Daryl’s Photographer

EEEEEEEEEE THE END HAS ME KICKING MY FEET/GIGGLING/SMILING AT MY PHONE EEEEEEEEEE I love sheepish bashful Daryl awwwwweee

Hi! I saw your request for some drabbles and was wondering if you could do a fluff Daryl x Fem Reader set in S2 Ep7 where she comes to Daryl's defense (maybe a slap to the face 😆) after Shane's rant about how Sophia would run away if she saw him.

Daryl x Reader requested

author's notes: helloooo!! I loved this and I was cracking up rewatching the scene. Thank you for the request!!

Not much of a sweet fluff but still a fun fluff

"We can't just sweep this under the rug," Andrea's voice is insistent as Shane paces, pushing his hat harshly onto his head. The blue brim shades his angry eyes as he steels over the group. The sun beats down on all of you as you stand in front of the large dilapidated barn. Snarling echoes in the barn ahead, making your skin crawl. Glenn had been acting antsy all morning, finally announcing to the group that Hershel and his family have walkers locked in their barn like they’re just sick relatives waiting to get better.

"It ain't right," T-Dog says flippantly, crossing his arms. "Not remotely."

"Okay," Shane sighs, loud and impatient. "We either gotta go in there, we gotta make things right, or we just gotta go." He adjusts the brim of his hat as he looks at Rick. "Now, we’ve been talkin’ about Fort Banning for a long time."

You roll your eyes. Shane had been running his mouth about Fort Banning since the second you met him, and it was exhausting. He just would not shut the hell up.

"We can't go," Rick hisses, holding up a hand to silence Shane, but of course, Shane doesn’t stop.

"Why, Rick? Why?"

Carol’s small voice trembles as she steps up. "’Cause my daughter’s still out there."

Shane’s face shifts, softening into a strained mask of patience. His eyes close for a brief second, like he’s trying to summon every ounce of strength before speaking again. "Okay," he sighs, dragging a hand over his face. "Carol, I think it’s time we all start considerin’ the other possibility."

"Shane—" you bark, but Rick cuts you off.

"We’re not leavin’ Sophia behind," he says firmly, his tone brooking no argument.

Daryl, still battered from his fall down the ravine, steps forward. His voice is rough, but there’s conviction in every word. "I’m close to findin’ this girl. I just found her damn doll two days ago!"

"You found her doll, Daryl, that's what you did. You found a doll." Shane says incredulously.

There’s a beat of silence before Daryl’s voice rises to a roar, his arms swinging out as if daring Shane to keep going. "Man, you don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about!"

"Look, I’m just sayin’ what needs to be said!" Shane shouts back, voice booming. "You get a good lead, it’s in the first 48 hours—after that—"

"Shane, shut up!" you shout, your frustration boiling over, the barn of walkers becoming more and more riled as voices continue to climb.

"Let me tell you somethin' else, man!" Shane barks with a humorless laugh, "If she was alive out there and she saw you comin'—all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction, man!" he says, pointing across the farm.

Rick is in between them in an instant, Daryl lunging at Shane, his arms swinging in anger, but it's your temper that gets the better of you, and no one stops you as you stalk over in front of Shane.

A loud smack rents the air, your palm stinging on impact as it hits Shane's face. Suddenly, everyone goes still and very, very quiet.

"You," you hiss, jabbing a finger into Shane’s chest. "You shut your damn mouth, asshole. If you’d done half the work Daryl’s done for that little girl, we might’ve actually found her by now. But instead, you’re worried about what, exactly? Fort Banning? Give it a rest. We’re not leavin’ without Sophia. End of. Until you’ve got something useful to say, keep your damn mouth shut."

Your seething breaths come out heavy and hot as you look at the man whose skin is hot pink where you slapped him across his face.

The barn seems quieter now, the walkers’ snarls muffled compared to the buzzing tension in the group. Shane stands dumbfounded, but there's anger and disbelief rising behind his eyes as he takes you in.

You feel a hand on your shoulder from behind you—gentle, trying to ground you—but you shove it off and turn on your heel, storming away toward the camp.

જ⁀➴

Later, you’re at the campfire, your temper still simmering like the embers in front of you. You hold a stick of spam over the flame, your grip tense. Most of the others have scattered to chores or hushed conversations, but the sound of boots crunching on dirt draws your attention.

Daryl approaches, looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "Hey," he mutters, his voice rough and low.

You grunt in greeting, not trusting yourself to speak yet without snapping.

For a moment, neither of you says anything. The fire crackles between you, and Daryl shifts his weight, chewing on his bottom lip as he fiddles with an arrow in his hands. You steal a glance at him—his bruised face contemplative—and something softens in your chest. You hand't really gotten to know Daryl in the past few weeks you'd come to know the rest of them. He had a temper, much like you, and wasn't necessarily the most friendly of the bunch. He kept to himself, especially since his brother went missing and you didn't want to bother him, knowing how easily he could be set off these days. But there was something about him, you had to admit to yourself when you glanced at him now. He was handsome, under all the ruggedness and sweaty dirt-smudged skin. He had a tender heart too, and that was something that surprised you most when Sophia had first gone missing. He was the leader of every search party, spent almost every day out looking for her or coming up with plans, and you felt like he deserved so much more recognition than he got. The others chalked him up to a dirty, no good redneck. But you see more than that, especially now. He’s the only one who’s been fighting as hard as you for Sophia, and it feels like no one else recognizes it.

“Didn’t have t’ do that,” he says finally, his southern accent thick as he mumbles.

“Do what?” you ask, though you already know.

He shrugs one shoulder, his eyes still locked on the flames. “Smack ‘im like that. Standin’ up for me.”

You roll your eyes. “Shane pisses me off, that’s all. Asshole thinks he runs the place.”

Daryl nods faintly, his lips twitching like he’s holding back a smile. “Still,” he says, glancing at you briefly before looking away again. “Kinda hot.”

The words catch you completely off guard. Your cheeks heat instantly, and you finally turn to face him, blinking and startled. “Hot?” you repeat, your voice incredulous.

He doesn’t look at you, his mouth tugging into a sheepish smirk as he scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he mumbles. “Ain’t no one ever done somethin’ like that for me before.”

You stare at him for a moment, then let out a breathy laugh, shaking your head as you look away. “You’re unbelievable,” you mutter, though a small, embarrassed smile tugs at your lips.

Daryl shrugs again, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "Guess I owe ya."

“Nah,” you say, the grin lingering on your face despite yourself. “Just... keep doin’ what you’re doin’. That’s enough.”

He hesitates, looking down at the arrow in his hands before glancing back at you. “Come with me next time,” he offers, his voice softer now, like gravel under tires, “I’ll show ya how...to track n' all.”

Your smile widens, a shy warmth blooming between you as you nod. “Alright,” you agree, the tension easing into something lighter. 

He nods, the smallest hint of a smile playing at his lips as the two of you settle into a companionable silence by the fire.

Daryl Dixon x f!Reader: Together Apart Ch.5

Warnings/Mentions: History of abuse, neglect, strong language, mentions of character death, alcohol and drug abuse, ptsd, shared trauma, reader is cold, angst, fluff, eventual smut, slowburn, angst

Summary: You and Daryl grow closer due to feeling out of place in Alexandria. Just when you think you have the old Daryl back, he leaves.

Notes: I think the chapter after this one will be the last chapter, and finally have some cheesy old fashion love making :D Sorry Daryl vanishes at the end tho ):

It never seemed to end for him. In front of everyone else he was silent, emotionless, an empty body on autopilot. But when you'd walk off into the trees to search for water, it always hit him, no matter how many times he'd thought he'd cried out all out and was done with it. 

He clung to you after her death like never before, constantly walking in your shadow and wordlessly begging for some sort of comfort, reassurance, anything. You did the best you could, which ended up being more than either of you expected. You seamlessly morphed into the familiar elder sister role, mirroring the ways you would comfort your bruised baby brother. 

He put a cigarette out on his hand the one time he went off by himself, and not following him was something you came to regret. 

“Daryl,” the whisper of your voice had him cringing, the sound too empathetic and full of concern, he had to fight to keep himself from cracking when your comfort washed over him. 

“I know… I'm not good with words, or shit like this.” You sighed, maintaining a quiet tone, low enough for the sound of rain and the crackle of fire to cover. 

Daryl remained silent as you spoke. He picked at the skin around his fingers, looking down at his hands in his lap, and the sight of your smaller hand lightly touching his wrist makes him jerk. 

“I can't take away your pain, God knows I'd kill every goddamn piece of shit alive to make you feel better.” Your voice turned shaky, and the urge to cry was becoming overwhelming for the both of you. “But... I can promise you, you'll never have to worry about losing me. I just want you to know, I'm that one thing you don't need to worry about. I always will be.” 

Daryl slowly inhaled through his stuffy nose and nodded, the noise dry and shaky, his eyes burning and unblinking from their gaze on your hand. 

“I know.” He finally spoke and nodded again, as if that would magically set it in stone. “Me too.”

Slipping back into your place in the group dynamic was unpleasant after being alone with Gabriel for that long. It wasn't just one person you had to make an effort for anymore, and deep down you despised it. It was almost comparable to going back to school after summer break. You had to play by the rules again, fit into their perfect perception or risk repercussions. 

The discovery of Eugenes lies was all but a surprise to you. You didn't have some wild sense of intuition, you were just a pessimistic person. Although you kept your opinions to yourself, you didn't predict the extent of how deep his lies had been. The cure was a given, obviously, but the fact he lied about being a scientist as well? Lied about the safe place in Washington too? It took everything you had in you not to cave his face in when you saw the look of disappointment on Daryl's face. That's another reason why you hated being in a group. People didn't deserve to be able to let you down, and sure as hell not the one person you gave a shit about. 

People love to parrot that same ‘it has to get worse before it can get better’ bullshit you'd been told by concerned and empathetic authority figures all throughout your childhood. Safe to say it had lost its meaning to you, even when Daryl tried to lift your spirits. 

Well, it sure got better for everyone else. 

You weren't alone in your suspicions about Aaron. For once Rick and you agreed on something, it was a bad idea to go to Alexandria. But the group convinced him to take a chance, that the rewards greatly outweigh the risks, and you watched with a disapproving glare as Aaron led you all past the gates. 

“I'm just going to ask you a few simple questions, get to know you. You don't mind if I record this, do you?” 

You had a feeling your answer wouldn't make any difference, no matter what you said. You shook your head as you watched Deanna turn her video camera on, the big black lens feeling like an intimidating pit waiting to swallow you up if you gave an answer she didn't like. She rounded the couch and sat down, a tight and professional smile on her lips. 

“Let's start with your name.”

You told her your name, trying to behave despite your stomach growling and the sudden awareness that you smelled and looked awful. 

“Where are you from,” She repeated your name. 

“Georgia. Up North.” 

“Did you work?”

“No.”

“What were you before the outbreak?” When you didn't answer, she elaborated. “Were you a student in school, staying at home, traveling…?”

“After high school I stayed home for a couple years. Took care of my mom.” 

“I understand you're close with Daryl, is that right?” 

You must've visibly reacted to that question, because even after you answered, she pressed for more information.

“Did you grow up together?”

“Kind of, we weren't really friends or anything. He lived nearby and I'd see him around.”

Deanna nodded as if she was your therapist listening to some deep-seated trauma. 

“Did you ask anyone else these questions?” You scratched the back of your arm, beginning to feel uncomfortable. 

“I ask everyone all kinds of questions. I want to get to know you all, it's not an interrogation. You don't need to answer any that you don't want to.”

She finally changed the subject to your relationship with Rick's group. Not that you were eager to talk about it, but at least she wasn't grilling you on Daryl anymore. 

“I've been here since before Rick came and took over. Back in Atlanta. Daryl and his brother Merle came to get me when it happened. I thought maybe they were having some bad trip or somethin'. Ran into my house yelling about dead folks coming back to life and eating people. If it wasn't for them, I'd probably be dead too, but, I think they mainly came to get me because they knew my mom had a stash of cigarettes and drugs.” You were chuckling as you spoke, not realizing you had given up so much information without her even asking. You instantly shut up, the amused smile leaving your face. 

“How do you get along with other members of your group?”

You cringed at the phrasing. They weren't your group, they were Daryl's people, you were just a temporary guest without a set time to leave. 

“Fine. Haven't heard any complaints. Have you?”

“No. But I have heard you don't work well with others.” 

You shrugged. 

“Do you want to be here?” The way she would use your name at the end of every few sentences was starting to get under your skin. 

“I'm kinda stuck with wherever Daryl wants to be.” 

Deanna ended the interview after a handful of other unimportant questions and you were allowed to leave, led to your new house by one of her son's. 

You took the longest and hottest shower of your life, only getting out when Abraham started pounding on the door. It brought back that same feeling of anxiety you'd get when your mother would bang on your locked door in a fit of anger. You nearly ran him over when you burst out of the bathroom, making him drop his change of clothes and call out a disgruntled complaint. 

“Who the hell is this?” 

Daryl looked up from his bag to see you looking down at him, a teasing grin on your fresh face. The image of you being all cleaned up had him momentarily stunned. It had been a while since either of you had seen each other clean like that. 

“Daryl? No way, where's your grease?” You toyed with his damp hair before sitting next to him on the floor near the fireplace, where he'd decided to sleep for the night. 

“Nah, I don't know you. Ya don't smell like bloody rabbits.” He retorted, leaning in to dramatically sniff at you. “The hell is that? Shampoo?”

“Uh, it's shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and toothpaste.” You replied, giving an exaggerated smile to show your clean teeth. 

You shared a few chuckles and jokes as the rest of the group cleaned up and prepared for bed. Even though you couldn't stand the place or the new people in it, the prospect of having your own room with an actual bed had you buzzing with excitement. 

Sleeping next to Daryl wasn't anything out of the ordinary for you. It was an arrangement that happened more nights than not. But sleeping next to Daryl in a safe house, wrapped in clean clothes, soft blankets, and not even the slightest whiff of the outdoors? It was overwhelming. 

You turned on your side to face him, watching as he stared up at the ceiling, the dark room filled with the familiar ambiance of gentle snoring and breathing. Daryl always slept after everyone else, and that night was no exception. 

Despite your instincts telling you not to, you wiggled on the blanket to move closer to him, nuzzling your face in his nearly dry hair, closing your eyes as you inhaled his clean scent. 

He stiffened at first, an automatic reaction which soon faded and he relaxed, tilting his head until his cheek rested against your forehead. He could barely feel the warm tickle of your breath under his jaw, the feeling soliciting a subliminal relaxation. His eyes closed then, and he listened to the barely audible whistle of your nose. He listened as the whistle got softer, slower, and nearly disappeared altogether as you fell asleep. 

Daryl made sure to untangle himself from you the next morning, before anyone else had the chance to wake up and witness your private bond. No one deserved to see that part of him or you, it was intended for the two of you alone, something deeper and more personal than anyone would understand. 

Adjusting to being around people was a challenge that went all the way back to school. Even in Atlanta you struggled with it, going from being a hermit with your sick mother to an adult in a large group of people, it felt like your first day of school all over again. 

That was all nothing compared to being in Alexandria. Not only were you surrounded by people that annoyed you, but another larger group of people you knew absolutely nothing about. 

They bestowed heavy responsibilities on you as well. It wasn't just scraping by washing clothes and hunting, it was work. Hard work. Wall building, gardening, work inside Alexandria, work outside their walls, near constant supply runs, and cooking. 

Parties. Pasta for dinner. A seemingly limitless flow of sparkling amber champagne. Some kid was walking their fucking pet dog on the sidewalk. 

It felt insulting. Their first impression on you firmly implemented your personal views towards them. Spoiled, weak, wearing faces of false persona, wives chittering like hens with warm knowing smirks. Husbands and men who always smiled like the sun, going out of their way to do things they considered nice for you, then putting on a somber and humble face if anyone had praised their hard work, dedication, and sacrifices. Sacrifices that basically ensued going to the grocery store. 

You hated it. You hated them, you hated their kids, you hated their houses that looked like mansions to you, and you hated the way Rick's group treated it like they'd walked through the bright pearly gates and not the glorified pretentious prison that it was. 

To your relief Daryl didn't quite like it either. 

“They invited us to what?” You didn't believe him when he said it to you as he stared around your new room. 

“Said it was a welcoming party.” He grunted, fingers picking at the edges of a tacky poster of a puppy on the wall. 

“A party? What do you mean a party?” 

“Dunno.” He sighed, throwing his hands up in muted exasperation. “S’jus what she said.” She being Deanna, the same woman who took away your guns, which yours had grown to be quite the impressive collection. But you being your hardened and sneaky self, you'd managed to smuggle two of your handguns into your room. Daryl got to keep his crossbow, of course, and you your own recurve bow, it was the bare minimum aside from your knives, which the others were allowed to keep as well. Sadly, you'd end up breaking that bow a few days later by slinging it at Pete's head.

“And everyone's going?” You pressed on from your seat on the bedroom dresser. 

“Dunno. Goddamn, told you what she told me, you know s’much as I do.” 

You went to the party. Of fucking course you would, they had full on meals with all the food groups, they had alcohol, they had little appetizers and finger foods you'd only ever seen on tv and in magazines, you'd be an idiot not to. The only con was the house was stuffed with people. You could barely make it two steps without bumping into a new face. 

You didn't stay long at all, leaving the second your stomach felt full, and you had a decent buzz going on. You snuck out the back door and snagged the half empty bottle of champagne on your way out. 

“Ya went?” Daryl was surprised to see you walking down the sidewalk in new clothes. The black button up hung a little loose on you, the sleeves bunched up around your elbows, the hem falling all the way past your ass. 

“I may not like those people, but they make some damn good casserole.” You snickered, popping out the metal reusable cork and taking a deep drink. 

Daryl grabbed the bottle from your outstretched hand and downed nearly the whole damn thing in three gulps. 

“Yeah yeah. Go on, help yourself.” 

He gave a weak grin at your playful scoff before handing the bottle back to you. 

“You remember what I said back in Atlanta.”

You looked to your side at Daryl as the two of you walked down the dimly lit path back to your new residence. “Gotta be more specific.” 

“Bout takin’ their shit an’ hauling ass outta there.” 

“Yeah. One of my biggest regrets is talking you out of it.” You sighed, your tone no longer playful and lighthearted. “We could be all the way across the country by now. Would still have Merle bitching out ears off and ranting about some racist conspiracy theory.” 

Daryl suddenly chuckled. “You ‘member that time he was tryin’ to come up with slurs for walkers?” His amused grin spread further when you erupted into laughter at the memory. “What was it he called ‘em? Rotters? Pus-suckers?”

“Yeah, those were some of the tamer ones.” At the time you'd been annoyed by Merle's constant need to remind you that the three of you were better and more superior than anything and anyone around you, but all this time without him and his humorous outlook on life, you missed it. You even missed when he'd belittle you, at the end of the day he still was sexist, despite the obvious care he held for you. 

“Why'd you ask though?” 

“Dunno.”

“Daryl.”

“Everyone's safe now, ain't gotta worry about ‘em anymore.” 

You kept quiet as he fought for the words to convey his thoughts. It was obvious he felt like the odd man out again, it was impossible not to, in a place as nice as Alexandria. The rest of the group had effortlessly slipped into their places in the new environment, if you were an onlooker, it would look as if time had frozen in place for the small neighborhood and its citizens. 

But Daryl, and you, it wasn't easy like that. You never had a normal life like this, so you had no default state to regress to. Daryl had only changed a little since the start, and you hadn't changed much at all. Your skin felt like it was burning with electricity at the insinuation in his words. 

“I'll go wherever you go, you know that.” You nodded firmly. “Just say the word.”

He ended up going to Carol with his vague plan, and then Rick. You don't know what they said to him, but the next morning he told you he wanted to give it a few days before he made his decision.

You should've just made the decision for him. You should have grabbed your stuff, packed your bags, and stole one of their cars and left. Because a few days turned into a hell of a lot longer. 

It wasn't all bad, the two of you grew even closer due to his feelings of being an outcast once again surfacing. It was the same for you, which caused you to cling onto him tighter than before. You slept on the same ratty mattress in your room, sometimes cuddling, but most of the time on separate ends.

You watched more people die around you, which was something you'd become bitterly accustomed to. Aiden, one of Deanna’s sons, and Noah, who you'd never spoken to before. Rick made some trouble for himself getting wrapped up in the wife of the town surgeon, and all hell broke loose after that. Pete lost his shit and accidentally killed Deanna's husband, and Rick killed Pete. As if there hadn't been enough blood shed, a hoard of walkers became an issue just as things started to calm down. 

You didn't like the role that'd been assigned to you. You were being seen and tasked as a protector, sent out by Rick with Abraham and a handful of others to build strategic walls for his master plan of relocating the hoard. 

Another thing you didn't like was the way people's views towards you changed. People who once never even spared you a second thought were speaking to you, making an effort to get to know you, and it was just as unsettling as that time Rick invited you over for dinner. 

“Too pretty to be so sad all the time.” Abraham had said once as you dug a hole for the wooden pillar. 

“I'm not sad.” You muttered, stepping back as three men lifted the wood into the hole. You poured in the instant concrete and took your gloves off to get a drink of water.

“So you just always have that sour look on your face then, huh?” 

“Only when I'm around people I don't know.” Or like, you thought to yourself. 

“I've known you for how long now? Course you know me. And Sasha, and Rosita, and-”

“You're people I'm stuck with. Doesn't mean I know you.” 

“Tsh.” He snorted, folding his massive arms across his equally massive chest. “So you're just a bitch then?” 

“Yeah.” 

One would think that conversation would've been enough to get the point across. No, sadly, it only made things worse. Rick ended up giving you jobs with more people, and you quickly caught onto the convenient way Daryl was almost never in those assigned groups. 

Rick was in charge, that was undebatable, but he wasn't in charge of your free will. You did your work as he asked, most of the time faster than expected, and spent every second of your free time with Daryl, even if it meant pulling four different jobs a day. 

It worked like that for a while, and eventually you did begin to change. Not you exactly, moreso your attitude had changed. You became less closed off, no longer baring teeth and claws as a constant warning. You actually enjoyed spending time with Abraham, as he was one of the only people that called you out for being shitty, he wasn't scared of your mean mug or the harsh bite of your words. It wasn't just Abraham you started to like. Maggie, Carol, Rosita, Michonne, and sometimes Tara, the small group shifted from strangers to acquaintances, some would call you their friend. They'd eventually worn down your hard exterior and you experimented a little with conversation and generosity. Carol was the exception, it was you who had to pursue her. Trying to become genuine friends with her was hard, it made you realize how hard everyone else had been trying with you. 

You even started decorating your room a bit. Nothing fancy, just a few homemade shelves and displays for your numerous weapons. You made a special one above your futon, the only object it held was the small gold tinted shell of a used bullet. 

All good things must come to an end. 

You sat alone in your shared room for the third night in a row, silent on your lumpy mattress, your eyes burning in effort to hold back tears. 

He hadn't even told you he was leaving. 

@ophelialaufey @carlgrimesgfofficial @theskinniestjackson-denny @dilfish-daydreams @my1fx @jinx-nanami

Hoooooooleeeeeey ⊙⁠﹏⁠⊙ "thought I wasn't gonna do anything?" Yhnnnnnhssjsjsjwksksk

Feral

Daryl x Reader

Summary: You’ve been teasing Daryl all day—brushing up against him, bending over just enough to give him a view, and letting out soft, breathy sighs during your run at the warehouse. You didn’t know what would happen when he finally snapped. But when he does, you’re not ready for just how unhinged he can be.

notes: hope you're okay with some dark!daryl

Warnings: SMUT: Daryl calls you a bitch but not like that you’re a bitch but in reference to like a dog, feral af daryl. animalistic daryl. biting, dirty talk. unprotected sex, 0 pull out. Rough. ooc. again uhhhh sorry! enjoy!

The warehouse is dark, lit only by thin streams of fading daylight that cut through broken windows high above. The air smells stale, tinged with rust and dust. You’ve been weaving through rows of abandoned shelves for hours, scavenging for anything useful, but the real tension isn’t in the run. It’s in him.

Daryl’s been unusually quiet today—not just his usual quiet, but simmering, brooding. You’ve felt his eyes on you more times than you can count, catching the way his jaw tightens every time you bend down to inspect something or brush past him in the narrow aisles.

To be fair, you hadn't exactly been subtle about it all day.

Maybe, just maybe, you’ve been bending down just enough to let the cheeks of your ass peek out under your shorts, reaching a little too high on tiptoes to make your shirt ride up, sighing softly when your fingers finally grip something from the shelves.

You’re playing with fire, and you know it. And with the occasional sway of your hips, the quick glances over your shoulder—it’s all to see if he's looking. You’re testing the waters, seeing how far you can push him before he snaps.

And snap he does.

It's when you squeeze past him in another narrow aisle, the swell of your ass brushing his lap does he freeze like a predator catching a scent.

“Enough,” he growls, his voice echoing low in the cavernous space.

You freeze, not even fully past him, glancing back at him over your shoulder. He’s standing stock still, shoulders rigid, his crossbow hanging loosely in one hand, the other clenched into a fist at his side. His eyes burn into yours, dark and smoldering, his chest rising and falling a little too fast.

“Enough what?” you ask, feigning innocence as you widen your eyes.

“You think I don’t know what you’re doin’?” he rasps, leaning in closer, so close you can feel the warmth of his breath on your cheek.

You carefully, at an agonizingly slow pace, begin to lean back into him, craning your neck as you sit back on your heels, feet firmly planted. He leans in, one hand gripping firmly on the shelf beside your head, caging you on one side. His scent—earth, sweat, and leather—fills your senses, making your head swim.

“What am I doing, Daryl?” you murmur, tilting your head up to meet his gaze, your lips betraying you as they curl into a whisper of a smile.

His eyes darken, flicking to your mouth for the briefest second before snapping back to yours. “Been gettin' under my damn skin,” he says, his voice a low growl that makes your pulse quicken. “Every look, every word—hell, even the way yer walkin',”

You arch a brow, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His jaw works, the muscle flexing as his nostrils flare. He steps in close, crowding your space even more, his chest pushing up into your back. The other hand plants itself on the edge of the shelf beside your head, now completely boxing you in. His breath is warm on your neck, and your mind begins to melt at the closeness, at the way he leans in closer, like he can smell your arousal. “Yeah, ya do,” he mutters, his voice rough, almost guttural.

The tension is unbearable, the air between you electric. Your heart races as you squeeze your eyes shut at the sudden rush of heat in your veins. “Then say it,” you whisper, your voice barely audible.

He pauses, and the way his breathing quickens makes you wonder if he’s waging a war with himself.

His lips hover just above your ear, “Say what?” he bites out, his tone rough, but there’s something else there too—something raw, barely masked.

Your open your eyes to look into his again, challenging: “That you want me.”

For a moment, the world feels suspended. You’re both holding your breath, the cold bite of the shelving against your chest, contrasting with the furnace of his body pressing against you. His hands tighten on the shelves, the tension in his body vibrating through the air between you.

Then, as if time catches up, he’s on you, spinning you around with his large hands, and his mouth crashes against yours in a way that’s all heat and desperation.

The kiss is searing, all consuming, and you barely have time to process before Daryl’s hands find your hips, pulling you against him. You shamelessly hike your leg around his waist, his one hand holding you steady by the thigh, his grip nearly bruising. The thought flickers across your mind that you hope the shelves will hold you if he were to fuck you against them, as you didn't need a loud crashing noise to draw in outside walkers.

As the thought leaves you, the shelves creak as your body presses into them, but all you can focus on is him—his mouth, rough and demanding, and the heat radiating off his skin. His tongue is possessive as it leads the kiss, surprisingly confident and fervent on exploring your mouth.

His lips trail down, planting kisses along your jaw, then your neck. Each press of his mouth is deliberate, almost punishing, like he’s letting out all the frustration you’ve stirred up in him. His scruff scrapes against your skin, leaving it tingling, and when he nips at the sensitive spot just below your ear, a gasp escapes your lips.

“Daryl,” you manage, your voice breathless, but he doesn’t let up. His hand grips your waist intently, sliding beneath your shirt, the roughness of his calloused fingers are electric and heated, a stark contrast to the softness of your skin.

“You been drivin’ me crazy all damn day,” he mutters against your throat, teeth grazing as his voice registers low and gravelly. “Every little thing—every damn look.”

Your back arches instinctively as his lips continue their descent, brushing along your collarbone. His palms are cupping your breasts, pushing under your bra. Heat engulfs the space between your bodies as he kneads with roughness. You gasp as his fingers find your nipples, pinching and twisting. Your own hands find the edge of his vest, fisting the worn leather as you try to ground yourself, but it’s no use. He’s overwhelming, consuming, and the fire building inside you feels like it’s about to consume you whole.

“Thought I wasn’t gonna do anything, huh?” he murmurs, his voice dripping with that rugged confidence that’s so uniquely him. His hands grip even tighter your breasts, like he can't get you close enough against him, and you can feel the strength coiled in his body, barely restrained.

“Maybe,” you whisper, your lips curling into a breathless smile.

His eyes meet your hooded gaze, dark and primal, and the intensity in them makes your breath hitch. He leans in, his lips brushing against yours in a whisper of a kiss, before he pulls back just enough to make you chase him. The smirk that tugs at the corner of his mouth is almost taunting, and it makes your pulse quicken even more.

“You like teasin’ me,” he says, his voice barely more than a growl. “That it? You like pushin’ me ‘til I break?"

Your breath catches, but you don’t back down. Instead, you let your fingers trail up his chest, brushing against the exposed skin at the base of his throat as you grind yourself into him. “Maybe I do,” you reply, your voice trembling but steady enough to meet his challenge.

His gaze holds yours for a long, agonizing moment, and the raw, unspoken emotions swirling in his eyes leave you breathless. Then, with a sudden, deliberate motion, his hands drop to your hips, and he spins you back around, your chest pressing again against the cold metal shelving. His hands are firm but not unkind as they guide your movements, and the sharp contrast between the roughness of the metal and the press of his body makes your skin prickle with anticipation all over again.

The warmth of him vanishes as he suddenly kneels behind you, and before you can twist around to see what he’s doing, his fingers hook into your waistband and tug your shorts down in one swift motion. You yelp, the sound echoing softly in the empty warehouse. The cool air bites at your flushed skin, heightening the contrast as his hand lands sharply on your ass, the sting spreading deliciously.

A second slap follows, then a third, leaving your skin tingling as your knees wobble under the intensity. Daryl's hands steady you, gripping your hips as his breath ghosts over the sensitive skin of your thighs. Then, his face presses between your legs, his nose brushing intimately against you, and you’re no longer worried about keeping balance—just consumed by the sensation.

His tongue makes contact, and it's like a spark igniting deep inside you. His nose nudges at the delicate crease between your folds and your ass, the pressure melting into pleasure as he tongues at the apex of your thighs.

His mouth makes sinful, debaucherous noises as he slurps and laps and laves at your sex, his primal groans echoing in the empty warehouse around you. You bring your own hand up to your face, covering your mouth to keep yourself quiet as pressure builds in your lower abdomen, your knees nearly giving out as he pushes his face further into your cheeks.

The emptiness inside you aches as your walls clench around nothing, the longing for him almost unbearable. His tongue is relentless, sinful in its ministrations, and the tension coiled in your core finally snaps, pleasure washing over you in waves. You cry out despite yourself, your legs trembling as you cling to the shelving for support.

Daryl doesn’t stop, his mouth working you through every last pulse of your orgasm until your thighs shake with overstimulation. Only then does he pull back, rising to his feet in one fluid motion. His hands slide up your sides, teasingly slow, leaving your pants pooled at your ankles. The heat of his breath against your ear sends another shiver rippling through you.

"Like a bitch in heat," he says thickly, voice filled with arousal. You whimper, arching your neck to catch his lips in yours, the tang of yourself on his lips now coating your tongue as he kisses you with fierce need. “Gonna fuck you like one now, okay, baby?” he murmurs, his voice molten against your lips.

You nod vigorously, your anticipation mounting as he fumbles with his belt. The clink of metal and the low zip of his jeans send a fresh wave of heat coursing through you. The blunt tip of him presses against your entrance, and you brace yourself, squeezing your eyes shut as he begins to push inside.

Your walls clenched against him, even just the tip as it slips into you, the tug of your pussy making him suck in air through his teeth, "Fuck," he breathes, "that's it, nice n'easy,"

He moves slowly at first, inch by inch, letting you adjust to him, but the moment he’s fully seated, he's moving. His hand grips your waist, the crescents of his nails digging into the soft skin of your curves as he pulls his hips back, the vice of your walls around him making both of you curse. You probably should've gotten a look at just how big he was before agreeing to this, because the way he was stretching you out on his cock was going to ruin sex with anyone else for the rest of your life.

Daryl still hasn't bottomed out into you when he continues moving, the slap of skin and grunts and your whines echo through the warehouse as you grip the shelving with all your life. He has a sort of predatory grace as he continues pounding into you, his animalistic grunts only adding to the pleasure, your body trembling under the onslaught. Every rough drag of his cock against your walls drives you closer to another release. His movements are raw, untamed, and utterly feral, each thrust sending sparks of pleasure shooting through you.

His thrusts suddenly begin to become mindless, words and curses incoherently slipping past his lips. From praising you, You feel so good. What a good pup, good girl. To cursing you, Fucking tease.

“Daryl, please—” you gasp, glancing back over your shoulder, but you see his blue eyes flash with menace, teeth bared as he leans closer into you.

Suddenly, his teeth are sinking into the flesh of your neck.

You cry out as his growls rumble against your skin, the sharp bite of pain blending seamlessly into a tidal wave of pleasure. Daryl had always been aloof, always more wild than the rest of the group. But this--this was absolutely feral, and you loved every fucking second. Each guttural grunt from him feeds the raw, primal energy between you, leaving you feeling like nothing more than two feral creatures in the wild, chasing your highs with reckless abandon. Your mind blanks completely as his hips slam into yours, his cock driving deep and relentless, stretching you so completely it feels like he’s splitting you in half.

Your fingers slip from the shelves as your knees weaken, but his grip on you is unrelenting, keeping you steady as he continues to take you with wild need. The coil in your core tightens unbearably, your free hand slipping between your legs to rub tight circles against your clit.

“You’re gonna take it,” he growls against your neck, his breath hot and ragged. “Every last fucking bit.”

You hear his grunts turn into a low, whispering chuckle as his teeth tighten in your flesh when you moan in return, unable to form words. You're sure he's going to leave marks if not blood bruises in your skin very soon. His thrusts become more and more violent and aimless as he continues, but you can feel his rhythm faltering. He's close, and you are too.

“Cum for me, Daryl, please,” you beg, your voice trembling with desperation. “I want to feel it. Feel all of you.”

His teeth release your neck, leaving a wet trail of kisses along your jaw as he groans in your ear. “You want me to fill you up, huh, that it?” he rasps, his voice thick and gravelly.

“Yes,” you moan, the word spilling from your lips like a prayer.

His lips curl into a wicked grin against your skin. “Good girl,” he murmurs before his teeth nip your earlobe, sending you spiraling into your second orgasm.

Your body clenches around him, milking him as his hips falter. With one final thrust, he stills, his arms locking around you as he spills inside, a guttural growl tearing from his throat.

Stars burst behind your eyes as the intensity of your climax leaves you trembling, your legs barely able to hold you up. Daryl keeps you pressed against him, his breath hot and ragged against your neck as the two of you come down together, the warehouse filled with the sound of your labored breathing.

He doesn’t move for a long moment, his arms still wrapped around you as if anchoring himself. When he finally gets his bearings back, his grip loosens, though his arms still hold you close. His touch is gentler now, almost reverent.

"Goddamn," he breathes against your shoulder, his lips brushing over the marks his teeth left on your neck until he finally slips himself out of you to return himself to his jeans. "You’re perfect. S'like you were made for me."

You hum in approval, a shaky laugh slipping past your lips.

"What?" he asks, his voice raspier than usual, tinged with exhaustion.

"Nothin’," you say, tilting your face to look up at him. “Just think you might’ve ruined sex with anyone else for the rest of my existence.”

“That's alright,” he chuckles, the sound low and rough. “’Cause now yer all mine. Ain’t nobody gonna touch you like this—like I do.”

“So… this isn’t the last time?” you ask, aiming for casual but failing miserably, your voice betraying the anticipation and hope bubbling inside you.

"Only if you want it to be," he whispers, his eyes searching yours.

You shake your head quickly, your breath hitching as his words sink in. “I don’t,” you admit softly, your voice carrying an edge of vulnerability you hadn’t expected.

A small, crooked smile tugs at his lips, and his hand comes up to brush a stray strand of hair from your face. “Good,” he murmurs, his thumb trailing gently along your cheekbone.

Though he doesn't say much, his words send a shiver down your spine, his tone low and heavy with promise. You lean into his touch, letting your eyes flutter closed for a moment as he presses a soft kiss to your forehead.

“C’mon,” he says after a beat, his voice still gruff but tinged with something warmer now. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

This isn't twd related I'm just really really excited

Whang followed me on Instagram a month or two ago bc I asked him to (cringe I know)

And just now wavywebsurf followed me unprompted 😭😭😭 this is the best day ever dude

Daryl Dixon x f!Reader: Together Apart Ch.1

Warnings/Mentions: History of abuse, neglect, strong language, mentions of character death, alcohol and drug abuse, ptsd, shared trauma, reader is cold, angst, fluff, eventual smut

Summary: The little boy you patched up in the trailer park grows up, your paths finally aligning to bring you together. The man who was once only a rare source of comfort becomes your other half, only to pull back when you need him the most.

Notes: Based off of this post. Basically an angsty story detailing your relationship with Daryl and the group over the years, and when Daryl starts to grow distant from you.

Growing up was hard. Growing up without your loving father was even harder. 

You accepted the cigarette pressed in front of your lips from his hand and took a deep pull, holding it in your lungs until you felt your heart finally slow from its painful pace. He took his hand away from your face and took an equally long drag. 

“When's Merle getting out?” You asked as you absentmindedly scratched the dry blood off your fingernails, your nose still throbbing from your mother's fist. 

“Next week.” 

You were young then. God, way too young to be smoking cigarettes. Most kids your age stole them from their parents, bringing them into the eighth grade classrooms to sell or trade. 

Merle did come back the next week, but not for long. He eventually abandoned the two of you for the military, something his younger brother was really torn up about. After Merle left, said younger brother spent a lot of nights on your back porch couch. Your mother didn't mind, in reality she didn't give a shit at all, normally too high to care, or going through withdrawals so bad she only wanted to beat on you and blame you for your father's disappearance. 

You began to deeply miss Merle and the comfort he would bring, mostly in the form of alcohol or illegal substances. He'd always make you promise not to tell anyone, and you'd always say you weren't a fucking idiot. You were lucky you'd grown up on the same street as the Dixon brothers, it had inadvertently caused the older to view you as an estranged little sibling, sparing you from his foul advances. 

The Dixon brothers eventually became a rare sight. You all were just too busy with your own bullshit. You had a little brother to look after, and you did your best to shield him from your mother's antics, but one day the teacher saw that big bruise on his back and CPS took him away. You really missed Merle then, because at least he had the decency to sell you drugs instead of asking to trade for sexual favors. That made a substance induced escape a lot harder, forcing you to go into the city to find a decent dealer. 

You were sitting on your back porch crying with blood all over your face when you saw them again. 

They were frantic, tearing into your driveway with their dad's truck, shouting at you to get your shit and get in. Your mother was too doped up to understand what was happening, slumped on your dirty living room sofa with a bloody straw still on her lap. Merle had tried to get her to get up and come, shouting about ‘goddamn dead people eating everyone’(using a less kind word than people), but in your post-beating rage you left without her, leaving her on your couch to succumb to either an overdose, or whatever the hell the Dixons were warning her about. 

You begged Merle to go by the foster home to look for your brother. Begged, cried, and eventually screamed, and he screamed right back at you. Daryl barely managed to calm the two of you down with a hopeful explanation that the building that housed your brother was the safest place he could be. That didn't stop you from trying to steal their truck later that night though, which only ended up in another screaming match and a bloody spat with the undead. 

“Turn left here. Left, here!” 

“Well shit, give me more than a goddamn two second warning fucktard!” It was a wonder Merle hadn't lost his voice from the near constant shouting, at Daryl and you. This time it was the former, attempting at giving his brother directions to the safe zone in Atlanta, reading off a dirty crumpled map with text made for ants to read. 

You rubbed between your eyebrows and continued looking out your window as Merle turned around in the middle of the road to take the left into the highway. 

The sound of your name being called had you internally groaning. “Hey,” Merle snapped again, looking over at you in the passenger seat. “I said get my bag.”

You all but slung his plastic baggie into his lap. He took out a pill bottle with the label ripped off and fished out three pills, dropping them into his green pill grinder as he drove with his knees. 

“Just let me drive, man.” Daryl complained after having to correct the wheel for the elder brother. 

“Ay! Keep your stupid fucking hands off my wheel before you lose ‘em.” 

Most of the drive was like that. And it was even worse when after seeing Atlanta fucking napalmed. You were all close to losing it, and thankfully right before your Mexican standoff ensued, you found a group. 

You couldn't stand most of them. Most were too soft, too nice, too stupid or too weak. The strongest men were pieces of shit, and the men that weren't despicable were either weak or insane. Glenn didn't bother you too much, especially after you witnessed his weasel-like skills. He was like a roach, always surviving, even when a building fell on him. 

The majority of your time was spent hunting. 

The first day you went out with your recurve bow, which had once belonged to your father, Shane had questioned you. 

“You know how to use that thing?” He asked as he watched you flip your raggedy leather quiver over your shoulder.

You bent down to tie your boots and nodded. 

“You ever use one of those before?”

“Yes. You got a light?” 

Shane took a second before fishing out a lighter from his back pocket, moving intentionally slow as if to show you he was your superior. You snatched the green bic from his hand and lit your cigarette, shoving it back out towards him. 

“Dixons are already out hunting. Left this morning. Why don't you just stay here and help out? We could really use the hands. Women of the camp are sometimes more important-”

You walked off into the woods before he could continue. 

It was satisfying bringing your doe back to camp, even though dragging the thing back was a cruel and grueling process. You asked T-Dog and Ed to help you string it up, making sure to be as noisy as you could, a thick middle finger to Shane. You drained and gutted the carcass, making sure to ask Shane with a smug smile what he wanted to do with the intestines.

“Take it away from camp.” He spoke with his fingers a lot, rough pointing in an aggressive manner. “That shits gonna draw those things near.”

“Makes good bait for fish.”

Andrea and her sister Amy backed you up, even though they cringed and grimaced taking their share down to the quarry. 

Merle and Daryl had finally settled down after a while in camp. Merle wasn't seconds away from murder anymore, and Daryl found peace in his hunting. Eventually Glenn got you your own tent, which you were ecstatic about, no longer having to share one with the two men. 

Merle called your name through a mouthful of stewed deer meat. “Sweetie, hand me a beer why don't ya.” 

Lori looked up over her bowl. “Would it kill you to say please?”

You tossed the warm bottle to Merle, not acknowledging her attempt at sticking up for you. He didn't bother you, his insults or disrespect never did, growing up with someone like that sort of makes you blind to it, especially when you were used to so much worse from your mother. 

“Would it kill you to suck my nuts?” 

Shane stepped in and you groaned, rolling your eyes and taking your stew back to your tent. 

After Daryl's mother passed you saw him more and more. You were about eleven when it happened, you remembered the house fire and the day they moved into the trailer closer to yours. Daryl was almost constantly covered in bruises then. Always a black eye, always a purple bicep, always dried blood under his nails. He didn't smoke with you much after that, his mother having died from a cigarette induced house fire. That was when Merle had left, but your memory of the timeline was foggy. It had been so long ago and so much was constantly happening that you might've misremembered a lot of it. 

“Sleep good?” Your groggy voice caused Daryl to look up from his task of sharpening his knife.

“Nah. You?”

You yawned and sat next to him in front of the fire, stretching your sleepy limbs and taking a sip of his water. “Now that Merle's farting and snoring aren't waking me up every ten minutes, yes. Thought he would shit himself with how bad that tent stank.”

Daryl let out a knowing chuckle and tossed his whetstone in the open flap of his tent. He slipped his blade back in its holster on his belt before grabbing a crooked cigarette from his shirt pocket. 

“Fuckin' hate this place.” He muttered around the filter as he cupped his hand around the flame of his lighter. He snapped his zippo shut and put it back in his jeans pocket. “Me and Merle been talkin’.”

“About what?” You began crunching on a handful of almonds you stole from Lori the night prior. 

“These people, they're… they're fuckin’ idiots.” He sighed as he blew out a stream of smoke, waving his hand around for enunciation. He held it to your lips for you to take a drag, watching as you pulled in a lungful before he took it away. “We should just leave 'em. They probably want us gone anyway.”

You observed him, not responding, chewing on the inside of your cheek. 

“Well? You comin’?”

“Course I am. But I don't think we should leave.”

“Why the hell not? You hear the shit they say about us?” He scoffed, his brows furrowed. “Inbred hicks with their ‘trailer trash whore’. Y’know, they think we all fuck each other when we go off huntin’. Good for nothin' bastards. Should just rob ‘em and leave.”

“I don't give a shit what they think. I give a shit about my odds of survival, which are higher with guns.”

“We got guns. N’we can jus’ take theirs.” He argued, referencing the duffle bag of stolen guns in the hidden compartment of their truck. “Besides, chances are we're safer on our own than these dumb shits, catching frogs with the kids in the damn quarry.” 

“Hey, I'll come if you leave. I couldn't care less about these people. But they keep that RV locked up real tight. It's gonna be a bitch to get into, especially with the rifleman wannabe on top and his gun slingin’ daughter, or whoever the fuck she is to him. Shane's already watching us too much. Let's just wait a while till he stops following me around like I'm some sort of violent nutcase.”

You had unknowingly sealed the fate of many lives with your argument. 

“Gonna go in the city.” Merle said as he slung his rifle over his shoulder, jumping out of his truck bed, careful to not knock over his bike in the process. “Y'all need anything? Tampons?” 

“No.”

“Was askin’ Darlene.”

“Shut the hell up man.” Daryl grumbled and finished preparing his crossbow for his hunt. “An’ no, don't need a damn thing.”

“Get some SlimJims.” Your favorite low cost snack. Growing up in a trailer park gave you a superior taste in snacks, SlimJims and Funyuns being your favorite. 

“Why you want that when I got all the meat sticks you need sugar?” Merle laughed crudely, nearly bumping you over with a sloppy kiss goodbye to your cheek. You smirked and playfully pushed him off, watching as he left with the rest of the supply group. 

“C'mon. Let's go before all the damn squirrels get eaten.” Daryl put his crossbow on his back and you picked up your weapons before following him off into the woods. 

You had good luck that day. Daryl had a rope full of squirrels and you were tracking down a deer he'd sunk a few arrows into. 

“Not gonna need SlimJims no more.” Daryl breathed as the two of you crept silently through the woods, following the trail of bubbly blood. 

“As much as I love your roasted squirrel, it just doesn't have the same kick to it.”

“Never heard you complainin’.”

“Yeah, it's ‘cause I'm not a bitch.”

“You? Not a bitch?”

“Only to people who deserve a good bitchin’.”

“Seems like everyone these days needs a little of that.”

“Hah, yeah. We better get that deer before the dead do, Merle's gonna be hungry as fuck when he gets back.”

You didn't react when Rick Grimes told you he'd cuffed Merle to a roof. You didn't react when it was revealed T-Dog, one of the only people you liked in Shanes group, had dropped the key and left him up there. He'd profusely apologized and you just stared at him, doing everything in your power not to punch him in the throat. 

You did react when you saw Merle's hand on that roof, his body nowhere to be seen. You cursed and shoved Rick so hard he hit the metal side of the fire escape with a bang, and Daryl, eager to jump in, ran to your side with blazing eyes. If it wasn't for the other people there and the guns they held,  you would've killed him that day. Mauled him like the animal you were and left him there just as he did Merle. 

In the absence of his brother, you found Daryl had seemed to subliminally put you in his place, a figure to follow and learn from. Not that you had too much to teach him, but knowing you were the eldest sibling in your family had you fitting into place with him perfectly. 

You guessed you could call Daryl your friend now. You never had many friends, only in elementary school, sticking to yourself most of the time. The kid going to school smelling like cigarettes with the same clothes they wore the day before was never a popular choice for companionship. You never minded it though. The abuse you suffered at the hands of your mother had turned you into a cold and calloused human. Daryl was simply an object of mutual benefit for you back then, a source of company, cigarettes, alcohol. Whatever he could get his hands on. And he was easier to relate to than Merle, who had a good ten years on you. 

But now, he was the only person you had left. Your mother was gone, your precious baby brother God knows where, and your male mentor was still missing, out there with one hand, his state of existence unknown to you. He was most likely dead. Shane's group had quickly become “Rick's group”, and you still held no fondness for any of them. Andrea had formed an odd one sided relationship with you, she craved your status. The group saw you as on level with the men, you never needed gun training like the rest of them, you got to keep your own gun, and no one ever tried to prevent you from doing something you wanted to do. 

It was clear though, none of them really liked you all that much. They treated you like more of an outsider than they had Merle. You couldn't blame them, you wouldn't like someone like you. You were a mean and cold bitch, always keeping to yourself and only viewing them as a transactional business. They provided safety in numbers and you provided fresh kill and a gun. 

One of the only times you behaved like a friendly human being was when you arrived at the CDC. It was hard to recognize you after you showered and cleaned up, washed your clothes and didn't smell like cigarettes or blood anymore. While your clothes were washing you had to borrow some from the former employees, a deep purple sweater and black slacks that somehow fit you perfectly. You caught Shane watching you walk down the hall, and you quickly responded with a snotty face of disgust. 

A stomach full of hot seasoned food and wine loosened you up a bit. You sat next to Daryl and smiled, even laughed a few times, much to the shock of the others. 

“C'mon, one more glass.” Daryl grinned as he filled your cup with more wine before you could object. “Don't be a baby.” 

“Sure thing Darlene.” You snorted as you took a sip, earning an eye roll and a scoff from Daryl. 

“Yeah, keep it up.” He feigned aggression as he downed his third glass. “Won't be so funny when you got teeth in your throat.”

“Not before I lose my boot up your ass.” 

The banter was refreshing. The trip out of the quarry had been exhausting. It felt like you were admitting to failure when you were forced to give up your search for Merle, and oftentimes you debated on stealing his bike out of the back of your truck and going back to find him. But there was always something stopping you, every single time. 

Sleeping on an actual mattress felt amazing. You'd offered to take the couch as a joke, and when Daryl made his way to the bed you dove into the sheets before he could plop down on it. 

“You really are a goddamn bitch.” He slurred and slung his bag at the foot of the couch, falling back dramatically.

“Drink some water before you get a hangover.” You tossed him a fresh bottle from the room fridge, and he begrudgingly downed it. You turned the light off and climbed into bed, groaning at the feeling of the soft and dry mattress.

“You think Merle’s alive?”

You blinked, opening your eyes and looking towards the couch. It was dark, you'd assumed he'd been asleep by then, there had been several long minutes of silence. 

“Yeah. I know he is.” You were surprised by his question. Daryl had always been the one reassuring you of Merle's status, claiming he was impossible to kill, and that he could feel in his bones that his brother was alive. It also made you a bit uncomfortable, you'd never comforted anyone before that wasn't your little brother. Let alone Daryl. The most you'd done for him was offer him sanctuary on your porch and cleaned his wounds if they were bad. 

“Go to sleep Daryl.” 

@ophelialaufey @carlgrimesgfofficial @theskinniestjackson-denny @dilfish-daydreams (wasn't sure if you guys wanted to be tagged since its eventual smut but here u go)

@hopefulrascalstatesmantoad @10hrs26mn @adribarbie (those who asked to be tagged if someone wrote this in the original post)

he was just a baby 🥺

Daryl Dixon x f!Reader: Together Apart Ch.2

Warnings/Mentions: History of abuse, neglect, strong language, mentions of character death, alcohol and drug abuse, ptsd, shared trauma, reader is cold, angst, fluff, eventual smut

Summary: Reader gives friendships a try, and the first signs of Daryl changing start showing after unexpected tragedy.

Notes: I love writing Merle and early season Daryl, I hope they're in character!

"I'm ten seconds away from blowing his goddamn brains out."

"Not worth the wasted bullets." Daryl watched as Shane stalked back up towards the Greene house. You scoffed and rolled your eyes when you saw him stopping himself from slamming the door, at least needing to respect Hershel gave him some restraint from being a complete piece of shit. You weren't sure how long that would last though.

"Can't fucking stand these people Daryl. He looked like he wanted to kill me."

"Ya called 'em a homewrecker. The hell'd you expect?"

The days would go by without pause, no matter how you all screamed and cried for just one minute, one minute to get it together and breathe. Everything was constantly changing, and it ended up making you colder. 

The Greene farm was a nice place. You enjoyed the chores you took on there, you got to work with the horses, the cows, and the old barn cat. He'd end up passing away after a while, which would have really upset you if it hadn't been such a peaceful death, he just fell asleep with a stomach full of deer stew and never woke up. 

Andrea's strange half admiration and half disturbed likeness to you strengthened at the time on the farm, which you didn't know how to handle. You'd always wanted a girlfriend, ever since your first one in 6th grade ended your friendship. Your mother had shown up to pick you up from school, so high on Percocet she could barely keep her eyes open. She rear-ended the father of your friend, he got pissed, she spit in his face, and he called the police. ‘My daddy says I can't hang out with trailer trash like you anymore.’ She'd told you the next day. 

You secretly liked the way Andrea looked up to you. It was nice having a woman think highly of you, or any adult for that matter. She would often ask for shooting practice, and you even let her try out your bow a few times. 

She kind of fucked up your budding friendship when she shot Daryl. If you hadn't been so busy helping him get up into the house you would have shot her in her foot, and that's not an exaggeration. You wanted to stay up in that room with him until he fully healed, willing to sleep on the floor just so you'd be with him at all times, but the insecure fear of being seen as weak and clingy prevented you from doing so. You were out in the woods most of those days, hunting or killing any dead you ran across.

It was almost humiliating the way people would update you on Daryl’s condition. At first it was just Rick letting you know he’d be okay, but then it was Maggie and Hershel updating you on his eating habits, how much he ate, when he ate, he was only in bed for a couple of days, but it felt like weeks. Each time someone would tell you the miniscule details of his day you’d respond the same way, ‘Why’re you telling me? I’m not his mamma’. If you could look past the embarrassment of feeling like a worried child, you would be grateful. 

Andrea unknowingly made it up to you when you heard her bitching at Lori in the kitchen once, apparently having enough of her ‘a woman's place is in the kitchen making life worth living, leave the guns to the men' spiel. You complimented her afterwards. 

“Been real sick of that shit.” You had said as you loaded your Ruger pistol. “She's lucky it was you who said it, I think I would've punched that bitch in the face if she said that bullshit to me.”

Andrea was almost too stressed over the Beth situation to fully appreciate the gravity of your praise. She nodded as she looked over the field, eyes squinting against the bright afternoon sun, her arms crossed over her chest. “All my life I've heard that kind of thinking from men. It's different when it's a woman telling you that you're not worth the same as a man. Especially when said man lied about her husband being dead and got in her pants right after.” 

You smirked, stuffing your gun into the back of your jeans as you looked her over. “Wanna go kill some dead people?” 

“Oh, god.” She groaned dramatically. “That's the best idea I've heard all week.”

After you lost the farm, you wound up at an old prison. That was one of the rare times you had allowed yourself to try and be positive, and forced yourself to make friends, although it was obvious all your relationships were strained. Andrea was the only person who had ever made an effort to get to know you, and she was gone. 

Shane’s death didn’t affect you much, truthfully you were glad Rick killed him. The constant tension and heated arguments drained you just as much as Dale’s annoying humanitarianism. You attempted being friends with Lori, Hershel, Carol and Beth, despite the young girl being your polar opposite. She was soft, pretty, sweet and bubbly, you were hard, mean, vulgar and distant. 

Which might be one of the reasons your relationship with her had started to work. Beth saw you as a challenge, like a mean feral cat, and deep down you saw her as a possible redemption. If you could become friends with Beth, the sweetest girl with the kindest heart, you could do it with anyone. 

Lori never trusted you, so you never got far with her. She would look at you with this look on her face, like you were always seconds away from cutting her baby out of her stomach or some twisted shit. You had cursed her out once for said expressions, calling her a stuck-up bitch who thinks every woman that isn't her is beneath her. She died a couple days later, and a part of you that you couldn't push away felt like shit about it, for a very long time.

The whole Governor shit was a pain in your ass. But it was a blessing in disguise, because he was the reason you were reunited with Merle. 

“I want to come.” You stood your ground, grabbing your Ruger AR-15 from its spot on your cell wall. 

“I said no, we’ve got enough concerns, we don't need to be worrying about you.” Rick tried to speak in a hushed tone, his intentions good, not wanting you to feel embarrassed if the others heard you being denied. They knew you seethed at the prospect of being told what to do. You didn't work well with others, that was glaringly obvious.

“I don’t need you to worry about me.” You hissed, tugging the heavy gun over your back so the strap dug into your shoulder. 

Rick repeated your name, using his angry father tone, and that seemed to work. Your shoulders drooped and you growled out a few insults under your breath. You missed when the group members had more say in the way things were. Rick had become more authoritarian after Lori died, and it never affected you until that day. 

When they got back you were waiting at the door, pacing like a mother in those movies whose children had stayed out too late. Your eyes brightened as they filed into the prison, you saw Maggie and Glenn were back, and Michonne had returned as well. 

Your anxious smile slowly faded as the door closed behind them, counting two missing bodies. 

“Where…?” You breathed, looking between Rick and Maggie, your heart racing. 

Rick started having a goddamn mental breakdown after that, screaming at the walls and pointing his gun at things only visible to him. Tyrese, the newcomer, and his group fled, and a part of you considered it as well. If Daryl and Merle were dead, you had no reason to stay. Especially not with Rick behaving like a fucking maniac and no one speaking to you. 

True to your nature, you abandoned the prison in search of the Dixons. You knew they couldn’t have truly left, they would never do that, they'd never leave and forget you. Especially Daryl. He had promised to you one night after you fully secured the prison, that he was the one thing in your life that would never change. He’d never die, he’d never leave, he would always be there. Not in those exact words, of course, but in his own way.

He had stayed true to his promise. You found the two of them on their way to the prison, traveling through the same trails you’d originally used to find the place. 

“Thought I’d never see you two assholes again.” The apocalypse had made you more skilled at hiding your true emotions. You came off as playfully irritated, a contrast to the way you were barely keeping tears at bay. 

“Awww,” Merle teased in a condescending tone, faking a pout, “You miss us?”

“No. Rick’s group makes you seem like a peach though.” 

“Our group.” Daryl’s voice had taken on a strange edge as he walked ahead of you down the trail. “Those are our people now.”

You glanced at Merle to see he was outwardly displaying your same reaction, rolling his eyes and silently mimicking his brother's words. 

No matter how happy you were to see the two of them, Daryl’s reply echoed in your head for a long time. He meant what he said, you could tell by the way he spoke. He was changing, you hadn’t noticed it until that day, he wasn’t the same Daryl from Atlanta, the Daryl you knew. You swallowed your retort and followed him back to the prison. 

The Governor shit was really a pain in your ass after that day, making your earlier experiences a walk in the park. Through the tense days you found yourself around Merle more, the two of you discussing the prospect of just getting the fuck out of there in hushed voices, despite you both knowing Daryl would never abandon Ricks group. It was like he had some sort of unknown obligation to them, something you couldn't decode for the life of you, no matter how hard you tried.

“You're gettin’ real close to bein’ a bonafide pussy, boy.” Merle had said one day, shoving his finger in Daryl’s face. You stayed silent as they argued, biting at the soft skin inside your cheek. 

“Why? Cause I ain't jus’ lookin’ out for myself no more? Cause I actually give a shit about these people?” Daryl standing up to Merle wasn’t a familiar sight, and it made you feel emotions you really weren’t comfortable with. 

“It’s making you weak, brother.” Merle urged, nearly slicing his own scalp when he went to put his hands on his head, the heat of the moment causing him to forget his right hand was now a weapon. “Can't you see it? I ain’t gonna let you die for these sheep.”

Daryl would soon come to regret his last interaction with his brother. You, on the other hand, were lucky enough to have had some peaceful final moments with him before he vanished. 

“Dude, that's my fucking bed!” You shoved Merle away from your mattress, groaning when you saw it shredded and ruined. You’d have to go to the other cellblock and get another, if he hadn’t already paid those cells a visit. 

Merle sat on the floor breathing heavily through his mouth, resting an arm over his propped up knee.

“The hell you do that for?” You grumbled, kicking a chunk of bedding out of your cell and into the hallway. 

“Hopin’ to find some contraband.” 

“Dude, you could’ve just asked me. Holy shit.” You grabbed one of your bags from the corner of your room and began to dig through it, finally pulling out Merle’s old stash bag. HIs eyes lit up and he practically jumped for joy, snatching it out of your hands.

“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful, you know that?” He grabbed your face with his hand and noisily kissed your cheek, making you groan and shove him off. “Oh sweetheart. Whooo! Daryl know about this?”

“No, didn’t want him to know. I’m better at making shit last than him.” You replied. Daryl didn't like drugs the way Merle did, he had his run in with meth and its consequences and he was strong enough to quit and not touch it again. Other drugs were a different story though, you suspected the speed and painkillers would be gone by now if he had known you were the one who stole it.

He fished out the group of smaller baggies he was looking for, full of various shades of white in different textures. He groaned like he just creamed his pants and leaned over, planting another dramatic smooch to your forehead.

You stayed with him on the floor of your cell as he got high, and eventually he left to go ‘clear out the walkers in the tombs’, something you were happy to sit out on. He told you to stay back and you laughed, teasing with a ‘it's all yours, tweaker’. 

Even though your last moments with him were pleasant, you never forgave yourself for not accompanying him. 

@ophelialaufey @carlgrimesgfofficial @theskinniestjackson-denny @dilfish-daydreams @my1fx

Alone Time

Summary: Daryl needs some time alone in the woods.

Length: 2388 words

Era: Not important, Post Prison-ish?

Warnings: Mature content 18+, Male solo, thigh riding, fantasy.

Daryl PoV, Unnamed female pronouns

A/N: One of the last (if not the last) Daryl pov stories I had planned. Just finally finished it.

Daryl watched her roll on to her side, a soft sigh tumbling from her parted lips. She was dozing, just like everyone else except him and the second watch of the night. After the long day they'd had and then with her making him carry all of her shit on top of it he should have passed out damn near instantly, but that fuckin' girl was in his head. That seemed to be happening more and more. Wouldn't bother him so much if it was the usual day-to-day shit they had to worry about, but this was something different. Something he shouldn't be thinking about.

It wasn't like he meant to. He tried thinking about anything else but when he closed his eyes all he could see were little soundless clips of her his subconscious collected through the day. The way her big doe eyes looked up at him as she pleaded for him to carry her clothes in his bag because she wanted more room to carry books they found or the ruddy flush of her cheeks when she was struggling to keep up with him in the woods. It was these little things that made his cock stir and curse god that he had a half decent memory.

The more he tries to sleep the more he recalls and the more he recalls the more his cock begins to ache. The way her teeth catch her bottom lip when he's telling her some stupid story he doesn't even care about. The color deepening the longer he talks until by the end those lips look kiss swollen and red. He shouldn't even be thinking about her because she's just a friend. He almost snorts because friends don't think about how those lips would taste. No, he ain't sleepin', not like this. He needs to clear his head.

Sitting up makes the very source of his uncalled for fascination stir. "Daryl...?" his name on her lips makes his cock spasm.

"Back t' sleep." he tells her. It's barely a rasp is sound but she moans a tired hum of agreement that's a shot of lightning down his spine. Fuck clearing his head! There ain't no sleepin'. Not after that. He grabs his backpack and his crossbow, a sick idea forming somewhere in the back of his skull. If he doesn't move now he'll talk himself out of it but he has to get her off of his mind. He needs to sleep. He tosses a languid hand up to whoever is on watch before vanishing into the trees lining the old road.

Reckless is what this is, sheer fuckin' stupid. He keeps heading deeper into the trees until the group is out of sight and the firelight is just a faint winking dot. He's far enough away that he can hear them if one of them yells, but out here he's alone. No group to worry about, no girl to drive him wild, just him and his backpack and his hand.

He's disgusting for this. He tells himself that even as he palms his length over his jeans and has to choke back the sound that nearly left him. She's just a friend. She understands that side of him he's only ever been able to share with a small few and here he is thinking about what her tits would feel like smashed against his chest. Disgusting doesn't cover it but he can't help it, not now.

"Fuck..." it leaves his mouth as a sigh. He needs to go back to the group, lay back down next to her and pretend this hasn't happened. He won't though, it feels too good and he needs her too bad. Uttering a curse he drops his crossbow to the ground, sliding the back pack off his shoulders so he can lean against the tree proper. He's still palming himself, flexing his fingers around his length, the friction just heavy enough to wipe out most thought until he looks at the bag again. The blood rushes from his face, a soft trill of excitement running over his shoulders and down his spine. Her clothes are still in there.

He shouldn't.

God knows he shouldn't but he was going to.

Movements stiff and jerky he opens the zipper at his feet and fishes for the first piece of material inside. Even in the dark he knows exactly what his fingers find just by the feel of it, that ugly yellow shirt. It takes him only a second to press it to his nose, the smell of her intoxicating and overwhelming, bringing fresh life to the gentle images of her he was conjuring. His cock pulses, throbs. He leans his head back staring at the material balled in his fist. If she knew she might hate him. She might never talk to him again but her scent is tickling his nose and his cock demanding satisfaction from a woman he can't have.

He's imagining her there now; leaning against the tree across from him, head tilted back looking down her nose. Her delicate fingers toying with the end of her shirt that's barely covering her pussy and her teeth catching her lip turning it oh, so red again. He should put away her shirt, go back to the group and forget about all of this but that image is branded behind closed eyes and he just-- can't. Uttering a whispered curse he starts pulling on his belt until he shoves his pants down his hips just enough to free his dick. It's weeping at the thought of her closing the distance, practically dripping at the thought of her crawling into his lap.

He knows what she would think if she found him. He's a pervert. Daryl is repeating it in his head even as he spits in his hand and grips his length. Doesn't matter what she thinks now because whatever was left of him that felt actual shame was gone now and in his head all he can see is her. She's breathing against his ear, soft shallow pants with his knee between her legs. He's gripping her hips to keep her there, to encourage her to rock against him because as badly as he wants to be in her, he needs to see her, needs to see more.

Daryl is desperate to see that wanton pink flush tinting her cheeks, her lips parted in a tiny 'oh' as she grinds down on him. He won't kiss her, not yet. He won't do that until he's buried in her. He's too infatuated with the hazy hooded look of her eyes to think of missing the soft flutter of her lashes.

That makes him groan. His lips press in a thin line as he strokes himself in time with the imaginary version of her, no longer teasing himself with slow strokes. He's a fuckin' teenager all over again thinking about the dampness between her legs smearing over his jeans as she bears down on him. Her head falling back, a throaty moan breaking up her labored breath as her chest juts in his face. Pumping his cock he needs to see her get off. He needs her to use him, to make him a fuck toy for only her pleasure.

Daryl takes the shirt in his hand and buries his face in it taking the smell of her deep into his lungs. His muscles are shaking, straining, and he has to lean back against the tree trunk, bark scraping at his biceps. He pretends that it's her nails and not the tree biting at his shoulders. He wants to cum but it's way too soon. Not yet! Not yet. Not yet...

He stops breathing her in and spits on his palm again, a sticky glob that mixes with the wetness of his tip. He fists himself again pushing the cloth back against his mouth, tongue tasting the salt still lingering in the fabric. He's imagining it as her skin, pressing his face against her breasts, whining as he nips tender flesh. She's close, so fucking close and he can't breathe but he'd die happy. If this was love then he could learn it.

She's pulling his hair, forcing his gaze upwards to watch as her rhythm stutters in an uneven dance as she chases her high. Breath catching as she rides him, she's the most dazzling thing he's ever seen. He's awestruck as she goes rigid, chest flushed red as her back bows and there's a split second while she's frozen with pleasure tearing through her that he wants to capture forever. This is beauty, a painting he can finally appreciate in all its splendor. Then all too fast that second is over and she's gasping for air as she bucks against him but then comes the knowing that he can give her what she wants, that his body is enough for her. It's a sick sort of satisfaction, a joy, thrumming in his chest when she falls against him half out of her head from cumming on his thigh. His thigh.

He needs her. Standing there in the middle of the woods with his cock in his hand and her shirt to his nose he's never needed anything more. Now he wants to take as much as she's willing to give.Laying her down on the ground she's watching him with glazed sated eyes, tiny creases at the edge of a smile. He needs to know the greedy suck of her mouth, the press of her teeth swollen lips kissing his crown. He needs to see those ruddy cheeks bulge with his cock as he fucks the shallow of her mouth, her tongue laving his shaft. He needs, he needs, he needs…

His knees are weak, his vest catching on bark as he slips down to the ground. He's choking on the smell of her, the shirt damp from his breath as he fucks in to his tight fist. Behind his closed eyes all he can see are the sloppy strings of saliva connecting them both as her grabby hands try to bring him back. He's whimpering into the shirt, pleading with himself not to finish. He wants to drown in her and with her but his cock is so sensitive it nearly burns as he pumps furiously.

And her? She’s just lying there, her hair haloed around her head like a crown as she whispers filthy things that all too sweet smile narrowing her puffy eyes. She's praising him, her naughty boy, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. He zeros in on that, the words. He's groaning, the sound muffled by the cloth. “Naughty boy. Naughty boy. Naughty boy.” It's on a loop, her eyes wild with fascination when his body shakes. His breath seizes. Her hand covers his as she looks up at him demanding his full attention as she says, “Cum baby.”

He does.

His shoulders bow inward, hips thrusting at the air as thick ropes of spend hit the ground between his booted feet. Daryl tries to stifle the sound he makes before he's choking from the force of his orgasm, unable to breath as his abdomen clenches over and over, hips twitching as he cums and cums. Her shirt falls from a loose grip as he slumps, his whole body sensitive and shaking. He's ruined and whole and ruined again, completely and utterly spent on the forest floor.

Daryl uses his bandana to clean off his shaking hands enough to light a cigarette and he fumbles the lighter twice before he gets it right. It takes him the entire thing before he can make himself stuff her shirt back in his bag and put away his dick. How the fuck was he going to look her in the eyes? How was he going to be able to see anything other than her spread out on the floor below him with her knees pressed together with want?

He'd figure it out tomorrow. Had to. It wasn't like he could avoid her, they were traveling together. The only good thing that came of him emptying his balls (other than blowing his own damn mind) was that he was tired now. Tired enough to sleep until morning and he was going to enjoy that rarity even if it was only because he didn't know if he could meet her eyes.

He groaned as he stood, his legs fighting to sit back down the entire walk back to the fire's edge. The watch had switched and was adding twigs to the flame to keep it going. If they knew what Daryl had just done they didn't say, just a nod of acknowledgement that he hadn't died and that was more than enough for him. Now all he had to do was tip-toe back to his spot on the fringes and pray he didn't wake her up.

He was careful setting his stuff down, his movements as slow and steady as he could manage praying to any god that would listen that she wouldn't wake up. Frowning he eased down on the ground next to her, the starring role of his forbidden fantasy. He'd made it to his back before she stirred beside him and without opening her eyes she whispered to him, "I'm cold." His heart slammed into his throat, his sluggish mind struggling to come up with something, anything to say to her.

“Don' care.” He muttered. Closing his eyes he silently admonished himself. He could've tried to be a little nicer but it didn't matter because she was already scooting over. She snuggled up to him, slipping her hand under his shirt to rest on his belly. “God dammit woman!” He hissed but not because it was cold.

She hushed him, pressing her body up against his side. “Daryl, go to sleep.”

Only now he couldn't because her touch was electric, tiny sparks of it dancing across his chest stirring up a weird feeling in his rib cage. He sighed, resigned to his fate, a punishment from God probably for what he did only minutes ago and stared up at the stars above them trying to count them. Anything to pretend he wasn't honed in on the pads of her fingertips drawing tiny circles near his naval.

Pussydrunk!Leon who feels like he would rather die then stop eating your pussy. It doesn't matter how long how short the time spent apart was he needs to spend every second of that lost time between your legs one way or the other. The poor man didn't even have the patience to wait for the clothes to come off, he got to his knees and pressed your hips to the wall, his thumb moving your panties to the side so his mouth could finally taste you.

"Feels like its been forever since I tasted that sweet pussy on my tongue. Want it all over me baby, come all over my face. That's right grind down, use me however you want just let me keep you right here."

Pussydrunk!Leon who keeps coming over and over as he's entered an almost feral state from the moment his cock was fully sheathed into your tight pussy walls. You can't even stand on your toes anymore because with every thrust he bounces you up the wall, much to his amusement mind you. The only solution is to pull your up around his hips and carry you to the couch. He's not laying down on the pillows, but over one of the arm rests so he can push his cock into the deepest parts of you.

"I'm getting so close sweetheart. Again, I'll give you all my cum, you better take it. You will right? Be my good girl and take your boyfriends cum. Feels almost like you're sucking me in. So tight I can barely pull out. Good thing I'm good with staying right here. I'll keep the cum inside that pretty fuckhole."

gif by @daryl-dixon-daydreams

Commonwealth diner Waiter: What would you like?

Y/N: A chocolate milkshake with two straws, please.

Daryl, blushing: I—

Y/N, putting both straws in her mouth: Watch how fast I can drink this!!

Daryl: …