Belt Loops of Love
Chapter 3: French Fries and other Funny Foods
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews! I'm glad you like this story, I was worried when I first put it up that no one would like it.
If you haven't read it yet and love to read some more Robin/Daryl moments, check out my Walking Dead fanfic called Heart of Dixon. The title of this story would make a lot more sense.
By the way these are you I imagined to be Mickey, Jacob, and Sunni.
Mickey: Lucy Lawless-with red hair
Jacob: Sean Patrick Flanery
Sunni: Teresa Palmer
Robin's POV
I would love to say that I went over to Daryl's auto shop, got my whishers fixed, flirted up a storm with Daryl while looking incredibly sexy, and wide up getting his number and him asking me to go on a date with me. That didn't happen, in fact, I got in my car and drove back home like the giant chicken I was. I couldn't go see him after the weird fight in the diner; he'd call the cops and have me committed. Also I didn't have the money to get it fixed. I went back home and thought of somewhere I could get my whishers fixed.
I was on the couch watching the Rising Dead when Jacob came home, "Hey Robby, what happened to you windshield wipers? They look broken off."
I pouted, "Mickey broke my whishers."
"Why did Mickey break your whishers?" Jacob was unfazed by my weird vocabulary.
"So I could talk to a guy." I answered.
"What guy?" Jacob looked up. Oh no, protective brother mode is activating!
"He runs an auto shop." I answered simply hoping that we could leave it there.
"Do you know his name?" Jacob asked.
"Yes." I walked away into my temporary bedroom and pulled out a book. I didn't want to answer all Jacob's questions. He got crazy over-protective when I told him about guys. He would go as far as to question the guys himself. He's drove off several guys in the past.
"Robin." He ground out my name through clenched teeth, "What's his name?"
"Why do you want to know so bad?" I snapped.
"Because I'm your older brother, I got to be there to beat up any guy that takes interest or breaks your heart." He answered.
"Maybe I don't want you to scare him away. Though I doubt that you could scare him away, he's way scarier than you could ever be." I scoffed.
"Please I could handle anything thrown my way." Jacob smirked.
"Whatever you say." I looked back at my book, but Jacob snatched it away, "Hey, give that back!"
"Not until you tell me his name!" Jacob held the book out of my grasp.
"Fine, you evil doctor. His name is Daryl. Now give me my book back, I was just getting to the good part!" I reached out from my book but he just held it higher. It sucks that my brother is taller than me.
"Daryl, as in Daryl Dixon?" He asked with a frown.
"Yes, how do you know him?" I scouted to the edge of the bed. I was eager to know anything about him.
"I don't know him personally, but I know his brother and his dad. They are the worst two people in this town. You better stay away from him." Jacob ordered.
"Hold on a second, is Daryl a bad guy? Has he been arrested for giving drugs to kids? Has he killed anyone or raped someone?" I questioned. My temper was rising as I asked the questions. I doubted he would do any of those things. I really didn't know anything about him; he just didn't come off that way.
"No, he mostly keeps to himself when his brother is in jail. He has bit of a temper but he's still someone you don't want to get mixed up with. His family is horrible, horrible people." He scrunched up his face like he had a bad taste in his mouth. That made my temper spike even more.
"So what you're saying he's guilty by association." I growled.
"Yea-why are you getting so offended? You don't even know him?"
"You don't even know him, do you? How very small-minded to judge someone just because of his family. I suppose now you think I'm some kind of thief because of my dad, now don't you." I jumped off the bed and got up in his face.
"I don't think that about you, Robby." Jacob yelled at me as I walked out of the house and pulled into Sunni's apartment. I called her when I parked. After two rings, she answered, "Hello?"
"Hey, I'm at your place, Could I hang out with you or are you too busy?" I asked.
"Sure, come on up, love." Sunni, cheerful as always. I got out and knocked on her door. She answered right away and let me in.
"You remember when I told you about being stuck in the elevator with the guy?" I asked when I sat down on her couch.
"Yea, I remember." Sunni laughed and sat down.
"Well, I saw him again today at the diner beside the shop." I told Sunni about our strange argument, Mickey breaking my whishers, and then my argument with Jacob. She laughed to until the point I got to my and Jacob's fight.
"I admit Merle is a pig, he's comes over to the shop all the time to hit on Mickey and me. I've never met their dad, but I've heard he's terrible person that beat his kids. I've never talked to Daryl. He's kind of a hermit and Merle's shadow." Sunni said, "You want something to drink?"
I nodded, "His dad beat them? No one did anything to help them?" I followed her into the kitchen.
"No one wanted to cross their dad." Sunni frowned, "My dad taught at the school when they went, Daryl would always come to school dirty, skin and bones, and covered in bruises. He was really quiet and picked on really bad. My dad tried helping him, but Daryl didn't trust anyone."
I frowned, "How horrible for someone to do that to their children. I will never understand why people hurt their kids." I went through a lot with my mom, but she never abused me. If anything it left with some serious abandonment issues.
"My dad still regrets not being able to help them more." Sunni poured me a cup of Mountain Dew, "Anyways how's the search for a new place going?"
I slumped against the wall, "Terrible, all the places are so expensive without having a roommate."
"I'm sorry you can't stay here." Sunni already had a roommate, Stacy, a major noisy bitch who had a history of stealing boyfriends and husbands. I tried to avoid her the best I could, I didn't like how she used people.
"I know, you have a roommate, I'll keep looking. I love my brother and all, but he's been driving me insane banging women almost every night."
Sunni covered her mouth to hide her laughter, "I'm sorry. That's really awful."
I playfully shoved at her, "It's not funny. These women scream out about my brother being a god in bed. It's so awkward. The nightmares never stop." I shivered dramatically.
She laughed harder, "Ok, ok. I'm really sorry. How about we watch The Rising Dead?"
"I got dibs on Derek." I rushed to her couch while trying not to spill my Dew.
"That's fine by me; I want Rip, the sexy leader cop." She sat down beside me.
"You just have to fight his cheating wife, Lauren, for him." I smirked. She turned on the TV; a new episode was just starting. Hopefully Derek would find Sadie in this one.
"I don't understand how she chose a guy like Sean over Rip. Sean is a major douche-schnozzle!" Sunni ranted.
"Well she did think her husband was dead." I reasoned people move on all the time after their spouse dies and she did think her husband was dead. Though I don't like her because she's vindictive, whiny, and a drama queen, I was just waiting for the moment when she was out of the show.
"Yea, well I still don't like her. Another thing, why is Cathy chasing Derek around when she should be looking for her daughter? Only Derek is looking around for Sadie and Rachel." Sunni went from one rant to another about the show.
"I so ship Derek and Rachel." I added taking a sip of my Dew when I remembered the ship name, "Ha-their ship name is Derel (pronounced Daryl)."
"Someone's got an obsession." Sunni poked fun with a sing-song voice.
"Oh bite me; I'm not the one who has a life sized poster of Rip." I stuck my tongue at her.
"I'm not talking about Derek, I'm talking about Daryl. Though you wish you had a life-sized Derek in your room and you know it." She literally poked me now and it hurt. I rubbed the spot with a frown.
"Ok, maybe I would like a Derek poster, but I do not have an obsession over Daryl. I'm just curious about him is all." I protested.
Sunni pursed her lips with a mischievous look in her eyes, "Hmhmm. Whatever you say."
I dropped my head with a pout, "Why doesn't anybody believe me?"
"Because you're a terrible liar and I can see right through." Sunni poked me again.
I covered up my lady parts, "Well stop it! You better buy me a drink first." I joked. Sunni busted out into laughter.
The rest of the time we picked around and watch The Rising Dead. We made play moan sounds when our men did something sexy like Derek flexed his arms while he used his compound bow or when Rip eye-fucked the camera. I stayed until it got dark and went back to Jacob's place. He wasn't there so I assumed he was at the hospital. After a quick shower, I went off to bed.
It felt like I was only asleep a few minutes before my alarm on my phone went off. Luckily today I didn't have to go to work and explain to Mickey why I didn't go to Daryl's auto shop to fix my windshield wipers.
On the bar was a note from Jacob asking me if I would go grocery shopping for him. Beside the note was a list and some money. I ate a fast breakfast then put on a pair of shoes and left for the store. The shopping itself wasn't eventful but when I got back to my little car, a blue truck pulled in right next to it. Inside was Daryl who smirked when he saw me. The smirk disappeared when he saw the lack of whishers on my car.
He got out of his car and went right over to me, "What happened to your windshield wipers?" He asked.
Oh God, what do I say? Think, think, think! "I don't know….I …uh….found it that way… yesterday." I really am a terrible liar. Daryl saw right through my lie, but he didn't say anything more about it.
"You need to get them fixed. It's supposed to rain in a few days." Daryl looked closer at my car's windshield.
"I know, but I don't really have the money." I sighed.
He looked up at me with narrowed eyes, "You just went shopping."
"Yea, but not with my money, my brother asked me to go get groceries. I would have had money to fix it, but my fucking name is still on my ex's lease and they took the money out of my account. So then I had to pay to get my name off so they wouldn't charge me again!" I spoke faster as my temper climbed.
"Damn girl, calm down." Daryl scoffed.
"Sorry, it's been a stressful week." I frowned, "It doesn't help that some jerk had to rip off my whishers." Yes, Mickey I'm referring to you!
"What the hell are whishers?" Daryl frowned.
"Windshield wipers, they go 'whish, whish'." I used a finger to do the windshield wiper movement.
Daryl stared at me for a moment; it almost looked like he was fighting between laughing and giving me the 'you're so fucking stupid' look.
"I know, I know I'm a weird girl." I walked past him and put the groceries in the back seat.
I heard him sigh behind me, "I'll fix your windshield wipers."
"I can't pay you." I said as I sat the bread somewhere it couldn't be squished.
"You'll pay me another way." He mumbled.
Oh God, please let it be through sexual favors. I moaned in my head. If it was any other man, I would, of course, knock his block off, but Daryl was walking and talking sex. I wouldn't mind forgetting all my values and suck his 'Dixon' among other things…
Ask but be cool about it. Don't be creepy! "What other way could I pay you?" I couldn't turn to face him, my face was bright red.
"You could clean up around the shop." He answered. Damn it, I really wanted him to say something naughty but then again, really Robin, porn…reality-there's a difference.
Finally I turned around to Daryl jerking his head to meet my face. Wait, hold the phone, did he…did he just check out my butt? His cute dark red blush gave away everything. Good so the attraction wasn't one-sided. I just wish he would act on it since I'm a big chicken when it comes to flirting.
"I can do that. I have to put this up; will your shop still be open in thirty minutes?" I asked.
"Yea, I'll keep it open for you. Just don't take to forever, I got shit to do." He grunted.
I waved goodbye and hopped into my car. I felt ecstatic driving back to Jacob's place, I was going to spend time with Daryl again, and this time it was his idea. Well, I don't think that's the reason for fixing my windshield wipers. It didn't matter I was going to be around him again. This is so weird, normally I don't get this invested with someone I barely knew but I tried not to question it too much.
I ran inside carrying all the groceries in one trip. I rushed putting them away then quickly re-deodorized and freshened myself to be half-way decent because I looked like death warmed over. At least that's how I felt like I looked. I jumped back into my car, and practically sped back to Daryl's garage.
I thought he already closed it down and left because the garage doors were closed and the door was locked. Crap, did I really take a long time. I was ready to bang my head on the metal door when it opened making me almost fall in. A wall caught me and by wall I mean Daryl's chest.
"What the hell you doing, girl?" He rasped.
"N-nothing." I jumped back. I still could smell him, just like that day in the diner-like man musk and grease.
Daryl shook his head and walked inside, "Ya coming?" He rasped.
I am now! I'm going to need new panties when this is over. "Right behind you."
He opened up the garage from the inside then drove my car into the empty space. After he parked, he closed the garage door again, "Why did you do that?" I wasn't creeped out about being in the dark with Daryl, if anything I was excited. I'd love to spend a little quality time on the back on one of these trucks. Oh my God, Robin get your mind out of the gutter, you slut face!
"Because we're closed today, why do you think this place was closed down and empty?" He answered harshly. He's only fixing my car today?
"So where do you what me to start cleaning?" I asked when he started looking for the new parts. The place was very dirty, but it was an auto shop wasn't a clean work place.
"Straighten up my office and the break room. No point in cleaning in here, it will just be back to normal tomorrow." He pointed off in a direction.
"Aye, Aye Cap'n!" I saluted him making him chuckle. I think he needs to pick one emotion. One minute he was nice to me then he acted like a total buttwad. Makes me wonder if he was bipolar.
I entered the break room and immediately wanted to leave. You could tell that a whole bunch of men worked here. The place was filthy. The garbage can in one corner was on its side with tons and tons of garbage scattered everywhere. Cigarette buds littered everything. The floor and all the furniture was coated in ash. The counters were covered in old Styrofoam cups and food wrappers. The small four-person table was also covered in garbage and various dried stains. I was not a clean freak in anyway, but this room was making me cringe. Don't get me started on the state of the floor; they were some stains that looked like a dead animal, smelled like one too. How could anyone work in these conditions?
Oh God, I was going to have my work cut out for me. Under the sink were a few cleaning supplies and a sponge that smelled look and smelled like it gave from the Jurassic age. Don't ask but I have a weird pet peeve about sponges, I don't using them once they start to smell-it's one of my many pet peeves. However I digress, back to cleaning.
I pulled out my iPod classic, turned on my music, and jammed to the sweet tunes as I cleaned up this rat trap. First I threw away all garbage, they were at least two garbage bags filled with trash. Then I scrubbed the counters, cabinets, and the table. I swept the floor with the broken broom; I think someone used it to practice their karate skills. Sadly there no mop, I actually got on my hands and knees to scrub the floor. When I finished, I was dirty and smelled strongly of bleach and drenched in sweat.
I opened the break room door to find Daryl chilling on a bench smoking a cigarette, his job with replacing my whishers was already done. Though I wasn't done with my payment, I still had to take out the garbage and clean his office. I prayed his office was cleaner than the break room.
"How's it going?" He asked.
"I'm done in there. Just want to take out this garbage." I smiled, "Where's the dumpster?"
"Here," He got up, "I'll take it. You go on and clean the office." He took the two bags and I went into his office. His office was nothing like the break room; it was tidy but not perfect. It looked like a man's work place without looking like an explosion of nasty like the break room. The only messy in the room was he needed his garbage taken out, maybe straighten the files on his desk, and dump out his ash tray. Huh, I didn't have Daryl pegged as a clean person. So far every time I've seen him he was covered in oil and dirt.
It office was clean in no time, I went the extra mile and dusted his desk and wiped in down. I swept his floors too. After that, it was pretty much clean. I turned off the light then went back into the workshop. Daryl was back on the bench looking at something, when he saw me walking towards him; he shoved whatever into his pocket. I wonder what it was.
"All done?" He asked.
"Yupe, the break room was filthy but your office was very in order already so it didn't take much." I shrugged with a smile.
"The guys eat and chill in there, I stick to the office when I'm not working." He answered, "I hardly go in there. Anyway, now that's done I think I'll go home and get me something to eat." He got up from the bench feeling on his pocket, the same pocket he shoved the mysterious thing in.
"Yea, I'm starving too." I agreed. Either of us moved, we stood there staring at each other, without words. Oh God, I want to say something, something clever and flirty, but I was terrible at flirting. I seduce men with my awkwardness.
Suddenly the light-bulb went off in my head, "Hey, I feel like I didn't properly pay you back. How 'bout I run over to the diner and grab us some burgers. I have enough money for that." I asked. Oh please, don't reject me.
Daryl seemed to think about it for a moment before speaking, "Bitty, I don't need you buying me food." His gruff voice was a tad softer than usual.
"I know you don't, but I want to pay you back some more." I said.
"Alright, fine." He sighed.
I smiled goofily, "Really?! Yes! Um…whatcha what?" I was excited that he was letting me and by extent spend more time with me. I fist pumped when I said yes then I realized I did it in front of him and not in my mind. I nervously smiled and laughed as I asked him what he wanted. Daryl stood there smirking at me the whole time.
"Cheese burger with everything on it and a coke." He answered.
"Alright, I'll be right back." I smiled. I hurried across the road to the diner and ordered his food and my regular cheeseburger with some fires and a chocolate milkshake. I saw the other customers whispering behind their hands to each other and pointing at me in a very non stumble way. I heard 'whore', 'freak', 'weirdo', 'Dixon', and other words. As I waited they got crueler but I stood there sending the people smiles when I caught them. It was weird people were already talking, but we did have a really weird fight in the middle of the diner in broad daylight.
I learned a long time ago that people were cruel bone heads and there was nothing you could do to change them. It doesn't help you to change for them, so embrace yourself and that people are idiots. You'll be a lot happier.
I grabbed our food and ran across the road without dropping anything and that's a feat in itself. The door to the shop was unlocked when I got there. Daryl was back on his bench looking at something and again shoved it back in his pocket when he saw me.
"Come on; let's eat in the break room." I went in the new and improved break room. Daryl followed me in there.
"Damn girl, you really cleaned this place up." He looked around the room.
I shrugged, "It was part of the deal, and I wasn't going to half ass it since you helped me." I sat the food down on the table. I put Daryl's burger in front of him. I sat down pulling mine out.
I put my French fries on my burger like just the way I liked, I was going to take a bite out of it when I noticed Daryl staring at me strangely, "What?" Do I have something on my face?
"You put fries on your burger?" He asked.
"Yes." I took a large bite out of the yummy burger. Oh sweet greasy goodness…
Daryl stared at me a moment longer then took a few of my fries and put them on his burger. He took a bite; neither said anything until he swallowed. He nodded, "It's ok."
"Whatever I think it's awesome, but if you think that's weird then check this out." I smiled as I dipped a fry into my shake then scarfed it down. He quirked his brow at me then tried it himself. He didn't say anything this time, but he dipped another French fry into my shake.
"You like weird foods, Bitty." He said after his third shake-covered fry.
"Yupe, I also loved dipping my rolls into mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. I like to do the same to chicken strips. I am in love with peanut butter, nutella, and marshmallow fluff sandwiches." I moaned at the thought of my peatella fluff creation.
"I eat fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches." Daryl smirked.
"Ok, that sounds strange." I wiggled a French fry at him. In a blink of an eye, Daryl jumped up, snatched my fry, and sat back down. My brain just finished registering what he did when he shoved the whole fry in his mouth.
"Jerk, that was mine!" I laughed loudly.
He shrugged smirking, "Then you should've ate it instead of waving it in the air, Bitty."
"Seriously you're still calling me Bitty? I thought after the elevator incident you would have stopped."
"Well it kind of stuck. Any way it suits ya, you're still a big ole chicken." He smirked.
Why must you be so hot when you smirk? I thought.
By now we were finished eating, I felt depressed know I had to leave now. I threw away my trash and the rest of my shake. Then Daryl opened the garage and walked me over to my car.
"Really thank you for fixing my windshield wipers, I still feel like I didn't pay you back though." I said standing in my opened door. Daryl stood on the other side of it.
"Don't worry about." He shrugged, "But I ain't giving you free service. Next time something breaks, you gotta pay." He said sternly.
I held up my hands in surrender, "I totally understand and I wasn't expecting you to fix it for free again."
"Well, good." He grunted. Wow, he goes from pleasant to jerk face in two seconds flat.
I just smiled at him, "Well, I hope to see you again soon." I climbed into my car and drove out.
Halfway home, I noticed something was missing, but what was it?
Third POV
Daryl checked his pocket again after Robin left. It was still in his pocket, he pulled it out to look at it again. It was a picture of her and a little boy smiling in some park. Robin's hair was brown then and she was wearing a pretty light purple sundress. The little boy sat in her lap; they both looked like they had been laughing.
He didn't know why he took it. He was just checking to see if the windshield wipers worked, when she had a few pictures on her dash. One of her and two other girls and another with her and a guy, Dr. Henry-her brother. Something about that picture of her and the little boy seemed to draw all his attention. Without thought he pocketed the picture, he felt guilty about it but he didn't put it back, though he thought about it.
He was glad that she thought of getting food. He wanted to spend more time with her but he didn't know how to ask and he didn't want her to reject him. He was out of her league; he felt if his league blew up-it would take her three days to hear about it. Seeing her act all nervous around him helped his confidence. Daryl hoped he'd see her again, real soon.
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'Til next time, I love your faces! ^_^