Minority Chapter 5
Minority page 5
"What was that?" Glenn asked as he looked around.
"The sound of you going so far into the closet you hit golf clubs." Daryl said. He gripped Glenn's face and forced him to look at him. "Quit stalling and kiss me damn it."
"I heard something-mmph!" He moaned when Daryl pressed their lips together. For a second he forgot about the shuffle he had heard in the leaves. It was probably a squirrel. Glenn thought the city had been lousy with them - they definitely out numbered the walkers and the living out in the country. They had eaten countless amounts of the little gray bastards. He shrugged it off and pushed his tongue into Daryl's mouth - his eyes rolling back before he closed them. Daryl's hand was already down the front of his pants.
"We only got five more minutes before Lori wonders where we are and sends the damn troops after us." He was hard in an instant. Throbbing and dripping wet in Daryl's palm. The thrill of getting caught had always been an aphrodisiac for him. "Looks like that time limit won't be a problem for you. You're bout to pop."
"Shit, turn around." Glenn ordered. As Daryl shifted he unsnapped his belt and eased his pants down. As soon as the waist ban was below his ass he felt Glenn's cock press between his cheeks.
"Ow! Damn…" He relaxed as much as he could. Even dry it felt amazing. Burned like hell but amazing none the less. Glenn didn't even let him adjust before he pushed deeper. Glenn's grip on his hips hurt the bruises that were already there from their last tête-à-tête. He bit his lip to keep from screaming. If Glenn really had heard something it was probably best not to attract it to them. Not that he didn't want anyone seeing them - he could really give a shit at this point if someone saw them. He just didn't want to be interrupted. Not when Glenn was digging into him so fiercely. Snapping his hips in at just the right angle. Jabbing into that 'magic button' inside that made his palms sweat and his knees go weak. "God damn…yeah!" he put his head back and allowed himself the exclamation. Drawing attention be damned - Glenn's dick was worth being exposed. Or at least that's what he thought at the moment.
"Jesus Daryl…" Glenn sighed out shakily. Daryl arched up - Glenn was breathing right in his ear. God, not his ears - he could feel the heat rise in his cheeks. Hot tingles running down between his legs. Teetering right on the edge of orgasm.
"So close…so close." He panted. He tensed up when Glenn reached around and took him in his hand. "Ah!" He bit back his moan right after he cried out. Hissing through his teeth as Glenn made him cum. He tensed around Glenn and he let out a surprised gasp. His somewhat smooth movements went choppy and he swelled inside Daryl. His free hand fisted in the back of Daryl's shirt - pulling it and groaning as he let loose. Daryl made a face. It always felt weird when Glenn came inside of him. He'd be sticky and wet until he could acquire a roll of toilet paper and get away to clean himself up. He looked over his shoulder and Glenn kissed him. He hid his smile at the gentle peck. It disappeared completely when he heard a crunch of leaves much closer and heavier sounding than any squirrel.
Merle rounded the line of trees, whistling to himself as he walked. The air rushed from his lungs when he came upon his brother bent over - gripping a tree as the Asian kid pulled himself free from his ass. When they notice him they both froze. Merle had similar difficulty moving. The cigar he had found in his saddle bag fell out of his mouth and thunked against the toe of his boot. He looked down at it dumbly - like he had forgotten what it was. Daryl pulled up his pants when Merle finally looked away from them. He bent down and picked up the cigar before he slowly went back the way he came.
"Oh shit." Glenn said as he zipped up his pants. He stumbled after Daryl as he moved to catch up with his brother.
"Merle." He called out. He didn't catch him until they were back in the clearing where the farm house stood.
"Hey, done with your stogy already?" Peaches asked when he wandered past her. She lifted her eye brows at the lost look on his face. She also spotted the unsmoked cigar in his hand. Daryl came running after him.
"Merle! Wait." He called. Glenn stopped to gasp for air next to Peaches and she looked back and forth between them for a second.
"Oh, crap." She sighed when she put two and two together.
"Merle. Come on. Say something to me." Daryl said as he grabbed his arm to stop him. Merle seemed to be muttering quietly to himself.
"No. I'm not going to do this. I'm not gonna flip out and scream…" He rambled off.
"Please Merle. You're weirding me out just say something. Don't shut me out-
"Don't shut you out? Don't shut you out!" Merle tossed the cigar and grabbed Daryl by the arm. His hook tearing into the sleeve of his shirt. Glenn jumped when Merle grabbed him like that but he felt Peaches' hand on his wrist and it kept him from going over and trying to break it up. He'd just end up a greasy smear on Merle's knuckles. "You keep this from me and you got the balls to tell me not to shut you out!"
"Merle-
"You're gay!" He yelled - the sound heard round the world as he gave Daryl a hard shake. "You kept this from me! We don't keep shit from each other - if we do we're no better than those idiots!" he jabbed a finger at the farm house, indicating he was talking about Rick and his group. "This is what you survived for? To end up some limp-wristed, cum dumpster to a gook!" Daryl was laughing and it earned him another shake. It did nothing to stop his chuckling. "What the hell are you laughing at!"
"I'm sorry. But what you said - it's close to what Peaches said you'd say when you found out." Daryl was gasping to catch his breath. Peaches gripped Glenn's hand tighter when Merle's gaze shot to her.
"You knew?" he asked as he shoved Daryl away from him.
"I guessed." She said with a shrug. How she kept her voice so calm was beyond Glenn. His heart was in his throat. If she wasn't holding him he was sure he'd have run off when Merle turned to them. "Daryl was concerned you'd react…well like this."
"Son of a bitch." Merle sighed out. "The fuck is wrong with us?"
"If dad could see us he'd probably beat us to death and then keel over…again." Daryl said.
"No." Merle said.
"No?" They all asked.
"Yeah, fuck that. And fuck him. There's nothing wrong with us." Merle said more to himself than anyone else.
"So…you're not mad?" Glenn asked. He wished he'd kept his mouth shut when Merle looked at him again. Something about the older man's stare made him want to go hide in a hole.
"Nah," He shrugged. "Nah - I got no right to be. I'd be a hypocrite if I was. I can't tell you who you can and can't be with." Daryl's eyebrows shot up. The words sounded so weird coming from Merle. He understood. He wasn't mad. Daryl was sure he had fallen into some alternate universe. "I know there ain't a damn thing wrong with me. What about you?"
"Hell naw." Daryl said confidently and puffed up his chest. Sure, he had just been plowed by an Asian guy nearly nine years younger than him but he didn't care. It had felt good and there was nothing wrong with feeling good. Especially now a days.
"Aww…our boys are growing up." Peaches said to Glenn. He just smiled nervously. He hadn't really had any real interaction with the woman but in that instant he felt like he had just joined her bizarre family.
"You zip it, woman." Merle said. "You've been screwing this 'everyone has rights' bullshit into me since day one. Brow beating me into being okay with niggers and queers. Son of a bitch." He looked around until he spotted his cigar. He picked it up and shook his head. Peaches looked down at her hand when she finally let go of Glenn.
"What the…? Glenn you're hand is wet. What's-" She cut herself off and glared at him. "Eww!" she wiped it on his shirt and pushed him when he started laughing. Glenn gave her a sheepish grin - his high cheeks lighting up red.
"Ha! That's what you get for lying." Merle laughed as he walked away.
"This feels weird." Carol admitted as she looked through the racks of clothes in front of her. The store was dim - the only light was coming through the large windows out front and the small ones on the top rim of the walls around the store. Lori just chuckled as she picked up a few things. "Is this considered looting?"
"I guess not. We do need new clothes. There's only so much the wash boards can get out before there's a hole in the shirt. Carl had a growth spurt. Winter is coming so we might as well get some new things." Lori rationalized. She glanced up at the front of the store where Andrea was standing with a rifle. Daryl was on the roof keeping watch too. Rick and the others had gone to a sporting goods store to see what they could find to make life in the tents nicer. Hershel had all but forbidden them from coming in the house anymore. He had made it clear it was only for emergencies now - hoping his hostility would make them move to the motel with Katherine and her group. Rick had considered it. Charles could handle any medical emergency same as Hershel. And there was more room at the motel.
"Are you ladies finding everything okay?" Merle asked as he leaned against the rack. Lori recoiled at his smile. The man still unsettled her. She could see his friendliness was forced. If a walker attacked them right now she was certain he wouldn't protect them.
"Yes, Merle. Thank you." Carol couldn't help but return the pleasantry. Lori wondered how such a sweet woman had managed to survive for this long.
"I'm surprised you didn't go with your wife." Lori said. Merle couldn't help but think she wanted to use air quotes when she said 'wife'. He just shrugged.
"Someone's gotta watch y'all in here." Merle said. "Peaches is fine without me." Lori wondered if he was fine without her. She seemed to be the only thing keeping Merle in line. T-dog still held a bit of a grudge against him for the beating Merle had given him in Atlanta. "Plus I think this'll look really good with some hoops and a nice pump." He joked as he held up a dress. Carol laughed but Lori just snorted. She wasn't buying his act. He wandered away for a bit - looking around the men's section. He made faces at the button downs and neckties he found there. He then looked around the women's plus section. Stuffing a pair of thermal tights, some socks and a sweater dress into his backpack before anyone could notice. They all looked up when Andrea came in the door. She turned the lock and ran over to them.
"Walkers. Get down." She said in a hushed tone as she hid in the perfume counter. Lori and Carol gasped and ducked behind the racks they were standing at. Merle plastered himself against the wall next to the door and eased down to his knees. Lori watched with wide eyes as a herd went limping by. All the stress that had eased while they played 'normal' returning in an instant.
The sporting goods store looked like it had been ransacked but for the most part everything was still where it should be. They had combed the place before they started shopping - checking the back stock room and the fitting rooms. They found three walkers and took them out. Shane had looked at Peaches when she managed to kill hers without screaming or crying. He had only snapped out of his revelry when she asked him to help her carry it outside.
"Nice to see you still need me for something." He said as they tossed the body in the street. She smiled at him before they went back inside to get the other two. Mischa was out front keeping watch with Robin. Once again they had gone on a scavenge without Glenn - the young man had been over taxed by Rick's group already. Now that they had more people there was no reason for Glenn to go every time. He was back at the motel with Katherine and Charles, securing the fence that enclosed the property. Lately it seemed he wanted to spend more time with their group. Which was understandable - Merle and Daryl had been nearly inseparable. Daryl sometimes stayed over when it was too late to walk back to the farm. He and Glenn were cute together. And Katherine's group didn't give them the strange looks Rick's had. 'I don't think this is a good, conscious decision' had been Dale's catch phrase of choice when the relationship had been brought out into the open the night Merle had screamed his head off at Daryl. Daryl just told them all to mind their damn business.
Predictably Lori had blamed his attitude on Merle - clearly she didn't realize Daryl was like that before he was reunited with his brother. His concerns for Sophia had made them all momentarily forget what an asshole he could be. Lori had not so quietly aired her thoughts to Rick in their tent. Shane hadn't been eavesdropping on them but if he was, it would seem Katherine's group had taken his place as 'resident pariah' in Lori's eyes. She just couldn't handle it that people were finally telling her off when she deserved it. Glenn had been playing a bit of a dangerous game though. Turns out he had been fooling around with Maggie as well. Shane didn't need to eavesdrop on them - Maggie had screamed at him about his 'disgusting behavior' before giving Glenn a slap in the face. Daryl hadn't seemed to care that Glenn cheated on him - if he did he hid it well. He had asked Glenn if it felt different from what they did and gave Glenn a slap on the ass to reassure him they were in a good place. Shane wasn't surprised the next day when Hershel told them the house was off limits except for in emergencies. Being booted out into the fields again made them realize they needed to replenish their standard equipment. Tents, sleeping bags and clothes could only be stitched up so many times before they need to be replaced.
He spotted Peaches again - looking through the insulated hiking boots section. She picked up a pair of black Timberlands and tried them on. She then picked up a pair of men's boots, checked the size and smiled to herself. Undoubtedly imagining Merle's grin when she gave them to him. Shane couldn't help but admit she was amazing. All of Katherine's girls were. They knew what mattered now. And they didn't spend half the day worrying about other people or wondering where their lives were headed. Those kind of worries would only depress you. The truth was their lives were going nowhere fast. The best they could do was live day to day.
"Hey Shane." He nearly jumped out of his skin when Carl came up to him.
"What's up?"
"They have camouflage baby seats." Carl said with a smile. Shane laughed. It was nice seeing at least one person excited about Lori's baby. Everyone else just kind of regarded her as ticking time bomb. Her clinginess and irrationality would only get worse through her pregnancy. In fact Shane was surprised she let Carl come with them given what happened the last time Rick and Shane were looking after him. Her options had been to leave him at the farm with Dale and T-dog or have him tag along. After hearing from everyone that she needed to stop sheltering him Lori allowed him to come. And before she could stop him he had run after Rick as they headed for the sporting store.
"That's great but lets get that later. Right now we need tents and winter stuff." Shane said. "Get a pair of boots." He ran towards Peaches who was still in the shoe section. She smiled at him and they started signing to each other just for fun. Carl had actually taken a shine to Peaches, much to Lori's chagrin. She didn't like who the woman hung out with or who she was married to. Shane didn't either but it didn't mean Peaches was a bad person.
"Walkers!" Mischa announced as she and Robin came rushing into the store. They locked the main door but that wouldn't keep them out. They hid and waited. Shane glanced over at Carl and he was using the sign language. Peaches gestured back and he nodded before fixing his eyes on the front door. Shane would have to take up a lesson when he could - it did come in handy in situations like this. Several walkers bumped into the glass doors - looking around before trying the handle. Shane looked at Mischa when she put her gun away. She reached over and grabbed a javelin instead. Robin readied an arrow and sighed. Carl couldn't help but yelp when the glass shattered. Peaches signed something to him and he bit his bottom lip. They watched about a dozen walkers venture into the store - drawn by the leader breaking the glass and falling through the doorframe clumsily.
Since they were in different parts of the store the walkers split up. Two went where Shane had last seen Rick in the fishing section. One headed for Mischa and Robin behind the register counter. Four were limping towards Peaches and Carl. The others just kind of meandered around aimlessly. Shane watched as Robin took out the walker closest to her - he had looked over the counter and got an arrow to the head. He died without making a sound except for the thumb of his body slumping on top of the counter. A female walker noticed and ended up the same way when she peaked over. Two down, eight to go. Peaches grabbed a rope and pulled her machete out of its sheath. She handed the shape blade to Carl who gripped the handle in his shaking hands. She gestured to him - Shane knew that sign, it meant 'Quietly'. Peaches slipped from beside Carl and held the rope taut across the aisle. The walkers didn't seem to notice her as they continued towards them. One tripped over the rope and growled as he tried to get up. Peaches nodded when Carl looked at her and he brought the machete down on its head. Surprisingly without crying out like he used to when he saw them. Another tripped and Carl killed him. The third one saw through their trap and reached around the shelf and grabbed Carl.
"Ah!" he yelped and tried to squirm away. Mischa hopped over the counter and ran across the store to him. Clocking the female walker that hissed at her before stabbing the one trying to get Carl. Peaches grabbed a nearby baseball bat and finished off the female walker Mischa had knocked down. Shane moved over and grabbed Carl as the other walkers came at them. Robin managed to pick off another two. Rick came running across the store after taking care of the one that had come for him. Stabbing one more in the temple and another in the back of the head as Peaches and Mischa fought off the others that came in after they heard commotion.
"Come on." Shane said as he pulled Carl towards the exit.
"No, we have to help them." He said as he yanked out of Shane's grip.
"Carl! Throw it!" Peaches yelled. Without a second thought he flung her machete to her. She caught it and easily dispatched the remaining walkers. The rest of the herd outside had already passed by the time they got finished and thankfully no more came in. Peaches smiled at Carl despite the fact they were both cover in blood.
"That was great." She assured him.
"Mom! Mom! I killed two walkers!" Carl said excitedly when they got back to the farm. Lori was already annoyed - Merle and Andrea had all but forced her and Carol back to the farm. She had wanted to go help Rick and the others in the sports store but apparently the plan had been to leave if walkers showed up - whether or not they were all together. So once the herd passed them Merle tossed her and Carol and all the stuff they picked up into the back of the ice cream truck and sped off. Daryl had hopped in at the last minute - unsure whether to stay for the others or not. Lori had screamed at him to stay but both Andrea and Merle yelled at him to get in and he did. If the others had packed the food truck full of tents and other supplies there might not be room for him in it. Lori had bitched him out despite his logical reasoning. And an hour later when they got back - covered in gore she nearly lost it.
"What!" she asked.
"You should've seen him. He did great." Peaches said as she ruffled his hair. Lori slapped her hand away and hugged Carl to her.
"He shouldn't be killing anything!" She snapped and glared at Shane and Rick. "Where were you?"
"Handling walkers of our own." Rick answered.
"I tried to get him out but he wanted to help." Shane said with a shrug. "He was really brave. You should be proud."
"Proud that my son is turning into a killer?" She asked sarcastically.
"Still holding out hope that the world still needs a 'business management, momma's boy'?" Merle asked with a roll of his eyes.
"Shut up!" she yelled at him. He just snorted. "I'd rather him that than someone like you!"
"Then you're basically saying you'd rather see him dead." Merle quipped. "Look around - if he doesn't start killing them, they'll kill him. You think they won't eat him? That he'll be immune to their bites? Well hate to burst your bubble but he's not. He'll die and it'll be your fault. He's basically walker bait until he learns."
"Fact is half of us would be dead if it wasn't for him stepping up." Peaches said. "But it's nice to know that you think of us as killers."
"Leave." Lori said. She was so sick of Merle and Peaches that she couldn't pretend to ignore them anymore. They stuck their noses where it didn't belong and they were constantly ganging up on her. How dare they tell her how to raise her child.
"Excuse me?" Peaches said.
"I want you gone. Get out of here!" Lori said as she pointed to the ice cream truck.
"You can't just dismiss me - you are not the boss of me or anybody here." Peaches said.
"I do not want you around my son anymore. Ever since you people got here you've done nothing but-
"Fuck you." Robin said abruptly. They all looked at her shocked - she had never used a crude vulgarity like that before. "We've done nothing but help you and you've done nothing but complain that we're not doing everything you say. Why does everything have to be the way you want it? How come when it's not you blame everyone but yourself? You need to get over it. Life isn't what it used to be and it's never going to be again. Your son needs to learn how to hunt and survive. Spending five hours everyday learning 'ancient history' and 'math problems' are only going to get you and him killed." She then walked towards the ice cream truck. The rest of the group followed. Rick and Shane helped them unpack what they got on the supply run and they headed out for the motel. Peaches signed something to Carl and he gestured back before Lori grabbed his wrist and led him away.
"Wake up!" Merle jerked when there was knock on the door. Peaches groaned when it jostled her - she had fallen asleep with her head on his chest. "Come on!" they looked at each other before Merle slid out of bed. He grabbed his knife on the way to the door and looked through the peephole. He groaned before he unlocked it. He took the wooden barricade off and set it aside before he opened the door.
"What the hell Daryl?" Merle asked. "Don't you know you can't be making noise like that at night?" Daryl looked him up and down - Merle had answered the door completely naked. He laughed at Merle and his complete lack of shame.
"From the looks of it you and the misses were making a different kind of noise." He joked.
"Yeah, snoring." Peaches said as she pulled on Merle's shirt. She stepped into her jeans and buttoned them before walking to the door. "What's going on?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"We got a bit of a situation." He said before he moved aside. They both looked out, over the balcony railing and was surprised to see the RV in the motel parking lot, along with Carol's jeep, Shane's hatchback and Merle's bike. All the vehicles had blood on them and Rick's group seemed to be limping out of the RV.
"You gotta be kidding me." Peaches said.
They hadn't been back to the farm for three days after Peaches' last blow out with Lori. In that time they managed to get trapped in a bar with two dangerous men. Kill them - kidnap and nearly murder a member of his group. And with their needless arguing and back and forth trips they managed to lead a bunch of walkers to the farm house. Patricia, Jimmy and Dale were dead - mauled by the walkers but not put down. Hershel seemed to be having trouble breathing and Maggie was crying next to him. In the mayhem, Shane had sprained his ankle and on his way to the ground bent his wrist on his gun. An accidental shot was fired - hitting Lori in the shoulder. The others were no worse for wear except they were covered in a zombie blood and guts.
"Jesus, we leave you people for a few days and everything goes to shit." Merle said as he cleared out a bottom floor room that would act as their clinic from now on. Herschel and Maggie had grabbed as many supplies as they could - Charles was already going through them so he could patch up their crew. Katherine had gone with Daryl, Mischa and Robin to drive the bloody vehicles to a safe distance away from the motel. They'd pray for rain but if none came then they'd have to find a way to wash them.
Glenn was helping Charles patch Lori's arm - the bullet didn't go through it just grazed her. It still left a nasty gash. Glenn couldn't help but notice the way she was glaring at Shane - like he had done it on purpose or something. Or maybe it was the way Peaches was tending to his ankle. Glenn hoped it wasn't - wondering how Lori could possibly be jealous at a time like this. When Glenn looked at Shane he followed the man's line of sight right down the front of Peaches' shirt. He rolled his eyes - the man clearly had a death wish. Glenn tried to ignore him. Occupying his mind with other things. When Charles didn't need his help anymore he moved over to Maggie to see if she was all right. He opened his mouth to speak and she pulled him into a hug. He didn't know what to do for a second and looked at Peaches. She indicated that he should hug her back and he did.
That night everyone doubled up in rooms. Hershel, Maggie and Carol with Charles. Katherine got Shane, T-dog and Andrea. Mischa and Robin let the Grimes family have their bed and slept on the floor in sleeping bags. And of course, Merle was stuck with his brother and Glenn. Peaches seemingly went right back to sleep but Merle was kept awake half the night by Daryl's snoring and the way Glenn mumbled a different language in his sleep. There was an odd man out - Randall. A bit of a tag along to the group now. They left him tied to a bed in one of the downstairs rooms. It seemed a little cruel - the downstairs rooms weren't secure yet, a walker could get in with enough persistence if they made it past the gate. But Randall couldn't be trusted. And his survival wasn't high up on anybodies list. Merle wondered for a moment if Rick had any semblance of a plan for anything. Thinking the man should give somebody else's plans a try for a while. From what he heard of their travels after he was left behind on the roof - things hadn't gone well under his command. And they seemed to be heading down hill again.