Riley licks his split lip as his eyes once again scan the area around him. His back hurt a lot. He can feel the blood sticking to his shirt. He had to change his shirt three times already, but he didn't tell his mother that. She always had this heartbroken, guilty, pain look every time she saw Riley's back and saw how much pain he was in. The only sign that Riley was hurting was his occasional flinches and grimaces and the way he limped every time he walked. His ankle was a bit swollen, his back burned from the pain, his lip was split, but thankfully no longer bleeding, his eye was bruising. But that was the only physical signs of damage. He could keep everything, but his lip hidden. Even the burning agony deep inside.
When Riley deemed the air safe, he started for his mother who was hanging up their wet clothes. Riley pushes his bangs to cover his left eye as he starts for his mother. "Need help?" She turns and looks at him. He forces a smile, causing the pain in his lip to grow. It was dark out. He could only hope she won't see the split lip or the flinch of pain until the morning. She doesn't.
"No, I got it, kiddo. Where's your father." He fights back the urge to correct her. It was Ed. It has been for a long time. Not dad, daddy, papa, father, or any of that. It was Ed.
"Sleeping." His mother nods, a sign of relief coming to her eyes. Dark thoughts entered Riley's mind as they normally did when he looked at his mother. It would be so easy. He was passed out drunk. Riley could easily go in there and end their suffering, but how would his mother look at him afterward. How would she look at him knowing he killed his father-killed Ed.
"We're going to be okay, Riley." Riley lifts his head and looks up at his mother, forcing another fake smile.
"I know, mom. We're going to be just fine." He smiles. She smiles back, falling for the positive voice he was forcing. Deep down he knew they weren't. It was just a matter of time. One slip up and there won't be Riley and Carol. There will be just blood and broken bones.
"I'm going to finish this up and then I'll make food for you."
"Okay, I'm going to run down to the creek real quick and freshen up." She gives him a worried look, but he just smiles and heads off down the road to the creek. When he gets there he makes sure it's deserted before pulling off his long-sleeved shirt. He can't help the cry of pain that escapes him as he peels the shirt away from his scarred back. Tears roll down his face as he lets out a shaky breath. He hands are shaking so badly as he tries to unbuckle his pants. He never let Ed see the tears, the shakes, the pain. He doesn't let him hear the screams.
Riley's weak ankle gives out, causing him to fall to his knees onto the hard ground. He keeps his head down as his brown eyes filled with tears. With his mother nowhere in range to see his break down or hear it, he lets it go. He lets out all the emotions he keeps hidden day after day and he, for once, embraces his pain.
His shoulders shake as he sobs. Sobs for his pain, for his mother's suffering, for the hell he has been living. He doesn't care that it makes him look weak and pathetic. No one is around to see him fall apart.
The sound of branch snapping, causing Riley's to sobs to silence and his head to snap up. His broken brown eyes meet the understanding blue of Daryl Dixon. Neither say anything as Daryl puts his things down and makes his way over. Riley doesn't see pity or sympathy. He sees understanding and comfort.
Daryl pulls out a clean rag from his back pocket, he wets it, and gentle, ever so carefully, begins to wash Riley's back. He washes away the blood and pieces of flesh that stuck to the blood, but had been long since ripped away from the rest of his flesh. He washes the deep scars of the belt that was taken to Riley only hours ago. He washes away the pain and the suffering of that day. He was so gentle and careful that it made Riley let out a broken sob. The hand on his back stilled as Riley tries to fight back the tears. "You ain't gotta hold back on my account." The man says in a whisper, his voice deep and comforting. "I ain't gonna judge you." That was all it took for Riley to start crying once more.
Daryl finishes clean Riley's wounds and much to Riley's surprise, Daryl pulls the boy into his arms. Riley never had the honor of having a father to comfort him, to tell it was going to be okay, to hold him when he was feeling down. The feeling of this man's strong arms wrapped protectively around him made Riley feel safe, something he has never felt before. Riley clung to the man, burying his face in the man's dirty shirt. They sat there for who knows how long. Daryl just held the boy as Riley cried ever tear for every scar that marred his body and heart. He held the boy until Riley had calmed down and was reduced to soft sniffles. They sat there for another long moment before Daryl finally, slowly, pulled away from Riley. Riley let him, but he so missed the comforting hug of the man the second it was gone.
Riley swallowed back his emotions, locking them back down as if he hadn't just broken down. He didn't say anything to Daryl as he stood up on shaky legs and pulls his shirt back over his head. "Thank you." Riley's voice was void of any emotions. He didn't bother putting up the fake cheerful act that he does with his mother. He knew the man would see through it and he knew it would be pointless to hide anything from this man. But after crying for so long he felt nothing, but numb. He prefered to feel this. To feel this numbness because it felt better than to feel the pain and heartache that dug into him every day.
Riley lifts his head and looks at Daryl one last time before turning and making his way back up the hill. He doesn't look back, he just kept walking, letting his walls build back up. When he reached his mother all evidence of anything being wrong was gone and the same fake cheerful smile was back on his face. "I'm starving. What's for supper?" Riley asks as he notices Daryl pass by, the man's eyes on him. Riley knew in that moment that Daryl knew exactly what Riley was going for. He knew Riley's pain. He understood it.