MAR76 – I hope you like this chapter! I promise it won't take long for them to get reacquainted :)

– There will be another update today probably, let me know what you think! I'm glad you enjoy it. I really like the post-season 3 because it gives me freedom.

Leyshla Gisel – I put Glenn's hat back on him because I think it's adorable on him, that's the only reason. And I guess we'll see if he's literally Molly's first everything :D

zaii – Thank you so much! I hope you like it!

After the supply run had been completed, Molly was allowed to return to the prison with the group. She had followed obediently as they walked back to their vehicles from the town they'd rummaged through. The length of the walk back was intensified by the electricity she felt as Daryl walked close behind her. She was hyper-aware of his presence and found herself thinking that if he accidentally brushed up against her, sparks would physically spew everywhere.

What were the chances that Daryl Dixon would stumble upon her in the middle of the fucking woods? If she had ever believed in fate, that would have been a perfect example. Molly shook her head as she thought about their past together and what a sick joke it was that they would find each other in a world that had always done its best to keep them apart.

The first time Molly snuck out of her house for any reason at all, she was 17 years old. She left her window cracked after hopping out of it so that she could climb back in during the early hours of the morning. Tiptoeing through the dirt she called a backyard, she entered the woods and walked over behind Daryl's trailer, where a fallen tree lay obscured by brush and other trees that still stood.

Taking a seat on the rotting wood, she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. On top of the fact that she hated to wait, it was chilly outside. It wasn't long before she heard a twig snap in her immediate vicinity and a brooding figure sat down beside her.

"Didn't mean to take so long. Merle came in drunk as a fuckin' skunk and I had to deal with him." he apologized in his typical manner – indirect but sincere. Molly nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Why'd you ask me out here anyway?" she questioned, curiosity playing on her features. Something about this situation made her heart race and she wrung her hands a little in anticipation.

Daryl scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before responding, "I ain't got any business hangin' out with a girl like you." That wasn't quite what she was expecting.

"The hell you talkin' about? We been doin' the same things since we was little." Molly voiced her opposition hurriedly. What was his fuckin' problem?

"People are talkin' and your daddy ain't happy 'bout me hangin' around so much." he mumbled.

There it was. It was true that people had talk about their unlikely friendship since she'd gotten into high school. People assumed the worst since he was 6 years her senior and that had always pissed Molly off. Nothing had happened like that between them and it wasn't fair that this was affecting their relationship.

"He ain't said nothin' to me. I think you're crazy." she said, huffing. She re-crossed her arms in emphasis.

"How fuckin' thick are you, girl? We can't do this no more." Molly could tell that he was only getting sour to try to get her to walk away from him. It had never worked before and it wasn't going to work now. It didn't matter to her what people were saying. Not one person in the world could make her leave Daryl Dixon alone.

She looked over into his blue eyes that were somehow even more striking in the moonlight. Truth was that she liked what people were saying. It made her feel good and she liked entertaining the thought that people thought she was with him in a more romantic sense. He squinted at her, as if trying to discern the thoughts that were going through her head.

Gathering up all the courage she could find in her system, she said, "Well, if people are talkin' so much, why don't we give 'em somethin' to talk about?"

Daryl looked like she'd slapped him across the face. "You fuckin' me, right now?"

She shrugged and sighed. She then turned her focus to a leaf that was fluttering beside her boot. The situation had turned awkward now that he hadn't been as open to the idea as she had expected him to be. Surely that's something he wanted? She saw the way he looked at her, felt his sweaty palms when she got a little too close.

Daryl sighed and nausea consumed her. What a fuckin' idiot she'd been to expect him to be interested.

Before she could form her next thought, her face was in his rough hands and his lips were crashing onto hers with urgency she couldn't believe was real.

The different bags she was carrying seemed to gain more weight with each step she took, and she was relieved when they came upon a green SUV and a motorcycle she recognized as being Merle's. Making a mental note to ask where the old asshole was, she put her bags in the hatch of the SUV before standing back and sighing, crossing her arms over her chest. It seemed like overthinking was one of her developing hobbies lately.

"You ridin' with me or what?" Daryl said, mimicking her dissatisfied posture.

She eyed him closely. "That ain't a problem with you?"

Daryl nodded toward his bike as if to tell her to get on. Rick, the girl (who she had learned was called "Maggie"), and the Asian kid (called "Glenn") piled into the SUV after they had deposited the load of supplies in the hatch and closed it securely. Rick started the car and rolled down the window.

"See y'all in a few. Stay close, be careful."

Daryl nodded and climbed onto his bike. Molly pursed her lips and got on behind him. She held onto the seat instead of Daryl because having aching knuckles tomorrow would be so much less excruciating than having to endure the awkward situation that could result if she put her arms around him.

"Arms around me, girl." he said, smirking. Chills ran up and down her body as she felt that familiar tug low in her abdomen. She snaked her arms shyly around his midsection and leaned forward into him.

"Better?" she asked quietly, her hot breath on his ear. He swallowed hard and revved his bike before taking off after the SUV.

It could always be worse.