Disarm
Disarm you with a smile
And cut you like you want me to
Cut that little child
Inside of me and such a part of you
Ooh, the years burn
Ooh, the years burn

I used to be a little boy
So old in my shoes
And what I choose is my choice
What's a boy supposed to do?
The killer in me is the killer in you
My love
I send this smile over to you

Disarm you with a smile
And leave you like they left me here
To wither in denial
The bitterness of one who's left alone
Ooh, the years burn
Ooh, the years burn, burn, burn

I used to be a little boy
So old in my shoes
And what I choose is my voice
What's a boy supposed to do?
The killer in me is the killer in you
My love
I send this smile over to you

The killer in me is the killer in you
Send this smile over to you
The killer in me is the killer in you
Send this smile over to you
The killer in me is the killer in you
Send this smile over to you

Adrianne was up way before Daryl the next morning and she sat in her kitchen drinking coffee as he shuffled out, shirtless, buckling his pants. She had already called Dale and told him she wouldn't be at work that night, he was pissed at her and she had class at noon in Atlanta.

"Hey," Daryl kissed her on the cheek as he made his way to the coffee pot, he hadn't yet picked up on her mood. Adrianne looked at him with weary eyes, he was beautiful and things were never going to be the way they used to be.

All these years all for nothing because she couldn't handle what they had said to each other the night before.

"Hey," She watched him closely, and the way his lean form moved as if she would never see him again. She didn't plan to be like this with him anymore. No more sleep overs and no more sex.

"You sleep ok," He asked, noticing now that she was different this morning.

"Yeah, fine, you?"

"Like a fucking rock." He stated as he sat down opposite her, "I always sleep great when I'm here," He winked and her heart responded even though her mind didn't want it to, this was bad, "Remember it's Friday…"

She knew, oh boy did she know. Friday nights at the bar were busy as hell, everyone showed up as an extension of the weekend. You did not call out on a Friday night, it was understood, but all she could think of was getting as far away from him as possible.

They always hung out on Friday nights, Merle and Daryl were regulars there, she always saw them when she was at work.

Dale was spitting mad about having to call Tara in to fill her spot.

"I called out…"

Daryl raised his eyebrows, "We staying in?"

Already he was acting like they were a couple and she knew that would happen. This wasn't what she wanted, even if she had loved him all her life.

"I'm going to Michonnes, I'm staying over in Atlanta tonight..."

"Oh ok," He leaned over to kiss her but the vibe was all wrong now, "You sure you're ok?"

"Daryl," She looked over at him, "You remember my mother begging my father not to leave her on her hands and knees in the driveway right?"

Daryl nodded, half the town had seen it, her drunken mother and father putting on a show that no one wanted to see. Her mother crawled after a man, clinging to his pants leg while her only child watched. Adrianne had been broken that night, seeing her mother humiliate herself for a bag of bones did something to her psyche.

He knew that's why she kept him at arm's length, and every other guy she was ever with. It was why it never worked out with guys and her. She shut herself down before she could feel. She pushed them away, before they got too close, Daryl had gotten closer than anyone and Adrianne was terrified.

"I will never be like that," She said simply as Daryl reached for her hand to kiss her fingertips. He was sweet, and loving to her and she trusted him, but the panic she felt now was overwhelming.

"You won't have to…"

"I know we said stuff, I didn't mean it," She answered and watched his face fall, he looked like he had just lost his best friend and his dog. In reality he did, they could never go back now. It was really dumb to fuck your best friend. Adrianne had said she loved him, she had said it had always been him and it was, but she was not her mother and she could shut it off, "It was just a thing, in the moment." She gulped out and it hurt her to say that.

"Is that so?" Daryl snarked, and rolled his shoulders the way he did when he was really pissed and Adrianne had never been on the receiving end of that.

Daryl would never speak to her again and maybe that was for the best. Maybe she was holding him back from finding "the one", she never planned to settle down with him and that wasn't fair. It had been fun but she knew it was over.

"You know what Adrianne?" Darly stood up and slammed his chair under the table, "I'm 100% sure you meant what you said, but if you take it back now, I'm done. I fucking tired of paying your father's debt. You aren't her, you will never be her! But you're so afraid of being her…"

His boots scuffed across the floor as he went to collect his belongings and she had never seen him so pissed. He lit a cigarette in her hallway even though he never smoked in her house and took a long drag.

Adrianne didn't even say to put it out, she knew he needed something to focus on. Then he turned back to her.

"I'm not letting you blow up my whole life and just walk away, if we're done, WE ARE DONE! We are done for good, I don't ever wanna see you again! You got that!"

She just nodded as tears sprung from her eyes, she knew this was how it would eventually go down, and he was right. She was damaged beyond repair and he had every right to be mad. In silence he collected his stuff and didn't even bother to put his shirt on.

He slammed the front door and she heard him kick start the bike and peel out of her driveway. Then she let herself cry. This was for the best.

/

"Well don't go in front of her house like a psycho!" Merle hollered, when Adrianne kept ducking Daryl's calls and stayed in Atlanta more and more. She had quit her job at Dale's, and stayed out of sight like he wanted. Their fifteen plus year friendship was over and Daryl missed her like he missed air to breathe.

"I overreacted Merle, I got mad at her and acted like a douchebag," Daryl explained, "I knew about her issues, I knew it all going into this thing."

"You gotta pull it together brother, you told her to go away and she did," Merle cautioned, and Daryl knew he was right, "Give her some time...she'll come around."

In his heart Daryl knew she wouldn't, they had never fought in all the years they had known each other, this was bad. The worst.