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Daryl had known from the second he saw his brothers getting out of the car, that they used when going into the city, that something had gone wrong.
Glenn had a pinched look, and red eyes - while Merle's lips were thin and his posture tense.
And they were covered in walker guts.
They didn't say a word to each other nor anyone else as they each made their way to the camp fire, Merle sitting down staring at the fire while Glenn just dropped some things and then went towards the woods.
Huh.
The cop, Shane, looked a bit uncomfortable while Andrea looked pissed - she even threw a glare at Merle before going after Glenn.
Oh fuck.
Merle had taken something.
Daryl had forgotten about Merle's drug stash - too busy running for their fuckin' lives and surviving.
Glenn hated drugs, and he hated even more that his oldest brother used them.
With a muttered "Why the fuck me?" Daryl went to his older brother, kicked one of his legs and motioned towards his tent.
Merle glared at him, but Daryl could see the shame lingering on his face.
He got it. Merle was addicted after all, but to have a baby brother with expressive eyes like Glenn, and being caught by that said brother.. Fuck he'd tuck his tail between his legs as well - hell he'd lay belly-up just to get those hurt and teary eyes to stop looking at him like that.
Damn but that kid could make the most dangerous person feel 1feet tall when he wanted to.
Just like his mother had been able to do.
And now old Merle was in the dog house, and he was sobering up quickly.
He barely snarled before handing over his stash to Daryl, rising and trudging to his tent - he didn't even bother to zip the tent up. Just laid down on his back, with his arms resting under his head, and his giant booted feet sticking out of the opening.
With a sigh Daryl snatched some dried meat, and then pulled himself up on the old man's RV - the roof on that old thing made a perfect outlook.
He made himself comfortable in one of the chairs that had been put up there, and decided to wait 5 minutes before he went after Glenn and Andrea.
It just took 3 minutes before Andrea came walking back, looking a bit somber but she gave a slight nod when she spotted Daryl, and he knew the kid was ok.
Still he decided to give it 10 minutes before he went to get his baby brother.
Again he only had to wait a few moments before the kid slowly emerged from the woods - looking a bit jittery, but atleast he was cleaned up from the blood and guts.
He didn't notice Daryl up on the RV's roof - he made a straight bee-line to their tents, but then stopped before he went into his own one.
Daryl was ready to hop down from the roof if he thought the kid would have an angst moment - he was tough, killing as much walkers as everyone else and then going on those supply trips (with him or Merle as his back-up).
But he still got these after-shocks, almost like a panic-attack, after the situations when they came face to face with walkers.
Daryl couldn't help but smile as he saw the kid notice Merle's boots sticking out, and how the kid slowly inched closer. Looking nervous and uncertain - but still knowing how this would end up.
It was like watching a baby bunny going to a giant old wolf for a snuggle.
And the most funny part was that the giant wolf didn't say a thing about it - even if he must know the other's could see.
Merle looked like he was dead to the world, but Daryl knew his oldest brother well - and there was no way that his brother would not have noticed the kid. Being quick and light on his feet when it came to speed, the kid still was not very good at using stealth. The noice he made would've woken both Merle and Daryl, even if it was 10 miles away.
Still the kid tried, and he tiptoed to Merle's tent before peeking in. Biting his nails before looking around the camp to see if anyone else was around.
Seeming pleased when he didn't see anyone, he toed off his sneakers and slowly crawled in to lay beside big ol' Merle. It was such a funny sight Daryl was close to letting out a laugh - but it also made a weird warmth spread through his chest.
Watching as the kid laid down with his back snug against Merle's side, curling up somewhat, and then you could practically see all of his muscles relaxing all at once. Kid was alseep in a few seconds.
This was something the kid had started to do more often - he once told Daryl that he just sometimes couldn't feel safe if he wasn't in the same tent as either himself or Merle. Daryl had been a bit worried at first that Merle would blow a fuse, when the kid ran into his tent after a nasty close-call with a walker - but he had never said a thing.
After seeing Merle crack an eye open and glance at the black tufted head, now resting against on one of his arms, with a smile, Daryl knew they'd be alright.
Glenn had managed to teach them both a thing that their father had tried to beat out of them;
You weren't any lesser of a man for showing affection to those who deserved it - you were a better and stronger man for daring to do it.