"I gotcha a book." Daryl held up the paperback he had picked up on the run he, Rick, and Shane had just finished. You didn't ask for a book, you'd asked for shampoo, but a book was still a nice thought. "Dunno what it's about. I just grabbed it off a shelf."

You take the good sized novel and turn it over, skimming the back. "It's a romance novel." You smile. Not your type of book, but the thought was nice. "Thank you." You lightly toss the novel through the open flap of your tent and onto your sleeping bag. "I'll start it after I finish the laundry. Got anything you need washed?"

"No." False.

"OK." You smiled again. "How was the run?"

"Fine." He started rooting around in his bag again. "I also brought shampoo. You said you needed some."

"Yeah, thank you. I was running low."

"It smells like strawberries." Daryl pointed to the label.

"Sweet. I'll smell like strawberries now."

"I like strawberries."

"What?" You look up, wondering if you'd heard him right.

"Nuthin." He turned and walked away now.

"Can I sit with you?" You ask, not really waiting for an answer before you plopped down in the dirt next to Daryl. You'd been sitting with him at dinner occasionally over the last few weeks. He always sat a little farther from the group, and the quiet was nice sometimes.

"Did you read the book?"

"I can't read a whole book in an afternoon," You spoon some more corn into your mouth and continue. "But I started it. It's a nice story." That wasn't a total lie. The writing style was garbage, but the plot wasn't too terrible.

"I know ya like books, so I thought I'd grab one when I saw 'em." Daryl wasn't looking you, only staring at his food as he spoke. "If ya wanna tell me what kindsa books ya like, I'll try to get one of those next time."

You stop eating and put your plate down. "That's really nice of you." Daryl shrugged, opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it and closed it again. "What's up?" You prod. "What were you wantin to say?"

"Nuthin."

"No, really, what? I know you've been trying to say something to me all day. I can see it in your face. Just spit it out." You poke him playfully in the arm.

Daryl sighed and was quiet for a long time; probably waiting for you to forget it and change the subject, but you weren't budging. You'd sit there in silence all night if that's what it took. "I gotcha the book cause I like ya, OK?"

You were confused. "What do you mean?"

"I wanted to give you the book and use it to… I dunno… 'ask you out' or sumthin." He put exaggerated air quotes around 'ask you out' and continued to stare only at his plate, a faint red blush creeping up his neck and face.

"You want to…" You needed to choose your words carefully. You didn't want to scare him off or embarrass him. "Be a couple or something?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

It was quiet for a really long time. Neither of you said anything or looked at the other. "Me, too." You finally said. The silence settled in again. "So, uh, what now? Do we tell the group, or what?"

"Nah." Daryl finally looked at you. "I don't think we should go makin announcements 'til we're serious. I mean, we could wanna call this off after just a few days, so…" He trailed off.

"That's a good idea. Keep it to ourselves until it's serious enough that they would need to know." You nod. "Plus, it's not really their business anyway."

"Right." Daryl agreed. "We'll just see how a few days go."

A few days passed, and neither of you wanted to 'break up'. Then a month passed, and you were still together. Soon, it had been almost two months since your awkward conversation in which you'd decided you were a couple, and it was not only getting serious, but also more and more comfortable.

You'd spent hours alone in the woods with Daryl over the last few months talking, scavenging for food, hunting, and learning to track. It was nice; your own little world in which walkers and your nosy group members couldn't get in and muck anything up.

"Hold it a little more level." Daryl whispered in your ear one afternoon, his advice barely audible as you both inched closer to the deer that you'd been tracking. He reached forward and nudged the crossbow up to level it out. You adjusted the aim a bit to fit with his suggestion, and crept forward once more. "Stop." Daryl whispered. He was pressed all the way up against your back as you moved, trying to see what you were seeing. "OK," He put his hands on your hips to steady you. "Now."

You pulled the trigger and the arrow shot forward and plunged deeply into the side of the deer. It dropped quickly and you lowered the bow. "I did it!" You almost jumped up and down in triumph, but stopped yourself because you knew that if you did, you'd clock Daryl right in the jaw with your shoulder. Instead, you turned around and planted a strong, elated kiss on his lips. "I did it!" You said again, dancing off in the direction of your kill.

"Good job." Daryl followed you over to the deer and pulled the arrow out of its side. "Ya caught dinner."

"Andrea and Lori will be happy to find out that we're not having possum for the third night in a row." You help him pick the deer up and start to walk back through the woods in the direction of camp.

"That was delicious." Glenn sat back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. "Deer is always better than possum."

"Thank you guys for bringing this back tonight." Andrea added, nodding at you.

You were sitting in between Lori and Glenn, basking in the warmth of the fire and the feeling of a full stomach. Daryl was MIA, as he'd taken his dinner immediately back to his tent and hadn't been seen since. "No problem. I was just as excited as you to bag a deer."

Lori stood and began trying to clean up the mess and leftovers of dinner, which was the cue for everyone else to start getting ready to turn in for the night. You stood and helped Lori clean up, chatting with some of the other women as you got the campsite squared away and prepared to go to bed. "Night, everyone." You waved, ducking into your tent. "Have fun on watch, Andrea." You add before zipping yourself in.

But sleep wouldn't come that night. You lay awake for hours, staring at the ceiling of your tent, too amped up from your first successful hunt. Finally, you decided to give up on sleep and you stepped out of your tent into the cold night air. Andrea was still on watch, but she was seated on top of the RV facing the other way, so you were able to wander across the yard and make your way to Daryl's tent largely unnoticed and unquestioned.

"Hey, Daryl?" You started to unzip the tent quietly, trying not to startle him. "Daryl?" You stuck your head in. Daryl was sleeping on top of his sleeping bag, his face buried in his pillow and his bare back rising and falling slowly. You placed a hand lightly on his arm and said his name again.

He jumped awake, trying to locate his bow and figure out what was in his tent all at the same time. "It's just me. Y/N." You say, trying to calm him down. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"I wasn't scared." He sat up. "Whatcha need?"

You shrug and re-zip the tent. "I couldn't sleep."

"So ya interrupt mine?"

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Sumthin wrong?"

"No, just too… revved up from the excitement of the day." You smile shyly and tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "Going hunting was exhilarating."

"Yeah, it—" Daryl didn't get to finish his sentence before you were mashing your lips against his.

You held the side of his face and kissed him hungrily for a few moments before breaking off and saying, "I'm ready. I want this."

"OK," was all Daryl said before pulling you down onto the sleeping bag with him.

Birds were chirping in the tree above Daryl's tent as you slowly blinked awake the next morning. You and Daryl were jammed into the sleeping bag together, naked and warm and tucked away from the chilly fall morning. You closed your eyes again and nuzzled your face a bit into Daryl's bare chest, kissing his tattoo softly. He smelled like sweat and pine needles and your strawberry shampoo.

"Mornin." A gravely whisper floated to you.

"Mornin." You whispered back, afraid to break the stillness of the moment.

Neither of you spoke again. Daryl lightly played with hair and you blinked in and out of dreaming for quite some time. You were about to suggest that you make your way back to your tent before you both got caught when there was a small ruckus from the direction of the camp. "I'll get Daryl!" You heard Glenn yell.

"What happened?" You ask and Daryl shrugs. Neither of you made an attempt to move.

"Daryl!" Glenn yells from outside the tent. "Y/N is missing! Her tent is empty, and no one saw her get up and leave at any point. We're going to go out into the woods and look for her. We need your help."

Daryl kissed the top of your head before saying back, "She's fine."

"How do you know? She's missing. She could've gotten up to go to the bathroom and gotten lost in the woods. We need to go look for her."

"Glenn, I promise you, Y/N is fine." Daryl was running a hand absentmindedly up and down your back now.

"But—" Glenn was starting to protest again before you spoke up.

"Glenn. I am fine. I promise. I just didn't spend the night in my tent. Everything's fine."

There was a long pause outside the tent before Glenn said, "Oh."

"Now leave us alone." Daryl grunted. "We're trynna sleep."

Glenn only said 'oh' once more before you heard him turn and walk back in the direction of the others who were no doubt finalizing their search party.

"Now, where were we?' You mumble before giving Daryl a lazy, lustful kiss.

When you emerged from the tent twenty minutes later, everyone else had stopped what they were doing to stare at you. You were suddenly very self-conscious and you could feel a blush heat up your face and neck almost immediately. You walked back to your tent quickly and without looking at anyone, and after you had changed into a clean shirt and new pants, you stepped back out to try and find Lori to help her with the food preparation for the day.

Everyone was still staring at you went to sit down next to Lori. You pinched the bridge of your nose and say, "Daryl and I have been together for about two months now. I hope that answers your questions." Some people looked at each other, but you were still the target of silent stares.

"Stop staring, will ya?" Andrea piped up now, coming to sit next to you. "You're all acting like children. Just go about your business."

This got the group members to continue about their day and the attention shifted off of you. "Thanks." You smile at Andrea.

"No problem." She pats your leg, smirks, and says, "But girl, you need to spill. I want details."

You laugh and start peeling some carrots. "Maybe."

"I know you want to." Lori said with a smile.

"OK, yeah, I do." And you started to gush all of the little details that you had kept to yourself over the last two months.