The weeks following Merle's surprise visit were tense and uncomfortable. Daryl indeed had two broken ribs, a broken nose, and a fractured cheek bone which prevented him from going to his second job at the construction site for nearly two weeks. Glenn had every intention to act as if nothing had happened when Daryl was stuck at home when he would normally be working construction, but the redneck appeared to have other plans.

As if to make up for not being able to work construction, Daryl just started staying later at the car shop. For a few days, Glenn had been worried that the redneck was going to a bar after work to drink away the little extra money he could make off his part time job. When he was home, the joking around and subtle tenderness became tense, like he was a rubberband pulled too tight and was ready to snap at any moment. It worried Glenn, but he thought that maybe when Daryl was able to completely go back to work, things would go back to the way they were. They would flirt, and mess around, and things would be better. Maybe Daryl was just feeling off, like a wounded animal, because of his injuries. At least, that's what he was hoping it was.

However, that didn't seem to be the case.

After the doctor deemed Daryl safe to return to his heavy lifting and building, Glenn thought that he'd cut back his hours at the car shop and go back to normal. What actually happened was that Daryl started going to work earlier and coming home later... and their home life didn't improve much, either.

"Hey... everything alright?" Glenn asked, three weeks after the initial incident and a week after Daryl's longer work days started.

"Yeah, why wouldn' it be, chink?" Daryl snapped, putting more emphasis on the derogatory word than usual.

Glenn flinched slightly. "I dunno. You just seem... off, I guess."

"Yeah, well, mind yer own fuckin' business."

He'd bitten back the urge to say that his boyfriend's business was his business. That was the last time Glenn tried to broach the subject. It was as if they'd gone back to the beginning, except that Daryl actually let him curl up with him in their bed, but the redneck no longer try to nuzzle closer or arouse him through his playful touches anymore. It felt like he was just going through the motions, which had Glenn worried that what happened with Merle left more than just a set of physical marks.

A few days later, after Glenn decided to stop trying to bring it up, he decided to swing by the construction site where Daryl worked, a pizza in hand, to try and get him to relax. He'd never actually visited him while at work, but Daryl had mentioned the location once a while ago. At least this way, he figured, the redneck couldn't entirely snub him for showing up- he did bring food.

He pulled up and parked a block away from the site and, juggling the pizza carefully as he got off his scooter, began to approach the area. Glancing around curiously, he ducked underneath the caution tape and looked up, only to spot a familiar flannel shirt, even if it was under a bright yellow construction vest.

"Hey, Daryl!" he yelled out, trying to get Daryl's attention over the noise of sledgehammers and work trucks. He saw the larger male stiffen slightly before turning around, giving the Asian a sharp look.

"I brought pizza- want some?" he asked as Daryl approached.

"Dammit, chink! I'm workin'! Jus' go home."

As Daryl turned to leave, Glenn let his mouth fall open in an automatic, hurt response. "Why do you keep avoiding me?"

When Daryl stopped cold and he felt the eyes of other workers on him, Glenn realized he probably spoke a lot louder than he had intended. Shit. Slowly, the much larger male turned around and walked back over to him, grabbing him roughly by his upper arm and dragging him out of site of the other workers before he finally let go, nearly shoving him away.

"Th'fuck is wrong with ya, chink? Comin' ta my work an' drawin' attention like that?"

Shifting the pizza box, Glenn forced out a dry little chuckle. "I'm sorry- it's just that I kinda panicked. You haven't been yourself, and it's freaking me out, Daryl."

For a few moments, Daryl remained silent, keeping his eyes on Glenn and his jaw tight, as if waiting for Glenn to do something. Finally he spoke, his voice low and rough but still just audible over the rumble of construction equipment. "We'll talk later. I ain't getting' in trouble at work fer ya, chink."

A soft sigh of relief escaped him. Chink hadn't sounded quite so venomous that time. "Alright," he replied with another weak laugh. "I'll see ya then."

Glenn handed over the pizza before following up his laugh with an equally forced smile, turning to head towards his scooter. Even though the redneck had agreed to talk about what was going on, he couldn't quite ease that tight knot in his stomach. It was making him nervous, and he didn't want to wait for Daryl to get off work. It had him antsy already.. but, he supposed, it was better than getting ignored again.

When he got home, he busied himself by organizing the shrinking pile of bills and debt notices on the table before beginning to just fidget and figure out what to do. Sitting at the table didn't seem to be doing anything for his nerves, which were definitely beginning to get the better of him. But he couldn't help it- this was one of the most serious and nerve-wracking moments of his life, aside from being kicked out of his home and buried in debt. Daryl meant more to him than he had ever anticipated, and this slowly growing rift was going to drive him insane if they didn't at least talk about it.

Finally, a little after seven thirty, Glenn heard the door open and swing shut. He lifted his head from where it rested on the table and looked over at Daryl, who gave him a quick glance before walking past him to grab a beer from the fridge. "How was work...?" he tossed out weakly as the redneck popped open his routine evening beer and took a swig.

"It was fine."

Until I showed up... Glenn added mentally with a little frown, suddenly not sure how to approach the subject again. He could feel Daryl's eyes on him, even as he heard the soft splash of liquid as he took another drink.

"Look, I'm sorry for showing up at the site," he began quickly, before he lost his new found nerve. "I just didn't know what to do- you never talk to me anymore!"

Her took Daryl's silence as, not encouragement exactly, but not discouragement either. He opened his mouth to speak again but the other beat him to it.

"God, chink. When'd ya turn into a girl on me?"

A forced laugh was Glenn's first response. "I didn't turn into a girl-"

"Yeah, well yer sure as fuck actin' like one," he interrupted.

"I was worried about you!" Glenn finally snapped, standing up abruptly in order to face Daryl directly, disregarding the table he smacked into in the process. "Why wouldn't I be? Merle shows up, you guys get into a fight, and suddenly you're not talking to me, touching me, or even acting like I'm here anymore! It's like we're back at the beginning or something."

There was a sudden tension in the room that made Glenn's nerve begin to sink into a knot of nervousness again. He was being glared at, even as Daryl took another drink of the beer, and he knew he may have crossed a line in broaching this subject. But goddammit, he was not gonna let this fall apart on him! This relationship... it was more than he'd ever expected, and he would be damned if he let it crumble. Slowly, he stepped towards Daryl, frowning. "I don't wanna know what happened or anything when you were younger, or why you're so distance. I just want it to stop- you're making me nervous, and I'm scared for your sake."

"Why th'fuck do you care?" Daryl snipped, setting his beer down and crossing his arms.

Glenn was quiet for a few moments as he closed the distance between him and his lover. Gently, he reached up and brushed his fingers over the edge of a very faint bruise along Daryl's cheek bone, ignoring his slight flinch. "Gee, I dunno," he replied softly, forcing a little half smile. "Maybe because I love you?"

Hey guys! Just wanted to thank all of you for reading- it's not done yet, but Glenn said the magic words! Let's see how this turns out, shall we? ;)