#prisonera

The woods were alive with sound, even if most people no longer bothered to hear it. Leaves shifted softly in the wind, insects hummed somewhere low in the underbrush, and distant birds called to each other through the canopy like nothing in the world had changed at all.

Most people walked through forests now listening for danger. Walkers. Broken branches. The rustle of something larger than a rabbit. Anything that didn’t belong.

You listened too. But you also listened for everything else.

Birdsong, crickets, frogs, the knock of a woodpecker against a tree.

Daryl had noticed that a long time ago, though he’d never said it out loud. You always seemed to be paying attention to things other people missed—tracks in the mud, the movement of small animals, the way birds shifted before the sky changed.

It made you slower sometimes, but never careless. Just aware.

And somehow, it made the silence between you and him feel less empty.

Silence wasn’t something people really got anymore at the prison. Still, you had a habit of breaking it with your little facts.

“D’you know otters hold hands when they sleep?”

Or—

“Horses can recognize faces.”

Or—

“Crows hold grudges.”

Most people just nodded and moved on. The kids loved it. Carl pretended he didn’t. Beth actually listened. Judith stared at you like every word you said was the most fascinating thing she’d ever heard.

Daryl listened too.

Even if he never said much about it.

Today was one of those quieter days. The prison fences stood strong, the weather held steady, and hunting gave him an excuse to disappear into the woods for a few hours.

Somehow you always ended up tagging along. Not because you were particularly useful at tracking. Not because he asked.

You just… did.

Like the two of you had fallen into some strange orbit around one another. Never quite attached. Never far apart.

The forest stretched around you in soft shades of green as you followed several steps behind him.

No pressure to talk. No need to fill the silence. Just the soft crunch of leaves beneath your boots, easy and familiar.

The prison was already far behind you, swallowed by trees and distance, when a sharp bird call cut through the quiet. You lifted your head almost instantly, eyes scanning the branches above like you expected to find the answer hidden there.

Daryl noticed before you even spoke.

“What’s that one?” you asked.

He didn’t stop walking, just tilted his head slightly as he listened. “Carolina wren.”

The answer came so easily it made you smile without thinking. “How can you tell?”

“Sound.”

That was all he gave you, like it should’ve been obvious.

Another call rang out, a little louder this time, and you squinted upward again as if that might help. After a moment, curiosity got the better of you.

“What’s it saying?”

For the briefest second, something shifted in his expression—barely there, just the corner of his mouth twitching before he answered.

“Tryin’ t’ get lucky.”

You blinked at him, then laughed before you could stop yourself. “What?”

“It’s a mate call,” he added, like that explained everything. “Male’s tellin’ every female bird in the county he’s available.”

That only made you grin harder. “That’s amazing.”

“Hm,” he muttered, already looking away like the conversation meant nothing, even though he’d clearly started it.

You kept walking.

A few minutes later he slowed without warning, not because anything was wrong, but because something above had caught his attention. You followed his gaze instinctively until you saw a flash of yellow bouncing between branches.

“Goldfinch,” he said.

Your eyes lit up immediately. “Oh!”

“The yellow means it’s male,” he added, still watching it like it wasn’t anything special.

“Really?” you asked.

“Females ain’t as colorful.”

“Why?”

“Gotta stand out somehow.”

You laughed softly, watching the bird hop higher into the trees until it disappeared into leaves and sunlight. “So birds are just showing off all the time?”

“Pretty much.”

That earned a quiet sound from him—almost a laugh, but not quite.

You watched the empty branches for a moment longer than necessary, like you were storing it away.

Daryl noticed that too.

Another bird called out deeper in the woods, and he shifted his attention immediately, pointing slightly ahead. “Red-winged blackbird.”

You stepped closer, watching the dark shape perched near the marsh edge as a flash of red appeared on its wing when it moved.

“See the red?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Male.”

You smiled. “Showing off again?”

“Showin’ off again.”

This time you laughed first.

The walk continued like that. Birds appearing and disappearing. Daryl pointing them out like it was nothing, like he hadn’t been waiting for the chance without realizing it.

And you listened like every detail mattered.

Not because you needed the information.

Because it was him giving it.

Daryl didn’t give things away easily. So every small fact felt like something chosen.

Something offered.

Somewhere along the way a squirrel darted across the path, and Daryl’s body moved on instinct, crossbow rising and firing in one clean motion. The animal dropped, and just like that, the moment passed.

“Got ’em,” he said flatly.

“Poor guy,” you replied.

He scoffed faintly. “You feel bad for every animal.”

“I do.”

“It’s a squirrel.”

“It had dreams.”

That got him—an actual laugh, short and rough, like it caught him off guard.

“Shut up,” he said, but there was no bite in it.

You smiled to yourself.

Later, when the sun dipped lower and the forest turned gold at the edges, you tried mimicking a bird call you’d just heard. The result was… questionable.

Daryl stopped walking, then let out a quiet sound that turned into a laugh before he could stop it.

“What?” you demanded immediately.

“Nothin’.”

“No. What?”

“It sounded like somethin’ dyin’.”

Your mouth dropped open. “It did not.”

“It did.”

“I was close.”

“You weren’t.”

That made him laugh again, properly this time, and you looked entirely too proud of yourself anyway.

You tried again. Better this time.

His eyebrows lifted slightly. “There y’go.”

You straightened instantly, grin making way on your face. “Praise from the Daryl Dixon.”

“There it is,” he muttered, looking away like he regretted everything.

By the time the prison came back into view, you were quietly repeating things under your breath as you walked.

“Male goldfinch…”

“Carolina wren…”

“Red-winged blackbird…”

Daryl caught fragments of it, and something in him shifted—small, quiet, unspoken—but it stayed.

You were actually remembering.

The gates opened, and just like that, you were gone, heading straight for Beth, Carl, and Judith.

Daryl watched as you dropped into their space like you belonged there. Judith reached for you immediately. Carl pretended not to care while clearly listening. Beth smiled like she already knew what was coming.

“Okay, listen to this,” you said, taking a moment to grab Judith into your arms and then you were off—talking, gesturing, alive with it.

Daryl sat down at a nearby table and pulled out his knife. The squirrels needed skinning.

But somewhere between cuts, his attention drifted.

“And male goldfinches are brighter because they’re trying to attract mates,” you were saying.

“No way,” Beth said.

“It's true!”

Carl asked something. You answered immediately. Another fact followed. Then another.

You never once said where you got any of it.

You just shared it.

Like the world was still worth noticing.

Daryl kept watching anyway, longer than he meant to.

It wasn't intentional at first. Just a glance that didn’t quite move away when it should’ve. Then another. Then suddenly he was aware of the fact that he hadn’t touched the squirrel in front of him in a while.

The knife sat idle in his hand, pressed lightly against the animal’s fur, completely forgotten.

Across the yard, your voice carried easily over the noise of the prison settling into evening. You were still talking, hands moving as you explained something to Carl and Beth, Judith tucked safely in your arms like she belonged there.

Carl looked half-annoyed, half-invested. Beth was smiling like she always did when you got going. Judith was clapping for no reason anyone else understood.

Daryl didn’t realize he’d stopped listening to anything else.

“Daryl.”

Carol’s voice cut in somewhere beside him.

Nothing. His eyes still stayed on you.

“Daryl.”

Still nothing.

A longer pause this time. Then Carol leaned slightly forward, closer to his line of sight, voice sharper just to break through whatever hold you had on him.

“Daryl Dixon.”

That finally got him.

He blinked once, slow, like surfacing from somewhere else entirely. “Huh?”

Carol didn’t even look surprised anymore. She just tilted her head toward the table in front of him, pointing at the untouched squirrel. “You planning on skinning that thing today?”

Only then did his eyes drop. He frowned slightly, like he’d forgotten it was there.

“Oh.”

That one word was enough for Carol.

She followed his gaze across the yard almost immediately. Saw you. Saw the way he’d been looking. Saw the entire situation in about half a second flat.

A grin started before she even spoke.

“Oh.”

Daryl’s posture shifted instantly, shoulders tightening. “No.”

Carol’s smile widened. “Oh, this is good.”

“Ain’t nothin’.”

“Mhm.”

“It ain’t.”

She leaned back slightly in her chair now, completely entertained. “You’ve been staring at her for five straight minutes.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You were.”

A beat.

“I wasn’t.”

“You absolutely were.”

Daryl let out a quiet, frustrated breath through his nose and looked away like the conversation itself was the problem.

Across the yard, your laughter rang out again.

Daryl looked before he could stop himself.

Carol noticed immediately.

“There it is,” she said, almost amused.

“Jesus Christ,” Daryl muttered under his breath, like he regretted having eyes.

Carol rested her elbows on the table now, watching him instead of the yard. “You got it bad.”

Daryl finally dragged his attention away from you just long enough to glare at her. “I don’t.”

Carol exhaled through a smile, like she was trying not to laugh outright at him. “You spent the entire hunting trip collecting bird facts for her.”

That made him stop.

Not dramatically.

Just… still.

The knife in his hand pressed a little too hard into the table for a second before he eased off.

His jaw worked slightly like he was considering arguing it.

But nothing came out.

Carol didn’t push. She just watched him sit there for a moment, quiet in a way that wasn’t defensive anymore.

Finally, she spoke again—but softer this time, less teasing and more certain.

"It's not the bird facts she's listening for" she said, glancing briefly toward the yard where you were still talking. “You’re the part she’s tuned into.”

Daryl didn’t answer.

But his eyes went back anyway.

And stayed there longer than before.

Across the yard, you were still smiling. Still explaining. Still lighting up like the world hadn’t ended and somehow still had room for things like bird calls and facts and wonder.

Something in his expression shifted—a fondness too soft to name making way to the surface.

Carol noticed that too.

Her grin came back, smaller this time.

“Thought so,” she murmured.

Daryl finally picked up the knife again, but it didn’t move right away. His hand hovered for a second too long, like his attention was split between the work in front of him and the sound of your voice carrying across the yard.

He exhaled quietly through his nose.

“Shut up,” he said again.

But this time it didn’t carry any weight at all.

Just habit.

Carol only hummed in response, satisfied, and left him to it.

And when Daryl finally did look back down at the squirrel, his focus returned in pieces—fractured, incomplete—because part of him was still across the yard where you were, laughing like the world still made sense.

Somewhere beyond the fences, a Carolina wren called into the evening like it had all the time in the world.

Daryl rolled his eyes.

Then smiled anyway.

Daryl is many things — he’s rough, skilled, reliable, considerate and many other things. That’s why you would never understand why he would suddenly suggest for you to not go to the place where the Governor and Rick will speak. He was never like this before, well maybe the first time you met the group. The first time you’ve met them was during Winter. You were camping alone in a house when you saw them barging into the house you were camping in.

Let’s just say there was a lot of integration.

But the point is, you never thought Daryl would be this paranoid again for him to not allow you to join the talk between Rick and the Governor. Is he cautious of you again? Just like before? You understand why he would be paranoid before, but why did it happen again now?

“You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?” Maggie suddenly appeared on the side, holding her rifle down as she slowly walked towards you.

You looked at her squinting eyes due to the blazing rays of the sun. All you could do is nod at her question. “I just don’t know why he would do something like this….are you guys wary of me again?”

Maggie didn’t want to assume it, but she can’t also believe that you would be this blind. The farmer has seen the way Daryl would follow her like an animal with his gaze. Heck, everyone in the Prison — even Carl, noticed the way Daryl would just stare at you.

Maggie decided to give the poor oblivious girl a hint. “We aren’t wary of you. Rather, your presence alone has made someone extra attentive.”

“You’re saying Daryl hates me, that's why he’s like this?” You concluded, pupils tearing up at the thought.

OPPOSITE OF THAT! Maggie wanted to shout that, but she stopped herself from revealing Daryl’s secret crush.

“Oh good heavens no! He doesn’t! Try to think! C’mon! You can do it!” Maggie was practically begging to use all your smartass braincells to see right through her.

“Maggie, what are you even talking about?” You began to ask her, getting a bit frustrated that she’s giving you some riddles instead of getting an answer.

“Oh for fuck’s sake! Daryl l—Maggie!! Please help me with this!” She was interrupted by Carol holding a heavy box.

Maggie was never this annoyed at Carol before. But because she’s older than her, she had to obey which leaves you confused. The farmer jogged towards Carol while holding her rifle properly. “Carol, why did you have to call me? I was about to—tell her that Daryl’s puppy love with her?” Carol smiled, finishing Maggie’s sentence.

Maggie’s annoyed expression diminished a bit with her playful tone. “So why did you stop me then?” She had to ask with a hint of irritation.

Carol playfully grinned. “C’mon now. It’s been a while since something exciting like this happened!! To think it’s even about Daryl’s love life! It’s like those shows I used to watch whenever Ed’s not around!”

“Except this show is happening in real life,” Maggie smirked in astonishment.

Carol smiled. “Now you’re at my level! Now just stay quiet, and just let him…” The latter turned her head to the tower to see Daryl watching you like a hawk. “…do all the talking.”

Maggie chuckled, turning to the direction of where Daryl is currently staying. “You know. From this perspective, he looks like a creep,” She pointed out.

“If there was no zombie apocalypse, Daryl might be mistaken as a pedophile because [name] looks really young to be in her late thirties,” Carol added as she started walking back inside with Maggie.

“I know right?” Maggie smiled, walking with Carol as she turned her head to still see the archer following you with his eyes.

As the two women are laughing at their jokes, Daryl can hear every word they are saying. He couldn’t get annoyed at their jokes because their words spoke facts. The hunter tilted his head a bit, following your movements as you stab the walkers through the fences.

Months ago, Daryl knew something was wrong with him. Deep down his rough personality, he knew that you have some kind of effect on him. The moment he saw you for the first time was something he will never forget. Your entire body glowed under the moonlight passing through the window of the house. He remembered how he lowered down his bow as he noticed a shimmering flame from the camp fire through your eyes.

Therefore ever since you came to the group, his eyes would always find you. Sometimes, he didn’t even notice that he was staring at you — it’s almost him staring at you is a habit for him to do so.

At first, he didn’t know what this feeling was till his buddy, Rick, pointed it out. He remembered how Rick kept giving scenarios he witnessed to prove that Daryl likes you. Rick’s most favorite memory was when Daryl was cleaning his dagger as he walked while staring at you intensely. He looked at you with such eyes that he bumped into the wall, dropping his dagger to the ground.

Everyone in the prison witnessed this so it was hard to hold in their laughter. They almost even let it out when you saw the entire bumping scene.

“Daryl,” Someone from behind him called him. The hunter turned his face around to see Glenn.

The archer can only lift his head in a fast motion as he said, “Sup’ China man.”

Glenn rolled his eyes, feeling offended. “I’m Korean.”

Daryl chuckled, looking down on the ground for a moment. “Mhm. I know. Just bringin’ the good ol’ days, ya know?”

“Yeahhhh,,,being called China man is not exactly in my good old days book,” Glenn pointed out, walking towards him as he leaned his elbows onto the railing — copying Daryl.

“I’m guessing the reason why you are here is because of her, right?” Glenn asked, looking around the prison field as he felt Daryl stop moving.

“Ya knew?” He asked.

“Did I—?!?! Glenn scoffed playfully, “OF COURSE I KNEW!”

Daryl was taken back by his sudden outburst, genuinely not expecting the fact he got angry like this.

“You know, the fact that you’re giving me that confused look is pissing me off even more,” Glenn angrily confessed.

“…what?” He asked in bafflement.

“Oh for fuck’s sake—! You better tell her how you feel! Oh don’t get me started on the I’m afraid she’ll not accept me or the She deserves better than me lines! What gives you the right to assume what she wants, huh?!? That’s why you better man up, and fucking tell her how you feel! We’re already in an apocalypse as it is! So might as well live the best time of your life! That’s why tell her how you feel right now,” Glenn panted heavily, saying all the points he’s been wanting to say this entire time.

Daryl only stared at him with a numb look. The hunter already knew that — it’s just that what scares him right now is he might not be able to give you what you want. Even if you like him back and start a relationship, how can he ensure that he is doing well as a lover? All his life is about abuse from his father; thus, he did not grow with and out of love.

With his brother, Merle, it’s a different type of love — a brotherly bonding is maybe what you call it. But Merle has never given him the love you see in siblings. The douche left him to join the military to get away from their father for fuck’s sake.

In short, he never knew what it’s like to love someone. Therefore, he is scared that he will do something wrong when he’s in a relationship with you.

So before Daryl could reply to Glenn’s opinion, a sudden voice interrupted him. “Hate to break it to yall, but Rick needs us in the cell for some kind of meeting,” Maggie said, arching her brow at the tension between the two.

“Darly. Please don’t mind, Glenn. He’s just sexually frustrated at the moment since you took the only make out spot we’ve got where no one can interrupt us,” Maggie playfully teased, causing Glenn to blush in panic as he began to stutter for a bunch of reasons.

Daryl can only chuckle lightly, leaving the couple alone with their moment. He exited the tower quickly, making his way to the cell to see everyone in their place. Of course, the hunter spotted you first — you were sitting down on the stairs that connects to the second floor of the prison cell.

Minutes later, Glenn and Maggie followed; the two stayed standing with their arms linked together. This sight alone caused Daryl to feel a bit of envy since he also wanted to try doing that with you.

“As you all know, Andrea has called for some kind of meeting, a peace treaty to ensure there will be no fighting. All this to keep our people safe,” Rick reminded the group, crossing his arms as he walked around to build that momentum.

“Daryl, Hershel, [Name], I need you three to come with me to the place where Andrea told us to meet.” Those words alone caused Daryl to ignite in fury.

The hunter walked towards Rick with his frowning eyebrows, getting annoyed by the minute. “Didn’ I said that the girl stays here?” Daryl screamed in anger, walking away from the wall he was leaning at.

“Daryl, you need to cal—don’ tell me to calm down! You fucking promised!” Rick’s collar was grabbed by an angry Daryl.

Now, it was your turn to blaze in anger so you stomped your way to Daryl. You didn’t hesitate to push him, causing him to let go of Rick in shock. “What the damn fuck is your problem, huh? Why are you suddenly so wary of me? The fuck did I ever do to you?”

The hunter realized what he did so he composed himself first before speaking. “If I said yer stayin’, then ya better keep yer ass here,” Daryl spat out harshly, not holding back his emotions right now.

Your eyebrow twitched in anger. Your head tilted to the side as your jaw clenched in rage. “The fuck you said?”

Meanwhile, their audience just watched in amusement, waiting for the moment where one of them will just confess out of the blue. Turns out, the group planned this to happen with the help of Carol’s creative plan. The group knew that they wanted some entertainment before the storm. So they decided to trigger something in the tension between Daryl and you.

“Bet on my canned foods that [name] confesses first,” Carol whispers to Rick, causing him to smile.

“Bet on my amno that Daryl will kiss her,” Rick cockily grins.

“You’re on!” Carol laughed.

“I’m just here for the drama,” Hershel just adds with a chuckle.

“I still can’t believe that you guys find this amusing,” Carl says with a hint of confusion.

“Why can’t ya just listen to a word I just said, girl!” Daryl screamed, getting frustrated at why you can’t just listen to him for once.

“What about you! You don’t even answer my fucking questions! Why are you like this? Can you just tell me where I went wrong so we can fix this?” You spoke back, hoping to hear answers.

“For fuck’s sakes, woman! Why are you so complicated for me?” Daryl snapped, silencing everyone with his tone.

Your pupils widen as they quiver, feeling them getting wet by the second. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Daryl.” You sniffled, fighting yourself to hold back your tears.

“You’re the one that’s complicated! I can’t fucking believe I like you!” You suddenly screamed, not realizing you already confessed. Meanwhile, Carol nudges Rick with her shoulders, signaling him to do his side on the bet they made together.

Daryl couldn’g believe his ears. There’s no way you said that. T-There’s absolutely no way… “W-Whatchu just said?”

After what just happened, your brain finally processed what you did. You mentally cursed at your mouth for slipping the one secret you didn't want him to know. The flames on your cheeks started to increase as the minutes passed by.

Suddenly, Daryl called you. Your body hair just jolted up when you heard how fucking nice yoor name sounds out of his mouth. And fuck, he’s staring at you intensely — just like those other moments you accidentally caught him staring at you. That intense gaze of his is making your legs wobble a bit as you begin to shake for some reason.

It’s like a predator eyeing its prey.

“U-Uhhhh,,,I still stand what I said! I’m going Daryl! And you ain’t stopping m—” You stopped talking when he grabbed your face harshly and crashed his lips into yours.

A series of gasps mimicked in the background as you and Daryl were stuck in their own world, not caring about anything else except each other's warmth through their lips. You were definitely shocked, hence why you stood there like an idiot. However, his lips moved with so much passion so it snapped you back to reality.

The kiss was messy, but the fact that it was coming from your crush makes your legs begin to wobble at the pleasurable sensation. His hands held your face tighter and closer to his face, feeling the warmth of his body even more. Due to the height difference, him pulling you closer to his face is causing you to tip to your toes.

Daryl would continue to go on with this, but his lungs scream of oxygen so he sadly needs to pull back. With a heavy pant, he connected his forehead to yours as he stared down at you. He waited for a moment to catch his breath again then spoke, “Yer staying here, girl. You ain’t comin’ with us. I can’t afford to lose you.”

With his hands still on your head, you brought your hand up to place your hand on top of his. You leaned towards that hand as you rubbed his rough skin in circles, causing his stomach to feel things.

“I ain’t stayin’ here cuz I can’t also afford to lose ya, lover boy.”

“YES! WE GOT OUR MAKE OUT SPOT BACK!”

“Glenn. I swear to bacons. Shut your mouth.”

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝙣𝙤 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩.

Daryl has eyes in his face, he's no stranger to women, and it doesn't mean he doesn't like them either. He just doesn't know how to move around them. He's never been able to feel completely comfortable around them, his mother figure died when he was very young and his brother's friends couldn't be said to be very nice to him. But he has looked at Andrea, at Lori, when they arrived at the farm his eyes were fixed on Maggie, who immediately had a bond with Glenn and Daryl was curiously relieved. He also had Andrea's sister Amy in his sights, but he never really felt comfortable being so young, the same was true of the young Greene girl, her big, blue, frightened eyes caught his attention, but he quickly pushed all such thoughts from his mind. She's just a child. Yet you got into his head from day one. First because you were annoying, then because the smile that would come across your face every time you checked that Daryl's wounds were healing as they should to him made his stomach squirm in a strange way. So he decided to drive you away with grunts, snorts and cutting looks, but nothing seemed to dampen your spirits.

Until you found Sophia, or rather her walking corpse. Your spirits faltered a bit and Daryl felt defeated, he thought he could have saved her and she had been there locked up all this time. Anger got the better of him and he decided to walk away from the group.

That was the first time you dared to hit him and that surprised him even more. There were many things that caught his attention about you, physically, but your character was what managed to unbalance him whenever he thought he knew you completely; you were wild when you had to be, something took hold of you and you lashed out like a bull, always in the right way against the right target, however when you were calm you were kind, you laughed easily and you were even characterized by a slight stuttering product of the nervousness that invaded you when you wanted to tell something very fast and your brain worked faster than your mouth. It was those little things that got Daryl's attention, and he felt a confused need to protect you. However, that night when you lunged at him and hit him, the feeling that came over him was noxious, lascivious. He wished he could have caught you and confronted you, but he wouldn't have laid a finger on you. At least not to hurt you. He had never felt that way before with a woman.

He also wasn't quite sure if it was your words that made him react and go back to the group or he wanted to apologize to Carol for the way he acted, only to learn that Rick had brought a boy there who had been abandoned by his group. Randal. The decision was to eliminate him as his group was dangerous, but you and Dale disagreed.

Then you lost Dale and you completely collapsed.

Dale was a good man who didn't deserve that ending, Daryl knows that too, seeing you in the river trying to get the image of his death out of your mind gave him a confused feeling. He wanted to help you, but he didn't really know how to do it and certainly when he opened his mouth to say something, what came out of it was anything but helpful. You took your anger out on him again and Daryl was unable to control himself then.

Desire.

That's what flooded him the very moment he managed to trap you under his body and his knee pressed the right button. Almost literally. Hearing you gasp and feeling you tremble was what prevented him from being able to hold back any longer. He felt your slight resistance as a warning that maybe he was confusing things, but when he squeezed his knee again and you responded positively, he knew you were on the same page.

 Now Hershel has given you permission to stay at his house. Daryl still prefers the camp, he doesn't like the constant buzz in the living room at night, he prefers the solitude and quiet of his tent. He stands on the porch of the house nibbling his lower lip nervously. His mind can't stop thinking about what you two did at the river, he doesn't know if he should apologize to you or just let it go. You haven't made mention of it, you've gone on with your own mourning, helping to move the campsite around, inside the house, the girls have noticed the hickey Daryl left on your neck unconsciously and every time his gaze crosses Carol's, the woman looks at him amused and he reddens up to his ears. He feels stupid because he's not a fucking teenager anymore, he already has hair on his balls and yet there he is, forming a whole speech in his mind so he can talk to you.

When he sees you walking away from the house with a few things in your arms and you walk into the hayloft where you're holding Randal until you decide what to do with him. His brow furrows and he bites down harder than he expects to, on his fingernail. He hisses and hops off the porch holding the crossbow on his back, going exactly the same way you've gone. He stops abruptly when he hears soft laughter coming from inside the haystack. He would recognize that soft, gentle gesture anywhere. He knows you're trying to be nice to the boy, he doesn't know the reason, but you're trying to make him feel comfortable with you. Daryl frowns harder, something twists in his gut, why would you want to be nice to someone you don't even know? He's one of the bad guys, he's admitted himself that he's part of a dangerous group, so why? A burst of anger and rage seizes him and he opens the haystack door violently.

You freeze as you see him appear through the door, eyes wide open and Daryl is breathing heavily through his nose, his nostrils flaring with each breath and his crossbow held high in the air.

“What the hell is goin' here?” grunts without lowering the crossbow.

“I'm helping him, he's hurt.”

“That ain't yer problem.” He barks and you frown, ignore him and carefully continue to treat Randal's wrists, which are raw from the rubbing of the handcuffs.

Daryl tenses his jaw once again, incredulous that you can be so stubborn. He lowers the crossbow hanging it back on his back and approaches you. Laughter is still ringing in his ears and anger bubbles under his skin. It's frustrating and he doesn't want to feel this way. He doen't know how to make it shut up. He walks over to you and grabs your arm, with a yank he lifts you up and pulls you out of the haystack, you kick and protest trying to let go, but Daryl holds your arm like his hand is an iron pincer. Daryl has to use all his strength because you've dug your heels into the ground and he's practically dragging you because you've left your body in dead weight. Daryl screams in pain as your teeth dig into the hand holding you and he releases you abruptly. Your body loses balance and you fall backwards on your ass. Daryl looks at your scarred teeth in his hand and turns to look at you. You are still on the ground, and the anger is evident in you, but also in him.

“Yer crazy!?” He yells and you snort.

“Am I the crazy here? Really!? What's wrong with you, asshole!?” You yell in return.

“Yer helpin' the enemy!” He grunts looking at his hand again, your bite is turning red and a bit bloody.

“For God sakes, it's a child!”

“He ain't yer problem!” He yells at you once again and you take a breath trying to control yourself.

“Daryl… Randal isn't dangerous, Dale wanted…”

“Dunno talk ‘bout him! Ya ain't belong to our group!”

“That didn't seem to matter to you when you fucked me!”

“It was a mistake!”

“Oh! Sure it was!”

Daryl's jaw tenses when he hears your response. He knows he hasn't been able to control his mouth in time either, but hearing those words come out of your mouth still ring in his ears. You suddenly relax, Daryl also seems to deflate a bit, but he still frowns as he can't stop thinking about how you were helping the kid in the haystack.

"Let's go. Don't come by here again." He growls and grabs your arm again, tugging you slightly.

"W... What the fuck are you doing? Get off me!" You demand wanting to let go. "Who do you think you are to order me anything, you think because you fuck me you have the right to talk to me like that!?"

"Shut up!" He yells back and looks around, the last thing he needs right now is for everyone to know. You frown as you watch him look desperately everywhere.

"Do I disgust you that much that you don't want anyone to know?" you ask him hurt and Daryl's eyes widen again.

Something snaps inside Daryl, he doesn't know how to deal with the words that just came out of your mouth. He doesn't feel disgusted by you, in fact it's quite the opposite, in any case he would feel disgusted with himself for assaulting you like that in the river, but he doesn't know how to express himself, he's never been good with words and when he's under pressure even less so he growls in frustration, letting go of your arm.

“Ya a stupid bitch!” He grunts and he turns away, feeling the anger rising in his stomach.

But things don't get any better, when Randal escapes and soon after Daryl discovers that it was Shane who let him out and he killed him himself. Rick is out there with him, you want to go looking for them, but a gunshot in the distance freezes the blood in your veins. And not only that, a horde of Walkers is approaching the farm. Panic sets in from one moment to the next, the barn is on fire, the dead are surrounding the house, Carl has disappeared... everything is in complete chaos. Daryl manages to get out of there with the motorcycle, he sees Rick pass by with Lori and Carl in a car, Maggie and Glenn are also riding together. He is nervous because he stays behind checking that everyone is getting out of there, but he doesn't see you. A pressure digs into his chest. He bites his lip and shakes his leg desperately. T-dog drives by with the blue van and they stop.

"Daryl! She's been left behind! She was surrounded by Walkers!" yells Carol at him and needs no more information.

He starts the engine of the bike and turns around going back to the farm, he knows that the noise of the bike can attract the attention of the dead, but he doesn't care. He just wants to find you. He spots you on the side of the farm, running away from several Walkers and speeds up to get to where you are. He can see a gesture of surprise and relief on your face at the sight of him, there are traces of tears on your dirty face, but now is not the time.

“C'mon! I haven't all day!” Daryl screams and you practically jump on the back of his bike.

Daryl doesn't stop as you get out of there, he even speeds up again. On the same ride you get well on his back and dare to go around his waist pressing yourself against his back. When the farm is far enough away and there is no sign of any Walkers nearby, Daryl diverts the path of his bike by stopping on the side of the road. There is a small rest area and he leaves the bike there. He gets out of his seat, running his hands over his face. He is frustrated and scared. He doesn't like feeling this way, he feels he can't think clearly. Out of the corner of your eye you watch as you get off the bike too, looking around nervously, rubbing your arms in an attempt to comfort yourself. Daryl walks purposefully towards you, fists clenched, heart racing.

“Yer hurt? Bites? Scratches?” He asks approaching you.

“N… no… they didn't catch me…” You mumble nervously, your eyes again filled with tears. “But… Andrea… she…”

“Dunno care Andrea now.” He cuts off your words and you look at him surprised.

Daryl holds your face in his hands and leans in to kiss you. The surprise is evident on your face, of all the things you expected Daryl to be able to do in a situation like this, kissing you was the one you never would have imagined. He can't pull away, as your lips meet the images of the river come back to his mind and his whole body reacts as your hands rest on his waist and your mouth opens, giving him access. His hand tightens in your hair and the other goes down to your waist to press your bodies closer together. You gasp and Daryl tenses for a moment, then pulls away, his breathing ragged and pupils dilated.

“Yer okay?”

“Y… yes… I'm just…” You aren't sure what to say.

“Let's go, we have to find the others.” He says to you and you nod.

You return to the bike and without saying anything you set off again towards the road where you hope to find the rest of the group. Luckily the others are there waiting for you. After agreeing on what you are going to do from now on, you set off, Daryl makes room for you on the back of his bike and you continue your journey together. The hunter has insisted on it, after what happened at the Greene farm he doesn't want to lose sight of you as much as possible. The following months become hard, Daryl hunts what he finds to try to keep the group, in the houses they find they have already looted the supplies or there are so many Walkers that you can't even stay there to rest.

That night Daryl is standing guard at the camp you have managed to set up among some ruins on the side of the road. He's had a strange conversation with Carol, doubting Rick's leadership, and now he can't stop thinking about it. Rick is keeping you alive, why should he be doing anything wrong? What was the woman expecting him to do? He growls low and bites his thumb. He tenses under his poncho turning his head and discovers you at his side, arms crossed, wanting to keep your body warm, winter is coming to Georgia and if it catches you on the road, you'll be screwed. Even more so with a baby on the way.

“What’re ya doin'? Go to sleep.” He says to you and you shake your head approaching him. “What?” He asks you with a frown when he sees that you don't open your mouth.

“You kissed me… again.” You finally say and Daryl feels all his body tense. “You said that was a mistake and you kissed me later…”

“You said it was a mistake too.” He says with a husky voice, looking down avoiding your eyes.

“Of course I said it, what’s suppose I have to say when you look at me like that?” You tell him with a frown and running a hand over your face. Daryl sees your frustration and understands you, for he feels the same way, he is not able to deal with what is tormenting him, there are too many things on his mind and he is not able to put them all in order. He gets up from the stone he is sitting on and walks towards you, he doesn't really know what he is going to say to you, nor how the words that are jumbling around in his head will come out of his mouth.

“I… I don't think it was a mistake… I wanted it to happen but… not like this, I…” He keeps stammering, a stutter prevents him from expressing himself as he would really like to. You continue to stare at him, waiting. “Yer always on my mind and… I tried to pushed ya away ‘cause…”

“Are you trying to say me that you like me?”

“I dunno… I never felt… like this before…”

“And what’s about Randal? You were jealous?”

“No. Maybe…” Daryl looks down once more shaking his shoulders in a vague response. He can almost feel you smiling and that again bothers him. He doesn't like you teasing him, he's not good at it and he feels trapped.

“It's okay, Daryl, I understand what are you trying to say, but you can't talk to me or treat me like this, I'm a human and I have my own feelings, you know? I'm not going to pressure you, if you really feel something for me… just tell me when you’ll feel ready, but please don't push me away from you… we can be friends too… don't you think?”

Daryl hesitates for a moment, but finally nods his head with a small grunt reaffirming his gesture and you smile. Daryl sees the hesitation in you and his heart races as you lean in and kiss him on the cheek.

“Good night, Daryl.” You mutter and return to the group, leaving the hunter with his guard.

 After a few more days of searching, you finally find the prison. It's full of walkers, but you manage to clear the outside courtyard and get a decent meal. In the distance you see Daryl and Carol talking on top of the bus you have placed at the gate so the walkers can't get to you. You smile because you're glad to see that the redneck finally trusts the rest of the group enough to dare to make friends, plus you feel a strange and beautiful friendship forming between the two of them and you like that. You have a quiet dinner, even Beth starts to sing, calming the tension of your tired bodies. The next morning you clean up Block C and although it is unpleasant to know that all those people have died there in the worst way, you now have a roof over your heads. Daryl doesn't seem comfortable with sleeping in a cell, so he stays in the hallway on the second floor, with a few sheets and using his own backpack and quiver as a pillow, but for the most part you're all fine.

Until chaos breaks out once again.

You have found some prisoners in the mess hall who are trying to survive as best they can. Some of them have no intention of starting a war with the group, but others are unable to leave their past behind. Rick has to make the decision to get rid of them, but they manage to take the walker yard again and you are forced to fight for your lives once more. When all the chaos passes, Carl and Maggie show up with a baby in their arms, but Lori doesn't come back with them. Grief and despair take hold of Rick who seems immersed in his own madness for the next few days. You all strive to care for the little baby as she travels from hand to hand being coddled and fed. Daryl looks very tender with the baby in his arms.

However, something else is bothering the hunter and he is not able to hide it. After they helped save the block, Axel and Oscar have become part of the group, although not everyone trusts them. Daryl keeps a close eye on them, Oscar is quiet and doesn't talk much, but Axel just hangs around the women in the group and he doesn't like it. He's even seen Carol call him out for getting too close to Beth.

That morning you are busy at the gate killing walkers who crowd the prison gate wanting to get to you. It is one of the tasks you take turns, keeping watch, killing walkers, taking care of the baby and looking for supplies that you can't find in the prison as you don't trust yourselves to go too far from C block, in case you find yourselves surrounded by walkers again. Axel is with you helping you, or rather giving you conversation more than helping. The man hasn't interacted with anyone of the opposite sex for too long and it's obvious he has his own needs, you are amused by his desperate attempt to get one of you to like him, but he always fails.

"Hey, you!" You both hear Daryl's voice approaching you. "Go back inside, yer on watchtower duty." He says to Axel growling at the end of the sentence. Axel seems to hesitate for a moment, but finally gives him the iron bar and walks away leaving you two alone. You watch Daryl's frown as he watches the man walk away, biting his lip.

"He was just helping me." You tell him earning a snort.

"That one doesn't want to help ya, why are ya always surrounded by men?" he growls in annoyance and you raise your eyebrows letting out an amused chuckle. Daryl scowls at you, he doesn't see the humor in it. “What?”

“No, nothing… It’s pretty funny seeing you jealous…”

“I ain’t…” He mutters and bites his lower lip in frustration. “It’s his fault, he’s always around ya, like a prick, What’s the matter with him? He was a vulture in other life or what?” He grunts once again and you laugh hard.

“Sorry…” You say when you see him frowning. “But Axel is harmless. I mean, he's been alone for a long time, surrounded by men, I think he's feeling a little overwhelmed now and trying to.... I don't know, be a gentleman."

"Oh sure, a gentleman, he just wants to fuck someone."

"Yes, but as I say he tries to conquer our heart first." You laugh again and Daryl clenches his jaw in disgust. "Two days ago he thought Carol was a lesbian and wen she said him that she wasn’t he hasn't left her alone since that… He's afraid of me, he doesn't talk much with me."

"Yeah, I just saw that." Daryl says with a teasing tone.

"I guess it's also because you're always around me and looking at everyone with that face." You shrug and Daryl shoots you an angry look and you laugh. "Yeah, that one."

"Shut up..." He mutters lowering his gaze, feeling his anger slowly deflate.

You smile leaving your task of keeping the walkers at bay. That morning there isn’t too much movement around the prison, so you can be safe for another day. You place the iron bar on your belt and walk over to him, stroking his cheek affectionately. Daryl feels himself flinch under your touch and his fists clench. He is unable to control himself when you are near and it frustrates him. He looks up to face you seeing you still smiling for him and something twists inside him.

Rick is slowly coming to his senses only to be rammed by a new threat. Gleen and Maggie have been kidnapped by a psychopath and a wounded woman has appeared by the prison telling you about a town, not far from there, where the "Governor" is a sinister man, the people seem to live in peace and harmony, but there are many things hidden. They are the ones who have taken Gleen and Maggie. Rick prepares a patrol to go in search of them, Daryl has become his most trusted man, so he is not going to leave him alone at any time, the new woman, Michionne, also goes to show them the way, Oscar also joins the cause although Rick isn’t totally convinced of this. They are going out that same night and you approach Daryl. You touch his arm, concerned, and he looks at you biting his lip.

"Be safe..." You ask squeezing your hands nervously. "Come home, please." You ask again, staring at him. Daryl falls silent, his heart beating too fast, wanting to say something, but his mouth refuses to cooperate. He grunts and nods, reaches up to brush against your arm, but you can't control yourself and hug him, hiding your face in his chest. Daryl's whole body tenses under your touch, but he succeeds in squeezing your shoulders kissing the top of your head.

"I'll be back, don't worry." He promises you.

But Daryl doesn't come back.

Daryl has found his brother and he’s his family. No one wants him in prison and he isn’t going to give him up again. He knows he isn’t acting consciously, that his real family is in the prison, that Merle has abandoned him throughout his life so many times he can't count them anymore, yet he is unable to abandon him. He is his brother. As they move away from the rest of the group Daryl endures the taunts and insults Merle has in store for each of those he considers his friends. His mouth starts to fill with shit when he talks about Gleen and Daryl explodes because he doesn't know shit about any of you. Then in his mind you pop up and he stops. He shouldn't be there. He's promised you he was going back to the prison and yet there he is, in the middle of the woods with a total asshole he can't even call a brother, who allied himself with a bunch of psychos instead of going after him, instead of helping Andrea get out of there he was following everything the Governor said to the letter. It was pathetic. He snorts loudly and shoves his brother's shoulder who looks at him confused.

"What yer doin’ man?"

"I'm going back to where I really belong." He grunts without stopping walking. "Ya can do whatever the hell ya want, like always." He sentences leaving his brother behind.

You are in your cell hugging your legs nervously. Your head is resting on your knees and you feel that you are unable to control your tears again. Daryl is gone, and that has broken you more than you thought it would. You had really hoped that he would return to the prison, maybe not with you, but with the rest of the group, he had earned his place in a big way, everyone wanted him there and yet, from what Gleen and Maggie had told you, he had put his own brother above any of you. You'd understand if Merle wasn't... well, Merle. Axel has tried to talk to you, not just him, Carol is also hurt by the archer's abandonment, but you don't want to see anyone. You have no right to feel that way either, you know Daryl didn't formally confess, he was fighting his own feelings and you gave him the space he felt he needed, you asked him not to treat you differently and he had tried by making your living together more pleasant for both of you.

You sniffle through your nose and wipe your tears away in frustration. You startle when you discover a figure leaning against your cell door and your heart stops.

"Who made ya cry?" he asks you hoarsely, with a smile that reflects apology and you laugh in a gasp.

"An idiot..." You joke seeing his smile widen and he gives you a sidelong glance.

"Sorry..." He mumbles and dares to enter your cell with hesitant steps. You get up from your bunk and walk over to him hugging him, not caring if he is uncomfortable with it or not. He owes you, for making you care. "I'm back, girl." He whispers in your ear and your hair stands up in goose bumps.

You pull away and you know that maybe you're crossing a line that Daryl can't afford yet, but you don't care. You stand on tiptoe and kiss him holding onto his shoulders. Daryl's body tenses again, but he responds to your kiss by grabbing your cheeks and taking a step forward, the two of you standing in the center of the cell. You gasp against his mouth and his tongue tangles with yours making the kiss more intense. Daryl's hands tighten on your waist like a pincer, you stroke the back of his neck, tugging at the slightly longer locks hearing him growl against your mouth. He slowly pulls you back until your back slams against the bunk structure. You need a moment to breathe, his mouth moves down to your neck, kissing and biting your skin, you gasp and close your eyes at the sensation, your hands run down his back pressing your fingers lightly against his shoulders as his teeth close a little tighter on the curve of your neck and his lips suck on your skin leaving a small mark. You spread a few centimeters apart so that Daryl manages to remove the various layers of shirts you're wearing and lays you down on the cell bunk. He watches you from your position, your breathing agitated, your cheeks flushed and your skin marked by the line of his kisses and the trace of his beard. He hesitates before shedding his vest and tank top and you gasp in surprise. After that day you healed him at the Greene farm you had never seen his naked torso again. You discover some new scars, but you don't stop to ask. Not now. Daryl awkwardly gets rid of his boots and his pants and stands completely naked in front of you. You bite your lip with desire, roaming his body with your gaze. Daryl walks over to you, you try to get rid of what's left of your clothes, but he takes over. You groan as he pulls your legs apart and bites your cunt on the rough fabric of your jeans. A giggle escapes you as you feel the man's desperation as he growls and nearly rips your clothes from your skin. He crawls until he is completely on top of you and kisses you desperately, bites your lips, bursts inside your mouth with his tongue making you gasp and sigh arching under his body as he starts rubbing his hard cock against your cunt covered by the fabric of your panties still feeling you getting wetter and wetter.

"Daryl..." You gasp his name getting his attention. His gaze is darkened, his pupils dilated and there's a strange smile on his mouth that makes you shudder beneath him.

"I'm here, girl..." He growls again, settles on top of you reaching a hand between your bodies, stroking you over the fabric of your panties, you moan and bite your lip, you spread your legs wider to give him more access and he joins in to rip the fabric protecting you. "Yer so wet for me..." He says sliding his fingers through your folds feeling his fingers getting wet every time he moves them up and down all over your pussy. You moan again and wiggle your hips against him, wanting to feel his fingers inside you. "Yer so desperated..." Your whole body vibrates as his breath brushes against your swollen muscle, sending gentle shocks of pleasure throughout your body. You bite your lip and close your eyes in anticipation of what's to come, wishing he would.

“Please, Daryl… I need you…” You beg and the hunter grunts against your pussy and opens his mouth catching yours folds with his lips sucking all your wetness. You moan loudly and arch up, thrusting your hips against his mouth. His tongue runs along your folds and his lips suck on your clit, he licks and lightly bites your sensitive muscle making you tremble under his touch and your fingers close tightly around his hair. “Daryl!” You moan again bitting your lower lip.

“Ya taste so fuckin’ good” He grunts and you feel your cheeks blushing.

His mouth plays and has fun with your pussy making you wetter and wetter, your gasps and moans louder, you shudder under his body feeling like you are on the verge of your orgasm, Daryl's fingers grope the entrance of your cunt and slide slowly, without resistance, he moves them in and out and you can't hold on any longer. You moan louder and arch against his fingers feeling yourself cum clutching the sheets of the bunk as your mind becomes a mess and your vision dims seeing little sparks of light. Daryl's tongue picks up your cum sucking on your clit once more before crawling over you and seeking your mouth kissing you. You taste yourself on his tongue and gasp at the taste.

“I want…” You start saying feeling all your face red, but he shakes his head.

“Not now.” He just says and he puts your legs around his own waist.

The tip of his cock brushes your entrance and he stares at you, you bite your lip nodding your head, giving him the permission his gaze is asking for. Daryl slowly pushes slowly entering your pussy, which dilates with every inch he pushes inside until he is completely encased inside you. You both gasp in pleasure, your walls tighten around his cock feeling it throb inside you. Daryl grunts and holding onto the sheets begins to move on top of you. You moan arching under his body as his cock touches a g spot and you hug his shoulders moving in time with him, clenching around him each time you feel him thrusting in and out of you, snatching grunts of pleasure that turn into soft moans hidden in the hollow of your neck. Slowly Daryl's hips begin to move faster, his breathing becomes erratic and his thrusts become more and more irregular and jerky inside you feeling on the edge. His hands sink under your body to grab your ass, pulling you closer to him, feeling him deeper if possible. His last onslaught hits your g-spot and you moan arching up, hugging his shoulders, clawing at his skin, cumming on his cock, clenching around him bringing him to his own climax, feeling him fill you completely.

You don't know at what point you've fallen asleep, but you wake with a start when the smell of humor hits your nose. You open your eyes to find Daryl sitting on the edge of the bunk, his back to you, smoking absentmindedly, oblivious to the fact that you've woken up or it seems. You lie there for a moment, staring at his scarred back. It isn’t the first time you've seen it, but it’s the first time Daryl seems to have allowed you to do so willingly. They are very old signs, he clearly never had an easy life, but that has made him strong over the years. You bite your lip and slowly sit up behind him, making just enough noise for him to know you're awake, for him to cover if he needs to, but Daryl doesn't move. You sit on his back wrapping your arms around his chest kissing every scar on his back. You feel him tense for a moment, but he doesn't move, he lets you trace each mark with your lips, feeling his skin go goosebumps at the warm touch of your lips, your hands caress his chest, run over the scars on his belly and chest, Daryl sighs and tosses the cigarette to the floor of the cell, resting his hands on your legs dangling on either side of his body.

"I can't leave ya..." He mumbles and you look sideways at him, saying nothing. "This is where I belong now... With everyone, with ya..." He bites his lip feeling like it's hard for him to talk about it. "If ya..."

"Yes, yes I want to be with you, Daryl, I don't want to be separated from you anymore..." you whisper against his back, resting your head on his shoulder.

"I ain’t goin’ anywhere." He promises you and you both smile.

Thanks for reading! I hoped you enjoyed it!!

mug concept art by Tamio (2025)