rite4fun

[rite4fun]

long hair, don’t care

rewatching twd series again and i’ve made it to the negan arc and i don’t think i’ll ever get over the “pee pee city” line 😭

with that said, enjoy some fluffy fluff 🤭

••

the lamp casted a yellow hue in the room, the only noise being the light sounds of your footsteps as you got ready for bed and the running water coming from the bathroom.

you’re just settling into bed, a large shirt covering your frame when the door opens and daryl is walking out, towel drying his hair before shaking it out messily.

you admire his glistening broad shoulders and the dip of his waist as he walks to the closet, disappearing for a few seconds before reappearing with just his briefs on. he makes his rounds, checking the door, the window and then the door again before standing near the end of the bed, stretching his arms out and up as he attempts to crack his back. he rolls his shoulders, wincing and grabbing one to massage the sting away.

you frown, lifting the blankets up as you crawl towards him, “come here”

he listens as he sits on the edge, back facing you as you settle onto your knees behind him before resting on your haunches, shuffling closer until his warm body was between your thighs. your fingers dance up his back before pressing down over his shoulders.

you listen to the soft grunts he lets out at your ministrations, rubbing out the tight spots of his body, knowing it will help him sleep better. his hair tickles at your fingers and your eyes take in the wet strands of the back of his head- thinking just how much he hair has grown as the ends are beginning to flip out.

“hairs getting long..” you say it offhandedly, a pure observation of your thoughts but his body tenses in your hands.

“i can get ‘t cut” his voice is timid, insecurity heavy in his tone which only confuses you more.

“i like it” your fingers ruffle the curly strands, your compliment brushed off as he scoffs, “what?” he only shakes his head before dropping it heavily, finding his lap to be more interesting as you scoot more to his side; hoping to get a clue on his change of mood by his facial expression but all you can see is more hair that had fallen into his face at his new position. you reach out, tucking it behind his ear, “what is it?”

he shrugs, a flush high on his cheeks in embarrassment as he purses his lips, opening his mouth before shutting it again; seemingly stuck in some internal battle of lying or telling you just what was on his mind. you wait patiently, hand rubbing soothingly over his back as you scoot closer to him and pressing a reassuring kiss to his arm. leaning away, you catch a glimpse of the soft smile he attempts to bite back before it’s gone and he is back to chewing on his lips.

you don’t bother pushing anymore, prepared for him to get up and finish getting ready for bed but then he takes a deep breath, “merle..” he shakes his head again, “he used ta make fun of me- would say i looked.. gay”

it’s takes you a second to think of a response, knowing that if you took too long, he’d read too much into it and shy away again at opening himself up to you, “hm.. you like it long?” instead of focusing on the negative- you decide to redirect, hoping he’d voice his honest opinion on the matter but all you get is another shrug, “well i think you look very sexy with long hair”

he finally looks to you, fully expecting you to be making a joke of him but you only smile softly with a hint of mischief, “stop”

“i do!” you defend yourself with a soft laugh as he dismisses your flirting. you lean closer to his face, hand going back into his locks to playfully tug at it, “can get a nice.. good.. grip when i want too, especially when you-“

“tha’s ‘nough” his arm wraps around your shoulders, pulling you into him as you giggle into his chest.

“i wasn’t finished!” you squeal as he lifts your body into his arms, tossing you lightly back onto the bed before climbing over you; his heavy warm body pressing yours further into the mattress. his hair drapes like a curtain over both your faces and you reach up, twirling a piece along your finger, “i mean it. i like it long. short too.. whatever you want, i’ll still love you” the sentiment is sweet and daryl softens at it, “it might take time to get used too but if you wanted to shave your head-“

“alrigh’” he rolls his eyes, shoving his face into your neck and biting playfully at your collarbone; the tickling of his scruffy chin against your soft skin, sending you into a fit of giggles.

he smiles at the sound before pressing kisses along the area, gratitude filling him to his core at being so lucky to be with someone like you.

[rite4fun]

used to you

i need you guys to know this was only supposed to be a short blurb but i got carried away then tried to rein it back bc i felt it getting too long and now, this is what you guys get so enjoy heheehehehe // also someone tell me i’m not the only one who has had rickyl invade their feed (not that i’m complaining)

i also scheduled this to go up last night and it didn’t so 😑

18+ content

••

it had been you two from the start, you and daryl falling easily together. as strangers to acquaintances to friends to lovers.

the pair of you had just meshed unbelievably well and no one could stop it, not that they would want too. you guys complimented each other with your sweet softness and his edgy strength, both bringing out something the other needed.

with everything you both went through, landing in a community that called for settling was the last thing you guys expected but it was welcomed.. atleast for some of your group.

it took awhile for your groups leader, rick, to realize that it was safe, seemingly struggling the most out of everyone despite needing this equally as much.

but something about watching you and daryl fall into a routine: waking up in the morning, sharing breakfast before parting for the day, only to come back together at dusk to eat dinner before falling into bed together- it all made him feel like it was okay to just.. be, for now.

and he was, he could handle coming home after a long day of work to no one but his kids and crawling into an empty bed- until he wasn’t.

because somewhere in your sweet soul, you began helping with the kids, making sure breakfast was served for everyone, bidding farewell from the porch with baby judith stuck to your hip, then greeting everyone cheerfully with dinner and equally charming dismissals of sweet dreams.

you’d given him a taste of what domestic life was like and that would have been fine too, he could find someone to fill that space- except they wouldn’t ever reach the level of grace and love, you exuded in your actions for him and his kids.

all of it, had him looking at you differently.

finding himself laughing harder at your dumb jokes, making fickle eye contact, constant fidgeting with his clothes or hair, and following you like a damn puppy whenever you were near.

and it was no secret to daryl or you. having found his newfound traits towards you to be a tad amusing.

daryl figured it out first; always the best observer, he found his friends eyes lingering longer than normal on you. saw the way he went out of his way sometimes to just speak to you but he’d never touch.

while you; a woman, well.. don’t woman know everything? it wasn’t exactly rocket science to figure it out with the way he fumbled his words around you and constantly asked your opinions on things that held no real weight.

daryl kept quiet on the matter whereas the minute you caught whiff of ricks growing crush, you had giddily told him.

there wasn’t much else that came of it, daryl wasn’t threatened nor worried and you basked under the extra attention while rick remained oblivious to both of your acknowledgment of his clear infatuation.

but resisting you was daryls biggest downfall and he knew, with time, rick would eventually want to cave into his desires too. that’s when he questioned you on the matter again, wanting to find out just exactly how you felt about it all, along with the what ifs.

with the sun setting, the fire sizzled along with the chatter of people around him. daryl sat in a lawn chair, legs bent and spread with the neck of a beer held loosely in one hand as his hooded eyes followed your figure.

you; who had taken advantage of the humid weather to doll yourself up in a short sundress that swayed with the light wind every now and then, stood across the grassy area. your hands animated as you gleefully spoke to maggie and rosita.

since you’ve left his lap, he has done nothing but follow you with his eyes as you bounce from one group to another. you’d had a few sips of some fruity cocktail someone had made, the lightweight you were showcased even more as you became more touchy to everyone willing to accept your loving affection.

it amused him more than anything, better than any pointless conversations that surrounded him.

there was a light sheen layered over your warm skin, glistening under the little light left from the sky. daryl swallows a gulp of his beer to ease his sudden bout of thirst, sometimes you mindlessly walk around like a wet dream of his and it was so fucking infuriating that others get to witness the absolute vision you are.

as if sensing his heated gaze, you break from the conversation to lock eyes with him before a smile spreads across your lips at his obvious desire.

he’d hope his eyes said enough that you’d come bounding back to him and sit back in his lap to sedate the growing fire in the pit of his stomach but you only send him a playful wink and turn back to the girls infront you.

you like the chase, he knows that.

and he plans to come join you, hoping his touch would rein you back in enough to make you follow him back home and fall into bed together except he doesn’t even get the chance to stand before another presence enters the small group.

rick holds a glass of water in one hand, the other brushing your elbow as it comes back in the middle of your fit of expression, his touch startles you for a second before you laugh at something he says and continue on with your story- entrancing the group once again.

daryl’d probably find himself stuck on you too if not for the fact that this is the first time he has seen rick touch you in some way. it clearly meant nothing but a form of protection from his stomach that you almost hit as he approached you from behind but it was also something new.

rick stands close to you, so close that you occasionally brush against him with the slightest drunken movements. even across the ways, daryl can sense the clear excitement that comes from the other man at the simplest touches.

there’s no hiding from his glaringly obvious stare but under the trance of your presence, rick doesn’t even acknowledge him, seemingly lost in whatever you contribute in conversation and attempting to bounce off it to keep your attention.

daryl only slouches further into his seat, his free hand coming to rest over his mouth, scratching at the scruff on his chin, finger swiping over his lips before resting it against his jaw as he watches you both from under his messy bangs. rick reaches out and places a hand on your lower back when you seem to laugh too hard- having thrown your head back enough to lose your balance slightly.

his hand lingers even when you steady yourself, settling it more firmly as if testing his luck and when you don’t pull away- he saddles up closer, if that’s even possible.

you seem the least bit concerned about any of it but to daryls trained eye, he’d caught the quick side-eye glance you’d given him as you shifted onto your feet, purposefully bumping your shoulder into ricks chest.

daryl can’t help but bite back an amused smirk that threatens to take over. he shifts in the lawn chair, spreading his knees wider once he catches your eyes back on him.

his stance screams insouciant; passive to your clear act of defiance and maybe that’s what gets you so hot- no matter how much you push it, daryl would never verbally break but physically..

he knew just how to show you who was still in charge.

so it’s almost too easy as you bid a quick farewell to those you previously seemed interested in conversating with but now, you dismiss yourself rather hastily before speedily rounding the fire to place yourself sideways in his lap.

“hi” you breathily mumble against his cheek as your arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling yourself as close to his warm body as possible.

“hi darlin’” daryls husky voice rumbled deep into his chest, one arm wrapping around your body- securing your placement across his legs. his large hand encompasses your bare thigh, revealed from the inches your dress has ridden up when you had fallen clumsily into him.

“missed you..” your whiney tone has daryl letting out a light-hearted scoffed laugh.

“been ‘ere tha whole time ya were flirtin’ ova there” he squeezes your thigh roughly before rubbing his thumb soothingly over the smooth surface.

“wasn’t flirting..” you pull back enough for him to take in your glazed over eyes and pouty lips, it takes everything in him not to pull you up and escape from this get together but..

“happy birthday!” it’s a celebration for you and maybe it isn’t quite appropriate to kidnap you and hide you away when the whole reason this is even happening is because of you. carol holds out another cocktail but daryl dodges it before your hands could make the grab for it.

“think she’s had ‘nough” your body has gone completely lax, damn near weightless in his arms. while you haven’t had a drink in your hand this whole time, he knows you’ve had to of taken sips from someone else’s drink or snuck in shots somewhere that are settling even more into your system as the time goes on.

“oooo, don’t be such a party pooper, pookie!” carols teasing words sends you in a fit of giggles and clearly pleased with the short interaction, she dismisses herself with a few more digs at him as she leans closer to you, “when you can get away from your guard dog, come find me”

you only share a sweet laugh with her as she walks away before turning to daryl with a mischievous smile; seemingly amused. he pulls you roughly into him, your body laying heavily against his chest as he presses a kiss onto your shoulder, mumbling the words, “be good” into it after.

you don’t respond to his words, instead you charmingly join into the conversation with the people sitting by- keen on staying close to daryl but still wanting to be involved with the party.

with his attention no longer focused on you, he can finally acknowledge the piercing stare that’s been on you both since you’ve come bounding into his lap. from over your shoulder, daryl peeks up at rick; who stands in the same spot as before, yet the conversation that surrounds him is ignored as he heatedly gazes in your direction.

daryl watches his eyes trail down your figure, until they land on the newly bare skin of your leg where his hand now resides over the bunched up fabric of your dress.

there’s a moment where he thinks of pulling it down, wondering just how he’ll react to him shielding you from his eyes but the urge to show you off is stronger and daryl finds himself raising the fabric just a tad higher.

at the motion, ricks eyes shoot up to meet his; wide eyed and fish mouthed at being caught- except the blazing fire in daryls eyes is everything but malice.

he knows what absolute vision you look like atop his lap; the light of the fire bouncing off your glistening skin, short white dress contrasting against your sun-kissed tan.

daryl can barely resist the urge to steal you away and devour you in every way that leaves you messy, so he can’t imagine just how much rick must be suffering from having to hold back his own desires.

if there is one thing about daryl; he’s a giving man and how could he leave his brother so obviously thirsty?

his hand bunches the fabric some more, rick quickly following the sudden movement with his eyes, prepared to get a glimmer of what could be-

except your hand shoots down over daryls, shooting him a questionable look at the odd behavior. he only nods his head in the direction of the other man who locks eyes with you the minute you catch them.

daryl leans forward near your ear, “got ya a fan, baby”

you elbow him playfully before sending a sweet reassuring smile to rick, “how long?”

“since ya left ‘im”

“hm..”

“hm?” daryl hums back questionably to which you respond with a careless shrug as you both stare down rick who holds your heated gazes.

for once, he remains unreadable to daryl but from the current act you both put on together and clear indifference on the matter well he isn’t exactly surprised when rick seemingly takes a whole new interest in all things you, questioning him constantly on minuscule details such as: where were you? how were you? were you adjusting to the new environment? how was the new job treating you?

until they weren’t so innocent anymore and the leader became more bold in his approach.

the only light came from a small lamp that casted a soft yellow hue over the living room space. a half bottle of whiskey sat on the coffee table between the two men’s bodies, one glass in both of their hands as they sipped on it occasionally in the midst of conversation.

daryl- always so good at handling his liquor felt a cool buzz under his skin while rick tried to keep up, only to realize a little too late that he’s reached his limit.

it was rare to get the chance to just sit and drink but after a week long supply trip- they both deserved it.

daryls body ached even after the hot shower he took with you, where you lathered his body in soap and pressed your fingers into his sore back. maybe it didn’t help that immediately after he fell into bed with you, indulging himself into every bit of you until he felt like he had his fill or atleast until you were given atleast three orgasms.

but how was he to deny you? looking at him as if he held the world in his hands, begging him to just touch you and grabbing his body in ways only you knew made his heart pulse.

and while you laid tiredlessly in the bed after your fit of passion, he slipped back upstairs to check in on the other people in the house- only to find everyone already prepared for bed, lights turned off except for the one spilling from the living room where only one person resided in.

still struggling to adjust to sleeping in a bed, in a house, in walls- well, daryl doesn’t mind sitting and chatting for a bit until exhaustion settles fully into his body and his mind will finally shut off so he can get a decent amount of rest.

the alcohol is only an added bonus to make him effortlessly slip into unconsciousness.

“she excited to see you? barely got a glimpse of her before she whisked you away” rick can remember easily how his chest ached when all you did was greet him with a quick half hug before gripping back onto daryl and dragging him off.

“mm..” daryl grunts, excited might be an understatement as you had practically vibrated in his arms when he first walked through the door and jumped onto him.

nevermind the care and attention you gave him in the shower and in bed. allowing him to just take what he needed while mewls of pleasure slipped from your lips, hands trying to grasp onto him as the euphoric feeling grew deep into your stomach, body shaking in pure ecstasy as you reached multiple highs.

“she’s a good one.. you’re lucky man”

“yuh.. she’s good” the words drip suggestively following his previous dirty thoughts.

“… yeah?” rick doesn’t look at him, simply taking another sip from his glass of whiskey but his words oozes a certain yearning for more about you.

daryl would never want to sit and talk about you in a such a way with just about anyone- but rick is his best friend, his confidante, his right-hand man, his brother.

if there was someone who he trusted with his life, it was the man to his left.

besides you, of course.

“mm.. cheeky as ‘ell but she’s sweet” it’s vague but rick gets it, you’re a firecracker. an absolute angel with a burning need to do right by anyone who has been wronged.

daryl loves that about you- equally as much as rick found it so.. enticing.

“givin’?” rick isn’t sure how far he can get away with his questions so he keeps them just as vague as daryls’ answers.

“loves it.. always so eager ta please, tha’ one” the reply slips from his lips easily, daryl finding himself slouching further into the couch as the alcohol settles into his veins, his buzz heightened by the topic of conversation to create a hungry heat that burns from within as he shifts to discreetly adjust himself.

blinded by his own building desire, he misses the way rick chews on his own lip, fists clenching as he resists the urge to adjust his own growing arousal.

the hum of fervor thrums throughout the dimly lit room, the warmth bubbles them in as if they are the only two people on earth with a sudden thirst to last them a lifetime.

“can imagine she fights you though” rick swallows the last gulp of whiskey in his glass, holding the cup in his lap- afraid if he makes one sudden move that it will break whatever safe haze that has casted over them.

“tries, she likes a bit of tossing ‘bout” daryls head falls to the back of the couch, eyes closing as he re-envisions his welcome home gift: you, who still lies warmly in his bed and now that he thinks about it, why did he leave?

“likes it rough then?” it’s a bolder question, yet- with the warm liquor settled into their stomachs, neither of them seem to bat an eye.

“needs it. leaves her putty in yer hands by tha end of it” an even bolder statement that fuels the everbuilding fire within them both, a sudden yearning to please the heat of it.

except only one of them will actually get the chance to quell that need while the other is left longing for a fill.

the silence between them lingers heavy in the air.

“i see tha way ya look at ‘er” the accusation has rick freezing, body thrumming with mild panic as he readies himself for the wrath of his friend’s anger but daryls head still rests against the couch, body completely laxed and only sinking further into the cushions, “dun’ mind, know ‘ts hard to not”

rick isn’t sure how to respond, if he is quite honest, he thought he hid it pretty well at first. the night of your birthday celebration was a mere fluke filled with nothing but alcohol and mock confidence. he had figured you guys had forgotten all about it.

“i-i’m not trying to start nothing, just yeah, lookin’ man.. wasn’t going to do nothing”

“ya want too though?”

“what?”

“she said ya had a crush on ‘er” daryl shrugs, “asked ‘er wha’ she thought ‘bout it n she jus’… got all red n shit. knew she wanted ya then”

“i-i..” rick is thrown for a loop, his drunken mind slow in catching up to every word that spills from his friends mouth.

“if ya know wha’ ya doin’.. ya can try” daryl now leans towards rick as if sharing a secret but his demeanor no longer holds such openness as he stares menacingly with waves of threat rolling off of him, “there ain’t no more rules but she always comes first- she tells ya no, ya back tha hell off”

at that, daryl pushes off the couch after setting his empty cup onto the coffee table. it’s as if a steam of smoke follows after him, a sudden need to cool off but instead of going outside for fresh air-

he’s slipping back into his room, his bleary eyes landing on your still figure illuminated shallowly by the moonlight. the dark sheets do little to cover your naked body as you lie with your back facing him; clearly having pulled it to cover your front but left the cool air to kiss the dip of your spine.

a tasteful sight.

one that daryl could never turn down as he quickly strips to his briefs before sliding his body right behind yours, the warmth you’ve accumulated in your sleep only lights the one that’s been burning within him for the past hour.

you whine softly as his broad body encompasses you, a heavy arm slipping around your waist to pull your hips firmly into his; practically morphing your body along his.

daryl nestles his face into the nape of your neck, pressing a wet kiss onto the smooth skin as he hums comfortly to your protested noise.

there’s a moment of silence, one where daryl thinks you’ve fallen back asleep and despite his previous desires, he too, could have lost himself to conciousness.

except your hips shift, pressing harder into him and with only thin layers between your bodies, the result is delicious. daryl releases a moan of appreciation at the spring of pleasure that the motion brought on.

his hand moves to your hip, gripping it tightly as you continuously roll back onto his cock that had been poking at you since he crawled into bed.

you’re quick to roll over, forcing him to lie on his back as you press your bare body ontop of his. fingers coming up to comb through the messy strands of hair, face hovering over his.

“haven’t you had enough?” you tease softly as your lips brush against his, pulling away slightly when he attempts to press them together.

“never get ‘nough of ya” his hands come to rest along your back, musing with the tangled sheets to get a feel of your soft skin.

“hm..” the heavy press of his fingers dancing over your spine has you arching your naked chest closer to his, “where’d you go?”

“rick..” the simple brushing of his hair and the warmth you emit above him nearly lulls him to sleep with his eyelashes fluttering as he attempts to grasp onto the conversation, “talkin’..”

“about?” you pull on his hair gently to gain his attention, the sting of it flushing him something hot.

“‘bout ya..” his eyes lid heavily with arousal as he looks up at you.

“me? what about me?” you shift your body more until your legs untangle from the sheets and you’re able to place them on either side of his body, knees pressing into the mattress more securely.

the alcohol must be wearing off as a flush of embarrassment settles uncomfortably in his chest when he thinks back to the way him and rick spoke about you.

the hesitancy in his response has you peppering kisses along his jawline and your hands traveling from his hair to his chest, nails dragging gently over his skin. the sensation sends a thrilling shiver through his body, eyes falling shut at the slight pampering you give him.

“tell me..” you press a kiss to the corner of his mouth before finally giving in, pressing a heated kiss onto his lips. daryls hands slip further down, caressing over your ass before gripping the back of your thighs until you bend your legs even more: fitting your core directly over his throbbing cock. the new position has you gasping, a reaction that allows him to slip his tongue into your mouth but before you could lose yourself further, you pull away to repeat your demand, “tell me”

“he was askin’ me questions..” you hum so he knows you’re listening as you roll your hips slowly over him; a motion that has him releasing a grunt before speaking breathily, “told ‘im- he could try”

“yeah?” you watch him bite his bottom lip, eyes rolling back as you continue your teasing ministrations.

“mhm.. so ya could stop buggin’ me ‘bout it” the corner of his mouth quirks up.

“shut up” one of your hands slide between your bodies, slipping inside his briefs and gripping his thobbing cock, “don’t seem to be complaining” he curses under his breath as his eyes open to immediately lock onto yours that glint with mischief, “ya want it as much as i do, hm?” his head tips back as your hand squeezes him- the angle is awkward to get a proper grip but your fingers circle around his swollen tip that oozes precum as you jerk him off clumsily, “say it”

it’s messy and he fucking loves it that way as he brokenly gasps, “i do”

“hm?” your nose bumps his chin before his head is tipping back down to meet your heated gaze.

“wanna see ya with ‘im” the heated arousal has dropped his voice even deeper, the rumbling of his chest vibrating with his desperate words: it’s true though. he’s a natural obeserver and the idea of you under rick? it makes him so unbelievably hot, something he struggled to understand but of course; with your loving, open heart and overtly helping hands- he was able to come to terms that it was okay to like what he liked.

“i know” your mocking tone has him flipping your bodies around with a playful growl into your shoulder that sends you in a fit of giggles when his scruff tickles at your bare skin.

••

daryl hadn’t expected things to move on so quickly after the fact, whereas rick seemingly jumped at the first chance before it was taken away.

where the leader was once wary of his affections, now went out of his way to touch you. even finding odd excuses to always have you near, whether that was out on a run because you were considered one of the fastest or simply following him on his daily route around the community because he wanted your opinion on the newest developments.

your job as a medical assistant did not require such but you went along anyway.

the progression of your situationship advanced quickly right under daryls nose, one moment he watched from afar as you and rick stuck close to one another- clearly fond to be in each other’s presences to then finding you guys in compromising positions.

he hadn’t suspected things had gotten that far, atleast, you never spoke about it but it became apparent it had when he stumbled across you both going at it hastily in the infirmary.

he had an early hunting expedition that made him miss your guys’ normal morning routine so he planned to surprise you by coming by your job for lunch.

arriving at the small house turned hospital, he stepped inside with muted movements. visually the place seemed void of anyone but aurally, there was light scrambling that came from further into the building.

he followed the quiet sounds, assuming you must be taking inventory or simply cleaning but that was far from the case as he passed a room with a cracked door where he saw you placed sat upon a bathroom countertop, dress pulled messily to your waist with rick stood between your legs, unbuckled belt and open jeans.

the initial shock passes through quickly before heat flushes into his body and he finds himself at a loss for breath. there’s a certain desperation in your movements, both you and rick gasping in relief that accompanied your rapid pace; a hunger that is finally being relieved.

ricks hands dig into the top of your thighs, scrunching up your already wrinkled dress as his hips move erratically and his face shoved into your neck as if it would hide the sounds his mouth releases. you respond with your own muted moans, arms wrapped tightly around the man’s shoulders in an attempt at holding onto the pleasure in some form.

it’s rushed, clearly meant for one thing- release.

daryl can tell this isn’t the first time you guys have met up and fell into one another. the level of intimacy isn’t shocking but rather welcomed; hurried but still gratified.

it’s hot, better than he could ever imagine.

he knows what it is like to be inside your warm walls, to be grappled at by your small hands and nails digging into his shoulders, to hear the many beautiful but broken gasps and moans you release so close to his ear- all of you, is so fucking delicious but this view.. this was a whole other level.

and rick, god- rick was rabid. just taking what he wanted without hesitation now that he was given the green light and he had no plans of wasting it as he opened your thighs more, pulling you closer to the edge and pushing himself harder into you.

daryl can feel his pants getting tighter but there’s a fear that if he moves, if even the slightest, you guys will stop and he’s not sure yet if he wants you guys to know he is watching. too lost in each other, his presence remains unknown and he rather likes it that way for now.

people change when they know they are being watched- the way you guys succumb to the burning need within, in pure desperation makes him flush hotly.

so he remains still, despite the aching urge to reach down and soothe his painfully throbbing cock. it’s not much longer when you both reach your highs; your head thrown back as one hand grips ricks bicep and the other caressing the back of his head, shoving his face deeper into your neck. he bites down on your collarbone to muffle his groans, one hand squeezing your thigh and his other arm wrapped around your lower back, pressing you into his last few lazy thrusts.

it becomes a thing, atleast for daryl.

both of you, too far gone to ever notice his lingering presence so yeah.. he continues to observe but it isn’t like he means to find you guys in such compromising positions everytime, it just happens.

like family movie nights where he found you guys going at it in an unlocked bathroom, or the supply closet of the pantry where you were meant to cover a fellow community members shift, even outside the walls where he hunts, against a tree until ricks legs give out and you’re both crumbling to the earths floor.

daryl found it enticing; simply watching and it was never meant to be some secret- you and rick- but you still kept it hidden from him. of course not intentionally, the first time was rushed, then the second was equally as sudden, and then soon, you had found yourselves doing it more and more until it felt like it was too late to tell.

at this point, daryl still found it unbelievably hot and soon, he couldn’t keep himself from asking about it.

your hips rolled heavily over his, only the thin layer of your soaked lace panties between you and his cock. you sat over him in just one of his shirts, his own briefs shoved hastily on the floor, leaving him completely naked.

he was meant to be sleeping, having an early wake up call time the following morning but having not seen you all day, well, it was hard not to resist you after you crawled into bed wearing his shirt but smelling like rick.

you gasp brokenly, chest falling into his at a sharp roll that had the head of his cock pressing right into your covered clit. your hands grip the side of his broad body, face next to his- it’s how he gets the huge whiff of aftershave that so particularly reminds him of the other man and he can’t help but think just what you guys did today and where?

“tell me” his words rumble inside his chest, thus vibrating against your own. the gravely sound so deeply demanding that you almost whimper in response.

“what?” your breathy question; a result from your overuse of exertion to find the perfect angle that will send you both over the edge.

“tell me what he did ta ya today” his eyes are closed, losing himself to the movements of your body against his but he can feel when you still completely above him.

“what?” you push yourself up, hair falling into your face as you look down at him in confusion, “who?”

“rick..” daryl doesn’t know why he suddenly feels embarrassed that he wants to know all about your secret rendezvous’ but it’s out and there was no going back now, “can smell ‘im on ya..”

it takes you a few seconds to gather yourself, shocked that he knows but also not- because of course he’d know. daryl was an incredible reader of people and even without catching physical evidence, in time, he probably would have found out either way. it was also never meant to be a secret, yet you feel a sudden guilt that you hid it from him so long even though you both wanted it.

“d.. i-i was going to tell you” your heart aches at the thought of hurting him, “i- we just got into it so fast and-“

“i know, i saw” your heart drops with your jaw but daryl keeps going even at your obvious shock, “‘n tha infirmary, at tha pantry..”

“d.. i’m sorr-“

“rick was.. ‘s like.. all animal, innit he?” you could not feel more confused in your life at his words that drip heavily with heat, “jus’.. takes wha’ he wants, doesn’t he?” you stop for a few moments to take in daryl, who shys away from your eye contact but once you catch a glimpse of what was once a soft powder blue, now darkened in a sharp sinful black- it clicked.

that, along with his ever pressing cock that has continued to throb under you.

“oh” you watch him flush down to his chest, the sight of him so aroused yet bashful is so sweet but you can’t help the amused smirk that slips on your lips before you begin to grind onto him again, “you are unbelievable, daryl dixon”

the pace of your motions have doubled and he can only nod numbly as his large hands grip your thighs roughly, chewing on his bottom lip to keep from coming prematurely. you can’t help but lean down to kiss him, pressing your lips harshly against his as if it will emit all the love you have for the man below you into it.

you had never seen him so.. submissive to anything- to anyone but seemingly just the idea of you and rick had him in a chokehold.

with a new fervor to get him off, you slip your panties to the side and allow him inside your warm body. the perfect pressure of your wet walls against his cock and the soft whispers in his ear of just exactly what rick does to you- it takes no time for his vision to blur as he comes the hardest he has in awhile.

with the knowledge that he watches known, he no longer finds himself seeking you out when you disappear, knowing later you’ll find him and spill every ounce of detail you could remember.

rick remained to himself, he now knew too that daryl used to lurk in the shadows and even that he liked to hear what they get up to when he catches you alone.

neither men spoke much about it, sticking to small talk when around one another but none of them held any malice on the matter; simply existing around you.

and god, you- you loved it. feeding off the energy of both men everytime they got you, desperate in their own as they devoured you everytime but the nonsexual moments were favorable too; following daryl on his hunting trips, making dinner together (realistically him just watching you), cuddling after a long day (you carelessly draped over his body) but the nature of these began to fade after a while.

daryl found himself alone most of the day, finding your presence absent until night falls and your crumbling into bed, fast asleep before he could tell you goodnight.

questioning you on your whereabouts wasn’t something daryl could ever see himself doing, you were an adult, independent and fully capable of taking care of yourself- that didn’t mean he couldn’t bully it out of others.

the resulting answer falling to one culprit: rick.

the leader having you do aimless tasks with him, following him around the community, taking you on runs- anything that required you to be right next to him.

daryl didn’t feel an inkling of anything.. until you showed up with a hickey on your neck. that, is when he began to become frustrated with ricks clingy behavior.

he didn’t mind sharing you, truthfully it didn’t feel so much like that, he could see the equal love you had for both of them and he cares for rick the same way he cared for you; it was no competition, they were both lucky to be with you.

but this felt.. isolating.

something he has felt many times before and even unintentional, it still hurt- which only pissed him off more because he was shit at handling his feelings.

so he backed off, finding himself outside the walls more, avoiding rick, avoiding you. it was the hardest thing he has had to do but if was going to lose you either way, he’d rather chose the option of leaving first, hoping it will hurt less when you confront him.

except you don’t, you never plan too and although he is the master of reading people- he seemed to have forgotten just how well you had learned to read him after years together.

the distance he puts between you all is his safety net for the pain he awaits.

you know that and it’s something you bring up to rick. it takes little convincing to get him to agree to your plan, knowing that it will take what you guys have to a new level but daryl needed this, he needed to know that he was still wanted.

you laid propped up by the pillows in bed, dressed in another one of his shirts and lace panties again. nothing riled him up more than the simplicity of you in his clothes. having snuck in the room after he went into the shower, you waited, listening to the soft sounds of the water flowing and shuffling of his movements.

with the water shut off, you grew anxious as he took his time drying off but it was only a couple seconds later he was stepping out the bathroom, steam pouring from the room to cloud around him.

he froze upon seeing your figure on the bed, giving you enough time to take in his still glistening naked body covered in just a towel.

swallowing the lump in your throat, you sat up to your knees before settling back on your haunches, nails digging into your thighs in anticipation, “hi”

a look of confusion crosses his face as he looks at you, “wha’s goin’ on?”

it pains you to see him so bewildered by your presence in your own home, in your guys’ bed- you stand and grab his hand, leading him to sit on the edge while you stand between his legs.

he keeps his hands in his lap as yours run through his wet hair, brushing through the tangles to the best of your ability before a particularly hard tug as his head falling back, eyes meeting yours.

“you’ve been avoiding me..” the dejected tone lingers heavy in your words, his hands immediately coming to rest over the back of your thighs soothingly. his eyebrows furrowing at the mere sound of you in any form of pain, “it’s okay. know you were just hurt” daryl doesn’t bother denying the sentiment, choosing instead to keep himself occupied with the hem of your (read: his) shirt until your next words spill from your lips, “but.. we wanted to make it up to you”

his head snaps up to you, eyes shifting around your face before moving to the door, where rick has appeared leaning against the frame. your head turns, smiling brightly at the other man and holding out a hand in his direction.

you spin around, pressing back into daryl but giddily waiting for rick to meet you guys. the idea of having them both here- together, it was nerve racking but so very exciting too.

you reach a hand back to grab daryls, squeezing in question, you’d never want to make him uncomfortable. he squeezes back, his other hand wrapping around your thigh and pulling you further into his body until you collapse into his lap- just in time for rick to reach you both.

he stands fully clothed infront of both of you, looking down as you both gazed up at him, stance reeking nothing short of leadership.

rick reaches a hand out, cupping your chin roughly, “did you apologize?” you still in daryls lap at the question, shaking your head in response to which rick tsks at, “use your words”

“no, i haven’t apologized.. sir”

it wasn’t like you weren’t submissive to daryl, but it normally took you a little bit to get to this point- clearly it was not the same for the leader who knows just how to handle people.

rick motions at daryl, stepping back so you could stand and kneel before him. once settled, you look up at him with a dazed expression, lost in a haze of premature pleasure, “i’m sorry..”

“for?” rick growls as he grips your hair, pulling your head back some and the delicious sting it brings has you dropping your jaw in a quiet gasp.

“f-for making you feel alone” rick looks to the other man, waiting for confirmation that all is forgiven but all daryl can do is nod numbly to your watery words. seeing you so out of it, so- wanton, thisclose- was new and while he knows your sex life was amazing, this was something else as his heart beats heavily in his ears.

“good girl” you whimper at ricks praise, his hand soothing over your scalp for a second before he squats to your level. lips near your ear as he forces your head to look at daryl, both of you taking in the heavy lifting of his flushed chest, “now, why don’t you show him how sorry you are?”

your eyes plead with daryl, desperate to make it right and when has he ever denied you?

your hands fly up to rip the towel off, revealing his swollen cock that has been throbbing painfully since he first saw you. you squeeze your thighs together at the sight of his mushroomed head that’s nearly purple and the pulsing decorative blue vein down his shaft.

rick has since moved to stand back against the wall, watching as you lean forward to take daryl into your mouth, “know you can take more than that”

daryl grips the edge of the bed, back slouching as your sweet mouth encompasses his cock even more. he can’t help the throaty groan he releases as you hum happily around him.

“fuck baby” he prides himself as an observer but with the heated gaze of rick on you both, he can’t say he doesn’t enjoy the attention a little bit. your head bops faster as you wet his cock more, drooling messily over him and helping make your movements more seamless. your hand drops to roll his balls with your fingers, the heaviness of them makes you wetter, knowing he was so turned on and ready to burst at any moment. it only encourages you further, slowing the bopping of your head to allow your tongue to swirl all over his cock, hollowing your cheeks around his dribbling head, “‘m gonn’ come, fuck” with your hand wrapping back around the length you can’t fit it your mouth, it takes no time for his hips to jerk, cock twitching roughly in your mouth as his cum slips easily down your throat. one hand finds it’s way onto the back of your head, holding you close as curses fall repeatedly from his mouth.

when he releases you, you gasp for air upon lifting from his cock, chest heaving heavily as you sit back and gaze up at him with glassy eyes, a mix of spit and cum on your chin that he swipes away with his thumb before pressing it onto your tongue. your lips wrap around the digit, tongue swirling and cheeks sucking it in more. he shakes his head at your ministrations, “never ‘nough fo’ ya, hm? always need somethin’ in yer mouth”

“she’s greedy” rick pipes up as he approaches you both again.

you release daryls finger, a pout heavy on your lips as you look up at rick, “am not”

both of them can’t help but smile at your indignant tone, making quick eye contact in silent conversation as rick pulls you up from the floor and daryl shuffles back up the bed.

“know you’re not, just like teasing you” rick brushes some hair out of your face, feet moving forward until your pressing into the bed and crawling your way to lay with your back to daryls chest.

“not very nice sir” you fiddle with daryls fingers, lying heavily against him as you face the other man.

“it’s not, is it?” ricks teasing tone makes you frown until he too, climbs onto the bed, making to grab your feet and sending you into a fit of giggles at the playful act, “how should i make it up to you?” your eyebrows raise at the question, knees knocking together bashfully until rick is gripping your ankles and pulling your legs down, “don’t hide now, angel” you blush beautifully, squirming against daryl as rick places himself between your thighs, “this where you want me?”

you smile coyly before bringing daryls hand to your mouth, nibbling on his knuckles to quell some of your growing excitement. rick doesn’t press for a verbal answer, impatient himself on getting his mouth on you- something he hasn’t done yet.

rick wraps an arm around one your thighs, his beard skimming lightly over the smooth surface. the ticklish sensation causing your leg to twitch, threatening to close.

“here-“ daryl reaches down, grabbing one of your thighs and holding it open, “sensitive lil’ thing.. gonn’ try suffocating ya the minute ya get yer mouth on ‘er”

“not a bad way to go” rick shares a smirk with him before pressing light kisses all around your aching cunt, teasing you until you release an impatient whine at his games.

he doesn’t reprimand you, he too, losing patience as he pulls your panties to the side; slick sticking to the lace and causing all three of you to release some noise of wanton.

not wasting anymore time, rick swipes his tongue from your dripping hole to your swollen clit. you release a gasp at the simple movement, thighs threatening to close but held down tightly by both men. he makes for the motion again, your hips bucking when his mouth separates.

it takes a few minutes for rick to build a proper rhythm but with the help of daryl who reads your body like a manual to him- you’re squirming against his mouth; wanting to both run and get closer to the overwhelming pleasure.

“that’s enough” rick pulls back to slap at your thigh, making you squeal at the sudden sting but you don’t think of it much more when he dives back into your cunt.

daryl presses a kiss to the side of your head, the hand not holding tightly to your thigh rubs at your side soothingly for a brief moment.

“rick- ah- daryl-“ it’s hard to form a coherent thought when rick eats you out so well, dipping his tongue into your hole and sucking on your clit, “i’m.. please, i’m so close” you let out a cry of pleasure, sandwiched between your two favorite people.

“tha’s it, sweethear’” daryl coos into your ear, hand lifting your shirt and exposing your bare chest to them; nipples hardening at the cool air. his calloused hand brushes over both of them, the rough texture sending a delicious sensation through your body as you arch your back, hips twitching roughly against ricks mouth, “let ‘im have it”

ricks nose presses heavily into your clit as his tongue messily moves in and out of your pulsating hole, his fingers dig into the meaty parts of your thighs, fighting the urge to reach down and touch himself, doubling down on his efforts to make you come.

the combined forces of their touches had your head spinning, vision incapacitated by colors as you lost control of your breathing. it was all so much, yet not enough and you fought to stay current but lost to the everbuilding pressure in your core. your hands flailed out, searching for something to hold onto as you found yourself nearing your high; daryl grabbed one hand and placed your other on ricks.

“‘s ok.. let go baby” your thighs shake in both mens grip, body thrumming with pure pleasure and a little bit of pain as you attempt to hold off your orgasm; wanting to make this last as long as possible, “we’ve got ya.. jus’ let go fo’ me. see rick, hm? worked so hard, didn’t he? he wants ‘t”

the soft crooning of daryls voice has you finally gasping for air and allowing the flood of euphoria to fill you up before bursting at the seams; your hips shove your soaking cunt closer to rick, thigh ripping from daryls grip to squeeze around the mans’ head that still lies between your legs.

tears stream down your face as you sob, momentarily blurring your vision even more. you brokenly speak nonsense full of their names and gratitude as your hearing deafens; a high pitched ringing resounding loudly through them.

as it dies down, you can hear the soft praises from daryl lift through the piercing sound as his hands squeeze your body; helping you back to earth in a gentle manner. it takes a few moments for you to gather some kind of bearings, wincing in oversensitivity as rick laps at the mess you made. your thigh falls open heavily, letting rick release you but the urge to squeeze them together again is strong as you take in his face; mustache and beard glistening in your slick.

you whimper at the sight and the inability to fully grasp onto reality, your high having left your body heavy and limp.

“sh sh sh” rick hushes you as he sits up, wiping his facial hair as he takes in your current state; clearly pleased to know just how much of a mess he has made of you. his hands move to caress your thigh in admiration but you jerk at the touch, body high on sensitivity.

daryl laughs softly, “nearly ruined our girl”

rick shares an equally fond scoff at the accusation, hands now massaging the exhausted muscles as you blink slowly at him. with the last bit of your orgasm ghosting by, being wrapped in daryls strong arms and the light pressure of ricks fingers over your thighs- you found yourself tired, relaxing your body entirely as you enjoyed the pampering.

the moment remains quiet and with your eyes closed, the soft breathing and light shuffling is the only thing to grace your ears; the perfect white noise to fall asleep too.

“would never have the heart to take her away from you” rick looks up from your legs to daryl; wanting to make sure he knows that it was never his intention.

“i know” and he does, the realization hit him as he directed rick earlier- he was just getting to know you; more so than before. learning all about your many quirks, interests, and desires.

the same way daryl once did.

••

a wave of déjà vu hits him as daryl sits in another lawn chair, surrounded by the community that have come together in another celebration. he can’t be sure who it’s for nor does he really care to find out as of now his attention has been zeroed on your form since you’ve left his side.

you had said something along the lines of getting another drink but the absence of your presence grew past it’s expiration and it was only a matter of time before he was planning on sending a search party out when his eyes fell on your figure.

leaning against a table with a glass in hand, everything would’ve seemed normal, had it not been for the pressing force in the form of a man that stood too close for comfort.

you didn’t seem to mind, illuminating in the afterglow of the man’s compliments and while you offered nothing but your fair share of pleasantries, daryl would have rather you told him to fuck off.

the minutes feel like they stretch for hours as he watches on to the scene, he says something- you laugh. he gloats- you speak. he answers- you laugh again. it’s uselessly repeative and even from daryls spot, it seems rather exhausting even when he can’t hear exactly what the man is saying but surely it can’t be that amusing.

from his relaxed spot among the lawn chair, he catches your eyes for a quick moment before your focusing back on the man. suddenly, your gestures become more exaggerated; your laughter is louder, your eye contact more prominent, and voice sweeter than honey.

it’s pure bait and boy, does the man fall right into it. his demeanor sharpening to solid confidence that damns him immediately as he reaches out to touch you- daryl is seconds from bolting from his seat to prevent such contact from happening but he doesn’t even get the chance too when rick appears out of no where, slipping between the pair and with a solid grip on your bicep- forceing you away from the stunned man who attempts to say something but rick shuts him down with a simple glare. it’s hard not to be pleased by the other mans possessiveness as he storms both of you in his direction, damn near tossing you into daryls lap before saddling in the empty seat next to him.

“rude” you pout and cross your arms defiantly, squirming to get comfortable.

“quite a show ya put on ova there” daryl teasingly says before possessively pulling your body closer to his and despite your bratty behavior, you don’t put up a single fight as you melt into his chest.

“she’ll pay for it later” rick voices from his seat as his leg bounces in mild irritation.

daryl takes it in silently amused, both at your attitude and ricks jealousy; and while your mood was nothing but a bit, annoyance rolled off the mans shoulders.

while daryl holds no qualms to your schemes, he knows rick has yet to learn that your favorite game is cat and mouse but with time, he’ll get it.

after all, he is still getting used to you.

[rite4fun]

new do’s and babbling no’s

enjoy this sweet short blurb of pure fluff bc that’s the mood i’m in 😭

••

“ow!”

“quit” your fingers comb through the top of his hair, gathering some pieces to create a small braid then wrapping a light blue colored elastic around it. the gentle pull of his hair making him release a hiss through his teeth, “stop it, you’re going to make her scared”

“she should be, nearly yanking m’ hair out m’ head” daryl sits on the ground, resting his back against the couch that you reside on behind him, his broad shoulders nestled between your legs with your skillful hands in his hair.

“no i’m not sweetheart.. daddys’ just a big baby” you coo softly at the small baby girl that sits between daryls stretched out legs, tiny hands playing with a soft plush bunny, big blue doe eyes entranced by the two people infront of her. daryl grumbles in response as you tighten the two braided pigtails up atop his head, ruffling the loose bottom half, “daddy looks so pretty, hm?”

squeezing the plush toy in excitement, giggling delightfully behind the pink pacifier in her mouth, you watch as she reaches her hands out to daryl- who immediately accommodates to her needs, letting her hold onto his hands to shakily stand and wobble closer in order to reach up and play with the strands of hairs that stick out more than the rest.

“ow!” daryl yelps when she pulls too hard, startling her for a second before she quickly finds something else to focus on, tugging on the letter shaped necklace that hangs from his neck; an initial that begins your first name, “like mother, like daughter”

you swat at his shoulder as his blue eyes glint mischievously up at you with an equally playful smile gracing his lips. unable to stop yourself, you lean down to press your own against his, humming at the familar scruff that scratches at your bare skin.

“no, no, no, no” the babbling of your daughter takes both of your attention as she gleefully jumps up and down, little arms held out for her mother.

“that’s right! daddy has no idea what he is talking about” you joke as you grab her tiny body, lifting her onto your lap, fingers musing over her growing baby hair, “want mama to do your hair now?”

“not sure i wanna risk the little hair she has” daryl laughs with his words, immediately shifting his body further away from you as you reach to swat at him again but missing this time. you settle your daughter more securely in your lap as you begin gathering small pieces of her hair.

“shut up” you stick your tongue out at him childishly but you don’t get far in putting her hair up when she throws herself back into your body in a hissy fit.

daryl doesn’t say anything from his spot on the ground, only raising his eyebrows as he watches the little one let out a loud whine as she squirms around.

you narrow your eyes, ready to quip back some sharp remark but the doorbell rings. you quickly gather the toddler into your arms as you stand, “better go answer it, princess”

“.. wha’?”

you smirk as you lightly bounce the now calm baby in your arms before squatting infront of his still figure, eyes gazing over his new hairdo and the shook expression he holds, “i gotta tend to our daughter, so you get to answer the door”

you leave him with a quick bruising kiss and a slight ruffling of his hair, nearly prancing out of the living room as you softly talk to the small girl in your arms.

daryl can’t hear exactly what you’re saying but giggles erupt from the both of you as you exit the room and he can’t find himself to be anything but happy, warmth flooding his chest at the clear happiness that emits from his girls.

so if he blindly answers the doors with two braided pigtails atop his head, well- he can only hope whoever stands on the other side keeps quiet on the matter.

[rite4fun]

soft hands

heyyy 🤪

i started this in the midst of my other writings- forgot about it and then i recently found it again and fell back in love with it so.. here it is finally!! // also my first request ever which is really exciting and special so i hope this doesn’t disappoint, i’ve spent the last two days perfecting it so if there is mistakes- idk man I have to stop looking at it before i go crazy 😭

requested by: @endlessvoidd

an angsty/fluffy/!!smutty!! fic based on this song - i.e. my interpretation into this.

18+ content

••

love is a fickle thing.

coming in many forms but always ending in similar fashion: heartache.

atleast that’s what it felt like to you. it was as if the whole world remained stagnant while your own went up in flames. but that’s what pain does to one, isolating them so only they feel as if there was no one else who could ever feel the way it made them.

this pain often took the shape of another human.

one that claimed another name, promising safety and care but never keeping to their word. it was a cycle they used, a ruse to get you under their control and you fell for it everytime.

a faux charming smile mixed with poisoned sweet words held in devilish hands.

your colorful heart so open for loving that it made you vulnerable to the ones who were willing to hold it. their rough hands gripping so tightly till you’d bruise only black and blue.

so now as the whole world burns, you had found solace in your own. it no longer felt like you were underwater, suffocating in the abyss of darkness that always seem to swallow you.

you’d been pushed to your limits, forced to become stronger and bolder in your decisions. you had too- in order to survive this new world where the only thing that mattered was living to see the next day. it was no longer a place that required such care or attention to minuscule feelings like love.

until you met him. daryl dixon.

someone with no smile, spoke very little words but otherwise soft hands.. someone who you never thought you’d fall for, especially in this seemingly mundane world.

but here you were..

it was like those pieces you left behind had come crumbling back into existence.

the colors of your broken heart, blooming together for another and no matter how hard you tried to deny the feelings, they would always be there, lingering into every touch, every gaze, every moment you had with him until it became too much to bare.

but even then, you’d do nothing.. never to push or pull him, you’d take whatever you could get because even without him reciprocating any feelings, it was the happiest you’d ever been.

••

violet, the selfless lover.

sweat glistened over his muscled arms, his sleeveless shirt accentuating his broad shoulders before dipping at his waist and hips that shift as he fiddles with his belt.

a familar sight: his back turned to you.

you lie in bed in the aftermath of your indulgences. the only covers having survived your rushed intimacy were the thin sheets that you pull up to your chest, shielding parts of yourself that he has already seen but now, not in a fit of hurried passion, it felt too vulnerable.

especially now, in the moments he quickly slips away into the night, void of live beings and caped into darkness.

your eyes flutter shut, ears catching the light sounds of his shuffling as he gathers himself. you swallow the suffocating words, the ones that ask him to lie back down with you.. to hold you, love you, touch you.

just this once, stay.

you repeat the words over and over in your head, hoping that somehow he would suddenly be able to read your mind but like clockwork, you hear him pause.

his motions freezing as you feel his gaze struck on your body, casted in the moonlight revealed from the open shades of the window that releases the heat of the room. you always wondered if in these moments he ever thinks about it.. staying.

laying down beside you as his hands caress the parts he had once gripped tightly in desire. your head upon his chest so you could listen to his heartbeat thudding softly against your ear. his arms wrapped around your frame, caging you in protectively.

but alas, it’s only seconds later, he’s moving again.

you steady your breathing, fighting every urge to twitch and allowing him to believe you have fallen asleep. you really aren’t sure who you do it more for: him, so there are no awkward goodbyes or yourself, so you don’t have to endure the pain that comes with his departure.

he always leaves though so your troubles never really vanish so you guess, in a sense it’s more for him.

you remember the first time it happened, after traveling together for so long with tensions high whenever you were near each other- it seemed inevitable. grappling at one anothers bodies in haste as you fought to stay quiet in hershels now cleared out barn.

embarrassingly that same night, you had expected something different. that it meant you no longer had to tip toe around the supposedly feelings between you both- except it appeared one sided when he left hurriedly after your secret escapade.

then you supposed it should have remained a one time thing but something kept pulling you both back towards the other and as time passed with more people added to your group, you figured you two would grow even further apart but no-

it wasn’t like he ever seeked you out but it was almost like he was always waiting, finding hidden spots wherever to succumb to your primal states before parting and acting as if you weren’t just moaning each others names in bliss.

maybe that’s the reason you continued to hold on so tightly, he kept coming back and despite his inability to show anything but desire towards you.. it felt like enough.

you felt like you could make it enough.

so you would act like it was all just a passing fleet of passion when it came down to it.. for him.

you can hear his steps around the room before a new pressure of weight covers your body, the welcomed warmth of the duvet setting your heart to burn.

only to be sizzled out by the sounds of his descending steps as he leaves the room, shutting the bedroom door softly before making his way down the stairs and out the front door, locking it with the spare key.

you sit up, gripping the thin sheet around your body as you move to stand at the open window. the streets remain dark but if you squint your eyes enough, you could make up the shape of his body, moving easily through the pitch black night.

the physical distance he puts between you rivals the emotional one that always sits heavily in your chest.

you watch as he approaches his home, the porch light turning on, making his body freeze at the bottom step for only a split second before he’s moving again, disappearing under the porch awning and eventually into the home.

your own home remains silent, quiet, still. completely void of anyone and anything but your soft breaths.

with the loss of some members of the community and the consistent rebuilding, new homes were becoming available. you once resided with the grimes family, michonne, carol and daryl.

until rick approached you all, offering you a place of your own. even before the world went to shit, you never lived alone. having a roommate of sorts or living with a boyfriend, and even when things got rough, your parents invited you in. the idea was unnerving, especially after living in close quarters with your newfound family. it was a change and you couldn’t understand why it made you so unsettled.. but a lot of things have changed since before and you assumed that everyone was trying to settle in more firmly, the grimes family deserved that more than anything so you figured you’d try.

maybe you, carol, and daryl could move into one home together?

but it was never spoken as an option, so you stood with shaky legs in the back of the living room as everyone looked to you in confirmation. you had refused to make eye contact with any of them, especially after carol piped up that daryl was welcome in her new home. isolating you without notice but you didn’t blame her, how could you?

there was plenty of chances for something to come of you and daryl but it didn’t. it wouldn’t, it seemed.

that leap of possibility lingered at arms length, yet felt untouchable.

so you agreed, following rick as he guided you to your very own home, placed conveniently right across the street from carol and daryls new home.

seemingly a physical representation of your inner battle, so close yet so far.

blue, the understanding lover.

there’s an overwhelming amount of yearning in your body as you watch him caress her forehead before pressing a soft kiss to it.

his hand is gentle in his touches, even from afar you can see the way in which everything he does is tender towards her.

for a second, you too, can almost feel the ghost of his touches, equally as soft but less loving and your heart aches at the thought.

you feel a bit ridiculous at being jealous of a baby. a sick baby at that.

“you ready?” your attention is pulled from the bittersweet scene to the woman that’s approaching you.

“‘course, you?” maggie hums with a grin before following your gaze that’s found it’s way back onto him.

“he’s always so good with her, hm?” you can only nod mutely, that ache beginning in your heart, falling to the pit of your stomach as you watch him conversate with rick who gently holds his babygirl in his hands- daryl loves on her with an equally soft touch.

one, your body desperately craves.

despite his hands physically being rough from the countless amount of hours he spends working with them, he had a way of knowing just how to handle you: so soft with the right amount of pressure to still excite you.

the only part missing was the consistency; the knowledge that he was yours as much as you knew he owned every bit of you.

even if he didn’t know it.

you shake your head as if it will physically rid your hopeless thoughts, changing your regard for checking your pack and making sure you’re prepared for the run.

shortly after everyone splits in farewells, six of you pile into a black suv for the trip. you settle in the furthest seats with maggie, rosita and tara infront of you as glenn drives with daryl in shotgun.

an unfortunate sickness had fallen on the community, not yet as severe as the one that had tragically taken place at the prison- but whatever it was spread fast and had sent a dent into the infirmaries medication.

so a pharmaceutical run was needed, especially after little judith herself fell ill.

the six of you volunteered, immediately finding a small community pharmacy close enough that had been scoped out as potential. it was a no brainer when it seemed nearly abandoned, very little walkers surrounding and every bit as hopeful as life could give right now.

upon arriving to the building, you split off into groups of two. you had expected to go with tara but found her already linking and walking off with rosita- and you’d never break up the dream team of maggie and glenn so.. you found yourself left with daryl.

there are very few moments where it’s ever just you two like this, without that fire burning between your bodies. you aren’t sure if that was just dumb luck or something daryl arranged so he never had to be with you alone. either way you never questioned it because sooner or later he would be in your bed, pressed skin to skin as you shared sharply sweet kisses and the feeling of being unwanted vanished.

green, the caring lover.

“shit” daryl curses as you wrap his leg is gauze, covering the wound he inflicted when a shelf fell onto him.

there’s an alarm blaring over your heads and the familar ghastly groans pounding on the pair of front doors that the rest of the four lean against to keep them out.

“did anyone check the back door?!” rosita yells.

“could hear them clawing at it too but i think it’s our best choice.. didn’t sound like too many but if we wait any longer, that could change” glenn speaks through his teeth as his feet slide against the linoleum flooring.

daryl winces when your rushed hands put too much pressure and you mutter a quick apology, “i can clear it”

“nah” you look up at him as he brushes off your offer.

“i don’t think we have much of a choice daryl, i can do it” your voice is quiet against the harsh banging, “we can’t wait it out, they can see us through the doors”

“i said ya ain’t doin’ it. jus’ let me think of somethin’” he makes to get up, his leg nearly collapsing under him in pain but your quick to reach out, grabbing onto his waist to steady him. you’ve never had your hands on him in this way, it feels different yet familar- heartwarming even as you brace his body against yours.

“well, can you think faster because i don’t know how much longer we have until they push through us!” rosita smarts at him, agitated with concern by the situation.

you lift your head to the flashing red lights above then twist it to the back of the pharmacy, “it looks like the alarms are set only upfront, they will be more attracted here than in the back.. i can do it”

you go to release daryl hastily, going to make a break for the back but he grabs your arm, clear irration oozing into his words, “are ya hearin’ me? … you three hold ‘em doors, we’ll let ‘em in one by one”

you stare in disbelief as everyone listens- tara and rosita holding onto one door while glenn has the other, maggie coming to stand next to you readily with her knife in hand.

your attention is then drawn to daryl who pushes your helping hands away in attempt to steady his stance alone, finding a comfortable balance as he readies his own knives.

the echoed alarm has nothing over the sound of your own heartbeat through your ears. there’s mild annoyance that builds in your stomach, in result of daryls doubt of your ability to do anything by yourself.

you find your feet moving backwards on their own accord, watching as they all follow directions but it’s not going to be enough against the growing dead outside- getting close enough to consider a horde. one of them slips, allowing two walkers to stumble in and as maggie and daryl are distracted, you take your sudden leave.

sprinting towards the back before anyone can say anything. the relentlessly pounding is just as loud and the hinges of the back door rattle but the piercing siren has lessened, giving you enough head clearance to search the back room for something to hold against the door. you plan to use the same tactic except it’s just you against the many that stand on the other side.

it’s the only way you can think of to ensure that everyone makes it home with the supplies, a hell of a lot quicker too.

the only things in your vincity is shelves stuffed with random boxes but it will have to do. you yank some down, hoping to lessen the weight of it before you’re shoving at it.

“come on..” you grunt in frustration but with one final harsh shove, it collapses over with a loud bang- a heavy box toppling down along your arm, cutting open a clean laceration from your inner elbow to your wrist, “fuck!”

ironic enough the fallen box now lays crumbled at your feet, busted open and spilling out its contents of bandages. there isn’t time to perfect the wrapping of your arm, nevermind control the consistent bleeding that quickly seeps into the cloth but it works for now.

adrenaline runs through your veins, keeping the pain to a minimum as you drag the shelf to the door, angling it so that it only has a sliver of space to crack open once it hits the fallen piece of metal.

your body feels heavy, exhaustion settling into your bones from this trip already. the idea of crawling into the warmth of your bed, sounded better than ever but it’s not time yet. there was still work to do and your people needed an out, you’ll be damned if daryls remark held you back from a potential opening.

you heave a deep breath, turning the knob just so the door is loose before backing up and readying your knife.

the first few walkers stumble through the crack one by one, easy enough to take out. in a short amount of time, you’d killed a dozen or so and you’re beginning to wonder how many more reside outside the door as you begin to tire out. there’s a pause and no more push through but you can hear them, their monstrous groaning floating through the crack.

you decide to take a breather, dropping your arms in fatigue but it’s the wrong time to rest as another walker squeezes through, having been forced through by another that stumbles in quickly after. you shove tiredlessly at the first one, gripping the second and collapsing to the ground with it as you stab it in it’s head. your knife is a lost cause inside the skull of the walker and you scramble back as the second one stumbles after you, it’s unstable body crumbling ontop of yours.

you have your hurt forearm rested on it’s neck as it’s teeth snaps at you grossly while the other hand pushes at it’s forehead. it’s been awhile since you’ve been so close to a walker like this. since arriving to alexandria, you and maggie worked along with deanna on building a new brighter future for the community.

as time passed, you found being inside the walls wasn’t so bad and the only time you itched to be out was when daryl would be gone on his weeks long recruiting trips.

he is what made alexandria feel more like home to you.

his insane judgement of character made you feel safe, so if he found that trust within those walls- so did you and every other person in your group.

that’s why you needed him to get back, why they all needed to make it back. alexandria would never be the same without him- without any of them.

you internally scoff at your overly ridiculous thoughts, even as you sweat so close to death itself, all you can think about is him.

but with thoughts of getting him out safely, comes a newfound strength as you let it’s forehead go, the walkers head dropping dangerously closer to your face as you scramble for the gun on your hip.

it’s a clean one shot before your throwing the walkers body to the side with a grunt, scurrying back in fear as your heart thuds painfully in your chest.

no matter how many times you’re faced with this new reality, it never fails to scare you shitless with the constant reminder of how living isn’t a promise and looms so dangerously over your head- or directly in your face.

a refreshing soft breeze comes from the cracked door, snapping you from your building anxiety and you hastily crawl to it, pulling it open more and finding the alley clear.

you smile in relief and as much as your body screams to rest, you’re running to grab the others to make a swift escape before anymore walkers can show up.

red, the passionate lover.

the thunderous clouds open for the loud torrents of rain creating a solemn ambience among the community.

similar to the way you feel as you lay on the couch, shades open to watch the droplets that hit the window before sliding down.

freshly showered with a clean bandage on your arm, wrapped in a sweatshirt far too big for your figure and fuzzy socks, you wallow in the warmth of your own home.

there’s a pounding at your front door that interrupts your thoughts, one that could almost rival the thunder released from the sky.

you pull a thin blanket from the couch, wrapping it around yourself as your sock covered feet slide across the wood flooring to the door.

pulling it open, the sky’s weeping shower is louder but what takes your attention is the soaking wet man that stands before you.

“daryl?” head to toe, his body is drenched. his clothes clingling to him, dripping onto your front doorstep. his hair beginning to wave as the tips leak water onto his shoulders and face, in which you finally take in his exasperated expression, “what’s wrong?”

“wha’s wrong?” his tone is full of frustration, “let’s start with tha’ stunt ya pulled earlier today, hm?”

confusion covers your features, your fingers gripping the blanket tighter around your body when a gust of wind and rain blows through, “what do you mean?”

daryl huffs, a hand coming up to swipe over his mouth roughly, “i mean.. ya makin’ a stupid decision tha’ could’ve costed ya, yer life!”

“what?” you can tell your inability to make sense of the conversation only frustrates him more but given that last time you saw him, you guys were fine- as far as him ignoring you, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and now he shows up at your home to yell at you? so yeah, you had a right to be a little confused.

“dun’ play dumb, i told ya the plan and ya ran off! decided playin’ with ya life was the way to go instead!” although it was just hours ago that you laid face to face with death, it felt like days and you no longer cared to linger on it anymore as you stand within the safety of alexandria.

“i made a choice. you have no right to insult me! it saved us, didn’t it?!” you hadn’t expected him to praise you for what you did, but his response to your actions that helped you guys make it back safely was unbelievable, had it been anyone else-

“at what cost?!” clearly you aren’t understanding what he’s saying as he grows more agitated by the second.

“what does it matter? it’s over daryl!” you grip the blanket in one hand as you toss the other out in annoyance.

“ya shouldn’t be risking ya life lik tha’.. fo’ anyone!”

“well i did!”

“why?!”

“because that’s what you do for someone you love!” your chest heaves with rattling breaths, “i-i wasn’t thinking about me, i just knew you had to get out, that’s all i cared about.. you getting home” you turn your head as you feel tears burn in your eyes.

it’d be silent if not for the rumbling downpour coming from the sky above as if the universe too, was upset.

“… ya love me?” bewilderment makes up his otherwise timid tone.

but you can’t face him, the humiliation of outing yourself too much to bare so you just nod your head abashedly, tear-filled gazed locked on a chipped part of the doorway.

“look at me” you can see his body move closer from the corner of your eye but you make no move to change positions.

body aflamed with embarrassment, frozen in time as your mind races through every outcome of this situation. all ending in familiarity: your heart laid crushed in the open, bleeding the many colors it holds. it’s like you can feel the ache of longing that follows as you rethink every moment you guys had together, clinging to the memories to cope with the overwhelming sadness that withers into your chest.

there is no time to mourn something you haven’t lost yet when a pair of hands cup your face gently, forcing your gaze to the sharp blue eyes of daryls.

the distance between your faces closing as his thumbs absentmindedly wipe the tears from under your eyes. the rise of your heartbeat causes your chest to heave with your deep breathes mixing with daryls as his body sways closer. his eyes never leave your face, taking in every inch as if he still can’t believe the words that you uttered so effortlessly in your emotional fit.

“ya mean it?” with your gazes locked, you can finally take in the hidden vulnerability that lies in between his mumbled words. unable to speak with the lump that settles into your throat, you can only nod feverishly in his grip but it isn’t enough as he shakes his head, “say it again” but you respond with your own head shake, finding it hard to grasp onto any words. his rough thumb brushes over your trembling bottom lip soothingly, his tone soft yet encouraging, “ya can, baby.. say it again”

the pet name slips from his lips seamlessly, breaking your resolve as your hand releases the blanket and instead, both reaching out to grip his forearms with soft dry sobs of the words over and over.

i love you. i love you. i love you.

daryl is quick to match your distress with comfort, wrapping one arm around your waist to hold your body flush against his, “i know, i know, i know.. ’s okay baby”

you allow yourself to fall into his arms with a light flush to your cheeks from embarrassment, so quick to fall apart at the slightest coaxing but you needed this. him. you needed him to understand just how much you felt for him and how overwhelming it all was.

his arms are strong, encompassing you in his body heat that lights a fire in your own. your arms snake around his neck, pulling his face closer and it’s enough for him to finally slot your lips together.

despite the growing fever of desire, the kiss remains slow but your grips on each other tighten as he shuffles your bodies into the house, shutting the door all the while keeping his lips attached to yours.

one of his hand slides down your body, gripping your thigh as a signal for you to wrap your legs around him, which you do with a quiet huff.

with blinded knowledge of the layout he takes you to the living room, laying your body gently on the couch.

you shiver at the lack of contact and his piercing stare as he takes in your delicate state. your hair fanning behind your head as the oversized sweatshirt you wear hikes up to your upper thighs, your legs bent yet closed innocently- revealing just the cusp of your bottom to him.

your eyebrows furrow at his longing gaze, poking his leg playfully with your sock covered foot which he grabs. you meet his sharp blue eyes and that growing fire in your stomach heightens at the hunger that lingers in them.

he seems to want to take his time, enjoying the sight of you but the need in you burns painfully for his touch.

tilting your head, you look at him from under your lashes, fluttering them prettily as you reach your hands out towards him.

he comes easily, settling over your body- it should bother you that his clothes remain wet and cold but it soothes your otherwise hot skin when his broad frame settles between your legs.

you’re pulling his lips to meet yours again, letting out a gasp at the sensation, sometimes you forget just how good you guys are together.

having spent years learning how each others bodies work; he knows exactly what touches will have falling apart while gasping his name and you know just how to move to have him desperately coming back for more- you two work together like a well oiled machine.

he lifts off of you, a whimper escaping your throat, “‘s okay baby, jus’ gotta take this off” he’s only able to swipe his signature vest off before you’re sweeping your upper body up to help him unbutton his sleeveless top, “eager, ain’t ya sweethear’?” his hand brushes pieces of your hair behind your ear, finger sliding down your neck and hooking into the crew of your sweatshirt.

you ignore his truthful remark, settling for pushing his shirt off his shoulders before pulling him back over your body, his bare chest pressing through the thick material of your own top yet you feel like you need more.

“more..” you squirm under him as his hands softly wander over your covered frame.

daryl only hushes you, his rough hands sliding under your sweatshirt, meeting the soft skin of your lower stomach, dipping up at your waist, tickling at your ribs until his fingertips skim just under your breasts. you arch beautifully into his hands, eyes hooded in lust as he watches your lips part in a quiet gasp.

your own hands grip at his muscled biceps, fingernails digging in- in anticipated pleasure. your body rolls, thrusting your hips into his in a desperate search of something to ease the throbbing pressure building between your legs.

he seems to take pity on you, lowering his body until he’s eye level to your stomach. his hands bunch up the fabric of your sweatshirt, lifting it just enough to reveal your belly button.

he places kisses under it, a warm and gentle peck that has you sucking your stomach in at the gesture. your hands grip his as you look down, his unruly hair falling into his face, slightly covering his now darkened blue eyes that glanced up every so often to enjoy the way your features contort in bliss. his lips remain on your skin, pressing sloppy kisses wherever he deems fit as he travels up. he keeps up with the lifting of your top, every new layer of revealed skin is left with heated, wet kisses that the air cools over- the sensation of it all, sending a thrilling shiver throughout your whole body.

you can’t seem to control your hips, bucking everytime daryl stops and takes a nibble at your skin before licking over it soothingly.

with your sweatshirt finally bunched under your pits to reveal your breasts to the open air, nipples hardening at the change of temperature. daryl kisses in the valley of your chest before humming to himself when he gets his lips around one of your nipples, his scruff scratching over the soft skin while one of his hands finds your other breast, calloused fingertips running over the nipple.

the change of position has daryls hips pressed right against yours, his jean covered bulge digging into your thinly covered core. a simple roll of your hips has your eyes rolling back, a choked gasp releasing from your mouth at the newfound pleasure.

daryl has switched to the other nipple, giving it the same attention as the last before he can’t take anymore of your quiet noises- lifting up to take your lips into another biting kiss. his hands grappling to rip off the sweatshirt over your head as he settles back on his haunches, only a sliver of blue visible in his eyes as he takes in your body - only softening a little as they gaze over your bandaged arm.

your legs settle over his thighs but the more he stares, the more unsure you become and you find your knees turning in- in an attempt to hide the most vulnerable part of yourself but daryl doesn’t let you get far, immediately gripping them to push them back out. one hand holds the crease of your knee, keeping your legs apart while the other slips down to your covered core, fingertips dancing over the wet patch of your panties.

the same way he seems entranced by your figure, you can’t take your eyes off him. on normal circumstances, he never took his time: seemingly too overwhelmed with desire to play things out, only taking exactly what he came for and never lingering after.

now though, his hands eagerly pause to truly appreciate whatever details he’s found of your body. his eyes lost in the way you move, the way you look.. finally he gets the chance to fully indulge the parts of you he never got to take advantage of in your unspoken situationship.

you huff as your hips press more firmly into his hands, daryls eyebrows raising in amusement at your clear impatience.

“jus’ wanted ta look at m’ girl” his mocking tone only burns the flames hotter in your body, “tha’s wha’ ya are, hm? mine?” he pushes your panties to the side, your dripping core pulsing in anticipation. he drags his fingertips through the wetness, collecting it before spreading it messily over your lips. he barely skims over your clit but the teasing has your senses on high and you find yourself unable to stop the twitch of your hips, “say it” his motions stop, fingers hovering over you as you meet his darkened gaze.

“i’m yours” your voice is broken, meek and so so beautiful to him, “please, ‘m yours”

maybe another time you’d feel embarrassed about being so desperate but the softness of his hands: the loving way he tends to your neediness has you on cloud nine.

“mm, ‘ve got ya” his gravely voice is only getting deeper, rumbling deep into his chest as he allows two thick fingers to slide into your pulsating hole. after years of being together, your body takes to him easily, opening to accommodate his digits.

“yes…” you hiss as you toss your head back, legs twitching as they threaten to close around his hand, a weak attempt to lock in the pleasure somehow.

daryl only grunts before his fingers are moving, hooking them everytime they slide out to target your gspot, thumb brushing against your throbbing clit. his pace is slower than normal, dragging out the sensation until you forget your name.

your impending orgasm is closer than you thought, his previous teasing ministrations having more of an effect on your body than the rushed ones you’ve endured before- not that those weren’t good but this, this felt stronger and harder to hold back.

as if sensing the same thing, daryls fingers pick up the pace until a slight squelch of your slick is heard over your gasping moans.

“gunna come fo’ me?” it’s sort of useless of him to ask as your eyes threaten to fall into the back your head, your body rolling into his hand uncontrollably and the obvious mewls of pleasure that spill from your lips- yet, you answer in a clumsy nod.

daryl doubles down in his actions, somehow shuffling even closer as he keeps his fingers inside of you and only thrusting deeper with curled fingertips, thumb messily moving over your sensitive clit.

the choked out moan you let out breaks in half into a high pitched squeal, knees helplessly knocking together while your hands reach out to grasp any part of the couch, you could get your hands on as your high hits.

“tha’s it..” the words are more of a growl as daryl watches you fall apart, your cries a muttered mixture of his name and sobs of pure pleasure until your left sinking into the couch with watery doe eyes, flushed cheeks, messy hair, and the heavy rise and fall of your naked chest.

his fingers only linger inside you for a moment more before pulling them out, lifting them to his mouth in a seemless action. he hums happily around his soaked digits as you whimper at the sight, shaky thighs opening back up despite your still throbbing core.

his hands fall to caress the smooth surface of them, eyes lost in the mess of your cunt until your hands reach out, fingers barely tickling over the bulge in his jeans. his hips push forward more and the response is enough for you to lift up, scrambling to unbutton his jeans and hurriedly pulling his cock out from his briefs.

he sits heavy in your palm, angry red tip with decorative blue veins down his shaft. your mouth waters at the sight and you go to lean forward, prepared to make him a mess as much as he did you but a hand grips the back of your head, fingers tangling into your hair to tilt your eyes up at him.

your eyes are lust blown and so very eager, only to twinkle with confusion at his next words, “i’ll come too soon”

you pout, “want you too”

at your indignant tone, he cracks a small smile. hand coming up to cup your chin, thumb brushing softly over your lips before falling onto your tongue when you open your mouth- keen on showing him exactly what he is missing out on when the slick muscle swirls around his finger, cheeks holllowing sharply as you bob your head sinfully.

you can feel his cock twitch violently in your hand, your own thumb swiping over his tip to the oozing precum that continuously drips out.

entranced by you, it takes daryl a second to fully pull away: enjoying the suction of his digit and the soft pull of your hand on his cock but he finds the control to back away.

your eyesbrows pull together in confusion, a flash of hurt covering your features when he stands up from the couch- a sudden doubtful feeling that this isn’t what you thought it was settling into your head.

“not going anywhere, jus’ takin’ my jeans off sweethear’” his reassuring words ease the tension in your body as you melt back into the couch. his briefs come down with his jeans, revealing his familiar broad body to your eyes, except now, you’re able to fully take him in: fully appreciate his scars, his muscles, his tattoos.. everything that makes him- him. the many reasons you’ve found yourself falling for him before you could even catch yourself, “wha’s that look for?”

you hadn’t even realized you were staring at him a certain way as he settles back inbetween your legs after helping you disgard the last few articles of clothing on your own body.

you squirm under his tickling hands as they graze over your body in a loving manner, you release of sigh of bliss at the motions. his fingers dancing around your waist until you look back into his eyes that hold a questioning gaze.

“just.. love you” you shrug nonchalantly, breaking the intense gaze as your fingers reach out the fiddle with the ones still at your waist- an uncertainty to your already fragile tone.

an obvious fear that you may say the wrong thing, running him off to the hills after getting only a sliver of what could be.

your not sure what to expect but it isn’t his fingers tangling into yours, locking them together and squeezing to gain your attention again.

his chest presses against yours as he leans closer to your face, pecking your lips softly a couple of times before mumbling the words bashfully against them, “love ya too”

you’re at a loss of words, gasping softly as your hands untangle from his to grasp at his face, fingers brushing the stray hairs away so you could get a clear look of his face.

his sight lowers, staring more at your chin in obvious embarrassment, alongside the flash of red that spreads over the apple of his cheeks.

you bite your lip in hopes of curbing your amused smile but you can’t- too overjoyed with his words as you force him to look at you and as if seeing the clear happiness of your own features, he fights to hide his own.

“say it again” you sweetly mock his words from earlier, making daryl rolls his eyes playfully, grumbling as he shifts above you. the new position having his cock pressed against your core- sending a thrilling shock of heat through both you as if you had forgotten where you guys were.

a gasp releasing from both of your mouths as you move against one another, searching for that pleasurable feeling again.

you’re just finding a good rhythm, timing the roll of your hips perfectly with his so that the head of his cock nails your swelling clit everytime but he sits back- an action that has you whining in protest.

“quit tha’” he slaps a hand on your thigh, your body jerking at the delicious sting it brings, before he is guiding his cock to your slick hole. your senses are in overdrive after your first orgasm, the slow stretch of him pushing into you is a tad overwhelming as you reach out for one of his hands. his expression softens, his free hand rubbing soothingly up and down your thigh, even leaning over to press a little kiss on your knee.

your eyes are closed, chest heaving in deep breaths as you feel him enter you inch by inch slowly. in a normal fit of hurried passion, driven by nothing but lust, these moments are easily skipped over. fast paced with only one goal; release.

but now, as you grip onto one hand, his other softly grazing over your body with the odd kiss: it’s nothing but in the rawest form of love.

the simplicity of intimacy.

pressed all the way in, you find your body quickly morphing around the intrusion of him and your eyes finally open, finding his own on your face.

“‘kay?” physically feeling his small loving touches give no justice to the way his eyes glimmer fondly, a small hint of relief in them as if he has been waiting equally as long for you as you have for him.

maybe he has.. maybe his lack of emotions was a protective wall around his heart incase you didn’t truly feel anything for him- other than the odd fleeting need of release.

but you do, you always have and you try your best to convey that through your own expression while nodding to his question.

he chooses in that moment to move, sliding his cock out and slowly thrusting back in.

“ah..” your lips open in a blissful gasp, hips rolling down to meet his.

“yeah?” his tone is soft, hand coming down so his thumb could rub at your swollen clit, the shock of pleasure having you clench around his sensitive cock: a reaction that has him groaning, body slouching until his naked chest rests against yours, his face falling into your neck as his thrusts become more desperate.

your free hand comes to rest on the back of his head, tangling into the unruly strands as he bites at your collarbone with growls of pleasure. your still linked hands press further into the couch, now next to your head as this new position only allows your bodies to slide against each other but it’s enough. your sensitivity bringing your second release faster than the first while daryl heads for his first one after holding back for so long.

his hips stutter against your constant rolling, an attempt to make this last a little bit longer but you only torture him further- intentionally squeezing your walls around him.

“fuck” he pants hotly against your neck, “‘m gonna come if ya don’ stop”

“want you too” you huff back as your motions double down, the combination of your cunt clenching around his thick pulsing cock and the consistent sway of your body against him only pushes him closer to coming but he no longer fights it.

your stomach is tightening in heat as you yank his hair, forcing his head to come out from your neck, teeth clashing a bit clumsy as you pull his mouth to yours.

“do it” you egg him on, lips barely brushing his as he grits his teeth, “‘m yours, yeah? show me”

your bodies slide easily with the building layer of sweat on your skin from the amount of exertion you both use to challenge the other.

“fuckin’..” daryl presses his lips harshly against yours before his hips jerk sharply as he cums, groaning loudly and dropping his forehead on yours as he pants through the buzzing pleasure.

the sight has you nearing your own orgasm, gasping brokenly as you feel his cock twitch, painting your walls white and claiming you in a primal way that sends tingles from your stomach to your toes.

“please.. ‘m so close” you beg prettily as daryls orgasm passes, his attention immediately focusing on your approaching second one as he thrusts shallowly: so deep you feel him hitting spots that bring tears to your eyes, momentarily blurring your vision.

the quick build up has you babbling nothing but nonsense and the odd slip of his name. he has to lean back to take in the enticing vision you’ve become, head thrown back with your eyes shut tight, pink plump lips open to let out the most delicate sounds.

both of your hands now hold his biceps in a deathly grip, trying to find something to ground you as your high gets closer.

daryl tips forward to bite playfully at your chin, “look at me sweethear’”

you whimper before complying, dropping your head down heavily to peer up at him through wet lashes. he holds the eye contact as his hips increase in pace and force, now with his hands free: one settles next to your head, balancing his body above you while the other grips at your waist, pulling you down to meet his.

your second orgasm teeters on the edge of release and it’s like daryl can sense it, leaning down to connect your lips once more before mumbling against them, “‘m girl looks so pretty, hm? tha’s it… gonn’ come one more time fo’ me? promise i’ll take care of ya, let me see sweethear’.. told ya i love ya”

the heartfelt words send you over, your hands pulling him closer as you arch up into him. your eyes roll to the back of your head, cunt clenching tightly around his sensitive cock and thighs trembling around his hips. your cries of pure joy are followed by dry sobs as you try and catch your breath after such an intense high.

daryl is quick to meet your fragile state, petting your hair down as he places small kisses all over your cheeks, nose, corner of your lips, chin, neck, anywhere he could reach as you go through the full motions of your orgasm.

when your body drops heavily back into the couch, your eyes are shut in exhaustion, fully residing in his sweet pampering. the ticklish feeling of his scruffy beard against your neck has you giggling breathlessly, which only results in him groaning in response as you unconsciously squeeze around him.

he lifts to fully pull himself out of your body, both of you hissing in mild discomfort. for a split second as he removes his body completely and stands, you expect him to begin putting his clothes on, preparing to take his usual swift leave but instead he reaches under your body, lifting you bridal style.

“daryl!” you squeal as your arms wrap around his shoulders, an amused smirk falling onto his face as he carries you up the stairs to your ensuite bathroom in silence.

your next actions are equally as quiet, him leaving to grab towels and clothes while you use the restroom and begin the shower. standing infront of the mirror, you take in the new lovebites that scatter around your naked body, luckily in spots you can hide easily. a flush taking over your features even more when he appears in similar fashion: completely nude with scratches and nail indents- a true mess you’ve made of one another.

he hides a coy smile as he saddles behind you, taking in the mere sight he created upon you. you shiver when his hands settle on your hips before slipping to wrap around your front, pulling your back into his chest as he pressing a soft kiss on your shoulder.

all of his motions tender and loving- something you’ve yearned after for years from him.

and it’s finally happening, a little quicker than you thought too but maybe a little bit of coaxing from both sides is all you guys needed to fall into the right rhythm.

you feel a bit ridiculous that it took this long but the reality of it happening now, you can’t seem to linger on anything other than pure happiness as he holds you so closely.

his blue eyes peek up from behind your shoulder, “‘kay?”

your eyes sparkle with newfound warmth, “i’m okay, you?”

he playfully nibbles at your shoulder, tightening his hold on you even more as you laugh delightfully in response.

the shower is quick, intimate, soft and loving. both of you tending to one another as if you’ve done it for years and maybe you have in your own odd ways- daryl always keeping an eye out for you on supply runs, making sure you had enough for dinner even if it meant giving up some of his, bringing back things he knows you’ll like but gifting them anonymously while you loved him unconditionally, selflessly more giving than taking, accepting his many flaws and mistakes, understanding when he needs space, caring for him in all the ways he would allow you from afar.

he felt like he had a lot of making up to do but once again, you didn’t care as you laid upon his naked chest. freshly cleaned with minimal clothing on, your bodies lay above the sheets, basking in the cool breeze that flowed through the cracked window of your bedroom. the aftermath of the storm bringing glimpses of sunlight and light wind.

a certain calmness relaying over the both of you.

your leg was thrown over his hips, warm body pressed entirely to his side as your head rose with the slow rise and fall movement of his chest, the beating of his heart thudding softly in your ear as one of his hands softly rub your back, the other splaying across his own stomach, loosely wrapped around the wrist of your hand that continues to trace hearts on his chest.

if there was a way to touch you, he was doing it- enjoying the fact that you too, wanted this and diving head first into everything clumsily but oh so sweetly.

the heavy weight of his arms around your body and the warm consistent press of his hands was only a constant reminder that this was infact real.

he was here to finally just stay.

and while you know that this only the beginning, that both of you had to have real, long, uncomfortable conversations about your feelings- this was more than enough for now.

just you, him and his soft hands.

[rite4fun]

sweet storms

this is one of those fics that i started in the mist of writing others and completely forgot where i was going with it soooooo.. sorry if it sucks! thank you for reblogging my fics, i love every single comment you guys leave so keep them coming !! <3 (not a fan of this work so i only did a brief proofread so don’t look too hard if you see a mistake)

18+ content

••

alexandria. virginia. 2015

“daryl, leave her alone” carol reaches out to slap his arm but he moves before she makes contact.

“yer telling me ya ain’t a little bit curious on how she’s managed this long, the girl should of been one of the first ta go” daryls forced to move further away when carol tries to swat at him again.

the sun is beginning to set as the pair stand on the porch of the house they have claimed. both leaning against the railing as they watch onto the sight of some members of the community playing with the kids.

specifically you.

you chase the smaller children around in a long floral pink dress and white tennis shoes. a bright smile present that could battle the suns glare. the laughter of the kids fill the empty space as you reach down and pick one up, swinging their small body before gently setting them down and repeating the process again with another young one.

“she’s sweet. should hang out with her, think you’ll like her more than you think” daryl chances a glance at carol before scoffing, shaking his head before turning his attention back to your form.

you’ve given up on picking the kids up, even from across the street, daryl can see the thin layer of sweat glistening on your skin. he subconsciously licks his lips as he watches the way you wave goodbye to the small children as their parents pull them home.

“not sure we have anythin’ in common..” daryl grumbles in opposition.

“maybe not.. but doesn’t hurt to make other friends” carol throws a knowing look towards him as he grunts in response. he doesn’t need friends, never has and never will. especially not with someone like you.

“can make friends if i want too but i definitely won’t be choosin’ someone who believes life is nothin’ but prancing in a field and bakin’ cookies like we’re in some goddamn movie” carol steps closer, successfully swatting his arm this time. it doesn’t hurt but he grabs it with his hand and goes to complain-

“shh.. hi y/n!” daryl whips his head down to where you’ve approached the sidewalk infront of their house. you have two glasses of lemonade in your hands and a bag hanging from one wrist.

“hi carol!” daryl watches from under his bangs as your gaze shifts to him nervously, “hi daryl..”

he grunts in response before turning his attention to a hang nail on his thumb and when your eyes is no longer linger on him, his eyes are flickering to meet your form again, drinking in the sight as if he had a sudden quench of thirst.

“um.. i saved some lemonade and treats for you guys. didn’t want you guys to miss out even though i know you guys aren’t big on crowds..” you’re bashful, a blush on the high of your cheekbones, daryl can’t tell if it’s from the hours in the sun or his sharp gaze on you.

“well isn’t that sweet..” carol nudges him as she walks by to the stairs, sharing slight eye contact before she’s meeting you at the bottom step, “you didn’t have too, really”

“it was no problem! i usually make extra anyway, like to have them on hand for the kiddos..” when your hands are free, you place them behind your back and sway on your feet. the closer you’ve gotten, daryl can see more clearly the shine against your skin, a soft glow from your day in the sun in comparison to the pinkish hue that rests on your cheeks and across your nose.

daryl is many things but never a liar. he can recognize when someone is attractive and despite your infuriating bubbly personality, you are pretty. he doesn’t think he has ever met someone like you who at the very glance of, raises his blood pressure and nether regions. it’s conflicting and frustrating.

“thank you, you’ll have to come over and teach me a few things.. been awhile since i’ve been in the kitchen!” carol shares a laugh with you.

“of course! just let me know.. i’m free whenever!” your words fall into the air, silence encapsulates the space around you three.

“well, it’s getting late. i’m going to go set these things up in the kitchen then head off to bed. thank you again, y/n. have a good night” you bid her an even sweeter farewell, promising to come by soon as she goes to disappear into the house.

daryl is quick to get up, refusing to be with you alone but of course, life is never that easy. you call out his name softly just as he places his hand on the door knob.

looking over his shoulder, his eyes gaze over your figure. you still stand at the bottom of the steps, hands now clasped infront of your body as your fingers intertwine in a nervous habit. your eyes face the ground a couple inches from his feet, chewing on the corner of your mouth, deep in thought as you struggle to find the words.

“ya need somethin’?” you jump at his voice as you finally meet his piercing glare, he can’t help but soften when he sees the slight fearful look you hold.

your fingers wring together before you rip them apart roughly, a blatant frustration in your own ability to speak up, “um.. yeah, actually.. i-i found a bow in my basement.. you seem to know how to use them, was wondering if maybe.. you’ll teach me?”

daryl takes in the insecurity that lingers in your tone, your head having fallen forward, casting a curtain of bangs to cover your face: a clear indication that it took a lot of courage to ask him such a simple question.

yet he finds himself ready to deny it, not seeing himself set aside time to teach someone let alone the patience- plus he still doesn’t think being alone with you is a good idea..

but then you are looking up at him.

head tilted to the side with doe eyes and pouty lips at the prolonged silence from the lack of his response.

daryl can feel his body flush red with desire at the sight, his eyes narrowing, tongue quick to swipe over his dry lips as his hips shift to adjust himself discreetly.

“sure” his tone gruff with heat.

your eyes flicker with a new light, a smile curving onto your pink lips, “really?” you speak hopefully, bopping onto the tops of your toes in excitement, daryl can’t help his eyes flashing down to your chest that bounces with the sudden movement.

he is really trying not to lose it, his hands forming tight fists until his knuckles whiten as he nods begrudgingly, ready to end this conversation and finally head inside for a shower, specifically a cold one.

“okay! when?”

“tomorrow. we done?” despite the miffed tone in which he speaks, you still beam in elation, nodding in agreement to his question.

“it’s a date then!” daryl chokes on his own breath at your exclamation, “i’ll meet you here tomorrow!” you send him one last sweet grin, teeth flashing in white gleams before you bound away, a newfound pep in your steps.

daryl releases a breath he didn’t know he was even holding but lingering no further on the front porch, he opens the door and steps inside.

“a date, hm?” carol stands off to the side, clearly having eavesdropped on the conversation, an amused smirk placed upon her lips.

“stop” daryl shuts her down with a flush to his cheeks, ignoring her laughter as he makes a dash for the basement where his room resides.

he slips into the ensuite, turning the cold water on and stepping his entire clothed body into the shower in hopes of washing away the fiery pit that had settled into the pit of his stomach. he faces the shower head, his forearm resting against the wall as he presses his forehead to it, the water cascading over his head and down his back.

a shaky breath releases from his lips as his eyes slip closed, only to open seconds later when flashes of you and your body enter his mind along with every dirty thought imaginable.

he succumbs to them, his eyes pinching shut with a hint of shame as he envisions your body kneeling before him with those doe eyes and pouty lips.

he grunts as his hand defiantly slips down his front, cupping his bulge to the thoughts of you innocently begging him to touch you as you lie beneath him, squirming against his body and releasing sweet pleas-

daryl releases a growl before pushing his back flat to the cool tile of the shower wall quelling the heat that flushed over his body, his chest heaves with deep breaths as he removes his hand from himself, refusing to give into the burning need to get off to the thought of you.

an urge he finds himself constantly fighting since he’s met you and the many reasons he keeps himself away- never to subject you to the many filthy thoughts he has.

the idea of being alone with you is as daunting as ever and a situation daryl has worked to never make possible but yet, there he was- unable to deny you.

••

“hold it there..” daryl uses his finger to point at the indented grip, “raise it until ya can see out this slight window, tha’s where ya line ya target up with”

you sigh is frustration, dropping your arms along with the recurve bow in your hands, “why aren’t we training outside the walls? isn’t that where those dead things are?”

“i ain’t takin’ ya out there until ya learn how ta protect yerself, do i look like a babysitter?” ever since daryl brought you to this empty space inside the walls, void of people but lined with trees, you have had an attitude.

clearly unhappy with his remark, you huff and bring the bow back into position, “not going to learn much if i don’t even have an arrow to practice with..”

“i’ll get ya one when ya can keep a steady hand” daryl watches you roll your eyes, he finds his own patience wearing thin, yet the irritation that rolls off you in waves is intriguing. he has yet to see you as anything but charming, bubbly, happy. this side of you is new and just another reason why he can’t stand you because why the fuck does he find it kinda hot?

daryl shakes his head- both at his ridiculous thoughts and the way you handle the bow, “ya dun’ hav’ta grip it so tightly, just ‘nough to keep ya stable”

your arms drop again in exasperation, “maybe if you showed me how to do it instead of just pointing, i’d learn better!”

daryl had purposefully kept space between your figures, opting to stand off to the side and using his voice for directions instead of demonstrating- another reason to add to your growing frustration.

“‘m good, now show me again” he nods his head towards the bow and the makeshift target on a tree ahead that you’ve been aiming at for the past thirty minutes but you make no motions to move, not at first anyway.. instead choosing to stare down his person in annoyance, hoping to intimidate him into doing what you asked but you finally give up and do as told, “hm.. k, pull the string back as if ya have an arrow.. keep ya head straight, breathe, then release once ya feel like ya locked on ya target”

“not going to have much time to breathe if a dead one is trying to eat me” you mutter under your breath as you adjust your stance.

“by the way ya holdin’ tha’ bow, ya already are walker food if tha’ was the case” daryl can see the last bit of resolve you held melt away at his teasing words.

“then show me!” clear aggravation in your tone as you yell at him, “you say you’ll teach me yet you haven’t done anything but point and tell me i’m doing it wrong!” your foot stomps childishly, your arms crossing over your chest which pushes your breasts up. the little bit of cleavage showing from your tank top now accentuated by the gesture and daryl is a weak weak man as his eyes fall to the sight.

although not strenuous work- handling a bow, the heat of the sun still boils down on them, creating a thin sheen of sweat over your bodies; your chest in particular glistening.

it’s almost hypnotic.

“uh.. think we’re done ‘ere” he cuts his gaze sharply, swiping a hand over his upper lip then scratching his back of head as he looks everywhere but you.

“what?” you ask perplexed.

daryl seemingly pays no regard to your confused state as he packs up what little things he brought, “carol prolly teach ya better, ask ‘er”

“why?” he ignores your questioning, “stop dar-“ your stalking towards him now, grabbing onto his arm as he goes to walk away, “why are you leaving?! you said you’d teach me-“

“n i told ya i ain’t no babysitter!” daryl rips his arm from your grip, “figure it out yerself”

before he’s stomping off, he gets a glimpse of your upset facial expression. your eyes filled with confusion and a lingering of hurt at his words. he finds his feet stuttering, an overwhelming urge to stay and take back what he said, anything to get rid of the look on your face that sends an unsettling ache to his chest.

he feels utterly ridiculous and uncomfortable that you make him feel so many things.

his head shakes as his long strides take him away from your stunned figure: a hope of getting rid of the unknown feelings that seem to possess his body when your around.

••

trees rustle as the wind breezes through the gaps. the leaves crunch under his heavy foot in the otherwise stark woods. he’d been tracking a deer for a week now, the same amount of time it has been since he last talked to you.

it wasn’t like he outwardly avoided you though, if the situation ever arises that you’d both be in the same place- he’d just simply ignore you.

but he’d seen very little of you during this period, not that he ever actively looked for you but given you lived across from his and carols house, he figured he would catch atleast a glimpse of you but it was like you vanished from his life- not that you were ever really in it to begin with.

the first few days, he kept himself busy, spending most his days in aarons garage, working on his bike before stumbling home as the sun began to set to meet up with carol for dinner.

he found himself glancing at your home, searching for a sign of life but it’d almost seemed abandoned. even carol became concerned, questioning him as he remained silent and indifferent on the matter before she took it upon herself to approach your home to make sure everything was alright.

it was only hours later that carol came home to chew him out for suddenly leaving your training session with such dismissive words. still didn’t change his mind though.. and soon it became apparent that she decided to take over when she disappeared for hours on end. you seemingly just as gone for those hours too and it didn’t take a genius to assume you guys had been training.

alas, it wasn’t his problem anymore.

you weren’t his problem anymore and that should have been a good thing.

except he found himself waking up everyday with his first thought being you. would he see you that day? were you still upset with him? what were you wearing?

it was like that one day of training with you opened a can of persistent worms inside his brain as he found himself thinking of you more often than not- which irritated him beyond belief.

even now, as his focus should be on tracking this big game that would benefit everyone.. all he can think about is setting aside some so that carol could personally deliver it you as he watches from the safety of his home, just so he could catch a glimpse of you. it’s an utterly ridiculous thought and one he probably won’t even follow through with but it’s there, lingering along the many other thoughts he has of you.

daryl huffs in frustration, kicking at the lost trail he continues to follow. as time passed, he’d found the ground no longer held the traces he very knowingly could tell was a deer but now, it’s as if it was picked up- evaporating into thin air as the tracks end abruptly.

another hunting expedition ending in failure.

he doesn’t have time to dwell on it for too long when a short scream catches his ears. he stands for a second as it echos in through the trees, an attempt to dissect the direction it came from. another sharp yelp is released and he is quick to dash towards it.

upon arriving to the scene, he comes up behind a fallen body that scrambles haphazardly backwards on the ground as two walkers stumble towards them.

daryl shoots his crossbow at one before unsheathing his knife and stepping forward to stab the other before turning around to the figure that lays still on the earths floor.

a heat of fury flares in his body when his mind realizes just who he’d come across, “are ya fuckin’ crazy?!”

a look of hurt and confusion cover your features at the clear edge of anger in his tone.

“wha’ tha hell are ya thinkin’?!” daryl looks at you incredulously before scouting the surrounding area, “where’s carol?”

your eyebrows draw deeper over your eyes as you continue to look up at him, your silence enough for him to understand.

“ya out ‘ere alone..?” although his voice is quiet, there is heat behind his words and even without the shake of his head at your prolonged silence, you can sense the irration that is beginning to roll off his figure.

it’s almost like looking at you is too much and he has to turn himself away, taking several deep breaths to calm the ever building rage he feels at knowing you put yourself into a dangerous situation.

no one probably knows you’re outside the walls and if you had been successfully eaten by those walkers, no one would have known you were even gone, he wouldn’t have known if anything happened to you. the idea nearly sends him into a heart attack and he finds himself overwhelmed with the urge to vomit but he holds it in, pushing all other negative thoughts and outcomes to the back of his mind.

his back still faces you, “get up. we’re going home” his words leave no room for you to argue, not that you really planned too.

daryl listens as you get up, his body twitching when you wince in pain but he makes no motions to turn around and check on you, instead he focuses on the aural of your actions to make sure your following his instructions.

the walk back to alexandria is quiet, he keeps an eye out for walkers but luck must be on your side when you stumble upon none. your steps behind him are staggered and loud, perfect enough that he is able to hear you without having to physically turn around to see you are still with him.

the cool breeze helps soothe some of the fire that is lit within him but he knows the second he faces you, it will flare again and he’ll lash out.

given that you didn’t respond so well to his words, he figures it’s best he keep quiet for now.

as the sun begins to set, the community begins to quiet down. not many roam the streets, especially when the weather begins to drop as fall approaches.

your uneven steps stay behind him, all the way to his home and as he stops at his front door, your body stumbles into his back with a small “oof”

you shuffle backwards with an almost mute apology as daryl turns around. your glum figure stands before him, shoulders curved in and a dejected look across your features.

it’s a pitiful sight that burns a new light in his body as you look up at him with such despair.

“wha’ are ya doin’ ‘ere?” it seems to take you a second to understand his words before you’re looking around the area, spotting the front door and the four digit numbers that settle next to it, clearly off to the ones that sit on your own home.

“oh.. um- i-“ daryl watches as you struggle to string a sentence together, hands wringing together in that same nervous habit. you stumble backwards, wincing in pain again and his eyes flicker down your person, searching for the cause of your distress. his eyes catch on the tear on the side of your jeans, reaching from your knee and halfway down your calf.

“wha’ did ya do?” he sweeps his body down to inspect the injury, a clean cut revealed from the split denim. “how’d this happen?”

“i-i don’t remember” your adrenaline of almost dying then the overwhelming disappointment of daryls disapproval had you paralyzed to any pain you may have felt but now, standing here with full acknowledgment of the wound- it burns and you find yourself shifting to one leg to reduce pressure on the one that’s been hurt.

daryl watches your shifting feet before he stands upright, immediately slipping an arm around your waist and guiding you into the house. in other circumstances, his body would be aflame at finally feeling your body in his hands but right now you’re physically hurt and he’s filled with an overwhelming desire to do anything to make sure you’re okay again.

“give me a sec” he helps you settle onto the couch gently before scrambling to get the first aid kit from the kitchen and coming back in an equally quick fashion.

his movements are swift yet soft, lifting your leg over his own, cutting your jeans- with your permission, and tending to the gash on your leg.

it’s all very mechanical; his motions. his mind doesn’t quite catch up to the fact that he sits so close to your body with your leg in his lap until your all bandaged up. only then, does he finds himself in an awkward position- unsure of his next gestures.

luckily you seem to not mind nor notice his hestitation as you fold your leg, bringing the wound closer to your body as your fingers dance over the white dressing.

it’s quiet for a short notice, your bodies still so close as your knee now presses into his upper thigh but daryl can’t find it in himself to move away.

“thank you..” your voice is timid, “for saving me.. and you know..” you gesture to the covered area of your leg as your head hangs further in embarrassment.

“wha’ were ya doin’ out there alone?” daryl still can’t understand why you would even step outside the walls with full knowledge that you weren’t quite prepared for what lays ahead.

“carol was going to take me but..” your shoulders drop, “she got held up at the pantry, said we would go another day.. i-i just needed to get out so i snuck out”

“ya didn’t tell no one?” his questioned filled with disbelief, before he was just guessing but the confirmation of it has him fueling up in anger again.

“i didn’t expect to be out long.. just wanted to see what it was like” you shrug your shoulders.

“ya were lookin’ for trouble, tha’s wha’” daryl shakes his head at your carelessness.

“i wasn’t purposefully and it was only two dead ones! i could have handled it” your arms cross defiantly over your chest.

“yuh. looked like ya had it all handled” he rolls his eyes as he stands up, the irration of being in your presence again rising in his chest.

“you’re so mean” it’s childish the way the words spill from your mouth, a pout settling upon your lips after as your head hangs even further.

you remind him a lot of someone.. someone who was just as sensitive but held a fire within them that opened up his own softness.

someone he couldn’t protect then.

he’d be damned if you fell to the same fate because his own feelings got in the way.. daryl has a staggering realization that he’d do absolutely anything to make sure you were safe, including training you so that you would be able to protect yourself.

“‘m sorry” your head whips up fast to stare at his figure that stands a few feet away, back still turned and all.

“w-what?”

“i said ‘m sorry” daryl spins around, “not good at.. this” he can still see you are confused, “jus’ dun’ want ya hurt”

it’s silent for a bit before your lips curve into a small smile, “i’m sorry too.. i won’t go out anymore without letting you- someone know!”

daryl can only nod, the atmosphere feels intimate and that’s a feeling he has yet to figure out how to navigate so all he can do is shift awkwardly.

“i-i can keep trainin’ ya..” he realizes how dumb he sounds once the words have left his mouth, carol is already doing it so why insert himself when it’s clearly been handled?

he doesn’t have to dwell on it too long when your spirit seems to liven again, eyes wide and bright, “really?”

once again he finds himself at a loss of words, shoving his hands into his front pockets as he sways his body and nods his head in confirmation. truthfully he would feel more comfortable if he was the one to do it, atleast then he’d know that you were properly trained- no offense to carol but it would lighten the weight in his heart to physically see that you were able to protect yourself and not just take word for it.

••

“and keep ya hand ‘here” daryl swallows roughly as your body heat rests against his front.

it’s been a hell of a day of training, from trying to teach you the proper way of holding the bow to his many attempts of keeping his own excitement down everytime he has to be in close proximity of you.

“here?” a breathy word releases from you and you have to know what you are doing when your hips sway against his, he has adjusted your stance- there should be no reason for you to be shifting.

“mhm..” he clears his throat, putting distance in between your bodies as he allows you to shoot whenever you please. the arrow shoots past the target on the tree and you’re turning to him with a pout. “yer’ll get it, jus’ be patient”

at his soft reassurances, you nod with a smile and walk to get the arrow, bringing it back to try again. already he can tell you are going to miss so he saddles up back against you, arms reaching around and adjusting the position of them.

“breathe..” the words are a soft whisper near your ear and even though he feels your body shiver against his, you still find enough control to let the arrow go and hitting the target.

“i did it!” you gasp excitedly, pulling away to point at it as he nods his head in agreement with his own soft smile at your radiance.

he doesn’t expect your figure to be bounding over to him- your arms snaking around his neck and bouncing on your toes as you thank him profusely- so his arms remain limp at his sides.

when you don’t let go after a few seconds, he allows himself to divulge in his desire of placing his hands on you, wrapping his arms around your back to encompass you fully into him.

daryl isn’t sure how long you two stand like that but whatever time limit your affections had was not enough as he feels you reel back. as luck will have it, you only lean your head back, arms still settled over his shoulders but your faces now only inches apart.

his eyes travel over every expanse of your face; this close and he can count every eyelash, the scattered freckles that paint delicately over your cheeks and dictate the exact hue of your eyes as they gaze up at him.

he can’t help when his eyes fall to your plump pink lips, subconsciously licking his own.

“you want to kiss me daryl?” your words don’t catch up to him for a bit as he is stuck in a trance but when they do, his whole body twitches in shock.

“w-wh-what?” his brain stutters to find the right words.

“you can.. if you want too” your head tilts prettily, a soft encouraging smile on your lips, “i want you too”

his resolve breaks at your approval, a switch of confidence turning on in his body at you being so open and willing.

“i can, hm?” his words full of taunt as you nod mutely, suddenly bashful at your own forwardness. it takes him a moment to fully grasp that you actually want him to kiss you, long enough that you become impatient-

“please?” the word leaves your lips in a soft whisper, so polite and sweet, he thinks as it only lights the fire burning is his heart even more.

“since ya askin’ so nicely” his head dips down, hovering over your lips with his before slotting them together. your lips part slowly before a fevor of need takes over and he’s pressing them harder together. a whimper releasing from your throat and daryl can’t believe you’re fucking real.

he finds his hands have a mind of their own; one cupping the back of your head to guide you and the other wandering down your body, caressing your waist and settling just above your bottom- pushing your hips further into his.

your lips part with a resounding smack, the sound alone having you both pulling back together for one final drawled out kiss.

“mmm.. wanted you to do that for so long” you smile blissfully, sighing in content in his arms.

“ya been plannin’ this?”

“not exactly. you did catch my eye when your group first arrived but you’re not an easy man to get alone so carol said i had to find similar interests..” you shrug your shoulders, “and i’ve always wanted to learn how to use the bow”

he remembers how you were one of the only ones in the community to greet them with open arms immediately, bringing them random items that you thought were useful and treating them to all the baked goods you could make.

it was no wonder carol talked you up, it wasn’t like he didn’t know you were a good person- his judgement of character was always spot on but you also held the utter disregard of reality as the many other alexandrians.

although it seemed he was a little off on that mark as you atleast had an interest in learning how to protect yourself.

“ya been chattin’ it up with carol ‘bout me?”

“sometimes.. we talk about a lot of things together but you’re one topic” your tone holds hidden secrets as you pull further away from him with a small teasing smirk.

“like wha’?” his hands reach out to grab at your body, an attempt to pull you back and lay flush against his own.

“things you like..” you’ve gone bashful and his heart thuds painfully in his chest, you’re just so damn sweet.

“mhm, n wha’ that?” something about flustering you was so very enticing to him.

a flush of pink spreads beautifully over your cheeks, “just things..”

“well tha’s not fair.. ya been plottin’ behind my back” mock condensation in his tone as you peer through your lashes at him, “wha’ do i get outta it?”

your eyes light up at his suggestive words before your dropping to your knees.

his stomach tightens as he watches your hands fiddle with his belt, the clanging of metal echoing in the small area. he scans to make sure you guys are still far enough hidden in the trees, the field of woodland you both reside in sits at the back of the community- normally void of any human interactions.

distracted by his own actions, he jumps as your hand wraps around his cock- seemingly have pulled him out of his briefs and jeans while he was stuck in his own head.

now though, he watches as your wrist twists dryly over him, the sensation painfully good.

and it only gets better when your lips finally part, allowing his tip to be swallowed into your warm, wet mouth.

daryl grunts, “good girl..”

your eyes gaze up at him, twinkling at his praise before you’re taking him further, tongue relentlessly twirling anywhere it could reach. you push yourself more, wanting to have him all but he’s too big and you’re gagging, having to pull off to take a deep breath and sending him a sickly sweet pout.

his hand is quick to reach down and cup your chin, thumbing at your slick bottom lip, “yer unreal”

your lips spread into a smile before your pushing forward again, feeling the weight of him on your tongue and humming in satisfaction.

you’re sloppy with the way you handle him, tongue swiping messily at the sensitive veins of his cock, saliva building up and making the glide of your mouth easier.

daryl wants to watch it all but finds himself falling victim to the pleasure, eyes rolling as his head falls back with a deep groan.

as if his moan was encouragement, you’re hand drops to caress his balls as your head bops faster. he drops his head forward, peeking through his fallen bangs to watch you, “hmph.. tha’s it” his hand comes to rest on the back of your head, gripping a handful of hair.

he won’t last long, not with how good it feels to have you on your knees infront of him, looking like an absolute vision.

you must sense it too as you pull off, kitten licking around his cock before suckling on his tip and that, that nearly sends him over.

“let me see ya” his voice gruff with pleasure as the hand in your hair tightens, pulling you completely off of him and tilting your head up. his hand covers the one you still have pumping the base of his cock, your mouth dropping open, close enough that you still can flick your tongue against his slit.

you hum as your lips slip around his mushroom tip, mouth suctioning tightly before releasing him with one last flick of your tongue.

he wishes he could milk this out forever, the feeling unbearably good and your pretty face gazing up at him has his stomach clenching but alas, he doesn’t know how long before someone stumbles across you guys and he’d rather not be interrupted.

“gonn’ swallow for me, sweet girl?” you nod your head eagerly, mouth dropping open as he jerks both of your hands back and forth. his mouth releases grunts and groans of pure pleasure before his hips jerk and he finally comes.

the first blurb of cum lands on your tongue before your pushing your head forward again to close your lips around his tip, suctioning every last bit of it into your mouth until the oversensitivity becomes too much and he’s pulling your head back with his grip on the back of your head.

you settle back onto your knees once he completely releases you, content to swipe your chin from the spit and cum that mixed and drippled down it before licking your fingers clean mindlessly.

his cock twitches at the sight before he is putting himself back into his jeans as you rise to your feet with a look of elation.

“mm, think we’re even now” you giggle and daryl can only shake his head with bemusement, a smile curling on his lips before he grabs the back of your head and smashing his lips against yours- your body falling into his and molding perfectly in his hands.

how he ever thought he could resist you is beyond him because now that you’re here; your soft warm body in his arms and having tasted the sweetness of your lips, he has plans of never letting you go.

[rite4fun]

and if you had stayed?

a short blurb of pure angst! i couldn’t help it when i saw this gif- i had to make a fic right away! currently working on three different fics also so more work will be put out this weekend!

special thanks to all your kind words under my two other fics <3

••

the wind whips around the old cabin, rattling the already fragile windows. your whole body trembles, a chill ricocheting through your veins as you hold the gun towards the woman infront of you.

she’s strapped to a chair in the middle of the room, her body slouching in exhaustion from your many bouts of struggle.

“you’re not going to do it so you might as well put the gun down” her weary voice fuels the fire that still burns inside you.

you’re cocking the gun, index finger caressing the trigger as you sway closer, “what makes you so sure?”

she lifts her head, blood coming from the many different wounds on her face but the cunning smirk that graces her lips is as clear as day to you, “because daryl wouldn’t be very happy to know you killed someone he loved in cold blood..” at her conscending tone, you can feel your body flush with fever.

“he’ll get over it” you’re inches from pulling the trigger when the door bursts open, daryls figure appearing in the doorway as he assesses the situation.

you never take your eyes off leah because even after years of not being in his presence, you know it is him and by the familar lingering of her eyes- you know he finally caught up.

he calls your name out softly but you ignore him, swallowing the ever building lump in your throat. it’s been so long. you haven’t seen him since ricks abrupt death and yet, just the sound of your name leaving his lips has your knees nearly buckling under you. “why? because you’ve fucked her?” he seems taken back at your harsh words but is quick to brush them off.

“nah.. ‘cause ’s not who ya are” in truth, it isn’t- but he didn’t see what she did to your newfound home. how leah and her fellow reapers attacked it, took it over and continuously seeked out those who escaped.

“you don’t know me anymore..” he made his bed when he left, deciding to stay in the woods to look for his lost brother even after you’d begged him to come home but it wasn’t enough, you weren’t enough.

but she had him- you never did because he left.

the troubling thoughts have you wanting to hurl along with his heavy presence behind you, the distance in your bodies disappearing as he saddles up next to you.

his stomach brushes your arm, the gentle touch sending a shiver through your veins and if you felt like your body was trembling earlier- it now shakes violently and if his hand hadn’t gripped the gun, slipping it from your own, you’d have dropped it.

your eyes travel up his arm, to his shoulder, up his neck and finally.. finally settling on that face you never knew you missed so much until now.

tears blur your vision and you’re finding it hard to breathe, he’s here and looking at you in ways you wished he did before.

but so is she, the one who took the only thing you felt you had found solace in- in the last couple years.

and he won’t let you kill her for it.

you waste no more time in leaving the scene, bursting out the front door and back into the desolate woods, running as far as you can from the abandoned cabin until you’re out of breath and your legs ache.

you’re the one leaving this time and you had no plans of turning back.

[rite4fun]

firefly

another fic based on a song,, definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but i’m a bit of a masochist and loveeee a good angsty fic now and again!! if you got any ideas on what i should write next, don’t be shy, send a message, open to many things; smutty, angsty, fluffy.. anything really :) (once again.. see an error, no ya don’t)

the only warning i got, is don’t read if you have a sensitive heart <3

••

although night has fallen, the breeze is still humid around the pair that lay pressed side by side on the damp ground of the quarry.

the thin blanket they lay upon doing nothing to protect their clothing but neither seem to mind as they gaze up at the open sky, lustrous stars scattered across the midnight abyss.

“do you ever think about what happens after you die?” her voice is soft, a sweet melody that accompanies the rustling of leaves and crushing waves of water a few feet away.

“nah” his response equally as hushed but less like a song and more like a disgruntled muffle.

“ever?” she turns her head to look at the man beside her, his side profile illuminated by the moonlight.

“dun’ need too” his words are definitive, leaving no room for any further questioning.

she adjusts her head back to the empty space above, the slight swish of the water against the bank tickling her ears everytime the wind blows.

“maybe.. maybe we get to choose what we come back as.. i’d be a cat.. oh! maybe a firefly!” she excitedly gasps, a smile stretching across her lips.

“why tha hell would ya wan’ ta come back as an insect?” incredulously fills his question as his head whips to look at her.

she meets his gaze, her smile softening at the quizzical expression he wears, “have you ever been sad when you have seen one?”

and taking in her words, he realizes the undeniable resemblance she holds to a firefly. similar in their relationship with humans, she too brings a lively spirit to any room she enters - to any person she encounters. no one can resist the natural ray of light that bubbles from within, bursting at the seams and bringing every bit of life back to what it used feel like with a simple shine of her smile or riveting laughter.

it was like the universe knew they needed her, needed that ever building optimism and confidence she seemed to never run out of in this new world.

••

light pours into the room from the windows, a soft glow casting over the unconscious figure in bed. daryls shaggy brown hair sprawled messily over the white pillow case as the dark blue covers pooled around his hips leaving his sunkissed bare chest exposed to the cool morning air.

his body stirs as his consciousness rises, the silence of the beginning of a new day washing over every fiber of his being. a refreshing contrast to the ugly world that lurks beyond the walls.

daryl reaches an arm out to the opposite side of the bed, searching for the warmth of another body. the lack thereof is accompanied with emptiness among the cold sheets, leaving an unnerved feeling in the seekers chest.

with a sudden gasp, he sits up in a panic. sleepy blue eyes squinting in the luminous room as they search the open space for the missing presence. the more time passes, the larger the anxiety grows within the already empty cavity that lies in his chest.

his heart thuds painfully, a hand rubbing over it as he throws his legs over the side of the bed, feet landing on the chilly flooring. before he can throw caution to the wind and fully thrust himself into a full on manic streak, the door across from him opens.

a familiar figure stepping into the natural lit room and daryl finds himself finally able to breathe at the sight of her.

“oh.. well good morning sunshine!” his sudden alertness just as surprising to her - who had slipped from the bed as he lay dead to the world, snores having left his mouth as his mind finally finds a deep resting period. “what’s wrong?”

blue eyes glare from under the curtain of messy bangs, an evident hint of annoyance filling the once relaxed ambience room.

“ya weren’t in bed..” a frown settles upon his lips in complete contrast to the upturned amused smile that appears on her own.

“even though you refuse to acknowledge it, i volunteered to go on the next run,” her body sways closer, daryl forced to tilt his head up to keep eye contact. his eyes narrow at the glowing halo the shining sun seems to create around her head.

“the run i told ya not to go on?”

she hums in confirmation, “rick’s been planning it for days. solid strategy and the place seems promising”

her words fall flat to his ears, a million and one scenarios filtering through his mind as they often do when she steps outside the safety of alexandrias’ walls. she’s every bit capable of handling herself but it does nothing to ease his fears of just one slip up and shit hitting the fan in a split second for his whole world to crumble.

actually, he’d rather not think about it.

“or.. ya could stay here with me” his hands reach out, fingers easily slipping through the loops of her jeans to pull her even closer.

“cute” her fingers reach up to pinch his nose playfully, his nose scrunching up at the ticklish feeling her touch leaves, “but you promised aaron that you would finally make another recruiting mission”

it’s been a minute since daryl had stepped far outside the walls, their last trip lasted near three weeks, returning with only one person. aaron called for a dry spell, deciding that maybe their help wasn’t needed outside the walls right now but inside.

daryl isn’t one to settle for too long and he’d find himself taking daily hunts outside the walls just to keep a seldom piece of mind, but he’d recently found that he didn’t particularly mind if he was forced to stay inside the house if her presence was assisting.

a couple months have passed now and daryl still feels like he’ll never get enough of her.

her hand lifts to brush the long bangs from his vision, revealing her favorite shade of blue. the simple graze of her fingertips against his forehead sends a riveting chill through his whole body - his breath hiccuping, eyelashes fluttering before shutting heavily.

gaining the strength to open them, he finds her now standing at the bottom of the steps, slipping her boots on. the touch of hers, now just a ghost feeling as his body physically aches for it longer.

“duty calls, dixon” she winks before walking up the steps and out the basement door.

••

“did you ever think about staying?” leaves crunch loudly under her feet in the otherwise desolate forest.

“where?” he doesn’t have the heart to tell her to be quiet with all the noise her miss-matched steps make. he was finding himself more often than not seeking out her company especially in times like now where the search of a twelve year old girl remained urgent and weighing heavily on his shoulders.

“in the cdc..” her eyes gaze over the woods that surround them, although they have stated they have more cover here, she still finds it unnerving to see the many hidden spots a person - a walker - could be. “even for just a second?”

“hell no” he stops, looking over his shoulder at her, “why? did ya want to?”

she shrugs, eyes still wandering their whereabouts, “thought about it..”

“why?” he asks in bewilderment, turning his entire figure to face her, forcing her attention to his intimidating frame that towers over her.

“just.. sometimes i think i’m not meant to be here long..” she shifts her footing, looking away from his sharp blue glare, “not sure i’m built for this new world”

“‘nd why’s tha’?” frustration creeping into his bones.

“just a feeling, i guess..” she’s regretting asking him such a question and now opening up to him as she can feel the crushing irritation roll off him in waves.

“well..” he roughly scratches at his chin, “yer here so yer jus’ gonna hav’ta deal with it” he turns away, ready to get back to their search and rescue. hopefully forget this whole meaningless conversation.

“why do you care?” the question is ridiculous, she knows it too as the minute they met, they just clicked. he found himself rather comforted by her exuberant personality - a contrast to the dull world - and she had found a sense of safety within him.

“why ya suddenly so negative?” he rushes her, his curiousity piqued at her startling pessimism.

“i’m not! i-i just think-“ she scrambles to grasp her words, she hadn’t meant it to sound so daunting.

“yer gonna be fine” his words leaving no room for her to doubt or dispute.

“you can’t promise that” she shakes her head, shoulders curving in.

“i have n i will. we’ll find sophia n we’ll find some place ta settle. it ain’t gonna end like this, not for us” his words are final and despite the slight lashing, she can’t help but feel soothed by them.

he’d be damned if one more person gave up, most of all her whose light always shined brighter than most.

••

daryl stumbles out the same door several minutes later, following the delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

a slight disappointed feeling fills his stomach when her figure isn’t in there, a place she’d normally be humming some random tune as she danced around.

instead, the humming is from his fellow friend carol and although he typically doesn’t mind her company, he couldn’t deny the overwhelming urge to rush out the door and find the one his body craves most.

carol senses his presence, turning around as her eyes sweep down his person caustiously, “morning, how are you feeling?”

“mornin’” he squints his eyes at her filtering gaze, “‘m fine”

carol nods slowly, setting a plate of food infront of him before turning back to the stove silently.

the air feels heavier than normal between them, there is something off but daryl can’t put his finger on it. not one to press, he decides to let it go, if carol needed to speak to him about something, she would.

as he looks at the plate of food, he realizes he has no appetite instead he finds himself looking through the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of her but it is like she’s vanished and that similar feeling he had this morning when he couldn’t find her begins opening again in his chest.

the abrupt squeak of a chair before it’s tumbling to the floor in rapid succession has carol spinning around to face him. he stands haphazardly next to the fallen chair, chest heaving in the silence.

carol takes small wary steps in his direction, leaning down to pick up the chair and settling it upright. she eyes him again, searching the surroundings for the thing or person that sent him into a tizzy but there’s nothing.

“hey.. you okay?” carol softly asks, her motions slow and tone quiet in hopes of not disturbing whatever frenzy daryl suddenly seems to be in. she steps closer, enough to reach a hand out and set it up on his arm. his body jerks roughly, eyes flashing to meet carols, “come on.. sit back down”

carol gently motions for him to sit again but he doesn’t move. his heart has snuck up to lodge in his throat, creating a sharp lump when he attempts to swallow the nonexistent saliva in his otherwise dry mouth. he isn’t sure why he suddenly feels like the world is crushing on his chest or why he feels the need to run until his legs ache and his breathing burns as he tries to catch it. his mind is running but not a single thought sticks except what the hell is happening.

••

“hiya stranger!” she approaches him, her eyes scanning his new set up.

“wha’ da ya want?” he looks up as he puts up some finishing touches of his camp.

“just checking up on the neighbors.. you know, since you’ve moved away” she pesters as she steps further into the area.

“dun’ know wha’ ya talkin’ bout” he denies and turns away, hoping if he ignores her, she’d leave.

“you do” her voice closer and when he looks over his shoulder, he finds her settling on a log near the fire he had just started. her eyes flicker up and meet his, patting the spot next to her, “sit”

he could easily kick her out, yell- cause a big scene so she’ll go running back to everyone else.. but he finds that he can’t- correct term won’t because he genuinely wants her here. it’s an infuriating feeling sometimes.

he sits anyway, plopping carelessly into the spot next to her. no one speaks for a couple minutes, the sounds of nature encompasses the empty space as the fire crackles infront of them.

“no one blames you, you know? you did everything and more to find sophia, pushed harder than anyone on this land..“ her arms settle around her legs, pulling them closer to her chest, “carol is lucky you were willing to continue looking even though everyone else wanted to give up.”

“not lucky enough..” he grunts, hand rubbing over his chest where an ache begins to stir eveytime he thinks of the little girl who died alone and terrified in the woods, if only he looked harder.

“no.. maybe not. but she’s thankful.” even not looking at him, she can sense his disagreement, “she is! they all are, we are incredibly lucky to have someone so willing to do anything despite the odds.” she glances at the group campsite, only a sliver of light visible from the distance that he put between them and himself, “you shouldn’t pull away.. they need you. all of them.” utter disbelief gracing his person as he scoffs, “what? they do! they need your strength, your wit, your drive..” she stands abruptly, ready to make the trip back to her own tent, having felt she got everything she needed to off her chest plus some, “you’re every bit as important to this group than you think..”

“wha’ bout ya?” his timid voice makes her stop in her tracks.

“hm?” she tilts her head, her body still close enough that he can see the flicker of the fire reflecting in them, his stomach flips at the sight.

“y-ya said they need me.. wha’ bout ya?” the eye contact is intense and he finds himself taking a deep breath as if it will lessen the heat of it.

but she’s the first one to break it, taking a glance in the direction she was headed before looking down and toeing at the dirt, “maybe, uh.. when you’re ready to join us again.. there’s space next to my tent for you to set up- if you want” her words are rushed, almost bashful and he can’t tell if the pink of her cheeks burn from the heat of the flames or his gaze.

she doesn’t have to wait long for an answer when the next day, coming back from a day of gun training, she finds him setting up his tent in the empty space next to hers.

both sharing an equally coy smile.

••

by the time his head catches up to reality, he finds himself now outside, sitting on the porch swing alone. the vivacious sounds of the community invades his ears, his eyes following the many movements that come from the members who take advantage of the beautiful day. only a couple houses down, that same familiar figure exits from a home, bounding down the front steps and striding down the sidewalk. the sight of her takes his breath away simultaneously as it lifts that weight from his shoulders.

sensing his intense gaze, she looks over her shoulder, silky hair moving fluidly down her back at the motion. her pink lips lifting into a sweet smile as she lifts a hand to wave at his still figure before turning around and continuing her journey down the street.

daryl finds himself going to make the move of following her, hoping it’d quell the ever-building ball of anxiety in his chest as she creates more distance between them. he doesn’t make it far, just barely lifting his body from the swing before the front door is opening and carol is stepping out, a cup of water in one hand and the abandoned plate of food in the other.

she settles next to him, slipping the cup into his hand. in his disconcertment, the sudden acknowledgement that he has limbs that function becomes evident in the way his fingers grip the glass tightly in apprehension.

“i’m sure aaron will understand if you don’t go today..” carol finally breaks the silence, placing the plate on her lap and staring out into the street.

it’s unsettling the way she speaks to him, although their friendship has grown enough that being vulnerable infront of each other was welcomed, it was like she was holding something back. it was beginning to become frustrating to daryl as tensions rise more, he knows there is something there, he can feel a part of his brain has shut a door of information he feels like he should know.

daryl invisions the mentally shut door with bright yellow caution tape creating an X over it and no matter how curious he felt, he found himself not being able to open it.

“‘m fine” he grunts as he brings the cup up to his dry mouth.

that same desire earlier of crawling back into bed and wallowing in the covers with another warm body vanished, if she was outside the walls - daryl would be too.

“then atleast have some breakfast,” carol thrusts the plate into view, his stomach churning unpleasantly at the sight.

“not hungry..” turning his body to face away from the food, he sips at the water to crush the near unbearable urge to vomit.

“you should eat if you plan to go with aaron, you’ll need the energy” carol pushes more verbally but physically she sits back against the porch swing, her eyes casting over the back of his person.

daryl can’t stand an overbearer.. well except one. the only one he’ll tolerate with such nonsense now stands at the corner of the road. she’s further than before, forcing his eyes to squint as if it will better his sight. she’s got a bag over her shoulder as she conversates with someone infront of her.

the sunlight beams over her, casting an even brighter glow on her skin. it’s impossible to not look at her whenever she’s near, a true beauty that warrants all attention wherever she goes.

and goes, she does.. again. parting ways with whoever she was speaking with and disappearing around the bend, out of his sight.

don’t get him wrong, daryl loves a good chase but this has become increasingly tedious. she’s so close, yet so far - a stone’s throw away but still out of reach.

he can’t take it anymore as he heaves his body from the porch swing, leaving carols’ to be jostled by the sudden movement. her hands reaching out steady herself and the rejected plate of food as she watches him move disorderly, staring off down the empty road for a moment longer..

then he’s moving, throwing open the front door hastily. carol is quick to follow, calling out to him as she surveys the sporadic way in which he throws his crossbow over his body and mumbling to himself as he rummages through his pack.

“i think you should stay in today” daryl freezes his rash ministrations at carols’ voice, riveting sharp blue eyes peaking through his messy bangs.

“wha’ is yer problem?” carol is taken back by such notion, taking in the defensive way in which he stands - hands gripping his bag and holding it purposefully against himself.

“i-i don’t have a problem daryl.. i just think you should cancel today” she stands in the open doorway, blocking his way and whether it’s intentional or not, it makes him feel caged in. an itch crawls it’s way under his skin and he needs to get out now before he does something he’ll regret.

“i told ya, ‘m fine” he shoulders his pack, “now, ‘m leavin’.. wanna catch up ta say goodbye”

carol is hesitant to move but she can see the way in which he grips the strap of his bag - knuckles nearly white as he fights an imaginary battle against himself. his fight or flight mode activated by their conversation, there’s days she pushes but she can’t today because among the agitated gaze that sets in his eyes is the fearful look that covers his face. such vulnerability that he only shows time to time and one that breaks carols heart everytime.

she steps away from the doorway, allowing daryl to push through and down the steps, his last words finally catching up to her, “you’re gonna say goodbye to rick?”

it isn’t unusual to bid farewell to a group run, this new world left little to no promises to anyone but carol has never seen daryl so rushed and panicked to say goodbye to someone.

daryl has just reached the bottom step as he takes in her ridiculous question. his words coming out heavily sarcastic, “ya gonna send him off with a song n maybe even a kiss”

he shakes his head in disbelief as he stomps to his motorcycle. not bothering to settle his belongings along the bike and instead hastily throwing a leg over and starting the engine. a wash of relief settling cooly over his skin at the roar of the motor and building vibrations beneath his body.

••

“would you rather be burned or buried when you die?” she speaks louder than the monstrous growls that travel through the fences a couple feet away.

“why ya always on ‘bout death, woman?” she giggles at the genuinely preturbed tone he uses, it always shocks her how quick she can catch him off guard in comparison to his usual mellow demeanor.

“you see the world we live in? not exactly a guaranteed place for the living..” her voice falls short at the end, losing her words somewhere in the dirt that she digs in. her gloved hands sprinkling in some seeds before piling the soil on top and patting it down.

repeating the process in another area of ground, she reaches up and swipes an arm over her forehead. even though it’s morning, the georgia sun still bears down against the pair, her skin already beginning to glisten with a layer of sweat.

“i told ya, ya dun’ hav’ ta worry about tha’” her head shoots up to face the man infront of her, he wasn’t big on gardening but he liked spending any free time with her- even if it meant being knee deep in the sodding earth, “‘bout.. dyin’.. i mean. least not while ‘m here” he continues when confusion covers her flushed face, seeming to have forgotten the promise he had made to her before.

the sentiment of his words are sweet - familar and she wants to believe them but as she looks to the rattling of fences to her right, she can’t bring herself fall short of reality, “shouldn’t promise things like that..”

“i mean it” the absolute tone along with the clear certainty that covers his face makes her smile softly, “who knows.. maybe yer’ll be the last man standin’”

the heroic idea isn’t as appealing as he tries to play it out to be, quite frankly it holds more of a harrowing threat. one filled with loss and loneliness, one she would rather not think about as she tries to bury the thoughts along with the seeds she plants.

“i always liked the idea of a tree pod burial..” she answers her own question from before, “would be cool to come back as a tree” her little joke is a hit and the man across from her scoffs out a laugh as he shakes his head.

“yer ridiculous” the two share a smile before continuing their manual work.

she redirects her attention back on planting the many seeds she has left while he stays struck still on the prospect that she’s thought of her death before - something he’d rather not fathom - even to her perferred burial.

despite her previous dismissal at his words, he would infact continue to keep the promise that came from his affectionate remark and the one before that. if there was anyone in this world that deserved to beat this new world, it had to be her.

and he’d do anything to make that happen.

••

he glides down the street to the front gate, taking in the recruitment car and two figures standing near it. he rolls up behind the car, eyes flashing in disappointment as he notices the missing vehicles to his right.

“didn’t think you’d come!” eric and aaron stride closer, speaking over the loud engine of his bike.

“they left already?” confusion falls over the pairs’ faces, “rick and them?”

“oh.. yeah!” aaron nods, “rick wanted to get out early so they had as much sunlight as possible”

daryl takes a second to digest the words because he can’t believe she didn’t say goodbye. he understood the urgency to hit the road, he knows the disadvantage they had against the dead with the lack of light but.. his heart still sits dejectedly in his chest.

“daryl?” he hadn’t realized his head had fallen forward until he lifts it heavily to meet erics’ eyes, “you okay?”

he can see the concern in both their features, the same unpleasant worry over his wellbeing showcasing in their cautious manner. daryl is getting real sick of everyone treating him like he is a glass doll.

“should hit the road too, if we, uh, wan’ ta be back by sundown” he nods his head towards the walls, hopping off his bike and attaching his crossbow and bag securely.

he keeps himself busy with adjusting his belongings that he misses the shared look between the couple infront of him but they make for no more conversation.

once aaron has settled into his own equipped vehicle, daryl watches as eric leans over the open window. clearly a romantic farewell for aaron as they laugh, it’s every bit as obnoxious as ones he’d receive when he left her behind. her voice always sweetly asking for one more kiss and clinging to any body part she could.

he’d never been a fan of pda before but he never could deny her. he also couldn’t help the flare of jealousy everytime he caught wandering eyes over her figure, only to be quelled when they would catch sight of the many ways he’d claimed her and he equally hers.

the burning in his chest grows as he thinks about her, somewhere outside these walls without his affections. the itch grows under his skin, irritation filling his body as he watches the pair share sweet sentiments.

he honks his horn, the sudden sound making them jump along with the watch guards. he plays it off, atleast he hopes the pull of his lips look more like a playful smile and less like a painful grimace.

it’s enough to have them sharing one last kiss before eric steps back from the car. the guards up the tower motion for the all clear, another pulling open the gate. daryl passively throws a nod in erics direction when he passes him as he continues to ride through the gate.

••

“the bright side is we’re back together!” her cheerful statement a cover for the fear she had endured for those few days she remained alone after the fall of the prison. the heart-wrenching pain she felt wandering the woods, searching for the people she found a family in. “we’ll find something better, i don’t know about anybody else but those cells gave me the creeps!”

and despite everything, the loss of their home, the separation, the cannibals- they couldn’t help but laugh, a laughter filled with disbelief and relief because they were infact still together. still alive.

to others, they probably looked like maniacs, laughing and hugging one another in the middle of a road, the sky caking a dark set of thunderous clouds above them with the threat of pouring rain but to them.. it meant they were still living.

he pulls her close, shoving his face into her hair as he holds her tightly to his chest. giggles errupting from her pink lips at the crushing grip.

“gotta let her breathe man, she’s the only light we have left.. gotta keep her around” ricks’ tone is filled with humor but his statement paved way for the truth.

if one of them ever needed a bump of enlightenment, she was the one they seeked out. her optimism lit a fire that burned within each of them, sometimes they just needed that boost of energy she never seemed short of to keep going.

••

it seems this recruitment trip will end in similar fashion to the previous ones: a bust.

“i say we end early, stop by that mini mart we passed and then go on home.. sound good?” aaron stared down at the map laid atop the hood of the car, they had ventured even further than they originally had organized. they really only had two choices now, do what he previously stated or travel even furthur out but they didn’t really plan on overstaying anywhere so as it seems, the first option sounded more appealing. “daryl?”

“hm?” he had been pacing on the side of the road after their previous conversation of their whereabouts.

aaron had noticed the whole trip how out of it the other male seemed to be, locked up in some mental battle. they’d be lucky on walkers, coming across small groups and the occasional loner - nothing they couldn’t handle.

“that sound okay? I think we’d be pushing it if we kept going, better we go home and plan a few days trip than risk it all today” aaron folds up the map as daryl continues to pace, teeth nibbling on the skin of his thumb.

“ya, we could stop by tha’ mini mart we passed before headin’ back” daryl looks to aaron for confirmation who only nods in confusion as if he didn’t just suggest the same thing seconds ago. he watches the way daryls’ usually skilled hands scramble over his belongings as if his mind has yet to catch up with his movements, repeating motions he had already made.

he can only hope that daryl has just enough mental clarity to get them through the last bit of this trip so they can make it home safely.

aaron leads the way back to the abandoned mini mart they had passed, keeping a mindful eye on the motorcycle behind him.

always cautious with just the building around the corner, aaron pulls onto the side of the road and daryl pulls up next to him a bit furthur into the woods, concealing his bike within the wilderness’ cover of bushes. they stay hidden in the thicket of trees, coming up on the backside of the mini mart, hoping that if someone was here, they’d catch them blindsided.

daryl takes the lead, eyes sweeping across the open back alley. he signals to aaron the all clear and they sync their steps, one covering the front and the other watching their backs until they reach the building.

pressing themselves flat to the brick wall, on opposite ends of the only door that’s available for access into the building in the back. daryl lifts a hand to jiggle the doorknob roughly then pressing his ear to the door. he is met with silence so with one final sweep of the otherwise quiet alley, daryl shares another nod with aaron who grips the doorknob as his counterpart raises his weapon. in silent conversation, the door is swung open to reveal an empty room, clear of walkers or live beings.

aaron holds the door as daryl checks every corner of the small room and once cleared, he shuts it behind them, leaving them in complete darkness. their next movements are quick when whipping out their flashlights.

the first room is a storage room, boxes upon boxes labeled of papers or containers. the next room they come up equally as empty, although a break room it contains nothing but a fridge that leaks a rotten smell. seeing their way out of it, their met with a hallway that splits in two directions.

the right has four closed doors while the left has only one so daryl makes a motion towards it, aaron following closely behind. the door swings open to a small kitchen, trashed but empty of walkers as their lights cast over the room. they move further in until they reach a cased opening, both walking through and finding a food case that separates them from the main lobby. they keep their steps quiet, flashing their lights over the room once to confirm they had finally made it before looking infront of them.

the food case holds what would have been fresh food but now resides it rotten below them. both of them shuffle behind the counter silently, daryl leaning over to flash his light at the closet rack across from him. his eyes following the light as it reveals bags of chips left unharmed, they’d all be stale but hope builds in his chest at the potential of more salvagable food.

he reaches out to nudge aaron, nodding his head in the direction of the chips as both their lights flash over the rack and they share a similar look of gratification.

maybe their trip wasn’t a bust after all and they could bring home a real treat for everyone when they empty this place.

but alas, like many things in this new world, nothing is ever that easy anymore because not a second later the familar groaning sounds of a walker makes itself known, stumbling from around the rack and towards the counter. easy enough, daryl grips it and stabs a knife in its head before he shoves it back. maybe a bit too roughly as it collapses into a display, taking every bit of it down with a resounding bang.

the pair freeze, ears ringing in the ominous silence before it’s followed by multiple ghastly moans. their lights flash around as the walkers reveal themselves and begin to crowd the counter, forcing them to move back.

“we can’t take them all, we have to go!” aaron shouts over the ever growing sounds as daryl attempts to kill as many as he can, thrusting his knife in one before moving out of reach of the grabby hands. a walker pushes through on one side, advancing into the space they reside in and cornering them to one side, “we gotta go, now!”

aaron pulls at daryl before both are jumping over the opposite end of the counter, dashing down an aisle and weaving into another in the darkness. aaron holds the front well, stabbing any walkers that cross his path while daryl throws whatever shelves or displays down behind him to block and hinder the dead so they can make a quick escape.

“there! it’s an exit door!” aaron flashes his light a few feet ahead, grunting as he kicks one walker back and stabs another before finishing off the previous one. daryl chances a glance ahead, finding the same door before he focuses on keeping a decent distance between them and the growing crowd following them.

aaron makes a dash ahead for the exit, shoving the shelf that blocked it and pushing the door open, his eyes squint, arm coming up defensively at the bright gleam of light that filters through the door and casting clearance on the scene inside.

daryl finally breaks through an aisle when the distinct yell of his name steals his attention from the billow of light that glows from the exit door. aaron lifts his gun, killing the dead that stand in daryls way of reaching safety, the echo of gunshots would surely attract more walkers but he is hoping by the time they show up, him and daryl would be miles away from here.

daryl is so close, only a few feet away from where aaron stands when the same distant yell reaches his ears again. his head looks in the direction it seems to emanate from, a flash of white light, followed by the familar figure he so badly missed this morning, dashing around a shelf. his brain stutters, steps matching with staggering steps as he tries to comprehend the idea of her being here- let alone if that was her and- questions upon unanswered questions filter through his mind but he wastes no time in diverting his direction towards where he last saw her.

he’ll be damned if he left her here in a walker infested mini mart, he’ll berate her later.

“daryl!” aaron screams, firing shots at the few walkers that stumble towards him while others follow the other man back into the darkness. there’s no second guessing in this new world so aaron quickly finds himself letting go of the door as he darts after the other man, “shit!”

daryl can’t seem to catch up, always a couple steps behind as he stumbles in the dark while he tracks the gleaming ball of light that seems to follow her. he calls out to her, demanding she stop and wait for him but she doesn’t listen, maybe she can’t hear? he makes to yell again but as he flashes his light in the direction she seemingly disappeared in, she’s gone.

he lost her.

his mind shifts gears into overdrive, frantically searching around in circles with his flashlight, eyes flicking in every direction as he tries to determine just where she may have escaped. having made it to the front of the store, he scans down every aisle, walkers stumbling down most of them but he pays them no mind as he seeks out the one he came running after.

his one track mind causes him to lose sight of his surroundings, unaware of the walker that creeps up on him from behind. his head falls forward as his ears ring at the sound of a gunshot and as he whips around, he finally notices the fallen walker and his savior who stands above it, gun clutched in their hand.

“i told you it’s time to go!” red in the face with frustration, aaron turns away from daryl and begins unblocking the front doors, layers upon layers of blockage that he shoves away to reveal the chains that lock around the handles, “there’s chains daryl!”

pulling an arrow from a walkers head, daryl throw his pack off and tosses it in aarons direction, “gotta’ hatchet in there!”

together they work, one taking out the walkers that drive closer to them and the other fighting the shackles that lock them in this place of demise.

“daryl!” the shout of his name - one much clearer than the others earlier - has him turning around, the door now opened and it’s radiant light blinding him for a moment, sensitive blue eyes squinting but still- he grabs the hand that reaches out to him and pulls him through the doors.

the wind howls through his ears as his feet pound heavily against the black tarmac. his chest heaves as he pants, his attempts of catching his breath useless as he loses it just as fast as he gains it.

finding safety in the great distance they’ve put between them and the shit show they were in, both pairs of feet slow until they come to a complete stop - dropping everything but themselves to the road.

daryl barely finds himself recuperating before his body is abruptly shoved, the exhaustion of running leaving his body tired and easily conforming to such movement with many steps back as he tries to find his footing again.

“what the fuck were you thinking?!” aaron shouts at him, “were you trying to get yourself killed?!”

steady on his feet now, his attention falls back in the direction they’ve just come from. the breath of fresh air bringing clarity to senses as he rethinks the close call, then reality hitting him as he realizes there was infact no her but instead some conjured up neurotic vision of his.

he shakes his head, a palm coming to cover his face in disbelief. he nearly got them killed over a hallucination, daryl felt like he was going crazy and yet he felt a sudden need to get back. he had to see her, make sure she was okay. maybe it was a sign, he thinks. maybe things really did go south like he thought it would because he wasn’t there to protect her.

“i-i gotta get back” it’s the only thing he can get out, a heavy wave of anxiety drilling into him. daryl reaches down to grab his bag and crossbow, walking into the woods and back towards the direction of their abandoned vehicles.

“no- wait!” aaron grips his shoulder, forcing him to look at him, “what was that?! we had a clear exit!”

daryl understands the anger, the frustration that equates to fear at the near death experience he put them in but right now, he has more important things.. like getting back home and finding her, making sure she was every bit as okay as she was this morning when she stepped out that bathroom, glowing from head to toe.

“man i don’ owe ya nothin’!” he swings his arm, shoving the other mans hand off him as he diverts back to his original pace and course. despite the leaves that crunch sharply under his boots and the space his rapid steps put between them, he can still hear the muttered words that spill from aarons mouth.

“i told carol and rick you weren’t ready..”

daryl whips his body towards aaron, “wha’ the hell ya mean by tha’? wha’ shit ya been talkin’ with carol n rick?”

aarons’ pentience eyes travel over daryls figure, taking in the man before him. he shakes his head before continuing to walk, “nothing.. let’s go”

daryl returns his gesture from before, gripping his shoulder as aaron passes by him, forcing him to stop his motion, “is’ not nothin’, tell me wha’ the hell y’all been sayin’ bout me!”

aaron takes a deep breath, exhaustion clear in his tone as he speaks, “thought you wanted to go home?”

daryls’ forced to fight an internal crisis of pushing more or just letting it go, he chooses the latter, opting to press for more information later once his sights set on her and the knowledge that she’s made it back unscathed is visible then- he’ll rage until someone tells him what the fuck the gossip is about.

despite his final verdict of the situation, the swell of anger still sits tightly in his chest. enough that as he passes aaron, he harshly throws his shoulder into the other mans’ as he makes his way back through the dense woods.

••

“i think we’ll be good here” she pipes up from the makeshift bed they lay upon the floor.

“yea?” he grunts.

“mhm.. could be a good home.. for a long time” his heart skips when her eyes flicker to meet his, “settle down finally..” the warmth in her words make his stomach squirm.

“with me?” insecurity in his tone.

“who else?” she shakes her head in disbelief, bringing a hand to cup his cheek, allowing a thumb to caress the skin of his cheekbone before shrugging, “maybe it’s time to think of the future.. our future hm?”

he is speechless as his hand comes up to cover the one she has on his face, holding it before bringing it to his lips, kissing her fingertips softly. the feather-like touch making her laugh quietly, a smile spreading on his face at the happiness that emits from her.

they had a future. she wants a future. with him.

••

the sun’s just beginning to set as daryl finds himself impatiently slipping through the first sliver of space his bike can fit through when arriving to the gates of alexandria. his eyes catching sight of the returned vehicles - a visual confirmation that the group run has made it back - as he races down the streets to his home.

if the thundering of his bike isn’t enough to reveal his presence, his bounding steps up the stairs are, leaving the occupants that sit inside his house more than ready to face him. atleast it should, yet the two faces that stare back at him in his kitchen are no less than startled.

quite frankly, they were the last two people he wanted to see considering the idle talk that aaron so kindly disclosed to him earlier.

“hey.. didn’t expect you back so early!” carol speaks with faux cheerfulness, a clear indicator that something’s wrong, that and the transparent flicker of concern on ricks face.

“wha’ happened?” daryl wants no more bullshit, this game that everyone seems to be playing with him today has caused him enough irritation and confusion to last him a lifetime, “go on!”

the silence is deafening, the pair infront of him turning to each other - a soundless conversation - before pivoting back to him, fish mouthed and all as if trying to find the words or maybe there isn’t any.. either way it pisses daryl off more.

he adjusts his stance, rubbing a hand down his face before throwing it towards them in frustration, “jus’ tell me where she is?”

and the room freezes, literally and figuratively. while no one moves physically, a sudden chill settles over him and he rubs at his arms as the goosebumps appear over them. bewilderement makes up his face as he stares back at the pair before him who seem frozen in time.

“wh- who?” carol is the one to speak up, words wary and meek. rick seemingly caught up in his own mind as he drags his own hand over his growing beard roughly, a look of discomfort taking over his features.

“dun’ play fuckin’ games, ya know who ‘m talkin’ bout! she went on the run with ya today rick! where is she!?” he hadn’t even noticed his pulse rising, a wave of anger coursing through his veins: red hot and flushing over his skin causing him further irritation. shoulders rolling back and his chest puffing out, his menacing demeanor a threat to anyone who won’t give him an answer, at this point he doesn’t care if it’s his family- someone is going to tell him what the fuck is going on whether they like it or not.

“dar-“ rick begins to speak but is quickly interrupted.

“she’s still out…” carol steps around the island, hypervigilant of the man infront of her, “they got back early and she wanted to hunt while the sun was still up.. why don’t you rest and we’ll let you know when she gets back?”

it’s all daryl needs to hear, a where and he’ll be there. always.

just on the horizon, sits the bright orange sun, leaving the sky colored in a dark blue with pinkish clouds. the gentle breeze of warm air ghosting over the community, a peaceful wave of harmony found in their otherwise dark reality.

but none of it matters to daryl as he bolts out the house and towards his bike, the hasty calls of his name bouncing off his back. he’s got his gear still hooked as he straddles the seat and all it takes is a flick of a switch for his engine to start.

he’s just moved the kickstand up, preparing to roll out when a hand reaches out to grip his handle bars, forcing his attention on the owner.

“don’t do this brother..” ricks’ voice is filled with emotion as he stares into his eyes, an attempt to convey something to him without verbally saying it.

“let go man..” fury is all daryl can explain what he feels, red alert alarms blaring throughout his brain and causing mayhem in every vincity of his body - furthering his irritation levels.

“daryl, let’s just go inside and wait” carol croons at him and an unwavering pressure of rage boils down then out.

“get the fuck off!” daryl crushes ricks hand in his as he attempts to shove him back, his voice level making carol step back in fear and all the commotion bringing unwanted attention from the residences that roam the street. the stares are just as aggravating, pity and comminsertion on everyone’s face as they look on the scene.

he goes to make another break but two sets of hands reach out to grab either him or the bike and all he can do is try and fight them off. to him, their voices are muddled and their motions slow but daryl still finds it difficult to keep up. a sudden surge of exhaustion taking over him at everything that he had and still is enduring since this day started.

a pit in his stomach opening as tears build in the back of his eyes, his attempts of getting them to just stop seem futile but he still tries tirelessly.

“daryl!” a golden voice reaches his ears through the sounds of his heart pounding, his head sweeping to the owner, “she’s here”

the hands of rick and carol hovering but having stopped all motions as they watch his chest heave with his watery deep breaths and slow blinking eyes. he seems to take in maggies’ words before he makes for getting off the bike, leaving it to fall if it had not been for ricks grip on the handle bars.

his steps seem almost indifferent as if his mind has yet to come up with anything solid to grasp and instead willing to go wherever, so long as he doesn’t have to endure whatever hell rick and carol were putting him through.

he matches his footing to maggies as he follows behind her, right left right left right left right left right left righ-

he stumbles right into her back, muttering an apology as he lifts his head, a simple movement that suddenly feels so heavy as he stares at the ground before him.

“‘s this some sick joke?” his body faces away from the dirt and intersecting pieces of wood staked into it, “wha’ game y’all playin’ at? this yer idea of fun?”

his back is swallowed up by a massive cold chill, spreading sharply throughout his body yet a layer of sweat lingers over the same areas. his heart thuds painfully in his chest and when he goes to inhale a refreshing breath of air to clear the burning sensation, he finds himself unable to, his throat blocked by the sudden need to scream, cry, something to release the pent up emotions he didn’t even know existed.

but as his body trembles there, back turned in repudiation and facing his family, who seemingly have gathered along the way- he finds himself standing at that metaphorical door.

the one holding back some torturous truth that his mind locked up to protect his heart.

••

“you okay?” maggie settles next to her on the porch.

“hm, yeah. just don’t want to forget this..” this as in their family, who spread over the expanse of the streets of alexandria. laughter and chatter among the group as they bask in the glory of safety.

“oh we’ll have plenty of this that the memories will soon overlap, we’ll even be beggin’ to get away from each other” maggie nudges her with a playful smile before returning to glenns side who stands in group conversation a few steps away.

there’s an itchy feeling on her shoulder, a nagging reminder of her limited time.

“ya okay?” lost in thought, she missed the sound of the front door behind her opening and the heavy familar steps.

“why’s everyone keep asking me that?” she looks up at him, watching the way he clumsily settles next to her.

“well, ya are ova here, alone..”

“says you” her eyes flick to the door he just came from.

“was thirsty” he lifts the ice cold lemonade in his hand in her direction before taking a sip.

“mhm…” she rolls her eyes playfully, her knee nudging his and jostling his body. she wraps her arms around her legs, resting her cheek on her knees as she takes in the joyus scene before her. rick and michonne play with little judith, carl having found kids his age to bond with, maggie and glenn cuddle together as they speak to carol. their newfound family: abraham, rosita, eugene, tara, noah, sasha, gabriel- among the masses of this place they can finally call a home. it’s everything she has ever wanted for them, everything they have ever deserved in this cold wicked world.

so despite the never-ending pain that erupts from within, coursing through her veins and digging into her aching bones: she can’t help but feel euphoric.

she sighs in contentment, “you’ll be okay..”

“hm?” he leans closer, glancing at the sudden calmness that seems to settle into her person: an unspoken acceptation to her fate.

she turns her head to face him, eyes glazed over and to any watchful eye, it’d seem she was blissed out in happiness over the scene before her but reality was, she was satisfied to know he’d be safe within these walls.. he’d have his family to protect him, to help him continue to conquer this new world.

even without her there.

confusion riddens his face, an arm wrapping around her back and settling around her hips, pulling her body closer to his as he mumbles comfortly into her hair, “we’ll be okay”

with her face hidden in his neck, she allows herself to mourn the loss of her future- their future. shedding small tears as she rubs a hand over his chest, tracing small hearts over where his own rest.

the calls of their names have them pulling apart, their family looking on with glee as they gesture for them to join them. with a final kiss pressed to her head, he stands and reaches a hand out, her small one swallowed in his tight grip as he pulls her to join the liven group that greet them with open arms.

the stars above stand no chance to the beaming smile that covers her face, the last bit of her light brightening before it completely burns out.

••

“daryl-“

“yer lying” unshed tears rim his eyes, threatening to fall as he shakes his head at rick who returns the gesture.

“we’re not..” rick moves closer as daryl moves back with every step, his head continuing to shake as if it will rid the idea out of the universe’s existence.

daryl has to sweep his eyes across every person infront of him, searching for just one small implication that they were making some horrible joke but all of them share similar expressions to him: agonizing unshed tears accompanied by their trembling figures.

it’s gut-wrenching watching them, he has to tear his gaze away to keep from crumbling to the earth but maybe he doesn’t have too and instead it will swallow him up.

“i-i saw her this mornin’.. sh-she was here” his body stiffens at the sharp cries that seem to leave someone, his hands clenching in pulses as if it will help keep himself together.

“you didn’t, daryl” rick fights to stay on top of diminishing any potential reasoning to his friends delusions, he had to be the one because everyone else couldn’t.

“wha-“ he gasps, “i-“ his hands reach up to grip his hair roughly, “please..” and finally looking to rick, his brother, his leader, his last resort of denial.

but all he gets is a head shake before rick has to deter his eye sight away from the excuriating pain that settles into daryls’ eyes as that imaginary door finally opens.

“no no no no” daryls vision becomes impaired by the blurry of tears, his body finally giving up and collapsing into the earths soil. he can feel arms around him, multiple holding him anywhere they can as if it will piece together the chipped part of his heart that lays six feet below him.

it’s like he can still hear her laughter, can see her sweet smile, feel her warmth and it hurts more than he can handle at the realization that it’s been days since he truly did- his anguished wails ripping from the bottom of his heart and echoing into the world beyond.

he feels sick but the heart-wrenching sobs don’t stop, hiccuping breath after breath, searching for relief in the grim depths of agony. it’s useless.

the world must think so too as the day turns into night, casting the sky in an endless navy blue, the clouds low and hiding any forms of light as if the universe punished itself for ridding itselfs of its brightest star.

he’d give anything to go back to this morning, during that grace period of peace where she still existed. where his chest didn’t ache as it felt like his heart was tearing into two.

there’s an end to it all, somewhere in the darkness the tormented cries lessen but the devastating pain resides within them- sitting heavily along their shoulders as they grip tightly to one another as their rock; their strength breaks.

she’d always remind him how important he is to the group, how loved and needed his presence is. comparing him to glue and praising his durability to continue, not knowing that she was every bit as responsible for helping him be that.

he wanted to keep pushing if it meant she was there too. standing next to his person and giving him a perfect visual of how worth it living can be.

daryl isn’t sure he can be that anymore.

not when his searing heart is torn apart and buried beneath his body, no warmth to be found.

“look..” maggies emotion riddled voice rattles in the stagnant air and where his face had been buried in his arms, he lifts it, blinking rapidly as he focuses on what the others see: a single firefly.

flickering brightly in the absence of light and being the confirmation they all knew meant that she was there, she could see them, could hear their cries and that it was all going to be okay.

they’d be okay.

daryl would be okay.

because she was okay.

••

the celestial clock rings dusk, the light from the lamp casting a soft halo glow over her head, “why didn’t ya tell me?” his hand brushes her hair back, pressing multiple kisses to her feverish skin.

“wasn’t anything to be done, hey..” she grips his hand, a comforting gesture for the continuous tears that stream down his cheeks, “you’ll be okay”

“no-“

“you will. you have too, they’ll need you” her eyes cast into the other room where their family waits, having said their goodbyes but disappearing for the hard part, “gotta remind them that there is light at the end of all tunnels”

he shakes his head in despair, “should be you..”

“i’ll be there, in every light.. shining the brightest whenever you guys need me. your very own firefly to guide you” she smiles through the pinching fire that drives in her veins, leaving her whole body aflame.

“i-i dun’ think i can..”

“you can, my strength” her grip is weak, eyelashes fluttering before settling tiredlessly on him. the corners of her mouth twitching upwards, “may- maybe you’ll be the last man standing”

he doesn’t get the chance to let her know that he too, finds the idea to be just as daunting but he’d face it.

for her, his firefly.

[rite4fun]

devils’ ride

based loosely on this song,, realistically i only had a small idea of what i wanted to write but then it came out to this, it’s been sitting in my notes for weeks and i only like some of it but now i don’t know if i want to delete it all or just post it for funsies so.. here ya go (if there are errors, don’t look)

18+ content

••

blue ridge, georgia. 1998.

“here you go baby” you hear your mother softly coo as you enter the kitchen. you watch her slide pieces of bacon from a pan onto a plate that lies in front of your father who just grunts in return as he continues to read the newspaper in his hands, “morning my other baby” she sends you sweet smile that you return as she steps around the table to set a kiss on your cheek.

“morning ma” you return her kiss before making your way to your father, “morning daddy” you set a swift kiss on his cheek before settling into a chair at the table. your mother is quick to set a plate of eggs, bacon and toast infront of you.

“morning darlin’, sleep well?” your father sets the newspaper down before using his other hand to pick up his coffee, you hold his gaze as he takes a sip and sets it back on the table.

“mhm..” you nod with a hum as you shovel food quickly into your mouth. your fathers gaze returns to the newspaper in his hand.

for a few minutes, the room is filled with the sound of sizzling bacon on a pan, silverware scraping against glass plates, and the occasional rustle of paper when your father finishes reading a page.

until your mother gasps quietly, “oh! honey you will never know what i heard from janet at the grocery store” she turns around, her own plate in her hands and sits in a chair close to your father, “she was telling me she saw will’s son.. you remember will?” your father hums in acknowledgment, “well she said she saw will’s eldest down around them shady bars in the city.. said he was hanging with some gang, looked like he was on a bender”

“what in the hell is janet herself doing over there?” your father questions, finally setting the newspaper down and giving your mother his full attention.

“she wasn’t.. just drove by and he was just there, standing on the side of the building with some real silmey looking guys”

your father shakes his head in disgust, “will’s youngest? where is he nowadays since his ol’ man been locked up again?”

your mother shrugs in response before turning to you, “you ever see him ‘round school?”

you set your fork down on your plate, lifting the napkin from your lap to wipe the corners of your mouth, swallowing the food you had just shoveled into your mouth. you shake your head before opening your mouth to let one word slip through, “nah”

your father quirks an eyebrow, eyes narrowed and head tilted. you’re quick to straighten your back and correct the improper grammar that fell easily from your lips, “no.. no i have not seen him, ma.”

your mother hums and shrugs before returning to her own plate, continuing to eat but your appetite is gone as you feel your fathers gaze still on you. you meet his eyes as he shifts in his chair, straightening his back and leaning his forearms on the table, an unmannered trait that he would yell at you for. he points a finger in your direction, “you stay away from them dixons, good for nothing but trouble, the lot of them”

“oh john, that boy is nothing but a kid” your mother defends the dixons youngest.

“don’t give two shits how old that little twat is, his fathers’ a drunken asshole and his brother runs the streets for a little cooze, can’t imagine the state of tha’ boy.. destined for nothing stable, i’ll tell ya tha’”

you stand up quick, grabbing your half finished plate, “going to head out”

“you’ve still got an hour and a half until school starts honey” your mother protests as she looks up at your figure that moves around the sink, rinsing your dish and setting it in the dishwasher.

“i’m meeting mandy and kate at the library to study for the bio quiz today” you step back to your mother, pressing a goodbye kiss to her cheek. you step towards your father to do the same, it’s as swift as the first one you gave him. your body turns to leave the room but your fathers hand grips your bicep tightly, forcing your attention back on him.

“you see tha’ boy anywhere and you turn the other way, you understand?” his voice is stern, a hint of distaste in his tone as he spits the word boy out.

there’s something on the tip of your tongue, something sharp.. but you swallow it, nodding your head softly with a smile, “yes daddy”

he grunts as he lets go of your arm and you take your exit quickly before either one of them can utter another word. swiping your backpack from the doorway and stepping out the door, you take a shuddering breath of fresh air before walking down the steps of your porch and into the sun.

••

click

you lightly shade in the outline of a dress that you drew on a sheet of paper, you slip the end of the pencil in between your teeth as your finger smudges the ink.

click

your body shifts, adjusting the pressure on your shoulders as you lay on your stomach, upper body perched up by your elbows, knees bent as your feet sway in the air behind you.

click

you grab the pencil once more to shade the piece darker, smudging it again after. once satisfied, you move to another area on the sheet of paper to repeat the process. the shifting of the bed you lay upon disturbs your handy work and your eyes are quick to gaze upon the intruder.

the boy across from you leans back against the pillows of the bed, you watch as he shakes the box of cigarettes against his palm before taking one out, tossing the box on the nightstand next to him. shaggy brown bangs fall into his face when he settles back into the pillows but he makes no move to sweep them out the way, instead flicking open his lighter with a soft click and lighting the dart that lies between his lips delicately.

your attention no longer lingers on the work infront of you so you close the notebook and set it to the side before leaning your chin onto your palm, “my father spoke about you this morning”

blue eyes meet yours as the boys pink lips purse around the end of the cigarette, inhaling the smoke then releasing it into the open air, “yeah? wha’ sweet words did daddy dearest utter on my behalf?”

you shrug, “same old stuff..” you lift your body up and crawl closer to the boys body. his gaze watching every move as you throw a leg over his lap, “said if i ever saw you.. to turn the other way” you smirk playfully at him as you settle more heavily upon him, his free hand finding it’s rightful place on your hip, fingertips slipping under the tank top you wear and brushing over the soft skin underneath.

the boy lets out a grunt as your hips shift above his, “should listen to ‘im..”

you roll your eyes, “daryl… the day i listen to every word my father says, i’ll be a nun and wearing a shirt up to my chin”

daryls’ eyes wander to your chest revealed by your tank that has fallen enough to reveal some cleavage to his eager gaze before shooting back up to your face, “yer hot ‘nough to pull it off”

you scoff, slapping at his chest as he laughs. a smile creeping upon your lips as his body shakes with the action, in turn moving yours as you rest on his lap. he lifts the cigarette back to his lips, inhaling then exhaling shortly after. your gaze follows every movement but linger on his lips, his tongue swiping quickly over them, making them shine against the light. he reaches his arm out to stub the dart into an ashtray on the nightstand before his attention falls back on you. the hand not resting upon your hip, grips the one you lay upon his chest. he brings it up to his face and remains eye contact with you as he presses a soft kiss to the palm of your hand.

your breath hitches, hips shifting above his at the light feather feeling but he doesn’t stop there.. his mouth opens wider, pink slick tongue darting out to graze the skin of your palm before his lips close again in a gentle kiss.

in no time, you sweep the upper half of your body down to press against his chest and crash your lips upon his. you feel him smirk into the kiss, his hands moving to slip down your body, fingertips grazing the dip of your waist to caressing your ass and sliding back down your thighs with a tight grip.

a gasp escapes your mouth at the sensation, allowing him to swipe his tongue against yours, deepening the kiss. the ever familar lingering taste of nicotine in his mouth is enough to have your legs squeezing his body between them. you tilt your head to the side more and slip a hand into his soft hair, pulling softly but enough for him to release a throaty moan at the feeling.

you’ve just began to roll your hips against his when the sudden sound of an alarm goes off, forcing your lips to separate with a slick sound, your own stomach clenching and his hips twitching in reaction to such noise.

you refuse to remove yourself from the warmth of his lap, instead reaching your upper body for your phone further down the bed and turning off the alarm. you drop the phone and return your attention to the boy below you, his eyes are half lidded, lips spit slick and swollen, cheeks a rosy red, he is a sight to behold and you imagine you aren’t much better by the way his hands clench where they lay against your thighs once he gets a good glance at your state.

you let out a disappointed sigh, “time for school..”

daryl releases a grunt as you lift yourself out from his hold and off the bed completely. grabbing the sweatshirt you laid on the desk chair in the room, you pull it over yourself. a small cracked mirror sits above the messy desk where you are able to catch a glimpse of your appearance. you were right… you weren’t much better yourself, lips swollen and eyes glazed over just from a little bit of kissing. you straighten up your hair, adjusting your clothes before turning back to the bed and gathering your belongings back into your backpack.

all the while, daryl remains still in the silence save for your shuffling. he’s got one arm now bent, hand resting behind his head, the other splaying across his stomach. his blue eyes narrowing, captivated by every movement you make.

you can’t help but smile at him, knowing just what effect you had on him, similar to the one he too, had on you. you watch the corner of his mouth, twitching as it threatens to release a smile but instead he bites his lip to prevent it from actually slipping.

“come on. we leave now, we’ll make it just in time for the first late bell” you lean a hand against the bed as you glance down to slide your boots on. standing upright again, you throw your backpack over one shoulder, finally looking to where daryl still lays, his gaze now lowered, “you can’t skip again, daryl… that’s three days in a row. we even have that bio quiz third period today! we studied together all week, you’ll ace it!”

the encouragement does nothing to make him move and your shoulders drop slightly. you know he can do it.. you spent hours together going over your own notes. you even sat in his lap quzzing him on the subject as he claimed he could focus better if you were closer. kissing him after every answer he got right which was all of them. his eyes would light up at your praise, stealing extra kisses when he could, just to hear that sweet giggle of yours when you’d playfully push him away, claiming “you know the rules dixon, you only get one for each question” but you’d lean down anyway to slot your lips together because denying him- meant denying yourself.

you glance at the time, biting your lip as you realize if you don’t leave soon, you’ll be late again and your father will surely follow through with the threat to take your phone away.

“fine” you round the bed to the side daryl lays on, leaning down and pressing a quick but bruising kiss to his lips, “i’ll let miss o’donnell know you are still sick but i swear on everything if you miss the retake day of this quiz, i’ll beat your fucking ass daryl”

you turn away, his voice raspy as he finally opens his mouth, “such filthy words comin’ from daddy’s sweet southern belle, must be rubbing off on ya’ a bit too much”

you can practically see the smirk on his face from just the tone of his voice even with your back to him as you continue to walk towards his bedroom door, so you throw him a middle finger over your shoulder and you know he sees it when you hear his sweet laugh, smile spreading helplessly across your own lips at the sound.

“won’t be much rubbing off on me anymore if you don’t get your ass to school sometime this week” you threaten, it’s an empty threat but you throw it out there anyway.

you reach the door of his room, pulling it open but before your body can push through the doorway, he calls out to you. his tone gone soft and you turn to give him your full attention, leaning your body against the frame. he has sat himself up more, back leaning against the wall behind his bed, eyes casted down at his lighter that his fingers fiddle with, a nervous habit of his that you find endearing.

“we still on for tonight?” it’s a simple question but his tone is soft, vulnerable even as if you’ll reply with anything but a yes.

you wait for him to look you in the eyes, before sharing a smile, one full of reassurance that there isn’t anywhere you’d rather be than being with him, “nine o’clock on the dot dixon and not a minute late”

“yes ma’am”

••

you lay as still as possible in your bed, listening to your mothers footsteps as she begins turning the lights in the house off.

there is some quiet mumbling as she says a quick goodnight to your father who has passed out in his infamous arm chair infront of the tv. a few bottles of beer after dinner always left him in a deep slumber, you and your mother have learned it’s best to just leave him be then attempt to lift his deadweight all the way upstairs to your parents room.

there is more shuffling before you can hear her steps on the stairs, she passes the door of your room, then finally the click of your parents door shutting. you take a quick glance on your phone, checking the time 8:50, it reads. perfect timing.

you wait the extra five minutes for your mother to settle into her own bed, tv playing some soap opera she only indulges in when your father spends the night downstairs.

8:55. you carefully climb out of bed with practised ease, your following steps coming just as quietly when you gather your bag and step out onto the landing of your stairs. you chance one more look at your parents bedroom door, the obvious voices of your mothers favorite show loud enough to drown any small noise the old house may make.

years of living in this house has left you knowing every inch- stepping more to the left on the eighth step and skipping the fourth step completely. you release a soft but quiet breath when your feet finally hit the bottom floor.

you peek into the living room, a soft glow of light from the tv illumating the sleeping face of your father. his snores bounce off the walls on account of the many beers he had and the deep sleep he is encountering.

lingering no further, you step into the kitchen and taking a pit stop at the fridge to pull out the container you secretly packed. you had sent your mother and father to the living room after dinner, offering to do clean up. you’d pack the tubberware with leftovers before shoving it in the back of the fridge, hidden by the many bottles of beer and random condiments.

you reach your arm in to pull it out, the edge of the container skimming a beer bottle that teeters the edge of the shelf, your other hand is quick to grab it before it falls but not without jostling the other bottles beside it. you freeze with a pounding heart at the tinkering of the glass bouncing off one another.

you curse quietly under your breath because of course, the one night you decide to do something out of the ordinary, it goes wrong. you hear nothing else but your fathers snores and quickly decide that now, is probably not the right time to be second guessing decisions. you quietly shut the fridge before heading to the back door, opening it and slipping through.

you rush through your backyard, slipping into the dark with measured steps before you see the familiar old black cadalliac pulled up on the side of the street, door already open for you to slip in.

“yer late” 9:01, the clock reads.

you pull the car door shut as the car shifts to drive, “‘caused a big ruckus getting this” you lifted the container of food in question, “had to make sure there was no witnesses”

“wha’ is it?”

“dinner..” you look over at the boy next to you, the street lights casting a soft glow on his face, “janet saw merle in the city a few days ago and he wasn’t at the house this morning. assumed he has been m.i.a for a bit and figured it’s been even longer since you have had a home cooked meal.”

you watch daryl fight a smile, the car slows to a stop at a red light before he is turning towards you. his hand reaches out to grip your chin, pulling you to meet him halfway and crashing his lips to yours, mumbling a small “yer too damn sweet, belle”

you smile and hum against his lips, “it’s nothing…” your cheeks flare at the sentiment anyway before your pulling away and daryl is facing forward again just as the light changes to green.

the roads remain empty as the car navigates through the back roads of your small town. you share the gossip of the day at school to keep him in the loop, he really doesn’t give a shit about anyone that isn’t you but he listens anyway because he loves hearing you talk. finally, you hit the highway and you can feel your body beginning to tingle as daryls foot presses harder on the gas to match the high speeds of the road. he rolls the windows down and turns the music up.

it’s not his first rodeo, he knows you love this. the wind whipping through your hair and the music flooding your ears at a deafening height. you explained to him once that this..

just you, him, the open highway and the dirty lyrics of a rock song blaring from the radio..

this is where you belong. this is where you feel most you. free.

daryl wishes he could just stare at you as he drives but he takes the little glimpses he can get when he chances a small glance in the direction at where you sit next to him. a ghost of a smile rests on your face as you sing along to the music. your hair tangling from the wind, small pieces occasionally sticking to your lips but you pay them no mind. you hold an arm out the window, the cool air nipping at it.

you catch one of his glimpses and he is quick to face back towards the road, allowing you to take your turn in drinking him in under the moonlight.

his side profile is picture perfect. from his wind blown bangs that sweep across his forehead down to the sharp slope of his nose and his red bitten lips (thanks to his anxious lip biting habit), all the way to his even sharper jawline. god, you just want to fucking ruin him for sitting there so effortlessly, unaware that his presence alone makes you crazy.

he can feel you staring, how could he not? the lighting is dark enough to hide the color he is sure paints his cheeks but he still feels the heat of them. he tilts his head further towards the window, allowing the cold air to cool them down.

you watch his body shift, continuing to trail your eyes down. he wears a dark grey tee, the short sleeves leaving his arms naked, goosebumps spread as the night breeze flows in. his muscles flexing as he re-adjusts his hand on the steering wheel. your eyes narrow as they fall to the light wash jeans that cover his bottom half and it is then, you realize that staring is no longer enough but rather you need to feel him.

you’d endured a day in hell beginning with mandy and kate grilling you on your whereabouts this morning when you missed the study group, then miss o’donnell chose today of all days to be in a pissy mood, to finally going home, your father having a shitty day at work and taking it out on anyone who dare cross his path. the only thing that would have soothed the ever building stress under your skin was the occasional glimpses of daryl you’d catch throughout the day. the simple twitch of his lips when he catches your eyes lingering too long on him or the bravery to meet your eyes and sending you a sly wink when you pass in the halls. alas, he wasn’t there today. the beginning of the shitty day really began then.

you scoot your body to the middle seat, daryls’ eyes glancing at you in question but he says nothing as he refocuses back on the road ahead when you do nothing but stare ahead with a hidden smile.

you wait long enough that daryl no longer suspects anything, twisting half your body towards him, placing a hand on his stomach and pressing a kiss to the bicep of his outstretched arm that holds the steering wheel. your eyelashes flutter before your gazing up at him through them while your hand travels further south, settling on the zipper of his jeans.

the music still plays at the level you had originally turned it up too, talking was out of the question but you guys never needed words to communicate.

he presses his back further into the seat, hips lifting against your hand and sharing a quick glance with you before his attention is back on the road. it’s more than enough of an answer for you so you waste no time in unbuttoning his pants and pulling the zipper down. your hand grips him through his briefs, his cock already hard and throbbing against your palm. you press your thighs together and you can’t help but bite softly at his bicep to contain a moan at the feeling of him twitching in your hand.

daryl can’t seem to keep his body still at your touch so he shifts again, both hands reaching out to grip the steering wheel now.

you press closer to his body as you pull him out of his briefs finally. his mouth drops as your thumb swipes the precum that spills from his tip before dragging it down the side. god, you wish you could hear him.

you lift your face from the side of his arm before latching onto his neck, trailing sloppy kisses anywhere you could reach. every twitch of his cock receives a squeeze as your hand drags up and down, thumbing his tip for more precum to spread to make the glide easier. the slight roughness of it all only turns daryl on more.

your kisses reach his ear and you take full advantage of his lack of control in this situation, “god, you feel so good in my hand” following your words with a quiet gasp before your back to trailing kisses down his neck.

his response is a slight jerk of the car as his foot falls heavy on the pedal along with a rough twitch of his cock in your hand that releases a larger amount of precum. you smirk against his neck, pressing one final kiss to the soft skin before leaning back.

your hand is able to move faster along his cock now, twisting your wrist everytime you your hand glides up towards his sensitive tip, something you know daryl enjoys. you glance at his face as you do the motion again, his head presses into the seat, eyelashes fluttering, threatening to shut but they stay half lidded to keep an eye on the road ahead as he chews on his bottom lip roughly.

you lean towards his ear again, “i want you in my mouth..” the car revvs as his foot drops again, “need you to focus real hard, yeah? can you do that for me?”

you lean back with a smile as he nods vigorously in response. you twist your wrist once more, a reward for being so gracious and allowing you do whatever you want to him. your next moves are quick, slipping under his arms and guiding him to your mouth. the second he feels your lips press against his tip, his foot drops again.

daryl takes a deep breath, trying to focus even more on not driving the car into a fucking ditch but it’s tough as your sweet, warm mouth envelopes his cock, sliding slowly down his shaft, your tongue flicking over a sensitive vein.

daryls releasing one hand from the steering wheel to turn the music down and you try to protest with him still in your mouth, the vibrations making his head spin, “fuck.. yer so good”

his chest heaves heavily, his free hand going to rest on the back of your head, fist only curling into your hair but not pressing. you’re so fucking perfect to him. from the kindness of your heart to even think of bringing him dinner to the sweet warmth of your mouth moving up and down his cock. he might just fucking love you. it should be a terrifying thought but it’s not the first time it came across his mind, maybe because he has always cared for you since you bounded into his life. you’re on his mind the minute he becomes conscious to the world to being his last thought as he lays in bed at night.

you are his. despite not a single soul on earth knowing what goes on between you two behind closed doors, you are it for him and he can’t imagine a life where you aren’t here with him.

“baby..” he growls the endearing term as he grips your hair tighter, “’m gonna cum… fuck” his train of thoughts are everywhere between keeping the car steady, his overwhelming desire to confess his love for you, and the need to finally cum.

now doesn’t seem like the right time to confess something that he feels so deeply as you give him head in his dads cadalliac. nevermind the fact that he actually wants to spend the rest of his life with you and he can’t do that if he crashes the fucking car, whether he dies from the accident or his father finds out and sends out a hit man for ruining his precious car. with a quick decision in mind, he slides the vehicle to the side of the road and shoves the gear stick into park.

you hum in confusion and stop the bopping of your head on his cock, lifting until just the tip lies in your mouth. you expect his hand to release your hair so you can sit up but instead, he presses you further down his cock slowly, testing the waters.. “‘s okay, just don’ want to crash the car all because yer pretty mouth wanted to suck m’ cock” he grunts as you’re quick to open your mouth wider, suctioning and swiping your tongue in agreement as he guides you with the hand on the back of your head.

“can ya’ swallow fo’ me, pretty girl?” his voice is rough, that raspy tone that lets you know just how gone he is. as if you didn’t know from the tensing of his thighs below your hands and the constant twitching of his cock in your mouth.

you reach a hand to grip the base of his cock as your mouth focuses on the tip. the swirling and flicking of your tongue matching the twists and squeezes of your hand. every sensation is different, it’s almost too much yet not enough.

daryl doesn’t even have time to question which feels better before the grip in your hair tightens and his body tenses. his head falling forward as he whines out quiet curses, “fuck, fuck, fuck”

the first bout of cum are violent spurts that make you jerk your head back a bit in shock but you’re prepared for the next, squeezing the base of his cock to milk him of every last drop and more.

his grip on your hair releases, softening instead to massage your scalp incase he pulled too hard as he was lost in bliss. you plan to clean up every last drop on his cock but the sensitivity gives way quickly as you suckle at his head, flicking your tongue over his slit and daryl releases a grunt, “tha’s enough”

you allow him to slip from your mouth but not before you can press a final kiss to his tip before fully leaning your body back and aren’t you a sight to see with your glossy eyes, swollen and slick lips, even your cheeks are flushed. you look utterly wrecked and daryl can feel himself twitch weakly when your lips stretch into a satisfied smile.

“yer fuckin’ insane, belle” he shakes his head as he carefully puts himself back into his briefs and doing his pants up again.

and just when he thinks your smile can’t get any brighter, it somehow does and you beam with that familar glint in your eye, the knowledge of what it could mean warming his heart. he can’t help reaching out to grip the side of your neck, pulling you to him and crashing his lips against yours.

your taste is mix of something you guys created together and daryl can see himself becoming addicted to it, if he isn’t already as he already regrets pulling away from your sweet mouth, “come on, buckle up. we’re almost there” he nudges his head towards the empty road and you nod before sticking close to him, laying your head against his body as he puts the car in drive again and takes off.

••

“he wants to send me to a stupid all girls boarding school, said i’ll be able to focus more on my studies there but i know he just wants to lock me away and not have to worry that i’m off somewhere doing something i shouldn’t” daryl sends a look from his seat across from you, “don’t say anything” you warn as your foot nudges his legs as you catch the meaning behind the sly look.

smoke releases from your mouth when you pull the cigarette away, tapping it against the built in ashtray of the car. normally you’d never pick up the small dart that lays between your fingers but sometimes a shitty day warrants for the burn of one.

the car sits stationed behind the familiar abandoned train station that’s roughly thirty minutes out from your house. you sit sideways in the backseat of the black cadalliac with your legs thrown over daryls own. the windows are cracked, letting the cool breeze in as music plays softly from the radio.

“wasn’t gonn’, belle” daryl replies, his feet kicks the empty container you brought him. the delicious spaghetti and meatballs your mother made was filling, sometimes he likes to visualize himself thanking her personally but then he remembers who he is and the vision dissipates into dust, leaving an ugly hollow feeling in his chest.

“saw it on your face” you huff, leaning forward slightly to hand him the cigarette and releasing the smoke you’ve just inhaled.

when you first met, he was never a big fan of words so over the years, you had gotten better at reading every look, touch, movement.. anything that he does to determine what they all mean.. he’d argued he is just as good at reading you.

daryl places the dart between his lips, taking a few hits before stubbing it out completely. he can tell you have more to say, your day seemed to irritate you more than usual and he can’t help but think that he should have just sucked it up this morning and gone to the shitty highschool.. even if he would have been miserable, he’d be able to keep an eye out for you.

admittedly all he’d do is cover up your attempts to look or brush against him in the halls. you were never particularly good at being sly but whatever you did was enough that nobody suspected anything. plus it amused him more than anything.

“what did you end up doing on your off day?”

daryl shrugs, “went into the city”

“to see merle?” he nods in response, “he coming home?”

“nah, said he had a couple more things to do out there” his voice is indifferent but your saddened at the thought of him being home alone all the time.

“maybe..” you shift your position and daryl grips one of your legs as you settle back again, “maybe i can come over this weekend.. and stay?” your voice ends softer than it began, a hint of fear at the possibility of rejection.

daryl is taken back at the tone, when has he ever denied you for you to feel scared to ask him anything, let alone offering to keep him company?

he’s moving before he responds, pulling his body over yours as he settles between your legs. one hand rests on your hip and pulls you further down the seat until he is face to face with you, “yeah?”

one of your hands reach up to brush a strand of hair behind his ear, your eyes meet his as you shrug, “if you’ll have me..”

you are unbelievable, daryl thinks. he mumbles mockingly your words as an arm wraps around your lower back to pull you closer to his own body. a small grin spreading on his face as you let out a giggle, wrapping your arms around his neck, your noses bumping together.

‘course he’d have you. today. tonight. tomorrow. forever, if you’ll have him.

“what will ya tell yer dad?” his eyes flick from your eyes, to your lips and back.

you hum, licking your lips before responding, “i’ll figure it out”

daryl knows you will, you always do.

your faces are close, his swaying down to close the gap even more causing your lips to brush. when you lift your head up, his is pulling back; teasing you. you make for the motion again and your lips just barely press together before he is pulling back again and this time, you can’t help but whine and settle your head back against the seat.

you look at him underneath your eyelashes, your bottom lip jutted just a tiny bit more than the top one, not yet a pout but just as sweet looking.

“so pretty when yer desperate” his praise sends shivers down your spine and your eyes are fluttering shut, chest arching to brush against his.

“please..” you whisper when your eyes open, head tilted just a bit as you look up at him.

daryl is only so strong against you, he likes to tease but to ever fully deny you? he could never, especially when you beg and look at him like that, so sweet and ready for the taking.

his lips slot with yours as the kiss begins tender and slow but hot. so so hot. the heat of it making you let out a soft moan and daryl takes full advantage when your mouth drops open. swiping his tongue along yours, the tender moment gone as the kiss becomes sloppier.

he releases his hold around your back and allows his hands to roam your body as his lips stay attached to yours. they slip under the tshirt you wear, fingertips dancing over your sides making you squirm at the ticklish feeling. as his hands slip further up, your shirt does too until you lift up enough for him to slide it completely off, leaving it to fall on the floor of the car.

as you settle back, he admires the lacy white bralette that barely conceals the flesh underneath but it’s pretty, like you, he thinks.

he returns his lips to yours, a hand grazing over the thin fabric, thumb brushing over your nipple that’s already hardened underneath the lace. you push your chest further into his hand, a soft whimper releasing from your throat.

“’ve got ya’” daryls lips brush yours as he reassures you. you took care of him earlier and now, it’s his turn and he fully intends on following through with extra care as always. he trails his lips down your jaw, to your neck and finally your chest.

his teeth graze your collarbones before latching onto your skin, sucking and licking all across the expanse of your chest. some sure to bruise but you don’t care as your hands find purchase in his hair, pressing him into you more.

once satisfied, he trails kisses to the valley of your breasts, sucking another bruise to the area as his hands thumb at your nipples.

“ah..” you thrown your head back with a gasp when he finally places his mouth over your nipple through the fabric of your bralette, his tongue flicking over it, saliva soaking the lace which has you moaning out softly at the sensation.

“hmm.. tha’ feel good?” daryl mumbles around your nipple as he looks up at you from beneath his hair, always a sensitive little thing, he thinks. you bite your bottom lip from crying out more, opting to just nodding your head in response. he hums happily, “jus’ wanna make m’ girl feel good”

“you always d-do.. ah” a moan falls from your mouth as you look down to watch him and his smooth pink lips, he switches to your other breast, giving it the same treatment. your hands grip his hair tighter as his tongue swirls around your taut nipple, the sight making your hips buck against his, desperate for something to ease the throbbing between your legs.

you want to succumb to the pleasure, allow yourself to just let go and feel everything but there’s a thud that sounds like it came from outside the car. your chest pushes against daryls mouth and you fight hard to get your next words out, “w-what was tha’?”

daryl refuses to part from your breast but he does slow his movements, continuing to flick his tongue around your nipple through the spit soaked lace.

“prolly’ jus’ the wind” he finally concludes when he hears nothing but the whistle of the cool air flowing through the crack of the windows. he’s back to skimming his teeth over your sensitive breast, not wanting you to forget any pleasure that was building up from his ministrations. he shifts his body so his thigh presses to your core, allowing you to grind against it to ease the pressure that’s become so overwhelming you felt tears in your eyes at the slightest friction you gain even if there still lies so much fabric between your bodies. you can work with it until he gives you more.

as your hips ground down, daryl pushes his thigh against you and in no time, you’re both finding a rhythm that could finally release the ever building pleasure you’ve had since you gave him head earlier. your mouth opens to let out another moan, head rolling to the side and eyes falling to the back of your head at a particularly hard thrust of his thigh at the same time your own hips bare down. when your eyes flutter open, they’re half lidded in bliss and just as you feel them roll shut again, you swear you’d seen a shadow out the window over daryls shoulder.

you open your mouth to say something but all that comes out is a gasp of daryls name, your mind so utterly blank and helpless to the one person giving you so many good sensations. at the sound of your voice whimpering his name, he doubles down on his actions, wanting to see you succumb to the pleasure.

your eyes can’t help but glance to the window again expecting to see nothing but the night sky- instead you see a face. though the moonlight gives little shine to the surrounding forest of the abandoned train station, it’s enough for you to recognize the features glaring through the window and your heart stops before pounding so hard, you feel like blood might just leak from your ears to relieve the pressure.

daryl leans back when he feels your body tense and still, quick to detect the uneasiness and for a moment he thinks he has done something wrong but when he sees your face, your eyes aren’t on him but behind him, “wha’s wrong?”

you can’t reply though, well you can- could, but you don’t get the chance too before the door of the car is thrown open and daryls body is pulled roughly from yours and out the car.

“daddy!” you scramble for your top, slipping through the door as you pull it down to cover yourself. the moonlight illuminates daryls body that your father has thrown to the dirt road. “daddy, stop!” your father kneels on one knee, one hand gripping the boys tee to lift him to his face, the other pulled back in a fist.

“the hell you think your doin’ with your dirty hands on my little girl, huh?!” your father shakes him, growling the words with utter digust.

you feel a bit helpless to the scene, your eyes glancing to where your mother stands by the yellow volkswagen you nor daryl heard pull up behind you guys. she holds a hand over her heart, her wide eyes shining with tears and you want to say something to her. apologize even, not for being here with daryl, you’d never apologize for that but for making her worry. for having her out here, witnessing this.

“ya’ gonna answer me you prick or am i gon’ have to beat it out of ya?”

“just leave him alone daddy, he didn’t do anything!” you and daryl make eye contact, your eyes beginning to shine with your own tears while his remain clear and relaxed, an attempt to assure you he is okay. it does nothing to ease the pounding of your heart, reaching the point that you genuinely believe you might have a heart attack.

“you shut your month, i’ll deal with you later” your father doesn’t turn around, refusing to look at you.

“don’ talk to her like that” daryls eyes narrow at the man infront of him. your father stares him down expecting him to crumble in defeat to his heated glare but he doesn’t budge, leaving your father to laugh in faux disbelief.

“got some balls on ya’ kid” he pulls daryls face closer, voice low and reeking of alcohol, “you’d watch that mouth of yours.. don’t tell me how to handle what’s mine”

“yeah? gon’ lay your hands on ‘er like ya do her mother?”

and that’s it.. the final straw that has your father growling and pulling his fist back before colliding with daryls face.

“daryl! no!” you gasp and move to grab your fathers arm, attempting to pull him away but he shakes you off roughly, enough to have you stumbling back and falling to the dirt road.

your mother is quick to come to your aid but you brush her off as you get up, heading for the two bodies infront of you again. daryl holds a hand over his cheek as he looks up at your face which crumbles at the sight of blood that drips down from the split wound. you stumble closer wanting to help him but he holds his hand up to stop you before his attention falls back to the man infront of him.

“is that what she’s telling everyone?” your father mocks as he continues to lean over the boys body.

“’s what i know” daryl can sniff out a prick of a dad when he sees one, curtesy to having one himself. you rarely talked about your home life but bits and pieces would slip during your late night conversations. it wasn’t exactly rocket science to put together.

your father lets out another menacing laugh, “it’s what you know..” he drops his head, shoulders shaking with even more quiet mocking laughter before lifting to face daryl again, “if you know anything like she’s knows, it’d seem you both must be dumb as shit. while that fact can be hurtful, there could have been hope to fix it but her being out with you? dumb and slutty? tha’ just about makes her a downright disappointment”

you and your mother release matching gasps. you shake the initial shock off, it should bother you more to hear your father call you such shitty, degrading names but you can’t find yourself to care too much when all you want to do is diffuse the situation. in this moment, all you wanted was to get daryl as far away from your father as you possibly could.

shifting your eyes back to daryl, his chest heaves and for a second, it looks like steam may just be coming from his ears as his eyes stay locked on the older man’s figure.

call him all the names in the world, he could give two shits but calling you anything than what you are-

daryl is pulling himself from your fathers grasp, putting a good distance between them as he steadies on his feet. you watch him take a deep breath, his eyebrows drawing over his eyes as he narrows them.

you know he is gearing up for a fight, you’ve seen it plenty before at school whenever someone pushed his buttons or mouthed off some shitty comment about his family to him.

he stands there, glowering at the other person, still as ever except for the slow rise and fall of his chest. something about it left the other person bothered enough to swing first, allowing for him to finish it without strict punishment as he uses self defense as his reasoning.

“daryl.. don’t” he doesn’t even glance your way, eyes focused on the poor excuse of a man infront of him, mind filled with all the ways he’d put him down.

“now now,” your father pushes himself up, standing to full height, towering over daryls lean teenage figure, “let’s see what he’s got”

“so what? you’re just going to rough him up a bit?” your tone exasperated, “this has nothing to do with him and everything to do with me and you!” your fathers anger is misdirected. the false narrative he came up with vanished the second he saw you and daryl in that black cadalliac but the reality of the situation had him creating new ones instead of facing the facts.

you chose to be here with daryl and his mind couldn’t wrap around that.

the gravel of the dirt road crunches beneath your feet as you take slow steps towards your father. still refusing to look at you, you watch his back tense. shoulders rolling back in an attempt to make himself seem bigger although he has no need too as he continues to tower over the boy infront of him.

“has everything to do with this twat, can’t keep his hands to himself”

“he didn’t do anything i didn’t want him to do” it’s not the right words to say right now but you didn’t even know what you could to stop this.

your fathers’ head drops, a hand coming up to pinch the skin between his nose before shaking his head in disbelief? disgust? “don’t say that shit”

you’re close enough behind him that you can hear him mumbling but it’s hard to keep up with everything that tumbles out except for one thing you don’t even know what you want.

you shake your head at his words although he can’t see you, let alone know if you actually heard. he’s wrong though, you do know what you want. the minute you met daryl, you wanted him to stay but he never did. running off any chance he could to prevent you from getting too close but you waited. patient and sweet as always until one day he did stay, since then he refused to leave your side unless you’d ask him too - which is something you’d never do - and although it’d hurt his heart, he would because he just wants you happy.

more often than not these late night drives were filled with deep conversations, if the urge to feel one another didn’t overtake your mind first. you were teenagers with raging hormones, what did anyone else expect?

you remember one night that daryl actually let his feelings slip; the topic of the future was in the air, you spoke of what you wanted to see yourself doing, a smile on your face. he’s confessed before that he didn’t think about it much, truth be told he’d probably say either dead or in prison but since you came bounding into his life, that reality become less true.

“where do you think you’ll be?” he looks down at his lap where you lay your head across it, you eye him expectantly, always so eager to hear him speak as he did it so rarely.

he faces forward again before shrugging, “i don’ know.. prolly jus’ go wherever you are” he thinks nothing of it as he says it, the truth slipping through his lips easily. he doesn’t know what he plans to do or where but if he had a choice, it’d be with you.

you lift from his lap so suddenly that he is taken back as you turn to face him. his poker face has always been spot on but a lingering of worry reflects in his eyes, thinking just maybe he said the wrong thing. maybe you didn’t see him in your future the way he couldn’t see you without.

you see the moment regret flushes through him as he begins to pull away but you don’t let him get far, grabbing his face with your hands and forcing him to look you in the eyes, “…yeah?”

your gaze is overwhelming so all he can do is press his forehead to yours and nod. never to push or pull when he shows you such vulnerability, you smile and smash your lips to his before leaning back, “‘mkay.. don’t care where we end up, so long as i’m with you too”

it’s the closest thing to a love confession as daryl could give at that time and although it was said in so little context, you understood what he meant, what he felt, what he feels because you felt the same way and still do.

you’re close enough to reach out for your fathers elbow, “daddy.. i love him” your fingers just barely graze his arm before it’s swinging back aggressively, creating contact with your face whipping it to the side. the resounding smack of impact fills the empty train station.

dead silence settles into the air as you reach a hand up to cup the cheek that now throbs in pain and face your father who looks back in shock. your mother is silently crying as she stands powerless to the scene before her. and daryl…

daryl sees red.

your father reaches out to you but the contact is never made when a smaller body is pushing his away. as he staggers, daryl takes full advantage and swings a fist to his face, “ya best keep yer fucking hands off ‘er!”

your father gains his balance back quickly before he’s fighting back, throwing a punch aimed at daryls jaw then another at his eye. he leaves no room for the boy to gain any sense of control, plummeting him into the dirt road all over again.

daryls body falls to the side and you’re screaming for your father to stop, even your mother is crying out his name but both of your pleas fall on deaf ears.

“you think this little twat gives a fuck about you?!” your father asks, kicking his foot into daryls stomach making him release a grunt, “boys like him are only after one thing with girls like you, unfortunately you were dumb enough to fall for his tricks!”

you shake your head, “just stop it! you’re gonna kill him!” tears stream down your face as your father continues to kick and stomp anywhere he sees fit. daryls’ grunts and groans echo throughout the open air along with the nasty muttered words your father continues to spit at him and you.

you and your mother work together to tug at any part of your fathers body your hands can grip. grasping him tightly and pulling him roughly back, his body comes easily before he’s pushing forward again to stomp one last kick to daryls body, just to show you that he’s still in control, allowing you to move him away. he’d keep going if he could but he can’t go to prison and keep you away from that boy at the same time.

your mother continues to pull him away before she’s stumbling back, hands shaking in fear and covering her face in disbelief of everything that’s just happened.

you’ve dropped to your knees, rocks digging into them as you shuffle the short distance to daryls body. your hands hover shakingly, trying to find an exact spot you could hold that might ease the pain.

“o-oh my god daryl.. i’m sorry.. i’m so sorry..” your voice nothing but a whisper as sobs overtake your already trembling body. tears blur your vision but you make no move to wipe them, choosing instead to blink rapidly so you are able to keep an eye on the boy infront of you.

“not yer fault…” he barely gets out as he clutches his stomach, body curling in pain as he takes a shuddering deep breath. you shake your head in response, denying the sentiment before looking down at your lap as you cry because it is. his hand shakingly enters your vision as he reaches out to you, your own immediately latching onto it. he squeezes your fingers to gain your attention and when you finally meet his eyes, he gives you a stern look, “‘s not.”

you lean down to kiss the hand that lays in your grip, mumbling apologies into his skin.

“don’t you touch tha’ boy!”

“can’t you just shut up!” you whip your head around to your father who leans against the volkswagen, “please..” your voice softer as you turn back to daryl. the hand not gripped into his, goes to brush hair out of his face, revealing the damage your fathers fist had done. you feel sick to your stomach.

“it’s time to go, leave him” you shake your head at your fathers voice, “if you don’t get your ass into this car right now, i swear on everything i’ll send you to that boarding school an’ make sure they lock the keys up so you’ll never even get the chance to think about making this dumb mistake again!”

“i’m not leaving him!” you can hear your mother encouraging your father to just get in the car but he shuts her down with a sharp lip.

“you stay here with him, you better stay because if i see you enter a foot into my house..” the threat is left in the air. you make no motion to move as you cling to daryls hand, eyes closing as you release a shuddering breath.

it’s only a few moments later that you hear your father mutter a few curse words before the car door slams shut. the engine rumbling to life, shortly followed by the sound of gravel crunching under the tires as they sped away, leaving natures nightlife to fill the empty space.

daryls hand squeezes yours and your eyes open to meet his, the moon light illuminating the blue of them. you study the many spots of his face that are beginning to bloom a dark color, a small cut goes through his brow, another across his cheekbone and bottom lip. your stomach turns at the sight.

he attempts to sit up, even letting go of your hand to clutch his stomach as he uses the other to lean up on.

“careful..” still having no idea where to lay your hands, you hover them about as he unsteadily sits up. when successful, his gaze falls on you again, truly taking in your state.

he wonders if you even notice how bad your body shakes as the never ending tears slip down your face.

he lifts a hand to cup your wet cheek, thumbing gently over the cut that lies across the top of your cheekbone. his eyes flick to yours in question and you nearly shake your head in disbelief because of course he’d worry more about you even after your father just beat him into the ground.

he grips your chin firmly, forcing you to look him in the eyes. the question still reflecting in them, your hand comes up to lay over his, “‘m okay..”

you are, physically. the cut stings and your cheek throbs but nothing can compare to the stabbing ache in your chest.

he doesn’t seem satisfied with the answer but doesn’t bother pushing, he can tell you have no energy to fight him on it. instead he leans his forehead heavily against your own.

both of you sit there, basking in the sounds of nature around you and the empty railroad. your occasional sniffles and daryls soft hushes accompany the worlds natural sounds. you imagine you guys look pretty ridiculous but you can’t find it in you to care.

••

“ow!”

“stop it” you roll your eyes, the cotton ball you hold between your fingers hadn’t even touched his eyebrow yet when he jerks his head away playfully.

he sits on the closed toilet seat as you stand between his legs. his hands gently rest on the back of your thighs as you tend to his physical wounds the best you could after you made sure he popped a couple painkillers for his aching body.

“if ya keep frowning like tha’, yer pretty face is gonn’ get stuck” daryls been trying to make you laugh since you’ve left the abandoned train station and drove to his home. you barely spoke in the car, mind constantly wandering elsewhere and eventually he gave up trying to keep any conversation going.

you focus on cleaning up what areas of damage you could on his skin as you mentally feared what lay underneath his tshirt, it looked like your father did not hold back when he laid those kicks against him. you shiver as you remember the scene again, daryls grunts of pains still echoing in your ears.

his hands rise to hold your hips instead, shaking your figure lightly until he gains your attention, “hey… we’re okay”

“why do you do that?” you sigh in frustration, hands dropping to your sides.

“do what?”

“disregard your pain like that.. daryl, we should go to the hospital to get you checked out” he shakes his head, it’s not the first time you suggested to go. it was actually the first place you thought of when you got behind the wheel of the black cadalliac but he talked you out of it. you’re regretting it now, he could have serious internal injuries.

“‘m okay” you’re not convinced, “promise belle.”

you wanna press more, somehow convince him to go but instead you go back to wiping his face and disinfecting his open cuts. with the dirt cleaned up and better lighting, you’re able to see his injuries more clearly. the cuts aren’t deep, rather it seems that the bruising will get the better of his handsome face but nothing as threatening as what he keeps hidden, you imagine.

sighing again, you throw the cotton ball into the trash, “can i check on your stomach now?”

daryl shakes his head, “‘m good, told ya’.. have had worse, let me check on ya” he stands up, hands still holding your hips as he switches positions. his face screws up in a slight wince as he does but drops it once you have settled onto the closed toilet lid.

the cut on your cheek is small, similar to the one he has. in different circumstances, you’d probably make a joke about the matching wounds but your mind is struggling to keep up with anything solid so it passes as every other thought you have. silence fills the air between you two, you lost in your own thoughts and daryl wondering where your mind is.

“he’s never hit me before..” your voice is a soft but the emotion it holds is enough to have daryls hand stilling before he goes back to dabbing an alcohol soaked cotton ball at your injury. it’s really nothing.. something small that will be swollen for a couple days then be gone, leaving a faded scar behind but that too will disappear with time. “maybe.. i-i don’t think he meant too..”

you’re a bit stunned still. the first time you saw him raise his hands at your mother, you were five. you remember trying to push him away, squirming in his hands as they gripped your small arms tightly against the sides of your body, holding you in front of him as he spoke, sometimes women need to be put back into their place. it made sense to your five year old self back then when you had no idea what being in love was like. as you got older, the reality of it became more apparent. he never did it infront of you again after you caught him slapping her when your mother accidentally broke a dish.

at the age of thirteen, you had rushed at him. pushing him away as you once did when you were smaller. fear covered your body but you stood strong infront of your father. maybe he knew he couldn’t manipulate your mind anymore, instead choosing to walk away and never speak on the subject again. since then, you’d never seen it happen but the evidence was there. the random new bruises or scratches that would appear on your mother became more obvious than ever.

confronting her was impossible. she chose to lie, claiming she bumped into something, oh you know me, clumsy as can be. it was bullshit and when you told her so, she sent you to your room with your so called foul mouth.

so you lived with it. you had too. where else would you go? you never saw or heard it so maybe that was the price to be paid for your innocence?

“prick shouldn’t hav’ to put his hands on anyone for anythin’.. meant to or not, he still hurt you” daryls voice is rough, a ring of anger still lingering in his words.

humming in acknowledgment, you close your eyes as your head tilts up in daryls hands, allowing him to care for you in the only way he does. always so soft and gentle.. just how you should always been handled, he thinks.

your eyes stay closed even as he releases you and shuffles about. his hands cup your face, thumb tracing around the wound tenderly before he leans down and presses a kiss near it.

the corner of your mouth quirks up at the small gesture, not yet a smile but something. you hum again before opening your eyes, blinking to adjust to the light again. daryls eyes linger over your face, leaving not an inch uncovered from his gaze, sometimes he thinks you aren’t real. some perfect figment of his imagination he conjured up to keep him company when he got lonely.

“c’mon” daryl holds a hand out, yours falling easily into his as he leads you to his bedroom. the warmth emitting from your body behind him is enough for him to believe you are infact real and willingly choosing be here with him.. it’s something he will never be able to wrap his head around.

he maneuvers around his room as you sit on the edge of the bed. he lays a shirt next to you but you make no move to put it on. your head hangs down so he can’t see the pitiful face you make, “hey.. hey, wha’s wrong?” he sits next to you, his arms reaching out to pull your body close but you push him away.

“will you stop that?” your voice is watery, “how.. how could you sit here with me after what just happened?”

daryls really fucking confused. he fish mouths for a bit, trying to find the words to say to calm your sudden emotional outburst.

“my father could have killed you..” you shake your head, “i stood there and did nothing..” a sob escapes your mouth, “after everything.. we’re here and you’re trying to take care of me when you can barely walk..” you heave deeply, “it never should have happened.. it’s my fault, daryl.. i’m so sorry”

daryl feels a bit tossed around at how you got here but there is one thing he knows for sure, “this ain’t yer fault” his tone is stern, “what yer father did.. tha’s on him, not you, got it?”

your shoulders shake as tears fall from your eyes, your head turning into your shoulder as you refuse to look at daryl. the act is childish but you can’t help it as you feel so small, so upset, so…. dumb for thinking that you could keep this hidden. that one day you would just up and leave with daryl without a trace. a stupid pipe dream, that’s all you had for your future.

“ya’ not getting it. listen to me.” daryl huffs, chewing on his lips roughly as he considers his next words before gripping your chin to face him, “… i love you” you let out a soft gasp but he continues, “i’d take as many beatings as it took to keep doing so”

“i wouldn’t ask of that from you” you lean your forehead against his, aching heart warm at his words. ones you never thought you’d hear before.

“don’ matter.. would do it all over again if it meant saving you from being hurt” his thumb brushes over the wound you suffer, his own stomach clenching at not being able to stop your father before letting it happen.

you notice the slight grimace on his face, the hurt he holds at the smallest fact that you were hurting. he is unreal, you think.

“i love you too, ya know that?” that familar glint is back in your eyes as you gaze into his. daryl is transfixed at the confirmation and all he can do is nod numbly, because.. he knows. maybe he has always known but his use of denial was always stronger. in this moment though, it’s powerless to the way you look at him and not a single doubt that you feel the same way towards him- fill him.

you chose to stay with him after your fathers threat, you cleaned him up, you worried about him.. how could he think any different when you have showed him in every way you could tonight and every other moment you had together? deserving of your love? that’s a different story but right now, daryl would rather bask in the love you have for one another than worry about such things.

you press a kiss to his lips, one full of your emotions towards him but it doesn’t go further than that, both of you exhausted and still hurting. your bodies separate to change as you grab the shirt daryl laid out for you, stripping down and slipping into it. it’s soft, hangs just below your butt and smells so much like him- earthly with a hint of nicotine.

you’re quicker at changing compared to daryl who stands a few feet away, wincing as he bends over to remove his jeans. he jumps when he feels your hands graze his, he didn’t even hear you sneak up on him. when your eyes meet, a quick shared conversation between them, he lets his hands go and allows yours to take their place. you help slide his jeans down and he kicks the rest off as you rise back up.

your fingers fiddle with the end of his shirt before you begin lifting it. when it’s fully off, you hold his gaze, afraid to look down but soon your eyes betray you as they fall to his midsection. massive red and purple bruises scatter across his stomach, going as high as his ribs and trailing as low as his hips.

“god… daryl” your fingers barely graze the bruises, in fear of hurting him more as they look so painful.

“told ya ’m fine..”

“it doesn’t look fine, you’re clearly in pain”

“i’ve had worse.. can we jus’ rest? jus’ wanna lay down with ya.. please” his voice is tired but soft and when he asks like that, how could you refuse?

he slips into bed first with the help of you before he scoots back and holds an arm out. you shuffle to turn the lights off before crawling in, facing him as you lie down. it’s silent as you study each others faces with the only light coming from the moon through the open window.

“so pretty..” the glow of the moonlight is just enough for you catch the pink that spreads on daryls cheeks after he lets his inner thoughts slip. you shake your head, a smile finally slipping onto your lips.

“you’re ridiculous” daryl just hums, the corner of his mouth quirking up. his hand cups your jaw, thumb tracing the grin upon your lips and you can’t help but let out a small giggle at the ticklish feeling. a certain playfulness in his touch that has you quirking an eyebrow in question, “thought you wanted to rest..”

daryl lets out a soft scoffed laugh, his fingers playfully pinching your nose, “alrigh’ smart ass”

you turn your head to the hand on your face, kissing his palm, “i love you..”

daryl hums, leaning in so he can kiss your forehead, then your nose, and then a bruising one full of love onto your lips. i love you too. your bodies shuffle about the bed until your back is pressed to daryls naked chest, him closing the distance you had originally set in fear of hurting him but he simply wrapped an arm around you and pulled you back until your bodies laid flushed together. a breath of relief released from you at the contact.

“ya gonn’ go home?” daryl questions quietly.

you shrug, “maybe.. eventually i’ll have to, right?”

it’s silent for a bit, “could jus’ shack it up in ‘ere with me”

you let out a small laugh, daryl hiding his own amusement into your neck.

“we’ll figure it out, yeah? me and you?” your voice is unsure, something you have never been about when it came to you and him but the unknown of what’s next terrifies you as you lay there in the silence.

daryl squeezes your body, pressing a reassuring kiss to the back of your shoulder, “we’ll figure ‘t out.. now go to sleep.”

the reality is you’ll have to go back, you know that. daryl too. you both were only in highschool, graduation just a couple months out.. you weren’t sure what the plan was after but as you lay wrapped in daryls arms, it didn’t matter so long as you had him by your side.