leah

STRANGER THINGS

billy hargrove

steve harrington

eddie munson

jonathan byers

robin buckley

~ more coming soon ~

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ENOLA HOLMES

sherlock

~ more coming soon ~

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BALDUR'S GATE 3

astarion

~ more coming soon ~

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THE WALKING DEAD

~ more coming soon ~

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SUPERNATURAL

After your shared kiss, a silence fell between you and Daryl. Not an unpleasant one, just a moment of awe and shock at what had just occurred.

Daryl had meant to cook you a simple meal, and yet it ended in a mess of orange powder and his lips on yours.

Daryl had been the first to break the comfortable silence. “Been waitin’ to do that for a while now.” He smiled at you, his hand drifting down to your waist to keep you close.

This finally felt right. A man who held you without force.

Without pain.

“Me too.” You swiped off the powder from his chest, your touch making Daryl flush bright red. 

“Can’t wait to do it again.” Daryl grinned.

“Oh yeah? Anything else you feel like doing?” You offered him a wink. Daryl’s face went bright red at your comment and he gave you a nervous laugh. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want you. Because, fuck did he think of you during those late nights sitting on the porch with a cigarette, shifting in his seat after mental images of you in those tight jeans you always wear.

But he was concerned for you. Spencer had such an effect on you, and Daryl would hate to force you into anything just because of his feelings.

“Wouldn’t you like ta’ know.” He patted your hip gently and moved away.

“I would actually-” You started to speak, but then Daryl cut you off by putting a finger up to his lips to signal you to stay silent.

The gates were opening. The shuttering sounds of metal reminded you that your time is up.

Spencer was back. But, so was Rick.

And Daryl had an idea. First, however, he had to make sure you were okay. 

“Hey, s’gonna be alright. I’ll be with ya’ the whole time.” Daryl eyed your anxious movement, how your eyes fluttered towards the door like you wanted to go to him. “Just tell me what ya’ wanna do.” 

“Wanna show him m’not scared anymore.” You grabbed one of the pistols Daryl had lying around, just in case things got violent. 

“Ya’ think he’ll try somethin’?” Daryl furrowed his brow, wondering if he should let you go if Spencer tried to fight.

“Nah, never in front of everyone. Just in case he pulls anything.” You holstered his gun and opened the blinds slightly to get a good look at what was going on outside.

Daryl felt a pang of electricity run through him at the sight of you grabbing his gun, handling it, using it. He felt like a teenager in love.

You headed towards the door, and Daryl stopped you with a hand in front of the door. You felt the briefest amount of joy at his actions. It wasn’t a harsh grab to the wrist or a yank of your arm.

It was gentle.

“I got an idea. Can I tell Rick about what’s been goin’ on? Promise to tell him only what’s important. Maybe we could get this asshole arrested.” Daryl asked your permission to tell Rick, because it was ultimately your choice of whether this news came out or not.

“Yes, you can tell him. But are you sure you can handle him? He’s not exactly going to be cooperative.” Spencer was fucking massive, definitely holding a few inches difference from Daryl and Rick.

“Hell yeah.” Daryl scoffed as if it were a stupid question.

You both took a pause and exited Daryl’s apartment, taking off to the gate where Spencer, Rick, and Abraham had just arrived.

Daryl’s eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of Spencer talking to Abraham about where to put the supplies they had acquired. 

Spencer felt a pair of eyes on him, leading him to turn around to glance in your direction. The sight of your cast made him drop what he was doing.

Because he gave you instructions. To stay.

And yet here you are, a cast on your arm and wearing a tank top to show the whole community your bruising.

While Spencer stayed frozen as he looked you over, suddenly aware of the number of people who were observing your new injury with suspicion. Daryl snaked his way to Rick, his fists balled up so tightly he thought he’d break his fingers. Spencer was right there.

Except this was your fight, your chance to finally stand up to him. And he owed you that.

“Rick, we needa’ talk.” Daryl waved him over, glancing at Spencer as he slowly approached you. “See that cast? See the bruises?” Daryl didn’t have to say much; Rick made the connection within seconds. 

“Daryl, you gotta be sure. If we accuse him without knowin’ for sure-”

“Found her with a broken arm 2 days ago. He pushed her into a wall, her words.” Daryl wasn’t even looking at Rick, his eyes glued to the man approaching you.

“And I didn’t even realize. Want me to cuff him? We got that cell down there that we could put him in.” Daryl enjoyed the fact that sometimes his mind worked in tandem with Rick’s.

“Ya’ damn right I do. Let’em talk first.” Daryl approached you, finding a spot right next to you, much to Spencer’s dismay.

“Thought I told you to stay home, honey. You need to rest.” Spencer used a soft voice, approaching you with open arms.

You just laughed, watching as his sad smile fell. “Honey? You have no right to call me that anymore.”

Spencer’s eye twitched as he fought to regain his composure. “I’m sorry I left, I promised you that I’d bring you somethin’ back.” He offered you a ring. “A real one, one that you deserve.”

So, instead of giving in to the hope that he might change, you walked up to him. “You can shove your ring where the sun don’t shine!” You snatched the ring from him and chucked it across the road.

You took a breath in what seemed like forever, a weight lifting off your shoulders. Guess the wedding’s off. You thought.

Spencer glanced at his surroundings, eyes falling on people with shocked looks on their faces. Particularly, his eyes fluttered to Carol, who was hiding her own smirk.

That was it.

“You think you can talk to me this way in front of everyone? Why don’t we go back to my place to talk this out?” Spencer held his hands up in a way that spoke, ‘I’m innocent’.

“Why? So you can break my other arm? No, I want you right here.” You pointed to the current cast you had on your left arm.

Spencer growled at your sassy response. “Goddamn it, can you just fucking listen to me?” Spencer began to approach you, fiery anger reflecting in his eyes.

“Take one more damn step.” Daryl aimed his crossbow at Spencer, causing him to back up a few steps.

“Fuck. It’s Daryl, isn’t it? He got into your fucking head. Lied to you.” Spencer’s words hit you hard. Maybe because it was partly true, Daryl was a big reason why you decided to do this. 

But it was your choice.

“No. Daryl let me make my decision. You wouldn’t know what that’s like.”

“You fucking bitch-” Spencer pulled something out of his belt. Nobody saw what it was, but Daryl didn’t hesitate to charge at him, punching his arm to get him to drop it.

It was at this moment that Rick decided to run up behind Spencer with the cuffs. The metallic clatter on the pavement told everyone that it was a knife. 

Daryl shoved Spencer’s arms backward to allow Rick to cuff him. Spencer fought back, attempting to yank his arms away and snake out of their grasp.

But it was useless; the two men had overpowered him with ease. “Ya’ got him?” Daryl glanced at the direction of the jail cell. Rick nodded. “I’ll have Abraham help me out. You go to her.”

Daryl didn’t need to be told twice. He practically ran over to you, standing in front of you to shield you from Spencer being taken away.

“Deep breaths. I’m here.” Daryl took your shaking hands in his, watching you carefully. Your whole body felt like it was on fire.

Spencer was actually going to attack you in front of everyone.

Your whole body shook in response to the utter adrenaline of the entire ordeal. It was finally over. He was gone.

Daryl watched as your legs began to tremor, and he understood the impending fall if he didn’t interfere now. “Can I carry you?” He was leaning forward to meet your eyes, trying desperately to ensure that you understood how safe you were with him.

“Yes, don’t think I can stand much longer.” Daryl scooped you up without a second thought, his shoulder muscles flexing against your skin as he held you close to his chest.

The couch felt like a saving grace as Daryl set you down. Daryl kneeled in front of you, looking up at you to meet your eyes. “You did so good.” He praised you, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat off your forehead. 

“Made that motherfucker pay.” Your words slurred as exhaustion hit you suddenly.

Daryl smiled at you and pushed your hair out of your face so you could breathe and collect yourself. “Was badass.” 

The couch dipped when he sat next to you. “Ya’ need anything else?” Daryl wanted to hold you so much in this moment, but that was up to what you were comfortable with.

“No, you’ve already done so much for me over these past few days.” A twinge of guilt hit you. 

“You deserve it,” Daryl spoke softly, but it was enough to confirm how you felt about him. You moved closer to him, pressing your head against him.

Daryl gently lifted his arm to wrap it around you, the silence between you speaking a thousand words. Leaning into his chest, you breathed in his addictive scent. You felt yourself unravel instantly, and your fear and anxiety about what came next melted away.

“You didn’t have to do that, y’know?” You spoke absentmindedly, not giving Daryl the full context of your thought.

“Do what?” He glanced down at you. Nervously, he ran through everything he did today in case you were mad at him. He’d want to make it right.

But it was the opposite. “Charging Spencer like that. He could have killed you…” You would never forgive yourself if Daryl had died because he was doing what you were too scared to do for months.

“He could’a killed you too. Would rather it be me.” He shrugged, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. 

“I was just so scared, Daryl. He wasn’t even hiding his actions anymore.” You felt tears well in your eyes as you stared off into the distance.

Daryl noticed you phasing in and out of focus, giving you time to overthink. He decided to take a risk.

His hands found your waist, gently moving you to sit in his lap. Not with anything else in mind but comforting you. “I know. But you’re here with me, you’re safe here.” He held you close to him, hoping this proximity and touch were enough to bring you back from your thoughts.

Silence settled into the room as Daryl felt your body relax on top of him, the tension beginning to leave you within minutes of sitting in his grasp.

You finally felt yourself come back from the fear, the worry. And instead, you became hyperaware of what was happening right now.

Daryl’s hands on your thighs. 

This felt new, a different feeling that made you feel safe and wanted for the first time in months. It felt like you could trust him, and that he wouldn’t abandon you, wouldn’t force you.

Daryl felt this too, a gentle pulse of desire that had only grown in the time you’d been calming down. 

You met his gaze and paused to dwell on that feeling, and there was something unspoken. A sense of safety that brought in only one thought: release.

You shuddered as a lustful wave washed over you with sudden onset. You glanced down at his hand.

“This okay?” Daryl checked in with you, unsure of whether you were ready for anything. You gave him a nod.

“Need words.” He pressed his forehead to yours.

“Please, Daryl.” You needed a release. A way to get this adrenaline out and make you forget about everything.

The sound of his name on your lips made him weak. “Wanna make ya’ feel good. Wanna help you relax.” He moved closer to you, pressing his lips onto yours in a soft way, as if you were about to shatter in his hands.

“Fuck, please-” You pulled away from the kiss to whimper a response, rolling your hips against his obvious growing bulge. 

Daryl grunted softly in response, his lips moving to your neck to place gentle, loving kisses down your heated skin. 

Heat fluttered through your body when Daryl lifted you off his waist and laid you down onto the couch. He placed his large hands on your knees, slowly bringing them apart.

To have you, underneath him, looking up at him like he was worthy. The feeling was heavenly.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” He paused, his face right above yours, ready to stop or continue after hearing you.

“Daryl, just keep going, please.” Shit, there was his name again. He strangled his groan by placing some more sweet kisses along your jawline, his hands hesitantly landing on your waist.

You were special to him; he was just so nervous to accidentally push you too far or do something that you didn’t like.

“Need your hands on me.” You whined pitifully, your fingers moving to run through his hair. That was all the permission that Daryl needed to move. His hands wandered up your shirt, yanking it up to touch your breasts. 

Waves of pleasure rushed through you as you tugged at Daryl’s hair, earning a groan from him. Those sounds made your core heat up in arousal. Daryl was being so vocal.

Daryl grabbed the bottom hem of your shirt and gently pulled it over your head, his eyes immediately falling to your bra, which was ill-fitted given the situation the world was in. You didn’t exactly have time to go bra shopping.

But Daryl didn’t notice, his hands inched behind you to unclasp your bra and bring it away from your skin with a long-winded kiss to your neck.

His breath hitched quietly upon seeing your bare chest. It was almost too much for him.

He pushed on, his lips moving down your body, stopping at where your shorts met your waist. 

You felt his eyes glancing up at yours through his long brown hair as he fumbled with the button and zipper. 

As your shorts were pulled off your legs, Daryl’s lips never left you, placing sloppy kisses over your hips and thighs. The sight of him so attentive made you moan as you helped him pull the shorts off.

Sitting up, your hands fell to his belt, fingers splayed across the belt buckle. Daryl grabbed your hands in his. “Jus’ wanna make you feel good.” Daryl gently pressed his hand onto your shoulder and eased you back down. 

“But Daryl…” Your eyes fell onto the hard on that pressed against his black jeans. Judging by the imprint in his pants, he looked fucking massive.

“I’ll handle it later, you need takin’ care of,” Daryl mumbled against your skin, his hands roaming your body, moving down to play with the hem of your panties.

You hummed a quiet moan and gave him a nod. It felt a little strange not to have to do anything in return, but when he was being so gentle, so sweet.

Your mind went blank.

Daryl gripped your panties and began to pull them down. “You still okay with this?” 

Daryl knew you were vulnerable, and he wanted nothing more than to taste you, to make you release the months' worth of tension and bullshit that you had endured.

“Yes, fuck just touch me-” Your own voice surprised you, the whiny tone expressing how desperate you were.

It was your whines that made Daryl shudder as he pulled your last garment off, his lips hurriedly making their way to your inner thighs. 

Fuck, you were just the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He’d dreamed of this for months in his own jealous rage. Fucked his own fist to the thought of you, groaning your name into a pillow as if you’d hear him from next door.

You swallowed a moan, your hips bucking into him with sheer anticipation. Daryl wasn’t meaning to tease you, but the way his stubble dragged across your sensitive thighs, mere inches away from your pussy.

It was agonizing.

You were about to cry out another plea, begging for his touch in any capacity, but the words died on your tongue when he finally gave you what you needed.

Daryl licked one long strip up your core, his nose pressed against you. He took you in as if you were his last moment on Earth. His tongue flattened to shamelessly lap at your pussy. 

Within seconds, your hands flew to his hair, yanking gently as he continued. Your moans got louder, mixed with breathless whimpers as Daryl took his time sucking on your clit.

Your legs trembled next to his head, threatening to close up as your hips bucked desperately into his face. God, he was messy, his beard soaked in your wetness as he ate you out hungrily. “Gotta open those legs f’me, girl,” He mumbled in a low voice, his heated breath hitting your core and making a shiver run through you.

And you really tried to keep them open, but fuck, when he was flicking his tongue over your clit, with his rough fingers teasing your entrance. It was nearly impossible. “Can’t-fuck” you sucked in a sharp breath and threw your head back, a loud whine coaxed from your mouth.

Daryl wrapped his arms around your hips, lifting them to bring them towards his face, the new angle allowing him to get deeper into where you need him the most.

His tongue slipped inside your pussy, his hands pressed firmly into your hips to keep you there.

You could hardly focus on a single thought; your broken sobs matched your desperate, arched back as you begged for more.

More what? You had no idea. His fingers replaced his tongue this time, pressing his middle finger into your core. “Could do this all damn day, makin’ those pretty sounds f’me.” He let out his own sounds this time, deriving pleasure from seeing you squirm and try to escape the immense pleasure he was giving you.

“Daryl, please, I’m so close-” Your pussy clenched around his finger. Daryl felt a tiny bit of pride at how easily you fell apart for him, but he kept going anyway. 

Daryl thrusted his finger into you, his tongue teasing your clit and sucking on it, smirking at the moans he pulled out of you.

“Give it to me, that’s it.” He looked up at you from his position, and you looked so fucked out, so messy and flushed for him. All for him.

Your hips bucked relentlessly, locked in by his arms around them as you practically rode his face, a familiar warm feeling in your core starting to turn into a dull need.

And then you let go with a loud cry of his name and a mix of curses. “Fuck oh my god-” Your whole body shook as your orgasm ran through you, the feeling electrifying.

Daryl took what you gave him like a starved man, his tongue circling your clit, humming as you rode out your orgasm. Your hands were firmly gripping his hair now, yanking harshly to hold onto anything that would help you ride through the waves of pleasure swimming through you. Daryl moaned softly into your cunt as you yanked his hair, making your hips jolt in shock and arousal.

Daryl dragged out your orgasm as long as you would let him, lost in the taste of you, the gorgeous sound you made, the way you roughly rode his face as if you couldn’t get enough.

He could have came right there.

Sensitive pleasure made you hiss, the sound earning you one last kiss to your cunt as Daryl pulled away.

God, the way he looked after eating you out. Beard absolutely soaked, his eyes clouded with lust and adoration, and precum creating a wet spot in his jeans.

Daryl moved up your body to place a sweet kiss onto your forehead, smirking at your still-trembling frame. He sat on his heels and brought his fingers up to his mouth, savoring your taste as he stared into your eyes. Your head flew back at the pure, dirty actions of the man in front of you.

After letting out a quiet laugh at your reaction, he grabbed a damp towel and wiped off the mess he had made between your thighs. “Feelin’ better?” Daryl could hardly think straight, his hard-on pressed against his jeans so tight he thought they would bust open.

“How long have you been holding back that talent? Could’a used that the past few weeks.” You grabbed your underwear that Daryl had tossed away to get to taste you.

“Could’a just asked.” Daryl knelt beside you, pressing stray kisses along your forehead and neck.

“You’re sure you don’t want my help with this?” You licked your lips as you ran a hand over his crotch. Daryl’s hips bucked against your hand instinctively. His face flushed a brighter red than yours when he went down on you.

“Nah, tonight was about you.” He moved your hands away, pressing a soft kiss on them.

Over many weeks, you progressively felt stronger, more adapted to life outside of worrying about what Spencer might do next. As you healed physically and emotionally, you began to feel more comfortable with the people in Alexandria.

But especially Daryl

After that night where he ate you out like a man starved, your mind felt clouded and hazy anytime he was near you. Every time his hand brushed against your body, a shudder ran through you.

You felt like a lovesick teenager, the way your body reacted to his moves. And the worst part was,

He didn’t even know.

The more he put his hands on you, the more desperate you became for his attention. And he had no idea the effect he had on you. 

“Denise treat ya’ good?” Daryl was sitting on the porch when you got back from visiting Denise to get your cast off. 

“Yeah! Feels like I got a new arm or something.” You paused, an idea popping into your head to get under his skin. “What’cha doin’ today?” While asking the question, you plopped down into his lap, where he sat on his chair.

Daryl nearly choked, his hands flying to your waist to stabilize you. “I-uh” He stuttered, “On watch tonight. Got the whole day off.” He swallowed hard when you adjusted your position in his lap to look at him.

“Daryl, can you please teach me how to use your crossbow? It looks so fucking cool, and you have the whole day off.” You had been begging him for a week now to teach you how to use his crossbow.

Rick was walking by, going to his position on watch, when he saw you and Daryl. “Hey, Y/n. How ya’ feeling?” Rick met Daryl’s eyes, a smirk on his face at the situation he had just interrupted.

“Much better, thank you again for your help.” You missed the way Daryl stared daggers into Rick.

“You look comfortable, Daryl.” Rick had a wicked grin, his hands resting on his belt. Daryl pulled you closer instinctively, your ass now firmly pressed against him.

“Shut up, ain’t you got somewhere to be?” Daryl ignored Rick’s laugh as he walked to take his position on watch.

Daryl inhaled a deep breath, the scent of cigarettes and your scent filling his senses. “Let’s uh-Let’s go practice.” His strong arms lifted you off his lap, to your surprise.

You were practically skipping inside to go grab his bow. Not because you were excited for this lesson, but because you had a plan.

A plan to make him break out of his soft, caring shell.

Daryl could hardly contain himself. You are sitting on his lap, your perfect ass lined up with his clothed cock. He could have bent you over right there.

Shaking the feeling of arousal rising in his body, he lit another cigarette to distract him a bit. God, this training session was going to be hell. Daryl knew that once you knew how to get to him, you wouldn’t stop.

With that information, he set his goal. Keep composure.

You walked out to the backyard of Daryl’s apartment, where he had a couple of makeshift dummies set up when he wanted to practice. “This a good spot?” You held the heavy crossbow in your hands, analyzing the many parts.

“Yeah.” He grumbled, approaching you slowly, keeping his distance as if you were dangerous.

Eagerly, you held the bow up to aim at the dummy. Daryl chuckled at your actions, moving closer to you. “Hold up, ya’ gotta pull it back first.” He stood behind you.

Got him.

“Help me?” You asked, keeping a firm grip on the crossbow to get him right where you wanted him. “S’kinda hard to pull it.” 

Daryl grumbled something along the lines of “Seriously?” and stood directly behind you, your back against his chest. The heat radiating from him sent your head reeling.

Placing his rough hands over yours, positioning them where they needed to be, he showed you how to cock the weapon.

“You cock the bow, then you aim.” Daryl rolled his eyes when you snickered like a schoolgirl at his words.

“Can ya’ hush? I’m trying to teach you.” Daryl was as focused as he could be, considering how fucking close you were to him. If you were gonna keep teasing him like this, he wasn’t sure he’d last the day without folding under the pressure.

“You’re right, I’m sorry, sir.” You glanced back enough to see Daryl’s bright red face, letting you know that you were succeeding in breaking him.

Daryl grumbled a response and held up the bow, hands still placed over yours. “Look at where the target’ll be. Specially’ if it’s movin’.” Daryl tried explaining how a moving target is a bit harder because you’d have to reload quickly if you miss.

But you hadn’t heard a bit of it. Your breath quivered as Daryl talked in your ear, giving you those instructions, his front pressed right up against you.

“Got it?” Daryl didn’t even have time to react before you aimed at the dummy and let the arrow fly. 

Missing it completely.

“Were ya’ even listening?” Daryl jogged to retrieve the arrow, handing it to you. “Need help reloading it?” He stepped behind you again, partially in a self-serving manner.

Because damn did it feel good having you pressed against him, right where he needed you.

“Nah, think I’ve got it this time.” You slowly pulled back the string to load the arrow, pushing your ass into his crotch, feigning a struggle. Daryl groaned lowly, his hands finding your hips to hold you in place.

“What are you playin’ at, girl?” He whispered into your ear before pulling away from you. “Try again.” He sounded more stern this time, more serious. Glancing back at the archer, you glanced down at his jeans and immediately noticed his hard-on that he was sporting.

When your eyes found his again, you couldn’t stop the smirk that grew on your face. “You sure you wanna finish the training? Looks like you’re a little distracted.”

Daryl’s face flushed with your words, but particularly your gaze. How could he teach you if you were looking at him like you’d jump his bones this very second?

“Psh, you’re the one distracted. Let me show you-” He really was trying his hardest to teach you, to win this fight of self-control. Daryl took the crossbow from you, demonstrating how to aim at a target. 

Opening his mouth to speak, his words were cut off with an unexpected groan as you ran a hand over his boner. “You’ve got great form, y’know.”

Fuck this was impossible.

Daryl dropped the bow, forgetting the stupid training.

He yanked you close to him, pressing you against his hips. His mouth found yours, kissing you with more passion than you think you’d ever seen from him.

Hungrily, his hands roamed over your curves, grabbing wherever he could. Your mouth moved with him, taking in his scent and the way his tongue moved with yours. “Mmph- ya’ wanna take this inside?” You asked him, a smile coming to your face when he began kissing your neck as soon as you pulled away.

Daryl didn’t even say anything; he tapped your hip and lifted you with ease, adrenaline pumping through his veins and making his boner impossibly harder in this position with your legs wrapped around him.

Heading inside, you gasped as Daryl pressed you against the wall, his large arms still holding onto your legs tightly. His lips were on your neck, pressing searing kisses into your skin that made you moan in response. You grabbed his face gently, pulling him up to look at you.

“Wanna fuck you this time, need you…” You were blunt, straight to the point, eyes staring at him hungrily.

If you couldn’t have him tonight, you thought about shooting somebody with that damn crossbow.

“Fuck, can’t say those things, sugar.” He rasped. His knees nearly buckled at your words, dick throbbing unbearably in his pants. His head was spinning with lust, his heart racing.

Hands finding your ass, he held you up as he moved you to the couch. Your skin felt like it was on fire, desperate for his touch, for anything he’d give you.

“Why, ya’ gonna lose it before we even start?” You couldn’t help it; the man was so ridiculously easy to tease. His face flushed again as he rushed to keep it hidden in your neck, placing kisses and biting at your skin gently.

Daryl grunted against your skin, pressing his erection into you, hips connecting with yours shamelessly. “Nah, s’gonna be you-” His hand cupped your cunt through your jeans, making a light whimper come from your mouth with no hesitation. 

“Fuck, Daryl,” You body jolted at his touch as his hands wandered over you, pressing into your hips like you’d disappear if he wasn’t paying attention. 

“Matter fact, let’s get these off.” Daryl’s hands hurriedly unbuttoned your jeans, not bothering to unzip them before yanking them off. The desperate action made you smirk up at him.

“Careful, you’re gonna ruin the last good pair of jeans I have-” You whined, heat rising to your cheeks at his roughness.

“Gonna ruin you if you ain’t careful with that mouth.” Daryl pressed kisses to your abdomen, humming as he ran a finger over the wet spot on your panties. “Haven’t even started yet, got you this riled up?” 

“Shut up.” You did him a favor by taking off your shirt and unclasping your bra, hearing his breath hitch at the sight of your near-naked body below him.

“Feels kinda unfair right now, take somethin’ off.” You laughed when he grumbled a ‘fine’ and begrudgingly tore his face away from kissing your inner thighs. 

Daryl slipped off his vest and unbuttoned his shirt, watching you eye him like you couldn’t wait any longer. And for the first time in a while, you were silent, breathing shaky inhales of air as your eyes traveled to Daryl’s broad shoulders and downward to the muscular arms that were holding you so tightly earlier. And then they traveled lower,

To the small happy trail that poked up above the hem of his black jeans. Daryl offered you a smug smirk when he noticed you staring. “Doin’ an awful lot of starin’.”

Shock ran through him when you placed your hand on his belt and pulled him back into you, and he caught himself, placing his hands on either side of your head. 

Message received

Daryl pressed soft kisses along your shoulder, kisses that turned into gentle nips and bites, leaving marks along your skin. You hissed at the feeling, your hands roaming his back, nails lightly dragging along his skin, earning a low groan from him.

Daryl left a mixture of sweet kisses and bites along your body as he moved from your shoulder all the way down to your stomach. He pulled your panties down to your knees, licking his lips in anticipation as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

You helped him pull them off all the way. Daryl didn’t miss a beat, his tongue immediately lapped at the wetness that he had earned by being so attentive.

Felt like a damn prize.

Your body jerked yet again, his mouth coaxing a loud moan out of you with how fast his mouth moved to suck onto your clit like he knew exactly how to make you cum.

Daryl had tried his best to memorize this moment. You were writhing as he ate you out mercilessly, your eyes squeezed shut. He hummed into your core; the taste of you was fucking hypnotizing. He’d do this every damn day if he could.

“Fuck how are you so good at that-” Your back arched as Daryl pressed a finger into your entrance, tongue still licking your clit, sending waves of pleasure through your body.

Daryl glanced up at you, a smile on his face as his tongue flicked around your clit. The sight was absolute sin. His beard was soaked, his hair spread messily across his face as he shamelessly pulled loud moans and breathless whimpers from your lips.

Daryl used his other hand to caress your smooth skin, giving your breast a light squeeze as his finger fucked you slowly. Daryl watched your reaction when he curled his finger as he fucked you with it.

“Oh my god-” You cried out, your chest rising and falling heavily as your moans fell out of you with little resistance. He was making you feel so fucking good, suppressing anything felt like a crime.

He added another finger this time, fucking you faster, his eyes staring holes into you as he watched your reaction. His hand moved away from you, instead pressing against his erection as he tried to calm down the raging boner that was begging for you.

“Oh f-” The words fell short as you trembled underneath him, your head falling back as your hips bucked into his mouth. You held onto his hair as you felt your orgasm coming on quickly while his two fingers stretched out your cunt.

“Can feel you squeezin’. Give it to me, sugar, that’s it.” Daryl’s tongue flicked over your clit, moaning against your pussy with the pleasure he was deriving from your sweetness and sounds.

“God, don’t stop please- so close.” Your brain could barely form words; the ones that did come out were mumbled and mixed with lewd whines as he curled his fingers. His motions urged you to let go, your body shaking with pleasure.

“Ain’t gonna. I gotcha.” He kept the pace, thoroughly enjoying the pleasure he was giving you. “Wanna see you fall apart on my face, sugar.” His words were the last thing you heard before your orgasm hit you, your vision darkening as your whole body tensed in immense pleasure.

Daryl rode out your orgasm, moans sending vibrations through you as you screamed his name. When your vision finally cleared, and the waves of pleasure finally washed over you, Daryl moved to sit up. “So beautiful every damn time.” 

You let out a breathless laugh. “Where’d you learn to do that? You’re so good with your mouth.” You spoke, half-shocked at the man in front of you.

That earned you a shrug. “Dunno, s’my talent I guess.” Daryl tried to hide his smug smile as he leaned in to press a kiss on your lips. 

“Smug asshole.” You ruffled his hair, your body jolting ever so slightly when his jeans ran against your heat. “Fuck, Daryl. You’re so hard.” You bit your lip at the thought of him being so turned on, driven crazy by you.

“Let me take care of you.” Your hands reached for his belt, and this time…

He let you.

“I-uh might not be able to last.” He cleared his throat, a low whine interrupting as you licked a line up his clothed dick. “Been teasing me this whole time.” The way you fucking looked at him made his cock twitch and drove his head in circles. 

“I know, baby. We’ll do it your way.” It felt good to finally be able to give Daryl something in return. After everything he’d done for you, there was something that Daryl wanted from you.

And you weren’t gonna let him down.

You moved off the couch and got on your knees. At that same time, Daryl slipped out of his jeans and boxers, revealing how well-endowed he was. Now it was your turn to lick your lips as Daryl stood in front of you, now fully on display for your taking.

It was not Daryl’s first blowjob, or his first time going down on a girl. But it felt different when it was you looking up at him with those eyes that he trusted and cared about. It felt like every moment was a first time, a new experience where he got to explore what made you gasp, what made your body shake in pleasure.

Daryl gave you a nod to keep going, and you took his shaft into your hand, hiding your smile at the soft gasp that left his mouth. Meanwhile, he could hardly breathe. He’d imagined you here, jerking him off and whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

This was so much better.

You spit into your hand and gave Daryl’s dick a few pumps, watching his stomach tighten at your actions. Never having to look up, you knew he was watching you like a hawk. Before he could say anything, you opened your mouth for him to see and placed his tip onto your tongue, glancing up at Daryl through your eyelashes.

The scene was damn near pornographic. Daryl’s hand came down to hold the side of your face. “How’d I get so lucky?” He managed to rasp out, a soft whine escaping his tough resolve.

A giggle rushed through you as you finally took him into your mouth, your lips wet with saliva and salty precum that spilled from his needy tip. 

Eyes rolled back, Daryl kept a gentle hand placed on the side of your face. He stayed away from pulling your hair, a mutual understanding based on late-night conversations about boundaries after the night he ate you out.

Daryl grunted as you swirled your tongue around his length, humming to send vibrations down his cock. “So pretty like this-” Daryl couldn’t help the high-pitched whine when your hand jerked off the base of his cock as you sucked on his tip and ran your tongue over his slit.

His sounds only motivated you further, hollow cheeks taking him further down your throat. Eyes flickering up to him in a teasing manner, you moaned on his dick to coax more sounds out of the man. His hips bucked into your mouth, followed by a stuttered “sorry” mixed with an array of groans.

Your hands found themselves stroking his thighs, yet another action that made Daryl almost lose it.

Daryl’s head fell back, mumbling curse words as a familiar heat started to grow. Your hands jerked him faster as you swallowed around his length. His eyes shot open.

“Wait-need you-” He tapped your cheek to let you know he needed to pause. A wave of insecurity washed over you.

“Are you okay? Did I do too much?” You stood up quickly to assess what was going on.

Daryl took long inhales to calm his breathing. He was so goddamn close, but he didn’t want to cum now. Not when he really wanted to be inside you, watching you take him inch by inch.

“Nah, jus’ wanna be inside you, can’t wait any longer.” Daryl pressed a long kiss to your forehead. “Felt like heaven, sugar. Almost made me come right then and there.” He comforted you, his hands traveling down to your hips.

“Good, for a second there I thought you hated it.” You breathed out a sigh, your arms wrapping around his neck. The two of you swayed gently, as if you were dancing in a crowded room. But, it was just him.

“You serious? The neighbors probably heard me.” He huffs, an embarrassed blush crossing his cheeks. Daryl thought about Spencer for a flash of a second, whether he was back in his apartment or still in that cell.

Either way, he wished Spencer could hear it. Hear the way Daryl claimed you and made you feel real pleasure again. He wished Spencer could have seen how eager you were to go down on him.

How he wished to make him pay.

But that was for another day. 

“Sweetheart?” Daryl cleared his throat, his cock throbbing as his eyes wandered over your body needily. You were caught up in the softness of the moment, the way he held you like he’d never let you go. Daryl loved seeing you so smitten, but god he needed to fuck you.

Absent-mindedly, you looked up at him. “Yes-oh!” You were quickly placed back into reality. “Almost forgot you were so desperate to fuck me.” You smirked up at him.

“I’ll show you who's desperate.” He lifted you, your legs wrapping around his waist as he placed you on the kitchen table. You hissed at the feeling.

“That’s so cold, what the hell, Daryl?!” You whined, pressing yourself against him. The table was freezing.

“Then we’ll just have to warm it up, next time I’ll pick a better place.” He smirked at your reaction, his hands lifting your hips to meet the edge of the table. 

“Next time?” You paused, suddenly forgetting about the temperature of the stupid table. 

Daryl scoffed at you, “Ya’ thought this’ll be a one-time thing? I don’t do that, sugar.” Your heart soared at his words, and you yanked him into a passionate kiss, your lips brushing against his as you pulled away.

“Ya’ want that?” Daryl had a feeling that you felt the same, but he had to ask. You nodded quickly.

“Are you kidding? Of course! You’d better eat me out every day, though, Dixon.” The thought of being with you every day, waking up in the morning with you by his side. He’d have no issue spending hours each day between your legs. 

It made him feel warm.

“Promise.” He kissed your neck, earning a soft moan from you. His touch brought you back to the current position you were in. “Fuck, you’re amazing.” He fawned over you, his rough hands spreading your legs wide so that he could fit in between them. 

The sound of his shaky breathing told you what you needed to know. He was nervous.

You ran a hand through his hair as Daryl kissed your breasts. He was stalling.

“Just fuck me already, Dixon!” You could hardly take the heat anymore, your cunt throbbing with anticipation. You could only imagine the pent-up lust flowing through Daryl’s body.

Daryl wasted no time in lining himself up with your pussy, ragged breaths filling your ears as he glanced down at where he was starting to push into you.

You hissed softly as he inserted himself into you, inch by inch. Daryl was trying his absolute best to keep control of his orgasm and keep it at bay. He pressed his forehead against yours, low whimpers filling the otherwise empty room as he watched your cunt take him as far as you could.

Squeezing around him, you adjusted to his length, shuddering at his touch and the ample size of him as he finally was all the way in your warmth. 

Daryl had a tight grip on your waist, unmoving from the moment he pressed all the way into you. It was all just too much.

The way your perfect cunt squeezed around him as you adjusted to him. The smell of your perfume fills his senses. The small whimpers and moans you were making as he tried not to move.

“Gotta move, sugar. Can’t-” He let out a depraved moan when you wrapped your legs around his hips, pushing him impossibly further. “Fuck woman, you’re gonna kill me.” Your laughter at his words made his dick throb.

Daryl moved in slow thrusts, agonizingly slow movements that had you whining and writhing underneath him. You could tell he was holding back, and that made it all the more arousing when you moved your hips to match his speed.

Your gasps filled the space between your faces, eyes scanning his face as he closed his eyes tightly to focus on giving you everything. Daryl let out a shaky whine at your actions, his hands quickly moving to your hips to feel their movements.

Muscles tightening, Daryl looked like a fucking dream. He sped up his thrusts, pounding into you harder. The table scraped against the floor, the sound quickly losing the battle against your loud moans. 

“Oh god- fuck!” You cried out, hips moving in tandem with his, shamelessly chasing your orgasm.

Daryl felt the low pulse of his orgasm forming, and he growled against your skin. His hips began to stutter as he lost focus on keeping pace.

“Fuck, not gonna last much longer.” He mumbled, picking up speed as he began to lift your hips off the table to get a better angle. 

That new angle was heaven. “Don’t stop, right there, baby!” You screamed, your body trembling as he pounded into you desperately. His muscular arms held you up to him as he fucked you with no abandon. It was rushed, mindless lust. But fuck did it feel amazing.

“Ya’ gonna cum, sugar? Gonna soak the table? Wanna hear you.” He mumbled into your ear, the sound mixed with broken groans. His face was buried in your neck as he fucked you roughly. He was so drunk on you, his inhibitions leaving him with every thrust he pounded into you.

“Wanna hear you say my name, let that motherfucker know who’s treatin’ you like you deserve.” Daryl wasn’t in control of the words that left his mouth, whines accompanying his tone. “Bet he couldn’t fuck you like this.” He moved a hand under your back to push you against him, your fucked-out body shaking in pleasure, loud moans erupting without hesitation.

“Go on, pretty girl, say my fuckin’ name.” He could tell you were close by the way your cunt fluttered around his cock, and how your moans got higher and higher with each slap of your skin together.

With his words, you fell apart immediately. Your orgasm had your eyes rolling back in immense, white-hot pleasure. Daryl wasn’t far behind, his hips stuttering and struggling to keep the pace as he let go.

You cried out his name along with several curse words, whimpering at the feeling of Daryl spilling his own release inside of you, ceasing his thrusts to slowly push in and out of you as his orgasm rushed through him. 

And for that moment, while you rode out your orgasms together, there was absolutely nothing on either of your minds. 

Not the apocalypse, not Spencer

Just this moment. This pleasure.

When you both finally came back to reality from a mind-blowing orgasm, Daryl pulled out slowly. Both of you hissed at the sensitivity. Daryl went to grab a towel. “Stay here, gonna clean you up.” 

Daryl could hardly believe what had just happened. He brushed his hair out of his face and pulled his boxers up onto his hips before moving back to wipe you off with a damp towel. “You did so good. So damn beautiful.” He pressed soft kisses onto your shoulder.

You traced the muscles of his back as he cleaned you up. “That was probably the best sex I’ve ever had. Been a while, y’know?”

Daryl smiled at you, a boy-ish, fucked-out smile that made your heart leap out of your chest in adoration. “Hell, s’been years for me. Guess you could tell.” He lifted you off the table and back onto the couch, knowing your legs were probably jelly by now.

“Doesn’t matter now. I’m staying.” You wrapped your arms around him so he couldn’t pull away from you.

Then, a realization popped into your head that made you whine. “You’re on watch duty tonight. You’re gonna leave me all alone tonight?” You rested a hand on his thigh, making him jolt. 

Damn, he was in for a wild night.

“I’ll ask Rick to take my shift.” Daryl knew Rick wasn’t a pushover when it came to watch shifts, but he was hoping luck was on his side.

“Alright, but don’t be too long.” You watched Daryl quickly throw some clothes on, rushing to get out the door before his shift started. You smacked his ass as he walked by, earning a teasing glare from Daryl.

“Oh, you’ll pay for that later, don’t ya’ worry.” With that, he walked out to grab Rick.

Daryl approached Rick as he was walking away from the watch tower. “Hey, brother, got a small favor.” Rick smiled knowingly at Daryl, throwing him off a bit.

“Your window was open.” Rick snickered, making Daryl stop in his tracks.

“What?” Daryl cleared his throat. 

“Look, we’re all happy for you, man. But next time ya’ might wanna close your window so we don’t hear it.” Rick laughed at Daryl’s bright red face. 

“And let me guess, you want me to take your shift?” Rick crossed his arm, raising an eyebrow at Daryl.

“S’just for tonight,” Daryl mumbled. Rick saw the desperation in Daryl’s expression, and it made him crack up.

“Go, enjoy your second round,” Rick smirked when Daryl flipped him off.

“Shut up.” 

With that, Daryl took off towards your shared apartment.

Taglist:

@brideofvecna

@thelady-of-dragonfire

@chuuyas-world

@magz3strikes

@coal-bee

@calicoevey

You approached your shared apartment and looked around for Spencer. He was packing a bag when you strolled in, your confident walk failing to hide your shaking frame.

“What did he want?” Spencer asked plainly, almost with an inkling of domesticity. 

“He wanted to know about going on a run soon. Was askin’ me about what I saw out there last time I had gone on a run.” You had to make up a lie, and quickly.

Spencer’s eyes darkened, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’ve got no idea, do you?”

Your stomach dropped. The feeling of Spencer having something to hold over you made you shiver in fear. “What?”

“He’s in love with you. That’s why he keeps trying to steal you. You’re not gonna stray, are you, sweetheart?” Spencer approached you, holding your chin in his hand to make you look up at him when he spoke.

“No, sir.” Before you could move his hand away, his grip tightened around you.

“Then why do you let him call you over? Why do you let him watch while I kiss you, while I hold you?” Spencer ran a cold hand down your frame, stopping at your hip to bring you closer to him.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? You think that I don’t know why you’re so eager to see him?”

“No, you let him love you because you like it. Fucking attention whore-”

Spencer shoved you backwards with full force, leaving you stumbling toward the wall. You smacked into the solid wall with a loud crack and a cry.

Spencer approached you with speed, clasping a hand tight around your mouth and nose. “No, you’re gonna shut up and you’re gonna wait until I get back.”

A sharp, blinding pain made you scream against Spencer’s hand. He was pressing, pushing into the tender area that felt weak and destroyed after his shove. 

“Shh, wouldn’t want Daryl to hear you, huh? Or maybe you do! But do you really think he’s gonna save you?” Spencer tightened his grip around your mouth.

“You’re going to sit here and think about how I’m the only man who knows how to deal with you. That fucking redneck could never deal with your bullshit, and you know it.” Spencer spat out, standing up to grab his bag. 

“See you in three days, Y/n.” 

Fuck, the pain was overwhelming. Something was definitely broken.

Doubling over in pain, you grasped your arm that felt engulfed in flames. 

You stayed there long after Spencer was gone, holding your injury close to your chest to bring some sort of relief as you curled your body against the wall. But the pain still lingered and cut through your resolve like a sharp knife.

You needed a brace or something to hold it in place.

With that idea, you popped up and began searching the house for something to use. Jogging up the stairs, your foot caught the lip of the stair, causing your body to move forward. Your arm took the brunt of the force; another sharp pain flooded your brain.

And you screamed. Loud

Loud enough for Daryl to jump at the sound of a woman’s scream.

Except this time, there was no room for explanation. Nothing you could say to make this sound better. 

The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears, loud as his boots on the pavement. A loud kick broke you from your painful and nauseating injury and towards the door. After the fourth and final kick, the door slammed open, wooden shards scattering across the floor.

Daryl took long strides over to you. The fastest you’d ever seen him move, like there was nothing more important in that moment than you.

“The hell happened?” Daryl’s voice was not panicked, but full of concern. Instead of swooping you up immediately, he sat next to you on the stairs, brushing off the dust that you had collected on your clothing from falling down the stairs.

After a long pause and pained groans, you managed: “Tripped down the stairs, never wearing socks again.” You breathlessly laughed at your own comment, but the moment was shut down when you didn’t hear him laugh along.

“Ain’t gonna hurt ya’. You don’t gotta lie to me.” Daryl took your arm in his hand, his fingers gently tracing the area to check for swelling and other injuries. 

“He didn’t-” You flinched when Daryl’s hand moved across your injury. “He didn’t mean to.”

Daryl instantly removed his hand from your arm and apologized for hurting you. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

Instead, he checked the rest of you over. He looked at the scuffs on your legs. “Is your head feeling okay? Can I?”

You nearly choked up then and there. Because there was no rough handling, no insults, and he asked.

Giving him a brief nod, he held your head in his large hands and examined your eyes and head. “No concussion.” He took a deep inhale, as if this next conversation was an impossible feat.

And for the most part, it was. Daryl just couldn’t understand how he didn’t see it, how he didn’t wake up and punch Spencer in the fucking face.

“He did this to you?” Daryl watched you try to rationalize, biting your lip as you thought of an excuse.

“We were fighting. I-I pushed him too far.” You tried to blame yourself. Spencer was ultimately angry because of your actions.

“Don’t you say that. Ain’t never been your fault.” Daryl nudged his fingers to yours, a silent asking to hold your hands. You obliged, letting him gently take your hands in his.

“You don’t understand, he loves me and-” You paused to take a deep breath. This was so real, so final. Daryl could never let this go now that he knew what was going on.

“I hurt him. He didn’t want to see me around you.” The truth came out, and it only deepened the pit in Daryl’s stomach.

No. You’ve been going through hell, and Daryl has been inadvertently making it worse.

Daryl’s grip on your hands loosened; his own heart sank heavily in his chest. This whole time, he was jealous of a lie.

While he was jealous of the attention you gave Spencer, you were faking. You were doing what you had to do.

Daryl refocused himself and pushed down the overwhelming guilt. He examined you for a while, staring at the bruises that covered your skin, battle wounds that Daryl had never even noticed.

“Listen. You ain’t done nothing wrong.” Daryl gently lifted your chin to see you. You relaxed under his grasp.

Because it was different, he wasn’t forcing you to look at him, wasn’t insulting you, and his own eyes met you with nothing but care.

“He just gets upset sometimes.” You cringed inwardly at how small you sounded in that moment.

Daryl wasn’t having it. He was angry, not at you, but with Spencer.

“Yeah, well, he can be upset all he wants. It don’t make it right.” Daryl grabbed anything he could use for a sling, tearing it to an appropriate size.

“Lift your arm f’me.” His movements were soft, feathery. Like every action was taken with the utmost care and admiration.

He put your arm in the sling. “Gonna go get you checked out.” He helped you up, his hand gently laying across your back.

Only, not in the way you were used to. Not possessively.

Your body ached when you stood, each step burning and stinging. Daryl’s grip on you was supportive, despite the obvious tension you could cut with a knife. He led you to go get patched up.

Denise checked out your arm. “What happened? This is a pretty bad break.” She got materials together to make a cast of anything she could.

“I um- I tripped.” You nodded, as if confirming it in your own mind. Daryl glanced up at Denise and the two shared a knowing look. Everyone knew you were dating Spencer, and an idiot could piece the clues together now about what happened.

“Right-” Denise wasn’t going to argue the point with you. “You’re gonna be in a cast for a while until this heals up. Don’t move it, don’t put pressure on it.” 

Daryl stood by your side the entire time, watching Denise’s movements and holding back his urge to take away her pain and give it to himself.

Denise finished up as quickly as she could. “Do you have anybody you could stay with? You shouldn’t be alone while you adjust.” Daryl squeezed your hand, not roughly, but as a reminder that he was there.

“She can stay with me.” He looked down at you. “If you want to.”

If you want to.

A choice.

“Sure.” Through the throbbing pain in your arm, you felt the slightest shyness warm your cheeks at how fast Daryl spoke up to take care of you.

Daryl led you back to his apartment, which was nearly wiped clean due to Daryl’s minimalist idea of furniture. But he managed to slide over a couch next to his sleeping bag. “Need to keep an eye on you. Case anything hurts.”

“Want me to grab some of your things?” Daryl offered as he helped you onto the couch. His hands were on you, helping you lie comfortably. If you weren’t in so much pain, this would have been horrifically embarrassing.

Daryl knew the vulnerable state you were in. Nothing mattered but your safety at this moment. “I’ll only be gone for a few minutes. Gonna grab clothes, things you need.” He waited for your response. You only nodded, your eyelids feeling heavier by the second.

With your approval, Daryl took off to your apartment. He pushed through the open door, walking past things he hadn’t seen before in his panic to reach you when you had screamed. There were dents in the wall, broken glass in the corners of the room. 

Daryl clenched his fists as he made his way around the house, collecting clothes, a hairbrush, and other things he thought women might need. There was blood strewn across some of the walls, and handcuffs on the floor. Daryl’s jaw clenched in anger, his own blood boiling with each new item that detailed your long-winded abuse.

In an effort to grab everything he possibly could, he dropped a few items in his search. They clattered against the floor and knocked one of the floorboards loose. He tilted his head and tried to get a better look at what he was seeing. It looked like a stack of papers with some writing on them.

Then he saw it.

His name.

Daryl set everything down and knelt down in front of the papers. He flipped through them and noticed that all of them had his name on them. 

All addressed to him. 

Then, as if struck by lightning, he paused.

This isn’t right. This was your handwriting. Your private property.

Daryl went to stuff them back into the floor, but as he glanced down at the first paper, he started to read the words you had scribbled down, and noticed the ink blotches mixed with tears that made the paper crinkle around the edges. 

Daryl wondered if he would have ever seen this if he hadn’t been going through your items. His hands shook gently as he read. Because this wasn’t right, he knew that. 

But maybe there was something in here that told him how to help her.

One line made his heart jump.

“Sometimes I wish I could feel your touch. A gentle touch, without pressure, without strings.” 

Daryl froze in his spot. He kept reading, eyes glued to the wording, the pretty handwriting that had loops and hearts at the end of sentences.

“Maybe I’ll build up the courage to tell you today at the campfire. We’ll see.”

Except you never did.

Daryl felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. All this damn time.

All this time he’d spent thinking that he was ruining something good for you, that he’d bothered you with his affections.

He recounted the occasions where he convinced himself that he didn’t deserve the kind of love that he saw in you and Spencer, that he was selfish for wanting you.

He flipped through the letters, not reading all of them, despite his pounding heart yearning to see what other thoughts you had of him. 

You’d share these when you were ready. He thought.

He’d been a jealous, brooding mess while he watched the two of you. God, he wished to have that with you. 

Only now it was confirmed. He was jealous of a lie, an act that you put on to survive.

And now, these letters were speaking the truth to him. That you wanted him. 

Not Spencer. Him.

Daryl shoved the letters into his vest, keeping them close to his chest. Because this was real. This was proof that those looks you shared on the porch and on that run were not wishful thinking. 

Collecting the rest of the supplies you needed, he made his way back to you. Night had long fallen before you had screamed, so the secret of what happened was between you, Daryl, and Denise.

Daryl was praying to whatever god would listen that Denise would not tell everyone. This was your story to tell, and Daryl knew he’d be there to support you this time.

You were nearly asleep when Daryl came back in. “Didn’t know what ya’ wanted.” He pulled out everything he grabbed and laid it on the table next to the couch. 

“This is plenty. Thank you.” You reached out for his hand, more of a comforting gesture than romantic. But, his presence still made you a little flustered.

Daryl obliged, holding your hand firmly in his. Everything was different now. No more jealousy. No more guessing. 

The truth was out, and now nothing was holding you back besides your crucial recovery. Daryl knelt down next to the couch, his face eye level with yours as you lay down. He admired your features, and for the first time, he felt no urge to look away under Spencer’s watchful eyes.

But there was one thing that was missing. Your gorgeous smile.

As your eyes began to fall and your breathing became slow and even, Daryl silently made it his mission to get you smiling again. 

The next morning, your eyes fluttered open. And for one beautiful second, the world felt okay. The Virginian sun bled through the windows, and you had a restful sleep for a considerable amount of time.

Then, the pain sank in, forcing a hoarse yelp out of your throat. Daryl jumped up from his sleeping bag across the room and made his way over. He had prepared for this last night, hours after you had fallen asleep.

After a particularly embarrassing begging session, Denise gave him some ibuprofen for your pain. “Here, take this.” He handed you a glass of water and the medication.

You have known Daryl for a few months now. While talking with Carol, you had heard about how standoffish Daryl could be.

And yet here he was at the sound of you waking, kneeling beside you with a glass of ice water. He even bothered to put ice in it. His eyes were scanning you for any signs of abnormal pain.

If only Carol could see him now.

You took slow sips of the water, feeling worlds better in comparison to last night. “Daryl, I honestly can’t thank you enough. Don’t know what I’d do without you.” Daryl’s cheeks flushed a bright red, making you smile at him.

“Don’t have to.” If only he could take a picture of this moment, and the way you looked at him with that pretty smile. For now, he admired you, taking in every piece like it was the last time he’d see you.

A pit in your stomach made you feel nauseous. Spencer. He was still out there, still thinking he’d come back to his loyal fiancée.

“What about Spencer? He’ll come back and know that I’m here.” Your body shivered in fear, the thought of Spencer invading every space of peace you could ever have.

“Hell, he tries anything, I’ll break his face.” Daryl waved away your thoughts with a single protective grumble.

You let out a saddened laugh, shaking your head. “What’s wrong?” Daryl eyed you suspiciously.

“Haven’t had someone protect me like that in a very long time. What’s the cost?” Your words made Daryl tense up. Cost?

“Cost?” Daryl held out his hand for you to hold. You took it without hesitation.

“Y’know, like what do you want in return?” Daryl just stared at you, speechless. 

“Ain’t no cost. I care about you. Won’t let him hurt you again.” Daryl took a risk, and he brought your hand to his lips in slow, predictable movements. He kissed your hand gently, his stubble brushing up against your skin in a way that made you shiver.

“Just saying, he’ll probably want to kill you or something!” You glanced away from him, his gaze feeling too heated, too focused.

“You’re kidding, right?” Daryl grumbles, grabbing a wet washcloth to wipe your face clean of last night’s troubles. “He’s fragile. Ain’t no real man who beats on his girl.” Daryl paused, realizing he may have gone too far too soon.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, his hand lingering on your cheek after he swiped it with the cool water.

“He wasn’t always like that. It’s not that simple.” He was moving too fast, too fast for your mind to come to terms with what happened.

Daryl lowered his hand from your face and nodded. “You’re right, s’not easy.” Shock struck through you at his reaction.

He was so quick to apologize. To admit he was wrong. You teared up at the sheer rationality of the situation. Daryl truly was the shelter in the storm that was your life.

“I don’t know what will happen when he gets back…” You held your arm, turning your face to the sun that shone through the window, letting the warm light relax you.

“Don’t matter. Whatever you decide to do, ya’ won’t be alone.” Daryl offered you a smile, a comforting gesture coming from the man who only communicated in grunts and a few words.

Daryl moved to the couch you were curled up on, and he sat next to you. He gently grabbed your blanket, the one he had given you last night. It smelled of cigarettes and ash, a scent that reminded you of him.

He moved the blanket up to cover you back up, yet again scanning for any pain that registered as a result of his movements.

“I know you’ve got things to do out there. You don’t gotta stick around, I’ll be fine here.” You tried to usher him away, but he stayed, stubborn as a mule.

“Nah, I ain’t leaving,” Daryl grumbled. “Ya’ hungry? Can’t cook but I got some bread from Carol.” You laughed at the thought of Daryl cooking you something. Your laughter made him whip around.

Fuck he loved that sound.

“What’s so funny?” Daryl came back with some baked bread for you and set it beside you. He had an embarrassed grin on his face, unsure of what he had said that was so hilarious.

“Just imaginin’ you cooking me something. Would you burn the shit out of everything?” You began to laugh harder speaking to him about it. You leaned against him for support, a smile remaining on your face.

“Shut up.” He shook his head and cleaned up the area around you. It felt good to laugh with him, like old times, where there was never this cloud of tension hanging over you.

Now the tension was completely different. It was a mutual tension, a yearning for something to begin. And Daryl was not the best at expressing this.

Eyes seemingly glued to the blanket that sat on top of you, Daryl’s zoning out gave you a question. “You okay?”

Daryl zoned back to reality with that question. He should be asking you!

“Not used to all this.” Daryl felt some shame in admitting this, that he hadn’t been with women in a romantic capacity for a while. You tossed him one of those beautiful smiles, and suddenly everything felt like it would be okay for the first time in a while.

“Ya’ don’t have to be.” You placed a hand on his cheek, fingers smoothing over his stubble as his face turned several shades redder. You half expected him to flinch or pull away in shock. But, he leaned in.

And closed his eyes.

His own hand reached to grab yours, softly moving it to his mouth. He placed yet another soft kiss onto your palm. “Supposed to be makin’ sure you’re okay. Stop distractin’ me.” You laugh at him, but you keep your hand in his.

“Way to ruin the moment, Dixon.”

The day grew closer to Spencer’s return, but neither of you were truly keeping count. Daryl kept you company while you stayed at his place. Although nothing was said between you two about it, you knew this would be your home for at least a few more weeks.

“You hungry?” Daryl watched as you tried to reach something from one of the shelves in his kitchen. You ignored him and continued, desperate for some independence to give Daryl a bit of a break.

He’d been working so hard for you. Grabbing everything you needed, talking you back down when you’d get upset, and taking care of your arm.

“I got it, get out of here, Dixon.” You stretched your body to keep trying to grab it, pulling a muscle in the process and wincing.

Daryl laughed and walked behind you. “I’ll make you something.” 

You blinked. “Make? As in cook?” You snickered and leaned against the counter. Your legs were finally holding you up properly, albeit weakly. “Oh, I can’t wait to see this.”

Daryl grabbed boxed mac and cheese, huffing when you complained. “Fine, I’ll cook you up a squirrel since y’wanna complain.”

The room felt soft, comforting, like the past didn’t matter. Because what was here, in this house, was blooming. Daryl began making it, following the box’s directions closely. “This is such a rare occurrence, it feels like I gotta take a picture or something.”

After a grumbled, “Shut up”, you move closer to him to inspect his work. You rested your head on your hand as you watched him struggle with the cheese packet. “Defeated by a cheese packet, very impressive.”

Daryl gave you a joking mean look before pulling hard on the cheese packet, causing it to snap open and release orange powder everywhere. Daryl stood there, truly defeated. “Was going so well.” He pouted.

Meanwhile, you were almost pissing yourself with laughter. You managed to stop laughing as much, enough to grab a towel to clean it up. Daryl was stirring the pasta when you slipped underneath his arm to stand in front of him and clean the power off of the surface of the stove while he stirred.

Except his movements slowed, watching as you wiped everything down. At first, you thought that maybe you went too far and that he was uncomfortable. But then, he didn’t step back, didn’t stop you, or tell you to back up. 

The faint sound of the bubbling pot of pasta faded as your focus was on the man standing directly behind you. A wonderfully evil idea popped into your head. You took a hand and pressed it into the orange powder. 

Then, you turned around to face him. Daryl’s eyes were already on you, his breathing slowly picking up pace. You were here right in front of him, and he wanted nothing more than to pull you into a kiss.

You placed a hand firmly on his chest, and then pulled your hand away. “What was that abou-” He cuts himself off when he sees the orange handprint on his shirt.

Suppressing a giggle, you watch him as he pauses, his eyes flicking between your hand and your mouth. How easy it would be right now for him to just lean down…

Daryl didn’t want to wait any longer. He pressed his hand into the orange powder and then cupped your cheek. Now his gaze was fully focused on your lips, how soft they were, how they would feel pressed against his.

He leaned in, his lips a fraction away from yours. You could feel his stubble begin to poke you as he spoke. “Can I?” Your heart fluttered at him asking you.

You answered his question by meeting him halfway, closing the distance and letting yourself get lost in his kiss. His hand held the side of your face as his mouth moved with yours. Not in a hungry manner, but one of relief, of desperation.

Daryl hummed in the kiss before he pulled away. And for a moment, the air felt still. You both were out of breath and covered in that stupid orange powder.

Neither of you spoke, as if breaking that silence meant moving on from this moment. 

Daryl broke the silence first, “Been waitin’ to do that for a while now.” He smiled at you, his hand drifting down to your waist to keep you close.

This finally felt right. A man who held you without force.

Without pain.

“Me too.” You swiped off the powder from his chest, your touch making Daryl flush bright red. 

“Can’t wait to do it again.” Daryl grinned.

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That look that Spencer gave him was a warning. Like if Daryl got too close, he’d leave with his teeth punched in.

Daryl didn’t fear Spencer. That little mama’s boy? No.

But the thought of messing up something good scared him. Terrified him.

It was so rare these days to have someone you could call yours. If Daryl had to back off and let you be happy, he would. You deserved it.

He felt a longing in his chest, like anger and rage boiled down into one solid mass. Like it should have been him glaring into the eyes of a man who threatened his relationship.

A sick feeling made his feet move faster than his brain. In that moment, he found himself walking inside and slamming the door shut. Daryl only spent a moment in his head, consumed by the flood of that nasty feeling that destroyed his self-worth with each incoming wave.

As if drawn out by a siren call, a loud knock broke him from his trance. Daryl inhaled a deep sigh of frustration and swung open the door. “The hell ya’ want?” He hadn’t even looked up to see who it was.

“Relax pookie, it’s only me.” Carol snickered when Daryl muttered a quiet “shut up”. Carol’s eyes traveled to the sleeping bag on the floor behind him.

“Beds are just too soft, huh?” Daryl hummed in agreement.

“What’s got you so worked up?” Carol absentmindedly walked around his place, admiring the features of his apartment and comparing it to hers.

Silence.

Carol turned to face him and noticed his eyes flicker to the window. Her eyebrows rose as she stumbled over to see what he was looking at.

There, across the space in between Daryl’s place and yours, you stood at your own window. You were washing dishes with these pink rubber gloves. Adorable, domestic.

“Aww, are you in love?” She taunted Daryl with a pout. “Ya got good taste, she’s very cute.” Carol snickered when he tried to shut the blinds in frustration, his face beet red.

“S’nothing. Run went bad.” He grunted a lie, praying that Carol wouldn’t see straight through him. And normally, she would.

But, Spencer came into view, his large arms wrapping around your waist and bringing his lips to your neck. He seemed to whisper sweet nothings into your ear.

Carol laughed to herself and shut the blinds. “I get it. You’re jealous.”

Jealous. That word.

“Ain’t jealous.” His voice wavered slightly, a tone that immediately made Carol snicker.

“Sure you aren’t. You could probably take him, y’know.” She teased, shoving his shoulder. Yeah, he most likely could. Hell, Daryl could shoot him in the foot with his bow.

Wouldn’t make a difference. You were in love with Spencer.

The next few days, Daryl avoided you like the plague.

Because, for the first time since he had arrived, he understood that you belonged to someone else. And, based on the way you’d lean into his touch, the eager and loving smile on your face…

You loved him.

That didn’t stop his gaze, however, which searched for you in every room. God, he worried himself to death whenever you were gone. He wished he could come up to you, talk to you about your day. 

He felt a pain, a longing to hear your voice, your laughs, and the little things about you.

That’s why he flinched when he heard your voice behind him while he was fixing up a car for one of the other neighbors. “Daryl, where have you been? We haven’t talked in forever!” 

Your friendly tone masked the uncertainty you were truly feeling. Daryl had stopped talking to you completely. Was it something you said? Did you push him too far?

“Been busy-” He grunted out a meek response, not even sparing a glance your way. 

“Uh can-” You cleared your throat. “Could you come help me lift something? Spencer’s out right now, or I would have asked him.”

I would have asked him.

Those words struck Daryl like a knife in his side. He was a second thought, a backup, lesser-than version of your man. 

Still, he mustered the gall to answer. “Mhm,” he grunted and pushed himself off the ground to go help you.

He watched you walk in front of him as you led him to your porch. Daryl’s gaze traveled up and down your frame, watching the sway of your hips in almost a hypnotizing manner. 

Daryl realized he was staring and quickly cleared his throat. “S’this what you need?” He saw a large potted plant sitting on the top stair, and noticed the hook you had been trying to place it on.

“Yeah.” You looked down at your feet. Part of you felt like screaming, grabbing him, running away. Anything to get you away from Spencer.

But it wasn’t safe. Spencer was conniving and arrogant. He’d find you, he’d steal you back.

You’d never be free.

You were drawn from your thoughts when you heard your name being called. “Y/n, you okay?” Daryl was looking into your eyes at this point, noticing the glossed-over look. The stare that reached him and far beyond.

And he recognized it. “Y’look scared.”

You pulled away from his eye contact and grabbed the plant. “Could you just hang this, please?” You avoided the statement, the truth sitting just behind your eyes, threatening to fall out in one fell swoop.

Daryl took the plant from you, a pit in his stomach growing at your avoidance. 

“Hey Daryl.” Spencer approached the porch, his eyes boring holes into the space between you and Daryl.

Daryl was safe. He was a good man. “Keep going, you’re fine.” You give him a faint smile.

He shook his head. “S’not right.” He mumbled and set the plant down, making his way down the steps. He gave Spencer a quick nod before walking away.

It felt like the air was knocked out of your chest. Daryl left. 

“Y/n, what the fuck was that about, huh?” Spencer approached you with a low voice, his hands gently holding yours. A mere front to his real emotions, a show that he put on for others.

The next few days felt suffocating. Daryl hadn’t even seen you. Not even in the window. 

At least not until the little town event. A campfire sat in the middle of the town, with logs placed for seating and plenty of space for cooking whatever the group could come up with. 

With some tough love from Carol and a sliver of hope that he might see you there, Daryl decided to show up. 

In the time between when you last spoke with Daryl, it seemed like Spencer wasn’t the only plague on your life.

You laid on the couch the past few days, tears spilling from your eyes with no abandon. A blank, lost expression replaced your once hopeful self.

He left. Daryl left.

On particularly late nights, you would find yourself swimming in your own sea of thoughts. Maybe you weren’t being fair to him. How could he save you if you didn’t tell him you needed saving?

You wrote him letters with some scrap paper you had found on one of your runs. “I wish I had the courage to tell you. It kills me, y’know. Seeing you around, helping people.” You wrote, your expression bearing everything but joy.

“I wish many things, actually. I could finally tell you, scream it out that I’m not in control here. Tell you that you’re the first person to show me an ounce of fucking decency in months.” A flat chuckle left your mouth as you realized how juvenile these words may seem. 

But it was true.

“You really hurt me the other day. Seeing you walk away and leave me with Spencer felt like a stab in the chest.” Tears were falling freely now, dripping onto the paper and blending with the fresh ink from a pen.

You paused before writing your next sentence. This was too real, too real to be written down forever.

“Sometimes I wish I could feel your touch. A gentle touch, without pressure, without strings.” A heavy heat rose through your body, feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety at the fact that this is reality.

“Maybe I’ll build up the courage to tell you today at the campfire. We’ll see.” With that, you slammed the book shut and slipped it underneath the floorboards of a corner in the house. With the large pile of letters you amassed over the past month of knowing Daryl, thoughts of scattering them across the house crossed your mind.

It was almost time for the campfire, and you definitely had some work to do in order to be presentable. You passed by the couch you had been lying on the last couple of days.

A deep sadness washed over you upon seeing it. The dent in the couch, unbothered by the hours spent sobbing and shaking uncontrollably.

Keep pushing. You shouted inwardly.

After a nice warm shower, you got dressed in whatever was clean and begrudgingly made your way to the campfire. Your heartbeat pounded incessantly, the sound clouding your ears.

Public appearances were always hard on you. The sheer exhaustion from keeping up your act. By the end of the night, your face always ached from the fake smiling.

“Ah, there she is! C’mere honey.” A grin crept onto your mouth as you sat next to Spencer on a log in front of the flames. Orange glowing embers flew into the air, threatening to land on the pair of you. Spencer wrapped an arm around you, “What were you up to, princess?” His eyes glanced down to meet yours.

“Workin’ miracles. You think I look this good by sheer luck?” Your laugh echoed across the neighborhood, alerting a certain man you had been longing for.

You pushed down the thought of how you sat in front of the mirror for 20 minutes today, fighting back tears as you put on your second layer of foundation over the bruises on your face and neck.

“Yeah, leave her be, Spence. A lady needs her girl time.” Maggie gave you a nod and smiled, a feature of hers that made you feel a sliver of warmth every time you saw it.

“She doesn’t even need a miracle. You’re gorgeous already, sweetheart!” 

Blood rushed to Daryl’s face as he realized why you had been so distant. It hurts to see you fawning over him, to see you hanging on his every word.

“Oh, hush, we’ll talk about it later.” You gave Spencer a wink and leaned against his chest, breaking eye contact to ease the burn you felt in your throat.

A wave of nausea hit Daryl as he sat just feet away from you. You truly loved him. He thought. 

He eyed Spencer as he placed a hand over your thigh, rubbing small circles into your denim jeans as he listened to Rick’s exaggerated story about something the group had gone through. 

The story didn’t matter. He didn’t even fucking hear it.

He heard the blood rushing in his ears, commanding him to look away as Spencer’s hand drifted further up your leg, squeezing your thigh with possessiveness. 

With a dejected sigh, Daryl faced a familiar friend.

“See something you like over there? You’re whipped, honey.” Carol mumbled, her eyes drifting to Spencer with a raised eyebrow.

“Nah I ain’t.” He grunted, glancing back in your direction to see you placing a quick kiss onto Spencer’s lips, a gigantic smile plastered across your face.

The beer he was sipping was left on the log bench as he strutted off into the recesses of the neighborhood. God, he couldn’t take it anymore. 

His stomach twisted in raw emotion. The anger, the jealousy, and even some sadness ripped out any thought of you ever being his.

How could he ever win you over? A rugged man who looked like he’d been a lifelong stray.

How could he ever compete with pretty-boy, Spencer? Hell, he’d probably be the type to wake you up with breakfast in bed.

And he was just goddamn useless.

“Daryl, stop being such a baby.” Carol’s words brought him back from the ledge of spiraling into self-hatred, at least for now.

“Quit it, will ya?” He turned away, sulking in his own self-pity. The sight of this grown man sulking like a child earned a snicker from Carol.

“Look, you wanna be around her, right? Well, how can you possibly do that from all the way over here? She’s taken, Daryl. But let me tell you from experience, a ring ain’t always forever.” Daryl paused his thoughts to process Carol’s words.

“Ya’ think I should try?” Daryl’s voice quieted as he asked.

“I think you should be there for her.” Carol glanced back at the campfire, a sad, knowing look in her eyes.

“Like stick around?” Daryl didn’t quite understand. How would being close help?

“Just do it. Be what she needs, be there.” Carol’s words were cryptic, and left Daryl wondering what his next steps were.

Daryl’s feet felt heavy as he tracked his way back to the campfire. Reluctant, unsure eyes met yours. A stare that spoke of late-night chats on the porch, of figuring things out together, of exploring this new broken world with someone by your side.

You shifted in your seat to ease the ache in your back from holding a pose with Spencer while you pretended everything was okay. Under his grasp, you felt his chest rise as his breath hitched in rising anger.

“So Y/n, you’ve been doing some runs out west, what have you seen so far? Any kind of facilities or factories that might have potential?” Rick tossed you a smile with his question, a quiet reminder of what a true smile actually looked like.

Not a facade.

“Oh, I actually-”

“Well, yesterday, Y/n and I found some kind of grain processing facility. Might be worth checking out.” Spencer interrupted you. The eyes of the group seemed to breeze over that fact, questioning Spencer now instead of you.

Looking down at your shoes, you listened to the conversation slowly fade out of your ears with every new thought that popped up.

No one noticed. No one checked in. 

Courage rose in your chest as you finally looked up at the group. No eyes on you.

None except Daryl’s.

The night crept in faster than anyone anticipated, stragglers leaving with every passing hour. Eventually, it was just Rick, Daryl, Deanna, and the two lovebirds.

“We could definitely use any resources we can get. I’d love to organize some kind of-”

You weren’t even listening to Rick and Deanna’s conversation at that point. The old log began to feel painful after hours of sitting. You shifted in your seat, briefly standing up to stretch your body. 

Upon sitting back down, Spencer raised his hand-

You flinched. Flinched.

Ever so slightly, but Spencer continued his movement to brush hair out of your face. “Wasn’t gonna poke your face, honey. Might just have to now!” He laughs and pokes your nose, playing off the fact that you had just flinched away from him in front of practically everyone.

Well, the one person who mattered.

Daryl, who felt like he was consistently intruding on your relationship, noticed the flinch.

A flicker in the perfect pair. Just a small movement, really. Except that wasn’t normal. You weren’t one to break easily, weren’t one to become fearful.

You were resilient, brave, and one of the loudest people in the room. What is happening?

Daryl’s grip on the beer bottle began to tighten. His vision tunneled, as if nothing else mattered in that moment. Right now, he could only focus on you.

How your body was instinctively turned away from you. How you hadn’t looked at him since the flinch.

And how your hands began to shake.

Daryl felt a crack beneath his hand. Fuck

The bottle shattered in his grasp, the shards slicing his skin and leaving his hand dripping with blood. Instinctively, you rose to go grab your emergency kit. As if a force pulled you, it felt like this could be your break.

Then Spencer grabbed your wrist. “Damn Daryl, that looks bad. Y/n and I are probably going to head back home. Let us know if there’s anything we need to do.” He played it off, the arrogant asshole. His grip on your wrist was impossibly tight, a silent punishment for even thinking of leaving him.

Daryl let Rick and Deanna patch him up, but his eyes remained glued on you and Spencer.

The events of the campfire remained in Daryl’s mind, hanging over him like a dark cloud.

Spencer’s hand around your thigh, his close proximity, his affection, made his stomach churn in jealousy. Except now, that jealousy mixed with something else. A nasty cocktail that burned through his brain, filling his thoughts with worry.

That flinch.

Daryl ran over the memories he had with you. Because now, there was a different angle, a perspective that made his head spin with rage.

Every memory was tainted. That night on the porch, how you rushed home at the sound of a slamming door. The bruise he saw on that run to the gas station with you. And finally, the way you flinched from his hand coming up to brush hair out of your face.

Maybe she was telling the truth. That she was just a jumpy person, a clumsy woman who was eager to prove herself to everyone.

And yet. When Daryl was with you, you were courageous, strong, and goddamn intentional with everything you did. Hell, you could slash through any walker without a single thought. Nothing could make you flinch.

But Spencer did.

And the longer Daryl sat around thinking about it, the more his thoughts consumed him. He’d have to see for himself.

Daryl made it way outside to see an argument happening between Spencer and Rick. “No fucking way, man! I got things going for me here. I’m not fucking it up for some goddamn outsiders?” Several gasps echoed out from across the lawn.

Daryl observed the argument, but his eyes focused on only you. The new perspective wrecked him.

Not only was Spencer’s hand around your waist, but if you tried to move away, he’d only hold you tighter. 

Rick sighed and looked at you. “Alright then, Y/n. What do you think? Spencer’s the only person here who hasn’t been on a run for a few weeks. Do you think we could borrow him?” Rick chuckled at the scenario of asking permission from Spencer’s fiancee. 

Opening your mouth to talk, you almost let out a yelp as Spencer pinched your side, hard.

“She’s got nothing to do with this-”

“Actually, I think he should go. C’mon babe, you need a little time outside to spice things up!” Your smile pleaded innocence but Spencer could hear the venom coating the backend of your words.

And that is why, he pinched your side again, feeling the tiniest bit of satisfaction at your quiet whimper.

Daryl was fucking fuming. You were the most fascinating woman he’d ever met.

And yet Spencer couldn’t see it. Instead, he interrupted you and hurt you.

Rick kept pushing Spencer until he eventually gave in and decided to go on the run. Daryl walked back to his porch to observe the aftermath of the argument. 

Maybe there was some kind of explanation, some reason for him to treat you like shit.

Although, Daryl knew there was no excuse. In some small part of his mind, he hoped that his inkling wasn’t correct.

The sun began to set, mere hours before Spencer was supposed to be leaving with Rick and a group to go investigate a facility nearby the community. The same Spencer that had a death grip on your hand as you walked back to your apartment with him.

A strike of impulsiveness hit Daryl in the chest, his voice calling you over before his mind registered. “Hey Y/n, come over here for a second.” Daryl watched your fiancee stare daggers into him.

At first, your movement stuttered, as if weighing the options in your mind. And then it happened.

You let go of Spencer’s hand.

Surprised wedged a dent into Spencer’s rage-filled exterior, making him reach out instinctively to grab you.

“Better make it fast, Dixon. Wanna spend some quality time with my girl before I deploy.” His smile was joyful, but the emotion didn’t quite reach his eyes this time.

Pride settled deep into Daryl when you took a seat next to him on his porch. Spencer made his way inside, surely heading to the kitchen counter to glance out the window at you.

Daryl shifted his body to block you from his view, already anticipating the moves of a man with no control over the woman he loves. Or loathes in this case.

“What did you need?” You etched a smile onto your face, the corners turning downward with every ounce of energy that left your body.

“He hurts ya, don’t he?” Even speaking those words had Daryl’s stomach dropping.

You chuckle and look past Daryl, staring into the kitchen window where Spencer was indeed watching you. “What? He would never. What is this a fucking interrogation?”

There it was, that tenacity that Daryl had been missing. Only, this time it was directed at him. You bounced your knee as your eyes met with Daryl again.

“S’that why you flinched?” You froze, eyes drifting to the floor. Your suffering was public, shown and humiliated in front of everyone. And Daryl noticed.

Of course he did.

“Daryl, you drop it right now. You hear me?” Chewing the inside of your cheeks, you took even slow breaths to calm down your rising panic.

“Because he loves you, right?” Daryl knew that you were aware of what he meant.

“I can’t do this right now.” You ran a hand through your hair and stood up from your seat. “Daryl please-”

You choked back a sob, taking a deep breath with closed eyes to push the tears back into your subconscious. “Please you have to promise me that you’ll drop it.” Daryl began shaking his head, and you placed a hand on his knee.

Normally, Daryl would be a blushing mess at this gesture. But his stomach and mind were in knots, taking in your pain and suffering tenfold as he truly understood your experience.

“He’ll-” You started.

“Please.” You begged him.

“Alright, dropped.” He grunted, watching you clean up your eyes and your composure. 

“I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” You couldn’t even muster a smile as you turned on your heel and jogged over to your apartment.

The lion’s den.

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A deep aching hurt settled into your bones as you passed the rows of townhouses along the street. Alexandria was the only safe place for miles. Desolate land stood beyond the sturdy walls, and yet there was nothing to stop your racing thoughts from spilling over.

“He’s been looking for you, you know?” Deanna approached you, her clean clothes reminding you of the world before all of this.

It’s been a hard few months. 

In the time you spent after the world came crashing down, you had built up survival skills out of necessity. You had been surviving on whatever you could find, stumbling upon the community of Alexandria by sheer luck.

They took you in, thankfully.

Upon working closely with Deanna and the other members of the community, you grew closer to one person in particular.

Spencer

“Did he say what for?” If only his mother could hear the deep-rooted hatred that coated your words whenever you spoke about him. Deanna loved you, but the woman was none the wiser of your arguments and endless spitefulness.

At least to your knowledge.

“Something about a conversation you had earlier? He seemed a little irritated, might want to hurry, dear.” Worry struck Deanna’s face, but that same emotion never reached yours.

You gave a brief nod and made your way to your apartment that you shared with Spencer. Stepping into the threshold of the building, your stomach churned at the thought of having another “conversation” with him.

“Really? You sent your mother after me? Couldn’t talk to me yourself, huh.” You mumbled, your body jumping when he appeared from behind a wall and approached you with a venomous glance.

“Wouldn’t have to do that if you’d listen to me. You walked out of our talk earlier, like a child. So I’m not quite sure who’s at fault here.” Spencer replied in a monotone voice, leaning against the frame of the wall in a posture that could only be described as arrogant.

“Because you decided to be an asshole and spring that on me. I’ve known you for a few months, Spence. I ju- I just can’t.” You threw your arms up in a large, heavy sigh that carried months of stress and self-doubt.

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Y/n, but it’s not the normal world anymore. People move fast so that those things outside don’t catch up.” Spencer scoffed at your reluctance. 

“I’m not ready for marriage, Spencer! I need time to process all of the shit I’ve been through. You have no idea what I have seen out there!” You shouted, your body shrinking in on itself as you crossed your arms.

“Maybe we should put you back out there. Maybe then you’ll see that this is the best you’re gonna get, sweetheart.” Spencer grabbed your wrist. “Since you wanna act like you have a better choice than me.”

You tried to pull away. You tried.

“Spencer, you’re hurting me-” You called out to him, your free hand grasping at his fingers to wriggle yourself free. But it was no use.

Spencer took long strides to the door, dragging your reluctant and shaking frame with him. “Let’s fucking see it then. Show me how much better you had it outside the walls. Y’gonna marry any asshole that passes by?”

He hadn’t opened the door yet, giving you time to answer him. Not that he’d be satisfied with it, unless it was a “no”.

Tears began to well into your eyes, burning as they threatened to fall. With that, he opened the door and began dragging you down the street.

The pavement burned underneath your feet, only covered with thin socks that slammed against the sidewalk with each scattered step you took. You glanced around you, gasping for any breath of air you could muster.

There was nobody. Fucking nobody.

“Spencer please let me go, I’m sorry!” Your voice felt so weak, so needy, that it came out more of a whimper than a command.

Spencer ignored you, slamming open the gates ever so slightly and pulling you out. He shoved you to the ground just outside the fencing. 

“Doesn’t this feel much better, outsider? Now there’s nobody to tie you down, bet you’d fuck anybody you see on the road, you whore.” His words cut deep, as if he had a pocket knife pressed against your throat.

“When you decide that you’d like to marry me, you can come back and enjoy the privilege of living here.”

Privilege my ass.

Spencer began closing the gate, ignoring the broken calls of his name as you scrambled to your feet. “Spencer, open the fucking gate please!” Your face was wet with tears that you hadn’t even processed, hands shaking like the leaves on the trees.

“Better stay quiet, honey. Wouldn’t want a walker to come by and take a bite of that gorgeous body, right? Unless-oh, you’d like to marry me?” Spencer’s calm demeanor only solidified the insanity that had struck him to the core.

As if almost on cue, a growing sound of grunts and growling made the hairs on your body stand straight up in fear.

Suddenly, you were back in those dense woods, fighting off walkers with nothing but an axe and some raw animal you killed that morning. 

“Okay fine! I’ll marry you, please just let me in! Hurry, they’re coming!” You shouted, your voice cracking from the sheer dread coursing through you. God they were getting close.

Spencer took his time opening the gate, and you slid in by the skin of your teeth. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Your hand landed on the side of his face with a deafening smack.

Only within seconds, his own hand returned the favor. He smacked your cheek with an unwavering fervor, sending your body back as you slumped against the gate. 

“No! You don’t get to have a say in anything I do now. You’re mine.” He got close to your ear as he growled those last two words.

You’re mine.

The next month went by at a snail’s pace. Spencer kept you hidden except for public appearances. If you got restless and begged to go for a walk or chat with the slim number of friends you had in Alexandria, you were quickly shut down.

“Slow down, sweetheart. Don’t you wanna be here? With me?” A wicked smile grew upon his stubbled face, the joy not reaching his eyes.

“Or should I drop you back outside those walls? Maybe drive you a good mile or two away?” Spencer threatened you, grabbing a fistful of your hair.

“Look at me”

His movements paused at the sound of commotion from outside. Someone was outside the gate.

“Clean yourself up, whore. I’ll be at the gate, and I’d better see you there too.” He warned, pointing a finger mere inches away from your face. His remark earned a slight nod.

You put on some makeup that one of the guys had found during a run in a nearby strip mall, feeling relief in the way that it covered up the bruising around your cheekbones. Red marks and bruises were scattered across your body. 

Lucky for you, you had an easy excuse. A run gone bad.

Shortly after a cover-up session, you jogged to catch up to the members of Alexandria who stood behind the gate waiting for the newcomer.

Or… newcomers.

Eyes widened, you felt a sense of joy at the sight of a new group of people coming into the community. New people meant a shimmer of hope in the sea of darkness that clouded over your head. 

“Alright, everyone, gather around, hand in your weapons, and then we’ll get to a tour around Alexandria.” You hardly processed Deanna’s words, too busy examining the group. Their clothing was bloody and tattered. Their eyes were tired and laced with sorrow.

The group, Rick’s group, handed over their weapons with several reluctant pauses. Deanna introduced the members of the community.

“And this is Spencer, my son. This is his fiancée, Y/n.” You gave a small wave and a smile, one that never really made it to your eyes.

In fact, that was the first thing Daryl noticed about you. Your eyes.

How sad they looked, how damaged.

Shouldn’t a soon-to-be bride be damn near shaking with happiness?

Daryl was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard his name called. “Daryl, Y/n is going to be your tour guide. We’ll meet up with you back at the gate.” Rick’s firm voice reminded him of his current intention.

Be cautious of everyone, everything.

Daryl watched as you glanced up at your fiancée with uncertainty. Spencer leaned down to meet your ear. He whispered something that made your fists tighten into a ball.

Daryl turned away to give you both privacy. He had just met you, of course he’d be in the wrong to assume that Spencer was anything but a loving partner.

He thought.

You urged a smile onto your face as you approached Daryl. “Alrighty, let’s get you that tour!” Your demeanor flipped, like you were putting on an act. At times, living with Spencer felt like one big act, and you were one intermission from being tossed right back out into the cruel world.

Daryl just grunted in response, following you as you started down the street. The whole scene in the area was strange. It all seemed fake, like a ploy to trap unknowing people. He felt a frown spread across his face, a feeling of disgust.

You stopped. “I know, it all looks fake, right? I was where you are about 6 months ago. The whole place looked like something out of a Hallmark movie!” That earned you a chuckle from the reserved man.

Somehow, it seemed like that might have been his first laugh in a long time.

“But, I promise it is all real. Now, that doesn’t mean that we have everything we need here. We still go out on runs and some practice hunting.” The man’s eyes lit up at the word ‘hunting’.

“Ah, a hunter? You know we actually need one of those, so you’ll be a great fi-”

“I ain’t no damn hunter. Sure as hell ain’t your hunter.” Daryl didn’t mean for his words to come out that harsh. You were slightly taken aback, your easy smile faltered into a tight-lipped, awkward grin.

“Oh, I see.” You continued walking, your bubbly self shrinking back into that familiar shell. When you arrived in Alexandria for the first time, you hardly spoke. Spencer was able to break you out of that shell through his kind heart.

Until that honeymoon phase turned sour.

Daryl cleared his throat. He wanted so badly to tell you that he didn’t mean it, especially after seeing that dejected puppy look you gave him. Like he had ruined your whole week by stating those words.

While you walked, he admired your features. Your hair shone in the hot summer sun, clean clothes adorning your well-fed figure. 

A picture of home that he’d probably dreamt of while on the road.

You passed by houses and gardens before finally making your way back to the gate. “And that concludes our tour. Whatdya’ think?” You glanced up at him, expecting some sort of long-winded appreciative reply.

The man in front of you just shrugged. “S’different”.

Now it was your turn to laugh. “Different? Yeah, I guess that’s one way to describe it.” The sound of your laugh made him feel a warm emotion inside of him.

It was strange, like he felt proud of himself for being the cause of your laughter.

“Hey, how was it?” Carol asked Daryl, her eyes scanning you for any ulterior motives. 

Daryl shrugged as you walked away. “She was nice.” He shifted his head to look at Carol, who was snickering beside him.

“Not her, the tour. But I’m glad you made a friend.” Carol shoved his shoulder, laughing to herself.

“Shut up.” Daryl’s ears flushed a bright red out of embarrassment.

Daryl was surprised at how difficult it was to acclimate to the community. Being gone for days at a time, he found himself longing for a chance to be outside the walls again.

It wasn’t until he was moved into his own apartment that he truly felt like he belonged there. Sure, the empty halls and rooms made his thoughts echo and tumble around incessantly. After living practically feet away from the group for months now, he thought he’d enjoy the independence.

Apparently not.

He couldn’t sleep in a bed, far too soft for his liking. He often slept on a sleeping bag on the floor, tossing and turning for hours. 

Daryl would spend half the night pushing down his dark thoughts, the memories of regret that consumed him when nights were particularly cold and empty.

It was nights like these when he would just walk outside and sit on the porch, listening to the faint hum of the porch light as it emitted a golden yellow light across the lawn.

Daryl took a slow drag from his cigarette, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. 

“Feels weird to have a front lawn, huh?” Daryl glanced in your direction. You were on your own porch, mere feet from him.

“Never had one,” Daryl shrugged. You made your way over to him, grabbing a seat next to him and turning yourself in his direction. It surprised Daryl how easily it was for him to feel comfortable around you. 

If it were anyone else, he would’ve walked right back inside.

“Yeah, me either.” You snorted to yourself. “Hey, on the bright side-” You held up a pack of beer in front of his face “Found a gas station that was untouched. Want one?” 

Daryl chuckled, “Yeah.” He popped one open. “Didja’ loot it already?” You shook your head.

“Was waiting for Spencer to give me the okay.” You shrug, taking a long sip from your beer.

Daryl scoffed at you in disbelief. “Ya’ need permission for a damn beer now?” You prayed he didn’t see your smile falter ever so slightly.

“Eh, married life. But, I did grab these-” You held up beef jerky and some chips. Daryl sat with your response for a second, but decided to move on.

“Sweet. You ain’t bribin’ me or nothin’, right?” Daryl pretended to reluctantly grab the snacks. “I’m not swiping nobody’s things for ya’.”

You laughed loudly and then immediately covered your mouth, the sound invading the quiet night streets. “Fuck, stop makin’ me laugh!” You whispered.

And there it was again, that strange warm feeling that crept up through his core, his whole body. That proud feeling.

SLAM!

You both jumped a mile at the sound of a door closing in your apartment. Daryl watched as you collected yourself in a rush. “Here, these beers are for you! Maybe next time you’d want to go on a supply run with me, we can circle back to that gas station.” Your warm smile made him feel giddy and excited, like a damn teenager in his feelings.

“Alright, I’ll uh-I’ll see you-” Daryl tripped over his words frantically, his ears turning bright red yet again.

“I’ll see you tomorrow! Good night, Daryl.” His stomach flipped at the sound of his name from your lips.

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

After a minimal amount of sleep, Daryl felt energized and ready to go outside the walls and find some supplies for the first time in a week or so.

A knock on his door made him flinch in his sleeping bag. He guessed he wasn’t as acclimated as he thought. Daryl glanced through the peephole to see a welcome sight.

You.

The door flew open, and you could hardly contain your nerves. You were gonna do it. You were going to ask him to go on a supply run. “Good morning!” Your singsong voice made the corner of his mouth tilt up into a faint smile.

“What’s this all about?” Daryl’s gruff voice sounded twice as groggy, indicating that he had indeed just woken up.

“Spence said that he’s okay with me going on a supply run with you! So long as we’re back before night.” Daryl tilted his head at your response. Why do you need his permission? You’re a grown woman.

A capable woman, at that.

“We goin’ to that gas station?” You only nod in response. “Lemme grab my bow.” He walked into his place to grab his weapon, turning around when he heard your footsteps cross over the threshold.

“This is nice! Never seen your place before.” You smile and take a quick glance before stepping back out.

Daryl chuckled at your way of pushing his boundaries ever so slightly. Just enough to shock him, but sweet enough to bring him back.

“Ya’ ready to go?” He asked you, but he already knew the answer, judging by the massive backpack you carried with you.

“Yup!” You glanced at him as he smirked at you. “What’s your problem?” You scoffed at him in a playful manner.

“Y’plan on carryin’ that the whole way?” He asks, to which you stick up your shoulders confidently. 

“Of course. Now let’s go!”

Seeing you in Alexandria, all comfortable and relaxed, made him wonder how competent you could be outside the walls.

“Ya’ hear that?” Faint growls could be heard up ahead. Sure enough, a group of about 5 walkers was passing by on the road. 

“I got it!” You sneak up behind them before they can fully turn around. Knifing two of them in the head, you quickly move on to the others. You couldn’t see the one walker that was crawling toward you from out behind a car. But Daryl could.

He raced over but he wasn’t fast enough.

You had quickly eliminated that one too, downing all of them with little trouble. “Aw, someone was worried. I’ll share next time.”

Daryl glanced away in embarrassment. “Shut up.”

That incident answered his question. You could handle yourself plenty. 

As you approached the gas station, you both walked around the perimeter to detect any danger or traps. Finding none, you headed inside the building. 

Daryl watched you lead, sneaking around corners of the aisles and slicing any strays that dare cross your path. It was nice to be in a situation like this, where the both of you understood the freedom that brought the outside. But, the mutual understanding that danger still could have been around every corner was prominent as well.

Watching you from afar, he got to see you from a new angle.

Did you always have that bruise?

He shook off his concerns when you let out an excited shriek. “Christ, y’gonna ring that dinner bell for the walkers.”

“Oh, hush you’d scream if you found these too.” You held up a massive box of condoms. “Got any special ladies, Dixon?” You wiggled your eyebrows at him in a teasing manner.

If only, he thought.

Ignoring the red-hot blush that now arose onto his face, he waved his arm at you. “Jus’ got here, how am I ‘posed to get a lady?”

It wasn’t lost on you that Daryl didn’t actively pursue any special somebody, especially coming from the outside. 

His massive blush attack was not lost on you either.

“Keep searching, I’m sure we’ll find something worthwhile to bring back besides booze and cigs.” Daryl took quick glances at you across the store, packing a couple of cigarette packs into his bag before joining you. 

“Ooo, take a look.” You showed him a lottery ticket. “Feeling lucky?”

Daryl scoffed. “You try, I’m bad luck.” He watched as you scratched off the ticket. 

“Ohh shit! I got $10!” You laughed and showed him. 

Daryl could only laugh quietly as he admired your actions. How your eyes lit up anytime you were excited about something. How quick you were to make him feel comfortable. 

“Ya’ ready to go back?” Daryl asks you, to which you nod and pack everything away into the backpack you brought.

He turned away and started toward the door when he heard a thud from behind him. Daryl whipped around to see you on the floor.

“You were right.” You said with a pout. Daryl held back a laugh and approached you.

He set his own bag down. “Trade ya’.” He waited for you to slip out of the backpack straps before slinging it on his own back.

He tried to play it off, but that bag was heavy as shit. He grunted as he settled the bag on his shoulder and helped you up. 

After walking back, you said your goodbyes to Daryl and met Spencer at your door. Again, he bent down to whisper in your ear. “You’re still mine, right?” You felt tears prick your eyes.

Daryl was right there. And yet Spencer knew you wouldn’t break in front of him. You wanted to so badly.

To just scream out and ask for help.

But you didn’t. You nodded and smiled up at him before walking inside, not glancing at Daryl again. 

Spencer, however, shot Daryl a look of warning.