So, it's been about three months since I last updated. I apologize if you were attached to this story, but honestly, I'm only going to write when the inspiration is there. To force out a chapter if your mind isn't in the fandom, is hell. And I owe you guys thoughtful, action filled chapters. Not forced garbage. Short chapter, I know, but after nine chapters, we finally get to talking about feelings. Sorry if Daryl may seem OOC, but he's got to admit what he's feeling at some point since he's been avoiding it. Hopefully I did it somewhat gracefully. Enjoy!

Chapter 10 - Only Human

To Paige's relief, Daryl didn't respond for a good ten seconds. And naively, she hoped it meant he'd be level headed enough not to say anything regarding Shane's actions. She felt bad enough for the incident as it was.

But alas, this brief silence was not meant to be, and now knowing the hunter, Paige really didn't expect anything less than some sort of outburst. Even though she momentarily had to pause and wonder why Daryl cared anyway.

"What the hell were you thinkin'?"

Blinking, Paige refrained from pulling herself up, still primly aware of the lack of shirt beneath the blankets.

"I didn't do it on purpose," she defended, keeping her voice soft and uncompromised. "And he kind of initiated it without any warning. One moment, he was telling me we needed to turn back, the next, he flew into my personal space. It was far below what a kiss should have been. Our lips just kind of smushed together."

"And the walker happened t'a interrupt?"

"While I was trying to detangle myself from him, yes."

Daryl's features turned indignant, and this only served to make Paige's heart beat faster.

"He was forcin' ya to kiss him?"

"No," she denied carefully, recognizing the growing tension building not only inside the tent, but in Daryl's shoulders. "I don't think Shane was really aware of what he was doing, to be honest. And because of that, I didn't freak out. I can't exactly tell you what was going through my head, but I do know that he looked...very lonely. It was a look I'd seen on my own face numerous times before. He just wanted to have some sort of contact. Contact he hasn't had in a long time. I don't know his full story, but for that split second, I obliged. Has he lost anybody?"

"He's 'bout to lose sight in his left eye," Daryl threatened, moving to push himself to a standing position.

"Daryl!" Paige called, enunciating his name firmly. "Leave him alone."

"'Cause of him, y'a nearly died."

"Because of him, I shot that walker point blank in the skull. Because of him, my reflexes were trained properly enough that it saved my life. Now I don't know why Shane did what he did, hell, I don't even know why I'm telling you that he kissed me, but I am telling you to lay off him. Got it?"

Daryl aimed a fiercesome, glacial blue glare at her for a good few seconds, lips set in a tight scowl. He looked like he had a difficult time inhaling, only recognizable by the slight shaking in his jaw. And if the atmosphere would allow it, Paige was pretty sure steam would be sputtering off him in waves.

"Please," she repeated, allowing her steely tone to lessen somewhat. "Daryl, leave him alone."

"Y'a don't even know why he kissed ya. That's what pisses me off."

"And you do?"

She meant to ask this as if Daryl couldn't possibly have a reasonable answer, but to her surprise, he gave a jerky nod.

"Doesn't take much t'a figure out. But ya didn't hear this from me."

"Wait...am I about to hear you gossip?"

"Don't look so damned perky. I'm tellin' ya this so y'a know how stupid y'er decision to not let me break his nose, is."

Sobering up, Paige grabbed two handfuls of thick blanket and made sure to wrap it around her upper body firmly, arms ending up in a criss cross. But this concealment allowed her to finally rise into a sitting position, alert eyes studying Daryl cautiously.

"Why do you think he kissed me out there?"

"Cause y'er a substitute."

It hit Paige without warning. Directly in the gut. With frightening velocity, relating to perhaps a syringe breaking through a vein.

Hurt.

She almost laughed at the realization. The kiss really had meant nothing and Paige honestly thought she understood why he'd initiated it. In that way, she sympathized for him. He wanted the contact and she'd been there.

But Daryl spoke his statement with a harshness that while entirely unnecessary, she knew somehow to be truthful. And to think someone had used her in order to feel pleasure from a past conquest, truly did a number on her insides.

"Substitute for who?"

Her voice came out almost unrecognizable, it was so deep and unfocused.

This kept Daryl from diving into his explanation, instead, scouting her own features and finally understanding why her voice had shifted so rapidly.

"There's been...history 'tween Lori and Shane."

She nearly smiled, again, one of those annoyingly optimistic reactions to a really disappointing truth, at the precaution Daryl took in informing her of this news.

"Well...that's okay. Everyone gets a bit lonely."

"If ya accept that, then y'er not nearly as smart as I thought ya were."

"Alright, so I'm not okay with it," she confessed, knowing she couldn't take this personal. "But my understanding of his loneliness, stands."

"Why?"

"Don't ask stupid questions, Daryl. You know loneliness better than anyone else here. Shane may not have gone about the best way curing what he was feeling, but he's only human. And at the moment, we're the minority. We can't afford to turn on each other just because of stupid affections that didn't mean anything."

She couldn't tell if her words calmed or angered him. But at this point, she didn't really much care. If he was going to have a fit over such an insignificant action, she'd let him without dragging her down in the process. Her primary focus was to bring heat back into her body.

"Damn it," he muttered.

She didn't question his curse, only eying him fatiguely from beneath the blankets.

The silence was near punishing, but she refused to cave to it. He wasn't going to make her feel any more guilty than she already did for allowing herself to be a substitute for Rick's wife.

"Don't put y'er trust in Shane."

"Noted, Daryl."

"I'm serious."

"Also noted. You're using your serious voice."

"You makin' fun of me?"

"No," she denied, hiding a grin beneath the blanket.

Once he realized she was joking, his anger appeared to ebb away somewhat.

"You know y'er a magnet f'er danger, right?" he confirmed, making his way into a sitting position.

"I'm incapable of living an ordinary life. I probably should have told you that beforehand," Paige apologized. "Certainly might make you reconsider helping me."

"Don't need to reconsider. Who the hell would be able to handle ya, then?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were actually sounding...fond of me," she teased.

To her surprise, he didn't argue the statement. Actually, he didn't even meet her eyes, suddenly glancing around the tent.

"Sorry. Too much?"

He craned his neck back to look at her, eyes squinted. He inhaled and exhaled through his nose, but she detected tension with each motion, particularly in the muscles of his throat.

"Fond ain't exactly the word I'm lookin' for," he admitted.

"I've been told I have a unique vocabulary. Need some help?"

"Don't need nothin' fancy for what I wanna say. Truth is...I like ya."

Paige understood this was a big deal for him to admit and the fact that he maintained eye contact throughout the declaration, alerted her to the importance of this moment. And to not ruin it by saying something.

Which she really seemed incapable of doing.

"I like you too," she replied. "Even when I want to punch you. Especially when I want to punch you. Because it reminds me that I can still feel despite the amount of times I've been content with being numb."

"You really alright with admittin' that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she inquired. "I trust you to not use it against me. And it's true."

His gaze was unreadable, as it was most of the time, but she felt at ease holding it. Normally, revealing such personal information about the state of her emotions, made her queasy. If the wrong person heard it, they could do serious damage.

But Paige had trusted Daryl the moment he first saved her life. From then on, the relationship, despite its frustrations, grew stronger, even if she wasn't always sure what it was he felt. And it'd been an entirely too long of a time since that sort of relationship had been hers.

"I-."

"You don't have to say anything," she inserted helpfully. "I get that your emotions are wound tighter than mine. Men aren't exactly known for speaking what they're feeling. I'm content with knowing that you like me."

"Usually don't say anythin'," he agreed. "This time's different, though. Death ain't predictable and you ain't exactly normal."

"I try."

"Don't. Y'er doin' fine th'a way ya are."

"So what do you mean I'm not normal?"

He struggled with his next words, that much was obvious. But his dedication to ushering them out, made her almost excited in hearing them.

"I don't usually...care f'er people other than myself. Y'er doin' somethin' right 'cause I keep wantin' t'a save y'er life. Ain't normal, what's happenin' here. But I'd take it over fendin' for myself."

Paige kept her mouth tight, curious as to why his statement sent warm, heady tingles from her tummy up to her head.

"You...enjoy my companionship?" she tested.

"Y'a ain't a dog," he gruffed. "Don't know what I enjoy 'bout ya, just know that I do."

Her lips twitched up, but she made sure to keep it hidden behind the blanket.

"Well, thank you, Daryl. I don't think I've ever quite been complimented the way you just did, but I'm grateful for it regardless."

He only grunted, avoiding her eyes again.

At this point, she was sure his emotions were buried inside him once more. What he'd said, no matter how nonchalantly, was kind of a big deal. He wouldn't let them show for long.

But he added one last comment that brushed over a conversation they were sure to have again in the future.

"I don't like you bein' alone with Shane. Need t'a hunt, find me."

Instead of pointing out what she thought it sounded like, Paige nodded in agreement. Something told her there didn't lay much room for arguing anyway.

Seconds later and exhaustion began to fully anchor her body into the sleeping bag.

"If you wake up before me," she groggily mentioned, slipping further into the incoming warmth, "could you give Carol my t-shirt and bra?"

"I don't touch anythin' beneath shirts and jeans."

"It's not going to bite you," she tiredly scolded.

He didn't respond and Paige sighed. She really didn't want to walk around the whole day tomorrow with no support. In this, her solution presented itself.

"Fine. But if it's a cold morning, Shane will probably enjoy the view."

When he responded, she smiled.

"Playin' dirty already?"

"Just this once," she promised.

And that was the last statement to pass her lips before she fell into a comfortable sleep.

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