"What the hell is that?"

Carol started and when she recovered from the fright of having Daryl unexpectedly standing in the dark in the kitchen, she looked mildly affronted. He didn't mean to offend her, it was just a case of his mouth engaging before his brain fully formed a thought.

"What is what?" She flicked on the lamp and passed him to reach the sink, refilling the empty glass in her hand.

"That thing you're wearin'." Daryl looked her up and down.

Carol scoffed. "Come on Daryl, I know we grew up differently, but I'm pretty sure even you've seen a bathrobe before."

Except that was no ordinary bathrobe. Daryl was pretty sure the only women he'd seen wear them were on cable tv in the early hours of the morning. It was navy, or black, he couldn't really tell in the light, silky and short. Short enough for him to know that she wasn't wearing any clothes underneath it. Lace trimmed the edges, and there was some sort of sparkle in the thread, because it kept catching his eye. At least, that's what he tried to tell himself.

"That ain't no ordinary bathrobe." He shook his head and filled his own glass, chugged the water back. "Ain't foolin' nobody."

Carol put the glass down and folded her arms over her chest. "Hmm." She tilted her head. "Thing is, the only person who even gets a glimpse at my nightwear, is the guy who shares my bedroom."

Yeah, that was him. But it wasn't like they were doing anything. Half the time he slept in the goddamn armchair in the corner. Sometimes there was laundry stacked up on it so he had to sleep on the bed, unless he wanted the floor. But they didn't do anything. Hell, he didn't even get close enough to touch Carol.

Fuck. Was she saying that that skimpy scrap of bathrobe was for him?

Daryl let out a snort. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Nothing, he couldn't say anything. Everything he could think of sounded foolish. "Never thought you'd get comfortable enough to wear somethin' like that in this place."

Carol smiled knowingly and one hand slipped down to her waist. For a one terrifying second, Daryl thought she was about to pull the robe's tie loose. Not that the thought of a naked Carol was a horrifying one, but he was nowhere near prepared for it. They were a million miles away from naked territory.

Instead, her hand slipped inside her pocket and she pulled out her handgun. She laughed at his relieved expression and slipped past him towards the stairs.

"Be prepared, as the Boy Scouts used to say."