Notes: First of big thanks to all the lovely reviews I got. You guys are awesome.
Daryl was the quiet one.
That's what people always said. He wasn't really, not if you were with the guy. But compared to Merle, he was the quieter of the two.
But damn, if he hadn't climbed right into his shell since they got back to this prison. Odd that Daryl had forced Merle's hand coming back here but upon returning, he did all he could to not speak. To anyone.
Someone came and unlocked their cell door early on, and Merle thought Daryl might make a beeline for his friends, but he didn't make a move, staying where he was on the floor., facing away from Merle.
And Merle couldn't think of one good reason to push himself up off the bed, not to see the bunch on losers currently running this show, so he stayed where he was too. Hand behind his head, and he listened to the sounds echoing around the prison.
He could hear voices floating around now and again, the creaking of the doors and the clang as they shut and the lock afterwards. He listened uninterested to it all.
They both heard the sound of footsteps approaching, more than one set and Daryl rolled over then sat up. Merle peered round, eyes quickly flicking to Daryl before he eyed the door.
It was one of the few who had been at the camp in Atlanta that stood there, the old woman with the little girl and prick of a husband and she had a bag in her hands that she placed down on the floor.
"I put your things together when you left. Thought you might want them," she said.
Merle eyed the woman carefully, her tone serious but gentle and she looked to Daryl the whole time she spoke. But he didn't gaze once at her, his eyes drifted across to the bag and he pulled it closer, peaking inside. "Should'av thrown it," he said.
"Well we might have met someone who could use it." Carol said simply, shrugging slightly. "Anyway, breakfast is going to be ready in a minute, you should come and get something. Both of you."
And with that, she left them alone.
Merle looked over to Daryl, who now he wasn't being watched by the woman, had sought out some clean clothes to wear. Daryl was pulling out a few of the item's in a bag, sniffing at the items inside.
"Gonna eat?" Merle asked.
Daryl shook his head. "Ain't hungry."
"Was all you were bothered about when we were out there. Finding food and shelter and somewhere to take a piss. Now you got it and you don't want it any more?"
"Didn't say that." Was all Daryl responded with.
"You stay here and sulk then. I'll get me some food."
"You do that then," Daryl muttered, pulling off his old dirty shirt and casting it aside before pulling on a clean one.
But Merle wasn't going anywhere. He was frozen to the spot, unable to move. "What was that?" Merle asked.
"What?" Daryl asked, turning towards his brother. And Merle was the realisation dawning on Daryl right then. Daryl was never a good liar, so he just turned away. "Dunno what you're talking 'bout, Merle. Jus' get your damn breakfast."
And Merle did.
He walked away. He needed time to think. He walked down away from Daryl. Down the stairs and towards the rest of the group.
There was a noticeable hitch in conversation as he approached. He wasn't interested in that though. He just wanted time to think right now.
His appetite had disappeared on him, but as the old woman came and offered a bowl of some kind of oatmeal at him, he felt obliged to take it.
"Daryl not coming down?" she asked and Merle felt more pairs of eyes turn to him at the question.
He shook his head no. "Ain't hungry," was all he gave them. He could give them little else, seeing as that's all Daryl would say.
"Should I save him some?" The young blonde girl asked, looking to several of the others for someone to guide her.
"I'll take him something," Maggie eventually ventured. Merle wondered why she gave a shit about if Daryl ate or not but he had no desire to say anything to the group. She stood up from her seat at the table, and took a bowl of food from the young blonde. "You can take my seat," Maggie said to Merle as she headed out the room and up the stairs Merle had left moments ago.
And Merle looked at the seat she'd vacated between Glenn and the old man and the realisation that he wouldn't be eating anything unless he sat down beside them.
"Ain't got time for this shit," he muttered, turning to go back to the cell he'd come from.
"Wait!" Rick demanded following him. Merle stopped in his tracks, wondering what the man had to say.
"Forget breakfast. We haven't sorted anything out about how this is going to work."
"It ain't gonna work," Merle said. "Daryl knew that straight away, s'why he took off with me."
"That was a mistake. That was my mistake. We gotta find away to make it work."
"You find away." Merle said, heading back up the stairs.
Rick didn't follow. Merle started slowly and quietly walking down towards his cell.
He could hear the girl, Maggie talking to Daryl. He ducked into the cell next to theirs, listening in.
"...he might not say it, but he needs you."
"My brother needs me. Anyway, you were the one's who said Merle couldn't stay. What did you expect me to do? You all knew I wouldn't leave him."
"It was just... timing. None of us were thinking straight. We'd all been through hell those last few hours and we were running scared. We didn't think it through. Rick needs you. You didn't see..."
"He's got all of you. Merle ain't got anyone else."
"Daryl, he needs you too. I'm not telling you to kick out Merle, we all know how that's gonna go now, but we gotta sort something out. To keep you both here. If you can work something out with Merle and I can work on it with Glenn and we can make it work."
Merle listened and didn't hear Daryl say anything else.
"Just think about it, okay? I know you care because you've already come back here. I know you don't wanna leave. So don't, okay?"
Merle stepped into the corner of the cell as Maggie passed, heading back down with the others. He waited until she was long gone before stepping back out of the room and into the next cell with Daryl.
The bowl of breakfast was untouched besides Daryl on floor and Merle could still see the space imprint of where Maggie has sat on the bed.
He purposely sat in the same spot, felt the warmth her body had given off as she'd spoke to Daryl.
"Thought you weren't hungry?" Merle said, eyeing up the bowl of food, even as it was untouched.
"Thought you were," Daryl challenged back.
"Well, those people really put you off your food," Merle remarked. "What did the girl want?"
Daryl shrugged and for a moment, Merle thought he'd deny they spoke about anything. "Trying get us to stay," he finally said.
"Hope you told her to go to hell," Merle remarked. Daryl glared at him but said nothing. "So..." Merle started. He got up and moved over to the cell door, closing it. Merle stood with his back to the door, the closest they could get to privacy. "You gonna tell me or what?"
And Merle was all but stood towering over Daryl at that moment. Imposing, just like he was when Daryl was still a kid growing up.
"What?"
Merle grabbed hold of Daryl and pulled him up level with him and pushed him up against the bars of the cell, nowhere to go. "Tell me," he demanded, voice firm and demanding.
"Let go," Daryl demanded, knocking Merle's grip off of him. He didn't try and move away though, didn't try to escape.
And that was Merle's answer.
"The Governor?"
Daryl just nodded.
Like? I hope you enjoyed that. I have a couple of other little ideas banging around for this which I'll add at some point. It's not really a journey this one, as much as a few events happening.
