(Thank you for all the reviews. I love writing this story. I know I have a lot of spelling and grammar errors. I'm working on that, but please try and look past them. I have fun writing and I hope that some of you enjoy it.)
Once Merle got out of the shower he returned to the living room where had been previously. He was no longer there, however. Merle quickly checked the two bedrooms that were in the house and didn't see him there either. He stepped out the front door and saw his baby brother sitting on the porch, smoking a cigarette.
"You got another one?" Merle asked.
Daryl reached into his pocket and pulled out the pack. He flipped it open and held it out towards Merle.
"You're getting a little low there." Merle pointed out. He noticed Daryl only had 3 cigarettes left in the pack.
"Don't really smoke as much as I used to." Daryl said
"You used to smoke like a damn chimney." "What changed?"
"I don't know." Daryl said. "I just don't need feel like I need one as much most days."
"That right?" Merle asked questioningly.
Daryl didn't answer his brother. He didn't really have one to give him.
"Listen." Daryl said changing the subject. "Carol wanted me to ask if you wanted to come to her house with me one night after you get settled back in and have supper with us. She figured you might want a home cooked meal or some shit." Daryl said, almost regretfully as he ran his hands through his hair.
Merle was about to protest. Why the hell would he want to go to the suburbs and have some type of family supper with some woman his little brother was most likely fucking around with? Then he remembered, this was the girl he got locked up over, the girl he was having holiday meals with, the girl's house he heard he spent a lot of his spare time at. Merle was actually quite interested in meeting this woman and finding out what was so damn special about her that his brother stuck up her ass.
"That sounds like a great idea." Darylina. Merle said with a smile.
Daryl looked up and eyed his brother suspiciously. He had assumed it would take a lot more convincing than this to actually get him to agree to go.
"You actually wanna go?
"Hell yeah. I can't remember the last time I had a proper meal. How soon can we go?"
"I don't know. I'll text her and ask her." Daryl said.
"Text her?" Damn brother, you really have changed.
Daryl rolled his eyes. Then he flicked his cigarette in the yard and stood up.
"I think I'mma go hunting." "You wanna come?"
Merle took one last long drag off of his cigarette and threw it in the yard.
"Now you're speaking my language again." He said as he stood up too.
When the brothers returned from their hunt they brought back a few rabbits and squirrels. They took "the time to skin and clean them and then placed them in the fridge.
"I can't wait to make squirrel stew." Merle said. "I swear, I got so sick of that damn jail food."
Daryl let out a little laugh. He had no idea what jail food tasted like, but if was anything like the food they fed you in school, he hated to think about eating it every day for the last six months and he was sure his brother was really ready for a good meal.
"Carol texted me back." He said as he looked at Merle. "She said if we wanted to we could come by this evening, but if you wanna wait a few days to get settled in just for me to let her know."
"Settled in?" "If we wait for that I won't ever go. I won't ever be settled in here. Merle said.
"Well, we gone go tonight or not?"
"Tell your little lady friend we will be there."
Daryl would be lying if he said that this didn't make him nervous as hell. He had no idea how Merle was going to act. You could never really guess what he would say or do.
"Don't be a dick." Daryl warned his brother as they approached the door.
Merle made a face at his brother. "When have I ever done that?"
Daryl knocked on the door and it didn't take long for Carol to answer.
She opened it and saw Merle for the first time. He was tall and muscular like Daryl. His chest and arms were even slightly larger than his younger brothers. He also wore that badass look and he was wearing a mischievous grin on his face. She didn't get that same shy, awkward vibe from him that Daryl carried. He seemed to carry more, what was it confidence, or maybe arrogance was a better word. She couldn't tell yet.
"Hey Merle, I'm Carol." She said, as she extended her hand and introduced herself.
Merle looked at his brother, flashing that mischievous grin at him. He took Carol's hand in his for the introductory hand shake.
"Hello, Darlin." He said. "It sure is nice to meet you. Ya know, my brother didn't mention what a pretty little thing you are?" He met Daryl's eyes once he finished the sentence.
Daryl looked as his brother and scowled.
Carol raised her eyebrows at Merle, but didn't say anything. She noticed the look Daryl was giving him and she almost thought Merle intentionally said it to try and piss Daryl off.
"Well, thanks." She said. "Anyway, come on in. I made plenty of food."
"She led them through the living room and towards the kitchen. Daryl was following right behind her, but Merle was hanging back a little farther. He was taking in the scenery of the house. He noticed pictures of that blond headed little girl hanging everywhere. They were from various ages of course. He also noticed pictures of some of the people that were in the Thanksgiving photo Daryl had at home. Then a certain photo sitting on a lamp stand caught his eye. It was one of his baby brother sitting beside her. She was holding tiny baby, looking down at it smiling. His brother had his head turned towards her and he wore a small smile on his face. What the fuck? Merle thought to himself.
They entered the dining room that was situated right beside the kitchen. She gestured for them to have a seat.
"Food smells real good." Merle said genuinely.
"Thanks, I hope you'll like it. I told Daryl I knew it'd been a while since you had a home cooked meal. I thought you could use one."
"It's been a while since I had a lot of things." Merle mused.
Daryl eyed his brother again, but didn't say anything.
"I'm gonna go get everything from the kitchen and bring it in here." She said.
"I'll help you." Daryl volunteered and followed after her.
The duo returned from the kitchen. Carol had cooked fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and biscuits.
"You practically got your own little KFC in that kitchen, huh?" Merle joked.
Carol smiled. "My food's way better than KFC, isn't that right Daryl."
"Carol can cook like hell." His baby brother said in agreeance.
"You're little girl joining us?" Merle asked curiously
"No, she's over at Rick and Lori's. She wanted to go play with Carl and help with their new baby." Carol said.
Merle realized that must be the baby she was holding in that picture his brother was starring so damn hard at her in.
The three of them sat and talked a while without incident. Carol asked him about himself and his life. He had pretty much the same story as Daryl did. He had dropped out of high school, worked mostly in construction or mechanic type jobs for the majority of his life. He had done a brief stint in the army for about 3 years, but didn't re-enlist. He came back home and get Daryl when he finished his stint and two had been together ever since. Except for the few stints that Merle had spent in jail. From what he told her it was always for fighting or drugs. She seemed to appreciate the honesty and forthrightness he put up about it.
She had finished questioning him and Merle decided that he had some questions of his own for her.
"So, Carol?" He asked, as he looked her dead in the eye. "How long has my baby brother been putting it to ya?"
Daryl had been taking a sip of tea when Merle fist started talking. When he heard the words that left his brothers mouth he almost choked on the beverage.
Carol looked over at Daryl when he started making choking noises. His face was bright red.
Merle was wearing a huge grin as he stared at the two of them waiting for an answer.
"He was always the shy one." Merle said with a laugh. "So you gonna answer my question?"
She could only think of two reasons that Merle had asked her that question The first one was that he really did think that she and Daryl were together and the second was that he was trying his hardest to make Daryl's night as awkward and uncomfortable as possible. She was strongly leaning towards the latter.
"About six months now." She answered with a straight face. Then she took a bite of food from her plate.
Daryl stared at her. His mouth wide open now. He had turned even redder than he was before it that was even possible. He wanted to sink down in his chair and disappear.
Merle let out a laugh. He wasn't sure if the woman was being serious or if she was playing along and fucking right back with him. His brother had vehemently denied that anything had gone on between the two. He had no idea why he would have done that if they had something going on. She wasn't an ugly woman, she had a real pretty face. She wasn't Merles type. She seemed too respectable. Hell, he honestly thought was too respectable for Daryl. Dixon's don't make boyfriends. They just aren't cut out for it.
"And here I was thinking my brother wouldn't know what to do with a pussy." Merle spat back at her. "It's a shame he got to ya first." Merle said giving her a wink.
"Stop." Daryl finally said. Clearly annoyed.
"He knows what to do." Carol said with a wink, despite Daryl's previous plea for them to cut it out.
Daryl locked eyes with her. He looked pitiful and she knew they were making him miserable. She decided she quit the back and forth with Merle.
They finished eating and changed the subject from the make believe sex life between the two and Daryl was grateful. He couldn't believe Carol was going back and forth like that with his brother. He also wondered what his brother was gonna say when they got home.
Once they finished eating Daryl helped her clear the table and take the dished to the sink. Merle watched them out of the corner of his eye and saw them talking. Carol said something to him that Merle couldn't hear what it was. Daryl playfully shoved her and laughed. Maybe the two really were screwing around.
When his brother and Carol returned to the kitchen he asked where the restroom was and wanted to borrow Daryl's phone. He was going to call Axel and see if he would hit up a bar with him. After being locked up so long he wanted nothing more than to go get wasted and find a piece of ass. He knew Daryl wouldn't join him, but didn't really care right now. He took the phone and headed to the restroom. He was about to dial the number when he noticed the background on Daryl's phone. It was a picture of Carol covered in paint, reaching up towards Daryl and looking him. His brother looking down at her with a small grin. The same grin he wore in that picture earlier. Then Merle suddenly realized how his brother wore that same grin many times tonight. Come to think of it, he had kept his eyes on her most of the night. He jumped up to help her do everything and followed her around like a little damn puppy.
"I'll be damned." Merle grumbled. "My baby brother's in love."