#Daryl dixon book of carol | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

wolvietxt · 3 months ago

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𝓢OFT 𝓔DGES !

pairing : daryl dixon x reader warnings : fluff, slight hurt / comfort wc : 1.7k a/n : little filler fic while i write my logan series :3

the first time it happened, neither of you really knew how.

it was late, the fire burned low, and most of the group had already shuffled off to bed. you were sitting across from daryl, neither of you talking much, just existing in the shared quiet that came easier than most things did nowadays. the crackle of embers filled the silence between you, soft and soothing.

you glanced at him, his face half-lit by the dying light, shadows carving out the planes of his features. his posture was as rigid as ever, shoulders tight, hands fidgeting with the frayed edge of his shirt sleeve. he caught your gaze and raised a brow, muttering, “what?”

“nothing,” you said quickly, shaking your head. “just… you look like you haven’t slept in days.”

his scoff was soft. “look who’s talkin’.”

you couldn’t argue with that. sleep had been a luxury lately, the kind of thing you thought about wistfully but rarely indulged in. the weight of exhaustion pressed heavy on you both, worn into your bones, but neither of you made a move to head inside.

“guess we’re both a mess,” you murmured.

his lips twitched into something that wasn’t quite a smile but close enough. “yeah. guess so.”

you fell silent again, but the stillness wasn’t uncomfortable. it was… familiar. in a way, it felt like company - good company - was the only thing holding you together some nights. eventually, the fire died down completely, and the chill of the night crept in.

you rubbed your arms, shivering a little. daryl’s eyes flicked to you briefly before he stood up, muttering, “c’mon. it’s cold.”

you blinked at him. “what?”

“you stay out here, you’re gonna freeze,” he said, already heading towards the small cabin the group had claimed for the night.

you followed him inside, mostly out of confusion, and found yourself lingering as he dropped onto the cot he’d claimed earlier. his boots hit the floor with a dull thunk, and he looked over at you, brows furrowing.

“you just gonna stand there?”

“where else am i supposed to go?” you asked, crossing your arms.

he huffed, shoving himself to the far side of the cot. “ain’t rocket science. there’s room here.”

your eyes widened slightly. “you want me to - ”

“didn’t say i want nothin’,” he interrupted, voice low. “just figured you’d be better off not sleepin’ on the damn floor.”

there was no real way to argue with that, so you swallowed your hesitation and perched awkwardly on the edge of the cot. he didn’t say anything, just rolled onto his side and pulled the blanket over himself.

you laid down slowly, keeping as much space between you as you could on the narrow cot. it was fine - quiet, awkward, but fine - until you started to drift off, and your hand brushed against his.

you tensed immediately, but he didn’t move away. didn’t say anything either. the warmth of his skin seeped into yours, grounding in a way you didn’t know you needed. after a moment, you let your fingers curl slightly, brushing against his again.

he shifted just enough to press his palm against yours.

you fell asleep like that, hands barely touching, and woke up with his arm slung over your waist, your head tucked under his chin.

after that night, it happened more often than not.

you didn’t talk about it - didn’t need to. daryl wasn’t the kind of man who used words to explain himself, and you weren’t exactly great at starting conversations either. the first few nights, you both kept a respectful distance, careful not to overstep. but over time, the gaps closed.

he didn’t pull away when your hand found his again. he didn’t flinch when your head rested against his shoulder. and when his arm looped around your waist to pull you closer, you didn’t hesitate to lean into him, letting his steady warmth soothe the ache in your chest.

it became routine.

no matter how long the day was or how much tension lingered between you during the hours of sunlight, when the night came, you ended up tangled together. neither of you really had to say it, but the need was mutual - silent and unspoken, but mutual.

one night, you found yourself tracing the faint scars on his forearm, your fingers light as a feather. he didn’t stop you, just watched in silence. when you looked up at him, his gaze was unreadable, softer than you’d ever seen.

“what?” you whispered.

he shook his head, barely perceptible. “nothin’.”

but his arm tightened around you, and he pulled you closer, his chin resting on the top of your head. you didn’t press further. whatever he was thinking, he wasn’t ready to share it yet, and that was okay.

because lying there, wrapped up in him, was enough.

the run had gone sideways before it even really started.

what was supposed to be a simple supply run had turned into a mess of bad luck and bad timing. walkers everywhere, collapsing buildings, and the kind of chaos that left your adrenaline buzzing long after you’d made it back to camp.

daryl hadn’t let you out of his sight the whole time, his hand shooting out to grab your arm or yank you behind him whenever things got too close for comfort. not that you needed him to - years of surviving on your own had sharpened your instincts - but he didn’t seem to care.

“next time, yer stayin’ behind,” he grumbled as the two of you stumbled through the front gates, the night air heavy with tension.

“like hell,” you shot back, wiping blood and grime off your face.

he glared, but the exhaustion in his eyes dulled the edge. “ain’t arguin’ with ya right now.”

fine by you. you were too tired to argue either, and the ache in your legs was proof enough that you needed rest. by the time you both trudged into the cabin, the rest of the group had settled down, their voices distant murmurs.

you kicked your boots off and dropped onto the cot without much thought, your body already anticipating the pull of sleep. daryl hovered for a moment, watching you with an unreadable expression before sitting down heavily beside you.

“you okay?” he asked gruffly, his voice softer than usual.

“i’m fine,” you muttered, though your hands were still trembling slightly.

he didn’t look convinced. “you sure? looked like you were ‘bout to - ”

“i’m fine, daryl.” you cut him off, sharper than you meant to.

his jaw tightened, but he didn’t push further. instead, he let out a rough sigh and leaned back, his weight shifting the cot just enough that you felt it.

the silence stretched, heavy and awkward, until you finally broke it.

“you didn’t have to keep pulling me out of trouble, you know.”

he snorted, leaning down to untie his boots. “yeah, i did.”

you turned your head to look at him, confused. “why?”

he shrugged, like the answer was obvious. “’cause if somethin’ happened to ya, i’d lose my damn mind.”

the admission hung in the air between you, uncomfortably raw. you opened your mouth to respond, but no words came. instead, you shifted closer, hesitating for a moment before resting your hand on his arm.

he stilled, his eyes flicking down to where your fingers brushed against his skin.

“you don’t have to worry about me,” you said softly. “we’re both still here. that’s what matters.”

he scoffed, though it lacked any real bite. “ain’t that simple.”

“why not?”

he turned his head to look at you, the shadows in his eyes deeper than you’d ever seen. “’cause it just ain’t.”

your hand slid down his arm until your fingers found his, curling around them. his hand tensed briefly before relaxing, his grip tightening around yours like he was afraid to let go.

“you don’t have to carry everything alone, you know,” you whispered.

“ain’t got a choice,” he muttered, his voice low.

“you do,” you said firmly, shifting closer until your forehead rested against his shoulder. “you’ve got me.”

for a moment, he didn’t respond, the weight of your words pressing heavy against him. but then his free arm looped around your waist, pulling you into him in a way that felt both protective and vulnerable.

“yeah,” he said quietly. “guess i do.”

the tension in the room eased slightly, though the vulnerability lingered. you stayed like that for a while, your head on his shoulder, his arm around you, until the chill of the night seeped in and you both shifted to lie down.

as you settled against him, your head on his chest and his heartbeat steady beneath your ear, you felt the faint tremor in his hand as it rested on your back.

“you’re shaking,” you murmured.

“ain’t nothin’,” he muttered.

you didn’t call him out on it, but you didn’t pull away either. instead, you let your fingers trace idle patterns along his arm, your touch light but deliberate.

“daryl,” you said after a long pause, your voice barely above a whisper.

“what?”

“i mean it. you don’t have to do this alone. not anymore.”

his breath hitched slightly, and you felt him press his face into your hair, his grip on you tightening.

“ain’t used to this,” he admitted, his voice muffled. “don’t even know what the hell i’m doin’ half the time.”

you tilted your head up to look at him, your eyes searching his face. “you’re doing fine.”

his lips quirked into the faintest hint of a smile. “that so?”

“yeah,” you said, resting your head back against his chest. “better than fine, actually.”

he huffed softly, the sound somewhere between disbelief and relief.

“you’re somethin’ else,” he muttered, his fingers brushing lightly along your spine.

you smiled against his shirt, the warmth of his words settling deep in your chest. “so are you.”

the two of you fell silent after that, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to you both. but as you drifted off, tangled together in a way that felt more like home than anything else ever had, you couldn’t help but think that maybe - just maybe - you were finally starting to understand what it meant to not be alone.

🌀 daryl dixon : @v3lv3tf0x, @dugiioh, @whxtewolf, @lemoanaid, @sunnykittyzz

@california-boys-and-sun, @cable-kenobi, @omen-keke, @hhiggs

taglist form linked in pinned post :3

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