Daryl watched as Mac looked around at the same roof they had been to when they first found out Merle was gone. He knew that there was no sign there they had missed. If he had missed Mac would have picked it up and alerted him that day. No Merle was gone from this area hopefully close but this building was done.
"Mac it's getting late we need to find a place to hunker down." Daryl sighed looking to the sky.
His mind drifted to Carol and if they were still by the quarry. He didn't know what there plans had been but surely she had stayed with the group. He knew that Rick and Shane were talking about moving on but hadn't bothered to ask where. His mind had been so deeply settled on finding Merle that he hadn't the time to focus on the group and there destination. Thinking about it now though he wished he'd asked just simply to put his own mind at rest.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Mac eyed him.
Daryl looked over spitting to the side, "Gotta get a move on. Quit fuckin' around."
Mac moved closer to him and Daryl shifted away and towards the roof exit. He didn't feel like talking about shit and the less Mac knew about how he felt about things the better right now. If asked he'd just let Mac think it was over Merle being gone. It was legitimate enough that he'd back the fuck off hopefully.
They made their way to the store front where the broken glass littered everything with the last days rays brandishing rainbows across it. Mac started humming Man In The Box and smiled at Daryl. There were a few walkers close that they'd need to take out if they planned on getting out clean.
"I am the mannnnn in the box." Mac sung low just behind him. "Buried in my shit, won't you come and save me, save me..." Mac broke off with a low whistle.
Daryl shook his head the sound was drawing the few walkers there way. No doubt Mac's intention as he kept up his charade his singing becoming more pronounced along with his movements. He was enjoying himself at the moment and Daryl blocked him out as the first walker stepped through the door. It's foul breath reaching out towards them with decay and blood on its breath. Mac unsheathed his knife bringing his fingers to his lip as he danced out of its reach.
Daryl growled not in the mood for Mac's shit and slammed his knife home dropping it to the ground and pulling his knife free. Mac copied him both standing at the same time as three more made their way through the door. Mac looked up and down the street before his singing got more annoying and louder.
"Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut? Jesus Christ, deny your maker he who tries, will be wasted." Mac kept on with the song his knife flashing as he took down the next walker.
Daryl copied him seeing the coast clear as he stood up. Mac stopped singing and moved over to him and pointing down the street, "Think we should check that place before we finish."
Daryl followed the direction he pointed and smiled at the sight. If Merle was still around he'd been through there no doubt and it'd give them a chance to restock. Nodding his head they slipped out and down the street on silent feet. Eyes sweeping quickly for any sign of danger as they neared the shop to find the door almost tore from its hinges. There was a deep D cut in the wood of the door the wood splintering around it from the force of the carving.
Mac nudged Daryl smiling as they stepped through. Doing a quick sweep they came up empty-handed as far as walkers went but hit a gold mine as far as supplies went. Daryl whistled for Mac and motioned to a note next to the bolts.
Cock suckers are late to the show. M
Mac shook his head, "He couldn't fuckin' wait at all?"
His anger was palpable and Daryl moved closer to him his eyes searching him, "What's going on?"
Mac's eyes blazed, "Something is going to happen one day. One of us is gonna get sick, get bit, fuck fall to are goddamn death...some freak accident shit and where the fuck is that gonna leave the other? Alone cause his sorry ass couldn't wait for us to come get him!?" Mac shook his head, "No fuck that. We should have let the group know where we were going and them us. We found his ass maybe meet back up."
Daryl eyed him and then a smile split his face, "Don't tell me a piece of pussy finally got you wantin' to stick around?"
Mac scoffed but Daryl didn't need him to talk to know that Andrea had got under his skin. He knew his brother than anyone. Mac was worried about her.
"You think this is about pussy? What about Kit? You think she is gonna make it if something happens and things go to shit? Think Officer dick face and friendly are gonna be worried about her while they fight over a piece of anorexic pussy?" Mac snapped shoving more shit in his pack. "Silver Fox is the same, they aint got the first sense to survive in a world like this. They got fuckin' luck so far."
Daryl swallowed and moved away from Mac. This was the very goddamn thing he had tried to not think about since they had pulled out and he had seen Sophia's dejected face. Something about that little girl and her mother were eating at him as much as his brother being missing were. He wasn't good with people in general but women and kids were an even bigger mystery to him.
Daryl shook his head at the thought of his nephew that had died over seas and kept walking. That's what it was, getting close to people was stirring that shit back up in the back of his head. That had been a goddamned mess and Merle had never quite gotten over the loss of his son. He had turned back to drugs something him and Mac had thought he was done with for years but it seemed the loss of Noah had driven him to chase his old demons. That right there, the pain and loss Merle had suffered was enough to let Daryl know he didn't ever wanna let someone close enough to crush him like that.
He missed his nephew but at least he died for something. He didn't just go out there and set in the sand like the other men. No he died saving a group of children in a hot zone. Everyone of those kids made it making Noah's death mean more than just another body to be totaled and added to the count. Didn't mean much though when they handed you that flag at the end of the day.
Sighing he gathered everything he'd picked up and got the all the bolts he could see and started back towards the front of the store. He avoided looking at Mac and waited for him. His brother's tension had went down some since lashing out at him but it still didn't make it any fuckin' better.
"Listen I aint one to say sorry..." Mac spoke low watching as a group of walkers moved by.
"Then just shut the fuck up." Daryl snapped and moved through the door when it was clear. "I've heard enough shit from you today."
They circled out a few blocks before they both agreed on a smaller more hidden building. It was three stories and all brick. Daryl shook his head pawn shops were more locked up than fuckin' banks guarding their shit. It'd work for what they needed and from the looks of it there were apartments above it.
Daryl picked a room closer to the exit that had a view of the streets below on the third floor. Setting his shit down he stepped back out after they cleared the entire building and looked at Mac both knowing they needed to shore up their defenses. They tore into the task hoping to make quick work of everything before they ran out of light. Daryl was running on fumes and he felt fatigue setting in with what little he had eaten in the past two days.
Mac clapped him on the back before setting into help him with what was left for him to do. Daryl looked up and Mac tossed him a pack of beef jerky tearing into his own. "Slipped into the convenience store earlier when you were pissing. We should hit the places closest to us we move through the city looking for Merle."
Nodding as he chewed he set back against the wall watching Mac. Mac smiled chewing on his food before flipping Daryl the bird, "Fuck you very much for bringing up pussy earlier." Mac laughed.
Daryl raised an eyebrow, "You gonna lie and say you aint worried about her ass? She's about as combat efficient as a goddamn feather."
Mac laughed nodding, "She might not be able to fight but she can fuck like the best of them."
"Fuckin' knew it." Daryl stood moving towards the steps.
"If you'd get that stick out of your ass Silver Fox woulda been riding you into the ground before you knew what the fuck was happening." Mac smacked his lips together with a vulgar flair while thrusting his hips as he slapped Daryl's ass, "Face it brother you're a prude. I know it, fuck Merle knew it."
"Not wanting to fuckin' get the goddamn clap every time I turn around doesn't make me a goddamn prude. You two were just fuckin' whores." Daryl growled storming up the next set of steps.
Mac laughed continuing his pantomime of fuckin' groaning and grunting behind him, "You just need jerk off or some shit before tomorrow. Your ass is to pissy."
Daryl opened the door looking at him as Mac mimicked slapping an ass moving closer to him, "Get the fuck away from me you goddamn queer."
"You wish I was queer so you could watch." Mac challenged grinning at him.
Daryl tried to keep a straight face but busted out laughing the words making him think of all the times they'd pissed Merle off. It was the exact thing Mac and him always shot at Merle when he called them faggots and accused them of not being able to get pussy cause they were to busy chasing dick. He didn't honestly think they were queer but it was his go to accusation when he was getting pissed off.
"Miss that bastard." Mac spoke soberly. "But we'll find his ass. Dixon's don't quit."
They moved to the room and Mac packed his shit in there not saying anything to Daryl. There was no point in bitching though Mac had already set his bedroll up and was kicking out getting ready for bed. If he was honest it was a comfort to have Mac so close much like their childhood.
"You know she's gonna alright. Both of them are." Mac spoke low as he laid down.
Keeping quiet hoping Mac dropped he closed his eyes and shifted laying on his stomach and turning his head from Mac. He had no such luck when the lantern flicked on. Mac set up and hit him with something getting his attention.
"I know you aint sleeping."
"What the fuck you want Mac?" Daryl snapped pushing up on his forearms.
Mac shook his head, "That shit I said it weren't right. I know you say you didn't feel anything or you just avoid it but I know brother. I feel it and you know it."
Daryl nodded licking his lips, "I know." There was no point in denying anything. He was able to read Mac like a book and see his emotions and his actions usually before he done anything and it was the same for Daryl. But instead he got a good feel for his emotions, had always been like that with them since they were kids. Merle called it their twin bullshit.
"If this world ever gets right or we do...we'll find them. You never showed interest in a woman like you did her brother and I'd killed Ed even if he wasn't a woman beating cocksucker." Mac smiled.
Daryl shook his head laying back down, "That I don't doubt."
"Never doubt me brother." Mac grinned.