"How the hell is this supposed to help me? It's stupid is what it is."
Dr. Denise Cloyd rubbed her forehead and took a couple of breaths before she answered the latest objection from her most frustrating and challenging patient. "Daryl, your history has taught you to associate physical touch with pain. You need to learn that some touches can bring with them good feelings as well. Comfort, acceptance, pleasure. I will concede that this idea is a bit unorthodox but I think it'll give the most benefit with little little effort. All you have to do is stand there, holding a sign."
"How the fuck is this even a thing? You sure you didn't have that degree printed down at Staples or something?"
"Actually I ordered it from Amazon," Denise commented dryly. "The paper quality was more convincing." She sat across from him and leaned her elbows on the table. "If you want to get scientific, it's called exposure therapy. The patient, aka you, is exposed to the feared context in a safe setting in order to help them overcome their anxiety. You'll be in a public place on a crowded street. Nobody is going to force you to do anything you don't want to do." She proffered the sign with a hopeful smile. "Ten minutes. That's all I'm asking for. C'mon, tough guy, ten measly minutes."
He stared her down and then jerked the sign out of her loose grasp, cursing fluently under his breath. "Next time you're gonna tell me to pick out a theme song or practice smiling at myself in the mirror or some shit."
Denise suppressed the urge to flip him off but couldn't stop the smart ass comment from slipping out. "Ally McBeal fan, huh? Damn. That means I owe Tara twenty dollars. I had you pegged as more of a Friends guy. Oh well."
His raised middle finger was the last thing she saw before the door slammed shut behind him.
He'd never been so embarrassed in his whole damned life. Never. Fuck if he was going back to that quack of a doctor. He didn't care how impressive her credentials were; she was out of her mind. Merle would fall down laughing if he could see his brother. That or kick his ass from now to eternity.
Standing in the middle of a crowded sidewalk, holding a card board sign that read "Free Hugs", wishing with everything in him that he suddenly gained the power of invisibility. It was torture. Absolute torture and he didn't know how much longer he could stand here without screaming at the top of his lungs.
A little girl, no more than eight, read his sign and then tugged on his shirt until he bent so that she could put her arms around his neck. She smelled like baby powder and bubble gum and she kissed him on the cheek after, telling him his scruff tickled. Her mother watched him warily but offered up a smile of her own when he awkwardly patted the little girl's shoulder and whispered his thanks.
The weird dude with the mullet almost got himself punched when he walked up without a word and threw both arms around Daryl, pulling him into a tight hug. After, he mumbled something about Halo and then took off toward a game store on the corner.
His next one came via a clean cut dude with a leather backpack slung casually across his shoulder. He stopped a few steps away, scanned the sign and then Daryl's face with equal intensity. He then opened his arms slightly and waited until Daryl nodded before moving closer. A quick embrace. A shoulder pat. And then it was done. The man introduced himself as Aaron and then he said very softly, "It's very brave, what you're doing. Good luck, my friend."
Two minutes to go and he was starting to think that just maybe he'd get through this with his pride intact. He admitted to himself, but would never do so to another living soul, that it wasn't as bad as he'd expected. One minute. Sixty seconds and he could toss the fucking sign and go get a beer. That's when he felt the gentle touch on his arm. He couldn't help the way he tensed under her hand, wary eyes darting up to meet pale sky blue.
"I'd like one please," she murmured almost too softly to hear.
"What?" He had no idea what she was talking about, too distracted by the teasing lift of her brows and the playful smile tugging her lips up at the corners.
"A free hug," she replied with a little nod to the sign he was now white knuckling. "I'd like one. Two would be better but I'm not greedy."
Daryl felt his face go up in flames at her teasing but stubbornly held his ground. He wadded the sign under one arm and held the other out, trying not to crawl out of his skin when she tucked herself into the curve of his body. She looped her arms around his waist and turned her face into his neck. He didn't know what the hell he was doing but he pulled her closer, his fingers splayed in the middle of her back. When she tightened her hold, he did the same.
The seconds stretched out into infinity as they stood there, people breaking around them like a water flowing around a rock in a stream. She nuzzled her cheek against him and sighed softly, falling completely into the embrace. His nose brushed the soft strands of hair at her crown, noting that she smelled like sunshine and lavender. It was….nice. Nothing to be afraid of. In fact, he thought he'd like to do this more often.
They might have stayed that way had his watch alarm not chosen that moment to shriek. They parted abruptly, both now blushing and avoiding the other's eyes. "Thank you," she murmured. "That was the nicest free hug I've ever gotten."
"My pleasure," he shifted uncomfortably, twisting his sign in nervous fingers. "You can have another anytime you want." Shit! Had he said that out loud? The smile she gave him then was luminous. He could hardly look at her.
"How about a cup of coffee first and then we'll work out how and when?" Her voice was teasing and eager by turns.
"Coffee sounds good," Daryl agreed and then, to his surprise, he offered her his hand and didn't even flinch when she took it. He made a mental note to thank Dr. Denise when he went for his next appointment but he wouldn't tell her why.