#if anyone knows how the other one feels its Carol and Daryl

[retroellie]

Daryl x reader but at first she gets on his nerves? Almost enemies to lovers

Summary: Daryl hated you, completely despised you. His hatred for you turned into something more after just one night with you.

A/N: This is probably the filthiest and longest thing I've ever written :). So enjoy asf!!! This was literally hell to write because i have writer's block right now so my mind is somewhere else right now

Warnings: NSFW, Degradation, Slapping/spanking, Daryl just being mean asf. Kind of a toxic relationship?!?

Word count: 8K

Daryl was at peace in this moment, complete and utter peace. The river slowly rushing against the earth, the soft wind blowing against his skin, the bright light of the sun bursting the stress from his face. Ever since he had gotten away from Alexandria he felt he was where he belonged, nature. Ever since he was a kid, rivers and forests were his safe haven. The only living thing to be seen was the animals and even then they were fearful of humans.

That's how Daryl felt in a way, fearful of humans and what they can do, that's why he resided with animals. They had their packs and stayed with them, never getting too close to other packs. It was just him and his home, of course with the dog too. But despite the healing of the river or the wind whispering into his ear, this wound could never be healed for Daryl. He was out here for a reason and this time it wasn't trying to run away from his dad.

It was for Rick, his friend, his family.... his brother. This was a deeper wound than any he'd ever had, mental or physical. He was angry, hurt, and guilty for what he had done, especially with the silence that came with nature. He looked for days on end, and those days turned to months, and months turned to years. He felt like he was going crazy, but he knew Rick was still alive and if he wasn't... he just needed to give the people that confirmation.

He took the knife and gutted it into the fish, cleaning it out until it was just the meat on its bones. It was a chilly day, enough to have the dog cuddled up on Daryl's leg as he gutted the fish. Daryl didn't mind the cold, he actually liked it better than the heat and it kept the dead away better. He continued his work, frying the fish on the fire as he poked at it softly, mesmerized by the crackles of the fire.

Suddenly a branch snapped behind Daryl, he didn't hesitate in pulling his crossbow from next to him and pointing it at the sound, ready to fire at any minute. He almost squeezed the trigger, almost letting the arrow go right into the head of his attacker. But suddenly his eyes made out who it was and realized it was you. His body feels relaxed but only to be filled with annoyance.

"It's just me!" You put your hands up in surrender, dropping what you had been holding in your hands.

Daryl watched as you shook, fearing that Daryl might actually shoot you at that moment. Daryl sighed, putting down his crossbow and rolling his eyes.

"Damn it, girl! I coulda killed you!" Daryl yelled. Of course, the first time he talks in days is to scold you for something.

Daryl sat back down in his spot, throwing down his crossbow in anger as he went back to cooking his fish. He suddenly wished he would've pulled the trigger, maybe then he could tell everyone it was an accident.... as if anyone could miss you. If Daryl said he hated you, it was an understatement. He despised you, he wondered how you survived this long without a bullet to your head.

"I know... I'm sorry.." You tried to defend yourself. "Carol asked me to drop some stuff off... I didn't mean to scare you.."

You bent down to gather what you had in your hands, the bag you had broken when you dropped it. You shoved everything in the bag and stood up, standing still as you watched Daryl cook his fish. You never knew why Daryl couldn't stand you, it made you a bit sad at first because you envied him. You thought he was the coolest person ever, with his crossbow and his motorcycle. Part of you thought it was because you genuinely thought he was a cool person but the other half knew it was because of what he did to your underwear.

"Carol told me to bring you more arrows and some extra clothes... I threw some food...." You went to finish but Daryl was annoyed by your voice already, wanting you to shut up and leave already.

"Why couldn't she do it?" He interrupted

You forgot how much of an asshole he was and at that moment, you were kind of glad he was staying out here instead of in Alexandria. The only reason you liked him staying at Alexandria is how his arms looked when he was working on his bike... but that's all it was to you, just a silly little crush or not even that, you'd be more than okay if he fucked you and dipped. You cleared your throat, collected your words, and shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh well... Henry is sick, he has some kind of stomach bug and well I was at the kingdom so she asked if I could bring it to you on the w..." Once again you can't even get your words out without Daryl being a complete dick to you.

"I didn't ask for a story." He said sternly, not even looking at you but you knew his face had that ugly, yet strangely arousing, annoyed look written all over it.

You sharply inhaled, slightly hurt at his words. You just stood there though, not sure what to do next. You could just throw his shit down or not and leave, but unfortunately, you were too tired to go on. You had been walking all day and here to Alexandria would be at least another 3 hours. You just thought maybe some rest would be nice, maybe a bit of that fish he was cooking but you knew Daryl.

Daryl hadn't liked you ever since you two had met, he was always such a dick to you and you had no idea why literally no idea. You were always respectful to him, saying please and thank you, sometimes shooting him a soft smile when you would catch each other in the same room. He always put you down so fast, sometimes just his facial expression when he would look at you was enough for you to go home crying.

"You can leave now, you did your job." He pulled you out of your thoughts.

His eyes still didn't reveal themselves to you, but you knew the stank eye he'd be giving you right now. The thought of it just made your stomach do turns, but the thing you were about to ask made it drop completely.

"That's the thing... you know it's getting late, by the time I get back on the main roads it'll be pitch black, and well I've been walking all..." You don't even know why you keep trying to explain anything to him at this point.

"Get to the point.." He said, annoyance dripping from his mouth. You sighed and rolled your eyes, standing up straight so you could at least look like you were not about to cry or throw a tantrum.

"I was wondering if I could stay here for the night... I'll be out of your hair by dawn tomorrow." You pleaded almost, which made you cringe a bit.

Daryl stayed silent for a minute, just poking at the fire softly as he rubbed the dog's head. Daryl almost gagged at the thought of you staying with him, even just for a night. It reminded him of when you guys were on the road together with everyone else, you always ended up sleeping next to him and he hated it. You would take up such a little room but Daryl felt like that was more than you needed, he would huff and puff. Not to mention how tight his pants would get when we saw you in only a tank top, how your breasts would push themselves together as you snored softly. How your pretty lips would part themselves, almost as if you were teasing him even in your sleep.

Daryl thought for a minute, he really didn't want you here. Your presence would just be so irritating to Daryl, he would know you were only 2 feet away from him at all times and that frustrated Daryl. You would be prancing around his safe space, breast sticking out, voice laced with sugar as you spoke, and presenting your ass to Daryl while you picked something up. The thought made Daryl go cold and he wanted to kick you out then and there. Call Daryl old-fashioned but he was against kicking out a young girl for safety just because of one's annoyance.

"Ya, you will be..." Daryl stated, standing up and making his way over to you, snatching the bag from your hand. "You can stay for the night... but you're gonna have to give me your weapons for the night and you owe me half of your food."

Fucking asshole... is all you could think of. You hated him, so fucking much it hurt. You have no idea what you had done to this man to make him hate you so much, it doesn't make sense to you but you needed some rest. You handed him your bag and watched him sit back down in the same spot, digging into the bag Carol had packed.

"Thank you, Daryl. I ap..." You decided at this moment to stop trying to speak.

"And no talking... I don't want to hear anything you gotta say, ya hear me?" He scolded, containing his digging into the bag.

"yes sir..." You bit back, trying your best not to start yelling at him about how childish he was being.

You brushed past Daryl to get some water from the river so you could get away from Daryl. Daryl's dick twitched at your use of "sir", he couldn't help the goosebumps that rose from his skin. He watched you walk your way down to the river, watching your tits bounce as you stormed off. He hated you with a burning passion but he couldn't deny that you had beautiful tits.

-

-

You couldn't sleep, you were so tired before you went to this shit show of a camp but now you couldn't sleep. You tossed and turned, the tent walls feeling like they were going to close on you. You could hear Daryl poking at the fire outside, trying to keep it burning as he kept an eye out. Daryl made you take the tent, he said he'd sleep outside with the dog, and that bothered you a bit.

Daryl was always so mean to you, literally telling you he wished you would fall off a cliff yet he gives you the tent? Maybe you were reading too deep into it, trying everything to believe your lie that he had an ounce of care for you in him. But that was odd behavior for someone like Daryl, especially towards you. That's why you think you can't sleep, not only did Daryl make you want to bawl your eyes out with how mean he was but also you were so confused about your own feelings.

You wanted to hate Daryl, you said you did but really you didn't. Every mean thing he said to you should've been enough for anyone to hate another person, but you simply couldn't. You wanted him to like you, you craved it. Every time you tried to be nice or help him with something, you felt like a teenage girl trying to get the attention of a boy. It was exhausting, but so frustrating. This behavior of his only created a fire in your belly, leaking out of your core.

The frustration of the day could only be dulled in one way, the warmth of your two fingers. It was a nightly ritual at this point, I mean at least Daryl's behavior is beneficial in one way right? But you couldn't do it in this tent that felt so suffocating, with Daryl's scent everywhere and his soft blanket against your bare thighs. No, you couldn't. It was gross, almost disgusting to do such a thing, especially for you.

You finally gave up on sleep, pulling your shorts back on and heading out of the tent. The wind hit you first, then the smoke of the fire, and then the eyes of Daryl. He looked already so annoyed, like just your presence was enough for him to be in a shitty mood. You smiled at him, pulling your jacket closer to your body as you sat down on the log in front of him.

"Couldn't sleep..." You whispered, sighing as you looked deep into other fires.

Daryl didn't make an expression towards that, only the same annoyed expression. Daryl couldn't help but watch your thighs out of the corner of his eye, watching them glow in the fire, making them look completely delicious. He tried to focus on keeping the fire alive but the hardening in his pants was almost impossible to ignore. He's never really had alone time with you, not one on one before, there was always another person so this was new to him. Honestly even more annoying like this because he could only imagine fucking you into the dirty ground, not able to escape these thoughts by annoying someone else.

"And why's that my problem?" He snapped back, his voice thick with tiredness and frustration.

You scoffed, looking at him with disbelief as your heart broke a little more. You were now at peak frustration and extremely exhausted, so you weren't going to just sit there and let it happen... not this time. You shook with anger, the wind doing nothing to cool you down. You just wanted to have a nice conversation with him, social interaction that you desperately needed from a day of being consumed by your own thoughts.

"You are such a dick you know that?" You spit out, your arms throwing themselves up as you let your anger out finally. "Jesus! I can't have one fucking conversation without you being such an asshole."

Daryl's blood goes cold, looking over at you as your eyes start tearing up due to your anger. He's never seen you so angry, he's never known that you cry when you get mad, he finds it... attractive. It makes his mind wander to what else makes you cry. Is there any emotion you feel too much? Do you cry? Or is this situation just that distressing to you? Daryl just stayed silent, finding it almost humorous how you actually cared what he thought and how worked up you were getting over it. You waited for a snarky reply or a cold comment about how annoying you were, but you were met with his cold blue eyes boring into your skin. That was it, that was enough to make you decide to pack up your stuff and get the hell out of there.

"Oh my fucking god... fuck you, Daryl, I mean seriously." You shot up from where you had been sitting and stood above him, the fire illuminating your furrowed brows and bloodshot eyes. "I mean are you fucking kidding me?!? why do you hate me? did I do something or are you just that fucking mean?"

Daryl stared up at you, watching you shiver as the wind hit your bare legs. Daryl asked himself that a lot too, why did he hate you? You really did do nothing to him, you were honestly extremely helpful and probably the kindest person he'd ever met. But that made him so upset. The innocence that radiated off of you, the pureness in your eyes, almost as if the world hadn't gotten to you yet. He found it unfair, how you were who you were in this world, it wasn't fair. The annoying sweetness that coated your voice was enough for him to go insane, he hated it.

That was only part of the hatred he felt for you, he wanted to completely defile you. He wanted to take that innocent little act of yours and fuck it out of you, he wanted to shut your silky soft voice up by fucking your voice box so hard it leave you speechless, wanted to crave scars into your skin as you begged him for more. He found these thoughts truly disgusting to even think, his own mind scolding him for letting the thoughts linger. He hated you for making him this crazy, making him so hard at night he couldn't be satisfied with his own hand he had to have you... so now he sat there looking up at you, watching as tears filled your eyes and your bare thighs were exposed.

Daryl grinned at your reaction, slowly standing up so he was towering over you. You looked scared, eyes filled with worry now as he made his way over to you. He was face to face with you now, you could feel his breath on his face and his eyes full of something... it wasn't anger, wasn't sadness, something in between yet not anywhere near.

"Ya' know, I do hate you Y/N" He says simply, making your bottom lip tremble as your tears finally escape your eyes. You knew it but it still hurt. "Ya' wanna know why or are you going to cry like the little bitch you are?"

His words took you back, this was a new all-time low for Daryl but for some reason, his words flew straight to your core and you had to press your legs together to ignore it. You stayed silent, not really knowing if you wanted to know or not but you had a feeling you had no choice. Daryl was going to tell you and all you could do was listen. You're breath hitched, wiping your tears with your sleeve as you watch him go to speak.

"I think yer stupid, and annoying, and a fucking worthless bitch who shouldn't have made it this far." His words shot bullet holes in your heart. "We shoulda left you where we found you. Ya bring no good into this group, you only hold us back."

You let out a sob, your heart quite literally being torn apart but you were still so needy all at once. You were used to mean, you were used to hurt but this felt nowhere close to what you've experienced before. You had gotten more frustrated simply because you still liked Daryl, you honestly would give anything for him to kiss you and it made your lips burn with need. It felt like your head was going to explode, being degraded and loving every second of it was something you never thought you would be thinking at this moment.

"Ya wanna know something else..." Daryl whispered, taking his hand and pushing your hair back out of your face as tears streamed down your face. He then lifted your chin to force you to look at him. "It's annoying how you act all innocent... prancing around in short shorts with your tits hanging out, acting like you aren't just trying to get fucked."

You look into his blue eyes, trembling as you feel his hand placed on your chin. You didn't realize how close you had gotten to him, how your body was almost pressed against his as he degraded you. You let a couple of soft whimpers out, feeling as Daryl wiped a tear away from your eye as he bites his lip.

"Ain't that right hm? All ya ever really wanted was to get fucked, just wanted to be used?" He spit out, you let out a soft moan as he continued to rest his hand on your chin, his heat filling your body. "want me to fuck ya?"

Your eyes widened, feeling like you were in a dream and you would wake up at any moment. You looked between his eyes and mouth as he spoke, his lips feeling like the only thing that could dull this heat inside of you. You nodded softly, biting your lip as you watched his mouth grow into a smirk. You expected him to place a soft kiss on your lips as he bent down to connect your lips, but you were met with a sharp pain in your left cheek. You gasped, not knowing what happened but then realized Daryl had smacked you. He didn't smack you too hard but it was enough to leave you in shock.

"wh..." You went to say but Daryl grabbed your throat roughly, it was a firm grip but not enough to hurt you.

"Use yer words... or are you too dumb for that?" He spits out, his words making your legs wobble slightly.

You felt lightheaded, you felt dizzy, you felt completely content in where you were right now. It was a crazy feeling, a feeling that was so intense it made you want to cry. You sniffled, clearing your throat so you could respond but the words were stuck in your throat. Daryl's eyes looked down on you with impatience, his teeth softly clenched as he waited for your words, the words he knew were hard for you to say.

"I...umm" You stuttered, lips quivering. "I want you.. to fuck me" You stated

Sex was new to you still, especially now since sex was the last thing on your mind half the time. This kind of sex, however, rough and mean sex was completely new to you. You weren't sure what to do or how to do it, do you mean back or do you just let it happen and enjoy the ride? You trusted Daryl though, no matter how mean he was to you, you still knew he wouldn't hurt you. Daryl smirked down at you, his rough hand still grasping onto your soft neck.

Daryl only knew hard sex, he'd never been in love or wanted to be in love so he was going to fuck you the only way he knew. He bent down to your lips, softly lingering above yours. You tried to reach up and touch his lips to yours but his hand on your neck kept you in place. Instead, he placed his lips on your nose, then your forehead then everywhere on your face but your lips. You were melting, just one kiss and you would be happy... you begged for just one kiss.

"How 'bout ya get in the tent hm?" He finally said after teasing you with his lips. "I'll be in, in a minute."

Daryl smirked down at you, letting go of your neck which was the only thing supporting your body right now. You looked surprised but also irritated as he teased you and not made you get into the tent. You huffed, rolling your eyes as you stomped into the tent. Daryl chuckled as you pouted, watching you stomp your feet to the tent. Daryl turned around and finished his fire poking, keeping it heated, making you wait.

You were pouting in the tent, arms crossed as you waited for him to come in. You couldn't sit still, you pressed your thighs together and tried to touch yourself through your jeans but nothing helped the ache. You were suddenly so hot, feeling like your skin was melting off in the small tent so you decided to take your shirt off and let the cool air consume it. You slowly started to tear each of your clothes off until you were only in your underwear and bra, you were about to take your bra off but Daryl had ripped through the tent and saw you. He was taken aback as he saw your bare body, not expecting it and it made him crazy.

You sat there like a deer in headlights as he stared down at you, hands suddenly laying at your thighs as you were just on your knees. Daryl's hand shook, wanting nothing more than to pounce on you already but he wanted to wait... he needed to wait. He got down on your level, the tent too small for him to stand in. He reached his hand out to your shoulder, placing his hand on it and slowly pulling down your bra strap. His touch made you shiver, goosebumps forming on your skin as he slowly undressed you or undressed what you had on still.

"You might be dumb..." He stated, bring his lips to your neck. "But you sure are fucking sexy..."

He then attacked your neck, giving you sloppy kisses on your skin as you softly moaned at his action. His other hand placed on your older shoulder and ripped your other bra strap down, attacking that side of your neck next. Your hands wandered his body, trying to pull him closer to you as you wanted him to touch you further. His soft lips sucked on your sensitive skin, making you squirm underneath his grasp.

"mm.. fuck.." You moaned out, causing Daryl to go crazy. He couldn't hold back himself anymore, he couldn't tease you or degrade you anymore. He needed you.

"Fuck it..." Daryl said, stopping his movements and lying down on his back.

You watched him wide as, watching as he pulled his pants down to his ankles and how his cock sprang out freely. Your mouth watered almost, wanting nothing more than to such him off and watch him unravel on your tongue. Daryl rubbed himself a bit, trying to have some friction while he waited for you. You forgot what you were doing at first, you're mind completely going blank as you watched him touch himself.

You were slightly worried, Daryl was big... a lot bigger than you thought he would be. You felt a bit nervous about how’d he fit, you were quite small, well at least a lot smaller than Daryl. Daryl continued rubbing himself up and down, watching you shiver at the thought of him being inside you. He could see how nervous you had gotten, how shy you had suddenly become as your thighs squeezed together.

"You okay?" He asked, pulling you out of your thoughts and back to his blue eyes. "We can stop, pretend this didn't happen." He reassures, placing a hand on your arm comfortably.

You gave him a small smile, moving your body on top of his. You replaced his hand with your own as you slowly jerked him off, watching his mouth part open in surprise as you did so. Your sudden confidence was a huge turn-on for Daryl, causing him to become unbelievably hard under your grasp. This is what Daryl wanted from you, he wanted you to stop acting innocent and take what you wanted. You were meek and shy, you simply doing this was so out of character.

"You want me to stop?" You ask, watching Daryl grow harder as you stroked his cock up and down.

Daryl shot you a soft smile, pulling you down to connect your lips to his. It was hard, rough, and filled with passion. The feeling of your hand on his cock, the taste of your lips, and the feeling of your weight on top of him. He needed you, needed to see you bouncing on top of him as he ripped you open. He wanted to see the pain and pleasure wash over you until you went as crazy as he is at this moment, he would give the world just to see it.

"Fuck no... god..." He moaned out, as your hand's pace picked up. "Ride my cock sweet girl... wanna see how dirty you can get." He teased me.

You giggled at his words, but they went all to your core at once. A wave of slick escaped your cunt, dripping over Daryl's thighs. You gave into his needs, but you did it ever so carefully. You moved your waist to hover over his throbbing cock, his tip ever so slightly rubbing between your slit. You teased him slightly, almost putting his tip inside you but slipping it out once again. You could tell he was growing frustrated, you can see him hold back his urge to push you down on his cock. You could get off on this, his head softly massaging your cunt and his thrust up when it had reached your clit. You continued this movement, teasing him softly but in reality, it felt too good for you.

"Gonna get yourself in trouble if you keep it up..." He moaned out, moving his hands to your hips. His hands helped you move your body back and forth, the head of his cock nuzzling between your slits.

"feels so good..." You whisper, biting your lip softly. "The least you can do for being an a..." You forgot who you were with, the person who never lets you finish your sentence.

You were cut off by Daryl taking your hips, pushing them down until his cock was damn near bottomed out inside you. You let out a gasp, hunching over so your nails were dug into his chest. It hurt, it felt like you were being ripped open... but it sent a strange pain throughout your body. Inside of rejecting his cock, your body welcomed it, almost as if it's what you needed this entire time. You shook slightly, the head of his cock already hitting your g spot as you stayed still. Your body was still getting used to it, but every bone of your body craved you to move your hips. Daryl chuckled softly as your eyes prickled with tears and your string of curses filled the tent.

"Told ya... dumb slut never listens" Daryl spit out, sitting up so your hands could balance on his shoulders.

He didn't give you time to say anything else, he took it upon himself to help you get used to him. He thrusted his hips up, creating more pain/pleasure that coursed through your body. It was a delicious stink, creating screams like moans that flowed off your tongue. His hips started off slow, obviously not that much of an asshole to completely overwhelm your senses. He placed one hand on our waist, going between hard thrusts and rolling his hips to try to ease the sting.

After a few thrusts though, you get used to his cock stuffing your cunt and you feel yourself getting eager. You start to move your hips a little with his, your hips going against his own hips because you were so cock hungry you couldn't help yourself. Your nails dug into his shoulders, leaving moon-shaped cuts along them. Your head threw itself back, letting Daryl fuck you harshly as you just enjoyed the ride. You would be surprised if your moans didn't attract walkers or raiders... they were almost screams at this point.

"Gonna fuck the dumb slut out of you... huh?" He started, moving his hand up to your hair and pulling it down to look at him. "Ain't that right... gonna fuck this pussy until that stupid little brain of yours start working.."

His hand in your hair forced you to look at him, his eyes blown out as he fucked your cunt so harshly, you couldn't help but drool. You shook slightly, something inside you snapped as you watched him huff and puff. Your hips suddenly had a mind of their own, they start rolling against his roughly, your eyes on his the entire time as you fuck yourself on his cock. You couldn't help it, your stomach burned and your cunt ached as you so badly wanted to get off. Your thrusts were rough, overpowering daryls at this point.

Daryl was taken back by this action, his hips starting to slow down as you created your own pace and your own way of fucking him. Daryl's hands rested on your hips though, helping you set a pace that felt good for the both of you but also let you take complete control. He never knew how pretty you could be, I mean of course he thought you were hot as fuck but he would never describe you as pretty... until now. The way you took him deep inside of you, the way your cunt clenched around him... maybe those were factors of why his view of you changed but maybe it went further than that.

Your thighs burned, your cunt ached, and your frustration grew. You so desperately wanted to get off, so your thrust was all over the place. You would start harder and deeper then your stamina would weaken, your thrusts turning slow and drawn out. It felt like it was happening on a loop, your frustration getting the best of you. Daryl's hands do a decent job setting your pace, but not enough to actually do anything. Daryl enjoyed this though, watching your frustration grow as you greedily tried to get off.

"Fuck... Daryl..." You groaned out, you couldn't even form words at this point. His cock hitting so deep inside you, it affects your speech. "please... I can't..."

Daryl grinned, hearing your pleas but basking in them. He brushed your hair from your face, loving the sight of your tears flowing down your face due to frustration and pleasure. He watched as you glistened in the moonlight, your skin beet red and your body soaked with sweat. Your hips slowed, still rocking back and forth but the pain in your hips felt unbearable now. You gave Daryl a pleading look, hoping he'd just be nice to you and give you what you wanted.

Daryl wasn't nice though, you knew this when you came into this. Daryl had disgusting things in mind for you, things that would leave you bruised and bloody. Daryl didn't know what nice was, especially when it came to fucking a "dumb slut". You fluttered your eyes at Daryl, your eyes telling him everything you wanted from him.

"What?" He asked, acting completely oblivious to what you wanted. "Can the dumb slut not get herself off? hmm..." He teased me.

You gulped down a comeback, afraid if you do he won't give you what you want. Daryl grinned, taking the hand in your hair and slowly moving it to your throat until it was wrapped around it. He gripped it hard, bringing your face down to meet him as he applied pressure to it.

"You are really that fucking stupid huh... Jesus christ." He spit out, watching you squirm above him, his cock still nestled deep inside you. "Fucking useless.."

You loved every second of his torment, of his degradation, of his anger. In one swift moment, Daryl threw you down onto the rough tent floor. You moaned softly, his cock being yanked out of your mouth and leaving you empty. Daryl wasn't done, he grabbed you roughly and set you on your hands and knees.

"I gotta do everything for you... too fucking stupid to do anything for yourself." He said, pushing your back down as he held your ass up. "Can't even ride a fucking cock right..."

Daryl rubbed your ass gently, watching you grip the blanket that was laid down for a makeshift bed. He dragged his fingers down your slit, feeling your throbbing cunt but dragging them back up to your ass. He could get off right now, cumming all over your back and drenching you with cum, seeing you like this just did that to him. He laid his hand flat down on your ass, putting it back high and then slamming it down on your bare ass.

You gasped, being shot forward as he spanked you. You weren't expecting it, the pain of the smack shooting through your veins and suddenly you wanted him to do it again. Never in your sexual life have you ever been spanked or slapped or degraded, it was something you could get used to. Daryl placed his hand on the red print on your ass, rubbing it softly as he watched your reaction to it. He knew it was foreign to you and he wanted to make sure you didn't have any objections to what he was doing. He leaned down slowly, kissing behind your ear and whispering into your ear.

"Are ya' still okay? We can stop now..." He wanted to hurt you but in the most pleasant and consensual way.

You took a minute to get a response, not because you had any second thoughts about what was happening. No, the silence was because you knew this would change you forever. This wouldn't just be a crush anymore, it would be more real. Even if Daryl just wanted a quick fuck, you would look at him differently whether you wanted to or not. If he did just want a quick fuck, you would feel as though you have been led on... because you did like him, and if that's all he wanted then it would break your heart. You look up at Daryl, watching as he gives you soft kisses on your back and neck. Fuck it...

"Again...." You whispered out, his eyes surprised you even said anything. He thought he was being too much, that he was going too far. He had no idea you were enjoying this as much as he did...

You felt too good right now for him to stop now, your stomach completely tensed up and your cunt fluttered around nothing. You needed him in the most disgusting way possible Daryl didn't see a single twinkle of doubt in your eyes, you knew what you wanted and you wanted him to give it to you. Daryl smiled at you, not a shit-eating grin or that stupid smirk... an actual smile.

Daryl raised the hand on your ass again, bringing it down roughly on your ass. You shot forward again, feeling your cunt tighten around nothing once more. Daryl waited once again for you to come back to him before he did it once more. The smacks got faster and harder, each one sending more amounts of pleasure through your body and bringing you closer to the edge. Your moans only fueled the fire in the diary, wanting nothing more than to completely destroy you.

After a couple more smacks, Daryl lined himself up behind you. This time he would be a bit nicer, slowly inching himself in and letting your tight cunt adjust to him. He watched your mouth open slightly, eyes squeezed shut, hands gripping onto anything they could find. Daryl rubbed your back with his free hand, slowly pushing himself into you until he was completely inside of you. Each inch you took made your eyes roll into your eyes and your toes curl.

Daryl started his thrusts slowly, watched you come undone on his cock already and he was just getting started. He watched as the coil in your stomach snapped and felt it when your walls fluttered around him, your liquid coating his cock. He fucked you through your first orgasm, picking up his pace when you couldn't feel your cunt flutter around his cock anymore. Daryl was Edgar to cum but also to make you cum over and over until you couldn't say anything else but his name.

"Fuck... such a tight fucking pussy..." He moaned out, grabbing your hips and shoving them down on his cock. "Could fuck this thing all day.... use you like my own fucktoy."

You could feel another wave of pleasure hit you, the coil in your stomach tightening once again. Daryl was rough with his thrust now, shoving himself into you before pulling all the way back and then slamming back in. It felt so good, making your entire body feel like it was on fire in the most pleasant way. Suddenly, not even 2 minutes after your first orgasm... You felt the coil snap once again, soaking Daryl's cock for a second time.

Daryl didn't slow down, just went harder as you screamed out as you came... hard. He gripped your hips roughly, leaving bruises on them most likely. You went completely limp, allowing him to use you exactly in the way he wanted to. You were exhausted, after two orgasms only minutes away from each other and working on your third one...You were completely worn out and wanting nothing more than another orgasm. Daryl watched you go limp, your ass having to be held up by him now.

"Come on baby...." He moaned, grabbing your arms and pulling you flush against him. "Gonna make me cum... gonna cum all over that fucking pretty ass of yours..."

His words only make your cunt tighten around his cock. You were standing on your knees in front of him, your knees digging into the tent floor as your head leaned back on his shoulder. You looked up at him with tired eyes, face bright red and your eyes leaking tears. You watched his face contort every time he thrusted, his lip being brought between his teeth and his eyes fluttering closed. He was beautiful, every muscle of his stomach placed on your back, his cock deep inside you, and his face looked to be sculpted by gods themselves.

Daryl's moans got louder, his cock twitched slightly and you could feel he was close just by the way he gripped onto your arms. You tried your best to fuck yourself back onto him as his thrusts became sloppy, wanting to fuck him through his own orgasm. Daryl was so close, his bruising grip on your arms as he pulled you closer and closer to him. You were right there next to him, your third orgasm already coursing through your stomach as you so desperately tried to help get you both off.

"daryl..." was the only thing you could get out, the other dirty words you had in mind getting lost in your throat as a particularly harsh thrust caused the coil in your stomach to burst open.

You shook violently as you came once again on his cock but you could only enjoy it for only seconds before Daryl let go of your arms, causing you to fall harshly onto the tent floor. You groaned, your orgasm still coursing through your body as you felt the ache of being dropped on the floor. You looked back to see why Daryl had done what he did, seeing that he was stroking his cock roughly. You watched as he came on your ass and back, his O face looking like something from your dreams.

You couldn't be mad now, not that you were able to see him in his high. When he finished covering you in his cum, he collapsed next to you. He breathed heavily as if he had just run a marathon and all you could do was watch him in awe. You would touch yourself to the thought of him, but nothing could've prepared you for how pretty he looked while doing it. He was on another planet at this moment, not even in this world as he recovered from his orgasm.

"fuck..." He said, his voice raspy and thick with exhaustion. "You're gonna be a problem..."

Daryl knew he shouldn't have done this, he should've just let you leave.... he should've just told you to leave in the first place. He knew once he had you vulnerable, ass up and ready for him to fuck you... he wouldn't be able to resist. He knew you'd become like a drug to him, he wanted to continue to hate you and live both of your lives separately, away from each other. There was just something about you, something about you that not only made his cock twitch but his heart. He always had a soft spot for you, he hated it.

You were still on your knees, back covered in his cum and the top half of you smushed against the ground. You just watched him come down from his high, not responding to him as he slowly came to his senses. Daryl looks back over at you, seeing you in a very uncomfortable position and sticky...

"Here..." He said, sitting up and finding a discarded rag that was always in his tent.

You slowly sat up on your knees, taking the rag he had handed to you. You smiled, nodding softly as to thank him simply because your voice box was damn near broken from screaming. You reached behind you, taking the rag and wiping him off of you. Daryl started getting some blankets together to make a bed for the both of you, hoping that wasn't crossing a line for you... as if he didn't just fuck the shit out of you. You struggled to get the entirety of your back, Daryl noticed this as he was setting down blankets.

Without saying a word, Daryl took the rag from you and gently wiped your back off. You hummed softly as he did so, the warmth of his hands making you feel giddy once again. You wanted to say something, anything just to get him talking again. His voice always makes you feel right at home, even if most of the time he was a dickhead to you.

"You know.." You said, voice coming out as a whisper. "I've never done something like this before..."

You looked back at him, his eyes focused on your back as he tried to make sure you were cleaned all the way off. Daryl knew, he knew you were the innocent type, that's why he was so intrigued with you. He smirked softly up at you, seeing how messy your hair was and how your tears were now stained on your face created a deep lust inside of him.

"I know..." He responded, going back to cleaning your back.

"You know?" You asked, knowing you looked innocent but how could he tell you haven't been railed like this before?

Daryl chuckled softly, throwing the rag somewhere in the room when he was done and then smacking your thigh softly to tell you to move yourself. You did what he wanted, sitting on your butt as you watched what he wanted you to do next. Daryl bit his lip, tossing you one of his shirts that was going to be big on you. You assumed he wanted it for you.

"You never do what you're told... Lay down." He started, watching you lay down like he told you to do. He smirked softly before continuing. "and you have only been with skinny 20-year-olds who probably went to some college for rich assholes.."

Daryl pulls his own clothes on before lying down next to you. He wrapped a blanket around the two of you, letting you lay on his chest as he did so. What Daryl was saying was very true, you had never been with a man his age or really any man that acted like him. You weren't the adventurous type, you were okay with vanilla sex and scheduled quickies. It was easy that way, easier to explain the age gap, and easier to digest the PDA. You didn't know if you could go back to that now, after 3 mind-blowing orgasms and the delicious size of Daryl... you could see yourself chasing this for the rest of your life.

"Maybe... I'd like to... uh..." You started, sighing softly. "I'd like to do this again though... I think I want to do it with you many times."

Your words felt jumbled, not making any sense. Daryl knew though, he knew what you were saying even if your words felt confusing. Daryl rubbed your arm softly with his thumb, thinking about what a life with you would be like. Waking up every day to a naked young woman in his bed, soft skin, and doe eyes for the rest of his existence with you... Even if he could only have you in the bedroom, he would move the sun and stars just for it. He nodded softly, looking back down at you as you lulled yourself to sleep on his chest.

"Yeah... think I'd like that too," he whispered. 

[luv-unknwn]

Serene

daryl dixon x fem!reader

summary - ♡ you and daryl go on a run and things dont go entirely as planned....but in a good way

SMUT SMUT SMUT

a/n - ♡ ik this isnt that good i haven't slept and its almost 6 am so i aint editing it anywaysss, im watching the show for the first time rn and i just could NOT resist writing smth for daryl so enjoy!! 🤭

(changed the name cause i realized i forgot to change it so it didn't make sense pls)

"no- god damn it girl gon get us killed out here if you keep lookin round so much" daryl grabbed your wrist to pull you along the muddy trail, nearly falling on your ass from his fast pace. "keep up, quit draggin your feet"

"fuck off man its nice to get out of that damn prison sometimes and see the world even if it is filled with walkers and assholes like you" you snort, pushing forward so you're walking ahead of him. "besides, the slower i walk, the more time we spend together, and i know that you love hanging out with me so much, dont you, D?”

going on runs had become a favorite activity of yours, somehow even with daryl being such a grumpy gus, it was serene. walking through completely empty towns; the opposite of the now packed prison you were living in.

“oh come on, don’t pretend you don't love me” you giggle at daryl's annoyed look. you'd grown somewhat of a crush for daryl in the last months, as much as you wish you hadn't, it's been nice having something to focus on rather than the overwhelmingly loud but silent nights in the prison.

it was the simple head nods as you pass each other, and him asking specifically to take you on runs, always staying in front of you when something goes wrong. those were the things that really fueled this crush, which carol had pointed out to you. you'd honestly always thought there was something going on with those two but when she asked you about how close you and daryl had gotten she assured you they were only best friends.

“ain't got time for your wanderin today girl, lets go-” a twig snaps to your left. “get behind me”

the walker stumbles out from the trees grunting, growling, and drooling toward daryl before he shoots an arrow right into his left eye. not so aware of your surroundings a walker comes out of the trees behind you grabbing onto you, you fight against its hold. just as you get a hand free to reach for your knife, daryl shoots the walker and it falls loudly to the ground.

“-shit” you gasp in big breaths of air. you reach for daryl's arm grabbing hold for stability, “thanks, D.”

“‘course, won't let nothin’ bad happen to you” you practically melt at his words and the vulnerable look in his eyes when he says it, like he's telling you an important secret he's never told anyone else.

you're so close you can feel the heat coming off his body as your eyes move from his to his mouth. never wanting something so bad in your entire life.

he's pulling away before you can even think to move toward him.

“best keep goin ‘fore it gets dark” his words are dismissive, completely ignoring the clear sparks flying between the two of you just seconds ago.

“right, you're right” clearing your throat a bit awkwardly, you speed up so you're walking ahead of him, trying to focus as hard as you can just on the task at hand.

the first few houses you search were pretty much empty save for a can of beans. the next one however had an entire cabinet filled with things you could take back to the prison, but not before you and daryl have a few snacks to refuel for the trip back.

“maybe we should stay the night here? we can hit a few houses on the way back in the morning, it's getting late and i dont wanna be walkin’ back in the dark” you suggest to daryl from the living room of the house.

“‘kay, lets find some blankets n stuff we'll camp out in here” daryl's voice is right behind you when he speaks, startling you from looking at broken picture frames of the family who used to be here.

you managed a makeshift bed on the floor with the few blankets and pillows you found in the bedrooms. you and daryl now laying there staring quietly up at the ceiling.

“were-” daryl starts to say something but stops before he can even get the first word out.

“what is it, D?” you whisper, turning your body so you're laying on your side facing him.

“were you gonna kiss me earlier?” daryl's uncharacteristically hesitant voice whispers into the quiet room.

the air in the room is suddenly thicker than before and the closeness of you and daryl seems almost too close.

“was i- was i gonna kiss you? i mean i don't know you were so close and just you know it's not like i meant t-” you're cut off by daryl suddenly pressing his lips against yours gently, staying unmoving for a few seconds until your brain catches up with you enough for you to kiss back.

the kiss deepens when you reach your hands around his neck to pull him impossibly closer to you, his own hands sliding down from your cheeks to your shoulders to your hips.

“daryl i- i need you,” you whisper against his lips when you pull away a bit for air.

he pulls back farther to look into your eyes.

“you sure ‘bout this?” his voice is genuine, even as his hands are already under your shirt going farther up until he reaches your bra, stilling there while he waits for your answer.

“yes, please daryl” you'd be lying if you said you hadn't thought about this many times. daryle above you while you're begging for him.

the moment the words left your mouth he was sitting you up to pull your shirt over your head, quickly reconnecting your lips with a moan so low it could have been a growl.

daryl pulled away to reach around you and unhook your bra, letting it fall between you.

“fuck,” he sighed, letting his head fall to your shoulder at the sight of how perfectly your boobs fell naturally.

seconds later you were pushing his vest off and pulling his shirt over his head, throwing it across the room and leaning down to kiss over his muscular shoulders. daryl's hands fell to your boobs while you left reddish-purple spots all over his throat and shoulders.

“lemme get these off baby” he was already unbuttoning your jeans when you rose to your knees to help him pull them down off your ass, sitting back on the floor so he could pull them and your shoes completely off. he was feeling up and down your soft legs, the way he was squeezing your thighs making your core tighten around nothing. “so pretty f'me.”

daryl's hands trailed up your legs to the soft cotton of your panties, he groaned when his rough fingertips grazed the wet spot leaking through them.

“lift ya pretty legs honey” he grunts out, when you listen he pulls your panties down your legs. the cool air of the room hitting your wetness makes you whimper quietly. “s'even prettier than i imagined,”

daryl pushes your knees farther apart to get a better look at you before he bring a finger up to graze your wet entrance, sliding it up to press gentle circles against your clit, making you gasp from the stimulation.

“god that feels good, please don't stop” you're whining when he finally pushes two fingers into you, starting a steady pace while keeping his thumb on your clit moving quicker each second. you're an absolute moaning mess below him, your back arching against him.

“y'like that sweetheart? like how m'fingers feel inside you, yea? y’gonna cum f’me baby?” his words are only pushing you closer and closer to the edge, your legs shaking around his hand.

“fuck- shit you're g-” you cut yourself off with a louder moan when he quickens the pace of his fingers, “s’good at this”

“c'mon baby, cum f'me, all over my fingers. thats right, good girl.” his words are what push you over the edge, the filthy words mixed in with his gentle praise has you shaking as you ride the intense waves of your orgasm. “such a good girl f'me”

when your breathing starts to slow back to a normal pace you feel daryl pull his fingers out of you and being them up to his lips, sucking your juices off his own fingers.

“that was- wow” you saw still trying to catch your breath, legs not fully stopped shaking either. before daryl can say anything else you're reaching for his belt to undo it.

“no, s'alright. wanted to make you feel good, go to sleep” he says grabbing your t-shirt and pulling it over your head.

“but-”

“nah if ya really feelin’ up for it, in the mornin’ you can, but we gotta get some sleep tonight” daryl leans over and kisses your forehead and pulls you down to lay on his chest.

and that's exactly how you woke up in the morning, cuddled up on the floor, clothes thrown around the room, hickies everywhere.

[sourpatchys]

Title: Warm Showers

Rating: fluff! 15+

Word count: 1.6k

Setting: The early days of Alexandria

Summary: Daryl Dixon isn’t afraid of anything. At least— he’s not afraid of anything physical. However the thought of belonging, that chills him to his core.

Basically! My friend asked me if I could write up something fluffy regarding Daryl’s lack of hygiene in Alexandria, and I simply couldn’t resist.

_

The first night you were able to sleep in your own bed was one you cherished more than anything.

Never in your life did you think a mattress could, or would ever, make you feel so utterly blissful. The soft sheets against your newly cleaned skin felt like heaven.

Of course, you weren’t alone. Daryl had stayed with you.

Your relationship with the archer was never a spoken fact, neither of you confirmed or denied your closeness to one another.

You supposed it started after the prison fell, maybe even before that. When he saw you were alive, with nothing more than a few nicks and bruises— he ran to you.

Of course he ran to Carol as well, but Carol didn’t get a tearful kiss on the forehead.

The one and only kiss the two of you had ever shared.

Even sleeping right next to one another, your lips never met, not each others, and not the skin between.

It was nice in a way, having someone all to yourself with no expectations. Especially being on the road as you were.

Every night, he sat by you until you fell asleep, and every morning he was there— ready to start the day with you.

He had held your hand on the way into Alexandria, dangling his dead possum in the other. You supposed he’d always been a bit feral.

The first few nights, you hadn’t showered. You were too afraid of having to leave again, you didn’t trust the water, you didn’t trust the food, you weren’t even sure if you could trust yourself.

Once rick had given the go ahead however, you took him at his word, and finally, even a bit reluctantly, you dropped your guard.

It had been a few days since then. And you didn’t know being a person could feel so good.

The hot water seared through your skin like cotton, the food felt like a warm hug, and you— for better or for worse, felt like you again. Albeit a different version of you, but it was still, undeniably, you.

Daryl however, wasn’t adjusting. Even as he slept next to you, his mind never stopped racing. His clothes stayed dirty, his food was only what he could find, and he wasn’t sure who he was supposed to be. Let alone how he should feel.

Sleeping next to you was the only thing that kept him there. Knowing you would wake up in the morning, with the same warm skin and glowing eyes as always— that’s what he looked forward too— that was his reason to live.

He didn’t need to understand himself, he didn’t need to feel a certain way, because he had you by his side, alive and breathing.

Slipping into bed that night, he felt you tense, and he heard a sharp nervous breath come through your lips.

“Why haven’t you showered yet?”

It was a question at the forefront of your mind, you knew why you took so long, you knew it was an adjustment. You wanted to know his reasoning though, if he even had one. Surely he felt that same itch under his skin that you had felt, that need to be clean but the fear of losing what you’d come to know.

He turned his head to you, his narrow eyes holding something you couldn’t place.

“Don’ need to.”

It was a very simple answer to an otherwise very complex question.

You turned your body on its side, curling up into yourself, your head flush against the soft cotton of the pillows.

“Are you afraid?”

Even with your relationship developing past more than just an average friendship, this was the first time, in all your time together, that you had ever pried into his mind.

Usually, if he wanted you to know something, he’d just tell you. He trusted you in a way he’d never felt with anyone else. But after Beth’s death, he stopped sharing. You really couldn’t help but voice your questions out loud anymore, otherwise you’d be in the dark forever.

He scoffed, turning his head away from you, a visible frown on his face.

“Ain’t afraid of nothin’.”

He was. And you knew that. He was afraid of being alone, yet afraid of being a part of something at the same time.

“I— I could help. I’ll scrub your back if you scrub mine?” You let out a nervous laugh, your humor was never in good taste.

You didn’t get an answer. His eyes just stared at the ceiling, counting any crack or imperfection he could find. In truth, he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t cleaned himself.

At the beginning, he felt that same distrust that you had, that same fear of the unknown.

But now that everyone was adjusting, now that everyone had a job— even him. He just didn’t understand himself.

He could make a snippy remark about how he’d just get dirty again, he could snap at you and curse you for being too trusting too soon. But he didn’t want to.

Maybe a part of him just didn’t want to be vulnerable. The thought of himself enjoying hot water, enjoying fresh home cooked meals— while everyone else was out being productive— protecting what you’d found. It genuinely made him sick to his stomach.

Why hadn’t he showered?

He was afraid. He didn’t want to belong, he didn’t feel like he deserved to belong. He had to protect. Caring for himself didn’t fit into that role.

So after he was done searching the ceiling for answers, he turned to you again.

“M’ fine with that.”

Your eyes widened a bit, searching his for a moment.

“Fine with what?”

“You helpin’.”

If he was going to be vulnerable— he would only ever do it with you.

The trip to the shower was a strange one. You never expected your attempts at humor to get you anywhere in this world— but there you were— sneaking around the house with a man made of stone.

The two of you (just you) had decided a bath was the easiest way to go about it. Even with the hot water being limited during the day, you couldn’t imagine anyone else would be bathing at this hour. And you weren’t sure if the steady stream of the shower would hold its temperature long enough for the task at hand.

For a moment, you had tried to turn around, attempting to give the archer his privacy as he undressed— but it was quickly shadowed by the realization that you’d have to see him in the tub anyways.

The scars on his back were visible to you for a few seconds before he plopped himself in the warm water, leaning against the back wall. You decided to store that particular memory for another time, you’d asked enough questions for one night.

Your thoughts were soon interrupted by a very familiar gruff voice.

“You commin’?”

Daryl was leaning against the back of the tub with his knees raised and his arms on either side— he had made room for you.

You couldn’t help the surprised noise you made as you pointed to yourself in disbelief.

“Me?”

“You said you’d scrub me down— so hop to it then.”

__

The whole ordeal had become routine. You really couldn’t say you minded.

While being alone was nice, you’d become accustom to being in a pack of several— and now, it was a pack of two. You were alone together, even on your most vulnerable moments.

Every night, once everyone had gone to bed, the two of you would sneak away to bask in the hot, cotton like water. And once finished, Daryl would let you brush his hair, and you’d sneak right back into bed.

Carol had noticed the change. She had asked you how you’d managed to get him to shower, cracking a joke about how she was debating downing him with a hose.

You just laughed along, not giving her an answer. No one needed to know about your nightly exchange.

Tonight was no different than any other. The scratchy, but soft, soapy rag dragged along your skin. The rose scented suds carving their way down your body by the second as the hot, blissful water rained down on your bodies.

This was what heaven felt like— you were sure of it.

Rinsing out your own rag, you turned to grab another, sudding it up with the charcoal scented body wash sat by the faucet. You’d suggested that soap for Daryl after he made a remark of ‘not wanting to smell like petunias’, he seemed to enjoy it.

Raising your rag covered hand, you brought it up to his chest, taking your time cleaning any nook and cranny you managed to find. He had been building a bike from scratch, and as you were starting to learn, motor oil was not a quick and easy wash.

Daryl hummed at your touch, his own, newly cleaned hands, coming up to massage shampoo into your tangled hair.

The hair washing, would always be your favorite.

Drying off after the shower was always the same ordeal. You would put on fresh pajamas, and Daryl would put on his same shirt from the day before with a fresh pair of boxers. You’d given him grief over washing his clothes— but he wasn’t budging in that regard just yet. You decided it wasn’t worth the hassle as long as his skin was clean going into them.

And then finally, you both plopped into the freshly made bed. The silk sheets always gave you chills, their cool caress sending shockwaves up your spine. He seemed to feel the same.

Tonight should’ve been like any other night.

Tonight was like any other night.

Apart from the feeling of scruff against your freshly washed face, and chapped lips brushing against yours.

You decided then and there, you were definitely in love.

[ghostboneswrites2]

Could you maybe write something about Daryl with a reader who’s similar to him and has also experienced physical abuse from their father and they just comfort each other and bond over their scars please

Reminders

Note: My laptop cord broke so forgive any formatting errors :( I toyed with a. Few ideas for this but settled on prison era Daryl with non established relationship fem reader. Def some chemistry, but nothing established. Enjoy!

Warnings: mentions of past abuse, light profanity

        Daryl squinted in the sun as he chewed on a freshly picked tomato from the garden. The prison yard was busy, buzzing with activity as people focused on their tasks and socialized amongst themselves. He watched them, studied them. It was new territory for him to feel so important yet so alienated at the same time. Sure, the alienation was mostly his own doing, as he wasn’t much of a social butterfly. He considered himself to be more of a moth, fluttering around on his own in the dark, avoiding the sun. Still, with so many people relying on him and admiring him, it felt unnatural to just walk up to somebody and chat about mundane things as if the world were still turning at its normal pace.

        Then, his eyes found you. He never knew what to make of you. You were new — even fresher than the ex-Wooburians. He was the one who found you alone in the forest, yet he had never had a full conversation with you. You were timid and rough on the exterior, never keeping eye contact with anyone unless the sole purpose was intimidation. They almost didn’t let you stick around. It wasn’t until you had a one-on-one with Hershel, where he found you were not all bad, that he talked the rest of the council into keeping you around.

        You proved yourself pretty useful, too. You knew a thing or two about gardening crops, you were good with knives and guns, and you were fast. You were never afraid to do what needed to be done, even if it put your own life at risk. You were sent on a lot of runs for that purpose. With people like you and Daryl out on those runs, casualties were few if any. You were both natural protectors.

         Some of the kids had taking a liking to you, namely Carl and Mika. You liked them, too, if for different reasons. Carl was strong, and he had an understanding for the world and it’s workings. He impressed you. Mika was sweet, and even if she seemed to sweet for the world, you knew there was a part of her that had potential. She was sure to figure things out, maybe even kick some serious ass one day.

        All that aside, Daryl couldn’t read you. Or, maybe he could, and that was the problem. He wasn’t willing to accept how similar the two of you may have been. Hell, he had barely accepted that maybe, somewhere inside him, he was as good as any of these people chattering around him. 

        “Stare any harder and you’ll melt a hole through her head.” Carol’s voice pulled his gaze away from you. He glared at her.

        “Wha’d’ya mean?” 

        “Oh, come on. You’ve been watching her every move this morning.” She nudged her shoulder against his. “Why don’t you just go talk to her?”

       “Hm.” He grunted with a shrug. “Ain’t like that.”

       “Why not? She’s cute.” Carol persisted. “She’s like you, but pretty. You’d get along.” She teased.

        “Pfft.” He tutted. “She ain’t like me.” 

        “Whatever.” She chuckled. 

        Days would go by where he’d watch you from a distance in between his own tasks. It wasn’t that you didn’t notice or feel his eyes dancing over your skin. It was just that you didn’t know how to react or respond. Daryl wasn’t an ugly man by any stretch of the imagination, and unlike him, you could read him all too well because there was something about him that you recognized in yourself and you were willing to accept that similarity. 

        You snuck your glances in, too. You’d watch from the corner of your eye as his hands gripped the steering wheel on a run, or you’d allow your vision to follow him as he stalked through the gates and into the trees to hunt. You often wondered if he really cared to hunt or if he just wanted to get away. Probably both.

        All in all, it was a sad case of two idiots who couldn’t see past their own insecurities and fears far enough to make a move. And it stayed that way, longer than it should have. 

        One night, when the air was particularly hot and thick with humidity, and he got tired of flipping around on his cot trying to find a cool spot on the sheet, Daryl went outside for a smoke. The prison was fast asleep, save for him, and apparently you. He was about halfway through his cigarette when he noticed a small orange light on the other side of the yard. It would move up and down every so often. He quickly realized it was the cherry of another cigarette. 

        He couldn’t make out who it was in the darkness, nor could he think of anyone else he’d ever seen smoking. So, he strolled across the grounds and decided to make himself known, so that the other smoker could be known to him. Somehow he was shocked to know it was you.

        “Hey.” Your soft voice said casually, not offering even a glance in his direction. You were leaning one shoulder against the chain link fence, watching the quiet forest on the other side.

        “Didn’t know ya smoked.” He commented, gluing his eyes to the tree line as well.

        “Found the ones I like on our last run. Had to grab ‘em.” You shrugged, taking a long drag and enjoying the cooling menthol as it coated your throat.

        “Which ones?” He asked. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

        Instead of telling him, you just held up the pack. 

        “Didn’t take ya for the menthol type.” He mumbled. You sent a quick glance his way.

        “What kind would you take me for, then?” You wondered. 

        “Mm-mm.” He shrugged. “Marlboros. The gold pack.” 

         “Ew.” You chuckled. “I’m a Camel Crush girl, through and through. You?” 

        “Don’t matter.” He admitted. “Just the strong ones.” 

        You nodded and hummed and allowed the silence to creep in. You two stood that way for a few minutes, the only sounds being the noises of puffing and exhaling over a symphony of crickets and night critters. 

        “Why Crush?” He finally asked. “Why not just menthol?”

        “I like having choices.” You said simply. 

        A slight breeze picked up and chilled your sweaty skin. You wore nothing but a tank and shorts, given the boiling temperatures inside. You ran a hand over your arm to combat the chill. His eyes instinctively flickered to the movement and focused on your hand first, then the flesh beneath. Where he expected to find smooth skin, he instead found a rough terrain of keloid scars. 

        He had never noticed them before because your sleeves always covered them.

        “What happened?” He asked. 

        “What?” You looked over to him and realized he was looking at your arms. Your hand impulsively moved and covered the ugly reminders of your past. “Oh. Nothing good.” You said vaguely.

        “Mm.” He nodded, wondering if it was the same kind of bad things that left him with his own scars. 

        “Shit.” You mumbled, realizing that small gust of wind blew the cherry off your cigarette. “Got a light? I used my last match for this.” 

        Wordlessly, he dug in his pocket and handed you his zippo. You lit your cigarette back up and passed his lighter back. More silence followed before he broke it again. 

        “Was it your mom or your dad?” He bravely questioned. 

        Your eyes darted to him harshly, but they softened. You considering not answering him, but decided there wasn’t much of a reason not to.

        “Neither. It was my step dad.” You confessed.

         “My dad was a dick too.” He related.

         “Mine wasn’t. His replacement was.” You sighed.

        “Mm. Merle — my brother — usually just ran away.”

         “From what?”

         “My dad.” He said quietly. 

         “Was your dad like my step-dad?” You asked.

         “Mm.” He nodded. 

         “What was his poison?”

          “Whiskey.” 

        “Oh. Mine liked meth.” You admitted. “Must be a stepdad thing.”

        “Nah.” He shook his head. “Just an asshole thing.” 

        “Sounds right.” You huffed a fry laugh. “Your daddy mark you up like me?”

        “Why?” 

        “How else would you know someone else did this to me?”

        “Oh.” He nodded. “Yeah.”

        “I’m sorry to hear it.” You sympathized the best you could.

        “Don’t matter. It’s in the past.”

        “Yeah, I tell myself that, too, but… It’s hard to leave the past where it belongs when you’re covered in reminders. Tryin’ to hide ‘em all the damn time.” 

        “Yeah.” He agreed. “Maybe they’re just there to remind us we survived.”

        You held onto his sentiments, toying with the phrase, spinning it around in your mind and locking it into memory.

         “One way to put it, I suppose.” 

        “It’s the only way to put it. Only way to move on.” He argued. You took the last drag off your smoke before tossing it. Your eyes caught his and stayed there for some time before you offered a soft smile. 

         “See ya around, Dixon.”

[norman-fucking-reedus]

high late night thought but I have this crazy idea about the reader making Daryl a multifunctional wooden crossbow and its frying my brain

It happened as the two of you were making your way back to your campsite after a long day of splashing and hand catching fish in the lake, Daryl nudged your shoulder with his and pointed to a deer. “M’gon get it” He whispered, already aimming his crossbow.

You turned your head briefly, checking to see where Dog had wondered off too when you heard what sounded like elastic snapping, followed by Daryl’s very frantic cursing.

“What happened?!” When you whipped around, Daryl was already crouched around the bow as he made an attempt to fix it. You got next to him to try and see what was wrong. “It didn’t fire like it was supposed ta… Hold tha part” Your fingers pinched the piece he pointed at, watching as his hands slightly trembled as he tried to re string the bow to the actual trigger, you holding down the piece that clamps the trigger into place.

Snap.

Daryl held up the fully broken string, feeling his heart break along with it.

“Fuck, I’m sorry Daryl” You whispered as you placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, once again trying to jam the string ends back into place but to no avail, only further damaging the weapon. He exhaled in frustration. “I’ve had this damned thing since I was a teenager, it was tha’ first thing Merle ever got fer me” Daryl mumbled, rolling the thick bowstring in his hands. His chest hurt and there was a small lump building in his throat.

You stared down at the crossbow, analyzing it’s shape before carefully picking it up to take a better look at the mechanics. “C’mon. We can figure something out handsome”

It took you a few months to figure something out.

Over that time period, Daryl was absolutely crushed.

He was visibly upset, snapping and yelling at anyone who talked to him, on one occasion at Judith, but he quickly apologized.

It was obvious to everyone that Daryl’s crossbow was of extreme sentimental value, and it would take time for him to heal. Carol had offered to teach him how to use a standard bow, only to be dismissed with an agitated “I used a goddamn bow ‘nd arrow before”

Daryl was frustrated with nobody but himself, frustrated that the countless times he’s had to fix the thing, he couldn’t do it one more time.

You spent the first half of the first month studying how all the strings worked and the mechanisms of the weapon in general. It wasn’t complicated, especially when you started to pick stuff apart. You spent the other half brainstorming and designing ideas for a more sturdier and functional crossbow, trying to stay calm as you watched Daryl intimidatingly stalk around the community. You felt bad knowing you both blamed yourselves, even though it was neither one of yours fault.

You got lucky in the second month, when you and Carol had gotten lost in the woods, and your only flashlight stopped working.

You just couldn’t keep it to yourself anymore, “I’m trying to make Daryl a new crossbow” You blurted out as the two of you stopped walking. Carol turned to you in the dark, striking a match as she did. “That’s nice, how’s it goin?” She smiled softly at your eye roll. “I just don’t know exactly to build it, let alone design” You scoffed, kicking a rock. You weren’t some kind of handyman, but it made busied your mind to have something to build or deconstruct. “Well, we’re in the forest. Why not get some wood?” Carol struck another match, your eyes flickering towards the sound, watching the stick ignite into flames. You nodded, smiling absently as you followed her.

When you got home, you dropped the logs and rummaged through the drawers, grabbing a box of matches and speed walking over to your drawing pad.

You pulled the crossbow out from where you kept it, placing it on the table and quickly walking back to snatch up the logs.

There was more than enough to make a decent amount of arrows, and to try creating a new piece to properly re-string the previously broken one, plopping down into a chair as you started to pick apart the weapon, creative thoughts beginning to flow.

You used your large knife to chop and carve the wood, occasionally nicking yourself or cutting just a little too much off. You took breaks inbetween to draw out ideas, standing up to get a better look before sitting back down, scribbling on the paper or dragging the sharp blade down a wooden piece.

By the third month, you were gluing and securing down new parts and pieces, following a vision in your head.

The crossbow has its original black structure, a small piece of wood right behind the formerly faulty trigger to help it fire once more. You had taken off the head in previous months, not sure what to do with it until recently, picking up the separate piece and turning it around in your hands. The idea of multi function flooded your head, staring down at the arched part and back at the structure as you already busied yourself with mending and bending metal.

You had to re-string and re-wire a few sections, standing up for a test run every so often as you worked vigorously. You were proud of yourself for being able to fix the trigger itself, however this was an even greater fix. You rose to your feet and slid the weapons end over your shoulder, aimming before firing. The string cracked forward as the arrow shot out, and you pulled it back into it’s wooden place, firing one more arrow.

You smiled softly to yourself for being able to fix it, and moved to once more pop the bows head off, only this time setting the structure down and holding it put in front of you, pulling the string back with your fingers and releasing, arrow flying to join the others. “Damn I outdo myself everyday” You pumped a fist in the air as you moved to yank the three arrows from out of the wall.

The head snapped easily back into place, along with the string. You added the dozen wooden sticks you had carved into various sized arrows into the crossbows original holder, staring down at weapon for any overlooked mistakes or potential last minute details. The matchbox briefly crossed your mind.

“Where’s Daryl?” You squinted your eyes and shielded them from the sun, glancing up at Aaron. “Said he was going out. Didn’t wanna push” The man shrugged and you nodded, thanking him for his help before going back to your house to put your gear on.

As you walked out the gates, newly modified crossbow slung around your shoulder, you couldn’t help but wink at your friends prying eyes.

Part of you wasn’t even sure where Daryl would be if not hunting out the woods, but then you realized he wouldn’t go anywhere but the woods.

Your feet led you back to your old campsite, where your heart soared as you spotted faint but very much footprints, following them with your knife drawn closely by your side. The prints were leading you to the lake, and at first you thought maybe you followed old prints, however held your breath when you finally spotted Daryl sitting on the edge of the water. You approached carefully, trying your best to keep the weapon concealed.

“Quit followin’ me” Daryl mumbled when you were standing behind him. You sat next to him, crossbow behind the two of you as you stared out into the water, then at Daryl. He simply looked at ground while digging a small hole with a rock, choosing to remain silent in your presence. It comforted him a little, and he spared a quick glance at you, head snapping upwards. “You- Did you-“ You placed the bow into his lap, fighting your smile as he carefully picked it up and analyzed it. “Why… How’d ya fix it?” He whispered, fingers caressing the wooden chunks and the bow head itself. “I’m sorry it took so long” You mumbled but Daryl shook his head. “Who cares? Ya still fixed it ‘nd then some!” His eyes sparkled as he was already positioning it onto his shoulder, aimming at a nearby tree and whooping at the sound of the string cracking and the arrow flying.

When he noticed the string out of it’s place however, he frowned. “It’s broke” You chuckled, taking the weapon from him and angling it so he could watch you. “It’s got lots of new feats. Bow and arrow good sir?” You popped off the head and handed it him, laughing at his stunned look. Daryl held the arch out in front of him and pulled the string back, sending an arrow next to the previous one. He whipped his head back around, eyes catching your fingers as they fiddled with a red stripe in the middle of the structure, right where the arrow goes. “I haven’t tested this myself” You whispered as you showed Daryl how to properly snap the head back on before rising to your feet.

“Ain’t a self-destruct is it?” Daryl stretched as he stood next to you, moving to yank the few strays out the tree. You shook your head, sliding one of your wooden arrows out the holder and bringing it to the stripe, quickly dragging it across and sliding it into position, flames licking the arrows head. Daryl whistled as it fired into a tree, fire still burning until it wasn’t. “Damn girl. I ain’t ever lettin’ ya get away” Daryl stepped into your space, one hand grabbing your waist and the other relieving you of the heavy weapon, slinging it over his shoulder. “Nice strap” He snorted, glancing down at the magneta shoulder strap replacing his black one. You softly kissed his lips, smiling as your hands rested against his chest. “How else will I identify you, huntermam?” His hands on your waist pulled you closer, thumbs rubbing circles into the skin. Daryl looked and felt much more like himself, an easy smile resting on his lips, his crossbow once again slung over his shoulder, and his woman warm under the touch of his hands.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

its 3 am and im fucking high as fuck guys live laugh love actually who’s down for a stoner reader fic thats sounds so fire

｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★

[pastanest]

Daryl Dixon x she/her!reader

A/N: look at me going back to my roots! thank you ever so much to the lovely @noldorinpainter for giving me my first commission!! I really hope you love it! ♡

info on my commissions can be found here, or you can always drop me a message if you’re unsure of anything! :) 

Fateful Night

The smile on your face would be considered contagious, were anyone else roaming the streets of Alexandria at this time of night. There’s a spring in your step as your hands tap idly against the strap of your satchel across your front, excitement bursting at the seams just a little more with every step you take towards your destination. The path you walk and your intended plans for the rest of the night are both routine practices for you by now, you’re almost certain you could walk this route with your eyes closed.

Though he isn’t close enough to you yet for you to hear him speak, the words you know he’d say if he were close enough to hear your thoughts float through your mind like a soft gust of wind.

“Try walkin’ anywhere with yer eyes closed ‘n’ ya’ll slam into yer own front door, ‘n’ then I’ll be the one carryin’ yer ass to the infirmary.”

Suddenly, you are walking even faster.

By the time your hand reaches to push the hatch above you at the very top of the watchtower, you’re convinced the smile on your face is a permanent fixture.The hand that reaches for yours to help you climb the last rungs of the ladder enters your vision first, then the stubbled cheeks either side of a shy smile that its holder is trying his very best to hide under the shadow of his shaggy hair, before his other hand reaches to steady you at your waist as you stand in front of him.

Beaming up at your heart’s destination, stationed very coincidentally in your duty’s destination, you breathe a deep sigh of relief at the sight of him. “Evenin’ handsome!”

Scoffing bashfully, Daryl drops your hand and waist, strolling over to the edge of the tower and slumping down to dangle his legs in the night sky. “Yer late.”

You roll your eyes at the perfect waves at the back of his head. “Yeah, yeah, I know, but for good reason!”

Practically skipping over to him, you drop to the floor and kick your legs over the edge beside his, bringing your satchel to your lap. Feeling his infamous side-eye on you, you open the bag slowly for dramatic effect, taking your time in revealing the tupperware filled with chocolate chip cookies. Continuing your theatrics, you make a grand gesture of dropping the box onto Daryl’s lap.

“Special delivery from Carol!” 

Daryl huffs, feigning disapproval at your peace offering and already coming up with his next sassy remarks as he pops the lid of the tupperware and stuffs the first cookie in his mouth.

“Jus’ ‘cause I’m eatin’ this don’t mean I forgibe you.” He comments, crumbs flying from his lips with his slurred words.

At first, when you reach for a cookie, Daryl pretends to snatch the box from you, but the pretend-shock on your face brings that same soft smile back to his face as he offers you the tupperware.

Taking a cookie, your gaze stays locked with his, and you nudge his shoulder with yours. “Oh, little bird, I know you do.”

“...Shut up.” He grumbles shyly, voice gruff as ever but laced with a tenderness only you can detect.

Settling into the silence, the two of you stare out into the night, at the tree tops that neither of you can ever truly reach, but daydream about flying over together. Though it is yet to be determined whether Daryl Dixon truly is telepathic,, you are convinced that the moment you are close enough for him to see you, he can read your thoughts clearer than you can read the words behind his eyes that he never quite knows how to say. 

Absentmindedly, your head falls against his shoulder. An echo of the grin that was previously on your face lingers between warm cheeks, unable to withhold the simultaneous giddiness and inner peace that your best friend’s presence provides. So often you find yourself itching to probe his mind, ask him what he thinks about anything and everything, the most random things in the world that don’t matter at all, but his opinion on them and the further insight into him that provides is worth its weight in gold to you. 

Consequently, it’s never long before you break any silence you share.

“Do you ever think about the day we met?” You ask him, smile already widening at the thought. Despite how terrifying certain aspects of the ordeal were, his involvement covers even the worst in sugar. 

“Sometimes.” Daryl answers. “D’you?”

You nod, brushing his shoulder. “Yeah, sometimes.” Hearing his gentle, unspoken question to elaborate, you continue. “I think about how crazy it is that you saved my life that day, a total stranger, and how that has led to moments like this. I can never wrap my head around that.”

Daryl laughs softly. “Is pretty crazy.”

You chuckle with him. “Yeah.” Another second of comfortable silence passes before you speak up again. “What do you think, when you think about the day we met?”

Daryl considers this question and his answer carefully. He debates whether to give a heartfelt, sincere response, or whether to poke the bear. Considering the smirk on his face that is just out of your line of sight, he already knows the answer.

“That yer the same short ass now as ya were then.”

Lifting your head from his shoulder, you meet his gaze with an expression that he treasures. Jaw dropped, pure mischief and shock etched in your every feature. You let it linger, lull him into a false sense of security, and then you strike. Tickling him mercilessly until he’s giggling like a schoolgirl, you end up leaning over him as he falls to his back on the watchtower floor, your legs and his still dangling in the open air, the tupperware of cookies safely pushed out of the warzone. 

“Alright, alright- damn, woman! I surrender!” He pleads for his life in between gasps and the loudest laughs anyone could hope to bring from a man like Daryl Dixon.

Settling back into a calm, seated position, like you had not just offloaded a truly brutal attack on your favorite person, you clasp your hands out in front of you to click your fingers in a boastful gesture of your victory over a man that could kick your ass if he was blindfolded, handcuffed, shirtless, and- wait, where was this train of thought going?

“What’re you thinkin’ about, crazy girl?” Daryl asks as he catches his breath and sits up beside you.

And you have never been more grateful that he is not actually telepathic. “Tell me the truth: what do you really think, when you think about the day we met?”

He clears his throat, sitting up a little straighter and considering his answer carefully again. This time, he decides to be a little more honest with you, and himself.

“Guess I think most about bein’ glad I was there when I was.”

You nod slowly, understanding his sentiment and agreeing with him wholeheartedly. Had he not been there, you have no idea what would have happened to you that night.

Staring out at the trees ahead and below you, your mind so easily slots into the panicked memory of that very night, when you’d been on the ground in the dark just like this, running through forests that looked as dense and impossible to navigate as the ones the walls - and your favorite person - keep you safe from, now. 

You were alone, had been for longer than you could remember. Too much time had passed since the world ended, you felt you were living borrowed time and something like guilt tugged at you for not being able to keep track of it. Birthdays were a thing forgotten, but so were the simpler guides that weekdays and weekends provided, the routine of mornings and evenings; you slept when you could and never had time to check whether the sun was rising or setting. Your complete lack of survival skills left you surprised to have lived as long as you had, but you knew how to run; something that the dead could not match you on, no matter their numbers. In the world before, being on the shorter side gifted you with playful - and overplayed - taunts, but in the decaying world you ran through, your very existence was discrete. Being alone was better, having nothing to lose was easy, and surviving was all you had.

You didn’t have time to eat full meals, to maintain a sleep schedule, or to think about what you were living such a life for; the person you were and the purposes your life had were ghosts that followed you wherever you went, much like the dead.

Despite the fact that interacting with the living would have, possibly, improved your quality of life, you avoided people more than you did the reanimated ones. If ever you heard someone speaking a single word, you would turn and run in the opposite direction as fast as you could, even if it meant going back the way you came. People without rules to keep them from doing what they wanted in an empty world were far scarier than sluggish corpses.

That night, you had stopped running to catch your breath, tiptoeing as best you could and using your hands to feel the trees as your guide. Drawing attention to yourself with any form of light was not an option. Unfortunately at the time, but fortunately in the long run, you crossed paths with a tracker skilled enough to feel the indents of your boots in the soil and know a living person was not far ahead. Aware of the group he was with and the rules they had enforced amongst themselves, the tracker distanced himself from the group to catch up with whoever was creating an individual trail through the woods at night. 

Eventually, he caught up with you, managing to sneak around you to shine a torch in your face and stun you momentarily. If you had been able to focus, you would have seen the strangest expression flash across his features, before he looked behind you to the rest of the group that was fast approaching. Not wanting to partake in their way of doing things, but fearing your fate if he didn’t, he yelled out a single word.

“CLAIMED!”

While the others approached, he took a slow step towards you and lowered his torch slightly, holding your gaze. Something in his eyes calmed you, keeping you in place.

“‘m sorry, I had to, you don’ wanna know what they’d do if I didn’t. Jus’ stick with me, I’ll get you some place safe.” He whispered to you, and you nodded frantically, moving to his side before the rest of the group reached you.

To your horror, every other member of the group was a seedy looking man that shone their torches on you and stared at you with animalistic hunger in their eyes on discovering you were, in fact, a woman. You shrunk behind the one man that wasn’t treating you like a creature in a zoo with no means of hiding away from their greedy eyes, pressing their ugly faces against the glass that you wished truly stood between you and them, even if the barrier added very little protection for you, in reality. 

“Damn, you got yourself a fine piece of ass there, new guy.” One of the men snickered, licking his lips as he tried to peak around the wall of a man that stood between you. 

“Well, as she’s been claimed, we’d best find a place to set up camp for the night, give Daryl the time alone with his prize!” A grey haired man, who presented himself as the leader of the group, motioned around and the men split off in different directions, all laughing amongst themselves as they searched for a structure of some kind to spend the night in.

All, except for the man you had come to know as Daryl, who stood firmly in front of you. He stayed there, silent and motionless, eyes fixed on the leader of the group, who just grinned back at him.

Eventually, one of the group called out to the rest to alert them of an empty barn he’d found in a clearing that connected to some abandoned farm on the outskirts of the forest. You and Daryl trailed behind the rest as they headed inside, but the leader refused to enter unless you two went ahead. His breath on your neck still haunts your nightmares.

The men settled amongst themselves and didn’t bother you as much as you expected, as long as you tuned out their lines of sight, which burnt holes through every part of your body. You knew nothing of the group or the individuals, but you could read the dynamic clear as day: none of the men wanted to test Daryl, and you were certain you would be in a far worse position had one of them “claimed” you before he could. On that basis, and considering your instincts, you trusted him from the get go.

You didn’t know how long you would be stuck with that group, or with Daryl, so you absorbed every piece of information you could. Daryl was the silent type, that much was clear; you didn’t want to bother him with questions, so instead you just watched him. Watched as he “claimed” some bails of hay and placed them down in a corner and gestured for you to sit on them, before telling you that you could sleep, and you realized quite suddenly that despite his obvious disliking towards having to “claim” things and people to get by, he did so to provide you with a bed. A courtesy he did not stretch to himself as he stood in front of you, with his back to you.

Not wanting to come across as ungrateful and not knowing what else to do, you settled onto the bail of hay and made yourself as comfortable as you could, curling into yourself to conceal as much of your body as possible. Just as you closed your eyes, a man called over to you from the other side of the barn.

“HEY, PRETTY LADY, WANT A DRINK?”

Jumping out of your skin, you salt bolt upright and cleared your throat, managing a small, awkward smile. “N-No, thank you, I dont drink.”

The man on the other side of the barn laughed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, c’mon, everybody drinks these days!”

Before you could answer, Daryl stepped forward. “She said she dont. Leave it, man.” 

Though he didn’t raise his voice, his tone was firm enough to shut the man up where he stood, and you watched as he avoided Daryl’s scowling eyes. His words weren’t objectively a threat, but everything about the strength he radiated and his obvious lack of care towards whether a fight happened or not, could seemingly make any man opposite him shrink in their boots. 

The small smile on your face changed then, fixing on the waves at the back of his head as you settled back into the hay.

“Thank you.” Your voice was barely above a whisper, you wondered if he had even heard you, until he replied a few seconds later.

“Don’ mention it.”

And for the rest of the night, he stood there in front of you, with his back to you. A human shield.

Chuckling lightly to yourself, you shake your head in disbelief, looking at the man beside you who hasn’t changed in the years you’ve known him, you just know him beyond that intimidating surface level by now. 

“You defended me so fiercely when we’d only just met, I always wondered why.”

Daryl frowns down at you. “Ya never asked.”

You shrug. “I didn’t want to pry.”

Daryl scoffs, rolling his eyes at you. “Never stopped ya before.”

Gasping in mock-offence, you nudge his shoulder with yours again. “Shut up!” 

The two of you share a lighthearted laugh at that, something that you would have thought was lost to the world before, had you never met Daryl. 

“Seriously, though, why did you stick up for me so much on the drinking thing?” You question

“Ya tol’ me ya’d had a bad first experience drinkin’...”

“Yeah, but you didn’t know that then. Plus, you’re not exactly the type to jump to defend someone you’ve just met on something that was so minor- especially back then, before you’d grown into the softie you are now!” That last comment is a lighthearted one, one that you expect to bring another scoff or chuckle from the gruff sweetheart at your side, and usually it would.

Tonight, though, he stays silent, staring off into the night. You start to wonder if he even heard you, and his next question does little to reassure you on that.

“How old were you, firs’ time ya got drunk?”

You blink rapidly, processing a question you had definitely not been expecting.“19, why?”

At that, Daryl closes his eyes in a pained blink, lowering his head in shame and holding the edge of the platform with both hands. “‘m sorry.”

You frown, unable to decode your favourite person for the first time in longer than you can remember. “What for?”

His hair hangs over his eyes, hiding them from you and keeping the unsaid out of reach from you. “Not tellin’ you before.”

Trying to keep the conversation lighthearted, not wanting Daryl to get upset over something that you are certain is not worth feeling this bad about, you laugh airily. “Can you stop the cryptic-brooding shit for a second? What are you talking about?!”

Daryl sighs, lifting his head and tipping his nose up to the stars. You can see them reflecting in the stormy Georgia skies within his eyes, and he parts his lips to speak.

Alcohol had not been kind to you, that was what you had thought that night. On reflection, when out with a group of school friends, all of you having purchased fake ID’s and arrived at a bar outside of town to avoid being recognised as the 19 year olds you were, eight shots deep of straight vodka was, perhaps, not the best idea for your first experience with alcohol. 

No building had ever felt more cramped in your life, all of your senses were completely overwhelmed. You couldn’t hear yourself think, not that you were capable of a coherent thought at the time, but everyone was talking so loudly and it was like your ears couldn’t understand your own language anymore. The song playing was one you recognised, but when you tried to bob your head to the beat, you were horribly out of time, your brain delayed because it was swimming in vodka. It was all too much, so to the best of your ability, you took hold of a friend’s shoulder and told her you were going outside to get some air. Whether you actually managed to speak a word of that is yet to be confirmed, none of your friends were sober enough to even notice you’d left the bar. 

You didn’t see anyone else as you stumbled out into the parking lot, you were focussing all of your energy on the ground beneath you, because your shoes were not reaching it in the speed you expected and you were determined not to trip over your own feet. Only a few paces from the door, a man’s voice called out to you.

“Hey there, pretty lady, you comin’ my way?” He had asked sleazily, but the time it took for you 

to process his question was apparently long enough for him to assume your answer.

He swaggered over to you and swung an arm around your waist, tugging you to his side. Frowning in confusion and discomfort, you conjured every ounce of strength you had and smacked your palms against his chest in an effort to get away from him. His grip on your waist tightened.

“‘EY, THE HELL YOU DOIN’?” Another voice reached your ears then, sounding miles away and possibly underwater at first, but eventually making sense as you pieced together his words.

“Easy, man, I’m just taking my girl home.” The grip on your waist replied, and you frowned harder, lifting your hand to point accusingly.

“I am NOT yours, sunshine! I, am a FREE WOMAN!” You declared, words slurring together, but you hoped you got your point across regardless.

Much to your relief, the voice in front of you seemed to understand the situation perfectly. “Like she said, she aint yers, and she’s barely standin’, so the hell you think yer doin’ with ‘er?” His accent was thicker than the grip on your waist’s was, you noticed.

You couldn’t process what happened next, it was all too quick. The grip on your waist was gone and the two men argued, raising their voices at each other, until suddenly one of them punched the other, forcing him to the ground. Without the grip on your waist, you collapsed onto the tarmac, landing on your side and smacking your head against the ground, hard. 

The accent reached your ears again, but it was much more difficult to understand.

“Hey, hey, ya alright? C’mon, we gotta get you sittin’ up at least.” 

One hand held yours, while the other steadied you at the small of your back, both of them were so gentle you could hardly feel them, but they were strong enough to catch you if you were to fall again.

He led you over to a bench outside the bar and sat you down on it, then crouched down in front of you. The pain in your head suddenly pulsed. 

“Ow!”

The accent, much softer then, was quick to apologize for touching the wound on your head too harshly when checking it. “Sorry, didnt mean t’ hurt you. Anyone inside that knows you, can take ya home?”

Everything was spinning and nodding in response to his question made it a lot worse. “My friends are in there, I think.”

The accent spoke again, you tried as hard as you could to retain his words and piece together the sentence. “Alrigh’, I’m gonna go get ‘em, wha’s yer name?”

You had to think about it for a second. “(Y/N)...who’re you?”

The gentle hand was on your shoulder for just a second. “Don’ matter. You stay here, I’ll be back in jus’-”

A third voice entered the conversation, not the one belonging to the grip on your waist from before, which made the whole ordeal far too confusing for you to comprehend.

“THE FUCK YOU THINK YER DOIN’?” His accent was the thickest of all.

And then, it was another blur. All you remember is the man turning his back to you, acting as your huma shield while another man fought the grip on your waist.

Police sirens and lights overwhelmed your senses after that.

The accents yelled at each other, before the softer voice turned back to you.

“I gotta go, but you take care o’ yerself, alright?”

With that, he was gone. Your friends had to fill in the blank of the rest of the night for you the next day, explaining that they had grabbed you before the cops came and you all got out of there before they arrived, narrowly avoiding being caught out with your fake ID’s, but completely losing track of the man that had saved you in the process.

“Merle ‘n’ me were movin’ from place to place then, had a habit of pullin’ up to any bars we could find an’ I’d sit outside while he went in and stole bottles from anyone too drunk to notice ‘em disappearin. He’d bring ‘em back outside, we’d drink ‘em, then do it again ‘til he got drunk an’ sloppy an’ I’d have to pull him out of some fight with whoever caught him stealin’.” Daryl explains. “I was standin’ outside that bar, watchin’ that door, waitin’ for ‘im when you stumbled out, an’ I could see you were too drunk to be by yerself. When that asshole tried t’...” He trails off, feeling his blood boil in his veins at the memory. “Merle came out o’ the bar right as that prick got up and was gonna come at me from behin’, so Merle tackled him, smashed the bottle in his hand against the guy’s head. Bar owner called the cops, there was blood everywhere- the guy lived, we saw him aroun’ a month or so later at the same bar- but Merle was wanted for a whole list o’ shit and couldn’t risk the cops catchin’ him again, so we had t’ run.”

You stare at him, eyes wide like a deer in headlights, or like they were the first night you thought you’d met when he shone a torch in your face.

“It was you.”

The words passing your lips sound impossible, even after he has perfectly recalled a story you never told him with details you couldn’t recall, a memory you never knew you shared.

“‘m sorry.” He mumbles, unable to look at you for fear of the betrayal on your face for keeping this a secret from you for so long.

But you are still in disbelief, trying to wrap your head around the fact that the end of the world brought you back to your hero. 

“This whole time, you never said.”

Daryl shrugs. “Always sorta hoped you’d forget the whole night. The guy, most of all.” He confesses, having thought of you a few times in between that night and the night he found you again, always hoping that you had forgotten and been able to move on. Whether you chose to drink again after that, he always hoped you were able to live without fear and enjoy each night as it came. He didn’t have any reason to consider that you deserved any less.

“Regrettably, that was the main part that stuck with me.” You admit, feeling your own shame consume you.

Daryl nods. “I know.”

You shake your head, swallowed by the guilt. “I’m so sorry I didn’t remember you, everything was such a blur that night- I can remember the guy grabbing me, but even his face I wouldn’t recognise if he was in front of me. By the time you spoke to me close enough for me to see and hear you, my head was pounding. God, I’m so sorry that I’ve never remembered you!”

Only then, can Daryl bring himself to look at you, and it’s to frown at you in total confusion.

“Don’ gotta apologize for nothin’, aint yer fault.”

You rub your face with your hands, knowing that he’s right but still feeling terrible about it and knowing that, in your own way, you’ll make it up to him. You have to. How many times has he wanted to tell you? How many times has he thought about that night? What does he think of, when he remembers it? Has he sat alone with his thoughts and felt sad that you haven’t ever recognised him, have never pieced that it was his face right in front of you that night? What if-

“‘ey, stop that.” Those same gentle hands, feeling more familiar than ever, take yours away from your face and bring them to your lap, but don’t let them go. 

Meeting your eyes, he calms the sea of overwhelming thoughts that had been swallowing your mind. In the midst of peace returning, a moment of clarity finds you, and you smile at him.

“Now that I know who my hero was that night, I can say what I always wanted to say!”

Seeing your spirits visibly left, Daryl smiles back at you. “Wha’s that?”

Leaning forward, you plant a soft kiss on his left cheek. Instead of pulling away immediately, you linger there to whisper the words your heart has been singing to him since the day you met, and the day you met again.

“Thank you.”

The moonlight prevents you from being able to see the dusting of pink that covers Daryl’s cheeks in the wake of your kiss, the first kiss you’ve ever given him.

“Sweet girl, ya’ve never gotta thank me for nothin’.”

Resting your head back on his shoulder and releasing a deep breath, you smile out into the night and squeeze his hands.

“You know as well as I do, that’ll never stop me.”

__________

taglist:

@ruinedbythehobbit @iamburdened @evilbabyelf @of-storms-and-sadness @crossbowking @spidergirla5 @jodiereedus22 @thanossexual @captain-shannon-becker @cordialgargoyle @romanoffs-bitch @daryldixonandfrogs @just-always-tired @pillowjj @the-musical-doodle @likeablevillain @irrelevantyettopicalusername @notquitecannon @alyisdead @polkadottedpillowcase @twdeadfanfic @wishingtobeforeveryoung1994 @sigynlokiem @courtnytrash04 @thatwrestlingfan91 @buttsology @prettylittleblog13 @milariskanavasi @whatanicepanohthatsjustme @your-new-mom @daryls-angell @lilzebub @amaroho @bakedcrispss @yes-sir-hotchner @wasted-years @kpopandharry @madshelily @datidixon @dumandbass @savageneversaw

[lazyneonrabbitt]

Monsters among us pt2

Daryl Dixon x Reader | pt.1

You and Daryl slowly come to terms with being parents of a healthy pup.

🐺 🐺 🐺

Hunter seemed to be healthy and doing well according to Hershel’s veterinarian skills and Daryl’s comments on Hunter’s behavior when he came to see you every day.

On your second day in the prison you were introduced to baby Judith, she was only a little older than Hunter and the women in the group felt it was good for you to bond over the newborns.

You also learned fairy quick that none of the people were afraid of Daryl, even with knowing what he was.

“You have no idea how useful it is to have a werewolf in your group. They’re excellent hunters and the extra strength and endurance they have is just amazing.” Carol spoke fondly of the archer, no matter what the topic of conversation was at the time. And Maggie had her fair share of kind words as well.

A week in you sat Daryl down to have that serious talk. You had been regaining bits and parts of the times your mind had been keeping from you in the form of twisted nightmares and you really needed to know how much of the truth they were showing. Daryl admitted to connecting with his other half to get some answers since couldn’t remember anything about that night. Only knowing he woke up covered in blood and the horrible aftertaste of human still lingering in his mouth. But the smell of female arousal stuck to him as well, letting him now his other half had indulged in more than just feasting on his prey.

“We know wha’ happened. Why d’ya wanna talk about it?” He rocked his son in his arms, letting him play with the torn edges on his sleeves.

“I know what happened, yeah. It’s pretty obvious.” You gesture at the werewolf pup currently biting at his sleeve. You let out a soft laugh at the sight in front of you. A genuine one, not one you gave Beth earlier when she made what she thought was a joke.

Something inside of him suddenly clicked and he realized the why of that night he’d been looking for. It was like a whole new area of being a werewolf opened up for him. He had been restless ever since you got to the prison, like his animal side was clawing at the inside of his skin trying to break out but he never stopped to connect with it to figure out why.

But now it all came crashing onto him.

He found his mate.

He didn’t really understood how that all worked at all. He never had anyone to teach him the works of lycantrophy since the beast that bit him was hunted down and killed only one night later.

“So, whaddaya remember then?”

You were woken up by the walker defense you set up. The cans and metal bits clanking together loudly but to no avail. The creature that triggered the wire had torn it to shreds and was already halfway done tearing into one of your group members before you even got out of your sleeping bag. …. .. ….

You ran for your life but the large monster caught you easily. Its claws digging into your sides as it sank its teeth into your shoulder to pin you down. A large paw tore off any and all fabric on you and at the edge of your vision you saw its large member standing at full attention before—

You shivered at the recollection of your memories and having to share them out loud like this, but it had to be done so best to get it over with fast.

“I never realized why I did that to ya, not ‘til just now when ya laughed at him.” His hand went to boop his son’s nose, to which he wiggled it in confusion. “I guess mah other half knew somethin’ already without sharin’ it with me when he saw ya that night. Tore tha whole camp up to get ya for ourself in the only way an animal knows.”

You hugged your arms close around you, looking anywhere but at him. “I can’t even say out loud what you did to me..” It’s the point where your memory still cuts off no matter how deep you dig for it.

“Look, bun. I don’ know how alla’ this works, an’ I feel like I shouldn’t even be near ya..” You felt his uneasiness and somehow it made yours fade and be replaced with something that made you want to get up and pull him to sit beside you.

So with all the courage you mustered together you stood up and faced him. With a determined hand you took his shoulder and squeezed before pulling him closer to you and to your surprise he followed like a lost puppy. Sitting him down on the bed with his back against the wall you took Hunter from him to hold him against your chest as you climbed on the bed to join Daryl.

You sat cross-legged on the bed, facing Daryl and pacing Hunter in your lap as you undid the buttons of your top to prepare for feeding. When Daryl caught on he quickly averted his gaze. “Wait, what’r ya doin’?” He looked anywhere but at you while you rid yourself of any fabrics in the way of feeding Hunter, who was making grabby hands at you, ready for lunch.

“Daryl, it’s okay to look. Really.” He ever so slowly turned his gaze towards you and taking in the beauty of you, the human girl he assaulted in the woods, breastfeeding the son who must be a living, breathing reminder of that traumatic experience. His breath caught in his throat and in a compete lack of control he let out a low growl. You looked up at the noise and looked straight into the eyes of the beast. With his mouth hanging open in awe his fangs were on display for you to state at like someone would stare at a spider, silently begging it not to move.

The terrified look in your eyes broke his heart. Unsure of what to do he closed his eyes and turned away and muttered a 'sorry' under his breath, afraid of his voice twisting if he spoke too loud.

You had looked back down to focus on feeding Hunter again, your thumbs softly caressing his fur and searching for words in this eery silence.

"I'm slowly starting to love Hunter as my son." You started, feeling it was best to just speak your mind. “And with that comes accepting you for who and what you are, and loving you as his father.”

Daryl accepted your kind words and wondered if he should share the ones on his mind or if he should wait for you to be good with him some more.

Meanwhile his head kept howling at him to tell you. To claim you as his own. To mark you.

His head was so instinct driven that there wasn’t a single spec of logic in sight.

“M’glad ya want me in yer lives.” He had managed to calm down just enough to get his shift under control and dared to look back up at you again. “Ya think yer good to hear our reasoning for tha night? Cuz I think I know now.” His tone was careful and the anxiety in his voice seemed to have returned but still you nodded, wanting to hear his words.

“Ma head keeps repeatin’ this one word. Says yer ma mate.” He spoke the last part agains the side of his thumb, chewing on the skin after the last words. “I aint sure how tha all works but m’sure it why he went after ya then.”

Mates. You heard that before. In your head it translated to partners for life.

“Mates, huh?” You tried to wrap your head around it with you not being like him, but your knowledge was so minimal you couldn’t do anything but accept his words as the truth. “Thanks for telling me. I’m trying to wrap my head around it so I hope you’ll give me some time to let it sink in.” It was clear to you that Daryl had feelings for you that rooted deep into his animal side. You could see it in the way he looked at you like you hung the moon and stars.

“Are ya okay with me callin’ ya ma mate? Feels wrong not ta do it, but I aint wanna make ya uncomfortable.”

Instead of answering you mustered together what energy you had left and channeled into courage. Courage to get close to him, move on the bed so you were sitting against him and rested your head on his shoulder. This gave him an even better look of your breasts that had entirely slipped out of your top with the movement. Hesitantly he raised an arm to gently place it over your shoulders to hold you against him. Hunter had long stopped feeding but you kept him close to your bare chest, remembering one of the women mention skin to skin contact as a way of bonding.

“Yer really good with him.” Daryl’s observation formed around your mind like a shield to keep all the insecurities out. Hearing him say you were doing well with his son, a baby that you had without ever even learning how to care for one, plus him being a creature you knew even less about. Daryl was head over heels in love with you, and even if he hadn’t said the words out loud you could read it off his face.

You let out a soft giggle at the mental image your head produced when you looked over at him. “I swear, if you had a tail right now you’d be wagging it.” Daryl snorted out a laugh at the comment and could’t even deny it. “Yer absolutely right. But ya won’t be seein’ any a’tha until yer absolutely ready to face tha side o’me again.” The cute statement turned a tad grim in only one short moment, but he did tell the truth. You were in no way or shape ready to see him in any other way than human, and even when you’d be ready it would be traumatic the first few times until you’d be used to all of him and he respected that fact.

“Hey, Daryl?” You held up Hunter to him so he could take over for a moment. You adjusted your clothes again and covered up now that he had fallen asleep. “Do you think you want to stay here tonight?” He gave it a thought and agreed to your request. He was interested in your daily routines and the domesticity of sharing a cell made his head so happy. He’d be able to fall asleep surrounded by the scents of you and your son.

Progress between the two of you might not even go as slow as he’d originally thought.

With a squeeze of your arm and a soft kiss to your head he assured you. “I’ll be with ya for as long as ya want me.”

~~☆☆☆~~

A/N: the requested part two with some more background of what happened and some more bonding time! ♡

[starlightandfairies]

hey!! i love ur work and was wondering if u could do a fic where daryl and the reader go hunting together?? (idk what else to write but i think this would be super cute!! <3)

Description: The reader and Daryl go out together on a hunt.

Warnings: swearing, fluff,

*Requests are open, please send through as many requests as you want, and check my character list and requesting rules. Thank you for your kind words!*

Key: Y/N = Your Name, POV = Point of view

Word Count: 1,112

You and Daryl had packed your things to go hunting, just in case you went too far you always took a little sleeping pack that was still light to carry and travel around. Daryl enjoyed hunting with you, besides Carol, you were about the only one he really enjoyed hunting with and you hadn't been sheltered this the end of the world happened, so you knew what you were doing now and Daryl didn't need to babysit like he may have had to do with others. 

However, you had recently just been injured, resting in the mini hospital until you had been healed and you weren't able to speak to anyone. So you had a lot to say, poor Daryl didn't usually mind hearing you say what was on your mind but it was getting a little annoying and he just wasn't having any of it. 

"So, I had this dream where I found a squirrel and it looked similar to you. So I picked it up and it was you! Apparently, in my dreams, the walkers didn't exist, it was witches and they turned you into a squirrel because you know, you're you and as lovely as you are, you are a bit of a nuisance because you are a fighter and they didn't want that. Thus you became a squirrel." Daryl chuckled lightly at your thoughts, he smoked his cigarette and looked at you with an amused smile. 

"I just stayed as a squirrel?" 

"I woke up, so I guess so." You shrugged, picked up some safe plants to eat and placed them in your basket. While you could kill animals to eat, you didn't like doing it as the eyes made you feel bad for them and you couldn't eat an animal that had just been killed. So Daryl always had you looking the other way whenever he shot a deer or a bird." He personally didn't understand it, however, he knew you could do it if you really wanted to and he respected your choice not to watch the food be killed. 

"Do you think that there's anywhere out there that isn't screwed by all this shit? Do you think that we at least have some secret military group working on a cure or that there's somewhere that how we were before without some corrupt leader saying it's a democracy when it's not and it's actually not?" 

"I don't know, this world isn't much different from before." 

"People die more, people are crueller and it's more disgusting than before. Some of these communities we have been at, what they've done or what they've been forced to do because of the people that have hurt them. I don't like it."

"I know. I don't like it either but we're getting there. We might be able to rebuild one day. The walkers won't show up anymore, humanity will finally get its shit together and we'll be able to live life as normal. Have all those things that were taken for granted and it might be a better place." Daryl tried to reassure you, he wasn't this optimistic about the things that were being talked about but he wanted to do what he could comfort you. 

Daryl sat down on a fallen log with you, he took your hand and smiled at you with a gentle look. You turned away as Daryl stood up, killing a large bird and started cooking it instantly. That part you were fine to deal with, Daryl smiled as you scooted closer and rested your head on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry for talking your ear off, I know I'm not usually this chatty and I know chatty can be annoying." Daryl shook his head, took a breath and poked the bird as it cooked on the fire. 

"No, I enjoy hearing your stories." You smiled, Daryl had cooked the bird all the way through and handed you the portion you requested. 

"If there's anything I like about this world. I like being able to see all the stars, there's no light pollution and you can just see everything..." 

"What's wrong?" Daryl noticed as you trailed off, a sigh escaping your lips as something popped into your head. 

"Can you just imagine how awful it must have been if someone was in space when the world... when it started. So, they're just stuck up there, all alone and with no chance of being able to come back. I'd hate to be alone when I die... Sorry." You wiped away the frown that stayed on your lips and finished eating your food. 

"Hopefully nothing like that happened." Daryl watched the smile and took a breath as you finished up. 

"Four walkers two at your left and the other two coming on my right." Daryl huffed, he pushed himself up and nodded at you. The two of you easily took the four down, quickly packing everything up and continuing your hunt and taking down the one or two walkers that happened to be nearby. 

Daryl liked seeing you in a happier mood, you were itching to get out and do something. So he was quite happy to watch you enjoy the world, talk his ear off and gather things for others and yourself as you made your way to shops. The man jumped as you popped up beside him, he shot you a stern look as you shrugged and sent him a wink. 

"I found this for you. What do you think?" Daryl looked at you with a raised eyebrow, it was a pooping penguin toy, originally made for candy but small little rocks could work. 

"What is it?" He asked with an amused smile, glancing at the twisting nob to make it work. 

"It's a pooping penguin, you put small bead-like things inside it. So, you twist its head off and pour the item in. Put the head back on and put it on a flat surface and twist the knob. It starts walking around and poops the stuff out. I found these beads as well. Daryl chuckled and thanked you, carefully placing the item in his bag. 

The thought made Daryl happy, he smiled as he felt cared for after being thought about and given a gift. You grabbed some medications and walked over to Daryl with a satisfied look on your face. 

"Let's head back." You sighed with a small smile, taking Daryl's hand to start heading back. 

[my-mt-heart]

Les Caryl

Not wishful thinking. Not a ruse. Carol is coming back, and I’m grateful. Mainly, to Melissa McBride for everything she’s given us over the years and for everything she’s willing to give us in order to keep telling Carol’s story. It’s easy to see how much of her heart and soul has gone into this character, and I never want to take that for granted. We all have different reasons for loving Carol, but I think a lot of us draw inspiration from watching an underdog like her turn into the hero everybody needs. It’s been nice to see that mirrored in our fight over the past year to remind AMC how imperative she is to TWDU’s success. 

Whether you participated in blitzes, sent letters, spammed AMC’s/TWD’s social media accounts, or just kept Carol in the conversation on your own terms, you persevered just like she did and now you’re reaping the rewards just like she better will. It just goes to show that when people come together to support a female lead with as much talent and grace as Melissa, that and a little bit of hope can make a huge impact. 

For anyone who didn’t have hope or didn’t want to set themselves up for more disappointment, that’s more than fair. Maybe yesterday’s confirmation will give you something to look forward to again. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but if you find comfort in these characters, it’s perfectly okay to let yourself feel that too. Love what you love.

I know there are some who wanted Melissa to just walk away and leave Norman/AMC in the dust, but unlike Carol, she isn’t a fictional character. We aren’t entitled to her relationships with other people, so we just have to trust she knows how to navigate them on her own. Like I mentioned earlier, landing new roles comes with its own set of challenges regardless of one’s reputation or talent. Casting is a meat market and options for actresses over 35 are limited, especially when execs want to factor in their hair color (because how can they appeal to men 18-49 if they have gray hair 🙄) or their social media presence (because if they’re not active on Twitter, what audience will they bring 😑) All of this is to say, it’s perfectly reasonable for Melissa to choose another path, and no, it doesn’t mean she’s gritting her teeth while she does it. I’m comfortable believing she’s happy to co-lead Caryl’s show. I mean, you saw that smile, right?

I realize that at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to do right by someone we admire, which is tricky from our vantage point because it’s so easy to treat her like she belongs to us, and we have to keep reminding ourselves that she does not. I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, the intention of campaigning in Melissa’s name was to leave the door open for her to come back on her own terms. If she’s getting everything she wants, if she’s being treated with the respect she deserves, then that’s a win in my book. If this whole ordeal motivates AMC to create a better work environment for all their female talent/employees going forward, even better. 

I know this isn’t news, but I’m still going to hold off on watching the show until Carol comes back and if that sounds biased, let me stop you right there. Let’s put aside the BTS fuckery for a second. Let’s ignore the fact that Carol and Melissa are the ones who got the short end of the stick and need my support the most right now. Not only does S1 sound unappealing to me, it actually hurts too much to think about the ways Daryl’s character has been used for personal gain rather than story integrity, which pretty much guarantees a retcon no matter how long it lasts or how drastic it is. His growth over the past 12 years was some of the best I’ve seen on any show let alone TWD, and I want to preserve the version of him I was drawn to in the first place, the version three out of four showrunners actually took the time to nurture. This version. If it’s all just a marketing ploy, trying to target Carylers’ biggest fears to relieve them later, well, I can’t support that either. Caryl fans have been put through enough over the years, especially in the last season, and I think it’s wrong to try to manipulate them into settling (and paying) for less than what they really wanted. 

Do I think we can still get something worthwhile in S2? Yes. I just don’t want to risk torturing myself to get there. Anyone who’s read my blog for a long time knows I would generally give the show the benefit of the doubt because I assumed the payoff would come sooner or later. Needless to say, it didn’t. I know why it didn’t and I hope those issues have been properly dealt with, but if I want to maintain that Caryl/Carol are important for viewership, then I need to watch and subscribe for Caryl/Carol. If I want Melissa to get the pay hike she deserves, then I need to tune in when she’s on my screen, not before. I do trust her judgement for what it’s worth, and I want to look forward to S2 provided there are no irreparable damages beforehand and TPTB put their audience first, meaning they deliver on the promises they made.

The biggest promise, UNAMBIGUOUS CANON, is crucial for story integrity, character growth, and representation. It shouldn’t be a huge undertaking when the chemistry can practically write itself. Daryl and Carol never have nor ever will need gimmicks to keep me invested. 

While we wait for Caryl to reunite, I hope the fandom can start to heal and get back to spreading endless love for one of the greatest ships on television. I’ll never stop mourning the loss of the spinoff we were supposed to have, and part of me still hopes we can get it back someday. But I’ll hope for the best on the show we’re getting right now. Caryl deserve it, Melissa deserves it, and the fans deserve it. 

[pussydestroyer10110]

THANK YOU FOR ANYONE WHO LIKED THE FIRST ONE!!!!

Ok imma do another one cus this shit's quite fun

Also this won't follow the exact storyline of twd

ALSO I DON'T OWN ANY OF TWD!!!

•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡

HOW RICK GRIMES WOULD REACT TO YOU LOLKING AFTER CARL AND JUDITH WHILE HE WAS GRIEVING LORI

•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡

Rick felt awful. His dead wife seemed to be standing wherever he looked with a long white dress and an almost taunting smile.

He had lost control of himself, he'd go on a walker killing rampage and the only reason he knew what he did was when he eventually came too and both he and his hatched would be covered in decaying goo. He knew he was verging on irreversible insanity but he didn't know how to stop.

Unlike Rick you had taken on an aunt like role to the two young children left behind. You knew you couldn't ever replace the role of a mother at least to Carl, so you became a shoulder to cry on and a person to care for the child in any way they needed

Carl had already taken to calling you 'Auntie' before the untimely death of Lori but your relationship only strengthened in the absence of a nurturing mother.

With Judith though it was a whole other ballgame, her chubby newborn cheeks would stretch into a little gummy smile whenever she saw you. She would use her small hands to make grabby actions towards you signalling for her to be picked up; and when she was she would lie her fragile head against your chest and either fall asleep or babble in relaxation.

It was clear she saw you like a baby would its mum. However you tired to influence her little brain to call you auntie before she begins to start using the words mum in respect for the recently smaller Grimes family.

As of now you were sitting around the improvised dining area with Carl leaning on your left side while Judith was drinking from her bottle in your arms. Daryl stood off to the side and watched fondly, even though he'd never admit it he had taken a liking to the tiny baby, and Carol was stirring a pot of baked beans above a fire near by. Everything was calm in the cell block but they couldn't help but feel a bit lost without the presence of their leader.

As if their thoughts had been heard a bloody Rick Grimes came in with his hatchet still in hand.

"Everyone alright" He said with a thick, scratchy accent.

A few nods appeared from the group and you looked up at the man to find him already staring at you and his two children who clung to you like vines. His face seemed a little less tense once he saw them but he still had tired eyes and a glum expression.

He was a shell of a man.

Rick tried marching his way out again but Hershel snapped at him telling him to get his act together before the governor winds up killing us all.

That got him to stare in shock before he finally sat down by you.

Rick's head was swarming with mixed emotions, he still felt a strong sense of guilt because of his wife's death and it was only intensified from the fact he enjoyed seeing you getting on with his children. Aside from guilt though your presence gave him a sense of peace knowing that his children were being guided through their grief by a kind hand.

You passed little Judith to an expectant Beth and gently maneuvered Carl into an upwards position, giving him a quick peck on his forehead. Then you stood up and gestured for Rick to do the same.

Rick warily stood up as if you were going to scold him like Hershel did, instead you walked away to another, more quiet part of the cell block as Rick obediently trailed behind you.

You stood their in one of the cells roughly a foot away from Rick and without saying a word you wrapped your arms around his waist and pressed your body against his in an innocent embrace. Rick's arms instinctively wrapped around your shoulders and rested his cheek on the crown of your head.

It wasn't long until you felt his body start to shake with sobs.

You felt droplets of water hit your head but you didn't care as breathy cries escaped his lips and he clung to you like a lifeline. Both of you gently swayed back and forth in a comforting manner to try and calm his sobs, soon after his cries became minimal.

"Listen Rick you have two beautiful children out there who love you beyond words..." You started " And I'll be damned if I let you step so far back that you don't become like a father to them anymore."

"I don't know what to do." He spoke, barely a whisper.

"Well your going to go out there and you're going to hug your boy and hold your little girl, because you need them as much as they need you. You've had a couple days for your killing spree but now it's time to recover with your family." You ordered him.

You felt him nod against your head, his arms still wrapped around you.

You eventually untangled from each other and you walked out of the cell alongside Rick to find everyone in the same places they were before the only difference was the beans were now in individual bowls. Rick sat down where you formerly were and you got Judith from Beth.

Rick pulled Carl into a side hug on the bench and kissed his hair, you then presented Judith to Rick who opened his arms for her. His fatherly instincts immediately kicked in as he cradled the baby looking down at her with a soft smile. The baby began to babble in his arms giving him a gummy smile that you thought were reserved for you.

You placed a hand on both Rick and Carl's shoulder as you all looked down at the bundle of joy.

Rick was finally at ease as he looked at the child who might not be his by blood but it was his none the less, the comforting hand you had placed on his shoulder made him all the more happy as he knew he could now trust you with anything. Especially his children.

•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡

How was that for my second attempt?

Love yall xx

If you got to here thanks for reading, ask for anything you want and I'll do my best just keep it innocent for now

CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW CUTE HE LOOKS IN THAT PHOTO

[rubberchickeny]

Daryl Dixon and Last of Us

I don't want to be negative, but I can't help it. As a fan of both The Walking Dead and Last of Us (games and show) this lack of humility, respect and common sense baffles me.

Last of Us is about the connection of the two main characters, like I said in my previous post.

I almost want to call Joel broken, and some of him is, but mainly he has been frozen. He has a couple of people in his life that he cares about, but even with them he has put up a thick, cold wall. He can't ever let himself care again, not like he did for his daughter. (Sound like someone we know?)

Then he meets Ellie.

Ellie is a teenage girl, both a bit bubbly and edgy. She won't take anyone's shit, and she isn't a wallflower, satisfied to keep silent while grown ups make decisions for her. In the show Bella Ramsey takes it even a bit further, doing an amazing job. Pedro Pascal plays Joel as emo, and it's breathtaking (and heartbreaking). All these years Joel hadn't been able to let himself feel, and now he is drowning in his love for Ellie.

(This clip of Last of Us shows as much.)

The very height of AMC's stupidity is that if they really wanted to use LOU and it's success spirit as inspiration, they were already more than half way there, without stealing the LOU plot! TWD was always at its best when it was a show about people, and how they deal with horrible circumstances (both as individuals and as groups), how some of them welded into a family and how others... didn't. Like LOU, there are people resorting to cannibalism, different factions fighting for power and resources, and people trying to keep at least some of their humanity intact.

As for TWD, we have Carol and Daryl, both of whom have been through Hell, both before and after the apocalypse. Their connection has been strained at times (lots of angsty plot), but there is nothing they wouldn't do for each other (like Joel *cough*). Why didn't AMC use that? The depth of their feelings and their connection was already there, as was their capability for levity to ease the hard subject matter.

Truly, there are not enough words to express how disappointed I am at the mere stupidity of this whole thing. You didn't need to bring a group of nuns (!) and put Daryl in a bath (which in itself feels like it's taking this "whole new Daryl" approach a tad too literally; just saying) before taking The Chosen one in hand.

I truly don't know which would be worse; DD show copying LOU's ending too or trying to do it differently.

Will this (imposter) Daryl save the world, instead of conquering his own saviour complex?

That's not a story I'm signing up for. Nor is this blatant plagiarism, AMC.

[irlbkgs]

❣️🚫💓 for anyone you wanna answer for !!

doing all these for daryl lalalala

❣️describe a time one of you almost took a chance at making a move on the other, only to chicken out.

during the farm era daryl still was like. def not feeling it. he doesnt even really think about romantic gestures or whether or not somebodies making a pass at him to begin with unless somebody is very blunt about it and im anything but blunt when it comes to romance stuff bc im a pussy. anyways we were getting friendlier ofc but i started to get my first inkling of a crush here and tried to test the waters. i am a bit of a natural flirt but in a way that i dont even know im doing it so when i flirt with intention its very awkward so he def thought i was just talking to him and maybe nervous for unrelated reasons. i just kinda gave up bc my game is abysmal.

🚫 what was holding you/them back from making a move or confessing your feelings?

im like. so intensely scared of rejection bc my rsd makes me spiral to a point of suicidal ideation (awkward!) so i really just do not confess unless i know its reciprocated and even when its obvious i need like verbal confirmation most of the time. its something im working on but it def prevents me from confessing for yearssss like sure ill flirt and make jokes about us getting together but its just toeing the line of plausible deniability given my general sense of humor and how often i flirt with my friends anyways that i can retract it without too much doubt

daryl on the other hand takes like actual years to develop feelings for anyone so he wasnt really holding back, he just didnt have them for a long time and once he did it was just kind of like. obvious it was reciprocated. anyone with eyes could see how i bad i want his grimy ass.

💓 (if applicable) what moment made you realize you were in love with them?

(light spoilers for s2 if u wanna skip til u watch!!)

it wasnt a specific moment but watching him try so hard to find sofia and go out of his way to comfort carol who he had no prior care for all just because he gets how it feels to lose a loved one kind of sealed the deal for me. like nobody really made her feel safe or like they were going to get her baby back like he did and i dont know if anyone else couldve anyways. he really fought tooth and fucking nail for that girl.

[aintashes]

'DO WE EVER TRULY OWN ANYTHING? ALL GRAVES EVENTUALLY LAY EMPTY.'

an eerie note left neatly upon daryl's bedroll, folded pristine in an envelope secured with thin sage twine. at the bottom? black flakes, a vaguely spicy smell accompanying them.

humans don't even get to keep their bodies. it rots and goes to the worms.

the envelope sitting on daryl's bedroll sows a seed of dread into his stomach. it's immaculate, not a single wrinkle to be seen. as if it might bite him for trying to touch it ( and hell, he's seen what peter can do with a stick, he's not trying to be tricked by a damn envelope ), daryl gingerly picks it up.

the letter within only reads two short lines, scriptlike handwriting spelling out a rather cryptic message. all at once, daryl tenses up and looks around his tent, expecting to find a cultist standing in the shaded darkness of one of its few corners. this is bad. really, it's more than just bad— the implications of this are immense.

somehow despite all of their efforts, despite the sigils they painstakingly carved into the fences around the bridge camp yesterday with so much passion and intention, the cult still slipped by both their physical and their metaphysical defenses. what makes it worse, still, is that daryl had only been gone from his tent for barely a minute before a cultist managed to slither inside to leave this note for him.

they can enter the camp anytime they want. they've always been watching. any semblance of perceived calm is gone.

daryl and peter are but unwitting animals in the eye of a storm.

it makes his skin crawl and his heart beat quickly in his chest as he looks back to the cruel little gift. he was a fool for thinking this could work— for daring to think that things could be better than they seemed. and if one of them was here just a moment ago and no one noticed, how many of them are lingering around the camp right now? how many people could die with knives in their backs before he ever makes it out there to warn them? what if they take peter?— what if they already have?

daryl is about to make a mad dash out of his tent to warn the others and to look for peter before a strange sensation stops him in his tracks. he's getting lightheaded, a slight stumble causing him to quizzically turn his attention back to the note. little black speckles dot the page, and he peers into the envelope to see similar black flecks sitting at the bottom. there's a scent the wafts out with it. it reminds him of mulled wine.

before he knows it, daryl is on his knees. the note and envelope fall from his hands as he tries to steady himself against the ground. but it's no use— he's forced to give in to the pull of unconsciousness, the fear that he might die without ever being able to warn anyone the last thing he thinks about before his eyes roll back and he cascades into a sudden sleep.

in a dream world, daryl wades through an ocean of blood. there's no land in sight. he can feel bones crunching under his feet. slowly, body parts begin to bob to the surface. he recognizes them: michonne's head. carol's arm. rick's headless body. half of aaron's skull. daryl is compelled to walk forward against the tide.

at the horizon, a behemoth rises, creating suffocating waves of viscera. thousands of eyes blink at him from stories and stories up. wings slowly unfurl from the figure. a golden shimmer strikes at its head like lightning, a crown settling on top of curly hair. it leans forward and stares daryl down as he's drowning in blood. it smiles. it has peter's face.

with a startled yelp, daryl awakens, scrambling to his feet and nearly falling back down. gasping breathes tear through his body as he comes back to his surroundings. he's not dead. it's still light out— how long was he asleep? it was just morning. finally pushing out of the tent, daryl looks frantically around the campsite.

there's no mayhem. no chaos. everyone is moving about their business as usual, if a little confused by his abrupt movements. it's a good sign, but it doesn't mean that peter is safe. panicked, daryl rushes to where he knows his companion is supposed to be for the day, and...

there he is. perplexed. looking at him like he's just seen a ghost. a breathe of air that daryl thinks must be the first one he's ever taken fills his lungs. he can't hold back— daryl reaches for peter and grasps him by the shoulders in relief, an exasperated sound betraying the hell he's just been through leaving his mouth. even as peter is asking him what's going on, he takes a moment to simply bask in the fact that they're both still here at all. but the gravity of the situation creeps quickly back in, and daryl lets peter go with a heavy look.

they have a lot of talking to do.

[starrylittletwilightdream]

What do you feel in my hands?

Do you know what they say about holding hands? It's intimate. It can be more intimate than lovemaking, even. Do you know why? There's something intuitive about it, something knowing about it. Perhaps it's the nerve endings in the fingertips, or the sensory systems in the hands, but people feel each other. They know each other.

[madstwd]

What if Rick Grimes had a Clumsy Child:

(Rick having a clumsy child that he would accidentally not spend as much time with to keep safe…what happens when something actually happens and he realises he wasn’t being as kind/caring as he thought)

Rick Grimes x child!reader headcanons

The reader was a twin with carl, had the same fiery yet kind nature as rick and their sibling. But was always falling over to hurting themselves in easily preventable ways. You could often trip up or down steps when you got lost in day dreams. Loosing sight of your father and sibling.

Small cuts constantly littering your hands from cutting things up wring when helping carol cook. Rick would always sigh, pulling out one of the many plasters he had to search for. Scolding you if it was a lot deeper and needed a bandage.

From ricks scoulding you would always get jealous when Carl never hurt himself, or trip over a shoelace he didnt tie up properly. Carl got to spend time helping rick out with his guard duties or when they helped Maggie plant crops at Alexandria, you often did but without them knowing.

You would never speak up about it, too ashamed of the thought that rick preferred your twin over you. You knew he was just keeping you safe but almost seemed like he didnt trust you anymore. You were never allowed outside the walls, your knife was small, and you weren’t allowed to carry a gun. To you a few small cuts and bruises didnt really come to the conclusion you were actually clumsy.

One day when Rick and Carl had gone out for a run, leaving you inside the walls you left. You weren’t sure why, you took a gun, food and water and then left for a walk. You knew whoever was at the gates wouldn’t let you through so you snuck out. Decided a walk in the forest would alarm anyone too much, and the worst you could do was trip over a tree root.

That was exactly what happened though, you tripped over a tree root as you searched for a clearing to sit and draw in. As you fell you tried to fall away from the sharp branch on the floor but ended up falling onto it. The weight of you and the sharpness of the branch caused it to pierce your skin and impaled you.

Now you were laying in the forest waiting for your father to notice you missing, you were bleeding out, you could feel it. This was the worst you had gotten hurt before. When rick had found you, you were waiting for the scoulding look you normally got but instead his face was etched with worry. The same look you saw when carl had lost his eye, or when carl returned home with negan. He crouched infront of you, looking at the stick in your side and your face which was slowly draining with colour. He was more shocked at the fact you had a look of confusion on your face.

“Hey honey, come on we gotta get you back. Stay with me” he said as he lifted you in his arms. You noticed Carl and Daryl following closely. You looked at your twin, seeing the worry etched on his face. Along with daryl. You could feel tears fall onto your arm, looking up you noticed rick crying.

Once you were healed up and left to sleep, rick didnt leave your side you could feel his hand stroking your hair as you rested. Your eyes shut not wanting you face his lecture on how you shouldn’t of been outside the walls. “I know you’re awake”

You gulped, opened them and faced your father. Noticing he was alone, blood still on his shirt and hands indicating he hadn’t left your side.

“Why did you leave the walls? You know you aren’t allowed?”

“Carl leaves them, I don’t understand how its any different when i do it?”

“Because he isn’t as clumsy as you, he doesn’t seriously injure himself with anything he does”

“Do you prefer him over me? I can live with daryl?”

“Why would suggest that?”

“You never spend time with me, i draw and you never talk to me about any of it, I helped Maggie with the garden today, or helped tidy the other day. But all you care about is carl and making sure he’s ready, or you take him out and spend time with him alone” you cried. Ricks heart broke, in trying to keep you safe from the danger that follows you he didn’t realise he pushed you away, daryl always prompted you to talk to him, being one of the few people to come and talk to you or see what you were up to. And you never annoyed daryl, he allowed you to draw next to him or help him cut up any animals he hunted, rick refused to do anything like that over the fear you would heart yourself.

“I’m sorry, but i tell you what, you and me have a day together tomorrow. You can show me your drawings and we can try and frame some or put them up around the house” he smiled. It was only a small gesture but it was a start to rebuilding the relationship you had with your dad. It wasn’t your fault you were always stuck in your head and bumping into things, most often forgot that you and carl were still kids. With carl acting mature and adapted better/quicker than you, rick forgot sometime people took a while. And he was only trying to protect you.

[littlegodzilla]

Blind Dates. Daryl Dixon x Reader.

Daryl Dixon x FemReader.

Commonwealth Era (I didn't see the second part of season 11, just a few spoilers here.)

Warnings: Fluff. Awkward moments. Mentions of past relationships.

Words: 4700.

Summary: You and Daryl met in a party, but the things didn't go well... You two have to work together and then the things change... (I'm pretty bad with summaries, sorry)

Taglist: @phoenixblack89 @browneyes528 @pncnsc @purple-serenity @lilythemadqueen @twdeadfanfic @darylsgarden @srhxpci

Daryl moves nervously through the streets of the Commonwealth.

It's been several months since they arrived there and as it happened to him with Alexandria, he felt it seemed too good to be true, but his opinion wasn't important now, he was doing it for his people, for Judith and RJ, for all the children who were suffering in a community they were having a hard time getting back on their feet, the weather, the Walkers, were having too much difficulty making Alexandria prosperous again. His intention wasn't to stay there too long, just long enough perhaps to get through the winter and return with full strength, but some of his people were beginning to adjust well to their new life, to the roles that had been thrust upon them there, even Daryl was beginning to feel good.

Until he heard about the blind dates.

It seemed to be a law imposed by the higher ups in the community. People had to pair up so that the Commonwealth would remain prosperous, so that its inhabitants would be strong in the face of the new world in which it had fallen to them to live. The new generation of survivors.

Daryl saw it as stupid and unnecessary.

People knew how to choose for themselves who they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, they didn't need a stupid imposition on them. Besides, where was the love there, if it could be called that, looking for someone just to start a family without knowing if you really liked that person, was going back to the Middle Ages, or worse. Daryl didn't share that ideology.

However, he was a grown man, fertile and single. He was a candidate and his best friend, Carol, thought the idea of seeing him dating was fun. Daryl not so much.

"Why don't you go?" He said to hisr friend as she adjusted his black shirt.

"Honey, I can't have kids anymore, I'm not a candidate, plus there's Ezekiel and..." She was silent, but Daryl nodded his head understanding what she meant. "We'll just go and see, maybe they haven't found anyone for you, who knows."

But they did find him someone they thought was a perfect fit for him.

You.

It was a small party where people wore their name written on a sticker on their chest, candidates would introduce themselves and then someone would indicate which one was their match, the dynamic was simple, they would talk, get to know each other, and little by little between them something should emerge. Daryl still doubted it was that simple.

"Daryl Dixon." He heard Carol introduce him and the young woman standing there smiled nodding.

"We were told you were a reserved man, we're glad to see you've finally decided to come."

"Not of my own free will." He grunted averting his eyes, feeling uncomfortable inside those clothes.

Carol led him inside the party to try and relax him a bit, they weren't the only ones there, several people from Alexandria were with other people from the community, talking quietly, getting to know each other.

"Daryl Dixon." The same person who had greeted them then appears, gently touching the archer's shoulder.

Daryl spins on his own axis accompanied by Carol, next to the other person is you, distractedly waving to some friends who are also there, you have found a pretty but simple wide strapped, lace, violet dress with black lace, knee length, you have pulled your hair back in a simple ponytail that falls over your shoulder like waves, and you have painted the black line over your eyelids. Your gaze bores into him and your confident smile turns into a nervous grimace.

"Daryl Dixon, she's..."

"No." He sharply cut off the introduction and before Carol could stop him, Daryl was gone.

That's why Daryl is hiding from you. Not exactly from you, but he avoids having an encounter with you. He feels stupid for how he ran away that night, for how he left you with the word in your mouth, he didn't even know your name.

He walks in the direction of the convoy they always take on long expeditions, maybe a few days, maybe a couple of weeks, Mercer, hasn't given him directions on what they're going to do that day, so he's not really clear on what they're going to do. He pulls his hair back, tucking it behind his ears. He hates the helmet and mask of the costume, it always pulls his hair or the fringe prevents him from seeing, but he has to admit that it is a good outfit to avoid the bites of the Walkers and the weapons of other people who might be hostile.

He stands still when he sees you at the side of one of the wagons placing some boxes of supplies. He curses mentally as he hadn't realized that you were part of the scouting team he used to leave the community with. True, it must be said in his defense, that you always go with the suit on and so it is difficult to know who is who. But he recognizes you by the weapon leaning against the side of the cart. A Halberd. He's seen you fight with it on multiple missions you've done together, Daryl finds it a dangerous, long-range weapon capable of killing several Walkers in a single blow.

He never thought of you as its owner.

You detect his movement then, leave the ammo box on the cart and smile at him, crossing your arms. Daryl shakes his head in greeting and moves a few steps closer. He's not quite sure what conversation to engage you in, whether to apologize for that night or ask you what you're doing.

"Good morning, Captain." You scoff and he snorts. Daryl isn't the Captain, in fact Mercer is in charge of all the missions, true he always has his own patrol, but he's nobody's boss.

"Hello..." He mutters and nods at the wagons. "Do you know where we're going today?"

"To Alexandria, I think." You smile when you see the archer's eyes sparkle with intensity. He misses the people he left there. "We need to get food and supplies to your people and the soldiers who are helping to rebuild it."

"Well..." He doesn't know what else to add, he feels a little stupid, you don't force the conversation either, you keep loading the cart with some things and when you pick up one of the heavier suitcases, Daryl has to help you when it's about to fall to the ground.

"Thanks." You smile at him and when it's all set up you hold out your hand and introduce yourself. "I didn't get to introduce myself the other day."

"Yeah, sorry about that..." he murmurs and squeezes your hand gently, your name ringing in his ears and he likes it.

"It's okay, it doesn't matter, I never liked those parties, it's too awkward and impersonal." You shrug and Daryl nods.

The journey to Alexandria is a long one, plus the days you decide to stay there to help your companions and Daryl make sure his people are still okay. Those days the hunter keeps his eyes on you, studying you from a safe distance. You are shy with people you don't know, you move nervously among the people of the Alexandria community, Jerry tries to talk to you and you smile at him shyly but trying to be friendly. The man doesn't mind, he knows that sometimes he is too intense and gives you the space you need. On the other hand with your coworkers you are more open, you aren't the most effusive of the group but you laugh and talk more with them. You are clumsy with the construction tools, but you are organized and practical placing the materials that your companions need or helping with the animals and the orchards that are in Alexandria. You aren't perfect. You are human.

"If you keep looking at her like that, even she's going to notice." Carol speaks next to her best friend. After two weeks you have returned to the community and Daryl watches you talk to the rest of the group as you get rid of your helmet by tying your hair into a high ponytail.

"What, I ain't..." He mumbles, but Carol frowns, amused.

"It's okay, Daryl, we can all be curious."

"It's just...she's always come with us...she was part of the team, I didn't...I didn't realize."

"In your defense I'll say that with those suits it's tricky to know who or what's underneath, you know what I mean?" she smiles giving him a gentle punch on the arm, but he's not entirely convinced. He tenses like a string when he sees you say goodbye to your companions and walk straight towards him, Carol whispers something and before he can stop her, she's disappeared.

"Daryl." You smile. "Hey, the group of us are going to go get a drink at the community pub. We usually get together whenever we get back from a mission, as a celebration... W-want to come?" You invite him and Daryl hesitates, chews his lower lip thinking that maybe he should accept your proposal, however he finally shakes his head and he takes a step back, putting some distance between you both.

A gesture that doesn't go unnoticed by you.

"I can't." He excuses himself. "I have to go check on the kids... find out if they're okay."

"Oh, sure..." You nod and smile again. "See you tomorrow, then, Captain." You joke and hear him snort.

"Stop."

You laugh low and wave goodbye to him before turning around and heading back to the rest of the group, they seem to ask about Daryl, but you shake your head, one of the soldiers slips an arm around your shoulders and you all head out of there though you glance back one last time seeing that Daryl has also taken his own course to see Judith and RJ.

You offer him the same proposal several more times really wanting Daryl to join you, you understand that he has his own people and that he prefers to stay with them, but you all share the same task force, you travel around looking for people who need help, you come back with new supplies. You are partners.

But every day that you insist that he join your celebration, the answer is always the same.

"I can't, I have to go see Judith and RJ." And you really understand, he's taking care of the kids and you understand that they are his priority over some people he doesn't know at all, but you can't help but be hurt.

"Right, I'm sorry." You whisper, lowering your gaze. "See you tomorrow." You say goodbye to him and without waiting for a response you walk away again.

Daryl feels strange at home, as Judith listens to music on her record player that Daryl has found for her on one of the explorations with the group as RJ plays with his race cars across the carpet. He watches the two kids intently, biting his lip repeatedly. Maybe he's being a little rough with you. Maybe he should try to make an effort, he understands you being nice after that night, not leaving the situation as awkward and he's still running away from you, in his own way.

"Judith." He calls out to the girl who lifts her head from the turntable. "Do you guys mind going over to Carol's? I'd like to... I've been invited to... and..." He doesn't quite know how to explain, how to do that with the kids.

"Okay, come on RJ, let's go see Aunt Carol." She smiles and Daryl looks at her gratefully.

He stops in front of the bar that he deduces is where you and the group meet after each mission that leads you to stay away from your homes for too many days. He detects the soft melody coming from the same place, it is evident that there are people inside enjoying the atmosphere. Daryl hesitates a few more seconds before opening the door and going inside. It takes him a while to get used to the music, the light, the people. It's been a long time since he last stepped foot in a bar. Soon he spots you on one side of the bar, a small group next to a pool table that had seen better times, you talk and laugh animatedly sharing a few drinks when Daryl decides to approach.

You immediately detect him and when you discover him there, surprise invades you, making you smile and approach him wanting to give him a hug, but you restrain yourself in time.

"Daryl! You came!" You say excitedly and he murmurs nodding his head.

"Yeah, what's a party without its captain?" he jokes and you let out a hearty laugh.

"Good to see you, what do you want to drink? The alcohol isn't very good, beer could be improved, but...

"No, it's okay, I don't drink." He clarifies and you frown slightly.

"Really? Nothing?" he shakes his head and a small smile forms on your mouth. "Wow, you have to show me the trick, I thought these suits made us all sweat it out, but you..." You hear him snort lowering his head for a second.

"Stop it. I don't drink alcohol." He clarifies for you. "I'm ain't a very nice drunk." He shrugs and you nod without pressing the issue.

"Surely there's something you can drink. Come on over, I'm sure the group is glad to see you."

Daryl isn't sure if they're happy to see him, but he can spot the surprise on the faces of some of them. A small grunt comes out of his throat in greeting, the rest shake their heads in response. You leave Daryl alone for a moment while you go to get something for him, he is grateful that Mercer is there, the man is not extremely talkative, like him, but they have connected as coworkers and Daryl feels he can trust him, he is loyal to Pamela and Commonwealth, but he has also seen that he has a soft spot for some members of Alexandria.

The afternoon and part of the evening passes quietly, finally Daryl has agreed to try that home brew which, as you had warned him, is not wonderful, but it is drinkable, he gradually integrates into the conversation of the rest of the group sharing his own experiences when they ask him, but most of the time he listens carefully, absorbing the information they are giving him. The pool table has part of you organizing the small tournament, Daryl has lost some practice, but he still remembers the rules and how to play. Suddenly he feels like the apocalypse never happened, like he's in a bar with an old group of friends, even his chest tightens at the thought that Merle could show up at any moment with some new 'friend' under his arm, but there are different things; he never had a group of friends, it was always Merle and Daryl against the world, so now belonging to a group was a step in the right direction. Or at least he wishes it was.

Nights like that happen on several more occasions. Daryl doesn't meet every time with the group, his duties as an uncle still come before anything else, his people, his community, Judith, RJ and the other kids are his priority, then, now and always, but he no longer minds leaving the kids with his friend Carol or his own friends to have some fun with the patrol, everyone's reactions have changed over the days surprise has turned to acceptance and even they are the ones proposing the archer to go with them, you have taken a back seat.

"What made you change your mind?" That question catches Daryl off guard. He lifts his head from staring at the wood of the barrel he's leaning against and looks at you.

"What?"

"Coming with us, what changed your mind?" you ask again with a small smile and he shakes his shoulders.

"I dunno... I guess always sayin' no... Judith and RJ are ain't alone, I can count on other partners and... I guess ya have to blend in."

"Yeah...you're a good dad."

"I ain't..." He clears his throat and shakes his head again. "Judith and RJ aren't mine."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, I thought ...I thought..."

"They're my nephews, not by blood, but their father was... he's like a brother to me, so..."

"I understand... What happened to him?"

"An accident... we never found his body... Michonne, RJ's mother, found clues about him and is looking for him..."

"I hope she finds him, I know that's a very recurring phrase, but I understand what it's like to lose someone and how much it hurts to know you're not going to be able to get them back..."

"Yeah, what happened to ya? I mean, ya've obviously been here for many years and ya ain't have anyone to..." He falls silent and bites his cheeks as he doesn't know how to continue the sentence.

"I had someone, three... years ago, he was a soldier like me, like us, we were on patrol together, we met at one of those dating parties, but... on one of the trips... things didn't go well, the Walkers got him and..." You mutter lowering your gaze, feeling it hurt to remember.

"I'm sorry..." Daryl whispers and his hand rests on yours, squeezing them lovingly, his thumb caressing your skin.

"Pamela allowed me some time to grieve, Mike and I never got around to making it official, but she was still understanding...until the other night."

"Yeah...sorry about that, I didn't..."

"Never mind, I wasn't offended, I understand." You laugh low and she allows you to catch one of her hands in yours squeezing it gently. Your gazes connect and you feel your stomach cringe because Daryl doesn't pull away, he doesn't move either, but he doesn't seem to mind sharing that moment with you.

"Wow, I see someone is back on the Menu." A third voice pulls you both out of your reverie, your hands separate and you both look at the newcomer at the same time.

"Sebastian..." you mutter looking at the man who smiles sarcastically.

"You look beautiful tonight, I've always thought that soldier outfit doesn't do that body justice." It's a compliment, or at least he throws it out as such, but it turns your stomach.

"I already told you, Sebastian, I'm not interested, don't insist, besides, you look good in company." You say looking at the young woman who is waiting for him a few steps behind.

"It's nothing serious, say the magic words and I'll get rid of her."

"No thanks." You growl and the man's gaze then falls on Daryl who was watching the conversation silently, but with his jaw set in tension.

"I see you still have a soft spot for losers." He says with disgust in his voice running his gaze over the hunter. "Mike was a trained military man, but you've stooped pretty low hanging out with this redneck." Daryl tenses his fists, but you hold his wrist.

"Bye Sebastian, enjoy your friend, we're leaving. Come on Daryl." You tell him and pull him a little, but the two men continue to size each other up with their eyes as you walk away until you leave the pub.

You walk for a few minutes through the empty streets in silence, nodding your heads almost at the same time to greet the soldiers on night duty, but there is no more conversation. You sigh and glance sideways at Daryl who is still chewing his lip and has his shoulders tense.

"Sebastian is a dick, don't listen to him." You ask him.

"He hasn't told any lies, I'm just a simple redneck from Senoia." He shrugs but frustration is evident in his voice.

"Maybe, but you're not just that; you're a soldier, you take care of your people, you're looking out for and protecting some kids that aren't even yours, not everyone is willing to do something like that, you know? You're so much more, Daryl, I mean it." You smile wanting to cheer him up and lightly squeeze his arm. "Well, I'm going home now, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay... Hey!" your name sounds strange, but well, when it slips out of his mouth, you stop as Daryl approaches you. "They're throwing a party for Halloween, I think they're having a fair..."

"Yeah, Pamela didn't lose the calendar and keeps to the important holidays to the letter, do you want to go with the kids?"

"Yes, but... Do ya wanna come with me? With us." He proposes and you look at him with surprise, you feel a tug in your stomach as his cheeks flush a little.

"Y-yeah, sure, I'd love to."

"Okay... have a good rest and I'll see ya tomorrow." She waves goodbye letting you leave.

"Have a good rest." You whisper heading back towards your house.

Daryl silently watches himself in the mirror, he adjusts his black shirt under his vest before buttoning it. He has reached for the pants he has in better condition and his worn, comfortable hiking boots he has replaced them with better looking ones. He's not sure if it's the right thing to do, he feels confused and nervous, but at the same time he wants to have fun, to enjoy the day with the kids and with you. Judith peeks over the side into the hunter's room.

"Is she good?" Judith asks causing Daryl to turn to her and shakes his shoulders.

"Who?"

"She, Carol told me about her, you're going to go see her aren't you? That's why you're nervous."

"Since when did ya get so smart?" he jokes and Judith laughs with a shrug. "We're going to the fair they've set up in the square, ya guys are coming too."

"Us? RJ and me?" There's surprise in her voice, but also excitement when Daryl nods again.

"Sure, I don't wanna ya guys to miss the party, it's sure to be fun." He smiles watching as Judith's gaze glows brighter.

"I'm going to get RJ!" she shouts in excitement walking out of the room making Daryl laugh.

Everything is well organized in the main square of the community, they have prepared several things for people to have fun, there are even some attractions for children, so they can enjoy too, there is a nice smell of candy and chocolate in the atmosphere, people are dressed up, even Judith and RJ have their costumes on. The older Grimes holds the archer's hand and gestures to him.

"She's over there!" she points to you.

Daryl swallows as he discovers you talking to a group who must be friends of yours. You've left your hair down, only pinning back a few strands to leave your view clear, the rest falling messy, wild and somewhat tangled over your shoulders and back. You're wearing a half-sleeved blouse, jeans and comfortable knee-high boots. You detect they are there and waving goodbye to your companions you raise your hand in greeting to Daryl, walking up to them smiling broadly.

"Hi!" you greet excitedly. "You must be Judith and RJ. Daryl talks about you guys a lot."

"Oh yeah? He talks about you too." Judith smiles and RJ nods, smaller, more shy. You glance sideways at Daryl and he shrugs.

"We're co-workers..."

"Yeah... hey I love your outfits, they're awesome." You say without removing your smile and they chuckle softly.

The situation unfolds easier than Daryl expected. The conversation between you is casual and pleasant, like when you're at the pub or on patrol, but with the kids it's not forced either, RJ still feels a little shy towards you, he just looks at you and studies you, hiding behind his uncle's legs, clutching his sister's hand, while Judith from time to time asks you questions related to your past life and your stay in the community, she is curious, which is normal for a girl of her age, but she is not intrusive or overwhelming, she lets you and Daryl talk comfortably and intervenes when something especially catches her attention. During your walk through the fair that has been set up in the commonwealth, the little ones eat candy apples, dare to participate in a game, receive candy from some of the stalls, some traditions have been lost, but others are still very present, especially for the enjoyment of the children. You and Daryl watch them from a safe distance, letting them have their fun as you share a hot chocolate from Carol's cookie stand, Daryl has felt her best friend's gaze burning into the back of her head since you arrived at the square, but has avoided at all costs being the target of her snide remarks.

"Thanks for inviting me." You say then, snapping him out of his own thoughts. "I enjoyed meeting Judith and RJ, they are very special kids."

"Thank ya and they wanted to meet ya too, well... Judith was curious, RJ I think is still too young to process some things."

"No never mind, they are being a lot of changes for them, I guess that's normal." You look at him and smile as Daryl nods, cheeks puffed out from the swig at his cup of chocolate.

"I see you're still trying with the redneck." That voice cuts through the pleasant atmosphere that has settled between you, you watch as Daryl frowns slightly as you sigh and roll your eyes.

"Sebastian... Where did you leave your friend?"

"I told you it was nothing serious, you know I have a soft spot for you..."

"My answer is still no, just because you're Pamela's son doesn't mean we're all going to lose our asses over you." You make it clear to him, you can even sense Daryl smirk against his mug.

"Look, bitch, I'm being very patient and..."

"And ya better think carefully about what yer gonna say." He is quickly cut off by Daryl, instinctively stepping in front of you to protect you, he knows you don't need it, he's seen you fight, but he couldn't control himself. "We're at a fair, having fun, there are kids and they might hear what yer filthy mouth wanna say, so ya better get the hell out..." He tells him in a soft, but trembling tone, laden with hidden menace. You feel goosebumps rise on your skin.

"Yeah, leave them alone!" Judith's voice grabs your attention, she's right next to you, you haven't even noticed when the two boys have embraced you. "That's Uncle Daryl's girlfriend, leave her alone."

You both are sure your hearts have beaten at the same time, Daryl hesitates for a moment in his intimidating stance averting his gaze to Judith but the girl is still scowling angrily, hugging your waist. Sebastian watches the four of you in irritated disbelief, he wants to open his mouth but Daryl steps forward again.

"Ya heard the girl. Leave.Us.Alone." He repeats very slowly, emphasizing every word.

Finally Sebastian walks away angry and frustrated, being unpleasant to the rest of the people who want to talk to him, but you don't care, you have managed to get rid of him, the air still feels heavy around you, none of you dare to say anything, not even to look at you.

"Look, a house of terror!" shouts Judith pulling your hand. "Let's go inside!" she asks you grabbing RJ's hand as well.

"S-Sure, let's go." You're still thinking about what has happened, but you accept the kids' invitation by regaining your smile, letting them guide you into the attraction.

Daryl stays a few steps behind, still in Carol's stand, cup in hand watching the kids interact around you, smiling, laughing, getting you to relax too, let your guard down and have fun with them. Something tightens in his chest at the scene in front of his eyes. He doesn't know how far this will go. If it will go anywhere. There is not much time, he knows that the days in that new world are limited, you can live a season of peace and fall into chaos the next day, but he likes it, maybe the blind date party was violent and uncomfortable, but now he knows you and it is not something forced, you both have decided to take the step of getting to know each other.

He doesn't know if one day Judith's words will be true or each of you will find someone else and everything will remain as a good and new friendship in the community, but Daryl is not going to run away again, he is willing to find out and enjoy every day getting to know you a little more.

THE END.

**

Well I have to say that I haven't started watching the second part of season 11 yet because I don't have any means to do so, so based a bit on the posts I've been finding here this popped into my head.

I hope you liked it!

See you in the next story!

**

I'm going to post Howl and Awkward moment with Norman Reedus, today too if I have sometime this afternoon!