#i mean i did have a period when i was really into minced meat lol (bc it’s cheap as fuck on discount! ~1.5$ for 400g!!!!)

[eviltext]

thinking so so hard about what side dish to make next as my simmered daikon and potatoes run out. totally forgot about the several handfuls of chopped butternut squash i prepped months ago, just hanging out in my freezer. and the half pack of frozen mushrooms i put there not even two days ago

[coffee-obsessed-writer]

Winter Storm

Daryl Dixon x Reader; Dog

A/N: This is a VERY long overdue fic request from @rhyatt-deauxtreve​ for a little bit of Dixon, with the dialogue prompted: “Don’t hide from me, I want to see you.” I am so sorry this took so long, lovely. I hope you enjoy it! 

*This is my first time with Daryl in a LOONG Time. So, be kind lol

Summary: Daryl is not a new face around the Kingdom, but definitely one you enjoy seeing around. As a winter storm rolls in, you find a quick way to bond with the archer and his dog that could be the thing to finally bring you closer.

WC: 3.3K

Warnings: None really

TWD Tags: @kazosa​ @wings-of-a-raven​ @sorenmarie87​ @jodiereedus22​ @spnhollis​ @buckyscrystalqueen​ @negans-wife​ @rhyatt-deauxtreve​

Daryl was never one to mince words; or speak much, period. It was a complete surprise the first time he approached you after he claimed The Kingdom as his home. He wasn’t a stranger, though not exactly a regular face you’d see around the campus. If anything, you got to know his dog before you got to know the archer himself.

It was during one of the community movie nights that he first said hello. You were passing out some newly made treats for the kids when Daryl and Dog came strolling in. Seeing Dog always made you smile, so you immediately knelt down and accepted his welcoming, sloppy kisses and excitement.

“Hey buddy!” you laughed as he jumped up, one paw on either shoulder as he peppered you with a greeting.

“Dog, down!” Daryl chastised and was satisfied when Dog immediately heeled to his side. “Sorry, he gets excited.”

“It's fine. I love seeing him around! I wish we had more pets in the community. I know the kids get a kick out of him.”

Daryl nodded and ruffled the dog’s head. “He alright to come in with me?”

“Of course! I mean, if the King could once rule with a Tiger by his side, I can’t imagine a dog attending movie night would be a big deal,” you said and gave Daryl a playful wink.

He snorted, what you assumed to be a laugh, but realized there was a sense of sadness on his face. You thought he made just take his dog and move on, but he hesitated.

“You knew Shiva?” he asked softly.

“I did. I’ve been here since the beginning. She was a spectacular animal.”

“She was,” he said, chewing his bottom lip. “Shame she didn’t make it.”

“A lot of good soldiers were lost in that war. She was one of them,” you mused, your heart filling with a swell of both pride and loss.

Again, Daryl nodded. “Glad there are still some here that remember those days.”

“Me too.”

There was a moment, where Daryl’s steely blue eyes paired with yours. He allowed them to wander down the length of your body, but it was quick and didn’t linger; yet enough for that spark to flicker awake in place you kept feelings locked away. Through all your years at The Kingdom, he was the first man who was able to do that.

That was the first time you spoke to him. You really hoped it wouldn’t be the last. 

Over the next few months, Daryl and his faithful companion showed up at every movie night. You noticed him around the community more and anytime there was a task that involved more than just your set of hands, he was there. With each encounter, he would talk to you more and more. It got to be so frequent, that you began to think of him as a good friend; someone you could count on and looked forward to seeing. 

As winter set in, and the people of The Kingdom mostly kept to their own apartments, and you found yourself missing him. When the first real hard snowfall came, you took the chance of bundling up and headed out to the courtyard hoping that maybe he and Dog would be somewhere near. That day, all you found were a handful of kids making snow angels. Trying not to be disappointed, you turned to head back to your apartment. 

Right before you entered the building, from far off beyond the walls, you could faintly hear Dog barking. His familiar call instantly made you smile and turn away from home. Walking quickly as you could through the snow towards the gates, you climbed up to the platform and grabbed a pair of binoculars from one of the guards on duty. After scanning as far as you could, you finally spotted them, a few hundred yards out but pointed in the direction of home.

Not wanting to seem like you were waiting for them, you busied yourself around the gates, tending to some odds and ends that didn’t necessarily need tending too. When the doors finally opened, Dog came barreling in then skidded to a stop; causing a spray of snow to fly through the air. He was beyond rambunctious, tossing it up in the air with his snout, rolling in it and jumping up to catch it as it fell back to the Earth. You were so caught up in watching Dog enjoying himself you missed Daryl coming him and his gaze fixed on you. 

“Hey,” he greeted, close enough for you to notice him. 

“Oh, hey!” you replied, genuinely surprised to see him, despite knowing about his impending arrival. “What were you guys doing out there?”

“Huntin’. Thought maybe we’d cross a deer or somethin’.”

“Any luck?”

“Nah. There’s a good storm comin’. They’re all hold up somewhere by now. Got a bunch of rabbits though.”

“Oh, fantastic! I bet Nabila could do something with them to stretch them out for a bit.”

“Hope so. Pantry is good for most of the winter, but it helps to get some fresh meat when we can,” he hesitated, then whistled for Dog to join him. “I gotta go bring these in to get’em cleaned.”

You felt a weight of disappointment sit on your chest. You didn’t know what you wanted from him exactly but just knew that you wanted to be around him. “Oh… yeah, of course.”

“Dog! C’mon,” Daryl called, and once his companion obeyed, he headed off to the skinning shed.

You pulled your coat tighter around your shoulders and began to head back to your home when from the corner of your eye you saw Daryl freeze.  His head hung down, the long tendrils of hair obscuring your ability to read his expression. 

“Hey!” he called out and jogged to catch up with you. “Where—uh, I mean, what are you up to… now?”

“Heading in,” you smiled wanly and looked up to the sky that was now beginning to sprinkle more flakes. “Storm’s coming, right?”

“Yeah, not for a few hours more though I’d guess. You wanna help me with the rabbits?”

Doing your best to keep the rush of excitement at his invitation at bay, you nodded and shrugged as casually as you could. “Sure, why not. It’s been a while but I think I can remember how it’s done.”

“C’mon,” he said and motioned his head in the other direction. “We’ll see how ya do. Maybe next time you can come out huntin’ with us.”

The skinning shed was somehow colder than the outside itself. Daryl saw you shiver once he let the bag with his prey fall to the table with a thud. He pulled off his fur-lined poncho and held it out to you.

“No, I’m ok, thank you,” you said politely and moved to open the bag.

Daryl covered your hands with his to stop you and draped it over your arm.

“No, ya ain’t. Take it.”

You looked up at him and smiled, but not because of his generosity, because of how long his hand was lingering on yours.

Daryl cleared his throat and realized he was still holding your hands. “So, uh, you’ve done this before, huh? When?”

“As a kid. My brother took me hunting all the time. I honestly hated it, but I liked the time I spent with him, so I went.”

Daryl grunted an acknowledgment and went about removing the rabbits. As the next two hours went by, you each cleaned three and prepped the skins for future use. By the time you got the meat ready for Nabila and cleaned your hands, the snow was coming down in sheets. 

“Damn. I was hoping it would hold off a bit longer,” Daryl grumbled as you made your way across the courtyard towards the pantry.

“Why, you got a hot date?” You immediately cringed at yourself after asking.

Daryl snorted. “Nah. Was hoping to get back to camp.”

“Camp? I thought you were staying here.”

“I am, just been staying out beyond the walls trying to trap what I could before another storm came ‘round.”

“Oh, good. For a second there I thought you’d left the Kingdom.” You winced again when you realized how ridiculous you sounded and desperately just wanted to hide your face. You couldn’t look at him, but from the corner of your eye you saw him smirk.

“Wouldn’t want me to go, huh? Probably afraid you’d never see Dog again,” he scoffed and whistled at the dog to heel. 

“Well he is the happiest part of my day,” you said and wanted to add ‘and so are you’ but kept quiet and walked slowly beside him. “So, uh, where to after the pantry?”

“Guess back to the room Carol kept aside for me.”

“You don’t like staying there?”

Daryl shrugged. “It’s alright. I know she likes it when she can keep an eye on me.”

“That’s nice, knowing you have someone like that.”

“You don’t?”

“I have friends here, sure. But the way Carol goes on about you sometimes, she’s convinced you hung the moon. The King is too, for that matter.”

“It ain’t nothing. We’ve just been through it together, ya know?”

You did. But all you gave Daryl in response was a simple nod just as you arrived at the pantry door. After dropping off the rabbit meat, you and Daryl found yourselves back out in the cold. 

“Snow’s gettin’ deep. Probably should head inside,” he rasped and gave you a side-eyed look. 

“Yeah… you’re probably right.” Disappointed all over again. “Well, thanks for keeping me company, and for the rabbits. Maybe we can meet up for some of that stew Nabila’s gonna make tomorrow.”

Daryl seemed nervous as the wind whipped the long tendrils of his hair around his face. He chewed on his lower lip a little and nodded.

“We could. C’mon, I’ll walk you home.”

“It’s fine. I’m good. I only live over there. Here, take your poncho, you’re much further across the campus.”

You started to take it off but for the second time that day, he put his hands over yours to stop you.

“Keep it. I got another,” he paused, but clearly wanted to say something else. Not wanting to scare him off, you waited quietly until he worked up the nerve to way whatever it was he wanted to. “Maybe, Dog and I could just come to your place. If I go and sit in that box with just him to talk to, I may end up back out there lookin’ for more rabbits,” Daryl said, not without a bit of humor.

His eyes narrowed on you, making you feel nervous yet excited for more time with him.

“Sure. I’m always up for your company. And Dog’s too, of course.”

“Of course,” he mocked and rolled his eyes. “Lead the way.”

It wasn’t long after, that you and Daryl were settled into your apartment. There wasn’t too much to it, but you found ways to occupy yourselves as the wind howled outside, dumping inches upon inches of fresh snow across The Kingdom. 

After you had heated up some leftover stew you had for the both of you, Daryl got up from where he was sitting on the floor and went to your cupboard. 

“Mind if I get a drink?” he asked, already looking through your supplies.

“Help yourself.”

A minute or two later, after rifling through your supplies, he popped his head back into your view to get your attention.

“Been hiding the good stuff, huh?” he said, revealing the small bottle of whiskey. “Where did you find this?”

“One of the scouts brought it back last summer. Found a bunch in some warehouse. Honestly forgot it was back there.”

“Nothing like a nip of booze to warm ya up.” Daryl raised the bottle up. “Whatcha say?”

“Crack it open,” you smiled and enjoyed Daryl’s reaction to your agreement.

He tossed the top on the counter and pulled a long shot straight from the bottle. There was no wince or bite to his expression as he swallowed the shot and held it out to you.

“Bottom’s up,” you smiled and did the same, except you did wince at the burn as it trickled down your throat.

Passing it back and forth, your conversation continued to be easy with him, mostly talking about the early days of the outbreak, where you both were, what you did. He told you about the group’s movements through Georgia that led to arriving in D.C. and you told him your story, about people you lost and how you landed at The Kingdom. These conversations were the norm now, replacing the ‘used to be’ chit chat of what do you do, where did you go to school…

Before you realized it, the room had gone almost completely dark. Despite the storm, the light of the day had been enough to keep the apartment well lit, but as the sunset behind the squall of snow, the interior was getting darker and darker. 

Since electricity was in short supply, you got up and started lighting the candles and turned on the one oil lamp you kept for just such an occasion. It was starting to get cold in the apartment, despite the fact that Daryl’s furlined poncho was still residing on your shoulders. 

Daryl held out the bottle to you again, his eyes following you after you took it, moving around the room and grabbing some of the snacks you kept on hand. 

“Still hungry?” you asked, holding out a small bag of sunflower seeds you had harvested and roasted last Autumn. 

“Kinda,” he shrugged and got up from where he had been sitting. Dog lifted his head to watch his master move across the room but laid it back down on his paws when Daryl didn’t go far.

“How come you ain’t shacked up with one of these guys here?” he asked, his brow furrowed in curiosity, and haze of slight intoxication in his eyes. 

His question left you speechless. “I--I--don’t know. Why aren’t you?” Was all you could think to say.

“Cause I ain’t into the guys around here,” he snarked and reached for the bottle of whiskey.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” you laughed and rolled your eyes. “Why do you want to know?”

Daryl shrugged. “You’re a pretty girl. Seems like you should belong to someone.”

“I belong to myself, Daryl. I don’t need someone in my life to make me complete, or to keep me safe.” 

Realizing how defensive you probably sounded, you wrinkled your nose in frustration, then started to stumble in an effort to backtrack. You wanted to say more--the whiskey was nearly making you brave enough--but in the end were able to bite your tongue. But then Daryl’s expression faltered for a moment. It was then that you realized that if anything was ever to happen between you, you would have to make that first move.

“But,” you started, and paused, taking the bottle from his hand before he could take another sip. “That’s not to say I don’t miss being with someone. That I don’t think about having someone put their arms around me at night.”

“That right?” he eyed you carefully and watched you take another shot. 

“Mhm.” You wiped your lips and handed it back, but he shook his head no and took it from you. 

Daryl left the bottle on the table, giving a cursory glance over to Dog who was now happily snoozing on the floor by the front door. When he did turn back to you, there was a change in his expression that you’d never seen before. 

“What?” you asked with a scoff. “I got a booger or something?”

Daryl shook his head. He slowly closed the distance and when he was a mere inches away, you understood this new expression he wore. Daryl was nervous, too.

“Nah,” he said in that low rasp of his you were coming to love. “You’re pretty is all.”

“You said that already,” you said and tried to swallow through the sudden lump of anxious excitement that bound up in your throat.

Daryl hesitantly reached out, cupping your elbow and drawing you in the last step that stood between you. He bent down, keeping his eyes open and holding your gaze as he moved closer to your lips. From behind him, Dog whined and turned his head just as you felt the warmth of Daryl’s breath touch your mouth. A small spark jumped between you and him, as his lips finally touched yours. It felt like it was all happening in slow motion, but it was happening. A moment you found yourself dreaming about late at night, and even in the mundane tasks of the day, was finally happening. 

The kiss was soft, and sweet. You could taste the remnants of the whiskey and when you were brave enough to part his lips with your tongue, it was strong and bitter. You were instantly lost in the moment. His hand slowly traveled from your elbow, off your arm and around your waist as he slowly turned you placing your back squarely against the counter. The whiskers around his upper lip tickled your face, but it only added to the moment. 

Daryl pressed his body against you, the weight of which felt comforting and safe. It had been years since anyone had you in a position like this, mostly because it was so hard to trust anyone enough to leave yourself this vulnerable. But with him, it wasn’t a question; with Daryl, you felt more at ease and safe than with anyone else… ever. 

You pulled back, hanging your face and trying to cover the bout of nerves that lived there.  

“Don’t hide from me,” he said, lifting your chin with his fingers, “I wanna see you.”

“Why?” you asked, though you verbalized it with a purpose, it came out in barely a whisper.

Daryl shrugged and then turned his head to look at his canine friend now calmly asleep by the front door. “Dog liked ya. Trust him more than anyone.”

“Even Carol?” you asked, unable to help to tease him a little. 

“She did marry a fake King… maybe not the best judgment,” he scoffed in a low rasp. “Besides, I told ya, you’re pretty. Hard to find pretty girls you can trust these days.”

“That so?”

“Mhm,” he mumbled, biting down softly on the inside of his lip while his blue eyes studied you closely. “Be alright if Dog and I ride this out with you?”

“I’d like that.”

“Even if its a few days?”

You nodded. “I got plenty of whiskey. Snacks, too.”

From outside the wind blew harder, nearly shaking the building itself. Snow began falling in heavy, wet sheets and snaps of trees could be heard in the distance. 

“Good thing,” he said, looking out of the window in the kitchen. “Don’t think its gonna let up anytime soon.”

“Too bad,” you said, letting your eyes wander back to his lips. “Maybe we should settle in. Get comfortable…” 

You grabbed the bottle of whiskey and went to move from between him and the counter, but didn’t get far before his reached out to stop you. He drew you back and kissed you again; this time he was far more assured and persistent in how he maneuvered his mouth to work with yours. When he pulled back, he was smiling.

“Yeah… let’s do that. Can think of a few ways we could pass the time.”

Without another word, you, Daryl and the bottle of whiskey crawled onto the bed, wrapped yourself in blankets and found ways to ride out the storm.