Thursday is here again, so have an update. It's another fairly long one this week, and we get to see some more of awkward Daryl, so I hope everyone enjoys that. I've been a little blocked with this story as of late, but I've written far enough ahead to be able to have some leeway with it and hopefully I'll be back on track by the time I catch up to myself. Anyway, for those who don't know, whenever I encounter writer's block on this story, I tend to pump out random oneshots. Next Door and Fistfight at the Wafflehouse are the most recent results of my block, so check those out and leave me your thoughts if you haven't already.
Now, onto my reviewers! Scoobydoo0811, you have no idea how much I love writing Daryl as being all shy and awkward. He's just so much fun to play with! Absolutely irresistible! Leyshla Gisel, isn't that how everyone's Monday night goes? Hahaha! Glad you liked it, chick. I pretty much live for your reviews now. BellaBloodrayne, welcome to my shoutout section! I mentioned last week how much I love getting reviews from new readers when I'm this far in because it lets me know that my work is getting around and being appreciated, so thank you very muchly for both of your reviews, my darling. Good to hear that you're loving Ace, she's a really fun character to write. Big thanks also to my other first time reviewer zaii. I always love getting reviews for my smut scenes, because I'm really insecure about them, so your comment was a big help! And Guest, you need to make an account so I can thank your gorgeous self by name! Really glad you're diggin' the OC and the many personalities of Daryl Dixon, haha! I've just reached the point in my writing (I'm a fair way ahead of where I've posted to) where I'm starting to steer them in either one direction or the other. You'll just have to wait and find out which!
Also, I feel the need to let you guys know that pretty much all my work is un-beta'd, so if there's typos and whatnot, that's why.
Anyway, this was a ridiculously long Author's Note, so I'll leave you guys to it and y'all can leave me some love when you're done!
I do not own Daryl or Merle Dixon, or any other characters you may recognise from AMC's The Walking Dead. The original characters and plotline are my own creation. Please respect that. Also, this fic is rated M for a reason.
As soon as Daryl's blue eyes opened, his body tensed. The aching in his head told him that he was going to have a rather impressive hangover which, in turn, told him that he had woken up sober. Which was going to make the issue of the beautiful woman lying on his chest a problem.
Doing his best not to wake her, he grabbed the blanket that was draped over the two of them and lifted it gingerly away from his body, peering down beneath it. His face flushed as he realised he had not properly dressed himself after the events of the previous night. He worked his body around the sleeping Ace until his hands were gripping the waistband of his jeans, which he slowly eased up he thighs, lifting his backside to get them sitting back on his hips where they belonged. He sat up as much as he could and scanned the floor. No sign of his shirt.
Sighing to himself, he let his head flop back against the armrest, his hands pressed over his blue eyes. Beside him, Ace stirred but remained asleep. As she turned onto her other side, a familiar flash of plaid caught his eye and he couldn't help but smirk to himself. She did look damn fine in his shirts.
He placed a hand gently on her shoulder and began shaking her awake. He knew it would make his sober situation a whole lot more awkward, but he was pressed against the very back of the couch. If he didn't move her, he wouldn't be able to get up at all.
Ace stirred again and frowned,wrenching her shoulder away from the unwanted disturbance as a groan escaped her lips. Daryl laughed.
"Hey." he said a little louder than he needed to as he gave her shoulder another light shove. "Wake up."
"Don't wanna!" she whined childishly, nuzzling her face further into his chest.
He laughed and gave her one last gentle shove.
"Come on." he pleaded with her. "You don't get up now, I'm pushin' your ass off."
Grudgingly, Ace cracked one brown eye open and looked up at him, scowling.
"You're an asshole." she told him, her voice raspy.
He watched as she pushed the blankets away from herself and rolled onto her back, stretching her body out with a long, satisfied groan. He quickly bit his lip and looked away when he noticed how his shirt rose up her legs when she moved.
"Where you gotta go in such a hurry, anyway?" she asked, still not moving to allow him off the couch.
"Home." he told her simply as he made to climb over her. "If I don't get there soon, Merle'll-"
"Ah, fuck him." she cut him off, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him down on top of her with a sly grin.
Daryl blushed at the sudden contact with her body. She had snaked her arms around his neck and was planting light kisses up his neck, all the way to his earlobe, stopping when she felt his whole body stiffen.
"Sober, huh?" she asked, disappointment evident in her voice.
Unable to form words around his humiliation, Daryl simply nodded. Ace sighed and pushed him off her so that he was straddling her thighs. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and extricated her legs from beneath his, being careful not to land a knee or a foot in his most sensitive area. She swung herself around, her feet coming into contact with the shag carpet.
"I guess we should get ready and head down to the garage, then." she said bending down to gather her discarded clothes.
Daryl nodded again.
"Sorry." he choked out, his cheeks filling with colour again when she looked around at him, an understanding smile on her face.
"It's fine." she assured him. "Guess I just gotta get you drunker next time if I want some in the morning."
She slid yesterday's underwear up her legs, standing up to shift them over her hindquarters. Daryl, at eye level with her rear end, stole a sneaky glance as he always did whenever the opportunity arose.
She retrieved her bra from the coffee table and examined the straps, noticing that the clasp was ripped wide open, the little hooks bent out of shape and completely useless. She scoffed and tossed the lacy garment at the man on her sofa.
"You gotta stop breakin' my underwear." she told him with a smirk. "Or else you're gonna have to buy me some more."
Daryl chuckled quietly, looking at anything but her as she divested herself of his shirt and tossed it over her shoulder, letting it hang around her neck. It made Ace smile and shake her head disbelievingly. The man who, when riled up and ready to go, could tear her underwear off her, satisfy her each and every physical need and leave her breathless and quivering beneath him when he was done, was sitting on her sofa, meek, mild and quiet as a little dormouse. It was an amusing thought, although it made her kind of sad that Daryl's opinion of himself was obviously that low.
"Y'know what?" she asked, standing up straight and dropping the rest of her clothes on the floor. "Screw this. I'm takin' a shower."
Daryl simply stayed put on the couch and nodded as she headed towards the door in just her underwear.
"Can I have my shirt back?" he called after her just before she disappeared into the hallway.
She glanced back over her shoulder, hand clasping at the worn plaid shirt around her neck. Here face took on a devilish quality and she shot him a wink.
"You want it? Come get it."
And then she was gone.
Daryl sighed and ran a hand through his hair, her words replaying in his head. She wanted him to join her. In the fucking shower. Drunk Daryl would've been all over it, but it was much more than he could handle in his present state. Shaking his head, he cursed himself under his breath and leaned back into the couch.
"You alright, man?"
Daryl shot back into an upright position, his heart racing from the fright he'd just received. Glancing at the door, he found Mitch's head poking into the room. Slowly, he nodded.
"Yeah." he answered.
Mitch gave him a smile and stepped into the room completely, walking over to collapse into one of his sister's worn old recliners.
"Didn't really get too much of a chance to talk the other night." the older man said, surveying Daryl with interest. "Daryl, right?"
The man in question nodded, regarding Mitch with a wary eye. He didn't come off as stupid. The guy had to know that Daryl was sleeping with his sister. He wasn't sure of what kind of man Mitch was, but Daryl certainly knew what he would do if he had a sister and woke up to find a semi clothed man in her house.
"Relax, man." Mitch implored, seemingly reading his thoughts. "If I was gonna punch your head in, I woulda done it already."
Daryl was silent for a moment, thinking it over.
"So you're okay with it?" he asked finally.
Mitch shrugged.
"Why not? Ace is a big girl. Hell, even as a teenager I couldn't tell her what to do. She does as she damn well pleases. Always has."
Silence fell between the two men once more.
"Where's your shirt?" Mitch asked after a few moments.
Daryl couldn't suppress a chuckle as he glanced down at his bare chest.
"Your sister's holdin' it hostage." he replied, glancing at the older man with raised eyebrows.
Mitch's face split into a grin.
"Sounds like her." he said fondly. "She's a wild one."
"You got that right." Daryl agreed, the welts her fingernails had left on his back tingling at the thought. "She always been like that?"
Mitch smiled and nodded, propping his bare feet up on the coffee table.
"Yup." he confirmed, his eyes twinkling with untold stories. "Though nowhere near as angry as she was when I last saw her."
Daryl cocked an eyebrow.
"Angry, huh?" he asked, his interest piqued.
Mitch merely nodded, a faraway look in his brown eyes.
"I remember when she was a kid, man, she'd get so pissed of... She'd storm around the house for days, pickin' fights with the rest of us just 'cause she wanted someone to scream at her." he reminisced. "And I'll never forget the first time I had to go post bail after she got in a fight."
Daryl laughed.
"Bail, huh?" he asked, enjoying this insight into Ace's past. "That serious?"
"Yeah, it was her junior prom. Some asshole tried gettin' fresh in the bathroom, wasn't havin' none of it when she said no. So, when he went in for a kiss, she grabbed the back of his head, slammed it into a sink. Kid broke his nose on the faucet, busted up his eye socket pretty bad. School principal comes rushin' in, there's blood everywhere, this poor asshole's on the floor cryin' and there's Ace. Standin' over him, stiletto in his back, prom dress all covered in blood..."
Daryl laughed as Mitch trailed off.
"Jesus." he commented. "So our girl's gotta temper, huh?"
"Did have." Mitch corrected him. "Ain't seen much of it since I been here, though that ain't been long. Gotta be better than she was, though, 'cause blowin' up used to be a daily thing with her."
"You assholes talkin' about me?"
Both men turned in their seats to find Ace standing in the door, hands on her hips. Her still damp hair was piled haphazardly on top of her head, held in place with a rubber band. Her bottom half wore her typical work uniform: worn out old biker boots and frayed, patched denim cut-offs that clung to her curves like a second skin. On her top half however...
"Is that my shirt?" Daryl demanded, his eyes narrowing.
Ace laughed and glanced down at herself. It was indeed Daryl's shirt. Far too big for her, it hung down at the sides under the arms, displaying her bra. Black lace today, Daryl noted. She had buttoned only four of the buttons and tied the rest of the shirt in a large knot under her breasts, leaving cleavage and toned, flat belly on show.
Daryl swallowed the lump forming in his throat.
"No." she answered his question finally, a cheeky grin playing on her lips. "It's my shirt."
He laughed as she walked over and collapsed heavily onto the couch next to him.
"You want anything before we head to work?" she asked him, ignoring the way he tensed when she threw an arm around his shoulders. "Coffee? Beer?"
He shot her a sidelong glance, eyebrow cocked.
"It's eight in the morning." he pointed out.
Ace shrugged.
"Five o'clock somewhere, right?"
Mitch laughed at the little exchange between the two of them, wondering how the hell Ace managed to get this man's clothes off at all. The older man could tell that Daryl was awkward just from looking at the way he interacted with the woman beside him.
"I'm good." he replied, gazing at the carpet as he shook his head, a small smile on his face.
He rose from his seat on the sofa, adjusting the waist of his jeans before glancing expectantly at Ace, who motioned towards the door with her head. He passed in front of her and opened it, stepping out onto the porch and pausing with his hand on the doorknob as she said goodbye to her brother and followed Daryl out of the house.
"You wanna ride?" he asked her as they crossed her front lawn to the driveway, each walking in perfect step with the other.
"Depends." Ace replied. "You feel like givin' me a ride home again tonight?"
Daryl merely shrugged as he felt the one-sided tension between them begin to dissipate, Ace starting to fall back into the 'one-of-the-guys' category in his mind.
"Don't bother me none." he assured her, earning a smile.
"Then sure." she told him, pausing by his truck as he opened the passenger side door for her, allowing her to hoist herself up into the seat.
Although he tried to stop himself, his blue eyes locked onto her behind as soon as it passed his face. Hmm. Maybe not entirely one of the boys, he thought as he fought to keep the blush out of his cheeks. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he pushed the door shut and made his way around to the driver's side, climbing into the seat with far less grace than his companion and starting the ignition.
"So did you guys get that truck fixed?" Ace asked as they drove down her potholed street, not missing the way Daryl's eyes followed the bouncing of her breasts with every bump they hit.
She had to fight back a chuckle. Boys will be boys...
"Yeah." Daryl confirmed. "Starter blew up. Pretty easy to fix. Lucky we had the right part layin' around, too."
Ace nodded and returned her attention to the road in front of them, watching the dusty streets fly past them as they neared the Dixon's garage. She knew Daryl must be feeling a little weird right now. Hell, she could practically see the poor guy sweating. How the hell could a grown man (especially one who looked like Daryl Dixon) be so damn insecure around women?
She didn't have time to dwell on it though, for they were now pulling up in the driveway of the house Daryl and Merle shared. The heavy roller doors on the garage were already open, and Merle was standing by an old Chevy with it's hood popped, his friend Johnnie beside him.
Ace and Daryl jumped out of the truck and made their way inside, Ace dropping her bag on a workbench before joining the three men in front of the Chevy.
"So what's on the agenda for today?" she asked, directing her question at Merle.
"Johnnie's bike needs lookin' at again." the older Dixon told her, nodding at the shorter man beside him, who shot Ace a smile.
"She ain't startin'." he informed the motorcycle mechanic. "Think you can work your magic on it for me, darlin'?"
Ace resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him as she headed over to her bay to examine the bike. Southern men and their goddamn nicknames! She'd lived in the south her whole life, but it was something she'd never get used to.
She could feel three sets of eyes burning into her back as she circled the bike, her mind ticking.
"Can ya help me out anymore other than 'it ain't startin'?" she asked, glancing over at Johnnie.
The portly man shrugged, readjusting the off-white trucker cap on his head.
"Sorry, sweetheart." he said. "I just ride it. Fixin' it's your job."
She scoffed and flipped Johnnie the bird before turning back to his bike.Well, she decided, old habits die hard. May as well check it out before I go pullin' the whole thing apart again.
She stopped circling, her fingers finding the cap on the gas tank, unscrewing it swiftly and pulling it open. She bent down, holding her hair away from her face as she sniffed at the tank, standing back quickly with her nose wrinkled a few seconds later.
"Well, there's your problem." she said, turning back to the men watching her as she fought to keep the smirk off her face.
Johnnie's cheeks filled with colour as he frowned.
"It ain't been pissed in again!?" he cried, outraged.
Ace couldn't help but smile a little as she saw Merle roll his eyes and slap a hand over her face while, behind him, Daryl bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing.
"Yup." she confirmed. "Sorry buddy. I know this chrome cap probably matches your purse and all, but I really think you should start considerin' one with a lock, just like I told you last time."
If possible, Jonnie's face went even redder as both Dixons burst out laughing, Daryl falling back against the side of the Chevy while Merle slapped Johnnie on the back.
"Damn Johnnie, maybe the girl's right." he spoke through his laughter.
Ace smiled as she crossed the floor back to where the men stood, wiping her fingers off on a rag as she went. Taking pity on the unfortunate man, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't ya head on home Johnnie?" she asked him, still smiling. "I'll flush this thing out and call you when I'm done."
Still red in the face, Johnnie nodded. Beside him, Merle took a deep breath to regain his composure after his laughing fit.
"Come on, boy." he called over his shoulder as he headed towards the door. "I'll give your ass a ride home."
Daryl tossed Merle the keys to his truck and watched with Ace as they backed out of the drive. When the truck was out of sight, Ace sighed and shook her head, smirking as she crossed to the bar fridge in the back.
"You want one?" she called over her shoulder to Daryl.
"Yeah, why the hell not?" he answered, walking up behind her and accepting the Bud she placed in his hand, popping the top and taking a long swig.
Ace smiled as she watched him cross back to the Chevy in his bay. He was always a lot easier around her at work. She suspected it was because here, they could talk cars and bikes and trucks and screw around with Merle and he could pretend that she was just another guy. Although sometimes, when she was bent over working on a bike, she'd catch him staring.
"So what's wrong with it?" she asked, nodding to the Chevy as she leaned against the workbench next to the fridge, sipping her beer.
"Just needs a service." he informed her as he slid a drip tray underneath the engine bay and reached in to unscrew the sump plug, the gluggy sound of old oil rushing from the taknk filling the garage.
She nodded slowly, placing her beer down on the bench and heading back into her own bay, where she set to work removing the gas tank from Johnnie's bike. She and Daryl worked in companionable silence for the better part of an hour, Ace finishin with Johnnie's bike and reassuming her spot next to the fridge, beer in hand as she watched Daryl work.
"Need a hand?" she asked finally.
"Nah, almost done." he replied as he tipped some new oil in. "Why? You bored?"
She shrugged.
"A little." she admitted. "I got nothin' else to do 'til Merle gets back."
"Yeah, he's takin' his sweet ass time." Daryl agreed, standing up straight and using his forearm to wipe the sweat from his brow, leaving a nice oil stain in it's place.
"Probably just havin' a few beers." Ace pointed out. "You know Merle."
"Can't turn down a free drink." Daryl supplied with a nod and a smirk.
He turned back to the Chevy and pulled the hood down, letting it fall into place with a bang that echoed through the garage. He faced Ace once again, pulling a rag out of his back pocket to wipe his hands.
"Looks like we got some time to kill." he told her. "What you wanna do?"
Ace's face split into a devilish grin, her eyes narrowing over the top of her beer.
"I got a few ideas." she told him, her voice low. "But somethin' tells me you ain't had enough to drink yet."
Daryl looked away, blushing.
"Damn it, woman. Don't do that to me here." he muttered.
Ace laughed and shook her head, placing her beer back down on the benchtop and crossing her arms over her chest.
"You gotta better idea?" she asked him, eyebrow cocked.
Daryl didn't answer, instead coming to where she stood and opening the fridge, retrieving another beer. He popped the top and proceeded to down almost half of it in one go. Ace watched, an amused look on her face as he took a couple more swigs before placing the bottle down on the bench beside hers, almost empty.
"Inside." he said simply, grabbing her hand and pulling her behind him as he made his way out of the garage and up to the front steps of the house.
Ace was surprised, to say the least. She followed him regardless, suspecting that this was more for her benefit than anything else. He'd barely had two beers. Nowhere near enough for him to be this confident, which was confirmed by the pink still staining his cheeks as he opened the front door and pushed her inside in front of him.
"Hey." she said quickly as he steered her into the kitchen. "Daryl, I was just playin'. We don't gotta do this if you don't wanna."
"Just shut up." he told her as he grasped her hips and picked her up, placing her on the bench and stepping between her thighs.
"But-"
"But nothin'." he cut her off, not looking at her as he untied the knot in the front of her shirt and crept his hands under it. "Feel bad enough for this mornin' as it is. Shut up and let me do this for ya."
Ace opened her mouth to protest again, wanting to tell him that she really hadn't minded his standoffish behaviour in her living room earlier that day, but was quickly cut off again as Daryl's mouth covered hers, his tongue slipping between her parted lips as his hands kneaded her breasts through her bra.
Oh well, she thought. May as well go with it.
She began to kiss him back feverishly as his hands dragged down her sides and to the front of the waistband of her shorts. He hooked his fingers in and she lifted her ass off the counter just enough for him to be able to slide them down her legs without bothering to open the fly. Her own fingers found his belt buckle, and she expertly slid it open and popped the button on his jeans, allowing them to fall in a puddle at his feet.
He cupped her through her underwear to test her readiness and, when he felt the moist heat on his fingers, he used one hand to push his boxers down and the other to push her panties to the side. Her angle on the bench allowed him to slide in effortlessly, and she moaned into his mouth, wrapping her legs firmly around his waist as he began to thrust against her.
This was not like the last two times they had been together. Those times, he had been bold, vocal and explorative. Now, however, he kept his mouth pressed to hers and his eyes squeezed shut, his breathing coming heavily through his nose as his peak built inside him. Ace put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in closer. Even in this intimate situation, she could tell he was nervous by just how tense his body was. His hands held hard to her hips, leaving the beginnings of some spectacular bruises.
She felt the edge rapidly approaching as he thrust against her harder, grunting against her lips with every movement. She pulled away from their kiss finally, gasping for air.
"Daryl!" she cried, her eyes falling closed as her orgasm took her over completely.
He didn't reply. Instead, he pressed his face into her shoulder and bit his bottom lip, picking up his pace again, slamming home repeatedly as he felt her tighten around him like a vice. With one more push and an animalistic groan, he spilled inside her.
The air in the tiny kitchen was heavy and stank of sweat and sex. Daryl slowly withdrew his rapidly softening self from the warm embrace of Ace's body, his breathing still rapid and uneven. Still not looking at her, he knelt to the floor and grabbed her shorts, tossing them to her before pulling his jeans back up and buckling his belt.
A few moments passed in silence before he finally built up the courage to look at her. She was fully clothed again, her cheeks still pink from her orgasm and her chest heaving slightly. Her brown eyes, however, were uncertain as she surveyed him.
He blushed and looked away again.
"Sorry." he mumbled finally, knowing he'd fucked up somehow.
Ace exhaled through her nose and pushed herself forward off the bench, walking over to place a hand on his shoulder.
"Ya got nothin' to be sorry for." she assured him soothingly, rubbing his upper arm. "But next time, don't feel like you have to do somethin' you ain't entirely comfortable with just to make me happy. I honestly didn't care that you were too sober to do anything when we woke up. You didn't need to do this."
He shrugged, still not looking at her. Ace sighed and moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and gazing up at his face, which was turned away from her.
"Hey." she called softly.
Finally, he turned his head and glanced down at her. She gave him a smile and pressed her lips to his, feeling him tense again, but he still returned the kiss, tilting his head slightly and parting his lips when he felt her tongue sweep out against them. His hands found their way to her waist, and he seemed to relax a little.
She drew back and smiled up at him again.
"See? Not so bad." she told him. "Just stop stressin'. We're gonna work on this, okay?"
He gave a quiet chuckle and a small lopsided smile as he nodded, one of his hands venturing down and giving her ass a squeeze, making her giggle.
"You're gettin' the hang of it already." she told him.
Daryl laughed again and opened his mouth to reply, but quickly closed it again when they heard the truck crunch into the driveway.
"Shit." he spoke. "That'll be Merle. Make yourself decent, I'll go out and head him off before he comes in here lookin' for us."
Ace nodded as she released him. He left the house quickly, leaving her to right herself. She swiftly tied Daryl's shirt back into a knot under her breasts and then grabbed the toaster, fixing her hair in the reflective metal on the side of it. To her eyes, she still looked thoroughly sexed, although she was hoping Merle wouldn't pick up on it. She always looked a little bit of a mess at work, so some slightly tousled sex hair and sweat slicked skin wasn't going to make too much of a difference.
Setting the appliance back down, she took a deep breath before heading back to the garage. Merle and Daryl were leaning against one of the workbenches, each nursing a beer. Merle turned his head when he heard her approach, Daryl throwing her a sneaky wink over his brother's shoulder. Ace fought back her grin as Merle addressed her.
"Where you been?" he asked, skipping the greetings.
She rolled her eyes convincingly.
"Bathroom." she lied as she grabbed another beer out of the fridge before pulling herself up to sit on the bench beside Daryl.
Merle stood before them, surveying the pair suspiciously, his eyes taking in everything. Ace's mussed up hair and the slight pink flush in her cheeks. The way Daryl's shirt was half tucked into his jeans and one side of his collar was popped.
"Aw, bullshit!" the older Dixon exclaimed finally, his face splitting into a lecherous grin. "Y'all were fuckin'!"
Daryl went red once again, and Ace scoffed as she brought her beer to her lips.
"Yeah, you caught us Merle." she said with another roll of her eyes.
No point in denying it now.
Merle cackled and slapped his younger brother on the shoulder.
"Well, shit." he said, still smirking. "I gotta worry about this every damn time I leave now?"
"Just shut up, Merle." Daryl spat, the tips of his ears flaming. "What we do ain't none of your damn business."
Merle cocked an eyebrow.
"It is when it happens on my time." he pointed out. "Y'all is here to work, not screw eachother senseless all over the damn place. You finish with May's Chevy?"
Daryl nodded.
"And you?" he continued, turning his gaze on Ace. "You clean out Johnnie's tank?"
"Yeah." she confirmed. "We're all done. We weren't shirkin' our responsibilities or whatever, so shut the fuck up."
Merle sighed and shrugged.
"Whatever." he said, fast losing interest in the conversation. "Ain't mad. Hell, it's nice to see my baby brother gettin' some! Just gotta make sure this ain't gonna be interferin' with your work and shit."
"It ain't." Ace assured him, pushing herself off the bench and heading back out of the garage, beer still clutched tightly in her hand.
Daryl sighed and rubbed a hand over his face before balling it into a fist and punching his older brother in the arm.
"Damn it, Merle!" he exclaimed. "Why can't you ever just shut the hell up!?"
Merle looked over at his brother, rubbing the sore spot on his arm where Daryl's fist had landed.
"What the hell is goin' on with you two, anyway?" he asked, his eyebrow cocked as he surveyed his brother curiously.
Daryl shrugged.
"Nothin'." he answered honestly. "We're friends."
He turned away and headed into Merle's office, the man in question following close behind him.
"Friends who fuck?" he asked incredulously.
"Yeah." Daryl confirmed, not looking at his brother as he collapsed into one of the chairs around the messy, ancient desk.
"Does she know that?"
Finally, Daryl glanced up, his blue eyes narrowed at the accusing tone in his brother's voice. He sounded, dare he say it, almost concerned.
"Was her idea." Daryl informed him. "She ain't lookin' for a man, I ain't lookin' for a woman... Just easy for both of us. Why d'you care, anyway?"
"'Cause she's a fuckin' good mechanic." Merle responded, surprising Daryl. "Gonna be tough to replace when you inevitably fuck it up."
Daryl scowled up at Merle.
"Ain't nothin' to fuck up." he insisted.
Merle scoffed.
"So she says now, but she's a woman." he announced. "And they're all the fuckin' same, Daryl. Day'll come when the fuckin' ain't enough. She'll start expecting somethin' else. More."
Daryl shook his head.
"Ace ain't like that."
Merle sighed and shook his head.
"Whatever you say, baby brother." he told him as he turned to head back out the door. "I'll be there to say I told you so."
