#Beth x Randall

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

Susan Kelechi Watson and Us

[zalrb]

Do you have any favourite "She's everything, he's just ken" ships?

[xothemedia]

R&B (Randall & Beth) | This is Us (5x14)

[tvshowscouples]

If you love  Randall&Beth (This Is Us) and you want reblog or like,this is the link of my reblog couples :)

thank you!

[frazzledsoul]

Happy International Kissing Day!

[cyarsk5230]

blackloveeeee reblogged 

11h ago

Oct 28, 2020

Source: supagirl

[mariailoveyou-guerin]

I like Franie she’s so nice and good but her whole story being oh she likes quiet, music and is good at the piano want to marry in mf regency era its so fork found in the kitchen all her scenes that weren’t with John V were so dry like her personality is very 1 dimensional character

her character is very dull (kind but thats about it)just used as pretty object and the storyline is ngl also very much boring but these 2 was so cute best part of her scenes they reminded me of a Eng version of it couple! Its literally their scene word for word almost just period

[a-member-of-minuteswithmandm]

I loved all six seasons of this is us, even when the show was getting in my nerves I was having a good time!

That being said, let's talk about how all the Pearsons were unrealistic hopeless romantics who repeatedly made shitty decisions when it came to love! ☺️☺️

So first of all...Jack and Rebecca, honestly I think they were both equally flawed so I don't have much to say there. As for Rebecca and Miguel? Damn I hate that couple loool. Miguel is a snake of a beat friend for getting with Rebecca after Jack died. It was giving "ice always loved her" vibes and it gives me the ick. He should have used all the effort he gave to Rebecca and the Pearson on his first wife and kids that's he treated so garbage the first time around smh

Beth and Randall - I love Randal SOOOO much but Beth was effectively a saint for dealing with his shenanigans for 20 years. He was just soooo much, his heart was in the right place though so I let some of his tomfoolery slide.

Then we have Katie girl who destroyed Katoby after years of showing us how they could go the distance. I have not and WILL NOT forgive Kate for ruining her marriage with Toby idc Idc Idc. He wasn't perfect but he was much closer to it than she was that's for sure! I hate that the show acted like his perfectly reasonable concerna and arguments were wrong just further the narrative that Kate was "growing". Ughh

Don't let me even start with the fact that her shan of a relationship with Philip came out of absolutely no where and half of the final season was dedicated to Kate's breakup then second marriage. I actually like Philip but the writing for him was all over the place and their relationship made no sense whatsoever.

For the last member of the big 3 we have Kevin......um okay I guess. The show was all over the place with what they wanted for his endgame - Sophie? Maddison? Cassidy? Zoe? He was obssessed with finding love and due to behind the scene issues, the writers keeps fluctuating with giving him a sense of direction. Everything with Maddison feels so pointless after the ending getting him back with Sophie.....which I wouldn't have hated if it wasn't so clear that all the decisions about her character were based on the actress' pregnancy and availability. I will give them props for making Cassidy his best friend though because I LOVE their dynamic.

Outside of the adult Pearsons we also had Deja and Malik and lord knows I hate them as a couple so much. I don't know why Deja couldn't get an easy love. Why did she had to be a stepmom at 15? Ughhh

Well if you enjoyed my rant then you'll probably also enjoy us talking about this topic on our podcast channel. Please watch, like and comment your thoughts! We love hearing from people 😁

[thisisusconfessions]

[blairwaldcrf]

"Swear on Oprah"

[spaceagebachelormann]

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬

!!REQUEST REQUIREMENTS!!

-> state the character, romantic or platonic, the format of the request, and a plot

-> do you have any specifics for the reader? blonde, poc, male, neurodivergent, etc? (please keep in mind i will write poc readers but i’m white so they may be a little difficult for me)

-> requests are preferred to be sent through inbox, but i can make dms work if needed

-> PLEASE ACTUALLY SPECIFY WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR REQUEST!! ITS VERY HARD FOR ME TO WRITE “____ x reader fluff” GIVE ME A PLOT LINE

!!WHAT I WILL WRITE!!

-> platonic

-> romantic

-> familial

-> any gender x any gender

-> headcanons

-> long fics

-> multi character

-> blurbs

-> poly relationships

-> x reader

-> i will only write cheating if it’s a character comforting r after being cheated on, not a character cheating on r

!!WHAT I WONT WRITE!!

-> smut (i’m 15)

-> yandere

-> most aus, ask about the specific au before requesting an au

-> incest

-> age gaps

-> canonical gay/lesbian character x a man (if lesbian) or a woman (if gay)

-> song fics

-> things about ocs

-> ships

-> sunshine x grumpy tropes, i’m horrible at this trope

character list

keeper of the lost cities

sophie foster, dex dizznee, fitz vacker, keefe sencen, biana vacker, marella redek, maruca chebota, tam song, linh song, wylie endal, jensi babblos, stina heks, elwin hesledge

chronicles of narnia

peter pevensie, edmund pevensie, susan pevensie, lucy pevensie, caspian

riordanverse

percy jackson, annabeth chase, grover underwood, jason grace, piper mclean, leo valdez, hazel levesque, frank zhang, nico di angelo, will solace, reyna arellano, rachel dare, travis stoll, connor stoll, thalia grace, magnus chase, alex fierro, carter kane, sadie kane

harry potter

harry potter, ron weasley, hermione granger, neville longbottom, luna lovegood, ginny weasley, fred weasley, george weasley, sirius black, james potter, remus lupin, mary macdonald, marlene mckinnon, lily evans, dorcas meadows, regulus black, barty crouch jr, narcissa black, andromeda black, bellatrix lestrange

ride the cyclone

ocean o’connell rosenberg, noel gruber, mischa bachinski, ricky potts, jane doe/penny lamb, constance blackwood

shadow and bone

alina starkov, malyen oretsev, genya safin, zoya nazyalensky, david kostyk, tamaar & tolya, nikolai lantsov

six of crows

kaz brekker, inej ghafa, jesper fahey, nina zenik, wylan van eck, matthias helvar

the outsiders

ponyboy curtis, johnny cade, sodapop curtis, darry curtis, steve randall, twobit matthews, dallas winston, cherry valance

the hunger games

katniss everdeen, peeta mellark, finnick odair, johanna mason, cinna, effie trinket

it (2017)

bill denbrough, eddie kaspbrak, richie tozier, stan uris, beverly marsh, ben hanscom, mike hanlon

the school for good and evil

agatha, sophie, tedros, hort, hester, anadil, dot, nicola, rhian mistral, rafal mistral, clarissa dovey, leonora lesso

the land of stories

connor bailey, alex bailey, red riding hood, jack, goldilocks

scooby doo

shaggy rogers, fred jones, daphne blake, velma dinkley, thorn, dusk, luna

little women

jo march, amy march, beth march, meg march, laurie

dracula

dracula, lucy westenra, arthur holmwood, john seward, mina harker, abraham van helsing, renfield, quincey morris, jonathan harker, the brides

frankenstein

victor frankenstein, elizabeth lavenza, henry clerval, adam frankenstein, justine mortiz, ernest frankenstein, the bride

dr jekyll and mr hyde

henry jekyll, edward hyde, richard enfield, gabriel utterson, hastie lanyon, lucy harris

phantom of the opera

christine daaé, erik destler, raoul de chagney, meg giry, carlotta giudicelli

a good girls guide to murder

pippa fitz-amobi, ravi singh, naomi ward, cara ward, connor reynolds, jamie reynolds, nat da silva

the mighty ducks

charlie conway, adam banks, lester averman, guy germaine, connie moreau, fulton reed, dean portman, julie gaffney, ken wu, luis mendoza, dwayne robertson

monster high

frankie stein, draculaura, clawdeen wolf, cleo de nile, abbey bominable, ghoulia yelps, operetta, rochelle goyle, spectra vondergeist, elissabat, clawd wolf, deuce gorgon, heath burns, jackson jekyll, holt hyde, kieran valentine

the powerpuff girls

blossom utonium, bubbles utonium, buttercup utonium, brick jojo, boomer jojo, butch jojo

david bowie

david bowie, ziggy stardust, jareth, thomas jerome newton, celliers

sweeney todd

sweeney todd, anthony hope, mrs lovett, johanna todd

the rosewood chronicles

lottie pumpkin, ellie wolf, jamie volk, ollie moreno, raphael wilcox, anastacia alcroft leblanc, saskia san martin, lola tomkins, mickey tomkins, binah fae

hairspray

corny collins, link larkin, amber von tussle, tracey turnblad, penny pingleton, seaweed j. stubbs

attack on titan

eren yeager, mikasa ackerman, armin arlert, jean kirstein, sasha braus, connie springer, annie leonhardt, bertholdt hoover, reiner braun, hange zoe, levi ackerman, erwin smith, colt grice, niccolo, yelena, onyakopon, zeke yeager

daisy jones and the six

daisy jones, billy dunne, graham dunne, karen sirko, warren rhodes, pete loving/roundtree, eddie loving/roundtree, camila dunne, simone jackson

doctor who bbc

ninth doctor, tenth doctor, eleventh doctor, twelfth doctor, rose tyler, jack harkness, mickey smith, donna noble, martha jones, clara oswald, river song, amy pond, rory williams, simm! master, missy/gomez master

miss peregrines home for peculiar children

jacob portman, emma bloom, millard nulling, enoch o’connor, olive elephanta, alma peregrine

good omens

crowley, aziraphale, ineffable husbands (poly), beelzebub <3, gabriel, ineffable bureaucracy (poly), nina, maggie, nina and maggie (poly), anathema

miscellaneous characters

sarah williams, bernard the elf, rodrick heffley, varian, lisa frankenstein, the creature (lisa frankenstein)

UPCOMING FANDOMS : what we do in the shadows, star trek, american horror story, torchwood, x-men, yellowjackets

[witchthewriter]

I recently saw some stuff on tiktok about some From ships and saw that A LOT of people ship Julie and Randall especially with the new episodes

I wanted to get your opinion on that

I think that Julie is a bit too young. I have no idea how old Randall is, but he seems to be in his early 20s (22-24) & Julie is only 17.

If she was 19/20 I would be like, yeah! sure I guess! cute couple! Take it slow <3 But if they became a couple now I would be like, no! uh-ah! that ain't right! Leave that child alone!

I guess that characters fall into the perfect tropes of sunshine x stormy. Like Beth and Daryl from The Walking Dead.

But yeah, in my opinion, it feels weird. But I can understand how Randall and Julie would be shipped - especially since there isn't a lot of romance going on in the show ...

What does everyone else think?

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 22 ~ Scars

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 2

✧ Word Count : 5.4k

⚠️ TW : Mentions of attempted suicide & SH scars

In this chapter ~ When Rick and Shane decide to take Randall away from their people to drop him and fend for himself, things seem to go wrong on the other end. Beth becomes suicidal after witnessing the death of her mother just days prior, leading Rose to comfort her in a time of need. However, the heaviness that followed was a lot more than she anticipated, though luckily for her, Daryl helps her pick up the pieces.

It had been about two days since they brought Randall back, and he eventually woke from his unconscious state. Since then the place had been chaotic.

The group was constantly going around and around in circles about what to do with this guy, so much so it gave me a pounding headache. Because most of the time the arguments wouldn't go anywhere. People would just repeat the same things that had already been said, causing us to feel stuck in the same place as no one really had a solution.

Until Rick just made the final decision to do what he wanted to since the beginning, take the man far away from the farm and drop him off on his own.

So now that the man was finally able to walk and balance decently on his own, Rick and Shane took a car to drive him out in the middle of nowhere, leaving the rest of us nervously waiting for their return. Everyone eventually seemed to agree with the plan despite the possibilities of him coming back, but it's not like we had much of a choice.

I for one was trying to keep myself busy all day, helping Lori with some laundry, staying to keep watch on top of the RV, I even made a run into town earlier that morning with Glenn. We had found a few different stores in a small part of town that had some useful things in them. But there was a little something else I found that I was extra excited about besides the food and supplies.

When we walked into the last store, I saw it. The perfect thing to give to Daryl. I had never gotten him something in return when he gave me my sketchbook and watercolors, but now I had something that I thought would suit him quite nicely. It was a black leather vest with stitched angel wings on the back.

In my mind, I hoped he would really like it and I had planned to give it to him later that night. Once we all knew Randall was taken care of.

Currently I was washing dishes with Maggie, occasionally talking about random things, trying to get our minds off of what was happening today. I could easily tell she hadn't stopped thinking about it since it happened either, the anxious feeling of the man somehow making his way back to her own home couldn't have been easy to deal with. But I had hope that everything would work out just fine and things would begin to move smoothly again.

She wordlessly handed me the last plate that was in the sink, water dripping off of the edges as I took the towel in my hands to dry it. She leaned her back up against the counter as she stared down at her shoes, the sound of me stacking the final plate in the cabinet brining her out of her thoughts as she glanced back up to me nervously.

"Can I talk to you about something... more serious?" she asked.

I only nodded my head as I listened, throwing the towel back down on the counter to give her my full attention as I copied her stance.

"Well, Glenn's been avoiding me lately, and he told me that when he was out there trying to fight those guys, he froze at one point. He was saying that since I told him I loved him... that's the reason he froze, and my dad had to save his life. He said he was afraid to die... thinking about how it would affect me." she finished almost a little shamefully.

My eyes widened a bit as I was a little thrown off and not expecting that, but I was still quick to respond and reassure her. "Listen, I know that it might not feel too great that he's avoiding you, but the truth is he loves you too. I don't think he should be avoiding you, I think he should be cherishing these moments he has with you, but y'know he's a guy." I pointed out, giving her a look she would be able to read.

She laughed quietly to herself as she nodded her head in silent understanding, "But he'll come around, I promise. You just gotta give him a little time." I finished.

She pressed her lips together and nodded gratefully, "Thank you." she said, "I feel like I can really talk to you ya know? I'm glad you're here."

I smiled, "Yeah, me too." I spoke, opening my mouth again before closing it back up quickly. My dumbass almost slipped up and said something about how I was glad that I stayed, but I bit my tongue before it could come out.

My eyes then absentmindedly panned over towards the tray of food that Maggie had set off to the side a few minutes ago, "Is this for Beth?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.

She followed my gaze and nodded, "Oh yeah, I was about to bring that up to her when we were done."

"Oh I got it, I was going to check on her soon anyways." I said, moving towards the counter.

She smiled gratefully, "Thank you. You know Beth really likes you. Ever since you taught her how to play those few songs on the guitar it's really all she can really talk about. I think seeing you would cheer her up."

"Yeah, I had fun teaching her, I'm sure she'll be ready to learn some more in no time." I reassured her.

Maggie nodded her head and I fully picked up the tray in my hands, walking out of the kitchen to head upstairs and into Beth's room. It seemed quieter than usual as I made my way up the familiar stairs, something seeming a little off. But I mostly blamed it on Rick and Shane's absence, still not here even after leaving early this morning.

For some reason the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, sensing something might go wrong out there, not necessarily with Randall. But with each other.

After what happened with the barn and the whole fight that came after that, the two had been at each other's throats ever since. It was way far off from how they used to act around each other, seeming more like brothers than friends. But something just clicked and now they almost acted like strangers. Though it was none of my business, I still noticed.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I made it up the long staircase and lingered by the closed door, knocking softly a few times before I entered. To my surprise, I heard her soft voice from the other side invite me in, causing me to open the door as best as I could with the tray still balanced in my hands.

"Hey hon, it's just me." I announced as I walked in, "I brought you something to eat, and to see how you were doing."

Her gaze panned over towards me, and my breath hitched slightly in the back of my throat. I knew that familiar look all too well. I tried to not let it affect me too much in case I was wrong, but I had a feeling I wasn't. She looked utterly broken and depressed, much more pale with bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She had just lost her mom, I came to find out that she was the walker Beth ran to after everything happened. I'm pretty sure I couldn't have felt worse for her after finding that out, now more than ever seeing her like this.

"You can just set it down here." she said, pointing over towards the side table next to her bed.

I did what she asked and stood there for a moment as she stared at the sandwich on the plate, "Do you want me to stay, or do you want some space."

"Some space. If that's okay?" she asked.

"Yeah of course," I said immediately, "Just...call if you need anything." I finished with a smile.

She barely gave me a noticeable nod before I turned on my heel to give her some time alone, but I couldn't just brush off the vibe I picked up. It again could be nothing, just being paranoid over something I was reading too much into. But in case I was right, I didn't just want to keep it to myself.

I ventured back down the stairs, peeking in the kitchen again to see if Maggie was around, but the room was empty by the time I got back. A sigh left my lips as I turned back around to try and find her, but I managed to spot Lori entering the house right as I was about to come down the hall.

"Oh hey, Lori?" I called out as I approached her.

She turned towards me with a small smile, hanging up her jacket, "Hey, what's up?" she asked.

My eyes glanced back up the stairs momentarily before turning back to her, slightly lowering my voice, "I just...I'm worried about Beth. She just seems a little off and I was going to find Maggie to let her know but-"

"I can tell her." she offered with a nod, "I'll keep an eye on her until she comes back."

"Yeah that would be great." I spoke gratefully, "She's just up in her room and wanted to be left alone... but I don't know I think Maggie should know."

"Absolutely." she agreed instantly, "I'll tell her the next time I see her, okay?"

I nodded, "Thanks." I said with a small smile, passing her as I moved to exit the house.

I felt a little bad not telling Maggie about it myself, but knowing someone else would keep an eye out for Beth gave me a little piece of mind. I didn't want to hover over her or pick up any overprotective instincts even though in the back of my mind I knew it was inevitable. I just wanted her to be okay.

The rest of the day passed by slowly, leaving nothing much to do around camp and everyone simply doing their own thing for the day. After not being able to find Maggie, looping around the farm a couple of times, I assumed she was back in the house at this point. So I took the much needed time to myself.

A few hours passed by with me just laying down in the yellow tent trying to relax as best as I could. Spending most of the time reading the book Daryl had stolen from me when he got hurt and it actually turned out to be pretty good, only drawing me more in with each chapter. The details were amazing and I loved the plot. I didn't plan on giving this back to him anytime soon.

I hadn't seen him for most of the day because he decided to go out hunting fairly early in the morning, leaving camp before the sun even rose. He offered for me to come with him, but I declined as I needed to go out on that run with Glenn to get some things for myself, and he understood. I just hoped he would be back soon along with Rick and Shane who continued to be gone for far too long.

Damn it was like everyone was missing today.

After closing in on the last chapter, I finally shut the book after what felt like forever, blinking my eyes a few times to adjust them. For hours I had been reading tiny words on these pages and I felt that it was time for a break. So, I placed the book back in my bag, standing to leave the tent and walked outside a little to stretch my legs, leaning from side to side as I was hunched over for many hours.

I glanced around the small camp to see who was around, before my eyes suddenly stopped on Carl sitting by the RV. He seemed distant as he glanced at the comic book sitting in his lap, barely reading over the pages as he sloppily flipped through them. A pain in my chest suddenly dispersed upon seeing him like this, knowing that he hadn't been the same since he witnessed Sophia coming out of that barn. But who could blame him?

He was grieving in his own way, separating himself from the others as much as he could for just some time alone to think. I hadn't had a proper conversation with him since that day everything went wrong, keeping my distance as that's what he seemed to wish for. But I shook my head as I began to walk over towards him, wanting to talk to him for the first time in what felt like too long.

"Hey kid." I greeted him.

He glanced up and gave me a slight smile, "Hey." he spoke as he closed the book to give me his attention.

I moved to take a seat next to him on the ground, "So, what're you reading? Tell me about it." I said.

His eyes lit up "Really?"

I chuckled a little, "Yeah, why not. Who's this?" I asked, pointing to some sort of superhero.

His excited demeanor never faltered as he went on to tell me everything that was happening in this comic book. Who all of the characters were, what their powers were, and what their mission was. This was one of the first times I had seen him get excited about something in what felt like forever, and it warmed my heart at just the sight. He began to slowly open up a little bit more the longer we talked, changing the subject a few times to talk about his favorite cartoons he used to watch before the outbreak.

I enjoyed watching him smile, it felt like it had been some time since it last happened, and I was just glad to distract him even if it was only for a few minutes. A kid his age should never have to go through half the shit that's he's been through, though he was tougher than I ever could've imagined.

After we finished talking for a while, I left him to read it in peace after that. I wanted him to have his space too, and I never wanted to overstep any boundaries, especially when it came time to grieve someone.

I found myself heading back into the house to grab something to eat afterwards, but as soon as I walked in, I jumped a little as I suddenly heard screaming from just up the stairs. I didn't hesitate for a second before I was rushing up the steps two at a time, jogging into Beth's room to see Maggie and Lori were yelling and banging on the bathroom door.

"Woah, woah, what's happening?" I asked.

Maggie's head whipped around to face me, "Beth...Beth tried to kill herself and now locked herself in the bathroom, I heard glass." she spoke quickly, continuing to pound on the door, pleading with Beth to listen.

Panic flooded through me. She tried to kill herself? And was now attempting again? I stood in the doorway frozen in shock as I felt as though I couldn't move a thing. But then my eyes quickly darted around the room, looking for something to get the door open. Lori had moved to search the room for the key, frantically looking through her drawers as fast as she could, but I spotted a metal rod sitting in the corner of the room. I didn't think twice about it as I stepped forward, picking it up in my hands before telling Maggie to move out of the way quickly and she jumped back.

Sticking the thing in between the lock and the wood, I pushed on it as hard as I could in an attempt to pry it open. There was a sudden crack after a few seconds before the wooden door suddenly flew open, revealing Beth standing there with her hand over her wrist, blood pouring out of it. Her head whipped over to us frantically as soon as she heard the door breaking, tears streaming down her face and her heart no doubt racing out of her chest.

"I'm sorry." she sobbed, and Maggie didn't waste anymore time as she went in to pull her close.

I ditched the metal rod in my hands, stepping inside the bathroom only to realize how severe the cut actually was. Blood was now running down her arm and onto the tile floor, the amount of pressure she was putting on it clearly wasn't enough. I quickly placed my hand on Maggie's shoulder to get her attention, gently pulling Beth out of her hold.

"Go get your dad, he's going to need to stitch this up." I said, trying to hide the panic in my tone.

But she caught it even though it was disguised, quickly nodding her head as she left right along with Lori to try and find Hershel as fast as possible. Beth looked up at me and opened her mouth to speak, but only a sob came out as she ducked her head, causing me to immediately shush her and bring her into a hug.

We all had different experiences with mental health, everything was dealt with differently, but I somewhat knew how she was feeling. I had been in her position not that long ago and seeing her standing there when I first opened the door, brought all the memories back, so fast it was like a tidal wave. The whole situation nearly knocked me off my goddamn feet.

After standing in place for a while as she sobbed into my arms, I slowly started to bring her back into her attached bedroom, sitting her down on the bed so she could try to relax and focus on her breathing as she put more pressure on the wound.

Hershel frantically came in soon after that with a needle and thread and started to stitch his daughter up as she cried. I stayed by her side the whole time, holding her hand to offer her some type of comfort I was able to give. Though it was heartbreaking hearing her cry, and even more heartbreaking seeing Hershel try to pull himself together as he worked. I tried to think over the right things to say to her when the time came, but I felt that there was no right thing to say. What could you say after something like this?

After Hershel was done he said he would talk to her later and soon left the room in a hurry to no doubt let a few tears fall, leaving Beth and I alone again. She slowly laid down on the mattress after he left, her cheeks still stained with tears as she tried to calm herself down, with me rubbing her back towards the end of the bed. The silence slowly becoming deafening.

"Are you mad at me too?" she suddenly asked. I could feel the pain in her voice.

I whipped my head to look at her, "Oh my God honey no, I'm not mad at all. And neither is Maggie or your dad, they just love you so much. Seeing you like this... it hurts them, you know?"

She sighed as she shook her head, "I just feel so alone in this, like they don't even understand. Nobody does." she muttered.

"You're not alone." I said with a shake of my head, "I can promise you that."

"How do you know?" she was quick to ask.

My breath caught in my throat as I thought back to my own experiences, so different, yet so similar to hers. I debated in my head for a long time in the dead silence, letting the seconds turn into minutes if I really wanted to do this. I had never dared to show anyone the things I kept only to myself, ashamed of what others might think if they caught a glimpse of them. It made me feel vulnerable, weak, and that was something that I hated, but I needed to show her that someone here understood what she was going through.

So with a heavy breath, I hesitantly lifted my shirt sleeves to reveal my deeper scars on my wrists, trying to ignore the twist in my stomach as the cold air hit my arms. Her eyes followed my movements, immediately seeing them and I watched her eyes get wider with each passing second.

"I know." I assured after the agonizing silence.

She shook her head in disbelief, "You-"

"Yeah." I interrupted her, almost like I didn't want to hear her say it.

"It was uh... at a really hard time in my life. I won't bore you with the details but someone in my life was making me feel worthless. He told me that so much I started to believe it myself, and I got really depressed. Eventually I thought that... doing this was my only option so I... tried. But I regretted it as soon as I saw the blood, kind of like you did. So I called for help and I... saved my own life that night."

She stared at me so intently, listening carefully to every word that came out of my mouth. I knew I could trust her to not say anything to anyone, just as she knew I wouldn't judge her for trying to do what she did. It was like a silent agreement that we had at that moment.

"Look, my point is I don't know exactly how you feel and I never will. But we were in the same boat you and me, we're fighters and I know you'll make it through this. You just proved that today when you stopped yourself." I said.

Her eyes refilled with tears as she looked at me with utter sadness, "I didn't realize...I'm so sorry Rose."

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, not wanting her to see me cry as I smiled sadly, "I'm sorry too." I whispered before bringing her into a hug.

She clung onto me tightly as the new fresh tears fell down her face, sobs erupting from her lungs. All the emotions mixed with the exhaustion was truly taking a toll on her body, but I was prepared to hold her for as long as she needed. Just like I wished someone had held me.

Once her cries quieted down after a few minutes, I spoke quietly to her, "I am always going to be here for you, okay? You're never alone in this. Never." I assured as I held her tighter.

"Okay." she whispered, hiccups building in the back of her throat.

Although I couldn't see her face as she spoke, I knew now that she believed me, and knew that I wasn't going anywhere. Hell, I would be at her beck and call always if that meant saving her life. I somehow knew then that everything would be okay, maybe not at first but it would be. Beth was strong and I could see that so clearly, even if she couldn't see it yet herself, she was going to be okay.

After I knew for sure she was okay for the night, her assuring me multiple times, I said my goodbyes and walked out to send Hershel back in the room to talk to her. Nothing could've probably prepared him for the things that man had to do today, but I just couldn't get over the look on his face. It was like he had seen a ghost when he first burst into the room, and it was devastating.

After I walked out of her bedroom, I found him just sitting a few feet away outside, telling him he was good to head in, but before I could walk away he caught my arm to stop me.

"Thank you for...comforting her at a time like this. I just... I don't know what to say to her once I go in there. But just know I appreciate you Rose, thank you so much." he said with visible tears in his eyes.

I took his hand off my arm, squeezing it tightly, "Just be there for her, okay? Let her do the talking first. And it's no problem, I care about all of you so much."

He nodded and then suddenly did something I didn't expect, he hugged me. I sighed to myself before I was soon hugging him back for a few moments before letting him go after a few short seconds so he could talk to Beth. After watching him go, shutting the door behind him to leave only a crack, I made a beeline down the stairs and out of the house. I practically jogged all the way back to the tent, tears threatening to fall from my eyes as I desperately tried to keep myself together. But the moment I zipped up the entrance, finding myself completely alone, I let it all out.

Seeing Beth like that was too much for me, but I wouldn't dare let her know that. She needed me and I was going to be there for her, however it just brought back painful memories from my past that I so desperately tried to avoid. I just sat there and cried quietly as I hugged my arms around my middle from the slight chill in the night. Rethinking everything that had happened today, I couldn't help but wonder how it could've been different if I had just stayed inside that damn house. How I could've prevented something from happening if I had tracked down Maggie myself. Maybe things could've been different.

But suddenly the zipper of the tent was being opened quickly, and Daryl was making his way inside as he finally returned from his hunt. I quickly looked away from him while frantically wiping my eyes, knowing he hadn't heard me crying, not even noticing I was in here at all at first from how silent I had been.

"Oh, hey." he greeted once his eyes raised from his boots, "I was bout to look for-" he then stopped himself noticing immediately the state that I was in, "Rose? Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, coming to kneel in front of me.

I tried to pull myself together, "Nothing, I'm okay." I said as I looked to the side, basically anywhere but his face.

I couldn't look at him, I just knew I would break down if I did. I could already feel the new tears building up in my eyes as I felt him gently take my hand in his and rub the back of it lightly with his thumb.

"Talk to me." he said in a soft voice.

I didn't say anything. I didn't even know where to start, today had just been painfully long and all I wanted was to go to sleep so it would be finally over. It seemed like we couldn't catch a break. And as if it couldn't get any worse, I saw out of the corner of my eye Daryl's eyes were staring down at my wrist as he still held my hand in his. I froze with widened eyes and suddenly didn't know what to do, I couldn't move.

"Rose." he said softly while looking at the scar, moving to take my opposite hand to see the other. But I quickly pulled both hands away from his grasp so he couldn't get a better look.

"Damn it." I cursed silently as I pulled my sleeves back down harshly, wiping my eyes with them as I tried desperately not to look him in the eye. I didn't know what I wanted, for him to leave or stay, when all I could feel now was just utter embarrassment.

He made no sudden movements for what felt like years, until I felt his finger and thumb gripping my chin gently to lift my head to look at him. His thumb rubbed softly on my chin as I finally brought myself to look into his blue eyes.

"Talk to me." he repeated.

That's when the sudden floodgate broke loose, my tears only falling more freely than they did before. I couldn't stop them, there was just so many emotions I was feeling about everything, and I couldn't get all of it out before he came back, so now he was witnessing it firsthand. I felt mortified about crying so much lately, it seemed like all I was able to do, like it was all I was good for these days.

His hands then moved to my cheeks when it began to be too much, his thumbs gently wiping my fresh tears away. He leaned in close to place a soft kiss on my forehead, waiting patiently for me to start talking whenever I was ready. And I did.

I told him what happened with Beth and how she tried to end her life. I ranted about how I should've been there sooner and not just sitting in the tent all damn day, but I didn't know. I should've known, the feeling I had alone was a good enough reason to stay close, but I truly didn't know. Regrettably I also when on to explain my situation as well, seeing as I couldn't really avoid it because of what he barely saw through the darkness.

I told him almost every bit of the conversation I had with her, though it made me the most uncomfortable, I didn't want her to believe she was alone in this. Informing him also that seeing her like that brought back too many memories for me and that's why I had been crying in the first place...and then we sat there. There was just silence. He didn't try to talk one time. He just listened.

After seeing that I was done, not having anything else to say, he finally broke the silence, "Yer one of the greatest people to walk on this earth, ya know that?" he asked.

I was slightly taken aback at what he said, a scoff leaving my lips as I shook my head, "Believe me I'm far from that." I responded, no longer looking at him.

"Look at me." he said softly.

I slowly tore my eyes away from my hands and met his again, almost burning under his gaze. I almost couldn't believe how much I was cowering away from someone I truly trusted, but then again this conversation was one that I didn't want to be having with anyone.

"What ya did for Beth, bein there for her, that's the best thing you can do for her. And showin her she isn't alone through all this, it's amazin what ya did for her today...now about you..." he trailed off, looking back down at my hands sitting in my lap.

He then gently grabbed both of them and slowly rolled both of my sleeves all the way up to the middle of my arm. I tensed when he did this and he noticed, but yet he didn't stop. He raised my left wrist up to his lips, and began to leave soft kisses over every inch of the scar. Then moved to my right wrist and did the same exact thing, leaving goosebumps on my skin, but a warmth in my heart.

He held both of my hands tightly once he was done, looking back up at me as he spoke again, "Yer so strong, and ya never have to be ashamed of these. They're just marks on yer body to show that ya made it, even when things were really hard. I get yer ashamed of showin em, but you don't have to be. Not with me." he finished.

I stared at the man in front of me in awe. Nobody had ever spoken so beautifully about me like this before. Nobody had ever complimented the thing that I was the most insecure about. No one had ever kissed the places I had once hurt so badly. Nobody except him.

Tears built up back in my eyes, but this time for a completely different reason. I was quick to take my hands out of his, wrapping my arms around his shoulders to bring him into a hug as I felt I could finally breathe.

I heard what sounded like a sigh of relief come from him as he quickly wrapped his arms around me as well. Maybe he was worried about what he had said upset me, but it did quite the opposite. It made me relieved. Relieved that someone cared enough for me to not only see the good side of me but also the bad.

But with the way he spoke, and the way he was hugging me back so tightly, it almost made me question if he knew the feeling as well. The feeling of being ashamed or insecure because of something marking you from your past. And maybe he did. But I wasn't going to ask. I would wait until he felt comfortable enough to tell me, like he did for me just moments ago.

~ Thanks for reading!

[xothemedia]

This Is Us 3x6 | “Kamsahamnida”

[the-name-is-z]

SKELETONS | ch. 17

daryl dixon x f!oc

masterlist

a03 link

Summary: The group argues heavily over Randall's fate, their humanity and civility hanging in the balance. Warnings/Information: AMC's The Walking Dead OC Insert | 18+ Advised | strangers to lovers; the slowest of slow burns; gore; angst; horror; humour; m/f; discussion/descriptions of suicide attempt, injuries relating to suicide attempt, child risking their own life, discussion of execution/murder, moral arguments, theft, discussion of civility, humanity, etc

Chapter 17 - Calm

Iris grit her teeth as Maggie explained in a dark voice what Andrea had done. She had spoken to Beth and apparently allowed her to be alone. And in that time, Beth tried to kill herself. She’d broken the bathroom mirror and used the glass shard to slit her wrist open. It wasn’t nearly deep enough to do anything, and the consensus was that Beth now wanted to live, but Andrea still left her there to do it.

She was upset for Maggie, and sad for Andrea. It was a difficult way of thinking to get in the habit of. It was painful and hard. Most of them tried hard to live in fight or flight, the adrenaline eating at them day by day. Then there were the others, who felt every bit of pain of the world. 

Iris knew how many people ‘opted out’ when the world went to shit. Her father among them. It was easier for them, and she wanted to respect their decision. Some people weren’t built for the constant adrenaline. But when you were stuck between the two, had commitments, had family, it was a million times harder. To decide why you’re living, what you’re living for. Who you’re living for, if not yourself. 

It wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with any of them. For Beth and Maggie, it was between them. For Iris, she wasn’t entirely sure where she fell yet. She knew she wanted to survive, to live. But she wasn’t sure yet what for. 

-

Daryl was in the shed with Randall, scaring the living shit out of him. He had a knife, was beating him bloody and threatening to cut off appendages. Randall knew Maggie, and unless they wanted to kill him, he was a risk to the group. He was feeding Daryl information. Information he wanted to be very, very careful about sharing.

Iris had asked, and he told her everything Randall had said. He was a piece of shit, but he wasn’t Satan. He’d done terrible things, but they had yet to decide what sort of things were worth a human life. Who were they to make that distinction?

“So whatcha gonna do?” Lori asked, pouring herself some coffee from the campfire. “I think we’d all feel better if we knew the plan.”

“Is there a plan?” Andrea asked.

“We gonna keep him here?” Glenn asked. They were all looking to Rick, who’d gotten new clothes from their latest run into town. It was always weird to see white shirts that were really, actually white. Shane stood beside him, his hands on his belt as he waited for Rick to make the decision. He’d been quiet since Rick took him out with Randall, and that almost worried Iris more.

“We’ll know soon enough.” Rick replied, jerking his chin to Daryl, who was coming back to join them once again. His knuckles were covered in blood and Iris raised an eyebrow.

“Boy there’s got a gang. Thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain’t looking to make friends.” Daryl explained. “They roll through here, our boys are dead, and our women, they’re gonna wish they were.” Iris grimaced, turning to Rick with her raised eyebrow.

“What did you do?” Carol asked, looking at his bloodied hands.

“We had a little chat.” Daryl snarked.

“No one goes near this guy.” Rick murmured.

“Rick, what are you gonna do?” Lori asked quietly, approaching him directly.

“We have no choice. He’s a threat.” Rick decided. “We have to eliminate the threat.”

“You’re just gonna kill him?” Dale asked, dumbfounded.

“It’s settled. I’ll do it today.” Rick turned around, and Dale chased after him, jaw wide open. They argued for a little in the field, and Iris watched Dale’s frantic gestures. Everyone settled into the morning. It seemed like it would rain today. 

“You good?” Iris asked, nodding to Daryl’s knuckles as he sat down with a plate of eggs. He gave a half-shrug. 

“Punk told me about how they happened upon a guy in the woods, had a camp with two daughters.” He said lowly. Iris nodded. “He didn’t do it, but he watched ‘em.” Iris sighed deeply, running a hand over her face. “You against it?” Daryl asked, seeming surprised.

“Despite all the knives, I actually dislike the idea of killing people.” Iris stated, trying to make light of the situation, but it wasn’t working. “I don’t know.” Daryl nodded.

“I wouldn’t say ‘yes’ if it wasn’t a danger to the group.” He mumbled. Iris nodded in agreement.

A while later, Daryl was fiddling around his own little campsite behind the old stone building. Iris sat in silence, watching him, enjoying the comfortable quiet. She also watched as Dale came walking across the field toward them, a rifle in hand just in case. Daryl scoffed once he stood up and noticed him.

“The whole point of me coming up here is to get away from you people.” He muttered.

“Well, Iris is here.” Dale retorted. Daryl turned to make eye contact with her and he shrugged.

“She knows when to keep her mouth shut.” He replied. Iris scoffed, toasting her canteen sarcastically before taking a long swig. “Carol send you?”

“Carol’s not the only one that’s concerned about you, your new role in the group.” Dale said softly.

“Oh, man, I don’t need my head shrunk.” Daryl grumbled, adding feathers to the arrows he was making. He was actually very crafty, and Iris enjoyed watching him work, even if it meant she had to ‘keep her mouth shut’.

“He responds better to positive punishment.” Iris suggested as a joke. Daryl scowled, flicking a… pheasant foot… at her.

“You act like you don’t care.” Dale observed.

“Yeah, it’s cause I don’t.” Daryl replied.

“So, live or die, you don’t care what happens to Randall?”

“Nope.”

“If it doesn’t matter, why don’t you stand with me? If it really doesn’t matter, one way or the other?” Dale proposed.

“I didn’t peg you for a desperate son of a bitch.” Daryl mumbled.

“Your opinion makes a difference.” Dale stated.

“Man, ain’t nobody looking at me for nothing.”

“Iris is. Carol is. And I am. Right now. And you obviously have Rick’s ear.”

“Rick just looks to Shane. Let him.”

“You cared about what happened to Sophia.” Dale pleaded. “Cared what it meant to the group. Torturing people? That isn’t you. You’re a decent man. So is Rick. Shane— he’s different.”

“Why’s that? ‘Cause he killed Otis?” Daryl asked. Dale paused, eyes going wide.

“He tell you that?”

“Just some story. How Otis covered him, saved his ass. He shows up with the dead guy’s gun. Rick ain’t stupid. If he didn’t figure that out, it’s because he didn’t wanna.” Daryl turned and walked off, leaving Dale to turn to Iris, a defeated look on his face. Iris looked at him with sympathy, patting the spot on the log next to her.

“Alright?” She asked. He shook his head.

“This is not how it should be.” He mumbled. “We used to be civilized.” 

“You think so?” Iris asked, putting her elbows on her knees as she looked at him.

“You don’t?” He asked in return. Iris sucked on a tooth.

“Honestly, Dale. I was raised by a biker gang in a bar because my dad spent his life drunk before kicking his own bucket. I got my first gun at ten years old. Those kinds of people… this is how it always was.” She explained slowly, chewing on each word carefully.

“I’m sorry you had to grow up like that.” He said quietly. Iris shrugged.

“It’s who I am, and I won’t change it. But… I think it’s wrong to expect true… ‘humanity' from everyone, especially if they’ve never experienced it before.” She made air-quotes, looking pointedly in the direction Daryl had gone to emphasize. She paused, turning to the house and the campsite in the distance. “Have you ever killed a person, Dale?”

“No. Have you?”

“Yes.” Iris replied. “I killed my mother, because she tried to kill my brother. Well, my cousin. I was ten. It was the first time I used that gun.” Dale sat back, somewhat appalled. “The point is, sometimes we don’t have a choice. We have to protect the people we love.” He opened his mouth to interject but she held up a hand. "I’m not saying that’s this situation. I don’t know what to do about Randall. But I think it’s naïve to think another situation like this won’t happen. And another. And another. At one point, Dale, you’re not gonna have a choice.”

“I don’t want to live like that. I don’t think we should.” He said, standing in frustration.

“Dale—“

“I’m sorry you didn’t grow up in a better home, Iris. I… I’m sorry for you.” 

Iris watched him leave and sighed. He could be as sorry as he wanted. She wasn’t. She always had done what she knew was right. She killed her mother, who had a psychotic break, in self defence. The law said she was right, the jury said she was right, and the judge said she was right. The newspaper called her a local hero. For Felix, she would have done anything, and the world was better off without her mother in it.

It wasn’t about right or wrong, though. It was about playing the odds. What were the odds that if they left Randall alive, that his group would come down on them with the wrath of God? Especially after Daryl tortured him. She was sure that didn’t help. By what percentage did their odds of survival increase if they killed him? Ten? Twenty? Sixty? Would Randall’s death be a significant factor in changing their lives? 

-

Iris witnessed Carol have a brief argument with Lori about something ‘cruel’ Carl said about Sophia. Rick assured them he would speak to Carl about it and he did, but something he said resonated in Carl and she noticed. Don’t talk, think. It wasn’t a bad rule of thumb, but it was important to stand up for what you believe in. Without being cruel to others, however. 

Carl’s newfound attitude amused Iris still. Dale continued in his rounds, speaking to everyone to try and convince them to stand against the decision to execute Randall. He left Iris to her own devices, and Iris remained in and around Daryl’s campsite, away from the others. It was peaceful here, and at some point, Carl wandered up, likely bored.

He strode around, looking at Daryl’s string of dead squirrels before his eyes fell onto the motorcycle. Carl grinned as he grabbed the handles, pretending he was revving the engine.

“Careful, cowboy.” Iris warned. Carl jumped sky-high, spinning around to see her leaning against a tree. She smiled, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“Sorry.” He mumbled. She shook her head.

“I did it too. Just don’t let Daryl see.” She replied. He looked up at her and smiled.

“It’s so cool.” He murmured. Iris nodded. “Loud, though.” She hummed, proud yet amused as he was slowly figuring out how the undead world worked. He looked off into the forest before walking right in.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Iris asked, hurriedly following after him.

“I want to practice killing walkers again.” He called, moving quickly through the brush. 

“Carl, wait a second!” She called after him. Iris actually had to try to keep up with him. She followed him all the way to the creek, the banks much shallower than where she and Daryl had found Sophia’s doll. There was a walker standing there, ankle deep in the mud, and Carl almost ran up to it.

It spotted him, turning and gnashing his teeth, but it was stuck, unable to pull its feet from the bank. Carl took that as an opportunity to get closer.

“Carl.” Iris warned, jogging up to the bank. He ignored her, tossing a rock at the walker. It snarled in irritation, pulling to reach for him. Carl watched it with interest, and parked himself on a nearby log.

They were there for a couple hours, just sitting and watching the walker. Carl said nothing and neither did she. His interest in walkers… it was dangerous. Concerning. Needed to be set right. Hopefully his parents would figure that out sooner than later. She also hoped that Carl wasn’t under the assumption she would keep this to herself.

“I’m gonna kill it.” He decided, pushing to his feet. Iris watched as he ran around behind the walker. It was still stuck, turning around to claw at Carl with a twisted spine. Carl got closer, taking a deep breath, and pulled out a gun. 

Iris scrambled to her feet at the sight of it. That was Daryl’s gun. She didn’t even see the little bastard take it from the motorcycle bag. He pointed it at the wriggling walker, shaking with the weight and struggling as the walker moved around. Carl stepped closer, trying to make it easier, when the walker’s foot finally got loose.

It fell forward, it’s hand knocking the gun from Carl’s hand. Carl gave a shriek of surprise, yelping as he crawled backward away from the walker. Iris leapt over the fallen log, plunging a knife into the walker’s leg just as it grabbed onto Carl’s leg. 

She kicked it away and Carl scrambled back, putting a good ten feet in-between him and the dead man. Iris scowled as she grabbed the gun from the ground, following after Carl as he started back to the farm. He didn’t stop until he got to the field before the farm, Iris sprinting after him.

“Christ, kid, what were you thinking?” She yelled, stopping him. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, his lip quivering as he shook. He was scared out of his wits. She tucked the gun into the back of her pants, kneeling down in front of him. “You’re okay, alright? Don’t do something like that again.”

He barely nodded before he turned back to head to the farmhouse, and Iris followed after him. The group was gathering on the deck to finally decide what to do with Randall, and she didn’t want to miss the verdict. She followed as they all trailed into the house, Lori sending Carl off to stay with Jimmy. 

Everyone found a spot around the room, Daryl leaning against the open doorframe while Rick stood front and centre. Iris found a seat on the windowsill, the late afternoon sunlight shining a golden glow into the room. A little ironic, she’d say.

“So how do we do this?” Glenn asked, breaking the baited silence. “Do we just take a vote?”

“Does it have to be unanimous?” Andrea asked.

“How about majority rules?” Lori proposed. Iris raised an eyebrow.

“Well, let’s just see where everybody stands.” Rick said, putting his hand out. “Then we can talk through the options.”

“Well, where I sit, there’s only one way to move forward.” Shane started off, leaning himself against the fireplace mantle.

“Killing him, right?” Dale asked. He shook his head. It was clear he was exhausted and defeated, and Iris pitied him. “I mean, why bother to even take a vote? It’s clear which way the wind’s blowing.”

“Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know.” Rick replied firmly.

“Well, I can tell you, it’s a small group— maybe just me and Glenn.” Dale said quietly. Iris looked to Glenn, who sat on the piano stool between Rick and Dale, looking fairly guilty. He looked up at Dale, who seemed pained at the expression on his face.

“Look, I— I think you’re pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this—“

“They’ve got you scared!” Dale argued.

“He’s not one of us.” Glenn replied simply. “And we’ve… we’ve lost too many people already.” Dale clutched his hat in his hands, knuckles turning white. He pointed it to Maggie in question.

“How about you, do you agree with this?”

“Couldn’t we continue keeping him prisoner?” Maggie asked after a moment. She looked down at her father who sat impartial on his sofa. 

“Just another mouth to feed.” Daryl replied quietly in answer.

“It may be a lean winter.” Hershel added.

“We could ration better.” Lori argued.

“Well, he could be an asset.” Dale tried.

“How so?” Iris asked.

“Give him a chance to prove himself.” He pleaded.

“Put him to work?” Glenn asked.

“Sounds like a chance to bring his group down on us.” Iris retorted.

“We’re not letting him walk around.” Rick said firmly.

“We could put an escort on him.” Maggie proposed.

“Who wants to volunteer for that duty?” Shane snorted.

“I will.” Dale huffed.

“I don’t think any of us should be walking around with this guy.” Rick stated, shaking his head.

“He’s right. I would’t feel safe unless he was tied up.” Lori agreed.

"We can’t exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labour.” Andrea murmured.

“Look, say we let him join us, right? I mean, maybe he’s helpful. Maybe he’s nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his thirty men, like Iris said.” Shane explained.

“So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?” Dale asked, bewildered. “If we do this, we’re saying there’s no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilization.”

“Oh my god.” Shane grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Could you drive him further out, leave him like you planned?” Hershel suggested.

“That doesn’t guarantee our safety. Or his.” Iris replied, looking at Dale pointedly. He pressed his lips together in a thin line.

“They barely came back this time.” Lori murmured, clutching her hand to her chest as she turned to her husband. “There are walkers, you could break down, you could get lost—“

“Or get ambushed.” Daryl added.

“They’re right, we should not put our own people at risk.” Glenn agreed.

“If you… go through with it, how would you do it?” Patricia asked. “Would he suffer?”

“We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck.” Shane offered.

“I thought about that.” Rick sighed. “Shooting may be more humane.”

“And what about the body? Do we bury—“ T-Dog started.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on! Hold on! You’re talking about this like it’s already decided!” Dale cried.

“We’ve been talking all day. Going around in circles. You just wanna go around in circles again?” Daryl asked, standing straight.

“This is a young man’s life!” Dale yelled. “And it is worth more than a five minute conversation!” He huffed as the room fell silent, all of them turning to him. “Is this what it’s come to? We kill someone because we can’t decide what else to do with him? You saved him! And now look at us. He’s been tortured. He’s gonna be executed. How are we any better than those people we’re so afraid of?” There was a long beat of silence as they considered what he was saying. Iris sighed. 

“We all know what needs to be done—“ Shane murmured.

“No, Dale is right.” Rick decided. “We can’t leave any stone unturned here, we have a responsibility—“

“So what’s the other solution?” Andrea asked.

“Let Rick finish.” Lori scolded.

“We haven’t come up with a single viable option yet.” Andrea stated, putting a hand on her hip. “I wish we could—“

“So let’s work on it!” Dale yelled.

“We are.” Rick replied calmly.

“Stop it. Just stop it.” Carol grumbled. “I’m sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn’t ask for this. You can’t ask us to decide something like this. Please, decide, either of you, both of you, but leave me out.”

“Not speaking out, or killing him yourself. There’s no difference.” Dale said pointedly with a humourless smile.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Rick huffed. “Anybody who wants the floor before we make the final decision has the chance.” There was a long pause as Maggie and Patricia sat down, the silence deafening. Dale looked around frantically to everyone, hoping someone would say something before stepping toward Rick.

“You once said that we don’t kill the living.” He said.

“Well, that was before the living tried to kill us.” 

“But don’t you see? If we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew is dead.” He spat. “And this new world is ugly, it’s harsh. It’s survival of the fittest. That’s a world I don’t want to live in. And I don’t believe that any of you do. I can’t. Please. Let’s just do what’s right.” He breathed as they waited through another beat of silence. “Isn’t there anybody else who’s gonna stand with me?”

“Dale,” Iris said quietly from her windowsill, “the world has always been ugly, but it’s only going to get uglier. The world you knew is dead. I think all of us would agree that killing this boy is wrong. Fundamentally. But if we don’t play along, we won’t survive. We can all be idealistic and want to live in a better world, but this is the only world we’ve got. And I can’t speak for anyone else here, but regardless of the world around me, I want to live.”

-

TAGLIST:

@heidiland05

@ryoujoking

@catlalice

@maxinehufflepuffprincess

@lowkeyhottho

[woman-of-balnain]

The Claim Part 3/5 (Alpha Rick x Omega Reader)

Previous Part | Collection Masterlist | AO3 Ver. | Next Part

Pairing: Rick Grimes/Fem!Reader

Summary: You and Rick finally give into the attraction between you - at least somewhat.

A/N: Ok, the first bit of smut between Rick and the Reader. This is my first time writing smut with Rick so I’m kinda nervous about it and any feedback (even just a like tbh) would be really appreciated!

Warnings: Protective Rick (to the point where he gets angry over your safety), age gap (Rick is 13 years older than you), you are 24 and Rick is 37, A/B/O dynamics, oral sex (female receiving), dry humping, Randall using derogatory language towards reader (I guess? I mean that’s his intention anyway), Reader is female and wears traditionally feminine clothing.

Word Count: 3,485

Dividers by: @newlips​ + @cafekitsune​

Maggie barely waited once you were all back at the farm, dragging you into the house and upstairs to her bedroom. She rounded on you as soon as the door was shut, her expression both disappointed and worried.

 “You said you weren’t going to do anything stupid, Y/N!” She exclaimed. “That wasn’t just him comforting you.”

 “I know, Maggie, but –”

 “He’s married, did you forget that?”

 “No, he’s not,” you insisted, finally getting a word in, and causing her to fall silent. “We talked and… Lori’s with Shane now. It’s over between her and Rick.”

 Your sister took a moment to register what you’d said before she sat down softly on her bed. Despite being the middle sister, she often acted like the oldest, protective over you and Beth. Maybe it was because she was a beta, while you and Beth were omegas, causing her to want to shield you from any potential danger.

 “So… what, exactly?” She asked, far calmer now. “You’re together then?”

 “I don’t know,” you sighed. “We didn’t get around to discussing that. Not really.”

 “I’m sorry,” Maggie looked down at her hands. “Just, with Beth and Daddy… they’re both in shock and seeing you two like that, it looked like neither of you cared about what just happened. Like you were just being careless, and I’d have to worry about you too.”

 “Wait, what’s going on? What’s wrong with Beth and Dad?”

 Her words brought back all of the shock and grief from seeing your stepmother and stepbrother being gunned down. But it also made you worry, because you weren’t the only one hurt by it and you felt guilty for not realising the noticeable absence of your youngest sister and father until now.

 “Daddy drove off into town and Beth… it’s like she’s catatonic. Won’t move, won’t respond to anything… like she’s there but isn’t at the same time.”

 The revelation sent chills down your spine and your concern just increased.

 “Where is she?” You asked, wanting to see Beth.

 “In her room,” Maggie replied.

 You turned for the door immediately, with Maggie following close behind. When you reached Beth’s room and saw her looking up at the ceiling, like her mind was somewhere far away, it broke your heart.

 You sat down on the edge of her bed, taking one of her hands in yours.

 “Bethy?”

 She didn’t respond, just like Maggie had warned. The woman in question sat on your other side, her worry permeating through the air around you.

 “This is bad,” you admitted quietly. “The suppressants are one thing… now this? What if she goes into heat while she’s not in the right state of mind?”

 “She… she’ll be okay,” Maggie took hold of your other hand, trying to reassure you. “We’ll make sure she’s safe.”

 “Yeah…”

 You weren’t convinced though, and deep down you knew Maggie wasn’t either. It was always there, at the back of your mind. Your heat was coming up, you could feel it. And it wasn’t like before, where you could go off somewhere private, whether it be alone or maybe now with Rick… you would have to stay at the farm, with the undead always posing a risk.

 Sooner or later, Beth would go into heat too and for her, it was a first. Sure, she had Jimmy, but you wondered if the beta boy would be enough. Beta men didn’t have the same stamina as alphas, or the right scent to soothe and satisfy an omega in heat.

But there was nothing you could do about it for now, so rather than worry needlessly, you continued sitting by Beth’s side, holding her hand tightly. At the very least, you could try to get her to come out of her shock and give her whatever comfort you were able to.

Things remained hectic in the days following what happened at the barn. Beth was still the same, your father had uncharacteristically gone drinking in town and when Rick and Glenn went to go and bring him home, they ran into trouble and brought a hostage back with them.

 Your encounters with Rick were brief, but he had told you and the others to stay away from the barn where the young man they’d taken was being held. Randall, you’d learned his name was, and apparently, he remembered Maggie from high school, which made him a danger to everyone’s safety.

 You couldn’t help but take pity on him though, despite never once seeing his face. You tried to remind yourself that the group he was with had tried to kill Rick, your father and Glenn. But ultimately, for the moment, he was a prisoner and your softer side, fuelled by your inner omega, gave in and you decided to do something to help him.

 So, you found yourself in the barn, standing in front of the young alpha prisoner with a sandwich and water bottle in hand as he stared up at you, beaten black and blue but still tied to his chair.

 He didn’t look much like an alpha, but you smelt it on him all the same.

 “Just let me go,” he tried to plead with you, though there was something underlying in his tone that made you think he wasn’t as earnest as he should have been about it.

 “That’s not my decision,” you told him softly. “But here, you should eat.”

 You took one of the halves of the sandwich and held it out to him. The rope around Randall prevented him from taking the food himself, so you had to hold it in front of his mouth. He looked up at you, like he was trying to determine if your gesture was some kind of trick.

 He seemed happy with whatever he found in your gaze though, because he titled his head forward and he took a bite. His eyes never left you and it made you feel uncomfortable, but you still didn’t want someone who was there, at your home, to starve. Prisoner or not.

 When he moved his head slightly, tilting it so that his nose brushed against the inside of your wrist, breathing you in, you jolted back immediately.

 “You smell like him,” Randall observed.

 You didn’t have to ask who. The answer was clear to you and despite the discomfort Randall filled you with, the idea that you still smelt of Rick caused your heart to flutter, even though it shouldn’t be possible.

 But most of all you just felt regretful for ignoring Rick’s orders and coming into the barn. And that feeling coursed through you, filling you with dread at the fact you were now alone with the prisoner who clearly did have bad intentions, despite being tied up.

 You were so caught up in it that you didn’t even notice the barn door opening and someone else stepping inside.

 “You’re not mated though,” Randall’s gaze fell to your neck, the skin smooth and unclaimed. “So, you’re still fair game.”

 You stiffened at the insinuation, but you didn’t get a chance to retort before you heard the barn door slam shut. Then someone was moving past you and getting right up into Randall’s face. You’d felt Rick’s presence before you saw him, his familiar scent filling the air as he strode up to the prisoner, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

 “Say that again,” Rick warned him lowly. “Give me an excuse to kill you.”

 “What’s the problem?” Randall retorted, cockier than you thought he should have been. “You haven’t claimed her. Why not? Since she’s so special to you… or is she just your whore?”

 Rick lunged at him, his fist hitting Randall’s face with such a brute force, you thought you might have heard bones cracking from the impact. He pulled back only to swing at him again and again, likely with the intention to cause a lot more damage than Daryl already had.

 “Rick…” you called out gently, your voice betraying your trepidation.

 He stopped immediately, like you had broken him out of some trance. As he stepped back from Randall, you saw that he was breathing heavily, still trying to reign his temper in. Rick didn’t look at you when he turned around. He just took hold of your hand, dragging you out of the barn, the rest of the sandwich and the water bottle you’d been holding falling to the ground.

 Rick didn’t let go of you once you were back outside. Instead, he looked back towards the house and the campsite of his group and seemed to think better of heading in that direction. When he pulled you towards the woods, still not saying a word, you realised he wanted some privacy with you.

 At any other time, that might have gotten you excited. But considering the anger that was still dripping off him, mixing with his scent and making you anxious… you were just apprehensive about what he was planning to say or do.

 When you were both well enough away from any prying eyes at the farm and hopefully not too far out where you might run into walkers, Rick let go of his tight grip on your arm and turned to face you. When his eyes met yours, that was when the guilt set in for you. Because underneath all the anger he was very clearly feeling, there was also fear and worry.

 “I – we told you to stay away from the barn,” he fumed, barely holding back the true force of his emotions. “Are you trying to drive me crazy, Y/N?”

 “No, I… I just… I felt bad…”

 His blue eyes, which were normally so piercing and commanding, were now wild and distressed. You felt the guilt swallow you whole as you realised you were the cause of it.

 “For what? His people wanted to kill us. Did you forget that?”

 “I didn’t forget,” you replied placatingly, hoping to calm him down. “I only wanted to give him some food. I’m sorry… I wasn’t thinking. Once he said those things, I realised that I was being stupid by going in there.”

 At the reminder of the things Randall had said to both you and Rick, his rage seemed to return in full force. You expected him to yell some more, venting out his frustrations verbally. So, when you were suddenly pushed up against the nearest tree and Rick’s lips pressed hungrily against yours, you were surprised but no less relieved.

 His kiss was demanding, communicating his desire for you to submit and you did so willingly. You let him take control, loving the way his hands explored your body, tugging at your dress and gliding over your skin. His lips were soft and full against yours and his tongue stroked languidly against yours, making your mind wonder about how it might feel against other parts of your body…

 You let out a deep moan at all the feelings he was eliciting within you and your fingers seemed to automatically find themselves tugging on his short hair. He bit teasingly at your bottom lip, and you pulled him closer to you.

 “You gonna listen from now on?” He demanded to know, lips still brushing against yours.

 “Yes…” you breathed out. “Yes Alpha…”

 “You belong to me ‘mega,” he reminded you, one hand moving down to your thighs.

 You nodded frantically, desperate for more of his touch. For more of him. He pushed your legs apart, settling one of his own between them. You felt hot all over and while you knew it was still too early for your heat, you were just as needy as you would’ve been if it had arrived.

 It was automatic, the way you moved your hips, letting yourself grind against his strong and toned thigh. The material of his jeans was rough, but through your panties it provided just the right amount of friction.

 “Say it.”

 “I belong to you,” you whined out, lost in the feel of him. “I’ll do whatever you say.”

 “Good girl,” he praised.

 Your inner omega reveled in the fact that you’d pleased him and when his lips fell down to your scent gland it drove you wild. You moved more frantically against his thigh, desperate for release. Rick took a moment to breathe you in, enjoying your usual scent that had become mixed with your obvious arousal.

 “You’re not gettin’ off on my thigh, baby,” he nuzzled against your neck, hands moving to hold your hips steady.

 “Please…” you whined, wanting to cum so badly. “Please, Rick…”

 “Hold still, sweetheart.”

 You did as he asked, letting out a happy sigh when he pressed one last, feather-light kiss to your overstimulated gland. When his hands began to lift up your dress though, you got impatient again, squirming against him and just wanting to feel some aspect of him paying attention to your pussy.

 “Hold still,” he repeated, a stern warning this time.

 You settled again, watching with lustful eyes as he got down on his knees, your legs spread on either side of him. You were glad for the tree behind you, because without it you definitely wouldn’t still be standing.

 Rick seemed intent on teasing you, drawing it all out to drive you more and more crazy with anticipation. Maybe it was his way of getting back at you for going into the barn, for defying his orders and for scaring him like that by putting yourself in any kind of danger.

 Your eyes fluttered shut and your head fell back against the tree when all he did was run his fingers over your panties, rubbing and teasing at your clit through the soft material. It wasn’t enough, but it was something and damn if he didn’t know what he was doing to you.

 His lips kissed up along your inner thigh as he brought that leg up to rest on his shoulder, supporting you. All the while, Rick kept teasing you through your panties, applying a little more pressure. You were quickly getting wet, and you could feel the way it seeped through your panties and made the material moist as he kept rubbing your clit.

 “You’re so good for me, ‘mega,” he murmured against your thigh.

 His kisses were moving higher and higher, getting closer to where you wanted his lips to be. You almost protested when he pulled his head back, but he was so quick in tugging at your underwear, pulling them down your legs, that you didn’t get a chance to be disappointed by the loss of contact.

 You were more than ready for him, so when your panties were finally off and thrown to the side, out of the way, you looked on eagerly as Rick took in the sight of you with a dark and hungry gaze. His fingers explored your pussy first, gently pushing aside your folds and running along your slit, gathering up your slick.

 Then his fingers thrust inside of you with little warning, but you’d been so desperate for it that you just closed your eyes again and let out a deep and eager moan.

 “Oh, fuck,” you cried out in pleasure.

 “You got a dirty mouth, huh, baby?”

 You could practically hear the grin in his tone of voice.

 “Mmm,” you replied, too lost in the powerful movements of his fingers inside you to coherently answer.

 “Just for me, right?”

 “Y-yes,” you stammered out, fingers running through his hair again. “Only for you.”

 “What do you want, Omega?”

 “I… I…”

 You couldn’t put the words together in your head, let alone speak them out loud. Rick pressed his thumb against your clit and your legs shuddered from the ecstatic feeling he elicited in you.

 “Tell me,” he demanded. “Wanna hear you say it.”

 “I want… I want you to eat me out. I want your mouth on my pussy. Then I want you to fuck me rough and hard. Want you to show me I’m yours.”

 “No, I ain’t gonna fuck you today sweetheart,” he denied you.

 “Why not?” You whined, so desperate to feel him inside of you.

 “Gonna wait for your heat,” he was kissing along your thigh again. “Gonna do it right the first time I have you. Claim you properly.”

 He had a point, one that you could see despite the state of lust your mind was in. And the idea of him claiming you… that was worth waiting for, you decided.

 “But getting a taste of your sweet pussy?” He continued, lips now hovering right over your core, his breath fanning out and teasing you. “That I can do.”

 “Fuck!” You cried out.  

 You tugged on his hair and pushed him closer as his mouth came into contact with your clit. His fingers never faltered in their deep and forceful thrusts and the added sensation of his tongue and lips on your sensitive nub sent your mind into a delirious, lust-fuelled haze.

 Your hips moved of their own accord, causing you to fuck his face wildly. His hands gripped your upper thighs, but he made no move to fully control your frantic movements. Rick’s tongue was like magic, giving precise and generous licks to your clit, while his lips and teeth encircled it, driving you closer and closer to the edge.

 “Oh, god…” you moaned, still clinging to him. “Rick… don’t – don’t stop!”

 He clearly had no intention to, and when his lips moved down, closer to where his fingers were still moving in and out of you, his nose brushed against your clit instead, offering a different kind of sensation. Your hips bucked forward again, spurred on by his ministrations.

 Then, Rick curled his fingers inside of you, coming into contact with that bundle of nerves you both seemed to know would help drive you over the edge. As you revelled in the new stimulation, his nose brushed back over your clit, and he sucked down hard on the sensitive nub.

 Finally, your orgasm crashed over you in waves, your resulting moan ringing out through the woods. You didn’t care who or what you attracted in that moment though. All you cared about was Rick and the things he was doing to you.

 Your legs spasmed and your hands held his head down, keeping him pressed against your core. You didn’t need to though, as he kept happily worshiping your pussy. Your eyes were squeezed shut and you just allowed the euphoria to overcome all of your senses for those few, blissful moments.

 You were still breathing heavily when you finally relinquished your hold on him and began coming down from your high. Rick gave one last kiss to your clit before pulling his fingers out of you and letting the leg that had been resting on his shoulder settle gently back down onto the ground.

 Watching through half-lidded eyes, you observed him lick his fingers clean, savoring your taste. It made you want him all over again, so you pulled him up and off his knees and brought him back to your waiting lips. He let you kiss him eagerly, his hands tracing soothing patterns along your waist, moving under your dress to grant him access to your skin.

 Eventually though, he rested his forehead against yours and broke the kiss just slightly, his lips still resting against yours. His hands squeezed down on your hips and his eyes were still closed, like he was just taking everything in.

 “You okay?” You asked, still a little breathless, your fingers running much more gently now through his hair.

 “Never better,” he replied, a small smile playing on his lips. “Just hard to hold back.”

 You looked down, seeing the generous bulge straining against his pants.

 “You don’t have to, Rick,” you assured him. “I want you just as bad.”

 His eyes finally opened, gazing tenderly into your own. He pulled his head back to take you in properly and one of his hands came up to stroke along your cheek.

 “I meant what I said, Y/N. I’m gonna wait for your heat.”

 You knew it was the right decision, that it would pay off in the end. Especially if he happened to go into a rut at the same time and especially because your heat would be even more intense now that you were no longer taking suppressants. But it was still disappointing.

 Nevertheless, you nodded in acquiescence, and he gave you a strained smile, obviously just as tempted to give in.

 “You’re my omega now,” he continued, the declaration making your heart flutter happily in your chest. “I’m gonna treat you right.”

 You smiled happily at him, and he bent his head, capturing your lips in another possessive and dizzying kiss. For now, you were content to just stay there in his arms and let him distract you from everything else going on in the world around you.

--

Next Part

--