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By the end of the celebration, it was the two of them, sitting up on the walkway, looking out across the stars, just like usual. Daryl wouldn't have had it any other way. It was nice to be treated with respect and all, but these days there were just too many damned people in the prison. It was like the old world, but … sometimes it was worse, because you couldn't get away, and you felt so much responsibility to the people you wanted to get away from that you felt guilty for how much you wanted to.
Carol nudged him with her shoulder. "You want to talk about it?"
He raised his eyebrows. When did he ever want to talk about it?
She smiled, leaning back against the walls. "Nice that you can see the stars so clear now. You never used to be able to."
He could, but then, he'd spent a lot of time away from the light pollution of high-density populations.
"Do you know that Axel thought I was a lesbian?"
Daryl jerked around to look at her at that, wondering where the thought had come from. "Are you?"
She laughed. "No. Never thought about it. Maybe I should have gone that route—might have gotten Ed off my back."
He doubted it, but then again, he was pretty sure she wasn't serious. "You'd make a good one, you wanted to try it now."
Carol considered that for a moment. "Can't say as I find anyone here too tempting. Maybe you want to pick me up someone on the next run? Or, you know, someone for yourself, if you'd rather."
Daryl gave her a side-eye. She was hinting around more these days, and while he thought they had an understanding, sometimes he wasn't entirely sure she did understand. Hell, sometimes he wasn't entirely sure he did, either. Definitely no one else did. He heard the whispers occasionally, the insistence some people had that two people who spent a lot of time together, who were so clearly important to each other, had to be attracted to each other in that way. "You really want that?" he asked her. "Me to find someone?"
"If it would make you happy."
"Not sure what happy feels like, to be honest."
"No. Me, neither. You ever want to find out?"
"The world the way it is?" Daryl shook his head. "Doesn't seem like this is the place to find happiness."
"Glenn and Maggie have."
"Sometimes. But then, other times, all they've got is more to lose. I kind of like not having anything to—" He cut himself off before he could finish the lie.
But Carol understood. She had the same complicated feelings about losing Sophia that he did about losing Merle. Yeah, it sucked to be left alone when you used to have family, but there was so much freedom in not having to be afraid of losing anyone. It occurred to him that he should be afraid of losing Carol. He'd thought he had once, and it had devastated him. But she had come so far, become so strong, that he didn't worry about her any more than he did himself these days.
"Well, if you ever want to try it …" She left the thought hanging there. He wondered if she meant it. For as much as she flirted with him, she'd never pushed.
"I might just think about that sometime." If he ever was going to, it would be with her. No one else in the world he would have trusted.
Carol laughed. "I'll be waiting. But don't mind me if I don't hold my breath."
"You probably shouldn't," Daryl agreed, chuckling with her. Then the laughter passed, and he turned to look at her, that sharp profile in the starlight. "Hey. You ain't serious, are you?"
"No. Not really."
"'Cause if you ever are, you're gonna have to tell me."
"You won't be able to figure it out yourself?"
"Never been my strong suit," he admitted. Back in the world, women had practically had to throw themselves at him, which a few had, before he'd figure it out.
"Good to know." She smiled, leaning forward and looping her arms around her knees. "I promise, if I ever try it, I won't be subtle."
"You planning on it?"
"Not right now." She glanced at him sideways. "You want me to?"
He could feel himself blushing. But the truth was, he liked things just the way they were. He didn't want it to change, didn't want her to be something more than what she was—his person, the only person he really trusted, really loved, in the world. That was enough. It was more than enough. "Not really."
For a moment, he wondered if that hurt her, but he could see her let out a held breath, and she rested her head on her knees, her face soft in the starlight. "Me, neither."
"Well. All right, then." They sat like that together for a few minutes, silent, hearing the sounds of the prison settling below them, the party finishing up, and farther out, the growls of the walkers and the rattle of them pushing against the fences, reminding them that there was more to the world than people's feelings. "We should get some rest. Back at it again tomorrow."
"Probably," Carol agreed. "Not just yet, though. Peaceful up here."
Daryl agreed, leaning his head back against the wall with a sigh. Time enough to get back to the world the way it was later. For now, he would sit here and look at the stars with his favorite person and not have to worry about misunderstandings. They knew each other, he and Carol, and they trusted each other, and that was well worth anything they missed out by not adding any romantic complications to their relationship.
After a moment, she scooted closer so their shoulders were touching, and they watched the stars together for a long time.