Chapter Text
Merle Dixon was, as usual, rubbing everybody up the wrong way. Matty looked up from her food with a small smirk on her face as poor Daryl had to diffuse yet another situation by dragging his older brother off to hunt. Not that either of them had been bringing a whole lot back lately, but they seemed to be slowly working through some stuff. Which occasionally looked like black eyes and scabbed knuckles. It kept the peace until the next time so no one complained. Only once had she had to sort out a nasty cut above Daryl’s eyebrow, he’d muttered something about walkers, but Matty had a sneaking suspicion it had been from the metal contraption Merle wore. She didn’t question it too much as both Dixon brothers had a tendency to get real shitty if they felt someone was prying into their business. It was no wonder really that Merle tended to keep himself separate after everything that had happened between them all. The details were still a little sparse in her mind, Rick and co who had been fairly verbal to start with had started finally trying to put things behind them. Merle had been the one to find her, she’d been almost dead with hunger and stress, hadn’t eaten in days when he’d quite literally stumbled over her where she’d collapsed. He’d nearly killed her before realising that she was alive, now often joking that he still saw walkers in better shape. The oddness of their friendship was in that she was happy being quiet (that fucking zen shit was how Merle put it) whilst Merle was, well, Merle. The only time she’d ever seen him zen was when he’d found a packet of weed, promptly smoked too much of it, waxed lyrical about her hair of all things and then persuaded her into a watch tower to star gaze. Matty still didn’t think that he’d seen any real stars that night as despite the cloud cover he swore up and down he’d seen at least ten shooting stars. He’d even made her wish on two of them (real fucking beauties apparently) but she’d got away without divulging her wishes both times. The likelihood of either of them coming true was lower than the chances of Merle giving up swearing or the walkers deciding to play nice.
Matty’s days were all quite similar now, star gazing aside, prison life being almost monotonous for someone who was seen as far more valuable inside the walls than out, what with her nursing qualification. She spent time gardening, quietly hoping that the death of her one and only houseplant before the end of the world wasn’t catching. She chipped in where she was needed with general household chores, those days always left her with the uncharitable feeling that she might prefer being on her own if only to stop having to do this much laundry ever again. She felt guilty over the fact that she most enjoyed getting to patch people up after they returned from a run. It didn’t even happen that often now, injuries either tended to be superficial, or so bad that they never made it back to her anyway. She’d tried to argue for her inclusion in the groups that went out on a number of occasions so that she could immediately help people who were bit on their limbs or maybe save the ones who got injured in the freak accidents that were becoming more common now the world was literally falling apart. She’d been shot down every time. Medical training was too valuable now. She felt more like a resource than a person.
After finishing her meal and washing her plate, she wandered down into the long grass near the fence, lying on her back watching the clouds and enjoying the bright sunshine. If she tuned out the snarls from the fence it could almost have been idyllic. Only the guard tower she’d spent the night in with Merle looming off to her left broke that fantasy, and she turned her head away. He’d been kind of distant with her since that night, and if she was honest with herself, which she really tried not to be when Merle was involved, it hurt. He was her closest friend in the prison, even if he was as abrasive as a cats tongue and as prickly as bramble. Her mind wandered as she fiddled with the long stems of grass around her, and she looked back at the tower remembering her wishes. The second one had been for them all to make it safely through. To live and prosper and find joy again. She snorted softly to herself, it was all very well being noble and selfless on the second given what she’d first wished for. The words had just popped into her head immediately. Merle’s bright blue eyes so close to her own, his gravelly voice in her ear.
‘Make a wish honey, and make sure yours truly features highly in it!’ and he’d pulled back slightly, wiggled his eyebrows lasciviously, and then leaned back again, blissfully unaware of the fact that she’d wished he’d kiss her, and plenty more besides. She didn’t think he’d turn her down if she’d asked, he certainly talked a good and shockingly dirty game. And it wasn’t like she was completely inexperienced, anyone making it through med school with their virginity intact had to be an actual saint, it was just that it had all been somewhat underwhelming. Certainly not the fireworks that romance novels had promised her. It was just she had wanted so much more, not just the wham, bam, thank you m’aam that Merle had practically propositioned every woman in the prison with. Matty wanted to be more than just some cheap fuck to him, and rolling onto her stomach with a groan, resigned herself to another restless night. She squeezed her thighs together and felt a twinge in her lower stomach as she thought of Merle and all excellent things he’d promised he could do to a woman with his remaining hand whilst trying to persuade a new recruit to hop into bed with him. Or anywhere really, Merle wasn’t fussy, and that was the kicker for Matty really, she just wanted more.
‘Matty!!!! Matty get your arse up here right now!’ Daryl’s shout broke through her thoughts from up at the prison gates, adrenaline shot through her as it always did when someone raised their voice now, you never knew what had happened and it was rarely good news.
‘Matilda!!’ yelled Carol from much closer to where Matty had been lying, mostly hidden in the long grass, ‘I thought you were down here and you still startled me! You need to come up to the med room now, Merle’s injured.’