Caged Heat

December 3rd

Night

"I think I might have a crush on you."

It was almost night when Daryl had found his way back to the road where they last saw Rick and the others. The air was still sticky and smelly and thick, but the rain had finally stopped and the first thing Daryl spotted made him smile.

"Some dick head knocked over my bike." He scuffed under his breath, glancing in both directions before he walked to the over turned motorcycle on the ground. The other cars we're gone, not much to their surprise. Carol reluctantly found her way out of the trees after Daryl, and she thought it was stupid that the hope that maybe the group would be waiting for them here had clung in the back of her mind.

"They're not here," Carol said, worry plastered across her face. Daryl hadn't spoken to her for hours, she assumed because he was angry and cold and still embarrassed because he had fallen on his ass earlier. So she hadn't questioned it, and she blindly followed and obviously lost man until he finally found his way back. She watched as he started up his bike, anger splattered in his eyes. "What are we supposed to do? What if we can't find them?" She questioned, quickly catching up with him. He didn't answer her. He never did anymore when she panicked like this. He just sat on the bike, waiting patiently for her to get on, avoiding any eye contact. "You don't even know where your going." She mumbled under her breath as she found her familiar spot on Daryl's motorcycle, her finger lingering against his sides, and she decided it would be best if she didn't say anything else.

"Let's stop here."

He hadn't spoken in a half of an hour, not even a grumble or a laugh. They had stumbled upon an abandoned town, one of those southern ones that looks just like the ones in western films. The street was lined with little mom and pop type shops, most of them either boarded up or broken into. The most important thing though, Is they hadn't seen a walker all day, and before Carol had noticed Daryl was already heading toward a building with a sign on it that read "Al's bar."

"Where are you going?" She called to him, and he didn't have to look at her to know she was rolling her eyes. He barley moved his head, inviting her too. She clutched tight onto her cross body bag as she sprinted after him.

The bar was nice on the inside, almost left in pristine condition. Glass bottles full of liquids, lined a wall in the back, and when Carol Carefully entered the bar, she found Daryl right at the front seat.

"Come on Daryl," She nagged, sighing as she walked to him, sitting on the bar stool next to him. "You shouldn't be mad at me just because you fell on your ass earlier." She said, amusement hinted in her voice.

"Shut up," He finally said, and she couldn't quite tell if he was serious or not. Carol looked down to find Daryl pouring a drink into a shot glass, his cross bow sat next to him on the bar.

"Do you really think this is what we should be doing right now?"

"How about," Daryl said, looking up into Carol's worried eyes. "Eveytime you say something annoying, I take a shot."

"This isn't a game, Daryl."

"That's one." Daryl almost laughed, swallowing the contents of the glass, he head falling back behind him. He wasn't used to the taste of alcohol, coughing a few times before he brought his head back to Carol.

"I'm serious-"

"That's two." He said again, pouring himself another glass.

"He should be finding the group right now!"

Daryl swallowed the second glass, hitting hit hard on the bar before he spoke. "It's late, Carol. There's no point in looking more right now. We just need to pick it up in the morning."

She looked at him for a second, shaking her head before bringing her gaze down to her hands as they crawled along one another, but her head quickly shot back up as she caught him take another shot.

"I didn't even say anything that time!" Carol exclaimed, and Daryl laughed as he set the glass back on the table, his fingers dancing around the top, his eyes staring into the empty center.

"Have a drink, Carol." He said, sliding the glass across the bar, and she caught in her hand due to a reflex.

She giggled a bit, rolling her eyes at the same time. He watched her for a moment as her eyes danced for the bottle to the shot glass, and Daryl was surprised when he snatched up the bottle, messily pouring herself a glass. He had expected her to protest, to say no. But she almost chugged down the drink easier than Daryl had.

"Damn woman," Daryl said, and he thought it was cute when she let out sharp giggle, gently slapping Daryl's bicep.

It wasn't surprising to Daryl though, that it didn't take much for Carol to get drunk. He was only buzzed by the time that she was uncontrollably giggling while she was drooling against the counter top. He also wasn't surprised that Carol was a talkative drunk. He listened to her as she slurred through her entire high school experience, her first job and her first time. Needless to say, it was pretty entertaining..

"Can I tell you something?" Carol propped her elbow up on the counter top, holding her head up in the palm of her hand, her watery eyes looking at Daryl, who was still downing another shot.

"What?"

"I think I might have a crush on you."

Daryl had to stop for a second. He felt like the alcohol got caught in his throat, like he suddenly couldn't breath. His head hurt all of a sudden, and he was praying that maybe he heard her wrong. He looked at her, trying his hardest to keep at a straight face as Carol smiled at him. "Your so drunk." He said, sighing in relief. She must not of meant that, she had no idea what she is talking about.

"Yeah, but it's still true." Carol replied, she rested her head down on the counter, her wide eyes still looking up at Daryl. He just looked at her for a second, watching as her eyes flickered to the back of her head, her mouth hanging open and Daryl would have thought it was hilarious if Carol hadn't just dropped a giant bomb. It's not her fault though, Daryl was the one that asked her to drink in the first place. Daryl took a deep breath, his head clouded and fizzy and he took another shot before he spoke.

"I think I have a crush on you too."