015. audience [3]
You could say I'm different
Maybe I'm a freak
But I know how to twist you
To bring you on your knees
Get Off, Halestorm
Something was going on and Daryl could feel it with every fiber of his instincts. He'd been through enough shit to know to trust his instincts when they were screaming like this, but even still it was frustrating trying to pinpoint what it was.
The only thing he knew was it had to do with his brother and Beth.
"The hell ya staring at, Darylina?" Merle spoke up, causing Daryl to tilt his head his brother's way before looking back out from the guard tower.
His eyes found Beth, ignoring his brother's question. The young blonde was walking around with Judith, getting some fresh air and sunlight for the both of them. He watched as she bounced and talked to the tiny child, who was attentive to Beth and waving her tiny limbs about.
She was good with the kid. Had that natural instinct it seemed was processed into every woman's brain. And while Beth was only eighteen, Daryl knew that she – like many people her age who'd survived in this hell – had to grow up pretty fucking quickly or die.
Beside him, Daryl was surprised. Merle was leaning on the rail around the towers walkway, his gun at his side and his steely blue eyes followed after the blonde and baby slowly while occasionally glancing out at the walkers. His eyes always found exactly where she was; like he had her on tab.
Daryl's eyes went back to Beth as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he clinched his jaw. He didn't like that thought. Didn't like the way his brother was basically tracking after Beth so easily, like it was now almost a habit.
He knew Merle. Knew that apocalypse or not, the man was still the jackass he'd grown up with. Merle was a hunter through and through. When he set his eyes on something, he was hard to shake. At this moment, the hunter was hunting a young woman; grizzly bear watching a doe.
"That's a short way of getting yourself thrown outta here, man," Daryl spoke up, trying to keep the growl from his voice.
"Just lookin, lil brotha," Merle grunted, not even needing to ask what Daryl was talking about as his eyes went back out to watching for trouble.
"Mean it, man," Daryl spoke up, his eyes following Beth as she finished making the full circle around the yard for the third time with Judith. "Don't even think about it."
It was a threat, and Merle damn well knew it as he scoffed and chuckled darkly. He didn't say anything, though. Just chewed on a toothpick and went about watching the horizon for trouble. Daryl narrowed his eyes at the older Dixon before shaking his head in agitation at the older male.
Daryl turned his head, his eyes landing on Beth, whom he noticed was only about four feet from the tower and was looking up at them through her soft eyelashes and adjusting Judith.
She smiled his way – a soft, angel smile she threw to only a few – before her blue-green eyes flickered to Merle's form. Daryl felt his jaw clinch painfully as Merle – feeling her eyes – looked down and gave a nasty, wolfish grin, lecherously rolling his tongue her way.
He watched Beth's face turn bright red before she was ducking her head. Merle snickered, biting back a roar of laughter at her discomfort. A part of him wanted to punch his brother for that. But it did establish that while his brother may be looking where he shouldn't, it seemed he was still merle and still just wanting to get riles out of whoever he could for fun.
"Asshole," Daryl grunted, causing Merle to laugh, both falling into silence once again, save for the hissing of walkers in the distance and the crickets.