#flufffffyyyyyy

Walking the path back to the church, their dollies loaded with food and supplies, Daryl keeps his head down, lost in the swirling maze of thoughts that circle around Y/N. His mind is a whirlwind, but it’s the kind that settles something inside him, something he’s been feeling for longer than he’s ever had the courage to admit. The connection he has with her—it’s stronger than anything he’s ever known. Through every nightmare, every mile of blood-soaked ground, it’s only ever been her. He knows it, always did, really. But it's clear as day now.

The church looms ahead, offering a kind of safety they haven’t known in a while, but the tension within the group digs into him. He thinks of his closest friend–Carol. She’s been quiet, too quiet, and whatever happened out there with her, the girls, and Tyreese—it’s marked her, left her with that haunted look he catches every now and then. He’s been in that darkness before and he can tell she’s carrying something heavy, but he doesn’t push. He supposes they’re all carrying something now.

And then there’s Gabriel. The priest’s polite smiles and darting eyes grate on him, as if the man's whole being is wrapped in something he’s too afraid to face. There’s a jitteriness to him, a lurking guilt that only deepens Daryl’s distrust. He’s seen men haunted by the things they’ve done, but Gabriel’s guarded eyes, clutching his Bible like it might save him—it all feels like a mask hiding something he’s not ready to let anyone see.

But it’s Y/N who fills his thoughts, rising above the noise, her face, her voice pulling him in like a lifeline. He doesn’t know when it happened, maybe even before the world went to hell, but the thought of a world without her is one he can’t bear. Hell, he’d already tried that—already felt what it was like to think she was gone, that she’d disappeared along with everything else after the prison. And the guilt that settled in after...those days with Beth, thinking he might find something in someone else’s company, feels like a faint shadow now. She had been a flicker of light in the dark, but nothing—nothing—like what he has with Y/N.

For a moment, he pictures her beside him not just in these ruins, not just surviving day to day, but something different, something that isn’t about waiting or putting things off like the world they left behind. He wants that with her, whatever “that” means out here. She’s been a part of him longer than he’d even known, and all he wants now is to make sure she knows it, to find a way to make it real, even if he can’t find the words yet.

Rick watches him, raising a brow as Daryl fidgets with something in his hand. “You good?” Rick’s voice is careful, a touch of something familiar. "Whatcha got there?”

Daryl’s head snaps up, his grip relaxing just slightly as he opens his hand, giving Rick a glimpse of what he’s been holding tight. Rick’s gaze drops, surprise flickering in his eyes, quickly replaced by something else—a glimmer of warmth, something Daryl hasn’t seen in a long time.

Rick’s mouth edges up, a small, genuine smile, and he glances back at the path ahead.

“What?” Daryl asks, maybe a little too defensively, his own heart hammering at the question.

Rick chuckles quietly, his tone lowering, almost as if he’s talking more to himself than anyone else. “Just happy for ya. We all need somethin’ good.” He pauses, his voice softer, “She needs somethin’ good.”

The words hit Daryl hard, settling deep in his chest. He feels the weight of what he’s holding, a quiet promise he’s not sure how to share, but one he’ll keep close for her.

❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥

You

The low hum of voices and soft laughter fills the room as everyone settles into the warmth the church walls provide. Contentment settles over you as you lean back against the pew, watching Glenn eagerly reach for seconds and Maggie nudge him, laughing softly. You glance over at Daryl, the warm candlelight flickering over his face, casting shadows along his cheekbones. He’s licking his lips, catching a hint of sauce on his mouth, and there’s a crinkle at the corners of his eyes as he glances at you, something knowing and soft there that feels like it was always meant just for you. From your quiet corner, both of you sit apart from the others, content to watch them for a while. There’s a warmth in the air, a sense of safety none of you have felt in a long time, and the satisfaction of full bellies—something you know many of you have been missing for far too long.

“Thank you,” you murmur quietly, looking over at Daryl beside you, “for going out there for all of this.”

“Wasn’t just me,” he gruffs, eyes dropping to his hands. He licks the remnants of food from his fingers, and you can’t help but watch the way his lips purse around each one, how the candlelight makes his skin look almost golden. He catches you looking, smirking slightly. “Surprised you kept your promise fer once,” he teases, voice low, barely above a mumble.

“Oh, yeah? Wha’s that supposed to mean?” You lean into him, your voice light and challenging.

“Actually stayed put when ya said ya would,” he teases back, leaning closer. He’s relaxed, in his own Daryl way, but there’s a glint in his eyes that tugs at something deep inside you. You roll your eyes and set your plate down, pulling your legs up close, hugging them to your chest as you turn to him. His gaze meets yours, holding it for a beat longer than usual. There’s an energy in the air, something tender and open between you, pulling you closer until you’re so near, you can feel the warmth of his breath.

You reach over, fingers just brushing his cheek before he leans into it. It feels like gravity pulling you together, and before either of you can think twice, his lips are on yours, soft and tentative. You have had enough of pretending like you didn’t want to spend every waking moment savoring him, being this close after what you’d been through. There’s a sweetness to his kiss, a hint of shyness, like he’s still testing how close he can let himself get, even now. But he lets his hand come up, fingers curling around the back of your neck, drawing you in deeper. His thumb brushes along your jaw, and the softness of his touch nearly breaks you, making you feel like the world around you has fallen away. 

When he pulls back, his cheeks are tinged pink, eyes flickering down briefly before he clears his throat, almost like he’s caught off guard by his own feelings. He’s close, still leaning in, the hand on the back of your neck now wrapping around your own fingers. His free hand fumbles in his pocket before he produces something, shaking just slightly. He opens his palm to reveal a simple, thin gold band, the light catching on its smooth surface.

“Found it…” he starts, voice rough, “at the food bank. Damn walker had it on, but I thought…it just…looked like somethin’ that would suit ya.”

You can see the awkwardness creeping over him, his eyes shifting away, his thumb rubbing the side of the ring as if he’s trying to gather the words together in his mind. His gaze flickers back to yours, and he shifts, seeming to struggle to stay still under the weight of what he wants to say.

“Ain't much for sayin’ stuff like this, you know that, but…” He swallows, his eyes catching yours with a rare softness, “All that time apart, every second…it felt like I was losin’ my mind, like I was losin’ somethin’ I didn’t know how to name. Hell, you’re the only damn thing that’s ever made sense, really.”

He looks down at the ring, then back at you, the vulnerability in his gaze almost breaking your heart. “I don’t ever wanna be apart from ya again, ya hear? Been wantin’ this—whatever this is, been wantin’ it since the start, I just didn’t get it back then. You were always…” he pauses, his thumb brushing your hand, “center of it all. Since we were kids. Hell, even through that mess with Shane. You were it, even then. Just took me a while to figure out what was goin’ on up here,” he mutters, tapping the side of his head. “You’re the center of everythin’ for me, always have been.”

He clears his throat, swallowing hard as he lifts the ring between you both. “So…you think maybe…maybe you’d wanna…be mine? Be my... my wife?” His voice is barely more than a whisper, his gaze full of hope and the slightest tremor of fear.

The quiet intimacy of the room melts away everything else around you, leaving just the soft glow of the candles and the feeling of Daryl’s hand wrapped around yours. His words hang in the air, filling the silence with something both fragile and heavy. You can feel your heart pounding, every beat echoing his words back at you as his thumb gently rubs over your knuckles. His voice is so raw, so open—more vulnerable than you’ve ever heard it. The look in his eyes reaches deep inside you, stirring a warmth that feels both achingly familiar and yet entirely new.

Without even realizing it, you reach up again, brushing your fingers along the rough edge of his jaw, your touch tender and careful. Your hand trembles as you move it, and you feel a faint, almost giddy smile tugging at your lips as you try to steady yourself. He watches you, waiting, his gaze full of nervousness and hope, and you feel your chest tighten again at the vulnerability you see in him.

You glance down at the ring, touching it lightly, letting your fingers brush over his palm as you look back up at him, heart racing. “You don’t even know,” you whisper, voice thick with emotion, and you let out a shaky laugh, glancing down as you blink back the tears that blur your vision. “From the very start, Daryl. Since we were kids, then even when we didn’t talk, when things got…messy. You were there, always a part of me,” You pause, the memories rushing through your mind. “I think, even then, you were already everything to me. But I was too scared to understand it.”

You swallow, the words tumbling out in a rush, like they’ve been waiting all this time to find their way to him. “Through everything—losing people, the farm, Shane, and then when I thought I’d lost you for good when the prison fell and I…” Your voice breaks, and you can’t bring yourself to finish the thought. The memory of that emptiness, of thinking he was gone forever, sits like a weight in your chest, and a tear slips down your cheek. You squeeze his hand, grounding yourself in his warmth.

“I don’t want to go through this world without you. I can’t. I won't.” Your voice is barely more than a murmur, your thumb brushing along his knuckles as your other hand cups his face, feeling the rough stubble beneath your fingertips. “You’re it for me, Daryl… the center of my everything too. I don’t know if I’ve ever been sure of anything, but I’ve always been sure of you.”

A quiet, overwhelming joy rises in you, mixed with all the love you’d never put into words until now. “Yes, Daryl… yes, of course, yes,” you whisper, and you feel his hand tighten around yours, steadying you. You let out a breathless laugh, one hand still resting against his cheek as you watch his face, seeing a softness in his eyes that he rarely lets anyone see.

He lets out a small, almost relieved breath, his gaze fixed on you like he’s afraid this moment might slip away. You lean forward, meeting his lips in a kiss that holds everything—every unspoken promise, every moment you’ve shared, every piece of your heart that’s been his all along. It’s soft, warm, a kind of love you feel down to your bones.

When you finally pull back, your forehead rests against his, and his fingers, a little shaky, slide the ring onto your finger. It’s a simple, worn band, but in his hands, it’s perfect, and you can’t help but smile, feeling more whole than you have in a long, long time.

Just as you’re catching your breath, feeling the warmth of Daryl’s hand in yours, a loud whoop cuts through the soft murmurs in the room. You turn, startled, to see Rick grinning wide, hands clapped together as he lets out a hearty, joyful cheer. The rest of the group catches on, and suddenly, laughter and clapping fill the room. Faces light up with smiles, everyone cheering, and you can’t help but feel the blush spread hot across your cheeks. Daryl grunts beside you, scratching the back of his neck, his usual awkward discomfort more obvious than ever.

From somewhere in the crowd, Glenn hollers, “Hey, Father Gabriel, think you can ordain a wedding on the fly?” He’s laughing, but Maggie’s already in front of you, pulling you both up from the pew, her face bright with excitement.

“Oh, c’mon! Let’s make it official!” she says, guiding you both toward the front, and Daryl shoots you a helpless look that makes you laugh even more.

As Father Gabriel steps up, he clears his throat, looking as surprised as he is pleased. You and Daryl share a look—half-embarrassed, half-disbelieving—as Gabriel begins reciting some heartfelt words, ones you can barely hear over the pounding of your heart and the laughter echoing around the room.

"By the power invested in me," Gabriel announces, with a solemnity that almost makes the whole thing seem real, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The room erupts into louder cheers, and you look up at Daryl, grinning. He stares back at you with that same look of wonder, that softness, before his hand slips to the back of your neck and pulls you close for another kiss, sealing the moment as husband and wife. The cheers get louder--as loud as this world would allow without inviting any unwanted guests--and you’re both laughing, happiness bubbling up in you so overwhelming it almost hurts.

But before you can get too caught up in it, Daryl pulls back, shaking his head, his face flushed as he turns to the group. “Alright, enough’a this!” he grunts with a playful glare. He scoops you up into his arms, catching you off guard, and everyone smiles as he turns, heading for the back office. “Gotta get away from you people! Ain’t nothin’ private ‘round here,” he calls over his shoulder, a gruff smile breaking through.