the gates of alexandria are a welcome sight for sore eyes. it's been much too long since daryl has set foot here— his visits back home have long been limited because of his role as the impromptu leader of the remaining saviors, and the ache in his heart to come back has only deepened with his recent travels. it's why he can't help but to let his fingers tap against the handlebars of his bike as they wait to be let in.
the ride here from the bridge was refreshing, at the very least, especially after the horrors he and @painmon have endured just within the past few days alone. feeling the wind against his face and blowing through his hair is always a nice way of decompressing for daryl; it lets him think, the roar of his bike's engine like a healing purr as he speeds down the road. he thinks it's the closest he'll ever feel to the true freedom of flying.
seldom does he have anyone riding with him, though. he made sure to give peter his leather jacket before they left the bridge— it was more of a precaution than anything, but he didn't trust that the cult wouldn't try to knock them off of his motorcycle somehow and he didn't want peter getting seriously hurt, no matter what ( although, even if peter has road rash, he's still a useable vessel, surely ).
bike rumbling to life again as the gate is opened for them, daryl rolls them inside before cutting the ignition and pushing out the kickstand. after untying the bandana from around his face he grabs his bow and his bag from their secured spots on the back of his ride, giving peter a little nod as he takes a moment to observe the community.
for new people, seeing this place for the first time is always quite the shock. for someone like peter... well, daryl wouldn't be surprised if it was a little too much to take in all at once: townhouses line the streets, crop fields flower in abundance, and the evidence of expansion shows everywhere you look with the wooden frames of in-progress buildings littering the landscape.
uncle daryl! a small voice calls out before he can say anything to peter, drawing an immediate grin to his face as he drops his bag and his bow right onto the ground. is that uncle daryl? michonne coos as she approaches with judith in her arms, her own smile bright and contagious as she hands the young girl over to him. her eyes glance to peter for a moment, clearly curious but willing to wait until her friend has said his hellos to be introduced.
‘ hey, jude, ’ daryl says softly as her arms wrap snug around his neck, eyes closing to soak in the moment. he leans back as she pulls away from the hug to get a better look at her, blue eyes alight with adoration. ‘ you're gettin' big, huh? yer almost as tall as me. ’
with a renewed sense of peace, daryl shuffles a little to the side, gesturing to his travel companion. ‘ this's peter. he's stayin' with me while we figure some stuff out. that good with you? ’ he asks purely as a formality, shaking his hair from his face as judith rests her head against his. michonne offers peter a tight smile— kind, but firm.
any friend of daryl's is a friend of alexandria. it's nice to meet you, peter. i'm michonne. and this... she takes the girl from daryl's arms with a fond sigh, is judith. stay as long as you need. her eyes turn to daryl then, one of her hands reaching to rest against his bicep with a little squeeze. it's good to see you.
gathering his things from the ground upon michonne's departure, daryl gestures for peter to follow as he makes his way deeper into the community. several alexandrians either wave at him from across the way or stop him completely to give him a hug, his little smile fraught with the shy kind of affection that he's known for. as they enter his place, daryl leads peter down the stairs, finally opening the door to his bedroom. it doesn't take him long to drop his things in a heap against the wall, rubbing his hands over his eyes.
