The Spare Room
Summary: The bills keep piling up and if Daryl Dixon has any hope of improving his life, he and his brother are going to have to find someone to fill their spare room. The problem is that while he can't stand his new roommate, he finds himself falling for his roommate's girlfriend. Caryl. AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize from the Walking Dead.
Chapter 22
Merle woke up in pain, nothing new since the accident. His arm throbbed, but his hand…well, he still had yet to feel anything in his hand. At this point, Merle probably would've welcomed the pain. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes with his good hand. It was about four in the morning. Merle knew it without looking at the clock. It was usually around this time that Merle was wanting a pain pill and this morning was no different. He'd have to wake Daryl up, though, something that he didn't want to do on a Saturday where the boy actually got to sleep in.
It would be so much simpler if Daryl would put Merle's pills in a container that didn't have a child-proof cap on it, but Daryl, ever the mother hen, worried that Merle might get hooked on the pain meds. The kid had actually read the papers that came with the pills and when he got to the bit about the meds being addictive, he put Merle on a tight leash.
Well, if that was the way that Baby Brother wanted it, then he would just have to deal with getting woke up at the crack of dawn. Merle got himself out of bed and padded across the hall to Daryl's room, inviting himself inside. He didn't bother with a light. He walked up to the bed, reached down, and shook Daryl's shoulder…only it didn't feel like Daryl's shoulder. It felt soft and small.
"What the-"
"What's going on?" a sleepy feminine voice asked. It was a voice that Merle recognized. Oh, fuck, the boy didn't.
"What the fuck?" Merle gasped, stepping away from the bed as if he had been burned. Carol reached over to flick on the bedside lamp, illuminating the room in light. Once his eyes adjusted, Merle realized that Daryl was not in the bedroom, which was good, but it still didn't mean anything.
"Merle?" Carol questioned, "What are you doing in here?"
"Could ask ya the same damn question, Missy," Merle snapped back, "Ya fuckin' my brother?"
Carol's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No…no, I…I needed a place to sleep and Daryl offered-"
"By my knowledge, ya got a damn place to sleep and it's on the other side of this goddamn wall!" Merle protested coldly, jerking his head towards the wall separating Daryl's room from Ed's. Carol cringed.
"Ed and I…we…we're not getting along-"
"So what?" Merle shot at her, "Ya mad at ya boyfriend so now you're usin' my baby brother to get back at him? Fuck that shit and stay the fuck away from Daryl!"
He turned on his heel to leave, but Carol scrambled after him, somehow getting between him and the door, "Merle, it's not like that," she pleaded, "I would never, ever use Daryl-"
"Get out of my goddamn way," Merle growled.
"Merle, please, Daryl's my friend. When I said I was sleeping on the couch, he offered up his room to me-"
"That so?" Merle demanded, "Well then, move ya ass so I can go fuckin' talk to your 'friend'," he snapped. Carol moved aside, but followed Merle out to the living room. Merle was pissed off, but he needed to get to the bottom of this shit once and for all. He approached the couch and found his baby brother peacefully sleeping. At this point in his life, Merle knew that waking Daryl was a bit of a gamble; the boy would wake at the slightest noise, but most times, he would wake up swinging. Yet another parting gift from Will Dixon.
"Wake up, Boy," Merle snapped in a voice just a little higher than his normal speaking tone. Daryl's eyes snapped open and he sat upright in an instant.
Once his eyes adjusted to the dark and he recognized that Merle and Carol were standing before him, he asked, "What the hell's goin' on?"
"What the hell is Ed Peletier's girlfriend doin' in your bed?" Merle countered, glaring down at his younger brother. Daryl's eyes shifted to Carol.
"I told you that Daryl was just letting me sleep in there for tonight-"
Merle held up his good hand to silence her and demanded, "Is there somethin' goin' on here that I oughta know?"
"Ya gotta know everythin' that goes on in this house?" Daryl scowled.
"Answer the goddamn question," Merle snapped back, gritting his teeth to ignore the throbbing in his arm.
"No, ain't nothin' goin' on," Daryl admitted, glaring at his brother as he rose to his feet. He glanced towards Carol and Merle followed his gaze. Carol's face was unreadable in the dark, at least to Merle.
"And there ain't gonna be nothin' goin' on in the future, right?" Merle pressed on, unwilling to give them time to dwell on anything, especially since it was getting harder to ignore the pain, "Right?" he prodded when they both remained silent.
With his eyes on Carol, Daryl answered, "Can't promise that."
"Are you fuckin' stupid?" Merle snapped.
"Might come a day when Carol ain't with Ed no more," Daryl explained, still looking solely at Carol, his gaze burning into hers. Merle stepped between them, causing Daryl's gaze to become a glare.
"They's gettin' married," Merle reminded both of them, not quite able to hide the grimace on his face as his movements caused the throbbing to increase.
"They ain't married yet," Daryl maintained, side-stepping his brother, "There's still time."
With that, he strolled into the kitchen, flicking on a light so that he could go about hunting Merle's pills down. This time, the boy had hidden them inside a container of flour. Yesterday, it had been in a box of some wheat cereal that Ed had insisted that Carol eat. Daryl got the pills out and Carol poured Merle a glass of water.
"There," Daryl said, pushing two pills over. Merle took them and threw them to the back of his throat. He grudgingly accepted the water that Carol offered. Daryl nodded approvingly and said, "Now go and rest up. Breakfast'll be on the table in a couple hours."
That sounded so tempting. All Merle wanted to do was go back to bed and find another couple of hours' worth of sleep, but he had a feeling that it was a bad idea to leave Daryl alone with Carol no matter what they claimed.
"And leave the two of ya alone?" Merle snorted, "Pfft. I'll go sit on the damn couch. At least there, I can keep an eye on ya"
Daryl rolled his eyes and then took to hunting for pots and pans to start breakfast. Carol went to the fridge to get eggs and milk to start those pancakes that had been so delicious last weekend.
0-TSR-0
After her little confrontation with Merle, Carol found herself actually enjoying her morning. Cooking with Daryl was relaxing and they worked almost seamlessly together. She found herself looking forward to the moments where she and Daryl stood together at the stove, their shoulders lightly touching as they cooked.
It was strange really. When Daryl told his brother that there was nothing between them, Carol had almost felt hurt, though technically, it was the truth…or a half-truth, anyways. They had exchanged kisses and there were feelings there, but neither of them had crossed the line. They had stepped a toe over the line, but they had never outright crossed it. Then when Daryl said that he couldn't promise that there would never be anything between him and Carol, her heart had jumped in her chest, pounding in anticipation. It implied that one day…well, there might be something more between them, and that filled her with hope. The look Daryl had given her after that was seared into her brain. It had been intense and longing, and Carol felt it too. She felt herself longing for that day when she wasn't with Ed.
She wanted to be with Daryl Dixon.
The thought both excited her and scared her.
How would that ever work? How would that ever happen? What would people think if she moved from one man to the next in a blink of an eye? What would happen between Ed and Daryl? Daryl and Merle? It was all so confusing and overwhelming.
"Grab me a bowl?" Daryl requested, nodding towards the cupboard above Carol's head. She reached for it and watched as he lined it with a napkin and started transferring bacon from the pan into it.
"Where'd you learn to cook?" she asked. As far as she knew, Ed couldn't make toast.
Daryl shrugged, "Had to eat."
Well, that made sense.
Beside her, Daryl sighed and continued, "Spent a lot of time up under my ma...mostly when she was cookin'. Was tryin' to keep me out of trouble. Then when I went to visit my nana, she'd make me cook with her."
"There's something special about a man who can cook," Carol said, reciting something she had once heard her grandmother say. Daryl glanced over at her, an eyebrow raised.
"So why are ya with Ed again?" he wondered.
"I honestly have no idea," Carol admitted. Daryl paused and turned towards her, completely ignoring the bacon that was still cooking in the pan. Carol felt butterflies in her stomach as he stared at her. They were only inches apart.
"Then why stay with him?" Daryl asked.
"I…I…" Carol stammered, feeling utterly breathless in the moment. The bacon sizzled and popped in its pan, splattering grease up, catching both Daryl and Carol on the arms.
"Dammit," Daryl cursed, focusing once more on the burnt pieces of bacon in the pan. Carol winced and grabbed a dishcloth to wipe away the grease on her hand. Then she focused on Daryl, reaching over to grab his hand to give it the same treatment. Now that he had the heat turned off, she could focus on him and he could focus on her.
"Ain't nothin'," Daryl whispered, his voice husky and low. It sent shivers down Carol's spine.
"I don't mind," she responded, finding words again. He was silent as he watched her wipe his hand, letting her maintain the contact even though the burn could barely be classified as minor. She finished up, setting the cloth on the counter and risking a glance up at his face. It was intense and solely focused on hers. Those butterflies were flying harder than ever in her stomach.
"I'll be lookin' forward to that day," Daryl murmured.
Before she could even register what he said, he dropped her hand and retreated to the other side of the kitchen. A couple seconds later, Ed was walking into the kitchen.
"Where'd you get off to, Darlin'?" Ed asked, coming up behind Carol. She stiffened under his touch and glanced over at Daryl, who was doing his best to hide his emotions behind his mask.
"I slept on the couch," Carol lied, "I was reading and I fell asleep."
"Lil' bookworm," Ed grumbled, releasing Carol and shuffling towards the coffee pot, "Need to find you somethin' better to do. Waste of time, books are."
Carol forced a smile, but said nothing. Saying something would put Ed onto one of his rants and Carol just wasn't in the mood.
"People who read are smarter than those that don't," Daryl said offhandedly. Ed chuckled.
"Yeah? And what's readin' ever done for nobody?" he shot at Daryl, "Clearly it ain't done shit for you. You're just a ditch sprayer."
Daryl's jaw tightened and his hand clenched into a fist, tell-tale signs that he was getting fed up with Ed. Carol intervened, "For now, but Daryl's going to go to school. He's going to be a biologist."
"Some tree-hugger who spent more money goin' to school than what he'd ever make sittin' out in a bush," Ed sneered, "Schoolin' is another waste of damn time and money. Spend thousands of dollars for a little piece of paper. Waste."
"That's not true," Carol argued, stepping forward so that she was directly in between the two men, "School is a good thing."
Ed set down his coffee cup on the counter and stepped towards her, a stern frown taking over his features, "It's a waste," he repeated, "Look at you, spendin' good money to learn somethin' that your mama could show you…money we could spend on our wedding…or a house…or some other important thing for us."
"It's her money," Daryl growled, stepping to the side so that Carol wasn't obstructing his view of Ed, "She can do whatever she damn well pleases with it."
Ed glared at Daryl, "Why don't you mind your goddamn business for once? This is between a man and his future wife."
Carol felt it again. She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, the same one she got whenever she thought about marrying Ed. It felt stronger now.
"Just sayin'," Daryl said, "Figured if ya really cared about her, ya'd wanna support her instead of makin' her support you."
"What did you say to me?" Ed demanded, crossing the kitchen in two long strides so that he was in Daryl's face.
"Ya heard me," Daryl snapped back, standing as tall as Ed. Carol panicked. She didn't want them in a fight. She didn't want Daryl to get hurt again.
"Let's just eat breakfast," she said, "It doesn't matter-"
"It does fuckin' matter!" Ed snapped at her, "I'm sick and tired of this asshole sniffin' around your skirt because he's too fucked up to go find his own damn woman! It's pathetic!"
Carol saw the way Daryl's face changed at the comment. He had already been mad enough to fight, but now he was livid, ready to act on a violent urge at Ed's pushing. Daryl looked downright dangerous.
"Boy!" Merle yelled, his voice making all three of them jump, "Backyard, now!"
Carol felt relief when she saw Merle standing under the archway, looking every bit the former military man. Despite his injured arm, he was still the authority figure in this house. He still controlled it. For a moment, Daryl looked like he wanted to argue, but then he turned and stormed out the patio, leaving Ed and Carol in the kitchen with Merle. The elder Dixon brother walked purposely towards Ed, glowering down at him.
"That was too damn far," Merle growled.
"He's the one tryin' to steal what's mine," Ed argued.
"That may be, but ya ain't got no right to use what I told ya against him," Merle snapped back, stepping around Ed and heading outside.
"Pfft," Ed scoffed, rolling his eyes once Merle was out of earshot, "Asshole."
"Stop!" Carol exclaimed, turning around to face Ed, "Just…just stop! Daryl is my friend-"
"How many times to I have to tell you that he's just trying to get into your pants?" Ed demanded, stepping towards her, his eyes narrowed and his face contorted into an ugly look.
"So what?" Carol asked, "It doesn't give you the right to treat him like that!"
Ed reached out and gripped her arm, holding her in place while he completely invaded her personal space, "You are mine!" he growled dangerously, "That right there gives me every right to put that asshole in his place!"
"Then maybe I don't want to be yours anymore!" Carol shouted, trying to pull out of his iron-like grip.
"What did you say?" Ed demanded, shaking her a little, making her wince. The pain made her come to her senses. She realized what she had spoken in anger and even though those words could destroy everything she had worked so hard to build over the past year, she found that she didn't regret them. The damn had broke and for the first time in weeks, she finally said what she wanted.
"I don't want to be yours anymore," she repeated softly.
"You made me a promise!" Ed countered, "You said that you would marry me!"
His grip tightened around her arm. She looked down at his white knuckles and then back at his face, "And you're not the man I thought you were when I made that promise," Carol said, "You're mean to Daryl. You boss me around. You hurt me."
Ed let go quickly as if he had been burned, "I didn't mean to."
"But you did," Carol said, rubbing her arm.
"Dammit, I'm sorry," Ed said, his tone gentler. He reached out to touch her, but she stepped back, "Carol-"
"I can't."
"Carol, don't do this," Ed begged, his face desperate, "It was an accident. The thought of you with him just…it makes me crazy. You're the best thing I've got and I don't want to lose you. Baby, I love you so much."
"I…I can't-"
"I'll be better, Carol Ann," Ed promised, "I can be better. I wanna have a life with you, Carol. I wanna be your husband and I wanna take care of you. Baby, I love you. I love you."
"You're not the same person to me," Carol told him, her voice catching in her throat, "I don't know you anymore, Ed."
"Just give me a chance," Ed pleaded, "Give me a chance and I'll show you that I'm still the man you fell in love with. I'll be whatever you want me to be, just…just don't leave me. Please," he begged. Carol stared at him. He was desperate. There were even tears welling up in his eyes. She felt at a loss. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to hurt anybody.
"I…I…"
"I'll take you for dinner tonight," Ed bargained, "We'll have a nice night, you and me and I'll show ya…I'll prove to you that I love you."
"Ed-"
"Just one chance, Carol. Please."
She closed her eyes and reluctantly nodded her head.
0-TSR-0
"What did you say to him?" Daryl demanded, rounding on his older brother the second that Merle stepped into the backyard.
"Now, Daryl-"
"What did you say to him?" Daryl repeated, "Huh? Why's he sayin' that I'm fucked up?"
"Ya ain't fucked up," Merle told him, "Ya-"
"Then why the hell'd he say it?" Daryl snarled, pacing the yard like a caged lion. Merle sucked in a breath through his teeth.
"Fuck, all I said was that ya had a hard time trustin' new folks. That's all," Merle said.
Daryl stopped his pacing and pointed a finger at his brother's face, "Ya had no right to say that shit! Ya tell him 'bout Pa?"
"Said our daddy was a mean son-of-a-bitch. No big deal," Merle told him, "Ain't said no more'n that."
"You're an asshole!" Daryl snapped, resuming his pacing.
"What, because I'm tryin' to protect ya?" Merle asked defensively.
"You're protectin' yourself!" Daryl shot at him, "You're more concerned about money than anythin' else!"
"And what d'ya think that money is goin' towards?" Merle demanded, "Money puts a roof over your head and food on the damn table."
"Never mind the fact that you're kissin' Peletier's ass to get it!" Daryl snarled, "It's pathetic!"
Merle grabbed Daryl with his good hand, making his brother stop. For a moment, it looked like Daryl wanted to hit him, but then he thought better of it.
"Dammit, Boy, you know what's pathetic? You makin' moon eyes over a taken woman and startin' shit with her man. That ain't you, Brother. That ain't you at all," Merle maintained.
"Why? Because I'm goin' after what I want?" Daryl shot at him, "Thought ya'd be proud of that, but I forgot that the only one 'round here that gets what he wants is you."
"Dammit Daryl, don't be a whiny lil' prick-"
"Fuck you, Merle," Daryl snapped, taking off for the woods and leaving his brother standing there gobsmacked. Merle wasn't used to arguing with Daryl and it was a bit disconcerting for him. He had thought that he knew his brother better than anyone, but there was something about this little woman that was changing Daryl…making him someone that Merle didn't recognize.
Merle wasn't sure he liked it and he wasn't sure that it would end well for anyone.
TBC
AN: A note here:
-This is the first of four updates. Considering the complaints I have gotten about me 'drawing this out', I've decided to update in bulk so that I can get those impatient readers through the 'annoying' parts of my story as quickly as possible. As such, updates for this will be more spread out than is usual for me.