I lived. And I feel cheated. The hurricane completely missed me.
"How d'ya think it's goin' up there?" Maggie nudged Glenn with her shoulder. The light from the trifecta of candles that Carol's using to cook casting warm light over the group that's mostly all gathered in the living room for food and companionship in the dark cold house.
Glenn shrugged. "It's Daryl and Eve, two of the most non-verbal people I have ever met, having to talk to each other. I can't imagine it's going very well. But they'll work it out."
"One good thing about not talking a lot is not being able to beat around the bush."
Maggie's eyebrows creased at the center. "How d'you know that?"
Glenn grimaced, looking to the side with the barn incident in mind. "Trust me. I know. They're both good at a lot of things, — I can't speak for Daryl but Eve isn't a huge fan of wasting words."
'Yeah, she really ain't.' Maggie scoffed under her breath recalling the many times she's talked at the woman. Today was probably the first proper conversation she's ever had with her.
"What do we do about it?" Eve asked. For once not having any clue what to do.
"What do ya wanna do about it?" Daryl countered, not having any idea either.
Both of them sat in silence. Eve tapping her index fingers together.
The only thing that comes to mind is, "Maybe … we should just see what happens?"
"You mean wait again?"
"Yes and no. I mean like …" Eve tilted her head back and forth struggling to find the right words to explain.
"Give it a try?" Daryl offered and Eve nodded.
"I don't think it'll take too long to figure out if we like it. If it's not for us, we can just agree to stay partners."
Daryl would normally nod in agreement with her logic, she's pretty good at logic. But it seems she's not so good with feelings.
Daryl chewed his lip. "I get it, but feelin's don't work like that, Twinkle Toes."
'Twinkle toes. Haven't heard that one in awhile.' Eve sucked on her teeth, and blinked at him skeptically.
Daryl sighed. He's gonna have to explain this to 'er. "It's just like how ya thought we could ignore it and just keep on how we always have, but here we are." Daryl motioned to the dark room they're sitting in, talking about exactly what Eve thought they could just ignore.
'In my defense, that was more of wishful thinking.' Eve sighed, leaning her head on the window. 'But I see his point.'
Eve thought for a minute but surprisingly Daryl's the one who came up with something first.
"What 'bout if we only do stuff that's easy to walk back from?"
Eve raised an eyebrow and Daryl could almost hear her say 'I'm listening.'
"We could just like..." Daryl half shrugged, trying to shurk off some awkwardness by not actually saying what he's thinking.
Eve's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Like…hugs and stuff?"
"Yeah, or somein" Daryl shrugged, chewing the loose skin off his bottom lip. This is still the most awkward conversation he's ever had, but he's glad Eve said it instead of him.
Eve nodded, starting to get it. "So, we should decide what's ok and what's a no then."
Daryl nodded with a rough hum of agreement.
"So, uh ... maybe we should probably just stick to less … romantic(?) stuff — If we wanna make sure it won't make things awkward, in case we decide that you know, we like it better just the way it is. Was." Eve's eyes wandered to and from nothing, trying her hardest to actually look at Daryl and failing miserably.
"Yeah, that's probably best." Daryl tried not to clench his teeth. He's got about as much relationship experience as he suspects Eve does. But it's sort of gone unspoken that they can't just ask someone or take clues from the young love-birds Glenn & Maggie.
They have more … treacherous waters than them.
"So, should we just go down a list of stuff and decide Yay or nay?" Eve asked, feeling a lot less awkward than before. Being able to think about this more like a plan of action than a 'feelings' thing makes it so much easier to deal with. Don't judge.
Daryl chewed on his thumbnail, but nodded. He doesn't have a better idea, so. And he's not actually complaining.
A pulse of panic shot through Eve. 'What do couples do?'
"Ok, so… um, ha— hand holding. Yay or nay?"
"Uh, yay." Daryl answered, not really sure but … they've technically held hands before. Like when he pulled her out of the sinkhole and in those kind of life or death circumstances. It can't be that different.
Eve thought for a second. "Hugs, yay or nay?"
Daryl stiffened but slowly nodded.
Eve watched him prickle up like a threatened cat. "You sure?"
He nodded but Eve doesn't totally buy it. It's good that he's stretching his comfort zone though.
"How about I warn you first?" Eve suggested.
Daryl nodded, the tension draining from his posture almost visibly.
"Ok, um..." Eve looked at Daryl. "I've run out of ideas."
"We can also just, try stuff and decide then."
"Which one of them said that?" Glenn whispered to his girlfriend as the two of them crammed up against the door, eavesdropping.
"Shh" Maggie put her finger on her lips, whispering back, "I can't hear."
"Do you think they've worked it out yet?" Glenn whispered.
Maggie rolled her eyes, smiling a little. "I think they've done a little more than work it out."
Glenn's face lit up like a little kid. "For real?"
"Shh!" Maggie slapped her hand over his mouth, pulling her strength at last second so she didn't hurt him.
Maggie listened to it go quiet and then a little bit of shuffling.
"What are ya—" Daryl's gruff voice was cut off.
A long silence followed, and Maggie's brain spun as she flattened her ear against the door, ignoring Glenn poking her shoulder. 'What's happening? Are they kissin' again?'
Eve put her finger to her lips, cutting Daryl off, before pointing to the door. Daryl raised an eyebrow and listened. He understood a second later when he heard muttering from the door, followed by a 'shh'.
Eve got up and as silent as ever, made her way to the door. Daryl couldn't help looking at her feet, as if he could see if she's making any noise at all. He doesn't know what he expected. Maybe like a comic book 'tap tap tap' or something.
Daryl's lip quirked up in a smirk as he leaned back on the window frame, while he watched a cheeky little grin curl up Eve's lips. Her pale hand was like a careful claw as she grabbed the door handle without jiggling it in the slightest.
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