Just a quick note, this story was influenced by the amazing story "Speaking to the Dead" by Nymphchild. Her Walking Dead story is so freaking good! Go read it, you will not be disappointed.

"Ya hear me, dumbass?"

Daryl blinked several times as he turned his attention to his brother. "Wha?"
Merle rolled his eyes with a scowl, "Helloooo? Anyone home?" He knocked his knuckles roughly against Daryls skull, "I said I was headin to bed. Whatchu so taken wit?"
"Nothin." His response sounded too quick to his own ears, "Imma stay out here a bit longer."
He waited until Merle disappeared completely into his tent before returning his gaze to the object of his current interest.

Night had quickly become Daryl's favorite time of day.

Every night after dinner, he would silently watch as the new girl, Riley, would crawl in her tent, and watch her ready for bed. Her tent was near the campfire, making shadows of her dance along the outside of her tent. He would drink in the dark silhouette of her undressing in secret.

Daryl would never admit this, but he liked where the soldier had set up her small tent.

It wasn't something he was proud of; only perverts watched girls changing from the bushes, but that didn't mean he was going to stop anytime soon.

Sometimes she would do a few crunches, followed by several pushups; other times she would kneel, as if she were praying. He had noticed that she never immediately went to sleep. She often would stay sitting in her sleeping bag, her knees drawn up to her chin.

The thing she did that he could never get enough of, was how after she had stripped out of her pants and shirt each night, she would stretch in a way that made the tough outdoors-man feel his pulse quicken to a fast tempo in his chest. He enjoyed watching her lift her long arms over her head, the way she would lean her head back while pushing her chest forward to crack her back, or how she rotated her head from side to side with such slowness.
He sometimes wondered if she knew he was observing her, with how she went about loosening her muscles like that.

He had seen naked women before, Merle had gotten him his first porno mag when he was fifteen, but he had never seen anything that made him feel like he dry swallowed a bucket of nails.

Daryl had once thought if she ever would've given him a second look, before the world went to hell in a hand basket, but he shook that thought away, saying he didn't care what the damn chick thought of him.
Now was not the time to get distracted by some hot piece of ass.

The sound of light footsteps brought Daryl out of his brooding. He looked out of the corner of his eye as the marine walked to her tent. She turned her head, looking at Daryl.
"Don't you sleep?"
He shrugged his shoulders, acting as if he was busy cleaning his arrows, "ain't tired."
She smiled at his brief reply before saying goodnight and entering her temporary home.

The fire was brighter than usual, making the shadows of Riley a bit clearer.

Daryl gazed at her form for a few minutes until she slid into her sleeping bag and fell asleep.

The dawn sun shone through Riley's tent, waking her from her restless slumber.
Dressing quickly, she stepped out into the cool morning air and waved to Dale, who was outside the RV, pouring steaming water into a mug.
"Mornin." He smiled at her, sipping his drink.
"Hey. Everyone else still sleeping?" Riley opened a pack of beef jerky that was sitting on the wooden picnic table and took three long strips for breakfast.
"Yeah. Just the three of us are early risers."
Riley raised an eyebrow as she glanced around camp, "three of us?"
"Daryl left to hunt a few minutes ago."
Nodding her head, Riley chewed her food. "Need me to do anything?"
Dale shook his head, "not at the moment, no, but you can keep an old man company."
"Sure."

The two of them sat atop the RV and talked while keeping a sharp watch for trouble.
She learned that his wife had passed a few years ago from cancer, and he was originally from Missouri.

More members of the group began to emerge from their tents and search for breakfast.
Shane walked past the RV and looked up to the two of them, Riley made a point to give him a hard stare and place her hand on the handle of her knife.

"So you had said earlier that you had a brother."
Riley shifted her eyes back to Dale, "Yeah. He's three years younger."
"Do you know if he's..." "If he's alive?" Riley finished for him, "I don't know. He was stateside when this all happened." She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Was he a marine too?"
Riley gave a grin and shook her head, "no. He was an Army medic. He did that just to piss off our dad."
Dale dropped the conversation, letting the sounds of everyone mill around camp fill the silence.

Noticing the asian was up, Riley climbed down the ladder, and made her way toward Glenn.
"How's the leg?" Glenn looked up from his bag and smiled, "it's good, little sore, but I can walk."
"I have something that'll help, meet me in the RV." Riley gave him a pat on the back as walked toward her tent.
She grabbed a few leaves that would help Glenn with the pain and some antibiotics.

Stepping back out into the sun, she bumped into an angry Merle. He wore a mean scowl and had both hands curled into fists. "Watch where ya walkin." He shoved her with his shoulder.
"Nice black eye, Merle."
He swung around and stalked up to her, "ya been askin for a beatin, bitch."
Riley was in no mood to fight him today.
"Whatever you say. Mind stepping off now? Unlike you, I have stuff to do." She used the palm of her hand to push him back a few feet. She could hear him curse at her but she continued to walk toward the RV without a glance back.

Once inside, she saw Glenn sitting at the miniature table. Taking a seat opposite Glenn, Riley places the plant leaves on the faux wood. "Okay, you know the drill, pants off."
Glenn turned a bright shade of red, "w-what? Take off my... my pants?"
Riley rolled her eyes at his embarrassment, "don't get modest now."
Glenn stood and undid the button of his jeans with shaky hands, "just don't laugh, okay?"
With a raised eyebrow, Riley looked at Glenn, "what are you talking about?" Glenn looked sheepish, "the whole stereotype that all asians have a small... ya know..."
Riley laughed hard. "what?" Glenn turned even redder than he already was. "shut up, will you? It's not something I like to broadcast!" Riley took a few deep breaths, she hadn't laughed like that in a long time... and it felt good. "I promise I won't look, or laugh." She held up three fingers in the boy scout salute.

Once his pants were gone, Riley crushed the leaves in her hand, and gently placed them on his healing wound.
"Looks good. It's healing nicely." She gingerly poked and prodded the skin around the scar, seeing if anything felt off. There was a fading bruise around the middle of his gash, but he didn't react with too much pain when she poked it.
When she was done, she wrapped a few layers of gauze around his leg.
"You're good to go."

The two of them walked out of the RV as Shane was about to walk in. "Glenn, good." Shane eyed Riley for a second before continuing, "we're running low on supplies. We're gonna put together a little scavenger party to go into the city an' get more food."
Glenn shook his head, "no. I'm much better on my own."
"Really now? How'd that workout last time you went alone?" Shane looked down at Glenn's leg before giving a disbelieving look.
"Fine. But nothing too big, alright?"
Shane gave the twenty-two year old a pat on the back, "you can decide on the group yerself. You'll leave tomorrow."