Third Person POV:
The first time he saw emotion cross her face he did a double take. He felt like a cartoon character in a bugs bunny skit. He had said something random about Merle being a fucking asshole ('cause he is) and all the sudden her mouth twitched. It was so small if he hadn't done the double take and still seen it there, he would have thought the fuckin' heat was getting to him. And there it was plain as day.
It looked like she hadn't even noticed it was there; Or even that a smile gracing those lips was the anomaly that it was. She kept dressin' the rabbit hanging there, looking like it was a dear friend, and she was showing it some kind of fucked up compassion.
"I didn't know you could smile" the words came out of my mouth and just hung there, like that fuckin dead rabbit she had suddenly stopped cuttin' on. Her expression froze in place for a split second as her eyes widened a bit. All at once her eyes disappeared behind her lashes and her head turned away sharply, face melting into the ever present emotionless mask. Her voice though was quiet and definitely not the strong, deep voice he had come to know. "I guess I just forgot how", she stayed there looking off towards the ground for a few seconds before her eyes slowly meet mine again. I didn't dare move. The feeling in my bones reminded me of that moment on the hunt, when ya been beatin' the bush for days and finally, finallycatch a fresh trail. And it's something big, something that makes the days previous, worth the work.
Her eyes flick to the rabbit once again before starting back on her task. That same quiet voice trickling out of puckered lips. "Tastes kinda bitter sweet now." Her brow furrowed. If it wasn't for the abrupt change in her ever lacking personally and the content of her words, the expression would have been mistaken for mere concentration. His feet shifted under him without his permission. She made no indication of acknowledgement for the subtle outward tell of his discomfort. So instead of the usual response of loud harsh words, he amazed even himself, by simply walking away while throwing one simple statement over his shoulder. "Guess practice changes the taste".
The sounds of cuttin' stopped behind him once again and he had to force himself not to turn around. The need to see the new expression on her face was almost overpowering. He silently wondered if it was shock or a different version of a smile. As he headed into the woods, he noticed the unconscious grin plastered across his own face. A grin that hadn't graced his harsh features since the age of ten; the year he shot his first buck with Merle and Uncle Howard. After the shock of its sudden return wore off, he chuckled to himself. Guess we both need the practice.
He felt a small thrill creep into his bones then. His body filled with energy. He contemplated how many new expressions he could force out of the little shit, with her impenetrable armor, before finally getting to witness her full anger. Another chuckle rumbled through his chest and he damn near licked his lips in some kind of fucked up feral anticipation. Hope your ready Lil Bit. Cause I aint never walked away from a good trail and I damn sure ain't startin' now.