Heterochromia Iridum

Hello, everyone! We've passed 200 reviews and 300 follows! So here's an entirely Daryl POV chapter in celebration.

Just wanted to say some of the reviews made me laugh this week, especially KioshiUshima calling Katty a teenage boy and Biasoul wanting to throttle her; loved those reactions hahah.

Also, to the wonderful people that are really eager for the rest of the group or Daryl to find out about Katty, I can't say it'll be soon, sorry! That will obviously be a big moment so I can't just pop it in for fun as dinner conversation or something. But we will talk about Woodbury soon, I swear! Trying to keep with the outline I've sketched out for this story, it's so hard not to blurt everything out.

Thanks to addicted2memories, celia azul, sillygabby, universe without a soul, norcalpc, jeanf, JenTen, KioshiUshima, LoveFiction2016, Biasoul, Kaiya's Watergarden, Bactrian Camel, GawkyTC, jeanf, jeanf, jezzabelle, Sevvus, and suzzie for reviewing! And to all the people that added this to their alert list, thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of the characters associated with the franchise. I own the plot to this story and any original characters you may see, like Katty or Calum.

Chapter 20: Alright

Daryl didn't have to focus his time on avoiding Kat; she seemed to be better at it than he was.

He probably should've been looking at it as a blessing in disguise, but it really was quite unnerving. He typically had a grasp of where she was at all times, whether it was on watch, at either of the two houses that their group occupied, with Deanna or in the infirmary. For the last day and a half, she was completely under his radar, which wasn't from Daryl not paying attention.

It was probably the exact opposite, not that he would ever admit it to anyone.

Daryl refused to call what had happened a mistake, a regret, whatever synonym people used when they accidentally fucked someone and had second thoughts about it. It wasn't supposed to have happened, it definitely shouldn't have happened, he didn't have alcohol to blame or anything else other than their combined efforts.

But he wouldn't call it a regret. He couldn't, considering how fucking good it had felt to be inside of her. Daryl's dick twitched at the mere memory of Kat, bent over the hood of the dirty car, whimpering and moaning and making noises that Daryl was surprised he didn't cum his pants at before he had a chance to take his dick out.

And how goddamned wet and tight she had been, holy shit. It had been scores better than anything he had ever imagined in his head or while looking at that stupid photo Daryl still had of Kat.

Fuck. Daryl tried to focus his mind elsewhere when he realized that he was already half hard thinking about it. He scowled at the cookie in his hand that Carol had made.

Daryl didn't like to think at any length into the future; it was difficult and somewhat pointless to do in the apocalypse. But he figured that they would both get over it eventually. He looked at it like it was just an itch that needed to be scratched. They were both tired and stressed and preoccupied and every over adjective that made it acceptable that Daryl ignored the voice in his head screaming at him not to.

Plus, it was Kat that brought up the fact that they were 'friends', whatever the fuck that meant or whatever it had to do with anything. She had asked him that same question twice now, and both times, he didn't know how to respond. Was that Kat's way of implicitly telling him that she wanted nothing more to do with him than friendship? Was she being a chick and wanted him to argue and, Daryl snorted to himself, fight for her?

Kat didn't make sense to him. She was and wasn't difficult for him to read; one glance at her face told him everything he needed to know at a surface level. Past that, it was confusing. She seemed unsure half the time when she spoke about anything that wasn't a joke, like Kat was being purposefully vague or was nervous that she'd say something she didn't mean. Which was likely true, considering that she couldn't seem to make up her mind.

Daryl didn't think she was jerking him around. Or, he hoped she wasn't. Kat didn't seem like the type, though her appearance and stereotypical California life could speak a different story. He just assumed that Kat didn't know anymore than him what the fuck was going on, which was fine with Daryl, as long as she wasn't a step ahead of him.

Didn't mean that the mixed messages didn't piss him off and it didn't mean that suddenly he wanted Kat to be his little apocalypse wife. One night she was telling him that they shouldn't keep jumping each other, the next she had taken her tits out and grabbed his dick when he yelled at her.

He felt a headache coming on.

Daryl assumed that that would be the first, last, and only time he'd be balls deep in her, which Daryl could live with. He had done it once, that was surely enough. Like Merle had said many times, "Pussy was pussy and it ain't smart to get attached".

Which was why it was a good thing that Kat had been MIA for the past day and a half. Not that he was counting.

It did irk him, however, that he hadn't the faintest fuckin' clue what Kat was thinking or what she was going to do about what had happened. Daryl knew he probably should have stuck around after instead of leaving the first chance he got, even if it was just to snap at her that this shit would never happen again. He just had to get out of there the second that Glenn started looking between them both, like he knew that something had happened. Daryl supposed he did. He had definitely seen Maggie look worse than Kat had in that moment after one of the many times that Glenn and Maggie had snuck off. He just wouldn't have been able to stand there while Glenn undoubtedly made a comment, so he left without saying anything.

The smirks that the couple had been sending him were irritating enough, and Daryl felt like he couldn't escape it. Obviously, the kid had to have told Maggie; Glenn couldn't keep a secret from his wife if it killed him.

Daryl almost had a brain aneurysm when he found that someone had left a string of condoms folded up on his pillow; it had taken everything for him not to strangle Glenn with it.

"Daryl."

He almost fell backwards off the railing the he was sitting on at the sound of Rick's voice. Whipping around from his seated position, Rick was smirking at him, probably at the fact that he had successfully made him jump.

"Didn't mean to startle you," he chuckled, which Daryl scowled at. "Just wondered if you felt up for going on a run to the Walmart down the highway."

Daryl tried not to appear too eager at the opportunity to not only get out of Alexandria for a while, but to get away from Kat and anyone else that knew that they had fucked.

"Sure," he grunted in response, "for what?" It didn't really matter what it was for. It had been too damn long since Daryl had been able to leave for an extended period of time, and he wouldn't pass it up now.

Rick shook a piece of paper in Daryl's direction, "Made a list. Mostly extras of clothes and if you guys find any non-perishables or supplies for the infirmary. It's probably been picked clean by now but worth a shot."

Daryl didn't miss that Rick had referred to Daryl as you guys. He resisted rolling his eyes to himself; obviously it had been too good to be true, Daryl wouldn't be going alone. He just hoped that whoever it was with would be quiet enough that Daryl could still clear his head.

"Who else is comin'? Aaron?" Daryl ventured a guess, assuming that the other man was also feeling the cabin fever setting in.

"Not quite," Carol's voice sounded from behind him, a light, amused note trailing in her voice.

Rick's lips twitched, his eyes laughing, and Daryl felt his stomach clench. This couldn't be good.

He turned around to see Kat standing there beside Carol, her eyes nervously flicking between himself and Rick.

Fuck.

Kat looked weirdly dirty, more so than usual. It didn't rival how Daryl looked at any given moment, he accepted, but it was atypical for her. What the hell had she been up to?

"Just thought that since both of you seem really restless and fidgety lately it'd be good to go out," Rick drawled at them both, Daryl's neck pickling at the underlying amusement in his voice. He refused to meet his friend's eye. Had Glenn told everyone?

"I'm not restless," Kat's slightly raspy voice disagreed, the sound making the hairs on his arm stand on end. It didn't help that when she spoke, the only thing that he could think of was her mewling his name.

This wasn't a good idea.

"And that's why you've been sneaking off outside the walls?" Carol challenged, her eyebrows raised. Daryl looked back over to Kat, the interest in the situation outweighing his discomfort. So that's where she had been.

Kat opened her mouth to argue and then glanced at Daryl, closing her mouth once more. Daryl wondered what she had decided not to say.

Rick glanced at Carol, his brows quirking, before he looked back at Daryl. "Daryl, do you want to go?" he asked bluntly, an expectant look on his face.

Daryl hesitated, and sent a stern look at Kat. Obviously, he did. He didn't want to be around Kat though. Maybe if he glared at her she would leave him alone until Daryl could figure out what to do. He nodded stiffly at Rick.

"And, do you, Katty, want to go?" Carol asked, her eyebrows raised so high it was a wonder they weren't in her hairline. Daryl cringed at the fact that the wording sounded like wedding vows. He didn't put it past either of them that they had done that on purpose, either.

"Yes, but I can always wait for Calum to – "

"You've had those boots and borrowed clothes for too long," Carol interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "Calum's busy with Heath, so you'll go with Daryl." Her eyes flicked between them suspiciously. "Or is there a problem?"

"No," Kat denied too quickly, and Daryl wanted to groan. The girl seemed like she had never lied about anything in her life. "No problem."

"Good," Rick agreed, "Keys are in the truck. Deanna knows about it, so grab what you need from the armory and go."

Katty turned on heel and left immediately, the pace of her step making it apparent that she didn't want to be there. Daryl watched her leave, his eyes drifting down to Kat's ass momentarily before Rick cleared his throat.

Looking over at the man, Daryl frowned at Rick's barely contained grin. He waved the paper list at Daryl's face daintily, and Daryl scowled before snatching it.

Rick laughed lightly again, making Daryl grind his teeth. "Good luck. Have fun," he said simply with a nod.

"Not too much fun," Carol chimed, and Daryl directed his scowl towards the older woman. She merely smiled sweetly in response, and Daryl turned away briskly without a word, choosing to ignore the snort that Carol let out at his departure.

Daryl walked quickly to the truck, thinking that if he beat Kat there, he'd just leave her. He was an odd mixture of disappointed and relieved when he popped the door open and she was scooted over to the other side of the bench already, seated in a position that looked forcibly relaxed.

Daryl paused at the door, and looked at her until Kat glanced in his direction. He was pleased that her face was tinged with pink and that he obviously wasn't the only uncomfortable one in the vehicle.

"Hey," she ground out, and Daryl was amused at the stiff movement of her jaw. Kat's expressions always entertained him, though he currently wished that he couldn't see her.

Daryl grunted in response and swung his body into the drivers seat, starting the engine without a word.

They drove in silence for a while, Daryl becoming increasingly irritated that Kat was fidgeting and moving around.

"Take half tha list. We'll split up when we get there," he snapped, leaning to one side to grab the folded paper from his back pocket. Shoving it towards Kat, he heard her scoff before she took it from between them on the bench.

"So is this how it's going to be?"

Daryl resisted cringing at the blunt question, instead resorting to deflect it coldly. "How what's gonna be?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Kat just stared ahead. "We shagged, Daryl. We didn't murder someone," her sarcastic drawl almost made him smirk, the colloquialism sounding entirely foreign.

Instead of smirking, he set his jaw in a firm line. "That's all it was," he affirmed, "Fuckin'." It almost physically hurt him to admit that it had happened out loud, but maybe they could forget about it if they acknowledged it. He didn't really want to lose Kat as a friend – whatever she was – Kat was easy to talk to.

Kat refused to look towards him, he noted. "That so?" she asked testily. Daryl frowned to himself, what was with her tone?

"Just blowin' off steam," he knew he was using her own words against her, but Daryl didn't know what else to say. "Quit bein' such a girl 'bout it." He added, hoping to snap Kat out of whatever mood she was in.

Like out of a horror movie, Daryl could see Katty's head turn painstakingly slow to turn to glare at him. He refused to meet her angry look, just tightened his grip on the wheel while he waited for her to blow up. What'd he say?

Daryl flinched when her response was eerily calm. "Quit being such a girl about it," she repeated slowly, Kat's pointed enunciation on his words making Daryl tense up further.

Kat didn't say anything else the entirety of the drive, her gaze steady and focussed on the road in front of them. Daryl glanced nervously at her every now and then, unnerved that she was so quiet.

This wasn't helping him clear his mind. He frowned to himself, deciding that Kat was being a bitch. If anything, he should be pissed off, not her. Daryl was the one getting made fun of, Kat was sending mixed messages, she had made advances on him. Nope, she definitely didn't have any reason to be upset.

Pulling up to the side of the supercentre, Kat jumped out before he even cut the engine and had time to look around. She shut her door rather hard, and Daryl scowled, opening his own door and stomping around to the other side.

"Fuck's your problem?" he sneered, approaching Kat and glaring down at her smaller figure.

She didn't respond right away, just adjusted her wrap of knives around her leg and the machete at her hip. Kat looked up, her mismatched eyes locking on his calmly.

"Not important right now, let's just get through this," she said cooly, though Daryl could see that there was an underlying irritation. He almost jumped at the sudden ripping noise, Kat thrusting half of the ripped list at him.

"We're splitting up, remember?" Kat said pointedly, turning away once he had snatched it from her grasp.

Daryl glanced around, there didn't appear to be any Walkers in the area. The Alexandria supply runners had probably visited before and taken out most of them, Daryl mused. This was the closest Walmart, and Daryl assumed most of the food would be picked over by now.

He was somewhat relieved when they opened the door and scoped out the store, Kat didn't go barrelling in. She stood near him, her hand at the ready on her leg, waiting for movement.

"Calum said they've cleared this place a few times," she said lowly, "it shouldn't be too bad."

Daryl scoffed, "Ain't trustin' that," he said stubbornly, not happy with the mention of her friend.

Kat let out an irritated sigh. "I'm going to grab shoes and clothes. Have fun with your macho bullshit."

Daryl scowled at her retreating figure, hating that his eyes still involuntarily looked down towards Kat's ass. He watched as she grabbed a basket and started wandering towards the aisles with shoes.

He let out an irritated breath and then grabbed the other half of the list, scanning it over. Daryl couldn't help but keep glancing over towards Kat as he stalked towards the section with toiletries. Daryl worked quickly, grabbing random shampoo, cotton pads, bathroom shit. He cringed when he had to find tampons, snatching a few boxes without looking at any details past the obvious box. Maybe Kat was on her rag and that's why she was being so testy.

Daryl looked through the small pharmacy section, not surprised when all that was left was a few bottles of antibiotics and multivitamins that had rolled under the shelving. It was scarce and Daryl didn't spend much time combing through the shelves.

Looking over his list again, Daryl decided he was just about finished and went to check on Kat. She was in the clothing section, her backpack and another basket beside her full with two pairs of shoes and clothes.

Kat glanced up from the wrack when she saw him approach. "Forgot to ask Carol's shoe size. You think 8 is a safe bet? American sizes still confuse me."

Daryl shrugged, unconcerned. "Probably," he said, unhelpfully.

She eyed him and then tossed a few packages of socks on top of the already full basket. Daryl gaped at Kat when she suddenly pulled her shirt over her head and reached behind her back.

"Woah, the hell are ya doin'?" he called, raising his hands in front of him to block out the image of Kat in her bra.

Her eyebrows were raised, staring at Daryl like he had grown another head. Or like he was the one that was ripping off his clothes and not her. How could she be thinking of sex at a time like this?

"I need to try on the bra, I don't know my size anymore," she explained, shaking the undergarment at Daryl, who looked away.

"Right here?" Daryl questioned, purposefully looking anywhere but Kat.

"Are you serious?" Kat asked, laughter weaved between her words. "Okay, Daryl, I'll go to a fitting room," she mocked, grabbing her basket, along with her backpack, and making her way over.

Why did she even need to try it on? Daryl didn't understand why Kat didn't just grab a few different ones and leave. There couldn't be that many choices in size.

"Hurry up," he snapped, walking close behind her. Kat tossed an amused look over her shoulder.

"You didn't do a lot of shopping with girlfriends before this, did you?"

Daryl scoffed, which seemed to answer Kat's question. He had certainly never been shopping with a girlfriend before, or really had anyone that he would have called his girlfriend before. All his relationships had consisted of drunken, quick fucks, which had worked perfectly fine for him before.

"I'll be quick," she reassured Daryl, who rolled his eyes, knowing it would be anything but quick. Kat sauntered over to the closest fitting room, kicking off her old and tattered boots in the process. "Might as well put on these babies too," Kat smiled at the new, identical pair of tan Timberland boots.

Swinging open the door, Kat let out a strangled yell as a Walker, tangled in a wool sweater, stumbled out and fell into her. It's arms were trapped under the sweater, and Kat struggled against it, shoving the larger body away as the Walker snapped threateningly at her neck. Daryl drew his crossbow, firing quickly as soon as Kat rolled away from the flailing and writhing undead shopper. The bolt lodged itself in the eye socket, and the Walker stilled on the dirty, carpeted floor.

Annoyed, Daryl grabbed Katty roughly by her shoulder as she was getting to her feet, hauling her up.

"Ya almost got yerself killed," he snapped into her face, irritated that the girl had been so fucking careless. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if she had been bit. Daryl had meant it when he had told himself he wouldn't let her get hurt; Kat somehow felt like his responsibility now.

Kat ripped her shoulder away from Daryl's grasp, and shoved him away with both of her hands. Daryl only took a step back, not affected much by her attempt at dislodging his footing. "Don't fucking touch me," she sneered back at him, visibly angry. "I would have handled it."

Kat reached down and grabbed the forgotten bra on the ground and turned away from him, intent on going into the previously targeted change room. Daryl snapped out of it and stalked after Kat when she slammed the flimsy plastic door shut behind her, kicking it back open as he stomped through. Kat whipped around, still in the previous bra, scowling at him.

He grabbed Kat's forearm solidly, "Quit bein' so fuckin' careless," he seethed, referring to the noise that she was making. Kat tried again to rip her arm from his grip, but Daryl kept his larger hand firmly wrapped around her arm.

"Stop manhandling me," she squirmed against him, scowling up at Daryl, fire in her eyes.

Daryl felt the blood rush down to his cock at the heat between them, finding Kat's anger quite attractive in that moment. Her hair was mussed, face flushed, and her accent seemed to exaggerate itself when she was pissed off.

He slapped his other arm on the mirror behind Kat, trapping her in the corner. "Yer actin' like a bitch," Daryl growled, his voice gravelly and low.

Kat seemed to freeze, her chest heaving as she stared up at him. Daryl wondered briefly if she knew as well as him how inevitable it was. Daryl's hand slipped from her forearm to the back of Kat's neck, jerking her towards him as he craned his neck down, their lips meeting in a heated, demanding kiss.

Daryl took a step forward, pressing himself against her so that she could feel how hard he was, smirking when Kat let out a throaty groan, arching her back against him. He angled his mouth against hers, sliding his tongue into her mouth as Daryl felt Kat reach down and start to undo his pants. Daryl also reached down, grabbing a knife from the wrap around her thigh and then pulling away from her mouth. Kat looked momentarily confused, dazed, before Daryl slipped the blade under the front of her old bra, slicing the fabric that connected the two cups.

The fabric gave way with a clean, ripping noise, Kat letting out a surprised gasp as her breasts spilled out.

"Fuckin' asshole," she said when Kat had regained her voice, pulling her arms out of the useless scrap of material.

Daryl dropped the knife on the ground carelessly before he snorted, reaching down to finish undoing his pants. "Maybe next time," he joked.

Kat elbowed him, her own hands tearing at the leg wrap and then at the buttons on her jeans, kicking them off hurriedly. Daryl let out a bark of laughter when Kat stumbled at the pool of fabric at her ankles. She sent him a withering look, grabbing Daryl by either side of his face and connecting their lips again, nipping at him roughly.

Daryl growled, sliding his hands around her to grab her ass, hoisting her up and shoving her against the cold mirror. Kat's hands wrapped themselves around Daryl's neck, her legs following around his waist as Daryl fumbled to shove the rest of his pants down. He quickly reached around and moved her panties to the side, groaning out loud when his fingers caught how ready Kat already was for him.

Shifting her weight down, Daryl's eyes locked on Kat's face as he guided himself easily into her. Kat's eyes fluttered shut and her head tipped back, hitting lightly against the mirror, she let out a long, satisfied moan as he filled her. Daryl felt her contract around him involuntarily, and he leaned his head forward, trying to focus so he didn't nut too early.

Thrusting up into her, Daryl tightened his grip under her ass as his hips slammed Kat repeatedly into the wall. It was a symphony of skin on skin and cries falling from Kat's open lips as Daryl pumped into her.

He knew he wasn't going to last long, and starting thrusting harder into Kat as he reached between them to play with her clit vigorously. She was too hot, too wet, and looked too damn good pressed between the fitting room wall and him, writhing and mewling unintelligible words.

Kat let out a string of expletives as her climax ripped through her unexpectedly, her back arching off of the mirror as she clawed desperately at Daryl's back. The combination of her noises and the tight heat pulsing erratically around him made Daryl's knees buckle slightly, and he thrust roughly, his fingers still working her bundle of nerves as he forced Kat to ride out her orgasm. Daryl clamped his teeth on her neck as he came undone, filling her up while he let out a low, throaty groan. She whimpered at the sensation and Daryl dragged his mouth down her neck, nipping at her skin whenever she would tighten around him.

They stood there for a minute, catching their breath, before Daryl felt tired from holding her up and slid himself out of her, a whine leaving Kat, letting her down slowly. He made sure that her legs weren't going to give out before he stepped back, tucking himself back into his pants.

When he looked up, Daryl swore out loud. Kat was leant against the mirror, slipping the new bra onto her arms. She hadn't fixed her panties, and Daryl thought he had never seen anything more fucking erotic than seeing his own cum dripping down Kat's thighs.

Daryl took a step towards her, but froze, his blood changing temperatures immediately.

"You sure you saw them go in here?" a male voice asked.

"No, but there's dick all around here. Where else would they go?" another answered, neither bothering to keep their voices down.

Katty's head jerked up, her eyes wide as she moved quickly to fasten the bra. Daryl grabbed a shirt from Kat's basket and threw it at her after she had pulled her jeans back up and refastened her weapons securely. Daryl threw his pack on whilst Kat copied him, struggling to grab both baskets while holding a throwing knife in her other hand.

She nodded once when Daryl moved a finger to his lips, his crossbow at the ready as he slowly opened the door to the fitting room.

Daryl's eye caught movement to the left, and watched as the two unknown men sauntered over to the pharmacy section, swinging knives and bats as they went. He motioned to Kat to follow him as they quickly moved to the clothing racks, weaving silently in between clusters of clothing.

"Check the other side," the first voice snapped at his partner.

Daryl froze, crouching and reaching around to grab Kat by a belt loop, stopping her from moving. She waited silently, pressed against Daryl's side. They watched as feet with dirty, large work boots paced quickly by them, and Daryl motioned for them to move again. Daryl glanced behind them at the man, catching a glimpse of his face as he moved by, craning his neck around.

Daryl's stomach churned when he caught a glimpse of the 'W' on the man's forehead, half hidden by long, greasy hair and skin coated in dirt.

"Edward, there's a geek over here, looks like it's just been put down," the man called out. Daryl and Kat moved away and towards the edge of the clothing section, stopping behind a shelf when they heard the other set of footsteps approach.

"Go look through the food aisles," Edward ordered, "They're around here somewhere. I want that girl."

Daryl felt his temper flare, the primal urge to protect what he considered his. Daryl could probably swing around and take out this idiot before following the other to the food section. If there were only two of them, that is. Kat stiffened beside him, and tugged at his sleeve when he remained frozen, glaring over to where the fitting rooms were.

She mouthed something at him that looked like 'Come on,' when Daryl looked over at her, and he nodded. They moved quietly, Daryl leaving first through the propped open, previously automatic doors and scanning the parking lot quickly.

He sent a hand signal to Kat for her to follow, and they jogged towards the truck, Daryl whipping around with his crossbow as they went. They chucked their packs and baskets into the back of the truck before clamoring in, Daryl shifting the old truck and peeling away.

Daryl was still angry. He was shaking. They followed them, and he hadn't noticed. The one made a comment about Kat, they had been close enough to notice her, even if they had been on foot.

"Crazies," he was jerked out of his thoughts at Kat's soft voice, and looked over at her.

"Stringing people up and leaving them. Carving W's into their foreheads," she said, and Daryl furrowed his brow, confused, before he realized that Kat was reciting what he had told her about them. He supposed that she had seen the man's face as well. Daryl had never actually seen the group that had been doing that, but looking at that guy, he doubted that it had been anyone else.

"Yeah, that's them," he confirmed simply, flexing his fingers when Daryl realized how tightly he had been gripping the steering wheel.

There was a stretch of silence between them, and Kat shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Daryl watched out of the corner of his eye as she rubbed the spot that he had bit on her neck.

"That ended pretty shit," Kat commented casually, still massaging her own neck. "At least part of it was fun," she muttered, and Daryl thought she sounded somewhat bitter.

Daryl sent her a questioning look, and Katty rolled her eyes. "It's only fucking, after all," she repeated his words from earlier, sounding unconcerned.

Daryl could see through it though. The dismissive tone. He knew she didn't mean it, and it pissed him off. He set his jaw into a tense line. Why could she just say what she fuckin' meant?

"Cut tha shit," he chided, and Katty turned towards him, her arms crossed.

"What?" she asked defensively, her eyes narrowing.

"It ain't just fuckin' and ya know it," he said, frustrated, casting an irritated look her way. Katty frowned at him in return.

Daryl wasn't a moron. He knew that there was something, stupid as it may be, between them, Daryl just didn't want to admit it. He kept tabs on Kat, even when she wasn't speaking to him, he almost lost his temper when he heard the crazy sumbitch make a comment about her, Daryl even kissed her first in the change room; he had no excuse for that. He was protective of Kat, wanted her safe, and even when he was pissed off at her, he wasn't really that pissed off. Those reasons might be stupid to other people, but it was enough for Daryl.

"Then what is it?" Kat asked, somewhat childishly.

Daryl flicked his crumpled up half of the list at her, and saw it bounce lamely off of her shoulder. "Hell if I know!" he felt entirely exasperated and embarrassed now, and wanted to change the subject. "Fuck do ya want from me?" he snapped, throwing another annoyed look Kat's way. He could feel heat creeping up his neck and hated it.

She spluttered for a minute, unsure what to say. "I dunno – " Kat made a weird, strangled noise in her throat.

"You – I guess."

He peered over at her, surprised at Kat's answer, shitty and awkward as it may have been. No one had said that to him before, and Daryl wasn't sure how to respond. There were a lot of things he didn't like, comparisons between himself and Kat, especially the contrast between their previous lives, all of which made him think that there was no way it were possible.

But there were things he did like, he supposed.

He liked that he seemed to make her feel as unsure as she made him feel, liked that the first thing she thought of that she wanted from him wasn't convoluted, liked that he felt fire and heat whenever he looked at her. And he liked how pink her face was in that moment. Kat was staring straight ahead, color dancing on her cheeks at her admission, and Daryl resisted smirking.

"Alright," he said without looking at her.

The comical way in which Kat's head swiveled around, her mouth agape, almost made Daryl laugh. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking nothing more than confused.

"Alright?" she repeated incredulously, disbelief lacing her features as her brow quirked at him.

Daryl shrugged a shoulder, fixing his eyes to the empty stretch of road in front of them. "Yeah." What else was he supposed to say? He hoped that was enough, at least for now.

A laugh bubbled up from Kat, and she shook her head, rubbing a hand down the front of her face.

"Alright."

A/N: Hey, you! Hope that makes all their stupidity a bit better. This one was fun to write, I like doing Daryl's point of view. The end bit was especially funny for me to write; I can picture it playing out in my head.

Remember to leave a review!

-Submechanophobia

Next Time: Was she delirious or did Merle Dixon have a fucking halo?