#daryl reader insert

“Please,” you mewed, almost ashamed at your desperate your voice sounded. His propinquity was driving you mad and he knew it, too; taking his time was both considerate of him considering your blissful ignorance to this particular type of sinfully delicious punishment, you knew it was also malicious because you were positive he could feel your fingernails digging into his back and hear the tiny whimpers that escaped your lips.

You could feel him smile against the skin on the inside of your thigh in response to your begging and you would’ve moaned at that alone if he hadn’t dived into you right after. You couldn’t moan; your mouth opened in an a silent scream, able only to gasp at the sensation that had you seeing stars.

Obliviously your fingers tugged at his hair you’d held tightly on to. His tongue explored every sensitive spot that nobody had ever reach and nothing yet compared to. The way his own fingernails scraped against your thighs and up higher until he was literally gripping onto your body in his large hands only heightened the sensation until you felt the warm feeling inside of you begin to swell and threaten to burst and disintegrate you into a million feather-light pieces.

You were absolutely sure the pleasure you were feeling couldn’t possibly grow any bigger than it already was, but when his hand drug itself from the back of you to directly beneath his mouth where he slowly, painfully pushed a single finger into you, you were positive the explosion you felt indicated you had quite literally died and gone to heaven.

“Oh, fuck!” Your voice cracked in defeat as you floated back down into earth and Daryl was relentless, devouring you through the high and stopping only when he decided you’d had enough, his strong arms pushing him up and dawning the glowing red streaks you’d left dragging your nails down them in ecstasy. “God, Daryl!” He rubbed a hand over his face as he rose, an almost undetectable smirk emerging from behind his palm.

“Ya okay?” He asked, his voice hoarse and breath hot against your flushed skin as he lowered down just enough to allow his lips to brush against your neck yet again.

“Yes,” you panted, squirming beneath him. The way he’d moved had him hard against your thigh and that had you surprised at how enticing it was, seeming so minor to how he’d just engulfed himself in you. “God, yes.”

You allowed your hand to travel down his back, your fingertips gently brushing against the scars that decorated it, a bittersweet reminder of how he shared his story with you against anyone else engraving how deep your trust in another already was and how elated you were at reaching the highest level of intimacy with him — and there was nobody else in the world you would’ve preferred otherwise. Your fingers just barely skimmed across his hardened length outside of his jeans and he fought to swallow back the moan that broke out from his lips, only encouraging you further and giving you more confidence as you started to rub him harder and tease him in revenge of how he’d ruthlessly taunted you.

“Fuck,” he groaned under his breath, grinding against your palm slightly. You smiled up at him when he looked to your eyes in search of yet more affirmation. “Are ya sure ya want this?”

You nodded, swallowing hard as you still tried to catch your breath. “Yes, Daryl,” you said cocksurely (hehe) staring back at him. “I want...I want you.”

There was a thousand things going on behind the two bright blue eyes that gazed down at you; they were full of a more emotions than you could ever imagine, and you were already overwhelmed at the new and unfamiliar notions inside of your own head. It was difficult not to think and focus only on acting, your hands absentmindedly fumbling with the buckle of his belt in anticipation. At your words he got equally as eager, his own hands covering yours as he helped you unhook the buckle to his jeans; another rather trivial action that made your heart flutter.

“I wan’ ya, too,” he uttered hurriedly as if he really couldn’t wait to go further. You understood, pushing the denim down off of his hips and tugging at the waistband of his boxers, nervous excitement prohibiting you from acting out so confidently. Daryl could tell and, keeping up with the air of uncertainty he had at being the one that took the innocence from you, halted his movements for just a second.

“S’okay,” he told you, his words like coarse gravel scraping against your bones in the best possible way. “Jus’ relax.” He held himself inches apart from you, leaning on his elbows for support and ghosting his lips against yours with sudden but strangled breaths as you continued to rub your hand against him in hopes of somewhat reassuring him that you definitely did want it, only didn’t necessarily know how to go about it. “Fuck. C’mon, girl. Don’ tease me.”

With what you hoped was a cute and sensual giggle you continued pushing down the elastic until it fell past his hips, allowing his cock to spring free from his boxers.

You were excited, but at the same time, nervous because of the gravity of the situation on top of how big he was anyway. As usual, he could sense it it seemed, and ground himself outside of your entrance that was already drenched at the idea of what was to come.

You felt weightless, like your body was full of helium that would allow you to float away if he wasn’t anchoring you down. “If ya want me to stop, ya tell me,” he said to you and you could actually feel how much he was yearning for your touch; how he was aching for the intimacy that you too desired so badly. You merely nodded in response, hoping that your lack of an answer would indicate to him just how badly you wanted him.

Leaning his forehead against yours, slowly he pushed himself into you, the sensation new and exciting but still relatively painful which he clearly knew it would be; he took his time, slowly letting you adjust to his size as you whimpered in some combination of pleasure and pain.

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned under his breath, trying unsuccessfully to keep his voice quiet. Every breathy moan that fell from his lips managed to heighten your own pleasure, the confirmation that it was just as nice for him as it was for you; the fact that you could make him feel so good and that he had wanted you just as bad as you wanted him the whole entire time...

You could already feel the electricity returning and buzzing through your entire body. “Faster,” you pleaded with a new surge of confidence. “Please, Daryl...” you were hardly able to get the last syllable out as he began to thrust in and out of you faster, his movements growing more erratic and both of your moans filling the comfortable silence of the secure basement. The noises he made were the sexiest things you’d ever heard and ultimately added to the final wave of pleasure that gave you your release, the notion doing the exact same for him as he snaked his fingers into your tousled hair and pulled with one final groan of a curse and you both soared over the edge together in sync.

The moments that followed where he held you quietly, both of you desperately catching your breath and allowing your heart rates to diminish back to normal, may have been the most peaceful moments of your entire life. You felt weightless, euphoric in his arms with his skin against your skin, both flushed and slick with sweat, sharing amity and intimacy unlike anything you’ve ever felt with anybody else in your short time on earth. And he remained motionless where he was, both of you laying still, together as one as you drank in the feelings of trust and infatuation and the deep affection you knew both of you felt equally.

Finally, he spoke up after swallowing hard and even still out of breath: “Ya hear that?” He asked, not taking his eyes off of yours rendering you useless to do anything else but stare back and blush fervidly.

“No,” you had to choke out the words not knowing you wouldn’t be able to find your voice. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Yeah,” he smirked down at you and whatever blissful feelings you’d had that begun to dwindle away returned promptly at the sight. “Stopped rainin’.” 

Inside your head you swooned at his remark -- knowing that he was on the same level of euphoria you were and still reeling from what you two had just shared and yet was able to remember something so minor in the first place but, you supposed, had ultimately led you to initiating it all in the first place. 

Your brain was so erratic still, trying to calm itself down from the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions you were feeling, you didn’t even know how to respond seriously; so you simply grinned widely up at him with what you knew were likely stars of adoration in your eyes. “Wait -- it was raining?” 

 Things seemed to move in slow motion as your wide eyes turned to Daryl who gave you a nod then slammed his blade into a walkers head. Time sped back up as you turned from him, took out the last walker in the way of the house, then ran to the door.

 Thankfully the door was unlocked. So you held it open for Daryl then slammed it shut as soon as he was inside. You kept your back pressed to the door that walkers were beating on while Daryl checked the rest of the house. While glancing around the place you noticed a large bookcase to the right of the door. So when Daryl came down the stairs you jerked your head to the shelf and he helped you move it in front of the door.

 Once you knew the house was safe you started looking around for usable items. After finding nothing of use you plopped down onto the sofa and propped your feet up on the coffee table. Daryl sat down in the arm chair and pulled a cigarette out and lit it. He held the carton out to you, but you waved him off.

 You hung out in silence for a while before you noticed the sun had almost set and you would need a source of light soon. You remembered seeing some almost completely used candles in the kitchen so you went to get them. As you arranged them on the coffee table Daryl held a can of butter beans out to you. “I’m fine. We need to save that stuff for the group.” You told him with a dismissive wave.

 “The group won’t get these if we don’t keep our strength up.” Daryl argued before he stabbed a clean pocket knife into the lid of the can and started cutting it open. “We’ll share it.”

 You had been with Rick and his group long enough to know that it would be pointless to try to argue with Daryl. So you went to the kitchen and grabbed two bowls and two spoons. You wiped the dust from the bowls as you walked into the living room then set the things on the table. Daryl scraped half of the beans into a bowl as you took a seat on the floor then pushed it over to you. He simply ate his straight from the can.

 “You think they’ll pass by morning?” you asked after finishing a bite of beans.

 “Most of ‘em should. We just gotta keep quiet.” Daryl grumbled through a mouthful of food.

 “Did you find anything useful up stairs earlier?” you asked and Daryl shook his head no. The conversation fell from there and you finished your food in silence. You gathered your dirty bowls out of habit and placed them in the kitchen sink. “So, shall we get some sleep?” you asked awkwardly.

 Daryl nodded and stood from the armchair. “There’s only one bed.” he jerked his head to the stairs. “I’ll take the couch.”

 As his words sank in you realized that the two of you would be separated. “It that smart,” you started, “us being on different levels with walkers banging on the front door?” you asked and he looked like he was thinking. “If walkers or someone breaks in we’ll get separated.”

 Daryl just nodded and started taking the cushions off of the couch.

 “What are you doin’?” you asked.

 “Gonna make a pallet.” He said as if it was the obvious answer.

 “Why don’t you just take the other side of the bed?” you asked and he just stared at you as if your suggestion was insane. “Or you could just sleep on the floor on an uncomfortable palette.” You said with a shoulder shrug as you turned to the stairs. “Up to you.”

 You had just slid under the covers and turned your back to the door when you heard Daryl’s light footsteps enter the room. The other side of the bed dipped as he slid under the covers next to you. You just smiled to yourself as you close your eyes and hoped for sleep to come. It took a long time, but eventually Daryl’s quiet snores to lulled you into a deep sleep.

For once, you woke up slowly. Each sense came alive one at a time. The first was your sense of smell. The warm scent of sweat, leather and a hint of motor oil invaded your nose and for some strange reason you found the combination of smells soothing. Next was touch. The more you woke up the more you realized that your entire back was warm and something heavy hung over your waist. When you opened your eyes you realized that during the night you and Daryl had migrated to the center of the bed. Your back was pressed into his chest while your legs were tangled together like an unkempt like of string. The weight you felt on your waist was his arm wrapped tightly around you, holding you to him. Your head rested on his other arm, hence why his scent to so strong to you.

 It was hard to deny that you had the best night’s sleep last night than you’d had in a long time and the reason why was Daryl. You knew that if he was awake he would have moved by now, so assuming he was still asleep you moved your hand to rest lightly over his. Daryl’s hand flipped under yours and threaded his fingers together making you wonder if he was awake or if he’d simply moved in his sleep.

 So you rubbed his hand with your thumb a few times. After a few seconds he copied your action. He had to be awake now. Still testing your theory, just in case the first time was a fluke, you wiggled your butt a little as if you were simply trying to get comfortable. A second later he grunted and wiggled his hips a little away from you. You smiled to yourself. He was clearly awake and it surprised the hell out of you that he hadn’t moved away from you as soon as he realized what had happened during the night. “Good morning, Daryl.” You chimed. Your smile was clear in your voice.

 “Mornin’.” he answered back and your smile brightened. But you hid it away as you turned around to look at him. His arm stayed on your side.

 “How’d you sleep?” you asked curiously.

 “Good.” Daryl answered quietly and you noticed for the first time how light and higher pitched Daryl’s voice was when he was relaxed. “You?”

 “That was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.” You answered and you saw a sparkle in his eyes that looked a little like pride. “Thank you.”

 “What ‘re you thankin’ me for?” he asked even though you were sure he knew the answer.

“I think I slept better because subconsciously I knew you were here ‘n’ you had my back.” You said before you smiled. “Literally.” Daryl cracked a small smile at you. “Who would’ve thought that Daryl Dixon could be snuggly?” you tease.

 His eyes turned glaring. “You complainin’?” he asked almost challengingly.

 Nope.” you smiled as you scooted closer to him and pressed your face into his chest. He stiffened a little before he softened up and pressed his palm to the small of your back. “We should do this every night.” you suggested and he rolled his eyes at you. “I’m serious.” You told him and he just stared at you. “I slept like a baby even with those walkers beating on the door all night.” You looked down at your hand on his chest before you said the next part. “I know you have nightmares. You grunt and groan, sometimes it sounds like you’re crying… you wake me up sometimes, but last night you were quiet. So I know you had a good night’s rest too.” You glanced back up at him through your lashes. He had the cell next to yours in the prison.

 “I did.” he whispered as if he was a little ashamed to admit it.

 “We don’t even have to do this every night. How about when you’re really tired, can’t sleep, or just had a long day and want the feel of another person next to you, you come to me?” you asked feeling your heart beat fast in your chest at the possibility of having Daryl by your side again.

 “Alright.” Daryl agreed quietly as his arm tightened around your waist and pulled you into him. “Same goes for you.” his breath brushed your hair as he rested his chin on your head. “We should be getting back.” He grumbled even though he didn’t let go of you.

 He played with your loose hair as you both just relaxed in the moment. After a while of lying there, thinking about what was happening with you and Daryl you rolled over and sat up on your forearms. You simply smiled at him and he asked you with his eyes what you were smiling about. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to get trapped by walkers before.” He just smirked and shook his head at you. “Oh, speaking of happy.” You leaned away from him and over the edge of the bed to pull the snickers you found the day before out of your bag. “I found this yesterday.” you held the chocolate bar up to show him. “I was going to hoard it away for myself, but I like you so…” you smiled at him and moved to sit up on the bed beside him. “Wanna share it for breakfast?” you asked and he waved you off.

 “Na, never been a fan of chocolate, too sweet.”

“Okay, well I’m not going to eat in front of you, so I’ll save it for later.” You said as you slid off of the bed and tucked it back into your bag. Daryl stayed where he was, watching you throw the bag over your shoulder then set his crossbow on the foot of the bed.

Daryl finally got out of bed and started grabbing his things. “Is snickers your favorite?” he asked as the two of you headed down the stairs and over to the front door where two walkers were still banging away.

“No, I like (Y/F/C).” you told him as you worked together to push the shelf out of the way of the door.

“I’ll keep a look out for you.” he told you as he placed his hand on the doorknob.

“That’s sweet of you.” You told him with a smile. “Thanks.”

“You ready to get back out there?” he asked, ignoring your compliment. You gave him a nod and he jerked the door open causing the walkers to fall inside. You each took a walker out before you hightailed it to the car. There were still a lot of walkers out and about, but most of them had thinned out. So when you got to the car you popped the trunk then threw the supplies inside. Daryl ran to start the car while you closed the trunk then ran to the passenger side and hopped in.

It had been a week since the night in the brick house and you thought that Daryl would’ve come to you by now. You wanted to go to him, make up some excuse as to why you needed to be with him, but you thought that would make you seem needy. So you waited for him to make a move. You could understand why he didn’t come to you the first three nights, but for the past two nights he had been whimpering and crying in his sleep.

 You lay there in bed listening to his heavy breathing knowing he would look like crap in the morning from lack of good sleep. Would he hate you if you came to him when he needed you? after listening to his restless sleep for over ten minutes you pulled yourself out of bed, slipped on a pair of slippers you kept in case you needed to visit the bathroom in the middle of the night and walked out onto the cat walk then made a right turn into Daryl’s cell. You stood there in the darkness for a minute, debating on getting into bed with him. You were about to turn around and walk out when he cried out and sat straight up. You could see in the dim moonlight that filtered through the sheet of a door that he had tears on his frightened, pain twisted face. A second later his eyes landed on you and he quickly wiped his face with his arm and turned his expression neutral. “y/n?” he asked confused.

 “I’m sorry. I just…” you started to defend yourself but he shook his head no and motioned you over with a jerk of his head and a wave of his hand. You slowly walked over to his bed, kicked off your slippers and slid under the patchwork cover that he lifted up for you. His warmth sank into you as you tucked yourself into him and pressed your face into his chest. After a while you pulled back and brushed his hair out of his face then pressed your forehead against his. “I don’t want to push, I’m just letting you know…” you whispered, “If you ever want to, or need to, you can talk to me about anything.”

His only response was pressing his lips into your hair then pulling you in tighter.

As the weeks passed Daryl came to you and vice versa more and more until eventually you didn’t even bother going to your own cells. You had practically moved in with him and contrary to what you first believed the other would think about you and Daryl getting closer, no one seemed to think anything of it. You never had sex, never kissed. It was simply an arrangement of convinced. Daryl never told you about his dreams and you never told him that you were slowly falling for him.

You thought things were going good until one night even with you by his side, Daryl whimpered and panted, having another bad dream. The twisted torture in his sleeping face made you want to cry. In an attempt to smooth the wrinkles in his forehead and sooth him, you ran your pointer finger down the center of his forehead and down his nose. This only caused him to shook straight up in bed, panting. You just stared at him until he looked over his shoulder at you. You sat up and ran your hand up his back to his shoulder where you massaged. “Stop.” Daryl told you so you took your hand off of him and stared at his back in confusion, trying to not get your feeling hurt.

“You had a nightmare.” You stated the obvious, feeling like an idiot. “That’s the first time you’ve had one since we started this.”

He just nodded. “I lost you.” he told you in a quiet, gruff voice that still held a hint of pain. “We were back in that house, sleeping together…” you moved around to be able to see his face, but he turned his head. “Three men broke in, took you while one held me at gunpoint.” His voice broke and you crawled around him and sat in his lap. He still didn’t look at you, so you grabbed his face between your hands and made him. His hair fell aside revealing the tears that slipped down his cheeks.

If there was one thing that his nightmare was telling you it was that he feared he might lose you. “Look at me.” you asked gently as you pushed the rest of his long hair out of his face. “I’m right here.” His blue eyes finally met yours and you used your thumbs to wipe his tears aside. “I’m right here…” you told him again as you slid your hands down his face to rest on his bare chest “and I’m not going anywhere, ever.” He cupped your face in his hand and rested his forehead on yours. “Twenty men couldn’t tear me away from you.”

 He placed his other hand on the side of your neck and tingles shot through your skin at his warm touch. But a whole other sensation shot through you when he tilted his head slightly back and to the side pressing his lips to yours. You kissed him back without hesitation and when the long slow kiss ended he pressed his forehead back to yours. “I love you, y/n.” even though you felt his whispered words brush against your face you thought you had imagined them. “y/n?” he asked sounding very vulnerable, making you realize that he really did just tell you he loved you.

You smiled before you pressed your lips back to his in a rushed happy kiss. “I love you too.”

He pressed his lips back to yours as he laid back down pulling you with him as he did. After a few minutes of making out he flipped over, and kissed down your neck pulling a moan out of you. He licked back up your neck to your mouth. When you wrapped your legs around him he moaned making you smile into the kiss.

When you woke up the next morning Daryl was gone and a note was left on the pillow next to your head. You rolled over and grabbed it with your left hand only to see a simple, princess cut solitaire ring on your ring finger. You froze taking it in, thinking about what Daryl possibly meant when he place it on your finger. When the shock passed you picked up the note on his pillow and read it. “Don’t freak out. I’m not asking you to marry me. Just want everyone else to know you’re taken.” You laughed as you pressed his pillow to your face then took it off to look at the ring again. You thought you had dreamt the night before, but the ring on your finger proved you wrong. You had never been happier than you were that morning.

She moved closer to him as they fought off person after person. Both collapsing back against the bike as the last of the infected finally dropped.

‘So, that was fun,’ she commented, rolling her eyes. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath.

The guy looked at her blankly before retrieving his arrows, collecting hers as he went.

She stood watching him, he obviously wasn’t a talker and clearly had some kind of issue. But then again, they all did.

‘You bit?’ she asked.

‘Nah, not even a scratch.’

‘Is that because of your good shooting or my heroic act of saving your arse?’

The guy looked up at her, raising an eyebrow into his shaggy fringe. Under it though, she could see a hint of amusement. That was something at least. This life tended to kill off any ounce of humanity and humour a person had.

He approached her, a small smirk on his lips as he handed over her arrows.

‘It’s dangerous out this way,’ she explained. ‘Especially at the moment, groups of infected moving through the area regularly. Why travel alone?’

The guy frowned at her, watching her carefully before looking around pointedly, ‘Ain’t you alone?’

‘Well, yeah. But it’s what I do.’

‘How do you know it’s not what I do?’

‘Do you?’

‘Not normally,’ he shrugged.

He held her eyes as he watched her carefully. Neither speaking for a few minutes, both just assessing, reading, noticing the other.

‘Why risk it? Especially with an unreliable weapon?’

‘We need medication,’ he offered, simply. ‘You know, illness and all.’

‘What kind of illness?’

‘Flu, infected cuts that sorta thing.’

She nodded and gestured for him to follow her.

‘You in a group?’ he asked as the two walked back into the tree line.

‘Nope, I don’t tend to play nicely with others.’

‘Seemed to do alright with me,’ he suggested.

‘The playing hasn’t started yet,’ she smirked.

A smiled played on his lips as he focused on the path ahead, ‘Always did like it rough,’ he mused quietly.

She snorted and put her bow on the top of her 4x4 before opening the boot.

‘I’m Daryl,’ he offered, arming his crossbow and looking around as something rustled the leaves in the distance.

‘Y/N.’

She pulled a tub towards her and sifted through it, pulling out several boxes of antibiotics and pain killers, holding them out for him. He glanced down at her hand, then looked up at her his eyes wide with surprise.

‘Take them. Hopefully they help. Boiling willow bark and drinking it will help with the fever and pain as well.’

‘Thought you didn’t play nicely with others.’

‘There’s always an exception,’ she smiled, reaching back into her car and pulling out an empty shopping bag for him to put the boxes into.

Daryl thanked her, and looked back into the forest unsure as more leaves rustled.

‘Need me to hold your hand and protect you on the way back to your bike?’ she questioned.

‘Here I was thinking it was my turn to be the hero,’ he offered, quietly, putting the bag on the ground.

She watched as he raised his crossbow and moved towards the bushes. She reached out for her bow when he stopped and looked at her.

‘Stay here,’ he whispered.

‘Sure, you kill the bad guy and I’ll sit back, knit you a jumper and cook some pie,’ she hissed.

‘At least you know your place,’ he grinned, moving forward.

She smiled and shook her head, reaching for her bow anyway, arming it. She grinned as a large rabbit jumped out of the bushes towards them. Daryl shot it in the head causing it to drop instantly.

‘Now,’ he observed, ‘You can make me pie.’

She chuckled quietly as he pulled the arrow from its head, and offered it to her.

‘As sweet as it is and I’m grateful, if you’re in a group you may need that more than I do,’ she said quietly.

He looked at her surprised and a little dejected but nodded. He mumbled a thanks for helping him and disappeared into the trees, heading back towards his bike.

----

She stood watching in the shadows as the group moved unsteadily into her property. She weighed up her options, stay hidden and wait for them to pass or go do what needed to be done. Problem with groups was that they always drew in more of their kind. That wasn’t something she could risk. She watched as they dragged their feet, heading through the drive way and into the yard. The animals were out, exposed and there for the taking, the crops waiting to be trampled. All her hard work would be gone if she did nothing.

She armed her arrow and moved forward, listening to the hushed, raspy sounds that came from them. They weren’t infected.

‘Turn around, slowly,’ she ordered. ‘Move too quickly and you’ll only make that mistake once.’

The group of nine turned, one was only a kid, another was a small infant.

‘The world may have gone to crap, but the law is still the law. Get the hell off my land.’

One of the men stepped forward, his hair dark and slightly curled, his face scruffy.

‘Please. We’re tired, hungry. We just…we saw the fruit and we need food. They need food,’ he explained gesturing to the kids.

She glanced at the group, her eyes making contact with bright blue eyes that held her gaze as the owner pushed through the group.

‘Y/N?’

‘Daryl,’ she addressed, refusing to break eye contact. ‘You look like shit.’

‘Running from walkers does that to a person.’

‘I thought you would have enjoyed it, given that you like it rough and all. Bit of clawing, biting, all that.’

A smile played on one side of his lips as he watched her, ‘Can you lower that?’ he asked, gesturing to the bow in her hands.

‘You know her?’ the dark hair one asked.

‘Yeah.’

‘How long has it been since you lot ate or slept?’

‘Months. We’re living on scraps, even tried dog food once.’

Y/N fought back a gag and broke eye contact with the man, looking over the group. The child that was there hungrily looked out towards the orchard. Their faces were sunken, skin loose on their bones. They all needed a shower. Some could barely stand.

She sighed, and looked to the heavens as she lowered her bow. God help her, this was against her better judgement.

‘You’re gonna need something more substantial than fruit,’ she sighed, gesturing to the house. ‘Come on in.’

Daryl nodded at her, and lead the others towards the house, following her inside.

She pulled the pot of stew from the fridge and placed it on her stove, turning it on to warm it up.

‘The biscuits are fresh, there’s butter, soft cheese, honey and jam if you want that while you wait. The stew will take a bit to heat,’ she explained, leaning back against the sink as they dug hungrily into the food. Starving wasn’t even the word for it. She could see them trying to be polite, trying to eat slowly but their stomachs, their hunger, got the better of them and they shoved the food into their mouths, barely swallowing before they added more.

Y/N got the jug of cold water from the fridge and handed it over.

She listened as Rick introduced everyone, nodding politely as she took it all in. He was clearly the boss.

A noise drew her attention to the living room. She froze. Knowing what was coming. She made her way around the bench as the voice called out.

‘Mu-mm?’

‘Hey, Princess,’ she smiled, picking up her one year old as she stumbled out of the bedroom.

Daryl looked down at Jasmine and back up at Y/N, raising an eyebrow. She was unsure at first. Most looked at her in disgust when they found she had a kid. But nothing like that even registered on his face. A soft smile formed as Jasmine looked at him.

Jasmine looked at the others unsure, her eyes rested on Judith and she looked up with a grin.

‘Bub,’ she squealed, wriggling out of Y/N’s arms to go look at Judith.

Y/N sighed and shook her head as all of Jasmine’s uncertainty about strangers becoming forgotten. Damn kid, show her a puppy or a baby and she was your best friend.

‘How is it you have electricity?’ Glen asked.

‘Solar system and battery back up.’

The stew finished heating and Y/N placed it on the bench with some bowls and bread. Putting a small dish aside for Jasmine, she watched as her daughter sat happily next to Carl babbling as she ate. She shifted back out the way as the others ate their fill.

‘Rabbit?’ Daryl asked as he moaned happily, eating a second and then third bowl.

She nodded, watching them quietly.

‘So, the shower heats during the day, but it might not do everyone. But, ah, see how you go. The en-suite is on a separate tank so between the two there might be enough hot water. The washers a cold wash only.’

‘Thank you, so much,’ Rick said sincerely as Hershel and Carl went to shower. ‘I don’t know how much longer we could have survived out there.’

‘There’s mattresses in the rooms and spares in the back. Once you’ve rested I’m happy to give you some food and that, as you go on your way,’ she told him.

Daryl’s eyes rose to watched her, pain, fear, hurt, surprise all mixed in there.

‘Any chance we can stay, please? We’ll help out, do our fair share. Hell, we’ll even sleep outside in tents,’ Rick pleaded. ‘We can’t go back out there.’

‘I’ll give you what you need when you leave,’ she said quietly, she picked up Jasmine, walking out to carry on with her jobs leaving the others alone.

She finished weeding the pumpkins and building up the potatoes, before making her way to the house to find the basket for the eggs. Keeping her daughter in sight the whole time. Grateful that for once the stubborn girl was staying close by. She spotted Daryl sitting on the hood of one of the cars watching her intently.

‘You’re kicking us out?’

‘You got no business staying,’ she countered. ‘I told you, I don’t play nice with others.’

‘Could have fooled me. See the meds, the rabbit, the fight, that told me you do.’

‘Then I guess you got fooled,’ she sighed, as she approached.

The side door opened and Rick came out, making his way towards them. His face drawn, his shoulders slumped.

‘I’m begging, please,’ he tried once more. ‘Surely the extra hands will help? We can help defend and with the crops and animals. Help watch Jasmine if you need.’

‘I don’t want people here,’ she growled.

‘So, what? You’re just gonna live out your time alone? Just the two of you?’ Daryl pointed out. ‘Who’s gonna watch her while you go on supply runs?’

‘She’ll come. It’s better that way.’

‘Bullshit!’ Daryl argued. ‘You can’t take a kid out there! It’s too dangerous!’

‘She’s safer that way. It also means I’m not having to kill people because they decide they don’t like how things are done or sharing with the weak! It’s better this way.’

She went to leave when Daryl jumped off the hood and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop.

‘That’s not how we do things,’ Rick said quietly. ‘We’re good people, honest people. We’re just trying to survive. I want my kids to survive. You know what that’s like.’

Y/N dropped her eyes to the ground, purposely avoiding Daryl as he looked at her, boring holes into her face as he tried to get answers.

‘What happened? I doubt it’s you not caring or refusing to play nice.’

She groaned as she caved.

‘This was my parent’s place, they were doomsday preppers and wack jobs. My dad so was set on it being used to save those who couldn’t defend themselves and those who were needed to save them. He knew a lot could handle the kill or be killed, but some like kids, the elderly they couldn’t. But they are future and the bearers of long lost survival skills.’

Daryl’s thumb shifted across her elbow and she realised he was still holding onto her arm. She didn’t want to discuss it; it gave her nightmares as it was. All she wanted to do was bury it and forget it ever happened.

‘There were thirty of us originally, squeezed into tents, the sheds, the house. We got the supplies in to build more homes to accommodate. Nothing fancy, basic boxes but it was shelter.’

Rick nodded, he genuinely seemed to approve and understand what she was saying. That in itself surprised her. Most people couldn’t care less about others, they didn’t look after the sick, they fed them to the infected.

‘We came across a group of half a dozen, one had been shot so we took them in, helped him out that sorta thing.’

Daryl’s jaw tensed slightly as he watched her, causing her to continue to look everywhere but at him.

‘They didn’t like sharing, or that they had to work when the old lady who couldn’t get out of the wheelchair didn’t do hard physical labour, she just knitted blankets and mended clothes, helped prepare food. So, they waited until a small group of us were on a supply run and reduced the numbers. Including a three-week old baby and a 90-year-old woman.’

‘Jesus,’ Rick gasped.

‘We came back, did what we had to do all that was left was Mamie and Jaz.’

‘Where’s the rest of you group now?’

‘Dead, one was bit, another couldn’t handle it and shot himself, Mamie died a week ago from a heart attack. It’s just me and Jaz now.’

Daryl went to ask a question when the door opened and Glen stepped outside. Daryl’s hand fell from her elbow.

‘Ah, sorry but something is beeping,’ he frowned.

Y/N swore, she turned to run towards Jasmine when she heard Daryl call he had her, taking off quicker than she could. She ran towards the house, grabbing her iPad to check the alarm. She realised suddenly that Jasmine and Daryl weren’t inside and her blood ran cold.

She went to go back out when they walked in the door.

Jasmine babbled something only managing one or two coherent words and Daryl listening like it was the most enthralling conversation in the world. Answering her, asking questions, giving a full range of facial expressions that caused Jasmine to squeal with delight.

Y/N smiled at the two. Happy to see her daughter talking to someone. Thrilled to see her so happy. A sad pain washed through her as she realised how isolated they had become.  

‘What’s going on?’ Rick questioned as he came up next to her.

She broke her gaze away from the two glanced down at the tablet once more.

‘Something’s triggered the sensor alarm down the road.’

She accessed the cameras, flicking through each one.

‘Seriously? You have security?’

‘They were hooked up to small solar panels,’ she mumbled.

‘Walkers,’ Rick groaned, pointing to the people moving across.

‘Walkers?’ Y/N questioned.

‘It’s what we call the infected,’ Daryl explained.

She looked up to see his hand running protectively over Jasmine’s head as he held her that bit tighter.

‘So what now?’ Maggie asked as sat down in a chair, rocking Judith.

‘The property is reasonably secure. Bar that one entrance that I’m guessing you came through.’

‘The one where the gates where knocked clean off the hinges?’ Hershel asked.

‘That’d be it. I have a replacement but I can’t lift it up so that’s out. Basically, it’s secure the animals and lock the doors, and hope they pass. But given that it’s dusk it could be a long wait.’

‘We can help, maybe put the new one up?’ Rick offered. ‘Some of us can help secure animals in case we don’t get it. How long have we got?’

‘Roughly 45 minutes.’

Rick gave out the orders, sending some to deal with the animals, others to make their way to the gate.

She hesitated glancing at Jasmine as she wiggled out of Daryl’s arms and headed towards Judith. Hershel took both girls into the living room and found a story book to read them.

‘They’ll look after her,’ Daryl promised quietly in her ear.

She watched for a few more minutes, finally letting Daryl gently drag her away by the elbow.

They walked with the others to the gap in the fence and Y/N gave them a quick rundown. There was a roller door her group had salvaged from a nearby home. They had put up the tracks and framework but died before they could life the heavy door up into the brackets.

‘Enough of them will push the lock on that out,’ Glen observed as they made their way over to the gate.

‘I welded steel rods in place to use as like a barricade, they swing down and rest in the track, you can’t push it up while it’s there, and the lock’s not needed.’

She stood with Glen, Rick, Daryl and Maggie looking at the framework.

‘So we just put it in place and lock it in,’ Glen mused. ‘Easy.’

‘Ladders?’ Rick asked, looking around.

‘Tool shed, by the chicken yard.’

They got to work, struggling to get the heavy rod of rolled metal up into its brackets and even so it rolled.

‘They’re coming,’ Y/N panicked as the group of walkers appeared on the horizon. The men tried again, finally getting the door in place as the group closed in. They yanked the door down, dropping the steel rods into place as the first of the group collided with the steel door. She stepped back and collided with Daryl accidently. She felt his hand come up and rest on her back as he steadied her gently.

‘Animals are done,’ Carol announced as she came out to join them. ‘That was close,’ she breathed.

‘We should go, inside,’ Y/N told them. ‘Just in case.’

The others nodded and they made their way quickly across the driveway, Y/N glancing back at the fortified fencing. Her father may have been crazy, but she was so glad he was.

Once everyone was inside Y/N closed the steel reinforced side door and slid the locks into place.

The others moved into the living room and Rick gestured for Y/N to join him in the kitchen. She glanced over at Jasmine as she played peek a boo with Judith, smiling at how happy she was. It had been too long since she played like that. Smiled like that.

Rick stood at the end of the bench glancing into the room where his family and friends sat huddled. They could hear the faint bangs on the roller door as the walkers tried to enter.

‘How secure is the house?’

‘I need to roll down the roller shutters, but that’s it. We should be fine. Plenty have passed through and none have entered the house.’

Rick nodded, ‘Manual rollers?’

She nodded and watched as he left to go finish securing the house. She stood in the kitchen, unsure of what to do. Normally she’d just make dinner, read or play a game quietly with Jasmine with a machete or bow next to her and wait it out. Now she was surrounded by people and feeling out of place in her own home.

Daryl came in and stood leaning against the bench opposite her, ‘I didn’t know anyone was here when I suggest we come. I found it on the way back to the group.’

She shrugged, ‘That’s the idea.’

‘Do you really want us gone?’

She sighed and looked to the ceiling, she had no idea what she wanted.

‘I hate the idea of sleeping with one eye open. I can’t risk her, Daryl,’ she whispered.

‘You won’t need to. I swear. We’ll do right by you and Jasmine,’ he promised.

She nodded, hesitantly. A small smile appearing on Daryl’s lips.

‘I suppose I should find blankets and mattresses then,’ she sighed, glancing over at Rick as he walked back towards them.

‘Thank you,’ Rick whispered.

‘Winter’s coming,’ she pointed out, as they rearranged bedrooms so families could sleep together. ‘It’s too cold to sleep in the sheds. So, it might be cozy in here for a while. But it’s safer,’ she added.

‘Safe is good,’ Rick admitted, looking over at their kids.

Y/N pulled the old porta cot out from under one of the beds and set it up in Rick’s room for Judith.

‘We have baby clothes,’ Y/N told Rick as they made their way back into the living room.

Rick looked over at Y/N and she nodded.

‘When dad set this place up, he hoarded everything. Clothing in all different sizes. Antique machinery, all that. There’s tubs of baby clothes in the cupboards. And some adult stuff. Extras in the sheds and that. We kept it all, just in case,’ she explained. ‘Especially after the infection started.’

 As the days past, Y/N had to admit that having the group around wasn’t the worst mistake she had made. True to their word, they helped out. They all worked as hard as Y/N did. Jasmine became Daryl’s shadow, and he didn’t seem to care in the least. If she was toddling after him, he’d slow down to make sure she could keep pace. He listened patiently as Jasmine told him “stories”, he pointed stuff out to her. Taught her new words. It was everything Y/N had always pictured a father would be. Everything Jasmine never got.

 She sat on the chair outside, watching as Jasmine played ball with Carl. The group taking a much needed afternoon off.

‘Where’s her dad?’ Daryl asked.

‘Missing, dead, something. He panicked claimed he wasn’t dying for no kid and took off. She was a death wish apparently.’

‘What a dick,’ Daryl gasped.

‘Can’t argue that. I’ve made a lot of stupid mistake in my life. He’s probably the worst.’

Jasmine’s squeal, followed by a fit of giggles caused her to smile.

‘I don’t know, she seems worth it,’ Daryl mused quietly.

‘Yeah, she is.’

She left Jasmine with Daryl while she went inside to help Carol with dinner. Twenty minutes later, Daryl’s cry and Jasmine’s scream caused her blood to turn to ice as she ran towards the backdoor meeting Daryl as he rushed her inside.

‘What happened?’ she cried, looking as Jasmine’s blood covered face.

‘Chasing each other and she slipped on the cement,’ he blubbered.

She looked up to see the tears in his eyes as he apologised over and over again to Jasmine, kissing her head.

Y/N gave him a sad smile as she wet a cloth, before gently wiping down Jasmine’s face.

‘Don’t feel too bad. It’s not the first time it’s happened. And it’s not her first injury. She fell out of bed a couple of weeks before you got here, which is why it’s now against the wall. Tripped over and smashed her face on the coffee table as she was learning to walk. Fell off the sofa, tripped over a pumpkin, banged her head on the coffee table as she’s too tall for it. She’s a klutz.’

‘I was meant to be keeping her safe, her getting hurt isn’t safe,’ he said quietly as Jasmine started to calm down.

‘No, her getting hurt is part of her growing up, taking risks, learning boundaries.’

Y/N considered taking her daughter. Wanting to comfort her, to make it all better just like she always had. But she watched as Daryl held her tighter, his lips pressing against the toddler’s head as he offered yet another apology. He needed Jasmine’s comfort as much as Jasmine needed his. Her sobs slowed and she settled in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.

‘Looks to me like you’re doing a fine job,’ Y/N pointed out, as she left to toss the cloth in the washing machine.

She came back in to find Daryl smiling down at Jasmine and then up at Y/N.

As the night wore on, and they finished their chores, Y/N went in search of Daryl and Jasmine. He’d barely put her down since it happened. Panicking about concussion and head trauma. Making Hershel check her over every 10 minutes. He panicked more than Y/N did.

‘Daryl’s putting her to bed,’ Maggie said quietly.

Y/N walked into the room she shared with Jasmine and stood in the door way, she smiled at the two curled up asleep in her bed.

Y/N carefully climbed in next to them, kissing her daughter goodnight. Smiling as she snuggled further into Daryl’s arms. She gently placed as kiss on Daryl’s cheek before settling down to sleep herself.

She woke blinking to see a sleepy looking Daryl watching her.

‘Morning,’ she mumbled.

He grunted as he frowned at her.

‘Sorry, figured you were in my bed, I wasn’t crashing on the floor,’ she whispered with a grin.

Daryl nodded as he looked down at Jasmine, the young girl shifting in his arms and settling back down.

‘I’m heading into town for supplies today,’ Y/N said quietly.

‘I can do that,’ Daryl murmured quietly.

‘So can I. Carol’s watching Jaz-.’

‘You watch Jaz. I’ll go. What do we need?’

‘Daryl,’ she argued.

‘You don’t need to leave her, Y/N. She needs her mum around. I won’t let you get hurt.’

She sighed, watching him silently as she debated about arguing some more.

‘I can’t,’ he said quietly.

She felt her face soften as he avoided her eyes. She shifted in the bed, kissing his forehead softly, before climbing out of the bed.

‘The run?’ Daryl asked quietly.

‘I’ll stay,’ she smiled.

A smile played on his lips as she grabbed her clothes, moving into the bathroom to change. She came out to find Jaz sitting up in bed talking to Daryl. Listening as he once again answered her, telling her his own fairy tale stories.

‘Bub,’ Jasmine announced, heading to the edge of the bed, after Y/N changed her and got her ready for the day.

‘Ass Kicker’s with Carl,’ Daryl told her.

‘Arl,’ she squealed, climbing off the bed and heading out the door. Squealing for Carl over and over.

She left Daryl to do what he needed and followed Jasmine into the kitchen, smiling as she hung off Carl’s leg. She helped in the kitchen and took Judith for Rick while he disappeared outside to check on the animals. Someone behind her cleared their throat softly, causing her to turn around.

Daryl gave her a small smile as he ran a hand over Judith’s head, saying good morning.

‘I’ll be back later,’ he promised.

 Days turned into weeks, and in that time Y/N and Daryl found themselves growing closer. They only shared a bed if he put Jasmine to sleep. Which usually resulted him Daryl falling asleep. Otherwise he slept on the floor by their bedroom door.

She sat at the kitchen table, with the others discussing what needed to be done. Daryl stood behind her, she could feel his fingers shifting absent-mindedly through her hair as his hands rested on the back of her chair.

‘The tomato seedlings are ready to go in to the greenhouse,’ Hershel explained.

‘They’re ready to fill the greenhouse,’ Daryl muttered.

She looked up at him and grinned. She’d done what she did every year. Took piles of tomatoes and sliced them. Planting the slices and waiting for the seedlings to grow.

‘And now we have tomatoes, soup, pasta sauce, normal sauce, relish-.’

‘We have tomatoes,’ he commented, his lips turning up as the fingers in her hair tightened.

‘Ain’t nothing wrong with that.’

‘Till that’s all we have to live off.’

‘Pantry’s getting low,’ Carol observed.

‘Store room’s still loaded,’ Y/N muttered, distracted as she looked around for Jasmine.

‘Sleeping in the beanbag,’ Daryl said quietly in her ear.

She turned back to the group and found the others staring at her, causing her to cringe.

‘Ah, right. The bookshelf in the toy room pushes to one side, and there’s steps leading into a large basement.’

‘Serious?’ Glen gaped.

‘Yup, it’s loaded with long term supplies. We will need fuel though.’

‘We’ll head out after,’ Daryl offered, glancing at Glen.

Y/N looked over at the two as Daryl stepped away to start organising what he’d need.

‘You need to head out past the bridge. I’ve raided all the vehicles and stations here. It’ll take over a day,’ she explained.

‘Head out soon, come back tomorrow?’ he queried looking at Glenn.

Glenn nodded, the two heading off to get a car ready. The others disappearing to check out the storeroom.

Rick looked at Y/N, gesturing for her to stay. She waited, watching as he grabbed a few things before gesturing to outside.

They walked out to lawn and she watched as he sat down in the sun.

‘If this is like a wine and dine me, you’re missing a few things,’ she smirked as she sat down next to him. Turning her face to the sun and closing her eyes.

‘Cheese, meat, wine, strawberries.’

‘Chocolate,’ she pointed out.

‘Can’t forget that. Next time,’ he chuckled. ‘Here, will this do?’

She opened her eyes and saw a dandelion flower in front of her.

She chuckled and took the offering, slipping it behind her ear. She heard voices and looked up to see Daryl by the shed watching them. His face unreadable. Although it didn’t look happy. Jasmine came running out the side door, colliding with her. She kissed her daughter and held her tight, before the rugrat spotted Daryl and wiggled from her arms.

‘Da,’ she giggled, crossing the yard to him.

‘So?’ Y/N asked.

‘I thought we might be able to look at where we can put up the extra housing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great being in one secure location…’

‘But privacy would be nice.’

‘Exactly,’ he grinned.

Daryl approached, kissing Jasmine’s head as he handed her back over to Y/N.

‘Be careful,’ she lectured.

He grunted some kind of response and walked off, leaving Y/N staring after him. His mood had changed suddenly and he’d left without so much as a see you soon. Which wasn’t like him at all. She sighed, telling herself he was just nervous about being away overnight. It was dangerous that side of the wall. No one wanted to risk it. She turned her attention back to Rick as they continued with their plans.

‘So we can either extend the main house, or build separate ones?’

‘Separate gives other places to seek refuge if the house gets hit,’ he pointed out, shifting closer so he could show her his plans.

‘You thought way too much about this,’ she muttered, looking over his shoulder. ‘That’s a good idea,’ she smiled, pointing to the skywalks between buildings. ‘If you cover the lower half of that railing, it provides protection from guns and allows us to hide.’

‘Exactly.’

‘There’s still some building supplies and solar panels in the nearby properties. And some stuff like doors and that we can salvage. Old wood ovens. That sorta thing. The trucks still got most of a tank,’ she offered.

‘Tomorrow?’ he questioned, taking Jasmine as she climbed into his lap to steal his pencil. Drawing over his well thought out plans.

‘Yeah, we can head out first light. I’ll get Carol to watch Jaz.’

Rick nodded, ‘Your family did well with this place.’

‘We all have, some of this wouldn’t have been achieved without you guys or the last group,’ she admitted. ‘And let’s face it, I thought I was organised and planned before you came along.’

‘Does that mean you’re not regretting us staying?’

She watched as Jasmine spotted Maggie and Beth heading to the chicken pen and took off after them. Yelling about eggs.

‘Nah, no regrets.’

 As evening came the next day, Y/N and Rick climbed into the truck.

‘It’s quieter than I expected,’ she mused. ‘Two walkers, all day.’

‘I ain’t complaining though,’ he pointed out.

‘Providing they are somewhere else and not home,’ she mumbled, as the truck roared to life.

As they drove, she worked on their list. What they had, what they needed. The extra supplies they got.

‘Do you think Daryl will want a house of his own? Or you reckon he’ll just settle into someone’s room or a tent?’ she questioned, as she tried to figure out bare minimums. ‘Or a trailer.’

‘I figured he’d just stay with you and Jasmine,’ Rick offered, glancing over at her.

‘Don’t know why you’d assume that,’ she muttered.

‘Really?’

She glanced over at him as his eyebrow raised into his scruffy mop of hair. Her cheeks flushed red as she looked away.

‘It’s not like that. He’s not…He doesn’t look at me, us, like that.’

‘Could have fooled me,’ Rick smirked, turning the truck into the drive, slowing make their way towards the open roller door.

The door closed behind them and Y/N climbed out of the truck, coming face to face with a rather pissed off Daryl.

‘I thought you were staying here!’

‘We were getting supplies,’ she frowned.

His face hardened as he looked over at Rick.

‘Who’s watching Jaz?’

‘Carol.’

‘She’s busy down in the damn storeroom,’ he hissed. ‘I can’t believe you left her, like some stupid bitch so you could go screw around.’

Her jaw dropped, ‘Excuse me?’

‘You don’t abandon your kid, Y/N!’

‘You got something right in all that. My kid! Her life, who watches her, what happens to her, is my choice. Don’t you dare stand here acting all high and mighty. We needed supplies. I went. Get the hell over it.’

‘You didn’t have to go!’

‘Who else would have gone?’

‘Glenn. Me. Maggie. Want me to keep going?’

She glared at him, unable to believe he was being such an arse.

‘She’s sick and you weren’t here. I wasn’t here. She needed someone and both of us were gone.’

‘She’s not sick. She’s fine. I was with her all morning.’

‘She’s running a temp!’

‘She’s teething, you idiot!’

Daryl frowned at her.

‘As for Jasmine, yes. She needs a parent. Me. Given I’m the only one she has. But Rick needed help. So, I chose to leave her with people I trusted. I don’t have to justify my actions to anyone. Especially you. She’s not your kid, Daryl. You don’t get a say.’

She stormed off towards the house, dumping the papers on the table. Still fuming at Daryl’s accusations. She found Jaz asleep in bed. She was warm, her cheeks rosy, her nose runny. But all normal signs of teething. All part of growing up.

‘She’s fine,’ Carol said quietly as she came up. ‘I gave her some chamomile tea to ease it and she’s been sleeping ever since.’

‘I’m sorry you had to deal with it,’ Y/N said quietly.

‘Don’t be, she wasn’t all that bothered by it. Neither were we. Daryl was the most panicked.’

Y/N watched Jasmine sleep, guilt eating at her. She shouldn’t have left.

‘You had to go, Y/N. No one else knows these areas. And if we want to put up more houses, we need to get as much sorted as we can while we can. So, come better weather it’s just a matter of banging them together.’

‘Daryl doesn’t seem to think so,’ she muttered. ‘Helping you guys find a home makes me a bad mum.’

‘It makes him panic cos you’re out there, without protection.’

‘I had my bow. Rick was there.’

‘But Daryl wasn’t,’ Carol offered with a smile as she walked back off towards the kitchen.

 Y/N stood in the shed, rearranging shelves, hoping to add in the extra supplies they got. Working out where to put the rest, but still leave room to build things. Movement caught her eye and looked up to see Daryl step into the shed.

‘I shouldn’t have said it,’ Daryl admitted.

She glanced over at him, and turned away as she picked up a door, shifting it so it was leaning against a wall.

‘She needs her mum. I need to know, she has her mum. I know she ain’t mine. But…,’ he sighed. ‘I know I’ll never get my own. But if I did, I’d want them just like her.’

Y/N shifted a bucket of nails, sliding them back on the shelf. She turned, gasping as she came face to face with Daryl. She hadn’t even heard him move.

‘I may have been unreasonable. You and Rick, you’re…friendly,’ he muttered.

‘You expect me to hate him?’

‘No,’ he sighed.

She watched him closely, the way he avoided her eyes. How nervous he was. Suddenly it all made sense.

‘I’m not seeing Rick. We were getting supplies to build homes so we all have more privacy.’

Daryl looked over at her, surprised.

‘Families moving out together. Giving my family back our house.’

‘Oh,’ he mumbled, colour flushing his face slightly.

‘And up until earlier, I figured, hoped, that you were, might be, a part of that.’

Daryl looked up at her, confused at first. But then it faded.

‘Me? With you two?’

‘No one’s twisting your arm, Daryl. We can build you a house if you want, get a tailer, whatever.’

She turned and walked back over to the truck, pulling out a box filled with tools. Hands reached out taking it from her arms. She gestured to the shelf, watching as Daryl slowly placed it next to the other tool box. He crossed the room, his steps slow and purposeful, and stood in front of her. He watched her as he moved closer, refusing to take his eyes off her. He reached out, tenderly brushing her hair from her face. Letting his thumb brush over her cheek. He smiled as he leaned down towards her, gently letting his lips brush against hers. She smiled, kissing him back. Letting her body melt against his as he pulled her in closer. His hands found her thighs as he lifted her up onto the tailgate of the truck. Not once letting his lips leave hers.

‘Mum! Da!’ Jasmine’s pitch squeal cut through the silence.

Daryl kissed her softly once more before turning towards the toddler, picking her up as she approached.

‘What do you think, Princess?’ he smiled. ‘Should we kick the others out? Let the three of us have some family time?’

‘Kick!’

Y/N chuckled as Jaz swung her foot, watching as Daryl kissed her cheek softly.

‘That’s my thoughts exactly,’ he grinned. ‘If ya Ma will still take me,’ he admitted, looking over at Y/N. ‘Let me be a part of your family.’

‘Mum,’ Jaz squealed, throwing herself into Y/N’s arms.

Y/N nodded at Daryl as he sat down on the tailgate next to her.

‘Family,’ he mumbled, running a hand over Jasmine’s head. ‘I like the sound of that.’