Michonne didn't know all about the proceedings from a few days before. She was pretty sure that Daryl had said something to Rick when they'd gone off together. Otherwise it would have been completely out of context for Rick to tell Glenn that the pallet in the pharmacy was nothing to worry about.
As she dressed and rambled through the prison, Michonne felt different. She felt like everyone was looking at her, and it wasn't a look that she was entirely comfortable with. She slipped into the kitchen and was surprised when the plate that held her breakfast fell inexplicably in her lap.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Carol said. "I stumbled…here, I'll get you another plate."
Her tone wasn't entirely sincere and Michonne wondered what was going on. It was clear now, everyone was looking at her, and it was the fact that she had oatmeal dripping off her legs that got their attention.
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"What did you tell Rick?" Michonne asked. After the most uncomfortable breakfast ever she had found Daryl in the watch tower.
"I just told him it was us that had made that bed in the pharmacy. He said he wouldn't tell no one, but I guess he told someone because Carol is ready to crucify me." Daryl said. He leaned back against the wall. "I told her weren't nothin' goin' on between us, but I guess she'd don made up her mind that there was."
"I know that much! I got a lap full of oatmeal and canned ham that told me that!" Michonne said, taking her seat.
Daryl was sorry for that. Carol being mad at him was one thing, but taking it out on Michonne was another.
"I'm sorry, 'Chonne." He offered. He hadn't meant to ever make this big of a mess of things. He'd seriously never considered the fact that Carol felt the way about him that she'd obviously felt. She seemed to see this like her relationship with him crumble, but he'd never seen their relationship being one that even had the possibility of crumbling. She was like a sister to him. He didn't want to have to tell her when he was sleeping with someone. That was embarrassing, and it wasn't like he'd had sex with Michonne since the pharmacy.
Daryl's face was so very sad. Michonne couldn't be mad at him. He looked like a lost puppy right now. She wanted to be mad, but she just couldn't.
"Hey, it's OK, it's not your fault." She offered.
Michonne still hadn't asked him for that "next time". Daryl thought. Maybe he'd screwed up all around. There was supposed to be an "us", but he didn't feel like he thought an "us" should feel. He'd thought something would happen. He'd thought she would move to his perch or he'd move to her cell. He was really open to whatever made her happy. He'd thought that she would kiss him, even when people were looking, and that he wouldn't have to work so hard to understand what was happening around him. None of that had happened. Since the pharmacy, all he could say for sure that happened was that Carol was mad at him and Michonne had suffered a lap full of breakfast.
"'Chonne, what are we doing?" He asked.
"What do you mean? We're on watch." Michonne said.
"I mean what are we doing?" He asked. There was a fire in Daryl that Michonne hadn't seen before. She knew what he was doing. He was ready for some kind of "next step."
"We're being us, Daryl. We're being us." She said.
"I want another chance." Daryl said. "I know you didn't have a good time at the pharmacy, but I want another chance before it's too late for me not to expect a different outcome."
"What do you want to do? If we're in my cell everyone will know." Michonne said.
"And if you come to the perch everyone will know." Daryl countered. "Does it really matter, 'Chonne? Does it matter if they know? They know now and it ain't doin' us a world 'a good." Daryl said.
Michonne had never seen Daryl look desperate. She had very seldom seen anyone look desperate, but the look on his face right now couldn't be explained in any other way. She had to admit to herself that she'd been holding back. She'd been thinking that any amount of affection would get people stirred up in such a small environment, but they were stirred now as it was. She would like another shot at what had happened at the pharmacy. She'd like to see what Daryl was like when he wasn't in the same unexpected position that he'd been in there.
"I guess it doesn't matter if they know." Michonne said. She got up and went over to where Daryl was sitting, squatting down as best she could to be near him. She kissed him and he returned the kiss, this time tangling his fingers in her hair and pulling her toward him. When the kiss broke, Michonne was sure that he was somehow different. He'd shaken off his shackles from Carol and from the expectations of the group, which influenced him greatly. He'd gained confidence with her and knew that he wanted something, and that he didn't need her to tell him what she wanted. Daryl was ready, at least to some degree, to be a lover. She just hoped now that she could live up to his expectations.
"So do I come to you, or do you come to me?" Daryl asked. He wasn't even looking at her. He was pretending that he was watching something below when Michonne knew there was nothing going on.
"You come to me." She said. Smiling at him. He still can't look at me. She thought. Maybe he wasn't as ready and as confident as she thought to continue on to the next level, but it was a risk she was willing to take.
Daryl grunted his understanding and pretended that the four Walkers circling the most secure part of the fence were a plausible threat. He didn't want to look at Michonne for fear of blushing or otherwise embarrassing himself, but the thought of going to her cell tonight was more than a little exciting. He hoped this time he wouldn't have to spend all of his time afterwards apologizing.
