#please bring rj back

[d1xonss]

Fuck it, I love you

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Reader

✧ Era : Season 11

✧ Pronouns : she/her

✧ Genre : ⚠️ Smut (18+) / Angst

✧ Word Count : 7.8k

AN ~ This request was sent in by @daryladdixon, thank you again for the idea! I’m so sorry it took me so long to write, I’ve been having a lot of things going on in my personal life. But it’s finally finished! I really tried my best with this one and I hope you like how it ended up turning out!

(ps- I really want to make some new friends on here, so please dm me if you want to chat! xoxox)

You had been through a lot together. Ever since Atlanta. It was a long time if you really thought about it; years and years of having all kinds of different shit thrown at you. But surprisingly, the two of you made it side by side, the trauma you both endured only bringing you closer together.

Though now as you stood there, screaming and arguing back and forth with each other as a few of your people were in danger, you couldn’t help but wonder how the hell you got here.

When the Commonwealth appeared seemingly out of nowhere with open arms for new people, you couldn’t help but be weary of it. You never trusted them, not really. It was like a dream, something that was too good to be true as they seemed to offer quite a lot, but that only made you more cautious. And the events that followed only proved how right your instincts truly were. So, when the time came, you quickly jumped back on the opportunity to leave and go back to live in Alexandria, knowing that place would always truly be your home. You didn’t even have to think twice on the decision.

However, when you heard that Daryl would be staying behind, wanting to continuously be a part of Judith and RJ’s lives, you couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. You understood his need to be there for them, you would always understand that. But that didn’t mean you wouldn’t miss him greatly when you finally pushed forward to move back with Aaron and Gabriel. 

Although something that you didn’t expect, was Daryl’s slight resentment toward you.

When you told him the news about how you’d be leaving the Commonwealth, he was surprisingly taken aback and a little hurt. He even began to raise his voice at one point, not meaning to yell, but to try and show you how devastated he was that you wouldn’t be around. It wasn’t often that the communities visited each other anymore, not like they used to anyway. And that alone told him that he would hardly ever see you anymore.

He hated it, but his reaction to your leave drove a small wedge between the two of you. He was upset that you were leaving him, and you were upset about how he reacted, knowing that he of all people should have understood your reasoning the most. But that was the last time the two of you had spoken, the last time the two of you had even caught a glimpse of the other. And it truly had taken a toll on the both of you. Though you two were far too stubborn to admit it, the truth was you missed each other greatly. 

Daryl felt almost empty without having you around. He would spend his free time with the kids, see Carol here and there, along with meeting with some of the other acquaintances he had grown closer to. But he dreaded coming home every day, knowing he would be stepping into an empty and oddly quiet house. It just wasn’t the same without you there. He even caught himself a few times glancing over toward the living room, expecting to see you curled up on the couch with your nose in a book. But there was nothing. Hell, even Dog missed you, tugging on Daryl’s heartstrings a bit as he noticed the canine always looking around the space like he was waiting for you to come home.

And back at Alexandria, you were no better than him. Though you had a lot of things to occupy yourself with, you were going through the same heartbreak he was as the two of you hadn’t been apart for this long in years. A part of you assumed that this would be the new normal. That the two of you now had your separate lives and you would just move on from each other, even though it was far from an easy thing to do. You could now grow as individuals and learn to not depend on one another as it seemed neither or you were ready to have the awkward discussion on how things were left. You could move on.

That is until you received quite the urgent message.

You were in the kitchen of your small home when you heard someone just burst through the front door, causing you to freeze at the sudden noise. “(Y/N)?!” you could hear Aaron’s frantic voice call out.

Immediately you sprung forward towards the front entrance of your home, looking at him with concerned eyes, “What? What’s going on?”

“It’s Lydia and Elijah.” he breathed, “Apparently they didn’t make it to Hilltop. It’s been way too long, they should’ve been there by now.”

Your stomach dropped as you processed the news, “How long have they been gone?” 

“They left two days ago.”

That only caused your concern to grow, knowing in the back of your mind that there was no way they could’ve gotten lost or side tracked. Something was wrong, and all you were able to think about was how you would be able to find them. You remembered they took a car, picturing what it looked like in your head as you racked your brain for which route they could’ve taken to the community. The fact was however, you couldn’t track to save your life. Even from the small bits and pieces you had learned in the past, you knew it wouldn’t be enough to find them on your own.

But that’s when it hit you. The small things you had picked up on, you learned from only the best tracker in the world. And in the back of your mind, you knew there was no way to do this without his help.

Soon you found yourself racing towards the Commonwealth without a second thought, telling Aaron to cover for you at the infirmary whilst you were gone. The man asked you multiple times if you were sure, if you really wanted to be a part of this knowing how much they relied on you back at home. But you didn’t have to think twice, you didn’t want Daryl to have to take this responsibility on his own. Though you knew he would do it in a heartbeat for his people, it didn’t matter to you. They were your people too.

You made it into the Commonwealth in record time, the guards on watch allowing you inside the second they recognized who you were, watching your vehicle speed down the road as you left a cloud of dust behind. The area was quite busy today as everyone seemed to be out and about and enjoying the nice weather, feeling a slight shiver run through you as you suddenly remembered why you hated this place. Too many bad memories to even count as living here felt like the longest few weeks of your life.

The car made a screeching sound as you brought it to an abrupt halt, causing quite a few heads to turn upon your graceful entrance as you pulled the keys out of the ignition, stepping out of the car to find him. Though you froze about halfway out of the vehicle as finding him was apparently a lot easier than you thought it would be, seeing him standing off with Carol as the two of you locked eyes immediately. He wanted to say he was happy to see you, happy that you were still alive and healthy, having not seen you in what felt like forever. But the look on your face said it all.

The man didn’t hesitate as he grabbed his crossbow and strapped it across his shoulders, not even bidding Carol a goodbye as he jogged over to you, squeezing past a few people in his way. You instantly tensed a bit, almost as if to prepare yourself for what was to come as you watched him get closer and closer, not even knowing what to say to him. All that time you spent in the car you thought over the different things you wanted to say, the things you wanted him to know. But now as he was coming up to stand in front of you, your mind ran completely blank as you just stood there like an idiot.

He took you in for a moment as he slowed to a stop, trying to read your expression as he could clearly see you wanted to say something. But when all he received was silence, he didn’t hesitate to pull you into him, embracing you tightly as he instantly sighed upon feeling your touch again. Your eyes widened at his actions, clearly not expecting that after how things were left between the two of you. But that didn’t stop you from wrapping your arms around him in return, your eyes falling shut as you buried your head into his chest. It was an old habit you had done many times in the past, but you heard Daryl’s breath hitch as he felt your small but familiar action. One that he had never forgotten.

“You okay?” he asked softly into your hair, squeezing you a bit tighter.

You let out a soft breath as you shook your head, “I need you.” you whispered.

After that, he was all ears.

You filled him in on everything as he was the one to take the wheel, driving just as fast as you once were in an attempt to track down the car Lydia had previously taken out. He silently listened the whole time, nodding to show he was still paying attention as he rubbed a hand over his chin, processing your words. The two of you were very clearly trying not to panic, but when it came to the people you both cared about, it was harder to stay calm than you would think.

But then there was just silence. An awkward silence. Neither of you uttering a word after you told him everything he needed to know. You slightly fidgeted with your hands that sat in your lap as you tried not to look at him, your mind only seeming to focus on how weird things were between the two of you now. That, and you kept thinking back to the very last pleasant conversation you had with him right before you stormed out with a slam of the door. A part of you regretted flipping out on him like that, mostly because you knew the reason why he snapped at you in the first place. It was because he didn’t want you to leave, and all you could do in response to that, was to yell right back out of sadness.

But what you weren’t aware of was that he was thinking the exact same thing. Great minds think alike after all. There was no doubt in his mind that he regretted everything he said to you that day, not knowing that it would tear this big of a hole in your relationship. Though he did have a reason as to why he acted so poorly, and that was simply because the man was incredibly in love with you. And it frustrated him that you couldn’t see that, but it frustrated him even more that you left him like it was nothing.

You then cleared your throat to speak much to his surprise, “So…how’ve you been?”

He briefly glanced over at you, shrugging his shoulders with a huff, “Same old, same old.” he brushed off, a beat of silence passing before he bounced the question right back to you. “How’re you?”

“Good…” you nodded, “I’ve been good.”

His eyes glanced back over at you again, taking in your appearance, “Ya seem happy.”

A small smile made its way onto your lips, “I am happy.” you confirmed.

Though it was partially a lie. Sure, you were happy back at Alexandria, living in the familiar home that you had fallen in love with, spending your time at the infirmary helping people. But there was always something missing, and that something was him. You found you were never fully happy when he wasn’t around, no matter how great your life could’ve gotten. 

“Ya still changin bed pans?” he asked, a slight teasing tone to his voice.

You rolled your eyes with a small scoff, “Yeah, I guess I am. You still babysitting?”

He chuckled softly with a nod, glancing over at you again as if he couldn’t stop looking at your face, “Guess I am…” he confirmed.

You hummed, “How are the little gremlins anyway?”

“They’re doin alright.” he nodded, “Judith’s made a couple new friends since Gracie moved back, and uh��RJ’s startin to wear that old busted hat now…passin the torch I suppose.” he paused for a moment, “...They ask bout ya a lot.” he added quietly.

You smiled a little at that, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” he nodded, “It’s hard for them to shut up bout ya. They’re always sayin shit like…bout the movie nights we used to have. Or how uh…you would do Jude’s makeup every once and a while. Believe me, I haven’t been a good replacement.”

A small laugh escaped you once he said that, not even wanting to imagine Daryl’s makeup skills as he didn’t have much of a steady hand as you did. “Didn’t work out too well?”

He shook his head, “Nah. M’ better at paintin her nails then paintin her whole damn face.”

You hummed as your eyes moved to glance at his hands, noticing the black chipped nail polish that still lingered on his fingers, “I can see she talked you into getting yours done.”

The man followed your line of sight, turning a bit red in embarrassment as he grumbled to himself, “Yeah…it’s hard to say no to her sometimes.”

“She just knows you're a big softie…you’d give a lot to make her happy.” you said with a small smirk.

He scoffed as he briefly glanced over at your face, “Whatever.” he mumbled.

You laughed softly to yourself before it went quiet again, only this time it was a lot more comfortable than before. With some of the tension out of the way, you felt like you could finally breathe properly, seeing as he was the exact same way you left him. It was almost as if no time had passed.

Though you couldn’t help the ping of sadness you felt as you thought over what he had told you, the kids missing your presence would never fail to break your heart. His words only brought the memories flooding back, thinking about how you once would nearly spend every waking moment together, like an actual family, and you loved every second of it. You now only wished everything hadn’t gotten so messed up, not knowing if things would be the same since your absence. If you were given the chance to redo that moment in time, you would do it in a heartbeat.

Daryl then glanced back over at you, seeing your mind wandering, his face forming into a bit of sympathy as he could only assume what you were thinking. He was never good with words, but a part of him wanted to reassure you somehow.

“I missed ya.” he mumbled quietly.

Your heart leapt a little in your chest as you heard his quiet words, looking back over at him to find that his gaze was already on you. You smiled sadly, reaching over to give his arm a squeeze. “I missed you too.”

He smiled back at you, fighting back a shiver as you reached out to place a gentle hand on his arm. It was a moment the both of you needed. And perhaps you weren’t the only one who needed the reassurance, seeing as he was visibly relaxing after your reciprocated words.

But it couldn’t last forever, no matter how much you wanted it to. The two of you sitting up a little straighter upon seeing the familiar car veered off to the side of the road, the front tires planted on the grass as if they had somehow crashed, yet there was no damage from what you could see.

Daryl immediately pulled off to the side, the car slowing to a stop before the two of you got out with your weapons in your grasp, approaching the vehicle with caution to peer through the slightly darkened windows. Though upon glancing inside, there was nothing. No bags, no weapons, nothing. Confusion with a mix of dread seemed to pool in your stomach as it was hard to tell how they disappeared, though you prayed you were wrong about what you originally assumed.

“Aye.” Daryl’s voice called out.

You glanced up at him from over the hood of the car, seeing him gesturing down to the ground in front of him for you to come and see. From your perspective, all you saw were a bunch of messed up and sloppy footprints that could’ve been there for days if you had to guess. But Daryl saw something much bigger. Though he didn’t want to scare you, he silently knew that there were a few strangers involved with their sudden disappearance, knowing he had to be careful on your next move.

“Our best bets that way.” he muttered as he nodded toward the treeline, not even waiting for you to respond before he started moving in that direction.

You tried to keep up with his long strides as he moved quickly through the woods, his eyes staying to the ground as he tried to pinpoint every direction they turned. It was honestly amazing to you how he could do this without hesitating or second guessing himself, he just knew where he was going as if he was following some kind of string that led straight to them. But in a way he was as you began to notice a pattern in the leaves and dirt.

Although you couldn’t help but notice that the closer the two of you got, the more rigid and tense he became as he stopped speaking to you entirely. He didn’t make a single sound as he walked, only occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure you were still following right behind him. The feeling in your stomach began to worsen as you quickly picked up on how much his body language seemed to change, as if he were screaming at you without saying a single word. You knew there was something he knew and you didn’t, but you couldn’t bring yourself to understand why he wasn’t telling you. You were in this together after all.

However, your silent thoughts were suddenly brought to a halt as you were too busy looking down at the ground to realize that Daryl had stopped, instantly running into his back with a small oof. But he hardly seemed to notice as his sole focus was on the small cabin in the distance that seemed to be completely abandoned. Though both of you knew better than to believe that.

“You stay right here.” Daryl’s voice commanded softly, removing his crossbow from his shoulders as he loaded a bolt into it.

Your eyes slightly widened at his suggestion, “I’m sorry?” you spoke in disbelief.

“Ya heard me, I said stay here.” he replied a little more harshly, “We dunno what’s waitin for us in there, alright? I’ll get em out.”

“I’m not just going to stand here while you throw yourself into the lion’s den, fuck that.” you replied with a scoff as you pulled out a weapon of your own.

He grumbled in slight annoyance, “Dammit (Y/N), ya ain’t comin with.”

“Like hell I’m not.” you quietly snapped, “We came out here together to find them, and now we’re going in there together to get them out.”

The man then got up into your face, as if trying to intimidate you enough so you’d stay behind like he asked, “M’ not messin around girl, I ain’t takin no for an answer.”

“Yeah, neither am I, jackass. You’re not going in there by yourself, that’s just stupid.”

His face contorted into obvious frustration and anger as he was clearly losing his patience, “Why the hell do ya have to be so goddamn stubborn all the time, huh? Why can’t you just listen for once?”

You huffed to yourself at the irony, “Well, I guess you can say I learned from the best.”

“Shut the hell up.” he snarled.

“I wanna know why,” you retorted, “Why won’t you let me go in there with you and back you up on this? You really think I can’t handle myself?”

He growled, “I never fuckin said that.”

“Then why?” you snapped, equally losing your patience just as much as he was. At this rate, whoever was in that cabin could probably hear the two of you arguing with one another with how loud your voices seemed to rise.

“Because.” he huffed.

“Why?!”

“Because I love ya too damn much ta lose ya in there! I just want ya safe!”

In an instant, the world went silent. The two of you were breathing a bit heavier from all the yelling, looking at each other with equally wide eyes. You were shocked that he said something so vulnerable, while he on the other hand was terrified that now he might’ve ruined what he had with you. It wasn’t an easy thing for him to come to terms with his feelings, but admitting them out loud felt like an entirely different ballpark. The man now just stood frozen, trying to anticipate your reaction as if he was expecting something negative.

But you surprised him.

“And I love you too damn much to let you do this by yourself.” you said, your voice now unexpectedly soft, “We’ve had each other’s backs for years…and this isn’t any different.”

Daryl stared at you with slightly wide eyes after you said that, not only because you refused to listen to him again, but because you said you loved him too. You loved him. He never in his wildest dreams ever thought it would be physically possible for you to love someone like him, but here you were, pouring your heart out just as he was. Neither of you had been very good about expressing how you felt for one another; there was never really a need for words as you both silently already knew. But now as everything was laid out on display, it was a new kind of uncomfortable that you both just wanted to crawl away from.

Though in the midst of all the tension, Daryl finally allowed you to come with him towards the cabin with a nod of his head, both of you preparing yourself for the sight you would see. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as you were expecting.

Both Lydia and Elijah were tied up on opposite ends of the small house, all of their supplies and weapons completely missing as they were left with nothing. Both of you were quick to untie them, taking them by the arms as they began to tell you that they were held at gunpoint by a few bandits, demanding that they give up all their things to them. And to make sure they wouldn’t follow, the bandits had apparently tied and locked them up inside for God only knows how long. You felt awful as you saw the minor injuries on them from the experience, but mostly you were just thankful that they were alive.

You spent the car ride back to Alexandria in the backseat of the vehicle, comforting Lydia as she leaned against you, telling you bit by bit of what she could remember. It was surely traumatizing for the both of them, and you wanted her to know that you were there to listen to whatever she needed to get off her chest. Even Elijah chimed in a one point once he was comfortable enough, needing to talk about the scary experience just as much as she did. But as for you and Daryl, neither of you uttered a word, not forgetting about the small moment you had just seconds before you found them.

The sun was beginning to set by the time the four of you made it back to the community, many people waiting in anticipation at the gates. But they were soon all filled with great relief as soon as they saw the two young adults step out of the car, receiving hugs and reassuring words the moment they realized you had brought them back safely. Though you were quick to usher the two of them back towards the infirmary when you got the chance, wanting to make sure the minor cuts and bruises would heal properly as you offered to clean them up before they went home for some much needed rest.

Occasionally you glanced out the window to see Daryl and Aaron still talking near the front gate, part of you wondering if he would just go home. Leave without uttering a word about the argument that happened between the two of you. Daryl tended to run from these kinds of things, you knew that better than anyone, but you couldn’t lie to yourself and say you wouldn’t be a little heartbroken if he did this time. You didn’t want him to go, not knowing the next time you would even see him. But another part of you didn’t even know what to say if he did decide to see you one last time.

Eventually once you were finished up you cleaned up the station you used, wishing Lydia and Elijah goodnight as you hugged both of them tightly. All was quiet in Alexandria as there were only a few stragglers left outside, the sun now finally nowhere to be found as you slowly made your way home. Though without even realizing, you subtly kept an eye out for Daryl. He could’ve asked to spend the night in one of the spare homes since it had gotten late, assuming he would want to leave in the morning. But then again maybe he just wanted to get out of here, go home to his own bed with Dog who was surely missing him by now. 

But he didn’t even say goodbye.

Your chest felt a bit heavier at the thought, mindlessly walking into your darkened house as your mind continued to spiral at the events of today. Although you stopped completely in your tracks when you noticed the light illuminating your living room, swearing you hadn't forgotten to turn it off just earlier today. Hesitantly, you peered around the corner to see none other than Daryl sitting on the couch, seemingly lost in his own little world as he stared down at his hands. Though he sensed your presence almost immediately, his head snapping up as he quickly stood to his feet, feeling a bit awkward now realizing that he had just come into your house without your permission.

He then cleared his throat, “I uh…I didn’t wanna leave without sayin goodbye.”

You didn’t know why, but something seemed to snap inside you once he said that. Knowing that he was just going to run right back to the Commonwealth without a second thought. “Really? You’re going to rush back there tonight? Just like that?”

He gave you a look, “Don’t…don’t do that.”

You scoffed with a shake of your head, “Don’t do what? I’m just calling it like it is. I don’t see you for months, and this is how you want to leave things between us? With some pathetic goodbye, not knowing the next time we’ll see each other again?”

“Hey, you got no right sayin that shit to me.” he said with a slight raise of his voice, “Yer the one who left, remember? Not me.”

You laughed bitterly, “You can’t blame me for that. I was miserable there, and I know you were too! And yet you’re still living there day after day-”

“M’ stayin there because of those kids!” he cut you off, “You know damn well how important they are to me, so yeah, I’ll be miserable if it means I can still be there for em. I ain’t gonna just leave em there.”

“I’m not asking you to leave them Daryl! I know how important they are to you, you practically raised them. But that doesn’t mean you get to just shut me out of your life completely. You give me this whole sob story in the car about how much they miss me, and you miss me, but if I recall, I haven’t seen you put in an effort to visit me once!”

“Oh you gotta lot of damn nerve sayin that to me.” he spoke with an edge to his tone, both of you getting more worked up with each comment you spat at each other. “You only came back because you needed my help, like m’ yer fuckin errand boy or some shit!”

You let out a sound of disbelief as you point towards him, “Don’t you dare go there! You’re no better than I am, and you know it. You would’ve never stepped foot back here unless there was some kind of emergency.” you spat, “You never made an effort, not even once! And after everything you said to me…”

A certain fire ignited behind his eyes once you said that, “How the hell else you expect me to react when yer tellin me yer leavin, huh?! What am I supposed to do with that?!”

“Be supportive!” you yelled, “Be happy that I’m finally going back to doing what I love! That’s what you do!”

“Why’re we fighting again?!” he suddenly questioned in frustration.

“I don’t know!”

It had been nothing but back and forth between you two since the moment you saw each other, battling with your own overpowering feelings. It was weird to think about how you never used to be like this, you never so much as argued playfully in the past, and yet now here you are at each other's throats. The silence had never been so loud in the small dimly lit house, waiting for someone to make some kind of move.

But then suddenly, Daryl seemed to make up his mind as he stepped forward. He didn’t want things to end with you like this, the last thing he wanted was to see you upset. And the urge to just finally allow his feelings to unleash was getting more and more overwhelming, needing you to know how he really felt.

He approached you in record speed, not even giving you any time to react before he gently cupped your face, capturing your lips with his. Your eyes widened at how fast everything seemed to happen, quickly pushing his shoulders to get him off of you. He instantly backed away when he sensed your discomfort, now looking like a deer in headlights as he came to the realization that he made a huge mistake.

“I…m’ sorry, I didn’t-”

“No,” you cut him off, “I don’t want you to kiss me, just to make all of this magically go away. I want you to kiss me, because…because it actually means something to you.” you breathed.

His eyes softened as it clicked in his mind what you were trying to say. You didn’t push him away because you didn’t want it to happen; you pushed him away because you were scared it was completely meaningless to him. But that wasn’t true. It wasn’t true at all.

Daryl slowly stepped closer to you again, hesitating slightly before pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to your forehead, “It means everythin…” he whispered against your skin.

That was a fantastic answer.

The moment you heard his confirmation, you leaned up to kiss him passionately, your arms looping around his neck as you pulled him into you. He took a moment to recover from your movements, but soon he found he was kissing you back with just as much eagerness, gripping your hips tightly. His mind went hazy as he was on cloud nine, almost not believing this was really happening. He had pictured this moment in his mind a hundred times before, but truly nothing could have prepared him for the utter bliss he was about to experience.

The two of you quickly grew more desperate for each other as the gentle kiss turned into something much greater, your tongues now fighting for dominance as you let out soft sounds of approval and desperation. Without even thinking, the two of you inched closer toward your bedroom on the main level, already clawing desperately at the fabric of your clothes.

Your knees eventually hit the back of the bed, causing you to stumble a little as you fell back onto the mattress, pulling him on top of you as you didn’t want your lips to part for even a second. Daryl could already feel the fire building in his stomach, the strong urge spreading throughout his body as he began to crave you. His hands moved everywhere he could reach, as if he wanted to memorize every inch of your body, every dip and curve was some kind of uncharted territory.

You then felt him pull back slightly to break the heated kiss, needing to taste more of you as he left hot, open mouthed kisses across your jawline, making his way down at an incredibly slow pace. A whimper was pulled from your lips as his teeth grazed your skin, gently nipping at your flesh to leave a trail of love bites to your exposed neck. The stubble on his face that scratched against your skin somehow made it even better, tickling you slightly as it sent a shiver up your spine.

Daryl smirked to himself as he felt your muscles twitch, moving his mouth to drag his tongue along your chest, before he lowered his head even more to slightly lift your shirt, kissing along your stomach. Your hands grasped the hem of your shirt as soon as he pulled it up, easily tugging it up and over your head to toss it carelessly somewhere on the floor. He groaned as his eyes scanned over your new exposed skin, feeling you sit up slightly to unhook the back of your bra, before shrugging it off just as fast.

His lips parted, his eyes hazy and filled with lust as his hands came up to brush across the sides of your breasts, “God, you drive me crazy…” he muttered under his breath.

You couldn’t help but smile up at him, leaning in to kiss him again as his hand moved to gently massage your breasts, squeezing them with the perfect amount of pressure. You gasped softly as he rolled your nipple between his thumb and pointer finger, easily getting a rise out of you as your back slightly arched in response. He could feel your chest rising and falling rapidly beneath him, your impatience growing as you could feel your arousal pooling against the fabric of your underwear. Your hands then moved up to blindly undo the buttons on his shirt, your nimble fingers struggling a bit as you tried to keep up with his sloppy kiss.

He then grunted at your attempts, breaking away from you momentarily to rip his shirt off his chest. Quite literally. Your eyes widened as the buttons flew everywhere, the navy blue top now looking more like a piece of a fabric sample than an actual shirt.

You couldn’t help but laugh lightly as your hands reached out to feel his toned chest, “Hm…I wish you had another shirt just so I could watch you do that again.”

He smirked, “Don’t worry...I got plenty of other ways to put on a show for ya.” he spoke before he gave you a wink, his hands reaching down to tug on your jeans.

Your excitement grew as you sat up on your elbows, watching as he swiftly undid the button and the zipper of your pants before pulling them clean off your legs in one swift motion. He seemed to be very efficient, that's for damn sure. Though a wicked grin crossed the man’s face when he saw the small wet patch on your thong, his thumb teasingly running over your clothed core. You sucked in a soft breath as he gently pushed on your clit, your head rolling back and your toes curling at the shockwave sensation.

“This all for me? Hm?” he practically purred, his southern drawl bringing goosebumps to your skin as his thumb continued to tease you.

Your hands gripped the sheets beside you as you nodded your head with a small “mhm”, silently begging him to keep going.

He seemed quite pleased as his lip quirked up in a smile, “Mm that’s my girl.” he muttered softly as he placed a few lingering kisses on your stomach, his words causing you to spiral. You never thought he would say that to you, hell you never even thought you wanted him to say that to you. But now that he had, you never wanted him to stop.

His mouth then hovered over the elastic of your underwear, his teeth moving down to bite at it before he tugged the piece of fabric off of you using only his mouth. Well if you weren’t turned on before, you sure as hell were now.

Daryl then couldn’t wait any longer as the sight of you bare beneath him was beginning to be too much, his movements frantic as his belt jingled when he began to unbuckle it. Your eyes watched his every move as he tugged his pants and boxers off in record speed, kicking them off of his ankles to see he was already throbbing for you. The sight was enough to make you whine quietly, squirming in anticipation as his large frame hovered over you.

But although he was practically drooling to finally please you the way you deserved, he still couldn’t help but tease you a bit. And maybe, just maybe, he enjoyed torturing himself a bit as well. He dragged his tip through your soaking wet folds, the friction being enough for your hips to rock up in a sudden jolt. The sounds coming out of you were utterly sinful, and he loved it. Your hands again gripped the sheets below you, fidgeting relentlessly as he continued to tease your entrance, occasionally circling your clit which caused you to moan.

“Ah!” you cried softly as he barely pushed inside you, before pulling himself out just as quickly, “Please...” you whispered breathlessly.

He groaned lowly as he saw you practically falling apart for him already, leaning down to place a few kisses along your cheek, “Use your words, baby. Tell me what you want.” 

“You.” you said instantly, “I want you…”

He smirked to himself, “I want you too sweetheart.” he kissed along your neck as he muttered those few words into your skin, “So much…”

The excruciating wait was finally gone in what seemed like a split second, not being able to hold back any longer as Daryl finally pushed himself into you. Your mouth dropped as your head fell back onto the bed, hearing him let out an exaggerated groan as he felt your tight walls already clenching around him.

“God…you feel like heaven sweet girl.” he mumbled as he fought to catch his breath, his mind swirling with ecstasy as he was completely drunk off of you. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, how you felt so perfect as if you were made for him.

Your chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, squeezing your legs around his waist, “Keep going...” you practically begged, physically needing him to move.

He didn’t need to be told twice. He slowly began to pound into you at a steady pace, watching your facial expressions to try and find what felt the best for you. You moaned sensually as his hips began to slap against yours, feeling the length of him moving in and out at a steady pace. Your hands then moved to trace up his bare arms, feeling his muscles flex underneath your featherlight touch as they landed on his shoulders, needing to feel more of him.

His breaths grew heavier as they came out in short pants, gradually speeding up, completely enamored with how your breasts bounced with each thrust he gave. Your hands began gripping his shoulders a bit tighter as your eyes squeezed shut, whimpering as you could already feel your orgasm begin to pool in your belly. How he was able to do that with little to no actions at all, you had no idea. But you didn’t care. It was like all the longing the two of you had felt for each other was just spilling out all at one time as you finally gave into your desires.

“Faster.” you panted, “Please.”

Your words spurred him on as he instantly began to pound harsher into you, the bed frame squeaking against the wall as his movements were quick and sharp. The pornographic sounds easily slipped from your lips as you felt him rock even deeper inside of you, causing your nails to scratch and grip against his skin. He groaned deeply as he felt your hands digging into him, only urging him on more as he rolled his hips whilst thrusting into you, a sharp gasp escaping you as he tickled that sweet spot so perfectly.

He liked that sound. He liked it a lot; rolling his hips against yours again and again in order to pull more of those beautiful sounds out of you.

You cried out blissfully as you felt yourself clench against him, the familiar tingling sensation vibrating through you as your legs squeezed around his waist to keep him locked in place. He felt a bead of sweat pool down his face as he groaned, leaning down to gently nip at your collarbone, hearing your moans of pleasure right next to his ear. He could tell you were getting close, feeling himself following right along with you, but a part of him wanted to be at your mercy. A part of him wanted to see you riding out your high on top of him, needing to snap a mental image of the most perfect thing he could ever lay his eyes on. 

You were taken off guard as he suddenly slowed his movements, flipping you over so you were straddling his hips as he laid flat on his back. Your dazed and confused look made him want to chuckle, but he didn't. Instead, he spoke.

“Use me however you want…” he panted as he continued to gently thrust himself into you, “I’m yours, baby…completely yours.” he said softly, wanting you to be in control of him.

Though you didn't expect the sudden change of events, his words surprised you, and it turned you on. More than you were ever willing to admit.

After the initial shock wore off within merely seconds, you didn’t hesitate as you began to bounce on top of him, the new angle making your legs shake wildly. His big hands held your hips perfectly in pace as he matched your rhythm, silently thankful that you lived alone as the volume in the room was growing louder with each passing second. You watched as he threw his head back with a soft whine, keeping his eyes on you the whole time as you slowly started to find your release.

“That’s it sweetheart…that’s it.” he spoke soothingly as he leaned up to place wet kisses across your stomach, his thumb finding its way to toy with your clit to send you over the edge.

You cried out loudly as that was all you needed to come undone, your muscles twitching as you rode it out as long as you possibly could. Feeling you clench around him mixed with the lustful sounds that came out of you was all Daryl could take before he reached his own climax, swiftly pulling out of you as he groaned lowly against your skin.

You didn’t know how much time passed as the two of you were in a complete state of bliss, trying to come down from the incredible high you just experienced. You felt his hands trace soothing circles against your hips as his face was now buried in your breasts, feeling the heat of his breath dancing against your bare skin. A content sigh left your lips as you found yourself wondering why it had taken you two so long to do this. But then again you assumed it was never the right time, and in your opinion it was worth the wait. You couldn’t think of anything more perfect than this.

Daryl then began to come to his senses as his heart finally slowed down to a steady pace, his lips beginning to trail up towards your collarbone lovingly. Your fingers ran through his messy, tangled hair, growing a bit sad as you looked down at him, reality coming back to remind you that this couldn’t last forever. But a selfish part of you wanted it to.

“Don’t go.” you whispered.

He looked up from what he was doing, seeing the slightly distraught look on your face that instantly made his lips morph into a frown, “What’re you talkin bout?” 

You shook your head, “Stay…stay here with me. Don’t go.”

His eyes softened as he raised his hands to gently cup your face, “Hey, I ain’t goin anywhere sweetheart. M’ stayin right here.”

“But…what about Judith? RJ? I can’t…I don’t want to make you choose.” you said softly, fearing that in the back of your mind, things would just go back to how they were. Regardless of the passion you shared.

He smiled softly, “Baby, you ain’t makin me choose. We’ll figure somethin else out together, alright? Because I do know one thing…I sure as hell don’t want us to be apart like that ever again.”

You slowly nodded your head in agreement, “I don’t want that either…you have no idea how much I missed you. Leaving you was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made.”

“It ain’t gonna happen again. I promise.” he said before leaning in to gently kiss your lips.

You didn’t know how, but his words mixed with the gentle kiss seemed to slowly melt your worries away as you couldn’t think about anything else but him. In the end you knew it would work itself out, feeling more content in this moment with him than you had felt in a very long time. Daryl made a mistake on letting you leave, his own frustration stopping him from preventing you from walking out that door, telling you how much you meant to him. Though he couldn’t change the past, and all those long months you missed out on with each other, he sure as hell could plan for the future.

And he was never planning on letting you go again.

~ Thanks for reading!

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

Hi there! I really * love * your writing and would like to request a Daryl x fem!reader story.

Set in 10x11, reader takes care of Daryl after he returns from his fight with Alpha. The reader treats the wounds (leg, face, bruises). They also might talk about Carol's odd behavior and are worried about her.

Then it's about getting ready to fight the herd and the Whisperers, not knowing if they'll survive the night. They probably also have a daughter and they're worried about her, Judith' and RJ's safety.

There could be fluff, a spark of hope or even smut (carefully because of his injuries, of course) or anything like that.

I would love to read that 😊 xx

I am the Mess You Chose

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Setting: Hilltop (Whisperers Era)

Warnings: Injuries; Medical treatment

A/N: I really tried with this, Anon. I hope I did okay. I think it went more angsty than I had intended. Still, I hope you enjoy. I also really love Daryl giving the reader the nickname Pip, short for pipsqueak. It just resonates with me, so I hope my little bit of self indulgence is okay.

*gif is not mine

You were speaking with Luke and Yumiko when you heard the familiar rumble of Daryl’s bike, turning toward the gate with Aspen on your hip. Her cries of dada dada dada accompanied the clapping of her little hands while your husband rode through with Lydia on the back of the bike. You could instantly see that something wasn’t right. 

“Any sign of them?” Yumiko reached them first, not waiting until the motorcycle had even been shut off. Daryl was looking down, avoiding the light.

“We didn’t get that far.” He grumbled while Lydia dismounted. Kelly stepped forward next, looking concerned but whether it was for Daryl or who he didn’t bring back, you couldn’t be sure. You were handing Aspen off to Jerry with a quick please watch her before you moved past everyone. Daryl was struggling to get off the bike, grunting and instantly keeping the weight off his left leg. “We gotta talk.”

“Not you.” You interjected, dragging his arm over your shoulders. “Lydia, can you handle the details?” The girl nodded. You gave Jerry another glance and received a nod before he had little Aspen waving at you and Daryl, who put on a brave face for his daughter until you were out of sight. He made a noise in the back of his throat the moment the two of you stepped across the threshold, both legs nearly buckling beneath him. “I gotcha. Downstairs bedroom, just a little further.” You shook your head at someone who appeared to be close to addressing Daryl and jerked your chin toward the front door in a silent request for them to shut it. “Can you open the bedroom door, Daryl?”

“Yeah.” He rasped, fumbling for the knob before finally grasping it and shoving the door open. It was a bit of a challenge but you eventually got him to the bed and let him sink down on the edge of the mattress. “Hey, Pip.” He offered you the smallest of smiles while looking up at you, your fingers brushing his hair away from the substantial laceration above his eye.

“Don’t hey, Pip me, Daryl Dixon! What happened?” You admonished, continuing your assessment and finding more injuries on his torso but his leg, that was where your worry spiked. His pants were stiff with dried blood, the bandages lined at the top with a tightly bound piece of fabric. A tourniquet, you surmised. 

“Found Alpha. Tried to find out where they were.” He leaned back on his hands, his upper body swaying.

“I see how well that conversation went.” You deadpanned.

He responded at first with a hum. “Lydia found me. S’half dead. She dragged my sorry ass outta there, patched me up good ‘nough to get back.” Daryl jolted, the bandages sticking to his skin as you unwound them from the wound. You’d need to grab some antibiotics for sure. Knife wound, deep. The bleeding had all but stopped thanks to the tourniquet, but you felt sick at the thought of how easily the femoral artery could have been nicked. How quickly he would have bled out. “Was gonna leave it.”

“What?” You looked up to find him watching you. He nodded toward his leg.

“Alpha’s knife. Was gonna leave it. Knew better’an to pull it out, but she followed me. Drew in three walkers. Had to use it.” You stared at him levelly, not relenting when he reached to trace a finger down your jaw. “S’good to see your face, Pip. An' baby girl’s. For a minute there—for a minute, I thought I wasn’t comin’ back.” 

“Remind me to thank Lydia after I throttle the hell out of you for going alone.” You stepped out of the room for the suture kit, more antiseptic and bandages. “How long has this been on?” You motioned toward the tourniquet with the suture kit.

“Few hours.”

Slamming the kit onto the mattress, your head followed it with a groan. “I’ll have to do an IV, Daryl. We need to do a bolus of fluids to flush out the toxins building up where the blood isn’t flowing.” You weren’t mad, not really. You were redirecting your fear into something that wouldn’t have you a trembling mess while trying to stitch up your husband’s damn near fatal wound.

“M’sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m—” You sighed and knelt next to his leg to clean the wound thoroughly. “I’m just glad you’re here. Safe. And in one piece.” You tilted your head. “More or less.” It always hurt your heart to tend to his injuries, not just knowing the wound itself was painful, but knowing it would just add to the collection of scars he had accumulated throughout his life. He didn’t seem so bothered by them anymore but that didn’t mean you enjoyed watching him gather them like tattoos. 

The two of you were quiet as you stitched, not a single word until you tied off the last one and clipped the remaining thread. You placed the used materials in the wastebasket and stepped out of the room, jogging down to the medical unit for IV supplies, antibiotics, and fluids. People were moving about hastily but you’d find out why later. You had to take care of your husband first. Arms full, you detoured to find Jerry. He was on the ground with Aspen, her little arms flailing around as she stood in front of him, telling the world’s tallest tale. The man caught your eye and nodded. You mouthed a thank you and continued back to the house. There must have been something he was needed for, but you were keeping him from it. 

Daryl was lying down when you returned, an arm thrown across his eyes. He wasn’t sleeping, the rhythmic tapping of each finger against his thumb a tell tale sign that he was anxious. You needed to find out what was going on, why everyone was bustling about in waves, though you had an inkling. You were just hoping to be wrong.

Clearing your throat, you entered the room. “You really pulled a Carol yesterday, you know.”

“That ain’t funny.” He huffed, lifting his arm slightly. He looked so exhausted and pale. 

“It wasn’t intended to be, love.” He just happened to be shielding his eyes with the arm you needed, but didn’t fight you when you pulled it down to lie straight at his side and rolled up the sleeve. Placing the rubber tourniquet above his elbow, you started palpating for a vein, glancing up at him every few seconds. “She’s not doing so hot, is she?”

“Nah. She ain't.” He replied quietly. He didn’t flinch when you slid the needle in, getting a good return before removing the tourniquet and popping the needle back to leave the catheter behind. “Worried ‘bout her.”

“I know.” You straightened the tubing and connected it to the bags you hung on the headboard, open the line to start the flow of fluids and antibiotics. “I’m gonna take the tourniquet from your leg. It’s not gonna feel great.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Done this dance a million times, Pip.” 

You nodded and circled the bed, grabbing the scissors from the medical kit on your journey. You positioned the blades before glancing up at your husband. He was staring at the ceiling, but you knew where his head was.

“Are you angry with her?” Snip. Daryl grunted and clenched his fists, the circulation returning in a painful spiral throughout the injured limb.

“Yeah. Yeah, m’fuckin’ angry with her.” He snapped quietly, nostrils flaring. “Keeps takin’ off half-cocked, gettin’ herself hurt, gettin’ other people—” His mouth snapped shut into a thin line, his left arm coming up to cover his eyes that time. 

“Connie.” You supplied. You knew Daryl had taken a liking to the woman. She radiated confidence and positivity and just life. Your husband had grabbed onto that with both hands and held fast, pulling her into your little family. You both adored her. You didn’t blame Carol per se, but she did hold some of the responsibility for Connie’s—disappearance. “Daryl.”

“What?” He huffed, his irritation not directed at you. You knew him better than that.

“What if it were Aspen?” He jerked his arm away from his eyes so quickly that you flinched, knowing he was about to yell at you for even suggesting such a thing. “Stop. It’s a horrible thought, I know. But take how just that thought makes you feel and multiply it by infinity, my love. That is where Carol’s heart is right now and her head can’t even try to keep up with it.”

“That ain’t—she just—” His chin was wobbling, an inner war raging behind his stormy blue eyes.

Grabbing some butterfly stitches, gauze, and alcohol, you crawled onto the mattress and sat cross-legged by his shoulder. When you began to dab at the wound on his forehead, his face fell and his defeated gaze found your steady one. 

“I’m not saying she’s right, love. I’m just saying maybe she’s not wrong either.” You said nothing else until you had closed the wound with the strips and leaned forward to place a kiss between his eyes. “You two will get through this. You always find a way.” With a sniff and a deep breath, Daryl nodded. You were unbuttoning his shirt to tend to the other wounds when you yourself inhaled deeply, eyes flashing up to your husband’s face. “I need you to tell me what’s happening out there.”

“Be here by nightfall. Still gives us a bit to get ready.”

You stood at Daryl’s side against the upstairs bannister while everyone below scurried about with weapons and supplies. 

“You’re sure all the roads are blocked?” You tapped your fingers against the wood nervously.

“You were on one of them roads yourself, Pip. Ya saw it. They got ‘em all.” The archer’s bandaged hand covered yours to still your anxious movements. “Listen, I wantcha with the kids.” Your eyes were already watching your daughter on the carpet downstairs with Judith and RJ, but your attention snapped toward him before he could finish speaking.

“No.”

“Ain’t a request. Wantcha to—”

“No, Daryl.” You snapped, pulling your hand away. “This bitch has taken from all of us. I’m gonna be right beside you, on the frontlines.”

“Nah, need ya to stay away from this. Need to know that Aspen’s with ‘er mama, that Jude an’ RJ have ya there to protect 'em.” You were shaking your head with every word, but he didn’t stop. “Can’t fight out there not knowin’ my family’s safe as they can get.”

“And I can’t sit in here knowing my husband is out there fighting without me.” You gestured to the whole of him. “Fighting when he’s already beaten all to hell!” “Just do this for me, Pip. Take care’a our kids. If somethin’ happens to me, baby girl, Jude, an’ RJ’re gonna need ya.” Daryl brushed your hair behind your ear and placed his hand on your cheek. Your eyes were wet with frustration and hopelessness and worry and grief. 

“Goddamn you, Daryl Dixon.” Your head fell forward against his chest, sniffling until he wrapped his arms around your shoulders and held you there while you pulled yourself together. He was right, and you knew it. Your daughter couldn’t lose both of her parents to that monster. Jude and RJ couldn’t lose what family they had left. “Alright. I’ll stay back with the kids.” Daryl kissed your forehead.

“M’gonna talk to Zeke. If one’a us goes down, the other’ll come for you an’ the kids, okay?”

“Don’t talk like that.”

“Y/N, I’m just—”

“No, don’t talk like you’re not coming back to me.” You didn’t let him speak again before your mouth was on his, your hands in his hair while his squeezed your waist. “You are coming back to me.” You were walking him backwards toward one of the empty rooms, careful of his injury and accommodating his limp. 

“M’comin’ back.” He spoke quietly against your mouth, letting you unbutton his shirt before he could even manage to start shutting the door. “Always will.”

[cultofdixon]

You’ll always be important to me

Daryl Dixon • She/Her Pronouns • When you and Daryl started your own little family, Judith thought that meant everything was changing. But she will always be a part of their family • ANGST/SFW • TW: Pregnancy & Birth Mentioned / Anxiety / Sleep Deprivation / Minor Injuries • Commonwealth canon re-written

Requested by: Anon

“Run that back?”

“I’m pregnant, D…”

Daryl looks at his wife a bit taken back by what she said. The silence ate Y/N alive when he didn’t say anything in response after she stated supposedly good news a second time.

Then she was suddenly brought into his embrace feeling the archer tighten his grasp on her carefully.

“We’re gonna be parents…holy shit. We’re havin’ a baby” Daryl lets out a chuckle as he held her close feeling her latch onto him.

“Our family is getting bigger…”

~

“She’s having a baby?” Judith questions once more to Daryl watching the man nod as she gave him a blank stare followed by silence.

Before he could even question what could be going on in that mind of hers, the young Grimes went in for a hug that he happily returned.

“You and Y/N are going to be great parents”

They kind of…already were because the two took in the Grimes kids when Michonne left on this unknown journey that only Judith knew was to find Rick. Daryl was always Rick and Michonne’s first option when it came to taking their kids in any way. Judith has always been the archer’s adoptive daughter in a way that everyone knew, and Y/N has told him every time they just thought about having kids of their own that he will be great because Judith was his first kid.

She always will be

Even when she has her doubts

The first two months into pregnancy were a bit stressful because Alexandria had just suffered a herd going through it and the news of this new community surfaced. Which lead to a possible ally ship that Eugene, Ezekiel, and Yumiko were being the voices for Alexandria to acquire such. Of course Carol will help in her own way to make sure this community wasn’t going to stab them in the back in any way, but for now their promise of helping Alexandria rebuild itself sounded promising. They even offered housing in their community for those who wanted it until their community is rebuilt. As long as they did their part.

Which is only fair. But it wasn’t going to be easy to try and convince an already anxious person to move into unknown territory.

“No”

“But Y/N—-“

“I’m pregnant! It’s an unknown community! My brother is here, my family is here, why would you—-“

“Jude and RJ are comin’ with us. And Aaron will visit but he’s takin’ lead from the Alexandria’s side on the rebuild”

“Why can’t we help—-“

“Because you’re pregnant and Commonwealth has the resources”

“Resources?! We have—-“

“NOT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO YEA!” Daryl yells, which was met with instant regret given the flinch that he drew out of his wife. “I’m sorry…I’m really sorry for snappin’. I just. I can’t lose you…I can’t. Lose. You.” He tried his best to contain his anxiety that was picking at him to get him to sob as Y/N brought herself close bringing her arms around his middle.

“Daryl…Nothin’ bad is gonna happen to me. Or our baby. Or our kids…we’ll be safe…”

“Please Y/N…we don’t have to live there forever. Just until Alexandria is rebuilt…Aaron will come and get us when it’s done.”

Y/N held her husband while all his anxiety continued to radiate off him as she rests her chin on his chest looking up at him.

“Okay”

“Okay?”

“Yes…but I’m not raising our baby in the Commonwealth. Once we are both fit, and Alexandria is back in working order…we come home”

“I promise, sunshine” Daryl presses a kiss to her forehead before her cheek ending with one on her lips. But he wasn’t letting go of her anytime soon. “Yea think they’d try anythin’?”

“I trust our people who found the community when they say to put some trust in this place. But I’m just. If something were to happen, Carol won’t leave us in the dark. None of them would”

“I’ll burn the place down if anythin’ happens to my family”

His wife laughs to such even if it were true that the archer would do such if it came to that. But thankfully, the entrance into this new community wasn’t too bad and that they would be updated occasionally on the rebuild by Y/N’s brother Aaron.

Their temp apartment was a bit small, but once Daryl finished training they put the family of five (including Dog) into a bigger place. One where Judith and RJ shared the other room and the adults obviously got their own.

“I look ridiculous”

“I think…as long as it protects my strong handsome husband from walkers…I think you’ll look fine” Y/N smiles waiting for Daryl to step out of the bathroom in his armor while she waited, Judith came in in the new dress she picked out when getting clothing for school. “Oh my god. You look beautiful! Come here look in the mirror!” She got up from the bed directing Judith into the full body mirror smiling even more when the young child started to smile.

“You think I’ll make friends?”

“Of course I do! You are a wonderful, smart, creative young woman that who wouldn’t be your friend?” Y/N smiles holding Judith close as she held her arms until she felt safe to let go or at least until Daryl stepped out in his armor.

“I really feel ridiculous” Daryl states joining the two in the mirror watching them both look at him. “What? You agree?”

“You look like a stormtrooper”

“What’s a stormtrooper?” Judith questions making Y/N laugh to herself forgetting she was born in the apocalypse.

“It’s what Uncle Daryl is. But Uncle Daryl is on the good side while stormtroopers were bad guys”

“Yknow. There’s a rental video place. I bet yea they’ve got Star Wars…Aunt Carol has a TV”

“I swear. This is a rare sighting, Daryl actually offering to watch Star Wars” Y/N elbows the man while letting go of Judith a moment.

“Never said I’m watchin’. Y’all can watch it with Carol”

“Sounds good. Carol is a better cuddle partner anyway” Y/N playfully jokes resulting in a glare and a scoff from the archer.

“Nah. You and I only cuddle”

“Jealous aren’t we Uncle Daryl?” Judith giggles a bit before leaving the two to make sure her brother was ready to go. Daryl felt the embarrassment upon admitting such bring the heat to the tips of his ears.

The woman laughs herself before bringing her husband in the mirror with her holding him from the side. He wrapped his arm around her bringing his lips to her temple.

“Wanna see something amazing before you take the kids to school?”

Daryl felt her pull away he always hated that feeling and watched her pull her sweater back enough to show that she popped.

“Now how the fuck am I supposed to go to work and focus when that’s gonna be on my mind all day” Daryl instantly brought Y/N close listening to her giggle as he gently rests his hand on her bump.

“You make it look like nothing”

“It’s somethin’, sunshine” Daryl smiles bringing her back into his embrace as she kept her face away from the armor not liking the new plastic smell.

This was nice. Experiencing the good domestic life…something people since the outbreak happened have longed for. The kids were enjoying school, Daryl was slowly rising in his job resulting in his family moving at least two more times in the new place, and given all the medical resources Y/N was healthy and so was their baby girl. Carol did more research and learned that the community did have an intense leader type before they joined and she was taken down by her own assistant who now helps run more of a council system like what they had at Alexandria. So the overwhelming anxiety about their safety lessened but it was still there.

“You’ve been put on bedrest for a reason”

“Did Daryl tell you to come here and just to tell me that?” Y/N scoffs letting Carol into their place.

“I don’t think you should be questioning when you’re not listening to doctor’s orders”

“Daryl left early and forgot to make lunches for the kids…so I had to. All I remember him telling me was you were going to take the kids…now you’re back”

“Cuz well he told me to keep an eye on yea and make sure you were in bed”

Y/N started to ignore her as she tiredly sits on the couch resting her hands on her belly. Carol brought herself in the kitchen to grab Y/N a glass of water before noticing the letters on the counter from Aaron. They weren’t anything bad, just what was promised of him to update her on Alexandria. And updates on Gracie, Maggie and Hershel adjusting,…their family back home. She was getting homesick and didn’t tell Daryl about it because of how great this place is and how he at least wants the baby to be delivered in a place built for it because Commonwealth did have a hospital. She’s just been keeping a lot of her feelings to herself which led to her stressing and the OB telling her to stay in bed.

“You know once the baby is here we get to go home” Carol assures her as she hands the glass while sitting beside her friend. “Once you two are strong enough, we’ll pack up and head home. I know Aaron will be excited to meet his niece”

The silence was killer and Carol couldn’t help but sense there was much more to it.

“Y/N…I won’t tell Daryl anythin’ you don’t want me to” and that prompted Y/N to finally make eye contact with her before quickly looking away. “Hun…”

“I don’t…I don’t want our kids feeling like, we don’t care about them when she comes. I…I know she’s going to be a priority but I’m just worried…”

“Y/N…Judith and RJ are so loved by you and Daryl. It would take killing the both of you to stop such. Even then I doubt you’ll ever stop. You’re bringing a baby into the world. They know it’ll take time to go back to the old routine. But even then, you love so much and I mean so fucking much. They’ll never forget it”

When the baby finally came, Carol brought the kids to meet her once it was okay to do so. And of course Daryl was hogging their baby because when the three entered the room also being greeted by Ezekiel, they noticed Daryl protectively holding his baby.

“I swear D. Has your wife, aka the baby’s mother, even got a chance to hold her?”

“Yeah” Daryl scoffs. “When she came out” he adds and that led to a bit of laughter to fill the room as he brought himself over to Judith and RJ kneeling before them to show the little girl sleeping peacefully in his embrace.

“She’s tiny” RJ comments as he looks at the child shocked on how the fuck this little human came into the world.

“What’s her name?”

“Robin” Y/N tiredly replies from the bed as Carol approaches her side smiling and brushing the loose hairs out of her face.

“You did good, mama” Carol smiles sitting with Y/N on her bed watching the display of Daryl with all three kids. “They’re going to be inseparable”

Robin Dixon was SWARMED when they finally returned to Alexandria. For Daryl’s anxiety, they waited for her to be a month old before moving back. Maggie and Aaron instantly went toward the child, as Aaron took said child from Daryl and before he could even try and get his daughter back Maggie cut between them.

“It’s our time with the newest addition”

“But—-“

“No buts! You took my sister away for almost a year and now I’m making up for that time with my niece”

“You’re gonna take my kid for almost a year?!”

“No! An hour at most” Aaron scoffs followed by a smirk as he knelt down to show his kid her cousin while Maggie showed Hershel their new family member.

Y/N felt overwhelmed with joy, fear, anxiety…all kinds of things. But she was happy to be home…even if some part of her fear was triggered by worry. Especially when she noticed Judith try and get Daryl’s attention when it’s so focused on this little baby. His baby.

Hours passed…the Dixons and Grimes were back in their house putting everything away and Y/N was thankful for the nursery being finished when they arrived. By help of Maggie. As Daryl started to get Robin to calm down to sleep, Y/N went to check on the Grimes kids. Finding RJ already passed out in his own bed, leaving her to check on Judith who sat on her bed looking at Carl’s hat in her hands.

“You happy to be in your old room again?” Y/N smiles leaning against the door when she noticed a few tears in the young girl’s eyes. “Hey…” her smile faded as she brought herself in closing the door not all the way before sitting beside Judith. “Love, what’s wrong?”

“I miss my mom…my dad…Carl…” Judith sniffled as she carefully hugged the hat while Y/N wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “I know change is normal and all…but I just. It’s been a month already and I feel like I’m just going to be forgotten about”

New baby. New environment. Y/N was still in that weird haze of unwelcome emotions do to hormones as she brought Judith close resting her head on top of hers.

“No one is going to forget you. You are very important to a lot of us. You are so loved and you are a huge part of why a lot of us got together. You are a big piece in our family, Jude”

“Then…wh…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I know she’s bright and shiny, and his blood…but I just. Don’t think I’m that important to Uncle Daryl anymore”

Right before Y/N can assure her of anything, the door pushed open finding a semi tired RJ that was eavesdropping but also the archer standing behind him. The display made both girls think that RJ heard Judith was in distress in some way that she needed an adult. Which was the truth but he was looking for Y/N first, and found Daryl.

Now they’re here and Daryl felt awful hearing such as he enters with RJ who instantly sprinted to Y/N when he started making his way in.

“You are very important to me, Jude.” Daryl brought himself to sit on the opposite side of her as all of them were on the bed now. “Yeah, I’ve got a baby now…but in a sense, she’s not my first kid. I helped raise yea. Took care of yea. Made sure you had some sense of a childhood in this hell of a world…and did my best not to let you feel an ounce of abandonment when Michonne left. Same for RJ. Yeah…your mom will come back after she finds whatever she went out there for. But you’ll always be my kid”

Judith couldn’t contain the tears anymore as she sobbed into Daryl when he brought her into his embrace. He held her protectively…the same feeling…

Like when he first held her

[thewalkingthread]

Space (Daryl's POV) - D.D.

part one

pairing: daryl dixon x reader

summary: things aren't the same between you and daryl.

warning: still sad

a/n: i am planning on doing a part 2 but i needed to give you daryl's side first (also, I know this is in 3rd person, but it's giving a bit of insight on Daryl's thought process so I'm labeling it as his POV)

Daryl sat outside on the porch, staring into the sunset, his mind lost in a maze of thoughts and responsibilities. He pulls the cigarette snug between his fingers to his lips. As he took a drag, the smoke curled into the air, surrounding him before disappearing into nothing.

You were inside the house, with RJ and Judith, the sounds of laughter and the occasional clanging of pans echoed from inside the house. RJ and Judith were a constant reminder of the world they were trying to preserve, but the weight of responsibility had carved a gap between you and him.

Daryl knew things haven't been right between him and his lover. He's known for a long time now, but he doesn't know how to fix it. Daryl couldn't pinpoint the exact moment things took a turn, the exact moment he started to pull away from you. It just sort of happened. Things would be easier if he simply just stopped loving you, but that wasn't the case.

In reality, Daryl loved you so much that it hurt him. He loved you so much that he didn't know what to do with it, he'd never loved anyone like this before.

The absence of Rick and Michonne took a toll on Daryl. He's the one that took the biggest hit, for obvious reasons. Suddenly he had two kids, suddenly everyone was asking him the important questions. Suddenly he wasn't just a redneck with a crossbow, he was a leader- the leader. He could feel the weight of everyone's expectations, the burden of leadership now resting solely on his shoulders. He was a tracker, a survivor, but a leader – that was a role he never asked for, a role that felt like an ill-fitting mask.

The pressure was suffocating, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was failing, not just as a leader but as a partner.

There were too many things that needed to be fixed, too many people to please, too many walkers to be killed. Daryl felt like everything he was doing just wasn't good enough.

He knew it wasn't fair. He knew the community deserved a good leader. A leader that knew what he was doing, someone that was a natural born leader, someone like Rick Grimes. Daryl knew he wasn't no Rick Grimes. Daryl knew it wasn't fair to the kids. They deserve to be raised and loved on by their parents.

Most importantly, he knew it wasn't fair to you. You, who had stood by his side through thick and thin, weathering the storms of this apocalyptic world together. You deserved more than a love burdened by the weight of his insecurities and doubts.

Even knowing that, Daryl couldn't bring himself to take action in his own home. So the gap between the two of you grew with every passing day.

The front door swings open, "Dinner's ready!" RJ sticks his head out of the doorway, sending Daryl a toothy smile.

Daryl grunts, "Be right there." RJ runs back inside, leaving the door open. With one more drag, he snuffed out the cigarette and heads inside.

Judith is setting out plates while you bring the food to the table. Your eyes meet his and it's almost instinct for you to immediately look elsewhere. Everyone takes their place around the table, Daryl taps the top of the kids heads as he passes. With a slight hesitation, Daryl places a small kiss to the top of your head before settling in his own seat.

"Thanks for cookin," Daryl mumbles to you. You're looking at him with slightly wide eyes before you nod at him with a small smile.

After dinner Daryl volunteered to clean up around the house, relieving you from your regular routine so you could relax a bit before bed. Admittedly, Daryl took his time, not exactly rushing to get everything in order.

Daryl locks all the doors and turns off all the lights before entering the bedroom. The bed was empty and the bathroom door was wide open. Daryl pauses in his place for a moment, debating whether or not he should go back downstairs and wait for another hour.

Daryl shakes his head, stepping towards the bathroom before he could psych himself out. You were laying in the bathtub with your eyes closed, completely relaxed in the warm water.

Your head turns at the sound of his footsteps and your eyes lazily open to see Daryl leaning against the bathroom doorway. He offers a a half smile, feeling a twinge of guilt for intruding on your relaxing time.

You close your eyes again, resting your head back on the rolled up towel. Daryl shifts towards the sink, starting his nighttime routine.

"Do you want to join me?" Your voice cuts through the silence. Daryl glances over his shoulder towards you, who still kept your eyes closed. Daryl stood up straight, clearing his throat slightly.

"Yuh want meh to?"

"Wouldn't ask if I didn't want you to, hotshot." The nickname that you coined him early in your friendship tugged at Daryl's heart. Without a second thought, Daryl rid himself of his clothes.

You sat up in the tub, allowing room for Daryl to slide in behind you. It was strange for the both of you, being so close, so intimate. You let yourself settle into his body, as stiff as you both might be in this moment.

You rested your head back onto his shoulder, soaking in this rare moment between the two of you.

"Y/N... We should t-"

You shake your head, quickly shushing him.

"We do." You agree with him. "But not right now. Just want to enjoy this."

Daryl hums lowly, before allowing his body to relax. With unsureness, his hands wrap around you, landing on your stomach and pulling you close to him.

This is the closest the two of you have been in months, yet it still felt like you were miles apart.

[heejayy]

I Don’t Wanna Be Loved

Warning • shower sex, praising, cunnilingus, fingering, riri a lil mean in this but she falls in love in the end

Genre • smut, a smidge of fluff at the end (it’s not an Ary fic if I don’t add fluff)

Pairing • Riri x Black Fem! Reader

WC: 3.0K

Music Rec: Quickie - Miguel

A/n: LISTEN don’t jump me!!! The smut part beat MY ASS that’s why it took so long to write and I still don’t like it 💀🤚🏾.

You and Riri started this entire "friends with benefits" thing early on in your friendship, and you both felt an instant attraction to each other. It wasn't long after you moved into her apartment as her roommate that she caught a thing for you, and hooking up became the norm. It wasn't until you two started acting too couple like that it started to feel real. She would lavish you with affection and presents, you truly felt like you were her girl, until she would bring other girls around or you saw her chatting to one.

You learned Riri liked to have options but her hopping from girl to girl so quick would make your heart sink to your stomach. You can’t help it but you do this shit to yourself.

She was just talking to some chick on the phone and now she's buried between your thighs eating you out like her last meal. You couldn't bear to let yourself enjoy it because your mind kept racing over who she'd run to after she was done with you. Riri must've noticed something was wrong with you since she looked up at you with a puzzled expression.

“Yo what’s wrong ma? You not feelin’ it?” You blinked rapidly pushing those thoughts far away.

“Oh uh no it feels good.” She rolled her eyes fully sitting up wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, “you’re awfully quiet then” she joked.

You chuckled nervously “I’m sorry I just- nvm.”

“Nah baby tell me what’s up?” There she go making you feel all important “well I was just thinking about us…Riri what are we?” Fuck, as soon as those words left your mouth you regretted it. She sighed looking off, you could tell she was starting to get annoyed.

“Look y/n I told you before we just fuck that’s it, we can’t be catching feelings I-“ she was interrupted by her phone dinging, she checked it and took in a sharp breath.

“Look I gotta go I’ll be back later tonight ight” you rolled your eyes pushing her hands off you “ight” she gave you side look before hopping off your bed. You heard some rummaging next door in her room before she left the apartment slamming the door.

You groaned frustrated wanting to punch something “Fuck!”

“Ight so you catching feeling for her right?” You nodded sipping on your iced coffee “ok the best way to get over someone is to get under somebody else! Boom problem solved” your friend Angel cheered acting like she solved world hunger.

“Angel you know how I am I barley can order my own food without stuttering, you think I’m gonna find someone to fuck that quickly?” She shrugged rolling her eyes.

“Listen I have a list for you I’ll send you their instas, they’ll be at the party tonight so please please go! Show Riri what she’s missing out on” you sighed sitting back in your chair. On one hand you wanted to make Riri jealous and on the other you just wanted to crawl in bed and be left alone.

“Listen boo just think about it.” She was kinda of right, Riri had a plethora of women she’d fuck around with and you had none.

After going home from the café, you considered it and realized Angel is correct; it's time for you to have some options as well. You put on a black little dress, matching black shoes, and a throw jacket in case you got cold. Before leaving your room, you examined your reflection one last time. When you felt satisfied you left.

“Aye where you going?” you heard Riri’s voice echo through the hall of your apartment.

“Out to Rj’s house party” she eyed you up and down, she said nothing but her eyes spoke for her.

“You need me to take you?” You shook your head no “nah I’m good” before you turned to walk out the door you noticed how her facial expression changed. She looked pissed but it was quickly covered by one of her famous nonchalant shrugs.

"CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG!" As you made your way into the backyard, the chants from those around you became louder. You were starting to feel overwhelmed and irritated, and you were ready to go home. You were all alone at the crowded ass party and Angel was no where to be found.

“Lost?” A curious voice questioned from behind you, you turned to see Rj leaning against the frame of the glass slide door.

“Nah I’m kinda just ready to go” she furrowed her eyebrows “well damn is it that bad?” Feeling a little bad and embarrassed you shook you head “no I’m sorry if I offended you i- I’m just not the party type.”

She nodded pushing herself off the door frame making her way over to you “well if you’re not a party girl why’d you come?” You stayed silent thinking about an answer.

You sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her you came just to make a girl jealous who wasn’t even your girlfriend “I don’t know just wanted to change things up, but I kinda regret it” she chuckled shaking her head.

“Well if you’re not doing anything you wanna dance?” You turn to look at her with a grin “sure.”

Rj grinned as she took your hand in hers and led you to the living room, pulling your hips back and dancing to the beat. Being touched by someone other than Riri felt almost scandalous. While you weren't as buzzed as she was, you interlaced your hands with hers, slowly slipping them up your body as you leaned your head on her chest. You swayed to the music, pressing your ass against her. You felt

“I’m not gon’ lie you baby you turnin me on right now” you let out a giggle feeling her breath hit your ear. You smoothly turned around and wrapped your hands around her neck.

“So do something bout it then” taking that as a permission she grabbed you and took you upstairs. She swiftly walked down a hallway pulling you behind her completely ignoring the other couples pressed against the wall making out. She brought you to what you assumed was her bedroom and locked the door.

“You can relax and have a seat pretty girl I’m not gon pounce on you” she chuckled plopping on her bed. You giggle nervously taking a seat beside her, as soon as you sat down she grabbed your face smashing your lips together. It was rough and messy, something you weren’t used to. While mid kiss you felt her bite your lip, you groaned in pain pulling back but she didn’t let you go.

“Mmm wait Rj chill” you could barely breathe she was smothering you. Her being so forceful so fast turned you off, you started pushing against her chest but she wouldn’t let up.

“Rj i said stop damn!” she let go of you with an annoyed and confused face.

“What’s yo problem?”

“The problem is you’re being too fuckin’ rough” she rolled her eyes smacking her lips.

“Fuck outta here if you don’t like that shit” you looked at her appalled and scoffed.

“Nigga you ain’t shit” you snatched your phone and hand bag off her bed, before walking to the door you heard her mutter “upity bitch” you weren’t going to say anything but that small comment pushed you over the edge.

“I know damn well you not talking, you ain’t shit and yo party aint shit. If I wanted someone to bite my fucking face off I’d make out with a fucking dog. Fuck you!”

Now beyond irritated you slammed the door and made your way down stairs, you couldn’t give a less shit if you were leaving alone. You only wanted to be with one person right now and that was Riri. You waited outside the party anxiously pacing the front lawn waiting for her to pick up.

“Yo wassup…”

“Ri-“

“Kidding I can’t come to the phone right now I’m busy” You slammed the red button after grumbling at her stupid ass voicemail. You sat on the porch and sobbed, not out of sadness, but out of frustration. You simply desired to return home and sleep.

After roughly fifteen minutes, you called an Uber, and the ride home was calm and tranquil, just what you wanted. You arrived in front of your building and got out, exhausted after the events of the night, you just wanted to take a shower and go to bed. You grabbed your keys from your handbag and entered the dark flat, but you were stopped by violent moans.

“FUUUUUCK RI!! Right there!” You rolled your eyes kicking off your heels. You did not have the patience to deal with this shit tonight, you threw your purse in the counter and stomped to Riri’s room. You banged on the with every ounce of energy you had left “please shut the fuck up I’m tired and I don’t wanna hear y’all fuckin.”

Your outburst was met with silence, good. Before you walked off Riri room door swung open revealing a pissed off Ri.

“Yo what the fuck is your problem?”

“I don’t wanna hear this shit tonight please kick her out or be quiet.”

Riri could tell something was wrong with you because of your disheveled appearance, dried mascara on your cheeks, and quivering voice; she sighed and rolled her eyes, turning to the girl who was covering her naked body with a sheet and whispered, "Get out."

“You’re really gonna kick me-“

“I said get the fuck out!” She groaned grabbing her things and strutting out the room. You sighed uttering a ‘thank you’ before walking to your room and closing your door.

With a huff, you plopped on your bed, stretched out with your eyes closed, unable to move one inch. It felt good to just let your body relax, but your time was cut short by a tap on the door.

"Can I come in?" She asked, peering in, and you sighed and nodded. Riri entered your room slowly, as if she hadn't been in here a million times. She laid alongside you, with her hands resting on her belling in stillness.

“What wrong mama?” You didn’t answer, “Don’t give me that silent treatment shit” again you didn’t answer.

“Y/n/n don’t piss me off-“ you groaned long and loud cutting her off “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“The party was trash?” You scoffed “beyond.” She chuckled “tell me bout it princess,” you sat up and sighed for the ump-tenth time tonight.

"Well, I arrived at the party with Angel, but she left in less than five minutes, probably to get her back blown out somewhere," she laughed at your comment, "but anyhow, I wandered around drinking here and there for about an hour and a half, and when I was about to leave, Rj found me. We talked for a while before starting to dance, and then-" there was a brief moment of silence, you took a second to contemplate telling her you made out with Rj.

“Then what?” She asked noticing your hesitation.

“Well um me and Rj left the party and went to her room I was bit tipsy earlier so we started to make out” hearing that made Riri’s body stiffen.

“I couldn’t dare go further she was too rough and it was like kissing a wet dog with its tongue out ” she laughed a little too hard at your description “you’re such a dumb ass but I thought you liked it rough?” She said tilting her head.

“Well yeah but I only like it when you’re rough, she didn’t have a clue what she was doing.” She let out another chuckle, “awe my sweet clueless angel, everyone can’t please you like I do.”

You two were now resting in your elbows facing each other, face inches apart from each other. Your eyes flickered down to her soft plumps one and back up to her eyes. They held a dark lustrous look as she leaned in, your lips brushed against each other before you pulled back.

“What? What’s wrong?” You bit the inside of your cheek “you just had your little toy over and you think you’re about to kiss me with that mouth? No thank you” she smacked her lips moving back.

“So what do you suggest i do?”

You plastered a grin on your face “go shower nasty.”

“Well you need a shower too I’m not the only who’s been fuckin people tonight-“

“Correction! We didn’t fuck we made out” she shrug hopping off the bed “same thing.” Figuring she wasn’t wrong you got off the bed trailing behind her. It wouldn’t be too bad to wash the stench of spit and vodka off you.

In the bathroom, you both undressed, but not without her eyeing you down. Feeling a little shy, you hurriedly undressed and stepped in the shower. You put the water on as hot as it could go and stood under the steaming water, letting it trickle down your back. Just as you were beginning to relax, you felt two hands grab your waist and lips, kissing you on the back. You whimpered as you felt her fingertips run between your thighs. Her fingers glided between your folds, teasing your clit, and you heard a faint chuckle.

“Ri I said sh-shower first” She ignored you continuing to play between your legs.

"You this wet for me?" You didn't respond to her because your thoughts were jumbled and you couldn't focus on the sensation of her stroking circles into your clit "I asked you a question, answer me," you immediately nodded.

"Good girl," she said as she drew her hands away from you and pushed you up against the tile wall. Her gaze locked on yours as she began to kiss down your neck, sucking your skin between her teeth and leaving small bite marks, which took you by surprise normally she refuses to leave in marks on you. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, enjoying the sensation "mmm ri."

Her hands returned between your legs, and she glided between your folds, softly entering you. Her fingers curled up against that area you need her the most.

"Fuuuck riri" While her fingers occupied your cunt, she took one of your breasts in her mouth and sucked on your nipple as her teeth lightly grazed it. The longer her fingers worked on you, the more intense your orgasm.

"Look at you, all fucked out just from my fingers, is this all it takes?"

“Ri you make me feel so good” you whined leaning your head against the wall.

“You look so pretty like this” you were close. Hands gripping the walls along with Riri’s shoulders.

“I- I wanna cum please let me cum.” Riri grins as she continues to pump in and out, placing her thumb on your clit again. Your eyes roll back of your head as your toes tingle with warmth. You can feel the nerves around your clit tightening and the muscles inside you begin to clench around her fingers. Your thighs trembled feeling your release so close you could taste it.

“Fuck I’m- nnhghhh ri!”

“There you go, such a good little slut for me” your moans echoed off the bathroom walls as you came undone on her fingers.

“Good girl, now suck” she cooed stuffing her cum covered fingered into your mouth. You sucked them clean as her fingers gagged you a bit.

After you came down from your high you two figured the shower wasn’t a good place to continue, you migrated to the bed and continued. Your legs were now entangled with one another as you, her on top and you below her. She had this loving look in her eye as she cupped your face stroking your cheek. You’ve never seen her look at you like this before.

As she continued to rub her soaking cunt against yours, she threw threw her head back letting out a throaty moan. The feeling of your clits bumping against each other drove you mad.

“You look so beautiful like this you know that?” She complimented leaning down as she took your lips in her. Her kisses were rough but never sloppy she took her time with you, kissing you like her life depended on it.

Her hands kneaded your thighs gripping them with every thrust, she let out the most angelic moans as she chased her high “Mmh you hear that shit? fuck that pussy sound good baby.”

All you could do was let out incoherent mumbles under her, just the way she liked it. A few more thrust and she was done, her moans became higher and thighs trembling as she kept going “fuck fuck fuuuuck!”

She held you down and finished riding out her high, she looked so beautiful coming undone on top of you. Breast bouncing with each movement with her mouth hanging open in pleasure. Her hips stuttered a little then she came to a full stop she left a weak kiss on your lips and laid beside you.

You pulled the covers over you turning to your side to face her, she glanced over to you and chuckled your eyes were drooping getting ready to close.

“Come here pretty” you tiredly slid over to her and laid on her bare chest, she left a kiss on forehead and held you close.

“You’re my one and only you hear me?” You hummed too tired to answer.

Her whispering “I love you” was the last thing you heard before falling asleep.

A/n: I hope you guys enjoyed my first Riri fic! 💜💜

Taglist 💌 : @locoforshuri @6-noir @saintwrld @vampzxi @ihearttish @cafehyunji @sapphicvqmpires @yamsthoughts @shuriszn @inmyheadimobsessed @shurismainbxtch @oceean @shurislover @siqueth @shurisbathwater @zayswriting

Riri’s Masterlist

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | chapter sixty

close to home | chapter sixty

plot: the reader's life changes after the death of Rick Grimes

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 4,087 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd A/N: thank you for reading!!! Good luck with this one

Rick’s death was felt in every community, and things fell apart. The saviors were left to survive on their own, and the other communities grew distant in the following weeks. You returned to Alexandria with Daryl and Michonne, while Maggie went to the Hilltop and Carol to the Kingdom. 

You spent eight months there with a pregnant Michonne, helping to build up what Rick’s death tore down. But when the children were kidnapped and on the mission to rescue them, you found Rick’s revolver. Daryl told you he wanted to keep looking for Rick’s body. 

You didn’t think he’d ever be able to find a body; it was most likely torn apart from the explosion. But he was your husband, so you went with him. 

You helped Daryl every day looking for a body, moving further east almost every day. You didn’t settle in one spot for more than a day or two. Slowly, days became weeks, and weeks became two months, and then five more. You hadn’t seen anyone in seven months. And you were tired. 

Daryl had shut down on you, and you couldn’t pull him back. You knew he felt Rick’s death deeply, more deeply than you. There was nothing you could do to make him feel better, nothing you could do to make him laugh or smile. He was lost, and you couldn’t find him. And you were losing yourself. Even though you were with him and had Tora with you, you were alone.

But each time you tried to talk to him about stopping or even just taking a break, he wouldn’t hear it. So there was nothing for you to do. You didn’t want to leave him out here alone, but you couldn’t stay anymore.

“I’m going home,” You finally said one early Spring morning.

Daryl looked at you but didn’t say anything. 

“I want to go home, Daryl.” You stood up. “I miss my family. I haven’t seen them in months. We missed the birth of Michonne and Rick’s baby. We don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl. And I don’t even know where the hell we are.”

Again, he didn’t say anything.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” You said, your voice rising. “Come home with me, Daryl, please?”

“I can’.”

“You can. You have to. I can’t stay out here any longer.” 

He didn’t say anything after that, he just walked away. You scoffed and sat back down on the stupid, thin mattress pad and looked at Tora through teary eyes. You laid back and curled yourself into a ball, sobbing as Tora tried to comfort you the best she could.

***

You left before dawn the following day. You couldn’t bring yourself to say goodbye and needed to go home for a while. You promised yourself you’d come back and find him, but you needed to be home.

***

You sobbed into Michonne’s arms as she held you on the couch. You couldn’t stop crying, and you were struggling to breathe.

“I couldn’t do it anymore,” You choked out. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t. He’s not the same anymore… I can’t help him…”

Michonne shushed you and rubbed the back of your head. “You did everything you could. You were out there with him for seven months. If there is anyone that could’ve helped it, it would’ve been you.”

“I don’t wanna lose him,” You sobbed. “I was such a coward leaving the way I did. But I couldn’t do it…”

Michonne held you as you cried for another twenty minutes, and you rambled on and on about how guilty you felt, how broken he was, and how alone you were. She was able to calm you down enough that you were able to breathe. 

And then Judith walked into the room, and you couldn’t believe how big she was. She was pushing five by now. 

“Aunt (Y/N),” She smiled and ran to you. You cried again when she jumped into your lap to give you a hug. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m happy to see you,” You lied. “I missed you so much.” You hugged the little girl again. 

“Did you come to see RJ?”

You glanced at Michonne, immediately knowing what the R meant. She nodded at you with a small smile, and you stood up, carrying the little girl. “How did you know that? You are so smart, Judith!” 

***

Later that night, you were sitting in the basement of Michonne’s house, the room you and Daryl moved into. None of you could take living in the same house Carl used to, so you all moved into one of the townhouses. You and Daryl had discussed going to a different one, but Rick and Michonne insisted you stay with them. Neither of you put up a fight because it felt better being with them under one roof. 

All your crap was around the room. Your old clothes you hadn’t seen in months, shoes, and little things you picked up here and there. It was hard being in there. You decided to clear it out and remove what you didn’t want anymore. 

An hour later, you found Carl’s note in your nightstand drawer. You put it there when you came home to Alexandria and never opened it. 

His writing was faded, and your eyes were already tearing up when you opened it. 

(Y/N),

You were the first person we let into our lives at the prison. I remember the first time I saw you. I was waiting for my dad to kill you. I’m glad he didn’t. You became one of my closest friends, and I know you know that Tora was my world for a long time. Thank you for sharing her with a scrawny kid in a policeman’s hat. 

My dad and I owe you a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid. You saved my sister; you saved us that day in Terminus. And I will always be thankful for you. I don’t have any room to ask you any favors, not after everything you’ve done for my family. But I need to ask you one more. 

Please watch over Judith for me. She will have dad and a mom with Michonne, but she is going to need you. Be her friend, like you were to me. Make her laugh and feel like she has value, no matter how young she is. I know she’s going to beat this world, and I know you’ll be there too. Please watch over my sister for me. I’m sorry I can’t, and I’m sorry to ask this of you, but I need to. 

I buried a box by the oak tree near the tower. Inside are all my comics. I didn’t want the saviors to take them. Promise me you’ll read them with her? I know you did it for me because you love me, just like I know you’ll do it for her. 

Try not to throw yourself headfirst into danger, (Y/N). I’ve seen you do things without thinking about your safety. I wanted to be like you when I grew up. I like to think I was, in a way. But I need you alive to watch over Judith. 

I hope you get to read this letter. The saviors have you now, and I’m scared I’ll never see you again. If I don’t, I want you to know that I love you. That I thought of you as a sister, and I’ll be watching over you. 

Thank you for everything I’ll never be able to repay you for.

Carl

***

After crying yourself to sleep that night in a bed you used to share with Daryl, you woke up feeling calm. Your thoughts consisted of when you were with the saviors and how you managed to pull yourself through it. There were lingering emotional scars that had you disturbed when a man stared at you too long, but you were mostly healed--thanks to someone who’d only given you fresh scars. 

There were only a few residents up when you walked outside. It was brisk, and you crossed your arms to keep warm. You were headed to a place you never thought you’d go to. You refused each time Rick had asked and wanted nothing to do with the monster living below you in a cell. 

But today was different. And after Carl’s letter, you had things to say. 

You’d swiped the keys from Michonne, of course, and let yourself into the room. You knew he was awake and took a deep breath when you approached the cell. 

Negan looked at you for a long moment. “Hi, baby,” He sighed. 

“You look like shit.”

“No surprises there. You’re still the same woman I knew. I didn’t think you’d ever be here.”

You wrapped your hand around the cell bar and looked at how terrible he looked. He didn’t look at all like the man he once was, and it pleased you. You were glad to see how awful he looked. How he was rotting away in a cell. 

“Why did you take me?” You asked. A question that always burned in your mind. You thought back to that fateful day at the lineup and when he said those words: time to collect on anything. 

“Because you remind me of someone.” Negan stood up and walked closer to you. “The way you said what you wanted to say, take no prisoners and shit like that. And because if I had you, I could control Daryl. And I wanted him to join me.”

You stared up at his face. His beard had grown thicker, and his eyes looked tired. “Who did I remind you of?”

“My wife,” was all he said. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat and took your hand off the bar. “I came down here to tell you thank you. For what you saved me from that night at the Sanctuary. I’m tired of holding onto my anger, and I’m tired of feeling this way because of you and the war. I want to be free of it.”

“You deserve it, baby,” Negan said. 

You took a deep breath. “I’m not going to try and kill you. I’m moving forward with my life. But I won’t stop anyone who tries.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything different from you.”

You nodded and you turned around to leave but paused at the door. “Your wife… that’s why I was special, right? Why you did things for me but not the other wives?” Your back was still toward him. 

“If things were different, I would’ve loved you.”

***

Three weeks later, you found Daryl again after a day of looking. He stared at you blankly, and you crossed your arms, standing a few feet away. 

“I’m sorry for leaving the way I did.” 

He scoffed and shook his head. 

“I am, Daryl. But I told you. I told you a million times I was miserable, and you didn’t listen.” You reminded him. “Michonne had a son. His name is RJ. He has Rick’s eyes.”

“That all ya came to say? Don’ wanna keep ya.”

“Don’t be an asshole, Daryl.” You said. “You didn’t come after me. You knew where I was going.”

“I been busy!” Daryl yelled. “Ya the one who left.”

“No, you left!” You nearly screamed. “Rick’s dead, Daryl! He’s dead. I can’t keep looking for ghosts. I’m sorry… I can’t. Come home with me. Judith misses you. She keeps asking when her uncle is coming back.”

Daryl only stared at you. 

“You pushed me away. Even before you left. We stopped talking, we stopped laughing. We stopped having sex. You pushed every part of us away in your grief, and I understand it, but it’s been over a year now. You need to come home.”

“Nah, ain’ home.” He swung his crossbow over his shoulder. 

“What? So I’m not home anymore? What happened to nothing keeping us apart?”

“That was before ya left me!”

You groaned in frustration. “You have until next month. I’ll be back then, and I’m bringing you back home. I don’t care if I have to knock you on your ass to do.”

***

You couldn’t find Daryl a month later. Or the month after that. The month after, you spent three days combing the woods for him before you gave up. You finally found him the next month.

“Please come home with me, please,” You begged him, dropping onto your knees. “I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, honey. I can’t take you being out here. It’s been almost a year and a half.”

But he shook his head and walked away, and you cried on your knees as mud soaked through your jeans.

***

You didn’t go to see Daryl for four months. You couldn’t. You threw yourself in Alexandria and bounced around between the other communities to try and keep the peace when you could, but it was hard sneaking around Michonne. Maggie was gone, working with Georgie down south, and she took your nephew, too. You felt really alone after that. 

Tora was approaching her eighth birthday, which made you even more depressed. 

Judith had turned five already and slept in your bed almost every night. And every time she called Michonne 'mom', it made you want to cry out of happiness for your best friend. And RJ warmed up to you quickly; he was twelve months old and growing fast. You helped Michonne with the two of them; you knew she needed it. And Judith and RJ had a special place in your heart. 

When you finally decided to go to Daryl again, and after Michonne made sure you were sure you could handle it--because you always came home so broken--it took you a week to find him. It was easy enough to track him when he wanted to be found. But when he didn’t, it was an entirely different story. 

He’d set up a hut by the river bank, and seeing it made your heart hurt. It made everything seem official. He wasn’t coming back. He knew it, and you had to accept it. 

A dog ran up to you, sniffing at your hands and you froze at the animal for a moment before deciding he was friendly enough.

“‘M fine, Carol. Don’ gotta keep checkin’ on me.” His back was turned toward you. 

“I’m not Carol.” 

Daryl stilled when he heard your voice and he slowly turned around. Your heart both ached and jumped when you saw his face. He looked exhausted and sad. He looked lonely. You weren’t sure what to say, so you looked down at the dog and rubbed its ear. 

After a moment of silence, Daryl spoke. “What ya doin’ here? Thought ya wasn’ comin’ back.”

“Would you prefer I didn’t?” You asked. 

He was silent, and you couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. 

“Who’s this?” You asked, nodding your head toward the dog. “Made a friend, I see.”

“That’s Dog.”

You smiled; of course, that was the name he’d given it. “Where’d you find him?” Daryl remained quiet as he looked at his crossbow. You knew him well enough to know he was hiding something. “Well, you gonna tell me?”

“I ain’ get him from anywhere. And I ain’ goin’ anywhere so don’ ask.”

“Asshole,” You muttered. “I don’t know why I even bother.” You knelt down to pet Dog further and chuckled when he kissed your cheek. The German Shepperd gave you a few more before settling down. 

You felt Daryl’s gaze on you, and when you turned, you could see the conflict in his face. “What?”

“Came from a woman,” Daryl said. 

Your hand froze and you slowly stood up. “What?”

“Dog. He came from a woman who lives a few miles west. He was hers. Liked me better, I guess.”

Your stomach twisted into a roll of anxiety so tight you felt like you couldn’t breathe. “You and her are what, friends…?”

“Huh?”

“I’m just curious, is all,” You said bitterly as you walked toward him. “Clearly, you had to have spent time with her for the dog to like you better.”

Daryl looked at you and shook his head. “Ain’ like that, (Y/N).”

Your fingers twitched as you approached him, and you couldn’t stop yourself from shoving him backwards. “No? It isn’t like that!” You yelled. 

“(Y/N).”

“You stupid son of a bitch!” You shoved him again. “I’ve been begging you to come home with me for over a year! I’ve been begging you, Daryl. And you refuse. You refused at every fucking turn.” You shoved him one more time until his back hit a tree.

“(Y/N), stop.” He grabbed your arms, but you tore them away from him. 

“Don’t touch me!” You screamed, not caring if every walker in a mile radius heard you. “I’ve cried for you every night for months. Every night! I’m supposed to be your wife! You promised me you’d be with me no matter what. You promised!” 

You hit your hands against his chest. “And come to find out you’re here with another woman! You’d rather her company than mine.” Your anger was getting the better of you, and you hit him again. “How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me? How could you? We’re supposed to be married!”

You wiped your tears and took a few steps back, trying to pull yourself together. “I can’t believe I’ve been so fucking stupid!” You yelled, and then you started laughing bitterly through your tears. “And you said you wanted to start a family with me?”

“(Y/N), I-”

“Shut the fuck up!” You screamed. “I don’t care. I don’t fucking care. Fuck you, Daryl Dixon.” You pulled your ring off your finger and threw it at his face. “I’m done. I’m so fucking done with you. I never wanna see you again! Don’t come back to Alexandria; don’t ever come back! You ruined everything!” 

You wiped more tears as you turned away from him and started walking away. But you paused and looked back at him. “Ryan from the Kingdom has been flirting with me whenever I’m there. I always turned him down. I’m going straight there, and I’m going to fuck him all night.”

***

Ten more months passed, and spring rolled around. You hadn’t seen Daryl after your final fight and your divorce, in a way. You didn’t go to the Kingdom to fuck Ryan like you said. You went straight home to Alexandria, locked yourself in your bedroom, and cried for two days. 

But it was spring again, and the distance between you and Daryl made things easier. Your heart ached each time you thought about him, and there were many times you walked up to the gate to find him, but neither Michonne nor Rosita let you, not after seeing what it did to you every time. And after Michonne learned about the mysterious woman, she didn’t even let you think about it. 

It took a month of asking her to let you go to Hilltop and the Kingdom before she finally caved. You promised you wouldn’t go see Daryl, and you meant it. Despite your longing for him, you had no interest in seeing him. You were done with being hurt. 

You visited Hilltop first and checked in on everyone there, Tora in tow. Everyone was happy to see you and her, and you spent a few days helping them. Then you made your way to the Kingdom, where you wanted to be. As much as you loved Alexandria and the people there, being at the Kingdom made you feel free. 

“(Y/N)!” Ezekiel was ecstatic when he saw you. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I had to get out of Alexandria a bit. I wanted to see you guys.” You gave him a big hug. “How’s Henry? How’s Jerry? How’s everyone?” You laughed. 

“Everyone is exceptional, as always in the Kingdom.” He said as he lifted Tora up. “I’ve missed you!” 

You smiled and followed him through the community, waving at a few friends you saw. Carol was working with Henry in the gardens, and she smiled widely when she saw you. It’d been too long since you’d seen her, and you ran up to hug her.

“I missed you,” Carol said. 

Henry told you the same and gave you a hug as well.

“You’ve gotten so big!” You told him. “Gosh, it’s so nice to be here. I was hoping I could stay awhile?”

*** 

You stayed in the Kingdom for almost six months before returning to Alexandria. At that point, you were just over three years since Rick died and almost two since your marriage ended. Things got easier, but you didn’t get over your broken heart. 

Two more years passed, and Judith celebrated her eighth birthday, and you and Michonne made her party special. But even after so long, you felt the lack of Daryl’s presence. You hadn’t seen him in years. You knew he was alive--Carol sent you letters. You even went to the river to look for him once a few months ago but turned back before you got too far. 

But now you were at the Kingdom again; you’d traded your useless gun for a new bow and arrow--your original one was long gone. But you were good, and you and Carol trained daily. 

When she asked you if you wanted to go on a run with her and a few others, you thought it was a great idea. Especially since Henry would be joining you and learning some field experience, as he kept calling it.

You’d already been out for a few hours when the group took a break. Ryan was amongst the group, and he tried to talk to him, but you weren’t ready, even after all this time. 

That didn’t stop Carol from noticing. 

“Ryan’s kinda cute.” 

You glanced at the man before looking at Carol. “Too young for me.”

“Ah, that’s right. I forgot you like them older.”

You gave her a look. “Daryl and I are done. We have been for years.”

“He still wears his ring. He has yours around his neck.” 

You sighed and brought your knees up. “Why are you telling me this?”

“He’s been asking about you. Every time I go visit. He wants to talk to you.”

You scoffed. “Now he wants to talk to me? I tried for years.”

Your friend nodded and wrapped her arm around your shoulders. “That’s what I told him. And I support your decision no matter what, but I’m trying to be a good friend to the both of you.”

“I know, and I don’t want you put in the middle of anything. Thank you.”

“You miss him?”

You nodded slowly and leaned your head against her shoulder. “Every day. I can’t shake it. I know I still love him.”

“He was crying. He begged me to talk to you. I think he’s really lost right now.”

“I tried, though, Carol, for almost two years.” You sat up. “What else was I supposed to do?”

She frowned and nodded. “You did much more than someone else would’ve done.”

***

You were heading back to the Kingdom the evening when you ran into trouble. A group of men appeared out of nowhere with guns and had the group stuck. Carol tried to do most of the talking, and to protect the group, letting them take what they wanted. You couldn’t tell if they were saviors on the run or not. 

But Henry, being the hot-headed teenager he was, didn’t stand for that and had a man on the ground. 

“Henry!” Carol yelled. 

You heard gunfire and watched as the man next to you dropped, and you stood in shock while the group ran off with the supplies. You looked at Carol, who was scolding Henry, and you called out to her.

“Carol… I feel funny.”

When she looked up at you, she gasped. 

“What?” You looked down as your head swayed. Your shirt was covered in blood, and your hand, which you didn’t even realize was resting on it, was coated in blood. You felt dizzy, and your knees weakened. “I think I got shot.”

That was the last thing you said before your head hit the group, and darkness consumed you. 

[trips2saturn]

TOWL SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!

enough time has passed and i’m impatient so here it is. episode two debriefing! ❤️‍🔥

danai and andy’s chemistry is unparalleled and has never been executed so well before by any other actors. their words, emotions, and energy into bringing these characters to life in such a tender way is something absolutely so enigmatic and goshshfgshdhsn i just love them. i love their dynamic and their power to create such an immaculate foundation that will always be such a memorable piece for all of us as fans of this franchise. 🫶🏼

michonne and nat deserved more time. point blank period. i sobbed violently and had to pause the episode for ten minutes. i loved his dynamic with michonne and how much impact his character had in under 40 minutes of screen time. missing him forever and ever. and not to be an asshole but their relationship is what the dude-bros wanted rick and okafor’s association to be ! tell me i’m wrong.

dana from a group of 40 people with her sister el. yaaaas go girl! she’s a b your honor please believe her!!! she’s totally not a badass powerhouse wife and mother of two who’s experienced more in her life than the crm ever have!!!

it’s FUCK the crm forever actually. CHLORINE GAS? killing the pregnant lady and her boyfriend???? im distraught. the most disgusting group of people to ever exist apart from the saviors. hoping to see their entire base burn to the ground by the end of this series !!!! <3

RICHONNE REUNITING AFTER CHOOSING TO GIVE UP HOPE TO FIND EACH OTHER 😭😭😭 the universe loves them soooo much they’re like this 🤞 when it comes to fate. i am still actively emotional over all of their scenes. they’re sooo in love with each other it hurts. i’m still on cloud nine just from seeing them kiss (and moan omg!) so excuse me. ❤️‍🩹

michonne cradling rick’s face and rick nuzzling into her hands? THAT IS HER BABY POOKIE SUGAR PLUM CRISP. keep them together! they cannot be separated!

jadis can die with all due disrespect. she ruined everything. it’s been her fault since the start. she separated them. she’s the reason that rj doesn’t know his father and only knows of his legendary stories. fuck her. d*e!

rick asking about jude multiple times :((( his baby. bring him home to his kids PLEASE. must’ve been such a shocker to hear him ask about his daughter and not daryl or negan oh no! abused, kidnapped father finds the love of his life and wants to make sure that their daughter is still okay after being away from her for a decade! SHOCKER! WOW. this is shocking news! 🙀

the scenes of michonne and nat having to rebuild their health after the chlorine gas bomb was so heartbreaking but powerful. michonne working out and continuing to push herself by being reminded of her strength, grief, and love. she is so strong and i’m so proud of her. i hate the crm.

“shoto? shoto?” PUNCHING ME IN THE GUT WOULD HURT LESS. meanwhile judith is also trying to reach out but their signal is too far gone for them to do so. 😭 pleaseeee i just need one future scene of them reuniting. michonne loves them so much she is the best mother ever. ❤️‍🩹

okay!!!!! that’s all that i have for now. still collecting my thoughts after this episode but i love my tv parents more than life. so happy to have them back and i can’t wait for the next four episodes!!!!!!!

[xenonsreturn]

Garrus Gets Legos

A Mass Effect Story

This story takes place after Shepard “dies” at the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Shep and Liara are a couple and Shepard has an 11 year old daughter from a previous relationship, Ridley (sometimes referred to as RJ). Liara has adopted Ridley in Shep's absence.

--------------------

"Hello, Garrus. This is Liara calling. I hope you are well. I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor. I need . . . well, I need someone I can trust. I have a project, an important project I am working on and I need to be away from home for an evening next Thursday, but I cannot bring Ridley with me. If you are not otherwise occupied, would you consider watching her, spending the evening with her while I am out? I believe the human term is babysitting, which I do not understand, because Ridley is neither a baby, nor should she be sat upon. When I talked to her about it, she said she would be willing to “hang out” with you. I don’t understand this term either, especially because it would be incredibly dangerous, considering the level we live on. At any rate, if you are free, I would very much appreciate it. Just don’t sit on her or allow her to dangle out of our windows. Thank you, Garrus. Please call me back."

----------------------------

Garrus stood at the comm in his apartment, waiting for his call to go through. After a few moments, a familiar face – well, mask, really – appeared on the screen.

“Hey, Garrus.”

“Hey, Tali.”

“What brings me the pleasure of your call, G?”

“Well, I need some help.”

“You do? That’s unusual – not that you need help, but that you would ask for it.”

“Now, wait a minute –“

“Just teasing. What’s going on, Garrus?”

“Okay, well, I’m looking for some sort of gift for Ridley. Liara asked me to watch her next Thursday. I want to bring something.”

“Garrus Vakarian, babysitter.” She chuckled. “Okay. What sort of thing?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’m afraid if I just show up empty handed, we’ll just stare at each other . . . and I want to make a better impression than that. I hope I can . . . I mean, I’d like to help with Ridley, for Liara, and for Ridley, of course, but also . . . for Shepard.”

Tali sighed. “I know you miss Shepard. We all do. But she’s gone, Garrus. You have to let her go . . . as hard as that is.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m trying.”

“But now you’re trying to somehow connect with Shepard through her daughter.”

He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again. “Well, yes, I guess that’s true.” It was difficult to admit, and he hadn’t thought that’s what he was doing, but now that Tali said it . . . well, she had a way of getting to the point. “But also, I think Ridley needs more than just Liara, and I . . . I think being part of that would honor Shepard’s memory. It would be what she’d want. But also, it’s been awhile since Ridley’s seen me, and what if she doesn’t like me? Or we don’t have anything to talk about? I mean, she’s been so lonely and withdrawn since Shepard – since she . . . ”

“Since she died, Garrus,” said Tali sadly.

Garrus took a deep breath. “Yeah, since she died.” He looked at the floor. “Dammit,” he muttered. “It’s still so hard to say.”

“I know. It’s hard for all of us.”

“But it’s so much harder for Liara. And even worse for Ridley. Hence, the gift. A toy or something. I want to try to give her something else to think about, something she can maybe sort of lose herself in. Liara wants her to be able to connect with her roots, so it has to be something made by humans, but something we can do together. Like a game, maybe. Or a puzzle. She’s good with puzzles.”

“How about music? Liara has mentioned more than once that Ridley shows an aptitude for it.”

“Yeah, but that makes one of us. No rhythm, see?”

“You know, I have seen you dance. Don’t sell yourself short, Garrus. You’ve got moves.” He could hear the smile in her voice and he felt his face smile back. “Okay, let me see what I can do. Talk to you later.”

--------------------

The next morning, Tali called.

“Hey, Tali.”

“Hey, yourself, Garrus. I think I can help you out.”

“Fantastic! Thanks. How’d you do it?”

“I found a shopping VI on the extranet and hacked it to widen the search parameters, and then I put in all you told me about what you were looking for.” She paused. “It took me four hours.”

“Tali, I think I love you.”

If Tali blushed under her mask, she gave no sign of it.

“What did you find?” Garrus asked.

“Quite a lot, actually. Puzzle games, strategy games, word games, building toys –“

“Building toys. She’s a creative girl. Let’s start there.”

“There are several made on Earth which utilize mass effect technology to create a virtual space to be populated by virtual creatures, designed by the player.”

“Hmm. Can we try something a little less, um, virtual? She seems to really enjoy the tactile, something real.”

“Well, there is one that you both might like. It also has a connection with Earth’s past. When I found it, I thought it would be perfect, but getting a hold of it is going to be a little more involved than the others.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“They were called Legos.”

“Lay Goes?”

“Yes. They were interlocking plastic blocks that could be connected in almost infinite ways, made on Earth in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. They were immensely popular. Here, I’ll send you a feed.”

An ancient video started playing on the monitor, showing human children building vehicles, creatures, houses . . . and plenty of other, harder-to-define, objects. Garrus watched for approximately ten seconds.

“That’s it. That’s perfect. Where can I find them?”

“Well, that’s one of the problems. They haven’t been made in over 150 years, and they are very difficult to come by, even on Earth.”

“Difficult, but not impossible, right?”

“Right. I looked into it last night. There is an art collector on Bekenstein who has quite a variety of Legos in his collection, and has offered them for sale on the extranet. Considering their scarcity, the price is fairly reasonable. It seems the best choice – or at least, the best place to start.”

“Sounds good. I didn’t have anything planned for the weekend, anyway.”

“What about next weekend? You free?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” said Garrus, puzzled.

Tali sighed. “Never mind.”

“Thanks, again, Tali.”

“No problem, Garrus. Let me know if you need anything else. You know I’m here for you.”

“I know. Thanks.” He disconnected the feed.

“Well,” he said to the empty apartment. “I guess I’m off to Bekenstein.”

----------------------------

The billionaire’s house – no, mansion – was impressive, to say the least. So much wealth, on such obvious display . . . well, Garrus's time in C-Sec had made him suspicious. And not a little uncomfortable.

The art collector, dressed impeccably in a tailored, tasteful suit, strode forward to greet him.

“Hello, Mr. Vakarian,” he said in a clipped accent Garrus could not identify. “Thank you so much for your inquiry. I believe we have exactly what you are looking for.”

“That’s good news,” said Garrus, eyeing the security protocols out of habit. They were impressive. “I’m so glad you were available to meet me on such short notice, Mr. - ?”

“Hock. Donovan Hock, at your service.”

Garrus could not help but grin. “Well, that’s a refreshing change.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’m just used to being at other people’s service. Especially people with your . . . assets. Never mind. Just a joke.”

“Ah, well. Step this way, Mr. Vakarian. I have the collection on display for your perusal.” Hock turned back to Garrus. “May I ask, what prompted your interest? A toy, from Earth’s past? Unusual for a turian, don’t you think?”

“Well, I’m . . . uh, babysitting a human kid in a couple days and I just wanted to bring her something from her roots. Plus, this kid . . . well, I have a feeling she’ll really like these Lay Goes.”

Hock stopped. “Ah, Mr. Vakarian, I’m afraid I must correct you. They are not called Legos. They are, collectively, Lego. The word is already plural, you see?”

“Hmm. But there are a lot of them, all different. Each piece is a single Lay Go.”

“I’m afraid that is not correct. They are Lego Bricks and Toys, or Lego Elements. I have done extensive research on the subject. The Lego company was quite adamant about the way their brand name was discussed.”

“Well,” said Garrus, deciding in that moment that Donovan Hock was, in fact, an arrogant prick – and Garrus was going to call them whatever the hell he wanted. “Okay. Lead on.”

Hock wound his way through the opulent home, pointing out various priceless works of art along the way. Garrus nodded at all the right moments, although he truly couldn’t care less. In fact, this place was giving him a bad feeling all over.

Finally, they arrived at a heavy security door, which opened at Hock’s approach.

“You keep your toys under some pretty impressive scrutiny,” said Garrus.

“Yes, toys, certainly. Have you ever seen a child deprived of his toys?” Asked Hock. “I was. And I stopped at nothing to get them. And now, even as an adult, I make sure that will never happen again. But there’s more in here than just toys, my friend.”

The door opened upon what had to be one of the largest museums Garrus had ever seen – although, truth be told, he hadn’t seen that many. Works of art and historical artifacts from a thousand worlds were preserved and on display, behind glass or, in some cases, effect fields.

“Well, I have to admit, I’m very impressed with the size of your collection,” said Garrus. “The diversity, too. A lot of races are represented here. Wait,” he said, thinking of Liara. “Do you have any Prothean relics?”

“Oh, a few,” said Hock.

“I have a friend who might like to study them sometime, if that would be all right.”

“Certainly. When our business is concluded, let’s get the contact information set up and they can visit whenever they like. Ah,” said Hock. “Here we are.”

He pointed at a large display case. In it were probably a few thousand small, multicolored plastic blocks, sticks, and other pieces.

“Wonderful,” said Garrus. He took another look at them. “Hmm. They’re a little smaller than I expected.” He glanced down at his hands. “Oh, well. They’re perfect for . . . my charge.”

“I’m glad they are to your satisfaction. You have the credits?”

“Right here,” said Garrus, pulling out a datapad and handing it to Hock.

Hock examined the pad, performed a transaction, and a broad smile crossed his face. “Excellent. The Lego are yours.”

“Great. Now,” said Garrus, looking at a large empty space in the museum, directly ahead. “What’s missing there?”

“Oh, there is a large piece I just made room for, which I hope to acquire quite soon. In fact,” said Hock. “You are going to help me do just that.”

“What?”

The sting of the dart hit Garrus in the neck. His hand reached up to the wound, and dizziness started to overcome him. He fell to his knees.

“It’s nothing personal, Mr. Vakarian,” said Hock, his voice sounding distant and fuzzy. “It’s just that you yourself are worth so much more than the price of the Lego.”

--------------------------

There was some sort of bell that would just not stop ringing. An image of soldiers, their boots marching through mud, kept swimming in and out of focus. He was aware of a dull ache that wrapped itself around his head and penetrated his skull. Every part of his body felt heavy and listless as he slowly awoke from the feverish dream.

“Ah, Mr. Vakarian,” came that clipped voice again, still sounding far away, like it came from the other end of a tunnel. “Glad you could join us.”

“Fuggoff,” slurred Garrus. His hands were bound behind his back, and hi s legs were shackled.

Hock gave a chuckle, sounding a little closer now. “Such spirit. I see why you made so many enemies. No compromise with you, eh?”

With tremendous effort, Garrus lifted his head and said, “Fuck. Off.”

“No, I don’t think I will. See, my friend, when one makes enemies, as you so diligently have, those enemies tend to, well, flock together.” Hock lowered himself to meet Garrus’s eyes. “And they will pay, gladly, to see you suffer.”

Garrus tried to spit at Hock and succeeded only in drooling on his own chin.

“Please, Mr. Vakarian, try to maintain a modicum of decorum. The poison introduced into your system will break down within a few minutes. Then you will be able to spit to your heart’s content. And you will be able to feel this,” he pinched Garrus’s arm. “You see, the people who want you, want you to really feel what they - well, what I have in store for you. It just won’t work if you’re numb.”

Garrus glared at Hock. The art collector stood up and turned his back on his captive. “Ah, Mr. Vakarian,” he said. “You are wanted by four people - well, four groups, actually, and they all have rather sizable bounties on you.” While Hock was talking, Garrus shifted his attention around the room. His vision was still a little blurry, but he could make out cameras, a guard, a door. The guard was armed, assault rifle in hand, pistol in holster.

“At first, I thought of just offering you to the highest bidder. That would go a long way to getting the piece that I want – a piece that, like your Lego, also has a connection to Earth’s past, I might add.”

Garrus was feeling sharper by the second. He subtly flexed his arms, testing the cuffs at his wrist. They were solid, connected to the chair, but separate from the shackles on his ankles.

“Then I thought, well, everyone enjoys a show. So I made them a deal. For all four of the bounties, they could tie your arms and legs to different vehicles, and then they could just . . . pull you apart. Each group could take a different piece of you.” Hock turned around. “They agreed so quickly. We didn’t even have to negotiate the price. In fact, I already have the payment.” Hock smiled. “Either they are naturally bloodthirsty, or . . . well, maybe you just bring that out in people.”

“Yes, well,” said Garrus. “I guess I have a knack for that. Just like you have a knack for being a lowbrow motherfucker, pretending to have good taste.”

Hock’s smile disappeared. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me. You have no appreciation for anything you’ve got. You don’t have any Prothean relics – if you really think you do, then whoever sold them to you lied and you didn’t know any better.” Hock’s face had darkened like the sky before an oncoming storm, and his hands had clenched into fists. “You’re just a spoiled brat who collects what other people tell him are worthwhile,” Garrus went on. “It’s all just . . . toys to you, so you can feel important, like a big shot. But I bet all the people who come here are laughing behind your back. Because they know you’re really just a little boy, hoping the grown-ups will let him play.”

Hock’s fist slammed into Garrus’s face. At that moment, Garrus dislocated his left thumb and pulled it free of the cuff on his chair.

Hock glared at Garrus. “It’s been a long time since I hit another man, but that was worthwhile.”

“Yes, I’m sure that brought back memories of grade school, where you hired bigger kids to hold down the little ones, so you could really show them all what a big man you are.”

Hock hit him again. Garrus took the impact, allowed it to throw him backward, and swung his legs up, over his head in a reverse somersault as the chair fell over backwards with a clatter. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet, shackled though they were. He swung his right arm - and the chair, still attached, slammed directly into Hock’s stomach. The man doubled over with a grunt, and Garrus brought his left fist down onto Hock’s head. Hock crumpled to the floor. Garrus spat at the unconscious billionaire – successfully, this time.

The guard already had his rifle trained on Garrus, but the turian held the chair in front of him as the guard got off a single shot, which buried itself in the chair’s frame. By then, Garrus had closed the distance and pressed the top rail of the chair into the guard’s throat, holding it there until the guard turned pale, his eyes rolling back into his skull. Garrus held it there a moment longer.

“These close quarters, should have kept your pistol out, slung your rifle over your back,” he said to the unconscious guard. “Amateur.”

He was prowling the corridor less than a minute later when the alarm went off. “Oh, crap.”

He grabbed the pistol and fired into the chain between his feet. Now, about this chair . . . He looked down at the guard, searching for ideas. One obvious one presented itself immediately. “Oh. Keys. Well. Maybe I’m the amateur.”

He had no bearings, no way to see if he was heading in the right direction for the landing bay. There was a doorway up ahead. He threw himself to one side before he opened it, keeping his stolen pistol up and checking the rifle over his shoulder.

The door opened onto a walkway above the museum. Garrus glanced down, finding the door he’d come through earlier almost immediately. Unfortunately, there were a dozen guards below, as well. What I wouldn’t give for a sniper rifle right now, he thought. The last one would be gone before the first one hit the floor.

He thought he saw movement on this level, too, just ahead, out of the corner of his eye. He started forward, then a man stepped out, a few yards ahead, pistol in hand. Garrus started to bring his own up, knowing even as he did so that the man had the drop on him, that he was dead. The man fired, twice.

Garrus froze, feeling a tightening in his belly as the bullets . . . went by his ear. He turned and saw one of Hock’s men behind him, a couple new holes in his face, drop to the floor.

The guards below drew their weapons and fired. Garrus traded his pistol for his rifle in one smooth motion and returned fire, dropping four of them in seconds.

The other man dropped to the floor and tossed something down towards the guards. In two seconds, it exploded, shredding men and priceless artifacts alike.

The man stood up. “That oughta do it.’

Garrus turned back to the other man. “Uh . . . thanks?”

“My pleasure,” the other man smiled. He was asian, with close-cropped hair and a single line of a goatee from his lip to his chin. “Anything to throw a monkey wrench into Hock’s plans.”

Garrus relaxed. “Well, then, you’re my kinda guy, Mr - ?”

“No names,” said the man. “I’ve still got work to do. And so do you.”

“Yeah, I’ve got to get the hell out of here.”

“Yes, but first,” said the man, grinning, “don’t forget your Legos.”

-----------------------

Garrus carried the Lego case toward the landing pad.

Almost there, he thought. Seems too easy.

As he approached the nearest ship, he heard a voice behind him.

“Where do you think you’re going, Vakarian?”

He turned around. There were seven mercs there. Blue Suns, Eclipse, Blood Pack, and another group he didn’t recognize. All armed to the teeth. A human in Blue Suns armor said, “We paid good money to see you torn apart. Now we’re gonna make that happen.”

“Ah,” said Garrus. “You know, you guys should really start working together under a single name. Should call yourselves ‘The Cowards’. Making a rich guy do your dirty work for you. Taking on one guy with seven, all hiding behind your guns.”

“Fuck you, Vakarian!”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Garrus. “Besides, you can’t pull me apart alive if your shoot me first. Come on, there’s seven of you. Surely you can take me together, hand to hand.”

The mercs glanced at each other.

“If you don’t, you know you’ll always know you backed down, took the easy way,” Garrus goaded.

The mercs put down their weapons.

“Okay,” sighed Garrus as he cracked his knuckles. “Who wants it first?”

---------------------

Twenty minutes later, a badly wounded, but exhilaratingly alive Garrus was prepping the stolen ship for departure.

“Hang on, kid,” said Garrus as he lifted off. “I’m on my way.”

----------------------

The door chime rang, finally, and Liara tried to send a smile at Ridley. “That would be Uncle Garrus.”

Ridley looked at her momma. “Great,” she said, her voice flat.

Liara felt her heart drop. She knew Ridley was upset and felt – once again - abandoned. If only I could talk to her, tell her what I am trying to do . . . But she knew she couldn’t. If she got the girl’s hopes up that there was a chance to bring her mother back, and then it didn’t happen, it would just further damage her. And Liara felt Ridley had been damaged enough. The galaxy is so . . . cold. So she could take the pain of Ridley’s mood, if it meant protecting her from disappointment. She sighed and went to answer the door. It would be nice, she thought, so see a familiar face.

When the door opened on his face, however, it wasn’t so familiar. She gasped. “Goddess! Garrus, what happened to you?”

“You should see the other guy. Or, guys, actually.”

The turian’s face was bloody and bruising. One arm was crudely bandaged, and . . . “Garrus, is that . . . is that a bullet hole?”

“It’s not so much a hole as it is a scrape. I’m okay, Liara. I just need a little medi-gel and I’ll be good as new. Well, good enough, anyway.”

Liara’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh my goodness,” she said. “Well, come in.” She offered a hand, and Garrus took it. He limped into the apartment. “Sit down,” she said, indicating a chair at the dining room table. “Ridley?” she called. “Can you get some medi-gel from the bathroom?”

“Fine,” said Ridley from the other room. “What, did you get a paper cut?”

Ridley appeared a few seconds later, scowling, but then she dropped the medi-gel at the sight of Garrus. “Oh!”

“Hi, kid,” he said, managing a grin. “Don’t worry about me. Just had a little . . . detour on the way back from getting you a present.”

“A present?”

“Ridley!” snapped Liara. “The gel!”

“Oh, right!” said Ridley, picking it up the floor and handing it to her Momma.

Liara wasted no time in applying the gel to the turian’s many wounds. Garrus’ mandibles quivered a bit when she touched the bullet graze, but he made no sound. Ridley helped a bit and looked on until she was sure her Uncle was okay, then disappeared back into the other room.

Liara whispered, “She has been so clingy, questioning everything I do, but when I ask about her, she barely says a word. I don’t know what’s going on in her head – and I’m scared to ask, because I think I’ll just push her away.”

“My sister was like that when she was about Ridley’s age,” said Garrus. “Seemed to live in her own little world . . . Population: One. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll grow out of it. Just keep doing what you’re doing – which I know is hard. Just so, if she decides to talk, she knows you’re there. But yeah, don’t push. For now.”

Liara sighed. “It’s so hard to be patient sometimes.”

“Sounds like Shepard rubbed off on you some, Liara,” Garrus chuckled.

Liara caught herself, and grinned. “Maybe she did, at that.”

When she was done and he was properly bandaged, she asked, “Are you sure you’re okay to stay with Ridley?”

“Absolutely. After what I went through to get these, there is no way in hell I’m not playing with RJ.”

---------------------

“You mentioned a present?” said Ridley, after Liara had left.

“I thought you’d never ask. Go sit at the table and I’ll bring ‘em over.”

Ridley did so and Garrus brought out the Lego case.

“So, Ridley, these,” said Garrus proudly, “are called Lay Goes. They were made on Earth, by humans, a long time ago.” He dumped the contents of the box onto the table with a clatter. Multicolored plastic pieces spilled across to Ridley.

She was unimpressed. “Uh. Thanks.” She picked one up. “What do they do?”

“Well, it’s not so much what they do, as it is what you do with them,” he said. “See, they kind of fit together, and you can build things with them.”

“What kind of things?”

“Pretty much whatever you want.” He grabbed one block and attempted to snap it on to another. His large fingers made this task more difficult than he had expected. “Hmm. I wish they were a little bigger,” he muttered. He started to wonder if this had been a good idea. She obviously couldn’t care less. He tried to contain his growing disappointment. He hadn’t gone through all this to give up now. “Should be perfect for your hands, though. Give it a try.”

With a noted lack of enthusiasm, she picked up two pieces at random. She turned them over in her hands, looking at the bumps and crannies. “Hmm,” she said. She snapped them together. “Oh,” she said. She grabbed another block and fit it onto the other two with a click. “Oh!” she said again, her face lighting up as she started to see the possibilities. “Ooooh.” She grabbed a handful of pieces and started to put them together.

Garrus smiled as he watched her and saw the wheels turning in her mind, and he relaxed. He’d been right – this was perfect for her.

“What do you say we build something extraordinary?”

Garrus picked up the pieces and clumsily attempted to work with them while Ridley built away. He was thrilled at how much Ridley was enjoying this, but he himself was having trouble fitting the small pieces together, and it was a little frustrating, particularly because this toy really appealed to his need for order and detail. It was an incredible, yet simple, design. Eventually, he limited himself to the largest pieces he could find and did the best he could. But he kept glancing back at Ridley. She was building . . . and building . . .

“Oh, yeah!” she said, her eyes glued to the pieces, her fingers nimbly constructing at random. No, not at random, Garrus thought – there was already a pattern emerging.

He had to ask. “What is that you’re putting together, RJ?”

She didn’t take her eyes off her project. “I have no idea, yet, but this is so fun!”

He got up to get them both a snack. When he came back, a bowl of Tierrot Root chips for himself in one hand and a slice of banana bread for Ridley in the other, he suddenly let out a yell.

“OH GODDAMMIT MOTHERF-“

He slammed the bowl and the plate down on the table and hopped on one foot over to the wall, steadying himself with one hand.

“Uncle Garrus! Are you all right?” Ridley’s forehead creased with concern as she half-rose from the table.

“Ah, yeah, RJ, I’ll be fine,” panted Garrus. He bent his knee and looked at the bottom of his foot. Gingerly, he reached down and extracted a bright blue cube from his biggest toe. “I just . . . stepped on a Lay Go. Ah, man,” said the turian. “That hurts like hell.”

He looked down, and saw a half-assembled smattering of Legos where he had stepped. “Oh, no, RJ,” he said as he picked them up. “I smashed it.” He sheepishly handed it back to her. “I’m sorry.”

She was trying, but failing, not to laugh. “Sorry, Uncle Garrus.”

"It's okay. Just don't tell your Momma I said some of those words."

She took it and turned it over in her hand. “That’s okay, Garrus. I can put it back together in just a sec. Wait,” she said. “No, see this? I can take this part off,” she did so, “and add it back over here,” she snapped the part onto the ever-growing assembly in front of her on the table, “and HA!” She smiled. “See, it’s a cave now!”

Garrus’s jaw dropped. This kid was something else, all right.

In the end, her Lego creation turned out to be a partially synthetic dragon (a cyborgon, Ridley informed him) attacking a starship because the starship had accidentally gotten too close to the dragon’s eggs. Garrus marveled at the complexity of the set, especially considering the girl had only started playing with Legos just over an hour ago. And he was particularly impressed with how she had constructed an entire story around her project. While her hands had been building the model, her mind had been building the story.

Garrus suddenly felt an enormous wave of love for Ridley. He had not felt so happy since before Shepard died. To see her daughter playing . . . just playing . . . brought him a feeling of immense joy that he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed. And he knew that, if Shepard could see Ridley now, she’d be smiling.

Garrus finally gave up working with the Legos himself (damn huge fingers, stupid tiny blocks) and just contented himself with watching Ridley play, occasionally offering suggestions or asking questions.

“How’s school these days, RJ?”

She was now working on what was becoming a pretty close Lego approximation of the Destiny Ascension.

“It’s okay. Music is my favorite, of course, but we only get to do that twice a week.”

“Ah, music. Love listening to it, can’t play or sing or dance worth a damn.” He sighed. “Got any friends?”

“I have two. Katora and Holden.”

“Let’s hear the scoop.”

“Well, Katora and Katie and I share a study pod together. She’s asari and pretty neat. I help her with her homework sometimes. Holden is human and we’re in math class together. He’s blond and smart and he’s good at math and science and he talks a lot and he’s, um, really cute.” The words came out in a rush as Ridley turned a deep scarlet.

“Well,” said Garrus, giving no indication whatsoever that he’d noticed her response when talking about a boy. “They sound like cool kids.”

“Yeah, they are.” She paused, and looked at him. “Can I tell you a secret, Uncle Garrus?”

“Of course.”

“Promise not to tell Momma?”

“Well, that depends on the secret. Will this secret hurt anyone?”

“No.”

“Then, yes, I promise not to tell your Momma.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I really like Holden. Like, really. A lot.”

“Ah,” said Garrus. “I think I see what you’re saying, RJ.”

“Yeah,” said Ridley. “He makes me laugh a lot. He’s super funny. He’s always making up stories. Sometimes, I hear him just singing a song he’s just making up as he goes – and the words rhyme at the right time.”

“Kind of like you, just now,” chuckled Garrus.

Ridley turned an even deeper red. “Stop it!” she giggled.

“Sorry,” said Garrus, grinning. “But I’m not surprised you like that he sings.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “Anyway, at first I just thought he couldn’t shut up – like maybe he had a condition - but then he would remember things that I’d said like a week before. I think he listens almost as much as he talks.”

“Well, that’s a rare thing,” said Garrus. “So why’s this such a big secret? Why can’t you tell your Momma about him?”

“She’d never let me be his – I mean, she wouldn’t want him to be my – well, she wouldn’t like it if we were . . . more than friends.”

“Have you talked to her about him at all?”

“No. No way.”

“Well, then, how do you know?”

Ridley sighed. “Because Momma wants me to stay her baby, forever. But I’m growing up. I’m not a baby.”

Garrus looked at her. “Well, that’s true. You are growing up. And I know she’s proud of you. It’s just that . . . well, you’re very special to her, RJ. You mean the world to her – the galaxy, even. And you have to remember, she’s an asari and asari kids don’t grow as quickly as human kids do. So it’s a little scary for her to see how fast you’re growing up. Maybe she feels it’s a little too fast for her.”

Ridley thought for a moment. “You think that’s true?”

“Yes, I do. She can take her time doing things because she’s going to live for over a thousand years, but your lifetime is barely a blink of her eyes.”

“But it’s my life, and I’m not an asari, and I’m growing at human-speed.”

“Of course you are,” he said. “But really, I think she’s scared of losing even a minute with you. She wants to savor every moment of it because she knows that time has a way of slipping away from us. She knows how life can change in a heartbeat. I mean,” he cleared his throat, “she already lost your mom. I think she’s scared to death of losing you, too.”

He could tell this last had an impact on Ridley. She stopped, the Legos frozen in her hand, and she stared out the window, focused on nothing. A full minute passed in silence.

“I . . . I didn’t think of that,” said Ridley. “Sometimes I forget that Momma lost her, too.”

“Try to remember,” said Garrus gently, “that it’s hard for her, just like it’s hard for you.”

Ridley gave him a sad little smile. “I’ll try, Uncle Garrus.”

“Good. In the meantime, why don’t you invite Holden over to play sometime?”

She flushed again. “Oh, I don’t know . . .”

“Invite Katora over, too, then, if that makes it a little less scary.”

“Hmm.” She turned the idea over in her head. “That’s a good idea. They get along, too . . . although,” she grinned slyly at him, “not too well.”

“There you go.”

“You know what else?”

“What’s that?”

She smiled. “I bet he’d really like Legos.”

“You think so, huh?” She nodded. “Good,” he said. “Then you’ll have something to do together when he comes over.”

They played together without speaking for a few moments, each enjoying sharing the other’s silence. Then Ridley piped up.

“Uncle Garrus?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you still wearing that?” She pointed at his face.

“Huh? Oh,” he said, reaching up to touch his visor. “I don’t know. I pretty much always have it on. I needed it earlier, when I was . . . getting your Lay Goes. It helps me out when I . . . run into trouble.”

“Are you expecting to run into trouble now?”

Garrus chuckled. “Heh, no. Unless you want to fight me for the last bit of ice cream.”

“Come on, you can’t eat that anyway,” she laughed. “Why don’t you take it off?”

“I . . . don’t know. I guess I’m so used to it . . . “

“Well, give it a try.”

Garrus looked away, then back at Ridley. He could face down mercs, but taking off his visor . . . still, here she was, Shepard’s daughter, challenging him. And here he was, trying to build her up, trying to show her courage, when she needed someone to look up to . . . He reached up and unfastened the visor, then looked at her.

She looked at him for a second, then turned back to the Legos. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

If only you knew how hard, kid, he thought. But why?

“You look weird. Like, you’re not yourself.”

“Well . . . uh, thanks,” he said.

“I’m just used to . . . “ she said, then she looked at him. “But this is how you really are. Underneath.”

“Hmm,” said Garrus. “Well, I guess so. Maybe that’s why it’s hard for me to do.”

They looked at each other, then each looked away.

“Did you really beat up seven guys?” Ridley asked.

“Well, not so much ‘beat up’ as ‘make them sorry for getting in my way’.”

“But, seven?”

“Maybe I should have said seventy. And a thresher maw.”

She smirked, and Garrus thought, She looks exactly like Shepard, and he felt a pang deep in his heart.

“You’re gonna have a lot of scars,” said Ridley. “Well, a lot more, anyway.”

“Yeah, well, maybe. Most of them will heal up fine.”

“What about this one?” She pointed at a deep, thick line on his forearm.

“Yeah, that one . . . won’t. But that’s okay. See, I got that one helping your mom.”

Ridley turned away. “Did she end up hurting everyone she touched?”

Garrus reached out and gently turned her face back to his. “No, she inspired everyone. To stand up and fight for something more than themselves. It’s just that, sometimes, that means you get hurt. But the galaxy is a better place because of the things she inspired us to do. Besides, I don’t want to die without any scars. Means I lived through something. And your mom knew a thing or two about that – hell, she could have taught a class in it. She had a few scars, too.”

“But there was one thing she didn’t live through.”

“Yeah.” Garrus swallowed hard and let out a breath. “I could tell you how brave she was, but you’re probably sick of hearing that. And you probably wish she hadn’t been so brave, anyway. I know I do.”

Ridley ran her thumb over the edge of a Lego, then pressed it into her palm. Softly, she said, “I really hate Joker. And I kind of hate her for going after him.” She looked into the turian’s face. “Didn’t she know I needed her? Wasn’t I more important than him? Wasn’t I more important than her stupid duty?” She almost spat the last word.

“I know,” said the turian, quietly. “I was mad at Joker, too. Still am. Should have followed orders, left his post – ah, but then, he loved the Normandy. I mean, loved it. Maybe almost as much as we,” he had to remind himself to use the past tense, as much as he hated it, “loved your mom. And he wanted to save it.”

“It was just a stupid ship!”

“Yeah, it was. He made a bad mistake. The worst. Your mom would have punched him in the face, if she’d . . . ah.” He took a breath and let it out. “And when she . . . when she died . . . as much as I missed her, I was also furious with her for being so damn brave. Because the galaxy was a better place with her in it. And I was a better man, for being her friend.” He put his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. “But there is something you need to know. She loved you. Maybe she didn’t know how to show it all the time, but you were more important to her than anything. Everything she did, as brave as she was, she did because of you, for you. So you could have a better life, a better future. So you could have hope.”

“But I needed her!” Tears were running down her face in tiny rivers.

“I know. But maybe . . . maybe she never understood that. Maybe she never believed that anyone needed her. Maybe she never believed that she was anything special. The best never do, I guess.”

She looked at him with an expression of equal parts bewilderment and despair.

“Maybe being brave,” he said. “And doing her duty, was her way of showing you how much she loved you. Maybe it was the only way she knew how.”

“Couldn’t she just tell me once in a while? Or just . . . be around?”

“For her, that might have been harder than charging into a thresher maw nest.”

“But she was supposed to be so brave. Why was it so hard to talk to me?”

“Well, there are different kinds of courage. Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared – it means you are scared, but you do what you’re afraid of anyway. Your mom wasn’t scared of taking a bullet, or getting a scar – so maybe it was easy for her to see everything as a battle. But just talking to someone she cared about, letting them see how much they meant to her . . . well, I don’t know, but I think that scared the hell out of her. And I know." He took a deep breath. "Because I'm the same way."

“I don’t understand her. At all.”

“I know. But I know you loved her. And I know she loved you. Maybe that’s what love is – just . . . trying to understand the people who are important to us. Even when they make no sense.” He sighed and picked up a Lego. “It’s not like these. I wish life could fit together as perfectly as these things do.” He looked at her. “She would have loved seeing you play like you did tonight.”

“I just . . . miss her.”

“I miss her, too.”

“I don’t know why I even miss her. She was barely around at all when I was little. I was always just a burden to her, like I was a duty.” She stopped and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Maybe I should have stayed a duty,” she muttered. “Maybe then I would have been more important. But then . . . when Momma . . . she talked my mom into letting me stay with them. And I started to think . . . I started to hope that maybe I wasn’t just a burden after all. Maybe we really could be a family. And maybe someday, I’d get to know her.” She looked at him, and he could see the pain crease her face as the tears started anew. “But now I never will.”

There was nothing he could think of to say, so he just enfolded her in his arms, feeling helpless to soothe this wounded girl. She sobbed into his shirt.

“We’d just started to –“ she sobbed. “I barely had her at all when I was little, and then we got this chance to be together, and now she’s gone! She cheated me out of herself! Because she made Joker, she even made strangers, more important than me! I’ll never know her, I’ll never know what’s it’s like to have my mom love me anymore! I’ll never know what it might have been like someday . . . and I’d just started to wonder what it could be like, growing up with her around . . . and now I’ll never know.”

And Garrus, his arms around Ridley, sobbed as well. Sobbed because he missed his friend, sobbed for the pain in this girl, and in Liara, and in the rest of the crew. Sobbed because they all had to carry on, without their friend and commander. And together, they cried . . . until at last, they fell asleep, their arms around each other, Ridley breathing deeply against the slow rise and fall of Garrus’s chest. And that’s how Liara found them when she returned, well after midnight. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of them, and a single tear fell from her eye, but she could not sob as they had, for the loss of Shepard and the need to be strong for Ridley had built a hardness around her heart. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes for a moment, then fetched a blanket and tucked it over them, the turian warrior and the human girl.

Liara went to bed, but she did not sleep for a long time.

[hwanghyunjinenthusiast]

rj im begging u to give me anything about cheol dhsbd its been bad for me lately and i need to talk about him with someone who GETS it

ps hi i love u lol

Anything for you

AN: I was originally going to use ideas from one of the S.Coups fics in my drafts but, since today is also the lovely @onlyseokmins birthday, I decided to go with this idea that hit me out of nowhere instead. Kill two birds with one stone and all of that. All I'm going to say is that this is all Sar's fault (I hope this is okay and, still scratches your S.Coups itch 💀).

Synopsis: Seokmin is the most generous, thoughtful man you've ever met. He'll more than willingly give you whatever you want (if it's within his means, of course). Even if that means sitting back and watching you get fucked by one of his closest friends.

Heads up: Lee Seokmin x Fem! Reader x Choi Seungcheol, Reader and DK are in a relationship, the plot is paper-thin, heavily implied power dynamics, cuckoldry (sort of), voyeurism, exhibitionism, Seungcheol is mean here, mentions of pussy spanking (f. receiving), edging (f. receiving), it's implied that Cheol gets off on Reader's tears, praise kink (f. receiving), degradation (f. receiving), dirty talk, unprotected piv sex, creampie and DK cums untouched.

Word count: 829

I will block you if you are a minor and/or have no easily visible indication of your age on your blog if you interact with me in any way.

Some people may think you're a little spoiled by your boyfriend. With his thoughtfulness often resulting in him bringing you flowers he saw on his way home from work or washing the dishes when it's your turn when work is particularly grating or making you cum on his pretty fingers until you lose count.

Yeah, maybe you're a little spoiled but, Seokmin just wants to make you happy. The way your eyes light up and that brilliant smile you always give him make it all more than worth it.

That's how the two of you find yourselves in your current situation. Well, the three of you.

Your... affinity for muscular men with great arms and pretty smiles has caused your gaze to linger a few too many times on Seungcheol. You'd never dream of betraying Seokmin that way, but you'd be lying if you said Seungcheol hadn't featured in a fantasy or two. Your boyfriend, ever the observant man, doesn't fail to notice.

And now, looking at him flushed with his bangs sticking to his sweaty forehead as he watches Seungcheol split you open on his, frankly, intimidating cock, you're left wondering if this is all even real.

"Doesn't she look so pretty taking me, Seokminnie?" The older man asks. You can't quite see him from this angle but, you're sure he's grinning when he thrusts into you so hard that your nails nearly draw blood from how tightly you're holding onto him.

"Yeah, she does," your boyfriend mutters in response, lidded eyes flying between taking in your changing expressions and Seungcheol thrusting into you.

Seungcheol isn't as kind as your boyfriend. Every act of disobedience and brattiness met with an unflinching spank to your clit. Stopping completely until you're near tears with how desperately you want to cum. Your mind devoid of everything but, the need to cum on his cock.

And Seokmin watches it all. His cock hard and untouched in the confines of his boxers. You haven't given permission to touch himself yet so, he sits and watches like the good boy he is.

"Cheol, please," you choke out once more when his cock brushes a spot inside of you that makes it difficult to breathe. Frustrated tears spilling down your overheated face.

"You do know how to ask nicely," he coos against your ear, nipping it and startling you when his daft fingers rub circles against your hypersensitive clit. It's dizzying how quickly he's learned how to toy with you.

You're so close. So, so close. Your thighs quivering violently and broken moans falling from your bruised lips as you chase your release.

Choi Seungcheol would never make it that easy. So, he stops once more. You feel his cock throb inside of you as your walls spasm and, frustrated whines leave your lips. He even has the nerve to lick away a few of the tears he's able to catch. You had no idea he had so many sadistic tendencies.

Before you can ask why he stopped, he speaks, "Do you think she deserves to cum?"

Seokmin looks like a deer caught in head lights. Warm, brown eyes alternating between your watery, desperate ones and the ones of the very hot, very evil man propping you up against his chest.

"I-I think she deserves to cum," he stutters out and, you want to kiss him so badly. You're going to make him cum so hard he can't walk straight after this.

"Well, since you've both been so well-behaved," is all the preparation you're giving before Seungcheol picks up his pace once more. Leaving you no time or room to gather yourself as his fingers make quick work of your clit once more.

"Are you going to cum like the good girl you are? The needy slut you are?" the devil whispers into your ear. Though you're pretty sure Seokmin can hear it all from the way he squirms in his seat.

"Make a mess for Seokmin,"

That's all it takes for your orgasm to rip through you. You don't remember the last time you came this hard. Seungcheol groans behind you and holds you steady through it all. Everything tenses and seizes and you're briefly worried that you'll develop a cramp but, you can't bring yourself to care all that much.

It's made all the worse (or better, depending on how you look at it) when you feel Seungcheol cum inside of you. His hold on you becoming harsh as he makes you take every single drop with every pulse of him inside of you.

Your bleary eyes meet Seokmin's frenzied ones and, that's when it hits you. He came. He came from watching...all of this. He looks like he's so close to stumbling out an apology but, you're not upset. Quite the opposite. The wet stain on his boxers instinctively making you clamp down on Seungcheol's softening cock, causing the man behind you to moan.

Yeah, this might be his greatest gift yet.

[thosewildcharms]

I love how the story of Michonne character ended and her development. At the very beginning we had a closed, broken Michonne who lost her family and had no one to rely on except herself. Michonne is so strong, smart, beautiful and capable of taking care of herself but still she finally found this partner in whom she can rely on, gets to be protected and loved so loudly and completely by him. She finally found a safe place. In him and their kids.

YES. i'd written a post years ago after 7x12 about how much i love michonne's progression as a character and all of that is even more true now than it was then. the ones who live feels like a natural extension of that progression because michonne's love for her family is the driving force and beating heart of the entire narrative. the whole show hinges on her deciding to bring rick home, about reclaiming this family she fought so hard to create in the first place. it's reiterated over and over again that she's not just trying to bring rick home for herself - although that's certainly part of it - but for their children. because judith asked her to, because RJ deserves to know his father, and because it's what carl would have wanted. it's why it's so important that her telling rick the way he's acting is hurting her is what makes him fold - because it's a reminder of who he is and of what made her feel safe enough love again in the first place. i know i go on and on about rick's love for michonne but honestly it's because it's nothing less than what she deserves - for someone to love her as selflessly and completely as she loves him, who is strong so she doesn't always have to be, who would follow her anywhere and do anything for her, who makes her feel safe and would do anything to keep their children safe. i think it might be why that last shot of the show looks the way it does. as much as i think it would have been more ~aesthetically pleasing for it to have been centered between rick and michonne with their kids between them, i do kind of appreciate that the show ends on rick's back as though he's shielding them all, including michonne. she did the impossible and got him back and now she can rest too, enveloped and protected, with this family she fought so hard for. she did start off alone but now she'll never be alone again :')

[lashysdomain]

@mageofspacemultiverse and @memurfevur 's Oc Name ARG Data

for those who AREN'T me who've spent the last 4 days and almost every waking and sleeping hour thinking about this, here's what we have so far + puzzles i've not yet been able to solve

characters: [name] - (blog they're at)

arceel - (memurfevur)

how we found out about ynygme (from here on referred to as E). ex moirail, used to be known as Balerion. this is the name that E knows him by.

Ynygme - (mageofspacemultiverse)

We have found E's name. it's recommended not to say it, just in case. they're currently in hiding while we find a tether and figure out how to decode the spell we need to bring them home.

the subjugate video

one of E's captors. we've been told to hide from them, so DNI. please. i know, villian, but dni. summoned by us guessing S

the warden video (loud)

another of e's captors, 110% fucked up on this one. i didn't notice, both of these are my fault.

current puzzle objective is solving the spell to get back to E and helping find any parts of their body to create their tether

extra characters and unsolved puzzles/extra info under the cut

watch'r - (memurfevur)

bound to arceel, knows what's going on to some degree, will take gossip as a bribe for clues, unsure what he'll give. that's my bestie

For now we're good on clues, but we might need more soon?

matild kirada - (memurfevur)

gilf. who said that mentioned in the poem posts image, likely whos help we need to find e's body

unsolved puzzles

i'm currently still trying to solve these, but i'm at my wits end in a way

possible code could be from the polls, setting the positions of letters in another key the letters and their resulting poll result numbers are: e2 r4 p5 i6 c6 h3 (the letters spell cipher. kilant you bitch.)

p is interesting, and has the options of 20 5 20 8 5 18 which when put into an alphanumeric substitution cipher gives us "tether" could be nothing but that seems purposeful? every other poll has just 123...

the pastebin clues, found from the description of the subjugate video.

these are settings for the enigma machine. what we put into it probably hasn't been sent out yet, it's also a clue about E's first name more than likely.

as dr el fj ky mt ob qx uz wh I 10 1 III 17 2 VII 6 4

A grandpre grid from the watch'r drabble and following judgements roman numerals gives us a likely second set of plugboard settings for the enigma machine.

the rest of the settings were found on a past post leading to a soundcloud link

ap cm dv gq iy ne rj sw uf zk V 4 6 IV 6 2 VIII 16 6

from the tags of the last ask + settings for another machine from the post where E told us about their past with balerion. it's unclear if the setting for the third rotor is 22 1 or 2 21

RC EY BF SG JM ID LQ KZ TU HO V 18 3 VI 1 5 III 2 2 1

from a poll with some sort of poem? poem might not actually be important, but the poll post is here

vuypo xu klt syet ya g rukobq crmgp fpkose kkmexf wkzoec knm bwbx qgzkem

Jcif xgs aphwvx rxdgdk jc boyf Irmm g inbfjh b qrqqevn onmzf Mcuvh omeccn diegypgp

from E's latest ask and pulled from the captions of the Warden video. if this is the spell, we're missing the last third piece still

i believe it might be a beaufort vigenere cipher, but we don't have it's key. could also need to be spit through specific enigma machine settings. there are far too many for me to brute force, so we'll just have to wait.

the words that bring them together are likely just the spell, not anything super complex (well more so than finding it all)

current state of the reset conspiracy board

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

I’m Hot, Sticky Sweet

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Setting: Commonwealth (after series end)

Warnings: Poorly written smut, food and sex, p in v, cunnilingus

Summary: You and Daryl haven’t been able to spend much time together. With only a certain amount of time available, you’re able to make the best of it by killing two birds with one stone.

A/N: I have no idea what I’m doing as a fanfic writer. Please forgive me for this insanity.

*gif is not mine

“What’s goin’ on here?” Daryl could smell the delicious scent of spices the moment he opened the door. He knew you could cook, but there really had never been enough resources or time for anything fancy. He was salivating by the time he reached the dining room, taking in the spread on the four person table. 

The archer was always up before the sun and home long after it had set, helping around the Commonwealth in any way he could. Some days, Mercer would have him beyond the walls, pushing back herds. Other days, he’d be part of the labor responsible for reinforcing those walls. He did what he could, rarely turning down a request for his assistance. Runs were still necessary in order to maintain the life to which you all had grown accustomed. Daryl would be gone for hours, sometimes even days. 

He was always so tired. He was sore. He missed his family. 

Once Pamela had been imprisoned and Ezekiel eventually took over the position as governor, Daryl was given a larger house. The two of you had turned it down, though. There was a quaint little home, still bigger than the apartment, away from the town center. It was your idea of perfect for your little family. Its four bedrooms were small but none of you had very many belongings anyway.

You settled in quickly. Daryl didn’t worry about Judith and RJ. They were safe in your capable hands. While you fit the role of the stay at home mom, you wouldn’t hesitate to pick up your knives and bring them down on anyone that threatened the safety of those kids. 

“Hey, you.” You were beaming at him, a bowl of steamed vegetables in your hand, when Daryl shook himself out of his thoughts. 

“S’all this? Where the kids?”

“Well,” you began, wiping your hands in the apron you had just removed. “We haven’t had a lot of time for ourselves lately. Carol took Jude, RJ, and Dog for the evening and I grabbed some extra venison from the market.” When he simply stared at you, doubt eased in slowly and then all at once. You knew you could afford the extra meat. Daryl was paid well for all the hours he put in for the community. The leftovers could be used for his lunch tomorrow and dinner for you and the kids. Still, you twisted your hands in the soft fabric of your sundress and avoided his eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if—”

“Whoa, slow down. I ain’t upset or nothin’.” He had his hands up placatingly, a ghost of a smile adorning his lips. “Just didn’t know if I fucked up an’ forgot somethin’ impor’ant like our anniversary.”

Your self doubt ebbed away into amused adoration. “You remember our anniversary?” 

He was taking off his vest and gloves, glancing over at you with a sarcastic smirk. “Yep, s’that one day that looks just like ev’ry other day.” You laughed and gave his shoulder a playful shove. He didn’t let you push him too far and wound his arm around your side to pull you into him. “If we had a way to keep up with that shit, I’d mark that day up with a lil’ heart an’ blame Jude.” He nuzzled his nose against your jaw. 

“Daryl, that’s mean.” You chuckled, letting him press a quick kiss to your mouth. He hummed, continuing with his quick kisses while guiding you backward. 

“Pretty sure I told ya from the start that I’m a asshole.” He mumbled against your lips, pulling your bottom one in between his teeth. There was no stopping the small whimper that managed to escape your throat, earning a pleasant growl from deep in his chest. You let your arms wind around his neck and tugged at the wavy hair you found there. 

“Mmm, Daryl—food—table.” You managed between his increasing assault on your mouth. 

“Mhmm.”

He shifted in front of you but kept you close, the legs of one of the chairs scraping across the floor. Soon, the small of your back met the edge of the table but you were already too far gone to care. Your head was thrown back with his lips attached to the front of your neck when his large hands squeezed the backs of your thighs and hoisted you up. 

Your ass had barely met the cool surface when he was reaching underneath your dress and dragging your panties down your legs. You could hear the shifting of the dinnerware behind you but couldn’t entertain why that should be concerning. The damp heat between your legs was demanding your focus, and you let yourself be consumed. 

“Shirt.” You panted, crossing your ankles behind his back to pull his groin against yours while he removed the offensive garment, tossing it into the void of ‘I’ll find that later.’ Your mouths crashed together again, your hands working open his belt and fly while he shoved your dress up and out of the way. 

Tenderness was not on the table tonight, so to speak. Daryl grabbed your hips and pulled you down, wasting no time in entering you. Your mouths separated, your teeth clamping down on your bottom lip while his jaw went slack, satisfied breaths and quiet moans mingling somewhere in the air between you. 

“Fuck.” His fingers flexed against your hips, his hold damn near bruising your soft skin. You couldn’t suppress the drawn out moan you offered him as he pulled his hips back, dragging each and every inch of him against your fluttering walls until only the tip remained. He was just as slow pushing back in, swallowing your little sounds of pleasure. 

The next few thrusts were faster. The ones after that, faster still. Soon enough, his pelvis was slamming against you. Your small hands gripped his shoulders but couldn’t seem to remain there. You needed to feel more of his skin. Your hands slid down his back and grabbed the waistband of his pants, pushing them down past his hips. Daryl chuckled against your mouth when you grabbed handfuls of his ass and dug your nails in to leave crescent moons indented in the skin. 

“I’ve missed you.” You whispered, bowing your head to suck on the skin where you could feel his pulse hammering away. The archer rewarded you with a hard snap of his hips before reaching behind him to pull your hands away. He pressed you down against the table and quickly pulled out, leaving your cunt empty and clenching. “Daryl.” You whined, but before you could sit up, his face was buried between your thighs, tongue lapping and lavishing your clit until it was swollen and throbbing.

“Cum for me.” You heard him growl, his hot breath fanning against your sensitive nub while a finger prodded at your entrance. Daryl slid his middle finger past your opening and began pumping hard and fast, desperately seeking to pull your orgasm from you. He curled that finger slightly, finding that soft spot inside you that had you near screaming and grasping for anything that you could hold onto. Plates and silverware crashed to the floor. You thought one may have shattered. “Did ya not hear me, woman? I said cum.” 

Your chest heaved for the breath you couldn’t seem to catch, all cognitive function absent as the coil in your belly began to pull taunt. “Daryl—I’m gonna—fuck, I’m gonna cum.”

“Good girl. Give it to me.” He went back to flicking the tip of his tongue over your clit. You were clenching around his finger in waves now. He knew you were seconds from climaxing. Wrapping his lips around the bundle of nerves, he gently took it between his teeth and started to suck. 

“Fuck!” Your back arched off the table, your body vibrating through the throes of pleasure. It started in your stomach and spiderwebbed out through your limbs. Your hands found his hair and pulled, soliciting a deep grunt against your flesh. 

When you began to come down, your cunt was suddenly empty. But not for long. 

Daryl entered you again, roughly thrusting into your body at a punishing pace that shook the table beneath you. His right hand creeped around the back of your neck and pulled you up to capture your lips in a sloppy kiss that was all spit and tongues and teeth. 

He never slowed down, bringing your second orgasm on quickly while he slipped the spaghetti straps of your dress down your shoulders. You let his attentions fall to your neck while you pulled your arms from the straps and pushed both the dress and your bra down, giving the man access to your breasts. He wasted no time in placing his lips around a pert nipple. 

“Fuck, Daryl!” Your fingers found their way into his hair once again, urging him toward your mouth. He allowed himself to be led away from your breast but not without replacing his mouth with his hand. “Just—just like that. I’m so close!”

“Yeah,” he panted against your mouth, “me too.” 

Neither of you lasted long after, the room filled with your cries of his name and his drawn out moans. You fell back onto the table, still pulsing around him as he softened inside you. Daryl leaned forward to rest his forehead against your upper stomach while you ran your fingers through his sweat-damp hair. 

“That was incredible.” You breathed, staring up at the ceiling with a beaming smile. 

“Yeah. I missed ya, sunshine.” He said into the wadded up fabric of your dress. You hummed and gave his hair a gentle tug, encouraging him to look at you. When he did, you caught the gleam in his pretty blue eyes. 

“What?” You asked cautiously. 

“I ain’t nowhere near done with ya yet.” He went for your nipple but your hands quickly left his hair and caught each side of his face. 

“We need to eat before we spill something.” Somehow the food had indeed survived. 

“Can wait.” He muttered, shaking your hands off. When he tried a second time, you caught him again. This time he huffed in annoyance. 

“It’ll be cold. Well—colder.” You pouted. The archer watched you for a moment, ready to pull out and reset the table when he got the most brilliant idea. You saw the spark in his eyes and drew in your brows, feeling a little concerned. “I know that look. What scheme is rattling around in that head of yours, Daryl Dixon?”

With a Cheshire grin, he rose slightly and stretched an arm behind the top of your head, pulling back with a dollop of mashed potatoes on the tip of his finger. “We can both get what we want.” Without giving you time to consider his meaning, the bowman smeared the side dish across one of your nipples, dragging his tongue over it to clean up the mess. Your eyes sparkled. 

“You, sir, are a genius.”

More than an hour and a half later, half empty serving dishes still littered the table, but you and Daryl were on the floor, the area around you a complete disaster. Daryl sat next to you, propped up on the wall with his legs stretched out. His pants were up but not buttoned. The left side of his face was dripping brown gravy, a portion of his hair wet with it. Remnants of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese were smeared from his neck all the down to disappear past his waistband. 

You looked no better. Shavings and juices of venison were stuck to the swell of your breasts and side of your neck, anything between that and the lower part of your dress— pulled up to cover you by now— was hidden by the fabric itself. Your hair was a mess, with a half of a baby carrot dangling from a thin strand. What could be seen of your inner thighs was sticky with apple pie filling. 

You were both panting and even Daryl mirrored your small smile and chuckled when you looked at one another. He had been absolutely right. You were sated and full. 

But you probably wouldn’t serve the leftovers to the kids after all, though you were almost certain Daryl wouldn’t mind taking some for lunch. 

You were just about to suggest getting cleaned up when you heard a key enter and then turn in the front door lock. When you heard Carol call “hello,” you snapped your attention back to Daryl. 

“You gave her a key?!” You whisper-yelled. 

“Why wouldn’t I!?” He returned at the same volume. You gestured broadly at the two of you, and Daryl relented with a nod. “I see your point.”

“What happened?!” 

You both turned to the doorway, finding RJ and Judith staring at you with wide eyes. 

“What do you mean what— oh.” Carol hurried into the room and her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. Dog bounded around her leg and immediately began to sniff the floor, licking up any scraps he found dropped or smeared there. Daryl couldn’t even bring himself to correct the canine. “So,” Carol began, crossing her arms, “what did happen, you two?” From the knowing smile plastered on the woman’s face, you knew you needn’t explain to her. 

But shit, the kids. 

“There, uh—there was a, um, a spider!” You shrugged a shoulder when Daryl gave you a look that blatantly said ‘really, Y/N?’ 

“A spider.” Carol repeated, licking her lips to wipe away the grin. 

“Was huge.” Daryl nodded, carefully avoiding any of the eyes that were on him. “An’ mean.”

“Ew. Did you kill it?” RJ asked with a small cringe. 

“Sure did.” The archer lied. 

“How big?” Judith queried, crossing her arms like Carol. 

“Like—real big.” You supplied, covering your thighs a little more with your dress when you caught Carol looking at the mess there.

“Cool! Can we see?” RJ, who had seemed afraid just moments before was now very interested in this make believe monster arachnid that had slathered both you and Daryl as well as half the dining room in tonight’s dinner before meeting its untimely demise at the bowman’s hand. 

“No!” Daryl barked. RJ froze midstep. “S’ uh—s’in the gravy.”

“Gross. I’m not eating that, aunt Y/N.” The young boy curled his lip. 

“Of course not, baby.” You soothed, relieved that you two had seemingly gotten away with this. 

“Not to mention your bra.” Judith smirked. Your eyes widened. “Your bra is in the gravy too, aunt Y/N.”

Your eyes slid slowly toward where the gravy boat sat, a few feet from Daryl’s leg. The man was already hooking a finger under a strap and lifting the article, staring almost blankly ahead as he passed the dripping thing across his lap and let it dangle for you to grab it. 

“Damn huge spider.”

“Bra removing spiders in gravy boats.” Carol nodded, chuckling when Daryl put his red face in his hands and you rubbed the back of your neck. “Right. Well, don’t worry. These guys and that guy,” she pointed to Dog, who was gnawing on a piece of broccoli, “have already eaten. I’ll just go get them settled.” 

“Thanks.” You mumbled, looking defeated. Footsteps disappeared up the stairs before you and Daryl looked at one another. 

“She ain’t never gonna let this go.” He commented sourly. “Just feed me ta the walkers, sunshine. M’beggin’ ya.”

“If I have to hear it, then you do too.” You chuckled, leaning over against him when he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. 

“She won’t pick on ya too bad.”

“She saves it all for you cause I’ll cry.”

“Guess I need to start cryin’ then.” You giggled and tilted your head back just in time for him to press a kiss between your eyes. “Was fun, huh?”

“Yeah, you make a nice buffet, Dixon.”

He hummed, drumming his fingers against your upper arm. “I wouldn’t mind s’more pie.” 

“How about a plate this time?”

[polaroidcats]

hiii cat can you please tell me more about karl marx’s #1 fangirl rj lupin?? does he have posters of marx in his room? does he doodle little hammer and sickles in his notebook? does he ask everyone who claims to be a marxist if they can name 5 measures to seize the means of production? does he ever cry every time he remembers that he’s dead?

I am so glad you asked, dear lynx!! because just like how Remus never shuts up about Karl Marx, I never want to shut up about our karl marx fangirl #1 remus lupin!!

He first read Marx as a teenager, and by the time he's 20 he has read the entirety of Das Kapital, as well as the economic and philosophic manuscripts and he makes it everyone's problem. NO ONE understands Marx the way he does, it's such a burden that only he has to bear, but in good communist manner, he shares his opinion with anyone and everyone who is willing to listen or simply doesn't run away fast enough.

And he gets SO sad when he thinks about Karl Marx being dead, it's such a problem because Karl Marx's death day is only 4 days after Remus's birthday so every year he throws a big birthday party, but he always feels so guilty for celebrating his own sad existence when the anniversary of his hero's death is looming on the horizon. So he tries making his birthday party Karl Marx themed: dress up as your fave Marxist, bring whatever food you have at home and share it with everyone, don't get mad if someone else makes out with your boyfriend, everbody's sharing tonight!!! But that only makes him sadder because he wishes he could've invited the real Karl Marx to his birthday party:( He settles for making out with a guy dressed up as Karl, but it's not the same, and the guy hasn't even read Das Kapital in its entirety, he's ONLY read the communist manifesto which is not that much longer than a tweet so Remus dumps him immediately and goes back to crying in the corner of his party and wiping his tears with the pages of some neo marxist books written by people who don't get Marx at all.

His 18th birthday is especially hard for him, he's just so sad thinking about Karl not being there, so he goes and gets a little hammer and sickle tattoo on his ankle - he's been doodling them all over his notebooks for years anyways and this way at least he has something with him to remind him of his hero no matter where he is!

And you just KNOW he has Karl Marx posters in his room, and he will only admit this when he's a bit drunk but Karl actually played a big part in his gay awakening, and the one time he can convince Sirius to roleplay as Karl Marx ends up being the best sex they've ever had which is very disturbing to Sirius until he gets Remus to roleplay as Proudhon which evens it out a little bit. Eventually they settle on Kropotkin as a common ground for their political role play fantasies, but Remus sometimes just closes his eyes and thinks of Karl Marx instead, because his beard and politics are just superior to Kropotkin's, if you ask him (but you shouldn't ask him, or he'll never shut up about it).

[ihopesocomic]

OK ANON GET READY FOR A DEEP DIVE ON VICIOUS

I won't go into Vicious begging for her child's life & being denied food while pregnant since RJ already pointed it out, but seconding that in case it was missed again How about Jasper putting blame on Vicious for...everything? How in expression and in poses Vicious is clearly trying to please Jasper, vs her powerful & mighty attitude with everyone else - even her own sisters? How when she races to defend Jasper, he just silently watches with a SMIRK as he sees Vicious really is ready to blind her own child to defend him? And my favorite examples in 'No Contact'; when Jasper returns, he starts by making himself the victim and crying "OUR daughter is a traitor, Vicious" (singling out Vicious in front of Careful) but as soon as Vicious takes Jasper's side, as soon as Jasper KNOWS she's on his side, he immediately starts saying "YOUR daughter" "YOUR sister" (as if Vicious had any control over Clever), pinning the blame of Hopeful's "revolt" solely on Vicious's shoulders. Let's also not forget Vicious sees her cubs as an extension of herself, rather than individuals. The chilling interaction at the end, too; Vicious is holding back tears and anger, but as soon as Jasper asks about Adamant and stands over her, her expression changes to pure fear. Fear that we only ever see on her face with Jasper. (also Jasper getting frustrated with her not knowing where Adamant is "How could you not...?) Then Vicious, who had previously been shouting at her daughter w enough anger to slip that she basically wishes she'd let Hopeful die, is once again low to the ground, ears pinned back, immediately trying to appease him "Then we'll go get you something to eat. How does that sound?" n just to bring praise in the dub, the shakiness in Vicious's voice on these lines destroy me every time SHOUT OUT TO MAUREEN

(Also this is a more minor detail but I did notice Vicious calls Jasper "my dear", while Jasper never refers to her as any sort of affectionate name lmao)

So, I'm gonna be real and say Ani didn't have to write out a very helpful, in-depth deep dive on Vicious but because we don't believe in suppressing this kind of analysis at IHS Inc. and because I'm still suffering from second degree embarrassment from that 'on a scale of 1-10, how mentally abused is Vicious?' ask we got one time: here it is. Thank you sm for your service, Ani. <33 - RJ

[theteasetwrites]

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 97: Under the Gun

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: language, violence, lots of guns, scary situation, injury, basic TWD stuff tbh ❧ Word Count: 5.2k

❧ In This Chapter: It will take some effort to convince Daryl that you're capable of helping at the Commonwealth. Of course, who is he to stand in your way? A deadly trap ensnares you all, and confronting Governor Milton is going to be more challenging than you'd anticipated. Blood will be shed.

❧ A/N: So um ok Tumblr was being weird last night, so when I tried to schedule Chapter 96 to come out at midnight PST, it actually came out three hours earlier than that, so technically THIS is the first post of 2023! Cool! Anywho, um yes I know reader is being stupid look I need her to be stupid ok? Sometimes she can be stupid, as a treat. It would be boring if she was always perfect and made the right decisions. Also Daryl gets to be stupid all the time in the show let her have this. Oh and stream Under the Gun by Sisters of Mercy because a) it's a banger and b) it inspired the vibe of this chapter and some of the lines (but I couldn't fit some of my favorite lines like "you can set the controls for the heart or the knees and the meek will inherit what they damn well please" that line is 🤌🏻)

The crate you carried was heavy, straining your aching back, but you’d risen early that morning to help load up the bus. The plan was to bring as many people as possible back to the Commonwealth, with emphasis on finding the missing children, Eugene and Yumiko, and taking down Pamela, whatever that may entail.

You had a plan of your own. Well, not so much a plan, but a conviction. You hadn’t spoken to Daryl yet this morning, and you knew he’d object, but you were headstrong about one thing: you were going with them.

Perhaps you weren’t in the best physical state to be going, having delivered a baby exactly a week ago. Still, you’d put together an argument in the incredibly likely case that Daryl would refuse to let you come. It didn’t matter what he wanted, though. You wanted to see Pamela get taken down. You wanted to see everything the Miltons and the Commonwealth stood for crumble. You wanted to be a part of it. 

Was it stupid? Yes. You were aware.

“Here’s the last of the supplies,” you said, handing the crate to Maggie. She stood at the back of the bus, loading it up. “There’s plenty of ammo, mostly M855’s, or whatever those big guns use.” Your knowledge of guns was reluctant and minimal, and you much preferred your axe, which you’d been so lucky to find tucked away in a crate in one of the houses, along with Robin’s spear and Daryl’s bow. For what you were about to do, though, you’d need guns. 

“Thanks,” she huffed, checking the crate before sliding it in. “You talk to Daryl yet?”

Maggie knew, of course, but Daryl didn’t. He assumed you’d be staying to watch Robin and Wes, which, admittedly, sounded like a much better idea than what you had in mind, but there was such a strong urge to see justice restored, to be a part of it, to help make history.

“No,” you said. You turned as you dusted off your jeans, eying Daryl, who sat upon the deck of the town hall. In his arms was baby Westley, bundled up in his blue blanket, with his bear hat poking out. Robin and RJ sat beside him, each peering over his shoulders to look at the baby boy. “I know he’ll be upset.”

“It’s your choice,” she said. “You’re a grown woman. He can’t tell you what to do, you know.”

“I know, it’s just… I hate arguing with him about this kind of stuff. And if I do go, I don’t want him to be worrying about me the whole time, getting distracted.”

“He’ll live with it.”

You made your way to the town hall, where others had also gathered as they prepared to board the bus. Daryl had handed Wes to Robin, who was eager to hold him. 

Daryl nodded his head to you, his face a portrait of confusion. “You should be in bed,” he said. “Ain’t you tired?”

“Aren’t you?”

He hadn’t slept in days, of course he was tired. More tired than you, and you’d just given birth. Everyone was tired, but the sooner you got to the Commonwealth, the better.

Chewing his bottom lip, he eyed you suspiciously. “You ain’t goin’,” he said. 

Your eyes widened as you scoffed. “Yes, I am. I’m not missing this.”

He moved further from the earshot of others, gently but firmly holding your arm to take you with him. “I need you here.”

“That’s ridiculous,” you said, even though you knew it really was quite reasonable. Still, this is what you wanted. “I want to be part of this. I mean, how else am I supposed to write down what happened in my journal?”

“Woman, you just had a damn baby.” His voice raised, becoming more impassioned. You could see in his eyes that he was scared, that even the idea of something happening to you because your body was weaker than usual made his eyes go cloudy. “How in the hell are you gonna be able to fight?”

He had a point, and you knew that, but your need to see this through eclipsed whatever lingering pain and weakness you felt. Your body was healing well, you were healthy. Daryl had spent nine months making sure you were able to have a successful birth, and you did. It wasn’t traumatic, you were lucky. Twice. Your luck hadn’t run out, either. You were sure of it. 

“I can fight if I need to,” you said. “I will fight.” 

There were few things in your relationship with Daryl that caused contention. Rare were your fights, your lovers’ quarrels. Daryl had a temper that came out at unexpected times, but he never hurt you, or said anything that shattered your heart beyond repair. The vast majority of the few heated arguments you’d had over the years followed this pattern—Daryl urging you to stay home, safe and sound, and you refusing. 

So far, every one of these arguments ended the same: Daryl giving into you. 

“I’ve almost lost you too many damn times, (Y/N),” he said. “I ain’t almost losin’ you again, or worse.”

You knew his overprotectiveness came from a place of love, but it could be suffocating. Daryl clinged to you like you were a teddy bear, but that was his way. He was always so loyal, and his love was deep and at times overwhelming. Sometimes, you wondered if he really didn’t want you to leave, or if he was just so used to protesting that it became second nature. 

In any case, you were, as Maggie had reminded you, a grown woman. Daryl could argue till he was blue in the face, but the final say was yours. 

“I’ve almost lost you so many times, too,” you said. “That’s just how it goes. I can do it. I feel fine… I’m going with you.” 

With a deep huff, he squinted his eyes, the morning sun having begun to pierce them. Yours, however, were noticeably wide, like two big doe’s eyes. It was subtle, of course, but you knew what you were doing. It might’ve just been instinct at this point. You could’ve not cared enough to get Daryl’s approval. You could’ve just gotten on that bus with him and not asked at all for his permission, but you didn’t want to fight. You wanted Daryl to be on board with your decision, and if anything got Daryl to cave, it was your wide, pleading eyes. 

“You’re gonna be the death a’me one day, woman,” he huffed. “All right, but you gotta promise to stay right by me. No splittin’ up, and don’t strain yourself too much, just for my peace of mind, all right?”

As much as you were reluctant to admit it, you did love when Daryl appeased you, when he showed his soft side by giving into you. He really did love you, and that was always so apparent to you. You’d never known anyone to love you as much as he did. 

“Thank you, honey,” you said, wrapping your arms underneath his to hold his shoulder blades as you hugged him. He didn’t stiffen at all anymore, not even in public. He just held you back, his hand tangling in the hand on the back of your head. “I promise I won’t do anything reckless.”

He scoffed, causing you to pull away and look at him in mock offense. “What?” you asked. “You don’t believe me?”

“Not after what I saw last night,” he said. “When ya went lookin’ for the kids. Never seen ya so… scary.”

“I scared you?”

“No, jus’... Saw somethin’ crazy in your eyes.” He thought back to that moment you pushed him away from the door, and he chuckled a little to himself. “Maybe I was a little bit scared of you.”

You lowered your head as you felt the blush begin to bloom in your cheeks, but his hands caressed your jawline to lift your head back up. 

“Ain’t a bad thing,” he said. “I kinda liked it… I love my crazy woman.”

You let out a loud snort, and he broke into a wide grin, always amused by your little mannerisms. “Stop it,” you laughed. “I was worried about the kids.”

“I know, I was, too. Just ain’t ever seen ya like that. You’re always so damn sweet.”

“Well, it’s good to know I can still surprise you.” You leaned in to peck his lips, but he didn’t let you pull away, instead pulling you closer to deepen your kiss just a little. 

There wasn’t much more time to stand around, though. When the bus was loaded, it was time to head for the Commonwealth. 

You said your goodbyes to Robin and Westley, leaving them and the Grimes children in the care of Nabila. 

The bus took you to the same train you’d hijacked just the other day. It was rather convenient that one of the Commonwealth prisoners was himself a train conductor before being taken into custody. 

Of course, you brought along your journal. Well, the thirteenth or fourteenth volume. You’d gone through so many journals over the years, keeping track of both personal events and the ones that you considered history. The Commonwealth was at least six hours away by train, going at full speed. You’d have plenty of time to catch your future readers up to speed. 

Date: April 17, 2021

Time: 1:45 PM

We set out at 8 AM, now we’re nearing the place where the border between West Virginia and Ohio once was. The primary objective of this mission is to return the Commonwealth citizens who were unlawfully imprisoned and sent to the labor camp at Alexandria back home. At that point, it should become clear that Governor Pamela Milton is a corrupt tyrant who must be removed from power. 

I must be honest in saying that I don’t know what will happen to Milton, but I don’t think killing her is the best solution. Years ago, I thought Negan should’ve been killed after the Savior War, and I still stand by that, but Milton isn’t like Negan. She is weak on her own, posing little threat. What’s dangerous is her power, her greed, and those things are fueled by her influence over other people. Without that influence, she’s weak. We’ve already gathered support from the Commonwealth Army at Alexandria, and I am willing to bet that once the citizens of Commonwealth realize where their missing loved ones have been taken, they will turn on Milton, too, and there’s strength in numbers. 

I am unsure of the future for the Commonwealth, but whatever it is, it must be better than how it is now. 

You paused for a moment, no longer able to continue your mostly factual account. Instead, you turned the page to reveal a fresh one. You’d never been too good at separating your personal entries from your historical ones, but in a way, you found it comforting. Perhaps one day someone would read about your life, too.

It’s been a week now since Aaron, Lydia, Elijah, and Jerry left the Commonwealth with the hopes of bringing supplies back to Alexandria. They weren’t there yesterday, when we got there. I am starting to worry. Daryl tried to tell me that it would take much longer for them to get to Alexandria, considering they took a wagon. I know he’s right, he’s always right, and so damn rational sometimes. I almost like it better when he’s irrational, but he keeps me grounded, which is good. My hope is that perhaps they will reach Alexandria while we’re away, and maybe we’ll see them there when we get back. 

I know I shouldn’t be here. I should be home, with Robin and Westley. The thing is, I want to be here. I want to be part of this. I haven’t told Daryl, because I know he’d worry, but I do feel tired, and still a bit weak from the birth. I know I will read this back someday and think, “God, you’re such an idiot,” and I (or you) would be right. 

I’m an idiot, but at least I’ll get to see Pamela taken down. At least there will be reckoning for the lives she destroyed. That’s why it matters to me. 

Daryl told me something funny yesterday. He told me he’d take me on a “vacation” once all this is over. I don’t know where he’s getting that from. We can’t just up and leave the kids, but I have to admit, there is something tempting about the idea. It would be really nice, just the two of us for maybe a week or two. I’ve got no idea where we’d go. Daryl said we could just hop on his bike and drive somewhere. I’d like to go to France, or Italy. I know it’s impossible, but just for the record, it’d be nice to see the Eiffel Tower and all that. Well, if it’s still there and hasn’t fallen apart or anything. I wonder if French walkers are different from American ones. Could that be possible? Perhaps their groans have an accent. I’d like to find out someday, though I know I never will. 

By the time the train arrived at the nearest Commonwealth depot, Princess had rigged a radio signal to contact Mercer. She informed you all of the news—Eugene’s trial deemed him guilty, but Mercer and the other Commonwealth soldiers that followed him were keeping him in hiding, safe from Milton’s forces. 

Mercer promised to meet Princess and your group at the gate, letting you all in. You had an in. The only problem was, here you sat just outside the gates, waiting. You counted thirty minutes on your watch. 

Negan voiced your own concerns: “Hey, we are sittin’ ducks,” he said. “He ain’t comin’ and we can’t wait.”

As much as you hated to agree with Negan, you did. Silently, but you did. 

Itching to get inside, you peered through the bush that blocked view of your group from the guards. There were only four, that should’ve been easy to get through, you figured. But if they shot, you knew their bullets were tracked. It would draw attention to any of the other Commonwealth soldiers that weren’t on your side.

“Guys, please,” replied Princess. “Mercer’s gonna show up.”

Daryl kept an eye on you from the side, always keeping you in his sight, as he said he would. “We’re runnin’ out of time,” he said.

“I’m gonna head around,” said Carol. “Try to find another way to slip in.”

“How many are there, (Y/N)?” Maggie asked.

You squinted through the bush, trying to cover any blind spots in case you missed any. “Four.” You made the signal to Connie—four soldiers. 

“We could take ‘em,” said Maggie. 

You turned back to keep an eye on the guards’ movements. Their guns were drawn, but they were low. They were, unfortunately, doing their job. With what you knew from Daryl about the Commonwealth Army, a lot of them didn’t do their jobs. You really wished these guards were more negligent, solely for your group’s benefit.

They were so attentive, in fact, that they must’ve heard someone’s whispers, or perhaps a movement. They began to approach the bush.

“Those guards go missing,” said Rosita, “clock’s ticking on us.”

“Hey,” you said, still in a whisper, but noticeably a lot more urgently. 

“Hold on a minute,” said the foremost guard. “Did you hear that?”

The others held still, quiet. If your heart was beating any faster, you swore it might’ve become audible. 

You kept your hand on your axe, just in case. There was a perfect space between the armor plates, just at the base of the neck. You could drive the tip of your axe through it quite quickly, without having to draw your gun. A silent kill was always better. 

Mentally, you prepared yourself to strike, to take a man’s life, something you had always been uneasy with, but the voice that came from one of the guard’s radios saved you the trouble of the inevitable moral dilemma. 

“Sector D, gather all available units,” the grainy voice said, “and report to the east gate immediately. Mercer needs bodies to deal with an incoming swarm.”

A herd was the last thing on Earth you needed, but at this moment, it was, dare you say, incredibly convenient. At the very least, the Commonwealth’s walls were well-fortified, and their army was equipped to deal with the possibility of a herd getting close. There was no way it would get inside.

The guard spoke into his radio, “Sir, does that include tunnel H?”

“Yes,” the now slightly exasperated voice responded. “That includes tunnel H.”

“So are we supposed to just… abandon our post?”

Please. 

“Goddamnit, soldier, it’s locked!” the voice replied harshly now. “We’ve got it covered on this end. Stop wasting time, move!”

Oh, God, you thought. That sounds serious. You exchanged a look with Daryl, but he didn’t look worried. He nodded to you, his face a resolute sculpture of heroism. Well, to you, anyway. He made you strong with just one look. You’d be able to last a while longer before you’d need that reassurance again.

“All right, let’s move!” said the soldier. “You heard it, move!”

Your eyes diligently followed the four guards’ moves, and when they boarded a jeep, starting the engine, you breathed a sigh of relief. The vehicle drove away, out of your line of vision, and you turned to face the rest of the group, nodding as you said: “I think we’re good.”

“You sure?” asked Daryl. 

You turned back to confirm. “Yes,” you said firmly. “We need to move now.”

Tunnel H was the destination. Daryl knew it ran underneath the city, and it would lead you to the center. If the radio communication was anything to go by, the tunnel wasn’t guarded. Luck was on your side.

Maggie led the way in, the others following. Daryl stood guard, vigilantly looking out for any hostiles. You kept your word, staying with him, but when you began to make your way into the dark corridor, he pulled you aside, his hand holding yours.

“Hey,” he said quietly. “Always together, right?”

“Always,” you agreed.

Tunnel H was more like a sewer, with dripping pipes and soaked floors and a foul stench permeating in the air. Quite literally, you were seeing the dark, festering underbelly of the Commonwealth. 

Guns drawn, you traveled deeper, until you reached a ladder attached to the wall of the tunnel, with the letter 2 printed on it. According to the plan, that was the closest entrance to Union Station, where Pamela was more than likely to be.

Indeed, it took you there.

You came out from the underground in a maintenance room, then filed slowly, cautiously, one by one into the station. 

The Commonwealth citizens moved first, eager to make their stand against Milton. They were led by Tyler Davis, the young man who’d been the first to stand against Pamela. He’d been sent to Alexandria not long after Daryl’s encounter with him at the Halloween Masquerade.

You came through next, but it was quiet, empty. It didn’t feel right, but Tyler and other Commonwealth citizens were already in the center of the station, above which were balconies that wrapped around the perimeter, looking down to the first floor. 

“Somethin’ ain’t right,” Daryl said behind you. You could feel it, too, so you kept your gun drawn. 

Daryl studied his surroundings, and his suspicions were confirmed. Padlocked chains were laced around the handles of the doors that led to the outside. Your eyes followed his, and a sinkhole formed in your stomach.

“Come on guys,” Tyler called out to your group. “We’re almost there.”

Daryl only had a moment to register the trap, but it was too late. “Get down!” he bellowed, instinctively grabbing your wrist and pulling you with him as he scrambled into one of the alcoves of the corridor. 

All the while, a rain of gunshots came from the second floor balconies above the station. You caught a glimpse of Tyler and some of the others meeting their fate, pulverized by bullets. The men shooting in the balconies weren’t armored. They were in plain clothes, not unlike the men who jumped and kidnapped you. You figured they must’ve been agents for Pamela, loyal to her and only her, not the people of the Commonwealth.

The group became split several ways, with some taking cover underneath the stairs, others scrambling underneath benches and archways. Across the corridor from you and Daryl was Maggie, tucked away in the opposite alcove. You took stock of where the others went, making mental notes to not lose anybody in the chaos. 

In the span of just thirty seconds, the once quiet, empty station became a battlefield, with the enemy firing rounds of .50 caliber bullets in merciless succession. Glass shattered, screams erupted from those who had been hit, or were still clinging to life. You swore you even heard the men shooting at you cheering for each other, encouraging one another to “take them out.”

In times like these, whatever reservations you had for firing back were squandered. They were trying to kill your people, and doing it with glee. Your position wasn’t ideal for shooting back, but the guards were mobile, with little coverage on the balcony. They had the advantage of being above you, but you had the cover. 

You shot at one man, attempting to make his way down the stairs. Another shot went through a man’s torso, while Daryl’s went through a head. His aim was always better.

You aimed to shoot another one of Milton’s cronies, but the trigger was stuck, and you remembered now one of the reasons you hated guns so much. “Shit,” you murmured, then raised your voice to say, “My gun’s jammed!”

Happiness is a loaded weapon.

Daryl only pushed you back behind him, then shot again. “I got it!”

You felt powerless now. All you had was your axe and a few knives, and you wished that, somewhere along the way, you’d learned to use a bow. Daryl had offered, but you found it somehow cliche that you’d learn the same weapon as your husband. Go figure.

In the meantime, you’d keep a sharp eye out behind Daryl, looking out for any windows, but there were none. At least, not from this angle. It was absolute bedlam, a circus of blood and bullets. Time seemed to move so fast—explosive bolts, ten thousand volts, a million miles an hour. 

You weren’t just under the gun, you were under at least twenty of them, cold, silver pipes spitting hot molten metal, all for an idiot, chosen to hold the highest card, wielding a power much too immense for any living human being to have.

That’s when you saw her, the governor herself. Eyes wide, you were transfixed on her, her shocked face. How could she have any shock? She didn’t deserve to feel such a thing. She’d created her own reality, built on the backs of people who had been made to believe that this was how things were, that things were worse outside the walls.

She made the ultimate mistake when she tried to take your home away. She should’ve known better, after what she knew about your people. She underestimated Alexandria, and that would be her fatal mistake. 

When you thought of all the damage she caused, the lives she’d ruined, your hatred rose like bile in the back of your throat. You could taste it on your tongue when she kneeled down beside the guard Daryl had just shot, and picked up his rifle. 

Your lips agape in confusion, you exchanged a look with Maggie across the corridor. She looked for a moment, taking a deep breath before stepping out from the alcove, her body almost fully unprotected as she shot up at the balcony. 

Volleying between Pamela and Maggie, you noticed that the governor had her sights on her, your friend. Your best friend. She’d always been your best friend, and you weren’t about to lose her. You’d lost too many friends. 

Your inner voice was muted, everything was, except the beating of your heart. Something, maybe pure stupidity, or maybe heroism, or something in between, propelled your body forward, sliding across the floor, into the line of fire. Your gun now dropped, you pushed Maggie back behind the wall, with the intention to get yourself there, too.

Intentions were always nice, in theory. 

Your ears popped open when one single gunshot seemed to resound above all the rest. You didn’t feel pain at that moment. You only saw blackness, and heard a faint, bellowing, pleading cry that echoed through the station, lulling you into some kind of unconsciousness.

“No!”

He launched himself across the tile floor, his scream having silenced the barrage of gunfire. Your head in his hands, he murmured under his breath, “No, no, no, no, no…”

It all came back again, flooding back. 

“Wake up, (Y/N),” he said, his hands gently shaking you to no avail. “Wake up!” he roared. 

Maggie looked on in shock, her eyes wide and her lips agape. Carol emerged from underneath the stairs where she’d hidden, seeing what happened, Daryl knelt by your bleeding body. 

“We gotta go!” he cried out, his voice faltering, but still strong. 

Machine fire broke out as Carol took the opportunity of the confusion to shoot at the remaining goons. Negan and Maggie joined to fire up at the balcony, forming a human barricade around you. 

He begged, pleaded, for you to wake up, to tell him what he needed to do, to be alive. You were breathing, but barely. There was blood beginning to show beneath you, but he frantically looked to find the source to no success. 

More gunfire, more blood. A million thoughts raced, and yet there was nothing, blankness. All he knew was you needed help, and in his panic, he cried out again, this time more in anger than in fear. “We gotta go!”

He lifted his head to turn, trying to locate some exit or something that could help. The answers had to be somewhere. 

His gaze fell upon Ezekiel across the station, himself hidden behind a broken glass partition. He peered over the top, looking in horrified confusion at your near-lifeless body, strewn on the cold, bloody tile. 

Daryl didn’t meet his eyes, he only spotted the fire extinguisher just behind him, strapped to the wall. “Throw it!” he bellowed, pointing to the device. 

He procured the auxiliary handgun he’d haphazardly tucked in the waistband of his jeans, an occasional habit you often scolded him for, half-joking that he was likely to accidentally “shoot his dick off.” It would come in handy now.

Ezekiel flung the extinguisher into the air, though not without slight confusion at Daryl’s orders. It made sense when Daryl raised his gun, narrowing his eyes to point, aim, and shoot at the flying canister. The shot was enveloped by a plume of grey that soon shrouded the whole station, a kind of smoke bomb. 

The rest was a blur, quite literally. 

Daryl knew he could carry you, if just from the sheer panic and need to get you help. He tucked both arms underneath you, one at your shoulder blades, the other under your knees. With a great expenditure of strength, every last bit of it in him, he hoisted you up. The air was thick with smoke, gunshots still raining from somewhere, but he was invisible. 

His own vision, though, was compromised, and frantically he turned in each and every direction to find a way out, until a voice called to him. It was Maggie, or maybe Carol, or maybe Diane, he couldn’t quite tell, it didn’t matter. “Daryl! This way!”

Emerging from the smoke, they came out into the open air, into Union Square. They veered off into an alley, with Ezekiel leading the way. Something about a clinic, that’s all Daryl heard. That’s all he needed to know. 

He tried so hard to keep you stable in his arms, but it was hard. He struggled to keep you up, your body weighing him down. Still, he didn’t let you fall.

“The clinic’s not far now!” Ezekiel called out, pointing in the direction. In that same direction, a large military jeep had approached, blocking the way through. The group staggered momentarily, until Ezekiel called out again, leading them down another path that jutted from the alley. “This way!” This way!”

This time, a black van. No way around, no shortcuts. “Fall back,” Ezekiel said.

It became clear when Daryl looked back, when they all looked back. Troopers were at the other end of the alley, but they weren’t shooting, they weren’t concerned with your group. They instead placed Commonwealth branded partitions, and chain link fences. 

“They’re not following us!” Carol said. 

And then he heard it. He didn’t want to hear, didn’t want to believe it, but it was hard not to know just what it was. 

Magna must’ve heard it, too. “Wait! What is that?”

Snarling, wheezing, rattling, growling. 

That’s when they started flooding the alleyway, and they all realized where they were: the slums. This was where the poor lived, the lower classes. They were driving the herd into the home of the Commonwealth’s poor, where once you lived. It was evil, and it had Pamela Milton written all over it. 

“They’re penning us in!” shouted Ezekiel. 

They weren’t just walking, though. They were climbing. 

“What the fuck?” said Negan, watching the lone walker rise about the rest, climbing upon the abandoned cart as it approached. 

Daryl saw it, too. He didn’t care. He took a glance down at you, still unconscious, still barely breathing. 

Somewhere in the chaos, Eugene and Max had found your group, and Luke and Jules emerged from the herd, barrelling towards them. None of that registered to Daryl, though, who quickly jumped back into action. 

“Move! Move!”

They rounded another corner, where more walkers were flooding in. Carol was observant, though. “Cat ‘em off!” she cried. “We got that alley! Clear a path!”

The labyrinthian alleyways they ran through seemed to dead end after dead end, with the dead literally blocking the end. Carol guided Daryl as he carried you, taking out walkers with the others to clear a path. 

He squeezed through, between the corner of a wall and the impending herd. He sidestepped, narrowly escaping the clutches of a walker, whose rotten hand came much too close to grabbing you. 

For a moment then, your eyes seemed to flutter open, just for a brief moment. He kept moving, losing his breath but never giving out. He looked down at you, a small burst of relief, but you looked so weak. 

Still, you recognized him, how could you not? In the haze of your stupor, you mumbled his name. Looking back, you saw past his arm—a stampede of walkers tripping over each other, flooding into the alley, but not following you. 

That was the last thing you’d see for several minutes, during which you swore you heard him say, “I’m here.”

~

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Series Masterlist Next Chapter ➳

[coridotmp3]

i bet this would look beautiful on film (1)

chapter one// somethin' stupid - frank & nancy sinatra

words: 417

warnings: reader is nicknamed "Honey", they/them pronouns used for the reader, this first chapter is just entirely emails :')

summary: "Why did you even agree to come on this trip if you all you can think about is leaving?"

"Did you ever think that maybe I missed you too?"

(Or, the one where Honey desperately needs a photographer, and Bob desperately needs a break.)

read on ao3||series masterlist||masterlist

From: Mx. Honeydew <adewadventure@lglmag.com>

To: Robbie F :) <hardyboyrjf42@gmail.com>

Subject: Trip Down Memory Lane?

-------------

Hi, Rj! I know it's been a while, so this may seem pretty out of the blue, but I ran into your mom at Anne-Marie's shop today (speaking of, please tell your sister that her croissants are nothing less than heavenly and that I have dreams about her gingerbread latte).

She let me know that, in a couple of weeks, you're going to be in town on leave. Sorry, I know that you probably didn't want that information publicized, but don't blame Lucille! You know that she loves to brag about you and your family to anyone that will listen. Especially, her baby boy Robbie :)

She also mentioned, between her many updates on your life as of late, that you're going to be around for about a month this time. Well, it just so happens that your second week of leave coincides with a trip I have to take for the magazine. A trip that my favorite photographer just backed out of...

If memory serves, you were pretty fucking fantastic with a 35mm back in the day.

I was wondering if you would be willing to don your Minolta for one last adventure? For old time's sake? It could also be a good opportunity to catch up! I would love the chance to get to know the version of you I've missed out on these past few years.

There's no pressure, though! Only accept if you really want to! I just figured I would reach out since I could use the help and, according to Lucille, you could use the change in scenery.

If it's any incentive, the magazine would be more than happy to compensate you for your time and for any images that end up being used in the article!

Let me know either way! Hope to speak to you soon, Robbie Floyd :)

Honey xx

Mx. Honeydew (they/them)

@/adew.adventures on instagram

Let's Get Lost Magazine est. 1993

---

From: Robbie F :) <hardyboyrjf42@gmail.com>

To: Mx. Honeydew <adewadventure@lglmag.com>

Subject: RE: Trip Down Memory Lane?

------------

Sounds good. Let me know when, where, and how much film to bring. I'll book a plane ticket as soon as I can.

It's good to hear from you, Honey.

- Robert

P.S. the seventh grade email account? really? please, just text me next time, okay? i'd like to be spared any embarrassing middle school flashbacks thank you (xxx) - xxx - xxxx

Next Part

(a/n: this fic was inspired by "people we meet on vacation" by emily henry and each part will be named after a new song :) i'll post the full playlist soon !!)