided to go hunting this morning, and into the early afternoon. It's not like we have any better option right now. Last night I decided I needed to make it up to Glenn for insulting him like that. I grabbed a shotgun and headed to his tent; it's not surprising that he was still sleeping and curled up against the side of the sleeping bag. He looked so adorable like that but I'd never admit that to anyone else. "Glenn." I kicked the sleeping bag, hoping it would wake him up. But it didn't so I resorted to Plan B, and kicked him in the knee. He sat straight up and glared at me.
"What do you want?" He snapped and I guess I deserved it. "Come on," I handed him the shotgun and left the tent. Breathing in a long breath of fresh air, if you can call it that. "Why did you give me this?" Glenn stood beside me; pulling the last of his shirt down over his smooth stomach. "We're going hunting. You wanted to go right?" He just eagerly nodded and cocked the gun. I didn't even know he knew how to do that.
Twenty minutes into hunting he started lagging behind. I could tell something was weighing on his mind and figured I could give the kid a hand. "What's wrong?" I stopped walking and grabbed his shoulders to steady him. "Nothing." He pushed past me and walked ahead. "Obviously it's somethin'. But you ain't gotta tell me." I calmly said trying not to irritate him more.
"Why do you even care? I'm useless, remember?" He hit a branch and it snapped in half. So that was his damage? "Look, you're not useless." I reached out and grabbed the back of his short, stopping him in his tracks. "Yeah right. I am useless, just the useless Asian kid." He wouldn't look up at me.
"I can't even get you to talk to me decently. I can't shoot a gun, even though I can wield one. I am nothing outside of the city. No one even notices I'm in camp and no one asks for my opinion anymore." I let him go and he sat on a log nearby. I didn't know what to do with myself so I just leaned onto the tree.
"I'm sorry." I muttered and he made eye contact with me. "What did you say?" He ushered me to sit next to him so I did. "I said I'm sorry. For last night, I had no right to say that to you." I played with a hole in the thigh of my jeans. "Thank you Daryl!" And suddenly his arms were embracing me. But I couldn't hug back.
"We're not getting anythin' out here. Let's head back." I headed off towards camp and I heard him running to catch up to me. Everyone at the camp was disappointed to see that I couldn't bring back venison.
I had just put my crossbow against the tire of the truck when Glenn pulled me out of sight from the others. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you apologized. But do you hate me?" I just stared at this man in front of me for what felt like forever. "No, I don't hate you." And I didn't and I never could hate him. He's actually done nothing wrong by me so far and didn't completely get on my nerves.
"We should talk more often. I really liked it." He beamed and I almost died for the countless time since I've met him. "Kid, you got spunk. I like you." I rustled his hair but it hit me what I said. "You like me?" He turned pink in the face and batted his eyes at me.
"If I said yes, would you get weirded out?" I leaned in closer to him and he turned redder. ""N-no?" He shrugged and stepped back away from me. I moved closer and pinned him to the nearest tree. "I do like you." I softly laid my arms around his lithe waist and pulled him closer. "I like you too. That's why it hurts when you're mean to me." He just leaned back into me.
"I won't be mean anymore. I never meant to hurt anyone." I admitted contently sighing into the cooling air. "I know and it's okay." He pushed off of me but not roughly. I followed him back to the campfire and no one seemed to notice we were missing.
I guess Glenn was right about me and him being the least cared for members. I was living in Merle's shadow and Glenn couldn't survive five minutes alone in the forest. But that night we were important to each other and that's all that matters.
Glenn sat with his leg against mine and every so often when no one was looking, he would stroke my knee. And occasionally played with the loose strings on the hem of my shirt. The group trickled to their tents and the RV when the sun went down.
Glenn moved to lie in my lap, looking up at the sky. I just played with his hair and smiled down at him. He made eye contact again and I couldn't look away from those deep brown orbs.
God I'm glad I met Glenn when I did. He helped me understand that I need to change my attitude and way of thinking.