He lifted his face up to the sun and closed his eyes. This was the place that felt like home to him, no matter how far it was from his actual home. Daryl opened his eyes again, squinting at the tops of the trees he was standing underneath. It was a good day. Quiet, and they hadn't seen any signs of people moving through, but it was still a good day.
Being alone, out in the woods, was where he felt the most like himself. No matter how many people he had that he cared about, or who actually gave a shit about him, he still felt more at peace under trees and by himself. Having people was still relatively new; he didn't always trust in it yet and sometimes he had to question if what they really wanted was his skills and experience. Out in the wilderness he could count on those things for himself and not need to worry about anyone else needing protection or getting in his way.
Getting out from behind those walls and into the trees was what real freedom was to him, and he was grateful to Aaron for giving him the excuse to be outside as often as he wanted. He was also grateful to the other man for giving him his space when they were out on recruiting runs; the motorcycle helped with that. He knew that it couldn't be easy when Aaron was used to working with a partner that was almost always with him in one way or another though. There were times when Daryl was sure that Aaron was hesitating over saying or doing something, but then he would let it go again and things would continue on as they had been.
He heard the sound of the car door opening and closing again, and Daryl looked back toward the road. Aaron had gotten out of the car but was leaning against it, waiting for him to be ready. Daryl nodded, took a deep breath, and started back to the pavement.